Sunlight streamed through the small windows, glowing warmly across the windowsill. The soft chirping of birds in their secret tongue mingled with the murmur of leaves shifting in gentle waves with the wind.

Twilight's eyes slid open, then squinted half closed again against the brightness. Inhaling deeply, she let it go with a relaxed sigh. She couldn't remember feeling so comfortable.

Zecora.

Memory caught up with her all at once, and she twisted around sharply. The zebra lay at her side, her eyes gentle and a smile on her lips.

"It is pleasant to sleep here where you dwell. My lovely owner, did you rest well?"

Twilight checked her initial reaction; yelping in surprise wasn't really polite. Her cheeks coloured as she gazed at the other mare, answering after a moment, "Um, very well, thank you."

Another memory caught up with her belatedly, coloured in midnight blues and greys, and her blush intensified. "Did you sleep well?" she asked in return, trying to think through what else she could say. A beautiful, adoring mare was in her bed, one who she'd enchanted - at Zecora's request! - to view her as her owner. Even if she searched all her books, she didn't think she'd find a description of how to handle this particular situation.

Zecora smiled contentedly and snuggled closer. Twilight froze as she felt the other pony press warmly against her.

"It has been months since I slept at my owner's side. There is nowhere else I would rather abide." Zecora said sincerely, resting her head against Twilight's shoulder.

Reflexively, Twilight wrapped her arm around Zecora's waist. She couldn't deny it. Despite how wrong past Twilight had been in giving in to Zecora's request, it did make her happy to be this close to her. It just wasn't possible to feel how pure her warmth and tenderness was and not feel an answering echo.

"...I'm glad. That you feel happier, I mean. I'm really sorry for all the time you've spent alone, wishing there was something you could do. It must have been terrible." Twilight's voice dropped a little as she spoke, and her hand rose to soothingly caress Zecora's fan-shaped mane.

Zecora nodded after a moment. "It is true that it was hard, you are indeed right. I owe you much for at last rescuing me from my plight."

But it was my fault to begin with. She couldn't say it aloud. Zecora seemed determined to reject any blame on Twilight's behalf, especially if she even hinted to the zebra that enchanting her had been unfair, or cruel. Whether it was a result of the charming or of Zecora's deep desire to feel another controlling her, Twilight couldn't tell. The end result was the same.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Twilight asked eventually.

"It would be my pleasure to cook you your meal. Would eggs and fried bread perhaps appeal?" Zecora replied warmly. She drew away a little from Twilight, and Twilight felt a mingled relief and disappointment at the ending of their intimate embrace.

It wasn't like she didn't find Zecora attractive, she just wasn't sure she was ready for that sort of closeness.

Zecora sat up, and looked back towards Twilight. "I like wearing so little, I do confess. My owner, would you bid me dress?"

"...yes. Yes. Yes, I think that would be best. I wouldn't want Spike to see you so, so exposed," Twilight managed.

"Whatever you command, I shall do as you demand." Zecora said with a distinctively mischievous smile, and threw back the blanket. Her gauzy nightie was barely long enough to cover her, but she gave Twilight no time to react to the sight of her in it. Seizing the bottom of the translucent garment, she pulled it up and over her head, letting it flutter from her hand to the bedroom floor.

Twilight's lips slowly parted. Zecora's body was toned and athletic, the broad curves of her darker grey stripes wrapping around her and curling inwards towards her stomach. Her full breasts were thrust out for Twilight's inspection, Zecora angling herself slightly to the side to emphasise their curves. The gold bands at her wrists, ankles and throat were matched by the gold rings dangling from her pierced nipples. A swirling pattern that resembled a dark sunburst marked her smooth thigh.

"They are nowhere that I can see. Where oh where can my clothes be?" Zecora asked with playful slyness.

A low whine came from Twilight's throat, her eyes wide.

Zecora swayed closer to the bed, rocking her hips with each step, and languidly bent forward. As her breasts practically brushed Twilight's face, she spoke lightly. "My clothes are proving difficult to find. I shall keep looking, unless you have changed your mind."

The breath had seized in Twilight's throat. She was frozen, unable to look away from the nude woman before her. She couldn't stop herself taking in every detail of her naked body, her eyes tracing each stripe. Her hand rose almost by itself, then hesitated before she touched Zecora's skin. She completely, absolutely couldn't.

Zecora made the decision for her. Leaning closer, the submissive mare pushed her warm breast into Twilight's palm and covered her hand with her own, a deep, soft groan escaping her lips.

Instinctively, Twilight squeezed.

Both ponies gasped as one. Twilight's body was filled with electric excitement, pouring through her in a rush that left her dizzy and panting. With a visible shudder, she frantically overruled her lust with the dregs of her willpower and slowly slid her hand from under Zecora's fingers. Pressed tightly to the zebra's skin, the movement was almost a caress, feeling the softness, the silky smoothness of her skin and the hard contrast of the ring against her palm. It felt good. It felt so good, she wanted to keep touching her, wanted to kiss her, to run her tongue over her nipples and hear her moan.

Twilight's voice shook. "Your - your clothes are over there."

Zecora straightened up, a darker flush across the slopes of her bare chest and her pierced nipples jutting stiffly. With a lustful smile, she crossed the room to the small pack she'd carried with her from the forest the previous evening.

Twilight stared into the corner of the room as steadily as possible for a few moments, before her eyes instinctively flicked back to Zecora. The zebra was bent double from the waist, her legs parted, as she retrieved her clothes from her bag. Her ass couldn't have been more perfectly on display, highlighted by her monochrome tail.

Another whine escaped Twilight, and she determinedly stared into the corner again until Zecora had finished dressing, and made her way out of the room, downstairs to the kitchen, to prepare breakfast for them both.

Twilight looked down at her hand, flexing it once in memory of squeezing the other mare's smooth breast. She'd never felt anything like it. It was making her shiver just thinking about it! She could still feel the brush of her pierced nipple against her palm.

She couldn't believe what had just happened. Of course, she had known academically that Zecora wanted desperately to please her, but she hadn't expected her to just... strip, right in front of her.

Her body was just unbelievable. She had no idea why the sight of the gold rings adorning Zecora's breasts sent such shudders through her, but she couldn't deny it.

Zecora wanted to be her slave, more than anything. Her slave. Twilight rolled the word around, tasting it, with a kind of nervous giddiness. She couldn't accept her devotion, she couldn't possibly. But at the same time, she couldn't turn Zecora away either... not after what past Twilight had done to her. She'd be miserable, forever. She was obligated to keep her close. To look after her, and let her sleep at her side.

Maybe tonight, she didn't need to wear such thick pyjamas.

She caught herself, her expression slightly appalled. Why, she had been nothing more than Zecora's friend this time yesterday! She couldn't just leap into bed with her and touch her...

Actually no, a part of her corrected herself, this time yesterday Zecora was lonely, miserable, completely in love with you and brainwashed to worship the ground you walk on. You just didn't know.

Good grief, how could this be so hard? She just wanted to do the best she could for Zecora, without risking the zebra going to the other and ruining everything before she recovered her (potentially trapped) memories. What kind of utterly absurd situation could have possibly given rise to her unwittingly owning a devoted, beautiful mare that was overtly begging to strip for her again and invite Twilight's touch, to take and possess every inch of her...

Twilight pulled her hands abruptly from under the covers and rested them atop the blanket, safely away from where they'd begun to stray. Had she seriously once possessed not just Zecora but Applejack, and Rarity, and Rainbow, and Fluttershy, and even Pinkie too? She couldn't even conceive of possessing Princess Luna, but she'd apparently owned her as well. How had past Twilight gotten anything done?

Zecora had a similar build to Applejack. The outfit hidden in the wardrobe would probably fit her.

No! She was not going to give in to temptation. Was this the corruption she'd feared past Twilight suffered from? All these thoughts, all these stirring desires to be naked against Zecora's striped body, they couldn't possibly be her own.

She needed to get outside and clear her head. It was far too intimate alone with Zecora. She could leave her with Spike. Spike would notice if she left. Though, she had to admit, he probably wouldn't stop her leaving, and knowing that she'd left afterwards wouldn't really help her. She was being paranoid, there was no doubt of that, but how paranoid was too paranoid? It wasn't like it wasn't justified...

A rattling and clinking came from outside the door, and she tugged the blankets up around her neck. "Come in!" she called.

Zecora pushed the door open with her bare foot, balancing a tray before her. She wore a simple brown top that exposed her stomach, and a wrap around her waist. On the tray were a pair of steaming cups, and a wide plate of toasted bread and eggs. "I bring to you an offering of food. I hope very much that it helps your mood," she said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you..." Twilight replied, unable to suppress a blush at the sight of the other mare. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, fussing with her pyjamas nervously.

Zecora settled down on the bed beside her, and laid the tray across Twilight's lap. "I hope that I may share in the breakfast that I have prepared?" she asked.

"Yes, of course! Please, do help yourself." Twilight answered quickly, picking up one of the cups and sipping to buy time as her confused feelings swirled within her.

"I shall enjoy this toast and eggs. I very much enjoy eating from between your legs," Zecora replied innocently, picking up a piece of toast. Her grin widened as Twilight choked on her tea.

"You - did I make you do that?" Twilight demanded.

"You did indeed, and I willingly agreed."

Twilight looked down at her plate and picked up a piece of toast, scooping a fried egg onto it and taking a large bite. It was easier than trying to come up with a response to that. Zecora would do anything she said, was almost certainly magically enslaved so that she couldn't disobey even if she wanted to, but all the same, it felt like Zecora was in control of the situation. She remembered so much more, and she was so... assertive.

"I have to go out. I agreed a few days ago to go with Rarity to the spa today," Twilight said eventually. She hesitated. "But I could cancel... I can't leave you alone for long, and I can't really take you into the massage room with us either."

"There is a simple solution that I would accept with glee. Do as you threatened, and restrain me." Zecora leaned closer as she spoke, breathing in deeply. Her breasts swelled visibly against her pale brown top.

It was just as well Twilight wasn't drinking her tea this time. "But - I can't just leave you here!" she protested. "It isn't safe!"

"To be restrained when I am not useful holds a certain appeal. Treating your slave as an object would be ideal. I am happy to be used as your personal toy - to be left waiting for your use, I would enjoy."

Twilight's cheeks flamed crimson. The worst part of it was, she could imagine doing it. Not because she was afraid of Zecora unwittingly betraying her to the other, but because there was something sensual in the idea of binding her in the corner, naked and waiting, until Twilight was ready to make use of her body. Like in the Veiled Isles books.

She shook her head quickly to clear the image. That wasn't why she was going to do it at all. It was just the only practical way of keeping Zecora secured until she got back. "I... alright," she murmured. "I'll restrain you after breakfast."

The door closed behind Twilight, and Zecora sighed. She lay stretched out on Twilight's bed, with mingled regret at watching her leave, and pleasure at the situation she'd left her in. All around Zecora's body shimmered a gentle restraining field, the result of Twilight's extremely careful casting from one of her treasured books. Zecora could move around a little, rearrange herself on the bed as she pleased, but if she tried to get more than a foot away from the bed...

She stretched out her arm, delighting in her captivity, and felt the air thicken gelatinously until it was entirely solid. Her palm pressed firmly against a wall of nothing, hanging in the air like a curtain. Pulling her hand back, she wrapped her arms around herself and giggled in the quiet. "Hurry back to me, and touch me anew. I am succeeding in seducing you," she murmured with a smile.

She would personally have enjoyed being even more pinned down by Twilight's unicorn magic, but her owner had refused. As it was, she'd given Zecora enough room to move around a little to ensure she didn't cramp up, strict instructions to shout for Spike if anything went wrong, and an envelope on the far side of the room with directions on how to end the restraint spell prematurely he could read if necessary. A spare key to the bedroom was hidden out of sight in the hallway, where Zecora could direct Spike to find it.

It wasn't perfect, but it had been enough for Twilight to talk herself into leaving for a couple of hours.

Zecora didn't mind being left behind. It gave her a certain thrill to be alternately used and ignored as Twilight wished, to be treated as less than a person. She was an object. Owned.

One advantage of the loose containment spell was that it let her touch herself freely (though she could have even enjoyed being unable to do that...) and she settled back into the blankets to think about the previous night. Her skin still tingled where Twilight's fingertips had slid along it in the night, and she smoothed one hand down the other arm, in memory of that touch.

Scrabbling came from outside the door, and she cocked her head, listening carefully.

"Everypony's gone out... time to find that letter! Oh boy, I just have to see what she could have written that got Twilight to let her spend the night in her room."

The door handle rattled as the young dragon tried it and found it locked, with a groan of disappointment. "She locked the door? Come on! Doesn't she trust me or something?"

Zecora smiled to herself. Clearly Twilight had indeed told him that she, Zecora, had left earlier in the day without his noticing, and he'd believed her. Why should he not? A pity for him that his curiosity would remain stymied.

A further scratching and rattling came from the door. That would be his attempt to pick the lock open with a claw, an attempt doomed to failure after Twilight had enhanced the lock and key. Sure enough, he soon cried out "Oh, shucks," and stomped off down the hall.

Zecora giggled again, rolling onto her back and tugging up the soft brown fabric of her top to spill free her breasts. Her fingertip slid slowly around and around one of her rings, brushing the nipple over and over as she teased herself without urgency or haste.

Twilight, her owner, had reached out to her at last. Even if the unicorn's memories were still locked away, the simple fact that she'd accepted Zecora as her slave and into her bed once more thrilled her beyond measure. Twilight would recover her memories, she had complete and total faith, and when she did, she'd treat her the way that a humble mindfucked slave needed and craved to be dealt with.

In the meantime, she could take pleasure in gently enticing her amnesiac owner into touching her. Even lying in Twilight's bed, surrounded by her scent, was bliss, purest bliss. After all the time separated from her, so near and so painfully far away, Zecora simply couldn't contain her joy and happiness. Whoever her owner had fought, whoever had taken away her memories, they would be defeated and humbled.

She believed in her owner, a belief that couldn't be shaken. Whatever had happened before, this time it would be different. Her days of loneliness were over, and a life of joyful servitude as Twilight's adoring sex slave lay before her.

She pinched her nipples firmly, with a delighted little whimper. She couldn't wait.

Settling into the warmth of the bed, Zecora half dozed as she idly caressed herself, now and then hearing distant sounds of movement from below. It occurred to her that in future, she'd have to be quieter than she generally tended to if she wanted to avoid drawing attention when she and Twilight finally made love.

Twilight hadn't left her a clock, but it felt like a few hours had passed when she was roused by the sound of knocking below. Alert for the return of her owner, Zecora sat up on the bed and listened closely. She would have liked it to have been Twilight, returning at last, but she would have had her own key. It must be some visitor.

Zecora settled back down into the blankets, her ears flicking.

After a few moments, there was a tread on the stairs. It was a harder sound, not like Spike's barefoot patter. The sound of someone wearing shoes.

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

The handle rattled, as the unseen presence outside the door found it locked.

Zecora tensed.

Twilight had to admit, the spa had been helpful. Of course, she'd been thinking about Zecora for much of the time, left stranded in her bedroom while she was out having a massage with Rarity and sweltering in the steam bath, but she'd gradually persuaded herself that it would be okay. The door was locked and reinforced, the spell would stop her going anywhere, and she'd left precautions in case of the tree catching fire.

Really, everything was just fine. She'd needed the time away to clear her head, too. Earlier, she'd been almost ready to take advantage of the poor zebra, and that just wouldn't have been right. All she had to do was gently make it clear that nothing was going to happen between them, even if they were sleeping in the same bed. It wasn't like she'd never slept in the same bed as another mare before, and nothing had ever happened, nor was there any reason it would.

She just had to keep her head.

Twilight slid her key into her front door lock and twisted it, pushing inwards. "Spike, I'm home!" she called.

Nothing.

With a slightly puzzled frown, she looked around the room. There was no sign of him. Had Spike gone out? She hadn't expected that. In fact, Spike being present had been an important part of her safety precautions for Zecora. She should go and check on her at once.

Movement stirred in the kitchen doorway. Twilight came to a dead stop, then blinked as she saw her visitor clearly. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming-"

Twilight blinked, and shook her head. What had she been doing? Spike wasn't home, so she should go and check Zecora was okay. But... she didn't want to go upstairs yet. Her legs were still wobbly from the massage, she couldn't use the stairs. She looked around herself, slightly at a loss.

She should check for dust on her bookshelves. Yes. She did love to take good care of her books. Moving over to the nearest shelf, she ran her fingertips along the shelf and frowned. Traces of dust, and she'd only recently cleaned. Never mind, it was only the work of a moment to fetch a duster and begin giving the shelves a good seeing-to.

Twilight trotted over to a cupboard, which popped open under the touch of her magic, and a long feathered duster levitated out to drop neatly into her hand. Usually, she'd have used her magic to dust, but this time, she felt it needed the personal touch.

Stretching up onto her tiptoes, she began dusting the upper shelves briskly. That was much better, she was definitely making an improvement. All the same, she really ought to go and check on Zecora.

She lowered the brush, and turned towards the stairs-

She needed to do the dusting. Everything else could wait. Of course, if she was going to do the dusting, what she really needed was a maid's outfit. Something that would fit what she was doing.

"But I don't have a maid's outfit," she said aloud, with a slight frown.

That was a shame, she found herself thinking. She should ask Rarity to make one for the next time she had to do the dusting. But if she didn't have a maid's outfit, then she shouldn't be wearing anything. That made sense. She didn't have the required clothes for the task.

Releasing the duster, it floated into the air before her and hovered there in the grip of her magic while she tugged her jumper over her head and laid it neatly over the back of a chair. Next, she unbuttoned her blouse, then unsnapped her small bra and laid it down. Her panties and skirt slid down her legs together, and she bent down to unfasten her shoes.

Straightening up, she breathed in deeply and felt the air gently brush her naked body. That was better.

Back to dusting.

The feathers whisked back and forth over the books as she made her way up and down the shelves, keeping her legs straight and bending double from the waist the way you were supposed to. Something odd was going on, but she couldn't put her finger on it at first.

"Mmmmh..." she murmured.

That was it. She was getting horny. Her dusting became slowly more perfunctory as her attention was drawn relentlessly inwards to the growing heat in her body. Her breathing deepened, her bared breasts rising and falling with breaths that were starting to sound more like groans.

Drifting out of the stacks, she sank onto a low green couch. Of course, there were other uses for the duster. Reversing it in her hand, she began brushing the feathery ends back and forth across her breasts, feeling her nipples getting even stiffer under each delicate caress.

"Ohhh..." Twilight breathed. Her legs spread, showing off her flushed sex, and gripping the duster further down, she slid the tip of the handle up and down her tingling pussy. Fevered images were flooding her mind now, recollections of Zecora's body under her hands flashing before her eyes. Her stripes, her smooth skin, the golden rings glinting in her stiff nipples. She could have it all. She could have anything she wanted from her.

Zecora was begging Twilight to use her. She could have her naked, explore her, touch her any way she wanted to. She could-

Twilight panted louder with lust. She wanted to see what lay under her elegant dress. She wanted to touch those smooth white breasts, wanted more than anything to feel their warmth and weight in her hands. She was so perfect, so desirable. "Oh, Princess...!" she moaned.

She'd always admired the Princess, always looked up to her as a teacher and mentor, but she was more than that. She was perfection. She was sensuality made flesh. The duster handle slid quickly up and down against her slit, lubricated by her wetness, and she squeezed her modest breasts with her free hand. She needed her. She wanted her more than anything.

"Fuck..." Twilight breathed to the empty room, a desperate whimper of need escaping her. "Oh, please, fuck me, let me touch you Princess... let me get down on my knees and lick your divine pussy, I'll do anything, please... yes... yes..." She couldn't stop picturing herself entering the throne room and falling to her knees, offering herself to the all-powerful being atop the throne. Celestia would come closer. She'd let her pure white dress fall to the ground, unveiling her magnificent body, her perfect ass, her hips swaying.

She could see herself in a flickering rush of images, fucking and being fucked by Celestia, licking her out, sucking her huge breasts, nuzzling worshipfully against the brilliant sunburst that marked her thighs. "Haaah..." she panted dizzily, pinching her nipples. "I - I see myself sitting in Celestia's lap, I'm naked and so is she, and her breasts are all I can see, I'm rubbing myself eagerly against her, and licking her hard nipples, and I'm begging her not to stop because her fingers are in my pussy and she's so perfect, so glorious, she's the sexiest being alive, I want to taste her, I never want to stop tasting her, she's so beautiful, I can't stand it, I'm grinding against her hand and her breasts are glistening where I've bathed them with my tongue, and I'm going to - I'm going to - I'm -"

Twilight gasped aloud, a short, sharp series of jerky moans escaping her as she came with terrible force, trembling violently where she lay. Finally, sucking in great gulps of air, Twilight slumped back against the sofa cushions again, the world swaying around her dizzily. The duster slid from her fingers and clattered to the ground.

For a few moments, everything was still.

She needed to wash the duster handle and get dressed, she thought. Someone could walk in and see her like this! She certainly wouldn't want anyone to touch the duster either, not sticky and messy like that. Pushing herself up from the sofa, she scooped up her panties and slid them up her legs, then tugged her skirt back into place.

The front door jerked open, and then shut again. Twilight looked around quickly, but no one had come in, thank goodness. She must not have shut it properly, and the wind had caught it - her cheeks coloured as she realised that anypony could have walked in and seen her in the throes of pleasure. Thankfully, no pony would ever know.

Doing up her blouse, she walked into the kitchen and began pumping water with her magic, the duster handle rotating in the stream until she was convinced it had been thoroughly washed off. It was the work of a moment to shake it dry and stow it back neatly into the cupboard. There. Now everything was clean, and she was dressed.

Twilight blushed, shaking her head. She couldn't believe that she'd let herself get distracted like that! She really had to go and see Zecora, at once, to make sure she was okay.

Padding upstairs, she stopped to peel back a rug and extracted the key from a slight gap between the floorboards, then slid it into the lock. "Zecora?" she called through the door, then pushed it inwards.

Zecora looked up quickly, sat at the top of the bed with her arms around her legs, and broke into a smile. "I welcome my owner's return, the one for who I have yearned."

"It's wonderful to see you," Twilight told her warmly. Lifting her horn, Twilight twirled it this way and that, a curl of magic flowing into the air. The faint shimmer in the air of the barrier spell flickered and faded away, and she moved over to the bed to hug the zebra tightly. "Was everything okay while I was gone?"

"It was, though I heard footsteps on the floor, that lingered outside the door. I had feared that I might be exposed and found, so I listened carefully to each sound. The lock held, and they turned away. My restraint remains secret another day."

Twilight blinked. "Oh? I wonder who visited. I'll ask Spike later." She rested her head gently against Zecora's shoulder, the lingering warmth of her arousal leaving her relaxed and content. Sliding her hand through Zecora's mane, she added, "Would you like to go for a walk around Ponyville? It would be nice." Being in public would keep her away from any tempting situations, too.

"There is little which I would enjoy more, than to walk with the pony that I adore." Zecora wrapped her arm around Twilight's waist and squeezed.

Twilight rose from the bed with a smile, and held out her hand. "Then let's go."

Dawn. Twilight lay in bed once again, Zecora lying deeply asleep at her side, and considered her own restraint. It was absolutely possible to keep Zecora with her, to let her sleep in her bed, without giving in to temptation. She'd known it was, and now she was proving it. They'd spent a lovely day out in Ponyville, eating at the cafe, sitting on the hill above the town, and having fun.

It hadn't been a date.

Even if it had seemed quite a lot like one. Even if, were she pressed, Twilight would have to admit that most of the things they'd done together, she would have done if she was taking somepony out on a first date.

Even if the entire town had the wrong idea. Already. That could only be Spike's work. Before they'd so much as stepped out of the door, rumour had already been spreading. Seeing them together had cemented things. No doubt, well-meaning and thoroughly misguided ponies would be trying to comfort Applejack all day - she'd have to apologise to her for the trouble. At least the lingering uneasiness some ponies held towards Zecora seemed to have been swept away by excitement at the news.

No matter what any pony might think, she wasn't dating Zecora. It was just... just complicated.

The fact that Twilight happened to have picked out a silky pair of pyjamas that, while quite covering, were much thinner and smoother to the touch than the ones she'd worn the previous night, meant absolutely nothing either. She hadn't laid a finger on Zecora. She'd been good. If she'd woken up cuddled tightly with Zecora, she couldn't be held responsible for snuggling in the night.

A double knock sounded below, and she groaned deeply in protest. Who could possibly be bothering her at this hour? If Equestria needed saving again, it was simply going to have to wait until she'd woken up properly and gotten dressed.

The knock came again. Twilight sighed in exasperation and pulled back the blanket, crossing to the dresser to fetch out her dressing gown. A few hurried swipes of a brush straightened her mane and tail from 'catastrophe' to the more moderate 'do you know what time it is?' and she hurried towards the door.

Zecora stirred, sitting up in bed. One strap had slid off her shoulder, and her nightie barely covered her right breast. She gave Twilight a questioning look.

"It's okay. Stay in bed 'til I come back," Twilight told her, resolutely ignoring the spectacle of the half-dressed mare fetchingly dishevelled in her bed.

"Whatever you say, I am glad to obey..." Zecora murmured with a yawn, and settled back into the blankets.

Twilight padded down the stairs, sighing. She almost hoped the insistent knocker would have left by the time she reached the front door, but piling mystery atop inconvenience would really be too much. There was no sign of Spike, and she was confident that the young dragon was sleeping soundly upstairs. It was hardly a surprise that he hadn't woken; it was hard enough to wake him at a sensible time of day.

Unlatching the door, she hauled it inwards with a groan, rubbing her eyes clear with one hand. "Yes? What is it?"

"Letter, ma'am!" chirped the post pony, saluting.

Twilight went rigid. Seizing the letter, she checked the handwriting on the envelope - it looked a lot like the fake handwriting on her previous 'love confession'. It had to be...

"But - this wasn't meant to be delivered until tomorrow!" she protested.

"Sorry ma'am, but this letter was left for delivery on this day, at this time. Apologies for disturbing you, ma'am!" He tapped the address on the letter, which - now she looked - did indeed specify that date, and that early in the morning.

Twilight looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Oh, um. It's okay. Thank you very much." As politely as possible, she shut the door on him and pressed her back against it. It had to be from past Twilight! But why now?

Glancing nervously around herself, she hurried up the stairs to her bedroom, stepped inside, and locked the door. "Zecora!" she hissed urgently, "It's the second letter!"

Zecora blinked, pushing aside the covers. "It is not the case I had wished for delay, but was it not due for the following day?"

"Yes, yes it was... um. Hold on, let me read this," Twilight replied distractedly, sitting down on the bed. Zecora moved up behind her, looking over her shoulder, but Twilight wasn't paying attention to the nearness of the other mare's warm body. She broke the seal on the letter, and pulled out the parchment within.

Again, the covering letter was filled with adoring platitudes, and Twilight discarded them after scanning them carefully for any hidden messages or cunning allusions. That left her with two bundles of parchment. She unfurled one at random, and read.

'Dear Twilight. I hope you were expecting this letter, and if you were, you know it has arrived earlier than I promised. One more trick to throw off anypony that might be waiting to intercept this, if they had read the first message. Everything else included is in code. If you don't know how to untangle the rest, then wish.

Yours, Twilight Sparkle.'

Another coded reference to where the cipher lay. Twilight sighed with impatience. Of course she understood why past Twilight had encoded everything, but it was going to be that much more frustrating to have to untangle it line by line. Bouncing off the bed, she hurriedly checked the carefully jumbled pile atop her secure box for signs of tampering, then shoved off the detritus and unlocked the box with several sweeps of her horn as she turned the key.

Zecora exhaled, and Twilight turned to see the zebra's lips twisting unhappily. "Despite the early arrival, you may still be slowed, by the need to undo your careful code."

"It won't take too long. I wrote down a table of the transforms once I knew I'd need to decode a big piece of text... here." Twilight pulled out a broad sheet of repetitive calculations from the box. Parchment and ink floated towards her, a low table levitating into the centre of the room with a chair beside it, and her decoding scripts took up position in the air. "Just wait. This won't be long at all."

Answers to her questions lay under her fingers. She wasn't going to waste another instant waiting for them. Letter by letter, line by line, she wrote.

'I'll be as blunt as I dare. You discovered a charm with the power to control the minds of others. You found it in the Castle of the Two Sisters. You didn't know what it was. You tried it on Applejack, with her consent, and discovered its power. All you have to do is speak a keyword, and the enchanted pony is entranced. While entranced, you can alter their memories and feelings freely, including setting complex commands with specific triggers.

'The trigger word is 'awaken', and the command to end the state is 'slumber'. Here is your first sanity check: try dictating a letter to Spike that includes the word 'awaken'. Read it back afterwards. If you believe you said awaken, but he wrote something else, the charm cannot be removed, and you have been blocked from triggering it.'

Twilight hesitated as she finished the line. "Zecora? Look at this word." Her finger tapped the parchment. "I'm going to say it, and I'd like you to repeat it back to me please. Awaken."

Nothing. She watched Zecora closely for signs of the trance past Twilight described, but nothing happened. Zecora merely looked troubled.

"I have read the word, and listened to that which you said. You did not say awaken, but wake up, instead."

"But..." she began, then cut herself off. Fine. She couldn't say it, and she couldn't even tell that she hadn't said it. There was no reason for that to send a shiver down her spine. No need, just because once again, she had demonstrated to herself that there was somepony, something, altering her thoughts.

She bent over the parchment with renewed vigour.

'You will find this hard to believe. You have to believe it anyway; it's too important to understanding what has happened to you. You began a relationship with Applejack. Rainbow Dash wanted to be with Applejack, and you as well. You offered her the chance to be with you, if you charmed her to remove any jealousy between the three of you. She agreed enthusiastically.'

Applejack and Rainbow Dash? She knew that she'd apparently been dating all five of her friends, and more besides, but somehow seeing it in her own writing made it feel more real.

'Rarity was tired of falling for ponies that would break her heart. She asked you to change her desires, to allow her to desire mares, and you. You agreed. You offered Fluttershy the chance to be with you all, to be loved and cared for. She was happy to agree. Even Pinkie accepted happily when you explained that all of the others were together with you, and had all agreed voluntarily to be charmed. You found a way to break down all the tensions and fears that we each had. It will sound strange to you, shocking to you, but it was wonderful. We were so much closer, so much happier, than we could have ever believed.

'Even so, there were more ponies that wanted to be with you. Zecora has a powerful desire to be controlled, and she begged to be taken by you. You agreed to accept her. Finally, while it may be the hardest to believe, Princess Luna came to you in a dream, and you charmed her there. Those seven are the ones who loved you, and had gathered around you.

'I believe they will have all been taken away from you. I wish there was some way to make this easier, to make this blow gentler. I couldn't think of one. I'm sorry. The other pony who is using the charm, the one that has wiped your memories and taken everything from you, is Princess Celestia.'

Twilight's quill shivered in the air as it drew out the letters, one by one, then fell abruptly to the desk. No. No, that was impossible. Celestia would never have hurt her. If she had taken away everything Twilight remembered, it was for a good reason. She was goodness. She was purity. She would never, ever hurt her.

Are those my thoughts?

Twilight paled, feeling a horrible hollowness in her stomach. Zecora, who had read over her shoulder as she'd worked, rested her hands on Twilight's shoulders and rubbed them slowly.

"It can't be true," Twilight said very softly.

Silence.

"She wouldn't do this to me," she added after a moment.

Zecora rested her cheek against Twilight's shoulder.

"I must have deserved it," Twilight said finally.

"Please, finish undoing the code. To the one I loved, that much is owed," Zecora replied quietly.

Twilight hesitated, then nodded once, her face set. "Alright."

'Celestia was using the charm on Princess Luna. She was having sex with her, without Luna's knowledge.' Twilight's quill shook again in the grip of her magic, and she had to pull it out of the air and write using her hand. 'You knew that she would take Luna away from you, and all the ones you loved, to hide the charm from you. You faced her. You lost. Everyone you charmed has likely been discovered by Celestia, and traps laid within them to betray you at the first sign of your returning memories. You will have to teach the charm to someone utterly trustworthy, have them use it on you, and have them read the memory recovery instructions below.

'You have had Luna use the charm on you once before, to hide your contingency plans. She was instructed to forget the details of the charm, but she remains the second greatest threat to you. I believe Celestia will hesitate to teach the charm to another, but if she undoes the blocks you placed on her sister, Luna will be able to entrance you with a word as well. She is likely also spying on your dreams. As soon as possible, have yourself instructed to forget these letters each time you are about to sleep.

'It is possible you could use Rarity to cast the charm, but that involves serious risk. You can trust her conscious mind, but not what she may have been instructed to do. I doubt she has specific instructions in case you have her learn the charm and use it on you, but if you do choose to risk using her, do not let her out of your sight until your memory has been restored and you have taken ownership of her thoughts again. Otherwise, find a unicorn that is unlikely to be involved and convince yourself you can trust them before you expose them to this charm. Recorded sounds will not work.'

Twilight murmured unhappily to herself. The casual way that past Twilight described Luna, Celestia and her closest friends threats to her was deeply troubling. The letter seemed to suggest that Zecora couldn't be taught to cast the charm, either. She'd have to view the details of the charm itself to be certain.

With increasing grimness, she ploughed on.

'The charm, and your notes on it, are attached. Once you have succeeded in finding or coercing somepony to use it on you, they must read aloud the following, exactly:

'All commands given to you are ended. All blocks placed on your memory are removed. Any changes to your perceptions are undone. You will remember everything that the charm has blocked or removed, including periods spent in the charm trance. Slumber.

'For the sake of everypony you love, make this work. Good luck, Twilight.'

Twilight pushed the parchment away, and drew over the much thicker bundle of bound pages. Translating the initial lines was enough to convince her. These were coded instructions for a charm. A charm of terrible power.

It would make so much more sense if past Twilight was lying. If she'd been corrupted by this spell, and had been driven to acts that she, the present Twilight, could hardly believe, much less condone. Celestia could easily have been the one to find out what she had been doing, and mended it.

She really did think that telling Celestia was the best course of action. The letters, Zecora's behaviour, the disgraceful fetish outfit below and her own dreams, hazy and unclear, but with a lingering essence of depravity - all of it pointed to some change that had come over her as the result of this spell. She certainly trusted Celestia more than she trusted her past self. Of course, ideally she would recover her lost memories before she made that decision, but those memories in themselves could be the very trap that past Twilight had worked so hard to set for her.

Unless Celestia really was abusing the charm as well. Unless speaking to Celestia would mean that Zecora would be forcibly remade to never desire being near Twilight again. All of her desires, perverted though they might be, locked away 'for her own good.'

Answers were supposed to make things easier...

"Does this parchment contain the spell, in answer to my prayer? Please, Twilight, tell me, this waiting I cannot bear."

Twilight looked around into Zecora's anxious face. Of course, even if she were reading over her shoulder, Zecora wouldn't be able to take much from the instructions she'd decoded. Twilight squeezed the other mare's shoulder comfortingly.

"I can't promise it does what the letter claims, not until I've finished decoding it. It can't possibly be this long, I think most of this is my notes on the spell's effects and construction. But..." she hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. I'm pretty sure this is it."

Another voice answered before Zecora could.

"At last."

The windows suddenly rattled in their frames, as though beaten by a heavy storm, then flung themselves open. A booming voice filled the room.

"I knew this day would come. Finally, my waiting is over." A dark figure loomed outside the window, huge wings beating in slow, powerful thrusts. Her midnight blue feet settled on the windowsill, and her mane of stars and darkness eclipsed the early morning sunlight.

Luna's eyes glinted. "Now, Twilight Sparkle, you will come with me."

Author's Notes:

This chapter's profound summary: Yay, Luna!

Proof reading by Setokaiva