"I am not convinced thy treatment of Trixie is fair, Twilight. Even if she hadst intended thy betrayal and destruction."

"I've seen the results of what she wanted to do to me, Princess."

"Then you must have done what she had desired to do. To whom?"

"I... charmed a guard, at the vault. The vault of the elements. I was in a rush, and I said too much. He wasn't really him after that. I had to undo it at once, it was... really scary. I hadn't realised how dangerous the charm could be. I mean, I had, but I hadn't seen it."

"I see. Nonetheless, Twilight, you are avoiding the point."

Cool night air whipped at Twilight, her mane fluttering in the slipstream. Luna's warm arms were around her, her wings beating at the night air. Darkness slid beneath them, and stars glittered above.

"She agreed to be charmed willingly. Even beside what she'd planned, I think she wanted everything I offered her, even if it meant being at my beck and call."

"Forever? I find that hard to believe."

"Well... no. She wanted to choose when she left. Probably after she'd gotten all the charms she could think of from me, and before she thought she'd have to give away any of her own. She was trying to trick me, and hurt me."

"Remember that reaction, Twilight Sparkle. You have yet to speak to Zecora."

Twilight flinched. That wasn't going to be a good conversation. Her friends, well, they'd agreed to be hers with varying degrees of warning about what it was going to mean to them. Zecora, she'd simply taken.

Luna clearly noticed. "It is for the best, Twilight. If you are not to become a tyrant, as I once became, you must offer those that you desire the freedom to choose you, or leave you. Even those that have offended thee."

That was a dig at Trixie again. "One year! One year, and then I'll give her the choice to stay, with the conditions she's under, or to go. She deserves that much."

"Recall that whatever she may deserve, you mayst deserve much the same, though I shall not be the one to inflict it upon you. She had not the opportunity to see the horror her commands would have wrought, as you have. It may be that she would have undone it, as you did."

"Six months! Just six months. Give me that much, and then she can decide if she likes living with me, and everything. I'm going to be fighting Celestia, I need her to help untangle the spell. Once it's over, and things have settled down, then she can get a chance to experience what life can be like with me. I mean, you wouldn't have chosen this if you hadn't had time to know what it was like, would you? Give her the same chance. I think she's really lonely. This could be good for her."

Luna sighed softly. "Very well, Twilight Sparkle. You may keep Trixie for the six months that you wish, as due punishment for her attempted assault upon your mind and betrayal of thy offer of companionship and trust. After that, she will be offered the opportunity she desired, to leave when she wishes."

Twilight relaxed a little. Trixie was hers. She didn't want to give her up! No... if she had her for a while, she was certain that Trixie could be persuaded into liking her new life enough to embrace it by choice.

Or maybe six months of the slutty and submissive Trixie would be enough that Twilight was more than happy to never see her again. Certainly, it hadn't entirely displeased her to see Trixie's sheer pique at being left behind at the cabin again, even if only for a night. She'd simply have to wait until they could sort out a rented room somewhere in town, and have Luna retrieve her.

No, Trixie was far from the most important thing on Twilight's mind. Far more pressing was the shift in her relationship with Luna. She truly wasn't sure where they stood anymore, not since Luna had undone almost every command Twilight had laid on her. Their conversations since the end of her reverie had been, well, kind of fraught.

She let the quiet stretch for a few moments, before she eventually murmured, "Princess? Are you... unhappy with me?"

Luna's arms tightened around her, drawing her closer against her body. "No, Twilight. I hold no ill will towards you. If it seems that I am displeased by thy actions, know that I am seeking to keep you from being overcome by thine own power. It is not an easy task, I know."

Twilight clung to the alicorn, feeling each beat of Luna's wings through her whole body. Maybe it was best. With the Princess at her side, she could relax a little, without the fear of entirely losing control of her slippery morality. She could rely on her.

Luna momentarily looked down at her, drawing Twilight from her thoughts.

"I would prefer, if it would not displease you, that you not address me by my title, Twilight. I had hoped... I wish to feel as though my rank is no barrier between us." She spoke quietly, almost diffidently, though the rush of the air seemed to have no power to mask her words.

She looked away, gazing straight ahead once more. "I have not forgotten that I was conquered by thy power, and my freedom was returned by thy hand, with great struggle amidst thy soul. I feel bound to thy service, first by thy prowess, and then by the kindness and moral strength you have shown. If you wish to address me as thy plaything, as you do with the others, I willingly surrender any claim I might hold to object."

A strange, tingling shiver touched Twilight. That wasn't the disciplined voice of morality and conscience. Now, there was something gentler, more tentative about her. "Tell me, Luna. Are you still my slave?" Twilight said slowly, a prickly tension clamping around her chest that she fought not to show in her voice.

Silence, for a few moments. Luna's face remained tilted away, pointed in the direction of her flight. "Would it please you to think of me that way, Twilight? Is that what you wish of me?"

"I..." she began. Urging herself not to chicken out now, she managed to say with a semblance of firmness, "Yes, Luna. It would please me very much."

Luna's wings beat on, bearing them onwards. Twilight's heart thudded in her chest, feeling like it was rising into her throat as the quiet stretched.

It was hard to see Luna's face, but there was something about her of a pony slowly coming to a decision. Finally, she spoke. "Then my answer is yes. I shall be thy slave, Twilight, as you desire. Command me, and I shall obey. My body is yours to take. So long as you remain strong enough to resist the charm's temptations, I shall be thy property."

Yes. Oh, yes. Twilight looked ahead, at the lights of Ponyville on the horizon, and made an abrupt decision. "Find a clearing, and land in the forest. There's something I want to do before I return home."

"Very well, Twilight." A subtle pause, then Luna banked and angled downwards, skimming through the air with her vast dark wings. Luna's night vision had to be much better than Twilight's, for she didn't see the opening among the trees before they were nearly beneath the tree tops. The clearing was ringed by trees with charred branches, remnants of some brief, intense fire that was now being grown over, but for now it was coated with long, soft grass that glowed silver in the moonlight.

Luna set Twilight down on her feet, wingbeats making the grass ripple in long waves, then lowered herself to the ground before her. After a moment, Luna sank down to one knee, her wings settling into place on her back. Her green eyes gleamed in the moonlight, luminous, as she looked up.

"What do you wish of me, Twilight?"

Twilight breathed in deeply, trying to control the quickness of her breath and the rapid beat of her heart. Raising her horn, a violet bubble of energy flashed out from the tip to engulf them both, fading from view as it expanded. In its wake, the coolness of the night air was blunted, a gentle warmth welling up from inside her.

For a moment, Twilight's eyes lingered on the pale disk of the moon, before she met Luna's gaze. "It's a beautiful night, Luna. I've always loved the stars, and looking up at the moon. My telescope is one of the things I treasure most in the whole world. Now I know that it's a gift. A gift you give us all." Her hand smoothed down Luna's cheek, and she watched as the Princess's eyes grew wider.

"...Twilight, what is it that you are saying?" Luna asked softly, an uncertain note in her voice.

"I'm saying... that I'm not going to pretend you're a normal pony, Princess. You're incredibly powerful. You've seen ages of Equestria come and go. You guide the moon across the sky." Twilight's voice was gentle, but firm. "That is the pony who I own. That's the pony who is my slave. I own all of you. The power, and the wisdom, and the night. Strip, Luna. I want to see you naked under your moonlight."

Luna's throat bobbed as she swallowed. "I- yes, Twilight."

"Say that you'll obey," said Twilight with gentle inexorability.

"I shall obey thee," Luna breathed, her lips slightly parted.

"Don't make me order you to strip again, Luna." Twilight spoke the words calmly, without heat.

"My apologies, Twilight!" the Princess gasped, her hands immediately flying to her formal tunic and hurriedly undoing the buttons in a flurry. Tugging it open, she hesitated for a moment, then her eyes met Twilight's again and she visibly caught her breath, tugging it off over her shoulders. The white shirt beneath was silver in the pale light, and she immediately set about undoing it as well, exposing a widening slice of the dark skin beneath.

The feeling of power and lust that flooded Twilight had no name that she could imagine. It was trembling, raw, separated by the thickness of a heartbeat from terror, yet urgent, triumphant. As long as she rode atop it, she was magnificent, invincible. The world consisted of only the two of them, the whispering clearing, and the brilliant moon overhead. It all belonged to her.

Luna shed her shirt, then hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaving her bra alone and undoing the double buckles of her belt. Bending, she worked her boots free, then pushed down her dark trousers to bare her smooth legs. A strangely vulnerable look on her face, she hesitated again, wearing nothing now but her black underwear, bra and panties both marked with a white moon that matched the ones decorating her thighs.

"Everything, Luna. Stand naked before me," Twilight said gently, almost soothingly.

"Yes, Twilight." The command seemed to fortify Luna, and she reached behind her to unsnap her bra. The straps slid down her arms, and she let it fall to the ground. Her warm, firm breasts came into view as her hands moved slowly away, exposing her hard nipples. Luna's face was flushed, visible even in the silvery light, and her breasts slid smoothly between her arms as she leant forward to work her panties down her long legs. Finally, with a little tremble on the very edge of perception, she straightened up, entirely naked and exposed.

Her voice was soft, as though she dared not disturb the moment by speaking too loudly. "I am nude at thy command, Twilight."

Twilight's lips were parted hungrily, and it was hard to suppress the whine of need that was trying to force its way out of her throat. No. She wanted to look in control. Had to look in control, so completely that Princess Luna herself would believe it.

Remember how Applejack acted. How the thralls in the Isle of Forbidden Wonders had acted. Remember that Luna didn't know how this was meant to go. She hadn't done this before, not consciously, maybe not at all. Brazen it out.

Twilight swallowed, inconspicuously, and drew herself up. She hardly recognised her own voice, iron with certainty. "Cross your wrists behind you, and push out your chest. You're showing off your body to your owner."

Luna coloured, crossing an arm across her bare chest. "Twilight Sparkle! You surely cannot be serious!"

"Did you not offer your obedience willingly and freely? Will you now defy me?" The quote came to her lips so effortlessly that she was speaking it before she even recognised it.

The Princess's lips parted, seeming lost for words. "...it is so, of course, I-"

"You will obey my command," Twilight interrupted her effortlessly, as a tiny part of her sang a high-pitched note of internal terror.

Swallowing, Luna nodded. "It shall be as you ordered." Her arm slipped free, and she slowly reached back with both hands to cross her wrists behind her. She stood barefoot, naked on the silvery grass, surrounded by her discarded clothes. Her back arched, pulled in by the pressure of her arms behind her, forcing out her breasts.

Luna seemed captured by the moment, a strange, sensual tension crackling in the air. Her voice was husky as she finally breathed, "Does this please you, Twilight? Is this as you desire?"

"Yes, Princess. You are everything a heart could desire, and more." The words carried complete, utter sincerity. Twilight's eyes strayed up and down the motionless woman, unable to look away for an instant, as she slowly drifted closer, step by step. "You are so beautiful, Luna," she said, almost to herself, as she reached out with one hand. Her fingertips circled the deep blue splotch on her thigh, then slid inwards to gently caress the pure white moon at its heart, almost luminous in the moonlight.

Luna breathed faster, goosebumps rippling up her bare arms. Her lips parted, but she didn't seem to know what to say.

"Yes... I think that's right. This is your kingdom. This is where you rule, in the night, under the moon and stars. Beautiful and magnificent." Both of Twilight's hands were stroking Luna's cutie marks possessively now, as she drank in the enslaved demigoddess before her with every sense. Twilight's world was filled by the feel of Luna's soft skin, the sound of her short breaths, and the sight of her nude and trembling body. "You belong to me. You're my possession... everything you are. It's all mine."

"...yes. That is what I have offered you." Luna's ears were laid back against the top of her head, but her nipples stood out firmly, portraying her visible mix of sexual tension and a strange kind of intimidation, almost fear.

"It's what I've taken, Luna," Twilight corrected her gently. Her hands slid up the Princess's toned back, ruffling the base of her dark wings, and up to the back of her neck. Pulling down with gentle pressure, Twilight drew the taller woman down into reach, and kissed her deeply. Luna's lips parted against hers, and Twilight let the kiss lengthen leisurely, her tongue delicately probing Luna's warm mouth.

Colour flooded Luna's cheeks, tiny murmurs escaping her as Twilight possessed her lips. Frozen for a long moment, her grip on her own wrists loosened, and her arms fell to her sides. She slowly embraced Twilight, drawing her closer against her nude body. Finally, as the kiss broke, she whispered, "Twilight... what are you doing to me?"

Twilight's hand swished through the air, landing firmly on Luna's bare ass. Overriding the alicorn's shocked yelp, Twilight said softly but firmly, "I didn't order you to let go yet, Princess Luna. Please resume your proper pose."

"Twilight! How could you strike-"

"Obey me, Princess. The next time, I'll spank you properly." That couldn't be her speaking, Twilight thought, light-headed. She wouldn't dare. She didn't get to address a Princess that way! Luna could squash her like a bug! Any minute now, the spell of the moment would break.

Luna swallowed, slowly drawing her arms back behind her and bowing her head. "My... my humble apologies, Twilight. I shall seek to improve."

"That's right. Good girl." Luna was thousands of years old! "Arch your back more, Luna. You aren't presenting your tits as though you want to impress me." Like a bug!

For a moment, Luna's eyes darted around as though seeking some kind of escape from her situation. Then, looking down as a flush spread down her neck and darkened the upper slopes of her chest, her back slowly arched to push her breasts out further for Twilight's inspection. "I shall obey."

The ethereal breeze that stirred Luna's mane seemed to have strengthened, her hair lashing back and forth in the stillness of the glade. "That's right," Twilight repeated softly, her hands sliding up and down Luna's smooth flanks. Her fingers were dangerously close to Luna's breasts, their deep blue curves heaving slowly in the moonlight.

She'd touched Luna before, the Princess had been nude at her command before, but she'd never really taken advantage of her power over the other woman. Even when she'd felt completely in control, some deep, primordial part of her had stayed her hand, holding her back. Only when she was under the charm had Luna seemed so defeated, so brought low, that she'd dared have her touch Zecora, and play out her past submission at her sister's hand.

Of course, now that Twilight had realised that, there was nothing to hold her back. The Princess was trembling at the edge of Twilight's control, just enslaved enough to be drawn deeper, or to slip away forever. She needed to be truly made hers, without further magic. Nothing but her voice, her hands, and her strength of will.

Luna would be hers. All of her, her heart, her body, her power and her soul.

"Princess Luna. I'd like you to repeat something for me."

Luna's gaze flicked to Twilight for a moment, then back into the forest, holding herself tautly at attention. "Speak, and I will comply."

A smile touched Twilight's lips, and she nodded. "That's almost it, actually." She lifted her head, straightening her back and investing herself with all the authority she could muster as she stared into Luna's eyes. "You'll repeat that you belong to me, and that you will obey."

Lips pressing together for an instant, the Princess nodded. Her voice was low. "I am thy possession. I will obey."

Twilight's eyes closed for a moment, her hands resting on Luna's hips and feeling the warmth of the other woman's body beneath hers. "That's just what I wanted. Please don't move or stop until I say so."

As Luna began to chant the words, Twilight's hands smoothed upwards. It wasn't enough for Luna to obey, to want to comply. She had to make Luna love obeying. She'd be Twilight's beloved possession, and Twilight would give her all the love and joy that her long banishment had robbed her of. Not because she was trying to manipulate Luna; not for an instant. Because something deep in Twilight's soul ached with the sadness and loss that she sensed in Luna's heart, and she truly believed that this was the best way for them to be happy together.

Her hands slid over Luna's breasts and squeezed gently, feeling their firm warmth filling her hands.

Luna's lips quivered, a faint waver creeping into her steady chant before it evened out again. The tall woman breathed in deeply, pressing her chest into Twilight's exploring hands.

"Don't stop chanting. Don't answer. Just listen." Twilight's fingers fanned out, capturing Luna's nipples between them, then squeezed slowly. "I love you, Luna. You're beautiful, and perfect. I want to keep you, forever." Pressing closer, Twilight lifted one of her breasts slightly and captured the firm, blue-black nipple between her lips. Her tongue flicked back and forth, dancing over the sensitive nub and gently nipping it with her teeth.

"Ahh!" gasped Luna, stumbling in her steady recitation. "I... I am thy possession. I will obey. I - ah! - am thy possession. I... mmmmh... I will obey. I am thy possession! I will obey thee!"

Rapidly losing her self control, Twilight's arms wound around Luna's toned body, seizing handfuls of her ass and kneading firmly. Her lips smacked audibly against the wet skin as she sucked on one nipple after the other, licking complex, weaving trails between her breasts. Each hitch in Luna's obedient chanting filled her with hotter desire, each shudder that ran through the other mare's body rewarded by fresh caresses, more eager kisses.

She didn't have to hold back. She didn't have to restrain herself at all. Powerful, dangerous lust jerked through her, fully enthralled by dominating the other woman, and she bit Luna's nipples one after the other, just to hear the Princess whimper aloud. "That's right," Twilight breathed. Her hands slid down the curves of Luna's ass and delicately explored between her legs, feeling the soft, yielding heat of her sex dampen her fingertips. "You're turned on for me, Princess," she continued inexorably. "You're very aroused. You want me to touch your pussy. You want to feel pleasure, don't you?"

Luna shuddered visibly, her head tilted back and her eyes glazed with need. "Do not make me say such things, I plead! I am thy possession. I will obey."

Sliding her hand around Luna's outer thigh, caressing her cutie mark in passing, Twilight's fingers pressed firmly against the velvety softness of the Princess's cunt. Sliding her fingers up and down slowly, she said softly, "You can stop chanting now. All I want you to tell me is that you're turned on, Princess. I'd like to hear that you want me to play with your cunt."

"Twilight!" Luna whimpered the objection, her hips swaying restlessly as she visibly fought the urge to grind herself against Twilight's hand. The silvery moonlight shifted across her bare skin as she tossed her head, her billowing mane lashing about her face, before she cried out in an agonised tone, "Touch mine sex, Twilight, I beg of thee! I cannot withstand this torment!"

Voice shaking with desire, Twilight gasped, "Get on your hands and knees, Luna. Face away from me and thrust your ass into the air." It was torment to let go, but it would be an even greater torment to Luna for Twilight to so suddenly cease touching her.

"Yes, Twilight, it shall be as you wish!" Rich embarrassment mingling with lust to darken her cheeks to a deep purple-black, Luna twisted around and dropped to the ground on all fours. Her shifting mane lapped across her bare back, her star-dust tail hiding her needy sex from view. Her bare hips thrust back urgently in little jerks.

Twilight gazed down at her hungrily. This was the essence of her darker impulses, her craving to see ponies humiliated, driven to their knees, remade as needy fucktoys for her to use however she wanted. The greater their power and authority, the more out of character their degradation, the hotter it was. Her nipples rubbed stiffly against the inside of her nondescript bra, her panties sticking to her damp sex. "I'm not sure you really want me to touch you," she said levelly.

Luna twisted around, a naked look of need and desperation on her face. "What have I not done? What do you demand of me?"

"I'd like you to lower your upper body to the ground, please. Reach back and part your thighs with your hands." Do it. Do it! Do as you're told, she silently urged Luna with every ounce of her willpower, pinning the other woman's green eyes with her gaze.

Luna's full lips parted slowly, visibly panting, then suddenly she turned her head away again. Easing herself down into the grass, her ass thrust out, her hands trembled as she reached back and squeezed her inner thighs. Her bare sex was perfectly framed between her hands. "I shall do as you command. I plead, do not leave me this way!"

Twilight breathed a deep, soulful sigh of lust. Sinking to one knee, she reached out and took hold of the base of Luna's tail, lifting it higher out of the way and smoothing it through her fingers. "I want you to really understand how nice it can feel to belong to me, Princess. I have so much I want to teach you, and I'm starting now."

In a single decisive movement, Twilight brought her lips to Luna's bare, glistening cunt and began to lap vigorously. Luna's body, Luna's wet heat! Twilight pressed against Luna's thighs, fiery desire driving her to lick deeper and faster, savouring the forbidden taste of the Princess's dripping pussy.

A spasm like an electric shock flashed through Luna as Twilight's tongue delved into her, a sudden, sharp moan forced from her lips. Her wings flexed, spreading in jerky increments with each abrupt gasp, and her hips began to buck against Twilight's mouth. Her hands gripped her thighs tightly, nails digging into her sensitive skin. "Twilight! You cannot - I cannot be -" she protested weakly between rising moans that she tried and failed to restrain.

Twilight's ears flicked, and she lifted her head, feeling the wetness on her lips. A little laugh escaped her at Luna's wordless cry of frustration, and her fingers immediately replaced her tongue, thrusting in and out of the Princess's overheating sex. Her voice was patient, as though explaining something, though underscored with harmonics of lust and delight.

"I can, Princess. That's exactly what I've realised. I really can strip you naked, put you on your knees with your beautiful ass in the air, and make you cum. And you know, the thing is... I really, really want to." She felt as though she'd overflow with pleasure, a different kind of pleasure than being touched. This pleasure was born of domination, of overwhelming another, and it filled her so completely she could barely breathe for it. Kissing the Princess's vulnerable ass cheeks lightly, she withdrew her fingers from her slit and began firmly rubbing her clit, sealing her lips against Luna's cunt and thrusting her tongue into her again.

She could feel Luna's orgasm coming, in the desperate whines escaping her lips and the shudders wracking her body, in the twitches of her wings. Cum for me, she thought intensely. Cum for me! You're mine! Cum!

Teeth digging into her lower lip and nails scratching pale tracks across her thighs, Luna couldn't help herself any longer. "Twilight!" she gasped, and whatever else she sought to say was lost in a high, piercing note that was strangely pure, almost as though it could not have come from a pony's throat. Wetness coated Twilight's tongue and smeared across her lips, as she fought the jerky shuddering of Luna's body to keep her mouth pressed tightly to her sex. Only when Luna's body finally went limp, her wings sagging, did Twilight slowly lift her head.

An intense feeling of pride and satisfaction overcame her, and she breathed softly, "Thank you, Luna. That was wonderful."

Half-folding her wings, Luna let herself sag sideways. Sitting on the ground, she drew up her upper body, breasts against her knees, and curled her wings around herself to hide her nudity. Looking away, she murmured very quietly, "Twilight, I..."

Twilight cut her off, shuffling across the ground to slide under the warm cloak of Luna's feathers and embrace her. "I'm really happy that you trust me, Luna. Enough to give of yourself that way."

Luminous green eyes blinked in the pale light. "Twilight, I have given myself over to my passions before you, without dignity. You must hold very little regard for me now."

Lowering her head slightly, Twilight kissed Luna's shoulder before looking up at her again with fondness in her eyes. "I was honoured. When you decided to embrace belonging to me, and again, when you chose to give your body to me. I would never think less of you, I swear it. You're the most principled, good-hearted pony I know. Will you kiss me? Please?"

A silver tear glinted as it gathered at the corner of Luna's eye, and her voice was a little muffed as she managed, "I shall." Her warm lips met Twilight's, and after a moment's hesitation as she tasted herself, the kiss deepened and lengthened. She slowly uncurled, no longer instinctively trying to hide her body, and Twilight shifted onto her lap. The great wings folded around them both, holding Twilight's slight body against Luna's nude chest, and for long moments there was no sound other than the gentle murmur of their breathing.

"Twilight Sparkle... I can think of no one I would rather belong to than thee. Thank you."

"Now I have been doubly coerced! Twilight Sparkle, you are truly the worst!"

Zecora stood, tense and angry, every stripe on her face contorted by unfamiliar fury. Twilight's shoulders hunched, as she tried not to look to Luna for support.

"I'm so, so sorry. I really am."

"Apologise, as well you should! It shall not do the slightest good!"

It hurt all the more after the incandescent joy Zecora had greeted her with, when she and Luna finally returned. It had taken Zecora no more than a glance to know that Twilight's memories had returned, and she'd embraced her hard enough to all but crush the air out of her. The temptation to say nothing, to take Zecora to bed with Luna and forget every promise she'd made to herself, had been unbearable.

Instead, before she could argue herself out of it, she'd thrust Zecora into a trance with a whispered, choked word. Under Luna's watchful eye, she'd crafted the best orders she could think of to give Zecora a fair choice; ones which revealed to her the true memories that had been covered up, and gave her the option of continuing to know she belonged to Twilight as her toy, or to deny it. She'd also created contingencies which forbade Zecora from revealing anything about the charm, or striking against Twilight directly or indirectly. If Zecora so much as thought of a way to act against Twilight's interests despite the charm, according to her best understanding of what Twilight would wish, she'd be compelled to reveal it in person.

Twilight had desperately hoped those contingencies wouldn't be necessary. Zecora's reverie, however, had been short and the woman that emerged from it was not Twilight's pet any longer.

She thrust a furious finger at Twilight, teeth bared. "Entranced and abandoned for months at a time! Do you even understand your crime? You remade my thoughts so I could not live without you, then left me with nothing at all to cling to!"

It was all true. Twilight knew it. Zecora knew it. When she had hidden Zecora's enslavement from Celestia, she hadn't given one thought to how it would affect her to be left without the Mistress she'd been brainwashed to adore. "I... I can't apologise enough. The charm, I..."

"Now this! Now after my heartache, I was at the peak of my joy! I was to finally be with you, and serve as your toy! Does it please you to think you act with morality? Does it excuse this second heartbreak, this unspeakable brutality? I am forced to be free! How could you do this to me?"

Luna spoke, from the corner of the room where she stood unobtrusively. "Twilight has lost herself in the past to the power she had obtained. Now she has a second chance to undo her mistakes. It is better than to forget herself entirely."

Zecora spun around, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I have no words for you, Princess of Night. I feared that I should lose her, should you both take flight! Now it is proven, I was utterly right. I doubt Twilight would have found it within to coat my wounds with fresh salt. This destruction of my happiness is also your fault."

A frown on her face, Luna made to step forward, but forestalled herself at a quick gesture of denial from Twilight. "It isn't Luna's fault, Zecora. Everything that's happened is down to me."

"I was owed at least one night of happiness, but I receive not even that much. You break my heart anew after barely a touch!" Zecora turned and stamped out of the room, onto the landing, and clattered down the stairs. Twilight hurried after her, then hesitated at the top of the stairs as she heard movement from Spike's room.

Luna stepped out after her, and turned towards Spike's door. "He shall sleep anew."

"Thank you!" Reassured, Twilight rushed down the stairs after the disappearing zebra. The doorlocks undid themselves through some strange magic that owed nothing to unicorns, and Zecora stepped into the darkness, hood raised.

Twilight dashed outside after her, calling, "Zecora, wait!"

The zebra paused and twisted around. "It's entirely too late. There will be no further debate. In time I may forgive you, but I cannot pretend. At this moment, you are not my friend."

Zecora turned and disappeared into the darkness, taking Twilight's heart with her. Twilight sank to one knee, hand clutched to her chest. It felt as though she could barely breathe.

Luna emerged from the doorway, moving slowly and quietly. "Shall I pursue her?"

"No. I think... I've done enough. Princess... please, return to the cabin. You need to look after Trixie tonight, and I'll have a rented room ready for her by midday." Twilight shook her head.

"Twilight, she has not been troubled in all the time she hath been there. My concern is thee."

"She's my responsibility now. So please... take care of her, just for tonight. I need some time by myself." Twilight's voice was thick.

Luna's arms wound around her, then her broad wings, momentarily eclipsing the scattered lights of the town. Then she was gone, a shrinking speck against the stars. Twilight watched until she lost sight of her. The night air cut through her clothes, but she didn't feel like casting the warming spell again. It belonged to a warmer time, with Luna. Not this one.

It was impossible to untangle all her memories. Everything that had come back to her. Everything she'd seen and done. Luna in her arms, and Zecora's furious, betrayed eyes. Rising slowly from the ground, she drifted away from the treehouse and into the quiet darkness, feeling it wrap around her. Her voice rose above the quiet, soft and clear.

"There was a time before this,
a time when life was more than just this charm.
I had a life before this,
when I felt safe and far from harm.
And I know that I was loved,
that she'd protect and always care,
like the sun above,
she'd always be there."

Twilight looked up at the stars, a sad smile on her lips. "I used to walk on air.

"I guess I know that it's my doing,
that all this change is all my fault,
She trusted me, and I tried to charm her,
I broke into the vault.
And I didn't want to fight her,
But I thought I had no choice,
Didn't want to be afraid,
Afraid to hear her voice...

"It's all my fault," she sang softly into the night. Her arms wrapped around her as the night breeze gusted, a few stray leaves flowing past on a curl of air. Stepping out from beneath the shade of the trees, moonlight poured over her and she gazed up towards the shining disk above.

"Though it did bring me love...
No, let's not forget love.
Let's not forget all the joy and the closeness,
More than I could have ever dreamed of.
Though there are things it has cost,
Though there's much that I've lost,
There have been compensations...
Their worship, and adoration."

Her back straightening, Twilight turned her back to the town lights and faced north, towards the distant realm of Canterlot. Her voice strengthened.

"I was living a dream, and she took it away,
But I'll take them all back, they'll be mine some day,
Like the Princess of the Moon.
They'll choose me, and love me, and stay at my side,
When the clouds in their heads have all been cast aside,
Someday soon... it can't be too soon."

Painful uncertainty flashed over Twilight's face, her voice growing husky. Her hands curling closed, she found herself looking at the ground, her lips pressing together tightly.

"I'll find a way to beat her, and then we'll never need to fight,
I can fix all my mistakes, I can make everything right.
She won't make it easy, oh I know, but she'll listen to my voice,
I'll find a way to make her stay...
I won't give her any choice...
I hope I don't go too far."

Head low, Twilight turned back towards her treehouse, moving slowly. Her hand pressed to her chest, as if that would ease the ache.

"It's only losing just one friend,
A friendship coming to an end..."

She paused on the threshold, the door still standing ajar, darkness inside.

"I'm going to make it through,
I'll even make it up to you,
But right now, I'm all alone...
I'm going home."

The door closed behind her.

"Okay. As I told you, Celestia was in my house, two days ago. I was away yesterday, so she couldn't have found me even if she wanted to - I checked for tracking spells on my body and all my things, there aren't any - but she could come to see me at any time. I need to set up contingencies for when she comes back, so that she can't tell that all her commands have been removed. Go."

Luna frowned thoughtfully. Trixie adjusted her hat, looking sublimely unconcerned, acting as though she had suggestions that she wasn't in any hurry to share while she tried to think of one.

The three of them were sat in a small cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville, one whose rear garden opened onto a dense thicket of trees. Perfect for surreptitiously sneaking into without being spotted. Trixie had loudly inspected every last inch of the house, and finally declared it 'adequate, she supposes,' for her needs. Now the three of them sat around a broad wooden table, parchment in the centre, as Twilight did her very best to put her repeatedly-learned lesson of letting others help her into practice.

Spike had helped, too. She'd given him a very cut-down explanation that contained just enough to suggest she and Zecora had fallen out badly, and the relationship was off. That would explain Zecora's absence, and give Twilight a good reason to stay out of the public eye for a while. It also happened, more or less, to be true.

Her favourite breakfast, her favourite book, a warm drink and a blanket had helped her get through the morning. He'd even patted her shoulder and talked about nothing much, pretending not to notice that she'd cried. He really was the most wonderful dragon. She was lucky to have him.

"My sister hath instructed you not to see her, upon receipt of her command. You wish to override that command, so that you are aware of her presence. Nonetheless, she may do something that startles you, and if you react to it while you are not meant to see her, thy deception shall be apparent."

"That's true, I've been thinking about that as well. It makes me wonder if I have to leave it in place, just with something to tell me when she's using the charm to hide."

"That is excessive. Have you not commands which awake on particular words? With the right instruction, you should be able to consciously decide whether or not she is hidden from thy sight, without so much as speaking. You must also be aware of each instruction she gives you, if all things she says whilst hidden affect you, and consciously decide whether to accept them or not. You must give every appearance of compliance with her wishes."

Twilight blinked. "I'd never thought of that, but... it seems like that should work. A special phrase to think, or just making a deliberate decision. I don't know if the charm would allow me to trigger myself like that, though. I haven't tried."

"There will be many things you haven't thought of! Now that you are served by the gloriously slutty and submissive Trixie, and also Luna, nothing will escape you." Trixie nodded in self-satisfaction and sat back, apparently considering that her valuable contribution.

"...yes." Twilight gave Trixie a sideways look, and began to write. "Let's see. How about: at any time, you can choose to be unable to perceive Celestia, or her direct actions. If she is present while you do not perceive her, you will be aware of it. You can choose at any time to restore your full perception of her and her actions. You will be aware of any instructions she gives you while you cannot perceive her, and can choose whether or not to have them affect you."

"Pft." Trixie snorted, shaking her head. "Really, Twilight, the slutty and submissive Trixie ought to be writing this for you. If you perceive her, and she gives you an order that produces an obvious reaction, what then? You can't choose to have it work on you, she'll notice you faking, and Trixie won't get her own room in Canterlot Castle."

Twilight pulled a face. Slave Trixie was just as obnoxious as regular Trixie sometimes, but she was right. "I don't want to keep being aware of everything she says that could be a command though; it'd drive me crazy if we just sat and talked. How about if I keep the rules Celestia laid down for how she triggers that inability to perceive her, and how long it lasts, but during that period I'm aware of all her commands, pick which ones to let affect me, and can choose to perceive her or not freely?"

Luna nodded approvingly. "Very well, Twilight. Will you make the necessary adjustments?"

"Of course. There's the hiding of my memories from her too... I'll need to be instructed to lie while charmed, and maybe even forget all of this temporarily while she's asking questions, so I'll still give innocent answers if she tells me to be truthful, and questions me out of the charm trance. I hope it won't come to that for a while, it's a terrible risk, but... well. We'd better sort that out. Is there anything else?"

"You'll have to be turned on easily too, of course."

Twilight turned slowly to look at Trixie, aware of Luna doing the same beside her. "...why?" What game was Trixie up to now?

Trixie sighed, looking skywards, then patted Twilight condescendingly on the head. "There, there, Mistress. The slutty and submissive Trixie will keep you from your many, many mistakes."

Gritting her teeth, Twilight counted to five. "Explain, please, Trixie." The other pony definitely deserved to be bent over and spanked again.

"Oh, the slutty and submissive Trixie is always delighted to share her wisdom. What has the Princess used her special words for so far, Mistress? She's got someone else to touch you, and she's made you play with yourself." A faint colour crept into her cheeks, and she added, "It really might help Trixie to hear more about those incidents. You skimmed over them so quickly. If you just gave her the details, she's sure that would help her protect you. Though it is true that your personal bitch is lying to you again, and needs to be punished."

"Focus, Trixie," Twilight told her, though she couldn't hide a slowly widening smile. How wonderful of Trixie to lie for her, just at the right time.

Shifting on her chair, Trixie spoke a little faster. "She expects you to be turned on, but if you're aware of what she's doing, you'll be distracted. So you need to make it easy to get aroused when somepony gives you a special request. The slutty and submissive Trixie intends to use that special request if you go along with her idea, to make you horny for her, Mistress. Nnng!" Trying to stop the words coming out, Trixie failed to halt her confession, and was now visibly rubbing her ass against the stool.

Twilight shook her head. "Lying to me, and plotting to use my precautions against me? That's very naughty, Trixie. Don't try to use any special words on me, I really mean it. Now get on all fours, please. I'd like a new seat."

Flushed, with heat and humiliation both, Trixie climbed off her stool and sank to the floor, crawling over to beside Twilight's chair. "Your fucktoy is ready to be your chair, Mistress." Biting her lip, she held out a moment longer before she blurted, "Spank her! Please!"

Shifting off her own stool, Twilight sat down on Trixie's back and ran a hand up the back of her thighs, stroking under her skirt. Drawing her hand back, she gave Trixie a quick, firm spank through her tights, then rubbed gently. "Seeing as you've been very observant, that's all the punishment you deserve, this time." After a moment, Twilight's gaze strayed up to Luna, uncertain what the Princess of the Night would make of it all.

The condemnation she'd half-expected to be there was absent. Instead, Luna's expression was calm, a little thoughtful, concealing whatever she was thinking. "Trixie speaks the truth. If you will not forget all that you know when given a special request, you shall have to allow your hesitance to be overruled by whatever my sister wishes to take place. I am sorry, Twilight. I know it cannot be easy to contemplate such a thing."

"It'll be okay. I just need to buy enough time to understand the charm. Knowing its origins will help, and having the both of you working with me will make it much easier as well." Flipping the purple skirt up and out of the way, her hand stroked up and down over Trixie's ass. The caress prompted a muffled little groan from Trixie, who breathed, "The slutty and submissive Trixie is the most perfect throne for you, Mistress. Nothing is as comfortable or satisfying as seating yourself on her."

Curling her fingers around the base of Trixie's pure white tail, Twilight let it stroke through her fingers as she wrote. 'The rules applied by Celestia to hide her from your sight are in force again. Your memory of seeing her won't be altered. Any time she is hidden from your perception, you will be aware she is there. While her instruction not to perceive her is active, you will be aware of any commands she gives you and can consciously choose whether to let them affect you or not. Any time while she is hidden from your perception, you can consciously choose to override the instruction and perceive her normally until the effect ends, or you consciously choose to hide her again.'

Pulling a face, she internally acknowledged the truth of Trixie's words, and added, 'The first time a pony says to you 'reasonable request', you'll find it very easy to get turned on until they say the request is finished, or the day is over. You can consciously choose to end this effect for the duration of the current request, any time you wish.'

It was a bit awkward. The charm had proved it could hold complex instructions, far better than any pony's memory, but she still didn't like the almost legal language she'd been forced to assemble to avoid side effects. It would have to do for now.

"Okay. Look this over, and see what you think." Handing the parchment to Luna, she frowned thoughtfully. She'd never thought of giving ponies the ability to consciously invoke the charm's effects upon themselves; she still had to test that it was even possible. But assume it was. She could give a pony the ability to cum just by deciding to, or to let go of all their stress on cue. They could choose to see the world in different colours, or believe everypony were the opposite genders, or even have entire other personalities they could consciously invoke. She could, for instance, give Applejack the ability to choose to be helpless to disobey, and have it last until Twilight released her at the end of their sex session. The possibilities were limitless.

"Mhhh!" Without really noticing it, as her thoughts had turned erotic, her hand had moved between Trixie's legs and begun rubbing up and down her cotton-covered sex. Now the pony beneath her released a whimpering groan. "Oh dear," Twilight murmured, smiling to herself. "Luna, please show her the parchment. You can concentrate on the text, can't you, Trixie?"

"The slutty and submissive Trixie is impossible to distract! She can do a hundred things at once, and do all of them better than any other pony alive! She's a horrible exaggerator that needs to be beaten!"

Twilight smacked her ass firmly, breaking into a grin as the slap of palm against skin echoed around the small room. "Read the instructions I've written, Trixie."

"Ahh! Really, Mistress, does the slutty and submissive Trixie have to do that every time? Her ass is going to be too sore to sit on." Trixie stopped talking abruptly, her cheeks flaming crimson.

"Well, Trixie, that's down to your good behaviour," Twilight teased her. "What do you think of the commands, Luna?"

"They match thy desired result. Now you must create protection for thy memories."

"Hmph! Your phrasing is adequate, even if Trixie could have done it better. She agrees." Trixie lifted her head, holding herself as proudly as possible, despite serving as Twilight's chair on all fours.

Twilight lifted Trixie's hat and mussed her mane. "Luna, take the parchment. Write this down: you will lie while focused, answering exactly as though you had never received the disaster recovery procedures. If you are magically compelled in any way to answer questions while you are awake, you will forget everything that has happened as a result of the letter, substituting harmless memories that will not encourage your interrogator to question further. You will remember everything that has been hidden from you one hour after any questioning is completed."

Luna wrote as instructed, glancing up from the parchment as she finished. "It would be interesting to find if your command to recover hidden memories affects memories hidden from you by another, afterwards."

"Mm! We have several experiments to try, and I know the perfect pony for the job. Trixie, you'll be my test subject, won't you?"

"Ha! As if there is anything that the slutty and submissive Trixie will not excel at. She is the perfect slave, you know." Casting a pitying look up at Luna, she added archly, "Do try not to get too jealous of her special connection to our Mistress."

Twilight winced. She really was going to have to spend more time with Luna, alone, to make absolutely certain Trixie's silly barbs weren't getting to her...

Luna's hand settled on Twilight's shoulder, and squeezed. Her voice was calm, and matter-of-fact. "I do not feel threatened by thee, or any other."

On the other hand, that was interesting. Covering Luna's hand with her own, Twilight couldn't quite keep down her smile. Maybe, just maybe, a little rivalry between the two could be fun.

Author's Notes:

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Proof reading by Setokaiva, the glorious and benevolent.