"Okay pet, think about this logically." Princess Twilight shook her head at being unable to say her own name. She had managed to sneak away to her library to think. "She has me… " She froze up, unable to admit to being hypnotized. "She isn't hurting anypony, she is at least keeping that promise, and she actually recoiled from hurting my foals." The alicorn got a small smile. "Her game seems more annoyance and… control."

The sound of the door opening and closing heralded the arrival of the Maneiac. "Ah, this is where you slid off to. Calm, quiet. I like it not, but you may visit here pet. Let us sit down and have a chat, that will be fun."

Twilight almost bounced in excitement, the prospect of talking with her nemesis sounding quite fun indeed. "What do you want to talk about? Or do you just want to gloat?"

"Oh, no, no gloating, every action you take, every time your words stumble because you can't say something I have denied you, that is my reward." Mane reclined on her hair. "Each night, before sleep takes you, you will find a reason to slip away and find me, you will find me and love being hypnotized all over again." She rubbed one hoof with a tentacle, blowing on it. "You have quite a lot of fun tricks, but Matter-Horn, you will be using every single one to help me. Tell me, can you make a pony invisible?"

This question had Twi a bit confused in how much of a change of tack it was. "Well, yes. It is a little effort to cast, and doesn't last much more than a day or two, even with alicorn magic behind it, but I can do it."

"Very well, I want to be invisible until when you come to me this evening." Maneiac rubbed her hooves together. Everything was working just how she wished. "Now is good."

Twilight couldn't stop herself, everything the mare asked of her she would do, and so she did. Calculating the time quickly, she charged her horn and cast the spell. Immediately, the mare who had imposed this jail in her mind vanished.

"This is amazing. Matter-Horn, let's go down for a chat with your husband. You will do everything within your power to persuade him to sleep with both of us. I haven't had a good male in a while." Mane was slipping over to the slowly nodding mare, without a word more she slid a tendril into Twilight's rump, working it deep before making it swell up and plug her firmly. "Of course, I will be with you every step of the way."

Biting down hard, Twilight tried to ignore two problems now. The aching fullness in her rear made walking a little more of a waddle than usual and worse, this was turning her on something fierce. She led the way, trusting her tormentor to follow and, by the feeling in her bowels Mane certainly was. She found Gel in his little meditation room, after knocking and having him call out.

Mane slipped into the room behind Twilight, tugging her rump down to a chair with a naughty grin.

"Gel, I need to ask you something about Mane-Mane." Twilight's heart raced, she wasn't sure if she actually wanted to experience what the mare would think of as sex, or if she would like to see her husband wrap her up and bind her.

"Your friend? What's up?" Gel flowed over beside Twilight. Mane had a moment of shock when she saw him move.

"What is he…" The words slipped out before the Maneiac could think.

"What was that? Twilight, what is going on here?" Gel reached out with his one magical power he possessed and felt a second presence in the room apart from his wife. "Who is there?" He glared around.

"Me. Twilight, drop the spell." Mane faded back into being after a moment and Gel saw the tendril of mane trailing from her to his wife's rear. "Sorry for the deception, but you seem much more interesting than I thought."

Gel was in motion, he flowed forward like a wave and reformed between the two mares. "Just what is going on here? Twi, what is the matter?"

"She can't tell you." Mane looked over to Twilight and her eyes narrowed. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, my pet, if anypony harms me, or attempts to go against my wishes, you will forget yourself. All your memories, all your experiences."

Twilight trembled, her whole body tensing but she nodded to the mare. "Of course." Her voice sounded happy.

"Hypnosis?" Gel's eyes narrowed at the earth pony with the crazy mane. "So what is your game? What do you want?"

"To play, to teach some humility. To make your wife despair at how trapped she is… do I need more reasons?" Maneiac smiled and gave a little giggle. "Now, Twilight, ask your husband what you were meant to."

"Gel." Twilight glared at Mane as she spoke. "I would like it if we could have a little party, just you, me, and the Maneiac." The worst part was, even apart from the part of her that had to say the words, Twilight felt a naughty part of herself that wanted to do this.

"And if I refuse? I don't play games with ponies who only want to hurt my friends." Gel's voice was hard but he felt a hoof press against his side. "Twi?"

"Please, Gel, just do what she says. If she is hurt, I will lose you… and Pinkie Pie… both of them." Twilight was tugged back from any further contact, the tentacle in her rear acting like an effective leash.

"Pinkie? How many do you have?" Gel glared at the mare who had the widest smile he had ever seen. "What? What is so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. You will never know how many. But they are not the only ponies I have hypnotized and given… suggestions, to." Mane raised a tentacle up to stroke Gel's jaw. "So how about it, stud?"

The fire went out of Gel, how could he attack her when he could lose friends forever? Gel lowered his head. "Alright. But how long will this last?"

"Depends on your stamina… oh, you mean my games? As long as I think it a good idea." Mane loved one thing more than a hypnotized pony under her hoof, and that was one that went there willingly, thinking they could get free.

The lunch appointment was made at the behest of Twilight Velvet herself. Cherry couldn't say no, not only was the mare reasonably wealthy and popular among the nobles, but she was nice and Cherry actually liked her, from what she had met. And that wasn't even going to think how bad it would be if the mare mentioned to her foals that Cherry had snubbed her.

"When are we going?" Sleek's horn lit, helping her wife with her mane and tail.

"As soon as we are done. I am as intrigued to find out what happened as I am reluctant to be late meeting with the mother of two princesses." Cherry relaxed into the brushing, sending the most thankful look she could to Sleek.

Thanks to magic, the pair were ready and at the tastefully elite venue. The moment she walked in Cherry realized why Twilight had chosen this place, privacy. Each table was in its own little alcove, surrounded in tasteful art.

"Would madame have a reservation?" The voice of the maitre'd, a very well-dressed stallion, sounded like he was not expecting them to have such.

"We were invited by Twilight Velvet? She asked for us to meet her here." Cherry was unimpressed by their snobbishness, but knew that they were just doing their job.

"You are Ms. Velvet's guests? Of course!" The stallion bowed low, all smiles and acceptance now. "Right this way. Ms. Velvet is not here yet, but a mare such as her is assuredly going to be fashionably late." Cherry detected vast amounts of gushing behind the apologies, clearly having an important guest was something to be excited about.

No sooner were they seated than the bell at the front counter rang and the maitre'd was off again, almost breaking into a trot.

"Wow, he changed his tune when you mentioned your friend's name." Sleek was immensely glad she put on a cute little shawl for this, the place was about as swank as Canterlot could get.

Cherry settled into the amazingly comfortable chair, giving her wings a little flutter. "He is just doing his job. Everypony has a boss, his probably demands he keeps the riffraff out and be nice to influential guests. When we changed from one to the other, he had to adjust quickly. Notice that even when we were possible riffraff, he was still not rude?"

Sleek blinked at her wife, wide eyed. "You would have made an amazing infiltrator…" It was a compliment and Cherry took it from her love with a smile.

"Cherry!" Twilight had been shown to the table by a now-gushing head waiter. "And who is this?"

Beaming in delight, Cherry noticed Twilight had Velvet with her. "This is Sleek Guise, my wife." The pegasus gestured with a wing toward the mare she adored. "I do hope it wasn't a problem to bring her?"

"Of course not." Twilight offered her hoof to Sleek, who lifted her own dark, hole-filled limb and gave the offered hoof a bump. Cherry's wife turned to Velvet and offered her a clop too. "This is Velvet."

Velvet didn't hesitate, seeing a fellow changeling in a relationship, particularly her boss' wife, hurt not one bit for her. It actually relaxed her lingering anxiety about fitting in with Twilight and Night. "We have met before, but I don't think it was formal. Just two drones in a hive."

"Practically sisters, then." Sleek smiled at the other changeling. She felt kinship toward the mare instantly, if only because she had taken the steps to find love. Cherry's wife had listened to her lover's 'unwinding talk' after work was done.

Twilight found a seat, sitting beside Sleek and leaving Velvet to sit opposite, beside Cherry. It was a pleasing arrangement both aesthetically and so each could meet the eyes of their loves. "I won't beat around the bush with this, this lunch is both business and pleasure." Twilight found the pegasus' eyes. "Our contract is a little more complicated now, yes?"

Cherry snorted. "Not that I can see. Velvet, do you plan to back out of it?" She looked at the drone beside her who blinked her big eyes and shook her head. "And I take it your feelings haven't changed?" She turned to look at Twilight who was actually giggling at the line of thinking. "So no, we haven't changed our arrangement. Velvet, do you wish more… suitable employment?"

Eyes turned to the drone. "Uh, well, I figured I would quit and-" She halted when she saw the wide grin on Cherry's snout.

"My business ventures have grown beyond just happiness vending." Cherry's words got giggles from all the mares now, but she managed to keep a straight face herself. Practice. "As you know, that darling Prince Blueblood is on my payroll, his wife too. Neither work in that profession, as you know."

The topic had Velvet's interest; she had never pondered what she might do when no longer… vending… happiness. Twilight was looking at her with the most amused look ever. "Okay, I will admit, I have never thought about it. What would I be good at?"

"Being bossy." Twilight shifted a little on her chair, giving the drone opposite her a knowing look. "You have a good mind for numbers."

"You do?" Cherry gave Twilight an apologetic look for cutting in. "I do most of my own accounting, but I will be the first to admit that it is becoming less and less practical to do so."

All four noticed the maitre'd himself waiting a short distance away from the table. When he realized they had stopped talking, he glided in. "Would mesdames like something to drink? Or are you perhaps ready to order?"

All four customers quickly picked up their menus and started examining them. Both Velvet and Sleek froze and looked at each other. A knowing smile was shared before they dipped their noses back into the menus.

"I will have the dark tea, lemon and honey with it. A light leafy salad." Twilight spared less than a glance at the menu, she knew what she wanted and, despite hating having gotten used to it, liked the fact that most places would just cater to what she wanted. Being a simple eater helped with that of course.

"Certainly!" The waiter looked to the others.

"Same for me, no lemon, but extra honey. Heavier dressing on the salad." Velvet put her menu down as if she had actually read something off it.

Sleek and Cherry grinned to each other. "Two green teas, just a small hint of lemongrass in each. Your lightest soup, for both of us." Sleek saw the little nod from her wife.

"Perfect, I will have the drinks out shortly." Bowing and accepting the menus, the maitre'd glided off with a smooth, hurried walk.

"Green tea?" Twilight looked amused. "Must say I have never tried it, I was brought up with a dark black tea."

"You should try it. But don't use just any, I could promise that a place like this has a nice one, they wouldn't dare stock anything cheap." Cherry couldn't help taking the jab at the place and got a grin from all three mares. "But do try one, they are heavenly with a little edge to them. As for you, you know numbers? How well?" Her gaze was on Velvet.

"I can do basic things… we didn't exactly have schools in Vicious' hive." She looked down at the pure white tablecloth. A pressure began under her jaw, she let her chin be lifted only to see Twilight's horn alight. It wasn't a huge thing, but just knowing somepony cared for her made the dark future a little nicer.

Author's Note

Well, both were conversations, but one carried a lot more respect between participants than the other.

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