“Hello Applejack,” said Rarity. “What brings you to the Boutique today?”

“Well, Rarity,” replied the orange earth pony. “Ah came by lookin’ to see if you had any idea where Fluttershy is. Oh, and Applebloom needs a new bow for her mane.”

“Come right in, dear,” said the white unicorn, moving aside to allow room for Applejack to pass. “I’m sure we can find something for her in here.” Applejack walked in and looked around at the inside of the Boutique. Rarity seemed to be in one of her “idea” phases, with bolts of cloth and partially completed designs and dresses sitting in several locations.

“Well, you certainly do seem to be powerfully busy,” said Applejack. “Have you seen Fluttershy lately? No one has seen her in four days. If it weren’t for Applebloom noticing she wasn’t home, her critters might have been in some trouble.”

“I did see darling Fluttershy four days ago,” said Rarity. “I created the most flattering ensemble for her. She was quite taken by it.” Applejack nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Y’all might have been the last pony to see her,” said Applejack. “You didn’t happen to see where she went after she was here, did you?”

“Actually, I did,” said Rarity. “The last I saw her, she was heading for the train station.” Applejack let out a bit of a breath at that.

“She happen to say where she was going?” asked Applejack. “Or when she might be back?”

“Why Applejack,” said Rarity. “If I didn’t know better I would swear you were interrogating me. But, to be completely honest, ‘No,' she didn’t say where she was going but she did say she intended to be back as soon as she could.”

“Ah’m sorry Rarity,” said Applejack. “Ah’m on edge a bit. What with Twi up and taking off on us, and now Fluttershy doin’ the same. ‘Specially after Chrysalis swearing vengeance on Starlight Glimmer an’ the rest of us a coupla months back.”

“It’s quite alright, my dear,” assured Rarity. “Let’s see if we can’t find something for Applebloom.” Together the two ponies began to examine and discuss various different bows. Different fabrics, colours and styles were offered up, discussed and rejected. The whole time however, Applejack continued to ask Rarity questions about their missing friends. After fifteen minutes of questioning, Rarity came to a decision.

Bam

“What was that?” asked Applejack, as she whipped her head around.

“Oh bother,” said Rarity. “It’s that light from the display stage.” A large flood lamp with large cables coming off it was lying on the stage that Rarity used for small fashion shows. “Could you be a dear and hold it in place while I secure the fastenings?”

“No problem,” said Applejack. Grabbing up the light in her front hooves, she stood up on her rear hooves and held the light in place. Her body stretched out vertically and braced against the frame that held the rest of the lights.

“That’s it, dear,” said Rarity. “Don’t move.” Almost as she said that though, several items tumbled off the lighting frame, including several long, thick cables. The cables fell over Applejack’s body, slithering down almost like snakes. A couple of the cables had loops in them. The loops fell over the earth pony’s head wrapping around her neck and knocked off her hat in the process. The ends of the cables trailed off to either side of the room.

“Y’all okay?” asked Applejack.

“I’m fine, dear,” said Rarity. “But I think you might have put yourself in some jeopardy.”

“Might be, you wanna get these off of grrk,” Applejack choked out as the cables suddenly tightened from both directions at once, cutting off her air and dragging her to the center of the stage. Only when she had been dragged midway between the strong pillars framing the stage, did the strangling cable nooses slacken and allow Applejack to breath freely again.

“I think you know, from all those questions you were asking, that isn’t going to happen,” said Rarity, as she levitated a bridle toward her newest captive. “Now, hold still and this will go easier for you.”

“Ah. Don’t. Think so,” pronounced Applejack. She swung her head back and forth to keep the bridle from slipping over her face. She danced and bucked, trying to get a grip on the cables tethering her in place.

“Applejack,” said Rarity with some exasperation. “I can simply cut off your air and do what I want to your unconscious body.” The cables tightened to reinforce Rarity’s words.

“Ah,” wheezed Applejack. “Wait...Ah’ll be good if’n you do something for me.”

“I won’t let you go,” said Rarity. “But if what you want is reasonable we might come to a deal.” She let off on the tension on the cables, restoring Applejack’s air fully.

“Tell me what you did with Twilight and Fluttershy,” said Applejack. “Tell me that and...and ah’ll let you do what you want with me.”

“Very well,” said Rarity. “I agree. But you submit to me first. Once you are secured I will tell you what you want to know.”

“Deal,” said Applejack, ceasing her struggles and holding still.

“Oh no,” said Rarity. “Your honesty is legend. Say the words, and then I will believe you.”

“Fine,” said Applejack, grinding her teeth slightly. “Ah give up. Ah won’t fight or bite or buck so long as you tell me what you did with mah friends. Mah word on it.”

“Agreed. Now hold still while I make you mine,” said Rarity as she secured her prize. The first thing that happened was Applejack being bridled, with a black bridle having glowing white crystals all along its straps. Then, rigid bars with attached steel cuffs, were locked to Applejack’s front and rear hooves. The spreader bars held her legs braced apart. Matching bars were then attached to the cuffs front to back. Applejack’s hooves were now locked to the corners of a steel rectangle. Walking was quite impossible. As a final touch, a check rein was attached to the bridle. It went from the back of the earth pony’s bridle to her dock. Forcing her to keep both head and tail high.

“All right,” Applejack grunted out. “Ah reckon ah’m pretty ‘secured’ now. Out with it. Where are Twilight and Fluttershy?”

“Fair enough,” said Rarity, as she opened the door to the basement ramp. “It’s been about eight days now. Twilight should be languishing in a Saddle Arabian seraglio by now. I wonder if she is still wearing the collar I locked around that lovely neck of hers or if her new owner has put one of his own on her.”

“And Fluttershy?” asked Applejack angrily.

“Fluttershy...” mused Rarity. “Oh, she was simply made for shibari. Hmm, a day and a half to Vanhoofer...maybe half a day to load. She is probably somewhere at sea right now, bound for a Yak-uza lord in Neighpon. I do hope her handlers are keeping her entertained.” She smiled over to where Applejack fruitlessly tested her bonds. “I have to admit, Applejack, I was saving you for last. Rainbow Dash was going to be my next target. I even had an owner picked out for her already.”

“You get all that, Princess!” called out Applejack, surprising Rarity.

“Indeed I did, fair Applejack,” came the voice of Princess Luna, from Applejack’s fallen hat. “I shall be there in a moment.”

“Enter this building and Applejack dies, Princess!” Rarity shouted in a panic. She had planned for this moment and it was time to activate her contingency plans.

“What?” came the stunned voice of the lunar alicorn.

“I’ve locked a bridle to Applejack’s head,” said Rarity in a calmer voice. “That bridle has several explosive crystals attached to it.”

“What are your terms, Rarity?” asked Luna through the hat that had been obviously been enchanted as a listening and speaking device.

“If somepony enters the Boutique without my leave, Applejack dies,” said Rarity, open contempt colouring her voice. “If I am knocked out or killed, Applejack dies. If I am more than fifty feet from Applejack, she dies. If I say the command word, Applejack dies.”

“Princess!” Applejack suddenly called out. “She’s mrrrph!” Applejack’s words were suddenly cut off as Rarity stuffed a large gag into her captive’s mouth and attached it to the bridle.

“That will be enough from you,” sneered Rarity. Applejack could still be heard despite the gag, but any words she spoke were muffled into an unintelligible mess.

“Though your motives are a mystery, your methods are not,” said Luna. “What can I provide you to secure Applejack’s safety?”

“I know you have no intention of letting me escape,” said Rarity. “Please don’t insult my intelligence saying that you will let me go, in exchange for Applejack. What I want is fifteen minutes to put my affairs in order before I surrender to you.”

“Provided no harm comes to Applejack,” said Luna through the hat. “I am willing to provide you those minutes.”

“Start your timer, Princess,” said Rarity. She swiftly hoof wrote a message on a piece of paper and held it in front of Applejack’s face.

The crystals on the bridle have a simple light enchantment on them. As you guessed, you are in no danger. But I want you to know that if I had time to arrange exploding crystals I would use them. I hate you all. Each and every one of you. Fluttershy and Twilight have tasted only part of my revenge. Soon the rest of you will feel my wrath.

Applejack looked from the note to Rarity in confusion, but bound and gagged as she was there was absolutely nothing she could do. She watched helplessly as Rarity dropped the note and ran into the basement.

The unicorn moved swiftly to the basement, and tapped out the sequence in the floor to unlock the secret panel, which moved aside as noiselessly as ever. The green glow of the occupant of the alcove spilled out into the room. Reaching inside, Rarity crushed a crystal and in a flash of light, both she and the alcove’s occupant disappeared.

Only to reappear on the edge of the Everfree forest. She had been awaited for some time at this rendezvous.

“Quick, take it off before they track it and follow you here!” urged the one who had waited.

“Just a moment,” said Rarity. She reached up to her neck and impossibly, under her flesh. There was a clicking sound and she pulled out a necklace adorned with a grey and red amulet in the shape of an alicorn. As she did so, the form of Rarity melted away. Revealing the slim form of a pink earth pony with a purple mane. She dropped the alicorn amulet into into the lead box the tall changeling held out to her.

“Well, Ms. Polomare, what’s the situation back at the Boutique?” asked the changeling.

“As you predicted would happen, Your Majesty,” said the Manehatten designer. “One of the Princesses is there along with a great many guards. I managed to leave one the Elements bound and gagged in the Boutique. The guards will likely move in soon.”

“Excellent,” said Chrysalis. “Now to place the icing on this deceitful cake. Get behind me.” Suri moved to stand behind the changeling queen. Chrysalis ignited her horn and directed it toward the pod that had been transported with Suri. Green fire washed over the pod, dissolving it and revealing the sleeping figure of an alabaster unicorn. Chrysalis continued to use her power on both pod and unicorn, until the pod was completely gone and Rarity was spotlessly clean.

Chrysalis quickly transformed herself into a large red manticore, and poked Rarity in the side. After two weeks of enforced sleep in the pod the unicorn barely moved. The manticore poked Rarity again. Blearily, the unicorn blinked and looked up. Directly into the face of the manticore looming over her.

“RAAAAAAAAWR!” roared the manticore at point blank range.

“AAAAAAH!” screamed Rarity who began to run for all she was worth back to Ponyville. Stumbling and tripping as she did. Unused muscles taking time to reacquaint themselves with the laws of physics under the lash of adrenaline.

“This should be worth a laugh,” said Chrysalis, summoning up a pair of telescopes as she returned to her own form. Together, she and Suri watched Rarity run back into Ponyville, only to be tackled, muzzled and shackled as she neared the guard detachment who were just about to break into Carousel Boutique to rescue Applejack.

“Well, I must say, it was exhilarating having unicorn abilities,” said Suri turning to her benefactor. “I certainly couldn’t have gotten my revenge on Rarity without that amulet. Where did you find it?”

“It’s something I picked up,” said Chrysalis. “Sparkle and her friends tried to hide it but they forgot that artifacts like the Alicorn Amulet want to be used. They can always be found by those who have a great enough need. And it was reasonable to assume that an artifact that could allow a unicorn to match an alicorn would be able to give an earth pony the ability to cast spells.”

“Twilight and Fluttershy gone forever, with Rarity ‘caught red-handed’ for their abduction and disappearance,” Suri said. “I couldn’t have asked for much more. Getting the other three would have been nice. But Rarity and the other two were the ones most responsible for the downfall of my business.”

“To be fair, my accomplice,” said Chrysalis. “Now that the Princesses have an idea where to look, I have no doubt Sparkle and Fluttershy will be rescued soon. Rarity, however, will have a difficult time convincing anypony she is innocent. Even if she does, there will always be whispers and hints of distrust. The power of the friendship of those six has been broken. They will never be as strong again.”

“Well, I have my cut of those sales,” said Suri. “Time for me to make my way back to Manehatten. Rarity’s business is about to crash and I should be able to pick up her assets for a song. It was a pleasure working with you, Your Majesty.” Suri turned to leave, or tried to. Her hooves wouldn’t move. Looking down she saw her hooves had been glued to the ground with changeling resin.

“I’m sorry, Suri,” said Chrysalis, sadly. “You have been an able accomplice and I hate to reward competence with treachery, but you are what is termed a ‘loose end’ and I cannot allow you to be found out. Should anypony catch on to your role in this affair my own involvement would be discovered and that is unacceptable.” Several drones emerged from the bushes behind Chrysalis.

Suri paled and said, “Are...are you going to kill me?”

“I should,” said Chrysalis. “But as I said, you have been competent, and I may one day, have use for you again. I will make you an offer. Willingly become my personal slave. In exchange I promise not to pod you and when I do finally, permanently conquer Equestria, I will grant you any three ponies you choose, as your own personal slaves.” Chrysalis could see the idea of Rarity, in chains, and at Suri’s hooves, had appeal for the earth pony.

“I accept Your Majesty,” said Suri. “I am your creature.” Chrysalis smiled and at her motion lead ropes were attached to Suri, who willingly allowed herself to be led off to a dark destiny.

Author's Note

Okay, Confession Time!

I wrote the first chapter of this when I was in a very, very strange mood. Part self-destructiveness, part don't give a crap. I wrote the worst thing I could possibly think of writing. I'm not surprised it's one of the most polarizing things I've written.

But, in the light of day, I realized what I had written. And despite the call of one reader to delete the story, that is something I won't do because every letter written is a learning experience. That said however, these last two chapters are an attempt to make a half-wise decent story out this. As poor as it is. I thank you, dear reader, making it to the end of this story.

With thanks to my wife, DJ Mooncheeks for putting up with me not doing chores while I wrote this and apologies to Damaged and Cross Lament for not letting them edit this first. I didn't want them to suffer.