Princess Celestia was in bed.
She wasn't asleep yet. She never had been able to just lay down and be asleep in a moment the way some ponies could. It always took a while, sometimes quite a long time, for her mind to wind down sufficiently for her to rest.
So she was quite awake when a deep purple shadow loomed up silently beside the bed. Some faint breath of air or hint of sound prompted Celestia to open her eyes. She saw the shadow, a deeper darkness against the gloom of her bedroom, rising up from beside the bed. A pair of slitted eyes opened, and a fanged mouth gaped beneath. Suddenly the shadow leapt at her, swift and silent. It landed atop her, the heavy weight driving the breath from her lungs.
"Ha! Got you!" Princess Luna sat atop her sister, grinning.
Celestia managed to get enough breath back to laugh. "You do indeed seem to have me. But can you keep me?" Suddenly she rolled, tumbling Luna off of her and pinning her in the blankets. Luna yelped and flailed, but Celestia kept the upper hoof. "There. I win!"
Luna stuck out her tongue at Celestia. "No fair. You always win."
"Privileges of being the older sister."
"Privileges of being the bigger sister, you mean. You should eat less cake, you're going to squish me flat."
Celestia's eyes narrowed, though she was still grinning. "Be careful what you say, sister. You could get yourself in trouble that way."
"Bah," said Luna, and blew a raspberry at Celestia.
"Oh, you're definitely in trouble now," said Celestia, and her grin was wicked as her horn lit up. She conjured a feather which she ran along Luna's sides. Luna laughed and flailed about, squirming under her sister. Celestia laughed in mock-evil fashion, an over-the-top "Mwa ha ha ha!" and tickled more.
"Help!" laughed Luna, and squirmed more.
"No mercy!" said Celestia.
"Noooooooo!" Luna managed to get a hind hoof hooked around to push Celestia off of her, blessing her flexibility as she shoved her sister over onto the bed.
"Ack!" said Celestia as she tumbled.
"Yes!" crowed Luna. She rolled over, atop Celestia, and kissed her, hard. Celestia kissed back for a moment, then broke it off and grinned up at her sister.
"So that's the way of it tonight?"
"Why else do you think I am in your bed, hmm?"
Celestia laughed. "I see." She reached up and booped Luna lightly on the nose. "Poor Luna."
Luna stuck out her lip in an exaggerated pout. "Aww. Does that mean you're not in the mood?"
"Indeed. It's very sad."
"It is." Luna, still sitting astride Celestia, gave a little hip wiggle. "Are you sure?"
Celestia chuckled. "Fairly."
"Fairly, but not absolutely?" She wiggled again. "Maybe something kinky? Would you be interested in some toys, maybe? Or I could shape-shift, that's always an option."
The chuckle turned into a snicker. "You are beginning to sound like Neigh I May. But this is not Green Eggs and Hay."
Luna grinned. "Would you could you with a mare? Would you could you in the air?"
"I would not, could not in the air, I would not buck you anywhere," said Celestia, almost laughing as she spoke.
"You tempt me to imitate Neigh I May and keep asking... She got the unwilling protagonist of that story to like green eggs and hay in the end, after all."
"I wouldn't, if I were you." Celestia was still almost laughing, but there was a steely glint in her eyes.
Luna's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Then her grin returned and she said, in a tone of exaggerated innocence, "But Celestia! I'm sure you'd like bucking if you just tried it!"
Celestia snorted. "That's it, you brat. Now you're in trouble." Suddenly she was the one shoving Luna over, tumbling to two in the huge bed and rolling on top. She pinned Luna down almost forcefully, and her horn sprang to life, forming a golden band of magic around Luna's neck that contracted ever so slightly. Looking down at Luna with that same steely glint now much stronger she said, "Little sisters who refuse to know when to stop get punished, you know."
Luna's eyes were wide, and little shudder went through her. She licked her lips, looking up at Celestia. "Punished?" she asked, a little breathlessly.
Celestia's smile turned evil. "Oh yes. And don't think I mean the kind of punishment where you get what you want, either. I'm going to show you your place, little sister. Or should I say little pet? Yes, that suits, I think. A bratty little pet. Let's see..."
Her magic flared and she pulled something out of thin air with a tiny "pop!" Luna's gaze fixed on it. It was a strap of black leather, with silver fittings. It jingled as Celestia flourished it in front of her and she saw that it had a large silver bell attached to it. A cat's collar, sized for a pony princess.
"Shall I?" asked Celestia, waving the collar, making the bell jingle again. "I think keeping a nice, collared, chaste pet all night is just the sort of punishment you deserve."
Luna gave a little wiggle and whimpered as she heard "chaste", but she nodded her consent.
Celestia grinned. "Excellent. Now be a good kitty and let me put this on you." Celestia climbed off of Luna, who rolled over in the bed but didn't get up. She lay on her stomach and stretched her neck out, her nose to the blankets in a submissive posture. "Good kitty," said Celestia, and fastened the collar around Luna's neck. Luna gave a little sigh, a tension she hadn't even realized she'd been holding her beginning to leach out of her as she accepted the collar and all that went with it.
Then she squeaked as Celestia bent over and nipped the back of her neck. Celestia giggled at the sound. "Cute little kitten!"
Luna blushed, but didn't object.
"Now, let's see what else we can do to transform you into a sweet little pet..." Celestia put a hoof to her chin, pondering the possibilities. She eventually nodded, having constructed a vision of what she wanted to do. Her horn glowed and with another little popping sound she pulled a pair of kitty ears out of nowhere. They were black, covered in soft fake fur on the backs and velvety on the fronts, and hollow so that Celestia could slip them over Luna's own ears. A little clip, like a clip-on earring snugged them down tightly at the base of each ear, so they wouldn't fall off when Luna's real ears moved them around.
Luna kept still as Celestia slipped them on. Her eyes were closed, and the muffling effect of the ears over her own made the world seem to slip away from her. She let out a second soft sigh, relaxing a little bit more.
"Cats don't have wings," said Celestia, pulling a length of blue fabric, slightly stretchy, out of nowhere. "Get up." Luna climbed off of the bed and stood obediently beside it. She kept her wings folded to her sides, and Celestia wrapped the cloth around her. It was close enough to the color of her hide that it blended in, and when the end was fastened with a little velcro tab under her barrel her wings were bound snugly but comfortably to her side. The restraint might have been distressing in other circumstances, but now it was just one more little thing she could let go of, one more bit of her everyday life that she no longer had to worry about.
"Good kitten," said Celestia when the wrapping was done, and she stroked between Luna's ears.
Luna purred, a remarkably accurate sound, though she couldn't keep it up infinitely the way a real cat could. Something about the purring was relaxing as well, and she leaned happily into Celestia's caress.
"What next?" said Celestia, still petting Luna. "Hmm. Hoooves, I think. Cats don't have hooves either. So let's do something about that." The next object she pulled from wherever she was getting these things was a set of four padded boots. They were dark blue with pink paw-pads embroidered on the undersides. "Roll over," said Celestia as she held them in her magic.
Luna looked up at her and there was a sudden glint of mischief in her eye. "Dogs roll over. Cats don't." She stuck her tongue out at Celestia.
"Bad kitty," said Celestia, and her hoof was suddenly gripping Luna's mane, right at the nape of her neck. She twisted the hoof-full of hair and shoved down, pushing Luna to her knees on the floor. Then her magic shoved Luna sideways. Luna flailed her hooves about, trying to roll back upright, but Celestia's magic pinned her on her back. Then her hoof grabbed her collar and yanked on it. "Very bad kitty."
Luna let out a little eep as her collar was grabbed, then whimpered, her ears going back as flat as they could with the cat ears over them. "No more of that," said Celestia, giving the collar, and hence Luna, a little shake. "Now hold out a hoof."
Her hooves had been tucked up tightly against her, but Luna extended one front hoof obediently. Celestia loosened her grip on the collar a bit and said, "better", before slipping one of the paw boots over it. She tied the ribbon at the top of the boot, just at Luna's knee, snugly, securing it.
Celestia put the other three boots on as well, covering all her hooves. They muffled her earth pony magic a bit, she wouldn't be able to use her hooves to grip things or to have secure footing at she walked. It was a little bit disorienting, and yet she found herself letting out another soft sigh and relaxing even further once they were all on. Celestia chuckled and rubbed her tummy. Luna purred more, her eyes half-closed. This was humiliating in a way, yet it was also very good.
"One last little thing, I think," said Celestia. "Up you get." She tugged Luna's collar, and Luna scrambled somewhat awkwardly upright. "Keep still while I take care of your tail," said Celestia. Luna felt a tug on her tail and looked back. Celestia had pulled the strands apart into three clumps, which were trying to wave on the cosmic breeze, and looking rather odd as they did so. Celestia began to braid them, working the strands in a pattern that looped back on itself so that when she was done Luna's tail was in a tidy little bundle. The process was slow, almost ritualistic, and Luna felt her eyes grow unfocused, sinking further into the state of submission, of non-self that the feline gear embodied.
When she was done braiding, Celestia pulled one last object out of thin air. More leather was a harness, and a long fall of fake fur attached to it made up a cat-shaped tail, with a pink bow tied around it near the end. As Celestia began putting it on her, Luna could make sense of the tangle of straps and realized that it was a chastity belt, a thick strap passing between her legs, covering her pussy completely. Celestia snugged it down firmly, and fitted base of the tail over her actual tail, so that she would swish it about a little bit.
Finally the last buckle was fastened and Celestia stepped back, regarding Luna with a satisfied smile. "There. A cute little kitten, just the sort of pet to keep me company tonight." Luna heaved one last deep sigh, letting out the final scraps of tension that had filled her. This wasn't the release she'd sought, but it was a release, and she gave herself over to it, melting into the role of kitten. No longer a princess, no longer even a pony, for tonight at least her only cares were those of a kitten who wanted to please her owner.
Celestia patted the foot of the bed. "Here, kitten. Come lay at my feet."
Luna jumped up somewhat awkwardly onto the bed and curled herself up on her side. Celestia settled herself next to Luna, reclining on her stomach. She reached out and stroked Luna's mane. "Are you going to be a good kitten for me?"
Luna nodded. She almost said something, but she felt that perhaps kittens shouldn't speak, so she meowed instead.
Celestia smiled. "Good." She petted Luna more, just stroking her soothingly. Luna purred softly, letting her eyes close, relaxing into a blissful contentment.
They rested together peacefully for some time, but at length Celestia stretched and rose. "I think I could use a midnight snack. How about a little stroll down to the kitchen?" She grinned.
Luna's head snapped up, and her jaw gaped open in shock. Stroll through the palace like this? The night watch was on duty, and could see through any spell or disguise they used. She would be humiliated forever.
Celestia laughed as she saw Luna's horrified expression. "That's what I thought. Well, let me go and fetch us a little snack, then. Stay right where you are like a good kitten."
Luna went limp with relief and nodded, giving a little meow of assent. Celestia smiled and patted the top of her head. "Good girl." Then she stepped out into her parlor, headed for the door of her suite, and the distant kitchen several floors below. Luna put her head back down and waited for her to return. The thought of walking through the palace halls like this was still sending shivers of fear down her spine. There was something almost pleasant about the shivers, though. She pictured it, being caught out, being seen by one of her own night guard in such a humiliating situation, and the wave of fear that went through her was almost erotic. She would never do such a thing in reality, but the thought, that was strangely alluring.
She squirmed around on the bed, then stopped. Celestia had told her to stay. She shouldn't move too much. She curled herself back up again, though her tail was flicking, making the cat tail attached to it lash back and forth. It was all too easy to work herself up into a state, thinking such thoughts. Her mind began to drift into improbable fantasies about Celestia leading her on a leash through the palace, and hot, horny guardsponies noticing and being invited to participate in her humiliation.
Fortunately it wasn't long before Celestia returned from the kitchens, carrying two bowls floating in her magic. She flopped onto a lounging cushion with one, which had a spoon stuck in it, but set the other on the floor.
"There you go, kitty. Eat up," she said.
Luna jumped off of the bed and investigated the bowl. It was filled with little brown bits, and for a moment she wondered if it was actually cat kibble. Then she caught a whiff of chocolate and recognized them. Chocapuffs, one of her sister's favorite breakfast cereals, and one she herself rather liked too. Celestia was eating the same, but with milk and using a spoon. Luna's bowl on the floor, sans both those items, made it clear what was expected of her.
She buried her muzzle in the bowl and ate, crunching the cereal bits between her teeth. She'd eaten head down like this often, of course. Grazing had never been beneath her, especially not when she'd been younger. Grazing had been quite common then, though it had rather fallen out of fashion now. But something about the bowl, about eating like this while Celestia held a spoon in her magic and ate like a modern pony, drove home the submissiveness of Luna's position. She crouched a little bit to better reach the bowl, and sank once more into that strange, special place, where she was merely a kitten, a non-pony, a creature with no agency of her own.
When the bowl was licked clean, Luna jumped back up onto the bed and curled up there. Celestia smiled at her and continued to eat her own cereal. She finished, eventually, and jumped gracefully up into the bed, where she settled herself next to Luna. She rested her head over Luna's withers and Luna leaned into her, cuddling up beneath her with another soft sigh.
"Such a good kitty," murmured Celestia softly.
Luna purred again, and kept purring until her eyes slid shut. Celestia's eyes closed too and the pair slipped gently into a comfortable slumber. Later there would be waking, and the removal of the kitty gear, the setting of the moon, the raising of the sun, and all the duties and trappings of rule that both were obligated to perform. But for now there was only this: two ponies, together, pet and owner, sharing a rare and special warmth.
Author's Note
This was a delight to write. Hopefully at least some of you will find it a delight to read.
