Several Years Later

“Nnnnghhh… D-Dammit Shining, scoot over!”

“Nnnffff!! Why should I move over!? You’re taking up most of the space anyway!”

“Don’t argue with me Shining, and that’s an order!”

“Wow. Even now, you pull that card?”

“Are you disobeying an order?”

“N-No! I’ll move, I’ll move…”

“Hmph~ That’s what I thought...”

Shining gritted his teeth as he tried to push away from his Superior, despite how tightly packed they were in the confined space. There wasn’t a single source of light to help them find their bearings, so they were basically trapped together until the time was right. Even with how much Shining tried to squirm himself free, he wasn’t able to get himself comfortable against Sombra’s muscular form. And if that wasn’t awkward enough, Shining’s muzzle wrinkled up before whispering, “Sombra, did you take a shower today?!”

“Heh~ I didn’t take a shower all week, Shining. I didn’t want to ruin the mood for our upcoming fun~”

“Ughhh…”

Shining groaned with his head hung low, although it did nothing to help him escape the heady musk that was wafting about thick in their confines. In his younger years, that overbearing scent would’ve likely made his fur stand on end, and his hooves to start twitching needily for some attention. But while the thick stench of sweat and musk was definitely enough to make him shudder, he was still disturbingly flaccid between his hind-legs.

Outside of their cramped space, Shining and Sombra could overhear a familiar mare’s voice calling out through a microphone. “Fillies and Gentlecolts! For tonight’s little private show, I would like to present two of the most notorious models the Crystal Empire have ever seen!~”

Both of the stallions groaned from that choice of wording, clearly wanting to be revered as more than just “models.” But given their current predicament, there wasn’t much either of them could do before hearing the outside announcements continue. “So without further ado. I would like to present for my sister’s early birthday, the one and only Sombra, and his lovely assistant Shining Armor!”

The small crowd of ponies all cheered Celestia on as she stepped away from the fake cake in the middle of the ballroom. Even though it had been well over a decade since her retirement, Celestia looked nearly the same as she had when she originally left the throne; of course, both she and Luna (who was seated in her own personal throne for tonight’s festivities) had some faint lines of age appearing at the corners of their eyes. The two former Princesses cheered along with the other Royals in the room, with their thundering applause serving as the signal for their entertainment to begin. The large, ornate-looking cake made for Luna suddenly burst open from the inside, collapsing all around to reveal Shining and Sombra together.

The rowdy cheers and stomping grew more rampant, as Twilight Sparkle laughed it up at her measly brother’s expense. Unlike Twilight, who had developed into a full-sized Alicorn akin to Celestia and Luna, Shining Armor’s figure seemed to have diminished throughout the years without a steady stream of testosterone. The white stallion may have still been as fit and agile as he had in his youthful years; but instead of slender muscles or a masculine physique, Shining looked just as frail and feminine as any mare. Even his blue mane looked like it carried more volume than before, with bouncy curls bobbing up and down with even the slightest movement of his head. Heck, if it wasn’t for the thick-looking pair of balls that were swinging between his scrawny legs, it would’ve been easy to assume that Shining wasn’t a stallion at all; however, considering how he was wearing a tight, bright-pink miniskirt which was concealing his fake package, there was nothing to distract the ogling eyes pointed right at him.

Shining Armor, the stallion who was once a rightful Prince and Co-Ruler of the Crystal Empire, was now dressed up like a total bimbo for the amusement of the Royal Sisters. As the three head Princesses all cracked up over the burlesque music booming from the speakers, Cadance made sure to give a supportive wolf-whistle for both of the stallions on the dance floor. Shining felt utterly exposed in his pink miniskirt, which matched the tiny halter-top which hugged his rail-thin torso to accentuate his feminine form. He was even wearing bright pink and white striped stockings, which ran up above the knees on all four of his hooves. The blush on his cheeks was just as notable as his frilly attire, with his skirt fully flaunting how plump and jiggly his ass had gotten over the years; but if there was any consolation for standing before the Royals in such gaudy attire, it was that neither of their kids were present to witness any of this.

“C’mon, Shining!~” Sombra gave a hard nudge of his backside against Shining’s, eliciting a startled peep from the sissy slave. Sombra was already trying to sway his muscular hips in tandem with the corny music, and winked down at him teasingly. “If I’m confident enough to do this, you have no excuse yourself~”

Shining sighed with his blush deepening, not able to counteract such a claim while Sombra was crossdressing as well.

Unlike the former Prince, who was moving about frigidly like a teen girl at her first school dance, Sombra was fully getting into the ridiculousness while wearing similarly skimpy attire. A rich, blood-red corset was tightly wrapped around his bulging torso, with the back hems nearly close to snapping apart from his girth. His thick, clonking hooves were nearly three times the size of Shining’s, and his forelegs were as curvaceous as could be with ripe muscles drawing up every sweaty inch. Even with the additional miniskirt and matching socks of his own, Sombra looked like a bodybuilder who was forced to wear lingerie. Similarly to how Shining’s body altered drastically over the years, Sombra ended up receiving the opposite effect; with the aid of Twilight Sparkle’s magic, Sombra had been gifted with enough testosterone to bulge out into a truly manly-looking stallion in his later years. Even while he was dressed up in skimpy lingerie, and swaying his hips as flauntingly as he could to the music for his fellow Royals’ amusement, he didn’t appear to show any shame that would’ve made him less masculine.

“Oh my GOSH! HA HA HA HAAAA!!!” Luna rolled her head back while roaring in laughter, absolutely loving her early birthday surprise. She could barely look away from the spectacle of those vastly different-looking ponies dancing around like a couple third-rate Chippendale dancers. Twilight Sparkle looked just as entertained while seated beside the former Rulers, and was clapping her hooves in tandem to the beat of the music. Celestia chuckled a little as she glanced past Twilight, and saw how much the other Elements of Harmony were all laughing at the gelding; considering how comfortably they were acting about Twilight’s brother nowadays, it was hard to believe it had only been a few years since they had all been informed of the big secret in private. Even Spike, who was now a brutish dragon who looked like he could snap Shining like a twig, was holding a large bag of bits to toss coins at them to ‘make it rain.’

“Yeah, Shining!! WOOO!!!~” Spike carelessly threw money at the two stallions, making sure not to accidentally hit them with his enthusiastic support. “Shake that money-maker!~”

“Nnnnghhh…” Shining looked rightfully humiliated as he tried to dance as teasingly as Sombra, although his self-esteem was just as tarnished as the heavy blush on his face. Part of him wanted to be grateful that he was only getting this kind of treatment from the Royals in this room, and not from any of the commoners outside. While it may have been years since he was regarded as a Prince, Shining Armor still carried a decent amount of respect from his fellow Crystal Empire citizens while out in public; unfortunately, since his sister had brought up his debaucherous past to her friends not too long ago (mostly because she felt it was unfair Rarity was the only one who knew for the longest time), he could only assume that his “big secret” would eventually come out in full. Part of him dreaded such a day coming, as he wanted to keep himself hopeful of staying a dignified father for the sake of his children; however, even as his heart raced worriedly to such a hypothetical, all that it did was make him try to sway his plump hips even better in response.

Applejack gave an enthusiastic whistle with both hooves, while Rainbow Dash was drunkenly laughing it up and clinging to her side. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were whispering to one another, most likely about Shining and whatever was slated to happen later tonight. Even Fluttershy couldn’t help giggling at Shining’s flirtatious dancing, while Discord was holding her securely on his lap. Shining hated that he had to perform for the small crowd of a dozen, especially since this wasn’t the only thing he had to do that particular night; but in Sombra’s case, he was treating his “embarrassing” predicament like it was totally fine and natural to perform.

“Come on, Shining!~” Twilight shot her brother a jeering grin and narrowed her eyes on him. “If this is how you’re going to act, maybe we should just do the deliberation now~”

The current Ruler shot a grin that looked just as malicious as her secret husband’s, and caused Shining to feel like his heart was about to shoot up into his throat. He instantly began to pick up the pace, and tried his hardest to dance as well as the muscled brute beside him. As he moved his hips more rapidly, almost making it look like he was twerking to the burlesque music, Sombra shot him a snide, knowing smirk from the side. Even if his slave was acting worried about Twilight’s warning, it seemed that he knew far more than Shining was letting on.

Just a couple hours after Luna’s private “birthday celebration,” Shining Armor was back in the hallowed halls of the Crystal Castle once more. Every staff pony and Guard who trotted past gave him a respectful nod, treating him with the same amount of kindness and gratitude he was used to receiving as a Prince. Of course, it helped tremendously that Shining was no longer in his skimpy bimbo getup, and was now wearing a full suit with a blazer and matching slacks. His rail-thin, feminine form may have still been evident to many of the ponies around him, but his clothing certainly helped to add a little bulk so it wasn’t too obvious. When he first began to lose body mass, which made him resemble his fake persona from Discord’s little “Date Night” years ago, he was worried that ponies would easily correlate that with Sombra getting more muscular at the same time. Fortunately, even with over a decade of change passing by, it seemed that the main consensus was that his “retirement” made him less physically strenuous during his daily routines.

If there was any upside to having an overall smaller frame, Shining was grateful for the multiple stares he sensed over the years from ponies glancing at his backside. Even though his fake balls weren’t affected by his size-change (mostly because the lack of testosterone didn’t affect metal), they certainly looked like they were getting bigger against his scrawny legs. Even when he started wearing pants to hide his diminishing physique, there would still be a hefty bulge that could be seen beneath his plump ass whenever he walked around. Despite the fact that his pronounced girth didn’t amount to much in the bedroom, Shining appreciated that he had that instead of a flat backside and a garish scar.

“Oh, Daddy! There you are!” Shining turned around when he heard his daughter’s voice, and smiled warmly as she ran down the hallway. The pink Alicorn had grown up to have a similarly slender figure to her mother, with her curly purple mane bobbing up and down with every step. Flurry may have still been a teenager, but Shining still looked nothing short of prideful of how much she was able to accomplish as a Princess in training. While it was still unclear when she would be able to replace Princess Cadance at the throne as the Crystal Empire’s sole Ruler, both of her parents were optimistic that she would do a fantastic job in their place.

“Hey there, honey-bun!” Shining pulled her in for a strong hug (or at least, as strong of a hug as he could muster), with Flurry holding him just as lovingly. Even with all of the major changes that happened in Shining’s life since Sombra came along, he was grateful he still had his daughter’s love above all else. Not to mention, her brother Star Shade was showing just as much promise while studying out in Canterlot, alongside Twilight Sparkle’s son Midnight Shadow. Since Flurry was the only child still residing at the Crystal Castle for the time being, Shining gave the teen her utmost attention as he lit up his horn. “So, Flurry Heart… Did you do all your homework like I asked?”

Flurry just sighed with a roll of her eyes after letting go of her Dad. “Of course, Daddy. You know Mom would throw a fit if she caught me cheating on my exams again.”

“Both of us threw a fit, remember?” Shining tried to give her a sterner look with that clarification. “I didn’t let that slide either, did I?”

“Ehhhh… I guess not…” Flurry looked away from her Dad in an attempt to hide her knowing smirk. Even though she got a lecture from both her parents about the importance of integrity, that didn’t stop her from getting a pizza from Shining ten minutes later. Speaking of which, the Princess shot her Dad a curious smile while looking up at his lit-up horn. “So… since I did all my homework, did you cash in your end of the deal?”

“Of course I did…” Shining sighed with a content smile, and a large shopping bag appeared in his aura with a poof of his magic. “Here you go, Sweetie. I made sure to get the deluxe version of that video game too, just like you asked.”

“Oooooh, thank you, Daddy!” Flurry Heart hugged him excitedly, and took the shopping bag without hesitation. Shining tried not to look too worried when she pulled out the case of the expensive game, which required many strings to be pulled in order to get it a month before release. He secretly wished she wasn’t so obsessed with those violent zombie games, since he didn’t see it as being too becoming of a future Ruler. However, since he was ordered by Cadance and Sombra to uphold any requests by Royals, no matter who or what, Shining basically grew up spoiling Flurry Heart rotten with whatever she wanted. If anything, he was mostly glad she didn’t end up being too much a brat for Cadance or himself to handle.

“OOH!!~” Flurry lit up her horn as she looked through the shopping bag, and pulled out a greasy paper bag with an excited grin. “You got me curly fries too?!”

“Eh, what can I say?” Shining shrugged his shoulders casually to that little added treat. “I know how much you like them, and I was hungry myself.” He then leaned in close to his daughter and added with a sly wink, “Don’t tell your mother, alright?”

“I promise~” Flurry gave her Dad a loving peck on the cheek. She put her fast food and video game back in her shopping bag, which seemed to have several other presents stashed inside from Shining’s little shopping trip. While she doubted Cadance would be too upset (especially since she actually did finish her homework), Flurry was intent on getting her bag back to her bedroom before her Mother could see. “Oh, and while you and Mom were out, I actually got a message from my Uncle in Canterlot. He said that Star Shade and Midnight are gonna show up this weekend!”

“Oh, that’s nice to hear!” Shining sounded happy about that news, since he was keen on seeing his “little brother” again. Much like himself, Shining’s father wasn’t given much suspicion regarding the birth of his and Velvet’s most recent son, who they named Astral Gloom. Since he was around the same age as Star Shade and Midnight Shadow, Astral was basically seen as a cousin instead of an uncle to the other kids. And to make things even more convenient, Shining and Cadance were never asked any uncomfortable questions regarding Flurry and Star Shade’s upbringing; nor did they ever question why Sombra was always so involved in their lives growing up.

“Well, I’ll be sure to have the guest rooms set up for them before they arrive.” Shining didn’t seem to mind offering that kind of service himself, since he was usually the one to do more menial chores around the castle instead of the staff. “Now if you excuse me, I need to get ready for a meeting with the Princesses tonight.”

“Aaaahhhhh, alright then.” Flurry nodded her head with a knowing look, and asked, “You mean the whole, ‘Post-Retirement’ assessment thing.”

“Y-Yeah… That’s the one…” Shining scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not wanting to go into much detail about that. Flurry learned in recent years how he would need to talk with the Royals on the annual anniversary of his resignation, mostly to reflect on his contributions to the castle as a private citizen. While she never understood the process herself, she knew not to question it. Instead, she kept a content smile while her father pointed out, “So just remember, I can’t be disturbed tonight, alright?”

“I know, Dad. That’s honestly why I wanted to get this game in the first place!” Flurry grinned wide with the shopping bag in her aura. “Speaking of which, I should get it set up! Good luck with your meeting, Daddy!”

“Sure thing, Princess~” Shining gave his daughter a warm hug, which she reciprocated just as lovingly. After another kiss on the cheek, he let his daughter go so she could run off and kill some pixelated zombies. As the teenage Alicorn scurried off with an excited giggle, Shining made sure to add insistently, “And please try to get back to bed before midnight!”

“No promises!~”

With that, Flurry Heart disappeared around the corner, leaving Shining to sigh and cover his face with a hoof. While he couldn’t blame her for showing a little rebellion, he decided to just let that remark slide for now. After all, he had bigger things to worry about than his daughter playing video games past curfew.

About half an hour later, Shining Armor found himself standing outside the closed doors of the Throne Room of the Crystal Castle. He gulped to himself nervously, knowing that all of the Royals, as well as most of the members of his own family, were waiting inside for their annual deliberation. After his gelding was confirmed as successful, and the Royal Sisters were able to properly adjust to Sombra being a “Prince” behind closed doors, Shining was given quite a unique ceremony on the anniversary of his resignation/emasculation. Since stepping down from overseeing the Crystal Empire (as well as being officially demoted on all sectors) wasn’t an easy thing to accomplish without repercussions, Shining Armor had to give a “Status Report” regarding his privatized status every year.

Fortunately for the Ex-Prince, none of the castle’s staff or Guards were present when he entered the Throne Room; much like every other year since his official resignation, Shining’s Superiors made sure that this ceremony was done with the utmost privacy and discretion. He remembered to close the massive doors behind him as soon as he entered, even though it basically closed him off from any outside help if needed. However, considering all the things he had done over the years in his demoted status, it wasn’t like he would be too willing to ask for help anyway.

He took a deep breath before walking down the main aisle, with all of the pewed seats left empty along both sides. Ahead of him on the platformed steps of the Royal Thrones, Prince Sombra and Princess Cadance were seated side-by-side in their immaculate crystal chairs. There were several other thrones beside both of theirs, which allowed for Princesses Twilight, Celestia, and Luna to also be seated as the Royal Audience. Even Shining’s parents, who were still looking rather happy in their elderly ages, had a wide throne of their own to sit in together; Night Light looked just as frail and skinny as his gelding of a son, but he didn’t look the slightest bit upset as he nestled himself close to his Ex-Wife. The seven ponies were all seated in a line across from Shining Armor, with the Royal Couple right in the middle as the dominant leads.

“Shining Armor…” The moment the gelding was standing at the base of the crystal steps, Sombra was the first to speak with a wide grin and lecherous voice. “Are you ready to commence these proceedings?~”

Shining only needed a quick breath before nodding his head, his cheeks already blushing a bit in anticipation. “Y… Y-Yes I am, Master…”

Even though it had been years since that title was made a permanent rule for Shining to abide, his muzzle still twitched the tiniest bit from having to say it before the Royal audience. All of the other ponies were either smirking or chuckling to themselves, clearly used to the demeaning abuse of status by now. Their cavalier attitude only made Shining’s ears slump down even harder against the sides of his head in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Cadance lit up her horn so she could float out a long, well-detailed scroll to begin the proceedings.

“Shining Armor,” she began with a confident smile, while her voice remained firm and professional. “We are gathered here today to oversee your status as the Crystal Castle’s ‘Private Citizen,’ and determine your performance as our Official Slave overall.”

Shining already knew all of this, and tried to keep his sigh silent as he nodded his head. “Y… Y-Yes, your Highness…”

“Very well then…” Cadance held up the scroll high, and began to read through the official notary out-loud. “Private Shining, during your year since our last assessment, you have been present for every night of coitus between Prince Sombra and myself. And during that time, how many infractions have you committed in the line of duty?”

Shining’s muzzle tightened for a moment, and his blush deepened in worry. He wanted to say he had been doing his absolute best, especially since he hadn’t been given many testosterone patches to participate in the proceedings himself. Sure, he regularly helped eat Cadance out after her husband was finished, as was the standard protocol for all the mares Sombra would lay with over the years. But in the case of “infractions,” all that Shining could do was shrug awkwardly without a clear answer. “Ummm… I’m… I’m not exactly sure, your Highness…”

“Then I’ll allow your sister to count them down~” Cadance floated the scroll over to Twilight, while Sombra gloatingly spread his hind-legs apart in his throne. His thick, oversized balls were hanging off the edge of his seat lewdly, with the stench of his musk already able to reach Shining down below. The heady aroma caused Shining’s nostrils to flare out, and his scrawny legs to fidget a little in his baggy slacks. He could feel all the other ponies’ eyes bearing down at him, making him feel even more insignificant than before.

“Not even three days after last year’s assessment,” began Twilight while growing a more devilish smirk, “You committed your first infraction by touching the Princess in bed while her husband was present. You placed your hoof on her thigh, and began to rub it in a sensual manner while he provided her cunnilingus. Back in this day of rule, that would’ve been seen as an act of adultery, which would’ve given you an automatic gelding. Of course, I suppose that punishment can’t be enacted now~”

Shining lowered his head with a heavier blush, while hearing all the other ponies chuckling mischievously. If he was wearing a testosterone patch at that moment, there’s a good chance he would’ve begun to grow hard in response to all this torment. Even the sight of his parents jeering at him wasn’t enough to keep him from squirming hotly. Not to mention, as Twilight continued to read through her brother’s infractions, Sombra had started to rub at his once-flaccid member with a hoof; the thick, overendowed stallionhood slowly emerged from his sheath, which caused more of his musk to waft about and make Shining writhe down below.

“Less than a week after that, you responded with a ‘Thank You’ to a Crystal Pony who addressed you as Prince. According to Princess Cadance, you didn’t even attempt to correct him on the matter. Is that correct?”

“Nnnnghhh…” Shining lowered his head even more, hating that he was given such a curveball. Even though he technically wasn’t a Prince, he couldn’t exactly correct himself in public without addressing himself as Sombra and Cadance’s slave. No matter what he did, he wouldn’t have been able to give a correct answer in that particular scenario. But instead of trying to point out that detail, all that he did was nod his head with a forlorn sigh. “Th… That’s correct, your Highness…”

“Another infraction right there~” Twilight was holding the scroll in her hoof, while using her magic to float a red pen down the list to check any indiscretions that were confirmed. “Just remember, if you get eight more, your request for a day of freedom will be rescinded~”

Shining’s muzzle tightened even more, but he didn’t show any sign of worry on his face. Ever since the beginning, this ceremony of sorts was arranged to give Shining a deal: If he was able to successfully fulfill his duties for the year, he would be granted one full day of freedom to do as he wished. Unfortunately, even though over a decade had passed, Shining was never able to receive that day; although, given what was slated to happen if he failed, it was doubtful he would mind too much.

“Two more counts of adultery occurred within that same month,” noted Twilight, as she snickered to herself antsily with a couple more jots of her pen. “And then there was the incident in which you presented yourself as Cadance’s husband at the Royal Summit in Canterlot. While I usually give you an exception in the form of an official notice, I believe I may have misplaced the paper that day~”

“Ooh, tough break, kiddo~” Night Light chuckled with a teasing grin down at his son. “I guess that’s what you get for not reminding her of it yourself, huh?”

All that Shining could do was close his eyes and sigh, since he already expected Twilight to go over the top to establish her power over him. Aside from his visits to Canterlot or the Royal Sister’s private resort, Shining was usually tormented by Sombra and Cadance more than anypony else. If anything, this was Twilight’s rare moment to shine and make her brother squirm. It may have not been as flashy or lewd as Sombra’s methods, even now while the Prince was flaunting his stiffening cock. But at the same time, Shining couldn’t deny his sister’s creativity when it came to exassivating his “flaws” before the Royal audience.

“Hmmm…” Twilight scanned through the list provided by Cadance, and jotted down several more marks with the pen. She wasn’t even explaining her brother’s indiscretions anymore, and was merely noting his flaws for her own amusement by that point. Shining’s ears twitched with every swipe he heard from the felt pen, already knowing that he was going to fail their unwinnable assessment. Part of him wanted to be disappointed, but he knew it wouldn’t be nearly as evident as his desire to continue on as he should. After a couple minutes of silence, Twilight Sparkle looked away from her scroll to smirk down at Shining. “Well then… Do you have any requests yourself, Private Armor?~”

That title was enough to make the other ponies in attendance giggle, especially when they saw how notably Shining’s ears twitched in response. But alas, the Private/Slave merely closed his eyes with a deep exhale, and shook his head to that question. “I… I have a feeling I shouldn’t request anything at the moment, your Highness.”

“Excellent intuition you have there, Private~” Sombra was grinning even more lewdly as he stared his slave down, and used his hoof to teasingly stroke his fat, meaty cock in full view. A few of the other mares, including the Royal Sisters themselves, couldn’t help but sneak a couple glances at that rigid stallionhood between Sombra’s sweaty thighs. Even Night Light was blushing from the sheer girth of that beast, while his own measly sheath remained as soft and unchanged as his son’s. Of course, Sombra paid no heed to the multitude of stares around him, and narrowed his eyes on Shining solely. “It’s almost a shame that you couldn’t keep your previous title despite your intelligence~”

“Hehehehehe~ Almost…” Cadance made sure to emphasize that last part as best as she could, and nestled herself a little closer beside her husband while smirking down at Shining.

“So, if I’m hearing you correctly,” asked Twilight, who was already looking confident in her brother’s answer. “Are you saying you don’t wish to see if you’re eligible for a higher status this year?~”

Shining took a deep breath, and merely shook his head. The answer should’ve been enough to make him slump down even further in dread, despite his heart beating rapidly in anticipation. However, it didn’t keep him from lighting up his horn with a faint pink glow.

“Lovely~” Sombra nodded in approval of the slave’s preparation, and motioned towards the side of his throne. There were several pitch-black, spiked pieces of armored plating lying on the ground, but were high enough on the platform to make Shining look up towards it. Sombra’s smile widened to expose more of his glistening fangs. “Undress yourself before us, and place on your proper attire~”

Shining nodded again with a nervous smile, and used his magic to float over the armor without question. Years ago, Twilight Sparkle and her friends managed to find some hidden catacombs beneath the Crystal Castle, which even Sombra had forgotten about. Inside laid several ancient relics of Sombra’s former self, which included the original armor he made mandatory for his slaves. Even though most of those relics were originally destroyed when Shining and Cadance first reclaimed the Crystal Empire, Twilight made sure to restore that discovered armor as a “gift” for her brother. The black, spiky plating was just as cumbersome as it was heavy, and caused Shining to groan through gritted teeth as he struggled to float it over beside him.

As he slowly began to undress himself, Shining Armor couldn’t help looking down at that garment with a heavy blush, and his muzzle skewed in contemplation. He remembered when the armor was first shown to him, shortly after Twilight Sparkle had it personally refurbished and polished as a surprise for Sombra. Right after Shining Armor had a public birthday celebration, he was led back to the Royal Bedroom to begin his real party; it was there that Twilight had the armor fully presented, not even waiting for Shining to take off the Royal regalia he was forced to wear downstairs to keep up appearances. During that humiliating moment of power-exchange and demotion, Shining recalled how deplorable it felt to undo his Royal plating for the very last time; after being given the Royal Order by Twilight Sparkle herself, Shining had to use his magic to float his plating to Sombra, and place it on him as a gift.

From that day on, the dingy armor he had to wear in the bedroom as a Private was no longer deemed necessary for his duties. His newly-gifted Slave Armor took its place, including the masked helmet which completely covered his facial features. Even though the dark magic meant to hypnotize its wearer was disabled, and the muzzle-guard was able to be removed with a simple hinge, it did very little to ease Shining’s mind each time he had to wear it. He always felt like he was betraying the Crystal Empire when the armor was fitted to his torso and legs, despite it being forced by all of the ponies before him in private. But instead of making any complaints or showing hesitation, Shining Armor did as he was told after stripping himself bare, and fitting his gangly figure inside of the black plating.

“Nnnnghhh!!” Shining groaned with a deeper strain as he struggled to keep his weak physique stable inside of his heavy armor. Even a draft horse would have issues wearing so much hardened steel for a long amount of time, which was actually why Sombra insisted on hypnosis-induced helmets in the first place. But in Shining’s case, he was forced to carry the brunt of the weight with no mental distractions, which made the armor even more uncomfortable outside of an emotional level. He wasn’t going to complain about the bulky weight hunched over his back, since he’d rather deal with that than some questionable mind-melding spell. But as soon as he got the helmet over his head, and used his magic to undo the latch so his face could be seen underneath, his scrawny legs were already buckling as he stood before his Owner.

“Excellent work, Shining…” Even though this ceremony was meant to demean Shining to his lowest, Sombra still nodded in respect of his diligence. If any of the Crystal Ponies were present to see this, they would’ve been absolutely appalled by Shining’s “official uniform,” as well as Sombra seating himself at his rightful throne. But since the room laid completely empty, with no staff or Guards outside to eavesdrop through the soundproof doors, Twilight felt no shame as she continued the theatrics and spoke triumphantly.

“Then by the high decree of myself, as well as everypony else in attendance today, I’m afraid to say that your rights will be rescinded once more, Private Armor. So instead of your request for a day of freedom, you shall undergo the consequences of your indiscretions, as were pre-planned before you entered this room tonight~”

Shining blushed underneath his helmet, while hearing his sister and the others all giggling mischievously at his expense. Part of him wanted to question why Sombra always upheld these theatrics for this particular day; but then again, he supposed this was one of the only times in the year where Sombra could feel like a legitimate Prince alongside Royalty outside the bedroom. Heck, if Sombra didn’t have a night like this amongst his wives and the Royal Sisters, there was a good chance that he’d try to find some other time of the year (most likely in public, Celestia forbid) to better torment Shining. Not to mention, it wasn’t like many opportunities like tonight could come for any of the Royals, especially all together.

“Well, if Shining here is so accepting of his true place…” That was when Sombra finally pulled himself up from his throne, his thick cock swinging lewdly between his legs. “We might as well make tonight’s session far more significant~”

As the Prince made his way down the steps, with his rigid member moving with every motion he made, Princess Cadance lit up her horn to float out a large table from behind their thones. The moment Shining was able to see the contents lying on top of the table, he let out a light gasp within his helmet. Six large, multicolored dildos were all meticulously arranged in a neat little row, and were connected to black harnesses meant to be strapons. There were also six little plastic cups, which all looked to be filled with a small amount of some milky-white fluid.

The other ponies all pulled themselves out of their seats, and walked down the steps behind the grinning Prince. Twilight used her magic to undo a latch connected to the armor covering Shining’s backside. Like an old pair of onesie pajamas, the metallic plating opened up with a single hatch to reveal his bare, plump ass inside of the opening. Twilight also used that moment to tie up her brother’s tail, and pull it aside so his puckering hole was completely unobstructed. Shining’s eyes widened in shock, as he watched the other Princesses all holding up the various straps to readjust them for their bodies. Meanwhile, his worried gaze looked back down at the plastic cups, which weren’t being explained by any of them.

“Have you ever played a game of ‘Roulette,’ Mister Armor?~” While all the other ponies -- including Shining’s parents -- all chuckled amongst one another and put on their strapons, Sombra walked around towards Shining’s backside. “For you see, I was curious about doing something special with that sperm sample you provided for Cadance years ago. Like a true gentleman, I kept my promise of never interfering with the sample myself. However…”

Shining may have been intimidated by the sheer size of the dildos his friends and family were all sporting, especially when he recognized them as all being exact replicas of Sombra’s cock. But due to the disturbingly coy inflection in the Prince’s voice, Shining couldn’t keep himself from glancing back at him with a horrified look on his face. And as if the cheeky giggles from Cadance and the others weren’t alarming enough, the grin on Sombra’s face implied that he was going to confirm Shining’s deepest fear.

“Since you seem so comfortable with establishing yourself in this position, I’m going to give you a friendly wager~” Sombra reached into the golden plating wrapped around his chest, which he was more than happy to wear in Shining’s place. He pulled out a clear, plastic bandage in his hoof, which he slapped onto Shining’s left cheek right beside his tail. The testosterone patch may have not been magically infused, but it certainly caused a quick enough effect to make Shining shudder hard within his armor. However, the gelding also knew from experience that even in his horniest state, it would likely take ten minutes at most before he could even get hard.

“Okay, so here’s how it’ll go…” Sombra was already rock-hard, and didn’t hesitate to start the proceedings by mounting himself atop Shining’s back. He let out a deep, shuddering groan as he nestled himself atop that plated back, and prodded his pre-slathered head across his slave’s hole. Shining clenched his eyes and moaned out weakly, barely able to keep himself standing with the muscled brute bearing down on his scrawny legs. But even with how overwhelmed he felt, Shining wasn’t able to distract himself from the chilling wager Sombra was whispering into his helmet. “The moment I finish inside of you, I’m going to allow all of my friends to take turns using you one-by-one. Each of them will use one of those cups for added lubrication. One of them contains your last remaining sperm sample, while the others are all cups I made myself years ago before my sterilization. As soon as you’re able to ejaculate yourself, we’ll all stop, and use whatever cups we have left to properly impregnate Cadance~”

“What?!” Shining tensed up in terror inside of his armor. “W-Wait a minute, when did you make sperm samples for yourself?!”

“Oh, it was actually a couple days before he suggested the gelding idea to you.” Cadance shrugged as she used her magic to get the straps secured around her dildo. She smiled more confidently as she swung her fake, bright-pink strapon freely between her legs. “Yeah, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to invest in his progeny, although Celestia and Luna banned us from using them after the ceremony. In retrospect, it was likely for the best.

“Yeah, you’re telling me,” noted Luna with a brief huff, while shivering from the dark purple strapon being nestled tightly against her nethers. “Nnnnghhh… I-I swear, Celly and I had our hooves full with Artimus Shield. I can’t imagine how you guys would’ve handled more than two foals in that castle of yours.”

“Not to mention, we get to use them now for fun!~” Sombra chuckled in delight when he saw the six cups lined across the table in wait. All of the other ponies were getting themselves ready, and looking back at Sombra as he prepared to make his little slave squeal. Shining was looking horrified as he gawked at the table of cups, unsure of which one was meant to be the last of his progeny. Unfortunately, he could barely focus on what was likely to happen next before Sombra pushed his cock even harder against his hole. “Nnnnnfffff… Oooh, there we go~” purred Sombra in lustful approval.

“Just think of it like this…” Cadance leaned in close to her Ex’s petrified face, and said sweetly, “the sooner you reach your little orgasm, the better your chances are of having your sample not go to waste. So if you want my advice, you should just enjoy this moment as best as you can. Or else~”

Shining Armor was left frozen before the crowd of endowed ponies circling around him, feeling like a bleeding creature thrusted out into shark-infested waters. Their lecherous cackling made him feel so insignificant, and so helpless beneath the evil stallion holding him down. That massive cock continued to press against his hole, eager to give him his regular filling to relieve Sombra of his unending libido. His heart continued to race faster with each passing second, although he wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or from guilty arousal. He could feel his loins already starting to stir, like his body was desperately trying to suck up every ounce of testosterone that was lurking in that patch. Unfortunately, even as Sombra’s thick cockhead prodded even harder against his hole, with precum slathering all over the ring to help loosen it up, Shining’s measly sheath remained as soft as his composure.

“If it helps even the tiniest bit…” Sombra leaned in close to Shining’s head while mounting his back, and said with a sinister hiss, “I intend to rut you as quickly as I possibly can. That way, I can see how many of those cups I can destroy before you’re able to finish with that gelding cock of yours~”

Shining gasped with his head reeled back, and his body quivering hard in response to that threat. Back when Sombra was first acting this way, he wouldn’t have even dared say such horrible things with Cadance and the others present. But with how many years had passed, they had all become so used to his sadism that they were able to laugh it up alongside him. In a terrifyingly sick way, it seemed that Sombra had done everything he wanted to keep himself at a comfortable and righteous place.

Not only did Sombra have Shining as his personal slave, but he managed to demean him in every possible way with all the Royals completely in the know. Along with that, Sombra was also capable of indoctrinating all of them to act just as cruel and playful with their little cuckold, without it affecting Equestria as a whole. Sombra may have not been the top villain he used to be, but that wasn’t needed anymore. Instead of bloodshed and tyranny, the Crystal Empire was still just as safe and lovely as it had been before Shining stepped down. In a way, it was almost like Shining’s presence was never needed in the first place.

Shining tried his best to think about those things while Sombra penetrated him, mostly due to how easily those thoughts were able to get him hard from the sheer recollection. He had come to accept his place beneath Sombra years ago, as well as how deeply he loved him in a sick, masochistic way that only his family and closest friends could truly understand. Was it wrong? Definitely. Was it something he could openly embrace outside this Throne Room? Most likely not, unless a hypnosis spell or riot preparations were in place. Should he have any regrets about where his life had gone? Any sane pony would probably give a hard yes to that question in an instant.

But as the girth of Sombra’s cock opened up his hole once more, and a hungry moan erupted out of Shining’s muzzle, could the Ex-Prince himself claim that he was in the right place in his life?

Well, considering how strongly his little cock stirred to life within his armor, it would seem that the gelding already knew he was exactly where he needed to be. And through his half-lidded gaze, as he saw all of the others standing in wait with those thick dildos between their legs, only two things came to mind as he savored the sheer girth of his Master’s cock:

One: For the sake of his seed, he wanted to enjoy this moment of degradation as best as he possibly could, as per his Ex’s advice.

Two: No matter anypony could try to say in opposition, Shining Armor knew that this was where he truly belonged.

Prince Sombra had shown him his rightful place.

~~~

Author's Note

And with that, this year-long story had finally reached its end.

First of all, I need to extend my deepest, most sincere thanks to everyone who followed this sick, twisted story from beginning to end. This story not only helped me polish my creative writing to levels I never would've predicted, but it also ensured that I could make a decent living for myself as a full-time writer from home. If it wasn't for this story, as well as the support from my commissioners and Patrons, I doubt I would've been able to leave my dangerous hotel job during the height of this awful pandemic. I have nothing but the purest thanks for all of you, and I promise to keep going with more stellar works throughout 2021 and beyond.

And for those of you who might be like, "Hey, I wanted more smut for this chapter!", I already have plans for an AU ending set during the Crystal Empire Formal. I've also been considering an AU sequel from Showing His Place 3, which would go in a different direction from Sacrifice; it won't feature any of the more extreme kinks like this story, but the new direction would also make Shining's cuckoldry much more public and accepted by the masses~

If you wanna see that story, or show your support so I can make more high-quality content in the future, I woulld highly recommend following me on my Official Patreon page.