“Twilight, have you gone completely insane?!” Shining Armor demanded. Mane askew, eyes wide, he was the very image of brotherly outrage and the archetype of an older brother trying to keep his little sister from doing something stupid out of harm’s way. He looked convincing, he sounded convincing, and against anypony else it might have worked. Except for the fact that his sister was Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria.

“Shining, after the better part of three weeks here, I think you know the answer to that about as well as anypony,” Twilight answered her brother, in a far calmer tone. “So, instead of resorting to histrionics, why don’t you tell me. Am I insane?” Shining rocked back as if he had been slapped, and looked to his wife for support.

“Oh no, Shining. My husband should know better than to call somepony ‘crazy’ or ‘insane”,” Cadance said, frowning at her husband. “You got yourself into this, you get yourself out of it.”

“Fine,” Shining said, not a whit less angry and Cadance’s eyes went wide as her husband neatly co-opted her most used angry word. “Twilight, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.”

“And you think what I’m planning on doing meets that definition?” Twilight asked, sipping at some tea and looking every inch the calm bookworm she had been in the past. Shining Armor knew better though. He knew his sister, knew her determination, knew her will, and knew her power. He also knew how stubborn she could be when she got an idea into her mind.

“Are you kidding me?” Shining asked his sister. “You’re telling us that you plan on going back out there, to another one of the Equestrias you saw when you were fighting Starlight. Going into another potentially dangerous situation, again. Going in without proper recon, again. Going in without backup and cut off from help, again. Twily,” Shining’s voice shifted to a pleading tone, “you almost didn’t make it back last time. Another few days in there and you would have been as bad off as poor 143.”

“Point of order,” Alyss interrupted from beside Twilight. “There never was any intention to do to Twilight what was done to 143. To be honest, it would take a uniquely creative, skilled and twisted individual to even attempt it, and I do not have that skill.”

“Which is another thing!” Shining shouted, angrily. “What in Celestia’s name is this...this thing doing walking around free, instead of in chains and not locked up in a dungeon somewhere?”

“What I do with Alyss is my business, Shining,” Twilight said, in that same calm voice. “You're a military stallion, you have to be familiar with the concept of parole in a military context.”

“Is that true, Alyss?” Shining said. “You’ve given your parole to my sister? Sworn not to take up arms against her, nor to attempt escape and to obey her commands?”

“I have,” Alyss confirmed. “I’ve even tried to get either Spike or Twilight to beat the hell out of me, for what I did. But they wouldn’t take me up on it. Spike is determined to teach me about choices instead of whipping me. It’s...been interesting.” Shining eyes bugged out for a few seconds before he recovered and turned his attention back to Twilight.

“Fine, but I am your brother and you are not going anywhere without proper backup this time,” Shining said, playing his hole card. “Namely myself and a squad of my best.” The uproar was immediate and vehement.

“You are not going anywhere, Shining,” Cadance insisted, getting to her hooves in a flash. “You have a child and an Empire that needs you.”

“You are not going with me, brother,” Twilight said, peering down her muzzle at her brother. “You’re needed here and I don’t have the attachments like you do.”

“That’s not exactly true,” a voice called from the opened double doors to the room, cutting off the argument. There, standing in the doorway, was Princess Celestia. She was flanked on one side by a collared and suited Starlight Glimmer on one side, and Shaushka on the other, in her pony disguise. Alyss took one look at Celestia, and suddenly buried her head in Twilight’s side with a whimper of pure terror.

“Alyss, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked the changeling who seemed paralyzed with fear. Twilight had seen many different sides of her former tormentor over the past few weeks. Proud, confident, treacherous, subservient, and even confused, but this terrified mare; desperate for protection, was something new.

“She can’t help it, Princess Twilight,” Shaushka said. “In her mind, Celestia is the embodiment of fear, defeat and pain. She, and the rest of her hive were likely linked mentally when her Queen Chrysalis had her horn broken. She can’t help but relive the emotions of that moment anytime she sees Celestia, any Celestia.”

“Is there anything you can do for her?” Twilight asked, cradling the blubbering changeling.

“Yes,” Shaushka said, grimacing as she spoke. “But my solution may look a little strange. Does anyone know where I can get ahold of a collar and a long leash?”

“I’ll get one!” Starlight exclaimed and scampered away from Celestia’s side.

“Collars and leashes certainly seem to have become more of a common thing these days,” Celestia said, with wry look. “In fact, I noticed that Rarity is introducing a line of form fitting bodysuits with wide collars. You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that would you, Twilight?”

“Not directly,” Twilight said, with a smile as Starlight reentered the room. “Oh, that was quick, Starlight.”

“I just grabbed one of the spares we’ve been using to try to duplicate the suit control collar, Mistress,” Starlight said, as she trotted back into the room and offering the metal collar with a twenty foot lead to Shaushka.

“Starlight, I’ve told you not to call me that,” Twilight said, a slight frown on her face.

“Mistress,” Starlight said, pressing on, “I’ve told you that while being collared and encased in inescapable bondage may not have been your thing, it most definitely is mine. You saved me from myself, you saved Equestria from me, you mastered me. By right of conquest I am willingly yours, Mistress.” Twilight just sighed while Shaushka took on an enigmatic expression.

“What?” Celestia asked softly.

“I’ll tell you later,” Shaushka said, then dropped her disguise to reveal her changeling nature called out to Alyss. “Alyss, look at me.” Alyss dared to peek out from behind Twilight to look at the orange maned changeling queen, who said, “I am Shaushka, a changeling queen and beholden to Princess Celestia. This Celestia protects what is hers, do you understand?”

“Y-yes,” Alyss said, stuttering, trying to fight off the irrational fear gripping her.

“Now, Celestia,” Shaushka said, in a whisper. “Collar me and make some sort of speech about it.” Celestia cocked an eyebrow at the changeling, instantly realizing that the changeling was manipulating the moment to get something she wanted. Shaushka had asked Celestia to do this before, and here she was trying to force Celestia’s hoof into it. However, she could respect the manipulation and that it was being done to help somepony else as well. Celestia nodded and snapped the collar closed around the changeling’s throat.

“You are mine, Shaushka,” Celestia said, deliberately making her voice sound extra deep and hollow. “Continue to obey me and you shall prosper. Defy me at your peril.”

“Yes, Princess,” Shaushka said, with exaggerated deference. “Princess, if you permit it, I would like to take the other changeling here into my hive, as a guest.”

“Very well, servant,” Celestia said in that same hollow voice. “But if she should violate my law, you shall be the one punished. Go to her and see if she will accept my rule.” Celestia looped the lead on Shaushka’s collar and nudged her forward. The changeling slowly approached the wide-eyed Alyss.

“Do you know what’s happening to you, Alyss?” Shaushka gently asked, receiving a jerky nod in response. “And do you know why?”

“Y-yes,” Alyss said, with a stammer. “S-sorry...can’t stop.”

“I’m told you are quite the mental programmer and manipulator,” Shaushka said, gently stroking Alyss’ mane. “So you probably have an idea what I’m about to do.” Alyss nodded again.

“B-better suppress m-magic,” Alyss said, forcing the words out “In case.”

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ve got your magic shut down for the moment,” Shaushka said. Then she took the collar off of her own neck and snapped it around Alyss’s neck. The changeling princess touched a hoof to the metal circle around her neck, and her eyes followed the line of the lead back to Celestia. Every muscle in Alyss’s body tensed as she realized that she was directly connected to the one mare she was most afraid of. Alyss shuddered once and then went completely limp, falling into Shaushka’s startled grasp.

“Alyss, are you okay?” Twilight asked, but getting no response. Alyss was breathing and her eyes were open, but otherwise there was no sign of life from her and Twilight shot a concerned look to her mentor. Celestia walked over, and bending over, lifted Alyss up by the collar.

“Look at me, Alyss,” Celestia commanded gently, and the changeling’s eyes blinked and focused on the solar diarch inches from her muzzle.

“Now I know why Spike and Twilight didn’t touch me,” Alyss said softly, her face a mask. “They were saving me for you. Make it quick, please.”

“I have no intention of hurting you,” Celestia said kindly, lifting the changeling up entirely in her magic and holding Alyss to her chest like a newborn. “As long as you follow the rules here, you are free to stay as long as you like.”

“But why?” Alyss said, confusion on her face as she lay limp in Celestia’s grip. “I hurt Twilight, and I would have been willing to hurt her again. You should kill me for that. You’re the Breaker, it’s what you do, and it would be the best way for you to protect Twilight.”

“I’m not the Breaker,” Celestia said, in that same comforting voice. “I’m making a different choice than that other Celestia did, and I intend to keep on making different choices.”

“But why?” Alyss repeated, still making no attempt to escape or defend herself.

“That is a very important question, Alyss,” Celestia said, smiling. “Why we make the choices we do is at least as important as what those choices are. It’s what Spike and Twilight have been trying to get you to start doing. Start asking yourself why you make the choices you do, and you will come to understand all of us here a little better.” Celestia carefully set Alyss down onto her hooves.

“I still don’t completely understand, but I’ll try B...Princess,” Alyss said, knees flexing as they took up her weight again.

“It occurs me to that it might help, if you saw me going about my day as a ruler in Canterlot,” Celestia said. “If Twilight agrees, would you be willing to come?”

“Yes,” Alyss said, straightening. “It would be an honour, even if you do decide to kill me later.”

“Alyss,” Twilight called out. “I trust Celestia, so you have my permission to go with her. But only if you wish to.”

“You will need to stay collared and leashed while you are with me though,” Celestia said, playfully tugging the leash attached to Alyss. “My ponies have had bad experiences in the past with changelings and might try something foalish if they saw you as anything other than a captive.”

“Now that this is all dealt with,” Shining said, trying to regain his momentum. “Can somepony please explain what in Tartarus just happened?”

“Changelings share a mental bond with their queen,” Shaushka said, in explanation. “Shining Armor, you have had to deal with unicorns who have had their horns broken. Would you say it’s a traumatic experience?”

“No unicorn ever fully recovers mentally from something like that,” Shining said. “Even if they seem fine, that pain is with them all their lives.”

“Exactly, Prince Armor,” Shaushka said. “When Alyss’s mother had her horn snapped off, Alyss and every member of her hive felt that moment of pain and terror as if it had happened to them. That moment is imprinted into the atavistic part of their minds.”

“So, what does that have to do with the bit with the collar?” Shining asked, and to his surprise it was his wife that answered him.

“The fear wasn’t real, Shining,” Cadance said, hoof on her chin as she worked it out. “It was a construct in Alyss’s mind. One that could only be overcome by another construct, but it had to be one that Alyss could internalize. Something that worked with her worldview, which still consists of owners and the owned.”

“By having Celestia ‘take possession’ of me, it classified her as an ‘owner’ to Alyss,” Shaushka said, nodding at the Imperial Princess. “When I physically connected Alyss and Celestia via the collar and lead, it created the construct of an owner and owned bond, and Alyss’s world has conditioned her to accept commands from her ‘owner.’ Which Princess Celestia gave perfectly.” Celestia just stood and smiled serenely as if all this was according to plan.

“Alright, fine. So what was that big collapse all about?” Shining asked.

“I...I was reliving the moments when Cele...’The Breaker’ caught and pinned my mother with her magic,” Alyss said, fear and terror dancing in the back of her eyes again. “It wasn’t done quickly, Prince Armor. The Breaker took nearly a full minute to crack, then break, Mother’s horn.”

“Fair enough,” Shining said, rubbing his jaw in thought. “That would scar anypony.” Shining huffed out a breath, “So, Princess Celestia, what were you saying before all this broke loose?”

“Well, I was about to explain that Twilight did have some ties, such as Alyss here,” Celestia said, chuckling. “But it seems she’s managed to foist some of that off on me.” Celestia’s face became serious. “Your brother does make good points though, Twilight. I won’t stop you from going, but I would feel better if you were better prepared this time.”

Twilight sighed, and nodded. She could ignore or even argue down her brother, but with Celestia weighing in as well, perhaps it was time for some compromise. “What do you suggest?” she asked.

“The only real thing I can suggest is that you take somepony with you as backup,” Celestia said.

“Fair enough, and I do have a knight and a personal servant now,” Twilight said, and Shining’s eyebrows climbed into his mane in surprise.

“Wait, wait, I know I haven’t had much time to see you while we’ve been here, but since when do you make knights and have servants?” Shining asked, trying to keep up. “Can you even do that?” He turned to look at his wife, “Can she do that?”

“Your sister is a princess, Shining Armor,” Celestia said, giggling a bit. “She’s had the authority ever since Luna and I crowned her, she just hasn’t used it until now. In fact, technically speaking, we aren’t even in Equestria right now. We are in the ‘Principality of Ponyville’, if you want to be precise.”

“Okay, and when you say ‘knight’ who exactly are we talking about here?” Shining asked, with some suspicion.

“That would be our cue,” Trixie’s voice said from the doorway, and into the room walked Trixie Lulamoon, the new Knight of Twilight, and Derpy Hooves, Twilight’s servant. Both walked proudly into the room, showing off their new status to the others. Both wore gear coloured in the purples and reds of twilight, and accentuated in gold trim.

Trixie had on lightweight leather armor, strategically reinforced with chain mail at vital areas and down her spine. Several small pockets could be seen at places on the armor and for a weapon Trixie bore a sheathed longsword on one side.

Derpy wore a mix of silk and light cotton in the same hues and expertly tailored to her form. As Derpy walked alongside Trixie, her strides caused slits and panels in her outfit to gap and shift, allowing teasing hints of the Derpy’s trim, fit body. Beneath the shifting silks Derpy wore a light cotton harness, to which were attached pouches and pockets carrying all the gear that the personal servant of a noblemare should have with them.

The pair bowed before Twilight and as they did, Shining Armor caught a glimpse of the sword Trixie bore. The crescent moon guard on the blade spoke it’s identity to the stallion even as his magic registered the enchantments on the blued steel blade.

“Wait, is that one of the Zodiac Swords?” Shining Armor asked, dumbfounded. Trixie just gave the flabbergasted stallion a smirk, followed by a slight nod. “The Zodiac Swords are Princess Luna’s personal weapons,” Shining said, with some outrage and then he calmed himself. “Are you telling me Princess Luna gave you, Trixie, one of her personal weapons?”

“It would be more accurate to say that she gave it to me,” Twilight said. “She insisted actually, once I told her where I plan on going next.”

“And where exactly is that?” Shining asked. He knew his sister was setting him up by asking him the question, but he had to know to what other world his wonderful, brave, crazy sister was going to.

“Well, brother,” Twilight said, as she motioned for Trixie and Derpy to rise. “I’m going to the world I spent the most time in before, so the issue of recon is pretty much already settled. I’m going to the world where Sombra is still running around.”

“Over. My. Dead. Body,” Shining said, enunciating each word with the hard precision of a hammer blow. The room erupted again in shouted words as everypony tried to talk over each other again. It was some minutes until tempers cooled enough for civil discourse to resume.

“Shining, I’m going,” Twilight said, her face set in stone. “You can’t stop me.”

“Fine,” Shining said, gritting his teeth, and realizing he had no arguments left. “Fine, but I want three days with your ‘knight’ then.”

“Me?” Trixie asked, surprised. “What would you want with the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

“Trixie, no offense, but you aren’t a warrior,” Shining said, more comfortable now that conversation was in his area of expertise. “You’re a showmare, and a good one. I’ve watched you perform some really good illusions, but I’m willing to bet a week's pay that you barely know how to hold that sword, never mind use it.”

“Trixie admits to not being the best with a blade,” Trixie said, grimacing at having to admit to not being perfect at something. “But she will do all she can in the service of her princess.” A few eyebrows raised at that statement, in that it was directed at Twilight and not at Celestia.

“Three days isn’t enough to make you a blademaster,” Shining said. “Three years wouldn’t be enough, but three days is enough to ground you in the basics.” He turned back to his sister, “You will give me those three days with her, Twilight. That’s what it will cost you to get me to stop getting in your way about this.”

“You win, Shining,” Twilight said, laughing. “Three days of training for Trixie it is.”

The next day, Shining found himself lying on the field gasping for breath. Trixie, in heavy practice armor, lay a few feet away gulping in air as well. “I admit to being surprised by your endurance, Trixie,” he said to the mare. “A lot of recruits don’t have half your stamina”

“Trixie pulls her own wagon across Equestria,” Trixie said, as her breathing began to slow. “The effort has built up Trixie to the point where she has had to reduce her diet to keep her form.”

“Well, I’m impressed,” Shining said, levitating over a canteen of water for each of them, dropping a salt tablet into each canteen before he sent one to Trixie. “Never forget, salt after a workout.”

“Trixie knows this,” she said, with a smile of memory. “Trixie once had to spend a week in a Saddle Arabian seraglio recovering from heat exhaustion because she did not know that advice then.”

“Wait, you were in a Saddle Arabian seraglio?” Shining asked, cocking an eyebrow. “The stallions there are notorious for not letting anypony see the inside of one of those, and most mares who enter one don’t tend to leave. Ever.” Trixie gave Shining one of her trademarked cocky smirks. “Um, does that mean you know...” he trailed off.

“Yes, the ‘Supple and Sensual Trixie’ does indeed know the famous ‘Dance of Seven Bridles.’ Trixie used it to distract her guards while she stole their keys, once again demonstrating that she is Equestria’s greatest escape artist,” Trixie said, smiling before her face changed and took on an earnest expression. “May Trixie ask how her sister is doing?” Shining tried to hide his grimace, even though he knew Trixie had the skills to read him like a book.

“It’s...not going terribly well,” Shining admitted. “Oh, she’s functional and can interact with other ponies without dropping to her knees automatically anymore, but only because we told her to stop that.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Trixie asked. “Trixie knows that Alyss broke many ponies to the will of others, but it all seemed to be through training and conditioning. Surely that is reversible?”

“It would be, except that isn’t what happened to 143,” Shining said, grimacing. “And it wasn’t Alyss who broke her either. It was Alyss’s predecessor and she...” Shining paused, unsure of how to continue.

“Go ahead, Trixie has already shed all the sad tears she is going to for her sister,” Trixie said, trying to prompt Shining.

“143 has had sections of her mind and personality literally burned away,” Shining said, as Trixie’s ears flattened to her head at the revelation. “It’s pyromancy on a scale and with a degree of precision that would have taken a twisted genius to even think of, never mind accomplish, without killing the victim. I know of only one mare who could potentially have developed that level of skill and control.”

“Who?” Trixie asked, intent. “Tell Trixie, so that she can go and avenge her sister.”

“You aren’t going back to that world, and even if you did there is almost no way you would be able to track down that world’s Sunset Shimmer.”

Flim and Flam huddled together in the bare crystal room. The room had no windows, no furnishings and no doors. Other than themselves, the only thing in the room were the four heavily armed guards. Two Solar Guards and two Night Guards, frowned at them from twenty feet away with drawn weapons. Which summed up how things had gone for the brothers over the past few days.

Roused from their beds in Las Pegasus, they had been given the option of coming peacefully, in chains, or in pieces. Never being inclined to fighters, the brothers chose to go with the guards peacefully and the entire trip back to Ponyville the guards seemed to alternate between wanting to spit on them or spit the brothers on their spears.

“What could we have possibly done, brother?” Flim said, doing his best to look unobtrusive.

“I don’t know, we’ve been keeping to the straight and narrow for quite awhile now,” Flam said, in answer to his brother. “I can’t think of anything we might have done that could warrant this kind of response.”

The brothers were still debating what they possibly could have done when the door to the room opened and Twilight Sparkle walked in flanked by a mare on either side of her. One, was a grey pegasus mare was dressed in the livery of a noble’s servant, coloured in reds and purples. The other was a unicorn with a two-tone purple and aquamarine mane. Most striking though was the tight black latex bodysuit the mare wore. It coated every inch of her from the gleaming collar she wore around her neck, all the way down to her hooves and dock. Both brothers were instantly torn between an appreciation for the mare and fear if they expressed an ounce of that interest in any way.

“Hello, gentlestallions,” Twilight began. “I’m sure you are wondering why I’ve had you brought you here. Guards, you may go with my thanks for a job well done.” The guards said nothing, simply inclining their heads in acknowledgement and filing out.

“Princess, if either my brother or myself have somehow given offense...” Flim said.

“Derpy, could you please get some help and fetch a table, some chairs and Starlight’s notes on the suits?” Twilight said, interrupting Flim as she spoke to the grey pegasus in the livery. The pegasus just smiled, nodded and scampered off. “Flim, Flam, allow me to introduce my student, Starlight Glimmer,” Twilight said.

“Hello,” both stallions said at the same time, appreciating anew the gleaming curves of the mare beside Twilight. Everytime Starlight moved, it was as if a spotlight was shining on the muscles involved.

“I can see that both of you have noticed what my student is wearing,” Twilight said, with a coy smile. “Come here and take a closer look.” The brothers inched a fraction closer and Twilight frowned at their reticence and spoke again, “Come HERE.” The brothers leapt forward at the command to stand beside Starlight.

“What are we supposed to be looking for?” Flam asked nervously, still trying to not to look at Starlight, but Twilight could see a tremble in his hoof that told her Flam ached to touch her student.

“I want you to examine Starlight and tell me what you notice,” Twilight said, noticing the relief and acquisitive gleam in the brothers eyes. “You can touch, but no groping.” For the next few minutes, while Derpy brought in the requested table and notes, Starlight was thoroughly examined by the brothers.

“Princess, where did this suit come from?” Flam asked, wonder colouring his voice.

“Recently I travelled to another world, and in that other world, these suits were used to enslave and oppress ponies, myself among them. But properly re-engineered these suits could be of benefit to all ponykind," Twilight said, and the brothers turned to stare at the mound of data that was being placed on the table. "You two have a gift for arcanotech, so I'm sure you are up for the challenge."

"Of course, your Highness," Flim said. "But why us? My brother and I didn't exactly part on good terms with you and Ponyville."

"Because, in that other world, your counterparts were the architects of untold misery and suffering. So by offering you this opportunity and keeping an eye on you, I can make sure the two of you never become the monsters that those two did, " Twilight said, and then her eyes narrowed, power and darkness gathering around her like a thunderstorm. "Make no mistake, you two. If for even one moment, I so much as think you two are headed down the darkling path, I will end both of you so thoroughly that not even your names will ever be found again."

The brothers clutched each other in fear while the tell-tale green and purple flames of dark magic ignited in Twilight's pupils underscoring her words. But not even mortal terror could entirely dampen the entrepreneurial spirit of the two brothers.

“Um, we are getting paid for this, right?” Flam managed to ask, and the flames in Twilight’s eyes vanished as she barked in laughter.

Four mornings later a group of ponies gathered together on a grassy hilltop. Among them, three of the five known alicorns, and a host of friends and family. Trixie and Shining Armor were having an earnest discussion on one side, while Derpy was busy talking to her daughter.

“Are you ready to go, Twilight?” Celestia asked, as she hugged her former student.

“I think so,” Twilight said with a smile as she returned the hug. “Please keep an eye on everypony for me while I’m gone.”

“Of course, Twilight,” Celestia said, letting go of the small alicorn. “Alyss will be safe with me and I will keep an eye out for your parents."

“Thank you, and as for you, Shaushka,” Twilight said, addressing the changeling who was back in her pony disguise.

“Yes, Princess,” Shaushka said, bending her knee to Twilight. “What would you have of me?”

“Keep an eye on Starlight for me,” Twilight said, her face serious. “She’s been running the obedience reward routines in the collar and I’m a little worried she’s trying to lose herself as some form of punishment for what she did.”

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t go to far down the rabbit hole,” Shaushka said. “Worst case scenario, I will make sure she imprints on someone who cares for her well-being.”

“Good enough,” Twilight said, with a nod, and then a sudden hug as she took the hidden changeling by surprise. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and for my folks. I don’t know if I could have come back from what happened if it hadn’t of been for your help.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Twilight,” Shaushka said, smiling back and trying not to “nibble” on the alicorn wrapped around her neck. “You had already started the process, all I did was just speed things up a bit.”

“Well, thank you for that,” Twilight said, and stepped away from Shaushka. “Derpy! Trixie! Time for us to head out,” Twilight said, moving into the open area and cinching tight a girth strap to which was attached a pair of saddlebags that held a variety of items.

“Your Great and Powerful Knight is ready, Princess,” Trixie said, walking up to clip a line to Twilight’s girth strap, linking the two mares together. Derpy walked up to flank Twilight on the opposite side, and also connected herself to Twilight with a line attached to her harness.

“Servant Derpy, ready your Highness,” Derpy said, her voice betraying her excitement, “I’ve got everything ready to go.” Twilight looked at both mares, and seeing their readiness, again ignited her horn creating the swirling temporal vortex and a few moments later the trio rose up in an arrowhead formation and were gone. The assembled watchers began to disperse except for Celestia, Shaushka and Alyss, who was on Celestia’s leash.

“So, out with it,” Celestia said, eyeing Shaushka. “What did you see between Twilight and Starlight the other day? You owe me that for letting you get away with your collared changeling scheme.” Alyss perked up at hearing that her wearing a collar and a leash were part of a cunning plan.

“It’s fairly obvious if you know how to look,” Shaushka said, her smile a little wistful. “You see, Starlight is a natural submissive. She just needed to find a mare dominant enough to take control of her. Twilight is going to make a wonderful Mistress for her.”

“Twilight?” Celestia asked. “I would think she would be the last pony to engage in any of those sort of activities.”

“Oh no, Princess,” Shaushka said in assurance. “Twilight knows what it’s like to have their body and their trust violated, to be taken advantage of, to be abused. After that, do you seriously think that Twilight could be anything other than a compassionate, caring partner to a pony that insists on having a kink towards her like Starlight does?”

“I see your point,” Celestia said, with a nod of understanding. “Come along, Alyss. The three of us have a train to catch.”

This may be the last of my writing for some time to come. I will not whine about the details, other than to say that, barring a miracle, I am entering a very dark chapter in my life. One from which I may not emerge.

Luckily for all of you, this chapter was finished before...stuff, began. I hope you can bear with the lack of proper finishing work on this chapter. Javarod and Sandstorm both took looks at things before it all broke loose and I'd like to thank them for their efforts.

Also, in case I don't make it back. I'd like thank Belle and Damaged, for their teaching, friendship and mentoring over the past year. Keep an eye on Sandstorm and Hidden for me, okay?

With luck I'm being overly dramatic, but the pragmatic part of me insists on covering my bases.

Edit 18 hours later: I'm still here. Good people kept me from being stupid. Sorry to set off the drama nuke. Can you believe the above was meant to prevent drama by giving a bit of an explanation? #IAMANIDIOT