Vague, confusing images swirled around Twilight, recognisable one moment, and gone the next. They flowed through her without resistance, her sleeping mind too fragmented to allow more than transitory flashes of thought. These were her dreams, too chaotic, too partial, to be remembered when she woke.

Into this flickering maelstrom, a single sound intruded. The dream deepened, shaping itself around the sound; a regular, rhythmic clack, clack of heeled shoes on stone. Twilight slowly became aware of the world crystallising within her mind, and as she grew aware of herself, so she was there, standing on broad flagstones.

The room... no, chamber, wasn't one she recognised. It reminded her a little of Canterlot Castle, and a little of the Castle of Two Sisters, but wasn't really either. She was standing on a shallow dais, at the centre of a wide hall. Tall, arched windows lined the walls, looking out onto glorious stars, and between each window rose tall bookshelves. Purple pennants hung here and there, matching the broad avenue of carpet down the centre of the chamber. It was somewhere between a library and a throne room.

Of course.

Twilight sank back into the throne-like chair that she knew would be behind her, and waited. She knew it wasn't real, but she could scarcely convince her senses of that fact. The cushions of her wooden throne were soft and deep. It was a gift, all of it, and one that could only come from one pony.

Luna stepped out from between two avenues of bookshelves, the sharp sound of each footfall muffled as she stepped onto the carpet, and approached Twilight's throne. She wore a clinging black dress of an oddly archaic cut, her mane and tail billowing about her, filled with constellations. The small black tiara that she sometimes wore was missing, replaced by an equally elegant black collar around her neck with a single silver ring dangling at her throat.

She approached the foot of the throne, pausing at the edge of the dais, and sank down to one knee, her head bowed. "Twilight. I am at thy command."

Twilight took a deep, steadying breath, then murmured, "Wow." Raising her voice, she said warmly, "You look incredible, Luna. Come to me, please."

Luna lifted her head, stepping up onto the dais and standing near enough for Twilight to reach out and touch. A small smile touched her slightly stern features. "Thank you, Twilight. I had hoped this would please thee."

"More than that... this is amazing! You look... I don't know what to say." Twilight's fingers slid up Luna's chest to touch the cool metal of the ring that dangled at her throat. "Where did all this come from? This collar is beautiful."

Nodding, radiating warm satisfaction, Luna placed her hand on Twilight's own. "If I am thy slave, should I not dress as such? A collar is customary for those who choose to become property."

"How do you know that? Have you been reading the same kind of books that I have? ...oh." Twilight blushed, as the obvious answer occurred to her.

Luna’s smile became conspiratorial. "Indeed, Twilight Sparkle. I hath witnessed the extremes of depravity that an entire realm is capable of, and I hath done so not for a single night, but for century upon century. You can scarce imagine the things I have witnessed."

"Can you... tell me, sometime? About some of it?" Twilight had never before considered just how many unspeakable things Luna must have seen as she watched over the dreamers of Equestria. She was seized with a desire to know more. To listen to that voice, dignified, strangely sexy in her archaic phrasing, lay out with delicate precision the lusts she had witnessed, the fucking, the twisted desires.

"Had any other asked me such a thing, I would have told them that some secrets are sacrosanct, and can never be shared. That I have a responsibility to those dreamers to never make them fear that their dreams might be judged by others."

"But for me?"

Luna gazed at Twilight for a moment, then smiled and brushed the silver ring dangling from her collar. "For thee, I wouldst allow some small secrets to be revealed. Those of ponies long gone from this world, whose names I would never tell, and whose secret desires will not be betrayed should I speak. I ask you not to command of me that I reveal the dreams of ponies who are living, or those you know of. It would sadden me to refuse thee."

A strange feeling settled in Twilight's heart, a mixture of pleasure that Luna would tell her that much, and gentle resentment that her slave would have a responsibility that so completely excluded her. She was being silly, she told herself, and firmly put aside her selfish desire that Luna's only duties should revolve around her. "I'd like that. A lot. I think that would be kind of... hot."

Luna blushed darkly, nodding. Seemingly lost for words, it took a few moments for her to reply quietly, "It pleases me to be desired by you, Twilight."

"I'd... like you to call me Mistress, sometimes." She'd spoken the words before she was fully aware she was about to, and immediately second guessed herself. Was that truly what she wanted?

Lifting her head slowly, Luna hesitated. "Wouldst that title feel like a term of endearment to thee, Twilight?"

"...yes. Yes. Each of the ponies that were close to me, each of my friends, had their own way of speaking to me, telling me that they were all mine. I really treasured that. I liked listening to them. However they addressed me, they were giving themselves to me all over again, and with love."

"Then... it shall be as you desire." Luna seemed to make up her mind and leaned forward, a smile gradually shaping her lips. "For I do feel a sincere affection for thee, and wish thee to be in no doubt that I shall remain yours, my Mistress."

Deep within herself, Twilight felt Luna's words resonate like a plucked string. "Come closer."

"As you desire, my Mistress." Luna leaned towards Twilight, and closed her eyes as Twilight's hands gently slid up her cheeks, cupping her face.

"I love you, Luna. Stay mine, always. I promise that I'll always look after you." Even as she said it, Twilight knew it was an absurd promise. She was a child to the Princess, in age, in maturity, in raw power, and she would be but a fleeting moment in the alicorn's indefinitely longer life. All the same, she felt a deep and powerful urge to look after Luna, to keep her safe.

A strange look crossed Luna's face, and her hand rose to settle against Twilight's, holding it to her cheek. "It has been a very long time since anyone pledged that they would look after me. Other than by my sister, I am not certain it has been spoken to me in ages of the world."

Twilight blushed, her eyes flicking away. "I know it sounds silly, for a pony like me to say something like that, but-"

"No. Do not denigrate the promise you have made, Twilight Sparkle. You are stronger than you know. You are more powerful, more cunning – have you not defeated me, recovered thy memories despite my sister's conquest of thy mind?" Luna's voice dropped a notch, growing quieter. "I had forgotten how it felt to be cared for this way, Twilight. My Mistress. I do believe that you would do anything to protect me, and every ancient evil under the sky would strive in vain against thy retribution were I hurt. Thank you."

Twilight's chest filled with a deep ache, a good pain, like feeling something precious glowing inside her. Sliding off her throne, she commanded softly, "Please sit, Luna." The Princess had scarcely obeyed her command before Twilight settled sideways onto her lap, and leant against the taller pony. "You're so, so precious to me."

"As are thee to myself." Luna's arm curled around her diminutive owner, holding her tenderly.

Twilight breathed in deeply, feeling the strangeness of knowing her surroundings weren't real, that the air she thought she was inhaling didn't exist. This wasn't even her real body, or Luna's. A faint frown crossed her face as a thought occurred to her. That was right, this wasn't real. Which meant that she had options here that she didn't have in the waking world. All it might take was a request. No, not a request – a command.

"Princess Luna, you have control of this place, don't you? You could change the way things look – even you, or I?"

Luna blinked. "Yes, such a thing couldst be done. Art thou displeased with some aspect of this place, or my body?"

"It's beautiful! This place, I mean. You. You're beautiful. I just... I'd like to see what you look like with, with kind of... decorations. I mentioned, before, when you were with Zecora. Um. Do you remember?" That emphatically wasn't a command. That was barely a hint. Twilight kicked herself for growing tongue-tied, even as she couldn't find it in herself to be more overt in her desires. She rested her head against Luna's smooth shoulder.

After a moment, Luna spoke. "I do. I have chosen to give myself unto you, bodily, to become thy sensual plaything. I shall show you that which you wished to see, but dared not impose upon me, in the waking world." The princess took hold of the sides of her deeply split bodice, and eased them apart.

Twilight watched, frozen, her hands tightly gripping her thighs, as Luna's breasts slid into full view. Each midnight blue nipple was now pierced by a silver ring, matching the one upon her collar. A soft whine escaped Twilight's scarcely parted lips as Luna looked up at her.

"Does this please thee, my Mistress?"

"Yes! Yes, I... yes." She couldn't take her eyes off the enslaved Princess. Speaking mostly to herself, she whispered, "I have got to make this happen for real. I mean it. Seeing you like this, touching your body when it's been marked like this, while I'm awake... yes."

"I am pleased that you find my body suitable, my Mistress." Luna gazed at Twilight with a solemn delight in her sparkling eyes, then shook her shoulders. Her breasts swayed, the rings glittering in the lamplight.

"Sweet Equestria," Twilight groaned huskily. She turned more fully towards Luna, her knees either side of Luna's thighs and resting against the arms of the throne. Hands moving almost by themselves, Twilight gently cupped Luna's warm breasts, feeling the rings press against her palms as Zecora's had. "Do you feel this? Does this feel real to you?"

Luna caught her lower lip gently between her teeth for a moment, nodding slightly. "Yes, Twilight. I cannot fully know how this should feel, but I feel the warmth of thy hands against my breast, and the coolness of metal."

A smile growing on Twilight's lips, she hooked her fingertips through the rings and gently twisted. As Luna gasped aloud, Twilight murmured a soft sound of satisfaction. "That's right, my slave Princess. I love your body. I love how you look like this, pierced with rings as silver as the moon. Your perfect body, decorated just for me. I want to know that you are wearing them all the time, even when you are presenting yourself to Equestria as the formal Princess of the Night. Always marked as my slave."

Twilight's hand moved between Luna's legs, pressing firmly through her darkly sparkling dress. Thrilling to hear herself say such things, she breathed, "Your tits belong to me, Princess, to do with as I please. Your beautiful cunt, too. Does that feel good?"

"Twilight..." Luna whispered, her head tilting back a little and baring her smooth throat.

"Answer your Mistress," Twilight replied just as softly, nuzzling her lips against Luna's neck and squeezing her soft breasts more firmly.

"Mmmh! ...yes. Yes, my Mistress, thy touch is arousing to me. I cannot help but take pleasure in thy conquest of my body, for you have made it so. Do as you desire to me." Luna's deep blue-black nipples jutted stiffly against Twilight's palms, and a soft heat throbbed under her fingers.

Twilight's lips parted, and she gently bit at Luna's neck. Her arousal was a soft and patient thing, taking pleasure in each moment, without urgency. "There's something I have to tell you, first. I'm going to Canterlot in the morning. I've worked out how to redesign the spell. Now all I need is Celestia's magical signature, and I'll have a weapon that she has no idea exists. No idea that it can exist. It won't be long, now. Soon, we can be together all the time, and never fear we'll be separated again." Twilight inhaled deeply, lifted by a surge of joy that accompanied the thought.

Luna stiffened under Twilight's hands.

"Mistress! You cannot take such a risk! Allow me to return to Canterlot, and I can acquire something that will satisfy thy needs." She sounded appalled, her hand tightening on Twilight's thigh.

Twilight shook her head, and smoothed her hands down Luna's flanks. Luna's sparkling dress had vanished, when she hadn't been paying attention to it, as had her own clothing. There were definite advantages to toying with her divine slave in her dreams. "Princess Celestia believes she has me under her control, and barely uses the charm on me. If you were to return, I really don't think she'd resist temptation again."

"Mistress - Twilight, I do not wish to see thee manipulated at my sister's hands. I cannot risk losing thee once more." Luna's face was stern, but a distinct pleading note coloured her voice.

"You won't lose me. Luna, I can't risk her discovering that I have you. You are my very best chance of beating her. I just need a few days to capture her signature, and incorporate it into a modified version of the charm. Then I can make sure that we're all safe from the original. I won't risk you, not yet."

"I could not possibly allow thee to go alone!"

"I won't be alone. Trixie is coming with me."

Luna's frown deepened. "I am not convinced that is an improvement. She is treacherous, and foolish."

Twilight leaned into Luna's body, stroking her cheek affectionately. "She'll be helpful. She really does know a few charms that I hadn't come across in my studies."

"Do you command me to comply with this folly, Twilight?" Luna asked tensely.

"I do. You must trust me, Luna. I'll get through this. I can't risk you, not yet. You're the key to everything, and if I lose you, it's over."

Luna lowered her head, lips pressed together. Finally, she nodded reluctantly. "Very well, my Mistress. I shall abide by thy wishes. All the same, I shall watch with a terrible anxiety until you are safe once more."

Twilight sat up a little higher on Luna's lap, enjoying the soft warmth of the other pony's skin against hers. Nuzzling her lips against Luna's neck above the collar, she said softly, "It's okay, it really is. Please, don't worry too much. This is a beautiful dream, and I'd like to enjoy it."

Nodding after a moment, Luna murmured, "As you wish, Twilight. I shall speak no more of it this night." Her hand slid up Twilight's back, massaging gently. "I simply worry. You are very important to me, Twilight. I am not used to being so concerned without a means to do anything about it."

Relaxing into Luna's body, feeling the presence of the rings pressing against her skin with a little tingle, Twilight kissed her again, snuggling closer. "You're so precious to me, Luna. Everything's going to be alright."

The lamps of the throne room dimmed to a soft, flickering glow that merely gave texture to the darkness. Luna's wings wrapped around them both, enfolding Twilight in soft, dark feathers.

"Canterlot! At last! No mere provincial village can give the slutty and submissive Trixie the proper adulation that she truly deserves!"

Twilight buried her face in her hand. "Trixie, we're going to have to get off the train in a moment, and we're going to have to mix with normal ponies. Ponies that are expecting you not to be Trixie, but - well, whoever you are now. Have you even picked a name yet? I mean, one that you'll agree to keep for more than five minutes this time? We need to start using them from the moment we step off the train, or we'll slip up the first time a pony asks us who we are. You need to believe it."

The two of them were sat facing each other, in a small private booth sealed off from passing ponies by a wooden door and some soft curtains over the glass. Twilight had transformed herself, with considerable effort, into a cream unicorn with a vibrant green mane and tail. Her clothes were exactly formal enough to pass for a servant, but not so plainly a serving girl's uniform that she'd draw attention on the street. A green cloth polishing a candlestick marked each thigh, visible through the traditional cut outs in her skirt.

Trixie, on the other hand, had coated herself in a skin-tight sheen of illusion magic that gave her the appearance of a white unicorn with a short, close cut mane of light blue, and a feather duster on each thigh. She shook her head and gave Twilight a look of pitying disdain for those slower than herself, which was so characteristic of the showpony that she may as well have spelled out her name in a flurry of fireworks.

"Of course. Clean Sweep the brisk and industrious shall impress the entirety of the staff of the castle! Nobility shall declare, why, who is that charming and efficient young maid? Does she not deserve to be elevated to the ranks of the nobility for her powerful work ethic? Trixie will accept graciously. After all, it is her right."

Twilight looked at the disguised Trixie from between her fingers. "Clean Sweep. Just - stop it. Speak like a normal pony."

"The subtle and inconspicuous Clean Sweep always-"

"Trixie! Say a sentence with 'I' in it."

"Poor Bright Shine. You have forgotten her name already. The pleasant and generous spirited Clean Sweep will remind you when you get confused."

She should have left Trixie in Ponyville. Tied to something. Gagged. "Just... come on," Twilight sighed, sliding back the compartment door.

A stream of colourful ponies filled the passageway outside, making their way towards the carriage doors to alight. Twilight merged into the swift-moving queue, feeling herself get a little jostled by the crowd. Something about it felt off, somehow, like a wrong note, but she wasn't sure what it was. Ponies were hemming in around her more closely than usual. She found herself glad to spill out onto the broad platform outside, moving a few steps away to wait for Trixie.

It was a beautiful day in Canterlot. The sun was warm, despite the cooler air of the late autumn months, and a gentle breeze tugged at the coloured leaves. Twilight caught sight of a flash of white and blue, and stretched up to beckon Trixie over. "Clean Sweep!" Twilight smiled as the other unicorn emerged from the throng, and stepped forward to meet her. Twilight promptly collided with a bulky colt barging past. The colt snorted, barely giving her a glance, and continued on his way. She looked after him, baffled.

"Bright Shine. You're standing in everypony's way. Tch. What is she to do with you?"

Twilight was yanked out of the stream of ponies by Trixie's hand on her arm, into a sheltered corner while the platform cleared. Frowning, she pitched her voice low. "I think there might be something wrong with my disguise spell. There's something strange about the way ponies are acting."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Your shape change is perfect. What pony but you could make it so perfect? Other than the great and illustrious Trixie, of course. Ponies don't jostle Princess Celestia's apprentice, even before you defeated Nightmare Moon and were plastered all over the castle windows. Clean Sweep will demand her own window, she hopes you know. Large. Arched. Perhaps inscribed with a paean to her beauty and cleverness."

Twilight blinked. That couldn't be it. She shook her head after a second, and protested, "But I've never tried to show off or asked anypony to treat me differently..."

Snorting, Trixie pulled her out of the sheltered nook, and set off at a brisk walk into Canterlot proper after the thinning crowd. Behind them, the train whistled deafeningly, then huffed into motion, obliterating any further reply either of them might have made.

Twilight followed, frowning. She really hadn't tried to make any pony treat her differently. She didn't like the idea that she was being afforded special treatment just because Celestia was her teacher. Goodness only knew what they'd do if they knew Luna was her adoring sex slave.

Taking the lead, Twilight guided them both through the familiar streets, more and more ponies thronging around them beneath the clean white lines and colourful banners of the capital. Over to her right, the tall, sparkling column of the great fountain filled the air with the sound of moving water, and all about them, ponies were running intricate stalls, hawking goods from all over Equestria.

She became aware that Trixie had stopped, and turned back to beckon her. "Clean Sweep! Come on!"

Trixie spread her arms and spun around, heedless of the skinny pony she almost knocked over. "Canterlot! Canterlot the glorious! While of course she has been to Canterlot many times, so frequently that these streets are as familiar to her as the back of her perfect hands, she is nonetheless delighted to see the architecture! The wealth on display! The magnificence!" Trixie's evident delight faltered, and her expression slowly became wooden. Dropping her arms, she marched over to Twilight's side, with an exasperated look in her eyes. Voice low, she hissed, "Fine, she's lying! She's been to Canterlot a couple of times! Now she has to be spanked!"

...that was a problem. She really should have thought of that. Of course Trixie was going to exaggerate to her, and now she, Twilight, had to do something about it. In a very busy street. Surrounded by ponies. Oh, and Trixie was starting to squirm from foot to foot, so she had better think of something quickly. "I can't! We're in the middle of Canterlot!"

"Do you think that Clean Sweep the acutely observant has somehow missed this? It was your terrible idea to make her do this!"

"Can't you wait until we're on our own?" Twilight pleaded in an undertone.

"Tr- Clean Sweep is going to start grinding her ass against something any second to make it stop! Or somepony! Do something!"

"Just wait! I'll - wait!" Twilight looked around frantically for some sheltered alley they might sneak into, but the dense crowd seemed to fill every street to capacity. "Clean Sweep-"

She was cut off as Trixie's mouth pressed firmly against hers. Twilight's eyes widened, and for an instant she stood frozen, before she instinctively wrapped her arms around the other pony. Trixie's mouth was warm and soft, and it occurred to Twilight distantly that she'd never actually kissed the showpony before. Relaxing slowly into the kiss, a blush rose on her cream cheeks as she realised that a few ponies were watching them. She felt herself growing a little dizzy.

Trixie broke the kiss, gazed deeply into Twilight's eyes. Her voice came softly, as she whispered in a faux loving tone, "Will you please just spank Trixie's ass, you idiot?"

Twilight's blush intensified as Trixie's mouth covered hers again. Squeezing her eyes closed, her hand slid down to the other mare's ass, and with the shortest, quickest motion she could manage, Twilight swatted Trixie's ass through her skirt. Trixie's body slumped in relief.

Breaking away quickly, Twilight seized Trixie's hand, trying not to see the ponies openly watching them both. "I, um. I've... always wanted to... share a kiss, with you in... fountain square. Clean Sweep. Now that we have, we should... go. Away." Twilight recited the words haltingly, as if reading off an invisible script, her face a deep crimson.

Breaking into a swift walk that was only a notch below a run, she pushed her way through the crowd, focusing only on the castle's high walls and striking out for it. She didn't slacken her pace until the last of the tall buildings passed behind them, taking shelter in the belt of low greenery that separated the city from the castle walls themselves. Planting her hands on her knees and sucking in a deep breath, Twilight looked up at Trixie and repeated, "You idiot?"

Trixie shrugged, tossing her head. A momentary flicker of annoyance crossed her face as her short illusory mane failed to swing out dramatically in the way her long white hair usually did. "Clean Sweep was in a hurry, Mistress. She can be punished for her entirely justified rudeness later."

Twilight poked Trixie in the side, with a wry smile on her lips. "I will, too. That was cheeky. Goodness, those walls are high." The castle loomed overhead, more imposing than she remembered, the walls rising sheer from the far end of the park. Armoured guards patrolled back and forth smoothly along the foot of the wall, in regular patterns.

"Well, I think we got away with that. Once we get inside, we should be okay to rely on our disguises. The guards at the gate will check, though, and they'd probably pick up your illusion, or my alteration magic. Princess Celestia should be busy in the Day Court for a few hours yet, but we shouldn't waste any time that we don't have to. Clean Sweep, it's over to you now."

"Of course, Mistress!" Trixie posed proudly.

"Bright Shine!" Twilight hissed, glancing around for anyone that might have heard.

"Do not fret, Bright Shine! She will distract the guards, and we will sneak into the Castle, and-"

"Stop reciting the plan! Just follow me."

"Hmf! Very well."

A cart full of barrels was rattling towards the gates down one of the broad avenues, and Twilight timed their approach to fall in behind it. With a little luck, that'd keep the guards occupied, and they wouldn't need Trixie to use her illusion magic at all. Her heart beat faster as the arched gateway grew wide before them, filled with a trio of white colts in golden armour. Two of them stepped forward, halting the burly pony pulling the cart, and as they began talking, Twilight stepped around the back of the cart and made to walk straight in through the gate.

The remaining guard stepped into her path. "Excuse me, ladies. You'll need to be checked before you enter today."

Twilight smiled, as naturally as she could manage, and nodded her agreement. "Of course! Of course. I'm Bright Shine, and that's Clean Sweep. We're just heading in for our shift."She twisted her foot, gently scuffing the paving stones, signalling Trixie to begin.

The usually-blue mare nodded slightly. Looking back over her shoulder, she concentrated. The barest glimmer touched her horn, the customary glow of magic dampened down beyond visibility, and behind them a triple set of bright lines arced into the clear sky. The illusory fireworks burst in three short, sharp cracks, bright enough to be seen as momentary sparks despite the daylight pouring down.

Perfect! Now the guard would step out to check on who had launched fireworks so close to the palace, they'd be let through, and they could get on with sneaking into the palace. Twilight gazed at the guard, whose head had jerked up at the triple detonation. Go on, she urged him mentally. Go check what that was.

He shook his head. "Some ponies. Okay Bright Shine, Clean Sweep, step over and I'll just check you before you head in."

Twilight's expression froze. The cart mare looked like she was about to be cleared, and then they'd be surrounded by three guards, with nowhere to go. Then Celestia would be told about the strange ponies under disguise magic that had tried to sneak in, she'd come out, and it would all be over. Her eyes met Trixie's, and she mouthed, 'Do something!'

Trixie looked back at her with a mixture of incredulous panic, then smiled widely at the guard. "Haha. Yes. Hello! Yes. Surely there's no need to check a pair of humble and efficient maids! There's so much... dusting to do!" Her foot scuffed the paving stones back and forth, in an unrehearsed signal that Twilight immediately understood as, 'No, you do something.'

Twilight's desperate gaze flashed to the nearest cartwheel. The guard was looking at Trixie, and the other two were focused on the cart mare. Her horn flickered, a sharp, sudden pulse of light.

One axle sheared, splintering as a nail of magical force drove through it, and with a creaking, rending groan, the cart slumped backwards. The cart mare yelped as the traces pulled her up into the air, and the rear of the cart slammed into the ground. A flurry of barrels crashed out of it as it fell, thundering across the plaza and smashing against the gate pillars. Purple wine spilled everywhere.

"Hey! Ma'am, are you alright?" Their guard broke away, hurrying over to his fellows to try to sever the traces holding the frantic earth pony up.

Twilight caught Trixie's eye. "How dreadful! We'll go ask someone to come help. Come on, Clean Sweep."

Walking briskly across the open ground before the castle proper, Twilight's back crawled, tensed for a cry of alarm at any second. None came. Cool shadow enfolded them as they entered the castle's grand hallway, and Twilight chose the very first turning they could, desperately trying not to break into a run.

Left, right, left again, ducking into smaller and smaller passages, until there was no one in sight at all. Twilight pressed her back against the wall, shivering with tension. "Wow. I really, really thought we were about to get caught. Are you okay, Clean Sweep?"

Trixie looked a little ragged herself, her eyes darting left and right anxiously. At Twilight's question, however, she immediately drew herself up and said firmly, "Clean Sweep is perfectly fine! She is just - anxious to complete this trivial task and return to Ponyville, where she can further prove her superior intellect in preparing a new charm for her glorious Mistress. That's all."

Twilight gave her a sideways look, but apparently Trixie's compulsions would let her get away with that much prevarication without confessing more lies. "Okay. Remember, walk slowly, and step up against the wall when the nobles come by. No one is going to bother us while we walk the main hallways. We're as good as invisible."

With that thought to reflect on, Twilight led Trixie through the familiar halls. Her heart beat in her chest like a drum, her skin prickling each time high ranking ponies walked past. Fortunately the corridors were wide enough for them both to flatten against the walls. Lowering their gazes and dipping in slight curtseys as the nobility passed, they really were ignored completely. All the same, Trixie's expression was growing more and more indignant between each encounter, and finally she could take it no more.

As Twilight ducked around a corner, her mind on Celestia's chambers ahead, Trixie reached out and grabbed the back of her skirt. "Bright Shine! This is intolerable. She is not accustomed to being ignored like this! How dare these ponies walk right past her without acknowledging her beauty and grace?"

"They're supposed to ignore your beauty and grace, Clean Sweep! When somepony sees us next, just stop and polish something. This is going perfectly."

"This isn't how Clean Sweep pictures things being perfect, Bright Shine." Sticking her nose in the air, Trixie walked out into the corridor, then sighed with exasperation as she heard more voices. Turning to Twilight, she declared indignantly, "She isn't polishing anything! Really, Bright Shine, she is - hey!"

Twilight grabbed her arm and yanked her into the shelter of a wide pillar, flanked by a suit of armour on either side. "Clean Sweep, you need to be quiet now."

"Well! She might just give these ponies a piece of her- mmmmfh!"

Twilight had seized the back of Trixie's neck and pulled her down, burying her face against Twilight's modest chest. "Shhh!" she whispered urgently.

A grudging noise of assent came from somewhere in the region of her cleavage.

Pricking her ears, Twilight listened hard. It sounded like more guards, their voices lacking the particular accent of the Canterlot upper class that so many highborn ponies insisted on adopting. "...haven't seen anyone unusual, but I'll ask him to speak with the head of the maid staff and make sure everything's okay. Might be petitioners at the Day Court."

"Did you hear that Zephyr is Captain of the petitioner's hall today? I told you, that's a pony to keep an eye on. If you ask me..."

Their voices faded. Twilight slowly relaxed her grip on the back of Trixie's neck, and the other pony jerked upright, sucking in a deep gulp of air. "Bright Shine! Clean Sweep thought she was going to die in there. Not that she would entirely object, if she had to go sometime, but really, Bright Shine, you must contain your entirely understandable lust for her."

"Ssh! Did you hear that? I think the guards are looking out for us. Stay close, and stay quiet."

"Oh, well. If you're going to ignore her, then she doesn't have to say anything." Nose in the air, Trixie followed Twilight down the hall. Nonetheless, after a few moments, she added more softly, "Are we close?"

"Mm. The side entrance is just around the corner. It'll be locked on the inside, but that isn't a problem."

"Clean Sweep hardly knew that you were a burglar, Bright Shine."

"I'm not! I've just needed to get into the Princess's chambers before without anypony noticing." Twilight felt the smirk on the back of her neck, and twisted around. "Clean Sweep! It was not for anything like that. Why do so many ponies seem to think that?"

"So you're not going to transform the Princess into your pet, just like you did with- mfff!"

Twilight's hand clamped over Trixie's mouth. "Don't say it. Not here. It's too risky."

Trixie frowned. "Mmmfh," she objected.

"Just, don't say anything about that. It's bad enough that we're talking about anything that Bright Shine and Clean Sweep wouldn't be talking about. We really have to think like maids, and not as though-"

Trixie grabbed Twilight's wrist and tugged the hand from her mouth. "She hears someone!" she hissed.

Twilight spun around, and strained her ears. There was a low murmur of conversation, and it was up ahead, around the corner. Drat. That was exactly where she really needed there to be no one. Nodding, she put a finger to her lips, and pressed up against the wall, inching along it.

The two of them crept to the corner, and peered around. A large and generously obstructive plant blocked most of the view, but a knot of chattering nobles stood arrayed about the corridor, far too close to the dense wooden panelling that Twilight knew so well.

"It's okay. I can get through from here," Twilight breathed. "I'll teleport through the wall."

"What good will that do Clean Sweep?" Trixie hissed back.

"You can wait out here until I get back. I won't be long."

"Do you expect her to stand in the hall like a statue that curtseys? She will employ her incredible and imaginative magics to distract these empty-headed fools."

"Trixie - Clean Sweep, no! That's too risky!"

"Not any riskier than leaving her here in this empty corridor!"

Twilight planted a hand over her face. Trixie's voice was rising, and if she let her get much more worked up, she'd have to use direct commands. At a time like this, with so much uncertain, nailing Trixie to the spot here was much too dangerous. "Okay! Okay. You distract, I'll appear inside, and once they move away, knock on the door twice. I'll undo the locks from inside."

Nodding with satisfaction, Trixie replied magnanimously, "Prepare to do your mediocre part in her grand plan." Leaning out a little further, her horn began to shimmer. Twin golden curtain cords unbound themselves from the thick red curtains they restrained, and slithered down to the ground. Their tasselled ends rising like snake heads, they wound around each other, swaying and dancing down the corridor.

"Why, do you see that? Look, everypony! Whatever is that?"

"My goodness! Gilded Arch, is that you, old fellow? Always was a rogue for the old animated rope trick."

Twilight couldn't help but smile. Concentrating, she reached out with her own violet magic and felt around for a space beyond the wall. There. She pushed. With a flicker, reality warped around her, then snapped back into place.

She was standing among further plants in tall pots, a pair of couches against the wall. A waiting room of sorts, for those admitted into Celestia's private rooms through the hidden doors, away from the main throne room. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she relaxed; with Celestia in the Day Court, there should be no other pony in here. Creeping over to the camouflaged door, she rested her hand on the latch and listened intently.

No voices. Then, two soft knocks. Pressing down the latch, Twilight pulled firmly. The panelled wall swung inwards, admitting a slightly more frantic looking version of the disguised Trixie. "Close it, close it!" she urged, diving around the edge of the door.

Twilight's heart jerked in her chest. She shoved the door closed as quickly as she dared, yanking at the latch at the last minute to stop it slamming against the frame. The lock engaged with a soft click, and Twilight seized Trixie's hand, tugging her down beside a couch to shelter them from direct sight of anypony opening the door. "What is it? Were there more guards? Did anypony see you?" she demanded.

"No! No, no one saw Clean Sweep. Or - yes. Yes, guards were coming. She had to avoid them at the last minute! She's lying, Mistress, she's a lying slut, and you have to beat her. Oh for - Bright Shine! Every single time?"

Twilight slowly straightened up from behind the couch, a puzzled expression on her face. "Why are you lying to me, Trixie?"

"The honest and innocent Clean Sweep, remember her name Bright Shine, was - she was - it sounded more exciting." Trixie hesitated, and for a moment looked almost hopeful, before her conditioning took over her mouth and added conversationally, "That's true, but she's still trying to trick you, Mistress, punish her squirming little ass!"

"Clean Sweep. No more fooling around, now."

"She... well..." Trixie's face was red, shuffling from foot to foot as the tingling in her ass grew and grew.

"Tell me, Clean Sweep."

"She was left all alone! She didn't want to be all alone without you, it's scary!" Trixie blurted, half ashamed, half defiant. "Will you just smack her ass?"

Twilight blinked. It took a second to fully register Trixie's confession, then a slow smile grew on her face and she wrapped her arms around the other pony. Drawing her close, Twilight hugged her tightly. "It's okay. I won't leave you. I have to look after you, don't I?"

Standing very still, Trixie nodded slowly. Her face slowly turning crimson, the blush more prominent on her temporarily white cheeks, she squeezed Twilight back before murmuring, "Thank you, Mistress. Please, can you...?"

"Of course." Twilight pointed to the couch. "Bend over the arm, ass in the air, and lift up your skirt. Then ask again, nicely."

The blush spreading further, Trixie hurriedly took up position over the arm of the couch, unable to stop wriggling her ass from side to side as she lifted up her skirt to expose her white cheeks and small black panties. "Please, Bright Shine, spank her!"

Twilight nodded with deep, tingly satisfaction. Oh, she was going to love fucking in Celestia's private rooms once she had control of her. In her bed, too. Oh, the orgies she'd have. Her hand smoothed over Trixie's ass, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin. "Okay, Clean Sweep, Just one, and then we have a job to do, okay?"

"Yes! Yes, just please, smack her ass!"

Twilight drew back her hand, paused with a satisfied smile on her lips, then brought her palm down hard. A loud crack of skin against skin echoed around the room, and Trixie moaned aloud with relief and pleasure.

From behind her, Twilight distinctly heard a small, soft gasp.

Oh, no. No, no, no. Frozen to the spot with her hand on Trixie's upturned ass, Twilight felt the wash of panic flood over her, drowning her ability to think straight.

Breaking free of her paralysis, she turned, slowly.

Another pony was standing in the inner doorway that led deeper into Celestia's chambers, a minty green mare, young, wearing a similar servant's outfit to their own. Hers, of course, was genuine. Her hand was over her mouth, and her cheeks were bright red.

She met Twilight's gaze, and flinched. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt! I didn't know anypony was, um, cleaning, in here, so I'll just go and clean somewhere else! I, I won't tell anyone, I promise! So you can just, just carry on if you want to!" She turned and hurried away, her footfalls rapidly fading as she rushed away from the scene.

"...wait!" Twilight called after a second's hesitation, and took a step towards the door. It was no good; the other pony was gone. Her outstretched hand fell to her side. Oh, haystacks.

Behind her, there was a muffled snort of amusement. Trixie had gotten up and straightened her skirt.

"Clean Sweep! That isn't... that wasn't funny! This is terrible! What if she tells someone about us? What if she hears the guards are looking for suspicious maids?"

"Oh, Bright Shine. It's a good thing you have the perceptive Clean Sweep to do your thinking for you." As Twilight's mouth opened in indignation, Trixie continued, "If we had met her when she was the only maid meant to be cleaning the Princess's quarters, she would have asked questions. She might have checked with the head of housekeeping. But after seeing you spanking Clean Sweep's delectable ass, that pony isn't going to breathe a word of what she saw to anypony. She's just going to run and find somewhere else until she's completely sure we're done. You see? This is for the best. Once again, Clean Sweep shows her incredible worth in ways you never thought possible."

Twilight took a firm grip of her panic, and dumped it to one side so that she could think. "That does make a kind of sense," she agreed reluctantly. "Still, we'd better hurry."

Breaking into a swift stride, Twilight made her way through the familiar rooms, skin prickling with tension and tail swishing restlessly with agitation she couldn't quite hide. Beside her, Trixie stopped every few steps to coo over some ornament or express her firm intention to own a suite of rooms every bit as splendid as these, until Twilight could take no more. Seizing Trixie's hand, she bodily tugged her along.

"Fine, fine! Clean Sweep is coming! Where is the audience room anyway? No pony needs this many rooms."

"Sssh! We're almost there."

"Hmf. The subtle and sneaky Clean Sweep-"

"I will gag you."

Pressing her ear to the double doors before her, Twilight listened hard. Nothing. Very carefully, she eased the door open an inch.

No reaction.

Goosebumps rising with her nervous tension, she slipped inside. Memories washed over her; the last time she'd been in this room, Celestia had had her completely under her control. She'd masturbated a stallion, right there. This time, though, the ranks of nude guards were missing. Everything was dead quiet. Holding on tight to her creeping anxiety, she checked again for the presence of somepony, anypony.

No one.

Her voice as low as she could manage, Twilight leaned up and whispered, "There are guards outside these doors, day and night. Do not make a sound in here." Mercifully, Trixie merely nodded, her gaze flicking anxiously towards the far doors.

Almost tiptoeing, Twilight crept across the soft carpet towards the rosewood dresser against the far wall. Risking a little magic, she scanned the simple wooden latches with a feather-light detection spell. Wards marked them, locking and alarming, with the flavour of Celestia's magic. Clearly, the contents of that dresser were precious to her. Of course, they weren't designed to keep out her most faithful student.

Tendrils of Twilight's magic firmed, softly prying the wards apart. Not destroying, not even breaking, but simply holding them back like holding a curtain aside as her fingers delicately pushed down the latch. The cupboard door swung slowly open, revealing a brassy gleam. Carefully, reverentially, Twilight drew out the kettle.

The door closed, and the wards sealed as she released pressure upon them. Her shoulders rose and fell with a deep, slow breath. Ignoring Trixie, who was alternating between staring at her and anxiously watching the door, Twilight crossed the room to a patch of bare wood that the overlapping rugs did not cover.

Setting down the kettle, Twilight drew a piece of chalk from her pocket. Without reference to a diagram, yet with the pattern bright and clear in her mind's eye, she began drawing straight lines and gentle curves that focused around both the kettle and a second open space. Ritual magic; a harder, rarer type of magic than most unicorns would ever know existed. Old, and potent. Exactly the thing she needed to draw out the echoes of Celestia's power from this treasured thing, something that she had poured heat and warmth into a hundred thousand times.

Of course, it needed a suitable receptacle, too. With care, she drew out a palm-sized lump of white quartz, rough and uncut, the way it had come from the earth. She set it down, with a soft click of crystal against wood.

"Mistress..." Trixie began nervously, looking around herself.

"Ssh," Twilight said, without looking up. Light flared along the length of her horn, bright violet against the cream of her disguised body. Beads of light began to roll around the pattern marked on the floor, accelerating as they brightened. The kettle's metal shimmered with latent heat as the echoes of spells past began to swell within it, amplified by the magic surrounding and coaxing it into fresh life. Twilight could feel the heat on her skin, a column of air rippling and dancing above the shimmering metal. The beads of light had now blurred into a single brilliant pattern that glowed against the dark wood, spikes of radiance reaching upwards.

Delicately. Delicately! Even with an artefact so utterly saturated with Celestia's magic, the process was wasteful, and there would only be one chance. She could feel it trying to spin out of control, to burn itself up in one gout of heat and be gone. Still she fed her own magic to it, gave it strength. Her eyes alight, she hissed a soft breath. Delicately, yes, she tilted the flow of power, balancing, working to stop it from toppling too far.

A light was born at the heart of the crystal, a warm gold.

For an instant, her heart stopped. Feeling the magic, wrapped around it like this, it was impossible to ignore the simple, essential beauty of Celestia's power. The crystal rattled as power flowed into it, a burst, then a trickle, then a burst, unnaturally coaxed into motion and trying to escape. The rough crystal was twisting now, shifting and altering shape, with a sound like a wet finger against the rim of a glass. Facets emerged, sank within, and emerged stronger, flowering into delicate, complex shapes under the pressure of the magic within.

Grasping at the last tenuous, weakening threads of power, Twilight drove them into the shifting crystal. A flash lit the room, like summer lightning, soundless brilliance that momentarily blinded her. Behind her, unregarded, Trixie squeaked in distress.

Twilight rubbed her watering eyes. The cloudy lump of quartz was unrecognisable; a clear gemstone with myriad facets had replaced it, golden light running through it like veins, a molten glow at its very core. Her hand settled on the kettle: it was stone cold.

It was done.

She picked up the stone with her fingertips, feeling a thrill of latent energy prickling against her skin, and slid it into a black silk pouch. The glorious light vanished from sight, leaving only a momentary afterimage. It was a moment of triumph. It was also a profoundly terrifying reminder of the power that she was opposing, and her hands shook slightly as she picked up the kettle and straightened.

Trixie was gazing at her, transfixed. "Wh-what have you done?" she asked in a trembling tone.

"I've got Celestia's magical signature, just like we planned. That's all."

"Yes, but - Trixie didn't know it would look like that."

"Trixie- I mean, Clean Sweep, please. Damp a cloth and wipe up the chalk. Hurry! We've got to get out of here!"

Twilight's urgent tone snapped Trixie out of her daze, and she hurried across the carpet to the water pump. Lifting her cleaning cloth to the nozzle, she yanked the lever. Water gushed over the cloth. A low whine escaped Trixie's lips as she worked, body livid with fearful urgency.

Breathing deeply and steadily to centre herself, Twilight faced the cupboard once more. She'd managed to part the wards without injuring them once. She just had to do it again. She could picture them, hanging in the air, spilling off the wood and glowing with their own complexity. She could do this.

Layer by layer, gossamer-lightly, she peeled back the wards. A tangle of spell threads threatened to snarl, knotting around her gentle probe, and she had to reform it and start again. Her dress stuck to her back, coated with chill fear-sweat. There. That was it... that was it. Yes.

The latch turned under her fingertip, and Twilight drew the door open. Not daring to levitate the kettle in case she left some trace of her magical signature on it, she leaned in and set it down in its proper place, just where it had come from. Closing the door, she eased a step back and released the wards. They slid back over the wood without a ripple.

Twilight breathed out.

The door burst open.

Caging a cry of surprise behind her teeth, Twilight twisted around sharply. Her hand shot to her side, pressing against the smooth weight of the gemstone in its pouch. A pure white colt stood framed against the rich tapestries hanging outside, clear blue eyes stern and impatient. His wings were folded neatly against his back, and his golden armour gleamed.

It was Chert.

Twilight's mouth fell open, an uncontrollable blush heating her cheeks as memories flashed through her mind. This pony, standing nude in this room. This pony, holding her pinned while Diorite shaved her bare sex. The feel of his rigid shaft in her hand, as she had stroked him until he came over his fellow guard's bare breasts.

That pony.

"Uh." Shaking her head to clear it, Twilight stammered, "Y-yes?" Brazen it out. Cleaning staff had every right to be in the Princess's Chambers while she was absent.

"Princess Celestia has decided to retire to her chambers. Please gather your cleaning things, and leave at once," he said firmly.

Not now! Twilight's pupils shrank to pinpricks, and she nodded shakily. "Yes! Of course. We'll just finish cleaning that one spot - hurry up Clean Sweep - and then we'll go fetch our things and leave by the rear entrance. We wouldn't want to trouble the princess!"

A clarion call of trumpets sounded further down the hall, and Chert looked around. "Quickly, please."

"Mm! Yes. Quickly. That's good enough, Clean Sweep! Let's go. Excuse us, sir."

Twilight grabbed Trixie's arm, tugging her to her feet. Hanging on rigidly to her self control, Twilight walked at a measured pace to the inner door, opened it, and ushered Trixie through. The door closed gently behind them, with a soft click.

Twilight met Trixie's eyes. Her voice hoarse, she whispered, "Go." Breaking into a sprint, Twilight pelted down the length of the expansive chamber, slowing to dive through a wide set of double doors. Trixie scrambled after her, panting loudly, already lost and entirely reliant on following Twilight's stark green tail.

Rooms swam past with nightmarish slowness, Twilight's need to flat out sprint thwarted by her intense fear of smashing something, leaving unmistakable evidence of her intrusion. Finally, feet skidding, Twilight fetched up hard against the stout wooden panelling of the hidden exit. Trixie slammed into her back.

"Whuf!"

"Ow!"

"Trixie!"

"It's Clean Sweep, Bright Shine!"

"I know! I know!"

"Clearly, Bright Shine, you forget the industrious Clean Sweep's name just because we're running away from-"

"Stop talking! We're going!"

The door swung inwards. No one stood in the corridor outside, and Twilight dashed out, beckoning Trixie after her. Shutting the panel and taking a deep breath, Twilight forced herself to walk at a sedate pace down the corridor. One step. Two steps. Straight back, but not too straight. You've been working all day, you're tired, but polite. Neutral expression. Maybe a little bit of a smile. You don't want some sulky noble to ask why you look sour.

Keep walking.

"Clean Sweep's disguise would have passed entirely without notice," Trixie muttered.

"Do you think so, Clean Sweep? Because Princess Celestia was taken in by a shapeshifter once, and I don't think she's ever going to let that happen again. I helped her design the wards around the palace that would have gone off if we'd cast these disguises anywhere near Canterlot. I wouldn't trust for a second that she wouldn't see right through them if she so much as glimpsed us. I mean, we did our best, but - we can't underestimate her! She's really smart! And sneaky!"

"She hasn't noticed that you aren't under her control anymore."

"Yes, I am!" Twilight hissed. "She just doesn't know that I know it. Come on, we're going to have to use the backup exit. We can't risk the main gate, not if they're looking for us."

Trixie frowned. "Backup exit? You never told Clean Sweep about that!"

"I was really hoping we wouldn't have to use it, but I don't think we have a choice. Even if the guards don't recognise us as the ones they're wanting to talk to, they might be checking ponies leaving for strange magic, and goodness only knows what this stone would show up as."

Tracing her way through the corridors, Twilight walked as quickly as she dared. Each time other ponies crossed their path, she moved to stand meekly against the wall, her tired little smile perfected and chiselled onto her face. The odds of Celestia noticing anything wrong with the kettle were tiny. Tiny, but not nil. If she asked the right questions of the guards, of Chert...

Relief kindled in her breast as she threw open a small door, and stepped out onto a tiny balcony. Below, the ground dropped away steeply towards the forest. Instinctively, she looked up towards the broad golden curve of Celestia's own grand viewing platform. Nothing.

"Bright Shine, do you have any idea where you're going? This is a dead end!"

"Um. No, it isn't, actually. We're going to jump."

Trixie's eyes widened. "Twilight Sparkle, Trixie is not going to jump anywhere. Are you crazy? Does she look like a pegasus to you? Are you an alicorn in disguise? This is not a way out!"

"Yes, you are. Sorry, Trixie. Hang onto me tightly."

"Trixie is not doing any such thing!"

Twilight sighed. "Sorry, Trixie. Hold onto me, and get ready to jump. I really mean it."

Trixie immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Twilight, craning her neck to look over the cliff. "Don't you dare make her do this! She's a sex toy, not a bird! Twilight!"

Twilight stepped up onto the railing, and Trixie unwillingly stepped up with her, teetering on the edge. "It's okay, we're not going to fall! I mean, we're going to fall, but we're not going to fall."

"Trixie will never forgive you!"

Twilight pushed off the edge of the railing. Trixie shrieked deafeningly in her ear - she should have silenced Trixie before she did this, Twilight noted to herself - as they toppled into space. The forest below swelled up with frightening rapidity. She just had to time it right.

Her horn glowed fiercely. Violet energy crackled over both of them, curling around their bodies and squeezing with gentle firmness. Their mad rush slowed, the howl of air diminishing to a mere breeze. All the same, the trees below were still growing quickly larger. Twilight tried to angle them both for a clear gap between two of them, but Trixie was still struggling and kicking blindly. They hit the canopy with a crash and hiss of falling leaves, small twigs yanking at them and snapping as they fell.

The forest floor, Twilight discovered, was very hard. Unyielding tree roots made for a very poor mattress.

Trixie, whose voice had petered out to a breathy wail barely loud enough to be heard, finally sucked in a ragged breath and fell silent.

"You can let go, now. Um. Are you okay? We need to move, before someone comes to investigate what the noise was."

Gripping harder, Trixie pulled Twilight's face up to hers. "She will never forgive you, Twilight! Do you hear her? Never! You threw her off a cliff."

"I know, and that was bad, but Trixie, we need to-"

"You didn't even tell her that you knew a flying spell!"

"That wasn't flying. Flying spells are much harder. That was a falling spell. Slowly falling, but falling."

"Mistress, the slutty and submissive Trixie belongs to you, is your devoted fucktoy, and obeys your every command. That's why she really wants you to understand that she will get you for this."

Twilight struggled free of Trixie's arms, dusting fallen leaves off herself. "We can flirt later, Trixie! Come on, we're leaving!"

Trixie's expression of outrage was so perfect that just for a moment, Twilight lingered to truly appreciate it. "She is not flirting with you! She is threatening dire retribution! Dire, Mistress!"

Muttering something beneath her breath, Trixie sulkily got to her feet, hurrying after Twilight as the other pony sprinted into the forest. Twilight ducked and dived between the thick, gnarled trunks, glancing up frequently. The last of the autumn leaves were still clinging to the lower branches, offering a thin shield from being seen. Unfortunately, that cover worked both ways; her only warning of the pegasus was a rush of air over wings.

"Down!" Twilight hissed, grabbing Trixie's arm and yanking her to the ground. A bubble of glassy air flashed into being around them, and moments later, a pegasus flashed overhead. Seconds after that, two more followed, coming to a halt where they'd fallen through the canopy. Twilight leant towards the sound, listening hard.

"...could have been something fell here, look at the fallen branches."

"Couldn't have fallen far, if it did. Got up and walked away. Or flew. Nothing left but broken twigs and loose leaves."

"Anything from the second team?"

"No sign. Whatever made that noise, it stopped before we could get a good fix on it."

"I'm just glad there's no sign of anypony getting hurt. Come on, let's check the third section..."

The sounds of movement faded. Twilight stood up very carefully, maintaining Luna's hiding charm. She was surprised to find that her heart was beating steadily, her breathing even. She was out of the palace, and Celestia's power glowed warmly against her side in the shielding bag. After that, escaping from the forest unseen seemed trivial. Even though she immediately told herself off for overconfidence, it still felt like the worst was over.

"I think we're okay now. We just have to walk for a few hours to circle around to the road, and head for the next station after Canterlot."

Trixie slowly stood up, and brushed loose black loam off her dress. "Trixie will walk, Mistress. And as she walks, Mistress, you will teach the put upon and entirely fed up Trixie what this is," she jabbed a finger at the shell of fractured air around them, "and what that was." Her finger stabbed into the sky for emphasis.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. Taking Trixie's hand in both of hers, she replied gently, "Of course, Trixie. I did promise to teach you all the things I know. I still want you to be my apprentice, as well as everything else. I'm sorry about the balcony. Come on; let's walk, and I'll teach you about the charms as we go."

In the darkness of Twilight's bedroom, a single golden light glowed warmly, lighting the desk where she sat. A single sheet of parchment rested under her hand, densely coated in patterns and symbols. Every now and then, with infinite patience and care, Twilight picked up a quill and added a symbol or line.

Her eyes frequently came to rest on the clear crystal anchoring the top left of the parchment, casting the glow. Celestia's magic, sampled, stolen, ready to be made part of the spell.

She was aware that in creating the spell she intended to craft, she was creating a weapon against Celestia that could, in time, fall into hands that did not deserve to wield it. That was why she alone could learn it. Not even Trixie could witness her final creation of the new charm. She would create it, burn it into her memory, and destroy every record of it. If Celestia had had the sense to do the same, none of this would have ever happened.

Of course, that did mean that no one could cast it with her. She'd half planned to teach Luna to cast the spell, but even sharing that much felt like a mistake. Fortunately, that wasn't the only way. It had been a hard road to understanding, but now that she had a firm grasp of the spell, she could see how to improve it. Celestia had enough raw power all by herself not to worry about such things. Twilight knew the strength of working together.

All the same, her newfound understanding didn't offer her a way to undo the spell.

It seemed to forge a permanent link between the caster and the charmed, one that only death could break. No wonder Celestia had used a unicorn to wipe her memory, rather than teaching Luna the charm. In time, the connection had vanished. Much the same way that once she, Twilight, was gone, the charm on Celestia would pass away with her, along with all knowledge of it. It wasn't really a solution to her current problems, though.

No, if there was a potential solution, it lay in the essential nature of the charm: the most recent command won. Now that she had the raw materials to recreate the spell, she had a unique opportunity to alter it. To try applying that principle to the charm itself.

She needed a word or phrase, something other than awaken. Something that no pony would say casually, or accidentally. She could pick something obscure, but on the other hand, she could hardly imagine standing over a defeated Celestia, ready to take her mind and body as her personal possession, and crying out triumphantly, 'Wheaty Oat-filled Gryphon Crunch!'

No. Definitely not.

A different image came to her. Smoothly and naturally, as though she'd known all along that it would come to this, she pictured Celestia on her knees once more. She felt her lips part, and knew what she was about to say.

Yes. Her eyes closed, she savoured the image. It was giving in to her bad side, she knew that, but it was just too perfect. Much too perfect to waste. Quill touched parchment once again, scribing markings that were not words, but the very essence of those words. Now she understood why 'awakened' and similar words had failed to trigger the original charm. Change the word you spoke, even slightly, and its true essence was no longer there.

There was only one task left, now.

Picking up the glowing crystal, she cradled it in both hands, gazing into its warm light. On a day like this, in ages past, Celestia had held a crystal much like this one, saturated with darkness and stars, and prepared to do as Twilight was about to. Even though there were other ways that Celestia could have captured Luna's essence, somehow she knew that they had done the same. The sense of kinship was too strong to be denied.

Twilight took a deep breath.

The golden light flickered, as if sensing her intent.

A coruscating radiance coated her horn as she drew up magic, formless magic, without shape or design. The simplest, purest expression of her inner power. It pulsed and tingled up and down her horn, static shocks crawling over her skin as the crystal reacted. The light within flared brighter in answer, pouring through the gaps between her fingers and painting her shadow starkly across the walls.

Resonance thrummed wildly, currents of power arcing across her body and over her skin. Biting her lower lip, Twilight slowly bent her head, and lifted the crystal towards her horn. The violet glow of her own magic pulsed and flickered, trying to flash out of control. The golden light in the heart of the crystal danced and spun, shaking and quivering like a living thing. A single slip, just a heartbeat of time if the magics matched in phase, would leave her an ashen silhouette against the walls. She had to control this.

Closer. Closer, the crystal came. Her skin felt cold. Working with desperate clarity, Twilight chained the wild pulses of her magic, tamed them. Little by little, the pulse of her magic was slipping into anti-phase with the golden light. Shadows strobed across the walls, gold, purple, gold, as the clashing magics waxed and waned in perfect counterpoint.

With a final decisive jerk, she brought horn and crystal together.

The crystal exploded, steaming shards raining down around her as a twisting cyclone of gold and violet poured out, thundering in the air. Sparks of livid energy raced across it as it hung before her, throbbing dangerously, held by the thinnest of tethers.

She couldn't hold it. Her magic was too much a part of it; it was repelling her as she tried to guide it. Panting raggedly, coated in fear sweat and totally focused to the exclusion of everything else, Twilight thrust her bare hands into the maelstrom. It burned, hot and cold, and she bit down harder on her lip.

This was her magic, her sorcery. She wasn't going to let it get away now! Struggling with the currents that threatened to tear her off her feet, Twilight forced her hands downwards onto the flapping parchment. The sheet lit up under her fingers, the inscribed lines and marks burning to life with a cold white glow, and the roaring typhoon of magic jerked. The twisting cloud poured into the parchment, a long, sustained torrent of power. New lines and markings blossomed, completing patterns, etching new phrases, as the mingled magic wove into the spell itself. Twilight's lips were parted now, her face lit by the light of sheer power, as the final coils of magic slammed into the parchment, scoring a definitive final character.

Darkness, sudden and total. Blind after the impossible radiance, Twilight stumbled, fumbling around for her lamp. Her body ached. Everything ached. Even moreso than the time she'd charmed Luna, her inner well of magic felt utterly bare, a flat emptiness she felt deep in her bones.

She tripped over a stool, yelped, and struck her head on a dresser.

"Ow," she protested to no one in particular. It didn't matter. She had done it. She had succeeded. She'd created a weapon the like of which Canterlot had never known. It was okay if she was a little bit wobbly, and maybe a little bit clumsy in the aftermath.

Where was that lamp?

"Twilight! Twilight!"

The door flew open, orange light silhouetting the frantic young dragon standing in the doorway. Wearing only his black pants, he was missing the loose shirt or little waistcoat he usually wore - she'd probably woken him. "I heard the crashing! What happened? Are you okay?"

Twilight winced, shading her eyes. Picking herself up very carefully, she walked towards the door, keeping his attention on her and well away from the desk, caught in the light cast by the door, where the completed parchment lay. "That... kind of didn't work. I sort of summoned a thunderstorm in my room. It went away when I fell over, though."

"Good grief, Twilight! Didn't I tell you that messing with the weather is meant to be a pegasus's job? You should have let me help you! You said you wouldn't even be ready to try for a week!" Frowning unhappily, Spike took her hand and tugged her out into the hallway. Looking her over quickly, he patted up and down her arms and legs. "Do you have broken bones? Does this hurt? Are your ribs alright?"

"I'm fine, Spike, really. I'm totally fine." Twilight lifted her hands to the light carefully. Yes, the magic hadn't burned her, even if it had felt like it was at the time. She'd been very nearly certain that she wouldn't be permanently hurt. At least ninety percent. At least.

Balling his hands, Spike kicked her in the shin.

"Ow, what-?"

His arms wrapped around her waist, and Spike rested his head against her stomach, clinging tightly. "Don't do anything like that again! You could have got hurt."

A stab of guilt struck her. Gently resting a hand on his crest of lime green spikes, she replied softly, "It's okay, Spike. I'm sorry for trying that without you, I just got too excited to wait." Lying to him was growing alarmingly easy, she noticed. She'd had a lot of practice recently. But that was only temporary, of course. She just had to test the new charm, and she would have an answer to all her problems.

Hugging him in return, Twilight said gently, "How about a cup of tea each? I think I'd feel much better then. I'm going to give up on weather magic for a while, too. It's too dangerous."

She felt his narrow shoulders relax. "Isn't that what I said? You should listen to me more. A lot more." He sighed. "I'll put on the kettle."

"Don't worry, Spike. Let me take care of it."

"Not a chance. I'm not going to give you the opportunity to explode the kitchen." Spike developed a sly expression, his voice taking on the distinctive tone of a young dragon about to make a pun. "I don't want any storms in tea cups today!"

Twilight grinned at him. "Okay, okay. That would be lovely." Ushering him towards the stairs, she hurriedly glanced back into her darkened room, then began to draw the door closed.

She hesitated. Outside her window, dark-on-dark shapes moved as the tree's boughs shifted slowly in the wind. She almost thought she'd seen a flicker of something.

"Twilight!"

Ducking back into her room, she tugged open her desk drawer, and slid the parchment into it, then closed it firmly. "Coming, Spike!" she called, and stepped into the hallway. The door shut behind her.

"You're not teaching it to Trixie? That's not fair! The slutty and submissive Trixie braved Canterlot! She infiltrated the Princess's chambers! She stole, and lied, and pretended to dust, and jumped off a cliff for you! Mistress!"

Trixie stamped her foot. Her hat slipped forward slightly.

Twilight smiled. Stepping close to the other pony, she wrapped an arm around her waist and gently straightened Trixie's hat with her free hand. Kissing her on the nose, Twilight told her warmly, "I'm glad you don't have to disguise yourself anymore. It makes me much happier to see you like this, the real you."

Her lips parting and a blush rising on her cheeks, Trixie stammered for a moment before she pulled herself together. "You - you're just trying to distract the slutty and submissive Trixie! It won't work! No matter how much you hug her, and kiss her cheek, and - ooh - and squeeze her ass, and play with her tail, and stroke her thighs, mmmhh." Her words tailed off as Twilight's hand moved under her skirt and caressed her cutie mark.

"I really mean it, Trixie, I do. It wasn't right, being with you and not looking at you. I'm grateful for everything you've done, too, I couldn't have worked it out without you. I don't know if I could have gotten through the castle on my own either."

"Well... she didn't like not being able to see you either, you look silly in cream," Trixie murmured slightly sulkily, a little shiver running through her body under Twilight's fingers as they gently stroked around the base of her tail. "Hasn't she earned the right to see the new charm? You promised you'd teach her all you knew!"

"I'm sorry, Trixie, but I'm not teaching anyone. I spent this morning memorising it, then destroyed the parchment."

"You what?! What if you forget it? What if someone else needs it? It would all be for nothing!" For a moment, Trixie even seemed to forget that Twilight was kneading her ass.

"I won't forget. I learned it very thoroughly. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not even going to teach it to Luna. I'm sorry about that, but it's how it has to be."

Grumbling, Trixie relaxed against Twilight, a little unwillingly. "The slutty and submissive Trixie wants to be there when she kicks up a fuss. That will make her feel better."

Luna wouldn't kick up any fuss. Would she? No. She'd understand. "What I need from you, Trixie, is to be my test subject. I need to find out if it works, and if it does what I hope it'll do and overwrite the charm. Will you do that for me?" Twilight met her eyes.

"Hmf! Of course! Trixie is the perfect slave, you know. Command her, and she obeys! Flawlessly! Perfection in all things!" Unwinding herself from Twilight, Trixie stepped backwards and struck a pose. "She is ready! Do to her what you wish, Mistress!"

Unable to keep herself from smiling, Twilight drew a deep breath. Okay. Just like she'd practised. So she moved here, then here, and she kept her mind focused on that symbol, and the magic flowed just so, and...

She took her time, determined to make the casting flawless. Finally, with a flick of the tip of her horn, she completed the spell. A gossamer shimmer, scarcely visible at all even with her eyes straining to catch it, flew at Trixie. Her skin acquired a pearlescent sheen for an instant, then the effect faded, so quickly it could have been a trick of the light.

Trixie looked down at herself. Her tone betraying a faint uncertainty, she asked, "Well? Is it done?"

"Let's find out. Trixie. Awaken." Twilight found she was barely breathing, body rigid with anticipation. She watched the enslaved mare with ferocious concentration, looking for the slightest sign of anything different about her reaction.

Trixie blinked, then, after a second, she shrugged. "Nothing happened, Mistress."

"Yes! Yes. Yes!" Twilight danced forward and hugged Trixie painfully tightly, dancing around her gleefully. "It interferes! It overwrites the activation command! This is wonderful!"

Tugged off her feet, Trixie yelped in surprise, clutching Twilight as she was spun around. "But does it work? Trixie has to know! That won't help if it doesn't work on the Princess!"

Face flushed, Twilight set Trixie down, breathing deeply. "You're right. I mean, of course you're right. I'm just so happy to find a way to beat this spell! Okay. Step back please, Trixie. I'm going to try the new command."

Straightening her clothes with an air of ruffled dignity, Trixie stepped back and struck her 'readiness' pose again. "Do it, Mistress! Prove that no one can beat the slutty Trixie and her owner!"

A slightly guilty smile touched Twilight's lips. She really shouldn't have chosen these words, but it was far too late to change them now that the spell was forged. Gathering herself, she straightened her back, lifted her head, and spoke in an imperious tone.

"Obey your Empress."

Trixie's eyes went blank. Moving one joint at a time, she dropped to her knees, with a vacant expression of absolute focus. Her glazed eyes fixed upon Twilight's, she droned, "This slave obeys."

The spike of heat that shot through Twilight was just as delicious as she had dreamed. Stepping forward, moving slowly and deliberately, she held out her hand. "Lick my fingers, slave."

As Trixie began mindlessly lapping at Twilight's hand, with steady, mechanical movements, Twilight's eyes turned towards the north, and her unseen adversary waiting there. This wasn't the entire solution. There was more she needed to do, more tricks she needed to prepare. She'd only have one shot. All the same, this was it. This was the key to everything.

"Now I've got you," she whispered. "You'll worship me, Celestia. You'll be mine, soon."

Author's Notes:

I love writing these ponies, all of them. They all have a different feel to them, and they're all such fun to express.

Even so, I had no idea Trixie was going to be this much fun to write before I introduced her. She's hilarious.

Proofed efficiently, speedily and splendidly by Setokaiva