> Friendship (With Benefits) is Magic (With Extra)
>  by Drop_It_Like_Its_Clop
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Cleaning up and dirtying down
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aerial Ace's eyes flicked between the clipboard cradled in his grey wing and the catastrophic scene before him. Sections of pillars and columns lay strewn about, broken and chipped. A statue had shattered, laying in sharp fragments among the bulk of marble and stone. Grime, dust, and dirt coated the floor. If he were a detective, he'd have guessed that there was a riot or a burglary. If he were a good detective, he'd have just asked the ponies present. Thankfully, he was a contractor, and so he was far more to the point.

"Could you tell me again exactly how this happened, your majesty?" he asked, turning his attention to the grand white alicorn next to him. She was a full foot taller than him - and proportionately far more broad - and he had to look up to catch sight of her face. She was observing the scene with a stoic resignation.

"I was reliably informed that a pony tripped into the statue," the princess replied, looking down at him. "An attempt was made to save the statue, but that resulted in the toppling of the columns. It was at that point that I entered the room, and can attest for the stampede."

"Stampede, your highness?"

"A stampede," she confirmed. "There was..." She paused as she sought the words. "...an incident involving the castle's garden, and the panicked animals fled inside. The result was rather chaotic, and highly disruptive."

"So it would seem," Ace agreed, writing down notes on the state of the room before tucking the pencil and clipboard into his utility belt. "Fortunately, this is rather an easy fix. All it requires is a team of stonemasons and two days to set the room back to its prior state. If you can spare the room being marked as out of bounds to the rest of the staff and guests for that time, I promise you we'll have it back to normal in no time."

"It serves as a function room - it won't be needed for some time."

"Excellent. With that being the case, I believe I can pledge to you that the damage will be fixed in a week, depending on how quickly the masons reply."

"I'm pleased to hear." The regal mare smiled down at him, a trace of unexpected approval underpinning her words. "I was assured you were a stallion of utmost talent, and it would seem that the recommendation wasn't in the slightest exaggerated."

"A humble pony cannot comment on the quality of his own work," Ace laughed, smiling good naturedly at her. "But I do take pride in being able to live up to my promises. If you don't mind me asking, who recommended me?" He thought about previous clients of his and tried to figure who would've offered his services to the Crown, but none came to mind.

"A mare named Applejack pointed me to you."

"Applejack?" he repeated, the name catching him off guard. Of all the ponies to have passed on his name to the princess, the farmer was the last he would've figured.

"She vouched for you personally," Celestia told him. "I was promised that you would be able to put everything to rights quicker and better than anypony I could hope to meet. I thought she might be singing your praises in order to better market you, but the estimations you gave me tell me otherwise."

"She's always completely truthful," the stallion reminded the winged mare. "She doesn't do hyperbole. At least, none that I can actually understand." He chuckled at the memory of some of her more enthusiastic idioms. "If you suspected she was inflating my abilities, why did you contact me? You could've chosen somepony else."

"I didn't doubt that you were skilled, and I trust Applejack's integrity and opinion in these matters. I wasn't taking a risk in asking for your services, and if you were everything she claimed you to be, it would be a good choice. I merely believed that she let her guilt persuade her that she needed to offer the best way to mend the situation."

"Her guilt?" Ace queried, glancing to the mess in the room. "Did she have anything to do with this?"

"She was present, with friends," the princess informed him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I don't lay any of the blame at her hooves, but I believe she feels some lingering remorse for being at the epicentre of this event."

"She's certainly an interesting mare," the stallion acknowledged. "I admire her sense of right and wrong. It's unique." He checked the watch on his foreleg, noting the time, and turned back to the princess. "I should go and write up this information over lunch. I'll send off the letters to the masons, and hopefully I'll hear back from within a day or two. It shouldn't take long."

"If you're going to  be writing them over lunch, perhaps you'd wish to join me?" Celestia suggested. "I was planning to eat after you left, but some company would be greatly appreciated." The offer surprised the pegasus, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I wouldn't want to impose, and I'm not sure I'd be the most interesting conversationalist. I'll be writing for most of lunch."

"It really is no trouble. I'll be eating alone anyway if not for your acceptance. Conversation or not, it isn't often that I spend my lunch with somepony other than a dignitary or a party of officials." A warm, motherly smile spread across her muzzle. "If you need more assurance, then think of it as a prepayment for your work." Her words earned a half-smile from the stallion, and he nodded in acceptance.

"If you truly don't mind, then it'd be rude to refuse my princess' offer," he relented, turning towards the door. "Please, lead on, your majesty." He bowed his head respectfully, and she walked ahead, leaving him room to follow her. As he raised his head again, he did his utmost to avoid looking for too long at her shapely rear, her majestic and ethereal tail flowing behind her. Instead, he focused on her slender legs, adorned with muscle, but lithe and toned. It took him a few seconds longer to scold himself for that, and he tried to turn his attention back to the mare herself. It was hard work - the powerful ripples of her muscle working as she walked was mesmerising - but he eventually dragged his gaze away from her legs and barrel.

The hallways of Canterlot castle were wide enough for them to walk two abreast, and he swiftly caught up to her. She maintained a slow walk, allowing for the comparatively shorter stallion to make up the distance. Normally, he was the one who had to moderate his pace for the benefit of others, and it was a new experience to have to extend his legs further just to match her natural speed. He was grateful that she gave him the opportunity to walk normally, something that his stature normally prevented as a possibility.

Their journey from the ballroom to the dining hall was filled with a comfortable back and forth, the mare asking about his work and his opinion about the job he was to undertake, and the stallion replying candidly. He tried not to bore her with the details, but it became apparent that the regal mare held a competent level of knowledge both on architecture and stonecraft. She explained that over the course of her life - multiple millennia - she had had ample opportunity to study and learn, sometimes under the tutorship of talented and skilled ponies, and sometimes of her own volition. Not merely content to busy herself on the study of statecraft, diplomacy, and the matters of ruling, she had delved into what some saw as mundane - horticulture, agriculture, carpentry, mining, and even stoneworking.

"Something I've truly come to miss sitting on my throne is my attachment to the world and its societies," she revealed as the two of them stepped into the lavish dining room, their hoofsteps echoing off  the marble floor. Banners and standards were hung from the ceiling, and brackets containing flowers gave the walls a pleasant frame. Light streamed in from the tall windows, illuminating the white stone and the dark, oak table running like a spine down the room's middle. "Cooped up here with all my responsibilities, I don't have the opportunity to travel the world and indulge in its basic enjoyments. I can't remember the last time I simply sat down to talk to somepony without the royal expectations and requirements placed upon me."

"Is that why you invited me to dine with you, your majesty?" Ace asked, cautiously approaching a seat and waiting for her to take hers before he sat down. "Meaning no offence."

"None taken." She settled down onto her chair with a practiced ease, deftly manipulating the wooden furniture almost subconsciously with her magic. "You are correct; it's something of a novelty for me to be able to enjoy something as normal as a meal with another pony. My sister is usually preoccupied and my staff are professionals who never allow themselves to be normal ponies whenever they're around me. The nobility conducts themselves with a practiced pomp, and my subjects respect me too much to act naturally. For once, I'd like to be able to share a meal with somepony just as a fellow pony."

"If that's what you want, I can do that," the stallion told her. "I'm a lot better at having lunch with someone than I am dining with royalty. I've never actually had the pleasure of dining with royalty, or the aristocracy, before." He rubbed the back of his head, self-conscious of where he was and who he was with. "I've not actually been the the Grand Galloping Gala before, so this is as close as I've ever come."

"Is that so?" Celestia asked, observing him with a gentleness that seemed to act like a balm to any nerves he had. "That hardly seems appropriate given the service for which you've been contracted. If you do provide the quality and speediness of work that you've promised, I think it's in good order to have a ticket arranged for next year's gala to be sent to you."

"That would be an honour, your majesty."

"Please," she interrupted, raising a hoof gently. "Dispense with the titles, at least for lunch. Just call me Celestia, and treat me as you would any other mare."

"It would be...kind of you, Celestia," Ace corrected himself, trying to realign his thinking on the fly. It was hard to see literal royalty as just another pony, but it was her wish, and he aimed to be polite and decent. "But above all, I'd be happy to have further and continuous employment. If you have any matters around the castle, or in Canterlot generally, I would like to be the first port of call. I just want to do my part for society and be able to support myself doing it."

"How humble of you," she noted, intrigue sparkling in her eyes. "Very well. If upon completing this assignment your work is the level of quality required of the castle, you shall be appointed as the Royal Contractor for Reconstruction. I shall see to it personally."

"As a princess or as normal mare?" Ace asked, smirking cheekily at her. The alicorn let out a laugh, the soft, feminine sound playing over his ears like a harp's sweet song.

"There are certain benefits to being ruler of a kingdom," she reminded him, the room in which they were currently sat not escaping her notice. Her horn glowed golden as she channeled her magic, an identical aura forming around the bell in the centre of the table. Shaking it softly, the ringing tones passed through the room, and she'd barely set it back down before servants hastened into the room, throwing tablecloth over the wood and swiftly placing down an assortment of plates and cutlery, along with serving dishes of all sorts of cold food. The entire process took half a minute, the ponies leaving as silently as swiftly as they'd entered. "And some such things are necessary. Take, for instance, securing an ordinary stallion's continued tenure."

"Touché," he conceded. "Though I suppose I won't be an ordinary stallion afterwards. At least, not if I have a title or anything." He grinned at the thought. "I imagine that'll get old real quick, huh?"

"Remarkably," Celestia informed him, levitating triangular sandwiches onto her personal plate. "If you want some friendly advice, I would recommend that you keep the title only for professional use. There are ponies who look only to someone's title to determine how they should be valued, and it's difficult to shake their false affection afterwards."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ace replied, frowning. "You're the best mare I could've heard that advice from, I suppose. This interaction is the result of that mindset, after all." She nodded at his observation, and the stallion selected some sandwiches from the assortment to pull onto his plate. "Do you mind if I write out those letters? I should-" He paused as he realised that he had no paper on him. "Well, never mind. I suppose that'll have to wait."

The white mare paused in her eating and rang the bell with her magic again, this time summoning in a single unicorn, who trotted over to her side. She whispered something to her servant, who nodded and left the room in a determined, purposeful stride. The interaction held Ace's attention until the third party had left the room, at which point he quirked an eyebrow at the alicorn and tilted his head.

"What was that about?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Realising how hungry he'd grown, he swallowed as quickly as he could and took another large bite, demolishing the stack of sandwiches on his plate. The mare didn't answer, smiling mischievously at him as if to say you'll see. Left with little choice, the pegasus continued his crusade against his plate, tearing into the food as though it had gravely insulted him.

Ace had started on a fruit tart before the servant returned, floating along with her sheaves of paper, layers stacked atop one another, a number of envelopes, and an inkpot and quill. Setting them aside the pegasus, the servant bowed to the princess and left silently, not saying a word to the pegasus guest as she closed the door behind her. The stallion once again turned his gaze to the mare opposite him.

"Another example of you being an 'ordinary mare'?" he suggested playfully, a smirk tugging at his lips. Pushing his plate aside, he plucked the quill from the ink, drew the sheaves towards him, and realised that they were connected. He'd be able to write all of his letters in one sitting - the top layer would transfer the imprint of his writing to the paper below, and so forth.

"Ordinary mares aren't so generous as to help their friends?" Celestia asked, her own playfulness lacing her tone. That wasn't common from her, at least not in public, and the stallion took a second to roll the experience of it around in his mind. "Or do you question all mares who offer you help?"

"I'm just teasing," he assured her, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he looked up to her. "And don't worry - I only tease the mares I like." With a small smirk, he got to work, writing out the body of his letter. The scratching of his quill tip against parchment filled the momentary silence of the room, the sounds sharp and precise.

"Is that so?" the alicorn asked, sounding amused. "Am I to believe you're like this to every mare, or are you just making excuses for you behaviour?"

He looked up at her, concerned that he'd overstepped the line, but her smirk put his concerns to ease, and he grinned back. "Of course not. It's not every mare who invites me to lunch and gives me gifts. How could I say that I see every mare the same? Some are just more generous, lovely, radiant, kind, and wonderful than others." His words pulled a genuine smile from her, one that broke through her smirk.

"And teasing such mares is the appropriate response?"

"It's universally recognised as the sign of mutual appreciation. Besides, have you seen a cute mare pout? One of life's greatest and most simple pleasures, I swear to you." Pulling his clipboard from his utility belt, Ace checked over it, inserting some of the specific elements from his notes into the letter. "Actually, most of life's simple and purest pleasures come from something a mare does - pouting, smiling, cheering, beaming, blushing..."

"You seem to know a lot about mares, Aerial Ace."

"I wouldn't go that far," he countered, stowing the clipboard back away and signing his name at the bottom of the letter. Pulling the sheets away from one another, he saw that the words - and the ink - had pressed through to produce several identical copies. Now all he had to do was add the names and addresses. "I just enjoy the simple things in life, and one of the most common is interaction with other ponies. All I do is notice the patterns." His smirk strengthened. "And act upon them."

Celestia's silence persisted as he inserted the names of his contacts at the head of each letter and wrote a corresponding address on each of the envelopes. When he looked up, the white mare was looking at him pensively. "Is everything okay?" Her expression brightened at his question, and she nodded.

"I was just thinking," she informed him. "My old mind is wandering."

"You're not old." The stallion's statement made her laugh.

"I'm over two thousand years old, Ace. I'm afraid I no longer qualify as a spritely young filly."

"Well, no, not by age," the stallion agreed. "But you're active, you're healthy, and you're beautiful. Most mares can't say that by the time they reach seventy, not to mention one hundred. How many mares even live past a hundred years? And here you are, two thousand and something, and you don't look a day over thirty. Imagine how most of us would look if we had to run a kingdom, alone, for even ten years. We'd be emotional and physical wrecks. Don't be so hard on yourself."

The princess' countenance turned surprised, and then thoughtful. It seemed his words presented her with ideas she hadn't entertained before, or if she had, that she'd long abandoned. There was simple truth to what he was saying, and more importantly, it was someone else saying it to her, someone who wasn't family or a doting subject, but someone she'd expressly asked to treat her as an ordinary mare. As far as it seemed, he'd done just that.

"Are you saying that to a princess, or to a mare?" she inquired, curious to hear his response. The stallion replaced the quill in the inkpot before responding.

"To a friend, I hope," he answered, her cheeks gathering a rosy tint to them. "But a mare, predominantly. I mean, princess is just a title. It's the mare underneath that matters, right? Princess Platinum was just a unicorn, and she wasn't the wisest of all ponies. Who I'm addressing isn't really important, so much as how I'm addressing them."

The white mare across from him watched him for a little while, observing his expression. He didn't look deceitful, or insincere, or even cheekily sarcastic. Centuries of leadership had honed Celestia's judgement, particularly when it came to the judgement of somepony's character, and as far as she could see, he wasn't lying. He wasn't trying to fool or deceive her, or to win her favour. She'd spent enough time around the aristocrats and minor nobles to know what shallow flattery looked like, and even charismatic wooing. She couldn't see any of it in Ace, which meant that he had to mean what he was saying.

"A friend?" she said, finally, smiling at him. "You appear to befriend ponies rather quickly."

"I don't get invited to lunch by anyone who isn't my friend," he pointed out. "Especially not by royalty. Is this how all workers are treated in Canterlot? I might have to move here permanently if this is the treatment I can expect." They shared a small laugh at that.

"I'm sure we could come to an arrangement."

"Contingent on my performance?"

"Contingent on your continuing performance."

"Shrewd negotiator," the pegasus noted, smirking at her.

"Experienced ruler," she reminded him, her warm smile carrying a subtle mischief in it. "You aren't the first pony with whom I've had to discuss trade and arrange mutually satisfactory deals."

"Neither am I," the stallion replied. "But you are both the most polite and the most well-versed. Most ponies have a very set style, usually with some gruff grunting thrown in if I throw them a curveball."

"I can grunt if you'd feel more familiar and comfortable," Celestia offered, impishness seeping more freely into her tone and expression. Ace laughed at her suggestion.

"I didn't know you could grunt," he teased. She quirked an eyebrow at him, her face taking on a mask of eager competitiveness, and she scrunched her muzzle, producing a throaty huff at him. He burst out into laughter at her antics, and she soon followed, her mask breaking into something lighter and far more familiarly feminine. Even after their cheer lapsed into silence, the smiles didn't abandon them, and they continued to eat and talk. Celestia poured him tea, and he gratefully accepted, finding the whole ordeal pleasant. Tranquil, even. Relaxing.

It felt like only twenty minutes, but the pegasus glanced at his watch and noticed the time, his eyes widening. He looked up at Celestia, who was dabbing her muzzle with a napkin, and cleared his throat to get her attention.

"As much as I've enjoyed lunch, it is quarter past one in the afternoon," he informed her, seeing the flash of surprise in her eyes. It was gone as quickly as it had arrived, however, and she immediately resumed her regal posture.

"Of course," she agreed, grabbing the petite bell on the table and ringing it to signal to the servants the end of lunch. Without delay, they entered the room and cleaned the table, leaving Celestia and Ace to stand and allow them access. The duo made their way to the hallway as the staff continued cleaning, exiting the room together. "May I thank you again for your company, Ace."

"Think nothing of it," the pegasus replied. "I should be thanking you, your majesty."

"You don't need to resume with the titles just yet," the white mare informed him. "You may dispense with any formalities when we're not in public."

"Thank you, your- I mean, thank you, Celestia." He licked his lips and blinked, pleasantly surprised by the fast-growing closeness between them. He'd expected the end of lunch to signal a return to their professional engagements, but it seemed that she was happy to continue their more amicable dynamic. "Thank you for inviting me to lunch anyway. It was just as enjoyable for me as I hope it was for you. A break between your duties."

"While I would normally agree with you, I'm pleased to say that you were my only duty for today."

"Really?"

"Aside from the raising of the sun and the contracting for the repair of the ballroom, all royal business has been concluded. Normally I would've retired to the study to read, or otherwise occupied myself doing something alone, but after the delightful lunch, I was hoping I could continue to accompany you, assuming you aren't too busy."

"Not at all. My last job is actually to deliver the letters, and then I'm done for the day. I'll be free - and happy - to spend as much time with you as you want."

"Splendid. Shall we?"

Once more, Celestia led the pegasus through the halls of the castle, seeming to not even have to look to find her way. Ace was glad she was here, knowing that, without her, he'd be lost for sure. Aside from the occasional guard, the passages were largely empty, with everypony inside presumably hard at work in whichever room contained the materials for their task. As they walked, the princess asked about his life, his hobbies and family, peeling away the unknown from the pony with whom she'd found herself connecting on a more personal level.

By the time they emerged into the afternoon sun, the pegasus had provided for her a brief summary of his life and his current situation. He didn't think it'd be much of note - it was his life and he enjoyed what he did, but he wouldn't say he was exceptionally interesting - but the princess drank down the details like it were a freshly made batch of lemonade, every word a refreshing zest to her.

"She only mentioned knowing you personally and heartily vouched for your skills. I didn't realise she was that significant in your life."

"She didn't mention you. Well, I haven't spoken to her in some time, admittedly, but, well, it's funny how life works out, isn't it?" He glanced back to his cutie mark; a mallet emblazoned on his grey coat. "If I hadn't helped out on her farm, I would never have built that barn, and if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have earned this, or learned my place in life." He looked to the alicorn. "Almost sounds like fate, doesn't it?"

"Almost," she agreed. "There's a place for every creature in our world, and I believe that all are drawn to their calling in life. I can't say that you were fated to meet her or that if you had never met her you would never have found your place in the world. You deserve the credit for the work that earned you your Mark."

"I suppose so," he conceded. "We all earn our Mark, I suppose, one way or another. Maybe somepony needs to conduct a study into Cutie Marks and how they work. It sounds like there's a lot to learn about them."

"There have been attempts," Celestia informed him. "We have a good understanding on the subject so far. But perhaps there are ponies who will manage to shed new light on the nature of Cutie Marks."

"You think so?"

"There's always more to learn, and all the different ponies out there have something to contribute. I have faith that there will be somepony who will expand our understanding of Cutie Marks."

The pegasus pondered the idea momentarily, briefly considering it before realising the true scope of the subject. He decided to let the matter go, having neither the capacity to comprehend it nor the will to try. He was content to simply defer to the princess' judgment as they arrived at the post office. The delivery of the letters was a swift business, the mare behind the counter accepting the envelopes and accepting payment without question. He had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the large alicorn behind him, but didn't bring that up. Why question a good thing? When he gave his thanks, the mare bowed and gave a parting farewell of 'your majesty' as the regal alicorn and the pegasus left the building.

"And now I'm officially done for the day," he announced as he stepped into the sun, stretching his wings out. "I'm free to engage in whatever wild partying you have planned." He caught sight of a couple of ponies turning into the street. "Your majesty."

Taking notice of the ponies walking towards her, Celestia began her walk towards the castle, Ace following alongside her. "I'm not sure if you'll be overly interested in the parties I usually host," she told him. "Perhaps a walk in the castle gardens would be a safer bet."

"I'm willing to give it a go."

"I'm not used to hosting ponies in a personal capacity."

"Just treat me as you would any other stallion," Ace suggested cheekily, smirking as he repeated her earlier words back to her. "Or any other pony you usually host or entertain."

"Are you asking for me to treat you as a dignitary?" the princess asked, a smile making its way across her lips. The stallion shrugged noncommittally, his smirk fixed on his muzzle. "It would require a formal ceremony and much waiting."

"On second thoughts, a tour of the gardens sounds lovely this time of year."

"It rather does, doesn't it?"

As it turned out, he was right. The gardens were open and had a pleasant warmth to them that might've been entirely natural, the result of hard work from the attentive gardeners, or magic. In Canterlot, it could've been any of the three, or a combination. Whatever the case, Ace couldn't fault the environment; the precision with which the layout had been construed and its enactment was unimpeachable, as if it had been machined, and yet the stone, the gravel, the hedges, the grass and the flowers, all of it blended together wonderfully. Not a single aspect of it was out of place. It was clear that whoever was in charge and all the workers under them were the best.

"Did you have a hoof in this?" the stallion asked, his eyes flicking from feature to feature, enthralled by the design.

"At one point," she revealed. "Years and years ago, when the area originally designed. Every now and then, proposals are brought to my attention, wherever my approval is required. Sometimes I make amendments and ask that something be added if it suits my fancy. For the most part, though, I entrust its care and upkeep to the ponies who know best what works."

"Which parts are your doing?"

"The conifers were the first." She looked towards the tallest organic parts of the garden, standing tall and imposing like green sentinels at the garden's edges and corners. "The fact that they never lost their coat through the year, no matter how bitterly cold it became, nor how deep the snow settled, inspired me. I believed that the ponies of the realm could be inspired by the resilience the of the trees and take heart from the display of fortitude that could be found within nature. It's something I look to every time I venture out here.

"The next item I required to be added to the garden was the Returns Daylilies. I had learned of them and knew immediately that they would be a perfect addition to the gardens, and I forwarded the mention of them to the gardening team as soon as the opportunity arose. It would be truly remiss of me to not include in the garden flowers which bloomed daily, rising with the sun like the ponies over whom I watch."

"Rising with the sun daily? Sounds like a certain alicorn princess, huh?"

"I would be lying if I said I didn't see something of myself in them, and knowing that every day my rising of the sun sustains them serves as much as motivation and reassurance as I hope it serves as a source of beauty to the ponies who come here."

"You really put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?"

"When you've spent as much time on the throne as I have, you find your mind wandering to a lot of subjects." She smiled at him as she spoke, though he suspected it was as much a smile for herself. "Most of the business becomes routine, and with that comes both the desire to engage in something else and the mental capacity to do it. Beautifying the garden was a silent pleasure of mine for years, though I could only occasionally indulge in making any actual changes. The realm required my constant attention, and aesthetic matters always had to come second to finance, budgets, royal decrees, ceremonial appearances and performances, and answering petitions to the court."

The pegasus felt a shudder run through him at the thought of the constant workload. "It sounds...hectic." He frowned. "And generally unpleasant." The white mare let out a little chuckle.

"On the contrary," she assured him. "It's endearing and fulfilling to know that I'm helping all the ponies across the land, near and far. I can't think of any better way to live my life. A wise pony once said that In nothing do ponies approach godhood than in giving health to other ponies, and I am inclined to agree. If I am blessed with the abilities that I am, I cannot turn away from the responsibility of using them to help others. I consider it a gift rather than a curse."

"I've heard enough ponies ramble to know when a 'but' is coming."

Celestia's mouth twitched into a gracious smile, though she didn't answer for a few seconds. "As fulfilling as my duties are, they are repetitive, and all-encompassing. There isn't much time for me to escape from them. I don't begrudge my responsibilities, but even alicorns will be worn down by the work demanded from a ruler. You saw today, in the post office, the reaction of the cashier. She bowed. To her, as I am to all ponies, I am the Princess of the Sun, Ruler of Equestria and Protector of the Realm, Defender of Ponykind."

"Are they all really your official titles?" Ace interrupted, unable to help himself. The mare's expression transitioned to a smirk.

"There is a reason I am usually referred to as 'Princess Celestia', rather than the full list. It would be quite a mouthful. I am sure most don't even realise the full list of accolades, but it doesn't matter. To all ponies at all times, I am one of two things; either a venerated goddess or an embodiment of my office. Both perceptions look to my powers and duties. To no one am I Celestia, a pony mare who enjoys far too much cake, a cup of tea at three o'clock, and free fall flying."

"It's not exactly the image you present." In truth, Ace struggled to imagine the regal, refined mare as boisterous and unruly, but he supposed that was exactly her point.

"It's one I cannot present," she told him. "I must always be the figure Equestria needs me to be, whether I am sitting on my throne, visiting my subjects, or walking the halls of the castle; whether I am giving audience or attending to matters privately, whether I am actively serving the kingdom or resting. There must always be the calm, confident, attentive ruler, ready to leap into action at any moment. You saw for yourself today at the post office the reaction I receive. It must seem trivial, or even envious to you, but it becomes trite after millennia. You realise that you are not a pony within society any more. You are not treated as one, or even recognised as one. You aren't just a pony occupying a role. The role has consumed you entirely."

"This is rather deep, prin- I mean, Celestia," Ace spoke up, correcting himself mid-sentence. "I'm just a contractor, so don't quote me, but I think you might need to speak to somepony. Perhaps a specialist can help you?" She remained silent, her mouth tugging into a subtle frown. It took a few seconds for him to realise why. "You've tried?" he guessed. "You ran into the same problems?"

"The image of a saintly princess is hard to shake," she lamented in a quiet chuckle. "Even among professionals and impeccably competent staff. As for talking to my subjects about my feelings, I'm afraid that I can't do that, either. As I've said; they need their princess, ever reliable and ever ready to provide for them."

"Do you have any trusted friends? Your sister, perhaps?"

"Luna is..." There was a brief pause, and several important decisions visibly played across her countenance. "Luna is oftentimes busy. She and I have different schedules, and we are both too preoccupied to deal with such matters. Perhaps when she has better adjusted, I can speak to her more candidly. As for close friends, I am afraid that my closest student is rather starstruck with me, even after all these years. In addition, she approaches social problems with a large degree of difficulty, and I don't wish to put her through the trouble of listening to me."

"I see," Ace mused. "That does sound like a heavy burden to carry alone. I'm sorry that you don't have anypony to turn to." He winced at his wording. "Except me, it seems. Which, obviously, isn't to say that I'm assuming you've come to me for that reason, it's just that you did tell me all about this, and I'm a stranger you've met today, and..." He trailed off, groaning and blushing red. "Yeah, forget I said anything."

"I find it endearing," the alicorn admitted, chuckling at his awkwardness. "You're very pleasant company, Aerial Ace. I owe Applejack a great thanks for introducing me to you."

"Likewise," he responded. "On all counts." They continued to walk in silence for a minute or two, the crunching of their hooves on gravel a soft accompaniment to their stroll. "If I may ask a question? What's brought this on now? From the sounds if it, this has been weighing on you for a while."

The query gave the tall mare pause, and she looked up to collect her thoughts. "That is a pertinent question, but not necessarily an easy one to answer." She came to a halt at the entrance to the hedge maze, and subtly glanced around. Determining that they were alone, she continued. "Even before I ascended to the throne, Luna and I functioned as two halves of one whole. We were mentored together under a wise unicorn, we learned and grew, and we were coronated side by side. We ruled the land, we fought Equestria's enemies, and we watched over our subjects, both of us sharing the responsibilities of the realm. All the troubles we faced, we faced together. And then one day, that changed."

"You had to take her power away from her, didn't you?"

"It was a lot more complicated than that," Celestia insisted, her tone still gentle. "Some still think that my sister tried her hoof at power, but that is overly simplified, a foal's tale for parents to read to their children at night. Her envy and resentment were components, but the blackness in her heart was not natural. It was an ancient enemy of life that twisted and corrupted her, and it fed off her desire. Once it had hold of her, she could not fight it, and I was forced to banish it - and her - to maintain life, peace, and prosperity in Equestria. I wasn't strong enough without her to wield the magic necessary to vanquish the darkness inside her.

"My burden didn't begin when Luna was banished. I had long since before had to bear the burden of losing her, day by day. I had long had to take on her duties where she neglected them. I had lost my sister well before she was seduced by the evil that made her Nightmare Moon. That didn't make the actions I took any easier, or the absence of her any more comforting. The official transfer of power to me was a harsh reminder of what I'd done, and I couldn't share any of that with the ponies around me, who needed me to be both the Lunar and Solar Princess. For a thousand years, peace reigned, and the wheel of life and administration turned onward. For a thousand years, I fell into a stasis of governing and acting the part that I needed to be. For a thousand years, I embraced the role of Equestria's sole monarch, and it became my life.

"The stars aligned several months ago, and she returned. I had planned - and I had planned meticulously - for this eventuality. My student, skilled, talented, brave, knowledgeable, and worthy, was equipped with all she would need to defeat Nightmare Moon once and for all. I made sure that she was able to harness the magic I was unable to, and I made sure that my sister would be saved. After a millennia, the peace of Equestria was shaken, and the stasis of life was rattled as progress forced its way into our society. My sister was saved, and the duties I had taken from her were gradually reintroduced. Life became less of a necessary burden, and more of a worthwhile endeavour. I was no longer existing for the benefit of my subjects, but for my beloved sister, and perhaps for myself as well.

"The months passed, and I found that individual meaning, once something for other ponies to possess and enjoy, crept its way into my life. My student wrote to me, informing me of the lessons she was learning, the state of affairs of Ponyville, and the adventures upon which she embarked. It filled me with pride and hope, and I began to realise more of the extent of life beyond tending to gardens and reading books. All of it came to a head when we held the Grand Galloping Gala, when she and her five friends attended. The event that had been a formality for me, one which I had hosted a thousand times without my sister, one which I forced myself to present with decorum and restraint, fell into chaos."

"That sounds like the straw that would break the camel's back," Ace posited, wincing. "After all that, you had your student, one of the ponies you cared for most in all of Equestria, ruin something that you'd managed to keep running for a thousand years by yourself? Something you didn't want to do?" He whistled. "You must be furious at her."

The laugh shocked the pegasus, and he blinked several times. The mare raised a hoof to her mouth to stifle the outburst, and slowly reined in her vocals. Clearing her throat, she fixed him with a wide, beaming grin.

"I was thrilled!"

"Ugh...what?"

"A millennium of pomp and ostentatious flattery, of formality and rigidness, of expectations and insincere platitudes; the introduction of a group of five earnest friends washed all of that away. It was exhilarating! It was an explosion of excitement and carnage in a world that had grown stale and atrophied from years of stagnation and poorly-coated neglect. For the first time in centuries, I left the event feeling joyous and energetic, not fatigued and worn down. I felt alive.

"Lifetimes of duty and service restrained by necessity and loss had taught me to constrain my emotions, to shut myself off from my own self-satisfaction and enjoyment, but last night revealed to me how wrong I had been. I can't let my duties to my subjects restrict me from letting my mane down, so to speak. I have to indulge myself every now and then, and if that means sharing lunch with a friendly and charming contractor, then so be it. If it means enjoying my spare time with others and engaging in regular conversation, or chatting about the mundane and the silly, then I most certainly shall." She breathed in deeply, exhaling softly, and when she spoke again, her voice carried its usual regal elegance.

"I know how I am perceived by ponies, and I owed you an explanation as to why I was so eager to pass the day with you. Quite simply, you interest me, and I will not put aside my curiosity without good reason. If my duties forbid it, then I shall set aside my own needs for that of my subjects and my realm, but they do not. I am here to enjoy my day, and you are, as I have already said, pleasant company. There is nothing more complicated to it than that, other than that I am perhaps long overdue for a day of..." She tapped her chin in thought, seeking out the words. "...'hanging out' with a friend."

Aerial Ace wasn't overly dramatic. He liked to think he had a decent poker face, and he'd had his fair share of conflicts to grow accommodated to outbursts and other exciting events. This, however, had veritably stunned him. Her reasoning was, as far as he could tell, solid. She was a mare who had for far too long been consumed by duty and had fallen far from self-indulgence, perhaps even going as far as neglecting her own needs. Would he be able to work twelve hour days, every day of the week, every week of the month? Would he be able to accept becoming a public service, as opposed to an individual pony? Would he be able to operate like that for his entire life? Somehow, he doubted it.

"I apologise if I've overburdened you," the mare chuckled. "It has been many, many years since I have been able to candidly express myself to another pony."

"I did gather," the pegasus noted. "Thanks for trusting me with your inner thoughts? I'm guessing it wasn't easy to do."

"Initially, it wasn't," she answered. "But I found that telling you was far easier than I had feared it would be. I don't believe that I've come across anypony with whom I felt I could share that information. Even when it became tempting, I reeled myself in. Perhaps it was the events of last night which convinced me to change my approach. Perhaps it's how trustworthy you seem."

"Perhaps it's a bit of both?" he ventured, receiving a nod from the princess.

"I would hazard that it was a bit of both."

Ace rubbed his foreleg with a hoof, feeling compelled to do something more for the alicorn. She'd placed all her trust in him, after all, and the least he could do was help her feel normal. The question was, what would be appealing to an emotionally reclusive alicorn princess? Glancing around, he visually picked through the garden's many features for something less rigid than her regular routine. They seemed to be alone, and there wasn't a great deal of things they could do in the garden, other than wander the maze or have a picnic.

He blinked, then grinned. "Have you visited the maze often?" he asked, turning to face the mare. The idea might actually be novel enough for her to work.

"Over my reign, many times," she answered, looking over his head to the dirt path beset either side by tall hedgerows. "Not in recent years, however. Why do you-" She was cut off as she felt a something boop against her barrel, and, looking down, saw that the pegasus had a hoof held against her chest. He was grinning widely at her, childish glee plastered over his face.

"Tag," he announced, stepping back. "Close your eyes, count to thirty, come into the maze to find me. No magic and no flying." And then he was cantering down the path, heading into the labyrinth. Before she had a chance to process what had happened, he looked back over his shoulder, waved, and then disappeared around a corner. The princess felt a laugh bubble up from her throat, and she closed her eyes as he'd instructed, counting out loud.

He was doing it for her, the pegasus assured himself, even as the excitement took over his body. He twisted and turned through the paths of the maze, willingly trying to get lost. Sure, he may have been eager, but that was just because he was eager to help out the princess, not because he was re-engaging in a joy he hadn't participated in since his childhood. He snorted as he flattened himself behind a bust, breathing in to better hide his profile. Who was he kidding? He was loving this, and not just because it was a favour for somepony else.

The rapid thump of approaching hoofsteps reached his ears, and he held his breath, the beat of his heart growing stronger. Nervous, excited energy coursed through him, and he had to fight hard to hold back the giggle that was pushing its way to escape from his mouth. Steeling himself, Ace forced back the rising outburst, itching with the desire to move or run. He resisted, stubbornly refusing to listen to the electric tingle that prickled through his limbs, the anxious vigour gnawing at him futilely. The drum of hooves became deafening, until he heard the mare burst from the path and scamper away, heading deeper into the winding maze. Ace felt himself shaking, his body caught between locking in place and instinctively bolting.

He waited until the hoofsteps faded away to peak out from behind the pedestal, looking down the lane to check that the coast was clear. There was nopony there, and he allowed himself a chuckle at his masterful deceit. He swore he'd heard her giggling as she'd ran by him, the unmistakable sounds of somepony having fun. He wondered if she was reliving the times she'd done this before, in her childhood, or whether this was an entirely new experience for her. He'd ask her afterwards. For now, he had to keep ahead of the alicorn, and that meant staying on the move.

Creeping back the way he came, the pegasus trotted back down the path he and Celestia had taken, retracing his steps to lead him somewhere else. He didn't really have a long-term plan, but that wasn't the point. In fact, if he had a long-term plan, that'd ruin the entire game. The point was to live moment to moment, enjoying the thrill of the chase, the uncertainty and the skill involved in the hunt, the tingling, encroaching fear of being caught, or the rushing, bristling excitement of hunting and catching. He felt a shiver run through him. Why was it so exhilarating? Was it because it was something he'd abstained from for so long? Or was it because he was playing a foal's game with the ruler of the realm?

So caught up in his thoughts was the stallion that he didn't realise he'd taken a wrong turn until he turned a corner and came face-to-face with an impassable hedge wall. Stopping dead in his tracks, he glanced back, wondering where he'd gone wrong. Was it meant to be a third left, or a third right? Had he remembered to reverse the turns when backtracking? He chewed on his lip, trying to unravel the mystery of the maze in his mind. Humming to himself, he started to walk back the way he had come.

The steady clop of hooves soon stopped him.

It had to be her, he realised, swallowing and reversing his walk, retreating back towards the dead end. He'd barely turned the corner before the wavering, silky, cerulean mane that was indicative of the princess fluttered its way into the avenue, heralding her arrival. He cursed to himself, scrunching back. He was trapped. There was no way he could hide from her here, not with nothing to hide behind, and there was nowhere else to go. If she came down to the very end, she'd spot him. He briefly considered flying, but quickly decided against it. A trapped animal he may be, but a cheater he was not. He had his dignity.

In truth, his dignity wasn't doing too much for him. The telltale sounds of her hooves thudding against the dirt marked her approach, and he realised how specific to her they were. There was an elegance even to the way she walked, the gentle rise and fall of her movements underlain with a thud that humbly boasted of her strength and size. It was unmistakably her, and he was unmistakably screwed.

He began to sweat as the sound stopped, the mare remaining still just around the corner. She wasn't moving. She wasn't peeking round to check if there was anypony there. She wasn't doing anything at all, and that was, without a doubt, the worst part about it. The anticipation of the inevitable. He was powerless to stop her. There was no way he could prevent her from seeing him or escape from her. All he could do was wait, having accepted his fate. He swallowed again, the wet contractions and the rise and fall of his throat muscles sounding as loud as the reckless crumpling of a crisp packet to him. He licked his lips, and he may as well have pulled apart velcro for the noise he made.

Her hoofsteps started up again, and his heart rate increased again, the heavy thump almost rivaling that of the mare's hoofsteps. The moment seemed to last forever, each second stretching out into five, and still her head didn't appear around the neatly trimmed wall. He didn't know why he could still hear her walking if she wasn't appearing in his vision. Unless, of course she...was she? He listened more closely, noticing that they were growing softer and more distant. Almost like they were receding.

Cautiously, Ace edged towards the corner, wondering if it was some ploy to lure him out. He wasn't sure how, but she was a princess, after all, and he decided to not put her ability to fool him past her. Creeping closer to the rim of the hedge, he leaned his head out inch by inch, sliding just far enough until his vision passed the block that was the greenery. A clear path lay ahead, absent of ponies, and he waited to see if she might return. She didn't, to both his surprise and delight. Letting out a sigh, he stood up fully and stepped out from the dead-end, beginning his walk towards - hopefully - the exit. Or whatever hiding place he could find next. Whichever came first.

Even now that she was gone, the stallion moved carefully, conscious of how loud his movement could be. He tried to soften every step he took, still tense and ready to break into a run at a moment's notice. Even if he didn't have a reason to believe she was nearby, his body refused to relax, remaining in its alert, jumpy state. He peeked out into the branching path again, looking towards the centre of the maze, where Celestia had likely gone. She wasn't there, and so he turned the other way to-

"Tag."

A hoof booped his nose, and Ace blinked, too surprised to even be startled. He had no idea how the princess had managed to position herself to be out of his immediate sight when he'd looked, or how long she'd been there, silent and still, just waiting for him to expose himself. He'd just turned his head and suddenly there was a large white alicorn a couple of feet away, her foreleg extending to tap his muzzle. She was grinning, too, though that was unsurprising, and he found himself without any idea of how to react. Something crossed his mind, and he acted on instinct.

"Tag," he replied, tapping her foreleg with his own hoof. The alicorn tilted her head at him.

"Are you allowed to do that?" she asked, skepticism creeping into her voice. The stallion felt a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"I never said we couldn't," he answered back, feeling a chuckle forming deep in his throat. The mare's eyes narrowed, and she smirked at him in kind.

"Tag," she announced, nudging his shoulder.

"Tag," he retaliated, brushing against her elbow.

"Tag."

"Tag."

"Tag!"

"Tag!"

"Tag!"

They fell into a cycle, their efforts growing more rowdy and boisterous. Ace ducked back, but Celestia leaned in and touched him with her superior reach. The pegasus leaped forwards and managed to catch her hoof, but she swiftly changed direction and managed to make contact with his chest. With every successful connection, their behaviour became less restrained and far more active, chuckles, giggles, and laughs breaking from their lips as they danced around one another, each one attempting to outmaneuver the other. The game had changed, and the slow, encroaching excitement that Ace had felt when he was hiding had been replaced by a loud, excited, uncontrolled passion. He buzzed with energy, and it was clear that the alicorn felt the same, perhaps for the first time in decades, if not centuries.

Jumping back, Celestia managed to avoid the pegasus' hoof, and followed up her success by turning and galloping away from him. The sweeps that Ace made failed to connect, and, cursing, he chased after his long-legged quarry. She had the means to get away from him, he knew, but he had the advantage of the maze. In an open field, there was no doubt that she could outpace him several times over, and he would be powerless to close the gap. In the tight confines of the hedge-enclosed labyrinth, however, her intrinsic advantage had been nullified.

He sped after her, barely slowing down to take the corners. He made sure to stay in sight of the white mare, though her laughter could've guided him to her even if she'd managed to twist and turn away from his view. Between the rows and rows of green walls, her size was a disadvantage, and he capitalised on that, keeping himself streamlined on the long stretches and maintaining his speed in sharp turns.

On one such turn, the princess barreled straight into a hedge, the dead-end coming suddenly. She pushed a little way into it before her body came to a startling halt, and she stumbled backwards. Up until that point, Ace had been gaining on her, and he'd nearly been close enough to bat at her tail. When she thumped heavily into the hedge, he had no way to reduce him momentum, and with a grunt and an oof he collided with the alicorn. The two of them tripped, landing in a heap on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Celestia asked, her mirthful tone swept away. In its place, concern reigned supreme. Ace groaned, arching his back, and her frown deepened.

"I think I landed on something," he complained. "I think...I think I broke my Hu Zit!"

"Hu Zit?" Celestia repeated, caught off guard. Upon asking, she immediately regretted it - she felt the coarse firmness of a hoof against her barrel, and Ace grinned.

"You," he spoke up, his voice more flamboyant and chirpy now. "You're it."

Relief washed over Celestia's face, and she giggled at his mischievous wit. "No, you are," she responded, tapping his chest.

"No, you."

"No, you."

Ace wrapped his forelegs around her body, and grinned at her. "And now my hooves are always touching you, so you're always it." He stuck his tongue out and wiggled his face back and forth childishly. "What you gonna do now, huh?" A couple of seconds later, his cocksure expression dropped and he began wiggling violently.

It was Celestia turn to hold him in her forelimbs as he struggled against her, the golden glow of her magic trailing up and down his belly, more packets seeking out any other spot where he might be ticklish. The pegasus' wings flared and flapped, and he howled and writhed.

"Stopstopstop!" he pleaded, unable to escape her grasp.

"That doesn't sound like 'I forfeit the game, you win' to me," Celestia sing-songed, persisting in her quest to discover his most ticklish areas.

"Y-you win!" he managed to breathe out. "You win! Just stop!"

"Do you forfeit?"

"Yes!"

"Say it."

"I forfeit! You win!"

The princess ceased her magic instantly, the aura fading from her horn and dissipating from his body. Ace fell limp in her embrace, panting and letting out small puffs and bursts of laughter, errant giggles left over from the stimulation. His breath brushed hotly against her coat, ruffling the fur and reaching the skin beneath, and when he let his muzzle rest against her, that only intensified. It was oddly intimate, a soft, tender connection between them, and the mare allowed it. She ducked her head and let him nestle against her, holding onto him as he recovered. It took a while, and she was okay with that. Judging from the way his limbs ensconced her, winding around her barrel, so was he.

A gentle calm fell over them, simultaneously fragile and delicate, and deep and all-encompassing. It was the sort that came with sleepiness and ease, and made the moment comfortable, no matter what. It was a warm and loving presence, like a thick duvet on a cold night, and both of them were too drawn in by the temptation to do anything but indulge themselves. Minutes passed by, and time stopped even being relevant.

"Let's call it a draw," Ace murmured, pulling his head back from the princess. The mare let the whisper of a smile part her lips, and she nodded.

"I agree to your terms," she replied, slowly removing her limbs from around him. He did the same, and the two of them stood up, dusting themselves down. "Perhaps we ought to retire to the castle for now. I can arrange for tea to be brought to my chambers."

"I'm more of a hot cocoa guy myself."

"I can arrange for anything to be brought to my chambers, Ace. Hot cocoa for two it shall be."

Brushing their coats with hooves and sweeping down what they could with tails and wings, the pair walked side by side back down the path they'd run. Celestia briefly took to the sky to check where they were in relation to the exit before returning to the ground, and led them towards their goal. It had taken her no more than five seconds to determine the route, a feat that made Ace realise just how much she probably had to rely on her memory. He hoped he was half as cognizant at her age.

"It's fitting that you're a cuddler," he commented, casually dropping a hook for their next line of conversation. "It works with your whole motherly persona. You know, Princess of the Sun, warm and endearing, watching over us all and generally being a pleasant pony. Cuddling goes well with that."

"You seem to be quite the cuddler yourself," Celestia responded. "The 'motherly' element does seem to elude you, however."

"I won't argue with that assessment," the pegasus concurred. "It's nice to know you are a cuddler, though. It isn't one of the more widely reported things about you."

"It's not one of my more widely indulged activities," she commented as they exited the maze. "A princess has to act professionally, and has to know how to behave in all manner of circumstances. There are few situations which present themselves where prolonged cuddling is a viable or acceptable option."

"That makes it sound like you're a bit cuddle-starved."

The alicorn pursed her lips and glanced at him. "It may have been a number of years since I last participated."

"That doesn't sound very healthy."

"It was never about my health. My subjects always had to come first, even at the cost of my own social or private life." She smiled warmly down at the stallion. "Perhaps now I can take some time to care for myself."

"That sounds like a healthy idea. Cocoa and cuddles." They chuckled together, and the stallion briefly brushed her cannon with his tail. She inhaled suddenly, indicating that she hadn't been expecting it, and he winced, wondering if he'd made a wrong move.

The walk to the princess' chambers was dominated by silence, their hooves echoing through the mostly silent hallways and passages. They exchanged a few words, but kept the chatter friendly and as professional as they could, unwilling to risk their interactions becoming apparent to anypony else. It was only when they reached the mare's chambers and the alicorn gave her guards orders to not be disturbed that the two were able to talk more freely. Ace watched the armoured ponies march away down the hall before he stepped into the princess' room, the mare closing the door behind him.

Ace wasn't sure what he'd expected from the bedchamber of royalty, but he probably would've said plush carpets and thick curtains. Instead, the floor and walls were polished and smooth, without a hint of jaggedness on their surfaces. It was neat and showy, but also plain and simple. There was an elegance to its austerity, he supposed, but he never would've guessed it was where Celestia slept. The bed was about the right size, however, and it look every bit as comfortable as he'd  have wanted if he had any royal sway. A thick, cushiony duvet and what looked like silk sheets? Who would say no to that?

To his surprise, the oak table at one side of the room already supported a tray with two steaming cups of hot cocoa. Seeing his surprise, the princess chuckled softly and beckoned him over, sitting down delicately. Accepting that Celestia simply had the authority to ask for something and expect it to be done as and when, he took his place opposite her, sniffing at the cocoa. Hot, rich, and dark. Better than he wanted. As much as Celestia had let him know about the downsides of being a princess, it seemed like there were at least a few trivial perks to being in her position.

"I know that what you say goes around here," Ace spoke up, blowing on his cocoa to cool it. "But won't the guards and the kitchen staff get suspicious that you've brought a stallion into your chambers? And I know they're probably vetted for trustworthiness and loyalty and chosen for being the best, but will that stop them thinking too hard?"

"If they suspect anything, they'll take that secret with them to their graves," Celestia informed him, sipping daintily from her cup. She made barely a sound, having mastered the etiquette years ago. "I trust them as much for their discretion and discipline as I do their dedication to keeping me safe, if not more."

"I know," the pegasus answered, painfully aware of how loud his sips sounded in comparison to hers. "But this must be the first time in a long while that you've brought a stallion into your bedroom alone and ordered hot cocoa for two." He coughed as he realised how blunt he'd been. "No offence."

"None taken," she responded easily, though she didn't smile. "You do have a point there. It has been a while." Now she smiled, locking eyes with the stallion. "I do trust that you'll keep that information to yourself?"

"Of course."

She nodded her appreciation. "I'd rather not have the realm know too much information about my private life. As much as I love my ponies, I'm not sure how they might react if they knew I hadn't been familiar with a stallion in over three hundred years."

Ace coughed, choking on his drink. "S-sorry," he apologised, wiping his muzzle with a hoof. "Sorry. I didn't expect you to say three hundred. As in, a hundred years, three times over. As in, three hundred individual years." He shook his head. "Sorry."

"You have no need to be sorry. Your discretion is enough." She sipped her cocoa again. "It's new to be able to be so open about it. Most ponies wouldn't be able to comprehend such a length of time to abstain from something they're undoubtedly used to."

"I'm finding it hard to wrap my head around myself," he admitted. "How do you cope with it?"

"Focus," she told him. "I have more important things to consider, such as the wellbeing of my subjects. Or rather, I - up until rather very recently - didn't stop to consider my own needs or desires. As for how I might address that issue now..." She took a moment to drink, gently tipping the cup higher and higher. After several long seconds, she levitated the cup back down to the saucer. "I don't have a clear idea on that matter, I'm afraid. I might need some advice."

"Advice?" The pegasus blinked, and cleared his throat. "Well, you...you want to be..." He circled a hoof in front of him. "Um...you wish to...be with...a stallion, right? You could-"

"I cannot simply proposition a subject of mine."

"Yeah...that's true." He furrowed his brow in thought. "Are there any specialist-?"

"There was once the suggestion of an institution for such an occurrence, but the funding required for it was deemed too wasteful. Finding the right ponies for the job was not cheap, and they often possessed the same doting from which I wished to escape. I have had perhaps three partners in the thousand years I ruled alone, and they were all dedicated, but secret. I haven't found anypony for whom I have felt that special way since Summer Blaze."

"I'm sorry." He sighed and rubbed his face. "If I'm going to be honest with you, the best thing you can do is find somepony you trust, somepony you have a connection with, and come to an arrangement. If not, then there's not much else to do. Maybe a solution will present itself, but I can't be of much more help than that." He shrugged sympathetically. "I wish I could help more."

The alicorn nodded in appreciative understanding, and a couple of minutes passed as they sipped their cocoa. Celestia finished hers, swirling the last of the liquid around the bottom of her cup to collect the dregs, and then drank them down. Placing her cup to the saucer one last time, she looked over Ace, her eyes capturing his shape and aura as he finished his own drink. Pursing her lips slightly, she waited until he was finished.

"Forgive me for probing further," she spoke up, drawing his attention. "But you did say you wished you could be of more help. Your advice regarding a trusted stallion - you said it should be somepony I trust, and somepony with whom I had a good connection. If I find such a stallion - somepony for whom I have both a rich fondness and the faith that they will not only care about me and my pleasure, but will also remain discrete and subtle about our affair - how would you recommend I approach him?"

"Well, breaking out the easy questions, I see," Ace laughed, his kind, masculine voice flowing like a sweet, dark chocolate into the room. "I'm not quite in your position, so take what I say with a pinch of salt, but I'd say that the guy would probably like to be approached directly. He'd like to be told that you want him, that you'd be interested in starting something special, and that you'd expect him to be secretive about it  whether he accepts or rejects you. At least, that's what I'd want if I were the stallion." He smiled at the princess brightly. "Does that help?"

"It does," the alicorn confirmed. "Aerial Ace?"

"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the use of his full name.

"I've known you by reputation for a short time, and as a pony for even shorter. There has not been a second of today that I regret, and I cannot think of the last time I felt so free or so filled with joy, or the last time I felt relaxed in the presence of somepony so willing to see me as a pony, and as a friend, rather than a superior. You are something truly special, and you deserve to know that."

"Oh, well, thank you. I-"

"It's because I've only known you for such a short time that you're special to me," she interrupted, a half-smirk cracking across her muzzle. She didn't sound rude or domineering, just assertive, and he stopped to let her continue. "You've managed to rouse my spirit and awaken my imagination all within a day, and that is something truly wonderful. If I let you continue, you may well capture my heart, too. To stay ahead of the curve, I feel like I should take a leap of faith and offer you more. I want to start something special with you, and I hope you do too. Would you like to be something more than a friend to me? A lover, perhaps?"

The stallion's heart was struggling to decide if it wanted to punch its way out of his chest or to halt entirely, and for several long seconds his pulse raced erratically between alarmingly slow and terrifyingly fast in a display that would've panicked any cardiologist that'd have taken that moment to observe him. It wasn't that he didn't know how to react - there was only one response to such a proposal - but that he hadn't expected to receive such an opportunity in the first place, and part of him was wondering how he'd found himself in a position where a princess was offering him companionship.

"Yes, a hundred times over," he spoke up at last, still processing the situation but well aware that he needed to respond. "I'm saying yes, of course. It's a yes, but...you're asking me to be your...partner? Your-"

"Paramour," Celestia helped. "I'm asking you if you would like to be my lover. Of course, it would have to be secret, but you've shown that you understand that, so I'm confident that you won't find that to be a problem."

"Not at all," he replied. "I'm honestly flattered. I expected cocoa and maybe some cuddles when I came up here. This is something else. I'd still be interested in those cuddles, though."

"Just cuddles?" the mare asked, the barest hint of a mischief crossing her face. The pegasus laughed, blushing like a virgin colt and rubbing his head nervously.

"Well...more would be nice, of course, but I'm not going to rush what we have. That'd be pushing it, wouldn't it?"

"I didn't ask for you to be my covert lover to simply hold my hoof," the alicorn remarked. "You have available to you the wonders of a princess, a royal mare who wishes to give you access to her body; do you not wish to experience all that can be offered?"

"Of course!" Ace said, hastily. "I just didn't think it'd be...ah, what am I saying? Yes, I want you, Celestia. I want to spend the entire night showing you how beautiful you are. I want to feel you and love you." He stood up, feeling his confidence returning. She said she wanted to be treated like any other mare, so why stop when it came to the more intimate forms of relationship? "Ready to feel the wonders of a stallion again, Celly?"

"Celly?" the princess asked, standing up. "We're onto pet names already, are we?" She smirked and stepped slowly towards him. "Confident, smug, and forward...how delightfully decadent. I haven't had a stallion talk to me like that in years." Her voice grew huskier, more breathy and lower in volume as she drew near to him. "You certainly sound like you know your way around mares, Ace."

"Maybe I do," the pegasus boasted, deepening his own voice, brushing his cheek against hers. He felt her breath against his neck, and softly touched his lips to her ear, kissing tenderly. The soft hitch in her breathing sent a trill of satisfaction through his body. "You're going to find out." His lips traced their way down her neck, the barest brushes against her skin that trailed up and down, pressing-

The weightlessness was new. Jerked from his concentration, the stallion's eyes shot open as he was lifted, the panoptic tingle around his body letting him know that he was enclosed in the alicorn's magical aura, if the golden light surrounding him wasn't already enough of an indication. Lifted from the ground, the pegasus flailed, his wings useless to change his course as he was effortlessly hovered over to the bed and placed down onto the duvet. When the magic dropped, he sank a little into its feathery embrace. It was impossibly soft, almost like resting on a wings of a pegasi, and he shuffled a little, feeling like he hadn't regained some of his body weight since Celestia had let him go.

"I've missed doing this so much," Celestia commented hungrily, using her magic and her forehooves to pull the stallion to the edge of the bed. She spread his hind legs, leaving him to prop himself up on his knees and canon, looking down his body as the mare's hooves trailed along his inner thighs, rubbing in circles while her eyes fixated on what lay between his legs. "So very, very much." She licked her lips, bringing herself nearer to the objects of her affection.

Ace licked his lips needily, holding back the urge to buck his hips towards her face as her muzzle came closer, so close that he could feel her warm breath teasing his sack hotly. It was tantalising, every little puff driving hot pangs of desire through him, his nuts shifting slightly in response to her approach. Even the barest touch from her was enough to earn a reaction, and she hadn't even actually touched him yet!

Smooch

Ace couldn't hold in the whimper as the princess made contact with one of his spheres, letting out a throaty murmur as the snow white mare gracefully introduced herself to his sizable gonads. She took her time, letting the first, brief contact linger before planting a second kiss just to the side of her first.

Smooch

He felt himself stirring already, the tension and subtle movement in his sheath heralding his inevitable reaction to her expert teasing. The mare let out a soft breath, blowing cool air over his scrotum followed by a hot huff, the contrast pulling a hiss from the stallion. His twins pulled upward towards his body, the large, heavy orbs unable to escape her welcome harassment.

Smooch

"You smell so good," Celestia purred, her nose brushing delicately against his smooth sack and the sensitive jewels within. "So strong and powerful and virile..." Her muzzle rubbed lovingly against him, the mare inhaling his thick scent deeply. Her soft sigh rolled across his crotch, warming his nads and sending a shiver of delight through him, both from the knowledge that she was enraptured with him and the simple sensation it produced.

A wet tickle ran up his scrotum, a light, slow swipe that Ace soon realised was Celestia's tongue; the very tip, applied softly and with a consistent pressure, slowly slipping upwards. She eased her way between his nuts, tracing upwards until she'd reached his sheath, and then reversed her direction and moved downward again, leaving a trail of tingling pleasure that she revisited over and over, keeping the line of her treatment buzzing with an increasing bliss and desire for more. Where she'd touched, her breath ran across him hotter and cooled quicker, intensifying the simple and repetitive joy he was experiencing.

Nuzzling closer to his balls, the mare huffed and hummed, singing his praises without needing to use any words, always trying to draw closer to him. She buried her muzzle between his hefty gems, sandwiching herself so that she was surrounding by his heat, his musk, the scent and presence of him bearing down on her, filling her nostrils until she felt saturated with his overbearing delight. If she'd been a lesser mare, somepony who hadn't had centuries of experience perfecting etiquette, respectability, and restraint, she'd have drooled and thrown all discipline to the wind. Instead, she breathed in deeply, permeating her lungs with the mouth-watering wonder that was his odour, and dragged her tongue flatly up his nutsack. She reveled in the low groan he gave as she moved higher, and her warm, prehensile muscle moved his balls to the side, savouring the raw, unrefined taste of him.

As the alicorn moved to run her tongue over the curve of his bloated balls, Ace's cock emerged from its cover, swiftly growing to its full and proper size. He was already leaking, thin, watery strings oozing from his pinhole, each pulse of his member squeezing out some more to slicken his coat. He didn't care that he was leaving a trail, smearing his own juice across his belly as his cock reached upwards; he was far too preoccupied by the thorough tongue-bath he was receiving down below, every wrinkle and fold of his ballsack explored, tasted, and studied. Nothing stopped the advance of her tongue, its surface reaching around his circumference to touch every part of him.

The smooth glide of her lips around one of his nuts was both welcomed and disappointing. It did mean that she wasn't sweeping her tongue across his voluminous plums, sending pulses of pleasure through his lower half with every swipe, but having her take him into her mouth was a worthy trade. The gentle flicks of her tongue against his surface, the subtle shifts of her luscious lips sealed around him as she suckled, the slickness and the heat - all of it coalesced to create a heavenly massage far more balanced and perfectly proportioned than he'd ever received before. There was the perfect pressure, the perfect amount of movement, the perfect balance of tongue and soft vibrations to stimulate his captured nut.

The mare didn't move on until she was utterly satisfied, polishing and praising his laden sphere before pulling back with a soft, lewd pop as she let him drop from her maw and licked her lips, relishing the taste of him on her. She kept her rest brief, moving to his unattended sphere and opening her mouth just a little, sealing her lips around a few square inches and suckling lightly. Slowly, she opened up, increasing the amount of him that she was pleasuring, introducing more and more of him to the sublime attention of her oral skills. Sucking his dumpling into her mouth as she opened up wide enough, she lavished him with the tender tracing of her tongue over his smooth, leathery skin, tasting him from every angle. When she pulled away again, leaving the stallion's stones shiny and spit-polished, her cheeks were pink, the most moderate flush making itself visible.

"To your liking?" Ace panted, finding his vocabulary limited from the unexpected bliss she was capable of giving. Unlike her, his flush was in full force, his entire face lit up like a fireplace, with even his dark coat unable to hide it. The response he received was another nuzzle at his pouch, her snuffling muzzle working its way up from between his two pendulums to his furry sheath, where his scent clung thicker and more stubbornly. She drank it in like it was the finest wine, her head hazier and more dazed than it had been from any amount of wine she'd ever drank.

Celestia extended her tongue as she came to the end of his sheath, running her tongue a little way along the fuzz of his scabbard before meeting the steady, powerful hotness of his staff. His erection stirred at her touch, throbbing in response to the firm, deliberate drag of her drawing herself up his underside, gliding smoothly over his unyielding stiffness. Passing over his ridge and upwards, she reached the rim of his cockhead, flicking her tongue as she ran out of cock to taste, sweeping over the plateau of his dick with the underside of her tongue, tasting the stringy leakage he'd percolated during her languid appraisal of his male pride. Returning her attention to his pole, she touched her lips against his dick, kissing her way back down the way she'd came, hopping her way down inch by inch back to his sheath, where she started the whole process over again.

The pegasus' burgeoning shaft may have been smoldering, inflamed by his lust and the bloodflow thrumming through his mighty member, but the alicorn's focused, even glide left a trail of fire in its wake. It was like every movement she made, everything she was doing, was dedicated to raising his temperature and frazzling his nerves. Her tongue was firm against his pride, pressing against the quarter-inch of sponginess offered by his cockflesh and curving to his shape as it met the underlying turgidity. She conformed to the contours of his prick, her tongue sailing over his medial ring easily without altering her touch in the slightest, keeping consistent contact. Up she trailed with her tongue, down she smooched. Up. Down. Up. Down.

Ace wasn't prepared for when she continued past his precipice, her long lick moving down his glans and collecting the pre that had seeped from him as a result of her skilled ministrations. Broadening her tongue, she swept through his matted coat, tasting and swallowing down what she could from the stains in his fur and the excess that lay in shallow pools in the parts where his coat had become saturated by the constant dribble. Lapping pervasively at his stomach and chest, she cleaned him of the effluence she'd coaxed out of him, leaving him panting and no less wet.

"Looks like I still have it," the princess declared, smug pride lining her words. She smirked up at the pegasus, her eyes half-lidded and her countenance unbridled anticipation. "There's something so special about a stallion reacting to something so simple and delicate, and getting to see how each one reacts is positively thrilling. There are plenty of similarities, of course, but the tenor of their voice, how well they can stifle their outbursts, how much they twitch and writhe, how messy they become...it's always beautiful to see how each pony reacts to being toyed with."

"I aim to please," Ace huffed happily, smirking down at her. "From the way you're treating me, I'd say you're happy with how I turned out."

"More than happy," Celestia confirmed. "Your voice, your length, your smell and your taste...I've needed it for so long, and it's delectable." She licked her lips again. "Either you've been pent up a long time, or you've got a very gifted pair between your legs." One of her hooves dipped down to cradle his nuts, her touch tender and caring. With the dexterity of a juggler and the affection of a new mother, she cupped his testicles in her grasp, rolling them back and forth to feel their weight and fullness, practically hearing them slosh and gurgle.

"I'm, uh, pretty productive," the stallion informed her, confirming her earlier suspicion. "I leak a lot, but I've gotten used to controlling myself outside of the bedroom. It's a pretty big surprise for whoever I take home, though. Some mares like it, some don't."

"Everypony has their preferences," the alicorn commented sagely. "In my case, I have a weakness for potent stallions. There's nothing better than a thick, sticky, steaming hot load pouring into you." She dragged her tongue along his belly again, mopping up the few drops and strands that had oozed onto his coat from her ball fondling and provocative words. "I want a huge load today. I need one to satiate this ravenous appetite I've built up. You've awakened it today, so now you're going to feed it." Sinking down, she locked eyes with him, exuding authority and a deliberately constrained impatience. "That's a command from your princess."

"Yes, your highness," the pegasus answered, his wings twitching in unexpected arousal. "I'll make sure you receive the perfect filling. You'll be absolutely overflowing with-"

"Shush, now," she told him quietly, maintaining an authoritative demeanour without raising or harshening her voice. Her volume stayed moderate as she took charge of the situation. "Don't talk. There are much better uses for your voice."

With her free hoof, she lifted his staff up, raising its tip to her maw, followed by a quick sweep of her tongue around his plateau to clean it of its sheen of excitement. He was as prepared as he was going to be, and she'd taken what enjoyment she'd wanted from the tepid tonguing. Taking it slow and steady was all well and good, and teasing and slowly building somepony up was great, but she'd had centuries of waiting and patience, and her deep, yearning hunger wasn't going to be placated by some light foreplay. Outlining the ridge of his flare a few times, the mare finally descended down onto her prize, sinking several inches onto the meaty monument and sealing her lips around her progress.

The satin slide of the mare's lips down his swollen pole was far more heavenly than Ace had been expecting, and he let out a breathy sigh, watching her swiftly swallow down his length. Her journey was smooth and consistent, her pace and rhythm doing as much to do excite him as the gentle oral grip and the suction. It wasn't fair to say she rushed; her technique was careful and measured, but she moved down his shaft without any difficulty, easily advancing her nirvanic embrace to encapsulate more and more of his length. Inch after inch passed between her lips, his rigidity receiving its complimentary caress, unable to escape her dedicated, loving touch. It was impossible to escape or avoid, and there was absolutely no reason to want to; his surface buzzed hotly as it came into contact with her, the slight movements from her pursing and adjusting to better seal herself around him leaving his rod tingling, shot through with burning need.

It was an endeavour just to come to the end of her guzzling. It had taken seconds for her to engulf the entirety of his length, but it the intensity that had been crammed into those few seconds was immense. It normally took mares a while to relax and adjust to his size, attempting over the course of several sets of dips and ducks, deepening each time, to bob their way down to the very bottom of his shaft. Most gave up before they managed it, their mouths and throats not up for such treatment, and for the ones who did reach the end, it was a mark of effort, and never smooth or easy. Celestia had swallowed him down to the very base of his cock in a single dive, and she'd done so without choking, gagging, or jerking back. Her grip hadn't changed on the way down, nor had her speed. She'd even accepted his sheath into her maw, her lips kissing his pelvis. Now that was new, and he felt his entire frame shudder at the novel sensation of being that little bit deeper in somepony. His cock contracted and throbbed, pushing out a thick dollop of pre-cum into her hungry throat, and she hummed approvingly.

For several long seconds - longer than it had taken for her to consume his stallionhood in the first place - she remained in place, basking in the simple but exhilarating joy of being filled. He was so thick, leaving barely enough room for her tongue to dab at his tumescence as it lay in her mouth and throbbed, and his tip reached down her gullet. His musk practically rolled off him, and she sniffed at his coat while she had the chance, drawing in even more of his scent, so thick that she swore it was going to clog her nose. Firm, heavy, heady, and rich. It was everything she needed, and still she wanted more. Drawing back, if only to better suckle at his pipe and drink the drooling pre from his bellend, she felt the immediate urge to slam herself back down. Every part of her that he touched with that wonderful tool of his immediately became addicted to him, yowling whenever contact was broken. If she pulled back an inch, she wanted two more to make up for it. Still, she was a princess, and she had enough discipline to control her primal, pernicious desires.

Ace had never had to put so much effort into breathing before. There wasn't a single part of his rod that wasn't tended to, the heat and wetness trapped with him in her confines rolling over and around his shaft. Her presence lingered as he exited her maw, the sensations remaining even as the cool air brushed over his spit-slathered pole, her smooth retreat leaving more of him exposed to be cradled by the open air around him. While she couldn't be said to be travelling slowly before, it was clear that the mare had been taking her time, enjoying the moment and letting the experience wash over her, as now she accelerated her pace to properly fellate her stallion. Drawing herself up to his crown, imperceptibly slowing down as she approached the end of his member without diminishing the delightful glide of her lips over his shaft, Celestia changed direction, sailing downwards with the same grace and precision that had initially left him stunned, but quicker.

It was hard to quantify what exactly the alicorn was doing; her actions were deft and deliberate, but nopony could see - or feel - what she was doing and claim that there was pause or caution prior to her carrying out every dip and slight rise or fall of her head. The way she extended her neck or twisted slightly to the side, either to fit more of him in or to add that extra pique of unexpected bliss to his already divine servicing, showed that she was putting all her effort into maximising his enjoyment, but it was so spontaneous and flawless, exceeding Ace's best expectations, never mind previous experiences. No mare before had managed to consistently consistently bump her lips against the rim of his sheath with the same amount of pressure each time, nor rise and fall in an unbroken sway that almost seemed hypontising as he watched on. Even the way she sounded was beautifully unexpected - she didn't gag or slobber, or give him a crude and provocative aural performance as she forced herself roughly down on him. His glans barely bumped against the back of her throat, sliding down her gullet with ease, and her descent was never jerky, keeping an even pace on the way down and the way up, the softest slurp accompanying her majestic worship.

Between the hums sending vibrations through his staff and the measured contractions of the princess' throat as she swallowed around him, Ace couldn't be expected to last for long. He'd already managed to retain a decent level of dignity by keeping his whimpers, groans, gasps, and moans down to an acceptable minimum as she'd blown his expectations of a blowjob apart by revealing to him just how talented a mare could truly be with enough study and dedication. She knew when to murmur to send tingling reverberations through his cock, she knew when to purse her lips or draw them in to snuggle against his flesh, she knew how to work her muscles to take him deep and grip him with the perfect amount of tension, and how to flex and fluctuate to provide the little extra modicum of pleasure that pushed the experience from mind-blowing to mind-shattering. Most importantly, she knew how to do all of that in tandem with keeping a smooth, consistent flow, her pace as unfaltering as a metronome.

"Somepony's getting close," Celestia's melodic voice sang, mirth and lust mixing together to create a teasing, moderately more husky tone than her usual regal tenor. The wet schlick of her bobbing had ceased as she withdrew from his glistening shaft, flicking her tongue over his glans once more before fixating him with a smoldering gaze, half-smirking at him like he were her prize.

"S-sorry," he chuckled, panting with exertion. "You're just too good."

"Don't be sorry," she assured him, gripping his slippery shaft in a hoof and pumping up and down casually while she addressed him. "I'm pleased to know that my skills haven't dulled since my last attempt." She licked her lips again, nuzzling his pride and huffing against it, breathing in his delicious scent. "You've been pouring so much into me, and it tastes and feels so good. I don't want you to hold back. I want everything you can give me. I want you to empty these huge, overloaded, heavy testes straight into my stomach. You promised me you'd flood me, after all."

"I did," he agreed, hissing a breath in through his teeth as her other hoof delved down, toying with his aforementioned nads. "I won't disappoint."

"I know you won't." She leaned in close and began to decorate his shaft with her slow, angelic kisses. "I want-"

Smooch

"-a hot-"

Smooch

"-steaming-"

Smooch

"-massive-"

Smooch

"-load-"

Smooch

"-dumped right down my throat-"

Smooch, smooch

"-until I'm bloated-"

Slurp

"-and unable to walk." Ducking down, she curled her tongue around one of his jewels and hungrily toyed with the overflowing cum-tank, sweeping and swiping across its surface before lifting her lips to the underside of his pole and placing her lips either side of his girth, trailing up and down like she was demolishing a particularly delicious ice lolly.

"M-my p-pleasure," the pegasus wheezed, his limbs tensing as she drove him ever closer to the edge. Flaring, the stallion's cock throbbed and swelled, his medial ring thickening as the bubbling, boiling pressure in his nuts and gut grew ever more intense.

Suddenly, the princess wasn't suckling and lapping at him, cradling the fruit between his legs and tongue-bathing his schlong. She had hefted his crown past her lips and into her mouth, her tongue brushing back and forth against his plateau and the underside of his flare. Pulling him further into her maw until she rested against the ridge that marked his haflway point, she ignited her horn, her golden aura encompassing the half of him not in her lewd embrace, and suckled.

And then she jacked him furiously.

The shimmering haze of magic enrapturing his shaft moved across him so quickly that it was just a powerful buzz to him, leaving him a mess of sensations. His pleasure peaked and he rocketed past the terminus of his endurance, the rising tide of his climax rolling over him in a sweeping roar. Unable to hold back, he bellowed and tensed, arching his back while his nuts pulled closer to his groin, the boiling heat and pressure in them surging up his cumvein and spurting out of him like water from a firehose. The frantic contractions and pulsing wracked his body, his mind overcome by the pulses of bliss and euphoria, his senses battered from both sides by the endorphins and hormones. All he could do was cry out and loudly grunt while he rode out the storm.

Ace might've been too preoccupied to feel just how much he was ejaculating, but Celestia could feel everything, and that's how she liked it. He'd already flared, but his shaft pulsed as his body worked to eject the viscous, voluminous cream into the alicorn's welcoming maw. The first jet was so thick it might as well have been a cable, splattering heavily against the back of the pony princess' throat and running down into her stomach, painting every inch of her pipe on the way down. The second was equally plentiful, coating her tongue and pouring down her esophagus to flood her. Pushing herself forward, the alicorn took his flaring, flexing cock deeper, letting the torrent shoot directly into her stomach, persisting her incessant magical milking, draining every drop of his bountiful ball-batter down her greedy gullet.

Sparks and jolts stuttered across Ace's body, hot pangs from his his nerves and receptors igniting, all springing from and disappearing into the maelstrom rushing and howling through his frazzled nervous system. He writhed and squirmed as though being thrown from side to side by the pleasure battering him, like a ship helplessly being tossed around in a stormy sea. Lighting coursed through him, cracking and booming inside his mind. He tried to reach out to the mare's mane, struggling to grasp at her head and pull her down further, instinctively wanting to be as deep in her as he could physically be, but his forelimbs refused to comply.

Tens of seconds - or minutes, hours, or even years - passed before Ace's mind put itself back together. His cock ran hot, a tingle here and there lingering from the milking he'd just received, his immovably firm shaft now feeling a lot more fluid, the errant but slight pulses and flutters of his veins and attentively served meat making distinguishing whether he was slick with fluids or as dry as a bone simply impossible. Well, unless he looked, but that was a struggle in itself. His limbs were heavy and numbed from the redirection of bloodflow, and the rest of his body was struggling to recover from the overexertion. With a few deep breaths, Ace lifted his head and looked down his body.

Celestia was looking back at him, smiling softly. She waited until she'd caught his eye, the stallion picking up that her cheeks were puffed out, and that she wasn't saying anything, before she tilted her head back a little. Her throat flexed, her muscles relaxing and contracting visibly. Looking back at her suitor, she licked her lips in unspoken approval of her meal and smirked lightly, innocently, and blew him a kiss. The sight sent a lustful surge through the stallion, and his cock pulsed weakly, too drained to actually squeeze out even another drop from his siphoned sack.

"What a delightful treat," the princess commented lightly, taking the tone of someone who'd indulged in a smoothie, and not wrung his cock dry. "The perfect starter for what I hope will be an absolutely ravishing main course." Daintily, the mare hopped up onto the bed properly, sitting down beside the pegasus and stroking his hindleg softly, her hoof brushing the sweet spot of his thigh between being too close to his groin to be platonic and too far away to be satisfactory. "That is, if you're up for another round?" She didn't sound condescending asking that, but rather caring. Doting, maybe.

"Always," he answered, his breathing finally having returned to normal. With a deep inhale, he grinned at her. "Want a load inside your womb too, Celly?"

"What a confident stallion you are," she purred, biting a lip in decadent interest. "When you've recovered, let's see if you've got enough left inside those gorgeous stones of yours to fill me up again, you magnificent stud."

"I'll probably be repleted by the time it comes to that," Ace informed her. "And, I'm recovered. I can go right now."

"You don't have to push yourself to please me. I already think you're amazing."

"No, really," he insisted, pointing down to his tumescence. Still rock-hard, the shimmer of her saliva having dried off, his pride shifted subtly in time with his heartbeat. The frazzle had faded, resetting his nerves back to their default state, and he was, very obviously, ready to go again. "Not only do I produce a lot, I also have a really short refractory period. Couple that with a high sex drive, and...well, I've scared a few mares away from a second date."

The princess blinked, her face a stoic mask, but from the way her eyes travelled along his length, it was clear she was processing what he'd said. Chewing her bottom lip in mounting interest, the white mare lidded her eyes, locking her gaze with the stallion. Letting her muzzle form into a half-smirk, she lazily fired up her horn, her magic wrapping itself around his hindlegs once again and dragging him into the middle of the bed. Adjusting his posture so that he was squarely centre, the mare slung a hindleg over his body, looking back over her shoulder as she flagged her tail, gradually lifting the ethereal, mystifying stripe of colours up her legs and buttocks, tantalisingly unveiling her legs, thighs, and then-

Magnificent. That was the first thought that came to the grey pegasus' mind as her tail was flicked to the side and over her hindquarters, exposing her rear to him. Her legs straddled his body, spread far enough apart to reveal the swell of her breasts and their pert nipples, and far more noticeably, the thick, dark, meaty lips of her marehood, framing the flushed  flesh of her interior. Beads and strings of nectar clung to her walls, bridging her parted canal, her passage ready and waiting, practically goading him to fill her.

A tug from her magic hoisted his staff vertical, holding it in place while the mare carefully maneuvered herself back and down, lowering her hips to meet his stiffness. His plateau grazed her labia, drifting up the teardrop shape of her elastic frame, the head dipping just barely into her. Adjusting the angle of her body and his pillar, the alicorn realigned the two of them, letting the crown run down her snatch until it pressed between her thick lips and nestled against her radiant entrance. He could feel it trying to draw him in, the lack of resistance ahead making it so easy for him to just thrust and sink himself inside her. Enough time passed that he considered doing just that, the steady heat emanating from her estuary caressing his corona delicately, warming and teasing him, but before the urge became too much for him to refuse, Celestia acted, pushing back and granting him the plunge he wanted to take.

Penetration was easy. His tip was readily welcomed by her silken insides, the swift entry not really needing to part much at all. His presence seemed to awaken her, though, if the velveteen squeeze was anything to go by. As her buttocks met his waist, compressing against the comparative solidness of his body, her tunnel closed in around him, hugging him wantonly, the temperature seeming to rise in intensity now that he was firmly grasped inside her. The stallion was given a few seconds to revel in the sinfully satisfying embrace of the princess before she lifted her loins back up, sliding gracefully up his pole with a slickness that pulled a staggered sigh from the pegasus. As she raised up, he noticed the sheen she'd left behind, his member drenched thickly in her arousal.

As with her blowjob, the mare knew exactly when and how to move, lifting up until an inch or two remained inside her, and then dropping her hips down, engulfing the entirety of his turgid prick in a single fell swoop. For how smooth and gentle it had been, the drop pushed the air from Ace's lungs, and he realised just how wet the mare was; every movement was an easy glide, and he could feel the squelch as he was driven deep into her, his mass drifting effortlessly through her saturated delta, even with the friction from how her body clamped around him. Droplets of her excitement dripped onto his pelvis, the fur around her inner thighs becoming darker as the juices stuck and stained them.

Imperceptibly, but surely, she sped up, accelerating her pace incrementally, until she was riding him passionately, the clap of her cheeks against his waist and stomach providing the beat to their erotic dance. Each time she thrust down, he sank a little into the bed, bouncing back up as she rose again, the cycle leaving him giddy with amorous enjoyment. Her supple cushions slapping painlessly against him, her weight settling against his hindlegs and pushing him down, the skill she exhibited as she rode him with such grace, all of it was as powerful an aphrodisiac as he could've ever wanted, and he couldn't refrain from grasping her ass, his hooves roaming over her bouncing, jiggling globes as she rode him.

"You didn't ask for permission to touch," Celestia teased, her rhythm remaining unbroken by his groping. The fact that she spoke so easily, not a trace of effort in her tone, sounded smug to the stallion, and he felt another surge of arousal and the sheer confidence and competence of the beauty.

"Do I need to?" he retorted, his voice nowhere near her level of collected and calm. "You're mine and I'm yours. You can use me however you want, and I plan on using you very thoroughly."

"Is that so?" Her countenance was broken for the briefest of moments as his hoof smacked her bouncing booty lightly, just enough to make it wobble from his impact. "Oh, I see." She bit her lip and squeezed her pelvic muscles, focusing on tightening around his girth while she rode him. The mare swivelled her hips, gyrating and lifting her rump while her undulating walls gripped his tool in intermittent bursts. He spanked her again, and she began to ride him in earnest, slamming her rear down with a thunderous clap, the weighty walloping of skin against skin filling the room.

As boisterous as their competition was, and as engrossed as they were, it still wasn't enough to cover the sound of the door clattering open or slamming shut. All noise in the room ceased as their activities ground to a halt, and both alicorn and pegasus looked over to the intruder, startled by the sudden and violent entry. To their shock, a pair of furious eyes glared back at them.

"Art thou serious, sister?!

"Is there a problem, Luna?" Celestia retorted laconically, narrowing her eyes.

"A problem?" the other alicorn asked, disbelief dripping from her words. "A problem? We return to Equestria after a millennia, absent of any companionship, and mere months pass before we find that our dearest sister is neglecting her duty in favour of consorting with consorts?!"

"What business is it of yours who I choose to spend my time with?" the white mare asked, testily. "Or how I spend it? I am currently in my bedchambers, which are supposed to remain private."

"What use is the privacy of a bedchamber when near half the castle hearest thou? We were supposed to be resting for our royal duties tonight, but instead our ears have been beset with the cacophony of canoodling!"

"Can I-?" Ace attempted, trying to tentatively ease his voice into the heated conversation. Princess Luna's scowl shot to him, and he quickly shut up.

"Silence, rascal!" she seethed. "The vile voice of rapscallions have no place affronting our ears!" She turned back to Celestia, apparently having dealt with him. "Art thou so desperate that thou purchased the empty virtue of somepony so common? Hath so much changed that the agreements we decided upon carry water no more?"

"I did not pay for him, Luna. I do not hire stallions to service me."

"I'm not a giggilo, I'm actually your sister's-"

"Remain silent, servant!"

"Sorry."

"Thou meanst to say that thou has allowed him to sully you for no charge? Thou value thyself so lowly as to be worth nothing?"

"He is not sullying me, Luna! I invited him to my bed because we have a...connection."

The younger alicorn's eyes drifted to her sister's rump, sat squarely on the reclined pegasus' groin. "Unfortunately, your connection is beyond dispute," she observed flatly. Celestia's face soured, and Ace swallowed nervously, trying to sink as far as he could into the bedsheets. "How long hast thou loved this stallion?" She didn't received a reply, but a glare. "Consort? How long hast she loved you?"

"You mean me?" Ace asked, peeking at her anxiously.

"We are not a consort, nor is our sister," Luna quipped. "There is nopony else but us three in this room. Yes, you."

"Well...um...love is a strong word, but we're very close. Emotionally, I mean. I can't speak for her, but-"

"When was your first meeting?"

"...this morning."

"Then thou art a consort, or our sister a harlot."

"That is enough!" Celestia snapped, glarring daggers at the blue mare. "You have the gall to come into my chambers and berate me for the relations I choose to have?"

"Lascivious relations with our subjects!"

"Relations to which I am entitled! I did not trick or cajole him! I ensured our relationship would not present a problem, and I went through a painstaking amount of effort to ensure that everything would work out!" She drew herself up to a fuller height, her wings flaring out. "I have deprived myself for hundreds of years, Luna, and I shall not be denied my own fulfillment by somepony else!"

"We have been deprived tenfold whatever thou hast endured!" Luna bellowed, flaring her own wings out. "A thousand years, sister? Hast thou forgotten already? Ten hundred! Alone! Generations of lovers we might've had, born and withered in the time that we were away!"

"Princesses!"

The stallion's voice caused both mares to halt and look around, the pegasus waving his hooves to catch their attention. "Stop! Whatever this is, it isn't worth fighting over! When Princess Luna returned, Equestria vowed to welcome her back! What is the point of all of society accepting and embracing her if there isn't harmony between her own family?" Silence settled across the room, and the two alicorns shrunk somewhat, their tempers cooling. Casting glances at one another, shame set in, and their wings retracted.

"We are...we are sorry," the blue alicorn murmured. "Envy is not an easy sentiment to shake. We have been very lonely for a very long time, and to see our sister being...successful, as she always has been..." She sighed. "We shall not bother you any further. Make sure she is treated well, consort."

"I'm not a-"

"Wait," Celestia interrupted, regret tempering her usually collected tone. "You needn't go. This is not a reason for us to fight, and I am truly sorry to have taken so much from you with so little thought. I haven't been cognizant of your needs, Luna, and you're right that you've been alone far longer than I have. It isn't right that I should indulge my desires and leave you alone to sate yourself on hope and discipline. We were meant to rule and live together. Perhaps we should share more than just the seat of power."

A stunned silence rippled through the room. Ace didn't try to say anything, knowing that he wouldn't be able to formulate a proper sentence anyway. He didn't even have his thoughts formatted in his head, and so he was grateful that Luna took the lead.

"I...I shouldn't." She shuffled nervously in place, an anxious warble to her voice. "I'm not in the right state to entertain such an idea...though I desperately want to...and need to..." She shook her head. "I cannot. Not until my cycle has passed." Stopping momentarily, she tilted her head at Celestia. "Art thou not also in season?"

"I...I don't think so," Celestia murmured, her thoughts ticking across her face with startling clarity. "I don't feel too different. I've been more energetic recently, and...and..." She winced. "Oh."

"Sister..."

"There's no reason to be concerned," the white mare spoke up, seeming to address everyone in the room. "In all the years we've ruled, have you encountered even one successful alicorn pregnancy?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Alicorn what?" Ace cut in, sweat beading on his brow. "Should I be using protection right now, or something?"

"Should thou not have thought of such necessities prior to the joining?"

"You needn't worry," Celestia assured her partner. "It is quite safe. Believe me, I have been thorough in my investigations over the centuries."

The blue mare squinted uncertainly, casting her gaze to Ace. "Hast thou...deposited...inside her?"

"Luna, what we're doing is perfectly fine," the older sibling cut in, putting the conversation back on track. Ace was grateful for her intervention. "You have nothing to fear. You need relief, and it's clear that this is weighing on your mind and soul. Let go of your concerns and allow him to please you."

"Now?" The suggestion caught the lunar princess off guard, and she looked between the white mare and the stallion in question. "But thou art already occupied, and-"

"Of all the things we've experienced together, would this truly be crossing a line?" Celestia asked, subtly clenching around Ace to keep him erect, unbeknownst to the undecided observer. The clandestine nature of her teasing did more to reinvigorate the pegasus' ardour than the pressure itself.

"If I may, princess, your deepest desire is to be loved and admired by your subjects, isn't?" At the sound of Ace's voice, the younger alicorn's attention turned once more to the stallion. She nodded slowly to his question, affirming his suspicion. "I'm just an ordinary pony. I'm here now because I spent time getting to know your sister, the real her, as a subject of hers, and we created something special. You're every bit as worthy as her, so let me show you that. Let me love and admire you, Princess Luna."

The flutter of emotions over Luna's countenance indicated that she was nearly convinced. "I crave it, but...to share a stallion with my sister? Art that not too indecent for thou?"

"I won't tell a soul," Ace promised. "Not that you need to worry anyway. Sibling threesomes are all the rage today." She tilted her head, and he rephrased hurriedly. "Uh, that means that it's okay for two sisters to share a stallion, or two brothers to share a mare, or...well, whatever, really. It's okay so long as there's an odd number of ponies involved."

"Truly?"

"...yeah, sure."

With a sigh and a flutter of her wings, the smaller alicorn stepped closer, catching Celestia's eye and receiving an encouraging nod and smile. Ace found that adorable, and throbbed inside her again. "Very well," she relented, climbing onto the bed, a nervousness shimmering from her even as she traced a hoof experimentally over his torso, reintroducing herself to touching a stallion. "We shall allow you to pleasure us, consort."

"I'm not a-"

"Stallion of carnal services," the princess finished. "We know. And that is best, for we did not intend to pay." Ace was stunned into silence, until he saw the sliver of a smirk on her muzzle, an all too familiar sight. Was she as mischievous as her sister? "What is your name, doting subject?"

"Ace."

"Ace?" the mare repeated, pursing her lips as though tasting the word. "A suitable name. Hopefully thou shalt meet the expectations that such a name provides." With a careful step, the mare's soft, fluffy underbelly travelled over the stallion's face, the faint smell of scented soap tickling his nostrils, though it was soon overpowered by the heavy, cloying, unmistakable odour of a mare in heat.

"We'll both know I've lived up to my name when you're screaming it later." Maybe it was her pheromones heightening his arousal, maybe it was just his natural sex drive and perversion, or maybe it was that his cock had been basting in Celestia's honeypot for the duration of a conversation he'd never expected to have, but suddenly, he didn't care that she was a princess, that he'd just snarked royalty. All he new was that he had his dick buried in one willing mare and another's pungent pussy within reach. He didn't wait for Luna to reply to his comment; he brought his muzzle to one of her pert teats and sealed his lips around the soft flesh, sucking hungrily.

The gasp from above him as his tongue lashed at her nipple was background noise to him, his focus entirely on exploring the sensitive little blossom he'd taken into his mouth. His teeth grazed at it, pressing down enough to clamp on and pull lightly, asserting his presence and dominance over her, and feeling her pull and push into him, her coat smooshing against his nose. Massaging her supple flesh with insistent strokes of his tongue, rolling and flicking against her nipple, the stallion hungrily suckled and slurped, foregoing decorum or restraint in his pursuit of taking what he wanted, switching to the other on a whim to explore her pliant flesh there. He moved without forethought or consideration, switching back and forth between her mammaries whenever his interest nudged him to do so.

Out of his sight, Celestia resumed her movements, the soft, slippery drag against his pride indicating that she'd began to roll her hips once more. Even with the majority of his attention centered on toying with the titty in his mouth, Ace couldn't ignore the pressure surrounding his shaft, nor the weight that settled on his legs before rising again. He lifted his hips up, wanting tunnel deeper into her inviting passage, and she increased her speed, riding him with the steady confidence that fueled the fire inside him.

It didn't take long for his nose to drag his attention to the more pertinent part of the princess straddling his face, and he followed it willingly to its source. Breathing in the heady scent she was exuding, Ace drew closer, pushing the mare atop him up and back until the sweltering, rolling heat from her snatch assailed his muzzle, her musk prickling his nasal passage as he inhaled. Luna shifted her posture, sitting more upright to grant him better access to her nethers, inadvertently smearing him with her need as she did. Feeling her fluids marking his muzzle, his tongue flicked out to clean it from his fur, sampling her tangy taste. It did nothing to quench his thirst, and with a parched snarl in the back of his throat, the stallion dove in.

Like a dog lapping from a bowl, he delved deep and moved with a swift firmness, thick strings of the mare's femlube bridging his muzzle, vibrating from the emphatic working of his jaw. The more of her essence he tasted, the more of her thick zest he drank down, the more he needed her, and the deeper his hunger became. He wriggled his muzzle to bring himself closer, the movement grating his lips and nose firmly against her lips and her exposed clitty. The sharp whimper the contact evoked was accompanied by a shudder, emboldening the stallion to brush his upper lip against the compact bundle of nerves and trying to stay on target as she jerked at his touch and ground herself against him.

Wrapping his forelimbs around her thighs, Ace impatiently pulled the blue princess closer, worming his muscle ever deeper into her cavern, slithering through the velvet embrace that squeezed and cradled him from every side. The taste of her was stronger, and he strained to push even further inside, extending his tongue until his jaw and throat ached from the effort. Settling for the depth he'd achieved, Ace flexed his appendage and explored her, touching at every inch of her sinfully soft insides and pulling back to work her vulva with wide strokes and slurps, breaking the strings of her excitement and swallowing them down. His lips sealed around her throbbing pleasure buzzer, suckling and tonguing it needily, before his impatience drove him to attack her mound again, ravenously feasting on her quim and pulling squeals and groans from the pent-up princess that made it past even the fuzzy earmuffs that were her stained thighs.

The Princess of the Night was so wet already, producing so much that she was practically dripping, that her orgasm didn't change much. She clenched, her grip become demanding and unyielding, and her box spasmed in slow, irregular pulses, but otherwise the stallion was too coated in her effluence to notice the brief splash that resulted. If anything, her climax was thinner than the congealed strands of her excitement, more watery than her blatant need. It was the pressure around his head and the broken rhythm of her movements that gave away her situation. Ace noticed it more the second time, her wails confirming his suspicion as she pushed pleadingly against his muzzle, roughly riding him as her body shook. It was the third time that she called his name, spluttering as he suckled mercilessly on her nub, his own grunts undoubtedly adding to the stimulation as his cock swelled and pulsed, pushing a pint of his cream into the waiting womb of his white alicorn lover.

In short order, the two mares were off him, the youngest trembling as she recovered from the mind-melting experiences of three back-to-back climaxes. Ace immediately shifted his position and kissed her, excitement rolling through him at the knowledge that the flavour of her still lingered on his lips, and that she'd be tasting herself. Her breath puffed against him as their lips locked and their tongues danced, their arousal already revitalised by their embrace.

"On your back," the pegasus instructed, breaking their connection to mutter the words to her. "Be a good girl for me and spread your legs."

"We are not 'your good girl'," Luna replied, frowning at the dynamic he was offering.

"You are tonight," Ace parried, kissing her softly, punctuating every compliment with a smooch. "You're my beautiful, shimmering, wondrous mare, a gem shining brighter than the moon itself, and you're going to be treated like the good girl that you are." He pulled back to witness her reaction, the confused battle between flattered and flustered playing across her features, until she blushed and rolled onto her back without a word, spreading her legs for him as he'd requested. Smirking, he shimmied between her hindquarters, sliding easily into her drenched box and sealing away her gasp with a demanding kiss.

Ace lead their coital waltz, moving in long strokes and smooth rotations, his cock probing her depths with a careful curiosity, their tongues intertwining and wrapping around one another. The princess' rising lust urged her to increase the tempo, petulantly demanding that he match her immediate demands and rut her furiously. The stallion refused to let her set the pace, keeping her lust bubbling and simmering as he explored her confines, picking up the pace as he saw fit. Slowly increasing his speed, the stallion was rewarded with a whining whimper, the mare gripping him in her forelimbs and pawing at his body with her hooves, an adorable display that would've made him grin if he wasn't preoccupied using his mouth for other purposes.

The firm drag against his cheek alerted him to Celestia's presence, the white mare having agilely maneuvered herself to get involved in the passion. Her appendage swept up his soiled coat, cleaning the clinging strands of Luna's excitement from his muzzle and her residue from his fur. Ace exhaled as she traced along his jawline, pressing wetly and firmly against the sharp edge of his masculine features. Breaking from his lip-lock with Luna, the pegasus turned his head to the other mare, ensnaring her in a greedy grapple, the soft, irregular mash of their lips parting contrasting with the fleshy clapping of his loins against the younger alicorn's. The rapid plap-plap-plap was underlaid with wet splats and squelches as his crotch thumped into her sopping snatch, soaking his sheath and the coat of his groin and stretching drooping strings between his hindlegs and her nethers.

She was more pent up than he was, having had centuries to stew in her unquenchable desire, and even after three releases, it wasn't enough to make up for the lifetimes of denial. The tension built within her in no small part simply to the repetitive thrusts into her, the presence of his schlong probing her depths and igniting her nerves, her canal blazing from the indulgence after such a long involuntary abstinence. Her shortening, sharpened breathing reached a crescendo, and she pulled the stallion close as she peaked, her limbs tightening as she trembled and jerked her hips into his. The gentle cradle of her quim became a vice, contracting maddeningly around his tool as she tried to milk him, to no avail. Before she'd fully finished, he'd already resumed his previous pace, continuing as though she hadn't just been catapulted into a turbulent tempest of sensations.

In spite of his efforts, she didn't peak again before he reached the apex of his endurance. She was getting close, he knew, with her kisses becoming more desperate and her hold growing tighter around his body once more, but she wasn't close enough to beat him over the finish line. With a growl, he flared, his jewels clenched, and he hilted deep inside her, pressing his crotch to hers as his cock throbbed and pulsed, firing creamy volleys of ejaculate into her thirsty womb. The hot, heavy splash against her walls triggered an immediate reaction from Luna, who was already on the verge, and she came with a squeal, the wave of her orgasm surging through her body and doubling back, frazzling her mind her several time as she was flooded. The inferno of her heat was doused spurt by spurt, the gush causing her inconsolable libido to sizzle into a contented smoldering.

The Princess of the Sun nudged the stallion away from her sister, eager for her turn again. Being a close witness to the two of them rut - hearing the noises they made and drinking in the sight and the reek of their debauchery - had stoked her needs once again. Directing him away, the white mare dipped head down to Luna's gaped, winking pussy and pressed her muzzle against the other mare's lips, lapping in consistent moderate strokes. Luna issued some weak complaints, citing the scandal of what they were doing and public expectation in between huffs and stuttered eeps, but after several passings of her sister's talented tongue, the will to resist fell away, and she welcomed the tender care. Having pacified the other alicorn, Celestia flagged her tail, presenting her own flushed marehood and, with the slightest shake of her derriere, wordlessly invited Ace to do what nature intended.

Throughout Ace's pounding, Celestia remained unmoved from her task, cleaning Luna's ravished box of the seed that oozed from her, even as the pegasus' cock plunged into her own depths, slick with the last batch of seed he'd deposited. Her white buttocks glowed red by the time he came again, spilling another hot dose into her and replenishing the thinning reservoir with a thicker, gooier batch. Of course, that left Luna worked up once more, so he ravaged her again, ramming into her from behind as they spooned, the blue mare returning the gracious attention her sister had given her, cleaning the freshest creamy load from the Princess of the Sun's delta. When he'd finished in her again, to avoid favourtism, he took them both, having them lay belly-to-belly, switching between their proffered pussies until his cockslime dripped down their groins, leaving them soiled so that he could bask in his conquest.

The three of them, slathered and glazed in fluids of all descriptions, called an end to their activities when Ace's reserves ran dry. Gasping for air and soaked in sweat, they lay side by side on the bed, manes ruffled and untidy. At first, none of them broke the silence, remaining quiet as their hooves moved to touch and stroke at one another. As they cooled, they drew closer, taking comfort in each other's warmth. Ace sighed as he was sandwiched between the two beautiful alicorns, a grin plastered on his face. The afterglow was positively levitating, and he nuzzled and kissed affectionately at his partners' damp coats, feeling an urge to curl up with them and drift off to sleep peacefully. That or to share doting words. Either would do nicely.

"While we do not try to make demands, we shall insist on one here," Luna spoke up at last. "You are not to lay claim to this one, sister. He is to be property of the Crown, and he shall be accessible to both you and I as circumstance dictates." The three of them chuckled. Ace nuzzled the blue mare, kissing her under the chin to her audible approval, and when he looked back to Celestia, he saw a twinkle in her eye that hinted that she was pondering something.

"He shall certainly be open for both our use, if he wishes that," the Princess of the Sun agreed, eyeing the stallion knowingly. "I suspect he shall also wish to serve the Crown, if he is explained the nature of his duties." The comment drew the attention of both pegasus and alicorn.

"Serve the Crown?"

"In addition to the agreement we previously came to regarding your employment, an appointment to further extend your duties and privileges, if you so wish."

"As much as I want to say yes, I'm not sure I c-can..." His response was cut off by a hefty yawn. "I might not be in the right frame of mind to consider it right now."

"I understand. It can wait until we've all rested." Glancing at a clock in the room, she noted the time and shifted. "I must lower the sun. It is getting late."

"We hope you do not mind us remaining here tonight?"

"We've just shared a stallion, Luna. Sharing a bed is no matter." The eldest alicorn shifted herself out of the bed and stepped gingerly onto the floor, rotating her shoulders and stretching. She looked a mess; her coat was matted and drizzled with sweat, her mane waved weakly, and her step was wobbly, albeit imperceptibly. It was truly a beautiful sight.

"We shall have to raise the moon," Luna sighed, getting ready to leave the bed too. "But this is something that is difficult to surrender in exchange for something as petty as duty." She whinnied in displeasure. "Still, there is a certain satisfaction that comes with performing one's duty, we suppose." As she made to leave, she paused, turning back to the pegasus for a moment. Slowly, she lay back down, locking eyes with the stallion.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Ace asked, smiling softly. The blue mare bit her lip, clearly considering something. Seconds passed, and she came to a decision.

"Before we go," she began, stroking a hoof down his side. "Cans't thou...call us a shimmering gem again?" She blushed, her cheeks reddening adorably. "Whisper in our ear that we are your good girl?" She swallowed nervously, and the grin that stretched across Ace's muzzle could've eclipsed canyons. Slowly, he leaned in, letting his breath flutter hotly across her skin, until he reached her ear, and spoke the words she longed to hear, revelling in her delighted shiver.

If this was the bonus contractors could expect at the palace, he'd have to find some stuff to break in the near future. He wondered, as Luna pressed her lips to his, when the next disaster would be. He hoped it'd be soon, and carry lots of collateral.

What did a guy have to do to provoke an invasion around here?
> Introductions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even travelling light, Ace had to balance several suitcases on his person, and with the platform being as crowded as it was, that was no easy task. The ponies around him were kind enough to not bump into him in their rush to board the arriving train, but that didn't help him much as he struggled to fit through the doorway and carry his bags into a carriage that was at least reasonably empty, somewhere he could store his luggage without interferring with anypony else. Through patience and persistence, he managed to keep balance, but found himself stuck when he reached an empty seat. Both his wings were pre-occupied keeping the luggage in place, and he couldn't rear up without dropping the bags onto the carriage floor. Looking up at the rack above his head, he stared imploringly, hoping that the space would take pity on him and carry the cumbersome load up for him.

To his surprise, he got his wish - the weight on his back disappeared, and from the corners of his vision, a blue shimmer rose into view. Turning his head, Ace caught the sight of his luggage rising up above his head, carried within a field of cornflower blue light. Blinking, he looked around, spotting a white unicorn mare a few feet to his right, her horn surrounded by the same shade that was ferrying his bags up to the rack above him. She smiled beatificially at him when she saw him looking, and without any hint of effort, completed her task, packing his items neatly in the space above.

"Uh, thanks," the pegasus muttered, surprised by her aid. Her smile widened, and she waved a hoof at him.

"It was my pleasure, darling," she spoke, turning away to return to her seat. "I can't have you struggling like that and not step in to help, can I?"

"I guess not," he answered, his eyes following her as she sat down on the cushions of the bench. She wasn't travelling alone, it seemed, as there were five other ponies sitting alongside and opposite her, chatting cordially as she resumed her spot. One of the ponies, an orange earth pony, caught his attention, and he smiled. "Applejack?"

The blonde mare looked up at him, her gaze followed by the others around her, and she gave a toothy grin upon seeing who had spoken her name.

"Aerial Ace," she greeted, her comforting country drawl permeating her speech. "Fancy meetin' ya here! What's brought ya to Canterlot?"

"You, apparently," the pegasus replied, walking over to the bench opposite hers and taking a seat. "I received a summons from the princess herself, and was asked to organise and oversee restoration work." He fought back the urge to smile as a hint of a blush emerged on her cheeks, nearly blending in to her orange fur. "The princess claimed I'd been recommended by a certain apple salespony from Ponyville. I don't suppose you happen to know anything about that?"

"Ah might," she responded, trying and failing to keep her expression nonchalant. "But sayin' ah did recommend your services, would ah be able to expect a 'thank you'?"

"You'd be able to expect a very big thank you," Ace told her. "The biggest thank you and glowing gratitude for providing such a spectacular opportunity for me." She nodded humbly at his comment, a small smile gracing her lips. "But enough about me, what about you? Why are you still in Canterlot? I thought the Gala was a couple of days ago."

"It was," the earth pony answered. "But after the, uh, incident, Rarity here insisted we have our dresses dry cleaned."

"I cannot be expected to take my dress home in such a filthy state," the white unicorn harrumphed, turning her nose up at the suggestion she should do otherwise. "Whatever would other ponies think if they saw us coming home bedraggled like some clueless ruffians after a hen party?"

"I'm pretty sure that was just your dress," a throaty voice interjected, uttered by a blue pegasus next to the unicorn. The white mare glared at her companion, who was smirking mischievously, her eyes lit up with impertinent amusement.

"Not a single one of us walked away from that Gala looking even passingly decent," Rarity rebutted. "You, Rainbow Dash, managed to destroy half of that room and cover us all in dust! It took me hours to cleanse my mane! Hours, I tell you!"

"So it's you I should thank for my lucrative business contract," Ace chimed in, addressing the pegasus that had been refered to as Rainbow Dash. The mare looked at him and chuckled, a twinge of embarassment in her smile. She was quite the mare to look at, her prismatic mane cut into a sharp and ruffled fringe, the colours remaining separate in spite of her devil-may-care facade. She looked spritely and ready, eager and energetic, but her coat was neat and immaculate, like a carefully constructed paradox.

"Don't mention it," she replied, waving a hoof in faux-nonchalance. "I'm always helping out. Just ask anypony around, I'm the most helpful pony anypony knows."

"An' humble, too," Applejack jibed, drawing a laugh from Ace.

"So we have the humble and helpful room-destroyer," the stallion assessed, nodding at Rainbow, and then looked to Applejack. "And her guilty sidekick, who confessed it all to the princess herself. What was your role, guilty one? Was it the stampede?"

"What sorta outlaw do ya take me for?" she demanded, huffing in offence. The twinkle in her eye betrayed her amusement. "All ah did was bring a tray of delicious treats into the hall, an'-"

"And I leapt from the stage like staaagggee diiiiiivvve and hit the cart Applejack wheeled in and hurled the cake all the way across the room!" interrupted a pink mare. The sudden change jolted Ace, and he felt his attention dragged away from the blonde mare to another earth pony, her appearance as loud and sugary as her speech. "The cake flew allll the way over to the door and nearly hit a prince, but Rarity was super brave and got volunteered to be a shield, but then she was all upsetti spaghetti, and shook the cake all over the prince, who was all like ew ew ew I'm a clean upper class pony and stumbled back into a big slender pony statue, which toppled over! Then Rainbow Dash zoomed in like a superhero - woooosh! - and caught it on her back! But then she wobbled and knocked over a bunch of other stone columns and totally ruined the party! I was feeling pretty bad for causing the cake to fly across the room, but then Twilight came in with Princess Celestia and saw that everypony was wearing a big old stinky frown, and said 'well, it can't get any worse', and then guess what happened?"

It took several seconds before Ace realised that the equine equivilent of a racing motor expected an answer from him, her eyes boring into him as she leered gleefully, obviously straining to contain her anticipation. "Um...it...it got worse?"

"It totally got worse!" she cheered. "There was a rumble and the doors burst open and a bunch of critters and creatures and condors and kangaroos cascaded into the room! It was all bang! Then Fluttershy came in and screamed at them to love her, and then everypony started running around like crazy, and Twilight whistled for us all to leave, and Rarity lost her glass slipper on the stairs and then smashed it and-"

"I think you've explained the minutiae of the incident quite exhaustively," Rarity cut in, smiling a little too tightly to be sincere. She pulled the eccentric pink mare out of Ace's personal space, returning her to her seat. "I'm quite sure that Mr Ace - if I'm not mistaken? - understands what happened." The unicorn let out a soft sigh, her smile easing as she looked back to the stallion. "I apologise for her antics. She gets quite overexcited sometimes."

Ace's brain was still running a backlog on the information he'd been presented, trying to digest the flurry of words and the boisterous performance through which he'd received the account. His mind filtered the relevant details from the rest, trying to piece it together into a coherent picture. Applejack brought cake trolley into hall...pink pony stage dived onto cake trolley...cake hit Rarity...Rarity shook cake onto prince...prince toppled statue...Rainbow attempted rescue...rescue failed and destroyed room...stampede threw the gala into chaos...

"That...that lines up with what Princess Celestia told me," he commented, looking up at the six mares across from him. A thought crossed his mind, and his gaze tracked on to the purple unicorn sat nearest the train window opposite him. Pinkie had said the name 'Twilight' in her tirade, and Celestia had made mention of her student of the same name several times during their talks. There were two unicorns here, and the white one he'd already been told was Rarity, which left the lavendar one as the potential student of the Princess of the Sun. The same student who lived in Ponyville, which was where the train and its passengers were heading. The same student who had, according to Celestia, attended the Grand Galloping Gala with her five friends, much like the other five mares sitting in front of him, one of whom had recommended his services to the Princess herself, despite having no ties to royalty.

"Is everything okay?" the unicorn asked, her voice soft and polite. Ace realised he'd been staring, and shook his head clear of its thoughts.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I just realised I might know you. Are you Twilight Sparkle, by any chance?"

"I am," the unicorn answered, surprise evident in her features, even as she kept her expression polite and respectful. "I don't recognise you though. Have we met?"

"Not before now," Ace told her. "Princess Celestia told me an awful lot about you, though."

"She did?" There was no mistaking the glee in the mare's tone, her mouth curling upwards and her eyes brightening. It looked like she was eager for attention and praise from her mentor, which, when the pegasus thought back to Celestia's mention of how star struck her student was, made sense.

"She did," the stallion confirmed, her joy spreading faintly to him. "She told me you're the best student she's ever had, the most motivated, the most enthusiastic, and the most dedicated pony she's had the privilege of guiding."

"That's Twilight alright," Rainbow laughed, while the unicorn in question glowed with an energy rivalling that of Pinkie. "When she first came to Ponyville, she went to bed rather than enjoy the party Pinkie Pie threw for her. Imagine turning down a party because you want to study." She and Applejack chortled together as Twilight blushed, the pink blosom on her cheeks an adorable accentuation to her already gorgeous charm.

"I was a teensy bit preoccupied with studying when I arrived in Ponyville, but I've gotten much better since then."

"A teensy bit? More like totally obsessed."

"I've gotten much better since then," Twilight repeated more insistently. "Did you talk to the princess for long? What else did she say?" From the look on her face, she was hopeful for compliments, eager to hear something positive from the princess. Not so much starved, but inticed.

"Other than that she's proud of you?" Ace asked, tilting his head and pursing his lips in mock thought. He tried to ham it up a little, just for her enjoyment. "She's happy with the progress you're making, and she has high hopes for your future. She also made mention of your friends, and how they're a perfect supplement to your own talents and skills. By the way, girls, a pleasure to meet you all." He waved at the other five mares, grinning as he did, earning a variety of light chuckles, and a giggle-snort from Pinkie. "The main focus of our discussion was the repairs that needed to be done, but since you came up in the conversation as to what happened, the princess went out of her way to make it clear that you weren't responsible for what happened. She spoke very highly of all of you, and all of your qualities, though I only knew Applejack from who she mentioned."

"Oh, thank goodness," Rarity chimed in, her tone laden with relief. "She assured us that she wasn't upset with us for the state of the castle following the gala, but to hear it from another pony really alleviates that straggling anxiety. Anxiety is absolutely disasterous for my complexion."

"How do you know Applejack?" Rainbow asked, casting an inquisitive look at the blonde mare. "She hasn't mentioned you before."

"Ouch, my pride," Ace mourned, grinning at the earth pony opposite him. "Do I truly mean so little?"

"Cry me a river."

"I just might. In all seriousness, I worked on her farm for a while with her family. They were kind enough to give a colt somewhere to stay, and all they asked in exchange was help around the farm. It was good work, and it was actually during the reconstruction of their barn that I got my cutie mark. Shortly after, I went into the construction industry, made friends and contacts, and rented appartments where I needed them for work."

"Ah guess ya owe us twice over, what with me gettin' you this contract an' all."

"You mean I came in to help you with your mess yet again? Don't worry, I've just accepted my life is forever going to be running around clearing up after you." The group laughed, the differences in their voices melding into a sweet symphony that played across the carriage. It was the easy, warming sort of laughter that only existed around friends, a warmth and softness to it that connected those present together.

As the conductor called out, the whistle on the train trumpeted proudly, and the train began its slow, heaving journey from the mountain, Aerial Ace felt a satisfaction from meeting his travel companions, and a fulfillment from having met Twilight Sparkle already. He'd anticipated running into her in Ponyville, but he'd struck lucky and come across her early on. The Princess would be happy he'd already completed the first of the tasks she'd set out for him.





"SUR-PRISE!"

The cheer made Ace jump, and the subsequent flash of lights and the hooting of ponies he hadn't even realised were there made his blood run cold, his wings shooting out instinctively as his fight-or-flight kicked in. Before he could bolt out the door, he registered the interior of the building, a crowd of beaming at him with wide smiles from every direction. From seemingly nowhere, a pink mare leapt up and spread her forelegs wide, balancing on her hindlegs as she presented the assembled gathering.

"Welcome to Ponyville! It's a super duper fun place to be, and we're gonna make you feel right at home!" The cheerful exclamation was delivered so charmingly that Ace had to take several seconds to realise it was Pinkie Pie, and then a couple more seconds to realise that her being in his house was impossible.

"How...how did you get in here?" the stallion asked. "How did you know which house was mine? Did you go around checking every locked door? The door was locked right?"

"Maybe I got in...intruder window!" the mare answered, breaking out into a loud, guffawing giggle at her own joke, which ended in a snort.

"But you were right behind me!" he reminded her. "You were helping me bring my stuff from the station!"

"Sugar, if you're gonna live here, there's a few things ya should be aware of," Applejack interjected, coming up beside him. "First thing is that 'strange' has a whole different meanin' around here. Second thing is that Pinkie is stranger than most things we get around here."

"But...how did she-?"

"Third thing is never question Pinkie's antics," the orange mare interrupted. "If she does somethin' perculiar, just shrug and sally on. Ain't no makin' sense of it. Trust me, smart mares have tried and been driven totally loopy."

"But...if..." Ace eventually sighed and conceded defeat. "Okay. I'll get my stuff in from outside." He turned to face the door, peeking out to find his luggage, only to see it was all gone. Looking around fretfully, he glanced both ways up the street, panic rising in his chest as the seconds passed without any sight of his suitcases. "Where did they go?" he asked, spinning back to the mares he was with. "Did you bring my bags inside?"

"I did!" Pinkie chirped. "Put them upstairs! Now you can party without any distractions!"

"But...how?"

"You're question' again," Applejack chuckled.

"I had to be here to surprise you, but if I was here before you arrived, I'd have left you alone with your bags, which wouldn't be friendly, so I took all your bags and put them in your bedroom upstairs, turned off the lights, and shouted SURPRISE when you walked in!"

"You were right behind me...and you did all that while we were walking?" Another thought crossed his mind, and the stallion paused. "When did you have time to plan this? I met you on the train from Canterlot, and you planned all of this-" He looked at the room more explicitly, taking in the sights that he'd missed before. There was a banner bridging two walls with the words Welcome to Ponyville, Aerial Ace printed across it, a number of tables had been covered in colourful cloth and laden with party snacks, and there was an assortment of ponies he didn't know, undoutedly townsfolk. "-and, and, somehow set up the entire party without leaving my side until five minutes ago? If that?"

"If I'd left, you'd have known something was up," Pinkie told him, seemingly unfazed by his disbelief. "Nopony expects somepony next to them to surprise them with a housewarming party, making it the ultimate surprise housewarming party!" Bouncing up to him, she pressed her nose up to his and asked, "So do you like it, huh? Were you surprised?"

The stallion had to blink several times before he conceded defeat once again. "Yes, Pinkie. It was a huge surprise, and I'm grateful. Thank you."

"You're super duper welcome!" she answered, beaming wide and bouncing over to a table covered in drinks and snacks. "I make sure everypony coming to Ponyville has a welcome party, and when I heard you were moving here I knew I had to throw you a memorable spectacular surprise celebration!" Her smile didn't fade, and she watched him as he made his way over to the table, eyeing up the bite-sized treats laid out, as well as a sizable bowl of punch.

"If you're thirsty, make sure you don't drink the hot sauce," Twilight spoke, coming up beside him.

"Hot sauce?" the pegasus asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "How and why would I drink hot sauce?"

"You might be thirsty or tired after a long trip and reach for a bottle thinking it's something to quench your thirst," she explained, reeling off the story with a knowing lilt in her tone. "It's worth keeping in mind."

"I see," Ace replied, slowly. "Thanks for the advice. I'll avoid any opaque bottles. Is there anything else I should know about?" He glanced at the table again, the information casting a new light on the various items in front of him.

"Expect the party to last all evening," the purple mare revealed. "When I arrived in Ponyville, I didn't sleep for two days."

"Two days?" the stallion repeated, incredulously.

"Yeah!" the pink mare chimed in. "I was walking down the street when I came across this new purple pony and her petite purple dragon, and I didn't recognise either of them so I threw a huuuge party for them, and then we partied the night away in the library before Princess Celestia came to raise the sun, but when we got to the town hall for the Summer Sun Celebration, Nightmare Moon turned up and was all the night will last forever mwuhahahaha! Twilight ran to the library and we followed her and she told us about the Elements of Harmony, and we travelled into the Everfree Forest which was dark and spooky and-"

Ace normally would've zoned out from such a lengthy tale, but Pinkie's vivaciousness was too abundant to ignore, intruding into his consciousness and puffing away any boredom like dust from an old antique, or an extractor fan removing smoke from a kitchen. Her head didn't stay still for a single second, bobbing and weaving and turning sharply, her body just as animated. Every few sentences were accompanied with a grand gesticulation, and she seemed to vibrate with energy as she belted out her story like a phonograph on triple speed. A cautious glance at the others showed that they were watching with an air of familiarity, clear used to the eccentricity, while Twilight and Fluttershy looked a little more overwhelmed. The latter was probably due to how shy she was, and her aversion to loud and persistent noise, and he guessed Twilight was still acclimitising to the vociferous outbursts like this one.

"-so we threw another party for her, and she was a party pony for that one! We became super duper best friends and spent the next day celebrating!" The story - which was more of a speech than a story - ended with Pinkie wrapping her forehooves around Twilight and smooshing their cheeks together, the earth pony beaming so wide it seemed that her smile took up a majority of her face. The purple mare looked squashed, but didn't complain, either because she didn't want to, or because she simply couldn't. Luckily for her, Pinkie let go soon after. "It's a bummer we can't have a dangerous world-threatening adventure to coincide with your arrival, but I didn't have time to plan for that, and I promise I'll make it up to you with a humungous cake the size of your house!"

"It's quite alright," the stallion assured her, concerned that the mare would actually attempt such a feat. "The party's enough. I don't feel neglected." Apparently, he was already getting a feel for her antics, and could tell she was about to insist when she pouted. "But if you want to do more, we can talk about it and we'll find something I like?" That stopped her upcoming barrage of pleas and offers, and she brightened considerably, nodding and smiling.

"Oakily dokily!" she responded. "I'm gonna go say hi to some of the other ponies. Enjoy your party!"

"Will do," he called out as she hopped towards a crowd of mares, all of whom turned to greet her. Ace watched her for a few seconds before realising his heart was beating faster and his breathing was heavier, as though he'd been jogging, and a lick of his lips revealed to him that he was parched. Turning around, he reached for the first bottle he saw and grabbed a cup, tipping the bottle to pour himself a drink. A warm glow encompassed his hoof, and he found he couldn't move it any further.

"If you really want to drink the hot sauce, I won't stop you," Twilight teased, her horn glimmering in a pink haze. "But you might want to think about it for a second or two."

"I...wow," Ace mumured, levelling the bottle. "That easy?"

"That easy," Twilight confirmed, releasing her magic, allowing the pegasus to push it away. "Apart from Pinkie Pie or foals who've been dared for brovado, nopony deliberately drinks condiments or sauces." She floated a pre-poured cup of lemonade over to him. "I think you'll like this more."

"I think so too," the stallion agreed, taking the drink gratefully and swigging down a mouthful, smacking his lips appreciatively. "Since you're the newest resident besides me, mind giving me a run-down of the town and all the do's and don'ts? What can I expect, other than more of Pinkie being Pinkie?"

"Honestly? If you understand you're going to have to deal with Pinkie on a daily basis, you're halfway to being a fully-fledged Ponyville citizen."

"There's got to be more to it than just that," Ace pressed as the purple mare reached out with her magic for a cup of lemonade, cradling it a safe distance away from herself.

"Oh, there is, but if you want to quantify just how crazy it can get, Pinkie is a good barometer. She's a stable metric for these sorts of things, which is something I never would've said a year ago. It sounds weird even saying it now, but with recent events, I've come to accept it as the best I can do."

"What are some things that fall lower on the Pinkie scale that you've seen around here?" the stallion asked, a twinge of a smile tugging at his lips as the unicorn giggled at his words. After a few seconds spent pondering his question, the mare gave him his answer.

"We had a griffon visit town once. She was an old friend of Rainbow's, and she made quite the splash when she arrived. Apart from Rainbow, I don't think anypony in town had met a griffon before, and she wasn't quite what we were used to. Pinkie threw her a party to try and get her to realise that Ponyville was a friendly town, but the griffon proved to be too hostile."

"That's disappointing."

"It was, especially for Rainbow." The unicorn cast a glance at the prismatic mare chatting to another few pegasi at the other side of the room, sharing what was presumably an entertaining story of their own. "They fell out, hard. I knew she felt betrayed and that she felt bad for neglecting Pinkie to spend time with an older friend who turned out to be something very different to what she remembered. Pinkie and Rainbow grew closer, but the town is still weary of griffons as a result. Now that I think of it, that incident probably didn't help anypony's perception of Zecora."

"Zecora?"

"She's a zebra who lives in the Everfree Forest," Twilight explained. "She comes into town when she needs something, but for a long while, she wasn't received very well. There were strange rumours surrounding her, and I don't think anypony had even heard of a zebra before, which meant that when she came to town, everypony hid in fear."

"That's wild. So...a zebra?"

"Yes, she...oh." Twilight noted Ace's expression, and smiled knowingly. "Zebras are a species who look very similar to earth ponies, except their coat is black and white striped. Their homelands are far from Equestria, and Zecora is honestly the first I've ever met. She's a lovely mare, and I'm glad she was so forgiving after we..." She paused, a blush blooming on her cheeks.

"Excluded her?" Ace guessed. The unicorn winced, and wobbled her head slightly.

"More that we accused her of cursing us, and of being a witch."

"What?"

"It's a bit of a long story involving dangerous flora in the Everfree Forest. Which reminds me, don't go in there without a guide, or at night. If you can, stay away entirely."

"Okay," the stallion replied slowly, a little perturbed by her explanation. Sipping his lemonade, he mulled the warning over in his head. Ponyville sounded outright dangerous, not just whacky.

"Creatures don't usually roam beyond the borders of the forest, but sometimes we find that one grows curious and wanders too close. Fluttershy can usually take care of them, in those cases."

"She can?" the pegasus asked incredulously. The yellow mare was painfully shy, scared of almost everything, and the thought of her dealing with ferocious beasts, or whatever came from the dark shade of the forest that Twilight had just warned him to stay away from, was shockingly unbelievable. He didn't think Twilight was lying, but, well, maybe it was a matter of judging a book by its cover; the angelic mare was not the image of ferocity and authority. Even now, she was gathered with a smaller crowd of mares, all of whom were talking in soft tones about something quaint.

"I know she seems quite timid, but Fluttershy actually takes care of pets around Ponyville for other residents, and is in charge of training and domesticatic animals. When I first met her, she was organising a choir of birds for the Summer Sun Celebration. She has a deep connection to creatures which most ponies can't understand, never mind achieve. She's successfully negotiated with cockatrices, manticores, and even dragons."

"When you say 'dragons', do you mean-?"

"The huge scaley winged creatures that ocassionally fly over Equestria?" Twilight finished for him. "Yes, I do. She talked one into moving to another cave so his smoke didn't smother Ponyville in a blanket of darkness."

"I didn't expect that from her," Ace commented, whislting at the thought.

"Few ponies do, myself included," Twilight admitted. "That's why she's so..." She paused, searching for the word. "So...potent. Ponies look at her, size her up, and think she's fragile and guileless. They think she's too small and meek to make a difference or to pose any real threat to anycreature. Kindness is a strength, though, not a weakness, and she's done so much good for ponies and other creatures on such a foundational level that I don't think they realise it. When a creature does something bad, they dismiss her, and she's able to work unfettered to stop them, or if they indulge her, thinking it'll be fun to toy with her, they inadvertently let their defences down, and allow her to connect with them. She ignites something in ponies that they even knew they had in themselves."

"You make her sound like a goddess."

"She's definitely a strong and powerful pony, appearances notwithstanding."

"You've got an important circle of friends, from the sounds of it. You've saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon, you've sowed peace between settlers and natives, you've stopped creatures and beasts of all descriptions, and on top of all of that, you've got full-time jobs in the town. I'm not sure how I can supplement that."

"Everypony has their strengths, and besides, friendship isn't about how you can use somepony. It's about forming a meaningful bond and getting something from that relationship."

"To bonding, then," Ace offered, tapping his cup against hers. Twilight smiled and drank in tandem with him. "Did you choose to live in the library, or was it a package deal?"

"The Princess arranged it," the unicorn told him. "I'm glad she did. After I decided to move here permanently, the library was a natural home for me. I lived in a tower in Canterlot, and while it's not quite the same, it has similar qualities in it, from the spiralling staircase to the amount of books. I couldn't have picked somewhere more perfect if I'd tried."

"Did you expect to end up as a librarian?"

"I'm more of a scholar than a librarian," she countered. "It isn't too different to what I did in Canterlot, except now I have to record the outflow and inflow of books and ocassionally lend somepony in town a novel or textbook. It's more social than my experience in Canterlot, what with ponies coming in to select a book to read, which obviously didn't happen in my private quarters, but no stranger." She paused, and added, "Well, no stranger if nothing odd happens in town. I've only had my reading interrupted a hoofful of times."

"I've been meaning to get into reading," Ace informed her. "I've been kept busy with work, but if there's a central library and a dedicated librarian/scholar/national hero staffing it, there might be more motivation for me to bury myself in a novel or three. Mind if I come round some time to take advantage of your stacked shelves?" He finished his request with a half-grin, earning a small chortle from the unicorn.

"Of course! We're open every day between 10am and 8pm unless otherwise stated, barring national holidays. No appointments needed, and I'll try to be there to greet you personally. If not, Spike should be there to fulfil your requests."

"I'll do that. When does the book club meet?"

"Book club?" The mare tilted her head at his question.

"There isn't a book club? Well, in that case, I guess we'll have to make one. When are you free to start the book club's first meeting?"

The second of confusion passed into realisation, and a smile split her muzzle, amusement colouring her expression as she caught on. It didn't take much to convince her to pursue the idea seriously, and with a date and time hashed out, he left her, eyes sparkling with giddy excitement, and set out to meet the other guests at the party.

Pleasing the pretty purple pony was both easy and immensely satisfying, and Ace once again gave himself a metaphorical pat on the back for a job well done.





Throughout the weeks that followed, Ace made sure to split his time visiting his new acquaintances, turning them from ponies he knew into ponies he could call friends. Pinkie was the easiest, welcoming him back to Ponyville every time he got back from overseeing the repair efforts in Canterlot, her boundless joy lifting his spirits after even the longest day. Rarity made sure to ask about how Canterlot was doing, chatting frequently with him about the city and his work there, which moved on to his work in general, and how he himself was doing. Applejack was an old friend, somepony he always knew he could stop by to say hi to, passing on his well-wishes to the Apple family while he was there. Fluttershy took work and effort, her nervousness around new ponies meaning he best had time to speak to her when she was with one of the others, though she slowly began opening up to him, smiling if he came round to visit her cottage and offering him some tea and a soft chat. Rainbow, being the energetic athlete she was, was happy to have him watch her practice and comment about how great she looked doing it. Somehow, it wasn't even flirting; she just loved hearing everypony else praising her.

Twilight, though, was the pony he looked forward to seeing the most. She was erudite and prim, and adorably nerdy. Ace had heard she was bookish, particularly from Rainbow Dash, whose athleticism he figured clashed with the more reserved nature of the unicorn, but the stallion found her to be intelligent and astute, and the way she spoke about topics ranging from maths to theoretical concepts of existence had him captivated. He didn't know what she was talking about half the time, but it was clear she did and that she found the subjects exciting, which meant that listening to her was exciting. It was like she'd managed to isolate and extract a portion of Pinkie's personality, which only came out when she was discussing academic matters, and it was just as infectiously invigorating as the pink pony's meandering conversations.

The book club idea remained, as Ace had expected, the two of them meeting a couple of times a week - or more, if they both had time - to discuss their favourite books, the librarian starting him off with some recommendations. He'd already read the Daring Do series (who hadn't?), which was how they began their sessions, comparing favourite segments of the books and sharing their expectations and hopes for the next entry. She introduced him to The Adventures of Shadow Spade, crime thrillers that Rarity liked to read, and he brought her attention to The Universal Trilogy. Their appointments took the form of them sitting together on the balcony of Golden Oaks Library, reading through their respective stories of the week, enjoying each other's silent presence until they took a break and chatted excitedly about how they felt.

With each passing session, the unicorn became more comfortable with him, the space between them reducing imperceptibly. During an unexpectedly brisk afternoon wind, Ace had wrapped his wing around the mare's smaller body, surprising her at first, though she quickly grew comfortable among his feathers, the cover warming her nicely. From then on, whenever she looked chilly, or if he felt like it, Ace drooped his wing over her, the mare receptive to the close contact, and they continued their chat or their separate reading without any issue. 

It was a sunny, still day when they closed their books in synchronisation, turning to one another with a smirk and a smile, and exchanged their thoughts on their novels.

"You were right, I didn't see that coming," Ace started, to the purple mare's obvious amusement. "Yes, I know you said I wouldn't see it coming, but I thought I'd spotted the bluff. It looked like the victim was the perpertator all along!" The unicorn giggled, a satisfied glow to her visage. "So yes, you were right. Was I right?"

"Well, it was certainly entertaining," Twilight replied, a hoof resting on the final book in The Universal Trilogy. "I won't rate it as my top ten of all time, but I won't mark it down, either. I think Fluttershy might like it; there's plenty about animals in here that she'd be overjoyed to read about." She stretched, her joints cracking faintly as she moved for the first time in the better part of an hour. "What do you want to try next? I was thinking a non-fiction book, something neither of us has tried before. I could learn about a subject you're good at, and you can learn something I'm interested in."

"What exactly don't you already know?" Ace asked teasingly. "I'm sure you could learn anything in an afternoon, anyway."

"There's always more to learn," the mare assured him, dismissing his compliment. "I know there's so much out there that I don't know yet. Everypony has something they've never encountered before."

"Then why don't we try that?" the stallion suggested. "A topic neither of us has covered, like knitting, or ballet, or something similar." Twilight considered that for a few seconds before nodding brightly, visibly pleased with his plan.

"What haven't you researched that you want to?"

"That's a good question. Uh, I haven't looked much into astronomy, which I probably should after having read The Universal Trilogy."

"Space is nothing like that," Twilight assured him. "At least, nothing that's ever been studied about space has ever corroborated the descriptions of other celestial bodies."

"You sound like you've studied a lot about space," Ace observed. "I'd be at a disadvantage going in blind."

"We could always swap areas of expertise?" the mare suggested. "I'll give you some astronomy books to read through and we'll explore them together, and you can teach me something you're interested in."

"I'm not sure there's much for me to show you," the stallion pointed out. "I'm mostly a manager and organiser by trade, which you're very familiar with, if your Winter Wrap Up experience is anything to go by. I'm not sure if there are any interesting texts on woodworking, construction, or much else. I learned it on the job." He hummed, mulling over some ideas in his mind, one coming to the forefront rather quickly. He maintained his thoughtful expression, pretending to be stumped, until he perked up suddenly, as though an epiphany had sprung up. "Of course! I could...no, no, that's silly of me..." He muttered to himself some inaudible musings, and returned to looking thoughtful.

"What is?" Twilight asked curiously, her expression adorabley naive. He had to fight back a smirk as she took the bait. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm not sure it's appropriate," he insisted. "I could, but I'd want to read something with you that you've never read before, and something you've got no experience with, and I don't think this is the right text for that."

"If you tell me, we can see," the purple mare pressed. "If we've both read it, we can try something else. There's no harm in suggesting it, right?"

"I suppose," Ace agreed, glancing around for exaggerated effect. "Well, how about..." He leaned in close, as if he was about to whisper something conspiratorial to her, and the mare looked even more intrigued. She flicked her ears towards him, obviously invested in whatever secret he was about to bestow on her. With her full, enraptured attention, his muzzle an inch away from her ears, he finally told her, "The Kama Hooftra."

The unicorn paused, like a stutter in a film reel, and then turned to face him, surprised awe plastered on her face. He no longer needed to contain his grin, and so let it stretch across his muzzle, meeting her shock with unrepentent amusement. At the sight, she let out a soft giggle, colour rising in her cheeks as she digested his unorthodox suggestion.

"I did say it was inappropriate," he teased, bringing another giggle from the mare.

"You did," she acknowledged. "I can't say I've ever had anypony suggest I read that."

"I imagine most ponies who suggested you books were teachers or librarians, right?" the pegasus asked, receiving a nod. "How do you know about it in the first place, Miss Sparkle?" Her rapidly-reddening cheeks were well worth the moderately scathing glare she shot him, and he chortled at her indignation. "Somepony's been doing some extra-curricular reading, hasn't she?"

"It's perfectly natural to be curious," the unicorn asserted, fronting a visage of confidence. "And your suggestion is hardly innocent either, mister."

"We're just two curious ponies," the stallion teased. "Perfectly natural. Besides, we're here to share our enjoyment of books, right? What's better than enjoying a book about how to live an emotionally fulfilling life? I can tell you my favourite parts, unless you'd like to share first?"

The mare winced, her coat failing to hide her burning face. "I-I don't think we should," she stammered, shifting uncomfortably. She glanced inside, looking like she'd rather be somewhere else. "Maybe we should end the session here?"

"Hey, I'm sorry," the stallion relented, backtracking his teasing. He draped a dark wing over her, softly covering her body. "I took it too far there. I was just teasing." He pulled her against him, providing a familiar, comforting presence for her, and they stayed like that for several seconds, silently.

"It's okay," she told him, taking a deep breath. "I'm not weirded out, or anything, I'm just not very good at talking about it. I'm a private mare, mostly, and discussing personal things like that has never been my strength. I've been trying friendship for less than a year, and intimacy isn't..." She stopped herself short, trailing off into nothingness. Ace waited for her to continue her train of thought, but she didn't.

"You said you were happy to learn something I was familiar with," he reminded her. "Maybe opening up about this is something I can help you to do? It's not exactly reading books, but it's still a feat of friendship. It doesn't have to be anything more than you feel comfortable with. I'll just be a listening ear and a source of advice, if you ask for it." He kept silent, allowing her to think his offer through.

"You might be right," she considered, her cheeks having cooled to a rosy glow. "Can we go inside and I'll think about it?" He didn't say anything, retracting his wing and standing up to give her room, picking up his novel as he did so. Twilight followed suit, bringing her book with her in a telekentic grasp as she stepped back inside the library, the stallion leaving a few paces between them to give her some room.

Closing the balcony door behind him, the pegasus entered into the library's living room, passing the book over to Twilight as she returned them to their rightful places. She took her time, aligning the tomes on the shelves and adjusting the others so that they stood perfectly, spending far too long ensuring their neatness. When she did finish and turned around, she looked nervous, and sat down in one of the armchairs of the room. Ace silently placed himself in the other.

"Nopony's ever asked me about my personal life before," Twilight spoke up after a long period of silence. "At least, not intimacy. I spent a lot of time just studying and focusing on learning, and I saw other ponies as a distraction. Books were my best friends, and they taught me everything I ever needed to know."

"Including sexuality?"

"Yes." The confession brought another bright burn to the mare's lavender coat, but she looked a little more relieved, and her words sounded like they weren't such a struggle to say. "I know I was a lot less social than other ponies, but I still had normal desires, which I couldn't share with anypony else. I didn't want to, either, but that didn't mean I didn't have needs." She bit her lip. "Is that weird to hear?"

"Not at all," Ace assured her. "It would be...well, not weird, but it wouldn't be typical if you didn't have sexual thoughts and desires. Everypony does. You're a pony just like the rest of us, so of course you have needs and wants. Why would that be weird?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just never felt comfortable addressing it. Other mares would openly talk about stallions they liked, or I'd hear whispers about their interests, but I never took it seriously. It was all just a distraction to me. When I came to Ponyville to study friendship, I noticed just how often mares talked about private things like that, and I couldn't join in, either! It's been a nightmare to try and avoid!" She groaned, running a hoof down her face. "You're the first pony I feel I can trust to explain why I'm so jumpy around this subject."

"I'm flattered," he told her. "You sound rather repressed, if you don't mind me saying. I don't mean that as a jab, I mean you sound like you carry a lot of tension with you."

"I do. From what I can tell, all of my friends have had somepony in their life before, except maybe Fluttershy. I had my first sleepover with Rarity and Applejack, and when it came to sharing stories about boys we liked, I had nothing! They didn't make fun of me - Rarity was very sympathetic, actually - but I realised just how out of my depth I was. Rarity spent minutes talking about her first kiss, and I just assumed that was her usual theatrics, but even Applejack recounted her own first experience. I had nothing."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't need to have been intimate with somepony to have value."

"I know that, but...it's not that I don't want to anymore. I used to not want to, but now I've experienced friendship, I realised I've been shutting myself off to the world for no real reason. I used to think friendship was a waste of time, and that friends were annoying distractions. Now I know that friendship is magical, that it makes life worth living, and that it's one of the simplest and most important joys we can ever experience. I never had to force myself to avoid friendship, but I had to find a way to deal with my other desires, and here I am, explaining this like a filly to somepony because I don't know what to do."

"Okay, you sound really repressed. If you don't mind me asking, how strong are your desires?" There was a significant pause, and Twilight mumbled something while looking down. "Sorry?"

"Very," she muttered, her words just audible to the pegasus. Her face was glowing again.

"On a scale of 1-10, would you say-"

"10."

"Oh." There was another lengthy pause. "So, um, how do you deal with this, if you can't approach another pony?" It wasn't a real question, given what she'd already told him, but Ace needed to get her to talk freely if he wanted to make progress. Forcing her to answer would just make her more reluctant.

"I...I have some...toys."

"Do you use them often?"

"Every day." She bit her lip. "You've said you'd listen, so can I be really, really open with you? I need to get some things of my chest, and I've never ever told anypony about this before." She swallowed. "Please Pinkie Promise you'll keep this to yourself and not laugh or find me weird."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly," Ace recited, performing the gestures. "Stick a cupcake in my eye. I won't laugh or be weirded out by you, Twilight. Your secret is safe with me. I promise." She looked relieved, taking a second to peek her head down the staircase towards the entrance. He saw her horn ignite, and heard the front door to the library lock. When she returned to the chair, she looked like she was ready to explode from whatever she was ready to reveal.

"I...I...I have a problem!" Her words were shouted in a hushed exclamation, her eyes wide. "I masturbate at least once every night, and once in the morning! Sometimes I drape a blanket over me when I'm reading so I can play with myself without alerting Spike! When I lived in Canterlot, I spent seven hundred bits on a collection of masturbatory aids!" She slumped in her chair. "Is there something wrong with me? I've read everything I can on excessive libido, and the medical texts say I'm well above what any normal mare should experience! I don't want to believe it, but it's just so...ugh!" She thumped the armrest with a hoof. "I'm tired of being so weird!"

"You are not weird," Ace asserted. "You're a mare with needs. I know you feel like you're different, but different isn't bad. Isn't that what you told me when we first met? That everypony has their strengths? We couldn't be unique and useful if we were all exactly the same, could we?"

"Well, no, but that doesn't mean-"

"If you've got an overactive sex drive, that's fine. Besides, I think you're just experiencing..." He hummed, trying to find a right word. "...buildup. You've not experienced intimacy with other ponies in your life, and that's resulted in your urges growing and growing, like steam in a pipe. Maybe you're not a nymphomaniac; maybe you're just repressed, and all you need is to-" He mimicked turning a pressure valve, voicing the squeaks and the hiss of the release. Twilight watched on glumly, though his words seemed to stir something in her.

"That makes sense, but how?" she asked. "I don't know the first thing about approaching stallions, and I don't want to just ask some random stallion for a roll in the hay. What if I come across as weird? What if all of Ponyville finds out I'm an awkward virign bookworm?" She began to fret again, chewing her lower lip with panic-stricken eyes. "It needs to be somepony I trust, but I don't want to ask a friend and ruin our relationship, and that leaves me with nopony!" She slumped onto her forehooves, groaning in distress.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Ace asked her. She looked up at him, a dejected expression cast on her features. "Why would asking a friend ruin your relationship?"

"Because friends don't just sleep with each other!"

"Don't they?" There was a momentary pause as Twilight considered that, unable to rebut his question with any certainty.

"Well, no friends I know ever have, other than friendships which have evolved into romantic relationships, and I don't see any of my friends that way."

"There are plenty of friends who have sexual relationships."

"Really?" She tilted her head. "How? Why?"

"Desire. You said yourself that you've got some very strong needs, and that other ponies have had experiences you haven't. What if two friends both wanted to let off some steam? There's nothing wrong with two adult ponies having some consensual adult fun."

"When you say it like that..." The unicorn looked hopeful for a moment, then her face fell again. "None of my close friends are stallions."

"You aren't interested in mares at all?" His question received a prompt shake of the head. "Well, I'll take the news that I'm not a close friend on the chin." She looked up at him and blinked.

"You?"

"Yeah. I'm a stallion, just in case you've missed that throughout our book club sessions."

"I know, I'm just...well, you're a friend, but you're not...we're..." She trailed off, unable to formulate her thoughts. "I...I suppose you are a stallion friend of mine. I haven't thought of that."

"Still taking it on the chin, don't worry."

"Sorry," she laughed. "I just never thought of...well, I didn't consider you to be somepony I could see other than as a friend. Not that you aren't attractive, or anything, it's just that my friends are closely knit, and I've only thought of being able to trust them with my thoughts about this. Except, I never have. And I did entrust my private thoughts to you." She fell silent, the realisation hitting her.

"Do I seem like a suitable candidate to your problem?"

"You?" The mare opened her mouth, then closed it, opened it again, and finally posited, "Would it be weird? I trust you, if our talk just now has proved anything, but...are we close enough? Are we too close? Is it weird either way? I don't want to make it weird between us."

"I've already told you, I don't think you're weird," Ace assured her. "If you want me to help you, I won't find that weird. If you feel uncomfortable, and don't want this, then that's fine as well. I won't force anything. Whatever you choose, we'll still be friends, and I won't think you're weird."

"Okay." She smiled, her face brighter and her expression fuller than it had been since they'd started their little talk. "Then yes. I very much would like to expand our friendship." She rubbed the back of her head anxiously. "Can you help me plan it? I'm really not experienced with it at all."

"Of course," he replied, her request bringing a smile to his lips. Of all the things she could've asked, that was somehow the most Twilight thing she could've said, and also incredibly adorable. "Communication is key for a good relationship, be it friendship or more than just friendship. Let's start with the basics, then; what do you want me to do with you?"

The purple unicorn sat up straighter, ready to reel off a list...and then stopped, a confused frown crossing her face. "I want to...have...sex?" She smiled sheepishly at him, underprepared for the question.

"Well, yes, I imagine so. But what things do you want to do? Do you have any particular kinks or fetishes you want me to indulge?"

"I think I do. Actually, I know I do, but I'm not sure how normal they are."

"Go ahead. I won't judge."

She hesitated. "Could you start? Please?"

Everything the unicorn said was cute, the pegasus noted. Her demeanour and her little mannerisms, the way she tried to engage, only to pull away at the last second, anxiety halting her efforts. She was a heartthrob, and he gladly acquiesced to her plea.

"Personally, I'm fond of power dynamics," he informed her. "I'm regularly a dominant, so I love having mares or stallions submit to me, and having them service me. Related to that, I enjoy tying up my partners or binding them. Having a partner give themselves over to me is a massive turn-on, because they're investing all of their trust in me and I get to exercise power over them, which is a wonderful thrill. Other than that, I just enjoy really getting into it - having them service me willfully or begging me to service them." Having finished, he lifted a hoof towards her. "How was that? Feel more confident about telling me what you want now?"

"A lot more confident," she confessed. "Hearing you say that has really put my own wants in perspective. I knew that some ponies enjoyed the sorts of things I want to do, but I never knew how many, or if it was normal at all." Taking a breath, she steeled herself, pushed a smile onto her muzzle, and looked Ace in the eye. "I like the idea of being tended to. I really enjoy the thought of a strong stallion holding me close, carefully, um, loving me, and telling me what to do. I want to be directed. I've got a fantasy of someone rugged and gruff holding me down and roughly...rutting me." She stumbled a little, her nerves clearly returning more strongly as she delved into her own desires. The pegasus was patient, allowing her time to express her wishes. "But I imagine him being completely infatuated with me, wanting me because he thinks I'm beautiful and intelligent, and while he's roughly...well, I want him to tell me that he loves me, and that I'm the prettiest mare he's ever seen."

"That's incredibly hot," Ace commented. "And cute."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes the idea." She looked more relaxed, and while her face was practically dyed red, her expression was lighter than when she'd first confided in him.

"You'll find ponies have a lot of common interests, if you can get over your fear of being seen as odd," Ace told her. "For instance, I like girls who aren't afraid to tell me what they want." His words made her smile, a hint of lust playing across her expression.

"If that's how it is, you might like to know I've also fantasised about being tied up. There's something about a male keeping my legs apart so he can do whatever he wants that just gets me going. I want to feel like he has complete control over me, even while telling me how much he adores me. Maybe a blindfold too, or a gag."

"Kinky mare," Ace teased. "Who would've thought that the innocent librarian was harbouring such intentions?"

"You can hardly talk," she shot back, smirking at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you came here specifically to seduce me."

"I seduced you, did I?" the pegasus asked, wiggling his eyebrows as her. She nibbled her lip and averted her eyes tellingly. "All I thought I did was suggest that you talk about your wants and needs."

"You asked about my private life," she reminded him. "And encouraged me to let you help."

"Ah, yes, that I did."

"Yes, you did."

"Should I stop?"

"What? No, no, not at all!" She looked worried for a moment, before his grin made his teasing clear. "Oh, ha ha, very funny. It's not nice to toy with a mare like that."

"You love it." His words and the wink that accompanied it flustered her just a bit, if her expression was anything to go by. "Anyway, you were telling me about your likes. You mentioned having a fantasy about being doted upon by a rough lover. Do you want to try some roleplay?"

"I don't think so," she replied, giving it some thought. "Maybe one day, but for my first time, I don't want to associate the experience with somepony I'm not. I want it to be genuine. I know it's narcissistic to ask, but could you only say things you really mean?"

"That's not narcissistic at all. And yes, I'll only tell you the truth when I compliment you." Casting his mind over everything they'd talked about, the stallion determined that they'd gone through everything. "How about you write down a list of everything you want to try, and I'll make sure to keep it in mind. Does that sound good?"

Twilight nodded fervently and levitated over a quill and scroll, the scratching telegraphing her rapid scribbling as she jotted down her interests like an inventory for him to mull over. Minutes passed, the mare eyeing up her writing before passing the paper over to the stallion. She was a lot more confident, happily taking to the task now that she'd gotten over her fear, which was always a good sign. Taking the scroll, he looked over what she'd written. Most of it was what they'd discussed, but she'd taken the time to add some more details.

Must: Condoms, safety bell, safeword, sincerity, aftercare.
Want: Bondage, tying, gag, blindfold, cunnilingus, fellatio, soft kissing, caresses, cuddles, affectionate words.
Maybe: Light spanking, tail pulling, fellatio after vaginal penetration, teasing, begging.
Avoid: Serious pain, injury, harsh words (bitch, whore, etc.), non-consensual play, whips or paddles.

"You're thorough," he noted. "Well done. I'm glad to see you've thought about this."

"I've had a lot of time alone with my desires and I've read enough trashy novels," she told him, giggling. "I want to use 'red' as my safeword to stop, 'yellow' to slow down, 'green' to go faster or harder."

"I will make sure to oblige you on that," the stallion confirmed, rolling up the scroll and stowing it away in the bags he'd brought with him, which had originally contained a book. Now he'd be using it to carry home another, very different, type of writing. What an interesting way life turned out. "All we need to do is figure out when we want to do this. Judging from what you've written, you'll want a few hours to properly enjoy what we're going to do, and I imagine you'll want us to be alone."

"I'll need to send Spike away," she confirmed. "The end of next weekend, he'll be out after lunch until dinner, which gives us several hours to..." She stopped talking and looked down, nibbling her lip again. "Wow, we're really doing this, aren't we?"

"We are," Ace answered with a grin. "If you want to, of course. You can reconsider at any time." She shook her head emphatically, and he laughed. "Then yes, we're doing this. Next weekend. I'll be over at midday for some 'reading', and we can say goodbye to Spike together. Does that sound good?"

"It sounds perfect." She beamed at him, sighing in contentment. A few seconds later, she giggled, lifting a hoof to her mouth to try and stem the flow. "Sorry, it's just so surreal to be planning something like this. I never imagined losing my virginity would involve so much planning." Ace chuckled along with her, sharing in her amusment until they'd both worn off their excess excitement at the situation. They enjoyed the silence, relaxing in its passivity, ocassionally sending smiles in each other's direction.

"Twilight."

"Yes?"

"If we're going to be getting very intimate in a week, maybe I should introduce you to the more basic parts of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Twilight Sparkle, that I am going to kiss you." He looked her dead in the eye, smirking with a confident, considerate warmth. "Would you like that?"

A gulp. "Yes. Yes I would." She let out a breath, then stood up. "No, wait, just give me a minute." The unicorn paced back and forth a few times, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly. "Sorry, nerves. Lots of energy." Coming to a stop, she turned to face him again, licking her lips. "Okay, now I'm ready."

The pegasus stood up from his armchair, slowly pacing his way towards the unicorn, who he noticed was trembling just slightly. Smiling kindly, he extended a wing, brushing it along her side, the feathers gliding against her coat in a gentle gesture. She shuddered, this time from the stimulation, a shiver visibly running through her from his point of contact, and she locked eyes with him, her silent plea shimmering in those gorgeous violet eyes. Extending his other wing, he carefully cupped her chin as he lowered his muzzle down to hers, gradually, carefully, painstakingly inching his way closer and closer.

Their lips brushed, a soft, momentary touch, and then again. Ace moved smoothly, embracing her lips with his own, her softness contrasted only by the tad of dryness, which he remedied with a pass of the tip of his tongue. He kept his breathing deep and slow, focusing on caressing her with his lips, adding a dash of tongue only where it felt tasteful, letting her grow used to the ebb and flow of their sensuous dance. She pressed into him, wanting more, and he indulged, tilting moderately to give himself more room to approach her, encapsulating more and more of her as they deepend their embrace.

They hadn't gone very far before he broke it off, the stallion sweeping his tongue across the back of her teeth, but it had been deep and intimate, and the mare was breathless when he pulled back. Smiling, he kept his eyes closed to savour the sensation and to allow Twilight to see him so visibly content. She hadn't been the best kiss he'd ever had, but she didn't need to be; she was pure and innocent, comparatively, and the kiss was all the sweeter for it. Opening his eyes, he found her looking at him, breathing more rapidly than he was, her face aglow and her mouth parted.

"How was that?" he murmured, his voice a deep whisper. Swallowing, the mare nodded.

"Amazing," she uttered. "I can't wait for you to show me more." He smirked, pecking her forehead before standing up and stretching. Picking up his bag, he headed down the stairs towards the main door.

"Could you let me out?" he called up the stairs, hearing the hum of magic and the click of a lock a second later. "Thanks."

"You're welcome!" she called out, trotting after him. "And thank you, for everything. You're a good friend, and a very handsome stallion."

"And you, Twilight Sparkle, are a gorgeous mare, a beautiful pony, a supremely intelligent unicorn, and an absolute cutie." Of all the things that he'd said that day, that was the one which made her knees shake, and her eyes gleamed with pride. "I'll see you over the weekend." With a final wink, he opened the door and strode out, hearing it close behind him quite firmly, which brought a grin to his muzzle. She was going to be flicking the bean to him in a couple of minutes, and she was going to be thinking of him all week. 

He grinned harder, patting himself on the back for his own spectacular work, and for surpassing Celestia's expectations of him, as he headed to the market to make some very particular purchases.
> Afternoon date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The three raps against the door were unnecessary since it was a public library, but Ace felt like a guest invited to a home, and so treated the location as such. To his momentary surprise, the door opened inwards almost immediately, and he was greeted by an exuberent, beaming purple unicorn. She must've been waiting intently for him to arrive. Her eyes darted to his bulky saddlebags, lighting up at the sight of them sagging heavily.

"Come in," she ushered, stepping back to give him room to enter. He obliged, walking into the great tree that housed the town's library, taking in the familiar comfort of its welcoming interior. A clunk behind him informed him that the purple pony had closed the door, and she soon trotted past him to a couch by one of the walls. He raised an eyebrow. That was new. "Would you like tea? Coffee?"

"Tea," he answered, plonking his rump down on the couch and wiggling to get comfy. It was well-cushioned, and very comfortable, moreso than the usual array of chairs and blankets she kept around for guests and friends. "Milk, no sugar, if you can?" She nodded at his request, and levitated in a teapot and two cups on saucers, along with a small jug of milk, prompting a series of blinks from the stallion. "You already made the tea?"

"I made both, just in case," she confessed, smiling sheepishly at him as she daintily poured the tea, followed by a dash of milk to fill it to a perfect height, neither too full nor too empty. He had to give her credit; her execution was flawless.

"So there's a pot of coffee just sitting in the next room?" he inquired, accepting his saucer. She cast a quick glance in the direction of the door and umm'd.

"We can have coffee later," she answered at last. "There's no rush to be anywhere." In spite of her words, her undisciplined gaze at his saddlebags gave away her actual thoughts. The pegasus noticed, but kept his smirk to himself as he picked up his cup and sipped softly.

"Maybe," he agreed, noncommitally. "But first, we have this tea." He tried to channel Celestia's aura, revisiting the memory of her graceful mannerisms and attempting to replicate her collected demeanour. Even though he'd only had a few encounters with the majestic alicorn, these seemed to be paying dividends.

"Do you have everything?" Twilight asked, the underlying anxiety motivating the question bleeding into her otherwise composed tone. "Everything you need, that is, since you know what you're doing."

"I do," the stallion confirmed. "What book are you reading currently? Something new?"

The shift in topic caught the unicorn off-guard, and she paused as her mind attempted to switch gears. Ace waited patiently. Getting her in a comfortable frame of mind, something familiar, was very important, and he couldn't rush that.

"I'm in between books at the moment," the mare answered at last. "I've started going over the Daring Do series from the beginning, but I'm also perusing a journal covering astronomy and cosmological studies. Ever since last session, when I finished The Universal Trilogy, I wondered how much we could verify about conditions on other celestial bodies, including life, so I've tried looking into it. I haven't come up with anything that suggests life, just yet, but it's not quite as ridiculous as I would've once thought." The familiar topic made her smile, and it took a few seconds after she'd finished to remember what she'd asked before. "Actually, I looked into it because it distracted me from today..." Her visage shifted slightly, gradually becoming more inquisitive.

"It's certainly a productive disctraction," Ace commented, refilling his cup from the pot. Adding milk and stirring, he continued, "In fact, I think that if we do discover life beyond this planet, it'll be you we'll have to thank for it. You'll put your stamp on Equestrian civilisation for sure."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Twilight rebuffed, chuckling demurely and flashing a humble smile at him. "I'm just a librarian in Ponyville, not a top-notch researcher at an esteemed institution."

"Of course, just a librarian. Well, a prodigal unicorn scholar who happens to have been taken as the personal student of Princess Celestia and who attended Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot, who has saved the world from the dark conquest of a mysterious and pernicious malevolent entity that corrupted an alicorn, saved said alicorn from a terrible curse and reintroduced her to Equestrian society after a millenium, saved the entire world from a scourge of eternal chaos, who presides as one of the most elusive and potent bearers of magic known to Ponykind; and who on top of that pursues studies pertaining to magical advancement." He paused to let his words sink in, a smirk tugging at his muzzle. "Yeah, a total nobody."

"You're really exaggerating."

"You're right, I must be lying about the stain glass windows erected in the Royal Castle in the capital city of Equestria detailing both events, and having attended the ceremony where the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony were celebrated for their services to the kingdom. And the ponies who speak highly of you must be lying about your achievements and personality, the latter of which I can personally verify. In fact, I can verify the petrification of the draconequus too, so that's another of your achievements that-"

"Okay, okay," she interrupted, flushing. "I've helped Equestria a few times."

"And you're very smart."

"Okay, that too. Can you stop elevating me to a state of heroism now?"

"Well, it is the truth, so..." He let out a laugh at her embarrassed pout. "Okay, I'll stop rubbing it in your face. But you're a heroine and an amazing mare, Twilight Sparkle, and I'm not going to stop believing that." She didn't say anything, and the stallion continued his casual tea-sipping.

"Your vocabulary is improving," she muttered at last. "Have you been using the dictionary I gave you?"

"Maybe," he answered. "And I might've been reading the beastiary you recommended."

"It shows." She smiled again.

Ace would've thanked her for her observation, but the soft sound of footsteps coming down the stairs drew his attention, and he glanced up to see a pint-sized purple dragon plodding down the stairs, an equally small backpack strapped just off-centre to avoid his spines.

"Yo, Spike," the pegasus greeted, grinning at the young male. The dragon looked over and waved, smiling warmly.

"Hi, Ace," he responded in his chipper, youthful tone, his eyes flicking to the couch. "Did you bring the couch with you?"

"Me?" Ace asked. "No? I don't have a way of moving it around. This is a two pony job, at least." The two of them glanced over at Twilight, whose cheeks burned under the gaze of the two males.

"It was a good time to redecorate," she tried to explain, her stoic tone undermined by her visible embarrassment. "We needed it to seat guests, and I thought with Ace visiting, this would be an opportune time to add proper seating."

"One sofa?" Spike questioned, quirking an eyebrow. "This morning?"

"We needed to start somewhere."

"You normally ask me to help with any chores that need to be done around here."

"I didn't need help today. Aren't you going to be late?" There was barely a pause between the two sentences, and the dragon took the obvious hint, readjusting his straps and waving a goodbye to the two ponies, glancing back as he closed the door on his way out.

He may have been a baby dragon, but Ace knew even he would've picked up on something going on between him and Twilight. In all likelihood, he'd be wondering if it was a close friendship, or maybe something romantic, judging from the small boy's infatuation with Rarity. Turning away from the door, he resumed drinking his tea, allowing a silence to develop save for the few noises that made it in from outside and his own supping and swallowing. Next to him, he could feel Twilight's eyes on him, and fought back the urge to smirk knowingly.

"So..." A minute had passed by, and the unicorn's voice finally penetrated the comfortable trance the room had fallen into. "We're alone..." She sounded unsure, nervous even as she tried to add a soft suggestiveness to her tone. She'd probably picked that up from Rarity's more amorous novels. He could still hear her hesitation and the dryness in her throat.

"Yes, we are." A sip. "A good time for quiet contemplation in the company of aromatic beverages and intelligent ponies." The next sip finished off his cup, and he smacked his lips. "This really is good tea. You'll have to let me know where you buy it from."

"Well...we could do...other th...things." Her words failed her at the last second, and she had to repeat herself.

"We will," he assured her, refilling his cup. "But first, the tea. You spent time and effort making this, and I won't see it go to waste." Having poured his own tea, he reached over to the unicorn's cup and tipped the remainder of the pot into hers. Finally looking over to her, he was greeted by a blank stare, uncertainty creasing her features. "Drink. You sound nervous, and it'll calm your nerves."

Letting out a soft breath, she acquiesced, taking a sizable gulp of her tea and letting out another breath. The stallion allowed her time to collect herself.

"You know, I remember my first kiss," he started. She glanced at him curiously, but he continued unabated. "I was nervous, and giddy, and I thought it was going to be this amazing, spectacular moment where everything would change. I thought about it for years before it happened, and when it came to it, I was anxious. I wondered if she'd have bad breath, or if it'd taste disgusting, or if I'd be awful at it. In the end, we took the plunge, and it wasn't any of those things." He paused, and chuckled lightly. "Well, it was awful. Not 'awful' in the sense that I hated it, or that it was especially dreadful, but rather unskilled. It was good, but looking back on it, we were clearly not very good at actually doing it.

"But aside from that, it was fine; it didn't taste bad, it didn't smell bad, I didn't, I dunno, bite off her tongue or anything. We just rubbed lips together and awkwardly tried to figure out what we were supposed to do with our tongues, and when we were meant to breathe. I smiled about it for days afterwards, but nothing particularly magical happened in terms of my maturity. I still remember it fondly to this day, though, and if I close my eyes and think back, I can still remember the stillness of the air, the warmth of the sun, and the grass beneath my hooves." He leaned back a little, and locked eyes with the mare. "Describe your first kiss."

"You were there," Twilight reminded him, tilting her head in confusion.

"Humour me."

Looking unconvinced, the purple mare took a few seconds to think. "We were upstairs in this library, sitting in armchairs, and I was opening up to you about my feelings. I'd just finished reading The Universal Trilogy, and the smell of paper was still fresh in the air. It was warm, a perfect temperature that made it comfortable to read outside, and you'd managed to corner me on an issue I'd never opened up to another pony before. You asked to kiss me, and I became really nervous." She looked beyond Ace. "The wood felt...softer, I think. Like I wasn't picking it up. Like when you wake up with pins and needles, and you can't properly feel anything you touch, but you know what it is you're touching. And then we kissed." She paused again, a slight smile tugging at her muzzle. "You were so soft and confident. You took charge, and I just went with it. It felt natural." Now she was smiling brightly.

"See?" Ace asked, grinning.

"I think so," she said.

"Your nerves were really kicking into high gear back then, but now all you can think about is how much you enjoyed that it happened."

"Yes."

"But it's not like it was the best kiss you'll ever have, and you know that." She nodded, looking visibly more relaxed. "Well, then, you know I'm telling the truth about first kisses. You can relate to it now. And now that you know that, believe me when I say first times are the same for just about everything." He sipped his tea again. "You'll look back on today with nothing but positivity, and there's genuinely no need to be nervous. So drink your tea, take deep breaths, and think of me as a friend, not an imposing figure."

That worked. He could see it immediately in her posture, her expression, and the gentle little mouthfuls she supped down. She'd stopped looking tense, and looked far more limber and calm. In fact, now that he looked properly, she looked sleek and glossy, almost. Her mane looked fresh and combed, and her tail too. Breathing in as quietly as he could, he thought he could smell a flowery fragrance that wasn't 'not Twilight', but was certainly more pronounced. She'd really gone out of her way to prepare for him, the pegasus realised, and he had to raise hs cup to his muzzle to hide the grin he couldn't suppress.

"How was your first time?" she asked, her tone lacking that underlying tension which it had had previously.

"Are you asking to push us along, or out of curiosity?" Ace queried.

"As a friend," she replied. "You mentioned your first kiss, but given what we're going to be doing, I would've thought that recounting your first, ahem, time would've been more relevant."

"I mentioned my first kiss because I knew you also had that experience, and could relate," he informed her. "But my first time was fine. I enjoyed it." He adjusted himself on the sofa, thinking back. "Same experience as my first kiss; I was nervous, anxious about how it would feel, what would happen, and thought it would change my life forever. Instead, it was good and I'm fond of it as a memory and an experience." He grinned. "Most of the time was spent trying to get her to finish. I took ages to get it up, and then had performance anxiety, and managed to get her to have her fun. I was so proud of that. Then we went to sleep, and the next morning, we went again, and I, uh, finished in about two minutes, before she'd really gotten into it."

"Was it good?"

"It was mediocre, realistically. I had fun, but I've definitely improved since then. Doesn't mean I didn't strut around like I'd just won the lottery, though." She giggled, and he joined in, laughing at the cartoonish image of his younger self. "You're lucky; you get me at the peak of my skill and talent."

"Cocky."

"Cocky, ballsy, and spunky," he commented, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She snickered, covering her muzzle with her hoof.

"You're so immature."

"Yep, and you love it."

The mare's giggles petered off into a soft hum of approval, her eyes lidding just a little. "Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to kiss you."

"That makes sense."

"So can I?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Ask nicely."

The purple mare couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. "Can I please kiss you, you devilish, handsome, amazing stallion? Please will you let me?"

Ace swilled his cup and tipped it up, emptying the contents into his mouth and placing the cup back down on its saucer. Looking Twilight in the eye, he nodded, a smirk tilting his lips upward. The mare immediately scooted over to him, slowing as she approached, and inched her head closer to his. He could see that her body was saturated with a ready energy, her cautious movements brimming with eager anticipation. When he felt her breath against his muzzle, the stallion leaned in, cradled the back of her head with a hoof, and closed the rest of the gap between them.

Their lips danced softly, Ace's barely moving while the unicorn touched at him, revelling in the feel of him against her. Tracing his free hoof up her chest and stroking her jawline, he made sure their lips were truly locked together, and, angling them so he was kissing downwards, let the connection deepen. He felt her balk in surprise at the realisation he still had the last of his tea in his mouth, and tenderly pressed on, guiding their waltz while gauging her receptiveness to his plan. She didn't try to pull away as the hot liquid lapped at her lip, and he reduced his suction, letting it dribble over her tongue. The mare shifted, but didn't stop him, and so he used his tongue to direct the rest of the fluid into her mouth, transferring his mouthful to her, and holding her chin with his hoof as he ended the kiss and pulled back.

"Swallow." The order was delivered firmly, his voice low and quiet, staring her in the eyes with his hoof keeping her lower jaw shut. Her lips were pulled inwards, and her cheeks were bulging just that little bit to indicate she was holding something. She looked at him for a few seconds, her eyes having widened in momentary confusion, before she tilted her head back just slightly and her throat contracted, the gulp audible to him from the narrow distance between them. Looking back at him, she smiled nervously, awkward excitement spreading over her face. "Good girl."

The unicorn wasn't slow or considered after that, kissing him needily, her breaths sharp and almost whiny. She pushed into him, her lips clashing against his, her teeth catching his lower lip and dragging it with her until she let go, wanting something more from their encounter. The stallion met her need in equal measure, ensnaring her in deep kisses and stealing away her breath, and when she pulled away, he smooched along her neck and jaw, pulling gasps and coos from her. He'd been right about smelling her; her coat teamed with a fruity, floral scent, the sharp sweetness tickling his nostrils as they moved.

"Upstairs," he spoke up at last, pulling back. "Get your pretty purple butt up to your room right now." She leapt from the couch immediately, trotting towards the spiral stairs and casting a glance over her shoulder. He followed, assuring her with his presence, his gaze chasing her as she ascended. Her tail remained neatly placed, laying over her hindquarters as she walked, the obstruction only making him more determined to see what rested beneath. He didn't let her leave his sight, taking the steps two at a time, the weight of his bags nearly forgotten as he headed up to the second floor of the library, and up the second flight of stairs to her room.

"Okay, I'm in my room," the unicorn sing-songed, her muzzle stretched into a knowing, mischievous smile. "Now what?" She looked giddy, and the stallion felt her infectious excitement spread to him as he loosened the straps on his saddlebags and wiggled them off his back.

"That depends on what you want," the pegasus informed her, dropping the bags next to the bed. "I was thinking we should make more use of your mouth..." He grinned at her as he climbed onto the bed, sitting on his hindquarters with his rear legs spread, exposing his crotch to her. "...somewhere you haven't tried before." Planting his forehooves behind him, Ace leaned back, keeping himself upright for both their viewing pleasure.

The purple pony stared, transfixed, at his groin, the novel sight of a presenting male hypnotic to her. His nads drooped low in his sack, easily the size of a ripened apple apiece, and above, the tip of his shaft peeped out from their earlier foreplay. Compared to the colour of his coat, his scrotum and sheath stood out, darker against the grey fur that covered the rest of him. Slowly, she skulked towards him like a cat towards its prey, her eyes fixated on the parts between his legs that, he knew, she'd been drawn towards for at least the last week. As she approached, she slowed, reaching forward with her neck, but staying back far enough to not be committed to her perversion. Instead, she examined him, her gaze raking over his orbs and his pelvis, eyeing up his pocket and the emerging anatomy it contained.

"Don't be shy," he encouraged, his rumbling tone rolling softly over to her. "I know you're curious. You can touch." She swallowed, and inched closer, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed cautiously, a calm falling over her face as his musk hit her. He smirked as her expression morphed from anxious apprehension to serene contentment, realising not only that she liked what she smelled, but that she longed for it, and that she'd always long for it, every second she couldn't have him.

Her expression only became dreamier as she edged closer, closing her eyes to focus on his scent, breathing him in and savouring the hit like it was a rare, exotic fragrance. He'd seen mares less enthralled when they'd came across a perfume they simply had to buy; the unicorn practically drank in his thick, heady aroma, inhaling long and deep to fill her lungs to capacity.

When Twilight came into contact with his sack, she didn't kiss and lick at his prominent nuts like he'd expected. There were a few light pecks and half-hearted smooches, but for the most part, her lips remained parted just slightly as she dragged herself across his coin purse. Her muzzle grazed at his skin, the mare turning her head to rub her cheeks against his gems like she was trying to touch him - to feel him - with every part of her. She bathed in his masculinity, brushing against him from every angle as though to utterly mark herself with his smell.

She was an incorrigable, irreprable, insastiable cockslut, Ace realised. She was already cumbrained, and that was just a result of her seeing a pair of fat nuts. Her obvious obsession with his junk did as much to arouse him as her playing, his shaft hardening swiftly and rising up his belly, throbbing in time with his powerful heartbeat. He wasn't sure if she noticed with how taken she was by his twins; her muzzle made its way under his sack, her nose pressing as far back as she could to breathe the musk from its source, his nuts nearly covering her eyes.

The hot, slow gust against his taint made the stallion's eyes flutter, and he wondered for a moment if the unicorn was about to become very adventurous on her first time, but she didn't move. Her nose remained buried in his crotch, her exhalations continuing to brush at his strip as she let the weight and odour of his stones assail her. She'd gone from toying with him like a cat with catnip to soaking in his pervasive masculine charm, the closeness of her nose to his skin stimulating him whenever she breathed in or out, and coaxing a dribble of pre from his staff.

"Happy down there?" he asked, receiving a muffled, dreamy 'mm-hmm' that vibrated through his groin. "Why don't you try using your tongue?" There was a brief pause before he felt the tiniest of flicks, tepid traces by the tip of her tongue which gradually grew more bold. She swiped under his orbs, one after the other, cupping them on the surface of her muscle before she grew impatient and returned to lapping needily. He made sure to let out sighs and murmurs to encourage her, rewarding her daring with little pleasured sounds and being rewarded in turn by ever more exploratory slurping.

To his delight, he didn't even have to prompt her to run her tongue all the way up his scrotum; she dragged her surface between his nuts until she met fur, stopping to nuzzle against the softness and breathe in the concentrated musk that had saturated the hairs. She murmured as he stroked her mane approvingly, though when she tried to look up at him, she was met with the monumental piece he was weilding, her upcast eyes widening at first in surprise, and then in eager need. Even with her tongue still snaking lazily over and around his apples, her reaction was what made him grin, his stallionhood bobbing towards him with the carnal pride of knowing how much she wanted him.

"How do I taste?" he asked, stroking her head affectionately. The mare licked her lips, smiling in a way that still exuded coyness, in spite of how ecstatic she looked.

"Delicious," she answered. "It's like an aftertaste more than anything, but I just can't get enough. You smell so good, too. It's so thick, and heavy, and..." She breathed in again, closing her eyes as she sighed and smiled. "It's everything."

"Sounds like you can't get enough of me," he teased. "Maybe you need more of me to satisfy your hunger, little pony." With a dip and swivel of his hips, he brushed his ballsack against her chin, tipping her head towards his monolith. "Want to taste real stallion meat?"

If she cared about his heavy-handed suggestion, she didn't show it. The same dreamy expression that had fallen over her when she'd smelled him for the first time returned, and she continued her upwards voyage with her tongue, braving his sheath to get to the treasure he was offering her. Ace didn't need to exaggerate his husky sigh as she made contact, the wet, light glide up his underside igniting his nerves and leaving a wonderfully hot trail that tingled in her wake. She kept going, passing his medial ring and letting herself tip over his glans, tongue still lolling from her mouth in the curve it had formed to fit his shape. The descent down his pride wasn't as pleasurable, the back of her tongue failing to have quite the same effect, or be as flexible, but she more than made up for it with her return upwards.

She treated his pole like a popsicle, letting her tongue curl around the surface and swipe wherever her fancy took her, careful to collect all the flavour and indulge her own wants and curiosity. Like working with an ice lolly, she found herself catching drips on her way round, sweeping up whatever dribbles she came across, and the longer she played, the more there was for her. Before long, she had to pull back to swallow down the watery collection she accrued, unable to keep the entirety of his circumference clean no matter how swiftly she moved to mop up his cockdrool. Beleaguered by the flow, she raised her lips to his glans, noisily sucking down the pre as it pooled on his plateau and lapping up the remnants.

Despite her enthusiasm and her general competence, her attempt to take him into her mouth fell short. He could feel her jaw straining as the purple mare struggled to widen her maw enough to engulf him, her lips passing over his glans with no small amount of effort. He let her try for a bit, the front of her teeth pressing against his sensitive cockhead for a few moments before he eased her back. They could try that another time, and with better preparation.

"That was amazing," he complimented, her eyes glittering as he praised her. "But you've done all the work so far, and this is about you. Would you like to feel as good as you've just made me feel?" She nodded emphatically, her head jerking up and down so fast that her beaming, pearly smile was a blur. "Use your words."

"I'd like that very much," she told him, exictement brimming in her tone. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, ruffling her mane as he gently pushed her aside so he could slide off the bed and drop onto all fours.

"Lay your front half on the bed," he instructed her as he unbuckled and flipped open his saddlebags. "Keep your hindhooves on the floor, and get comfortable." He rummaged through his belongings, his hooves meeting a variety of objects he could identify purely from touch, their dimensions conjuring a complete image in his mind. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for, withdrawing his desired object from among his other paraphernalia. Before he closed the bags, he paused, and pulled out another couple of items. Easier to have them on hoof than to have to take a break to find them, he reasoned.

When he turned back to the bed, the unicorn was positioned as he'd hoped, following his words to the letter; her belly was resting against the bedsheets, her hindlegs keeping her body horizontally even, with good access to her hindquarters. She peaked back at him over her shoulder, her fuzzy purple face flushed red from primal desire and the beginner's nerves in presenting herself for a male.

"Like this?" she asked, trepidation and eagerness swirling in her tone, mixing and clashing as each vied for dominance. "Am I doing it right?"

"Nearly perfect," the pegasus assured her, guiding her legs a little further apart. She shuffled in little steps as he tapped at her cannons. Satisfied with her posture, the stallion gave the bar in his hooves a tug and a twist, extending it with a scrape and locking it with a click, and fastened the bands around Twilight's pasterns, securing the straps tightly enough to hold. "Try to move."

The links clinked and the bar rattled softly, but whichever way the unicorn moved, she didn't have more than a tenth of an inch in wiggle room. She tried again, to no effect.

"I can't." The same emotions circled in her voice, but more sharply.

"Is it uncomfortable? Painful?"

"No."

"Good." He shifted his attention upwards, raising his gaze up her shapely legs to her rounded rear. Leaning in close, he let his muzzle drift through the strands of her tail, deliberately exhaling in long, breathy huffs. She shivered, and even with an obstacle in the way, he could smell just how ready she was.

"What do you think I'm going to do now?"

There wasn't an answer for several seconds, the silence laden with the inexperienced indecision pressing down on her. He passed the time kissing delicately up her leg.

"You're going to give me oral, aren't you?"

"Maybe," he hummed. "Would you like me to?"

"Y-yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes please."

"Tell me exactly what you want from   me."

"I want you to...to pleasure me with your tongue." She paused, hoping that was enough. "To do more? To use your lips and tongue on my vagina. To...um...do oral?" She huffed needily. "Please, give me cunnilingus. I need it. Please."

Ace smirked at her plea, her base desires battling to break out of the constraint of her awkward, nerdy, virginal demeanour. He'd need to amend that.

"I have a better idea," he opined, planting a final firm kiss on one of her buttocks. "How about instead of providing cunnilingus, I tonguefuck your cunt?" A gasp met his ears, and her legs tried to pull together, stopped by the spreader bar. Oh, she liked that! He grinned, and pressed on.

"I don't want to 'please you with my mouth' - I want to take you to heaven and back, leaving your body a thrashing wreck while I take your mind on a spiritual journey to the stars. I don't want to 'give you oral' - I want to eat your pussy until you're screaming my name and drowning me in your girlcum. I don't want to 'lick your vagina' - I want to taste you thick and full, to absolutely reek of your scent so that everypony who walks by knows that I've rocked your world, to explore you so thoroughly that I could draw a map of your twat."

He slapped a hoof against her rump, careful to avoid hurting her. She squeaked in surprise, her backside trembling and gyrating in response to the unannounced impact.

"That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna eat you out until I'm saturated in your love and I can't properly speak, and then I'm gonna fuck you into the bed. I'll probably need to gag you so the town doesn't hear you being split in two by an absolute stud, but I think you'll like that, won't you? I think you'll like me adding new toys with every climax I wring out from you, until you're a boneless puddle who can barely remember how to talk."

When he paused, she was huffing, her breaths hot and heavy. "That's what's gonna happen. Do you want that?"

"Yes!" she breathed, her voice husky.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Eat my pussy!" she cried, trying to thrust herself back. "Shove your face in between my legs and make me cum so hard I forget my own name!"

Ace was glad to hear her submit to her desires; he'd been growing impatient, his own lust burning like an inferno inside him, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could've kept the lapping flames at bay. He brushed aside her tail forcefully, and was hit by the rolling cloud of musk exuding from her nethers, practically slapping him with how thick it was. With the only barrier between him and her crotch removed, the heat that had been trapped radiated outwards, hitting him like the billow from a steam room he'd just opened. Leaning in and extending his tongue, he brought himself to her glistening, needy muff, feeling how dense the air near her was just from proximity.

His first lick was simple and smooth, a broad drag up the cleft of her vulva to touch at as much of her as he could. His tastebuds erupted in bursts of flavour, her rich sourness flooding his tongue with such vividness he instinctively arched his back a little, the intensity passing through him like a happy shrug. Instead of delving into her tunnel, he grazed past the narrowing  of her labia, running his tongue up and down as she'd done to him, though - he hoped - with much more skill begot by his experience.

Her hindlegs may have been bound, but Twilight made use of all the movement she could manage to shove herself into his encroaching muzzle, her gyrations smearing her need across his chin. He couldn't ignore her scent as it was, but with his nose pressed against her vulva, her arousal was inescapable, drifting through his nasal without any effort on his part and permeating his senses. The more time he spent near her, the warmer he felt, and the more he understood her need to be ravaged thoroughly.

The pegasus' tongue wound its way around her gate, trailing her thick, elastic lips with a dedicated precision, mapping her shape and feel to memory while his brain was still partly unclouded with lust. He circled her several times, tasting and teasing the wiggling unicorn with the minimum of actual contact on his part, drinking in her smell and flavour without brushing her sodden flesh. That would come later, but for now, he was focused on exploring her body and letting her feel what it was like to be touched in places other stallions might ignore.

Then he brushed her clit.

He would've said he didn't mean to, but he wasn't entirely sure that he didn't; his mind was hazy, urging him to do more than tread water, and it wasn't like a momentary lapse of restraint wouldn't allow his tongue to dip up and graze the protruding bud. The purple mare gasped loudly, a tremble passing through her that was impossible to ignore, and the stallion mentally shrugged and focused on her bundle, the line already having been crossed. Enclosing her nub in between his lips, he suckled softly, his tongue tip tenderly touching at her sensitive organ.

Twilight's whimpers transformed immediately into gasps and pleas, huffing and whining as he assailed her in ways she'd only ever been able to fantasise about before. She huffed and whinnied, straining against the restraints fruitlessly, trying to push back against him to no avail. He moved with her, his head ducking and weaving in time to her sporadic, impulsive movements, maintaining his seal around her bud and lavishing it with an endless barrage of flicks and swipes. The unicorn's voice rose, climbing and diving in pitch and intensity responsively to his touches and ministrations, her quivering becoming more urgent the more he toyed with her.

The wail came from nowhere, peaking as suddenly as she did and giving him only a few seconds of warning before she convulsed. Her marehood winked, squeezing around nothing as her clit pulsed and throbbed and her rump flailed wildly, marking his muzzle with the fresh juices her orgasm had produced. He slowly pulled back, easing off his stimulation and taking in the sight of her shaking ass and trembling hindlegs from further back, holding her tail aside to keep the view clear. Her bucking slowed, reducing to a few erratic jerks, and her voice lowered to a rugged murmur. Grinning, he let go of her tail and reached over to the small pile of items he'd left in easy reach.

"W-wow," the mare managed at last, her words breathy and interspersed with deep inhales. "That was...so much more intense."

"It hits different when somepony else does it for you, doesn't it?" the pegasus observed, leaning onto the bed next to the mare. She glanced over at him, until he gently directed her head forward with a wing. "Stay still for me, okay? Let me know if it's too tight, or if you want me to stop at any point." Carefully, he lowered the folded cloth over her eyes and wrapped it behind her head, dutifully moving her mane out of the way as he did so, and tied a sturdy knot that would keep it in place but would enable him to loosen it without any difficulty. Giving it a gentle tug to test its suitability, he pulled back. "How is it?"

"It's dark," she informed him, stating the obvious so innocently that he couldn't help but grin. "It's not too tight, it feels secure, and I can't see anything. Is that how it's supposed to work?"

"Exactly how it's supposed to work," Ace assured her. "And how do you feel? Excited?" From the way she wiggled at his comment, he already had the answer to his question.

"Just a little," she lied, her swishing tail and swaying hips conveying just how into it she really was. "What should I be excited for?"

Ace didn't respond, leaving her question in the air as he slunk down the bed, planting teasing kisses along the side of her barrel as he did so, finishing with a peck to her stifle before stepping back into place behind her. She could guess what he was doing by that point, undoubtedly, but he refused to rush, breathing hotly against the inside of her leg and tracing his tongue across her coat, ignoring how dry and rough it was compared to her skin. When he reached her trove, he didn't hesitate to dig in, moving past her lips and reaching inside her.

Twilight cooed as he swiped at her glistening flesh, smoothly gliding from one side to the other without lifting from her surface, following her contours with an eager dedication. The stallion tilted his head to give himself reach, extending his tongue as far as he could into her passage and flitting over the subtle bumps of her walls. He slid his way up to the roof of her cunny where her width was narrowest, gliding vertically between her satin sides, and broadened his tongue to caress the floor of her canal, snaking smoothly down her drenched estuary until his chin was pressed against her clit and he had no more tongue to probe her with. Her cadence jumped as he touched the sensitive parts of her, a clench corresponding to her heightened pitch and soft stuttering as he brushed and wiggled.

Ace pressed down on her butt with a hoof, the silkiness of her coat unable to hide the suppleness of her flesh, providing the ideal amount of squish before he met the muscle underneath. Rubbing in slow circles, he kneaded her cheek attentively, firm enough to feel the shifting details of her body, but soft enough to not distract her from the main attraction that was his  oral ministrations. She moved as much as her restraints would let her, wiggling her behind to brush against his mouth, trying to gain the smallest amounts of additional pleasure she could from him, and for her efforts, the pegasus lifted his hoof a couple of inches and brought it down on her ass. She gasped, her pause giving him time to focus on her delta before she resumed her movements.

Whenever the shifts and gyrations interrupted his access to her folds, the stallion swatted her rump, letting the soft impact steady her so he could return to his task of tasting her. She shivered, a ripple running down her legs and back up in response to his loving discipline, and held still for a few seconds before her twitches returned, and then the pleasure became far too much for her to resist grinding needily against his muzzle, and the pattern would repeat. Soon, even his light spanks proved to be inefficient, his tongue too talented to compel her to control herself; even with his hoof clapping more insistently against her rear, she persisted throughout her shivers and shudders, her back arching even as she followed his tongue's wandering path with her nethers, secretions of her excitement intermittently beading and dribbling over her glazed lips.

Abandoning her rump after several more circling gropes, Ace wound the mare's tail around his hoof, grasping the bunched hair firmly like he had her on a rein or a leash, and pulled her towards him, his mouth seeking out her nub again. He laid into her, letting his lower lip flex against her engorged bundle of nerves while his tongue jabbed between her gate, sweeping aimlessly and insistently over her folds without the lurching reactions of the mare interrupting his pace. Whenever she tried to shift herself, he reminded her where she needed to be, controlling her impulsive jerks and thrusts with an authoritative yank of her tail, the tug on her dock sending just enough of a shock through her to compel her compliance.

He was more prepared for her sudden climax this time, the rapid rise of her tone and the shaking of her hindlegs alerting him to her peak just before it hit. Taking advantage of the fleeting second of preparation, Ace pulled back and gasped in a full lungful of air - inhaling a body-shuddering amount of her dense aroma in the process - before diving back to attack her throbbing, engorged clit. He tongued it furiously, flicking his muscle in a blur over her bean until her squeaks transitioned into a scream that broke into stuttered squeaks again, and splashes struck his muzzle. He flattened his tongue and jerked his head side-to-side, motorboating her gate with a practiced balance of precision and speed, grazing her labial lips with his nose and her bump with his extended tongue. The mare floundered, rolling her hips against his spectacular, welcome assault, grinding urgently against his face with animalistic intensity and need.

Ace let her undulations shudder out, refusing to stop his selfish indulgence. As the purple pony's instinctive rolls and thrusts gave way to spasms and trembles, he curved his tongue into her channel, swiping up the trickles and dribbles she'd produced. Every coo and whimper, every squeak and stutter, every involuntary clench against his intruding organ was his doing, and he consumed the satisfaction that brought him as eagerly as he swallowed down the thin helpings of honey she'd let loose - squeezed out at his behest. It tasted just as sweet as her nectar, too.

"Y-yellow," Twilight called out breathlessly, forcing the word from her dry throat. Ace pulled back, her taste thick in his mouth and her smell pervasive in his nose. Licking his lips, he gathered as much from his drenched fur as he could.

"Too much?" he asked.

"B-br-breathing," she huffed, her inhales heavy and rapid, her body shaking with the effort.

"Slow," he told her, rubbing her hock comfortingly. "Slow and deep." He let his hoof trail over her gaskin and brush against her stifle, easing her into a calmer state.

"Better," she huffed, her voice raspy and her respiration still heavy. It was still an improvement though, and Ace reached for his pile of useful objects, using both hooves to fiddle with a square foil packet. It took a little bit of fiddling, but with a chomp of his teeth, a tear, and some wrangling with his hooves, he managed to remove the latex sheath and roll it awkwardly down his recently neglected pride. He only fumbled a few times, which he dismissed as an acceptable margin of error; the only time he'd used them before was when he was practicing for today, after all.

The other three items he grabbed, he was far more familiar with. The first he managed to slide over both his latex and natural sheath to where his pride joined to his body, adjusting the tightness so it rested snug around his girth. The second and third he slid over the mattress beside his unicorn partner, her ears perking up at the smoothly travelling glide, and she turned towards it futilely.

"Beside you is a bell," the stallion informed her. "Reach out with your magic and ring it." There was a moment of silence before the pitch-shifted buzz signalled that the unicorn was channeling magic through her horn. A second later, a confident ding! rang out, and Ace reached for the bell to move it away. "And again." Once more, Twilight rang the bell, quicker this time, and even quicker when Ace made her do it again. He repeated the test until he knew she wouldn't have any trouble finding it if she needed to. "Do you know when to ring the bell?"

"If I want you to stop?"

"Precisely." His hoof trailed along her croup, caressing her dock softly. With a final soft pat, he reared up slowly, keeping to an easy, steady pace, as much to keep the unicorn calm as to relish what he was doing. His barrel brushed over her back, the stallion spreading his weight between his forehooves and resting enough on the mare to establish his presence, letting her feel him atop her. Her tail flicked reflexively between his legs, whipping harmlessly against his gaskins. Every minute movement she made - every twitch and shuffle and the little rises and falls as she breathed - was a reaction to him, and he focused on those details about her; the way her coat felt against his belly, the way her barrel swelled as she breathed in anticipation of his next move, and the way she let out involuntary nickers, quiet and hushed, at his commanding presence.

His bluntness bumped against her lips, too high to slip into her. Even through the latex barrier, he could feel the heat radiating from her gate, warming him as he remained pressed against her teardrop. Reaching back with a hoof, Ace eased his stiffness down, angling it down towards her entrance. Twilight let out a long, thin breath as he grazed her exposed inner flesh, his crown kissing her waiting, beckoning delta as he nestled into position. She wiggled within the constraints, trying to coax him inside her, and he waited, letting her feel the futility of her attempt, emphasising his power over her.

"Is there something you want?" the pegasus asked, kissing her neck as he spoke. "Something I can do for you?"

"Please stick it in," she whimpered, cooing at the tender trail of kisses towards her ear. "I can't wait any longer!"

"Why not?" he asked, nibbling her ear softly, catching it as it flicked at the brush of his lips. "What happens if I make you wait? Which I absolutely can, if I want."

"Because I need it!" she whined. "Please, I've been waiting all week for this!"

"But you've already finished twice. Isn't that enough?"

"No!"

"It's not enough? What a greedy mare."

"I need more than just your mouth! I need...stick that huge c-cock in me!"

"That sounded like a demand. I don't do demands."

"P-please, rut me like a mare in heat! Make me cum all over your thick, throbbing dick! I need you to plow me like a toy! Please please fuck me!"

Ace drank in the sound of her gasp as he pushed into her, her body well and truly ready for him by the time he sank into her depths. Her cunny welcome his member, lubed and spread for him, her walls slick and soft to the touch. When she squeezed down, it only served to drag him further inside, the tightness of her grip surpassed by the rigidity of his pride. With a light tap of his heavy jewels against her bump, he sheathed himself fully inside her, the slow, single glide sufficient to feed her every inch he had to offer.

"Wow," he murmured, letting her gasp fade in and out of a whine. "You managed to take the whole thing? Not many mares can do that all in one go." He kissed her cheek, following it with a lick, and then another kiss. "And on your first time, too. What a special mare you are, Twilight Sparkle."

"Are you going to move now?" she asked, impatience lacing her question, though her tone remained soft and needy.

"Of course," he assured her. "After you answer me a question."

"A question?" she repeated, sounding equal parts curious and dismayed. His response was a line of smooches up and down her neck, from her crest to her withers and back again. He denied her clarification until the anticipation had built up just enough, the optimal level to maximise both their satisfaction.

"How does it feel to be stuffed by a real stallion?" the pegasus asked at last. "To have a real cock slide up your snatch? To get off from a genuine flesh-and-blood dick spreading you wide and filling you all the way up?"

"It feels amazing," the unicorn replied immediately. "So much more responsive, and alive, and an upgrade in every way. I bet it'll feel even better when you rut me into the bed."

"I'll gladly do that, but it feels like I'm no more than another one of your toys. What do you say to the first stallion to take you? The first one to show you what being a mare truly is?"

"...thank you?"

"You don't sound very sure. Maybe I shouldn't move...like one of your toys."

"What? No no no no!" She tried to thrust back against him to no avail, his weight holding her in place and her legs immobile within the spreader bar. "Thank you for claiming me! I really needed a strong stallion to mount me, to make me his mare, and I'm so glad it was you! Now please, please show me more!"

Ace bit down gently on her neck as he rolled his hips, sliding a few inches in and out of her steadily, giving her a little of what she wanted. Twilighted whined again, huffing at the pinch against her skin and the shift of the girth inside her, the smooth, tepid movements brushing her sensitive spots. Gradually, he accelerated, widening the swing of his rotation to slip more and more of himself in and out of her clamping cunny, keeping his rhythm consistent. He was sure she appreciated the mathematics of it, if she was in any state of mind to consider how he kept the same time between his thrusts while the length of his thrusts increased. Knowing the unicorn, she'd probably at least give it some thought later.

"I love how tight and wet you are," he murmured to her, keeping his tone gravelly. "The way you squeeze around my cock as I drive myself into you is sublime, and the fact that I can slide into you regardless of how much you clench because you're so slippery is just..." He finished the sentence with a sigh, expressing his satisfaction through sound rather than words, and letting the hotness of his breath pass over her skin. "But you know what the best part of rutting you is?" He waited, letting the silence linger for a few brief seconds before she answered him.

"W-what?" she asked, panting the word to him, lifting her head just a little and tilting to hear what he had to say.

"It's how pure you are," the pegasus answered. "You have an amazing body, you're smart, you're beautiful, and you're shy and sweet enough to melt the heart of the world's cruelest tyrant. You're everything a guy wants, and I get to be the first one to get this close to you. I get to be the first one to introduce you to marehood, and to experience you as a sweet, innocent filly."

"I-innocent?" she asked, huffing the word, sounding amused. "You really think that I'm innocent a-after all of th-this?"

"This? What's 'this'? What are we doing right now?"

"W-we're having sex?"

"No," he laughed. "You're blindfolded, there's a bar keeping your legs apart, and you're taking a huge, throbbing fuckstick up your twat, begging me for more. That's not sex; you're being claimed." He growled lowly in her ear, nipping it softly. She cooed and hummed at the attention, shivering at his assertion. "You're still innocent, and it's adorable. Fucking someone as pure, sweet, and innocent as you is heavenly, and I'm drunk on the sensation of sliding into your virginal passage."

His words were compounded by his hastening pace, his groin bumping against her rear faster and with more force, his balls swinging against her labia with increasingly weighty taps. His smooth, steady strokes became more insistent, using her body to halt his inertia rather than slowing down pre-emptively. He was still moderate in his pace and rhythm, but he let her feel the more primal, selfish side of him, showing her what it meant to have a stallion crave and use her. Within a minute, she was clenching against his intrusion, trying even harder to keep him inside her, her contracting cave wringing him ever more needily and strongly, her efforts growing faster and firmer, until she peaked again. He didn't stop, thrusting into her spasming depths as she was assailed by her climax, whining and groaning helplessly and longingly.

When Twilight's whimpers transitioned into heavy panting, the stallion slowed to a halt, sheathing himself in her canal and basking in the lazy, latent squeezes he received, letting the stimulation run through his cock as he reached for another of the items on the bed. Picking it up, he leaned forward, reaching around the mare to hold it from both sides.

"Check your bell again," he ordered, a ting ringing out a couple of seconds later. "Good. I think you're ready for the next step." She could obviously feel that he was holding something below her chin, since she glanced down instinctually, even if she couldn't see anything past the blindfold.

"What's the next step?" she asked, sounding excited and curious, the nervousness she'd started their session with absent from her question.

"I warned you that you'd be letting the neighbours know what we were up to," Ace explained. "And I'm planning to do things that will definitely make that true. To save your privacy, I'm going to need to keep you quiet while we do that, and that means..." He brought the item up to her muzzle, brushing the plastic against her lips teasingly. "Open wide." She did so, but Ace didn't move from his position. "Do you want to be gagged, Twilight?"

"Y-yes," she admitted.

"Then ask properly. Say; please gag my pretty little mouth, Aerial Ace."

"Please gag my pretty little mouth, Aerial Ace," she repeated, a giddy lilt emerging in her tone.

"Good girl." He kissed at the base of her ear, her triangle flicking happily at his touch. Pulling the ball into her mouth until it was nestled comfortably between her teeth, he brought the straps around to the back of her head and fastened the gag in place, making sure it didn't slip. "Is this comfy?" he asked after a quick minute of checking it over. "Ting the bell once for 'too loose', twice for 'too tight', and three times for 'just fine'." Immediately, the bell chimed three times in quick succession, and he grinned to himself. "Then we're ready to go. Just remember the bell's there if you need it." He received a nod from her, confirming she understood.

The pegasus started with gyrations against the mare, grinding his groin against hers while peppering her neck with kisses and smooches, interspersing nicks and nips in between the almost tepid touch of his tongue and lips. She groaned and whined at the gentle stimulation, which was just enough to rile her up, but not enough to build up that electric rush he'd gotten her used to already. He murmured sweet words to her, praising her behaviour and telling her that she was such a good girl, such a pretty unicorn, and an absolutely amazing mare, knowing that his attestations only stirred up her lust and her receptivity to him.

He upped the pace, slipping halfway out with every thrust to give her something suitable to quench her thirst. His medial ring rubbed against her lips with every backwards glide and every inwards shove, the sawing of his hips giving the mare more to huff about around the barrier in her maw, her rump pushing back against him to try and stuff him deeper inside her. Sensing she was growing restless - as he'd hoped - the stallion reached back with a hoof to his crotch, fumbling awkwardly around his junk for the relatively tiny point he was lookking for. After a lot of searching, and a reduced consistency in his rotations, he finally found it.

The bullet vibe buzzed to life, the skin of his scrotum tingling from the contact. He fought back a pleasured hiss and worked his hips a few times, falling back into the rhythm he'd had going before. Establishing a consistent flex, he focused on moving properly, pushing the demanding vibration to the back of his mind and gliding in and out of the unicorn in long, languid strokes, pausing after every forward thrust to let the toy rest against her nub. The gag didn't stifle her whines fully, the muffled moans and semi-squeals pushing past the obstruction to reach his ears, but even if she'd been totally silenced, he'd still be able to hear her through the rumbling of her back against his chest, the vibrations in her throat registering to him clearer than the sounds she produced.

Her tone rose and fell in time with his thrusts, so consistent he could make a graph of her pleasure, showing her when he slid all the way in and held the thrumming toy against her clit just from her voice's crescendos and falls. Her noises were musical, the squeals and flurries of huffs serving as ballads to his skill, and he basked in the wordless praise, letting it fuel his satisfaction and arousal. She moaned and whimpered because of him, because he was making her feel things far too intense to stay quiet about, and every time she sang out, it was because of what he was doing to her. When she screamed and her body tensed, that was his doing too, something he revelled in as he continued his lengthy delves into her passage.

Between the stimulation centred against his nuts, the shifting gyrations of the mare, and the vocalisations she was able to make - the ones he'd permitted her to make - Ace was stirred up to a frenzy, holding back out of a good sense of discipline. With how many climaxes he'd already put her through, her body wringing him towards that inexorable end, the desensitisation the condom provided staving off his own orgasm, which was a saving grace for both of them; he was sure she didn't mind him being able to go longer for her, especially not her first time. Now, though, he'd treated her generously, and he wanted to indulge his own needs. Leaning in and biting down on the side of her neck, he did exactly that, shortening his thrusts and hastening his speed, ramming her more roughly.

The stallion's coarse grunts mixed with Twilight's constrained delighted squeals and groans, her breathy, strained wails and screams forming a lewd duet with his own carnal voice. He rutted her in swift thrusts, bashing his groin against her ass and stuffing himself into her welcoming pocket in sharp stabs. His breath ran hot against her skin, as fast and rough as his rocking, subjecting all of her to his passion. He bit, nibbled, growled, and most of all, used her marehood like he owned her, all while she writhed and trembled and tried to press herself against him more, their shared ecstasy cascading in a barreling feedback loop. They moved more urgently, demanding more from one another, desperate to reach an impossible height that called out to them.

"I'm nearly there," Ace told her, exhaling the words into her ear. "You're so tight I just can't hold back. I'm gonna cum so hard because of you." He nibbled at her ear, carefully nipping with extra caution, his movements less steady than he'd usually pride himself on. Down below, his shaft pulsed and swelled, his tip flaring as the roiling pressure rose, his nuts growing fuzzy as the pleasure mounted and the thick load brewing in them bubbled up. "Fuck...H-here it comes! Fuck! Twilight!" He threw her name out there, pressing his muzzle against her cheek so she could feel as well as hear the groans and grunts leaving his mouth.

The buzz against his jewels faded into a background sensation as the liquid heat roared through him, his orbs lifting toward his groin to shorten the journey his load had to take. His cock flexed, widening in the unicorn's tight passage and forcing her to accept even more of his masculinity. His hindlegs tensed, his hips rolling in tiny circles out of instinct, but he remained still, content to remain buried in her tight, pleading grip, the soft walls clamping down firmly around his adamantium pole, letting out nonsense and curses as the chaotic rush swirled and whipped around his body, assailing his nerves and interrupting his thoughts with flashes and pulses.

Beneath him, the unicorn screamed around the gag, the extra girth and the return of the vibe against her bundle of nerves sending her rocketing into a heavenly release. She trembled and spasmed, every muscle in her body trying to interpret the explosion of signals they were receiving, milking the throbbing, burning rod inside her mercilessly, desperate to receive the searing flood that ought to be hers. The two ponies tensed and shuddered, squeezed and strained, and finally began descending from their envious high.

Ace reached back and fiddled for several seconds with the vibe before he managed to turn it off, his brain too dazed to properly register that it'd been stimulating him long after he'd stopped responding to it. The involuntary reactions from his own member, however, persisted, and he winced as he tried to pull out, his flare dragging through the sporadically-clenching clunge he'd ensconced himself within. Taking deep breaths, he focused on Twilight, trying to ignore the ongoing feedback and the hazy feeling remaining in parts of his body. First, he loosend the gag and removed it from her mouth, making sure she could breathe, followed by the blindfold. Even with both of those gone, she didn't move, heaving in deep lungfuls with her head slumped onto the sheets, her sweat-matted mane and mussed fur giving her a delightfully dishevelled appearance that somehow looked even more perfect on a bookworm like herself. Her general glow of deep contentment and the smile that was recognisable amidst her red-hued face and exhausted gasping was gorgeous, and if he hadn't already spent himself on her, such a sight would've made him want to take her then and there.

The grey stallion had cleared away the toys when she came to, groaning as he lifted her rear end onto the bed while he released her from the spreader bar. She turned her head to him, watching the last of the objects disappear into his saddlebags and seeing him turn his attention back to her.

"Do you want to do a questionnaire now?" Ace teased, joining her on the bed and stroking a hoof tenderly across her damp body. "Satisfaction from 1-10?"

"I only need one question answered," she responded with a chuckle. "Are we going to do this again?"

"If you want to, definitely," he told her, smiling down at her slowly-recovering form. "I really enjoyed doing this, and I meant it when I said being your first was an amazing experience. Thank you."

"Thank you," she returned, beaming at him happily. "I know I said I might want to try fellatio after we finished, but I don't think I'm in the right state at the moment. Can we just cuddle instead?"

"Of course."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he laughed. "You don't owe me a blowjob, Twilight. Besides, you've already done a lot today. Let's just make you feel warm and cozy, okay?" He pushed her onto her side and wiggled up behind her, ensnaring her in his limbs. "You beautiful, wonderful, loveable pony." His lips danced across her neck and the back of her head again, his nose meeting the wetness of her coat and mane. He'd really worn her out. Another pang of pride pulsed inside him, and he felt a smirk tugging at his muzzle. "I think we should cuddle, then we can shower together so you don't go around reeking like me. Can't have the whole town knowing I made a mare out of you, can we?"

She giggled sheepishly, blushing adorably at his cocky statement, and he pulled her closer, smooching and cuddling her, and whispering what a good girl she was while she closed her eyes and relaxed, her breathing deepening into a slow, happy rhythm, and the pegasus joined in, closing his eyes as he held her. He was a normal stallion, and not especially prone to bouts of self-grandeur, but he could make an exception for today. Normally, he got on with his life and did as well as he could.

Today? Today he was an absolute winner.