Chapters 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.
“So good of you to come over and give me a hoof with this, Fluttershy,” said Rarity, over the steaming tea she was sharing with the yellow pegasus.
“Oh, of course I couldn’t say ‘no,' Rarity,” said Fluttershy, as she sipped at her own cup. “I’m more than happy to come over and help you with a new line.”
“Well, if you’ve finished with your tea, darling,” said Rarity, putting her cup down. “We should get to it. What did you think of the tea? It’s new.”
“Very fruity,” said Fluttershy quietly. “The taste lingers on your tongue a bit.”
“Twilight liked it as well,” said Rarity, as she got out a pair of rolling frames holding spools of ribbon, trim and some bolts of fabric.
“Where is Twilight?” asked Fluttershy. “No one has seen her for a few days now.”
“Oh, she is off on a friendship mission to Yakyakistan,” said Rarity. “She came by just before she left for some cold weather gear. Now darling, if you will just stand between these frames holding my materials, I can get to work.”
“Oh, that’s good to know about Twilight,” said Fluttershy, as she stepped toward the indicated spot. “Um, why do you need me to stand between your fabric racks? Aren’t you going to use the ponyquins?” Fluttershy eyed the sturdy wheeled racks Rarity had set up somewhat warily. They were very sturdily built to hold the weight of the bolts of fabric but she was a little worried they could tip.
“Usually I would,” said Rarity. “But I need to see things on a living, breathing body so I can put this together faster. Are the racks making you nervous?”
“Um, a little,” admitted the demure pegasus.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want my model to be nervous,” said Rarity. Fluttershy didn’t see the slight smile that ghosted across Rarity’s face. “Let me put the braces into place for safety, and there will be nothing to worry about.”
Setting actions to words, Rarity dropped four large connecting pieces of steel into slots made for the purpose on the racks. Two at either end on the top and on the bottom, bracing the racks against each other. They also, incidentally, closed the ends of a steel frame box around Fluttershy. She could still easily step through the front or the back of the box as she wished.
“There we go, dear Fluttershy,” said Rarity. “A pony could jump up and down on those frames now and they wouldn’t tip.”
“Oh, okay, thank you.” said Fluttershy. “Um, what are you doing now?” Rarity had pulled some wide, red ribbon from a spool was and winding it in a crisscross fashion around one of Fluttershy’s folded wings.
“I’m trying to break into the Neighponese market,” said Rarity, as she tied off the wrapping around one wing and began on the other. “The Neighponese like wing-binding on their pegasi. There we go,” said Rarity as she finished the second wing, “try flapping your wings.” Fluttershy gave her wings an experimental flap. She could move the wings up and down but that was all.
“I...I can’t unfold them, Rarity,” said Fluttershy, trembling slightly. “I can’t fly.”
“Don’t worry about that dear,” said Rarity, getting out some lace wrapped leather hoofcuffs that were hanging on the racks. “You aren’t going to be doing any flying with your wings anyway.”
“I guess, you’re right,” said Fluttershy. She lifted her hooves one at a time as Rarity buckled the laced cuffs to each in turn. “Are you sure this is how it’s supposed to be done?”
“Quite sure my dear,” said Rarity. “Those cuffs look splendid on you. Next, we need to take care of that lovely throat of yours.” She got out a good sized piece of black fabric with some straps and buckles attached to it. The black fabric was embossed with golden dragons on the cloth.
“That’s a lovely piece, Rarity,” said Fluttershy, as Rarity wrapped the fabric around Fluttershy’s throat and began to buckle it into place. “But why does it look and feel like a collar?”
“Because it IS a collar,” said Rarity. Fluttershy tried to move away from Rarity in surprise, but banged into the frame beside her as she did so. “Stop fidgeting, darling. The Neighponese like high collars.”
“I’m sorry,” apologized Fluttershy, who returned to the center of the box frame, even as Rarity finished buckling the high collar around her throat. “Collars make me a little nervous.” She twitched her neck around and found she could turn her head but little else. The stays in the collar prevented her from bending her neck or head. Fluttershy began to nervously move her body around, to try to see everything she normally.
“Stop fidgeting,” ordered Rarity.
“I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy again. “I told you, being collared makes me nervous.” Rarity raised an eyebrow at that revelation. “I...um, mentioned back in the dream we shared with Luna, that sometimes I like being the pet...”
“Well then,” said Rarity. “We will have to find some way to calm you down, won’t we?”
“Um, okay,” said Fluttershy. Rarity looked around, checking the supplies on hand. She looked through several drawers and racks before finding something that she brought over to the nervous pegasus.
“Oh, this is just too perfect,” said Rarity, as she came up holding a golden piece of fabric in her magic.
“Um, what is that,” said Fluttershy apprehensively.
“It’s a well known fact that we ponies are calmer when our eyes are covered,” said Rarity, holding up the cloth. “So, I’m going to hood you to calm you down.”
“Ho..hood me?” Fluttershy asked, as she tried to back away. Only to bang her hocks against the lower frame brace behind her. The impact made her jump back forward toward Rarity.
“Just feel the material, darling,” said Rarity, as she rubbed the hood against the side of Fluttershy’s cheek. “That’s genuine Maredegascar spider silk.”
“Oooooh,” sighed Fluttershy. “That is very soft. Um, okay, go ahead.” Rarity drew the golden silk fabric over Fluttershy’s head. The pegasus mare gave small noises of pleasure at the soft caress of the silk. Once in position the hood sat loosely on her head, covering her eyes and ears but allowing her mouth and muzzle to poke through.
“That fit is simply atrocious,” said Rarity, and she began to thread some ribbon through several grommets set into the fabric. As she wove and tightened the ribbon through the grommets, the hood drew tighter about Fluttershy’s head, eventually becoming both skin tight and part of the collar as well. “Much better,” she said, as she finished.
“I can’t open my eyes, Rarity. What if I fall or bang into something?”
“One moment,” said Rarity. “Just trust me. I will make sure you are kept safely in position.” With that, Rarity lifted a pair of shock cords from either side of the frame and attached the elastic straps to Fluttershy’s black and golden collar. “There dear,” she said. “Now you can stand there and be sure that you are in the right spot.”
“Okay,” said Fluttershy, as she tried to move a bit. Each time, the shock cords resisted the movement and guided her firmly back to the neutral position. She couldn’t see the feral grin come over Rarity’s face or the hunger that suddenly flamed bright in the fashionista’s eyes. She had her prey hooded, collared, grounded and tethered. It was time to start literally wrapping things up.
Rarity began to weave ribbon around Fluttershy’s body in a diamond pattern. Back and forth the ribbon went, smoothly harnessing the body of the butter yellow pegasus in a scarlet pattern. Fluttershy held still for the most part. Her inability to see naturally calming her and any fidgeting was handled by the shock cords tethering her in place. But she did react when Rarity pulled the harness tight, and suddenly a line of ribbon with several large knots in it, cleaved her sex and rubbed up against her pearl.
“Ahhh...Rar..Rarity,” Fluttershy half moaned, half gasped. “That’s, um..private. Ah...ah.” The direct stimulation was driving her lust, and her wings naturally tried to extend as they normally, would when she was aroused. However, her wings were tied closed and all she could do was flutter them up and down. While this did not help her fly, it did cause something else to happen. A pair of ribbons had been woven into the harness to her wings, and when she tried to flap them it caused the ribbon in her slit to slide up and down. Rubbing the line of silken ribbon knots across her clit and both of her sensitive openings.
“Rarity!” she gasped out loud. “What kind of dress is this?” She could feel Rarity doing something to the cuffs on her legs and to the weave around her.
“Oh, my Pet,” purred Rarity. “I never said it was a dress. But I definitely do need you to break into the Neighponese market. Get ready to fly without wings, darling Pet.” With that, there was a sudden pull, and simultaneously all four of Fluttershy’s hooves left the ground, and were pulled up to nestle against her body. Her body’s weight was taken up evenly by the harness around her. That harness was now attached to the frame around the pegasus by several shock cords. Suspending her in mid-air.
Having finally realized that something very untoward was happening, Fluttershy began to buck and struggle. For ten minutes she fought the grip of the harness, the cuffs, the collar and her tethers. But all she did was to repeatedly drag the knots in her most sensitive areas back and forth. The connecting lines did their work of transferring her motion to that area as planned. The last minute of Fluttershy’s struggles pulled a shuddering orgasm from her as the stimulation finally proved too much to resist. Spent, she hung limply in the web which had been woven about her. As trapped as any fly before a spider.
“Rarity,” Fluttershy whispered. “Are you going to let me go?”
“No,” said Rarity, confirming Fluttershy’s fears. “I’m not. You are getting me into the Neighponese market, just as you are. A submissive mare, suspended in shibari .”
“How does making me a bound slavemare get you into Neighpon?” asked Fluttershy, her voice still barely whispering.
“The Neighponese will never allow me into their markets, unless I’m invited in,” explained Rarity. “To get that invite, I have to offer a great gift to the Yak-uza crime lords who control the fashion industry there. Once they accept my gift, they will designate me as a Roan-in, or mercenary, and allow me access.”
“And I’m the gift,” Fluttershy whispered.
“You are the gift,” Rarity confirmed. “I must say, you are taking this far better than expected.”
“I’ve worked with too many critters not to know when I’ve been snared myself,” said Fluttershy. “The hunter has caught me and there is no point in struggling, at least not right now.”
Rarity began to wheel the framework holding the captive, suspended pegasus toward the ramp leading to the basement. Fluttershy was rocked back and forth by the motion and the ribbon again sawed at her sensitive areas.
“Are you going to kill me?” asked Fluttershy softly, barely stopping herself from moaning. “I can’t stop you, if that is your plan. But I would like to know, so I can prepare my spirit.”
“No, dear Pet,” said Rarity. “I have no wish to see you die.”
“Then know this,” said Fluttershy, with quiet steel in her voice. “No matter how many ropes or chains you place on me. No matter the cage, no matter the place. No matter what you do to break my spirit. One day, I will break free. One day, I will come for you. On that day, I promise you, you will beg for my mercy. And I will show you the kindness and mercy you have shown me today.”
Rarity finished rolling the frame into the basement, where a shipping container already marked for the train to Vanhoofer, awaited its cargo. She gathered up a couple of tools to help make the time go by faster, until she could take the container to the train.
“I accept your terms, Pet,” said Rarity. “In the meantime, I want to see which makes you cry out louder. Pleasure.” She dragged a running vibrator over Fluttershy’s ribbon covered marehood, drawing out a moan. “Or pain,” she continued, sharply smacking Fluttershy on her cutie mark with a crop. Which drew out a pained gasp from the bound pegasus.
~~~~~+++++~~~~~
Hours later, Fluttershy was gone. Gagged, muzzled and still suspended in her harness, she had been rendered unconscious with some drugged tea and sheer exhaustion. It turned out to have been a tie between pleasure and pain to make her cry out the loudest. When she had reached the train station with her cargo, the porters from Neighpon she had met, had shown they were fully aware of the nature of the cargo they were escorting, and knew to how to keep Fluttershy fed, watered, and above all, tractable.
Rarity was tired from her long day. Her long, successful and enjoyable day. Only one thing remained to make it complete. She walked over to a featureless section of basement wall and pressed on a series of floor tiles in a particular sequence. A section of wall smoothly slid aside, without a sound, and revealed an alcove that none save her knew about. The alcove was lit from within by a green glow, and as that light spilled over Rarity an unholy fire filled her eyes, even as her face split in a cruel smile.
“Soon, my dear,” she said to the source of that glow. “Soon I can take you out of there, and then my revenge will be complete.”
“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.