Copper Moon huffed in annoyance. It was a warm spring day in Canterlot, the seat of Equestrian power. The sun was shining and the air was warm and filled with the promise of growing things and new life. A sentiment that seemed to be echoed all around the pony by the joyful sounds of colts and fillies at play in the playground behind Copper Moon, and the happy chatter of the parents and guardians that circulated around her.

Copper however, felt no such enjoyment, a feeling that was well suited to the mind of the condemned prisoner that she was. Sentenced to an eternity of running a booth at this utter waste of a fundraiser that her adoptive mother had chained her to. Still, she had not succumbed to her sentence without a fight…

“You can’t be serious!” Copper Moon had protested, her tone shocking the more conservative members of the Royal Court. “Why do I have to run a Tartarus forsaken stand at a bake sale!”

“Thou art my Daughter,” Luna had replied, with a serenity her sister might have envied. “By choice if not blood, and with the title come certain obligations.”

“I get that it’s for a good cause,” Moon had protested, shifting her voice from outrage to wheedling in the space of a breath, “but it’s completely unnecessary. You don’t need to hold a fundraiser and you certainly don’t need me running a booth in it. I mean, maaaaybe if I was in charge of the whole thing, it might be okay, but even then it would be a waste of time.”

“How so, my Daughter?” Princess Luna asked, resting a dark chin on a silver hoof. “Explain to me how such an undertaking to raise money for the less fortunate of our ponies is a ‘waste of time’ as you put it.”

Young eyes met head on with ancient cyan, and in the moment of that meeting the self-assurance of the younger pony crumbled like an afternoon sandcastle being hit by the first wave of the incoming tide.

“Well… I… um, that is… “ Copper Moon prevaricated, no longer very sure of themselves at all.

“Go on,” Princess Luna gently prodded, and though not a trace of amusement could be seen on the face of the Lunar alicorn, Moon could tell her adoptive mother was enjoying every moment of the situation.

“Why don't we just give them the money they need?” Copper Moon asked, ignoring the few snickers that emerged from the muzzles of some of the nobles. “It’s not like the Royal Treasury isn’t stuffed full of bits.”

“I will brook no disrespect,” growled Princess Luna, and silence descended on the chamber. “My Daughter has asked a question that many ponies have no doubt asked through the years. The Royal Treasury does indeed have a great many bits in it, and in fact, the Crown does subsidize such causes through lighter taxes and similar, but We simply cannot give all of those in need all that they require lest all other things be left in abeyance. In helping to the degree we are able, AND encouraging other ponies to assist via these events we can ensure that ponies who need help are cared for and that the rest of Equestria does not go wanting.”

“Oh,” was all Copper Moon could say, as she felt the shackles of imposed duty close in on her. There would be no escape for her.

“Liking booth duty?” asked a pegasus, shaking Copper Moon out of her reverie, and pulling her back into the present. Moon immediately recognized the strong, beautiful features of Iron Glamour. Half the stallions in the Royal Guard wanted to fuck her, the other half wanted to fight her, with the mares being almost as equally split.

“What do you think?” Moon snapped back, before grimacing and apologizing. “Sorry about that. Nothing you did. It’s just that I could be doing so much more.”

“Such as?” Glamour asked, raising an eyebrow. The pegasus was not known for suffering fools who wasted time, and as such Moon felt she might have a sympathetic ear.

“Things like… Okay, I don’t know what, but I’m sure pretty much any pony could be doing what I’m doing now,” Copper admitted, gesturing toward the pile of cakes and cookies she was offering.

“Hmm, you do have a point there,” Glamour replied, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “And as for something more important to do, I might have just the thing. If you’re willing to hear me out.”

“Oh?” Moon asked, eyes going wide and ears popping straight up as a thrill of excitement went through her. Something important to do? For Iron Glamour? For General Iron Glamour?? This was more like it, but cruel reality caused her excitement to die aborning. “Sorry, I’d love to hear about it, but I’m stuck here. Mom’s orders.”

“Princess Luna didn’t say you couldn’t have any breaks, did she?” Glamour asked, waving over a Royal Guard as she did so. “I’ve got a wagon around the corner with some food and drink. Why don’t we let Sargent McGillicuddy take over for you for a bit, while we discuss how I can tie you into an operation I’m currently working on.”

“Wow!” Copper Moon exclaimed, her excitement doubling as not only did Iron Glamour have a way to get her out of booth duty, but she also had something going on that she wanted Copper to be a part of. This was a dream come true!

“Yeah, sure! Absolutely no problem,” Copper added, nodding vigorously as she made space for the powerfully built guard.

“Follow me,” Iron Glamour commanded, walking away and not looking behind her to make sure that Copper Moon was following, which she eagerly was.

The earth pony mare followed the martial pegasus a short distance away, where the back end of a large vardo style wagon poked out from between two buildings. It was the sort of wagon that was often used in the field as officer’s quarters and as a central hub for command and control during military operations, and Copper Moon could barely contain her excitement as Iron Glamour folded down the small ladder at the wagon’s back and opened the door for Copper Moon.

“Let’s have a bite and talk for a bit,” said the pegasus, and the earth pony wasted no time climbing up the steps.

The interior of the wagon was big, bigger than it had any right to be. The wooden walls seemed to glow with a golden light onto a travel table which supported a tray of muffins, and a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres Special Reserve, along with a pair of place settings. The floor of the wagon was covered by a sturdy rug that felt amazingly soft on Copper’s hooves as she made her way towards the seat at the wagon’s front.

“Feel free to pour yourself a drink,” Iron Glamour said, as she closed and locked the wood and iron bound door behind her. While not a unicorn, Copper could feel multiple enchantments activate the moment the pegasus sealed the exit.

“How dangerous is this operation?” Moon asked, taken aback by the level of protections the outwardly ordinary wagon had.

“Physically, very minor,” Iron Glamour replied, taking her own seat and accepting a glass of aged hard apple cider from Copper Moon. “However, I’m very positive that the very future of Equestria could be resting in our hooves.”

“And Mom has me running a booth in a bake sale,” growled Copper, reaching for a bran muffin only to have her hoof redirected by Iron Glamour.

“Try the sweet buns,” suggested the pegasus. “I’m told they're made with moonflower honey.”

“So what would I be doing as part of this mission?” Copper Moon asked, picking up the suggested bun and taking a bite. Sweetness exploded across her tongue, and as she chewed it seemed to change from sugary sweet, to a spicy hotness, to a languorous sweetness that reminded her of a top shelf amaretto.

“Damn, that’s good,” Copper said, taking another bite and washing it down with a swallow of cider. The dance of flavours repeated itself and Copper couldn’t help but consume the rest of the bun in another pair of bites.

“Your part in this operation will be to take on the part of a bound captive, held in chains and a bridle, while being tamed and trained to the exacting standards of a kirin madam,” Glamour said blandly, waiting until her lunch guest was washing down her last bite to make the statement, and idly coiling a long length of silk ribbon as she did so.

“Wait, what???” demanded Copper Moon, sputtering most of their drink into the air. A wave of dizziness hit the earth pony as she sucked in a replacement breath. “I… what’s going on?”

“Your part in this operation,” Iron explained, getting up and off her chair.

“I don’t think I want to be in this anymore,” Copper stated, getting out of her own chair and onto decidedly unsteady hooves.

“You drugged me!” she exclaimed, as the unsteadiness sent the earth pony staggering sideways into the wall of the wagon. “You’re crazy!”

“Just let the drug take effect,” Iron Glamour advised, tensing her legs in anticipation for what was likely about to happen. “It will be a lot easier that way.”

“Screw you!” Copper yelled, as she made a weaving dash for the door, fully prepared to bowl Iron Glamour out of the way with superior earth pony mass and muscle.

The pegasus, however, was far more experienced in combat than the earth pony was. Springing into the air, Iron Glamour performed an extremely tight Immelman turn that landed her on Copper Moon’s back.

“Get off me you crazy mare!” the earth pony yelled, rearing up to try to throw Iron Glamour off of her in an instinctive buck.

It was the classic move of an earth pony in trouble and one that the pegasus had been waiting for. An experienced soldier would have kept her head down and her throat protected, but all of Copper Moon’s fighting experience had been in drunken brawls and so she lacked that vital, trained instinct.

Reaching up, Iron Glamour swiftly wrapped the length of ribbon she’d been holding in her forehooves around Copper Moon’s neck. One, two, three times the ribbon went around the mare’s throat, like a collar of silken scarlet, and Copper Moon took no notice until Iron pulled the improvised noose tight and caused her to gasp for air.

“Gak!” the mare cried out, and Glamour took the opportunity to loop the ribbon through Copper’s opened mouth and around the back of their head, followed by bringing the ribbon forward again before wrapping it around the stricken mare’s muzzle. Cinching and knotting the last circle of ribbon forced Copper’s mouth closed and effectively muzzled the mare, and in the space of a few seconds Iron Glamour had captured her target in a bridle that was also part of the choke collar that was cutting off all but a trickle of air to the pony beneath her.

Copper Moon continued to struggle, burning up what little air she was able to take in and causing her to fully collapse to the floor, with Iron Glamour both holding reins of ribbon in a solid grip and closely watching her target for any last attempts at escape. There were none, and almost a minute after Moon’s final collapse her eyes rolled back into her head as the combination of drugs and lack of oxygen drove her into unconsciousness.

Moving swiftly the moment her target passed out, Iron Glamour cut the ribbons around Copper Moon’s throat to allow her to breathe freely again while checking her pulse. Satisfied that her target was in good health, Iron Glamour reached into a storage cupboard and pulled out a sturdy canvas bag with multiple belts sewn into its exterior and began to maneuver the fallen earth pony into it.

“I’m an idiot,” murmured the pegasus, who paused with her first capture only half-secured to lean toward a speaking tube.

“Driver,” Iron Glamour said, once she’d pulled off the tube’s muffling top. “You can head out now. You know where to go.”

“Yes ma’am,” was the immediate reply, and a minute later a nondescript wagon slowly moved past an ordinary bake sale that was now short one salespony.

Sometime later, Copper Moon awoke to the feeling of being pressed in on all sides, and her breath sounded loud in her own ears. Eyes flickering open, she was immediately greeted by the slightly blurry sight of a long rectangular room, one long wall of which was covered in a floor to ceiling mirror with a solidly supported wooden bar running parallel to it.

The mare squinted before realizing that the slight blur in her vision wasn’t due to her eyes, but rather due to the slight imperfections in the lenses of a gas mask that was strapped to her head. For several seconds Copper Moon pulled at the mask, trying to tear it off of her; more seconds trying in vain to find some way to get the bulky headgear off of her.

“Ah, you’re awake now. Good,” said a musical female voice, and Copper Moon turned to see a kirin with a blonde mane looking at her through a doorway Copper hadn’t seen before. Turning toward the voice, a rubbery squeaking sound erupted from all around the earth pony, causing her to stop to see where the sound had come from.

Copper realized that the sensation of being pressed in on all sides was due to the fact that she was fully encased in what appeared to be a parody of a ballerina’s costume, along with an integrated gas mask. The resulting suit was absolutely complete, all the way down to a short and ruffled latex skirt.

“Aooo caa oo iiss!” shouted Copper Moon, realizing only in that moment that she was muzzled as well. Getting latex sheathed hooves under her, the mare made to charge for the kirin who obviously had something to do with her being stuck in this ridiculous getup.

Copper Moon began her charge at the same time a flash of power lit the lovely kirin’s bifurcated horn, and the earth pony mare’s headlong attack tumbled to a stop as her ability to breathe through the gas mask was cut off. Copper’s lungs heaved and burned with effort as they tried in vain to latch onto any stray molecules of oxygen, but the seals on the mask held, as did the tight seal of the latex all around Copper Moon’s body.

“As you may have noticed, you are completely enclosed in an airtight ballet costume,” the kirin calmly stated, walking toward the stricken pony with a slow and elegant stride. “I control what you breathe. I control IF you breathe.”

Copper Moon collapsed to the floor, her mind still trying to find a way to escape even as her body began to shut down from lack of air.

“If you attack me, you lose the privilege of air. If you attempt to escape this salle you lose your ability to breathe,” the poised mare continued, before placing a hoof on Copper Moon’s chest and pinning her in place. “My name is Winter Showers, but you will call me ‘Mistress’ whenever I allow you to speak. Nod if you understand.”

Vision greying out and held in place by the implacable forces of Winter Shower’s hoof and will, Copper Moon’s nod of assent was as vigorous as she could make it and a moment later the mare sagged in relief as the sweet taste of fresh air filled her lungs.

“You will find me to be a fair and even-tempered mistress. Now stand,” Winter Showers commanded, tapping the underside of Copper’s muzzle with a leather quirt that had appeared out of nowhere.

Copper Moon hesitated, partly from her mind still coming to grips with her situation and partly out of the sheer obstinacy that she was known for. A hesitation that was rewarded with a burning slash across her hindquarters from the quirt.

“I may be fair, but I am not patient. Stand now, or lose the privilege of breathing for a time,” the latex clad dominatrix stated, with a tone of voice that had Copper scrambling to her hooves.

“Excellent,” Winter commented, seeing her charge back up on her hooves and touching her breathing apparatus once more with her magic.

The goggles in front of Copper Moon’s eyes began to glow, and in front of a translucent swirling pattern the mare saw the brightly lit outline of a pony standing with their hoof heels touching, with the toes pointing in opposite directions.

“Focus on the image in front of you. This is called ‘First Position’. Whenever I call “Attend” you will stand in this position. Assume the first position now,” Winter Showers commanded, smiling gently as she watched Copper Moon struggle to put her hooves in the required places, only to repeatedly stumble and eventually fall flat.

“That was not very good, was it?” Winter asked rhetorically, as she approached the fallen mare, who desperately scrabble-crawled away, trying to get out of Winter Shower’s range and what she assumed was discipline by suffocation.

“As I said, I will be a fair mistress to you,” the ballet mistress reiterated, the material of her gown squeaking as she easily caught up to Copper Moon and put the mare back onto her hooves. “I will teach you the ways of the dance, and through it you shall learn focus, discipline and purpose.”

A pleasant rose scent filled Copper Moon’s nostrils, relaxing her and calming her nerves.

“Once you are properly trained to my standards you will be allowed to leave my care, but until you are ready to rejoin society at large you are mine to teach and discipline, as I see fit,” Winter said, gently assisting Copper Moon back to the center of the room. “Now then, focus on the image in front of your eyes. Let yourself fall into the swirling pattern and see how that pony holds not just her hooves but…”

Six Weeks Later

“Well?” Iron Glamour asked, without any preamble as she entered Winter Showers’ domain. “It’s been over a month now and ponies are starting to ask questions. Reporters are starting to openly theorize that Luna’s adopted daughter is dead and the princesses are getting a little nervous at the growing swarm of paparazzi at their gates.”

“In many ways, they could be considered to be correct. The pony that Copper Moon was is indeed dead in many ways,” Winter Showers replied, a slight frown on her face at the sudden intrusion.

“You weren’t supposed to reduce her to one of your drooling minions!” angrily shot back the pegasus. “Fuck, this is—”

“Calm yourself,” Winter gently commanded, the ghost of a superior smile sliding across her face for a moment. “Firstly, my ‘minions’ as you put it, do not drool. Unless I desire them to do so, that is. Secondly, Copper Moon still possesses all of her reasoning and mental faculties. I have simply aimed them in a direction other than mindless carousing and drunken debauchery, which I believe is what we were asked to do.”

“Prove it,” challenged Iron Glamour, adding, “I need something to take back to their Royal Highnesses before they cancel the whole project.”

“You did warn them that changing a pony without breaking them takes time, yes?” Winter Showers asked, receiving a confirming nod a moment later. “Very well. I’d hoped for another week, but if a demonstration is required so be it. Come with me.”

Together, the two ponies walked through a side door where Iron Glamour was immediately confronted by the sight of what appeared to be some sort of bed that was covered in a shiny black sheet. A sheet that was pressed down tightly around the shape of a pony who was writhing under the ministrations of a vibrator that Iron Glamour could hear from feet away.

At least the pony was trying to writhe, as the sheet holding the mare down was pressing with so much such strength that the pony beneath could barely move or breathe. Air was being forced into the pony’s lungs via an equally well fitted gas mask, the exhalations from which carried a rose scent that made Iron Glamour’s tail twitch.

“Aphrodisiacs?” Glamour asked, moving closer and noting the rings that were set solidly into the bedposts. No one was getting out of this bed until or unless Winter Showers allowed it, and for a split second Iron Glamour saw an image of herself being held in those implacable bonds.

“Aphrodisiacs, breath control, edging and denial, combined with a visor showing an array of hypnotic fractal patterns while providing instructions in ballet,” Winter Showers explained, sighing sadly even as she ran a hoof along the seal that held Copper Moon in place. “I dislike using methods such as this, but they are effective against even resistant ponies, such as Copper Moon. Or even yourself.”

“Try it, and you won’t live long enough to see your horn fall to the ground,” growled Iron Glamour.

“A mare can dream,” Winter responded, her magic flicking out and turning off both the vibrator and the pump that made the vac bed into a secure prison. Immediately the gas masked face of the pony in the restraints turned toward where the kirin stood.

“You have fifteen minutes to prepare yourself, Copper Moon,” Winter Showers ordered, lifting the cover of the bed off and away to reveal the latex sheathed body of the Earth pony who had undergone weeks of taming and training. The shining ballet costume was still completely sealed, save for two hoses connecting the mare’s nether regions to a pair of devices Iron Glamour didn’t recognize… or didn’t want to recognize.

Copper Moon nodded in understanding, and with a bit of help from her mistress, regained her footing on the floor, still connected to the bed by the hoses.

“Unhook yourself and join us in the salle,” Winter repeated. “You have fifteen minutes to prepare to demonstrate, ‘Le Lac des Cygnes’.”

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Winter Showers called out, “Attend!”

On cue, Copper Moon, her groomed head and face clear of any coverings glided into the room with a gentle rustle and slight squeal of latex on latex. The mare immediately assumed a position standing on her hind legs, their heels touching but with the toes pointing in opposite directions.

A flash of magic sprang from the horn of the ballet dominatrix and a moment later the air was filled with the delicate sound of strings playing counterpoint to the gentle sound of a single oboe. Immediately Copper Moon’s upper limbs began to move in arcing swirls, even as she strode in a grand circle around the salle.

The effect was almost as if the mare was flying across the floor, an effect that was given even greater credence as the music swelled and powerful horns sounded. In response Copper Moon launched herself into a series of powerful flying leaps, pirouetting as she did so. It was a glorious display of controlled strength, grace combined with power.

The room, though large, was filled with the white and gold of the mare’s costume as she arced back and forth, forelimbs occasionally reaching out in supplication, other times held aloft, like a pair of wings that would sweep down to launch the pony into another series of flying leaps.

The music slowed again, just in time for Copper Moon to land on the point of a single hoof, balancing there with forelimbs outstretched, before curling into a series of spins as the music swelled bombastically again, drums thundering and horns sounding like the calls of a dying charge. In spite of herself, Iron Glamour felt her eyes growing wet. There was something gloriously tragic in the music and how the movements of the mare in front of her interpreted those sounds.

At last, the music slowed and fell away, Copper Moon lay on the floor before them, her legs split wide apart with her barrel and chest bent over them.

“Very well done, Copper Moon,” Winter Showers praised, before giving the gentle command of, “Position one.”

Copper Moon assumed the stance she had taken before she had begun to dance. Her face was calm, even as her chest heaved slightly from her recent effort.

“I did see a few flaws, but they were relatively minor. You are almost ready to rejoin the world at large. What are your thoughts on that?” Winter asked her student, adding, “I have turned off your shock collar. You may speak.”

“At first, I was mad as hell for what you were doing to me,” Copper Moon replied, taking a moment to clear a throat that hadn’t been used for speaking in a long while, “but then I saw why you were doing it, and every time I focused on ballet, instead of trying to get loose, it felt good. The more I focused on learning what you were teaching me the better I felt, and once I actually started to DO ballet it felt… incredible.”

“Do you feel ready to be a productive member of society again?” Iron Glamour asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

“Not yet. Soon, but not yet,” Copper admitted. “I still get mad sometimes. I still want to get in pony’s faces when I think I’m right instead of listening to them, but I’m getting better at it every day, and it’s the power and focus of the dance that’s helping me get there.”

“Well said,” Winter Showers commented, her magic licking out at Copper Moon’s throat for a split second. “Your collar is back on. You will return to your quarters and assume position four, crossed, until my conversation with Iron Glamour is concluded and I join you there.”

Copper Moon said nothing, merely nodding as she returned to all four hooves and left the salle proper.

“That was an impressive display, and I think we might be ready for our next target in the next few weeks. There is one concern, however,” Iron Glamour said, once she was sure they were alone.

“That is?” Winter Showers asked.

“You said a while back that you value our relationship too much to jeopardize it by trying to put me under your hoof, but then you do something like mention that you could break me to heel if you wanted to,” Iron Glamour replied, in a serious tone. “It makes me wonder if you plan on trying it someday.”

“I will admit, part of me would love to see you in latex and steel. And yes, I could break your mind and mold it into whatever I wanted if that was truly my desire,” Winter replied, utterly calm and composed. “Just as you could break my body at any time you truly wanted to. I would try to fight back, but ultimately I would be lying at your hooves and begging for mercy.”

“However, even though part of us may want a thing, and we have the power to do that thing, it does not mean we will do that thing,” Winter continued. “We control ourselves and our impulses. We find the focus we need to not give into our impulses. Your focus is on the martial arts and the commanding of troops in the field, mine is on the mental arts and the control of ponies who want to submit to me. To lose my focus and try to take you against your will would be to become like Copper Moon used to be, and I am more than my impulses.

“Though I admit, I may tease a little too much.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the loooong delay on this one. Life just seemed to get in the way every time I tried to progress on this one. Luckily, the commissioner was very patient with me.