What Comes Before Love

Whenever Twilight thought of molestation, she thought of bergamot.

The floral, kind of citrusy fruit was actually quite rare in her home dimension. Cadance, the Alicorn Princess of Love, still took regular trips across the portal to the human island of Bali in order to secure her own supply. The extraction of the yellowish rind, paired with lavender, made for a delightfully fragrant soap.

That was perfect for Cadance, who never used perfume. She’d always preferred more subtle scents, the ones you never even realized had already crept into your subconscious until a random shift of the wind made the tears stream unbidden down your cheeks, while forgotten events projected themselves anew upon your waking mind. The rose-hued princess loved many things, but she especially enjoyed using the sense of smell as a tool of manipulation. It was a particularly insidious form of mind control.

The equation was simple: (time x habit)=conditioning. Aroma was a powerful value of the habit variable, but not a necessary one. Any sort of sensual affirmation, applied with regularity, would do.

But scent provided the strongest, longest-lasting results. Twilight was living proof.

It wasn’t until she’d fully analyzed her life upon adulthood that she realized why her former foal sitter always bathed herself before a night of rape. It wasn’t because Cadance wanted to embrace her victim with a clean body, though Twilight had always been glad for that small mercy. Neither was it some kind of serial criminal’s ritual. That would come later, after the older alicorn’s psychosis had developed more fully.

Bergamot is a bright, bracing fragrance, very good at waking up a foal in the middle of the night. It only takes a few instances of association. After that, the aroma gains the ability to invade dreams as surely as Luna herself, snatching a young pony out of her gentle slumber and into heart-pounding wakefulness. The scent also becomes a noise amplifier, making the approaching sounds of hooves on stair steps and panting, excited breaths an order of magnitude louder.

And even if you would use forbidden magics to muddle a victim’s memories after the act, leaving behind the tastes of placating ice cream and vague physical pleasure, you might purposefully keep the scent of bergamot untouched. Eventually, the young pony could even take a liking to the same type of soap, using it all the time so she could be just like her beloved foal-sitter. This way, no matter where or when, as long as the two of you are together, your cock can get hard at the thought of that secret connection — conditioning goes both ways, after all.

Then you can break every furtive promise made in the terrible darkness as you give yourself a nice soak before the next violation. Yes, bergamot is an amazing substance.

Twilight once considered wiping every trace of the fruit from existence — an act that would have been difficult as a unicorn, even considering her preternatural talents. Of course, as the present day’s Element of Magic, such a feat would be simple…but there was no need now for such childish actions.

And in any case, bergamot still had its uses.

Twilight sighed as she gingerly opened dark, expressive eyes that had seen more than might be expected for an alicorn of her age. She found herself laying on her side toward a rocky brown surface, and she turned over on the straw-filled bed, arching her back as she allowed the meager details of her prison cell to once again fill her awareness. Morning sunlight poured in from the slitted window above her, illuminating the three sandstone walls of a standard Canterlot dungeon, with the fourth taken up by solid-looking bars of an unknown metal.

Well…it was reasonably clean, thank goodness. Twilight’s gaze strayed to the small wooden desk along one wall, with a single bookshelf just above containing a few of her favorite classics. The furnishings were products of Celestia’s criminal justice reforms, granted to every prisoner no matter their crime, and although Twilight’s more radical suggestions had not yet been implemented, these were at least a step in the right direction. Eliminating debtor’s prisons and providing mental health resources to ex-cons would have to come later, the young alicorn supposed.

Twilight sat up onto her star-emblazoned rump, putting a hoof to her brow as she shook out the cobwebs of old, familiar memories. She needed to get her head in the game post-haste, before the guest of honor arrived. The alicorn had made all the preparations she could, but it was a rare plan that survived contact with the enemy. That lesson had been proper fucked into her, and no mistake.

“You don’t have to do this.” The tinny voice in Twilight’s earpiece was imperious, but the hint of concern she could hear was akin to a heartfelt plea considering the source. “In fact, you would be objectively better off dispensing with this whole scheme and serving out your sentence in peace. You don’t need to be as old as me and my sister to know how vengeance usually turns out. Won’t you walk away while you still can, Twilight?”

Twilight raised her eyes to the stone ceiling as she pretended to consider Luna’s words. She gave it a few moments.

“You’ve seen Cadance’s dreams in 8K…dreams that I’m sure you never want to see again.” Twilight’s voice was disconcertingly childish, with the barest hint of a lisp. “Neither you nor Celestia would have any idea about the scope of her crimes without my memory manipulation research. You should be thanking me instead of treating me like a foal in need of a life lesson. Besides, that’s your sister’s schtick.”

Luna’s uncomfortable pause said much, but the Night Regent pressed further. “Twilight. You know we’re grateful for your help. Your sentence has already been lightened because of your efforts, and our investigation is progressing apace due to the…evidence you’ve uncovered, but we are a kingdom of laws, and there is a process that needs to be followed. Justice will come, for you and all her other victims. Why can’t you trust that? Why can’t you trust us?”

The Twilight of a few years ago would have scoffed at Luna’s entreaty, finding her legal idealism a patronizing joke. But the current Twilight heard the hurt behind the words, and she fought to steel her heart before answering.

“Why are you asking me these questions, and not Celestia?”

“Twilight…” There was another pause, longer this time. The young alicorn could almost hear Luna squirming behind her monitoring devices. “My dear sister sometimes has more of a…medieval idea of what’s fair and what’s not. There’s a reason we still have dungeons under the castle, after all. That doesn’t mean she’s always right, and it doesn’t mean you have to follow in her footsteps.”

Twilight frowned as she slipped to the floor, stretching her stubby legs in preparation for whatever might happen. “Celestia’s sense of justice is pretty much the only thing we have in common. I’ll never be like her. Or you. Or anyone else, except myself.”

Despite her declaration, she was somewhat surprised at her own composure as she waited for her visitor. Her hooves were steady, and her wings unruffled. She was as primed as she’d ever be. “I’m not an idiot, Luna. I know she feels like she owes me this — which she does — and I’m taking advantage of that. I don’t care. To paraphrase Dr. Parvotti, you can all eat a dick. By the time I’m done, Cadance is going to see herself for what she truly is, and the sight is going to break her. I promise you that. All you have to do is exactly what I told you to do. Are we clear?”

Luna’s angry tsk from the earpiece justified the whole rant. “You used to have much more respect for the royal personages, Princess of Magic.”

“Oh, I respect both of you. More than you’ll ever know,” Twilight said as her ears swiveled toward a long-awaited sound. “You’re still assholes, though. Now, hush. It’s time for me to get in character.”

A thin, lavender-pink pony strode in front of the cell, familiar yet different in subtle ways. Her youthful alicorn ascension had always made her one of the taller ponies in Twilight’s life, not least due to the majestic horn upon her forehead that seemed to have grown in the past few hundred years, but the golden highlights in her hair and the heart-shaped crystal on her flank marked her without a doubt as the one and only Mi Amore Cadenza, Alicorn Princess of Love.

Twilight suppressed the urge to retch.

As Cadance looked the bars up and down, her curiosity plain on a face tinged with just the barest hint of eyeshadow, the younger alicorn found herself once again struck by her former foal-sitter’s poise and beauty, second only to Celestia herself. Somehow, she combined the confidence of a rockstar with the nurturing vibe of a nurse. If she hadn’t known any better, Twilight might have been somewhat intimidated.

A certain aroma wafted into the cell, and Twilight, despite all her foreknowledge and mental preparation, convulsed violently before she could stop herself.

Cadance gasped as she finally locked eyes with Twilight, who cursed under her breath at the involuntary show of weakness. “Oh, Twilight, love. To see you under such circumstances breaks my heart in two. Are you ill? Has this drafty old place brought even the Princess of Magic low?”

Cadance’s lilting words of concern, bright as a summer morning yet filled with fake sincerity, helped to steady Twilight’s nerves. “Hey, Cady. It’s great to see you, even if I’m…in here. I guess it is a little chilly, but don’t worry about it. I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a few stories to tell. I’d like to hear them sometime. My, my…it seems like only yesterday I was cleaning ice cream off your muzzle. Where does the time go?”

There it was. Little references like that were like a speedball to ponies of her persuasion, and they always had to have one close at hand in the presence of a victim. It was all about the knowledge imbalance. Even if your mind doesn’t remember, your body does…or something like that. Cadance had already started in on her little games, and they would come more frequently from here.

Good.

Twilight pasted on a smile that she hoped would be interpreted as shamefully self-deprecating as she trotted over to the bars separating the two of them, and her mind swam with momentary double vision, recalling a younger, hungrier version of the alicorn before her. Less than a foot of distance, to make up for a lifetime. Her hoof twitched with the desire to reach forward and…

Vorfreude. Vorfreude.

“Time waits for no one,” Twilight said cheerfully. “Even us alicorns, who can live for thousands of years, have never been able to break that law. Spend a few hours down in the Archives sometime and you’ll find the stories of many who tried.”

Cadance winced at the suggestion. “I’ll leave the research to those a touch more suited for it. Book dust plays hell on my sinuses.” She glanced left, then right, wrinkling her pert nose in confusion. “The security down here is rather lacking, isn’t it? I haven’t seen another guard since the entrance. One might’ve thought you, of all ponies, would rate a closer watch, what with…you know. Everything.”

She certainly was taking her time getting to the what’s and why’s of Twilight’s imprisonment. Was she that repulsed? Or was there something else going on? The young alicorn tried to calm her racing mind as she watched the other’s movements closely.

Cadance peered at the prison door, raising a hoof to the metal bars. “I mean, I doubt some pig iron like this could — AH!” She stumbled backward, and her rump hit the far wall as a shower of sparks lit up the shadowed hallway. The smell of ozone temporarily — thankfully — forced the smell of bergamot out of Twilight’s nostrils.

“...fucking hell…ahem. I suppose I should have expected as much.” Cadance shook the numbness out of her hoof as she tried to regain her composure. “There must be enough magical energy surrounding this cell to power Manehattan for a year. A Celestia special?”

“Indeed it is. Sorry, I should have mentioned it. Hold on, let me.” Twilight’s stubby horn glowed with a soft purple light, and the shine on the bars seemed to dull all at once.

The young alicorn tapped the door with gentle force, and it silently swung outward. “Care to join me?”

It was truly fascinating, reading the expressions that flashed across Cadance’s face in an instant. Envy…anger…admiration…and yes, fear. That was the most important one.

“I…yes…thank you.” Cadance had probably never been so caught off guard in her life as she sidled past Twilight into the cell. “But…wait…you really could have done that anytime?”

“There’s isn’t a prison in Canterlot that can hold me, Cady. That’s not a brag. It’s just the basic fact.” Of course, it was a brag, and it had the desired effect. Twilight chuckled at the older alicorn’s nervousness, shutting the door with a little more force than was necessary and causing a loud clang to resonate in the dank air. “Honestly, the shock bars are more to keep ponies out than to keep me in. I’ve made a lot of enemies, and I have to sleep somewhere. Might as well be here.”

“Tick, tock,” Luna whispered into Twilight’s ear. The alicorn ignored the warning as she turned back to Cadance. She was going to enjoy this, and she was going to take her time doing it, schedule or no.

“Honestly, I also just want to do my time, and try to make things right. I won’t claim innocence, and I won’t downplay the seriousness of my crimes. Everything got so, so messed up, for so many reasons, but…what’s done is done. All I can do now is take responsibility.”

Cadance looked at Twilight with something like respect. “Twi, love —“

“I’m not the pony I used to be, just like you’re no longer my foal-sitter.” Twilight gestured to the bed, offering a seat. “We’ve all changed, Cady. Some less than others,” she said as the citrusy scent returned, “but we’ve all changed.”

“Yet, some things stay the same,” Cadance said as she sank a hoof into the hay-filled mattress. “Ooh. Surprisingly plush. Must have shipped the straw in fresh from Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Only the best.”

The older alicorn tittered as she hopped upon the mattress, patting a spot next to her. If she was still unnerved, she hid it well. “Come on, love. No need to be bashful, not with me. No matter what you’ve done, I’ll never abandon my dear Twi, so don’t distance yourself. Please.”

At least there was an excuse for Twilight’s reluctance. Slowly, she joined Cadance on the plush bedding, trying to make all her motions look as casual as possible while leaving a modicum of space between the two of them.

Cadance had other ideas. She quickly slid her pert flank sideways, pressing her hip against Twilight’s and putting a foreleg around the younger alicorn’s waist. The sweet citrus aroma suddenly became cloying, like overripe fruit, and Twilight had to use every ounce of self control she possessed to keep from bolting.

She did not, at least, hug back. There was only so much she could make herself do.

“Some things are constant,” Cadance sighed as she lightly stroked Twilight’s flank. “Somewhere in there, there’s the same cute little foal I took care of over 300 years ago. She’s a little older, a little wilder, but she’s there, probably still stuffing her face with raspberry vanilla swirl.” She chuckled at the memory while she snuggled closer. “You were my favorite, you know that? I had a lot of business back then, but I always looked forward to my time with you. That foal was so loving, so gentle. I know she still exists. I know it.”

The younger alicorn swallowed hard. Loving…gentle…pliant…eager to please. She’d long ago understood that Cadance’s sins were hers and hers alone, but Twilight’s yearning for affection hadn’t exactly made things difficult. She’d worked hard to excise those troublesome aspects of herself over the years, and not always to her benefit. But situations like this made the effort worth it.

“It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself.” The sadness in Twilight’s voice was not entirely affected. “You do know what I’m in for, don’t you? I’m sure Shining told you all about it.”

Cadance shook her head. “Shiny didn’t become Captain of the Guard by blabbing about state business, even to his wife. I did hear a few things here and there through the royal grapevine, but I wanted to get the truth from you…as long as you’re comfortable talking about it…and if you still trust me, of course.” She batted eyes moistened with tears.

Instead of laughing in the princess’ face, Twilight shrugged. “It was nothing much, really. Just a little attempted genocide and ecoterrorism, with a side of pony experimentation for flavor. No big deal.”

Cadance’s reaction was not what Twilight expected. Instead of recoiling in horror, her look became pensive, and her stroking hoof began to roam, moving up and down the younger alicorn’s leg. “Incredible. I’d almost say it’s unbelievable, but…oh, but you had to have had a good reason for what you did, I’m sure. Mitigating circumstances…isn’t that the term? You’re not some kind of monster, Twi.”

“Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, Cady. Now that you know the score, I’d suggest you cut ties with me while you can. For your own sake.” Yeah, right. No way she’d be able to resist that softball.

Cadance’s response, from the widened eyes to the offended tone, was true to form. “Perish the thought, young filly. Times like these are when you need a friend the most, and besides, how could I call myself the Princess of Love if I abandoned you to the hatreds of others? You can depend on me, Twi, I swear it.”

“It’s great to hear that, Cady.” It really, really was. “Sorry for doubting you. I haven’t had many real companions over the past few centuries except for paranoia and obsession.”

“You poor, poor dear. Come here.” Cadance cradled Twilight’s head in the crook of her neck, and she stroked her mane tenderly. “Don’t worry about anything at all as long as I’m here. Why not talk about what happened? You can confide in me about whatever you want. Your secrets will be safe, you know that.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “Look, Cady…I’m not proud of what I did. I…” Twilight shook her head. A little truth was needed to shape the lies to come. “No, I can’t say that. I put every bit of myself into that scheme — all my power, all my knowledge, all my skill. It should have been a foolproof plan, but in the end, Celestia made me the fool. Beings like her make the ‘best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry,’ as Burns said.”

Cadance frowned, slowing her gentle caresses. “I’m, ah…not too familiar with art from the other side of the portal, I’m afraid. To be quite frank, I didn’t think humans were that…enlightened.”

Did she even care about humanity aside from the ranchers that grew her precious bergamot? Twilight knew she was being wildly hypocritical after what she’d tried to do, but Cadance’s ignorance left a bad taste in her mouth.

Outwardly, she shrugged. “They’re not that different from us, really. A little smaller and weaker, but shockingly insightful sometimes. The point is, Cady, I wasn’t strong enough to see my plan through. Another pony with more will, and maybe more luck, might have succeeded. It doesn’t matter now, though. That’s all done.”

“Mmm.” Twilight could sense Cadance’s pulse quicken through her alicorn-enhanced perception. So it was a power play after all. The right information given in a moment of weakness — information that she wouldn’t tell Celestia, but she might confess to her favorite foal sitter — could be worth much to an ambitious princess.

Sly little cunt, this one.

“It sounds to me,” Cadance said, moving her roving hoof down to the side of Twilight’s barrel, “that you haven’t quite let go of all the things roiling inside, pushing you to commit these terrible acts. Why don’t you unburden yourself, love? Start at the beginning. What caused such a good pony like yourself to go down such a dark road? Was it the humans? Did those creatures do something to you?”

The funny thing was, Cadance’s suggestion hadn’t been far wrong. It was rather refreshing for Twilight to be able to talk about such things without fear of judgment, knowing that her listener would soon be judged herself, in her own way.

“You might find this hard to believe, but the humans were simply caught in the crossfire. There was nothing personal there — like I said, I actually respect many of them. It was more a matter of wanting to hurt Celestia than anything else.”

“Oh, my, my. You were willing to destroy an entire ecosystem just to get back at your teacher. That’s almost impressive. Was that ugliness something she taught you?”

Cadance actually sounded very impressed, which was unnerving. “You’re more right than you know, Cady. Let me show you something.”

“Two hours,” Luna whispered as Twilight magically floated a strange looking book from the shelf across the room toward the bed. The young alicorn silently acknowledged the words of caution. Plenty of time still.

The book dropped into Twilight’s hoof with a dreadful heft — considering all the enchanted metal plates and chains embedded into the reinforced frame, giving it the size and thickness of an encyclopedia volume, it had to weigh a couple hundred kilos if a gram. Yet, there was no thought of overkill when it came to this tome…not considering the revelations carefully inscribed within.

“This is my personally copied version of a book that I found in the deepest part of the Archives,” Twilight explained with appropriate gravitas. “It’s a record of the earliest history of Canterlot, and the adventures of a certain alicorn named Tia of the Dawn. Celestia doesn’t use that name much anymore, but I think she still has some affection for it.”

Cadance didn’t even try to hide her shock. “Heaven and hell, Twilight. Celestia has never spoken of her past, to anyone! Do you understand what a priceless historical artifact this is?”

As if Cadance gave a shit about history. But Twilight only nodded, setting the book upon her lap and allowing the other alicorn to crane her neck for a better look at the purple sigils engraved upon the golden cover. “The original’s about a thousand years old and barely holding together, so I did some hardcore re-binding backed by a few unreasonably powerful protective spells…spells that ward against curious ponies, and not just dust mites. Celestia doesn’t know that I know about it…at least, I don’t think she does. It can be hard to tell with her.”

Cadance looked up at Twilight with eyes full of wonder. “Protective spells? Are the secrets in this text that dangerous?”

Twilight hesitated. She watched Cadance’s reactions carefully as she replied. “Dangerous? In a sense, I guess. Look. Celestia was very much not the same pony she is today. She did…things…back then. Terrible things. Some were out of necessity, without which Canterlot as we know it would not exist, and some she did because…because she wanted to. Because she enjoyed doing them.“

This was the test. As much as she wanted to deny it, there was a sliver of doubt in Twilight’s heart about Cadance’s current state of mind. Ponies did change, after all. What if she’d been filtering this whole conversation through the unreliable mind of a cynic? If there was any remorse in the older alicorn’s heart…any self-reflection, any growth…well, she’d still have to be punished, but it wouldn’t be personal to Twilight anymore. Her conscience was still too new to be very flexible. She wouldn’t be able to fully commit to her enemy’s destruction. Cadance’s fate was in her own hooves now.

Cadance stroked the cover of the oversized book with the same gentleness she’d given to Twilight. “Goodness. I never would have thought…but her strength of will…it does make sense. I think I understand. The world isn’t ready to hear such unvarnished truth. Not yet.”

Twilight said nothing as she let the critical moment play out.

Cadance gently, yet insistently, took the book from Twilight’s lap and placed it on her own. “Twi, love. You need to understand that secrets like this…they cannot be borne alone. You have to share them with someone you trust, or they will drive you mad. Let me help carry some of this burden. Believe it or not, I have some experience in such matters.”

Almost. Twilight bit her lip, as if reluctant to speak. “The thing is, Cady…I was kind of…fascinated by some of the passages I read. They were…intriguing. Exciting. Every chapter was another horrible escalation that only made me want to know more about this distorted version of Celestia. In a very real sense, she was still teaching me, but what I was learning about myself was…”

Twilight paused to collect her thoughts. “Tia of the Dawn showed no hesitation. No remorse. She did whatever she wanted to do, she never looked back, and she founded an empire. Tia was an inspiration.” There was a little truth to soften more lies. “I would never have even attempted my plan without this book.”

Now was the hour of testament or condemnation. “Cadance…have you ever felt like that? Have you ever willingly hurt people, and felt no regret afterward? Or maybe even…wanted to do it again?”

Cadance averted her eyes and went silent as she considered the most important decision of her life, one whose consequences would ripple throughout Canterlot. Twilight wondered if her own pounding heart was audible to the older alicorn. Then she wondered what she would do if she was completely wrong about Cadance…if she’d made some kind of mistake in her investigation, or if she herself had been manipulated. Memory alteration seemed to be more common than she’d initially imagined, after all. Believing that anyone could be completely immune was the height of hubris. It was almost as silly as directly threatening the life of one of Celestia’s lovers. What could possibly go wrong?

At last, Cadance turned back to Twilight, and the conviction in her eyes said everything before a word left her lightly rouged lips. “This confidence of ours…it goes both ways, all right? Promise me that you will say nothing about what I tell you. Not to Celestia, not to any of the Legends…not to anyone. Promise me, Twi.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course, Cady.” Heaven and hell, it was so utterly liberating to make a promise to someone’s face with the full intention of breaking it! Even Tia of the Dawn kept her oaths. Was this what it felt like to be a sociopath?

Cadance put her forehead to Twilight’s, and the gesture now had a new intensity, a new intimacy. She took the younger alicorn’s hoof in her own, and lay them both on the cover of the book as if they were about to about to be wed. Then she took a deep breath.

“I have a certain hobby, Twi. It’s one that most ponies would never be able to countenance. No, they would fear it, and cast me out for it, but I cannot stop…even if I wanted to. I would have certainly have been discovered long ago if not for Shiny, who not only fully accepts this part of me, but actively helps me practice it. I will always love him for that alone. My strange little pursuit has been completely solitary since before I took care of you, and finally being able to share in it has been like a miracle.”

Twilight could not mask her shock. Shining Armor was in on all this? It scarcely seemed possible for the upright Captain of the Guard to make himself into an accessory to Cadance’s heinous crimes…but then again, he was famously devoted to his wife, and not even his close family, to say nothing of his lieutenants, knew much about his private life. If this could be corroborated…no. No, no, no. Not Shining.

“You’re right,” Twilight said, trying to keep the quaver out of her voice. The hoof in Cadance’s lap squirmed under the book to gently caress a spot between the older alicorn’s thighs, occasionally giving a teasing stroke to the tight crease deep within. Twilight was done being coy. “Telling someone else about your passions, and having them be accepted, is simply wonderful. There’s such pleasure in it…such a sense of release.”

The young alicorn tossed the book to the side, making the hay in the bed crunch under its weight as she spread Cadance’s legs, revealing a poochy, fat-lipped pussy that dripped cream upon the bedsheets. “Look at that. Your hobby gives you a lot of pleasure, doesn’t it, Cady? But you have to steal it from others, which is why you dared not tell a soul. It’s a pleasure so addictive that even the Princess of Love is enslaved. No, don’t be surprised; this has all been simple deduction. And I already told you, didn’t I? Your secret is safe.”

“Oh, Twi. Twi.” Cadance began to slowly grind her hips against Twilight’s insistent digit, and her eyes became lidded, sensuous. She trailed tiny, almost timid kisses against Twilight’s thin neck, panting her lust against the younger alicorn’s ear. “The taking of innocence is such an exquisite joy, like nothing else in the world. The parents all trust me, unconditionally, yet they have no idea about the wolf they’ve invited to care for their sheep. Such tiny, helpless sheep…”

Cadance shuddered, and a gush of fresh cream lubricated Twilight’s foreleg as she squeezed it inside, spreading those reddened cunt lips as she went in to the wrist. Yet the young alicorn felt none of her partner’s passion.

There was no more doubt. Not anymore.

“Which way do you swing when you indulge?” Twilight made her voice raspy. “Cock or cunt? Honestly, you strike me as a cock kind of alicorn. It’s all about the penetration, isn’t it? The impalement. And you love to see the fear in their eyes as they take in what you’re packing. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not. You’re not wrong,” Cadance groaned, and her hips moved faster, thrusting harder as she grabbed Twilight’s foreleg and used it like a dildo, fucking herself with deep strokes. “I do like a good, hard dicking as much as the next mare — and Shiny has more than enough to satisfy in that regard — but, oh, Twilight. The struggle. The forcing apart, the slow squeeeeeze into a tiny, tight opening as they scream your name. The bump in the stomach going up…and down…in…and out…deeper…and deeper…and deeper…until the explosion, and a cute little bellyful. Ah, Twi…it’s like magic.”

Cadance slowly pulled Twilight’s hoof out of her steamy pussy, moaning at the sensations and filthy sounds, until the digit emerged coated with white juices. She ahhed as she slurped her own secretions, making the purple hoof sparkle with saliva.

Then she adjusted her position, mounting herself upon Twilight’s lap in a cowgirl style and bringing the two of them face to face. The younger alicorn could feel the heat of Cadance’s cunt against her own, raging furnace-hot as the Princess of Love groaned sweetly, burying her muzzle into Twilight’s indigo-striped mane while she frotted in a steady, unhurried rhythm. A wet slapping sound could be heard with each movement of her slim hips.

“Uh…uh…God in heaven…listen, Twi. Listen to me. Sometimes I have dreams of revealing my fat cock to a mother in the morning, stained with the virgin juices of their precious one. In our excitement, we take the filly together, her and I. That’s my goal, my most fervent wish, but so far, I…I haven’t been able to make it work. I could never take the risk.”

Cadance grasped Twilight’s muzzle, gazing with desperate intensity into her former charge’s dark eyes as she humped faster. “Twi…you could help me, Twi. With your power, you could make my dream a reality. Incest…it’s the final taboo, the seasoning that completes the meal. I want a mother and daughter, Twi. I’d even be willing to share…or you can just watch, if that’s what gets you off. Oh, God…God…it could really happen! Will you help me, love? Please?”

Twilight had become very good at disassociation over the centuries. Forcing herself to commit atrocities under the threadbare banner of justice, she now considered herself an expert at compartmentalizing her mind when she had to do a bit of nastiness. At the moment, most of herself was set apart, watching at a distance as Cadance used her smaller body as a sex toy while confessing her crimes. This part of her clung to that tattered banner with a wild strength, crying over and over that this was all necessary, all part of the plan.

Another, smaller part of herself was grabbing Cadance’s pert ass with both hooves and meeting her thrust for thrust, on the verge of orgasm as she listened to the older alicorn’s hushed pleas. This side of Twilight felt only pleasure as it took in the fantasies spilling from Cadance’s blasphemous lips…except they weren’t fantasies. They were real. The victims were real. Cadance’s mania was real.

But she was about to come. Despite all of it, she was still about to come.

“Twilight. A guard is on his way. I don’t know where he came from, but he’s almost there, and I can’t stop him. I’m sorry, but you’re out of time.”

Luna’s whispered warning in Twilight’s earpiece was a bucket of ice cold water. What had happened? She should have had another hour and a half! Couldn’t the fucking diarchs do one thing right?

Oblivious to the younger alicorn’s mounting panic, Cadance touched her nose against Twilight’s chest and sniffed like a curious dog, inhaling all of their musty scents. She let out a moan as she breathed in the decadent melange….a moan that was abruptly cut short.

“You stopped using my soap, Twi. Why did you do that? You used to love it. What happened?” Her words were curiously lucid, with an edge that immediately put Twilight on alert.

“I lost my supply,” Twilight said, trying to keep any hesitation out of her response. “Your stuff was special. I tried the knock-offs, but there’s nothing like the real thing.” She returned Cadance’s keen stare with her own, challenging look. “Now that we have an understanding, maybe you can let me in on your connections. I’d love to try out the latest blends for myself. After you’ve sampled them, of course.”

Cadance’s face twisted with every word until she was red-cheeked and panting with delirious heat, while her hips slammed against Twilight’s with enough force to bruise a weaker pony. The younger alicorn took it all, letting the fully metaphorical implications drive her former foal-sitter mad with the possibilities.

“Angels above!” Cadance was screaming in Twilight’s face now, and her expression was transcendent. “Do you remember? I want you to remember those nights…those glorious nights! I knew you were one of the special ones, Twi. Let’s start again, the three of us, along with Shiny! Together, we can-“

“What the shit is she doing in there?”

Cadance’s entire body jerked in shock, and she turned at the waist to see the sight that Twilight had expected, but still had no plan for. An armored young colt with a storm grey pelt stood just outside the bars, glaring suspiciously at the two alicorns still entwined atop the rough bedding.

Every explanation Twilight could think of sounded dumber than the last. Ultimately, she decided to try the old standby: pleading ignorance. “Hey, there. Nice to see a guard around here, finally. Just, ah, exercising my conjugal visit rights. I’m sure Captain Armor must have said something. Where’d everybody else go, anyway?” And why weren’t you with them?

“I’m a new recruit. Today’s m’ first day,” he said, looking closely at the bars. “All they told me was to hustle my ass down to the dungeon for my first assignment. Didn’t know it was gonna be you, though.” He kicked a loose pebble toward the prison door, and the three of them watched the stone bounce between the bars into the cell. “That’s weird. Heard this was supposed to be charged up at all times.”

“Rather hard to get in if that’s the case, isn’t it?” Cadance, at least, recognized that she was in almost as much trouble as she tried to pull rank with the haughty authority of an alicorn princess. “As dear Twilight said, everything is fine. If you’d like, you can tell Shining Armor all about it when he returns. Now, if you’ll excuse us-“

“Yeah, no.” The recruit looked freaked out about the whole situation as he began to step away. “I gotta at least let somebody know about this, just so it don’t fall on my head. The upper castle guards are still around, I reckon.” He turned to leave.

This was a hell of a thing to have to deal with on your first day, Twilight had to admit. Unlucky for all of them, though Cadance tried once more to get the colt to see reason. “Recruit! Come back here! This is private business, not for the ears of every leatherneck in the corps! You will keep your muzzle shut, or Shiny will-“

“Shiny will what?”

A basso voice came out of the shadowed hallway. Cadance gasped in shock, while Twilight sighed in relief.

Finally.

Shining Armor stepped into the meager light, blocking the path as he looked down at his newest recruit, who was trying and failing to keep from quailing in fear. His coat was gleaming white and meticulously brushed, drawing full attention to the blue and purple shield on his flank. His silvery armor, true to his name, shone with a pale burnished fire. Many hands higher than any non-alicorn pony not named Big Macintosh, he always cut a stunning figure, though Twilight knew better than most about the keen mind behind the muscles. Cadance would never have married a stupid pony.

“Captain!” The recruit squeaked his surprise. “They said you was gone for the next two weeks! Ah…I assume you’re okay with all this? Sir?”

Shining Armor focused his narrowed eyes on his wife. “I’m not sure. Should I be okay with this, dear?”

Cadance began to sputter, unsure of how to react. “Shiny…love…this isn’t really the time to go into details, but everything’s under control. Better than that, even. Look, why not join us? Twilight has…expanded her consciousness when it comes to love. I’m sure you two can catch up, while I watch. Hm? Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Hello, Big Brother.” Cadance wasn’t kidding about the whole incest thing.

“Hey, Twi. Fucking my wife, huh? That’s cool. Good to have you back.”

The poor recruit looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. “Ooh, know what? I’m just gonna…let you nice folks work this out, while I go clean the head or somethin’. Sir. Ma’am. Ma’am.” And he began to back away as quickly as his legs could move.

“Good idea, Private. You do that.” As Shining spoke, he took a step toward the young recruit while his right hoof flashed into the softest part of the colt’s gray neck. The recruit’s legs gave out beneath him, and he crumpled to the floor in a heap.

“God in heaven!” Cadance started at the quick motion. “Was that really necessary, love? You didn’t hurt the poor pony, did you?”

“Shining has always known how to control his strength,” Twilight said as she hefted the chain-bound tome. “Personally, I’ve found it’s much easer to not even try. You’d better grit your teeth.”

Cadance turned to question Twilight just as a riveted metal corner slammed into her temple. The princess’ body went rigid, flying three centimeters off the bed before landing in an insensate heap.