Aftercare

by HamGravy

Rating: mature
Tags: Alternate Universe, Sad, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Silver Spoon, Sex, Twist, Slice of Life, Babs Seed
Length: 8215

Eight years after her life was nearly ruined by another pony's abuse, Silver Spoon is still recovering. But when she takes on a new mistress, one of her friends decides to intervene. Does Silver's new lover have her best intrests at heart?

[A Tarnished Silver side-story. Contains spoilers for the end of A Silver Sky.]

She wants to serve me.

It's part of who she is. She could run from it, try to be someone else. Instead, she faces the truth about herself head-on. That's one of the things I love about her.

Eight years ago, Silver Spoon loved someone whose abuse nearly destroyed her. It's taken her a long time to heal, and she's not even close to being done yet. I care about her. I want her to keep getting better. And I know that's what she wants, too. But there's something else she wants.

She wants me to control her.

My name's Babs, and I'm Silver Spoon's new mistress.

But not everbody's happy about that.

Published 2014-01-17 20:10:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-17 20:10:04 UTC

Aftercare

“I want you to leave my friend alone.”

I've seen that look before. Not on this pony, which makes sense on account of I just met her. Nah, I've seen it on the faces of ponies back home. Ponies who think they got a score to settle with me. It's a look that says I done something to them, hurt them somehow, and now they want to have a chat about it.

Usually, that “chat” involves me delivering a whole lot of kicks and the other pony walking home with a missing tooth. Or it used to. I'm trying to be more friendly these days. Trying to learn to talk things out. Now keep in mind, that ain't always possible. What can I say, I come from a rough neighborhood. I ain't making any apologies for how we do things down in Manehattan.

But this ain't Manehattan. This is Ponyville. Sweetest little town I ever set hoof in. So I guess it figures that the pony staring me down has a pair of candy canes for a Cutie Mark.

She ain't very big. Doesn't look too strong, either. Legs like twigs. I could take her, easy. Not that I want to. But I could.

But here's the thing: This mare don't look stupid. I'm sure she can tell I'd kick her ass. But here she is, holding her ground. She's not just giving me that look, she's standing in my path, holding her ground. She's steady as a rock. I was expecting those twig legs to shake. But there ain't a twitch.

That's when I realize I ain't really the strong one here. Anyone can pull off that look when they're bigger than me. But a pony this scrawny, staring me down, not showing a trace of fear, when she knows damn well I could kick her lights out in a split second? That takes more guts than I've got.

And like I said, I'm trying to get into fewer fights these days. Even made a promise to my cousin.

So I raise my front hooves, nice and slow. “Hey, I'm not lookin' for any trouble,” I say. “If you've got some sorta issue with me, I'm happy to talk it out.”

The mare's posture relaxes a bit. Maybe she wasn't expecting me to be so friendly.

Time was, I wouldn't have been. Time was, she'd be on the ground already.

“Okay,” she says. “There's a coffee place nearby. We can talk there.”

She turns and starts walking, figuring I'll follow.

“You're buying,” she adds.

She's brassy. Not sure if I like it.

“Oh, now I gotta get you an afternoon snack, too?” I say as I walk next to her. “I don't even know you!”

“I'll introduce myself, then. I'm Twist,” she says. “And you're Apple Bloom's cousin, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” I say. “My name's Babs Seed. You gonna tell me what's got you so upset?”

“I already told you,” she says. “I don't like what you're doing to my friend.”

She stops at a big brown building that's shaped like a coffee pot. That's one thing Ponyville's got over Manehattan. All the buildings here got personality. Half the stores are shaped like what they sell. The joke shop is a giant jester hat. The carrot farmhouse is shaped like an actual carrot. The candy shop looks like a gingerbread house. You can even buy scale replicas inside. And eat 'em. Nice change of pace from the big, boxy buildings we got back home.

Usually, Ponyville's a lot more inviting, too. Ponies around here love to welcome a visitor.

But I don't feel all that welcome right now.

So we walk inside the big coffee pot. We sit down at a little table in the corner. And Twist stares me down, with eyes that could burn right through me.

“Look, if you've got somethin' to say, there's no point in drawin' it out,” I tell her.

“I already said it,” Twist says. “I want you to leave Silver Spoon alone.”

Dammit.

Without meaning to, I'm suddenly looking away from Twist, my eyes darting toward the waitress nearby. I catch myself hoping she'll see me looking at her and come over here to take our orders. Anything to break this tension.

Why did this have to be about Silver?

The waitress walks toward our table, then makes a turn and walks right by us. Fine, then. Hope she ain't expecting a tip.

I look back at Twist. Her expression hasn't changed.

“What, you got a crush on her or something?” I say. “Sorry, but I ain't giving her up that easy.”

“Don't play dumb,” Twist says. “Don't act like you care about her!

“I've seen the cuts and bruises on her back. But worse than that, I've heard the way she talks about you.”

“Oh? She say anything good?”

“She calls you 'Miss Babs.'”

Aw, hell.

Silver lets a lot of things slip when she talks. I bet she doesn't even realize she's doing it. But I know enough about Silver to know there's only one other pony she's ever called “Miss.”

Funny, she never calls me that to my face.

“It ain't like that, Twist,” I say. “Silver and I, we've got an-”

“You don't really think you're the first, do you?” Twist says, cutting me off. “Most ponies in this town look up to Silver. Everyone knows how she helped bring down the Circle eight years ago. But there are a few who've heard the stories about the other things she's done. The things she did for Rarity and Fancypants. The way she enjoys being...obedient.”

I really don't like the way she says that last word. It drops out of her mouth like she just ate something rotten.

“Some ponies have tried to take advantage of her because of that. Usually, Silver can spot them a mile away, and they never have a chance. But sometimes, she needs her friends to look out for her. So here I am.”

Okay, that's it. Put on my tough girl face. It's scared away bigger mares than her.

“I don't got to sit here and listen to this,” I tell her. I lean forward as I say it. Get right in her face.

I'm not gonna hurt her. But I am gonna show her who's in charge here.

When I was little, I was a squirt, and the bigger mares never let me forget it. So I tried to make up for it with a deep voice and a habit of kicking first and asking questions never. Guess I got a bit of a rep for being a bully. I ain't proud of it. But I'm not gonna say it wasn't well deserved.

That all changed the first time I came to Ponyville. There were two ponies who took one look at how I was acting and put a stop to it: one was my cousin. The other was a filly named Diamond Tiara.

Turned out Diamond had been the town bully herself for a while. But my cousin said she'd “had a really tough year” and changed her ways. She was still a bit on the haughty side, but her heart was in the right place. The two of 'em sat me down, and Diamond looked me right in the eye and asked me the one question I never expected to hear.

“Who hurt you?”

She could just tell. I wasn't sure how. But she saw through the tough girl show I'd been putting on immediately, saw how scared and lonely I was inside. And she wouldn't leave me alone until I answered her question. Until I told her how I'd been bullied, too. That's when it all began to change.

I asked her later how she could tell someone had been mean to me. She told me she had a friend. A friend who'd been hurt worse than any pony she'd ever met, and how she would put on a front, too. A real happy one. But Diamond could see how much she was hurting underneath. And she saw something like that in me.

And more than that, Diamond had seen that scared look on lots of other ponies before. Usually because she was the one they were scared of.

“I used to be such a terrible pony,” she told me. “Seriously, if you had visited town like,a year ago, before all the bad stuff happened, Silver and I would probably have admired your bullying and teamed up with you. We were so awful back then...”

I didn't ask who Silver was. At the time, it wasn't that important.

What was important was that Ponyville changed me. No one had even tried to find out why I had been so mean back home. But here, they wouldn't stand for it. This town's special. No wonder I keep coming back.

So like I said, I used to be a tiny little ball of anger. But now, I'm almost grown up, and I guess you could say I've filled out a bit. I'm never gonna tower over my cousin Big Mac or anything, but I'm one of the biggest mares in the Apple family. So when I say that I've got an intimidating presence, I'm not trying to brag. I really ain't out to hurt nobody. But what Twist just said was way out of line. So I try turn on my mean side, decide to put the fear of Luna in her.

“I ain't takin' advantage of nobody, you hear me?” I say. “And anyway, what Silver and me do together ain't nobody's business but ours. So why don't you get the hell outta my sight before I make you regret it?”

I give her my worst. But she doesn't budge. She doesn't shake. Not even a twitch.

I've never seen a pony stand her ground against me like this. She's staring me right in the eyes.

There's so much anger there. Way too much to just be about me. But right now, I'm the one it's all pointed at.

“You don't scare me,” she says. “Want to know why?

“Because no matter how mean you think you are, I promise, I've met meaner. No matter what you do to me, I promise, I've had worse done to me. And I'm still here.”

She turns to the waitress, who just trotted up, finally deciding to do her damn job.

“I'll have a large caramel cappuccino,” she says cheerfully.

The waitress looks at me. I wave her off.

“So,” Twist says. “Please don't think you're going to get anywhere by trying that big city bully routine on me. You think I'm phased by bullies? I've met monsters, Babs. I've met ponies who saw evil and cruelty as a way of life.

“And I was there on the night their world came crashing down.”

Twist pauses for a moment, like she wants to give those few last words some space to breathe. She's pissed, sure. But there was pride in her voice just then.

“So I'm asking you again,” Twist says. “Leave my friend alone. I won't stand by and let someone else abuse her. Not again.”

And it's that word. Abuse.

I can forgive the misunderstanding, the fact that Twist doesn't understand what she's talking about. She doesn't know what Silver and I have, and it's good of her to look out for her friend.

But I can't forgive that one little word.

**

It was about six months ago. I was in Ponyville, visiting Apple Bloom and the rest of her family. It was great seeing all of them again, though this particular visit was mostly Granny Smith's doing. She was never a big fan of Manehattan, and I think she has some master plan to get me to fall in love with farm life so there'll be an extra set of hooves helping out with the harvest after she's gone.

Well, that ain't gonna happen, but I don't got the heart to tell Granny that. But I don't mind coming down to the farm and playing City Mouse for a week every now and then. It's a nice change of pace, and Apple Bloom's always got some carpentry project she drafts me into helping her with, even if I'm more skilled at breaking stuff than building it.

But not this time. This time she was too busy fussing over what to wear, which is a side of her I never saw before. Seemed there was some sort of big charity event that same night, being thrown by one of Apple Bloom's friends. I was pretty sure she was messing with me when she told me it was being held in a huge mansion at the edge of town. Then she told me who was throwing it, and I was sure she was joking.

See, my family ain't the only branch of the Apple clan in Manehattan. Me n' Apple Bloom have an aunt named Apple Slice, or that's what she was called before she married rich and became Ambrosia Orange, which, by the way, ain't even a real type of orange. She visits with us all the time, and she loves to talk about what's going on with all her rich social climber buddies. And about a year back, I started hearing one name over and over again whenever she came over:

Silver Spoon.

Now, it's rare for a pony from all the way down in Ponyville to make the social papers in Manehattan, but Silver Spoon's story was a bit more dramatic than most. When it first happened, I guess it was a pretty big deal, but I didn't enjoy reading the papers back then (hell, I rarely do now) and the grownups probably thought it was best not to tell us kids about it. But now, Aunt Orange told us, Silver Spoon was “back,” raisin' money for this foundation she started to help abused foals and making a name for herself with the fancy types.

“I mean, she's just so brave,” Aunt Orange said when she told us about her. “Imagine, suffering all that terrible abuse and mental trauma, and then using her experience to help raise money for foals in need. She's just inspiring, that girl! I mean, naturally, no one would ever want to go through what she did, but I hope she appreciates how it helped her get a leg up into proper society. I mean, certainly her family is rich by Ponyville standards, but I'm just saying...I mean, she throws one fundraiser and she makes the front of the society page! I've been throwing parties for the toast of Manehattan society for years and I've never made the front page! I'm just saying, I hope she appreciates her good fortune, that's all.”

My aunt can be a bit competitive, you see.

So when Apple Bloom told me we were going to Silver Spoon's place, I couldn't quite believe it. Not because we were going to meet some fancy social big shot. I couldn't give two shakes about that. But this was a pony who'd actually done something really inspiring. Silver, and Diamond Tiara, and some other kids from Ponyville, actually helped bring a bunch of sickos to justice and rescue some foals in trouble. From what I gathered, they all went through Hell and came out stronger. Meeting someone like that, you can't help but feel a bit intimidated. I mean, who the hell am I compared to that? I'm just a mare from the city.

Not that I don't got my quirks.

I used to have a coltfriend. Pegasus who went by Stormalong. He was a lot like me. Brash, tough, put up a front. I actually used to pick on him when we were little, but that was a long time ago.

I used to think he liked me in spite of how I used to treat him. Turns out, it wasn't quite that simple.

We fooled around a lot, and it wasn't bad, but nothing mind-blowing, either. But I started to notice something about him. When we'd cuddle afterward, he'd always start talking about the times I used to pick on him. Almost fondly, which really bothered me. Because I kinda missed picking on him, too.

I'm not saying I like being a bully. That's not me, not anymore. But I'm not gonna lie and say I don't see the appeal no more. There's something about that feeling of power, of standing over another pony and letting them know who's in charge. I like it. I like being the big mare.

Maybe there's something wrong with me. Hell if I know.

We broke up after a while, for completely boring reasons. After that, I kinda bounced around for a bit, from partner to partner. Mostly mares. Ended up with a bit of a rep for being mean in the sack, telling my partners what to do and punishing them if they disobeyed. Only if they liked it that way, of course.

Turns out, there's a lot of ponies who'll pay good money for that kinda treatment. Not that I ever accepted any. But I've been offered more than once.

I'm still not sure how Silver Spoon knew. How she could tell, just by looking at me from across the room, that I was the kind of mare she liked. I asked her about it once, and she just laughed it off. She said it might have been the way I carried myself, that I just had a “forceful bearing.” I guess that's one way to put it.

Even though it was a benefit for her charity, Silver Spoon didn't make a speech that night. It was more of a mingle-and-chat kinda party, not so much a sit-and-listen-to-important-ponies-talk sort of deal. The thing is, I'm not much for mingling, especially not with a bunch of ponies who are all refined and snooty. Hell, I felt out of place enough in that froofy dress Apple Bloom lent me. I do NOT look good in blue.

Mostly I stuck close to Apple Bloom, made chitchat with whatever pony happened to come up to her. That might have been a mistake. I was out of my element, after all, and I may have overcompensated just a bit. Acted a bit loud, a bit pushy. Not by Manehattan standards, of course, but these rich types are a different breed. If you're not super polite, they take it personal.

It wasn't my fault. We were discussing hoofball, and this Count Von Whatshisface guy was talking smack about the Manehattan Manticores. I couldn't just let that slide. So I told him, maybe a bit too loud (just a bit) where he and his Canterlot Chimeras could stick their precious Equestria Cup.

(Seriously, that game was rigged.)

Apple Bloom turned beet red and started making apologies right around the time the Countess started with the well-I-nevers. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass my cousin, so after that I decided to just camp out by the snack tray for a little while.

Maybe Silver saw that fiasco. Maybe she liked what she saw.

I noticed her a long time before she walked up to me. Unlike me, she looked like she was born to mingle. I guess you'd have to be to throw an event like this. She was out there hobnobbing and making jokes with ponies three times her age, and she had them eating out of her hoof. She was fascinating. And the weird thing was, every time I looked up from the snack tray, she seemed to have gotten just a little closer to me. She was always chatting up a different group of rich types, but every time she finished a conversation, she'd start drifting toward me. Of course, she'd just get roadblocked by another bunch of ponies before long, but she took it in stride.

It was a little awkward, to be honest. I hadn't intended to stay at the snack table that long. Ponies probably thought I was a pig or something. But something about the way Silver Spoon carried herself made me stick around. I didn't want to move until she caught me.

Finally, she came up to me, and grabbed a little puffy dessert thing from a tray. She looked at me, and gave me something that was halfway between a long nod and a short bow.

“You're Apple Bloom's cousin,” she said. “Babs, right? She's mentioned you.”

“She has, huh? Neat. I know all about you, of course,” I said.

“Oh, you do?” she said, suddenly looking a little down.

And sure, I could have told her about how she's famous even in Manehattan, how all the older ponies remember her as some kind of hero who helped Luna bring down that Circle. But I'd noticed something while I was listening to her talk to those other ponies: every last one of them mentioned that. And every time they did, her smile would quake, just a little bit.

It's real easy to miss, unless you're looking for it. Or unless yours has ever done the same thing.

I was the last kid in my class to get her cutie mark. Grownups used to look at me and say, “Don't worry, you're just a late bloomer! I bet you'll have a beautiful mark someday!” Stuff like that.

And I'd smile. They were only trying to be nice.

But if they had been looking for it, they'd have seen it on me, too. That little quake.

Maybe that was why I waited there for her by the snack table. I felt like she and I could understand each other.

So when I saw her smile quake again, and her eyes drift down to the floor, the second I mentioned that I knew all about her, I knew just what I had to say.

“Yeah,” I said. “She used to tell me you were a total jerk! She's been complaining about you since she was tiny! Said you always made fun of her and stuff. But that was years ago. Past few years, she's had nothing but nice stuff to say about you. You turned over a new leaf, I guess.”

She looked up at me then, and this time her smile didn't budge. It was broad, and it was real.

I guess if I was famous for having something that messed up happen to me, I wouldn't want to be reminded of it all the time, either.

“Well, for the sake of formality, I'm Silver Spoon,” she said. “And I have to say, that dress could not look nicer on you.”

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks then. I turned and looked back at the dress, like I was expecting it to have transformed or something. “Oh, this? My cousin just gave it to me for tonight. It ain't mine. I don't even own any dresses...”

“That's too bad,” she said. “It really shows off your rear legs. Big strong legs run in the apple family, I see.” Now her smile had changed. Her way of speaking, too. Just a little bit slower, just a little bit deeper. It wasn't just friendly now, it was...inviting.

“Yeah, so I hear,” I said. I tried my best to smile back the same way, but I've never been too good with that sorta subtlety. I might have just given her a weird, toothy grin. She giggled a bit, but not in a mean way.

“So, um...you enjoyin' the party?” I asked.

“Oh, dear Luna, no,” Silver whispered. “I mean, don't get me wrong, it's my event and I'm proud to host it. This is important work we're doing. But I hate the way they put me on a pedestal at these things. Um, if anyone asks, I didn't say that.”

“Won't breathe a word,” I said. “Gotta say, though, I didn't take you for the shy type.”

“It's not about shyness,” she said. “It's about being set above everyone else. Everyone bows and scrapes to me at these things. It's exhausting.”

“Eh, at least you're not the one doin' the bowin',” I said, testing the waters a little. “I mean, imagine if, say, some big strong pony came along and made you do whatever she said. Just tossed you down from that pedestal and climbed up there herself. Wouldn't that be a bitch?”

“Oh, I don't know...” Silver said, looking right into my eyes. “That almost sounds...liberating.”

“Maybe for you,” I said. “Me, I kinda think I'd like the view from up there.”

Silver Spoon smiled again, that same inviting smile from before. And I swear, right then she was the most moondamned beautiful mare I'd ever seen.

“Babs,” she said. “Do you think you could stick around after the party? I'd love to give you a tour of the mansion.”

“I guess I could make the time,” I said.

A few hours passed. The crowd thinned out. Apple Bloom was actually one of the first to leave, but I told her I was having a blast and I'd catch up to her. She didn't seem like she believed me, but she just nodded and said she'd see me back at the farm. Not sure if she caught on to my real intentions. Then again, I did kinda confide some stuff about my sex life to her. Hey, cousins talk. Maybe she figured me and Silver would work together, and passed the message along? It sure would explain a lot.

I'd thank her, but she'd probably just deny it.

Silver Spoon and me talked a bit more that night. Just in short bursts, when she wasn't around anyone. She was a lot less subtle as the night went on. The girl was a shameless little tease. The best subs usually are. Get you all worked up before you even lay a hoof on them.

We were the last two ponies in the ballroom when all was said and done. I figured some servants would come and start cleaning up, but then I saw her shoo the butler away and whisper something to him.

She wanted the ballroom to herself.

There wasn't going to be any “tour,” I realized. She wanted to be brought low right here. The same place where she'd been complimented and worshiped all night long. This was where she wanted me to dominate her.

So I walked over to the ballroom door, and shoved her out of the way. Not hard, but enough to surprise her. I locked the door, then turned and looked at her.

She bowed.

“You sure you want this?” I asked. “I don't go easy. Not even the first time.”

“I do...” she said, almost whimpering. “Please...I need to belong to someone...just for a little while.”

“Safeword?”

“Somnambulist.”

“Okay, then.” I said. I began walking toward her, real slowly. She had an uncertain look on her face.

Then I walked right past her, and sat down on a nearby chair.

“How far's your room?” I asked, putting my back legs up on the table. I'd been wanting to do that all night, but, you know, manners.

“It's on the other side of the-”

“You got five minutes,” I said. “You go there, you come back with three things: somethin' I can tie you up with, somethin' I can hit you with, and somethin' I can fuck you with. And don't pretend you don't got plenty of all three. I know your type.”

“Yes, of course...” Silver said. “I have an extensive collection....”

“Figures. You prissy sluts are all alike. Dress pretty, talk fancy, then go home and fuck yourselves stupid with some big rubber cock. Now get movin'. Five minutes. You're late, I make you sorry, got it?”

“Absolutely!” Silver said. She sounded so damn excited. “I won't keep you waiting, I pro-”

“Oh, and before I forget!” I said. “You're not allowed to hide any of the stuff you're carryin'. If one of the servants sees you, tough. And if they ask about them, you have to tell them EXACTLY why you have them, got it?”

Silver winced. She didn't seem to like that command at all. But then she smiled at me.

“Yes, Babs.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, did I give you permission to use my name, slut?”

“Oh! Oh course! I'm terribly sorry, um, Mistress.” She blushed a little, and the way she said it kinda had me blushing, too. Not very authoritative behavior on my part, but there you go. Even as she was following my orders, the girl had a hold on me.

Silver told me later that on the way back, she did run into a servant; an old chambermaid who'd been with the Silver family for over forty years.

Lucky for her, the maid didn't ask any question. She just looked at what Silver was carrying, shook her head, and said, “Oh, Miss Silver, I do wish you'd learn to control yourself. What will your future husband think?”

Silver kept herself from laughing.

When she walked back into the ballroom, I didn't say a word. I just walked up to her, grabbed her dress, and ripped it in half. I'd actually meant to just pull it off her, but sometimes I don't know my own strength.

She let out the cutest little squeal when I did it, too. The kind you make when you're really happy to be surprised. She loved seein' that dress ruined.

So I gave her one of my meanest grins, like I had meant for that to happen. And she just melted. Just knelt down right in front of me, breathing heavy.

Since she was so eager to grovel, I shoved a hoof in her face.“Lick it,” I said.

“Yes, mistress,” she said, her voice so quiet I could barely hear it. And then she got to work. I've never seen a pony so happy to run her tongue over someone's dirty hooves before. The girl looked like she'd been waiting all night to do this. To serve me.

And boy, did that girl serve. She was different from any other partner I'd had: not just obedient, not just submissive, but absolutely in love with being dominated. The look on her face when I strung her up for the first time: it was amazing. I told her I was gonna make her learn her place, told her she hadn't fooled me with her fancy act.

“All those dumb snobs, they think you're little miss perfect, but we know the truth, ain't that right, Silver?” I told her. “We know you're just a little fuckslave.”

“Yes! That's what I am!” she said. “Thank you for showing me how low I really am, Mistress!”

We went back and forth like that, while I slapped her ass, spanked her with the paddle she'd brought me, groped her, and generally teased her five ways from Sunday. All the while, I kept up the chatter – I get talky when I'm in dom mode. To be honest, there was nothing special about my spiel. But the way she responded, her devotion and obedience...there was a kinda magic to it.

But then, not all that long into the session, I kicked her. It was part of the fun, of course: by then I could tell she liked pain, and I know how to dish it out. But as soon as I did, she yelled out, “SOMNAMBULIST!” and that was it. Safeword invoked, scene over. I let her down, a bit surprised, a bit disappointed. I figured she was made of tougher stuff.

Then it hit me: she IS tough. She had to be, to endure all the stuff she went through when she was a kid. Silver's almost an adult now, but that scar she got as a foal ain't never faded. And that's not even the worst of what they did to her, from what I hear.

When I realized that, I got scared for a second. Maybe I didn't know my own strength. Maybe I really hurt her.

“Aw geez,” I said. “I didn't hurt you or nothin' did I? I warned you before for a reason. I'm not real good at holdin' back.”

She smiled then, in a way that kind of took my breath away. It wasn't anything like any of the smiles she'd given me before. This one was so sweet, so genuinely happy. Like she'd just gotten something for her birthday from someone real special.

“Thanks so much for asking,” she said. “No, you didn't hurt me. I just need to pace myself. I promised myself ahead of time that as soon as you hit me, no matter what, I'd stop the session.”

“I thought you liked bein' hit,” I said. “That's what you said earlier...”

“Oh, I do! But the thing is,” she said. “Pain makes me act...eager. A bit too eager for my own good sometimes. There was a time when I couldn't control myself at all when I got that way. I'm a lot better now, but I still need to be careful.

“That's why it's important I'm with someone I can trust. In the past I've had doms who haven't looked out for me as much as they should. They've let me do things that turned out to be pretty dangerous. So now when I'm with someone new, I make sure to take it really slow at first. Just until I get to know you a bit better. I hope that's okay. I'm really sorry if I led you on or anything.”

“Nah, it's fine. If goin' slow is what you need, I'm cool with that,” I said, shrugging. “I mean, I'll be honest, I was kinda hopin' we'd keep goin' longer, but...”

“Oh, I could tell,” Silver said. “You were frustrated, but you were more worried that I was okay. It was sweet.”

She started walking toward me then, bowing her head the whole way. She always approaches me like that. When we're together, she hates being above me, even physically.

“But I never said we were done for the night. I mean, there's no reason why I can't get to know you better right now.

“And I did leave you frustrated,” she said. “You must think I'm a very bad slave...”

I smiled, but didn't answer right away. Instead, I let her get closer to me, then grabbed her by her mane. I laid down on my back while still pulling her hair, then shoved her face in my crotch.

“So make it up to me, bitch,” I said. “I heard you talkin' tonight, like you were some kinda big shot. Well, I gotta better use for that mouth a' yours. Get to work.”

I'd never been eaten out like that before. It's not like I haven't been with my share of mares, but Silver Spoon was something else. So damn enthusiastic to get me off, and with a tongue that could do things I didn't think was possible. Most talented mare I've ever fucked, without a doubt.

We kept it up all night. Silver used the safeword a couple more times, but she always went farther each time. By the end of the night, she was letting me go farther than I got with most partners in weeks.

I was just in awe of her. She seemed to have no limits. She was incredibly talented in getting me off, and even better at taking punishment.

We didn't stop until the sun rose. Then we gathered up our toys, and I carried her to her bedroom (she didn't want me to, but I wouldn't take no for an answer. I'd taken a lot out of her.) She had a first aid kid in there, which was good cause I'd accidentally drawn some blood toward the end of the session. She said it was no big deal, and she was probably right, but I wasn't taking chances.

She fell asleep not long after I bandaged her up. The bed had room enough for two (hell, it had room enough for eight) so I cuddled up next to her.

When I woke up, she was still there. As I got up, she turned and gave me a kiss.

“Mornin' to you, too,” I said. “I didn't wake you up just now, did I?”

“Oh, no! I've actually been awake for over an hour,” she said. “I was going to get up and make breakfast, but...you've got a strong grip.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were holding me tight in your sleep,” she said. “And you wouldn't let go. I couldn't get loose; your legs are so strong! Even asleep, you were in control. It was such a wonderful way to wake up.” Her voice quivered while she spoke.

“Ha! You're somethin' else, Silver Spoon,” I said. “So, about that breakfast...were you really gonna make it yourself? With all the servants you got runnin' around here?”

Silver shook her head. “There's only one servant in this room,” Silver said. “Now, how do you like your oats?”

That was the first time she made me a meal, but not the last. It's actually a ritual now: we go all night together, then in the morning, she serves me breakfast in bed. And she doesn't let the servants within a mile of the kitchen when she does it.

Which is sweet. So I never mention that she's kind of a lousy cook. Probably on account of having grown up with all those servants in the first place. I think she knows, but she's getting better. And she never complains when I drown her meals in Tabasco.

I never ask for breakfast. But I always get it. It's never very tasty. But it's always wonderful.

That's Silver Spoon for you. Spends her evenings with the elite eating out of her hoof. Spends her mornings feeding me breakfast and calling me Mistress.

You spend enough time with a mare like that, there's no damn way you're not going to fall in love.

I just wish she could say the same about me.

**

I slam my front hooves down on the table. I just mean to get her attention. Instead, I put a big crack right through the center.

Now I don't just have her attention. Every eye in the store is on me. I don't care.

And Twist, despite what she said before, looks just a little bit rattled. Enough that I can take the chance to make my point clear.

“Abuse?” I say. The shock of the table cracking calmed me down a bit, but I'm still pretty damn mad. “Oh no, you do NOT get to say that word to me. Not when it comes to her. Don't you fucking dare.”

“Y-you don't know...” Twist says. “You don't know what she's been throu-”

“FIRST OFF,” I shout over her. “I've never done anything to Silver that wasn't by request or with permission. And second, I know damn well what she's been through. I know because she's told me. Because even after all this time, sometimes she needs someone she can confide in about all the stuff she's endured. And that's me. I've sat there holdin' her, for hours, while she...”

I trail off. I'm getting bogged down here. Better bottom-line it.

“You know what? You don't need to know the specifics,” I say. “All you need to know is this: I am NOT like Rarity. So back the fuck off.”

Twist seems to shudder slightly when I mention that name. All this time, she's been dancin' around it. The way I hear, it's a bit of a taboo to bring up her name here in Ponyville.

Well, I ain't from Ponyville.

“I care about her, okay?” I say, lowering my voice a bit. “I wouldn't ever hurt her; not for real, anyway. She's important to me, so I won't let you-”

“She thought she loved Rarity, too,” Twist says, as quiet as she can.

I let out a long sigh, and it's like my anger is flying out of my lungs as I do.

Suddenly, I just feel sad.

“You don't got to worry about that, Twist,” I say. “I said she was important to me.

“I never said it worked the other way around.”

Twist is looking at me different now. Maybe she can tell she hit a nerve. I don't think I look like something dangerous to her no more.

“Silver Spoon doesn't want to get too close to anyone. Not after the last few times. She just wants to be her own mare for a while. Sure, we have fun together. She cares about me as her friend. And when we're together, she loves servin' me, obeyin'....it's what makes her happy.

“But it ain't nothin' more than that to her. She won't let it be.”

“Oh...” Twist says. “I didn't realize...”

“She's gonna walk away from me one day,” I say. “I know she is. Not because she doesn't care, or because she doesn't like being around me. Nah, she'll walk away because one day...one day she's going to let her guard down. I can see it happenin' already. She's going to start feelin' the same way about me that I feel about her.

“And that's when she'll get scared. Scared of herself, of how she acts when she's in love. An' when that happens...she'll leave.”

I look out the window closest to our table. There's a yellow Pegasus out there with a bunny on her back. She's running after another pony. Just from the way she's smiling, I can tell: that pony is someone special to her.

Her partner stops, and waits for her to catch up. They hug, and keep walking on together.

Must be nice.

“You don't know that will happen. You don't know she'll leave you...” Twist says.

“I do...” I say. “Cause she basically told me so. Not to be mean or anything. She doesn't know how I feel. But she wanted to be honest with me. An' I can sure as hell appreciate that. I'm an Apple, after all.”

Twist looks away from me. She seems a bit ashamed.

“I'm sorry...” she says.

“Don't be,” I say. “You're lookin' out for a friend. That's damn decent of you. And me an' her are gonna have a talk about this 'Miss Babs' business. Make sure she's not projectin' anything on me she shouldn't be. We'll work it out. Always do.

“But in the future, maybe you oughta dial down the accusations a bit when you suspect your friend's in trouble.”

“I know I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. I guess it's just hard for me to understand. I don't get this whole bondage thing, Babs. After what I went through, the last thing I want is to be controlled by anyone,” she says. “I guess it just makes me sad to see that after all this time, she's still...like that.”

“Like what? Takin' orders? Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Long as you can always say no.”

“Yeah, but...shouldn't she be trying to move away from all that? To not be the pony that she...that Rarity...turned her into?”

Now that I see her mistake, I feel a lot better. I give her my friendliest smile. Which, I'm told, is still a little intimidating, but what can you do?

“It's not like that, Twist,” I say. “Rarity didn't turn her submissive. Silver was like that before she met her. I think it's just in her nature. Rarity took advantage of it. But I never will.

“It's part of who she is, part of what makes her so wonderful. She wants to make other ponies happy. This is just how she goes about it.”

“Okay, I believe you when you say you'll never take advantage of her. But someone else might someday! I understand wanting to help others, but there's got to be a healthier way for her to go about it.”

“What's unhealthy is pretendin' to be somethin' you're not,” I reply. “Silver ain't your typical sub. Most girls I've been with, the submission thing is a way to let off steam. It's something they turn on for a little while, then switch back off. They just want someone to boss 'em around for a couple hours on the weekend. They take their lumps, come a few times, then the ropes are untied and it's back to normal life.

"But that ain't my Silver. For her, normal life is just the thing she goes through so she can have someone to bow down to at the end of the day. She doesn't just want a mistress, she needs one. It's who she is. It always has been. An' I think that's beautiful. Hell, I ain't even the only mistress she's got right now.

“But I am her favorite, just so we're clear,” I say. And even though this is a serious subject, I can't help but grin.

Twist sighs. “I still don't fully understand,” she says. “But as long as she's happy, and you're not hurting her...”

“Never,” I say. “Not in any way that really matters, at least.”

“Okay,” Twist says. “I'm sorry I bothered you, then.”

“No bother!” I say. It's a bit of a lie, but we're on good terms now. I wanna be nice. “Listen, I think I'm gonna get something to eat after all. And um, settle up with the owner for what I did to this table. You feel like hanging' around for a bit? I wanna pick your brain about what Apple Bloom was like as a filly. I bet you got all kinds of stories I can embarrass her with!”

Twist laughs, and I know I've made a friend.

“Okay,” she says. “If you want the owner, just go up to the counter and ask for a pony named Premium Blend.”

“Sure thing,” I say. I get up and head to the register.

While I'm in line, I look back at Twist. She's whispering something to herself. Apple Bloom tells me she's in the habit of doing that. I guess that's a writer thing?

I didn't tell Twist that I've read all her books. Something tells me she would have resented it. Probably thought I was trying to calm her down with cheap flattery. Now that she's happy, I'll bring it up. Tell her how she's famous even in Manehattan. Partly for the books, and partly for the gossip. A pony dating a dragon ain't something you see every day. But from what I hear, they're really happy together.

I guess I kind of envy her.

Because I love what me an' Silver have, but I know it ain't forever. It can't be. She's not ready to give her heart to anyone yet, an' I know it's just a matter of time before she gets scared of how close she is to me and calls the whole thing off.

An' it'll hurt as bad as anything. I'll miss her, an' I'll have a few good cries, an' I'll probably hate her for a little while. But just for a little while.

This won't be my first time having my heart broken. I've gotta routine.

But when it's all said n' done, it'll all have been worth it. Cause one day, Silver Spoon's gonna find someone she can love. Maybe it'll be me after all, but if it ain't, that's okay. I mean, I'll be jealous as hell, but I'll get over it. Because she'll be happy.

And I can't think of one pony in all of Equestria who deserves that more.

But that's the future. Tonight, I'm seeing her again. I bought some new toys for the occasion, and things are gonna get wild. She's gonna get tied up, gagged, smacked around, n' fucked out of her mind, and she's gonna love every second of it.

And then when it's all done, I'll hold her close and tend to her wounds. I'll bandage her up if she needs it, rub some salve on her bruises, let her know how goddamn pretty she is, and make sure she ain't hurting in any serious way.

Of all the stuff we do together, the aftercare is the part I look forward to the most. More than the sex, more than Silver obeying my every whim. Even more than the orgasms, and the orgasms are damn good.

None of it compares to just holding that girl and being there for her, knowing she feels safe lying close to me, that she trusts me so completely. Some nights I think all my tough dominatrix jazz is just me setting the scene. All kinds of fun, wouldn't give it up for anything, but still just the opening act. The recovery, the cuddling, the closeness: that's the real show.

But I ain't never telling her that. I got an image to maintain.

I guess there's a lot of things I ain't never gonna tell her.

And that's fine. Ain't no reason to worry about how long Silver and me are gonna last. The future's gonna come along sooner or later, whether we like it or not.

But not tonight. Tonight belongs to us.

END