Back on Duty

There was something important he had to do, but Greg's thoughts slid from his grasp like drops of water on oiled cloth. He managed a brief glimpse and saw that he was in some kind of a room, but Celestia wasn't there with him. The fact was significant, but the reason eluded him. There was a vague sense of unease and foreboding, but that might have been an upcoming difficult meeting in the afternoon.

"Finally."

The voice was new and Gregory struggled to open his eyes again. "Celly?" Talking felt like his mouth was full of wool. He tried to swallow, but became aware of the foul taste. "Ugh..."

There was also the smell which twisted his stomach into unpleasant knots. Gregory turned his head away to escape from it, but that just made the room spin. Moving his head had been a mistake and the nausea swelled. His stomach lurched and there was no stopping it anymore.

He was dimly aware of someone yelling: "Yuck! Not again!"

On the plus side, there wasn't a whole lot of vomit, but since Greg wasn't able to lift his head, that meant it all just trickled down the pillow and smeared on his face and neck. A bit went the wrong way down his windpipe and he coughed weakly.

"Don't you choke on me!" his unseen companion said and Gregory felt himself being turned. He tried to protest before his nose and mouth were ground into the sodden pillow, but the hands which moved him were too strong.

He came face to face with a unicorn. Her blue coat tugged at his memory and Gregory was suddenly afraid. "Spring M-Morning?"

The mare rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you recognize me. For a minute there we thought the teleport gave you brain damage..."

He was still lying in a puddle of his own vomit and Greg tried to push himself upright. Unfortunately his hands barely moved and the effort left him winded. "Tele- Teleport?" he managed to croak out.

"Yeah, you just started throwing up the minute we landed. What's up with that? Do all humans do that?!"

He wasn't able to answer, not while he tried to focus on the sense of danger and urgency, so Greg just shook his head. Again he became aware of the foul taste. "Water..."

The mare sighed and her horn flared with lime light. It was too bright in the dim room and Greg protectively shut his eyes. A few moments later there was a clink and he looked again. His bedside table now had a glass, but it was out of his reach. The man pushed the disquieting worry aside and looked imploringly at the mare.

"H-Help?"

She groaned and muttered: "You gotta be kidding me..." but the magic enveloped him and lifted Greg up to a sitting position.

The wet pillow immediately soaked through the back of his shirt, but he couldn't do anything to avoid that. He took the opportunity to look around the room. It was a nicely appointed bedroom with beige walls and heavy, dark oak furniture. It looked old but well made, finely carved to resemble leaves and flowers. Baroque- that was the word. It spoke of wealth. There was a window, but the curtains were drawn so that very little light came inside. Other than the bed and the table beside it, there was the chair in which Spring Morning was sitting and a wardrobe.

The glass nudged his lips and Gregory remembered how thirsty he was. He managed to get a hand up and touch it, but there was no strength in his fingers to grasp it. He was completely at Spring Morning's mercy and the knowledge made him scared for some reason. Despite that, he opened his mouth and accepted a trickle of water. It helped rid him of the horrible taste in his mouth.

The mare was annoyed at having to do this, but she was patient and attentive, only giving him as much as he could handle. Gradually they finished the class and Greg closed his eyes to focus on his breathing.

Why was he so weak? Something had happened to him...

Suddenly, as if a firecracker had gone off in his mind, the memory exploded. "Y-You kidnapped me!" he accused.

Spring Morning didn't seem bothered by the accusation. "Huh, took you long enough to remember."

"Why?!"

She looked at him for a while without answering and just as Greg was about to repeat the question, the mare spoke up. "Dunno. I do what the boss says."

"Who- boss?"

Spring Morning grinned and shook her head. "Nope. I'm not falling for that. You just sit tight and don't try anything stupid. We have orders to keep you alive, but nopony said I can't break your legs to keep you from escaping."

Gregory couldn't help shrinking back from her icy gaze. He had no doubt Spring Morning would deliver on her threat. His hand slipped back down and landed on a wet spot.

"Ugh..."

"Hey, you did that all by yourself, so don't look at me. Who knew teleporting made you puke your guts out?"

He was about to retort angrily, but it wouldn't have done him any good. Even if they had known how teleportation affected him, Gregory had the feeling they would have gone through with it anyway.

"Change- the bedclothes?" he managed.

Spring Morning's muzzle scrunched up with distaste. "I'm not your bucking foalsitter! I was just here to make sure you didn't choke on your tongue while sleeping, that's all!"

The smell seemed to be getting worse by the minute and Gregory gave her a pleading look. "Please?"

The mare thought about it for a while, then she heaved a sigh and stood up. "I'll go see if somepony can help you," she said and walked to the door. Before leaving, she paused and inspected the man.

"Actually, just in case..." she murmured and her horn flared again. Thick bands of lime magic wrapped around the bed and Gregory, pressing him down. He grimaced as his back was ground into the vomit, but he could do nothing about that except curse, which the mare ignored.

The ethereal ropes bound his arms to his sides and his legs together. "There. Don't go anywhere," Spring Morning said with a smirk.

He hadn't been able to even lift himself, so the magical bounds were completely unnecessary. It felt like Spring Morning was just doing it out of spite or to amuse herself.

"F-Fuck you!"

If she was surprised at the language, the mare didn't show it, but her smile widened. "Just for that, I'll take my sweet time. Enjoy!"

He wanted to say something more, but he didn't want to be left lying in his own filth for the whole day, so Gregory bit back the words. It wasn't easy, especially when Spring Morning noticed and chuckled to herself.

"See? You can be taught to obey. Is this what Celestia does to keep you in line?"

Again it was a struggle not to say anything, but his face showed the mare exactly what he was feeling. She decided not to tease him anymore and just left, still laughing to herself.

Celestia had a difficult decision in front of her. She had joined Blossom and Fluttershy for lunch, but one of the first things the mare had asked was why she hadn't seen Gregory yet that day. What was Celestia supposed to tell her? That the man was missing? That he had been foal-napped, right from under their noses, and was being kept as a captive? That it was all because of Blossom?

No, not that last part. Never that. No matter what happened it wasn't Blossom's fault.

"Well..."

The young mare had a faint, hopeful smile on her muzzle and was watching Celestia intently, with her ears perked up in polite interest. On the one hoof, if she lied to Blossom and Gregory was found quickly, there would be no harm done. No heartache or sorrow. Blossom wouldn't even have to know. On the other hoof, if Gregory wasn't back soon and Blossom found out, she'd be even worse off. Not only that, she might come to distrust Celestia, or even hate her for lying.

There was only one truth, however hard it was and the Princess steeled herself. She caught Fluttershy's eye and the pegasus stepped closer to Blossom and laid a wing on her back.

"I am very sorry to say this, Blossom, but Gregory has been taken by some very bad po- people."

The mare's eyes went so big that they were in danger of falling out, before she shrank back and lowered her ears. "B-Bad?" she quavered, then shook her head. "No! No."

"Don't worry, we'll find him! He'll be safe, okay?" Celestia hurried to explain.

Blossom's rump hit the floor and she let out a shaky breath. She didn't look up as she muttered a question: "T-This is because of m-me?"

"Hey!" Fluttershy interjected, using her other wing to nudge Blossom's muzzle and make the mare look at her. "None of this is your fault, Blossom!"

"Fluttershy is right. The only people to blame are the ones who did this. The ones who kept you in that mine!"

Hopefully their combined assurances would work, but for the moment Blossom was utterly distraught. She slipped from Fluttershy's grasp and simply folded down to the floor, face in her hooves and shoulders shaking as the first sobs racked her.

"Come on, let's get you back to the room. Do you want to take the last pancake with you?" Fluttershy asked as she nudged Blossom back to her hooves. Celestia couldn't help but notice that the young mare refused to look at her.

"I really am sorry. I will do everything to find him again, I promise!"

Blossom blinked away her tears and finally looked up. To Celestia's relief, there was no hatred or blame in her expression, only pleading. "Please find him!"

"I will!"

Just like that they were gone and Celestia was left staring at the closed door. She barely registered Luna clearing her throat behind her. "The pancakes got... burned a little," the younger sister explained and there was the sound of a plate sliding across the table. "They're perfectly fine if you put cream and syrup on them!"

Finally Celestia was able to tear her gaze away and bring her runaway thoughts back under control. "Sorry. Oh. I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense!" Luna exclaimed and nudged the plate closer still. Her horn flared up and a chair moved aside. "Sit!"

"I really am not-" Celestia began.

"Shush!" There were undertones of steel in Luna's voice. She would not accept 'no' for an answer and Celestia sat down with a sigh. "I do not cook so often that you may avert your nose from it, Sister!"

Celestia couldn't help giggling a little at that. "No, you do not. Very well, let me taste how far you have come."

To her credit, Luna's pancakes only crunched a little and it was quite hard to taste the charred batter under all the sugar. It definitely was an improvement over the last time and Celestia had no trouble saying so after she finished.

"Not bad. You need to practice more, but you are getting better, Luna."

The younger alicorn beamed a happy smile before swapping their plates. Hers was still mostly full.

"No," Celestia began, trying to think a way out of it, "they're good, but I just couldn't eat another bite."

Luckily it was convincing enough and Luna accepted her words without needing further proof.

"Any news of- of Gregory?"

Luna's face fell and her ears flattened as she shook her head. "I am sorry, Sister. He did not dream tonight."

Celestia's breath caught as the worst explanation sprang to her mind, but Luna noticed it and reached across the table to lay a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "It is not that!" Luna spoke urgently. "Never think that! He simply did not dream, or perhaps they did not let him sleep! I'm sure I will find him tonight."

Celestia just nodded numbly.

"There are some news from Silent Spell, however."

This made Celestia's ears perk up in interest and she looked at her sister hopefully.

Luna grimaced as she went on. "There was a spell in the necklace Twinkleshine had given Gregory. One which allowed a skilled unicorn to teleport directly to him, without having first memorized where the room was."

"What?! How is that possible? I checked that gem very carefully! Nopony could have sneaked a spell-"

Shaking her head, Luna interrupted her: "It was in the chain, Sister."

"Wha-?"

"The spell was in the golden chain, not in the stone. You were searching in the wrong place, Sister."

Dumbfounded, Celestia remembered how she had automatically discarded the clasp to prevent interference, when she had been examining the pendant. Her hoof itched and she wanted to slap herself, but she forced it to stillness. "What sneaky, under-hooved, devious..." she growled.

"There is more bad news, Sister," Luna added, hear ears splayed in distress.

"What else?"

The younger Princess looked away and she drew a deep breath. "It seems Spring Morning is missing, too. She did not report for duty this morning, and she was not found in her home."

Celestia nearly wilted under those news. "Another spy? Is anypony in the guard loyal to us, Sister?!"

"Silent Spell is not fully certain she is in with the conspiracy. It may be a coincidence. We must not assume until we have proof."

"Do you think she stumbled upon something and was taken to keep her quiet?" Celestia said with a flash of mad hope.

"It is possible," Luna conceded, "but I doubt that."

She was right, of course. Celestia pushed it out of her mind and focused on the real problem. "Why? What else did Silent Spell say?" she asked.

"She interrogated the prisoner - Lemon Slice. She knows very little. She hasn't been bought long. Gambling debts and cider. Somepony offered her a lot of bits."

Celestia leaned her head to one side as she thought. "That doesn't say anything about Spring Morning."

"No," Luna agreed, "but remember our interview with her? She specifically named Lemon Slice and Azure Wings. One of them we know works for the enemy, and the other is missing."

"Why would she tell us the truth and give away one of their agents?"

There was silence before Luna answered, and she didn't sound certain. "It is a theory Silent Spell has come up with. What better way to allay suspicion than to toss an underling under the train? Spring Morning must have known we would take her report very seriously. Besides, Lemon Slice wasn't really one of them, just a convenient pawn."

"We never suspected," Celestia said in defeat.

Luna shook her head. "That is also something Silent Spell had said. We do not know the correct questions to ask. We do need an investigator on the staff. Remember that fiasco with Wind Rider? As I recall, it was Miss Rarity who found out the truth."

Celestia frowned in confusion for a moment, until she remembered the incident. "Well, granted, but why bribe Lemon Slice? I doubt they simply intended her to take the fall, and they must have known they could not trust a pony who is so easily bought?" Unless... "We come back to our original theory. They are backed into a corner and have little choice. It was a delaying tactic and Lemon Slice was susceptible. I wish I had noticed something. We could have helped her before she waded in this deep."

Her sister nodded at that. "Silent Spell said much the same thing. She is bringing a few more ponies from Las Pegasus to assist in the investigation. I gave her the smaller conference room as an office."

"Good. You did well, Luna," Celestia said absently. "This still does not prove that Spring Morning was a spy."

"It does not," Luna agreed, "but Silent Spell's story makes sense. I agree we shouldn't assume either way until we have proof."

"The prisoner doesn't know?"

This time the younger alicorn shook her head. "No. Her orders were to wait for further instructions. She doesn't know why Spring Morning would betray her."

"Who paid her?"

Luna looked troubled. "She refused to say. Silent Spell promised she would keep asking until she got an answer."

They really had done well and Celestia felt a little better. With ponies such as the investigator on her side they surely would find Gregory before long. She wasn't even aware of it when Luna slid the half-full plate of pancakes under her and held up a fork before her muzzle. Celestia gripped the utensil in her magic and began to eat as she thought.

The door opened without any warning and Gregory gave a small start. Or at least he would have, if he weren't bound like he was. Just in time too - his arms and legs were going numb from being kept still for so long.

"Hmm," the unicorn maid who entered said, before using her horn to untie the man. The pressure against his chest and limbs released and Greg gratefully massaged some life back into his wrists while he inspected the mare.

She was obviously a maid, evidenced by her stylish black and white outfit. Under that, her coat was dark gray and her mane was white. His best guess was that she was an older pony and the gray hair was because of her age, not her natural color. She had dark blue eyes and an expression locked in a permanent frown.

"Can you stand?" she asked, voice sounding almost bored. She had to know who he was, but somehow she just didn't seem interested. Gregory couldn't help staring, until the mare cleared her throat. "Well?"

"Where am I?"

The maid didn't answer. She came closer and her horn glowed in brighter cyan. "Up you get," she said and her magic grabbed Gregory around his waist and lifted him. He could either follow through or fall on his face off the bed and Greg picked the former. The motion made his head swim and he steadied himself with a hand on the bed.

"Hold on, wait. Wait!"

The mare leaned her head to one side, but the pressure against his back lessened. She still kept him wrapped up in magic, perhaps to stop him if he tried anything stupid, but she wasn't pulling him upright anymore at least.

"Thanks. Gimme a minute."

Gregory tried to think. She was probably one of Silvermane's servants, if it was indeed him who orchestrated this whole thing. Obviously she would be loyal to her employer, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been sent. He glanced at the window, but it was still covered so he couldn't even tell if he was still in Canterlot or someplace else. Silvermane was rich enough to have properties all over Equestria, so perhaps this was one of the houses he didn't use. It would make sense - Gregory couldn't imagine the stallion being stupid enough to keep a prisoner under the same roof as his family.

"You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" he guessed.

"Correct."

"You realize what you're doing is wrong - what Silvermane is doing is illegal, right?"

Greg was looking very closely and saw the slight scrunching of her muzzle and a flicker in her eyes, before she schooled her expression to stillness again. Maybe it showed that his guess was right and he filed the knowledge away for later.

"I'm not here to chat, Mr. Gregory," the mare said, proving that she knew him, "either I help you wash, or I leave you lying in your own filth until you're ready to cooperate."

The smell was still making him nauseated, so Greg heaved a sigh, planted his feet on the carpet and nodded to the mare. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

It took a very firm grip of her magic, but he managed to climb up to his feet. His legs felt weak and his stomach lurched, but after a few seconds Gregory thought he could stand on his own. It boded well for his recovery. All he needed now was for his captors to grow careless and forget to tie him up with magic.

The maid led him to the door and opened it for him. Beyond was a beige-painted, stone-paved floor. There was a wardrobe against the wall and a painting of a pony in what was obviously a military dress. It looked old.

"This way," the mare instructed and pushed him down the hallway. He stumbled and would have fallen, but the magic around his chest kept him upright.

They didn't meet anyone else and reached their destination a couple of doors down. The room was a bathroom, obviously renovated in recent times because the fixtures didn't match the other furniture Greg had seen. He was a little relieved to see a normal toilet, rather than the Japanese-style some ponies preferred. There was also a large, metal bath tub and a low washbasin. If he wanted to use that, he would have to bend nearly double, or crouch down, but it would be perfectly serviceable. He almost asked about a toothbrush, but clamped his mouth shut. He wouldn't be in this place long enough. He was determined to escape and return to Celestia as soon as possible. No doubt she was worried sick.

"Hot water?"

The maid pointed a hoof at the wall beside the bath tub, where a brass tap protruded out of the tiles. "All new plumbing. Undress."

Suddenly Greg realized that she intended to stay with him as he washed. He blushed, despite the situation he was in. "You're gonna watch me?!"

The mare rolled her eyes before answering. "One, you're not really capable of doing it yourself, and two, my orders were to not leave you alone without first tying you up with magic."

Gregory pointedly looked around the bare, windowless walls. "Where am I going to go? Fuck's sake, just help me in the tub and wait outside, okay?"

She firmly shook her head. "I have my orders, Mr. Gregory."

"Well, can you at least turn away?"

To his relief she did so, but with a pointed swish of her tail in annoyance. The magic around his chest vanished suddenly and Greg sat heavily on the edge of the tub. He sighed and began pulling off his shirt. It was smeared with vomit in several places and suddenly he couldn't wait to be rid of it. Lacking a hamper, he just let it drop on the floor. The pants caused him more problems, but he managed to get them down around his ankles without falling by shuffling from side to side. He elected to leave his underpants and tried to come up with the next step. If he bent down, he would undoubtedly fall flat on his face. There was no other choice and Gregory looked at the mare, who was still studying the far wall with apparent interest.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Can you help me with my shoes?"

The maid turned around, glanced him up and down, then her horn lit up. She didn't say a word as she untied the laces and pulled both shoes off his feet. A moment later his socks and pants followed and she added it all to the pile.

"I don't suppose you'll wash that for me, right?"

The unicorn glanced at the dirty clothes, then went back to looking right at Greg's face. "Nope. You can ask Spring Morning tomorrow, but I doubt she'll say yes."

That was just great. His captors obviously knew about humans and clothing. Leaving him naked would make it less likely for Gregory to try and escape.

He put his head in his hands and bit back a swear word. "Let's just get this over with..."

Gregory was about to reach for the tap, but the maid beat him to it and her magic enveloped both handles. She turned them and water started gushing out of the faucet. He probed it gingerly with a finger, but it was already pleasantly warm. Very likely heated with magic, he guessed.

"Listen, what's your name? I can't just call you 'the maid'."

The mare pursed her lips for a moment as she decided whether to tell him, but then she shrugged to herself and said: "Dusty. You can call me Dusty."

It probably wasn't her real name and Gregory nearly opened his mouth to say this, but he changed his mind. It was better than 'maid' and her real name didn't matter at the moment. It was more important to get the names of the higher-up.

"Okay. Fine. Anyway, I can handle all of this myself," he tried once more.

Dusty shook her head. "Staying right here. I've got orders. I'm not leaving you out of my sight until you're tied down with magic, so you might as well stop trying." She glanced him up and down and then pointed a hoof at his midriff. "You're going to bathe in these?"

If she would be there to watch then there wasn't really much of a choice.

"Yes."

"Humans are weird. Here..." she didn't even have to look where her magic opened a cabinet and levitated out a bottle. "It's shampoo. I guess it'll work on human manes just as well as on pony ones."

There was a picture of a lotus blossom on the bottle and the large text promised a 'lustrous, shiny mane and tail'. Gregory didn't comment on it. He kept reminding himself that it was temporary. Either he'd escape in a day or two, or Celestia would find him. She shouldn't need more than that, since they already strongly suspected Silvermane. With a weary sigh, Gregory glanced once more at the maid, who was sitting on her haunches and staring curiously at him. Her mask of dispassion was good, but few enough ponies had seen humans naked and Dusty was apparently curious.

His arms still felt weaker than usual, but he was able to hold the bottle relatively steady in the air. He looked around for a shower head. The water was rising, bringing pleasant and welcome warmth, but it would be a while until it was deep enough to dunk his head, even if he weren't worried that he'd be able to lift himself back up. Leaning against the tub was fine, but anything more was risky.

Strange, aside from the nausea, Gregory didn't remember feeling that weak the first time Twilight had tried teleporting him. Then again, his first trip was barely the length of a room, while this was...

"How far did they teleport me anyway?" he asked.

Dusty shook her head. "Far enough that Celestia won't easily find you. Trust me on that." She was obviously on guard against his questions.

"Well, do you have a shower head or something?"

Rather than replying, the maid opened yet another cupboard and lifted out a wooden bucket. It took Gregory a moment to understand what she was suggesting.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

She didn't respond, other than a very slight smirk on her muzzle, but she dunked the bucket in the water and lifted it up above Greg's head. It was a good thing, too, because he wasn't sure he could have done it himself. If he thought he could stomach the smell of his vomit Gregory would have sent her to hell and gone back to the room dirty. As it was, he had to struggle a little to keep the grimace from his face.

"Close your eyes," the mare said a second before pouring the bucket over his head.

Hot water cascaded down his shoulders, taking some of the grime away with it. He heard a soft thunk as Dusty dropped the bucket next to the tub and Gregory took that as a signal that he should begin with the shampoo. His hands shook a little from the effort, but he managed to gather a handful in his palm and slop it on his head. He was about to place the bottle down, but the maid attentively plucked it from his hand, so he could start massaging his scalp. A few seconds later he was already winded, but Greg persevered.

"Jeez, the teleport really did a number on your rump, didn't it?" Dusty commented. She had a strange little smile and shifted her position so she was sitting a bit closer to the tub. "I better help you. I don't wanna be in here for the rest of the day..."

Gregory wanted to protest, but opening his mouth allowed some of the foam to slide inside and he spent the next minute spitting out the foul taste. Meanwhile the maid found a long-handled brush and was already sticking it into the water to wet it.

"I dunno if you humans have a different shampoo for your fur, not that there's a lot of it, anyway," Dusty commented, "but this will have to do."

She squeezed a bit of the lavender shampoo on the brush and returned the bottle to the floor. Then she inspected Greg's form and brought the brush to his back. It pressed against his skin and he grunted in pain.

"Not so hard!"

The bristles moved away, but a moment later they were back, a lot more gently this time. "Sorry," Dusty said and shifted the brush around for a better angle. Gregory did his best to ignore it as it brushed small circles around his back and shoulders, but as soon as he felt his hair had been thoroughly shampooed, he grabbed for the handle to continue himself. The magic refused to yield and it was like gripping an immovable iron rod.

"Leave it," Dusty commanded. "Here..." The cupboard opened again and a sponge splashed into the water in front of Gregory.

He let go of the brush and resolved to get the bath over with as quickly as possible. He could wash his chest and belly and then tell the maid he was done. Lacking any other type of soap, he patted the sponge against his hair to soak up some of the lather, then started washing as best he could.

"You should remove these," Dusty said, tugging at his underpants, "so I can wash you down there."

"No."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll have to take them off to get dry anyway."

"No."

This time the maid sighed and the brush she was holding sagged for a moment. "Don't be foalish, Mr. Gregory. I've tended to invalids in my life, I can deal with you. I'm a professional."

Her face was dispassionate, but Gregory thought he saw a strange little glint in her eye as she said it. Something was strange about this mare. At first she had been almost annoyed at having to deal with him, but now she was helping him wash and asking him to remove his pants. He hoped it was just curiosity and nothing more than that. While he tried to convince himself that the maid didn't have ulterior motives, Gregory finished washing his front side. The tub was getting quite full, so he reached over and shut the taps off.

He wanted to enjoy the hot water for a minute or two longer, but Dusty was straying dangerously low with her brush.

"Okay, I'm done. Get me some towels!"

The unicorn's mouth pressed together, but it only lasted a second before she nodded and let the brush drop from her grip. With her magic it was the work of moments to get Gregory cleaned of lather and out of the tub. He wasn't about to admit it, but without her helping him up, he didn't think he could have stood up in the tub, nor climbed out over the edge. Dusty didn't seem to mind the large puddle he was making on the tiles, nor the fact that the water was soaking into her tail. She took the opportunity to look the man up and down as he began to shiver.

Gregory sternly resisted the urge to put his hands in front of his pants. He didn't want to see any more smirking. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

Without even looking, Dusty drew out a drawer and lifted up a couple of large towels. She ignored Gregory reaching out to grab them and simply draped one across his shoulders and wrapped the other around his waist. Glaring a little, Gregory clasped the one around his midriff and tied the corners at the waist. Only then did he slip the underpants off. They landed in the puddle with a small splash and he kicked them toward the pile of his dirty clothes.

Dusty's eyes followed the garment before looking up at Greg's face again. "I'll ask Master if I should wash your clothes. He might want to move you."

Greg didn't like the sound of 'Master', but he was still grateful to get his clothes washed. With luck the ponies might be stupid enough to leave them in his room, although he didn't dare get his hopes up. He tugged at his waist towel to make sure it was secure, then started drying his hair. He tried to ignore the maid, but it was hard with her magic propping him up. It was a small mercy that she opted to wait in silence and not help in any way. Greg couldn't help noting how Dusty's magical grip shifted around to allow him to dry his chest and belly. She even followed him smoothly when he bent down to wipe his knees and calves.

"Thanks," he said grudgingly as he dropped the used towel.

"Sure," Dusty replied. "Come on, I have to get you back to your room."

"Will you leave me alone?"

"Yes."

Maybe he'd have a chance to look around, maybe even open the window and see how high up he was. Gregory cheered up a little as the mare led him out of the bathroom and back into the corridor. The stones were cold under his feet, but he didn't care. The room had a thick carpet anyway. They didn't meet anyone else on the way and pretty soon the man was sitting on the chair, breathing heavily, while the maid was stripping down his mattress. She bundled up the soiled bedclothes and tossed them on the floor, then opened the wardrobe against the far wall. There were fresh sheets and Gregory brightened up some more. Even if the window was high above the street, perhaps he could use them to escape. Tie the sheets together in a makeshift rope or something.

Dusty replaced the bedclothes with expert efficiency and then looked at the man. "Let's get you back in bed."

"I'm fine. I'd like to sit for a while," he countered.

The mare shook her head. "I have to tie you down and you'll be more comfortable in the bed."

He was about to say no again, but the door opened and Spring Morning came in. She smiled almost pleasantly at the scene even as she deftly stepped around the pile of laundry. "Good, you're done. Get in the bed." There was a small, dark bottle floating behind her and Gregory couldn't help glancing at it nervously.

"I'm fine," Gregory said again.

The guard mare didn't listen and her magic simply picked him up. It was a lot less gentle than what Dusty had done and Gregory found himself wishing he was still alone with the maid.

"Hey-"

His breath was knocked out of him as the unicorn dropped him on the sheets. She lifted him back up into a sitting position and brought the bottle to his face. "Drink this."

"No. What is it?"

"It'll help you sleep."

"I'm not drinking it."

Spring Morning's grin widened and the bottle inched closer. "Either you drink it, or I force it down your gullet. Your choice."

Her expression made it plain which option she'd prefer. Gregory considered fighting it, but with her magic he was pretty much helpless. His glare told the mare exactly what he was thinking and her grin widened as he reached up and grabbed the bottle.

The magic didn't let it go. "If you toss it, I'll just fetch another, except the next time I'll spank you on your bare rump until you're sorry, got it?" Spring Morning said with a note of warning in her voice.

Gregory, who had considered just that, nodded in defeat. When the magic let the bottle go, he dutifully brought it to his mouth and tilted it up. There was only enough for a single sip, but it tasted bitter. It reminded him a little of beer, except there was no alcohol. For all that, it wasn't too hard to force down.

"Okay, now swallow," Spring Morning commanded.

"I did already!"

"Good boy!"

He refused to meet her eye, but Greg blushed a little. It felt too much like being trained like a dog. "What the fuck was it anyway?"

Spring Morning looked at Dusty, but then decided the maid wasn't important. "Sleeping potion. It'll make you sleep without dreaming, so your precious Princess can't find you while you're out."

She watched his face crumple as yet another hope of escape was dashed and the mare laughed pleasantly. "We thought of everything, see? You just be a good, obedient little monkey and you'll be fine, as soon as Celestia accepts the demands."

"What demands?"

The potion was definitely taking effect. Gregory felt lightheaded and his eyelids seemed to be getting heavier. He blinked a few times, but consciousness was fading fast.

"Don't you worry about that. It's out of your hooves."

Before he could think up another question the darkness seemed to rise up and take him. The last thing Gregory remembered was Spring Morning's magic lowering him down to the pillow. Hopefully he wouldn't throw up in his sleep, he thought, and then he was gone.