> What Comes Before Love
>  by Postmodern
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever Twilight thought of molestation, she thought of bergamot.
The floral, kind of citrusy fruit was actually quite rare in her home dimension. Cadance, the Alicorn Princess of Love, still took regular trips across the portal to the human island of Bali in order to secure her own supply. The extraction of the yellowish rind, paired with lavender, made for a delightfully fragrant soap. 
That was perfect for Cadance, who never used perfume. She’d always preferred more subtle scents, the ones you never even realized had already crept into your subconscious until a random shift of the wind made the tears stream unbidden down your cheeks, while forgotten events projected themselves anew upon your waking mind. The rose-hued princess loved many things, but she especially enjoyed using the sense of smell as a tool of manipulation. It was a particularly insidious form of mind control.
The equation was simple: (time x habit)=conditioning. Aroma was a powerful value of the habit variable, but not a necessary one. Any sort of sensual affirmation, applied with regularity, would do.
But scent provided the strongest, longest-lasting results. Twilight was living proof.
It wasn’t until she’d fully analyzed her life upon adulthood that she realized why her former foal sitter always bathed herself before a night of rape. It wasn’t because Cadance wanted to embrace her victim with a clean body, though Twilight had always been glad for that small mercy. Neither was it some kind of serial criminal’s ritual. That would come later, after the older alicorn’s psychosis had developed more fully.
Bergamot is a bright, bracing fragrance, very good at waking up a foal in the middle of the night. It only takes a few instances of association. After that, the aroma gains the ability to invade dreams as surely as Luna herself, snatching a young pony out of her gentle slumber and into heart-pounding wakefulness. The scent also becomes a noise amplifier, making the approaching sounds of hooves on stair steps and panting, excited breaths an order of magnitude louder. 
And even if you would use forbidden magics to muddle a victim’s memories after the act, leaving behind the tastes of placating ice cream and vague physical pleasure, you might purposefully keep the scent of bergamot untouched. Eventually, the young pony could even take a liking to the same type of soap, using it all the time so she could be just like her beloved foal-sitter. This way, no matter where or when, as long as the two of you are together, your cock can get hard at the thought of that secret connection — conditioning goes both ways, after all.
Then you can break every furtive promise made in the terrible darkness as you give yourself a nice soak before the next violation. Yes, bergamot is an amazing substance. 
Twilight once considered wiping every trace of the fruit from existence — an act that would have been difficult as a unicorn, even considering her preternatural talents. Of course, as the present day’s Element of Magic, such a feat would be simple…but there was no need now for such childish actions.
And in any case, bergamot still had its uses.
Twilight sighed as she gingerly opened dark, expressive eyes that had seen more than might be expected for an alicorn of her age. She found herself laying on her side toward a rocky brown surface, and she turned over on the straw-filled bed, arching her back as she allowed the meager details of her prison cell to once again fill her awareness. Morning sunlight poured in from the slitted window above her, illuminating the three sandstone walls of a standard Canterlot dungeon, with the fourth taken up by solid-looking bars of an unknown metal.
Well…it was reasonably clean, thank goodness. Twilight’s gaze strayed to the small wooden desk along one wall, with a single bookshelf just above containing a few of her favorite classics. The furnishings were products of Celestia’s criminal justice reforms, granted to every prisoner no matter their crime, and although Twilight’s more radical suggestions had not yet been implemented, these were at least a step in the right direction. Eliminating debtor’s prisons and providing mental health resources to ex-cons would have to come later, the young alicorn supposed.
Twilight sat up onto her star-emblazoned rump, putting a hoof to her brow as she shook out the cobwebs of old, familiar memories. She needed to get her head in the game post-haste, before the guest of honor arrived. The alicorn had made all the preparations she could, but it was a rare plan that survived contact with the enemy. That lesson had been proper fucked into her, and no mistake.
“You don’t have to do this.” The tinny voice in Twilight’s earpiece was imperious, but the hint of concern she could hear was akin to a heartfelt plea considering the source. “In fact, you would be objectively better off dispensing with this whole scheme and serving out your sentence in peace. You don’t need to be as old as me and my sister to know how vengeance usually turns out. Won’t you walk away while you still can, Twilight?”
Twilight raised her eyes to the stone ceiling as she pretended to consider Luna’s words. She gave it a few moments.
“You’ve seen Cadance’s dreams in 8K…dreams that I’m sure you never want to see again.” Twilight’s voice was disconcertingly childish, with the barest hint of a lisp. “Neither you nor Celestia would have any idea about the scope of her crimes without my memory manipulation research. You should be thanking me instead of treating me like a foal in need of a life lesson. Besides, that’s your sister’s schtick.”
Luna’s uncomfortable pause said much, but the Night Regent pressed further. “Twilight. You know we’re grateful for your help. Your sentence has already been lightened because of your efforts, and our investigation is progressing apace due to the…evidence you’ve uncovered, but we are a kingdom of laws, and there is a process that needs to be followed. Justice will come, for you and all her other victims. Why can’t you trust that? Why can’t you trust us?”
The Twilight of a few years ago would have scoffed at Luna’s entreaty, finding her legal idealism a patronizing joke. But the current Twilight heard the hurt behind the words, and she fought to steel her heart before answering. 
“Why are you asking me these questions, and not Celestia?”
“Twilight…” There was another pause, longer this time. The young alicorn could almost hear Luna squirming behind her monitoring devices. “My dear sister sometimes has more of a…medieval idea of what’s fair and what’s not. There’s a reason we still have dungeons under the castle, after all. That doesn’t mean she’s always right, and it doesn’t mean you have to follow in her footsteps.”
Twilight frowned as she slipped to the floor, stretching her stubby legs in preparation for whatever might happen. “Celestia’s sense of justice is pretty much the only thing we have in common. I’ll never be like her. Or you. Or anyone else, except myself.” 
Despite her declaration, she was somewhat surprised at her own composure as she waited for her visitor. Her hooves were steady, and her wings unruffled. She was as primed as she’d ever be. “I’m not an idiot, Luna. I know she feels like she owes me this — which she does — and I’m taking advantage of that. I don’t care. To paraphrase Dr. Parvotti, you can all eat a dick. By the time I’m done, Cadance is going to see herself for what she truly is, and the sight is going to break her. I promise you that. All you have to do is exactly what I told you to do. Are we clear?”
Luna’s angry tsk from the earpiece justified the whole rant. “You used to have much more respect for the royal personages, Princess of Magic.”
“Oh, I respect both of you. More than you’ll ever know,” Twilight said as her ears swiveled toward a long-awaited sound. “You’re still assholes, though. Now, hush. It’s time for me to get in character.”
A thin, lavender-pink pony strode in front of the cell, familiar yet different in subtle ways. Her youthful alicorn ascension had always made her one of the taller ponies in Twilight’s life, not least due to the majestic horn upon her forehead that seemed to have grown in the past few hundred years, but the golden highlights in her hair and the heart-shaped crystal on her flank marked her without a doubt as the one and only Mi Amore Cadenza, Alicorn Princess of Love.
Twilight suppressed the urge to retch.
As Cadance looked the bars up and down, her curiosity plain on a face tinged with just the barest hint of eyeshadow, the younger alicorn found herself once again struck by her former foal-sitter’s poise and beauty, second only to Celestia herself. Somehow, she combined the confidence of a rockstar with the nurturing vibe of a nurse. If she hadn’t known any better, Twilight might have been somewhat intimidated.
A certain aroma wafted into the cell, and Twilight, despite all her foreknowledge and mental preparation, convulsed violently before she could stop herself. 
Cadance gasped as she finally locked eyes with Twilight, who cursed under her breath at the involuntary show of weakness. “Oh, Twilight, love. To see you under such circumstances breaks my heart in two. Are you ill? Has this drafty old place brought even the Princess of Magic low?”
Cadance’s lilting words of concern, bright as a summer morning yet filled with fake sincerity, helped to steady Twilight’s nerves. “Hey, Cady. It’s great to see you, even if I’m…in here. I guess it is a little chilly, but don’t worry about it. I’ve dealt with worse.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a few stories to tell. I’d like to hear them sometime. My, my…it seems like only yesterday I was cleaning ice cream off your muzzle. Where does the time go?”
There it was. Little references like that were like a speedball to ponies of her persuasion, and they always had to have one close at hand in the presence of a victim. It was all about the knowledge imbalance. Even if your mind doesn’t remember, your body does…or something like that. Cadance had already started in on her little games, and they would come more frequently from here.
Good.
Twilight pasted on a smile that she hoped would be interpreted as shamefully self-deprecating as she trotted over to the bars separating the two of them, and her mind swam with momentary double vision, recalling a younger, hungrier version of the alicorn before her. Less than a foot of distance, to make up for a lifetime. Her hoof twitched with the desire to reach forward and…
Vorfreude. Vorfreude.
“Time waits for no one,” Twilight said cheerfully. “Even us alicorns, who can live for thousands of years, have never been able to break that law. Spend a few hours down in the Archives sometime and you’ll find the stories of many who tried.”
Cadance winced at the suggestion. “I’ll leave the research to those a touch more suited for it. Book dust plays hell on my sinuses.” She glanced left, then right, wrinkling her pert nose in confusion. “The security down here is rather lacking, isn’t it? I haven’t seen another guard since the entrance. One might’ve thought you, of all ponies, would rate a closer watch, what with…you know. Everything.”
She certainly was taking her time getting to the what’s and why’s of Twilight’s imprisonment. Was she that repulsed? Or was there something else going on? The young alicorn tried to calm her racing mind as she watched the other’s movements closely.
Cadance peered at the prison door, raising a hoof to the metal bars. “I mean, I doubt some pig iron like this could — AH!” She stumbled backward, and her rump hit the far wall as a shower of sparks lit up the shadowed hallway. The smell of ozone temporarily — thankfully — forced the smell of bergamot out of Twilight’s nostrils.
“...fucking hell…ahem. I suppose I should have expected as much.” Cadance shook the numbness out of her hoof as she tried to regain her composure. “There must be enough magical energy surrounding this cell to power Manehattan for a year. A Celestia special?”
“Indeed it is. Sorry, I should have mentioned it. Hold on, let me.” Twilight’s stubby horn glowed with a soft purple light, and the shine on the bars seemed to dull all at once.
The young alicorn tapped the door with gentle force, and it silently swung outward. “Care to join me?”
It was truly fascinating, reading the expressions that flashed across Cadance’s face in an instant. Envy…anger…admiration…and yes, fear. That was the most important one.
“I…yes…thank you.” Cadance had probably never been so caught off guard in her life as she sidled past Twilight into the cell. “But…wait…you really could have done that anytime?”
“There’s isn’t a prison in Canterlot that can hold me, Cady. That’s not a brag. It’s just the basic fact.” Of course, it was a brag, and it had the desired effect. Twilight chuckled at the older alicorn’s nervousness, shutting the door with a little more force than was necessary and causing a loud clang to resonate in the dank air. “Honestly, the shock bars are more to keep ponies out than to keep me in. I’ve made a lot of enemies, and I have to sleep somewhere. Might as well be here.”
“Tick, tock,” Luna whispered into Twilight’s ear. The alicorn ignored the warning as she turned back to Cadance. She was going to enjoy this, and she was going to take her time doing it, schedule or no.
“Honestly, I also just want to do my time, and try to make things right. I won’t claim innocence, and I won’t downplay the seriousness of my crimes. Everything got so, so messed up, for so many reasons, but…what’s done is done. All I can do now is take responsibility.”
Cadance looked at Twilight with something like respect. “Twi, love —“
“I’m not the pony I used to be, just like you’re no longer my foal-sitter.” Twilight gestured to the bed, offering a seat. “We’ve all changed, Cady. Some less than others,” she said as the citrusy scent returned, “but we’ve all changed.”
“Yet, some things stay the same,” Cadance said as she sank a hoof into the hay-filled mattress. “Ooh. Surprisingly plush. Must have shipped the straw in fresh from Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Only the best.” 
The older alicorn tittered as she hopped upon the mattress, patting a spot next to her. If she was still unnerved, she hid it well. “Come on, love. No need to be bashful, not with me. No matter what you’ve done, I’ll never abandon my dear Twi, so don’t distance yourself. Please.”
At least there was an excuse for Twilight’s reluctance. Slowly, she joined Cadance on the plush bedding, trying to make all her motions look as casual as possible while leaving a modicum of space between the two of them.
Cadance had other ideas. She quickly slid her pert flank sideways, pressing her hip against Twilight’s and putting a foreleg around the younger alicorn’s waist. The sweet citrus aroma suddenly became cloying, like overripe fruit, and Twilight had to use every ounce of self control she possessed to keep from bolting. 
She did not, at least, hug back. There was only so much she could make herself do.
“Some things are constant,” Cadance sighed as she lightly stroked Twilight’s flank. “Somewhere in there, there’s the same cute little foal I took care of over 300 years ago. She’s a little older, a little wilder, but she’s there, probably still stuffing her face with raspberry vanilla swirl.” She chuckled at the memory while she snuggled closer. “You were my favorite, you know that? I had a lot of business back then, but I always looked forward to my time with you. That foal was so loving, so gentle. I know she still exists. I know it.”
The younger alicorn swallowed hard. Loving…gentle…pliant…eager to please. She’d long ago understood that Cadance’s sins were hers and hers alone, but Twilight’s yearning for affection hadn’t exactly made things difficult. She’d worked hard to excise those troublesome aspects of herself over the years, and not always to her benefit. But situations like this made the effort worth it.
“It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself.” The sadness in Twilight’s voice was not entirely affected. “You do know what I’m in for, don’t you? I’m sure Shining told you all about it.”
Cadance shook her head. “Shiny didn’t become Captain of the Guard by blabbing about state business, even to his wife. I did hear a few things here and there through the royal grapevine, but I wanted to get the truth from you…as long as you’re comfortable talking about it…and if you still trust me, of course.” She batted eyes moistened with tears.
Instead of laughing in the princess’ face, Twilight shrugged. “It was nothing much, really. Just a little attempted genocide and ecoterrorism, with a side of pony experimentation for flavor. No big deal.”
Cadance’s reaction was not what Twilight expected. Instead of recoiling in horror, her look became pensive, and her stroking hoof began to roam, moving up and down the younger alicorn’s leg. “Incredible. I’d almost say it’s unbelievable, but…oh, but you had to have had a good reason for what you did, I’m sure. Mitigating circumstances…isn’t that the term? You’re not some kind of monster, Twi.”
“Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, Cady. Now that you know the score, I’d suggest you cut ties with me while you can. For your own sake.” Yeah, right. No way she’d be able to resist that softball.
Cadance’s response, from the widened eyes to the offended tone, was true to form. “Perish the thought, young filly. Times like these are when you need a friend the most, and besides, how could I call myself the Princess of Love if I abandoned you to the hatreds of others? You can depend on me, Twi, I swear it.”
“It’s great to hear that, Cady.” It really, really was. “Sorry for doubting you. I haven’t had many real companions over the past few centuries except for paranoia and obsession.”
“You poor, poor dear. Come here.” Cadance cradled Twilight’s head in the crook of her neck, and she stroked her mane tenderly. “Don’t worry about anything at all as long as I’m here. Why not talk about what happened? You can confide in me about whatever you want. Your secrets will be safe, you know that.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “Look, Cady…I’m not proud of what I did.  I…” Twilight shook her head. A little truth was needed to shape the lies to come. “No, I can’t say that. I put every bit of myself into that scheme — all my power, all my knowledge, all my skill. It should have been a foolproof plan, but in the end, Celestia made me the fool. Beings like her make the ‘best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry,’ as Burns said.”
Cadance frowned, slowing her gentle caresses. “I’m, ah…not too familiar with art from the other side of the portal, I’m afraid. To be quite frank, I didn’t think humans were that…enlightened.”
Did she even care about humanity aside from the ranchers that grew her precious bergamot? Twilight knew she was being wildly hypocritical after what she’d tried to do, but Cadance’s ignorance left a bad taste in her mouth.
Outwardly, she shrugged. “They’re not that different from us, really. A little smaller and weaker, but shockingly insightful sometimes. The point is, Cady, I wasn’t strong enough to see my plan through. Another pony with more will, and maybe more luck, might have succeeded. It doesn’t matter now, though. That’s all done.”
“Mmm.” Twilight could sense Cadance’s pulse quicken through her alicorn-enhanced perception. So it was a power play after all. The right information given in a moment of weakness — information that she wouldn’t tell Celestia, but she might confess to her favorite foal sitter — could be worth much to an ambitious princess.
Sly little cunt, this one.
“It sounds to me,” Cadance said, moving her roving hoof down to the side of Twilight’s barrel, “that you haven’t quite let go of all the things roiling inside, pushing you to commit these terrible acts. Why don’t you unburden yourself, love? Start at the beginning. What caused such a good pony like yourself to go down such a dark road? Was it the humans? Did those creatures do something to you?”
The funny thing was, Cadance’s suggestion hadn’t been far wrong. It was rather refreshing for Twilight to be able to talk about such things without fear of judgment, knowing that her listener would soon be judged herself, in her own way.
“You might find this hard to believe, but the humans were simply caught in the crossfire. There was nothing personal there — like I said, I actually respect many of them. It was more a matter of wanting to hurt Celestia than anything else.”
“Oh, my, my. You were willing to destroy an entire ecosystem just to get back at your teacher. That’s almost impressive. Was that ugliness something she taught you?”
Cadance actually sounded very impressed, which was unnerving. “You’re more right than you know, Cady. Let me show you something.”
“Two hours,” Luna whispered as Twilight magically floated a strange looking book from the shelf across the room toward the bed. The young alicorn silently acknowledged the words of caution. Plenty of time still. 
The book dropped into Twilight’s hoof with a dreadful heft — considering all the enchanted metal plates and chains embedded into the reinforced frame, giving it the size and thickness of an encyclopedia volume, it had to weigh a couple hundred kilos if a gram. Yet, there was no thought of overkill when it came to this tome…not considering the revelations carefully inscribed within.
“This is my personally copied version of a book that I found in the deepest part of the Archives,” Twilight explained with appropriate gravitas. “It’s a record of the earliest history of Canterlot, and the adventures of a certain alicorn named Tia of the Dawn. Celestia doesn’t use that name much anymore, but I think she still has some affection for it.”
Cadance didn’t even try to hide her shock. “Heaven and hell, Twilight. Celestia has never spoken of her past, to anyone! Do you understand what a priceless historical artifact this is?”
As if Cadance gave a shit about history. But Twilight only nodded, setting the book upon her lap and allowing the other alicorn to crane her neck for a better look at the purple sigils engraved upon the golden cover. “The original’s about a thousand years old and barely holding together, so I did some hardcore re-binding backed by a few unreasonably powerful protective spells…spells that ward against curious ponies, and not just dust mites. Celestia doesn’t know that I know about it…at least, I don’t think she does. It can be hard to tell with her.”
Cadance looked up at Twilight with eyes full of wonder. “Protective spells? Are the secrets in this text that dangerous?”
Twilight hesitated. She watched Cadance’s reactions carefully as she replied. “Dangerous? In a sense, I guess. Look. Celestia was very much not the same pony she is today. She did…things…back then. Terrible things. Some were out of necessity, without which Canterlot as we know it would not exist, and some she did because…because she wanted to. Because she enjoyed doing them.“
This was the test. As much as she wanted to deny it, there was a sliver of doubt in Twilight’s heart about Cadance’s current state of mind. Ponies did change, after all. What if she’d been filtering this whole conversation through the unreliable mind of a cynic? If there was any remorse in the older alicorn’s heart…any self-reflection, any growth…well, she’d still have to be punished, but it wouldn’t be personal to Twilight anymore. Her conscience was still too new to be very flexible. She wouldn’t be able to fully commit to her enemy’s destruction. Cadance’s fate was in her own hooves now.
Cadance stroked the cover of the oversized book with the same gentleness she’d given to Twilight. “Goodness. I never would have thought…but her strength of will…it does make sense. I think I understand. The world isn’t ready to hear such unvarnished truth. Not yet.”
Twilight said nothing as she let the critical moment play out.
Cadance gently, yet insistently, took the book from Twilight’s lap and placed it on her own. “Twi, love. You need to understand that secrets like this…they cannot be borne alone. You have to share them with someone you trust, or they will drive you mad. Let me help carry some of this burden. Believe it or not, I have some experience in such matters.”
Almost. Twilight bit her lip, as if reluctant to speak. “The thing is, Cady…I was kind of…fascinated by some of the passages I read. They were…intriguing. Exciting. Every chapter was another horrible escalation that only made me want to know more about this distorted version of Celestia. In a very real sense, she was still teaching me, but what I was learning about myself was…”
Twilight paused to collect her thoughts. “Tia of the Dawn showed no hesitation. No remorse. She did whatever she wanted to do, she never looked back, and she founded an empire. Tia was an inspiration.” There was a little truth to soften more lies. “I would never have even attempted my plan without this book.”
Now was the hour of testament or condemnation. “Cadance…have you ever felt like that? Have you ever willingly hurt people, and felt no regret afterward? Or maybe even…wanted to do it again?”
Cadance averted her eyes and went silent as she considered the most important decision of her life, one whose consequences would ripple throughout Canterlot. Twilight wondered if her own pounding heart was audible to the older alicorn. Then she wondered what she would do if she was completely wrong about Cadance…if she’d made some kind of mistake in her investigation, or if she herself had been manipulated. Memory alteration seemed to be more common than she’d initially imagined, after all. Believing that anyone could be completely immune was the height of hubris. It was almost as silly as directly threatening the life of one of Celestia’s lovers. What could possibly go wrong?
At last, Cadance turned back to Twilight, and the conviction in her eyes said everything before a word left her lightly rouged lips. “This confidence of ours…it goes both ways, all right? Promise me that you will say nothing about what I tell you. Not to Celestia, not to any of the Legends…not to anyone. Promise me, Twi.”
Twilight nodded. “Of course, Cady.” Heaven and hell, it was so utterly liberating to make a promise to someone’s face with the full intention of breaking it! Even Tia of the Dawn kept her oaths. Was this what it felt like to be a sociopath? 
Cadance put her forehead to Twilight’s, and the gesture now had a new intensity, a new intimacy.  She took the younger alicorn’s hoof in her own, and lay them both on the cover of the book as if they were about to about to be wed. Then she took a deep breath.
“I have a certain hobby, Twi. It’s one that most ponies would never be able to countenance. No, they would fear it, and cast me out for it, but I cannot stop…even if I wanted to. I would have certainly have been discovered long ago if not for Shiny, who not only fully accepts this part of me, but actively helps me practice it. I will always love him for that alone. My strange little pursuit has been completely solitary since before I took care of you, and finally being able to share in it has been like a miracle.”
Twilight could not mask her shock. Shining Armor was in on all this? It scarcely seemed possible for the upright Captain of the Guard to make himself into an accessory to Cadance’s heinous crimes…but then again, he was famously devoted to his wife, and not even his close family, to say nothing of his lieutenants, knew much about his private life. If this could be corroborated…no. No, no, no. Not Shining.
“You’re right,” Twilight said, trying to keep the quaver out of her voice. The hoof in Cadance’s lap squirmed under the book to gently caress a spot between the older alicorn’s thighs, occasionally giving a teasing stroke to the tight crease deep within. Twilight was done being coy. “Telling someone else about your passions, and having them be accepted, is simply wonderful. There’s such pleasure in it…such a sense of release.”
The young alicorn tossed the book to the side, making the hay in the bed crunch under its weight as she spread Cadance’s legs, revealing a poochy, fat-lipped pussy that dripped cream upon the bedsheets. “Look at that. Your hobby gives you a lot of pleasure, doesn’t it, Cady? But you have to steal it from others, which is why you dared not tell a soul. It’s a pleasure so addictive that even the Princess of Love is enslaved. No, don’t be surprised; this has all been simple deduction. And I already told you, didn’t I? Your secret is safe.”
“Oh, Twi. Twi.” Cadance began to slowly grind her hips against Twilight’s insistent digit, and her eyes became lidded, sensuous. She trailed tiny, almost timid kisses against Twilight’s thin neck, panting her lust against the younger alicorn’s ear. “The taking of innocence is such an exquisite joy, like nothing else in the world. The parents all trust me, unconditionally, yet they have no idea about the wolf they’ve invited to care for their sheep. Such tiny, helpless sheep…”
Cadance shuddered, and a gush of fresh cream lubricated Twilight’s foreleg as she squeezed it inside, spreading those reddened cunt lips as she went in to the wrist. Yet the young alicorn felt none of her partner’s passion. 
There was no more doubt. Not anymore.
“Which way do you swing when you indulge?” Twilight made her voice raspy. “Cock or cunt? Honestly, you strike me as a cock kind of alicorn. It’s all about the penetration, isn’t it? The impalement. And you love to see the fear in their eyes as they take in what you’re packing. Am I wrong?”
“You’re not. You’re not wrong,” Cadance groaned, and her hips moved faster, thrusting harder as she grabbed Twilight’s foreleg and used it like a dildo, fucking herself with deep strokes. “I do like a good, hard dicking as much as the next mare — and Shiny has more than enough to satisfy in that regard — but, oh, Twilight. The struggle. The forcing apart, the slow squeeeeeze into a tiny, tight opening as they scream your name. The bump in the stomach going up…and down…in…and out…deeper…and deeper…and deeper…until the explosion, and a cute little bellyful. Ah, Twi…it’s like magic.”
Cadance slowly pulled Twilight’s hoof out of her steamy pussy, moaning at the sensations and filthy sounds, until the digit emerged coated with white juices. She ahhed as she slurped her own secretions, making the purple hoof sparkle with saliva.
Then she adjusted her position, mounting herself upon Twilight’s lap in a cowgirl style and bringing the two of them face to face. The younger alicorn could feel the heat of Cadance’s cunt against her own, raging furnace-hot as the Princess of Love groaned sweetly, burying her muzzle into Twilight’s indigo-striped mane while she frotted in a steady, unhurried rhythm. A wet slapping sound could be heard with each movement of her slim hips.
“Uh…uh…God in heaven…listen, Twi. Listen to me. Sometimes I have dreams of revealing my fat cock to a mother in the morning, stained with the virgin juices of their precious one. In our excitement, we take the filly together, her and I. That’s my goal, my most fervent wish, but so far, I…I haven’t been able to make it work. I could never take the risk.”
Cadance grasped Twilight’s muzzle, gazing with desperate intensity into her former charge’s dark eyes as she humped faster. “Twi…you could help me, Twi. With your power, you could make my dream a reality. Incest…it’s the final taboo, the seasoning that completes the meal. I want a mother and daughter, Twi. I’d even be willing to share…or you can just watch, if that’s what gets you off. Oh, God…God…it could really happen! Will you help me, love? Please?”
Twilight had become very good at disassociation over the centuries. Forcing herself to commit atrocities under the threadbare banner of justice, she now considered herself an expert at compartmentalizing her mind when she had to do a bit of nastiness. At the moment, most of herself was set apart, watching at a distance as Cadance used her smaller body as a sex toy while confessing her crimes. This part of her clung to that tattered banner with a wild strength, crying over and over that this was all necessary, all part of the plan.
Another, smaller part of herself was grabbing Cadance’s pert ass with both hooves and meeting her thrust for thrust, on the verge of orgasm as she listened to the older alicorn’s hushed pleas. This side of Twilight felt only pleasure as it took in the fantasies spilling from Cadance’s blasphemous lips…except they weren’t fantasies. They were real. The victims were real. Cadance’s mania was real.
But she was about to come. Despite all of it, she was still about to come.
“Twilight. A guard is on his way. I don’t know where he came from, but he’s almost there, and I can’t stop him. I’m sorry, but you’re out of time.”
Luna’s whispered warning in Twilight’s earpiece was a bucket of ice cold water. What had happened? She should have had another hour and a half! Couldn’t the fucking diarchs do one thing right?
Oblivious to the younger alicorn’s mounting panic, Cadance touched her nose against Twilight’s chest and sniffed like a curious dog, inhaling all of their musty scents. She let out a moan as she breathed in the decadent melange….a moan that was abruptly cut short. 
“You stopped using my soap, Twi. Why did you do that? You used to love it. What happened?” Her words were curiously lucid, with an edge that immediately put Twilight on alert.
“I lost my supply,” Twilight said, trying to keep any hesitation out of her response. “Your stuff was special. I tried the knock-offs, but there’s nothing like the real thing.” She returned Cadance’s keen stare with her own, challenging look. “Now that we have an understanding, maybe you can let me in on your connections. I’d love to try out the latest blends for myself. After you’ve sampled them, of course.”
Cadance’s face twisted with every word until she was red-cheeked and panting with delirious heat, while her hips slammed against Twilight’s with enough force to bruise a weaker pony. The younger alicorn took it all, letting the fully metaphorical implications drive her former foal-sitter mad with the possibilities.
“Angels above!” Cadance was screaming in Twilight’s face now, and her expression was transcendent. “Do you remember? I want you to remember those nights…those glorious nights! I knew you were one of the special ones, Twi. Let’s start again, the three of us, along with Shiny! Together, we can-“
“What the shit is she doing in there?”
Cadance’s entire body jerked in shock, and she turned at the waist to see the sight that Twilight had expected, but still had no plan for. An armored young colt with a storm grey pelt stood just outside the bars, glaring suspiciously at the two alicorns still entwined atop the rough bedding.
Every explanation Twilight could think of sounded dumber than the last. Ultimately, she decided to try the old standby: pleading ignorance. “Hey, there. Nice to see a guard around here, finally. Just, ah, exercising my conjugal visit rights. I’m sure Captain Armor must have said something. Where’d everybody else go, anyway?” And why weren’t you with them?
“I’m a new recruit. Today’s m’ first day,” he said, looking closely at the bars. “All they told me was to hustle my ass down to the dungeon for my first assignment. Didn’t know it was gonna be you, though.” He kicked a loose pebble toward the prison door, and the three of them watched the stone bounce between the bars into the cell. “That’s weird. Heard this was supposed to be charged up at all times.”
“Rather hard to get in if that’s the case, isn’t it?” Cadance, at least, recognized that she was in almost as much trouble as she tried to pull rank with the haughty authority of an alicorn princess. “As dear Twilight said, everything is fine. If you’d like, you can tell Shining Armor all about it when he returns. Now, if you’ll excuse us-“
“Yeah, no.” The recruit looked freaked out about the whole situation as he began to step away. “I gotta at least let somebody know about this, just so it don’t fall on my head. The upper castle guards are still around, I reckon.” He turned to leave.
This was a hell of a thing to have to deal with on your first day, Twilight had to admit. Unlucky for all of them, though Cadance tried once more to get the colt to see reason. “Recruit! Come back here! This is private business, not for the ears of every leatherneck in the corps! You will keep your muzzle shut, or Shiny will-“
“Shiny will what?”
A basso voice came out of the shadowed hallway. Cadance gasped in shock, while Twilight sighed in relief.
Finally.
Shining Armor stepped into the meager light, blocking the path as he looked down at his newest recruit, who was trying and failing to keep from quailing in fear. His coat was gleaming white and meticulously brushed, drawing full attention to the blue and purple shield on his flank. His silvery armor, true to his name, shone with a pale burnished fire. Many hands higher than any non-alicorn pony not named Big Macintosh, he always cut a stunning figure, though Twilight knew better than most about the keen mind behind the muscles. Cadance would never have married a stupid pony.
“Captain!” The recruit squeaked his surprise. “They said you was gone for the next two weeks! Ah…I assume you’re okay with all this? Sir?”
Shining Armor focused his narrowed eyes on his wife. “I’m not sure. Should I be okay with this, dear?”
Cadance began to sputter, unsure of how to react. “Shiny…love…this isn’t really the time to go into details, but everything’s under control. Better than that, even. Look, why not join us? Twilight has…expanded her consciousness when it comes to love. I’m sure you two can catch up, while I watch. Hm? Doesn’t that sound nice?”
“Hello, Big Brother.” Cadance wasn’t kidding about the whole incest thing.
“Hey, Twi. Fucking my wife, huh? That’s cool. Good to have you back.”
The poor recruit looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. “Ooh, know what? I’m just gonna…let you nice folks work this out, while I go clean the head or somethin’. Sir. Ma’am. Ma’am.” And he began to back away as quickly as his legs could move.
“Good idea, Private. You do that.” As Shining spoke, he took a step toward the young recruit while his right hoof flashed into the softest part of the colt’s gray neck. The recruit’s legs gave out beneath him, and he crumpled to the floor in a heap.
“God in heaven!” Cadance started at the quick motion. “Was that really necessary, love? You didn’t hurt the poor pony, did you?”
“Shining has always known how to control his strength,” Twilight said as she hefted the chain-bound tome. “Personally, I’ve found it’s much easer to not even try. You’d better grit your teeth.”
Cadance turned to question Twilight just as a riveted metal corner slammed into her temple. The princess’ body went rigid, flying three centimeters off the bed before landing in an insensate heap.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I know you can hear me. Come on. Let’s get started.”
Twilight had had many opportunities to watch ponies awaken from slumber…usually a forced slumber, like this one, but not always. Some were slow to realize their danger, wallowing in confusion as they tried to make out the hazy shapes of a bedroom that was not their own. Others immediately went into a fight mode, their bodies lashing out in defense before the mind was even conscious. These subjects were violent, but predictable; pure instinct could easily be accounted for and turned aside.
The most dangerous awakeners were the ones like Cadance. Her eyelids fluttered open, but she did not flail around in a panic, nor did she scream. She simply lay there on her back and tilted her head upward, taking in the strange weight of the silvery mechanism around the base of her horn, as well as her roped-together forelegs raised and lashed to a metal ring in the wall just above the hay-filled bed. She tried her bonds, which held tight, and she didn’t seem surprised. After all, enchanted rope was the least one would need to keep an alicorn tied down.
Yes, these were the ones who made Twilight nervous. They were the observers, the plotters, the ones who couldn’t be distracted by small talk or cheap threats, and often the ones with the highest pain tolerance. Somehow, the younger alicorn didn’t think Cadance would have been in that category, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’d underestimated an enemy.
Twilight took her time, observing her subject closely from the side of the bed. She’d taken all the precautions she could. There would be no underestimating this one.
“I’ve placed a spell on all the dungeon entrances which should redirect interest for the next hour. At least.” Luna’s breathing through the earpiece sounded ragged, as if she’d been exerting herself. “I didn’t want to get this physically involved, but never let it be said that the Night Regent didn’t hold up her end of a bargain.”
“Just don’t screw up again. Either of you,” was what Twilight wanted to say, but she kept quiet. There was no reason to belabor the point when they were in this deep.
“Mhm hmmm mmm nn n nmphmmm mmmh!”
Twilight shook her head, tutting gravely. “Why, Cadence. I would have thought a refined pony like yourself would know better than to talk with your mouth full."
Cadance tried to respond, but the pale-yellow tropical fruit that filled her maw like a roast pig’s did not help her efforts. The sharp citrus juices and undiluted oils oozing out of the raw produce made her eyes water, but she kept her gaze unblinkingly fixed on Twilight all the same.
“Mmh mh hham.”
Twilight shrugged. “It kinda sounds like you just called me an asshole. I’m hurt, Cady, truly I am. Guess I should leave you alone for a while, if you can’t remember your manners-“
The younger alicorn heard a squishing sound, then a fresh jolt of fruity essence bathed her nose. As Cadance stared down her captor, her jaw began to close with the slow, steady movement of a hydraulic press. Sharp white teeth split the tough fruit in half, leaving a jagged remainder to fall upon the princess’ pink barrel. The other half ended up in Cadance’s mouth, and she chewed it pointedly, thoroughly, rind and all, before swallowing with a loud gulp.
She was still an alicorn. That could never be forgotten.
Cadance worked the kinks out of her jaw as dribbles of juice streaked down her muzzle. “I did indeed call you an asshole, Twilight.”
“I knew it!”
“Before that, however, what I said was, ‘Did you just hit me over the head with a fucking book?’ Still waiting on the answer to that one, by the way.”
“Yes, Cady. Yes, I did.” She hoped her Tia-like lack of remorse was sufficiently obvious. “Might do it again just for kicks. Or if you don’t tell me what I want to hear.”
Far from showing fear, the disappointed expression on Cadance’s face could have chastened a raging bull. “Twilight. I thought you were different. I thought you were special. But you’re just like all the other crybaby foals who thought they were so brave…who thought they could threaten me. Me!”
Cadance’s voice grew shrill at the last word. She took a deep breath as she reined in her indignant anger. “They were none the wiser the next day, just like all the rest. Just like you’ll be after I…AAAH!”
The chrome-plated device around Cadance’s horn sparked blue for an instant, and the alicorn’s entire body jolted as an electric current tore through her. It only lasted a second, but she was left gasping in pain as the shock passed.
Twilight chuckled. “You’ve just experienced the finished version of a bauble I’ve been working on for the past hundred years or so. Be glad you weren’t one of the test subjects. Now, you need to listen to me, without worrying about your magic. Can you do that?”
Cadance sneered with as much dignity as she could still muster while her left leg was twitching involuntarily. “Speak and be done with it, silly foal.”
Twilight took a seat on the bed as she got into Cadance’s face, almost touching the princess’ pert button nose with her own. “Call me a foal again. One more time. Please.”
Cadence met the younger alicorn’s eyes with her own look of defiant rage, but she said nothing.
“You really don’t understand your situation, do you?” Twilight leaned back, watching carefully for any other signs of resistance. “I guess that’s fine. It’ll make the process all the sweeter.”
She tapped her hooves together once, twice, thrice. “I have three questions for you, Cadance. After you’ve answered them all to my satisfaction, I’ll let you go. Not before.”
Twilight held up a hoof. “First question: where did you get that forgetfulness spell? Because I know for damn sure you didn’t research it yourself.”
“So it wasn’t enough to fracture my skull? You have to insult me, in the bargain?”
How Cadance always managed to sound so put-upon in every situation, Twilight had no idea. “You can take it as personally as you like. Thing is, I’m kind of the leading expert on mind manipulation magic, and permanent memory wipe spells are a particularly hard special case. But, hey. I’ll humor you. Explain to me the theory behind your spell. Please set your magical logarithm to base 13, and cycle your color axis into the red-orange spiritual atmospheric. Go ahead.”
Twilight didn’t think Cadance could look any angrier. “You’re so damned smug. Why the hell didn’t Celestia finish you when she had the chance?”
There had been observers after all, then. “Because she loves me. You of all ponies should know what that means, but we’ll come back to that. For now, just answer the question.”
Cadance gritted her teeth as she turned her head away. “I found it in the Archives.”
The day was still full of surprises. “You were studying in the Archives?”
“I wasn’t studying, as much as I was wandering around bored,” Cadance snapped. “I was a foal myself at the time. I actually stumbled upon the spell book completely by accident.”
“And you just…learned it, out of a spell book you happened to pick up? Just like that?”
Cadance turned back to Twilight with a look of deepest annoyance. “I’m not an idiot, silly fo…young pony. It took some practice, that was all. And the more I used it, the easier it became to cast. Maybe I have more magical talent than you thought, hm?”
Twilight rose from her spot on the edge of the bed and began to pace. Alicorns weren’t exactly lacking in mystical strength, it was true. And magical tomes weren’t like ordinary books. The oldest ones sometimes developed their own souls, their own personalities…and their own desires. It was entirely possible — even probable — that this book sought out a kindred spirit and made itself “found” on purpose. Twilight was suddenly very interested in the identity of the author, but her curiosity would have to wait.
She trotted back to the bedside. “Okay. I believe you. Your library card is hereby revoked, so I’ll come round to collect later. Here’s the second question, now.” Twilight paused as her heart suddenly began to thrum in her chest, and she mentally chastised herself. This was not the time to get cold hooves. She had to know, and she had to hear it from Cadance’s lips. There was no other way to be sure.
Twilight cleared her throat, to cover her disquiet. “The second question. Which foals did you use this spell on?” She didn’t elaborate. They both knew what she was getting at.
Cadance grinned, showing her teeth like the predator she was. “So everything you said earlier about our little agreement was a lie. Such a shame, really. I had plans. I still think you should give it a go, Twilight. Maybe you’ll find a new hobby besides getting high on test tube fumes.”
“I’ll pass,” Twilight said quickly. “And if I wanted to take a trip, I’d break out my stash of ayahuasca. Certain fields of research led me to a lot of altered state experimentation starting around the turn of the century, and not just on others, believe me. Maybe you should take up my hobby.”
“That is a bad joke,” Cadance said with a tone of disgust. “I’ve no need for such substances. You’ve been thoroughly corrupted by those humans, dear Twilight. You certainly are not the pony that you used to be.”
The young alicorn shrugged. “Yeah, well. If I’d corrupted myself a little more, I might not have tried to kill an entire species. But I’m sure your DARE shirt is in the mail. Now, enough about me. The next words out of your mouth need to be names, or this conversation is going to go in an unpleasant direction.”
Twilight lifted the heavy, chained-together tome from the floor, and her lips turned up a little when she saw the older alicorn shy away.
“For you. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.”
Cadance’s gaze went from Twilight’s face, to the steel-bound book, and back again. Maybe she was looking for some sort of weakness that could be exploited — a sign, however subtle, that Twilight would not resort to terrible violence in the service of her goals, whatever they might be.
The resignation in the older alicorn’s sigh said that she found absolutely none of the sort.
Cadance did indeed begin to speak names. There were many Twilight didn’t know, and a good number that she did — old childhood friends, most now with their own families, and others she recognized as the siblings or relations of the Legends. All of which almost certainly had to deal with the same unexplained nightmares, and the weird phobias, and the panic attacks out of nowhere. All damaged in some way, with no idea how it happened, or who was responsible. Probably thinking they, themselves, were responsible.
There were many, many names. Cadance was a very popular foal-sitter.
“Let’s see. I could never forget Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell. They used to call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders…so adorable.”
“They did.” Until their friendship suddenly fell apart. Twilight’s grip tightened on the magical chain binding in her hoof.
Cadance tittered, letting her guard down, or not caring about any such. “I loved being there at their sleepovers. Having them all at once was always a special occasion. You know, one night, I told them I’d give them a super-secret hint on how to get their marks, as long as they did exactly what I said. Oh, Twi, you wouldn’t believe how gullible-“
Before Twilight herself realized what had happened, she heard the meaty slap of the metal tome against Cadance’s cheek, and felt the shock of the impact travel down her foreleg. The older alicorn grunted in pain as her head twisted sideways, and a livid red welt immediately rose on the side of her face.
Twilight stole a moment of calm, allowing herself to admire the lump she’d inflicted. “Oh, wow. I’m so sorry, Cady. I don’t know what came over me. Here, let me do something about that.” The alicorn’s stubby horn glowed with a pale purple light, and the welt immediately began to shrink. Within seconds, the wound had vanished, as if it had never been.
Aside from the memory of shock and pain, of course.
Twilight could taste anew the fear coming off of Cadance, yet she spoke as if she had nothing left to lose. “Did that make you feel better, love? Or is that how you plan to get your revenge? By beating the hell out of me and healing me in turn?” Cadance chuckled. ”Come and join me down in the depths, then. We have cookies.”
“I’m trying to watch my weight. Are you done? Any other lives you’d like to put on my shoulders?” She’d have to tell the victims herself. Twilight wasn’t going to pass that responsibility off to Celestia or anyone else. She’d need to get a special dispensation to leave the dungeon, but given the circumstances-
“There is…one more name.”
The sly undertone made Twilight wary. “Yes?”
“It’s one we all know well already. You, me, and Shiny.” Cadance seemed to be waiting for the moment of recognition.
Twilight’s expression became hard. “Not even you would…not her…not even you could do that-“
“I didn’t think the spell would work on her.” It was difficult to say which was greater: Twilight’s rage or Cadance’s glee that was without an ounce of self-preservation. “Being a natural-born alicorn, and all. Luckily, it only took a teeny bit of trial and error to find just the right key to keep her memories locked away forever. It was still a risky move…but so, so worth it. God…the things she let me do out of love-“
“Love? She’s your daughter!” Twilight bit her lip to keep from losing her composure further. She always knew it was a possibility, but hearing it like this was something else entirely. The younger alicorn’s arm twitched, but she stayed her hoof, instead peering down at Cadance like a wrathful deity. “When I unlock her memories, Flurry Heart is going to hate you for the rest of her life.”
Cadance stared back with the calm of one who considered herself dead. “Possibly. But not necessarily. Flurry is a sweet foal. Very forgiving. And if not?” She gave a shark’s grin. “It was fucking worth it.”
The Princess of Love’s rancor was a hot wind on Twilight’s bare skin, drying out her body to the bone and leaving nothing at all that might prevent extreme bloodshed. Nothing…except her pride. And if there was one thing that could never be stripped from any alicorn, it was that.
The same went for Cadance. What was the phrase Dr. Parvotti used? Game recognize game? The older alicorn’s pride overruled her fear. She understood that she was lost, but she also knew that Twilight was once a hero, and so her own cold-blooded murder in the next three seconds would mean one of two things. Either the younger alicorn’s conscience had been long ago discarded, in which case Cadance had been killed by an equal, or Twilight would suffer a crisis of conscience that would haunt her the rest of her days. Whichever the result, Cadance could die with her pride intact.
Or, Twilight might spare her life. Then the game continued, with more opportunities to manipulate the situation in Cadance’s favor. At least, that was what the older alicorn surely thought.
She really did have no idea. That stupid pride was going to be Cadance’s downfall.
Twilight shook her head. “Uh-uh. Nope, nothing doing. That is not how this ends. You don’t get to escape that way.” She leapt upon the bed, straddling Cadance’s thighs in one smooth motion. The older alicorn tried to buck Twilight off, but the strength of an experienced adventurer was no match for a pampered princess.
“You’re going to confess to every family you’ve hurt,” Twilight said with quiet menace. “But first, you need to answer my last question. Are you ready?”
“What is it this time?” Cadance sneered. “Want to know where I dumped the bodies?”
Twilight’s face became ashen. “What?”
Cadance’s laugh was that of an imp’s. “I’m joking. But oh, God, that look on your stupid face!”
Vorfreude. “As I was saying…the last question is this. Does Shining Armor truly love you?”
The laughter stopped cold. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Now they were dealing with something that mattered to her. “I thought my question was clear. Does. Your husband. Truly. Love. You. Question mark.”
“Your question is ridiculous!” Cadance cried, a little too quickly. “Shiny is my treasure, my precious jewel! His devotion to me is absolute!”
Twilight tilted her head. “His faithfulness, too?”
“Naturally.”
“But it’s okay for you to fuck around.”
Cadance rolled her eyes and sighed, as if suddenly speaking to an imbecile. “Twi. Love. Shiny is the Captain of the Guard. He is the shield that protects Canterlot from threats that Celestia cannot see, and he must be ever vigilant. That leaves little time for dalliances, as you might imagine. But myself…I’m no fighter. I don’t belong in battle. The only thing I can do for my kingdom is to spread love and happiness however I can…with my pussy, and sometimes, with my cock. Shiny understands that. Why can’t you?”
“Oh, I’m sure he understands you well,” Twilight said. “Better than you might think.” So Cadance was a coward, too. As an alicorn, she had power to rival a battalion of soldiers, but instead of heading to the front lines, she made excuses. Twilight thought of all the times the kingdom was in peril…times when she could have used Cadance’s strength, if only she’d been around.
Add it to the fucking pile. Twilight put the thought out of her mind as she raised her left foreleg and made a gesture with her hoof.
The heavy thump, thump, thump of steel-shod hooves echoed from the hallway outside the cell. A muscular, white-furred foreleg opened wide the barred door.
Tall Shining Armor stepped inside, nodding his head at Twilight, while Cadance watched him with an unusual wariness. He returned the look with an expression just as guarded as he took up a spot next to the bed. Trouble in paradise, certainly.
“Hey, Sis. Looks like you caught a big one.” Shining affectionately touched Twilight’s shoulder with his own.
Twilight almost forgot her next words, so struck was she by the simple gesture. It had been so long! “Uh…hey yourself, Big Bro. Actually, I might just throw this one back. Smells a little rotten.” She bit her lower lip. “No hard feelings…right?”
Shining raised a well-sculpted eyebrow. “About what? My wife ridin’ you like a roller coaster? Don’t worry about it. Hell, I just hope she got you off.”
Her brother’s weight against her own was a comfort she didn’t know she needed, giving her the strength to continue, despite the day’s revelations. “Not quite, but…thanks, Big Bro. All right, then. Ready to play good cop, bad cop?”
“Which of us is which?”
“I’d say the one without the blunt object in their hoof is the good cop.”
“Got it.” Shining turned toward Cadance. “Hey there, Cady. Can I get you some…cigarettes? A candy bar? A piece of underaged pussy?” He shook his massive head. “Yeah, I don’t think I have it in me. Let’s just skip to the trial, so I can testify and try to make amends.”
“Works for me.” 
“Snffft…”
Brother and sister both turned toward the strange sound. Cadance’s eyes were squeezed shut and tears could be seen at the corners, while her whole body quivered uncontrollably. Twilight frowned. Was this fear? Or some kind of episode?
The next second, Cadance’s eyes opened wide, and the roaring laugh directly in Twilight’s face blew the young alicorn’s mane back. Her barrel shook over and over again with uncontrolled mirth.
“HAHAHAHA! Wait, wait…BUHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, my goodness! I can’t…I can’t breathe…snfffft…HAHAHA! Oh, God in heaven! ‘Let’s play good cop, bad cop!’ You deeply stupid little ponies…BAHAHAHA!”
Twilight glanced at Shining, who only shrugged as they waited out Cadance’s explosion. She hadn’t known exactly what to expect, but it wasn’t this.
“Oh, dear…oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, I just couldn’t…snfffft…I just couldn’t help myself.” Cadance blinked back further tears as she gestured at Shining Armor with her coral pink horn. “Ahem. Do you think I’m an idiot? You think I can’t recognize my own dear Shiny? Look, it’s not a bad simulacrum, I’ll admit, but if this was part of the plan, you may as well go back to the drawing board. You’ve made a rare misjudgment, Twi.”
Twilight sighed. She thought the ruse might have lasted a little longer. Part of her wanted to keep up the charade, in case Cadance was bluffing. But did it really matter?
Wouldn’t it even be better this way?
Twilight chuckled. “You’re right, Cadance. You got me. The role of Shining is being played by one of my associates, who definitely is not your husband. What gave it away?”
“I knew it as soon as I regained consciousness,” Cadance sneered. “When he wasn’t immediately at my side, I knew the pony I’d seen was a fake. The real Shiny would not have sat idly by and let this happen to me. And the real Shiny certainly would not testify against me!”
Those things were true. Especially since her secrets were also his secrets. “Guess we’re busted, Big Bro. Maybe we should’ve had a fight or something to make it look more real.”
The fake Shining Armor scratched the back of his head with uncharacteristic awkwardness. “I’d like to keep the use of my limbs, if you don’t mind too much. Who was the one who doesn’t give a shit about controlling her strength?”
Twilight laughed. “Point taken. Okay, Cadance. You’ve had your fun, and now all the players are in place. I’ll ask one more time. Does your husband truly love you? Simple yes or no.”
“Yes,” Cadance hissed. “I am the shine in his armor, reflecting the stars in the sky above. The reason he stands ready to protect Canterlot is because I call it home. When he needs a bit of pleasure after a day of toil, it’s my body that lets him forget about his problems, that keeps him sated and content. And when it’s time for one of my special sessions, he’s the one who suggests who to go with next. We were always meant to be, Shiny and I. Your question is absurd.”
Absurd? She really was in deep. “So, no doubt at all? No moments of suspicion, no jealousy? Ever?”
“Of course, we’ve had our moments,” Cadance said testily. “Every marriage goes through such trials. But we’ve weathered them and come out the other side, with a love even stronger and surer than before. Now, with that, I’ve answered all your questions. Can we please end this ridiculous farce? Take me to my own cell, or send my head to Celestia, or crucify me, but do something, so I no longer have to look at you.”
Despite her complaining — and despite knowing the truth — Cadance kept stealing glances at the fake ‘Shining.’ He really did come out well. Luna was able to pull out all the little details and mannerisms from Twilight and Cadance’s memories with such skill that even the younger alicorn found herself drawn to the copy. The Night Regent could be a bit flaky, but when it came to such things, she did very nice work.
They were all about to find out just how nice.
“I see,” Twilight said as she crooked her hoof, motioning ‘Shining’ closer. “In that case, you wouldn’t mind if I indulged a little before we adjourn, would you? With the real Shining absent, this is the closest I’ve been to my big brother in 300 years, and I’d like to enjoy him. Even if he’s a fake.”
Cadance scowled. “The fact that a mere body double can inspire such affection says a lot about the worth of your relationship if you ask me, but by all means. Do what you want. It’s not like I can stop you.”
“No. You certainly can’t.” Twilight reached out a foreleg to bring the copy’s muzzle closer to her own, and she rubbed her cheek against his, reveling in the warmth on her fur. The soldier moved his head in a subtle circular motion, and the action sent Twilight all the way back to their childhood, when the real Shining would console her the same way after her frequent nightmares. Sometimes, it felt like her brother was the one pony keeping her sane back then.
What happened to him? And how did he end up with…her?
As Twilight was considering these questions, ‘Shining’ pressed further. He took her lips into his mouth, and his tongue played with her own, causing a moan to steal from her throat. The soldier slid a hoof down toward Twilight’s tail, then past it, moving over the curve of her rump and finding the young alicorn’s perpetually lathered cunt. 
He toyed with her outer lips, tugging and teasing the stretched-out flaps. Twilight hissed in the earth pony’s mouth as she enjoyed the familiar movements. Fuck…this was downright cathartic.
Cadance’s nigh perpetual scowl only deepened as she watched the display, her body still pinned down under Twilight’s wiggling rump. “The two of you are closer than I would have expected. What happened to your distaste for incest?”
Twilight glanced at the older alicorn as ‘Shining’ bit her lip in that playful way that she loved. “When did I say anything like that? It’s always been like this between us.” She licked her lips lustfully as the double lapped the sweat from Twilight’s neck. “I…nnn…I probably taught him that thing you like. The thing he does while he sates himself with your body, I mean. Oh, but don’t worry. This is just a copy, remember? It’s not the real Shining. Just keep that in mind, all right?”
“You don’t have to remind me.” Then Cadance’s scowl turned into a prissy little pout, and she began to grind her own hips against the clone’s wandering hoof, in time with Twilight’s movements. “Twi. Why not cut me loose? You two look like you’re having fun, and I’m feeling a bit left out here. I’ll make it good for both of you, I promise.” She opened her muzzle wide, showing off small, sharp teeth framing a dancing pink tongue that was almost as prehensile as Celestia’s. “You don’t even need to move. I’ll do all the work. You’ve conquered the Princess of Love, Twilight. Now, let her serve you.”
What was this Gorean slave girl nonsense? Did she think this was cute? “Mmm…that’s tempting. Shining, what do you think?”
Not-Shining’s mouth hung open as he panted in wild heat, while his nose rooted in Twilight’s mane, taking in all her scents. He finally came up for air at the young alicorn’s question. “Hm…wha? Oh, she wants to get down like that? I don’t mind, but, uh…I hope she knows what she’s getting into. I’m a little needy right now, if you get what I mean.”
The clone raised his hind leg so that all involved could see the extent of his passion. He was enormous, even compared to most stallions; a good two feet of gray horsecock slapped against his barrel, as thick as an arm and topped with a flat head that was already dripping precome. Balls the size of cantaloupes, dark-black between his muscular thighs, pulsed with seed.
Twilight could already feel the heat emanating from that massive tool, and her messy cunt responded in kind, leaving a hefty deposit of marecome on the bed beneath her. She resisted the urge to take the cock in her hoof and seek her own pleasure, instead keeping her attention on Cadance’s reactions.
The older alicorn audibly gasped at the sight of Not-Shining’s fat cock, as if she’d never seen it before. Her mouth, previously so eager to please, slowly closed as her ardor cooled. “I…that is…we may need to try something else…I mean, I’m not quite used to your…size…in my mouth…”
Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. “Huh. I gotta admit, I wouldn’t have expected that. You mean, you’ve never gone down on your husband? Isn’t that Intimacy 101? You afraid of it or something?”
Cadance’s sour look returned in full force. “Look at that monster, Twi. Taking such a beast down my throat would be…uncomfortable for me. My pussy can squeeze the sap out of a tree branch, dear filly; it’s quite enough to wring the come out of even Shiny’s balls. He’s not missing a thing, I assure you.”
Twilight chuckled. “If you think there’s no difference between throat and pussy, then you’re even more of a fraud than I thought. My, my. The Princess of Love doesn’t even know how to take a big cock in her mouth. I’m afraid my impression of you has plummeted of late.”
The young alicorn’s body seemed to move on its own as she spread her legs and raised her rump, settling into a naturally receptive position above Cadance’s barrel. Her face was so close, she could see the strain in the corners of the older alicorn’s eyes as she silently, subtly (or so she thought) struggled against the bindings around her wrists. 
Of course, Cadance hadn’t given up. If Twilight had been dumb enough to untie her, she would have immediately fought for her freedom. It was draining, dealing with lies on top of lies…even when the lies were her own. Why not bring in some truth?
Twilight put a hoof to her chin while she idly waggled her rump, as if to show off the dripping slick between her thighs. “Know what? Maybe your connection to Shining is more tenuous than anybody thinks. Maybe his eye has started to roam…or you’re afraid it might. Maybe you’ve resorted to desperate means to keep his interest in you.”
Twilight’s stubby horn glowed, and suddenly the raunchy aromas emanating from the three ponies doubled in magnitude. The young alicorn’s nostrils burned with the stink of sex, and she tried not to drool all over her prisoner as she stared down at her. 
“Unfair means. Magical means.”
Cadance flinched, as if she’d been slapped. But her expression wasn’t just angry now, or petulant. It was…well…Twilight had once seen Celestia in such a towering rage that, for a horrifying moment, she thought her dear teacher might tear Canterlot down on their heads. It was a moment she hoped she would never experience again, the type of situation that words like “existential terror” were made for.
Cadance compressed all that blazing wrath in her eyes, and in four simple words, spoken with clinical clarity in a voice that seemed to belong to a different pony altogether. “Fuck you, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight couldn’t help but grin, which probably didn’t improve Cadance’s mood any. That nerve was still as raw as ever, which was exactly as the young alicorn had hoped. “Cady, I’m shocked! You don’t have to take your frustrations out on me, silly pony! I’m just trying to figure out why you’ve been watching Shining’s moves as if you’ve never seen them before. It’s like you’ve never heard of the concept of foreplay. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“The only strange thing here is you bringing up unnecessary shit,” Cadance growled in that unfamiliar voice. She was no longer trying to escape her bonds; once again, her pride overruled any thoughts of self-preservation. “You know, Shining knows, Celestia knows…everyone knows I only use my love magic in the most dire emergencies. I don’t cheat when it comes to my relationships, Twilight. All my friendships, all my loves…they’re all real. Undefiled. How dare you imply otherwise. If I wasn’t so indisposed, I’d gut you like a fish.”
Not-Shining sidled up to Twilight’s twitching ear. “Seeing Cadance so incandescently pissed off is hot as fuck. Is that weird?”
“Not at all,” Twilight said, feeling the same. From the start, she never saw herself as some kind of seeker of justice, rooting out evil to protect Canterlot from a menace. All that was only a useful side-effect of her real goal, which was exactly what was happening now: an assertion of dominance. A naked show of power. One stands above the other, with the loser at the winner’s mercy. There was no way that wouldn’t be hot as fuck.
Cadance might not have felt like a loser yet. But she would.
“I understand you’re…ooh…sensitive about that subject, Cadance.” The clone was now rooting around Twilight’s rear like a dog, tasting the endless spending from the alicorn’s cunt and giving her oversized clit a spit shine that had her trembling. “Nnn….understandably so. Never being quite sure if people like you for you, or if they’re simply enchanted, would be a waking nightmare. I’d keep a power like that locked up in the deepest, darkest part of me, to be unsealed only in a time of crisis. I’m sure you’d also do at least that much.”
Cadance’s eyes narrowed. “Then-“
“But I think your crises are not the same as mine. Why are you using so much of that soap lately?”
Twilight’s slashing tangent caught Cadance with her mouth hanging open for a few seconds. “What…what do you mean? Are you talking about my bergamot?” She said it with the kind of exaggerated French accent that would’ve shamed a Looney Tunes character, and the fact that she knew nothing about the language otherwise made it all the more annoying.
“Yes, your fucking bergamot. You never used to use it that often…it was mostly for your special occasions, if I recall. Kind of your calling card. But after you married my brother, I started to smell it on you all the time. What gives?"
Cadance began to struggle more visibly, trying to somehow free her hooves from the magical rope. She wasn’t quite panicky, not yet, but she was starting to rub her wrists raw. “My Shiny likes the fragrance. There doesn’t need to be any more to it, does there? Look, I don’t know what else you want from me. I’ve confessed to everything, so-“
“Can’t you try something else? Just for a while? I mean, you have to admit, using the exact same kind of soap for hundreds of years is a little bizarre. Why not mix it up a little?”
“Because I have my own preferences, just like anyone else. Why are you harping on about this?” Cadance’s eyes widened as Not-Shining clambered upon the foot of the bed, straddling Twilight’s rump with his forelegs. The young alicorn twisted around just in time to see his shaft twitch, spitting a wad of precome against her ass. The splatter ran down her crack, and Twilight could feel the scalding hot traces merging with the other fluids matting her fur.
She turned back to Cadance. “Impatient, isn’t he? I should probably help him out. As a reward for his assistance, you understand.”
“Then do it somewhere else!” Cadance was writhing now, underneath Twilight’s barrel, but she at least knew better than to get too physical with her struggles. “This is pointless, Twilight! I mean, this whole production is truly remarkable, really, but at the end of the day, all you want to do is make me hurt. In every way possible. While you get yourself off.” Cadance’s look of disgust was pure and uncut. “You’re a petty little pony, Twi.”
“You’re right. I’m petty as hell. This is all for my own sake, to make myself feel better. Everything else is secondary.” As she spoke, she felt Not-Shining’s full weight crunch the hay-filled mattress beneath them, and the shadow of his barrel loomed over both alicorns. The head of his fat, throbbing cock slipped against Twilight’s buttocks, and she arched her back as the stallion hot-dogged himself against her tight ass, while dollops of his cream covered her lower back.
Twilight groaned openly, feeling her own patience wear thin at the stallion’s touch. “Mmmm…God, that’s fucking big…yeah, I’m petty. But you know what’s even pettier? Trying to make people like you when they really don’t.”
Cadance’s anger flashed hot once again. “Goddammit, I told you, Twilight. My magic is not-“
“Hey, Mr. Fake. You’ve known Cadance for approximately one hour now. What do you think of her? Personality-wise, I mean. Just surface level feelings.”
Not-Shining didn’t even stop his thrusting as he looked up at the ceiling in thought. “Hmm. Well, considering the extreme circumstances…honestly? I’d say she’s still kind of a cunt.”
Twilight chuckled. “Yeah.”
“How dare you!” Cadance’s voice rose to a near shriek. “Who are either of you to judge me?”
“That’s the role I chose,” Twilight said as she spread her thighs yet wider, bracing herself for what was to come. “But it’s not just us thinking that. When was the last time you selflessly helped another pony?”
“What? I help ponies all the time-“
“No. I’ve been watching you for quite a while, Cadance.” And Luna had been digging deep into her subconscious. “When was the last time you really listened to someone else’s problems, instead of offering a solution that would make you look good? When was the last time you reached out to someone without some kind of underlying agenda? In other words, Cadance…it’s always about you in the end, isn’t it? Why does your love only go in one direction?”
Cadance abruptly thrashed upward with her lower hoof, trying to send a rage-powered kick into Twilight’s most sensitive places, but the younger alicorn was ready for it. The limb hit an invisible barrier before losing all momentum, bouncing back to the bed where a swirl of purple energy took the form of a rope, made of the same material as that tying Cadance’s wrists. It lashed the offending hoof to the lumpy surface, and the other swiftly followed. The Princess of Love was now bound spread-eagle, exposed to the world.
A rapid clicking noise came out of nowhere, signaling a complex lock being set. Twilight knew that the only pony who might be able to undo Cadance before the heat death of the universe was Celestia, and even she would take a while. Maybe Luna, after some serious study. Cadance herself? Not a chance.
“The depths of my love are infinite! Unfathomable! I bring joy to others simply by existing!” Cadance struggled like a mad pony, tossing this way and that, but Twilight’s magically forged bonds held fast. “I am loved by all! All!! Have you seen how ponies’ faces light up when I enter a room? How they listen raptly when I speak on any subject? Every trend of mine becomes a revolution, every statement a manifesto. Just like my dear Shiny, I am the most important pony in their lives! The axis around which their emotional worlds revolve! You know nothing about my love!”
Cadance’s grimace was so fearsome Twilight thought she might snap at her face, like a feral mongrel. “And it’s all natural! Natural! Ponies love me, not my magic! To suggest otherwise is an outrage, and I swear I will have your horn for it! Do you hear me, Twilight? I swear it!”
Twilight heard it. Cadance’s diatribe swept over the young pony like a cool ocean wave, and she luxuriated in the gentle motions. Seeing her former foal-sitter like this was everything she ever wanted, and more.
“Natural? The same way your sex life with Shining is natural? Treating foreplay like a foreign language is natural? Acting like your pussy is the holiest of holies without even trying anything else is natural?”
Not-Shining lined up his broad cock against Twilight’s fluttering twat, letting that sloppy hole bathe the tip with thick cream. The muscles of his strong haunches stood out with the effort as he sank inside, and the stallion grunted within the pleasure gradually surrounding his rampant prick. 
Twilight went cross-eyed and her mouth hung open, tongue lolling, as the clone sank himself deeper…and deeper. Not many ponies could fill such a cavernous cunt to her satisfaction, but Not-Shining certainly knew how to use what he was given. And he was long…so long! Would his plunge into her depths never end?
“Thinking you’re…oh, fuck, fuck yeah…thinking you’re the most important pony in Shining’s life, when you don’t even know the weight of that role, is natural? You’re…ahh…you’re a fucking idiot, Cadance!”
Not-Shining pulled back his hips, exposing a foot of come-slick cock to the musty air, before slamming back into the gooey sheath below. Twilight yelped and moaned as the stallion began to rut in earnest, and the plap-plap-plap sound was loud enough to echo through the dungeon’s hallways.
“Shining. Shining!” Twilight wore an expression of ecstasy as she looked down at Cadance’s twisted face. She tried to think of her plan, but all such notions were scattered to the winds from the force of her current nailing. “Fuck! Oh, Cady…don’t you know what comes before love? You’ve wasted so much time!” The stallion’s head came down from behind Twilight’s shoulder as he pumped away, and the younger alicorn kissed him with long-remembered passion — the kind she never thought she would feel again from her big brother. 
As the two enjoyed each others’ bodies, Twilight could see Cadance’s look of confusion and anger out of the corner of her eye. She knew it from Luna’s research, but now she understood it instinctually: Cadance and Shining had had sex, many times, but they’d never made love. They’d never even made out, taking the time to explore each other and establish the joys of intimate familiarity. 
When Cadance talked about “squeezing the come from Shiny’s balls,” it wasn’t much of a metaphor. For her, sex with her husband was like milking a cow: an unpleasant chore to be done, one that the milkee should be eternally thankful for. That was her version of love.
“Me and Shining…we never fucked when we were younger,” Twilight gasped under Not-Shining’s thrusting body. “We knew we couldn’t cross that line, but…wow, did we dance right up to it. Did you know there’s a spot right under the head of his cock that drives him absolutely crazy? Let me see…”
Twilight worked her interior muscles in a way that no ordinary pony would be able to, using her limited body-shaping knowledge to its full effect. The stallion above her immediately bellowed with the pleasure, nibbling the younger alicorn’s ear and nuzzling her horn as he re-doubled his pace, slamming into his partner with such force that an observer might think he wished to ruin her. Far from it, in fact; Twilight happily took everything the clone had to give, and she wore a rictus grin as that merciless cock plunged further and further towards the invasion of her deepest core.
Cadance seemed to sense this impending development. “W-well, that’s not some big revelation! I’ve always…I mean…” She paused, then her voice dropped to a conspiratorial stage whisper. “You want to know a real secret about my Shiny? I’m sure he’d be mortified that I told you, but regardless…he has this very interesting fetish. He loves my sweat, you see. Just licking under my foreleg or around my neck gets him hard as steel! I mean, it’s kind of gross, but I let him have his little fixations, as long as he lets me have mine.” Cadance grinned in manic triumph. “There! You’re not the only one with a special relationship with Shiny…if you could say you still have a relationship at all! Goodness, you’d be lucky if the real pony even deigns to speak with you after your antics!”
That had been a fear of Twilight’s. The two had not met since her return, and part of her had dreaded the reunion. Worse, things were even more complicated now, with Shining’s participation in Cadance’s activities. Yet, how could Twilight possibly sit in judgement upon her own brother? Did she even have the right? And how could they go on after all this?
Not-Shining bent down to whisper to Twilight, although they both knew Cadance could hear every word. “There’s still hope for him, Twilight. As long as you see this through, there’s hope. For both of you.” The stallion slowed down, trying to pace himself. “I’m close. Real close.”
So was Twilight. Every thrust was like a battering ram against the stubborn entrance to her womb, and that secret place would not hold out much longer. The plan…yes, the plan. She had to say what she wanted to say now, before she lost all sense of reason. Reaching out with both hooves, she grasped Cadance’s muzzle, forcing her attention completely upon her next words. The older alicorn tried to break away, but Twilight’s grip was a vise, leaving no possibility of escape.
“I made a fascinating discovery while I was doing research on your precious bergamot,” Twilight hissed. Her early obsession with the fruit had yielded some unexpected insights. “Did you know it’s laced with traces of magic? From the soil, you see. It’s not a lot — you wouldn’t even know it was there unless you were testing for it, and it’s so inert it can build up harmlessly in the body before being excreted out in various ways. Like through the sweat glands.”
Cadance’s face went pale, and her eyes widened. She tried to speak, to argue, to scream, but Twilight held her jaw shut tight.
“No, no. Let me finish. Now, that’s all well and good. But, what if there was a pony whose magic was based on a bodily phenomenon…like pheromones? Whose body was infused with this magic, who kept it inside themselves through sheer force of will? What if the trickle of power in that bergamot acted like a medium, letting those magical pheromones escape? Slowly…slowly…mmm…it wouldn’t happen right away, but over a period of time — oh, God, Shining — the effect would m-multiply. Wouldn’t that just be — o-oh, fuck, it’s opening — w-wouldn’t that just be unreal?”
The fake Shining had abandoned his wild thrusting, instead applying constant pressure to Twilight’s weakened cervix and snorting hot breath against the back of the young alicorn’s neck. While Twilight watched Cadance lose herself, she felt the stallion breach her final entrance, and as she squealed with the intense pain-pleasure, Not-Shining bellowed at the feeling of a small, tight internal opening around the tip of his cock. Against the backs of her thighs, Twilight could feel the rumbling of the fake’s jet-black balls, and the tightening of that sack against the stallion’s crotch meant only one thing.
But it was already too late for Twilight. Riding the waves of one of the most intense orgasms of her life, she ran her hooves all over Cadance’s barrel, enjoying the futile struggles and screams as her former foal-sitter faced a terrible reckoning. “Haha…hahaha…that’s right, Caaaady! You’re like a sneeze carrying a fucking virus. Of course, Shining gets it right from the source, so he’d be most affected, but I bet after a little detox, he’ll see things differently. NNAAaagh…the Princess of Love is a fucking mind plague, and she doesn’t even know it! You thought…you thought people actually liked you! Oh, God, you silly mule! Know what they say about you when you’re not around? They think you’re a bitch! You understand that? They think you’re a selfish, incurious, snobby, high-maintenance, and all-around unpleasant waste of an alicorn ascension! And you thought they liked you, oh fuck! They all hate you! They hate you, Cadance! And he’ll hate you, too!”
Hyperventilation. Rapid heart rate. Dilated pupils. Confusion. Oh, yes…all the signs of panic and despair were there. Cadance’s body and mind were an open book now, but there was only one word written upon those tattered pages, over and over again in shaky rose-colored scrawls: contempt. Contempt for her “friends” who, in reality, wanted nothing to do with her. Contempt for Twilight Sparkle, who was forcing her to face this terrifying truth after speaking lie upon lie. And contempt for her victims, who would soon face their own truths while slowly, but surely, unbinding themselves from the Princess of Love, the one who had stolen their innocence out of weakness.
But most especially, there was contempt for herself. For a foolish alicorn who sought love and, in desperation, settled for a sham that gave her everything she wanted…for a time. Of course, no such delusions could last forever, and now that she had to face the real world naked and shorn, she found no shelter. No way home. Because the one pony she had no contempt for, her dear Shiny, would soon loathe her, too. And that was too much.
Far too much.
Cadance’s moans turned into screams…of pain, of horror, of realization. Twilight raised her head to the sky, eyes closed in rapture and and wearing an ear-to-ear smile so wicked, Celestia might have reconsidered her “gift” had she seen it. Twilight delighted in the sounds of the older alicorn’s suffering, letting the sweet music enhance her orgasm in a wild feedback loop that sent her higher and farther than she ever thought possible. And then she felt the pumping of Not-Shining’s prodigious load up from his balls, down the long passage of his thick shaft and out his broad cockhead, filling her womb with liquid warmth. Twilight shrieked with pleasure and laughter, and the pitch of her cries harmonized with Cadance’s, creating a symphony from the outer realms.
Twilight knew it wasn’t really her Big Bro creaming her needy cunt. She knew in all likelihood that would never, ever happen. But for a bright, shining moment, she let herself fall into delusion.
Thinking you’re the most important pony in Shining’s life, when you don’t even know the weight of that role, is natural? You're a fucking idiot... 
Delusion was good, sometimes. As long as you could find your way back.



“Thirty minutes until the guard shift changes, and no more surprises in sight. I think we’re good to go.”
“Hmm.” Twilight barely acknowledged Luna’s words in her ear as she stroked Cadance’s disheveled mane from the side of the bed. The older alicorn’s eyes were wide open and red-tinged, and her muzzle slightly ajar, with a trickle of sticky drool wetting the bed under the corner of her mouth. She was still bound, but her limbs were splayed akimbo, limp and unmoving. 
At the very least, there was no danger of her attempting to escape. Not anymore.
“Thinking about what could have been?”
Twilight allowed herself a small smile. “I thought this was her dream, Luna. Are you in my head now?”
“No. Some things are obvious.”
What if Cadance had never become an alicorn, doomed to the urges that all ascended were forced to fight against every second of their lives? What if Twilight could have just fucking remembered and told someone sooner, stopping Cadance’s rampage before it truly began? What if Twilight and Shining had gone ahead and consummated their love, decency be damned, and flown somewhere far, far away, together? What if…what if…what if…
“Are you done?”
Twilight glanced at Not-Shining, reclining on the floor near the foot of the bed where his cream-covered cock, quiescent but still imposing, lay curled up against his upper thigh. Though he was still catching his breath, his eyes were bright and piercing as they met Twilight’s, and she shuddered. It would be so easy to fall back into fantasy, but she didn’t have that luxury.
The younger alicorn sighed. “Yeah. I’m done. It’s all done. Thanks for your help.” Twilight gently touched her earpiece, as if the pony on the other end could feel her regard. “And thanks for yours, too, Luna. Your transition to the dreamworld after the magic bars knocked Cadance on her ass was perfect. She was none the wiser. And your research was spot on, too. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
Luna gave a satisfied tsk. “Trifles. Remember who you’re talking to.” She paused. “What are you going to do now?”
Right. It wasn’t all done. “Now, I’m going to visit Celestia and have a talk with her about certain things. There’s the magical fruit, growing in a world that shouldn’t have magic. There’s the mysterious recruit that almost ruined our fun, and the spell book that seemed to reach out to Cadance all on its own. And then there’s this,” Twilight said as she magically lifted her steel-bound copy of The Dawn, chaining it securely to her side. “I need to know more about Celestia’s past. There might be something that can help me with my…cravings. I get that she doesn’t like to talk about those days, but I’ll convince her. Probably.”
“Probably,” Luna said with a chuckle. “You do understand that you’re technically a prisoner? Should I at least announce you?”
“Nah,” Twilight said as she rose to her feet. “I’ll try to surprise her. That doesn’t happen too often, you know?”
“I suppose not. And you’re just going to leave this one tied up like this, down in the dungeons?”
Twilight spared one last look at Cadance, who seemed to be having a nightmare that would not end soon. “That’s right. If Celestia wants her set loose, she can come down and do it her damn self.” Then she turned away.
“You must be feeling reeeal good right about now.”
The penetrating basso voice stopped Twilight cold. Though she was facing the other direction, she could sense Not-Shining rising to his hooves. She heard his heavy footsteps as he leisurely made his way over to the young alicorn, then he was beside her…in front of her…circling her, like a killer whale on the hunt, looking her up and down.
“You like being Captain Save-A-Foal?” 
Twilight shook her head, turning away from the stallion.
“Because you look like Captain Save-A-Foal. Got the cape and everything.”
Twilight said nothing.
“You think this makes you a good pony?”
“No.”
“You think this makes up for what you’ve done?”
“No.”
“All the problems in Canterlot, and you find the time for this one, just ‘cause it’s personal. You are a selfish pony, Twilight.”
“I know.”
“Cadance is struggling with the same alicorn urges as you and Celestia. She deserves mercy for that.”
“She deserves none. Cadance wasn’t struggling with her urges. She was wallowing in them.”
“If you were in her situation, you’d have done the same thing.”
“Maybe. And I’d deserve the same fate.”
“Why should her victims even remember what she did to them? Isn’t it kinder to keep those memories locked away? Who are you to decide that for them?”
“They’ve lived with the effects this long…the nightmares, the insecurity, the fear. They can handle the truth. And if they can’t, I’ll help them. I swear on my life.”
“Bullshit. What’s the real reason you’re doing all this? You’re not a fucking hero, not anymore. Tell me why.”
“Because…!” Twilight cried, before lowering her voice. “Because…because there can’t be any more alicorns like me. Or like Cadance. Or even like Celestia. The new generation has to be stronger, surer. They can’t be twisted freaks! And…and it’s not just about them. It’s about all of Canterlot. This kingdom needs a better class of alicorn, or it won’t survive another thousand years. That starts here.”
Not-Shining peered down his muzzle at Twilight, who returned the white-maned stallion’s stare with a look of pure conviction. The clone nodded. “Don’t you forget any of that.”
Twilight’s heart melted under the timbre of his voice. The resemblance truly was uncanny. “I won’t. I promise.”
“Good. Catch you on the flip side, Sally Ride.” And he vanished, dissolving into the air like morning mist.
So ended all dreams. Twilight could feel her own consciousness fading, and she knew she would soon awaken in her real cell, with the real Cadance strapped to a real bed, and a real knocked-out private she still needed to deal with out in the hallway. Well…there were always issues. No plan ever went perfectly.
“Rise and shine,” Luna said brightly as Twilight’s world darkened. “You know, you could have probably done all this in reality. Wouldn’t it have been sweeter to get your revenge that way, using your own, real body to deal with Cadance?"
A shudder of revulsion passed through Twilight as she went over. “Not even with Celestia’s dick, Luna. Not even with Celestia’s dick.”