Mating Season (Ponies)

Mating Season is a period of seven days around the middle of the year during which Ponies (mostly mares) will become "possessed" by a craving for sexual activity. During this time, those affected are known to become violent.

The collection of days is infamous among Ponies who aren't affected by it, as the Ponies who are affected may get violent and obsessive during the week.

While the majority of all mares are effected by Mating Season, causing them to go into a blind lust for sexual activity, stallions are mostly unaffected. Some stallions are affected by Mating Season, and act just as mares do. Not all mares are affected.

For example, Regency is not affected by Mating Season but Bourbon is.

Ponies that are in relationships are most likely going to seek out their partner to satisfy themselves. However if the partner is too far away or unreachable for one reason or another, the Pony will ditch this tactic and go for anyone nearby. Sometimes including those who do not fit their sexual preferences (for example, a mare who cannot access a stallion may seek out any other mares close-by).

The season seems to have no effect on the natural births of Ponies (bar an increased pregnancy rating) as Ponies have surpassed this part of their evolution. However the season appears to be a biological "stain" that is an apparent imprint on the mind of Ponies. Due to the "stain" effect, the Ponies will fall under the due effect no matter what form they are in, what they are doing or where they are.

Mating Season is uncontrollable by science, as mental modification has proven ineffective in suppressing the sudden surge of hormonal activity. The only way to halt these emotions is to completely remove a particular area of the Pony's brain, which unfortunately is the same section that processes motor functions.

Despite the fact that most stallions aren't affected by Mating Season, they can "smell" the hormones that drive the mares crazy. This alerts most of the stallions to the upcoming dangers.

Mating Seasons were once overlooked and provided little risk to Equestria, but when Earth and Equestria crossed Mating Season got a lot more dangerous. STDs now cycle a lot more prominently than they did before, and new strains of disease have evolved. Not only that but now the crazy mares now have access to weaponry and armour, and Ponies are much more susceptible to becoming more violent than previously observed.

Though cases of serious injury revolving around Mating Season are minimal, smaller injuries are very common. This usually involves bruises, broken noses, and small bites. Stallions and the partners of mares are commonly seen in pharmacies and even clinics due to the possibility of STDs or pains from what is diagnosed as "Erectile Overuse."

Mating Season only had a drag effect on Pony soldiers, especially those in trenches. Out of nowhere Ponies could "attack" others to fulfill their desires. However, the natural survival instinct is stronger than the urge to reproduce, so Ponies in danger can "postpone" the effects.

Ponies are known to undergo rapid and extravagant changes involving their behaviour when effected by Mating Season. For example a socially awkward Pony may suddenly turn reckless and demanding.

A more clear example is the experience between Fielde and his then-fiance Fluttershy. She suddenly jumped onto him without warning. This was the first time Fielde discovered anything about Mating Season, barring the "strange smell" that appeared seconds before she "attacked" him. This was also when their first biological child, Diamond Shy, was conceived.

Fielde knows first-hand just how quickly mares can shift their behaviour when affected by Mating Season, as Fluttershy wouldn't hurt a fly normally but when he denied her advances, she bit him on the neck until he complied. When she returned to normal, she was deeply apologetic. She compared it to being possessed.

Fielde was also "attacked" by Sunset Shimmer during XCOM's Enemy Reborn campaign. She may have been humanoid at the time and a bit sorrowful (developing PTSD) but she suddenly became very "sexually aggressive" to him. As he tried to talk her out of it, she punched him in the nose (breaking it) so he would comply.

Due to the inherent danger posed by Mating Season, the Midnight have a law in place saying all Ponies are temporarily dismissed from workplaces for a span of 9 days. This way the Ponies have a day to "prepare" and a day to "unwind" before and after Mating Season occurs, and the Midnight do not have any accidental security or social risks. Ponies who are suspended are given full pay. This is one of the reasons the Iron Flesh Guard exists.