Who Rules?: The Ascended

Who Rules?: The Ascended

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Three

“Princess?” The voice echoed in Celestia’s ears. There was a long pause, making her realize that she needed to respond.

“Of course. Forgive me, I was considering all of the options.” What was it he was talking about? Something about tariffs on importing grain? “I trust your take on this, minister. Proceed with the plan that you have outlined. Write up an official proposal and I will approve it.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing deeply to the princess. He stepped away from the throne, leaving the next in line ready to step forward.

“Forgive me, but I will need a few minutes.” Celestia’s words stopped the elder colt’s approach, her customary serene expression easing any possibility of concern. “I will return shortly.”

Celestia stood and spread her wings, and with a restrained beat took to the air. The wind from her lift-off pushed the papers resting near the throne, scattering them about the room. The matriarch never even looked backwards, exiting through the large window on the far side of the room.

Once in the open air, she no longer felt the need to hold back and extended her wings to their full reach, beating them mightily and stretching up into the sky. The air felt good on her face, cool and refreshing. The cliffs above Canterlot Castle held streams and ponds that became the waterfalls that fed into the castle’s system, and that was her destination.

She banked gently, letting the wind play against her feathers as she aimed for the highest point in the series of falls. Her hooves touched down gently, letting her step forward to the water’s edge, folding her wings down beside her. She bent down and took a drink from the stream that fed the waterfall, enjoying the clean taste of the mountain water. When she turned back towards the overlook, her expression could have boiled the water to steam.

“It has been twenty-one hours,” she muttered. “Twenty-one hours since she last spoke to me. Since I last saw her.” Fire sparked in her eyes. “How DARE she? She may be my sister, but she is not above reproach. Perhaps she doesn’t understand how much I worry about her. How much I care.”

She walked to the edge, staring down at the castle below her, her eyes glowing red as her mane reflected the color of the noonday sun.

“All of those ponies below trying to beg for help. Looking to me forever for guidance. I am always the one that has to be in control, guiding them with a gentle hoof. Only Luna truly understood and was there for me, and now she has abandoned me. If these little ponies would just obey me without question, then I could solve all their problems. My love for them could direct them perfectly. That would allow me plenty of time to spend with my sister.” The smile on Celestia’s face seemed wrong, out of place. “And anypony that dared defy my love would burn under the heat of the sun.”

Her eyes darted around the castle below her, images of destruction burning in her mind. Suddenly the smile faded from her face and her eyes faded from red to magenta. Shock and fear took over as she staggered back from the edge of the cliff.

“Wha--what was I thinking?” Her voice was uneasy with concern. “I don’t mean any of those things.” She shook her head violently, trying to clear away unpleasant thoughts. “That was not me. It wasn’t.”

Looking down at the castle, she spread her wings once more. “I need to return to court. Get through the day. Luna will surely meet me for dinner tonight, and I can speak to her about all of this.”

With effortless ease the sun goddess took to the skies, spiraling down towards the castle and her throne below. She didn’t look back. She never saw the burning hoof prints she left behind on the mountainside.

* * * * *

A couple of quick knocks were all that preceded Rarity opening the door to the library. “Knock, knock! Are you here, darling? I was just stopping by to see how you were doing.”

Stepping inside, Rarity immediately laid eyes on Twilight Sparkle, who was standing at the large table she kept in the center of the room. Beside her, Zecora was intently working above an ample bowl of liquid. She barely even noticed the zebra, though, as she couldn’t take her eyes off off the deep red markings covering Twilight.

“Good heavens!” she blurted out. “Twilight, what have you done to your coat?”

“Hmmm?” Twilight turned to look at her friend, her expression oddly distant. “Oh, hi Rarity. Um, oh, that. Zecora was...casting a spell on me earlier. And this was a part of it.”

“Well it must come off you this instant! It is a travesty to good fashion sense everywhere.”

“In a minute, Rarity. Right now I need to help Zecora with what she’s doing.”

“Oh, pish-posh, surely whatever she’s doing can wait for you to be cleaned up and looking your best. Good grooming doesn’t happen by itself, after all,” Rarity said.

“Is it safe to come in?” Fluttershy finally poked her head in the door, tentatively looking about to make sure that everything was back to normal. Her eyes had a combination of fear and excitement to them.

“Everything is fine, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered. “Thanks for taking care of me yesterday.”

“How are you feeling today?” Fluttershy slowly walked into the library, now focused on her friend.

“I’m fine, honest.”

“Fine? Darling, you are anything but fine. I won’t let you be seen in public right now.” The pristine unicorn moved towards the bathroom, prepared to bring back anything and everything needed to clean a pony.

“Um, are you and Zecora...finished?” Fluttershy asked in an odd tone. “I mean with everything that she was doing to help you out. To help you. To be helpful.”

“Uh, yeah,” Twilight answered, confused, “she got everything out of me that she needed. I think.”

“Did she find out what was wrong with you?” Fluttershy moved closer to Twilight, cautiously keeping the unicorn between herself and Zecora. “And what is she doing now?”

“I am trying to find where Twilight’s destiny lies.” Zecora kept her eyes on the bowl, watching the waters swirl carefully.

“And if I find the answer, then the world doesn’t die.”

“What?” Fluttershy’s eyes bulged as she shrunk further behind Twilight.

“Zecora had a vision that something about my future led to something...bad...happening,” Twilight explained. “The problem is that she isn’t sure exactly what or how.”

“You’re going to destroy the world?” Fluttershy stepped away from Twilight.

“No!” Her denial was emphatic, as much to convince herself as her friend. “I thought that same thing at first, but Zecora thinks that I’m just connected somehow. That it isn’t really me that does anything bad. And now that she’s gotten some connection to me she thinks that she might be able to figure the details out.”

“The details out to what?” Rarity asked as she made her way back into the room, a bucket of water and several bottles in tow.

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. “OF HOW I DO OR DON’T DESTROY THE WORLD!”

“You?” Rarity all but laughed. “Twilight, you are far too good and kind to even think about harming anypony, let alone everypony. That sounds like a simply preposterous supposition. Now, stand over in the light so I can scrub you down properly.”

“Do not touch her scribings at this time,

I need them for the answers to unwind.

In just a minute your cleansing can begin,

Clarity is now near, riding on the wind.”

The bowl in front of Zecora let out a faint light, covering the zebra’s face in an ominous glow.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Rarity directed the question at Zecora, but she looked at everypony in the room. “Twilight, what is going on?”

“I’m not sure, Rarity. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

“Well, where is Spike? Shouldn’t he be helping?” Rarity asked.

“He was up all night,” Twilight explained. “I told him to go get some sleep.”

“Um, can I help?” Fluttershy asked, unsure of what she could do.

“Right now I don’t know what anypony can do but wait,” Twilight said with a faint sigh.

“Oh, well, I can help you wait,” Fluttershy offered.

“And I can, as well,” Rarity agreed.

“The waiting is the part that is hard,

It might go faster if I had an oak shard.”

“An oak shard? How would that help?” Twilight asked.

“The oak is a piece of life very old,

it could help unravel the tale to be told.”

“Oh, so you’re saying that because the oak has been alive longer it offers more perspective,” Twilight said with a smile.

Rarity blinked. “You got that from what she said?”

“Yeah, it’s actually kinda clear after a while.” She turned to Zecora. “I’ve got some oak in my basement. I’ll run and grab a piece.”

There was a brief pause before Twilight spoke again. “No, it’s okay, Rarity. I’ll be fine getting it myself. It’s no problem.”

“Um, she didn’t say anything, Twilight,” Fluttershy said.

“It’s true, darling, though I was thinking about it.”

“Is her proclamation true at this time?

Did you truly read that pony’s mind?”

“No!” She hesitated. “At least I don’t think so....”

“This has happened before, Twilight. You did it with Spike just after your return from Canterlot. I was there,” Rarity stated, stepping up to her friend, a concerned look on her face.

“Y-you can read minds?” Fluttershy’s face turned bright red. She was trying desperately not to think about the image of Twilight and Zecora together that she saw earlier in the day.

“I don’t read minds. I...I don’t know what is happening to me. But that’s what we’re trying to figure out, right? Just wait here, I’ll be right back.”

She turned and trotted down the stairs, heading straight to where she knew the oak was waiting. It wasn’t alone.

“I have been waiting for you, Twilight Sparkle,” a hollow voice said from the shadows.

“Trixie?” She turned to look towards the source and saw the unicorn stepping out into the light, her appearance far from what she expected. “What happened to you?”

The tall, regal-looking pony smiled. “That is exactly what Trixie wants to speak with you about. In private.”

A bright blue flash filled the room, leaving nothing and no pony behind.

“Trixie?” Rarity’s voice called down the stairs as she walked into the basement. She looked around and saw an empty space. “I would swear I heard her voice. Twilight? Twilight are you here?”

There was no answer.

* * * * *

“Did you miss me, Luna, dear?” Nightmare Moon’s voice rang clear through the room.

“I deny you. You are no longer a part of me,” Luna answered through clenched teeth, her voice wavering.

The air in the room felt cold. It hadn’t changed temperature in reality, but to Luna if felt as though it had dropped by a dozen degrees. She was still trapped, tied tightly to one of the large shelves filling the diamond chamber, secured there by the ribbons that Trixie had summoned. The ring--the one that she herself had created--was firmly on her horn, blocking her magic. She was trapped.

“Deny me? But Luna, we are bound together, you and I,” she said seductively. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is bound a bad word to use right now? You do appear to be slightly tied up at the moment.”

“Begone, demon.” Luna turned her head away from the helmet on the table in front of her, trying desperately to ignore the glowing teal eyes that stared out at her.

“So, tell me, Luna, what have you been up to?” Nightmare Moon continued. “Have you found your place in the world yet?”

Silence filled the room as the princess ignored the voice.

“I’m guessing not. But I have to say, I do like the new look. Very regal. Very powerful looking. Do you find yourself more powerful now, Luna?” Her voice dripped of honey and sarcasm.

Luna continued to ignore the voice, concentrating on the ribbons binding her once again.

“Oh please. Don’t even pretend you can’t hear me. Or that you can break those bindings. You’re stuck here,” Nightmare Moon said with a dry tone.

“Not forever!” Luna screamed back, turning her head towards the helm. “Unlike you, some day I will once again set my hooves outside this room. You will be trapped here until you finally die.”

“Oh, but I can’t die. I’m made from the same life force as you. I am immortal,” she bragged. “And we are tied together for that eternity, as well. You are my mother, my sister, and my daughter.”

“I am none of those things!” Luna spat.

“Of course you are, dear Luna,” Nightmare Moon said in a sultry voice. “You gave birth to me. You found the magic that created me inside you and nurtured me to life. And then we bonded, becoming so much more than either of us hoped for alone. And now look at you. You walk about in a form that is closer to the way that we looked together than you did before you birthed me. You are so beautiful.”

“Do not say that,” Luna said.

“Oh, but you are! You have made yourself into an amazingly beautiful mare. I mean, you were always cute, but how well did that hold up living in the shadow of your sister? But look at you now!”

“Please, be silent,” her voice cracked slightly.

“I am so proud of you. No longer just fading into the background, letting your sister get all of the attention.”

“Do NOT speak of Celestia.” Tears welled up as her voice found strength.

“Oh, are you not on good terms with her? Is that why she’s been coming down here and reading the scrolls? Because you and she have been arguing again?” Nightmare Moon’s voice took on an air of condescension.

“You do not know us at all!” She lashed out at the bindings, her head thrusting as far forward as she was able, trying to get to the taunting eyes.

“Oh, that is a sore spot,” Nightmare Moon replied unfazed. “Has something happened between you two? Do you want to talk to me about it? I’m a very good listener.”

“I love my sister! And Tia loves me! I came down here to stop her from making a horrible mistake!” Luna continued to push against her prison.

“And you’ve done such a magnificent job of it. I’m sure that the next time she comes down here she’ll be so proud of you and the way that you were able to have yourself humiliated by that unicorn. She was delightful, by the way.”

“What did you do to Trixie?” Luna asked.

“Me? I’m here, Luna dear. The unicorn was just...charmed...by my shoes. It may have given her a slight power boost as well, but it was worth it to get to spend some new quality time with you, my love.” Nightmare Moon’s voice sounded almost romantic.

“You are not allowed to call me that! Only Celes--” She stopped herself short, already fearful of what she said. “You are not allowed to say that to me.”

“You’re kidding me,” Nightmare Moon said flatly. “Are you telling me that you and your sister are now, shall we say, personally involved?” Her tone changed as she continued to speak, becoming much sharper. “The very same Celestia that stood against us in Equestria? The very same one that cruelly banished us to the moon for a thousand years? You are romantically involved with her. Your own sister.”

“BE SILENT!” Luna screamed.

“Don’t be so upset, Luna. Maybe she’s just coming down here to be more like us? Have you considered that? Perhaps she truly has changed, and now wants to be more like her sister. You wanted to be more like us--look at your body--and that influence has carried over to her.”

“Th-that’s not true,” Luna protested weakly.

“Oh, but it is,” the voice replied gently. “You are so beautiful and powerful now that Celestia sits in awe of you, doesn’t she? She will sit there and admire your body and wish that she was you. You know that to be true. And we can lord it over her. Stand above her and laugh down at her as she finally admits our superiority!”

“Our?” Luna commented.

“Your. I meant your, of course,” Nightmare Moon quickly explained. “But isn’t that an image that you have always wanted to see? Celestia bowing before you, acknowledging you with the same reverence that others do for her?”

“You--you don’t know--”

“I know you. Don’t deny that,” the voice smoothly interrupted. “We shared every moment for over a thousand years, remember. You want to see her call you queen.”

Luna turned her eyes away reflexively, unable to look at the glowing eyes for a moment.

“Oh my. She already does that, doesn’t she?” A hint of joy filled Nightmare Moon’s voice. “You dominate her, don’t you? Oh, that is a rush of power, isn’t it? To have the goddess that banished us to the moon at our hooves, kissing them and obeying our every command. I’m feeling aroused myself at the thought.”

“What?” Luna replied confused and weak.

“Don’t be so shocked. I may lack our current physical form, but my mind is still very active. And what about you? If you remain trapped here, you may never get to feel that again. Never share an intimate moment with your dear, luscious sister again. Never feel her warm lips touching your hooves.”

“Stop,” she tried to protest.

“Do you not want to be with her again? To taste her lips once more? You do, I know it.” It felt to Luna as though Nightmare Moon was whispering in her ear. “I bet that you have even punished her for misbehaving. A rod on her flank. Perhaps make her clean your hooves with her tongue.”

A whimper escaped from Luna.

“Oh, you have. You enjoy that feeling. And from your reaction, she enjoys it, too. The mighty Celestia worshipping you and pleasuring you. Such a rush. Is it the fact that it brings her pleasure that excites you most, or the fact that she is so willing to please you?”

“Stop.” Luna closed her eyes, trying to shut off the voice around her.

“Let me set the scene.” Nightmare Moon’s voice was husky and seductive. “You are in your chambers, late at night, the stars and moon are perfect, of course, and shining down through the windows. The door opens, as you knew it would, and a mare of pristine white steps inside. You smile.”

Luna twisted her head from side to side, hoping to find a position that blocked her ears. Something--anything--to rid herself of the voice haunting her at the moment.

“She walks over to you, her head down and eyes lowered, knowing not to look at you directly right now. There is almost an air of electricity sparking between the two of you as she steps closer. At the last minute, she bows down, her head touching the ground before us as a single word exits her mouth--’Mistress.’”

Her eyes pressed tightly closed, Luna tried in vain not to picture the image being sensually described to her at the moment. She couldn’t help herself. The vision of Celestia, her wings laid flat, her eyes down, her head completely bowed, it was something that she had seen many times, and it was clear to her.

“We present our hoof, and gladly Celestia kisses it, thrilled to be allowed contact with us. She presses her lips to it again and again, showing her servitude and acknowledging out superiority.” Nightmare Moon’s voice slipped from seductive to gloating for just a second, but Luna was concentrating on ignoring her too hard to notice. “We switch hooves, just for a moment, to allow her to even out her groveling. And then a wicked thought crosses our minds. One corner of our lips curls up as we turn and present our flank to her, commanding that it be shown the same attention that she paid to our hooves.”

Luna could feel the tone of arousal growing in Nightmare Moon’s voice. What was worse, she could feel her own body reacting equally.

“Without hesitation her lips connect to our hind leg and begin to work their way up. From lower leg to upper leg and finally coming to rest on our magnificent flank. The lips of the sun pressed against the mark of the moon. She kisses her way all around the flank, moving across to the other side--passing just above the tail--and covering it in affection.

“Our tail flicks, moving back and forth reflexively, until we take over consciously and move it to one side, wordlessly telling the inferior sun where to go. And she obeys. A long, experienced tongue graces the inside of our thigh, testing our response to her presence. She knows how to please, and we approve.”

Memories of Celestia’s touch replay in Luna’s mind and body, causing the dampness between her legs to grow.

“The tongue touches our marehood, and Celestia is pleasing us completely. She is servicing our sex, lapping our juices as they run freely from us. We demand that she lick up every drop, letting nothing touch our leg, let alone the ground, and she redoubles her efforts. She is tracing our nether lips with her tongue and kissing our hardened clitoris with her mouth.”

Luna wanted to touch herself. To bring some relief to her own arousal and ignore this monster once again, but she couldn’t. And the words were so enticing. She squirmed against her bindings, hoping that the fabric would rub against her in just the right way, but the light, brushing touch only drove her more deeply into lust.

“I want her humiliated. I want her to feel lower than me.” There was a brief pause as Nightmare Moon caught herself. “We decide to test her devotion. We order her to lick our tailhole. To clean it completely. She hesitates, but a stern look from us puts her immediately under control once more, and her tongue moves up. She licks gingerly at first, barely grazing the surface, but a quick grab of magic against her head, forcing her into our flank shows the seriousness of our request. She responds in earnest, tonguing our tailhole. Then we tell her to stick her tongue inside, and whether it is because of our superior nature or her own arousal, this time she does it without hesitation.”

Opening her eyes, Luna looked over at the helm on the table, the teal light of the eyes pulsing as the voice spoke. She wanted to hear more.

“The tongue moves in, long and hard, forcing its way deep into our ass. We order her to remain still as we begin to move our flank back and forth, fucking ourselves against her tongue. It’s wet and slick, but hard enough to probe us deep enough to truly feel penetrated. All it does is drive our passion, and make us want true release.

“Pulling away, a whimper escapes the pathetic little sun goddess. We tell her that she will be allowed to please her mistress completely, and once again present our marehood. She dives in, driven mad with lust, her tongue begins to plunge the depths of our cunt. Driving in and out, licking up and down, drinking in all that we have to offer. And our body responds, letting a flow of juices out to signal our arousal, the walls of our pussy tightening and contracting around her tongue as we prepare to spill our cum out into her mouth.”

Luna’s mouth was hanging open, a small bit of drool formed at the corner, wanting to hear the end. Wanting to know that release was coming.

“But that doesn’t happen.” Nightmare Moon’s voice changed dramatically, going from deep sexual arousal to slightly whimsical. “It can’t. Not with you trapped down here. Not with Celestia still up in the castle.”

“NO! Finish your story!” Luna shouted. “Tell me how you see it ending, and I will make it true when my sister comes for me. She will come down here. We will be together again soon!”

“Will you? Oh, it’s possible, I suppose, but then...why did you come down here? Wasn’t it about Celestia reading those scrolls? I’ve watched her do it, you know. Watched her reading them and taking in their magic. It was fun.”

Luna scowled. “Celestia is stronger than both of us together.”

“Oh, I’m sure. She is the all-mighty goddess of Equestria, is she not?” Nightmare Moon sounded mockingly reassuring. “But then, what about Trixie? She just got power, and sounded as though she wanted to deal with your sister as well. Maybe she will go after Celestia. Or maybe one of her most trusted aides. Or maybe even--what was her name again--oh yes, Twilight Sparkle. It is a shame that you can’t warn her.”

“She will come for me,” Luna insisted.

“She doesn’t even know you are here. And since you probably came down here because you found out what she was doing, she probably won’t come down here because she thinks that you are mad at her for that exact thing. As long as you don’t show your face, she won’t ever set hoof in here. You will never know her touch again, and she will die of a broken heart.” The voice was cruel and twisting.

“I--I will free myself, then,” Luna said with weak resolve.

“No, you won’t. You don’t have the power.” Luna could swear that the helmet grew a smile. “But I do.”

“You have no power on your own!” she shouted at the helm, trying desperately to find strength. “You are nothing but a specter looking for a host to give you form.”

“Exactly. And you could be that host. You could welcome me back, Luna. We could be together again. Whole. And we could return to the castle, warn your sister, save Twilight Sparkle, and celebrate in...intimate fashion.” Syrup practically dripped from the words.

“I will never give in to you again,” Luna clenched her teeth.

“Give in? I’m just wanting to help you escape. And find a way that I can once again feel. You weren’t the only one trapped for a thousand years, after all. I was too brash when we first returned. I’ve had time to calm down.”

“You’re lying,” she said.

“I can free you. That is the truth. Without me you are trapped here, perhaps for another thousand years. I cannot make you do anything, Luna. I can only help you if you let me, you know that. Let me help you, Luna. Let me help us.”

“I will never be your puppet again,” Luna’s voice sounded weaker.

“And you won’t be. I was almost destroyed not that long ago. I don’t have the power to do anything like that. I simply want the means to feel once more. Do you think my story had no effect on me? I want Celestia as much as you do. Let me take you to her.”

“I won’t let you harm her,” Luna explained.

“And I won’t harm her. Just let me free you. I can restore us, Luna.” The teal light began to leak from the helmet, swirling about and reaching out towards the trapped goddess. Tendrils exploring up, snaking around the head and horn of Luna. “Together we will be unstoppable.”

The ring on Luna’s horn shattered.

* * * * *

The world returned to Twilight Sparkle as she opened her eyes, unsure of her surroundings.

“Wh-where am I? What happened?” She stood up, her legs weak and unsure like a newborn foal, staggering around the room. She suddenly felt a heavy weight around her neck, and brought her hoof up to feel what was there. She was wearing a thick collar of some sort. She summoned magic to her horn, trying to remove the collar--or at least she tried. Nothing was happening. Trying again, she felt a panic growing in her heart.

“Do not fear, Twilight Sparkle. I have removed your magic for now. I don’t want you running off, after all.” Trixie stepped into the room, her horn igniting several torches that hung on the walls. “It is time that we talked.”

“Trixie?” Twilight stared at the pony, who looked only vaguely as she remembered. She stood much taller now, almost as large as Celestia, but she was still just a unicorn. “What happened to you?”

“I have been reborn. No longer am I simply The Great and Powerful Trixie. No, you look upon The All-Powerful Trixie!” Her lips curled up in a smile as she spoke her own name.

“Wait a second. You came to my house. You were in the basement and then we...teleported? You’ve never been able to teleport before,” Twilight stated.

“You will find that my power has easily grown to match my new stature, Twilight Sparkle. You will soon discover many things, in fact.”

“What’s going on, Trixie? What happened to you?” she asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Trixie asked, moving about the room. “I found power. I found something worthy of myself.”

Bright metal shoes, reflecting the blue of the unicorn began to glow in the dim light. Twilight recognized them instantly.

“Those are Nightmare Moon’s shoes. Trixie, you didn’t...”

“They are now TRIXIE’S shoes. I have taken their power into myself, transforming me into the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound ominous or anything,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes.

“Do NOT mock me, Twilight Sparkle. That would not be wise.” The tone of Trixie’s voice changed. A deep echo formed behind her words, causing Twilight to hesitate. The eyes on the blue unicorn took on a light of their own, glowing with internal power as she spoke.

“Wh-what do you want with me? Why am I here? And where is here, anyway?” Twilight looked around, trying to find a familiar landmark. All she could see was broken stone and an empty room. Something about it seemed vaguely familiar.

“You sound afraid, Twilight. There is no need to fear Trixie. I am not a monster, unlike some powerful beings in this land. I simply wanted to bring you here so that you could see me in my new form. So that you could understand that Trixie is now--without a doubt--better than you.”

Twilight blinked.

“Seriously? You kidnapped me out of my own house so that you could bring me here to feed your ego? I have ponies over at my house trying to help me out with something, and they are probably worried sick about me right now. One of them is your marefriend!”

“Do not speak of Rarity. I don’t want you mentioning her to me,” Trixie snarled.

“Why not? I’ve known her longer than you. She’s one of my best friends,” Twilight retorted, somewhat annoyed.

“Because I love her!” Trixie shouted. “And this is not something for her to see.”

“What isn’t? What don’t you want her to see?”

Trixie walked slowly around the room, silently. When she spoke again her voice was calm and level. “I am ready to let you go, Twilight Sparkle. You only have to do one simple thing: admit that Trixie is better than you.”

“That’s really what this is about?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Fine. You’re better than me. Can I go now?”

“It’s not that easy!” Trixie’s voice filled the room. “It’s not about you saying it. It’s about you believing it. I want you to admit it not to Trixie, but to yourself. And then you are free. Say that Trixie is better than you.”

She looked up into the eyes of the other unicorn, taking her measure. A power glowed behind Trixie’s eyes in a way that Twilight hadn’t seen before. It was as though it was desperately seeking a way out, trying to find an avenue of release.

“I can’t.” Twilight hung her head. “You are very powerful, Trixie, but you aren’t better than me.”

The room took on a blue glow as Trixie’s temper swelled.

“What?! You mean to tell me that you do not believe that I am greater than you? That Trixie isn’t the most powerful unicorn in Equestria?”

“That’s not what you asked me to say. You wanted me to admit that you were better than me. You aren’t,” Twilight answered, her head still lowered. “You aren’t better than anypony. Not now.”

“Trixie is better than you! Trixie could prove it right now! I could drive off a true ursa major--not a minor like you did. I could summon up the most powerful of storms to strike you down! I could break your body under the weight I could levitate above you!” Her teeth gnashed as she spoke. “And I could prove that I was a better lover than you!”

“What?” Twilight raised her head. “A better lover?”

“Yes! Trixie is the most skilled lover in all of Equestria. How you were able to outlast her is unfathomable. I could take you right now and make you my sexual plaything and you would be begging for more.”

The blue eyes of the unicorn dropped a shade in color as she spoke.

“It would be nothing for me to bend you to my will. I could bring you to so many orgasms that you would lose your sanity, begging only to be in my presence so that I would continue to pleasure you. I could break you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Does this have anything to do with that night with the princesses?” Twilight asked.

“Of course it does!” Her voice took on a deeper echo. “You outlasted Trixie. I am better than you! I have to be, or else she might not love me! As long as you are better than me, she might see you as a superior choice. I could lose her!”

“She?” A light dawned in Twilight’s mind. “Trixie, Rarity doesn’t love me. Not like that. We’re just friends.”

“DO NOT SPEAK HER NAME!” Her voice was strong enough to cause Twilight to pause. “Trixie was used by you and your princesses. Forced to do things that she did not agree to be a part of, and then I was humiliated by you. You should have orgasmed first!”

“And what are you doing now?” Twilight asked. “Do you think I want to be here? You’re making me do things that I don’t want to do, too. That’s why you aren’t better than me. You’re using me to feed your own ego, and that’s not something I call better.”

The words struck Trixie stronger than a physical blow could have. She staggered back, reeling. The color of her eyes returned to normal and when she spoke next her voice seemed more like her own once more.

“This isn’t the same,” she spoke, trying to convince everypony in the room. “Trixie does not force herself on others. I am simply trying to prove a point. Make you realize the truth.”

“Maybe you should take a turn with the truth yourself, first,” Twilight retorted.

Spinning her head towards the unicorn, Trixie’s expression lost much of its confidence. Her horn lit up, and a thick chain of silver appeared, one end attached to the collar around Twilight’s neck and the other imbedded in the floor of the room.

“I have to go think. Consider what is happening. Trixie...doesn’t do these things.”

She walked out of the room without a look back. Twilight pulled at the chain, knowing full well she wouldn’t have the strength to loosen it. She looked around the room, hoping to spy something to give her a means to escape. Something about this place was familiar. The only consolation was that she knew her friends would come looking for her soon. Hopefully, it would be soon enough.

* * * * *

Celestia sat in her room, staring out at the night sky. For another night, she was forced to raise the moon and stars. Luna was still nowhere to be seen.

She had inquired about her sister, asking if any of the guards had seen her anywhere near the castle. It had been over a full day since she had seen her. The last guard to report anything about her saw her and Trixie wandering the halls, speaking to each other late last night.

“Where are you, Luna?” she asked aloud. Her voice was heavy, filled with sorrow.

The day had taken far too long for Celestia. Keeping her smile through court, she mindlessly rendered decisions and dictated law. And then at the end of the day she excused herself and rushed to the dinner table, anxiously awaiting her sister’s arrival. She waited well past the time that she would normally lower the sun, hoping that Luna was running late. She waited. The food sat on her plate, uneaten. Without Luna there, she didn’t want it. She needed to hear Luna’s voice. To know that she was forgiven and that they could be together once again.

“The night is cold,” she said. “Too cold, in fact. This moon reminds me too much of Luna. Perhaps I will raise the sun instead. Provide the warmth and love that I desire.”

A noise from the hallway interrupted her chain of thought, and Celestia wheeled her head around looking for the source.

“Tia....” A familiar voice said very weakly.

“Luna?!” The sun goddess’ voice instantly became a thing of joy, the smile in her eyes lighting the room. “Luna, is that you?”

Celestia bolted from the window, flying towards the doorway where she heard her sister’s voice.

“I have been so worried about you, Luna. I’m so sorry. I want to apologize for upsetting you. For everything that I did. I was a foal. There is nothing that you could ever do that would...”

She stopped. Celestia’s hooves touched the ground once more as her sister stepped out of the darkness of the hallway and into the light of the room. She looked odd. As though something had happened to her. Her body seemed slightly more lean and the shadows on her face appeared deeper.

“Luna?” Celestia walked slowly up to her sister.

“Tia, I think...” she was staggering, barely able to speak, “...I think that I may have made a horrible mistake.”

Luna collapsed to the floor, motionless.

...to be continued