Hivemind Control

"You won't outlast me," grunted Shining, straining against his bonds. "I can be here all day!"

"I can be here into the night," growled Cadance in response. "You won't best me!"

In truth, Cadance had bitten off more than she could chew this time, and Shining was winning. They were both full of bluster, as neither of them felt confident that they'd last the next ten minutes, much less until nightfall. They hadn't even had lunch yet.

"You're bluffing, Cady," smirked Shining, sweating as he struggled. "I can see it written all over your face."

"My f-face, huh? Let's talk about what's written on your face: You want your balls grabbed. Now, Creamy!"

With a panicked yelp from Shining, the unicorn licking his arsehole grabbed him by the testicles and squeezed, causing the prince to fire off his load across the room, splattering on the marble floor.

"Yes!" shouted Cadance. "I w-- Ah!" Her head rolled back as she reached her climax, discharge splashing everywhere.

The attendants quickly removed the royals from their racks, lowering them to the floor and stabilizing them on their hooves. Hot, damp towels were distributed to clean up their bodies, and a mop was deployed to clean up the floor.

"That was dirty, Cadance," groused Shining.

"But fun," she beamed back. "You know I wouldn't cheat in earnest. Only when it doesn't matter who wins or loses."

Shining smiled as he kissed the mare that had lost him the game. "Come on, let's go see if there's anyone who needs us."

Just as the door swung open, They found themselves facing a messenger primed to knock. He took a step back and bowed. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Prince Shining Armor. I come bearing urgent news from Princess Twilight." He held up a long scroll.

Cadance grabbed the scroll and unfurled it. "My dearest brother and sister, I need your help. Celestia and Luna are fighting again, and I don't want to see either of them banished from Equestria. The two have come to blows over which of them is to..."

Shining cocked his head to the side, and approached to read the letter. As he read, his eyes opened wide. "Wow. Good for them, I guess, but do they really need to fight like that?"

"I don't want them to keep fighting, but I don't know what to do to stop them," continued Cadance. "They seem to want to share their stallions, but only to the extent that they insist that the other give them leave to sleep with them. To clarify, both sisters wish to have both stallions, but do not wish for their sister to have any say in the matter, preferably out of the room. I have sent them to separate forts on opposite ends of Equestria. I sent their stallion escorts after them, to keep them placated, but I want them to see eye to eye again.

"That's why I've called on the two of you. Cadance, with her propensity to spread love everywhere she goes, and Shiny with his aptitude at problem-solving and desire for harmony, are the perfect ponies to stop this relationship from falling apart, and even if not, you both know how to restore it to a healthy state. If you accept my request, Cadance should go to Fort Phalanx near Las Pegasus, and Shiny should report to Ponigsburg. I feel that Shiny should be with Luna, as she also has medical issues, and may need somepony strong enough to carry her if things go too far."

"Medical issues?" asked Shining. "I didn't know she was sick."

"I heard it was some kind of rot on her legs," chimed one of the playroom attendants. "My cousin told me she has to wear bandages all the time. That's why we don't see her anymore."

"So much for keeping that quiet," huffed Cadance, rolling her eyes. "I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore. Yes, Luna was struck by a blade thought to be carrying a disease transmitted through blood. It started with boils, progressing to compaction and rash. We don't know what it is; we're still testing fluids and such, but we're doing everything we can to ease her suffering. I do think, Shiny, that you would be best suited to catch her if she falls. I'll try to help Aunt Celestia."

She turned back to the letter and kept reading. "If you accept or decline, let me know through a messenger. The one I sent will do if you you act quickly, as he is to return right away, regardless." She nodded to the messenger, who had internalised her decision already. "If you wish to discuss the matter further before deciding, please come directly to Canterlot Castle. Time is of the essence, here. I do not mean to come across as rude or pushy, and I apologise if that is the case. I am worried for the princesses, and I wish to see them happy and healthy again as soon as possible. Hoping you are well, your sister, Twilight Sparkle."

"What about the Crystal Empire?" asked Shining. "If both of us are gone, who's going to look after the crystal ponies? We can't just leave them unprotected."

"We can't leave the princesses in this state, either," argued Cadance. "I don't like it, but we don't have a lot of options, here."

Silence hung in the air as they considered their position. With everything on the line, failure was not an option. Letting either the empire or the princesses fall would spell disaster for all of Equestria.

Shining took a deep breath and wrapped a hoof around Cadance's shoulder. "You go help Celestia. I'm going to go see Twilight. Together, we'll figure out some way of keeping everyone safe. She's really smart. She'll come up with something. After I've made sure that the Empire is safe, I promise, Luna's health will be the first and foremost thing on my mind."

Cadance smiled and hugged her husband. "Thanks, Shiny." They kissed, and as they pulled away, she turned to face the group. "Not a word of this to anypony. Not until Princess Twilight gives the all-clear. We don't want to stir up unrest, so until we return or by command of either ourselves or Princess Twilight, the empire is temporarily under the command of..." She brought her hoof to her chin. She hadn't considered who would be left in charge.

"Lieutenant Colonel Pyrrhic Victory," finished Shining Armor. "He outranks me, anyway. He is charged with keeping the Empire safe until our return."

"Then it's settled," nodded Cadance. "We leave in twenty minutes."