The room was large.

It was nearly the same size as my old throne room, but unlike the latter, this new room was completely bare—no windows and only one door. The walls were plain gray and rose high into the air, where they eventually met with a ceiling of the same color. It was open too; there was enough empty space that I could have taken to the air and flown around comfortably without bumping into anything… if I had the energy, that is.

Despite the spartanness of the room, it wasn’t lacking in comfort. The air was warm and just humid enough that it felt right to me. The atmosphere was so balanced that if I closed my eyes, I was sure I could easily fall asleep on my hooves.

It wasn’t just the atmosphere either. Everything about the room was precise—the walls were perfectly perpendicular to the floor and ceiling, and every surface had the same area; the room built perfectly square. If I floated in the center of the room, I’d be equal distance from every wall, the ceiling, and the floor.

A giant cube of gray stone.

I took another hopping-step further inside, only to note that an eerie silence blanketed the room—my hoofsteps did not echo. A closer glance revealed that the surface of the floor and walls were slightly porous, covered in tiny holes that not only absorbed most sound, but also provided a surprising amount of traction for my remaining three hooves. I doubted I’d slip even if somepony spilled a barrel of oil beneath me.

I took one more look around the room again, peering through the gloom to see if I had missed something. Darkness claimed most of the room, as the only light source present was the open doorway in which Celestia was currently standing. She was watching me with barely concealed anticipation.

Upon seeing me glance back at her, she perked up. “Well? What do you think?”

“It’s… a room,” I said plainly.

This earned a giggle from her. “Yes, but what do you think about the room?”

I glanced around again. “It’s… a big room?” I wasn’t sure what she was looking for. It was just a plain, empty room. When she said she had something she wanted to show me… this wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. I had been expecting something more… well, execution-like? You know, blades, guillotines, hangings, burning at the stake—not that I’d be overly worried about being burned to death. Changelings were very fire-resistant. Sure, we could burn, but it’d take more than the puny fires that ponies could produce.

Oh sure, I’d play along and scream and writhe and shriek… but the minute those ropes turned to ash, I’d be off like a shot.

…

Well… probably not. More like a hop, skip, and a jump. To be honest, I don’t think I’d get that far before being recaptured.

Maybe if enough ash got on me, I could convince them I was a ghost?

Well, regardless, a plain room—as strange as it was—wasn’t what I had been expecting Celestia to show me.

Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Celestia entered the room until she moved slowly past me, her tail almost brushing against my nose as she sauntered by. I scrunched up my muzzle, trying to repress a sneeze.

Stopping in front of me, Celestia glanced around the room as well, a smile present on her muzzle. I watched her curiously, trying to sense what she was feeling. It took a moment—my mind still a little fuzzy—but soon the emotions started to trickle in. Calmness and eagerness were at the foremost of her emotions, but there was also a hint of… nervousness, hidden deep beneath the others.

Nervousness?

Why was she nervous?

What are you planning, Celestia?

“You’re right, of course,” she agreed. “It is a room… but it’s also much more than that. It’s a special room, one I had commissioned shortly after your failed invasion of Canterlot.” Her wings spread wide as she gestured around her. “This room we are currently standing in is one of—if not the most—secure room in all Canterlot. Maybe even Equestria itself.”

“Doesn’t seem all that secure,” I huffed. Sure, there was only one entrance that I could see, but I’d encountered situations like that before. Like that one griffon who managed to steal my crown from me. He thought it’d be safe locked deep within his family’s vault, but my children and I quickly showed him that even a ten-foot-thick wall couldn’t keep me from what was rightfully mine. We weren’t without heart though. After retrieving my crown, we left something of even greater value in its place before smashing the latch and lock.

Now that I’m remembering it, I wonder if he ever managed to get the vault open again?

If not, I suppose it wouldn’t be too hard to convert the old family vault into the family crypt.

Wait, Celestia was talking again.

…

I suppose I should do her the courtesy of listening to her.

“It might not seem secure at first,” she was saying, “but I assure you, it is. It took my ponies nearly a month to construct it. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made from Nullstone. The room is spellproof, fireproof, and even soundproof. Once the door is closed and locked, it is completely isolated from the outside world. No sound can escape it, and nopony can force their way in. Even I couldn’t teleport inside if I wanted to.”

“So… what? It’s an emergency bunker?” I asked, glancing around again. Even as I said that, it didn’t seem right. There were no supplies, no stocked food or water, no emergency kits. Nothing that would support somepony for a prolonged stay within. If this was built to house ponies in an emergency, it was planned poorly.

“No, it’s not an emergency bunker,” Celestia said. She was silent for a moment, and when I glanced back at her I noticed she was fidgeting. Her nervousness was growing stronger.

Eventually, she glanced up at me through her bangs.

“I… I built it for you,” she said softly.

“Ah, I see,” I said plainly. A chill ran up my spine before I could stop it as the implications of what she had said settled upon my soul. She had built this room—this impregnable, inescapable room—for me… shortly after the invasion.

There was only one reason she’d do such a thing.

“So not a bunker, but a prison,” I murmured. Strange, this had happened before, though it had been Twilight, not Celestia, who had imprisoned me. Or, at least tried to. Unlike then, I doubted I would be able to escape this prison with the help of a book.

Strange, though… I felt nothing this time around. Shouldn’t I feel some part of fear or something? Was I that resigned to my fate that—

“No.”

Blinking in surprise, I turned to look at Celestia. She had fixed me with a look I couldn’t identify, and her mane was whipping about in a strange, almost sporadic manner. There was an odd taste in the air.

“No?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“No,” she repeated softly. “This was never meant to be your prison. That was never my intent for it.” Slowly, a pink blush spread across her cheeks. “If anything, it was meant, in a way… to be mine.” She practically squeaked out the last words.

I gave her an incredulous look before letting out a short, barking laugh. “I beg your pardon, but… yours?” She nodded and this caused me to laugh again, though it quickly dissolved into a coughing fit and I had to sit down to catch my breath.

Concern crossed Celestia’s face, but I waved her off when she started to approach. She stood off to the side until I managed to get my breathing back under control.

Wiping a few strands of drool from my chin, I sneered at the alicorn. “This room is supposed to be your prison? Prison… heh. Please, don’t make me laugh. As if your precious ponies would stand for you being locked up, even by your own hoof. You could kill somepony and your subjects would turn a blind eye in a heartbeat.”

This caused her to flinch and she looked away.

I grinned. “Hit that one right on the head, didn’t I?”

She was quiet for a moment, staring intently at the floor before her hooves. “Prison… might have been the wrong word for it.”

“Explain,” I rasped. “If it’s not built for me, and it’s not a prison for you… what is the purpose of this room of yours?”

Again, silence fell upon the room as I stared at Celestia, and she stared at the floor. Seconds stretched into minutes, yet still she didn’t respond.

I had just opened my mouth to repeat myself when she finally spoke.

“I’ve always had to be the strongest,” she said softly, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her. “Even before Luna’s banishment, both her and I needed to be strong. Strong against Discord, strong against Sombra, strong against Tirek… so many enemies that threatened our ponies in those early days. Luna and I were the only thing standing between them.

“After Luna’s banishment, it got worse,” she continued, finally glancing up at me. “With her gone, I had to stand for both the Night and the Day. I had to be stronger than ever before, something that your predecessor learned the hard way.” She gave my holey legs a pointed look.

Setting back upon my haunches, I lifted my foreleg and eyed the appendage myself. “You weren’t strong enough to kill her though, or else we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“No, I didn’t kill her,” Celestia said with a nod. “I always try to avoid killing whenever able, but I had to leave a lasting impression upon the rest of the world. I had to show them what happened to those who’d threaten my ponies. I had to be an unstoppable force… an immovable object. A new threat would rise, and I’d have to protect Equestria from it. In time, I became so powerful that there were very few things that could stand against me.”

She paused and licked her lips. As she continued speaking, she began to circle around me, her hoofsteps muffled upon the porous floor.

“Eventually, peace came and with it, I was able to finally relax.” My head craned about as I attempted to keep an eye on her without moving from my seated position. “My strength began to wane, but not enough that I couldn’t still protect my ponies from the occasional threat. Only the ones that they themselves were unable to deal with.

“My ponies became resourceful,” she continued, and I could taste the pride wafting off her at these words, “and they eventually were able to start looking after themselves. However, like a foal exploring the new world around it, they always seemed to come back to me for guidance and protection from the unknown.”

Like foals, I thought, and a faint wave of sadness washed over me. My children… my changelings.

Luckily, Celestia didn’t seem to notice the slight frown that crossed my face. “Centuries came and went, and I alone was the pillar of strength for Equestria—the Unwavering Sun. That is, until a new alicorn emerged. One whom you are intimately familiar with.” At this, she shot me a cool glance.

I returned the look. “The insides of her mare bits are neon blue, in case you’re curious.”

Ignoring my quip, she continued speaking even as she came to a stop in front of me. “She was young, of course. Far too young to take on the full weight of my responsibility. But still, I cared for her, I raised her, and I watched as she grew into the mare she is today. Another pillar that could support Equestria alongside me—the Unquenchable Love that the land deserved.”

“This is all well and good,” I growled, “but I’m growing tired of your exposition. What does all this have to do with me and you and this room?”

“I’m getting to that,” she said with a small frown. “As I was saying, it wasn’t long after I found Cadance that the Elements of Harmony were discovered again, and my sister returned from her banishment. We then had three alicorns, where once there had only been me. Three alicorns able to support and protect all Equestria, with the Elements of Harmony to back us up. The country had never been safer.

“But then you arrived.”

I winced, subconsciously smacking my lips before I could stop myself as a weird cocktail of emotions permeated the room. A shiver ran down my spine at the look she suddenly leveled my way.

“You and your swarm, filling the skies and blocking out my sun. You arrived and drove all that into the dust—everything I worked for. Centuries of planning, centuries of building, centuries of preparing… all for nothing.” With each word, she stalked forward until she loomed over me, her wings spread wide.

Okay… getting a little worried here.

“You foalnapped and imprisoned my niece without anypony noticing,” Celestia growled, her voice icy as she continued to list off, “you infiltrated our capital during a military lockdown, you tricked my sister into leaving the palace on a wild goose chase, you brainwashed my Captain of the Guard, broke through one of the strongest barriers we ponies could generate, you attacked the city, and you overpowered me in a direct fight.”

Her nose pressed up against mine, and I forced myself to not wince at the twinge of pain that flashed through me when she put pressure on my injured muzzle. I stared up at her with wide eyes as her mane flowed like fire, the temperature in the room growing slightly. There was a look in her eyes I had never seen before, even back when we had fought during the wedding.

It was almost… worrying. Is this how I finally die?

“You defeated me in a head-to-head battle,” she said in a deadly whisper. “You defeated me in front of my subjects… in front of my niece… in front of my student. For the first time in my entire life, I felt actual fear. I’d never felt true fear before. I’d never felt so incompetent. I’d never felt so… so completely and utterly inferior.”

I was sweating now. The room had become so hot that heat waves were rippling through the air. It seemed that I had been correct—even though she had denied it, I’d known that Celestia held a grudge for the wedding. The nature of the room was now clear to me. This was never meant to be a prison.

It was meant to be a tomb.

In here, she could vaporize me with the full power of her sun without risking the lives of her ponies or any other innocent bystanders. She didn’t have to hold back in here as none of her magic would be able to escape. This was why she had the room built. This was why she brought me here. She wanted to prove once and for all that she was stronger than me.

It was almost laughable. Celestia—Avatar of the Sun and co-ruler of one of the most powerful nations in the world—had to prove that she had the bigger ovaries before sending me off to see my predecessors in the Beyond.

I braced myself as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“I have never felt so turned on before.”

It took a second for my mind to truly process what she said. Even then, the words bounced around my head for a few more moments before it actually clicked. All my previous worry and fear died, replaced instead by pure bewilderment.

Deadpanning, I blinked owlishly up at her. “Wat?”

“I’ve had my fair share of lovers in the past,” Celestia continued softly, ignoring my outburst. “Consorts, both stallions and mares, all whom I’ve bedded, all in secret. And none of them… not a single one… ever made me feel the level of submissiveness that I felt because of you that day.” She kept her nose pressed against mine. Her hot breath washed over my face, bringing with it the scent of vanilla.

“Submissiveness?” I mumbled, my ears splayed back in confusion.

Celestia nodded gently, the tip of her muzzle brushing against mine. “When we dueled during the wedding, despite how brief it was, I still felt your power. I saw how strong you were… how quickly and effortlessly you were able to overpower me. It wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before. The helplessness, the realization that there was somepony out there that was stronger than me, and the knowledge that there was nothing I could do to stop you. It was all so… so…” She paused and a shiver ran through her body.

“So exciting,” she breathed.

I could no longer sense any anger coming from the mare before me. Instead, a new emotion was making itself known, one which, combined with the spicy scent slowly filling the room as well, brought a faint greenish hue to my cheeks. Oh… oh sweet hivemothers. There’s no way that she’s… she’s…

Closing her eyes, Celestia tried to compose herself by taking a deep, steadying breath. When she opened them again, there was an eagerness to her gaze, as well as a faint hint of… something else. Nervousness?

Worry?

Damn this drug, I can’t sense emotions as well as I used to.

“I’ve been strong… immovable… for far too long,” Celestia said quietly, yet still loud enough to pull me from my thoughts. “I’ve ruled this country, ruled over hundreds of thousands of ponies for over a thousand years. I’ve shown no weakness, I’ve known no relief. I was the one that needed to be strong… to be unbending… to be the guide and guardian. So, when I saw you standing above me in all your glory, it… it was amazing.”

She paused, nibbling on her lip as another shiver ran down her spine. By her sides, her wings began to flare slightly.

“For the first time in my life… it wasn’t me, but you who were in control,” she whispered. “You were the one in charge. You were the one who determined what would happen. The helpless feeling… it was so alien to me, and yet I loved it. I need more of it. That’s why I built this room. That’s why I hunted you down. That’s why I saved you.”

“Celestia,” I growled, a tattered ear flapping against my head. “I’m tired and drugged and my thoughts are so sluggish that I’m having trouble concentrating.” My eyes narrowed and I glared at her. “Stop skirting around the issue and kindly get… to… the… point!”

She was silent, worrying away at her lip while giving me a worried look. Her tail flicked back and forth, as if lashing out at invisible flies.

“I want to offer you a trade,” she said finally. “One that will be beneficial to both of us.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“I am willing to allow you to feed upon me, to feed upon my love,” she said, stepping forward. “And in exchange, you allow me to experience that feeling of submissiveness once more.”

“You… want me… to dominate you?” I gave her an incredulous look, and she nodded. “Sexually?” Again, she nodded, and I let out a choking laugh as everything became clear. This earned me a startled gasp from Celestia, but I ignored her.

Tremors racked my body as I continued to wheeze and laugh. Pain flared in the corners of my mouth as the sutures broke, and I could feel a trickle of blood-mixed saliva trail down my chin. A touch of mania might have worked its way into my laughter, but I couldn’t help it. Who would have known that the Princess of the Sun had a domination fetish!

“You lied, Celestia,” I cackled. “You said this room isn’t a dungeon, but it is. It’s a hive-damned sex dungeon!”

“N-no it’s not!” Celestia squawked, although her face turned a lovely shade of dark pink

“Oh, this is grand,” I sneered. “Celestia, Paragon of Freedom, hunted down one of the most wanted criminals in the world, not for justice or vengeance… but because she wanted to have her itch scratched. I must be dead, cause there’s no way this is happening.” I laughed again, only to wince as the pain in my jaw finally caught up with me.

Running a hoof through my shortened mess of mane, I took a deep breath to compose myself. “So, that’s the deal, huh? You and I bump uglies or else you pull the medical care, toss me out into the wilderness, and leave me to fend for myself again? Sounds like you’ve got me by the teats here, Princess.”

“Good heavens, no,” Celestia said. The blush had faded from her cheeks, but it hadn’t vanished completely. “We would never do such a thing! Your injuries will still be tended to and you’ll still be allowed to remain in the palace. We’ll even be providing you with love, courtesy of… um—” she paused, giving me a quick glance before continuing “—courtesy of our… local producers.”

“Don’t sugarcoat your words, Celestia,” I grunted. “I’m well aware of where you’re getting the love.”

She nodded stiffly. “Of course. As I was saying, your biological needs will be met. The deal is a standing offer, one that will not affect your treatment. It was just an offer that would benefit us both.”

“It benefits one of us more than the other,” I said with a smirk.

She had the decency to blush at that.

Rising to my hooves, I slowly made my way over, all while trying to sway my hips as I walked. Sadly, due to my missing leg, my gait was more of an awkward stumbling hop than the seductive sashaying I was going for. It appeared that it had some of the desired effect though, as Celestia’s face flushed a darker shade of pink as I approached.

I stopped in front of her, our chests nearly touching as I was forced to peer upwards to meet her gaze. In all our previous encounters, I had never realized just how tall she was—she could easily rest her chin on the top of my head if she wished. Despite the height difference, I appeared to be the one in control at the moment, if her upturned ears and shallow breaths were anything to go by.

“So, that’s it then,” I breathed, the tip of my muzzle inches from hers. I could see her nostrils flaring as she tried to time her inhales with my exhales. “This is what the mighty Celestia craves. To be dominated—to be put in her place—by someone who is stronger than her.”

She shivered, and I pressed the attack.

“It is, isn’t it?” I practically purred. “You want to feel powerless as you’re held down and used for someone else’s pleasure. You want to be removed from your high pedestal and have your face forced between someone’s thighs. You want to twitch and squirm and moan as someone plays with your helpless body. You want to be a toy for someone else’s amusement.”

Celestia’s breaths were coming in short gasps now, and small tremors shook her body. She stared down at me through hooded eyes, her lips parted slightly—eagerly waiting to be claimed by mine. A faint hint of arousal filled the air as her tail whipped back and forth.

“That’s what you want from me?” I asked. Moving forward, I finally allowed my nose to touch hers. Almost instantly, she seemed to almost swoon, and she swayed about on her hooves. Her nose never left mine though; if anything, she pushed back against mine even more firmly.

“For me to claim you as my own?” I whispered.

Slowly, we both tilted our heads to the side. Celestia’s eyes closed, her lips puckered, and she began to lean forward tentatively, inching ever so closer to mine. I could feel her breath on my lips—quick and sporadic, with the faintest hint of the scent of vanilla to it. Her anticipation and nervousness was sapid, the flavor making my mouth water once more.

Her trembling lips were separated from mine by a mere hair's breadth.

“Celestia,” I breathed longingly, and her ear twitched in response. After a moment wait, a sneer flashed across my muzzle. “Do you think I was born yesterday?” Immediately, I pulled away, and Celestia nearly fell as she stumbled forward.

She blinked, her mind no doubt attempting to catch up with the sudden turn of events. “W-what?”

Trying to walk with as much dignity and grace as possible, I began to circle around her, much in the same manner she had done to me earlier. “Do you think I’m stupid?” I continued. “Did you really think that I was naive enough to sharpen my own executioner's axe?”

“What are you…?”

“Don’t play clueless with me, Princess,” I rasped. “I know exactly what it was you were trying to do.” Despite the pain in my jaw, I allowed a feral-like grin to work its way across my face. “It was very clever though, and I must say, I’m rather impressed someone like you would do something so underhanded.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Celestia said, her ears splaying back.

“Oh please.” I rolled my eyes. “What do you take me for, a foal? I know how this works. The minute I move to do anything to you—to claim you, to mark you, to indulge myself—your sister is going to burst in here with dozens of guards and that will be the end of me.”

She gaped at me, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

“It was the perfect plan too,” I chuckled, “because you get to keep your pure image. I can see the stories now. The world will see you offer aid to a fallen foe. That foe then turns on you and you regrettably need to put her down.” Sneering up at her, I shook my head. “You are still seen as the benevolent ruler, and I get put out to the great pasture in the sky. A win-win for you.”

“I would never—” she began, raising a hoof to her chest.

“Unfortunately for you, dear Celestia, I don’t play that way,” I grunted. “I give you the same response I gave that bitch when she offered me her hoof. If you want me dead, you’ll have to do it yourself.” With that, I turned and, whipping her nose with my tail, I stalked shakily towards the door, leaving the Sun Princess standing alone in the center of her empty room.

The four guards stiffened as I limped into the hallway, their spears lowering slightly in my direction. One of them glanced into the room, no doubt checking on Celestia. Out of the corner of my eye I could still see her, her wings lowered and her head bowed low to the floor.

I ignored the guards’ actions and instead gave the leader a blank look. “Take me back to my room. We’re done here.”

She hesitated for a moment—her eyes flicking back to the door I had just exited—but then she nodded and started off down the hall. I followed along, using the wall as support as the guards led me back to the medical ward.

As we went, my mind wandered back to the look on Celestia’s face when I had refused. I wanted to smirk at my triumph—as minute as it was—but I found that I just couldn’t do it. Her expression hadn’t been one of somepony whose plans had just failed. Instead, the corners of my mouth tugged downwards. It had been a different look—one that I had seen before.

It was the same look that had been on her student’s face when I had been masquerading as the pink alicorn. It was a look of pain; a look of distress. It was a look I had seen on countless faces before, and never once had it even fazed me. So then, why… why this time, did it bother me? Why did the faint taste of sorrow and sadness that trickled down the hall behind me cause my stomach to clench into knots?

Silently, I limped down the hall, lost in my thoughts…

...and behind me, the Unwavering Sun of Equestria remained bent low.

Author's Note

Not dead. Just really, really busy...