"I'm home!" Twilight called, slipping around the edge of her front door and shutting it behind her. It was actually pretty risky to open her own door too widely at the moment, at least when other ponies might walk past behind her and glimpse the interior of the library, and the kind of creative depravity on display within. She'd left Celestia in her pretty little schoolfilly outfit, though she had removed her mentor's nipple clamps before she departed.

She wasn't a monster, after all.

She'd expected to see Celestia, or Zecora if the zebra was still there. Instead, Rarity was sitting daintily upon the couch, sipping tea from a cup and saucer, while Pinkie gestured animatedly as she enthused, "-and then, I pull the cord, and the barrel releases the strawberry-flavour lubricant shower!"

"That sounds like an… exciting party," Rarity replied, her eyes flicking towards the doorway. Breaking into a smile, she added, "Welcome home, my Lady. We've been expecting you."

Perking up, Pinkie bounced up onto her tiptoes and flung herself at Twilight, colliding with a force that nearly knocked the slim alicorn clean off her feet. The pink pony wore a bright blue skirt - cut a little more perilously short than usual, but not so scandalous that she couldn't be seen outside in it - and a tight white t-shirt marked with her balloons cutie mark, stretched out by the braless curves of her chest beneath. "Master!" the pink pony cried out in delight. "You're home! We've got a surprise for you! It's a present! Oooh, you'll never guess what it iiis!"

Giggling, Twilight seized Pinkie and hugged her tightly, delighting in the other mare's bouncy warmth. On impulse, Twilight kissed her, tasting sugar and sweetness, and within instants, Pinkie was returning the kiss open-mouthed and enthusiastically, squirming against her Mistress's body. There was never any hesitation with Pinkie; she was gloriously uncomplicated. Finally breaking away from Pinkie's mouth, Twilight planted a little kiss on the tip of the other mare's nose, smiling. "You've been eating cakes. I can still taste them!"

"You can? That's great! I can flavour my kisses with the right cakes! Does it taste nice? Second opinions are very important. But not as important as more kissing!" Pinkie kissed Twilight again, then began giggling and trying to tickle her as Twilight tried to break away long enough to speak. Struggling playfully, Twilight called over, "Rarity, help! I'm being ambushed!"

"I'd love to help you, my Lady, truly I would," replied Rarity with calm dignity. "However, as you can see, I have tea." She sipped daintily from the cup, smiling regally.

"Yes, but- Pinkie!" Twilight protested, then yelped as Pinkie headbutted her in the side, pushing her off-balance. Toppling onto the floor with a thud, face down, she barely had time to utter, "Pinkie, I'll-" before the pink pony dropped onto her with gleeful abandon, knocking the wind out of Twilight all over again, and began nuzzling her frizzy pink mane against Twilight's head.

"Yes, my Lady?" asked Rarity pleasantly. "Do let me know when you've finished."

Reaching behind her, Twilight grabbed a handful of Pinkie's tail and tugged, prompting a yelp from the giggling pony pinning her to the floor. "Rarity, where's Celestia? I thought you were with Ember and Spike."

"Princess Celestia has chosen to take a bath. Apparently, you left her in something of a mess," Rarity replied archly. "Spike has gone to play with Sweetie Belle and her friends, and Ambassador Ember-"

"I'm here," interrupted Ember's voice, with a trace of defensiveness, from behind the door to the spare bedroom.

Twilight lifted her head and glanced towards the door, open just a crack. Cocking her head, puzzled amusement touching her voice, she replied quizzically, "Ember? Why are you hiding behind the door?"

"That's because she's the present!" replied Pinkie with a giggle, propping her head on top of Twilight's.

"Pinkie," Rarity interrupted. "Please don't spoil the surprise. My Lady, would you like to see your gift?"

"Oh, yes," murmured Twilight, a pleasant tingle of curiosity and anticipation dancing through her. "Yes, I would. Pinkie, let me up. I want to see this."

"Awww!" Pinkie protested with a pout, rubbing her whole body against Twilight's. "But Maaaster," she whined. "You could see her from the floor, couldn't you?"

"Up," replied Twilight firmly, glancing up at Pinkie over her shoulder.

"Aww. Yes, Master," Pinkie replied, rolling off Twilight and standing up.

Twilight blinked as she sat up. "Wait. Pinkie, are you not wearing any panties?"

"Silly Master! Why would I wear panties when I want to show off my pussy and bouncy butt to you?" Pinkie replied cheerfully, flipping up her skirt and thrusting her jiggling bubble-butt at Twilight with a playful wink.

"Uh. I. That's a good question," Twilight stuttered, straightening up and brushing herself down. Pinkie really was gorgeous, and her unfailing good humour was wonderfully contagious. Reaching out, she seized a handful of the other mare's generous ass, squeezing firmly. "Mm! You're so soft and squeezable. You have a wonderful ass, Pinkie."

"Aww, thank you! I like your ass too, Master," Pinkie giggled, "you're really, really pretty."

Rarity set her empty cup and saucer aside, clearing her throat quietly, with a pointed glance towards the door.

Twilight blushed, and let go of Pinkie's behind. "Please sit with Rarity, Pinkie. I'm ready for my present, now."

"Wonderful," Rarity replied smoothly. "Ambassador? The Princess is ready to greet you."

There was silence, and stillness from behind the door. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, only to be quietened by a gesture from Rarity's upraised hand.

Then, slowly, the door opened.

Princess Ember, daughter of the Dragon Lord, Ambassador to Equestria, stood there, blushing hotly. She wore a tiny pair of black panties, with a little pink bow over her mons, and a neat little black bra fringed with white lace atop the cups. Sleek black stockings coated her thighs, frilled with white lace at the top and held firmly in place by a thick band around mid-thigh with a prominent black buckle. The feet of the glistening stockings had been cut to allow her clawed toes to poke free - in fact, they seemed to have been made for her species specifically. Matching black gloves coated her arms to the elbow. As if all of that wasn't enough, a wide collar decorated with prominent spikes was wrapped around her throat, and a matching one fastened around the end of her tail, frilled with lace. It was as though somepony had started with an exotic maid outfit, then refined it down, further and further, until Ember was barely wearing anything at all, but what was left declared 'Maid'.

Twilight swallowed, a hot flush making her skin tingle. There was something deliciously intense about seeing the proud dragon wearing a spiked collar, just for her. She watched with new hunger in her eyes as Ember slowly approached, the claws on her broad, bare feet clicking softly on the wood like high heels.

"Ember, dear?" prompted Rarity.

The deep, vibrant blue of Ember's head crest darkened a little further, her look of embarrassed arousal deepening, and she slowly, inexpertly curtsied. "How may I serve you, Ma'am?" she managed.

"Oh, my stars, yes," murmured Twilight softly. "Ember, you look... wow. Yes. Come here."

Opening her arms, Twilight wrapped them around the pale blue dragoness, feeling the pattern of her tiny, delicate scales under her fingertips, and the heat that burned beneath. "You look wonderful," Twilight breathed.

"You ponies have the whole thing backwards," Ember replied, her tail lashing restlessly behind her. "Being naked isn't embarrassing, it's natural. These clothes are, though."

"Do you know what they mean?" Twilight asked, a teasing note in her voice despite her very real and genuine curiosity.

"...Rarity told me they mean I'm sexually available and devoted to serving you," Ember replied, with a trace of self-consciousness. "Look, that's the kind of thing that dragons don't do, naturally. You crush someone, then they'll do as they're told. But she wanted this to be a surprise, so."

"Is that so?" Twilight asked softly. Reaching up, she stroked her hand along Ember's cheek, then seized hold of one of her curving horns, and breathed, "Do you want me to crush you, Ember? Because I can. I can make you obey."

A delicious tremor ran through Ember, and her voice lowered a little. "...yes. Do it."

Twilight had, for that moment, quite forgotten she had an audience. Rarity's delicate cough abruptly reminded her of the fact, and - still entwined with Ember - she glanced over at the two mares sat on the couch. Pinkie was watching with avid, gleeful delight, but Rarity herself looked a little awkward.

"Ah - my Lady. I'm sorry to bring this up, but I feel I'd be remiss in not mentioning it, before you... we grow distracted." Reaching into her purse, she removed a sealed envelope. "Before we parted, Spike received a letter for you. It is from Trixie. I wouldn't mention it, save for the fact that it is marked Most Urgent. Though goodness knows what qualifies as most urgent to that uncouth showmare."

Squeezing Ember against her more tightly, Twilight shut her eyes for a moment. She didn't, really didn't, want to interrupt what she was doing. And Rarity's scepticism about Trixie's sense of priorities was probably justified. And Ember, glorious and strange and so full of knowledge Twilight hadn't even begun to tap yet, was in her arms.

But, but, but. Most Urgent. And how long would it take, really, to check what it said?

Exhaling deeply, Twilight opened her eyes. "Ember, please fetch it for me."

"...sure." Ember pulled a face, obviously finding the interruption just as unpalatable as Twilight did and far less shy about showing it, but she crossed to the couch in a few long strides, grabbed the letter, then turned to offer it to Twilight.

The envelope read, 'To the Magnificent Princess of Magic, Twilight Sparkle, a Most Urgent Missive from her Faithful and Loyal Apprentice, Trixie Lulamoon, For Her Eyes Alone'. Smiling fondly, Twilight broke the seal - briefly impressed as a flash of magic revealed it had been imbued with a recognition spell - and opened it up.

My glorious, perfect Mistress,

Your eager, slutty worshipper has discovered a matter of incredible importance. Two of the Seekers have ceased sending messages, and furthermore, their last message described a village where nopony ever leaves. All of the villagers have the same cutie mark! In the sensuous and spectacular Trixie's judgement, something very bad is happening there, and we must leave at once. Only the gloriously fuckable Trixie and her magical Mistress can resolve this danger!

Come urgently,

Your Most Perfect Slave, Trixie

P.S. Luna agrees.

P.P.S. Trixie is sick of these boring, mundane ponies, and needs to be at your side. Do not leave her stranded like this again.

Clearly something of what she was reading had shown in her face; Rarity's expression had become worried, and Pinkie was frowning curiously at the letter. Ember crossed her arms, with a growing look of impatience. "Well?" the dragoness demanded.

"…it's not good," Twilight sighed. "Here, you can read it if you like."

Ember snatched the letter and scanned it briefly, then handed it off to Rarity and looked back towards Twilight. "So there are some ponies with the same cutie mark. So? It's bound to happen. Makes sense they'd live together."

"No, it isn't," Twilight corrected her quietly. "Cutie marks are unique. Sometimes twins can have really similar ones, and trends tend to run in families, but to find two unrelated ponies with identical cutie marks would be unheard of. There's simply no way an entire village has the same ones. That means that some kind of magic is altering them, making them uniform, and that's incredibly dangerous. A pony's cutie mark is the very heart of who they are and what they want. To change that is to change everything about them. Even more than-" she broke off, having forgotten for a moment that Ember didn't know about the charm, and shook her head to mask her moment of confusion. "I don't know of any magic that could do it. I need to go and find out what's going on."

She really didn't want to say it. Ember was right there, dressed up for her, ready to please. And then there was Pinkie, and Rarity, and Fluttershy's day out, and she wasn't done punishing Celestia… "At once," Twilight finished, reluctantly.

"You're not serious," Ember replied, narrowing her eyes. Seeing the answer on Twilight's face, the dragoness flicked her tail in visible annoyance, exhaling loudly, then nodded. "…fine. Your subjects are in trouble. I get it."

"But, but – sex party!" protested Pinkie, bouncing off the sofa and tugging on Twilight's blouse pleadingly. "The whole party is ready to go! Everypony is coming!"

"I'm sorry, I really am," Twilight apologised, sighing deeply. "I don't want to go. But I can't ignore this. I sent the ponies that reported this; I have to go make sure they're okay."

"Will you be needing us, Twilight?" Rarity asked, cutting straight to the point. "I was expecting to be in Ponyville for some time longer, but I could find arrangements for Sweetie Belle if you will need the Elements to accompany you."

Good question, Twilight thought. Did she need the Elements? Cutie mark manipulation magic was serious. But on the other hand, she wanted to leave right away, and it could take time for the others to untangle themselves from their responsibilities. Sweetie Belle was just the tip of the iceberg. The truth was, she'd dragged all of her friends and lovers here and there across Equestria recently - was it fair to demand they drop everything and run yet again, on the basis of a single note? Besides, if she turned up with the entire Elements of Harmony, whoever was responsible might flee before she could find out what was happening.

She and Trixie could scout out the place - they'd be less noticeable as a pair, and they could both disguise themselves - and if it did seem too dangerous to deal with herself, she could summon the others. Or one of the Princesses. Besides, it would show faith in Trixie to take her along, and Trixie badly needed to feel trusted.

In the end, she was the Princess of Magic, and she'd fought Celestia to a dead standstill. She'd be fine.

"...no, that's okay," Twilight said slowly. "It wouldn't hurt to make arrangements over the next few days, though, just in case I do call on you. If I run into something I can't handle, I'll send word. Ember, I'm so sorry about this. I'm not sure how long this will take. What will you do?"

Exhaling in annoyance, Ember straightened her back, giving a frustrated flap of her wings. "If you're leaving, I'm not going to stick around waiting. I should go and talk to my father. I'm taking this outfit, though. We're not done."

"It can be something to remind you of all this," agreed Twilight with a touch of relief, thankful that Ember didn't seem to be too insulted. "When you're alone. Touching yourself. In fact-" Twilight glanced across the room, and a swirl of her magic caught hold of the discarded dildo she'd been teasing Celestia with earlier. Levitating it into her hands, a simple cleaning spell ran along it with a ripple of light, leaving it pristine. Kissing the tip playfully, Twilight offered it into Ember's hands. "You can take this with you, too. For when you linger on your fond memories."

A fresh flush of blue pulsed through Ember's head crest, and the dragoness took the toy in her clawed fingers, feigning casualness. "Sure. Yeah. I guess I can take this with me, too."

"Make good use of it," Twilight admonished her playfully.

Ember grinned, then her expression changed, and she added more slowly, "Talking about what I'm taking with me when I leave. I was gonna save this for later, but with things the way they are - there's something else, too. You might not like it."

Twilight rocked in her lounge seat as the train clattered over a set of points, staring out of the window. They were nearly in Canterlot already; her private train was light, pulled by a swift, modern engine, and when both Princesses had made it clear they were in a hurry, the engine driver and engineers had pushed it to the very limits of its capacity.

Ember's voice rang through her thoughts.

"I'm taking Spike back with me to visit the Dragon Lands."

"What? Why? Has he agreed to this?"

"He has no idea about his own species, Twilight. He doesn't know our history, or culture. He doesn't know how his own body works, for smoke's sake, he didn't even know he was going to develop wings. He needs to learn."

"...I see. But he's okay with this?"

"Yes. Look, Twilight, he feels like you don't need him around here. He's growing up, and you're treating him like a hatchling. Trust me, he'll be okay."

"I... okay. But I want to see him, before I go, so he knows I worry about him, and I care about him. I have to give him advice! And a selection of books!"

"He'll be back before you know he's gone. And then - then I'll have a reason to come back, too."

So much had happened, so quickly. She'd had to pack travel gear, and soothe everypony's hurt feelings, and tell the others that Lightning was sort-of part of things now. From their reactions, apparently she'd been the last pony to know Rainbow and Lightning had been having a relationship. That had stung. Despite feeling a little awkward about it, she'd carefully made it clear that if any of her other slaves decided they wanted to have a relationship outside the harem, she'd like to know beforehand.

She didn't want to have that kind of surprise twice.

As for Spike, she had a creeping feeling that he might have been the one to suggest he visit the Dragon Lands with Ember. She'd underplayed the potential risks of the task she was undertaking, not wanting to worry him, and he, in turn, had been studiously casual about the prospect of travelling beyond Equestria's borders. Ember had had a point, though. She hadn't known that Spike would develop wings, as he matured, or how he'd develop at all, in the long term. She didn't have the right to stop him learning about his heritage. If only there'd been more time... there had been so much more she'd wanted to say, so much she'd wanted to reassure him about, but the train was ready there at the platform, huffing and steaming impatiently...

She could fix it all later, when she got back. None of her slaves were happy about being left behind, but it wouldn't be for long. She had to turn her focus ahead, and think clearly.

Turning her head, she caught Celestia's eye. "Do you think a week is an appropriate length of time? Is it too long?"

The elder alicorn seemed to withdraw from her own private thoughts, focusing on Twilight. "I believe it's appropriate. I do appreciate the trust you've placed in me, my little pony. It should not be necessary, in any case."

"I really don't think it will be. But – you know me. I don't like to take risks without making contingency plans."

Celestia's smile was wry. "Yes. I'm aware of your tendency to plan ahead."

Twilight had started with the worst-possible case, and planned backwards: if she was defeated, or even influenced, the best possible pony to rescue her would be Cadance. But Cadance was unaware of a lot of things, and she was far away in the Crystal Empire. Much like the Elements, it would take time to seek her out for her help, and she might be fully occupied looking after her own realm. The second best pony was Celestia herself – if she wasn't bound by all of the charm commands that prevented her from remembering the exact details of the charm, or turning against Twilight. Of course, if Celestia was released from all her commands, she'd be a tremendous danger to Twilight herself, but…

Twilight had chosen to put her trust in her mentor, and amended Celestia's conditioning. If she didn't receive an arranged all-clear signal within seven days, all of her charmed restrictions would shut off. And in return, Celestia had pledged not to abuse the trust Twilight had placed in her. Twilight could have used the charm to check if her mentor was sincere, or made sure she couldn't lie, but hadn't.

There was always the chance it could blow up horribly in her face, but…

"…it feels good to trust you again," Twilight finished quietly, aloud. "Not because of charm compulsion, or because I defeated you. Because you're precious to me, and I believe you wouldn't lie to me, not anymore. You know I love you, Princess. Very much."

Before she knew it, Celestia's smooth arms had encircled her, her wings enfolding them both. Being held that way always made Twilight feel like a young filly again, safe and protected. Celestia said nothing for a long moment, and Twilight nestled her head against the other mare's chest, listening to her heartbeat.

"You will be fine," Celestia finally murmured. "Whatever is happening, I trust you to resolve it, as I have so many threats before. Should you call for me, I will be at your side the moment the words leave your lips."

"Thank you," replied Twilight softly.

She might have said more, had not the train jerked and begun to slow rapidly. Lifting her head from Celestia's pillowy chest, she glanced out of the window at the familiar landscape of Canterlot dazzling under the sun. "We're here," she sighed. "I'll pick up Trixie, and she and I will get going. It shouldn't be too hard to slip away."

Coasting now, travelling at no more than a brisk walking pace, the train pulled into the station. Glancing out of the window herself, Celestia began to smile. "Will it not?" she inquired pleasantly.

Twilight groaned.

A few moments later, Celestia emerged from the carriage, to a grand fanfare. Twilight stepped out after her, prompting another surging musical blast from the assembled trumpeters. The platform was packed, wall to wall with dignitaries, guards, and excitable crowds. A vast banner hung above it all, proclaiming, "Welcome Home, Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia!"

Trixie stood beside Luna, in front of all of it, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

Luna seemed to be trying not to smirk.

"Oh, no," Twilight muttered under her breath, through her fixed smile. "I've got to get out of here! Any minute now, Diorite and the others will try to form up on me, and then I'm going to have to have another 'why don't you trust us to protect you' talk, and I barely managed to get away to Ponyville by myself!"

"How terrible," Celestia murmured politely.

"You hate this sort of thing! It's so boring it drives you crazy!" Twilight whispered fiercely, her awkward smile wedged on her face.

"You make things more enjoyable just by being here, Twilight."

Unable to restrain herself any further, Trixie broke ranks and rushed over to the two of them as the royal band broke into another round of musical accompaniment. "Twilight!" she greeted her Mistress loudly. "The skilfully spellbinding Trixie has missed you so much!"

"As have I," Luna agreed, approaching at a more sedate pace. Smiling at Celestia, she added warmly, "Greetings, my sister. It is good to see you once more."

Hugging Trixie, and only just remembering in time not to kiss her in front of all the cameras in Canterlot, Twilight looked up at Luna and remarked wryly, "Has Celestia's bad behaviour been rubbing off on you?"

"Your royal welcome? It was purely the idea of thy apprentice. Though I shall not pretend not to take some measure of amusement in seeing it done." Turning her head slightly towards Celestia, Luna added, "I imagine you must be eager to assume thy role in guiding the matters of the country, now that you have returned to the capital."

Oh, no you don't, Twilight thought, but before she could speak up, Celestia beat her to it.

"I've no intention of retaking the reins prematurely, I promise. I would like to know a little of what is happening, though. Twilight has been very assiduous in keeping me busy."

"Yes, I'm aware. Your letters were most informative," replied Luna blandly.

Celestia actually giggled, the sound sending a little tremor of happiness through Twilight's heart, then the Princess replied, "So I understand. In any case, once we've caught up, I intend to lounge around my chambers and eat cake while you deal with the difficult business of keeping Equestria on an even keel."

"There are no cakes," Trixie broke in. "The magnificent and influential Trixie sought some out, and was told the larders were out entirely."

Blinking once, Celestia drew herself up to her full, impressive height. "No cakes? That is unacceptable. I will deal with it."

Trixie turned to Luna, and gestured at her sister. "Do you see? Here is a Princess with the correct sense of priorities."

Twilight shook her head, and smiled at Luna. She opened her mouth to speak, then, as a camera flashed, froze. She couldn't really say any of the things she wanted to, not here, in front of everypony. Not now.

"...I've missed you," she managed, awkwardly.

"I know, Twilight," Luna replied softly, her back to the onlooking crowd. "I hear the words unspoken. And I know that you must go. I shall continue to miss thee in thy absence."

Stepping closer, Twilight gave Luna a quick, chaste hug, her body aching for a more substantial embrace. The other mare's midnight blue lips were right there, gently parted, ripe for kissing... and Twilight stepped away, instead.

"Come on, Trixie," she said, in a quiet, carefully controlled voice, turning towards the train. "It's best we leave, before anything else happens."

"Trixie is eager to begin! It was her diligent attention to your correspondence, as you so wisely asked, that led the attentive and efficient Trixie to..."

The carriage door slammed behind them, cutting off the noise of the crowd outside. Twilight looked out through the small, oval window in the door as the train began to huff and chuff once more, and the two Princesses slid backwards, out of sight.

"Darn it," she murmured quietly.

Trixie paused, breaking off in the middle of her rapid flow of self-praise. "Mistress?" The realisation that they were no longer stood in front of a crowd visibly broke over her, and she threw herself at Twilight, nuzzling close and kissing the taller mare's neck. "Mistress! The slutty and submissive fuckdoll Trixie has missed being your obedient whore so badly! Tear off her clothes and show her what she's been missing! Let her strip you, and worship you, and-"

"Sssh," Twilight interrupted, very softly. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around Trixie, hugging her tightly. "I missed you, too. It's good to have you with me, Trixie. Could you... I'd like it if we could just cuddle for a while. Maybe rub my back."

"Anything you desire, Mistress, Trixie will give to you," the showmare promised sincerely.

A few days later, the two of them stood on a shallow rise, looking down at what, with some imagination, could be stretched to meet the definition of 'a town'. Two short lines of houses jutted out of the scrub, a couple of houses seemingly under construction at the end of each row, with one larger house overlooking the resulting single street. The settlement, whatever it was called - no pony they'd met on the way, and there had been very few of those, had been able to give a name for the place - lay far to the north-west of Manehattan, in an undistinguished, dusty, barren landscape.

It was remote. It wasn't the kind of landscape that brought to mind ascetic appreciation, the kind that expressed a sort of empty, lonely grandeur. Not here. This was dry, and tired, and uninspired. It was a flat, empty nothing, with occasional scraggly trees stuck on it. To the far north, well out of sight, the distant ramparts of the Crystal Mountains began to rear their cloud-topped heads, while to the south, fencing in the plain, another set of lower, lesser mountains walled off the world.

"What kind of pony would actually choose to live here?" complained Trixie, coughing as windblown dust once again agitated her nose. "The sooner that the sensuously slutty Trixie and her glorious Mistress are finished and can leave again, the better." A sly look crossed her face, and she added, "...although, if you'd like to spend some time travelling back the slow way, Mistress, Trixie just loves travelling with you, just the two of us, the way it should be."

Twilight touched Trixie's cheek, stroking with her thumb. The two of them wore travelling cloaks, hoods settled around their necks, over nondescript clothes that they'd purchased on the way. Rucksacks carried travelling provisions - and hid the telltale bulge of Twilight's wings. "Maybe we can go to Manehattan on the way back," she allowed. "It did seem like a shame to get off the train before we even passed through the mountain tunnel."

"And then, when you're no longer worried, you can finally fuck your obedient slut Trixie senseless, the way she deserves," Trixie purred, nuzzling her face against Twilight's fingers.

"I'm sorry," Twilight apologised softly, her gaze drawn back to the solitary town - a village, really, and barely a village at that. She could see the distant figures of ponies moving around, dressed in uniformly grey clothes; there seemed to be rather more ponies than the small number of houses could account for. They had to be sleeping in groups, maybe while they erected more houses. Her chest felt tight with unpleasant anticipation. "I know I've been tense. It's not what you hoped for when we went off together."

"Trixie forgives you," the showmare declared magnanimously. "She will dazzle you with her performance! She will give these ponies a show that they will speak of for-"

"Somepony's coming!" hissed Twilight suddenly, catching sight of movement amongst the rocks. "As we practised - disguises, quickly!"

"Yes, Mistress!"

Two horns curved and dipped in unison, and a sheen of illusion flowed over both of them, transforming them in a hundred subtle ways. Twilight had taken on a pale blue colour, not dissimilar to Trixie's usual tone, her mane fluffed up into pink curls, while Trixie was suddenly white, her hair shifted to a cornflower yellow. It was the small changes to their faces, though, that rendered them unrecognisable. There was no disguising Twilight's height - but unlike Celestia and Luna, she was merely tall for a unicorn, not unmatched by any mortal pony.

A few moments later, regimented footsteps approached, in perfect step. Twilight tensed, her horn lowered slightly as she unconsciously assumed a defensive position. "Take your cue from me!" she whispered.

"Hello?" called a female voice. A pair of ponies emerged from around a dusty, eroded boulder; unicorns both, a stallion and mare dressed in the same grey clothes as the townsfolk below, manes cut to the same pattern. The mare was pale red, with a dull green mane and tail, and a prominent cutie mark of a compass on her exposed thigh where the loose slacks were cut in a u-shaped dip. The male, meanwhile, was a pale tan, with a pastel blue mane, his identical clothes displaying his candle cutie mark.

Lime Fizz, and Burdock, the missing seekers.

"Greetings, travellers," Burdock said warmly. "Are you on the way to visit the town?" His voice lowered a little, and he added, "We don't see many visitors in these parts. Haven't had any for a while, actually. Does anything specific draw you to these parts?"

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, then hesitated. Something felt off about all this. On the other hand, she'd expected to have to scour the village for signs of where the Seekers had gone, and here they were, seemingly unharmed. And if she pretended not to know them, she wasn't going to get to talk to them about what they'd found, which left her investigating the village on her own, so...

"...you're Lime Fizz and Burdock, aren't you?" she asked slowly. "I'm Dewey Drop, and this is Page Turner. We were sent out after your letter came in." Her own voice sounded odd in her ears, subtly tweaked to make it harder to recognise.

Lime Fizz relaxed, and punched Burdock's arm. "See? I told you she'd send somepony." Looking back at Twilight, she added, "We're glad to have you here. I think the Princess needs to hear about what's happening here, and it'd carry more weight from four of us rather than two."

"Has there been a second induction already?" asked Burdock. "Pretty sure we haven't met."

"Of course!" broke in Trixie. "Dewey Drop graduated top of her cohort, you should know. You should be very honoured she is here."

"I guess that explains why Princess Twilight picked you to send out to us," remarked Lime Fizz. "Have there been any other findings yet?"

"Not yet," replied Twilight, casting a sharp look at Trixie. "Can I ask - why are you dressed that way? Are you living in the town?"

"The townsfolk have a guest lodge," Burdock replied. "We camped out here for a while, but we weren't learning anything new, and sleeping on the rocks isn't fun. They haven't asked anything of us, other than helping raise the new buildings, but we've found it easier to wear clothes like they do while we're here. They can be nervous around strangers; it was hard to get anypony to talk to us otherwise."

"Same thing with the manecut," chipped in Lime Fizz. "It's not the style I'd have chosen, but it's just hair, we can always do something else with it later."

"...okay," Twilight allowed, glancing down at the village again, "but why haven't you been writing further reports? We were worried about you."

"We've been waiting for the travelling mailpony that visits every week," Lime Fizz replied blithely. "He didn't show up last week, and for the one before that, we weren't ready to send another follow-up. We wanted to make sure we understood what was going on down there. Besides," she added more sheepishly, "I'm no good at sending spells. I thought I'd have more time to work on it before anything happened, but here we are."

"Then what is happening down there? I, Page Turner, insist on being told what is going on with the cutie marks of these townsfolk!" Trixie demanded impatiently.

Burdock glanced at Lime Fizz. The two seemed to share a moment of wordless debate, then he said slowly, "It's complicated. We don't really get it, and we don't like it. But in short, they've decided to give them up."

Beneath her cloak, Twilight felt all her feathers stand on end. "Given up their cutie marks? Voluntarily? No pony would ever do that," she protested. "How would that even be possible?"

"We're not sure," confessed Lime Fizz. "There's some kind of ritual they carry out in a cave above town, we think, but they don't want to talk about it, no new arrivals have shown up since we started watching the place, and we weren't going to volunteer to find out the hard way."

"Though we were frequently invited," added Burdock.

Twilight bit her lower lip unhappily. "That isn't a lot to go on," she murmured.

"We can take you down there," volunteered Lime Fizz. "The townsfolk won't mind telling you all about why they're doing this; they told us enough times. It's all about everypony being equal. That's what they say, anyway."

Again, Twilight hesitated. She almost wanted to just leave, but obviously she couldn't. There was some kind of magic going on here that she didn't like, or understand. It was exactly the kind of thing she'd created the Seekers to uncover in the first place; she couldn't back away now. "Very well. Who is running the town?"

"They don't really have a leader," replied Burdock. "Everypony is equal; that's the point. But Starlight Glimmer gives advice to help ponies decide what to do."

"We should stay away from her for now, I think," broke in Lime Fizz. "And if you're okay with it, it'd be better if we went in two pairs, not all together. Like I said, they don't like talking to outsiders, much. They know Burdock and I, or at least, they do now, but if we turn up in a big group, they won't say anything."

The tense, gut-churning feeling of wrongness in Twilight's stomach grew sharper. "Page Turner, why don't you stay here? You should be able to keep an eye on what's happening in town. You never know; we might need to leave in a hurry."

"But-" Trixie began indignantly, then subsided as Twilight frowned at her meaningfully. "Fine. I, the mighty Page Turner, will stay here and watch closely."

"I'll stay with you, if you don't mind," Burdock agreed. "I can help identify most of the ponies they talk to from up here."

"Alright, Dewey Drop, that makes it just us. Let's go. See you later, Rock," Lime Fizz remarked to Burdock, turning expectantly towards Twilight.

"...keep your eyes open," Twilight said quietly, touching Trixie's shoulder. "I won't be gone long. If anything happens, send a message back straight away."

Trixie's hand covered Twilight's. She opened her mouth, then paused and filtered whatever she had been about to say, promising instead, "I won't let you down."

Twilight drew away slowly. Lime Fizz was watching the two of them curiously, while Burdock had turned his orange-brown eyes down towards the town in a gesture of privacy. For some obscure reason, Twilight felt a blush heat her cheeks. "Okay. Let's go."

To her credit, Lime Fizz contained herself until they'd walked down the path, out of earshot, before she asked, "So. You and Page Turner. Are you just partners, or partners?"

It really was going to be impossible to hide the nature of her relationships with the ponies she'd taken into her harem forever. If it could be picked out so quickly and easily, by a pony they'd only just met... Twilight walked in silence for a moment, then replied, "It's complicated. It's accurate to say we're more than friends, right now."

"I wasn't judging," replied Lime Fizz nonchalantly.

"Why did you call Burdock Rock?" Twilight asked quickly, changing the subject to something less perilously intimate.

"Oh, that. Well, I started calling him Rock because of the rhyme, and he calls me Scissors."

"Like rock, paper, scissors? Is there a paper?"

Lime Fizz looked almost embarrassed for a moment, then her expression smoothed out, and she shrugged. "Princess Twilight. That's what we call her. Not in the reports."

Twilight coughed, oddly touched by the idea, and tried to keep the little blush from her cheeks. "I think she'd like that, actually. Still - the town. Do you think they'll talk to me? Can you keep us away from this Starlight that Burdock mentioned for the time being?"

"Hm. Well, as long as I'm with you, they should talk to you. Your clothes are different, but not too flashy, that will help. I don't know about Starlight, though. As you've seen, it's not a big town."

As they'd talked and descended the gentle slope, the ponies milling about had become more distinct and recognisable, a healthy mix of earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Several of them were working amongst the framework of an unfinished house at the end of one of the twin rows, the sounds of hammering and sawing carrying clearly on the breeze.

It almost looked normal. Then, as Twilight grew closer, she began to pick out their expressions.

Everypony looked happy. Extremely happy. Wide, glistening smiles, left and right, as though every single pony in town just couldn't be happier to be there. And that wasn't the worst of it, because on each thigh, exposed by traditional cut-outs in the drab work clothes, was a plain grey equals sign. They had to have noticed she was there, dressed differently as she was, but none of them were approaching her yet.

A shiver ran through Twilight, a sick feeling in her stomach as they walked into the avenue between the houses. It was wrong, deeply, fundamentally wrong, to see so many ponies with their cutie marks, their individuality, erased. The identical mane cuts and clothes only furthered the impression of unsettling uniformity. She glanced at Lime Fizz's mark for reassurance; she'd have hated to have felt like she was the only pony in town that still had a cutie mark of her own.

"It's horrible," she murmured.

"I'm sorry?" asked a stallion, with a small frown.

Twilight jumped; she hadn't realised anypony was close enough to overhear. Flashing a sickly smile of her own, she replied, "Sorry, I was… thinking of something else."

"Dewey Drop, I'd like you to meet Double Diamond," Lime Fizz cut in quickly. "He's the one that helped Burdock and I find a place to stay while we're in town. Double Diamond, this is Dewey Drop. She's a… friend of mine. From Canterlot."

"Welcome to our town," Double Diamond said politely. He was striking, in his own way, his skin matching his mane in pure white. "Have you come to join us in Equality?"

"Uh… not today," Twilight said, a little too hurriedly. "In fact, I was hoping to learn more about your town?" She finished the sentence on an upward, questioning note, trying not to look at his cutie mark again.

Impossibly, his gleaming smile grew wider. "I'd be delighted to tell you all about it. We have a very special community, here. We're all very happy."

"And… nothing is bothering you? Nothing you feel you're missing?" Twilight asked weakly.

"Why, no. My life is perfectly complete, there's nothing I could possibly ask for. I'm surrounded by good friends, living together in harmony," he replied brightly.

Twilight had once heard of an obscure expression, 'the elephant in the room'. Apparently, elephants were huge, grey animals, and the expression referred to trying to pretend one wasn't there when it was filling a small room to bursting. It had sounded strange to her at the time, but at that moment, she suddenly felt she understood what it was like to have an elephant staring you in the face, and possibly standing on your foot. She simply couldn't ignore it.

"But… your cutie mark. Surely you didn't always have an equals sign?" she asked desperately.

"No, not always. I don't like to think about those times," he replied, with a trace of firmness. "Special talents cause discord, and bitterness. They mean nothing but arguments. I'm much happier since I got rid of mine, and every pony in town will tell you the same thing."

"You chose to give it up? It was a voluntary choice?" Twilight pursued, frowning.

"That's right, I did. Now I'm friends with everypony in town! Our life is so much better."

"But-" Twilight began, before receiving a sharp nudge in the flank from Lime Fizz.

"Welcome to our town," came an aristocratic voice from behind her. "I see you've met Double Diamond and Lime Fizz already. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Starlight Glimmer."

Twilight turned, slowly.

Starlight was tall for a unicorn - though still shorter than Twilight - and slim. She wore the same clothes as all the others, but they seemed somehow better tailored for her, more form-fitting. Her purple mane had a colourful streak through it, over vibrant pink skin that, like all the others, was marked with a prominent equals sign. Compared to everypony else in the town, she seemed somehow more vivid, more real. There was a sharp intelligence in her eyes, an almost predatory element to her smile. "It's so nice to meet you," she said sweetly.

"It's good to meet you, too," Twilight said, with a forced smile in return. "My name is Dewey Drop. I'm visiting Lime Fizz, actually."

"Why, Lime Fizz! You didn't tell me you were inviting guests to our town," said Starlight, without taking her eyes off Twilight. "You must be very curious about our way of life, Dewey Drop. Why don't I show you around? Just the two of us."

"I should probably come," Lime Fizz broke in. "I wouldn't want Dewey Drop to feel like she didn't know anypony."

"I'm sure we'd get to know each other in no time," Starlight replied lightly. "But very well. This way. I'll speak to you later, Double Diamond," she added dismissively.

"Of course, Starlight," he replied, dipping his head, then trotting off.

Hmm. "So you're in charge around here?" Twilight asked innocently.

"No pony is in charge, here," Starlight corrected her quietly but firmly. "We all work together, to make our town better. A society of equals. Equality is the very essence of who we are."

"And what if several ponies disagree over the right thing to do? And there are the same number for and against? Who decides then?" Twilight asked, following Starlight as the other mare strolled unhurriedly down the street, towards the large building at the end of it.

"We would talk over the reasons that lie behind our decisions until somepony is persuaded of the merit of the other course of action, naturally. We don't need somepony to be in charge."

"What about disputes, then? Or resource allocation, like who sleeps where?"

"There are no disputes here, Dewey. May I call you Dewey? A society of equals has no need to argue. Everything is shared - equally. No one has more than any other. There is no resentment, or envy, or jealousy here. It's a paradise," she sighed contentedly. "A paradise of peace, companionship and harmony. There's nowhere else like it in Equestria. At least, not yet."

Starlight paused to wave a greeting to ponies as they passed, each returning the gesture enthusiastically with those ever-present wide smiles. Twilight attempted to hide her frown, but with mixed success at best. It was too unnerving, too unsettling being surrounded by ponies that had apparently given up their cutie marks of their own free will.

And there was that 'not yet', which rang with threat at the back of Twilight's mind.

"Everypony disagrees sometimes," she protested. "You have to have different ideas. The very best ideas are usually synthesised from several points of view."

"We don't disagree, here. When we live in harmony, disagreement is impossible, Dewey. We all work together, flawlessly. It's a lesson for Equestria as a whole, it truly is. We've achieved so much."

Everypony I know would disagree with you. Twilight thought better of protesting it. Starlight would only say it was because other ponies weren't part of their society - yet. Instead, she tried, "Why do you all wear the same clothes? And the same mane cut? What if a pony wants to wear something different?"

"We agreed on the design. We can all make these clothes. There is no need to pay others to make things for you, no accumulation of wealth that breeds resentment, that makes some the servants of others. It's so sad that in the rest of Equestria, some ponies are barely scraping by, while other ponies live like royalty."

Twilight tried to hide the little wince that crossed her face.

"Besides," Starlight went on, "the clothes promote unity. As does the mane style. It's simple, and robust, and reminds all of us that we are part of a team. A unit. Unity in thought and deed is a very important guiding principle."

"But – surely you can't be doing that for everything. Only using tools that everypony can make? Only wearing cloth that everypony can weave?" Twilight protested.

"In fact, we can," replied Starlight with immense calm. "We can teach ponies how to weave cloth, and forge tools. If we didn't, some ponies would have abilities others didn't. They could pick and choose who to help, and who not to help. They'd have power over their fellows. And that stops them being friends. It introduces jealousy, and envy." She stopped walking, and turned to face Twilight directly. "Even one pony that is different is enough to ruin everything," she said softly.

This is madness. Twilight felt a dizzying pulse of cold, tight tension squeeze her chest. More sharply than she'd meant to, she demanded, "And that's why everypony's cutie mark is gone? Because differences can't be tolerated?"

"After we talked, they've all agreed that it was best. These are ponies that have been burned in the past, Dewey. They've seen how terrible pride and jealousy can be. We're all together, now, trusting each other completely, supporting and looking after each other. This is harmony, the purest friendship. We all decided on this." Starlight's stare was piercing, a small smile playing about the corner of her lips. "You seem a little agitated by our town. You shouldn't be. All you see here - our togetherness, our happiness - is the result of our common will. Really, Dewey, open your mind to the possibilities. You could be very happy here."

And that was the worst thing. If Starlight was telling the truth, if they'd really chosen all of this, freely and without coercion, then there was nothing Twilight could do.

If they had.

"I'm interested in how it's possible," Twilight said slowly. "I don't know of any spell that could do such a thing to cutie marks. When somepony joins you, what then?"

"We celebrate! We rejoice, because we've found a new friend," Starlight said, with pleasant brightness. "It's a wonderful day for us all."

"And the cutie mark... removal?"

"Equalisation," Starlight corrected her. "I don't wish to offend, of course, but that is the very heart of what makes our society possible. If you wished to learn by example what it feels like to join us, of course, that could easily be arranged. We'd welcome you! And if you decide that it isn't for you, then the process can be undone easily. No pony is here against their will, of course. Try it. Just for a day or two. You'll be amazed how much better you'll feel."

Twilight's eyes narrowed. Abruptly, she found the idea of bandying words with this pony any further completely intolerable. She should be patient, and methodical, and learn all she could from this pony before she did anything. But in the end? She didn't have to, not with the power she held, and she had had enough. "The houses here - many ponies sleep in each of them, don't they?"

Starlight frowned slightly at the sudden change of topic, though the expression almost immediately cleared as her sunny, bright smile returned. "Yes, they do. We are still growing, and faster than we can build houses. Communal living promotes togetherness, in any case. Solitary houses come to seem positively lonely, in time."

A smile touched Twilight's own lips, one that had not a hint of warmth to it. Starlight had a tendency to use 'they' and not 'we', exactly when a cynical pony might have expected her to. "The houses here form an equals sign, don't they?"

"You noticed? You're very observant, Dewey. Many of our residents didn't notice until it was pointed out to them."

"Yes, I did. But there's one house that doesn't match the pattern, isn't there?" Twilight nodded upwards at the house at the end of the street. "It's bigger than the others. It isn't part of the symbol. May I venture a guess? You live there."

Starlight's expression tightened, around her clean, gleaming teeth. "As it happens, I do."

"In fact, only you live there. Am I wrong? Enduring the solitude, as you put it. And when the equalisation takes place, you lead it. Whatever it is. And ponies around here, when you speak to them, take your suggestions very seriously. There's everypony else, all equal," Twilight launched the word with a spin of obvious disbelief, "and then there's you."

"You know nothing about our ways," Starlight replied in a low, quietly threatening tone. "I'm trying to give you the chance to learn about us, peacefully, in equality-"

"Shut up," Twilight interrupted calmly, then smiled mirthlessly again as Starlight flushed with anger. "You're not used to being interrupted either, are you? This society is nonsense, Starlight. You can choose to live without bits, everypony contributing their skills to the whole, and that's fine. That sounds nice. But you can't bring everypony down to the lowest common denominator and expect things to keep working.

"Pony civilisation only came about through specialisation. To be any good at anything takes time, and hard work, and dedication. As soon as you get beyond the most basic level of subsistence farming, there are more jobs to do than there are hours in the day to learn how to do them. So somepony practices and practices to weave cloth, and another in the forge, and another to carve wood - it's essential."

Twilight gestured around herself, at the double row of houses and the scurrying, forcefully smiling ponies. "These clothes are barely better than sack cloth and rags, and it's not out of disdain for soft cloth and pretty colours. It's because a town, under your rules, can't do better. Has anypony here actually seen a book, since this started? Even knowing things makes you different, and everypony in town can't all know how to build a printing press, so that's out. And then you start thinking about how to build a train, or any other complicated object, and all the specialised skills that takes, or any kind of advanced magic..." she trailed off, then raised a hand sharply, speaking over Starlight as the other pony spat the first few syllables of some furious retort. Stepping forward, she gestured at her own horn, and Starlight's.

"Unicorns use magic. Pegasi fly. Aren't those differences? Starlight, for all your intoning of 'not yet', as though this were the first step in a larger movement, this town doesn't work. It barely gets by as it is. If you were ever imagining Equestria like this, you're hopelessly deluded. You can't run a civilisation like this. You can't run a market stall like this. So no, I am not going to try out your 'equalisation'. Thank you for the offer."

Twilight's chest rose and fell rapidly, a trembling tension shivering through her as she glared at Starlight. The other mare seemed to have passed through those levels of fury that were expressed in screeched words, and had reached some perfect, silent plateau of teeth-grinding hatred beyond. For a moment, the only sound was a little choked noise of disbelief from Lime Fizz, standing a step back from the confrontation.

Slowly, with visible effort, Starlight reclaimed her self-control. "It's a pity that you feel the need to attack our community, who have done nothing but welcome you," she said coldly. "Not to mention your friend, Lime Fizz, and her companion. But you're still welcome to stay here, and talk to anypony you like. Perhaps you will find, in time, you will want to join us after all." She paused, then added more calmly, "I'm sorry I couldn't convince you."

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, only for a hand to settle on her shoulder and squeeze.

"We should go, Dewey," Lime Fizz said slowly and carefully, an awkward, hesitant look on her face. "I don't think this conversation is going to go anywhere good from here."

"...okay," Twilight acknowledged after a moment. Taking her eyes off Starlight, she turned around, and matched Lime Fizz's pace as the other mare led her away, the back of her neck prickling with a lingering unseen gaze. Step by step, little by little, the burst of emotional satisfaction she'd taken from telling Starlight exactly what she thought of her drained away, replaced with a quieter regret.

"I kind of screwed that up, didn't I," she said finally.

"No, not at all," Lime Fizz reassured her. The reddish pink mare hesitated, then added, "Well, okay, yes. When we first came into town, we felt like yelling at Starlight, too, but we didn't; I know it seems weird here, but we won't find out anything by getting hostile. Come on, let's go to the bakery. You can try getting to know Sugar Belle, and something to eat will make you feel better."

"That sounds nice," Twilight agreed with a sigh. Resisting the urge to ruffle her wings under the concealing backpack, she added, "I'd like to get off the street, if we can. I can still feel her staring at me."

"I'm sure we can arrange that," Lime Fizz replied soothingly. Quickening her pace, she trotted forward to a house with a low, crude table set up outside it, and knocked on the door. "Sugar Belle? Are you in there?"

The door swung open. Sugar Belle was a mare of middling height, her skin a washed-out grey-pink, and her mane a dull pastel maroon. She wore a shabby apron over her ubiquitous grey clothing, but it didn't hide the fact that her cutie mark was exactly the same as all the others. A framed equality sign hung on the wall inside. "Yes, Lime Fizz? Is there something you need?" she asked through her smile.

"Yes, there is something you can help me with," Lime Fizz said, with a trace of formality. "This is Dewey Drop. We'd like to come in and have some muffins, please."

"Oh! Ah, yes. Come in. Please, do." She seemed suddenly flustered, casting a fast, nervous glance at Twilight. "Welcome to our town. I'll be just a moment."

She backed inside, and Lime Fizz followed her, beckoning to Twilight. Exhaling softly, still mentally replaying her argument with Starlight, Twilight followed.

Inside, the building was frantically subdivided into several small rooms, with a few awkwardly made tables and chairs crammed together in one of them. Lime Fizz settled into a chair, wedging herself into a corner, and Twilight struggled to find the room to sit down herself.

"You could always take your pack off," Lime Fizz pointed out. "It's not like you'll need travelling supplies for a while."

"I'm happier keeping it on," Twilight replied quickly. She could maintain her cover for a little while, but if she spent much time in the town itself, it was going to get really hard to justify always covering her back.

It was hard, being an alicorn in disguise.

Changing the subject as quickly as she dared, Twilight asked, "Do you know Sugar Belle well? She seems a bit nervous around me."

"It's meeting strangers," Lime Fizz replied with a little shrug. "She felt the same way around me for a while."

"Here are your muffins!" interjected Sugar Belle, stepping into the room. Setting one down on a plate in front of Twilight, she added with forceful brightness, "Eat up!"

Twilight hesitated, picking up the muffin and looking at it. It looked okay, on first glance, but there was a mushiness to the dough, and when she looked closer, it was faintly grey and gritty. Of course. The principle of enforced mediocrity. They'd be no better than the worst muffins anypony in town could make. But Sugar Belle was right there, and she was trying to make friends, so...

Her cheeks bulged as she took a large bite, and tried to chew it into something she could swallow. Choking it down, she cleared her throat, and declared weakly, "Thank you. Lovely."

"Psst!" whispered Lime Fizz, nudging Twilight's leg with a water canteen under the table. Grabbing it gratefully, Twilight unscrewed it and took a few gulps of water, washing down the gritty, sticky crumbs that seemed determined to anchor themselves to the inside of her throat.

Coughing once, Twilight nodded at Sugar Belle. "So, um. Sugar Belle. Have you lived here long?"

Sugar Belle glanced at Lime Fizz, then back to Twilight. "A while," she said meekly.

"Were you here before Starlight came, or was she here from the beginning?"

"She, um. She came with the first settlers, like me," Sugar Belle replied hesitantly.

"Oh, I see. Do you know... know where...?" Twilight began, then found herself stumbling over her own words. A wave of hot dizziness swept over her, almost knocking her out of her chair, and she stumbled to her feet, suddenly claustrophobic.

"Don't worry, Dewey, you'll be okay," said Lime Fizz, rising with her and taking hold of Twilight's arm. "It's all okay. We'll help you."

There was a strange smile on Lime Fizz's lips. A horribly familiar smile.

Oh, no.

"You... somesfhing in the water?" Twilight slurred, wobbling in Lime Fizz's grip.

"And in the muffins," Lime Fizz admitted brightly. "We had to be sure."

"You - how could you!" gasped Twilight, sluggishly trying to strike Lime Fizz with the canteen. It slipped from her numb fingers, water cascading over the other pony. Lime's cutie mark smeared and ran, revealing hints of hard, grey rectangles beneath.

It was too late to argue. Nearly too late to do anything.

Her instincts took over. Her horn swirled jerkily as she tried to frame the right spell glyphs in her mind, her eyes falling shut, and a sputtering, malformed spray of magic leapt from her horn.

"Wha- she shouldn't be able to still cast spells!" she heard a voice protest, but it didn't matter. Wasn't important. Stumbling, she forced herself to think, reaching out for the familiar concepts of the charm once more. Shakily, swishing back and forth, she felt several flashes of magic leap from her horn, as clattering and crashing announced the attempts of the other two to flee the tightly-packed dining room without being struck.

"Obey your Empressh! Obey your - your Empress, obey your Empress, obey your Empress!" she gasped, fighting for self control. A roaring filled her ears, her knees weakening. "Get me out of here! Get me, get me... out of here, away... away..." she mumbled.

Her legs gave out from under her, and her head clipped something hard and wooden on the way down. Blackness rolled over her, filled with flashes of purple. Then nothing.

Author's Notes:

I've been looking forward to getting here for a while! Shame about Ember, all dressed up with no party to go to, but sometimes even mind-controlling Princesses don't get what they want.

A shorter chapter this time, and a nice quick turnaround.

-
Proofed speedily and efficiently by Djmill
Suggestions by DbzOrDie