Aria in A Minor
Knock knock knock
Symphonia Melody’s heart fluttered in her chest as she stared ahead at the towering oaken door before her. She could feel her hooves doing a little dance beneath her, and could even hear the rhythm they tapped out above the quiet background noise of other ponies passing through the streets. Her saddlebags full of sheet music bounced up and down in sync with her excitement. This was it. This was her favorite time of the week. Most other fillies her age loved when the weekend came, because it meant sleepovers and hangouts and other stuff like that. She did agree that that stuff was kind of cool. But to her...Wednesdays were the best day of the week. Its arrival meant more than just the fact that she’d survived another two days of school...
It meant it was time to visit her big sis for some singing lessons.
Octavia was one of the best big sisters too, Symphonia thought, standing on her tip-hooves as she tried to lean around to peek inside one of the house’s windows. Darn curtains. Sure, she didn’t live with the rest of the family, but that was because she always had to travel so much. That, and she also said something about her roommate needing a ‘responsible hoof to guide her away from trouble’ and her being the only one who would do it...or something. The times that Symphonia got to visit Octavia were always the best. She was so nice, and fun, and always left her wanting more. She always felt good being there, even if Octavia pushed her to her limits. That was just what awesome big sisters did, though, so it all worked out.
The young earth filly’s ears perked up as she finally heard the doorknob begin to turn. Yes! Her heart managed to somehow pitter even faster, and her hooves did their little dance again, but in a sort of frenzied double time. She had so much energy, it was hard to wait for the door to slowly creak open, finally revealing:
“Octy!”
Symphonia was just barely aware of the fluffy gray chest in front of her before she crashed head-first into it, and threw her hooves around the attached neck. Octavia’s chest was as soft as always...and it smelled good too. Sure, it usually smelled good whenever they hugged, but today it smelled almost like she was wearing some light lavender-y perfume or something. Whatever it was, Symphonia liked it almost as much as the warm fuzzies she got when big sis hugged her back and gently patted the back of her mane.
“Symphonia, my little Songbird,” Octavia cooed as she pulled back, grinning down at the young filly. “It feels like it’s been much longer than a week. How is your practice coming?”
“Oh, it’s going great!” Symphonia chirped, springing inside as Octavia stepped aside. The living room was empty, and she didn’t hear any thumping bass, so she knew Octy’s roommate wasn’t there, and she could talk all she wanted. “I’ve been working on the Allegro section of Chopone’s Aria in A Minor, and I think I finally got the little short notes down!”
“Staccato notes,” Octavia gently corrected as she closed the door. Still, she smiled just as warmly as ever as she motioned to the couch. Symphonia bounced over and flopped onto it, giggling as the pale-brown cushions squeaked beneath her weight. Octavia chose to sit down a lot more smoothly, as she always did. But as Symphonia slid her saddlebags off her back, she noticed something...
The room looked a lot different from the last week she’d been here. It didn’t look like a DJ and a cellist had exploded and coated the room with various decorations and stuff. Instead, it just looked kind of...well, classy. Kinda like Octy usually was. Stone fireplace, gentle red carpet, grand piano in the corner with a cushioned bench in front of it...huh. Maybe that Vinyl pony had finally come to an agreement about how their house should look. It was a bit weird that she’d agree to this, but then...well, Octy had a way of getting her way sometimes.
“So,” Octavia began, her posh voice drawing the little filly’s attention. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? I have plenty of drinks and such. You know how hard we can work, sometimes…”
“Yeah, juice would be nice! Sparkling grape, please.”
Octavia nodded, and rose from her seat, trotting off towards the kitchen. Symphonia busied herself with opening her saddlebags and taking out some of the music she’d been working on, especially the Chopone. That stuff was hard, but she’d worked hard on it. Maybe if she hummed this little part here, she could even get warmed up before they even did warmups!
“Hmmmm~hmmm...hmmmm…” Darn accidentals. Why were they even called that, anyway? They were written on purpose, weren’t they?
It wasn’t long before Octavia returned with her beverage of choice in a tall wine glass, presenting it with a small little bow and a smile. Symphonia eagerly seized the glass, watching the purple liquid fizz and ‘sparkle’ a little bit as it sloshed around. She momentarily wondered why Octy was letting her drink on the couch, when Mom usually didn’t...but then figured she shouldn’t press her luck. Instead, she just raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. Mmmmm, grapey.
“Oh, but where are my manners.” Octavia chuckled poshly as she carefully sat down right next to her little sister, and draped a foreleg across her shoulders. “How are your studies? Have you been doing anything interesting with your friends? How’s the rest of the family?”
Woah, that was a lot of questions. It almost made her head spin as she considered them...then again, maybe that was the sparkling grape juice. It did usually make her feel a bit funny, but in a good way. “School’s good. I made some new friends, and we went out to see the zoo last week!” Symphonia paused to take another sip of her fizzy grape drink. She felt a slight little buzz begin in her head, but ignored it; that’s just what sparkly juice did. “Mom’s fine too. Dad’s been at work way too much though, wish I could see him more. Kinda like you!”
“I feel the same.” Octavia gently ruffled Symphonia’s mane with her free hoof, scooting in just a little bit closer. In turn, Symphonia happily snuggled into Octavia’s fluffy chest, finishing off what was left of the drink as her big sis continued. “I treasure every moment we spend together. It’s fortunate that we can at least see each other once a week, what with all my performances and such. Were they not a factor, I would gladly have you over more often.” Symphonia could feel her cheeks flush slightly at Octavia’s loquacious speech. It was harder to tell whether she or the juice she’d just finished was sweeter.
Amid the heat in her cheeks and the buzz in her mind, the world seemed to spin a little bit as Octavia took the empty glass from Symphonia, and gently placed it on the end table in front of them. As Octavia’s hoof returned, it brushed ever so lightly against the inside of Symphonia’s thighs, and lingered for the briefest of moments before pulling away. It felt good enough that she almost wanted to ask for the hoof to be placed there again...but Octavia was already rising off the couch, and smiling down at her.
“Alright, why don’t you get warmed up?” Octavia asked, her eyes flicking towards the music sprawled across the couch. “I just have to change into something a little more comfortable, and then we can get started.”
“Uh-huh, sure!” That was why they were here, after all...to sing!
It took a little bit to push all the music around in the right order; by the time she was finished, Octavia had left the room, so she had ample time and space to go about warming up. First, she sang some long tones to get her lungs engaged. Then came the scales to get her mind focused on hitting the pitches she needed to hit correctly. And then finally came the arpeggios, which familiarized herself with some of the more common leaps she’d be making in most tunes. But through all of it...she wasn’t really focused on the exercises themselves. After all, those were just kinda boring things that really only served to engage her non-thinking brain. Her thinking brain could do whatever it wanted as she hopped up and down her range, letting out melodious “la” and “da” sounds.
Come to think of it...Octy never really went over that stuff with her. She’d occasionally reference bits and pieces when talking about music, but her method of teaching was...different. Not that Symphonia cared too much...the way Octavia did stuff was so much more fun. And though it was a little bit confusing, it always felt so good, both to do well with sis’ unusual teaching methods, and to just give in to the feelings whirling around after some time...ones only Octy brought out in her. But she’d long ago figured that maybe this was just part of her process that her mom taught her growing up. After all, Octy was a legendary cellist that tons of ponies adored...maybe one day she’d be the same, but just a singer instead. That’s certainly what she dreamed about, anyway.
Before she knew it, she’d finished her usual smattering of warmups, and noticed that Octavia still hadn’t come back. She could hear some distant rustling from another room, though, so Octy was probably still changing. Well, the least she could do would be to stack her music back into neat piles for when she needed it. First the Chopone, then the Beethooven, and then the Hiden. That was usually the order they went in...she thought. It was hard to remember what usually happened in the trembling whirlwind of musical passion, beyond very vague images, and a few solid rules. The most important of which being—
“Are you ready, my little Songbird?”
Symphonia’s ears perked up, and her head followed soon after, her gaze tearing away from the music and settling on Octavia. Big sis looked as fancy as ever, but now she had changed, both literally and figuratively.
Literally speaking, a pair of sleek, shiny, black latex socks covered all of her legs, all the way up to her thighs and shoulders. Adding on to this already stunning change was the ever-so-small amount of makeup on her face, drawing attention to deeper lines, while smoothing out her imperfections. To put it short, Octy looked...amazing. Like the whole town would talk about her if they saw her.
But figuratively...Octavia now commanded the room. The way her head tilted ever so slightly up in the air demanded respect, and the way her legs were all braced slightly apart sold her as not only being in control, but possessing it as well. More than all of that, though...she was no longer ‘big sis’. Symphonia knew this very well from their prior lessons. Whenever Octy came out looking like this, she wasn’t in that role anymore. Instead, she was almost somepony else entirely:
“I-I’m ready, Mistress.”
Mistress. That's who Octy was now. She was no longer a family member to adore and look up to (though she would still do both much the same)...now she was an authority figure, somepony to obey or face the consequences. If Symphonia was good and did everything that was asked of her, she would not only improve her singing skills, but she would get to feel good from more than just an inner sense of accomplishment. But if she failed, or Celestia forbid, disobeyed her Mistress...she shuddered. She didn’t even have to finish thinking that thought to remember the searing pain that sometimes graced her flanks on those occasions…
"Alright, my little bird.” Octavia smiled warmly as she stepped closer, bringing with her a vaguely-chilly aura. “...it is time to begin, yes?”
Symphonia nodded, slowly becoming convinced that the world was starting to spin. Even though they’d done this before, it was always so overwhelming. More than accepting Octy as someone so rigid and unaccepting of flaws, Symphonia had to also accept her role as Octavia’s songbird. She had to lock her own identity away in favor of following the rules. If she wanted to let all of her inhibitions go and ‘sing’, she’d have to...she’d have to actually let go of herself in every way possible. That was always the hard part. But when she did, and jumped headfirst into the passion, knowing full well that it was the reason she was there in the first place...it always was so worth it.
Octy let out a soft laugh. “Yes, my little Songbird. Just remember to let the music flow through your body, as you have so often before. You know what I want...let yourself melt away into simple desire.”
“Y-yes, Mistress.” Symphonia hadn’t even realized she was blushing, but the sensation grew only stronger as some faint part of her made connections and processed just exactly what ‘simple desire’ was. It certainly wasn’t simple to her...at least, until she finally let go. Then everything was so simple. But even nowadays, that still took a little bit to do. Luckily...Octy was quite patient when it came to prodding her along.
Suddenly, Octavia reached behind her back and brought out something long and skinny, as sleek and black as her socks. Symphonia gulped as her eyes traced down its length, all the way to its half-round, half-square tip...and then she lightly gasped as the tip was beneath her chin in an instant, pressing insistently into her, and forcing her attention upwards as Octavia stepped even closer. She could feel her heart pounding as Octavia loomed over her with a quiet smirk, the tip of the riding crop digging into her chin, not painfully, but certainly uncomfortably. This was her incentive to behave, and she knew its sting very well. Her eyes trailed back towards the source of the riding crop, falling onto Octavia’s cautionary glower and remaining transfixed there until something finally broke the deafening silence.
“Now.” Octavia slowly twisted the crop to the side, pointing towards the piano nestled in the corner of the room. While it had looked so cozy before, as had the rest of the room, now it managed to look somewhat foreboding. The gentle, flickering shadows in the room suddenly seemed much darker as Symphonia slowly lowered her chin, listening intently to the rest of her Mistress’ words. “Take a seat over there. Bring your music, and set it on the music rack. Do not sing anything until I return...unless you’ve yet to warm up. Do I make myself clear, Songbird?”
Symphonia shivered, hoping her Mistress didn’t catch the light brushing of her hooftips along the inside of her legs...or the slight moisture that she felt during the brief moment of contact. Usually it took longer than this to get all wet...
“Y-yes,” she said, finally raising her eyes back to her superior. “Yes, Mistress, you’re clear.”
Octavia nodded as she took a few steps back, allowing Symphonia to rise to her hooves. “Then go.” She gestured towards the piano. “Remember to do as I say.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Symphonia gathered up her music, and crept towards her given destination, but didn't even make it more than a few steps away from the couch before she felt Mistress' signature crop trace along the lower part of her back, pressuring her to move a little faster. She felt her face flush and her breath catch as she sped up her pace, eager to avoid being caught out. By the time she was seated, Octavia was already out of sight, leaving behind only slightly-squeaky hoofsteps in her wake.
Symphonia gulped as she dug her rear into the bench, the cool soft leather, the air smelling of lilies...just like the small garden in Octavia’s backyard usually did. But even though everything around her was so familiar... everything popped a little more than usual today. Especially the...moisture down there. She almost wanted to explore it, to encourage it...but knew that would earn her an instant punishment from Mistress. Songbirds weren't supposed to 'cheat' like that. So she steeled herself and closed her eyes, doing her best to focus on the steady pounding rush of her heart in her ears, and the sensation of the cool breeze surrounding her.
Symphonia could feel herself start to finally relax a little as the distant hoofsteps stretched on.
She settled into her seat and started to pick out some notes on the keys herself, listening for any sign of approaching hoofsteps. This was...exciting. Their session would last a good while. They usually did. It was a good thing she had plenty of time. Plenty of time to find out what was coming next, and delight in it. All she had to do was relax...listen...and obey. That's what songbirds did, and she was the best songbird! More than that...she was Octavia's songbird.
The rush of her heart intensified for a split-second as she finally heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching with a little more force, and she dug her rear into the seat even harder, not even wanting to waste even a single moment of preparation. Mistress was so strict, but if she was quick...if she carried this moment of acceptance through the entire session...it would be worth it. And if Mistress was nice enough to help, well...that would be pretty nice too. She was always pretty nice to her. At least, as far as authority figures went. However, that vision of sweet kindness dimmed quickly, being pushed aside as Mistress Octavia's shadow suddenly appeared over her. She stood over Symphonia's head for a good, solid moment, her gaze holding firm against the small filly's...the silence becoming almost electric with tension...and then...
"Open."
Symphonia froze. Open? Open what? The...the music? Her mind? Her jar of pickles? Then, she somehow froze even more rigidly as the tip of Octavia’s crop came to rest...on her lips. Oh. Her mouth. That made sense. But she still had a question, and though she wasn’t usually permitted to speak first...exceptions were usually made for clarification. Octavia was strict, but not cruel.
“Should...should I sing, too, Mistress?” Symphonia squeaked. Somehow, even piping up enough to ask a question sent tingles across her body...most of which fizzled into the warm wetness slowly gathering at her groin.
Octavia didn’t move the crop from its position, nestled on top of Symphonia’s muzzle, as she answered with a shake of the head: “No. Keep your mouth open. I will tell you when you are to sing. Understood?”
Symphonia swallowed the knot in her throat, before nodding and obeying her Mistress’ order. She felt a little bit confused for a moment as to why she was doing this, especially as Octavia withdrew the crop, trotting into the hallway to rummage through what sounded like a box with lots of stuff in it. Still, her jaw hung open, and her tongue dangled limply as she did what she’d been told, like a good little filly.
Octavia returned in short order, carrying a variety of things in her hooves. Symphonia didn’t have time to look at most of them, but she saw a length of soft, black cottony rope, as well as a big silver bar with two no-nonsense cuffs attached at either end. The rest was more or less lost in a big pile of stuff as Octavia dropped most of it, choosing to retain something that she concealed from view. Symphonia had no doubt that all of these objects were about to become part of today’s session. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
“Wider.”
Symphonia blinked as Octavia almost barked the command. She felt her cheeks flame up a little bit as she obeyed, feeling almost like she was at the dentist instead of at a singing lesson. The feeling only intensified as her Mistress strode forward, and shoved a large metal ring into her mouth, nestling it just behind her teeth. Symphonia whined, but made no attempt to dislodge the foreign object. Not only would she surely be punished for doing so, but Octavia was already almost finished tightening the straps attached to the ring, pulling them tightly enough that she could feel her cheeks squishing underneath.
After a few long seconds, the jostling and rustling did end...but only after she heard a faint little click, and felt something small bump against the buckle situated behind her head. She didn’t even have to reach back to have a pretty good guess of what it was...a lock. It was totally unnecessary given her position, but it was somehow more degrading to include it, and somehow made her feel even more vulnerable.
“This ring gag will stay in until we are finished,” Octavia intoned as she stepped back, seemingly inspecting her work. “You know the safetune to hum if you require attention. Otherwise, all I expect to hear today are your dulcet tones...not the words attached. Am I understood?”
“Y-yeh, ‘ihreh.” Symphonia’s blush only intensified as an unwanted string of saliva suddenly trickled down from her bottom lip and landed on her chest. While she’d worn gags before...this was a new type. And if it had her drooling like this already...well, she just hoped she wouldn’t be expected to stop drooling at any point. Was it even possible to not drool with her mouth so wide open, her jaw stretched so much, and her lips unable to meet to form a simple phrase? If it was, she certainly didn’t see how to go about such a task.
Octavia made sure that Symphonia was settled as comfortably as she could manage, before nodding to herself, seemingly satisfied with her work. Her attention finally drifted back to the pile of stuff she’d dropped in front of the filly, a coy smirk drifting across her face. Noticing the look, Symphonia’s breath caught in her throat. She could feel the tingles sweeping over her body, followed closely by a flush of heat that seemed to spread from her neck upwards. What had Octavia found...?
Octavia made a bit of a show out of rummaging through the pile, her eyes glinting wickedly all the while. For over half a minute, she put on a slow display of picking things up, looking them over, and putting them down again. But, for a pony whose attention was usually so focused on the task at hoof, there was a rather...uncomfortable amount of time spent simply staring at various unrelated items. Symphonia could feel her hips beginning to wiggle seemingly on their own as the heat between her legs only grew. What in the world was she—
"Stand. On the bench. Hind legs. And move it here, first."
Once again, Symphonia snapped back from her daydreams to Octavia's firm voice, her mouth still pried wide open, steadily leaking saliva. There was never time to waste when it came to obeying Mistress, so she brought her legs together, and forced them to obey as she pushed the stool to the spot indicated by Octavia, farther away from the piano, and climbed on. By the time she managed to complete her given task, she was already struggling to find a comfortable balance...something that proved impossible as she could feel herself start to drool all over the floor, all without uttering a single syllable. This bench clearly wasn’t meant for ponies to stand on; her footing seemed to be perpetually off no matter which way she shifted on the ever-moving cushions. Her forelegs shifted awkwardly; was she supposed to hold them up to her chest, or let them dangle down? Well, at least she could tilt her head back...that kept the drool in her mouth, and off the floor. For now, at least.
Symphonia shifted her gaze towards her big sis, hoping to find some guidance in her eyes. Octavia’s smirk had vanished by now, and only the glare of a mildly-disinterested Mistress remained. Her lips twitched momentarily before she spoke again. “Arms up, to the ceiling, behind your head. Spread your lower legs."
Symphonia did as she was told, feeling swathes of saliva pooling in her muzzle as she stretched out as much as she could. Octavia nodded to herself, a little smile returning to her face. Just that small sign of approval sent a flood of relief through Symphonia's body, even as her stability worsened. She hoped she wouldn't have to hold on much longer. Her breath now came in short, ragged gasps, and her hooves were shaking with effort. She could feel her steadiness slowly leaving her, but she knew Mistress wouldn't let her stop. This was all part of letting go of herself, after all.
This was only proven more true as Octavia retrieved some more objects from the pile. Symphonia let out a quiet gasp as she felt Octavia gently nudge her legs apart only a second or two later. Octavia grinned as she saw the shiver run through Symphonia’s frame. Slowly, deliberately, Octavia retrieved the long metal bar, and began fastening the attached cuffs to Symphonia’s legs. Every little movement, and the sudden tightening of each strap made Symphonia feel more and more exposed and helpless. Soon enough, she wouldn't be able to close her legs even if she wanted to. But she suspected that was exactly Mistress' intention, especially as two more small clicks marked two more locks trapping her in her predicament.
Octavia finally moved on, grabbing some rope and two more cuffs from the still-amorphous pile of gear. Symphonia braced herself for more tightness and yanking around her limbs, but this time she instead felt Octavia’s hooves slowly wrap around one of her forelegs, ever-so-gently securing one of the cuffs. The unexpected tenderness, and Mistress' warm, soft, comforting proximity was enough to send the fuzzies crawling through Symphonia's body out her mouth, where a small little moan made its way out into the air between them, followed by some more drool...from both her mouth and her nethers.
Octavia slowly moved to the next leg, caressing Symphonia's side with a hoof as she did so. "There. Now, just focus a little longer, my Songbird. I'm almost done." Octavia gently patted Symphonia on the head, and Symphonia nodded weakly, before closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing. She was probably going to feel some soreness tomorrow, but it would be worth it, in time. She just had to remember that.
The second cuff tightened much like the first, and as Octavia reached around Symphonia's trembling little frame, two more clicks sounded. One quick trip down to grab some rope, and Mistress was back up, gently pressing against her chest as she threaded the rope through a ring on each cuff, before climbing up beside her and tying the ends of the rope to some small, barely-visible hooks in the ceiling. Symphonia's little heart danced in her chest in some vague combination of fear and arousal. This was like both a nightmare and a dream come true, but it was happening. Right here. Right now. Everything only felt more real as she felt her hooves tugged just a bit higher, the final knot tightening with a firm jolt and a slight whine from her throat.
“And now...you are perfect.”
Octavia stepped back slowly to inspect her handiwork. All Symphonia could do was offer her a few choked little gasps and whimpers of anticipation as more of the ache in her body was slowly, begrudgingly, brought to the forefront. The soft, comforting touches of Mistress' hooves were gone as well, so she was only left to stare at the ceiling as thin tendrils of drool began to slide down her chin. She was exposed, vulnerable, and unable to close her legs or even bring a foreleg down to cover her burning, drooling face. It was frightening and exciting and agonizing and soothing all at once...she knew that was exactly what Mistress had wanted all along.
Octavia slowly circled around her, her hooves clicking lightly on the ground. Symphonia could just barely make out a glimmer in Mistress' eyes, even as she kept their gaze to any place but back at Symphonia's line of sight. She could feel drool running across her lips, down her chin, and finally dribbling into a little puddle in the center of her chest, drop by drop. Her eyes watered a little as she looked up at the ceiling. She tried to focus on her breathing, and the soft, familiar touch of Octavia's hooves on her back as she shivered. She could feel Octavia's breath on the nape of her neck, and then—
"Ahhhh!~"
Symphonia's moan rang into the air through her tiny, gagged mouth, followed by a sudden torrent of drool that slowly made its way through her wide-open lips and onto the floor. She knew it was only sis' rubber-clad hoof that trailed ever so gently across her spine, but the icy chills of pleasure that went through her body were as real as the wet and gurgly sounds of her voice escaping again. She knew this would only last so long before the pleasure gave way to the discomfort once more, in that endless dance she was all-too-familiar with...but she couldn't quite bring herself to care as Octavia's hoof continued to trail down and caress her tail, and then...
"Let's begin with some Chopone."
Just like that, the touch was gone. Symphonia groaned and shifted around, but the cruel cuffs kept her helplessly stationary as Octavia turned towards the music on the piano, and plucked it off the rack. Symphonia had almost forgotten it was there in all of the excitement, the dull aches in her legs, the throbbing between her thighs, the drool trickling down her neck, and perhaps most prevalently, the inferno behind her face. At least she didn't have to read the music. She had it very well-memorized.
“Let us begin with bar one of the Aria,” Octavia continued. She glanced for a moment longer at the music before setting it back on the piano, seemingly satisfied. Symphonia watched as Octavia raised her crop, and shivered as she felt it gently caress her...there. The other place she was wet, aside from her chin, neck, chest, and now even abdomen. It felt so good...but she knew it could feel bad very quickly if she did anything to upset her Mistress. One wrong note, and she would be firmly corrected. One more than that...and she would be harshly punished.
“One...two...three...four.” Octavia’s hoof moved along with her counting, the crop gently touching Symphonia’s fillyhood to set the tempo.
Symphonia's voice shuddered to life as she began doing her best to reproduce the music. It was a little odd not being able to make consonant noises. All she could do was slur every phrase, letting out a constant musical “haa-aaa-aaa~” , or “ohhh-ohhh-ohhh~” with her voice carrying the melody of the song just barely above the gentle rhythm of her bouncing and shifting body on the stool. All she could do was try her best to match the rhythm of her wiggling and bouncing to the gentle tip, tap, tip, tap of the crop keeping time between her legs. Though she felt like she was on fire down there, it was in a good way...for now, at least. She knew Mistress had even more tricks in store...more ways to push her.
By bar six, she was already breathing much harder. Her lungs were burning as she struggled to keep up with the tempo. Was this song always this fast? Or was she just so out of her element with the unrelenting metal ring wedged behind her teeth, her tongue dripping drool out of her mouth, and her hooves all securely bound and still dully aching?
“Stop.”
Thwap!
“AHHHHG!” Symphonia cried out, stopping and wincing as the crop suddenly flicked across her moist, burning filly parts, only setting them more ablaze. That particular blow was far from Mistress’ strongest, but it was enough to send a barb of equal parts pain and arousal up her body and straight into her drifting consciousness. She could feel her body shuddering as she twitched her hooves, arching her back, and once more dribbling more thick drool onto her chest.
Octavia circled back around to Symphonia’s front, shifting her hips from side to side with every step. She gazed almost hungrily at the pathetic filly as she twitched on the stool, trying to fight off the lust beginning to weaken her mind.
“What did you do wrong back in bar four?” Mistress asked, staring dully into Symphonia’s eyes. Symphonia...had no idea. Had she been rushing? Maybe she was flat.
Suddenly, Symphonia froze. It didn’t matter if she’d actually done anything wrong...she couldn’t say what it was even if she tried! She was gagged! But surely Mistress knew that...right? She wouldn’t be that mean, to ask a question she wasn’t able to answer, right...?
“Answer me, Songbird,” Mistress warned, stroking a hoof slowly up and down the length of her crop. The message was clear: obey, or feel pain. Obedience seemed impossible, but...she had to try. So Symphonia drew in a deep, shaky breath, and did her best to guess at what she’d done wrong:
“Ah or’o’ ‘ee ah’i’eh’al ih’ ahr’ ‘or...?” She certainly hoped she hadn’t forgotten the accidental in bar four...that little tricky thing. A little bead of sweat began to form on her brow at the thought. She fidgeted, instinctively trying to close her hind legs, but was stopped by the cruel metal rod propping them apart. Mistress noticed this, and her lips split into a wide, wolfish grin.
“Wrong.”
Thwap!
“Ahhhhhhhuuuuh!”
Mistress’ crop was as cruel as ever...perhaps even moreso this time, judging by the pangs of pain darting into her entire pelvis. But, thankfully, she had seen fit to make her strike on Symphonia’s flanks, instead of her far more sensitive...front. It still didn’t seem to sting any less though, especially as her instinctual squirming loosed another glob of saliva down onto her chest. She felt her entire body weight rest momentarily and uncomfortably on her forelegs before she managed to shift back onto her hind legs.
“Let’s try again...” Mistress cooed, quickly sneaking deep behind Symphonia’s ear, “...this time, however, I will expect the same quality of performance you just displayed. Nod if you understand.”
Symphonia nodded, and felt her heart skip a beat as Octavia’s hoof dragged slowly down her flank to rest, finally, between her legs. She didn’t do anything with the hoof, even as Symphonia whined and tried to rub against it, being denied by the spreader bar forcing her thighs apart. All she could do was wait, and hope the touch would come...somehow. Instead, all she got was her cue to begin once more:
“One, two, three, four—“
Symphonia didn’t feel ready at all, but she somehow managed to force out a sound from her throat. At first, her voice warbled and shook in time with her struggles, but soon she was able to produce a distinct steady tone: a musical “haaah,” tracing out Chopone’s age-old melody, which turned into a wet, gurgling “ahhh” as Mistress’ hoof returned to reawaken her burning, drooling, inflamed...place.
She whimpered, but kept her eyes closed, feeling the gentle pressure of Mistress’ hoof as it danced in time with her tempo. She could sense her Mistress’ smoldering gaze on her, and the growing heat between her legs. Every moment of it seemed to drive her closer to the edge of her self-restraint. She felt herself clutching in her bonds in attempts to reach the one thing of hers that was no longer hers...control. She had no control over how aroused she felt, how firmly Octavia’s hoof spread her soaking lips apart, or how quickly her mind spun as she began to buck against the cruel bar to bring her heat closer to Octavia’s hooves...all she could do was hope for more sensation, the kind of which she knew only her Mistress could provide.
“A little fast,” Mistress coldly observed, noticing the frantic pace slowing as Symphonia’s voice grew louder, “but it’s still sufficient. Continue, little Songbird.”
Symphonia wanted nothing more than to bury her face in the carpet as she paused for breath. The room’s temperature had risen significantly since Mistress had begun rubbing down there, and Symphonia could feel her excitement growing by the moment. She was getting closer, both to the end of the piece, and to her peak. She was being a good little songbird for her Mistress. She could feel the music swelling in time with her gurgly, drooling moans of submission, and knew she was doing well. But doing well wasn’t enough. She wanted more—
Thwap!
The sudden sting of the crop across her plot elicited a startled yelp from Symphonia’s mouth, and convulsions blasted through her legs as she nearly floated off of the stool, borne half-aloft by the rope wrenching her forelegs upwards. Her back arched as she let out a loud cry, only to be followed by another yelp as the crop struck once more...and then yet again. Octavia didn’t stop there, either: one final blow cracked across her pussy. Never before had Mistress been so harsh...what had she done wrong? Symphonia didn’t know. All she could do was wail in pain as the final blow shot up her spine, filling her with such heat and shame that it seemed like it would never end. She had been so close too...even as the stinging pain died down to a dull, throbbing pleasure, the absence of Mistress’ hoof was almost worse than that final strike.
“Songbird,” Octavia purred, her ears flicking as she loomed over her kneeling submissive, “are you doing that on purpose?”
“Auh...” Symphonia whimpered and drearily looked back at her Mistress, her head slumped low in disappointment. The crop she had been holding was now floating just above her rear, but there was no sign of any kind of mercy. She almost felt like humming the safetune...but something stopped her. She could still do this. Her legs were trembling, her chest was caked in drool, and her breathing was ragged...but she could do this.
“‘oihg ‘ah...?” Symphonia was so sorry...so very sorry! She had only meant to make Mistress happy. What had she done? Why had she been naughty?
“You were playing with yourself.” Mistress’ sharp whisper caused her to flinch. The pain in her bits was fading, but her cheeks were still blazing in humiliation. Playing with herself? But...she hadn’t even been using her hooves! Almost as to confirm this, the filly’s eyes drifted up, to where her forelegs still resided. The ache in her shoulders, almost forgotten, returned as she saw how firmly and tightly her hooves were bound above her. Octavia followed her gaze, before gently placing the crop on top of her head and pushing firmly down. Symphonia whimpered, but looked back down at her Mistress obediently. Obedience was all she had to offer now, after all.
“That is...you put your own pleasure above the music. Pleasure is part of our music, but not the driving force.” Octavia’s neutral expression drifted down into a slight, unamused frown, and the crop dug into Symphonia’s chin just a moment after. Somehow, the rubber-wrapped hoof gripping the crop seemed almost...disappointed. “These lessons are to improve your abilities, Songbird. I will reward you with more pleasure, but only if you do not let it distract you to such an extent. Am I clear?”
Symphonia swallowed, along with a good deal of drool leaking out, and gave a small nod. Her moans came out weak and wheezy, as they always did when embarrassed. She blushed deeper as Mistress lifted the crop away, giving her chin a quick rub before bringing it back down to her flanks. The filly cringed as she felt the crop moving across her wet folds...and then a tap. Just light enough to startle her and send a jolt of arousal down her body. She knew where this was going, and blushed deeply as the crop rose up from her achingly red buttocks.
Before she knew it, it came down again, much more harshly, and with a swooshing sound that resonated through the air. She cried out, but kept her eyes open and fixed on Octavia’s. She knew well enough not to close them, after all. Mistress’ words from their first session together rang out especially clear now: ‘I want to see your inner struggle between pleasure and pain.’
And what a struggle it was. Symphonia could feel her inner self tearing itself apart as she squeezed tightly at the air and fought the urge to divert her eyes. It still stung. Slap! It hurt! But she couldn’t let her Mistress see her mess up again...she had to be a good songbird. Crack! “Auh!” Whack! “Ouuhhg!” Splap! “Ooouuuhhh...!”
If anything, she felt more needy than before, but she was determined to shape up now. No matter how hungry she felt, she wouldn’t give up, no matter how hard it got. Thankfully, Octavia picked up on this, and finally stopped her assault. Mistress grinned wickedly as she lowered the crop, and examined her from head to hoof almost unbearably slowly. Besides her own breathing, Symphonia could only hear her heart pounding in her ears for the longest time before Octavia finally stepped back and motioned for her to pick up where she left off.
Symphonia’s hooves felt shaky as she began again, and she still couldn’t get a handle on the pain in her rear, but she fought through it and managed to perform quite well...she thought. But then, she just wanted to put on just a good performance for her Mistress. More than simply getting better at music, she wanted to make Octy happy. If that meant sore flanks, lots of drool, and blushing more than she ever did in the rest of her entire life...she'd do it.
After what felt like years, she finally finished the song, and felt a series of taps spring from her rear, rewarded as she always was for a good performance. Instead of strikes, these were more gentle firm taps...and not from the crop, but from Mistress' rubbery hooves. A wave of relief flooded her as she let out a long moan, but Symphonia knew she couldn't rest yet. The song was finished, but Mistress wasn't...
Symphonia whimpered again, and slowly nodded. She was becoming desperate again—her urges had escalated almost immediately and now, as her legs slowly strained against her bonds, the stinging pain in her forelegs was slowly beginning to return. She was so tired...but that quickly faded as she felt Octavia’s hoof slide between her legs again, and begin to rub.
Every nudge, every pull, every rub sent a wave of pleasure up Symphonia’s body that not even Octavia’s crop could match, and she knew that if her legs hadn’t been bound so tightly they would have buckled almost instantly. She could hear Mistress' rubber hoof gently squeaking as it slid back and forth; Octavia must have polished her socks just before she came, from both the looks and sound of it. She could almost see her reflection among the slowly-mixing puddles of drool and juice.
More importantly though, she could feel something building up inside of her. It was like a throbbing pulse of heat that shot between her limbs, and was quickly lifting her towards a new peak, driving her thoughts away. It was strongest in between her thighs, and all she could seem to do in response to it was gurgle, blush, and futilely try to close her thighs around Mistress' hoof, prevented by the ever-cruel spreader bar. Her mind was blurry from the pleasure, and she could feel her lips beginning to curl as her excitement grew higher and higher. She was almost there...!
“Good girl...” Octavia cooed, leaning over as she took hold of Symphonia’s chin. She could feel the cold touch of her Mistress' other hoof against her cheek, and it was almost enough to make her cum right then. “Let yourself go now. I want you to enjoy it fully. Cum for me, Songbird."
As Octavia looked into Symphonia’s eyes, she felt something inside her beginning to spasm violently...and then her whole body shook as it happened. She could have sworn that she could feel Octavia’s hoof inside of her, but she couldn’t really think of anything else as she stiffened and let out a long, loud cry. She let herself go completely, content to bask in the red-hot waves of ecstasy that washed over her. Every minute movement that she or Octavia made felt almost impossibly better with each second, and Symphonia felt like she could stay here for the rest of her life as long as Octy kept going. She trembled as her climax went on, feeling strand after strand of saliva landing on her chest, her legs, the bench, the floor...everywhere. She could also feel her own other juices coating the insides of her thighs, increasingly so with every passing second. She didn’t care...the pleasure was almost too much. This was her reward, this was why they did this, this was—
"Hey, Octy! Guess who's back early! I...oh."
"Shit."
Symphonia's eyes widened. One moment she had been drifting in and out of reality, basking in unimaginable, inarticulate pleasure, and the next...Mistress was cursing, and stumbling out in front of her. What was wrong? And what was that strange voice that had kept her from her reward? She wobbled unsteadily as she looked first to Mistress' panicked face, and then, peeking around her mane, to the door...
There stood a white unicorn, with a vibrant neon-blue mane and rather prominent violet sunglasses. This was an innocuous enough sight, but from how big sis was reacting, she couldn't help but to feel worried herself. Who was this mare, and why did she know Mistress...?
"Vinyl, I can explain."
Vinyl? As in...Vinyl Scratch? Wasn't that Octavia’s roommate? Whoever she was, her eyebrows went from raised, to lowered, indicating...anger. This situation was getting worse by the second, wasn't it? She was even still drooling and dripping despite everything...
"Explain what? Why you've got your little sister tied up, gagged, and dripping from both ends?!"
Octavia took a step back, visibly worried, but only for a moment. The next second, she was stepping forward again, though her voice was still shaky as she fired back: "It isn't a-any of your business what—"
"And you didn't invite me?! Rude, Octy. Rude."
Mistress paused, her hoof hovering in midair as though also leashed to the ceiling like Symphonia's hooves were. "I...I'm sorry, wh-what?"
"You heard me!" It seemed Vinyl could no longer keep up the apparent act; her angry frown and glare quickly dissolved into a smug smirk as her horn lit up and removed her sunglasses. If her mouth hadn't been smiling, her eyes definitely were. "You think I'd pass up a chance to wreck some puss, even if it's smaller than normal? Hell no. You gotta let me in on that."
"W-well..." Octavia laughed a sort of nervous laugh. "This is...actually her singing 'lessons', so..."
"Singing lessons?" Vinyl's gaze swept around to where Symphonia was still moaning and drooling, and her grin seemed to grow. "Now that is the cutest thing I've ever heard from ya', Octy. But now that I'm here...we're gonna run things a bit different."
"'ifferen'?" Symphonia finally found the strength to speak up and try to make sense of the situation. She was doing better, but she still felt as though she could barely move. Mistress seemed to pick up on her confusion and stepped closer, smiling as she gently stroked her saliva-soaked chest.
"...different, yes. You know you are my Songbird, right?" Symphonia nodded, feeling a bit of warmth flood her body despite the strangeness of everything else. She loved being Octavia's songbird, even if there was some temporary discomfort and pain associated with it at times. "Well..."
"Octy's my little Songbird," Vinyl interrupted, finally shutting the door as she stepped into the room. Octavia blushed deeply, but nodded as her hoof trailed further down Symphonia's lightly-trembling body. Vinyl stepped closer to the pair, and her horn glowed red once more. Symphonia moaned and let loose a new string of drool as a sudden strong tingling began between her legs. Her tongue flopped helplessly as she realized that the unicorn was using her magic to tease her. And so soon after an orgasm...it both hurt and felt good. "But hey...I can play with two for a night. Teach ya' some new stuff that I doubt she's ever tried with ya'. How's about it, kiddo?"
Symphonia's breaths came in fast and heavy gulps as she continued to struggle against her bonds, the heat under her belly rising quickly. "Ah...uh..." she squeaked, blushing fiercely as she looked back and forth between her Mistress and the smug smiling pony standing just behind her. She wasn't sure. Still, there was something about what Vinyl said that made her want to give it a try. Something about being 'taught new stuff'. Maybe it was the fact that she'd only been with Octavia for so long, or maybe it was the fact that she felt so helpless and vulnerable. Either way, it...sort of made her want to try. Even Octavia seemed okay with it, judging by the small little nod she made when they made eye contact. Was it really okay to be a songbird to two ponies at once? Would it somehow feel even better than being one for Octy felt? Clearly, that was already pretty good if even Octy was apparently already one when she wasn't around...
"Ah...ah-huh," she finally stammered out, nodding as she ground at the air. She was rewarded with a brief burst of pleasure as a tingly, sparkly something slipped inside her filly bits, but it faded just as quickly, pulling a desperate little whine from her throat as the pleasure receded back to the ever-so-torturous state of passive stimulation.
"Good Songbird," Vinyl praised, gently patting her on the flanks. Symphonia almost felt compelled to stare into Vinyl's eyes as the unicorn's smirk turned to a warm smile. "Trust me...Octy learned all she knows from me. I'll treat ya' right."
Symphonia whimpered yet again, her mind wandering as she lay helplessly exposed and bound. She simply couldn't believe what was going on. Not only was her normally-firm and authoritative older sister now meekly to Vinyl's side, but an almost-complete stranger seemed to be set to use her like some sort of toy. It was kind of scary...until Octavia stood up on her hind legs and kissed her.
It was a weird kiss, being that her muzzle was forced wide open by the ring gag, but it was no less passionate for it. She could feel Mistress' tongue wrestling with her own, and her heart soared as she felt Octavia's hooves gently pet her long and messy mane, combing through it as she began to softly moan through her nose, caught in the same passionate kiss. As Mistress' unique scent of fresh lavender tickled her nose, she felt herself slowly relax and close her eyes, leaning in and panting as she eagerly pressed their muzzles together tighter. It was so pleasant, so calming. Mistress filled her mind and her soul, and it was as though, in that moment, she was able to let go of all her worries...
"Jeez, you guys make one hot pair."
Symphonia's eyes snapped open, and she squeaked in surprise as her cheeks flamed up. Mistress just chuckled as she pulled back, leaving a thin string of fluid twinkling between them before she severed it with a hoof. "It'll be fine," she cooed, gently stroking Symphonia's chin, "maybe a little different, but just think...you'll be able to try so many fun new things."
Symphonia panted softly, and realized that it was actually...not that bad a deal. She was still limp and sweaty, her whole body felt raw and tired, but... it was comforting, in a way. If one Mistress brought her so much pleasure, maybe two would be even better. Or even just the one, but a different one. She was okay with this...especially because Octavia was.
"Alright." Vinyl smiled, gently pushing Octavia back as she stepped up next to Symphonia, and finally dissipated the aura around her horn. To Symphonia's relief, she was able to finally relax as her filly bits stopped tingling and burning with achy pleasure. "We'll get you down, get a quick water break, and then be back at it. Got it, Songbirds?"
"Y-yes...Mistress Scratch."
A silence followed Octavia's response. Vinyl winked, and gently nudged Symphonia's spreader bar. "...what do we say?"
"...'eh, 'ihreh 'hra’h."
"Good little Songbird."