Twilight was savoring the new tea blend Rarity had just gotten in. It had an exotic fruity taste that lingered on the tongue. “This is really excellent tea, Rarity,” she said to her friend.

“I had it imported from Saddle Arabia with you in mind, darling,” said Rarity with an enigmatic smile. “I received something else in my shipment you might be interested in.”

“Oh, what?” asked Twilight.

“A necklace,” said Rarity, getting up and picking up a wide flat box from a nearby table. She opened the box to reveal a wide, flat, silver necklace. A single round pendant was solidly attached to the necklace. As Rarity lifted up the necklace with her magic, the lights danced off the metal and into Twilight’s eyes.

“It’s lovely, Rarity,” said Twilight. “But it’s not really my style.”

“Oh pish-posh, Twilight,” said Rarity. “You do trust me, when it comes to style. Don’t you.” Rarity rocked the necklace back and forth and Twilight’s eyes were drawn to the pendant waving back and forth. She found it hard to take her eyes off it. The light gleaming off it in a regular rhythm.

“I...I do trust you,” said Twilight. It was so hard to take her eyes off the light from the necklace.

“I know you do Twilight,” said Rarity. “I think you will find this necklace captures you perfectly.” She stepped behind Twilight and fastened the necklace around the alicorn’s neck. The ends sealed together with a solid sounding “click”.

Eye contact now broken with the necklace, Twilight shook her head to clear the cobwebs from it. As she did she could feel the necklace’s heavy pendant rocking back and forth as she did so. The inch wide, silver band of the necklace itself was tight, very tight. Twilight could almost feel the pulse of her throat against it.

“It seems...rather snug. Is it a size small, Rarity?” asked Twilight. “And don’t you mean it captures my eyes or the colour of my mane?”

“No dear,” said Rarity reaching to scoop something from underneath the table. “I meant that it captures YOU.” With that, Rarity popped out the center of the pendant from the necklace locked to Twilight, revealing a solid steel ring. Using her magic she locked the chain she had scooped up from under the table to the ring.

Twilight suddenly realized that for some reason, one of her best friends had just collared and leashed her. She tugged uselessly at the metal about her neck for a moment and then at the chain locked to it. Rarity simply stood back and let her captive struggle for a moment, opening the door to the basement. Twilight stopped struggling for a moment and took in the positively predatory look on Rarity’s face. Then she saw that the chain locked to her throat led down to the basement.

“Rarity, take this off me. Right now,” Twilight demanded.

Rarity just smiled some more and flipped a lever. The sound of a winch came from below and Twilight could see the slack in the chain begin to get taken up.

“I don’t know what’s come over you Rarity,” said Twilight. “But it ends now.” Twilight channeled power into her horn to break collar and leash both, but nothing happened. Twilight tried again. Nothing. Her horn didn’t even glow. The winch had taken up all the slack and Twilight was pulled out of her chair toward the basement door.

“Remember that tea you savored so much, Twilight?” purred Rarity. “I told you, that I had gotten it with you in mind. It’s called forked root and anyone drinking it, even an alicorn, is completely blocked from channeling any sort of magic for at least a full day.”

Twilight had braced her hooves against the pull of the leash, but it was irresistible. It simply dragged her, hooves and all, across the floor.

“Make this easy on yourself, darling,” said Rarity. “I’ve planned this for some time. You can’t escape.” Twilight was almost to the basement door. She could see the ramp leading down into the dimly lit basement.

“HELP!” Twilight yelled. “RARITY’S GONE CRAZY! HELP!”

“Oh, darling,” said Rarity. “Do you think I would be so foolish, as not have the Boutique soundproofed? Really, it was the first thing I realized I had to do in order to make you mine.”

Twilight began to descend into the basement. She fought with all her strength. But the collar held, the chain held, and every time she tried to divert to one side, Rarity simply pushed her back onto the straight path laid out by the chain. As she reached the bottom of the ramp she saw the goal Rarity had for her. A steel cage, with its door open was only a few feet away. Twilight could see the cage was ready for her, with shackles in each corner and a sling ready to wrap around her belly.

She suddenly remembered her wings. She tried to take flight, but without her magic she couldn’t even get off the ground, never mind fly away. Rarity, pacing her, looked on with amusement and then stopped the winch with Twilight poised at the opening of the cage.

“I told you, darling,” said Rarity. “You are unable to channel any magic for a full day. That includes flight magic.” Twilight tried to buck back against the lead, tried to regain even a few inches. But she might as well have been kicking the side of Canterlot Castle for all the good it did.

“Why, Rarity?” begged Twilight. “At least tell me why you’re doing this.” Tears began to form in her eyes.

“I’ve amassed far too many debts, darling,” said Rarity. “I expanded too much, too quickly. I was given a choice. Have all my assets seized, endure bankruptcy and the complete destruction of my career and social standing or-”

“Or turn me over,” finished Twilight. “Who is making you do this? Chrysalis? The griffons?”

“No one so dramatic, my dear,” said Rarity. “Simply a very, very well off Saddle Arabian sheikh who took a fancy to you some time ago. He’s paying me an absolute fortune for you.”

“Please Rarity,” Twilight begged. “We can work this out, we can raise the bits for you. Don’t do this.”

“It’s already done, darling,” said Rarity. “Now, I’ll give you a choice. Either walk into your cage with some dignity or I’ll let the winch drag you the last few feet.”

“Go to Tartarus,” said Twilight defiantly. “I won’t give you any solace by putting any dignity into this.”

“As you wish, Twilight,” said Rarity, restarting the winch. Twilight fought those last few feet desperately, even throwing herself to the ground. The winch didn’t care and dragged her the last foot. The collar ring seating to a snap lock on a cage bar. Rarity used her magic and smoothly locked the shackles to each of Twilight’s legs. The belly band wrapped around her barrel, pinning her wings to her sides.

“Open up, dear,” said Rarity happily, as she held a bridle up for Twilight to see. Twilight recognized the futility of further resistance and opened her mouth. A rubber coated bit was inserted into Twilight’s mouth, and as Rarity attached the bridle to her friend she also strapped on an attached muzzle.

“One last thing, my dear, darling, Twilight,” purred Rarity into Twilight’s ear. “You are only the first. I intend to repeat this with each of our friends. Making me one of the wealthiest mares in Equestria.” Twilight’s eyes shot open and she tried to scream her defiance. But only the quietest of squeaks came from her muzzled mouth.

“The Saddle Arabians will be by tonight, to pick you up,” said Rarity as she began to drape a drop cloth over the cage. “But I will be down later to have a little fun. I must confess to looking forward to playing with you before you leave.”

Author's Note

Don't ask me where this came from. Sometimes a story jumps into my head fully formed and I have to get it out. This is such a story.