It was like that one time she got detention in magic kindergarten. In fact, it had to be the only time, in the history of anypony, ever, for a kindergartener to score detention. How was she to know that transmogrification wasn’t a valid method of avoiding eating her broccoli? Or that winged vegetables had a tendency to kamikaze rather explosively? Well, Canterlot Magic Nursery certainly found out the hard way.

Twilight flopped bonelessly into the Society infirmary’s waiting room seat. It was much like most infirmaries, whitewashed, bright, and smelling of antiseptic and dread. Except not only were the floor and walls lined with green stripes, the words ‘SAFE ZONE’ was emblazoned along the stripes, just in case anypony forgot what all the green meant.

She idly wondered if the Society had detention. It probably did, though there’d probably be less lines and more spanking. Nurse Redheart hadn’t asked anything out of the ordinary as she checked her over, but there was something about the nurse’s intense gaze that threatened to interrogate her very soul.

Some small part of her kept reminding her that not only was Redheart a Society nurse, she alongside Doc were some of Equestria’s shrewdest medical professionals. She suspected ‘I sucked on my pencil too hard while taking notes’ was about as valid as ‘a goat ate my homework’, especially for magic-able alicorns. Redheart must have seen right through her. She was probably already on her way to report her to the society council.

Even Bell Chime had given her a dirty look before retreating into her PipSub during Redheart’s examination. If even her rather naive little kindlesprite was on to her, she was well and truly busted. It was over. The Council will probably toss her out cutie-mark-first. Or, worse, Princess Luna will probably declare her a failure as a princess! Or worse still, she’ll tell Doc and he’ll never let her anywhere near his penis, ever!

Just as Twilight was contemplating being declared a danger to stallions for life, her spiral of panic was interrupted by a yelp of pain. “Ohh ouch ouch ouch! Vaife!” A creamy gold unicorn mare instantly hopped off the chair next to her as if it was made of hot coal. She half-turned to blow on her rump, as if trying to put out the smouldering heart-shaped ember that was her cutie mark. She seemed to tense up on noticing she had an audience. “Oh, uh, sorry. Novabright accident.” She chuckled nervously. “Darnit, that nurse could have at least given this slave a block of ice to sit on. What is this slave meant to learn from having its butt on fire?”

“Novabright?” Twilight cocked her head to one side inquisitively.

“You know, starbright and hot sauce. Tastor made this slave come here and get the antidote, the old softie.” She giggled, rolling her eyes. Twilight couldn’t help but wince as she recalled what starbright was from reading her Society training manuals; It was one of the many ‘clocktail’ mixers designed to amplify sensations manifold. Such a cruel potion being mixed with hot sauce sounded downright scary and… naughty. The thought alone sent a shiver down Twilight’s spine. Whether it was a shiver of fear or excitement, it was difficult to tell. “This slave’s designation is LO-9411, though Tastor calls it ‘Loyall’ for short. This slave supposes it’s your waiting room companion for this evening, Hofrenwis.” There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she referred to herself as ‘slave’.

Twilight hesitated. She had heard some submissives refer to themselves in third person that way. Was she supposed to do the same?

“And you’re your Royal Majesty, Twilight Sparkle. This slave supposes it could have done worse for company.” She gave Twilight a friendly wink.

Saved from having to figure out what to call herself, Twilight returned the mare’s friendly smile. “Just call me Twilight.”

“Oh, well, if we’re doing boring names, I’m Guiding Star,” The unicorn chuckled, segueing back into first person. “But you can call me ‘Star’.”

“Wait, you’re the author of A Brief History of the Heavens?!” Twilight did a double take. “That….that makes you the Guiding Star, the youngest ever royal astronomer! Your work’s so far beyond our time that you were almost accused of being a Nightmare Moon worshipper before Luna returned! I’ve read all your work! You’re the most amazing—”

A boop to her muzzle halted her fangirling.

“That’s outside,” Star giggled, “Down here, I’m just another slave. That said, I’m more proud of the books I’ve written here. There’s my ‘Slave’s Guide to Cock Worship’, ‘A Slave’s Place’, and ‘Tastor Unease Yu’ to name a few.”

“Slave’s Guide to Cock Worship, A Slave’s Place, got it.” Twilight wished she had a pencil to write with, but she had been temporarily banned any writing utensils until Redheart discharged her. “What was that last one?” She wasn’t sure whether it was a title or a sneeze but she decided it was best to be polite.

“Oh, it’s an ancient Kindler dialect, ‘Dovactea’, the lingo of the age of Fire. Most ponies these days call it ‘Kindlespeak’. ‘Tastor Unease Yu’ means ‘Master strongly loves you with a sense of calm and patience’.” Star tapped her chin with a hoof thoughtfully. “You could also read ‘Dovactea for Bedrooms and Dungeons’ by yours truly. Fact: It is the only language with a word for belly rubs after having your tummy filled with your Master’s cum, and the only babble that can be understood through a mouthful of cock.”

Twilight blushed brightly at how effortlessly candid the mare was about something so graphic. Come to think of it, a lot of her new friends at the Society were similarly very casual about kink. Firefly and Fey readily came to mind, making her smile.

“There’s a smile.” Star chuckled mirthfully. “It suits you better, Twilight.”

Twilight blinked as she came to a realization; Star had been trying to cheer her up. “Uhm, you saw me moping, huh?” She murmured, sheepishly.

“Tirek could see that frown from Tartarus, sweetie. Well, we have time, seeing as Redheart is busy prying Big Mac out of Sugar Belle. Again. Those two know not to do it dry.” Star rolled her eyes. “So, want to share with Star?”

“Oh, eheheh, well…” Twilight twirled her hooftips awkwardly. “Well, you wrote a book about, well, uh, cock worship, right?”

“What was that? Couldn’t hear you, hon.” Star leaned in.

Sensing the running gag galloping at her at speed, Twilight sighed and reached for a health pamphlet from a nearby rack, one helpfully titled ‘Healthy Deepthroating, by Nurse Redheart’. Interestingly, It had an advertisement for Twilight’s favourite brand of throat lozenges on the back.

“Oh, I see.” A smile of understanding bloomed across Star’s face. “Are you worried about pleasing your dom’s shaft, be they stallion or mare?”

“Uh, stallion.” Twilight nodded, sullenly. “And yeah, I kind of choked. Bad. That’s why I’m here.” She gestured at the infirmary in general.

She felt a hoof lift her chin up, bringing her gaze to Star’s. “You’re not alone, Twilight. A lot of subs, mare and stallion alike, come to me with similar worries. The likes of the cock worship guild dress it up like the easiest, most effortless thing. But it isn’t.” Star shook her head with a deep scowl. “It is the most beautiful display of determination, hard work and absolute devotion to one’s Master.”

“I—I want to work hard.” Twilight said, uncertainly. “I want to devote myself to my—my M-Master, but—but I don’t know how.”

“I will tell you what I tell everypony, Twilight.” Star’s eyes gleamed with almost incandescent fervour. “Give yourself, everything you are, to your Master. In turn, make his pleasure your own. Make his happiness your determination. Make his pride your will.”

“I—I see. I haven’t been thinking of him. That’s where I went wrong.” Twilight gasped at her revelation. “Why didn’t I see this before? Devotion! It’s literally written all over this place!” She didn’t see Bell Chime peek out of her PipSub, her look one of worry and dismay. The little kindlesprite shot Star a suspicious look but quickly hid herself once more.

“Pour everything you are into his pleasure and not only will you find success at everything you do, you will find true happiness in devotion. Uud nease!” Star declared with a certainty so solid you could stack Apple family barns on it. “Here, let me give you something to help you along.” She reached into her saddlebags and brought out a long, dark, phallic object wrapped in plastic packaging. Indentations along the side measured out its length, making it out to be at least 12 inches long. The faux testicles seemed to slide along the shaft, acting as a slide-ruler, presumably to measure depth. “I was going to use this at a live demo tomorrow when I realized it didn’t quite measure up to my Hostor. You might as well have it for practice.”

“Oh, wow, uh, thanks, Star!” Twilight gulped, trepidation warring with excitement on her face. “I guess I’ve got a long way to go, huh? Eheheh—heheh—heh.” She laughed nervously at the imposing length of the thing.

“No problem at all. I remember starting out. Oh, it was nerve wracking. But I found comfort in serving my Hostor, as will you.” Star smiled. “Why don’t we exchange c-mail addresses? That way you can contact me anytime you have questions.” She brought out her PipSub.

“Oh, that’s a great idea! Bell Chime, if you’d please?” Twilight looked down at her own PipSub she wore around one forehoof. “Bell Chime?” She called out to it. “Are you there?” Her PipSub remained awkwardly spriteless for some reason.

“Oh, is it one of the new model PipSubs? I didn’t know those were available already.” Star’s ears perked up with interest.

“Uh, yes, except she’s not being very available right now.” Twilight peered into her PipSub’s display. “Bell Chime, I know you’re in there.”

“Well, it’s very new so it’s natural it’d have some teething issues.” Star reasoned. A barely perceptible squeaky little grumble went unnoticed. “We can still do it the old fashioned way.” She suggested, touching her PipSub against Twilight’s. A clear ping signalled success. “There.”

“Miss Guiding Star!” The no-nonsense tones of nurse Red Heart commanded everypony’s attention. “Get your flank over here so I can look at how badly you bucked yourself up this time.”

“Heh, Tartarus beckons.” Star rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you around, Twilight. Keep in touch.”

Twilight looked between Star’s departing form and the gift she had left her. Well, if she was going to kink kindergarten, she might as well do the homework.

“🎝~I was prepared to do my best

🎝~Thought I could handle any test

🎝~For I can do so many tricks

🎝~But I wasn't prepared for this...~♪”

Twilight’s voice trailed off into the plush depths of her pillow. She wished she could disappear into its silence too. She had reached a nadir of self-pity in her cycle of panic and despair. Guiding Star’s measuring-dildo lay cast to the far side of her bedroom like the abandoned weapon of a fleeing soldier. Of course, her tummy didn’t care that it was the end of the world and promptly interrupted her spiral of doom with a deep rumble.

“Um, Twilight? You haven’t eaten since dinner last night. It’s now 16:00 in the afternoon.” Bell Chime dutifully reminded her. Nevermind that Twilight had also brought up last night’s dinner on her first attempt on the measuring dildo. “Um, um, I have an experimental sandwich-maker function, if you can take me down to your kitchen? I managed to not burn down the laboratory last time I tried.” The little kindlesprite peeked her head out of her PipSub meekly. Bell Chime had been quite vocal with her disapproval of her lying to Ivy and Red Heart. She had been more silent in her disapproval of Twilight’s practicing on the dildo but had not been shy in making it known. She had been very insistent that Twilight visit the Society’s den mother counsellors at first, but had since grown rather quiet at Twilight’s insistence that she was fine.

Her guilt at ignoring Bell’s good intentions gnawed at her until she finally gave in with a sigh. She groaned softly as she peeled herself from her bed, breaking the surface of the pile of lists noting all the possible solutions to her BSSF emergency. She had listed every possible answer from contacting Luna for urgent cock worship lessons to begging Firefly to stand in for her. In front of her was her latest entry, a complex plan involving infiltrating the palace library, digging up another copy of Starswirl’s time-travelling spell and going back in time to tell her past self the importance of deepthroating.

It was either that or escaping into Rarity’s drama-couch pocket dimension and finding a new couch and pillow to wail into.

Another insensitive rumble interrupted her train of thought. Twilight sighed as she gave in. Panic was a little difficult on an empty stomach. “You’re right, Bell Chime. Thanks,” she conceded, waving for the little kindlesprite to follow her. Bell Chime’s little face lit up as she flew alongside Twilight.

The door to her darkened bedroom felt heavy, almost heavy enough to convince her to just roll back into bed. She sighed as she gave it a magical shove. Late afternoon light sparkled in the stained glass windows lining the corridor outside, reminding her just how late it was. All her worrying had been for nothing. She had been too late even before she began. Rarity and Doc were always a step ahead of her, now they felt far beyond her reach. Why would anypony with as much experience as them want a mare who choked on pencils? She had been fooling herself into thinking she was finally doing something special of her own for her herd. She couldn’t even as much as follow in their hoofsteps.

So much for the B.S.S.F.

“🎝~You have no choice but to confess

🎝~That those other pests are just a jest

🎝~All those doubts you can dismiss

🎝~Turns out you were...~♪”

Her routine misery was interrupted by unplanned misery as off-key singing assaulted her ears. Deciding that there was no way the end of the world could get any worse, Twilight braced herself and opened the map chamber.

“🎝~...more powerful than all the rest

Greater than Twilight Sparkle at her best–….~♪”

The face of smug annoyance herself looked up from the pile of Element of Harmony action figures. The Hayburger toys were all huddled around the base of a tall candlestick bearing a kindlesprite that looked suspiciously like an alicorn-version of Trixie. “Oh, hello, Twilight Sparkle. You almost missed Trixie’s new song. Lucky for you the great and magnanimous Trixie is more than generous enough to sing it again from the start just for you.”

“Lucky me.” Twilight deadpanned at the mare sitting on her throne. “Starlight’s not here. She’s away with Maud at that rock concert.” She pointed out, a little more tersely than she intended.

“It’s not like the great and independent Trixie is jealous or anything! Not in the slightest!” Trixie huffed, her kindlesprite sympathetically blowing a raspberry in the general direction of the rest of the universe.

“Wait.” Twilight stopped short as she realized something. “Is that the new edition PipSub?” She peered down at the mini-Trixie kindlesprite who gave her a sassy grin back.

“Oh, yes. This is Great’n’Powerful, a kindlesprite truly worthy of a special pony like Trixie.” Trixie gave her kindlesprite a fond mane-ruffle. “You are no longer the only pony with friends in high places, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie is now an important pony with important friends too!” She cackled. “Don’t worry, the big and famous Trixie will not forget you when she is big and famous.”

“I would rather you did.” Twilight muttered darkly to herself as she trotted past.

“Appointment: Mentor session with Twilight Sparkle, now in progr–” Trixie’s kindlesprite was cut short by a hoof shoving her back in her PipSub.

“Trixie was being subtle and breezie and stuff! You’ve unbreezed it!” Trixie hissed as softly as she could into her badge. “Uh, she meant to say ‘Snore session’, yeah.” She stood up from the throne to walk around to Twilight. “So, uh, why the long face? Wanna talk about it?” She asked, subtle as a Friendship beam to the face.

Twilight was just pondering if safewords applied to mentors when Bell Chime whispered in her ear, “Please, Twilight, just give her five minutes?”

“Bell Chime, did you call Trixie?” Twilight hissed.

“S-sorry, Ms. Ivy and Nurse Red Heart used me to arrange a mentor meeting and Ms. Lulamoon was the closest available mentor, Twilight,” Bell Chime squeaked apologetically as she dove back inside her PipSub. “Um, please don’t hate me,” the badge whimpered, meekly.

“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so upset.” Twilight sighed, taking a deep breath. For somepony to require a mentor meeting before even joining, it must be some kind of new Society record, or so Twilight thought somberly.

“Yay, Twilight doesn’t hate me,” the badge chirped with relief. “Will you need the PipSub’s privacy spell matrix for this meeting?”

“The castle is empty,” Trixie said, her expression surprisingly somber. “Trixie checked.” It seemed the situation did not fly straight over the weak gravitational pull of planet Trixie for once. “Twilight,” Trixie sighed, “Look, Trixie meant everything Trixie said last time. It might not seem it but Trixie—I do want to do this right this time, alright? If you’ll let me?”

Twilight bit her lip before finally relenting and motioning for Trixie to follow her back to the table. Trixie was just about to slip back into Twilight’s chair when a pointed glare cowed her into taking Rarity’s. “Alright, just—don’t laugh, alright?” Twilight eyed the unicorn mare sitting across from her warily. She seemed respectfully attentive, at least. “I, well, I just realized I can’t, um, you know, that thing, deepthroat.”

“What was that?” Trixie leaned forwards.

“I can’t swallow stallionhoods, okay?!” Twilight snapped.

“Oh.” Trixie blinked. “Is that it? Here Trixie was preparing the greatest most humiliating cackle.” She sat back instead. “Honestly, Twilight, neither can I.”

“And I won’t be—wait, what?” Twilight did a mental double-take. She had expected all her mentors to have achieved incredible feats of kinkship like Cherry’s audience-stunning foray into the breaking chambers or Luna’s mastery of dirty words she hadn’t even heard of. She had imagined it was some kind of requirement to quality as a mentor. For Trixie to not even be capable of the basics—?

“I can’t swallow stallionhoods either.” Trixie shrugged, nonchalant. “I don’t need to. The great and powerful Trixie’s mouth is so incredible stallions, herms, Starlight, anything with a cock will cum within an in inch of Trixie’s amazing lips and tongue.” She demonstrated with a slick lick of her lips.

“Wait, Starlight? C-c-cock?” Twilight balked.

“But that’s besides the point.” Trixie went on.

“But—” Twilight blubbered, “—cock—”

“The point is—” Trixie didn’t seem to notice Twilight’s jaw lying on the floor. “—do you think Trixie’s loved ones, do you think Starlight, cares more for not being able to buck the undoubtedly heavenly confines of Trixie’s throat than being allowed to bask in the glory of Trixie’s glorious company?”

“You—you really think so?” Twilight murmured, feeling a rising twinge of hope and a whole cloud of silliness.

“Yes, Trixie’s glorious company is truly glorious. Breathe it in, Twilight Sparkle, breathe it in.” Trixie smirked, before wilting like a plunderseed beneath Twilight’s dirty look. “Ahem, yes, serious face. I mean what I said, Twilight Sparkle; A loving herd wouldn’t care for how you are in bed as long as it’s their bed you’re in. Or their rack, maybe, in the Society’s case. Take it from a switch-dom. If you ever, Flames-forbid, meet a dom whose affection for you is only as deep as your deepthroating, make sure to drop them down the deepest tentacle pit in the Tower.”

“How’d I not realize that?” Twilight struggled not to faceplant on the cutie map, burying her face in her hoof instead. “By myself.” She added, her revelation marred by requiring Trixie’s help. Her gentle Doc, her loving Rarity, they had always loved being with her, no matter how ungraceful and socially awkward a marefriend she was. It didn’t take much to realize that joining a kink club wouldn’t change that. Sure, it was a world-encompassing kink club powered by an ancient magical artifact, but still. Despite a small part of her grudging admitting that Trixie was oh-so-very-occasionally right, she couldn’t help but smile a little with both relief and gratitude. “Thanks, Trixie.”

“In fact, tell me, your great and insightful mentor, and I will do it for you. That’s what your mentor is for.” Trixie smirked, leaning back in her chair. “Or, well, I suppose striiiiictly speaking I would go and poke his mentors and persuade them to toss him down a pit somewhere.” She rolled her eyes.

“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know much.” Twilight thought back to the doms she had seen so far, their pride and joy in their subs clear on their faces. Imagining the look on Doc’s face filled her with a strange, tingling yearning. “I know my herd wouldn’t mind that at all, but I still want to be able to please them. I just don’t know how.”

Her mentor gave a knowing chuckle as she turned the Twilight Sparkle action figure on its back and gave its purple belly a poke. “The easy answer is just do what pleases you. It’s what I do.” She poked the action figure more to emphasize her point. “Few things thrill the great and dominant Trixie more than seeing and hearing her slave enjoying her service to her mistress. Better yet, training Trixie’s slave to not only excel but enjoy said service.” Trixie chuckled fondly, no doubt recalling her own submissive pet. Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at that. “Don’t worry too much about learning to please your master, Twilight Sparkle. It took Trixie a long time to find, admit, that BDSM is not a one-pony show. Don’t cut your Master out of the fun of unearthing and training the fun ways you’ll enjoy pleasuring him. If anything, involve him, let him involve you, together a dominant and submissive are greater and more powerful than anything, even Trixie.” Trixie’s gaze seemed distant, her eyes no longer looking at her but at somepony both far away and close to her heart, a pony she adored more than anything.

Twilight gazed at her mentor’s glowing face, half-disbelieving that this was the very same Trixie she once didn’t want anywhere near her pupil. She wondered whether becoming a dom, taking on responsibility for another, can change ponies in such a deep, defining way.

“So, what do you think of your great and powerful mentor now, Twilight Sparkle? Is Trixie not lightyears beyond the rest? Do you see now why the Society considers Trixie a mentor fitting of a princess?” Trixie leaned in excitedly.

And just like that, all of Twilight’s newfound respect for Trixie went up in a puff of stage smoke. Twilight rolled her eyes as she gave a little sigh. “That was helpful, yes. Thanks, Trixie,” she conceded. “I guess it makes sense to involve my trainer in my actual training. But how do I do that? Should I perhaps do what other subs do and plead my Master to train me to please him, or—”

“Just speak to him, the way you and I are speaking now.” Trixie suggested, simply. “Sitting down over tea and talking about what you like, what he likes, what you’d enjoy to do together, that’s all—Twilight Sparkle?” She leaned across to tap on Twilight where she lay with her face buried in a hoof. “Sorry, should we try again with pictures, perhaps?”

“Why didn’t I think of that myself?” Twilight muttered. “I need to go. I have a master to speak to.”

“Wait, right now?” Trixie blinked, watching as Twilight stood up abruptly and strode for the door with grim purpose. “But what about Trixie?”

“There is a stash of cinnamon nuts in the kitchen.” Twilight said as she disappeared out the door. “And don’t lose my cutie map again.”

Trixie mouthed Twilight’s warning exaggeratedly with an invisible hoof-puppet before looking down at the Twilight action figure. “Hmph, keep your stupid map. All your cinnamon nuts are belong to Trixie!” She trotted off to claim and nom her well-deserved mentoring reward.

“—And I’ve been trying to practice but I keep choking and throwing up and I’m worried I’d do the same when it came to the real thing and I’d never be able to properly pleasure you and that’d be bad because I’dfailandtheydthrowmeoutofthesocietyandidneverbeallowedanywherenearyourpeniseveragain!”

Doc and Rarity sat in stunned silence on either side of the love seat. The sky blushed pink as the sun slid away in embarrassment. The little brook that ran through Doc’s backyard babbled and squeed at the sight. A few crows chuckled endearingly from the apple trees. The gathering dusk snuck around the glow of the fireplace to embrace the alicorn comfortingly.

Twilight felt a hoof gently pull her into Doc’s chest. She almost sank into the warmth of his chest fluff. She positively drowned in it when another warm body pressed up against her back, sandwiching her into her coltfriend. “Uh, um, you’re not disappointed?” She squeaked softly.

“Twilight, I’m happy, proud, thankful that you spoke up.” Doc said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She couldn’t help but squeak in response.

“Darling, we want you to talk to us about anything, anything at all.” Rarity whispered into her ears.

The logical part of Twilight knew Trixie was right, that talking to Doc and Rarity was the right thing to do. But most of her couldn’t help but breathe a long sigh of relief as she felt most of her anxieties and insecurities melt away into her herd’s embrace. It was astounding, on hindsight, how illogical her heart could be sometimes.

She could’ve lost herself in the relief and comfort of their warmth forever. She was almost a little disappointed when Doc finally broke the loving silence. “You said you wanted to pleasure me, didn’t you, Twi?” He asked, gently. Twilight nodded a teeny little nod into his chest. “Well, what tickles me the most is seeing cute mares enjoying themselves, especially that thing you do, Rarity, where you start having multiple orgasms and you start moaning and squeeing at the same time and you do this little thing where you….” He was forcibly silenced by every pillow in the living room flocking into his face.

“Darling, what Doc was trying to say before the pillows started to roost on his face for being a silly billy; What he’d enjoy the most is seeing the two of us enjoy ourselves.” Rarity translated Doc’s muffled cries for Twilight. “Nothing makes him more, ahem, adamantine, than seeing his favourite mares squirm helplessly in delight.”

“Hm.” Twilight gave this a thought. “I can do squirming.” She decided.

“Oh, my songbird, you’re ever so adorable, I could just eat you up.” Rarity cooed, kissing her fillyfriend on the cheek. “So no, you don’t have to force yourself to do things you don’t enjoy, because seeing you not enjoying yourself would make him wilt. And trust me, it’s in our best interests to make sure he doesn’t wilt. Which means you must never cause yourself harm.” Twilight winced at the emphasis Rarity put on that last word. “Is that understood?”

Twilight sat in thoughtful silence, punctuated only by the sound of Doc wrestling the last of the pillows into submission. “But…” She finally spoke up, albeit in her best Fluttershy impression. “I still want my Master to be able to, um, pleasure himself with my mouth.”

“But, darling, you don’t enjoy it.” Rarity pointed out.

“No, not yet. But I—I want to learn—I really want to be trained to enjoy it.” Twilight squirmed sheepishly between the two. Her partners certainly didn’t miss her rubbing her thighs together in obvious excitement.

“I’d absolutely enjoy doing that, and I’m sure Rarity would love to help.” Doc chuckled, giving Rarity a knowing look. “Since we’re on the subject, why don’t we talk about all the other things you’d be interested in trying out.”

Twilight’s ears visibly wilted, her heart suddenly racing once more. Bringing up one fetish had taken two pep-talks and an incident. Where was she going to find the courage to talk about all the other things? She could’ve been made the princess of fetishes or kinks but noooo, she had to be princess of friendship.

“Don’t look so worried, Twilight.” Doc chuckled at her look of worry. “Everypony can feel awkward sharing their kinks. That’s why the Society has a little game for this. If you would, Rarity.”

Suddenly it was Rarity’s turn to look as apprehensive as Opalescence on bath day. “Well, dear, if you’ll allow me to nip back to my boutique, I can pick up my generic deck and…”

“Oh, what’s the fun in that?” Doc’s smile turned a few degrees more wicked. “Go on, get my deck out while I pour some more tea. You know where my deck is.” His smile couldn’t be more evil if Sombra was wearing it, promising a punishment most cruel and unusual if Rarity were to tarry. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder if she was seeing a glimpse of her coltfriend’s dominant side. “Don’t worry, Rarity. Nobody will be coming tonight.” Twilight had also been wondering where the horrible puns had gone. Nowhere, unfortunately.

Twilight felt her fillyfriend shudder against her before getting up and trotting over to the end table. She watched as Rarity lit up her horn and unlatched something underneath the table before lifting its top, revealing a rather simple secret compartment. She fished out what, at first glance, looked like a regular wooden playing card box.

“Before we started dating you, Twilight, I’d often have my dom friends from the Society over for dinner.” Doc said, conversationally. “Rarity would kneel on the floor next to that table and serve us. She particularly enjoys showing off my Firelink game deck to my guests.”

“Firelink?” Twilight queried as she watched Doc open up the box of cards.

“It’s a trading card game that is particularly popular at the Society. The aim of the game is to build up fetishes into scenes with the highest score. The biggest selling point is how anypony can have their own personalized cards.” Doc showed Twilight the deck’s back cover. She suddenly understood why Rarity was squirming awkwardly to one side. The deck’s cover featured her fillyfriend. She was collared and cuffed, lying on her back on what looked like a dungeon floor, her hindlegs spread wide apart, her forehooves holding her leaking marehood open, revealing all, hiding nothing. Her expression spoke of nothing but hunger and lust to have her foalhole stretched and filled. “I get a lot of challengers. Everypony wants a chance at winning even one of my cards. Luckily for Rarity, I am particularly good at Firelink.” Twilight chanced a glance at Rarity to find her pouting adorably in silent protest.

“But we’re not playing Firelink tonight.” Doc continued. “The deck has a secondary use; To help make fetish discussions and pre-scene negotiations as easy and hassle-free as possible. Too often have ponies failed to mention a preference or even a hard limit because they find the topic too uncomfortable. But picking and sorting cards takes a lot of the awkwardness out of the conversation.” He flipped the cards and spread them out face-up on the table. Twilight’s eyes bulged. She almost forgot to breathe. The sight before her was almost too much to take in at once.

“It’s simple enough. All you have to do is pick out the cards with your fetish on them and sort them into a ‘wanted’, ‘maybe’ and ‘nope’ pile and....” Before Doc could finish, Twilight was already sheepishly holding up a card, her face blushing furiously like a house on fire. The picture on the card was already playing out live in her mind. She could see Doc pinning Rarity to the floor as he roughly tightened the ropes around her limbs before leaving her hogtied, her most intimate places bare for all to see, as he took a picture for the card.

“This. Is. Unbearable,” Rarity groaned, burying her face in her forehooves.

Doc ignored Rarity’s protestations as he peered at the card. “I take it ‘bondage’ is going in the ‘wanted’ pile then.” His grin only widened at Twilight’s furious nodding.

Twilight didn’t waste any time picking out another card. Her mind raced. She could see it; Doc holding Rarity’s head by her horn, lifting her gaze up towards him as he stroked his stallionhood. The helpless slave could only open her mouth, hoping to catch some of his flaming hot cum on her outstretched tongue as he splattered his load all over her face, marking her as his.

“Oh, Rarity, don’t you remember taking this picture at the card atelier? You took so long trying to get your mane right.” Doc chuckled as he added the card to Twilight’s ‘wanted’ pile.

“Master’s cum rag needs to look perfect when Master uses it to wipe his stallionhood clean after all.” Rarity purred in a tone that could only be described as ear sex. Suddenly it was Doc’s turn to regress into foalish babble as he turned red from muzzle to ear. “Oh, my little songbird certainly knows what she wants.” She giggled as Twilight picked up another card. “Oh, oh my.” Her immaculate white fur turned a striking shade of peach as she gazed over Twilight’s withers. It was a card featuring a blindfolded Rarity strapped spread-eagle to restraints on a wall, her fur a veritable dictionary of profanity. Her throat had been clearly labelled ‘cock warmer’, her belly ‘cum bucket’, her marehood ‘master’s property’. Twilight carefully cleared her throat as the card floated its way to the growing ‘wanted’ pile.

Twilight was squeeing inside. This was ever so easy! She had imagined the three of them working things out through trial and error. Or worse, having to suffer through the awkwardness of bringing up specific fetishes. But here they were, her whole herd having fun picking and choosing fetishes. Obviously Doc and Rarity enjoyed all of these kinks enough to feature them on their own playing cards. As long as she enjoyed every single one, she was guaranteed her place as their B.S.S.F. It was so simple, so easy, so—

Her face visibly blanched. The soaring feeling in her heart fell just as quickly into the pits of her stomach. It wasn’t so much the picture of Rarity strapped upside-down into a urinal, a fine sheen of rivulets gleaming all across her body, gathering in her open mouth, no doubt the work of her master looming over her. It wasn’t so much how queasy the picture made her feel. It was the realization that it was a kink Doc and Rarity enjoyed, an enjoyment she could not see herself ever sharing.

‘Just devote yourself to their pleasure. You cannot be anything less than the best for your master. Anything less makes you unworthy of him.’ A miniature Guiding Star peeked over her shoulder like the world’s kinkiest conscience.

‘Find what you both enjoy.’ A miniature Trixie reminded her from her other shoulder. ‘The great and powerful Trixie is greater and more powerful than that waste of shoulder-space over there so you should listen to Trixie.’

Final exams, clock ticking, multiple choice, answers narrowed down, two equally possible choices. Pass. Fail. It all hangs on a choice. The wrong choice meant failure. Failure meant being less than perfect. Failure meant facing their disappointed faces. Failure was not acceptable.

And yet…

She stared down at the card. Her hoof trembled. Her eyes darted to the ‘wanted’ pile. It’d be so easy, so easy. And yet why was it so hard?

“Twilight.” A firm yet gentle voice drew Twilight out of her spiralling thoughts. She blinked to find the card box held out beneath her hoof, helpfully labelled ‘Nope’. “Go on.” Doc’s smile was simple, reassuring, encouraging. She felt it warm up her frozen hoof, allowing it to move once more. The card came to rest in the box and took with it a heavy weight off her hoof.

Doc and Rarity didn’t say ‘well done’. But their smile said it all. They were approving of her! She had passed the test! A small part of her wondered whether their approval was really the be-all-end-all in all this, but the rest of her was too busy squeeing ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!’ internally.

“Trust is everything.” Doc said, solemnly. “It goes without saying that I need to be a master you can trust to not harm you. In turn, I need to trust you to not let me harm you. I need to trust you to say ‘no’.”

“Doc needs to trust that we can and will use our safe words. In the same way, he needs to trust us to tell him what we don’t want. He needs to trust us to tell him our ‘limits’.” Rarity explained. “This is your limit, Twilight.” She patted box. “Doms have to tiptoe around subs with no defined limits for fear of harming them. But a good submissive with clear boundaries allows a good dom to confidently push her to be the best that she could be.” She gave Doc a saucy little wink.

“Do you—” Twilight’s ears perked up slowly as she peered up at her herdmates. “Do you have cards in your ‘nope’ box too?”

“Off course we do, darling.” Rarity gave Twilight’s hoof an encouraging squeeze. “Isn’t that right, my princey?”

“Oh, doms have limits too?” Twilight’s eyes lit up with curiosity. She had expected it to be a submissive-only thing. Come to think of it, it made sense, considering doms could safeword too.

“I don’t do diapers. It stinks. There’s no changing that.” Doc said, offhoofedly.

“I simply, absolutely cannot stand dirt. You may mark my mane and fur in every other manner, cum or otherwise, but no dirt! I insist on the utmost standards of cleanliness in my play areas and playmates. And do not get me started on mud play.” Rarity huffed, petting her perfect curls for emphasis. “And let us not speak of puns during mating. No, we shall not suffer that indignity! Ever!”

“Yes, seriously, nope.” Doc was quick to agree. “Ever.”

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle, earning her a fond giggle and a tight hug from her fillyfriend. “The list goes on, off course. We are quite particular, aren’t we, darling?” Rarity giggled, pulling her coltfriend into the hug. “Especially about puns in bed.” Doc squeaked weakly as Rarity’s grip on him tightened briefly.

“It’s good to know what you want. It’s imperative you know what you don’t.” Doc nodded weakly against Rarity’s stranglehold. “And it’s great for your entire herd to share.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. Her mind couldn’t help but dwell on the big list of kinks she had prepared to predict what Rarity and Doc preferred. She felt a wave of relief and a touch of disappointment wash over her. If she had known it’d be this easy, she wouldn’t have spent all those sleepless nights researching that list. Though it wasn’t entirely a lost cause; Come to think of it, there were plenty of things on that list she was at least curious about. “Do I have to set all my limits at the start?” She asked.

“Oh, goodness no, darling.” Rarity smiled, patting the ‘Nope’ box. “These are your ‘hard limits’, the things you absolutely won’t consider trying. But these…” She labelled the other compartment of the card box ‘Maybe’. “...are your ‘soft limits’, things you’d consider with somepony you trust, things you’d want your dom to try out gently and slowly when you’re feeling comfortable.”

“Things can move freely from one box to another as and when you wish. Just be sure to communicate it with your playmates.” Doc gave Rarity a wary eye. “Otherwise awkwardness happens.”

Rarity gave her coltfriend a sheepish little pout. “You didn’t have to jump into the tentacle pit after me.”

“Yes, awkwardness.” Doc muttered. “Anywho, now that we’re on the same page on limits, Rarity, if you please?” He gestured invitingly at his fillyfriend.

“...Begging your pardon?” Rarity raised an eyebrow, though the squirm in her thighs betrayed her trepidation.

“You know what card I am referring to.” His smile rivalled Discord’s for mischief.

“Oh, you absolute brute.” Rarity huffed, reaching into the card pile and fishing out the card. “H-here, songbird darling, p-please don’t stare.”

Twilight felt a warmth bloom across her cheeks as she eyed the card in question. It was unmistakably her fillyfriend, strapped belly-up, her nose buried deep in a heavy pair of balls, her muzzle stretched wide around a throbbing stallionhood. The dom mounting her face had her mane in a vice grip, using it as a hoofhold as he rode her.

It was striking, blindingly obvious yet striking, how one realization changes everything about the card in her hoof. She had been worried she’d fail and lose the love of her herd over it. Red Heart and Ivy had obviously been worried she’d hurt herself over it. But now she knew she had power over the card, the power to safeword out of it, the power to limit it and, moreover, knew full well her herd supported those powers. It was no obligation, no threat of harm. It was a choice. And now that the choice was hers, she knew what she wanted. So it was with newfound certainty that she grinned up at her herd mates. “Better get your mane styled, Rares.” She dropped the card in the ‘Yes’ box. “You and Doc are going to have to print a whole new deck soon.”

Author's Notes:

Apologies for the delays in getting this out. Chapter 9 was brought to you by the editing and proof-reading prowess of Sepia, Troposphere, Silent Whisper, Prof. Shrinky Frod and Seraphem.

Credit for the development of the ancient language of the kindlers, Dovactea, goes almost entirely to Sepia, our resident language expert. It is quite possibly the only language with a word for that feeling when a collar caresses a throat bulge.

In case you're wondering, yes, Firelink has actual game rules which you can read here.