Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements

Chapters

Expatriation
Degradation
Gratification
Retribution
Confrontation
Reconciliation
Renunciation
Reflection
Mortification
Intoxication
Indecision
Exasperation
Inhumation
Adoration
Absolution
Expulsion

Expatriation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Expatriation

“I’ll. . . She’s going to pay for this! I’m getting you out of here, Dash.” Twilight used her magic to rip open the door to the cage and toss it aside.

“No.”

“What?”

“No, Mistress. This is another test. I. . .I w-won’t go.”

Twilight slowly came to. Her senses returned one by one, before she became fully alert. She was in the basement of Golden Oaks Library. She clumsily got to her hooves, taking a look around, as the past 12 hours came rushing back to her.

"Dash, this isn't a test. You hear me? I'm getting you out of here."

"I c-can't. She'll take it out on Fluttershy."

"Rainbow, listen to me! Fluttershy is here, she's right here, and she's coming with us! I'm getting both of you out of here together."

Twilight immediately made for the winding staircase leading up to the library, as more of tonight's events came back to her. She didn't want to waste precious energy teleporting them here, because she felt that she was going to need all of it for a healing spell for the two of them. They had successfully sneaked out of Rarity's house on foot, as dusk began to overtake the sky.

"Come on you two, just a little bit further. That's it."

As she began to ascend the stairs to the main floor, she recalled getting Rainbow and Fluttershy through town without too much attention. Things had spiraled wildly out of control, and she was the only one who had realized it.

"Spike, go to Fluttershy's. Keep an eye on her animals."
"What in Equestria happened to the two of them?"
"Spike, just GO! Don't worry, I've got this under control."

Coming up out of the basement to the main library, she saw that it was dark out. She looked at the clock on the wall.

4:14 am

That should've been more than enough time for the spell to have finished...

"Don't worry, I'm gonna fix this. Oh Gods, why didn't I act sooner...? Alright, now this healing spell is the most powerful one I have. It should mend everything, but it's gonna put you into a deep trance for a few hours. It'll be like a heavy sleep."

She remembered the spell. It was a doozy. She had never had to use one so powerful before. Indeed, it had knocked the both of them out. Using the little energy she had left, she levitated them upstairs to the guest bed, to make them as comfortable as possible.

"How could I have let this happen? I love you, Dash...I love you, and I let her do this to you..."

She was so exhausted from her magical expenditure that she had gone back down to the basement to get a potion that would keep her on her hooves. She had to keep an eye on them while they were out. But she had barely made it down the steps before she passed out from exhaustion.

Twilight quickly made her way around the next staircase going up the inside wall up to her bedroom. She approached the guest bed. Fluttershy was there, still sleeping soundly, looking perfectly healed.

But Rainbow was nowhere to be found.

She looked around frantically but quietly, not wanting to disturb her other recovering guest.

"Rainbow...Rainbow where are you?" she called in a whisper. She glanced downstairs, making sure she didn't miss anything, and then went out to the balcony on the far side of her room...

...and found a folded letter next to Rainbow's golden Necklace of Loyalty, laying in the middle of the balcony.

Rarity bolted up in bed, certain she had just heard the sound of a window shattering downstairs. Tossing the red velvet sheets off of herself, she got out of bed and quietly made her way down the hall, hearing hoofsteps from downstairs over the sounds of the rain pelting the roof. To be honest, she wasn't sure if someone was breaking in, or if one of her friends had lost their spine, and had helped her captive downstairs break out. The hoofsteps ceased as she descended the stairs.

Indeed, her front window had been shattered, and the object used was in the middle of the floor. Upon inspection, she discovered it to be a rock, with a piece of paper folded around it. Using her magic, she unfurled the parchment from the crude stone, and read the note.

To my five former friends,

It has come to this. There is nothing I can do to change what you did to me. Did you seriously believe that it was the best choice? You think that it's okay to take a specific kink that Rarity and Fluttershy share in their relationship and force it onto one of your friends?

Yeah, so I messed up. I was juggling way too many commitments and making promises I couldn't keep. You could have been direct, talking to me as a group, or more subtle, refusing my promised help. But no, for some reason, you listened to Rarity in her fucking sadistic dominating mindset, and had sex on your brains when you all actually went along with her idea. Yeah, you all succeeded in taking away my ego, but you also took my dignity, pride, and worst of all, my dream. How fucking dare you...each one of you.

After this, you will never hear from me again. I am leaving my life in Ponyville behind. I haven't told a single pony where I am going. I am severing all connections and starting anew, all because of the five of you. I sincerely hope none of you never make a mistake again, otherwise that bitch will generously have the others turn on you, convincing them it will make you a better mare. So I'm off to start over. Don't even think about trying to find me. If you do, I swear to Celestia, you will regret it. Especially you, Rarity, you condescending whore. If I ever lay eyes on you again, I will put every ounce of my being into permanently paralyzing you from the neck down.

All of you changed who I am. Not all change is good, but I am determined to make the best of it. It seems because of my efforts to make my life mean something, that I am no longer worthy of the Necklace of Loyalty. Twilight will find it on her balcony. As much as I thought it would pain me to part with it, it wasn't, as none of you are no longer worthy of my loyalty.

To Scootaloo, all I can say is I'm sorry for neglecting you. That's all there is to it. I can't say anything else, because the actions of my former friends have made me indifferent to the other ponies I have wronged. Part of me is happy about that, that perhaps they will think more carefully about offering their help when it is not wanted, in the most ineffective and disgusting way imaginable.

Well I guess that's it. Can't say I'll miss any of you...not after what happened and the way you all decided to destroy my future. Some friends you turned out to be. Friendship may be magic, but it turned out that with you, it was all smoke and mirrors. Fuck all of you.

-RD

Rainbow's hooves became more muddy as she trotted on the dirt path headed out of Ponyville. Not that it caked on; the downpour of the very early morning helped in keeping them soaked but clean. Her eyes were red, her tear ducts sore and dry after hours of sobbing. And yet, despite the added weight of her heavy saddlebags, she felt a weight lift from her as she crossed the west bridge leading out of town.

Getting to the Wonderbolts in Cloudsdale was now the farthest thing from her mind, even if it was possible, which it currently wasn't. Twilight's healing trance hadn't mended her clipped primaries. Molting came naturally, and it was a process that the trance evidently could not accelerate, meaning she would be grounded for several months. She didn't know what she'd say anyway. 'My friends kidnapped me and tried to condition me into a sex slave'? If she didn't feel so angry, betrayed, and scared right now, she'd almost laugh at the ludicrousness of using that excuse, no matter how shocking it was. But being honest with herself, she didn't care right now. She just had to get as far away from here as she could.

In her saddlebags were her most precious possessions, and every last bit from her bank account. She never planned on returning. She wasn't sure she could keep herself from killing any of her friends if she ever laid eyes on them again. Every step farther away from Ponyville she took, she felt just a little bit better.

It was an hour before the downpour finally let up, and the early morning sky turned orange behind her. She noticed a pond off to the left, secluded by the surrounding trees. She came up to the water's edge, and set her saddlebags down. She unrolled her map and checked her progress. It looked like she had come about three miles.

She took a tin cup from her pack and dipped it in the crystal clear pond. As she slowly gulped down her drink, she heard the sound of approaching wagon wheels. Sure enough, half a minute later, a stallion pulling a medium-sized display wagon came into the clearing.

"Greetings, young mare. Beautiful start to the day, is it not?"

When Rainbow offered nothing in the form of an answer, the new arrival took a more careful look.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"No." Rainbow Dash replied, emotionless, as she put her cup back into her bags, and strapped them over her back, preparing to depart.

"Is...there anything I-"

"No, there isn't."
"Well, I'm a travelling trader, miss. I travel these roads often. Quite a few hills ahead. If you're not quite prepared, you could see what I have. Or...those saddlebags look heavy. If there's anything unnecessary weighing you down, I'd see if I could buy them from you."

"No, I'm-" Rainbow began, but as she was about to turn his offer away and continue on her way, a gleam caught her eye from his wagon. She looked it over. It was all manner of trinkets and goods. The shimmering came from a jewelry display case in the right corner.

"You buy and sell jewels?"

"Yes ma'am. If you've got anything, I can study it for a second, make sure it's genuine, and then make you a reasonable offer on the spot."

Rainbow once again took off her saddlebags, and opened the right pouch. After a bit of rummaging, she came up and put a gold-set necklace on his counter.

"By Luna's moon...!" he exclaimed.

At the center of the necklace, was a brilliant red, heart-shaped fire ruby. He took out a monocle magnifier, and made a closer inspection of the gem.

"This is the real deal, alright. I've never seen one this big before. This is extraordinary!"

He put away the monocle, and went down behind the cart, into the interior shelves. Rainbow heard a case opening.

"Young mare, I'd hate to make your bags any heavier but..." he began, coming back up, and setting two whole gold ingots on the counter next to the necklace.

"...would the extra weight be worth 20,000 bits?"

The trader was a bit...worried, when Rainbow didn't widen her eyes in the slightest at the small fortune in front of her.

Rainbow knew that as a haggler, this was his low offer, but she really didn't care.

"You've got a deal."

The trader took the necklace, and slid the ingots towards her. As he carefully hung the necklace in the display case, Rainbow took the ingots and put them into her saddlebags, tucking them securely next to the video tape in the back corner of the right sack.

"Well, thanks" Rainbow said, closing the pouch and fastening her bags on again. She began to trot out of the clearing.

"Miss?" the trader called after her. Rainbow stopped, and turned her head to him.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked. Rainbow stared at him for a few moments.

"I don't know," was her only reply, and she continued along the road west.

When Spike returned to the library after 12 hours of animal babysitting, he didn't think he could be any more confused at what had transpired so far through the night. Then, he came through the front door, and saw Twilight crying over a letter between her forelegs.

"Twilight, do you want to explain to me what exactly is going on here? I mean, Dash is missing for days, and then you show up with her out of the blue, and she definitely looked like she's seen better days, and now I come back, and you're like this. What's wrong-"

"I thought I'd find you here." a new voice said, directly behind Spike, startling him. He turned around, and there stood Rarity in the doorway, and she did not look happy.

Twilight sniffled, and stood up, her horn glowed, and a purple glowing shield materialized in front of her bedroom, preventing any access.

"Get out of here, Rarity." Twilight said, standing defiantly between the white unicorn and the stairway up.

"I should never have trusted you. You never had the will to see it through. And now, she's made off with the tape from the basement, and now we're all at risk of being judged by those who don't understand what we were trying to do."

Rarity threw her fire ruby necklace down on the floor.

"I'll have you know that I just bought that from a trader who had just come into Ponyville. He wouldn't take a bit less than 40,000. So in addition to that, I do believe you have something that belongs to me, and I would like it back."

"She isn't going anywhere with you. This plan of yours got way out of control, and I'm disgusted that I didn't realize it sooner. She doesn't want to be with you any more. Your sick practices haven't just cost you your marefriend, but mine as well, so I'm giving you one last chance to turn around and get out!"

Rarity leered at her.

"If you want that 'marefriend' of yours to stay a lying, selfish, egotistical thief, then so be it. But I am taking what is mine!"

With fresh tears, came a wave of hatred. The glow of Twilight's horn intensified tenfold, and this caused even Spike to back away in fear.

"You fucking psychopath!" Twilight screamed, and Rarity didn't notice the brass bust fly at her from the left side of the room. It hit the right side of her body, but she maintained her balance, and fired a burst of energy from her horn at Twilight, which was expertly dodged.

"You care more about exerting your will on others than you do about the well-being of your friends, you bitch!" Twilight yelled. She fired a blast of energy at Rarity, but this one was successfully deflected right back at her, knocking her off balance. Rarity took this opportunity to tackle Twilight and pin her.

"You'll make an excellent second pet!" she threatened.

Twilight seethed with anger. Her eyes became a fiery white, Rarity found herself magically clenched by the throat, and was flung back with such force that the wooden support of the far wall and bookshelf splintered when she slammed against it. Twilight repeated this move, sending Rarity into three other shelves, sending books toppling from all ends of the library. She crumpled to a heap on the floor.

"She let you mutilate her because you threatened to do the same to Fluttershy, and you dare to question her loyalty?!? She's disappeared and you don't even care!!!" Twilight screamed, charging at her. Using the surge of magic, Twilight willed the gold band of the fire ruby necklace to her hoof, and she began whipping the jewel down on Rarity's head, who tried pathetically to shield herself with her forelegs as she screamed.

"You! Monster! You! Fucking! Monster!"

Twilight was so far gone that she didn't hear Rarity stop screaming. She didn't notice her fall limp. She didn't notice the jewel become bloody, nor did she hear the blows become wetter with each hit.

Giving out a final, blood curdling scream, the last swing caught the unconscious Rarity directly on the horn, and it hit so hard that the jewel began to crack into two, and it rebounded and slammed into Twilight's horn, interrupting the flow of magic, and sending it and Twilight flying across the room as her magical overload finally dissipated.

The two halves of the heart-shaped ruby came to rest next to the teardrop-stained letter on the library floor, as both Rarity and Twilight laid motionless on the floor.

Dear Twilight,

I don't even know what to say to you. If you think that a quick healing spell is supposed to fix everything, then you're still just as lost as the rest of them. Pulling me out of that hell was supposed to make me love you? When you participated in all of it? Make no mistake, I don't want your love. Not after this.

I sincerely worry about your next significant other, if there's one at all. Not that I'd suggest that it be your highest priority. No doubt you have my Element in your hooves right now. You'll want to find somepony for that. As a matter of fact, go and find six new ponies, because all of you have become the most disgusting insult to the Elements of Harmony.

Don't you ever try to find me, Twilight. I promise, you will regret it if you do. Just move on with your life while I start a new one. If you have any soul or conscience left, keep that fucking psycho away from Fluttershy.

-Rainbow Dash

Author's Note

This chapter has been read on YouTube by The Mysterious Fluttershy Fan!

Degradation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Degradation

Twilight was awaken by a soft thud. She sat up, and saw a pony standing outside the wood and glass door to her balcony, silhouetted by the moonlight. Removing the covers, she got up out of bed and cast a dim illumination spell, walking to the door. When she got to the door and opened it, the purple glow of her horn revealed her lost love.

"Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed. She lurched forward, throwing her forehooves around the pegasus' neck. When she broke the hug, Rainbow brought her lips to hers, and kissed her. Twilight moaned lustfully as they moved inside without breaking the kiss. Now at the foot of her bed, they stroked each other's manes and faces, both pairs of wings flaring out, before Rainbow broke the kiss and quickly lifted Twilight onto the bed, placing her on her bed, and came in for another kiss.

"Oh, Rainbow...I've missed you so, so much!" Twilight gasped as Rainbow moved her kisses down to her cheek, then her neck.

"Don't worry mistress, I'm here now." she said, barely pausing in her kissing and sucking.

Dread began to fill Twilight's mind.

"No...no Rainbow. I'm not your mistress. I'm your friend. You are your own pony. You're the one in control, Rainbow, not me. Do what you want, I'm yours!"

"No, mistress...I...am yours." Rainbow said.

Twilight wanted to object...to shove Rainbow off...but it felt...so good...

Rainbow's tongue slid down her stomach, past her nipples, and finally, her lips found her clit...

Twilight awoke with a gasp, as the vivid dream came to a sudden halt. She awoke not in her bed, but on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. As her blurry vision cleared, she made out the toilet in front of her, next to a tipped goblet. Reaching down with a foreleg to between her rear legs, she found herself soaked with desire, and this thought brought up the late night drinks she had before she had passed out. She clawed her way to the toilet bowl just in time to vomit the alcohol into the waiting water.

'Just another damned dream...' she thought to herself. She hated her mind for dangling that which she wanted most in front of her most nights, just to snatch it away. That had been one of the bad ones, where her fears of Rainbow's mind being so broken and beyond repair that she couldn't think for herself, had manifested. She got up, holding the goblet in her magical grasp, and unsteadily walked out of the bathroom into the main library.

"Another rough night?" a voice asked her, startling her, and unbalanced as she already was, causing her to fall over in the bathroom doorway. Not getting up right away, she looked to the front door, and saw Princess Celestia, accompanied by two royal guards.

"Please wait outside, gentlecolts," she instructed them.
"Your Highness, are you sure that's a wise de-"
"I said, wait outside."

Immediately following her repeated order, the guards gave a bow, then turned and walked out of the front door, closing it behind them. Celestia's attention returned to her former student, who had not moved, and groaned from her apparent hangover.

"You've been doing this to yourself for months now. I thought someone as smart as you would cut back on the drinking after the first few hangovers." she commented. Twilight righted herself to a sitting position as she leaned against the bathroom door jamb, taking the final swallow of booze still left in her goblet after it tipped over.

"Ah, but they're worth it. The less I can think straight, the better I feel, and until my liver fails, that's really all I care about." Twilight said, raising her empty glass, before taking it to the sink, filling it with tap water, then brought it back over to her. Her horn glowed bright for a second, the surface of the water in the glass glowed, there was a flash and a puff of smoke, and the water had been turned into a hard liquor.

Six months. It had been half a year since Rainbow disappeared. There had been absolutely no trace of her. The day after Spike left, detectives from Canterlot arrived to begin their investigation. One of the first things they did was go over every inch of Rarity's house, mainly the basement. But Rarity, before confronting Twilight in the library, had been one step ahead of them. Every knife, restraint, and toy in her dungeon had been expertly sanitized and cleaned. No traces of DNA on anything.

But when they began the questioning, it didn't matter. All four of them confessed to aiding in the psychological and physical torture of Rainbow Dash in Rarity's dungeon.

Why?

That was the most common question Twilight had heard during the investigation, and whenever she or anypony else asked it, she broke down into tears. The truth was, she no longer knew why she had allowed this to happen, and it shook her to her core.

We wanted our friend back, and we all thought Rarity had that interest at heart.

Even Fluttershy, whom Twilight insisted was a victim, confessed to playing an equal role, convincing Dash to let them do this to her.

During the fight in the library, Fluttershy had been asleep. She was awakened by the carnage, and by the time she got to the railing where the force field was, it was already over.

Twilight had been deathly afraid that Applejack and Pinkie would blame her for rescuing Rainbow and Fluttershy, and attacking Rarity, thus bringing all this to light. But if they did, they never said anything. Not that they got together at all after the investigation began. Celestia made it a point to keep them separated during the questioning, and weeks after. Twilight was kept in the library, Fluttershy in her cottage, Pinkie in Sugar Cube Corner, and Applejack in the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres.

Just one month after the investigation began, the house arrests had been rescinded. Expecting felony arrests to follow shortly, they never came. They were still the prime suspects in a kidnapping case where the victim had disappeared without a trace, but other than that, they were free ponies. Still, they didn't meet up. Twilight knew they were all ashamed of what they had done. In the following days, one by one, Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy left Ponyville, leaving Twilight as the town pariah.

Twilight heard through the grapevine that there was then a widespread search for Rainbow Dash, and this made her hopeful. But day after day, week after week of nothing, she became depressed and ashamed again. After two months of searching across the entirety of Equestria, the search was called off. Alone, ashamed, and shunned, Twilight turned to alcohol to be able to cope with her guilt.

“Here to relieve me?” she asked Celestia, taking a gulp of the drink.

“Relieve you from what?” Celestia asked, not really showing any noticeable reaction to the state of the library or her former student.

“'Go to Golden Oaks Library and stay there until further notice.' That's what you told me six months ago. So here I've been, trying to forget what a fucking monster I am.”

“You didn't take the hint after the charges were dropped, the restraining spell being lifted, and the others leaving, that you were free to go?”

“There's nowhere to go...my parents won't speak to me...my brother has disowned me...” Twilight said, finishing the contents of her goblet, then levitated it back over to the sink, only to have Celestia's magic take hold, and it vanished with a flash.

“And I don't think you're a monster, Twilight. Very deeply troubled, yes. But you were the one who put a stop to it.”

“Yeah, after taking how many pages of notes...” Twilight said, crawling entirely back inside the bathroom.

“There had to be a reason why you decided to stop it.”
“I loved her.”
“You did a fine job of showing it.”

Twilight, in a brief burst of speed, leaned up enough to get her head above the toilet bowl, then promptly retched, and vomited into the standing water, bringing up what she just drank and then some. Breathing heavily for several moments afterward, she raised her head up out of the bowl, hitting the flusher with her magic.

“So you believe you're the monster, yet all of you pointed to Rarity during the interrogations. She's the ringleader, the one who convinced you all to go that far.”

“Four of us were looking to help a friend! Not Rarity though, oh no. All that bitch wanted was another pet. Fluttershy apparently wasn't enough...the cunt had to impose her will on somepony else! 'I've never liked you, Dash. You lack generosity and kindness, and you are more loyal to yourself than anypony else.' That's what she fucking said. To the pony that saved her worthless fucking life at the Best Young Flier's Competition. That's why I snapped. And that's why I tried to kill her. I would have too, if it wasn't for that damn jewel of hers knocking me out.”

Celestia re-materialized the goblet, and levitated it back over to the sink, enchanted it, then filled it with water.

“Here. No more transmutation spells. Any alcohol in that cup, and it'll fall right through.”

Twilight accepted the goblet in her horn's grasp, taking a sip of clean water to sooth her throat after the vomiting.

“So what are you doing here? Change of heart because of how guilty I'm feeling?”

“My thoughts on what you did were very evident at your expulsion hearing. I have never been more disappointed in another pony than I was with you that day. That hasn't changed. What the five of you did was without question, absolutely unforgivable.”

“Then why not have us all arrested??? Why weren't we punished?! Why were the charges dropped?! Why did I have to get so fed up with the lack of consequences that I have to wish even further suffering on the ringleader that I put in a coma?!”

Celestia sighed, shaking her head.

“Oh, Twilight...you're in for quite the rude awakening. Do you know why? Think. What two things do you know Rainbow took with her when she left town?”

Twilight's bloodshot eyes scanned the floor as she thought.

“Rarity's fire ruby and...and......oh gods...”

Celestia nodded, seeing Twilight's realization.

“The tape.”

Twilight felt another heave, and promptly vomited a mouthful of water into the toilet.

“All other evidence is circumstantial. Rarity cleaned the basement, you healed all of Rainbow's scars, not to mention she's nowhere to be found...that tape is the only piece of direct, physical, incriminating evidence. We'd only be able to convict you if there is absolute irrefutable proof of what you did. Because of you, Rarity, and Rainbow, we do not have it."

Twilight brought her muzzle out of the toilet bowl, taking a few breaths before answering.

“But what about my-my fucking notes?”

“You've always remained a perfectly neutral party when observing something for educational purposes, Twilight. There were no names, dates, or anything specifically identifying in your notes. The prosecutor wanted to claim it was to protect yourself, but I know better. You were just being the best student you could be, making sure they would be useful in any situation.”

Twilight prepared to vomit again, but all she did was dry heave.

“Why should I, or anypony else decide how to punish you? I wasn't the one you kidnapped. So the tape...why do you think she took it?”

“That's obvious...Rarity knew Rainbow took her fire ruby necklace when she spent 40,000 bits to buy it back from that trader. She had to know Rainbow took the tape when she took that, and that it would keep her from pressing robbery charges...and it worked like a fucking charm. I figured she was just going to get as far away as she could then hand it over to the authorities.”

“True, but I have another theory. A double-edged sword, if you will. One, to protect herself from robbery charges, and two...to protect the rest of you.”

“Us?”

“Perhaps as some last gesture of friendship before she left it all behind. Perhaps to just get away from it all. If that tape surfaced, she'd have to come to the trial, testify, tell everyone what you did to her, relive all of that, and without a doubt, there would be nothing I could say or do to keep the five of you from prison. It's crystal clear that it's what you deserve. But maybe a small sliver of her just didn't want to see that happen. That is why I did not take this to trial, Twilight. If Rainbow wanted all of you punished, she would have come forward with the tape.”

“Why did she have to leave right away...? I was going to take her to Cloudsdale in the morning to get her to the Wonderbolts in time...”

“If your notes are any indication, I'd say she was scared out her mind, and if her notes to you and the others are anything further, that she felt pretty betrayed by all of you. And that probably wouldn't have worked. Her clipped wings weren't healed by your spell.”

The lavender unicorn's eyes widened.

“Wh-what?”

“The hoof tracks in the mud that went in and out of Rarity's broken window...then going west out of Ponyville until they dried up about two miles away...I think with how quickly she left, she wanted to get away as fast as possible, and that if she was able to fly, she would have. Even if we were to find her, I don't think she'd be able to fly yet. It's only been six months.”

Twilight began to sob pathetically, curling up on the bathroom floor.

"Sh-sh-she's out there, all alone somewhere...who knows if her mind is broken...I...I just want her to know how sorry I am...I want to help fix her."

“You think she would want the 'help' of any of you anymore? That is the main reason I stripped you of your crown; your complete and sudden lack of judgement. None of you tried to talk to her, alone or in a group. For some unfathomable reason, you all thought the best decision was to force her to change, in the most demeaning way possible. We saw the letters, Twilight. Her mind is together enough to be justifiably angry at all of you. She's threatened all of you to never look for her...I don't know Twilight...put yourself in her place. Would you come back?”

Twilight, crying herself numb for yet another time, merely shook her head while her shoulders heaved. Celestia leaned down to the traumatized unicorn.

“I'm betting by now you'd like some comfort. A shoulder to cry on, somepony to lean on...but you don't have anyone. Don't you see? You just didn't hurt her. All of you hurt each other. Your circle of friendship has been quietly and completely obliterated. What all of you did decimated your connection to the Elements of Harmony. Luna and I have had to take possession of them again. You're the only one left in town, Twilight. The prosecution tried to build a case for three months, and most of that time was spent trying to find Rainbow. But that was a needle in a haystack, so charges were dropped, and unless she turns up, you're going to have to live with that. Rarity was transferred to the Royal Sisters Hospital in Canterlot, where she's kept under constant guard. Fluttershy took Opal, freed the rest of her animals, and moved into the Everfree Forest. Pinkie quit Sugar Cube Corner and moved back home to her family's rock farm. Applejack gave her portion of farm ownership to her brother and sister, and went to Dodge Junction. It all just sort of happened. None of you keep in touch, or even told each other about where you were going. They've all been running, Twilight. Except you. For some reason, you've chosen to stay here, where you're shunned, and drown yourself in alcohol. Why?"

"Because I don't want to run from it...and I want to be here in case she ever comes back!" she cried.

"So you're going to do this to yourself until she comes back, so she can see you like this? The truth is, Twilight, Rainbow may never return...and if that's the case, are you going to do this to yourself the rest of your life?"

Celestia bent down towards her former student, who was still in tears and not moving from the bathroom floor, to try and ward off the dizzyness that had overtaken her.

"Here's what I would do, if I were you. I'd clean myself up. Be the best you can be...be the mare Rainbow would want you to be. Because that's all you have left, Twilight. If she doesn't come back, then that is the most justice you will ever get for what you did to her.”

With that last piece of advice, Celestia turned from the bathroom, and left her former student alone in the library...

...praying she would come to do the right thing.

Author's Note

Reading by The Mysterious Fluttershy Fan.

Gratification

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Gratification

Stretching just a little further over to the left on the library ladder, Twilight finally managed to slide the last book in her current trip home on the shelf. Done with her current load, she descended the ladder, and went back for the last stack of ten books that had yet to be put away for this re-shelving day. She glanced at the clock.

8:27 pm

Not bad, that was close to a new record. She hadn't gotten it done this quickly in months. But dropping the stack of books from the top of the ladder on the 14th trip had cost her precious minutes. But there was always next time. She did this every two weeks, after all.

She had decided to take Celestia's advice that had been given to her nearly six months before. First and foremost, she had decided to clean up and get sober. To aid in that, she declared that since she used her magic to send her down that spiraling path to drinking her problems away, that she would try her very best to not use her magic at all.

'No magic or flying in any daily chores or routines' turned out to be a phenomenal coping mechanism. Things that had taken almost no time or thought now took considerably more planning, time, and energy, especially in the case of Re-shelving Day. What used to take just over an hour now took all day, and the use of the library ladder, which she had never used before. At first, she had to employ the use of what was known in the magical arts as a 'sap cap' or a small enchanted piece of rubber placed on the tip of the horn to prevent magic use. But now, she was disciplined enough to go about her day without almost no magic at all.

Regardless of whether or not she used magic, things had still not been easy. She was still, without any doubt, the town pariah. Ponies rarely visited the library, and if they did, they almost always scheduled their visit during one of her trips down to Sweet Apple Acres. Mayor Mare had announced multiple times her displeasure of Twilight's choice to remain in Ponyville, and told the alicorn that the only reason she didn't force her out was because of Princess Celestia's counsel.

But that's the way things were. A mix of good and bad. Even tonight. With how good she felt on getting this close to her record, a somber feeling came over her as she glanced at her calendar, and saw that tomorrow would be the one-year anniversary of this whole mess...the day they kidnapped Rainbow...

It amazed her that all this time had passed already. It was all too easy to lose track of time when she spent most of her time alone. There hadn't been any hint of Rainbow, and Celestia didn't stop to visit again.

Before she could get the last stack of books to put away, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Right on schedule." Twilight said to herself, glancing at the clock as she went to open the door. There stood Big Macintosh, behind him was a cart with a single bucket of apples.

"Evenin', Twilight," he greeted.

"Hey there, Big Mac. Right over in the usual place." she replied with a smile. Nodding, Big Mac went to the cart, expertly balanced the bucket of apples on his back, and brought it inside to the kitchen. He came back out to the main library, where Twilight slid the very last book into place.

"Thanks again, Big Mac."

"So how have you been?" the farmer asked.

"Well, I'll be honest...something's been bugging me. Why are you helping me like this?" Twilight asked. It was hard to get a read on Big Mac's expression, but he did seem the slightest bit bewildered at the question.

"Well, I'm not sure why you call delivering your payment for your work on the farm 'help', but it's because you've been a big help to us down at the farm. With Applejack moved down to Dodge Junction, it hasn't been easy. And it's because you're a friend."

Twilight was surprised by his answer.

"After everything that happened, you still consider me a friend?"

"Twilight, while Rarity may be a different story, I doubt the four of you instantly became sadistic just so you could torture a friend into changing her ways. It was a situation that you lost control of. That's it, and with the way things are now, there ain't much you can do to correct it. Everypony made their choices on how to try to deal with this. Applejack made hers. You've made yours. You've done your best to move on. No reasonable pony can ask anything more."

"Doesn't feel like I've moved very far." Twilight commented.

"While these may be dark times for you, Twilight, you have to know that you cleaned up, and that eventually, there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

"Thanks." Twilight said appreciatively.

"Twilight, I want you to know...I talked to Granny Smith and...well, there's a place for ya down at the farm if ya want it. It'll keep you from bein' lonely all the time, I'm sure that gets to ya."

"Thanks once again, but, I deal with the loneliness the best ways I can."

"If I may ask...why do you stay? Not too many ponies want you in town anymore."

"...I want to be here if she ever comes back."

"Twilight..."

"Mac, please. I've heard it before. But my family, my friends, my crown, everything I was working towards...after everything I've lost, I need something to hold on to, something to look forward to, to hope for...something to believe in."

"I 'spose I can understand that. Well, that offer's open if you ever want to take it. I'd best be heading home. Have a good night."

"Yep, you too."

With that, Big Mac exited the library, hooked back up to the cart, and was on his way. Twilight closed the door and went back inside to check her schedule, which was rather open. She was going to have to find some way to really occupy her mind tomorrow, it was going to be the only way she'd make it through the next day without breaking down.

After turning all of the lights off save for her bedroom, she went upstairs and climbed into bed with a good book. Once 9:00 rolled around, she put the book on the night stand and shut off the light. Five minutes later, she was nearly asleep when there was a knock on the front door.

"Now who could that be at this time of night?" she asked herself. Perhaps Big Mac had forgotten something. She walked downstairs, and almost used her magic to open the door, before checking herself. She opened the door, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest and she gasped when she saw who her late night visitor was.

Rainbow Dash stood on the library welcome mat, expressionless and emotionless.

"R-R-Rainbow...?" Twilight said, taking a few steps back, eyes tearing up, trying to get her wits about her, not to mention catching her breath.

They never came, and the last thing she remembered was dropping to her knees as she promptly fainted.

Twilight awoke with a start, instantly sitting up.

"Rainbow?" she asked instantly, looking around the main floor of the library. She glanced at the clock.

9:24. She had been out for nearly 20 minutes.

Initially afraid that she had hallucinated again, she looked to the door and noticed it was closed. She definitely remembered opening it. But there was no one but her in the main library. She got up, and checked the kitchen. No one, but someone had used a knife and cutting board, apparently to cut bread, judging from the crumbs. She ran upstairs to check her bedroom-

...and saw Rainbow sitting outside on the balcony.

She walked through her bedroom to the balcony door. She opened it gently, and it slowly opened with a creak, announcing her presence. But Rainbow never turned to look. Next to her was a glass of apple juice and a plate with a half-eaten sandwich on it.

Twilight's emotions churned inside her. Part of her wanted to run up and embrace Rainbow. Another part of her wanted to just get her to talk. So far Rainbow hadn't even acknowledged her arrival on the balcony. She just sat there, staring out at the horizon, almost glowing in the moonlight. Twilight noted that her primaries had grown back. Her face was expressionless, but there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes. They almost seemed faded, or perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her, making her see Rainbow as broken as she thought she had been when she left just under a year ago.

She decided to sit down where she was, about eight feet from the pegasus, also sitting, obviously content just to stare out at the night. But barely a minute had passed before the silence started to drive Twilight mad.

“I-I'm sorry, Rainbow. For everything.”

Whether or not she heard, Twilight couldn't tell. She kept staring straight out at the horizon, taking the final bite of her sandwich. Twilight risked moving a few centimeters closer. Then, she noticed the cutie mark earring on her left ear.

“I...I thought I had gotten all of those. Here, just let me-”

“If you or any of your magic touches that, I'll break your neck.” Rainbow finally said to her just above a whisper, not even turning or looking at her in the slightest.

Twilight took the threat seriously, as she paused in her advance to remove the piercing, and returned to sitting.

“You did get everything. I had it re-pierced. So I would never forget.”

“Rainbow, I'm so sorry.”

“You said that already.”

“Is...is there anything I can do? Anything at all?”

“That time spell might be useful. Make it so I never met you.”

Twilight lowered her head, as guilty as she already felt, the comment still stung. But she didn't want to give up. Rainbow was here. She didn't have the slightest clue as to why yet, but what mattered is that she was here.

“I see Spike didn't stick around.” Rainbow continued, not even glancing at the unicorn yet.

“...no. He...he left right before the investigation began, right after he saw my...my notes. It's been...it's been hard not having him here.”

“Well, good to know he's got a conscience.”

Another twenty seconds passed in silence as Twilight strained to keep her composure.

“I've missed you.” she finally said, trying to gently penetrate this barrier of cold detachment that Dash surrounded herself with. No luck, as she offered no reaction to it.

“Please...please talk to me. What do you want to hear from me? I know what we did was wrong. More than wrong...that's why I got you out of there.”

“Three days too late.”

“Yes, I know. How can I make it up to you? How can I fix this?”

Finally, at last, Rainbow turned her head to her.

“You actually think you can fix this?” she asked in sarcastic disbelief.

“I don't know! But I have to try. I'll do anything, Rainbow. Anything you want.” Twilight offered, taking another few steps towards her.

“What makes you think I want anything from you?”

Twilight used her left hoof to draw attention to where they were, gesturing to the balcony.

“If not, then why come back?”

Either Rainbow didn't have an answer, or she didn't want to reveal it. But at least her eyes were on her. Twilight continued closing the gap. There were now only 6 inches between them.

“I got you out of there because I love you. What do I need to do to prove that to you? You want to make me yours? I'll let you. Gladly. Willingly.”

This offer caused Rainbow to violently shove Twilight away.

"You say it was so wrong, and yet you want me to do it? You honestly think I want to do that, Twilight? Do to you what you all did to me? Sink to your level for a few weeks, then everything's all better? Fuck you."

"Then tell me what to do, please! I have been so desperate to make things right. I drowned myself in booze for six months because I couldn't live with myself sober, knowing what we did to you." Twilight said, once again walking towards her ex marefriend.

"And you think I know what to do? If I had all the fucking answers, why the fuck do you think I would come back?!"

“Rainbow...I just want to help you...please...” she said, daring to place her right hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.

Without warning, Rainbow bolted at Twilight, slamming into her and tackling her, smashing both of them through the wood and glass patio door, and slammed them onto the floor of Twilight's bedroom, with Rainbow's front hooves on her throat.

“Like you helped me a year ago?” she whispered, her words dripping with malice.

“I hate all of you with every fiber of my being. But you know what I hate more? The fact that I've thought about you every single fucking night since I left. My heart and mind want to gut you all for what you did, but instead my body aches for you, and I don't know why.”

Twilight wheezed as Rainbow's hooves strained her air supply. Her eyes were wide with fear. After several silent seconds, Rainbow let up, and Twilight gasped for oxygen as Rainbow placed her forelegs on both sides of her head on the floor.

“So I no longer care why...I'm just going to give my body what it wants.”

Rainbow's head descended, and her lips met Twilight's in a fiery lust. Her tongue invaded Twilight's mouth, probing her gums as the pegasus took her breath away. The kiss didn't last long, as Rainbow made her way down to her neck, and first kissed, then sucked, then bit, hard, causing Twilight to gasp. That wasn't a loving nip, but still, Twilight wanted more. Her breathing quickened, as Rainbow bit the other side of her neck, causing Twilight to let out a short whine. Wrapping their back legs together, and placing her front hooves under her neck, Rainbow expertly rolled them as one, until Twilight was on top, then not wasting any time, bent her back legs in, and bucked them against Twilight's chest, sending her into the air, and throwing her over to the bed.

Before Twilight had time to react, Rainbow pounced on the bed, and was back on top of her. Twilight saw that she was already dripping. The cyan mare used her back knees to spread Twilight's, revealing her swelling snatch, and Rainbow lowered her own onto it, and started angrily grinding against her.

"Oh..."Twilight gasped. "Oh, Rainbow..." she moaned, her wings spreading to their full length.

"Shut up..." Rainbow commanded, also a bit short of breath, as she proceeded to bite her ear, and keep it between her front teeth, as she continued to pound the unicorn into the bed.

Twilight took in the fact that she was being mentally and sexually assaulted...and she loved it. The way she was being taken right now was all lust, but not one part of her cared right now. She continued gasping and moaning as her breathing would allow, but she obeyed Rainbow and didn't say anything further. She laid there in bliss as she let Rainbow have complete control, who wasn't as nearly as vocal as the unicorn had been. It wasn't too long before Rainbow's pent up anger was beginning to demand release, and she picked up the pace shortly before suddenly descending into long, hard grinds, giving out a long grunt as she hit her climax. She rubbed hard against Twilight, dripping down between the unicorn's thighs. Twilight was nearly there herself, as Rainbow clipped against her clit with every pass, getting closer...closer...

And the build-up melted away as Rainbow finished, releasing her ear and rolled off onto the right side of the bed, her back to the purple-coated mare. Frustration built up in Twilight, as she reached a hoof down to try and finish the job, but trying to push herself over the edge now was nothing compared to Rainbow's soaked, swollen pussy. She rubbed faster and faster, desperate for release while the image of what just took place was fresh in her mind.

"Thank you, mistress." Rainbow said.

Twilight's heart sank, and all of her sexual tension collapsed in an instant.

'Oh no...oh gods...what did I do? She had complete control...she...what if...what if I just sent her into a dangerous relapse? What if she can't have any intimate contact with anypony without-'

This train of panicked thought came to a crashing halt as she heard Rainbow let out an emotionless chuckle.

"Just fuckin' with ya, Twi."

Rainbow said nothing else. The mood had died completely. Twilight wouldn't be getting off tonight. Part of her wanted to hit Rainbow, and chastise her for such a sick joke...but honestly, she didn't care. Rainbow was here. She was angry, bitter, distant, and just committed what could be considered borderline rape...if Twilight didn't want it so badly herself...but she was here.

And right now, that's all that mattered.

Author's Note

Just something quick and silly for my awesome readers.

Retribution

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Retribution

Rainbow Dash soaked in the sunlight as she walked throughout Ponyville. It was surreal...being back here after wandering for so long. It felt as if she never left. Ponies went about their business, waving to her, asking where she'd been. She simply went on her way, walking through the streets she thought she would never return to. She wasn't consciously heading in any particular direction, so it was either subconscious or coincidence that led her to Rarity's house.

She was surprised to still see the window broken, and caution tape around it. All this time and they had not repaired it? Done any investigating? Her curiosity growing, she jumped through the window when she saw nopony looking, and decided to do a little looking around herself. Upon landing in the living room, she heard whimpering and rattling chains coming from the basement. Her mind was torn between immediately turning tail and getting out, and seeing what it was. She made her way down the hallway, and saw the TV monitor filled with static on the table next to the basement door, with the Mare Do Well costumes hanging on coat hooks. The sounds of whimpering and chains became more pronounced. Rainbow tapped the partially open door with her hoof, and gazed down into the cellar, and immediately, her blood began to ignite into a fiery rage.

Rarity was restrained on the concrete slab in the center of the room. She was blindfolded, chained by the neck and all four hooves, and the restraints were so tight that she could barely wiggle against the chains.

"Well well. Look at what we have here..." Rainbow began, bringing a frightened halt to the unicorn's struggles. Rainbow started descending the stairs, her hoofsteps echoing throughout the basement.

"...a filthy, naughty whore who needs to be punished."

Dash's hooves hit the concrete floor, and she slowly stepped towards the slab.

"Dash? Please...please help me. I've been down here for what seems like forever!"

Rainbow finished approaching the helpless unicorn, who had a rubber sap cap fastened to the very tip of her horn.

"You see, I've never liked you, Rarity. You care more about jewels and dresses than your friends. And when it comes to your friends, you'd rather break them and make them yours rather than love them for who they are. The Element of Generosity indeed."

Rainbow completed one lap around the slab, taking in the trembling unicorn from all angles, as her rage began to concentrate like a laser beam.

"So let's correct your ways. But punishment is meaningless unless you accept it, and help it change you. So I want to hear you say it. Say you're a naughty whore who deserves to be punished, and needs her magic taken away."

"I was only trying to help you, Dash! Fluttershy wanted to be mine!"

Rainbow began eyeing the gardening tools and other items lining the walls of the basement. She walked over to one of the tables.

"Now, all I'm hearing is more excuses. So I think I need to give you a few piercings to help you know your place, and help you realize that you've been hurting your friends."

Dash returned to the slab, and loaded a clip into the nail gun she was currently holding.

"Let's start with the ears, shall we?"

She took aim, and fired. There was a mechanical crack as the nail was ejected from the gun, and sliced through Rarity's right ear, and she shrieked in blinding pain.

"Now hold still, or I might miss." Rainbow said, louder but calmly over the unicorn's screams of pain, walking over to the opposite side, and fired again at Rarity's left ear. Blood dripped down the tips of the nails, as she tried in vain to break free of her chains.

"I'm sorry they aren't as nice as the earrings you all got for me. But they'll have to do. Have you learned your lesson yet? Ready to accept your punishment?"

Rarity's screams slowly lessened into bawling.

"Please...please no more. Please let me go."

Rainbow sighed.

"Guess I'll have to pierce something else. Hmm...oh, how about this little area?"

Rarity cried in horror and dread as Rainbow slid the barrel into the folds of her labia.

"This does belong to your mistress after all, so until you're ready to say how awful you've been, I'm just gonna have to keep decorating you."

Rainbow pulled the trigger. Once. Twice. Three times.

Rarity spat up blood, running down the pearl white coat of her face, howling in agony.

"Alright! Okay, alright! I'm a filthy naughty whore! Please take my magic away, Mistress! Please punish me just please no more!!!" she managed to yell through her cries.

Rainbow dropped the nail gun and went back over to another table, as blood trickled out of Rarity's mouth and pussy. She returned with a set of long-handled gardening loppers. She opened the blades, and placed it a centimeter below the tip of Rarity's horn, just below the sap cap.

"Are you sure you're ready for your punishment?" Rainbow asked.

Rarity whimpered, her body shuddering from the pain. She sniffled, nose bleeding, and swallowed a mouthful of blood before replying.

"Please...please stop. I'm sorry, Rainbow...I'm sorry. Please stop..."

Rainbow took a deep breath.

"Like you stopped for me when I was sorry?"

She brought all her strength to closing the blades of the lopper, and crushed through the bone of Rarity's horn. She began to scream, but began to choke on her blood, and her body began to convulse. Rainbow moved the blades down a centimeter, and took off another bit of her horn. Blood began to seep out of her forehead, and occasionally splash from her mouth, as she tried to scream through the gathering pool in the back of her throat. Down, down, down Rainbow went, until all that was left was a bloody stump on her forehead.

Rarity was in shock, unaware of anything anymore. Rainbow, a bit worn from the strength needed to cut through bone multiple times, felt she had the energy left for one last effort. She turned the tool over, blade around, raised it above her head, and paused for just a moment.

"Go to hell, you witch."

With that, she brought the blades down on her throat with all her might, screaming as she did so.

Rainbow shot up in bed screaming. She looked around, and found herself in Twilight's bed.

"Rainbow? Are you okay?" she heard Twilight ask, the alicorn sitting up next to her.

Dash's chest heaved. Her whole body was sweating.

"I'm fine." she finally said. Twilight was not convinced.

"You don't look fine. What happened?"

"I said I'm fine, Twilight." Rainbow repeated harshly, getting out of bed. She walked towards the balcony, and exited to go sit outside again. Twilight observed her from her bed, noticing her breathing begin to calm, but she didn't budge from her spot. Twilight glanced at her clock. 4:50 am. Figuring she wasn't going to get back to sleep after that, she got up and went to the kitchen. She made Rainbow a fresh sandwich, put it on a plate, then returned upstairs and silently set it by her side out on the balcony.

Afterwards, she returned to her bed, turned on her lamp on her night stand, and attempted to read. That got her next to nowhere because questions still danced through her head. What kind of nightmare did Dash just have? Was this a regular occurrence? Had she had these every night since leaving?

And the question that tortured her the most...why did she come back?

High above the royal city of Canterlot, in the castle's tallest tower, Princess Luna began to slowly ease out of her deep meditation. She breathed deep, then slowly let the air out, as she floated back to the here and now.

"Justice." she whispered to herself.

She got to her hooves, and began making preparations to set the moon to make way for her sister's sun in just over an hour's time.

The longer Rainbow sat out on the balcony alone, the more puzzled Twilight became. If she wanted to be alone, why not just fly up to a cloud? Was being alone the point? Did she just want to be in a familiar place? Did she want Twilight close by?

Short of making a diagram to come up with the most likely possibility, Twilight was content to hover around the library and her room in case Dash needed anything. When the clock hit 10 am, there was a knock at the front door. Twilight glanced at the balcony, making sure Rainbow was alright, before going down to answer the knock. Opening the door, she was greeted by Princess Celestia.

"Princess," Twilight began, bowing to her former teacher, "what can I do for you?"

Princess Celestia glanced at her ear and neck, and Twilight blushed, realizing that the bite marks from last night had bruised noticeably.

"I'm here to see Rainbow." Celestia said matter-of-factly, skipping the pleasantries. Twilight hesitated, and then nodded, walking back upstairs to the balcony, quietly opening the door.

"Rainbow? Princess Celestia is here. She wants to see you." she told her. Rainbow glanced back at her, then returned inside the library, descending the stairs to meet the Princess in the center of the room.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash, how have you been?" Celestia greeted.

Dash didn't bow. She didn't seem to care who her visitor was.

"Is there something you want, Princess?" she asked plainly.

"Yes. I'd appreciate it if you would accompany me to the mayor's office. We have something we'd like to discuss with you."

Rainbow considered it as Celestia turned to exit.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Twilight asked.

"No," was the answer she got before the pegasus left the library, and trotted to catch up to the Princess.

Rainbow noticed some townfolk whispering and murmuring as she followed the Princess through town. The mayor's office wasn't all that elaborate, not as nearly as impressive as Town Hall. They made their way right past the receptionist without a word, and into Mayor Mare's personal office, where the mayor, Princess Luna, and another stallion Rainbow didn't recognize were waiting.

"Hello, Rainbow. Good to see you again." Mayor Mare said gently, welcoming her visitor. She turned to the professionally dressed stallion to her left, who rose from his seat to introduce himself.

"Rainbow Dash, it was my hope to know you quite some time ago. I'm Swiften Just, I'm the special prosecutor that was brought in for this case."

With that, Rainbow instantly knew what they all wanted, as Celestia motioned for her to sit in the cushioned chair in front of the mayor's desk, then took her place with the other four behind it.

"You didn't waste any time, I see." Rainbow said. All four of them realized how difficult it was to get a read on Rainbow. They wondered if she wanted to be here at all. She seemed bitter and distant.

"It was because you spent the night at the library. None of them do anything without me knowing about it." Celestia said, referring to her former friends.

"So I've got a pretty good guess, but what do all of you want?" Rainbow asked her hosts.

"Ms. Dash, we tried for three months to find you after you disappeared from Ponyville. Without you, there was no way we could move forward with charging your kidnappers. Now that you're back, we're wondering if you'd like to proceed with pressing charges." Swiften announced.

“What kind of charges?”

“Kidnapping and torture, if Twilight's 'notes' are anything to go by. They didn't mention any names or dates, so it's inadmissible. But your testimony would be more solid. We're also hoping that you have the video tape that you took right before you left town.”

Rainbow didn't answer that one way or another.

“Rainbow, the reason we bring this up, is because of the circumstances of your departure. Because you left of your own free will, there is a statutory limit on this case; in simpler terms, a time limit that we have to formally charge them with their crimes; one year, to be precise. According to the missing ponies reports, you were kidnapped one year ago t-”

“Today.” Rainbow finished.

Swiften slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

“So that means I'd have to decide by tonight.”

“Before midnight.”

Rainbow sighed. She sat silently in contemplation, staring at the front polished panel of Mayor Mare's wooden desk.

“Would Rarity get the worst punishment?” She asked.

There was a momentary silence. No one had been informed yet.

“Rarity died in her coma early this morning.” Celestia answered.

Rainbow showed no external reaction whatsoever, but inside, she felt like she was just hit in the gut with a bowling ball.

“When and how?”

“Just before 5 am this morning. Doctors are still trying to figure that out,” Celestia began, “she was stable one minute, then the next, her magic goes out of control, shorting out every instrument in the room, she started shrieking and thrashing around, then about two mintues later, her magic cut out, the monitors came back on, and her heart and brainwaves were gone.”

The moment Celestia told her these words, it was as if a spear went through her head from ear to ear. After several silent moments, her eyes moved to Luna, who simply stared back at her.

Rainbow sighed, sitting back in her chair.

“What...what about Twilight?” Rainbow asked.

There were several more seconds of silence as Celestia, the mayor, and the prosecutor exchanged glances. The prosecutor then turned back to Rainbow.

“Now Rainbow, it would be for the best if charges are brought against all-”

“I asked you a question, you damn suit.”

The prosecutor was only taken a back for a moment at Rainbow's aggressive forwardness. Princess Celestia decided to answer the irate pegasus.

“She's an accomplice to all of this, as guilty as the rest of them, but she was the one who put a stop to it. She brought you out. I wouldn't agree with it, or like it for that matter...but if you wanted, I could grant her immunity from prosecution.”

Rainbow didn't offer a response just yet, so the Princess continued.

“I've kept the others on distant surveillance ever since they left town. I know where they are at all times. Say the word, and I'll have them brought here within a matter of hours.”

“So just...the two of us go on with our lives, while you hang who you've got left, now that the ringleader is dead.”

Swiften leaned foward.

“Rainbow, justice must be served for a crime this heinous-”

“Don't you fucking DARE tell me that you know how to justify what they did to me!” the pegasus screamed, shocking him into silence. The glare from her magenta eyes burned into his for several seconds, before she glanced at the room's other three occupants, then got up and walked to the door without another word.

“Rainbow, if you do not decide by midnight, we cannot charge them with anything.” Luna called after her.

Celestia walked from behind the desk, and went after her, catching up with her by the front doors leading outside.

“Rainbow, wait.”

Rainbow stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the Princess.

“I have no intention of assuming anything about what you've been through. But...would you consider a psychiatric evaluation...?” She asked.

Rainbow stared up at her for a half-second, then scoffed condescendingly.

“You think I need a fucking shrink to tell me I'm not right in the head?” she asked incredulously.

“We'll be here until midnight, Rainbow.”

“Leave me alone.”

Rainbow left the mayor's office without another word. She returned to the library in silence, where Twilight was waiting by the coffee table.

"What...what did they want?" she asked.

Rainbow didn't bother stopping, or even glancing at Twilight as she returned upstairs.

"Use your brain, Twilight," was her only response.

Twilight did indeed use her brain. While periodically checking on Rainbow, it didn't take her long to figure out what Celestia and Mayor Mare had wanted. Of course they would want to see if Rainbow wanted to proceed with pressing charges against them. So the question was...was she going to? Twilight spent most of the afternoon researching the library's few legal books, concluding what they were trying to do. Because Rainbow left on her own, the statutory limit rule was in play, meaning they had until tonight to formally press charges against the five of them. Technically they could press charges at any time before then, but without Rainbow's testimony and evidence, it would get them absolutely nowhere. Swallowing hard, she put the book away, and went upstairs, where Rainbow was sitting outside sipping at a glass of apple juice, watching the sunset.

"Rainbow...I..." Twilight began.

"Rarity's dead." Rainbow said plainly.

"What...?"

"Last night."

"How?"

"...I think me, thanks to Luna."

Out of all the answers Twilight expected to hear, that was not it.

"You mean, your nightmare last night..."

"I never said it was a nightmare."

That was true. Rainbow had never told her what it was. Whatever it was though, it was a bit of a shock, that much was clear. Would Luna have done that? Put Rainbow's subconscious into Rarity's comatose state, to deliver poetic justice? Twilight was shocked when she realized what she had done to Rarity a year ago, but she never said she regretted it, nor would she, because she honestly didn't. She would have killed Rarity if given the opportunity.

"Rainbow, do they want you to go after the rest of us?"

Rainbow didn't offer a reply, shifting in her sitting position, while continuing to sip at her drink. Twilight glanced back at the saddlebags on the floor by the guest bed, that Rainbow had come in with last night.

"I want you to do it. Press charges. I don't want to walk away from this without any consequences."

Rainbow turned to her, the disappearing sun giving her form a warm glow.

"What makes a consequence? What, being behind bars will make your guilt magically disappear? Being expelled wasn't enough of a consequence? Secluding yourself with constant drinking? Our former friends scattering to the winds? What makes you, or Celestia, or the mayor, or the prosecutor think they can make this decision for me? Stop throwing the law at me, stop throwing your guilt at me, and let me make this decision. It's my choice."

"I'm sorry." Twilight softly replied with a nod. "Let me know if you need anything."

With that, she went back into her bedroom. Looking at the clock, she noticed that Rainbow had been here for almost 24 hours now, and Twilight still hadn't come any closer to knowing why she had come back.

She was still trying to hold back tears, when all she wanted to do was cry. She wanted to be there for Rainbow, to help her, actively, and she wasn't letting her. She had to keep reminding herself that she was being here for her. Rainbow had spent nearly all her time so far either in bed or out on the balcony. Her distant, bitter demeanor told Twilight she was still dealing with things internally, and that there was really no way to actively help her until Rainbow was ready.

She laid in bed with a book as long as she could, but due to the shorter amount of sleep and early morning she had, it was only a matter of time before she fell asleep, watching Rainbow sitting outside.

"What do you think she will decide?" Princess Luna asked her sister, standing outside of the mayor's office. She glanced up at the clock above the door.

11:49 pm

"I don't know, sister. These six friends had the strongest bond I had ever seen. That bond was shattered, but perhaps she is trying to hold onto some semblance of what they once had."

"In a situation such as this, would judicial punishment do any good? For friendships this strong to have been destroyed, is that not punishment enough?" Luna asked.

"That is for her to decide."

Even with how quiet the Ponyville night was, the two royal sisters almost did not notice the approaching airborne Pegasus, as she glided down, and landed in front of them with a flutter of her wings. The two alicorns looked down at her expectantly, awaiting her answer.

"Gather them up. I want them in the library by morning."

Confrontation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Confrontation

There were no bars, chains, cuffs, or restraints of any kind. But as an earth pony sitting in an airborne chariot, with a Royal Guard accompanying her, Applejack certainly felt like a prisoner. They had awaken her in her room in Dodge Junction in the middle of the night, and told her to accompany them to Ponyville immediately, by order of Princess Celestia. They escorted her to the waiting chariot, and they were off without another word. They wouldn't tell her what it was about, but she figured she already knew. A mandatory summons from Princess Celestia could only mean one thing in this case.

Now she could see Ponyville coming into view under the rising sun. She had to hold on to her hat as they began to descend towards the town. Their speed slowed, making the morning wind a bit more bearable, and in the next minute, they had come to a landing just outside of Golden Oaks Library. She was allowed to get out, and she saw Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy already waiting near the entrance, also with their own royal guard escorts. She was the only one who had come via chariot, as she was the one who had gone the farthest once the restraining order had lifted. The other two had merely gone to the outskirts of town. She guessed they hadn't moved since. They hadn't kept in touch at all. Applejack could barely say anything to her own family upon her departure, let alone her friends. As ashamed as she was at all this, the devoted worker in her refused to go completely into exile, so she had managed to get minimum wage work at a cherry orchard in Dodge Junction, several hundred miles southeast of Ponyville. Cherry Jubilee was thrilled to have a tireless worker return for more employment. AJ wasn't sure how far the news of what they did in Ponyville spread, but if Jubilee had caught wind of any of it, AJ was none the wiser. She felt she didn't deserve to be near extended family in Appleloosa. She had also been the first one to leave, not even 12 hours after the house arrests had been lifted, at that. She had wanted to get as far away as possible as fast as possible. Now she thought herself a bit dense to not consider that Celestia would have kept an eye on her whereabouts all this time.

As Applejack approached the other two, the awkwardness in the air was so thick you could nearly see it. This was not helped by the fact that they just glanced at each other, not saying anything to one another. What was to be said?

"You're wanted in the library. Please proceed inside." one of the Royal Guards said. The front door was opened for them, and they were ushered in.

The two earth ponies and pegasus slowly filed into the library. The guards closed the doors behind them, and they laid their eyes on Twilight, sitting in the center of the room at an oval coffee table. There was a ceramic tea kettle in the center, and four teacups at each of the five seats. There were two on the far side, and three on their side. Twilight was sitting at one.

"Twilight...?" Applejack called out.

Twilight turned to them, a saddened, defeated look adorning her face.

"Twilight, what's going on...does this mean what I think it does?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"Yeah...did they finally gather enough to charge us...?" Pinkie asked last, as they gathered in front of her at the table, each of them coming up to the open seats on their side of the table, Pinkie Pie on the right, AJ in the center, and Fluttershy on the left.

Twilight, glancing at all of them only for a moment as they uneasily took their seats on the south side of the table, lowered her gaze to the floor, and announced plainly, "They're here. All of them."

At first, they wondered who she was speaking to, then they heard hoofsteps up on the second floor.

The first thing to come into their view was a messily kept rainbow mane, followed by the cyan fur, and finally, the magenta eyes, as Rainbow Dash walked slowly to the railing.

She gazed down at them emotionless.

The three of them stared up at her, speechless, as Twilight merely stared down at her reflection in her tea. Rainbow glanced momentarily at each of them as she made her way along the railing to the stairs, her hoofsteps the only sound in the silent library. She descended the stairs, and silently took her seat to the right of Twilight, at the remaining cup of tea at the table. They knew this seat had been more or less reserved, as there was a saddlebag next to that stool.

The silence was overbearing, and seemed to draw time to a crawl. They sat there, barely being able to glance at the cyan pegasus as she took her first sip of her tea. It was a full minute before anypony said anything.

"H-h-hi, Rainbow." Applejack finally greeted, unable to look Rainbow in the eyes. In return, Rainbow merely glanced at her, constantly scanning her eyes across the table at the three new guests.

"Twilight, you said all of us? Where's...where's Rarity?"

"Dead." Rainbow answered. Fluttershy closed her eyes solemnly for a moment.

“You're all looking well, I see.” Rainbow continued, her words dripping with malice.

“When did you get back?” Pinkie asked uneasily.

“Two nights ago.”

“Well, I'm glad you're back.” Fluttershy offered timidly.

“And why are you glad?” Rainbow asked, setting her tea down, halfway to another drink, before continuing.

"From what I heard, you're fairly certain that you've all been brought back here for judgement. That the prosecution found me, and convinced me to come back here to put all of you away. Is that it? You're glad I'm back because you haven't dealt with the guilt, and now here's your chance to."

She paused again, judging their reactions, of which there was very little.

"Why should the courts give you the solution to your guilt? I'm told you all scattered. Twilight was the only one who stayed in town, and she tells me she nearly drank herself to death for the first 6 months. So did you all go through your own personal hell like Twilight? Or did you run away, and tried your best to pretend that nothing ever happened?"

She allowed the unanswered questions to sink in while she took another sip of her tea, before continuing.

"What do you dream of at night? I mean, me...I frequently found myself surrounded by friends whom I thought loved me. But it ends the same every time. They didn't. They used me. So what about you? Are your friends loyal to you in your dreams? If they are, how does it feel when you wake up alone?"

Rainbow paused yet again, as if she had to carefully construct her sentences before speaking them to the four ponies around her.

"We...we were only trying to help y-"

Applejack was cut off when Rainbow violently swung her right forehoof across her quarter of the table, sending her cup of tea smashing against a bookshelf ten feet away, shattering it on impact.

"HELP me?! Have you had to choke on that lie every night since I ran off? Just goes to prove that the Elements really don't belong with us anymore." Rainbow said. She leaned forward, getting her face as close to Applejack as the table would allow.

“Prove me wrong, oh honest Applejack. Look me in the eyes and tell me you still believe you were helping me.”

Applejack couldn't speak, or even look up, as tears rolled down her face, and she started to cry.

“Didn't think so...” Rainbow said, leaning back to her side, returning to her seat.

"Here's what I want to know...if Twilight hadn't gotten me out of there...would any of you?" she asked, gliding her outstretched hoof, pointing to all three of them.

"Twilight saw that a line had been crossed. Far too late, but she saw it eventually. What about you? Where was your line?"

"Hmm? Pinkie? Where was yours? How many times would you have had to 'play with me' before you started feeling wrong? Probably would've been awhile, because everything's a fucking party with Pinkie!"

As Rainbow's magenta eyes glared at her, Pinkie couldn't bring herself to look at her former friend, as she too began to quietly weep. Meanwhile, Rainbow once again looked at Applejack.

"You. How many rope burns would Twilight have had to heal? Hm? Would I have had to dislocate something? Break something? Maybe you never would have done anything. After all, when you lie to yourself over and over, eventually you start believing it's true.”

This comment kept the farmer's tears coming. Rainbow continued to Fluttershy.

"You...you were my best friend. You could have stopped this before it all started. BDSM can be a healthy part of any relationship. The key is knowing where the line is...what is healthy and what's completely fucking psycho! You didn't know and neither did that slut of a marefriend who kept you under her boot. Or maybe you did know and you just didn't have enough of a spine to put a stop to it. You willingly let her use you to break me!"

"Rainbow-" Twilight began, only to have Rainbow's hateful glare fall on her.

"And you. You just fucking sat there. You sat there and you wrote about it. Neutrally. Tell me, Twilight. What valuable, educational knowledge came out of your firsthand research?"

“Please...please stop..." Fluttershy asked shakily, on the verge of full-on sobbing.

"'Please...please stop...'" Rainbow mocked, "Seriously, Fluttershy? You're seriously asking ME to STOP?"

With that, she ducked out of view, leaning down to the right side of her stool. They heard her rummage through her saddlebag. She came back up, and stood up on her stool, and they saw what was in her hoof.

She threw the basement video tape down on the table towards Fluttershy, knocking over her tea and startling her further.

"Let's watch the fucking tape! Let's all watch it, and count how many times I cried, how many times I screamed, and how many times I fucking begged all of you to STOP!!!"

The other four ponies at the table were all in tears.

Rainbow's chest was heaving as she glared at each other pony from her heightened position, as their gaze was fixated on either the tape, or the floor in front of them. They were all visibly shaking with grief by now. Another ten seconds passed before Rainbow slowed her breathing, and got off of her stool, and slowly sat back down. She waited another half minute for the crying surrounding her to decrease in volume before continuing.

"I hope...I hope you all realize...that if I didn't take that on my way out of town...that every single one of you would be in prison. That is if Rarity didn't destroy it first. I can't help but wonder if you all would have been thanking her then." she said, at a drastically lower volume.

She turned to Twilight, who was silently weeping.

"Twilight, I'm betting during all that drinking, you were wondering where I was, what I was doing."

She glanced at the others.

"What about all of you? Just the least bit curious to know what I've done before coming back?"

Rainbow leaned down and reached into her saddlebag once more, and came up with a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it, and set it down into the drops and puddles of tea on the table. It was a map of Equestria.

"Nothing."

The map had dozens of red marks on them, all connected. It was an impossibly random path throughout the country.

"I wandered everywhere...trying to find myself again, living off of the 20,000 bits I sold Rarity's ruby for. It never got any better. I cried myself to sleep most nights. I either had nightmares of being down in that basement, and wake up scared half to death, or I'd dream of what it was like before all this...with friends who loved me, and I'd wake up alone."

Rainbow took a shaky breath, finally losing a bit of her composure.

"That...that was the worst part of it. The longer I traveled, the lonelier I felt. It was mind-numbing. And every single night, before falling asleep, I thought of you." she said, turning to Twilight for a moment, bringing fresh tears from the lavender alicorn.

"So...down to my last 500 bits, I worked my way back here. I hated it. I hated myself for failing, hated that this was my last shot at regaining my sanity. But here I am."

She took the red marker from her saddlebag, and drew the last red line back to Ponyville, marking it with an X.

"And based on what I see around this table, I'd say that none of you have come to terms with what you did. None of us have moved on. We have all been completely and utterly alone. I know you haven't been able to live with it because none of you can look me in the eyes."

More silence. No one challenged anything Rainbow said.

"One reason I came back is because I wanted to know why. I wanted to know why all of you did what you did to me. I don't know why, and now, I no longer think any of you do either. For all I know, Rarity used her magic to fuck with your sense of right and wrong. What I was doing was wrong...making promises I got distracted from and didn't keep. But the punishment has to fit the crime."

Still, none of them looked her in the eyes.

"Bottom line, Rarity was the first victim of her own twisted mind, and then we were next. She destroyed all of us. She broke each of us, in one way or another...and the only way to fix this is if we help each other heal from this. Together."

This finally brought all eyes to her.

They glanced unsurely at each other.

"But...I thought...you were going to the Wonderbolts after...after you charged..." Twilight began.

"The statute was up at midnight last night. I didn't file any charges..."

Everypony's eyes widened.

“...and I'm not going to the Wonderbolts. Two reasons. One, I doubt I could function there in the shape that I'm in, and two...doing that, while the rest of you get locked away...”

Rainbow paused, taking a deep breath.

"It's what society says all of you deserve. Maybe they're right. But me? No. Maybe it's because of the unstable state of mind all of you helped put me into, but I don't think it's right. Like I said, the punishment has to fit the crime. All of you rotting in a cell with three hot meals a day is too easy for you. No. The truth is, none of us have gotten through this by ourselves. So whether I like it or not...whether we like it or not, the key to overcoming this is in each other. Do you understand me?" Rainbow said, her voice shaking even more, tears pricking her eyes.

“This is going to be your punishment and salvation. You're going to look at me every day, seeing what you all did. You're going to help me, and in return, I'm going to help all of you. We're going to be there for each other. We're going to help each other. All of you are coming back here. I don't care what Celestia or Mayor Mare say. It's going to be some of the most awkward moments of our lives, and we're going to hate it sometimes, but we're going to overcome this, and prove to Equestria that friendship is magic, and even though it seems shattered and irreparable between all of us, that it can be put back together again.”

This brought fresh tears from everypony at the table.

Twilight got up, her whole body heaving, and barely able to walk, she fell into Rainbow, throwing her forelegs around her, and began sobbing into her shoulder.

"Damn it all..." Rainbow said, her voice cracking, tears flowing down her cheeks for the first time since she returned to town. She slowly returned the embrace, the shell of distance and bitterness shattering as she began crying, and glanced at the three shuddering ponies still at the table.

"Well, come here. What are you waiting for? Come here, all of you!" she sobbed.

Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, their vision blurred and wet, their legs weak, and hearts pounding, got up from their seats, ran around the table, and wrapped themselves around the pair.

No more words were shared. The sounds of the five grieving ponies filled the library. Time was forgotten as they stood there, holding onto each other for dear life, letting out their sorrows, their worries, their fears, and their pasts. None of them knew what would come, but for certain, it was the first step towards healing.

Author's Note

Please note: Just as with Cupcakes, I have chosen to withhold specific events that happened in the original story after Kaidan's events and my events split.

As such, for this ending, please disregard the scene with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in Kaidan's ending. Please keep this in mind for the Epilogue.

Reconciliation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Reconciliation

After one of the most emotional days of her life, it was finally time to wind down for the night. Twilight ascended the stairs going up from the main floor of the library to her bedroom, and knew exactly where to find Rainbow - on the balcony. She crossed her room, and stepped out into the air of the young night.

The difference of Rainbow's appearance between yesterday and today was night and day. An impossible weight had been lifted from her as they had cried holding each other in that group hug, and it showed. It wasn't the friend she remembered from more than a year ago, and probably never would be...something told her that pony would never fully return...but the reason for Rainbow's return was finally clear.

"They're all coming back. Pinkie explained the situation to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and was re-hired at Sugar Cube Corner. Fluttershy's moving back into her cabin with Opal, and Applejack should be back to the farm from Dodge Junction with her personal stuff in a day or so. Her family is eager to put her back to work."

"Good to hear. We're not going to have any trouble from Mayor Mare, are we?" Rainbow asked, looking up at the clear night sky. Twilight came and sat next to her.

"I don't think so, at least not at first. I think she's too occupied with trying to keep that special prosecutor from going nuts."

Rainbow cracked a smile when she heard that. Out of everything today, Twilight loved seeing Rainbow smile again, even if it was still for ever-so brief moments.

"What about Spike?" Rainbow asked her. Twilight shook her head.

"I...I still don't know what I'd say to him. I nearly beat his crush to death with the jewel he gave to her as a gift."

"Yeah, but he knows the circumstances."

"Yes, he does, and he left anyway. I'm not sure what to say to him. He's the only one of us that wasn't directly involved in any of this. He's not going to be as easy to convince."

"Well, when you decide to, I suppose you could ask Celestia to send him a letter. That's pretty much the only guaranteed way that he'd get it."

"Yeah, I suppose. I'm still not sure yet. I would have to think long and hard over that letter."

"I know you probably haven't kept in touch with a whole lot of ponies around town, but...is Scootaloo still around? I figure I owe her quite a few flying lessons."

"She's still around, yeah."

"I didn't even think about Sweetie Belle. How has she taken all of this?"

"Her and her parents have tried their best to distance themselves from what Rarity did. They're still in town. I think Sweetie Belle's being home-schooled now."

"What about your crown?" Rainbow asked, glancing at her. Twilight shook her head.

"I'll never ask for it back, and I don't think I'd accept it even if it was offered. What we did to you...regardless of the how or why...it was a serious lapse of judgement. I will never be worthy of that level of responsibility again."

Rainbow didn't reply to that, and just offered a single nod.

"Rainbow, listen...I've been meaning to ask you something, something that's been on my mind for the past year."

Rainbow took a breath.

"Us." She answered. Twilight slowly nodded.

"I remember what you told me in your letter...but after everything that's happened...can there be an 'us'? Is it even a possibility?"

Twilight was still reeling from Rainbow's unfathomable act of mercy that morning, but at last, the question was out of her mind and now out in the open. It could be dealt with.

"I...honestly don't know, Twilight." Rainbow said, looking over to her friend on the balcony. Twilight couldn't hide the frustration from her facial expression.

"You've...you've offered each and every one of us your forgiveness, when it's the absolute last thing we deserve. I know from this morning that you don't necessarily want to give it to us, but I get the feeling you're right; the only way through this is with each other's help. You are truly the only one of us that's worthy of wielding an Element of Harmony anymore. Your loyalty to us has impossibly endured, even though none of us deserve it. I love you. I love you, Rainbow Dash, and if your love doesn't come with that forgiveness, I'm not sure my heart will be able to accept it..."

"What do you want me to say, Twilight? It's not something I can decide overnight. My heart wanted to hate you, my body ached for you, and my mind did not forget that you were the one who got me out of there. They need some time to align with each other. I can't promise you anything. This is just something we're going to have to take one day at a time, alright?"

Twilight nodded. She wasn't going to be able to rush this, no matter how badly she wanted to. This wasn't going to be the fairy tale ending she wanted. Rainbow turned to her.

"By the way, thank you. That's something I never did. I never thanked you for getting me out of there. No matter what you did or how long you waited, you woke up, and did the right thing. So no matter how I feel about it, you deserve my gratitude at the very least. So...thank you."

Rainbow reached up to her head, and took out her cutie mark earring from her left ear. She stared down at it for a moment. She came forward, dropped the earring onto the balcony, and hugged her tightly, and Twilight returned the embrace. They held each other tightly for several moments.

Just as she began to pull away, Rainbow softly kissed Twilight on her right cheek, causing the alicorn's heart to skip a beat, and her face to blush when they separated.

"One day at a time, Twi." Rainbow reminded her, offering her another brief smile.

Twilight returned the smile, nodding.

"One day at a time."

Author's Note

Edit: Now continued further. Keep reading!

Original:
Well, there you have it. Thanks for reading!

Gotta mention some awesome people here. Skeeter The Lurker and bats for their help and pre-reading. Kaidan for giving his blessing to this alternate ending. ColbaltBlaze93 and Ashfire, likewise for pre-reading.

Special thanks go out to those so enamored by this tale that they successfully broke my resolve, and thus my release schedule. Were it not for you folks, this would've have been delayed until Season 4.

Renunciation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Renunciation

Crystal pony passers-by didn't know what to make of the pony clad in a gray cloak, standing directly beneath the castle, sitting several paces from the Crystal Heart. When they took a close enough look, they saw a cyan muzzle barely protruding from underneath the hood, but other than that, the garment did it's job of concealing the wearer's features; mane, tail, and all. But each pony's curiosity went as quickly as it came, and they went about their business, leaving the mysterious figure be.

Rainbow Dash stared sorrowfully at the glowing centerpiece of the Crystal Empire. Over the past year she had traveled all over Equestria, trying to find some way to move on with her life. Manehattan, Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Seaddle...the fact that she had to come this far north proved that her efforts had so far been unsuccessful. Her lips trembled as she took in the facets of the stationary gem.

"It's not the easiest task, disappearing without a trace, slipping through a nationwide search for a single pony." a gentle voice said behind her. Dash turned to see Princess Cadance walking up to her, the tip of her horn glowing brightly. "I'm guessing that cloak plays an important part in it. I didn't realize it was you until I activated my spell."

Rainbow turned her focus back to the Crystal Heart as Cadance took a seat a few feet away from her.

"The Cloak of the New Moon. It's enchanted so that the wearer remains completely anonymous, except to the most powerful spells. But at 5,000 bits, I made sure to know exactly how it works. The minute you stop casting, or when I move out of range, you won't remember who you were talking to."

Cadance said nothing yet, trying to get a read on the Pegasus who had been the victim of a kidnapping by her closest friends, then disappeared with the only hard evidence against them. There was something in her voice...it almost didn't have any life in it.

"How's this Crystal Heart of yours supposed to work? I thought you were supposed to feel somepony else's love for you radiate from it."

"Yes, you are." the Princess of Love affirmed.

"I'm not feeling anything."

"Perhaps you're not going about it the right way."

"Or maybe nopony loves me anymore."

"You know that's not true."

Rainbow Dash turned to her, tears pricking her magenta eyes, shrouded by the hood.

"My so-called friends conspired to kidnap me and put me through three days of hell, until one of them regained enough of her sense to get me out. She apparently did it out of love, and on my way out of town, I flatly rejected her. I turned away the one pony who rescued me out of love, so don't you tell me what is and isn't true."

Cadance took in the pony before her. This wasn't the Rainbow Dash she remembered; who performed a Sonic Rainboom at her wedding, who helped restore this empire...she was broken, and in dire need of help, whether she knew it or not.

"Rainbow, if you need a place to stay, I can help you. Nopony needs to know you're here."

The pegasus took one last look at the Crystal Heart, and turned to leave.

"Rainbow..." Cadance said, stepping forward and placing a hoof on her shoulder.

The pegasus paused, turning to look at her for a moment, before shaking her head.

"No. You can't help me, and your magic can't help me. Your little jewel just proved it."

With that, she galloped away from the castle.

All of a sudden, Cadance couldn't fathom why she was casting an Illusion spell. As the glow around the tip of her horn faded, she tried to remember what she had been doing the last several minutes. She had just finished talking to a pony at the Crystal Heart. For the life of her she couldn't recall who...but they had looked so...defeated.

She wished she could have helped. Those eyes beneath the cloak, they looked like they had belonged to a pony who had given up.

Rainbow didn't stop running until she was a good two miles out of the Crystal Empire. She galloped into a dense forest, and finally came to a stop when she looked around and didn't see clearings anywhere.

She was sick of it. All of it. Running away had done nothing to help. She could barely talk to anyone, and after crying herself to sleep most nights, steady sleep never came because of the nightmares. She hadn't escaped from anything. The Empire's Crystal Heart was the final nail. Nopony wanted her or cared anymore. Her friends had completely destroyed her sanity, her dream, and any shot she had at a normal life ever again.

She found was she believed to be a suitable tree, and flung the enchanted cloak to the ground. Setting her saddlebags down next to it, and opened the left flap. As she began rummaging through the items, her hooves brushed against the videotape that she had taken on her way out of Ponyville a year ago. She had only taken it out of her bag once...

It was in Manehattan, just over two weeks after she had left Ponyville. She had run out of town to the west, but she quickly went north, then turned around to the west. It had taken her that long to travel, walking and hitching a chariot ride when she could, to get to Manehattan.

Something that had always amazed Rainbow was how she and her former friends weren't national celebrities, regardless of the feats they had accomplished. They had redeemed Princess Luna, fulfilling a millennium-old prophecy. They had defeated the God of Chaos himself, even managing to reform him nearly a year later. Tack on to that restoring the northern province of the Crystal Empire...and she was still looked at like an everyday pony.

Not that it bothered her anymore, especially then. Not when she wanted to keep a low profile. She came here because it was the closest large city that wasn't Canterlot. She wanted to see if she could lose herself in the crowd, shake off some of the loneliness that had begun to bother her.

Walking one of the countless market streets, she came across a storefront that caught her eye.

EAST COAST EARRINGS
CUSTOM JEWELRY
PIERCING SERVICES AVAILABLE

She checked the time, and saw that there was a good 90 minutes before they closed for the evening. Adjusting her saddlebags, she walked through the front door, and was immediately greeted by the owner.

"Hello! Welcome to East Coast Earrings, I'm Glimmer. How can I help you today?"

"Yeah, your window says you do custom work. How long does that take?"

"Depending on what you'd like done, anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours."

"I'd like an earring of my cutie mark."

This request prompted Glimmer to lean over and peer at Rainbow Dash's flank, studying her cutie mark.

"Looks easy enough. Have a seat over there, and I'll get to work."

Glimmer grabbed a sheet of paper, and did a quick sketch of Rainbow's cutie mark, then went to the back room. Some machinery was heard as she cut and shaped the earring, and 30 minutes later, she came back out to the main sales floor with a single, painted earring, custom made.

"Now it looks like your ears haven't been pierced, so I'd like to offer you my piercing services as well. My prices are very competitive with everypony else in this city."

"That's why I'm here."

"Excellent. Just have a seat right over there." Glimmer said, motioning to a reclining, adjustable chair. Rainbow did so, and Glimmer went to prepare a piercing gun. It only took a moment, and she returned to Dash and slowly reclined her chair.

"Now, since you're a first-timer, I have to warn you, it'll be a bit of a jolt, followed by some searing pain, but it will pass rather quickly."

Dash nodded, but as she moved the gun closer, she started to shiver, and the way Rainbow looked at the gun was enough to bring her pause.

"Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Rainbow replied, her voice quivering.

"I think I'll go get an ice pack to numb it down a bit. That should help your anxiety."

"No."

"Hm?"

"Just do it."

"Are you sure?"

Dash nodded.

Against her judgement of making her new customers as comfortable as possible, Glimmer resumed positioning the gun. When it touched her ear, Rainbow gasped softly, and tensed up noticeably, to the point that she thought Rainbow would bolt up uncontrollably the instant the gun broke the skin. Again, this brought pause to Glimmer's job.

"Miss, are you sure-"

"Look, how much is it gonna cost? For the custom job and the piercing."

"Um...50 bits."

"I'll make it 100 if you stop worrying about me and just do it."

Glimmer wasn't sure how to react to Rainbow's forwardness. She had done hundreds upon hundreds of first-time piercings, and she had seen fillies, colts, mares, and stallions get jittery before. Being afraid of pain was one thing, but this...this was different. This mare was repressing something, or at least trying to. Glimmer could tell she was scared out of her mind, and was doing an impressive job of keeping it mostly hidden.

She figured that the best course of action was to have that barrel on Rainbow's ear for as little time as possible, and to provide as little warning as possible, so the mare's anxiety wouldn't build up further.

So with years of professional practice, Glimmer positioned both sides of the barrel on the tip of her left ear, and pulled the trigger without warning.

To Dash, the jolt was deafening. She let out a loud gasp, almost a scream, but stayed in her seat. Glimmer carefully dabbed the new piercing with a disinfectant-doused cotton ball, then gently slid her new custom cutie mark earring into place, while Rainbow's chest heaved.

"There we go." she announced, trying to keep her composure in check. Something was wrong with this mare, that much was certain. But it was none of her business. She was a paying customer, and if her offer was genuine, a customer whose money was no object. Rainbow silently got out of the chair and looked into the closest mirror. Seeming satisfied, she reached into her saddlebags before strapping them back on, and dropped two 50-bit pieces onto the counter, where Glimmer was waiting at the register.

"Thanks." Rainbow said, appearing to have calmed down.

"I'm not absent of empathy, miss. It seemed like you didn't want to do that, but you forced yourself to. Why?"

As Rainbow made her way to the exit, she simply answered.

"Just have to keep my best qualities at bay."

With that, East Coast Earrings was empty save for it's proprietor.

Every word of Dash's answer had been true. In the 14 days it had taken her to travel here, every single night, Twilight had been the focus of at least one dream. Every night, and she hated it. She had left her Element of Harmony on the balcony for a damned good reason, and she did not want her "finest quality" to undermine her self-imposed exile. So she needed something to remind her of what they did to her. Every time she looked into the mirror, it would be there.

It was a short trot to the closest hotel, where Rainbow bought a place to stay for the night, requesting a room with a projector. She gave the attendant at the front desk the bits, and she was given her key in return, and made her way down the hall to her assigned room. As she put the key in the door, she took a deep breath.

The earring was nothing. The hardest part of the night was about to begin.

She turned the handle and opened the door, stepping inside. It was a simple enough room; bathroom next to the front door, dresser, chairs, single bed, night stand. Next to the bed, pointed towards the left wall, was a standard projector, with a tape player plugged into the wall. Rainbow walked up to it and dropped her saddlebags, opening the left flap. Tucked safely in the corner, was the tape she took from Rarity's basement before skipping town. She began to shiver again.

She didn't want to do this. She was almost sure of what was on the tape...

But she had to know. She had to be absolutely certain of what she had in her possession.

She slowly removed the tape from the saddlebag, and put it into the player, starting up the projector. She sat on the bed as the screen came to life.

There she hung, hogtied on the wall, unconscious. For nearly five minutes, Rainbow stared in silence, nothing but the whirring of the player's reels from the playback. She fought back the first wave of nausea as the first sounds came from the tape.

"You've been a very naughty mare, Rainbow Dash."

With a sudden movement, Rainbow aggressively poked the fast-forward button, silencing the audio, and the playback sped up tenfold. She watched in silence, as the nausea in her grew. How much was on this? Surely they couldn't have put it all on one. But as she glanced over at the player, she noticed that the black tape within the cassette and only moved a bit. Twilight had had the foresight to enchant it, to make it much longer than normal.

She hit the FF button again, speeding the playback to 20 times normal. She sped past the first sessions, hanging on the ice block, and the cold shower, and pressed PLAY when she came to a certain point; where Fluttershy had come down to comfort her...and to convince her to let them do this...

Due to the speed of the playback, she was already near the end of that part.

"Dash...?" Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow's lips trembled as she watched herself nod on the screen.

She slammed her hoof down on the eject button, and she turned around and galloped to the bathroom, knocking over the vase on the dresser. She collapsed on the bathroom floor, barely getting her head into the toilet bowl, before vomit spewed out of her mouth, and she began to cry, tears falling to join the contents of her stomach in the toilet. After retching numerous times, Rainbow reached over to the shower faucet handle, turning it on. She barely even got it to room temperature before crawling inside the tub and curling up, crying softly, letting the water wash away her tears.

She hadn't played the tape since. It had remained in her saddlebag for the next 346 days.

Spreading her wings, she flew up to about 40 feet, before landing on one of the limbs, straddling it as she tucked her wings in.

As she threw the rope around her torso, tying her wings down to her midsection, she recalled how she had voluntarily spread her wings so her primaries could be clipped by Rarity's scissors. It had taken seven months for her primaries to grow back to support flying. She took the second rope, and tied one end to the limb, and then with some figuring, tied a noose, before putting it around her neck. She sighed, as her heart began to pound. Somepony would eventually find her out here. The search would finally be over, and her former friends would see the ultimate cost of what they did. Whatever awaited her at the other side had to be better than this. Swallowing her fears for the last time, she secured the noose around her neck, stood up on the limb...

...and jumped.

With the length she had given between the end tied to the limb and the noose around her neck, the free fall lasted not even two seconds. It came to an abrupt halt, but the end didn't come as suddenly as she wanted it. Having not tied the noose correctly, her neck did not break as the fall stopped, and now, as her throat was grasped painfully by the rope, she was going to strangle herself to death.

She instinctively tried to draw in a breath, but the rope denied it entry. She began to convulse and thrash, and barely managed to swing in midair. Her front hooves brushed uselessly against the taut rope choking her mercilessly, and her rear legs kicked, trying in vain to find footing. After 10 seconds, her lungs felt like they were on fire, demanding oxygen. As her eyes began to roll up into her skull, her ears registered a cracking sound, followed by splintering.

Her weight finally won, and her poor choice of tree limb snapped, and she fell through other limbs, branches, and twigs on her way down, landing on the forest floor with a thud.

Rainbow took one gasping, wheezing breath before breaking into a full sob. She just plain didn't care anymore. Didn't care if she was hurt, if anything was broken...she just wanted it all to end, and she couldn't even do that right. Crickets began chirping as night fell over the forest. Rainbow made no move to get up or remove the rope from her wings or neck. She simply let the pattern continue from the past year, letting the tears continue, as she fell asleep at the base of the tree.

At first, she thought it was the same, but it wasn't. One of the worst ways her mind had tortured her the past year was the dreams...and nightmares. Both were almost always the same. The nightmares were of her still being trapped in Rarity's basement, her friends continuing to torment her for their own sexual desires in the name of making her a better mare. The normal dreams were no better. They were heartbreaking; her friends before they had done this to her. Then it would end, and she would wake up alone.

She stood in a sea of never-ending blackness, and heard nothing but the distant, echoing sobs of a mare, instantly reminding her of the worst dreams she had; those of Twilight.

She never forgot how she had said, or rather, written farewell to the mare who had rescued her from the basement. She never had given her so much as a thank you...just a rejection of her love she had offered, and a demand that she protect Fluttershy when Rarity discovered what had happened.

Her dreams involving the young alicorn were almost always the same two; either a brief experience of returning and making love to her would-be marefriend, leaving her wanting when she woke up, or telling her off in person, driving the princess to tears.

But it was never like this. It was pure black, and she was certain that the crying she heard was Twilight. Navigating by sound alone, she reached the point where the sound was loudest, right on the ground in front of her.

"Twilight...?" she called out.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Rainbow. I wish...there was something I could've done."

Rainbow awoke with a gasp, as the dream came to an abrupt halt, as they always had. The little sky she saw through the canopy showed it was very early morning. For as short as the dream felt, it had taken up the majority of the night. She sat up, and checked herself over. There were a few bruises, but fortunately, nothing had been broken in the forty foot fall from the tree. She loosened the rope from around her wings and neck, and tossed them aside, looking to her saddlebags and cloak, when a revelation hit her.

That couldn't have been it...could it?

She went over to her saddlebags, threw them back on, and put the cloak back on as well, and galloped towards the Crystal Empire in the direction that she came.

She had beaten the sunrise back. Barely anypony was up at this hour. She weaved through the streets at a casual trot, and returned to beneath the castle arches, to the Crystal Heart, which glowed dimly in the early morning darkness.

Steeling herself for one last shot, hoping against hope that this is what she did wrong, Rainbow took a breath, and then removed the hood of the cloak from around her head.

Immediately, the Crystal Heart reacted, the glow increasing ever slightly. It began pulsing, and as the wave of light passed through her, Rainbow felt the undeniable warmth of another pony's love. But not just anypony...

"Twilight..." she whispered to herself, tears pricking her eyes.

She turned away from the Heart, lifting the hood up again. The conflict in her rose as her heart pounded against her chest. Cadance was right, she had gone about it the wrong way. And because of her impatience and unwillingness to listen, she had almost...

No, it was in the past, she couldn't dwell on it now. But...but could she actually bring herself to do it? She had been gone and untraceable all this time, and Twilight still loved her, she had just felt it. Could she ever bring herself to reciprocate that love?

As she walked back through the streets of the Crystal Empire, she thought of everything she had tried so far, everything that had failed. Was this her one shot at normalcy again? How could she ever possibly begin to consider...forgiving them...?

She didn't know. There was no way to know. Not ahead of time, at least. There was not a chance in Tartarus that she was going to be able to plan this out. Shoving the internal debate to the back of her mind, she made her way to the train station. Putting her hood back up, she walked up to the ticket booth, where the clerk gave the mysterious mare his attention.

"One ticket to Ponyville."

Reflection

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Reflection

It was days like today that made Rainbow seriously doubt that her efforts here were going to have any real effect.

She had been back in Ponyville for just over a week now. Settling in had gone fairly quickly. Thunderlane, who had taken her position as Weather Director, immediately offered it back to her. She had to admit, it felt absolutely great to have a job again. Something to go and accomplish day in, day out.

But she didn't move back into her cloud mansion, opting to stay in the library with Twilight, feeling it was a better way to start the healing process. She had taken the guest bed as her own, not wanting to move too quickly in her relationship with Twilight. Everything was so incredibly fragile right now.

With some convincing, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake allowed Pinkie to return to Sugarcube Corner as a baker, letting her live in her old room upstairs. She was no longer Ponyville's premier party planner, opting to take a much lower profile in the confectionery's daily operations. The biggest change in Pinkie was her mane and tail; they had not retained their signature unkempt poofiness, and had instead returned to it's flat 'depressed' style that she had in her fillyhood.

Applejack was welcomed back to Sweet Apple Acres with no major issues. Her family had the foresight to keep her at the farm doing chores, while Big Mac tended to the kiosk in town. Though she spent time with her when she came to the farm, Applejack rarely said anything to Rainbow, who knew that the farmer was trying to fight through her shame.

Nothing had changed with Twilight, who spent 90% of her time either at Sweet Apple Acres or Golden Oaks Library. As for Fluttershy... Well, that was the thing. Rainbow didn't know what Fluttershy was up to, which was why she was out here on the outskirts of town, approaching her cottage; to find out. She was quite clear that they were to spend a little time together each and every day, no matter how uncomfortable or awkward it was. Yet, she had not seen Fluttershy in three days.

Coming up the front walk, Rainbow could immediately tell that the cottage was derelict. The vegetation all around the property was overgrown; depending on the angle you looked from, you wouldn't even know there was a house there. As she crossed the bridge over the creek, she saw rotted wooden planks scattered around the lawn; remains of birdhouses that had been blown out of the trees during the winter storms, and never picked up. Lastly, the most obvious sign was the entire place needed a fresh coat of paint. She walked up to the front door and knocked.

"Fluttershy, are you in there?"

No answer. She knocked again, listening for any sound coming from inside. After waiting several more seconds, Rainbow tried the handle.

It was unlocked.

She turned it fully, and slowly opened the door. It rotated on its hinges with an awful creaking noise, and she stepped inside. Indeed, the state of the cottage's exterior painted a good picture of the lifelessness on the inside. It was it's regular "homey" feel, and not the banquet hall setting Discord had turned it into. Dust was on nearly everything. Rainbow slowly walked through the main area of the house, taking in the dilapidated state of it all. Her full-length mirror on the back wall had been covered with a cloth tarp. Forgotten food dishes lined the walls, and Rainbow had to fight back a pang of guilt, as she recalled that she was the reason that all of her animals had run off, apparently, never to return.

She came to the kitchen, where she finally saw a sign of recent activity. There was a pot on the stove, and the oatmeal inside looked only a few hours old. A quick check of the faucet showed that the water was still working. Going back to the living area, Rainbow passed the bathroom, and her concern rose as she saw another cloth covering the mirror above the sink. She came to the stairs to the second floor, and carefully ascended them, not confident in the condition of the wood, but they seemed sturdy enough.

She walked into Fluttershy's room, and again saw signs of activity in the form of sheets that weren't covered in dust, and yet another mirror covered. But something else grabbed her attention; the nightstand on the right side of the bed, and the shards of glass on the floor around it. She approached the nightstand, and saw the source of the broken glass: a face-down, broken picture frame. Rainbow carefully lifted the frame up, and failed to hold back a gasp when she saw the photograph that it held.

Fluttershy and Rarity on their first date.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Rainbow recalled that day nearly two and a half years ago. Fluttershy was incredibly nervous and timid, but it was Rainbow who had given her the encouragement she needed to finally ask Rarity out. She was so overjoyed when the fashionista had said yes. They had arranged to have a nice dinner out the very next night. Fluttershy had spent all day picking out the perfect dress, which was, obviously, one of the outfits Rarity had made for her. Rarity had arrived to pick her up, in an equally stunning outfit, and just before they left for their evening together, Fluttershy asked Rainbow to take a picture of them.

It now felt like a lifetime ago.

Now determined to find her former best friend, Rainbow set the frame back down on the nightstand, exited to the hall, began to descend the stairs, and her search lasted all of five seconds when she saw Fluttershy standing in the open doorway.

The timid pegasus turned to leave in a hurry.

"Do you really think there's the slightest chance I won't catch you?" Rainbow asked, anticipating her withdrawal. Rainbow came down the second half of the stairs as Fluttershy reluctantly turned back around, averting her gaze.

"Fluttershy, what's going on here?" Rainbow asked, motioning to the state of her friend's cabin.

"You've been back for a few days, and it doesn't look like you've done anything here; just eating and sleeping. So if you haven't been straightening up around here, which still wouldn't be a good excuse in my book, what have you been doing?"

Rainbow impatiently awaited an answer, as Fluttershy continued staring at the ground.

"Look at me, Fluttershy."

The animal caretaker merely shuffled her hooves on the floor.

"Fluttershy, look at me." Rainbow told her. A few seconds later, she brought her hoof up under Fluttershy's chin, and she quivered, as her eyes finally met Dash's.

"What did I say in the library? 'You're going to look at me every day, We're going to be there for each other and help each other.' I haven't seen you in three days."

"I... I don't want your help, Dash." Fluttershy said, gently removing Dash's hoof from her face.

Rainbow looked at her friend, eyes full of uncertainty.

"You don't want my help." Rainbow said, repeating what she was just told.

"N-no. I don't."

Another five seconds passed in silence.

"Yes you do. Because you're still here."

Fluttershy remained quiet, unsure of how to reply.

"I didn't say this was going to be easy. I said we were going to hate it at times. This is the only way, Fluttershy. Don't you see? You've been wandering the forest alone, even these past three days, coming back here only to sleep and eat, and you can't even look at yourself," she said, motioning to the covered mirror near the back wall.

"It starts with a first step," Rainbow said, guiding her towards the covered full-length mirror. She left Fluttershy standing in front of it, then walked over to pull the cover off. She took one corner of the cloth in her hooves, then turned to Fluttershy.

"Look at yourself, and accept who you are, what you've done, and what you can do to fix it."

With that, she pulled the cover off the mirror, and Fluttershy stared fearfully at her reflection.

It was a full 10 seconds of Fluttershy taking in shaking, shallow breaths. After that, she closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. Rainbow stepped away from the mirror and began to walk back towards her.

"Now that wasn't so bad, right? Just the first step-"

Without warning, Fluttershy's eyes opened, full of fury, and she charged towards the mirror, knocking Rainbow to the floor, and she slammed into her reflection, knocking the mirror over and landing on top of it. She raised her right hoof above her head and smashed it down on the mirror with a scream, cracking the surface. She repeated this immediately and numerous times, screaming.

"Weak! Pathetic! Useless!!!"

"You! Monster! You! Fucking! Monster!"

Fluttershy was powerless standing on the other side of Twilight's magical force field on the upper floor of the library. She couldn't do anything but stand in horror, and watch Rarity and Twilight duel, and it wasn't long before Twilight gained the upper hand, and was now mercilessly beating the motionless unicorn on the floor in front of one of the bookshelves. Without warning, there was a sharp crack and a flash of light, sending Twilight flying to the other end of the room.

When the light died down, Twilight was in a crumpled heap on the floor. The force field melted away, and Fluttershy jumped over the railing, forgetting her plucked feathers, and she crashed to the ground floor. She got up, and went to Rarity, who was barely breathing, and whose face was unrecognizable, covered in blood.

Spike was equally in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened before his eyes.

Fluttershy was on the verge of a panic attack. She raced out the door into the morning. She heard Spike scream for a doctor as she galloped towards Carousel Boutique. She ran through the front door, and ran up to Rarity's room, where she found Opal laying on the bed.

"Come on, Opal sweetie. You're coming with me to my house. That's it, let's go."

Rainbow was stunned for just a moment as she saw Fluttershy brutally attack her own reflection on the tipped mirror, shattering the glass, and soon her hoof became bloody, but it did nothing to slow her assault. She ran over to the hysterical Pegasus and pulled her off of the mirror. Her screams turned to sobs as Rainbow lead her to the bathroom, where she sat her on the edge of the bathtub while she fetched a first aid kit from the cabinet.

She opened the first aid kit, and turned on the bath faucet to lukewarm, running Fluttershy's cuts under it until they ran clean, double checking to make sure no bits of broken mirror had gotten lodged under the skin. As gently as she could, she applied bandages to her cuts and wrapped her foreleg in gauze. With that done, she shut off the faucet, and did the only thing that seemed appropriate, and pulled Fluttershy into a hug as the distraught mare cried into her polychromatic mane.

“I'm...I'm so so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I...I really thought she was g-going to help you. I trusted her...I...I thought...I thought she loved me...” Fluttershy choked out.

"I know she did in the beginning, and I think part of her always did."

Fluttershy was positively beaming under the starry night sky. She had never felt happier.

"Listening to Rainbow telling me to swallow my fears was the best thing that I have ever done." she said, looking over and smiling at her date, and...she hoped against hope, her marefriend.

"It's amazing what can happen when you speak your mind, darling. I've had feelings for you for quite some time, but I wasn't sure if you felt the same way."

"You have?"

"Why of course! I don't have weekly spa visits with just anypony, you know."

Together, they walked up to Fluttershy's cottage, and the time for the evening to end came much too soon, as they arrived at Fluttershy's front door.

"I had an amazing time tonight, Rarity." Fluttershy said, blushing at the cheeks.

"As did I, sweetheart. We'll have to do it again."

Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat.

"So, does this mean you and me...we're, well, you know..."

Rarity stepped forward, and kissed the yellow Pegasus on the cheek, before giving her a smile, and departed down the walk.

Fluttershy, certain that the butterflies on her flank had migrated to the inside of her stomach, fumbled with the door, got it open, then stepped inside. She went over to the couch, and plopped down, giving a content sigh, and laying down after the greatest evening of her life.

This felt like the start of something wonderful...

Mortification

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Mortification

Twilight was enjoying an afternoon book up in her room when she heard the front door open. She got up from her desk and walked to the stairs to greet her visitor.

"Hi there, Pinkie. What brings you here?"

"Hey Twilight. I have the lunch shift off, so I wanted to come by and run an idea by you."

Twilight came down the stairs, and quick ran into the kitchen to grab a tea kettle and a pair of cups, inviting Pinkie over to the table on the ground floor.

"Sure, tell me what's on your mind."

Pinkie took a sip of the tea after Twilight levitated her cup over to her.

"I remembered that Rainbow's birthday is coming up next week, and I know we've been really busy with helping renovate Fluttershy's cottage, so I thought we could have a nice night just relaxing together. I was wondering, perhaps, if we could have a small surprise party for her birthday."

Twilight had to be honest with herself, Rainbow's birthday had slipped her mind. This time last year, they were chest-deep in the investigation and the search for her. Not having any parties for well over a year, she stopped keeping dates and birthdays on her calendar. She didn't even celebrate her own birthday last year, it had been during that period where she passed out drunk almost on a nightly basis.

They had spent the last two weeks fixing up Fluttershy's cottage, making it a livable area again, and it had felt great going somewhere else other than the farm and the library. She knew that Rainbow expected them to be there helping if they weren't at work, so it had kept them very busy.

"That's certainly an idea, Pinkie. A bit short notice, do you think we can get everything ready in time?"

"Yeah. I think we can. Especially since I don't want it to be as nuts as my parties used to be. Just a relaxing night celebrating her, with some cake, ice cream, punch, games, and...well, any idea what we could do for a present or two?"

Twilight put a hoof to her chin, wondering what meaningful gift they could get her on just a week's notice.

"I think I may have an idea, but we'll have to pool our bits to get it shipped here in time. I'll get a letter written to see if we can make it happen."

"Thanks, Twilight. You're the best. And...thanks. For undoing the damage that we did to her. Well, I mean, the physical damage at least... If you hadn't put a stop to it..."

Twilight merely gave a silent nod, accepting the gratitude.

"Do you have any idea what games we could play? Pin the tail on the pony doesn't seem quite appropriate."

Pinkie Pie thought of the games she had back at home.

"I could bring Monopony, I guess."

"Pinkie, I'm pretty sure she's here to try and heal our friendships, not destroy them beyond recognition."

This wisecrack got a half-hearted giggle out of Pinkie.

"I'll think of something. Don't worry. I've got to go find a cake recipe!"

With that, Pinkie was out the door, and Twilight immediately set to writing her aforementioned letter.

Twilight made a mental note that Fluttershy's cottage would be an excellent place to have the party, with the Pegasus' permission of course. It would also minimize the chances of spoiling the surprise. They'd gather up a bit of party supplies, then get them there when Dash was on weather duty.

For now, she had an inquiry to write and get through the mail as fast as possible.

Pinkie came in through the back door of Sugarcube Corner back into the kitchen, and immediately started to flip through various cake recipes. She knew this would be one of the most important parties she would ever put together. She also knew it would be one of the least lively. An upbeat party was all well and good, but she didn't want to have a few hours of loud music and activities, just to return to the somber day-to-day that had been their previous three weeks.

No, this party would be a little more down-to-earth. Spending time together relaxing, and honoring their friend for what she was trying to accomplish.

Pinkie hoped that Twilight indeed knew what to get as a perfect gift, because she sure didn't. To her, there was no possible gift that could amount to what Dash was helping them through. She knew Rainbow had said they would be helping her too; however they were doing that, Pinkie couldn't see, but still, this was a second chance that they did not at all deserve.

It only took her 15 minutes of flipping through cookbooks to know the perfect spread for her party. She made a note of all the ingredients she'd need, and informed Mr. and Mrs. Cake of their plan, so they scheduled her off for the day of the party, so she could get all the baking ready.

Rainbow gave one last kick, and the last everfree cloud in the area dissipated with a puff.

"Alright, Thunderlane. Great work today. Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, boss. See you then!"

With that, the two head weather directors went their separate ways. Rainbow checked the Ponyville clock tower, and figured her friends were at Fluttershy's continuing the work they had began a couple weeks ago. Part of her wanted to grab a quick bite to eat and maybe a piece of cake before heading over there, but she thought better of it. She had demanded a lot of them the last couple weeks in getting the cottage habitable again, and she didn't want to slack off when they were working hard. Besides, if she got there first, they could call it a day early, then go out together.

She flew over central Ponyville as the sun began it's final descent towards the horizon. Before she knew it, she was approaching Fluttershy's home. The appearance was night and day compared to what she had walked up to two weeks ago. The lawn had been mowed, the fence and exterior repainted. The gardens lining the house had brand new soil, with fresh seeds planted. She came down with a soft landing just in front of the bridge and came up the walk to the front door. She gave a short knock, and opened the door.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw the table in the center of the room, with her four friends on both sides.

Part of her was expecting them to yell 'Surprise!', but they stood there, smiling at her, as she took in the scene.

A 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' banner had been hung on the ceiling above the table. She didn't have to look around for long, because the decoration was relatively lite. The focus was the table. She came up to them with a smile.

"You didn't forget."

"To be more precise, Pinkie didn't forget. She put all this together," Twilight amended.

Rainbow took in the table. There was sherbet ice cream, her favorite of all of Pinkie's punches, green lime, and the centerpiece was a two-layer cake, which Pinkie was currently lighting candles on. There was blue icing spread expertly over it, with a ring of rainbow frosting on the upper outer edge; a replica of a sonic rainboom.

They all gathered around Rainbow as she looked at the flames dancing above the cake, then blew them out. Twilight removed the candles, then quickly began slicing the cake into pieces. As she served it onto plates, Rainbow saw the funfetti within the cake. Pinkie really had thought of everything. When everyone was served, they ate heartily.

"I can't even begin to thank you girls for how amazing this place looks. We've all done an incredible job."

"What are friends for?" Twilight asked rhetorically.

Everypony had their fill after two helpings of everything, which was Twilight's cue to come forward with their gift.

"This is from all of us." she said, levitating a small, paper-wrapped box tied with twine.

"It was her idea." Applejack said.

"But without help from all of you, it would have never gotten here on time."

Rainbow accepted the gift from Twilight's magical grasp, and undid the twine with her teeth, then ripped off the wrapping. Lifting the lid of the plain white box, she let out a small gasp when she saw what was inside.

She lifted the book out of the box, a look of disbelief on her face. The title read:

DARING DO AND THE QUEST FOR THE SAPPHIRE STONE
1st Edition

There was a lone brown pegasus feather slipped underneath the front cover. Rainbow slowly opened the cover, and her eyes widened, and she couldn't keep her mouth closed as she saw the inside of the cover.

It takes a truly daring and loyal pony to attempt the journey you've chosen. Your friends' greatest treasure is you. Happy birthday, Rainbow Dash.
- A.K. Yearling

Rainbow swallowed hard, she bit her lip as tears pricked her eyes.

"We hope you don't mind that we told her about what you're trying to do here." Twilight said.

Rainbow merely shook her head, as she managed to keep it together.

"Thank you so much." she said, her voice quivering, giving them a group hug.

"Alright girls, who's got their hooves all limbered up?" Pinkie asked. She rolled out a plastic mat with rows of colored dots on them.

Twister.

It was a game of physical skill. The mat contained rows of colored circles, and depending on where the spinner landed, you had to place one of your hooves on a circle, whichever hoof or color the spinner specified. It got tricky with three or four, where you had to navigate around each other and not fall.

So the game began. After Pinkie promptly won the first three games, she decided to sit out and use the spinner.

"Alright Rainbow, you need..." Pinkie began, giving the arrow a good, fast spin. It whirled around for a good seven seconds, before finally settling on...

"Back left, blue!" Pinkie announced.

Dash looked down at the mat. The only blue circle within reach was on the other side of Twilight, who was positioned next to her on her left. She tried to reach without making contact, but sure enough, in order to reach the circle, Rainbow had to lean, and her backside brushed against Twilight's lower belly, and the alicorn let out a soft gasp.

"Sorry." Rainbow uttered, while Twilight ruffled her wings.

"It's alright." she replied, blushing lightly, concentrating on keeping her wings down.

However, Twilight's next move caused her to trip, and both she and Rainbow toppled to the mat, leaving Applejack as the winner for the fourth and final game. Everypony had one last dish of ice cream, finishing it off, and by then, it was 10:00 pm, and everypony was yawning, signaling that it was time to call it a night. They took the dishes into the kitchen, and quickly got everything cleaned up and put away.

Rainbow tucked her present safely into her saddlebag, and turned to Pinkie, who was about to leave out of the front door.

"Hey, Pinkie?" she asked.

"Yeah?" the earth pony replied, turning back to Rainbow, who walked up to her.

She put her front hooves around the baker, and pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks for tonight."

Pinkie's eyes widened as she returned the hug. She began to quiver.

"Pinkie...?" Rainbow asked, concerned.

Pinkie Pie drew in a deep breath, and exploded into an uncontrollable sob, immediately drawing the attention of the other three.

"Do you even know what a sex slave is, Mistress?"
“Sure I do! It’s a pony that’ll fuck me anytime I ask! I’ve always wondered what you taste like, Dash, can I have a taste?”

“Alright, my little slave, time to do Pinkie! Get to it!”

“Yep! It sure was a lot of fun. Hey, do you think I could go cut a notch out of Dash’s ear?"

“Aww, I just wanna cut a little piece off Dashie! She’s so cute I could gobble her up!”

“Wait, can I still play with Dash if we’re gonna be meaner?”

“Pinkie, fasten the straps on my pet nice and tight.”

“Pinkie, ya were only supposed to give her one,”
“Where’s the fun in that? Besides, I don’t wanna pick just one earring for her. Look, Rarity got a ton! Now she can wear all six!"

Pinkie quietly descended the stairs to the basement. She saw Rainbow and Fluttershy in the center of the room, strapped and bound together, both of them not moving. Checking her watch, she saw it was 3:45 am. Her watch would be up in about 15 minutes. She just wanted to make a quick check of Dashie's new piercings, to make sure they weren't getting infected. She walked around Fluttershy and knelt down and gently laid a hoof on the 3 earrings in each ear. They each looked healthy.

She was about to leave when her gaze drifted towards Rainbow's face. Her currently closed eyelids were puffy and swollen, and a line of dried, crusted fur went down her cheeks. She had been crying all night. Her inspection drifted down to her chest. The straps were starting to cut into her skin. Her wings weren't bound, not folded, but laying limp on the concrete floor, from being aroused all night, but no longer had the proper blood flow to stay erect. Lastly, her tail was soaked in her own sweat and arousal. Pinkie's ears now registered the muffled buzzing of the vibrators on full speed.

A hint of concern began to creep into her mind as she walked around to the other side and made a second inspection, this one to Fluttershy. Pinkie's heart began to beat harder when she noticed injuries on Fluttershy that she or her friends had not inflicted today. There were scars, cuts, and plucked feathers, ones that had not been clipped earlier today.

What had she and Rarity been doing?

Right then, something inside her snapped. This was not right. This was not the way to go about this. Rarity was wrong. There had to be a better way than this.

She knelt down, and tried to figure out how to unlock the straps that were keeping the vibrators in.

But just as she found the latch, fear gripped her heart.

Rarity was just upstairs. What if she was caught? She was just an earth pony. She'd be defenseless against her. She could be right down here next to them if anything went wrong. And the chances of something going wrong were high. Judging by both of their marehoods, the vibrators had been relentless. They weren't going to be able to walk out of here quietly, and that was if they could walk at all...

She couldn't just leave them here...

...could she?

What could she do?

Pinkie's lips began to tremble as her throat went dry, and her mane lost all life, and silently deflated and fell down around her neck.

She had never felt this helpless, or been this scared in her entire life, and it was that fear kept her from laying a single quivering hoof on their restraints. As tears started rolling down her cheeks, she turned towards the stairs, ran up to the small improvised observation room, and threw her Mare Do Well costume next to the others right before running out of the boutique as fast as she could, mortified that she had just abandoned her friends, and her conscience.

Pinkie's shoulders quaked as she clung to Rainbow, sobbing.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she whimpered, guilt washing over her.

Rainbow continued holding Pinkie, relieved that another one of her friends had reached the breaking point, and was now confronting past events.

"I...I was there...d-during that punishment with Fluttershy...I just came down to see if your piercings were alright, and not g-getting inf-fected. I saw how much you had been crying...how hurt Fluttershy was...things that we didn't do to her...and I left the two of you d-down th-there. I... I..."

Pinkie was crying so hard that her words broke down into babbles and choked hiccups, and she had to pause for a several moments to catch her breath. Her shoulders heaved, and Rainbow merely closed her eyes and continued hugging her.

"I-I was so sc-sc-scared...scared of what Rarity would do to me if sh-she caught me h-helping you...oh Celestia I'm so sorry Dash..."

Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy gathered around at Rainbow's beckoning, and they formed a group hug around the grieving party host. After five minutes, Pinkie had calmed down, having cried herself dry. Rainbow gently rubbed her back, and finally broke the embrace.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

Pinkie sniffled, and nodded. Together, the two of them walked out of the cottage into the night. It was a slow walk back into town, and not many ponies were out at this time of night. Most of the walk was in silence, until Pinkie broke it when they were nearly back to Sugarcube Corner.

"I still have nightmares all the time... How could we have ever considered going along with that? We were out of our minds..."

"Yeah, I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment."

Pinkie Pie shook her head, still in disbelief.

"I have no idea how you're going to make this work, Dashie."

The two of them were now standing in front of the entrance to Sugarcube Corner, now closed for the evening.

"I'm hoping it's as easy as process of elimination. Nothing else helped in the year that I was gone. Where there's a will there's a way, Pink. I don't know the way, but the will is there."

Pinkie sniffled again, tears pricking her eyes.

"Hey, I had fun tonight. Remember that."

Pinkie nodded. "Thanks, Dashie."

"I have some free time tomorrow. I'll come over and you can show me how to bake cupcakes."

Pinkie gave a small smile.

"Sounds like a plan."

Intoxication

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Intoxication

Twilight spent most of the next week in the library.

Half of her was downright furious with Pinkie. While she had experienced little inklings of doubt throughout the kidnapping, her first considerable hesitation was after the piercings and wing clippings, but Pinkie was the first one to notice something seriously wrong, and she just ran away. She didn't go for help or alert any of the others. Twilight was the only one to return the next day, and if she hadn't...

She didn't want to think about it, and with how fragile things still were, she didn't want to derail anything by yelling at her. Besides, Pinkie's fears were justified. By that point, Rarity's sadism had gone full tilt, and to her, both Rainbow and Fluttershy were worth nothing more than their feathers for her dresses. If she had been caught, there was no doubt in Twilight's mind that there would have been three pets instead of two.

The front door opened, and in came Rainbow from another day at work.

"Hey there, Dash. How was work?"

"Lookin' forward to a day off tomorrow, that's for sure. Anything ready for dinner?"

"No, not yet, but you're welcome to fix up whatever you like. I didn't know what you wanted tonight."

Rainbow took the invitation to go into the kitchen and begin boiling a pot of water.

She hadn't been home ten minutes before there was a knock at the door. Twilight put down her book and went to see who it was. Opening it, she was greeted by Applejack.

"Evenin' Twilight. I hope ya don't mind, but I, uh... I brought a little something for Rainbow."

"Sure, come on in."

The 'little something' turned out to be an entire barrel of the Apple Family cider, which Applejack promptly rolled in on its side. By this time, Rainbow had come out of the kitchen to see who the visitor was.

"Cider season isn't for another two weeks, though."

"'Ah know that. This isn't a belated birthday gift or nothin', this is just...well, my way of startin' to make amends. Free of charge, two weeks before cider season even begins. Nopony else did any work towards this barrel. 'Ah bucked, inspected, and pressed every single apple that went into this barrel."

Applejack lifted it up to the table, got a tap out from her saddlebag, and proceeded to hook it up.

"So, enjoy."

As she turned to leave, Rainbow spoke up.

"AJ, where are you going?"

"Home," AJ said, as if the answer wasn't completely obvious.

"Twilight and I aren't gonna be able to go through this whole barrel. Stay and have a few drinks."

This set off a red flag with Twilight.

"Uh, Rainbow, actually, I probably shouldn't, uh..."

"Come on, Twilight. One drink isn't gonna kill ya. It's been forever since I've had this stuff, and I want some ponies to enjoy it with. Now come on, go get some mugs."

Silently, Twilight went to the kitchen and got three mugs. AJ took them from her magical grasp, and filled them up, handing them out.

'Rainbow's right,' Twilight thought, as they clinked their mugs together. One drink wasn't going to do any harm.

It had been more than one drink, to say the least. AJ kept matching Rainbow mug for mug, and finally having ponies in the library, having somepony to converse with, made Twilight not want to be left out, so she did her best to keep up. It had started out with some friendly banter, but slowly but surely, the past began to rear it's undesirable head, and soon enough, the elephant in the room was out in the open, with AJ and Rainbow sitting on the floor against the table, almost directly under the barrel, and Twilight off to the side against a bookshelf.

"What would you have done?" AJ drunkenly asked in response to Rainbow's asking them for alternatives to kidnapping her.

"What we're doing right now. Talk. Talk to me. As a group."

The farmer offered no immediate response to this.

"What, did you think I wouldn't listen?" Rainbow pressed, taking another swallow of her eleventh mug of cider.

"Took you an awful long time to listen down there, with the whip and everything..."

AJ glanced at her eleventh mug, and continued her answer.

"But lets go your route. Alright. We talked to ya, and ya don't listen. Then what?"

"Sever the friendship. Ever think of that before kidnapping me? Yeah, kidnapping me and torturing me to save our friendship is WAAAY better than simply cutting ties with me."

AJ took another swig, already tired of this argument.

"What do you want from me?"

"I didn't do anything to you directly. I want to know why me neglecting my commitments to other ponies made YOU be one of the most sadistic down there."

"Was right dishonest what you were doin'. I don't tolerate liars under normal circumstances but seeing the constant disappointment on everypony's faces....I couldn't take that no more."

“So you kidnap and try to make sex slaves out of every liar you come across? Bet that works out real great. No wonder we haven't heard from Flim and Flam again.”

"Ya know darn well all that was Rarity's idea!"

"Yet you went through with it. Seems like an awfully dishonest thing to do to someone you consider a friend, 'honest Applejack.'"

AJ reeled back from the comment.

"So what was it huh?" Dash pressed, knowing she had struck a nerve with the stubborn farmer. "What was it really that had you enjoying your power over me so much? Or was it just that you simply wanted to be better than me?"

"Damn it, Rainbow. Fine, I was jealous of you! You have it so easy. You get up, move a few clouds around, and spend most of the afternoon napping, instead of spending that time keeping your promises. Meanwhile I'm at the farm, lucky if I get all my chores done before dinner! So there! At the time, I used my jealousy as an excuse to be unbelievably cruel to you. Is that what you wanted to hear?! I'm havin' a real hard time living with that. And it don't matter where I go. Whether here, or Dodge, or anywhere. I'll never be able to own up to what I did, or how I relished the feeling of finally breaking you. Truth is, you didn't deserve one bit of what we did to you.”

Applejack paused to point at the barrel of cider.

“That's one barrel. Barely 500 bits worth. I could give you the entire seasons worth, even bankrupt the farm, and that still wouldn't be just retribution. I've never liked takin somethin' I haven't earned, and that includes your forgiveness."

Applejack finished the last swallow of cider in her mug.

"Besides, I was done after that, after what Rarity said about where to put my earring. I wasn't gonna continue if she couldn't respect those helping her."

AJ barely noticed it in time, but managed to duck just before a mug flew inches above where her head just was, and shattered against the edge of the table.

After being showered with ceramic shards, they looked to Twilight, who had gotten up from where she was sitting.

"You can't be serious. Are you kidding me? First Pinkie, then you? You weren't coming back either? Because of one stupid remark? Are you fucking kidding me?!?"

Rainbow and Applejack were speechless as Twilight angrily wobbled towards them, unbalanced.

"I thought we had all agreed that it was for her own good. And yet one by one we were going to abandon her down there. So if I didn't come back, she would've been left alone to Rarity's sadism? Is that the friendship we were trying to save?!?!"

Applejack winced as Twilight screamed at her.

"You fucking cowards. Pinkie didn't go for help, and you were more concerned about your damned earth pony pride than you were with the friend we were 'helping'!"

Twilight shoved Applejack against the table on the last word of her sentence.

"Twilight, I-"

"Get out." Twilight said, aggressively moving forward, making AJ get to her feet and back up towards the door.

"But-"

"Get out! Come back when you realize that her forgiveness isn't something you can earn, and you learn to accept it and move forward!

Twilight gave AJ a final shove out of the front door and slammed it closed with her magic.

Awkward silence fell over the library for the next 10 seconds as Twilight glared angrily at the front door.

The silence was broken by a hiccup coming out of Rainbow's mouth.

"I...I gotta say, I can tell why you did this to yourself for all those months." she muttered, taking another swallow of cider.

"Do you love me, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, turning back towards the hammered Pegasus slouched against the table.

"If not, why are you living here? Just to tease me by sleeping across from me every night? And if so, are you gonna start showing it? I agreed when you said to take it one day at a time, but it's been a month. Can you give me anything? Having you here, so close, yet so far away, is torture."

Twilight stopped in her tracks, realizing what she had just said. A moment later, she was laughing at the sheer irony of her choice of words.

"Oh who am I kidding? There's nothing of me left to love, Dash. A failed Princess and an expelled student. All that's left is the librarian who's shunned by the entire town. Go...go and find somepony worthy of your love."

She swayed, first left, then right, then fell forward, rolling onto her left side, 3 feet from Rainbow, and went still.

Snores escaped from her mouth five seconds later.

Rainbow sat there, not moving, taking in the sight of her passed out roommate. Letting out another hiccup, she finished her mug, then finally decided that she should probably go get something to eat, and got up to go to the kitchen.

She didn't make it ten feet before falling over, and the only sounds in the library came from the two passed out, snoring ponies.

The first thing to register in Rainbow's mind was the splitting headache as she awoke with a groan.

The second, was the sounds of vomiting coming from the bathroom.

With another groan, Rainbow slowly got to her hooves.

"No, no, no..." she moaned, fairly sure of what she had caused last night.

She wobbled over to the bathroom, and sure enough found Twilight sitting in front of the toilet, the front half of her body leaned over the bowl.

"Twilight, are you okay?" she asked, as the alicorn slowly raised her head out of the toilet bowl.

"Nothing I'm not used to... Just been awhile, that's all."

"I'll get some bread..." the pegasus replied, turning to the kitchen, wincing at the morning light coming through the windows.

"Rainbow, stop... Wait."

Dash returned to the door way, dizzy.

"I'm...I'm sorry for what I said last night. I didn't mean it, it was just-"

"Twilight... Don't worry about it. I... I shouldn't have encouraged you to drink..."

Rainbow meant every word of that, as she made her way to the kitchen to grab the pack of bread. One, because she had completely ignored the fact that Twilight had been six months sober, and two... She couldn't quite remember half of what was said last night just yet.

She grabbed the bread off the counter, opened it, and stuffed two slices in her mouth and chewed and swallowed them as fast as she could. Better to swallow them as dry as possible so there's something to absorb the alcohol left in her stomach. She returned to the bathroom to find Twilight drinking from the sink faucet. She set the bread next to her.

"I'm gonna go make sure AJ made it home safely. I'll be back..." she muttered, before going to the last place she wanted to be at the moment; outside.

It was a short walk to the market, and saw Big Mac at the Apple Family kiosk, which he had taken over for the past year.

"Mornin' Rainbow," he greeted as she came up to the kiosk.

"Hey there, Big Mac. Did Applejack get home last night?"

"Eeyup," he affirmed with a nod. "We found her sleeping in the barn. Took her inside. Not much of a hangover, but then again, AJ's always been one to hold her liquor."

"That's good to hear."

"Hey, Rainbow. I need to tell you something..."

The door to AJ's room opened with a soft creak, and the farmer heard it click close before seeing Granny Smith come into view. From her position laying on the bed, she glanced at the clock, and saw that it was five past 1 pm.

"So I take it that gift of cider went over well?" the Apple family elder asked, coming up to AJ's bed. She didn't offer a response.

"Or...not?"

"Cider went over well enough, Granny."

"But that's not the problem, is it darlin'?"

"I don't think I can do this."

"Ain't like you to give up on somethin'"

"Ain't done nothing like this before."

"Now what would you be talking about? What you did to Rainbow, or accepting forgiveness for it?"

Applejack sat up, and turned to sit on the edge of her bed, facing her grandmother.

"Did they ever tell you what I did to her?" she asked, her voice starting to crack. Granny Smith shook her head.

"The investigators refused to tell us much of anythin', and you were near silent as the grave 'til the day you left."

"I whipped her, I tied her down, I raped her, and then... I... I watched as the others shocked her with a cattle prod, pierced her, and clipped her wings. Then, when she was broken, and crying harder than I heard anyone cry before... I was glad. I was glad and proud of my work."

"Lookin' to teach her a lesson about her ego, but it sounds like y'all needed the lesson too."

Applejack could not believe the lack of reaction from her grandmother. She had just told her how unspeakably cruel she had been and... She just sat there!

"Now why are you havin' such a hard time accepting that she wants to move past it, and help the rest of you do the same?"

"Even if I could earn it, what we did... What I did, was unforgivable."

"Who's to say it's something you can earn AJ? You could work the rest of your life to make up for what you did and none of it would mean a gosh darn thing if she didn't want to forgive you. You can't earn her forgiveness because it's not something that can be earned. It has to be given and accepted, only then can you truly begin to move past all this. You've been able to set your pride aside before, and you need to do it again now."

Granny Smith paused for a moment.

“Who died and put you in charge of deciding what is and isn't forgivable? I reckon there are plenty of ponies out there who'd agree with ya on that, but Rainbow Dash seems to think that's not the case. Shouldn't her opinion count for somethin'?'”

“I can't just...pretend it never happened.”

'Nopony's expectin' ya to, that's not how it works. Just because she forgives ya doesn't mean things will return to what they were before. It ain't 'forgive and forget' child. She wants to forgive ya and be able to start working towards what y'all had before, and it ain't like ya to shy away from work that needs doing, no matter how hard. Remember you ain't gonna be goin' at it alone."

AJ shifted in her sitting position.

"Fine, you want to earn her forgiveness? Here's how."

Granny Smith took Applejack by the hoof, and stood her up from the bed. Together, they walked down the room to the closed bedroom door, and she stood Applejack in front of the full length mirror, and took a few steps to the side.

"Here's what you have to do. Her forgiveness won't do a lick of good, unless you can forgive yourself. So look at Applejack, and apologize to her."

Applejack stared at her reflection, as tears began to prick her eyes.

"I'm... I'm sorrry, Applejack."

No, no that wasn't going to be good enough.

"I turned you into a monster... I fed a side of you that relished in the suffering of one of your best friends. Please forgive me."

As she sniffled, trying to hold back the tears, Granny Smith came back to her side, seemingly satisfied.

"Now there's one more pony you have to do that for, alright?"

She walked over to the door, and opened it.

"Come on in, sweetheart."

Rainbow quietly walked in the room, and Applejack immediately felt through a lump in her throat.

"But she has something to say to you first." the Apple elder informed her.

"Applejack..." Rainbow began, walking up to the farmer. "I'm sorry, AJ. I'm sorry that my broken promises and commitments made you believe you had to do that to me."

Hearing Rainbow apologize to her was the breaking point, and Applejack couldn't hold back the floodgates any longer as she turned and walked back towards the bed, shoulders heaving. Rainbow followed, Granny Smith slightly behind, observing.

"Is there something you want to say to her?" her grandmother encouraged.

Applejack continued to silently sob, and turned to Rainbow, tears streaming down her face.

"Rainbow..." she gasped, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry you had to see that side of me. I'm glad you're back home, and I'm glad you brought me home to my family. I solemnly swear, on my family's name, that from today, until the day you forgive me, and every day until I die, I will be the friend I should have been."

Rainbow took a step forward and pulled the farmer into a hug, as she wailed into her mane, and Granny Smith made a silent exit. AJ clung to the pegasus for several minutes, and slowly broke the embrace.

"I'm so glad Twilight had the sense to get you out of there." she said with a sniffle.

"Yeah, me too."

"How're... How're you two doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Rainbow, they showed us the letter you left her. You told her you dreamed of her often when you all brought us back, and I'm sorry, but her reaction to that move in Twister last week was kinda obvious."

"I, uh... I don't know how we're doing. Haven't really been working on it."

"Well, she loves ya, Dash. Hope you realize that."

"I know..."

Rainbow gave Applejack one last hug.

"I know."

Indecision

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Indecision

Rainbow began to stir, and rolled onto her back with a stretch. She opened her eyes, and noticed that she was not in the library. Tilting her head to the right, she saw she was laying on a mattress, and the cinder block wall five feet away immediately felt familiar.

Rarity's basement.

Rainbow shot to her hooves, eyes still acclimating to the dark. Panic turned to confusion when she realized she wasn't restrained in any way. Then she heard the rattling of chains. She pinpointed the sound to the back wall, but couldn't see anything due to the darkness. As she squinted to try and make out the source of the noise, a single light on the ceiling came on, and shone down on the captive chained to the wall.

"Twilight?" Rainbow asked, confused, getting off of the mattress and walking over to her.

"What's going on here?"

"We're waiting for you to decide." Twilight answered. Her eyes were hidden by a blindfold, a magic limiter, or 'sap cap', had been fastened to the tip of her horn, and a bridle was strapped around her head.

"We?"

"Yeah, the two ponies whom you can't decide if you love."

This new voice came from behind. Rainbow Dash whipped her head around, and from the darkness, walked in another Twilight; this one clad in black leather. In the purple aura of her magical grasp was a quill, parchment, and whip.

"M-Mistress..." the chained, captive, submissive Twilight greeted nervously.

Her greeting was replied to with a lash from the whip on her right thigh. She cried out in pain.

"Stop it!" Rainbow said, charging at the leather-clad alicorn. With a flash, she simply winked out and reappeared out of Rainbow's path, giving her a smirk.

"N-not until you decide..." the captive Twilight whimpered.

"Decide what?"

"If you love me or not..."

"I... I don't know!"

'Mistress' Twilight turned to Rainbow, and lashed out with the whip, the tip cracking the ground inches in front of her hooves, causing Rainbow to jump back in fear. Twilight winked out again, reappearing directly in the pegasus' face.

"Exactly. You don't know because you're afraid."

A piercing gun appeared in Twilight's magical grip, which she waved in front of Rainbow's face.

"More than that, you're terrified that you might love one of the ponies that tortured you."

"But also the pony that freed you," submissive Twilight finished.

Without warning, Mistress Twilight turned her attention back to her slave, stuck the gun in her nostrils, and pulled the trigger.

Submissive Twilight screamed in pain, as her Mistress removed the gun, and fit a steel ring to the piercing.

"Stop hurting her!!" Rainbow yelled, trying to catch her off guard as she was focused on finishing fastening the nose ring, but Mistress Twilight once again winked out and back, away from Rainbow's tackle.

"Silly Dashie, we're one and the same. I'm not hurting her, you are."

She lashed out with the whip again, catching her slave on the opposite thigh, getting a yelp in response.

"This is in your head; you want to do to her what she did to you."

"No, never!" Rainbow objected.

"Join me Dash, Mistress loves me... She can love you too."

"But she's already joined me. Your place is as Twilight's mistress, and you've been an excellent one so far. You're torturing her; living with her, sleeping across from her, teasing her, but never committing. She doesn't deserve you, she is boring without you and you have to remind her of that."

"She loves me, I don't have to worry or take care of myself, Mistress rewards my good behavior. We love each other. Please love me, Mistress."

"Look at her groveling, begging. She has no right to love you. You need to punish her, make her beg you for the privilege of licking your hooves clean."

"I want to clean Mistress' hooves, I want to prove I love her every way I can."

Mistress Twilight lashed out with the whip again, her angle much higher on this swing, and it cracked across Twilight's right cheek, and she let out another scream. Rainbow wanted to charge at her again, but stayed her hooves, knowing she would wink out again.

"Stop! Please!" she begged instead.

"She is nothing but an object to serve you, to take out your anger on or sate your lust by eating out your throbbing slit."

"The... The pain reminds me how lucky I am to have my Mistress..." the slave Twilight whimpered, shuddering, a bruise starting to form on her cheek.

Rainbow stared helplessly at her friend hanging on the wall from chains. She felt magic grip her front right hoof as it was lifted off the ground, and the whip was placed in it.

"Go on. You know you want to. Make her love you. Show her how lucky she is that you're even considering forgiving her. Remind her what she did."

"Please... I've been naughty. I did horrible things and you need to punish me so I know you love me and want to fix me."

"Make her bleed and grovel, force her to apologize until her throat is too hoarse to spell. Only then, will you make her jam her muzzle in your marehood like a good slave and eat you out."

Rainbow's hooof trembled. She somehow knew that Twilight's eyes were pleading through the blindfold as she squirmed in the chains... She did want it. Mistress Twilight came to her side.

"Remember the first night you came back?" she began, whispering in her ear. "You pretty much raped her. You made her yours...and she loved it."

"Yes, it feels so good to have a pony take charge, and give me exactly what I deserve..."

"Your slave is begging for her punishment. It's how she knows you love her. Are you going to give it to her?"

"No," Dash protested. "I don't want to hurt her."

"Please... Do it for me."

"Why would you want me to hurt you?"

"To show me you love me."

"That doesn't make any sense! I'm better than her! I'm better than Rarity!"

"Then why are you still holding the whip?" Mistress Twilight asked.

She looked down, and discovered that she had not immediately dropped the whip when it was handed to her.

"Here, perhaps you need some help."

Rainbow felt her grip on the whip tighten as it was surrounded by Twilight's magical grasp. Her muscles acting against her will, she raised the whip up, and brought it down, the end cracking down on submissive Twilight's stomach, and she responded with a cry.

"Stop!" Dash protested, her foreleg rearing back again, and striking the whip again lower down Twilight's stomach, inching closer against her moist marehood.

"Stop it!" she pleaded. She brought it back one last time, and swung it out even harder, and time, caught Twilight right on her swollen clit.

"STOP!!!" she screamed, but couldn't hear herself over the shriek of pain that Twilight gave out.

"STOP!!!" Rainbow screamed, shooting up from a laying position, taking in a gasping breath as she realized the location had changed again. She was half underneath a twin bed comforter.

"Rainbow, are you alright?" she heard Twilight ask. She looked over to her, sitting on the edge of her bed in the library, having tried to wake her. "You were thrashing about pretty bad there."

Dash felt an increasing pressure in her stomach, and she threw herself at the alicorn, wrapping her forelegs around her as she burst into tears. Twilight returned the embrace.

"Please... I don't want to hurt you... I won't hurt you..." she whimpered through her sobs.

"You haven't hurt me at all. It was just a nightmare."

Twilight tried to soothe Rainbow by continuing to hug her and rub her back as she cried it out. After a few minutes, she figured something to drink would help.

"Wait here, I'll be right back."

She went downstairs to the kitchen and quickly brewed up some tea. Returning upstairs, she offered the lightly steaming cup to her roommate, who sniffled, and accepted it with her two front hooves.

"I'm sorry, Twilight," she said, taking a sip of the hot, honey-flavored drink.

"Rainbow, you have nothing to be sorry for, alright?"

"I do..." the pegasus answered, taking another drink. "I never should have encouraged you to drink with me and AJ last night. I never should have written that letter to you before I left. I was so hurt, so angry... I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Justifiably so."

"Still... I could have just left that one letter for all of you. But no, I had to do another one just for you, rejecting you... And you still waited here for me for a year, when everypony else left."

Twilight didn't reply to this, not entirely sure how to respond.

"You had a point last night, after you kicked AJ out... I told you we should take it one day at a time, and we haven't been. It's been a standstill. I'm sorry. I guess I was just stalling while I figured out if I really wanted..."

Rainbow took another sip of tea while she searched for the right words.

"I want to return your affection, Twilight. But... My heart just won't let me. Something is missing, some piece to all this isn't here, and I have to find out what it is."

Twilight slid closer to Rainbow as she sipped at her tea.

"Rainbow, the cider got the better of my tongue last night. Do you know how grateful I am that you came back? The fact that you're here, living with me is more than enough for now, and certainly more than I deserve. Don't let my short bouts of impatience convince you otherwise, okay? So you take as long as you need, to find out what you need to do to bury this. I promise I'll wait for as long as it takes."

Rainbow nodded, and took another sip. Halfway through her drink, her ears perked up, as she came to a realization.

"That's it. That's it! That's what I need to do!" she exclaimed to herself quietly.

"What...?" Twilight asked, noticing the metaphorical light bulb had come on above Rainbow's head.

"Can I get a quill, ink, and parchment? I need to write a letter to the Princess."

"Alright, but Spike isn't here, so..."

"We'll send it by Royal Air in the morning, I've got the bits."

Twilight walked over to her desk while Rainbow made herself comfortable on the floor. She returned with a roll of parchment, a quill, ink, and a lit candlestick for her to work by. As Rainbow began to write the letter, Twilight went to get the teapot, and set it gently down next to her cup. Wanting to respect Rainbow's privacy, she returned to bed, letting Rainbow write in peace, wondering what it was that she was going to try next.

Exasperation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Exasperation

Dear Rainbow Dash,

I believe I would be able to help you with your request. Luna and I are available for an audience early Thursday afternoon. Come to Canterlot Castle, and this letter will get you through the checkpoints to the throne room. I'm looking forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Rainbow Dash stepped off the train onto the platform of the Canterlot train station. She took a glance at the clock on top of the ticket booth, and saw that she had some time to kill, as it was only 12:00 PM.

As they no longer had a direct line to the Princess, it had taken a week and a half for her letter to make its way through the pipelines, and for the Princess to have enough time to send a formal reply. As Thursday was the only day they were available, according to the reply, she convinced Thunderlane to cover her shift that day, and she boarded the morning train up to Canterlot.

She had only had a light breakfast before leaving, and she had the time, so she decided to grab a bite to eat. She had only been here a handful of times, and the last time was Twilight's coronation more than a year ago, so she really didn't have a preference, and decided to pick something that looked good on her way to the castle.

After ten minutes of walking, she spotted a sandwich shop that looked pretty good. Standing in line and ordering a lily and daisy croissant with cheese and hay fries, she sat down at one of the outside tables.

"Well, look who it is," she heard somepony greet her before she even took a bite of her meal. She looked up, and saw Spitfire walking up to her table.

"Hey," Rainbow greeted nonchalantly, having a pretty good idea of what the Wonderbolts captain wanted.

"I was kind of surprised that we never heard from you when you skipped town a year ago."

"Like you would have believed me when I told you the reason I'm late was because my friends kidnapped me and raped me?"

"The Princess' investigation would have brought truth to that excuse. I had hoped when I announced that we were extending your recruitment deadline, that it would convince you to come back."

"I wasn't able to fly. They clipped my wings down there. I was grounded for seven months."

"We would've waited for you. We still are, to be honest with you."

"Yeah, well, I was just trying to find myself. Seemed more important."

"Well... Have you found yourself then? We'd still love to have you on the team."

"I knew I could become a Wonderbolt whenever I wanted, Spitfire, but that's the problem. I don't want to anymore."

Spitfire gawked.

"But- becoming a Wonderbolt... That's your dream! I've never seen anypony as passionate as you, why wouldn't you want to do something you've spent your whole life yearning for?"

"Why? Spitfire, they broke me down there. They broke me, and then their plan fell apart. I ran away a frightened, angry, broken mare; alone, and with no one to help me put the pieces back together. The mare you sent that acceptance letter to... That cocky, arrogant stunt flier... She died in Rarity's basement. I'm sorry, but, that's just the way it is."

"Well," Spitfire began, giving Rainbow a look of disappointment, but understanding, "if she ever comes back, that invitation is still open. I'll let you enjoy your lunch."

Spitfire proceeded to go inside and get in line, order her food, and left with a to-go bag without another word to Rainbow. She took another ten minutes to enjoy her food, then, looking at the time, decided it was time to head to the castle. She got up, put her tray and glass above the waste bin near the entrance, and was on her way.

The city blocks closer to the castle were less retail businesses and more government buildings. One of the largest of these was the Canterlot Courthouse. Walking past the long staircase up to the main lobby, Rainbow was nearly at the castle, about to make the final walk to the main entrance, when she heard another pony call her out.

"Fancy seeing you here, Rainbow Dash."

Knowing who the voice belonged to immediately made her regret not flying directly to the castle. She turned her head to glance at the Canterlot prosecutor, Swiften Just.

"Why aren't you down in Ponyville, bonding with your kidnappers?"

From what Rainbow heard, Swiften had been relentless in his pursuit against Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, even before she had returned to town. He had fought tooth and nail to keep the restraining orders in place for as long as possible. He convinced Princess Celestia to keep them under constant surveillance when they scattered, organized the nationwide search effort for her, and had tried to get her to cooperate on convicting them on the last day that they were legally able to do so.

If she was honest with herself, she almost did. Twilight was the one who had gotten her out. She hadn't yet known that the others were just as regretful over their involvement.

Judging on the way he greeted her, she knew that the past month had done little to douse his anger over his case collapsing when she had chosen to forego formal charges. She thought it would be best to ignore him, so she continued her slow trot towards the castle gates, but the lawyer kept pace with her.

"What's the matter? Can't you explain why you let four rapists walk free? Why you couldn't go and find some friends that actually care about you?"

As hard as it was, Dash kept walking, the gates only fifty feet away. She could get in, go to where he wouldn't be allowed to follow, and-

"You coward."

This made Rainbow stop in her tracks. Her wings flaring up in anger, she turned to face Swiften, bringing her face within inches of his.

This stallion deserved to get knocked to the ground with a good buck or two, and it took all of her restraint to not do so at this very moment, knowing that he was not worth the trouble it would get from the guards.

"I don't need to explain a fucking thing to you. You determine the success of your career not by how many criminals you rehabilitate, but just by how many you throw behind bars."

She was finally able to fold her wings back in, and take a step back, giving him a smirk.

"But thank you. You've made me feel even better about my decision. I'd rather their fates be in the hooves of an unstable torture victim like me, instead of in the hooves of a merciless, cold-hearted suit like you. You like punishing bad ponies? Locking them up hoping it'll make them learn to behave? Well who knows? If your judicial career goes under you could always convert your office into a sex dungeon, since you certainly seem to have the right mindset."

Swiften seethed in anger, but didn't want to give Rainbow the satisfaction of an audible response.

"Have a nice day," the pegasus finished.

With that, she left the prosecutor speechless at the gates, as she showed the guards her letter, and was allowed inside.

The castle was rather dull when there weren't any formal events going on. The most common site was patrolling guards, with the occasional dignitary going about their daily business. It wasn't terribly far to the throne room. Another pair of guards were on duty, and Rainbow showed the letter to the one on the left. He read it, verified it, and returned it to her.

"Princess Celestia is running a little behind schedule, Miss Dash. She should be here shortly. Princess Luna is already waiting inside if you wish to meet with her."

Dash thought for a moment, and nodded. The guard lit his horn, and the throne room doors opened enough to let Rainbow through, closing shortly after. She slowly made her way down the red carpet, glancing at the various stained glass windows decorating both walls, as she walked to the throne, where she saw Luna sitting off to the side, reading a parchment. If she had noticed the Pegasus' arrival, she hadn't shown it. Rainbow came to the bottom of the stairs and stopped, waiting for some acknowledgement.

"That was quite a request my sister received from you," the Princess of the Night greeted.

Rainbow decided that since she was here, alone, with Luna, that there would not be a better time to get a weight off of her shoulders.

"A request I wouldn't have had to make if you had stayed out of my fucking head, instead of making me a murderer."

This caused Luna to look up from her parchment, and finally direct her gaze at Rainbow.

"You think it was murder? If anything, it was a crime of passion, and a justified one, at that."

"Call it whatever the fuck you want. You made me kill her."

"I did no such thing. I placed you there, but your actions were your own."

"Screw that! As the Princess of the Night, you know that when somepony knows they're dreaming, sometimes their mind convinces them to do things they wouldn't normally do. I knew I was dreaming. What I didn't know is that it would have real world consequences."

Rainbow took a breath before continuing.

“I didn't say anything in the mayor's office...but don't you ever manipulate my dreams again. Do you understand me, Princess?”

“I manipulated nothing. The choices were yours and yours alone.”

“The fuck you didn't! You put my subconscious into hers! So you honestly expected me to just stand there and do nothing until my mind decided to wake up? You chained her to that slab with all those tools available, and you expected me to keep my anger in check??”

“The setting was in her mind. I did not alter it, I merely placed you in it. Did I have a good idea of what you were going to do? Yes. It was the best form of justice I could think of. Her actions had shattered your circle of friendship, broken your alignments with the Elements, and deeply scarred your mind. Her fate was best left in your hooves.”

“No. That's why we have a subconscious, because we all have thoughts and wishes that we shouldn't bring through to reality, and now, thanks to you, I've murdered somepony."

Luna took a few moments before replying.

"She masterminded the entire thing, convinced the others to take part, and not to mention, she lied to them. She never had any intention of letting you go, and you're saying you were going to include her in this effort of yours? You were going to try to forgive her, is that what you're saying?"

"I'm saying... That you took away so many possibilities. Of her waking up. Of us finding out what happened to her. Of her facing ACTUAL justice. Of her rotting in jail, so she could see me undo the damage she did to all of us. So she could watch as I help Fluttershy think for herself again. So she could see us heal the friendships she decimated, and prove to her that the dominating power she got high on was all for nothing. Those were all choices you decided to take away, and I'm saying that was not your decision to MAKE!!!"

The echo of Rainbow's final screaming word echoed off of the windows, and finally died down. A few moments of silence passed, and the throne room door opened. A royal guard took a few steps inside.

"Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty. Miss Dash, Princess Celestia is ready for you whenever you are."

Rainbow Dash glanced back at the guard, and then to Luna one last time.

"I'm already through."

With that, she turned around, and left the throne room, where Princess Celestia was waiting with an elegant pair of saddlebags, seemingly unaware of the exchange that had just taken place inside the throne room.

"Hello, Rainbow. Good to see you again. How have you been?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Well enough."

"Shall we go back inside?" she asked.

"No, I'm already done with Luna, I'm ready to talk to you now."

The Princess of the Sun nodded, and motioned down the hall.

"This way, let's go to my private study."

The walk took less than two minutes. Celestia parted a set of double doors with her magic, and they stepped inside a small room with a couple tables and couches, with several bookshelves lining the walls. Celestia lit a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, coating the room in a warm glow, sat at the table, and cleared her throat.

"Alright, Rainbow, Where should we begin?"

"First things first. Do you have what I asked for?"

"I do."

"So what are we doing here? Where do you keep-"

Celestia's horn lit up, and the left flap of the saddlebags she was wearing opened, and out came a small, shimmering golden urn.

It was taller than it was wide, looking more like a scroll canister than anything else, and was highly decorative, with three diamonds encrusted on it, each one placed evenly a third of the way around the circumference.

"You had her cremated?" Rainbow asked softly, studying the elegant container as Celestia gently set it on the table.

"Her immediate family wouldn't accept the body. I thought this was the most appropriate thing to do."

Rainbow continued to study the urn as she picked it up in her hooves carefully.

"Seems awfully decorative for what she did," she remarked. Aside from the diamonds, the top and bottom of the urn was encrusted with rubies and sapphires. After several seconds of looking at it from top to bottom, Rainbow noticed that there wasn't any noticeable lid, and figured that it had been magically sealed.

"I decided to honor what she was before this mess started; the Element of Generosity. A heroine of Equestria."

Princess Celestia removed another item, a sealed portrait envelope, and likewise gave it to Rainbow.

"That's everything you requested in your letter," she said, as Rainbow carefully put both items in her own saddlebag. "Now I believe you wanted to discuss something with me?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Princess... What happened to the Elements of Harmony?" Rainbow asked, closing her bags.

After several moments of silence, Celestia rose from her position at the table.

"I think, perhaps, that it would be less complicated to show you, rather than tell you. Care for a short trip?" she asked.

Rainbow nodded, and Celestia's horn lit up bright. Soon, Rainbow had to shield her eyes with a foreleg to avoid being blinded. After a flash, the light died down, and Rainbow lowered her leg, and realized they were no longer in the castle, but outside.

"Where are we?" she inquired, looking around. They were in a chasm of some kind, that was for certain.

"Below my old castle, where you first found the Elements." Celestia replied, leading Rainbow through the natural corridor. Rainbow peered up, and saw the bridge high above, that she had tied off for the rest of her friends, proving her worthiness for the Element of Loyalty.

Around a bend was a small cavern, out of which light was currently escaping, even in the afternoon light. Celestia walked in, followed quickly by Dash, and she stood in awe of what she saw.

"The Tree of Harmony." Celestia announced.

It was certainly a sight to behold, not only because of the light it gave off, but due to the fact that it had somehow grown underground. Shimmering white spheres hung in clusters off of nine separate branches, the ends of five of them containing a jewel from the necklaces which they previously rested in. Rainbow guessed that the Element of Magic was in the star-shaped enclosure in the center, above the sun and moon symbols.

"This is where Luna and I first found the Elements, while Discord's chaos still ran rampant throughout the land. We took them from their resting place, and used them to restore peace to Equestria. Without anyone to wield them, we saw it appropriate to return them here."

"What if you need them again?"

"From here, the Tree of Harmony keeps the Everfree Forest tranquil. In an emergency, Luna and I could return here and take them again, but we hope such an emergency doesn't arise. The Tree has a very powerful magic, which has slowly drained over the past one thousand years. With the Elements returned to it, the magic can now be restored and strengthened to what it once was. It's just unfortunate that they had to be returned under these circumstances."

Rainbow stared at the tree for several moments, considering Celestia's words.

"Princess... Is this right, what I'm doing?"

Celestia took her gaze off of the tree, and returned it to the Pegasus standing behind her closer to the cavern entrance.

“Rainbow, the choice was yours and yours alone. They did this to you and you alone. So only you determine what is right and wrong. Now if you're asking me what I think about your decision...”

Rainbow nodded, and Celestia took a moment to consider her words.

“Your loyalty is admirable, as is your deep-rooted desire to fix this. It's clear you realize that you have a long road ahead. I just hope you aren't going to fool yourself into believing it will be like it used to be. I also hope that the four of them realize that if there is forgiveness at the end of this road, it will be from you, and you alone.”

“You can't forgive them?”

“Being the bearers of the Elements of Harmony is a very serious responsibility. By doing what they did, they betrayed that responsibility, each other, and you. Regardless if you are able to repair your broken friendships, to me, there is nothing that convinces me that they won't veer from their morals again.”

“But, what if Rarity's magic-”

“Rainbow, Rarity's magic wasn't the sole reason. In order for a spell like that to work, to blur their moral line, she needed their trust, and their belief that what they were doing was going to work, as well as knowing them so well that she knew how to exploit their weaknesses. She had all three of those things. She had slowly and subtly broken Fluttershy into such a submissive state of mind that she no longer had free will. She took advantage of Applejack's anger over you breaking promises and commitments to others.
Pinkie really hadn't experienced any suffering. Her whole life has been making ponies happy. You were making other ponies suffer. She doesn't know how to fix that. She could cheer the ponies up, but you'd just keep letting them down again. The only way was to fix you. But you were happy with the state things were in. You were happy, so she couldn't make you happy to make the others happy. She had to make you unhappy, then build you back up.
As for Twilight... Rarity made it purely analytic for her. Recording it, framing it as an experiment, taking notes... So that she viewed you as a test subject and not a friend. She made her see it like she sees everything: something to be observed, studied, broken down, and quantified. Every problem has an answer. A lesson to be learned. She wanted to help "fix" you, find the answer to a problem. Your ego was your problem, a formula, and she needed to take notes and figure out the solution. She wasn't thinking about you as a friend, she was too focused on studying and fixing the problem. But as time went on, she couldn't keep focusing, couldn't keep ignoring you. She began to realize that you were more than your ego. She saw you break, she saw you scared out of your mind, no ego to speak of, a vulnerable, suffering pony; all these things that weren't part of the formula she was trying to solve. So she put an end to it. She remembered that you were her friend."

She paused for a moment.

"But that flaw, for even a second, considering her living, breathing friend as an experiment, is why I cannot bring myself to forgive her, regardless if she put a stop to it."

"Just like you couldn't bring yourself to forgive Luna?"

Celestia's eyes widened, clearly not prepared for that kind of response. It was unclear if Rainbow's silence was because she was waiting for a reply, or she was forming her argument in her head. She waited several seconds before continuing.

"She was a bearer of an Element of Harmony too; three in fact. I remember that morning in the old castle. She was in tears, remorseful; just like they are now, even more so. Fluttershy shattered a mirror when I asked her to look at herself. I hugged Pinkie Pie, thanked her for a small birthday party, and she completely broke down into uncontrollable sobs, apologizing over and over again. Applejack is so ashamed that she was barely able to say she was sorry, believing she had to earn my forgiveness. I accidentally made Twilight relapse from six months of being sober."

Dash took another pause. Celestia didn't move.

"I remember what she said to you. 'I'm so sorry, I've missed you so much.' So her actions were forgivable, but theirs aren't? Her eternal night would have destroyed Equestria. It would have made growing crops impossible. Countless ponies would have died. But I know why you forgave her, and it's not because you had 1,000 years to come to terms with it."

Rainbow paused once again, wanting to hammer her ultimate point home.

"It's because that regardless of her crime, regardless of what she did... You still loved her more than anything in the world."

Celestia remained silent as the grave, rendered speechless by Rainbow's rebuttal. The pegasus sat down before continuing.

"I wanted so badly to find another way. I knew that my undying loyalty would be my biggest obstacle when I ran away, so I had my ear re-pierced, so I'd have a visual reminder of what they did every time I looked in the mirror. But no matter where I went, I didn't find an answer. It wasn't until I tried to kill myself that I finally knew why. We are nothing without each other. The only possible reason that I can let this kind of anger and hatred go is because I love them. I love them with all my heart. We all remained shells of who we used to be until I brought us all together again. I know I can heal our wounds. I can eventually forgive them. I can forgive Twilight. But I can't give her a future. I can't give her back everything she worked towards...I can't give her her life back."

Rainbow checked to make sure everything was secure in her saddlebag before getting up.

"Only you can do that."

Not bothering to wait for a response, Rainbow instead opted to let the Princess think about what she said, left the cavern, and took to the sky, heading back towards Ponyville, with what she hoped was the last piece she needed.

Inhumation

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Inhumation

Rainbow Dash trotted through the quarry several miles southwest of Ponyville, her four friends keeping pace behind her. They remembered coming here with Spike after Rarity had been taken by the diamond dogs. It was here that they realized that she wasn't helpless on her own, and that she could indeed take care of herself in jam.

It would be her final resting place.

Rainbow returned from her visit with Celestia, and announced her plans to give Rarity a proper burial. It was to be a private service, only for the five of them. A week later, they had all scheduled their day off, and had traveled out here as a group. The mood had been somber so far; everypony had been silent on the walk out here.

As they continued through the quarry, it began to get foggy. Rainbow Dash had arranged this yesterday, for their small service to be veiled in fog, with a small clear patch where she had selected the grave site. When the fog got thicker and thicker, and then suddenly cleared, they knew they had arrived.

Rainbow set her saddlebags on the ground, and got out a small, mouth-held shovel from the right pocket, followed shortly by the others. They formed a circle, and began digging. With five of them working on the same spot, they had a hole three foot deep dug in a matter of minutes. Rainbow stuck her shovel in the ground, and reached back into her saddlebag, coming up with the magically sealed canister in her hooves. She leaned down, and set it gently in the hole.

Getting back up, she merely stared down at the grave in silence for several seconds with the others.

"Does anypony have anything to say?"

Fluttershy took a step forward, setting her shovel down.

"I'll always remember our weekly spa visits. I'll never forget when I asked you out, and you said yes. It was the happiest moment of my life. I'll always remember our first date. Regardless of what happened to you, or why it happened... I know a part of you, the right part, still loved me. I wish we had a chance to save you."

With that, Pinkie stepped forward.

"We didn't spend the most time together, but that handcar ride back from Dodge Junction was really fun. Thanks to you, I finally settled on Chimicherrychanga. You were always up for some fun, and didn't hesitate to help others. I'll always remember when you and I helped Fluttershy with her assertiveness."

Applejack removed her hat, and likewise stepped forward to speak.

"You and I didn't see eye to eye on a lotta things. But you taught me that sometimes, you can go ahead and take a little pride in looking your best. You taught me to approach some problems and chores with care, and I was mighty proud to help you get closer to your little sister."

Twilight nodded solemnly.

"I'll never forget my first sleepover. I know it was hard for you and AJ to get along at first, but you two really helped me take one of the biggest leaps there was in my first lessons on friendship."

At last, Rainbow stepped forward.

"The gala dress you made for me is the most beautiful thing I have ever worn. The thing that hurts the most is that we'll never have the opportunity to know what happened to you... If there was any chance to save you. I'm so sorry that we'll never get that chance."

With the eulogies complete, Rainbow reached into her saddlebag, and came out with the six cutie mark earrings from the basement, and tossed them in with the canister. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her shovel, followed by her friends, and began filling the grave.

The process took nearly as long, and when they had flattened it out satisfactorily, Twilight levitated a trio of turquoise gemstones and set them in the fresh dirt over the grave. They just sat there, staring at the grave, reflecting on their friend who had passed on.

After a few minutes, Rainbow took another deep breath.

"Well, I guess that's it. We didn't just come out here to bury her. We came out here to bury the past. So... Consider it buried. All of you."

Twilight, who had been to Rainbow Dash's right in the circle they had formed around the grave, walked over, and hugged her. Seconds later, the other three walked around the grave and joined them. They had a few group hugs over the past few weeks, and this one felt the warmest. After a minute, they broke the embrace.

"I need a few minutes alone. I'll meet you girls back in Ponyville." Rainbow told them. They gave her nods, told her to take her time, and were on their way, disappearing into the fog not even 30 feet out.

Rainbow merely sat there in silence, staring at the new grave. She wanted so badly for the circumstances to be different.

"'Consider it buried.'? That's it? Just three words, and it's all behind you?"

Rainbow whipped around, startled at the intrusion, and saw standing on a nearby boulder, just barely visible through the fog, a very familiar face.

"Spike..."

Spike angrily packed up his bindle, and tied it around the stick. Most times, he could understand being left in the dark about things that didn't concern him, but this was different. This involved their friends, some of whom were obviously in danger.

It had all started when Twilight came into the library three nights ago, with an injured Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, both of whom were clearly traumatized. He had immediately been sent away to take care of Fluittershy's animals. Or rather, the remaining animals, who hadn't run off due to Rainbow's negligence. When he came back the next morning, he saw Twilight crying over a letter on the floor of the library, and then things took an insane turn as he helplessly watched Twilight beat Rarity to a bloody pulp.

He had no idea what was going on, but this morning, Twilight had been summoned to Canterlot, where she should be returning from soon. He had no intention of being here when she got back. He figured he would give her a few days alone to remember to keep him in the loop for serious situations involving their friends. He had packed up the last of his things, and was turning for the door when he tripped over one of Twilight's saddlebags, sending some of the contents spilling out to the floor. He almost paid it no mind, but saw a small stack of parchment next to earrings of their cutie marks.

His curiosity piqued, he picked up the parchment to see what it was.

PROJECT MISTRESS DO WELL

The following is documentation of Project Mistress Do Well, an effort from the collaboration of five friends of another close friend, spearheaded by the pony with the most expertise in this particular field, hereafter referred to as 'Project Leader'.

PROBLEM ASSESSMENT
The ignorance and unfulfilled commitments of a close friend, hereafter referred to as the 'subject.' The subject has made multiple commitments and promises, and has not managed her time well. Aforementioned failures have begun to affect the morale and livelihoods of the subject's friends and acquaintences.

SUGGESTED CORRECTIVE ACTION
The project leader has deemed it necessary to put the subject in a controlled environment, remove the egotistical problem, and break down the pony underneath, and build her back up into a mare who can better manage her time and commitments she makes to others.

PREPARATIONS
The Project Leader has prepared her basement as the environment that will serve for the subject's rehabilitation. The manner of capture is currently being discussed. I have suggested to the Project Leader that the rules for the subject should be kept as simple as possible. They are as follows:

RULES
Rule 1: The subject may only speak when spoken to. She must address the one speaking to her as 'Mistress'.

Rule 2: The subject must obey every order Mistress gives, without question or hesitation.

Rule 3: The subject must never attempt to escape, nor inflict harm upon herself or others.

FEEDING PROCEDURES
Subject will be given basic nutritional supplements and water twice a day; once in the morning before sessions begin, and after sessions before bed. Manner of feeding is dependent on the subject's behavior during the sessions. If their behavior is satisfactory, nutrition and water will be served in bowls, and they will be given 5 minutes to consume the meal. Unsatisfactory behavior will result in food being served on the floor, which they will be given 2 minutes to consume, and water will be dispensed through a hose for 30 seconds.

DAY 1
Time elapsed: Approximately one hour.

Although not going precisely according to plan, the capture of the subject was successful. She has been placed in the basement, gagged, and adequately restrained, with her pinion joints temporarily disabled to prevent flight. In order to maintain the ruse of anonymity, the participant who led her to the point of capture was also placed in the basement, feigning unconsciousness.

After the subject regained consciousness, the participant was removed, and the Project Leader went in as the rest observed.

The Project Leader enters and addresses the subject, proceeding to detail the subject's many unsavory and often delinquent actions. After debriefing the subject, the Project Leader begins administering corrective measures even as the subject maintains an arrogant nature. As punishment continues, the subject begins to relent, and the rules are given to her. As expected, the subject's arrogance flares, and the Project Leader is forced to discipline her. The subject is restrained and a noose is fastened around her neck. The subject is then set upon a block of ice and forced to choose between submitting, or death. Unbeknownst to the subject, however, is that the noose is not designed to kill, but to disable her should she choose to end her life in lieu of submitting.

I take the first watch as the other participants get some rest.

Time elapsed: Approximately twelve (12) hours.

As I have witnessed the subject slip and regain her footing multiple times, I have reached the conclusion that she will begin to submit. Her health must be maintained.

However, I had made a poor judgment call in going down alone to comfort the subject, allowing her to relieve herself in the shower when she asked permission. As she began to resist being restrained again, the Project Leader entered, chastising me for my poor decision. While initially ordering me away, she allowed me to stay and document the proceedings. However, the presence of two unicorns in the Mare Do Well costumes has tipped the subject off to our identities. The Project Leader foresaw the anonymity not lasting long.

The subject is gagged, and a bridle and blinders are fitted. The pinion-disabling rings are replaced, and her forelegs are restrained. She is placed into a submissive position in the shower.

The Project Leader reveals her 'trump card', the letter of acceptance in response to the subjects application to an organization, to which she only has a limited time to reply. The subject is given the choice to willfully submit, with the possibility of being released in time to reply, or to continue to resist, and remain in captivity much longer. The bridle is loosened so an answer can be given. The subject curses in anger, prompting more corrective actions. The hot water is turned off, and the subject is left immobile underneath the cold stream of water.

DAY 2
Time elapsed: Approximately fifteen (15) hours.

Regardless of my earlier error, none of the other participants have not seemed to pay attention to the nutritional health of the subject. Seeing how undernourishment would only impede progress, I took it upon myself to temporarily remove the subject from the shower. The water temperature is of no concern, as a Pegasus, her body can endure prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures, regardless of how uncomfortable they may be.

Keeping the subject restrained, I offered her nourishment and water, both in bowls. Despite the hunger that must have surely set in, she knocked them away in resistance. Determined not to let the subject take advantage of my compassion again, I responded by ensuring nutritional intake.

Underneath her Mare Do Well mask, Twilight seethed in anger as the oatmeal and water spilled onto the floor as Dash knocked over both bowls in her thrashing. She could hear her stomach growling for food, yet still her ego wouldn't let her give in. This steeled Twilight's resolve, making her even more sure of the fact that Dash needed their help. Rarity was right, she needed to be more firm.

Going over to a table with various supplies, she grabbed a plastic funnel in her magical grasp, and returned to where Dash laid spread eagle, her violent lunges dying down. Grabbing Dash's body with her magic, she flipped over over onto her back, and placed the funnel in her mouth, pushing the bit down against her tongue. Grabbing hold of the oatmeal that had spilled onto the floor, she began to slowly release it into the funnel.

“You can swallow it, or choke. Your choice.” Twilight said, the suit masking her voice as she placed her left hoof over Dash's nostrils, cutting off her air supply.

Dash coughed, trying to gag as more and more of the near-flavorless oatmeal entered her mouth. The result was a forced cough, but as more space was taken up in her mouth, she could do nothing. Her body unwilling to drown in food, she glared at the masked eyes of the costume, and tears of desperation rolled down her face as she gave in, and swallowed as much as she could in a gulp. Seeing this, Twilight slid her left hoof, allowing air into one nostril so Dash could swallow again. After four giant swallows, she had consumed the serving, and Twilight manipulated the flow of the shower head so that water flowed into the funnel. Rainbow took in the water for another ten seconds, at which point the funnel was removed, and she was turned over to her previous submissive position under the freezing stream, coughing for several moments. Twilight silently washed the funnel, replacing it and the overturned bowls on the table, before returning upstairs.

Time elapsed: Seventeen (17) hours.

Due to keeping close watch on the subject, I have not gotten much additional research done. Another participant has arrived to relieve me of my first watch.

Time elapsed: Twenty-four (24) hours.

We arrived at the end of the second watch to find the second shift sleeping with the subject. Going down as a group, the participant was removed, and corrective action was taken against the subject. Regardless of her knowing who we are, it was made clear that the costumes are so that she must show everypony equal respect, regardless of who they are.

As the Project Leader joined me up in the observation room, we watched as the remaining participant succeeded in making the subject succumb to sexual coercion. Afterward, the restraints were loosened slightly so the subject could get proper rest before the next session.

ADDENDUM
I found myself somewhat concerned about the Project Leader's conduct following today's session. She threatened us all with similar treatment as the subject was undergoing if we undermined her direction again, despite this being a team effort. I conceded to whatever methods she deemed necessary, as long as they were clinically safe. The health and safety of the subject was made my responsibility, and I will see that fulfilled.

DAY 3
Time elapsed: Thirty-four (34) hours.

Live notes. After watching another participant during her rope bondage session with the subject, we prepare to make her choose between the submission of the participant she obviously cares for, and her own submission.

The participant is restrained, pierced, aroused, pierced further, and her primary feathers are clipped. Subject's reactions are fierce resistance, anger, and followed finally by submission and surrender. ~~She is crying quite extensively.~~

~~Concentrating is proving difficult watching the subject breaking.~~ She allows the same to be done to her to spare further corrective action on the participant. We have done it at last, she cares for another pony more than she cares for herself.

At the end of this session, we restrained the subject and participant together, to keep them aroused and teased all night. The Project Leader has noticed my doubts, and has given me her personal assurances that tomorrow, our efforts will bear fruit, and the subject will be ready to be built up into a new and better mare.

ADDENDUM
Despite the aforementioned goal of breaking the subject, and how focused I was towards accomplishing that, it seems that I was... Unprepared, to see the scared, vulnerable pony underneath the egotistical shell.

I cannot help but notice flaws in the overall project now. The Project Leader doesn't seem to be remaining objective. She is deriving personal joy from the rehabilitative measures we are enacting on the subject. I have to remain objective, and ensure the data isn't compromised.

I hope my morale will improve when we begin to build the subject back up in the coming days. We have come too far to fail the subject now. This is for her own good, whether she realizes it or not. Whether I realize it or not.

He didn't know how to feel or think. The pages before him shocked his thought processes into complete paralysis. Sure, Dash needed help keeping her promises, but... Surely, they wouldn't have gone this far...

But here it was, staring him in the face. There it had been, coming through the front door a few nights ago. He clearly remembered how Dash and Fluttershy looked... The state they were both in. He had stood there in shock while Twilight attacked Rarity with a fury he had never seen before. As ludicrous as it all sounded, the pieces came together in his mind.

The disbelief did not evolve to anger, nor hatred or malice. It merely gave in to disappointment and shock.

"Spike...?" he heard a familiar voice softly call from the door.

The parchment in his quivering claws, he slowly turned to face the alicorn he no longer recognized. He held up the notes.

“She...sh-she did th-these... H-horrible things...... And you... You sat there taking notes...”

Spike couldn't bring any more words out of his mouth. He dropped the notes, looked down to his stick-and-bindle, picked it up, and silently walked pasted the stunned alicorn without even making eye contact.

He didn't know what to do or where to go, but he was certain of one thing; he would not be returning.

Rainbow found herself at a loss for words yet again, as she looked at Twilight's former assistant, as he merely stared back at her. After several moments, he stepped off the boulder, walked into the clearing, onto the grave, and reached into his bindle, and took out the damaged fire ruby necklace. He dug a hole through the fresh dirt just small enough to bury it. Rainbow watched as he did this, and then replaced the trio of turquoise.

"I really don't know what to say. I guess the first thing that comes to mind is it couldn't have been easy. To put all that behind you."

"No, it wasn't." Rainbow answered.

"So it doesn't bother you? That you'll never find out what happened to her?"

"It bothers me everyday. Forgiving them isn't nearly as hard as accepting the fact that we'll never find out why she did what she did. The best thing we can do now is honor and remember the friend she used to be."

Spike glanced over at the freshly-made grave site.

"Yeah," he merely responded, getting up from his sitting position, beginning to turn his back to Rainbow.

"There's a place for you there, ya know. Back in Ponyville," she offered, Spike turning to look at her.

"I know it'd... It'd make Twilight... She'd be very happy to see you."

Spike continued looking her in the eyes for several more seconds. It baffled him. How could she live with them? Forgive them?

Maybe it didn't matter how she did it. Only that she had found a way.

"I'll think about it. Just... Don't tell them I was here, alright?"

Rainbow gave a silent nod, and watched as the dragon turned, and disappeared into the fog.

Luna stood on the highest balcony of Canterlot Castle, staring at her clear night sky. She had risen the moon barely fifteen minutes ago, and was settling in for a relaxing shift. Hearing hoofsteps behind her, she turned to see her older sister come out and join her on the balcony. The taller alicorn walked up and took a seat next to her sister, with several moments passing in silence.

"A beautiful sky tonight, Luna."

The Princess of the Night smiled in response, but knew something was amiss.

"You seem troubled, sister. Ever since you returned from your visit with Rainbow Dash. Is everything alright?"

"It's just... Something I need to figure out."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll come to the right decision, 'Tia."

As Luna continued staring out at the horizon, she felt her sisters forelegs wrap around her, as she was pulled into a hug.

"Sister...?" Luna asked, bewildered.

"I love you, little sister. I don't say that often enough."

Luna returned the hug, wondering what had brought on the sudden show of affection.

"I love you too, Celestia."

After several moments, Celestia broke the embrace, and smiled at her younger sibling.

"Have a good night," she bid Luna, and returned indoors to retire for the night.

Adoration

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Adoration

As afternoon gave way to evening after the funeral, Twilight returned to the library after some quick shopping at Sugar Cube Corner. Coming through the front door, she saw Rainbow relaxing in front of the currently blazing fireplace. On this cool night, the flames were inviting. She came up next to the pegasus, and saw what she was doing.

In the crackling flames was a yellow portrait envelope, and a black plastic tape case. She could see the melted tape through the clear plastic, and charred remnants of her notes she had taken as the envelope burnt away.

Next to Rainbow was her saddlebag, with the end of a cloak hanging out of the right bag. The fabric was a very fine gray silk, with silver embroidery along the edges.

"Is this what I think it is?" Twilight asked, lifting the portion of the cloak that was hanging out of the saddlebag. She had done her research, and she was certain that she knew that somehow, Rainbow had gotten her hooves on the Cloak of the New Moon.

"Something, isn't it?" Rainbow replied, affirming Twilight's suspicion.

"So this is how you went undetected for all that time."

"You can't imagine what it was like. To be staring at a Missing poster, then have ponies look right at you and be none the wiser, or walk directly past a royal search party, who remained clueless... It was exhilarating."

"What are you planning on doing with it?"

"Well, it's not of much use now. I'm sure there's a museum around here that would like to have it."

Twilight sat there in front of the fire next to Rainbow, the saddlebag between them. It wasn't the fire that kept her attention, but how beautiful Dash looked in the orange glow. She was content to stay there looking at her marefriend for several minutes, before getting up, and began to head towards the stairs.

"Well, enjoy the fire. I'll be upstairs."

Twilight grabbed one of her favorite books from her bedside shelf, and climbed into bed. As happened often, she lost track of time and her surroundings. She didn't hear the crackle of the flames slowly die down. She didn't notice the downstairs lights turn off, or the hoofsteps coming up the stairs.

She barely noticed the sheets of her bed tugging a bit, and finally looked up from her book to see Rainbow climb into bed next her.

"Rainbow?"

"This is what you've been waiting for, isn't it? Don't tell me you've changed your mind."

"N-not at all." the alicorn stammered, unprepared, but more than willing to share her bed tonight.

“Listen Twi...I need to tell you something. It's not gonna be easy for you to hear, and I don't want you to tell anyone else.”

“You can tell me anything, Rainbow.” Twilight replied, scooting closer to her.

Rainbow shifted under the covers.

“The night before...before I decided to come back...I tried...”

Rainbow swallowed.

“I tried to kill myself.”

Twilight gasped, covering her mouth.

Rainbow couldn't bring herself to look Twilight in the eyes. After several moments, the alicorn took a breath, and slowly lowered her hooves.

“You did what...?”

“I had traveled for a year, never feeling any better. I was sick of crying, sick of being alone. My last stop was the Crystal Empire. I went to visit the Crystal Heart, to see if anyone loved me anymore. I didn't know that the cloak's enchantment would affect the Heart's power. Convinced that no one wanted me anymore, I went deep enough into the forest where I was confident no one would find me. I found a limb high enough, tied my wings down, tied a noose around my neck...I hesitated, but after several minutes, I jumped. It...”

Rainbow visibly teared up.

“It choked me for a good ten seconds, but...with my struggling, my weight shifted enough to cause the limb to break....sent me falling 30 feet down to the forest floor, with more limbs along the way breaking my fall. I didn't break anything, but I just laid there the rest of the night crying, scraped up, the noose around my neck...too afraid and ashamed to try again. I didn't have anything left. I was nearly out of money, I had nowhere to go, and when I finally fell asleep at the base of that tree, I dreamed of you. It was then that I realized what I was missing; you. All of you. Right then, I knew that it didn't matter what all of you did to me, or how much I hated you. I needed to try and fix it. Nopony can replace you.”

Tears ran down both Rainbow's and Twilight's faces. That had been one of Twilight's biggest fears; that Rainbow wasn't found because she went out to the middle of nowhere to take her own life. As soon as Rainbow managed to make eye contact once again, Twilight slid forward, and hugged Rainbow tightly.

“Thank you for coming back...” she whispered through her tears, clinging to Rainbow as if for dear life. Rainbow returned the hug.

“Thanks for being here when I did.”

Twilight pulled away slightly, and began to kiss away the tears rolling down Rainbow's cheeks. The pegasus returned the loving gesture, tenderly licking up Twilight's face, softly kissing her.

“As I made my way back here, I kept thinking about that letter that I had left you. Thinking back...I think I would've worded it differently if I hadn't been so scared and angry. Because now I know that I want it. I want your love. I want you."

Those words lit a fire in Twilight's heart.

“I love you, Rainbow Dash.”

“And I love you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Their lips met and parted, and the passion between the two lovers as Rainbow's tongue slid into Twilight's wanting mouth. The kiss did not last, and Rainbow made her way down, kissing and licking her chin, gently suckling on the alicorn's neck as their wings slowly and simultaneously unfurled. Making her way down her neck, Rainbow introduced gentle nipping to the kissing and sucking. Twilight gasped in pleasure with every pinch from Rainbow's teeth moving slowly down her chest.

Before getting to her stomach, Rainbow stopped, and looked up at Twilight, eyes meeting. Her tongue not leaving Twilight's body, Rainbow rotated her body 180 degrees, and Twilight was greeted with her stomach as she lowered herself down, and resumed her journey down to the prize, letting Twilight join in. The alicorn ran her front hooves along Rainbow's body as she also began to kiss and suck on Rainbow's stomach, keeping pace with the pegasus towards what they both wanted so badly. Rainbow passed her tongue over Twilight's naval, and maneuvered the tip just over her clit, causing her to gasp again. Moments before lightning shot through her as well, Twilight returned the gesture.

They both dove in simultaneously.

Twilight's groin erupted in a fire of pleasure, arching up to get Rainbow's tongue get even deeper as she was eaten out. Her lover's sweet scent filled her nostrils as she also began her feast, wrapping her front legs around Rainbow's rear, her tail flicking off to the side. Every few seconds, she gave a teasing pass over her clit. During a particularly daring moment, Rainbow gave a split-second suck, causing Twilight to give out a short scream into her lips.

It was such a simple act. But to Twilight, there had been nothing more special in her life. Rainbow was sharing her bed with her, no longer angry, not forcing herself on her in a furor of lust. They were exploring each other in the most intimate ways possible. Each move of pleasure she gave, Twilight returned. It was the perfect exchange of love.

And that love was slowly building to a peak. It didn't take long, understandably, with how so much of it had been pent up in the previous months. Each knew the other was getting close, as they felt each other's hearts pounding against their chests. Rainbow didn't seem to slow her journey to the peak, so Twilight kept pace.

The pace of their licking, kissing, and sucking increased together, and Twilight felt Rainbow's vulva contract around her tongue the same time she went over the edge. Twilight screamed in ecstasy, but didn't break her mouth's contact with Rainbow, sucking eagerly for her love nectar, with Rainbow returning the favor. She felt herself squirt into Rainbow's mouth, wrapping her back legs around Rainbow's neck, inviting her deeper in.

The climax lasted for nearly a minute, and then they released each other, gasping for breath. Slowly, Rainbow turned back around, and laid down next to Twilight, basking in the afterglow. At first, Twilight found herself a little disheartened that it had been so short, but then decided that she didn't care. When she had finally caught her breath, a thought came to her mind. She sat up, followed by Rainbow.

"Rainbow... I have something that I want to give you. I thought about giving it to you in private after your birthday party, but I decided against it. I was afraid of what you'd think, and I guess I still am... But I don't want that to stop me anymore."

Twilight leaned over to her nightstand and opened the drawer. Reaching inside and closing it, she returned to Rainbow with a small white box. Swallowing hard, she put it on the bed and slid it over to where Rainbow was sitting. She took one end of the ribbon between her front teeth and gently pulled, the bow giving way. She dropped the ribbon, removed the lid, and peered inside.

Twilight was quivering, waiting for some kind of visible reaction, wondering if she had just gone against her better judgment again, and toppled everything the two of them had just built up. Rainbow Dash continued to stare down at the small, cone-shaped piece of enchanted steel with a leather strap.

A magic limiter.

It was another agonizing ten seconds before Rainbow finally let out a soft, exasperated sigh.

“You want me to use this on you.”

“You don't ever have to if you don't want to.” Twilight assured her.

“But you want me to, don't you?” Rainbow pressed.

Twilight could no longer look at Rainbow, her gaze falling to the bedspread.

“Don't lie to me, Twilight.”

Tears pricking her eyes, Twilight sniffled and nodded.

“Yes...but please, let me explain.”

Rainbow said nothing more, giving Twilight the opportunity to do just that.

“Six months after I was expelled, Celestia came to the library, and convinced me to stop drinking. It took me a couple weeks to actually stop. I figured that because I had used my magic to get myself into that mess, that I should try and go without it. That proved harder than I thought it would be, so I decided to help myself. I bought that limiter, and put it on whenever I was tempted to use my magic to help with a chore. Sometimes I had to wear it for hours at a time. Just like you, I spent a lot of nights crying myself to sleep. I was so lonely. When I started wearing it to bed, I... I began to fantasize about you coming back and getting even... Making me yours... It was one of the few things that made me feel better at night. That whole disaster in the basement is how I realized how much I care about you, how I fell in love with you. Yes, I've discovered that BDSM is a kink of mine, but it always, always has to be consensual. Again, you never have to use that on me if it makes you the least bit uncomfortable, I just want you to have it. At it's core, I want it to symbolize my trust for you, and that I want to be yours, and nopony else's. I saw the Rainbow Dash underneath the ego. I just want to let you see me without my magic.”

"I already love you, with or without magic. Why should that make any difference?"

Tears finally streamed down Twilight''s cheeks.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I knew this was a bad idea."

"I'm not saying it's a good or bad idea, Twilight. I just need to know that you absolutely realize how much fire you're playing with here. Think about it. Rarity and Fluttershy started out as the perfect couple, and then they introduced a kink like this, and look what slowly, subtly happened. I know the saying is 'forgive and forget'. I've forgiven you, but let's be realistic; none of us are ever going to forget what happened down there."

Twilight nodded.

"I know. I'll let you decide, Rainbow. Take as long as you need. I just had to tell you. I had to get it off my chest."

Rainbow peered down once more to the magic limiter, then replaced the lid, and put it down on her side of the bed. She rolled back over, and put her legs around Twilight, snuggling into her chest. Twilight sniffled, and returned the hug,taking a deep breath, and let sleep take them both, immensely grateful that Rainbow was still in her bed after her confession.

Author's Note

One more to go, I split the last chapter up into two parts.

Absolution

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Absolution

Twilight couldn't imagine a better way to wake up than next to her marefriend, who was currently snuggled up next to her. When the alicorn started to stir, so did she, and their eyes met as they fluttered open.

“Mmmm, mornin' Twi.”

“Morning, Rainbow. Hungry for breakfast?”

“Absolutely.”

With that answer, the two of them rolled out of bed, and began to make their way downstairs to the kitchen. But they were only halfway down the staircase when there was a knock at the door. At this point, it occurred to them to look at the clock, and realized that they had slept in until 10.

The two of them went to the door, and Twilight opened it, and was met by Princess Celestia.

“P-Princess!” the alicorn greeted surprisingly.

Celestia was without her usual escort of royal guards, and had only a saddlebag fitted around her midsection.

“What can I do for you?” Twilight inquired further. It was a moment before the royal sister responded.

“Actually, I'm here to do something for you.”

Celestia's horn glowed, and the flap of her saddlebag opened, and out came a rolled and sealed scroll, which she levitated to Twilight, who took it in her own magical grasp.

Twilight Velvet sat somewhat uneasily in her chair in the living area of her Canterlot home. Next to her, sat her husband, Night Light. To the left on the couch sat her son, Shining Armor, and his wife, Cadance. The silence among the four of them seemed long and awkward, as they were waiting on a fifth, who was currently ten minutes late.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Velvet immediately got up to answer it, and was greeted by Princess Celestia, who had summoned all of them here for a private audience.

“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”

“Good afternoon, Velvet. My apologies for being late.”

Velvet welcomed Celestia inside, and promptly took her seat in the left corner.

“Thank you all for coming.”

“What is this about?” Cadance asked.

Celestia's wings fluttered for just a moment, and she felt as uncomfortable and awkward as the rest of them did.

“Alright, then. Straight to the point I suppose.”

Celestia cleared her throat, and prepared to tell them what she had come here to say.

“Rainbow Dash has been back in Ponyville for the past month.”

This simple oral revelation brought surprised glances from the other four ponies in the room. After several seconds, the silence was broken.

“What is she doing there?” Cadance asked.

“Living with Twilight in the library, and having daily interaction with her and the other three.”

None of them had any immediate response to this. It was a full ten seconds before Night Light finally spoke up.

“After what they did to her? Why?”

“Based on what she told me a couple days ago... Because she missed them.”

“She came to see you?”

“Yes. She came for Rarity's ashes. I believe the five of them are having a private funeral service.”

“So what does this have to do with us?” Shining Armor asked.

“Before she left, Rainbow told me that since she's come back, the others have gotten some semblance of their lives back. Pinkie is back working at Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy has a few animals in her cottage, Applejack is back at her farm... But Twilight hasn't.”

Hearing this, Shining got up from his seat without another word, and began to walk to the door.

"Shining, sit down."

"No. I know where this is going, and I don't care if she's family or not. I won't help alleviate the guilt of somepony who can't tell the difference between research, therapy, and torture."

"Yes you will. One, because she's your little sister, and deep down you love her, and two, you couldn't tell the difference between a changeling and your wife. Now sit down."

Shining Armor seethed momentarily at Cadance's snarky rebuttal, but nonetheless returned to his seat.

"I know we're all disgusted with what Twilight and the others did to Rainbow. But it's important to remember that so are they. Their lives and relationships have been decimated because of this, and it's been worse than any sentence I could have handed down. If the victim is the only one trying to heal and restore at least some of what's been lost, what does that say of us? My view of her was not unlike yours, until Rainbow Dash visited. She pointed out that despite her crime, Princess Luna was restored completely to her position after her redemption, and asked why I could forgive her, but I cannot forgive Twilight. I couldn't answer her, because I believe she is absolutely correct. What about you? Could any of you look at Rainbow and tell her that she is wrong in her observation?"

Silence filled the room as Twilight's immediate family took in the impeccable point Rainbow had nailed Celestia with the day before.

"So what are you saying we do? Give Twilight her crown back?"

"I don't know. The only thing I do know is that if we cannot find a way to forgive what she did, we will be hypocrites."

Twilight broke the magic seal around the scroll, and slowly unfurled it. She let out an audible gasp as she read down the first few lines, and tears filled her eyes as she read the rest.

CELESTIA'S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED UNICORNS
NOTICE OF IMMEDIATE RE-ENROLLMENT

I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, hereby decree, that Twilight Sparkle's expulsion be nullified. She is to be re-instated to her previous position, and will continue her studies abroad in the magic of friendship.

Witnesses:
Night Light
Twilight Velvet
Shining Armor
Mi Amore Cadenza

Twilight tried desperately to fight through her speechlessness as her tears rolled down her cheeks, as she looked up at Celestia.

"Princess... Wh-why the change of heart?"

Celestia gently motioned to the cyan pegasus standing next to Twilight.

"I needed to see somepony else's loyalty to realize that mine wasn't where it should have been."

Twilight closed her eyes, as the waterworks continued, and she got even more choked up.

"Thank you." Rainbow answered softly for her.

"Thank you." the Princess returned.

The lavender alicorn was still unable to get a hold of her emotions as her entire body quivered, struggling to remain standing.

"I take it you will accept your re-enrollment?" Celestia asked. Twilight nodded, staring at the floor, crying.

"Then I have someone else here who wants to offer his help in your studies."

This brought Twilight's eyes up from the floor, back to the doorway, just in time to see Spike walk around the corner of the door, and step inside. This brought her emotions to another peak as she collapsed to her knees, reaching out for the dragon and pulling him into an embrace.

Celestia gave a soft smile at the dramatic reunion.

"I'll be expecting a report from you soon. I have a feeling you've learned quite a valuable lesson about friendship these past weeks."

"Absolutely..." Twilight barely whispered, her voice returning as she released Spike.

Giving a final nod, Celestia turned, and took to the sky. Twilight watched her for only a second before falling into Rainbow, throwing her front hooves around her, her shoulders heaving.

"I don't deserve you..." she sobbed, Rainbow returning the hug.

"Well, you're stuck with me anyway," she replied. Twilight gave a chuckle through her cries. Rainbow rubbed her back, and broke the embrace.

"Come on, I'll help you write that letter."

Twilight sniffled and nodded. Spike ran to go get the quill and parchment.

"Actually Spike, you can just send this one. I'd like to write this one myself." Twilight told her assistant, draping a wing around Rainbow.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Together, we have found the key to the strongest friendships of all, an absolutely crucial element of friendship.

Forgiveness.

Friendship is not always harmonic. Mistakes are made, and even though you may think that the way you wronged a friend is unforgivable, the most powerful of friendships can withstand the storm, even though it seems they've been lost to the winds. If you and your closest friends have the strength to forgive those transgressions, then your friendships can be invincible.

Perhaps, that friendship can turn into something more.

Your faithful student, and loyal subject,
Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash

Fluttershy was woken from her peaceful slumber by a knock on the door from downstairs. Shaking off the morning drowsiness, she threw on a robe and went downstairs to see who her morning visitor was. Opening the door, she was greeted with early sunshine and the smiling face of Derpy Hooves.

"Good morning, Derpy. What can I do for you?"

"I have a letter for you, Fluttershy. Guaranteed hoof delivery!"

Derpy reached into her mailbag, and came out with an envelope, and promptly gave it to the yellow pegasus.

"There ya go. Have a nice day!"

As Derpy took back to the skies to resume deliveries, Fluttershy went back inside, intruigued as to what was in here. It felt heavier than a letter, and she hadn't ordered anything. Who would send her something with a Hoof Delivery guarantee?

Going over to the end table, she got the letter opener, and carefully sliced the envelope open. As she tipped it downward to get the letter, a beautiful white gold necklace slid out into her hoof. She gasped. The necklace was simple, but shone brilliantly. There was a heart pendant on it. Setting it gently on the end table, she got the letter out of the envelope, and unfolded it, eyes widening as she read.

To the kindest, sweetest, and most gentle pony I have ever known.

Love,
Your Secret Admirer

Expulsion

Mistress Do Well: Fractured Elements
by milesprower06

Expulsion

Twilight was a wreck. She had barely eaten or slept. She knew her life as she knew it was about to collapse around her, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

She stepped off the train onto the Canterlot station, and made her way into the city. She kept her pace slow but steady, not wanting to be late. The scroll that summoned her here was neatly rolled up and tucked in her saddle bag.

It was an immense building, probably second only to the castle itself, which wasn't too far away. She showed the summons scroll to the guard at the main gate, was allowed in, and went down the main path to the school. There were two spiral stairways that led up to the entrance balcony, with a stone statue of Starswirl the Bearded directly beneath in the center. Taking the left set, she slowly walked up, and went through the archway double doors.

The main hall was magnificent and massive. On the front wall, there were two giant portraits. The one on the left was of Princess Celestia, the one on the right, Starswirl the Bearded. There was always light activity between classes, with a handful of students going to and from destinations.

While she didn't want to waste any time, she was a bit early, so her pace through the hall was a slow one. She recalled her first years of studying here, before being sent down to Ponyville. After her rather unique entrance exam, it didn't take long to get the ball rolling on getting properly enrolled. What had impressed her the most was despite her royal obligations, Princess Celestia had tried her best to take an active role in the school, especially aiding Twilight in giving her the best education possible. To that end, Twilight hadn't stayed with the other students in the regular dormitories. She had gotten the private dorm towers. She wasted no time in stocking it with the most essential books including many of her favorites.

Once she had been moved to Ponyville, she rarely came to the school. But when she did, her dorm was always there, just as she'd left it. Her most recent visits had been to take a "test" right before being sent up to the Crystal Empire, and then of course, for her coronation.

She walked through the hallways until she came to A501, one of the school's smaller auditoriums. It was here where many of the less formal meetings and magical demonstrations were held, or in cases like these, where some semblance of privacy was desired. She opened the doors, and descended the dimly lit main aisle to the front of the stage, where a single table and seat were waiting for her. She quietly used her magic to scoot the chair out from under the table and take her seat.

As of now, she was alone, in front of the stage, which contained a table with three empty seats. But they were not empty for long, as three unicorns filed out onto the main stage, noticed that Twilight was already present, and took their seats at the table. Twilight recognized them as members of the school board.

"This hearing has now come to order, the purpose of which is to determine if the conduct by you, Twilight Sparkle, is grounds for expulsion."

Twilight's stomach knotted. Reading it in her summons wasn't enough. She had to hear it.

"The conduct in question is your assault on the unicorn Rarity in Golden Oaks Library three days ago. While criminal charges have yet to be formally brought against you, you should expect those very soon from Ponyville authorities. What we'd like to know is why you would do such a thing."

Twilight glanced at each of the three board members.

"Wh-where's Princess Celestia?"

"Regardless of your prestige within the school, Princess Celestia has chosen to not be present. The decision lies with us. While normally conduct this far outside of school would only involve local authorities, you were classified as studying abroad, so this is still considered conduct involving the school. So once again, why did this happen?"

Twilight shuddered in her seat, her gaze falling from the stage down to the floor in front of her.

"I..." she began, her voice shaking. She couldn't yet bring the words to her mouth.

“Miss Sparkle, I don't believe you realize how serious this is, nor how much trouble you could be in, not just with the school, but with the law as well. The pony you attacked is in the hospital in a score 3 coma, where the doctors are saying it is unlikely she'll ever wake up. You need to explain your actions right here, right now. The longer you conceal your reasoning for this attack, the worse things are going to get for you. Expulsion will be the least of your problems.”

Twilight visibly shivered, not looking up yet. With Dash missing, not to mention what she had just done to Rarity, there was no possible way they were going to be able to hide this. Her shoulders heaved, and she looked up at them with tears in her eyes.

"I participated in a kidnapping one week ago. Me and my friends captured Rainbow Dash with the intention of showing her how selfish and distracted she had become over the past several months. We...we mentally broke her down, and tried to...tried to condition her to be our...s-sex slave. Our intention was to build her into a better mare. The idea and effort was spearheaded by Rarity, and I'm disgusted that I was involved in it in the slightest. Three nights ago, I realized how far out of control everything had gotten, and I took her and Fluttershy out of the basement and got them to the library, to heal what we had done. It took so much energy that I couldn't stay awake to keep an eye on them, and Rainbow left the library when she woke up, and Rarity came into the library a few hours later that morning, demanding Fluttershy back."

Twilight stood up from her seat.

"I protected Fluttershy from that psycho, and made her pay for what she had done. I'm ready to face the consequences for my actions, because I don't regret what I did to Rarity. Not in the slightest."

Clearly, this was not what the hearing panel was expecting. They quietly whispered among themselves for several minutes, while Twilight barely found the strength to remain standing, but felt if she sat back down, that she would keel over.

"What does Fluttershy have to do with this?" the right board member asked.

"She was in a...relationship with Rarity, and was going through just as much abuse as Rainbow was."

Again, they deliberated for nearly a full minute, before turning back to her.

"Miss Sparkle, the loss of control and magical overload you experienced during the attack was due to an acute emotional high. Very few unicorns experience something like this because it takes an immense amount of power for this phenomenon to even trigger. The only other time on record that this has happened to you was during your entrance exam. While it is debatable whether you would have been able to stop yourself, the fact that the overload occurred suggests that there were very high tensions between you and Rarity, which unfortunately leads us to believe that there is truth behind what would otherwise be considered preposterous reasoning. So the decision is unanimous, we cannot let such disgusting conduct by a student abroad go academically unpunished. Expulsion procedures will begin at once. You are to be escorted off the premises immediately. As this is a private school, there is no requirement that we provide you with alternate educational opportunities, although you may pursue those yourself if you wish. Though if I were you. I would begin preparing for the judicial repercussions."

As the board members got up to file out, she saw the one on the left glance toward the back corner of the auditorium. Glancing back, she saw a wavy, sparkling multicolored tail exit the far door. Twilight galloped across the front aisle and ran up the walkway to the back left door. Her hooves clacked on the marble tile as she turned the corner from the auditorium entrance and caught up to her teacher.

"P-Princess! Please! I'm...I'm so sorry...please listen!" she pleaded in tears.

Celestia stopped in her tracks, and barely turned her head to look at her former student, as a pair of guards came up to her left and right sides.

“What could you possibly have to say to me that would justify what you just said in there? I strongly advise you to not say anything to incriminate yourself further than you already have. I have never been more disappointed in any other pony than I am with you right now. I am ordering a full investigation into what happened. You will immediately forfeit your crown, return to Golden Oaks Library and stay there until further notice. None of you are to leave Ponyville."

She turned to one of the guards.

"Get her out of my school."

With that, Celestia continued down the hall, not looking back. The guard on her right put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder and ushered her to turn around.

"Please come with us, Miss Sparkle," he said. Twilight, in tears, relented. As they retraced their route in, Twilight somberly looked around at the school that she was in, now for the last time, trying to get herself under control. Three minutes later, she was outside, and her guard escorts left her at the front gates. She managed to get herself composed again by the time she got to the railroad station and boarded the first train back down to Ponyville. She sat the farthest away that she could from the other passengers, seething in bitter silence, her lips quivering.

"If you die in your coma, my only regret will be that I couldn't finish the job..." she angrily whispered to herself.

It was an hour ride back. When the train arrived in Ponyville, she disembarked, and was immediately greeted by two law enforcement officers, a unicorn and pegasus.

"Miss Sparkle, we're here to place you under house arrest. Please follow us back to Golden Oaks Library."

Twilight silently obliged. When they arrived back at the library, the unicorn officer placed a spell on her that would keep her within a 50-foot radius of the tree.

"Please don't attempt to break the spell. It's monitored." He warned Twilight.

She came through the front door, and saw Spike in the middle of the room, with his stick-and-bindle at his feet, and a small stack of unrolled parchment in his quivering claws.

"Spike...?" Twilight said uneasily, her heart dropping into her stomach, fearing the worst over what he was holding. He turned around, tears pouring from his eyes. He held up the parchment, as he took in a shuddering breath.

“She...sh-she did th-these...h-horrible things......and you...you sat there taking notes...” he said disbelievingly, his voice cracking.

Unable to say anything else through his tears, he dropped the pile of notes, picked up his bindle, and walked past the shamed unicorn, exiting the library without another word.

Twilight stood where she was for several minutes, fighting off the intense nausea. Feeling incredibly sick to her stomach, and finding it increasingly difficult to stay on her hooves, Twilight barely made it upstairs to her bed, before collapsing, and crying herself to sleep.

Author's Note

Reading by The Mysterious Fluttershy Fan.