Estrus

Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the balcony of her library, engrossed in one of her books. The subject

was rather dry and boring, even for her, discussion the mating habits of griffins. Her nose wrinkled at

some of the more detailed descriptions.

She was not innocent regarding the mating habits of most of the species that inhabited their world -

after the parasprite incident she had read all about their asexual reproduction through vomit mitosis.

Quite gross. Griffins were exceptionally uninteresting in all regards. Their courtship involved

elaborate arguments, and long drawn out attempts to convince their prospective mate to abandon

their current friendships and other relationships and run away with them, at which point mating would

commence on a high mountain peak away from civilization.

Twilight thought back to Gilda, and shuddered slightly. Maybe it was better that Rainbow Dash had

been entirely unaware of the whole situation.

A faint noise from up the Mane Street of Ponyville caught her ears, which flickered unconsciously

from the sound. She looked up from her book, and blinked in curiosity at the sight before her eyes.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing down the street in her usual manner, and behind her was a large group of

ponies - nearly all male ponies, Twilight's critical eye noted. The sound of the very calm stampede

evidently reached Spike's ears as well, as the dragon joined her on the balcony, uninvited.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at the impromptu parade.

"I'm not sure," Twilight admitted, staring at the strange scene. The group of ponies continued through

Mane street, with more and more young male ponies spilling out from houses and stores to join the

group.

Only when she was at the end of the street, about to run out of houses, did Pinkie Pie stop and face

the large herd behind her. She began to address them, but she was too far away for Twilight to hear

what she was saying.

"I've never seen any like this in Canterlot," Spike said, just as baffled as Twilight.

"I'll have to ask someone about it later," Twilight agreed.

Right on cue, a voice dropped down from the tree branches above.

"It’s later now. You mean you don't have Estrus Parades in Canterlot?" Rainbow Dash said, sounding

amazed. "Man, you really ARE a bunch of squares in the capital."

"An... Estrus Parade?" Twilight Sparkle squeaked, her mind hearing the words and finally putting two

and two together.

"Yup, Pinkie Pie's in estrus, and allll the boys - and some of us ladies - can tell."

Twilight Sparkle felt her face turning a bright shade of crimson. "We definitely don't have anything like

that in Canterlot. It sounds so... dirty."

"Well, how else you gonna find out who you should mate with?"

"M-mate?" Spike said. The baby dragon was even more clueless than Twilight Sparkle.

"Hi Spike, welcome to the conversation," Twilight said dryly.

"So what do you do in Canterlot?"

"Well... Princess Celestia taught me how to meditate my way through it." Twilight felt exceptionally

uncomfortable with this conversation.

"Whoa! You're kidding, right? You mean you've just zenned your way through your estrus cycles for

the last ten years?"

"So what?" Twilight said defensively. "It's just a bodily function. You can ignore it, like an itch."

"Welllll, maybe you should give it a try sometime," Rainbow Dash said with a grin. "Estrus only

comes once a year. Around here, we use the opportunity to try out new ponies. Many a happy

marriage has been formed out of the bonds of an Estrus Parade. Like Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I heard

theirs was-"

"Bad mental image!" Twilight said, and covered her eyes with her hooves, as if she could erase the

thought by blocking her sight.

"So, uh, Rainbow Dash, do you know when Rarity is going to have one of these parades?" Spike

asked, his eyes drooping a bit at the thought of Rarity in heat.

"I can't believe you even asked that, Spike. I'm ashamed of you." Twilight Sparkle groaned.

"Sorry Spike, Rarity won't be due for another ten months. She had hers just before you guys came to

Ponyville."

"I'll wait for her," he said, little hearts appearing above his head and bursting.

Rainbow Dash finally dropped from her perch in the tree and landed on the balcony.

"So how come you aren't down there in the parade?"

"Rules are, you can't go with the same pony more than once unless you're married. The idea is that

you're supposed to try new things." Rainbow Dash looked wistfully at the clouds. "I chose Pinkie Pie

a few years ago, but we're not sure it'd work out in the long term. So we're each waiting a bit to see if

we find anyone else..."

"But... what about the spread of disease?" Twilight winced. "What about baby ponies?!"

"Don't be silly, of course we use protection," Rainbow Dash snorted. She peered over the balcony at

her friend, who had evidently made her selection. "Hah, she's gone for Trivet. Watch them do

something crazy like throw a banquet afterward to celebrate."

The other, un-chosen ponies slowly scattered back to their homes and businesses, while Pinkie Pie

bounced around her selected beau. Twilight Sparkle recognized him from the restaurant where she'd

been unceremoniously rained on while trying to eat her lunch during the ticket fiasco.

The two ponies watched their friend and her temporary stallion walk together to the shop where

Pinkie lived.

"Well, we're not going to see them until tomorrow." Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Aren't you jealous?" Twilight Sparkle asked softly.

"A little," Rainbow Dash admitted. "But neither of us are ready to settle down. It's better this way."

She shook out her wings and stretched, and then took off. "Seeya Twilight." The pegasus waved to

her unicorn friend, a barely disguised note of sadness in her voice.

Twilight Sparkle felt a little sick to her stomach. She definitely wasn't interested in the mating habits

of griffins after THAT conversation.

The thought of Pinkie Pie and Trivet... it wasn't a bad thought, but it bothered her on a fundamental

level.

And then it finally clicked.

"Does this mean I'm the ONLY virgin in all of Ponyville!?"

***

Being the studious sort, and taking Rainbow Dash's "try new things" advice to heart, Twilight Sparkle

threw herself into studying the mating habits of her own species for the first time. The Estrus Parade

was held in almost every city except for Canterlot, where Princess Celestia had banned it due to

space restrictions. Affairs and estrus were apparently handled with much more discretion in the

capital. More than once Twilight Sparkle wondered if Princess Celestia was also subject to the

vagaries of nature in that same way, but then she decided that the meditation trick was her way of

avoiding the yearly need to find a mate.

Estrus began for fillies usually a few years after their cutie marks appeared. Fillies who were a bit too

young were discouraged from holding a parade, Twilight was relieved to learn, and were also taught

to simply wait it out until they were a bit older.

Nopony knew just who had started the parades, but they had gone on for many hundreds of years.

The female pony didn't need to give any notice - when the days of estrus arrived, her pheromones

were so strong that a male pony could smell her from miles away. She would start at one end of the

town and travel through, until every interested pony - male or female - joined her at the other end.

And then, she would choose.

The books on the subject emphasized the importance of the female's choice. Any stallion that

attempted to curry her favors, especially if his advances were unwanted, could receive a swift hoof in

the face from the mare. Only after careful deliberation, and perhaps some enhanced pheromone

action from stallions who were nearing their own cyclical period of musth, their version of estrus,

would the female decide.

Apparently, she would just "know" at the time who "he" (or she) was meant to be.

Not all stallions and colts would join the parade. Married stallions, and elderly gentlecolts, often opted

out of the parade. After marriage, ponies were generally monogamous.

Twilight Sparkle thought of all the single ponies in town. The thought of - and she took a deep breath

her - having sex with any of them was frightening. She hoped her body would choose wisely when

her time came.

And come it would, in just a few weeks. Estrus and musth were both annual cycles for ponies, and it

was less than a moon cycle away from her time. She had planned to lock herself in the library and

"zen" her way through it, as Rainbow Dash had put it, but by Celestia, she was a Ponyville pony now,

and she was going to do things the Ponyville way.

***

A fortnight later, Twilight Sparkle felt the beginnings of her heat. She looked in the mirror. She didn't

really look different, but she felt it - she felt more attractive, more vibrantly alive, more, well, sexy.

She glanced out the window - the pegasuses had showers scheduled for the evening hours, but they

had decided to let Ponyville have another sunny day today. Good. She didn't want to do this whole

parade thing in the rain.

"Spike, Aluicious" she called out to her assistants. The baby dragon and the owl appeared, ready to

do her bidding.

"I have an important, um, task I must take care of today," she announced, trying to stay calm. "I've

asked Fluttershy to watch you do for the next few days."

"You don't need our help?"

"Who?"

"Definitely not. Nope. This is a solo job. I have to be alone." She laughed nervously. "So, I'll come

and get you when I'm done. But for now, please let me do this task by myself."

Spike shrugged and looked at Aluicious, who gave a matching shrug back. The owl picked up the

baby dragon and simply flew out the window - the fastest way to Fluttershy's house, for sure.

Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. The heat was coming on more strongly now; it was going to

peak in a few more hours.

It was time to do this.

***

"All right, the book said I should start on one side of town, and work my way through," she reminded

herself, and carefully picked her away through the back alleys. A few stallions had caught a whiff of

her pheromones already and poked their heads out of windows, waiting to see if the parade had

started.

She was NOT going to bounce her way through town like Pinkie Pie. That was a step too far. She

would trot, or maybe walk. The book didn't specify how fast she would have to go.

She reached the outskirts of town, the end of the ribbon of Mane street that ran down to the Everfree

Forest.

Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. And she started to walk.

Ah, she thought, as she fell into a slow pace. The correct speed is procession.

Before long, she had her first stallion, followed by her first filly, much to her surprise. She grinned

nervously behind her to acknowledge them, but kept walking. The books were very clear that she

had to try to attract the attention of any and all eligible ponies in town.

More stallions and mares kept joining the group behind her, but she pressed on. The estrus was

almost in full swing, and her body was craving sex in a way that words could not describe. The

thought of all the ponies behind her - wanting her, waiting for her - was turning her on badly.

Finally, she reached the other end of Mane Street, and she turned around to face her suitors.

There were so many, her heart almost dropped. How could she make such an important decision?

Then she inhaled. The scents of the ponies were different than before. The smell of sweat, the odor

of perfume, the intoxicating notes of musk - they all drifted into her mind. Her nose would choose.

Now, according to the book, she was supposed to mingle. She didn't need to say anything; she was

allowed to simply wander through the crowd until her nose singled out her body's preferred suitor.

Being the polite pony she was, however, she murmured quiet, "Excuse mes," as she passed through

the group.

The panoply of scents was overwhelming, but through it all, one exceptional fragrance stood out. She

held her head high and sniffed delicately, and followed the notes of the musk to its source, which was

standing near the back of the crowd.

This was it, she thought. This was her destined pony, at least for this year.

It was...

The Great and Powerful Trixie.

No, Twilight's mind said, recoiling in horror.

Oh yes, her body answered. She took another deep breath. No mistaking it.

"Trixie?" Twilight Sparkle said hesitantly.

The mare perked up, then looked away immediately, pretending not to be interested after all.

"It was just a whim," Trixie said, although her voice cracked. "I just happened to wander into town,

and I saw the parade.... and I totally wasn't stalking you because I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Twilight Sparkle hung her head, but she was trying not to laugh. Trixie was blushing as much as she

was.

"Well, I've apparently got no choice, my body says you're it." Twilight Sparkle leaned in closely to her

rival's ear. "This will be my first time, so please be gentle. And Rainbow Dash said to be sure you

know how to use a strap on."

Trixie made a small squeaking sound that was more properly emitted by Fluttershy.

Twilight Sparkle turned to the crowd. "I've made my decision," she announced. "Thank you all for

coming."

The crowd dispersed, some of the stallions clearly disappointed. She wondered how they felt about

being rejected. But the next time a parade came around, she too might be one of the rejected ones,

so maybe she'd have some first hand experience.

First things first - her body was at its full heat now, and she could feel some very uncomfortable things

happening around her nether regions.

"All right," she said to Trixie, and found herself reaching down to nip her on the flank affectionately.

"I'm probably going to hate myself in the morning, but right now I don't care. Oh Celestia, you smell

fantastic." She inhaled. The other unicorn smelled like cotton candy, or something else really sweet

and wonderful and fabulous. Twilight could have smelled her for hours if it wasn’t for her pulsing

body.

"Hah! Of course I do. I'm due for estrus myself in a few days; it's why I came to town. But I never

expected YOU to choose ME. It'll save me the burden of a parade."

They took off toward the library together. "Really?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "So if you go ahead and

mate before your estrus starts, you can ward it off?"

"No, dummy. Don't you know anything? That's why ponies get married. Mated pairs can feed off each

other's heat, and stop the need for a parade. It's the only way our kind can be monogamous."

"The books didn't say anything about that," Twilight Sparkle admitted.

"You can't learn everything from books," Trixie said with a smirk. "Our mating will trigger my estrus

early, so you're not going anywhere for a few days."

Twilight Sparkle shuddered, although she couldn't tell if it was from anticipation or from impending

misery. She was going to find out soon.

***

The library was darkened when they arrived, since Twilight had sent everyone else away, and the

public hours ended when no librarians were present. Normally, Twilight would have flipped the sign to

"open" but she certainly didn't want any visitors tonight. She kept the sign on closed, and locked the

door tightly.

"Have you really never done this before?" Trixie asked. Twilight could hear the haughty smirk in her

voice.

"No," Twilight Sparkle admitted, humiliated. Her hindquarters were swollen and dripping with need. It

had never been this bad before - perhaps the meditation trick also kept the worst of the symptoms

away. "Hurry, my bed is upstairs," she whispered, and trotted up the steps as fast as she could.

Trixie followed behind her.

The two unicorns wasted no time after that. Trixie was able to strip her cape and hat off with with her

magic and the two fell on the bed together.

***

Twilight Sparkle woke up the next day to the sunshine streaming in. She felt exhausted and

contented all at once.

"Great and powerful Trixie indeed," she murmured to her new lover, who was still konked out beside

her.

The itching of estrus was gone. It was hard to believe that it was all over so fast. And it had felt so

good. Why in Equestria Celestia banned the parade was beyond her understanding of pony

physiology, now that she had experienced it.

Maybe it was the Princess's way of protecting them all, she thought sleepily, and nudged Trixie, trying