Taking the Queen

Spiceberry tapped his hoof against the conference table impatiently. Several of the attendees has already arrived, but Shining and Twilight were late. They were the most important members in this exchange, and it couldn't start without them. He knew he was back earlier than scheduled, but this was important.

The door opened, and Cadance walked in with them. "They were in Twilight's personal chambers," she explained.

"Good," huffed Spiceberry. "Now that we're all here, we can--" he paused for a moment for Pinkie to pass around a box of doughnuts. "We can now begin to discuss what to do about Chrysalis."

"The test was a clear success," answered Shining. "We provided her an escape attempt, and she didn't take it. And thanks to Starlight's manipulation, she probably thinks it was her own thoughts that barred her exit."

"She does," confirmed Starlight. "I asked her myself."

"I still think that was an unnecessary risk," scowled Twilight. "Letting her even try to escape? What if she'd succeeded?"

"That's what the force field was for, Twily," answered Shining. "You know as well as I do that she doesn't have her magic back yet. If she did try to run, she wouldn't have even made the front desk with the guard presence we installed."

"She can smell emotions," reminded Twilight. "What if she's just telling us what we want to hear, having smelled the guards? What if she's figured out the plan?"

"Well, she obviously knows the end goal," laughed Starlight. "I've been very obvious about what we're doing. I've only been lying about how. Need I remind you of my intended method?"

Twilight rubbed her forehead with her hoof. "You reinforce feelings you want her to focus on, and anything that you don't want her to think leaves a bad taste in her mouth."

"Literally, apparently," snorted Spiceberry. "She said that thinking about lying to harm me tasted like somepony had asked for a rimjob as an excuse to lubricate their colon for an impending deposit."

"Ugh," gagged Rarity, covering her mouth and nose. "That's foul. I think I need another ponut to cover the taste of just the thought."

"You mean doughnut?" asked Pinkie, offering a fresh Bismarck.

"That's what I said, dear."

"No, you definitely said "ponut,"" answered Rainbow. "Thinking about a handsome dragon?"

"I'll have you know that she is a prim and proper lady," answered Spike, standing up. "Furthermore, she's not the one under scrutiny here, and you have no--"

He was stopped by Rarity's hoof on his shoulder. "I appreciate your stoicism, but let us return to our topic. We have more important things to discuss." She cleared her throat. "I have reason to believe that she suspects something. Last night, when Spike and I were making her dress, she mentioned that the date was going to be torture for her."

"Oh, I have an explanation for that," waved Starlight. "That thought dissipated right away. She thought we were going to kill her. She thought Fluttershy had been displeased with her treatment."

Fluttershy shrunk down at the mention of her name. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up your plans."

"Think nothing of it," replied Spiceberry. "You more than made up for it with that advice you gave."

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. "Wait, that helped? I thought I was just being nice."

"You were," answered Starlight. "Turns out, that was a very strong chain you wrapped around her ankles."

Twilight shook her head. "What are you talking about? What advice?"

Starlight smirked. "Her favourite stallion, the one we've been binding her to while building up her desire for ponies, went down on her last night."

Shining's jaw dropped. "You didn't..."

"Not her ovipositor," waved Spiceberry, "just her pussy. Fluttershy was right in that she deserved some kind of reward for putting up with all of this, and I opted to give her what I thought was harmless cunnilingus."

"It turned out to actually be a somewhat permanent bond," finished Starlight. "She's never going to forget last night, even if I were to release her suppression and just let her walk out. Truly, a stroke of genius."

Twilight shook her head. "If it's all going so well, why did we have to show up so early? Why couldn't we have met in two hours, as scheduled?"

All eyes turned to Spiceberry. He had been the one to accelerate this meeting, and he would be the one who had to answer this question. He stood up and put his hooves on the table, leaning in. "It's time. She's ready."

"I've heard that one before," snorted Twilight. "I'm going to need to see some proof. Something that shows me that she has changed."

"I thought that's what we were for?" asked Applejack. "Wasn't the whole reason that Starlight called us up here to ease your ability to gather the proof she needed? Land's sakes, I'm stubborn as all Tartauros, an' even I think she's leaps an' bounds ahead of where we started. Give her a ride, Twi."

"That's exactly it," nodded Spiceberry. "Right now, you're the only one in this room who wants her to stay down there. The rest of us either want her unlocked, or are indifferent."

"And where are we supposed to put her once she's untethered from the walls, hm?" asked Twilight, leaning forward. "We still need to keep her under surveillance, you know."

"If I had a different work schedule, you could put her in my place at night," suggested Spiceberry. "I'd keep her in one spot."

Shining scoffed. "We can feed a tracking bracelet through her wrist hole. We can literally keep watch of her every step. We can return her to her cell at night until more suitable permanent housing is discussed."

"She's going to ask why she can't just stay with me," added Spiceberry. "What then?"

"Tell her it's a matter of security," answered Twilight. "Or are you actually developing feelings for her?"

Spiceberry chuckled. "Yeah, I am. Wouldn't you know it, assigning me the extra duties of keeping her placated has bled off into me, as well."

Twilight scowled. "You can't be serious... She was a monster."

"Exactly. She was. She isn't anymore. And the more she morphs into whatever my hooves want for, the more difficult it is to hide my satisfaction. No doubt, you've noticed that I fed her fairly heavily last night, and a few other times. It's becoming more and more difficult to hold back."

"Which has only made her cling ever the harder to him," argued Starlight. "Like it or not, she's bound to him. It's natural that he would be bound to her, as well. They're stuck together. I think he's right; he should be her handler. All in favour?"

Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, Cadance, Starlight and Spiceberry raised their hooves.

"All opposed?" asked Twilight. She and Poultice raised their hooves.

"All abstaining?" asked Shining, raising his hoof. He was joined by Spike and Fluttershy. "Motion passes. She can stay with Spiceberry. As a concession, I will continue to blockade her exit at night with a force field, and we will equip her with a tracker. Meeting is adjourned; meet back here tomorrow."

As everypony stood up to leave, Cadance grabbed Twilight by the shoulder. "Go down to her. Assert your dominance over her and see how she does taking care of you."

"Sure," nodded Twilight. "Tomorrow."

"Now," insisted Cadance.

"But..." Twilight fidgeted, "I didn't finish with Shining Armor. Somepony has to give him a hoof."

"How about a claw?" offered Spike. "I'll take good care of your big brother. After all, we're practically family, ourselves."