“Red”emption of a Showmare

Chapter 4: A Dash of Penance...

“Where is she?! How dare she show her face around here again?!”

Trixie gasped and ducked behind Twilight, terrified by the sheer rage in the eyes of the pony she’d dreaded facing the most. Applejack and Rarity had merely been angry with her; Rainbow Dash looked like she wanted to burn Trixie at the stake. Oh, horseapples, she’s really got it in for me, I should’ve gotten Twilight to teach me that teleport spell or invisibility or something and oh horseapples oh horseapples...

“How dare you, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity snapped. “Kicking in the door of my boutique like that!”

Dash gave her a dismissive look and a snort of contempt as she glared around the interior of the shop. “Yeah, whatever, now where is she?”

“Where is who, exactly?”

“That bucking bitch Trixie, damn it!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity said coldly, lowering her head and narrowing her eyes, giving the angry pegasus the sternest expression of icy disapproval she had. “I’ll thank you not to use that sort of language in my home!” Especially not with the door standing wide open, she added to herself. What happened in private behind closed doors, with the window-shades down and a soundproofing spell up, was one thing; coarse language booming out of the open door of her shop for everypony to hear was another matter entirely.

“What-ever!” Dash said impatiently. “Look, I know she’s here! Blue mare, cape, stars-and-wand cutie mark? That stupid disguise didn’t fool anypony, and I’m gonna kick her plot all the way to the Everfree when I get my hooves on her!”

Twilight stepped forward, still blocking Trixie from view. “Look, Rainbow Dash, just calm down for a moment, and we’ll explain everything,” she said in what she hoped was a calm, reasonable tone.

Dash raised a brow, her ruby eyes still blazing with anger. “What the buck’s the matter with you guys?” she demanded. “She got you all hypnotized or something? She’s –”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity said tightly.

“She does, doesn’t she! She’s here to destroy Ponyville again, and she’s got you guys all mind-controlled or something, and –”

“Dang it, RD, would ya just cool your jets for a moment an’ listen?” Applejack said as she stepped up next to Twilight, giving Dash a firm stare. “C’mon now, sugarcube, do ya really think Twi could be mind-controlled by the likes of her?”

“Why not? What if she got her hooves on another amulet, or found some kind of magic... mind-control... thing?” Dash was a little vague on the details of how that kind of magic would work, but given that just about every other kind of weird magic artifact and sealed-evil-in-a-can in Equestria seemed to get dropped into their laps sooner or later, she felt pretty safe in assuming “magic mind-control things” were out there somewhere...

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I promise you, she did no such thing, Dash.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Which is exactly what you would say if she had you under mind control, Twi.”

“She doesn’t have me under mind control, Dash,” Twilight said with exaggerated patience. “There isn’t any such thing as ‘magic mind-control... things’.”

“Yeah? What about when Chrysalis brain-zapped your brother, huh?”

“She’s not a changeling, either!” Twilight insisted, a bit less patiently.

“Oh fer cryin’ out loud,” Applejack mumbled under her breath. “Dash, would ya put a cork in it an’ use your head, already? I mean, think about it, sugarcube, if Trixie was able ta brain-zap all three of us, like you’re thinkin’ – then how come she ain’t already done it ta you, too?”

“Well... maybe she just wants me to think you’re not mind-controlled, so she’s making you act like you’re not under mind control when she’s really got you all under mind control!” Dash shot back.

“AARGH!” Twilight let out a cry of frustration as her patience wore thin.“Stop trying to use logic! I’m the logical one here! You’re trying to prove a negative, which is logically impossible, which you would know if you actually knew how to use logic, which you don’t, so quit trying to be logical because you guys don’t do logic!”

“Easy there, Twi,” Applejack said, giving the frustrated librarian a gentle nudge. “Do the breathin’ thing, remember?”

“But she’s–!”

“She’s just bein’ her usual hot-headed self, sugarcube–”

“Hey!” Dash protested.

“–so don’t let her make ya go all ‘Smarty-Pants Incident’ on us, okay?” Applejack finished, ignoring Dash’s glare as she tried to calm her unicorn friend. “Keep it t’gether for Trixie’s sake, Twi,” she added in a whisper, nuzzling Twilight’s ear. “She needs ya right now.”

Twilight blinked, then slowly gave Applejack a sheepish smile and a small nuzzle in return, grateful as always for the earth pony’s solid, steady presence at her side when she needed her. And to think there’d once been a time when she’d been so sure she didn’t need friends... Keep it together, Twilight, she told herself firmly as she took a moment to perform the meditative deep-breathing trick Cadance had taught her to use whenever she started to get over-stressed. Just because Rainbow Dash is being a stubborn plothead...

“There ya go, sugarcube,” Applejack said encouragingly.

“All right, look. Yes, Trixie’s back in town–” Twilight started to say.

“I knew it!” Dash cried triumphantly. “Where is that–”

“I took her over to Applejack’s place earlier today, and then the three of us came here to Rarity’s, to talk. That’s all. Just to talk.”

“To talk!?” Rainbow Dash said, giving Twilight a stare of disbelief.

“Yes, Dash, to talk. And we were going to come see you tomorrow to talk to you, too.”

“Yeah? And just what would that bucking plothead have to say I’d wanna–” she started to snap back, slamming a hoof down on the floor for emphasis as she landed.

“Rainbow! Dash!” Rarity thundered, loudly enough to shock everypony into silence. “I am not going to ask you again. You are in my home, not some drunken back-alley bar, and I will not stand for that sort of offensive language being shouted at the top of your lungs in my home!” She moved to stand next to Twilight as well, on the opposite side of her from Applejack, helping to shield the cowering Trixie behind them until they could get Dash calmed down. “Now either lower your voice and watch your language, or leave my home until you can speak in a civilized manner.”

Dash was momentarily taken aback at the hardness in Rarity’s voice, and the icy coldness in her eyes. This was completely different from the usual over-the-top dramatics she was accustomed to seeing from the ivory unicorn; it was obvious, even to Dash, that Rarity was furious with her. “Are you nuts?” she demanded. “She... that... she wants to destroy Twilight, and you’re getting mad at me? What the b–... hay is wrong with you?”

“Trixie hasn’t come here to ‘destroy’ anypony, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said firmly. “She’s here to apologize, and ask our forgiveness for her past transgressions. Nothing more.”

“Forgiveness?!” Dash cried incredulously. “For her? Are you out of your buc– out of your feather-brained mind? All the horse... radish she pulled, and you’re telling me she’s just here to say ‘Oh, gee, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wreck your town and make you look stupid in front of everypony’?” she said in a mocking tone, as she launched herself into the air again. “Well forget it. Maybe she’s got you three fooled, but I ain’t buying it. Just let me get my hooves on her for five minutes, and I’ll get the truth out of her!”

Twilight summoned her magic and pinned Dash in place by her tail before the pegasus could start tearing the Boutique apart looking for her quarry. “What Rarity said is the truth, Rainbow. If you’ll just settle down for a moment, we’ll prove it to you.”

Rainbow Dash fought the magical pull for a few moments, then gave up and dropped back to the floor, glaring at Twilight. “All right, fine. Prove it,” she snapped.

Twilight sighed and nodded to Rarity and Applejack in turn, and the three mares stepped aside to reveal the azure-blue unicorn cowering behind them. Still decked out in the black-leather harness ensemble, Trixie had turned away from the door and tucked her legs under herself to try and make herself as small a target as possible, and the resulting position had her flashing a still deeply-welted pair of flanks to a now very confused pegasus.

Sensing that she was now exposed and unprotected, Trixie squealed in terror and buried her head in her hooves, unaware that Rainbow Dash was still pinned by Twilight’s magic. “Please don’t hurt Trixie!” she cried. Between the pain and exhaustion she’d already been through, and her paralyzing fear of the furious pegasus mare’s wrath, she couldn’t even muster up enough mental focus for a shield spell to protect herself; cowering and pleading for mercy was all her terrified mind could think of. “I really am sorry! Please!”

Dash’s jaw dropped as she got her first good look at the terrified showmare, her anger momentarily overridden by sheer disbelief as she stared at the painful-looking welts across Trixie’s backside. That can’t be the “Great and Powerful Trixie”... she’s acting like a filly about to get spanked, and... holy horseapples, her flanks look almost as bad as what I did to Scoots that one time! And what the buck is with that get-up she’s wearing?

“What the...? What’s going on here? That’s not Trixie – it can’t be! There’s no way she’d be acting like that...?” she sputtered in a mix of anger and confusion.

“It’s her, Dash,” Applejack said. “And ya can see for yourself, the ‘Great an’ Powerful Trixie’ ain’t exactly in charge of the situation an’ got us wrapped around her hoof, here.”

Twilight nodded as she stepped back to nuzzle Trixie reassuringly, then laid a supporting hoof across the showmare’s withers as she gently but firmly encouraged Trixie to stand up. Reluctantly, Trixie pushed herself back up to her hooves, still trembling with fear despite Twilight’s steady touch. “Go on, Trixie,” Twilight said as she slowly turned Trixie around to face her accuser. “Tell Rainbow Dash why you have those marks on your flanks, and why you’re dressed like this.”

Trixie stared down at the floor, too afraid to look up and see those furious ruby eyes glaring at her with such hatred. She blushed deeply as Twilight commanded her to describe the punishments she’d endured so far, but in her current humbled, submissive state of mind, it never even occurred to her to disobey. “Trixie... I... asked for Applejack’s... a-and Rarity’s forgiveness,” she began, stumbling over the words, “and offered to accept... a-any punishment they felt Tri... I deserved for what I did to them. Applejack... wh-whipped Trixie with an apple switch, and... Rarity made Trixie her... her slave... just like Trixie tried to do to so many of you into the last time she... I was here...” She hung her head in shame, tears of sorrow and fear dripping from her eyes. “A-and I deserved all of it. I... r-really am sorry for a-all the pain I’ve caused, and Trixie is... I truly am thankful that Applejack, and Rarity... a-and Twilight... have chosen to g-give me another chance.”

She paused and swallowed nervously before finishing, knowing that her next words would be committing herself to facing the consequences the rainbow-maned pegasus’ anger. “Trixie... asks for your forgiveness too, Rainbow Dash, and... to earn it, Trixie will... a-accept punishment from you as well, if... if you feel she deserves it...”

Rainbow Dash just stared at the trembling, weeping showmare, her eyes flashing between rage and confusion, as she tried to get her head around the idea of a humbled, penitant Trixie actually acting as if she were ashamed of her behavior, and asking for punishment and forgiveness. The whole idea was... it was crazy! There was just no way the Trixie she knew would ever act like that! It had to be part of some kind of scheme to set them up, somehow... it just had to be!

“Yeah, well, those two might be able to forgive you for your little tricks, but that stunt you pulled on me nearly sent me to the hospital!” she snapped, her anger winning out over her momentary confusion at Trixie’s appearance and attitude. “That little tornado trick of yours coulda ripped my wings off! Not to mention what you did to me with that bucking amulet of yours.”

Trixie whimpered and pressed up against Twilight for support. “Trixie never intended to harm you. She was only trying to perform! Please believe Trixie... she never wanted anypony to be hurt...”

Twilight sighed and bit her lip as she noticed Trixie’s third-person tic returning full-force in her fear of Dash’s wrath. “Rainbow, please try to calm down,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “Trixie really does want to apologize for everything.”

“But she–” Dash started to object.

“If you remember, you were one of the ones who started heckling her in the first place,” Twilight reminded her. “What was she supposed to do, just stand there and let you guys ruin her show? Yes, all right, she went a little overboard, but you have to admit, you still had a hoof in starting it.”

“She’s right, sugarcube. We did kinda throw the first rotten apples, so ta speak,” Applejack agreed. “An’ that thing with the amulet? From what Twi tells me, that thing... ‘Discorded’ her, kinda. Remember how that felt? Like sleep-walkin’ through a livin’ nightmare, an’ no matter how hard ya tried to stop yourself, somepony else was pullin’ your strings an’ there wasn’t nothin’ you could do about it? I dunno about you, Dash, but... me, I can’t fault her too much for what she did when that thing had her brain turned ta applesauce like that.”

Rainbow Dash found herself torn between conflicting emotions once more. I just don’t get it... Why are they all standing up for her? she thought uncertainly. I mean... okay, maybe AJ’s got a point about the amulet... kind of. But still...

Part of her did want to believe them. Twi and AJ were two of her best friends, and in her heart she knew they were every bit as loyal to her as she was to them. For that matter, so was Rarity, even if the two of them did get on each others’ nerves as often as not. She couldn’t imagine Twilight or Rarity being willing to lie to her face, just to protect Trixie... and AJ would certainly never lie to her; even before the orange farm-mare had gained her Element, she’d been known as one of the most dependable and trustworthy ponies in Ponyville, her given word and solemn hoofshake as solid as a signed-and-witnessed contract. But none of that could completely erase the memories of what Trixie had done to her...

“Okay, I guess maybe you have a point about the amulet thing,” Dash admitted reluctantly. “But she’s still a rotten pony. You can’t tell me you guys have forgotten how arrogant and selfish she was!”

“The key word is ‘was’, darling,” Rarity said. “She’s more than proven her sincerity, as far as I’m concerned. Honestly, can you imagine the mare she was before, allowing herself to be humbled in front of everypony like this?” she added, nodding towards Trixie. “For any reason?”

Dash hated to admit it, but Rarity had a point too. It was obvious just by looking at her that Trixie had been put through the wringer at the other mares’ hooves, and given that there were no signs of a battle having taken place in the boutique to subdue her, she must have submitted to it willingly, as unbelievable as the idea seemed. But she still couldn’t just let it go...

“Okay, so miss ‘Great and Powerful’ wants to do some penance?” she said sarcastically. “Fine by me, let’s do it. I’ll roast her flanks right now, and we’ll see how long she keeps up this act.”

“Now hold on a moment there, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “She’s been through a lot already today; how ‘bout we give her a chance ta sleep it off an’ recover from it before you go addin’ to it?”

Dash started to open her mouth to demand that it be done now, but before she could get the words out, Trixie wriggled free of Twilight’s foreleg across her withers and stepped forward. The prospect of enduring yet another round of punishment on top of what she’d already been through was turning her insides to jelly again, but at the same time, she felt a sudden determination to just to get this whole thing over with. She would have to face Dash’s wrath eventually, either way; waiting until tomorrow would just mean she’d spend every moment until then in terror of what was coming, and that would just make it worse. “No, it’s... it’s all right,” she said, her voice trembling a little as she swallowed her fear. “I-if this is what Trixie must do, then... she’ll do it.”

Rainbow couldn’t help raising a surprised brow as Trixie voluntarily stepped up to take her punishment, but once again her hot-tempered anger won out before any momentary surprise or confusion could cool her down. “Darn right you will,” she said. “Rarity, you mind if I borrow your bedroom for a few minutes for this? I don’t want you guys buttin’ in. If she’s really changed, she won’t need your help.”

Rarity glanced over at Twilight, asking a silent question with her eyes. Twilight thought it over for a brief moment, and nodded. “I think it’ll be all right, Rarity,” she said. “I trust them both... more than one of them probably deserves at the moment.”

“Yeah,” Dash agreed wholeheartedly, completely missing the implications of Twilight’s comment. “She really doesn’t deserve your trust.”

Rarity gave a little smirk, unable to help feeling a bit of amusement at the brash pegasus’ naivete, even though such amusement didn’t seem entirely appropriate under the circumstances. “Oh, very well, I suppose I can allow it,” she said. “As long as you promise not to break anything.”

“Oh, I’m planning to break one thing,” Dash said, with a grin that made the showmare cringe at the implications behind it. “I just want some privacy, that’s all. This is between her and me.” She turned her attention to Trixie. “Go to her room and wait for me,” she said, pointing towards an alcove leading to a spiraling staircase with her wing.

Trixie swallowed and nodded, then turned to raise her brow in a silent question to Rarity.

“Up the stairs, the door at the end of the hall,” Rarity said gently. Trixie nodded and swallowed again as she slowly made her way up the stairs, her own hoofsteps pounding in her ears as loudly as her heart as she made her way to the bedroom, conscious of those angry red eyes watching her every move.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need something from the house,” Dash said cryptically once Trixie was out of sight. Then she turned around and launched herself out the front door of the boutique and into the skies above, before any of her friends could question her.

\/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/

“Where is she?” Twilight fretted as she paced back and forth across the floor of the boutique. “She said she’d be right back! What’s she–!”

She stopped in mid-step as the front door opened with a soft ringing of the bell above, and a familiar rainbow-maned pegasus swooped through the doorway to land in the midst of the showroom. “There you are!” Twilight said. “Where’ve you been?”

“Told ya, I had to get something from the house,” Dash said, nodding towards her saddlebags and the large wooden box sticking out of one side. “Took a little longer than I thought, that’s all. She still upstairs?”

“Yes, she’s up in Rarity’s room waiting for you, just like you wanted,” Twilight said with a sigh of resignation. “Look, Rainbow... please don’t be too hard on her? I know what she did was wrong... but she really has changed.”

Rainbow Dash just sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not gonna beat her senseless or anything, okay? She’ll survive. Look,” she added before Twilight could object further, “you guys all got to punish her your way, right? So now it’s my turn, and I get to do it my way. I promise, I’m not gonna hurt her. Well, I am, but... you know what I mean. Now just let me do this.” She pushed past her friends and headed for the stairs, up the stairway, and down the hall to Rarity’s bedroom with a purposeful stride that made it clear she wouldn’t stop to answer any more questions.

Twilight followed Rainbow as far as the foot of the stairs, then sat back on her haunches and stared upwards, watching the pegasus mare ascend the staircase and disappear down the hallway with a mix of worry and confusion. Is it just me, or... was she not nearly as angry as she was when she left? she wondered to herself. Oh, Trixie... I hope you know what you’re doing...

Rainbow Dash paused in the open bedroom door, contemplating the sight in front of her. Trixie had already assumed “the position”, bent over with her rear legs spread, forelegs stretched out with her head down, hindquarters and tail lifted, exposing herself for the punishment she knew was coming along with those approaching hoofsteps. Despite her lingering anger, Dash couldn’t help feeling a twinge of sympathy as she got another look at those painful-looking welts across the unicorn’s flanks, and a bit of amusement at the kinky slave-mare’s ensemble still wrapped around her body. Of all the ways in which she’d imagined she might see Trixie, if the boastful showmare ever had the gall to show her face around Ponyville again, she’d never quite imagined she’d see Trixie humbled and humiliated like this...

Ugh... there is so much pink in here, Dash thought to herself with a shudder as she stepped into Rarity’s bedroom. Pink pillows, pink bedsheets, pink curtains... How can anypony stand so much PINK? It’d drive me mad. I feel twenty percent less cool just being in here...

Trixie whimpered softly as she heard somepony close and lock the door behind her. She assumed it was Rainbow Dash, but she was too afraid to look back and see for sure. She closed her eyes tight, trying to keep from shaking in fear, as she waited for the angry pegasus to lay into her...

“I’d ask you to soundproof the room,” Dash said, “but I’m pretty sure Twilight would bust in here to rescue you if she couldn’t hear what was going on, so...”

Trixie flinched and whimpered again as she heard that dreaded voice behind her. It took a moment for the actual words, and the tone of voice they were spoken in, to register with her. Dash still sounded annoyed – but the words had been spoken softly, almost with a bit of amusement behind them, not at all like the furious rage Trixie had expected.

“She likes you, Trixie,” Dash continued. “I can tell. And as her friend... I guess I should be happy for her. That’s she’s finally found somepony special to her, y’know?”

Trixie looked up, surprised by the unexpected change in Dash’s attitude. “Wh... what?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled at the trembling unicorn’s expression, and gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Keep your voice down... I don’t want the others listening in. Don’t want ‘em thinking I’m going soft or anything.” She moved closer, leaning up against the side of Rarity’s bed as she undid her saddlebag straps and laid the box down on the bed. “Anyway... look, I’ll be honest, I was pretty mad when I heard you were back in town again. I figured you must still have it in for Twilight, and you’d come back to fight her again and turn Ponyville upside-down while you were at it, like last time. I’m glad I was wrong.”

Trixie blinked, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. It hardly seemed possible that this could be the same Rainbow Dash that had been ready to rip her head off just a few minutes ago. “But... Trixie thought that you... that you hated her?” she said cautiously.

“Well... yeah, I kind of did,” Dash admitted. “Heh... no ‘kind of’ about it, really, I did hate you. I was ready to beat your flanks ‘til they were redder than Big Mac’s, at least,” she said, letting those words hang in the air for a few moments while Trixie just stared at her, wide-eyed. “But... that was before I flew back to the house to get this,” she finally added, nodding towards the wooden box.

“Trixie... doesn’t understand...?”

“When I got home,” Dash explained as she sat down next to the bent-over unicorn, “Scoots was there. She saw how mad I was, and it worried her ‘cause at first she thought I was mad at her for something. So I had to calm her down, and explain what was really going on. And when I told her... the little squirt actually scolded me!” she said, with a fond chuckle at the absurdity of a grown mare being chewed out by a ten-year-old filly. “She told me I, of all ponies, should know better than to punish somepony when I’m angry. Well... at first, I told her to just mind her own business – but she held her ground, and, well... the thing is... she was right.”

Dash paused, and shook her head at the memory. “See, a while back, she did do something that made me really mad at her. She broke something that was really important to me. She didn’t mean to, but she did anyway, and I got so mad at her for being so careless, that I...” She paused again, and looked away. “I lost my temper, and I beat her little butt, badly. I... spanked her so hard... and I felt so bad afterwards... I think I was crying harder than she was when I realized what I’d done,” she said, her scratchy voice breaking a little. “Thank Celestia the little squirt forgave me for it... I wouldn’t’ve blamed her at all if she’d hated me after that, but... she forgave me. She’s such a great kid... I really felt like sludge for what I did to her. I just about cried myself to sleep that night, I felt so bad...”

Trixie looked at the sorrowful rainbow-maned mare with a mix of worry and understanding. “I... see,” she said cautiously, not yet entirely convinced she wasn’t about to receive the same treatment.

“Anyway, Scoots chewing me out like that made me realize what I was about to do, and... she’s right, I should know better than to punish somepony when I’m that mad. I... I never want to do that to somepony, ever again.” She looked up and fixed Trixie with an even gaze. “Not even the pony who nearly shredded my wings just because she wanted to show off.” Her voice still had an edge to it, but her earlier rage was no longer there. “Look... I’ll be honest, Trixie, I can’t promise you and I will ever really be friends... close friends, I mean, like me and Applejack, or Twilight... or heck, even Rarity, even if all her marshmallow girliness drives me batty sometimes,” she added with a wry chuckle as she glanced around the fashionista’s frilly, insanely-pink bedroom. “But if you really mean that much to Twilight, then... I’m willing to give you a chance. Fair enough?”

Trixie managed a weak smile and a nod. “Does that mean... you forgive me?” she asked.

“Heh, well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” Dash said with a soft laugh. “I may not be mad at you anymore, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting off that easily.”

“B... but...” Trixie squeaked.

“Yeah, that’s about right,” Dash chuckled.

Trixie groaned at the obvious joke and fell silent, watching cautiously as Dash got up and walked over to the bed.

“The thing is, Trixie,” Dash said as she flipped open a latch on the wooden box with her hoof, “you and me? Believe it or not, we’re a lot alike. We both love to show off. And, well... much as I hate to admit it... I used to be a lot like you were. I used to be a pretty big bragger and showboater too. Heh – I still am, kinda, but what I mean is... I didn’t used to care very much about anypony but myself. Not really. Sure, I was loyal to them, or at least I thought I was, but it was still kinda all about me, y’know? Ask Twilight about how I acted the first time she met me, or... ask them about the ‘Mare Do-Well’ incident sometime. Not one of my prouder moments...

“Anyway, my friends – Twi, and AJ... Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy... even Scoots. They’ve kinda helped me to grow up a little in that department, but... they really shouldn’t have had to, y’know? I mean, the ‘Mare Do-Well’ thing wasn’t exactly the first time my bragging and showboating got out of hoof, or got me into trouble. See, my Dad was an ex-Wonderbolt, so I had a lot to brag about as a kid – or at least I sure thought I did. And I... um... wasn’t exactly the most well-behaved filly at times. Dad always knew how to deal with me, though,” she said, with a soft chuckle for the fond memories of times gone by. “He knew I wanted to be a Wonderbolt someday, just like him. So whenever I let my bragging get the best of me, or pushed things too far... he had this.”

She opened up the wooden box and pulled out a wide, overly-long paddle, painted blue and yellow with a jagged white lightning bolt across the middle, and a grip-handle that was specially made to be held in a pegasus’ wings. “See, the Wonderbolts are kinda like a fraternity. They’ve got this initiation thing. This is the paddle they used for my Dad’s... and the one he used most often on me.”

Trixie’s eyes went wide as she saw the evil-looking device that would, no doubt, be “fraternizing” with her rump very soon. It was obvious that the paddle had seen frequent use over the years; there were visible signs of wear and tear, with the paint nearly worn off of one side in a way that was clearly the result of having administered a great many firm spankings to a very stubborn filly. She swallowed nervously and kept quiet, not wanting to hasten things along by interrupting Dash while the pegasus still felt like talking.

Dash chuckled at the apprehensive look on Trixie’s face. “So, I guess we can call this your initiation, Trixie. And don’t think I’m not gonna give you a good lickin’ for all those stunts you pulled, either. I got a reputation to keep, y’know... and you did hurt my friends.”

Trixie whimpered and bit her lip nervously. “Trix... I understand. I... really am sorry for everything, Rainbow Dash...”

“I know you are. So... how ‘bout we get this over with, before Twilight busts in here thinking I’ve killed you or something?” Dash chuckled with a grin and a nod towards the door.

Trixie gave a small nod in reply and closed her eyes, trying to keep her body from trembling as she waited for the spanking she had coming, unable to keep from groaning a little as every muscle and joint ached from having held herself locked in this position for so long.

Dash started to raise the paddle, then stopped as she saw the way Trixie’s body was twitching. As an athlete who often pushed herself to her body’s limits, Dash quickly recognized the signs of stress and muscle strain in those little spasms. Good gravy, did she spend the whole time I was flying to the house and back bent over like this, waiting for me? She must be stiff as a board by now...

She set the paddle down and turned towards the bed, moving her saddlebag and the paddle’s wooden box onto the floor, then shifting the pillows to the center of the bed. “Listen... um... just climb up here and lie down on the bed, over the pillows. It’ll be a little easier for you,” she suggested, a bit hesitantly. She’d spanked Scootaloo a few times since that unfortunate day in Crimson’s shop, but being on this end of the paddle was still a somewhat novel experience for her. “And... y’know, just keep your tail out of the way.”

Trixie nodded and moved to do as Dash suggested, groaning as her strained muscles protested each movement as she cautiously, painfully hauled herself up onto the bed. She laid herself out across the pillow pile, sighing in relief as the mattress and pillows took over the job of supporting her body while keeping her hindquarters lifted up, allowing her aching body to just relax at last. It would almost have been a comfortable position, if it weren’t for her awareness of what was coming next...

Rainbow Dash chuckled a bit in spite of herself as she brushed Trixie’s tail aside with a wing, baring the unicorn’s flanks. “Whew,” she said, letting out a low whistle as she took another good, close-up look at the dark welts across Trixie’s backside. They were healing, thanks to Twilight’s spell, but they still looked very painful. “AJ really did a number on you, didn’t she. I’d hate to be on her bad side.”

Trixie couldn’t help chuckling in spite of herself as well, nodding in agreement. “She’s nothing compared to Twilight, though,” she said.

Rainbow Dash raised a surprised brow at that. “No kidding? The bookworm’s got an evil streak in her?”

Trixie smiled warmly at the memory and nodded again. “She really is my greatest rival.”

Rainbow could hear the fondness for her new marefriend in Trixie’s tone. She couldn’t quite reconcile her image of the bookish, awkward librarian with the kind of firm disciplinarian Trixie seemed to be suggesting, but the genuine warmth in Trixie’s tone made her feel a little happier for the unicorn pair. “Huh. You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.”

“Maybe if you go easy on Tri... on me,” Trixie said with a small grin.

Dash couldn’t help but laugh at that as she hefted the paddle. “We’ll see. I guess I can’t say I wasn’t a little to blame for what happened... but you really did nearly rip my wings off with that stunt, y’know.”

Trixie swallowed and nodded her understanding, and closed her eyes again, not wanting to see it coming. She heard a small swish of air, and then a light tap across her backside as Dash took aim. She squeaked as even that small contact set off little stinging sparks of pain in the welts that wicked apple switch had left behind. This was not going to be a pleasant experience at all.

Rainbow Dash paused again as she saw how Trixie reacted to just that small tap. “Um... are you okay?” she asked, genuinely concerned. Now that her earlier rage had cooled off, she was willing to admit, at least to herself, that she didn’t really want to see Trixie truly injured or harmed by what she was about to do. Punished, yes, but not harmed. The memory of Scootaloo lying limp across a padded spanking stool, her whole bottom a furious shade of scarlet-red, crying so hard she could barely breathe, all because Dash had allowed her anger to get the better of her and give poor Scoots a far harsher punishment than she’d deserved, still haunted the rainbow-maned mare. Not even Trixie deserved that. “Should I get Twilight up here to see if she can heal those a little more before... you know?”

Trixie raised a brow as well, surprised by the concern in Dash’s voice. “Trixie is... I’m okay,” she said firmly. “I earned this, Rainbow. I hurt so many ponies... it’s what I deserve. I can take whatever you dish out,” she added, hoping the implied challenge would tweak Dash’s ego enough to just get on with it so they could get it over with, already.

Dash snorted at the obvious attempt to get a rise out of her. “Fine. But I ain’t stoppin’ until your rear’s at least twenty percent redder, y’know.”

Trixie swallowed and nodded, closing her eyes tight as she bundled up the blanket in her hooves, wanting something to hold on to. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Rainbow Dash swung the paddle back, lifting it high into the air, then brought it down in a swift arc, connecting solidly with Trixie’s upraised flanks with a loud whap!! of wood against flesh. Trixie howled in pain as the blow lit up each and every mark the switch had left behind all at once, while driving its own stinging burn across both azure cheeks at once. Instantly, she regretted having baited Dash like that. Sun and moon, it was only the first swat, and already it felt every bit as bad as that awful apple switch...

Dash bit her lip at the unexpected reaction. I didn’t think I put that much force into it... she thought uncertainly. AJ must’ve done more of a number on her with that switch than I thought. She waited a moment, then drew the paddle back and brought it down for another swat, trying to put a little less force behind it... then raised the paddle and brought it down a third time, then a fourth. Trixie howled into the blankets with each swat, sobbing in pain as her upraised bottom blazed and burned with furious, stinging heat, the switch marks reigniting into stripes of white-hot pain each time the broad wooden paddle slapped against her flanks.

Seeing how much pain the unicorn mare was in already, just from those four swats, Dash hesitated and set the paddle aside for a moment, giving Trixie a chance to recover while she lay there sobbing into the blankets. Once again, the memory of an orange pegasus filly crying brokenly under a too-harsh punishment came to Dash’s mind, and she stretched out a wing to stroke the azure unicorn’s burning flanks, trying to soothe a little of the pain. She really has changed, she found herself thinking. The “old” Trixie would’ve blasted me through the wall by now. Heck, I probably would’ve done it to Dad, if I’d been a unicorn... That thought caused her to chuckle a little as she glanced at the paddle, reminiscing, as she absently continued to stroke Trixie’s backside with her wing until the showmare’s sobs quieted down.

Once Trixie seemed to have pulled herself back together, Dash smiled and gave her a soft pat. “Two more, Trixie. Six was the least I always got whenever I made Dad have to break out the paddle, so I figure that’ll make us even enough. Twilight’s done a pretty good job whipping you into shape already.”

Trixie’s groan at Dash’s ironic choice of words had nothing to do with the pain in her flanks. “That’s terrible.”

Dash chuckled as she picked up the paddle and took aim once more. Without warning, she brought it down in two swift, firm strokes, one right on top of the other, right at the sensitive bottom curves between rump and thigh. Each solid whap! echoed loudly throughout the room, along with Trixie’s howls of pain as the ferocious heat and sting from that double strike right on the “sit spots” cracked all the way through what little resistance she had left to her, leaving her sobbing and broken, clutching her backside in her hooves as she writhed and bucked against the pillows in a useless attempt to shake off the searing fire in her flanks, crying openly through her apologies and pleas for forgiveness. “AAAAAIIIHHHH! I’M SORRYYY! PLE-EE-EE-ASE!! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’M SORRYYYYYY!”

Rainbow Dash nodded in satisfaction as the no-longer-prideful showmare broke completely under those final two strokes. “Yeah... that’s enough,” she said, as much to herself as to Trixie, as she set the paddle back into its case and locked it. She sat back and waited for Trixie to cry herself out, then reached out to brush a wing across Trixie’s withers and back as the crying azure unicorn settled down again, lying quietly atop the mattress and pillows, her broken sobs gradually quieting into soft little sniffles and whimpers. “We’re done, Trixie,” Dash said quietly. “No more.”

Trixie’s eyes fluttered open at the soft touch, and she looked over to see Dash smiling at her. Not a gloating smile, or a smile of amusement at Trixie’s pain, but a smile of warmth. Not necessarily the warmth of friendship, but at least a measure of forgiveness. “I... I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash... for what I did... I’m sorry.”

Dash nodded and withdrew her wing. “Yeah, well... don’t sweat it. I’d be lying if I said I’d never hurt anypony with my recklessness, once or twice. Just... don’t let it happen again, and maybe we can be friends, huh?”

Trixie smiled and nodded. “I’d... I’d like that.”

Dash chuckled and perched herself on the edge of the bed. “So... now that we got that over with... how ‘bout you fill me in on just what’s up with you and Twilight, anyway?”

\/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/

“What are they doing up there?” Twilight fretted. Once again, she was pacing back and forth across the boutique, much to Applejack’s amusement and Rarity’s increasing annoyance, though the ivory unicorn tried not to show it for her friend’s sake. Those awful sounds from upstairs – the sound of something hard and heavy striking somepony, and Trixie’s screams of unbearable agony (or so they had seemed to Twilight, anyway) – had chilled Twilight to the heart, and only the steady presence of two of her closest friends pressing against her on either side had kept her from bolting upstairs to rescue her marefriend from Rainbow Dash’s vengeance. It had been nearly two hours since the upstairs had gone quiet again... and they still hadn’t come out! “What’s taking so long? Why haven’t they come out yet?”

Applejack tried to give Twilight a reassuring pat and nuzzle on her withers as she passed by. “Take it easy, sugarcube,” she said calmly. “I’m sure they’re just talkin’ it out, that’s all. Dash promised she wouldn’t harm Trixie, remember? Have a li’l faith.”

“She’s right, darling,” Rarity added, trying to sound confident for Twilight’s sake. “I’m sure that’s all it is. I imagine they have a great deal to talk about – and if anything more than that was going on, we’d hear it.”

“Not if there was a soundproofing spell up!” Twilight said anxiously.

“I assure you, Twilight, that room is not soundproofed,” Rarity said patiently. “Not to mention, Trixie isn’t entirely defenseless, despite that rather... restricting outfit,” she added with a soft chuckle.

“That’s right,” Applejack agreed. “She coulda teleported out or put up one o’ them fancy shields or somethin’ if things were gettin’ outta hoof, right?”

Twilight sighed dramatically as she paced over to the couch for another sip of the fresh pot of tea Rarity had made while they’d been waiting. She knew her friends were right, but knowing that didn’t didn’t help. She sat down and tried the deep-breathing trick again, and that helped for a few seconds – but then her worries returned full-force, and her nervous back-and-forth pacing along with it.

“ARGH!” she groaned in frustration, stamping a hoof on the floor as her patience finally wore out. “That’s it!” Before either Applejack or Rarity could stop her, she charged up the stairs, her horn already lighting up to undo the lock as she stalked down the hall to Rarity’s bedroom. She flung open the door, prepared for just about anything...

“...but she’d magically sealed the door! She just laid there passed out for over four hours, and I was stuck in there with nothing to eat, no way to go to the bathroom, or anything!”

...anything except the sight of Rainbow Dash just about doubled over in laughter, right as Trixie reached the righteously-indignant climax of a very embarrassing story. Dash startled and nearly tumbled off the bed as she heard the door slam open, and her laughter quickly subsided as she caught sight of the thoroughly-aggravated look on Twilight’s face.

“Um... hi, Twilight,” Dash said, trying (and completely failing) to look innocent. “We were... um... just... snrk!... talking about you...” she added, desperately trying not to break into giggles.

“TRIXIE! You are in so much trouble!” Twilight’s purple eyes blazed as fiercely as Trixie’s reddened flanks as they zeroed in on her marefriend still stretched out across Rarity’s bed. Trixie let out a loud “meep!” and tried to will herself to sink deeper into the mattress, then yelped as Twilight’s horn lit up and she felt her lover’s magic grip grab her by the ear.

“Are we done here, Dash?” Twilight snapped as Trixie scrambled to obey her lover’s... no, her Mistress’ summons. Mistress Twilight was the one in control, and Trixie belonged to Mistress Twilight, and “The Submissive and Obedient Trixie” would obey Mistress Twilight without question if she knew what was good for her...

...and despite the pain in her still-burning hindquarters, the aching exhaustion of her tired, punished body, and the moment of startled fright induced by that fierce stare of aggravation and disapproval when Twilight had come bursting through the door, those thoughts of submission and obedience were turning her on so much...

Holy horsefeathers... Trixie’s right, the egghead does have an evil streak in her! Dash found herself thinking as she tried to stammer out something that might save Trixie from the librarian’s fury. “Hey, Twi, she... it’s... I mean, it’s no big deal...” she tried to say as she followed the pair of unicorns at what she hoped was a safe distance. Although what constituted a “safe distance” from a unicorn as powerful as Twilight was anypony’s guess...

And then, Trixie surprised her by glancing back over her shoulder as Twilight practically dragged her down the stairs. Was that a quick little half-smile and a sly, conspiratorial wink from the humbled showmare? Dash raised a brow, then grinned and gave Trixie a quick wink in return, stifling a chuckle of amusement.

“Thanks for the hospitality Rarity but Trixie and I really ought to be going now it’s getting late and Applejack probably wants to get home for dinner and I’m sure you and Rainbow Dash have things to do too so we’ll just say goodnight goodbye thanks for the tea and we’ll see you girls tomorrow BYE NOW!” Twilight said in a rush, not even glancing in their direction, as she stalked through the boutique’s showroom and out the front door, still towing Trixie by the ear.

“Twi–” Rarity started to ask, but before she could get any further, the angry librarian and her apprehensive companion both disappeared in a flash of purple light, along with the wooden box containing the “accessories” that went with the slave-mare ensemble Trixie had still been wearing. Rarity stared after them for a moment, then blinked a couple of times to clear the spots from her eyes.

“Ah. Yes. Well... I’ll just send you the bill for the outfit later, then,” she said to the empty doorway, her surprised expression slowly turning to a sly, knowing smile.

\/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/ * /\ * \/

The lobby of the Golden Oaks Library Tree lit up with a crackling flare of purple light, which quickly faded to reveal two unicorn mares, one azure-blue and wearing a black-leather bondage harness, the other lavender-purple and wearing nothing but an expression that was somewhere between mortified embarrassment and righteously-indignant outrage. The azure-blue mare stumbled for a moment as she shook off the effects of her lavender companion’s teleport spell. “Twilight, Trixie is–” she started to apologize.

“Not one word, Trixie,” Twilight snapped. “Not. One. Word. Just get your plot upstairs and wait for me in our bedroom. On the bed, face down, not one peep out of you until I’m ready to deal with you, got it?”

Trixie gulped and nodded, trotting towards the stairs as quickly as she dared, all too conscious of Twilight’s eyes staring daggers at her the whole time as she went up to the bedroom. It wasn’t until she was safely inside the bedroom that one particular word Twilight had spoken finally registered with her.

Our bedroom. Ours. Twilight’s and Trixie’s... It was a comforting thought to hold on to, as she laid herself out across Twilight’s bed as her marefriend and Mistress had instructed. Assuming she was probably in for further punishment for her indiscretions, she dragged the pillows down to the center of the bed and arranged them in the same manner as Rainbow Dash had done for her earlier, piled up to support her under her hips and lift her hindquarters up without her having to actively work to maintain the position. She felt so vulnerable in this position... so helpless... and yet, somehow, so safe, here in this room. Our bedroom... The more she turned those words over in her mind, the more she loved the sound of them. Twilight and Trixie’s room. Ours. Their sanctuary. A place where she belonged. A place where she was loved.

Downstairs, Twilight waited until Trixie was out of sight, then turned and stalked downstairs to her underground laboratory, slamming the doors behind her. She stood in the center of the room, shaking with outrage...

...then burst out laughing. At first, they were just nervous giggles, but the harder she fought not to laugh, the worse they got, until finally she was reduced to rolling helplessly on the floor, clutching her aching barrel in her forelegs, as she laughed herself sick at the sheer absurdity of the whole situation. Oh, sun and moon, the looks on their faces were priceless! she thought gleefully to herself as she remembered bursting into Rarity’s room right at the tail end of Trixie presumably telling Dash all of the embarrassingly naughty details of how she and Twilight had gotten together. Details which the brash pegasus would no doubt have far too much fun teasing her with, the next time she saw her...

Twilight let out a derisive snort at that thought, in between her giggles of laughter. She was hardly the only one in her circle of friends who had an “interesting” sex life, obviously. The stuff in Rarity’s back room was proof enough of that, and the ivory unicorn had sure seemed to know how to use them, too. Yeah... ‘may have picked up a few tidbits’, my purple plot! I’ll bet she could write a book... not under her own name, of course...

Some fifteen minutes later, Trixie’s ears swiveled towards the door as she heard the soft clop of her marefriend’s hooves finally coming up the stairs, bringing her inevitable doom with them. She swallowed and kept her head down, eyes closed, not wanting to see it coming, and flinched as she heard the door closing and latching shut. Her ears tracked the soft sound of those hooves against the floor, as their owner circled around the bed...

“Open.” The firm command was accompanied by something soft and rubbery unexpectedly being pressed against her mouth. She squeaked a little in surprise, then obediently opened her mouth for the object – a large rubber ball – to be inserted. Wider... wider... sun and moon, just how large was it? Finally she got her mouth opened wide enough for it to be forced inside, then bit down on the jaw-stretching sphere as she felt a tingle of magic around her muzzle fastening it to the bridle harness still wrapped around her head. The straps tightened, and she whimpered around the gag as it robbed of the ability to speak. Now she couldn’t even tell Mistress how sorry she was. Mistress would punish her, and she wouldn’t even be able to beg for Mistress’ mercy and forgiveness...

“Trixie,” Twilight’s voice said into her ear, softly and lovingly, “since you can’t speak right now, this is your safeword. Slap your left hoof against the mattress four times, like this.” She demonstrated, hitting the mattress in a measured rhythm that would be an unmistakeable sign to stop. “Do you understand?”

“Yfff, mfff-rfff Hwihh-eyehhh,” Trixie replied automatically, groaning at her inability to form even those simple words.

“Show me.” Trixie nodded and copied the gesture, pounding her hoof as Mistress Twilight had instructed her. “Very good.” Trixie moaned softly as even that tiny bit of praise made her feel so warm inside. Mistress wasn’t going to hurt her. She had a safeword. She was safe with Mistress...

“Now keep your eyes closed, Trixie.” Trixie nodded obediently, even though the command was unnecessary. She didn’t want to see it coming, and wasn’t going to look. She felt more tingles, this time at her hooves, as something was attached to each of the four cuffs still fastened around her cannons. Ropes, being pulled tighter and tighter, until she was spreadeagled across the bed, unable to move, completely at Mistress’ mercy. Just enough slack left in the ropes on her forelegs to let her perform the mattress-slapping signal, but her rear legs were pulled wide apart, the ropes taut and tight, leaving her helpless...

...and oh, sun and moon, she was loving it so. Her heart was racing with a mix of fear and excitement, and she could feel herself already getting damp with arousal. A fact which did not go unnoticed by her marefriend as Twilight saucily brushed a hoof along the insides of Trixie’s wide-spread thighs, all the way up to her marefolds.

“Well, well... look who’s getting turned on already, Trixie,” Twilight chuckled. “I’m going to punish you for all that embarrassing stuff you told Rainbow Dash. You know that, right?”

“Yefff, Miffrefff Hwii-highh,” Trixie said, trying to force the words into some kind of coherency past the ball stuffed into her muzzle, then letting out a squeak of surprise as she felt yet another item being added to her ensemble. A thick silken blindfold over her eyes, tied into place. Now she couldn’t look even if she wanted to. Mistress could do anything, and she’d never see it coming...

“I mean it, Trixie... I’m going to make you pay for embarrassing me like that,” Twilight snapped, her voice taking on a harder, more commanding tone. The tone Trixie both dreaded and craved, as Mistress took control of her, to put her in her place...

She heard something swish through the air, and her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the sound. It was her own riding crop, the one she’d used on Twilight first to punish her, then to dominate her. Now she would feel its painful, stinging bite for herself. She whimpered and flinched, then obediently lifted her tail to expose herself for punishment, shivering as she anticipated the pain the crop would deliver, and how it would make her already so-sore flanks burn so awfully. Sun and moon, how much more pain could she take? Her hindquarters already hurt so much...

She tried to beg and plead for mercy, but there was no getting the words out past that thick ballgag. Her ears flicked back and she let out a muffled little whinny of fear as she heard the swish of Twilight raising the crop high in the air... then came the most dreaded sound of all, that terrible whistling sound, as Mistress Twilight brought the crop down for the first strike...

...and a small bit of heat and sting blossomed, not across her welted-and-paddled hindquarters, but across her withers instead, as the crop delivered a light, almost playful tap instead of the viciously-painful swipe she’d been expecting. Almost before she registered what had happened, the crop tapped her again on the opposite side... then again... and again, and again, tapping her upper body in a steady rhythm, as Mistress teased her with the crop, striking her everywhere but her painfully-sore backside as Twilight methodically cropped the squirming, whimpering showmare’s back from withers to dock.

Trixie nearly sobbed in relief as she realized that for the moment, at least, Mistress was being merciful. The cropping, painful as it was, was almost pleasant in a strange way; while each tap left another small little blossom of sting and heat in its wake, it was nothing like the punishing agony she’d suffered under the apple switch or that heavy fraternity paddle. The mild, stinging warmth of the crop under Mistress’ precisely-controlled strikes was almost sensual, in a way; the heat was building up slowly, one tap at a time, gradually igniting a fire in her loins to match the warmth spreading across her back...

“Good girl, Trixie,” Twilight said, bringing out another groan as Trixie drank in that small morsel of her Mistress’ approval. Her violet eyes shone with several emotions as she found herself relishing the sheer power she had over her marefriend right now. I could do anything I want to her right now... and she’s letting me do it, she realized. This wasn’t like last time, when she’d turned the tables on Trixie and slapped an inhibitor on her horn, then twisted her tail into accepting punishment by threatening to turn her over to Celestia, or to the Guard, for assault – Trixie had placed herself in this position of her own free will, and was laying there taking her “punishment” without raising so much as a spark of magic to stop her. For the moment, the azure-blue unicorn mare belonged to Twilight Sparkle, completely and utterly...

...and oh, horseapples, was that an intoxicating thought. Trixie, humbled and obedient Trixie, was hers.

“You do understand, Trixie, that was very!... naughty!... of you to tell Rainbow Dash all about what we did downstairs,” she said, emphasizing her words with more forceful snaps of the crop against Trixie’s withers, making her marefriend squeak and jerk against the restraints as the sharper pain blossomed across her shoulders and back. “You embarrassed me, Trixie. That stuff is private. What you and I do together is nopony!... else’s!... business!”

Trixie squealed under the painful swipes of the crop, feeling a mixture of shame at her marefriend’s disapproval – at Mistress Twilight’s disapproval – and relief that Mistress was continuing to be merciful by directing her punishment at her withers rather than her backside. Those strikes hurt, but not nearly as badly as they would if they were landing on her welted flanks. She tried to gasp out a muffled apology, then groaned in frustration as the gag turned her words to unintelligible moans.

“Nothing to say for yourself, slave?” Twilight snapped, curious to see if that would have the same effect on Trixie as before. Trixie squeaked and whimpered as that word hit her like a slap across the face; it was dirty and humiliating, yet so powerfully arousing – and coming from Twilight, from Mistress Twilight, it made her heart skip a beat, and the whimper turned into a soft, apologetic little sob as she felt her ego slowly crushing under her marefriend’s domination.

“Hm. I guess you haven’t learned your lesson yet, have you,” Twilight added, pretending not to notice the sounds Trixie was making. She felt a certain sense of accomplishment, almost like passing an exam with a perfect score, as her attempts at copying Rarity’s technique and attitude seemed to be working so well. Then again, I always was a quick study, she thought to herself with a giggle. She’d have to find some way to thank Rarity for that very educational demonstration... later. But for now... “I guess I’ll just have to keep spanking you until you do apologize to me... slave.”

How am I supposed to apologize when you’ve got me gagged! Trixie thought indignantly, before realizing that was the entire point of Twilight’s taunt. Trixie couldn’t apologize, therefore she had no way to make the punishment stop, no matter how sorry she was, or how much it hurt...

...No, that wasn’t entirely true. She had her safeword. Four slaps of her hoof against the mattress, and Twilight would stop. She knew that. She had no doubt of it. She was absolutely certain that Twilight would stop as soon as she heard and saw those four slaps... which meant she was absolutely safe, and since she was safe, she could relax and accept Mistress’ punishment for her misbehavior, even as the crop continued to rain down strike after painful strike on her back.

After all, Mistress Twilight was right. She did deserve this. She’d forgotten her place, and embarrassed Twilight by telling Rainbow Dash all those personal things. She’d just been so relieved that Dash’s rage had cooled, and that the pegasus didn’t intend to beat her senseless after all, that she’d just let herself talk without thinking about the consequences...

No, it was more than that, Trixie, she thought to herself. You were bragging about it. You let your ego get the better of you again, and you were boasting about how you subdued the Great and Powerful Twilight and had her screaming your name. And now you’re going to pay the price for that.

Dimly, she was aware that Twilight was still speaking, scolding her for the way she’d embarrassed her in front of her friends, as the crop tapped out blossoms of pain all across her back... and a small corner of her mind did notice that Twilight didn’t seem quite as upset as she was pretending to be; her marefriend’s voice had that firm, no-nonsense tone, but there seemed to be no genuine anger behind it, and the swipes of the crop weren’t nearly as hard or painful as Trixie knew it was capable of delivering. And yet, that dim realization only seemed to make her sink even deeper into submission, slowly melting as she scolded herself mentally for her thoughtless actions. Twilight – Mistress Twilight – was being merciful to her... her slave... even though she’d done something very wrong, and Mistress had every right to punish her for it, and she didn’t deserve such mercy from Mistress...

Twilight smiled to herself as she saw the unmistakeable signs of surrender in Trixie’s body language. No longer struggling against her restraints, or even tensing up under the strikes of the crop, Trixie was simply melting onto the bed, lying limp across the pile of pillows, accepting Twilight’s discipline. She was actually a bit surprised at herself; she’d never even considered this kind of kinky bedroom play until that experience in Crimson Brush’s back room had opened her eyes to the realization that yes, ponies really did do this kind of thing with each other, and actually enjoyed it... and even then, she’d never seriously thought that she would find pleasure in this, or that anypony would be willing to share the experience with her, until two days ago when Trixie unexpectedly came back into her life.

But somehow, it just felt so... right, to do these things with her. To share such complete and utter trust in one another that they would willingly submit and surrender, not out of fear, but out of love...

Whap... whap... whap... whap...

The sound of Trixie’s hoof slapping the mattress brought Twilight out of her thoughts. Quickly, she set the crop aside and came to Trixie’s side, stroking her marefriend’s burning-hot withers with a gentle hoof. “What is it, love?” she asked, her voice no longer firm or dominant, but tender and loving. “Too much? Do you need to stop?”

Trixie huffed and moaned around the thick gag a couple of times, then shook her head.

“No? What, then?”

Trixie tried to say what she wanted, then groaned in frustration at the impossibility of doing so with that huge rubber ball fastened tightly in her mouth.

“You need to say something?”

Trixie nodded, and felt the tingle of magic surrounding her muzzle again as Twilight quickly undid the gag. Trixie blushed a little as she realized she’d been drooling on the mattress all through her punishment. Not the sort of “wet spot” Trixie was hoping to sleep in tonight, she thought with wry amusement. Of course, being a unicorn did have its advantages; the wet spot could simply be magicked away... when she had the strength to do it. Right now, she was so fuzzy-headed and wrung out, exhausted, and yet so aroused, she doubted she could even muster up enough mental focus to lift a writing quill. She worked her jaw a few times to relieve the stiffness, then lay her head back down on the mattress. “The... belt... please, Mistress...” she moaned weakly, as she lifted her tail high.

“The... you want the belt?” Twilight asked. Even without being able to see her, Trixie could easily picture the look of stunned surprise just from her marefriend’s tone of voice.

“I... deserve it, Mistress,” Trixie said, a little more firmly. “I embarrassed you...”

“Trixie...”

“I embarrassed you for... my own ego, Twilight. Rainbow Dash asked what was up between the two of us, and I told her about our relationship... but Trixie’s ego got the better of her again, and I couldn’t resist a little bragging,” Trixie said. “I know you’re... going easy on me because I’ve been punished so much already today, but... I need you to punish me too, Twilight. Please. Just a little...”

Twilight blinked as Trixie explained herself, then sighed and nuzzled her marefriend tenderly. “Are you sure that’s what you want, love? It’s going to hurt... a lot.”

“It’s what I... it’s what ‘Proud and Boastful Trixie’ needs... my love,” Trixie replied calmly, even as her insides turned to jelly once again, knowing all too well what she’d just asked for.

Twilight sighed again, and nodded. If Trixie felt she needed that harsh discipline so badly... “Two strokes, Trixie. No more. You’ve suffered enough for one day,” she said, in a tone which left no room for argument or negotiation. “Now open up,” she added, moving the ball gag back against Trixie’s mouth to reinsert it.

Trixie nodded, and did her best to brace herself, opening her mouth for the gag and then biting down on it again, shaking with a mixture of terror and arousal as she felt the faux-leather belt loosening from around her waist, to be taken up in Twilight’s telekinetic grip...

Twilight studied her marefriend for a long time. Trixie was shaking with fear, making soft little noises that sounded like she was already starting to cry, and the belt hadn’t even touched her yet... but at the same time, as Twilight took a few steps back so she could see where she was aiming, she saw that her marefriend was wet back there, her marefolds winking with her inflamed arousal as she dripped musky juices onto the pillow-pile under her hips, filling the room with the unmistakeable scent of a mare’s lust.

She raised the belt high, and brought it down with a loud, echoing crack! of leather against flesh.

Trixie gasped and went rigid, all four limbs pulling desperately against the restraints, letting out an agonized howl through the gag as that single lash brought all seven apple-switch welts roaring to life again. Twilight hesitated, then quickly brought the belt down for the second stroke, getting it over with as quickly as possible, then threw it aside and climbed up onto the bed beside her marefriend, holding Trixie’s shaking body tightly against hers, nuzzling her, murmuring words of love and forgiveness into her ears, while casting a spell against Trixie’s backside to ease the pain as much as she could...

She worked the ball-gag free of Trixie’s mouth again, and the words of apology came pouring forth. “I’m s-sorry, Twilight, I’m s-sorry... I’m sorry...”

“Shh... I know, love, I know... it’s all right...” Twilight murmured soothingly. “It’s all right...”

“For... forgive me...”

“Always, love. Always.”

Trixie felt her tears of pain turning to tears of joy as that simple reassurance, that promise of forgiveness, seemed to ease the pain even more than Twilight’s healing spell. No matter what she did, Twilight would be there for her... to discipline her when she needed it, to love her, and forgive her...

Gradually, she became aware of an entirely different sensation coming from “back there”. A pleasant, tingly feeling that was slowly growing stronger, centered on her...

She squeaked in surprise, lifting her head to look at Twilight before remembering that she couldn’t see anything with the blindfold still in place. “Tw – Twilight? What are you...?”

Twilight gave a throaty chuckle as Trixie finally noticed what she was doing to her with her horn’s magic. “What am I doing?” she asked, teasing Trixie by intensifying the stimulation a bit. “I’m just doing what I was going to do to my Trixie after I finished cropping her, before somepony suddenly decided Trixie wanted her flanks scorched again.” She smiled, even though Trixie couldn’t see it, and tenderly nuzzled her lover’s ears, planting long, slow, sensual licks along the back of each one. “You’ve been punished more than enough, love. Now it’s my turn to make you feel good...” She nuzzled in close, whispering her final words into Trixie’s ear. “...and see if I can make you scream my name.”

Trixie felt the bed shift underneath her as her lover moved, inching her way back behind Trixie – or so the showmare assumed, based on where the sounds and sensation of motion were coming from. It occurred to her that she could take the blindfold off to see for sure, since Twilight hadn’t put the inhibitor on her... but no. That wasn’t her place. Mistress had placed the blindfold there, and if Mistress wanted her blindfolded and bound, then she would remain so until Mistress said otherwise.

Oh, horseapples, those thoughts were so exciting. Twilight was her Mistress, and she belonged to Twilight, and – “OH!!” She yelped, startled, as Twilight’s muzzle pressed itself up against her dripping marefolds. She felt Twilight’s tongue brushing against her, and the soft touch was cautious, almost hesitant, as if...

Oh, my love... have you never done this before? Trixie thought with sudden realization. Am I your first? She almost started to ask, then quickly stopped herself. Twilight would be so embarrassed if her inexperience was pointed out to her; she’d fall all over herself apologizing for doing it wrong, then probably run downstairs to try to find a book on the subject. She suppressed a giggle at the sudden mental image of Twilight lapping at her mound with a “how-to” manual propped up on the bed next to her, following the instructions to the letter.

“What’s so funny?” Twilight asked.

Trixie caught the note of uncertainty in her marefriend’s voice. “It tickles,” she said, hoping to reassure Twilight that she wasn’t doing anything wrong.

“Oh,” Twilight giggled as she went back to her cautious exploration, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach as she ventured into this unfamiliar territory. Not that the anatomical details were any mystery to her, of course, but to press one’s muzzle right up against them, to smell and taste that thick, musky flavor of sex, was another matter entirely. Trying to recall what Trixie had done to her, she drew her tongue slowly across the split of Trixie’s mound, then did it again, licking a little deeper inside each time.

“Ohh... hfff.... ohhh, yes...” Trixie moaned encouragingly as Twilight started to get the idea. “Please, love... mmmmmhhhh.... ohhh, sun and moon, please...”

Encouraged, Twilight continued to nuzzle deeper into Trixie’s folds, lapping up her marefriend’s juices as they dripped onto her tongue. At first, she wasn’t sure what to make of the musky flavor, but hearing those soft moans of pleasure and need was all her mind needed to make the association between the taste of her marefriend and the exquisite pleasure they could share this way, and soon she was lapping more hungrily at those soft, wet azure-blue folds, making happy little noises of her own...

With each lick, Trixie lost herself a little more, sinking deeper into a haze of blissful pleasure as her marefriend gained confidence in what she was doing. Each soft lap of Twilight’s tongue brought out a little squeak, and then the squeaks became whimpers, and then whimpers turned to deep, lustful moans...

“Mmmm... somepony’s having fun,” Twilight teased.

“Yes... Mistress Twilight...” Trixie breathed, slipping back into her submissive mindset as the pleasure of her lover’s tongue blended so nicely with the lingering pain in her back and flanks.

Twilight giggled and pressed her muzzle more firmly against Trixie’s folds, then darted her tongue deep inside, copying the technique Trixie had used on her the afternoon before. She was rewarded by a loud gasp and a cry of pleasure, and a sudden thrust of Trixie’s hips against the pillow pile, as Twilight’s maneuver caught her by surprise and sent a shock of pleasure right through her core.

“YES! Oh sun and moon, yes, right... there!” Trixie squealed as Twilight’s darting tongue found just the right spot inside. Encouraged, Twilight did it again, and smiled to herself as each deep lick produced the same squealing cry and reflexive bucking motion. She braced her hooves against Trixie’s cutie marks to keep her from wriggling around, lit her horn to apply gentle pressure just above Trixie’s dock to keep her pressed down into the pillows... then went after that special spot with all the enthusiasm of a filly trying to eat a triple-scoop ice-cream cone before it melted, darting her tongue deep into Trixie over, and over, and over...

Twilight Sparkle always was a quick study.

Trixie threw her head back and howled under the assault. Screaming, not in pain, but in ecstasy as shock after shock of exquisite pleasure shot through her, making her clench down on that wonderful tongue as it licked deep into her marehood, slowly driving her mad with lust and need. “Please, Twilight... please, Twilight... please...” she heard herself moaning, over and over, begging for... something, anything, more...

Twilight giggled and briefly considered seeing if she could get Trixie to beg for relief the way Rarity had, but decided against it. That game could wait for another day. She and Trixie had all the time in the world to explore the boundaries of their mutual domination and submission to each other, to inflict and suffer exquisite torments at each others’ hooves, to push each other to their limits and take each other to places they never even knew they could reach. But not now. For now, she just wanted Trixie to feel good. To feel loved.

“That’s it, love,” she said encouragingly as she heard Trixie’s gasps and moans taking on a sharper urgency. “Come on... I want to hear it, my precious Trixie Lulamoon... let me hear it...”

Trixie writhed and bucked under the assault, straining at her bonds, her physical helplessness against the tight restraints and Twilight’s magic only driving her on towards the release she craved as Twilight’s enthusiastic tongue brought her to the breaking point. “Hnnhhh... HAAahhh... Twi... light.... please... please! ... I... need... I want...! PLEEEEEASE!!”

Okay, so maybe Twilight couldn’t resist making Trixie beg just a little bit. “What do you need, love?” she asked mischievously.

Trixie kicked her rear hooves against the mattress and squealed in frustration. Curse you... Twilight Sparkle... you learn... far too quickly! she thought to herself, the thought flashing through her mind in fragments in between the shocks of pleasure and need that were wracking her body. “Let me.. come... please!” she screamed. “Please, Twilight!”

“I never said you couldn’t, love,” Twilight giggled, giving Trixie just enough time to register the words, before resuming her assault on that place that made her marefriend squeal so delightfully...

“Oh Twilight... oh Twilight... Twilight... oh, oh, OH TWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILIIiiIIiiiIIIiiIIGHT!!!”

Trixie threw her head back and let out a higher-pitched scream as the last shred of self-control crumbled. Pleasure shot down every nerve ending all at once, radiating outward from that special spot, making every muscle tense up until her entire body was shaking, and Twilight had the satisfaction of seeing the room bathed in azure-blue fire as Trixie’s horn sparked and shot off an involuntary flare of unfocused magical energy.

Twilight quickly sat back and released her hold on Trixie’s body, leaving the azure unicorn free to buck wildly against the pile of pillows under her hips as she screamed her lover’s name at the top of her lungs. Twilight giggled at the sound, glad that she’d remembered to put up a soundproofing spell around the room this time. Spike hearing us downstairs in the lab was bad enough; we don’t need everypony from here to Sugarcube Corner hearing that coming from my bedroom!

While Trixie was still deep in the throes of her orgasm, Twilight’s own horn lit up as well, quickly freeing her marefriend from the blindfold and hoof restraints. She crawled back up to lay down next to Trixie, gathering her close, holding her tightly and once again murmuring soft words of comfort into the showmare’s ears, as Trixie rode out the aftershocks with incoherent little squeals and helpless twitches. “Easy now, lover... shhh... I’m here, love. I’m here...”

Trixie finally went limp as the release drained all of her tension away, leaving her floating in a warm, soft cocoon of blissful contentment. Weakly, with what seemed like the last of her strength, she slapped her left forehoof against the mattress, four times. “M-mercy... Mistress... Twilight...” she whimpered, almost too softly to hear. “Mercy...”

“Shh...” Twilight shushed her marefriend and lover as she lay limp and helpless within her embrace, just stroking her back and withers with a hoof, giving her lover an anchor to hold on to until Trixie could find her way back to her senses again.

Finally, Trixie’s eyes fluttered open, to see Twilight’s eyes gazing into hers. The warmth and love in those eyes made Trixie melt all over again, and she let out a deep, contented sigh. “I love you, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, grimacing as her suddenly-dry mouth and throat made her cough slightly over the words.

Twilight giggled at the slight cough. “I love you too, Trixie Lulamoon,” she said, slowly disentangling herself both from their embrace and the now thoroughly-rumpled bedsheets. “Just lie there a minute, and I’ll bring us something to drink.”

Trixie struggled to roll over and climb out of the bed as well, groaning as her stiff limbs protested the motions. “I think... ugh... I can make it to the kitchen,” she said with a weak chuckle. “But you’re going to have to handle cooking dinner tonight, Sparkle. The Exhausted and Worn-Out Trixie is definitely in no condition to be juggling hot skillets after that...”

Twilight snorted at that. “Me, cook dinner? Haven’t you been punished enough for one day?”

Trixie laughed as she nuzzled her marefriend. “Trixie will take her chances. Believe me, your cooking can’t be worse than some of the moldy-hay dives I’ve eaten in.”

“You’ve never seen me try to fry haybacon, have you...”

Author's Note

And here we are again, with another chapter done and only one to go.

Triskelion did an amazing job, and did far more than fix up this chapter. So I have to give credit where its due.