Usually I have these at the end of a chapter, but this time I thought I should have it at the top. What follows is what should have been the main portion of the chapter fragment I put out the month before, when I got overly crazed about deadlines and getting things done in time.

My sincere apologies and thank you for sticking around long enough to put something decent together. I hope it satisfies, and if it helps, know that the last chapter of this mini-arc is already written.

Twilight did her best to tune out the intruding Celestia and engage her prodigious mind. There were so many questions to answer and so little to go on. How had the Celestia from the first world she had visited manage to track Twilight back to her home? In fact, how had she managed to cross the dimensions like her and Starlight had in the first…

The eye of Twilight’s mind showed her what had to be the answer. When Starlight had attacked the true history of Twilight and her friends, she had used a modified version of Starswirl’s time travel spell from the Canterlot library. The only explanation was that this… evil Celestia, had done something similar. Found Starswirl’s spell on her own in her own library, in her own Canterlot, and then modified it to suit.

Or… Twilight’s mind froze as her memory replayed a bit of trivia that she had forgotten. Or this Celestia had merely handed the problem off to the collection of unicorns, zebras, scholars and researchers who had designed the suits for her, Flim, and Flam in the first place. For a group that had invented these diabolical devices, and Twilight forced herself not to twitch as the suit continued to prick and pull at her nerve endings, recreating a known modification to an existing spell would have been child’s play.

“...I’m sorry I had to put a dome over my castle when I got back, but things were such a terrible mess that I needed some time to reorganize everything. This letter will provide you the key to pass through with ease,” dictated the solar alicorn, her eyes fully on the enslaved unicorn version of Twilight serving as her minion. “Be sure to include a copy of your… sister’s thaumic signature as a passcode.”

“Yes Control,” replied the unicorn, eyes still devoid of anything resembling curiosity or self-interest.

Which was another question. The last Twilight had seen of her opposite number, Bookworm was the loving and beloved subject of Queen Chrysalis, who had operated under the nomme de guerre of “Boskone” until Twilight’s actions had forced Chrysalis to take her struggle against the creeping enslavement of all ponykind out into the open.

So what was Bookworm doing here, as a bound and apparently mind-broken slave to this Celestia?

Twilight idly tested her bonds as her unfettered mind continued to race forward. The suit was as impossible as ever to escape from, but looking from it to the one sealed to Bookworm’s body made her think that one of two possibilities were being played out here.

First, and the most likely probability, was that Celestia had defeated Chrysalis and her Angels, captured all of them, and then subsequently broken them to her will, only bringing Bookworm along because in every respect except wings, the unicorn was an almost perfect duplicate of Twilight and could take Twilight’s place for a great many things.

The second possibility was a longshot, but it would also fit the circumstances. The problem was that Twilight would need to get Bookworm alone in order to test her more hopeful hypothesis. Although, there was something Twilight could try right now…

“You Boskonian bitch,” Twilight yelled, pulling the eyes in the room toward her, “Celestia won’t fa—mrph!”

As Twilight had expected, the suit had clamped down on her muzzle with a layer of midnight coloured silence the moment her voice had risen over the threshold volume, silencing her. It had been worth it though, as she had seen the spark of recognition deep inside the eyes of her counterpart as Twilight had shouted one of the terms from the “Ponies of the Lens” novels that both of them had enjoyed as foals.

Bookworm wasn’t gone, she was hiding inside of her own mind, just like Pinball Ponnisen had done when she had posed as a space pirate in order to infiltrate the enemy base that was behind galactic level piracy.

“Suit 614,” a slightly annoyed looking white alicorn commanded. “Punishment routine seven, thirty second duration, maximum intensity.”

White hot agony burned across Twilight’s entire body, followed by a brief freezing sensation, then a feeling like being stabbed by a thousand needles, all at once. Agony rolled through the bound alicorn, and she unashamedly writhed on the ground as the pain overcame both mind and body.

Some unknowable length of time later Twilight opened her eyes to find her tormentor looking down on her.

“Now, my little pony, are you going to keep a civil tongue in your head?” Celestia asked, smiling in satisfaction as Twilight nodded back submissively.

“614 suit, discontinue muzzle. Begin ‘shock collar’ mode. Whisper level, maximum strength,” ordered the still smiling alicorn, and at this range Twilight noticed that the dark shadow of her beloved mentor had an odd twitch in one eye. “If you try to say anything above a whisper,, the suit will apply a powerful shock directly to your vocal cords. I’m told that repeated shocks can destroy a pony’s ability to speak permanently.”

“I understand,” Twilight whispered, her voice barely audible. “But you won’t break me, not again. Or at least not very fast, and my friends will save me long before you can do to me what your original Control did to Trixie. Count on it, Princess.”

“Oh, I remember Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia mused, her eyes taking a faraway look even as 8263 clipped a leash to Twilight’s collar and helped her to her hooves. “Such fire, such passion. A flame that burned at my command, or at least until she went wild and burnt herself.”

“What—hrng” Twilight grunted, words choked off as her throat was paralyzed by actinic fire dancing across her vocal cords for the sin of being a few decibels too loud.

“What happened to her?” Celestia replied, her face taking on an altogether unhealthy glee. “She went off to found her own kingdom, in a world of ‘humans’ that I ran across while looking for you. She ruled there for awhile, until a trio of Starswirl’s former enemies found and defeated her, outnumbered by them as she was. The last I saw of the best protegee I ever had was a view of her chained to the throne of their leader, Adagi-something, and looking up at her mistress with complete adoration as if she was some sort of pet.”

“What,” Twilight took a moment to clear her throat. “What now? For me?”

“Well in the days I’ve been here, nopony has come to rescue anypony, so apparently I have time to play a little,” Celestia informed her captive. “And while you are the prize I’ve hunted down and finally caught, I managed to find an unexpected treasure already tied up for me in a tidy package.”

“You—” Twilight was made to regret her words as electricity clamped viciously down on her vocal cords again, and it took several moments more for her to squeak out, “you leave my friends alone.”

“Ah ah ah, Control knows best,” patronized Celestia. “You need some rest, and time to consider your options. 8263, take 614 to the holding room and bring me the Flower I found, and her stallion too.”

“Yes Control,” acknowledged the enslaved mare, drawing Twilight toward the door. “Take 614 to holding and return with 615 and 616.”

“Y—” Twilight almost yelled, before remembering to minimize her voice. “You won’t get away with this.”

“My dearest pony,” laughed Celestia, “I already have.”

Twilight allowed herself to be led out of the room and down the corridor. As the pair walked, Twilight noticed that the entire castle seemed strangely muted somehow. As if something, or rather somepony, had stolen all the life and joy that usually filled the building, draining the colour of the place along with it. Even when it had been just her and Spike here, the place had felt fuller and more alive.

8263 turned a corner and Twilight followed suit as best she could, recognizing the passageway as one that led to the map room, which was probably where the other ponies were being held and leaving Twilight only a little time to put her theory to the test.

“This is Helmuth, speaking for—” Twilight whispered as loud as she dared, stopping as she saw Bookworm stagger, stop and lean against the corridor wall.

“Speaking for Boskone,” Bookworm slurred out, completing the phrase that she had used while acting as Chrysalis’ mouthpiece. “Give me a minute here.”

Twilight waited as patiently as she could, wondering when somepony would come along and ask what was going on, but nopony did.

“You okay?” Twilight finally hissed out, unable to hold her anxiousness in.

“Yeah, I mean yes,” Twilight’s unicorn counterpart replied, voice firming up. “Wow, I never get used to that.”

“Is that what I think it was?” Twilight asked. “An overlay?”

“My queen got the idea from what you and Alyss did to hide your real mind from Flim and Flam,” Bookworm responded, drawing Twilight over to a side alcove. “I hoped you would remember my old message and use it at the right time.”

“Is everypony all right there? Did Celestia attack you? Why do this in the first—” demanded Twilight, the questions bubbling out her only stopped as yet another bolt of electricity hit her throat.

“Stop that,” chided Bookworm. “Breaker wasn’t kidding when she said that ponies have lost the ability to speak from too many shocks. Not like she cares or anything.”

Twilight, her throat in spasm, was reluctantly forced to agree with a mere nod.

“Okay, the golems shouldn’t be a problem for a few minutes at least so let me give you the highlights,” Bookworm commented, giving Twilight a new question to ask in the process.

“So, when you left us we had the master codes to let everypony in a suit operate them, themselves. Downside was that we found out pretty fast that the codes only work in pony. Meaning we have to be literally at a pony’s side to free them,” Bookworm paused in her recitation, scanning the ceiling high above for some reason, before continuing. “Even with that limitation we were doing pretty good, and we had a pretty good little rebellion going while we searched for the Elements of Harmony.”

“What happened?” Twilight managed to croak out.

“Breaker managed to penetrate the dream realm,” Bookworm told a shocked Twilight. “Once there, she confronted Luna in her own magical domain. I think Br… Celestia thought she was just making sure that Luna was under her complete control, what she found out instead literally broke the Breaker.”

“Heh,” Twilight snorted, drawing a warning glare from the unicorn who was ostensibly in charge of her.

“Luna’s been practically living in the dream realm since she got back, and she is absolutely the Mistress of the Dreaming Arts,” Bookworm informed Twilight, a broad smile on her muzzle. “So when Celestia invaded her realm, Luna forced her sister to experience exactly how it felt to have someone else in complete and total control of them. And while she had Celestia locked down like that, she took her sister on a whirlwind tour of the nightmares Celestia had been forcing her subjects to live through while wearing these damn things.”

“She thought it would make her sister see reason. That once Celestia knew the harm she had been inflicting, however well intended originally, she’d stop trying to control everything and everyone and free everypony,” Bookworm concluded, looking up at the ceiling again.

“It didn’t work did it? ‘Control’ isn’t just a title anymore, is it?” Twilight asked.

“If you get one more shock from that collar I’ll muzzle you for your own good,” Bookworm growled, but then a strange rasping noise caused Bookworm to shove Twilight as deep as she could into the little nook with a fearful, “don’t make a sound until it passes.”

Wondering what could have caused such a reaction Twilight obeyed, following Bookworm’s gaze upwards to try to see what had triggered such a reaction from her companion. All Twilight was able to see was a strange ripple in the shadows of the arched ceiling that paused and then began to move on after several long seconds.

“What in Celestia’s mane was that?” whispered Twilight, as the ripple continued to move away, passing over a glowing buttress and revealing itself as an outline of some sort of dark sheet of animate darkness before passing from view as it continued to move along the ceilings.

“Animated symbiote, what we’ve been calling ‘golems’,” Bookworm breathed back. “Probably one of the ones spawned off the original ten my Celestia brought with her.”

“Animated—” Twilight replied, pausing as her mind worked through theories and possibilities. “She made the suits capable of moving on their own?”

“And of being able to split off daughter clones of themselves once they’ve pulled in enough magic from a captive pony,” Bookworm added, nodding. “Their primary directive is to envelop and subdue ponies in a given area. If there are more ponies then symbiotes, then the captive ponies become batteries to fuel the process of making more symbiotes. Which then capture more ponies and then repeat the process until every pony in the target zone is enveloped, subdued and being processed into an obedient servant of Celestia.”

“Is she crazy?” hissed Twilight. “That’s diabolical. Not to mention incredibly dangerous.”

“Tell me about it. Anyway, we need to get moving. If I take much longer to get you to the holding room Celestia will know something is up,” Bookworm said, drawing Twilight forward on her leash. “But we’ve got time for a couple more things before I put myself back under. How long do you think Celestia and I have been here?”

“Days at least,” Twilight answered, as loudly as she dared. “Which doesn’t make any sense. All of Ponyville would know what’s going on. The entire Royal Guard should be outside, trying to bash their way in. Plus my Celestia and Luna would have taken steps after a day, two at most.”

“Princess, we haven’t been here for days. We’ve been here for just over five hours,” Bookworm replied, before being jerked to a halt by Twilight coming to a shocked standstill.

“What?!” Twilight shouted, right before the collar delivered a shock that seemed to go right through Twilight’s entire throat.

“That tears it,” Bookworm groused, adding, “614 Suit, add a spoon bit to the bridle, add a full muzzle, six hour duration. Authorization 8263.”

“Command accepted,” came the recorded voice of Twilight Velvet from the collar, as the suit obediently spawned a bit that invaded Twilight’s mouth and trapped her tongue under an immobilizing spoon. Moments later, the alicorn’s jaws were wrapped shut against the oral invader by a latex muzzle that sealed her mouth closed, adding a second layer of bondage to her mouth. Combined, they ensured that Twilight would barely be able to make any noise at all, let alone speak.

“I warned you,” Bookworm stated as she let Twilight paw ineffectually at the bridle and muzzle for a few moments. “I’ll bet every bit my queen has that you just damaged your vocal cords.”

Twilight jerked her head up, growling at the unicorn version of herself with the only sound that she could make that could express her frustration. A growl that was cut off as Bookworm jerked her forward by her leash.

“Oh cut that out,” counseled the member of the pair still capable of speech. “Anyway, yes. We’ve only been here five hours or so, and the Breaker thinks it’s been days, because she’s gone completely maniacally insane.”

“Mrr?” Twilight hummed, allowing herself to be drawn forward again.

“Remember when I told you that my Luna showed Celestia what her ponies actually thought about what she had done to them? When she was forced to experience their powerlessness herself, in the dream realm?” Bookworm asked, rhetorically as Twilight was incapable of replying. “It broke her. Her bedrock certainty that she was right and knew what was best for Equestria ran full speed into the indisputable fact that she’d fucked up, and it absolutely shattered her sanity.”

Twilight’s sharp inhalation through her nostrils was as eloquent as a scream.

“In her madness, she’s decided that since ponies hate the suits, but have to obey her if she’s wearing them, that she’ll take obedience over love,” Bookworm continued, pausing at the last turn to the map room. “So she’s decided to put everypony into a suit, whether they want to or not. Equestria is in a full blown civil war, and the free ponies are losing.”

The unicorn looked back and saw the compassion and understanding in Twilight's eyes. “That’s why Chrysalis put this personality overlay in my mind, so that when I was captured ‘heroically buying time for Chrysalis to escape’ I could become a deep-cover spy for the resistance tasked with trying to find some way to either stop Celestia, or a way to deal with the suits once and for all, before we get overwhelmed. Until today, we had no idea she had found out how to cross dimensions like you do, but hopefully my queen can take advantage of Celestia’s absence from my Equestria.”

Twilight took a moment to add up the power requirements for bringing things through the vortex and found herself extremely grateful that the amount of mana went up by the power of the amount of mass shifted, limiting a traveller to two or three companions at most.

“Anyway, I’ve got to put myself back under,” Bookworm was saying, drawing Twilight's attention back to the here and now. “I know that last hit took a bite out of your voice, which is why I’ve muzzled you for awhile. You know the phrase to bring me back out, and if you can’t speak it you aren’t any good to me.”

Twilight nodded, understanding now why the unicorn had been so protective of her alicorn counterpart.

“I am a Pony of the Lens,” recited Bookworm, grimacing. “I am the Grey Lenspony, Unattached.”

As Bookworm repeated the line where Pinball Ponnisen had accepted the responsibility of becoming greatest force for good in the galaxy, Twilight saw the bright and active mind of Bookworm become replaced by the dull obedience of 8263, latex encased pony drone of The Breaker, aka Princess Celestia.

“Come,” commanded 8263, drawing her charge forward and around the corner. As the pair approached the large entrance to the map room, a dull black latex thing peeled itself off the doorframe, humping and schlumping its way toward the approaching duo.

8263 came to a stop as the thing reached them, touching them both with a pair of pseudopods that seemed to sink into the suits the pair were wearing for a moment, before withdrawing its touch and moving back to its guard position over the door’s lintel.

Twilight followed obediently, her aching throat reminding her of the consequences any sort of resistance would bring. Even then, it took a sharp pain in her rump to keep her moving as she saw who was in the room, and the state they were in.

Most of Twilight’s staff were there, along with almost every member of her guard. Notable in their absence were Dashiel, Trixie, 143, Derpy and, as Twilight breathed a silent prayer of thanks, Spike.

Conspicuous with their presence however, was her brother Shining Armor as well as his wife Cadance. Both the Alicorn of Love and her husband were encased and fully hooded with only their nostrils, manes, and tails showing. Twilight could tell that both of them were also on the receiving end of the full taming regime that she herself had undergone, if the rippling on Shining’s underside and the in and out pulsations over Cadance’s nethers were any indication.

Twilight’s eyes were pulled away from the extremely impressive length under her brother’s barrel as she was drawn over to one side, and her leash was attached to a black splotch on the wall that had two other lines attached to it.

“You will stay here until Control wishes to see you again,” 8263 stated, her voice flat. “Escape is impossible. Struggle is pointless. Accept your new role. Your symbiote will see to your physical needs.”

Without further comment, 8263 turned and left.

“An’ good riddance,” said a familiar voice a moment later.

Turning, Twilight followed the line of one of the tethers to where it lead to a gleaming steel collar that was firmly fastened around Applejack’s throat. The orange earth pony was also coated in gleaming black from the neck down as well as sporting a second tail that sprouted from one of her intimate openings.

“Good ugh, to see ya Twi,” Applejack groaned as the root of the suit’s tail shifted and moved inside of her. Other than that and the leash connecting her to the wall, Applejack’s only other binding was having all four of her powerful legs tucked underneath her and bound to her body. “Well not good, but Ah’m pretty sure you get mah meaning. Me and Rarity were visiting when yer unexpected guest showed up and dropped us faster than a bit on Cider Day.”

Latex squeaked as Twilight did her best to give one of her best friends a nuzzle of encouragement.

“Oh shoot, don’t you worry none about me. Ah’ve had worse ruttin’s. It’s Rarity Ah’m worried about,” Applejack said, nodding to where the third leash led to a fully enveloped pony lying on the ground and writhing in ecstasy as the suit worked at them. Only Rarity’s distinctive mane and tail allowed Twilight to identify her friend, and she inwardly cringed as she imagined the endorphin heightened conditioning the mare was enduring, right in front of her.

“Don’t,” Applejack warned as Twilight moved toward the enslaved fashionista in an attempt to provide some encouragement that even the suit wouldn’t be able to block out. “Last time Ah touched her, these... things on us hurt us both somethin’ fierce. Best you don’t try.”

Applejack paused in her recitation as 8263 led Shining Armor and Cadance away. Both the alicorn and her husband were fully hooded and being forced to rely on pressure from their bridles for direction. Twilight’s growl of frustration drew a comforting hoof of support from her verbal friend.

“They’ve been working on yer brother and Cadance harder than a one-legged pony in a square dance contest, but neither of them know what the word ‘quit’ means. They’re both tougher than old fruit leather, ” Applejack informed Twilight. “Like Ah said, it’s Rares Ah’m worried about. Last time the thing let her speak, she told me she didn’t know how much more she could take afore she started actually obeyin’ the damn ‘Control’ pony.”

“It ain’t all bad,” continued Applejack, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Dashiel got the alarm out, and then skedaddled, along with a few others. This ain’t over Twi, not by a long shot it ain’t.”