When First the Dream Begins...
Soothing Mist trotted through the Ponyville marketplace, bits jingling in her saddlebags. The pale blue unicorn paused in the middle of the market, took a deep breath of fresh morning air, and looked around. Even though it was early, the market was in full swing. Ponies walked to and fro, swinging from one stall to the next, buying food, cloth, books, and everything in between. Mist smiled. She loved the market in the morning. She made a beeline for her chosen stall: the strawberry stall. She had just run out of her favorite food, and she was eager for more. As she approached, she realized that the friendly red mare that usually ran the stall was gone, replaced by a bored-looking, cherry-colored stallion. Perhaps a relative?
Mist reached the front of the stall. "Oh, hello sir," she said, in her usual gentle whisper. "One carton of strawberries, please." Her horn glowed with a cool blue light as she levitated four bits from her saddlebags to the counter. They made a happy little clink as they hit the wood.
The stallion gave Mist a once-over. He was a brute of an Earth Pony, with a cutie mark of a juicer crushing an apple. His muscles bulged under his fur, distorted and unnatural, his eyes small and the color of ink. "It's eight bits per carton," he said harshly.
Mist felt her smile slide off her face. "Eight? But its always been four per carton."
The pony smirked. "Well, today it's eight." He muttered an add-on under his breath. "And it's always eight for stick-heads."
Mist's eyes widened at the slur. Stick heads was, of course, the crudest way to refer to a unicorn; this pony must have obviously just moved to Ponyville. The ponies here were much nicer. He must be from some farther-out town. Still, even rude ponies refrained from calling unicorns that word, even in private.
Mist narrowed her eyes. Another chance, she thought to herself. Doing her best to look small and hurt, she hid slightly behind her wavy blue-and-purple mane. "I'm sorry, sir," she said waveringly. "But why did you change it today?"
The stallion frowned. "Did I stutter? It doesn't matter why I changed it; it's still eight bits!" He slammed a hoof on the counter, sweeping the four bits away with it. "And I get these four as a bonus," he added smugly.
Mist's patience cracked. This new stallion was being completely unreasonable. She hated it when ponies were unreasonable. However, maybe she could still make him see reason without...making him see reason.
She looked the stallion dead in the eye with the most hurt, saddened look she could muster. He met her gaze with a smug grin, holding out a dirty hoof mockingly. "Eight bits," he chuckled.
Mist felt the last of her patience melt like ice.
She had had it with this pony.
"Give. Me. My. Bits." she said, then, without giving him a chance to reply, her horn glowed, and she unleashed her magic upon him.
The stallion was too busy smirking to realize what the unicorn was doing until it was too late. An instant later, a force like a lightning strike slammed into his mind, leaving him frozen, wide-eyed and slack jawed, pupils reduced to pinpricks. Mist allowed herself a satisfied grin, before speaking to the stunned stallion under her breath.
"Now, I think two bits is a fair price, don't you?"
Meanwhile, a certain golden, blond-maned mare had caught sight of the scene happening at the strawberry stand, and was all too aware of what was unfolding. The mare in question went by the name of Dream Searcher, the local hypnotherapist of the town. She blew a strand of her mane out of her eyes and took in the scene, her grin on her face widening with every passing second.
What ponies didn't know about her was the fact that Dream was an evil overlord in her spare time... or, that she loved to call herself an evil overlord. The blonde unicorn had but one desire in life: To take over the world but turning everypony into her loyal and mindless slaves and ruling them with an iron hoof. But of course, it was easier said than done, because while she did make mind control devices, she had yet to find a suitable ally in this whole endeavor. Life is better with friends...she had often thought this very quote to herself, although she had very little luck in achieving it. But today, it seemed, was the day she had finally found one. Gleefully, she noted the mare's cutie mark: a muggy patch of mist arranged in a faint, hazy spiral. Perfect.
Dream could hear the unicorn talking to the stallion and decided to just listen closely to her. She needed to know if this mare had an aptitude for evil, or if she would have to tinker with her mind a little so that she would become the perfect little sidekick. Eagerly, she listened to the stallion's response.
"Sure thing, miss..." The stallion droned, placing the two golden coins on the counter and depositing the rest into the money basket without so much as a twitch.
Dream, having heard this, hummed softly. This unicorn would make a good ally, though she would need some push into the perfect evil direction. At the moment, she seemed a bit soft. If she were that mare right now, she would have turned the stallion into a slave right then and there. Or, at the very least, have gotten the strawberries for nothing.
Then again, she realized, having a market full of ponies nearby as a hypnotized slave swore allegiance was never good for your cover. So this mare was smart, too.
"Hmmm, good, very good." She said softly, having come up within hearing distance of the blue unicorn. "I didn't know somepony else was gifted in the art of hypnosis beside myself." This would surely get the mare's attention.
Mist gave a squeal of fright and jumped at the voice behind her. She turned, coming face-to-face with a golden unicorn mare. The unicorn's hair was a sun-bleached variety of blond that was slightly lighter than her coat. Her cutie mark was that of a golden pocket watch, frozen mid-swing. She looked at Mist with a disturbingly hungry gleam in her eye. "Yes," the mare continued lazily. "It is nice to know there's another pony that shares my particular talent."
Mist gave a little cough. "Um, I'm sorry miss," she said timidly. "I think you're a little confused."
The golden mare laughed. "Oh, do stop playing," she scolded. He voice lowered. "I recognize a fellow hypnotist when I see one. Don't worry, though-" she winked. "-Your secret's safe with me." She extended a hoof. "Dream Searcher, Ponyville's resident hypnotherapist, at your service."
Mist relaxed slightly, although she eyed Dream's offer of a hoofshake warily. "Soothing Mist. Pleasure to meet you," she said cautiously. "It's funny, I never knew there was a hypnotherapist in town." The blue mare suddenly seemed to remember what she had been doing prior. Her cheeks flushed red, and she put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh, goodness!" she squeaked. "Y-you heard how this stallion was acting, right? I know I shouldn't have done that, he was being so cruel, and I j-"
"Shh," shushed Dream, putting a hoof up over Mist's mouth. "I'm sure you had a good reason to do this. And besides," she continued. "I actually enjoyed seeing you grab control like that. Isn't it... exhilarating? To feel that power you have over his mind, knowing that you can make him do and believe whatever you want him to?" Mist fidgeted slightly, but it did not escape Dream's notice. "I personally like it, but do you?" she asked softly, careful to keep her voice low, so as not to be overheard by the other shoppers.
She was trailing around Mist, almost like a predator would do to its prey, and while she did see the young mare as prey, just a little, she also knew that she had potential. If Dream just made sure that she was guided well, (and of course, the unicorn would love to teach the other unicorn all about grabbing power and control), she would be the perfect partner for her plans of conquest.
"But, don't tell me just yet, dear. Instead, if you want to know more about the true potential of your talent, visit me tonight at my office. Then, we shall see what you are truly made of." And thus, with a huge grin on her face, Dream trotted away, leaving Mist standing there in confusion, the still-dazed stallion staring ahead as well.
Mist blinked several times, staring at the golden pony's retreating back. She shook her head a little, then turned to look at the frozen red stallion. She sighed heavily, lifting a basket of strawberries from behind him. "Thank you, sir," she said, tucking the carton of berries in her saddlebags and leaving. He would snap out of his daze as soon as she got far away, with no memory of what had occurred. Mist liked it that way.
Try as she might, she simply couldn't get Dream's offer out of her head. How had she known, so quickly, the way Mist felt about her talent? Sighing, she looked back at her cutie mark. A swirling patch of mist, representing her ability to take control of the stubbornest ponies, then disappear without a trace. She had always liked that.
I suppose, she thought, it couldn't hurt to stop by, could it? Who knows, this could be good for me. After all, if Dream could make a living as a hypnotherapist, maybe she could to? It would certainly beat her current position at the local cafe.
Alright, then. I'll swing by later.
The sky above Ponyville had darkened considerably when Mist found herself outside the door to Dream's house. Anxiety gnawing at the pit of her stomach, Mist shuddered slightly and read the sign hung on the door. Dream Searcher: Hypnotherapist.
Nothing to be scared of, Mist, The unicorn thought to herself, although she lacked conviction. If asked, Mist would not have been able to describe what it was about Dream that had her so on edge. It might have been the hungry, superior way she talked when discussing her profession, or the predatory way she had looked at Mist. Either way, there was something here that Mist didn't like, something that made her skin crawl.
Sighing, Mist pushed aside her doubt and lifted a hoof to knock on the door. There was no reason to panic. She could leave whenever she wanted to, and Dream had seemed genuinely nice. She would hear the other unicorn out. Who knows? Maybe she would make a new friend.
She had only knocked once when the door swung open, revealing Dream, a huge grin on her face.
"Miss Mist!" Dream said, nodding her head courteously at the still-nervous blue unicorn. "So wonderful that you could be here this evening!" Using her magic, she flung open the door, turned, and starting walking down the hall, before facing Mist and gesturing with a hoof. "Please, come in! We have-" she flashed the other mare a toothy grin, "-so much to discuss."
Mist gulped and nodded, stepping into the hall. Dream's grin widened. Mist jumped as the door shut behind her, giving a very loud and very final-sounding slam. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and managed to give Dream a feeble smile. "A pleasure to be here, Miss Searcher," she said politely, albeit shakily .
Dream gave a warm laugh. "Oh, please, do call me Dream," she said, smiling fondly. She turned and started down the hall again. "Please, follow me!" she called. "We have a lot to talk about."
Mist followed, although not as enthusiastically as Dream. "Oh, alright Mi-Dream," she said, correcting herself.
After following Dream through the rest of the house, Mist found herself in a large, spacious office. In the center, there was a polished wooden desk, with two chairs set across from it. In a corner was a comfortable-looking davenport, the kind meant for stretching out on. The walls were decorated with large, beautiful pictures of sunlit beaches and golden, rose-tinged sunsets. The whole room was warm, cozy, and filled with a heavy, exotic scent. Incense, perhaps? Whatever it was, Mist found that it helped her to calm down slightly, which was welcome.
Dream gestured to the couch. "Please, have a seat," she said, using her magic to lift a chair next to the couch and settling down in it.
Mist gulped. There was a tiny part of her that was practically begging her to politely decline and pull up a chair. However, she silenced that part, not wanting to be rude. She sighed deeply and settled down on the couch. It was comfortable, she would give Dream that.
Was it her imagination, or did Dream grin smugly as she sat down?
"So," Dream began, using her most polite, gentle tone when speaking to the nervous blue unicorn. It seemed that Mist had had some inhibitions about arriving, and Dream didn't want her tense and on edge throughout their conversation. "One of the many reasons I invited you here, Mist, is because I wanted to talk about some plans I've had most of my life." Dream made a grand gesture of looking from side to side, then leaning in close and cupping her mouth with a hoof. "World domination." She savored the words as they left her mouth.
She may as well have slapped Mist for the reaction she got. The blue unicorn sat there, stunned, eyes wide, pupils tiny. Her left ear began to twitch. She gulped. "I'm sorry, did you say...world domination?" Her voice was barely the softest of whispers.
Dream nodded, a huge, satisfied grin on her face. "Yes indeed. Taking control of this wretched marshmallow of a world and ruling with an iron hoof. With the help of hypnosis and some of my...fancier inventions, everypony would bow to me... and love it." Her grin grew practically malicious. "And I brought you here to ask...would you join me?" She held out a hoof in a friendly gesture.
Mist gulped again, ignoring the hoof. "I-I'm sorry, but... why me?" She gestured a hoof to her chest.
Dream chuckled and withdrew her hoof. Sweet Celestia, this mare was naive! "I saw that exemplary display of hypnosis in the market this morning," she said. "That buffoon never knew what hit him. I must admit, I was quite impressed...Even I can't entrance unwilling ponies that quickly. As you may guess, that trait would be perfect for a partnership." The mare placed a hoof on Mist's shoulder, causing the blue mare to flinch away. "So, what do you say? Would you join me and help rule Equestria?"
Mist shook her head emphatically. "I couldn't. What you have planned is just...evil!" She seemed to gain a little more confidence. "That's downright evil, and it would never work! The princesses would stop you!"
Dream sighed. She was almost upset at the unicorn's blatant refusal-the best partnerships came naturally, of course-but there was nothing that could be done. "I was worried about this. It seems I will need to liberate that evilness in you... with the help of hypnosis."
Mist jumped. "H-hypnosis?" She gulped, her eyes darting around wildly, looking like a cornered animal.
"Yes, hypnosis." The blonde mare nodded, already levitating over a pocket watch from her desk. "You see, you have evil inside you, and I'm sure that you also know that yourself, don't you? But, unfortunately, it also seems that you are just a little bit too... scared, that's the best term, scared to actually unleash that evil. So, in order to advance... mostly my goals, I shall make you evil. Do not worry, everything will be fine. It won't hurt a bit, and trust me, life is so much better when you start thinking for yourself and not others." Dream had learned that long ago.
Mist gulped once again. "I-I have to go." She almost managed to jump off the couch, but then a sudden force of magic held her down. "H-hey!"
"Now now, we can't have you running away, now can we?" Dream asked her, horn glowing, her best evil grin lighting up her face. What could she say, resistance made the next part even more fun. "There's no escape for you, but there is a choice."
Dream stood up and made sure that her magic would hold down Mist before she walked to her desk. Almost lazily, she rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, noting Mist's increasingly wild struggles as she did so. Honestly, some ponies didn't realize when you were trying to help.
Finally, Dream found what she was looking for. Giant grin on her face, she removed it from a cabinet and walked back to the couch, a metal helmet in her hooves. The helmet itself was rather plain-smooth metal, one tiny light on the top, and a hole just big enough for a unicorn's horn. However, the bottom was a different story- an elaborate set of metal locks twisted around the bottom, giving the helmet the look of some ancient torture device. Dream placed the helmet on the ground and nodded at it.
"You either get hypnotized by the watch or you get mind controlled by the helmet. Your choice, take your pick."
Mist was almost in tears. Dream was still staring at her with that wide, toothy grin, and by Luna's moon, it scared the daylights out of her. What should she do? Now was as good a time as any to try and use her talent. The question was, could she pull it off quick enough? Mist could see Dream's eyes darting from her face to her horn, and she knew that the first sign of a glow would lead to trouble.
Mist steeled herself. She had to do this. She wouldn't become evil and help this...this monster!
She took a deep breathe and focused. She would have to do this quickly. One quick flash, then knock this pony out and gallop to the nearest police station. Easy enough.
Just as Mist prepared to launch her mental attack, something flew from the desk behind her and around her horn. Instantly, her connection to her magic was severed- a horn blocker ring.
Mist yelped. Dream chuckled. "Oh, did you honestly think I was going to let you have even a chance of entrancing me?" she mused. She shook her head, almost pityingly. "The way your face went from terrified to focused was pretty obvious. It's a shame, I guess the helmet is a must. Any pony with limited acting skills can fake a trance, and unfortunately, my brand of hypnosis magic can only be used on the willing. I was hoping you'd see reason and take the more pleasant route, but to each their own."
To Mist's horror, Dream grinned and lifted the helmet over her head. The terrified blue unicorn desperately tried to force magic through her horn, but absolutely nothing happened. Since magic failed, she began to thrash, but Dream was able to keep a good grip on her with her own magic.
"Please! Let me go!" Mist begged, tears beginning to trickle down her face. "I-I promise, I won't tell anypony! Just let me go!"
Dream completely ignored her. Mist was forced to watch as the ominous helmet loomed closer and closer. She gave one last bid for freedom; throwing herself away from the couch with all her might. She barely budged.
The helmet lowered over Mist's head, her horn protruding through a hole in the top. It was a bit big for her-the front drooped over her eyes, cutting off her vision. Her breathing sped up as the metal links twisted under her chin, painfully tight, and snapped shut with a final-sounding click. This thing was stuck on her head now.
There was a series of beeps and whirling noises, and Dream said, "Well, here you go. When this helmet comes off, I promise, you will thank me."
And then, the inside if the helmet flashed a pure, searing white, and Mist knew nothing else.
Darkness. That was the first thing that Mist registered.
There was no light, and the resulting darkness was thick enough to chew. Mist blinked several times, unsure of what had happened. She appeared to be floating in this vast, dark space, for there was nothing that she could feel beneath her hooves. It was cold, too-Mist shivered, feeling a bitter chill bite into her skin. She tried to move, but it was like she had frozen: her limbs refused to respond.
She could have floated there for hours, seconds, or years. However, after an immeasurable amount of time, Mist became aware of the sound of hoofsteps approaching her. She peered ahead and was just able to make out a shape-a blue, pony shaped blur, getting closer and closer.
Mist opened her mouth and tried to call out, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. Frozen, mute, and helpless, she watched the figure get closer and closer until, as abruptly as if it had teleported, they appeared in front of her in shocking detail.
It was a mare, a unicorn at that, with a coat the icy blue color of a clear winter sky. Her mane was a touch darker than her coat, shot through with veins of royal purple, and long enough to frame both sides of her face, which was oddly cruel. Mist realized, with a jolt, that this pony was her. Her, but colder, crueler.
The other Mist grinned, bearing white, fang-like teeth.
Mist gulped shakily and managed to force out some words. "W-what...are you?" the terrified unicorn croaked.
The other Mist was silent, continuing to smirk as she loomed over Mist. In fact, she seemed to be rising, higher and higher...
Or, Mist realized suddenly, I'm sinking.
And indeed she was. Mist found herself twirling down into icy blackness, like a stone in a winter pond. Panicking, she struggled to flail her limbs and move to the surface; and for a moment, they twitched in response. However, she was instantly washed with a wave of cold that ripped through her like needles. Mist gasped in pain.
As the agony faded, the mare was filled with a deep, exhausting numbness. A sudden desire to stop fighting and just sleep overwhelmed her. She tried to fight, but fighting hurt. She didn't want to hurt. She wanted to sleep.
With heavy eyes, Mist looked up one last time. The other Mist was staring down at her, still grinning, eyes full of evil.
And then Mist drifted off, giving herself over to floating in an icy haze.
By the time that Mist woke up, the sun had already set and it seemed to be pretty late at night. Dream wasn't sitting at the sofa anymore. Instead, she was now just sitting on her desk, working on what seemed to be some sort of map.
Mist gave a small frown, moving her right and left forearms in turn, noticing that her fur seemed to have turned a paler shade then before. She also realized she wasn't being held down anymore. Slowly, she lifted up her hooves and fumbled the metal latch under her chin. After some initial struggles, it came undone, and she was able to slide the helmet off.
"Ugh, what happened?" The mare softly asked in a rather raspy and tired voice. She wobbled to her hooves and lifted a hoof to rub her head.
This, of course, got the attention of the blonde working mare and she looked up, turning her head to look into the direction of Mist. "Ah, you're awake." Dream said softly, putting down her pencil and standing up. She walked over to the sofa and took away the helmet, getting it out of Mist's reach in case the mare wasn't fully brainwashed. Though, the hypnotherapist doubted that her device hadn't worked. "I know, the fallout can be disorienting at first. How do you feel?"
Mist blinked again, looking at the yellow mare next to her as if she was seeing her for the first time. Suddenly, things in her mind began to make sense. How Dream wanted to take control of everypony. How Dream wanted her to join and how she used the helmet on her to make her evil. Mist took stock of her own feelings. She probably should feel angry, even scared of the pony next to her. Yet, somehow, she the feelings wouldn't come. A small grin began to form on her face as she realized any inhibitions she used to have about her talent were gone. In fact, what Dream had said earlier sounded great.
Mist giggled. "I feel amazing!" she said, jumping into the air and giving a frankly maniacal cackle. "I don't have to worry about other ponies anymore! I'm not nervous!" The unicorn came back to the ground. "I feel-" her breath caught "-so alive." She chuckled again, a dark sound, much different from her usual quiet demeanor.
This made it clear that her helmet had done the deed and Dream grinned a lot at this. "Good, very good. You're way better than the old Mist, that's for sure. However, we both know what will happen when you betray me, of course. I hear the life of a slave is a lovely one."
Mist gave a rather cynical laugh that didn't suit her. "Of course," she said, giving a mock bow. "Even though you did say that my talent is much better for unwilling subjects. I wouldn't dream of it."
Dream felt a twinge of worry, then saw Mist's eyes sparkling with amusement, and realized she was jesting. "Good." She stood up and started to walk over to the desk again, using a hoof to motion Mist to follow her back. "While you were transformed into your new self, Mist, I took the liberty to come up with a plan." She saw Mist follow her, still a bit wobbly, but curious. "Right now, I think we need to focus our hypnosis on the Elements of Harmony, and I believe that the really crucial pony in this is Rainbow Dash."
However, when Mist heard this, she began to frown. "Rainbow Dash? But isn't she the Element of Loyalty?"
"Exactly." Dream nodded. "And that's an Element we could really corrupt. Not like Discord and make her all grey and gloomy, but while she is loyal to her friends, we need to try and change that. We need to project that loyalty to us and increase it tenfold, into slavish devotion. What do you think?"
Mist tilted her head. 'I'm not sure," she muttered. "She seems like a headstrong first target. If she were able to escape, our plan would be to the Princesses before we could leave."
Dream tsked. "You underestimate our talents, Mist," she said smugly. "As well as my plan. It won't be as simple as going up to her and abducting her; we'll be smart about it. In fact, I already know how we can...convince her to join us." She told Mist her plan. As she spoke, the other mare's expression turned from doubt to a sly grin. Once Dream finished, she laughed and spoke.
"That's perfect."
A Dash of Loyalty on our side
The next morning, Dream and Mist sat at the breakfast table in Dream's house, tucking into the array of buttered toast, jams, and tea laid out in front of them. For more comfortable reasons, Dream had decided that it would be best that Mist stayed in her home for a little while, so that they could always go back to their plans at any given moment. And besides, Dream did feel that she needed to keep quite the eye on Mist. She was certain that Mist was evil now, but that also meant that Mist could turn on her. Of course this was highly unlikely, but Dream didn't want to take any chances.
As she ate, she looked at Mist and gave her a small smile. "So, I've been thinking about Rainbow and how we shall take her down. You already know that your magic will play a large part in it."
Mist nodded, swallowing her mouthful of toast before speaking. "Yes, I do. What do I have to do?"
"Well," explained Dream, "as you have read in my papers, Dash is susceptible to suggestions, just like any other pony. However, her element makes it so that she will not enter a hypnotic trance as long as she feels that something isn't right, and she will definitely feel that if we urge her to try hypnosis. So you, my dear Mist, will have to give her a suggestion that she wants to try hypnosis."
"Oooh, yes," Mist said enthusiastically. "I remember now. I'm supposed to use a long-term suggestion spell to influence her way of thinking. It'll take a while, maybe a week, and we will need to give her a reason..." Mist tapped a crumb-covered hoof to her jaw, before her face lit up. "How about I convince her that she can use hypnosis to perform better at her job? Block fatigue, increase concentration, that kind of thing. Would that work?"
"That's nearly perfect, Mist," Dream replied, thinking about it as well. "But she doesn't really care about her job that much. I think it will have a better effect if you make her think she needs it for her stunt flying. Hypnosis will make her a better flier, which will help her impress the Wonderbolts. That's her goal in life, and if we connect her goal to our hypnosis, I'm certain she would come here and ask to try hypnosis with us."
"Alright, I think I can do that." Mist ate the last of her bread, looking somewhat apprehensive. "But it will take some time. I have to figure out the best suggestion to plant, so she doesn't get suspicious. With a wild pony like her, that process will take about two days." She ducked her head apologetically.
"Good, make sure you put a considerable amount of time into that. I don't need an angry Pegasus on my doorstep, or worse, the whole town if she blabs about it." Dream answered, smearing butter on another piece of bread. "That's something we can't screw up."
Mist nodded humbly. "I know, Dream. That's why it'll take two days. I want to be certain the suggestions go into her mind without any hint of something wrong. Once I have the suggestion down to a T, I need to get somewhere close. Somewhere I can see Rainbow, but she can't see me, along with anyone else who would distract me."
Dream rubbed her chin thoughtfully, trying not to show the excitement she was feeling. "Hmmm, indeed. Well, if you want to have the most chance to put the spell into Dash's mind successfully, I think you'd need to find her when she's cleaning clouds. Mostly, she will be just outside of the town and that part has a lot of bushes where you can hide in."
Mist grinned. "I'll be sure to take a look at the map of Ponyville, Dream. Once the spell has been activated, the hard part happens. We need to sit and wait for Rainbow to come to us. She needs to come at her own pace, and once she has a chance to-" Mist gave another one of her increasingly frequent evil chuckles- "think about it, she'll be at our door."
Dream grinned and patted Mist on the back. "A brilliant plan, three part and well-thought. Mist, I must say, you make a great evil pony."
Mist blushed.
It was exactly two days later when Dream walked into Mist's room. Due to Mist now living with her in this house, Dream had transformed her old storage room into a makeshift bedroom. It was still quite spartan, but for now, it would do. After all, soon they would have Twilight's lovely castle as their new home, when the nerdy alicorn was their proper and obedient slave. Dream nearly started salivating just thinking about it.
"So, how's the spell coming along, Mist?" Dream asked as she entered the room. She saw her partner in crime sitting at her new desk, installed two days ago so she could begin her calculations. Dream was getting rather impatient, and hoped that Mist had finished the spell, but she knew she couldn't rush the blue pony. After all, taking down Rainbow was a delicate job.
Mist eeped and turned, calming down when she realized it was Dream. "Um, I've nearly finished, Dream. Right now, I've figured out how to modify one of my own spells to influence Rainbow's thinking without her realizing. I mean, it is still a theoretical spell, but I'm sure it will work. " Mist giggled, soft and quiet, much more like her old self, but still a bit dark. She showed Dream the algorithms and formulas laid out on the paper she was poring over.
Dream took the papers and gave them a quick look over. "Hmmm, I see you're focusing on her hidden desires... I think that this shall work, yes." Dream wasn't really that gifted into the art of making spells, but the calculations seemed solid to her. "I take it that you shall leave in order to find Rainbow Dash, correct?" Dream slid the papers back on the desk. Mist gave a soft hum.
"Of course, dream. like you said, she should be at the edge of Ponyville right now. As long as I hurry, I can catch her and cast the spell." Mist jumped off of her chair and began to put the papers into her saddlebag. "By the way, were you planning to be somewhere nearby? Not-" she added hastily, "-that you have to. I'd just...I mean, backup is always good, right?"
That was something Dream hadn't really discussed with Mist, but then again, she didn't want Mist to get hurt. After all, friends-turned-enemies were rarely good things. "Hmmm, alright, I shall stay at a distance. There's a small cafe at the edge of Ponyville. I shall stay there and wait for either your scream or your smiling face when you have successfully cast the spell."
Mist sighed gratefully. "That's perfect." She slid the bags on her back and walked over to Dream, giving her a soft hug. "Thank you, again, for helping me learn to be a little more... forceful in life. It really is great." Mist pulled away and gave a rather dark grin. "Now, I've got a Pegasus to catch. This will be fun."
"Sure," Dream agreed, and began to head over to the door, opening it slightly, "Let's go. Like I said, though, in case you run into trouble over there, just give a shout or so and I shall be over there soon. Do not underestimate Rainbow, Mist, because while she sometimes does some stupid things, she will know when something is wrong."
"I know Dream. I know. It's sweet that you care, but I've worked hard on this spell, and as long as Rainbow doesn't see me, it should be fine." Mist sounded quite confident, but then again, she had worked day and night on the spell, trying to get it perfect for casting. If it failed now, which it wouldn't, then it would be quite the blow to her morale.
Mist stood, stretched, and began to follow Dream out of the room, looking out the window at Ponyville as she walked. Before she had met Dream, her life had been quiet and boring, her talent a useless trifle to show off at parties and not much else. Now, however, every pony seemed like a perfect subject to her will. Mist could hardly wait to see how things would turn out in the end.
After a quick trot through the town, Dream stopped and pointed at a small cafe at the corner of the street. "Alright, this is where I shall be sitting, Mist. I shall have a perfect look at the fields over there." She pointed to some trees and grass in the distance. "Rainbow Dash shouldn't be too far off, alright? Now, as we said many times before, stay hidden, wait for the right opportunity, and then strike."
Mist listened carefully and nodded. She gave Dream another quick hug and a wink. "Trust me, I'll be fine. See you soon." And then, with a slight skip in her step, she was off.
After a few minutes of walking through the fields, Mist eventually arrived at a spot where she saw many lingering clouds in the sky. It was a well known fact that Rainbow Dash cleared the clouds for Ponyville, so odds were that she was here. Predictably, Mist only had to look for a moment before she spotted a telltale blur of cyan and rainbow swooping through clouds and punching them to wisps.
"Perfect," Mist muttered to herself. "Now to hide." She began to sneak around in search of a hiding spot. There were a few trees around her, and while she could climb into them, she didn't want to risk falling to the ground and breaking something. The fields mostly consisted of grassland, so that was a no-go, as her pale blue fur would be easily spotted. Eventually, she noticed a protruding rock that stood straight up in the field, surrounded by a cluster of wild, scrubby brush. An ideal spot.
She looked up again and noticed that Dash was still working on the clouds. Good, if Dash kept her attention on the clouds, then she wouldn't see Mist walking through the fields. After all, she didn't want to be spotted, so as to keep Rainbow Dash completely oblivious to any foul play. Of course, it wasn't illegal to gather in the field, but Rainbow, dull though she was, might make some connection that could get Mist in trouble.
With a series of quick hops and gallops, she reached the bushes in record time. Once she was there, she wasted no time leaping in and covering herself up as best she could. She just managed to stifle a yelp as a sharp thorn scratched her flank. Not the most comfortable bush, but it would do.
It did take her a little while to find Rainbow again through the vast array of wild clouds, but eventually she saw a a telltale rainbow streak. She then looked down at the fields in front of her and noticed a small rock. The rock itself wasn't that important, but what was important was the water bottle leaning against it. Perfect, Mist thought. If she waited for Rainbow to come down for a drink, she could cast the spell with clear aim.
She didn't have to wait that long. After only a few minutes, Rainbow swooped down in a technicolor blur and thumping down next to the bottle. Lifting it in one hoof, she started gulping water.
"Alright. Time to cast the spell and have her come begging for a hypnotic session in a week." Mist softly whispered to herself. She slowly let the magic course through her horn, causing it to glow and spark faintly. As soon as Rainbow dropped the bottle, she'd fire the spell.
The moment Dash placed the bottle on the ground, Mist shot the beam of magic towards her. It was a nearly invisible beam, noticeable only by the faint heat shimmer it caused as it shot through the air. In a flash, it collided with the side of Rainbow's head. If the pegasus felt it, she gave no indication. Her hold head glowed with the same brief haze before settling back to normal, like nothing had ever happened.
Mist grinned, confident that her spell had been a success. She shifted slightly in the bush, waiting for Dash to take off, so she cou-
Dash was gone.
Feeling slightly nervous, Mist's eyes shot to the clouds, straining for a glimpse of rainbow. There was nothing. Where did she go?
"Looking for someone?" said a raspy voice behind her. Mist 'eeped' as she felt herself dragged out of the bush by her back leg. Wincing as more thorns scratched her, she twisted around awkwardly, already knowing who it was. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash stood over her, not looking angry so much as curious and irritated.
Mist started to panic. She didn't want this, she didn't want Dash to find out what she had done to her. She had to figure out a way out of here. Maybe she could scream, warn Dream, but then their cover would be blown and they would have to start all over again, maybe-
"What were you doing in that bush?" Rainbow said, tilting her head to one side curiously. "I saw your mane while I was busting clouds."
"Well, I... I..." Mist stammered, desperately trying to think of a way out of her current situation. What could she do? Dash had a giant ego, right? Maybe, just maybe, she could use that to her advantage now. "Well..." she said, letting her eyes drop to the ground and hiding in her mane. "I'm actually a really big fan of your's, Rainbow Dash... but I'm just too shy to talk to you... so... so I decided to just watch you fly without you seeing me... I hope you aren't upset. I really think you are a great flier, the best in Equestria, it's just a little humbling to see you in person."
All of that was a lie, of course, Mist couldn't care less about Rainbow's skills in the air. Cool or not, the only thing Mist cared about at the moment was Dash becoming her servant. Apparently, her shy fangirl act worked, because Rainbow seemed to believe her. She chuckled and brushed a strand of her technicolor mane out of her eyes.
"Oh... that's okay. I know my awesomeness is a bit overwhelming. Don't worry, no hard feelings." Rainbow Dash beamed. She polished a hoof against her chest. "Tell ya what, next time you come to a race of mine, I'll make sure you get in for free. Nice talking, but I gotta get back to cloudbusting, or AJ's gonna be on my flank for weeks. See ya later!" With that, she spread her wings an shot up into the sky in a rainbow blur.
Mist stood, brushed herself off, and waved, forcing a wide grin onto her face. "Oh, I'll definitely see you later, Miss Dash," she muttered. "Definitely."
It didn't take long at all for Mist to reach the cafe where Dream had been sitting, mainly due to the fact that she ran there as fast as her hooves could carry her. After all, she didn't want to stay with Rainbow any longer than she had to. No reason risking discovery when she was all out of tricks.
"There... we go." Mist gasped when she reached Dream's table, panting heavily. "Our... problem has been dealt with." She knew that she had to be careful with what she said. Ponies were sitting all around her and she didn't want them to know what they were doing.
Dream took a calm sip of her coffee before looking up at Mist, taking in her heaving chest and the cuts that covered her body. "I take it you ran into some troubles? Come, explain to me once we're home."
Dream stood up from her seat and started walking away, apparently having already paid for her drink. Mist followed shakily after her. Her job was finished, but this was only the beginning. The spell needed time to activate, and there was no halfway about it. Either Dash would show up, or she wouldn't.
The entire walk home, Dream barely spoke to Mist, probably not wanting to attract attention. After a few minutes, the two mares arrived at Dream's home. Dream hurried inside, Mist hot on her tail, and shut the door behind her. "Alright, tell me what happened."
Mist nodded and walked into the living room, taking a seat on Dream's sofa and a few deep breathes before beginning. "I went into the field, just like you said, Dream. I found a bush to hide in and waited for Rainbow to come down. Once she did, I cast the spell. She didn't notice the spell hitting her, but she saw me and dragged me out of the bush." Here, she ducked her head behind her mane. "Sorry."
Dream waved a hoof impatiently. "That's not important unless you got caught. Keep going."
Mist took a deep breath. "She asked me what I was doing, so I told her I was a huge fan and wanted to watch her fly. Believe it or not, she believed me and left. She doesn't suspect a thing."
"Great job, Mist, I knew that I could count on you." Dream did have to admit, Mist was a really great asset. "Well, a week, huh? Gives us more than enough time to plan this down to the letter.
Mist nodded. "Perfect."
Exactly one week later, Dream was once again sitting at her desk, attempting to read, but unable to do so. This was it. The make or break day. Either things went well and she had her first slave, or Dash showed up with a platoon of guards to haul Mist and her away. That was highly unlikely, but it was still a possibility.
Mist, who was sitting on the couch, took notice of Dream's tense frame and sat up. "Relax, Dream. Rainbow'll be here any minute, and then she'll be ours'."
Dream looked up from the spot on the page she had been staring at for the past five minutes. "But what if she doesn't come, or what if the spell fails? It's already four in the afternoon." Her voice was filled with anxiety and concern.
Mist tutted. "You always seemed so collected when we met. It's hard to believe you get this stressed out. If you want, I could put you under to help you relax a bit. You know it would only take a minute."
Dream shook her head, not wanting to get distracted by hypnosis at the moment. "No, we don't have time for that. We need to-"
There was a knock on the door, cutting Dream off. the unicorn almost shot a foot in the air when she heard the knock. Could it be? Had she finally arrived? Oh, she had to check it out. But she had to stay collected. She couldn't spook Dash now. trotting quickly to the front door, dream pulled it open, revealing the prismatic pegasus. "Hello, Miss Dash. Are your here to schedule an appointment?"
Dash, in a manner most unlike her usual brash attitude, looked at the ground, ruffling her wings and rubbing a hoof awkwardly against her mane. "Yeah- I mean, that is- I'll tell you inside."
"Of course. Privacy is one of my most important rules. Please, come in." Dream replied and took a few steps back, allowing Dash to enter. Outside, Dream was calm and collected. Inside, she was a mess. This was it. There was no turning back now. Dash would either leave screaming and warning the other ponies, or as a hypnotized and obedient slave, and Dream was pretty certain (or at least, pretty desperate) that it would be the second option. Once she had closed the door, she turned and walked back into her office. "Please, follow me."
Dash, of course, followed after the unicorn. As she entered the office, she noticed Mist standing next to Dream's desk. "Ummm..." She looked at Dream pointedly, eyebrows raised, not seeming to remember their somewhat tense encounter a week prior. Clearly, she wasn't comfortable discussing her reason for coming with another pony in the room.
"Oh, this is Mist, Rainbow," Dream replied, "She's my assistant. She helps me with my hypnosis sessions, but if you want her to leave, that is, of course, not a problem." While Mist did shoot Dream a rather ugly look, not really glad that she had to leave the room if Dash wanted it so, Dream knew that she had to focus solemnly on Dash now.
"Oh, assistant... no problem, I guess." Dash replied, walking over to the chair which had been put in front of Dream's desk. "Now, why I'm here..."
Dream kept her ears open, as she knew that what Rainbow would tell now was pretty important. She walked over to her desk and sat down on her chair, casting a quick glance at Mist and giving her a look which told her that she needed to be ready for everything and anything right now. After all, this could still be a ruse Rainbow was playing on them.
The pegasus took another deep breath before speaking. "Recently, I've been...off my game a bit. Distracted, slow on my reactions, lagging, ya' know? I can't really figure out why, but it's starting to drive me crazy. I almost went into a tailspin yesterday because I got sidetracked during a stunt." Rainbow fidgeted, eyes glued to the floor. "And the weirdest thing is...the whole thing is that I keep wondering if...hypnosis would make me better. At flying and stuff." She blurted the last words out, cheeks turning faintly pink as she did so. "I don't even know why I'd think that. I don't know that much about hypnosis anyway, so it's really weird..."
Dream barely kept the frown off her muzzle. It seemed that the spell, while powerful, wasn't as inconspicuous as she had hoped. It appeared that the spell would implant the new thoughts into Rainbow's mind, but they could come into conflict with the subject's previous memories and thoughts, which might make that subject a bit apprehensive. That was exactly what was happening now; Dream had to calm Rainbow down.
"It's not all that weird, Rainbow Dash," The unicorn said calmly. "It might be that you read about it somewhere, or heard it from a friend. Not enough to consciously remember, but it's there nonetheless. And as for the actual question, it actually could, as long as the hypnotist knew what they were doing." Dream allowed an oily grin. "And trust me, me and my assistant do."
Rainbow seemed to ease up slightly now that an outlet had been given. "Oh, that's a relief. I was afraid I was going crazy or something, and a pony as awesome as I am has to keep up her reputation, ya' know?"
Dream managed a laugh. "Of course." Even nervous, she noted, Rainbow's ego was strong. That would be the first thing to go. Slaves had no right to be that confident. "Now, if you want, I can put you under and help focus you a bit...not only will that get rid of this distraction, but your stunts will be almost laughably easy."
"I... well, I guess." The pegasus replied.
"Good, just lie down on the couch over there and we can begin" Dream answered, taking her pocket watch out of her drawer.
Rainbow got off her chair and sprawled lazily across Dream's couch. Her eyes drifted around the room until they rested on Mist, who, up until now, had been sitting quietly in the corner. Her slightly apprehensive expression morphed into a frown. "You know..." she said slowly. "I started feeling like this about a week ago."
Dream nodded, trotting back over to the couch with pocket watch in tow. "Hmmm, good." She said, not really paying attention.
Rainbow wasn't done, however. "And...I saw you a week ago..." She pointed a hoof at Dream.
That, of course, caught the two hypnotists off guard. Neither had suspected that Rainbow would be able to make any sort of connection After all, both of them thought that Rainbow Dash was more or less an airhead who was only focused on sports. It seemed that they were mistaken. "Ummm... Yeah?" Mist said, looking rather sick and pale.
Rainbow was getting more suspicious by the minute. "And I'm pretty sure that I'd remember hearing about any sort of weird brain mumbo-jumbo..." She trailed off, tensing slightly, like she was going to leap off the couch.
Dream's nerves cracked. She would have loved to take the easy approach and to hypnotize Rainbow into submission, but that was out of the question right now. The two of them had to act fast in order to pacify and subdue Rainbow. "Mist, the helmet, now!" She shouted at her fellow villain. It was time to use the invention... the mind control helmet.
Mist left the room in a flash, hurtling towards the stairs to the basement, which served as Dream's laboratory. Behind her, there were shouts and bangs as the two mares came to blows. As she ran, thoughts ran through her head at a rapid pace. How fast could Rainbow escape? How badly could she hurt the two of them? If worst came to worst, she might have to fight back, and injure the colorful pegasus. And then she'd catch it. Harming an former Element of harmony and hero of Equestria...at best, she'd be jailed.
Once Mist reached the basement, she wasted no time in grabbing the helmet- she barely even set hoof in the room before grabbing the whole thing with her magic and turning back. Just as she did, there was a crash and a muffled BOOM from upstairs. Mist jumped a foot. Oh, why had she allied with Dream in the first place?
With a slight shake in her knees and a nervous gulp, she headed back up the stairs, slowly opening the door so she could peer inside the room. She was met with quite the sight. The entire room was enveloped in smoke, the couch was splintered and tipped on it's side, and part of the chair at Dream's desk, although not bad enough that it would cause a massive fire. She continued to look around, trying to find the two ponies who she had left behind here. Peering through the smoke with squinted eyes, she could see Dash sitting against the couch, eyes closed, head slumped forward. Oh, she desperately hoped that she was just unconscious and not dead.
Taking a small cloth off of Dream's desk, she hurried over to the chair and put the fire out. After all, she didn't want the place ablaze. Then, she turned around again and scanned the room for Dream. It took a few seconds, but she eventually spotted her partner The sight, however, wasn't that pretty. She was lying on the floor hidden behind the door, which was why Mist hadn't seen her at first. Her horn was still shimmering in a yellow hue, which meant that she was the one who caused the explosion inside the room. Her mane and coat were slightly burned and a giant gash had appeared on her face, going from her right eye to her mouth. The worst thing was, however, that one of her legs was twisted in such a way that Mist wasn't even sure if the doctors could help her now. Heart beating out of her chest, Mist pressed a hoof to Dream's chest. Her chest flooded with relief as it rose, signifying that the yellow unicorn was alive.
She let out a soft, sad sigh, the day having turned for the worst now. She looked at Dash again and slowly walked over. Even though it appeared that Dream had used her magic on Dash, the pegasus seemed still pretty okay. A few of her feathers were burnt to a crisp, but other than that, she had no real visible damage. It appeared that Dream's spell had backfired on her.
Mist gave Dash a gentle prod, but the pegasus didn't react at all. Alright... she's unconscious. Even though Dream was in a pretty bad shape right now, and Dash was probably not all that well as well, she still had a job to do, namely making sure that Dash became a slave and wouldn't betray them. It gave her a bad feeling in her stomach, putting her plans and her desires before her guts which told her to help these two ponies, or at least the one that had become her friend. Still, she had no choice, because otherwise Dash would definitely tell ponies what was happening here.
She placed the helmet on Dash' head and, after tinkering with the settings a little, turned it on. Dream had told her about it a few days back. The feeling would be pleasant for the subject, most of the time (Mist still had a faint recollection of it's use on her and, although she remembered little, she knew it had been unpleasant), but it did take some time to completely rewire a subject's brain. So, she would have to bind Rainbow to a table or something, in case she woke up halfway through.
Once she was certain that the helmet was doing its job, she headed to a window and opened it up, allowing the smoke to clear out slowly. With another heavy sigh, she trotted to Dream and decided to put her on the couch with her magic. Even though Dream should probably go to a hospital, they couldn't leave Rainbow out here alone and ponies would probably start asking questions at well. She'd have to talk about this once Dream was awake...
It took about thirty minutes before Dream would even give a sign of being alive, other than her slow breathing. There was a groan at first, and then another one, and slowly, Dream began to move her limbs a little.
"Ughhh..." Dream groaned, as a wave of headaches went over her mind, making it feel as if there was somepony inside her head destroying pretty much everything with a hammer. Dream began to softly flutter her eyes after a few seconds, the light of the sun so painful right now that she had to keep them open only the tiniest fraction.
She felt two gentle hooves placed on her chest, rubbing her quite slowly and carefully. She didn't really had to guess, she knew that it was Mist. Forcing herself to open her eyes and adapt to the light which shone through her windows, Dream turned her head towards Mist. Eventually her vision coming to focus and seeing the pony looking at her, face twisted with worry.
"Dream, are you alright?" Mist asked, once she noticed that Dream was finally looking at her.
"I... my body hurts like it has been hit by a million cannonballs, but I think I will manage... can't feel my leg for some reason." Dream replied and began to sit up against the wall behind her. However, when she moved her leg, crippling pain spread through her entire body, so intense that she almost vomited. "Ahhh!" She quickly stopped moving and looked at her leg, tears of pain in her eyes as she noticed that it was broken. "Oh, buck..."
Mist's eyes watered. "Dream, we need to get you to a hospital. I'm no doctor, but even I know that leg needs to be set."
"I... I guess I have no choice..." Dream sighed and shook her head, finally seeing Dash sitting there in a corner, quite the blank look on her face. "At least you managed to put the helmet on her... good job. I wish that I didn't have to use my magic, but it was the only way to prevent her from escaping." She winced. "Ah, it does hurt quite a lot. I'll... I'll teleport myself to the hospital and come up with a story. You, Mist, stay here and reprogram Dash completely, alright?"
Mist gave a determined nod. "Of course. She'll be ready by the time you get back."
Dream nodded once, and, with a flash of her horn, was gone.
The good thing about technological brainwashing was that the subject had far less a chance to escape the process, unlike traditional hypnosis, where the pony could break free quite easily if the hypnotist wasn't careful. Technological brainwashing was quite... forceful on a pony, so they needed a strong will and a gifted mind to break free. While Dash did have her loyalty, and a will as strong as a team of oxen, her mind wasn't as sharp as Twilight's. Not to mention, of course, the fight with Dream sapping her strength.
Gently, Mist trotted over to Dash and placed a hoof on her shoulder. The pegasus didn't even acknowledge her. Mist knew that she had mostly free reign here, but she did need to be careful. One misstep and Dash's programming would be completely wrong, not to mention that Dash still needed to act as herself in public, Mist needed to be careful that she didn't alter Dash's personality in quite severe ways.
She cleared her throat and started to speak. "Dash, can you hear me?" She asked, sounding a bit unsure. Normally, technological mind control was Dream's area of expertise, not hers. But Dream wasn't here right now, so she just had to roll with it.
"Yeah..." Came the soft response. Dash stared straight ahead, her mind unable to fight the helmet's effects.
"Good, now I need you to listen closely to me, Dash. Everything that I say now or that happens is completely normal to you. You know that you are in a perfect position right now, listening and relaxing." Mist softly instructed, keeping her eyes closely on Dash so she could react in case Dash did resist somehow. However, there was only a nod, so it appeared Mist had green light. "Alright. Some changes will happen right now, Rainbow, and you are completely fine with these changes. You know that I have only the best interests at heart and that I care about you. You like it that I care about you. You feel good that I care about you."
First, Mist had to implant some form of trust bond between her and Dash, so that she would trust Mist even when she was awake. "But, Rainbow Dash, things do need to come from both sides. I care about you, but I do need your total obedience. You will have to do whatever Dream or I say, because only then I can be certain that you will be safe, that you are cared about." A slight frown appeared on Dash's face for a second, but the effect of the helmet on her head quickly made her relax a lot more, making her nod her head in acceptance.
"Good, Dash. We care about you, and you care about us. You care about obeying us, about being submissive to us. This is not strange at all; in fact, this is all perfectly fine, because you feel good about it. Really good, in fact. Nothing in the entire world makes you happier than being obedient to me and Dream. Tell me what you are and what you'll do for us."
"Slave... obey..." Rainbow repeated tonelessly.
"Yes, you are our slave, and Dream and I are you Mistresses, Dash. Whatever we command you to do, you shall do it happily and readily. However, this needs to be our little secret, Dash. Nopony can know, not until we allow it. You shall act as yourself in public and see us just as Dream and Mist instead of your Mistresses. But, inside, deep inside, you know who you belong to, who owns you, who controls your mind." Mist made sure that there wouldn't be any slip-ups while being in public, as that would severely put their plans at a risk.
"Yes... act normal... you and Dream... control my mind..." The mindless pegasus once again repeated, a happy but heavy sigh escaping her lips.
Mist took a moment to ponder if she hadn't forgotten anything. But eventually, she gently nodded her head and looked at the helmet. "Now... to turn it off." After some searching, she actually found a quite cliché off and on button and turned it off.. She grasped the helmet with her magic and pulled on it, the metal headgear eventually coming off of Dash's head. As Mist put it down on the floor, Rainbow was already began to stir.
Of course, as the pegasus began to awake, Mist's insides squirmed with nerves. If she had messed up....jail would be the best she could hope for. At worst, she would be banished- to a different country, or maybe to the moon! She just hoped Dream's machine worked... oh, she hoped! However, the moment Dash blinked her eyes, Mist knew that the process had been completed successfully. The once fiery eyes had turned glassy and blank.
Dash needed a few seconds to collect herself, groaning, blinking, and rubbing her head with a hoof. However, the moment she laid eyes on Mist, everything in her mind just clicked and she gave a submissive smile. The once egotistical Pegasus rose and then bowed before Mist, face almost kissing the floor. "Your slave is ready for your first command, Mistress." Dash spoke in her submissive tone, the tone she would use a lot now.
Mist grinned wide. The first pony had been taken. The door towards world conquest becoming wider and wider.
