Exhibition Inhibition

Chapters

Locked in
Shipping
Party favour
Twilight's Return
The Dance

Locked in

It was no secret that Twilight Sparkle's library had a restricted section. It wasn't uncommon for the residents of Ponyville to joke about the kind of books that could be found there. Only Twilight's closest friends knew the truth, but only Twilight and Spike knew how to bypass the security spells protecting the place.

Well, and Rarity, once she had persuaded Spike to tell her.

The truth was that there were, indeed, books of “sex magic” tucked away between tomes of dark and dangerous forbidden magic. Sometimes, of course, they were the same books. Still, Twilight had often voiced her disapproval of ponies “corrupting the pure and noble pursuit of arcane knowledge to satiate base desires”, so even the most basic books on the subject were filed away there.

Rarity had long suspected that Twilight was more than a shade hypocritical when it came to this subject, and now that she had examined her friend's filing system up close, she was only more certain of it. The most dangerous books were all placed under lock and key — an additional layer of security — but several of the more “interesting” spellbooks were given their own separate shelf, where they could be conveniently accessed at short notice.

With this in mind, Rarity felt very little guilt over her decision to sneak in one night, while Twilight was away on a diplomatic mission, having taken Spike with her. She still had to be careful, however, since Starlight Glimmer was still in the castle.

Lying on a floor mat she had brought with her, Rarity muttered as she traced her hooftip down the lines of text contained in one particular volume, her tail flicking from side to side as she tried to make sense of the arcane scribblings. She read aloud to help her think, not having the experience of dealing with spellbooks to warn her against this habit. Words had a power of their own, and books on the subject of magic often held magic within them.

When the words on the page began to glow, and her tail was suddenly lifted by an unseen force, Rarity let out a startled yelp. An artificial whine filled the air, and inky black tendrils materialised from the floor beneath her. In a panic, Rarity leapt to her hooves, making a dash for the door, only to find herself snared by the swirling darkness, which rapidly enveloped her hindquarters.

She gave a strangled cry, as intrusions of the most intimate variety slid effortlessly into both her rectum and vagina; Whatever substance this magic possessed met no resistance, stretching her open and flowing smoothly inside her.

Abruptly, the whine stopped, and the tendrils she was straining against released her, whereupon she felt face-first onto the floor. Something still enveloped her backside, and whatever protuberances had violated her were not withdrawn, but her legs were now free.

Staggering to her hooves once more, she glanced quickly around the room, and back at her own rump. The “something” in question was black-and-white, and gleamed in the faint moonlight — the illumination of her horn having cut out with the first moments of her alarm.

Yet, for all the sudden, violent flurry that had just transpired, the room was surprisingly still, and silent. No other sign of the magical outburst remained, and though her rear end was uncomfortable, it was devoid of further activity.

She was just about to light her horn, and inspect the effects of this magic more closely, when a light appeared under the library door, and hoofsteps began to echo from without the room. Evidently, the sound had alerted Starlight Glimmer, who was now approaching to investigate.

Another, less primal, panic seized Rarity. Not wishing to be caught like this, she scooped up both the spellbook, and the floor mat, using her magic, and made a dash straight for the window. She reached the edge of the balcony just as the door began to open, and in a moment of desperation, threw herself off.

The fall was not too far, the ground was both soft and wet; She would undoubtedly be sore tomorrow, but at that moment being covered in mud upset her more, so it would be safe to assume that she suffered no major injuries.

The spellbook fared less well, landing open, pages-down, in a very muddy puddle. Rarity grabbed it, and threw the floor mat over herself like a cloak, slipping away into the night.

Starlight Glimmer stood in the library. The windows were open, the curtains billowing in the wind. She assumed the piercing note had been part of Twilight's alarm spell, possibly triggered when the weather blew the unsecured windows inward. She cast a quick scrying spell over the library to be sure, and finding no intruder, secured the window.

Placing her own security spell in place of Twilight's, she made a mental note to inform the princess, on her return. If somepony had tried to sneak in, it seemed the alarm had scared them off.

Still, it was probably nothing…

Back into her bedroom at the Carousel Boutique, Rarity finished drying herself off. The book lay on the counter downstairs, a sodden mess likely beyond any repair. The floor mat lay in the bin outside, likewise ruined. Having been forced to hose herself down before entering the house, Rarity was cold and miserable, but at least she was now inside, where it was warm and dry.

She set about examining the results of the evening, properly taking stock of her situation.

An… artefact, of cloudy white with glossy black trim, encased her nethers. It felt metallic, yet not cold to the touch. It was decorated with a rose-and-thorns motif. Part of it, like a belt, encircled her flanks, just forward of her hips. It was segmented, yet with no clear way to access the joints. A triangular shape extended backwards over her croup, onto the top of her buttocks, with a hole in the middle for her tail.

Standing in front of a mirror, turned away but looking back, she could see how the raised ridge obstructed her dock. If she wished to fully lower her tail, she had to swing it out to one side. Aligned centrally, it would be forced so far up that, when walking, her tail would naturally flop forwards over her withers. Either way, she had no choice but to expose herself fully. An odd design, she felt, since the same black-and-white metal hid her private parts from view.

Another plate extended from the belt underneath her, curving up over her marehood. The plate was wide enough to press against her legs on either side, adding slight tension to the skin of her labia. All the edges were rounded, with a slight ridge, such that they did not dig in or chafe. They slid smoothly enough across her fur when she moved, yet pressed in tight enough to leave not even the slightest gap.

Beneath the plate, she could feel something, hard and smooth, pressed against the walls of her vagina. It did not feel overly long, or wide, but was most definitely inside her. At the base, it widened, adding pressure to her entrance. It seemed a minor complaint, against everything else, but Rarity wished she hadn't been wearing her piercing that evening. A single metal loop through her clitoral hood, decorated with a tiny sapphire, was now pressed quite firmly against her clit, the stimulation it provided only adding to the indignity of this whole affair.

Between the two plates, her buttocks were held slightly apart by a thick metal ring, which encircled her anus, with a series of black spikes pointed inwards. In the center, a rounded knob was decorated with the image of a black rose, but… it did not appear to be joined to the spikes, or any other part of the device…

Rarity extended her magic around the knob, attempting to grip it. To her surprise, the magic simply… stopped, the moment it touched the metal. Making a note to experiment with this later, she rested her trunk on the bed, and pressed her forehooves to either side of the rose.

Sure enough, the butt-plug, though made to match the belt, was quite separate, and it took little effort to ease it out. Rarity levitated a mass of paper towels across the room to catch the unsanitary object, and immediately hurried to the bathroom to clean herself, and it. Though for the moment she could still do nothing about the belt, or the plug in her vagina, she was slightly gleeful to have so easily solved almost half the problem.

The belt… chimed. That is to say, it emitted the same sort of tiny, jingling noise one would expect to hear from a bell. At first, Rarity though she might have imagined it, but only a few seconds later, it did it again.

Okay, so removing the butt-plug set off some kind of alarm. Mildly embarrassing, but not a major problem, it was certainly worth it for the relief of not having that… thing, in her rectum.

Half an hour later, Rarity found herself alternately cursing at, and pleading with, the belt. The chiming had grown, in frequency and volume, until the sound of bells reverberated off the walls. She tried stifling it with cushions, or wrapping it in a soundproofing spell, but her magic simply slipped off the damned thing, and the sound only grew louder, until it penetrated all obstruction. From the rate at which the volume had grown, it would not be long before the noise could be heard all across the otherwise silent town.

With a final cry of defeat and desperation, Rarity ran to the bathroom, grabbed the cursed plug, and rammed it quite unceremoniously against her anus. Despite the lack of lubricant, the plug seemed to encounter virtually no friction, and slid in with relative ease (and relatively little discomfort).

Immediately, the noise stopped, the silence almost deafening. Rarity slunk wearily back to her room, and collapsed onto the bed with a muffled moan of frustration. The clock slowly ticked the seconds by, as she waited to see whether the neighbours would be around to complain.

Fortunately, it seemed, they chose not to bother.

She had made three further observations, before the noise had become such an evident problem. Firstly, with the plug removed, the ring of spikes became more apparent. Pointed slightly outward, they posed no real problem for her, but were seemingly designed — Rarity had indignantly realised — to ensure that no stallion would willing grace that entrance with his cock.

The second discovery was a small hole, roughly the size of a pea, on the lower plate. Perfectly circular, it did not appear to be a keyhole, and the shaft leading from it immediately curved up inside, leaving little chance of inserting anything useful into it. A small quantity of clear fluid had gathered within it, and after gathering a few drops for closer inspection, Rarity recognised the smell of her own sex.

She concluded it was likely a hole for urination, and for draining any other fluids that might gather beneath the plate. Between that, and her ability to remove the butt-plug (if only for short lengths of time), she supposed it would be possible to wear this for several days, or even weeks if needed.

The final observation was that she could not cast any magic on any part of the belt, nor on the parts of herself that were in contact with or inside it. She could not "adjust" herself, and even if she knew some belt-removal spell, she doubted that she would be able to cast it. If the belt was truly impervious to magic, the implications were worrisome. Not least, it suggested that this belt was designed to be very difficult, if not completely impossible, for anyone to remove by force.

Having worn herself out from repeated attempts at her strongest spells, and seeing nothing else that could be done this evening, Rarity elected to sleep on the matter, and approach the problem with a clear head in the morning. She returned once more to the bathroom, to prepare herself for bed.

Sleep did not come easily that night, unaccustomed as she was to such conditions. She had to keep reminding herself that this was merely a practical decision, and that she would continue to seek her freedom in the morning. Still, something about the act of falling asleep with these… things inside her felt horribly submissive, as if she was surrendering herself to her inanimate captor. She did eventually succeed in allowing sleep to claim her, nevertheless.

When the morning light slowly began to wake her, heated fantasies of being sexually dominated swirled in her heavy head. She ground her hips against the bedding, reaching a hoof down between her legs. Not quite clear, in her blurry reality, whether she was having sex, or merely masturbating, she nonetheless undulated her body in the search of greater pleasure.

What she received was frustratingly little sensation; The phallic intruder too smooth to offer more than the barest minimum of sensation, while the tight encasement prevented it from moving more than a half-inch within her in any case. She pawed at the unyielding metal with her hooves, aching for her own touch while quite unable to stimulate herself. Dampness had soaked her thighs during the night, and her hoof rapidly accumulated its own coat of musky fluids.

Eventually, the frustration and confusion forced her mind to complete wakefulness, and she remembered her predicament. Silently cursing herself for only making the situation worse, she immediately forced herself to cease the fruitless humping, and dragged herself out of bed.

Using the toilet proved to be an… unusual experience, but not overly difficult. She opted for a cold shower afterwards, in the hope that this would help to settle her… agitation. Having washed and dried, she headed downstairs, to consider her problem over breakfast.

It had not taken much struggling to convince her that no amount of contortion, lubrication, or brute force would remove the blasted thing without breaking either it, or her own pelvis. A locksmith would be no help, as there appeared to be no lock to pick, and there was no obvious indication of how one was meant to remove it, if indeed removal was part of its design. She had every confidence that Twilight would be able to remove it for her, once the young alicorn returned from her important mission, but asking her to return early would raise many questions, and Rarity did not particularly want everypony hearing about this.

Starlight Glimmer, perhaps, could remove it — she was a highly skilled unicorn, after all — but she would almost certainly inform Twilight and, in the interest of keeping this secret between as few ponies as possible, Rarity felt she would rather wait until Twilight's return. Besides which, although Rarity was “friends” with Starlight, she did not yet feel close enough to be comfortable sharing this matter with her.

It was likely that no other pony in Ponyville had the skill to bypass the artifact's magical defenses. There was Discord, of course, but… Rarity found herself wondering just how inconvenient it would actually be to have the doctors break her pelvis, in a properly medical fashion. She supposed asking Discord for help on this matter would be slightly preferable, but it was a close call.

So… “Plan A” would be to find some way of removing it herself. She would not even know where to begin researching the kind of magic needed to do so, but with the proper tools, a more mundane approach might well succeed. Though she was hardly an expert, she did not imagine it would be too difficult to figure out the best way of cutting through metal plates without injuring herself.

This would, of course, mean leaving the house to buy said tools. Still, she needed fabric for several important orders anyway, not to mention groceries, so shopping was really unavoidable.

A short while later, Rarity left the house, wearing a floral cream dress and matching sunhat. Persuading her tail to stay down had required some effort; Beneath her dress an additional ribbon held her tail in position, despite her raised dock. It was not entirely comfortable, but far preferable to the alternative.

“Good morning, Rarity!”

Rarity froze. The cheerful voice of Junebug was not out of place, but as the other mare greeted her, Rarity felt something stir in her nethers, a faint murmur of sensation that was barely strong enough to be certain of, yet not faint enough to ignore.

“G-good morning!” Rarity stammered out cheerfully, smiling as best she could while those mint green eyes stared back at her, and subtle vibrations teased her marehood.

Then Junebug looked away, continuing on down the street, and the sensation stopped. Rarity hurried on by, neither wishing to linger, nor attract attention with undue haste.

Rarity's mind span. What had prompted this new development. Was it connected to Junebug, or mere coincidence? Was it the greeting, her own name, mere proximity to another mare? Rarity resolved to get this entire shopping trip over as quickly as possible, with the minimum of interaction. If she never had to puzzle out the logic behind this spell, she would remain happy in ignorance.

As she continued down the street, the device continued to give tiny, sporadic bursts. Some seemed to be at random, others occurred when somepony greeted her. The connection to other ponies seemed evident, but whatever the exact reason, the sensation was at worst a mild discomfort, not so different from what she was already enduring. Certainly, she could manage it.

The market square was already busy, with many ponies setting up their carts in front of the shops. Having so many ponies around was daunting, but Rarity reasoned that it would not become any less crowded as the day continued, and so she steeled herself against the impending vibrations, and continued on.

“Hello, Rarity!”
“Good morning!”
“How are you today?”

The flower trio spoke in near-unison as she stepped in front of their cart, all turning to face her. The vibrations flared from a subtle murmur to a gentle purr, as Rarity put on the most friendly smile she could manage and waved to the girls.

“Good morning! I'm very well, thank you!”

“Did you want any flowers today? We have some delicious ones!”

“Oh, n-no, no, thank you.” Dear Celestia, she thought, please stop talking to me. The three of them were staring at her, as her marehood began to twitch and shudder, her clitoral ring driving the vibrations straight into her sensitive nub.

Then the girls turned back to their flowers, as Rarity stumbled away, and the vibrations cut out.

They had been looking at her.

Oh dear goodness, that was the key, wasn't it. Ponies looking at her. That set it off, and the more ponies were looking, the stronger the vibrations…

She swallowed. The square was full of ponies, dozens of them. If they all turned to look at her, at the same time…

She took several calming breaths to reassure herself. There was no reason they would look at her, her dress was not that attention-grabbing, she would receive a few brief glances but not enough to worry over. A few steps further into the square, and her nerves were calmed.

Blue eyes locked onto her, from across the crowd. A magenta mane bobbed, as a pink hoof waved furiously in her direction.

Oh no.

Not her.

Not here.

If any pony could, and almost certainly would direct the attention of the entire crowd upon Rarity, it would be Pinkie Pie. As much as Rarity loved her friend, this was most certainly the time for discretion, and a hasty retreat.

Unfortunately, Rarity's hasty, slightly panicked retreat, led her straight into collision with one of the nearby stalls.

The air turned to water, as time slowed to a trickle. Before Rarity's horrified eyes, stacks of metal pots and pans dislodged themselves and began to slide, tumbling down towards her. Neither her limbs, nor her horn, could react fast enough. Her terrified scream almost drowned out the crash of metal-on-metal, and on hard, stone cobbles.

She didn't have to turn around, to know that every eye would be on her. She knew what would happen, bare moments before the gentle purr in her nethers intensified to an overwhelming crescendo. Her legs shook, as her cunt spasmed. Vibrations pulsed in waves through her abdomen, up her tail, down her thighs. Her jaw clenched as she desperately fought down howls of ecstasy — the last thing she needed was to call more attention to herself.

Rarity wanted to flee, to escape the scene at full gallop, but it was all she could do to remain standing, and still. Her legs threatened to buckle underneath her, and she had to force her hips not to thrust obscenely. It took mere seconds for the device to bring her to orgasm, fluids spurting from that one, tiny, hole beneath her dress. The assault did not stop there, however, as the vibrations only continued their onslaught.

“Are you alright, miss?”

The owner of the stall was looking at her with a worried expression. Rarity tried her very hardest to keep a straight face.

“YES! I'm fah-FINE! Suh-soSorryIdidn'tmeanTo!”

Her face was burning up, sweat trickling down her neck.

Oh please, please, PLEASE stop looking at me!

Fortunately, most of the crowd seemed to lose interest. The vibrations subsided, to the point where they were still very noticeable, but no longer overwhelming.

“Oh, well it's quite alright, no harm done.”

“Right! Yes, so sorry.” Rarity lifted the pans, throwing them all back on the stall at once, then grabbed a gem from her saddlebags. “Please accept this as apology!” she almost shouted, already backing away.

The stall owner had no time to react to the gem being forced upon him, before Rarity fled the square in a directionless gallop, leaving only a damp patch on the cobbles, and a lingering scent in the air…

Shipping

Galloping through the streets, Rarity felt her face burn. She had just… climaxed in public, in front of a large crowd of ponies. She hoped to goodness that nopony there had realised what was happening to her; If word got out, she would be ruined (not to mention quite possibly arrested).

Stopping in a back alley, Rarity waited for her breathing to slow, before turning to check on her hindquarters. Her main concern (of those she could deal with), was the prospect of leaving a noticeable stain on her garments. The notion that she might still be dripping fluids also worried her.

Lifting her skirt, she levitated a hoof-mirror from her saddlebags, and began to inspect the still-wet metal plate, wiping herself down with a hoofkerchief. The dress it seemed, had avoided staining, thanks to being lifted by her tail, which still strained against the ribbons holding it down, forming an arch behind her.

A gentle murmur rose in her nethers. Rarity froze; Somepony was watching her. Quickly throwing her skirts back into place, she looked up and down the length of the alley, seeing nopony. The faint buzz continued however, and so she looked up.

Rainbow Dash's grin was, to Rarity's mind, most unpleasant at that moment. Rarity met her smug grin with an angry glare.

“Ni-i-ice,” drawled Rainbow. “Gee Rarity, I never knew you were so kinky.”

“Is there something I can help you with, Rainbow Dash?” asked Rarity coldly.

Rainbow's grin became more lopsided.

“Maaaybe not right now…” she smirked “but I'm sure I'll think of something.”

The cloud beneath her burst, as Rainbow suddenly found herself dragged down to ground level. She could break away, of course, but the look in Rarity's eyes froze her in place.

“If you ever dare breath a word of this, Rainbow, I swear you will rue the mistake for the rest of your life!”

And before Rainbow Dash could respond that, Rarity dropped the shocked pegasus to the ground, and stormed off.

Rainbow Dash climbed to her hooves, and dusted herself down, rubbing her jaw after landing hard on the dirt. What the hay had gotten into Rarity? Surely the fashionista realised Rainbow was just horsing around, if she couldn't take a joke she shouldn't be wearing something like that in public anyway. Even if Rainbow had made her uncomfortable, the prissy unicorn didn't have to be such a, a bitter-pants about it.

“Hey Rainbow! Have you seen Rarity?”

Pinkie Pie pronked her way into the alleyway, pulling up beside Rainbow Dash with a cheerful grin, before continuing:

“I tried waving to her in the market, but she ran off and crashed into a cart, then ran off again! I guess she must not have seen me!”

Rainbow stared. Rarity had ditched Pinkie Pie? Nopony “didn't see” the party pony in a crowd — they were more likely not to notice the crowd, because Pinkie Pie was distracting them. I mean sure, they had all ditched Pinkie at some point, if she'd been following them around being obnoxiously cheerful all day, but clearly this was just further evidence of Rarity being a donkey's behind today.

“I wouldn't bother, Pinkie, she's like, super-grumpy today.”

“Oh no!” gasped Pinkie. “Not super-grumpy!? That's even worse than regular grumpy! This is really serious, Rainbow!”

“Er… yeah…”

“You have to help me organise an emergency super-un-grump party right away!”

Rainbow Dash stared at her again. Slowly, a smile crept onto her face; If Rarity had found Rainbow's previous smile unpleasant, she would have called this one downright nasty.

“Yeah…” she slowly grinned, “helping you plan a surprise party for Rarity is exactly what I need to do right now.”

Having realised that obtaining the tools she needed in Ponyville would prove difficult, Rarity opted to seek out a good friend who would most certainly possess suitable equipment, and know how to use it. Taking the back-alleys and quiet roads as far as possible, she headed for Sweet Apple Acres…

Some time later, Big Macintosh was working through his list of chores, when he heard a high-pitched squeal from inside the barn. Approaching nearer, he could make out voices coming from inside — the first sounded like Miss Rarity.

“Gently, please!”
“Consarnit, Rarity, stop wriggling!” The second voice was unmistakably Big Mac's own sister, Applejack.
“But Applejack…” Rarity whined, “must you yank my tail so roughly?”
“Well if ya just held ya butt still, Ah wouldn' have to yank it at all.”

Big Mac raised his eyebrows in amusement, at how this conversation sounded out of context.

“Y'know I've half a mind t' get out some rope, an' tie ya down, if ya don't hold still.”
“I can't help it, darling. You keep looking at me like that, and it's getting me so worked up.”
“Y' realise saying that's just making it harder for me?”
“I assure you, darling, the situation is no less— OW-AH! Honestly, Applejack, warn me before you do that!”
“Sorry, but it's too tight, Ah reckon we'll need a whole lot more lube.”
“But that will stain! Couldn't you just use something smaller?”

Big Mac frowned, trying to imagine just what in Equestria the context actually was for this conversation.

“This is gonna get messy either way, now lift yer leg and try to keep that tail o'yours outta my face.”
“I'm sorry, darling, but every time you poke that… thing into my derrière, it just pulls on my marehood.”
“Ah swear, if you end up cumming on mah face, Ah'm gonna kick you right outta tha' barn, and you can get somepony else to handle ya rump!”
“But darling, who else but you would have such expertise?”
“Well I don' reckon this is gonna fit at all…”
“Maybe if we removed the butt plug?”
“No offence, Rare, but I don't fancy starin' at your butt-hole while we're doin' this.”
“Well, maybe if we tried a different position? You could sit on top of me, maybe, and hold me down?”

Big Mac turned away with frozen expression, now desperately trying not to imagine the actual context for this conversation as he set off at a trot, which quickly escalated into a canter.

“Ee-nope…” he breathed, “nope, nope, nope…”

Still, now he thought on it (while trying very hard not to), this did explain a few things…

Inside the barn, Applejack set the saw down. She had tried to squeeze the blade in under the belt, so that the cutting edge would point away from her friend's "delicate" skin, but it had become apparent that the tight fit would not allow it, unless she used a blade so fine that they would risk it breaking off — a prospect that seemed even worse, in Applejack's estimation, than cutting inwards.

“Okay, this ain't gonna work. Ah'm gonna try startin' off by cutting in from outside, then Ah can use a file to finish off b'for Ah get t'ya skin, OK?”

Rarity nodded, and Applejack began dragging the saw across the metal belt. As the teeth scraped over the raised trim, the belt carried the juddering straight into her tender nethers. She bit down on her forehoof, and held as still as she could, forcing herself to endure the entire situation in the hopes it would be over soon.

After a few dozen strokes, Applejack stopped, sighed, and stepped back.

“Any luck?” asked Rarity, trying to stay positive.

“Ah'm sorry, Rare. This here saw's as sharp as any Ah own, but it ain't even makin' a scratch. Ah dunno what this thing's made of, but Ah don't reckon any hoof-tool's gonna cut it.”

“Well, thank you for your efforts,” Rarity sighed. “I suppose I shall just have to try asking Starlight Glimmer whether she can remove it magically, though getting there unnoticed might proved tricky.”

“Hmm… Ah suppose y'could hitch a ride in the back of mah cart, an Ah could carry ya there…”

“Oh, what a marvellous idea. In fact, while we're en route, I don't suppose you would be willing to stop by the stores and pick up a few things, just in case I need to stay in for a while?”

In retrospect, Rarity thought, it may have been better to ask for a cushion.

The hard wooden cart bounced beneath her, as Applejack travelled the rough track from her farm into Ponyville town centre. With no padding, each jolt travelled up through her bones, causing the foreign objects within her hind to shift. She hoped that she would not end up leaving a damp patch in Applejack's cart — the farmpony would never let her hear the end of it — but she did not dare move beneath the blanket, for fear of attracting unwanted attention.

The rough track gave way to cobbles, the irregular jolts giving way to continuous shuddering, as Rarity huddled beneath the heavy blanket. It was dark, dirty, musky, and uncomfortable, and the entire experience was thoroughly degrading. Rarity dearly hoped that her arousal was purely physical, and that the only reason she found this situation at all sexual was the belt she was locked into. The suspicion that there might be more to it than that was, frankly, unnerving. She felt like an object, like mere cargo, more than a living pony, and she told herself that the quicker this whole ordeal was over, the happier she would be.

Then the cart stopped. Rarity was left, un-moving, forced to remain a still as possible for fear of discovery, while Applejack went inside the store, to fetch the supplies Rarity had asked for. Time dragged on meaninglessly, as she waited in the dark.

Then the cart began to move again. On to Twilight's castle.

Truthfully, Applejack had taken a bit longer than would normally be necessary, purchasing supplies. Rarity's writing was… pretty, but overly extravagant, which did not help when Applejack herself was unfamiliar with about half the items on her list. Still, she left the store with bulging bags, and turned to place them on her cart, beside Rarity.

She thought she'd left the cart slightly nearer the door.

Approaching the only cart left outside the store (which did look like hers), Applejack carefully lifted the blanket, then more quickly flung it aside, to reveal a mail-sack, which appeared to be full of parcels.

She remembered the mailpony leaving a parcel with the shopkeeper, while Applejack had been trying to make sense of the reams of fabric.

She raised her gaze slowly to the sky, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to think of the best thing she could do in this situation.

The cart had stopped shuddering now, and was gently swaying, the wheels creaking as they turned. At first, Rarity supposed that they had moved onto a smoother road. They made several more stops, however, each accompanied by a rough jolt that shook the cart, and each lasting less than a minute. Finally, Rarity decided to find out what was going on.

Lifting the edge of the blanket, she peered out, and immediately realised something was wrong. Yes, the tail bobbing in front of her face was yellow, but it was paler than Applejack's, and the pony's rear it was attached to was grey instead of orange. Both tail and rump rose and fell, as pegasus wings beat the air either side, and cold wind whipped through the gap she had opened, down the sides of her face.

Rarity jerked bolt upright with a yelp, the blanket blown off her, but still snagged in the cart. The grey pegasus, one “Derpy Hooves”, attempted to flip around mid-air in surprise, and the cart tilted. Rarity fell against the side of the cart, causing it to tip further, and found herself hanging out over the edge, barely able to wedge her legs against the cart's frame, as her front half dangled high above the ground, mane and tail streaming out to her side.

Pulled onto one side by the harness, Derpy vainly attempted to right the cart, only succeeding in turning a terminal plummet into a steep, spiralling descent. Screams of passenger and pegasus mingled, as the landscape came spinning up to meet them.

Their unplanned landing met with an arboreal ending, the cart splintering on impact with a large tree-trunk, while Rarity herself bounced from one branch to another, before ending her tumble once more dangling, the knotted ribbons by which she had fastened her tail in place having caught on a one of the tree's larger limbs. At least one of the impacts jarred one of the plugs inside her, leaving her delicate regions feeling more abused than ever, and the now-familiar buzzing had returned amidst the hot ache of her battered limbs.

Dazed and aching, Rarity groaned, and slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was met by the two golden eyes of Derpy, inches away, staring back into hers. Then the pegasus mare blinked, and shook her head, her eyes returning to their more usual misalignment.

“Are you okay, Miss Rarity?” Derpy asked.

Before Rarity could answer, she felt the buzzing within her marehood intensify. Glancing down, she could see a small crowd of ponies starting to gather on the ground below, looking up at the two of them.

“O-oh,” she muttered, “yes, just fine, dear… are you?”

“Oh, yeah, I've crashed worse than this lots of times!” Derpy paused, glancing up at her body, “I think I'm stuck, though.”

Rarity followed Derpy's gaze, trying to ignore the steadily growing sensations from her own loins. Indeed, the remains of the cart's harness had become twisted around the other mare's wings and hindlegs, leaving her little chance of movement. At least, Rarity considered, her own dress still mostly covered the most humiliating aspects of her predicament, even if the dress itself was far beyond recovery.

“Don't worry!” called a voice from below, “we've called the guards; Just hold still, and we'll get you down soon!”

Rarity whimpered. The vibrations had already grown just too intense to endure, her marehood was winking uncontrollably, and she could feel the impending orgasm slowly spreading its insidious tendrils within her, seizing control of her senses.

“Are you sure you're okay,” asked Derpy, “you're looking a bit—”

“I'm fine!” squeaked Rarity, searching for a means to escape. If she could just lift some of the weight off, she could probably magic that tangle loose…

Rarity gripped Derpy between her forehooves, and began attempting to climb up the pegasus to get a better position. Derpy watched her in silence. Every few inches, Rarity would let out a tiny moan, as her shifting weight pulled her entangled tail, tensing the skin of her genitals further against the vibrating intruder, and driving her shivering clitoral ring deeper into against her already swollen clitoris.

Finally, she was able to reach a nearby branch, and twisted around to pull herself up. Her contortion drove the buzzing vibrator straight into a sensitive spot on the walls of her vagina, and she lost her grip, swinging back down into her temporary companion.

The stimulation had grown too much for poor Rarity; The crowd below almost as large as the one from the market earlier. Derpy Hooves grabbed her, not wanting to let the (possibly injured) mare fall, and Rarity gripped Derpy right back, her peaking orgasm now demanding that she clench her muscles. Derpy stared up with concern as Rarity groaned and shuddered in her grasp; Rarity buried her face in the other mare's mane, breathing in Derpy's musk as the orgasm rode her relentlessly for minutes that felt like hours.

Somewhere above them, something broke. Ropes slipped over each other, and the two mares fell from the foliage, plummeting together towards the ground. Derpy's wings slipped loose, and she slowed their descent to touch softly on the ground. Rarity continued to cling on as if for dear life, burying howls into Derpy's neck. Falling amidst the crowd reduced the number of eyes on her, but having already reached her limits, the more gentle stimulation only served to drag out the overwhelming pleasure.

Derpy simply held her, uncertain of what to do, as the crowd parted to allow the local guard's wagon through.

“Alright, give them some space.”

The guards lifted Rarity, who transferred her grip with little argument, into their cart.

“Don't worry miss, we'll get you to the hospital in no time.”

Within the cart, Rarity emitted a tiny wail, as the vibrator finally eased off, and her awareness returned.

Derpy, meanwhile, assured the other guard that she was just fine, and eager to figure out where her misplaced mailsack had ended up.

It was odd, though — the fluid coating her hindlegs didn't feel like tree sap…

“STOP THE CART!”

A loud thumping came from within the guard's wagon. Looking at each other, the two guards pulling shrugged, and stopped, and un-harnessed to check on their injured passenger.

As soon as they opened the rear door, Rarity jumped out, pushing past them from within the wagon, the more junior guard who had been sitting in with Rarity waved her hooves helplessly at her colleagues.

“Uh, miss, you can't—”

“Thank you for your assistance, gentlecolts, but I am quite alright now, please don't allow me to keep you here any longer.”

The guards stared at her. Rarity's mane was a mess, containing twigs and leaves. Her dress was torn and stained, her expression dangerous.

“Um…”

“Is there something else?”

“Well…”

“Am I under arrest?”

“No…”

“Then I would thank you to be on your way.”

Rarity's breathing was heavy, her nostrils flaring. Both guards became aware of an odd scent in the air, but with the unfitting context, neither immediately placed it.

The guards glanced at each other again, then backed away to their wagon. Rarity stared defiantly at them, until they were well under way.

Only when she felt the vibrations stop, assuring her that she was no longer the focus of their attention, Rarity exhaled heavily, and slumped to her knees. She could feel tears threaten to escape her eyes, never in her life had she endured such shame and humiliation. Yet the ordeal was not over; She had to remain strong, until she could reach Starlight Glimmer, and have this accursed… torture implement removed. Failing that, she could perhaps persuade Starlight to place her in some form of magical coma, until Twilight returned.

Gulping down breaths to calm herself, she rose shakily to her hooves once more. She did not wish to even begin contemplating what she must look like by now, or what rumours about her must surely be circulating throughout Ponyville. She just wanted to head to the castle, as quickly as…

Come to think of it, perhaps she should have asked the guards for directions, before sending them on their way.

Still, Twilight's castle was quite the unmistakable landmark; Rarity scanned the rooftops until she found it. To her dismay, it seemed she had ended up on the far side of town, and almost all of Ponyville lay once more between her, and salvation.

Then again… she was probably quite close to the edge of town, and so was the castle… if she skirted around Ponyville, instead of passing through it, she could likely avoid notice. In fact, if she was where she thought she was, it would not be far out of her way to stop by Fluttershy's cottage…

She considered this. Making Fluttershy aware of the situation seemed like a bad idea. It wasn't that Rarity especially minded her friend knowing, but the sweet, innocent filly might never look at her the same way again, if the truth came out. Still, if she could make use of Fluttershy's shower, and borrow a change of clothes, without going into all the intimate details, it would certainly make the situation much improved, or at least more bearable.

Sighing, she raised her head, and began a gentle trot in what she hoped was the right direction…

Fluttershy was in her bedroom, when there came a knock at the cottage door. Hurriedly she slipped her magazine back into the draw of her bedside table, beneath the books on sewing, and carried the roll of paper towels back into the bathroom. After wiping herself down, she quickly washed her hooves. Slipping of the lacy apparel she had bought only for her own, private enjoyment, she rushed back to the bedroom to hide the underthings at the bottom of the sock draw.

“C-coming!” she called, faintly disappointed that it now looked as though she would not be, after all.

With one final glance around the room, she scooped up the jar of coconut oil, and headed down to the front door, via the kitchen.

When she arrived at her front door, and opened it, she gasped. Rarity was standing there, glancing around nervously, but Fluttershy's fashion-conscious friend looked absolutely dreadful.

“Oh my… Rarity, are you alright? What happened?”

Rarity offered a slightly strained grin.

“Good morning, Fluttershy,” (Fluttershy knew it had just gone noon, but said nothing), “do you mind if I come inside for a while, and maybe borrow your shower?”

“Oh, of course…” Fluttershy opened the door wide, and fluttered aside, to let her friend in.

“Thank you, darling. I'll explain this later, but for now I really could use a shower, and maybe a change of clothes?”

Fluttershy nodded soundlessly, and Rarity headed up the stairs. Watching her go, Fluttershy blinked. Had she just glanced something… black, through the tears in Rarity's dress? Ponies did not usually wear underthings, if they wore clothes at all.

Blushing, Fluttershy looked away, and closed the door, trying not to picture Rarity in the same “clothes” the mares in her magazine wore.

Party favour

Hot water ran down Rarity's body, soaking away aches and fatigue. She stood motionless with her eyes closed, letting the water massage her tired muscles. Minutes drifted by unnoted.

Eventually the drawn-out moment grew tedious. Waking from her trance, she set about the slow process of actually washing, working scented soaps and conditioners through her mane and coat with a bathing brush. Stray twigs and leaves blocked the sinkhole, so she removed them. While she would normally find his (albeit minor) task distasteful, on this occasion it gave her an additional step to focus on before she had to return to reality. She transferred the sodden foliage to the waste bin with no change in her expression, then returned to the shower to begin scrubbing.

Only when finally she had cleaned every exposed inch of her body, twice, and cleaned away the mud stains from Fluttershy's bathtub, did she once again return to the matter of her nethers. There was of course no way for her to scrub away the sweat and other fluids that must surely have accumulated there, but she hoped that the belt would at least expel the worst of it. She tried to simply avoid the thought of her pristine coat becoming matted and greasy under there. She tried telling herself that there was nothing she could do about it. It helped a little.

Her vagina ached. There was soreness, of course, from the abuse her delicate marehood had recently received, from Applejack's well-meaning, yet ultimately fruitless efforts, and from the rough cart-ride, but mostly from the crash. Yet along with the soreness there was also something akin to stiffness. Her skin yearned for freedom, to feel air once again flow freely through her fur. It was almost like an itch, one that she so desperately longed to scratch. Even if only the belt was slightly looser she would be able to rub it against herself to give some change of sensation.

She ran her hoof-tips around the edge of the metal, pressing in against her flesh just to try and shift the belt, however slightly. She removed the butt-plug, washing it down and giving her anus an opportunity to properly clench and unclench a few times, easing tired muscles. Then she resignedly re-inserted the plug, before the belt's chimimg grew too loud. She shifted her tail from side to side, and used her magic to gently pull on it, easing her dock around as best she could.

Accepting that she had done all she could to relieve the tiredness, she sat upright again under the running water, again merely letting it wash over her. Finally relaxing, she began swaying, then rolling and grinding her hips, before even really thinking about what she was doing.

Yes, she ached. It pained her to admit it, but even after all of this morning's events, her libido was still very eager for more, and arousal still visited her with insatiable frequency, swelling her clit against her trapped piercing. She had orgasmed (publicly, she shuddered at the thought) at least three times already today, and the experience had been very intense each time, and yet there was still something that felt… unfinished. Something about the experience had left her feeling unsatisfied, and still hungry for more.

Perhaps, she mused, if Starlight Glimmer could not remove the belt, she, Rarity, would have to arrange a private audience with some ponies she trusted. It seemed to be the only way she would be able to find relief.

Almost as soon as the thought passed her mind, she pushed it away, appalled that her mind would visit such a notion. Starlight would certainly remove the belt, and if not then she would find somepony who could. Even if it meant interrupting Twilight's very important diplomatic mission, Rarity had absolutely no intention of remaining in this thoroughly degrading artifact so much as a moment longer than she had to. Even if the rose patterning was quite tasteful, and complemented her natural beauty quite nicely.

And if, by some improbable misfortune, she was still feeling so painfully lustful after she had been released, then she could find a discrete solution to that problem when it arose.

Shaking her head to clear the shower musings, Rarity shut off the water, and reached for the towel to begin drying herself.

Some time earlier…

Fluttershy was going through her wardrobe while Rarity was in the shower. Rarity had said she wanted a change of clothes, so Fluttershy was trying to pick out a selection of dresses for her friend to borrow. She tried not to dwell on the idea that borrowing a friend's clothing could be construed as very intimate, especially if Rarity was wearing fancy sexy lace things underneath. She told herself that this was simply a practical favour for a friend in need, and that she did not really think of her incredibly beautiful, sexy friend that way.

Still, she knew that Rarity had high standards when it came to fashion and so, wishing to be helpful and make a good impression, she tried to pick out the best dresses she had. This meant taking the time to imagine how Rarity would look in each dress, as she arranged them on the bed, which led to imagining how Rarity would look on the bed, in each dress.

So when there came a knock at the front door (for the second time that day), Fluttershy felt quite shaken out of her reverie. Flustered and trying hard not to blush, she hurried back downstairs to see who this second visitor could be.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were stood on the doorstep.

“Hi Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie giggled, “are you free this afternoon?”

“Oh, um, r-right now?”

“We don't know what time,” Pinkie Pie elucidated cheerfully, “we're setting up a surprise party for Rarity, but we don't know where she is right now!”

Fluttershy stared. “Um…” she began, “R-Rarity's here right now, upstairs, taking a shower.”

“That's perfect!” interjected Rainbow Dash, “Fluttershy, we could set up right here in your living room, and surprise Rarity when she comes down!”

“O-ohh…” Fluttershy responded, her ears drooping, “that would be… good…”

“Rainbow can go get everypony, and I'll start setting up the decorations”, Pinkie beamed. Fluttershy nodded mutely, and watched Rainbow dash off back towards town. This was not exactly how Fluttershy had planned for her afternoon to go…

Pinkie Pie was not as oblivious to other pony's motives as she often appeared. Well, she was, but only sometimes. She had been paying careful attention to Rainbow Dash most of the morning, since the notorious prankster had acted suspiciously at the notion of a party. Mostly careful attention. Occasional attention, when she remembered.

Fortunately, Rainbow seemed to have forgotten whatever scheme she had been planning. Pinkie Pie was confident in her ability to judge other pony's intentions, and she could tell Rainbow had become fully invested in helping her throw a super-duper-extra-special-cheer-Rarity-up-party. This was especially helpful, because getting so many ponies together in one place on such short notice required a lot of dashing around town, and nopony was better at that than Rainbow Dash.

Come to think of it, several ponies had been acting weirdly today. Pinkie had been asked to confirm several times that yes, the party was for Rarity and yes, it was today. Odd looks had been exchanged. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but whatever it was seemed to be helping them, as even more ponies had been available than she had expected. It bothered her a little that several ponies had now said the party should be “interesting”. Pinkie's parties weren't interesting; They were fun.

Still, if ponies thought it was interesting, that was kind of like fun, right? And whatever was going on, you couldn't go wrong with a party.

Stepping from the bathroom, wrapped in towels, Rarity headed for Fluttershy's bedroom. She had asked to borrow a change of clothes, so expected that Fluttershy would be there. Instead, she found a selection of dresses laid out on the bed. Assuming that Fluttershy had left those for her, she began looking over them to select which to wear.

She eventually settled on a simple black dress, which was tight enough to pin her tail down. It was slightly uncomfortable, but the colour helped mask the poor fit. Examining herself in the mirror, she forced a weary grimace. It wasn't too bad.

Since Fluttershy did not seem to be around, Rarity headed downstairs. If Fluttershy wasn't there, it would be reasonable to assume that she had been called away on some other urgent business. In that event, Rarity would leave a note thanking her friend for the shower and the loan of the dress, then be on her way.

The living room was dark. The curtains were drawn, and the lamps were unlit.

“Fluttershy?” Rarity called, puzzled, as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Are you there? I was just about to —” Rarity froze. The familiar tickle in her pussy told her that somepony was watching her. Her breathing quickened, as she glance around her, heading for the door. What in Equestria could be —

“SURPRISE!!!”

Rarity shuddered in place, instincts telling her to run but giving no direction. The sound assailed her from every angle, a roomful of cheerful voices exclaiming in unison. She had to shut her eyes at the sudden and bright light that surrounded her, and the burst of unexpected stimulation into her hind-parts sent her staggering forward…

…into the arms of Pinkie Pie, as it turned out. She squinted up into Pinkie's big blue eyes, drowning in a tide of perky babble that animated from Pinkie's mouth. The word “party” was in there somewhere, she was sure, along with “surprise” and “Rainbow Dash”. Rarity's heart was still pounding and her breathing rapid, but she was able to regain enough composure to piece together the gist of her new predicament.

At least the room was not as crowded as the market, or the crash-site from earlier, but it was still quite full. With everypony's eyes on her, Rarity wasn't sure she trusted herself to move, but took some reassurance from the knowledge that she wasn't about to be knocked insensible by multiple overpowering orgasms. Instead, she had to contend with a needy ache rapidly flourishing within her, as her clit swelled painfully tight against the buzzing ring.

Pushing herself away from Pinkie's embrace, Rarity briefly scanned her surroundings. Maybe twenty ponies stared back at her with cheerful smiles. Balloons and streamers adorned the walls and ceiling; There was a table with cakes and punch, and another on which a DJ had set up a pair of speakers, along with… whatever it was DJs used to play music. A turntable, perhaps?

Oh dear. Making excuses and leaving when everypony had gone to such effort would be a terrible faux pas, and Pinkie would be crushed. Rarity could not stay, though…

A tiny voice in the back of her mind suggested that maybe she could stay, just for a little while, until the attention faded and grew dull. Rarity quashed the thought immediately; She would not find relief here, but only make things worse by getting herself even more worked up. Yet when that thought emerged, she realised that she had just, within her own mind at least, implied that she was actually enjoying this perversion and wanted to stay. Perhaps it was only her own sense of decency that prevented her from doing so.

Stunned by this realisation, she completely failed to resist as Pinkie Pie swept her across the room, away from the from door, to the cake table. She stared, wide-eyed, at the large knife presented to her. She tried to ignore the way her vagina began to twitch involuntarily, as everypony watched her expectantly.

Swallowing, she tried to calm herself with steady breaths, and cut the cake as expected. Party music started up, somepony took the knife from her in order to serve up the rest of the desserts, and Rarity felt the buzzing in her backside fade. Ponies were turning their eyes to their dance partners, and to the food being served up.

Rarity let out a gentle sigh, relieved at being past the worst of the situation, when somepony dragged her out into the middle of the room. She found herself face-to-face with Rainbow Dash, surrounded by dancing ponies. She made some attempt to show willing, so as not to stand out, but she absolutely could not bear the thought of “wiggle her hips”, as the song's lyrics demanded of her. She honestly didn't think her sex could endure it.

“H-hey,” began Rainbow, stepping in close to be heard over the music, without being overheard by the rest of the party, “Rarity? I, uh, wanted to say 'sorry', okay?" Rainbow was acting far more subdued than normal, her voice softer and her gaze dropping down to the side frequently. She had reached a wing up to Rarity's shoulder, to hold the fashionista close while they talked. “I was kinda mad earlier, and I kind-of encouraged Pinkie to throw this party, thinking I could prank you in front of everypony.”

Rarity stared at Rainbow in disbelief. This whole party was a prank? How much of what was going on did Rainbow Dash know? Had Applejack told her? Had everypony in town figured it out? She had to stop herself from entering full-blown panic mode; Clearly the other attendees were not aware, or Pinkie would likely never have arranged this, would she?

While Rarity's paranoia whirred, Rainbow Dash continued, “B-but I think Pinkie's a good influence on me, y'know? She said if you were feeling grumpy, we should all try our best to cheer you up. I guess it reminded me, pranking isn't fun if you're just doing it because you're angry, so… Sorry I was a jerk earlier, can we be cool?”

Rarity calmed herself and focussed on Rainbow, who was clearly doing her best to deliver a heartfelt apology. She smiled, and raised a hoof to Rainbow's chest. Rainbow looked up at her, and… Rarity suddenly became very aware of how close together they were standing, of how they were touching each other, and of how cute Rainbow looked while apologetic. Were more ponies looking at them? Had the pulsing in her pussy intensified once again? At that moment, Rarity was seized by a wild urge to plant a passionate kiss on that dashing muzzle, and elsewhere besides. Why had the party tune turned to a slow dance piece?

She cleared her throat gently, trying to shift these wild impulses from her mind as Rainbow gazed back at her trepidly. “O-oh, ” she stammered, heat building around her jawline as her voice came out higher pitched than usual, “n-no, I mean yes, I mean, apology accepted. Absolutely. I… I'm sorry I yelled at you, I've just, um…” she didn't want to say that she'd “had a bad morning”, in case Rainbow enquired further. “Thank you, for apologising.”

Rainbow perked up immediately at this. “Great!” she exclaimed, “I'm gonna go grab some cake, okay?”

“Mmm-hmm…”

Rainbow turned, and headed for the food table. Rarity glanced around, and realised that several ponies were now awkwardly averting their gaze, in a manner that suggested Rarity and Rainbow Dash had been the center of attention just moments before.

Great. The last thing she needed right now (well, maybe not the last thing, but somewhere on the lower end of the list) was a bunch of rumours about her and Rainbow being an “item”. Not that there was anything wrong with her friend, but…

Well, at least this meant that the increased stimulation had not been in her imagination, nor simply a reaction to Rainbow's presence. Whatever she was feeling right now was simply the confused result of being over-stimulated to the point of near madness by the infernal artifact she was locked into. That was… something.

Slipping out of the crowd, to the side of the room, Rarity began carefully maneuvering around towards the front door. She didn't want to just abandon everypony, but if she could just reach the threshold then she would gesture for Pinkie to come over. Then she could make her excuses outside, and head over to Twilight's castle where hopefully Starlight Glimmer would…

From across the room, Rarity caught sight of a purple mane, with a bold teal highlight. Starlight Glimmer was stood in the far corner, looking awkward while apparently attempting to make small-talk with Fluttershy.

Revising her plans, Rarity retraced her steps and began pushing her way through the crowd. Warm bodies rubbed against her, provoking lewd thoughts from the depths of her brain. A young stallion stepped out in front of her, pushed in close by the mass of party-goers.

“Miss Rarity, how good to see you. How is business these days?”

“O-oh, mister… Pierce, wasn't it? Business is good, thank you.” He was too close, she could smell his musk and her head was too fogged with arousal right now…

“I've just opened a new store in Canterlot, you know? Nothing too fancy, but needles and pins are always in demand—”

“Uh, Mr. Pierce, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm afraid I have rather urgent business with a friend of mine right now, do you think we could continue this scintillating conversation some other time?” Without really waiting for an answer, Rarity pushed past. She really hoped nopony had noticed the scent her own body must be giving off about now.

Finally, she caught up with Starlight, just as the other mare attempted to slip out to the kitchen. “Starlight!” Rarity gasped, “I am so glad to see you, I really could use a favour.”

Starlight Glimmer smiled uncertainly. She'd been feeling quite uncomfortable it this social situation, but if Rarity had a problem that Starlight knew how to solve, that would show she was making progress with the whole “friendship” thing, right?

Rarity grabbed Starlight by the arm, and dragged her towards the kitchen. Seeing several other ponies already there, she turned and continued through the next available door; This was really a conversation that needed to take place in private.

Which, of course, explained how the two of them ended up crammed in a broom closet. At least it was well-lit, and reasonably spacious.

“Um…” began Starlight.

“Oh Starlight”, Rarity babbled, “you have no idea how desperately I've been trying to get a private conversation with you today. I'm in a terrible bind, and I really need your help in getting released.”

“Oh”, replied Starlight, “well, uh, I'm… always happy to help a friend! What can I do?”

Rarity began hitching up her skirts. “It will be quicker to simply show you, darling. Do you think you could help me out of this dress?”

Quite suddenly, Rarity found herself completely unable to move. Starlight's magic enveloped her, pinning her body and shutting down her own levitation spell. She felt Starlight's hoof on her chin, and her face was brought around to look Starlight head-on.

“Rarity, I, um, I'm flattered”, Starlight recited, “but I don't think I'm quite ready for that kind of friendship just yet, a-and I really don't think I can go thinking about you that way. It would just make things to awkward, and… I really want us to just be normal friends, okay?”

“Oh!” exclaimed Rarity, eyes widening as she suddenly realised how this situation could be misconstrued. “No-no, darling, you misunderstand, it's… I just had a magical accident, I'm kind of… well it really would be quicker to show you, than explain. I promise you, it's not… I mean, it is a somewhat intimate problem, of a personal nature, but I desperately need a skilled unicorn to help me reverse the spell, and since Twilight isn't here…”

“Well…” hesitated Starlight, “all right”. In a moment, she whipped the dress off Rarity's still-frozen body, revealing the belt and unravelling her tail fastening at the same time. With no further pause, Starlight dropped her head down to Rarity's crotch, to better examine the device.

“Hmm…” she murmured, “have you tried Lighthoof's Legitimate Lock Loosening?”

Rarity stared down into Starlight's deep blue eyes. “Starlight, even if I knew how to cast such a spell, this infernal thing simply repels all my magic. I was hoping that you would know how to bypass its defences.”

“Hmm…” repeated Starlight, “well, I can research this, but it's probably worth giving Lighthoof's a try”. Her horn lit and the spell enveloped Rarity's loins.

The effect was immediately noticeable; Rarity had never felt anything quite like it to use as a reference, but pure sensation gripped her nethers and squeezed, sending pulsing prickles deep into her abdomen. Had she been able to move, she would certainly have doubled over right there. As it stood, there was no question of clenching or unclenching; Her muscles had tightened like to a vice-like grip entirely independently of he wishes.

“EYAAH-HAAH-HAAAAAA!!!” she shrieked, her voice piercing out through the door. Starlight reacted immediately, shutting down her spell, but the sensation continued, slowly fading away in pulsing waves. Rarity continued to shudder, as the initial pain gave way to fierce, burning pleasure. Her cunt began to spasm with each pulse, her cries giving way to helpless moans.

The closet door opened; Concerned ponies, drawn by the noise, peered in. Starlight reacted just quickly enough to bring Rarity's (or more accurately, Fluttershy's) dress up to cover Rarity's “problem”. Unfortunately, this left the compromising scene of Rarity, still in the grips of orgasmic pleasure, held upright by Starlight's magic, and Starlight, horn lit, with her face inches from Rarity's marehood.

In the doorway, Fluttershy, Berry Punch, and Cheerilee stood in shock. Fluttershy in particular recognised her dress, and rapidly began to turn bright pink.

“This isn't what it looked like!” blurted Starlight, as a trickle of fluids ran down Rarity's legs, and onto the floor.

It wasn't especially easy to explain the situation, but once Rarity had come down from her climax, and with Starlight's help, they were able to present the honest truth to those three mares, and a vaguely plausible excuse to the other party guests. They claimed that Rarity had simply screamed on discovering a spider in her mane.

Rarity suspected that at least Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash weren't buying it, but the other guests returned to the party while Rarity and Starlight were left alone in the kitchen.

“I am so sorry,” began Starlight. “It never occurred to me that this device might include an ætheroelecric converter, I… I should have been more cautious.”

“Oh don't worry darling”, smiled Rarity, “this whole situation was entirely my own fault, and you were only trying to help. I guess now we know that a magical solution will be difficult, if not outright impossible”.

“I don't understand”, moaned Starlight, “I mean, how did you even get in this situation?”

Awkwardly, but honestly, Rarity explained the truth of the previous night.

“Ooh…” muttered Starlight, when Rarity had finished, “so you were the one who set off the alarms. Well, I guess if it's from her private collection, Twilight probably knows how to remove it. I think she's going to be pretty upset with you, though.”

“Yes”, sighed Rarity, “well, there's no helping that now. Do you think I should write to her, and explain? I don't really want to wait weeks for her to return”.

“Actually,” grimaced Starlight, “she's coming back tomorrow morning; I just got the letter before I arrived here, apparently that alarm spell also lets her know when it's broken. She'll be on the first train”. Starlight paused. “I could send her over to your place when I see her”.

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief at this news; Finally it seemed, things were starting to look up.

Twilight's Return

The journey back home that afternoon proved less eventful. Having given excuses to the party guests, Rarity snuck out the back door, accompanied by Cheerilee, who had offered to walk her home. Having received Starlight's assurance that she would send Twilight over first thing when she got back, Rarity now planned to stay holed up inside the boutique until Twilight arrived.

Being outside again, Rarity found that she felt exposed. Some part of her was constantly waiting for a crowd of ponies to appear around the corner of one of the houses. She imagined them surrounding her and staring at her, their eyes stripping her of all control as tumultuous pleasure overtook her. The notion was terrifying, but also enticing. She tried to focus on the prospect of her imminent release, there were only a few more hours to go. It felt as if being trapped in this device was starting to affect her mind.

With each step, she felt the cobbles beneath her hooves more keenly than ever before. The journey dragged on, as her sex, battered and stimulated raw, made her acutely aware of every movement of her hips, every swing of her legs. She tried not to appear as though she were hobbling, nor to drag her pace, but her backside felt so strange, she could no longer tell if she was walking normally or not.

It was odd — although she now had a clear indicator as to whether anypony was looking at her, she felt as though there were dozens of eyes were staring at her all the time, even though the absence of vibrations in her marehood told her there were not. She could not help but constantly glance around, scanning the streets for anypony who might unknowingly assault her privates.

Strange, too, was having Cheerilee lead the way. Though Rarity trusted Cherilee with this task, their collusion on this matter was, if anything, making her feel more vulnerable than if she had been alone. She could not block out her awareness of just how much power the other mare held over her at this point. She had known Cheerilee for years, but had never gotten to know her very well. For all Rarity knew, the schoolteacher could be a secret dominatrix with a dungeon full of kinky toys. It did not help that a small voice in the back of Rarity's mind asked: If Cheerilee did try to take advantage of her, unlikely as that may be, would she, Rarity, even attempt to resist?

Not having an answer to that question was not making the walk any more relaxing. She tried to keep her mind away from thoughts of sex and being dominated, when trying to focus on her liberation failed, she instead tried to focus instead on thoughts of fashion and dressmaking. The thoughts swimming in her head turned that back to images of Cheerilee in a dominatrix outfit, possibly with a black-and-white rose motif. She tried to direct this towards thoughts of designing and making such attire, focussing on the technical detail rather than its implications. This only led to thoughts of her friends modelling these outfits.

Rarity had often thought that the walk from Fluttershy's cottage to her own boutique was quite a short one; Now every section of the route stretched out before her. The two of them travelled in awkward silence, Cheerilee occasionally glancing back to check that Rarity was still with her, quickly looking away so as not to stimulate her. Rarity chose not to mention that every brief shudder made it harder for her to keep her mind off the subject. That would only make things more awkward.

She at least managed to mostly block out worries of what Fluttershy must have thought of her by now. That crisis could come later.

When at last they reached the door to her boutique, the supplies she had asked Applejack for were sitting on her doorstep. Rarity thanked Cheerilee for accompanying her, and carried the bags inside. Once safely within her home, she bolted the door and closed all the curtains, turning her boutique into her sanctuary for the night, away from prying eyes.

That evening was spent immersed utterly in her craft. She barely paused to prepare food, eating while sketching the concepts for her next designs. Having something to focus on allowed her to almost block out her predicament, and there were brief moments where she managed to forget about it entirely.

When night came and fatigue began to slowly envelop her, she pushed on until well after her usual stopping time. The prospect of ending her work, and being alone in bed with this… thing drove her to work until her eyes grew blurry in the dim light. Eventually, in the early hours of the morning, she crawled into bed, and fell swiftly into an exhausted sleep.

The next morning she rose early feeling refreshed, cheerful, and wide awake. Experience told her that she would likely regret the disruption to her sleeping patterns over the next few days, but for now she could enjoy the high. With the prospect of Twilight's visit, even having to work her morning routine around these intrusions did not dampen Rarity's mood.

Two hours later, Rarity paced the boutique, casting nervous glances at the clock. Starlight had said that Twilight would be on the first train, but Rarity now realised that she didn't know what time that would be. She had already eaten breakfast, then washed and groomed herself as best she could, now she was uncertain what to do with herself. Certainly she could not leave the house. She would just have to busy herself with more dressmaking, until Twilight arrived.

The minutes dragged by as Rarity tried vainly to get some more work done. She simply couldn't focus this morning, instead finding her attention drawn every few minutes towards either the clock or the front door. How long was Twilight going to be? What if she'd missed her train? Well admittedly that just meant a longer wait while Twilight caught the next one, but Rarity would be stuck here, waiting, not knowing for how long. What if Starlight didn't tell Twilight, choosing instead to take advantage of this situation? Rarity shook her head of the unworthy notion. Starlight was their friend now, and deserved their trust.

What if a monster attacked, or a friendship problem emerged? Rarity shuddered at the thought. She hadn't considered what she would do, if the map summoned her while she was like this. Attend the summons and hope for the best, she supposed.

Even within her own head, she dared not give voice to her biggest worry. Of course Twilight would be able to remove the belt.

When eventually there came a knock at the door, Rarity jumped in alarm. Dashing across the room, she reached out with her magic to undo the latch before she was even within arm's reach. When the door opened, Rarity felt immense weight lift from her withers.

“Twilight! I am so relieved to see you! Do come in, darling.”

“He-hello Rarity, ” mumbled Twilight, averting her gaze even while she crossed the threshold, “Starlight tells me you've had a, uh, magical accident.”

“Oh yes, darling. Did she fill you in on the details?” Rarity reached around and closed the door behind Twilight.

“Yes, she… yes. Do you still have the book?”

“Oh… um, yes, sort of. It's right this way…” Rarity led Twilight through to the kitchen, where the remains of the spellbook sat on the table in a heap.

Twilight approached the table slowly, reaching up to run a hoof-tip tenderly across the ruined tome.

“I-I'm afraid it's quite unusable, ” Rarity offered, “but, you… surely you can remove this curse without it? Twilight?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, there's an all-purpose fail-safe built into all these books. I'm a little surprised Starlight didn't know it. You certainly would have done, if you'd bothered to read the warnings in the foreword”.

“Oh darling, you don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that! Please, let's not waste any more time, I'm simply desperate to be rid of this infernal thing as soon as possible”. Rarity turned, raising her rump in Twilight's direction, as though this would make it easier for Twilight to cast the necessary spell.

Moments passed. Rarity's rump began to buzz, and she looked back along her body at Twilight's face. What she saw there shocked her.

Twilight's brow was furrowed, her nostrils flared, and her lips curled to a snarl. Her eyes had the sunken, tired look of someone who has recently had too many stressful days and late nights. Rarity could not tell if she was angry, disgusted, or a mix of both. Regardless, she had the look of a mare pushed to her limits, and ready to explode. Rarity shuddered, uncertain of how to proceed.

“Fine,” hissed Twilight. “I'll remove it. But I want you to know, Rarity, that I am very disappointed with you”. Her horn lit, and a glow of magic enveloped Rarity's hindquarters.

“Disappointed?!” Rarity squeaked, in a hurt tone, “Twilight, I am the victim of a terrible misfortune, I don't see how my attempts to handle the situation would give you any reason to— ghaa…” Her words were cut short when Twilight's horn flared, sending a stinging pulse of stimulation into Rarity's nethers, making her cunt twitch.

“Misfortune!” Twilight exclaimed, apparently unaware that her magic was becoming unstable. “Have you even stopped to consider your role in this? You broke into my home while I was away”. Her horn sparked again, delivering another sting, and Rarity whimpered. “You manipulated Spike, abusing his feelings for you. You stole my property, which you then thoughtlessly destroyed. You put yourself and everypony around you in danger, by fooling around with a dangerous spellbook, without taking the proper precautions…”

As Twilight's unstable magic caused her to continue unwittingly punctuating her rant with electric shocks to Rarity's nethers, the fashionista's front half sank to the floor, her rump still firmly held in place by Twilight's magic. Her marehood felt raw and sensitive, the pain of each sting causing tears to well in her eyes as she bit down on her own forehoof. Yet despite the pain, each jolt brought her closer to a climax. Already she could barely focus on what Twilight was saying.

“You interrupted a trade negotiation that was three months in planning, Prince Taurox was personally insulted and may cut ties with Equestra altogether. You risked being imprisoned for indecent exposure, you could have caused a major political scandal.

“And all of it,” Twilight concluded, “because you were so obsessed with using magic to satisfy your own base, depraved, perversity!!!” With this final exclamation, the most powerful surge yet wracked Rarity's sex, bringing her right to the edge…

…and no further. Rarity mewled helplessly into her hoof as her vagina grasped at the smooth shaft within her, vainly pursuing that final push needed to bring her climax to completion. Yet Twilight was too immersed in her own indignation to notice what was happening.

Twilight stood, panting, where her furious pacing had left her pointed at the wall opposite. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her friend, forgetting the details of how the cursed belt functioned. She was taken aback to find Rarity flushed and tearful, cowering on the floor. Twilight had been angry, but she hadn't meant for her words to hurt Rarity's feelings so badly…

Rarity rose, shaking, to her hooves, unable to look Twilight in the eye. The vibrations had returned, but Rarity fought down the burning tension wracking her body. It hadn't occurred to her just how much her actions might have hurt her friend, and now guilt battled with the rampant lust stampeding through her. It was hard to be truly apologetic when so much of her desperately wanted to beg Twilight to just finish her already.

“T-Twilight,” she stammered, “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…”

“Oh, now you're sorry. You didn't think to start with an apology, even when you were asking me to fix this mess you've gotten yourself into.” Twilight sighed. She was still annoyed, and tired, but her tone softened at seeing Rarity distraught. “Well, fine. Just hold still while I fix this.”

“Twilight, please," Rarity squeaked.

“I said I will already, just be patient —”

“NO!” Rarity shrieked. “I mean, please, let me apologise properly. I… I don't want this to come between us.” (But oh please I do want to come). “Is there anything I can do to make this up to you? I… I don't want you to remove this until I know that things will be right between us.”

Twilight stared back, wide eyed, and began to blush. “What!? Rarity! Wait, hold on. You're not suggesting…? I mean, that's completely inappropriate. We can't just… I mean I'm flattered, of course, but this is way too sudden. We're not even… and I don't know anything about…” a nervous smile lifted the corners of her mouth, “I don't know how you could even be so forward as to suggest… We'd have to talk about it first. Or maybe we should not talk about it ever again…” Twilight frowned, waving her hoof in small, tight, circles, while her eyes darted around the corners of the room.

Rarity cringed slightly. “Twilight,” she said, “I just meant that it wouldn't feel right to accept a favour from you while you're still angry at me”. At this statement, Twilight froze. Rarity, meanwhile, weighed her next words carefully, taking deep breaths to quell her rebellious libido. Clearly, Twilight's mind had gone to a sexual place, where Twilight was the stern dominatrix, and Rarity the submissive slave in need of stern punishment. As exciting as the notion was, she needed to stay focussed on the goal of mending the damage done to their friendship. Most importantly, she didn't want to risk offending Twilight.

“Please bear in mind, darling, I… I'm not saying 'no'. I'm just saying that… whatever we do, I want it to be about me making things up to you, showing you how truly sorry I am. Whatever you decide, I am in your hooves”. Rarity cast a glance at the ruined spellbook. “I just wish there was some way to repair the damage I've caused”.

Twilight stared, until Rarity began to squirm. Then, she scrunched up her face, bashed her hoof against her brow, and shook her head. She took a deep breath, and released it, before opening her eyes once more.

“Rarity,” she replied, “I am sorry. And of course I forgive you, completely. I've just been really tired lately, and I… I took it out on you. Please, let me get that thing off you, before either of us says anything else”.

Rarity nodded, and turned around once more. She felt Twilight's magic envelop her backside, tendrils working their way under the confines of the enchanted metal, stroking parts of her anatomy that had been deprived of sensation for over a day now. She tried her hardest to remain still, though she felt certain she was shaking.

All at once, the rigid metal became fluid, flowing out of her and from her like something alive and squirming. She felt the pressure drop away from her hips, the discomforting full feeling giving way to relief. The liquid flowed over her clitoris, one final stroke before it left her completely. She turned her head back in time to see the the liquid swirling and shrinking to nothing in mid-air. Without ever reaching her climax, she felt the tension flow out of her body, leaving only a faint, dull, ache.

“Oh, darling,” Rarity breathed, “you don't know what a relief it is to be free of that thing”. She stepped forward and embraced Twilight, who responded by awkwardly patting her withers before Rarity pulled away.

Twilight was looking thoughtful; Rarity followed her gaze to the ruined spellbook on the table.

“Twilight… I really am truly sorry; I wish there was something I could do to repair the damage”.

“Oh, no-no,” replied Twilight, waving a hoof without looking up from her contemplation, “I couldn't possibly ask you to…”

After Twilight's words trailed off, Rarity waited to see if her friend would finish the sentence. When it became apparent that Twilight was lost in thought once more, Rarity opted to give her a verbal nudge. “To what, darling?”

“Hmm?”

“You said that you couldn't possibly ask me to do something, but you didn't say what”.

“Oh!” Twilight looked up, flustered. “I, er, I was just thinking about Prince Taurox. It's going to be difficult to persuade him to resume trade negotiations”.

“…and you think I can help with that?” Rarity had no experience of politics; She had a suspicion that she knew what Twilight had in mind.

“We-e-ell, he's quite prideful, but I gather he has something of a weakness for pretty mares.” Hesitating slightly, Twilight added crisply: “Provided he doesn't have to treat them as equals”.

“Are you suggesting that I should sleep with him?”

“What? No!” Twilight's eyes went wide. “I was just… wait, are you saying that you would!?”

“Oh come on, Twilight, I'm a grown mare. From what you've said, my actions could have serious repercussions for all of Equestria, one night of indiscretion hardly matters by comparison. Besides… if it means I could make things up to you, I would gladly sleep with a hundred stallions!”. Off Twilight's expression, she added: “Or, well, maybe a dozen. Twenty, at most”.

“Wow… um,” Twilight began to squirm, her face turning very red, “what I had in mind… there's this dance, you see. It's, uh, traditional, for people using that particular spell. Wearing that belt. Sort of a… striptease. I guess I thought, if my close friend offered to perform it for him, by way of apology for interrupting the trade negotiations… I don't think he'd turn down the opportunity, and I don't think he'd be able to refuse your apology afterwards, that would be highly insulting…”

“I see. And would this be a private performance?”

“Uh… traditionally, you would want a larger audience. Um, it would probably be better if there was someone there you trusted to look out for your safety. Not that you'd need it, really,” she hastily added, “but just in case. Someone who knew about minotaur customs, and was strong enough to subdue them if needed”.

“Someone like you, darling?”

Twilight said nothing, but nodded, her face practically luminescent.

“And I would have to wear that belt again?”

Twilight murmured an affirmative.

“I see. And, would you arrange for somepony, or some minotaur, to teach me this dance?”

Twilight scrunched her eyes closed. “Y-yeah…”

“Well then, I think that all sounds quite reasonable, darling”.

The Dance

It had been over a month since Rarity had agreed to the dance. Many times since then, she had questioned her own decision. Many times since then, Twilight, too, had suggested they call the whole thing off. It would be the sensible decision, really, and yet something was stopping her, and she wasn't even sure what. She told herself that backing out now would mean breaking her promise, never really making reparation for her actions. Twilight did not wish to hold it against her, but surely going back on her word would forever poison the trust between them.

Yet time and again, she wondered if she was only making excuses. The thought of her upcoming “performance” sent a chill of anticipation through her. Perhaps her true motives had nothing to do with Twilight at all, but only with satisfying her own desire. Either way, the longer she stayed on this path, the more she felt driven to see it through to the end (and of course, the more arrangements Twilight made, the more problematic it would be if Rarity really did back out).

Still, every time Rarity thought back on that morning, she struggled to believe what she had seemingly locked herself into.

The minotaur “dance instructor” Twilight had found for Rarity had been quite demanding, and had put her through eighteen days of intensive training, all the while remarking that they had time only to teach Rarity the most basic of performance. Rarity's inexperienced clumsiness, she said, would probably escape the prince's notice, since Rarity was quite “conventionally pretty” and the prince would no doubt find her “exotic”. On top of this, she had combined dance lessons with a crash-course in etiquette for this situation. Rarity had forcibly swallowed her pride in order to learn as efficiently as possible, staying focused on her goals.

When the lessons on etiquette turned to talk of audience members openly pleasuring themselves, Rarity's eyes had been opened to just what she had agreed to. She hardly felt able to complain, though, given that she had at least known full well that she would be wearing “the belt”, and what that would entail.

Faced with the prospect of performing for a crowd of minotaurs — and several ponies, apparently — Rarity began to feel that merely having sex with the prince might have been an easier option. Then again, Rarity had never been one to settle for half-measures. Not to mention, Twilight would be in the audience. Somehow, that made Rarity a whole lot more comfortable with the idea. In fact she had insisted that Twilight not be present during her training nor rehearsals, to heighten her friend's anticipation. She could tell Twilight was almost as excited as she was worried.

And now here she was, in her dressing room, selecting her outfit for this evening — for the performance that was now less than an hour away. None of the dresses were really up to the standards of her own work, but then she had never made anything suitable for this kind of dancing.

There came a knock at the door.

“Come in!”

Starlight Glimmer stepped inside.

“Uh, hi Rarity!”

“Starlight!? Why… uhh, darling, whatever are you doing here?”

“Oh, well, heh,” Starlight grinned sheepishly and bounced her name lightly with one hoof, “we… may have been slightly nosy and now all of us know what you're doing here tonight”. She flashed Rarity another awkward smile and continued: “I hope you don't mind. I mean, it is a matter of public record, if you know where to look”.

Rarity's face went blank as she tried to process this. One thought solidified before the others.

“We?”

Starlight pushed the door open further. An uncharacteristically embarrassed-looking Rainbow Dash and a near-petrified Fluttershy stepped into the room behind her.

“Applejack said this wasn't really her sort of thing,” explained Starlight, “and we sort of… convinced Pinkie Pie that it wasn't really her sort of thing, either. It, uh, didn't seem like a good idea to bring her along. But the three of us were wondering, if it would be alright with you, if we could join Twilight in the audience”.

Rainbow Dash seemed unable to look Rarity in the eye. Fluttershy was trying to hide behind her own mane. Starlight, however, had the innocent expression of a point who had just asked if she could join her new friends to a picnic.

“Uhh… Starlight, darling, are you sure you understand what is planned for tonight?”

“Mm-hmm. I've been reading up on minotaur courtship rituals, and some of the more erotic aspects of their culture. Being able to watch a pony attempt a modern reinterpretation of this tradition sounds fascinating”.

“Yeah!” interjected Rainbow Dash. “What she said. About it being all cultural, you know, and fascinating!”

Fluttershy, at least, had the decency to look embarrassed enough for the three of them.

“And,” Starlight added, “this could prove to be an historical event of great significance”.

“Historical significance!” echoed Rainbow.

Rarity looked askance at Starlight; There was nothing but friendly cheerfulness on the other mare's face. “Rainbow, dear,” chided Rarity, without looking at from Starlight, “I do believe you are drooling”.

Starlight continued to smile patiently while Rainbow brushed a hoof across her mouth, just to be sure. Eventually, Rarity broke eye contact, shrugging and making a mental note never to play poker with Starlight Glimmer.

“Well, I don't mind,” declared Rarity, “if Twilight says it's okay”.

The three ponies left the room, leaving Rarity to her thoughts. It surprised her that she didn't mind, but somehow the thought of having her close friends there was both reassuring and inspiring, giving her more determination to make this the most memorable performance she could muster.

The scarlet dress, she decided. Nothing else was good enough. But before that, there was one last step to prepare…

She let her gaze fall on to the replacement spellbook that sat on her table. With proper knowledge of its contents, she would not trigger it accidentally, but for tonight, she was expected to cast that same spell on herself once more. At least this time, she knew it could be removed.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Rarity lit her horn, and began the spell. Immediately, the magic gripped her tail, hoisting it into an upright position. Her shadow began to twist and writhe, detaching itself from the floor as tendrils of blackness, which coiled around her legs and engulfed her rear. Smooth, fluid yet solid, and flesh-warm, the substance entered her holes, spreading her open and filling her up. As the spell reached completion, the blackness constricted, leaving the hard, ornate casing once again confining her rump.

Satisfied that the spell had reached completion successfully, Rarity began to breathe normally once more, and returned to the subject of clothing. The scarlet dress had several extra pieces and accessories, so dressing took slightly longer than usual. She needed to be quite familiar with each item, since a big part of the performance was the undressing…

The “auditorium” was dark, and held the heavy smell of minotaur musk. Comfortable, reclined seating had been arranged in semicircles around low tables, all set up with a clear view of the stage. Long, shallow steps lead from the centre of the stage down to the middle of the room, where the two "royal" tables had been set up. Princess Twilight Sparkle sat restlessly at one, accompanied by three of her friends (two of whom were refusing to make eye contact with anyone, while the third wore the brightest and most friendly smile in the room).

At the other royal table, Prince Taurox lounged, having chosen to sit alone.

Arranging for live music had proven far easier than Twilight had anticipated, the Canterlot Musicians' Guild were surprisingly accommodating of such events. The young princess wondered just how debauched the elite of Equestria actually were, behind closed doors.

The lights dimmed further, and the musicians began their introduction. A spotlight illuminated the stage, and Rarity made her entrance. Many layers of scarlet fabric covered almost every inch of her from the neck down, and her face was hidden behind a veil.

With all eyes on the room upon her, Rarity felt the belt shiver into action, sending the first tremors of pleasure out from her crotch, rippling up along her spine and down her hindlegs. Steadying herself with a show breath, she began to follow the show rhythm, allowing her body to sinuate across the stage, practised steps guiding her movements.

She ran a hoof down the length of her body, from muzzle to rump, writhing with the movement. With her magic, she unfastened one end of the first sash, hovering it just a half-inch from her hoof-tip. Lifting herself onto hindlegs only, she spun the sash around her, unravelling and casting it aside, translucent layers hinting at her body beneath the layers. The original dancers would have used their hands for this, but everyone had agreed that a touch of magic would better preserve the elegance of the performance.

The crowd watched in rapt attention, as Rarity slowly removed veil after veil, teasingly playing with each fold as she revealed more of her bare coat and mane. She found a giddy delight in that, while she had spent most of her life unclothed, the mere act of revealing her body had become something deeply sexual. The pulsing phallus in her nethers sent shivers up her spine, yet for all the eyes upon her she was not overwhelmed. She could feel her pleasure slowly building with the rising music, but her movements stayed entirely under her control. It was, she felt, as though she was swimming with the current instead of being dragged away by it.

She was not merely naked beneath her veils, though. As the layers fell away, her stacked mane, beset with gems, was revealed. A decorative bridle looped around her head, fine chains sparkling in the spotlight. She wore earrings, a choker necklace, and the last layer she would not remove was a “dress” that emphasised far more than it covered, framing her “belt” in red lace. A single garter drew the eyes along her hindleg, but it was her tail-style that she felt most proud of — once the fabric weighing it down was removed. Raised high and looped back on itself, Rarity knew that such a style would scandalise Canterlot if she ever wore it in public. No less bejewelled, the twin loops would hide nothing, but only emphasis the sight of her bare rump, the metal plate precisely covering her vulva and nothing more, and the black rose butt-plug that sat between her cheeks.

Of course, the sash concealing that was the last to be removed, and not before flaunting her barely-covered posterior to the audience, in a very “come-and-get-it” pose. Even then, she had turned her backside away from the audience for the actual moment of removal, and returned to a bipedal stance for a slow revolution to tease them further.

Casting her gaze over the room, just able to make out the audience through the darkness, she was pleased to see that many of them were indeed taking the opportunity to “enjoy” themselves a little more. All eyes were still on her, but many hands and hooves were otherwise occupied. She had been worried about the prospect before leaving her room, now it only fuelled her enjoyment more. Officially, she knew, she had reached the climax of her performance, and could leave the stage at this point. Right now though, she wanted something… more.

Prince Taurox lounged, front-and-centre, legs spread and loincloth discarded. His cock stood upright, untouched but quite uncovered, gently twitching. His eyes met hers. His table had been pushed aside, inviting her in.

Rarity knew the protocols, and knew it was entirely her choice. She sauntered across the stage and down the steps, the spotlight following her slow advance. Right before him, she danced, slowly turning and writhing, twisting and bracing herself on the nearby table. She brushed her tail over his legs, and up to his crotch, silky soft hairs brushing his tip.

Though she knew her focus should be on the prince, she took a moment when her back was turned to glance across at her friends. She revelled in Fluttershy's gaze, the shy mare's lust overcoming her embarrassment. Rainbow, too, was clearly enraptured. Starlight's expression of polite interest was honestly a little unnerving, but above all Rarity saw what she had been looking for. Twilight Sparkle stared longingly, one hoof buried between her thighs as her eyes followed Rarity's every motion.

Grinning, Rarity turned back to the prince, lowering herself between his legs to claim her prize. Hips raised and still gently swaying, she lowered her muzzle to his throbbing glans. His penis was quite different from what Rarity was used to, but the basic shape was familiar enough. Extending her tongue, she licked first one side, then the other, then the underside as she brought her mouth still closer.

The prince placed his hand on the side of her face. Almost on instinct, she knocked it aside with her hoof, shooting an angry glare up at him. Not pausing long enough to let herself begin panicking at this possible faux pas, she took his tip in her mouth and lit a spell to envelop his balls. She knew the texture of this magic would provide a stimulation that she hoped he would find pleasurable, but she brought her hoof down to gently stroke his balls with her own touch. As she slowly bobbed her head, licking and sucking on his glans, the prince lowered his hands to his side, accepting Rarity's control.

Rarity's world shrunk around her, pleasure carrying her and guiding her movements. The belt stimulated her, the knowledge that her friends were watching her lustfully held foremost in her mind, and the feeling of the hot, fleshy cock in her mouth held her focus. As her head bobbed back and forth, she swung her hips, swaying her whole body with each motion and waving her rump in the air. She delighted in gradually working the prince's cock further into her mouth, each push taking it further, until she felt it pressing against her throat. She pulled back, savouring the texture of the prince's glans on her tongue, the taste of salt and musk already mixing with her saliva.

Drooling spittle down his shaft, she plunged forward, determined to take his entire length in one motion. The prince once again moved his hand to the side of her head, fingers slipping between the strands of her mane. This time, she did not object. She swallowed his entire organ balls-deep into her, then held it there a moment before continuing. She sucked and gulped, pulling his cock out to the tip of her tongue, then thrusting it fully back in again, over and over.

Her whole body was tensing and shivering, pushed close to the edge. Pleasure threatened to overwhelm her, but she forcibly held it back, knowing that she would not be satisfied with climaxing before reaching her goal. From the princes low moans, and the way he tensed, she could tell that goal was not far off.

The prince began bucking his hips, matching her rhythm, one hand dishevelling her mane while the other gripped his chair tightly. She moaned whenever she could breathe, her lungs already starting to feel the deficit of air, but single-minded focus had gripped her, and she had no intention of slowing her thrusts.

At the final thrust, the prince's hand tightened on her head, pressing her face against his nethers. She gripped his leg tightly, holding her pose as his cum pumped straight down her throat. She coughed and spluttered, backwashing the copious fluids into her mouth and nostrils, but kept her lips tight and sucked it down.

The taste of his cum, the knowledge that he was orgasming, and the raw physicality of having her throat held down around his spurting cock, pushed Rarity past the brink of pleasure. She allowed the orgasm to burst inside her, sending spasms through her body as her cunt clamped down on the shuddering dildo.

After the first few spurts, she pulled back, his grip yielding as she slid her mouth back to the head of his member. Semen flooded her mouth as she rushed breaths through her nose. Keeping her lips sealed around his shaft, she gulped down mouthfuls of thick, gooey spooge. Her body was still quivering with delight, and she relished every drop.

Only when the flood abated, and his hand fell limp from her head, she began stroking his shaft to draw out the last beads, licking and sucking to capture every drop. Finally satisfied that her meal had ended, she rose from his crotch and licked her lips. She turned, lifting a napkin from the nearby table, and sauntered back up the steps to the stage exit, still swaying her ass at the captive audience even as her own fluids ran down her legs and onto the floor. Rogue hairs flopped down across her face, she knew full well her mane was a mess, but on this rare occasion she would flaunt the “messy” look with pride.

One removal spell, shower, and change of clothes later, Rarity left her room to meet up with Twilight. In honestly, she still felt to be positively glowing from pleasure, a smile on her lips and a bounce in her step. Her hair and mane, she had returned to their normal style. Her clothes gone, she was naturally naked once more, yet felt less exposed than she had in weeks.

Twilight was standing, still stunned, in the reception area, receiving an excited ramble from Starlight Glimmer, who seemed fascinated by the role of sexuality in minotaur culture.

“Hello, darling,” Rarity cooed. “I do hope you enjoyed my little show?”

Twilight turned to face Rarity. She made several attempts to speak, but only managed a few semi-coherent sounds.

“Miss Rarity!” The deep, masculine rumble carried across the room. Rarity turned to see Prince Taurox, smiling warmly and striding towards them (and now, thankfully, wearing an ornate loincloth. Since his natural height placed his loins rather close to pony mouth-level, Rarity felt that its absence would have made the conversation considerably more awkward).

“And of course,” he continued, “Princess Twilight”. He turned back to Rarity “I want to thank you, for that… exquisite performance”. Back to Twilight, “You have a most wonderful taste in friends”.

Seeing Twilight continuing to struggle with words, Rarity opted to intervene. “Why thank you, your highness. I must say, I quite enjoyed myself,” she directed a smile in Twilight's direction, “and I hope the rest of the audience did, too.”

“I am certain much enjoyment was had all around,” replied the prince. “I was wondering if perhaps you would enjoy a tour of our capital city some time?”

Rarity smiled back, having already decided how to answer this question, if it arose. “Why your highness, that sounds delightful”. She sidled up next to Twilight. “Perhaps the next time my princess is visiting, I could accompany her, and we could see the sights together”. She smiled coyly. “I am one of her close, personal, friends, after all”.

Twilight stared a moment at Rarity, then offered the prince an awkward smile. The prince's brow raised, and he nodded slightly.

“Oh? I see. Well, then, Princess Twilight, allow me to say that you have excellent taste in… close, personal, friends. And I hope we will be able to resume negotiations quite soon”.

With this, he turned, and walked away.

Rarity stood, smiling, while Twilight found her voice. When she did, it was accompanied by a nervous smile. “Well… that went well, right? The prince is happy, and we should be resuming negotiations…” she paused. “Do… you think, he thinks that we're…?” she gestured a hoof back and forth between them.

Rarity stepped in close to Twilight, grinning. “Twilight, you never did answer my question”.

“Question?”

Rarity stepped past Twilight, turning her head back for an over-the-withers look, and leaning in close. “Did you enjoy the show, darling?”

As Twilight's face turned magenta, Rarity walked past, flicking her tail up to stroke the flustered princess's chin.

“By the way, darling,” Rarity asked Starlight Glimmer, in an undertone, “where are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?”

“Oh!” replied Starlight, “they both headed straight for the bathroom after the show”. She frowned. “They've both been in there a while, now”.