Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction; all characters & settings remain property of the copyright owners.
This story involves disciplinary spanking in a non-sexual context. If this is objectionable to you please take responsibility and stop reading now.
It was good to be back in Canterlot.
Twilight Sparkle trotted along streets & avenues familiar since her foalhood in the great capitol. Today she got to indulge in a little more nostalgia than usual because she was alone. While the purple unicorn loved making trips with her friends from Ponyville this rare opportunity to visit Canterlot by herself was refreshing. She'd spent the night at her parents' house, and had an appointment with Princess Celestia that afternoon before she had to catch the train back to Ponyville. That left plenty of time for Twilight to see her brother and have lunch with him before she was expected at the castle.
The hour was a bit early for lunch but Twilight wanted to see where Shining Armor worked. As Captain of the Royal Guard he was a busy pony, but even if he was unavailable to show her around his headquarters she could take a self-guided tour. Being Princess Celestia's personal student lent her an air of authority seldom enjoyed by a filly her age, and Twilight didn't see any harm in throwing her weight around a tiny bit as long as she didn't get in the way of official military business.
Arriving at the gate-house she was greeted with courteous protocol by a pair of guards who recognized her from their Captain's wedding. "Good morning, Miss Sparkle, you can go right in...Captain Shining Armor told us you would be visiting today."
"Thank you, sir's" she replied warmly, giving them each a nod.
The other guard instructed "Straight down the hall, then it will open up into a courtyard. The Captain's office overlooks that square." With plenty of time in hoof she ambled along slowly, lingering occasionally to look with admiration at the historic battle flags & carved busts of past heroes that decorated the foyer & hall. She could see why it was such an honor for her brother to have command of this unit; the Canterlot Royal Guard could trace its history back further than a thousand years. Carefully preserved in display cases were armor & weapons from those ancient days, but they had been cared for so well that they looked ready to be pulled out and utilized at a moment's notice.
At last Twilight Sparkle reached the sunlit courtyard, a small but beautiful expanse of marble paving stones surrounded by columns. Three young ponies stood there at rigid attention...Twilight could tell they were cadets because her brother had once worn a uniform just like theirs. "Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Wonderful morning we're having, isn't it?" None of the three cadets answered...it was then that Twilight noticed they each wore nervous expressions, sweating in spite of the cool morning air. She ventured again "Eh...I wonder if you might tell me where to find Shining Armor...um Captain Shining Armor I guess." An awkward giggle betrayed her lack of familiarity with military etiquette. "He's expecting me." The two colts & one filly all blushed but kept their silence...Twilight felt as if they wanted to answer but were not allowed for some reason.
"Miss Twilight Sparkle I presume?" barked a voice that nearly made her jump. The three nervous cadets visibly flinched as an older, mustached Sergeant trotted up to her.
"Yes, sir" she answered. It seemed appropriate to speak respectfully to him, even though Twilight herself was not in the Royal Guard.
With an efficient click of his hooves the Sergeant told her "The Captain's office is right this way."
Before stepping away to follow him, Twilight turned to the three young cadets and wished them "Have a good day" but to her surprise she heard the Sergeant mutter under his breath "Not likely." A visitor; Twilight decided it was not polite to ask what was going on. He led her up a staircase and knocked on an ornately carved oaken door. "It's open, come in!"
"Sir, your sister has arrived" announced the Sergeant. Shining Armor got up from his desk and thanked his older subordinate before greeting his visitor. Never breaking his stern expression the Sergeant reminded him "It's almost time for...you know."
"I know, Ivory Lance" sighed Shining, "I'll be down in just a few minutes."
"Rather unfair to keep them waiting" admonished the non-commissioned officer, "I could have one of the Lieutenants carry this out in your place."
Shining Armor shook his head. "No, no...it's my responsibility. I'll be there on time." Ivory Lance did not say another word, leaving them with a salute which his Captain returned.
"Twily! It's great to see you, kid! How are Mom & Dad?"
"Oh, they're fine...looking forward to seeing you & Cadance this weekend" answered Twilight as they hugged. "Um...is something going on? Everypony seems kinda uptight."
With a resigned sigh Shining Armor replied "Yes, something is going on...nothing pleasant & nothing you need to worry about."
"Does it involve those three young cadets standing in the courtyard?" Twilight continued to pry, "They seemed really nervous."
"Really nervous...well, they have a right to be" muttered her older brother. "But listen, that's nothing to worry about, just military business. Where would you like to have lunch? I was thinking of bringing you to the Officer's Club...it's pretty ritzy & they have a good band. Or we could go someplace quieter if you'd like to talk."
"Don't change the subject, Mister" Twilight protested. Shining knew it would be difficult to distract her...his little sister was tenacious when it came to information. "What's going on and how are those three cadets involved?'
Shining Armor grudgingly accepted that he would have to explain. "Well...you see, those three broke regulations...and..." he blushed, and found it difficult to maintain eye contact "...they're awaiting disciplinary action."
"Really?" asked Twilight "What did they do?"
"Possession of Contraband & Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order & Discipline."
The younger unicorn scowled "In normal terms, please?"
"They snuck cider into the barracks..." explained Shining.
"That doesn't sound so bad" Twilight butted in.
With a snort to discourage any further interruption the Guard Captain continued "By itself it isn't such a big deal. It could have been handled by the Watch Officer...probably just a slap on the fetlock like marching the square for an afternoon or doing a few extra guard shifts. But they took it too far, had too much to drink and got rowdy. That's the main reason they're in trouble."
Frowning a little, Twilight looked out the office window from which she could see the nervous trio still standing at attention a level below. "What's going to happen to them?" she asked with concern.
Shining Armor clearly did not wish to discuss the unit's unpleasant business during his sister's visit, but he knew enough to understand she would not be satisfied with evasive answers. In the straightforward voice of an experienced commander he said "They are each going to suffer a whipping."
Her jaw dropped. "You do that?" asked Twilight.
"For this offense that is what the Manual of Cadet Regulations & Standards calls for" Shining Armor informed her. "Nopony enjoys this, but that's what they're out there waiting for. And in a few minutes I have to go out and observe the punishment."
"Observe it?" scolded the younger sibling, "You're the Captain, can't you stop it?"
"Why?" he muttered, hoping this would not turn into a huge argument.
Twilight hopped up, putting her front legs on his desk. "Because it's awful! Those cadets volunteered to be in the Royal Guard...they've probably dreamed of it for years like you did when you were that age. While all their friends are out having fun they're spending their time training to serve the realm! Sure they made a little mistake...do they really deserve to be whipped for it? Don't they deserve a little slack?"
"I don't expect you to understand the military, Twily" explained Shining Armor, "we have to hold ourselves to a much higher standard...even the cadets. They knew the regulations and what would happen if they broke them. Better that they learn the importance of following orders now, when the consequences are light, than having to learn in battle."
"When the consequences are light?" Twilight admonished, "Shiny, those are just terrified youngsters out there..."
"Just a few years younger than when you & your friends took on Nightmare Moon" he reminded her.
She continued without taking a breath; "...and now a full grown stallion is going to give them a flogging?"
Shining Armor let out a low grumble. "Twily...it's not like they're going to have the skin flayed off their rumps. We do not use some leather whip studded with metal barbs like in those silly Daring Doo adventure novels you like."
"Daring Doo is not silly" objected Twilight, allowing herself to be side-tracked a little.
Her elder brother took advantage of that, sliding open his desk drawer and laying the actual implement of punishment before her. "It's just a handle with 9 waxed cords, each one knotted a few times. It'll hurt...it'll hurt like Tartarus...but it won't break the skin or do any permanent injury...please trust me."
Twilight relaxed a little as she examined the whip. "You're sure?" she asked "I know it's legal in Equestria, but I've heard terrible stories about floggings. I just don't know how the Princess can approve of this."
"They're her own laws" Shining said softly, "and Celestia trusts we wouldn't do anything to injure a loyal servant in the name of discipline."
Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. After thinking about it for a few moments she declared "Shiny...I want you to hit me with this."
Thinking the argument was over, the Captain was in the unfortunate position of taking a sip of water when his sister made this strange request. That water was instantly sprayed all over his desk. "What?!"
"Hit me with the whip...give me one good whack." She lifted her tail up to allow him a clear swing.
"No. Absolutely not" answered Shining. "That is too weird. You're not one of my cadets, you're my sister and I'm not going to hit you! Why would you even want me to do this anyway?"
"There is no teacher like first-hand experience" she declared. "One day I may choose to discuss this with Princess Celestia, and I'd like some insight into what I'm talking about. Come on, Shiny, just one stroke for the sake of science."
He shook his head. "You're loony. When we were kids I didn't even like listening when Mom or Dad spanked you for misbehaving. What makes you think I can do it myself?"
This time Twilight rolled her eyes. "That was different! I was a filly...I got into trouble...I'd have done anything to get out of a spanking. But now I'm a grown mare and I'm making a conscious decision in the name of knowledge. Shiny, please give me one whack. Think of it as a practice stroke before you burn up those poor cadets' rumps."
"I won't actually be whipping the cadets" Shining Armor reminded her, slumping on his desk and burying his head under his hooves "that's the Sergeant's job...I only observe. Twily, you are really giving me a headache."
"Only one cure for that" she continued to pester him. "Maybe you could call Sergeant Ivory Lance up to..."
"NO! N-O...I am not having one of my troopers whip my own sister!" barked Shining Armor, "Do you have any idea how weird that would be for everypony?"
"Then I guess it'll just have to be yoOWWWWWWWW!"
Twilight Sparkle's badgering had finally gotten the better of her older brother. In an instant of frustration he levitated the whip, brought it around behind her and laid a single hard lash across her unprepared rump. "Oh...oh, Celestia...owwwww..." Twilight fell forward onto Shining's desk and coughed a few times, finding it difficult to get air into her lungs. For a few moments she was cross-eyed from the pain.
"You okay?" snickered the Captain.
Gasping a few times, Twilight struggled to regain composure. "You gotta be kidding me...that felt like somepony pressed a strip of sandpaper on my behind and ripped it off really fast!" She struggled to stand up; Shining rushed over to help her and was rewarded with a punch in the shoulder. "I wasn't ready for that!" Then she reached back and began to rub her burning rump like there was no tomorrow.
Shining Armor struggled to remain serious but could not help from laughing a bit. "My cadets don't get to decide when they're ready" he chuckled. Still panting for air, Twilight got to her feet, with a little help from her brother. "I don't think the Princess has many advisers that would ask for a whack like that just to understand her subjects better.'
"That probably means they're smarter than me...buck that still hurts!" cursed the purple unicorn. But in spite of the pain she still laughed. "How does my rump look? I can't walk around Canterlot Castle, or see Princess Celestia with a great big red stripe on my butt."
"You can sit on a pillow when we go to lunch" teased Shining Armor, "or I can ask the Officer's Club staff for a block of ice you can sit on."
"Oh don't you dare, Shiny!" she snapped, "Don't you even mention this to your friends...and that includes Cadance!"
He continued his good-natured jest; "Awww, I was really looking forward to bragging to all my friends about how tough my little sister is. Not many ponies would actually ask for a blow with the whip." She punched him in the shoulder again. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Because it still hurts!" laughed Twilight Sparkle, "When is it going to stop burning?"
"It's supposed to hurt" Shining replied. "I'm not going to do it again. You're just going to have to imagine what a full 25 of those feels like."
A little of her mirth dissipated. "So...those cadets are going to get twenty-five lashes?" asked Twilight with concern.
The Captain of the Guard nodded. "Twenty-five for the two privates...the Cadet Corporal gets an extra 5 swats because he was supposed to be in charge."
"I know they did wrong, Shiny, but I can't help it...I feel sorry for them."
"So do I" admitted Shining Armor, "they're scared out of their wits right now, and in just a few minutes they're going to suffer a humiliating & very painful punishment. It would be savage not to feel a little sympathy for them. But please trust me Twily. This is not the first whipping that's been carried out in the courtyard. They'll be okay...they'll carry on and when it's done they can hold their heads high again. They're good ponies and that's what they're trained to do."
Twilight nodded. "I suppose. And I do trust you Shiny...you're a natural protector, you wouldn't do anything to harm a cadet under your command." She put her head under his chin and nuzzled her big brother's neck.
As if on cue, Sergeant Ivory Lance returned. "Sir; it's time." The Captain straightened up, and with a nod handed the whip over to him.
"Twily, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather you waited up here" Shining asked her, "there's no reason you should have to watch this."
"Request denied, Captain" replied the younger pony, "I'm still Princess Celestia's faithful student and it's my duty to observe and learn."
Shining rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured you would say that. Come on."
Following the Sergeant, brother & sister came down the stairs and onto the courtyard. It had filled up considerably since Twilight had passed through the first time. The entire Cadet Corps was required to witness the floggings...and a large part of the City Guard was in attendance as well. A few civilians were there too, standing off to the side with looks of worry & concern on their faces. Twilight guessed these were the parents of the young cadets facing punishment today.
"Stay right here" instructed Shining Armor in a whisper, directing his sister to stand near the other civilians. She obeyed, and greeted the parents with a courteous, solemn nod, but did not attempt to speak with them.
With practiced, ceremonial efficiency several troopers went about their duties. A heavy wooden structure had been carried into the courtyard; Twilight surmised that the three unfortunates would be tied down to this for their whippings. Those three unlucky cadets stood in the same spot she had seen them last, but now they were speaking to a military doctor unicorn. Twilight Sparkle could not hear what they were saying, but by their lips she could tell the trio were answering his questions tersely & efficiently. Finally the doctor turned to Captain Shining Armor & gave an affirmative nod. Twilight saw the cadets gulp & tremble a bit more as final approval was granted...this doctor was the last pony who could spare them the penalty they were now to receive.
With a sharp clop of his hoof on marble the Captain called his company to attention. With speed & co-ordination that was almost scary, all the military ponies snapped to rigid, formal position. After a few seconds pause he stepped forward and read the charges: "Cadet Roaming Cloud, Cadet Dimple Dash and Cadet Corporal Springtime Rain, you have plead guilty to breech of Cadet Regulations & Standards by possessing contraband alcoholic beverages in the barracks, and by disturbing the peace while under the influence of said contraband items. Having taken into account your records of service, co-operation with the Watch Officer's investigation and the fact that this is a first offense for each of you I have chosen to offer the option of summary discipline in lieu of courts martial. You have been informed of the punishment should you accept. Cadets, do you accept?"
In perfect unison all three young ponies answered "Yes, Sir."
Shining Armor continued; "Then each of you shall receive twenty-five lashes upon the unprotected rump, with a whip conforming to the Standards of the Cadet Regulation Manual. The Cadet Corporal shall receive an additional five lashes for dereliction of command. Do you have anything further to say before sentence is carried out?"
The Cadet Corporal, Springtime Rain, stepped forward and spoke; "Captain, as ranking cadet I humbly request to take full responsibility. Please allow me to accept all 80 lashes, Sir."
"Request declined, Corporal" answered Shining Armor, "your fellow cadets will have to pay for their mistake as well...and I think you will find 30 lashes quite enough to bear." Although unfamiliar to military tradition Twilight realized this was all customary to preserve the young Cadet Corporal's pride. Nopony had ever expected the Captain to allow his request, but the brave act of making it maintained his honor in the eyes in the eyes of his peers.
"Yes Sir" replied Springtime Rain. "Then please allow me to receive my sentence first, thereby..." his voice cracked, betraying his fear as the awful hour of his punishment drew near, "...thereby enduring the full vigor of the Sergeant's arm."
Shining Armor shot a casual glance to Sergeant Ivory Lance, whose stone faced expression never faltered. "Well Corporal, I'm sure the Sergeant's arm has plenty of vigor to be shared equally, but your request is granted." He leaned in closer to the trembling youths and said softly "Keep your heads high, this will be over quickly, good luck." He turned to the Sergeant again and ordered "Carry out the sentence."
Two guard ponies led Springtime Rain to the flogging frame...he did not resist. They carefully bent him over and tied him down with leather straps. Although fearful tears had begun to build up in the cadet's eyes he did not so much as whimper. A Lieutenant walked around the frame, inspecting the restraints, and finding them to his satisfaction nodded to his superior. With this final confirmation Shining Armor gave the command "Begin."
The arm of Sergeant Ivory Lance did indeed possess considerable vigor, aptly demonstrated by his first swing. A loud crack echoed throughout the courtyard, and with the recent experience of how much that whip hurt fresh in her mind Twilight cringed. She was not the only pony to do so; the parents of the cadets looked on with dismay and even the well drilled military audience could be seen flinching. For his part Springtime Rain kept his composure as well as could be expected. He gasped and clenched his teeth but he did not cry out.
The next dozen lashes fell with no less force but still the young cadet maintained his prideful demeanor. Tears had begun to stream down his cheeks and puddle up on the marble below, testimony to how much pain he was enduring. At last, at the 15th blow a whimper escaped his lips, and a few lashes later Springtime Rain sobbed openly. He did did not scream or beg for it to stop...and when his thirtieth & final stroke fell he still had not.
The guards quickly untied him, and helped the youngster to his hooves, but after that he stood freely on his own. Twilight was very impressed when he turned to Sergeant Ivory Lance and actually thanked him for laying on each blow as hard as the first.
When Springtime Rain had re-taken his place in line Dimple Dash was ordered forward next. Having witnessed her Corporal accept his punishment with honor she could now do no less. She bent over the flogging frame with no urging, and allowed the guards to tie her down with no show of emotion. When Shining Armor gave the order, Ivory Lance began the second whipping.
The filly took her first few lashes bravely, the only weeping that could be heard came from her parents...the cadet's mother weakly repeating "I never wanted her to join...I never wanted her to join" over and over again while her equally upset husband tried to soothe her. Dimple Dash began to whimper a bit earlier than Springtime Rain had, and by her 15th lash she was crying out loud. But again, the young cadet showed courage and never screamed or begged for mercy. When it was finally time to be untied and get up she bowed her head to Sergeant Ivory Lance and Captain Shining Armor, thanking them both for correcting her behavior.
Roaming Cloud did not wait to be called. As soon as his fellow cadet had been led away the colt stepped up to take his position. He was tied down as the other two had been and awaited punishment. When Shining Armor gave the order the whip swung down and lashed his rump, eliciting a grunt of pain from the cadet.
As his whipping continued Twilight took the opportunity to take a few steps to her left and have a look at the pair who had already been dealt with. Springtime Rain & Dimple Dash were trying their best to stand at attention until the ordeal was over, but it was clearly difficult for them. Although their tails partially blocked the view, Twilight could see that both of their rumps were bright pink, and crisscrossed with painful looking red stripes and a few purple welts where the knots had struck. Their back legs quivered, and they flinched every time Roaming Cloud took another stroke of the whip. From her meager experience with one whack Twilight knew the young ponies wanted nothing more than to reach back and rub their burning backsides for all they were worth.
Roaming Cloud was on his 15th lash by now. Although he hadn't made a sound since that first grunt he was twisting & struggling against the restraints more than the two ponies who had preceded him. That was no matter; he could not move more than an inch in either direction, and just as with the other two the whip fell squarely on the most sensitive part of his backside every time.
At number eighteen the Sergeant paused to catch his breath. He said nothing, but exchanged a private glance with the Captain that seemed to say I'm not as young as I used to be. The respite only lasted a few instants though, and Ivory Lance delivered the last seven lashes every bit as hard as he had administered Springtime Rain's first. With efficient speed the guards released with weeping colt, who straightened up, cleared his throat and following the good form shown by the others, thanked his superiors for their efforts.
It was over. Captain Shining Armor faced the three penitent cadets and announced "The demands of discipline have been satisfied, you have all comported yourselves with honor. I trust that this lesson will not have to be repeated. Punishment detail is dismissed." All the ponies stayed at attention though as their Captain, followed by his two Lieutenants exited the courtyard. Twilight Sparkle fell in behind this small procession, but as she left she saw the regular rank & file guard ponies...as well as the rest of the cadets, all break from their formal stances and applaud the two colts & one filly by stamping their hooves on the ground. All seemed right with the world again, as their friends congratulated the three blushing, aching youngsters for taking their punishments so well.
Twilight Sparkle followed her brother back to his office. As soon as the door was closed he opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of apple brandy. "After that I need a drink...you too, sis?"
"Alcohol in the Captain's office?" teased Twilight, accepting a crystal tumbler of brandy from him.
"We're not underage cadets" he answered, clinking their glasses together. "This decanter and crystal glasses were a gift from Princess Celestia to the Captain of the Royal Guard."
"I don't remember that" Twilight Sparkle replied, sipping her brandy. It was very good...she wished she could bring Applejack some. "I've been Celestia's student longer than you've been Captain of the Guard."
"You wouldn't remember" chuckled her brother, "it was 700 years ago."
"Yikes! Shiny, these are irreplaceable...you should have warned me!" she exclaimed, setting her ancient glass down with great care. "What if I'd dropped it?"
"I dunno..." he teased, "...I guess we'd have to drag out that flogging frame again."
"Very funny" Twilight grumbled, but she laughed a little too. "I'm just glad that Mom & Dad didn't have one of those whips when we were foals."
"Cheers to that" agreed Shining, lifting his glass for another toast, which Twilight joined in very carefully. "Now didn't I promise you lunch? Let's be on our way!"
THE END
This a a piece that was sent to me by a fellow author who has expressed a desire to remain anonymous. It explores the same incident from the point of view of Cadet Dimple Dash.
Dimple Dash stood rigidly in the middle of the courtyard, fighting the waves of embarassment that coursed through her. The fact that her two best mates Springtime Rain and Roaming Cloud were at her side did little to help the tension that was steadily building up in her chest. Even now, she still struggled to remember exactly what happened on that crazy night. She had however, managed to piece together most of the picture, and inferred the rest...
The cadets of the prestigious and challenging Royal Guard Cadet Course were in their advanced stages and fast approaching the end of their course. Everypony was looking forward to the passing-out parade, where they would be officially commissioned and bestowed the responsibilties of a Royal Guard by the Princess herself. The cadets had completed the most grueling parts of their training, and were only left with a couple more advanced lessons and a summary test or two. At this stage of the course, the instructors of most batches usually saw fit to give their cadets a break by letting them kick back and relax a little. This year's course was no different, and free nights were becoming more common.
This night was no different, and the cadets exchanged happy glances with one another when Lieutenant Straighthoof announced at the five o'clock last parade that the company would be granted a free night as the training schedule had nothing planned, and the performance of the cadets thus far 'had met expectations'.
Free nights were exactly as the name suggested. Cadets were free to roam the Castle grounds, leave to go to the city, or simply rest in the cadet's mess, as long as they reported back to the barrack Watch Officer before midnight.
Dimple, Springtime and Roaming, affectionaly known by their coursemates as "the three musketeers", gathered at the main hall after the company had been dismissed. They were given said title due to the fact that they got along very well and treated each other like brother and sister. It was easy to see why, though. All three were friendly and outgoing, all three were well-liked by their peers, and all-three had a mischevious streak in them that, while often garnering a amused chuckle from their instructors, would land them in trouble time and again. In fact, throughout the course, the three had found themselves cleaning the non-commissioned officer's bunks, marching around the courtyard, or performing extra guard shifts for a variety of pranks and misdeeds. Both instructors and coursemates alike knew however, that the three were genuinely good ponies at heart who just so happened to forget about consequences occassionally.
"So, what should we do tonight?" Dimple asked, catching up with the two colts as they made their way towards the barracks. "Lots of guys are going out to the city, but I'm beat, sure could use a relaxing night like this to chill out." Roaming quipped, yawning as he did so. "And I have just the thing to make this the best night ever!" Springtime said, with a hint of evil glee in his voice and sly grin on his face.
Of the three, Springtime was the only one amongst them who had been promoted to Cadet Corporal a month or so back. Cadet Corporal was a rank that was given to cadets whose performance during the course had been consistently good, and had displayed leadership qualities during the many tests that the cadets were made to go through. A typical course typically had around 20% of the cadets being promoted during a simple ceremony at the beginning of the final training term. Amongst a few extra privileges during the course, Cadet Corporals were usually given deputy non-comissioned officer roles after comissioning and essentially 'fast-tracked' into Sergeantship, making it an attractive goal for cadets to strive for.
The three were finally back at the barracks, and found themselves in front of Springtime's locker. "Dude, what did you bring us here for? To look at your dirty clothes? That's your idea of a relaxing night?" Roaming said with a snort. "Hey shut up man, just check this out okay?" Springtime retorted, rolling his eyes as he did so. He opened his locker to reveal a keg of cider resting at the bottommost rack. "Woah, how did you get that in here?! Don't the Gate Sergeants like, perform random checks on the bags?" Dimple said, in awe. "Psh, when you're Cadet Corporal, they tend to assume that you're clean. T'was easy as cake. I just stuffed it into my kit bag along with my training armour. Didn't suspect a thing." Springtime replied, with an air of superiority.
It was probably convenient that most if not all the other cadets had either already left the castle for the city, or were at the mess by this time, leaving the barracks empty except for the three. The events that transpired soon went down the slippery slope of most alocohlic endeavours. Again, Dimple struggled to remember what happened clearly in the hours that followed, but all that came back to her were fragments of a great time, a couple of broken windows, a chipped statue in the main hall, a Sergeant's office filled with leaves, a couple of torn flags and a very messy barrack room.
The investigation that followed in the days after was swift and straightforward. After waking up sober the next day and realizing what they had done, the three were more than willing to cooperate with the Watch Officer. While they were prone to mischief, and happened to lose control that night, they were not ones to shirk responsibility for their actions, and it would be an understatement to say they were not repentent. While initially irked, by the time the investigation was complete, all affected parties had practically forgiven the lovable three. It was due to their sincerity that Shining Armour, Captain of the Royal Guard, had decided to offer them the option of summary discipline instead of a court martial, where they would most certainly be kicked out of the course for Prejudice to Good Order and Discipline. At the very least, they'd be suspended from the course until the next intake, which would mean a year long wait in confinement for the three. At such an advanced stage of the course, few ponies in their positions would have chosen a court martial. They had come so far and were so close to graduating, and Shining Armour recognized that.
And so, Dimple found herself snapping out of her daze of flashbacks and returning to reality. Springtime had just received his final lash and was being unbuckled from the restraints of the flogging frame. Tears were flowing freely from his eyes and pooling into a small puddle on the marble below. It was evident that he was in great pain and his rear legs quivered as he dismounted himself from the frame and made his way back to stand next to her. His rump was a radiant shade of pink with thirty painful looking stripes criss-crossing each other, and the sight of the freshly whipped colt ratcheted the fear level in the filly up by many notches. Before she could think further however, the guard pony on punishment detail read the sentence out. "Cadet Dimple Dash, twenty-five strokes." he said, in an emotionless voice. Two guard ponies led Dimple to the flogging frame, as they did with Springtime.
The flogging frame was an unassuming piece of furniture that had simple leather restraints for all four legs and one for the body. A pony would be bent over a padded bar and his or her tail would be lifted up and tucked underneath the body restraint, so that it did not interfere with the whipping. Once secured, the unfortunate pony would be bent at a roughly 60 degree angle, ready to be punished.
Dimple's face flushed a hot red as she tried to avoid eye contact with the crowd, and worse, her distraught parents, whom she had spotted out the corner of her eye at the back of the Cadet Corps. She had already apologized countless of times to her mother for putting her through this, but the pool of guilt that had accumulated in her heart had yet to dissapate. Putting on her most dignified face amidst the torrent of emotions she was feeling, Dimple mounted the frame and waited for the guard ponies to secure her.
All that dignity went out the window though, as her train of thought was rudely interrupted by her tail being lifted up and tucked under the center restraint. A couple of colts in the crowd craned their necks discreetly to get a better view. At this point, Dimple was thankful she was facing towards them rather than away. Female cadets were not unheard of in the Royal Guard, but they were rare nevertheless, and having one being sentenced to a flogging was even rarer.
In this humiliating position, Dimple shot a glance towards Shining Armour. As the captain of the company, he had given the three of them a good long talk after the investigation was over. Amongst the things he had said were how disappointed he was in them, and how they'd come close to squandering an opportunity that other young ponies would jump at, but also how he understood why they did what they did, and why they would have to be punished. By the time they were done, all three felt like little fillies whose parents had caught with their hooves in the cookie jar. Despite being firm, Shining Armour was fair and related well with his cadets, earning him their respect and admiration.
Amongst the small handful of fillies who were accepted into this year's course, Shining had a soft spot for Dimple, as she would always try her best to emulate Springtime's example and had a rebellious streak in her that reminded him of Twilight. Casting a sympathetic glance towards her, Shining Armor turned to Sergeant Ivory Lance and nodded.
Dimple heard a whoosh but before she could react, a loud crack echoed that rivalled the volume of Springtime's earlier ordeal echoed through the courtyard. Her eyes shot wide open and she released a small gasp as the whip made first contact with her unprotected rump.
"BUCK! You've gotta be kidding me!" Dimple thought to herself as she clenched her teeth. Waves of pain coursed through her body as a angry red stripe appeared on her backside. As the effects of the initial stroke began to subside, she heard the dreaded whoosh again, and again the whip fell with a renewed vengeance onto her hindquarters. The effect was immediate and she put in all her effort to not make a sound and ride out the pain. Holding her breath, Dimple did not hear the whoosh as the third stroke made contact with her rump, causing another loud crack to ring out in the courtyard. She did not have time to prepare and had the air blown out of her lungs by the shock of the impact. "Shit! That hurts like BUCK!!" Dimple yelled out in her mind, trying her best to remain in control.
Sergeant Ivory Lance adjusted his grip on the whip. In his twenty years of service with the Royal Guard, he had "tanned the hides of many a young cadet", and while having the years creep up on him, was still in great shape. Years of experience had taught him how to apply every stroke with the same amount of force and in an even distribution across a wayward cadet's butt. The fact that Dimple was a filly made no difference to him, and he was a firm believer of fair but hard discipline.
Without missing a beat, Ivory Lance swung the whip, the whoosh-and-crack again filling the courtyard. Dimple jerked as a fourth burning stripe was painted onto her butt. Many of the cadets flinched at the methodical efficiency of the Sergeant's strokes. Her mother watched in dismay from the back of the crowd at the sight of her beautiful daughter, tied down and exposed, being chastised by a full-grown stallion. She could only imagine the agony that Dimple was enduring and gripped her husband's hoof even tighter.
The next two strokes that followed saw Dimple progressively beginning to lose the control she had initially managed to muster up. By the seventh stroke, Dimple finally let out a whimper, as tears began to form involuntarily in her eyes. As the eighth stroke fell, Dimple felt the last strands of control begin to break down and tried to move her legs. This was a futile endeavour however, as the restraints were well thought-out, and she was well-secured, unable to move an inch in either direction.
Thus far, the only quiet weeping that could be heard came from the rear of the crowd... the cadet's mother weakly repeating "I never wanted her to join... I never wanted her to join" over and over again while her equally upset husband tried to soothe her.
Tears began to stream freely from her eyes as the ninth and tenth stroke left their marks on her backside, a testament to the efficacy of the whip. The regulation whip was a rather average looking implement, being comprised of nine waxed cords with a couple of knots to 'increase the sting'. It had been designed to inflict maximum pain, rather than leave lasting damage onto a cadet's bottom. It was not a heavy instrument, unlike the barbaric implements described in some fantasy novels. Nevertheless, in the right hands, the sheer amount of pain this unassuming instrument could put out was impressive, as demonstrated by the Sergeant's deft handling.
Of course, this was not good news for Dimple, whose eleventh stroke saw the last strand of control wave goodbye to her. After the crack sounded, she released her first vocalization in the form of a sharp "ah!". Ivory Lance knew from experience that it would only be a few more strokes before she would break and submit fully to her punishment. Cadets would usually try to keep an air of dignity by attempting to maintain a stiff upper lip throughout their punishment, but he knew that unless they had buns of steel, it was close to impossible to last through 25 consecutive strokes.
With this in mind, Ivory laid on the next three strokes with a steady and consistent vigour. He did not have to wait long, as he drew the whip back and brought it down for the fifteenth time onto Dimple's sorry hide. The whoosh, which had now become a familiar sound to all who were present, was proceeded by an energetic crack. This was too much for Dimple to bear. The cumulative pain from her strokes thus far, coupled with her total inability to move from this vulnerable position, finally broke down whatever willpower she had to think about her dignity. She began to sob freely and gave up trying to prepare for the next stroke. All she could think of now was how sorry she was and how she'd never make such a mistake again. Yes, this was one truly repentant filly, and Ivory Lance recognized it immediately. He cracked a small smile and said quietly to himself, "That's it right there. Hang in there my little filly, just another ten more to go. It'll all be over soon."
The next few strokes that followed were what Ivory liked to term "the wrapup phase". This was the point where a cadet being punished would finally realize their wrongdoing and begin to regret the action that led to the current situation. Now that Dimple had broken, she was crying out loud with every stroke. While she still jerked in pain after each stroke, her body was limp as her mind began to accept the punishment being meted out. There was now no doubt in her mind that she had done wrong and each stroke only served to reinforce and drive home the point that some actions had.. undeisrable. consequences. All she wanted now was for the punishment to be over and to be accepted back into the corps by her fellow cadets.
Eventually, Dimple managed to pull through the remaining strokes and made it to the last one. "Good job, Dash. You did well. Just one more." Ivory Lance quietly congratulated her for enduring her ordeal thus far and began to line up the whip for her final stroke. It was a long-held tradition in the academy that the last stroke was usually the hardest one, as a form of 'conclusion' to the session and a strong reminder of what would happen if any further transgressions were to occur.
Dimple was not aware of this tradition, but unfortunately for her, it was how Ivory Lance was trained and intended to carry out. Taking a deep breath, the Sergeant raised the whip and brought it down as hard as he could to meet it's target. A deafening crack reverberated through the courtyard as the whip landed diagonally across the previous 24 strokes. Dimple's eyes shot wide open and she released an almost primal-like howl.
Dimple was now fully exhausted and lay in place, continuing to sob quietly, unaware that her punishment was finally over. After a moment, the two guard ponies came over and proceeded to undo the restraints. Her backside was a radiant pink, twenty five angry red stripes criss-crossing each other in a seemingly random fashion. A couple of purple welts were visible where the knots had struck. Roaming Cloud swallowed nervously as his turn drew nearer.
Feeling the restraints release, Dimple quickly gathered herself and proceeded to dismount the frame. Her butt was still on fire and ached like Tartarus, and with great effort she managed to bow her head to Ivory Lance and Shining Armor, before making her way back to stand next to Springtime Rain. As she did so, both the Sergeant and the Captain gave her a reaffirming nod. She had taken her punishment bravely and was forgiven.
"Cadet Roaming Cloud, 25 strokes." The day was far from over.