Revelations of Her Destiny

“Get off her now, Denclop!” Celestia screamed, the walls shuddering from the force of her voice.

Denclop immediately scrambled up, dismounting and pulling out of Twilight with a loud pop! and making a dash for the door in one movement; knowing her freedom and her Destiny were at risk. Celestia cast an incapacitation spell at Denclop, but underestimated her abilities; as Denclop cast a counterspell barrier, combining the counterspell and the shield she had learned from earlier. Celestia tried to send other spells to stop her, and even sent a chair flying at her, but to no avail. She and her ‘vessel’  ran down the street, only the light-pink glow of her magic spell and the candlelight of the streetlamps accompanying her. Celestia took to the air, and tried to catch up with them; but when she was part-way down the road, a light-pink puff of light emanated from the red pony, and they were gone.

Cursing, Celestia set her magic to work on tracing the spell, knowing it would take a long while to trace the magic that Denclop used to ‘blink’. "Perhaps too long... "  Celestia thought grimly. After a brief preparation, Celestia walked inside the library; ready with condolences and explanations on what Denclop was, and why she was doing what she was. She was greeted to quite a scene.

~ ~ ~

Celestia walked into the room, only to see Twilight still laying in the same mating position on the floor;  her eyes glazed over, trembling, and her hips still gyrating as thought she were mating. Celestia blushed at seeing her student like this, and quickly cast a counterspell to end the mist’s effects on Twilight. Twilight immediately stopped gyrating her hips and slowly got up, still trembling, and shook her head. A very deep blush crossed her face when she saw Celestia there a moment later, and she quickly hid herself behind her wings. Celestia walked over to Twilight and gently placed a hoof on the wing covering her face, softly stroking it. Twilight flinched at the touch, still very sensitive from the actions she was engaged in moments ago.

Celestia spoke softly, knowing Twilight’s delicate position; “Now, now, my dear, there was nothing you could do to prevent this. You were inexperienced with essentially your first heat, and didn’t know what to expect. This is my fault for overly-sheltering you, and preventing you from learning this essential knowledge before I let you stay in Ponyville alone during the springtime. It is also my fault for not teaching you of Denclop, but I think you can understand why I keep the number of ponies in the know about 'it' to a minimum. Now that you have…encountered 'it', I should probably tell you what Denclop is, and where 'it' comes from. But first… something to help out with your heat" Celestia accepted a bottle from Zecora, and tapped Twilight’s wing with it. Twilight's wing fluttered,  Celestia finally rousing a response from the purple alicorn. Celestia spoke up again, "Zecora came and got me as soon as she could escape the spell cast upon her; but before she did get to me, she quickly prepared this. She figured somepony may need it."

Twilight didn’t respond, the blush under her wings burning almost hotter than her unsatisfied loins.

Upon another tap on her wing from the bottle, Twilight slightly moved her wing, allowing only cracks for her to look out from; she saw a corked potion bottle balanced on Celestia’s hoof, held out to her. Twilight knew the bottle and what the green-brown liquid it contained was; she levitated the bottle from her mentor’s hooves and brought it under her wings. A drinking sound was heard, as well as a slight backwards tilt of Twilight’s body. Twilight remained under her wings, but the shaking stopped, her heat waning.

A couple minutes later, after the potion had completely ended her heat's effects, Twilight finally summoned enough courage to move her wings. Twilight immediately ran to and embraced Celestia, and Celestia softly ran her hoof over Twilight’s hair, trying to calm the now crying and trembling pony.

After Twilight had calmed down, Celestia wondered if now was a good time to talk about Denclop, so soon after Twilight’s ‘encounter’ with 'it'. She decided that Twilight needed to know if she was going to help in the apprehension of Denclop, and because she was a Princess, and should know such things.  Celestia took a deep breath, knowing much needed to be said.

Before Celestia could start, still in Celestia's embrace, Twilight asked in shaky and almost inaudible voice; “How did you know she was after me?”

Celestia looked over to Zecora, and said “The moment Zecora awoke after her…“encounter” with Denclop, she knew she needed to make it to me, and alert me Denclop was activated. After preparing the heat potion and leaving her shack, Zecora saw you in the Everfree Forest with Big Macintosh, heading towards Ponyville. Knowing she couldn't fight against such a powerful foe alone, especially in her condition; she hesitantly continued on her path to reach me without warning you. All she could do was hope we could make it to you in time, and fortunately we did.”

Twilight nodded, and smiled at Zecora, understanding and letting her know that she had made the right choice. Zecora smiled back. Twilight then started to ask another question, but Celestia held a hoof up, silencing her. “Please Twilight, I know you have many questions. If you let me tell you about Denclop’s origins, I’m sure they will all be answered. If, after I finish, you have additional questions, you may ask then.” Celestia smiled, then asked “Ok?”

Twilight nodded, and Celestia decided to start to tell the history of Denclop again, looking to Twilight before taking another deep breath.

~ ~ ~

“Many years ago; myself, Luna, and Starswirl the Bearded went to the land where the zebras come from. We had been asked there to help a tribe that was growing smaller and smaller by the year; with deaths, but no births.  They were unable to have foals, and nopony knew why. One day, Starswirl the Bearded came up with what, at the time, all three of us thought was a great idea. Starswirl had enchanted a mask of the tribe’s, a mask of the goddess they called Denclop, in a way that could help the ponies breed. The spell was programmed to believe it to be its ‘divine duty’ and ‘destiny’ to breed with mares, and give them the 'gift' of offspring.”

Celestia took a breath, and then continued.

“Starswirl had actually given a spell sentience; the ability to think and discern, to make up its own mind. I have since banned these spells from ever being used or taught again, for reasons I will soon make obvious. The zebras are a superstitious sort; they believe everything, even their children and potions, are gifts from their gods.  Starswirl enchanted one of their masks so the tribe would feel comfortable with him helping them with their epidemic of infertility, zebras initially being somewhat uneasy of others outside their tribe."

"Starswirl based the spell’s personality upon the zebra's mythological figure Denclop, Goddess of Fertility and Love, which the mask was formed in honor of. According to their myth, Denclop was a loving god, and was able to give life and make ponies fall in love. However, Denclop also had a darker side, and was able to “possess a vessel to do Her will” whenever she deemed it necessary to 'show her place' to the ponies. Starswirl left this personality trait in so the tribe leader would believe that Starswirl had received it from the goddess herself, as he had told them he had.”

Celestia paused a moment to sit down, and get comfortable. Twilight left her side and went to sit with Zecora on the floor. Celestia then filled and levitated a glass of water from the kitchen to herself and took a drink before returning to the story.

“Starswirl made the spell activate when a stallion touched the mask during breeding season, and when there was a potentially fertile female nearby. When the mask was activated; it would be put on by, or disable then magically tether itself to, the one who touched it, and would proceed to breed with as many fertile females as were available, the mask releasing a spell Starswirl had programmed for it to use dependent on the gender that the mask felt was infertile. If it were a male, automatically including its ‘vessel’, the mask would release a spell that would affect the male’s sexual fluid and reproductive cell production, as well as libido, making him far more fertile and able to breed constantly. If it was a female, it would make her go into estrus and ovulate, but only if she were already starting to go into estrus. The spell would also strengthen her mating instincts if she was already in heat, compelling her to mate with the ‘vessel’.  The mask would cause all fertile females within its senses to be breed before the mask shut itself down, its ‘duty fulfilled’. But Starswirl was not a foal, you see. Starswirl knew the mask could get out of control, so he made it so the mask could only bind to one ‘vessel’, one host, and could be “shut down” with a single phrase, only able to be reactivated again once touched by another stallion during a breeding season.”

Celestia sighs and rubs her head with her hooves before proceeding.

“The mask was never supposed to leave the tribe. It was supposed to be only used that one time to help that tribe live on. However Starswirl , that stupid foal!, brought the mask back to Canterlot with him as some sort of memento. The next breeding season, a stallion royal guard tasked with guarding the mask picked it up with his bare hooves and….”

Tears came to Celestia’s eyes, and she nearly broke down crying. She took a moment to compose herself again, steeling herself for the next part.

“…and he proceeded to rape one of our mare royal assistants, and attempt to rape my sister, Princess Luna. Apparently, unbeknownst to us, Starswirl had “taught” the mask to incapacitate unwilling, or even willing, participants with an incapacitation spell, which it could even target to specific muscles. This was so ALL fertile females in the tribe would be with foal, even if they didn't want to be. He thought that the tribe needed as many new foals as possible in order to recover from its near extinction. This incapacitation spell also silenced all spells trying to be cast by the victim, and all physical actions to be for naught. It basically made them into the vessel’s…seed receptacle, them unable to stop him from breeding them, but able to sense and feel everything. Also, after breeding them, the mask would place a spell upon their womb and cervix, sealing it and preventing any physical or magical tampering. This was to protect the foal, and to prevent anypony from trying to hurt or remove it before it was ready to be born.”

Celestia shook her head at the stupidity of her royal magician, unbelieving of how foalish he could be.

“After… having his way…with the royal assistant, and before he had…finished…with Luna, Starswirl had been summoned and screamed the kill command, causing the guard to be released from the mask’s influence, and the mask to be deactivated.. After the guard apologized profusely, we sent him back to his job with a harsh reprimand, and commanding Starswirl to remove the enchantment from the mask. Starswirl returned later, telling us that the mask had sealed itself in an anti-magic shield, making it impossible to destroy or totally disenchant. He told us he had not programmed it with initially and it must have learned it from a spell book during its possession of the royal guard, making us aware of the dangerous growth potential of its powers. He reported that all he had managed to disable through the spell was the mask's ability to influence the reproductive behavior of males other then its 'vessel'. This was definitely a good thing, as without that downsizing of her powers of all reproduction, she could have caused every mare in Equestria to be with foal by now! Despite the known risks, Luna and I decided to send the mask back to the zebras’ homeland, along with the warning of what it was capable of, considering it safer there with those who experienced its power, then among those who were unknowing of it."

Celestia looked to Twilight and asked “Do you know that zebra tribe we used the mask to help and sent it to once again? They’re still thriving to this day, and are one of the biggest tribes in the land.” Celestia smiled, and then proceeded with her recounting.

“We took the mask from Starswirl and gave it to a trusted zebra mare that had come with us to Canterlot, knowing it only activated with the touch of a stallion. She swore to protect it, and to not let it get into anypony’s hooves. This zebra mare, an ancestor of Zecora, took it back to her homeland with her. The mask was passed down generations in Zecora’s family, hidden and protected by a chosen mare descendant from ever being touched by a stallion during spring or summer…but now here we are”

~ ~ ~

After celestia finished recounting Denclop's history, Zecora looked down and shrunk away, ashamed that she had let the mask slip from her protection. She felt that she had shunned her family’s royally appointed duty, and her mother's trust in her by entrusting her with guarding the mask, by letting the mask possess Big Macintosh.

Looking at Twilight, whose jaw was agape, Celestia gave her time to take in the information she had just told her.

Zecora looked down to her belly, then back up to Princess Celestia, and spoke up; “Princess Celestia, for the answer to me is mysterious; I have a question for you only because I am curious. Please do tell; is there any way to undo that womb spell?” Celestia responded with a shake of her head, causing the zebra to sink back. “No known spells that we tried on that poor mare the guard…bred with…worked. She, however, ended up giving birth to a healthy filly. She later told us that she regretted asking us to try to get rid of her foal, and that she didn't know what she would do without her.” Celestia said, giving Zecora a wink. Zecora simply smiled back, and looked down at and rubbed her belly.

"But Princess Celestia," Twilight asked, finally finishing processing the information from the information dump she had earlier received,  "Why can't you just speak that kill command word thingy that Starswirl used to stop her?"

"Because, my dear Twilight," Celestia started "The code word was locked away in the Starswirl the Bearded Wing of my castle. It was only ever used once, only by Starswirl, and I can't remember it after only hearing it once over two thousand years ago. I never saw a need to unlock his box it was contained in, nor learn the code word; because Denclop was so well secured by Zecora's family."

"Well, we need to go to your castle and learn it immediately!" Twilight said, unfurling her wings and preparing to take off.

Celestia held a hoof up,  stopping Twilight from taking off. "I said it WAS there." Celestia said, "It was lost many years ago when Discord took over Equestria. If it still exists, it is lost, and unlikely to easily be found."

Twilight's head lowered to the ground, "Then how will we stop Denclop if we don't have the kill command?"

Celestia nodded, her horn starting to glow "We ask the one who lost it..."