Perched on a cloud not too high, Rainbow Dash peeked over the edge at her targets below. "This is totally going to be the best prank ever!" She tipped the bucket of black paint into the cloud and gave it a few taps with her wings to stir it around. "Almost…" Her sharp eyes locked on the tiny shapes below. "Almost…"

Seabreeze reached into a flower and tucked a little more pollen into his pollen bag. Something plinked on the flower beside him and, in typical breezie fashion, he turned to inspect it. The flower had turned dark black.

"Vid als ent?" Lightbreeze fluttered her wings on the still air, approaching her coltfriend. "Seabreeze, als ent?" She blinked in surprise when she saw the black flower.

Looking to his fillyfriend, Seabreeze opened his mouth to reply to Lightbreeze, when a black drop of rain hit the top of her head. "Klaxon!" He looked around for their attacker, but when he couldn't find anything he grabbed Lightbreeze up and flew as fast as he could.

Rainbow Dash started giggling at the brightly colored fey getting hit by more of the black rain. Giggles turned to laughter, and she was just about to roll to her back when she saw Seabreeze look up. "Got you, that's really—"

"Haaza! Ent hexxen!" Seabreeze wouldn't have felt bad about a prank if it hadn't hit Lightbreeze first. His short fuse was the trigger that Rainbow's words hit, and he fired off his magic at her before he realized it. "Ent hexxen daaf!"

"Huh?" Rainbow felt an odd tingle run up and down her spine. Something felt off, and before things got too out of hoof she delivered a solid kick to the cloud—dispersing it. Shrugging off the strange feeling, she spread her wings and pumped them hard. Rainbow sped away from the two breezies and headed back home. "That was the best one yet. I hope Fluttershy doesn't find out about it…" She yawned. "… though."

Landing at her own front door, Rainbow threw the door open and staggered inside. "Guess building that prank took more out of me than I thought." She walked, her legs wobbling more with each step, to her bedroom. Rainbow Dash barely made it onto her bed before her eyes fluttered, and the magic Seabreeze used took full effect.

Rainbow's thoughts drifted like pegasi on the wind. She soared through a light dream, and had not a care in the world. The mare barely even registered the first touch against her shoulder, but when tiny hooves began moving her hoof she jerked back awake. "Waddaya doin'?" Slurring her words, Rainbow had to fight to focus her eyes on the breezies.

"Ya don' 'ave t' worr'." Seabreeze commanded the swarm of breezies the same as he did when they were out hunting pollen. His first target was the mare's wings.

Struggling to move, Rainbow felt weak, and just trying to kick out was like shoving her leg through cool molasses. She tried to snap her wings out of the grip of the tiny fey, and if there was just a few fighting her movement she would have managed. There was nearly twenty breezies per wing; and weak as the spell had made Rainbow, she felt herself losing the fight against them.

A bright pink ribbon was first, and she stared over her shoulder as the breezies wove it around her wing. "Get offa me!" Even just talking was hard, and yelling at the breezies was actually tiring. She tried to toss the tiny fairy creatures away, but lacked the strength to lift her own body. Another ribbon was added, then another, and more. Rainbow watched with growing panic as they bound each of her wings up into tight bundles.

"Hol' still, dis'll take long' if ya struggle." Seabreeze tried to put a reassuring hoof on Rainbow's snout, but had to jump back when she snapped at him. "Long' it is."

The fey focused on one of Dash's forelegs at a time, folding it up and binding it with ribbons. She strained against their work, and strained more when they had her forelimbs secured. Panting hard at the effort needed to resist the breezies, Rainbow was losing the struggle and she knew it. "Just… Let's talk about this…"

Pressure at Rainbow's left back leg was a sure sign that her pleading wasn't any more help than her struggling, and bit by bit the fey folded her back legs up and bound them tight. Rainbow's tail was pulled down and between her legs, and when they wrapped ribbons around her entire body, it bound her last limb up too. Gentle eased to her side, Rainbow stared at the breezies as they approached her head.

Fighting to the last, Rainbow felt new ribbons wrapping around her head. They were pulling her snout down between her bound forelegs. Standing before her, looking satisfied with the work, Seabreeze was supervising. When her snout was tucked in, more ribbon wrapped around Rainbow's head, and she felt as tightly bundled up as a pony could be. The last thing she saw was Seabreeze walking up to her face and leaning forward to kiss her between her eyes. Everything got heavier, and Rainbow's senses fled in the wake of the new enchantment.

"Ye ay dirty joker, eh?" Seabreeze used his tiny legs to pat at Rainbow's cheek. Each tap he gave her snout banished a little of the weakening sleep spell he had instilled into her. "Ye wake!" This time he poked at Rainbow and sent a tiny jolt of magic down his leg.

The zap felt like a bug bite, and startled Rainbow Dash from a deep sleep. Standing right before her eyes was what seemed like a huge Seabreeze, but her brain kicked into gear and she realized the breezie was standing right at the bridge of her nose. "What gives?" She tried to stand up, only to have her body strain against binding ropes. All over her body she was restrained by thin strips of colorful ribbon. The bindings didn't look strong, individually, but together they were a net that kept Rainbow from doing more than straining. Studying her surroundings as best she could with the bridle on, Rainbow pieced together that she was on the edge of the breezie's village.

"Old law ya broke. Fey, when pranked… we prank back." Tapping the bridge of Rainbow's snout, Seabreeze smiled. "Yer jus' one pony, one pony o' debt." He leaned in and pressed his lips between Rainbow Dash's eyes. Magic flowed through him, pouring in from the other breezies in Rainbow Dash's bedroom, pouring into Rainbow Dash. "A year anna day."

A strong, magical tension built inside Rainbow Dash. An ache spread over her body and she felt tears coming to her eyes. "What are you doing to me? Why are you doing this? It was just a prank!" The ache turned into a need for something, something she wasn't getting. "P-Please…"

Ten breezies flew as hard as they could to lift something up in front of Rainbow's face. Eyes widening, the Element Bearer of Loyalty spotted the strange looking bridle and the pit of need found its focus. Nothing in her life had looked so grand as the bridle, bit, and blinkers that her eyes beheld. Tears flowed down Rainbow's cheeks, tears of joy that she had been allowed to see it.

The soft straps came closer, and Rainbow strained to push forward. Each tight ribbon worked with every other to keep her immobile, however. "I… Please, I gotta have that on me…" A tiny hoof rubbed down the bridge of her nose, like somepony reassuring their pet.

"Ye'll wear it." Seabreeze knew the effects of his spell, and could feel the magic binding itself to Rainbow Dash. At his guidance, the bridle was pulled up and over the bridge of Rainbow's snout. He only had to tap her lips once for her to open her mouth to accept the bit. More breezies fluttered down to help pull the headgear into place.

Rainbow worked her teeth at the bit a few times before it settled behind them. The edges of the metal pulled at the corners of her mouth, and the middle pressed firmly down on her tongue; she would not be talking easily like this, and it thrilled her to bits.

As more of the bridle pulled over her head, Rainbow could feel the soft straps gripping her head firmly, and when they were buckled up behind her neck she gasped at the jolt of magic that shot through her. She felt better than she had in her life. Rainbow Dash felt complete, perfect, right. She could feel a squirming of magic inside her, but with the bridle on she was calm enough that it didn't matter.

"Ay got ya now." Seabreeze rubbed at Rainbow's snout again and again, his little smile wide. "A prank fer a prank. Ees settle'."

Left staring ahead, her peripheral vision blocked by the blinkers on each side of her face, Rainbow could do nothing but stare at the breezie stroking her comfortingly. Her head felt funny. Her thoughts circled in a thickening fog that pulled her back down towards sleep. Rainbow's eyes fluttered a few times before she closed them for good.

Jerking awake again, Rainbow felt something touching her snout. Crossing her eyes down to narrow her vision, she could see Seabreeze stroking her muzzle slowly. Her mouth worked, and she felt the bit suppressing her ability to speak clearly, but nevertheless she tried to ask him what he was doing.

"Ey, stop et." Seabreeze turned his attention to the awake pony. "Jus' goin' fer a ride'." Without another word, Seabreeze jumped up onto the bridge of Rainbow's nose.

Surprised by the action, and feeling sensitive and strange, Rainbow's instincts worked before she could think. A pleasant discovery was had when, tossing her head, she discovered she was free of the binding ribbons. She intended to send Seabreeze flying, but at the last moment the little breezie's legs wrapped tightly around her muzzle and held firm.

"E ff m!" Rainbow couldn't help it, her instincts made her jump and bounce like a wild thing. She was so desperate to throw Seabreeze off that she didn't notice his wings flutter up before her blinkered eyes.

"Eef ya no be civlized, I make ya civlized!" Seabreeze was gripping as tightly as he could to hold on to the wildest ride in Equestria, but when Rainbow didn't react to his words, he sent magic into his wings.

Rainbow froze in place. Pretty colors danced along Seabreeze's wings, but it was more than just light; there was magic in his fluttering, gossamer wings. Her heart almost froze in her chest when her muscles all seemed to lock in place. Snorting hard, she watched the wings flick a little. Without any way to stop them, Rainbow's wings tucked down at her sides. Another flick and her stance straightened.

"Thar." Seabreeze gentle squeezed with his back legs, and gave his wings a flick that would guide his mount's body to walk forward slowly. "Ah train ya like this, den."

Rainbow stared almost blindly ahead. Seabreeze eased her body into a trot, tapping a little more firmly on her sensitive snout with his hooves. Her breath came quickly, and though part of her was eagerly awaiting the taps to change her pace, another part was breathing a sigh of relief that nopony was around to see her.

A new poke startled Rainbow Dash out of a daze. Seabreeze's forelegs squeezed again, and her own wings snapped out. "Fry?" Another squeeze and she found her wings flapping, and suddenly they were in the air. A shiver ran from the tip of Rainbow's dock up to her nose, there was something disturbing about everything the breezie was doing.

Flying around in a slow circle, it wasn't until she landed that Rainbow realized she hadn't been forced to adjust her pace the last time Seabreeze had squeezed his back knees together. A single word danced through Rainbow's head, and she realized the truth in it: training.

"Whoa now. Goo, goo." Seabreeze patted at Rainbow's nose. Still using his wings, he directed Rainbow Dash to lower her head as he tapped the tip of her nose. At ground level, Seabreeze dismounted Rainbow's snout. "Ees goot girl."

In the back of her head, Rainbow Dash felt a jolt of pleasure at being called good. She kept her head tilted down and forward, accepting a few gentle strokes on her nose. The moment his hoof pulled away, the spell on her seemed to pop. Rainbow Dash realized that she had been treated like somepony's pet, and it rankled with her. Free of everything but the bridle, she spun around and bunched her back-end to leap away to freedom.

"Nae." Seabreeze gestured with one hoof, and like a mighty spire collapsing, Rainbow Dash folded down on herself. Lifting his forehooves up to his mouth, Seabreeze blew a loud whistle. Prepared for the mare fighting his control more, he summoned his swarm, and called them down to the extra harness. "Ya no' goin' git away."

Rainbow Dash struggled against the magic inside her. It made her legs and wings feel like they were made of jello. She wanted to curse and scream at Seabreeze, but even her mouth betrayed her. Once more the breezies carried a mass of straps and buckles, but this was much larger than her bridle. They lowered it down like a net, laying it over her.

Tiny hooves moved as they positioned the straps and bindings just right. She wanted to look back, to see what they were doing, but her body was her biggest traitor. She barely noticed Seabreeze when he walked up to her snout, but when he slung his legs over her and mounted her muzzle, she wanted to fight him. A flicker of magic wings, and Rainbow realized she was done for.

Rainbow slowly unfolded her legs and stood up. Breezies worked all over her, tugging the straps and buckles into place, weaving the soft binding tighter and tighter around her body. Her wings had straps reaching up to her first joint, and the breezies buckled it tight to her muscled limbs.

"Ya can still fly." Seabreeze patted Rainbow's snout gently, looking back over his shoulder and adjusting Rainbow's body for his swarm to trap. They worked at her other wing, then trailed the harness down to the mare's legs.

Bit by bit, every part of Rainbow Dash between her hocks, her knees, and her alula was now a tightly bound mass of straps. Even her dock was trapped, wrapped with a strap and pulled up a little. She breathed heavily through her nose, but couldn't look away from the pretty wings in front of her.

Snapping his magic off, Seabreeze looked back at Rainbow. "Ay gotcha snared." He clicked his forehooves into her snout, then again.

Rainbow Dash knew what the breezie wanted, knew that it would cost her pride to just do it, but she dearly wanted to be let out of the tight bindings. Spreading her wings, she flapped them. Her tertiary feathers were slightly compromised, as was some of the freedom of her wings, but she easily had enough lift to rise up into the air. Flapping steadily, her muscles under her own control again, she found herself waiting for Seabreeze.

"Ya!" Seabreeze snapped his back hooves in once, twice, then thrice. Holding on tight, he gave a whoop of excitement when Rainbow Dash shot into movement. Using his forelegs to guide her flight, and his back legs to guide her pace, rider and mount soared and flew for hours as they got used to each other's movements.

By the time Seabreeze brought Rainbow Dash back to land at the village, the pegasus was actually panting. She had given her all, and even with the straps on her wings restricting her, she had flown better than any other pony alive.

Rainbow Dash was guided to a trough, and dipping her head in on command revealed a mash of grain and water. It was heavy food, and completely unspiced, but despite her normal feelings on the matter it was the best food she had ever eaten. Her mouth worked, pulling more of the sloppy oats into her mouth, and she gulped it down repeatedly. Without her tongue to help—it was still restrained by the bit—Rainbow was forced to eat much like an animal.

On command, she turned from the food before she was full. Guided to dip her head down at a touch from the breezie, Rainbow couldn't get over how different and wrong everything felt. The memory of being controlled was still fresh, however, and she knew she didn't want that to happen again.

She stared at the tiny fey when Seabreeze dismounted, and though she hated what had happened, she couldn't deny a bond between them. Seabreeze reached a hoof out to rub her nose, and Rainbow felt comfort in his touch. Then a slight tingle was her only warning that it was time to sleep again. Yawning around the bit, she curled up as best she could.

Awakening bound up tight, Rainbow Dash squirmed a little. She could feel the ribbons all over her, each one working to fight her movement. She had no way of counting the days other than her memory, but it had been seven days since she had become Seabreeze's pet.

Giving up at struggling, she focused on staying calm until the breezies came for her. It had been hard to just calm down for the first few days, but like it or not, Rainbow was getting used to the treatment.

"Ay arlo en varla?" Lightbreeze approached the pony who had stripped her pride from her. Walking down the length of Rainbow Dash, she ran one hoof along the soft blue fur. "Darya eel."

The touch soothed Rainbow, Lightbreeze and Seabreeze were the closest thing she got to being treated with real affection. The other breezies helped care for her, but the two she had wronged seemed to genuinely enjoy looking after her.

One by one Rainbow felt the ribbons untied. Each one slacking off gave her a fraction more freedom. She knew, once about half were gone, that she could rip her way free, but that would result in a day like day four. She trembled at the thought of being bound up and not allowed to move for a whole day. She held still while Lightbreeze worked.

She had finally been left to sleep without the harness, but the bridle had been left on since she had been captured. Rainbow shifted her head so she could turn and look at Lightbreeze. The little breezie mare seemed to walk around Rainbow, unbinding her slowly, at random. Calmness had never been Rainbow's strong suit, but the breezies were very efficient at training.

"Enar. Arlo en darn?" Lightbreeze looked up at Rainbow, looking in her big eyes for a hint of her emotions. She couldn't stop a little smile from creeping over her snout, the pony looked relieved—happy. Walking up to the huge—to her—snout, Lightbreeze rubbed the mare's nose affectionately.

Gentle touches on her snout felt much different now. Rainbow blushed a little and leaned very slightly into the attention. Closing her eyes, she let the happy sensation wash away all her fears and regrets, if only for a moment.

"Eh, ya gots d' touch wit' da beastie." Seabreeze fluttered down to find his fillyfriend bonding with Rainbow. His touch was more firm than Lightbreeze's, but he could see in Rainbow's features that it was no less welcome. "It be time ta take care a' ya." Stepping around behind Rainbow's cheek, Seabreeze unfastened the bridle.

Shock hit Rainbow like a hammer. Her mind started running in terrified circles. She tried to yell and beg for the bridle to stay on, but Seabreeze was unrelenting. At the breezie's whistle, a small swarm of his brethren came to help. The horrible need slammed into Rainbow the moment it started coming free. She screwed her eyes shut and tried to shut out the panic Seabreeze's magical enchantment caused. The spell had had ample time to settle in, bonding to her mind and bridle both, and now it made removal of the restraint a terrifying prospect.

But one thing cut through the pain and terror of being unbridled; Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to see Lightbreeze gently stroking her snout. Without the bit in her mouth, Rainbow wanted to beg and plead for the bridle to be returned, but she didn't want to disturb the breezie that was her only lifeline in a sea of panic.

Lightbreeze could see the panic in her pet's eyes. She could see real terror as the mare's mind writhed in the grip of Seabreeze's enchantment. "Enar, id dar. Enar…" She kept her voice calm, while other breezies rushed about Rainbow, brushing her mane and face with soft brushes.

"A pon' whisp'er…" Seabreeze marveled for a moment at Lightbreeze's ability to hold Rainbow from going crazy with panic. He knew well that the spell would make her life a misery with the bridle off. Turning back to the swarm, he commanded them to work as fast as they could.

The feel of soft brushes smoothing her fur where the bridle had rubbed only made Rainbow ache more to have the thing on again. She could feel tears in the corners of her eyes, and held on to Lightbreeze's gaze.

"'ere ya go." Seabreeze helped hold up the bridle, and wasn't surprised when Rainbow shoved her head forward, claiming the straps and bit as her own. A strap started to twist, but he reached down and heaved it flat again.

Rainbow gave a soft sigh, chomping her bit until it settled behind her teeth again. Her body was complete once more, she no longer felt like a limb had been cut off. Dropping her snout down again, she gently touched Lightbreeze's side with it.

The army of breezies now collected new weapons. Brushes, oils, and dusts were deployed, and they set to work on Rainbow's body. Rainbow Dash had spent time in the day spa in Ponyville, and found herself actually enjoying that attention, which was what made the new morning routine a problem. Soft brushes worked at her fur, exotic oils were worked into her coat, and when the breezies teased her wings out, her feathers too were getting oiled.

A groan of pleasure leaked from Rainbow's snout before she realized it, and once it was free, it was followed by more. A gentle tugging at her tail surprised her from almost dozing off, and turning her head didn't let her see what was happening. The blinkers of her bridle kept her from watching the breezies weave her tail into an exotic pattern of interlocking diamonds of braid-work.

Rainbow wasn't aware fully of what was happening, but she did sense when her cleaning and primping was nearing its end. Opening her eyes, she spotted somebreezie new. She held very still, not daring to move a muscle.

"Dis 's mm li'l-un." Seabreeze leaned down to nuzzle his little filly. "Sh' wanna t' see ya." He kept one eye on his foal and the other on Rainbow Dash.

"Al lo." Rainbow leaned forward and felt the gentlest touch yet on her nose. A warm sensation passed through her, and she found herself almost giggling at it. Tiny fluttering wings lifted the filly up and she landed astride Rainbow Dash's snout. Too tiny to reach her legs over the bridge properly, she sat up straight and looked back into Rainbow's eyes.

The vast array of straps that comprised her harness was set down on Rainbow's back, but she didn't dare move. She blinked at the little, tiny breezie perched there. The filly leaned in and kissed her between the eyes. Another tiny jolt of happiness welled through her, spreading out and making even the tight straps of the harness feel good.

Extending her wings—Rainbow didn't want the breezies to pull at them again—she felt the straps worked over her humerus, and smaller straps tighten to her radius and ulna. It was snug, but she was starting to get used to it. When she felt the straps tighten around her forequarters, she lifted her wings and gave the slightest of strokes. Something felt off about her right wing. Carefully lifting her head, she turned and nuzzled at where a strap was pinching.

Seabreeze rushed over, seeing Rainbow show some distress. "Wha' 'appen'?" He landed on her wing and checked each strap. The fifth, he discovered, had a half-twist in it. "I'ma fix it." With his own hooves he unbuckled the strap and smoothed it back out. "Ya made a frien'." His filly was still sitting proudly on Rainbow's snout, watching as Seabreeze refastened the strap.

A simple warmth spread through Rainbow Dash. She was cared for in a way that defied her actual level of intelligence, but it wasn't demeaning. The breezies needed somepony to help them do their work, and she was practically pampered in the role of workhorse.

The straps were all fastened, and Rainbow lifted her snout up. Hooves worked up from her shoulder as Seabreeze climbed up her body, and she couldn't stop a happy smile coming to her snout when he tickled her ear. The tiny stallion slid down her face and landed on her nose. She was surprised that he still kept the foal between his forelegs. The slightest poke at her nose came, and Rainbow extended her wings again, this time readying for flight.

Before she got the command to take off, Rainbow spotted something shiny. Staring back at her from a mirror, she saw a blue pegasus with rainbow-colored mane and tail. She was transfixed by the image, and looked at the bridled and bound pony with some surprise.

Seabreeze couldn't help but notice what Rainbow was staring at; for the mare to look at anything she had to turn her head to face it, and that meant he was looking at it too. He looked at her stunned expression, watched her wiggle her ears, work her jaw, and do a myriad other little things unconsciously so she could recognize the mare in the mirror as "her."

"Yer a pretty one." Seabreeze rubbed Rainbow's snout gently. "Ah'm proud a'ya."

The breezie's words were surprisingly uplifting for Rainbow. She knew he was a very practical breezie, and to have him compliment her beauty—particularly after she had just received enough primping to satisfy Rarity—brought a blush to her cheeks. She was so surprised that she missed the poke of his hooves against her snout. Light flickered before Rainbow's eyes, and her blood ran cold.

"T' deal is: ya do da work, you folla instruc', an' I don' use dis." Seabreeze extended more magic, sinking it easily into Rainbow through the open windows of her eyes. The magic seeped down into her body and tugged at her muscles like the strings of a marionette. "Go t' ya ma'." Seabreeze nuzzled at his foal, gently pushing the filly off so that she fluttered back down to Lightbreeze.

Rainbow felt her muscles bunch up, her wings tilt just right to catch air, and with a hard pump of both sets of muscles she was flying. She wanted to scream and beg Seabreeze to stop, to let her fly herself, but the breezie was in control, and to her dismay kept it for half the day.

Ferrying breezies and their pollen around was Rainbow's job. More accurately it was Seabreeze's job, and Rainbow was just the tool he used to do it. With her body under his full control, Rainbow Dash was literally along for the ride. She hated the feeling of him doing this, but with the blinders on she couldn't look away from his colorful wings, nor the magic commands they were feeding her body.

Circling down to the breezie village, Rainbow saw the light snap from Seabreeze's wings just as her hooves touched down. "Fank ooo." She dropped to the ground, snapping to follow the command his hooves gave her. Rainbow resolved to focus on his commands more.

"'ome 'ere." Seabreeze was more than a little tired; expending his magic for most of the morning had left him more worn out than Rainbow likely was. He led the mare to a prepared half barrel—a pony sized one—and tapped a tiny hoof to it. "Grub's on."

Rainbow fell upon the barrel. The breezies didn't believe in breakfast it seemed, at least not for their pets. Diving her snout down, she struggled to eat the mashed up soaked oats around the bit in her mouth. The first crunch surprised her, but the explosion of apple flavor reminded her of Applejack's farm so much she almost cried.

"Ya don' like dat, do ya?" Seabreeze fluttered his wings once for emphasis, even if Rainbow couldn't see them. "Ya don' train a pon' da same a' ya train a dog." Fluttering up, Seabreeze landed on the top of Rainbow Dash's head. He claimed one ear and started rubbing it slowly. "Ya folla me, ya don' get t' magic."

Even as her mouth worked, Rainbow's brain committed the "apple or stick" ultimatum into her mind. She hated the control magic so much that she would do just about anything not to experience it again. Giving a nod, she gulped and ate as fast as she could.

"Da's abou' enough, time ta work." Seabreeze petted Rainbow's head and slid forwards. The moment his hooves tapped Rainbow's snout twice, she shot into the air without a moment of hesitation. "Goo' girl. Goooo' girl."

Fear of being controlled again drove Rainbow to be on her best behavior. When Seabreeze gave her a command, she carried it out as swiftly and perfectly as she could. She found herself anticipating the tiny stallion's needs, moving moments before the command came.

With her last load of chatting breezies hanging from the straps around her barrel, and a big pair of pollen bags strapped on, Rainbow Dash was directed back to the breezie village. She took pride in making the flight as calm as she could for the breezies, and when she landed was thrilled at the happy little voices and occasional stroking of her fur.

"Ez time fer food an' sleep." Seabreeze guided Rainbow back to the trough of food, even giving her the command to lower her head into the oversize bucket. "Ya fly like da' an' Ah don' 'ave ta use magi'."

It was reinforcement, but it was reinforcement Rainbow was willing to accept. She munched away, staring past Seabreeze on her snout. Already the days seemed to melt together, but in a good way. The work was repetitive, but each time he took her out, Rainbow got to fly. Flying literally meant the world to Rainbow Dash.

A little poke drew her head up automatically, despite her belly wanting more food. Guided back to where she had been sleeping for the last week, she was guided to lay down. Breezies descended upon her, and Rainbow first felt the straps on her wings loosened, then the rest of her harness being unfastened.

Brushes assaulted her, and for the second time in the same day she was being brushed down and her fur oiled. It would have been pure luxury, except there was an oddness to it; when you were in a day spa, all the attendees' attention would be on your wants and needs, but the breezies only cared for the latter. The tiny fey poked her to make her move a limb, and didn't excuse themselves when they had to brush out a nasty burr that had made her coat its home.

Despite the strange care, Rainbow was soon primped and tired enough to sleep a week away, even though she knew tomorrow would be more work. Yawning, she felt the first ribbon being pulled over her. Seven days ago, Rainbow Dash would have panicked and fought, she would have bucked her way free and kicked the breezies away from her body. But the Rainbow Dash the breezies had first caught was different from the one laying down, letting them tie her up.

Rainbow knew that Seabreeze would just climb on her snout again, and force her to lie still and let them bind her. The outcome would be the same, only this way she didn't have his magic controlling her.

They focused on her back-end first. Rainbow's powerful legs were folded, each limb wrapped in multiple ribbons to keep her from being able to extend them. More ribbons wrapped around her whole body, trapping her legs against her belly. She glanced back to see what they were doing to her tail, but again the blinkers kept her from seeing the breezies efforts. She soon discovered that they had woven ribbons into her tail, and pulled it tight under her belly.

The breezies worked forwards, keeping her wings tightly folded, binding more and more ribbon around her upper limbs until all she could have done was wiggle them at her humerus. She didn't struggle, but moved her wings exactly as the little pokes and prods directed her, hugging her wings down while they were bound to her torso.

Guided carefully to her side, Rainbow moved with each urging poke, tucking her forelegs up against her barrel, and finally her body was rendered immobile. She felt so small, even her tail couldn't move, restrained as it was. She looked at Seabreeze, noticed the satisfied and possessive look he gave her. "'ank ooo." Rainbow Dash's eyes grew heavy, and she slowly closed her eyes and let sleep steal away her thoughts.

"Have you seen Rainbow Dash?" Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, was short one friend. "She was supposed to be keeping the sky clear today, and I had to get Thunderlane to take care of the clouds. When I asked him, he said he hadn't seen her all week…" She had tried to find Fluttershy at the pegasus' home, but wound up meeting her in the town square.

"Um…" Fluttershy looked back over her shoulder, her eyes not seeing the breezies' hollow of course, but she felt a touch of guilt at what her little friends had told her. "She… she is paying somepony back…"

The way Fluttershy hesitated—more than often—tipped Twilight off that something a little strange was going on. "Paying back whom?" Her interest piqued, Twilight could feel that Fluttershy had some answers. "And what takes a week to pay back?"

"Seabreeze and Lightbreeze." Scuffing her hoof on the ground, Fluttershy took a deep breath. "You see, she played a prank on them, and then Seabreeze took it a little personal, and he claimed that under old law, fey were legally bound to repay a prank with another, and then it got a little out of hoof…"

Twilight lifted a hoof and planted it on her forehead; it was quickly becoming one of "those" days. "Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash has been missing for a whole week, she—"

"Two." Fluttershy blushed as she cut in, the word soft. "Two and a half, really."

"She has been paying back this prank for two and a half weeks? What is she doing?" Twilight racked her brains to think back to the breezies and what they needed.

Fluttershy tried to avoid her friend's gaze, half-hiding behind her mane. "She is… helping them with breezes. Seabreeze has been training her to help the breezies work further afield." It wasn't the full truth, Fluttershy had regretted asking when she heard Lightbreeze explain the "work."

"Well, that isn't so bad. How long is she doing this for?" Twilight smiled, glad to hear that her friend was not involved in anything strange. Twilight had, after experiencing the breezies' home town, examined a lot of lore on them.

"About fifty more weeks…" Fluttershy turned a little more to fully hide from Twilight's gaze behind her wash of pink mane. Surely Twilight wouldn't get too upset, Fluttershy thought. A moment passed, and finally she dared to peek at Twilight.

"What do you mean fifty weeks?!" Twilight finally exploded. "That is a whole year! What are we supposed to do if we need her during that time?!"

"Eep…" A pink curtain was called for again, and Fluttershy did her best to tuck her ears back and hide from Twilight.

"What'n tarnation are you doin', Twi?" Applejack marched up to her two friends and used her voice to cut over Twilight's panicked verbal flow.

"Rainbow Dash pulled a prank on some breezies, and now they are making her work for them for a year, and Fluttershy was—" Twilight suddenly realized what she had been doing. "I am so sorry Fluttershy, this isn't your fault…"

"She messed with a fey? Oh horse-apples. She's lucky if they only wanna mess with her fer a year." Applejack shuddered a little. "You know all about them, right, Fluttershy? You could take Twilight down to talk with 'em, maybe see if somethin' could be arranged?"

Twilight tilted her head to the side and thought. "Well I could go and demand they give Rainbow Dash up. Maybe I could work out something magical to help the breezies so they don't need her to help?" It seemed like such a small thing. "I mean, we can hardly go in and blast them with rainbows and all that… could't we?"

"We would need Rainbow Dash for that, I think." Fluttershy finally recovered from her panic and rejoined the conversation. "The Element of Loyalty and all."

"Hold on, both a ya. Be careful with them little-uns. Granny always says to be nice to 'em, but not too nice." For a moment Applejack thought she might have to grab Twilight's tail to keep her grounded. "If'n you offer 'em something, it means somethin' entirely different to what we think it does."

"I need to research this. I think I remember something about old laws to do with breezies." Snapping around, Twilight turned to face her castle. "I'll work out a way to get Rainbow Dash free in no time!"

"Smart girl, but Ah gotta wonder if she ain't just a bit… too focused." Applejack reached out a foreleg to hug Fluttershy, reassuring her friend.

Nervousness settled on Twilight like an old friend. It had kept her from doing stupid things on many occasions, but it was also nerves that whispered in her ear. Right now, Twilight's nerves complained that she was walking into a quagmire that she only had half a map for—and in this situation she was going to get more than dirty hooves. She pulled out her list again and scanned it. "Fluttershy, we have to be really careful what we say."

"I know, Twilight. Why do you think I urged everypony to cheer quietly when helping the breezies? That was a happy day for them, but still, please don't insult them." Trotting along beside Twilight, Fluttershy had only agreed to help the meeting so long as nopony else would be there.

"No, I mean… I represent a lot of ponies. If I say anything that implies I take responsibility…" Twilight trembled at the chill thought. "The last pony leader to have run afoul of the fey was King Sombra. He was gearing up for war with Equestria nearly a thousand years ago, and with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna on the way…" She gulped. "He had insulted a breezie. Said a lot of bad words to them. They held his entire kingdom responsible for the act of its leader."

Fluttershy stared at Twilight with dawning comprehension. "So the reason the Crystal Empire disappeared for a thousand years is…"

"Sombra's punishment." Twilight looked at her scroll, a list of phrasings she could use that wouldn't take responsibility for the "crime" Rainbow Dash committed. Studying it as closely as she could, she kept pace with Fluttershy until the other mare stopped.

"There she is…" Fluttershy pointed with a hoof, nearly straight up. Soaring through the clouds, a blue shape streaked along with a small swarm of breezies clinging to them.

Staring through Seabreeze's wings, Rainbow Dash let herself be guided by his actions. She swooped and flew, exulting in the sensation of being in control. Of course, she had no real control over where they were going, but Seabreeze let her have her head when she didn't fight him. The control the tiny breezie could exact on Rainbow made her skin crawl enough that she never wanted to feel it again.

Banking and circling down, she watched as their flight took them over two shapes on the ground. Rainbow Dash's focus shattered and she froze up.

Sensing his mount had a problem, Seabreeze shot magic into his wings and pulled Rainbow into a hover. "Wha's matter?" He reached lower down her muzzle so that Rainbow wouldn't interpret a touch as a "command," and rubbed her cheek affectionately. All his attention was on keeping her wings flapping, keeping her safe.

Forgetting about the bridle, the bit, and everything else, Rainbow felt the tight grip of Seabreeze's magic holding her body in check. The magic poured into her through her eyes, focused through her head and was trapped inside by the bridle. She could no more fight his control than she could stop her own heart, with the power he extended he controlled her body, denying her any hint of control. Part of her resented the lack of agency, but the parts not panicking about seeing Twilight and Fluttershy appreciated his protecting her. "Rnds own." She dipped her snout so that Seabreeze could see.

"Ya friend' at las'?" Seabreeze stopped his magic, giving Rainbow control of herself again. He tapped her snout just right, and felt her angle her wings to continue the glide. "They ain' gettin' ya out o' this. If they try it, might jus' end up in worse 'emselves."

Rainbow Dash didn't want anypony to bail her out of the payback. She wanted the year to be over and her friends not have to see her trussed up and acting like an animal. Following Seabreeze's directions perfectly, she found herself landing in front of Twilight and Fluttershy. She had to turn her head to see her friends, the blinkers keeping her to only looking straight ahead.

"O, lookit tha'." Seabreeze flapped his wings slowly, lifting back and up a little, hovering before Rainbow's face. "Wha kanna do fer ya?" He knew full well why they were here, but that didn't stop him being formal.

The sight before Twilight was shocking to say the least. Rainbow Dash's most obvious addition was the bridle. The supple straps wrapped the mare's face, and two big flaps blanked out her peripheral vision. Something seemed a little strange about her friend's eyes, but Twilight wasn't able to discern quite what it was.

Across Rainbow's body, a cage of straps wove and bound her. If they were restricting her, the pegasus didn't show it. Her tail was arched more than usual, forced up by the straps around it, showing off a little more length in her skirt than usual.

Hanging from the straps were breezies. Chatting away with each other, they seemed to flat out ignore the fact they were riding on a pony, acknowledging Rainbow Dash not at all.

"Uh…" Twilight quickly looked at her list and found what she was after. "I was checking up on my friend. Is she doing well?" She looked at Rainbow, and watched her friend turn her head away. The blinkers on the side of Rainbow's eyes prevented Twilight from reading the harnessed mare as effectively as she would have wished, but the blush was clearly that of embarrassment.

"She a bit light onta food. Ahm tak' good carea her." Seabreeze settled his weight down on Rainbow's head. "Loo' fore'."

Wanting to fight the breezie on the command, Rainbow hesitated for just a moment before doing it anyway. The fact that he wanted her embarrassed came as a revelation to Rainbow Dash, and with it her ego shrank just a little more. She looked at Twilight, wanting to beg her friend to get her out of the situation she had landed in, but Seabreeze's words came back.

"I want to offer," Twilight paused a moment, making sure of her wording, "that if you think I can punish her for what she has done, that I do so." It was tightly worded to take responsibility for punishment only, not crime.

"Yer a princess, aye?" Seabreeze's eyes narrowed down. "She did 'urtful fing. She repayin' it." He reached a little hoof out to rub Rainbow's ear, smiling when the mare tilted her head into the attention. "She' mine fer a year, a year anna day."

"Et oay." Rainbow Dash struggled to talk past the bit. She looked at her friends and ached to run to them, to hide behind their legs. The scratching at her ear intensified, and she tilted her head over a little more. "Eet oay…"

"You're accepting this?" Twilight's eyes widened. "But Rainbow, we need you to defend—"

"If'n ya nee' 'er, Ah'll lend 'er to ya." Seabreeze leaned down and pressed his tiny snout to Rainbow's ear. "If'n she offer' 'erself, or trie' t' 'elp ya, all 'questri'll pay."

"Don't worry, Rainbow, we will think of something." Twilight racked her brain to come up with ideas. "Fluttershy is taking care of Tank, and Thunderlane took over your normal duties."

" 'Tank'?" Seabreeze felt Rainbow stir a little at his mention of the word. "'oo 'ere is 'Tank'? Ah own 'er, an' all she own'."

Twilight's brain locked up. She had been trying to reassure her friend and now it could cost her a lot more. "She… Tank is…"

"Tank is my pet." Fluttershy's eyes hardened. "I was letting Rainbow Dash look after him for a little while. You don't have a claim on him; and besides, it is not right to own ponies!" She glared right at Seabreeze, not using The Stare, but approaching it.

"Tank' no my worry den." Seabreeze felt a tremble enter a hoof, and masked it by using the limb to rub Rainbow's head. "An we don' care wha' pon' think, this is breezie matta." He gave a firm nod of agreement with his own words.

"He's right, Fluttershy. Equestria is bound to let breezies have their own laws. They… they are some of the oldest laws in Equestria, in fact." Despite the topic being grim, Twilight still admired the law books she had found the information in; the old tomes were ancient beyond measure, and the enchantments on them stopped decay. "But what about Rainbow? You are taking a full year of her life for what, a few seconds of prank?"

"Nop', we don' take a day from 'er." Seabreeze rubbed the mare's other ear now, reassuring Rainbow and calming her as best he could. "I 'chanted 'er mesel'. A year 'n a day for yer is not a secon' for 'er."

The revelation that Rainbow Dash would not age for a year hit Twilight even harder than ever. This wasn't minor magic they were using on her friend, but something she had never heard used on a pony before. "I am here to make sure she is alright." She stepped forward, her horn lighting with magic.

Seabreeze didn't stop Twilight, and watched as her magic reached out and examined the layer upon layer of enchantments he had woven into Rainbow Dash and the bridle she was wearing. "Are ya don'?"

Twilight ground her teeth and pulled back her magic. Not only wasn't there anything wrong with Rainbow Dash, but there was a lot right. The magic that seemed wrapped around her like a net was protecting her, and making her stronger and faster among other things.

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, intensified her look and focused it on Rainbow. "Are they hurting you?" She wouldn't use The Stare on a friend, but she had to know Rainbow was okay.

"Ooo." Rainbow Dash cursed at the bit in her mouth. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Hurting was about the farthest from what the breezies were doing; to the fey, Rainbow Dash was a prized work animal, and you don't hurt those on purpose.

"Are they are feeding you? Are they taking care of you?" Fluttershy watched her best friend nod to the similar questions. She wanted to use The Stare right then and there, demand the breezies give up her friend… but it would all be wrong and Fluttershy knew it. "Are you happy?"

The question was a stunner, mainly because it made Rainbow think. She hated to lie to Fluttershy, but to protect her friends she would do just about anything. She focused on the sixteen days she had been with the breezies, and realized that if she had been asked just days earlier she would have shaken her head. But Rainbow Dash was flying, she was allowed to run, and to have fun with her movement, even if she was restricted by Seabreeze's commands. Summoning up the essence of her friendship, Rainbow didn't have to stretch the truth too far to nod.

"Time t' go Ah thin'." Seabreeze slid down Rainbow's face and landed astride her snout. "Nice t' 'ave see' ya again, Fluttershy." His voice warped a touch at pronouncing Fluttershy's full name, but he didn't want to insult her any more than she him. "C'mon, git on 'ome." His hooves dug in twice, then at the front. Rainbow Dash pumped her wings on command and flew!

Rainbow Dash couldn't count the days anymore. They flicked by like leaves on the wind, and she trusted Seabreeze to keep his word on the duration of her stay. Despite that, she knew some time had passed; the seasons had turned, spring had turned to summer, and summer to autumn. Flying as she was bid—as always—Rainbow was a little spaced out.

Circling down, Rainbow landed in the middle of the breezie town. Nearly a dozen breezies were latched on to her, not counting Seabreeze. Dipping her head on command, she watched her rider dismount. She didn't feel embarrassed, not until her former friends around town started to stare.

"Focus on me." Seabreeze spoke as clearly as he could, rubbing at Rainbow's snout to hold her attention. Seeing too much panic on his mount's face, he jumped back up onto her nose and gripped his legs down tight.

Rainbow's shaking stopped dead. Her rider was mounted, and his legs were giving her firm assurance that he was in control of the situation. She stared at the pretty wings before her and smiled past the bit.

The command to move forward slowly came, and Rainbow stepped into a walk. Seabreeze guided her to various shopfronts before he found what he was after. Turning her more forcefully, Rainbow was led into Quills and Sofas.

Seabreeze departed Rainbow's snout, fluttering to the counter to begin discussion with Davenport. Rainbow smiled at remembering the stallion's name, but rather than watch that conversation she turned to look outside. Ponies were almost pressed to the glass, staring. The looks of shock and horror were about equal, but Rainbow Dash heard Seabreeze's voice and took comfort in it.

Rainbow Dash's heart stopped in her chest when she saw Rarity start to march inside the shop. Ruffling her wings in shock, Rainbow couldn't alert Seabreeze in time before her friend was facing her.

Rarity looked up and down Rainbow, and couldn't believe what she saw. "I heard all about the… service." The word dropped from Rarity's tongue in a distasteful manner. "And I think the outfit is…" she fumbled for a word to express her distaste, "very base."

Rainbow Dash looked changed, to Rarity's keep eyes. Rarity first focused on her tomcolt-friend's Face. Thicker lashes surrounded Rainbow Dash's cerise eyes, giving them a more full look. Her gaze traveled over the bridle—something that was definitely not in this year—and locked on Rainbow Dash's mane. The hair was gathered up behind Rainbow's head, and it pooled down from a high arc to spill around her back. Rainbow Dash's mane was more shiny and perfect than Rarity had ever seen it, and she felt the first bite of envy.

The harness Rainbow Dash wore did nothing to hide her body, but at her wings it gripped her limbs, supporting them should they come under great strain. Rarity wasn't focusing on the straps, however, she gazed at Rainbow's feathers. A slight tint of color stained each one, and either it was magic or someone had taken the time to paint all her feathers to blend together perfectly.

Rainbow Dash's tail, too, looked different. Rarity could see how the straps held the bound mare's dock up, forcing her tail skirt to arc high, but the length of Rainbow Dash's tail was a sight to behold. Long and full bodied, the hair seemed to almost glow with its own life.

"Darling, who is taking care of you? This is astounding!" Rarity stepped closer to Rainbow, and she couldn't stop examining her friend. As she neared the pegasus, however, she noticed something a little stranger. Even accounting for Rarity having perhaps grown, Rainbow Dash had lost nearly two inches of height at her shoulders. Her focus on Rainbow Dash was broken when Rarity heard Davenport, the owner of the shop, approach.

"Is this her? Yes, I can see where she is a little raw. I am sure I can make you something." Davenport was as happy and excited as a shopkeeper could be—which was "fake grin and kind voice" mostly.

"Ees goo', get t' best fer my girl." Seabreeze fluttered back and landed on Rainbow's snout. Gently coaxing her around, he aimed them at the doorway.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then!" Davenport waved to the breezie, and when the door closed behind the pair, added, "Not even the strangest thing this week…"

"You have got that right…" Rarity stared at her friend, could see the slight movements of Seabreeze's hooves guiding Rainbow effortlessly. "I must tell Twilight about this!"

Rainbow found herself almost prancing. The prospect of getting something over her nose to protect her was making her a little giggly with excitement, but when she saw the Ponyvillians look away after Seabreeze fixed each with a stare, she felt more pride than excitement. Strutting through the middle of town, there was no hint of embarrassment in her.

Hauling around breezies was normal. It was Rainbow Dash's everyday job. She spiraled around towards something she hadn't seen in awhile. Seabreeze's hooves guided her with precision, neither rider nor mount needing words to know exactly what the other was thinking—normally. Right now, Rainbow was confused.

She wanted to ask why they were landing at her old house, but fighting the bit was more trouble than it was worth; Seabreeze would show her soon enough. Braking her speed with a back-wing, Rainbow settled all four hooves on the soft cloud and felt a tingle in the back of her head.

"Year an'a day." Seabreeze tapped Rainbow, guiding her snout down to the ground. Reaching up, he unfastened the little saddle he had used to stay comfortable on his mount. "An' yer debt is paid." He reached up and kissed Rainbow between the eyes. A bubble of magic popped. Then another. A cascade of enchantments that had been at work in Rainbow suddenly undid in a flood.

Rainbow Dash stared at Seabreeze. She couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't ask him what to do. He was meant to just tell her what to do. To her shock, the breezie fluttered his way to the side of the cloud and dropped off it.

From the harness she still wore, Rainbow Dash felt breezie after breezie climb off, walk around in front of her and kiss her between the eyes, then follow Seabreeze. She stared at each one, and by the time the last left she was in a daze.

Her legs trembled, but she held still. Standing for what seemed like hours, she finally reached a hoof to rub her snout.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight landed on the cloud and rushed up to her friend. "I thought today would be the day. You are… what's wrong?" Standing stiff, Rainbow just looked ahead. "Are you okay? Let me get those off you."

Rainbow felt Twilight's magic remove the bridle first, unfastening the simple buckles and pulling it over her head. She felt her friend work down her body and free her from the harness, bit by bit. When her tail was allowed to lower for the first time in a year, Rainbow finally drew in free air again. "Twilight?"

Twilight frowned at Rainbow Dash's subdued demeanor. "Did they do a lot of magic on you? Let me check." Twilight focused her power, delving into Rainbow as deep as she could with it, but finding nothing. "What's going on? I don't understand it…"

"There wasn't much magic." Rainbow felt the confession sluggishly pull from her mind. All her thoughts were jumbled; life was no longer as simple as doing what she was told. "Well, not once he had me trained." She took a step, then another. Each time her leg moved it wobbled. "I guess I still expect the guiding commands he used…" She stared at her hooves, eyes focusing forward, never trying to look to the sides.

Another deep breath, and Rainbow entered her home. She froze up the moment Twilight was out of sight. When her friend was back she was hanging on her words. "T-T-Twilight… can you tell me to go in and curl up on the couch?"

Twilight was dumbfounded. She stared at her friend. "I… I am going to stay the night." Her decision made, Twilight forgot to give her friend the command until she couldn't get past Rainbow Dash. "Uh… Rainbow, go and curl up on the couch."

"Thanks, Twilight." Rainbow Dash's mind buzzed a little, but with a command at the forefront she trotted to her living room and jumped onto the couch. In the back of her mind the free part of Rainbow Dash felt herself growing, but there was no way she could crush the other part of her mind completely—the part that enjoyed being able to relax and let somepony else control her. While she started to drift off, her dreams soared again, with her tiny rider guiding her.

Author's Note

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