Twilight was growing increasingly frustrated as she manually moved yet another tome back onto the shelf before reaching for the next one. Not only was she losing patience from her inability to use magic, the knowledge she sought was proving unusually evasive. “No,” she groaned after quickly skimming and finding this book was no more helpful than the last. “No,” she growled this time. What was the point of living in a library if you didn’t have the collective knowledge of the world at your hoof tips? “No!” She slammed the book shut and hurled it across the room. Almost instantly she regained her senses and ran to catch it. She jumped into the air and pulled the remnant of the dead tree against herself, curling into a ball and rolling in a manner reminiscent of a hoof ball player catching the winning goal.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she cooed. She hugged the book close to her chest, cradling it like a newborn as she stroked the spine. “I’m just so frustrated. I didn’t mean to take my anger out on you.”

Watching the scene unfold, Trixie leaned down to whisper in Spikes’ ear. “Is she always like this?”

“Only when she gets excited about something,” he answered casually. Like Twilight, he had also been thrown off by the blue mare’s arrival. However, he knew that nothing would be accomplished unless at least one of them kept their head on.

Trixie blinked. “How often is that?”

Spike smirked. “Very.”

“… Damn.”

“Hey, no talking!” snapped Twilight. She flipped the most recent book around and pointed at a particular passage. “It says right here that slaves are not to speak without their master’s permission. Those that do are to be publicly flogged.”

Trixie crouched down low, ears drooping and tail pulled against her privates in fearful submission.

“Uh, Twi.”

“Yes Spike?”

He narrowed his eyes at the passage, then looked back at Twilight. “That law’s, like, 2,000 years old. I’m surprised you can even understand it with all that ‘ye’ and ‘thou’ stuff. Also, the title says ‘Laws and Statutes of the First Millenium of Equestria’.”

Twilight blinked owlishly, looking between the book and Spike. “So?”

Spike shook his head. “So… I’m pretty sure that means the law’s a little bit out of date,” he offered, pinching his thumb and trigger finger together to show the smallness of the glaring error in the mare’s reasoning.

Twilight blinked again and reread the title. “Oh. My bad.” And she put the book back where it came from. “I’m just a little antsy right now,” she admitted. “I mean, who wouldn’t be? My pop quiz…” she gestured a hoof at Trixie, “is a slave. A slave! What does that even mean?”

Trixie pursed her lips, uncertain of what to say, if anything. This mare, who was apparently her new owner, was freaking her out just a little.

“Ya know there’s a pretty simple way to solve this. I’m actually surprised you haven’t thought of it yet.”

Twilight blinked in confusion at her assistant.

“AJ, Twilight.” Spike held his arms out in exasperation. “Sweet Apple Acres has, like, a few dozen slave ponies working the orchard. You could just go ask AJ what being a slave owner is like.”

Again Twilight blinked as she thought back to the previous times she’d gone out to the apple farm and seen the various ponies at work helping the Apples. “Wait… those were slaves?” she asked in alarm.

“Uh, yeah,” Spike said like it should have been obvious. “You didn’t think it was weird that all those ponies working the orchard had collars with the cutie marks of AJ, Big Mac, and Granny on them?”

Trixie tried to pull her head back to look at her own collar. She couldn’t quite see it, but knew the tag was of Twilight’s cutie mark, sending a universal message to all who saw it. Or, at least she thought the message was universal.

“Um… I thought it was a fashion choice,” confessed Twilight shamefully.

“Oh sweet sun, what has Trixie gotten into,” she bemoaned, planting hoof to face.

***

The trip down main street was not especially eventful. Thanks to aid from the castle, repairs to the town were almost complete. Windows had been replaced and fixtures had been reset. However, thanks to a little negotiation on Mayor Mare’s part, she’d managed to convince Molestia that this backwater town was in need of a few modernizations, like roads that weren’t just dirt.

Twilight beamed in delight as she watched these and many other upgrades being implemented. Spike followed by her side, his stubby legs moving double time to match her pace. Between them Spike carried the end of a bright red leash. At the end of this leash, following just a few steps behind them was none other than the mare without whom none of Ponyville’s recent upgrades would be possible, or needed.

With the lack of relevant book information, Twilight decided to go over what she knew for certain in her head. For one thing, a slave collar was a magical device laced with all manner of enchantments. While the exact type varied at the discretion of the master, she knew that the base spell involved the prospective master touching the collar’s tag and infusing it with their magic. Twilight reasoned that, since she hadn’t touched the tag herself – as far as she knew – then Molestia must have kept some of her student’s magic in storage for occasions like this one. The princess had always been a bit of a prankster on top of her scheming.

There were enchantments for tracking, body modification, and all manner of other things if the master was willing to spend the bits. Unfortunately, Twilight’s weakened state meant that she could only detect the presence of enchantments, but not their quality or quantity.

Amongst the more mundane concerns brought by this new slave was the budget. Twilight had been living off a stipend from Molestia. Although technically it was a grant for her to perform research. She hoped Molestia would increase the stipend to accommodate for the extra mouth when it came next month. Then again, Molestia seemed just as likely to give her less in order to make the quiz extra challenging.

“Psst. Twi.”

“Yes, Spike,” Twilight whispered back.

“You think you maybe oughta, ya know, talk to her?” He indicated Trixie. Her head was held high in a show of pride as she was led along, walking as though she were the most important pony in town, but the tail tucked beneath her belly told a different story.

“Why? You think she knows something she’s not telling?” Twilight asked, wondering if Spike meant to start some sort of interrogation. After all, Trixie had been a prisoner of the crowns. Maybe she still was? Maybe the quiz was to assess Twilight’s skill at information gathering without the use of books? It was an unsettling, yet plausible notion.

“Uh, no. I meant, like, talk to her, pony-to-pony.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “I’m not sure that’d be appropriate with a slave. She’s no longer recognized as a citizen. Hell, she’s basically my pet, hence the leash and collar.” Twilight paused as a new thought popped in her head. “Wait. Is there a difference between slaves and pets?”

“Trixie is aware that you are talking about her,” informed the grumpy mare.

“Is Trixie aware that neither Twilight, nor the state cares what she has to say?” Twilight asked irately.

“Yeah. See, this is exactly what I didn’t mean,” grumbled Spike.

“Well what do you want me to do?” snapped Twilight. “I don’t know anything about owning slaves. And even if I did, I wouldn’t want an uppity, drug using criminal for one. What if she steals the good silverware?”

“And do what with it?” asked Trixie as she irately pointed at her collar. “These things are magically sealed to not come off and hiding them is a felony. If Trixie tried to run, silverware or no, she’d be hunted down and caught, at most, after a couple days. After which she’d be thrown in the stockades for public use for a month, at least.”

“Really?” Twilight asked. “How do you know that?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “When you’re carrying around an illegal substance across Equestria, one tends to familiarize themselves with the laws and policies of each region, for reasons that Trixie sincerely hopes are obvious.”

Twilight gave a huff at Trixie’s barb. “Okay, so I might not be especially versed in law. But, since you’re mine, I’m pretty sure I have the right to drag you to the town square and have you flogged ‘til you pass out.”

“Spanked, yes. Flogged, not so much,” replied Trixie. “And Trixie isn’t one hundred percent on this, but she is reasonably certain this province has statutes dictating the parameters of the spanking apparatus to prevent needless damage.”

Twilight came to a halt, taken aback by Trixie’s surprisingly well-informed answer.

“What?” asked the indignant blue mare.

“It’s just… I was wondering why a mare so versed in law would so carelessly break it just to put on a few shows,” Twilight replied sincerely.

Trixie’s expression hardened. “Because that is who Trixie is. She’s a performer, a bedazzler, and arouser of the ignorant masses. It’s not her fault her options were limited because she was born with abnormally low magic reserves.” Her voice had a bit of a quiver towards the end, sounding hurt.

Twilight blinked at this new revelation. A unicorn being born with low magic reserves was like a colt or stallion having an especially small penis. However, magic wasn’t as open and obvious as penises were, so most unicorns with the condition tended to keep it to themselves, minimizing magical use in their daily lives, and suffering in quiet shame. At least that was Twilight’s understanding, anyway. Overcome with sympathy, especially in light of her recent magical depletion, Twilight walked up to Trixie and pressed her side to her fellow unicorn, saying nothing as their barrels touched and they felt one another’s breathing.

“Okay,” Spike said, perking up. “Now this is what I was getting at.”

Twilight was the first to end the contact. She stepped back and gave Trixie a long, appraising look. “You’re familiar with law.”

Trixie nodded. “Yes.”

“But you’re not much of a caster.”

Trixie’s ears splayed and she averted her gaze in shame. “No.”

“And now you’re my property, legally bound to my services until and unless I say otherwise.”

Trixie gulped. “N-not exactly.” At Twilight’s expectant look, she decided to elaborate. “Well, besides statutes limiting what can and can’t be done to a slave, there are a number of circumstances in which you could lose legal ownership of me. I could receive a royal pardon, for example.”

“Pssh. Not likely,” Twilight dismissed with a scoff. “I’m still not entirely sure what Princess Molestia has in mind with all this. However, whatever it is, I know my Princess wouldn’t stop this until it’s been fully exploited for all possible shits and giggles. But keep going.”

Trixie pursed her lips. “For one thing, the Princess could enact royal privilege, claiming ownership of Trixie without needing to consult or compensate you.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “You don’t say.” While she doubted Molestia would do something like that, especially since this was supposed to be a quiz of some sort, it still felt good to learn of all possible outcomes.

Trixie nodded. “There are other statutes, but they’re so unlikely that they’re not even worth mentioning.”

An awkward silence followed as the mares stared at one another, unsure of what to think or say. It seemed that neither of them had a very strong grasp of their current predicament. Thankfully, Spike was there to save the day.

“We should probably hurry on down to Sweet Apple Acres and see what AJ has to say.”

***

Upon arriving, Twilight looked around the apple farm as if for the first time. The orchard was filled with the same faces she’d slowly begun to familiarize herself with, mares and stallions of varying ages, mostly earth ponies, but now she was noticing things she hadn’t before. In addition to the slave collars, most of the ponies in the orchard had markings along their flanks indicating they’d been recently beaten. Twilight recognize the markings as most likely having been delivered by a riding crop. By contrast, all the ponies she could see were smiling happily as they worked and conversed with one another, implying a lack of ill will. They waved at Twilight when they saw her approach, offering the same greetings they’d always done, completely unconcerned about the potential for flogging for speaking out. Twilight decided that this statute was indeed, as Spike had suggested, out of date.

“Twi!” AJ called as she galloped up, now back to her full size.

“Apple Jack,” Twilight greeted exuberantly as the pair necked. She loved the feeling of AJ’s taught muscles and the smell of fresh farm sweat was enough to coax her cock partly out of its sheath. “Just the mare I was hoping to talk to.”

AJ stepped back and leveled a scowl at Trixie, making the malnourished mare shrink down. The apple mare’s eyes roamed the unicorn’s body a second before zeroing in on the leash and collar. “Wait…” She turned to face Twilight while pointing at Trixie. “Ya mean she’s yer new slave?”

“Orders from the Princess,” affirmed Twilight matter-of-factly.

“Heh. Well Ah guess that fits,” AJ accepted. “After all the trouble she caused, bein’ a slave to a sweet thing like you seems like gettin’ off easy, if ya ask me.”

“Well, I am asking you,” Twilight said, only to stammer as she heard her words. “What I mean is that, well, I’ve never owned a slave before, and-”

“I had to tell her that the ponies in your orchards were slaves because she never noticed before,” Spike cut in.

Twilight fumed at the little drake for so casually confessing her embarrassing lapse, although it was hard to stay mad as she heard AJ’s hayseed chortle.

“Whoo wee, Twi. Ya’ll got built in blinders or somethin’?” she asked through her giggles.

“Basically, yeah,” Spike answered, sharing in AJ’s mirth. “She’s pretty oblivious to details she doesn’t expressly set out to find.”

“Can we get back on track, please?” begged Twilight.

“Aww, but I’ve got so many more stories to share,” whined Spike, only to shoot a playful wink at AJ.

AJ’s golden mane bounced as she chuckled. “Alright, alright, Twi. What was it ya’ll were wantin’ ta ask about?”

Twilight took a deep breath and sighed. “Well, as I hope Spike was trying to get at, I’m not too familiar with the idea of owning a slave.”

“Really?” AJ asked. “But aren’t ya-”

“Not every Canterlot pony owns slaves,” Twilight recited for, by her reckoning, what was the fifty sixth time this year alone. “My parents didn’t own slaves and I never really asked Molestia about hers. It just never seemed all that important to me. So, since you’re an experienced slave owner, I was hoping you could help me with the basics.”

AJ set a hoof comfortingly on Twilight’s shoulder. “Sure thing, sugar cube.” The pair exchanged warm smiles, followed by chaste kisses before parting. “The basics, huh?”

Twilight nodded. “Just give me the 101, slavery for dummies.”

AJ chuckled and touched a hoof to her chin. “Ah’m not too keen on the details off the top o’ mah head, but Ah guess the best way ta learn is ta show ya first hoof.” She waved at the orchard. “Ya’ll can see how I treat mah ponies ‘n’ figure out how ya’ll wanna treat yers.”

“Ooh. Sounds like fun,” chirped Twilight as she lit her horn, only for sparks to shoot out and fizzle to the ground, making a most obscene flatulent noise. She flinched from the sudden stabbing into her brain.

“You just tried to summon something to write with, didn’t ya?” Spike lightly chided as he held up his own pen and parchment. “Even when the doctor said its still too early for that.” He grinned wryly, practically daring Twilight to try and argue the irrefutable truth and embarrass herself further.

Twilight nodded her acquiescence to Spike, not taking his bait. She’d just have to listen and trust in his note taking ability.

Trixie just watched impassively. She’d flinched when Twilight did, her civic instincts compelling her to help a fellow pony in need. However, she’d held back when Spike moved ahead of her. She didn’t want to get yelled at for getting in his way. However, her ears did perk when the little guy had inadvertently spilled a most curious piece of information.

“So you work with your slaves instead of just giving them orders?” Twilight asked as she watched AJ buck the trees right alongside the collared ponies.

AJ turned to Spike. “Please tell me she didn’t jus’ notice that, too.”

Spike snickered. Trixie, after covering her muzzle so that none would notice, did the same.

“I’m just thinking out loud,” whined Twilight defensively. “I just want to be thorough. I mean, you think ‘slave’ and it conjures this image of ponies toiling in the fields while their masters just sit back and relax.”

AJ rolled her eyes as she bucked another tree, causing apples to neatly rain down into surrounding wooden buckets. “As if Ah got time ta relax when there’s so much work that needs doin’. ‘Round this time o’ year, we need every hoof we can find ta get these trees harvested.”

“And what about different times of the year?”

AJ blew a whistle with her hoof and motioned one of the stallions to come up and join them. He was a dark green with a two toned black and gray mane and an orchid flower on his flank. His muscle structure was superb and he stood at attention with discipline akin to a guard. The collar around his neck showed that he belonged to AJ. “Why don’t you give it a shot, Orchid? Tell ‘em what life’s like fer a slave like yerself.”

The stallion nodded respectfully and met Twilight’s gaze. “Orchid Blossom. Nice ta finally meet ya,” he greeted in that same hayseed accent that made Twilight’s knees weak. He showed no signs of fear or timidity and spoke with an air of authority. “Honestly, near as Ah can tell, the life o’ a slave ain’t all that different than a free pony. We work hard ta put food on the table, same as anypony else. Only difference bein’ our bosses get ta tell us what to do 24/7,” he added with a saucy wink aimed at AJ. “Fer us, when the farm don’t need as much work, we’re usually lent out ta the town, doin’ odd jobs ‘n’ the like.”

“Lent?” Twilight repeated. “I assume that means you don’t keep the wages you earn from this additional work?”

Orchid shrugged nonchalantly. “Ain’t rightly mine ta keep, ma’am. Most all o’ it goes ta Granny. She handles the money ‘round here. But we get an allowance fer doin’ good. Not much ta buy anythin’ all fancy like, but we don’t need much ta be happy.”

Twilight nodded as she looked back, making sure Spike was getting all this down. Contrary to what she’d seen from Trixie, it sounded like Orchid was content with his lot in life. As far as Twilight could tell, he bore no resentment to the Apples for his status. If anything, he sounded grateful. “And why are you a slave, exactly?” Perhaps the answer lay in how the slavery came about? Most everypony gets a little upset to changes in their routine, and the legal redefinition of one’s self to property was a pretty hefty change.

“Oh, Ah was born inta the trade,” Orchid said with a laugh. “Mah parents were born on an apple farm, just like Ah was, ‘n’ my foals after me will be,” he said, sounding proud of his lineage. “Most of us are like that. Pledgin’ our services ta others is a duty we take pride in, ‘specially fer ponies as kindly as the Apples,” he said, looking at AJ and flicking his tongue suggestively.

“Aww shucks,” said AJ with a blush. “It does a mare’s heart good ta see her slaves nice ‘n’ happy.”

Twilight smiled at the cute exchange. It was clear that AJ treated these ponies with love and care, which they returned in kind. “And is that how it was for all of you?” she asked, indicating the other collared ponies. “You were born into your profession?”

Orchid shook his head. “Nah. Some get sold off ta pay a debt. Others sell themselves after they realize submittin’ themselves to another, ta give up all control an’ worries, an’ jus’ follow orders is the best way ta find happiness. All ponies are born free, ma’am. Fer me, Ah grew up seein’ jus’ how happy mah folks were ‘n’ wanted ta follow in their hoof steps.”

Trixie’s ears were perked in interest. The way Orchid sounded so relaxed as he described being a slave, it held a peculiar appeal that surprised the blue mare. In all her life, she’d never imagined giving up control like that. Having so little magic, she’d always fought and scraped to gather what little power she could, and then never let it go. While she was far from accepting her predicament, Orchid’s words gave her hope that things wouldn’t be as bad as she’d initially feared.

Twilight nodded. “And what about ponies who get sentenced to slavery as a punishment? Any thoughts on them?”

Trixie flinched, fearful of the answer.

Twilight then turned around to face the blue mare. “I mean, that is what happened with you, isn’t it?” Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment at this latest reminder of her apparent blinders. That really should have been one of the first things she’d asked.

Trixie rolled her eyes and nodded. She was growing less fearful that Twilight would be the sort of master who would be cruel for the sake of it. However, that fear was being replaced by a developing new worry about the potential harm that could be inflicted by an ignorant master.

“Hold that thought,” Twilight said to Orchid and turned back to Trixie. “Before we go any further, I think I should get your perspective on why you’re here.” She ignored the way this made Trixie’s ears perk. “Granted, you’re just a slave, so I should probably take your words with a grain of salt, but-”

Orchid cleared his throat.

“Yes?”

“Beggin’ yer pardon, ma’am, but it’s a might disrespectful ta say that she’s untrustworthy just cuz she’s a slave,” he informed through a flat stare.

Twilight’s ears splayed, realizing her unintended insult against this proud stallion and his way of life. “Sorry.”

“That said, if’n she is a known liar, fer reasons o’ who she is ‘n’ not what she is, Ah reckon ya shouldn’t ask, but order.”

“He’s right,” said AJ while nodding her approval to Orchid. “If it’s a direct order from the master, a slave is compelled to follow it. Order her ta tell the truth, and she won’t have no choice.”

Twilight pursed her lips at what, in hindsight, really should have been obvious. “Alright then. Trixie, as your master, I order you to tell me honestly what happened to you after your arrest and why you’re here.”

Trixie slumped her shoulders in defeat. She briefly considered stretching the truth as she normally did with her stories to improve her image, but then her collar gave off the briefest glow. Trixie felt that minor compulsion vanish, subsumed by the reasoning that the truth would come out eventually and that it was in her own best interests to be compliant. “Fiiine,” she groaned. “After Trixie’s arrest, she was taken straight to the dungeons of Canterlot castle. It was awful! Trixie’s cell didn’t even have any sex toys and the guards only stopped by to have their way with her twice the entire time.”

Twilight resisted the urge to remind the mare that dungeons weren’t supposed to be comfortable, although that did sound needlessly cruel.

“Anyway, Trixie was taken to the infirmary a few times to make sure she didn’t have any other illegal substances hidden away.” She clenched her ass at the phantom pain of it being stretched out to such ridiculous proportions during the cavity search. “After that, interrogators spoke to Trixie and asked where she got her supply.” She whickered. “Trixie had to tell that stupid oaf five times that she had no supplier, that Trixie knew where the plants grow naturally and harvested them herself.”

Blinking in shock, Twilight snapped to face Orchid once more. “You’re sure she can’t lie right now!?”

“Sure as shootin’, ma’am,” Orchid replied, not quite understanding the severity of the situation.

Besides being unstable, one of the big reasons poison joke was considered an illegal substance was just how hazardous it was to get near, let alone safely harvest. But Trixie had been doing just that with, as far as Twilight had gleamed, zero to minimal negative side effects; at least not enough to attract any attention until recently. Perhaps there was more to Trixie than met the eye.

Trixie waited until she was certain she wouldn’t be interrupted again. “Anyway, Trixie was hauled off to court with none other than Princess Molestia,” she said derisively, “presiding as judge. Court began at 9:00 a.m., and Trixie was declared guilty before 10.” She snorted. “Trixie was fairly certain her lawyer was playing a Joyboy under the table the entire time.”

Twilight frowned. “That… doesn’t seem quite fair,” she admitted. “Granted, you were obviously guilty. Cases sent to the Princess are either super serious or are mostly for show, meaning the verdict is obvious to all from the start.” That was just an accepted part of the civil structure of an absolute dictatorship. “However, that still seems like an excessively short trial to enact proper justice.”

“Trixie doesn’t think anypony there cared about justice,” she said resentfully. “Least of all Molestia.”

“Hey now,” Twilight countered. “Just because you got a shit lawyer, that’s no excuse to badmouth the Princess.”

“Trixie isn’t talking about the lawyer,” she argued. “It was…” she gulped apprehensively. “From start to finish, that giant of a mare kept staring at Trixie.” She shivered. “More than once Trixie caught her licking her lips, like she was a hungry dog eyeing up a slab of meat.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. Under normal circumstances, that kind of analogy would be cause to celebrate. Everypony longed to be desired by the pinnacle of sexual perfection that was the alicorn princess of Equestria. However, after a lifetime of extended proximity to Molestia, Twilight knew of the sides of the princess that were usually hidden from public eye. Molestia had ways of looking at ponies that could make them weak in the knees, that could make them climax on the spot, that could make them dress in drag and do the hula that one time, or even cower in fear at the hungry predator in a way that had little to no sexual overtones. Twilight pitied Trixie if indeed she’d received one of those looks from the Princess.

“That… Trixie knew that mare was up to something from the start,” she asserted. “So, after the guilty verdict, Trixie was given a choice. A life sentence in Tartarus, or a lifetime of enslavement.” She tapped at her collar. “It wasn’t exactly a hard choice,” she remarked snarkly.

Twilight nodded. Tartarus was the highest security prison in the entire world. It not only held many of the greatest villains in Equestria’s history, but many other countries had paid to send their prisoners there to make sure they’d never have to be dealt with ever again. Twilight shuddered simply remembering some of the rumors of what went on down in those depths. Her tail briefly folded beneath her legs.

“After Trixie’s sentence,” she continued, “she was quickly fitted with a collar and sent back to her cell. Trixie, naturally, found this strange. One would assume that a slave would immediately be sent off to work, or to a trainer, or at least the market to be sold, but no. Trixie had to wait a further three days before she was taken from that putrid prison for the last time.”

Trixie looked up and level her gaze with Twilight’s. “Trixie was taken to Molestia’s private chamber. She…” She licked her dry lips. “She had a bunch of other collared ponies licking her. Their collars all had her cutie mark on them. She… pointed this out to Trixie, saying that Trixie hadn’t been assigned an owner yet. Trixie didn’t know what to say. Molestia said that she,” her face scrunched in confusion, “recognized Trixie, but wouldn’t say how. I think I’d have realized if a giant glowing mare had attended one of my shows; and it’s not like I can recall ever seeing her up close any other time,” she chuckled nervously.

Twilight nodded along, noting how Trixie had switched from using the third person to speak.

“She just started saying things, about you,” Trixie said to Twilight. “She said that you were amazing, one of her most entertaining toys in centuries, and that…”

“Yes!” Twilight urged, desperate for more praise.

“And that I was somehow supposed to help.” Trixie’s somber thoughtfulness twisted right back around to contempt. “And then the cunt blasted Trixie with a spell that left her medium rare!” she growled. “I mean, was a simple teleportation spell really too much to ask, for fuck’s sake!?”

Orchid, sensing it was finally his turn, just shrugged. “If’n that’s what the law says, then Ah can’t say Ah’ve got a problem.”

“Really?” asked Twilight. “You don’t feel that it, I don’t know, besmirches your pride as a…” She paused at Orchid’s confused expression. “Doesn’t it cheapen the good you do and feel to know others view it as a punishment?” This seemed like a glaring contradiction to what she thought she knew about ponies and their pride. AJ, she was reasonably certain, would be more than a little peeved if somepony claimed to be able to make better apple products using only a machine instead of the ‘honest labor’ the family obviously prided themselves in.

Orchid just chuckled. “Sorry, ma’am, but Ah don’t think ya’ll were payin’ attention when Ah was talkin’ ‘bout givin’ up all worries an’ the like. Ah don’t pay no mind ta what some ignorant nobody that Ah’ll never meet thinks. All Ah care about is,” he fluttered his eyelids at AJ, “if Ah’m makin’ mah mistress happy.”

“Ah shucks,” chuckled AJ as she turned around, presenting her rump to Orchid. “Quit yer yammerin’ an’ put that silver tongue ta good-Oh!” she gasped.

Orchid hadn’t even waited for AJ to finish before he’d dug in, burying his muzzle into her ass cheeks. He made loud, wet shlurps as he licked and sucked on parts Twilight couldn’t quite see, but seemed to be making AJ happy. Without prompting, many of the other collared ponies had abandoned their work and began circling their mistress, eyeing her with half-starved glares.

Twilight giggled and whispered to Spike. “Guess there was a dinner bell we didn’t hear.”

He laughed and nodded his agreement.

AJ remained standing as about five collared ponies went to work on her. A mare had crawled under Orchid and began eating her mistress’ pussy while he was relegated to sucking on her ass. A third pony, a stallion, was planting loving licks and kisses across AJ’s left flank, slathering her cutie mark in his saliva. A fourth pony, a mare, had come up under AJ’s right and pulled one of the futa mare’s balls into her hungry mouth. And the last of the collared ponies, a young mare in her mid to late teens, had crawled under AJ’s front and begun suckling at her cock.

Twilight smiled at the demonstration. “May I infer that you have them so well trained that they’ve learned to anticipate your orders?” She then leaned back and sat on her haunches, letting her stiff cock stand upright as she started masturbating.

AJ nodded. She tried to open her mouth to answer, but her breath hitched when somepony was getting a little too eager. “Nngh. Sorry, Twi. But ya’ll should pay attention,” she said, trying and failing to look serious as her face flushed red. “This is what happens when ya treat yer slaves right. They learn ta love ya, and you them. It’s jus’ like ownin’ a real pet, but one that can talk ‘n’ do better chores.”

“Like a pet, huh?” Twilight asked. She turned to look at Trixie, who was currently enthralled by the sight of AJ being so lovingly attended to. Twilight imagined Trixie someday showing her the same adoration, and it caused her cock to twitch. It then occurred to her that, if training was what was needed, then there was no time like the present.

“Trixie!” Twilight barked.

Trixie snapped to attention, striking a militaristically firm pose. “Ma’am,” she answered, surprised by her prompt response.

Twilight’s breathing became labored. It was only now dawning on her that Trixie was her property, hers to do with as she saw fit. She beckoned her property over with a hoof and an impish grin. “Call me ‘mistress’ from now on, got it,” she ordered experimentally.

Trixie nodded as her body shook with anxious nerves. No pony had ever talked to her like this. And the knowledge that this was an order, a command from a mare she was legally bound to obey, just made her innards stir in a way she wasn’t sure if she liked. “Y-yes… mistress.” The word left a sour taste in her mouth.

Having not noticed Trixie’s displeased expression, Twilight nodded and pointed down at her erection. “You have your mistress’ permission to worship her cock.”

“Careful now, sugar cube,” warned AJ with a friendly chortle, even as her slaves were still going to work across her body. “Ya’ll don’t wanna turn into Rarity, do ya?”

Twilight laughed, realizing she really had been unintentionally channeling Rarity to sound more authoritative. She then made a mental note to stop by the dress maker’s place later. Surely the dominatrix fashionista would have some tips… and maybe some advice, too. Twilight shivered at her own poor pun and gave the dumbstruck Trixie’s leash a yank. “I said worship, bitch!” she growled, channeling her inner Rainbow.

Deciding that, since this was to be a long term arrangement, it was in her best interest to roll with the punches and do as she was told,at least for the time being. Trixie sunk down to her belly, extended her tongue, and began applying thick, broad licks to the base of Twilight’s shaft.

“Oh Sun!” Twilight hissed. She gave the leash another yank and set her hoof on the back of Trixie’s head. “Hey. Y-you’re not bad,” she conceded, losing a bit of her bravado.

Trixie swallowed the impulse to declare how she was the best cock worshipper in Equestria. Given that this was Princess Molestia’s prize student and fuck toy, it wouldn’t surprise her if the purple mare had some sort of degree signifying the title for herself. Instead, she pushed such thoughts aside and focused on the task at hoof.

She had just wedged her muzzle tightly into Twilight’s scrotum, inhaling deeply of her mistress’ musk. It was pungent, nasty, and invigorating. Afterwards she’d pulled back a bit and began lavishing each of the large orbs with loving kisses, the same as she’d seen that one slave pony give to… apple horse? Trixie hadn’t really been paying attention when names were spoken. She sucked the left testicle into her maw, suckling it like a piece of candy as Twilight tossed her head back and gasped.

“Damn. You’re not bad,” said Spike as he watched the blue mare go at it. “Even I can’t fit a whole nut in my mouth, at least not without a little aid.”

Twilight grinned at her assistant. “Well, given that you’ve had the most contact with my cock out of anypony here, maybe you can show my new slave a thing or two about what I like.”

Spike, already at half-mast from watching both mares being attended to by their slaves, perked up and ran up to Twilight as fast as his little legs would carry him. He scooched up beside Trixie and wedged himself between her and Twilight’s thigh. Like her, he’d started out by taking a deep inhale of Twilights sexy musk. Even beneath the almost overpowering odor of her masculine stink, he was able to detect the subtle whiff of her drenched marehood.

Briefly he considered competing with Trixie over who could suck Twilight off the best, but dismissed such an idea as silly. He already knew himself to be her favorite cock sucker and was quite secure that this title wouldn’t be so easily taken away; least of all by a mare Twilight had logically assessed to have subpar skills. Instead, he decided to do as Twilight suggested, but also take matters one step further.

“Don’t forget to use your hooves,” he advised gently, causing Trixie to flick an ear in his direction. “She’s got more than just the one ball. Don’t forget to stroke the shaft, too.”

Trixie groaned an affirmative, fighting the urge to swear at having forgotten something so obvious. She did as Spike suggested, using one hoof to stroke Twilight’s hot length up and down while the other tenderly massaged the other nut.

“G-good job, Spike,” panted Twilight as she bucked upwards. If she was to place a grade on Trixie’s mouth work, she’d give this one a 73. Passing, but barely so. “But this little slut has got a long way to go before she’s half the cock sucker you are.”

Spike puffed out his chest in pride and thumbed his nose at Trixie, laughing when she grunted and looked away. He decided that he’d offer additional advice if necessary, but for now his attentions were better focused a short ways south. Licking his lips, Spike poked his nose beneath Twilight’s family jewels and extended his tongue, not even needing to look as the sweet flavor of her moist sex washed over his pallet.

Twilight’s body gave a surprise shiver and Spike waited a second for her to calm down before continuing. He grinned to himself as he pressed his muzzle deeper into her folds. His dexterous tongue plunged deep, lapping expertly at all her sensitive spots. Taking a deep breath, he sunk his entire muzzle into her soaked snatch, licking and nibbling at every ounce of flesh he could reach. At the same time, he snaked a claw up to give Twilight’s clit a soft flick.

“F-fuck!” growled Twilight as she came all over Spike’s face. She felt him pull out and smile at the sight of him licking his lips from the treat he’d earned. However, as she panted from her post coital bliss, she spotted something that caught her completely off guard. Her shaft was still hard and there wasn’t a trace of cum anywhere on Trixie.

“Fascinating,” she said in awe. “It would seem as though my two sets of genitals are capable of operating independently of one another, so that a climax from one does not necessarily trigger a climax from the other.”

“Do what now?” Trixie asked, almost as surprised as Twilight at this sudden revelation, but more so because it had come completely out of left field as far as she was aware.

Twilight gave no response, for her mind had fled the world of reality for the land of theorems and possibilities. Her mindscape was filled to the brim with formulas and equations even she could barely understand. A representation of her own body appeared in the center of the void, complete with a diagram labeling each and every part of her being. Her third person view zoomed on her backside and – after taking a moment to admire it – began breaking it down into all relevant organs.

Testing was needed. This was an unquestionable truth. The simplest solution would be to apply a microscopic magical tracker to her nerves and follow the signal as it was carried to her brain from each erogenous zone. She’d have to set up a separate analytical matrix to track the spells movements, given that she’d inevitably be too preoccupied with rubbing herself off. Of course, one sample would not be sufficient. No. She’d need to ‘recruit’ the other elements to measure how their augmented nerves reacted as well. Then there was the thesis she’d need to construct, follow by the-

*Snap*

Twilight blinked and snapped her head back. “I wasn’t sleeping!” she declared with a start.

Trixie, AJ, and several of the collared ponies laughed at this outburst. Spike just snapped his fingers again, drawing Twilight’s attention to his exasperated expression. She blinked and realized what happened.

“H-how long was I gone?” she asked nervously.

“About a minute,” the drake answered. “Nothing too bad, but I’m pretty sure there’s somepony who’d like an explanation,” he informed, pointing a thumb down at a befuddled Trixie.

Twilight blinked as she looked down at her slave. “Oh. Uh… I kinda, maybe, sorta-”

Spike cleared his throat and Twilight blushed.

“I sometimes get caught up in new ideas and maybe… forget where I am for a little bit.”

Trixie blinked and slowly turned to face Spike. Based on how expertly he’d wrangled the mare back from wherever she’d gone, she figured his word would be the more reliable. “Does this happen often?”

“Eh. Two or three times a week,” Spike said with a shrug. “It takes her a bit to recall everything, too. Any second now she’s gonna-”

“I haven’t cum from my cock yet!” Twilight realized.

“Yeah. That,” deadpanned Spike as he gave Trixie’s rump an encouraging pat.

“Oh, now there’s an idea,” Twilight intoned with a sinister gleam in her eye. “Spike. When’s the last time you made a mare your bitch?”

Trixie shuddered. Her stomach sank and her asshole clenched in dread at whatever terrible scheme was cooking in the mind of her inexperienced mistress of questionable mental state.

Spike scratched his chin in thought. “Full grown, or do fillies count?”

“Full grown.”

“Then I guess never,” Spike admitted with an accepting shrug and toothy grin. He saw where this was going. “Why? Did you have a mare in mind?”

Twilight nodded and pointed with her eyes at Trixie’s rump. “Shining liked to say that spit roasting was a great way to bond between stallions,” she recalled as she tenderly ran a hoof through Trixie’s mane, noting the mare’s tension. “We might not be stallions, but I’m curious if the same applies to futa ponies and dragons.”

Spike grinned, planted a chaste kiss on Twilight’s cheek, and ran around behind Trixie. He pulled her tail out of the way and took an appraising look at his new plaything. “Hmm. Not bad,” he assessed. Setting a claw against her ass cheek, he dug his fingers in to test its softness, making the mare moan onto Twilight’s shaft.

“Isn’t there something you should be doing?” Twilight asked of Trixie. “Maybe, I don’t know, following an order?” she said impatiently.

“Never gave the order,” Spike informed from behind Trixie. “You said to worship your cock, but didn’t say anything after that.”

“… oh,” Twilight said in embarrassment. She chose to view this mistake as just another learning opportunity. She’d know better for next time.

Trixie flicked an ear back at Spike as she thought. For all of Twilight’s power, the purple mare was terrifically scatterbrained. She wasn’t too clear on the exact nature of the relationship with Spike – Twilight had called him her assistant a few times – but to her, Spike seemed more like the purple mare’s handler than anything else. Slowly, a scheme began to form in her mind. Freedom was still a long ways off, but for now, if she could win the favor of the drake, then maybe the mistress could be made putty in her hooves. It was all about playing to her audience. At the very least, she could make her life much easier by pleasing those with authority over her.

“You want to fuck Trixie, little guy?” Trixie asked sensually. With one hoof she reached back behind her and pulled her ass cheek to one side, spreading herself and giving the drake an inviting view. She gave her rump a shake, making sure her ass cheeks had just the right level of tantalizing bounce. At the same time, she started kissing her way up Twilight’s cock, lavishing it with intermittent licks as her other hoof continued massaging her balls.

“Holy crap,” said Spike in awe as he took in Trixie’s demonstration. “You’re a lot hotter when you’re not talking so much.” He failed to hear Trixie’s groan of annoyance as he ran both hands along her supple rump, massaging the doughy mounds of flesh as his cock twitched needfully.

Trixie glanced back over her shoulder at the dragon’s sparkling eyes as she swirled her tongue around Twilight’s flat head. “Take any hole you like,” she offered lustfully. “Trixie promises she will like it.”

Twilight groaned and grunted. Trixie’s work had just gone from a 73 to an 82, a remarkable jump for just a few minutes of practice. A part of her wanted to shout, to deride Trixie for making such a promise and thinking her opinion mattered. That’s what often happened in what little erotica she’d read on the matter. However, that was just a level of meanness she couldn’t bring herself to inflict. Instead, she decided to channel her inner Molestia for a change. “Keep it up, Trixie,” she encouraged. “Pay attention to the way it’s twitching. Don’t want me blowing my load too soon.”

Trixie looked up at Twilight with fillyish innocence. “Trixie doesn’t want mistress’ hot, thick, smelly cum blasting all over her face, marking her as mistress’ devoted love slave; at least not before mistress is ready.”

“Oh, she’s good,” muttered Spike, impressed how the mare had gotten into character so easily. After Trixie’s offer, he’d decided that, so long as he was here, he’d fuck her blue, tight little ass hole. Thankfully she was already lying down on her belly, so he didn’t have far to reach. Regardless, she still showed remarkable consideration by levitating over an unused apple bowl and flipping it over for him to use as a stool. He hesitated only long enough to hot dog his cock between the mare’s pussy lips to get himself nice and lubed. Unlike Twilight, who tended to stress out over the little things, Spike had a much easier time of adhering to common courtesy as much as possible.

Trixie tried to make her moan sound extra grateful as she felt the little male’s cock slip into her anus. She was used to guys just shoving their dicks up there without so much as a warning. That he’d bothered to first lube himself up at all was a welcome change of pace. She was also used to fucking older guys with much bigger cocks. His underage prick might have been small, but the ridges were like those of an especially elaborate dildo, stimulating her in ways she hadn’t expected.

Yes. Working the drake over to one day win her freedom would most certainly be an enjoyable experience.

Spike let his cock rest in the mare’s butt for a good few seconds before he slowly started to pull out. He chuckled at Trixie’s change in pitch as his hot rod slid along her anal walls. Of course this would have been her first exposure to real life dragon penis. Spike thrust back in much faster than before, loving the squeak the mare made as he pushed her forward ever so slightly. Her ass, however, wasn’t all that tight. Granted, it was a little unfair to compare Trixie to Twilight, her friends, or the fillies that he’d fucked so far, but it was the truth. She was pretty loose, having definitely not done as much as she could have to maintain her anal integrity.

Meanwhile, at the other end of things, Trixie had just started slipping her lips down Twilight’s hole puncher. The taste was unlike anything the blue mare had ever experienced before; sweet, savory, and ever so slightly salty. Driven to have more, Trixie made especially loud moans as she made her descent down the shaft. As a performer, she knew the importance of making her audience feel appreciated.

Exerting a fair amount of effort, Twilight managed to pull her mind from the moment and observe things more objectively without ceasing in her actions. The hoof on Trixie’s head began gently pushing her down. The purple mare watched the blue mare’s work with an analytical mind, curious of what she was capable of. Trixie was starting out with careful, measured progress. This made sense, given Twilight’s considerable size.

However, when Twilight felt her flat tip hit the back of Trixie’s throat, and then keep going, her thoughts shifted to full egghead mode. Twilight recalled how even she gagged whenever she used to practice with especially large toys. And when it came time to try a smaller replica of Molestia’s anaconda, it had taken her more than a hundred tries to suppress her gag reflex without the aid of magic.

The ease with which Trixie was accomplishing her own feat, however, wasn’t a result of skill. Twilight felt reasonably certain of that much. Even as Trixie’s lips slid over the mare’s medial ring, sending shivers up purple smart’s spine, she could tell that Trixie’s skills were purely average at best. While mentally adjusting the score down to a 78, Twilight was still left with the quandary of how the mare was doing this without skill. The lack of any glowing horn meant that she wasn’t using any magic. Then again, Twilight’s thoughts jumped back to when she’d seen Rarity’s sister accomplish the same thing with a similarly large cock. This, Twilight realized with heart-fluttering elation, must have been the work of the passive magic of her cock.

Twilight’s realization coincided with Trixie having sunk her lips all the way down to the base of the shaft. The blue mare’s only warning was when Twilight had doubled the force to her head, holding her in place. She didn’t even feel the flaring of the tip. It was just too far down her throat. She did, however, feel the swelling of the cock as Twilight released her warm ejaculate into her gullet. Reflexively she swallowed, for what little good that did her with the tip almost half way down her esophagus already. At least she didn’t have any trouble breathing.

Spike came as well, emptying a rather impressive load into Trixie’s ass. He’d gotten almost no action while Twilight was in the hospital, and had been so worried that he barely even jacked off the entire time. As a result, he’d been saving up quite a bit. As his claws dug into the mare’s backside, Spike quietly regretted cumming in Trixie instead of Twilight.

Come to think of it, Trixie’s arrival had thrown his entire plan off track. Spike still wasn’t sure what having Trixie as a slave would mean in the long-term. However, one thing he was certain of was that she would not get in the way of Twilight’s care.

Author's Note

So I bet this was quite the revelation, huh. Lots of world building as we explore this unexpected but fascinating aspect of a culture ruled by perverts. Of course sexual slavery would be a thing. And, given how blasé everyone seems to be about every other form of perversion, this is also something that is casually accepted. However, it seems that this trend isn’t so casually accepted by all. Look forward to continuing exploration of these development and more the next time around.