The large room in the Castle of Friendship had lain semi-dormant for nearly two weeks since the mistress of the castle had gone missing. She had disappeared while using a powerful spell that, in part, used the magic of the large stone table that dominated much of the room. The mistress was well loved by her friends, her assistant and her personal student, and each of them had taken turns keeping watch, hoping for the return of their friend. Thus, it happened that when the cross-time vortex formed in the ceiling, Starlight Glimmer was there to see her teacher returned to her, in a blaze of magic and a howl of wind.

“Twilight!” Starlight called out, as she jerked herself out of the chair she had been sitting in. Joy and relief warred for dominance in her heart and she began to make her way across the room as the last swirling magical constructs faded.

“Don’t move,” Twilight Sparkle ordered, throwing out a hoof in Starlight’s direction. As Starlight skidded to a halt in surprise she noticed a couple of things. Twilight wasn’t alone. An azure mare clung to one side of her and what appeared to be a changeling, of all things, was clinging to Twilight’s other side. All three of them were wearing sleek, slinky black suits that clung to their every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination. Closed around each of the trio’s throats, almost as tight as their suits, was a metallic collar.

“000 suit,” Twilight said, in a voice of command, as she looked sternly at the changeling. “Full lockdown." Starlight’s mind, already awash with questions, began overflowing with them as the changeling suddenly went stiff legged and the gleaming black suit on her moved of its own accord, spreading itself into a hood that blinded and gagged the changeling. “143,” Twilight then said, in a far gentler tone, as she addressed the blue mare still clinging to her other side, “that mare over there is named Starlight Glimmer. She is my friend and student, please go over to her.”

The azure mare flowed away from Twilight in a sinuous motion, moved to stand beside Starlight, and then gracefully knelt beside her, head bowed. Starlight couldn’t hold her questions in anymore.

“Who are you?” Starlight whispered fiercely to the kneeling pony, as Twilight walked around the paralyzed changeling and examined it for something.

“This pony is called 143,” the mare said softly. “She serves 614, your Mistress.”

“My—” Starlight said, as her brain encountered a fatal error and had to reboot. “What?” Whatever the strange pony kneeling beside Starlight had to say was interrupted as Twilight spoke again.

“000 suit, allow speech and hearing,” Twilight said, and Starlight saw the hood pull back a bit, uncovering the changeling’s mouth and ears. The changeling gasped and licked its lips before speaking.

“My mother will be upset if you kill me out of hoof,” the changeling said. Starlight had heard too many brave fronts from ponies not to recognize one now. The changeling was at Twilight’s mercy and both of them knew it. All that mattered now was how Twilight was going to respond.

“You’re not going to die today, Alyss. But we aren’t going one more step until I get a clear answer from you about something,” Twilight said, as she grabbed the changeling shoulders and steadied them. “Tell me true, Alyss. When were you planning on betraying me?” Even at this range Starlight could feel the magic of a powerful compulsion beginning to work on the changeling. She could see its jaw clenching as it tried to physically hold back its answer, but whatever spell was at work trumped mere determination.

“Three seconds after you brought me back to my world,” the changeling gasped out. “A blow to your horn to stun you, a second to your throat to keep you from speaking, followed by a quick splash of resin as a gag and you would have been mine again.”

“That’s roughly what I thought,” Twilight said, the corner of her mouth turned up in a slight grin. “Do you intend to try anything while you are here?”

“No,” the changeling said in answer, and Starlight could hear the relief in the changeling’s voice as it realized it was going to survive this encounter. “I need you to get back home. Your spell is beyond my ability. So, until I get back, I intend to keep my word and loyally serve you. I am yours to do with, as you please, until then.”

“So, the moment we get back all bets are off?” The changeling nodded to Twilight. “Fair enough. 000 suit, end lockdown, cancel all restrictions.” The changeling slumped and nearly collapsed to the floor before it...she, caught herself.

“Seriously Twilight,” Starlight interjected, her face contorting in anger at having no idea what was happening. “What the hay is going on? The spell was supposed to bring you back almost instantly, but you’ve been gone nearly two weeks.” Starlight took a few steps toward Twilight, still ranting. “And when you do come back, it’s dressed in something out of my dark fantasies.” Starlight closed to within a few steps. “And to top it all off, you come back with two...companions." Starlight was right in Twilight’s face now, yelling at the top of her lungs. “One of whom is kneeling to you like some kind of slavemare, and the other is acting like a captive princess!”

Everypony froze for a moment as Starlight stood there, muzzle to muzzle with Twilight, her chest heaving, every line afire with furious determination. Has she always been this alive? Twilight thought to herself. She’s glorious!

“Starlight, I’ll explain everything soon, I promise,” Twilight said, smiling. “But it really is a long story and I don’t want to tell it more than I have to. I need you to get 143 and Alyss each a room, send Spike to me and then get the girls and meet me back here ASAP.”

“Okay,” Starlight said, deflating. “But only if you promise to explain everything.”

“I promise, and afterwards we’ll discuss your fantasies about your teacher wearing a skin tight, black outfit,” Twilight said. Starlight didn’t say anything. Her furious blush spoke volumes as she gathered up Alyss and 143 to get them to one of the many spare rooms in the castle..

Three hours later, Twilight and her friends were clustered together in a heap around a fireplace in Twilight’s Castle. Twilight’s telling of her story had begun in the Cutie Map room, but as the details of her story came out, her friends had gone from concerned, to worried, to horrified. When Twilight told them dispassionately about the first time she had been raped by the brothers, Fluttershy had run from the room, her face covered in tears. On her return Fluttershy had put her hoof down.

“Twilight, I know you are a strong, brave mare but you’ve been terribly hurt and this isn’t the right setting for you to start healing in,” Fluttershy said, coming within a few paces of her friend.

“I’m fine, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, looking back toward the rest of her friends. “Now, as I was saying, they used the probe—” Twilight broke off as something nudged her lower hoof. Fluttershy had gotten down onto her belly and crawled, unnoticed, the few feet over to Twilight. Twilight stared down at her friend’s kind, yet determined face.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy said, looking up at her friend. “I’ve seen more than enough hurt critters not to know when one of my best friends is in pain, and trying to hide it.” Twilight flinched, as Fluttershy drew back her hoof. “I know talking about what happened is part of the healing you need, but this is the wrong place for it. I’m not going to force you, but you need to recognize that we should be doing this in a room with more warmth to it. Okay?”

Twilight felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes, and suddenly her throat was choked shut by the love she felt for her friend who was doing all she could to make Twilight feel safe and in control of the situation. All she could do was nod, as she forced the tears back down and the butter yellow pegasus flowed into her hooves, hugging her gently.

“Thank you,” Twilight whispered to Fluttershy, and the rest of their friends came around the edge of the table to join into the hug. After that, it became a bit of a problem for the group to get to one of the smaller rooms in the castle as none of them wanted to break the hug. But, they managed it, as Starlight led them to a study room that Spike had set up in Twilight’s absence.

Starlight lit the fire in the fireplace in the room and turned to go. “I’ll just leave you to it. I can tell you girls need to be together for a bit.”

“No, Starlight,” Twilight said, stopping Starlight at the door. “You get right back over here.” Starlight looked over from the door to Twilight’s beckoning hoof, a look of disbelief on her face. “My friends told me how you kept things running while I was gone. How you took care of Spike, how Celestia took the inhibitor off of you. Friends stay, so you get right back over here.”

Starlight closed the door and as she took Twilight’s hoof she was promptly enveloped in the group hug. Comfort, strength and warmth flowed into her from her friends. Her friends, once her foes, who had turned her from her path and saved her from the darkness in her own heart. Starlight looked at Twilight, who had resumed telling them about the horrors she had endured. I’m going to get you out of that suit, Starlight thought as her teacher’s words washed over her. I’m going to save you, just like you saved me.

“...and then I cast the spell and jumped back with Alyss and 143 in tow,” Twilight concluded.

“So, you’ve got a Trixie, who ain’t Trixie, and a changeling princess living with you now,” Applejack said. “That sounds a tad dangerous.”

“Not so much,” Twilight said. “Alyss can’t get out of her suit, anymore than I can get out of mine, so it’s not like she can disguise herself. As for 143, she couldn’t hurt a fly, and she’s incapable of refusing any order she’s given. So, if you run across her when I’m not around please be very gentle with her, girls.”

“What about what Alyss did to you?” Fluttershy asked. “She was training you to be her obedient animal. Aren’t you mad at her?”

“I’m furious, but acting on that anger won’t help anypony,” Twilight said with a small sigh. “Maybe while she’s with us we can show her a better way. She wouldn’t be the first villain we’ve reformed.”

“And the training?” Fluttershy persisted. “For somepony like me who works with critters, it’s pretty obvious she was getting to you.” She looked over to Applejack for confirmation.

“Ah wasn’t gonna say nothin’,’ Applejack said. “But ya, I’m sorry Twi, but she had ya halfway to jumping if she said ‘frog.’”

“That bad?” Twilight asked, and her face fell when both Fluttershy and Applejack nodded their assent. “Okay, well, among the letters I had Spike send out earlier was one to my Mom letting her know I would be heading to Canterlot tomorrow and that I wanted to visit her.”

“Why?” Pinkie asked. She uncharacteristically had been the quietest of Twilight’s friends since her return and Twilight made a special point of holding Pinkie’s hoof as she answered.

“Because Mom helped Shiny after the invasion of Canterlot, and if there is any pony that can help me get rid of my conditioning it’s her because—” Twilight paused and she felt the eyes of the others on her. “Because I didn’t tell you, that the whole time she was changing me, Alyss was wearing my Mom’s form.” She heard the gasps from her friends and continued, “Everything I’ve been trained to do and feel, is keyed to a pony that looks and sounds like my own mother.”

“Well, on the plus side,” Rarity said, “the very pony you were trained to react to, is the pony you trust the most in all the world. That should help quite a bit. By the way, you said you had Spike send out letters, plural?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, very glad for the change of subject. “The one to my mother, one to Shining and Cadance, asking them to come here, another to—” Twilight felt her jaw clench, “Princess Celestia, asking for the use of a detachment of the Solar Guard, and one to Princess Luna, asking her to not enter my dreams for the next few days. No matter what.”

“Yes, that’s all well and good, Twilight dear,” Rarity said, “but not my point. My question is: What are we going to tell Spike about what’s happened?” No pony had a good answer for that, and the silence began to stretch out uncomfortably until Rarity spoke up again. “Don’t worry about it, Twilight. I’ll have a good long talk with him after you’ve left for Canterlot.”

“Thanks Rarity,” Twilight said with feeling. “But other topics. What happened with the rest of you while I was gone?” The next hour or so was pleasantly spent as Twilight happily listened to her friends tell her about the events in their lives over the past couple of weeks. Gradually, they all became tired, but no pony wanted to leave the pile by the fire. So, levitating over some blankets and pillows, the group of ponies slept together in a group, giving comfort and warmth to their friend.

The next morning, after a group breakfast cooked by Spike, Twilight headed out to the train station to catch the first train to Canterlot. Starlight had been left “in charge”, with the understanding that both she and Spike had authority over their “guests.” A few times Spike had started to ask Twilight questions, but every time either Twilight or Rarity cut him off or diverted him. After the fourth time Spike gave Rarity a very measuring look and didn’t ask again.

“Alright, Rarity,” Spike said, a few minutes after Twilight had left with the others for the train station. “I stopped asking questions during breakfast because you and Twilight made it clear neither of you wanted to talk about it right then.” Rarity couldn’t meet Spike’s gaze, and it felt like he was somehow stripping her defences away and leaving her naked before him..

“”But now we have a changeling living in the castle, along with a mare that looks just like Trixie, who begged me not to hurt her when I called her that. On top of that, I know something happened to Twilight in that other world. Something really bad, and none of you will talk to me about it,” Spike paused, leaned over and lifted Rarity’s chin so he could look her in the eye. “Rarity, I need to know what happened to Twilight. In fact, I think I deserve to know. Talk to me, Rarity.”

“Spike,” Rarity began. She had been so sure she had known what to say when she had offered to do this, but now that the moment was here she could barely think. She looked at Spike, and through the lens of her feelings for him, all she could see was a baby dragon trying to find out why his “mommy” was hurting. “It’s... It’s a complicated thing. Some ponies did some very un-ponylike things to Twilight...”

She was fishing for words to describe, without describing, what happened. Spike looked at Rarity, and he could see the pain not only in the mare’s eyes, but in the worry lines around her face. It was the really bad thing, and he spoke the word.

“Rape.” Silence took a tight grip on the room. It held fast and stopped either pony or dragon from being able to talk. It stretched on, tightening its grip until it was practically choking the throats of Rarity and Spike. At last Spike saw that just the silence was causing Rarity distress, and that was something he could fix. “I think I already knew that. I... I am not as young as I look. I’ve read nearly every book in Twilight’s library. I know that bad things can happen to even the best ponies.”

He saw the silence shatter around Rarity, heard her soft sigh of relief. “I only have one question, although I think I should ask Twilight.”

“Ask me, Spike. I will give you the best answer I can,” Rarity said. He wasn’t Rarity’s “Spikey-Wikey” right now, the dragon was being very adult, and had a very serious look on his young-looking face.

“Have they been punished for it?” Spike’s anger boiled under the veneer of his almost-calm features. His code of honor was in turmoil, a mare had been hurt badly, and a part of him wanted to do bad things to “fix” it. As soon as he thought the word “fix,” that part of Spike lost the fight with his honor; there wasn’t any way he could fix this.

“Yes Spike,” Rarity said, relieved that she could give an honest answer. “The two most responsible, who hurt Twilight the most, they are being punished.”

“And the changeling and...143,” Spike said, stumbling a bit over the odd name for the not-Trixie pony. “How are they involved in all this? They’re wearing the same sort of outfits as Twilight.”

“143 was the Trixie of that world, until her mind was hurt in ways we can’t even guess at right now,” Rarity said, “Do you remember when Dragon Greed took you over?” Spike nodded. “The Spike I know, my good friend Spike, went away. Replaced by a greedy dragon that just wanted more and more. 143 is the opposite of that. When she was hurt, the mare called Trixie went away and was replaced by the frightened, timid pony called 143.”

“What about this ‘Alyss’ changeling?” Spike asked, and Rarity could hear the banked anger in his voice.

“She...hurt Twilight in a different way,” Rarity said, and she noticed that Spike was sitting very, very still. “In an odd way, she even felt like she was helping Twilight, because what she did to Twilight helped keep her from winding up like 143. And it helped stop the two ponies responsible for many bad things in that world.”

“But she still hurt Twilight,” Spike said, looking at his flexing claws.

“Yes, she did,” Rarity confirmed. “But Alyss’s own mother, her queen, gave her into Twilight’s keeping with instructions that Alyss was to obey Twilight, no matter what. Why do you think she did that?”

“I...I don’t know,” Spike said, looking unsure for the first time in their conversation.

“Maybe because Alyss’s mother knows her daughter needs to be punished,” Rarity said. “Maybe Alyss needs to be taught why she should be punished in the first place. And maybe...maybe, we can show Alyss that there is a better way to accomplish her goals. Just like you and Twilight did with Starlight.”

“Really?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Really,” Rarity said. “Twilight trusts you to help with this. Why else would she have given you authority over Alyss?”

“She did, didn’t she?” Spike said, lost in thought and Rarity saw his flexing claws still and become gentle again.

“She gave you that power, because she trusts you, and knows you won’t abuse it,” Rarity said and breathed a very small sigh of relief as she finally saw Spike begin to relax. “She trusts you to start showing Alyss a better way and I trust you too.”

“Aww, thanks Rarity,” Spike said, hugging the alabaster mare beside him.

“Now, I’d appreciate it if you could send a letter of mine to Twilight Velvet,” Rarity said. “If Twilight’s mother is going to be of any help to her she needs every detail I can send her.”

Twilight Velvet grimaced as a sixth, and hopefully final, scroll materialized in front of her in a gout of green flame. When her daughter’s letter had arrived, Velvet knew that something had gone badly wrong during Twilight’s last adventure and her daughter wasn’t ready to tell her until they were face to face. Then, in turn, one by one, had come the letters from her friends. Each one provided a new insight into what her daughter had gone through, and what she had been forced to become to survive.

Velvet quickly unrolled Rarity’s letter and scanned through it. That tears it, she thought, I need some advice about this. I just hope Night won’t be too upset about my going to see Her again. Twilight Velvet turned around and gasped as she discovered her husband, Night Light, had crept up on silent hooves and was right behind her.

“Hello dear,” he said, his face serious. “Planning on going somewhere?” Velvet tried to settle her churning thoughts, even as her body tried to process the surge of adrenaline her husband’s startling appearance had caused.

“Y-yes, dear,” Velvet said, nervously “You see, Twilight—”

“My daughter has been hurt,” Night Light interrupted, and Velvet could see him fighting to remain calm when he wanted nothing more than to find the ones who had dared set hooves on his daughter and break them as they had tried to break her. “And there is nothing I can do about it, other than to give you all the support and love I can.”

“So, it’s okay if I go to Her?” Velvet asked, eyebrow rising.

“Our daughter needs the help and advice that...creature, can give you,” Night said, reasserting his calm. “More, if she really can help Twilight, maybe it will help balance the scales for what her kind did to our son.”

“Oh, Thank you!” Velvet said, as she flung her hooves around her husband. “I’ve got a good idea where to start, but She is the best pony I know to help undo what’s been done to Twilight. She—” Twilight Velvet broke off as she felt an inch thick band tighten and lock around her throat. A feeling she had never thought to experience again flowed through her, as she heard the lock of her Mistress’s collar snap shut.

“N-Nighty!” Velvet gasped. “Are you sure?”

“Go,” he said, “it’s been a long time since our Mistress has seen either of her pets.”

A half hour later Twilight Velvet was sitting on a richly appointed couch, in a very exclusive, very expensive manor home on the outskirts of Canterlot. Shauska’s favorite jasmine tea tickled her nose as she delicately sipped at it from a well remembered porcelain tea set, and the motion made the small crystal bell on her collar chime slightly.

“So, Velvet,” the orange haired changeling sitting opposite her said. “I must say I was surprised when one of my favorite pets showed up on my door after such a long time. Is everything okay between you and Night Light?”

“Everything is fine,” Velvet said, setting down her cup and touching the segmented collar at her throat. “In fact, he’s the one who locked this onto me before I left.”

“Really?” Shaushka said, looking hopeful. “Will he be along as well? I have missed my ‘Matched Pair’ so very much.”

“Not today,” Velvet said, eyes downcast “He hasn’t ever really forgiven you for being a changeling, even though you had nothing to do with the invasion.”

The changeling nodded in understanding, “I’ve kept my distance since that dark day. I lost not only the friendship of a loving couple I helped bring together, but most of my clientele as well. I only have thirty changelings to feed but some of them went hungry for awhile in the weeks following Chrysalis’s stupidity.”

“Well,” Velvet said, looking up at the tall, sleek form of her former Mistress, “if you can help our daughter, I think it would go a long way toward Night Light letting you back into our lives.” She again touched the locked collar. “I think that’s why he sent me like this. Something of a peace offering.”

Shaushka nodded and set down her teacup, orange tresses moving elegantly as she did so, “Okay then, tell me everything you can about what’s happened to Twilight Sparkle...”

The pair were on their third cup of tea and had moved from sitting on opposite couches to snuggling together on a large loveseat, by the time Twilight Velvet finished relating the contents of all the letters she had received from Twilight and her friends. The changeling sat quietly for long moments, absently stroking the mane of her pet as she thought.

“Mistress?” Velvet asked, looking back up behind her.

“Shh, dear one,” Shaushka said, “give me another minute to think.” Velvet lay quietly in the warmth of the changeling’s embrace as Shaushka’s mind raced through ideas and possibilities. “Very well, pet. Okay, right off the bat, it has to be you breaking her conditioning.”

“Oh?” Velvet asked, eyebrow rising along with her voice.

“She’s been keyed to react to your face, your voice,” Shaushka said. “Anypony else would have ten times the trouble you will have getting through to her.”

“And the aversion therapy?” Velvet asked.

“Is a brilliant idea of yours,” Shaushka said, smiling. “If you can whipsaw her from lust to disgust often enough it should break her training. If she never fully broke, you should be able to break her out of the cycle of desire and lust fairly quickly. You’ll just need to watch that she doesn’t relapse or focus on somepony else.”

“I will,” Velvet said, “Anything else?”

“Yes, she will probably say a lot of things you already know,” Shaushka said, nodding. “Let her talk and get what happened into the open. That can be a surprising amount of help to a recovering pony, plus she will likely add little details around the main topics. Listen for them.”

“Alright,” Velvet said, and then looked at the clock. “Shoot, I need to get going. She’s going to be here in a couple of hours. Thank you for your help.”

“Anytime,” Shaushka said, releasing her hold on her pet. “Keep me posted?”

“Of course,” Velvet said, smiling as she again touched her collar. “It’s not like I have a choice, do I?”

“Pffft,” Shaushka said, in smiling reproof. “You always have a choice. That is the underlying difference between what you, me and Night shared, compared to what happened to your daughter. But with some work and some luck you can give her the ability to make that choice again.”

A few hours later, the doorbell rang at the home of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. On her return home, Night Light had taken his wife’s collar off, kissed her with a deep hunger and headed off to work, knowing that no matter how much he wanted to be there, the presence of a stallion, any stallion, would not be helpful to his daughter right now.

Twilight Velvet opened the door and found herself looking on a fetishist’s vision encased in tight black latex. None of the letters she had received had mentioned the shiny, form fitting suit her daughter was wrapped in from neck to dock. Nor had any of them mentioned the tight collar seemingly formed from a single piece of silver, bound to Twilight’s throat or how the combination made her look incredibly sexy and desirable.

“Twilight!” Velvet said. “It’s good to see you. Is this something new from Rarity?”

Twilight threw herself to her forehooves, thrust her hindquarters high and flagged her tail. “No, Mistre—Ponyfeathers!” Twilight said, breaking position almost as fast as she had assumed it. Velvet found it very, very hard, not to accept the offering before her, but for her daughter she found the strength of will to not react physically.

“Come on in,” Velvet said, stepping aside. “Go grab a seat on the couch and I’ll get some tea on.” Twilight’s face was a blend of embarrassment and gratitude as she got back onto her sheathed hooves and made her way inside.

“Alright dear,” Velvet said, joining her daughter in the living room a minute or two later. “That was one of the more interesting greetings I’ve ever had at my door. Are you okay?”

Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath, got up and began to pace in that nervous way of hers. Velvet forced herself to keep her eyes on her daughter’s face, and not on the rippling form encased in shining black. “Initial awkwardness aside, I’m okay. I guess you could say the past couple of weeks were a really weird time for me. And I... well, I have to talk about this so we can work on it.” Twilight looked away, her ears laid back in shame. “This is... it’s going to be hard for you to hear, but it’s hard for me to say, so just... don’t interrupt, okay?”

Twilight Velvet gave her daughter a nod. “I’m very concerned, honey, particularly after that offering at my door, but I’m listening.”

“Okay.” Twilight took a deep breath. “I’m mostly okay. But you probably know from my friends that I’ve been away on another adventure, and it really messed with my head, and there were changelings, and—” She stopped herself, sighed, and turned her averted eyes floorwards. “I, uh, I spent a lot of time with a changeling who looked like you. She tried to tame me, she did condition and train me. And I really need your help to stop being turned on by your voice, because now that I’m home and safe, it’s taking everything I’ve got to not beg you to...do things to me.”

Velvet was silent for a minute, and Twilight let her mother take the time to absorb the shock. Then, her mother gave her a sly smile, lowered her eyelids suggestively, leaned forward, and purred into Twilight’s ear. “Moist.”

Twilight shuddered as her every orifice clenched with desire, “Mom!”

“Fetus smear. Curd. Chunky.” Twilight teleported. Fortunately, her parents’ bathroom was still in the same place. She could be sick in peace.

Twilight returned to the living room almost half an hour later, shaking slightly from how ill she had been. Velvet met her with a wan smile and a glass of salted mineral water, which helped, and they settled back into their seats, Twilight on the sofa and Velvet on the loveseat on the other side of the coffee table.

“That was horrible,” Twilight said. “Thank you.”

“Of course, honey. I know a thing or two about conditioning, and I’m very happy to help you with this.” Twilight Velvet’s already-weak smile faded completely. “But there’s something else you said that worries me more. In your letter, you said you didn’t have a choice about something very important. Twilight, were you...” She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“I...” Twilight looked down. Dozens of recent memories flashed before her eyes. Most prominently, the image of Flam’s dick about to enter her muzzle burned itself into her vision. She closed her eyes, but couldn’t steady her breathing. She had tried to do what she could to mitigate the damage, and she had tried to have fun with what wasn’t truly her choice, but now that she was forced to look back...Twilight was wrapped in her mother’s embrace before she realized she was crying.

Velvet just sat there, hugging and rocking her sobbing daughter, not saying anything, just giving the love and comfort of a mother to her hurt child. It took several long minutes, but Twilight eventually managed to bring herself under control. Velvet waited until her daughter’s breathing had fully settled before she spoke again.

“What did you do to them?” Velvet asked, fearing the answer, terrified that her little filly had lost a lot more innocence than she feared.

“Nothing,” Twilight huffed out, and hugged her mom a little tighter. “I wanted to. I wanted to hurt them, to show them what it felt like, to...”

“Somepony stopped you?” Twilight Velvet used her magic to wipe a tear or two from her daughter’s cheeks. Twilight Sparkle couldn’t stop the smirk from pulling at her cheek.

“Chrysalis did,” Twilight said. “Well, the Chrysalis over there did. She didn’t say anything, she just sort of looked at me and I could tell she would have been disappointed in me and our Equestria if I hurt them.”

“Chrysalis? Queen of the Changelings? Terror of Canterlot?” Velvet asked. “That Chrysalis?”

“Savior of Equestria, just maybe, if she and hers managed to succeed,” Twilight said.

“Well, it sounds like that world is on the path to be a lot better place,” Twilight Velvet said and floated the tea she had been brewing over. “Do you want to talk more or did you want to take a break? Maybe tomorrow.?”

“Thank you, Mi—mom. But I have to keep going. I had to keep going from moment to moment while I was... captive, and everypony who’s been hurt knows what it means to bear that weight and keep living.” Twilight brushed away a few lingering tears. “Besides, it’s hardly likely that any of those other worlds will be the same way.”

“I know.” Twilight Velvet sighed and retreated to her separate cushion on the couch. “I’m just worried about you, sweetie. Keeping our Equestria safe was dangerous enough without your running off to save every Equestria.” Twilight shuffled, trying to straighten out her feathers from the hug.

“I know, but... mom, sometimes I do have to acknowledge I’m not just a pony anymore. I know my feelings and hurts are just like anypony else’s, but it’s borderline impossible to just kill me now that I’m an alicorn,” Twilight paused for a moment as she realized the truth of that statement. ”Tirek tossed me through a mountain and it only made me angry. I can guarantee I’ll come home alive, one way or another. And with friends and family like mine, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t come back from.”

Velvet grimaced. “You make it sound like you can’t be hurt, honey. We both know better.” She sighed. “Was it worth it?”

Twilight nodded as she stroked the leading edge of her left wing, guiding her feathers back into place. “Yes. Yes, it was absolutely worth it. Getting hurt a little, and being turned a little weird, to give a whole world a second chance is something I would do again in a heartbeat.”

“I wish you wouldn’t, but I understand, my little princess.” Velvet sighed again. “And I’ll always be here for you.”

Twilight leaned over and wrapped her mother in a hug. “I know. I love you, Mistress Velvet.”

“Mucus-roaches.”

“Urk—s-sorry, mom,” Twilight gagged.

I don't know what it is about this story, but every chapter seems to go long. In this case it was likely because this was not an easy chapter to write at all. I really, really struggled with the question of how much Spike would and should know, and how he would react.

Happily I was able to reach out to some fellow authors and their contributions are scattered throughout this chapter. Many thanks to Damaged, Belle and Canary in the Coal Mine for their contributions.

This chapter contains a Patreon reward for Shaushka. Specifically, the introduction of their OC into the story. I hope you like their character, at least for their addition to the story.

Also, this story marks the end of my freewheeling existence as a devil-may-care author. Last week life bit me on the ass, hard. Things were looking pretty grim, but then, out of seeming nowhere, a super Patron rode over the horizon and saved the day.

But the downside is that my time is no longer my own until I satisfy the commitment I made to them in exchange for their near superhuman help. So, until my commitment is satisfied not a single one of my stories, other than Brightly Lit, is going to be updated on anything like a regular schedule.