The room was still and quiet. Morning sunshine poured over the meadow outside and the trees beyond, a light breeze ruffling the highest leaves of the forest canopy. Princess Luna and Trixie stood gazing at her, without making a sound.

First, she had to deal with Trixie. No other pony, let alone one as given to revenge and jealousy as her, could be trusted with the charm. Then she had to figure out how to best hide her returned memories from Celestia, if her teacher asked any awkward questions. Then, dismantle the charm and understand it. Then rebuild it to take on the Princess of the Sun, devise defences against it, and fully prepare for a second assault on Canterlot. In between all of that, have some seriously frank conversations with the ponies she had controlled, and find out if they wanted what she wanted.

Her train of thought was interrupted as she fully took in the expressions of the other two ponies in the room. Princess Luna looked tense, hopeful, but for some reason, her cheeks were a deeper purple-red. Now that she noticed that, she couldn't help but see that Trixie's face was also flushed, and she didn't seem to know quite whether to look at Twilight or not.

Twilight frowned slightly. "What is it?"

Trixie stammered, "Y-You were-" before Luna's dark blue magic wrapped around her mouth and firmly, irresistibly, gagged her.

Luna looked down at the floor for a moment and cleared her throat, before she lifted her head and spoke with determined matter-of-factness. "Whilst you were recovering your memories, you made some noises, Twilight Sparkle. Of a distinctly pleasurable nature. At considerable volume."

Twilight's lips parted, and then closed. Vast, pink embarrassment filled the air.

Well, she knew one way out of the situation. "Um. Thank you, Princess Luna. I think that explains everything." Without ceremony and without warning, Twilight swept her horn into the well-practised lines of the charm, and fired it at Trixie.

"Mmmmf!" the other unicorn protested through the gagging magic, and to Twilight's considerable surprise, a spark of Trixie's magic flashed out to meet the incoming spell. Unable to stop it, she deflected it to the side slightly and threw herself in the opposite direction.

Twilight certainly hadn't expected that. Luna really had been right to choose Trixie for this, Twilight thought, as she smoothly threw a second casting at Trixie. The other pony crashed headlong into the sofa, and the spell hit home. Twilight immediately called loudly, "Awaken!"

A fraction of a second later, a horrible realisation hit her. Her hands shot up to cover her ears, but too slowly, and she couldn't help but hear Trixie and Luna reply.

"I am awakened, my Goddess."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is awakened."

Twilight's heart thumped wildly in her chest, and she became aware she was hunched over, clutching her ears. Very slowly, she let go and straightened up.

Okay. She wasn't focused. She hadn't locked all three of them into a loop, where they'd stand mutely facing each other until they all starved.

Celestia's ass, that had been close. She'd been saved from her own thoughtlessness by the charm itself, somehow. It had to have some kind of safeguard that prevented the awakening recitation from triggering the person who'd focused them in the first place, for exactly this reason. But how did it work? Would it keep her from accidentally causing Trixie or Luna to awaken her and cause the same problem?

Well, before she risked that...

"Trixie, Luna, each of you please say the word that ends the charm, now."

"Slumber," the two chorused in unison.

"Okay, good. Whenever I awaken you, you're going to say that word each hour after you've been charmed, until you're released from the trance. If you don't know how long it's been, guess."

Both of them replied, a medley of overlapping voices confirming her instructions. Whew. That ought to make sure she couldn't accidentally lock herself into a feedback loop indefinitely.

Still, she needed to understand the risks. When she'd been creating her contingencies, she'd awakened Luna, told her to read a script without deviating from it, and released her from the trance to began reading. So someone under your control could definitely awaken you in turn. But that didn't prove someone currently under the charm's effects could awaken another.

She needed to be thorough. "Trixie, I'm speaking to you only. In a moment, I'm going to have you say a word. You'll say it, then recite 'You will remember all of this,' and then finish by saying the word that ends the charm."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will speak a word as instructed, then recite your speech and finish with 'slumber'." Trixie was still crumpled against the sofa, her voice stripped of its usual arrogance and high strung intonation.

Twilight winced as she realised she'd just left her lying there. "Stand up, Trixie."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie-"

"Without talking."

Trixie gathered her feet under her and stood up, her mane mussed and her hat left lying on the floor.

Twilight nodded to herself. "Okay. Say 'awakened', then recite the rest as I instructed you."

"Awakened. You will remember all of this. Slumber." Trixie parroted the words blankly.

Nothing. Was it the fact that it wasn't quite the right word? "Trixie, next you'll say the letter 'a', then the word 'way', then the word 'ken', all without pausing. Then recite the words as you just did after 'awakened'."

"A-way-ken. You will remember all of this. Slumber."

Still nothing. Well, that had sounded like the word, but Twilight knew it wasn't. So did Trixie. Was that it? Recorded versions of her voice saying the word hadn't worked, she'd tested that, so it was more than just the sound of the words... but she'd awakened ponies before by accident, so it wasn't purely down to the focusing pony's intent either.

Next test. "Trixie, you'll say the word 'awaken' and then follow it by reciting the words you said after a-way-ken."

"Awaken. You will remember all of this. Slumber."

Absolutely nothing. Focused ponies couldn't awaken others. Of course, she still had to repeat those tests with a pony that had been ordered to say the words but wasn't focused at the time, but... that meant it was safer than she'd thought.

Which was just as well for her, considering the alternative was standing motionless in the cabin together, far from anypony that would find them, until it was too late for any of them. Probably. The spell might have other failsafes, but the only way to test that would be to deliberately invoke a locking that could leave two ponies mindless for the rest of their lives, and certainly she wasn't going to risk that.

Twilight slumped back into the chair behind her, and took a moment to let the dregs of her initial panic fade away. Okay. "Princess Luna, Trixie, please come and stand in front of me," she requested politely.

"I shall stand before you, my Goddess."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will stand in front of you."

The two ponies moved to stand side by side, close enough to reach out and touch. Twilight inhaled deeply, and let it go. So here she was, taking over more ponies by force, when minutes ago - how long had it been? - she'd been willing to throw away the chance of recovering her memories in case it led to that. But it was necessary.

Luna's ethereal mane billowed about her face, its ceaseless movement highlighting her stillness. Abruptly, Twilight shuffled her priorities.

"Trixie. I'd like you to step outside and sit on the porch. Wait there until I call your name. Nothing else you overhear from inside is being spoken to you. If there's any threat to you outside, or any pony arrives that isn't one of us, step inside and call for me at once. Don't repeat that, just carry it out."

Trixie turned, and moving with the unnatural smoothness of the charm's compulsion, left the cabin. Twilight and the mesmerised Luna were left alone together.

Well, the personal exemption Twilight had inserted was still in place; Luna hadn't greeted her with the elaborate speech that she would have spoken to any other pony that awakened her. Twilight's voice softened. "Princess Luna. Tell me if anyone has charmed you since I last charmed you? Did I - I mean, tell me if the last time I last charmed you was before I faced Celestia, to try to charm her."

"Yes, I have been charmed by my sister since last you hath charmed me, my Goddess. The last time I was charmed by your voice was before you sent me away, before you faced her."

Twilight flinched minutely. "Tell me what Celestia said to you while you were focused."

"She asked if I knew anything about a charm which controls minds. As you commanded, my Goddess, I lied to her and claimed I had not. She asked me if I had noticed any strange dreams you had had. I told her that your dreams had become lewd, and so I had avoided witnessing them. She asked me if I had ever been under your control. I told her that I had not. I was commanded to forget having met her that day, and to resume my tour of Equestria."

Filled with indescribable relief, Twilight's shoulders slumped. Celestia hadn't found out that Luna had been charmed, and she hadn't used the charm to toy with her sister any further. It seemed that Celestia had stuck to avoiding her as much as possible, to keep away from temptation. Unless Celestia was very clever.

"Tell me if there any commands from Celestia still affecting your actions."

"I must recite the words she gave me when I am awakened by her, Goddess. I must view the one who awakened me as my Goddess when awakened. I must answer questions fully and descriptively when awakened."

That was it, then. There was only one more test she could think of, then she'd have to release Luna and deal with Trixie.

"Tell me anything that you are hiding from me which is relevant to the charm," she commanded clearly.

"I cried when I learned that you had been charmed."

Twilight's heart stopped for the duration of a beat. The words had been spoken calmly, in a distant, almost conversational way, and somehow that made it worse. Her lips trembled, and it took her a moment to find her voice again.

Quietly, to ensure Trixie wouldn't hear her, Twilight said very gently, "You will remember everything that happened when Celestia focused you after my defeat. Slumber."

The perfect blankness faded from Luna's face, and she frowned. "I see. My sister hath indeed charmed me once more, to test whether I had-"

She was cut off abruptly as Twilight hurled herself at her, wrapping her arms around the older pony tightly. Luna looked down at her, her lips parting wordlessly, then drew Twilight closer.

Twilight spoke quietly, muffled by Luna's chest. "I'm sorry I messed up. I'm sorry that I lost. I didn't mean to leave you all alone." She could feel the tension in the Princess's body.

"...I do not blame thee for thy defeat, Twilight. I would never feel that way." Her smooth, dark arms tightened around Twilight.

"I'm - better now. I remember everything, everything that happened between us. I'm so, so grateful. You saved me. Thank you." Twilight lifted her head and gazed up at Luna. A little start ran through her as she saw that the Goddess of the Moon was looking back at her, with fathomless eyes that shimmered with unshed tears.

"I would have striven the rest of my days to return you to thy true self, Twilight. It is... good to have you with me once again. Forgive my brusqueness at thy home. I dared not tell you what I intended, in case there was some means by which it might be thwarted." She paused for a moment, then continued steadily, "It was also difficult to speak to you, when you knew not the brief time we hadst spent together."

She truly would, Twilight knew. That was a problem, she'd been right about that; she had to give Luna a way out in case anything ever happened to her. But that would wait. Right at that moment, she couldn't think of anything other than the scent of Luna's skin, the warmth of her body. Twilight's hand gently, tentatively, smoothed Luna's tail. It was soft, and impossibly silky under her fingertips. Her breath caught in her chest. She had to get the promise out, before her nerve failed. Two months worth of being the person she'd been before the charm and a little under a week of paranoia and anger had thrown her own flaws into sharp relief, but she really didn't know if her revived morality would last.

"Luna?"

Luna's voice was barely a whisper. "Yes, Twilight?"

"I... I know you're going to remember this, later, and I want to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ever started using the charm the way I did, and it wasn't right what I did to you. Or Zecora. You didn't have a choice. I'm going to give you a choice, once I've cleared your head, whether you want to... to be like this."

Luna body was stiff now in Twilight's arms, a frown gathering on her face. Twilight plunged on, reckless in her haste to finish before she changed her mind.

"I'm going to give you that choice, but I can't yet. I don't want it to be rushed. I don't want to be worrying about Trixie outside. So I'm saying sorry now, to you, and the you that will remember this, who'll know that I didn't undo everything the moment I came around. But, I just..."

She faltered. "I need you to know that I really love you. Not only you, and I hope that doesn't... cheapen it, but... I do. If I was selfish, I'd keep you forever and ever."

Silence fell. Twilight found she didn't dare look up at Luna's face. The moment stretched, and stretched. She found she could hear Luna's breathing, shallow and tight.

"No."

Twilight felt the blood drain from her at Luna's simple negative, laden with finality. "I... what?" What did Luna want? What was she going to do?

She remembered Celestia, and the way the Princess had panicked and cast her into a trance when things had started to go poorly. She wasn't, wasn't, going to panic and do the same. Taking a deep breath, she asked more steadily, "What do you mean?"

"No, Twilight. I shall not be dictated to upon the sanctity of my mind. I shall not endure, waiting with fear and uncertainty, for you to choose to sweep away the person I have become."

Twilight instinctively stepped back. Luna sounded angry, and she couldn't help but be intimidated. Even scared. All the same, she protested, "But - it's only because of what I've done that you feel that way! It isn't fair that you never had a choice-"

"Silence, Twilight Sparkle. Now it is I that shall speak, and you shalt listen."

Right. Now maybe it was time to panic. Twilight inched back another half step. She wanted, very badly, to speak the word. Then she'd be safe. Then she'd be in control.

She didn't.

A memory of Rarity flashed before her eyes, who had once told her much the same thing when she'd tried to restore the other woman's former self. Clearly, Twilight hadn't learned from the encounter. She held her tongue, lips pressed tightly together.

"You will arrange a meeting with my past self, as you have met yours. We shall choose which of your commands that will continue. We shall decide what is to become of us, and you shall not use that charm upon me again without asking for my permission, Twilight Sparkle."

Faced with the Canterlot voice in full flow, Twilight felt the urge to cling to the chair behind her before she was blown away. Thoroughly intimidated, it took a moment for her to find her voice again. It suddenly occurred to her that she had better not even look like she was about to awaken Luna, because she might be loyal to Twilight, and she might want to do as she was told, but Luna didn't have to, and right now she had other priorities.

She found herself making soothing motions with her hands at the demigoddess, and stopped at once.

"I... okay. You're right. It's only fair that you get to choose. Both of you." A faint frown crossed Twilight's face as she listened to her own words, and she said more softly, "That is fair. When it came to me, I wouldn't let my past self decide who I should be. I wanted to make sure I didn't become something I didn't want. She... I... persuaded me. But that was fair. No one made that choice but me. But when it came to everypony else, I never even thought to try this. I just decided that I knew best. It was all my choices, good and bad. I've been really, really stupid, Princess."

Luna's hand settled gently on Twilight's head. She looked up quickly into the Princess's gentle face.

"I have never received a letter from thee, Twilight, as my sister has. Not one that confesses thy mistakes, and the lessons you have learned. I consider this to be the better way to witness thy improving wisdom."

Twilight smiled weakly. Her approval felt good, but... "But what if you turn on me? What if you fight me again, or drag me to Celestia?"

Frowning in turn, Luna lowered her hand. "Very well, Twilight. I shall allow thee to bind me by laws that I shall follow, even if I choose to become as I was before you confronted me. Fetch thy parchment."

It had taken an hour. A nerve-wracking hour, as Twilight had tried to contribute as little as possible for fear of influencing the words Luna wished to lay down, speaking in questions, not instructions. The constant awareness of Trixie, mindless outside, hadn't made things any easier either, and she'd had to take frequent breaks to check on her.

All the same, it was finished.

'When you are released from this trance, you will enter a reverie. All memories of the charm's use since our first confrontation will be fully revealed to you. You will face a version of yourself, as you were before you were first charmed by me. She may view or reject all your memories since the confrontation.

'You must both agree on which instructions you will continue to follow when you end the trance, and you will not be released until you have come to an agreement. If you become thirsty or hungry, your body will drink, and eat. If you have not come to an agreement within six hours, you will end the reverie as the person you were before I first charmed you.

'These rules will bind you regardless of your decisions within the reverie; when you end the reverie, you will fully and without deception reveal what you have decided, including your intentions towards me. You won't be able to attack me. You won't be able to cast or activate the charm, or pass it on. If you choose to leave, you will take no further part in my use of the charm, and the confrontation between myself and your sister.'

Every word hurt. Promising Luna that she would free her hadn't been easy, but it was something for the future. Something that hadn't happened yet. Now, she felt as though she'd written the end of their relationship. Luna had flatly prevented any forgetting of what the charm did, or of what had happened to her. The broad phrasing ought to stop her from interfering in her battle with Celestia, or her restoration of the others, but it was also vague. Luna might be able to find a way around it, as she personally had subverted Celestia's instructions.

But it was this, or give up right now, and use the charm to make Luna comply. If she was going to reclaim any kind of morality, this was how.

"Very well, Twilight. I am prepared to begin."

Twilight picked up the parchment, moving with leaden slowness. "Princess-"

"Now, Twilight." Her voice wasn't hostile, nor impatient, but simply iron. It was a statement of what would happen.

Twilight swallowed away the lump in her throat. "Okay. I... I... Awaken."

Luna relaxed, her arms limp. "I am awakened, my Goddess."

Unable to look at her blank face, Twilight read the parchment aloud, forcing out 'slumber' before the entranced pony could begin to repeat it. Luna's body slumped even further, her eyes closing. She lay, barely held up by the sagging chair, a faint frown on her face.

Twilight drew up a stool in front of her, and waited. The seconds crawled by.

After five minutes, Twilight stood up and began pacing.

After ten, Twilight sat back down, tapping her fingers rapidly against the stool.

After thirty, Twilight was desperately searching Luna's faint frown, listening to the little rhythms of her breath, quicker and slower, hunting for some kind of clue to what could be happening within her.

After an hour, Twilight exploded to her feet and jerkily stalked out of the house.

The air was cold and sweet, wind whispering fitfully through the leaves. The clearing seemed vast and open after the tiny confines of the cabin. Twilight was distracted from this by tripping over Trixie, plunging face-first into the grass.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" she howled at the empty sky.

Shoving herself into a sitting position, she brushed off the clinging fragments of grass and dirt. She had clearly made a huge mistake. She had no idea what Luna was going to become, and that was her fault. Back when Luna had first discovered her, she could have just made her forget, made her stop looking at her dreams and go away. Instead she had made Luna lie with her, be hers, developed feelings for her, and then pushed her away. She'd hurt herself, for nothing.

Well. Not nothing. She wouldn't be herself if it hadn't have been for Luna, for her dedicated work and patience over the months. She deserved to be rewarded for that, even if the reward was demolishing the very pony that she had become.

Twilight rolled onto her back, and stared at the clear blue sky. One hand came to rest over her aching heart, pressing gently, as if that could ease the hurt. "Fuck," she said quietly.

"Who should the Great and Powerful Trixie fuck?" The question was asked with blank sincerity.

Twilight slowly turned around, pushing herself to her feet. Glancing through the cabin window, she could make out the slumped figure of Luna, still buried in the depths of her chair. No change. Fine then; she'd deal with Trixie while she waited.

"Dismiss that instruction," she said firmly. So here was Trixie. Snow white mane, mussed from her desperate, instinctual dodge, her powder blue legs bare beneath her short purple skirt. The small corset around her waist pulled in her stomach, accentuating her breasts. Robbed of her customary swagger, she looked trusting. Calm.

The back of Twilight's fingers slid down Trixie's warm cheek.

She was talented, that was undeniable. She had a gift for magic. If she'd trained as she had, if she'd applied herself, she might have rivalled Twilight's own magic by now. On the other hand, she was vain, narcissistic, unpleasant, and given to grandiose schemes of revenge. By any measure, she'd caused enough trouble in Twilight's life that even being confined here for a couple of months for Luna didn't put Twilight into her debt.

Still... it was hard not to remember Luna's words. Few other ponies wouldn't be missed, if they disappeared for months without any warning at all...

Twilight couldn't be gone a full day without people beginning to worry about her. She knew that her friends would come looking for her if she didn't come back within a day or two, and if she was gone a week, it was quite likely that people she cared about would literally move the heavens to ensure she came back safely. Trixie had no one. Couldn't she use a teacher? A friend? Someone to help wear off some of the rougher edges of her personality?

On the other other hand, if Trixie was going to stay around, she'd have to be charmed. Twilight couldn't trust her any other way. How much of this urge to 'help' her was just a possessive urge to own her, to use her? Even now, she was stroking the other pony's blank face as though it belonged to her.

Twilight lowered her hand. Well, there was one way. A fair way. As she'd at least partially tried to do with her friends, she could let go of the decision. It didn't have to be up to her. "Trixie. When I release you, you won't try to leave or use your magic until I give you permission. That won't occur to you, it'll just be true."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie won't deign to use her magic nor leave until you say so. She won't notice, it's simply obvious."

Somewhere inside Trixie's head she was hanging on every word with utter worshipful attention, Twilight knew that, but whatever was answering her questions was still Trixie through and through. "You will forget the charm I had you learn. You will believe that you cast an unimportant charm to jog my memory, and neither think about it nor mention it in any way, spoken or written. You won't tell anypony about your imprisonment here, or anything that happens before you leave, unless I say specifically. You will not say 'awaken', and will say 'wake up' instead if you try, without noticing the difference. If anyone ever proves to you that you can't say 'awaken', you will laugh it off and come to me as quickly as you can."

That little safety feature would have ruined everything if Celestia had thought of it, but then, she didn't tend to be as thorough. She was serenely confident, with the weight of millennia at her back. Twilight was not, and sometimes, that itself was an advantage. She reviewed the instructions she'd given Trixie, listening carefully as the other pony pompously echoed them in her own egocentric way.

In theory, that was enough. She could make her offer, and if Trixie rejected it, then she wouldn't speak of it, nor think anything of the charm, even if Twilight mentioned she had a charm which could control others. She simply wouldn't make the connection. Still, describing what she had to offer was awfully dry. Maybe she could give herself just a little advantage. "Trixie, when I say 'lick', you will momentarily experience myself or one of my friends licking your bare sex."

"When you say lick, the Great and Powerful Trixie will experience a pony licking between her legs, you or one of your friends."

That ought to provide a little incentive. "Slumber."

It was fascinating, watching the life spark back into Trixie's eyes, watching the moment of confusion as her memories rewove themselves to make sense of where she was. "Well, Twilight Sparkle? Now that you've bored the Great and Powerful Trixie with your incredibly menial charm, is she free to leave this pointless shack in the forest for someone more civilised? She will require transport, naturally."

Twilight considered sitting on the grass, but decided to remain standing over Trixie instead. It projected authority, she thought. "Actually, Trixie, I'd like to make you an offer. Once you've heard it, and made your decision, you'll be allowed to leave if you still want to."

Trixie snorted. "She can't wait for you to waste yet more of the Great and Powerful Trixie's time. As if the last two months weren't enough." All the same, she looked up with a flicker of curiosity at Twilight.

Twilight inhaled deeply, and let it go. Everything upfront. Not hiding anything. "I'd like to teach you, and have sex with you."

Trixie's dismissive sneer slipped at the edges. Her mouth hung open for a moment, before she recovered herself enough to respond, "Ha! You think Trixie will be fooled by these petty tactics to put her off guard? What is it you really seek of her?" She climbed to her feet, planting her hands on her hips as she stared suspiciously at Twilight.

"I really mean it." Twilight gazed back at Trixie seriously. "I think I could teach you a lot, and I think you could even teach me some things. I'm not joking about the other part either. I have a charm, that can influence people. If you agreed to yield to it, so I could trust you, you'd get to make love to me. And my friends. Maybe all at the same time."

This time Trixie's face coloured, and she seemed to be struggling for words. Clearly, this wasn't what she'd expected from Twilight, and the most dominant emotion in her turbulent expression was simple shock. "You... you assume that the Great and Powerful Trixie is even interested, in mares or in you, or your friends..."

"It doesn't have to be part of the package if you just want to learn, and you can still just go. But if you wanted this, you could be near me. You could learn from me, and teach me. You could be part of my life." It was surprisingly easy to keep speaking, once she'd begun. There was even something that was a little thrilling in so casually telling Trixie that she might end up in a charm-influenced orgy if she agreed.

Trixie looked away, muttering in an embarrassed tone, "Well! As it happens, Trixie is interested in mares, but you're so very rude to assume..." After a moment, she glanced back at Twilight suspiciously. "You'd teach the Great and Powerful Trixie - not that she needs teaching! - the charms that you know? All you ask in return is that she graces you and your collection of foolish acquaintances with her glorious, magnificent body?"

"No, Trixie. It's more than that. It's trusting me, seriously, because I'll be able to influence you with the charm if you agree. I can demonstrate something you'd experience under the charm, if you like."

Trixie looked sceptical. "She supposes that enough of the Great and Powerful Trixie's time has been wasted that she might as well waste a little more. Demonstrate."

Twilight considered. It might be helpful to misdirect Trixie a little, to put her off the fact she'd already been charmed. She lifted her head and swept her horn to the side, letting a little trail of sparkles stream from the tip, as she said firmly, "Lick."

Even her frustration and fear over Luna couldn't entirely dull the little spike of delight she felt as Trixie's eyes widened in shock, a sharp gasp escaping her. After a second, she looked up, a little wild-eyed. "Trixie demands another demonstration."

"Lick." She swept her horn again for effect, but Trixie wasn't really paying attention. She was already focused on the vision the charm had conjured, and she hissed in surprise and delight. Idly, Twilight wondered who she was witnessing between her legs.

Trixie's purple eyes focused on Twilight. "This is what this charm does? This is the sort of thing you ask the Great and Powerful Trixie demean herself by agreeing to? You try to bribe her with floozies, and cheap charms, and magical visions, just to get to touch Trixie? Well! The Great and Powerful Trixie does understand your fixation with her beauty and grace." She tossed her mane. "Give her another demonstration of this trivial sorcery, to prove it will be worth her time."

A satisfied smile curled Twilight's lips. "One more demonstration, Trixie. Then I need you to make a decision. Either you get to serve me, be my apprentice, and be part of the life that I lead, or you leave."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie-" the other pony began indignantly.

"Lick," Twilight interrupted her. "Lick. Lick. Lick. Lick."

Trixie jerked, her knees visibly trembling, a faraway look of need and pleasure erasing the initial shock. It took several seconds for her to emerge from the vision this time, and she slowly sank down to sit on the porch again. Her cheeks were red. "Trixie... agrees to your terms. She will be the most magnificent lover you have ever known, and will deign to indulge in the tawdry sex games you play with your acquaintances. But she gets to decide when she leaves."

A surge of possessive triumph swept through Twilight, something potent and undeniably sensual. She had persuaded Trixie to surrender to her. Without tricks, or lies, Trixie had agreed to be hers. "You won't regret this, Trixie. Awaken."

The soft, double thud of Trixie's hands dropping to her sides and coming to rest on the aged wood of the porch underlined her sudden quiet. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is awakened."

A long glance through the window proved that Luna hadn't stirred. Fine. That was fine. She had to make sure Trixie was going to behave anyway. "Trixie, do you intend to serve me willingly?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie agreed to, but doesn't intend to."

Well, that wasn't much of a surprise. All the same, Twilight felt a spark of frustration. Was she going to have to release Trixie after all? That wasn't fair! She'd agreed! She was hers now!

"What does the Great and Powerful Trixie intend, then?" Twilight demanded.

Trixie almost seemed to smile, even in her trance. "The Great and Powerful Trixie intends to have sex with you and all your friends, learn all of your charms while holding back all the powerful ones she knows, and once she has learned the spell to influence ponies, she will take control of all your friends and make them adore her instead. She intends to cast a spell on you to make you her fawning slave."

She became aware that her mouth was open. Twilight slowly closed it, feeling an unfamiliar anger surge within her. How dare she. How dare she! After Twilight had reached out to her, offered to teach her, to share her life with her and let her be part of her circle of friends, she was planning to steal everything she could, then stab Twilight in the back!

All of her vast, helpless frustration sharpened to a point, her eyes narrowed. She barely recognised her own voice as she spoke in hard, dangerous tones, glaring at Trixie's obliviously calm face. "If you had complete control of my mind, what would you do?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie would turn you into her personal puppet and sex toy, of course. She has always fantasised about crushing you with her magic and making you crawl on your knees to beg forgiveness, and she would make you her lowly pet. She would humiliate you daily, and punish you for every time you ever opposed someone as perfect as the Great and Powerful Trixie. You would live to please her, exist only to debase yourself and tend to her every need, night and day. She'd humiliate you in front of your town and friends, of course. They have witnessed Trixie's humiliation, and that just can't be allowed to stand."

Twilight's fingernails were digging painfully into her palm. So this was what she got for trying to be a better person. She was going to lose Luna, and gain a treacherous, backstabbing snake. Well. Trixie had made a very serious mistake.

"Trixie. Say you need to be punished, that you deserve it. Be lavish."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has to be punished, Twilight. She was intending to betray you, humiliate you, enslave you and steal everything that made your life worth living. She needs to be punished, she can't be allowed to get away with it," Trixie said without hesitation.

Twilight was breathing rapidly. A part of her wanted to awaken Trixie, leave her frozen unable to move as she told her exactly what was going to happen next. Far more tempting, far more appropriate, would be to tell Trixie that everything she'd intended to do to her was now turned back upon herself, switching their roles in her fevered revenge fantasy. Trixie had no idea how powerful the charm was, but Twilight did. If she opened her mouth, told her that yes, now Trixie lived to please her, then she'd-

Then she'd be just like Pure Heart.

The thought hit her like a shock of cold water, freezing her where she stood. The newly restored memory of his awful adoration was still fresh in her mind, the moment when she'd looked into his eyes and seen nothing at all, just the utter destruction of the pony he'd been before she'd effortlessly recreated him at her whim. The anger ebbed, leaving a strange chill in its absence.

No. She wasn't going to turn Trixie's own words back on her, not fully. She wasn't going to destroy her for what she'd intended to do. All the same, she couldn't just forget what she'd intended. Trixie deserved to be punished. Carefully. Proportionally. An appropriate punishment for trying to steal everything Twilight knew, then replace her in the lives of her friends, then destroy her mind and make her into a blank thrall.

Embers of her anger flickered fitfully as the thought unrolled. Fine. Revenge then, but carefully measured revenge, that didn't make her into a monster.

Parchment. "Trixie, go and fetch parchment and quill, and bring them out here. Bring the small table by the fireplace too."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie-"

"Be quiet and do as you're told," Twilight interrupted her, without particular heat.

Trixie rose to her feet and walked into the cabin. Twilight glanced through the window at Luna, wondering how much time had passed. Not enough, apparently; she was still lying motionless in the depths of the chair. It would probably be a good idea to place water and some sort of food within easy reach; if the precautions kicked in, she didn't want Luna wandering through the cabin half-conscious, and out of her sight.

A small, low table levitated out of the doorway, parchment and quill atop it, surrounded by the pale blue glow of Trixie's magic. It settled neatly in front of Twilight.

"Go and fetch a jug of water, and something to eat. Place them within Luna's reach, then come back here," Twilight commanded without looking up, picking up the quill. She sensed Trixie moving away again.

'If you intend to act against me or any of my friends, you will immediately confess to me and will not carry out your intention.'

That covered basic safety. Now, then. She'd intended to go very gently on Trixie, simply giving her an awareness that it was good to do as Twilight said, because she was her mentor. Of course, that was before Trixie's confession.

'You're my slave. You're very proud of being my slave. You're very proud of being my sexually available toy. You like using explicit language.'

Much better. She needed to ensure Trixie understood that being her slave meant she should do as she was told, but gave her enough latitude not to do anything harmful if she, Twilight, messed up a command. Trixie was treacherous and untrustworthy, so an override like Pinkie's was probably a good idea too.

'It feels good to obey me. You do not have to obey my commands, unless I tell you I really mean it.'

Of course, that didn't stop Trixie being a lying little wretch, even if she might be lying because she thought it'd make Twilight like her more.

'If you lie to me, as soon as you finish the lie you will confess that you have lied, insulting yourself as you do, and ask for me to spank you. Until I spank you to punish you for your lie, your ass will tingle and itch, more and more strongly as time passes.'

There. She could have a little fun, letting Trixie be Trixie just enough to get herself into trouble. She didn't want Trixie to give the game away in front of others, though; she had better add in a contingency for uncharmed pony witnesses.

"I will give you a list of safe ponies, and I can add to or remove from the list at any time. To start with, the list is just Luna and I. If any ponies not on the list are in earshot, you will either confess your lies to me quietly, or wait until you can do so without risking being overheard."

That would stop Trixie from being forced by the charm to speak at the wrong time. She could stop her from saying anything relating to her slavery in front of others too, but it was better to make that a command she gave her than a rule engraved in her mind. The fewer conditions and complications in the charm's compelled behaviour, the better. All that was left was to make sure she didn't have her memories rewritten to make sense of the new behaviour that Twilight was about to impose.

'You are aware that I have charmed you and implanted these behaviours. You remember everything you agreed to. You are aware that I have strengthened your submission as a punishment for what you intended to do. You will not try to weaken or remove the charm on you, directly or indirectly. You are incapable of learning the charm, casting it or activating it without my immediate and direct order. You will not communicate anything about it to ponies not on the safe list.'

Twilight tapped the parchment thoughtfully. That was a little bit more elaborate than she wanted, but Trixie knew the charm existed, had already learned it, and had a spark of duplicitousness that even now, might surprise her. It was better to be safe.

There was a touch of maliciousness in her smile as she looked up at Trixie. The other pony had returned some time ago, lingering with blank patience for Twilight to address her once more. Twilight stood up, parchment in hand, and glanced through the window. Some deep part of her didn't want Luna to witness this, and that part of her fretted that that very fact meant she was doing something wrong, something she shouldn't do.

Twilight ignored it. Trixie deserved this.

"Trixie. Listen closely," she announced calmly, and began to read. Trixie gazed at her as she spoke, watching her lips move, soaking in every word Twilight spoke. It didn't take her long to reach the end of her carefully prepared words, especially as impatience to see the outcome of her meticulously crafted commands overcame her. "Do you understand?" she finished, looking up.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie understands everything." Even in her entranced state, there was a spin of arrogance to Trixie's instinctual intonation, as if it was silly of Twilight to ask.

Twilight folded her arms. "Slumber, Trixie."

Trixie took a moment longer than usual to recover her wits, her body jerking slightly, before her glazed eyes cleared. Her mouth opened, then closed, an embarrassed blush colouring her cheeks. "Well. You certainly can't blame her for trying." She lifted her head, trying to look dignified. "Clearly, you have the upper hand. The slutty and submissive Trixie will obey your every command."

Inhaling slowly, Twilight tried not to show the definite spark those words lit in the core of her being. Stepping away from the table, she beckoned Trixie towards the porch. "Stand here, and put your hands behind your back. Push out your chest. You're showing off your body for your new owner."

"The slutty and submissive Trixie has a glorious body. Of course you'd wish to see it at its best advantage," she replied proudly, flicking her thick white mane back over her shoulders. Standing in front of Twilight, she crossed her wrists behind her and arched her back, her chest straining at the dark purple cloth over her corset. "Not that there is any pose in which she doesn't look simply fantastic, of course. It's a burden, to be so sensual and perfect. She is sorry that you have to resign yourself to being outshone by your magnificent and perfect slave."

Twilight's lips slowly parted as Trixie went on. What exactly had she got herself into, taking this incredibly obnoxious pony under her control? After a moment, she gave a little laugh of disbelief. "I'm going to have to buy a new gag," she murmured. But right now, there was another way to stop Trixie talking.

"Stay just where you are," Twilight ordered, slowly circling Trixie.

The magically enslaved pony straightened a little, and replied, "Well, of course, she is the perfect slave, and the submissive and slutty Trixie was told where to stand, so she'll stay - ahh!"

Standing behind her, Twilight had reached around her without her noticing. Trixie's words were cut off with a surprised gasp as Twilight took hold of her outthrust breasts through her straining top. Squeezing, Twilight murmured playfully, "I think I'll be very happy with these, Trixie."

"Ahhh... haah... she... yes. Yes, of course. The slutty and submissive Trixie does have a perfect - ohh!" Trixie's eyes snapped closed as Twilight kneaded more firmly, her cheeks flushing red. Little pants escaped her open mouth.

"Have you slept with many mares, Trixie?" Twilight asked casually, squeezing Trixie's breasts together through her top.

"The slutty and submissive Trixie has had... mmmh! Hundreds of lovers! Mares all over Equestria have lined up to offer their bodies to her obvious superiority!" Trixie declared, breathing quickly. Without pausing, she added, "Trixie is a lying slut, please spank her ass, Mistress!"

The look of shock on Trixie's face as she twisted around made Twilight giggle aloud, raising a hand to her mouth. "Oh dear. It might take you a little while to get used to that," she murmured.

"W-well! The slutty and submissive Trixie might have exaggerated a little, but she really does have a mare in every town, waiting longingly on her return. She's a lying tramp, punish her, Mistress! Argh!" Trixie growled, shifting from foot to foot with increasingly obvious discomfort.

"Is there something the matter, Trixie?" Twilight composed her face into an expression of concern, trying not to laugh again.

"No! There's absolutely nothing the matter- the slutty liar Trixie is lying again! Spank her hard!" Trixie stamped her foot in exasperation, backing up a step and trying to subtly rub herself against one of the posts holding up the porch to get some relief from the tingling, itching sensation she was plainly suffering.

"So how many mares was it, Trixie?"

"Lots! The slutty and submissive Trixie has dozens of conquests! She can't stop lying to you! Spank her, she deserves it!"

"I didn't quite hear that. How many?" Twilight leaned forward, not even troubling to hide the glee on her face anymore.

"Two! She's slept with two mares! Make it stop!" Trixie gasped. She reached back to claw at her ass, no longer able to hide the way she was trying to stop the tingling by grinding against the post.

"Oh, Trixie. You know what needs to happen, and I think you should ask nicely."

Trixie's cheeks flushed, a look of offended dignity coming over her face, before she visibly surrendered and panted, "The slutty - and submissive Trixie - begs her Mistress - to please, please spank her cute blue ass!"

That was it. Even if there had been nothing else, the charm had earned its place in her heart for compelling that moment from the frustrating, treacherous pony in front of her. Twilight turned away, and Trixie called, "Please spank Trixie!" with an extra level of fervour as Twilight sat down on the steps.

"Come here and lie across my lap, Trixie. Hike up your skirt," Twilight told her firmly.

"Y-yes, Mistress!" Trixie hurried across the porch and grabbed her skirt, lifting it with both hands. She hesitated visibly, an internal battle on her face, before all at once she bent down over Twilight's lap with her ass in the air. Her hips squirmed restlessly, unable to stay still for an instant.

She was wearing surprisingly cute pink panties, with frilly edges. Twilight traced her fingers along the lacy borders with unhurried fascination, enjoying the warm weight of Trixie lying obediently across her lap.

"The - the slutty and submissive Trixie - pleads! Spank her ass! Make it stop!"

Twilight smiled, a small, vindictive part of her dancing with glee. For a moment, she was tempted to sharply pull down Trixie's panties, but no, that could come later. She didn't have to rush this. She could explore Trixie slowly, and thoroughly.

"Now, Trixie. I want you to say thank you, okay? Here it comes."

She raised her hand into the air, and Trixie's frantic squirming stilled, the enchanted pony tensing up in expectation. She waited just long enough for Trixie's body to relax a fraction, for her to look around in frustrated puzzlement, before bringing her hand down hard. The flat crack of skin on skin rang around the clearing, followed closely by a screech.

"Yaaaaah! Ahh! She... thank you, Mistress! Oh, that's such a relief, the slutty and submissive Trixie- yaah! Hah! Agh!"

Trixie yelped with each smack as Twilight settled into steadily spanking her ass, fascinated by the way Trixie's soft blue skin reddened under each firm swat of her hand. Even though it was making her own hand sting, she said playfully, "I can't hear you thanking me, Trixie."

"Ahhh! Thank you - ahh! - Thank you - yahh! - Thank you!"

"Much better," Twilight murmured to herself. She had intended to treat Trixie with much more dignity than this. How nice of her, how good of her, to make it clear that she couldn't be trusted to behave decently. "No, Trixie. You need to be kept on a short chain. You need to be enslaved properly, to make you behave."

Breathing shakily, hanging onto the worn edge of the step, it took Trixie a moment to process Twilight's words. Panting, her ass gently wriggling as she instinctively sought to soothe the sting, she replied, "The slutty and submissive Trixie is enslaved very fully, she's your enchanted bitch of course, Mistress. No pony's cunt is more totally owned than Trixie's." Her cheeks, already red, couldn't have glowed brighter with humiliated embarrassment at her own words, but all the same she radiated paradoxical pride in her status.

Twilight's hand slid slowly over Trixie's ass, then down between her thighs. Pressing her fingertips against the other pony's delicate panties, she gently rubbed her sex. "That's right. You've very proud of being my sex toy, aren't you Trixie?"

"Mistress! You insult the slutty and submissive Trixie! As if there could be any slave that was more proud to be your sexual plaything. You may think that you have experienced owning a sex toy pony before, but you have so very much to learn!" Even the gentle movement of Twilight's fingers against her couldn't stop Trixie's grandiose reply, though her eyes squeezed shut as she spoke.

About to reply - though replying what exactly, Twilight wasn't sure - she cut herself off as she saw a flicker of movement through the windows. Immediately, new priorities came to the fore.

"You can rise now, Trixie. Take the table back inside, with the rest of the parchment and ink."

With a flash of disappointment and relief she couldn't hide, Trixie reached back to tug her skirt into place and carefully rose to her feet, wincing slightly and rubbing her ass with one hand. Her gaze met Twilight's, and she immediately desisted, standing straight. "Well, of course. It wasn't as though you'd want the table outside where it could get rained on. The slutty and submissive Trixie will take care of it for you," she said condescendingly.

Twilight planted her face into her palm as Trixie trotted over to levitate the table back inside. Once again, and with feeling, what had she done? Was this really the best way to deal with Trixie?

Shaking her head, Twilight rose and followed her inside, shutting the door behind her.

"You see, Mistress? The table and parchment is in exactly the same place as it was before. You may ask, 'But perfect and wonderful Trixie, how did you know where it came from so precisely?' and she would reply 'Hah! The slutty and submissive Trixie knows everything.' This is what it is to own a genius. She hopes that you can keep up with her." Trixie folded her arms, nodding to herself.

What had she done? "Um. Yes. Very good Trixie. Now-" Twilight paused as Trixie struck a pose of self satisfied triumph. "-go and make me something to eat, and to drink. I haven't had breakfast. Take your time," she finished, with a certain excess of sincerity.

"Your breakfast shall be the finest you've ever experienced, Mistress! Leave it to your personal sextoy!" Trixie trotted out of the room to the cabin's small kitchen, leaving her alone.

Twilight sank into a chair opposite the comatose shape of Luna. The water jug was three quarters full, and the empty glass was still speckled with droplets. The movement she'd seen was her drinking, then.

This was so incredibly hard. She'd expected things to be over quickly; she well remembered Luna's determination, her iron certainty that she was doing the right thing in taking everything away from her. Friends, magic, lovers, future. On the other hand, the Luna that she'd made wanted to help her. Wanted to stay with her, or at least so she'd thought. Luna had cried. It was so hard to imagine that beautiful demi-Goddess crying. It produced a deep, hollow ache in her chest to even try.

What if the older Luna, the former Luna, just held out for the full six hours? She'd know that she could simply wait and everything Luna had become since the charm would just fade away, like a dream. Were they talking, in the depths of her mind? Arguing? Had they come to blows, was there some sort of futile, impossible battle going on within her?

Twilight searched Luna's tranquil face, desperate for something, anything, to tell her what was happening.

Luna's eyes slid open.

Twilight jerked, almost tumbling off her chair, and opened her mouth to cry out - though what, she didn't even know - but before she made a sound, she knew there was no point. The Princess's eyes were glazed, and the methodical deliberateness of the charm was in her every movement as she picked a small piece of cake from the plate Trixie had left, chewed, and swallowed. Her hand sank back to her side, her eyes closing once more.

This wasn't fair! It had always been easy to do the right thing before. Too much cake made her feel sick, she didn't want to run around making a mess of the castle, and she loved studying for tests. Even when it had been scary, even when she hadn't know what to do, she'd always wanted to do it. Doing the right thing had felt, well, like the right thing. Natural. She'd made mistakes sometimes, but everyone made mistakes. She hadn't ever really wanted to be bad.

Now this. Now doing the wrong thing felt wonderful. Now doing the wrong thing meant love, and warmth, and being cared for, and sex, and pleasure, and the most incredible feelings... the electric thrill that shot up her spine when she dominated another pony, the heat in her body...

Doing the right thing, on the other hand, was like this. Sitting, watching Luna persuade herself to purge all memories of their time together, watching her become an implacable enemy that would never forgive her, even if she couldn't outright stop her. Feeling the sick, helpless ache gnaw away at her, knowing that she could stop this, but wasn't going to.

Some isolated, observing part of Twilight raised a hand to comment that, actually, she didn't even know if she could awaken Luna while she was in the middle of a set sequence she'd already commanded her to carry out through the charm. She'd never tried that before. One more for the experiment sheet, she supposed.

A clatter of plates drew her from her reverie. Trixie bustled back into the room, carrying a broad wooden tray. Atop it was a pile of pancakes and syrup, with a tall glass of some purple liquid that was probably grape juice. To one side, a smaller dish sat with a curl of ice cream (Ice cream? Here? The cabin must have an enchanted cold box).

Trixie curtseyed, declaring proudly, "The slutty and submissive Trixie returns! Gaze in wonder at the food she has prepared! Appreciate how she carries the tray with her very own hands - the personal touch is so important! She understands this, and that is what makes her such a superb slave! You will eat, and praise her for her excellent work!"

Twilight sighed, then dredged up a small smile. Trixie was doing her best. "Thank you, Trixie. That looks really very nice." She picked up the knife and fork and began dismantling the pile, eating mechanically.

Trixie produced a moue of disappointment, huffily crossing the room to the sofa and retrieving her fallen hat. Straightening up with it, she dusted it off carefully and set it on a side table. "The slutty and submissive Trixie has been wondering why Princess Luna is lying like that," she said neutrally.

Grimacing, Twilight set down her fork. She considered telling Trixie not to ask, or giving some brief answer that didn't involve the full story of what she'd done to Luna. But... she had to know what the situation was, sooner or later, if she was going to help Twilight fight Celestia. She might as well tell her now.

"Princess Luna discovered that I had a charm that was influencing ponies. Months ago. She was going to take me away, so I used it on her so she wouldn't want to anymore. Then I got caught by someone else, that made me forget what I'd done. She's been trying to help me, ever since then. That's why she kept you here, to help me remember when I was ready. So I told her... that it wasn't fair, that I'd charmed her and made her be with me. She asked me to give her a choice, to let the pony she is talk to the pony she was, and decide who she wanted to be. She's been like that for... for hours. At about sunset, the time will be up, and if they haven't come to an agreement, she'll wake up as the pony she was before anyway." Twilight spoke in brief, short sentences, trying to keep her emotions in check, but not entirely managing to hide them.

Trixie listened with a faint frown, moving to Twilight's side when she seemed to have finished speaking. "If you have the power to control a Princess - a Princess, Mistress! - whyever would you let her go? You could have immense power! Wealth! A castle of your own! No one could stop you! Why, if Trixie had a spell that strong, she would conquer the entirety of Canterlot! All would adore her as their new Princess!"

"Well, I'm trying not to be that person!" Twilight snapped. After a second, she exhaled deeply and added more softly, "I did try to charm Princess Celestia. It didn't work, she's immune. She made the charm in the first place. That's why I had my memory taken away."

Trixie made a rude noise. "Clearly, she didn't do a very good job of it. What will you do now? Surely you aren't going to give up!" She leaned over and picked up Twilight's fork, spearing a pancake and chewing it. Through the mouthful, she added, "If the slutty and submissive Trixie is your fawning fucktoy, then she has to make sure that you are the most powerful pony in the land! Then she will bask in glory at your side, and have expensive chambers, and fancy wardrobes full of exquisite clothes, and ponies will flock to her to seek her favour just so she might magnanimously pass on a good word to your magnificent ear. Yes! She could have everything she desires. So why are you giving up Princess Luna? Mistress, are you completely crazy? The power! The influence!"

"It's not-! It's not right, Trixie. I gave you a choice, and if you had said no, I would have let you go. I'm going to have to give this choice to every pony I've charmed, to make sure they still want to be like this. Especially Zecora. I never gave her a choice at all."

A sly look came over Trixie's face. "You could encourage her to come to the right answer."

"No, Trixie," Twilight responded firmly. "It has to be fair." She didn't have to tell the other pony that she'd been thinking much the same thing a moment ago.

"Fine, fine. She obeys." Trixie speared another pancake. "Maybe she'll decide to serve you anyway. She seemed really intense when she kidnapped the slutty and submissive Trixie to sit around waiting for you. Your ice cream is melting, Mistress."

Sweet Celestia, even a mouthful of pancakes couldn't stop Trixie from talking! What was worse was that she offered a ray of hope that Twilight desperately didn't want to seize on. There was the chance that this would, incredibly, result in a Luna that had chosen to be her loving fucktoy of her own free will. A chance that was painfully small, and would break her heart into tiny pieces if she clung to it, and was proven wrong.

Seizing the bowl, Twilight spooned up the collapsing ice cream. She needed something else to concentrate on.

"Trixie can help, of course."

Twilights' eyes flicked to Trixie. Yes, she could. She could take Trixie, and strip her, and use her. Take out her frustrations on her. She deserved a lot of punishment. "Yes, Trixie, I think you can," she said slowly.

"Excellent! Show the slutty and submissive Trixie the charm. Why, you might have failed to see that Princess Celestia was immune to this spell - why, your nerve, to take on the Princess! Trixie likes it! - but there is sure to be a way around it. You'll need to make a spell that will brainwash her as thoroughly as you remade her sister, and then you shall rule all Equestria, and Trixie shall sit high at your right hand! Royal concubine to the High Princess. Do you like High Princess, Mistress? You do need some title to distinguish you from your thrall Princesses, you know. Common folk will get confused."

Twilight, once again, found herself in the position of slowly closing her open mouth. She had her notes, and she had the charm. She knew about the seals that prevented it from affecting Celestia, and had a good idea of most of its interwoven safeties and locks. Why hadn't it occurred to her that Trixie could help her?

Often, powerful unicorns fail to see the simpler solutions in front of them.

Celestia had said that to her, and she was still falling for the same mistakes. "...right. Yes. Trixie; if you ever come up with a way to cast the charm without my permission, or against my wishes, you'll tell me at once and won't do it. I really mean it. Understood?"

Trixie's cheeks darkened, and she flapped away Twilight's words. "Yes, yes Mistress. Let her see the charm, she can't wait to prove to you just how skilled she is."

"You have my permission to study the charm, but not to cast it, or activate it upon anypony," Twilight said with careful formality. Nodding to herself, she levitated the tray off her lap, and beckoned Trixie after her to go over her notes.

The light was dying in the sky, and Twilight was painfully aware of every fading gleam through the treetops. Zecora had to have woken up by now, and Spike too. Unless Luna had enchanted them to sleep until she deliberately awoke them. She probably wouldn't have done that, it seemed dangerous, but Twilight didn't know for sure.

She had better be certain before Luna left.

Throwing herself into rediscovering the nature of the charm had helped pass the time, for a while. She could see glimmers of the origins of the charm, the older traces that wound through everything like tree roots through old stonework, and hints of Luna's own special magic. It was like trying to recognise a pony from a footprint on a sandy beach, but now she knew what to look for, she could see it. There were traces of her sister, too. She'd been so stupid to not think of an exclusion built into the spell itself. She'd suspected Celestia had created the spell, and hadn't ever thought to ask what she would do herself, if she was making a dangerously powerful spell to control others. Having Trixie help her, a second viewpoint, was definitely going to help prevent that kind of wilful blindness this time around.

It was easy, too easy, to let Trixie's grandiose ego make her appear foolish, or silly. That had led to Twilight underestimating her in the past. Sitting down and studying with her had been surprisingly pleasant; there weren't many other unicorns that had the same interest in the workings of spells, and once you got past her attitude, there was a genuinely sharp pony beneath it.

The fact that Trixie was on all fours, reading through Twilight's notes while she served as her footstool, did make the other mare a bit more bearable.

Twilight became aware she'd read the same line in her notes for the fifth time without taking it in, and laid it down with a sigh. The sun was below the treetops, now. Of course, it wasn't as though the charm's duration would end exactly when the sun set, but it wasn't far off. A few minutes after, probably. Still, the sun slowly lowering in the sky imparted a sense of time passing, of stomach-churning urgency, that she just couldn't fight off.

The last glimmers of sunlight faded out of sight. She swung her legs off Trixie and set them down. "Trixie, I'd like to be alone when Luna wakes up. Would you please wait in your bedroom?"

Trixie straightened up, stretching, Twilight's notes in hand. A slight look of pique on her face, she replies, "Well of course, the slutty and submissive Trixie will obey your orders. But why-"

Luna stirred. Twilight's eyes widened, and she hissed, "Go, now!"

Trixie sensibly didn't stop to argue, and padded quickly out of the room. The door shut behind her, leaving the two of them alone.

Twilight rose, and stood facing Luna's chair. A sense of deep unease, even fear, overcame her. Since she'd enthralled Luna, she'd felt completely in control while in her presence. Luna's majesty had only served to make it all the more exciting that she'd become Twilight's plaything. Now, that certainty was gone. Now she was facing the full and radiant power of Princess Luna, Goddess of the Night, and despite her safeguards... yes, she was afraid. The tatty chair was transformed by Luna's presence, and she waited nervously before it as though it were a throne.

"Twilight Sparkle." Luna's voice was low, her green eyes piercing Twilight to the core. "By the terms of the rules laid upon me, I shall now tell thee what I have decided, and my intent towards thyself." She sat up slowly, unhurriedly, then rose to her feet. She was terribly tall, her billowing mane almost brushing the ceiling.

"I have chosen to deny the command that I should not care about what you have done to me. I remember what you hath done. I remember awaking nude in thy presence. I am displeased by thy choice to use this magic upon me, Twilight."

Twilight cringed, hanging her head, and crossing her arms across her chest.

Luna continued relentlessly, "I deny the command that I should not care upon whom else you use this charm. It is not right to compel others to serve you against their will. I deny the command that I should be loyal to you above all others. Loyalty must be earned, Twilight Sparkle. It has no value if it cannot be withdrawn."

The thunder of Luna's voice filled her ears, unbearable. Luna knew every shameful thought and act, and was judging her for them. It hurt. It hurt terribly, to face her vast and unyielding disappointment. She could barely stand to be in the Princess's presence, and could not meet her gaze at all.

"I have chosen to accept thy command that I shall wish to obey you."

Why wouldn't it just end? She understood, she-

Twilight slowly looked up, her eyes large in the fading light. Her lips worked soundlessly, before she finally said in a whisper, "Why would you do that?"

Luna gazed down at her steadily. "Heed me, Twilight Sparkle. These are my intentions towards you. Long have I argued and fought myself over my future this day, as I have in the past. I have seen the battle that you fight within yourself, and recognised it. You have yielded to temptation, yes, and you have fought it also. You offered me my freedom.

"Had you not, had I escaped thy grasp through some other means, I would have sought to destroy thy power with all my might. Instead, you gifted me a choice. To leave you, to be free but unable to act to restrain you, or to stay at thy side, and temper thy temptation. I have chosen to stay. I will guide your use of this charm, to ensure others are given the choice that I was given. Dost thou understand my intent?"

"...yes. Yes, I understand." Twilight felt unbearably small. In some ways, it felt like she was still forcing Luna to be with her, just so she wouldn't hurt others. As though Luna was sacrificing her happiness for her.

"Good. Listen well, Twilight Sparkle, for that is not all I must say."

Luna's voice had gradually lost the booming Canterlot quality that made the windows rattle, and all at once, Twilight realised the Princess was talking quite softly now.

"Had I not fallen into thy hands, I would not have known the sensation of being cared for, as I have felt thy care for me. It has been... a long time, since I had felt that way. I have not before felt those feelings which being thy servant brought upon me. It is strange, not to concern myself with what is to be, and only to devote myself to pleasing the one I care for. I am tired, Twilight Sparkle, of my power and authority. Of my lonesomeness. My former self would not agree to these terms simply to be thy conscience, nor for the promise of pleasure. However, she - I - would, for love. For thy love. I do care about thee, Twilight Sparkle, I have ached with it and do not wish to relinquish it.

"For that reason, I shall be thy servant, and carry out thy wishes. I shall share thy bed. I shall aid you in stopping my sister from falling to the charm, by whatever means you must. Those are my intentions, Twilight. I am yours."

Luna bowed deeply, lowering her head and holding her position there.

Twilight's eyes filled with tears, a fragile, trembling joy in her heart. Tentatively, her hand settled on Luna's horn, and she said in a choked voice, "I accept your service, Princess."

Straightening slowly, Luna smiled her quiet, grave smile. "It is yours, so long as you heed my counsel, and do not abuse the great power you now hold."

Twilight rushed forward, colliding with Luna's warm body and throwing her arms around her. Hugging her tightly, she pressed her head to her warm chest and breathed, "Don't scare me like that again. I thought you were going to leave me. Forever!"

"Yet you did not use the charm upon me, Twilight. If you had tried, I would have stopped you, and I would have left. I may have allowed myself to enjoy being thy servant, but I do not have to be." Luna's arms wound around Twilight and lifted her gently, effortlessly, into the air. "I did not wish to leave you. I desired only to stay. Thank you. Thank you for having the courage to accept that I deserved the freedom to leave, despite how it hurt thee. There is hope for thee still."

Her face was actually starting to hurt, she was smiling so hugely. "I'm so happy. Thank you! I need you at my side, I really do. It's going to be wonderful."

Behind her, she heard the door open. Twilight twisted around in Luna's embrace to see Trixie enter, hands on her hips. "Ah ha! Just as she thought, Luna has decided to remain your obedient slave! Well. If it's good enough for the slutty and submissive Trixie, it's certainly good enough for anyone else. Hello again, Princess. She is now Twilight's favourite fuck toy. Try not to get jealous."

Twilight's shoulders hunched slightly, and she risked a look back at Luna.

"Twilight Sparkle."

"I can explain!"

"Do."

Author's Notes:

Why does doing the right thing have to be so hard?