Luna sleepily roused from her new bed. Twilight's castle was majestic, as castles tended to be, but that bed was not her bed, not yet. She was still growing used to it.

To say nothing of the infernal hour she was forced to rouse.

Spike was there, grinning at her. "Twilight says you have to--"

Luna laid a wing over him and gently pushed him away. "Come back in a few hours..."

Spike's grin turned into a bit of a frown. "You're Twilight's student, you have to do what she says."

"It's true," came a new voice as another mare poked her head in. "She's a tough mistress, but fair."

Luna found sleepiness suddenly fleeing. Who was that? She sat up and looked at the unicorn looking back at her. "Have we had the pleasure?"

The unicorn pointed at herself. "I'm Starlight Glimmer, also a student of Twilight's. Welcome. That makes us, hm, study sisters I suppose."

Luna felt a new warmth building as she stepped down from the bed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, fellow servant of the mistress." She glanced away and back. "Have you learned well from her?"

Starlight gave a nervous little laugh. "I... try." She sagged a little. "It can be tough sometimes. I keep... I want to have control of the situation, but friendship is sometimes about... you know... letting go. Having trust..." She flashed a smile at Luna. "Why don't we make Twilight proud?"

Make Twilight proud? Starlight had Luna's attention. "How?"

Spike was departing. "Be down for breakfast in ten minutes."

Starlight gave Spike a little wave and looked back at Luna before offering a hoof to her. "Let's be friends. If we're both, you know, learning... This may work out great. We'll make mistakes, but you know I'm learning, and I know you're learning, so we can cut each other a little slack along the way, right?"

Luna considered that. That would, indeed, please Twilight. And Twilight's pleasure was her own. She would grow. "I agree with this proposal." She reached out and touched her hoof to Starlight's. "How do we begin?"

Starlight blinked as if started. "O-oh, well, let's start with introductions. Hello, I am Starlight Glimmer, but you can all me Starlight."

"I am Princess Luna, but Luna will suffice." Luna nodded. Yes, that was a sign of familiarity. She could try to push ahead as she had the day before, but the soft stinging on her back end was a gentle reminder that such was undesirable. She wanted to please Twilight and become a better pony, so she had to grow. "I am a co-princess of Equestria, what are you?"

Starlight shrank a little, ears going down. "I, well, phew... what a question... I'm no princess, I'll admit that." She put a hoof behind her head. "I'm a student, really. I don't have a profession besides that, right now. You make me feel... small."

Luna frowned. She was failing at having friends. She had to fix it. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Starlight. Surely there is a thing you excel at?"

Starlight seemed to rebound with the encouragement. "Oh, yes. Magic!" She practically squeaked the word. "I love practicing magic. Twilight says I'm a natural."

Luna raised a brow at that. "From one such as Twilight, that is high praise indeed."

That made Starlight glow, clearly pleased. "Thanks. I can even keep up with her in a duel." She clopped her forehooves together excitedly. "And what fun those are! Say, maybe we could have a friendly match?"

Luna rose up to her full stance. "I would enjoy that, friend."

Starlight smiled brightly and turned for the exit. "Let's not keep Twilight waiting any longer."

Downstairs, Twilight was seated with Spike. When the sound of hoofsteps were heard, she perked an ear and turned to see the two descending together. That was a good sign, perhaps. "Welcome. Have a seat. Have you been introduced, Starlight?"

Starlight put a hoof to her chest as she walked on the other three. "I have met Luna, and we're going to have a duel, for fun. After breakfast, if you don't have a lesson planned for either of us."

Twilight glanced to the left, where a large scroll appeared. "As it turns, I do have a few in mind, but..." She looked back to her two smiling students. "A joint activity may be just what the doctor ordered. Starlight, as my senior student, I expect you to lend a helping hoof to Luna, but... Even if she is your junior, you should never turn a blind eye to advice. Help comes from the most unlikely of directions at times. Who knows, Luna may have a lesson for you."

She focused on Luna. "As for you, top marks! Not even one full day and you already have a new friend? I'm duly impressed." Another paper appeared that had a grid with Luna and Starlight's face as the header for two of the columns. Starlight already had a few bright golden stars. With a twinkle of magic, Twilight slapped down an equally bright silver star beneath Luna's smiling face, her first star. "One star for you."

Luna felt light as a cloud. She had received praise and official recognition for growth. She was on the right path! But... there was another part of friendship there. She could see Starlight mildly displeased. She would not fail. "Starlight deserves come of this praise. It was her idea that we forge this bond, even if it is an idea I agreed with eagerly."

Twilight's vision slid down to Starlight. "Is that so? Very proactive of you, Starlight. I'm glad to see you're taking your position so seriously already." She added a check-mark under the last star on that grid under Starlight's face, then the paper vanished. "Now, if my two eager pupils will have a seat and we can have a pleasant breakfast together?"

Luna decided to not take a chair. Sitting beside the table put her at a more even stance with the others, and the food was served. Spike seemed to be their waiter, and she made it a point to try to be polite. "Your waitstaff is exceptionally proficient," she said to Twilight, expecting to get a smile.

She did not. Not from Twilight, or Spike. Both were looking quite displeased. Where had she erred?

Twilight pointed at Spike with a hoof. "Spike is a dear friend, not a waitstaff. He's serving us as a favor, not because he has to."

Luna's ears wilted. She had botched that one up. "I apologize, Spike. I meant no harm in my words."

Spike couldn't stay angry at the awkward alicorn. He had experience with those. "Aw, it's alright."

Twilight put a hoof before Spike. "Not so fast. We give praise where it's deserved, but discipline must also be served."

Starlight blinked softly. "Discipline?" She hadn't seen this side of things before.

Luna had. Her ears span all the way back against her head as she dipped it. "I deserve to be duly admonished for my error. Will you be administering it, mistress, or does that honor go to the one that was wronged?" She peeked at Spike.

Spike went red. He remembered what he had walked into. Was this going to be like that? "Uh, It's not... really necessa--"

"No, Spike." Twilight shook her head. "Luna has entrusted me to look after her and see to her education. This includes administering proper punishments when she errs. Now, you know, Luna, that this does not mean I'm not your teacher, or that I don't care for you, as a teacher. It hurts me to have to do this." She lifted on her powerful wings.

Starlight was looking back and forth between the two alicorns, baffled. "You never punished me like this. Is... I don't understand."

Luna felt another chance. She didn't want to make Starlight jealous of her deepening connection with their shared instructor. "That is because you are a far better student of friendship. She has had far less need to discipline you. You should be proud."

Starlight clopped the ground as she rose angrily. "That's not true! I've messed up! I've messed up huge! Why, just... Just last week, I mind controlled all her friends!" She put a hoof to her chest. "I demand to be punished as well." She only seemed to realize what she had asked for after saying it. Did she want to be punished? Well, she already had a hoof in it. She wasn't gonna back down!

Spike glanced between the two before he threw up his claws. "Have fun. I'm cleaning up and heading out. See you later."

Twilight barely heard Spike, looking between her two students that were both ready to be punished for their crimes. "We... should retire to a better place for this."

With a bright flash of magic, all three skilled magic users vanished.

They were in one of the rooms that were not used often. It was made to be a guest room. It was soft and had a comfortable bed, and Twilight pointed at it. "Both of you, sit down. You will not speak unless I ask you a question directly or order you to." She gave a firm nod as the two of them climbed up and laid down, watching her intently.

"Starlight Glimmer, you are guilty of mind control, with magic. I don't think you understand just how wrong it is to steal the agency from a pony."

"I'm sorry!"

The swatter appeared and gently swat Starlight across the snout. It didn't hurt, but it was humiliating. "I told you not to speak. Now is the time for listening, Starlight. Now, as I was saying, I don't think you understand exactly why what you did was wrong, besides making me angry."

Starlight said nothing.

Twilight looked to Luna. "Tell me why what she did was wrong."

Luna blinked at that. "I was not present for the occasion, but the direct control of the mind's of others is a clear violation of their basic rights, as ponies."

Twilight nodded. "That is true, however... That's just a logical reason. Starlight, I am going to seal away your will. You will know what you're doing and remember it all, but saying no will simply not be an option."

Starlight paled. A complete lack of control? That... sounded terrifying. She didn't want that! She...

A bright flash erupted from Twilight's horn, and Starlight's bold and sharp eyes glazed over as she sank in place. "How may I serve you?" she said in a monotone. She could see and hear everything, but she was a prisoner in her own mind. She screamed silently. That was truly a punishment.

Twilight smiled. "Good, now, Luna." Luna started. "Don't be afraid. Your crime was smaller, and so your punishment will be as well." Luna relaxed in place. "Besides, you trust me, don't you?" Luna said nothing. "Good filly, you can answer."

"I trust you, Twilight."

Author's Note

I don't normally DO the S&M 'thing', but I'm trying to do it 'right'? How am I doing? Please, opinions, give them! Anonymous -1 or +1s don't tell me that much (You can hit that +1 button though, I don't mind that!).

Starlight was going to edit this for me, but she's currently indisposed, so beware typos.

Speaking of which, Starlight. She is not much of a sub. She got into this because she got jealous. She did not suddenly 'become' submissive. The fact that she isn't a sub is part of what makes her punishment so fiendishly horrible.

Maybe she'll learn something from it?

Posted the same day this was posted. Warning, cussing and some dirtiness. Also funny, but that may just be me.