Despite the few confused stares from other patients, Twilight sat as calmly as possible in the waiting room of Canterlot’s mental health facility. Being here was nerve-wracking, but she knew it was for the best. The last thing she wanted was to slip away even further with this problem. She came alone, having chosen a time when Ascentia would be busy with work for the day, leaving her a note saying she’d gone out for a few hours.

Coming back to her hometown was always an interesting or pleasant trip, unless she would be facing the scrutiny of her parents. But seeing the Princesses always made it completely worth it.

This time, however, was not one of those times.

She sighed, looking through an outdated science magazine for the umpteenth time since arriving there. It was the waiting that was beginning to get to her.

“Princess Twilight?” the receptionist called, “Dr Firebrand will see you now.”

“Princess Twilight is here for an appointment?” came a whisper.

“The Princess needs psychiatric care?” came another.

“I heard from one of the guards that she beats her wife,” came another.

‘Just ignore them… Just ignore them...’ Twilight thought, standing up and heading to the doctor’s office. Hopefully with her dignity intact.

She came to Doctor Firebrand’s office, which she slowly entered.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Firebrand,” she said calmly.

“Good afternoon, your Highness,” Firebrand replied with a smile, indicating the couch, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Twilight crossed over and sat down, “You can just call me Twilight, it’s all right. I’m here because I need some help with the way I… relieve stress and manage my anger issues.”

Firebrand nodded and made a note on his pad, “Alright. Tell me, Twilight, how are you currently handling your stress and anger issues?”

Sighing a bit, Twilight didn’t answer for a couple of moments, “I… take it out on my wife. Not just in our sexual play, but… all the time.”

“How so?” Firebrand asked, flipping through Twilight’s file.

“I… I hit her, kick her, beat her, I just… I hit her if she says something that annoys me, I hit her during sex…” Twilight looked down with shame, “The very first time I hit her was because I was angry, stressed out, and I took it out on her. It got me in trouble.”

Firebrand withdrew a police report from Twilight’s file, “Ah, I see. Yes, I remember being notified of your arrest two and a half years ago. Thirteen counts of assault and battery, nine counts of abuse of power, and three counts each of inflicting grievous bodily harm, rape, and assault with a weapon. If I am not mistaken, Ms Kortai opted not to press charges?”

“Yes,” Twilight murmured, shaking her head, “That’s not what should have happened. I should have been put away! But I get away with it just because she won’t press charges! If anyone else tries to report me, they don’t budge an inch! My friends are pretty much scared of me, now! My own friends! And now I’m possibly going to end up putting my unborn baby in danger! If this goes on, I could be in bigger trouble! If I hit my daughter and it gets out, nothing Ascentia does will keep me from behind bars! I… I can’t let this happen anymore!”

Firebrand nodded and made another note, offering her a glass of water, “It is alright, Twilight. You are here, and that is a good start. Now, unfortunately I am going to have to ask you to relive some of the things on this report. I need to get a handle on why you do these things, and if there are any connections between them. This could be more than just anger issues, or it could not. Are you going to be okay doing that?”

“...I can try… I’ve tried blocking those memories out,” Twilight took a few shaky sips of her water, “We were staying here in Canterlot at the time, at the palace. I had a lot of royal duties, meetings, press conferences, a lot of things going on at the time. It was exhausting. I didn’t even have much time for my wife and I to just relax or to go for a walk around town. We even missed seeing a play we both wanted to check out! So one evening, I came back to our room from a long, long day of… well, everything. I was tired, stressed out, and wanted this all to end.”

Firebrand nodded quietly, “It is alright, Twilight. You don’t have to feel ashamed. This is why we are here. Take a deep breath and continue.”

“When I got back, she was telling me that I should ask Princess Celestia for a break. I told her that I did, especially since Princess Celestia wanted me to take some time off. Everyone else around me disagreed. Then some new problems rose up, I had to be there, and it just became a huge mess. I was overwhelmed. Then Ascentia said some things… I didn’t like. She can be very snide. Now, normally I either find it funny or mildly annoying, especially since I know she doesn’t say them to be mean. But, that night, everything she was saying just… triggered something in me. I became angry. Violent. I started yelling and hitting her...” She shook a bit from the memory, shutting her eyes.

Firebrand nodded and wrote something down, “And this was the first time you ever struck your wife?”

“Yes. I mean, I’ve given her little slaps, pinches, or nudges… but I never hit her like that,” Twilight mumbled, shaking her head.

“And what exactly did you do to her?” Firebrand asked.

“I punched her in the face. I think I even broke her nose at the time,” Twilight’s voice broke a bit as she trembled, “Then I kicked her so she’d fall down. Then I hit her again, again, and again… I pinned her down. She struggled against me, she was crying, she looked terrified… But I didn’t stop. Even when she was begging me to. I didn’t. I just kept yelling, hitting her, kicking her, anything… I even threatened to stab her if she tried to call for help… It was all a blur after that… Next thing I knew, I was being dragged away by a few of the Royal Guards…”

Firebrand offered her a box of tissues as he continued writing, “I see. What did Ascentia do afterward, because as I understand no official charges were brought to the table until after this had been going on for a while.”

“She was in the hospital for two days,” Twilight took a tissue and wiped her eyes with it, “I was in City Lockup at the time. She came to see me after she got out, having said she paid for my bail. I didn’t want to leave. The entire time I was there, I was just, dead. I felt catatonic, alone, scared, and just like I deserved it. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t sleep, eat, or even go to the bathroom. When I saw her, I started crying.”

“And what did you wife do?” Firebrand asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Sniffling, Twilight wiped her eyes again as she began to cry, “She was coaxing me to come closer so she could hold me. I was terrified and didn’t want to go near her. As if I’d hit her at the drop of a hat. But she was comforting me and telling me it was all okay. I just couldn’t move. I was scared of what I’d do.”

Firebrand nodded and wrote again, “So, this happened a second time after that. Tell me about how that happened.”

“The second time, I… I had gone about two or three weeks without a minute to myself, let alone sex. I just… walked into the library, found her on the couch, and… I raped her… and b-beat her…” Twilight cried quietly into the tissue, her shoulders shaking.

“I am going to ask you to elaborate, but first can you tell me why you did this to her?” Firebrand asked.

Twilight sniffled, “I can’t remember. I was just horny… She was resisting… and I got mad at her for not helping me. So I… I took it all out on her again…”

“I see,” Firebrand said softly, “Now, do you think you’re able to walk me through what happened?”

Twilight stiffened, “I-I don’t know if I can…”

Firebrand laid a hand on her shoulder and handed her a small cup of tea, “It’s alright. This is all intended to help you. I know it hurts at first, but it will get better, I promise.”

Wiping her eyes, she took a few moments to gather herself, “I came home… stressed, horny, and irritated. All I wanted was to be with her and finally relieve stress. She was on the couch, just minding her own business with a book. When I saw her, I just… I wanted all of it and I felt a trigger. It just made me angry. I wasn’t just horny, I was raging horny. So I went over to the couch and pinned her down, telling her that I needed her. Ascentia was tired and not in the mood, so she was telling me to stop. But I didn’t. I ripped her clothes off, then mine, and I violated her. I wasn’t gentle and I didn’t stop. I raped her, I hurt her… When she resisted or did something I didn’t like, I hit her, painfully. I didn’t stop until I was satisfied… When I did, I left her there, and went to our room to go to sleep. But when I did, I started crying and felt like a horrible person. I wanted to go out there and apologize, but I couldn’t move.”

“And did Ascentia do anything that night, or the morning after?” Firebrand asked.

Twilight sniffled, shrugging, “I don’t know. When I woke up, I found her in bed with me. Like nothing happened. Apparently she came in after I fell asleep or something.”

Firebrand nodded and wrote down what Twilight had shared, “Now, how did you get brought before the Council? They said in their report you were caught having your way with her when it happened. Can you explain?”

“Well, yes… The thing is, that time, I wasn’t actually violating her out of violence. She wanted me to do it because she liked it, so that’s why I was more aggressive when they caught me,” Twilight recalled, “I got taken away again, and brought before the Council.”

“Now from what I am given to understand, your wife made quite a scene at the Council hearing on your behalf,” Firebrand said, reading out the report, “Despite there being quite the stack of evidence to convict you, and even an admittance from Ms Kortai that you had been abusing and raping her for years, she seemed outraged that they were doing this to you. What happened there?”

“I didn’t quite realize it myself, but here’s the thing. She’s a masochist and has stockholm syndrome,” Twilight stated, “I’m sure there’s something else, but I don’t understand that woman sometimes. She likes it when I do all of that, and she didn’t want me taken away. I know, not very encouraging, is it? It sounds like many battered wives or husbands… Convinced that they can save or change the abuser, convinced they deserve the abuse…”

“From my understanding, Ms Kortai was never officially diagnosed with Stockholm Syndrome,” Firebrand said as he checked his notes, “So what happened after all of that?”

“After I got released, we went home, and she told me she wanted me to abuse her. In the bedroom or not. I tried to tell her no. But she insisted, so I’d have an outlet. So, ever since then, I just… got used to it. Especially since I knew I could get away with it and she liked it,” she said.

“Then what was it like during that time?” Firebrand asked, “How did you feel during this new phase of your relationship?”

“At first, I felt terrible. But as time went on, I began to really like it. It was like I had power over her, some kind of control, like I could make her do anything and then punish her if I wanted. I got scared because I felt good. Because I liked it. Because I liked hitting her…” Twilight shook a little, squeezing the tissue in her hand, “And looking back… I looked like an abuser…”

“And now we come to today,” Firebrand said flatly, “What is it that drove you to come here?”

Twilight sniffled, “Well, the other day, we were visiting a friend. I was feeling a little upset because of my parents. That’s another story… But the point is, my parents have not been accepting of my life and I felt upset. I mean, they’re my parents. When you feel like you don’t have the love or support of your own parents, it’s an awful feeling. So I was venting a little bit, my friends were sympathetic and trying to help, which I definitely appreciated. But then Ascentia said something snide. Sometimes I do get annoyed if she makes a joke when it’s just not the time for it. But that time, I just flipped. I punched her, breaking her nose and sending her to the floor. My friends had to hold me back, restraining me from her. They took her to the hospital and I got yelled at by my other friend. She just tore into me and called me out on what I did. I didn’t do anything, because I knew she was right. I felt terrible and was slowly coming to realize what I’d done. What I could do.”

Firebrand nodded, “I see. Now, you told me after a while that you had begun to to enjoy hitting your wife, and displayed your power over her. Why do you suppose you needed to hit her to get this sort of rush? As opposed to less violent displays of power?”

Pausing for a few moments, Twilight bit her lip, “I guess… now that I think of it, it’s because of how she is. I mean, I’m five-four, pretty short. She’s six-foot-three, taller than pretty much all of my friends. Applejack is six-one, so she kind of contends with her a little more. On top of that, Ascentia’s pretty intimidating, if you think about it. She’s really strong and can easily snap your neck. Go figure, she learned a lot of self defense and sword fighting growing up, so she’s a pretty tough woman. I guess part of it was… having the rush of being able to subdue and tame a woman like her. Like I finally had some kind of vice on her. I was never scared of her or anything, but you know.”

“So she is significantly larger than you and stronger, and knows significantly more about self defense than many other people,” Firebrand noted, “And yet you could overpower her multiple times before the Council got involved. Even when she was resisting. Why do you think that is?”

“I’m not sure…” Twilight murmured, shaking her head as she lay down on the couch now. “I always just thought that I was either stronger than I thought or because she was letting me.”

“Twilight, as Equestrian Royalty, any Doctor-Patient confidentiality does not apply to you,” Firebrand explained, “As such, I wish to show you a recording from one of Ascentia’s court ordered therapy sessions. May I?”

Wide-eyed, Twilight nodded, “Yeah, okay.”

Firebrand popped a tape into a small VCR-TV hybrid and pressed PLAY. An overhead view of the Doctor’s office came into view.

“Ms Kortai-”

“It’s Mrs Sparkle,” Ascentia said flatly.

“My apologies, Mrs Sparkle,” Firebrand corrected, “You told the Council that everything Princess Twilight had been doing to you was with your consent, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“I’m afraid I must ask why you would wish for your wife to do such things to you,” Firebrand asked.

Ascentia bit her lip and looked around, “Honestly, Doc? I don’t. I honestly don’t like it, I don’t enjoy it. I hate it.”

“Then why did you have Princess Twilight released?”

“She’s my wife!” Ascentia snapped, looking insulted, “I don’t want her going to prison. I love her!”

“And yet she abuses you?”

“Look Doc, I know it probably sounds crazy, but Twilight is my wife,” Ascentia explained angrily, “She’s stressed, she’s upset, she’s angry, and I want to do anything I can to make her feel better. I’m her wife, I’m her Kitten. That’s what I’m supposed to do, make sure she’s happy. So if that means laying back while she has her way with me, or letting her break my bones, then fine. I’m okay with that. She can do all that stuff to me if it makes her feel better.”

“Mrs Sparkle, that is not a healthy marriage.”

“I don’t care.”

Firebrand turned the video off and sat back, “What do you think of that, Twilight?”

Twilight stared with shock and let out a strangled cry, “She lied to me?! She told me liked it! She liked all of that! She-oh my gosh, what have I done?! It’s like she’s become a slave! A slave in our own marriage! What have I done?! I-I can’t do this to her! She deserves so much better than that! Oh… Mom was right... I really am a terrible person…” She began to weep into her hands.

“Twilight, I did not show you that to make you feel bad,” Firebrand said softly, laying a hand on her shoulder, “But Ascentia was very resistant to anyone telling her that she should put a stop to what was going on. In her mind, she would have rather let you hurt her than see you become more stressed and more irritated. I’ll admit I do not understand the woman, but I can tell that she loves you very much. She has long since forgiven you for everything that has happened, and now the first step is learning to forgive yourself. Do you think you are able to do that?”

“No! I can’t just forgive myself! I-I can’t just flip a switch and make it okay! She shouldn’t have to sacrifice her own physical and mental health just for me! Not like that!” Twilight cried.

“Twilight, as of now what has happened is in the past,” Firebrand explained, “And while it can hurt, you can either run from it or learn from it. And I cannot help you unless you choose to learn from it.”

Sniffling, Twilight wiped her eyes, “I don’t know if I can… I just want to stop hitting her and find an outlet for my stress… So I don’t end up hitting our daughter… If that’s what I have to do, I have to try.”

Firebrand sat back, “Now first thing I need you to understand, Twilight, is that growth does not happen overnight. This could take weeks or even months to change this about you. How would you feel about taking a depressant while you are going to these sessions?”

“...What kind?” Twilight asked.

“It is similar to a prescription I have to Ms Dash. It is designed to decrease the brain’s sensitivity to dopamine and other chemicals. The end result is a numb, drowsy feeling. Now, this is not meant to be taken regularly. Only when you are feeling particularly stressed or angry. It is a short term solution while a long term solution is sought,” Firebrand explained, writing down on a prescription pad, “Think of it like a cast worn while a broken bone heals.”

Twilight gave a small smile, taking the slip, “Thank you, Doctor. I think that would help a lot.”

“Now, it won’t do anything unless we can identify why you strike and rape your wife,” Firebrand said sternly, “But first thing I think you should do is confront her about this. You do not want to hurt your wife, do you?”

“No, never!” Twilight shook her head, “I love her very much. I don’t like hurting her. Even if it does give me a power trip, there’s always that part of me where I’m thinking that I just committed a terrible crime.

“That’s good, that is a start,” Firebrand smiled, “That is out time for this afternoon, your Higness. For now, go home and have a nice long talk with your wife. Get everything out in the open, tell her you love her, and go to bed tonight happier. You’re getting help, and it will continue to help you as long as you listen to me. Alright?”

“Of course,” Twilight stood up, “I’ll do everything I can, Doctor. Thank you.”

When Twilight walked into the library later that evening, she came upon a worried Ascentia, who was pacing around the living room.

“Hey, I’m back,” she said.

“Where were you?” Ascentia asked, rushing forward and throwing her arms around her shoulders, “I was worried sick!”

“I left you a note… I said I’d be gone for a while,” Twilight said, giving her a hug back.

“I know, but you didn’t say where, or why,” Ascentia said, stroking her back, “After everything that you went through yesterday, I was concerned.”

Twilight stiffened, then sighed a bit, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just went to Canterlot so I could see Doctor Firebrand.”

Ascentia nodded, “Okay… so what did he say?”

“Well, I… come on, let’s go sit down,” Twilight gestured to the couch.

Ascentia smiled and followed her to the couch, sitting with her and kissing her forehead.

“So… I talked to him about everything and I… I found some things. Ascentia, why… why did you never tell me that you hated it when I hit you?”

“I don’t,” Ascentia said flatly.

Twilight gave her a pleading look, shaking her head, “No. You can tell me the truth. I can handle it.”

Ascentia bit her lip and sighed, “Alright… it’s true. I hate it when you hit me. It hurts, it stings afterward, and I’m always left wondering what I did to make you so mad at me.”

“I knew it… Doctor Firebrand showed me your session with him. To make me understand your point of view. All this time, I thought you truly did like it, that it made it okay. But… you just did it because you didn’t want me angry or stressed…” Twilight buried her face in her hands, “I’m sorry…”

Ascentia wrapped her arms around Twilight, kissing the top of her head as she cuddled her, “It’s okay, Twilight. I really did start to like some of it. All the rough sex we had was pretty fun. And I didn’t mind you slapping me all that much after a while. I’m here for you, and I don’t want you to be all stressed out. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Twilight snuggled against her, “And I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I mean, rough sex is one thing. But I don’t want to abuse you like that. He gave me some medication I can take when I’m stressed, until we find a solution. Either way, I want to get help for this. You shouldn’t have to live in pain and suffering like this, Kitten… I don’t want to hurt you…”

Twilight wrapped her arms around Ascentia’s midsection, hearing her wince audibly.

“I know you don’t, sweetheart,” Ascentia said, nuzzling her hair, “If you really think this will work… alright, I’m with you. As long as I always get to be your Kitten.”

Smiling, Twilight nuzzled her cheek, “You’ll always be my Kitten.”

Ascentia pushed Twilight back to lie on the couch, climbing over her as she kissed her deeply, lovingly stroking her face. Giggling girlishly, Twilight kissed back, stroking her hair.

“You know… I realized something just now.”

“What’s that?” Ascentia asked.

Twilight rose up a bit to meet her gaze, “I only ever slap you if you annoy me or something, right?”

“Yeah,” Ascentia said.

“Well, when I was telling the doctor of some… experiences with my abuse, I realized something. It never was your fault at all. I mean, not that beating you was ever justified to begin with, but, the problems were all external. So, I wonder if there’s something about all that…” Twilight frowned thoughtfully.

“Are you trying to tell me to stop being a smartass little bitch?” Ascentia asked.

“No, no. I’m not saying that, either. I mean, you annoy me a little with it sometimes, but I also should be able to control things better. These external problems are what stress me out. You just… happen to say the wrong thing at the wrong time,” Twilight murmured.

Ascentia nuzzled her, “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to lighten the mood, I don’t mean to make you more upset.”

“I know,” Twilight smiled, “You have made me laugh on occasion with them. And I know you don’t say them to piss me off or with any malicious intent.”

Ascentia smiled and kissed her deeply again, moaning softly at having her wife back. Kissing back, Twilight relaxed all the more. She finally felt a little less tense and scared about when the next time she would snap was going to be. She finally felt that there was some kind of hope to be found.

Their daughter would be safe, never to fall victim to any sort of abuse.

Ascentia smiled and pulled back from her, “So what now?”

“You know what I’d like to do? Put a nice movie on, snuggle with you under a blanket, then we go to bed holding each other,” Twilight smiled brightly. “Along with your special homemade soup that I saw hiding the fridge…”

“What movie do you wanna watch?” Ascentia asked, kissing her cheek.

Twilight kissed her cheek too, “I picked the last time, it’s your turn.”

“How about that new Disney movie?” Ascentia asked, “The one everyone says has lesbian sisters in it?”

“Oh, you!” Twilight laughed, playfully smacking her arm, “Sure, let’s check it out.”

The sounds of the night floated through the open window, filling the room with its soothing atmosphere. Twilight lay in bed, alongside her sleeping wife, unable to find the comfort of slumber just yet.

She sighed softly, rolling onto her side as she took in Ascentia’s sleeping face. The way she lay still, aside from her breathing, the occasional furrow of her brow, or the parting of her lips. The bandages along her broken nose, while not a hindrance of her attractiveness, were still quite egregious.

A cold feeling entered her gut, to which Twilight looked away. She knew more than ever that this couldn’t go on. The growing fetus within herself was more than a reminder of that.

Ascentia shifted in her sleep, moving toward her and nuzzling into her neck, sighing contentedly.

Twilight stiffened a bit. Usually she found comfort in such a move, but tonight, she felt undeserving. Especially upon seeing a nasty gash along Ascentia’s arm. It wasn’t noticeable unless you looked up close, but it served as an angry reminder of it being done out of violence. Cringing, Twilight looked away from it.

Ascentia moaned in her sleep, shifting up closer to her, as if seeking her.

“No…” Twilight scooted away, curling into a ball.

Ascentia started to fidget uncomfortably in her sleep, turning over so her back was to Twilight, “Mmmm… I don’t wanna feed Spike… he never… eats what I… tell him to...”

Twilight giggled into her hand, unable to help it, “I know, honey… Just give him a dentastix, at least he likes that,” she replied.

“Your brother’s weird…” Ascentia mumbled in her sleep.

“I know, but he’s my little brother and I love him,” Twilight smiled brightly. She giggled, “You need some help?”

Ascentia didn’t respond and settled into the covers as they fell down slightly, exposing her back to her.

Given her low nightgown, Twilight could see areas of her skin exposed. She froze, feeling a deep sting of guilt. All over her once flawless back were scratches, scars, whip marks, and bruises. All done by her.

‘I did this to her… I ruined her… And for what?’ Twilight turned away again, squeezing her eyes shut.

Ascentia turned in her sleep again and shifted toward her, murmuring something unintelligible in her sleep.

Unable to move, Twilight sniffled as tears ran down her cheeks, “I’m sorry, Kitten… I’m so sorry…”

Ascentia’s face tightened and she shifted closer to her, brushing her face against Twilight’s collarbone.

“Nooo… stop feeling so good…” Twilight whined.

Ascentia nuzzled her in her sleep, an arm flopping up to drape over her.

Pouting, Twilight sighed and resigned to her fate, snuggling close, “Okay, fine. You win.”

Ascentia sighed contentedly and snuggled her, nuzzling into her neck, “...love… you…”

“I love you too, Kitten,” Twilight managed to smile.

‘Oh Twilight. You’re so delightfully evil sometimes.’

Twilight cringed, “No, no… I’m not…”

‘Aw, that’s so cute. Your pet’s mewling actually got to you. Look at her, you honestly think that’s gonna stop? I know your kind, Twilight. Maybe the crocodile tears will fool people. Maybe you’ll ease up… for a temporary period of time. Then you’ll be right back at it. Slapping her, beating her, cutting her, raping her, all the same shit on different days of the week.’

“No! I won’t! I’m trying to stop this!” Twilight whimpered.

‘Yeah yeah yeah, I’ve heard that before. This is… what, the sixth time you’ve tried to stop this? Ain’t gonna happen. Give it a week, she’ll have a bloody face again.’

“No… No. This time, I’m getting help. I’m going to find a way.”

‘Said every abuser trying to cover their ass, ever. Face it, Twilight. If you really wanted her to live a happy life free from your claws, you’d leave.’

“...Don’t you think I know that? I’ve… I’ve told her I would leave. But she begs me not to. I don’t want to be without her either. I-I just don’t think it would solve anything.”

‘Translation: It’d be a lot harder to claw her face off if I left, silly-billy. Of course she begs you not to go. You’ve got her whipped, saddled and broken. She’s in your palm. She begs you to stop, and then an hour later she’s cuddlin’ up to you like nothing happened. Like now!’

Twilight began to cry all over again, the remorse filling her being, “I ruined her… I can’t do this… I can’t…”

“Twilight?” Ascentia mumbled as she rubbed her eyes, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying, sweetheart?”

“I can’t do this…” Twilight cried, hugging herself, “I can’t… It’s just going to happen again…”

Ascentia rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off sleep, “What are you talking about? This again? Twilight… you need to get past this. You’ll do fine.”

“No! I… I can’t let it happen another time! I’m a monster! If it happens again, I’ll never recover!” Twilight rolled away, curling into a ball.

Ascentia came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her, “C’mon Twilight. I’ve already forgiven you a hundred times over. You can’t keep beating yourself up about this,” she paused, as is making a snide comment in her head so she wouldn’t make it out loud, “Besides, what are you gonna do other than learn to get past it anyway? There’s not much else to do.”

“I-I know… I just hope that I can get past it,” Twilight sniffled, “But if I can’t… If something happens… I need you to take our daughter and leave me.”

Ascentia’s arms tightened around her. Almost painfully so.

“No. I’m not doing that, Twilight,” Ascentia said, shakily, “I don’t care what may happen, I am never leaving you. I can’t. I love you.”

“I can’t have you two living in fear! If anything else does happen, I’m gone for good. And then what? You’ll coerce our daughter to making sure she drops the charges? I can’t let it happen…” Twilight moaned.

Ascentia turned her over and pushed her into the bed by her shoulders, hovering over her, “Listen to me, Twilight. I. Am. Not. Leaving.”

Unable to formulate any other words, all Twilight could muster was, “...Why?”

Ascentia lifted her hand to show her her wedding ring, “That’s why. Twilight, I am not just going to pack up and leave. If I had the heart to do that, I’d have done it the first time you raped me. People told me I should have. The courts even tried to suggest I get an annulment. But I didn’t. I told them all to sod off. I forgave you, Twilight. Hundreds of times. And I’d do it again. You don’t have to worry about hurting our daughter, sweetheart. Despite everything, I’m pretty sure I can take you,” she smirked her last sentence.

“...You could always fight me back… but you never did,” Twilight murmured.

Ascentia kissed her cheek, still holding her in place, “No… I didn’t.”

“...Could you kick my ass if I ever try to again, please?”

Ascentia shook her head, “I’d restrain you if you lost your temper to our daughter. But I’m not going to hurt you, sweetheart.”

“Why not? Goodness knows you’re an excellent fighter and can defend yourself! And I’d deserve it,” Twilight squirmed from beneath her.

Ascentia leaned down and briefly kissed her, “Because I forgive you, Twilight. For everything. Some people say I’m a masochist, or I’m a battered wife, or that I have Stockholm Syndrome. Some people are really fucking stupid. I’m not going to beat you up, what would that accomplish? Look at yourself, sweetie. You’re miserable, and you’re crying. Why would I do something like that to you at a time you need me the most?”

“...Okay,” Twilight snuggled into her, “I’ll keep trying to get help. I never want to hit you again. Ever.”

Ascentia released her from the pin and cuddled up to her, “I know you don’t. And if you do slip back and do it, I’ll still forgive you. I’ll always forgive you. I’m your Kitten.”

‘For how long?’ Twilight thought, cuddling back into her. “Okay, Kitten. Thank you.”

The two snuggled together in silence. Twilight smiled a bit and had nearly drifted off to sleep when Ascentia broke the silence.

“We can still have rough sex, right?” she asked.

“...We’ll work that out,” Twilight mumbled.

“What does that mean?” Ascentia asked.

“Goodnight, Kitten.”

Ascentia made a sound similar to a disappointed pout and hugged her tightly as she listened to Twilight fall asleep in her arms.

‘She’s just using you. She doesn’t love you, she just wants a punching bag for her twisted, violence happy mind.’

“I’d be okay with that,” Ascentia replied quietly.

‘She’s just going to violate you again and again!’

“Sounds kinky.”

‘She might even violate your daughter too...’

“If she doesn’t, Rainbow probably will.”

‘Are you really that crazy, or are you just screwing with me?’

“You will never find out,” Ascentia smirked.

‘You’re just a battered-’

“Go bother someone else, I ain’t got time for your shenanigans. There’s sleep to be had, and Kittens sleep all the freaking time.”

The next morning, Twilight awoke to the sounds of sizzling and the smells of bacon and eggs. She got out of bed, pausing for a moment to look at herself in the bedroom’s full length mirror. Lifting her nightgown, she looked at her stomach, as if expecting to see it more rounded. It wasn’t.

Sighing, she patted it gently, giving a soft smile. “Hi, little one.”

Turning around, she took her hairbrush and brushed out her streaked midnight blue strands, staring into her reflection.

“You can do this, Twilight.. You can do this. Make yourself a better woman. Make this a better home. A better place for your daughter.”

Putting her brush down, Twilight then exited and went over to the kitchen.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Ascentia called as she heard the bedroom door open, “I hope you’re hungry, because I’m making a big breakfast!”

“...A big breakfast? Why?” Twilight asked as she came in.

Ascentia turned her head to her wife, “There’s been too much sadness in this house, so it’s time we did something fun. What’s more fun than gorging on food first thing in the morning?”

“...True,” Twilight murmured, rubbing her stomach, “And since I’m going to be eating for two, I may as well get used to that.”

“See? Food makes everything better,” Ascentia smiled, “Now, you sit down and enjoy the show, sweetheart.”

It was then that she noticed Ascentia wearing nothing but undergarments. Twilight shifted a bit in her seat, realizing then and there that it had been a little over a month since they’d been intimate, if at all. Their last session of sex was the impromptu threesome they’d shared with Rainbow Dash. Twilight giggled a bit at the memory, especially in how it led a couple of revelations.

“O-kay then,” she said, giving a mild shrug.

“Hope you enjoy this,” Ascentia smiled, “Stings like shit when oil spatters onto my front.”

“Kitten! I’ve told you not to cook bacon with your skin exposed or otherwise naked,” Twilight pouted, “They’re not lying when they say that’s a bad idea.”

Ascentia turned around to show a white cloth around her front, “I’m wearing an apron. Just sometimes it jumps up and gets in my cleavage.”

“Oh…” Twilight blushed a bit, nodding, “Right…”

Ascentia smiled and turned back to the pan, “Like what you see, sweetheart?”

“Of course… Anything you wear is nice…” Twilight blushed a bit more, “Like that time you went as the Paper Bag Princess…”

“Oh yeah, I remember that,” Ascentia grinned, “You think I look nice in anything. I think I look best in nothing.”

“I’ll say…” Twilight stood up, going over and placing her hand on her hips.

Ascentia bit her lip in anticipation as she flipped the bacon onto a plate and cracked a few eggs into the pan. She loved it when Twilight touched her bare skin, especially with warm hands, “I’ll hurry up with breakfast then.”

“Awesometacular,” Twilight purred, licking her neck, “It’s been a while, Kitten… And pretty soon, I won’t be able to really have much sex…”

“I know,” Ascentia said softly, moaning as Twilight licked her neck, “It’s been nearly a month. I’ve been hoping you’d take me for a while now and I was about ready to pounce on you. And all things considered, I think we both need to relieve some tension.”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight pouted apologetically, “I guess I’ve been a little too busy and stressed lately, especially with our baby on the way. We should relax this morning, relieve some tension…”

Ascentia flipped the eggs onto another plate as the toaster popped some toast up, “And there we are. Breakfast is ready, gorgeous.”

“I’d rather have you,” Twilight purred, but let go of her anyway and returned to the table.

“Let’s get something in your belly,” Ascentia smiled, setting a plate with some toast, bacon, fried eggs, and a few pancakes down in front of her, “Then we can have dessert, okay?”

“...Dessert?” Twilight looked at the assortment of food on her plate, “Okay, but isn’t that a bit much?”

Ascentia gave her a flat look, “You haven’t had a proper meal in days. And dessert is sitting right in front of you wearing only her panties and an apron.”

“I wasn’t hungry…” Twilight pouted, beginning to eat.

“Maybe, but I know you love my cooking,” Ascentia smiled, taking a bite of her toast.

Twilight giggled, then proceeded to keep eating. Then more. And more. She couldn’t stop, it was so good! The loss of appetite for the past few days pretty much vanished by now. Nothing could beat her wife’s great cooking now!

“Mmm.. Mmm! You really outdid yourself!” Twilight praised.

Ascentia blushed and smiled, watching Twilight tear into her breakfast. One thing that always gave her a warm feeling inside was cooking for her. And Ascentia had never really found a talent for cooking until after they’d gotten married and she’d decided it would be nice to have something for Twilight to eat when she came home. She quickly became a pseudo-housewife as she did most of her work from home, and was left with plenty of spare time to tend to chores around the house. And seeing Twilight enjoy her cooking always brought a warm feeling to her.

“Thanks. I’m glad you like it,” Ascentia smiled, slowly eating from her own plate.

“Always!” Twilight beamed, finishing up her food, “Aaaah, that hit the spot!”

“My, you were hungry, weren’t you?” Ascentia smiled as she finished up her own food, “I’ll have to remember to make big meals more often.”

“Okay, but don’t overdo it,” Twilight patted her stomach.

Ascentia got up, undoing her apron and throwing it over the counter as she approached Twilight and sat in her lap, straddling her, “Now, how about we have some quality time together, sweetie?”

“Oooh, sure,” Twilight cooed, holding her hips.

Ascentia leaned in and kissed Twilight’s neck, hooking her arms around her shoulders and suckling on her skin, curling her fingernails over her back and reaching down her nightgown to rub her shoulderblades.

Moaning softly between their ministrations, Twilight ran her hands up her sides and back, holding her closer. Usually, the urge to be intense, tough and rough were usually kicking in. But right now, Twilight just wanted to relax, take it slow, and just be gentle.

“Mmm… That’s nice…” She cooed.

Ascentia lifted herself up slightly and sat back, nibbling Twilight’s collarbone. Reaching down, she withdrew her hands from her nightgown and brought them up to toy with her hair, bringing her face up and nipping at her ear. In turn, Twilight toyed with the apron, undoing it and tossing it aside, before running her hands along the exposed skin. Ascentia moaned softly as she continued her slow and loving nipping of Twilight’s ear, suckling on the lobe and holding herself close to her. Sighing softly, Ascentia lowered the straps of Twilight’s nightgown off her shoulders, running her hands over the curves of her arms.

“Mmm, want to take this to the bedroom, Kitten?” Twilight purred sweetly.

Ascentia nodded and kissed her neck before getting off of her and striding toward the stairs, unhooking her bra and tossing it over the couch. Looking back, concealing herself from her wife’s gaze, she smiled and looked at her through half-lidded eyes.

“Come to bed, sweetheart,” she half-sighed, “Kitten wants to play.”

“Ooh, does Kitten want her toy?” Twilight purred, trailing after her. She reached for something on the floor, following her to the bedroom.

Ascentia knelt on the bed, turning around and bringing her arms up to cover her chest, “Yes, Kitten wants her toy.”

Grinning, Twilight extended a small plastic rod, with a string attached, and a jingle bell at the end. “Here you go, kitty kitty!”

Ascentia grinned and reached one hand up to bat at the bell, making soft mewling noises as she pulled it, let it go, and batted it again.

“Good Kitten!” Twilight giggled, waving the bell playfully.

Ascentia removed her other hand from her chest and batted the bell with both hands, occasionally reaching forward to bat at Twilight’s nightgown. Laughing heartily, Twilight continued this play for a bit, bobbing it along.

“Does Kitten want me to take my clothes off?” She purred.

Ascentia nodded, smiling lovingly, “Yes, Kitten wants her Twi Twi to lose her nightgown. Kitten wants to play with her Twi Twi.”

Grinning, Twilight pulled off her nightgown, exposing all of herself, smiling brightly, “Well, then you’ll get to play with me…” She crawled onto the bed.

Ascentia pounced onto her, pushing her down against the bed and forcefully kissing her as her hands moved to rub her breasts. Biting down onto her lip, she mewled softly and took in the deep scent of Twilight’ lavender perfume. Straddling her, Ascentia softly rocked her hips against Twilight’s, the soft fabric of her panties rubbing against her.

“Nnnhh…” Twilight moaned, reaching up to hold her wife’s hips for support, falling deeper into the throes of their growing passion.

Ascentia shivered when Twilight’s hands perched themselves on her hips and she curled her own arms around her shoulders as she rocked her hips against Twilight’s pelvis more vigorously, slipping her tongue into her wife’s mouth and caressing her’s.

Moaning sensually, Twilight returned the gesture, grinding their hips together in creating delicious friction. She spread her legs further, her fingernails gently digging into the exposed skin.

Ascentia pulled her mouth away, breathing heavily, “Twilight, would you take your Kitten’s panties from her? I don’t think Kitten should have them right now…”

Twilight laughed at the mix of first and third person, “Sure thing, Kitten,” she pulled down Ascentia’s panties and placed them aside.

Ascentia smiled and returned to her necking and grinding, licking Twilight’s collarbone and hugging her tightly. Returning it, Twilight ran her fingers along her long red hair, moaning in response to her ministrations. Ascentia mewled softly and started to kiss down her body, taking one of her breasts into her mouth and suckling it softly.

“Nnnghh…” Twilight moaned, taking hold of her head and fisting her fingers into the strands of her hair. “Sweet Celestia don’t stop…”

Nipping her teeth against her nipple, Ascentia eagerly suckled her harder, reaching a hand down to touch herself as she made soft mewling noises into her breast.

Moaning louder, Twilight grabbed onto her shoulder for support, feeling as if she’d float away in pure pleasure. She arched her back, holding her head against her breast tighter. Pushing two fingers into herself, Ascentia raked her teeth against Twilight’s chest, flicking her tongue over her nipple.

“Kitten… Don’t you want some help?” Twilight asked upon noticing.

“Mmmhmm,” Ascentia nodded, not taking her mouth from Twilight’s breast.

Reaching down, Twilight angled herself to reach Ascentia’s womanhood, managing to massage it gently. Ascentia moaned breathlessly and withdrew her own hand, moving up and licking Twilight’s face affectionately while her hands continued to play with her breasts.

“Ooohh…” Twilight giggled and squirmed, inserting a finger inside of her, “That tickles…”

Ascentia mewled happily and licked her face again and again, pinching her nipples and grinding her hips against her hand.

Twilight laughed and moaned all at once, unable to escape how ticklish and silly this was, as well as being pleasurable. “Meow,” she said playfully, working her hand harder.

Ascentia moaned as she kissed and nibbled Twilight’s face, “Meow,” she said breathlessly, feeling tingles run up her spine, “Meow… meow… mmmmmm, yes Twilight. Right there…”

“Good Kitten,” Twilight purred, licking her cheek and inserting a second finger.

“Yes…” Ascentia moaned, rolling her nipples between her fingers as she nibbled her earlobe, “Oh Twilight… I missed this…”

Letting out giggles of satisfaction, Twilight nuzzled her, “Me too, so much.”

“I’m… I’m close,” Ascentia purred, grinding her hand and peppering her face with kisses, “I’m so close…”

Grinning, Twilight made a scissoring motion with her fingers, thrusting in and out of her faster. “Cum for me, Kitten…”

Ascentia moaned and bit down onto Twilight’s neck, releasing hard onto her hand as she shivered and fell limp on top of her, nuzzling her face and licking her cheek.

Bringing her hand up, Twilight sampled and licked the juices off, savouring the flavour, “Good start, isn’t it, Kitten?”

Ascentia sat up a bit and licking her fingers as well, “Mmmhmm. You know just how to touch me and get me going, sweetheart.”

Nuzzling her, Twilight pulled away and lay herself flat, beckoning her with a finger, “Why don’t we do a little classic sixty-nine, hmm?”

Ascentia smiled and licked her cheek again, “I love the sound of that. Kitten’s thirsty,” she smiled as she positioned herself, straddling Twilight’s face and leaning over to blow along her folds.

Squirming in pleasure, Twilight took hold of her hips and partook in suckling her wet sex. Ascentia moaned softly and buried her head between Twilight’s thighs, mewling as she took long, slow licks of her. Wrapping her arms around her hips in something akin to a hug, she slid her tongue past Twilight’s lips and lapped up her arousal.

Pulling away to moan for a moment, Twilight immediately plunged her tongue deep into her entrance, tasting every bit she could. Her fingernails dug into her skin, though not enough to be painful. Ascentia hissed sharply as Twilight’s nails hit a sore spot, but otherwise continued nibbling her folds in quick, sharp nips as her tongue darted back and forth between pushing into her and flicking her engorged clit.

Realizing this, Twilight lowered her hands and simply clutched her hips as she continued her ministrations along her sex. Ascentia moaned softly as her two favorite things came together. Twilight holding her by the hips, and having her pussy licked. Moaning into Twilight’s sex, she wrapped her lips around her nub and suckled it gently.

“Mmmm…” Twilight hummed, bringing her mouth along her nub and attacking it mercilessly.

Ascentia let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a shriek and squeezed her thighs around Twilight’s head, suckling harder on her own nub as she tried to grind against her face.

Giggling as best she could, Twilight resumed her attack on the nub, holding her hips a bit tighter.

“Twilight… I’m going to cum again…” Ascentia moaned, nibbling her nub and cooing softly.

Giving her rear playful but gentle slap, Twilight once again plunged her tongue deep into her entrance. She was determined to get every bit that she could. Ascentia moaned loudly, detaching her mouth from Twilight’s snatch and quivering as she rocked her hips against her face, releasing into her mouth and over her lips as she mewled appreciatively.

“Mmmm…” Twilight moaned as she took in her lovejuices, swallowing every bit.

Ascentia smiled warmly, the swung her leg over to get off Twilight’s face, moving down and pushing her wife’s thighs apart, “Do you want me to finish you, sweetheart?”

“I’d be crazy if I refused,” Twilight purred, giggling, “Yes, please.”

Ascentia purred and leaned her face down, nuzzling her nose against Twilight’s nub before trailing her tongue around it softly, giving it a tiny flick.

“Nghh!” Twilight moaned, her fingers clutching the bedsheets.

Ascentia hummed against her nub before circling her tongue around her lips, pushing past them gently as she nipped her folds, reaching a hand up to trail her finger around her nub, rolling it between her forefinger and her thumb.

Arching her back and bucking her hips, Twilight moaned loudly in pleasure, shaking, “N-Nnnghh… Kitten… going to cum…!”

Ascentia mewled happily as she sped up, pushing her tongue deep into her and flicking her clit between her fingers, eager to make her wife cum.

Falling limp as her body clenched, Twilight squealed in pleasure as she came. The leakage of her juices spewed as she collapsed, panting heavily. Ascentia licked her up eagerly, moaning contentedly as Twilight’s flavour coated her tongue. Licking her lips, she crawled up next to her and kissed her cheek.

“Did Kitten do a good job?” she asked as she nibbled her neck.

“You sure did do a great job, Kitten,” Twilight nuzzled her sweetly.

Ascentia smiled and nuzzled into her, “I love you, Twilight.”

“I love you too,” Twilighted kissed her nose. She looked along her wife’s nude form, spotting more and more of the scars and various marring along her skin. While having seen these many times, this time she felt sick. Gulping a bit, she looked up into her wife’s bright, icy blue eyes, “...Do they hurt?”

“Do what hurt?” Ascentia asked innocently.

“Your scars,” Twilight looked away, biting her lip.

“Oh…” Ascentia looked herself over at the numbers scars, bruises and gashes that had peppered her body over the years, “Most of them don’t, but some of them still do.”

Twilight cringed, sniffling, “I can’t look… it hurts.”

Ascentia kissed her forehead and ran a hand through her hair, “Hey hey, don’t cry. There’s no crying now.”

“I know,” Twilight wiped her eyes, “I’m sorry I’m so hung-up on it. I just… I just can’t bear the thought of hurting you like that and leaving a mark. I look at it now, and past your wondrous beauty, I see… everything shouldn’t be there. Maybe I can’t get rid of them, but I can hope not to add any more.”

Ascentia smiled and hugged her tightly, “It’s okay, Twilight. I like my scars. They tell a story. And if I find the right bidder, it can be Oscar bait. Maybe win Best Picture and get a bunch of people desperate to feel cultured to go see it. Twilight, we’re gonna be rich!”

Unable to help it, Twilight giggled and covered her mouth, “Don’t start writing your acceptance speech just yet, Meryl Streep!”

“Oh come on. Two women, both of them gorgeous, big dramatic abuse story, all kinds of hot kinky sex the audience feels guilty for enjoying? It’s in the bag! I’d like to thank the Academy for giving us this prestigious honor, and my wife for helping me write this wondrous film!” Ascentia grinned, nibbling Twilight’s ear.

“A high brow film with titillating abuse and sapphism, how lovely,” Twilight snickered.

“There we are, there’s that laugh I wanted,” Ascentia grinned, kissing her cheek and getting off the bed, “You want some coffee, sweetie?”

“Sure, that’d be nice,” Twilight nodded, getting up.

Ascentia led her downstairs. Twilight smiled and snuggled up with her wife at the table as the two sipped freshly brewed coffee. She didn’t feel afraid of herself anymore. Despite the doubtful thoughts in the back of her mind, she felt, for the first time in a long time, calm. Next Chapter: Makes For An Angry Kitten Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 49 Minutes