The Book of Friendship

Chapters

1. The Letter
2. The Pink Page
3. The Orange Page
4. The White Page
5. The Yellow Page
7. The Purple Page
8. Messenger's Reward
6. The Blue Page

1. The Letter

Dear Withania,

I hope that I find you well as you receive this letter, and that your unique work and contributions to Equestria are continuing in good speed. I have been made aware of your services through various contacts, and one day would wish to meet in person over a warm, inviting pot of tea. However, a pressing matter has raised itself, and it is this matter which has compelled me to take up the pen and write this letter to you, Withania.

Princess Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony have long been the best of friends, their strong bonds helping not just each other, but all of Equestria. Regrettably, they have grown somewhat distant in recent weeks. I suspect this is due to stress, having saved Equestria twice in the last three months, but it could possibly be that deeper issues have begun to take their toll. I invited them to a private meet-up and was shocked at how little spark and vive there was. I shall spare you the salacious details for fear of sounding like one of the dreaded Canterlot gossip magazines, but after they had left I found myself unable to avoid thinking about them all, and may have consoled myself by ordering the extra double chocolate - (The rest of this sentence has been hastily scribbled out)

Attempts to talk to Twilight and her friends about this directly have only made the situation more tense, and they refuse to even be in the same room with each other. Even Luna has been unable to bring them together via dreams, and she won’t tell me what Twilight did to her when she tried. I must now resort to other methods.

I am told that you have a gift of persuasion, and that you also do not know the Elements personally. I would therefore ask you, Withania, with great humility, to please use your talents to help bring these good friends together again, that they may be closer than ever before. I truly feel that if you were to merely bring them together, and confine them to such an enclosed space that they will have no choice but to reconcile their differences. If you succeed in ironing out any disagreements between the Six, and in flatly ending this unpleasantness, then you will not merely have my thanks, but a generous reward.

Yours faithfully,

Princess Celestia

P.S Please do not feel intimidated by my demand; I assure you that you will not suffer any terrible, long-lasting consequences, as I have great faith in your success.

Withania put down the letter and took a sip of her tea. Then she picked it up and read it a second time. It wasn’t surprising that people knew what kind of things she got up to in her garden and sometimes other people’s houses, word was bound to leak out eventually, but it was somewhat surprising that the highest princess of the land was interested enough to single Withania herself out for a task. A task involving the Elements themselves no less! She baulked at the idea of doing weird things with such high profile ponies, but if Celestia had specifically ordered her into action, presumably it was an acceptable thing to do.

“A gift of persuasion?” mused Withania, sipping her tea again. “I mean, my pollen breath is pretty persuasive, but I don’t think eating the elements of harmony and turning them into plants is really going to solve anything here.”

Sometimes the best way to get people back together was, by either force or happenstance, to get them stuck in the same space until they put their differences aside and co-operate again. Like two siblings having to wear a get-along-shirt. Withania could fuse them all into a single plant, but that would be rather difficult to reverse, and they probably wouldn’t be thinking straight in their new form, thus doing nothing to solve the original problem.

Maybe Celestia was onto something with the last bit she’d written about ironing the issue flat - this must have been a secret message for exactly what Celestia wanted Withania to do. And certainly Withania was very much on board with the idea of flattening ponies, with an iron or otherwise.

“I’d better get to work on this right away - this could take a few days to pull off… and then I’ll need to get the girls to Canterlot as well!”

2. The Pink Page

Making her way into town, it seemed to Withania that the sun was set just a little lower in the sky than usual. She could feel the warmth on her face, a constant presence. It might just be her imagination though.

Maybe.

Withania wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to go about this little project. Well, the general plan had taken root in her head now, but the specifics were probably going to be improvised. Sometimes you just had to put hoof to road and see what happened.

As it turned out, while her head had been distracted by thinking of how this was all going to pan out, those green hooves had led Withania nearly to the centre of Ponyville, right across from Sugarcube Corner. The same Sugarcube Corner where a certain pink party pony worked. It was still early morning; the mid-afternoon rush for sugary pick-me-ups would not start for a few hours. Withania stared at the building for a moment or so. It was as good a place to start as any. Shrugging, the mare trotted over and went inside, the door closing gently shut behind her.

There were actually one or two ponies in the bakery, but it was still quieter than usual inside. One of them - a stranger as far as Withania can tell - did a double-take when he sees her and then looks away. Maybe she was getting more well-known than previously thought. Would Pinkie know her? Well, Pinkie was one of those ponies who seemed to know every other pony, so it was a moot point. Withania made her way over to the counter, the smell of freshly-baked sugar-filled goodness filling her nostrils. She tried to scan the counter quickly, to have an order ready for when-

“Hey hey! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” So entered target number one. Withania actually jumped a little at the sudden greeting before composing herself. There she was: Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter, those glittering baby-blue eyes freely showing the sheer depth of her joie de vie. “What can I get you? Chocolate orange cakes?” A sample tray was held up for viewing.

“Well, I-”

“Banana Berry Split?” Another tray appeared, a delectable ice-cream treat on top.

“That looks great, but-”

“Cinnamon Tornado Swirl?” The Pink Pony continued to offer treats with a third tray.

“Actually,” countered Withania, raising her voice just a little bit. “I was wondering if… how are you even holding all those trays?”

“Hehe, practice!” The tempting offers were placed back behind the counter, with Pinkie putting her forelegs on the counter and resting her squishy face on her hooves. “So, what can I get you, if you really don’t want any of that cool stuff?”

“Could I maybe talk to you somewhere private? If that’s OK?” the plant mare asked, furtively looking around. The other couple of bakery-goers seemed like they were minding their own business well enough, but this was something that needed to be done away from any eyes, prying or otherwise.

“Ooooo, mysterious. Sure, what’s the worst that could happen? Follow me!” Pinkie, ever trusting and welcoming, did not hesitate to usher Withania in towards the kitchen area of the bakery. “It’s kinda quiet right now anyway, I’m sure this won’t take long.”

“I hope so too… oh, have I introduced myself before?”

“I don’t think so, Withania, but it’s grrrreat to meet you!” Pinkie shook the green pony’s hoof while walking, impressively. “Ooo, you feel nice.”

“It’s, er, nice to meet you too then, Pinkie Pie.”

The kitchen was, shockingly, quite tidy. Withania had maybe been expecting a mess of flour on surfaces, sugarbags spilling their contents on to the floor and so on. There was no such thing though. It wasn’t just Pinkie who cooked here after all, and it was a business, so a certain standard of order and professionalism had to be met. It was small and homely and warm looking, and best of all, it left Withania alone with her target.

Said target shut the door behind them and bounced into the main cooking area, as though by force of habit if nothing else. “Soooooo, what do you wanna talk about?” she asked. Withania was scanning the kitchen, spotting a rolling pin lying innocuously near the sink, just to her right.

“Well, you seem a pretty open mare, so let me just cut to the chase. I’ve been sent on an important mission by Princess Celestia.” Withania saw Pinkie’s eyes light up, and decided to keep talking, lest the conversation get derailed. “And it involves you, and all of your friends, getting together again. Does that sound fun?” The pink pony nodded vigorously. “Excellent. Now what I really need you to do is just look behind you.”

“Can do!” Saluting the plant mare, Pinkie spun around and attentively studied a nearby clock, as Withania herself turned to grab hold of the rolling pin. Stealing herself, she spun around, only to see Pinkie looking right at her.

“Wah!” The green mare nearly dropped the pin where he stood. “Weren’t you meant to be looking behind you?”

“I was! And then I looked behind me twice!” explained Pinkie, her eyes trailing up to look at the pin raised above Withania’s head. “Oooo, whatcha up to? Gonna roll me up like a lump of pastry?”

“Um… yes, actually. I’ll level with you, that is my exact intention.” Withania laughed nervously, feeling a little awkward. “Hope that’s OK?” she asked, more of a joke than anything else, as she prepared to proceed with or without the pony’s consent. As it turned out, however, Pinkie simply nodded.

“I did hear you were a fun mare, Withania,” she said, before hopping backwards and landing casually on the counter. “Pinkie hears these kinds of things from ponies, you know! But you don’t roll dough on a floor, silly!”

Still clutching the pin in her hooves, Withania trotted over. She had been expecting more of a struggle over this. “Were you expecting more of a struggle over this?” asked Pinkie.

“Yes, I was expecting more of a struggle over this.”

“I can wiggle about more if you want. Or scream!” Pinkie went to open her mouth, only for With to quickly cover it with the pin, putting it right inside like a gag.

“No, that’s quite alright thank you. I’m sure at least one of your friends will scratch that itch later on. For now though…” Withania took hold of the rolling pin’s handles and pressed down hard as she rolled upwards. As she did so, everything upwards of Pinkie’s lower jaw began to slowly squish downwards, spreading out on the table. Those blue eyes went wide, although this was probably as a result of being flattened more than surprise - in fact she was taking this all relatively calmly. ‘Relative’ being an important word, as the earth mare made a series of excitable squeaking sounds and such, both sets of legs and poofy tail twitching with anticipation.

Withania started to roll the pin downwards, flattening the rest of Pinkie’s head. Now, while her body remained perfectly normal looking, her head was only a few inches thick at most. The plant pony let herself feel the newly flat head, enjoying the compact and yet oddly squishy texture. The expression on Pinkie’s face was typically cartoonish - even more so now. “Feeling OK?” she asked, stroking a hoof down those flattened features. There wasn’t a single bump on the surface, her hoof travelling perfectly smoothly over the eyes and muzzle. Her soon-to-be-captive wiggled in what could only be a nod, giving her permission to continue.

Thinking it over, Withania changed positions now, standing behind Pinkie’s head so that she could really push the rolling pin over the rest of her body. She was a strong pony, but this was a manual labour job, as Pinkie was a curvy pone. Planting her hindlegs onto the kitchen tiles, Withania grunted a little as she really put her back into the job. The rolling pin went over the floofy pink chest a few times, settling into a rhythm, before moving on to the belly area below. Back and forth, back and forth, the pin ending up lower with every stroke. In a way it was actually quite relaxing,like baking probably was to some ponies.

Time passed - it was maybe a ten to fifteen minute process. After a while, Withania found herself having to wander around the counter, as Pinkie got herself spread out thin and therefore taking up more and more space. The limbs were easy to do at least, especially now that she had found her rhythm. Each one was rolled thin before being folded up twice and then placed over Pinkie’s chest. When finished, Withania put the rolling pin down and wiped her brow. “Phew. That would have been way harder if you had put up a fight. Thanks for that, at least…” She stood over the end product of her labour and examined it.

Pinkie had been rendered entirely flat and immobile by the process, her limbs folded neatly onto herself in a way that made her look like a big pink rectangle. Her face still had a goofy-looking big smile on it, as the disc-like eyes looked in Withania’s direction.

“This feels pretty good actually,” she said. “You know who would love this, even if she wouldn’t admit it? Rarity. Oooh, no, wait - Fluttershy would definitely love this.”

“Well, they can tell you all about how much they loved it when I’m finished collecting you all,” replied Withania with a little grin, “but thanks for the information. I’m going to have to fold you up now though, so…”

“Okey Dokey!” While this may have been a subtle cue that Pinkie would soon not be able to talk, it did not deter her from speaking at all, as the flat mare’s head was peeled off the table by two green hooves. “You know this is giving me so many neat ideas - oooh, I can feel myself flapping - and then next time I get to mmmf mfmmf mmmfmf-”. Her words were muffled when Withania began to roll Pinkie Pie up like a rug, starting from the head and rolling her way downwards. In no time at all, she was left holding a thick, warm and soft pink tube. The ends flopped down around her sides as it was placed on her back, looking for all the world like just some sort of furry material.

“One done. Five to go.” Withania said to herself - but first she needed to get Pinkie back home, and so Withania trotted off. Ponies around town would have seen the red-maned earth mare smiling happily on her way, and maybe given that pink tube on her back a moment’s thought at most - even if, had they gotten closer, they may have heard a muffled squeaky voice...

3. The Orange Page

The next target was a little bit of a trek away - but Withania knew that the best time to go after a certain farmmare would be in the mornings, when she would be out doing her apple harvesting. Applejack would show up in town in the afternoon to sell apples and hang out with friends, and then retire to her house with the rest of her family. In the mornings though, if Withania was lucky, she would be able to catch Applejack alone, and spirit her out of the farm with nopony any the wiser.

After a quick trip back to her own cottage to safely deposit Pinkie on a shelf for now, carefully folded up to make sure she couldn’t even so much as wiggle, Withania headed off on the trip just outside of town to Sweet Apple Acres. Being out of the town a little bit suited her just fine, naturally.

When the farm came into view, Withania had to think about her next step. It was tempting to try and be stealthy here, but the truth was that this was a huge piece of farm with only four ponies living on it, and only two actual working ponies from what Withania understood. That meant that unless they were literally working right next to each other all day, stealth would not be required. The plant pony scanned the horizon for signs of activity. There was nopony around that she could see, but she could see a barn nearby, the door left invitingly open. As she drew closer, Withania could hear a voice inside.

“...eighteen, nineteen, twenty… wew, we’re not even a third of the way through and we’ve got twenty barrels already!”

Peeking a green face into the crack of the barn door, Withania’s eyes twinkled happily as she spotted her prey. Applejack had her back turned, busy with her work as she inspected and counted the many barrels of freshly picked apples inside. In her considered opinion as an official royal pony-flattener, Withania thought these conditions could hardly be more ideal. All that was left to decide was how to go about her business. While Pinkie had been very cooperative, that couldn’t be counted on to be the case all the time. And with Big Mac unaccounted for, and possibly even heading back to the barn now, Withania decided that the best approach would be the speedy approach.

She entered the barn, scanning around for something to use. There was a stack of sealed barrels over to one side which looked invitingly heavy, and Withania made a beeline for them. She hoisted one over her head, with such force that she nearly did a backflip. It was empty. Contemplating this with the barrel still raised high above her head, Withania turned her head back around towards Applejack, to see the farmer staring right back at her.

“...Can I help you, sugarcube?” asked AJ, tilting her head and frowning at her.

“Y-yes, actually. I, um…” Withania’s face scrunched up. “I… came to help you!”

“I thought you said I could help you, Miss…”

“Withania. And yes. We’re here to help each other help us,” nodded the plant pony. Applejack’s green eyes stared into Withanias for a moment, then slowly drifted around, going cross eyed, as she tried to process this. Withania decided to press on, aware that she was working in a limited time window. “Big Mac told me to come here. Temporary help. Lot of apples to be picked, you know!”

“Did he now? I don’t remember hearin’ that.”

“If you just follow me out I can confirm it…” said Withania, motioning towards the open, large, heavy barn doors. Applejack took off her hat for a moment to scratch thoughtfully at the blond mane underneath.

“Well…”

“He’s just outside, it’ll only be a moment.”

“Ah, alrighty then. I just wish he’d tell me first before hiring temps…” muttered Applejack. Leaving her apples uncounted for now, she started following Withania towards the door. “So it’s pretty hard work if you don’t know already. You sure you’re up to it?”

“Oh, I’m confident in my strength, don’t worry.”

“You sure sound it. Gonna need good leg strength for all those trees,” continued Applejack, now less suspicious of the new mare as they stood by the entrance to the barn itself. “How ‘bout you give me a demonstration?” The orange earth pony moved to the wall of the barn,standing with her rear to it as she looked around for a nearby tree. Withania couldn’t help but grin, as this was exactly what she had been hoping for.

“Sure thing!” she said, turning around and bucking the barn door nearest Applejack as hard as she could. The sudden sharp thwack of her hooves impacting the wooden door was quickly followed up with a strangely muffled thwump sound, as the door hit against the barn itself. Or rather, it hit Applejack and immediately sandwiched her. Her hat was launched into the air from the force if impact, landing on the roof of the barn. There was no part of AJ herself visible at all now.

Which was just as well, when Big Mac ambled around the corner and saw Withania standing there. The green mare froze and stared back at him.

“...” said Big Mac, a feat only he could pull off. Seeing him up close like this, Withania could appreciate how, well, big he was - a mountain of a stallion, who would probably not be best pleased if he had seen what had just happened. She tried to loosen up and look natural, backing towards the door behind her. Her ears could pick up a faint, indignant mumbling from behind the door, and so Withania got up on two hindlegs and leaned herself against it, pressing it down harder.

“Big Mac, right? Nice to meet you!” she said. “I’m WIthania. I was actually just looking for your sister Applejack about a possible temporary job on the farm. Have you seen her, by any chance?” she asked, praying that Applejack’s hat wasn’t visible from the ground.

“Nnnnope.”

“Ah, a shame. I assumed she would be here, but we must have just missed her.” Withania smiled and shrugged. There was a brief flurry of mumbling behind her, and one of Big Mac’s ears twitched. Withania leaned forwards and then swiftly backwards again- she could feel the soft pony under the wooden planks spread out a little thinner at that. “I think I’ll wait here in case she shows up again, but you’re welcome to go look for her!” The hulking stallion continued to stare back at her, his dirty blond locks blowing in the gentle breeze… then he nodded, turned, and walked off towards the farmhouse.

It was a painful long few minutes as Withania continued to lean against the door, until she was absolutely sure that Big Mac was not turning back. Then she got back down on four hooves again, gave the door a couple more good solid kicks just in case, and then finally let the door swing back into its natural position, revealing Applejack. The unsuspecting mare had been hit face-first in such a way that she had effectively been pancaked. It was like one big orange circle plastered onto the red planks, with AJ’s facial features in the middle. Her eyes were even more crossed than earlier after those last few hits from the door. Withania gave the orange circle a feel. Just like Pinkie, Applejack still felt like a pony should, warm and furry. But if Withania pressed a hoof into her hard enough she could feel the planks behind her.

“I do apologise for that, Applejack,” she said, even though AJ looked pretty out of it now. “I’ll explain later when we get you home, but I’d rather we finish our business here before your brother comes back.”

Pulling at the edges of the circle with her hooves, Withania found a new problem: getting AJ off the wall. She was stuck pretty good after repeated poundings from the door. Her hooves were only able to unstick some of the outer rim parts, leaving flaps of orange dangling downwards but not quite getting her fully unstuck. As a plan B, the plant pony tried grabbing onto a loose bit of Applejack in her teeth and pulling. This did peel off a little more AJ, and had the pleasant bonus of allowing Withania to have a taste of Apple as it were, but it would take far too long.

“Hmmm.. oh, I know. Be right back!” Withania trotted into the barn again, then reemerged soon after with a shovel. Lining up the edge with the bottom of the pancaked pony, With worked it underneath and started easing her off at last. With an audible pop, Applejack was freed, and drooped over the shovel like an oversized orange pizza base. She was surprisingly heavy like this, all her weight now spread out over the metal part of the farmyard tool. Not heavy enough, however, to stop Withania flipping her up and down a few times like the pancake she basically was now. It wasn’t needed, but she just couldn’t resist.

“There we go, one flattened Element of Honesty!” she said proudly, dropping the shovel and letting Applejack flop to the ground. Some quick rolling later and Applejack was now indistinguishable from a rolled-up orange rug, which was promptly draped over Withania’s back. Checking to see if Big Mac was around, Withania saw that the coast was clear, and bolted. The only trace of Applejack left behind was safely tucked onto the roof of the barn. With any luck, it would go unnoticed until Withania had finished her task - she was sure Applejack would explain to her brother why all of this was necessary later, once the elements were brought closer together than ever before...

4. The White Page

Withania wasn’t a pony who often bothered with clothes. She was practical, down to earth (more so than many could claim), not one for fancy parties where dressing up in things like “pants” would be necessary. All of which was to say that she didn’t really make a habit of visiting Rarity’s boutique. Which was a shame; Rarity seemed by all accounts to be a fun pony to get to know, and the building itself was definitely a lovely place, the carousel style suggesting both old-school class and a charming sort of eccentricity. Now though, Withania had a very good excuse to go see the place. All she had needed was an excuse, as part of this excuse. Well, “simple earth pony looking for fashion advice” would do it alright.

The plant mare knocked on the door and waited. A trilling voice could be heard in reply, and after a few seconds, the door opened to reveal the Element of Generosity herself, looking… well, mostly perfect. Her mane and fur was as immaculate as ever, but if you looked into her eyes you could see the usual graceful twinkle had a strain on it. Rarity was famous for having the odd manic creative episode - those were usually highly productive - but this was something else. Withania had a bad feeling she knew what it was, but this certainly wouldn’t be a good time to ask.

“Ah, Withania, this is rather unexpected,” said Rarity, turning her head left and right as she looked at the earth pony. “I feel like I can’t even remember the last time you were here at the boutique.”

“Haha, yeah, just how it is,” replied Withania. She shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant way. “But I’ve got an event coming up, all very fancy, and I thought I’d dress for the occasion.” Rarity kept looking at her, as though inspecting the plant pony. It took a few seconds for her to reply, but when she did her face turned back into a pleasant, welcoming grin.

“Delightful! Well, I’d be more than happy to help you do just that. Come in!” she said.

Rarity led Withania into the boutique, heading towards the large dressing mirrors at the end of the room. Withania passed by the faceless mannequins that stood dotted around the room, staring back at her blankly. It was rather unsettling in the current mood. Was it just her, or was there a tense atmosphere? The walk from the door to the mirrors was a long one, and Rarity hardly seemed to speak at all along the way. Hoofsteps echoed through the hall in asymmetric rhythm. When she could bear the silence no longer, Withania spoke up.

“Been busy?”

“Yes. Well, in a manner of speaking…” Rarity replied, her voice dropping down into a low rumble, as Withania stopped in front of the glass she had been led to. Around to the sides of the mirrors, large rolls of fabric - as big as she was - lay around, all different colours of the rainbow represented, standing by for Rarity to craft them into art.

“Oh?”

“Well, it’s just rather strange…” The unicorn and the plant pony both looked into the mirrors, seeing each other without having to look directly at each other. “You see, I was meant to be seeing a friend earlier for lunch - a bit of a peace offering, it’s a long story and I won’t bore you with the details - but they didn’t show up.”

“Really?” said Withania, feeling her stomach drop slightly. “That’s unfortunate. Is she upset at you?”

“As I said, I’d rather not get into it. Upset or not, it’s not like her at all to turn her nose up at an invite to a free meal. So I said to myself, ‘Well, that’s alright, it was worth a try, I’m sure she’ll come around.’ And then as I walk through town I bump into Big Macintosh. You know Big Macintosh don’t you, darling? You can’t miss him. Big red stallion, quiet sort, rather hunky if I can be salacious for a moment.”

“I-I do, yes.”

“Are you alright, dear? You seem rather flustered.” Withania looked at Rarity's smile in the mirror. Her reflection seemed to project no warmth. “Anyway, he asked me if I’d seen Applejack. Said he couldn’t find her at the farm. Said it wasn’t like her.” Withania looked into another mirror, which showed Rarity looking straight ahead, still talking. “And that got me thinking. So I went to check in on Pinkie directly, and Mrs Cake said she wasn’t in - that she hadn’t seen her for hours, in fact. Very peculiar. Two friends of mine - two Elements of Harmony, both unaccounted for on the same day.”

Withania felt a tape measure go around her waist, pulling itself tight around her belly. Rarity’s magical aura hung around it.

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence?”

“Maybe, yes. Maybe.” Rarity levitated another tape up. “It’s just…”

“Yes?”

“You’ve got some orange fur on your foreleg.” Rarity said. “And a cute little tuft of pink in your mane. It stands out, darling.”

Withania looked back up into the mirror. She saw blue eyes staring icily back at her. The only sound was of the faint glowing of Rarity’s magic, until Withania let out a long exhale.

“Tell you what. How about I come back tomorro-hurk!”

Withania grimaced as the first tape pulled itself as tight as it could go around her waist, while the second attempted to bind her hooves entirely.

“No, I rather think I’d prefer you stay a little while, at least until you tell me what you’ve done with the others,” said Rarity calmly. Withania struggled hard. Rarity’s magic pushed itself to the limit… but it was, at the end of the day, just tape. And Withania was a lot stronger than she looked. She flexed and bulged her legs as she rolled onto her back, pulling with all of her strength. She caught sight of Rarity’s reflection in the mirror, a definite look of worry on her fair features. “Stop struggling! This is me being polite - you do not want to see me upset.” As she rolled around, Withania managed to sneak her hind hooves behind the mirrors.

“Honestly I hadn’t planned that far ahead!” she said, before giving them a kick. All three began to fall forwards. Yelping, Rarity ducked out of the way. Her concentration broken, the measuring tapes went limp around Withania, who scrambled away just as the glass hit the floor. There was a muted shattering sound as the mirror lay face-down on the floor. Rarity grimaced.

“Oh, you are definitely going to pay for new mirrors, you jumped-up weed!” she said, looking around. “I was going to hand you into the guards, but now I’m thinking of turning you into a modern-art display instead, you… You-”

Whatever dreadful insult Rarity had lined up, Withania never got to hear it, as she bucked the large roll of black cloth directly at her target from the shadows. Rarity only had time to turn around before her muzzle booped against the roll, which proceeded to run right over the top of her. Withania got to watch the unicorn’s head disappear under the rolling mass of cloth and wood, striking to the surface she was pressed to flat and tight against it. Soon it was like the roll had a white band going around the middle, as it continued wheeling along until it hit a wall.

Sighing in relief after a close escape from disaster, Withania went over and examined Rarity. The fashionista went all the way around the circumference of the cloth roll she had been run over by. First thing being first, Withania gently took a bit of Rarity into her mouth, gripping a strip of unicorn in her teeth, before pulling back. Rarity was slid off the side, looking like a floppy white hoop laying on its side. Two blue eyes blinked and looked up at Withania, annoyed.

“I’m sorry about this, really,” said the plant pony. “It’ll all make sense eventually, trust me.” Wanting to try something, Withania gently put the Rarahoop up so that it was like a wheel, and gave her a push. She rolled maybe a couple of yards before collapsing in on herself in a fleshy heap. “Ah, so much for just rolling you home… hmmm, you’re kind of a mess to carry like this, even folded up.” Withania gathered up the loose strip of Rarity, who was now more like an elastic band that had lost its tension. “Hmm, hang on, I can do this better. This will just take a moment.”

She put her head through the loop of pony, so that Rarity was hanging off of her neck like a cross between a necklace and a scarf, before heading upstairs. It took some searching around, Withania not exactly being familiar with the layout of the boutique. “Hope this doesn’t seem like I’m snooping around, I just need to find something - ah, there we are!” Opening a closet door, Withania saw what she had been looking for: an ironing board, with the iron itself sitting on the shelf.

Assembling the items, Withania waited for the iron to heat up. She looked down to see Rarity’s eyes looking up at her pleadingly. “Oh don’t worry, it won’t hurt. Think of it like a very, er, unorthodox massage.” Withania pulled the pony-loop over her head and placed her on the ironing board. Then she took the iron, going up to one end. The steaming-hot iron was pressed into the white furry flesh, letting off a quiet little hiss. The earth pony made sure not to press too hard, or go too fast.

“There, there, see? Just relax, let me iron out all that stress you must have had,” cooed Withania, moving the iron back and forwards. Rarity’s flattened form offered little resistance to the iron, which left a trail of wonderfully smooth flesh in its wake. It was like mowing a lawn, almost, each stroke of the ironing levelling out the crumpled and rumpled Rarity into a pleasingly even state. Even when the iron passed over Rarity’s face, she showed no real sign of discomfort. The big blue eyes had taken on a placid look, like a dog being petted.

Withania went all the way down the length of Rarity, and then flipped her over to repeat the process. All the while she spoke gently at the band of pony. “I bet that must feel nice and toasty now, hmm? Honestly, I’m jealous. All that tension just melting away, right? Just enjoy it…” Rarity had no way of replying in her current state, especially upside-down, but Withania liked to think that the ironing had achieved the secondary goal of calming Rarity down. She was stuck like this until Celestia was done with her either way, of course, but after the underhoof tactics Withania had employed against both her and Applejack, it felt nice to sense some enjoyment.

When she was finished, Withania peeled Rarity off of the ironing board and began folding her up, until she could see the blue eyes staring up at her gently. “There, much better! You look wonderfully cosy like that,” said With, stroking the white face. “So warm and smooth! Now if you settle down and behave, I’ll give you a nice go-over again back home with my own iron, and then we’re all taking a trip to Canterlot where this will all make sense. Yes, you and your friends. See, not so sinister now, is it?” The eyes continued to stare dreamily up, and Withania wondered if Rarity was simply lost in her own little world at the moment. Well, no matter; mission accomplished. Withania found a cute little bag that Rarity must have used for shopping and tucked the owner right inside of it.

Heading out of the Boutique, bag in mouth, Withania considered her remaining targets. A world class athlete, the world’s greatest magic user… after such a near-disaster of an encounter with Rarity, Withania wasn’t sure she wanted another high-risk assignment just yet. It was time for a softer touch…

5. The Yellow Page

Fluttershy closed the front door to her cottage behind her, sighing in the relative quiet of her living room. Her indoor friends were settling down for the evening, and the nocturnal ones were not yet awake. A brief respite, before she walked into the kitchen and shrieked in surprise at another pony already sitting at the table staring right at her.

“Good evening, Fluttershy,” said Withania, her hooves steepled in front of her. To her side at the table lay the folder, closed, but positioned at the ready.

“Ahh- you startled me, miss… Weathervane?”

“Withania.”

“Withania,” affirmed Fluttershy, “What can I do for you? I usually meet people during the day. Outside.”

“Well perhaps the better question is what I can do to you,” said Withania, “I mean - for you.”

She leaned over and opened the folder so that the cover hung down off the side of the table, revealing the rear-most “pages”. A stiff cardboard centre kept the top-half covered, but a virtually square sheet of white was visible, with a pale dividing line down the middle. A pair of very flat hind legs. Withania lifted them, showing how they curled like paper as she folded them up onto the top half. The rear side showed the curly purple tail of Rarity, while the lower half of the folder now displayed the orange thighs of Applejack.

Fluttershy’s face started out in confusion at this strange green pony showing off what appeared to be her folder of unusual modern art - but then the penny dropped as she realised what she was seeing, and a flush of colour quickly began to build.

“Wait, are those-?”

“Your friends? Yes. I’ve been paying them all a visit. You all need to spend some quality time together, so I’ve helped them get comfortable together for the journey.” Withania lifted Applejack’s legs to reveal Pinkie underneath. Fluttershy could actually see the flattened form of Applejack moving slightly, bending like a living sheet of paper of fabric, although clearly had little strength to escape or resist Withania’s grasp.

“Oh my goodness, are they… are they okay?” whispered Fluttershy. Although there was an element of concern in her voice, her face and body language clearly told a story of embarrassed intrigue. Which was exactly what Withania had been counting on.

“They’re quite alright,” explained Withania, “in fact I believe they’re more than comfortable in there. Don’t worry they can’t hear us at the moment, I’ve kept their top-halves covered up. They weren’t so willing at first, but after settling into my book of friendship here, they got quite cosy. I thought that instead of having to sweep in here and abduct you by force, you might actually like what I have to offer.”

Fluttershy was rooted to the spot, eyes transfixed on the strange folder with half of her friends folded neatly inside as flattened versions of themselves, helpless and bound together. Withania held up one corner of Applejack, just out of reach. Fluttershy couldn’t help herself, she reached out, and leaned forward just enough to touch the half-inch thick hock of her friend. It shivered at the unexpected contact and Fluttershy’s hoof quickly withdrew back to her mouth in shock.

“I couldn’t!” she whispered, “I have to help my friends! I can’t just give in and let you do this to me too, even if… it… looks…”

“So enticing? So alluring? Imagine it, Fluttershy, being almost weightless. A breeze could toss you around, but I’ll catch you and lay you out perfectly straight in my folder, and you’ll have your closest friends laying on top and under you, full contact on both sides, tucked away between the covers and bound in the middle. You love the idea don’t you?”

“I can’t, what would they say if they found out I didn’t try my hardest?”

“Well,” said Withania, standing up and slowly walking around Fluttershy’s side, “lLet’s pretend you did try your hardest. You came home and I was here, waiting to pounce. I grabbed you around the middle - like this.”

Withania wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s chest, holding her wings folded. She was looking around the room as she did this, and caught sight of the perfect implement to move this scene to. “And being the strong earth pony I am, and with my weird plant powers, I easily overpowered you, and carried you over to your laundry tub.”

Withania lifted Fluttershy, hoping she wouldn’t be too heavy, but Fluttershy began to sidle in the direction that Withania was nudging her. She wasn’t walking, but allowing herself to be moved without effort. In the corner of the room was a wash tub for cleaning laundry, and a pile of folded blankets and bedsheets. Next to the wash tub was a clothes wringer. A pair of tight-fitting rollers geared together to press the excess water out of laundry when the crank was turned.

“And then,” continued Withania, gently twisting Fluttershy onto her back, “this fearsome assailant threw you into your own wringer, and your hind-hooves were caught!”

She guided Fluttershy’s hind legs between the rollers, and turned the crank to feed the mare’s hooves into the impossibly tight gap between them. This would only have been possible with Fluttershy helping. Yet in her hooves went, and with a slight creak of the wringer’s frame, Fluttershy’s dainty hind hooves were pressed, widening out as their shape was flattened into a sheet of yellow.

“And then what happened?” whispered Withania, admiring the red glow of Fluttershy’s burning face. She gave the handle another turn, pulling Fluttershy’s hocks in so she was well and truly stuck.

Fluttershy was frozen in place, her heart thumping as she felt the alien, but somehow delightful sensation of her hindlegs squeezing through the rollers in front of her. She was laying on her back, with her hind legs raised up into the winger, forelegs still firmly covering her mouth. It felt like she was trying to pull on socks that had shrunk in the wash, and were now far too small and compressed around her legs - but instead of stretching the socks, her hooves had deformed into them, and now hung limp on the other side, helpless and bound without bonds.

“S-s-she turned the handle again,” stuttered Fluttershy, squeaking the words out, “And the rest of my hind legs were pulled in!”

Withania did as she was bid, and turned the crank over, watching Fluttershy’s slender, butter-yellow thighs squeeze into the wringer, spreading out as a wide sheet of smooth, flatness on the other side, her cutie marks visible like a printed silkscreen on a beach towel. The green mare picked up one long, wide strip of a leg and held it up so Fluttershy could see what was happening. As she rubbed it against her face sensually, and even tasted it with a green tongue, Fluttershy could feel everything, but despite her hardest efforts, her leg muscles were powerless to pull away, or even hold themselves up.

“And you couldn’t do anything to stop me…” continued Withania. “As the pressed sheet of your own body began to fold back over you, you were forced to watch in horror as you succumbed to my fiendish plan to capture you.”

Fluttershy nodded meekly as Withania turned the crank over again, and the pegasus’ flanks were spread thin, and brushed over her chest. She shivered, feeling parts of her body brush together that should not have been able to touch in any rational way - yet now she was folded in half, her lower body a fluttering blanket of fuzzy yellow, sensual and alive, but at the same time transformed into something inanimate and immobile.

There was a tightness in her chest as her upper body began to enter the wringer, and then as Withania mercilessly turned the handle around again, all of the air was forced out of Fluttershy’s lungs with a long squeak. Her forelegs still held up in front of her, and her wings folded behind, were pinned in place as they were flattened and squeezed together like flowers in a press. Yet there was no pain, nor did she feel the need to breathe. Suddenly she felt like her body had been stilled, the constant motion and surge of her innards were halted and she was suspended in stasis. She looked up at Withania’s sly smile as her head reached the rollers. Although thoroughly enjoying herself and playing the part of a villain, Fluttershy saw a flicker of desire in Withania’s gaze, as if she envied Fluttershy in this moment.

And then the upper roller covered Fluttershy’s vision, and she felt smothered as if a pillow had been pressed over her face. Her senses were completely overwhelmed, her vision blacking out and her hearing stifled, and then a moment later the open air of the room greeted her again, along with the gentle hooves of Withania lifting the limp sheet of her body away from the wringer. She could hear again and even see, but suddenly the world had completely changed. She lay at a strange angle, her body bending and flexing freely in a manner she couldn’t control, yet it felt delightful. She was free, unable to act or move - she didn’t need to do anything as Withania scrunched her up in a bundle and carried her back into the middle of the kitchen. Next the plant mare found the corners of Fluttershy’s shoulders and, rearing onto her hind legs, held her up to admire.

Fluttershy was pressed in place, her forelegs raised in cute bashful shyness, her face flushed, and her legs pointing inward as if trying to cover her modesty. Her entire form trembled like an aspen leaf. Withania smiled and folded her newest prize over one leg, turning to the folder on the table. She opened it out fully, exposing Rarity’s back. The unicorn muttered something of a protest at this disturbance, but she was face down against Applejack, and her voice was muffled. Withania carefully lay Fluttershy down so she was back to back with Rarity, and gave her a kiss before placing the binding strap across the middle of the folder, and then closing everything up.

The Element of Kindness was hers. Part of her growing collection.

7. The Purple Page

Withania sat rather stiffly in the supply cupboard of Twilight’s laboratory. She’d been waiting for nearly two hours now, initially for an opportunity, but now just simply for a chance to escape undetected.

“Test 36, azimuth of 62 degrees, begin recording…” came Twilight’s voice from through the door, “No signal detected once so far… once again… I’m beginning to suspect that the noise floor is too high, possibly as a result of my own magic interfering. I wonder if I can trust Spike to run these tests instead… but then I’d have to be out of the room entirely and miss everything.”

Withania was wondering if anyone she knew found plants as boring as the tests Twilight seemed to be conducting. She shifted slightly, dislodging the length of rope she was holding. The original plan was to catch Twilight by surprise and tie her up, but she realised after entering the cupboard what a terrible idea that was given how powerful Twilight would be. And then Twilight had walked in and trapped her.

“Test 37, 62 degrees, maximum amplitude, I am now looking for perceivable changes in signal. This will be a control test before using my portable singularity to absorb all other magic from the room, including my own…”

Including her own? thought Withania, ears pricking up

“Aha! Faint signals detected, looks like I won’t need to go to any extremes after all.”

Withania peered through the gap in the closet doors and spotted a distinctive bracelet on a bench in the centre of the room that wasn’t there before. If that can absorb magic… I might be able to disarm Twilight!

There was never going to be a better opportunity than this - Withania slowly nudged the door open and stole out into the room on hoof-tips. The princess was still focused on her experiment as the intruder reached the workbench and put on the silver bracelet. It was simple in design, obviously made for function, but featured a distinctive ruby in the centre that gently pulsed.

“H’mm?” Twilight suddenly looked around and saw Withania, who froze like a rabbit in torchlight. “Withania? What are you-”

Withania didn’t wait and with zero knowledge on what she was doing, pointed her braceleted foreleg at Twilight while tapping the gemstone with her other hoof. The gemstone suddenly darkened, as if it were absorbing the light around it, and an arc of energy jumped from Twilight’s horn into its centre. As the arc connected it blazed into a bridge of energy storming into the gem, locking both ponies alike in place. Withania looked away while instinctively trying to pull back, and then a moment later it was all over. Twilight collapsed onto her front, eyes spinning as if she had just been through a tornado.

Withania looked back at the bracelet, its gem now glowing with a purple hue, and waved her hoof around experimentally. It felt warm, and somehow connected to her, as if she could feel the gemstone as an extension of her body as well as the energy contained within.

“Unnnnnnggh,” moaned Twilight, rubbing her dulled horn with her hoof, now nothing more than a conical bone on her forehead. “Witha-”

“No monologging!” yelled Withania, not intending to give her quarry any chance to turn the tables. She jutted her hoof in Twilight’s direction, emitting a zap of magical energy across the room. Twilight’s body lept a foot off the floor with the charge, her legs pointing out in all directions. As the magical blast rippled over her, her limbs thickened, becoming plush and soft. Her expression fixed as her facial features were replaced with intricate stitching and her mane and tail alike turned into firm and bushy doll hair. She landed again with a soft fwomp as a life size soft toy, marvellously detailed and ready for attention. Withania cautiously approached and checked the result. Twilight was warm, emanating heat as if she were still a real pony, and felt posable, retaining whatever position Withania arranged her into.

This was very alluring, but it wasn’t what Withania had intended. She furrowed her brow and pointed the bracelet at the Twilight plush again, throwing her foreleg as if she were trying to throw magic at her target. Another zap haphazardly struck the poor unicorn, and this time the fluffy plush body smoothed out into shiny latex. The hiss of air could be heard as plush filling was vaporised and Twilight’s body was filled with air. Light enough to float, she began to rise up off the ground. Her features were now a silkscreen printed over her inflated body, but her mouth was this time formed enough to make sounds. Twilight attempted to communicate, wheezing a squeak.

“Withania!” she yelped, her body creaking as it bounced off of the furniture on its ascent to the ceiling. An inflatable pony was closer to what Withania was trying to achieve, but still not right. She grabbed Twilight’s leg and pulled her down, leaning on her and feeling her air-filled body bend and squish. She could deflate her, and that would result in a flat-Twilight, however this wouldn’t really match the rest of her collection. Steadying Twilight in place and backing up for a clear shot, she tried again. This time Twilight dropped to the floor like a sandbag, her body suddenly weighed down with a dense bean bag filling that struck the floor with a muffled thump.

“Give me a moment,” said Withania, scratching her head with her other hoof, “I’ll figure this out!”

Twilight tried to get up, but was either too weakened or too heavy, and merely wiggled her splayed limbs while her belly was smushed out. So far none of these transformations had been uncomfortable at all, if anything the contrast of transitioning from being soft, then light, then heavy was fascinating - but right now she was more worried that Withania had absolutely no idea how to wield magic, let alone alicorn magic.

“Withania stop! You’re going to disintegrate me!” she said, her voice slightly muffled under the weight of her own bean-stuffed head.

“I’ve caught you! You won’t escape!” said Withania, raising the bracelet menacingly.

“Sweet Celestia, I will help you, just stop randomly firing magic bursts at me!”

Withania paused, gauging if this was a trick or if Twilight was being genuine. The bean-bag pony frowned up at her. Even if Twilight was trying to trick her, Withania could still just zap her again if she needed to.

“Alright, I’m listening,” she said, sitting down at a safe distance. “Don’t try anything though, I’m ready and I have a big imagination, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m not- urgh, just clear your mind for a moment. Take a breath and stop trying to do anything, then point your hoof and release. That should clear the magic effects you cast and put me back to normal.”

Withania took a deep breath. Considering how much time she spent with incredibly kinky ideas on her brain, this was easier said than done. All the same, she closed her eyes and imagined being outside in a field on a breezy day, and exhaled. The bracelet released a stream of pink magic, this time slower and more calm. It surrounded Twilight before evaporating again, leaving her looking quite normal.

“Phew,” sighed Twilight, getting back onto her hooves and inspecting her body for any signs of transformation, “Okay, you have no idea how magic works, correct?”

“Hey, I can breed any plant into an ideal strain, that’s a lot more complicated than pointing a unicorn horn around,” said Withania, waving her hoof dismissively.

“This isn’t gardening, Withania. Magic isn’t a hosepipe you just point at someone and expect things to happen. The power that you’re trying to use isn’t in the bracelet, it’s all around us in the world - our magic channels that power and directs it.”

“Huh? What makes you so powerful then?”

“A unicorn’s magic is like electricity. If you can create a bigger potential difference, you can move more magic. You draw on magic all the time as an earth pony, but dissipate it in all directions instead of focusing it with a magical horn as a unicorn does. So first of all, just try focusing your magic on me without doing anything. Place your magical aura over me.”

“Is this a trick? Are you going to suck up all your magic again?” asked Withania.

Twilight sighed witheringly in response. “Withania I am helping you in the sincerest interest of self-preservation right now because your next wild magic burst might turn me into a melon that smashes on impact with the floor. Whatever you’re trying to achieve I’m assuming is better than getting disintegrated.”

“I mean… I could probably fix that…” said Withania thoughtfully, but seeing Twilight’s increasing exasperation she assumed an attentive pose and held out her braceleted hoof. Still, Twilight’s advice resonated with her. Rather than attempting to hurl magical bolts, Withania thought about her own will power when tending a garden. No force, no impatience, be a wellspring - a pink aura formed around Twilight, humming and shimmering.

“I can feel it!” said Withania excitedly, “It’s like I’m touching you all over!”

“Phrasing, Withania, phrasing,” said Twilight, “now you can start manipulating things in the field, visualise and let the magic do the work, not you.”

Now that she had Twilight enveloped in a magical aura, Withania had a clearer idea of what she could do with this opportunity. Imagining the aura like a sheet, Withania pinched the corners, pulling it taut so Twilight was pressed upright and slowly pushed onto her back. Withania could feel Twilight pressing back, but no amount of strength would have overcome the magic Withania was now commanding. She approached Twilight, beginning to press down on the two sheets she had created on either side of the alicorn.

The aura wasn’t quite flat, however, and Twilight’s body formed a bulge that Withania couldn’t quite control. She changed tactics, and instead of trying to press Twilight flat, she imagined sucking all the air out from the envelope of magic. This had an immediate effect, and Twilight’s muzzle wrinkled as she was smushed up like a dress in a vacuum bag. She didn’t appear to be in distress, but was clearly confused by what was happening. This was exactly what Withania wanted. She placed her forehooves on Twilight’s quickly thinning body and pushed outwards as if she was spreading a bed sheet, chasing lumps and creases to the edges. Twilight stretched outwards, getting flatter and wider and more bemused.

“So what exactly is your plannmmmf - mmmpph!” Twilight’s voice was muffled as Withania diligently ironed out her face to a flat disc.

“This is my plan. You and your friends are now all deliciously flat sheets of pony - and you’re especially smooth. Just saying, but if you want to hit me up in the future and do this to me I wouldn’t complain, standing offer… But for now, I have a collection to add you to.”

Withania released the magical aura and carefully took off the bracelet. It was tempting to keep it, but definitely safer to leave it here. She retrieved the folder from the closet she’d hidden in and laid it out on one of the tables, opening it to reveal a stack of flattened ponies from pink through blue. Rainbow Dash scowled up at her, but the blush on her face and the way she was slightly biting her lip betrayed her enjoyment of her own predicament.

Holding Twilight aloft, Withania gave her a full view of where she was heading - face to face with Rainbow. She aligned Twilight’s hind hooves with Rainbow’s, and painstakingly lay her down, careful to let her body bend and flop like fabric.

There was a group of murmurs from the stack as the other ponies sensed a new comer, and could likely guess who it was, before Withania muffled the sounds further by closing the folder up, bending everyone in half again.

“That’s… that’s everypony,” said Withania. “Now I’ll be carrying you all to Canterlot, in plain sight, and no one will know it’s you…”

8. Messenger's Reward

Withania entered the throne room for Canterlot Castle with her folder of ponies flopped over her back. The room was large and ornate, illuminated in watercolour from sunshine beaming in through stained glass windows. Ahead of her was a flight of stairs up to the thrones themselves for Celesta and Luna, where stood Celestia herself with two guards and three official looking unicorns discussing stately matters.

“As always, good communication is the key to maintaining these relationships, I’m glad we’ve been able to strengthen ties with the independents.” Celesta paused for a moment as she saw Withania approaching the base of the steps to wait her turn. “Excellent work everyone, we’ll take a break this week and convene next Tuesday to follow up this progress. That will be all.”

The unicorns shuffled their paperwork and bowed before departing, murmuring amongst themselves as they passed Withania.

“Miss Nightshade, this is an unexpected pleasure,” said Celestia. “Guards, if we could have some privacy for a moment, thank you.”

The guards now also departed silently. They glanced at Withania, wondering what business she had with the Princess that warranted secrecy, but said nothing.

“Ah, yes I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to call in advance or not… but uh, I succeeded! H-here!”

Withania shrugged the folder off of her back and held it out in front of herself, not entirely sure if she should just show off her achievement or not. Celestia looked somewhat confused, but picked up the folder with her magic and held it in front of herself. Her eyes widened as she opened it and saw the elements of harmony arranged as pages - not in shock, mind you, but intrigue.

“Withania, this is…” Celestia closed the book, speaking over it in hushed tones.

“You said bring them all together, right?” said Withania, smiling awkwardly as she suddenly realised the strangeness of what she’d done.

“Withania dear, I was more thinking of a sleepover or something. A pizza party lock-in at the town hall maybe…”

“Uhhhhh…” Withania began to fret, but Celestia’s mouth curled into a sly smile.

“However, this is quite impressive. I’m quite sure I can come up with some festivities to introduce the girls to while they’re all… gathered, like this.”

“Ah! Excellent!” exclaimed Withania, wiping her brow with mock relief before turning as if to leave. “Well, happy to be of assistance - you know where to find me!”

“Well there is one more thing,” said Celestia, reaching an enormous wing out to behind Withania’s shoulder. Suddenly placed within touching distance, Withania glanced up and became acutely aware that Celestia was about twice her size. “I must admit I suspected you were up to something unorthodox, as there have been rumours going around of the Elements disappearing and you being somehow involved.”

“I’ll be sure to keep a low profile,” said Withania, “I’m pretty well stocked at home, and I’ve got a few well-connected friends I could hide out with if needs be-”

“Oh I’ll take care of this,” cut in Celestia, with a knowing smile. “After all, you’ve gone to a lot of trouble, it’s the least I can do. Stay right where you are for a moment…”

Celestia stood up and turned around, seemingly to place the folder of ponies behind her throne. Her large and curvaceous flanks now loomed before Withania who wanted to back up slightly for personal space, but stayed firmly where she was, thinking she was about to get teleported and whisked away somewhere.

Don’t oogle the Princess, don’t oogle the Princess, pleaded Withania with herself as Celestia’s shimmering tail brushed across her face. Yet, almost as if challenging her, the same shimmering tail lifted to give a clear view of the tremendous alabaster orbs - which began to rapidly descend toward Withania.

Confused and uncertain as to exactly what was happening, Withania automatically raised her forelegs up, as if she were going to catch the huge alicorn. Her hooves met the royal flanks, hitting a layer of impeccably soft pudge, but behind the pillowly touch was an impossible weight. Withania braced to take the strain, but for all it was worth, Celestia might as well have been made of cast iron.

With zero resistance, Withania began to crumple, her face hitting the same delightfully soft, yet deceptively dense hind quarters. If she had been ready, she might have been able to twist aside or fall backwards - but with her own rear parked on the floor, Withania was stuck between a hard place and Celestia’s unstoppable posterior. She had a moment to realise what was about to happen just before her body had compressed as far as it naturally could.

“Huurrmmmfff!” Withania’s yelp was muffled as she was squashed flat in a single smooth motion. Celestia was barely pushed off-centre as the earth pony vanished under her bulk. Only the tips of Withania’s forehooves could be seen poking out under her cutiemarks in a vain attempt to save herself. The princess looked over her shoulder with her tongue just peeping out from between her lips, pressing her thighs back slightly to finish the job. Withania felt her body smushed back, lengthening a little so her hind legs were between Celestia’s thighs while her head and shoulders were hidden just under the dock of her tail.

“I must admit,” said the princess, slowly standing again, “I do enjoy throwing my weight around a little, but it’s not until today that I’ve thought to push the envelope this far…”

She turned to admire her hoofwork, and saw Withania spread out on the floor. Her head was flattened into her neck and shoulders, leaving her forelegs sticking out on either side. With her legs spread downwards, she could easily have been mistaken for a cartoon letter “T”.

“Now for some finishing touches, my dear…”

Withania felt Celestia’s magical aura envelop her, and she was gently peeled up off of the floor. She tried to move her limbs, but while her muscles tensed, she had no strength to actually move herself. Celestia carefully brought Withania’s forehooves around to meet her hind hooves, and the flattened pony watched in confusion as her extremities merged together into a seamless band. Next a tingling sensation, almost like popping candy on her tongue, spread around the edges of her flattened body, and a pattern in the same tan-colour as her hooves appeared as if invisible needles were stitching into her, leaving a lace edge in their wake. Finally, a ripple spread from her middle across her up chest and down the flat band that used to be her hind legs, as well as along her forelegs that spanned her new shape. In its wake, her fur smoothed out, turning from fibres into fabric, from matte into satin. The feeling of limbs and muscles was replaced with a uniform surface that she was acutely aware of, her body now an entirely new shape.

Celestia hummed with pleasure, admiring the elegant garment she had just woven from her accomplice. Just a pair of green underwear now, with a pretty lace edge and Withania’s nightshade cutiemark on the inside.

“Let’s see if the size is right,” she said, levitating panty-Withania behind her. “You’ll need to stretch a little, but if my estimate is correct, no one will even notice you.”

Through whatever magical means Celestia had imparted onto her, Withania’s senses still functioned, and she saw the now familiar view of her princess’ curvaceous behind. One powerful hind leg lifted, then the other in turn, threading through the fabric loops that used to be Withania’s legs, and she was lifted up. As she reached Celestia’s thighs, Withania could no longer reach all the way around, but Celestia did not stop, and Withania felt herself stretching, her body distorting and lengthening in ways she had never felt. And on top of that, more and more of her brushed up against Celestia’s flawless coat and supple hips, a degree of skin-contact impossible by any other means. Finally, her vision filled with the immense circumference of Celestia’s rear, her body and face made contact and was drawn up tight to conform with the royal ass.

As she had intended, Celestia noted that her new underwear dug in just enough pinch into her soft pudge, mostly hiding everything from sight. If she stood and raised her tail, Withania would be clearly visible - looking as if she had been painted in place, such was the tight fit - but with that shimmering cloud of tail lowered, no one would be any the wiser. Celestia realigned with her throne and sat down.

Settled in her seat she resumed her regal look, but the slightest curl of her mouth betrayed her secret pleasure. Knowing that the guards would not return until her request, she summoned the folder of her most loyal subjects. She flicked it open, seeing the pink “page” quivering excitedly. “Ah, quite an amusing opening chapter, this one,” said Celestia, poking the furry texture. The blue eyes stared back at her, happy to see somepony at least. Her mouth had been pressed flat so much that she couldn’t even speak anymore. Celestia gave her one last curious poke, marvelling at the almost spongy quality, before turning the page. “Applejack, I’m sure even you can appreciate a vacation now and then, especially with your friends. It’s very pleasing to see you relax.” The orange page seemed less animated than the first chapter, but Celestia’s hoof could feel the page getting warmer as she spoke. The emerald eyes looked left and right as the orange fur was tinted pink. Chuckling, Celestia flicked the second chapter over, letting it fall on top of the previous page.

“Rarity, you’re looking wonderful as usual,” said the princess, as Rarity looked up with a timid look in her eyes. “And a break would suit you, too. Yes, I think a week or two like this with your friends will do so much to get you all on speaking terms again. You’ll have a lot to talk about… once I let you speak.” The white page was turned, and Celestia found herself taken aback at what she saw. The fourth page was yellow, and looking up at her something approaching excitement. “My, are you enjoying yourself?” asked the alicorn. There was a little note of blushing there, but the page wiggled in affirmation. “I see… I think I will be re-reading this chapter later.”

The next page made Celestia chuckle. “Hah, oh Rainbow Dash, don’t look so cross!” she said, as the red eyes glared up, her flat face still managing to convey a pout. “You’ll find this a valuable learning experience in time. Even if that lesson was not to underestimate earth ponies.” Celesta shifted in her seat, slowly and deliberate, and smiling to herself in a way Rainbow wouldn’t fully understand. “I’m sure you’ll be enjoying this more later. Perhaps a private study session with me. Oh, speaking of studying…”

The blue page was shaking slightly, and Celestia could see why, as the page underneath vibrated with excitement. Celestia turned to the final chapter of her new favourite book. “Ah, Twilight, there you are. How could you have let you and your friends drift apart so suddenly? You had me worried.” This gentle admonishment quelled the shaking a little, but Celestia was quick to reassure the purple page. “Well, don’t fear; I’m going to make sure that all of you are bound back together in ways more than simply literally, aha.” She brought the page up until her muzzle was practically brushing against Twilight’s compressed face. “So get comfy now…”

Withania felt the entirety of that weight she’d previously felt once again, except this time she was flat and malleable, settled between the gap of Celestia’s buttocks, as well as pinned against the modest cushion of the throne. Unable to move or make so much as a squeak, she sighed to herself. She was finally able to relax, without a care in the world. For how long, she didn’t know. And that was almost the best part.

6. The Blue Page

Withania sat at her breakfast table, tea in hoof, an empty plate to the side and the paper spread out before her. She was scanning for information about what Twilight Sparkle was up to this week. She wasn’t sure how to approach the Princess quite yet, and figured that at least an ounce of planning would probably help - rather than just breaking into her castle and hoping for the best. Although that seemed to be going well enough for her so far.

And then the front door burst open, perfectly in time for Withania’s tea to go down the wrong way. She turned to look down the hallway in alarm - trying not to spray her mouthful in all directions - and saw a blue pegasus with the unmistakable rainbow mane of Rainbow Dash standing on the threshold, crouched and ready to pounce.

“Alright!” Rainbow shouted from the doorway, “What the hay have you been doing with my friends, you… you… Overgrown dandelion!”

Withania coughed again, holding up one hoof to excuse herself.

“Ok firstly, ahem- despite its classification as a weed, the Dandelion is an amazing flower that’s not only incredibly nutritious, but also has a laundry list of other special uses. Secondly, uuuuuuuuuuh, there’s a good reason and explanation behind all of this I can assure you…”

Rainbow Dash, however, did not seem to appreciate the true value of the dandelion and leapt with a powerful thrust of her wings. Withania thought she was at a safe distance, but Rainbow expertly threaded her lithe body down the narrow passage between the front door and the kitchen with deadly precision, forcing Withania to take evasive action. Falling backwards off of the bench seat of her table, Withania tumbled hooves over head, her tea spilling everywhere in the process.

While Rainbow was undoubtedly more nimble than Withania, the haphazard tumble combined with a spray of rooibos tea across the kitchen caught her off-guard, and she glanced off the bench where her target had been sitting and skidded into the countertop. This gave Withania just enough time to scramble onto her hooves and flee the scene. She knew that in an open race she didn’t stand a chance - so she’d have to use her knowledge of her own home to her advantage, and she dashed up the narrow staircase, two steps a time.

Ducking into her bedroom and kicking the door closed behind her, she didn’t wait to listen if Rainbow Dash was following, the pegasus would be flying on silent wings and any hesitation now would surely be her demise. She jumped on her bed and flung the window open with one hoof while pushing a potted plant carefully to one side with the other. A slamming door behind her signalled that Rainbow Dash had found the spare bedroom, so with all haste, Withania mantled the window frame and jumped out.

She landed hard in the front garden, nearly falling over, but kept her footing as she heard her bedroom door burst open, before springing into a run around the side of her house. She couldn’t lose Dash by running away, and there was little point in hiding and hoping that she’d get bored and leave, Withania had no idea how she was going to escape this. For now, she’d just have to evade and hope that she ran into inspiration.

Behind her house stood one of two large greenhouses, and while it pained her to bring the fight in here where her most delicate plants might get damaged, she figured Rainbow Dash might be less aggressive in a glass house. She could also look back through the glass to see where Rainbow had gotten to - although this worked against her as the blue pegasus could also see where she’d run off to.

Looking around, Withania scanned her gardening tools and supplies for anything she might be able to use. There were some empty sacks which she might be able to catch Rainbow with - but that would require an element of surprise that she didn’t have. Then she spotted her brewing stand, quietly bubbling with various concoctions for modifying plants. A beaker of her strongest growth potion was nearly full, which she normally used to turn an ordinary plant into a giant-sized specimen. Withania herself was also a plant. She’d often wondered what would happen if she drank her own potions and now certainly seemed like a good time to try it out. She picked up the vial, glancing back to see that Rainbow had spotted her from down the side of the house.

“Well, wilting and dying is also an escape from Rainbow Dash,” she muttered, “I’ll grow back either way…” She knocked back the potion in one go, almost dropping the glass beaker back onto the workbench and then stumbling around the aisles of plants for the back door.

Rainbow saw Withania’s intention and veered left of the greenhouse entrance. As Withania appeared from the back, she was cut off. The gate was latched closed and would take too long to open, and going back inside the greenhouse as a dead-end anyway. The two ponies faced each other on the pathway of flagstones going down the middle of the garden. Withania felt a tingling heat spreading through her body, but despite fervent mental willpower, she didn’t seem to be getting any bigger.

“Got you this time!” cried Rainbow Dash, leaping forward with the force of a coiled spring. Withania knew she wasn’t fast enough to dodge and simply braced for impact.

Rainbow’s shoulder hit Withania like a train, bowling her over onto her back to land on the flagstones with a thud she felt ripple through her entire body. The pegasus lay atop her staring down triumphantly, an expression that rapidly turned to confusion as the mare she was pinning down suddenly seemed a lot bigger somehow.

Withania felt an incredibly confusing sensation as the ground under her seemed to shift or shrink toward the small of her back - of course, it wasn’t the ground that was moving, but her body was expanding, growing in all directions. Within moments her entire garden had shrunk to the size of an allotment, she could see into the top windows of her house. And Rainbow was the size of a doll on her chest. Withania smirked down at pegasus, and quickly crossed her forelegs into a hug to prevent her from taking flight.

“Well then… this certainly took a turn for the better,” said Withania, “I’d actually skipped over you because I wasn’t sure how to get the drop on you… but here we are.”

“Y-you let go of me this instant! Twilight will-”

Exactly what Twilight was going to do remained unclear, as Withania rolled over on the spot - careful not to flatten the nearest aisle of plants - burying Rainbow under her belly. She pressed down for all she was worth, aiming to squash the pegasus flat there and then. Like a pea under a mattress, she could feel the outline of Rainbow’s body under her, and the press as she futilely resisted, before being quickly overwhelmed by the weight smushing down.

This worked up to a point, but her belly was too soft despite her heavy size and weight advantage. Withania relaxed a little, gingerly moving and waiting to see if Rainbow was going to try and escape - but the lack of movement from under her indicated that the pegasus was now quite stunned. She took a deep breath and tensed up her abdomen, before pressing down a second time.

Rainbow Dash saw a glimpse of light as the massive pony on top of her rose up. For a moment she thought she might be able to escape, however she felt like she’d just finished up an intensive training session. Her body and her muscles felt like lead, while her chest felt like the Wonderbolts had stacked all the gym weights on top of her again. All she could do was wince as the green belly above her filled her entire vision again as it dropped down.

Instead of the soft and slightly squishy belly, this time she felt tensed muscles behind the fuzz that did not give way. She couldn’t move, nor would the flagstones under her, and with a squeak she hoped Withania wouldn’t be able to hear, her entire body stretched out in all directions, the thickness of her body turning into width as she was squashed flat. Her only respite was that despite Withania’s efforts to tense her muscles, she was just pudgy enough that Rainbow still imprinted by a few inches. Smothered by a titanic pony though, she knew that she wasn’t getting up from this.

When Withania got up to admire her handiwork, Rainbow Dash was about the thickness of a gym mat. Her wings twitched and her hooves curled slightly in a vain attempt to get up, but her strength was gone.

“Ah Rainbow Dash, I knew you just needed a good hug really!” teased Withania, leaning in close and touching Rainbow’s nose with her green tongue. “A good hug with a big tum. However, you’re not flat enough for my collection yet… we’re going to need a press, and I’ve got just the place.”

Rainbow glanced down, grimacing as Withania nudged her hind hooves loose and began to peel her up off of the pavement. Any bone structure she’d had was now gone, and she rippled and flapped like rolled pastry. With a rumble that rattled the glass in the green house, Withania lay on her side, lifting her hind leg to show off two huge thighs and Rainbow suddenly guessed what was coming next.

“H-hey! I-I know I came on a bit strong, b-but maybe we can work something out!” she stammered, as Withania lay her across the inside of one thigh, so her head was resting on the lower part of her butt. Withania took no notice and lowered her leg again, hooking one hoof over the other and trapping Rainbow between her thighs.

This is humiliating, but I can survive this, thought Rainbow. And then Withania squeezed. On the pavement, the weight on Rainbow had been limited to Withania’s total weight, but now two huge earth pony thighs pressed in on her from both sides. Her head was quickly engulfed and the crushing pressure compressed her already flattened body down to millimetres.

The already alien sensation of being flattened was now followed by a strange disposition of taking up no space at all. Her chest and lungs were flat, her face was flat, and she was suspended between two walls of green that were spread against each other like two water balloons.

Withania bit her lip as she felt the pony between her legs spread across her inner thighs like pizza dough. This was far more intimate than using tools or a trap, willing or not she’d bet that Rainbow was being pleasured by this treatment. She certainly would be herself.

Standing up she looked down between her legs, and saw a blue streak with two rainbow splotches lining her hind leg as if painted on. She rubbed her thighs together, revelling in how smooth the finish on Rainbow now was.

“Now that’s flat enough!” said Withania, twisting onto her rump and opening her thighs again. “Ah, if only I had a field to plough, I could spend all day working with you pasted on the inside of my leg, feeling you brush up against my thighs with every step… but even I’ll agree that I’m way too big right now. Let’s remove you for now, and I’d better sort myself out.”

Rainbow felt herself peeled away again, this time with a slight hiss as she was partially stuck to Withania’s thigh. She was now thin enough that the breeze alone was enough to cause her fabric-thin body to flutter and wave like a bedsheet hung out to dry. Which was clearly what Withania also thought, as she carefully straightened out the pegasus and draped her on the washing line that ran down the garden pathway.

Hanging upside down, Rainbow could see her own flattened legs flapping in front of her as Withania tip-hoofed around her plants to the front of the greenhouse. She reached two giant hooves inside and carefully picked up another vial from the bench, knocking most of the pots over in the process.

“Good job butter-hooves,” jeered Rainbow Dash. Withania ignored her, not wanting to waste a snarky comeback right before what she felt was likely to be an undignified scene. If the reduction potion was more potent, she might end up shrinking far too small - but she could run this risk given that Rainbow would be hanging there indefinitely until Withania took her down, or someone else came looking.

She gingerly fished the vial out without breaking any windows and upended it on her tongue. It looked about as effective as a dropper, but Withania felt it like a hot pepper. She reflexively swallowed, but that just transferred the sensation down to her belly, causing a torrent of steam to start gushing out of her mouth, nose, and ears alike.

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing, until Withania turned in her direction and doused her in sweet-smelling steam. When she opened her eyes again, Withania was laying flat on her back, gasping, but now a normal size again.

“Phew,” she gasped, “well that’s going to need a little fettling, but you can’t argue with results!” She stood up and tugged Rainbow Dash off of the clothes line, draping her over her back. Rainbow’s head flopped over Withania’s neck, not the most comfortable position, but her limp body conformed around the shape of Withania, hugging every peak and curve. She would never admit it, but such a high amount of skin-contact was oddly comforting. She frowned, not wanting to be caught enjoying this having lost to a back-of-town earth pony.

“Don’t worry Rainbow, you’ll feel better about this when I show you where your friends are. Although…” Withania glanced up at the morning sun, not even at its peak yet. “Maybe I’ll just enjoy wearing you for the day… I have always fancied a cape, and it’s true what they say about pegasi, your coat is as soft as down...”

Turning away from the house again, Withania shrugged Rainbow into place on her shoulders, and trotted into the greenhouse to start work for the day.