Mistress Do Well: Extradition

Chapters

Prologue
Luna's Ruminations
October
November
December
February
March
Spring
Summer
Homecoming
Return
Four
Guilt
Relapse
Regression
January

Prologue

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Prologue

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's heart raced as she burst into her personal study at a full gallop. She nearly skidded to a halt, leaped over her desk, and quickly began scribbling a note to Princess Luna, dropping a small note from her hooves in the process.

8:55 PM
Crystal Heart
Rainbow Dash
Magical Cloak
Needs HELP

The hastily scribbled notes was all she could manage to write down stealthily while conversing with... Someone at the Crystal Heart, not even five minutes ago. She didn't remember who, but it had to be Rainbow. That cloak she was wearing was enchanted to conceal her identity, but she remembered...

The eyes. Her eyes were so hurt, so desperate. Cadance knew Rainbow needed help, but she ran off before she could persuade her. As the identity of the cloaked figure faded, she kept her eyes on the note while she made a beeline for her private study, to get somepony who could help.

Not even a minute after she sent her correspondence off to Luna, the Princess of the Night winked into her study with a flash.

"Where is she???" She asked hurriedly.

"I'm not sure, but she has to be close by. It had to have been her I was talking to at the Crystal Heart, not even ten minutes ago." Cadance said, showing Luna the note, who quickly read through it.

"Let's go!" Luna said, and they galloped from the personal study, and out the first available window they came too, and out into the night sky above the Crystal Empire.

"Which way did she go?"

Cadance thought back to the conversation, and which way the figure had run off.

"She left southwest from the Crystal Heart."

They followed the southwest path towards the outskirts of the city, which then gave way to about a hundred yards of plains and crystal formations, and then to the forest.

"Do you think we can find her in there?" Cadance asked, as they flew a few hundred feet over the forest, as the light continued to give way to night.

"If she is not wearing the cloak, I can detect her as she begins to fade from consciousness."

"That cloak... It hid her identity. That must be how she's stayed hidden all this time."

"Yes, and if it is the cloak I believe it to be, then as it shields her identity, it would also shield her from the effects of your Crystal Heart."

Cadance felt a lump in her throat.

"You... You mean?"

"She may believe no one loves her."

It was now dark enough where her vision would do no good, and was solely depending on Luna, and her dimly glowing horn. As they made another pass over the forest, Luna's horn flickered, and she paused for a split second before making a nose dive towards the treeline. Cadance had to sloppily correct her path, and even then, had trouble keeping up. She barely kept sight of Luna as she weaved through the trees, and then she saw it, and so had Luna who had stopped immediately.

A lump grew in her throat as she saw Rainbow Dash hanging from a tree a couple hundred feet away. Dread overcame her as she believed they were too late, but then she looked closer, and she saw struggling. She was a split second away from rushing to help when she saw Luna's horn glow.

Luna concentrated her magic, sent it forward, through the dozens of trees between her and Rainbow, found the branch she was hanging from, reached out, touched it, and twisted. The branch began to splinter, and a couple seconds later, it snapped, sending the pegasus into a free fall. Cadance was about to rush to help again, but Luna extended a hoof to stop her. Rainbow fell 40 feet through more branches and twigs, and landed on the forest floor with a thud. Again Cadance tried to go forward, but Luna held her back.

"Aunt Luna-"

"Not yet."

Cadance's heart ached with the sounds of Rainbow's sobs coming from the forest floor. Luna's horn began to glow.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting her to sleep. She can't know we found her here."

Luna's horn dimmed, and Rainbow's cries softened to silence, and the crickets overtook the forest night. They began to descend, and landed on the forest floor without a sound, 10 feet from the sleeping pegasus.

She had scrapes and cuts from her 40 foot fall, but otherwise seemed alright. Nothing looked broken. The noose was still tight around her neck, but loose enough to allow normal breathing. There was more rope keeping her wings folded to her sides. This confirmed Cadance's worst fears. She had just tried to take her own life.

Her saddlebags sat at the base of the tree next to her. Cadance lightly rummaged through it with her magic, finding a tape,some photos and other personal effects, and 500 bits, along with the magical cloak that had helped her stay anonymous for the past year.

Luna's eyes began to glow bright with her horn, as she pierced into the world of sleep.

Twilight couldn't be sure if she had been dreaming about anything, but right now she stood among an expanse of nothing. Blackness surrounded her on all sides.

"Call out to her." A majestic voice commanded her.

"P-Princess Luna? But I don't understand..." Twilight said, a bit startled.

"If you want any chance of seeing her again, call out to her."

She looked out to the expanse of nothing, and took a deep breath.

"Rainbow...?"

"Twilight?"

The response was muffled and distorted, Twilight couldn't even tell if it was Rainbow's voice.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Rainbow. I wish... I wish I had done something."

Twilight felt herself suddenly pulled from the sea of black, and in a few moments, would find herself in her bed back in the library.

Cadance saw Luna's eyes return to normal as her horn dimmed. She concentrated her own magic, and was about to cast a healing spell.

"No, Cadance."

"But look at her, she-"

"If she suspects any outside influence, I fear she'll run off and try this again. Now, use your magic. She's not wearing the cloak. Is there anypony she loves? Anypony in the slightest?"

Cadance dipped into her own unique blend of magic, and peered into Rainbow's mind. There was so much chaos; so much sadness, pain, and hurt. But...

There. In the middle, among everything else there was a love... A longing... For...

"Twilight? Her friends?" Cadance asked, snapping out of her spell.

She had not spoken to her sister-in-law since before this had all started. All she knew was that she had been stripped of her crown, and that Shining Armor had refused to speak to her.

"I hope that's enough," Luna began, beginning to walk away and preparing to take off. "Come, let's go."

"What? We're leaving her here?"

"Yes."

"But she needs our help."

"No amount of help will do her any good if she doesn't accept it."

"You can't be serious. Aunt Luna, we just can't leave her-"

"Cadance," Luna began firmly, seeing Rainbow begin to stir, but remained sleeping.

She took a few steps closer to the Princess of Love.

"The help she needs, we cannot give. I will keep watch on her tonight, but this is something she must discover and do on her own."

Cadance remained unconvinced.

"She is alive thanks to your ingenuity. That must be enough for now."

With that, the Princess of the Night spread her wings and ascended to the treetops to silently keep guard.

It took every ounce of willpower she had to obey her aunt, and turn away from the pegasus. As she spread her wings and took to the sky, she knew she wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, too distraught over the possibilities of what the poor mare had been through.

Luna's Ruminations

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Luna's Ruminations

Princess Luna sat silently in the treetops, a clear view of Rainbow Dash dozens of feet below in the forest. The critters and crickets of the night was the main ambiance as the Princess of the Night kept silent watch on the Pegasus that had evaded all searches for her for nearly the past year.

Of course, now she knew how she had done it; the Cloak of the New Moon. The enchanted garment hid her identity to anypony and everypony; including those she had direct contact with. According to the stories, she could say her name, and anypony listening would be none the wiser. Luna was currently contemplating how dangerous it was to leave it in her possession. But every time she considered taking it away, each time she went back to plan of not letting her have any idea there was outside influence tonight. The fact that she was alive, sleeping down there, was nothing short of miraculous. Cadance's ingenuity had alerted them to her location, and her having taken the cloak off prior to her suicide attempt was what ultimately saved her life. Luna had detected her fading consciousness as she began to slip away. Even a few seconds later, and it would have been too late.

Luna was grateful she had managed to get Cadance to return to her castle. Not only was it a leap of faith on her part, but Luna's as well, to believe Rainbow would finally begin to heal. The seeds of hope had been planted, on both her side and Twilight's. For a very brief moment, Luna had considered sending her down to Mustang Springs, but had eventually ruled that possibility out. Noctilucent and his adoptive family might be a good choice, but she doubted it was the right one for the Element of Loyalty. Rainbow didn't strike her as somepony who would be particularly patient with foals and misbehaving orphans.

Luna had decided awhile ago that she would make a special effort to aid those who had tried to take their own lives. The signs were always there in the dream world, which was why they were so lucky Cadance had found Rainbow - there were no suicidal tendencies in her dreams when she first disappeared, but then she became invisible to Luna; no doubt having acquired the enchanted cloak and was sleeping with it on. Her dreams were her own, and the cloak provided a powerful barrier that the Princess of the Night could not penetrate unless she was physically close to it, as Cadance had been at the Crystal Heart.

Noctilucent was one of the 'Suicide Solutions' program's best success stories. After Luna stopped his suicide attempt at the very last second, the dapple blue pegasus had, with some light coercing, gone to the Mustang Springs Orphanage as a caretaker, and slowly dealt with his demons and began to heal. While finding a romantic connection with the librarian Quercus Alba, or 'Quirky', he had connected so strongly with the mostly-unwanted orphans that Luna had its status officially changed to a therapeutic foster home. The foals and orphans were his, Quirky's and Holly's. A family in every way but blood had been created in the middle of the desert. He was currently taking classes-by-mail at Los Pegasus University to further his studies in Foal Psychology.

And their separate upbringings couldn't be farther apart, either. Rainbow had a good upbringing. She came from a safe home, and a loving family. Noctilucent had not. His home and family were broken from the very beginning; he had never known his father and barely knew his mother. He had been slowly broken over the course of his whole life, and was slowly put back together with the help of Luna and the orphanage. Rainbow, however, was shattered in a matter of days, and tried, unsuccessfully, to glue herself back together while hiding behind the Cloak. Cadance's glance into her mind confirmed it; she needed Twilight and the others and she was afraid to admit it to herself. Forgiveness was the key, and Rainbow was terrified of even approaching the lock.

Mustang Springs had been right for Noctilucent, but it probably wasn't right for her. Besides, as comforting as his story might be for her, Luna knew getting her back to Ponyville would reap better results. Especially with the limited time frame they had to work with. They only had a few days left for Twilight and the others to be legally charged with her kidnapping. But even if she didn't get there in time, that would not stop Luna. She had made their nightmares haunt them until they decided to stop running away; until they turned and confronted their crimes. Until then, they wouldn't know a peaceful night again.

Then, there was Rarity. The unicorn who had started all this was still comatose in a hospital bed in Canterlot. She was wondering how she could perhaps use Rainbow to jolt her out of it, so justice could finally be served, and she could get closure.

Everything else, she was unsure of. There could be no telling where this was going to go. Would she forgive Twilight? What of the other four? Rarity?

Rainbow was the navigator of her own destiny. Luna could only give her a compass, and pray she would follow it.

Luna knew any geas she placed on Rainbow's mind would not last very long at all. But hopefully, it would be all the time she needed.

Her horn glowed, and she grasped Rainbow's mind, binding her will to her for a precious few hours.

"Return to the Crystal Heart with the cloak's hood down, and act upon what you feel."

It was done. It was only a start, but it would have to do.

With that, Luna left the treetops and departed into the night sky.

As tragic as Rainbow's situation was, there were always other ponies to help.

October

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

October

The anxiety had been building up for two days. Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't wait anymore. If she stayed here it was all going to come crashing down, she knew it. She had heard nothing from Twilight or any of the others since she bolted out of the library after the alicorn had knocked herself out with Rarity's fire ruby. She had rushed to Carousel Boutique and grabbed Opal. In her panic, she had completely forgotten about Sweetie Belle, but the less she was involved in this, the better. She hoped against hope that Rarity had the foresight to lock the basement door before she had come to "reclaim" her from Twilight at the library.

Now it was time to go. If she didn't get away from here right now, she was going to go nuts. She tore into her bedroom closet and found her saddlebags, and tried to think of essentials to pack, almost nothing of which would be up here in her room. She took the bags down to the kitchen, and began putting as much canned cat food as she could into the left pouch. After that, she did the same thing to the right with food for her. She wouldn't be going far, just out. Out of here. Away from the walls, from the mirrors.

With the saddlebags full, she coaxed Opal into her carrying cage, and fastened it to her saddlebags. Double checking everything was secure, she made for the front door and opened it.

She didn't even get all the way out the front door before she felt a magic aura press and pin her to the ground, and suddenly, she was looking at a pair of golden spears inches from her face. She froze.

"Suspect secured, Captain." The closest Royal Guard informed his commanding officer.

"We have a warrant. Under royal authority, search the premises." The Captain replied. Fluttershy recognized him, he was the officer of the small royal detachment assigned to Ponyville. From her position on the ground, she saw around a half dozen guards begin to go around and in her cottage. Opal whined and hissed from inside her overturned carrying cage. A minute went by as the squad secured her house, going room by room. She heard them declare "Clear!" several times. The search complete, the sergeant returned the Lieutenant.

"There's no one else here, sir. Just her and the cat."

The Lieutenant turned to somepony Fluttershy couldn't see from her position on the ground.

"The cottage is secure, your Maj-"

"Get her up." A new voice interrupted. Fluttershy's fear only increased at the familiar, commanding female voice as the spears were moved away from her head, and the magical aura surrounding her returned her to a standing position before dissipating. Sure enough, Princess Celestia came up the front walk.

"P-Princess Celestia! Where's Rainbow?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Celestia asked, as if she half-expected her to know.

Fluttershy trembled. She had never heard the Princess speak like this to anypony.

"L-L-Last I saw her she was in the library with me and Twilight two nights ago."

"Rainbow left Ponyville two days ago. She hasn't been seen since. Where were you going?"

Again, aggressive, insinuating, and to the point.

"I-I was afraid the others would blame me for what happened. I just had to get away, I didn't know where I was going to go."

Fluttershy couldn't tell if Celestia was satisfied with her answer.

"House arrest. Restrain her." She ordered to the Lieutenant. Without hesitation, the guard's horn lit up, and a spell was placed on her front left hoof.

"Do not leave the premises. If you require rations, we can arrange that."

Fluttershy was still too stunned to answer.

"Get a detachment to Cloudsdale. Check with her parents."

"She's not up there, your Highness. Sh-she can't fly-"

Celestia's glare returned to her, and Fluttershy thought for a moment that she would be reduced to a pile of ashes. The Princess of the Sun stepped up to her, towering over the shivering Pegasus.

"I know precisely what happened to her. I have Twilight's notes. I have her testimony. What I don't get is you. You are Kindness. How in Tartarus could you ever convince her to cooperate with what you five did to her? Why?"

Fluttershy wanted nothing more than to be a pile of ashes right now. The disbelief, horror, and sorrow was all too apparent in the Princess' voice, but she was too angry to shed a single tear. The same didn't hold true for the pegasus, however, as she turned into a whimpering weeping mess in front of Celestia.

"We're done here for now, gentlecolts." Celestia said, then turned away from Fluttershy without another word, and returned back down the path back to the main road.

Fluttershy did not move. Even minutes after Celestia and the Guard were out of sight, she stood there, petrified and sobbing.

She didn't know how long it took, but eventually she got the strength to turn and head inside. Slowly, step by step, she ascended the stairs to the second floor, and entered her room. Shaking, she approached her nightstand, where a single framed picture stood.

Her and Rarity, posing for a photo right before their first date. Fluttershy picked it up with a quivering hoof, and the two pairs of eyes in the picture bore into her very soul.

Fluttershy slammed the picture frame face down onto the wooden floor as hard as she could, screaming. She stomped on it with her front hooves before leaping into bed, curling up, and wishing that she would implode into nothing.

November

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

November

The last time Celestia remembered her heart being this heavy was a millennium ago, when she was forced to imprison her sister in the moon, and she was having a hard time discerning how similar or different this situation was.

The Princess of the Sun sat in her personal quarters, with six file folders splayed out in front of her; the primary investigation folder, and one each for the primary suspects; the remaining Elements of Harmony. It had been five weeks since the investigation began, and she read over the reports again and again and again, and she was no closer to even imagining why something like this would happen.

"Sister?" A gentle voice asked from the door. She turned to see her sister, Luna.

"Any news?"

"Not the kind you want to hear, I'm afraid. I have lost Rainbow Dash in the dream realm."

"Lost?"

"She has simply disappeared."

Celestia's heart ached further.

"Do you think she..."

"I sincerely doubt it. You approved my Suicide Solutions program because of how efficient I was at predicting ponies taking their own lives. None of the signs were there. I simply cannot find her. I suspect something else is to blame. Whatever it is, I'm afraid I may be partially responsible."

"What do you mean?"

"While the dreams didn't allow me to pinpoint her location in the waking world, I placed seeds of hope in her mind, urging her to return home. I tried to ensure her dreams were of good memories with her friends, and I had endeavored to keep her nightmares as short as possible.

"Do you think you can do anything? Can you find her again?"

"That depends entirely on how she is hiding from me. If it's a finite source of magic, she just has to run out of that source. But if she has something like an enchanted item, then I'm afraid not. It's as if I'm afloat on the ocean, in the pitch black of night, with nothing but a flashlight to search for something that may be miles and miles away. Do not worry. I will search each and every night, and during the day as well." Luna reassured her sister.

"I can't even imagine how she feels... How scared out of her mind she must be..."

She glanced down at the folders in front of her, each with pictures of Twilight and the others paperclipped onto the reports.

"You think you know some ponies..." She said just above a whisper, her eyes starting to tear up.

"They are remorseful, although I can't imagine that being any kind of consolation to you. Their nightmares have tormented them nearly every night since Rainbow ran away." Luna offered.

"I don't even know if we have a case here, Luna. Every single instrument in the basement was expertly sanitized. Twilight's notes don't have any specific dates or names. The main perpetrator is comatose, and doctors have no idea when she'll wake up. Rainbow took the only piece of hard evidence."

"Perhaps she did so for a reason, sister. Maybe she did not want them prosecuted."

Celestia looked over at her incredulously.

"As one last gesture of loyalty. Of friendship."

Tears fell from Celestia's eyes.

"Y-You honestly think she would want us to just let them go?"

"What punishment could we give to augment their guilt, when it is tearing them asunder already? Their consciences will remind them during the day, and their dreams will haunt them at night until they find a way to deal with that guilt. If Rainbow doesn't return, I do not believe they will be able to do so."

Celestia was silent for a few moments, looking back down at the reports. She then looked back up to Luna, with sorrowful resolve.

"Inform the Guard down in Ponyville."

"At once, sister."

Fluttershy was awoken from her restless slumber by a loud pounding on the door. Opal whined as she too was disturbed. The pegasus glanced at the clock, saw it was 2 AM, got up and walked unsteadily down the stairs. She unlocked the front door and opened it to a pair of Royal Guards.

She couldn't say anything to them at first, assuming they had come for her.

"If I have to go with you, can you make sure Opal stays fed?" Fluttershy asked, glancing down at the cat at her hooves.

Saying nothing, the unicorn guard on the left channeled magic through his horn, and shot a glowing beam down at Fluttershy's front hoof.

"You'll be able to look after your cat. House arrests were rescinded an hour ago. You're free to go, ma'am."

Fluttershy was absolutely stunned.

"What? Did you find Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. We're just following orders. That'll be all."

With that, the pair of guards left without another word, leaving the dumbfounded pegasus along on her doorstep with her cat.

Fluttershy stepped back inside, and closed the door. She lifted her front left hoof that had kept her in her house for five weeks. She walked to the small bookshelf next to her couch. She pulled out a leather-bound three-ring binder, a scrapbook, and sat down on the couch. She opened the cover, and flipped to the fifth page, where there was a picture of her as a filly, with Rainbow Dash, at flight camp in Cloudsdale.

Seeing Rainbow's smug face made her break into tears.

"I'm so sorry..." She wept, softly pressing her forehead against the photo as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please be okay out there..."

December

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

December

The forest was silent save for the crunching of snow underneath the cloaked Pegasus' hooves. Thick snowflakes fell from the heavens, straining the branches of the trees. The Pinaceae evergreen trees made up the majority of the mountain forest, and thus gave variety to the endless shower of white falling from the gray skies. You could barely make out the stone path, nor the dirt or grass that introduced the forest. This was the first snowfall of winter, and it didn't take long for the snow to make it's mark, hiding pretty much every bit of ground until April, especially up here in one of Equestria's numerous mountainous regions.

The Foal Mountains was the closest mountain range east of the towering peaks where Canterlot was located. The closest settlement was Hollow Shades, situated down in a forest northeast of the talllest mountains in the range. The majority of the Foal Mountains took up the uppermost part of the triangular region between Canterlot, Fillydephia, and Baltimare. There were developed paths and railroads farther south away from the range that were safer and more frequently maintained, which made the ancient cobblestone paths through the Foal Mountains virtually unpopulated this time of year.

Which is exactly how Rainbow Dash preferred it.

She still hadn't grown used to this enchanted cloak, sold to her by Trixie a month before. Although she saw it's power for herself, how it shrouded her identity from anypony, she still found herself glancing away from any passers by. At least now, those who passed her paid her no mind. They didn't find anything particularly strange about the cloaked figure walking down the city streets. She had passed through Hollow Shades without so much as a glance, as she approached the north side of the range.

It was also the first major expense since leaving Ponyville in October. Trixie had asked 5,000 for the magical garment, a quarter of her gold bits, and Rainbow had an inking that for some reason, Trixie's asking price was fairly less than what any artifact collector would ask. 'Why?' She wondered. Because the street magician had felt sorry for her? Or was it because this 'Cloak of the New Moon' was cursed? It was crushing her identity, blocking out the rest of the world. Ever since she put it on, gone were the looks of concern. Gone were the double-takes as she quickly turned away from anypony who had perhaps glanced at the numerous 'Missing' posters. Yet, for as badly as she wanted to be noticed and worried about in those moments of maddening loneliness, she didn't take it off. No longer did Luna prod her mind at night, silently watching her as she dreamed, planting seeds of desperation urging her to return home. Her waking and sleeping hours were entirely her own now. She was adrift in a sea of nothing, and she wasn't about to give that up.

Not until she found where she fit in.

The Cloak of the New Moon was her only article of clothing, and it did almost nothing against the cold. Not that "cold" meant the same to her as it would an Earth or Unicorn pony. One of her racial perks as a Pegasus was near indifference to all but the most extreme weather, and even then, temperatures would have to plummet to double negative digits before she would be in any danger. Snowstorms would be far from pleasant, and cold was still cold, but it didn't present the health risks to her that it did to the other two races. Up here, she figured she'd find a suitable, uninhabited cave, and wait out the worst of it. Hallow Shades was a three-day hike down the mountain, and she had two weeks worth of bread in her food satchel. It would soon be stale, but it was nutritionally fulfilling. She wouldn't have to go anywhere for at least a week.

Rainbow then noticed something at the top of a hill, out of place among the trees. It was... A tavern? Up here?

Indeed, when she walked fifty feet closer and the snow cleared a tad, she found that it was a rather sturdy-looking tavern up off of the path. The dwelling was one story, made largely of wood and granite, with a high straw roof. Small, two-by-two white opaque windows ringed the building right below where the roof began. The snowfall wasn't accumulating on the roof, so she assumed the place was occupied and heated. She finished the journey up the hill, where the barely-visible cobblestone path split off to the left, beckoning to the wooden stairs leading to the front porch. A sign hung from a post to the right of the top of the stairs.

Neighecho Inn.

Rainbow ascended the stairs and continued to the front door. Having been in several taverns before since her trip began, she knew there was no need to knock. She grasped the door handle and pulled. The heavy wooden door opened with a creak, and she turned to pull it closed, before turning again and taking in what she had walked into.

The last thing Lonesome Pine expected to hear was his tavern door open. There hadn't been a soul here for weeks. He turned into the brief rush of cold breeze to see a pony in a simple black cloak and saddlebags come in and close the door. He got up from the rectangular stone fire pit in the center of the room.

"W-Why hello. Come on in, come in out of the cold." The innkeeper greeted. "Forgive my abruptness, but the last time I had a guest during the winter was three years ago."

The cloak-clad pony once again turned away from the door to the inside of the tavern. In the center of the room was a large fire pit, with a pair of cast iron pots hanging above the crackling flames. Long dining tables sat against each wall on either side of the pit. Both were unoccupied. The floor was granite, and the structure was nearly all logs. On the far side of the room was a counter. With a ledger, keg, and wicker baskets of vegetables.

"You run this place?" the pony asked. Lonesome Pine deduced that the voice was definitely female, but couldn't really deduce any other features.

"I do, ma'am. How may I serve you?"

The pony continued to look around, eyeing the 6 doors on the sides of the main room, no doubt being the rooms travelers could rent. A trap door near the counter lead down to the cellar, where Lonesome Pine kept his food for the long winter ahead.

"How much for a room?" The pony asked as Pine made his way behind the counter.

"30 bits will get you a warm bed, ma'am. I also have a premium rate of 50 bits. You can help yourself to whatever food I prepare for breakfast, lunch, or dinner."

The pony dropped her saddlebags to the floor, and began to rummage through them. She came back up with seven 50-bit silver pieces.

"350 for the week."

Lonesome was trying to make sense of this as he took the bits and wrote in his ledger. A guest during the winter was rare, and it was almost always for just one night while a storm passed through. The Foal Mountains was a popular area for recreational campers during the summer, as well as fisherponies who had taken up trading with Griffonstone across the Celestial Sea, which wasn't terribly far east from here. The business he got from both types of travelers is what kept him fed during the winter. So what was this mare doing up here, getting a room for a week, when the weather wasn't that bad yet?

"Thank you very much ma'am," he said, digging out a key and sliding it to her. "First one on the right. If there's any food you prefer, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Whatever you make is fine, thank you. How busy are you this time of year?"

"You're the first pony I've seen in seven weeks, ma'am. This mountain is pretty much lifeless in the winter."

"Perfect." She replied, taking the key and started towards her assigned room.

"Let me know whenever you'd like dinner started."

"Whenever you eat will be fine, thank you." She replied, stepping into her room, and closing the door, the lock sliding into place a moment later.

Just like that, the main hall of Neighecho Inn returned to silence, pierced only by the crackling from the fire pit.

February

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

February

Spitfire had been in Canterlot Castle countless times, but it had always been for some regal party or performance. But being specifically requested for an audience by Princess Celestia herself? That was a first. She had arrived the night before and got a hotel room. She got up at 5 AM and prepared herself in her honor guard uniform. She came to the front gate and was ushered right through without any delay. Upon seeing her uniform, the throne room guards saluted, and opened the doors for her. The Wonderbolts Captain stepped inside, and walked down the red carpet at an even pace. Princess Celestia sat on her throne, reviewing documents with her secretary.

Spitfire walked up, removed her aviator shades, and promptly saluted.

"Princess Celestia, Your Highness."

Celestia rolled up the scroll, handed it to her secretary, and dismissed her.

"Captain Spitfire, thank you for coming."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Princess?"

Celestia cleared her throat, and rose from the throne.

"It has to do with one of your acceptance letters from a few months ago."

The Princess magically gripped a file folder from the side of the throne, opened it, and levitated a laminated letter over to Spitfire, who took it and looked it over. It had her signature.

"This is Rainbow Dash's acceptance letter."

"Yes. We believe it was used as leverage against her."

"What? I know she was involved in some kind of kidnapping, but how would they know about this?"

"Because her kidnappers were her best friends, I'm afraid. They put her through three days of physical and sexual abuse. According to testimony, she was coerced into cooperating by an offer of being let go in time to answer the acceptance letter."

"But, we never received an answer from her."

The Princess brought another item out from the folder, a small plastic bag filled with cyan feathers.

"They clipped her primary flight feathers. The ringleader had no intention of keeping her word."

"By Luna's moon... I had no idea."

"Twilight came to her senses and helped her escape on the third night, but she was gone by the time the sun came up. She was angry and scared out of her mind. She hasn't been seen since, nor would she be able to fly yet. We were hoping the Wonderbolts could help us with finding her."

"How can we help, ma'am? We could send our backup and reserve teams out on search."

"I don't believe that will work, Captain. I've had dozens of search teams out for three months. However Rainbow is hiding from us, she's hiding in the dream realm as well, so even Luna can't find her. I'm thinking of a different approach. We can't find her, so our best bet is convincing her to come to us. She was always a huge fan of the Wonderbolts. I was hoping you could put something in your pamphlets and brochures. Let her know that you'll still take her in when she's able to fly again."

"And we would, without question. Especially now that I know the details... I... I had no idea."

"If I may offer some advice; don't dwell on it. I've always gotten quite angry when it's on my mind for more than five minutes, and that's no way to go about your day."

"What happened to her friends, Your Highness?"

"Nothing."

Spitfire was dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, and we have our reasons. Rainbow took the only piece of direct incriminating evidence with her when she disappeared. Princess Luna strongly believes if she truly wanted to see them punished, she would have left it behind, or come forward with it."

"I'm at a loss for words, Your Highness. But yes, the Wonderbolts will do everything in our power to try and get Rainbow to return."

Pinkie sat in front of the mirror on her dresser, brushing her hair before bed. Her old bedroom was just the way she remembered it; plain and simple. Brushing her hair wasn't something she had done since she got her cutie mark. Sleeping with balloons had done the job, but that was back when it was all... Well, all Pinkie-esque. But now, her hair had lost all of that life since that night she ran from the basement. It had returned to the straight, flat mane she had when she was a filly, and that short bout of insecurity on her birthday that one year.

She had a feeling it would be staying that way this time, instead of being brought back to its normal liveliness by her friends' surprise party.

It had been an ordinary day. She had asked her family to not celebrate her birthday this year. She didn't feel like partying. She didn't feel like celebrating anything anymore. When the house arrests were lifted in November, she had been the first one out of town. She didn't say goodbye to anypony. Not Cup Cake or Carrot Cake, not her friends; just took Gummy and took the first train south to the rock farm. Her family was rather disconnected from the outside world of anything not concerning rocks, but even they knew something was wrong when Pinkie came home.

For the past three months, she had been inconsolable. But they had given her her old room, and she gladly helped out on the farm to earn her keep. They never pried for details on why Pinkie had come running home, and she was grateful for that.

She finished with her mane, and set the brush on the dresser. She let out a sigh at her reflection in the mirror, got up, and walked over to the bed. A soft knock at the door interrupted her climb into bed.

"Come in."

The door creaked open, and Maud came in, a package on her back.

"Hey Maud, what can I do for you?"

"Actually I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you. You haven't been yourself, and you never miss an opportunity to throw a party." Maud said, in her usual expressionless, flat tone. Only a Pie could detect the concern in her otherwise disinterested-sounding voice.

"No, thanks anyway sis, but this isn't something anypony else can help me with. I just had to get away, and I'll be honest, I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back."

"Mmm," Maud responded in affirmation. "Pinkie, I know you didn't want to celebrate your birthday, but we're your family, and part of being a family is unconditional love. Marble and Limestone were insistent. Marble really wanted to find some way to help you, and you know Limestone; there's no stopping her when she wants to do something." Maud said, taking the brown paper-wrapped package, tied loosely with twine.

Pinkie swallowed the lump in her throat and accepted the package.

"We know you've been having a lot of bad dreams, and the three of us thought it might help." Maud explained while Pinkie undid the twine. She unfolded the paper, and the lump in her throat came back with a vengeance, and tears welled up in her eyes as she opened up the paper to reveal a homemade dreamcatcher. It was a series of 14 small flat rocks hanging from one larger pendant, with the Pie family crest carved into it.

Pinkie bit her lip in a futile effort to buy precious seconds before the impending eruption of emotion. She quickly, but carefully hung it on the left bedpost, before coming back over and throwing her hooves around her older sister, bursting into tears. Maud was never one for expressing emotion, but she still knew when her little sister needed somepony. She returned the hug, and held her grieving sister. She didn't need to know the specifics of what she was going through; it didn't matter. What did matter was being there for her.

The nightmares were terrible and unrelenting, but Pinkie knew she deserved nothing less. She ran away not once, but twice. Every time she tried to forget how sadistic she acted in Rarity's basement, her mind reminded her when she slept without fail. Rainbow's screaming, crying, and begging... She laughed and giggled at it. She took joy in it, and deep down, she didn't know why she had. She had always hoped that her nightmares had not been overheard by the rest of the household, but it was a moot point now.

After several minutes, Pinkie calmed down. Maud got up, wished her a happy birthday, and left her in her room.

There were no nightmares that night.

March

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

March

"What are you going to do when you run out of bits? Are you just waiting out the winter, waiting for your primaries to grow back? Fly home to Cloudsdale, to mom and dad? Probably the only two ponies who still love you, anyways."

"I'm reading, fuck off."

As annoying as the hallucination was sometimes, it still wasn't enough to convince her to remove the Cloak of the New Moon. Thoughts were easier to ward off when they stayed in your head. But when they took on a body of their own and started following you around a mountain tavern, they're a bit trickier to get rid of. Because you start talking back to it, and giving it a name, something like Double Rainbow.

And worst of all, Double Rainbow was just as stubborn as she was.

It had been nearly four months, and Lonesome Pine still didn't have a clue of what to make of his mysterious guest. For one, she never took that cloak of hers off, at least in his sight. He had to guess she was hiding some kind of deformity. But she hadn't even done as little as tell him her name. She had to be either a pegasus or an earth pony. He was pretty sure he didn't see a horn underneath the hood.

It wouldn't have been the first recluse he had given food and a bed to. But for so long? Yes, this was a first. She was polite though. Thanked him for every meal, brought the dishes up to the counter every time, and most times, the fire pit was already blazing in the morning, with her sitting there warming herself. One thing was for certain, she didn't sleep well. Talked to herself, too. A messy guest, she also was not. Every time she went outside, saddlebags and all, she left her room in pristine condition. When the weather allowed, she left the tavern with all her belongings, and usually went sightseeing, through the trees or further up the mountain to the lake. When the weather was too severe, she'd grab a book from his collection in the corner and read. She had to have gotten to every single one by now. The blizzards rarely relented up here.

But he had to admit, his curiosity was getting stronger. Who was this strange mare, and why was she paying him 350 bits a week without fail to stay up here on this mountain? His food wasn't that great.

"Are you sure this is the wisest idea, sister?" Luna asked, as she followed her sister down the stairs into the chasm below their old castle. Four Royal Guard pegasi followed behind them, carrying the chest containing the Elements of Harmony, which had been taken out of their necklaces when the investigation was wrapping up. The five of them would have their freedom, but not their elements, which would almost certainly be useless in their hooves anyway, considering how they had scattered in the weeks that followed the house arrests being rescinded.

"The Elements of Harmony have no holders currently. The Tree's magic has been slowly draining for the last millennium. Returning them can quell the Everfree Forest.

The two alicorn sisters walked into a cave formed into the inner wall of the chasm. They didn't get very far in before laying eyes on the Tree of Harmony, which they hadn't seen in one thousand years, before confronting Discord.

"Last chance to reconsider." Luna told her.

"If they are needed, we can always come get them."

Celestia nodded to the four guards, and they set the chest down and opened it. Using their magic, Celestia took three, and Luna took three, setting them in their respective places among the branches. Upon touching the tree, they became magically sealed in the white bark.

"Well, I guess that's that." Celestia stated, turning back and exiting the caves. The guards loaded the chest back onto the chariot that waited at the top of the stairs.

"I'm retiring to my quarters when I get back to Canterlot. And you? I assume another night of searching?"

Luna nodded. "I meant what I said, sister. I will not give up."

"Best of luck, Luna."

With that, the chariot was off as the sun set below the western horizon. Luna took that cue and began the process of raising the moon. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and the magic began to course through her horn. She reared up, and slowly raised her front hooves, the moon rising from the east as she did so. She opened her eyes, and being satisfied with the moon's placement, lowered herself to all fours. She wasted no time, and began to meditate. Her horn lit again, and in a flash, Luna vanished as she traveled into her domain, the world of dreams.

Being the steward of the Realm of Dreams wasn't the easiest task to describe, and neither was the Realm itself. It could be anything, depending on whose eyes you were looking through. She always got a laugh when her sister's involved cake. Twilight's used to be almost exclusively book related, before hers, and the other four former Element bearers turned into something much more horrible.

As steward, Luna could, with enough concentration, alter anypony's perception of their dream. In laypony's terms, she could make a dream into a nightmare, and vice versa. Most of the time, she let sleeping ponies be. She only intervened when a pony seemed troubled, which usually meant frequent or repeating nightmares. She also kept a watchful eye out for signs of depression and suicide.

It started as a field of stars for her; each one representing one of the millions of ponies inhabiting Equestria. There were far fewer during the waking world's daytime hours, but there were ponies who slept during the day. She also tended to them when she herself slept during the day.

"Rainbow Dash." Luna called out, barely above a whisper.

Without warning, the sky, the stars, everything went black, and Luna suddenly heard the sloshing of water.

She cast a Magelight alteration spell, and a white orb shone on the tip of her horn, but it did very little. It never did here.

It had been the same for months. Rainbow's "dream world" was a pitch black expanse of ocean. Luna found herself afloat in a simple wooden dinghy, with no oars to speak of. Her magelight spell allowed her to see maybe 20 feet away from the boat she sat in, which rocked lightly in the light waves. Luna didn't believe this was what Rainbow was actually dreaming of, but what was shown to anypony else intruding on her dreams. After Rainbow had first disappeared into this dark ocean, Luna began digging through the Canterlot Archives, looking for records of magical artifacts. It took weeks, but she finally found ancient texts depicting the Cloak of the New Moon. It was a cursed hooded garment. With the hood up around the head, it rendered the wearer's distinct identifying features invisible to mortal eyes. To anypony looking at her, she was barely a face in the crowd. There were no texts explaining its effects in other realms, such as the one of dreams, but it was the only explanation that made sense. Rainbow had somehow gotten her hands on this cloak, was using it to slip past the search parties, and clearly sleeping with it on as well. To pierce the veil the Cloak provided, one would need to be within proximity to her physically, and also be a master of Illusion magic. One would have to practice Illusion magic most of their lives, or have Alicorn-level magical abilities. Even then, the effects any spell would have on the cloak would no doubt be temporary. All Rainbow would have to do is move out of range of the caster. Lastly, with that cloak, there was very, very little she could do to attract any attention, let alone the attention of a master illusionist.

"Rainbow!" Luna called out into the fog. Her call echoed out across the waves for several seconds, then died out, as if nothing had happened. Luna listened carefully for several moments, hearing nothing in return except for the water splashing against the sides of her boat.

She could be absolutely anywhere out here, above or below the waves. Luna lit her horn, and departed Rainbow's dreams, reappearing at the stairs of their old castle. She let out a sigh of disappointment, and began to ascend the stairs. This was the site of the darkest moment of her life, but also the brightest. Her redemption.

The six of them had stripped away the darkness from her heart and reunited her with her sister during that fateful Summer Sun Celebration. As the nightmare that had threatened Equestria, she had been rightfully defeated. But as Luna, she had been freed and reinstated as Princess of the Night, and these ponies had asked nothing in return. She believed herself indebted to them, and such, was determined to find a way to fix this. There had to be a way to put these shattered friendships together again. They were nothing without each other.

But it wasn't enough to take away their nightmares and give them peaceful nights. No, they very much deserved their consciences' attacks on them, both day and night for the time being. Rainbow Dash was the key. She prayed that wherever she was, she was alright.

If not, she feared there was no hope for any of them.

Lonesome Pine was about to turn in for the night, making one last check of the main hall. About to retire to his room in the back, he noticed that one of the doors on the right, the one where his mysterious guest slept, was open a crack.

'That's a first. Might as well see if she's alright.' He thought to himself. He walked across the granite floor to her door, and slowly opened it, slow enough that it wouldn't creak.

There she was, sound asleep in the bed. He was about to close the door when he noticed her saddlebags next to the nightstand, the left flap open. He had to squint to make out the details in the dark. He tiptoed over to it, and peered inside.

'Sweet Celestia...' Was his first thought when he saw the sheer amount of bits in her bag. Right next to that, tucked snug in the corner, was a video tape.

What could be the harm? He had a projector by the front counter. Keep the volume off, take a quick peek, put it back. Might give him a clue as to who she was. It had been beginning to bug him these past few weeks.

He quietly slipped the tape out of the bags without making a sound, then made his way out of the room, returning the door to barely a crack. He kept silent as he went back over to the front service counter, turned the projector on, made sure the volume was off, popped the tape in, and pressed play. The static flickered a bit, then the playback began.

"What the hell...?"

"Psst. Psst, hey, sleepyhead."

Rainbow felt groggy as she returned to the waking world, finding herself in her tavern bed.

"What-"

"Shh. I heard rummaging a minute ago. Took a minute to wake you. Check your bags." Double Rainbow whispered to her from the nightstand. Rainbow rolled over onto her back, still unsure what was going on. She craned her neck down to the floor beside her bed, and looked at her saddlebags. She thought it was fine, but then her eyes began to adjust to the dark.

The tape.

"Yeah, keep quiet and see what he's up to." Double Rainbow said.

Her lightweight form as a pegasi made keeping quiet on the floor easy, plus the raging blizzard outside covered what little noise she did make. She opened her door a tad, and peeked out at the main hall, and her blood instantly began to boil at what she saw.

The basement videotape was playing on Lonesome Pine's projector.

Rainbow's rage silently focused like a laser beam. She slowly opened the door just enough to slip through. She walked silently over to the fire pit and grabbed the fire iron.

Lonesome Pine couldn't take his eyes off of the screen. This was some kind of... Bondage session. He couldn't tell what was being said. He wasn't sure if there was audio on the tape, as it appeared to be surveillance, and he wouldn't be able to tell without risking turning the volume up. Two things were certain; four of them were ganging up on the other two, with what looked to be a piercing gun, and two; he was failing to hide his excitement, which was beginning to grow between his legs.

"Looks like it's an early check out for me, motherbucker."

He didn't even have time to jump off of his stool in fright before a sharp pain on the back of his head toppled him.

Rainbow stood on top of the counter. Lonesome Pine was crumpled in a motionless heap on the floor beside the stool he had chosen to sit on. She immediately stopped the tape and ejected it from the projector. She waited a few moments for Lonesome Pie to move, who now had a red gash on the back of his head to the right of his mane. He never did. She noticed the small bag of bits she had paid him for the following week. She grabbed it along with the tape, dropping the fire iron which hit the granite floor with a clang. She took the bits and tape back to her saddlebags, and immediately strapped them on underneath her cloak.

"Subtle." Double Rainbow commented.

"Shut the fuck up." Rainbow ordered, tightening the straps. She exited her room, and went for the front door.

"We're going out into that? Jeez, just tie him up and wait for the blizzard to calm down a bit."

"Piss off, I didn't know imaginary ponies bitched about the cold."

"I'm in your head, genius, and it is freezing out there."

"Then stay here with the fucking pervert. I won't miss you."

With that, Rainbow Dash left Neighecho Inn, vanishing into the blowing snow.

Spring

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Spring

April

"Whew. Finally. That only took all day." Former Princess Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself. It was 6:16 PM, and she had just finished her first non-magic assisted Booksortation. She figured it would help pass the time, and distract her from drinking, which she had given up a week ago; not quite the day Princess Celestia came to visit her. It took one more hangover for the Princess' words to finally sink in.

'Be the mare Rainbow would want you to be. If she doesn't come back, then that is the most justice you will ever get for what you did to her.'

Twilight figured in her state, she wasn't disciplined enough to just stop using magic to turn water into hard liquor. She'd need help. So she placed an order for a device that would aid her in that endeavor. She was always antsy when she was expecting a package in the mail. So she had resorted the entire library without the aid of her magic. Now that she had finished the eight hour task, she thought it would be a good idea to go get something to eat, but she had barely gotten the loaf of bread out before there was a knock on her door. She walked from the kitchen back out to the main room, opened the front door, and was greeted by Derpy, Ponyville's mailmare.

"Heya Twilight. Got a package for ya tonight."

Derpy had been one of the very few ponies that weren't actively avoiding her since the investigation and rumors began circling.

The gray pegasus reached into her sizable saddlebags, and retrieved a small, almost hoof-sized box. The disgraced alicorn signed for her package, and Derpy was on her way to resume her deliveries for the evening. Twilight closed the library door, and went over to the table and sat down, carefully opening it.

Inside the cardboard box was a slightly smaller box, with the stylized logo "SAP CAP". She opened the top flap, and looked inside.

These devices were made in a variety of ways, and were mostly meant for punishment or role playing purposes. They were commonly known as magic limiters, magic inhibitors, and sap caps. They were made in a variety of ways, but all served the same purpose; being fit over the tip of a unicorn's horn, preventing any and all use of magic. Nearly all of them were made from steel, then enchanted. This one in particular came with an optional leather strap and a 'timer' function.

Twilight set it gently down on the table and carefully read the small instruction pamphlet. One section caught her eye:

SELF BONDAGE NOTE:
The Sap Cap (TM) magic inhibitor has a default duration of sixty minutes without adjusting of the timer. Please make sure all other preparations are complete before placing and fastening the cap onto the horn. The timer has a maximum setting of twelve hours, after which the safety locks will disengage, and magic can be cast through the openings.

The Sap Cap company is not liable for any damages, injury, or malnutrition that results from the use of the inhibitor.

The fantasies she had thought up while absolutely wasted immediately began to creep back into her mind. She had originally intended to use it as a self-discipline assistant, but... Surely treating herself to a fantasy or two wouldn't hurt...

Twilight Sparkle threw caution to the wind.

"Screw it. I haven't had a drink in a week. I need this."

Twilight set the instructions down, and opened the door to the basement. She descended the stairs and went to a small chest against the back wall. She unlocked it, and peered inside. This chest was her personal bondage devices, which she had rarely used. A small handful of vibrators, a plug, her Mare Do Well costume, and a few coils of rope. She hadn't used any of this for Project Mistress Do Well, so it hadn't been taken as evidence. She took a vibrator, plug, a bottle of lubricant, a blindfold, rubber bit, and two coils of rope, and returned upstairs. She grabbed the magic inhibitor on her way up the second flight of stairs to her room, and set everything on her bed. She laid down next to it, and mentally planned how to go about this.

She rolled onto her side, and began with the plug. She lubed it up, and positioned it under her tail, and steadily pushed it in until it hit the flare and went in with a pop, stopping at the widened base. Next, was the vibrator She applied a bit of lube, and before inserting it, set the timer for an hour, and set the intensity to random. She didn't turn it on just yet, first there was the rope to take care of. She worked it around her nether regions, ensuring that neither the plug nor vibrator would slip out. It gave her painful flashbacks of securing Rainbow to Fluttershy on the second night of Project MDW, but she pressed on.

She took one short coil of rope and tied her rear hooves together, then did the same to her front hooves with the third coil, then bound the two sets together with the last coil, effectively putting herself in a hogtie. She put the bit around her head, opened her mouth, took it between her teeth, then tightened the straps. Then, she levitated the inhibitor up, double checked to make sure it was set to the default of one hour, then clicked it shut, making it ready for use. She shut off the light in her room, then closed her eyes and wrapped the blindfold around her head, effectively shutting out any remaining light. She turned the vibrator on, and fastened the sap cap onto her horn.

She began to moan from the effects of the vibrator. Immediately, the voices of her fantasy took hold.

"Oh, Sparkle. Really, you still can't admit you're wrong?" She heard Rainbow Dash say, as she circled her bed.

"Mistress... Please..." She pleaded, beginning to drool from the bit.

"I think I'll leave you like that for a bit as punishment. Being so easily coerced into kidnapping your best friend... Tsk tsk. Let see how you like it when you're the sex slave."

The vibrator's random functionality changed it to the High setting, and Twilight squirmed and moaned. As her marehood clenched around the vibrator as she rode out the high setting's duration, she felt her bladder signal the need to go.

'Oh no... No no...'

The realization hit her far too late. In her excitement to try out her new toy, she had forgotten to relieve herself before rendering herself helpless for an hour. Anxiety gripped her heart as the need only got stronger as the vibrator persisted, and still the fantasy in her mind continued.

"And don't think of urinating, unless you want to sleep in piss-soaked sheets all night." Mistress Rainbow warned.

The first idea to hit her pleasure- and panic-assaulted mind was to get down to the bathroom. She wouldn't be able to get up to the toilet, but better to mop up a puddle on that floor than have to do a load of bedding. But her hogtie was quite effective, and she could do little more than wiggle, and the vibrator's high setting was driving her up to the peak quite rapidly. She called out for her Mistress, but to no avail, she had left her here. Seconds became one minute, then two, and tears began to prick her eyes. Had she read the vibrator instructions correctly? It had been on high for three minutes, and the pleasure of the vibrator was clashing with the pain of the increasing pressure on her bladder. Her moans intermixed with her whines and cries with the inevitable result coming closer and closer.

Five minutes in, she was thrashing, and moments before the vibrator went to a lower random setting, she was pushed over the edge.

"Ahhh!" She cried out through the bit. Not even a second into her climax, her muscle spasms caused her bladder to release, and urine joined the flow of orgasmic juices onto the bed. Her cheeks burned red hot with humiliation as her brain shot back and forth between euphoria and embarrassment. Her climax lasted fifteen seconds, and after twenty, her bladder squeezed out it's last drop.

She breathed heavily through her nostrils, knowing that she was in for at least 55 more minutes of this, and it wouldn't be her only orgasm of this session, as she continued to squirm on her pee-saturated bedspread.

And yet, this was barely a shred of what Rainbow had experienced.

Laundry would wait until morning, however. She would fall asleep in the last ten minutes of the hour, completely exhausted after her fourth climax, and would wake up to the sun hitting her window, her bed and coat reaking of urine.

May

Discord cleared his throat as he mentally went over his apology again outside Fluttershy's hut in the Everfree Forest as the sun began to set to the west. He had hoped this worked; the pegasus hadn't spoken to him in three days, ever since she had screamed at him and kicked him out for a rather... Ill received gift.

It was just a Rainbow Dash plush. He thought it would help with how much she missed her friend. Instead, she threw the stuffed animal back at him and yelled at him in a way he had never heard before. He was thrown out of the hut he had made, or rather, materialized for her in the middle of the Everfree Forest. His first attempt at an apology an hour later didn't go over well. She apparently wanted him to know what he did wrong, or the apology didn't mean a thing.

He knocked on the door, and a few moments later, Fluttershy opened the door, and stared up at him expectantly.

"Fluttershy, I'm... I'm sorry for not thinking my gift through. I know you miss Rainbow Dash terribly, and for reasons I simply cannot figure out, that plush was taken the wrong way. Because... Because you probably want her, and not some stuffed animal. I'm sorry. I don't know as much about what happened to the six of you as you think I do."

Fluttershy took a deep breath, as she prepared to speak.

"I've been thinking the last couple days, and maybe I overreacted. I am glad you're out here with me."

Discord smiled at that.

"You're the one who insisted on coming out here. I just tried my best to make it feel like a home. Well, your kind of home." Discord claimed, motioning to the small hut, containing a bed, kitchen, couch, and cat playground for Opal.

"And I'm grateful for that, I really am. And if you really don't know what happened to us seven months ago... I actually envy that. I guess it didn't really have much to do with chaos..."

"My dear Fluttershy, if you feel you need to get something off your chest, if that gets you back to your old self, by all means, I am all ears."

All of the draconequus' appendages proceeded to turn into the ears of different creatures.

"Thank you, but I don't know if I'll ever get back to my old self. I don't even know where to start..."

"The beginning, perhaps?" the Lord of Chaos suggested.

"Come on in. It's looking like it's gonna start raining soon." Fluttershy stepped back inside, Discord following. The pale yellow pegasus sat down on the bed, and thought back.

"It was almost a year ago... Last spring. Rainbow had been accepted into the Wonderbolts Reserves, closer than ever to being a full fledged member. She even had a local comic book started on her. She just took on more and more commitments, and began to have less and less time. As we went through summer and fall, things only got worse. She became less and less dependable. That's the reason all my animals ran away. It came to a point where we all got together and tried to come up with ideas on how to set her straight."

Discord listened uncharacteristically intently.

"Do... Do you remember when we first reformed you? You had turned Sweet Apple Acres into a gigantic ice rink, and I had to refuse your skates, and your friendship, for you to finally snap out of it? That would have been the right thing to do to her... Instead..."

There was a long pause as she took a shuddering breath as she was beginning to struggle with keeping it together.

"But no... For some reason, we all thought Rarity's idea of kidnapping her, chaining her up in her basement and making her our sex slave was the best course to take..."

Tears began to prick her eyes.

"It was because of me. Rarity and I were marefriends then, and I had convinced her to give bondage play a try. I hadn't realized how far beyond my limits we had gone. I thought she was looking out for her best interests, so I convinced Dash to go along with it, saying we'd never hurt her... And..."

Fluttershy began to quietly weep. Discord slid over to the bed and sat down next to her, putting his bear arm around her. Sniffling, she took another deep breath.

"Twilight was the first to snap out of it, at the end of the third day. She got both me and Rainbow out of there, and did her best to heal us, at least physically. We spent the night in the library from sheer exhaustion, and Rainbow was gone when we got up the next morning. Rarity came looking for me, and she and Twilight fought, and... Well, unicorn versus alicorn, it's not too hard to figure that result out. Rarity's comatose up in Canterlot Hospital, they don't think she'll ever wake up. Then came Celestia's intervention. She was determined to get to the bottom of it."

Discord remembered that. Celestia explicitly forbid him to go anywhere near Fluttershy during that five week period, and unfortunately, it was an order he had to take seriously. Fluttershy was quivering by now.

"And they just let us go... With all of our testimony, and Twilight's notes... They let us go! I don't understand why. I just... I just want her to be okay. I don't care if she wants nothing to do with us ever again, I just want to know she's okay out there..."

Discord pulled back the comforter on the bed, and beckoned her to slip under.

"If there's anyone stubborn enough to do so, it's Rainbow Dash." Discord said, covering the pony with the blanket. He shut off the lantern at her bedside, and kept close eye on her as she quietly cried herself to sleep.

Discord had honestly been surprised at himself, and how he had changed when he came out here with Fluttershy. He was far less 'chaotic' around her, as she appeared far more fragile than she used to be, and now he had some kind of idea as to why. He knew that she had given him the lite version; the details were no doubt more gritty and horrifying than she could ever put into words. To shatter the six of them... It was something he was able to do for barely a day. But this was going on seven months.

She could never escape the voices. They were all around her and right next to her.

"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you hurt me, and not just me."

"No! She doesn't deserve this!" She screamed into the black.

"I want you to agree to this training. If not, not only will Rarity be cruel, but when she does release you, I won't be waiting for you. I'll have found a new best friend. I'm tired of you hurting me."

"No, don't! It's a lie! She won't let you go! Run, Rainbow!"

"Now, since you refuse to cooperate, and since you tricked my beloved Fluttershy into showing you, a a worthless slave her pity and kindness, I have to punish her.

"Dear, did you tell Dash I wouldn't hurt her?"

"No, stop it! Stop let her go!"

“Fluttershy wants me to hurt her. I own her, just like I will own you. I will break you, like I broke her. You will beg me to be my pet, just like she did.”

“Now, Fluttershy, tell Dash that you asked me to beat you.”

“I-I. . . please beat me, I want you to, Mistress.”

“Capturing Dash was all your idea, wasn’t it Fluttershy?”

“Y-yes, Mistress.”

“Now tell your best friend why you did it.”

“I was tired of Dash hurting me, she’s selfish and mean Mistress! Please punish her!”

"NO! STOP IT!!!!!" Fluttershy screamed, bolting up in bed, breaking into an uncontrollable sob. Discord immediately came over to the bed.

"It's alright, Fluttershy. You're alright." He consoled, taking her into a hug.

"No... No I'm not alright. It's my fault... This was all my fault! Oh Dash I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

The distraught pegasus choked and wheezed on her tears, and Discord could do nothing but hold her through it. Sleep had never come easy to her since this began, and nightmares were common, but that was one of the worst yet. Even more unsettling was this wasn't something he could solve with a simple snap of his claws. He stroked her mane and back, cradling her in his arms for ten minutes before she finally calmed down. He released her once she had stopped shaking and her crying had quieted down, and he materialized a steaming cup of tea.

"Here, drink this. I'll be back." Discord said, handing her the tea before disappearing from the hut with a flash.

The Realm of Dreams could be different each time Luna entered it. She was also a pony who slept, and had aspirations, hopes, dreams, and fears. Currently, her chosen dreamscape was a rocky cliff side, hundreds of feet above violent waves that crashed against the rocks. Storm clouds floated above, threatening to drench the entire area. Luna simply sat near the edge of the cliffs, staring out at the turbulent sea.

The Princess of the Night was not at peace.

Peace became even more unlikely when Discord winked into existence behind her.

"Princess Luna, a moment of your time, if you will." Discord said, giving a short bow.

"This is not a good time, Discord." Luna said, not even turning to him.

"Pfft. If I had a nickel for every time it was a 'good time' for you and your sister, I'd be bankrupt."

"What is it you want?"

Still no eye contact, so he continued to talk to Luna's backside.

"Fluttershy's nightmares are getting a bit out of hand. I figured as the expert in that particular field, you could do something about that."

"The nightmares are hers and hers alone. I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Yes, I can really tell how watching a stormy sea is much more important than giving her a good night's rest."

"I am not concerned with her rest," Luna said, her patience with the draconequus wearing thin just 20 seconds in.

"The strangest thing is, I am."

"I will not artificially alleviate her guilt, Discord."

"Princess, with all due respect, that is not fair."

Discord felt the ground beneath his feet jolt, and the rainy storm clouds above him turned a much more violent black, as thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed.

Luna stood, and turned to look at Discord, her eyes a fiery white, and a look on her face that could only be interpreted as unmitigated fury.

"FAIR?!?" Her voice thundered across the ground, causing it to vibrate under Discord's hooves as her inner rage tapped the power of the ancient Thu'um, known far less formally as her 'Royal Canterlot Voice.'

A glowing, sparkling black entity erupted from her chest piece, and instantly shifted into a menacing claw that flew towards the rather surprised draconequus. He attempted to fly away, only to find his wings had vanished. This was Luna's realm, he had no power here. He tried pathetically to shield himself as the claw-shaped entity grasped Discord, brought him up, arced him above Luna, and slammed him down to the ground on her opposite side. The claw melted away, going back towards Luna, leaving Discord desperately clawing onto the edge of the cliff. When he finally found himself able to look back up from the ground, he saw not Luna, but the fearsome avatar of Nightmare Moon.

"Their victim is out there, Tartarus knows where, fractured and frightened, and you dare speak to me of fairness?"

The black mare's dragon irises bore into him as she stepped closer to the cliff side, and Discord believed that she would crush his claws and send him careening to the jagged rocks below.

"That mare's unfathomable, undying loyalty is the only reason Fluttershy is not in chains. Your dear pegasus will keep her nightmares, and her guilt, until she comes to terms with what she and the others have done. And you would do well to consider how lucky she is to have your companionship. Be gone!"

Nightmare Moon let out a thundering three-syllable scream that knocked his claws free of the cliff edge, and sent him into a free fall into the sea below.

Summer

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Summer

June

"Ya wanted to see me, Ms. Jubilee?" Applejack asked, stepping into the office of the owner of Cherry Hill Ranch.

"Yes, Applejack. Thank you. I wanted to discuss your schedule this weekend."

"What about it?"

"I've been concerned, for several weeks now, that you're not giving yourself enough time off. You've been working 80 hour weeks for at least the past two months. That's not healthy."

"It's what I do best, ma'am."

"Applejack, Cherry Hill Orchards did not become the largest sustained business in Dodge Junction because its owner was a clueless idiot. Yes, you are a very hard working and tenacious farmer, and I know you've been working this hard because of what happened in Ponyville last fall."

Applejack was as silent as the grave.

"News travels fast. There are Missing posters of your pegasus friend around town, in case you've never noticed them."

"That has nothing to do with my job here, ma'am."

"Correct. But it has an awful lot to do with you, one of my best workers."

"I'm not going to discuss-"

"I'm not asking you to discuss anything involving the kidnapping in your hometown. Nor am I asking you to take the weekend off. I'm telling you to. You come in and do your job, but when you look absolutely exhausted at the start of every day, it effects the morale of all of my other farmers."

"Ms. Jubilee, I don't need any time off."

"Last I checked Applejack, it's my orchard. If you want to come down here to run away from your past, fine. But I won't let you work yourself to death because you can't cope with whatever happened. Last thing I'm gonna do is take my orchard's profits and dump them into insurance payouts because you collapsed out there among the trees."

"Ms. Jubilee, I'm fine. I don't-"

"Now is this conversation over, or do I need to go look for a new cherry harvester for Monday?"

Applejack held her tongue for the second time.

"And don't run off doing oddjobs for the weekend either. If you don't come in here Monday morning looking well rested, you won't be working Monday either. Now I believe I've made myself clear enough. Go get some rest."

Applejack turned and left Cherry Jubilee's office without another word, and departed the orchard proper minutes later after grabbing her saddlebags from the locker room. With all the overtime pay she had made, she had rented out a small apartment on the edge of town. Though she didn't really care how much she made. She was here to work, and it sounded like she was about to be doing a bit less of it. So what if she looked exhausted? It was results that mattered most, right?

But deep down, Applejack knew, and Cherry Jubilee probably had a clue, that it wasn't the work at the orchard that was exhausting her. She had put in long hours every single applebuck season. No. She was exhausted because she wasn't sleeping at night, and whenever her mind wasn't focused out at the cherry trees, it was focused in on what she was running away from.

Not only that, but also reminding herself that she had missed her chance with the mare she had had a crush on for a year.

"Oh Fluttershy, if only 'ah had the courage to get to ya first. None of this would've happened. You wouldn't be a pet, or slave, and we wouldn't have gotten it in our heads to do the same to Rainbow... I hope you're okay out there, wherever you are..."

She wasn't really sure what she was going to do. Inside, she was a mess. There was so much to sort out, and she was too afraid to admit it. Even if she could, it wouldn't be something she could do by Monday...

July

Twilight woke up groggy and sore, hearing a knock on her door. She raised her head and looked at the clock. She had done another lengthy self-bondage session, which were becoming more and more frequent. When she thought about it objectively, she had simply swapped out drinking for fantasies where Rainbow returned and got payback. Whatever, at least she could function the next morning. A sore muscle or two, maybe, but no splitting headaches and sensitivity to light and sound. She channeled her magic through the opened halves of the magic inhibitor, and removed all of her equipment within seconds.

"I'm coming!" Twilight responded to a second set of knocks, levitating all of her gear and putting it under the bed. She stretched, and quickly ran a brush through her mane to look halfway presentable. She walked downstairs and trotted to the front door, and opened it to be greeted by Big Mac, who had effectively been promoted to making the major decisions at Sweet Apple Acres since Applejack's departure.

"Morning, Big Mac. What can I do for you?" Twilight asked, enthused by the company. Visitors were all too rare these days.

"Good morning, Twilight. Sorry to come to you with this last minute. Applebuck Season starts today, and we're wondering if you'd like to help. We weren't sure if Applejack was going to come back for this, but it looks like she isn't, and you're the last 'honorary family member' left in town."

For a moment, Twilight was beside herself. Nopony whomsoever had come to her for any help at all once the house arrests were lifted. She knew Celestia had to have had a hoof in Mayor Mare not going through with her eviction threats. If she were to be kicked out of the library, there'd be no place to go.

"You want my help?" She asked, unsure if she heard him correctly.

"Eeyup. I won't pretend to know how life is for you here now, but it's a chance to get out of town for a bit. Three meals a day, pay is decent, a share of the harvest, and the guest room is yours for the duration. We just figured with your magic, we'd get it things done faster, and we can get them sorted and to market that much quicker."

Twilight hadn't used her magic for much else than fastening and removing her bondage gear before bed and in the morning, and it wasn't particularly good in the horn health department for the horn to be used that infrequently.

"Well, sure. When do you need me?"

"Today, if you're available. We start at noon."

"Sure. Let me just get some things situated here, and I'll be there in a bit. And... Thanks."

"See ya there." Big Mac said with a nod, and departed.

Twilight closed the door and set to getting ready, starting with a shower. She no doubt still smelled of sex from the night before.

But Big Mac was right. It was a chance to get out of town for a few days, for some practical and helpful application of magic, and a goal to accomplish each day.

After locking her bondage gear back in the chest downstairs, she did a final check around the library to make sure everything was in order, then departed for Sweet Apple Acres.

It had been quite some time since Twilight had exerted herself magically like that. Sure enough, she showed up at Sweet Apple Acres, and at high noon, they set out baskets and started harvesting the east fields. They were out there all day, taking only short water and bathroom breaks. Twilight could tell that the family was struggling to make up for Applejack's absence. The most obvious one was Apple Bloom, whose heart just didn't seem to be in it. But her half-hearted efforts aside, they got the east field done by sundown, and had gone in for a hearty meal.

The three remaining members of the Apple Family and their Alicorn helper took their seats at the dinner table.

"Good work today, everypony. Tomorrow we hit the north field." Granny Smith announced, dishing out pot pies fresh from the oven.

"Yeah, who needs AJ when you've got magic..." Apple Bloom pouted.

"Apple Bloom, we've been over this. We all miss Applejack, but coming back is up to her. Now you thank Twilight for coming out here to help us harvest."

"Alright then. Twilight, thanks for comin' to replace my big sister." Apple Bloom said.

"Apple Bloom!" Granny Smith chided, before Twilight could respond to the snide remark. "Any more talk like that outta ya, and you'll be outside cuttin' a switch, ya hear?"

"Then if ya'll be excusin' me."

With that, Apple Bloom got up from her place at the table and stomped upstairs, the ponies remaining at the table heard her bedroom door slam closed.

"Sorry about her. We're glad you're here helping us out." Big Mac offered, cutting into his pot pie.

"And I'm happy to have the company and opportunity to help out. I'm guessing she took Applejack's departure pretty hard."

"That, and she was really hopin' she'd come back for Applebuck Season. She misses her big sis somethin' fierce."

Twilight began into her pot pie. It was the most delicious thing she'd eaten in months. She wasn't much of a cook herself, and she'd stopped eating out; the judgmental looks were too much to handle, especially because they were deserved.

The rest of the dinner went without incident. Twilight ate heartily until she thought she would burst. Before she retired to the guest bedroom, she reheated Apple Bloom's pot pie and went up to her bedroom door and gently knocked.

"Yeah, come in."

Twilight opened the door, walked in, and offered the warm meal to Apple Bloom, who got off her bed and accepted it.

"Thanks. Listen, I'm not mad at you. Today would've been a lot harder without you. I'm mad at Applejack. She always told me family was the most important thing and... Then she runs halfway across Equestria. Didn't even say why. That's the most irritatin' thing here. Whatever happened with you guys, the thing everypony always said is that it wasn't for fillies or colts to hear."

"It's really not, Apple Bloom. We didn't even like talking about it with each other. I think that's why everypony went off on their own."

"Then why did you stay?"

"Because I've got nowhere else to go. My mom, dad, or brother don't want anything to do with me."

"O... Oh. I'm real sorry, I didn't know that."

"It's alright."

"No. No it's not. Here I was complaining about Applejack walking out on us, and here you are, helping us, when your family walked out on you."

"I'll be alright. You've still got Granny and Big Mac. I've just gotta take it one day at a time. Well, enjoy your dinner, and rest up. Another long day tomorrow."

October

The afternoon sun shined bright down on Cloudsdale's west neighborhoods. In one particular cloud house sat Rainbow Blaze, Director of Operations at the Weather Factory. He and his wife Firefly were just sitting down to dinner of his Spicy Storm Cloud Soup. Blaze was about to take his first bite when there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" He wondered, not expecting any evening visitors. He went to the foyer and opened the door, seeing a pony clad in a hooded black cloak.

"Hello, can I help you?" He asked, not being able to discern any of this pony's features. Then, the figure slowly raised their front left hoof, lowered the hood, and he saw the unmistakable mane and face of the pony he wondered he'd ever see again.

"H-Hi dad."

Homecoming

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Homecoming

"R-R-Rainbow...?" Blaze stammered, unable to believe his eyes.

"Can I come in? I don't want anypony to see me out here."

The stunned Blaze was quick to nod, and step aside. Dash stepped in, and Blaze closed the door, before stepping forward and taking Dash into a tight hug as he began to weep. Dash didn't really know how to react; she had never seen her father cry before. Her mother, Firefly, a dark pink pegasus with a dark blue mane, came out to see what the commotion was.

"Dashie!" She nearly shrieked, and came up opposite her father and likewise embraced her, leaving her squeezed in a sobbing parents sandwich.

After nearly a full minute, they reluctantly began to release her, not wanting to let her go, and their hearts sank when they took a longer, more objective look at her.

Their daughter's mane was quite disheveled, looking like it hadn't seen a brush in quite some time. Her eyes gave away the clear impression of being sleep deprived. She appeared just a bit leaner, but nothing to be alarmed about. They couldn't see her wings, but she had gotten up here, so they had to guess they were alright. Lastly, she barely managed the weakest smile. This was not the daughter they remembered at Hearth's Warming Eve nearly two years ago now.

"Something smells great. Did... Did you make enough for three?"

Her voice was soft and defeated. They reassured her, beckoning her into the dining room. Firefly got her seated across from them while Blaze got a steaming hot bowl of his Spicy Storm Cloud Soup. It had been one of her favorites ever since she started to take to spicy foods. Blaze had barely gotten to his seat when Rainbow picked up the bowl and began to sip from it. The pepper spices used in the preparation heated and tingled the back of her throat and warmed her chest as it flowed down. Just like old times...

"So..." Rainbow began, setting her bowl down gently. "How much do you know? Ab-About what happened?" Rainbow asked her parents as they watched her. The two of them exchanged glances.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to talk about it if you-"

"C-Can you please just answer the question?" Rainbow interrupted. It wasn't forward or aggressive, but rather pleading.

Blaze looked over to his wife, silently debating which one would let her know.

"Celestia let us see Princess Twilight's notes." She told her.

Dash let out a sigh, taking another sip of soup.

"I don't want to talk about it, it's just... Part of me was hoping it didn't get out very far."

"It didn't." Blaze began. "We pestered Celestia to tell us what they did to you, and she warned us - three times, in fact, of the contents, before she finally relented. They investigated it for five weeks."

Firefly left the room momentarily, and came back with a pamphlet, setting it beside Rainbow's bowl of soup.

"They never stopped looking for you. Royal search teams went back and forth on all major paths for months looking for you. They even got the Wondebolts to help."

Rainbow looked down at the pamphlet. It was from a Wonderbolts air show.

COME HOME RAINBOW DASH! WE'RE WAITING FOR YOU!

"They were never charged. I don't know if you knew that." Blaze continued.

"I do now." Was Rainbow's simple response.

"It took me and your mother considerable time to come to terms with that. Luna had to console us with the fact that their guilt was eating them alive in their sleep."

"Good. It means they still have to pay their own way. No bed and three meals given to them." Rainbow said, continuing into her soup.

"That's the only thing that made us feel better too. That, and the fact that the unicorn who started all of it was beaten within an inch of her life. Still in a coma up in Canterlot." Firefly stated.

"Rarity." Rainbow said, just above a whisper.

"Yeah, her."

"We took as much time off from the Weather Factory as we could, but we eventually realized there was nothing we could do that the royal guard teams couldn't. We weren't sure how long we could hang onto hope... That was last Spring... And now you show up right on our front door."

"Yeah. I'm sorry... I know it hurt not hearing from me, even telling you I was okay, but... I needed to be alone, to try and figure some things out."

"Water under the bridge, darling. You're here. And we won't tell anyone, if you don't want us to."

"Thanks. I... I don't think I'm ready to... Deal with all that yet." Dash told them, finishing off her bowl of soup.

"Look, the flight up was a long one. I know I just got here, but I'd like to get some rest."

"You can do whatever you'd like, sweetheart."

Firefly got up from the table, and Rainbow followed her down the hall. Her mom opened the door at the far end, and stepped aside so Rainbow could go through.

"Is it just the way you remember it?"

Rainbow slowly strolled into her old bedroom. Very little had changed since she had left after she got a job with Ponyville's weather team.

"Yeah... Yeah it is."

Firefly came up to her daughter, and gently hugged her.

"I'm so happy to see you're okay, hun. Let us know if you need anything, alright?"

Dash returned the embrace.

"Thanks, mom."

Firefly released her daughter from the embrace, and left after giving her a reassuring smile, silently closing the door.

Rainbow took a deep breath, and removed her cloak entirely, for the first time in... She couldn't remember when. She turned to her closed door to look at herself in the mirror mounted on the back of her door. Staring back her was an exhausted, defeated pegasus whose year abroad had gotten the absolute best of her.

The yawns started to get to her. She went back to her bed and hung the cloak on the left front bed posts. She set her saddlebags beside the bed, and opened them. She dug through the left bag and brought out the basement tape. As much as she wanted to trust her parents, there was part of her that didn't trust anypony after the incident at Neighecho Inn. She wasn't going to leave herself or her possessions vulnerable and have her parents come in while she was asleep, and take that tape. It was bad enough they read about what happened; they didn't need to see it. She took the tape and slid it under her pillow, and then climbed into bed herself. Though she had spent the last few months spending the nights on errant clouds, there was nothing quite like her own cumulus bed. Mere seconds after she rested her head on the pillow, she was out.

Luna sat on the gently rocking boat in the black ocean for... She had lost count. By this point, it had been over three hundred times. Her heart was heavy with grief. Every single night she had done this, and every single night she had called Rainbow's name to no avail. Several week's ago, Celestia had even suggested she stop, but she refused. She had to believe that somehow, some way, she would pierce the veil.

Tears flowing her face, she took a deep breath and called her name.

"Rainbow Dash!" she yelled out into the vast expanse. Her echo died out as it always had, with no result, and she cast her gaze back down to the bottom of her dinghy.

Then, something changed.

A single beam of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone down on the waters. Luna looked up, as if the sunlight was hitting her heart as well.

'I feel her...'

The Princess of the Night stood up in the dinghy, and took flight, and started towards the beam of light, her connection with Rainbow's dream.

'Despair... Helpless... Another nightmare... No...

Rainbow had to be somewhere down under the depths. She had finally taken off the cloak, and the veil was dissipating. She flew as fast as her wings would take her, and as she closed in on the beam of sunlight, she concentrated, and reached out across the dreamscape. She touched minds in Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, Dodge Junction, and the Badlands, and selected the ones she was looking for. Four bright glowing spheres joined her over the ocean; purple, yellow, pink, and orange. They reached the area where the light was hitting the water, where it was rich blue instead of black.

Luna craned her neck, charged her horn with a high amount of magic, then fired it down to the water. The impact of the beam made a gargantuan splash, then began to form a maelstrom as it penetrated the depths. As the maelstrom expanded its depths reached 100 feet, an object started to be revealed under the water. It was a cobblestone structure. She felt Rainbow in there, pleading for help.

'Rarity's basement.'

Before she had gotten the cloak, nearly all of her nightmares took place down in the basement. She was not going to allow this anymore. She would use all her ability here, right now.

"Go, help her! NOW!" The princess commanded.

The four spheres went into a bomb dive towards the structure in the center of the violent maelstrom, and Princess Luna fired another powerful beam towards the structure.

Rainbow found her hooves chained to the walls and floor once again, as she was completely restrained in the basement. She started to shiver as she heard the shadowy unicorn figure descend the stairs.

"No... Help... Please help me..." She cried.

The room violently shook, and a white beam shot through the roof, and the ceiling began to crumble. Just moments later, four glowing spheres crashed through on all sides of the beam and landing on the floor around her. The purple and orange spheres began ramming and attacking the chains that held her, while the pink and yellow spheres flew against the unicorn monstrosity, while the walls and floor continued to be assaulted by the white beam above.

Dash clenched her eyes shut and screamed.

Everything went silent.

Dash shook in fear for several moments, refusing to open her eyes.

"Rainbow...?"

Still shivering, Dash opened her eyes, and found the chains, the basement, and storm above were gone, and she sat in an infinite white space, with the four spheres around her. Slowly, the spheres dissolved, revealing their occupants; Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack.

Rainbow's lips trembled as they closed in on her from all sides, and wrapped their hooves around her in a group hug. She began to sob as she basked in their warmth.

High above, Luna hovered, invisible lines of telepathy linking the dreams. It was far more strenuous than it looked. But she would hold this dream together for as long as she needed to. She wouldn't be able to find out where Rainbow was, but this was the spark that was needed. Together, they had freed Rainbow from her nightmare, and were now comforting her. They could heal from this. Now all that was needed was the next step.

But Luna couldn't figure out what that next step would be. It was impossible for it to come from her end; Rainbow's whereabouts were unknown, and she didn't believe she would tell her if she went down there and interrupted the embrace of her friends. The decision was hers. But here it was, clear as a full moon.

Her loyalty still endured. She wanted to be with her friends.

Return

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Return

Rainbow woke up feeling the best she had in months. She looked over at the clock on her night stand and saw she had slept in until 9 AM. She got up, and went out into the hallway.

"Mom? Dad?" She called, not getting any answer. Coming out to the dining room, she saw a note on the table.

Hey, hun.

Your father and I had to leave for work, and you were sleeping so soundly we didn't want to disturb you. Help yourself to whatever you like in the kitchen, and we'll be back this evening.

Love,
Mom and Dad <3

Feeling her stomach complain for breakfast, she went over and made another one of her childhood favorites; cheesy hash browns. She quickly devoured them at the table, and then returned to her room, starting to wonder what she was going to do with her day.

"It's taken you this long to figure it out, huh?"

Dash looked over once she closed the door, and saw Double Rainbow sitting on the bed, next to the post with the Cloak of the New Moon.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid with me. That dream last night was the happiest you've been for the past year."

"Leave me alone."

"You are alone, prism-hair."

Rainbow went to her pillow, took the tape out from under it and put it back in her saddlebags.

"Do you really want to stay angry for the rest of your life? Why can't you just say it? You're not afraid of punishing them. You're afraid of forgiving them. Terrified of it, actually. What would be so bad about starting to heal? What about helping them heal?"

"It was only a dream!"

"Alright, let's look at the possibilities. One, it was your dream, and somewhere in your subconscious, you want to be with them. Or, two, it was a shared dream, and all of you want to be with each other, and it is possible to heal from this."

"So I want to get back together with those ponies that raped and tortured me?!" Rainbow yelled, shivering.

"If you want to keep believing that you came out that basement with nothing but fear and anger in your heart, fine, keep lying to yourself. But you weren't the only one down there. Somepony discovered that they loved you, and that's why she took you out of there. I know how you really feel. I know that every time you made up your mind to touch yourself in bed, you were thinking of her."

Dash started to shiver.

"Stop..."

"You've been looking for somewhere to fit in, and nothing has worked. You didn't even go rushing to the Wonderbolts when your primaries were ready. You don't even feel at home in your own bedroom. What are you gonna do? You can't keep wandering Equestria, you're down to 500 bits. You didn't let go of that dream last night. They came to your rescue, and you held them for hours. Just admit it. That's where you belong. You need them."

Rainbow sat on the bed, on the verge of tears, looking at her mind's manifestation.

"I would need to be absolutely sure..."

"Alright. Then let's go make sure. Are you forgetting about an ancient crystal artifact of love up north?"

Rainbow Blaze and Firefly walked in the front door after a long day at the weather factory.

"Dash, we're home!"

The house was silent, and there was no response.

"Rainbow? Sweetie?" Firefly called.

They dropped their saddlebags, and went to the dining room, where a note was waiting on the table.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm really sorry to do it this way, but I was afraid you'd try and stop me, and I couldn't figure out a way to say goodbye in person.

Thank you. Thank you for trying. But there are still some things I need to figure out, and I can't do it here.

Love,
Rainbow Dash

Two Weeks Later...

"Five minutes to next stop, Ponyville! Ponyville, five minutes!"

Rainbow Dash barely heard the conductor as the train steamed south down the tracks of central Equestria.

"Are you alright?"

Rainbow managed a glance to her left, to Double Rainbow, who sat next to her.

"'Am I alright'? You know what I just tried to do..." Dash replied, her voice shaking underneath a whisper, still traumatized from her failed suicide attempt, because she had so stupidly tried to use the Crystal Heart with the Cloak's hood up. But when she awoke at the base of the tree with the rope still around her neck, something inside urged her try again, without it. When she had, she felt the love; of her mom, dad, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy... And Twilight.

"Hey..." Double Rainbow began compassionately, getting down from her seat, kneeling in front of Dash, and putting her front hooves on her trembling ones. "It's over. You're alive."

"What if this doesn't work?" Dash whispered, coming closer and closer to breaking down.

Double Rainbow scooted closer to her, looking up into her eyes, the only one who could recognize her through the hood.

"Then it doesn't work. You can go back home to mom and dad. Or take Princess Cadance's offer of asylum. Or go to Spitfire and the Wonderbolts. But you know what...? I think you're making the right choice here. I really do. Now, pull yourself together. We're nearly there."

Having been her only companion for the past year, the words from the figment of her imagination brought comfort. She took a few deep breaths, and felt the train slow to a stop. When she heard the brakes hiss, she got up from her seat, grabbed her saddlebags, and disembarked. She was one of two ponies to get off at Ponyville Station.

She slowly walked to the end of the platform and stepped down onto the main path into town. At this time of night, there was very little activity. The streets were hers.

"Feels like you never left, doesn't it?" Double Rainbow asked, walking alongside her.

Indeed, despite all she had been through, it felt like only yesterday that she was running out of town with 20,000 bits and precious few personal possessions on that rainy October morning. She continued towards the west side of town, and was stopped in her tracks when she saw it; the Golden Oak Library.

All the lights were off, but it looked like someone had been here recently with a cart, judging by the wheel tracks.

"Hey, deep breaths. One step at a time." Double Rainbow told her, making Dash realize she had been holding her breath. She slowly stepped closer, and stepped onto the welcome mat. She raised a hoof and...

Paused.

"What if... What if she's not here? What about the others?"

"You know how you can find out?" Double Rainbow asked. "Knock."

Rainbow swallowed, and sent her hoof forward towards the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Rainbow slowly removed her hood, and waited. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Fifteen. Twenty.

The door opened with a creak, piercing the silence of the early night. It swung open on the hinges to reveal the all too familiar face of Twilight Sparkle.

Her eyes widened, and she managed a barely audible gasp. Her lips parted, and at first, no words escaped.

"R-R-Rainbow...?"

The alicorn took a few uneven steps back, her eyes tearing up, and her legs wobbling. She dropped to her knees, then onto her left side, promptly fainting.

For what seemed like the longest time, Rainbow just stood there. Her lips trembled, her entire body pulsed with anger. She felt very much the same when the innkeeper had violated her privacy in the middle of the night.

"Hey." Double Rainbow got her attention, snapping her out of her building anger. "What are you gonna do, drag her to the basement, chain her to the wall, and clip her wings? Deep breaths."

Dash did just that, taking in a deep breath, letting it out, then stepping through through the entrance and closed the door. She stepped around the motionless alicorn, and headed for the kitchen. She flipped the light on, and began scrounging for a late night snack. She opened the package of bread on the counter and cut two slices with the bread knife. She opened the cabinets, and grabbed two items she loved when she was younger. She spread peanut butter on both slices, then sprinkled chocolate chips on top, before combining the two halves. She put it on a plate, then turned off the light and headed upstairs. She took a short glance at Twilight's room. What used to be immaculate now looked like, well, what Rainbow's room had looked like most of the time. She continued out to the balcony, closing the door behind her and sat down, setting the plate beside her and took her first bite.

"You know, forget what I said earlier. Let's find some scissors and clip the bitch's wings while she's out."

Dash looked over, and saw Double Rainbow, inexplicably also with her own sandwich, talking with her mouth full.

"What?" She asked when Dash wouldn't stop staring.

"I'm beginning to wonder if I think long enough and hard enough about throwing you off the balcony, if it'll actually happen."

Double Rainbow choked on her current bite.

"You wouldn't."

Dash said nothing, turning her attention back to the stars.

"So now what?"

"That's the question, isn't it. I'm here so... What now?"

She couldn't help but feel her anger rising again. Twilight had been here the whole time. What was she doing here? Just waiting for her to come back? Did she just play right into her hooves?

She took another bite of her peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwich.

What was going to happen when Twilight woke up? Would she try and hug her? What would stop Rainbow from knocking out a few teeth if she got close enough. She began to think of how the inevitable meeting would play out.

"Rainbow?" she heard muffled through the closed doors and downstairs. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Twilight had come to.

"Welp, looks like it's time to disappear. I think you'll be having real company shortly." Double Rainbow said, swallowing the last bit of her sandwich.

"Remember, deep breaths."

Author's Note

For those who have been waiting for some post-Reparation content, your wait is over starting next chapter.

Thanks for those who are reading!

Four

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Four

December

AJ was spending her morning stacking hay bales the barn. She had just started on the third stack when Twilight came through the doors.

"Mornin' Twilight. What can I do for ya?"

"Well, I'm actually here on Fluttershy's behalf to discuss something with you."

"What does she want you to discuss?" Applejack said, taking a seat on the bale of hay she had just set down. Twilight did the same with a nearby bale.

"Well, she's wondering if she can convince you to take your relationship up a few notches. Specifically, making it more... Physical."

"What does she mean by that?"

"She said that so far, the only thing you've been doing is tying her up. She'd like more."

"I told her when we first got together that I would never hit her."

"I know, she told me. And she says if you really can't, she doesn't want to push you."

"Then why is she having you tell me this instead of doing it herself?"

"Because she thought it would make more sense coming from a dom or a switch."

"Huh?" Applejack asked, perplexed.

"A 'dom' obviously the one dominating, and a 'switch' plays both the dominating and submissive roles. Rainbow and I switch, but Fluttershy considers herself a sub all the time, so she thought it would sound better coming from somepony who shares the dominating point of view."

"So you're going to convince me to hit my marefriend?"

"No. I'm going to try and convince you to listen to what your marefriend wants."

"I told her I didn't want to come anywhere close to what it was like down there. Twilight, you wouldn't quite understand, you spent most of the time observing."

"You're right. I did. But I participated nonetheless. What I had to do, what Rainbow had to do, what Fluttershy had to do, and what she's trying to get you to do, is see the line, know where it is."

"I know where the line is, and I'm not about to cross it."

"No, I don't think you do, because you're so far left of the line that you're not being the dom Fluttershy wants you to be."

"So she wants me to break her? Make her mine?"

"Applejack, she is yours, from the moment you showed up at her door after the night at the bar. Bondage and submission isn't about breaking someone. It's about them letting you take control, then, at the end, giving it back to them. If she wants you to hit her, it's not abuse."

"You know how her and Rarity turned out."

"I know. You should have seen me, how much I was shaking, when I gave Rainbow my magic inhibitor. Of course you have to be careful. Both of you do, just like Rainbow and I do. Yes, she was in a very, very abusive relationship, but that doesn't mean she can't try again with you."

"How am I supposed to trust her to know where her limits are...?"

"Applejack... If you can't trust her, and help her find her limits... Why are you with her?"

That last question hammered the point home, and Applejack looked a bit shaken.

"I... I don't know if I can do that... I'm... I'm scared, Twilight."

"I was too. I was so afraid Rainbow would get out of my bed and storm out of the library when I first asked her. I'm sure she was scared when I found her collared and submissive after our bar night. But together, it's not so scary."

The light bulb in Twilight's head.

"Hey, there's an idea."

"What?"

"Together. What if... What if the four of us got together for some fun? If you're afraid of going past your limits when you're alone with her, then don't try it alone at first. Let's do it together, like... Like... Sweet Celestia, I can't believe I'm gonna say this..." She muttered. "Like it was down there. But we'll keep our heads this time. Consent. Safe words."

Applejack looked like she was staring at an oncoming train.

"So you want to give that a try? It would be quite the curve ball for Fluttershy and Rainbow."

"Are you sure about this, Twilight?" Rainbow asked as she trotted down the path to Fluttershy's cottage with her alicorn marefriend.

"Pretty sure, yeah. Fluttershy talked to me, then I talked to Applejack, then she talked to you, then you talked to me, then I talked to Applejack again to set things up. What's so confusing about that?"

"But how is this going to work? Fluttershy told me that AJ isn't going to feel comfortable putting her hooves on me, and I know you don't want to touch Fluttershy."

"I would've thought you'd know better than to question your mistress by now."

They turned the corner on the path to Fluttershy's cottage, and trotted up to her front door. Twilight gave a short knock, and the front door opened a few moments later.

"Well, howdy you two. Come on in." Applejack greeted, opening the door wider, revealing the spectacle on the center rug; Fluttershy trussed up on her back.

"Just getting our fuck toy ready for some fun."

Resting on the floor beside Fluttershy's head was a combination gag-dildo. The end that went into her mouth was an inflatable butterfly gag. When inserted and inflated, she wouldn't be capable of anything more than a muffled whimper. The other end was a fully erect and flared stallionhood. Applejack went back over to her pet, and went about getting the gag in her mouth, strapped around her head, and fastened securely.

"There we go. Be a good girl and stay put. Twi, can I see you in the kitchen?"

Twi magically reached into her saddlebags, got Rainbow's collar, and fastened it on.

"Sit next to Fluttershy, and I'll be back."

"Yes, Mistress." Rainbow replied, taking a seat next to Fluttershy, who merely glanced between her and the black silicone stallionhood that was protruding from her mouth, while the two mistresses went to the back of the kitchen to avoid being heard.

"So, just like we planned, right?" AJ asked, who was trying rather hard to hide her nervousness.

"Yep. Deep breaths, you'll be fine. I'll be here in case anything gets out of hand, and they'll have their safe words and actions."

Applejack's first deep breath came.

"Alright, in case I get Rainbow, what's her threshold?"

"Well, for the force I put behind my magic, usually thirty or thirty-five. Oh, and you'll get the best results if you take it slow. Let each blow sink in. But I can't account for your earth pony strength. But don't worry. You have to pay attention to more than the tears and the crying, AJ. That's just the natural bodily response to pain and punishment. But when you're dealing with someone who enjoys that to an extent, you have to factor in more. For either Rainbow or Fluttershy, look at her ears, her arousal levels, and whether or not she's cowering."

AJ took another deep breath.

"Alright, let's go."

They came out of the kitchen to find their pets right where they left them. Applejack reached into her saddlebag and procured another dildo gag, and another coil of rope, tossing them to Twilight, who caught it with her magic.

"There ya are, just let me know when your pet is ready to go."

"Lay back." Twilight commanded, and was immediately obeyed. Rainbow opened her mouth and accepted the incoming gag. She knew already to offer her hooves for a hog tie, and was simultaneously trussed up while the gag was fastened and inflated.

"Okay, she's all set. You ready?"

"Yep, let's get warmed up."

The two pets watched with anticipation as their mistresses straddled them above their necks, and gently caressed themselves with the dildos, getting themselves aroused. Fluttershy shivered as she witnessed Applejack's marehood start to slowly glisten. After ninety seconds, they were both ready, gave each other a nod, then took the cocks inside them, descending on their submissive's faces. They farmer and princess hummed with pleasure, as they slowly got faster, and began to facefuck their pets. They both found their muzzles become slowly coated with their mistress' arousal as it coated the dildo and dripped down to the base and down to their fur.

The two of them were going slowly enough to stay aroused, but not fast or forceful enough to achieve orgasm. This was obviously just the first course. Both Rainbow's and Fluttershy's wings struggled against the rope that held them down, yet Twilight's were already fully spread.

"Alright, alright, I think that's enough..." Applejack said, pulling up off of Fluttershy. Twilight did the same, a thread of arousal briefly connecting the tip of the dildo to her marehood.

Both gags were removed and set aside. Rainbow found herself magically picked up and carried halfway across the room to the other side of the rug, turned over onto her stomach, while Fluttershy, much more unceremoniously, was dragged across and placed next to her, likewise on her stomach. Both mistresses leaned down directly into their respective pet's ear.

"Good job so far, pet," Twilight began. "For this next activity, make me cum first, or I'll spank Fluttershy instead of you."

Rainbow nodded as much as she could, her chin resting on the floor.

Applejack had a similar message.

"I know what you've been hiding. If you make me cum first, I'll give your flanks what you've been secretly wanting. If not, well, then I just might have to give Rainbow that treatment and make you watch."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in anticipation. Going to Twilight had been the right choice, after all.

Twilight and Applejack got up and left their pets where they laid, and crossed the large area rug, and took revealing sitting positions on the other side of it, twenty feet away.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Get over here and start licking!" Twilight commanded.

Both pegasi's attempt to stand was humorous, and they quickly deduced that they would need to wiggle and worm their way over to their mistress.

So the race was on.

Rainbow's method was to bend and worm her way across the rug to Twilight, and Fluttershy opted to wiggle herself to forward momentum. Both methods were desperate and evenly matched. Both Applejack and Twilight watched with expectant gazes as their pets drew slowly closer.

Rainbow saw her head pass the tips of Twilight's back hooves and started to lunge her body forward. She got herself tucked in between her mistress' legs, and inched forward one more time, bumping her muzzle into Twilight's slick marehood. She instantly began licking and sucking, a full five seconds before Fluttershy arrived at her destination. Applejack began to lean back, having a great view of her pet's efforts. She started slow and sensual; she was going to try and make slow and steady win the race. Applejack looked over to Twilight and Dash, who had taken the opposite approach and dove right in. Twilight stretched and flexed her wings to the best of her ability in her aroused state,so they wouldn't be sore in a few hours.

Since they had already warmed up with the dildos, this race was not going to take long. Especially since the licking and slurping sounds coming from in between the legs of the other dom was making them even hotter.

Both Dash's and Fluttershy's methods were proving effective; there was no clear advantage. If Applejack liked things slow and gentle, 'Shy was playing right into her hooves. Dash, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how to win this thing. Sloppy wasn't going to do it, but when she wasn't able to put any other body part other than her tongue to use in pleasing her mistress, that was proving tricky. Both Twi and Applejack were beginning to pant. It was a risk, but Rainbow wanted to take it. She didn't think she was prepared to sit and watch Fluttershy get punished.

Rainbow craned her neck up, drew her tongue to the top, and suckled hard on her mistress' clit.

"Ahhh!!!" Twilight cried, falling backwards, and the fruits of Rainbow's labor were seen squirting up from between her legs as she fell onto her back.

Applejack, as close as she was, saw Twilight's victory, and was forced to concede. It'd be easier to give Rainbow what was coming to her if she was pent up anyway. She reached down, and separated Fluttershy from her dripping marehood.

"S-Sorry, darlin'. Looks like you need a little more practice." She told her, getting a defeated whimper out of her in return.

The two pets were released from their ropes, and their wings immediately began to unfurl.

"Go sit over by my saddlebags." Applejack told Fluttershy, while Twilight handed AJ one of her wider leather straps.

"Alright, slave, since you did such a good job, AJ here is going to make sure you still know your place. I'm thinking... How does thirty sound, AJ?"

"Sounds good to me."

"And you, slave?"

"Y-Yes mistress. Thirty is good."

"Mm. Better make it forty then."

Rainbow visibly gulped as she presented towards AJ, and raised her tail. The farmer gently swung the strap around to get a feel for it. Then, she looked at the plot in front of her, and took aim.

"Remember to count."

She swung the strap down and connected with Rainbow's cyan flank.

"One!" Rainbow said almost immediately, gritting her teeth for the next one, but to her horror, Applejack was taking it nice and slow. She would wait until just after she stopped tensing up, then descend with another blow.

*CRACK!*

"Two!"

The blows continued to come, most when Rainbow least expected them. Some were delivered alone. A few were delivered in quick succession in chunks of two and three.

*CRACK! CRACK!*

"T-Ten! El-l-leven!"

Her voice was shaking by the teens, tears began to fall in the approach to twenty, and she was coming closer to full-on crying as they made their way up to thirty. AJ reared her arm back, and swung with such force that Rainbow heard the strap approach.

*CRACK!!!*

"Yaaahhhthirty!! Cloudsdale!" Rainbow yelled.

Applejack froze every muscle in her front hooves. That was the safe word. She looked to Twilight, who stepped up to check on Rainbow.

"You okay?" Twilight said, gently caressing Rainbow's neck.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she took a few shuddering breaths.

"Yeah... Yeah, just... Just give me a sec... Gotta catch my breath." Rainbow said, shuddering.

As she took a few deep breaths, Twilight walked around to check her backside. Her flanks were beginning to turn crimson, with red marks that contrasted sharply with her cyan coat, and there were a few welts, but no skin was broken. Applejack looked over at Fluttershy, obediently sitting off to the side, staring at Rainbow, and biting her lip, wings fully erect. She was certainly enjoying the show.

After ten seconds, Rainbow nodded to Twilight.

"Alright," she said, sniffling away some of the tears. "Go ahead and finish up."

"Are you sure?"

Rainbow nodded fervently, both pairs of her cheeks red. "Yes. I've got ten more." She was never one to back out early.

She looked back at Applejack.

"And don't go easy on me, Mistress." She quipped, adding just enough sass to the last word to make sure that going easy would be the last thing the farm pony did.

Applejack made note of Rainbow's mannerisms. "You have to pay attention to more than just the tears and the crying, AJ." Twilight had told her. She also had to pay attention to the body language. Rainbow's ears were perked, not folded, her wings were still fully erect, and she wasn't cowering. Lastly, she was nearly dripping from arousal.

Twilight gave her a nod.

"Alright. Brace yourself, Dash. These last ten are going to be nasty since you're starting to bruise up."

There was a crack, and Dash cried out the thirty-first strike. With every blow, Fluttershy felt her marehood pulse with desire. Euphoria and jealousy rushed through her mind like a tidal wave. However Twilight had talked to Applejack, whatever she told her, it evidently worked. Here was Rainbow, crying and bruising after thirty strikes, she had even given out the safe word for a chance to recuperate and catch her breath, and Applejack now had the heart to continue.

She just wished she had been the first. She would have to try harder next time...

"Ffffffforty!!!" Dash cried out, her knees about to collapse.

Twilight came around back again to check on the pegasus as she gasped for air, weeping, while Applejack came over to Fluttershy and stood her up, walking her over beside Rainbow.

"Present." Her mistress told her, and Fluttershy did as she was instructed, lowering her front half and raising her tail in invitation.

"How's she doing?" Applejack asked, looking over to Twilight, while gently rubbing Fluttershy's moist slit.

"She'll live." Twilight said, also beginning to rub Rainbow's winking marehood.

"Think these two deserve a reward for behaving today?"

Twilight levitated two ball gags to the front of Fluttershy and Rainbow, and they obediently opened their mouths and got them fastened. When they were gagged, they both knew the safe "word" was to tap the floor three times.

"I'm ready for dessert if you are."

Applejack licked her lips, and felt Fluttershy quiver.

"Bon appetit."

Simultaneously, the two mistresses began eating their pets up. Both of them tried their best not to squirm, and be good girls, but getting release after such a great build-up was making that difficult. Fluttershy whimpered through her gag as she resisted leaning into Applejack's face.

Over on Rainbow's side, the cyan pegasus wallowed in the euphoric pool of pleasure and pain. Twilight's hooves gently massaged her sore flanks while her tongue did the work of rewarding her for enduring the pain and taking her punishment like a good pet. The safe word really did make all the difference; the twenty-sixth through thirtieth strikes gave her flashbacks from the basement, and when she cried out the safe word, she was pulled out, and found herself in the hooves of her loving Mistress, her gentle, caring voice making sure she was okay. That feeling couldn't be put into words. A small part of her wished she wouldn't need the safe word, but she shoved that thought away every time. It was there for a reason, and a damned good one at that.

Her mind was such a chaotic mix, such a euphoric high, that she didn't recall the moment when she came into Twilight's waiting mouth, but when Twilight pulled away, her mind began to descend, things slowly came back into focus, and she felt incredibly weak at the knees. Immediately, the collar was removed and placed back into her saddlebags. She was led to the couch along with Fluttershy.

"There ya go," Twilight began, situating the two of them then wrapping them up in a couple of fleece blankets, while AJ came out with a tray containing four cups of hot cocoa. She had been adamant on having soothing aftercare. Safe words weren't enough. When everything was said and done, they'd relax and comfort the subs for a job well done. Together, on the couch, they cuddled each other, reflecting on the intense yet fun time they had just shared together.

Applejack snuggled a bit closer into Fluttershy, and realized that maybe going a bit deeper wasn't such a bad idea.

Two Hours Later

After nearly falling asleep on the couch, the four ponies were roused and went their separate ways. After Twilight and Dash departed, Fluttershy went up to bed while AJ took care of the dishes.

"Might as well check on her before I head home for the night." Applejack said to herself when the last cup was set on the drying rack. She trotted up the stairs. When she came to Fluttershy''s bedroom door, her concern rose exponentially when she heard crying.

"Fluttershy?" She asked, knocking, then opening the door. Her marefriend was curled up on her bed, facing away from her.

'Damn it all, I knew this was a bad idea...' AJ cursed herself as she approached Fluttershy's bed.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Did today not go how you wanted it to? I was ready to do it, but Rainbow won, and rules are rules, and-"

"No, Applejack," Fluttershy began, sniffling and rolling over to face her. "I loved today. I absolutely loved it, and even though it was aimed at Rainbow, I'm so happy that you're starting to open up and push a little harder. I can't wait to do it again. No... This is... Something's been bothering me, for a few week's actually, and... And I'm not sure I'm ready to tell you, because I'm scared to death of how you'll react."

Applejack wasn't sure how to feel. Fluttershy had always been a tad on the timid side, especially when it came to telling somepony something that might hurt or offend them. On the other hoof, she was her marefriend, and didn't want to be left in the dark if something was bothering one of the most important mares in her life.

AJ got up on the bed and took off her saddlebags.

"Sugarcube, listen. I don't want you goin' to bed with something you might need to get off your chest, so... You give me what I want and..."

Fluttershy felt the leather strap gently tap her flanks.

"And I'll give you what you want."

Fluttershy took a deep breath, her eyes widening. The lightbulb came on in her head, and she prayed AJ would accept it.

"Beat it out of me." She said hurriedly, getting up onto her hooves and presenting on the bed.

"Now I didn't mean it like that, I just-"

"No! Applejack, I'm too scared otherwise. You're my mistress, I'm your pet, now get it out of me!"

Applejack forced the butterflies in her stomach down, and knelt behind her trembling marefriend on the bed. All in the next second, she tried to settle her inner debate; Fluttershy's request was contradicting Twilight's advice today; right now, Fluttershy was cowering, but she wasn't afraid of the strap, she was afraid of telling her something she needed to get out.

*CRACK!*

"Sayin' nothin' is just as bad as lyin' Fluttershy. I won't tolerate a liar."

"Applejack, I-"

*CRACK!*

"Ah!"

"You're gonna tell me what I need to hear, or I'm gonna whip your flank 'til your nose bleeds."

*CRACK!*

"Ah! A-Applejack please I-"

*CRACK!*

No safe word said, nor safe taps on the bed.

"Now, Fluttershy."

"I... I..."

*CRACK!*

"The truth. NOW!"

*CRACK!*

"Ahh! I want to go see Rarity!!!"

Guilt

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Guilt

Rainbow returned to the waking world, and stretched under the comforter of Twilight's bed. Twilight, ever the heavy sleeper, had to be woken up with a morning kiss.

They hadn't done any more role play after they left Fluttershy's yesterday afternoon. At Twilight's insistence, she had performed a healing spell before leaving, not wanting to walk back into town with her marefriend having crimson colored flanks. Still, it would most likely be Rainbow's turn next, so she had to figure out what she was going to do to get back at her. But perhaps, some vanilla intimacy in between wouldn't hurt.

Twilight was finally roused by a knock at the door. She tossed the covers aside, and ran a brush through her hair before the two of them went downstairs. They opened the door and saw a concerned Applejack on the welcome mat.

"Hey AJ, what brings you by so early?" Twilight asked.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you two, over breakfast or something?" Applejack asked. She sounded like she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, and something was clearly troubling her.

"Sure sure, come on in. Spike, company! Any muffins?" Twilight called back to the room.

"I'll go check." Spike replied as Applejack was welcomed in. They sat down at the center table, and heard Spike's flames as he prepared piping hot muffins.

"So what's going on?" Rainbow asked her as she removed her hat and set it on the table.

"Something was bothering Fluttershy last night after you two left. She was crying in her bed right before I left."

"It wasn't something we did, was it?"

"No," Applejack immediately said, quelling their concern. "She was quite adamant about that. She loved what we all did yesterday afternoon, and can't wait to do it again. She said this has been bothering her for a few weeks. She convinced me to... To beat it out of her. So that's what I did. I whipped her flanks until she told me the truth, and..."

Twilight and Rainbow waited for the words as Applejack paused, thinking of the best way to put it.

"She wants to go see Rarity in Manehattan."

Spike came out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh hot muffins, and went back upstairs to start his cleaning tasks.

"But she said she had moved on when she came to Ponyville last month."

"Yeah, well evidently she hasn't moved on as far as she thought. She said she still feels guilty about how their relationship went south, and she needs to go talk to her."

"They didn't talk at all when she came back?" Rainbow asked, remembering she hadn't been present for Rarity's attempted reparations last month.

"Fluttershy barely said two sentences to her." Twilight replied.

"So I'm guessing she needs to say a few more."

"And I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that." Applejack chimed in.

"Well, maybe she thought she had moved on, but from all of our perspectives, she basically came back from the dead. If she had buried those feelings, they have probably been slowly coming back up."

"Does she really have to do this? How did you deal with it, Rainbow?"

Dash wasn't sure if she had actually just heard AJ ask that question.

"Um, 'how did I deal with it?'? Which part? When I ran away for a year, when I forced all of you to confront your guilt and break down into tears, when I had to argue with four different versions of myself in my head when I slept, when my Cutie Mark changed for a few days, or when I nearly used the Element of Generosity against her?"

"Point taken." Applejack muttered, biting into a muffin.

"Applejack," Rainbow began, this time with much less sarcasm, "I have come to terms with what Rarity and all of you did to me. But if Fluttershy hasn't..."

She looked the farmer in the eyes to make sure her point was emphasized.

"I'm telling you, that's not something she should bottle up. Whatever she has to do in Manehattan, she should go do it."

"I'd never let her go alone, and cider season starts tomorrow. I won't be able to get away for at least two weeks."

"What about Discord? Or Luna? I'm sure she could at least be close by if they need to talk." Rainbow offered.

Applejack didn't look convinced just yet.

"Applejack, I agree with Rainbow. I think she has to do this, otherwise it's just going to get worse."

'They're having fun. Safe, kinky fun, and they love each other. There's nothing wrong with that.'

No, there wasn't. But something was still bugging Pinkie, and she couldn't put her hoof on it. Or, she just didn't want to admit it to herself.

Mrs. Cake came into the kitchen and saw Pinkie mixing cake batter.

"Oh, hello Pinkie. I didn't think we had any pending cake orders. I'll have to double check."

"No worries. It's for me. Bits are already in the register."

"Oh... Well, alright. Pinkie, is there something wrong?"

Pinkie stopped mixing the cake batter.

"I'm the odd one out, and... And I don't really know how to feel about it."

"What do you mean, 'odd one out'?" Mrs. Cake asked, not sure what Pinkie was getting at.

"I'm glad to be back in town. I'm thrilled that you were willing to re-hire me, and give me the attic back. But, I don't feel like I've been... Recovering... As fast as the other four have."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because they're in love with each other."

"Oh." Mrs. Cake said, not expecting to hear such an answer.

"It was so horrible what we did. It completely destroyed our friendships and ran us out of town for a year. But when we all got back together, Rainbow finds it in her heart to get together with Twilight, and Applejack gets the courage to ask Fluttershy out, and... And they've come to actually include bondage into their relationships. They actually enjoy some of the aspects of what happened down there..."

"And I'm guessing you don't?"

"Absolutely positively not. When I snapped out of whatever trance I was in, I ran out of there more scared than I've ever been in my life. I know they're being safe and responsible with their kinks, but... I just don't know how they do it..."

"Pinkie Pie... Are you wanting a special somepony?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah. It sounds like you're lonely."

"I... Yeah, I guess I am."

"When you first came here to Ponyville all those years ago, you were one of the most outgoing ponies we had ever met. Even back then, we had trouble keeping up with you. Your happiness always came from making other ponies happy. I think you need to find some way to get that part of yourself back, so you can find that somepony that makes you happier than you've ever been before."

Noctilucent found that the winter months in Mustang Springs were the most bearable. It was almost always comfortable during the day, perfect temperature for being outside, and during the night, temperatures plummeted, but it was always easier for him to warm up under a blanket than cool down when it was scorching in the summer. Snow was a rarity here as well.

He was currently enjoying the comfort of a lawn chair outside the foster home on the outskirts of town, watching his fillies and colts play a variety of games. Holly and Quirky kept watch on them as well. The warmth of the high noon sun wouldn't last forever, and it was best to let these banshees burn off some energy while they could.

Graves, the donkey colt at the foster home, was playing tag with a few others, and slowed down to see why their adoptive father was content to just lay in the sun when there were games to be played.

"What are you trying to do? Tan your dapples?"

The comment set Holly and Quirky into such a fit of hysterical laughter that they had to go down inside the home to avoid attracting the attention of the others, to check on the napping Shortbread Cookie and Pyrocumulus, and to spare their dear Noctilucent any further embarrassment.

"Something must have been quite humorous."

Noctilucent craned his neck up from his reclined position and found Princess Luna standing behind his chair.

"Princess, pleased to see you again. We weren't expecting you today." The pegasus said, getting up from his chair.

"And am I not allowed to make a surprise visit to my favorite foals?"

"Of course not, it's always a pleasure." Noctilucent came in for a brief hug. Indeed, Luna was always welcome here.

"Say, would you happen to know whatever happened to Rainbow Dash? She left in quite a hurry, and I'm wondering if my story helped her."

"Not quite in the way I anticipated it to, but yes, I believe it helped her in the long run."

"Good to hear. I'm glad my experiences can help others, in whatever way." Noctilucent motioned to the foals. "Not to mention that not a day goes by where they don't talk about the exploding rainbow she left in her wake. Most beautiful thing to go over this town."

"Yes, the Sonic Rainboom. One of the only ponies of this generation who is able to perform such a feat."

"Graves here even went so far as to ask me if I could ever do one."

"He did, did he? Well, I hope you were realistic with him." Luna said, giving the donkey a smirk.

"Quite, if 'not in this lifetime' is realistic. But I am very much looking forward to getting this frame off." Noctilucent glanced at the wire frame that had held his wing in place since he had arrived here.

"Two more weeks, and we can safely remove it. What are you planning on doing then?"

"I've made a list of non-strenuous wing exercises to start with. Stretching, light flapping. I'm hoping I can eventually make my way up to wing-ups. But we'll see. Actually, Princess. Since I have you here, I'm wondering if I could ask you for a favor."

"What kind of favor, Noctilucent?"

"A requisition if you will. I'd like to know if we could get a carriage for the place. I'd like to start field trips during the summer and breaks from university."

"Trips abroad?"

"Yes. Arroyo wants to see Canterlot, and Sassafras wants to visit Griffonstone. I'd like to eventually be able to grant their wishes, and get my family out of the desert every now and then."

"A perfectly reasonable request. I'll see what I can do."

Suddenly, a scroll materialized in front of Luna, and she took it in her magical grasp, and unfurled it. Not even short personal trips stopped the flow of priority correspondence. As she read the contents of the scroll, her face became one of concern.

"I'm terribly sorry, my foals, but this visit is going to have to wait for another time. It seems I'm urgently needed."

After talking with Twilight and Rainbow, Applejack had gone back to the farm to make sure the final preparations were complete for Cider Season. This revenue would see them through the winter, and was one of the most important times of year for Sweet Apple Acres. After that, she rushed back into town to get a couple important items, and then made her way to the east side of town, to Fluttershy's cottage. The items securely hidden in her saddlebags, she went up the front walk, and knocked on the door. Moments later, Fluttershy answered.

"Hi there." Fluttershy greeted, coming in for a hug. "Look, I'm really sorry about last night." She apologized as they made their way to the couch. When they sat down, Applejack kissed her on the cheek.

"Sweetheart, you figured out what I had to do for you to be honest with me. You don't have anything to be sorry for. I got you something to remind you just how much you mean to me."

Applejack opened her saddlebag and came out with a small, short rectangular box, and gave it to her marefriend. Fluttershy accepted the gift, set it on her lap, and opened it. She gasped when she saw it, and struggled to hold back tears of joy.

It was a red collar. On the ring loop, there was a golden tag in the shape of a butterfly.

FLUTTERSHY

Fluttershy sniffled, trying her best not to cry.

"I... I love it, Applejack. Can... Can I try it on?"

"Not just yet." Applejack said, gently taking the box from her and closing it. "It'll be waiting for you when you get back."

"Get back?"

Applejack reached into her saddlebags again, and came up with a small piece of printed card stock, and gave it to Fluttershy. She took it, and her hooves began to tremble.

It was a round trip train ticket to Manehattan.

"R-R-Really?" Fluttershy asked, not believing her eyes, which were starting to tear up.

"You really feel like this something you need to do. I won't be the one to stop you. You are the most important mare in my life, so you go take care of what you need to. I really wish I could go with you, but the family needs me here for the cider sales."

Fluttershy threw her hooves around Applejack and embraced her.

"Thank you so much..."

"Yer welcome, sweetheart. I've got to get going, they're already starting to camp out over at the farm, so it's gonna be an early start tomorrow."

Applejack departed with a kiss, and making sure her marefriend's collar was secure in her saddlebags, set out from the front door. She saw Discord sitting in the tree at the bend.

"Leaving so soon? Don't want to make her flanks a little more red?" He asked.

"Wish I could, but duty calls at the farm. And just so we're clear, about tomorrow..."

Applejack stepped up with inches of the draconequus, and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Don't you dare let her out of your sight. Not for a single moment."

Discord, who had developed a grudging respect for how protective of Fluttershy the earth pony had become, simply nodded.

"You have my word."

Author's Note

We're coming into the home stretch here, folks. Tonight, I believe I have come up with the absolute perfect way to end it, so reader feedback is CRUCIAL at this stage. If you're reading, please let me know what you think so far.

<3
Miles

Relapse

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Relapse

Fluttershy's nervousness began to creep up her spine as she stepped off of the train at the central Manehattan platform. This was the fourth of seven stops the train would make in the city before continuing north, before reaching the end of this portion of the line. It would be back around for late night pickups to head towards Fillydelphia and Ponyville.

The city was alive with the evening rush hour commute. Carriages swarmed the streets, taking ponies either home or to their chosen entertainment for the evening. Fluttershy was headed towards Manehattan Mall, a gargantuan two-story shopping center close to the center of the city.

When she got in the doors, the concourse was bustling with shoppers going from store to store before heading home for the night. She trotted up to the nearest directory and found what she was looking for, a boutique that went by the name of The Mane Event. The timid pegasus found the shop, and found the closest bench, and decided to sit and wait, not entirely sure what she was going to say at first. The more minutes that passed by, the more uneasy her stomach began to feel.

"Why do you need to do this?"

The question came from her left, and it startled her. She looked over to see Princess Luna standing beside her bench. Fluttershy stared a moment, before glancing over to the store to make sure she hadn't missed anypony coming out.

"Because I have to."

"Is that supposed to be a sufficient answer for me?"

"Is it supposed to matter to me whether it is or not? This has been churning inside ever since she left without me saying anything. I have to tell her."

"Tell her what?" Luna asked, but the pegasus' attention was diverted away from her when she saw a white unicorn come out of the storefront.

Rarity.

Fluttershy got up from the bench, but didn't start to move towards her ex-marefriend. She waited for her to notice, hoping she wouldn't have to get her attention in the noisy mall.

And noticed she was. Rarity's eyes scanned the mall concourse and saw Fluttershy standing in front of the bench, looking right at her. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened in surprise. It took her several seconds to shake herself out of her stupor.

The former fashionista moved slowly and timidly towards Fluttershy, as if she needed permission for each step.

"F-Forgive me, darling... I don't know what to say. When the Princess told me I might be having a visitor, never in my wildest imagination did I think it would be you."

Fluttershy meekly smiled at her, taking a few steps closer to her, now standing three feet from her.

"H-How are you doing?" Rarity risked asking. It seemed like the best place to start a conversation, before getting to whatever reason Fluttershy had for coming here.

"Well... Not... Not too good, to be honest. That's why I came here to talk."

Oh, so talking was the reason she came here. Deep down, she felt like Fluttershy had more to say when she had returned to Ponyville, but she didn't dare press it when Fluttershy barely listened to her apology. Some things took time, and now, here she was.

"Of course. Whatever you need to say to me. Princess, is there some place we could talk privately?"

"With the locale and circumstances, I would suggest the back corner of the food court. I can provide a Bubble of Silence, if you like."

That was the closest, wasn't too crowded this close to closing, and with a silencing spell from Luna, they'd have all the privacy they needed.

"I'm ready whenever you are, darling."

Fluttershy gave her a nod, and the two of them walked down the concourse under the watchful eye of the Princess of the Night. They silently walked to the food court, where only a small number of ponies were eating late night meals. They found a table in the most isolated corner, and sat down across from each other. Luna sat nearby at another table, and silently cast a barely visible blue sparkling bubble around them.

At a table even further away, sat a grey-coated unicorn stallion, with a black mane and tail. His most distinctive feature was his silver-colored horn, discolored from the rest of his coat.

Discord rarely used his pony disguise, but it was best here. He wasn't quite in the mood to be a table or chair right now. Luna was kidding herself if she thought her Bubble of Silence was going to keep his ears out of the conversation.

"So what can I do for you, darling?" Rarity asked, her voice rebounding off of the bubble slightly.

Fluttershy shifted in her chair, trying to find the right words.

"This is probably unexpected, and it's goin to be short for coming all the way out here to say it but... I'm... I'm sorry."

Seconds passed while Rarity took in those two words.

"Fluttershy... What could you possibly have to be sorry for?"

"E-Everything... Everything that's happened. It all started with me."

"No it didn't, it was my fault."

"Not all of it. Yes, you went too far, and that blame is yours. But I asked you to start it. I kept pushing you for more. I didn't realize when we both crossed that line into unsafe. I've just... I've been holding this inside, and I have to accept my part of the blame.

Rarity wasn't sure what shook her more; the fact that Fluttershy wanted to share the blame for everything that had gone wrong in their relationship, and the horrors they inflicted upon Rainbow and the others... Or the fact that she had a point.

"Fluttershy, it was my responsibility to know where the line was, and-"

"No!" Fluttershy interrupted, slamming both her hooves down on the table. Outside the bubble, Luna took a step forward, unsure if she should intervene. There was also a grey unicorn that Rarity didn't recognize that showed some concern.

"I didn't sit on a train for eight hours to come here just so I could be coddled and rendered blameless. I need to accept responsibility for what I did, before things get worse."

"What do you mean 'worse'?" Rarity asked, wondering what her ex-marefriend was getting at.

"This churning inside my stomach, this... This guilt, has only been getting worse since Applejack and I have been together."

Rarity swallowed the lump in her throat.

"If you really want to share the blame; if that's something you feel you really have to do, fine. But if you were expecting to come here, do a little talking with me, and walk out the door feeling better... I'm sorry, sweetheart, but that's not going to happen. What I did to the five of you, especially you and Rainbow... I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life. So are you. You're going to have to come to terms with not knowing your limits, and not putting a stop to it when I pushed you too far."

"What if... What if I still don't know my limits? I keep asking Applejack to push harder and harder. I had to ask her to beat me just to get me to tell her that I wanted to come here to see you. What if I don't know when to stop her? What if what happened to you happens to her because I don't know when to stop?"

Rarity's stomach began to feel uneasy as her friend continued to pour her heart out.

"It took Rainbow a year to recover from what we did to her, and that was only three days. I... I let you do those things to me for two years... And blame is equally mine as it is yours. I feel so broken inside that I don't know if I can put myself back together... I just... Just... I'm scared to death that I'm either going to push her away by wanting more and more, or... Or that what happened to you will happen to her... My most intense, erotic dreams lately always involve her whipping me... Beating me... I beg her to stop, and she doesn't listen... That's my favorite part..."

Fluttershy's words devolved into sobs as she dropped her head onto the table as she buried her face in her forelegs.

For Rarity, she would have liked to think that right there, everything had fallen into place with those words. But the truth was, it had just shattered on the floor, the pieces of her ex-marefriend scattering across the marble tile of the food court, irreparable and unrecognizable.

The full impact of what they had done lay bare before her, and she fought back the incredible urge to vomit.

Silently crying herself, Rarity got up from her seat and walked around the table to her former marefriend, and embraced her.

"Sweetheart, I'm so, so sorry about the way things turned out between us. But the help you need you can't get here from me. You know what you need to do? You need to go home. Right now. Go home to Applejack. She loves you dearly, and so do the rest of them. They'll know how to help you. Trust me."

It took a few moments for Fluttershy to get herself under control. She released herself from the embrace, and sniffled.

"I'm very sorry..." She whimpered.

"I know you are. So am I. I'll be okay. You need to go home so your friends can make sure you'll be okay."

Fluttershy sniffled again, wiped her eyes, and nodded, managing a small smile.

"Alright... Alright, thanks for listening."

Fluttershy turned from the table and walked through the bubble of silence, the spell dissipating as she walked through it.

"If I catch one of tonight's trains I can make it home by morning."

Rarity silently nodded, and watched as she departed down the concourse. She waited until she was certain Fluttershy was out of sight, then got up from the table and approached Princess Luna. Her horn glowed as she cast her own Bubble of Silence. The moment it encapsulated them, she glared at Luna.

"Are you kidding me? You let her have those kind of nightmares and you didn't do anything about it?!" She screamed at Luna, who only showed mild surprise.

"I can sense nightmares. To her, they weren't. Apparently, it's exactly what she wants."

'What she wants and what she needs are two entirely different things, Princess. What she needs is help."

"I agree, wholeheartedly."

"And we've only got eight hours until she's back in Ponyville, so you've got to listen to me and listen good."

The Princess of the Night wasn't sure if she had heard her correctly.

"What? I'm sorry, are you suggesting you can help her?"

"I know one way to help her."

"What she needs is therapy and the support of her friends."

"That is one way. But Celestia only knows how long that could take... With how long she's been like this..."

Luna decided to ignore one of her rare pet peeves, her sister's name being taken in vain, and focus on the conversation at hand.

"And what would you suggest? How could you possibly know what's better for her than licensed therapy?"

"Therapy would take time. It would be years before she can function normally again. I have a solution that could achieve the same results within months."

"Do tell." Luna invited.

"Before I went full tilt with my sadism, we were talking about trying something else... Another kind of submission, one where pain isn't the point at all. Regression. It's all about control, and lack of it. They could break her down, to her most basic levels, and build her back up again."

"'They'? As in her four friends?"

"Princess, Fluttershy needs help, there is no doubt of that. I think her friends can help her much faster than therapists can. I can give you all the details you wish, but that's where my involvement would end. Don't wonder if you can trust me with this, but if they think they can trust themselves."

After a full day of cider selling, Applejack decided to spend the night at Fluttershy's cottage, so she could surprise her when she returned from her trip in Manehattan. Falling asleep on the couch had been easy, especially after the day she had gone through. Now it was six in the morning, just before dawn. If Fluttershy didn't get here soon, she was going to have to call this surprise off, and get back to the farm for another day of cider. She decided to wait until the sun started to crack above the treeline. Just as she decided to return to the farm, she heard the key in the lock, and the door opened to reveal Fluttershy.

The pegasus looked at her marefriend and smiled, coming in for a hug.

"Hey there, hun. Your trip go alright?"

"I'm... I'm not sure yet..." Fluttershy answered.

Applejack released her from the embrace, to find her surrounded by a faint blue aura.

"I... I guess I didn't get enough sleep on the train ride home..."

With a jaw-stretching yawn, Fluttershy fell forward as the aura faded, and Applejack caught her in her front hooves to find her fast asleep.

"What in tarnation...?"

Without warning, Luna appeared with a flash just behind the slumped Fluttershy.

"Princess, what gives?"

Luna silently levitated Fluttershy over to the couch and gently set her down. Then, she turned back to the earth pony, and an unsealed scroll appeared beside her, which she levitated over to her.

"You need to read this. You have a decision to make."

Author's Note

Just one more, my dear readers, and then we're done.

I'm not going to pretend that everyone in this small little group that has read this far is going to like what I've come up with, but to be perfectly honest, it's the only thing I could come up with that I was wholly satisfied with.

Make no mistake; it's going to be just as dark and twisted as the previous 100,000+ words I've written, as well as pay final homage to Kaidan's original story that inspired me to write this much.

Thanks for reading.

Miles

Regression

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

Regression

Dear Applejack,

I know I am the last pony you want to hear from, but I needed to let you know what is wrong with Fluttershy, and the help that she needs. I want to say it is entirely my fault, but she insists on sharing the blame, and in a way, she is right. She is broken. She confessed to me that her most erotic dreams involve you beating her without mercy, and that no matter what you do, she wants more. That is not the product of a healthy mind, and we are both to blame for it. Consensual bondage can be a healthy portion of a relationship, but the two of us went about it in an entirely wrong way. We didn't respect each other's boundaries, and the damage was done. My subconscious latched on to dishing out the pain, and her subconscious reveled in taking as much of it as possible, regardless of the consequences.

When we put Rainbow through that madness, that... Torture... It took her a year to fully recover from just three days, and the healing wasn't complete until she was back with the four of you. Fluttershy went through that for more than a year and a half, and there is no easy way to recover from it. Luna first suggested traditional therapy, but that could take years, and I believe the four of you together can accomplish the same result in a matter of months, if you are all willing and able.

Before we had gone off the deep end, she and I had been discussing several kinds of submission, before settling on the sadistic dungeon play that landed us where we are today. One particular type we discussed was regression, and I believe that can help her much more quickly.

Simply put, to remove her deep desire for pain, you must break her mind down to it's most infantile state. Make her a foal in every way but size. Make her depend on you for absolutely everything for a couple months, three at most. Then, when she is completely dependent, you start to slowly build her back up, giving back her abilities and privileges one by one; the ability to feed herself, to fly, to control when she relieves herself. After that, go one step further, give her chores, and step by step, make her self-reliant again. I've included guidelines and suggestions, if this is a path you believe you can take together.

I'm completely aware that this method may seem rather unorthodox, but I strongly believe it will heal Fluttershy the quickest. Then, if it's still something you both desire, you can return to bondage play in a safe manner.

Regardless of how Fluttershy wants to share the blame for what happened, I hope if you can successfully do this, it can help me atone for my involvement in making her this way.

Sincerely,
Rarity

Applejack's letter sat on the center table of the library, as the four friends sat around it, taking Rarity's suggestion in, wondering if they had what it took. So far, it had done the impossible; getting Rainbow out of the line for cider, only after Applejack promised her some later. Applejack had also informed her family that she was taking the day off for an emergency. Cider sales would be a bit slower due to her absence, but Fluttershy came first. The pegasus was still sleeping on her couch at home. Luna assured them that she would not come to until the spell that was cast on her was lifted.

The Princess of the Night stood by the entrance, observing the four of them as they began to discuss the situation.

"I cannot believe I am going to say this... But I think Rarity could be on to something." Twilight began, levitating the dozen pages of the unicorn's "guidelines" in front of her.

"So we're supposed to treat her like a foal, and that'll fix her?" Rainbow asked, not sure if she was believing this.

"That's about the most simple way you could put it." Twilight mused. "Her mind is broken in such a way, and has been for long enough that we cannot simply 'put it back together'. What this treatment would do is break her mind down completely, thus removing her obsession with non-consensual pain play, and then we build her back up. What it is essentially is raising a fully grown foal in an extremely compact amount of time. Her brain is already completely developed, so the years it normally takes to reach maturity aren't needed."

"Does she need to be fully grown? What about that age spell Trixie did awhile back? It would certainly make things a lot less awkward." Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid that's not really feasible in this situation. The age spell takes a lot of energy, and it doesn't last long enough to be effective. At the highest intensity levels, I'd have to recharge the spell every day, and I wouldn't have the energy to do anything else. This way may be more awkward, but it's more convenient, and much less demanding of my horn." Twilight replied.

"And you said this is the quickest way, Princess?" Rainbow said, turning to Luna.

"The four of you already have a strong bond with her; you could carry out this therapy in as little as six months. I'm afraid any traditional therapy would take years."

"So how exactly would this work? How would all of us be involved?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight set the pages down on the table.

"Phase 1 is the regression, and is the longest of the phases, two to three months. Like Rarity's letter first said, a foal in every way but size. Diapers, pacifier, unable to talk, walk, or feed herself. In short, completely dependent on us. Magic could certainly help the regression along. Applejack, that collar you got her? I could enchant it to hinder her speech. Spells could even be taken further. I could immediately take away control of her bladder and bowels, as well as suppress her sexual desires."

"So where do the rest of us come in?"

"During and after the regression phase. Pinkie, could you babysit? For when Applejack absolutely cannot get away from farm work, or when she needs a break? No doubt this is going to be taxing on all of us, her most of all."

"If we decide to do this, I'm sure I could put her up in the guest room in the farmhouse. It'll be the most awkward discussion I've had with my family, but so be it."

"I'm sure we could all help with the babysitting. Once the regression phase is over, we start building her back up. I could certainly put together a pre-school lesson plan, basic developmental skills. Rainbow, think you could teach her to fly when the time comes?"

"Yeah, that'd be a breeze. I'd also be willing to look after her house too, if she'll be staying at Sweet Apple Acres for the duration of this... Therapy."

"So how does this end?" Pinkie asked.

"As we wrap up the regression phase, there's toilet training, basic motor skills, followed by schooling, and chores. We'll be done around six months from now, and she'll be able to take care of herself again. There's a slight risk she may develop an infantilism kink, but that's far outweighed by removing her addiction to sadomasochism."

There were nods of agreement around the table.

"So are we all prepared to commit to this? There's no turning back once we start."

"There's really no question, Twi. You all helped me heal when I came back. With Fluttershy, it's going to take a bit longer, but we have to be there for her. If we can get her through this that much quicker, we have to do it."

"Alright then. Let's get to work and get what we need. She can't stay sleeping forever."

It had taken the four of them all day, but they had effectively turned the guest bedroom into a full-on nursery. Applejack had worked some carpentry wonders, and turned the twin bed into an adult crib. Pinkie, with soft foam, shelves, and foalish wallpaper, had turned a simple folding table into a changing table that would hold the weight of an adult pony.

Applejack's conversation with her family was one of the most awkward she could remember. It wasn't every day that she tried to convince them that her marefriend had to be treated like a foal in every way for a few months. But when she informed them of Princess Luna's blessing to go ahead with it, and that it was the quickest way to get her back to normal, they agreed that if they interacted with Fluttershy, it'd be as if she was a foal. When it came to Apple Bloom, she was told that it was just a game that Fluttershy was taking very seriously.

Twilight had been in charge of gathering the supplies. Diapers, changing supplies, diaper pail, pacifier, food, bottle, and a fitted fleece sleeper for the chillier nights. When the last of it had been brought inside the room, Luna transported the sleeping Fluttershy into the room and set her gently in the crib. AJ had got a diaper fastened around her waist before raising the bars.

"Alright, are we ready for this?" Applejack asked Twilight and Rainbow, who stood beside her, as the late afternoon sun shone through the window in the room.

"If we're not, we just wasted a whole lot of time and energy." Twilight said. She gave Applejack the collar she had given to Fluttershy as a gift.

"Enchanted to inhibit her speech, bladder and bowel control, and suppress her sexual desires; although I can't say for certain how healthy that last one will be long term. I'd recommend removing it every other week or so for, um, relief."

"It'd be the perfect thing to offer as reward for good behavior." Applejack mused. With that, Twilight took her leave, passing Luna who stood just outside the door.

"Rainbow, could you... Stay here for this?" Applejack asked the pegasus, looking down at the enchanted collar.

"Sure. Any reason why?"

"Because she was the one who convinced you to go along with what we did to you. This is a lot safer, but... I'm still not sure I have the words for it alone."

Rainbow softly nodded to her, and the farmer turned back to the Princess of the Night.

"Alright, we're ready."

Luna's horn glowed momentarily, and the sleep spell on Fluttershy was broken. As the pegasus began to stir, Luna also made her departure, leaving the two ponies to introduce the awakening Fluttershy to her predicament.

With a yawn, she stretched and yawned. Her eyes fluttered open, and she began to look around, as her concern slowly grew. The first thing to catch her gaze was the thick diaper between her legs.

"Hey there, sweetheart." Applejack greeted, getting her attention. Fluttershy turned, slightly startled, and saw her marefriend along with Rainbow Dash through the bars of her large crib.

"App... Ap-Applejack?" Fluttershy asked, feeling like she had been sleeping for days.

"Don't be startled, hun. We've all gotten together and figured that this is the best way to help you."

"Help me?"

"Rarity talked to Luna, about how broken you were. She thinks this is the quickest way to put you back together."

Fluttershy recalled her talks with her ex-marefriend about regression, how she had wanted to try it for fun, but then it, and everything else had taken a back seat to the sadism and dungeon play. She squirmed, hearing the diaper softly crinkle. She saw the collar in Applejack's hoof. She also saw the adult-sized changing table and all the supplies beneath it.

"It's your choice, sweetheart. If you really don't want to do this, we'll let you out of there. But know that the only recourse will be more traditional therapy, most likely years of it."

Fluttershy's gaze fell to the crib's mattress, a look of uncertainty taking over her face.

Rainbow stepped forward, familiar words approaching her lips.

"Fluttershy... I want you to go along with this. I want you to accept this training. We all want to help you. Isn't that what you want most? To be helped by those who love you? It all begins with that collar. Once it's put on, you'll become our big foal, and we're all going to get you back to a mare who can take care of herself again."

The irony of Rainbow's words hit her like an oncoming train, but it brought her eyes up from the mattress to meet Rainbow's gaze.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, then looked to Applejack.

"Okay." She said as confidently as she could, sliding as close to the bars as she could to accept the collar.

Both AJ and Rainbow smiled. As the earth pony reached through the bars and around Fluttershy's neck to fasten the collar, Rainbow excused herself, so that AJ could have some time alone with her new foal. She went out to the hall and quietly closed the door, where Twilight silently waited.

"So?"

Rainbow nodded.

"I hope we're all prepared for how weird this is gonna be." The pegasus replied.

"We'll manage. I think she'll even like a playmate once in awhile."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

"She looked awfully cute in that diaper. Makes me wonder how adorable you'd look in one. So maybe every couple weeks you'll come down here to share that experience with her. I know you wouldn't want to disappoint your best friend..."

Twilight smirked at her with lidded eyes.

"Or your Mistress."

FIN

Author's Note

Sorry for how long it took to get this part out. But there it is.

For those that claimed they were waiting until the end to give feedback; all I can say is I hope you're still reading.

I've got an Epilogue planned, but it's nothing majorly integral to the plot, so for now I'll be marking this as Complete.

Thanks for reading.

-Miles

January

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

January

"Who does your pussy belong to, Dash?"

The fog cleared from Rainbow's eyes, and she found herself chained to... Well, she couldn't see the ceiling. It was a black expanse all around. She looked around as best she could, and saw Rarity come through the fog, a needle and thread in the grasp of her magic.

"Answer my question, pet." Rarity said, walking up to her and gently tracing the tip of the needle down her snout.

Rainbow proceeded to spit in her face.

"It belongs to me, you fucking cunt."

"What a shame." Rarity replied, seemingly unphased by the saliva dripping down her eyelid.

Without warning, she floated the needle down and jammed it up into the pegasus' marehood.

Rainbow awoke with a short scream. She looked around frantically, then noticed she was in her room in Neighecho Inn, and her panicked state of mind began to subside. She got out of bed and lit her small table lantern, looking at the clock, seeing that it was 4 AM. She walked to the window opposite the door, and took a moment to watch the blizzard outside, seeing the hooded mare in the faded reflection. She saw the glint of her cutie mark earing when the lantern's light shined on it just right.

"You don't expect them to just go away, do you?" a voice asked.

Rainbow looked back, not startled, and saw herself, sans cloak, sitting on the bed.

"Glad you finally gave me a body for you to look at. It was getting so boring being just a voice inside your head."

"You're not really here." Rainbow replied, looking back to the window.

"Well who else are you going to talk to? You never take that cloak off, you never make any conversation with Lonesome Pine besides the 'thank yous' you give him after a meal, and you've been the only guest here for five weeks now. The fact is that part of your mind can't deal with the seclusion you've forced on yourself, so here I am. Face it Dash, 'here' or not, I'm the only company you've got, so you might as well get used to me."

Rainbow didn't reply, attempting to make out individual snowflakes as they blew past her window.

"You never did answer me. You're looking for someplace else to fit in, start a new life, yet you've chosen to spend the winter up here on a mountain in some secluded tavern, with just me and your nightmares every night. Exactly what do you hope to achieve up here?"

"I'm enjoying some alone time."

"I really don't think I'd use the word 'enjoy' to describe how you feel about being up here."

"I don't care what you think about how I describe it. Dammit, why am I even talking to you? I've never made a habit of talking to myself before, let alone personifying a voice in my head."

"Well, you never made it a habit to be tortured and raped by your best friends, either. Maybe I'm the one to help you start dealing with everything."

"Whatever..." Rainbow said, continuing to stare out at the blinding blizzard. She couldn't even see far enough out to where the path was.

Watching the snow for a few minutes caused the chills to get to her. When she wasn't in bed under the fleece and wool blankets, the tavern at night was a brisk 50 degrees. She turned and quietly unlocked the door's deadbolt, opened it with a creak, and stepped out into the darkened main hall. Lonesome Pine told her weeks ago that she was free to start a fire whenever she wished; this was hardly the first time she had woken up from a nightmare and not keen on going back to sleep. She began to get the logs and wood chips arranged in the center pit, taking care to place it under the cast iron pots; Lonesome Pine would be out here in an hour or so to start breakfast.

A few minutes later, she was warming herself in front of a fresh fire, her personified "voice" sitting next to her.

"You know, sooner or later, you're gonna have to think of a name for me."

"For now I think I'll go with Annoying Bitch Who Won't Shut Up."

Twilight lay nearly motionless beside the stairs in the library, empty bottle of whiskey next to her on the wooden floor. She was currently relishing those rare moments of bliss; those precious seconds where she couldn't remember why the guilt was eating away at her.

"I saw you look away."

Twilight's attention snapped to the center of the room, where Rainbow sat, blurry and glowing. The details came rushing back. The bliss was over.

"When I was getting pierced and clipped. You couldn't keep watching. Is what you saw too much to take? Or were you blind and seeing nothing?"

Her stomach protested her viewing angle, and Twilight's gaze returned to the floor directly in front of her. The farther away she looked, the more nauseous she got, and she wasn't in the mood to clean up another puddle of vomit in the morning.

"If only I stayed awake that night, and I saw you run away. I wanted to help you... Help put you back together..."

Rainbow didn't answer. The hallucination had disappeared, leaving the wasted alicorn alone with her thoughts.

She was the only one left. The other three had left town one by one, not even a week after the house arrests were lifted.

'They actually let us go. We're free ponies.'

That very thought started her first night of drinking. Expelled, arrested, investigated... And then nothing. It was so perfectly cruel, although not as cruel as they had been to her...

Her thoughts continued to collide, and she eventually blacked out. The first thing she would do in the morning is race to the bathroom. It would be another day of hoping that the search teams had some good news.

Hope was the only thing she had left.

Author's Note

Finally found a way to reference the chorus that largely inspired Fractured Elements. Hope you all are still enjoying, and thanks for reading!