“Red”emption of a Showmare

Chapter 5: Paying Royalties...

Twilight Sparkle “hmm”-ed thoughtfully to herself, her writing quill drifting lazily in her telekinetic field, as she studied the contents of a pair of letters resting on her desk. That should do it, she decided. She dipped her quill into the inkwell, then signed both letters with a flourish.

“Spike!” she called downstairs as she rolled up both sheets and sealed them with a bit of candle wax. “I need you to send some letters for me, please.”

A minute later, Spike came ambling into Twilight’s bedroom with a fresh scroll and quill at the ready. “Okay, shoot.”

“Hm?” Twilight said distractedly as she finished sealing the second scroll. “Oh! You don’t need to write these for me, Spike. They’re... personal letters, not official reports. Just send them as-is.”

Spike “ahhed” and nodded in understanding. “Okay... who do they go to?”

“This one goes to Princess Celestia, and this one goes to Cadance.” She held up each letter in turn as Spike sent them on their way with a puff of dragonflame.

“On their way, Twilight. Need anything else?”

“Put on a pot of coffee for us?” Twilight suggested hopefully, nodding her head towards the blanket-covered lump still sleeping soundly on her bed. “We’ll be down for breakfast in a few minutes.”

Spike just rolled his eyes and made his way back downstairs with a tolerant chuckle. Once he was gone, Twilight went over to her bed and softly nuzzled Trixie’s cheek. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

Trixie groaned and rolled over, raising a sleepy hoof to try to push the tickly feeling away from her cheek as she pretended to still be asleep, then gave up and slowly opened an eye. “Oh... morning, Sparklebutt,” she yawned, giving her love an adoring, if slightly sleepy-eyed smile at the end of it.

Twilight blushed a bit at the pet name Trixie had decided on for her after their most recent... “interesting” experience together, and stepped back from the bed as Trixie tossed the covers aside to stretch each limb in turn. “I just sent out the letters,” she said. “We should hear back from them before too long.”

Trixie groaned again as an especially good stretch popped everything back into place, then rolled over and hopped down to the floor. “What letters?”

“The letters we talked about last night, Trixie,” Twilight said patiently.

“Oh, right, those... wait, I thought it was just the one letter, to Princess Celestia?” Trixie asked, tilting her head quizzically as she finally came awake enough to properly follow the conversation.

Twilight bit her lip pensively, and nodded. “I sent a letter to Cadance, too,” she said. “There’s something I need to discuss with her.”

Trixie looked at her marefriend curiously as no further explanation seemed forthcoming, then decided not to press the issue. “Do you think they’ll come today?”

“I doubt it,” Twilight said with a slight shake of her head. “I’m sure they’re both very busy at the Summit, still – and I requested that they come together if possible, so it might be a while before they can both get away at the same time.”

“Oh, good, so we have time for breakfast, then?” Trixie suggested with an impish grin.

“Yes, love, I think we have time for breakfast,” Twilight agreed, giving Trixie an amused nudge as she passed by on her way to the stairs.

Together, the two unicorn mares made their way downstairs to the ground floor, following the scent of brewing coffee into the kitchen and dining nook. Trixie’s eyes locked on to the coffee pot, her horn already lighting up to grab a mug from the cabinet. “Ugh... I forget, Spike, is it my turn to cook breakfast this morning, or yours?” she asked with a yawn.

“Yours,” Spike answered. On the whole, he’d decided, having Trixie around hadn’t been all bad; despite his initial suspicions, she genuinely seemed to be trying to turn over a new leaf and build on her new relationships. She’d even insisted on “earning her keep” by taking on an equitable share of the kitchen duties, and it was definitely a pleasant change to have somepony else around the house who knew how to make something more complicated than toast. I swear, though, I’ll never understand how somepony as smart as Twilight can’t even get her head around something as simple as a three-cheese omelet... I mean, come on, it’s just a scrambled-egg pancake with stuff in the middle. Then again, she still hasn’t figured out pancakes, either.

Trixie nodded as she poured herself a full mug of coffee, then drank most of it down in one go, intent on getting that first hit of caffeine as quickly as possible. Twilight shuddered and tried not to watch. Trixie’s habit of drinking her coffee black was one of the few irreconcilable points of disagreement they’d discovered between them so far; Twilight could not for the life of her understand why anypony would want to drink coffee without cream and sugar to soften the bitterness, while the very idea of ruining perfectly good coffee by putting stuff in it made Trixie stick out her tongue in disgust.

One thing they both could agree on, though, was that Spike’s habit of pouring his over ice was just plain weird.

Trixie rubbed the last bits of sleep out of her eyes with a foreleg as she poured herself another cup, then started pulling skillets, mixing bowls, and ingredients out of the cupboard with her horn’s aura. Twilight sat back to watch with a fond smile, still impressed by her marefriend’s magical dexterity. While Twilight was undeniably the more powerful of the two in terms of how much raw magical energy she could channel into a single high-powered spell, Trixie’s ability to perform multiple tasks with dozens of small objects at the same time – and more impressively, to keep track of all of them at once even when they weren’t directly in her line of sight – was something Twilight couldn’t help but envy.

Under Trixie’s skilled manipulation, within only a few minutes three stacks of apple-cinnamon pancakes were making their way to the table, dripping with butter and warm maple syrup, accompanied by some savory, grilled black-bean patties topped with poached eggs and tomatoes. Trixie turned around to watch the plates as she guided them to the table – and just as they settled into place, Trixie suddenly reared up on her hind legs, throwing her forelegs out in front of her with a theatrical flourish, as a scattering of crushed blue gemstones materialized in mid-air and dusted themselves over Spike’s pancake stack. “Revel in the amazing delights of Trixie’s Great and Powerful Breakfast!” she finished with a smug, playful grin.

Twilight and Spike both chuckled at her display as Trixie settled back to all fours and trotted over to join them at the table. Twilight gave the showmare a light swat to her rump just before she sat down. “Keep that up, and I’ll be having something else Great and Powerful for dinner,” Twilight smirked.

Trixie couldn’t help but blush a bit at the swat, even as she playfully stuck her tongue out at her marefriend’s taunt. “Not if I get you first, Twilight.”

Twilight gave her lover an affectionate smile and a soft, tender nuzzle on the cheek, not at all displeased by that possibility, then rolled her eyes as Spike made a choking sound. “Oh, honestly, Spike, you’d think –” she started to say, just before the dragonling coughed out two scrolls in a burst of green flame.

“Mail’s here,” he said.

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Celestia and Cadance were just finishing up their own breakfast, and getting ready to face yet another day of summit meetings with the neighboring tribes, when a pair of scrolls materialized next to them in two puffs of green dragonflame. Each raised a curious brow as the scrolls landed in the middle of the dining table, then traded equally-curious glances. “From Twilight?” Cadance asked.

Celestia took a second look at the scrolls, and nodded. “One for each of us, apparently,” she said as she caught up the scroll addressed to her in her magic.

“I hope everything’s all right,” Cadance said, with a slight tinge of worry in her voice, as she picked up her own scroll. What could be serious enough to make Twilight send messages to both of them?

Together, they cracked the wax seals on their scrolls, and sat back to read.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m sorry I don’t have a Friendship Report for you this time, as such, but I’m afraid I’ve been somewhat preoccupied this past week or so, dealing with the situation I informed you of previously. However, I am happy to be able to report that the situation is mostly resolved now; Trixie and I are doing well, and while there were definitely some rough patches to smooth over at first, in the end my friends accepted her and welcomed her warmly. Very warmly.

Actually, now that I think about that, I suppose I do have a friendship report to make after all. Sometimes, ponies get off on the wrong hoof with each other. Sometimes, they even hurt each other, and because of that, they think they can never be friends. But if they show true remorse for their actions, and a willingness to atone for their past mistakes, even former enemies might just find the seeds of a new friendship.

However, that’s not the primary reason I’m writing. I’m sending this letter both to you and to Cadance, in hopes that Trixie and I might have an audience with both of you here in the library. I know you are both very busy, especially with the summit meetings going on, so it doesn’t need to be right away – it’s nothing terribly urgent. There are just some... personal issues which both of us would like to discuss with you and Cadance, in confidence, when you both can spare the time.

Also – if at all possible, I would prefer if both you and Cadance could visit together, though of course I will understand if that is not possible due to your busy schedules.

Thank you for your time and patience.

Your Ever-Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia raised a brow as she read the letter, then looked up to see Cadance looking at her with a similarly-curious expression. “Twilight says she’s doing well,” Celestia said. “And that she wishes for both of us to visit her and Trixie at the library, at our earliest convenience.”

Cadence nodded agreeably. “That’s what mine says, too.”

“Interesting...” Celestia said thoughtfully.

“How about we drop by and see her tomorrow, then?” Cadance suggested. “Today’s the final summit session anyway. We’re expected to put in an appearance at the post-summit receptions tonight, but I don’t think Luna and Shining would mind too much if we took a little side trip to Ponyville tomorrow before heading back to the castle, do you?” she said with a teasing grin.

Celestia gave a knowing grin as well, nodding in approval. Luna certainly wouldn’t mind the chance to be left in charge of things a little while longer; if anything, she would appreciate the vote of confidence, that Celestia didn’t feel as if she had to rush back to the castle the moment the summit meetings were done. “I’m sure you’re right. As for Twilight... I don’t think she expected us to be together when we received the letters, so perhaps we should send separate replies?”

Cadance nodded in agreement as she magicked up a quill and scroll and began to write.

Dear Twilight...

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Twilight nuzzled Trixie’s withers, trying to help her lover calm her nerves a bit, as she forced her to come down the stairs. “Come on, Trixie... we both agreed this was necessary. It’s not going to do either of us any good to get cold hooves now. The Princesses will be here any min–”

Just as she was finishing her sentence, a flare of golden light lit up the library’s main lobby, causing Trixie to let out a startled “meep!” as she tried to hide behind Twilight. When the light cleared, there stood the Princesses of Sun and Love in all their radiance.

Celestia smiled at the two unicorns and gave them a light bow. “Hello, my faithful student,” she said fondly. “And hello to you as well, Trixie Lulamoon. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other. Are you both doing well?”

Twilight tried not to let her sudden nervousness show as she gave her mentor a small smile and a deep bow of respect in turn. “We’re fine, Princess. Trixie’s just a little nervous about the reason for our request for your visit,” she added as she stepped aside and nudged Trixie with a foreleg, prompting Trixie to snap out of her startled moment and hastily copy Twilight’s bow of respect.

Cadance trotted up and gave Twilight a firm hug. “It’s so good to see you, Twiley!” she said warmly. “I’m sorry your brother couldn’t come too, but it’s still kind of hard for both of us to get away from the Crystal Empire at the same time, unfortunately...”

Twilight hugged Cadance in return, nodding at her explanation. “Well... I think, in this case, it’s probably best he isn’t here...”

Cadance traded glances with Celestia as she and Twilight released their mutual hug, tilting her head quizzically at Twilight’s comment. “Just what did you need to see us about, Twilight?”

Twilight looked up at her mentor, and then back at her favorite foalsitter. “Can you come downstairs with me, Cadance? I think it’d be best if Trixie speaks with Celestia alone... and for us, as well.”

Cadance blinked, still giving Twilight a curious look, then nodded in agreement and followed Twilight through the door leading to her underground lab, leaving a nervous Trixie to shiver under the warm gaze of the Princess of the Sun herself.

“So tell me, Trixie,” Celestia began, once Twilight and Cadance had left. “What did you need to see me about, my little pony?”

Trixie took a deep breath as she made herself look up at the Princess. Finding only warmth and caring in Celestia’s steady gaze, alongside a hint of curiosity, eventually calmed the showmare’s nerves enough to let her speak. “Trix... I wanted to... apologize to you, Princess Celestia,” she said quietly.

“No need for formality, Trixie... you’re one of Twilight’s friends, and obviously very special to her, from what I hear,” Celestia said with an encouraging smile. “You may simply call me ‘Celestia’ if you like. Now... what is it that you feel you need to apologize for?”

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Cadance glanced around curiously as she followed Twilight through the underground lab and into the side room. At Twilight’s gesture, Cadance to take a seat in one of the chairs in the middle of the room while Twilight closed the door behind them, then raised a brow as she saw Twilight stop just short of taking the opposite chair. Instead, Twilight kept raising a hoof towards the seat, then dropping it to the floor again, almost as if she’d somehow forgotten how to sit down in this strange thing called a “chair” to begin with.

Cadance had seen this behavior from Twilight before, as a filly; this was Twilight’s “I have something I need to tell you but I really really really don’t want to” tic. The last time she’d seen Twilight act like this had been that unfortunate incident with her older brother’s record player...

Twilight bit her lip and finally settled for just taking a seat on the floor. “You’re probably wondering what this is all about, huh?” she started with a nervous laugh. “Well... Cadance, I asked you to come here today because I... well... I need to apologize to you.”

Cadance gave her a look of concern, but didn’t interrupt.

“Do you remember when we used to play together, when I was a little filly? And you used to pull pranks on me and my brother all the time?” Twilight asked.

“Of course, Twilight,” Cadance said, smiling warmly at the fond memories. “How could I ever forgot the most precious times of my life?”

Twilight smiled as well, though it was a bit strained. “Well... you remember how sometimes I was a really picky eater, and wouldn’t try anything new?” Cadance nodded again. “And how sometimes, you used a spell to... trick me into eating it anyway? Well... you didn’t know it at the time, but I kept my memory of that spell you used. I even worked on it a bit, mostly just to test myself, and I... well...” Twilight paused and swallowed nervously. “I made the spell quite a bit more potent. I called it the...”

Cadance waited for Twilight to continue, giving her a look of concern when the unicorn remained silent. “What’s wrong, Twilight?” she asked gently.

Twilight took a moment to go through the deep-breathing motions Cadance had taught her, raising her hoof to her chest as she breathed in, then and breathing out slowly as she moved it away, to calm herself. “I called it the ‘Want-It-Need-It’ spell. I... I used it on a doll. Somehow I... I got it into my head that the Princess would be angry with me for not giving her a Friendship report on time, and my friends were treating it like it wasn’t a big deal, and I... um... went a bit nutty,” she confessed, blushing in shame as she looked away. “I decided that if I couldn’t find a friendship problem to solve and write a report on, I’d make a problem to solve, so I used that spell on my Smarty Pants doll, to cause three little fillies to fight over it, so that I could... help them.”

Cadance opened her mouth to respond, then fell silent as Twilight held up a hoof.

“It didn’t end there. The spell... got completely out of control, to the point that it... it set the entire town into a frenzied battle over the doll. It took Princess Celestia to undo the spell, and if it hadn’t been for her appearing when she did, there’s no telling what might have happened.” She looked up at Cadance, her eyes brimming with guilty tears. “I’m so, so sorry, Cadance. I should never have used your spell for something so malicious. You used that spell out of love for me... and I turned it into something filthy and evil...”

Cadance said nothing for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts, unable to help feeling a little shocked at hearing what her little prank all those years ago had led to. Twilight’s magic had been potent, even as a filly, but it had never occurred to Cadance that her young charge could’ve learned those kinds of spells just from seeing them used. Finally, she stood and walked over to rest a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight... it’s okay,” she said gently. “I’m sure no one holds a grudge for what you did. Least of all me...”

Twilight sighed softly and shook her head. “Don’t... please. The whole town, and even the Princess, forgave me. Celestia barely even scolded me for the whole thing.” She took a moment to take in a deep breath and release it slowly. “I didn’t call you here just to have you forgive me for it too...”

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It took a few moments of silence before Trixie finally worked up the nerve to answer Celestia’s question. “In the past... you saved my life, and... you tried to do so much for me after that. Giving me a home, a life... even a place in your school. You even checked on me, to see how well I was doing.”

Celestia nodded as she listened. It’s nice to see she isn’t referring to herself as another pony anymore. My student must have really been a good change for her, she thought idly to herself.

Trixie bit her lip a moment before continuing. “But I... I have to admit something to you. I resented you, all those years. In fact, in some ways, I... I hated you.”

Celestia raised a brow at this revelation, but said nothing. She’d suspected Trixie had been keeping some unhappier feelings buried below the surface during those years, especially after Trixie had suddenly quit the school and left Canterlot without giving any reason why, or even saying goodbye to anypony before she left, but Celestia was still a bit surprised to hear the depths of those negative feelings said out loud.

“I hated you for... not saving my Uncle. I know, now, that it wasn’t possible... but at the time, I was just too hurt and angry to see past it. I was too young to understand why I felt that way; all I knew was that my Uncle... the only family I had... was dead, and you hadn’t saved him, and that... just stayed with me all those years. Even when you praised me for doing well in your school, I was convinced it was just pity from you. I resented everything you did for me. And when you chose Twilight as your personal student... I felt like I’d been tossed aside. Like I was just some charity case you didn’t want to be bothered with anymore. My anger got the better of me, and I left.”

Those last words gave the Princess pause. I suppose I can understand how she could’ve felt that way, she thought sadly. After all, she’s not the only one who felt like they’d been pushed aside after I started giving all of my attention to Twilight. She opened her mouth to apologize, then fell silent as Trixie shook her head, indicating that she had more to say.

“I carried those feelings around with me for a long time. I know, now, I didn’t deserve even a small portion of the effort you put forward for me... and that you didn’t deserve all the anger and resentment I gave you in return for the kindness you tried to show me. I should’ve said these words a long time ago, Princess, and I’m ashamed that it’s taken me so long to say them now.” She looked up, meeting Celestia’s kind gaze. “Thank you, Celestia. For everything you did for me.”

Celestia gave the azure unicorn a warm, caring smile. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Trixie. You did deserve it, whether you think so or not. You were never a ‘charity case’, as you put it. I saw so much untapped potential in you, when I enrolled you in my school... I could see it in your eyes, and in your display of magical skills. And I never meant for you to feel pushed aside or discarded, my little pony. There were... reasons, why I took Twilight as my special pupil back then. I’m sure you can guess for yourself what they were, now. Perhaps... perhaps I should have explained, but I was afraid that if the truth were widely known – that Nightmare Moon’s imminent return was more than just an old legend, or that Twilight was destined to become one of the Element Bearers and to defeat her, that it might... jinx it, somehow.”

She moved forward and rubbed Trixie’s head affectionately as she continued. “You never needed to thank me, Trixie. But... I have a feeling that thanking me isn’t the true reason you asked to see me,” she prompted.

Trixie looked up into the searching gaze of her lover’s teacher, and nodded. “No... it’s not...”

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Cadance took a step back, tilting her head in confusion. “Then... what?” she finally asked.

Twilight looked up into her eyes. “You never got upset with me, when I was a filly. Neither did my parents, or my brother for that matter.”

“Of course not, Twilight,” Cadance said, still confused by the odd turn the conversation seemed to be taking. “You were such a sweet little filly. How could we ever be mad at you?”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s just it, Cadance. I got in all kinds of trouble when I was young... and everypony mostly just patted me on the head, called me a ‘silly filly’, and let me get away with it. And it didn’t really stop when I got older, because now I had the Princess of all Equestria to forgive me for everything I did, so everypony still let me get away with everything because after all, if the Princess was letting me get away with it, it must not be that big a deal, right?”

Cadance bit her lip thoughtfully as she began to suspect what Twilight was getting at.

“But even with all the misbehaving I did, with all the trouble I caused... it was that spell that caused my biggest failing, and... Cadance, I don’t want you to just forgive me for it. I don’t want to just... be allowed to get away with it again.”

Cadance frowned slightly, still not sure she’d quite figured out where this was going. “Then what do you want, Twilight?”

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“Even though Twilight and I haven’t been together very long, I’ve already learned some very important lessons from her, and her friends, while working to earn their forgiveness,” Trixie explained, trying to keep her voice steady under Celestia’s curious, searching gaze. “And one of those lessons is that we must... accept the consequences of our actions, no matter how much it hurts. My hatred and resentment towards you was unfounded, and unnecessary, Princess. It was wrong of me to blame all of my sorrows on you that way, and...” She paused for a moment, taking a breath. “And I must accept the consequences of my actions.”

Celestia raised a brow at that last. “I’m not sure I follow, Trixie?” she finally asked, when no further explanation seemed forthcoming.

Trixie’s answer was to light up her horn to remove her hat and cape, placing both on the table in the middle of the room, leaving herself bared save for a single sturdy, black faux-leather belt cinched around her waist. She unwrapped the belt, folded it over once, then floated it towards Celestia, holding it out for the ivory alicorn to take. “I ask... no. I deserve your punishment, for rejecting the love and care you tried to give me, and giving only anger and resentment in return.”

Celestia’s eyes grew wide as she looked down at the belt floating in the showmare’s blue aura. If Trixie was suggesting what she seemed to be suggesting...

“Trixie Lulamoon. Do you realize what you ask of me?” she finally asked, speaking with an air of authority, softened with the warmth of a teacher to her student.

Trixie nodded as she turned around and bent at her forehooves, lifting her hindquarters up for punishment, just as she’d done so many times already this past week. “Please...”

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Twilight’s answer was to point a hoof towards the table in the middle of the room, directing Cadance’s attention towards it. At first Cadance wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for, until Twilight’s purple aura surrounded an object on the table and floated it over between them. It was a plain, wooden-handled mane brush. But what was it doing down here in Twilight’s lab?

“I’m sorry Twilight... I don’t understand?” Cadance finally said.

Twilight gave her an understanding smile. “I didn’t either, at first,” she said. “But not too long ago, a good friend of mine helped me to... well, to understand some things about myself. One of which was just how much guilt I had built up over the years. She was also kind enough to show me a way to relieve that guilt, as well as truly earn forgiveness for the things I’d done in the past.”

Cadance still looked confused, but some part of her mind was beginning to put the pieces together as the mane-brush drifted closer to her. She couldn’t possibly mean...?

“You asked me what I want. What I want is... no, what I need is for you to spank me, Cadance. To punish me for what I did. I took something gentle and kind, and turned it into something awful. Something that could’ve gotten a lot of ponies hurt, or even destroyed the whole town, all because of my own selfish wants.”

“But why... you want... you... what!?” Cadance stammered in astonishment as she took a step backwards from the floating mane-brush. “You... want me to hurt you, for a spell you couldn’t possibly have known the dangers of?”

Twilight shook her head and smiled a bit at her old foalsitter’s concerns. “No, Cadance, I don’t want you to hurt me...”

“But...?”

“I want you to discipline me,” Twilight emphasized. “Because I did something very wrong. I did know the dangers, Cadance. After all, I was the one who expanded the spell’s parameters in the first place... and it was my choice to misuse it for that purpose. I may not have meant for it to get as far out my control as it did, but it was still my choice.” She stepped closer, bringing the mane-brush with her, and gave Cadance a soft nuzzle of love and trust. “Cadance... please. I need this. I need...” She paused and took a deep breath. “I feel like I wronged you by misusing your spell like that, and I need to not be allowed to just get away with it again.”

Cadance stared at the brush Twilight was holding out to her for a long time. Finally, her gaze shifted to Twilight, looking into the eyes of the mare she’d cared for and loved for an even longer time, seeing the trust and need within. Finally, she reached a decision. “Very well, Twilight Sparkle. It’s been a long time... but if this is what you really want...”

“It’s what I need,” Twilight repeated quietly. “Please.”

Cadance lit up her horn to take the mane-brush from Twilight’s magical grasp, then pointed towards the table with a hoof. “Bend over,” she said in a suddenly-firm tone, as if she were dealing with a misbehaving foal.

Twilight simply nodded and moved to bend herself over the edge of the low table, stretching her forelegs out across the top to grasp the edges with her hooves, forcing her flanks and hindquarters outward towards the pink alicorn as she spread her rear legs apart to brace herself. “I’m sorry, Cadance,” she said softly.

Cadance nodded in understanding as she tapped the brush across Twilight’s flanks, testing her aim as she prepared to discipline the younger mare. “I know, Twilight.”

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“Before we begin, Trixie,” Celestia said as she stood over the trembling showmare, holding the belt in her golden-yellow telekinetic aura, “I just want you to know, that I do not blame you for your feelings towards me... nor do I agree that you deserve to be punished for them. Despite what some ponies think,” she added wryly, “I’m not in the habit of punishing ponies just for thinking unkind thoughts about me.” She waited a moment for that to sink in, then gently brushed Trixie’s upraised rump with a wing. “But... that being said, I’m not so naive as to fail to understand your feelings... or your need to feel as if you’ve atoned for them before you can let go of them. If this is truly what you wish from me...”

Trixie gave a soft “eep” at the unexpected brush of downy feathers against her backside, then closed her eyes and nodded. “I understand, Prin... um, Celestia. If not what you feel that I deserve... give me what you feel that I need,” she replied, her breath catching a little as she tried to make herself relax and give herself over to the coming punishment.

Celestia nodded and took a step back, examining the folded belt with an approving eye for the workmanship as she raised it high, holding it suspended for a few seconds as she aimed it towards her chosen target... then, without warning, the belt came lashing down with sharp but controlled force, swishing loudly through the air, then impacting right across the middle of Trixie’s hindquarters with a loud THWACK! of leather against flesh.

Trixie’s eyes flew open as the first strike landed solidly across her flanks, delivering a shock of pain so intense all she could do was gasp for breath. That single stroke had been almost twice as hard as anything Twilight had ever given her, and already it felt like a red-hot iron burning across her flanks. “Th... thank you...” she managed to gasp out as she braced herself, forcing herself to remain in position even as the realization of just what kind of punishment she might’ve let herself in for sent a cold pit of fear into her stomach...

Celestia raised a brow as she heard the sharp gasp of pain and saw the angry red stripe forming underneath Trixie’s azure fur. Perhaps that was a bit too much... she decided after a moment’s consideration. She raised the belt and brought it down again with more carefully-measured force, delivering another lash just below the first. Trixie stubbornly set her jaw, refusing to cry out, even though the pain was still easily as bad as that awful apple switch...

Celestia paused again, giving Trixie a moment to collect herself before the next stroke. Then came a third swishing of the belt through the air, and a third explosion of fiery pain as the belt thwacked! across her rump...

...and Trixie knew this was only the beginning of what would be a very long and painful – and well-deserved – penance.

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

Cadance continued tapping the brush against Twilight’s flanks as she considered what her friend had just asked her to do. She still wasn’t entirely sure about the situation, but it did seem to be what Twilight wanted. Even if Cadance didn’t agree that Twilight had deliberately wronged her, or deserved to be punished for the mistake she’d made, Twilight obviously felt otherwise, and felt that she needed to be chastised for it.

All right, then, Twiley, she decided. If this is really what you think you need...

She tapped the brush across Twilight’s flanks a few more times, making certain of her aim as she picked a target to begin, then pulled the wooden brush back and flicked it sharply, striking her right flank dead-center in Twilight’s starburst cutie mark with a firm clap!, quickly followed by a similar strike to its twin on the left.

She heard Twilight squeak under the first strike, though it seemed to be more from surprise than any actual pain. The second stroke, though, was taken in silence and acceptance, without even a hint of protest. I wonder if she’s done this before... Cadance thought to herself, even as she raised the brush to begin spanking Twilight’s flanks in a steady rhythm, alternating from one side to the other every few strokes so as to spread the fire evenly.

Twilight began to squirm a little under the continuous rain of firm swats as each one sent a small blossom of sting and heat across her flanks, feeling a strange mix of nervous apprehension and fondness as her favorite foal-sitter took charge of her once more, caring for her, giving her what she needed... though certainly not in a way either of them had ever expected before.

Cadance watched over her precious charge with a mix of wonder and endearment as she kept working the mane-brush back and forth between Twilight’s cutie marks, watching the tinge of dark, hot pink forming underneath the lavender fur as the brush clapped against the younger mare’s flanks over and over. Gradually, she began to shift the brush’s target further back, aiming for the fuller portion of Twilight’s rump, putting a little more force behind the swats as she pinned a forehoof against the dock of Twilight’s tail to hold her in position.

Twilight gasped as she felt Cadance’s hoof pressing down on her, then firmly stifled her whimpers of pain as the heavier blows began to light up her backside in earnest, accepting her discipline in silence as the fire spread further with each painful clap! of the wooden brush...

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

The ivory alicorn paused for a moment, to examine the painful-looking scarlet stripes already showing underneath Trixie’s azure-blue coat. “Prepare yourself, Trixie,” she said firmly as she drew the belt up high. Trixie swallowed and nodded, just once, as she braced herself for the next strike. The belt swished through the air...

Despite her best efforts to hold it back, a squeal of pain forced itself past her clenched teeth as white-hot pain exploded across the backs of her thighs, right at the most sensitive spot – followed by a second, then a third, and a fourth, as Celestia began applying the belt to her hindquarters in a relentless rhythm, laying the strokes down squarely on top of the four stripes she’d already inflicted from dock to thighs, each stroke searing the fiery pain deeper and deeper into her upraised rump, with only a scant few seconds granted to her to recover from each one before the next stroke delivered yet another shock of pain that took her breath away...

By the tenth stroke, she was shaking from the effort of holding herself in position, and hot tears of pain were spilling from her tightly-shut eyes and running down her cheeks as each lash broke down her resolve. By the fifteenth, any lingering thoughts of taking her punishment with stoic dignity were driven from her mind as the belt lashed across her thighs yet again, and by the twentieth, she buried her face in her forelegs and began to sob openly as each lash lit up her flanks like a Hearth’s-Warming Eve tree...

Celestia watched the sobbing unicorn with care and compassion, and no small amount of admiration for her endurance, as Trixie broke down, even as she continued to deliver the excruciatingly-painful strokes to those deeply-reddened flanks, silently counting each one to herself even though she had no particular number in mind she planned to stop at. She must have received quite a few spankings from this belt already, if she’s able to take this much punishment, she found herself thinking. Even without an alicorn’s strength behind the blows, not many ponies could’ve withstood this heavy a dose of the belt’s discipline without breaking under it.

Finally, as the count reached an even thirty strokes, Trixie’s broken sobs became a wrenching howl of pain as the throbbing, searing fire in her backside overwhelmed her. Celestia immediately pulled the belt back and paused, giving her little pony a minute or two to pull herself back together before resuming her punishment.

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

Cadance gave her charge a loving smile, even as she drove the brush home again and again across those visibly-sore, slowly-reddening flanks. The steady clap! of the wooden brush echoed through the small room, along with Twilight’s stifled whimpers as each one sent another burst of stinging heat across her backside, until every inch of her hindquarters felt like it was on fire...

“I’m sorry... I’m...”

They were the first words Twilight had spoken since she’d first bent herself over the table, and that soft, whispered apology told Cadance it was time to finish this. She gave Twilight a few more solid claps of the brush on each side of her rump – and then, without warning, changed targets and aimed the next swats directly at the sensitive spots right at the tops of Twilight’s thighs, driving the lesson home.

Twilight squealed in pain as the swats across her thighs stung like angry hornets, then burned like red-hot coals, then finally seared an unforgettable white-hot lesson into her burning thighs and hindquarters as swat after swat rained down on those most sensitive spots. “I’m sorry! I’m SORRY!!” she cried out in between her choked sobs, pleading for her old foalsitter’s forgiveness as she fought to hold still, her whole body trembling as she held on to the table with her forelegs for all she was worth. “I’M SORRRYYYYY!”

Cadance couldn’t help but tear up a bit herself as she heard Twilight’s cries of apology in between those ragged gasps and sniffles. “I know, Twiley... I know,” she said gently, even as she continued to spank the crying younger mare until her thighs were as deeply-reddened as her rump and cutie marks. Twilight’s cries for forgiveness dissolved into incoherent, choked sobs as she fell limp across the table, unable to hold back any longer, as all of her guilt came pouring out in a flood of hot, stinging tears under the mane-brush’s painful discipline.

All right, Twiley... enough is enough. Cadance drew the brush back and took aim, then drove it down firmly and solidly for ten more heavy claps right down the cleft of Twilight’s rump from dock to thighs, hard enough to make Twilight howl as each one scorched its final, painful lesson deep into her burning-hot cheeks, insuring that the burning reminders of her misdeeds would last for some time. On the final stroke, Cadance set the brush aside, then came up to rub Twilight’s back and withers, comforting her with the same hoof she’d used only moments ago to punish her favorite mare. “It’s over, Twiley...” she whispered softly, nuzzling the unicorn’s ear. “It’s over.”

“I’m... s-sorry... Cadance... I’m so... s-sorry...” Twilight sobbed quietly, tears of guilt and remorse streaming down her cheeks.

“Shh... it’s all right,” Cadance whispered again, reaching out a gentle hoof to brush the tears away, just like she’d done so many times in the past when Twilight had been sad, or her feelings had been hurt, as a filly. “I love you, Twiley. Nothing you could do would ever change that.”

They remained like that for a few minutes, Twilight simply crying into her forelegs while the loving caresses of her favorite foalsitter soothed away the lingering pain and guilt. “I... I love you too, Cadance,” she murmured softly, sniffling as she finally cried herself out. “Thank you for... for forgiving me...”

Cadance smiled and shook her head as Twilight’s eyes fluttered open to look at her. “There was never anything to forgive, Twilight,” she said. She wrapped her forelegs around the smaller mare and squeezed her close in a loving embrace, then carefully helped Twilight get down from the table and back onto her own four hooves. “When you’re ready, we’ll head upstairs and see how Aunt Celestia and your marefriend are doing. They’re probably wondering, with how long we’ve been gone by now...”

Twilight gave a weak smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes, wincing as a few cautious steps brought out sparks of stinging pain in her reddened flanks. “Let’s give them a few more minutes,” she said as she entwined her neck with Cadance’s, affectionately nuzzling the pink alicorn’s mane and withers. “Trixie has some... unresolved issues of her own to work out, so to speak. It might take a while.”

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

A few minutes passed in near-silence, broken only by Trixie’s hiccuping sobs as she recovered from the harsh strapping she’d just received. Celestia waited patiently until the showmare’s sobs quieted down into soft weeping, then took a couple of steps forward to once again brush a comforting wing across Trixie’s hindquarters with the very gentlest of touches, the tips of her feathers barely even brushing the fur. Even through her feathers, she could feel the furious heat radiating from those deeply-reddened flanks. “My dear little pony...” she said quietly, her voice full of soft, loving warmth. One day, I’ll explain my actions to you, Trixie. The actions that led to your hatred towards me, and the reasons for them. One day... when Twilight fulfills her destiny... you’ll know the part you played – and the mistakes I made. And perhaps, when that day comes, I shall be the one needing to beg for penance and forgiveness...

Trixie tried to stop her tears, sniffling softly as she drew in deep, strained breaths. “Is it... is it over?” she managed to ask. She hardly dared open her eyes to look back, in case she should catch sight of that wicked belt still aimed at her backside.

Celestia smiled affectionately at her question, but shook her head. “You asked me to give you what you need, Trixie... and somehow, I sense we haven’t reached that point quite yet. Am I wrong?”

Trixie reluctantly raised her head from her hooves and looked back over her shoulder, to see Celestia regarding her with those piercing, yet loving eyes, a soft smile on her face, as she waited for Trixie’s answer. She gazed into those eyes for a long time... then finally gave a small, teary-eyed smile of her own, and shook her head.

“No... not quite yet, Princess,” she agreed. She turned her head forward once more, a look of determination on her face as she closed her eyes again, bracing herself for what was surely coming next as best she could.

Celestia nodded approvingly. You have more true strength within you than you know, Trixie. Perhaps I should have given you more of a chance to prove it, all those years ago.

A tendril of magic wrapped itself around the base of Trixie’s tail, then gently tugged upwards, lifting the mare’s hindquarters until her back hooves barely touched the floor, rump lifted high for the final part of her punishment. Trixie gave a soft “meep” of surprise and fear as she felt her flanks and thighs tightening, dreading what was surely coming next. She bit one of her hooves and closed her eyes, willing herself to take what would surely be the hardest spanking she’d ever received with as much dignity and resolve as she could muster up. I’m ready... she told herself firmly. I can do this. I’ve fought long and hard to get through this. To atone for all the pain I caused, and let go of all that old guilt and shame... Just one last shame to atone for, and then I can truly love Twilight, with everything I have...

Celestia could almost feel the resolve of the mare she held in her magical grasp as she drew the belt into the air once more. She took aim carefully, choosing a single target for her final assault, and with a final check to be sure her magical hold was steady, she began driving the belt down with firm, quick lashes onto the sensitive juncture between flanks and thighs. Trixie howled as the shocks of pain shattered any resolve she might’ve had to take the punishment with dignity; every lash bit deep, and between the rapid speed of the strokes and the sensitivity of that particular target, with each lash laying down on the same spot, by the time the fifth stroke landed she was she was already pounding her front hooves on the floor, sobbing and wailing her desperate apologies and pleas for forgiveness, as the pain swiftly built to a level beyond even that excruciating ordeal with the apple switch and the fraternity paddle...

“I’M –” *THWACK!*

“–SORRY!” *THWACK!*

“I’M SORRY!” *THWACK!*

“I’M SORRYYYYYY!”

Her screams of pain and apology echoed off the walls of the library, punctuated by the relentless *THWACKS!* of heavy faux-leather against a pony’s taut hindquarters, as the strap continued to lash its painful discipline deep into Trixie’s flanks and thighs, each stroke igniting white-hot agony as it landed squarely on top of the ones before it. By the time the tenth stroke had fallen, she could barely even form the words through the haze of pain; by the fifteenth and final stroke, she was beyond words entirely, her whole body shaking as she struggled to breathe through her deep, wrenching sobs and howls.

Down in the basement, Twilight winced and pressed herself a little closer to Cadance, a few sympathetic tears leaking from her eyes, as the sounds of her marefriend’s punishment made their way through the closed door. Cadance looked down at her, raising a questioning brow, silently asking whether they shouldn’t, perhaps, go up and put a stop to this, then closed her eyes and gave Twilight a comforting nuzzle as the unicorn gave a quiet shake of her head. As much as she wanted to gallop up the stairs and rescue her marefriend from Celestia’s wrath, Twilight knew that would be exactly the wrong thing to do. This punishment was Trixie’s choice; she had asked for this, knowing full well the consequences she was inviting on herself.

Celestia held the belt suspended in mid-air for a moment as she examined Trixie’s backside. Fifteen lashes to the “sit spot”, one right on top of the other, had left a deeply-welted purple stripe of searing agony across the showmare’s thighs, and Trixie herself was crying so hard she hardly even seemed to realize that the punishment had stopped. Enough, my little pony, she thought to herself. More than enough.

She placed the belt on a nearby table, then gently lowered Trixie to the floor, cradling the mare’s shaking body in her magic as she laid her down to rest after her ordeal. Trixie continued to sob into her hooves, hiccuping as she cried herself out, her senses so overwhelmed with the searing, throbbing, burning pain in her hindquarters that she hardly even noticed when Celestia lay down beside her, spreading a wing across her back to shelter and comfort her. “It’s over, my little Trixie,” Celestia murmured softly, giving Trixie a tender nuzzle behind one ear. “All is forgiven, and all is well. You showed great remorse, and an even greater strength, then anypony I have ever had to discipline in the past... and with you at her side, I believe my faithful student will be in good hooves.” She thought about that last statement for a moment, and gave a soft chuckle as she caressed the mare’s mane soothingly. “And so will you, I think.”

Trixie could barely hear or comprehend the words through the throbbing pain, but they still gave her some comfort as she sobbed her way through the last of her lingering guilt and slowly, very slowly, came back to her senses. It was many minutes later before she found the strength to even raise her head more than a fraction of an inch from her hooves – but when she did, she felt a warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the searing heat in her flanks as she found her old teacher lying there beside her, looking down at her with love and compassion. “Thank you, Prin... Celestia. For... for everything you’ve done for me. I’m sorry it... took me so long to say it, and... I’m sorry I never appreciated the gifts you tried to give me, before.”

Celestia smiled and shushed Trixie with a slight tap of her hoof against the showmare’s muzzle. “No more apologies, Trixie... and no need for thanks. I am your Princess, and I am here to serve you. Even if that means serving you your hot flanks on a silver platter.” She gave the mare a playful grin, then pulled her close in a gentle hug. Trixie couldn’t help but give a soft giggle at Celestia’s reply, as she wrapped a hoof around the alicorn’s neck to return the embrace. Together, they rested together in companionable silence, until the door to the lab opened once more.

Twilight slowly walked over to the pair, then crouched to give Trixie a soft kiss to her muzzle. “I assume you two have settled your... unresolved issues?” she asked playfully.

Trixie gave her a wry smile, knowing that Twilight could hardly have missed the furious red-and-purple stripes across her backside, and nodded. “Yes... I think we have, Love. How did your... umm... little talk with Cadance go?”

Twilight chuckled a bit as she wrapped her hooves around her lover. “It was a long time coming, but it was... enough.” She smiled back at Cadance, and received a warm smile in return. “Thank you Cadance... and you too, Celestia.”

Cadance gave a soft giggle and an approving nod. “You behave yourself now, Twiley... and write to your brother once in a while! Or, I just might have to tell him how to handle you,” she added with a sly wink.

Twilight blushed and turned away a bit, although she couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought of her brother showing her that level of love. “I’ll try...” she said, glancing sideways at Cadance with what she hoped was a suitably chastised expression. Cadance raised a brow as she caught the glint of mischief in Twilight’s eye, and winked back.

Celestia listened to the exchanges with a warm humor. She stood up slowly, working out a kink in one of her forelegs while settling her wings back into place. “It was a pleasure seeing you both again, my faithful student,” she said, with genuine warmth and affection underneath her regal mannerisms. “We’d love to stay and visit longer, but I suspect Luna is getting anxious for me to return and resume my duties, and Shining Armor is undoubtedly eager for Cadance to return as well. We’ll visit again soon – and of course, you are always welcome to see me any time at the Castle. Both of you,” she added, giving Trixie a regal nod to emphasize that privilege now extended to her as well. “In the meantime, I shall expect a letter about both of your adventures together, very soon.”

Twilight trotted up to her mentor to wrap her in a quick hug. “We will, Princess. And thank you. For everything.”

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

{ Three days later... }

It was deep into the night when Spike rolled out of his bed, giving up on sleeping for the moment. Dragons weren’t normally prone to insomnia or indigestion – but then, dragons didn’t normally get talked into helping Pinkie Pie perfect a recipe for red-velvet cinnamon-orange muffins with zap-apple jam filling and coconut-mascarpone frosting, either. Five hours of taste-testing each tweak to the recipe was enough to give even a dragon a high-octane sugar rush; how in Equestria the pink earth pony could eat that much cake and sugar without simply exploding was – like most things associated with Pinkie Pie – a mystery that was probably best not pried into too closely if one valued their sanity.

Sighing again, he made his way out of his room and downstairs to the kitchen for a drink, treading quietly so as not to disturb Twilight or Trixie since they were probably asleep by now. As he reached up to the cabinet for a cup, he paused as a faint noise from under the floor caught his attention. He perked a ear for a moment, listening, then groaned and shook his head in resignation as the sound was repeated. “Forgot to soundproof the room again, didn’t you, Twilight,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Y’know, keeping your ‘playing’ where I won’t see it really doesn’t do much good if I can still hear it...”

“Hear what?”

Spike startled and turned around, nearly dropping his water glass as he saw a by-now-familiar azure unicorn mare walking through the archway into the kitchen.

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh Spike?” Trixie chuckled as she came over to playfully ruffle his head spines, much to his chagrin.

“Trixie?! But... I thought... you’re not downstairs with Twilight...?” he stammered.

Trixie tilted her head curiously. “No...” she said slowly. “I’ve been in bed all this time. Twilight said she had some work she wanted to finish up, and not to wait up for her. I just woke up a minute ago to get a glass of water. What made you think we were...?”

Spike took a moment to collect himself, then made a shushing motion as he pointed to the floor, then to his ear, indicating for her to listen quietly. Together, then knelt and lowered their heads closer to the floor, trying to hear. Trixie’s brows shot up in realization as a faint, but all-too-familiar “thwack”-ing sound came from underneath the floor, obviously from the underground lab. But neither was ready for the voices that came after.

“Ahhh! Consarnit, that smarts...!”

“Applejack...?” They both chorused in a loud whisper.

“Hnnhh! Darling, that really hurts...” came a slightly louder whine.

“Rarity...?!”

“Oh, buck up and – HSSSS!! – take your medicine like the rest of us, Rares...”

“Rainbow Dash?!”

The two stared at each other in shock for a few moments, before Spike noticed a few tears start to roll down Trixie’s cheeks. “Hey – I’m sure there’s a good explanation...” he said, instinctively taking her hoof in between his paws as he tried to reassure her.

Then she smiled, and the look in her eyes made him realize that the tears were ones of joy, not sadness. “She really does love me...”

Author's Note

Whew! And she's finally over.

Thank you all for sticking with it... I know it's been really long in updating. And of course thanks to Triskelion for ALL the effort and help he put into it.

This will probably be the last story for me... at least for a very long time. Love you all ^^.