Of Geldings

by Buckly Jones

Rating: mature
Tags: Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Drama, Sex
Length: 34043

Stories of Equestrian geldings and there lives.

A bunch of short stories featuring geldings.

Either the practice or the life thereof.

WARNING: Castration

Also, be sure to check out the companion story by Speedy Silverstreak: Of Geldings Aftermath

Published 2017-07-12 21:50:05 UTC
Last updated 2018-05-18 06:39:26 UTC

Chatper One: The Third Son

"Oh yes, indeed," mother laughed as she sipped her tea daintily. Now empty, she passed it to me to refill. I was quick to obey the silent command.

"My, what a well-trained gelding," her friend complimented her.

"Of course," mother said proudly. "Had him castrated just as he hit puberty."

It was true. From the moment of my birth, this was my fate. As a member of a noble family, only two sons are ever deemed necessary. One to inherit the estate, the second to bring the family glory in the military, and the rest were for the gelding irons.

I was nothing more than an unpaid servant, an inheritance for my older brothers to enjoy. A slave, if you will.

My taint was smooth and the sheath removed to let my cock hang down between my legs. To add to my humility, my tail was always cut short to expose all that wasn't there, and the family crest branded to my flank where my cutie mark should have been.

Geldings don't get cutie marks. For their purpose has been decided already.

Her friend got up from her seat and came around to examine me like some fish at the market. I remained still as I had been taught, waiting for her to finish.

"Hardly even a scar," the mare stated, impressed. "Though, his cock is quite fat. If he had been allowed to the go through puberty, he might have been quite the prize."

Mother nodded. "Yes, I thought so myself. But, we mustn't let pleasures interfere with status. An uncut third son? How preposterous."

"Ah, a pity," the other mare sighed. "Though, with the right spell, he could still be of use."

I felt like throwing up. I was tired of being a worthless piece of meat. Why couldn't I have been born to a peasant mare? At least then, perhaps, I could have had a childhood. All I had growing up was consist training, from the moment I was born, when I was gelded, and until I reached my eighteenth birthday.

The only game I ever played was "I spy". But, it's no fun when you're your only playmate.

I wasn't even present in the family portraits. I couldn't even call my own mother "mother". My father, though, was the worst. He had insisted that my castration be without anesthetic so that I would better learn my place in the household.

"Would you care for a ride?" my mother asked her friend, quite innocently. Again, I wanted to throw up.

The other mare reached out and cupped my penis in her hoof, as though weighing it. A thoughtful expression on her face. Then she let it fall again and shook her head.

"No. I really must be going, it is getting quite late. Perhaps next time."

I was swift and eager to see her to the door. After that I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, you weren't looking forward to it?"

I cringed. I didn't realize she had followed me. Swallowing, I turned to face her.

WHAP!

A slap across the face was my punishment. At least she hit like a girl.

"Know your place, gelding," she scolded me. "Why couldn't I of had a little filly. At least then she could marry up in society. But, no, I get a useless third colt. Who hardly even makes a proper gelding. Get out of my sight. I have no further use of you today."

Bowing my head, I rushed off to my room.

Chapter Two: Field Labor

I felt the rough wood of the stocks squeeze tightly against my thick neck and watched as my mother inserted the lock, ensuring I wouldn't get away. Thick ropes bound my legs as well, keeping them in place with thick wooden stakes driven deep into the ground. I didn't hesitate as she offered me a stick to bite down on.

I knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry," she stated as she came up and stroked my mane gently. "But, we can't have you losing your mind over those pesky mares, and you'll be able to focus on working on the farm."

I tested my bonds. Getting away would be impossible. I sniffed, which provoked her to kiss my cheek sweetly.

"Don't worry," she reassured me. "You're in good hooves. I've done this many times before."

Oh, I know she had. Which was why it took the whole family and several lassos to drag me into this section of the barn. It had taken a long time, but, I had eventually accepted my fate. Well, at least I already got my cutie mark, unlike other geldings.

Grabbing a pair of scissors, my mother walked around to my backside and tugged my tail. I gasped and clenched whatever I had back there in preparation.

Sniiipp.

Huh? I hadn't felt a thing. She walked back into my field of view, holding something in her hoof.

"What?" she asked, bemused, waving the object in my face. "Did you think I was gonna geld you with a pair of scissors? I'm not a barbarian, son. We just had to make sure your tail wouldn't get in the way."

I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of my tail in her hoof. Though, it still meant that my castration was next.

Sure enough. She set my tail and the scissors aside and reached for a large burdizzo. I tugged at the binds again in terror. It was so much more terrifying now that she was actually holding it.

Once again, she stroked my mane and nuzzled my cheek. "Easy, easy, son. I know it looks scary. And, I won't lie, it's going to hurt a lot. But, you're a big, strong stallion, you can take it. This way is bloodless and makes sure you won't catch any nasty infection."

With that, she disappeared behind me once again, and I waited.

I felt her hoof cup one of my balls, lifting it so as to get a better clamp. I shivered as I felt the cold metal slide over my scrotum, I whimpered and bit down on the stick, closing my eyes tightly.

"Okay, now, on the count of five, son," she said. I clenched again. "One... two..."

CRUNCH!

She had lied. I shrieked around the stick in my mouth and tried once again to break free. But it was no use.

"That's it, let it all out," my mother encouraged me. It'll make this next one much..."

CRUNCH!

"...Easier," she declared triumphantly.

Despite her happiness, she was quick to comfort me. Opening the stock sand undoing the ropes that bound my hooves, she swiftly pulled me into a tight embrace. "Easy, son. You're gonna be such a good gelding. I'm sorry it had to hurt so much, but the farm needs you. You know I love you, right?"

Despite the pain, I nodded. "Yes mom."

"Good," she cooed as she stroked my mane. "Now. I'll help you get up to bed so you can sleep this all off. When you wake up, I'll have a fresh pie waiting just for you. Tomorrow we'll all take a day off to celebrate our family's newest gelding."

Chapter Three: Educational

"You're son's grades have been dropping quite a bit since his birthday," my teacher told my parents as she sat in our living room, sipping some coffee my mother had just made.

My last report card had prompted my parents to invite her over for a meeting. I was nervous. For crying out loud, teachers aren't supposed to leave the school. Right?

"I don't understand," my mother sighed as she gave me a disappointed expression. "He used to be such a good student."

"That he did," my teacher nodded, giving me an equally disapproving face.

My father, however remained silent. That meant he was mad. Like... really mad. I really hoped he wouldn't say anything. That it would be one of those, get a nice night's sleep and everything is fine again kind of mads.

"But, the fact remains, that, if something is not done, he will never get into a decent college," she went on to say before taking another sip of her coffee. I looked at the ground, ashamed.

"We've already taken away all of his comic books and video games," my mother despaired. "Nothing seems to be working."

"It's the fillies."

Both mares and myself, the latter cringing quite a bit, turned to look at my father, a rugged earth pony.

"What was that dear?" my mother asked, as though she hadn't heard.

"I said it's the fillies in his class," he described in more detail. "He's at that age now where his brain starts to shift to his backside."

My mother blushed, but my teacher nodded.

"Yes, I am aware that he likes to look at some of the more... voluptuous girls about the school," she agreed. "Just the other day, I caught him staring at my teats. Goodness, the way his tongue was hanging out it made me scared he would lunge forward and start suckling."

I'll admit, I did think that. But, I would never act out such a thing.

My mother gasped, looking at me in... disgust. "Oh, how crude."

She got up from her seat and walked up to me so that I had to crane my head back to look her in the eyes. Then I couldn't look her in the eyes at all because she kept on walking until I was sitting directly under her hind legs. What was going on?

"So, you like teats, do you?" she huffed in annoyance, twisting her head and neck about so as to look at me underneath her. With a hoof, she tilted my head up and about to get a better view of her. "Well, why don't you just have a mouthful of your own mother's? Huh. Is that what you want, you little pervert?"

I just stared at them, her teats. Slightly saggy and a little gnarled. Apparently I was a real chewer as a foal. But, still, I did... like... teats...

"Oh my... ack," my mother cried as she saw my body react.

I swiftly moved to cover my lower area, blushing profusely. My mother moved away so that everyone in the room could glare at my totally exposed body.

"That's your mother," my father roared, coming up and raising a hoof. I raised my own hooves in defense.

But, the blow never came. Looking up I saw my mother blocking him.

"No, Birch," she growled, shaking her. "You will not hurt him. It's just a bad phase."

"A phase that will ruin his academic future," my teacher pointed out harshly. "If he can't control himself about mares, then he's fit only for uneducated grunge work."

My mother nodded. "I can see that. And he wants so desperately to be a doctor."

Actually, she and dad wanted me to be a doctor. I wanted to be an entomologist. But, they were just so insistent that they just blocked me out.

"Not if this continues," my teacher said. Wow, just how many times she going to say that? "I would suggest hiring a tutor."

"We can't afford that," my father sighed, casting a glare in my direction. "We can barely scrape by sending him your way."

There was a moment of silence.

"We'll geld him," my mother spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

My father blinked, and then nodded. "Well, that would certainly help him focus better."

My teacher smiled. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that. Geldings always make the best students. Though, I would suggest the sooner the better, before summer break. That way he'll be more inclined and willing to study."

"Tomorrow," my father said, nudging mother. "I have to go to work in the morning, so you'll have to take him."

Mother nodded. "Of course, dear. Be tomorrow evening, when you get back, he'll a whole know pony."

"What's a gelding," I asked, drawing everyone's attention.

My teacher huffed and rolled her eyes. "The consequences of not paying attention in class. If all goes well, you should only miss one day of school."

"Go up to your room and wait for me to call you for dinner," my mother instructed me, giving me a light kick to get me moving. "Move along, gelding."

She smiled. "You know, I could get used to saying that."

"Things will certainly be quieter around here," my father nodded.

That was the last thing I heard before closing the door to my room and jumping onto my bed. For some reason, I felt sick, as if something terrible was about to happen.

Chapter Four: the call

There was something to be said for geldings of the royal court in Canterlot. The princesses personally picked the finest studs amongst the noble families. Never the first or second son, of course. We were surplus unnecessary males, presented before the princesses to be chosen or rejected as unsightly.

The chosen ones were taken aside to be castrated in the castle infirmary, whilst the rejects were taken back by their families. I am not envious of them. Either way you will become a gelding. At least in the palace we are not treated harshly.

As is normal with noble families. After our testicles are removed, so are our sheaths, letting our cocks hang low. But, they are then pierced with weighted metal studs to ensure they are always stretched. Over time they will start to hang lower and lower.

This is not only to please the eyes of the princesses, but to also ensure an easy leash with which to catch us if we ever misbehave.

If you are diligent and handsome enough, one of the princesses might call you to her chamber. As was I.

"Well?" Princess Luna asked me, laying upon her back, legs spread wide to display were magnificence. As a gelding, I can only appreciate the beauty. I feel no lust or desire.

"You are very beautiful," I told her, bowing my head respectfully.

"Such a proper gelding," she smiles, horn igniting. "Do you wish to please your princess?"

I nodded. "Yes, your majesty."

"Very well then, Tin Hammer," she spoke, surprising me. She knew my name. But, only geldings discussed their names with each other. To everyone else, we were just "gelding". A stirring in my loins shook these thoughts from my mind and I found my self becoming consumed with lust.

I stood my ground, awaiting her pleasure. Though I shook as I felt my weighted length begin to lift and extend.

"How's it feel?" she asked me, her marehood winking wetly. I licked my lips in anticipation.

"Incredible, your highness," I told her in a hushed tone.

"Then for tonight, become to stallion you were denied and please your princess," she declared happily. I wasn't sure what to do, and she recognized this, smiling knowingly. "Ravage me, Tin Hammer. For you do not know if you will ever be called upon again."

She was right. Many royal geldings died without so much as partaking of the pleasure. And some had only ever had it once. I moved swiftly.

I moved boldly.

I did not move as a gelding. But as a stallion.

I rammed right up her backdoor, grinning wildly. She gasped and neighed in shock.

"Ah, truly," she cried out. "Had you not been gelded many a mare might have been lustful for a stallion like yourself. How fortunate for Equestria." She smiled as she rolled over so that she was now on top of me. "And now your all mine."

I struggled for dominance. But it was pointless. She was in control. I was still a gelding. Weak. Not that any stallion could have taken her.

"Such a delightful gelding," she smiled, leaning down to kiss my lips. Upon breaking, she shook her head. "No. You are far too wild. Were my sister to call upon you, you would scare her something fierce. Tonight shall be your last time."

"I-I'm sorry."

"No, I am sorry," Luna told me. "To ensure you are never accidentally called upon again, tomorrow you shall have your cock removed and become a full eunuch."

My ears drooped. "Yes, your highness."

"Until then... I'll let you in charge."

Chapter Six: Servitude

"No stallions may serve the Night Mother," the priestess told me.

I swallowed and nodded. "I know, Priestess Hymn. But, the Night Mother has often visited my dreams, and she has told me that I must serve her."

She took a deep breath and lifted her chin, expressing no emotion. "Geldings are the lowest members of the order. Of society even. Once cut, you could never hope to achieve anything more than a life of servitude to the Night Mother. We would not be merciful. Your tasks would be harsh, your food little, and you would never be allowed to leave."

I nodded. "I understand, Priestess Hymn. But... I cannot just ignore her words. If I were to leave today in fear, I would just be back tomorrow with her words ringing in my head. I must serve the Night Mother."

"Were we to need a sacrifice, you would be a prime choice, as you would no longer be of any value to Equestria."

"I would gladly give my life for the Night Mother's well-being," I gulped, taking a step forward. "Without her blessing, my life is already worthless. With this blessing, I could find happiness."

"You would not be happy," the mare scowled. "We would see to that. A gelding must always know its place within these sacred walls."

"My place is with the Night Mother," I stated, voice quavering. "I will do all that you ask. I will suffer the worst. I will be the greatest servant the Night Mother has ever had."

The mare closed the distance between us with smooth steps. She placed a gentle hoof under my chin and looked into my eyes. "No. You do not deserve such a thing."

I just about cried. "B-but... I must serve her... as a gelding..."

"A gelding you shall be," she interrupted. "But... you are unique. No stallion had ever come here willingly. Mothers often bring their colts in exchange for blessings. Unruly orphaned colts who need to learn their place are sent here. Criminal stallions as well are sometimes brought here. All are cut and so that we may set the world's burdens upon their shoulders.

"But you have come here willingly."

"I already know my place," I stated, bowing and lifting my tail. "Let me serve. I ask for nothing more."

She stared at me, considering my request, then she turned around and started walking. "Follow me. The place of castration is deeper within."

Gaping excitedly, I got up on all fours and trotted after her.

On the way, we passed sisters of the order, and the geldings. They varied in their ages, the geldings. From the old and feeble, ready to be cast aside, to the foal, barely walking. They all had vacant eyes, their lives a constant misery. But, surely, they must be rejoicing that they serve the Night Mother. For this is their purpose.

Passing them, we arrived at the place of my castration. Mine. I was rather excited. It was a large round room with a stone alter in the center.

"I can see you truly desire this," Priestess Hymn smiled as he watched my cock bounce beneath my barrel. I was not ashamed, soon it would be a problem of the past. "You have past the doors... there is no turning back."

The stone doors to the room closed behind us. I stood up straight and strong. "I am ready."

"Lay down up the alter," she instructed me as other sisters started to come out of the shadows. "Lay upon your back and spread your legs wide."

I did as I was told. I took a deep breath and awaited the knife. I was surprised when the priestess disrobed and climbed atop of me, hoof stroking my stallionhood in a tender fashion. "Priestess?"

"Hush," she said with a smile. "Your castration shall come soon. But, such an obedient stallion such as you has earned favor. You have one chance to breed me. If in the coming months I find I am with foal, you shall be my personal gelding, and will serve beside me as the first priest of the Night Mother."

The sisters gasped, but held no protest.

"But, if it happens that I am not," she began with a scowl, "you shall be sacrificed to the night mother. Your obedience and willingness will garner great blessings in the blood that flows into her cup."

"As long as I can serve the Night Mother," I answered resolutely. I was prepared for all things that would come.

"You only have one shot," she said as she began to settle over my length. Her tight wet walls kissing my sensitive flesh. There was a moment of resistance and a cry of pain as I broke her hymen, but she kept going, and I bucked my hips upwards passionately. The sisters all gazed onwards, blushing, but none daring to look away.

It wasn't long before I finished, as inexperienced a virgin as I was. Yet, the priestess had finished several times. Virgins, the two of us. What could you do.

She took a moment to bask in the warmth of my seed before standing up, letting my cock slide out of her and flop against my belly. She smiled fondly down at me and kissed my nose. "Well done, stud. Now comes your castration.

"Sisters."

My legs are immediately grabbed by the sisters, holding me down so that I cannot move. Oddly, I was receiving another erection already. I had some stamina. Not for much longer. Soon I would embraced by the Night Mother.

"Bring forth the Brick of Testicular Obliteration," Priestess Hymn ordered.

Eleven months later the priestess gave birth to twin colts. Both were gelded, as was appropriate, one was donated to the life of servitude in a distant temple so that she need not see it, and the other was kept as her personal servant, alongside me.

And I was truly happy with the Night Mother.

Chapter Eight: Simple

Geldings are the lowest members of society. This is the way it has always been. The unworthy male serves the worthy, and does not pass on his weakness. But, life isn't always so harsh, or unfair for us. There are those lucky ones. The ones who serve the princesses, or those who have kind parents.

"Now, those going to sting a bit," my mother cooed, wrapping my scrotum in her magic and gently pulling it from between my legs. My legs were hobbled to make sure I didn't move and botch the procedure, and she had even provided me with a pillow to bite when the moment came.

I looked back as she gently moved my tail aside to get a better view. She smiled sweetly, giving my rump a reassuring pat. "Are you almost done, mama?"

She nodded. "Yes, dear. But this next part is the hardest."

I swallowed as she levitate a pair of tiny latex rings, stretched tem wide open in her magic. It must have been difficult as she seemed to struggle opening them. My mouth was going dry. I was so nervous. I had never been a gelding before. But, mother said it was my destiny.

Though I couldn't see, I felt the rings slip over my scrotum and push against my taint.

"Don't be afraid to scream," my mother told me kindly. "I know it's going to hurt. Alright, here we... go."

SNAP!

The two rings shrunk swiftly about my tender flesh. I buried my face in the pillow and shrieked for all I was worth, thrashing as much as I could in the hobbles. Then, suddenly, I was no longer bound. Mother must have released me.

I took this opportunity to run about the house, screaming crying against the pain between my legs that I just couldn't from. Finally, I rushed into my mother's hooves and buried my face into her chest. She cooed softly and rubbed my back, kissing the top of my head.

"There-there, it's okay, baby," she said, squeezing me softly. "Is it hurting too much now?"

I shook my head. "No, mama. It doesn't hurt so much anymore. But, did it have to hurt?"

Her ears drooped and she sighed. "I wish I could have afforded a doctor to perform the operation. But, things are tight right now."

"That's why you needed a gelding?" I asked, remembering what she had told me earlier.

She nodded. "A house gelding will help keep the house running in ship shape, so that mommy and daddy can concentrate on their jobs. And, you're the only one of your brothers who wasn't born a unicorn. I would have chosen the oldest of you colts had that not been the case."

I nodded. An impure earth pony like me had no right to complain. "Mommy?"

"Yes, dear?" she asked, running her hoof through my mane.

"C-can I have some milk?"

"Of course, baby," she chuckled putting me back down and standing up on all fours. I immediately made my way to her teats, seeking her warm sustenance.

As a milkmare, hers were quite ample and full, hanging lower than the average mare's. She always had plenty left over from her work for her foals to get straight from the tap.

A latched on to the warm teat and was soon drawing out the precarious milk she secreted. Whatever she had been eating lately only added to the rich flavor. Sweet and smooth, it soothed my body and let me forget the soreness between my legs.

"Goodness, your balls are turning black already," my mother mused. Looking back, I saw she was right. Without blood, they were just dying. It felt so cold back there now.

She gave them a gentle flick. I flinched. "By bedtime they should be ready to cut open an remove safely. Go back to your milk. Mommy's got more than enough for precious little gelding."

It was good to make mama happy.

Chapter Nine: Dolly

"Brother, why are you hiding?"

I peered out from under the table at my older sister. "Mom's trying to put dresses on me again."

She giggled. "You're her doll, brother. She had you gelded so that you wouldn't put up such a fuss."

The castration had taken place not too long ago. I was still sore back there. Mother was a toy designer who wanted a house full fillies to play dress up with. Then along I came, the colt she never wanted. But, figured I could still be of use. First remove my unsightly maleness, and purchase an expensive magical potion to stunt my growth.

A full eunuch, nothing remains, she has finally been showering me with the love I have longed for so long. I was her doll, her little toy that she could dress up and play with all she wanted. While I love the affection and attention... I do not want to wear dresses. I don't want to have tea parties.

There was still some testosterone lingering in my veins. Much to her chagrin. She often has to chase me about the house, though she says it's only a matter of time before I finally submit to my new purpose.

What was my old purpose? I wish I knew. I asked her once, and she just laughed.

"Doll, there you are."

I cringed. That was my name by the way. Doll. It was who and what I was.

In her magic, mother had a frilly pink dress, a sun hat, and a baby bottle. My full name is Baby Doll. You get the picture.

I shrieked and made a break for it. My traitorous big sister stopped me, however, laughing as my legs flailed in the air.

"Bad dolls don't get any chocolate pudding," mother scolded me as she took me in her own magic and shoved me into the dress and plopped the hat down upon my head. "Now, just let mommy hold you until you're done with your bottle."

Before I could protest, the bottle's nipple was shoved into my mouth.

"It took mommy all day to make that," mother said, as she cradled me in her hooves as though I were an infant. "I don't want to see a single drop wasted."

Mother was on a journey to reinduce lactation so that she could play better games with dolly. So far, a single bottle's worth was all she was getting. But, soon enough she'd be comfortably playing these games all the time with her favorite dolly.

Defeated, a placed a hoof on either side of the bottle, causing her to release her magic hold. I settled down and drank the warm milk. It was sweet. Too sweet. She ate too much sugar. But, I dared not complain. Bad dolls didn't get chocolate pudding, but really bad dolls got put in the timeout room.

She nuzzled my head and hummed a lullaby as she rocked from side to side. My sister looked on with a smile on her face, tail lightly flicking about jealously. But, she was too big to be mother's doll. Besides, I was the only one mother wanted for this purpose.

Sucking hard to make sure I got it all, lest mother become upset, I released the nipple and managed to give her a sweet smile. "Thank you, mommy."

"Only the best for Dolly," she chimed as she kissed my nose. Unfortunately, she saw me frown for a split second. "What's the matter, Doll? Is mommy doing something wrong?"

I gulped. "N-no, mommy. I-it's all good."

She scowled. "Only really bad dolls lie. And really bad dolls go to the time out room."

"It's too sweet," I blurted out quickly.

She blinked. "Too sweet? What's too sweet?"

"Your milk," I cringed, almost rolling into a ball as she stared at me, nonplussed.

"My milk is too sweet for you?"

I gave a little nod. "I-it hurts my throat, mommy. Y... you're eating too much sugar."

Much to my relief, she seemed to understand. "Oh, poor baby. Was mommy's diet ruining your meal? Well, we can't have this spoiling our playtime. I shall begin cutting back to just three slices of cake a day, with more fruits and vegetables."

I sighed in relief and smiled.

"But you still lied to mommy."

I froze and looked up into her disappointed eyes. She was frowning too. I felt cold.

"I-I'm sorry, mommy, please don't make me go there," I pleaded, sniffing even. "I... I just didn't want to upset you."

"Upset me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "My Baby Doll isn't enjoying itself. These playtimes are supposed to be about us having fun. How can you learn to have fun as my dolly if something so important is spoiling everything?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I cried, tears forming in my eyes.

"Don't you want playtime to be perfect?"

"Yes, yes," I cried aloud. "I want to be a good dolly. I want playtime to be perfect, mommy."

"Obviously you don't want it enough, Baby Doll," she snorted levitating in her magic like I was a kitten. "A hour in the timeout room ought to help your attitude."

"No-no-no," I wept as she slowly carried me through the halls of our spacious home. The walls the sickening color of candies, the carpet was pink and the ceiling looked like a cloud.

It was a dollhouse.

"If you manage not to scream this time, I'll make just a half an hour," mother told me as she promptly chucked me into the timeout room. As soon as I hit the padded floor, I rushed for the door, but she slammed it in my face and locked it tight.

"Please," I begged. "I'll be a good dolly. Don't leave me."

"A good dolly loves mommy."

I cringed as the recordings started up. It was too late to beg for mercy. I turned so that my back was placed against the wall, and looked about the room and terror.

Written everywhere were thousands of messages. MOMMY LOVES YOU. BE A GOOD DOLLY. YOU'RE NOT A REAL PONY. YOU ARE A TOY. YOU ARE MOMMY'S PLAYTHING. A GOOD DOLLY PLAYS WITH MOMMY. A GOOD DOLLY BEHAVES FOR MOMMY.

Those messages I could shut out be closing my eyes. But the recordings were loud and not even my hooves could block the noise.

"A good dolly knows that mommy loves it."

"A good dolly doesn't want anything more than for mommy to be happy."

"A good dolly does what mommy says."

"A good dolly knows its place."

"A good dolly doesn't argue."

"A good dolly never says no."

"A good dolly..."

I didn't last more than ten minutes before shrieking and pounding on the door. When the hour was over, mommy opened the door with a big smile on her face as she picked me up in her magic and cuddled me close to her breast. She told me I was a good dolly.

I was a good dolly.

I was a good dolly.

I was a good dolly.

I was a good dolly.

I was a good doll.

Baby Doll was good.

Chapter Ten: Odd

"Please purchase me, ma'am," I cried bitterly at the creamy mare that was walking on the other side of the street.

This caught her attention. She looked at me and then trotted over to see what the fuss was about. Then she saw the sign hung about my neck.

GELDING: 235 BITS. AGE: 10. RACE: EARTH PONY. HARD WORKER.

She then also looked at the chain that connected my to the fence post in the front long where I had been told to sit. I was dirty and cold, having been outside for a few days. A bowl of water and table scraps sat close by. My parents were still feeding me.

"Why are you crying, little colt?" She asked in concern.

I gasped. She had just called a colt. But, I wasn't anymore. I was a gelding, the lowest of the low. Even the neutered family dog was allowed in the house and showered with love. How could this mare mock me like that?

I sniffed. It didn't matter if she mocked me. I had to be purchased. "Because I need to be sold today, or my father will sell me to the salt mines. No gelding ever comes back from there."

She frowned and looked down at the sign about my neck again.

"Please," I wept. "I'll work hard, I'll never complain. Just don't let me be go to the salt mines."

"I don't want a gelding."

My ears fell. This was it. I was going to die in the mines. I lowered my head until my nose was touching the ground. I couldn't even cry anymore, my already broken world was crashing down around. If only I had been a better son.

I didn't even notice when the mare walked past me and knocked on the door of the house before being let inside. But I did notice when the sign was removed. I looked up to see the mare looking down on me, along with my parents who were beaming as the jingled a bag of golden bits.

"You won't regret this purchase, ma'am," my father chuckled as he undid the chain from the fencepost and passed it to the mare who took the end in her mouth and gave it a little tug, prompting me to rise up on all fours and walk towards her.

"He may be a little scrawny now," my mother pointed out, poking me none-to-gently in the ribs. "But, some proper discipline and he'll have enough muscle to pull your wagon all across equestrian.

The mare just nodded and turned to leave, tugging the chain again to that I would follow by her side. I did as instructed, too shocked to say anything. I didn't even look back at my parents. I didn't want to see them ever again.

She made a couple stops at a few stores along the way, chaining me up outside while she made her purchases. The fillies and colts of the small town would pause to ridicule and toss vegetables at me. I put up with it. The mare would shoo them away when she emerged from store, seeming upset for some reason.

Was it something I did? I hope she doesn't return me. Father might be so mad that he might just hang me from the tree in the backyard out of spite.

Thankfully, this was not the case. She just tugged the chain and I silently followed at her hooves until we reached her wagon on the outskirts of town. There she removed the chain from about my neck and tossed it aside.

I... I felt so free once it was removed, I felt as though I could run forever. But, I didn't, of course. A gelding always remains for his master and mistress's pleasure. I moved quickly to the wagon's harness and began trying to slip it on. She wanted me to pull it, of course.

But, then, I was wrapped in her magic and pulled away from the harness and back towards her. She looked at me and shook her head. I had done something wrong.

Wordlessly, she carried me around to the other side of the wagon where there was a door. Inside the wagon, she set me on a mat, and began filling a tub with water, casting expressionless looks in my direction. I remained silent as well. A good gelding only speaks when spoken to.

When the tub was halfway full, she picked up in her magic again and plopped me into the water. It was warm .Why had she wasted her warm water on me? Maybe it was a mistake. Would she be angry?

She didn't say a word, but scrubbed me with scented soap and washrags until I was clean My violet fur a yellow mane squeaky clean. With a nod of satisfaction, she began draining the water as she lifted me from the tug to dry me off with some fluffy towels.

When she was done, she gave a small smile. "Stay here and rest until I come back."

Then she left. I stayed where she left me, knowing I should obey my mistress. Then the wagon gave a lurch, and I found that we were moving. She was pulling the wagon. Why? That was my job.

But, I remained where I was. Then I fell asleep, my anxiety finally wearing me out.

"Time to wake up."

I rose quickly at the sound of mistress's voice. I sat up straight and ready to obey. What I saw, however did not compute.

She was holding a cake in her magic, complete with lit candles and decorative frosting. She was even smiling broadly.

"You didn't have to sleep on the floor," she said, indicating her bed with her head. But that was her bed.

"Am I dreaming, mistress?" I asked unable to make sense of what was happening.

She shook her head. "Not at all. I told you that I didn't want a gelding."

She laid the cake in front of me and beamed. "You deserve more than a life of servitude. I've always wanted a foal. But, I'm too poor to adopt properly."

I gasped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This couldn't be real.

Her ears drooped and she sighed. "I'm sorry for your predicament. But, I wish I could have saved you. You may be a gelding, but I hope you'll accept me as your mother. A better mother than that beast who birthed you."

Even after we had our cake, after she sang me a few songs, and even after she took me to bed a cuddled me against her breast while she slept, I could not believe it. No one would adopt a gelding. No one could adopt a gelding. It was illegal. Celestia had decreed us fit only as servants and playthings. But... I couldn't help but snuggle into her warmth and drift off.

Even if this was all just a cruel trick, I would make the most of it.

Chapter Eleven: Massage

"If you stallions weren't meant to be castrated, then your testicles wouldn't be so easily removable," Princess Celestia huffed as I massaged her sensitive backside. "They hang low, allowing mares to easily grasp and severe them as need be. Am I not right, eunuch?"

I nodded. "Yes, your highness."

She smiled, her tail flicking some. "See? Take yourself for example. Were you uncut, you would not be expected to control yourself as you please me with those magical hooves."

It was true. I felt nothing as my hooves slid across and kneaded her plumpness. I had no ability to feel lust or any other romantic emotion. She was beautiful, this I could appreciate, but I felt nothing beyond a sense of appreciation. Were I whole, I would hardly have been able to control myself.

"I have always preferred the eunuchs," she continued. "My sister may enjoy enticing the gelding, but, until their entire maleness is removed, they remain... unsightly." She turned to look at me. "Eunuchs cannot be enticed with something as base as sex. Right?"

I shook my head. "No, your highness."

"The only reason we keep them geldings, is so that we may be satisfied when the stress of ruling gets too hard." She stretched her wings and pressed on a particularly sensitive part. "And it keeps us from... bearing unwelcome heirs. We warned our niece, Cadance, that marrying stallion was a mistake. Captain of the Guard, or not, I should have had him gelded. A vasectomy at the very least."

I made her moan with some firm pressure against her lips.

"Now she has given birth to an alicorn," she went on, sounding displeased. "Alicorns are supposed to be special, prove to be above the rest. Not born. How can we maintain our status if ponies think they can just birth the next princess. She is just fortunate it was not an alicorn colt. Such a thing must never exist. I fear she would not have had to decency to dispose of it had that happened."

She was not sounding happy, so I moved to massage her cheeks, really digging in my hooves.

"I even suggested she cut her husband, now that she has had the child she desired," she stomped her hoof against massage table, causing me to jump. "But, no, she has decided to keep the empire's longstanding law against the practice. The fools. Had such a law not existed, Sombra would never have been a problem. He would have been an obedient little eunuch, and they never would have disappeared for a thousand years."

I kept silent. My opinion was not needed.

"I have spent lifetimes trying to kill off this dangerous idea that colts are special," she growled. "A male's only purpose is to reproduce and pull the heavy loads. To give them dangerous ideas that they are meant for more is anti pony. Yet, even after all this time, only one third of the male population has been gelded. We need only twenty percent uncut stallions to ensure a viable population and military. Not enough mares have learned how much greater we are than our male lessers. Am I not right, eunuch."

"Yes, your highness."

"You don't sound convinced," she huffed. Whether or not that was true, it didn't matter. Princess Celestia simply loved the sound of her own voice. "Enough of this, clean up this mess and then follow me."

I quickly took a towel and whipped up the juices from her body and my hooves. Then she rose and began walking. I obediently followed.

She led me through the halls of the palace, mocking me with her divine marehood. I could feel no lust or desire, but I knew that I should. She loved reminding us of what she had taken away.

Eventually we stopped at a maid who was dusting a bust. She bowed to the princess respectfully.

"Good evening Broom Sweep," Celestia greeted her with a warm smile. "I hear your son is doing quite well in his studies."

The maid nodded. "Oh, yes, my little Stump Stomper is becoming quite the academic. The doctor's say he shall be quite the stud."

"That's wonderful," Celestia continued in her warm voice. "Though, it seems a waste of such a studious mind, don't you? Becoming a stud, his mind lost to mares, neglecting his studies."

The maid was silent for a moment. "Your highness?"

Celestia lowered her head until they were both eye level. "I've been looking for a studious little colt to become my personal eunuch. He would be provided with the finest tutors, with access to the royal library, and be raised to devote all his attention to the sciences. What do you think, Mrs. Sweep."

The maid gasped, a broad smile on her face. "Truly, your highness? O-of course. When do you want me to bring him?"

Celestia's smiled deepened. "Oh, stop working and bring him to the palace today. I shall have the royal physician's take care of everything. He shall be fit for service before the week is out."

The maid gasped and dropped her feather duster and took of at a sprint, crying for joy.

Celestia chuckled and looked back at me. "Do you know why I showed you this?"

I shook my head. "No, your highness."

"To show you that a stallion's only value is what the mares in his life can get out of him." She indicated the way the maid had rushed off. "That mother praised her son not just a moment ago. But, as soon as I offered her a way to gain fortune and renown as the mother of my personal eunuch, she jumped at the chance to have her little colt castrated. Remember this, eunuch."

As the surplus son of a noble family, I was destined to be cut from the moment of my conception. But a mother who had no such pressures or expectations was proof of what the princess had said. Her son would become one of us. Not even being offered as Luna's plaything first. And his mother was all too happy for her own good fortune.

I wordlessly followed the princess, awaiting her pleasures.

Chapter Twelve: The Sacrifice

"Faster, gelding," the sister shouted at me as I struggled under the weight of the cart full of holy artifacts. Her rod stung my flank, again and again. No matter how hard I cried, she would not let up her assault.

Then I collapsed. Unable to move, coughing and sobbing as she continued to beat me. Then it stopped.

She bucked me to the side and called another gelding to pull the cart. An younger, stronger one. Another sister grabbed my tail in her mouth and pulled me away to another section of the Night Mother's temple. To the room no gelding ever returns from.

The priestess of this temple, Priestess Tome appeared to have been waiting for me. "Yes, I felt you were no longer of any physical use."

I didn't have the strength to speak. Not that I would. No gelding was allowed to speak in service of the Night Mother. There has only been one willing gelding in her service, and that had caused quite a stir amongst the sisters all over Equestria.

I, on the other hoof, was an orphan whose caretakers felt he was too rowdy and brought him to this temple where they smashed my testicles with a "sacred stone" and beat the happiness out of me. No, really. No gelding in the Night Mother's service was allowed to be happy. If I were to so much as smile, they would gang up and beat me. If it persisted, they would starve me, even if it meant starving to death. I had seen it.

A mother had once brought her twin colts to the priestess in exchange for a blessing from the Night Mother. What Blessing? I don't know. Anyway, she departed, smiling, even as her sons screamed for her to take them with her. After their castration, they did what children would do, tried to keep each others spirits up.

The sister's hadn't liked that. The poor colts were starved until they could no longer move. The sisters saw that they were no longer useful and dragged them off to this room, never to be seen or heard from again. Now, it appeared it was my time.

"Prepare his body," Priestess Tome ordered the sisters.

They descended upon me swiftly... and gently? I did not understand. I had long forgotten the sensation of kindness. Was anyone ever kind to me?

They were cleaning my wounds, and dressing my fur, mane and tail. Mesmerized, I just froze and just let them continue. It felt... wonderful.

"This is the only time a gelding of the Night Mother is permitted happiness," Priestess Tome explained as she observed the sisters' work. "After a lifetime of misery, bearing the burdens of the world, we shall finally release you to her bosom. Your suffering, gelding, is what sets you apart from the sisters."

I turned to look at her, she was smiling at me.

"Your destiny and purpose is to be filled with the world's misery so that the Night Mother may drink it from your veins," continued the priestess. "Consumed, your soul shall be no more. Your sacrifice shall ensure the Night Mother has the strength to protect the dreams of ponykind."

She approached me and slip a hoof over my aged cheek. "However, I must apologize. A sacred artifact was stolen from Priestess Hymn's temple. A weapon of terrible power. The Night Mother needs your screams to give her more strength so that we may find who stole it."

I was too weak to protest or struggle. The sisters, done with making me presentable, picked up from the stone floor and carried me to an alter. Unlike the alter of castration, this one was slanted so that the blood would run down into a basin at the base. The Cup of the Night Mother.

Laying me up the alter the stepped back, heads bowed respectfully. There was no need to strap me down. I was too weak to run, and besides, I wanted to die. Above the alter were six heavy stones, held up by chains connected to a mechanism on the on other side of the room, where stood the priestess.

"When a gelding is sacrificed," she began while the sisters began chanting, "we would normally release all the stones as to swiftly end your suffering. When a gelded foal falls and cannot rise again, we only need one stone to stamp out its life. An adult requires all six. The older the gelding, the more stones that are required."

Why was she telling me this? I just wanted to die. To be released from this misery.

"Today, because we need a greater blessing, they shall be dropped one by one. Your suffering is what the Night Mother craves, she has no mercy for the geldings of her order. The brief kindness you have been given is only permitted due to our order's founder promising the Night Mother the sacrifice of foals to sate her thirsts.

"Now, even when criminals are far and few between, mothers may bring their sons in exchange for the Night Mother's blessing. This allows us to feed her regularly, even if the taste is not wholly to her liking." She placed a hoof upon one of six levers. "But, when we need a special blessing, we can forgo mercy."

She pulled the lever and one of the stones dropped, crushing my hind hooves beyond recognition. I screamed and convulsed in pain. The sisters never let up their chanting, used to the cries of sacrificial geldings. The priestess waited until my screams were little more than choked sobs before pulling the next lever.

This stone crushed my cannon and splint bones. My screams were renewed as was the plan. They were going to draw this out as long as possible. It made me wonder, which would kill me first? Blood loss? Shock? Or the stones themselves? I just prayed that I would die soon.

But, then, no one listens to the prayers of a lowly gelding.

Chapter Thirteen: Loser

I knew, even at my young age, that the surgery meant I was going to be judged as the least of all ponies. A gelding in a pegasus family is often due to the fact that we are exceptionally fast flyers. No more drag, and less weight means we can achieve incredible velocities.

I've even heard of some parents amputating their filly's mammary glands to increase their speed. But, at least they are still treated like ponies.

Racing is important to us. The Gelding Grand Prix is amongst Cloudsdale's biggest events. All pegasus clans aspire to enter their geldings for the fame a fortune that comes with simply being a part of it. That is, if we managed to pass or even survive the rigorous and potentially deadly tracks that they would never allow a whole stallion to take part in.

Until you make it to the Gelding Grand Prix, victory is everything. The losers lose their wings.

After your wings are sheered, off, you are return to the family. Your fate can go one of three ways, after that.

Best case scenario, you'll be kept around as a servant for the rest of your life. You would be treated lower than a pet, but they would feed and keep you healthy.

Less favorable, you'll be abandoned. A lone gelding is fair game for the wilds and anyone just looking to be cruel. If you were set upon by wolves, not even the guards would attempt to help you unless a master asked them to do so.

Worst case scenario, you'll be hung by the neck until dead as a warning to the next geldings your family train to take your place in their pursuit of fame and fortune.

All geldings who participate in the Gelding Grand Prix, and manage to survive, are drafted into the military due to their proven speed. This is the only dream a racing pegasus gelding is allowed to dream. A lifetime in service to the princesses.

A dream I would never achieve.

My body twitched as my father hoisted me up by the rough rope wrapped about my neck. My two younger brothers, both gelded, were forced to watch as I kicked and choked.

It was my third race, I was in the lead. But one of the geldings behind me managed to catch up and buck me into a wall as we came around a corner just a few meters from the finish line. It cost me my wings, cut off with a rotary saw, and now it was costing me my life, as my father hoisted my wingless body up to the beam.

The last thing a saw before my vision faded and I passed out was my mother's sneer at my failure.

Chapter Fourteen: Ultimatum

"The AGO has made some bold moves lately," Cadance said as she read the newspaper. Nearby, Shining Armor was polishing his helmet while using his magic to cradle a giggling Flurry Heart.

"Well, stealing all the palace geldings and eunuchs, then robbing a temple of an artifact and the sacrificial geldings does tend to grab peoples attention," he responded with a snort. He scrubbed harder at the helmet. "It doesn't help any that they keep sending them here."

Cadance leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Would you want me to turn them away?"

"Of course not," Shining responded with a shake of his head. "Although, it would be nice if they would start sending more mares in our direction."

Candance gave a sage nod. The gender ratio was always been about five mares for every stallion, but, with the sudden influx, not only were the Empire's ratios beginning to become even, it was looking like it might start tipping the other way. "Well, we are in the process of encouraging the immigration of females with benefit packages. You've been to the meetings."

"I suggested the benefit packages," Shining stated. This earned him another kiss.

"And that's why my wonderful stud earned an 'early break' that day," she smiled, roguishly licking her lips.

"Not in front of Flurry Heart," Shining chided her with a knowing smirk. "We can slip away later."

Princess Cadance pouted in disappoint but then returned to the newspaper. "It also appears Celestia is telling everyone that we're members of the AGO."

"Well, the Hidden Railroad is a similar organization," Shining said, putting aside his helmet to rub noses with his daughter. "We're just quieter and more stealthy about our goings on. They are good at keeping the public eye off of us, though. And they're the only ones who know how to reverse castration."

"Which is why I promote them," Cadance nodded. "Though, what they did to your sister..."

"Was necessary," Shining said in a small voice as he cradled the filly close to his chest. "I... I'm grateful that they didn't kill her, not that I would have blamed them. But... Celestia has been indoctrinating her ever since she was a filly. Even tried to convince my parents to... make me my sister's personal eunuch."

"Thankfully, they were members of the Hidden Railroad," Cadance said, reaching out to take her daughter into her own hooves and then hug her stallion. "You got to keep your wonderful parts, and eventually give me a daughter to make my auntie rage like hen that just laid a hedgehog."

"Ouch," Shining cringed at that image.

"Your highnesses, a message from Equestria has arrived," called a maid behind the door to the dining room.

"Send it in," the princess sighed, releasing her husband, but remained cradling her daughter. It was almost feeding time, anyway.

The door opened and in walked a pegasus eunuch, Celestia's mark branded upon his flanks, and dressed in the red uniform of a royal messenger. Cadance felt a little twinge in her chest. This one was untouchable. As the saying goes, don't shoot the messenger. Or, kidnap him.

The eunuch approached the table bowed, and then passed a letter to the princess. Then he bowed again and departed to go back to his mistress.

"Poor guy," the alicorn sighed. She lifted the letter in her magic and read it aloud.

To My Dearest Niece

While it was a rather shocking development that all my eunuchs and geldings were stolen from the palace, they were easily replaceable. Some of the lower ranking soldiers needed only a short trip to the palace infirmary to be snipped and stitched, as well as some street urchins and orphans. Even the nearby Night Mother's temple has shown their willingness to donate some of their newest arrivals. I now have than I had before. Oh, and I made sure it was done without anesthetic.

Some didn't survive.

However this isn't the point of this message. I am going to give you a chance, dear niece. A chance to make things right. The fact you have given birth to an alicorn means that your mate is an exceptionally powerful unicorn. This is far too dangerous a situation for the world's stability.

This needs to be taken care of right away. He must be publicly castrated within the month, or else you may be waking to find both him and your daughter missing.

Don't believe me? Well, Discord has been ever so obedient since Fluttershy neutered him in order to reform him. Such a simple task. Makes think I could have just solved all our problems with a hammer and chisel while he was still a statue. I could have this most wonderful slave a thousand years earlier.

Well, it's your choice. Shining Armor loses his bits, or both and your daughter are lost forever.

Love and kisses

Princess "Sol Invictus" Celestia

P.S. You won't be able to use this letter to incriminate me. It will self destruct in five seconds after you read my name.

The letter burst into flames and became ashes.

Both adults remained silent for a long time. The weight they felt on their shoulders was almost crushing.

"N-no," Cadance shook her head. "I... I... what do we do? Shiny, what we do?"

Shining armor blinked a few times in distress. He placed a hoof on his wife's shoulder and then placed the other on his family jewels. "They'll hurt Flurry Heart if it's not done. What can we do?"

"But I don't want to hurt you, either," the alicorn cried out in distress, throwing a protective wing over him and tugging him close. "I can't hurt you."

"We should assemble the prominent members of both the Hidden Railroad and the AGO," the stallion suggested, slipping free of his wife's hold, much to her sorrow. "We can't start a war. Equestria outnumbers us seven to one. And our only allies are the yaks and few caribou tribes out on the tundra. Look, to save Flurry, I will gladly become a gelding. It may be our only choice. The AGO could reverse it after we finally win, anyway."

He grabbed his helmet and put into, putting on a determined face. "I'll find the Railroad members. You should go ahead and send a few messages to the AGO. We need to be prepared."

"Shiny," Cadance called out to him. He stopped and looked back at her. "E... even if we must... cut you. I will use a spell to allow you pleasure every night. I promise."

"You're the best wife a soon-to-be-gelding could have," he smiled sincerely back at her and then departed alone.

Chapter Fifteen:

Princess Celestia sat upon her throne, smiling to her clever self. There was no eunuch or gelding to attend her today, though she felt as though she might visit one of the noble households to procure one might be on the day's agenda. Perhaps a young butler-in-training. Then again, she could walk into any orphanage or Night Mother Temple to sate her desires.

She liked them really young.

"Oh, Cadance," she chuckled to herself as she sifted through the stack of newspapers she had requested. "It really doesn't take much to get you to and the rest of your bleeding heart group to act so foolishly. What's this? Prince Shining Armor and Princess Flurry Heart vanish? Oh my, whatever shall I do to coerce you now?"

Her laughter rose to a more maniacal pitch. "You're no warrior, my fair niece. Without your darling knight, your army is all but crippled. As if he could call himself a stallion, slinking away with his tail between his legs like that."

She flipped the page and grinned at what she saw.

"And, oh my, another sudden influx of stallions into the empire? Who would have thought?"

Flashback

"You three have been called here for a very important mission," the princess addressed the young soldiers that stood before her. "As you know, Equestria has been under attack by these gelding sympathizers for a number of months."

The three stallions nodded.

Celestia smiled. "So... I have made a plan. I will play upon my dear niece's most heart-felt emotions, by giving her the cruelest of ultimatums. As one of the AGO's greatest supporters, her allies will act swiftly to prevent my demands from being met. Also, I will begin bringing in new eunuchs and geldings into the palace staff... the three of you will fit in nicely."

The soldiers all gasped and took a step back. The alicorn smiled disarmingly.

"Do not worry," she assured them. "It will only be temporary. After you are castrated, you will mingle with the rest of the nullified stallions and colts. If I am right, the palace will be raided soon after my niece receives a letter I will soon write. In an attempt to teach me a lesson, the AGO should storm the palace and steal away all the geldings and eunuchs. Including you three."

"So we're going to be your spies?" one of the soldier's asked, tilting his head to the side.

Celestia nodded. "As low ranking cadets, you're faces will be unfamiliar to anyone who enters the palace. This is what will allow you to carry out my orders unnoticed."

"H-how long will we...," started another stallion, but the princess silenced him with a glare.

"A few years at the most," she informed him. "Though, I promise, you will be rewarded after your mission is complete. You will each be granted a noble title, property, and wealth, as well as fine harems of the most beautiful mares in Equestria."

She gave them an apologetic look. "Though, due to the secrecy of this mission. No doctor shall be performing the castration." She lit up her horn and narrowed her eyes. "Now turn around and don't move an inch."

The present

"Not that I know the spell to reverse it," she chuckled to herself.

A knock on the door caused her to put aside her newspaper. "Come in."

The door opened and in walked a maid.

"Your highness," she bowed, "it's about your sister... she ahs woken up fro her coma. They are requesting your audience at once."

Celestia immediately stood up. "Very good. I will be there as swiftly as I can."

The maid left, leaving her alone once more.

"Oh, Luna, it will be so nice having you back," she chuckled to herself. "There is a certain captive in the dungeons who is just dying to see you again."

Chapter Sixteen: Education

"The practice of geldings has been around for countless centuries," Cheerilee cheerily started her lesson for the entire class. "Most experts believe it began when ancient mares discovered their young colts were much easier to handle after their testicles had been stamped to oblivion."

There was a spattering of giggles from the students. The mare couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"The practice evolved from there, mares found it was sometimes difficult to hold down a young colt as they stamped his baby makers to paste, so the earliest recorded method was to strap the colt down to a log or rock," she pointed out, pulled up a picture for the class to see. "This allowed the mares to more easily remove his purpose. The most common method amongst earthponies was to stamp them with their hooves. While, for pegusi, the popular method was a pot of boiling water. This method is still a household occurance today. Finally, the unicorns enjoyed tieing thick cord about the scrotum until the testicals died from lack of blood flow. Today we use latex bands."

She showed images of each method in turn.

"The method eventually came to include surgical removal, a much more humane and gental method," she smiled sweetly. "It's very cheap and allows the gelding in question to be less bitter about his purpose in life."

A hoof was raised.

"Yes, Diamond Tiara?" Cheerilee called out the young filly.

"Why would it be bitter?" the filly asked. "It's a gelding. The lowest of the low. Shouldn't they know their place in life?"

Cheerilee nodded. "They should, Diamond. But, testosterone tends to linger for a while after the fact. Sometimes it seems like the colt never lost his bits to begin with. King Sombra was one such example of an embittered gelding."

"King Sombra was a gelding?"

The teacher nodded. "He was indeed. He fled from Equestria as a young colt and was accepted by the Crystal Empire, as they made a practice of aiding their kind. It proves their foolishness as Sombra grew up wanting revenge. He should have been strapped to a plow till the end of his days."

Another hoof was raised.

"Yes, Applebloom?" Cheerliee sighed, knowing the filly's view on such things.

"My sister says that King Sombra, while evil caused the Crystal Empire to Vanish so that Princess Celestia couldn'tclaim the empire for herself and indoctrinate them like she had Equestria," the apple filly pointed out. "He was a cruel king, but he didn't want the Crystal empire to wind up full of geldings and eunuchs as well. That's what my sister says, anyway."

Cheerilee rolled her eyes wearily. It was always the same with that filly whenever this kind of subject came up. "Well, your sister is just full of opinions, isn't she? Your whole family. Big Mac, for example, excellent stud material for sure. But, if cut, your family could easily up the productivity of your farm without him losing his head over mares. Or, at least, employ some geldings. It's nothing short of a miracle you haven't run up a list of alamony bills for illigitiment children he's sired."

"My brother don't mess around like that," Applebloom defended her family.

The mare rolled her eyes. "That you know of. He does seem to like making out of town deliveries. Who knows how many mistresses he's tangled with."

Applebloom scowled, she wanted to scream out in her brother's defense. But, she bit back her tongue.

Cheerilee smirked as though she were victorious. "Had the Crystal ponies treated him as geldings should be treated, none of that would have happened in the first place. You'd think they would understand that males are so much easier to handle when their fixed."

She waved a hoof about the interior of the school itself. "Like certain programs at our school, right here. We help parents evaluate whether or not their colts will grow into useful stallions, or whether they should cut and repurpose them. I have many a parent discover tht their son would be nothing but a failure in life."

"By making the slaves?"

Cheerilee snorted. "Filly, please. Servitude is the male's only purpose in life. Gelded or not."

Chapter 17: Basket Cake

Author's Note

Reminder: to understand some parts of this story, you'll have to check out the side story - Of Gelding Aftermath

Chapter 17: Basket Cake

"It is so good to see you awake at last, Luna," Celestia cooed as she sat by her sister's bed.

Recently awoken from her coma, The blue alicorn was being attended by nurses as she scowled and complained at their fussy nature. "Sister? Care to explain why I am being attended by these invasive hens and not our palace geldings? Surely you haven't gone soft."

Celestia snorted. "Hardly. With recent events, what few remain are being tasked with finding alternative solutions to the practice of castration."

Luna quirked a brow as one nurse fluffed her pillow. "Alternative? Sister. It's an ancient institution. Were their better ways, they'd have already been found."

Celestia nodded. "Be that as it may, it was necessary to help calm certain members of the populace."

"There was a time no one dared defy us, sister," Luna spoke in a low voice. "How could this happen now?"

The white alicorn shrugged. "Who knows what drives the minds of the mad to do anything? Rest assured, soon enough, ponies will come back to their senses. Until then, we must hold our ground."

Then she looked as if she remembered something. "Oh. Nurses, please leave my sister and I alone. There are private matters to discuss."

The mares swiftly obeyed, closing the door behind them. Celestia did a quick magical scan of the room and then, as an extra precaution, covered herself and Luna in an umbrella of silence so that no one could hear.

"What is it, sister?" Luna asked cautiously, doing her own scan of the room.

The whole time she had been in the room, Celestia had had a basket beside her, a sweet aroma wafting from it. Anyone that knew her would simply assume it contained whatever cake she felt like having that day. But, when she removed the lid...

"A foal?" Luna inquired, looking at the sleeping form held inside. Obviously drugged to keep from moving or making noise.

"A colt," Celestia corrected her. Then she corrected herself. "Actually, a gelding now. Plucked him out of an alleyway."

"A street orphan? Really?" Luna tilted her head incredulously. "Are we really so desperate that we've taken to scraping the bottom of the barrel? Are their no more noble families willing to part with their surplus males?"

Celestia chuckled good naturedly. "I don't know whether or not he is an orphan or some noble colt wandered too far from home matters not. I just needed a test subject. One only we knew about. No one else."

"A test subject?"

Celestia nodded. "Indeed. These rogue revolutionaries have some sort of spell that can reverse the process of castration. So... I have created a deterrent of sorts. One that should make them think twice before their next raid. If successful, shall bring us an upper hand in this fight."

Luna looked from the young gelding and back to her sister. "Please, do explain."

"Well, it was quite a simple thing, really," she started lifting the drugged child from the basket and passing him to Luna, who reluctantly held him. It. "Testosterone is the key factor in making stallion behave. We take a away a means of him producing a lot of it, and he becomes calm and obedient. As they should be."

The gelding shifted a little in Luna's hooves, she regarded it with contempt.

"Now, it has become apparent we can't stop these ponies from stealing our property in a moments notice every weekend, but we stop them raising an army testosterone pumping stallions from our gelding and eunuchs. I simply placed a tiny, hidden spell on him, where, were he to start producing more testosterone than the average gelding does... well... the revolutionaries would have to watch as he died writhing upon the floor in a most agonizing fashion."

Luna actually recoiled a bit. "So... we break our toys so that no one may play with them?"

Celestia nodded. "This is a game, Luna. One which we shall win. From now on this gelding will be your personal servant. Now that you're awake, make sure you out into public and socialize as much as possible to give these revolutionaries a chance to seize him and see what we are willing to do."

Luna nodded as she set the gelding down upon the top of her sheets. "What of the others we still have?"

Celestia shrugged. "Unfortunately, this had to remain absolutely secret. It would not do for someone to see me casting a spell on one of them. But... if the test is successful... it will become a royal decree to cast this spell on every gelding in Equestria. For now, we need just sit back and await their next move."

Chapter Eighteen: A Clever Meeting

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter nineteen: Making Rounds

Nurse Redheart gave the freshly castrated colt a swat on the plot, sending him squealing back to his mother. The mare in question offered no comfort, seemingly frozen in place, her mouth again as her mutilated child hugged her legs, shivering with pain. She had just stood there and watched as the nurse strapped him down to a board, applied an extremely watered down anesthetic to his scrotum and cut away.

After a while, the socked mare herded the little gelding inside and shut the door.

Redheart then re-strapped herself to the mini medical cart and pulled it along to the next house.

Once there, she unhitched herself from the cart and trotted up to the door and knocked firmly. Another mare opened it. Well, she supposed, most of the stallions were out working about now.

She cleared her throat. "By order of their majesties, I am hereby authorized and ordered to castrate any males within this household who do not yet have their cutie marks. Do not resist. Pegasus soldiers are waiting in the clouds to apprehend all who oppose this royal decree."

She had spent all morning rehearsing those lines. It was fairly effective.

After some initial shock, the mare called out a name and an energetic colt quickly appeared by her side.

"G-go with the nurse," his mother encouraged him in a quite tone. He happily obeyed.

Redheart led him to the cart and bid him to jump atop.

"Lay down on your back, please," she instructed, indicating the padded board. He did as he was told. She quickly set about tightening leather straps about his body to keep him from moving and hold his hind legs wide open.

He struggled a little bit. "What's this for?"

"So you keep still," she answered. As she used tongs to extract some instruments from a pot of boiling water.

"Am I getting a shot?"

"No." Redheart then proceeded to dip a brush into a bucket of brown liquid. Then she began to gently stroke it upon his coinpurse.

"Hey. Stop that," he protested. "No one's allowed to touch me down there."

"I'm a doctor," Redheart responded, "I'm allowed to."

"Really?"

She just nodded as she applied a thin coat. Then she jumped off the cart to search for a stick while it set in. Upon finding a proper one she returned to the colt and promptly began poking his testicles with said stick. "Can you feel that?"

"Barely," the colt responded tugging uncomfortably at his bonds.

"Good," the mare responded. "Bite this, it'll help to."

After placing the stick in the colt's mouth she selected her instrument. A scalpel.

She was swift and precise, well practiced. She professionally shut out the foals screams as she cut two slits in the scrotum, pushed the testicles through the openings, tightly tied surgical about the spermatic cords, then sliced the cords rendering the colt a sterile gelding. Afterwards, she stitched him up, unbound him and swatted him in the direction of his mother.

This one actually made an attempt to comfort her son before taking him inside to rest.

Then it was off to the next house. Same routine. It seemed to be only mares answering the door this particular day. And she watched all of their expressions and reactions.

Most were in shock, having never actually witnessed the procedure. Some were horrified. A few even cried. But there were more than a few that were smiling and actually thanked her for what she did.

It was at the final house where it went wrong. Sugarcube Corner.

Confetti, cake, amongst other sugary delights, and blood was everywhere. The Cakes had resisted. Pinkie Pie as well. Redheart supposed she was part of their family in some way. The pegasus guards had swooped down from the sky and, after a long fought battle of party artillery and sugary treats, they were all cuffed and tied to posts outside their establishment to await justice.

Redheart obeyed her Princesses directions. All of the females in the house, the wife, the live-in guest/surrogate daughter, and the biological daughter all had their clitorises cut out and their labia deadened. After that, she used some sharpened clamps to nip their mammary glans off. Then it was the father's turn.

"Mr. Cake," Redheart kept her voice even as she reached between his legs and pulled his balls taught, "for the crime of civil disobedience, you are to be gelded along with you son. No anesthetic is to be administered to either of you. Just remember, you could have saved your son this pain if only you had obeyed."

Using the burdizzo, she slid the cold metal over his sensitive flesh, hovering it over one of the precious cords, then began slowly applying pressure until she heard the tool click. All the while the yellow stallion shrieked in pain for the whole town to see. The next cord crushed rendered him sterile.

"P-please, no," Mrs. Cake begged as she saw the nurse shift her attention to her little colt. "Leave him be. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"But you did," Redheart answered back as she proceeded to draw out the colt's testicles.

Even Pinkie and Mr. Cake were yelling at her to stop. But she had a duty to fulfill. Pound Cake's face was wet with terrified tears as the the mare proceeded to do to him what he had just witnessed her do to his father.

"D-d-dont," he pleaded in a small voice.

Redheart paused a moment and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

And another gelding was made.

Sometime later and back at her office, Redheart sat down on a chair and opened a drawer under her desk. She pulled a pistol, a simple snub-nosed revolver, fully loaded and just a high enough caliber. Taking a quick shot of some whiskey she had in another drawer, she placed the barrel of the gun against her head.

"C-come on," she urged herself, hooves shaking. "C-c-can you do it this time y-you horrid b-bitch? Filthy coward. Obedient whore... monster. Just do it."

...

...

...

...

Knock-knock.

Realizing she had been holding her breath, the mare took a deep breath and reluctantly replaced the pistol back in it's drawer. Saved by the bell.

"C-come in."

The door opened to reveal one Tempest Shadow. One of Celestia's top agents.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Redheart inquired behind a forced grin.

The hornless unicorn wordlessly closed the door behind her and took a seat across from the nurse. She silently took the whiskey bottle from off the desk and drank some of it.

"Cheap year," she commented after she had taken her fill. Being the whole bottle. "I am here by Celestia's order to seek out members of the Hidden Railroad. We have some things to discuss, Ms. Redheart."

Redheart stole a quick glance at her special drawer and sighed wearily. "Alright. What's my part?"

Chapter Twenty: Beautiful Mistress Part 1

Rarity cooed comfortingly as she lead the young gelding into her bathroom. After yesterday's fiasco, there had been several ready to be sold by their parents. The seamstress was quick to find the finest looking of them all. Button Mash.

The brown earth pony colt looked down trodden after his mother had taken the gold and kissed him good bye. Miss Rarity at least seemed kind.

"Here we go, some nice warm water," the unicorn declared as she lifted him in her magic and deposited him in the tub. "Now let's get a good look at what's been done, shall we?"

She quickly joined him in the tub and turned him upon his back so that she could take a look at the stitching. "Hmmm. Seems a little crude. Then again, she was just trying to work fast. I'm sure it'll heal just fine. If the scars don't fade properly I can always apply some makeup."

"M-makeup?" Button asked, nervously, blushing as she ran her hoof over his empty scrotum in thought.

She noted his blush. "Oh, there must still be some testosterone in your system. Don't worry, that will fade soon enough. Of course, tomorrow we're going to the hospital to get this sheath removed. Hmm, what sort of cock do you have anyway?"

Button's eyes bugged out as the unicorn gently pulled back on his sheath the expose the mottled flesh beneath.

She smiled sweetly. "That will do just fine. Mares actually find the brown blotches cute. Hmm, you might have been quite the stud if things had been left alone. Ah, well, you be a delightful house gelding anyway."

"Isn't an unpaid servant known as a slave?"

Rarity turned to look at the newcomer. The gelding, however, couldn't see over the tub's wall.

"Oh, hello, Sweetie Belle," the seamstress smiled. "I was just cleaning and taking stock of my new gelding. I think he'll do just fine."

Sweetie rolled her eyes and trotted over to look at who she was referring to. She gasped when she saw the colt. "B-Button Mash?"

The gelding gasped too. "Sweetie Belle?"

He quickly tried to roll to hide his shame.

The filly turned accusingly to her sister. "Why?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Please. I had nothing to do with it. I simply saw him with a for sale sign about his neck and made the purchase. Well, now you'll be able to play with your friend all the time, as he'll be living with us from now on. When he isn't working, that is. You two can even share the same bed."

Sweetie leapt into the tub and through her hooves about the colt, sniffing. "Why you, Button?"

Rarity frowned. "Sweetie. I know he was your little coltfriend, but you're going to have to find a new colt now. Though, honestly, you should be grateful. Had I not purchased him, he might have wound up with a cruel owner. And you wouldn't want that, now would you?"

Sweetie Sniffed. "N-no."

Rarity smiled. "And you know I treat all my geldings fairly, right? Have you ever seen me so much as raise my voice to any of them?"

The filly shook her head. "No."

"Then you can rest assured that I will be treating button as though he were my own little colt," Rarity smiled.

"Except he has to work," Button said as she nuzzled the gelding's head.

Rarity picked both foals up in a big hug. "He'll be given plenty of freedom, Sweetie Belle. Besides, when it comes times for me to have foals of my own, at least two of the colts will become house geldings."

"Now, how about you finish cleaning him up while I go make a pot of tea?" Rarity said as she got out of the tub and dried herself off with a towel. "Both of you can come down and join me later."

Chapter Twenty-One: Beautiful Mistress Part 2

Knock-knock.

"We're closed today," Rarity called from the kitchen as she grabbed a tin of tea cookies to go along with her ginseng tea.

Knock-knock, it persisted.

Rarity sighed as she set the tin down on the counter and went to the door. "Alright, alright. I'm coming. Unless it's an emergency, I suggest you leave before I open this door."

The sight of Rainbow Dash however curbed her vague wrath. "Oh, Rainbow, Darling. How good of you visit. Won't you come in?"

The multi-colored pegasus pushed past her and into the boutique.

Rarity huffed as she gently shut the door. "Well. You could at least say hi."

"Hi," Rainbow snorted as she looked about Rarity's home.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Pinkie's missing," the blue mare blurted out as she lifted a sofa to pear beneath. Well, Pinkie was known to fit into weird places.

"Well, she's not here," Rarity said. "I would imagine after... what happened... she'd want to be alone. I know I would."

Rainbow Dash sighed in defeat and just sat on the couch in a sulk. "Great. All I need right now. The Cakes are missing too, by the way."

This gave Rarity some pause. "That is a little odd. I thought they were under house arrest for resisting."

"Resisting?" Rainbow Dash twisted an eyebrow. "Is that what you call them defending their family?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, didn't you read the papers? Princess Celestia said that this was a temporary solution to non-violently bring down the male population. Can't have too many of them running around, now can we? We mares have their best interests in mind, after all. Gelding's are obedient, and ensuring we mares outnumber the stallions keeps them from trying to usurp power."

Rainbow Dash blinked at her. "It's like you don't even hear the words coming out of your own mouth."

Again, Rarity sighed. "Alright, I'll admit. What happened to the Cakes and Pinkie was a little much. And the process they used was downright barbaric. I mean... poor Pound, gelded by crushing. That's a country bumpkin's know-nothing method. Something I would think the Apples would..."

"The Apples don't geld," Rainbow Dash cut her off.

"That we know of," the unicorn pointed out. She cleared her throat and called out to someone. "Pokey, be a dear and fetch Sweetie and Button. We'll be taking our tea in the gallery."

"Yes, mistress," was the reply.

"Button? Button Mash? Sweetie's coltfriend is here?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head to the side. Then her eyes widened. "Wait a minute. He doesn't have his cutiemark yet. Rarity...?"

The seamstress nodded. "Yes. I purchased him, Rainbow Dash. A fine little gelding like him would fit in very well. Besides, it would have broken Sweetie's heart if someone else had purchased him and taken him far away. I think he'll be happy here."

"As happy as a gelding can be," the speedster muttered as a unicorn gelding quickly appeared to set the table.

He bowed politely. "Mistress, I had Thunderlane fetch the two foals. I hope that was alright."

Rarity smiled and patted him on the head. "That will be fine, dear. I know you three will be getting along very well. Though, I'm going to let Button sleep in Sweetie's room, so no need to make up a new bed in your quarters."

Pokey tilted his head. "Just for the night, mistress? Or...?"

"Well, other than helping me to model children's clothing, he is going to be my little sister's caretaker," Rarity beamed. "Having a gelding to take care of will help teach her about responsibility. Oh, and lift your leg really quick, dear."

The unicorn swiftly obeyed, lifted hie left hind leg to expose his sheathless cock. Rarity gently lifted the flaccid length with her hoof to examine the decorations. "Hmmm. It's about time I switched these silver and Sapphire rings. Gold and emeralds are in season now."

She gingerly slipped off the jeweled rings and let his penis drop. "There. Remind me to measure you for a fitting later. Now go back to cleaning the displays."

"Yes, mistress," Pokey smiled and bowed before trotting off.

Rarity noted the other mare's blush. "He's a gelding Rainbow Dash."

"Still a cock," the mare responded, quickly taking a sip from her teacup. Which was empty. "See what I mean? A stallion should enjoy a mare holding his penis. Not have it stay limp forever. These guy's will never know what it's really like to be whole and to enjoy life."

Rarity sat down beside her friend and poured them both some tea. "We also geld to ensure the stallions with birth defects and mutations don't pass them down. Would it be better if those were the only ones we gelded?"

"Yes," Rainbow said as she took an actual sip. "But we also shouldn't treat them like property."

The unicorn nodded. "I try my best, dear. But the law states that they must be owned."

"You're... you're a good owner," the pegasus sighed, looking down at her tea. "I wish more ponies were like you when it came to geldings. Growing up in Cloudsdale, my parents always took me to the Gelding Grand Prix... I saw what they did to the losers."

"And you know what they did to you as well," Rarity said softly as she looked down at her own teacup.

The pegasus shifted her legs to look down at her crotch. "After I did the first rainboom, my mother took me to the surgeon to have my teats removed so that I would be more aerodynamic."

It was true. Where her mammary glands should have been was just smooth, glossy fur.

"I'll never know what it's like to have a stallion carress them during sex, or... or what it feels like to suckle foals of my own."

Rarity gently placed a comforting hoof upon her friend's shoulder. "Rainbow, dear. If you ever find yourself a stallion worthy of you, and you do have foals... I will be their wetnurse."

Rainbow smiled and laughed. "As if. You offering your perfect teats to gnawed on by a hungry baby?"

Rarity huffed. "As if I would let vanity get in the way of my dear friend's happiness."

"Well, at least I know they'll be fed."

A moment later and a dark pegasus walked into the room with the two foals upon his back. "Here they are mistress."

Rarity smiled as she invited the two foals upon the couch with her and Rainbow Dash. She also removed the rings from the pegasus cock. Then she looked at Button Mash.

"Soon I'll be fitting you for one of these as well, dear," she told as she set the rings aside. "So... do you think you can adjust to being my new house gelding, Button?"

The little colt found himself hugged from the side by the filly. He leaned into her, somehow, not feeling embarressed in the slightest. "I... I think I can get used to it, Rarity."

Rarity chuckled. "That's mistress, Button. You will refer to me as mistress. And Sweetie too, if that's what she wants."

Sweetie scowled. "No, he calls me Sweetie Belle."

Her big sister nodded. "Very well."

Button looked up at the unicorn with wide eyes. "You're beautful mistress."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Interrogation

"So, tell me," Speedy as the bruised and bloodied mare in the metal chair as he sifted through a selection of tool, "In what universe is it okay for a doctor... someone who has sworn to do no harm... to go about mutilating children. Even on orders from the country's ruler, that's breaking all kinds of morality."

The nurse coughed and spat up a tooth. "Yeah. It takes a special kind kind all right."

A quick clonk to the side of the head with a monkey wrench loosened a few more for her. She didn't scream. Only grunted as if she barely acknowledged the pain. "You could of at least applied a real anesthetic. That watered down shit was next to useless."

"Their lucky they got any at all."

THOCK. An upwards blow to jaw was rewarded with a whimper. Not too hard though, she needed to speak.

"If I hadn't pleaded for what they gave me, most of those colts would have gone into shock."

CRACK. Right on the shoulder.

"Are you trying to sound virtuous now?" he demanded as he tossed the tool aside and retrieved a cricket bat. "You think I'm gonna feel sorry for you just because you have a conciseness the size of an apple seed? You willingly mutilated two mares and a filly without any anesthetic, then crushed the spermatic cords of a full grown stallion so that he would know what it was like when you did the same to his son."

THIC. SNAP. SWIT. She wouldn't be needing that leg.

"Sp-Speedy Silverstreak," the mare said in a low voice as she looked at his face through her swollen eyes. Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're an evil conniving bitch who treated a bunch of children like animals," he shouted back.

She shook her head. "No not this. Why do you hate castration? It's been done for thousands of years. What's so wrong about it now all of a sudden?"

POW. Her shoulder again.

"That's none of your business," he said, throwing aside the bat. Was nothing effective against this mare? "Are you so void of conceive that thousands of years of history mean more to you than the lives of your fellow ponies?"

"I care for none more than my own family," the nurse said. "If i had refused... Celestia would have had my entire family mutilated, sent to work in mines, or in her palace. I did what I had to to save them. And I have. I know you won't hurt innocent ponies, Speedy. That's not your style."

He banged the table in frustration. It was then that one of his subordinates walked in.

"Speedy," she stated, throwing a quick salute. Were they doing that now? "We've intercepted a message from Princess Celestia, she will meet you at the minutemare's railroad. Wherever that is."

"Thank you," I said, dismissing her. "Gonna have to call Dez and Cadance. But first..."

I turned to look at the nurse. "What to do with you."

Author's Note

Your move Speedy.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Rejecting Royalty

Stallions had always been little more than a commodity in Equestria. The practice of castrating the undesirables stretched back millennia. Princess Luna had never viewed them as much more than strongbacks and breeding stock for mares. This was before her banishment. After her return however, she noticed that the laws of castration were much more liberal. But, she did not think much of it then either.

Obviously, society had found it necessary to have even less stallions around. It was strange at first, but she got used to it. Though, she had to admit, it made the court eunuchs much more pleasing to the eye when they didn't have any deformities. And the inbreeding of the noble families had often resulted in a steady influx of gelded colts to fill the courts.

She was, however, growing concerned as she stared out he window at ashes of Ponyville still descending from the sky. A stallion had done this. They were base creatures. How any of them be so clever?

"Princess?" a maid inquired as she watched the alicorn rush to from the window to open her dresser. "Is something the matter."

Luna didn't answer her. She just began pulling out what she believed would keep her warm in cold weather.

The maid came closer. "Uh, Princess? Are you preparing for a trip? Can I help you?"

Luna turned upon the mare, glaring angrily. The maid cried in shock and then bolted from the room.

Luna returned to her work. "Sister is going crazy. I've got to get out of here."

Just as she was pulling a fur hood over her head and throwing wool scarf around her neck, she heard a knock on the door.

"Luna? Are you alright? the maid said something was wrong," came the singsong voice of her sister from the other side. What was wrong with her? An Equestrian city had just been blown up. How could she sound so... so... relaxed.

"N-nothing's the matter, go away please," Luna said in as calm a voice as she could muster as she hurried to the window and began undoing the latch.

"Luna? Open this door. Open this door right now."

"Just a minute," Luna shouted back, throwing open the window and taking a step onto the sill.

The door came flying off its hinges, causing the blue alicorn to stumble. Looking back she saw the smiling face of her sister in the doorway. "Oh. Were you planning on going somewhere, Luna?"

Picking herself back up, Luna smiled nervously. "N-no... not really. Just... testing out a new wardrobe. H-how do I look?"

"Like a colorblind clown," Celesita said, narrowing her eyes. "Luna. What's going on. Are you planning on abandoning me? Your ponies?"

"Oh, screw it," Luna groaned, ignited her horn and sending a blast at her sister. "Don't follow me."

Celestia had simply sidestepped the blast and watched as Luna took flight. She didn't move one inch to try and stop her either. Instead, she just stood, there, smiling. "Oh, you silly filly. Where do you think you're going?"

"S-someplace cold," suggested the maid from earlier. "I noticed she putting on warm clothing, so she must be heading north to... gaggck..."

A golden aura encircled the maid's throat as she was lifted on the ground and brought face to face with the sun princess. Her legs kicked futility against the air as she was slowly strangled to death. With a quick twist and snapping noise, the maid's neck was broken and her body was let drop to the floor.

Celestia grinned as she turned and left the room. "Luna. What have you done? Why would you murder an inoccent maid?"

The Crystal Empire, crown of the north, haven from the cold, and home of the crystal heart. But these facts mattered little to Luna as she crash-landed in the city square after days of nonstop flying. Weakened from hunger and no sleep, she only spoke a few words before passing out.

"I must speak with Cadance."

Chapter Twenty-Four: Choices

"Mistress, master, I believe we should begin packing now," the middle-aged gelding bid his owners.

Twilight Velvet looked up from her knitting. "What's the emergency, Vase?"

The gelding passed her the newspaper he had been reading. "It would appear Celestia's gone mad."

Velvet opened the paper and an opened letter fell out. "Oh. A Railroad message." Her eyes glided over the letter. "Ah... so Luna is in the Crystal Empire now? I suppose it is about time we packed. Be a dear and fetch my husband, please. He should be in his study."

"Of course, mistress," the gelding bowed politely.

Vase, no last name, was a volunteer gelding, choosing to be castrated in order to go under cover for the railroad and aid in their Equestrian spy network. For ten long years he had willingly served the family as they garnered information and helped abused geldings flee the capitol.

Coming up to the study door, he gave a quick, secret knock.

"Come in," welcomed the stallion of the house. The blue stallion looked up from his book. "What's up, Vase?"

The gelding closed the door behind him and cleared his throat. "Urgent message from the Railroad, sir. We are to leave and head for the Crystal Empire as soon as possible."

"I see," Nightlight nodded, closing his book. "Well. We'll need to only take the essentials... should we burn the place to cover our tracks?"

The gelding chuckled. "No need to be so extreme, master. I will detonate the tunnels as soon as we're through. No one can possibly follow us."

"Eager to be whole again?" the stallion asked as he replaced his book into the book shelf.

"I don't know, I've gotten used to be your servant," Vase replied with a smile.

"You can still serve us with both your testicles attached, Vase," Nightlight replied.

"Well, I've gotten used to living without sexual impulses as well," Vase chuckled.

"That's just the lack of testosterone talking," the stallion said. "When we get you fixed up, you'll be swimming in mares."

"Do you suppose the Crystal Empire looks down on stallions who enjoy lactating mares?" Vase asked, thoughtfully.

"Who cares?" the unicorn laughed, slapping the gelding's withers. "You do you. Besides, I'm sure there are plenty of milkmares to go around."

"Might be too much trouble," Vase said. "Being gelded has made life so much simpler. I can still enjoy mares this way."

Nightlight blinked at his friend. "If... if you say so."

"You have all the way tot the empire to help me make up my mind," master the gelding bowed politely. "Until then, I happily remain you loyal gelding."

Nightlight nodded. "It will be your choice. Of course. But, the missus and I would love you just as much if you were a stallion as well."

"We shall see, master," Vase said.

Two hours later, three ponies were making their way way northward.

"Velvet, dear," Nightlight said as he helped pull the cart with vase. "Are you sure all of this is nessacary?"

Velvet, who sat atop the cart with a rifle to watch their backs, nodded. "Of course. Tents..."

"There only three of us."

"Well, we need spares as well," Velvet scolded him. "Food, plenty, just in case we get lost. Camouflages, extra rifles and ammo. Plenty of dry firewood. That's going to be must, dear. Cold weather clothing. Two cots."

"Only two cots?" Nightlight asked.

"Well, you don't expect me to sleep alone, do you?" Velvet demanded. "Which makes the spare tents important because..."

Vase chuckled. "Say no more, mistress. I'll be sure to vacate whenever you two feel like... warming up."

"Good," Velvet smiled, turning back to scan the horizon. "Oh, did I also mention I packed gifts for the family? No, you cannot talk me into leaving them behind, you two. It wouldn't be proper to show up at the family's doorstep with a few gifts for my babies and their baby."

"Shining and Flurryheart are in hiding, dear," Nightlight pointed out.

"Semantics, love," was her reply.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Service Mares

Dez, a middle-aged mare, sat on an upper balcony of the Crystal Palace, over-looking the city. Hoofsteps told her someone was coming.

"Well, if it isn't the fantastic Mr. Silverstreak," she smiled without turning around. "Come to say hi?"

"There is that," Speedy said as he sat down beside her. "Though... I want to talk to you about your... um... volunteer geldings."

Dez nodded. "Yeah, old business that."

"Before I came along with the AGO, the Hidden Railroad had no way of reversing castration," Speedy began slowly. "I want to know..."

"Why we did it?" the mare finished for him. He nodded. "Before I inherited this institution from my mother, and she her mother, geldings weren't so bad as they are today. Our main concern was rescuing abused geldings throughout Equestria. We'd always seen castration as a bad thing, but ti was never as bad as it has been lately. During my mother's time, it was starting to get worse, colts were being treated like a simple commodity, gelded servants, breeding stock, we needed a way to... infiltrate high ranking places."

"Couldn't you just ask ones who had already been gelded?" Speedy asked.

Dex shook her head. "If only we could. But, if someone recognized them, well, it's lawful to hang a runaway gelding, you know. We asked for volunteers within our own ranks. Geldings tend to be overlooked."

She turned to see Speedy's expression. "Don't give me that look. Is was purely volunteer based. We even had a system set up. They had a year between the moment they signed the contract to the date of the gelding to change their minds. Most did change minds. We even went so far as to give them the option to backing out up to the moment their last testicle was severed."

Speedy scowled. "So they had a year to change their minds?"

Dez nodded. "Yes. During that year, we ensured to encourage them as much as we could not to go through with it."

The stallion was taken aback. "You encouraged the volunteers to not go through with it?"

The mare chuckled. "Why are you so surprised? Of course we don't want to castrate anyone. Those who had the resolve enough to not be swayed were the volunteer geldings, sent to Railroad members to aid in our mission."

"How did you encourage them not to want to go through with it?"

Dez rolled her eyes. "Easy. Parties, porn and poontang. It ensured we only got the most resolute of stallions. A great loss, on our part. Until you came along with your revolutionary medical procedure. Where did you find how to reverse castration, Speedy?"

The stallion looked away. "We have our secrets."

The mare nodded. "We do. Again... thank you, Speedy."

Speedy looked back at her. "For what?"

"If not for you, the Hidden Railroad would have probably died out under all the new laws. We were on rocky shores, our methods were medieval, and our supporters were leaving in droves." Dez paused a moment to watch an approaching pegasus flying from below. "Though, perhaps it's due to our distaste for blood. We could never have done what you did. Especially to Rarity."

"Oh," Speedy asked.

Dez nodded. "Intelligence said that she was very kind and good to her geldings. We would have left her alone. It seems a little harsh, what you did to her."

Before Speedy could reply, a laughing rainbow-maned mare shot past the balcony. Dez blinked.

"Was that Rainbow Dash?"

Speedy nodded. "Yeah... she's been do that nonstop since her operation."

Dez smirked. "Enjoying her new teats is she?"

the stallion chuckled. "Well... she's never felt anything like it before. Says the wind tickles."

I imagine it does at her speed. Dez said, squinting her eyes. "Why are they white?"

Speedy shrugged. "Nurse Redheart wanted to give us a show of good faith. She... donated them for Rainbow Dash."

"Well, that's another problem solved, then," the mare nodded as she looked back down over the city. "Though... we're kind of at a tipping point. With all the geldings coming in and being repaired, we're gonna need more mares. Civilization hinges on reproduction, after all."

"Well, the mares still outnumber the stallions," Speedy said. "Not by much though. We're already beginning to send them to other allied nations. I'm sure they have enough ladies to help with the problem."

"Speaking of ladies, how are you and Pinkie doing," Dez asked roguishly. "What's it like with a mare whose two separate ponies? Must be like having to share yourself."

Speedy nodded. "A little. Why do you ask?"

"The Hidden Railroad must be headed by a mare, Speedy," she told him. "It's not some matriarchal supremacy thing, it's really symbolic. A mare standing to hold the hoof of the oppressed gelding."

"Because a stallion promoting it would seem more like division in the sexes," Speedy translated. "Which is what Celestia tries to do with me and the AGO."

Dez nodded. "Precisely. It's been passed on from mother and daughter for five generations, Speedy. I'd rather not break tradition. But... I have no daughter to pass it on to."

Speedy blinked. "I can see how that might be a small problem."

Dez smiled and nodded. "A small problem that can be very easily fixed." She stood up and swished her tail from side-to-side. "If Pinkie's alright with sharing you with Pinkamena, do you think she'd be willing to share you with one more?"

Speedy froze, speechless.

The mare chuckled before turning to leave. "It's alright. Talk it over with that mare of yours. You know where to find me."

And with that, she was gone, leaving a stunned stallion behind.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Beauty of a Beast

The little gelding was on the verge of hyperventilating as his mother fashioned a noose in the rope she had purchased that morning. His hooves were bound tightly, painfully so.

His mother had not been happy with he and his brother's performance since their castrations. After constant beating and, screaming, and beratings, she had just had enough. They were colts after all, weren't they supposed to be strong? Surely the loss of testosterone hadn't weakened them that much.

As a warning to the young gelding, she had already hung his brother in the tree in the backyard. There his body still hung after a week, swaying in the breeze and gathering more flies by the day. That would be him soon as well.

"Balls or no," the mother growled as she tugged at the knot experimentally, she wanted to make sure nothing went wrong, "you shouldn't have any problem pulling a cart of groceries."

Groceries being the countless pounds of beauty she products she insisted on buying every week. The poor little gelding still had bruises and cuts from went he lost his grip going up hill and went rolling backwards with the cart, ruining all of her weekend plans.

"Stupid colts owe me from ruining my body," she growled as she, satisfied with the knot, threw it over a the limb beside his brother's corpse. "I carry you both for eleven months, hoping for just one sweet little filly, but no, I get a couple useless colts. Weren't even useful as geldings. Such stupid disappointments."

He might have tried defending himself, if not for his bound being bound shut with twine.

"Well, we all know what happens to disappointments," the mare cursed as she came over, grabbed and then dragged him underneath the tree. "Wish I just hung your father as well after giving me two colts, instead of gelding and selling him to the salt mines."

She dropped the noose over the gelding's head and pulled the knot tight, already beginning to strangle him before his hooves ever left the ground. She gave him a swift knock in the gut to double him over and discourage him from running away before she snatched up the other end of the rope.

"Honestly," she spat, looking down at the tears the poured from his eyes, "a real colt would be crying over something so pathetic. It was such a waste of time training you two. Should've thrown you both in the trash the moment I birthed you. Never would have gotten a dime had I sold you. Probably would've been sued for selling defective merchandise."

She was about to grab the rope, when she paused. "Although... the Night Mother... I might... No. You're already too broken and pathetic. To Tartarus with you, tell your brother I wish he was never born."

A moment later, the gelding was kicking against the air, the other end of the rope tied off to keep him aloft. The mare slowly walked away. "Well, I'm off to the market to find a strong gelding that can actually get some work done."

And those were the last words the gelding heard before lack of air rendered him unconscious.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Sweet Transcendence

Speedy was unsure how to feel at the moment. Against his right was his precious Pinkie Pie, against his right, the older mare Dez. They both seemed content to stay where they were, and the way they were pressing against him made it almost impossible for him to move.

To make it worse, Princess Cadance was there, doing her best not to laugh her head off.

"Seems some stallion has got a new fan," she declared aloud with a wave of her hoof. "Couldn't imagine a better match up. A pink schizo and cougar for a racer like you."

"It's not really that funny," the stallion retorted, blushing a little.

"It is actually," Pinkie snickered on his right.

"Yeah verily," Dez chortled to his left.

Cadance managed to compose herself a little. "Well, while I am perfectly happy and supportive of this beautiful union of mares and stallion, it brings up a few new issues."

Speedy nodded. "If anyone finds out... they might target one to hurt all three."

Cadnace nodded somberly. "There's that. But also... what if Dez's foal is a colt?"

"Then I'll the best mommy I can be to him and try again," Dez smiled, turning to kiss the stallion's neck. "I'm sure you won't mind."

Pinkie chuckled. "Of course not, silly. Speedy'll more than happy to jump your bones."

The stallion blushed profusely. "Hey... I'm some breeding stock you can just toss around."

Pinkie chuckled and threw her hooves about his neck. "Nope. You're the most loving stallion we could ever ask for. Besides... if things keep going as they are... we won't even need the Hidden Railroad or the AGO anymore. No more geldings... no more worrying you'll never come back home. It'll just be us... and Dez."

"Yeah,. you won't send me out into the cold will you?" the older mare mock pouted. "I am carrying your children, after all."

The stallion sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"A love triangle of the best kind," Cadance winked at him. "Keep them close, stud. These two'll make you very happy."

With that, she left, leaving the stallion to his cuddly doom. Her step picked up speed when she started hearing some rather erotic sounds coming from the room she had just vacated. Best leave them to their privacy.

She soon found herself in her throne room. Her lonely throne room. Where her loving husband and filly used to keep her company. Every time she entered that room it was like walking into a fridge without their warm smiles. Celestia was going to pay for this... somehow.

She sat upon her throne of solitude and sighed.

Then the door burst open and maid rushed in. "Princess Cadance... it's horrible. Come and see. I can't even explain it."

The alicorn leapt from the thrown and bid the maid the lead her. Soon she arrived at a disheartening and horrifying sight.

A soldier quickly bowed bowed. "Your majesty. We've just come across a new plot by the sun princess."

Cadance didn't need to hear anymore, she pushed pas the guard to where the object of concern sat. A stallion, or a gelding still, sat unmoving in the center of the small room, his head shaved down tot he skin. Lobotomy scars crisscrossed his bare scalp.

She waved a hoof in front of his face. There was no response.

"What evil is this?"

"Princess Celestia's newest practice," a mare in a surgeon's uniform stepped forward. She bowed. "Princess. I am Dr. Sweetheart. I risked life and limb getting Subject Beta to your empire."

Cadance kept her tone neutral. "What is subject Beta?"

"A first in a series of modified stallions," the mare said in a shaky tone, as if she expected to be blasted through a wall at any moment. "Princess Celestia is in the process of experimenting to remove the base of free will from the male mind, making them even more obedient than an average gelding."

"Making them more like well-trained dogs," Cadance said, eyeing the near brain-dead gelding.

The other mare nodded. "Y-yes. If she knew that I had stolen this one..."

"You're safe," the alicorn reassured her. "You can relax."

"No, I can't," the mare cried bitterly. "There's not a moment to lose. Once she learns to isolate and remove free will, expression, and a few other things, things going to try and use some sort of ritual to write it into the very DNA of ponies, and every other species after that. She wants to render all future generations of males as nothing but tools and toys... more than she has already done now."

"What does she call this project of hers?" Cadance asked, feeling very sick to her stomach. She wanted to vomit, but she had to appear strong.

"She calls it Transcendence," Sweetheart said, quaking. And then she passed out from countless sleepless nights and fatigue. The good princess had her transported to a comfortable room with a soft bed.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Hubris

The Everfree Castle. Ancient and mysterious. Well, to most. Celestia had once lived there.

The white alicorn alighted in the crumbling throne room, touching the aged stones with her delicate hooves. She relished the sound of the clip-clop that echoed about those old chambers. Perhaps, one day, she would rebuild it. She and her sister.

Though, she she wondered if she might ever get poor Luna back alive. Siding with those revolutionaries might be hard to forgive.

"Finally arrived, have we?" a familiar voice called attention to a balcony overhead.

She casually looked up at the blue figure. "Ah. Speedy Silverstreak, revolutionary extraordinaire. How nice to see you again. Come negotiate your surrender, have you? That's really nice. Saves me the trouble and so much unnecessary bloodshed."

"I'm here to discuss your latest project," the stallion said, ignoring her little quips.

"Hmmm, which one?" she asked innocently. "I have so many... is it my plans for Prince Rutherford? Silly bull, isn't he?"

The stallion shook his head, trying desperately not to imagine what horrors she had planned for the ruler of Yakyakastan. "No."

"Well, maybe my plan to plant marigolds on the south slope of the mountain."

"Shut up you insane bitch," Speedy growled, not sure how much of her voice he could take.

"Watch your language in the presence of royalty," Celestia warned him. "I am here on good faith. No guards to escort me. No traps to bring you into the Canterlot castle to experiment on. Though, I should tell you, the room I have reserved for you is just gorgeous."

The alicorn looked up into the rafters and snorted. "Which is more than I can say for you. Snipers? Really?"

"Just a precaution," Speedy stated, mentally cursing himself for not having them hide better. "No, I am here to discuss Transcendence."

Celestia closed her mouth and her smile disappeared. It was quiet for a long time.

"What of it?" she asked finally.

"What happened to you, Celestia?" Speedy asked with a shake of his head. "When I was a little colt, my mother used to tell me all kinds of stories about how you were the greatest princess in the world. Kind, loving, and the symbol of peace... then I grew up."

"Into a clever stud," the alicorn mused to herself.

"I learned, growing up, that I was really just moments away from being nabbed and castrated at any second, simply for being born the wrong gender," he continued. "My parents... thankfully, were good ponies. Though... that might not have stopped you, now would it?"

Celestia shook her head. "If I knew you were going to grow into a stallion capable of defying me, I'd have you brought to live in my palace. Not as a gelding or eunuch, mind you. But, to raise to become my consort. And Luna's, of course. You're one of very few stallions to have caught my interest. As for transcendence... How do you plan to stop me?"

"We have our ways," Speedy responded ominously.

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm being very kind and merciful to you stallions. My other project, Ascendance, would erase the need for males all together. At least with Transcendence you get to stick around."

The stallion opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"No-no, it's the mare's turn to speak stallion," she chided him. "Know your place. Every time you've acted up it's only gotten worse, Speedy. And then you had the gall to drag Cadance into your lite crusade. So unforgivable."

"She was already against such practices," Speedy retorted.

"Perhaps," Celestia nodded. "But, I could have, over time, persuaded her otherwise."

"She's stronger than that."

"She's misled," Celestia growled. "But, that's neither here nor there. I fear that this may come to head sooner or later. But, perhaps, I can persuade you to hold off on your intrusions at least a little while. Here. Take this to my dear niece. She'll know hwat it is."

A box appeared out of thin air beside stallion. He quickly grabbed. Celestia's wicked smile was returning. "I'll be off now. Say hi to Cadance for me, would you?"

Sometime later in the Crystal Empire:

Cadance took a deep breath before carefully opening the lid. Inside were two locks of mane. One purple and the other blue. Her eyes went wide and her body paled in a sickly fashion.

"No," she said softly, unable to believe it.

Beneath the lock was a note.

Dear Cadance,

By the time you're reading this Griffonstone should already be sending word that it's on fire. Hope you're willing to take on more refugees. Oh, and Flurry Heart is just the sweetest thing. It's been forever since I've held her. Shining Sends his regards. Though we had to muzzle after he bit several ponies while yelling the most uncivilized things.

P.S. Tell that stallion to stop inuring on my territory. For a little while at least. Else I be sending you this little angel's wings.

Much love,

Aunt Celestia

The box and letter fell to the floor of the throne room. Everyone was silent as they watched the princess shiver in a horrid limbo bewteen screaming and fainting.

A moment later a soldier burst in shouting.

"Your highness, Griffonstone has been attacked and refugees are already on their way."

Fainting it was. She collapsed on the crystal floor with a mighty thump.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Lost and Found

Whilst Speedy had gotten away, Private Buckly had not been so fortunate. Hogtied and beaten, he lay on at the foot of Celestia's throne. Nearby, Captain Spitfire and Soarin smirked, knowing they would be rewarded for their efficiency.

Soarin, grand champion of the Gelding Grand Prix in his childhood, proudly served in the Wonderbolts, escaping the fate of so many others. One of the few geldings who held any sort of rank in Equestria. Spirfire was practically born into service. Her mother having had her mammaries amputated, ovaries removed, and labia deadened so that she wouldn't have anything to distract her from becoming the best Wonderbolt there was.

The alicorn glared down at the earth pony with contempt. "SO, you're the one who helped that miscreant infiltrate my inner sanctum and kidnap my niece's daughter. Have you anything to say?"

The stallion made a few gurgled sounds, but his throat had been damaged during the capture.

Celestia sighed. "How am I supposed to interrogate him if he's too damaged to talk?"

Spitfire tittered nervously. "Er, well... I guess we got a little carried away, your majesty."

The alicorn waved her off. "I'm sure the gelding is more to blame."

Soarin, groaned a little. Despite his position, he was still just a castrated tool.

"Escort him to the castle medical ward and had his penis removed," she bid Spitfire with a dismissive flap of her wings.

The captain protested. "Princess. Soarin is an upstanding member of the Wonderbolts. Loyal only to you for the betterment of Equestria. Removing his last shred of stallionhood would be detrimental to his moral."

Celestia blinked at her. "And the other ladies of the Wonderbolts too, I assume."

Spitfire took a step back. "You highness. I cannot experience sexual pleasure in any way shape or form."

"But others can, I assume," Celestia said with a bored expression. "Their parents weren't so extreme with them, I would wager. Make yourself some extra bits whoring out the gelding, aren't you?"

"P-princess..." the pegasus mare stammered.

"Have his phallus removed within the hour or I shall be in need of a new captain for my Wonderbolts."

"A-at once, your majesty," Spitfire bowed before herding Soarin off to enact her wishes.

Once they were alone, Celestia lifted the earth pony up off the floor in her magic and brought him up to eye level. "Interesting that that stallion would trust a low ranking thing such as you. What are you? Good friends? Brothers? some other relation? Pity you can't talk. And I suppose, he might come to rescue you. So full of bravado that one. It's almost like he has a death wish."

She gave his balls a quick zap wit her magic and smiled as he whimpered in pain. "Such a pathetic weakness, don't you think? Don't you wish it just didn't exist?"

She dropped him back upon the ground thought for a minute. "You know. While I want that stallion for myself, you seem rather important to him. I think I know what to do with you until you're well enough to talk."

Some time later the stallion found himself tied to post and forcefed pills while some "Volunteer" mares were lined up in front of him.

"Now, ladies," Celestia smiled sweetly. "You've been chosen to give this stallion his last rites. Each of you will get a chance to be impregnated before he is castrated for crimes against Equestria. All colts produced from this are to be raised as eunuchs for the palace, while all the fillies will be my maids for the rest of their lives. And so on through their future generations. And, don't feel bad for this stallion, his only purpose is breeding after all. He'll enjoy every second of it."

Cadance lay on her side, a happy filly latched onto her teats, suckling happily. Shining armor was in the hospital bed beside her, asleep, as he had been since he arrived. Everyone had felt it was best for them to stay overnight for observation. Though, it was Shining Armor that was causing them all some concern.

His body was fatigued, cut, and beaten, and the doctors all agreed that he appeared to have without sleep for several days. It had taken a while for Speedy to mount a rescue mission. Best they could figure, he had refused to sleep while his daughter was in danger, and only at the sight of Cadance did he know it would be safe to sleep.

His loving wife had not left his side for a moment, insistent on keeping the family together for as long as possible. It was also good to relieve some of that milky pressure she had been feeling. Nearby Dez and Pinkie were just dawwing at the sight of a happy Flurry Heart.

"I can't wait to have a foal of my own," Pinkie bounced happily.

"Well, when Speedy stops looking for that missing private, I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige," Dez chuckled as she reached out a hoof and stroked the filly.

The next moment, the door opened to reveal the rainbow-maned speedster. "Hey, just heard that Shining Armor's Back and... aahh, she's so cute."

Now there were three mares watching the foal. Cadance couldn't help but laugh. "Even the great Rainbow Dash falls before the adorableness of a tiny filly."

"Pfft," Rainbow blew a raspberry. "C'mon, it's like law that everypony has to day at a baby. Haven't seen this munchkin in a while anyway."

"Well let's rectify that," Cadance smiled, gently pulling the filly from her meal and passing her to the pegasus. "Enjoy."

Flurry fussed a bit about being pulled away, but brightened up at the sight of the rainbow mane. Dash smiled and squeezed her to chest. "I am so getting myself one of these from Big Mac."

"Big Mac?" Pinkie cried, a big grin on her face. "Isn't he with Sugarbelle?"

"We're herding," Rainbow informed her. "Just like you two are."

While it was a secret for the sake of protecting the founders, they did let their friends know.

"Would you like to feed her for a bit while I check Shining?" Cadance asked, shifting into a better position to look over her husband.

"Feed her?" Rainbow Dash's mane stood on end. "I-I'm not..."

"She's already full, she likes to suck," the alicorn informed her. "We're all good friends. And you could all use some practice, don't you think?"

"Ooh," Pinkie's mane perked up. "Me next, me next."

Cadance smiled but sighed a sadly. "I can only imagine what Celestia did to the poor griffon wetnurse we provided for her while in hiding."

"Dead."

Everyone gasped. Shining had just spoke.

Cadance threw her hooves about him and wept. "You're awake. It's been so long."

"Flurry," he weakly moaned, "is she..."

"She perfectly fine," Cadance sniffed, stroked him mane, and tenderly touching the bandages that covered the wound where his horn used to be. That was going to be hard to replace. "Oh, I've missed you. What did that horrid monster do to you?"

"Cadance," Shining smiled trying to look at her, but his strength was all gone. He needed to rest, and eat. "She used me."

"What do you mean?"

"She...," he closed his eyes in shame,"collected my sperm. For experimenting. I don't... I don't know..."

"Ssshh," Cadance bid him, kissing his cheek. "Rest now. You and Flurry are back home and safe. You need to get better so you can get back to leading our military. It's been chaos without you. We'll have so much to discuss once you're better."

She held him tight until he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Thirty: Ghosts of the Past

"Oh, he seems to be coming around now."

Speedy slowly blinked the vapors from his head. He hadn't experienced a headache like this one since his last all-night whiskey party years before. He soon found himself staring at a mare in a labcoat.

"Good morning, sir," she said with a smile. "I bet you're wondering what happened."

He nodded slowly.

"Well, Celestia knew you you'd come and rescue your friend," she started as she began poking him in random places before writing something on a clipboard. "So, you know, a public castration thingy to draw you out, and then plant undercover agents in the crowd so you couldn't identify them... well, it was a trap, okay. And you fell for it."

He tried to say something back, but found his mouth gagged.

"Trying to speak are we?" she asked, amused. "Well. That's just nonsense. A stallion has nothing intelligent to say, you know. Just big testosterone-fueled foal-makers is what you are. Whether or not you accept it. It's always so nice when we get you to remain still."

Speedy didn't react. He wasn't really listening to her. His eyes were fixed on what was behind her.

Vats. Hundreds of them.

Inside each floated a foal, connected to hundreds of wires and tubes. They seemed almost dead, save for a twitch every now and again. A screen displayed the vitals and functions of each child. Other mares were wandering about, pausing to inspect vats here and there and then carry on their way.

Then he turned his attention to himself. He was strapped tightly into a straight-jacket, while held down with Kevlar cables. He attempted to test his confines, but found his body unresponsive.

"A harmless paralyzing agent we've been applying every three hours came an all too familiar voice. Striding around to the front of his vision and shooing away the other mare, was the white princess. She smiled broadly at him with victory etched upon her face. "I been waiting to bring you here. It's only so much more meaningful since you are apparently aware Cadance's 'birth'..."

She spread her wings and twirled in a circle. "Welcome to her birthplace. The Gardens of Gemini. Known only to me."

Speedy stole a quick glance at one of the other mares.

Celestia chuckled. "Them? Oh, Speedy. You disappoint me. They were all 'born' here. I needed assistants after all. Can't have a super-secret place of research without some form of indoctrinated help. I would never get things done."

Speedy's eyes went wide in realization as he looked again at all the children.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Celestia smiled as she stepped over to lay a hoof on one of the vats as gently as lamb. "Did you know, that, if you were to cut of the leg of a starfish, not only would the starfish regrow the leg, but the leg would regrow another starfish? Same principle here... it started as few cells that I managed to create an entirely new pony."

She gave the glass a tap, and the foal's eyes fluttered open. Upon seeing Celestia, she, for it was a filly, reached out a hoof and laid it opposite of the mare's own hoof.

"This one's almost ready to come out," she smiled. "Isn't she beautiful? Children... so easy to raise into whatever you want. Especially without any corrupted outside influences."

She removed her hoof, and the filly did the same, falling back asleep. "Not even the changelings have a method as pristine and perfect as mine. Thorax being an example. Another king? Honestly."

She slid over and sat down beside the table, laying her head on Speedy's chest. "You should be honored. You are the first male to ever enter this place. I think it's about time my daughters interacted with a stallion. You're going to play a very important part in their future. Maybe."

"You see...," she began starting to get more comfortable atop of him, "from this small sanctuary... I could simply restart all of civilization."

The stallion felt cold at how casually she spoke of the end of the world.

"Unfortunately, Ascendance is only theory at the moment, but Transcendence is becoming the most promising project, we're so close." She shrugged as she snuggled down. She seemed very tired. "Oh well. Penises are very useful, and fun. I try my best to protect my ponies. I really do believe this world is worth redeeming. But, if pushed too far... all I need do is pull the sun a little bit closer to our world."

She yawned and closed her eyes. "Don't worry about your friends trying to find you. We extracted every tracking device, spell, enchantment, and or rune from your body. Those are probably going to leave some minor scars. Once the fur grows back, you won't even notice." She smacked her lips drowsily. "As a bonus, that gave us the necessary tissue samples to start growing Gemini's first males. Hopefully..."

Her head lulled to the side. How long had she been up. "Did you know it's next to impossible to clone a male specimen? Everything has to be perfect for the Y chromosome. Temperature... chemical... balance... oxygen levels... left hand amino acid..."

Then she started snoring.

Speedy didn't know what to do. For once in his life he felt absolutely helpless. Not only could he not move, but his friends couldn't find him, and Celestia's big head weighed a ton. Goodness how many did she eat on a daily basis?

...

...

...

"Mother..."

His attention turned back to Celestia. Now she was mumbling in her sleep.

"Please...," now it seemed like she was begging. "Why do the gods demand blood? Why must we sacrifice him... could we not give them something else instead?"

He remained still for a second. What was she saying?

"His future then. Let him live... but have no children to follow. Would they accept this in exchange for his life?"

Then she started snoring again.

Chapter Thirty-One: Princess Cuddles

Breakfast in the Gardens of Gemini was an interesting experience. Celestia's little helpers provided them each full meals, though, to feed the stallion, they inserted a tube down his throat and simply pumped it into his stomach. Celestia chuckled at his discomfort.

"Don't be such a baby," she chided him. "It's not like we're going to just loosen your bonds. Even paralyzed like you are, I'm not taking any chances. This also gives me a chance to tell you more about Gemini, without falling asleep."

He glared at her and resigned himself to his fate.

"Once, years ago, it was deep with in the mountain of Canterlot," she began after sipping her coffee. "But, after a little... security breach... I had all outsiders who knew about it erased. I then proceeded move it's location, bit by bit to a place no one would dare look. Can you guess? No?"

She laughed again as if it were a brilliant choke.

"We're in the bowels of Tartarus," she declared proudly. "The only way in or out is via teleportation. So many twists and turns that no one could ever find us. Not even Discord. Tartarus is special like that. Even his Chaos magic would be useless down here."

Speedy couldn't help but watch some of the foals while Celestia spoke. They were so innocent, yet this place reeked of evil.

Finishing the rest of her meal, which did involve cake, she bid her helpers take away the dishes. "If we do manage to make some proper colts from your tissue samples, we can begin practicing lobotomizing them into proper little obedient creatures who know their place. The weak ones will be gelded and made to work, of course."

Speedy tensed when he felt her hoof gently touch his testicles. She giggled at the reaction.

"Don't worry, stud. I have no intention of harming you. In fact. The guard who knocked out has already been gelded and lobotomized. Though, we're experimenting with that, and he's lost the ability to breath on his own. Well. This is why we test things before we implement them."

A mare appeared with a syringe and quickly injected it into the stallion's neck.

"Ah. Right on time. That's another three hours of paralysis." Celestia smiled sweetly as she climbed upon the table and proceeded to removed the feeding tube. "And I think you've had enough breakfast."

She then began snuggling him like he was her giant teddy bear. "It's a pity you can't have an erection while paralyzed like this. I stand by what I said t our first meeting. You are going to breed an entire generation. To bad we couldn't keep the samples we took from Shining Armor. He produced an Alicorn naturally. So valuable. At least with his horn we can attempt some reasonable female clones."

Speedy felt her squeeze him.

"Such a rebellious little colt like you has probably felt the wonders of a mare, have you?" she teased him. "Always on the run."

Speedy felt slightly at ease now. It appeared Celestia didn't know about Pinkie, or Dez. He would keep it that way.

"Once I'm cuddling, I'll show you all around Gemini. We can even see how your tissue samples are coming along."

Despite his hatred for this mare, Speedy found himself strangely comfortable in her embrace. Was she putting something in the food?

Chapter Thirty-Two: Gemini Genius

Although Celestia was a little miffed to have woken up no longer cuddling the stallion gone, she couldn't help but smile and laugh as the mares raced about the Garden of Gemini, crying out that the foals were all gone. Admittedly, having your sisters disappear in an instant like that would make anyone panic.

But not Celestia.

"Silence," she called out in her royal Canterlot voice. The mares froze and turned to look at her for guidance. The only mother they had ever known. She laughed agian and spread her wings in a welcoming gesture. "There is no need to fear for your sisters' fate."

"But, mother," one mare pleaded, almost on the verge of tears. "We failed. They stole that stallion. Now we shall never mate. Project Ascendance is only a theory. We shall all die without out him."

"Are you asking me to have my daughters defiled by just any filthy male?" Celestia asked, standing over the fearful mare before bending down and pulling her into a hug. "Rest assured, little one. I had a contingency in place."

"Contingency, mother?" the mare asked, sniffed and returning the hug.

Celestia nodded. "Don't you know that Gemini means two?"

It took a moment before a collective gasp echoed throughout the facility.

"Mother," another mare stepped forward. "Is there another garden?"

"Of course," Celestia nodded. "One six times as large this. Hidden in an even more secret place. There you have even more sisters waiting to meet you, and the tissue samples we took from the stallion. If we need males to help us save the world, then so be it."

She ignited her horn and she and her daughters left the garden. Soon after, the garden burst into flame, destroying all evidence that it had ever existed.

In another flash of golden lightening, the Alicorn and her daughters found themselves in the second garden. The clones of the second garden were quick to gather up their distraught sisters and begin orienting them to the new layouts of their new home.

Celestia, still holding the one mare she was comforting looked up to a most pleasing sight. Over a hundred vats. Special vats, much more intricate than the standard ones, housing the microscopic seeds of the world's future. The mates her daughters desperately needed.

She couldn't wait to hold one in her hooves. To teach them. To separate them into the the gelded servants and the mighty studs. She would love them all, and they would all love her.

"See, little one?" she said to the mare, turning her so that she saw them as well. "Your mother is always prepared to give you the future you deserve."

The mare gasped and slipped form her gasp and rushed up to the vat, giving it a hug. "Oh, I've never seen a colt. Are they cute? Complex? Have to be, for such a complex vat to be needed. Right?"

"Chemically, complex," Celestia smiled at the mare's enthusiasm. "Mentally? Not even close. As for them being cute... once long... I thought so."

"Are they not anymore?" the mare asked, curious and not understanding. "Did they evolve out of cuteness?"

The alicorn shook her head. "I have grown old and calloused in my aged state. There was once a time I welcomed and hugged the little geldings in my palace."

"They're only cute when gelded?" the mare asked.

Again, Celestia shook her head. "My mission to appease the greater powers of our universe robbed me of my compassion. Colt or gelding, when we win, they shall once again be equally wonderful in my sight. And they shall be in their rightful place serving us mares. Raised to know their place if the New Era becomes necassary."

"But they're still cute, right?" the mare asked, trying her best to understand.

Celestia burst out laughing. "Yes. Little one. And, one day soon... I shall see them that way again."

"What shall we do until then?"

"Make ready the next garden," Celestia smiled, igniting her magic to summon a canister, in which was preserved a white unicorn horn. The horn of a certain prince. "There must always be two. No one can stop us from saving this world."

Princess Cadance, having listened to Speedy's report, had given him his leave. Seeing as he still had a couple hours left before the paralyzing chemicals in his body wore off, Pinkie and Dez took him away to have some "special fun" with him.

"Uh, I can't get an erection like this girls," her informed them as they carted him away.

Pinkie blew a raspberry. "Like that'll stop me."

"Uh, what?" Speedy asked, slightly alarmed. He turned his eyes to Dez. "What's she mean by that, Dez?"

The older mare shrugged as she followed sprightly behind. "Beats me. But, I suspect you can still cum under the right stimulation. But, it's Pinkie, so it might just involve cotton candy and cannons."

Speedy let out a frightened squeak as they vanished back to their chambers.

Cadance rolled her eyes. "Those three."

"Jealous?" Rainbow Dash asked from her position looking over the vats that filled the throne room.

Cadance, wanting to keep the children alive, had been quick to have them connected to the palace's power lines, and brought in professionals to monitor and apply aid where needed to the developing children.

The pink alicorn looked at the speedster for a moment before slumping. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"Shining'll come to," Applejack said from another part of the room, doing much the same as the pegasus. "That stallion's tougher than most give him credit for."

Cadance nodded. "I left Flurry Heart with him so that I could attend court. She knows there's something wrong and cries whenever someone tries to separate them. She has a wetnurse for when she's hungry, though that's just gonna make my teats ache from overflow."

Applejack grimaced a bit. "That can't be comfy."

"Joys of motherhood," the princess sighed.

"It's not that bad, is it?" Rainbow dash asked, looking over her shoulder. "Lactation, I mean. It's not bad, right?"

Cadance shook her head. "It's an incredible and wonderful experience, Rainbow Dash. But, when you've a got a gallon stored in such a tiny space, it just makes me me wanna grab a bucket and..."

Clang!

A metal pail landed beside her, courtesy of the orange mare.

"Fill 'er up then," Applejack grinned.

Cadance became indignant. "I'm a princess, Applejack. I am no milkmare. My milk is reserved only for my children and my husband."

Rainbow Dash blushed something fierce. "Your husband? You and Shining..."

"Ugh, yes, Rainbow, we do," Cadance groaned, giving the pail a light flick of disinterest. "I'll just slip off in a bit and release the pressure in the bathroom."

Applejack laughed softly.

"And what's so funny?" Cadance demanded, starting to become upset. "Does my pain amuse you?"

The orange mare shook her head. "Of course not, your highness. But, seeing as we're surrounded by little fillies getting ready for this world, I just reckined we'll seen be needin' all the fresh milk we can git our hooves on soon enough."

The room became deathly quiet. The realization of the farm ponies down to earth wisdom hitting them like sacks of bricks.

Cadance swiftly grabbed and positioned the bucket between her hind legs. "Screw dignity. Lend me a hoof, Applejack." While the farm pony got to work, she quickly called out in a loud voice. "Send word throughout the empire. Princess Cadance is calling for new mothers who would love to have another foal. To milkmares, who are willing to be paid in quickly adopted children. And finally, to the yaks, whose naks (A female yak is called a 'nak' or a 'dri') have an abundance of milk. Ask them all to head the Crystal Palace. We don't know when these fillies are gonna be emerging, but until then we are in a state of emergency."

She blushed, but kept a strong face as she heard streams of her own life-giving cream fill the bucket. "Damn you Celestia. You planned this, didn't you."

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Olden Ones

Celestia, popcorn and assorted candies in her magical grasp, gave the gelding a curt nod after being shown her seat. He hurried off back to the admissions counter. Free labor, was probably fed the expired junk food to keep costs down. Probably even slept in the theater as well. He was also a lanky stunted thing that she would never even consider purchasing for her palace.

Sitting down, she took a quick look about. The voluminous theater housed hundreds of ponies, mostly nobility, though the main cast of the film were there as well. To her irritation... and lamentation, her nephew, Blueblood sat beside her. Oh, how she had requested on several occasions he be gelded. But his parents were adamant. Him being their only son. Not for lack of trying.

The colt had been lucky his mother had birthed twelve sisters before giving up. As any alternative to him would have resulted in his eternal servitude at the hooftips of his Auntie. Of course, being her nephew, she would have allowed him to remain a simple gelding, rather than a full eunuch. There was some compassion in her heart for family.

"Aunt, Celestia," the stallion said with a big shit-eating grin. "I didn't know you were a fan of this series."

She managed to return a convincing smile. "Er, of course. Fallout Equestria is only as big a trend as it is because I endorsed it."

Blueblood nodded. "So true. The common pony can't help but just imitate such an incredible mare such as yourself."

Stupid ass kisser, Celestia thought, but she kept her manner civil. He was family, and they were out in public. "Yes. I am somewhat of an inspiration, aren't I?"

"Naturally," the prince said, then he wrapped a hoof about a mare that was on his other side. "Oh, by the way, this is Opal Inset, my date this evening."

"Only this evening?" Celestia asked. She didn't know who to feel more sorry for, the stallion who couldn't seem to hold onto a mare for than a few hours, or the mare who had agreed to be his date in the first place. He was probably just as good as a gelding, never even mounted a mare in his life.

"Well, he was just so... insistent," the mare grinned in a most unconvincing manner. Celestia knew who to feel sorry for now.

Celestia glanced at her watch, which more or less just appeared out of thin air. "There's still forty minutes before the movie starts. don't know why I got here so early."

"That long?" Blueblood asked, ears perking up. "He checked his own golden pocketwatch. "I say. The invite told us to come rather early. Perhaps it was just an oversight on their part. Well, I'm gonna take this opportunity to... freshen up. Excuse me ladies."

He waggled his eyes his date in a way that would have made a sociopathic rapist lose his libido, before squeezing past his aunt. He followed behind a mare in a tight black dress to the the exit door.

Celestia waited until he had exited the room before turning to the mare. "Save yourself, child. By all means. Get the hell out before he comes back."

The mare took a moment to process what she had been told before giggling and doing just that. Celestia nodded. She would hate to see what kind of foals came from any union with that colt.

"I'll just keep these warm," she said to herself as she made her refreshments vanish. Except the peanut butter cups. Those were too good to be parted from for even an instant. She also kept her eyes locked on a certain group of ponies near the front row.

A blue stallion, and a pink mare. She kept her eyes on them. Surely they weren't here just for the premier. She was not letting them out of her sight.

Blue blood ignored the sign of NO COLTS ALLOWED on the mare's bathroom, having followed that mare's tail all the way. No one would question why his auntie's favorite nephew entered the mare's bathroom after all.

The mare whirled around to face the prince. "Alright, make it quick."

Blueblood nodded as he magically locked the door, sealing them from the outside world. "Alright, Dez. You have a thirty-five mintues before the movie starts. Celestia would be suspicious if I missed the opening scene of the movie."

Dez nodded as she reached into a stall and pulled out a big black bag. "Playing the rich playboy gives you a reputation, Blueblood."

The stallion nodded. "I just hope Celestia convinced that mare to leave after I left. For a while I was actually afraid she was expecting to be laid by a prince."

"Ooh, Applejack wouldn't've been happy about that," Dez teased him as she removed her dress and began pulling equipment from the bag.

The stallion nodded as he watched her with some satisfaction.

"Though his wanderin' eye does git mighty annoyin'," came a voice to the side.

Blue blood glanced over to see the mare in question step out from one of the stalls where a plumbing uniform. She smirked at him and shook her head like he was a little colt with his hoof caught in the cookie jar.

"As if you're upset with me just looking," the prince chuckled. The orange mare rolled her eyes and came to give him a passionate kiss on the lips.

"Oh, it's been too long," she said, breaking away. "How is the grand-prince of Equestria, by the way?"

"Oh, you know," Blueblood shrugged, "bored, tired of driving away every pretty mare who thinks she can claim me. I must say... Rarity was the hardest."

Applejack shrugged. "Well. I wouldn't have been too miffed. She's a good friend. Though, just so you know... I'm the head mare of your herd. Got that, mister?"

Blueblood nodded as he pulled her into a hug and laid his chin upon her head. "So... hows my common mare doing?"

Applejack blushed at the nickname. "Common". From any pony else it was have been annoying. But from Blueblood it made her feel exotic. Weird how love worked. "Oh, lonely. Not exactly much to do anymore since we were forced to leave the farm before the bomb went off."

"Well, we do have some time now," Blueblood smiled suggestively.

"Not just yet, you two," Dez said, drawing their attention. She was now wearing a black sneaky-suit with nylon saddle bags and a pair of tranquilizer pistols at her side. "The portal, Blueblood, please."

The stallion nodded, begrudgingly releasing his mare and lighting up his horn. "I'll keep it open until you return. Do not forget where it is."

Dez nodded. "Got it. I will return in a half hour, or find an alternate escape."

A black circle appeared on the floor. "This portal works like a blackout curtain. No light or sound can pass through. It'll dark on the other side to camouflage it. It'll be next to impossible to see. You have to remember."

Dez nodded again. "Got it."

Without further ceremony, she dove into the black hole and was gone.

Applejack looked at the hole for a moment. Then she looked back at Blueblood. "So... can you keep that up while we... you know..."

Blueblood's face flushed. "Now? I thought you wanted to wait until it was official between us. And... here of all places?"

Applejack nodded as she slowly began removing the plumbing uniform. It wouldn't have done for either of Speedy's well dressed mares to be seen entering the theater with a mysterious black bag. A podunk mare was much less conspicuous. "Well... seein' as things'r gettin' mighty dangerous nowadays... This might be a rare chance."

"What would Granny Smith say?" Blueblood asked, he was actually a very proper stallion. To take a mare before the wedding night? How... exciting.

"Here, read this," Applejack said, holding up a card.

He obeyed. "I do?"

"You may now kiss the bride," Applejack cried, leaping forward and kissing him again.

"W-what?" the prince asked, bewildered at what had just happen.

Applejack grinned as she slid a hoof down to caress his testicles in a loving fashion. "Well... I pleaded my case to Granny Smith... and she agreed that we should get together and make her some great grandfoals real quick. On the condition there be an official wedding. So... well... I got ordained as a minister said all the lines and whatnot, and all that remained was you saying 'I do'. Though she wants us to have another proper wedding in the future."

"Ah, but you didn't declare us stallion and wife," Blueblood informed her. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"By the power invested in me by the Crystal Empress, I now declare us stallion and wife, you may rut your bride silly. Now, make me your broodmare, stud."

Dez had taken a few moments to note the position of the portal. It was under a desk in a dusty room that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Blueblood must have scoured for hours to find this place for the portal. But, soon enough, she was leaping through the shadows.

Every once in a while, she had to pause as a guard or stall member walked by. Thanks to some padded shoes, she could silently by them once their backs were turned. It would certainly help her meet the deadline, or escape via another route if need be.

But, she was forced to stop at one intersection when some guards refused to move. Crouching low, on her belly in the shadow of a large potted plant, some exotic thing, probably from a remote tropical island. He kept her breathing even as she listened. She was here to locate information of the projects Ascendance and Transcendence, maybe they had something to say. So she listened. If they didn't move soon, she would risk using her tranquilizers.

"Did you see those mares Celestia brought into the palace?" one asked.

The other nodded. "Though pretty little ditzes?"

"Dude," the first one said. "You can't say that about them. If she heard you, you'd get your nuts cut off. Or maybe vanish."

"We'd get castrated if we look at them too long," the second said. "Don't get what's so special about them though. It's as if they've never seen a stallion before... or even the outside world."

"Well, whoever they are, at least Celestia's not going crazy and killing the help anymore. They've finally gotten rid of all of the blood stains in the east wing." The first one shuddered. "Just as long as we don't go near them in the north wing we should be just fine."

"Whatever happened to the old Celestia?" the second one asked, started to walk forward. "You know, when you could be a gelding and still have some respect."

"It's the AGO," the first one said. "They're turning ponies against each other. You saw the bomb they dropped on Ponyville right? Right bunch of crazies they are. Who knows what else they get up to. Equestria's pretty much the only place not harboring those terrorists."

Dez's ears perked up at the mention of strange mares in the north wing. That's where she would look.

It took only a few minutes, and this corridor was even more dimly lit than the others. She shuddered and thanked a bat pony ancestor of hers for the exquisite night-vision.

"But I just want outside for a few seconds," a voice made her heart skip a beat. She froze. That voice. Why was it so familiar?

It came from a door to her right. She tipped her way over and silently worked the latch before opening it a crack to see inside.

"You know she would be upset, and I don't want to go without dessert again," said another voice, an unfamiliar one this time. "Just have some patience while we contact the other side."

A communication spell? With who? Dez pressed the door open a bit more.

"Come on, hand over the testicles," said the unfamiliar voice.

Through the widened crack, Dez saw a yellow unicorn holding out a hoof in annoyance.

"But they're soft and pretty," the familiar voice said. Dez almost threw up when she saw the severed organs appear in the unicorn's grip. The way they were so nonchalant handled it made her even sicker.

"They're not for looking at," the unicorn groaned as she used her horn to cut one open. The sickening sound made Dez cringe. The unicorn then began to use the mutilated orb to write something out of Dez's view. She pushed the door open a crack more.

It was horrifying to watch as the mare drew a circle in blood and juice, and than an upside-down triangle in the center of the circle. Then she set both testicles on the center and set them on fire. A horrible stench filled the room.

"Oh great Olden Ones of the before and hereafter, I call into the near beyond to speak on behalf of the Sun," the unicorn chanted.

Dez, froze, not daring to open the door more as a strange visage appeared, hovering above the floor. Like a yellow black, faceless shroud, dropping heavy mist upon the butcher's circle.

"Who dare's call upon the great #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&% of the nameless void?" the shroud demanded.

The unicorn looked for all the world as if this was a normal thing. "I do. Monarch Wisp, of Sun's master brood."

"It has been some time, Monarch," the shroud greeted her as though they might be old friends. "How is Celestia."

"She is doing better, thanks to your intervention, #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&%," Monarch said with a smile. "She sends her thanks, by the way."

"Good, good," the shroud said, bobbing a little. "It was unbecoming of her to have blood upon her head. It made our deal... less satisfying."

Dez was almost more horrified of Monarch's ability to pronounce the thing's name than she was of the fact that Celestia had made a deal with it.

"She wishes to inform you that the next shipment of flesh might be hard be less than the standard...," Monarch began, but was cut off, when the stretched out like elastic and wrapped around her in a tight hold.

"Less? Less?" it demanded as it tightened it's grip. "Does she forget in her old age that we can drown her world in blood and sewage as easily as crushing an ant? We ask only for the male flesh. Expendable things to fuel our unending hunger."

"I-it's just a minor inconvenience," Monarch gagged, looking terrified for her life. "There are those who are upsetting the order our mother created. Surely there is something else we could bulk up the shipment with to spare our world. Please."

The thing let her go and appeared in thought. After a long moment it spoke. "The breasts and uteruses of twelve mares of noble standing. They are to be torn out with great pain and agony to sate our hunger. And they must survive to live in pain until they die, either naturally, or suicide. It matters not. This is the price we demand."

"It will be done," Monarch bowed to the thing respectfully.

"We shall see," the shroud warned before vanishing, burning up the remains of the mutilated organs. Other than the smell, it was as if nothing had happened.

"Well... that was easy," the familiar voice said. Dez still hadn't gotten a good look at her. Now that the thing was gone, she slowly tried to open the door. Just a little more. She had to know.

"Do you think, if anyone knew we were saving the world, they would willingly go under the knife?"

Monarch sighed. "That's just it, Orchid. The Olden Ones could taste the willingness. The want to taste the suffering. If she told anyone... well... we wouldn't be here talking. Now would we?"

"But... wouldn't that make Ascendance pointless?" Orchid asked.

Monarch shook her head. "Ascendance is just a theory she plays with. I have a felling she has no desire to actually implement such an idea. I sometimes feel she has more compassion to males than she let's on. Even to herself."

"She's lying to herself?" Orchid asked. Dez Dared not move the door anymore.

Monarch nodded. "It's just a thing I sort of sense around her. She's had to keep up this facade for thousands of years. And, over time, she's convinced herself... convinced herself she was doing the right thing. I think even Transcendence troubles here. But, it may be the only way we can keep the Olden Ones sated to protect the future."

"Why can't we tell anyone?" Orchid pleaded.

"Because," Monarch sighed, "they only trust us because mother created us separate from the rest of the world. Born of tissue, not of sperm. We don't taste good."

"She's fed us to them?"

Monarch shrugged. "It's just a rumor I heard once long ago. She apparently did clone some males before. But they didn't taste good."

"But then why is she cloning more?"

"Because we can mate with them and make ponies more to their taste, obedient ones who won't question her authority. Like Angle Retainer, how she's so picky with food."

"Oh, I get it," Orchid said. "Still. Makes me sad. I've seen some colts from the window. I don't want to hurt them."

"That's why Transcendence is so important," Monarch explained. "Now, give me a hug and get off to bed. I'll be the one to tell mother when she gets back."

Dez suppressed a gasp as a brown earth pony came up and hugged the unicorn. That face, those eyes. Dez knew them all to well. She tore herself away from the crack and sprinted back for the portal as fast as her hooves could carry.

Applejack's tail wagged sluggishly as she was sprawled on the clean floor. Yes, she had mopped it in expectation of the night. Atop of her, equally satisfied was Blueblood, slowly breathing as he glanced at his watch.

"She has... three minutes," he said as he tried to stand up.

But, Applejack, caught him by the collar with her mouth. "No. It stays in until the times up."

"But she could be here any minute," Blueblood groaned, looking towards the portal.

"Are you afraid she'll see us?" she teased him, giving her butt a wiggly that sent tremors of pleasure through the stallion. "If you don't keep it in, I'll tell granny that you cried like a filly."

Blueblood became indignant. "What? I did not."

"Element of Honesty," Applejack grinned roguishly. "If I lie, everyone'll believe it."

Blueblood sighed as he settled back down, but gave her a quick thrust to make her squeak like the rat she was. "Hmph. At least it's a pleasant position to be caught in."

Applejack smiled. "Next time... I get to be on top."

Blueblood nodded. "If there is a next time."

The mare flicked his horn. "Don't talk so dark. There'll me many more times. I'm your broodmare and yours only. And I expect to be bred like one."

Blueblood smiled and kissed her cheek. "May it be so, my wonderful common mare."

Not a second later, Dez flew backwards through the portal, both barrels firing. "Close it close it close it."

Blueblood did just that, narrowly clipping the mare's tail in the process. At the sight of her friend, Applejack got up, slipping off the stallion in the process. He flopped to the side and groaned. "Dez, what's the matter. Did you get caught?"

The other mare panted and coughed. "Have something... had to make it back in time.. had to. Blueblood, clean yourself off, you have to make appearances. Applejack, congratulations, may you... have many children."

Applejack could barely understand the mare as she rapidly spoke and changed out of her suit and back into her dress. "Don't worry. The guards will be asleep for several hours. We should be on a train out of Equestria by then. You should probably head back too. You don't have diplomatic immunity like Speedy, Pinkie, and myself."

Applejack nodded, seeing the urgency in her voice. "On it. Do you have a message for me to deliver?"

Dez nodded. "Tell... tell Cadance we have more enemies... and everything has changed."

Applejack quickly put her uniform back on and grabbed the bag. "I'll leave last. Dez, you first. Blueblood,. wait two minutes."

The ponies knew what to do.

Celestia noticed the stench of sex as Blueblood sat back down. She looked over to the mare who had come in a couple minutes ahead of him. She sat near where Speedy and Pinkie sat. She was probably just some strumpet invited some of the cast for the after party.

She snorted with some amusement that she had been wrong about her nephew. Apparently he could convince a mare to bump uglies with him. "Straighten your collar, nephew. We're in a polite place."

"Oh, of course, Auntie," Blueblood said with his usual flare, making a big show of obeying her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen just as the opening scene began. Blueblood, meanwhile tried to get comfortable as he could around his aunt. He had to still live around her for who knew how long.

"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria..."

Dez, for her part, was remaining as calm as she could. She dared not look around, or at her family, lest they know she was with them. But, she had so much to say. It just wanted to explode from her chest.

She wanted to charge suicidally at Celestia and demand why she had dared to clone her mother.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Ye Old Business

"Number 438," a stallion in a medical uniform called out as he watched the filly inside the vat begin to twitch and kick violently. This was the signal they she was ready to be removed. The pressure lock on the lid was released with a hiss and the little creature was gently lifted from the chemical soup and laid upon a towel as the doctor swiftly began removing the wires.

The process was painful for the filly, taking away the need to swat her rump to jump start her lungs. A griffon hen was swiftly there to be passed the infant. She held out a ticket with the corresponding number on it. She cooed gently to calm her new daughter, holding her close to her warm feathers.

"To be honest, I didn't know that griffons had teats," Rainbow whispered to Cadance.

She shot her a look. "One of your childhood friends was a griffon."

"So?" Rainbow shrugged. "It's not like I'm gonna look. I'm straight, in case you haven't figured it out."

"Okay, fine," Cadance rolled her eyes. She was not in a good mood. She had been trying to restore order all day ever since the volunteer mothers had arrived to aid the children, and she had been milked like a cow. She at the ticket in her own hoof. 389. "Too bad the foals aren't being born in any particular order. Oh, how I wish Tirek had the brain power to have given us some of their computers. We could have had this whole thing sorted by now."

A heavy hoofstep garnered both mare's attention. Princess Bork, sister of Prince Rutherford of Yakyakastan was wandering her way over, a sling around her neck carrying two sleeping fillies. Trailing behind her was her son, Berk.

Princess Cadance greeted them both with a smile. "I trust all is well, Bork."

The nak nodded. "All is fine. Yaks proud to help allies in time of trouble. Berk proud to share his mother's udder with new sisters."

Cadance tried not to obviously flinch at the princess's loud manner of speech. She did raise a surprised eyebrow when the sleeping fillies, rather than waking up and crying, instead smiled and nestled into their new mother's thick fur. They were bonding excellently.

"And how is little Berk?" Cadance, turning her attention to the calf with a welcoming smile.

He ducked shyly behind his mother.

Bork snorted. "Berk not be rude. Show pony princess respect."

Berk gulped and slowly came out from his hiding place, head low.

"Prince hold head high," Bork barked.

He obeyed swiftly. The yak were a proud people, their royalty even more so. He had to learn to act like a proper member of Yakyakistan nobility. Pity he was so much like Fluttershy.

Cadance tussled his head fondly. "And how are you, Prince Berk?"

"B-Berk i-i-is w-well," he stuttered as proudly as he could. Rainbow Dash had to look away to hide her silent laughter, but Bork threw her head back and guffawed.

"He act like Rutherford when he small," she laughed, patting him on the back. "Rutherford need wife soon to make future crown prince. And to get him to clean his room."

Cadance laughed as well. "He is a stubborn bachelor, isn't he?"

Bork nodded. "Unlike Berk. Berk proud to wed when Princess Flurry old enough."

It was true. To build a strong alliance with Yakyakistan, Cadance and Shining had agreed to an arranged marriage between Prince Rutherford's Nephew and their daughter.

Cadance smiled sweetly at the calf. "Are you gonna be a good husband for my Flurry Heart."

"B-Bork be b-b-best yak to w-wed F-Flurry," the calf declared in a strange hybrid of cultural pride and social terror.

She gave him a hug. "I will expect nothing less of you."

"388!"

Cadance looked back down at her ticket. "So close."

She watched as a Zebra trotted up to accept the filly. "Well... this is certainly gonna be an experience for us and our allies."

Bork nodded. "Good though. Little ponies cute. Make cute honorary yaks."

Suddenly, Applejack appeared, she quickly whispered something in the alicorn's ear. "Oh? I'll be right there." She held the ticket out to Rainbow Dash. "Here, when my number comes up."

"Yak take it," Bork said, taking it away. "Rainbow pony has no milk to give. Bork will take care of filly until you return."

"Thank you," Cadance nodded politely. She then took off, preferring to fly over the chaos.

A moment or so later she threw open the doors of her private chambers to be greeted with the sight of Faust, laying on the floor with a tea cup hovering in her magical grasp. To the side, Shining Armor was actually sitting up, still heavily bandaged from his ordeal, and Flurry Heart was burbling soundly from atop his head. Speedy and Dez were on the other side, reviewing the Dez's mission log.

The giant alicorn regarded her with a smile. "Welcome back, Princess Cadance. I trust all is well."

"Well, I managed to create some form of order at least," the pink alicorn smiled. "Have to do my part, after all."

Faust nodded slowly. "Did you inform your stallion that you were adopting?"

Shining's eyes widened and he stared at his wife. The princess grinned sheepishly. "Hey... i-it's not like I couldn't... look, the yak princess adopted two, we show show we're willing to do the same."

The stallion shrugged. "Oh well. I guess Flurry needs a sibling. Though... I was kind of hoping we could make one the old fashioned way."

Cadance rolled her eyes. "We'll have plenty of time for that once you're back to your old self. How did you even get out of bed?"

"Determination," he grinned back.

"Stubbornness more like," she responded, gripping him in her magic and placing him back on the bed. She even went so far as to tuck him in like a little colt. "Now stay there mister."

Flurry, still atop her father's head, laughed and blew a raspberry. To which the stallion responded: "Go to your mother, Flurry. She's in one of her moods and needs to calm down."

The little alicorn blew another raspberry before flying over to hug her mother. "So it's blackmail then. Fine, but if you get tired, you will not fight sleep, Shining. You need as much rest as possible."

Flurry dropped onto the floor and between Cadance's legs for Lunch. Cadance sighed as the filly nursed. "Sorry, you summoned me here for a reason?"

Faust nodded as she smiled. "Of course. It seemed time to intervene. You were very distraught about the Olden Ones, and so I figured you could use a freebie."

"A freebie?" Speedy asked looking up from the mission log.

"You want to know how to defeat these monsters, do you not?" she asked, taking another sip of her tea. It had seemed to be all she had been doing. Funny thing was, there was no teapot in sight.

Everyone nodded, including Shining Armor, who was sitting up in bed. Cadance promptly forced him to lay back down. A proper mother hen.

"Well we figured Trinity and Jackal might help a little," Speedy indicated his half of the supernatural weapon duo.

Faust laughed. "Well. It would certainly be entertaining. For the Olden Ones. You got them both from the Temple of the Night Mother, that is correct?"

Speedy nodded.

"Well, don't you know who the Night Mother is?"

"Luna," Pinkie stated, raising her hoof.

"No," Faust shook her head and took another sip. "Though she may believe so. Her sister did lie to her, after all. How is she by the way?"

"Better," Cadance said simply. "Much better."

Faust set her teacup down and it transformed into a platter a cookies. "The Night Mother is one of Them."

The room went quiet. Faust ate her cookies.

"Unbeknownst to everyone," she continued after a few crunchy morsels, "including the barbaric priestesses, the Night Mother is simply another ravenous extra-worldly being. She gave those weapons to to the priestesses amongst other artifacts." She ate another cookie. "So, no. Using those weapons against them would be like trying to swat flies with a live cobra."

"They'll backfire before they betray their makers," Speedy said, looking at the weapon. "But... it says it was built by the Hellpony corporation..."

"A subsidiary of the Olden Ones Enterprises," Faust nodded.

"What?" Everyone asked. Again, Cadance had to force her husband to lay down.

"They're a corporation?" Pinkie asked.

Faust nodded. "That's as close to what they are as I could explain in your language before running off into gibberish. They drop things here and there to see how creatures across the universe will play with them."

"And our world is like the cafeteria?" Shining asked.

"One more time mister and I'm using a sleep spell," Cadance warned him. She desperately wanted him to get better.

Faust nodded. "Indeed. You were unlucky enough to have something they liked to eat."

"Testicles?" Pinkie asked.

Faust nodded. "Well, male flesh in general." Seeing everyone's confused looks, she sighed. "Celestia, ages and ages ago, saw bloody sacrifices, and it tore her heart in two. She made a deal, ages ago, with the Olden Ones. In exchange for their lives... she would simply castrate and feed them the stolen future of ponykind. The Night Mothers Temples being the only exceptions. In a way, when she visited a temple to procure geldings for her palace, it was an act of mercy and kindness."

She then pointed a hoof at Speedy. "But then you came along and started reversing these things. It made the Olden Ones' bellies turn sour. So Celestia became desperate... and you became bold... and you are both escalating to a tipping point from which one of you may not return."

"And what are you in all of this?" Shining Armor asked, laying down, so that he wouldn't be hit with a sleep spell.

Faust smiled roguishly. "A competitor."

Chapter Thirty-Five: Where's the Party?

Speedy began pacing, Pinkie shadowing him. "Alright...now we've got firepower... allies who are willing to risk everything with us... but... there's got to be something else. It can't be that simple. Else you could have just shot them yourself."

Faust nodded. "There are a few extra steps that need to be taken before. The Railroad's weapon industry has rarely called for blood, but... it is time to change that."

"Dez... isn't gonna be too happy," Speedy sighed. That mare had had a hard life, but it had never caused her to want bloodshed. That's why the AGO could accomplish so much. "But, I think she'll agree that we have no choice."

"As many weapons as she make from her furnaces," Faust said in a serious tone that drew everyone's attention. Even Shining's snoring quieted. "Bombs, armor... and sharp pointy things."

"Yaks start furnaces too," Bork declared boldly. "Prince brother great warrior. Smash evil things for hurting pony allies."

Faust smiled. "Your service will be invaluable. But... do you know what is required? You may change your mind once I tell you what you're up against."

"We've come too far already to back down know," Cadance said in determination, lowering her new daughter to nurse beside Flurry. "My daughter was kidnapped. My husband was tortured and raped... I... I... if I can't see this threw to the end... then I'm nothing but a coward."

"You can't go," Speedy told her. "I'm sorry, princess. But, you've got an entire kingdom to look after."

"I am Empress of the Frozen North," the alicorn shouted back. "You can't order me to do anything."

"Actually, he's right," Faust said.

"What?" the princess demanded angrily. "How can you say that? My husband can't lead the armies in his condition, so that responsibility falls to me."

"And you will lead the empire's armies," Faust told her with a nod. "Just... not in an official capacity against #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&%."

"How do you pronounce that?" Pinkie asked in near horror. She was ignored.

"Then what?" Cadance demanded. Then it struck her. "A distraction."

Faust nodded. "Declare war, Princess. Luna has the power to fend off the sun's power for a short time, and save your armies. While this happening... only the most resolved of you may pass into #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&%'s domain. And... I warn you... no matter how much I tell you. You will not be prepared for is found there."

"How will we find a way?" Speedy asked.

"You must first find the location of #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&%'s dinner party," Faust said in a tone that held no small amount of disgust. "Hold off marching on Equestria until you can locate it. Celestia will be there, so it will help you get the drop on them."

"Then we blow him up?" Pinkie asked with a dark smile.

Faust shook her head. "First of all #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&% is a she. ANd second... you cannot go, my dear Pink one."

Pinkie gasped in shock. "What? No way. Where Speedy goes, I go."

"No living female can pass beyond the gate," Faust informed her. "You would be much more valuable sticking by your herdsister's side. Dez is going to need a lot of support."

Pinkie's hair went flat and she lowered her head. "But... but Speedy..."

"Would only be distracted if you were anywhere near the Dinner Party," the red-maned alicorn informed her. "Dez is with child, Pinkie. If Speedy doesn't make it... then you must take care of her."

Everyone gasped.

"Sh-she is?" Speedy asked in amazement.

Faust chuckled. "Is that so hard to believe? You're not a gelding after all. He's not the daughter she wanted, but... I trust she's going to be over the moon all the same."

"You bet I am."

Everyone turned to see the mare in question standing in the doorway. She wasn't smiling, and at her side was a modified longrifle. "So... I can't see the end of this. But... I can snipe with the best of them. Don't worry about me, I'll stay back with the artillery with Pinkie."

Pinkie produced a modified version of her party cannon and smiled. "Ooh... this'll be fun. You better come back in one piece, Speedy, or, so help me, you will know what it's like to be a gelding. For like three minutes. You're giving my parents a bundle of grandchildren afterall."

Speedy rolled his eyes and hugged her. He knew she was just talking. "I will never disappoint."

"Still, you don't know how to enter her domain," Faust informed them.

"Then how?" Dez demanded, standing up straight and bold. "How do we destroy this monster?"

"You must enter through her mouth as she dines and destroy her five hearts," Faust said ominously. "I can tell you know more. As I cannot pass into her domain and offer you a map."

"Well... when is the dinner party?" Speedy asked.

Faust shrugged. "If only I knew, young colt. If only I knew."

Prince Blueblood wandered through the halls of the palace, acting the playboy, hitting on the maids, flirting with female guards here and there. His perfect cover earning him a horrible horrible reputation in the high society. He could only smile inside. As long as Applejack loved him, he could deal with their backstabbing words. He couldn't help but skip a bit.

Even though they had only had a half hour, it was deeply engraved in his mind. He hoped for yet another day. He wished this whole thing was over so that he could take her to his little cottage by the see and spend a proper honeymoon. Alone.

He shivered as he recalled her telling him that she wanted to be tied to a post every now and again and mounted until she passed out, and that he was to keep going even after that. Who knew that humble country mare had such a dirty side? He couldn't wait to explore that part of her.

"Happy are we?"

Blueblood snapped out of his daydreaming to see his aunt Celestia standing over too his right side, an annoyed look on her face. He quickly looked between his legs and saw he had become aroused by his own imaginings. It wasn't uncommon for stallions to get erections in public. Just as long as they didn't play with themselves out in the open it was hardly given a second thought.

"Er, yes, Auntie. Sorry, I must seem a little out of sorts today."

She rolled her eyes as she watched his penis slowly go flaccid and shrink back into its sheath. That was almost insulting. Wasn't she the most beautiful mare in the world? Did he secretly hate her? She could think of a reason why. Even if he were a court gelding, she would treat him as family.

Speaking of which.

"I've been searching for you, nephew," she said, indicating that he should follow her. "Did you hear about the attacks in Canterlot on three noble families?"

Blueblood nodded. "Yes... something about twelve noble mares tortured and mutilated, and the three stallions castrated and killed. Have you some idea who was behind it?"

Celestia shook her head as she turned a corner. "No idea, my dear nephew."

They walked a bit further in silence.

"They left some orphaned foals behind though, unharmed," Celestia said with a smile. "The daughters were quickly adopted by other noble families to expand their estates and influence. The colts... I had them gelded and brought in to work in the palace. Except one."

"Oh?" Blueblood asked, not betraying a thing. He had lived too long in Equestrian high society to visibly react to such things.

Celestia opened a door and gestured for him to step inside.

"What happened to this colt?" Blueblood asked as he obeyed. Then he heard the door lock behind him.His eyes went wide as he slowly turned around. "No..."

Celestia nodded, smiling sweetly. "Yes. Adopted by your mother. Now they have a son who they can mold into an obedient and useful member of the royal family. You know what this means, Blueblood."

Blueblood was terrified, for the first time in his life. She legs shook and he felt himself tremble in place like a leaf in the wind. His body became wrapped in a golden aura and he found himself turned over onto his back. Celestia stepped over him, still smiling.

"Don't worry, nephew, your family," she comforted him, gently stroking his moistening cheeks. "I will be very kind to you. If you behave, I will even allow you some erections to play with yourself. You will be the head of the court geldings. Finely, a place of power for you. But..."

Her hoof slid down his body to rest atop those sensitive and fragile orbs. "Such a bad colt needs to be taught a lesson in manners."

"N-no-no," he pleaded as he felt the pressure begin to rise atop his testicles. He tried to struggle. But, it was useless against an alicorn. He cried, he screamed, and his pleaded to no avail. The sweet smile on his aunt's face made it all the worse as he was slowly emasculated.

Then, with a final crunch. He screamed and passed out.

Celestia smiled at her work, gently lifting him and setting him upon the bed int he room. "I hope that was a good enough lesson."

She quickly summoned a set of surgeons tools and began removing the destroyed organs. "#@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&% loves the taste of pain and power. The tormented balls of a prince shall be the dish of honor for the Dinner Party. Sleep well, nephew... Rest assured, this world shall be saved once again, because of you."

Chapter Thirty-Six: Imperfections

Celestia sat on her throne, somewhat amused by her daughters playing with the new geldings. The five sons of the murdered noble families. At first they had been terrified, begging and pleading when they had heard that their fate, after their families had been torn apart, was to be castrated into a life of servitude. It was also fueled by the knowledge of how they themselves had treated geldings within their own homes. Celestia could only smile as the life just seemed to leave them after the doctors unstrapped them from the operation tables.

Their flanks branded with the royal symbol, golden studs pierced into their sheathless cocks, they were full fledged members of her staff. She was surprised that, when her nephew was stolen, that these ex-colts weren't taken as well. Well, at least they took her daughters' minds from the kidnapping of their cousin, Blueblood. They had been so looking forward to really meeting him.

"Don't excite them too much," Celestia chided Orchid as she was tossing one of them in the air like a dolly. "If you bust the stitching he'll bleed al over the floor."

Orchid made a disappointed sound and hugged the little gelding. "Awe. But he's so cute."

Monarch, who was nearby gushing over the colts, as she had never really seen one up close, looked at her sister in disappointment. "He's hardly more special than the other four, Orchid. All of them lost their biological purpose in life. The lack of testosterone will slowly grant softer and more feminine features."

Orchid humphed as she squeezed the one she favored. "No, this one's cuter."

A third sister was there as well, a little Pegasus with yellow wings and pink hair. Almost too young to be outside of the garden, but Celestia wanted to experiment. She was almost as shy as the mare from which she was cloned. "Th-they're all c-cute Orchid. How c-could you choose just o-one?"

She was hardly more than a little filly. The colts she was snuggling with actually somewhat larger than her.

"Exactly, Tipsy," Monarch nodded.

Orchid stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "I'm gonna name him Tootsie Pop."

"Actually, that is my name," the ex-colt said in a disgruntled fashion as the mare nuzzled his head.

"Then it fits perfectly," the mare chuckled.

Celestia sighed. "Everyone has their favored servant, Monarch. Many mares grow attached to their geldings."

Monarch rolled her eyes. "One's just a good s the next. Not like they have any potential. Without their testicles their genes are worthless."

The alabaster alicorn nodded. "Maybe so. But, your vat was damaged in an earthquake. So your mind is clouded to hidden value."

"Which is why you let me live, even after I was sterilized," Monarch said as she looked down at the geldings that awaited her orders.

Celestia nodded. "Exactly. You are my daughter. your mind is precious. But, the damage spoiled any hope of passing your genes ephitiantly. You can still enjoy a stallion's cock in the future."

Monarch nodded. "After Transcendence, mother. I have no wish to mate with a beast that can talk back."

The geldings recoiled a the coldness in her voice. Ceelstia laughed. "Don't worry. We're getting closer with every experiment. Speaking of which."

She ignited her horn and lifted the scared geldings from her daughters. In a flash of light, they were gone. "Don't worry. I sent them back to the Garden for lobotomization."

"And to keep them from the rebels?" Orchid asked, looking sad after her tootsie Pop had been taken away.

Celestia nodded. "We have to keep our investments safe, after all."

Monarch shrugged. "At least we'll get closer to finding an answer, mother."

Celestia lifted up the mare and brought her into a big hug. "We will, sweetie. I think you would make a fine wetnurse, if you care to go through with the procedure."

Monarch snuggled into the big mare's chest. "Not as of yet, mother. When the colt's are ready to born, however..."

Celestia laughed. "Of course... Although... you do understand what transcendence means for you as well..."

Monarch nodded. "Yes mother. I too will eventually be lobotomized for my imperfection. I will be as lowly as the males and geldings."

Celestia shook her head. "No... you will be far more precious than them."

Orchid and Tipsy quickly joined the hug.

Chapter Five: Life

My mother says that being a gelding is a good thing. I would never have made a good stud. I was not very bright, nor very strong. Yes, she had to make sure I couldn't reproduce. I don't remember much about my castration, as the nurse put me to sleep for it. Apparently it didn't take long, as my mother was still reading the same magazine when the nurse walked me out.

My new name was gelding, and my mother's name was mistress. That is... until she sold me.

The mare who had purchased me was swift to put me in my place. Out in front of her cart, a heavy harness on my withers, with thick ropes. My very first stop for her was the local surgeon.

No more penis, no more prostate. A perfectly obedient and undistracted beast of burden. From then on, I pulled her cart. Uphill and downhill, long muddy roads, rocky mountain roads, snowy road, in good weather, in horrible weather. The sun beat down and burned me, yet I would still pulled her cart.

Then, one day. I fell down.

I had fallen down many times. But, this time was different.

I couldn't get up. I could not move.

What did mistress do?

She unhitched me from the cart, hitched herself to it, and left me alone on the road.

I watched until she vanished into the distance, never once saying a word. Not a single goodbye. Why should she?

I was nothing but a gelding. My purpose had been served. I broke, and she was going to seek out a new one.

I can only wonder, as my vision fades.

Did I do good?

Chapter Seven: A Lesson

I was Princess Twilight's personal gelding. My mother had delivered me to her as a gift last Hearth's Warming. Twilight was ecstatic. She said every princess needed at least a few geldings. But, so far, I was the only one.

My sheathless cock had golden studs pierced through it, as is tradition, and my flank was branded with her cutie mark. I followed her every step, obeyed her every command, and always remained close so that I could hear her voice. A gelding's purpose is decided by its master, and Princess Twilight is a good master.

Or, mistress, I should say.

My mother sometimes comes by for an audience with the princess. She doesn't even look at me, since I'm just a piece of the property. I tried saying hello once. A hard tug on my dangling length taught me my place.

"I don't want to have make you into a full eunuch," mistress had warned me as she stroked my mane as I cried from the pain. "Geldings only speak to guests when they are addressed. This first time is just a warning. You will have three strikes. After the third, I shall remove the remainder of your maleness. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes mistress," I sniffed, nodding. "It's just that, she was my mother."

"Which is why this is just a warning," mistress explained. "Make no mistake. Had she addressed you, I would have let you both have a long conversation as mother and son. But, she has rejected you, gelding. You served your purpose as a gift to me, and now you have no more value to her. Now... will you be a good gelding and remain silent?"

I nodded, still crying. She leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

"Take the rest of the day off, gelding," she instructed me kindly. "Put some ice on your penis and wait for me to summon you."

"Yes mistress," I sniffed as I got up and hobbled off, my cock smarting with every step.

As I left he throne room, I heard mistress address the mare who was once my mother.

"It'll learn, eventually. Just hope I wasn't too harsh."

My mother huffed. "The nerve of that gelding. I prepared him for this station since the moment he was born, and he still messes up. Perhaps I should have had his vocal cords snipped as well."

"Now, I don't believe that would have been wise," mistress defended. "He has such a lovely singing voice. Just like you, Fluttershy."

Then the door closed and wandered to my room and set ice upon my length, and waited for mistress's call.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Corrupted

Cadance appeared to be taken an interest in Tipsy. The little filly was enthralled with her daughters. Both Flurry and Fall (her adopted daughter) were both cuddled up and held in the small pegasi's hooves. Cadance smiled. She knew the filly was harmless. In fact, from her observations, even the adult Gemini mares were harmless, almost like children. Sheltered form the outside world since their birth.

Tipsy's eyes sparkled as she looked at the sleeping foals in her hooves. "Th-their so cute."

The pink alicorn chuckled. "Yes, little one. They are very cute."

"Is it true they drink milk from their mother to grow?" Tipsy asked turning her sparkling eyes towards the mother.

Cadance nodded. "Indeed, Tipsy. Weren't you taught about this?"

Tipsy shook her head. "I-I only heard some things. Mother said we're not ready for 'that' education yet."

"That education?" Cadance asked. Then her eyes went wide when she realized. "Oh. Well. Perhaps you are a little too young to learn about... 'that'. But I think you have a right to know about your own body."

"My own body?" Tipsy asked, fluttering her wings nervously.

Cadance nodded as she shifted her position to show the filly. "Here, see. These are my teats. They produce the milk that the foals need to grow."

She demonstrated by pressing down on the pink bud and expressing a tiny white pear of cream. "See?"

Tipsy gasped, taking a quick peek between her own hind legs. Cadance laughed.

"You're too young to have really developed them yet, Tipsy," she told the filly. "And you won't fully develop until you have your first foal. That's when they get big and start producing milk."

Tipsy looked like her mind had just exploded. "Wow. Biology is more interesting then mother said."

Cadance was confused. Was Celestia hiding things from the Gemini mares? They were so innocent. Too innocent.

She could understand wanting to mold a brand new future in her own image, but this was something else. She was raising them to be ignorant. Perfect little followers.

"Tell me," Cadance said, getting up and walking around behind the filly to place her hooves her shoulders in a comforting manner, "did your mother tell you what would happen if you were... captured?"

Tipsy gasped and nodded with a smile. "She said we had to remain apart and pure from the outside influences. Because if we ever got corrupted they would play with our brains like she does the males."

Cadance stopped rubbing the fillies shoulders in horror. How could she be so calm and collected when she would be lobotomized if she ever returned to Celestia. She gave the filly a quick squeeze. "Excuse me, Tipsy. I need to go speak to someone."

She left the filly with her daughters, rushing to find Speedy and Dez. They needed to know. She was also so glad she had ignored Dez's idea of vivisectioning the one mare who was a clone of her mother. It would have been wrong regardless, but with this new information...

Gemini Garden 2.0 was quiet today. Mother was there, and she was quiet. That meant everyone else should be quiet too. Out of respect. Also because some of their sisters had been kidnapped.

Celestia meanwhile sat at a table, examining the fruits of her labor. The five gelded colts she had sent there sat on the table, lobotomy scars crisscrossing their skulls. One couldn't figure out how to stand, the second was too far gone and just drooled dumbly upon the table, the third couldn't hold it's head up straight, the fourth couldn't seem stop twitching, and the fifth... almost perfect. Transcendance was just out of her reach.

But... something was giving her pause. When #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&% had attempted to exact punishment upon her for her diminishing tribute, someone... no... it was Speedy, she knew it. Speedy had hurt the Olden One. Somehow. It had saved her from some nasty scarring, but, now, #@$^)(^%(#$#$)%#$%:"?><>?":@#%#$%#$%^$%^&$^&$#@#$&^&% had a threat, one Celestia would have to remove.

"I will save this world, Speedy," she muttered darkly as she used a sleep spell on the geldings to cease their whimperings. "Equestria will survive this coming storm. And your interference will no more help your little cause than an ant can stop a train."

Then, she did something very different. She gave each of the geldings a kiss on the head and ordered one of her daughters to give them some proper bedding for the night. After all, they should be honored for bringing her so far.