Given that Starlight didn't leave Ponyville more than once a month, and Moondancer didn't leave Canterlot basically ever, it wasn't a huge surprise that the first time they met was at Princess Twilight's coronation, when most of the creatures who had ever met the alicorn were gathered in the courtyard to personally view her taking over the throne of the kingdom. It was when the freshly crowned princess came down to speak to them in turn that the two unicorns were introduced to one another.
"You really were busy when you left for Ponyville," Moondancer commented to the princess. "No wonder you didn't reach out." When she saw the princess' awkward flush, the unicorn smiled. "That was just a joke, your majesty."
"Please, it's still 'Twilight' to you, Moondancer."
"Does that apply to me too?" Starlight questioned, smiling knowingly.
"Yes, and to you, too, Starlight."
"I don't know, I'm not a long-lost childhood friend who-"
Both unicorns laughed as the alicorn sighed, smiling through the friendly frustration they were inflicting on her. With a shake of her head, she indulged their playfullness for a while longer before biding them both a good night as she moved on to greet other subjects, leaving the two unicorns alone.
"Twilight's really come a long way, hasn't she?" Starlight asked at last, flicking her gaze over to the bespectacled mare next to her.
"So much," Moondancer agreed. "It's hard to believe that the mare who turned down a party with her closest friends for the sake of research is now the leading authority on friendship and the ruler of an entire kingdom. I didn't see it coming."
"I don't think anypony did," Starlight pointed out. "Even Twilight was surprised when the princesses told her that they planned for her to succeed them. Imagine telling her when we only had one princess that we'd end up with two princesses, and then they'd retire and that she'd be leading an entire nation. I think she-"
"-would've had a meltdown," Moondancer spoke in synchronicity, smiling at the purple mare, who smirked back. "When did she stop doing that?"
"I'll get back to you when she does."
"I can give you my address so you can write-" Moondancer stopped midway through the sentence. "Oh, you were joking. Right." She smiled sheepishly and adjusted her glasses.
"It doesn't have to be a joke," Starlight suggested. "I've known Twilight for a while, and her other friends - my friends - have known her for even longer, but you've known her for maybe the longest. It'd be nice to hear from somepony who knew Twilight closest."
"I'm not sure I'm the right mare for that," the bespectacled pony answered, her smile dropping a little. "She was usually pretty distant. We studied together, but we didn't really...we weren't exactly..." Her frown deepened. "If you want to know what she was like before she became an alicorn, when she was just a student of friendship, you'd be better off talking to her other friends. They know her more than I did. You probably know her more than I did." After a second, she shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to mope. It's not your problem, and I shouldn't be getting stuck up on feelings from the past."
"She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"
"Sorry?"
"Twilight," the purple pony explained. "Before she left, she was your only real friend. The only other pony you felt understood you, somepony you had a real connection with. When she left, it felt like you'd lost something special and irreplacable. Am I right?"
"How did you...?"
"I know that tone," Starlight told her. "And that look. I lost a childhood friend, too. He was the only other pony I wanted to be around, the only pony who shared in my interests and hobbies, and one day he got his Cutie Mark and he left my life. I didn't manage to get back in touch with him for years, when Twilight convinced me to try."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Moondancer asked at last, after a few seconds of strong silence. Her voice was soft and questioning, and Starlight felt a curiosity peaking from the - from what she had observed - meek mare.
"I'd love to," the purple unicorn agreed. "As long as you tell me about your early days with Twilight."
"You really want to get to know her, don't you?"
"I'm a curious mare."
They shared a giggle at that, and exchanged addresses. It was a change for Moondancer, having to leave Canterlot to visit friends, but Starlight promised to visit first so the city pony could be eased into travelling to see others. It would've been rude to put the burden of travel on somepony she'd only met once, after all, especially somepony that appeared to be reclusive and introverted by nature. With the information exchanged, they shared an hour or two discussing magic, a shared passion, they discovered, and said their goodbyes so they could mingle more.
It took less than a week for Starlight to catch a train to see Moondancer.
"Six months, two weeks, and four days."
"Sorry?"
"That's how long it's been since we met."
The statement came in the middle of a companionable silence during one of their rendezvous at Moondancer's house. The two of them were sitting having tea, and they'd just finished talking about the potential applications of harnessing the Cockatrice's stone transmogrification ability, if they could find a way to turn something other than living creatures to stone. Starlight was still mulling over the consequence for quarry workers and stonemasons when Moondancer came out with her calculation.
"Half a year already? It feels like it was just yesterday Twilight took the throne."
"Since you became headmare."
"Well, yes, but Equestria's head of state changing is a little bit more significant than a school changing headmares."
"The first school of its kind, opened by Princess Twilight herself, and now governed by you."
"Are you trying to butter me up?"
"No, of course not." Her muzzle stretched a little, hinting at a smile. "Well, yes. Maybe, a little. But you do deserve the praise and recognition you-"
"What is it you want?" Starlight asked, a smile of her own breaking across her muzzle. "You don't need to flatter me to ask me for something. Friends don't need a reason to do something nice for a friend, and we are friends, aren't we?"
Moondancer's expression was hard to pin down; it was happy, that was for sure, but there was relief riding among wrinkles of sheepishness. She nodded, her smile widening at the headmare's words, and let out a breath.
"You mentioned something about using hypnosis as a remedy for one of Twilight's phobias," she began. "The last time I wrote to Princess Twilight, I asked her about it, and she confirmed you'd helped her get over her fear by altering her perception."
"I prefer to say I gave her a subconcious nudge," Starlight corrected. "Behind-the-scenes encouragement."
"Well, as you know, I wasn't very social before Twilight contacted me again," the other unicorn continued, adjusting her glasses habitually. "I was afraid to open up to other ponies because I thought it'd leave me vulnerable again, but because of ponies like you, I've started realising just how magical friendship can be." The words brought a smile to her muzzle, and she seemed to relax a little. "I've started going out more, and I've noticed some ponies that I like, who, well, seem to like me."
"That's good," Starlight encouraged. "Twilight will be thrilled to hear you're branching out and seeking out new friends."
"That's...where it becomes a bit more complicated," Moondancer continued with a sideway glance, wincing as she conjured up the next words. "I'm not just looking for friendship. I'm wondering if there's somepony out there who'd like to be more than my friend."
"Oh, well, that's great," the purple unicorn agreed. "If you go and talk to them, see how it develops, I'm sure you'll find somepony who's right for you in no time."
"I can't."
"You...can't?"
"It's too much." Her tea was sat down on the table, and she turned to look at Starlight fully. "I used to avoid socialising because I thought it was futile and I didn't really enjoy being around other ponies, but this is worse. Every time I try to talk to somepony I find attractive, I just get this voice in my head telling me it's all going to go wrong, and that they'll laugh at me and I'll be humuliated in front of everypony. My mouth dries up and my face turns bright red and it's just awful." She let out a huff, picking up her tea again and taking a sizable swig.
"Are you asking me to hypnotise someone into a relationship with you?" Starlight inquired tentatively. She had to duck out of the way as Moondancer spat out her tea.
"No, no!" the bespectacled mare assured her, shaking her head hurriedly. "No, that's not what I want!"
"Good, I just wanted to clear that up."
"Why would you need to ask that?" the yellowish grey pony questioned. When she received a silent stare with pursed lips, she blinked. "Oh, right. Your village."
"If you don't want me to find you somepony," Starlight continued, sidestepping the mention of her past, "what do you want me to do to help you?"
"I was hoping for a subconcious nudge."
With those words, it clicked, and Starlight paused to consider what was being asked. Compared to her first - very concerned - assumption, this was harmless, relatively trivial, and arguably the right thing to do. After all, all she'd be doing is helping a friend get over a fear, as she'd done with Twilight.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," she tried. "If I make you super confident, that won't be you going out there and overcoming your fear. It's better if you're comfortable with yourself by going out there and trying."
"I'm not asking for you to make me super confident," Moondancer argued. "Just to help me get over my anxiety so I can actually make that first move."
"What if you get used to it and it wears off?" Starlight countered. "You'll be more in over your head than you would've been if you worked up the courage naturally."
"I'm counting on it," Moondancer responded. "All I want is that first step. After get to make conversation and figure out how to actually talk to somepony I'm interested in, I won't need the confidence booster any more. It's like riding a bike and taking away the stabilisers after you've learned how to ride properly."
"Alright, but in the meantime, you'll be more confident than you are capable. There's nothing stopping somepony unscrupulous from taking advantage of your interest to get you to go along with something they want."
"I'll be in that position anyway until I've figured it out. I have to learn, and the only thing stopping me from doing that is this stupid knot in my stomach whenever I try." She saw Starlight readying another argument, and jumped in with, "Please, Starlight; you helped Twilight, and you said we're friends."
"I helped Twilight overcome a phobia of something harmless, and you're asking me to make it easier for you to flirt with other ponies. It's not the same thing."
"All I want is a little bit of assistance." She fixed the other mare with a pleading pout, leaning closer hopefully. A solid five or six seconds passed before Starlight let out a sigh and broke eye contact.
"Fine," the purple mare relented. "But on three conditions; first, I'm only reducing your anxiety, not changing how you choose to react or are able to react to other ponies. Second, it's only going to stay in effect for a few months, and it'll steadily reduce effectiveness day by day. Thirdly, and this is the most important, this is a one-time thing. I'm not doing it again when it runs out, no matter how much you beg or plead."
"Yes, yes, and yes," Moondancer agreed, nodding her head eagerly. She beamed at her friend, eyes locking onto the pendant that was summoned from thin air and dangled loosely in front of the pair, glimmering with a gentle turquoise flair. It swayed softly, carried by its own momentum, until Starlight swung it further outward in a smooth arc.
"Focus on the star," the unicorn spoke, her voice light and gentle, a silky, dulcet tone which washed over the yellowish grey mare's ears. "Watch its path, and follow it carefully. Listen to what I'm telling you, and relax. Slip into a state of comfort and trust. You're safe, and you're weightless...."
The pendant was mesmerising, captivating the observing pony in a magnetic bind that was ironclad and feather light simultaneously. The room around her expanded, its meaning receding until she was surrounded by the peace of weightlessness and the warm embrace of her friend's speech. She was safe. She was in a place of comfort and trust. She wasn't afraid of anything, and she was going to stay unafraid. She was going to be able to talk to other ponies, to approach them and strike up a conversation, to admit how she felt. She was going to be uninhibited, and express herself as she always should've been able to do.
You will build your confidence naturally
Yes, she would. She would be a confident mare, without any need for snake oil or love potions or alcohol. She was a smart mare, and she could learn and accomplish anything.
You will have the confidence to approach those you like and, if you so wish, tell them how you feel
Yes, she would. She would do that.
Your desires won't be shackled by your fear, only your judgement
"Only my judgement," she murmured, blinking several times as the room morphed back into its normal dimensions. Looking around, she adjusted her glasses, settling into lucidity once more. The pendant had been vanished, and Starlight was looking at her curiously. "Is it done?"
"It's done," Starlight confirmed. "How do you feel?"
"The same, really," Moondancer admitted. "I guess I'll only notice when I see somepony I like, right?" Getting off her chair, she moved around to the purple mare and wrapped her in an embrace, hugging her warmly. "Thank you for this. I'll be responsible with it, I promise." Pulling back from the hug, she nuzzled Starlight's neck tenderly, failing to notice the surprise on the latter's face as she did so. "More tea?"
"One more won't hurt," Starlight agreed, smiling as she followed the giggling unicorn into her home. The offer for another glass of wine was too good to pass up, and with the occasion they were celebrating, it felt like the right time to throw away inhibitions and give in to the temptation for just one more. Despite a few fumbles, the homeowner managed to uncork the fresh bottle and pour out two glasses, levitating them to their respective recipients and lifting them to the air.
"To Princess Twilight," Moondancer toasted, beaming drunkenly.
"To Princess Twilight," Starlight repeated, clinking her glass with her friend's. "And may every year of her rulership be as successful as her first." She took a sip, mirroring the other mare across from her. "We've all come so far in a year, haven't we?"
"We have," Moondancer agreed, sitting down on the sofa with a moderate amount of instability. "Twilight lives in Canterlot again, we have a Council of Friendship, and I've really come out of my shell, thanks to you."
"Me? I don't think I did that much to help you become who you are. That was all you."
"You have no idea how much you helped," the yellowish grey pony insisted. "You listened and gave me the confidence to open up, and you helped me open up to others."
"I just gave you a nudge."
"I needed that nudge."
They shared a companionable silence, Starlight beaming internally at the gratitude and the warmth that came with helping somepony reach their potential. It was something she was getting more and more used to doing now she'd been the School of Friendship's headmare for a year, but the satisfaction that she received never diminished. It was its own reward, and she cherished it.
"You sound like you're doing well," she guessed, setting a hook for her friend to take up. They may have been drinking wine, but Starlight was eager for the tea.
"I guess you can say that," Moondancer answered, taking a suspiciously lengthy sip of her wine.
"Seeing anypony?" Starlight pressed, leaning forward a little. The other unicorn shook her head.
"Not for a few months," Moondancer replied. "I've not really been looking for a partner. It's not...it's not really my thing."
"What do you mean?"
"It's..." The host paused, clearly pondering her words, her visage twitching as she thought long and hard about what she wanted to say. "I didn't make friends for a long time. I had Twilight, and when she left for Ponyville, I receded into my own shell. I wasn't equipped to make friends, and I didn't deal with it healthily. When Twilight reached out to me, she helped me realise I was being too close-minded, that I wasn't seeing all the potential friendship I could enjoy."
"Okay?"
"When we met, and I felt comfortable opening up to you about my hopes for dating, I sort of went through a similar process. I tried some stallions...and mares...but I realised I didn't...I didn't need one partner. I like having friends, and I like having partners, but I don't feel limited to one like I thought I'd need to be. It doesn't feel natural." She looked up at her friend. "Does that make sense?"
"It wasn't what I was expecting," Starlight admitted. "But yes, it makes sense. Are you seeing multiple ponies, then?"
"No. I haven't found anypony I'd like to be more than casual with. I'm just available, really. I just have friends, and slightly friendlier friends." There was a stretch of silence. "How about you?"
"Me?"
"I've never asked about you. Are you seeing anypony?"
"Life hasn't given me much of an opportunity recently," Starlight responded. "I've had the school to worry about, and everything else that entails."
"Do you have your eye on anypony?"
That caused her to hesitate. She'd long-since had a crush on Sunburst, as much as she tried to keep their relationship platonic for the sake of professionalism, and the same could be said about Trixie. She never did figure out how to resolve that conflict of interest, so she'd compartmentalised it and hoped that she wouldn't find any more smart and sweet ponies that would capture her interest. Unfortunately for her, she'd found herself missing Twilight more and more as the alicorn spent her time in Canterlot, and even that other unicorn from beyond the mirror had resurfaced in her mind on lonely nights.
Loneliness rose its ugly head a lot, apparently.
"Nopony in particular," Starlight answered, hiding her expression with a timely swig of her wine.
"Would you like another?" the other mare asked, receiving an eventual nod as Starlight finished her glass fully. Levitating the bottle over, Moondancer topped up their glasses, leaving the bottle half empty. "Too our friendship." She took a sip as her friend repeated the toast. "And maybe to something more friendly..."
The reaction was delayed, and Starlight wrinkled her face in confusion before blinking and glancing at her friend. "Could you just say that again?"
"Something more friendly," Moondancer repeated, slivers of nervousness managing to crack her otherwise seemless countenance. "Friendlier friends."
"Like the other ponies you've...become close with?"
"If you want to." The other unicorn shifted on the sofa. "If you don't want to, that's fine. I-I'm not saying we have to, it's just that you said you were available, and you're someone I like and trust a lot." She was starting to blush, the glow gradually heating her cheeks. "I might've been wrong, but when I asked, you sounded lonely. I want to make you less lonely. Only if you want, of course."
The wine in Starlight's glass disappeared in a steady drain as the mare raised it to her lips and tipped, letting the taste pass over her tongue and the burn dig into her throat. She could've tried to pretend that it was too weird, that she couldn't get on board with it, and part of her consciousness still held to that reluctance, but either she was too drunk or too enamoured to deny the truth of it. It never would've clicked if the unicorn hadn't brought it up, but now that she had, it was like somepony had pointed out an object that she'd been searching for was right in front of her all this time. Twilight, Starburst, Sunset - it was no coincidence that her infatuations followed a specific pattern. She had a type, clearly, and the mare sitting across from her had every single trait that made Starlight's head turn; intelligent, socially shy, adorkable, but growing in confidence and competence.
And those damn glasses made her heart flutter.
"O-okay," Starlight spoke at last, finishing the final drops of alcohol from the now-empty glass and looking over at the concerned expression borne across Moondancer's adorable face. "I'm flattered. I'm...I'm really, really flattered, honestly. You're a great friend, and..." The other unicorn's face began to fall, disappointment spreading like seeping damp across her visage. "...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested, too. I'd like to try, but there are some VERY IMPORTANT CONDITIONS!" The last bit of the sentence was spoken in a hurry as the other unicorn slipped from her seat and trotted over, eyes locked and gaze dripping with excited interest.
"Sorry," she muttered sheepishly, stepping back a couple of hoof lengths. "What conditions?"
"First, I want us to talk about this when we're sobre," Starlight began, receiving an immediate nod. "I don't want us to screw up what we have because we decide to rush ahead make a mess of it. Second, communication at all times; I'm not letting this come between our friendship. Third..." She stood up herself, and made her way towards the captivated pony. "...we're going to need to ease our way into it. Do you mind if I sleep over tonight? I'll make us breakfast tomorrow, if you let me be the big spoon."
Moondancer giggled, joined in by Starlight a second later. It wasn't a hard agreement to reach, and so the glasses were discarded to the kitchen sink, the wine bottle was returned to its cupboard, and the mares retired to the bedroom, staying close to one another as they snuggled up to sleep. It felt right.
The pendant vanished, and Starlight took the time she had left to make sure everything was in order. The drawers contained their important, special contents, her mane was tied up neatly into her headmare's bun, and the room was orderly, exactly what any student or parent would expect from a headmare's office.
They'd talked the following morning, going through the details and expectations they had for what lay ahead. They clicked as well as they always had, and it had taken until the end of breakfast for everything to be fleshed out and agreed.
"I have an idea," Moondancer had told her, blushing even as she admitted to it. After everything they'd agreed to, it was this which had turned her into a shy, meek filly. "It's something I can't try anywhere else, but with you..."
"Follow the star," she'd responded, giddily, repeating the phrase several times along with the suggestions they both wanted. It was two weeks later when she'd been able to respond, admittedly, but she'd had to plan ahead for...this. It was a Saturday, the students were out on a weekend field trip, and this was as sure as she could be that nopony would interrupt her. At least, nopony she didn't want to interrupt her.
Knock knock knock
Right on time. Starlight forced the smile from her muzzle as she called out, "Come in," knowing it'd shatter the illusion she'd worked so hard to bring together. It wasn't easy, but by the time the door to the office creaked open and the other party stepped inside, she'd managed to bring her stern but patient expression to bear, the sort she used for greeting all students. It would be especially important for this particular student, she knew.
"You wanted to see me, Headmare?" Moondancer asked. Her mane was brushed straight, akin to Princess Twilight's, and while she still wore her usual sweatshirt, a School of Friendship skirt covered her rump, an unusual addition which drew Starlight's eyes, if only briefly. She silently chastised herself for that, knowing she couldn't afford to let herself be distracted.
"Please close the door behind you," the teacher requested, wincing as Moondancer kicked it closed loudly with a careless whack of her hind leg. "Moondancer, please don't slam the door."
"I did what you asked," the other unicorn huffed. "Anyway, what do you want?"
"Mind your manners, young filly," Starlight warned. "You haven't been called here for a commendation. Do you know why you've been called to my office?"
"Not really," the bespectacled mare answered, looking around the room in disinterest.
"You don't have any idea? Not even the slightest inkling?" The only response was a wordless shrug. "You know you're supposed to give in your homework, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"And you need to turn up to class to give in that homework?"
"Makes sense."
"Then why haven't you?"
"I didn't feel like it."
"You didn't feel like it?"
"That's what I said, didn't I?"
"Moondancer, I'm trying to be nice to you, but you're making it very difficult," Starlight pressed, feeling the feather-light prickles of irritation. This is surreal, she thought privately to herself. The dour mood, the apathetic responses; it was an entirely different mare from her friend, and it was easily the worst student she'd ever had the displeasure of trying to discipline. "You've been sent to this school to learn about friendship. What would your parents say if they learned you were truanting and avoiding school work?"
"They wouldn't care."
"I doubt that very much."
"Then tell them," the student challenged, and for the first time since entering the room, she smirked. That simple expression conveyed so much; arrogance, contempt, dismissal, and it spoke to the root of the problem - this mare thought she was untouchable. "See what they say, headmare." She stepped closer, a mixture of a slink and a strut, and locked eyes with Starlight. "What are you going to do now, headmare Glimmer?"
"Apologise."
"Apologise?" Moondancer sneered. "I'm not going to-"
"No, I meant I'm going to apologise."
"You...what?"
"Unless you'd like to take the chance now to do so?"
"What? I-...huh? No, I'm not apologising!"
"Then I will. It's clear that you've never been taught right from wrong, that you've never been told no or made to understand why you should show other creatures respect. I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to realise how you've been neglected."
"Is this meant to make me feel bad?" Moondancer asked increduluously, snorting in disdain. "It's not-"
"Don't interrupt," Starlight cut in sternly. "As I was saying...I'm going to correct that oversight. I'm going to teach you respect and proper manners, and I'm sorry that I have to, because it will not be pleasant."
Moondancer's eyes widened as her hooves were ensnared in the teal shimmer of magic, locking her in place. She struggled in vain, unable to move with the bond anchoring her. "H-hey!" she objected, wiggling futilely. "What gives?"
Starlight provided no answer as she rose from behind the desk and reached into the drawers, pulling something out with her magic and holding it out of view as she stepped around the desk and towards the trapped mare, whose struggling intensified. The headmare's pace was slow and methodical; she didn't need to rush with the rebellious student stuck in place, and so she traipsed closer, holding the object behind her to deny Moondancer even the slightest view of it. The pony tried to turn as the headmare walked past her, but was unable to twist her neck far enough to catch sight of what the purple pony was planning.
Moondancer gasped as her skirt was lifted, something firm but flexible brushing against her thigh and hindquarters as it dragged the clothing upward. Her tail was next, lifted in the same way and pinned to her back, leaving her exposed to sight and the sudden invasiveness of the air around her. It shouldn't have felt so intrusive, the open space and the absence of anypony other than the headmare, but in that moment, rooted to the ground and having anything which could give her a semblance of dignity moved aside with such ease, she felt nothing but vulnerable.
"You've clearly never suffered consequences for your actions," Starlight spoke, projecting authority with an ease that Moondancer hadn't taken note of before today - to her own detriment. "You've gotten away with far more than anypony should, and so I'm going to have to correct an awful lot. Believe me, I will keep going until I know that you've understood and are willing to change. If you resist, this will take longer. You're going to count what happens next."
"What is this, a math class? Let me go right now, or I swear to-"
THWACK
The bound pony yelped at the impact, the flat surface of whatever tool Starlight had taken colliding solidily with her butt cheek. The clap filled the room, a single, fleshy slap that sounded as painful as the sharp sting that bloomed from the wide point of impact. She winced, the sensation fading half as quickly as it appeared.
"That should have been one," the headmare told her.
"What was that for?!"
THAWACK
"Ow!"
"One."
"H-how dare you-!"
THWACK
"Ow! Ow!"
"One."
"St-stop, this isn't-"
THWACK
"One."
"O-one!" Moondancer hissed, gritting her teeth as the sting escalated to a burn from the repeated impacts, a rippling trickle of heat that burned beneath the topmost layers of skin.
THWACK
"T-two!"
THWACK
"Th-three!"
The smacks continued, the blosom of pain shooting outward from the softness of her backside and receding again, the buzz left behind growing stronger as more and more strikes landed on the same spot, tenderising the flesh and leaving its burning mark.
"T-ten," she finished, her eyes watering. She waited for the next one to land, dreading its coming, but it didn't. Instead, there was a pause, her abused rear left to stew in the aftermath. Cautiously, she turned her head, trying to see what was behind her. One of her cheeks burned, glowing with heat and sensitivity, while the other remained cool and still, the border where blazing nerves met tranquility seeming to run between her legs. She felt dread begin to swell up inside her at the realisation of what that meant, and where she was. Not now, she thought to herself. Not here!
"I told you it would take longer if you resisted," Starlight commented, unseen behind the punished mare. "You don't need to be told that the longer it takes, the more unpleasant it will be for you, so it's in your interest-" She trailed off, the soft sound of sniffing reaching Moondancer's ears, which folded in shame. "Are...is that...?" The unicorn trailed off, and Moondancer whimpered as she walked around to face the student from the front. "Miss Moondancer, could you please explain to me why you are aroused right now?"
It had taken fourteen smacks to her rear before one singular cheek had glowed as bright as an emergency warning light, but all it had taken for both of her cheeks to blaze into a fiery red was a simple question from the authority she had so easily dismissed and mocked not five minutes earlier.
"I-I don't know," she muttered, averting her eyes, unable to look at the other mare in her current state. "I mean, I-I'm not aroused, I-I'm just...um..."
"We don't lie in this school," Starlight reminded her. "I'll ask you again; why are you so aroused right now?"
"I...I..."
The headmare tutted and shook her head in a display of disappointment. "It looks like you've been skipping your honesty classes. It looks like you need some private tuition..." The unicorn returned swiftly to her place behind the bound pony, and with a flick of magic, opened the door to her office, allowing it to swing open wide. "...about the importance of openness and transparency."
Before Moondancer could object, the swatter was brought down against the untouched side of her bum, smacking loudly and sharply against the supple globe. She yipped, the sensation exacerbated by the fact that her vocalisations were now flowing freely into the hallways of the school itself, and that anypony passing by would have a clear line of sight to her quivering buttocks and dampening crotch. She forgot to count for the first few strikes, and so they continued until she remembered, her humiliation intensifying the pain...or pleasure?...of her situation. By the time the punishment stopped, she was panting, her lower lips thick and engorged, and her body flushed with need.
Follow the star - instead of being scared of being caught, you live for the risk.
"Why are you aroused, Moondancer? Is it because you have a crush on your headmare?"
"N-no..."
"Is it because you like this office so much?"
"No..."
"Is it because you're a dirty, disobedient slut who knows deep down that you're a bad pony, and you need discipline and correction? Because, despite your disrespect, you crave punishment?"
The silence was enough to confirm the truth, and Starlight smirked knowingly as she pulled back, releasing the magic holding her student's hooves to the floor. Opening the drawer again, Starlight tossed the fly swatter back inside before withdrawing a very different object, which she had to fiddle with before it was ready to use to inflict...sensations...on her charge.
"Come around to my side of the desk, now," the headmare ordered sternly, her cold tone laden with hot excitement. The student obeyed, her normal tendencies overridden by a much more primal instinct, pausing to gawk at the contraption that Starlight had strapped to her loins before she was told, "Lean on the table, and spread those hindlegs."
Moondancer knew what was coming - it was impossible to not know, given the sight that greeted her when she rounded the corner of the desk - and with equal parts anxious trepidation and eager excitement, she did as she was bade, lifting her front half over the headmare's desk and rest her barrel against the hardwood. Her rear legs shifted, exposing her now-drenched marehood for the teacher's pleasure. She shivered as the teacher reared up and planted forehooves either side of her, trapping her between furinture and the implaccable, authoritative mare.
"Shouldn't I suck it before you shove it in?" Moondancer suggested, her quim winking at the thought of debasing herself like that. "To m-make it easier to...to..." She trailed off, trying not to drool as the crown nudged her inner thigh and grazed passed her labia.
"No need," Starlight commented, a low chuckle residing behind the words. "You're plenty wet already, you naughty filly." The flat head of the toy brushed over the sodden delta, nudged the right way by Starlight's magic and precise, all-too-skillful guidance. "One more thing." She waited for Moondancer to give a curious huh? before she leaned close, making sure her breath ran hot against the flickering ear of her student, and huffed huskily, "You're not allowed to finish until I give you express permission."
The bespectacled unicorn's objection was washed away in the rush of breath as she was penetrated, the leverage of Starlight's hips pushing the silicone length past the gates of the mare's dripping delta and spreading the student around the enviable girth. Inch after inch of firmness steadily entered the groaning pony, smoothly gliding up her waiting canal until Starlight's groin came to rest against her rear. The headmare had been correct; Moondancer was wet and ready enough to take it straight, but the dildo was big, and just the first push had been a squeeze. It had filled her perfectly, her walls hugging the intruder tightly and making sure there wasn't any more room that could be used.
Follow the star- you'll feel full to the brim, and you'll think it's the best thing you could ever have inside you.
Moondancer was given the minimal amount of time to adjust, allowed to relax from the gentle but intense penetration before Starlight withdrew, easing the fake shaft from the student's clinging depths until only the crown remained entombed. A slow rhythm began, tortuously slow for the whimpering, panting pony, the back-and-forth drag against her walls pulling a warbling melody from her like a bow drawing across a violin. It felt like a performance, keeping to a pace and a strength that required poise as well as precision, the bespectacled mare playing the part of a well-tuned instrument who gave the desired pitch and expression.
The groans and poorly stifled transitioned to panting as the headmare accelerated, gradually upping the pace to keep the pony beneath her in a constant state of painful pleasure, adjusting so that Moondancer getting used to the sensations was offset by just enough to restore how she'd been feeling all along. The result was a whining, whinging pony, overhwelmed with a constant stream of bliss but unable to get that satisfaction of being pushed over the edge. It was almost long-term edging, and Starlight lived for the sounds her cute little student was making. It took just as much restraint on her part to not give in and plow this cutie properly, but she knew she had to keep herself in line. What good would it do to discipline, to punish, this harlot if she was just going to display the same behaivour herself? No, she was a role model, first and foremost, and she had to lead by example.
And so she thrusted mechanically, her pace precisely measured and her angle constant to rub and brush at all of the sensitive spots along her student's tunnel, the medial ring and the rotunda of her tip seeking out every last inch that could be exploited and toyed with. It didn't take long to reach a stroke a second, but for Moondancer, it must've felt like a lifetime, like a wave that never crashed after crowning, despite all reason telling her it should've by now. The yellowish grey mare writhed, pushing back against the headmare who was unerringly stuffing her full, and tensing and slumping as her body tried to coax that little extra pleasure that would ultimately satisfy her, but if never came.
"St-Starlight," she whined at last. "I'm close, I'm so close, please-"
"Uh-uh," the purple pony sing-songed, fighting to keep the sadistic glee from her voice. "You're not here to enjoy yourself, are you? You're here to learn discipline, and you still need to learn the basics of honesty." She slowed her thrusting, allowing Moondancer's pleasure to fall for the first time since their session began. "Admit why you're aroused."
"I-I don't know-" the bottoming mare began, whining loudly as Starlight slowed down even more. "No, please, I don't know why, I'm just so horny!"
"What does that make you?"
"A...a..."
"Slut?"
"...y-yes..."
"Then say it. Admit what you are."
"I...I'm a...a..s-slut..."
"Say it with confidence."
"I'm...a slut..." She shivered as the purple pony's movements began again. "I'm a slut, headmare Glimmer."
"Why are you telling me? You need to be honest with yourself, not me. Admit it, loudly."
"But..." The student glanced at the open door. "S-somepony might hear..."
"That's what being honest means. Be open about who you are." As encouragement, Starlight sped up further, making sure to plunge deep and offer smaller, quicker jerks of her hips, something to nudge her student in the right direction. A few seconds passed in silence, the enormity of the task before the unicorn taking a while to overcome, until-
"I-I'm a slut," Moondancer announced, loud enough that anypony else in the room would've heard, had they been there. Starlight said nothing, and the mare beneath her picked up on what was needed. "I'm a slut. I'm a slut. I'm a slut!" With every utterance, she became more vocal, her speech becoming a declaration, and then an exclamation. "I'm a slut! I'm a filthy, horny slut!" Excitement crept into her tone, as if confessing had lifted an oppressive weight on her, and she was finally able to be free. "I'm a dirty, filthy, exhibitionist slut!"
Starlight's depth of penetration, speed, and power matched Moondancer's enthusiasm, increasing in synch with her charge's rising comfort in being who they both knew she really was. The exclamations became shouts, her voice echoing down the halls of the school and filling the ears of dozens of imaginary students, all of whom hypothetically pricked up and looked in the direction of the degeneracy flowing from the headmare's office. The words became less coherent, less forced and structured, and more and more interwoven with noises of pleasure and lust, until the words themselves were tossed around in a sea of depraved need and salacious groaning.
"Harder, please," the slut begged, her back begininng to arch. "I need to cum, headmare! Please make me cum like the dirty filly I am! I want to cum all over your fat throbbing cock!"
Starlight shivered at the words directed at her, this cute, adorable, meek pony acting every bit the libertine slave of lust and desire that she was, deep down. It felt so good, so right, and despite herself, despite how much she'd changed as a pony, she felt that familiar lick of cruel, domineering satisfaction at having somepony under her control again, brainwashed and utterly at her mercy. This little pony was hers to shape, to improve, to use for whatever purposes she wanted, and it felt good. Shivering in delight, she leaned in close, breathing a single hot command into her student's ear:
"Cum for your mistress.
To say it was loud would be an understatement; Starlight had never heard the socially reserved bookworm scream like she did when the tsunami of her climax finally hit, coursing through her tensed body and firing every nerve in its path. If the school hadn't been empty, the noise would've alerted anypony in the grounds, and as it was, she was lucky Ponyville was used to the roars of monsters from the Everfree Forest that they'd probably accept that as an explanation. The grip around the toy jammed deep in her marehood tripled, becoming a vice-tight hold that pulled and pulsed, demanding more pleasure, more power, more of what had just happened. Starlight's thrusts became uneven as she tried to pushed past the powerful contractions, dragging her shaft through the soft valley squeezing down, feeling drips splashing against her hindlegs as she yanked the psudeo-cock from its cosy confines and stuffed it back home.
Moondancer took a good minute after she'd finished to stop quaking and clenching down intermittently with aftershocks, and Starlight waited with the patience built up over a year of being in charge of a school to allow the mare to regain her breath. As soon as the student raised her head from the desk, though, she resumed her thrusting, throwing away precision and technique and giving into her base desires, ramming deep and making this self-confessed slut feel every iota of the desire she'd held in check while she taught this naughty mare how to act. It was a simple, unbridled fucking, brutally slamming into the bespectacled mare from behind over a table where students usually came for advice, facing an open door where anycreature could - in theory - walk past and see the utter impropriety and decadence occurring, if they didn't hear or smell it first. Starlight pointed this out to her student, asking what would happen if one of her friends came past, or a professor, or even Princess Twilight.
Moondancer's response was to climax again.
By the fourth orgasm, there was a puddle at their hooves, the dripping so significant it was nearly a stream of marejuice, a string of pussydrool leaking from their unabashed depravity. Moondancer was still begging for more, showing just how disgustingly whorish she was, and Starlight rewarded her like a bad girl should be. With her legs growing tired, and her own loins burning like a furnace, she finally pulled out in a single pull, leaving the hole gaping and winking, the flushed interior flesh red with use and slick with arousal - that which wasn't coating the schlong that had been ravaging it.
Despite being shaky on her hooves, Moondancer slipped from the desk with the slightest prompting, her face flushed and her mane tousled and messy, her glasses adorably and sexily askew, and slipped onto the floor, drooling as she came face-to-face with the dick that had been drilling her.
Follow the star - you'll be able to smell it as if it were real, and it'll drive you mad with desire.
Moondancer rubbed her face all over the black surface, uncaring as to how messy it made her fur, before sniffing the musky reek of it and dragging her tongue up and down its smooth, shining plastic. It didn't take any suggestion for her to suckle the cock, bobbing her head up and down and moaning lewdly, eyes closed as she indulged in her own needs. As hot as it was, and as much as it did to turn her on, Starlight was already on the edge, and suckling on a lifeless cock didn't do much to push her over the edge, so she leaned back on her chair, spread her legs, and shoved Moondancer's head down further.
Starlight didn't consider herself to have a hair-trigger, but she hadn't met anypony as enthusiastic as Moondancer, either; the tongue delved deep into her delta, the muzzle snuffled and huffed and inhaled noisily, drinking in the juices and the odour of lust-drunk unicorn, and with a simple suckle on her nub, it was over. In her role as headmare, she had to be mature and professional, and so when she was driven into the most powerful orgasm she'd ever experienced, she let out a barrage of expletives, unable to control herself as her world dissolved into bright colours and impossible shapes, stars shooting through her mind long after she'd stopped making a mess over her student's face.
She didn't bother taking off the strapon as she embraced Moondancer, panting heavily and slumping to the ground with her friend in her forelimbs. It was too much effort, and all she could do was breathe and try to keep some semblance of balance. After however much time had past, she let out a contented sigh, nuzzling the other unicorn gently.
"Wow," she breathed, giggling.
"Good for you?" her friend asked, somehow sounding collected, as if she hadn't drenched the floor with enough liquid to fill a sink.
"A-amazing," Starlight answered, grinning widely. "We sh-should d-do it again sometime."
"An hour for drinks?"
"An-?" Starlight asked, blinking. "Y-you're...t-today?"
"How long are the students away?"
"Until next week." Despite how demanding it sounded, the headmare couldn't pretend that she was opposed to the idea. She'd only had one orgasm, after all.
"Enough time to teach me the other Elements of Harmony?"
Starlight shook her head in disbelief, a grin widening over her muzzle as she admired the mare's ambition.
"Okay," she agreed, summoning a pendant from thin air. "Follow the star..."
