“In order to rule, you must first learn how to submit," Cadence told Twilight Sparkle. Thrown into the required "Princess Training," Twilight must learn obedience and submission from the other Princesses [HEAVY D/s]
“In order to rule, you must first learn how to submit," Cadence told Twilight Sparkle. Thrown into what Princess Celestia calls the required "Princess Training," Twilight must learn obedience and submission from the other Princesses...and learn how submission relates to being made stronger. For the bookish pony, giving in to sexual desire and submission may not be as easy at it seems... [Heavy bondage / D/s warning]
The Discipline of Princess Twilight Sparkle by Mistress Darkhoof
Chapter One: Invitation
My dearest student, the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle,
You are required to go through our selective Princess Training classes in Canterlot. These classes will instruct you on how you are to lead your fellow ponies as a Princess. You have twenty four hours to prepare. Don't pack anything. Everything you need will be provided. None of your friends, nor Spike, is permitted to join. You will be picked up by pegasus escort bright and early tomorrow morning.
Looking forward to seeing you, Princess Celestia
Twilight Sparkle glanced up from the scroll Spike had delivered to her, confused as to why it was bound with black ribbon. Even more confusing was why Spike had such a horror struck expression across his snout.
“What's wrong, Spike?” she asked him.
The baby dragon's gaze got wider. “I've heard funny stories about these Princess Training classes. Back in Canterlot, the rumors were–”
“They were just that, rumors,” she cut him off, snapping the scroll closed with her magic. “Don't worry. Although I suppose that means I have to cancel my tea plans with Fluttershy for tomorrow. Come on, Spike. You know she doesn't take rejection well.”
She exited her comfy book-filled home and stepped out into the morning sun. Ponyville was alive with the usual morning rush of market activity and traveling ponies. She made her way to Fluttershy's cottage, Spike at her tail. The dragon clearly looked upset but she wasn't concerned. He had heard every rumor while in Canterlot, from the sky falling to giant beanstalks that stretched to the sky. Whatever rumor he had heard about this Princess Training she had to attend was nothing, surely.
She was fortunate enough to catch Rarity at Fluttershy's cottage, so she was able to cancel her tea with Fluttershy and explain why to two ponies instead of one. While the pink-haired pony looked disappointed, Rarity positively glowed at the thought of learning how to be a proper princess. That was a normal Rarity moment, all aglow at the mention of royalty. She was only too delighted to go spread the word among the others, so proud to have royalty within her inner circle. Twilight could only roll her eyes before she set off back to her home to prepare.
“What do Princesses train for?” she mused, glancing over her wide variety of literature. “Etiquette, maybe? Politics?”
Spike watched her as she pulled the appropriate books from their spot on the shelves. “If that was it, why wouldn't we be allowed to follow you?”
His suspicious gaze burned into her flank. She sighed and leveled a glare at him. “Look, I trust Princess Celestia's word. You should too. Whatever rumors you heard were just that, rumors.”
“But the black ribbon that bound the scroll! I heard that–”
She cut him off with a groan. “Come on, Spike! I need to study!”
She loved Spike with every hair in her mane, but sometimes the baby dragon was just ridiculous.
* * *
Night fell over Ponyville faster than Twilight Sparkle expected. She definitely hadn't meant to but she had somehow fallen asleep while studying the ancient cultures of Saddle Arabia. Not like her. She berated herself over her lack of studious discipline.
That was when she realized she wasn't alone.
It was dark around her, so she couldn't see clearly. There was definitely some pony in the house with her.
“Spike?” she asked, hating the nervous tremor that ran through her voice.
There was the sound of soft hoof falls nearby, echoing in the empty room.
“Spike?” she asked again. If this was Spike getting back at her for their earlier conversation, she didn't appreciate it.
“Forgive me, Princess,” a soft voice said.
Before Twilight could ask who was there once more, the room exploded into a whirl of motion and chaos. Twilight was swept clean off of her hooves, suddenly airborne and breathless as another body slammed into her. Adrenaline and instinct took over and she bucked instinctively, her rear legs kicking out in hopes of catching her attacker. When she didn't make contact with a body or anything, for that matter, she sent her magic surging out of her body, hoping to relay information about the whereabouts of her attacker. Her magic glowed in an electric purple light, crackling its way across the otherwise dark room. There were three ponies in the room, but she couldn't see them clearly.
“The magic must be restricted,” another voice said. This voice was all too familiar to her and the recognition sent a bolt of alarm through her.
“Princess Celestia?” she gasped.
“Bind her, now.”
Twilight was tackled again, held down by a foreign body. She bucked but the body above hers was stronger and more lithe, able to dodge her flailing hooves. Something heavy was clasped around her neck. As soon as it was locked in place, she felt her magical energy drain. It was as if she had been using her magic for hours. The drain crippled her to the point where she fell still, aware that she was completely vulnerable to the body over her.
“Don't hurt me,” she whimpered.
There was hesitation from the body above hers, as if the fear in her voice had made an impact. Before the one above her could do anything, Princess Celestia's voice rang out into the darkness again.
“Blindfold and move. Now. Don't keep me waiting.”
Her teacher's voice made her shiver. She had heard Princess Celestia be stern, but this went beyond that. There was a cruel, impatient edge to her voice that she had never heard before. This was not the Princess she knew.
Black cloth was wound over her eyes, making the darkness close in faster. She couldn't help the whimpers that escaped her. She should do something. She should buck and fight. Did Rainbow Dash's stubborn behavior teach her nothing? Her friends wouldn't sit here and whimper. Yet, the strange weight around her neck kept her still, as if it were sapping more than just her magical abilities out of her. She couldn't fight back for some reason and, unable to see, unable to move, the fear only heightened for her.
The warmth of a unicorn's magic wound around her and lifted her up as if she had the weight of a feather. She was moving. She knew that much by the feel of the cool breeze running through her mane. Weightless, she was swept out of her house, then set gently within a cart of some kind. She felt the smooth bottom of some sort of carriage. She could smell the sweat of other ponies around her, could hear the gentle rustle of feathers. Was this the pegasus escort Princess Celestia had spoke of? She was certainly here, ahead of schedule. Why was the Princess, her beloved teacher, treating her this way?
“Where are you taking me?” she managed to ask, her voice dry and raspy in her panic. “Princess Celestia?”
There was movement in the carriage as other bodies settled around her. No one answered her, but she was certain that she had been heard.
“To Canterlot,” Princess Celestia's voice said from beside her. “Hurry, please.”
They were airborne in a matter of seconds. Twilight Sparkle couldn't see their take off, but she could feel the carriage's ascent. They were moving, quickly.
“Relax her,” came Princess Celestia's cruel, cool voice once more.
There was a pause, then Twilight Sparkle felt something cool against her lips. Her mouth was forcibly opened by a magical force she had no control over and a small glass vial was forced between her lips. She was forced to swallow a strange, hot liquid that vaguely tasted like berries. She tried to struggle, but struggling meant choking. After she coughed, she accepted the liquid as it was dumped down her throat.
The strangest warmth surged through her body and sleep came again on fast hooves and silent wings. Twilight's thought process liquified and drained from her mind until she felt weightless, thoughtless...and free.
She sank into the world of sleep, blindfolded and swept away by ponies she thought she knew.
There was firelight in front of Twilight Sparkle. The glowing orange was visible through the dark fabric of her blindfold. It was this dancing light that nudged the young mare back into full consciousness. Her mind was fuzzy at first. She was having trouble remembering why she had fallen asleep or why she couldn't see–
Everything rushed back at once. The letter informing her she would have to deal with some sort of Princess training. The home invasion. Her being swept away by the ponies who had blindfolded her and forced her to drink some strange drug that had put her to sleep. At the center of all this confusion was one mare she thought she had known. The cruelty in her voice still made Twilight shiver.
“Princess Celestia,” she murmured.
“Wrong one, silly filly,” a gentle voice said from beside her.
Unable to see, Twilight jumped and tensed visibly. “Who's there?”
“It's me. You know me. Think for a moment.”
The voice was kind, one of the kindest Twilight had ever heard. Her foal sitter. The wife of her big brother best friend forever.
“Cadence?”
“Yes, but hush, Twilight. In this chamber, you must not address me so casually.”
Chamber? Twilight realized that they were no longer in the carriage she had been swept away in. The ground beneath her hooves felt solid. She stood up from the position she had been lying in, stretching her legs out. Aside from the light from the orange flame, Twilight could see nothing else around her. It was dark and quiet in this room, aside from her fellow Princess's soft voice.
“Where are we?”
“I can remove your blindfold, but you must stay still. Do not run. Do not do move at all. Understand?”
Twilight nodded. She heard the soft hoof steps of Cadence moving around her, then felt a warm body against her own. The knot binding the blindfold around her head was undone, then the cloth was pulled away from her face.
Cadence stood next to her, in the strangest apparel Twilight Sparkle had ever seen. The pink princess of love wore four leather boots that stretched from the bottom of her hooves almost to her body. Glimmering silver horseshoes tipped the bottom of the boots, raising her height up. Her body had no leather wrapped around it, except for at the neck, where a leather collar prominently stood out, a metal ring dangling from the front. The ring tinkled gently as it hit the metal that bound it to the collar. Cadence's beautiful eyes were ringed with dark eyeliner and her mane was swept back into a single ponytail, pushed out of the way.
“What are you wearing?” Twilight asked her. “What's going on here?”
“Hush, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Cadence instructed. “You did receive a letter about Princess training, did you not?”
The letter had absolutely nothing to do with what Cadence was wearing. The confusion grew. “Well, yes, but–”
“When I say hush, you will do just that,” Cadence her cut off, her voice as cold as Celestia's had been. When Twilight visibly flinched, she softened a little. “There is an old tradition in Canterlot. Princess Training. Every crowned Princess under Celestia's rule had to go through it in order to maintain a position of power. You have earned your rank as Princess, yes. You have not earned your right to rule, yet. Through this training, you will earn your rank among the rest of us Princesses. Where you stand right now, you are only a Princess in title, not in truth.”
Despite how Cadence had just ordered her to be silent, Twilight still blurted, “Meaning?”
Fire blazed in her fellow Princess's eyes at the disobedience. Still, Cadence closed her eyes and replied, “When you are in a position of power, you control a great deal of what other ponies can do. Carelessness can hurt those around you. In the old days of Equestria, before any of us were ever born, there was tradition to rule. The royalty before us went through extensive ritual and training to prove their right to rule. We as rulers are first made to understand what power is by becoming powerless ourselves. We must never rule by a cruel hand, but one that has understanding behind it. Once we are made powerless, we are to overcome it and never let that feeling rule us ever again. What we do may confuse you, but it is tradition and tradition must be upheld. You may, of course, choose to decline this training and you must say so now. If you do, you will return to Ponyville as a Princess, yes, but one with...lesser power, than what you may be deemed of holding in the future. The choice is yours. This training is meant to destroy and rebuild. It will wear you down. It may break you.”
This speech hit home hard. There were tiers to ruling? What would happen if she turned this down? She wouldn't be equal to Cadence, or even to Luna or Celestia. Did that mean she would never have the same rules and responsibilities as the others? What exactly was a Princess with no responsibility?
Cadence still had that fire in her eyes when she spoke. “You must decide, Princess Twilight Sparkle. If you depart now, nothing will happen. If you decide to stay, everything you know will change.”
Twilight closed her eyes and pictured her friends for a moment. They never backed down from a challenge. She didn't want to let them down by saying no and having to return to Ponyville, knowing that she had never even tried. She had earned her crown by hard work. She wasn't going to turn her back on that principal now.
“I'll do it.”
Cadence nodded, and came up to nuzzle at her cheek for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was loud and full of ceremony. She was back in her role of the tradition that brought them together like this. “In order to rule, you must first learn how to submit. In this space, I am no longer your foal sitter. I am no longer your friend. You will not address me as such. In fact, you will not address me at all, unless spoken to. If you must speak, you will only address me as Mistress Cadence. Understand?”
There was a certain power in her words that made Twilight's heart beat faster. The way Cadence was dressed, what she spoke of...it pointed Twilight to a realm that made the young mare fearful to go in. This training, whatever it was, was not going to be like her other studies. This was far outside her realm of familiar, or comfortable.
“Understand?” Cadence asked again. The riding crop rose again, nudging under Twilight's chin, forcing her head up. “When I ask you a question, you answer it. Yes, Mistress Cadence. Say it.”
“You obey quickly now,” the princess of love mused. She grinned and the expression was cold, positively cruel.“I wonder how long that obedience will last once the real training starts.”
Her words sent a shiver throughout Twilight Sparkle's body. She hoped Cadence didn't see it. She was already vulnerable; she didn't want to seem weak.
“Complete obedience is needed from you, Twilight,” Cadence said, her voice still tinged with some of the cruelty it held before. “Nod your head if you understand.”
Twilight Sparkle was quick to nod her head, mostly out of fear of what would happen if she didn't follow Cadence's instructions.
“This training may seem harsh, but understand that we do it out of love. All of us. I am the last Princess to be crowned before you, thus, I must be the first to introduce you to this method of training. Princess Luna and Queen Celestia aren't as kind as I am.” Cadence paused, seeing Twilight's surprise at Celestia's title. “Yes, Queen. In this chamber, she rules not as a fellow Princess, but Queen. She has dominion over us all. You must remember that, Twilight. She may have been your teacher before, but in this chamber, she will be your Queen and your Mistress. Disobeying her is not the same as disobeying me.”
Twilight was itching to ask about it, but kept her mouth shut until Cadence added, “Yes, you may speak now.”
“What are you going to do to me? What am I supposed to do? I'm not prepared for any of this. I didn't know what to study–”
Cadence laughed. “Silly Twilight, you can't study for what we're going to teach you. You can read all the books you like about discipline but nothing will teach you better than experience.”
“Discipline?”
Cadence nodded and the humor faded from her expression once more. She looked intimidating once more in her dark eyeliner and leather boots. Formal once more, she said, “Yes. Discipline. Absolute obedience. If I tell you to hush, you will be silent. If I tell you to jump, you jump. No questions. Fail to obey me and you will feel the crack of my beloved riding crop. If I whip you, it's not because I'm trying to be cruel. I am trying to teach. Understand? Nod your head.”
Twilight nodded.
“Raise your hoof if you would like to speak, but do not speak unless I give you permission.”
Twilight raised her hoof, feeling as though this were some dark parody of the education she had received as a filly.
“Yes, you may speak.”
“What are you going to teach?”
The pink alicorn before her turned away from her again, the riding crop still tapping gently at her back. “That, my Princess, is why you're here. Like I said, you can study the theory of discipline all you want, but you have to learn by example. There is one more thing I expect you to follow, and I expect you to follow it, like the rest, flawlessly. Ready? Nod your head if you're ready.”
Heart beating faster, Twilight Sparkle nodded.
Cadence approached again, her riding crop smacking the stone ground for emphasis. “Like I said, you will not speak unless spoken to. I am allowing you to speak right now by raising your hoof. When we start, that will be no more. You are to follow my orders perfectly the first time around or face being whipped. I've said that before. You will address me as Mistress Cadence. Say, yes, Mistress Cadence if you understand.”
“Yes, Mistress Cadence.”
Amusement danced in Cadence's gaze as she circled Twilight around. “Now for the other rules. I will restrain you and bind you at my will. I will do things that make you uncomfortable and I will order you to do things that are uncomfortable. I'll understand if this is overwhelming at first so I'm offering you a...safety word, if you will. Queen Celestia has trained me to use banana, so that is the word I'm giving you. If, for whatever reason, you need a moment to stop and collect yourself, say the word banana. However, don't use it just because you chickened out or got scared. It is a word that tells me to stop, not one that I want to hear because you pussied out.”
That one word shouldn't have tripped Twilight up, but it sounded so strange coming out of the gentle Cadence's mouth. She might as well have cursed up a storm.
“I don't hear you saying anything,” Cadence growled. The riding crop tapped on the stone floor faster, louder, as a point of emphasis.
“Yes, Mistress Cadence,” Twilight said, her words tumbling fast out of her mouth.
“That's a good girl. In addition, you will wear similar attire as to what I'm wearing. It may look strange, but you will wear it without question. The collar you have on will remain on. It is enchanted by Queen Celestia herself. It will keep your magic deactivated while we are training. I don't want any accidents caused by instinctual magic looking to protect you and I certainly don't want to be overpowered. For the moment, you have as much magic as a pegasus. Wings, but no magic. That collar will be removed if and when myself or one of the others deem that you will not be a danger with it.”
Twilight had known that her powers had been restricted. She could feel it. Yet, hearing the confirmation of the loss of powers from Cadence made the loss really hit home. What was she without her magic? Her magic was everything. She was defenseless and without her friends. There would be no one to stand up for her or defend her.
She was truly alone, here.
Cadence must have seen the panic on her face because she set the riding crop down and approached her. Her own wings stretched out and brushed over Twilight's face. “Don't fret, my dear Princess. I had to go through the same exact training. Mistress Luna is much more demanding than I am. As your introduction to Princess Training, I should be much easier.”
That wasn't any comfort to Twilight Sparkle, but she nodded anyway.
“I will introduce you to the concepts of control, obedience...and discipline. When I feel that you have had enough, you will go and visit Princess Luna, who will put you to the test. Lastly, when you pass her examinations, Queen Celestia will test you. I do not know what either of them plan on doing. However, as Mistress and your teacher, your failure is my failure.”
With that, Cadence fixed Twilight with a stern glare. “I don't fail, Twilight. Do you understand?”
Twilight nodded once more, feeling like a puppet rather than a pony.
Cadence smirked again. The ponytail made her look sweet but her eyeliner added a hint of the danger to come. Her horn glowed once more as she retrieved her riding crop and again used it to lift Twilight's chin. “Why don't we get started, then?”
Before Twilight could nod, Cadence pressed forward. There was confusion for a moment, before Twilight realized that Cadence was kissing her. Bewilderment lit up throughout Twilight's body, but if she was supposed to obey, she wasn't supposed fight back.
What kind of Princess Training had Twilight gotten herself into?
Twilight Sparkle had never worn boots before. Cadence had instructed her to wear the same type of boots that she was wearing. The leather encasing her legs would have been fine on their own, but the horseshoe heels made Twilight unsteady. She felt like a newborn foal for the amount of stability her legs had.
Her mind was reeling after the kiss. She didn't understand what the kiss had to do with anything. She had an inkling of a notion but she wasn't ready to face it, yet. If she was right, if her hunch was right...there was going to be a lot of dark, sexual things she was about to face. Things she had never thought of besides a passing observation from a picture she had seen in a book. She hoped she wasn't right...she wasn't sure if she could face the dark, erotic thoughts in her mind.
Cadence's gaze was dark and erotic in itself, as she watched Twilight pull the boots on. She looked hungry, but composed enough to stand still. When Twilight was done, she went up with her, pulling a wooden box open in the process. A leather collar slipped out of the box, guided by her glowing magic. It had the same ring dangling off of it that matched the collar around Cadence's neck. With her magic, she wound the leather collar around Twilight's neck, above the steel ring that bound her magic.
“This collar represents ownership. You have dominion over people as a leader, yet they also own you as well. Their demands, their needs can dominate you, own you, and you may crumble under the pressure under them. However, in this chamber, it will be used as a method of discipline. While you are in this chamber and the chambers of Princess Luna and Queen Celestia, you are their property until they deem otherwise. You are submissive. You will obey without question. Only they can release you from this. Understand, though, that although you may be released from this physical collar, being bound by obligation as a ruler will be a collar you will always wear, whether you want to or not, while you are in the position of Princess. Get it?”
“Yes,” Twilight murmured, her heart beating faster at the words.
“Yes?”
“Yes, Mistress Cadence.” she was quick to correct herself.
Cadence nuzzled her in approval. “Good girl. Now, make your way over to the far corner of the room. There will be plush pillows and other things to get comfortable on.”
“Yes, Mistress Cadence.” The words tumbled from Twilight's lips just as clumsily as she felt on her feet. The horseshoe heels made her feel so unbalanced and they weren't even that far off of the ground. She wobbled and managed to get used to walking when Cadence spoke up again.
“Hind legs, Twilight. Walk there on your hind legs only.”
What. Walking on her hind legs was hard enough when she had bare hooves. In these heels? She would fall flat on her face. She would be so unstable–
“That's an order, Twilight. You get up on your hind legs, now.”
The cold tone was back and it made Twilight flinch. The hesitation was enough for Cadence to retrieve her riding crop. It sailed through the air and smacked itself across Twilight's flank, a mark of disapproval.
“Yes, Mistress Cadence,” Twilight gasped through the short burst of pain. There was nothing to help pull herself up on her hind legs, so she braced herself against the far wall, using it to support her. If she thought she had felt unsteady on all fours, that was nothing compared to being on her wobbly, unsteady hind legs. She wavered, then dared to try walking. She was okay for the first few steps before she felt her legs shaking and froze.
Cadence's cool voice rang over to her, non-threatening in tone but the words were like a slap in the face. “I advise you not to fall over, dear Twilight. My riding crop likes to pick up stragglers, if you get my drift.”
Twilight understood. If she fell over, she would get whipped. The pressure was on, double what it was before. Not only would she have to walk in these ridiculous boots, but she would have to do it without falling over.
Just to add insult to injury, Cadence strode by, perfectly balanced on her hind legs. She walked with a swagger that spoke of practice, her tail swishing casually with the movement of her legs.
“I don't have all day, Twilight. The longer you keep me waiting, the longer you keep the others waiting. Princess Luna is impatient and Queen Celestia does not tolerate tardiness in this area of study. Get it?”
Her criticism ground into Twilight, driving her to walk with a larger stride. Her legs shook with the effort to stay upright and when she slipped, she braced herself against the wall. Why was something so seemingly simple as walking so...difficult? It seemed like it had taken a million years to catch up to Cadence and her hind legs ached with the effort of carrying her full body weight, when she was meant to stay balanced on all fours.
Cadence stood in front of her, blocking her path to the mounds of pillows. “If you would like to get off of your hind legs, ask me nicely.”
“Can I get off of my hind legs, please?” she thought it sounded perfectly polite, until that riding crop came back into view, pushing her chin up once more.
“I shouldn't have to remind you how to address me,” Cadence snapped.
Twilight's mind blanked for the briefest moment. What was she supposed to do? All she wanted was to get off of her hind legs.
The riding crop swung again, powered by Cadence's aggressive magic. The leather bit into her chest this time, drawing a loud gasp.
“You obviously don't know how to listen, Twilight. I've told you how to address me. You always address me this way, even when you're asking me a pretty little question.”
It was hard for Twilight to pull herself back into her own head with the swipe of pain. Her mind was still reeling about what was going on. Everything was moving so fast. It seemed like just minutes ago she was still back in her home, arguing with Spike.
Not to keep Cadence waiting any further, she blurted, “Please, can I get off of my hind legs, Mistress Cadence?”
The aggression bled out of Cadence's expression at the correct method of addressing. “Yes, my dear Twilight. Please, do get comfortable here. There are plenty of pillows to lie down on.”
The quick change in demeanor was so strange to Twilight, but she was more than relieved to settle back on all fours. The pressure on her hind legs vanished as she sank back to her normal stance and found a nice purple pillow to lie down on.
Cadence circled around her, stepping carefully over the piles of pillows that lay on the stone floor. “Now then, Twilight. That was a very small test to see how well you take direction. You're going to have a lot more of them from me. You might be humiliated while here. That's okay if you are. Everything here is meant to make you stronger. You just might need a small push at first.”
With that, Cadence poised herself directly over Twilight. Twilight froze when she felt her former foal sitter's body on top of hers and tried not to flinch when she felt Cadence nip at her ear.
The velvet whisper in her ear was seductive and smooth in the order it gave. “Now then, be a dear and flip over onto your back, Twilight.”
“Yes, Mistress Cadence,” came the automatic reply. Twilight wasn't sure why she was suddenly short of breath. As she turned over, she came chest-to-chest with Cadence, their muzzles almost touching. Being this close to the Princess of love drew the breath right out of Twilight for some reason.
“Don't be nervous,” Cadence murmured, leaning down to nuzzle her. “You look exquisite in your boots and collar, Twilight. Wear it with pride. Be proud of the Princess you are and the Princess you will become. Here in this chamber, the only social expectations you have are the ones I lay down for you. Anything else...don't worry about it...”
Twilight couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as she felt Cadence moving. Her hind legs were being spread apart by the Princess above her. As she was being moved, she felt oddly exposed, oddly vulnerable, and for some reason that made her heart beat faster in sweet, agonizing anticipation. It was completely inappropriate for her to feel this way, yet she craved more contact with the Princess above her. The teasing feel of her warmth and of her soft body wasn't enough. It didn't make any sense for her to feel this way. Shouldn't she be more concerned about Cadence's marriage? Did her marriage mean anything, down here? Yet, with as close as the Princess was, Twilight felt her rational mind getting quieter and quieter. Her rational mind seemed to be a figure dipped in mud, far away out of her reach and drippy with confusion.
“Ooh, what's the matter, my sweet Twilight? Do you want something?”
She did. Curse her, but she did. The problem was, Twilight Sparkle had no idea of how to phrase what she wanted. She didn't know what she wanted, exactly. It was so crazy. She had never felt this before. She didn't even know what this was, that she felt. She just felt breathless, dizzy to Cadence's presence and yet she didn't want the tease to stop.
Cadence pressed in closer, her tongue lapping at Twilight's ear. “I know you heard me, Princess. That means you answer.”
“Yes,” Twilight groaned, squirming under her. “Yes, Mistress Cadence. I heard you. But, what I want...I don't know what I want...”
Cadence let out a little laugh that was a warm breath of air against Twilight's ear. She felt Twilight squirm again under her. “Oh, so I got my dear Twilight all worked up, did I? From that? That was nothing, my dear. Why don't I show you something bigger and better?”
Twilight wanted to ask her what she meant, but she was still breathless and speechless and completely disabled of coherent thought. She was vaguely disappointed as Cadence got off of her and moved towards something she couldn't see.
“Stay still, Princess Twilight. I have a surprise for you.”
She didn't answer, but Cadence didn't seem to expect one that time. Instead, Cadence drew a length of chain from under a pillow. Two iron shackles were attached to the chains that jingled their way up to her until she had them in hoof. The shackles had an inner leather padding, as if that would take the bite of the metal off of the wearer's wrists. The chain attached to a simple pulley system high up overhead, hidden by the shadows in the dark room. She came up to Twilight and slid the leather-lined wrist cuffs around her front hooves.
“What–”
“I hope you're not talking,” Cadence cut her off. “I don't remember giving you permission to.”
Twilight fell still as Cadence turned to the closest wall, where the pulley system attached to. She cranked the chain through, tightening the slack until Twilight was pulled with it, giving her room to only lay but no slack on the chain to move around. The chain pulled her front hooves up near her head, leaving her rear hooves free and exposed.
With the chain locked to prevent slack, Cadence returned to Twilight, settling over her once more. “Don't fret, pretty Princess. I thought I'd give you a small reward for being obedient so far.”
Reward? Twilight had no idea how being chained was a reward. She could feel the metal bite of the shackles biting into her skin, even through the leather lining and the leather of her boots. The leather did little more than cushion the iron against her. She could twist around, sort of, but moving beyond what the chain allowed her to do was impossible.
“Don't move, Twilight,” Cadence ordered, her voice soft once more.
Twilight felt the breath leave her body once more. Cadence dropped a kiss on her. This wasn't the same kind of kiss she had given the first time. Her lips were firmly sealed against Twilight's until she opened, allowing her tongue to lick at Twilight's lips. The sensation was something Twilight wasn't expecting, and as she opened her mouth in surprise, Cadence slipped her tongue through, to lick at hers.
Some sort of noise escaped Twilight. She didn't recognize what it was, didn't hear the moan that left her. Cadence heard it and pulled away, a knowing smirk glowing on her face. She moved up, pushing her chest into Twilight's face as she went after her horn. Twilight gasped as Cadence's tongue lavished her horn at the base, licking up to the tip. She breathed in Cadence's scent and moaned against her once more.
Cadence gave a small noise of approval before continuing her ascent up Twilight's body. The chain that dangled from the ceiling to Twilight's hooves had so little slack that she could use it to hoist herself up. Her hind legs parted around Twilight's mouth. She grinned down at the shocked pony beneath her.
“Say hello, Twilight. Don't be afraid. Use your mouth.”
Oh, my. Twilight had an inkling of what Cadence meant but was it right? Did she want it? Cadence certainly did. Twilight nudged at Cadence with her nose at first, then dared to use her mouth, as Cadence said. Her tongue lapped at what Cadence offered and she was rewarded with a moan from the Princess above her.
“That's it, Twilight. Like that...”
Encouraged by her response, Twilight lapped at her once again. Cadence's breathy moans let her know what she liked. Her heart was liable to pound right out of her chest at this rate, but she kept at it, using Cadence's responses to tease her, pleasuring her in a way she thought she would never be, with another mare.
“Fuck, yeah, Twilight. Let me show you how that feels.”
Before Twilight could respond, Cadence was moving again, turning herself around so, while she was still poised over Twilight's mouth, she could reach down Twilight's body at the same time. Twilight tensed when she felt her hot breath between her hind legs, so close to the same spot she was under.
“Lick me while I lick you. Together. Like this.”
Cadence parted her hind legs and lowered her head. Electricity shot through Twilight's body as she felt a hot tongue sliding over her. This was the same kind of electricity that had tingled through her before, at the simple feel of Cadence's breath on her ear, but this was amplified tenfold. One stroke of her tongue and she felt as though she was melting and yet tensed by the electric, erotic current that flowed between them.
“Don't leave me all alone,” Cadence murmured against her moist skin. “I attend to you, you attend to me.”
Twilight fought the electric current and focused on what was above her. Cadence was wet, slicker than she had been before. Twilight hurried to lap at this, again using Cadence's moans of encouragement to direct her on where to go. She moaned into Cadence's body as the pleasure was returned. She didn't know how to interpret what was going on, didn't know how to handle it. Her pleasure sensors were overloaded, she was going to–
“Wait a moment,” Cadence interrupted in the haze of pleasure. “I think you're about to come, and I can't have that. Not yet.”
Come? Was that what it was called? Twilight had so little experience in this field that, beyond what she had studied, she had no idea of what to expect. All she knew was what Cadence was doing, moving again like she was the first time, her legs parting Twilight's. Twilight moaned as she felt something warm press directly against that sweet pleasure spot Cadence had been licking just a moment ago. She moaned and pulled at the shackles but with their tension, they refused to yield. All she saw was Cadence leaning back, her wet warmth pressed directly against hers. Her hips moved in a sinuous wave and there was a beautiful blossom of pleasure as they rubbed against each other.
Twilight wanted to shout out Cadence's name as Cadence drove her further and further towards breaking point. Her moans must have told Cadence how close she was to losing it. The peak of the pleasure was right there, right there at the edge for her...
And that was when Cadence pulled away.
“No, no, no,” Twilight gasped, before she could collect herself. With no friction there to continue the pleasure, the peak was out of her grasp, as if she had been whisked away. Tears clouded her vision and she had no idea why.
Cadence moved quickly, tugging at the ring on the collar Twilight wore. “I said not to speak unless spoken to, Princess. I don't need to discipline you already, do I?”
Twilight's head thrashed from side to side, a protest to the pleasure she had lost and the only way she could tell Cadence no. “I'm sorry....Mistress Cadence.”
She moaned again as Cadence's tongue swept up her neck.
“Good girl.” Cadence was clearly worked up herself. Erotic cruelty made her eyes wild and wide. She took a moment to compose herself, then continued speaking to Twilight. “I told you one of the things you would have to learn is control. That means when I stop whatever I'm doing, you learn to control yourself. I don't give a damn how close you are to coming. You will do so when I give you permission to. Understand?”
“Yes, Mistress Cadence. But I need...I need...” Twilight was at such a loss for words. It was so pathetic. She prided herself so much on her academic studies, yet she couldn't seem to grasp any word that described what she needed. All she knew was that heated moment of pleasure had been the highlight of anything that had ever happened to her. That one little tease was the most tantalizing thing she'd ever had.
“I need more,” she finally gasped.
Cadence leaned in to nip at her ear. “More you will get, Twilight. Don't worry about that. But first...you need to learn control. I will be the one to teach it to you. You better get ready, because there's a lot more of that coming up.”
It took every ounce of willpower Twilight had to nod her head. “Yes, Mistress Cadence.”
Cadence licked her ear, taking a moment to lavish her horn with another lick. Then she stepped away from Twilight and dug under a pillow, pushing a small wooden box out from under it with her nose.
Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but feel weary about the box Cadence had presented. She was strung out from being denied what her body so desperately needed. Her stress management had never been particularly well handled. Spike knew that. Princess – no, Queen Celestia knew that after the fiasco with her enchanted Smarty Pants doll. She wasn't sure if she could handle what was to come. Cadence had just about tortured her by stopping.
The box glowed pink as Cadence's magic opened it. Out popped a small, somewhat phallic looking device. Twilight did know what it was, embarrassingly enough, when she had gotten too curious about her growing urges. It was something Spike didn't even know about. She would have died if he had found out what she was doing with one.
Cadence's wings spread out in anticipation, once she saw the expression that flickered across Twilight's face. “Oh, I think you know what this is. That look on your face...”
How Twilight wished that she could speak freely. She could have denied what Cadence said, despite how it was true. The most she could do was shake her head slightly, but Cadence only gave her a knowing wink.
“There's no shame in it, Twi,” Cadence said, giving her a nudge along with the affectionate nickname. “We all have urges and you've grown into a beautiful young mare. I'd rather it was with a toy like this instead of a colt that would break your heart, personally.”
Was that some sort of approval from her former foal sitter? More importantly, Twilight could have sworn it was getting hotter. Heat flooded her face from the embarrassment.
Cadence approached Twilight, her chosen toy in tow, floating with her pink magic. “Now then, back to what I was saying. I want you to learn control, Twilight. So often are we guided by instinct and impulse but as a leader, we can't always say what we want to. We can't always do what we want to. Bound by tradition and expectation are we. Some tradition is ridiculously outdated, but we are expected to keep it up.”
She settled beside Twilight's hindquarters, one wing tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I bet you're wondering why a tradition like this is kept up with. Nod your head if you are interested.”
It was an honest intrigue. Twilight Sparkle nodded.
Cadence spread Twilight's hind legs once more. “I expect you to keep your legs spread while I talk. If you waver or close on me, I will forcibly part them. I have another pair of shackles hiding around here. Got it?”
Twilight nodded again, feeling the adrenaline thrum through her body once more. Her legs would be straining from constantly staying in a position she was never in but she didn't want to be restrained along all four limbs.
The pink Princess beside her lay between her legs, maneuvering the toy between her hooves but not doing anything with it at first. “Many, many years before Queen Celestia was born, the land was dominated by Kings and Princes. Us ladies were no more than concubines with a fancy title, there to pop out foals and, more importantly, male heirs. We let the Kings control us and the Princesses of that era were hardly treated with care. They were often locked up like this, treated similar to how you are. Tied up, shackled. Until one Princess stood up for herself. She had a spirit no pony could break and she overpowered her dominating husband. Since then, she developed a system any future Princess.”
Twilight couldn't imagine any King treating his subjects like that, much less his own wife. It sounded like a dark time, which more than explained the soft candor of Cadence's voice.
Cadence glanced up at Twilight's exposed body. “It seems so strange for a lady fighting so hard to get out of this position to form a tradition where others endure the same treatment. However, her words remain strong through the ages. Face this so you will never face it again. We are meant to be broken to be built stronger. Since then, it is tradition. No Princess has ever broken it. Queen Celestia will not be the first to. I am expected to keep it going. Once you complete this, you will be expected to as well. You understand the importance of this, don't you?”
Twilight nodded, as she had to the rest of Cadence's questions. However, her legs, as expected, started to fail in their steadiness. The shaking in her limbs was visible as she struggled to keep herself spread, as she had been instructed.
Cadence's eyes caught the tiny tremors. “Oh, look at what I've done. I've talked for so long that you seem to be having...trouble.”
With that, she used her mouth to pick up the toy she had been nudging with her hooves. The toy was only maybe five inches long and somewhat artistic at that. Should the disconcerting eye glance at it, they would think it was some strange form of art, just a twist of colored glass. The subtle contours defined it for the sex toy it was. Glass dildo in mouth, Cadence leaned in close, brushing over Twilight's thigh with it. The sudden movement was small, but it seemed magnified tenfold for Twilight. She felt the cool glass on her fur and her skin, could feel every strand of fur that was parted to let the glass through.
Cadence drew back, then allowed her magic to hold onto the toy so she could speak. “You're so sensitive, Twilight. I wish you could see the expression on your face. Just the smallest movement brings the most exquisite reaction...”
With that, the glowing toy made its way back to the sweet spot between Twilight's legs. Twilight bit her lip as she felt the toy move, ever so slowly, until it came to the folds Cadence had been lavishing with licks earlier.
Twilight was twitching with the effort it took to stay still and obedient. Part of her wanted Cadence to just get it over with so she could rest her poor legs. Another part of her relished in how drawn out it was and she didn't know why. The anticipation of what Cadence would do shouldn't have been such sweet torture.
The toy would have penetrated the soft flesh it teased, but Cadence pulled it away. Twilight couldn't help how she squirmed, teased and denied yet again.
Cadence leaned in, her tongue lapping at the flesh that had been denied. The cry Twilight gave escaped too soon, before she could silence herself.
“Wait, my Princess. I wouldn't want you to break my pretty toy...” The amusement in Cadence's voice set Twilight off even more, making her pedal her hind legs in the air helplessly.
Cadence returned the toy to the box it had been drawn from. A similar toy was drawn from the box by the glowing pink magic she exuded. This toy was similar in shape, but made of a sturdier material. Soft rubber wasn't common in Ponyville. It was imported from cities like Manehattan to Canterlot. This toy would be able to withstand Twilight's needs.
“Do you want more, Twilight?” Cadence asked, knowing exactly what the reply would be. “Go ahead and answer that.”
She might have been given the chance to speak, but again, Twilight was struck speechless. How exactly was she supposed to put her needs into words, give voice to the strange sensations she had awoken within her?
The only thing she could do was gasp, “Please...”
Cadence resumed her spot between her hind legs, the new toy in tow by way of magic. This time, she didn't waste any time. The toy found Twilight's sweet spot and the purple alicorn arched up, pulling at the chains that held her front hooves above her head. The toy barely penetrated her but it had her arching into it, trying to get more of what she wanted.
“Stay still,” Cadence said, her voice firm in tone but soft in volume.
Time seemed to tick by slower as Twilight composed herself as still as possible. Her legs still shook from how long she had been holding the same pose. She wouldn't be able to hold her legs like this forever. How exactly was she supposed to convey that? Cadence might think it was a good thing if her leg muscles were worn out.
The toy parted her and slid in, slowly, so slowly. Twilight ground her teeth together, trying to fight against what she wanted, which was to rock against it. She had almost no practice with this, with the toy that Spike didn't even know about. Not that she ever had a chance to use it. The most it could have done was stretch her out, making it easier to accept this toy into her.
When it was finally inside, Cadence's magic rocked it back and forth ever so slightly, causing the smallest amount of friction. While it was moving, she eyed Twilight with approval. “Good girl. You took that in nicely. Makes me think you've had practice at this before.”
The comment made Twilight's face heat up again and Cadence laughed at it. “That's okay, we all have our own desires. Your job now, is to give in to them...to a certain extent. Resist the pleasure when it gets to be too much.”
How? How was that possible? The toy seemed larger than it really was, threatening to swallow her up from the inside-out...and that was from barely any movement. What would happen if Cadence decided to do more?
No time to think about that. She could feel the toy moving out of her, creating the most delicious friction. She had to suck back a gasp as the toy moved back inside, then out. The movement was slow, but it was enough to make her rational mind slip far, far away. All she knew was that wondrous feeling of being stretched and filled, over and over. She was tingly, she was hot all over...and Cadence had barely started.
Twilight couldn't help the moan that escaped her whenever the movement became faster. The toy was filling up her body, the pleasure was filling up her mind. She was so lost in it that she didn't know what else to do but give in to it, letting it rock her back and forth on the stone floor. Her cries were tiny mewls of pleasure, so soft in the large room but so loud in her ears.
“Let's go a little faster, Princess. Remember, as good as it feels, resist the pleasure. You don't get to come until I say so.”
Some form of reply escaped Twilight, but it wasn't anything intelligible. The noise was so foreign to the bookish pony but at the same time she didn't care. The movement was faster, rougher. The pleasure rose higher, out of her reach. Cadence was merciless in the control over the toy, making it move faster as Twilight squirmed and cried out. The chains rustled among the little slack they were allowed to have as Twilight pulled at them. The pleasure was rising faster, out of control. She wouldn't be able to resist it if it were to shatter her apart.
In the midst of the haze of pleasure, she heard Cadence hissing at her, “Resist it, Twilight. If you come without my permission, be ready to face punishment for disobeying me.”
How was she supposed to resist? Her head thrashed from side to side as cry after cry ripped from her throat. She was going to lose it. She was going to come and disobey the Princess because of it and there was nothing she could do–
“No, no, no!”
All rational thought had been obliterated from her mind as Cadence withdrew the toy from her. The pleasure she had been drowning in vanished once more, for the second time. Feeling the tease of orgasm denied to her twice made Twilight wild with protest, despite the consequences she faced for it. This was torture, pure torture.
Cadence's gaze was on fire as she set the dripping toy back in the box it had come from. Her horn glowed stronger and Twilight felt herself being lifted up, rear end first. She was dangling upside-down when Cadence approached her, riding crop in her mouth.
“I told you there would be punishment for disobeying me. That includes speaking.” Cadence's words were distorted from the object in her mouth but her voice was still harsh.
Twilight was about to apologize when she felt a sharp smack of pain on her flank. The riding crop marked her once, twice, three times before Cadence dropped her back to the floor. Her bottom stung with the spankings.
Cadence threw her head to the side once more, tossing the riding crop with the motion. “Now then, are you going to settle down? Nod your head to answer.”
Tears threatened to spill from Twilight's eyes, but she nodded.
“Apologize to me. Say, I'm sorry, Mistress Cadence. I won't be a bad girl again. And mean it when you say it.”
Twilight drew in a shaky breath to steady herself. The apology that tumbled from her lips was as sincere as she could make it.
“Good girl.” There was an odd glimmer in Cadence's eyes as she circled to the chains that held Twilight up. “Now, since you seem to have such a problem with your legs, I'm going to help you out a bit.”
Relief and pain combined themselves into the strangest cocktail as Cadence released her front legs from the cuffs. Feeling flooded back into her front hooves, which sent pinpricks of pain among the relief that came with having them released. Cadence's magic was everywhere in this room, making up for the movement she didn't have to make. The pulley released enough chain so she could move the cuffs to Twilight's rear legs. The cuffs were fastened around her hooves and pulled tight once more, forcing her exhausted hind legs up into the air without her having to hold them.
“You're letting the pleasure control you, Twilight,” Cadence said as she let Twilight hang by her hind hooves. She walked to a further point of the room. “I know it feels good, but that's exactly why you have to resist. Everything in life can be pleasurable, but that doesn't mean we give into it so wantonly. That's what creates indulgence without consequence...until it's too late. I can't let you leave this chamber until you get this right.”
Sex toys must have been hidden all over this chamber. Cadence pulled a longer phallic-shaped device out of one of her many hiding spots around the room. This one was angled, tipped with two heads, one on either side, meant for two to share. The sight of the toy was intimidating for Twilight, but if it was going to be used then there was a chance that she would finally be allowed release. She didn't even know why it was so important for her to be allowed to come. She just felt half-crazed with the need. This wasn't her usual behavior. Part of her was ashamed of herself for that...but the rest didn't care. The rest of her was desperate for that pleasure to go further than what it had been allowed do to before.
“You and I are going to do this right,” Cadence said. “First though, I'm going to need you to do something for me.”
Twilight eyed the pink silicone toy as the smaller side of the angled toy was held closer to her mouth.
“Suck.”
Twilight opened her mouth and the toy slipped in. The little bulb of silicone slipped in. Cadence's approval escaped her lips in a sort of affectionate growl. The toy was moved in and out of her mouth like the other toy had penetrated her. Twilight licked it the best she could, trying to stifle the gag that came from the motion.
“You are a good little girl,” Cadence said as she pulled the toy away. She licked her lips, then settled on the ground beside Twilight with the toy in hoof. A delicate little moan escaped her as she pushed the toy into the sweet spot between her hind legs, partly with her hooves and partly with her magic. When she stood up again, the toy dangled from her, giving her a silicone phallus that penetrated her and still left the other end waiting.
“Suck the other end now,” she instructed, standing over Twilight.
The toy dangled over her mouth, so Twilight leaned up and pulled it to her mouth with her hooves, licking and sucking like she had before. She felt Cadence's satisfied, hungry stare on her and glanced up for just the slightest moment to catch it. Something about that stare sent a spear of desire through her body.
“Enough,” Cadence said, pulling the dripping toy away. She pulled away from Twilight's mouth and stepped back some, to where Twilight's hind legs still dangled from the chains that held her in place.
Twilight gasped as the toy penetrated her. She and Cadence were joined by the same toy. As Cadence pressed forward, she felt the warmth of her body as she made full contact with her, the toy deep inside of both of them.
“You better be prepared to obey, this time, Twilight. I'm not going to go easy on you.”
That was the only warning Cadence gave, before she rose up on her hind legs, wrapping her front hooves up in what little slack the chains provided. Her hips rushed forward, moving the toy between them. Twilight hissed from the movement. She didn't know how she could control herself this time. She was half-crazed from the need to release and she didn't honestly know if she could control herself with Cadence this close, with her warm body so close...
There was something erotic and cruel in Cadence's gaze. Her wings spread apart eagerly at the double penetration between them and they ruffled and shivered with her. Her hips moved slowly at first, then faster, moving the toy between them. She drove the toy into Twilight's body mercilessly, taking in the moans that rose from the body beneath hers. She released her hold on the chains and allowed herself to fall over Twilight, pumping into her faster and faster. They were soon both in a frenzy, a sweating, panting, moaning frenzy driven by nothing but pleasure.
Twilight didn't know how much time had passed. Time seemed like an unnecessary concept when compared to the pleasure being driven into her body. It could have been seconds or hours before Cadence finally asked, “Do you want to come? Answer me.”
She struggled to find coherent words. “Yes, please. Please, Mistress Cadence. Let me come, please.”
Cadence moved her hips faster, penetrating faster. “Beg. I want to hear you beg more.”
Twilight moaned underneath her, not able to think properly. The begging that escaped her was genuine, driven by the pounding movement of the pony above her. “Please, Mistress Cadence, please. I need to come. I'm so desperate for it. Please let me come. I've been a bad girl and don't deserve it and I'm sorry but please let me come...”
Cadence was panting and moaning with her. Satisfied by the plea, she gasped, “Come with me. Right now. Come with me.”
The allowance had never been so desperately wanted. Twilight let her body give in to the pleasure completely, allowing Cadence to sweep her from a torturous plateau of pleasure and go beyond it. Her body lit up with heat and pleasure. Something she had never felt before overwhelmed her, over taking her with every breath in her body. She couldn't control it, just like she couldn't control the cries that were escaping her, each one louder than the last. Her hips were being rocked by the slamming movement of Cadence's hips, completely out of her control as she came, the pleasure on a completely different planet than what she had experienced before.
Above her, Cadence came, her body shuddering with the orgasm that surged through her as well. At the last moment, she activated her magic, pulling Twilight's upper half off of the ground, so she could capture her in a quick kiss. Her tongue slipped into Twilight's mouth, punctuated by a moan, before she released her.
Cadence's driving movements slowed once they had both come back down from the orgasm. Her hips moved slowly now, to match the affection in her gaze. “That's a good girl, Twilight. You came on demand. That's just perfect.”
The praise was glowing and affectionate. She pulled out of Twilight and used her magic to withdraw the toy from herself. Her head lowered and she lapped at the spot she had penetrated with the toy. Twilight shuddered when she felt her tongue, but it was only there for a moment before Cadence withdrew.
She was released from the cuffs next. The same cocktail of pain and relief mixed together in Twilight's hind legs as they were released from the position they had been forced in. She lay limply on the ground, unable to move.
Cadence lay next to her, cuddling close. There was affection in her voice when she murmured, “Rest, my dear Princess Twilight Sparkle. You've earned this.”
* * *
Twilight Sparkle had no idea for how long she had slept. When she awoke, she was still in the same spot she had been, with the addition of a pillow under head and a soft pink blanket over her body. She ached from how the chains had felt her, but it was a dull ache that pounded in the back of her mind, reminding her of what had happened.
Cadence was sitting nearby, sipping tea from a magically raised teacup. When she saw that Twilight was awake, she put the cup down. “Twilight.”
“This was real?” Twilight asked before she could stop herself. “Not a dream?”
Cadence opened her mouth to snap at Twilight for speaking, but found herself laughing instead. “Yes, this is real. You did a very good job, Twilight. I'd like to say you're ready for the next part of this training.”
Somehow, Twilight had expected more. At the same time, she was relieved to find that she hadn't failed at the task she had been assigned. She kept silent, looking up at Cadence expectantly.
Cadence pointed to the far wall with her muzzle. “There's a door over there. Go through it and it will take you to a set of stairs. Go up and you shall find Mistress Luna's chamber. Good luck Twilight. You've started something great here. Mistress Luna will ensure that the training sticks.”
That sweet, torturous anticipation flooded Twilight once more at the thought of leaving this chamber. From what Cadence had said earlier, Luna was a tougher teacher. She had been all instinct and adrenaline with Cadence. What would Luna be like?
Cadence must have seen the hesitance in Twilight's expression. She strode over and gave her a nuzzle. “Go on. You have to be brave here, Princess. We all have to be brave. As this training session is over, you are unbound by my rules. Mistress Luna will have some for you. I don't require you to call me Mistress beyond this point.”
With that, she glanced around, almost sheepishly and added, “And...I hope this hasn't ruined my image for you, Twiley. But as I said, this is tradition and none of us dare to be the first to break it. So unfortunately, this is one of the darker sides to being a Princess.”
Despite the fear that had been instilled in her earlier, Twilight couldn't bring herself to hate Cadence. The relationship between them seemed to have been rebuilt somehow, borne in the fire and flames of their small session together.
“I could never hate you,” Twilight finally said.
“Good. Now go on. Don't keep Mistress Luna waiting.”
Twilight took one more look at Cadence, taking in her sex-ruffled body and nodded. She didn't say anything else to her former foal sitter, but instead went to look for the door. She pushed it open and found the promised staircase that led up in a spiral. The stairway was dimly lit by torches that didn't seem to give off enough light.
There was something ominous lurking for her upstairs. Maybe it was just what Cadence had said about Luna...but Twilight knew there was something ominous on the other side of the staircase, waiting for her. She wanted to run back to the safety of Cadence's chamber. Yet, she stepped forward, climbing the staircase one hoof at a time.
Twilight Sparkle wasn't sure if she should knock on the door that the staircase led to. She wanted to get out of the dark hallway, but she didn't want to just burst in like she was expected, even if she was. Cadence's words had gotten to her about Luna. Luna seemed strict. She didn't want to start things off on the wrong hoof with a bad impression. Caution probably wouldn't hurt here.
She knocked with her booted front hoof on the heavy oak door. There was a moment of silence, then permission was given.
“You may enter, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Please be sure to keep your head down and your gaze at the floor when you enter.”
The request was odd, but there was nothing conventional about the situation she was in. She pushed the door in, her gaze at the floor just as Luna had instructed. The stone floor beneath her booted hooves was much like the floor in Cadence's chamber, with a small exception. Tiny lunar decorations marked the corners of the stone tiles, giving her a small pathway to walk on. She followed the tiny crescent moon designs in a straight path, until Luna instructed her to halt.
“Raise your head, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, her voice close as she approached.
Twilight glanced up slowly, unsure of what to expect. Luna's chamber was large and dimly lit, like Cadence's. There were a few things she could see from the corner of her eye that startled her, but before she had a chance to properly inspect them, Luna came into view. The Princess of the night bore the same collar Cadence wore, although the ring that dangled from it bore a tiny crescent moon charm. She wore a beautifully crafted corset. Leather bound her body into a beautiful feminine shape and the lace only added to the charm. The leather continued down her hind legs, in the same manner of boots that Cadence wore. Luna was beautiful in a dark way, sexual in the way that only the night could bring. Her tail was bound with a leather and lace tie that matched her corset, raising the hairs up enough to leave her exposed.
“Look at me, Princess,” Luna said, her voice soft but firm in its instruction. As Twilight's gaze met hers, Twilight saw the same dark eye makeup that ringed Luna's gaze. Her eyelashes seemed longer than usual, fuller. She was some otherworldly creature, not the Princess that Twilight was used to.
“You are here because you have consented to Princess Cadence's treatment and have passed her inspection. My training will not be like hers. It is more dangerous and there will be more discipline involved, should you disobey. You have the option to back out at any time. Do you understand? You have permission to speak.”
“I understand,” Twilight said softly. Her heart was beating fast once more at Luna's words. Cadence preferred her riding crop for discipline and that in itself hurt with its short, fast stings. What exactly did Luna have for her?
“Do you give me permission to teach you the old trainings? Be aware that the point is to push you to and beyond breaking. That is why you have the option to back out. Do you wish to continue? Speak accordingly.”
Twilight had to wonder what would happen if she insisted on going home. Relieved of responsibilities as a Princess, no doubt. Again came the thought of facing her friends, knowing she hadn't even tried.
She nodded. “I want to continue. Yes.”
“Cadence must have told you the safety word all Princesses abide by. Banana. It seems ridiculous and simple, but that is the point. There's no point in getting you to say stop if that is a part of the play and stop means to keep going. Likewise, you will keep using banana. Should you need to stop at any point, please make use of it. I will stop immediately, no questions asked.”
Twilight wanted to ask about the reasoning behind the word banana. Like the rumors about Queen Celestia and cake, there were other rumors spreading about her love for bananas. She wondered if that had something to do with it. Not that she was going to ask. Not here.
Luna walked to a small table, where there were different whips assembled in a neat line. “As you can see here, I have my whip collection on display. I have many to choose from, but this one will be my go-to discipline tool. I'm introducing you now, but your obedience will determine if you will meet again, and to what degree.”
The whip's main body was a dark, midnight blue. It split off into different sections, or tails, each one either black, midnight blue or purple. The cat o' nine tails was colored to Luna's liking. Her personal disciplinary method of choice.
The sight of the whip made Twilight draw in a nervous breath. The riding crop Cadence used was quick, with a simple enough shape. Each tail of the whip Luna bore was meant to inflict pain along with its sisters. She imagined it would sting. The obvious choice would have to be obedient and avoid the sting of the multiple tails.
Luna kept the cat o' nine tails with her, using her magic to tap it in the same manner Cadence had. “First, a test. You should be able to pass this with ease.”
Twilight was quizzed on what Cadence had taught her. Her egg head instincts kicked in strong, pulling from memory the answers that she hadn't realized she had latched onto with Cadence's teachings. She was questioned about the origins of their dark ritual, of her place in line and how to properly address each of them. In theory, in a calm setting like this, her brain worked quickly to seek the correct answers. Somehow in the haze of pleasure and pain that Cadence had introduced to her, she had remembered the right thing to say. Egg head until the end, maybe, but it proved to work in her favor for this task.
“As always, you are a diligent student,” Luna said. “Queen Celestia will be pleased. Your successful studies have always been something she has been proud of. This will work in your favor.”
The praise was small, but Twilight practically glowed with it. Everything she had known about Equestrian royalty might have been flipped upside down, but her studies were a constant in her life, just the same as before to assure her that her life was still somewhat normal.
“Now, then, to start. Along the wall to your right will be a table that is tall in height but lacking in length. Walk on your hind legs and find it. Drape your front legs over this table and wait for further instruction. Confirm my order.”
The words tumbled from Twilight's lips. “Yes, Mistress Luna.”
More of the hind leg walking. Twilight wanted to protest and question why, yet part of her understood the strange method behind this. Humiliation, plain and simple. This was a way of establishing order. Establishing dominance without having to raise a voice or a whip. Humiliation came from being put in an unnatural stance, forced to walk what seemed like miles across the room. The realization was a shock to her. She wasn't sure why she suddenly understood, but with the understanding came a certain power. Some of the fear of the unknown faded when the understanding set in.
This, like so many other things she had faced, was just one more test.
She was still shaky as she propped herself up on her hind legs. With the understanding of the walk on her side, she kept her chin up proudly, even as she wobbled. True to Luna's word was the table nearby. It was tall enough for her to lean on, at her current shaky stance, but it might have only been wide enough to support only a portion of her body. It seemed so far away with her unsteadiness. She drew in a breath and put one hoof in front of the other, praying that her focus would pay off.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Twilight was at the table. Her legs threatened to give out on her and drop her back to her natural four-legged stance but she steadied herself against the table, using it for support. It was just wide enough to lean her chest on.
There was the sound of the metal on stone, from the metal horse shoes on the bottom of the boots as Luna walked. The rhythmic sound grew closer until Luna was next to her. The Princess of the night chuckled. “However wobbly you may seem, you have good instincts. I intended to have you in that very stance. Stay still now.”
“Yes, Mistress,” Twilight said in confirmation, although she had not been given permission to speak. The confirmation must have been met with approval, because Luna said nothing to reprimand it.
Luna approached the front of the table, where two lengths of chain hung off of the side. One end of both lengths of chain was looped around the table leg and welded closed, not meant to come off. The other end of both lengths of chain held leather cuffs. The inner side of the cuffs were cushioned with fleece, as if to soften the grip of the leather. Wordlessly, Luna worked at the zipper and pulled at each of Twilight's front boots. Once they were free of her hooves, she let them fall carelessly to the floor, replacing them with a fleece-lined cuff.
“Stay still. There is more to come.” Luna's voice was soft but full of certain authority.
It wasn't as though Twilight had much of a choice. Chained to the table, she didn't have much room to move, unless she wanted to drag the table with her. She watched as Luna slipped from her line of sight. She couldn't turn and glance at the other Princess, but she did hear the abrupt rasp of another device opening, one she was sure was meant for her.
A spreader bar stood between Twilight's hind legs, ready to separate her. The black metal seemed to gleam in the dim lighting of the chamber. Luna maneuvered Twilight's hind legs apart, fastening the metal cuff of one side of the spreader bar around one hind hoof. The second hoof had to be pushed apart further to accommodate the spreader bar's width. Twilight fell forward onto her chest, thrown off balance.
“Almost done,” Luna said. “You're doing good so far, Princess. Very obedient. It's a good sign.”
Where Luna vanished off to next, Twilight didn't know. She heard the rattling of chains above her, coming closer. There must have been a pulley system of some sort in this room as well. Luna's hoof steps returned and Twilight felt her wings being pulled up and bound into cuffs as well, at the base. She could still technically move her wings, but the range of movement was bound by the leather cuffs that held her in place.
Next to be bound was her tail, gathered up and away from her sensitive areas in the same manner that Luna's was. Twilight felt her tail pulled higher up and bound. She felt bare, oddly exposed, with her tail pushed out of the way.
“Just a few more things,” Luna said, her voice soft once more.
Twilight couldn't get a reading off of her voice, of what those few things meant. She sounded so calm, as if this were an every day occurrence. Yet, with each new item that she was bound with, she felt a slight flicker of fear nip at her. She had never been this limited in her ability to move before.
“Open your mouth.”
Twilight obeyed the new command as Luna returned to her line of sight. A rubber ball was pushed into her mouth. She almost gagged at it, from surprise and the biting taste. It too was being bound to her, behind her head.
The final touches were a leash clipped to the ring at the front of her collar and a blindfold. The blindfold slipped over her eyes and blocked out what little light was available. It was this touch that completed her outfitting. Twilight was having trouble breathing from the ball gag, but with her movement and sight restricted, fear set in faster, flooding her like an ice cold river of adrenaline. She was completely exposed and restricted from moving, completely at Luna's mercy. Luna could do whatever she liked to Twilight and not only would Twilight not be able to see it coming, but she couldn't do anything to fight back.
Panic clawed its way up Twilight's throat.
Luna's voice broke through from in front of her, thankfully giving her some sense of direction and orientation. “I'm going to test you again, Twilight Sparkle. Answer to the best of your abilities. A nod for a yes, a shake of the head for a no. Alternatively, one hoof stamp for a yes, two for a no. Understood?”
Twilight swallowed the scream that threatened to escape her and nodded.
The questions Luna asked were more or less the same as before, just in a different order and with different wording. The answers should have been the same. Should have been. In a calm setting where Twilight felt as though she could fight back, the purple alicorn felt some sort of power. She felt confident. This was different. Bound, deprived of sight and movement and even the ability to communicate properly, Twilight's brain scrambled itself. She knew the answers, she knew them. She just couldn't think of them fast enough. Her nods or hoof stamps were half guesses, based off of fleeting thoughts that entered her mind. She had no idea of if what she had answered was correct or not, and Luna never gave any indication. The questions just kept coming, with no confirmation of right or wrong.
When it was over, Twilight only felt disappointment flood her. She had failed. Luna hadn't said anything of it yet, but she knew. Her egg head intuition never proved wrong in her studies.
“I'm disappointed, Twilight,” Luna's voice said, moving behind her. The soft fall of hooves and metal horse shoes on stone followed the sound of her voice. “You did so well earlier, when there was no pressure. Now that you're all pretty and bound, you can't seem to handle it.”
Failed. Twilight hung her head. What would happen to her now that she had failed this test? Panic crawled its way through the disappointment once more, making her breath come out in fast, short gasps. Whatever Luna decided to do as punishment, she wouldn't be able to see it coming.
“Now what exactly would happen if this were a real situation and someone more cruel than I were to hold you captive and torture you for government secrets? Would you crack under the pressure like you just did? Weak Princess. A Princess cannot rule if she breaks as easily as you did. She would crumble under the first neigh-sayer. A Princess must be strong under pressure, must be able to keep her head and her wits about her.”
An apology was ripe on Twilight's lips but she bit it back, not wanting to incur more of Luna's disappointment and possible wrath. Instead, she kept her head down. That was, until she felt the slight tickle of something run over her body. She jumped and shivered.
“Now, how to ensure that this doesn't happen again?”
The cat o' nine tails was caressing her. Twilight couldn't see, but she could guess. Each tail of the whip ran over her back, stirring up every strand of fur it came across. It was a hint. Luna meant to whip her. Twilight could feel that a mile away.
“You answered seven questions incorrectly. Seven kisses from my whip should do it.”
Twilight tensed at Luna's words, expecting the whip to smack her at any second. Instead, the whip continued to caress its way down her back, heading to her flank and tail.
“Ready?”
Luna didn't wait for Twilight to nod. The question was the only warning she gave, before the nine-tailed whip cracked down on Twilight's rear. Twilight couldn't help the muffled scream that escaped her, muffled only by the ball stuffed in her mouth.
“That's one.”
Luna's discipline continued, a smack then a count off. Her whip kissed different areas of Twilight's body, although it remained on the same rear half. Her buttocks were smacked; her flanks and the base of her tail received the same cruel kisses. Pain from one smack was enough to handle, but in continuous servings, Twilight's body didn't know how to process the sensation. Her vision turned white and her mind blanked with each smack.
When it was over, she could only pant as her body tried to recover.
“Again, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
Again?
With that, Luna's questioning began once more. If Twilight thought it was hard to keep up when she had first been bound, she was wrong. Oh, so wrong. Her bottom tingled with pain and the pain threatened to numb out her mind. How did Luna expect her to be able to answer coherently when all she could think about was the pain?
“That requires an answer, Twilight.”
Crap. Twilight hadn't been paying attention to the question. What had Luna said? Should she guess?
She cried out again as the whip connected with her flank.
“I don't like being ignored, Twilight. An answer?”
Moving her head seemed beyond her, so Twilight tapped her hoof once. Luna's questioning picked up again, this time with questions that weren't familiar at all. They weren't a part of the first two tests.
When it was over, Twilight again knew that she had failed. Shame overwhelmed her this time. What good was she here when she couldn't think? Luna's questions were so fast, so different each time, that she couldn't keep up.
“Twelve questions missed.”
Twelve licks of the whip. Fear grabbed hold of her first, wracking her chest with sobs. Her blindfold was dampened with tears.
Instead of a whipping, there was a pause. Luna's voice came loud as it lectured, although Twilight could have sworn there was a shake of hesitance in there. “You must focus, Princess. Should our great land ever be threatened by anyone truly harmful, they would treat you far worse than I. They would have no mercy in truth. And in truth, if you wish to stop, you know the word to do it.”
The way out was a clear opening. It was also pure cowardice. Was Twilight that weak? Was she ready to give up and crawl out of this place a failure? Cadence had surely gone through this. Luna might have as well. She was the newest of the Princesses. The newest to rule and responsibility. Luna was right. Should any hostile situation rise, this would seem like child's play compared to what someone with actual cruel intent could do.
Her voice was strong as she spoke around the ball gag. “No. I know the answers. I know I do.”
Any warmth in Luna's voice vanished at her defiance. “Then twelve kisses from my whip you shall receive. And one more for speaking out of turn.”
Tears dripped from the blindfold Twilight Sparkle wore. Luna's whipping wasn't any more or less harsh than the last one, but the pain had crossed some threshold with her, melding all twelve lashings into one ball of pain. Her backside pulsed but she didn't dare move for fear of making it worse.
The questioning continued. Twilight didn't know how long for. Through the next set of whippings, Twilight struggled through the haze of pain. Her answers should be getting better, not worse. It was so hard to focus on the questions, rather than the pain.
After a while, she noticed the small pattern in Luna's questions, how she would only change the wording around a few times. Once she noticed the pattern, the focus she needed to reach seemed more visible. Her answers came more confidently and the whippings lessened.
It was only until Luna was able to question her forwards and backwards with no wrong answers did she say, “Enough, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight sagged onto the table that was barely able to hold her. She had no sense of time in this chamber. She could have been questioned and whipped for hours. For minutes. She didn't know. It seemed like a lifetime.
“I will allow you back your eye sight and voice for now, Twilight. You have earned that.”
She wanted to sob again out of relief. The ball gag was undone first, pried from her teeth that clenched, then relaxed limply as it was pulled. Her mouth felt loose and empty after having the girth of the ball in her mouth for that amount time. It was another relief when the blindfold was removed. Her vision was blurry at first, from tears and from adjusting to what little light was in the room.
Luna stood before her, looking somewhat shaken. If she was upset about her job, she never said so. She cleared her throat and fixed Twilight with a stern stare. “I see that you have learned to focus through pain and oppression. It is a rough job, Twilight. In any event that any of us Princesses are captured, we are expected to be strong. You are already on your way, by learning to focus through punishment. Given enough practice, your mind will be like crystal even when in pain. No pony can break you then.”
Her lucid mind was returning now that she was given orientation once more. Sight deprivation had terrified her. Seeing the wall and the Princess before her made the panic fade. Still, she could only nod in agreement.
“You have two minutes to steady yourself while I prepare what's next.”
Luna was not a pony to explain what she was going to do next. She left Twilight wondering while she vanished out of view, the sound of her hoofs fading as she walked off. Twilight shook her head slightly. This should be time spent regaining her composure. She took in a few deep breaths, steadying herself. She had survived the whippings. Surely she could survive whatever came next.
“I believe Cadence set the beginnings of your teachings in control. I will test to see how well you remember...as well as rewarding you for taking your flogging as you did.”
Control. If Twilight remembered what Cadence did and she was right...then she had a feeling of what was coming up next. A test of control. Possibly in the same light as what Cadence did.
She heard Luna's approach again. Once Luna was in view again, she couldn't help but stare at the addition Luna wore. Similar to the phallic device Cadence used, Luna wore one strapped to her body. It bounced as she walked, never shaken out of the harness that strapped it to the Princess of the night. It seemed smaller because it wasn't a double-ended dildo like the last toy Twilight had encountered, but it seemed bigger at the same time, for some reason. More intimidating, maybe. It wasn't a friendly, cutesy color like Cadence's. It was simple and black, offering no warmth in a softer color.
“I see you looking,” Luna said. “Why not give my friend some love.”
It wasn't a question. Once Luna faced Twilight, she stood up on hind hooves. The toy jutted out right at mouth level. She pushed the toy to Twilight's lips and Twilight opened because she knew what she was supposed to do. The toy was pushed in with little warning. Twilight wasn't expecting that much of the length at once and nearly choked.
Luna only paused for a moment to allow her back the ability to breathe without gagging. Then her hips thrust forward, pushing the toy further into Twilight's mouth. Pushed past the point of comfortable, Twilight visibly gagged on the toy. There was little time to adjust to the toy with the movement of Luna's hips. She took the toy as it came, adjusting to it as it withdrew.
The toy was yanked abruptly away. “Good girl.”
Luna slipped around to Twilight's hindquarters, toy still dripping with moisture from Twilight's mouth. Twilight couldn't help but tense up, especially when she felt the toy probing her. Despite her tense muscles, a shiver ran through her in anticipation.
She moaned as the toy slid into her. Loosened by her session with Cadence, she had no trouble accepting the toy. Luna pushed in until her body made solid contact with Twilight's.
“Oh, so you like that,” Luna observed. “I haven't even begun to move yet.”
Damn. Twilight didn't know why that one push of the toy made her suddenly want more. It wasn't as though it was enchanted. There was no Want It, Need It spell here, yet she couldn't help but do just that. She wanted it...no, she needed it.
Poised over her, Luna moved her hips slowly, drawing the toy out of her, before pushing back in. Twilight felt every inch as it entered her, stretching her flesh so slowly. Sinful, delicious and beyond her control, she couldn't do anything more than accept it into her. She shouldn't have reveled in the feeling as much as she had. Wasn't she always the logical one? Why was she giving into desire so easily?
Luna's hips continued to move. Her breath was hot over Twilight, rushing into her ear. For some strange reason, that sent a wave of shivers through the newly crowned alicorn. That was followed by a small moan as Luna leaned forward to nip at her ear.
“Does that feel good, Princess?” Luna's voice was low and warm in her ear.
Another wave of shivers swept through her. “Yes, Mistress Luna...”
“Good. I wonder how much you can take.”
Twilight never got a chance to ask what that meant, even if she had been allowed to speak freely. The tempo of Luna's hips sped up without warning. It was all she could do to suck in a cry as the toy was shoved into her with more force than before. Pleasure lit her body up from the inside-out, threatening to render her completely thoughtless once more. She grasped at her control but it was like trying to hold water between her hooves. Luna had said this was a test of control. That meant that, like her session with Cadence, she wouldn't be able to come without permission. The thought made her bite her lip. It was hard enough controlling herself with Cadence. With Luna?
She would be whipped for any disobedience, she was sure.
A lick of fear worked its way through her, yet it didn't make the pleasure seem any less than it was. If anything, the fear made the pleasure higher. It raised the stakes further. It seemed so strange, almost sickening, but she felt the pleasure jolt at the thought of being whipped for disobedience. In this strange, pleasure-struck haze she was in, she almost welcomed the thought of being kissed once more by that nine-tailed whip, as long as she didn't stop with the movement of her hips.
What was wrong with her?
Twilight shook herself out of that absurd mindset. Clearly, she was thinking of the wrong thing.
In the midst of Luna's merciless thrusts, the Princess of the night began quizzing her once more. Without the threat of the whip, the answers should have come easier. Yet, all Twilight could think about was the pleasure of the toy. Her answers were sluggish and she was rewarded with harder thrusts and Luna pulling at her mane. Yet, her answers were correct. Every last one was correct. Because of this, Luna was panting heavily in her ear. The toy was making Twilight's moans louder and louder, until they echoed around the empty chamber.
It was so hard to hold back. Twilight's body shook with pleasure, positively quivered from it. The feel of Luna's tongue on her ear or her teeth pulling at her mane only ramped the pleasure up further, out of Twilight's control. She wasn't going to be able to hold back.
She was begging before she was even aware that her mouth was open.
“Mistress Luna, please. I'm going to–”
“Don't you dare, Twilight Sparkle. I haven't given you permission yet.”
Every word was punctuated by a hard, rough thrust.
Twilight's moans were loud and out of control as Luna took her. Yet, her head shook from side to side. “Please, I can't hold it. I need to–”
“You will hold it for as long as We command you to!”
The royal Canterlot voice and formal use of we shook Twilight but didn't shake her free from the building desperation. She shut herself up before she angered Luna. Or tried. Oh, how she tried. As punishment for her request, Luna drew Twilight in close by her front hooves. Twilight cried out as she felt the Princess touching her, all over her body. This was followed by more torture. Luna's tongue slid up her neck, pausing to suck before the motion of her body drew her away.
No, no, no–
Twilight couldn't help it. She tried so hard to stop the onslaught of feeling but her body denied her the control she had found with Cadence. Her whole body shivered and spasmed out of her control, her eyes squeezed shut as the orgasm wracked her body. She felt her body shuddering around the toy, her back arching as all sense of logic and reality temporarily escaped her.
When the orgasm was finished with her, cold logic set back in. She had disobeyed Luna. Luna wasn't even moving anymore, the toy still within her body. She couldn't see the Princess but she could sense her anger. Oh, man. She had disobeyed Luna. What exactly would happen to her?
“What was that, may I ask, Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
Fear flooded through her, sharp and icy. Luna's voice was cold and formal once more. For all the noise she had been making a mere minute ago, she couldn't seem to find her words now. Speech failed her and she didn't know if it was out of fear, anticipation or a dangerous mix of the two. Twilight could only stare stupidly at the wall in front of her, knowing full well that Luna was expecting an answer.
“Well?”
“I'm sorry, Mistress Luna,” Twilight finally choked out. “I tried to control it, I really did.”
“What did you do?”
The aggression in the Princess's voice made that strange mix of fear and anticipation choke her up more. “I came without permission. I lost control.”
With that, Luna pulled the toy from her body. “Disobedient Princesses need punishment. I told you not to and you did it anyway. That makes you a bad little Princess, doesn't it?”
“I'm sorry,” she repeated, not even knowing why the apology was genuine or why she was so antsy at what punishment Luna had in mind.
“I could whip you,” Luna said as she released the straps from her body. The toy fell to the floor and she kicked it with a hind leg, no longer interested in it. Her focus went to the spreader bars on the ground. She began to undo them, continuing her slow, thoughtful speech. “Yes, I could whip you, but you've already felt my lovely's kisses too many times. That's when it no longer becomes a punishment, when that pain is expected. I need something new, something that will make you obey me. What to choose, what to choose...”
Twilight found relief as the spreader bar was pulled from her and she was able to close her legs. The same relief came when Luna released her front hooves and her wings from the cuffs and she lay limp on the desk.
“Do not get too comfortable yet, you disobedient cur. Get back up on your hind hooves and make your way to the center of the room. There is a stone table. I trust you'll be able to get up on the table without much issue. Lay on your back and wait for me. I know just the thing to use.”
Ashamed at losing control of herself and unsure of why it was anything to be ashamed of, Twilight focused on her new order. After her hind legs holding her weight for such a long time, she was shaky once more. She wobbled to the center of the room and indeed found the stone table Luna spoke of. It was tall enough for her to sit on and hoist herself up the rest of the way, so that was what she did. She saw lengths of chain and cuffs hanging off of each corner and even anchored into the stone slab in two spots in the middle. She fit right between the two middle spots. The stone bit into her wings as she lay on her back, her wings out to the side. It wasn't a comfortable position for someone who still wasn't quite used to having wings after a life time of being a unicorn.
In the center of the room, it seemed darker, with no direct lighting. The only lights in the room were along the walls. For some reason, the darkness and the silence seemed more threatening. Anticipation multiplied within her, biting into her with the sweet pain of a nine-tailed whip. Luna could be getting anything. She could do anything.
She shouldn't have disobeyed.
Similar to what Luna said about focusing through the pain, Twilight should have been able to focus through the pleasure as well. Failure was something that never sat well with her. She was so used to being the top of the class, the proud egghead, that failure was a mark of shame. What was worse, she could still feel the moisture between her legs, marking her for what she was.
Before Twilight could wallow in this line of thought any further, the sound of Luna's approach made its way closer. The Princess of the night wheeled a small dinner cart with her. These were the same dinner carts used around the castle in Canterlot, pushed around by waiters serving food. Twilight could see the silver dome of a plate cover shining in the dim light. Why Luna would have a dinner cart or a covered platter with her made no sense to Twilight. Was she missing something?
“I'm going to remind you again that you do have a safe word, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said. Like with the tale before, she began fastening each of the cuffs to Twilight, pulling her limbs into the necessary positions. “And I say this because the punishment I give will seem harsh. It is harsh. But this is what happens when you disobey my orders.”
Twilight was pinned spread-eagle to the table. The two center straps anchored to the flat, smooth stone table were used to strap Twilight's wings down at the base. She saw Luna standing over her with the blindfold once more. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she was once again denied her eyesight. The dark room became darker as her eyesight was restricted.
“No sight required for this one. All you need is my voice.”
Her voice sounded further away, as if she was moving back. Panic edged its way up Twilight's throat once more, despite how hard she fought against it. She hadn't thought that her eye sight was such an important factor, but with the anticipation already edged up so high, the thought that she couldn't see what Luna was going to do threatened to drive her over the edge.
The sound of the metal plate cover being lifted got her attention. Luna spoke right after. “The old Kings of Canterlot's great past were given a weapon upon their birth, as a symbol of their right to rule. Over time, these artifacts have been carefully preserved. In light of this ritual, my sister the Queen has commissioned similar weapons for each of us by Canterlot's greatest artisans and weapon makers. You may get one of your own, should you pass this test. What I have here is my weapon, my symbol of royal power. She's a beautiful weapon, beautifully crafted art. Over a foot in length, from hilt to the tip of the blade. Can you guess what it is, Princess?”
The fact that Luna had just said she was holding a weapon next to a bound and blindfolded Twilight made the panic crawl back faster. Twilight choked on her answer. “Some sort of knife, Mistress Luna?”
A pleased murmur of approval escaped the Princess of the night. “Smart girl. Yes, this is a knife. A beautifully crafted ceremonial knife with a long, sharp blade. She must be properly maintained at all times, so I keep her blade as sharp as possible.”
To demonstrate, Luna's horn glowed as she lifted the knife with her magic from the plush midnight blue cushion it had been nestled on. The golden weapon was encrusted with dark gems and diamonds that matched the cutie mark on her flank. It was well cared for, as she said. The blade barely had to be moved before it cleanly sliced the blindfold from Twilight without severing so much as a hair.
Twilight trembled as she eyed the weapon in front of her.
“Maybe a bit too powerful with that move. I seemed to have cut straight through your blindfold. Fear not, I have many.”
Twilight was blindfolded once more from a new blindfold that came from the dinner cart. She would have preferred restricted eyesight now, after seeing that weapon. She could still see it in her mind, even if she closed her eyes. The blade was sharp. It could slice her to ribbons if she had so much as flinched.
“Now, for your punishment,” Luna said. “What could I possibly do, with you bound helplessly before me? Especially with this beautiful, beautiful weapon I have...”
She meant to use that knife on her. Twilight felt it instinctively. She feared it.
“Look at you, trembling so hard, my dear Princess. Do you fear the sharp edge of my knife?”
Twilight couldn't answer her, but it didn't matter. Luna set the heavy ceremonial knife back on its soft cushion and picked up a smaller instrument that sat bare on the dinner cart. The small scalpel was medical grade, the same type that the surgeon ponies used in the castle. Not that Luna was going to announce the switch. She ran the safe side of the scalpel over the end of Twilight's nose with the most gentle touch. The way Twilight shivered under her was delicious.
Except, in Twilight's mind, the touch of that scalpel was not of the true instrument Luna used, but of the knife she had just held. Blindfolded from the truth, Twilight trembled as she felt the knife's dull edge run over her. Adrenaline flooded her, her instincts telling her to run despite the shackles around her hooves reminding her that there was no way to escape.
Luna's voice was soft in her ear. “You should fear my blade, Twilight Sparkle. You should fear the wrath of the Princess you had promised you would obey. Yet, you disobeyed me, Princess. You were naughty and you came without my permission. Why should I not give you something to fear?”
“I'm sorry, Mistress,” Twilight whispered, unable to find full use of her voice. Even her voice shook.
“You will be sorry,” Luna said, her soft voice nothing but cold steel. “You shall beg for my forgiveness. Only then will you be released.”
All sorts of apologies built themselves around Twilight's lips, yet she couldn't seem to say any of them. Speech and intelligent thought had abandoned her the moment that the knife had touched her. That was the dull end of the knife that she had felt. What would the sharp end feel like? Her stomach cramped with anticipation.
Luna was still speaking to her, even as she moved away from her face. “I rather like you in this position, dear Princess. So powerless. So helpless. I could do anything to you and you wouldn't be able to stop it. Power in this sense is so delicious. If only you could see the way you shake right now, dear Twilight Sparkle. I haven't even done anything yet...”
Each word Luna spoke drove Twilight down further into this strange spiral she was being pulled into. Without any control of what was happening, Twilight was completely helpless, just as Luna had said. Just as Luna said, she could do anything and Twilight could only take it. It wasn't that different than the previous way she had been bound, except the last table she had been bound to didn't come with the threat of a sharp blade.
She forced her shaking to still itself when she felt the tip of the knife caress her fur. With as sharp as it was, it could cut every hair from her body. Yet, with Luna's lightest of touches, the blade merely shivered through her fur, the tip tickling and scraping. The lightest touch was practiced precision on Luna's part. Any pony with lesser skill would have gutted Twilight right then and there. That knowledge did little to calm Twilight, even as she felt the tip of the blade move towards her exposed wings.
She practically jumped out of her own skin when she felt Luna licking at the base of her wings, next to where the cuffs held her pinned down to the stone slab. The tip of her tongue tickled along with the tip of the knife. Luna's trail of kisses and licks moved up to her ear.
“Do you trust me, Princess?”
Her question sent another shiver through her, but this one wasn't out of fear. The fear returned when the blade continued to tease her.
“Well? Do you trust me?”
“Yes, Mistress Luna,” she choked out. It wasn't as though she could have said no. When she thought about it further, she realized she hadn't been lying. Her instinctive answer was that yes, she did in fact trust Luna, even when Luna terrified her. What did that mean? How could she trust someone she feared at the same time?
“Good.” This was punctuated by a nip at the ear, before Luna commanded, “Now. I advise you not to move for this next part. My lovely blade could slip.”
The fear returned nice and sharp as she felt the blade tickle her fur. There was the slightest pressure. Luna was going to cut her open. A terrified, yet complacent moan escaped her in protest as the pressure increased. She wasn't sure what happened next. The fear reached a level she couldn't take and her mind blanked for the slightest moment. The only thing she was aware of once the pressure was gone was that something warm and liquid dripped down her already sore flank.
She was bleeding. A series of expletives made their way through Twilight's mind but not one was said to Luna. When her mind had blanked, the pain must have been too much for her mind to handle, even as small as it must have been. What was strange was that she felt no pain. Was that supposed to happen? Twilight had read about dire survival situations where the body tricked itself into feeling no pain from the flood of adrenaline. Was her situation so dire that her body was blocking the pain off?
It only added to the strange downward spiral that threatened to pull at her again. She was going to lose it if this kept up. She was going to freak out on Luna. Weakness. To freak out was total weakness. She had to hold herself together–
She cried out when she felt pressure again, this time near the base of her wing. The strangest, wildest cocktail surged through her; fear mixed with equal parts adrenaline and stirred with panic. She felt drunk on all three, drunk on the panic and the ancient fight-or-flight instinct. What did Luna intend on doing to her? Was she supposed to walk out of this chamber in bloody ribbons? Was she meant to walk out of here at all?
The tip of the blade kept exploring her body. With each increase of pressure and slice, Twilight's mind blanked out. It was getting harder to breathe. With each caress of the blade, Twilight felt a little more of her rational mind slip away, completely taken over by the strange cocktail of fear running through her veins. Surely this couldn't be real. Surely the pony who was once known as Nightmare Moon was just that, a nightmare. An old pony's tale.
Luna was speaking, but Twilight couldn't hear a word she was saying. Sucked down into the downward spiral once more, she was completely lost to all reason and logic. If Luna was asking her something, she couldn't understand, nor did she want to listen or focus. She could feel her breath coming faster, until she was breathing in short, shallow gasps. She didn't care. Everything was buckling on her at once.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she had consent and could tell Luna to stop at every time. Yet, with each movement of the blade on her fur, she forgot more and more of that. Consent. The safety word. The scenario spiraled on her too fast and she was sinking deeper into the panic that threatened to swallow her up. This was some kind of threshold for her, a threshold of safety and trust. Pushed over the edge, she didn't feel safe. She didn't feel like she could trust the mare before her, despite how she had felt mere moments ago. Everything was happening too fast. She was buckling too fast, spiraling downward too fast–
“Twilight?” Luna's voice called to her clearly and yet so far away. “Twilight?”
Twilight's mind grasped for any inkling of control that she could get. This was punishment for her bad behavior. Yet, she had the power to stop. She had the power to stop. How? How was she supposed to stop this?
The safety word fluttered into her mind like a frightened bird.
“Banana.”
The moment the word left her lips, Luna pulled the blade away. “What did you say?”
Banana. It was such a stupid word to utter down here in this dungeon of pleasure and torture. Yet, she repeated the word again as she remembered the power the safety word was supposed to carry. Banana. Banana. It fell from her lips repeatedly until she realized she was shaking too violently to speak anymore. Shaking and choked with tears, Twilight could only let the fear wash over her completely.
That was when Twilight gave in to the downward spiral that had been threatening to suck her in. As she broke under the fear, her tears came faster until she was heaving with the effort it took to breathe.
Yet, when she was able to speak, the only thing she could utter was the safety word, over and over, as if it was a key fumbling within the lock meant to free her. Was this part of her punishment? Part of her training?
Cadence's words echoed in her mind. Face this so you will never face it again. She had felt fear before. Fear of her friends getting hurt. Fear of a late assignment. Fear of the Crystal Empire falling. None of that seemed to matter in this moment. This fear had total control over her. It was on a completely different level than the challenges she had faced previously.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was aware of Luna freeing her from the shackles that held her legs and wings down. Once she was free, all she could do was curl up on her side as the tears continued to choke her. A strange sound echoed through the otherwise empty chambers, until Twilight realized the sounds came from her. She was crying loudly, panting and wailing as the terror surged through her, even though she was completely freed of her bonds.
Broken. She had broken under Princess Luna's training.
After Twilight's sobs had calmed and quieted, Twilight could only lay limply on the stone slab. She had heard Luna's question, but lacked the strength to try and answer. Pathetic. She was so pathetic in her current state. Drained of the fear that had overpowered her, Twilight just felt exhausted. Exhausted and upset with herself. She had quit in the middle. Undignified. Worse, she had freaked out in front of Princess Luna. Did that mean she failed the task that had been assigned to her? What would happen if she had?
“Twilight, answer me. Please.”
The plea got Twilight to look up at Luna. The worry in the mare's face surprised her. Luna looked just as shaken as Twilight did. Maybe more. The worry was obvious on her face. It was confusing. Why was Luna looking so crestfallen? Was she that disappointed in Twilight? Had she failed that badly?
“I'm sorry,” Twilight started to say.
“Do not apologize, Princess. In truth, it is I who should be apologizing to you.” Luna leaned down to nuzzle Twilight, but when the younger mare pulled away, her crestfallen expression only deepened. “See how you flinch away, my Twilight. I have pushed you too far.”
Twilight didn't know what to say. Luna seemed so sure of herself before Twilight had uttered the safe word. She hadn't seemed very worried about Twilight's well being at all when Twilight had been restrained. Why was this suddenly different?
Her mind was torn. On one hand, a part of the fear remained. On the other hand, Luna's upset expression cut through the fear, making her realize that she had not been the only one who had suffered during that session. Despite Luna's strong, cruel voice, she seemed defeated now, as if she had been the one who had been restrained.
“I couldn't bring myself to cut you, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “Seeing your terror when you thought you had been cut was hard enough. Just...just so you know.”
What. A flicker of fear slapped Twilight as she thought of the swipes of the blade. The liquid she felt rolling down her body. How could Luna say she hadn't cut her when Twilight had clearly felt it?
“I felt it,” Twilight said. “I felt every time you cut me.”
“But I didn't, Twilight. Not in truth, with the blade you thought I wielded, nor the one I picked up after.” Luna swept a wing towards the dinner cart. “Knife play is a very psychological kind of torment, as well as physical, possibly. I planted the idea of the knife in your mind so you would keep believing that I was using it. I switched to this one after.”
Twilight eyed the glowing scalpel as Luna's magic lifted it up. The scalpel was clean. No blood. It didn't make sense. She looked down her body, looking for cuts and scrapes but saw none. It was impossible. She had felt it. She had felt every burst of pain her body had received–
Or had she?
The first time Luna had cut her seemed so odd. Although her mind had blanked from sheer terror, her body had never registered any actual pain. She had thought it was her body locking down into self defense mode under the duress it had been under. Could it be that there had never been any actual cuts? That her terrified mind had filled in the blanks of what ideas Luna planted in her mind? Was that even possible?
“What about the blood?” she blurted. “I felt myself bleeding.”
Wordlessly, Luna motioned back to the dinner cart with a wing. Next to the plush velvet pillow that held the ceremonial knife was a small bowl of water. She dipped a wingtip into the bowl and flung the water at Twilight. The water was warm...just as the blood had been when she had felt it.
Twilight's mind whirled, unable to process the information given to her. She had never been cut. The blood was water. It had all been some kind of trick? Some trick to psyche her out?
“Why,” she demanded. “Why did you do this to me? Why did you make me think that you were going to really hurt me?”
She hadn't meant for her voice to be so angry. In the confines of their session, she would have gotten whipped for it. Instead of looking angry, Luna looked antsy. Miserable, almost.
“Between the three established trainers in this ritual, I was assigned to break you, Twilight Sparkle. My sister didn't think that Princess Cadence would be able to handle the job and she has something else in mind for you. What that may be, I know not. What I do know is that my sister meant to use my anger against you.”
“Anger?”
Luna signed, and motioned for Twilight to follow her. Like Cadence's chamber, one corner of the room was filled with plush pillows, the majority of them in varying shades of midnight blue and black. She made herself comfortable on the pillows, then motioned for Twilight to do the same. Twilight followed, hesitating slightly.
“My imprisonment on the moon had changed me. Surely you must know that; you and your friends were the ones who had defeated Nightmare Moon. Yet, a part of that anger remained. The moon is...lonely and dark. One thousand years' imprisonment drove me to the brink of insanity...but with that came anger. An anger that lurks deep within me today.”
Luna's head lowered down to the pillow. “My sister meant to use that anger to break you. I'm sure it's been said multiple times, the point of this is to break and rebuild. Princess Cadence would never be able to hurt you beyond the training she has given you, so the task was assigned to me. But I...couldn't...”
Twilight should have been angry. She was meant to be broken? Right from the start, Celestia had planned to break her and had assigned her own sister to do the breaking. For all that Twilight had endured, she should have been angry. She should have felt something. Instead, exhausted as she was, she only felt pity. Luna was clearly upset at having her own anger weaponized. Twilight couldn't imagine what one thousand years' isolation was like, but it had to have been lonely. With that loneliness came anger, just as Luna had said. Luna had done so much to change since she had been returned from her form as Nightmare Moon. Twilight had heard rumors that Luna had taken extensive classes to catch her up on the thousand years she had missed. She had even tamed her royal Canterlot voice and otherwise archaic speech. Why would she be used like this by her own sister?
A sort of connection had been forged between them. For all that Luna had done to her, she should have yelled at the Princess of the night. Rough her up physically. Give her the same sort of treatment. Yet, the connection she felt between her and Luna seemed to grow stronger. They were both pawns in this strange ritual. As much as Luna might have seemed in charge, she was still following orders from a superior. Unfortunately, that superior was her own sister, who didn't seem to care about her psyche, or Twilight's.
“What do I do now,” Twilight said softly. “I stopped and used the safety word. What happens now?”
Luna lifted her head. “You have the choice to walk away from all of this, Twilight Sparkle. My sister intends for you to keep your title as Princess, but have less responsibility and expectation if you walk away. You will still be royal, but like a little sister who hasn't earned her place yet.”
It wouldn't be a genuine title. Among the other Princesses, Twilight would be something else. Royal in name but not in duty. It was almost a relief. She would be able to return home and rest. She knew she needed it. Spike would make her something warm to drink and make sure her bedding was freshly cleaned and warm from drying in the sun. She could go home and rest.
You wouldn't be able to take knowing that you failed, some inner voice within her said. She hated it, but it was a fact. Out of every challenge given to her, Twilight had always faced it head-on. Even if she misunderstood the task at first, like thinking her test with Celestia would be on paper instead of saving the Crystal Empire, she didn't back down. Her friends taught her that strength came in different ways.
As soon as she thought of trying to pick up what she had just stop, her body shivered. No. She wouldn't be able to endure the bladed part of the session again. Even if Luna had told her exactly how it worked, it did little to remove the anxiety that came with thinking she would be gutted. She had been okay with learning submission as it came. Most of her answers had been automated, the yes, Mistress Luna leaving her lips without thought. But getting back on that stone slab and letting Luna spin some more bladed weapons around her?
Not happening.
Twilight struggled to find the right words. “I...don't want to quit. I don't want to be a disappointment to any of you. I just wasn't strong enough for the knife part. But I am strong enough for everything else. I am. I've come too far to quit now.”
Luna let out the strangest little laugh, sad but amused. “You are the student my sister has placed the highest hope on. Time and time again you have proven to her that you could not only meet her expectations, but go above and beyond them. Unfortunately, I think I have failed you, Princess. When given power to dominate, we are not supposed to break as I have. I was not supposed to be the one crying over being hurt. But...I can't...”
Her speech fell apart as she fought against the sob that wracked her body. Twilight watched, shocked, as Luna buried her head under her hooves. She wasn't crying so much as she was breathing heavily, as if she was trying to fight the surge of emotion that threatened to sweep her off of her hooves.
Twilight felt her heart breaking for Luna. Some part of her wanted to comfort the Princess, who, just mere moments ago had been the center of her fear. Now, seeing Luna like this, she seemed less terrifying. More...real. She was more or less in the same position Twilight was in. They were both under the control of Celestia, who ruled both of them. She had never feared or had ever been angry at her mentor, yet she couldn't help but feel like Celestia should at least apologize to Luna. Celestia's relationship with Luna had never been on equal footing after Luna's return.
The strangest urge to protect Luna arose out of all of this mess. It made no sense. She should have been running from the mare who had tricked her. Seeing Luna about to fall apart made her realize that they weren't that different.
“I'm sorry you had to endure this,” she said softly.
Luna's head rose again. Her expression was of total confusion. “What for, Twilight?”
Twilight didn't know how to express her thoughts into words. Luna might have defended Celestia, for all she knew. She came to lay down next to the Princess. “If it's any help, I know that what you did to me wasn't something you enjoyed. And I think that's what matters to me. If you had honestly enjoyed putting me through that, then I don't think I could sit so close to you like I am now. If you had honestly enjoyed tormenting me, I don't think I could look at you with anything but hatred.”
Luna's eyes threatened to spill more tears. “Torment is not what it was meant to be, but I'm afraid I lost some of myself with that. Forgive me.”
She wasn't the only mare that had lost something within their experience with the knife. Twilight nodded. “Only if you forgive me for not being stronger.”
The softest laugh escaped Luna. “You're still here and you dared to stay next to me. That already makes you strong.”
“Can I stay here for a while? Next to you, I mean?”
As Luna nodded, Twilight pulled herself closer to her. Luna was warm. It was a strange comfort. She didn't know why she was brave enough to stay this close to Luna, whenever she had been terrified of her only moments ago. Outside of the strange ritual, Luna was just as she always had been to Twilight. No, that wasn't quite correct. Twilight had seen more of Luna than what she had seen before. It was a softer side of her, more remorseful. They had never spent a lot of time together, so being able to understand her on a level beyond casual talk was a welcome change.
She wasn't sure how long she lay down next to Luna. Luna seemed comforted by her presence as well. It was all Twilight could do, for the both of them. They had both been shaken by the session. In this quiet, there was a strange sort of peace.
She wasn't quite sure when she had begun nuzzling Luna, but there she was, moving her head on Luna's neck. A small shock went through her when she felt the Princess nuzzle her back. It was just the slightest movement of her head, but Luna was returning the gesture. Her touch was velvet soft, almost hesitant. It was endearing.
Luna had probably never had a lot of affection in her life. Second fiddle to her sister before her imprisonment, she had probably been admired, although the ponies she ruled over slept while her beautiful moon was on display. Her own insecurity and anger had driven her into refusing to lower the moon. Her isolation and return had left a lot of ponies doubtful about her intentions. There probably weren't a lot of people to show her any affection. Maybe that was why she was so hesitant. Twilight didn't know why, but she wanted to show Luna that she wasn't afraid of her, despite how she had felt when she had been restrained. Luna was still a pony just like her, remorseful in what she had to do. She wasn't cruel.
Luna gave the softest gasp whenever Twilight leaned in to kiss her on the neck. “Whatever are you doing?”
Twilight felt the heat rise to her face. “Sorry.”
Luna's dark fur hid most of the blush rising, but it was still visible. “N-no, it's not that I minded. You just surprised me.”
“I can do it again, if you'd like.”
Luna didn't reply, but Twilight saw consent in her gaze. Maybe not consent, but longing. She wanted to say yes, but didn't know how.
Not knowing why her heart was suddenly beating faster, Twilight took charge, repeating the kiss on her neck. Luna's exhale was encouragement to do it again, and again. Her lips caressed the mare's neck up and down and Luna tilted her head back. Her eyes closed but her mouth was open.
“What are you doing to me? I feel...I feel...”
It seemed as though Twilight had been right about Luna and affection. She didn't know what to make of the smallest kisses. Luna had known how to use that strap on dildo that she had used on Twilight, but when it came to actual affection, she didn't seem to know what to do. Not that Twilight was any more experienced, but she could at least give Luna some affection. It was all she could think of doing, to make up for not only failing but upsetting Luna as well.
The kisses continued and Luna's breath grew short. It was enough of an encouragement for Twilight to do more, to suck at her neck, then lick at the spot. Luna shivered and a small moan escaped her.
“Twilight, what are you making me feel–”
Twilight silenced her when she turned, pressing her lips to Luna's. Luna shivered once more, but she didn't pull away. At first, it seemed like Luna was just thrusting her lips forward into a pucker, like she didn't know what to do, but as Twilight kissed her, she loosened up, learning how to move her lips, how to kiss back. Electric heat was laced with her kiss. She wasn't sure who had made the first move, but Twilight felt another lick of electric heat when she felt Luna's tongue brush up against hers. The kiss deepened as their tongues met, almost shyly.
Twilight thought the kiss she had shared with Cadence had been something. Her former foal sitter was someone she cared for, but Luna was something different. She didn't know if she was being driven by a need to prove herself and comfort Luna, or because she actually felt something, but she didn't want the kiss to end.
There was a shifting of bodies that Twilight wasn't quite aware of at first. Luna was pulling Twilight on top of her. With her body fully over Luna, she went back to kissing for the slightest moment, before returning to her neck to tend to the area with more kisses. She wasn't sure why it was so important, but she wanted to show Luna that, although she had broken, she wasn't scared of the Princess of the night. Somewhere in that longing, her own heat blossomed, making her want more for reasons other than reassuring the mare below her. It might have been the first time she had been kissed by instinctive, hot lust.
Her kisses trailed down from Luna's neck down to her chest, where the corset was. She nipped at the corset, wondering how to open it. It was as though Luna knew what she wanted, because her horn glowed and the corset began to undo itself, opening before Twilight. Luna pulled it completely off of her, leaving her body exposed to Twilight.
Twilight took her time resuming her kisses, kissing the fur that had been previously hidden by the corset. She felt Luna arch up under her as her lips caressed her chest. Luna's fur was soft and silken, smelling lightly of some floral scent Twilight couldn't identify. Her tongue probed under the fur, seeking the delicate skin under. The softest moan rose up from Luna's lips.
“What...what are you...” Luna couldn't seem to find the right words as Twilight continued to slide lower.
Twilight's head rose up for the slightest moment. “I want to show you that I'm not scared of you, Luna. I broke...but that was because of my own weakness. Not because of you.”
Her words had a big impact on the mare under her. Luna's gaze welled with tears for a moment, before she nodded. Nodding was the only thing she could say in reply.
Twilight continued her way down Luna's body and Luna obliged, arching up and spreading her hind legs slightly in anticipation. She wasn't sure if this was truly the right thing to do; if it made sense to show Luna that she was okay in some other way. She did know that the Princess under her was just as shaken, even if she had broken first. They both needed some form of reassurance.
Luna gasped as Twilight's lips met with the warm, wet heat between her legs. Twilight kissed, then probed with her tongue tenderly, almost shyly. She had no idea of what to do, but she used Luna's reactions to drive her in the same way she had done with Cadence. The vague experience with Cadence was what drove her. She made Luna writhe and moan with her tongue as she lapped at her taste. After Luna's body began to shake and her moans got louder, Twilight pulled away, despite Luna's protests.
“Wait. I don't want this to end yet.”
A part of Twilight couldn't believe she was doing this, that she was being so direct in what she wanted. It wasn't like the clear division of who was dominant and who was submissive with this. She was directing Luna, somehow the stronger one while Luna writhed, powerless, below her. She found a sense of power and a sense of gaining her own control back by taking control of this.
Again using what Cadence had done as a guide, Twilight paused only to rearrange her body with Luna's so they were able to rub against each other. Pleasure shivered through her like erotic electricity as her wet sex kissed Luna's. The smallest movement of her hips made the pleasure hit and she sucked back a moan.
“Move with me,” she hissed to Luna, moving her hips in a sinuous wave.
Luna picked up on the idea and reciprocated the movement. They rubbed against each other, moaning and leaning back. Their hips thrust together, their sexes drinking up the wetness the other gave off. There was power in sex, Twilight found. The pleasure wasn't just the only thing to be had. In taking control of this scenario, she lost some of the fear that she'd had before. She knew she wasn't ready for the knife play Luna had used, but this, right here, in receiving pleasure as well as giving it, was power.
“Oh, Twilight, what are you doing to me?” Luna gasped. “I'm...I want...I want...”
It was almost exactly what Twilight had said to Cadence. She wanted more but she didn't know how to phrase it, half-crazed by the onslaught of pleasure. That was just fine with Twilight. She increased the speed of their movements, her hips moving faster, harder, against Luna's. Luna's head fell back and a cry escaped her. Without any warning, the Princess of the night came, her cry loud and echoing around the room. Her body shuddered against Twilight's but Twilight didn't cease her movement, wanting to flood the Princess with the feeling for as long as possible. Luna practically fell limp against her, but when she felt Twilight still moving, her hips picked up tempo again, letting Twilight get off the same as she had.
Twilight was working towards her own orgasm. With no consent needed to come, she wanted the feeling. Needed it. The pleasure overwhelmed her, overcame her as she moaned and panted with Luna. Her limbs shook as it rose towards that familiar peak, one she craved–
The orgasm swept over her, rendering her thoughtless for a moment. She was barely aware that she was crying out Luna's name over and over again, her hips practically bucking against the other mare. When the pleasure began to fade, she kept moving, wanting to keep the sex going.
Luna had no problem with continuing. They kept rubbing against each other until both came once more. That was when Twilight began to look for other ideas on how to pleasure Luna. The strap on dildo Luna had used was a good idea. When she mentioned it to Luna, the mare's eyes widened at the thought of being penetrated, but she nodded, using her magic to retrieve the toy and strap it to Twilight.
The toy was awkward to walk with but Twilight stood up on her hind legs, letting Luna wet the toy with her mouth. Luna had just about as much experience as Twilight did with taking the toy that deep, although Twilight didn't let her choke. When it was slick, Twilight mounted Luna, the toy probing at her opening.
“Be careful with me,” Luna said, shyly. “I have rarely had the pleasure of this toy.”
Twilight slid in slowly. It was awkward moving the toy at first because she had no idea of its whereabouts. Once she was inside Luna, she moved her hips and let the toy slide out of her, ever so slowly. Luna shivered under her. Once Twilight had a general idea of how to use the toy properly, she began to move again, this time faster, with more confidence. Luna moaned under her as the toy penetrated her.
Twilight didn't think there was pleasure to be had on the giving end of the toy. It was not the type that Cadence had that penetrated both ponies, but Luna's pleasure was more than satisfying enough. With each thrust of her hips, she rubbed onto Luna whenever her body made contact. It wasn't necessarily as mind blowing as the last part had been, but small, sharp jolts of pleasure went through her, fueled by the satisfaction of knowing she had pleased Luna.
Luna's cries were loud and unashamed as she was overcome by Twilight. There was no warning to her orgasms and she came over and over again, dominated by Twilight, the mare who didn't have to use any tool to dominate.
When they were both completely worn out, they lay in a tangled heap of fur and feathers on the stone floor. The cool stone felt wonderful on their overheated bodies. Luna was breathing heavy, her face flushed even through the dark fur. Twilight was the same, trying to catch her breath.
In the midst of their cool down, Twilight managed to gasp, “I feel a lot stronger compared to when I broke. Like I'm able to continue.”
“Maybe you should rest first,” Luna panted. “Before I send you to my sister.”
That got Twilight's attention. “You're sending me on? But I broke. I failed.”
Luna shook her head and took a moment to catch her breath. “No, my Twilight. You might have broken under the illusion of danger, but you came back strong. You showed empathy and understanding to another who might have hurt you for real. To the one who terrified you. And what's more, you were able to take control of the situation instead of hiding. For a ruler to be able to empathize with some pony instead of retreating into basic feelings of, you hurt me, I hate you, is quite an accomplishment. You bounced back from being broken and you feel as though you're ready to continue. That was what my sister was hoping to see, if you had broken. Don't you see, Twilight? You came back stronger.”
Twilight's eyes widened. Was that true? She didn't fail after all? She didn't feel any different than she had before. Well, no, that wasn't true. She did feel stronger. Even if she was physically worn out from what she and Luna had just done, her mind felt stronger. She could face what came next. Whatever Celestia had for her surely couldn't be worse than the terror she had just faced. That terror had been the worst thing she had ever felt, hands down. To overcome it, as Luna had said she had done, was something to be proud of.
“How long can I stay here, Luna? I think you're right. I need to rest.”
Luna gave a soft laugh and moved around so she could nuzzle Twilight. “Rest then, my dear. Take all the time you need.”
Twilight made herself comfortable within Luna's embrace. Their bodies cooled and her breathing evened out. Yet, even as she relaxed, she found a peaceful reserve with her. She had faced the terror and made it out alive. What's more, she wasn't scared of Luna. She didn't hate her. There was true power in understanding what drove another pony. Was this what it meant to have this sort of power over other ponies?
Her mind wandered into thoughts of pony politics and scenarios of ruling. She wasn't sure of when she began to drift off, but her eyes closed and her mind drifted away into a peaceful sleep, safe within Luna's embrace.
Twilight Sparkle didn't want to leave Luna. When she awoke, Luna was still sleeping. She didn't want to wake her and tell her that she was moving on to go face Celestia. She stood up and shook her sex-ruffled fur before she leaned down to kiss Luna on the cheek. A small smile flickered across the other mare's face, but Luna stayed asleep.
With a new resolve, Twilight headed to the one door along the wall, opposite of where she had come in from. Beyond this door was Celestia. Despite all of the good that had happened between her and her mentor, Twilight couldn't help but feel a flicker of anger when she thought of what Luna had to have been through. She wanted answers. She wanted to know why Celestia would treat Luna that way...or any of the Princesses this way, for that matter.
The door was pushed open. A long, dim hallway sat before her. Did Celestia not believe in good lighting for this ritual? Why was everything so dark? Her hoof steps echoed throughout the empty stretch of hallway, too loud for her own ears. It only added to the ominous ambiance.
It actually felt odd being without the boots Luna had stripped from her. She had almost gotten used to walking in them. She still felt the metal right around her neck, but she barely felt the leather collar that symbolized submission. She craved having her magic back. It was almost like being blinded, working without a major sense she normally relied on. It made her antsy, even more so when she didn't know what was coming up next. She felt as though she had barely gotten through Luna's training, and she still felt as though she had failed with how she had to stop in the middle. If that was a level up from Cadence's training, then what awaited her in Celestia's chamber?
The end of the hallway glimmered with a bright light. The closer Twilight got, the more she realized that the light shone from the cracks of a large door in front of her, one made entirely from marble and glistening crystal. The white stone only made the white light brighter, amplifying the strength like a magnifying glass. Twilight squinted in the light, then knocked with a hoof.
There was no call to enter, as Luna had done. There was no reply at all. She knocked again, then realized the door was cracked open. It explained all of the leaking light. She pushed the door in and the light grew brighter, blinding her momentarily. She crossed the threshold squinting, her wings spreading to block the light from her face.
The light faded and a familiar voice called out, “Why, there you are, Twilight! You're late!”
What?
As the light faded to a manageable level and her eyes adjusted, Twilight saw Rarity sitting calmly at a table, sipping tea out of a gold-rimmed tea cup. It was impossible. How could Rarity be here?
“Rarity?”
“Well, of course, darling! Were you expecting someone else?”
Reality had to have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Twilight stepped further into the room, unable to shake the feeling that something was off. What was Rarity doing here? How could she know about the ritual? A flash of shame swept through Twilight when she thought about everything she had just done and endured. The collars she wore seemed to weigh heavy on her, in her friend's presence. Her friends were so pure. How could she face them with what she had just done?
“Darling, don't just stand there. Join me. It's a tea party, after all!”
The further Twilight went into the room, the more reality seemed to be tipped on its side. On one side of the room, her other friends occupied the space, tied up in white restraints. Rainbow Dash was hooked up to some sort of white metal rack that allowed her to stand upright, but each hoof was bound to a spreader bar. She was gagged and had a white collar around her throat. The collar glimmered with multicolored gems, a brilliant rainbow of light. Her brilliant eyes shone with defiance across the room, showing that she hadn't been broken yet.
Applejack was on her back next to Rainbow Dash, her hooves bound in a hog tie. She had a blindfold and a leather bit in her mouth. The same white collar was around her neck, this one with golden gems. She seemed somewhat at peace with being bound, or at least, that's what Twilight saw. She wasn't struggling.
Fluttershy was on the opposite side of Applejack, trembling beneath her blindfold and around the ball gag that occupied her mouth. The white collar around her neck sparkled with emeralds. She was otherwise unbound. Except for the cage. She was enclosed in a large cage. Twilight couldn't help but stare at the three of her friends in open disbelief.
That was until she saw Pinkie Pie, suspended in mid air in a complex series of knots and ropes. The ropes hooked to a familiar looking pulley system on the ceiling. Despite the way Pinkie was bound, she was trying to swing her body as if she were on playground equipment. Tiny mewls of joy escaped her from around the ball gag she wore. Each movement of her body caused the pink gems on her collar to sparkle.
What the hell was going on?
Twilight's gaze swiveled back to Rarity, who sat unbound at the table. She seemed completely at peace with the way her friends were bound, as if this were an every day occurrence.
“Why are they bound like that?” Twilight asked, approaching the table.
“Oh, they like it, I assure you. Even if Rainbow Dash is too stubborn to admit it and Fluttershy is over there shaking in her cage. She really is quite submissive once you start with her. It's kind of fun, really.” Rarity spoke with an even tone, as if nothing were out of place. “Oh, don't give me that stare, Twilight. Come, tell me about your adventures so far.”
“How do you know...”
“Everyone knows, silly.” Rarity paused to take a sip of her tea. “Queen Celestia informed us herself about what was going on. Can you believe it? Queen. What a title. Anyway, she invited us back to the castle to congratulate you about your progress so far.”
“Then why are they...why are you...where is Princess Celestia?” Twilight couldn't seem to keep up with what was going on.
A flash of anger slid through Rarity's gaze. “Where are your manners, Twilight? Queen Celestia is around here. And if I were you, I wouldn't let her catch you calling her by that title. Princess. Really. Now, how are you, Twilight? Come sit with me. Have some tea.”
Twilight joined her at the table and Rarity poured her a cup of tea. Her horn glowed as she added sugar to it and she stirred it, passing the tea to Twilight. Twilight tried raising her cup with her magic, but felt that heavy collar around her neck, reminding her that her powers were still bound by Celestia's magic. She was so used to her magic that she didn't even know how to manipulate a tea cup without breaking or spilling it, as earth ponies or pegasi did.
“Oh, your magic is being restricted,” Rarity said. “Let me help.”
Her magic lifted the tea cup and Twilight drank, feeling a tinge of embarrassment heat her cheeks up. Without her magic, she felt crippled, not used to doing things like an earth pony. When she had a mouth full of tea, Rarity was generous enough to lower the cup.
“Well? How have things been so far?”
More embarrassment flooded through her. Rarity sat before her, so pure in comparison to what she had just endured. She swallowed her tea, then blurted, mostly under pressure of her friend's gaze, “It's been good. Hard work learning, but it's been okay.”
It was a generic enough answer that she hoped that it would please her friend.
Rarity's gaze lit up. “Good! Tell me, have you ever thought about the opposite end of what you've endured? Being the dominant one, I mean.”
“Well, it never occurred to me...”
“Oh, it's a blast, Twilight. I've had so much fun so far. You should really try it.”
“When did you pick up on it?”
Rarity's eyelashes fluttered as she blinked at Twilight, her expression one of confusion. “What ever do you mean, darling? I've always done this. Don't you remember?”
“No–”
“Well, let me introduce you around then. Come on.” She stood up from the table and made her way over to where the others were bound. “Rainbow Dash over here is as stubborn as a mule, but she loves it. She wants you to prove your dominance more than anything. As stubborn as she is, her loyalty to me has been quite strong.”
At Rarity's words, Rainbow Dash quit struggling to be free of the spreader bars and stood a little straighter, as if Rarity's praise had filled her with pride.
Rarity moved on to the next pony. “Applejack is quite the hard worker. See how she sits so obediently? She may not share my love of the finer things in life, but she certainly knows how to follow my rules. And she can certainly get any job done, and get it done right, at that.”
Applejack nodded her head as best as she could from her hog-tied position.
With the next pony, Rarity kicked lightly at the bars of Fluttershy's cage. “Now, don't let this one fool you. As much as she trembles in fear, she loves being ordered around. Don't you, sweetie?”
Trembling from ear to hoof, Fluttershy nodded. A whimper was audible from around the ball gag.
“She loves being whipped, that one. Quite surprising really, for someone as shy as herself. But you know what they say, it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for!”
Rarity approached Pinkie Pie and made the makeshift swing stop its rotations. “And this one. She is a wild one alright. I don't think I've ever met anyone else who thought being suspended was fun. Everything is fun to her. Right, Pinkie?”
Pinkie's reply was to open her hind legs, exposing herself to the fashionista pony. Rarity obliged her for a moment, dipping her head between her legs and giving a lick that caused Pinkie to shiver and sigh.
Rarity pulled away and licked her lips, a strange glimmer in her eyes. “She's absolutely insatiable, no matter how much I give her. Maybe you can help me in wearing her out?”
Twilight couldn't help but stare at what Rarity had done. She was in such a state of shock that she almost missed the offer completely. “I'm sorry, what did you just say to me?”
Rarity gave a laugh. “Don't be such a prude, darling! These girls love it! You said you were having a good time, right? It must suck being the submissive all the time. I'm giving you the chance to take control. You don't want it?”
This was not the Rarity she knew. These were not the friends she knew. In what normal universe would any of them consent to this? Why was Rarity acting like this was all normal? Throughout their friendship, not once did Rarity ever mention an interest in dominating ponies, especially not her own friends. None of her friends ever mentioned it either, nor did she ever see anything about it. What was going on?
“Why are you looking at me like that, Twilight? Don't you want to have fun?” When Twilight didn't answer, Rarity leveled a stare at her. “Look, if you're worried about sharing, it's okay. My girls know I'm not abandoning them. Right girls?”
Each one of the bound ponies gave some sort of noise that indicated their agreement.
“You see? It's okay to share.”
It might have been okay among them, but it still didn't sit right with Twilight. Her friends. These were her friends in front of her, bound and caged and tied. How was this normal? Thinking about it made her head spin. There was no way that this was real. Any of it.
It's not real, a voice in her mind whispered. A jolt of electricity shot through her, shaking her out of her state of shock.
It's not real.
Her mind seemed to be going in reverse, flashing back all the way to when she and her friends were in the Crystal Empire. She and Spike had been looking for the Crystal Heart. She didn't know why she was suddenly thinking of it, but it seemed to have some kind of importance, some kind of relevance here.
“You're no fun at all, Twilight.” Rarity's voice seemed to mock her, threatening to pull her out of the sudden line of thought she was approaching. “Fluttershy, darling! Maybe we should show her what she needs to do.”
It's not real!
The Crystal Empire. Searching for the Crystal Heart. Finding, instead–
Her whole body lit up as if she was struck with electricity as she remembered. She thought she had failed Celestia's test. She thought Celestia was angry with her. It had seemed so real until Spike had shaken her out of the strange trance...the strange trance of the magical door!
Twilight's body began to glow, starting from her horn and spreading to the tip of her tail. Magic. This was magic, her magic. Her magic! The magic that had been restricted by Celestia was flooding back to her, wild and out of control, lighting her up from the inside out. Her whole body felt like it had been struck by lighting and she felt as though she would vibrate out of her own skin. Her magic was overpowering the restrictions set. She felt the metal ring around her throat heating up to a point where it might actually burn her. Instead, it shattered apart. Hot pieces of glowing metal flew off of her neck, leaving her fur and skin undamaged.
With her magic restored, the room before her shattered apart as well. Her friends disappeared just as Rarity pulled Fluttershy out of her cage for a kiss. Everything lit up with a blinding white light–
* * *
Twilight wasn't sure if she had lost consciousness or not, but when she was able to focus once more, she was back in the hallway she had been in before. As the light faded once more, she stood, still conscious, in front of the same door she had knocked on. There was no room before her. Her friends weren't here. Rarity wasn't kissing Fluttershy.
She had been right. Like her encounter with King Sombra's door of illusions, the door before her contained the same kind of magic. It wasn't dark magic like King Sombra's was. This white light, this white magic, was all familiar to her. Too familiar. It had to be Celestia's magic. She didn't know why Celestia would use something like this on her, either as a distraction or a test of strength or something else altogether, but the magic that had created the illusion was hers, guaranteed.
She knocked on the door again with a hoof. “I broke the illusion, Queen Celestia!”
The Queen title was awkward as it rolled off of her tongue. She didn't know if Celestia had crowned herself Queen, but considering everything Twilight had just been through, it wasn't a title she felt had been deserved. What queen made her subjects endure this?
The door opened without a word. This time, Twilight was able to see the room before she entered. This room was exactly like the room in the illusion. The floor was tiled neatly in bright white and blue hues and there was a table set for tea. Sunlight streamed in through enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. As she looked through the room, she saw no sign of her friends. The illusion was truly broken.
Celestia sat at the tea table, calmly awaiting her.
At the sight of her mentor, Twilight's heart began beating faster. She walked into the room as calmly as she could, even as the door slammed behind her.
Celestia eyed her critically. “You have broken free of your magical bond, I see. Your magic has always been very instinctual. It's grown beyond what I expected and has broken even my magic. Why did it break in that illusion instead of with one of the other Princesses? Interesting. Very interesting.”
Her words did nothing to soothe the panic surging through Twilight. Panic and anger. The two were a potent cocktail within her veins, making her move faster towards the tea table.
“Why did you put me through that? The illusion? The whole ritual? Why? ”
Celestia only sipped her tea calmly, as if she was patiently waiting for Twilight to settle down.
“Why!”
Twilight wasn't aware of it until she had acted, but her magic swept the cup right out of Celestia's magical grip. The cup sailed, airborne until it crashed onto the floor. Tea spilled its way across the clean tile.
“Oh my goodness. I'm sorry.” Twilight said once she realized what she had done. “Queen Celestia, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. My magic...”
She had done it now. She had just inadvertently attacked Celestia. Even if her cup of tea was the only thing that had suffered, had palace guards been around, they certainly would have intervened. She would have been placed under arrest. With just the two of them, what would Celestia do? Would she fail Twilight on the spot?
Celestia fixed her with a glare. “Your anger is deserved, but misplaced. Do not be angry with me for what you have had to face in the dungeons below mine.”
It wasn't just what she had to face in the dungeons. Words spilled from her lips before she could stop herself. “It's not just the dungeons. You kidnapped me! Drugged me! Forced me into this ritual–”
“You consented. ”
“I was coerced! I was told that I would lose my crown if I didn't do this. That I would still be a Princess, but one of lesser importance and responsibility. What choice did I have but to consent?”
Celestia's glare never wavered under the assault of Twilight's words. “This ritual is tough to make it through, yes. However, you had the option to walk away. Before this ritual was established, whenever mares were mere concubines, there was no option to walk away. No one cared about consent. If you cried, you were punished. If you protested, you were punished. If you refused, you could be put to death. I was the first one to break this cycle of abuse. Yes, Twilight. I am the one who created this ritual.”
“Why?”
“I know Princess Cadence explained it to you. I don't feel that she covered all of it, though. When I was a young filly, Princesses were property. Some weren't even of royal bloodline, but were abducted from their homes in the middle of the night and whipped into obedience, just because a stallion wanted a pretty mare he had seen one day. So many of these Princesses were brainwashed into obedience that, by the time I overthrew the system, obedience was all they knew. They couldn't be coddled into a life outside of the horrors they had faced. The ritual was originally designed to help them adjust, by introducing a lighter side to them. It seems harsh to you because you have never been a part of such a culture. This was indeed coddling them. It was a soft, pretty version of what they had endured.”
“Then why keep up the tradition?” Twilight asked. “Why not just end it?”
“You know as well as I do that many of these Canterlot ponies are so stuffy about tradition. This ritual has been dying, yes, but it is still used as an initiation process, to shock you out of the gentle lifestyle you have been living. There aren't many Princesses anymore, considering that they are not sought out as a commodity like they were in those dark days. You and Princess Cadence are our first in a long time.”
“That means other ponies in Canterlot know about this ritual?” Twilight again felt shame flood her. How many ponies at her coronation had known about what she was going to have to endure? How many of them had even thought about telling her about what was to come?
“There are many dark traditions in Canterlot,” Celestia mused. “Many of them are old and dying, and many of them will not be talked about by gossipy ponies. Canterlot has a long history and not all of it is pretty. Not all of it is mentioned in history books, either.”
She was talking like there were secret societies in Canterlot. Secret societies, secret dark rituals. It made no sense. Twilight took such pride in her studies, yet nothing like this had ever been touched on. Had she been lied to from the start, by her own mentor, the Queen of this ritual?
“Now, my question to you is if you want to continue. You haven't finished your training yet and from what I've heard, you had to stop your play with Luna.”
Twilight couldn't help but cringe. “You heard about that?”
“I know of everything that goes on in my own castle.” Celestia cleared her throat. “You still have the option to walk away. Yes, you will be a Princess of lesser responsibility, but it will not because you failed. I will only put the burden of responsibility on those who can prove to me that they will not crack under the pressure. If I understand correctly, you didn't quite fail my sister, did you?”
Twilight shook her head. “No. She said I broke but came back stronger.”
Celestia stood at her full height, her ethereal mane flowing around her. “Yes. That means you have not failed. Should you choose to enter back into the ritual, I will not go easy on you just because you are a student of mine. Understand?”
“Yes, but...” Twilight struggled with her words, not knowing how to phrase it. “I...don't know if I can trust you after this. What Princess Luna said, about using her anger to break me, and how I was meant to be broken from the start. Kidnapping me. Drugging me. How am I supposed to trust you?”
A strange smile was on Celestia's lips. “Know that no matter how much I hurt you while in play, it is not done out of maliciousness or evil intent. Think about my sister. She stopped when you said the safe word. Why do you think that is?”
“Because it means stop.”
“Yes. Anything that we do, we mean to teach, not to harm. You may be punished but your rewards for obedience are great. The trust lies within your ability to trust me.”
It was a non-answer. Somehow, Twilight wasn't very surprised. Celestia routinely gave her non-answers, making her think for herself about what she had said. Even now, in this strange ritual, Celestia still fit in her role as mentor. Even with all of her anger and mistrust, it was hard for Twilight to see Celestia as anything but a mentor. It tore at her, making her doubt Celestia and want to run into her safe embrace at the same time.
Celestia motioned to follow her further into the otherwise empty chamber. “Why don't I show you what's in store?”
