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“Because I Choose To” Part 1 - https://ponepaste.org/2560

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> “… Master, if it comes down to that, will you… Use… Your weapons on anypony?”
> Adjusting your position as you lay on the couch, you frown as you consider her question. You are already wearing your combat uniform and boots, and the discomfort of them distracts you.
“If you mean ‘anypony’ in a collective sense, then yes. If either a human or pony poses a threat, I will not hesitate to take him or her down… I will rather kill than be killed.”
> Starlight squirms on top of you, and you guess that she is uncomfortable with the forwardness of your answer. Her eyes swivel down to meet yours, but she says nothing. You continue petting her shoulders as your other hand squeezes her cutie mark.
“I want to come back home, Starlight… I want to see you again, and I won’t let any man or pony stop me from doing so.”
> Starlight gives you a soft smile. Holding it for a few moments, it disappears when she frowns.
> “Master… Have you… Have you ever k-killed anypony before?”
“Nope, and I hope today will not be the first.”
> Your pony nods slowly.
> “… What happens when a human dies, Master?”
> You chuckle softly, which earns you a frown from Starlight as she tilts her head in confusion.
> “What’s funny?”
> Reaching a hand up, you pet her on the top of her head.
“That, Starlight, is an age-old question that we have been asking ourselves since the beginning of time… Depending on who you talk to, you get varying answers as determined by that person’s culture, beliefs and religion. For me? I believe what the Church has taught me: That there is an afterlife for our souls, and that we are judged for our goodness based on the actions we take when we are still living.”
> ““Judged”, Master? Judgement for what? And what are “souls”?”
“Well, 
> You pause, taking a moment to move your hand back to her mane and rub it with your fingers.
“Souls are… What is in us as humans. It is… Us. A human being in spirit form. It is what forms our consciousness, rationality, and free-will, and it makes us unique from non-sapient animals. It stays intact when we die, and it is what will go to heaven or hell after judgement by God. Like I said earlier, he will determine that based on how good we are and the lives we have led. Basically, the good will be rewarded in heaven, and the bad will be sent to hell. This is what I have been taught.”
> Checking that Starlight understands your explanation, you continue.
“Heaven is an absolute paradise, Starlight, filled with happiness and joy in the presence of God, at least as far as I know, and hell is a terrible place where the evil and sinful are punished for all eternity… Again, these are taught to me, but I don’t agree with the “punished for all eternity” part... I believe that our God loves us enough to save those in hell eventually, even those who are supposedly irredeemably wicked. His love is all powerful, his grace is mighty, and I believe that he will forgive us if we yearn for him hard enough and genuinely repent for our sins. Everyone deserves a second chance, despite what is taught to us by the Church.”
> Starlight raises an eyebrow.
> “You are disagreeing with the teachings of your religion, Master? Aren’t those supposed to be absolute?”
> You smile at your pony.
“They will say that it is absolute, and to deviate from this or to disagree is a form of heresy. I am lucky, I suppose, that our generally secular and modern societies have foregone the harsh punishments that are meted out to religious deviants… If I said what I did just 400 - 500 years ago, I would probably be burnt alive or torn to pieces.”
> Starlight’s eyes widen in horror. Pausing to move your eyes upwards to the ceiling, you think before you continue.
“In my perspective, the use of this absolutism of condemnation by the Church is a tactic of fear-mongering by its leaders to get people to convert; for more than a thousand years, even as recently as 400 – 500 years ago, this was used alongside threats of death and destruction to force non-believers to convert. After all, every organisation needs new members to survive for long periods of time, so I can see why they needed to do that… Is it morally right or wrong to force people into a belief system for the “salvation of their souls”? I don’t have an answer, and it will be too tedious for me to tackle that.”
> You take a breath and keep your gaze on the ceiling as Starlight nods. From the corner of your eye, you see her head and eyes drift to her right as she considers what you said.
“Personally, I think religion has been corrupted by human influences, especially when you take the political, cultural, social and temporal idiosyncrasies of the context in which religion is practiced into account. For all we know, our understanding of what God wants us to do, as taught by the Church, may be very different from what God actually wants us to do. To follow the Church blindly, or any organisation for that matter, would be dangerous and frankly stupid in my opinion, because we tend to forget that people in power almost always have an agenda; whether good or bad is another issue altogether. To me, this understanding of people in power must apply to other facets of life, like supporting governments, getting an education and participating in politics, if you want to say that you are truly able to make ‘informed’ decisions… We have a tendency to forget that, and our history has shown us the horrors that can happen when we do.”
> Looking down at Starlight, you grin sheepishly at her.
“Sorry for ranting, Starlight. You probably didn’t want to hear all that.”
> She shakes her head and smiles at you.
> “Actually Master, it is interesting to hear your perspectives. It lets me know you better, and I love a good conversation.”
> You chuckle softly as your eyes move upwards again.
“I’m a terrible person, Starlight. Who the hell is so proud that he thinks he can decide what he wants to accept or reject from his religion? And I must admit, even I think my sense of morality is messed up… After all, here we are: A Master and his slave… His bed slave. His sex slave.”
> Starlight puts a hoof on your cheek, and you turn your attention to her. She smiles softly at you as she shakes her head slowly.
> “Your actions determine who you are, Master, not what you think. Your deeds are kind, generous and compassionate, and so you are, despite what you tell yourself… And no, Master… I am not your sex slave. Not anymore… I am your lover.”
> Your pony leans in, planting a soft kiss on your lips as she blinks.
> “And I am happy and proud to be yours, Master.”
> You smile as happiness blossoms in your chest. Reaching your right hand over, you cup the side of her face and she leans into it, still smiling at you softly.
“Did you know that if you asked me, I will let you go back to Equestria? It will hurt me so deeply and so badly, but if Cadance is to appear here, right now, and ask that you follow her home, I will let you go… I meant it every time when I told you that I desire your happiness… If it means that I will have to suffer for it, then so be it… If you are happy with going home, then I will let you.”
> Starlight’s smile widens as tears gather at the corner of her eyes. She wipes them before she boops you on the nose using the soft bottom of her hoof as she giggles.
> “You are being silly, Master. I already told you that I want to stay with you, and this is my home now.”
“Why though?”
> You reach both hands over to hold that hoof, moving it around as you examine it. The front of it is hard keratin, and despite her walking on it, it is surprisingly smooth and shiny. The bottom of her hoof, which you think is called the ‘frog’, is soft and fleshy. It is apparently ticklish, as she giggles again when you press your fingers into it. The colour of her entire hoof blends seamlessly with her pink coat.
> Your eyes move up to hers as you continue holding her hoof.
“Why are you choosing me?”
> Starlight blushes when she replies.
> “Because I love you… And because this is my purpose now. To give you my love, to keep you company, and to give you pleasure...”
> Her answer leaves you feeling conflicted. You are sad as you know that part of it stems from her heavy Stockholm Syndrome, but another part of you is elated that you have found love. True love.
> “… And to receive it.”
> Starlight bites her lower lip as she blushes deeper, her eyelids becoming half-lidded again. Your face burns from that last sentence, and you cough into a fist a few times in quick succession, making her laugh. Embarrassed, you quickly decide to change the topic as you release her hoof, scratching your eyebrow with a knuckle.
“I told you about my beliefs about the afterlife. What about you? What do you believe in?”
> Fucking hell, Boss. Seconds ago, it’s all lovey-dovey bedroom talk, now you bring up that morbid subject again.
> I PANICKED, ALRIGHT?!
> Starlight does not seem to mind though. She tilts her head slightly but keeps her gaze on your eyes.
> “Ponies are made of harmony, Master, in the form of magic. Our… “Souls”, as you call it, are made of harmony. At the moment of conception, the innate magic from both parents merge with ambient harmony to form new magic and new life; these are replenished naturally over time, and is different from the harmony reserves used for magic and spellcasting.”
“So there are a few types of harmony?”
> Your pony smiles.
> “I don’t want to get into the technicalities of it, but no. The harmony reserves in every pony are fed by ambient harmony, which for example, are used for spells by unicorns. These are different from the innate magic within us; the former is a resource to be used, and the latter is part of our bodies. Both can be made powerful with time and effort.”
> Still confused, you frown at her explanation.
“So correct me if I’m wrong, but in the context of running, harmony is like your energy reserves and stamina, while the ‘innate magic’ you are talking about is like muscle mass or your body’s physiology?”
> “I guess… It isn’t exactly like that, but I suppose that is a good analogy… A bit crude though.”
> Meh, good enough for you.
> She taps the other hoof against her chin as she thinks.
> “When a pony passes on, the innate magic that makes up a pony disperses into the world, turning into ambient harmony again. So, we become part of everything and everypony else, like those who have passed before us. We live only once, Master, so we honour those who have led remarkable lives and attained great achievements, and are generally very careful in how we treat and interact with others. We value the Elements of Harmony immensely, which are Magic, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty and Honesty, and we always try to live up to them as best as we can… Well, those bullies are the exceptions, I guess.”
“You mean there is no afterlife? When a pony passes away, he or she is just… Gone?”
> Starlight smiles at you. Her expression is almost like you asked her why ‘blue’ is spelled ‘b-l-u-e’.
> “No, Master, there is no “afterlife”, but a pony doesn’t just disappear after death. Like I said, the magic that makes up a pony disperses into the world, and we become part of everypony and everything. We ‘live’, if you can even call it that, through those who are still alive and through the things in the world. When new life is formed, a small part of us will make up the new unique individual, so it is a cycle of sorts… And as I’ve mentioned, this guides us to generally be mindful of how we treat other ponies; “Will what you would like for yourself unto other ponies, for them to will that unto you”… This is a common Equestrian saying.”
> Interesting. That echoes “do unto others what you want others to do to you”. It seems like some form of karmic justice that guides behaviour is prevalent across different societies, be it human or pony. You cannot recall exactly, but it seems like Equestrian beliefs about life and death are similar to one of Earth’s religions. Probably Taoism or something, but you are likely to be wrong in your guess.
“You mention a place called ‘Tartarus’ before. Is that like hell, where the evil doers are punished?”
> Starlight shakes her head.
> “No, Master. It is more of a prison for magical creatures that threaten Equestria, rather than a place for the wicked dead like you described. We use the term as more of an expression than anything else.”
> You nod slowly.
“What about your Princesses? ‘Olicorns’ or something? You said that they are your living gods. Do they have a role to play in your beliefs about life and death?”
> Starlight giggles.
> “A-li-corns, Master. We call them ‘living gods’ because they possess immense magical abilities and are immortal. Not in the absolute sense though; they may be pass from injuries, but they will not pass from age or disease… And no, they are still subject to the laws of harmony.”
> Interesting.
“How much magical power are we talking?”
> Starlight snorts and smiles in a bittersweet manner.
> “I have seen Princess Luna use her telekinetic grip to crush one of your big metal cars like a ball of paper, Master. The big green ones with that thin nose which can shoot bombs.”
> Princess Luna crushed a fucking tank? Holy shit.
“How the hell did you guys lose the War then?”
> Starlight recoils as soon as those words left your mouth, and you grimace as you realise what you said. You move a hand to pinch the bridge of your nose.
> You are a fucking idiot, Boss. Sensitivity: 0/10.
“Sorry… I didn’t mean any offense.”
> Your pony just nods slowly, even as she keeps her head and gaze lowered. Leaning in, you put a hand on her mane as you kiss her on the tip of her nose.
“Sorry, Starlight. That was insensitive of me. I am a fucking idiot sometimes.”
> That manages to get her to smile softly at you as she looks up.
> “It’s okay… We never expected your soldiers to infiltrate the Royal Castle in Canterlot with those quiet weapons… You took all our Princesses in a clandestine operation that left more than half of the Guards on duty dead… Only Twilight managed to escape, and that is only with the help of a Changeling that sacrificed himself to take her place.”
> You frown and ask Starlight what Changelings are.
> “They are shape-shifters, Master. They can turn into a pony at will and live off love, and are part of our Equestrian societies after they have been re-formed… I don’t want to brag, but I was part of the team that helped in their reformation… I got an Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage for that… It is one of the highest honours to be awarded to a pony.”
> Smiling, you put a finger under her chin and lift her head. Then, you move your hands to the sides of her face and lean in to look deep into her violet eyes.
“I am so proud of you, my brave little mare. For overcoming your past, for what you have achieved for your kind, and for overcoming your own fears about me… Have I told you that you are amazing?”
> Starlight giggles.
> “You have, Master.”
“Then I’ll say it again. You are a wonderful, amazing pony… And I love you so fucking much.”
> You lean in, moving your head as you aim to kiss your beautiful little mare.
> ‘Tock’. ‘Tock’. ‘Tock’. That came from your front door.
> “Anon! We’re late!”
> Jolting, you glance at the clock. It is 10:47am now.
> Starlight gets off you as you reach over to grab the green case. You give her a quick pet before walking briskly over to your front door.
“No Angela, YOU’RE late!”
> As you reach your hand for the front door, you hear Starlight calling for you. You turn around, and you see your pony has her body turned away; her front is lowered, her butt is up in the air, and she has her tail lifted vertically up as she looks at you from below her shoulder. She stretches out and spreads her hind legs, giving you an unobscured view of her private; that cute little donut of her anus; her pink and moist feminine slit; those teats with the little nipples… All situated on her curvy, sexy body.
> “Please be safe, Master! I love you! Please come back home and make love to me again, Master! Please! Please Master… Please…”
> Even without her begging, you can see that she is extremely worried from her frown and by the look in her eyes. Your breath chokes in your throat as you nod at her, giving her the most reassuring smile that you can make. You say a quick prayer, asking God to look after and take care of your Starlight.
> Pulling your front door open, you see Angela wearing her combat uniform and boots. She looks over your shoulder before fixing her eyes on you with a bewildered glare.
> “I heard that. Why is Starlight…? Anon, what the fuck is that about?”
> Glancing back at your pony lover one last time, you close the door and lock it. You turn to Angela with a frown and a small sigh. 
> You do not know if that was the last time you saw Starlight. You may be meeting God in a few hours if you are unlucky. 
“I’ll tell you in the car. Let’s go do our duties.”
> …

> Stepping out into the open carpark of the Police Headquarters Building, you see a convoy of five black armoured vans. You follow the rest of the other officers as they walk over and enter the back of the first vehicle.
> From the briefing earlier by Assistant Commissioner Daniel Thor himself, you know that there are 24 officers in the Operation, and each of them are wearing their complete set of equipment: Kevlar helmets with face shields, black balaclavas, bullet-resistant combat vest on top of a dark blue combat uniform, elbow and knee guards, and black combat boots, complete with all the minor accessories and gadgets for communication and use in the field. Every Rescue Team officer is armed like you: a MP5A2 sub-machine gun, a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol and a combat knife, complete with three extra magazines for each firearm and an assortment of small items, like torchlights, handcuffs, plastic cable-ties, and rolls of tape. Other officers are carrying ballistic shields and equipment for urban operations, which includes a sledgehammer, a door-breaching tool, heavy bolt cutters and pin-hole camera sets. You are carrying a door-breaching tool yourself in the black bag on your back.
> Mumbling your thanks to the masked officer who helped you up, you take a sit on a wooden bench inside the already stuffy back of the armoured van. Angela, now given the callsign ‘Charlie’, sits down on your right, panting lightly as she attempts to remove her backpack. After trying for a few moments, she taps you on the arm.
> “Delta, help me with this, won’t you?”
> You nod, reaching over to untangle the strap for her, which allows Angela to sling it off her shoulder and place it between her legs. Cradling your sub-machinegun, you glance around the cramped van as more officers enter, some having to sit on the floor as the benches are already full. Many of the seated officers are already making small talk, and from the snippets of conversation that you manage to catch, you note that there are both male and female officers in Rescue Team 1, and many of them sound really young.
> Someone taps you lightly on your left shoulder, which captures your attention. You turn to see a masked face looking in your direction.
> “Hey, Delta right? I’m Bravo, and this guy here on my left is Alpha. We’re in the same detachment.”
> The man turns and gestures to the other masked officer beside him, who offers his hand out to you. You shake it as you smile under the mask, only to realise that he cannot see it. Being glad for a distraction from the heat and stuffiness of the van, you introduce Angela (Charlie) to them. Bravo leans in as he speaks, his deep voice getting muffled from the cloth covering his mouth.
> “That AC Thor is something, isn’t he? Scheduling an operation at the exact time that the Equestrian Citizens Bill is to take effect. 1pm right?”
> You nod.
“Yep, that is six minutes from now. We are going to hit those sadistic fucks hard... What does the Bill stipulate anyway, if I might ask? I haven’t been following the news this morning.”
> Angela sighs in exasperation.
> “Of course you aren’t, when you were so busy with Starlight this-”
> You shush her, but the other two officers start laughing. Alpha taps his gloved hand against his chest as he speaks.
> “Don’t worry, Delta, I have loads of fun and love with my Derpy Hooves myself. She’s a little klutzy, but she is so obedient and eager to please. God damn is she adorable… I love her dearly, and I am glad I saved her.”
> What.
“You mean you have your own ponies as well?”
> This time, Bravo answers you.
> “Many of us in the Rescue Team do, Delta, and each and every one of us was hand-picked by AC Thor himself to be members. Apparently, he only wanted people who have shown a certain level of commitment to the well-being of Equestrian Citizens… How he managed to find us, though, I will never know.”
“How did you come to join ECAD RT 1, Bravo?”
> He chuckles before he answers.
> “I was asked by my Commanding Officer to see AC Thor in his office after my shift… I, uh… Punched a man that assaulted his pony in public and stole her. I mean, if he was properly disciplining her, like maybe a verbal lashing or even a few whips of his belt, then fine; but he was kicking her repeatedly over and over again, and all because she dropped and spilled a bottle of milk in the aisle of a supermarket… I saw what was happening, and I took action. Saved that poor girl from that bastard.”
> Wow. That’s… Something.
 “How is she now? Do you still have her?”
> “Spring Step? Yep, she’s good. No permanent damage, and she is always cheerful and happy, especially when she plays with and walks my dogs… I was sure that I got into trouble for that incident, but AC Thor somehow made me her legal owner and saved my ass from the Disciplinary Code; would have gotten discharged from the Force otherwise.”
> Bravo punches your shoulder lightly as he chuckles again.
> “And before you ask, no. I just keep her as a caretaker for my dogs… I guess I never saw her in that light, despite all the good things that I have heard about the joys of ponypussy.”
> You laugh, and it is then that you notice that you are not the only one. The back of the van is quiet now, and the officers that you can see are listening to your conversation; some of them are still laughing. One masked officer waves at you to catch your attention; he is seated on your left at the opposite seat.
> “Hotel here. I bought a stallion from the auction, and his name is Night Light. Pretty decent and hardworking chap. He helps me with my gardening and in my garage when I fix up computers as a small profit-making hobby. Also helps to look after my toddlers when the wife and I are at work.”
> You lean your body towards Hotel and ask him how he came to be in the Rescue Team.
> “Oh, I brought Night Light to an event in Special Investigations and AC Thor interviewed me there.”
> A female voice comes from the opposite seat, this time from your right.
> “Yep, when I met him in the elevator, AC Thor just asked me to meet him in a bar after work. He offered to let me join there and then! Became Quebec after that.”
> Someone asked if she has a pony herself.
> “I… Uh… I do. A stallion called Silverstar, who used to be a sheriff back then… We, uh… Have fun too. He’s… Really large and messy sometimes.”
> The van echoes with laughter as again as Quebec splutters in embarrassment. Another female voice reassures her through the din. It raises in volume as the officer it belongs to addresses the people in the van.
> “I am November, and I have two ponies. A married couple in fact, who used to be bakers back in Equestria. They lost their foals in the war, but Cup Cake is already expecting. They help my parents in their bakery, and their recipes are quite the hit in my district.”
> That earned her a few ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs’. Then, yet another female voice speaks. This one came from your seat on Angela’s right.
> “Tango here. I have Rainbow Dash, and she is my ‘comfort mare’. I am openly gay, and I am not afraid to say it. Poor girl will never fly again even if she goes back to Equestria… She had her wings removed for being defiant by her former owner, and when I broke in to steal her from him, she was already broken in mind and spirit… So, I give her the best care that I can, and our relationship grew over the months. Now, she is as healthy as she can be, even though she is still a little quiet. I promised her that we will enjoy ourselves with our toys after this is over… And don’t any of you dare ask me “what will it take to get me back on solids?”, you pricks!”
> You join the rest in their laughter. God damn, you love these guys already.
> Then, Angela (Charlie) taps you on the arm again as she leans in to whisper in your ear.
> “If I get the opportunity later, Anon, I will try to bring home one of the rescued ponies. I always wanted to keep a dog, but maybe a pony-”
> She is interrupted by shouting from outside the vehicle. You turn your head as you see a masked officer move to close the backdoors, and someone starts the engine. According to your briefing earlier, the Rescue Team will now be staging a raid on a warehouse believed to be a major hub for smuggling operations. It will be a classic ‘Snatch Rescue’, where the Rescue Team will storm the target location from multiple entry-points to confiscate any ponies on the premises, and if need be, you have orders to neutralise any threats. The vehicle you are in now will move out first, followed by the rest five minutes later. Those other vans are empty, and they are meant to hold any ponies that you rescue.
> Reaching your left hand up, you glance at the dark digital watch on your wrist. It is 1:07pm.
> The Equestrian Citizens Bill came into effect seven minutes earlier. You do not know the full extent of the Bill, but you know that the Government now has the right to confiscate any ponies suspected to be suffering from physical and sexual abuse. If the perpetuators are found guilty, their sentences will follow that of Part 3 of Chapter 12 of the Equestrian Pony Slavery Act, and they will be blacklisted from owning or purchasing a pony slave in the future. The maximum sentences for ‘Cruelty’ will be a fine not exceeding $60,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 8 years. Judges may also convict the accused to no more than 12 strokes of the cane.
> Angela taps you on the shoulder as the vehicle moves out. Glancing at her, you note the fear in her eyes. ECAD intelligence stated earlier that the slavers in the ring have firearms, and will arrange for the Police Tactical Response Force to activate their standby units if needed. You reach a gloved hand to squeeze hers, nodding softly as she nods as well in response. Your eyes travel to the weapon in your lap as your stomach grows cold. Despite the fear you feel within, you are ready to perform your duty. For your country. For ponies. For Starlight.
> Closing your eyes, you say a quiet and simple prayer.
“God, if I am to meet you later, please be merciful… And please keep my pony safe and happy always… Because I love her… Amen.”
> Angela and Bravo echo your ‘amen’.
> …
 
> AC Thor himself opens the back of the van.
> “You have your orders. Move out and get into position.”
> Immediately, the officers of your Rescue Team start spilling out of the vehicle. You get up and walk over to the end, kneeling as you jump off it and landing on both legs whilst bending your back. Wordlessly, you raise your weapon to your eye-level and start a brisk walk towards the stairs on the side of the blue building, passing a gate that just had its chain cut. You keep your eyes down the sights of your sub-machinegun as you twist your body around, following the actions of the other two dozen men and women as you scan your surroundings for threats.
> From your briefing earlier, the target location of your raid is a large, light blue warehouse. It has two stories: an upper office level that is connected to a staircase outside the building via catwalks; and the big storage floor below. ECAD intelligence showed that the catwalks have been boarded up, and that the office itself has two rooms; one that is connected to the catwalk, which has a window that overlooks the storage floor, and one that further inside. The storage floor below houses many cages where the smuggled ponies are kept, and based on a reconnaissance that was conducted this morning, there are at least a dozen men on the floor and seven ponies in the cages.
> Moving swiftly past several container trucks, your thumb is on the selector of your weapon, ready to flick the safety off at a moment’s notice.
> Each detachment comprises of six officers, and each one has been allocated an entry point. Your detachment, Det 1, comprises of Alpha, Bravo, Charlie (Angela), yourself, Echo and Foxtrot, and your task is to storm the upper offices of the warehouse while Dets 2 to 4 each take an entrance to the storage floors below.
> When you pass a sentry post, your eyes are drawn to the sight of a man with a bullet wound in his head. The inside of the sentry box is smeared with red and bits of pink. Shaking your head quickly, you focus and resume your combat stance as you press forward, reaching the bottom of the metal staircase as five other masked officers join you. Alpha, identifiable by the ballistic shield he is carrying, turns and nods at the corpse, which is now 25 metres away from you.
> “Should have known AC Thor to get the Marksmen in. Probably had to take out the sentries to prevent alerting the others.”
> Echo turns to him.
> “Why didn't AC Thor mention this in the briefing? This is pretty important, isn’t it?”
> Shaking her head, Foxtrot replies.
> “Probably a case of ‘Need-to-know only’, Echo. You know how upper management thinks.”
> The disgust in Echo's response is clear.
> “These fucking scholars, I tell you.”
> Angela gives him two swift taps on the side of his arm.
> “Focus now. Weapons ready.”
> He nods as the rest of you do the same. Moving your thumb on the selector, you push it down, feeling your weapon clicking twice. You are now ready to kill.
> Wordlessly, the six of you form a human train with Alpha taking the lead, moving up the stairs together as a unit with your weapons pointing forward and upwards. You feel your instincts and training take over as your mind becomes hazy with fear, and you attempt repeatedly to swallow that lump in your throat. Your stomach feels cold again, and you feel detached from your body. Heart thumping against the vest on your chest, your legs are moving seemingly by themselves. You hear the series of metallic ‘thump’s as six pairs of boots impact the stairs repeatedly.
> God, I am scared. Please give me strength. Please give me courage. I am so scared. I am-
> ‘Thunk!’
> A crash behind makes you jump, and you are sure the others did as well. You would have fired your weapon if your index finger was on the trigger.  
> “Gah! Fucking hell!”
> Spinning around, you see that Echo has fallen, and he is grabbing his knee. You glance at the group, and when they stop, you move down cautiously to help Foxtrot as she picks Echo up, letting him sit on a step as he groans in agony. His chin is bleeding profusely, forming a large dark spot on the bottom of his balaclava, and the uniform above his left knee is also soaking with fresh blood.
> “Fucking lost my step… Gah!”
> Great. Raid has not even started yet and there is a casualty already.
> Angela picks up her radio and speaks into it. You ignore the chatter in your headset as you place a hand on Echo’s shoulder.
“Can you walk?”
> He nods even as he grimaces.
> “I can try. It doesn’t hurt that badly, and I-”
> Foxtrot interrupts him with a hand on his other shoulder and a swift shake of her head.
> “No, Echo. You are going to sit out on this one. You cannot move fast now, and you’ll put the rest of us in danger.”
> Alpha comes down, moving his ballistic shield aside as he grabs Echo’s hand and squeezes it.
> “Always another time to be a hero, man.”
> You decide to chime in.
“Don’t worry about it, Bro. There are plenty of other ponies to save.”
> Even through his balaclava, you can see his eyes narrowing. You cannot tell if it is because he is smiling or frowning. Then, they close as he nods. Slowly, he gets up with Alpha’s help and gives each of you a handshake as he says his thanks. Groaning again, he makes his way down the staircase slowly, taking one step at a time as he holds on the handrails for support. His MP5 hangs limply in the other hand.
> “Murphy’s law, eh Delta?”
> That was Angela’s voice. You chuckle as you give a signal to the rest to get back into position.
“Yeah, and it is a bitch.”
> With that, your detachment makes its way up to the stop of the stairs. Pausing at the corner, you hear Alpha say “Go!” before he turns the corner sharply with Bravo and Angela, pausing with his ballistic shield up as the other two officers point their weapons forwards. Bravo then turns and nods at you, so you get in position behind Angela again, weapon raised and ready as your group travels forward. A male voice speaks from your headset.
> “Det 2, in position.”
> You can feel the heat of the afternoon sun through your uniform, and you are panting already from the weight you are carrying. All you can focus now on is the steady, soft ‘thump’s of boots on metal, the feeling of Angela’s body on the back of your forearm, and the hardness of Foxtrot’s elbow as it presses against your back. You tell yourself to be calm as you walk forward with the other officers.
> “Det 4, in position.”
> Your group stops outside a chained door as Angela helps Bravo to get out his bolt cutters. They move to set the tool on the chain, and after a few adjustments, Angela moves back behind Alpha, allowing Bravo to do the cutting. Ready, he gives Alpha a swift nod, earning one from him in return. Then, Alpha gestures for Foxtrot and you to take the other side of the door. When you two are in position, Alpha reaches for his radio.
> “Det 1, in position.”
> Your heart is thumping rapidly as adrenaline courses through your system. You feel the fear in you again, and you swallow hard. When AC Thor gives the command, you will move swiftly and with purpose.
> Taking a breath to calm yourself, you focus your eyes on the door. Finger still off the trigger. Good.
> In a few moments, you will have to act. If you need to kill someone, then so be it.
> No hesitation. No thinking. No feeling.
> Just do it.
 
> “Det 3, in position. All in position.”
> “Zulu here. Roger that, Romero Tango 1. Do it. Do it now.”
> Bravo pushes down on the bolt cutters hard with his shoulders, and the tool cuts through the chain easily. Pausing to keep his equipment, Alpha waits for Bravo to indicate his readiness before nodding at the rest of you. He bashes the door open with the shield and storms in, and your detachment follows him. Turning around the corner to the left, he pauses about three metres in, waiting for your group to form up behind him as he points his MP5 forward, shield at the ready.
> True enough, the catwalk has been covered entirely, and it is lit by weak lights that are placed in intervals. There is only one way to the office: the door you just passed leads to a walkway on the left, followed by a right turn into another walkway that leads to the first room of the office. The one with the window.
> Foxtrot taps you on the shoulder, and you tap Angela on hers. She passes it on to Bravo, who then taps Alpha. When he moves, the four of you stick closely behind, weapons at the ready again. Then, your ears are assaulted by the sounds of shouts and gunfire coming from below you.
> Holy fucking hell, that is so loud!
> You narrow your eyes as you try to ignore the cacophony around you, but it does little to distract you from the bursts of automatic gunfire, the single distinct shots, and the array of voices. Reaching the corner for the right turn, Alpha pauses again and waits for Foxtrot to start another chain of taps. When it reaches him, he turns around the corner swiftly with Angela and Bravo.
> “Clear.”
> Foxtrot and you stack up behind the group, and keeping your weapon raised, you move forward with them. The double doors to the first room are open, and you can see that it has a long metal table in its centre, a bookshelf on a corner and several filing cabinets at another. There is no one there at the moment. You focus your attention at the closed door on your left, getting ready to react.
> 10 metres away from the double doors to the first room.
> 5 metres away. You hear someone scream from below as the gunfire increases in intensity.
> 2 metres away. The door opens, and a dark-haired man in an orange shirt dashes out. He is carrying a M16 rifle as he goes around the table, choosing the side that is closer to you as he makes his way to the office window.
> Immediately you fix your sights on him as your group stops.
“POLICE! PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!”
> He turns and sees you. Don’t do it.
> He twists his body. Your finger moves to the trigger. No compliance.
> He swings his arms, turning the barrel of his rifle towards-
> You squeeze the trigger, and immediately, his body gets peppered with bullets as your ears explode from the sounds of gunfire. He collapses against the table, the rifle now laying on the ground beside him. Blinking rapidly, your right ear rings as you see the smoking barrel of Foxtrot’s sub-machinegun just barely centimetres away from your head. Foxtrot then taps you in the shoulder.
> “Move out, Det 1.”
> With a nod, Alpha advances into the first room, shield ready as he does a quick scan of the room. Bravo and Angela moves over to disarm the man and check him. With a swift shake of her head, Angela and Bravo goes back behind Alpha, who is waiting beside the opened door. Stacking up behind him, Foxtrot starts a chain of taps again, and when it reaches Alpha, he charges in. You follow behind Angela swiftly, entering the room with your weapon raised.
> Inside is a rather run-down office, complete with a desk with a laptop on it and files, two couches, more filing cabinets and bookcases. Trash and cigarette butts litter the entire area, and the office appears deserted. Your group fans out, checking the room with weapons still raised. Then, a sound from under the desk captures your attention. You move swiftly towards it, weapon at the ready as you turn around the corner. A small whimper draws your attention; it is coming from below desk. As Foxtrot circles around from the other side, you nod at her before kicking the chair out of the way as the both of you advance quickly, bringing your weapons forward.
“Freeze! Police!”
> Cowering under the desk is a pony mare. A Pegasus. She has an off-white coat, and her mane and tail are pink and green. Her light blue eyes are wide with fear, and her pupils have shrunk to the size of pinpricks. Her face and mane is covered in dry crust, and she stinks to high heaven. She is trembling hard, and when you both raised your weapons at her, she pisses herself in fear. Literally.
> Oh fuck.
> Lowering your weapons, Foxtrot kneels and begins to coax the little mare to come out. It is then that Bravo taps you on the shoulder and points at the laptop. You turn your eyes to it, and you see that Alpha and Angela are already staring at it in horror.
> On the screen is a website, and there is a red counter on the top of the page that is ticking down from 42 minutes. Below it is a video feed, and you see a pony in it. She is bound to a bed, each hoof to a corner of the frame as a loop of raffia string is around her neck; that string is connected to a device behind the bed. A profile picture and comment section is on the right side of the website, and said profile picture is that of a mare with short, light blue hair and a cream-coloured coat. Her eyes match the colour of her mane, and a name on the profile tells you that she is one “Coco Pommel”. The mare in the video looks exactly like the one in the profile picture.
> Alpha picks up his radio and speaks into it, asking for AC Thor to come up to the office urgently, saying that he “needs to see this”.
> Your mouth hangs open as you realise what you are seeing. This is a snuff video, and it is a live-feed with 257 viewers. Reading the comments quickly, you see messages for the maker to do a whole repertoire of cruel and sadistic things to the mare, each ranked in accordance to the number of bids and amount given.
> Your eyes widen. “Knife in poosay :D” ranks the highest, followed by “Boiling Water Bathtime!” and “flay her with a fillet knife”. Shaking your head in disgust, you hear another wave of gunfire and shouts from below. You turn to the others.
“We’ll see what AC Thor wants to do with this. Foxtrot, stay here, look after that mare and brief AC Thor when he comes. Bravo, cover the walkway. The rest of us, we gotta support our guys from the window.”
> Bravo gestures towards the laptop.
> “We have 41 minutes to save this mare, Delta.”
“I know, but this looks to be a different location. We’ll have to wait for Tech Department to get us a location. Let AC Thor do his job.”
> With a quick exchange of nods, the four of you leave the office. Bravo moves to cover the walkway as Alpha, Angela and you move to the window, taking cover below it. Angela speaks urgently as Alpha discards his shield due to its bulkiness.
> “Wait for the shooting to start again. Remember, four seconds of exposure. Take your targets down and dive down immediately.”
“Roger that.”
> For now, all you can hear are muffled shouts from below. Then, the sound of automatic gunfire drowns everything out as the shooting starts again. With a quick exchange of nods, your group gets up, pointing your weapons down at the storage floor below.
> You see four distinct groups of people: a detachment of officers taking cover behind a pile of boxes directly below your position, another detachment on your right using a forklift as a shield, a third detachment directly opposite you, peering around a wall as they open fire on the last group on your left, which comprises of five individuals in civilian clothes who are hiding behind metal containers. There are several cages against the wall nearest to the five, and there are ponies in them. Across the storage floor are the bleeding bodies of men, too many for you to count in the precious seconds that you have.
> You take aim at a guy wearing a purple shirt, noting the M16 rifle in his hands as he shoots at the group of officers taking cover behind the forklift.
> NOT MY OFFICERS YOU SHITLORD!
> In unison, the three of you open fire, and you feel the recoil on your shoulder as the purple guy falls from the burst of bullets from your sub-machinegun. Instantly, you dive down, laying flat on your tummy. Spinning around quickly, you see that Angela is on the ground too, but Alpha is still standing.
> SHIT!
“GET DOWN!”
> You dive over and grab the back of his vest, pulling him backwards and making him fall as the back of his helmet crashes into the metal table. At that instant, you feel three distinct impacts on your chest. They are like sledgehammer blows, knocking the wind out of you as you fall back. Pain radiates from them, and you curse through your gritted teeth as more bullets slices through the air where Alpha was standing, impacting the ceiling and causing dust and debris to fall into your open mouth.
> “FUCKING HELL, ALPHA! FOUR SECONDS, GOD DAMMIT!”
> That was Angela’s voice. Groaning and spitting, you move a hand over your chest, and you can feel three holes in the vest that were not there a minute ago. The once solid ceramic plate is now in pieces, and they shift under your fingers as you press against them. You move your hand away, noting that they are free of blood. Blinking rapidly, you stare at your fingers in disbelief.
> You are saved. The ceramic plate in your vest saved you.
> Leaning back with a groan, you hear more shouts and gunfire from below. The bullets have stopped now, and in the relative silence, your ears pick up the sound of movement approaching you quickly. Angela appears in your vision, and she drops her weapon as she starts patting you on the chest. You groan again as you try to get up.
“I’m okay… I’m okay…”
> She is sniffling as she continues her actions, and when she reaches to unzip the vest, you grab her hands.
“CHARLIE! I’m okay! None of them got through!”
> That made her stop. Then, she covers her face with her gloved hands and weeps into them. You reach over and pet her on her shoulder, and you notice that the gunfire seems to have stopped for good. Slowly, you get up, groaning again as you feel the bruises on your chest smarting. You crawl to one of the holes made by the bullets that were sent your way, peering at the scene below you.
> Members of your rescue team have over-run the position of the five men, and are now standing amongst their corpses. Some of them are already bringing the captive ponies out of the cages. With a sigh, you turn around to see Bravo hunched over Alpha. There is a pool of blood under him.
> Oh fuck.
> FUCK! FUCK!
> Instantly, you are by his side, doing a quick check of him. Alpha is bleeding badly from right upper arm, his left forearm, his left calf and his left thigh, and his combat vest is punctured in five distinct spots. Bravo already has his hands on his thigh wound, applying pressure on it to stop the bleeding as he mumbles incoherently in his panic. You reach over and press the wound on his left forearm, hearing Angela’s voice from your headset as she calls for medical attention. She then moves over to apply pressure on right upper arm. Alpha is groaning behind his balaclava, but he opens his eyes as AC Thor and Foxtrot appears beside you. Quickly, the lady officer puts her hands on his calf wound applying pressure on it to stem the bleeding. The Assistant Commissioner is wearing a bullet resistant vest himself under his uniform, and you see that one of his shoulders in his uniform has a bullet hole. Someone shot at the Big Man, and it grazed him on his shoulder. 
> Groaning, Alpha speaks softly as he lifts his head to look at AC Thor.
> “… Sir…”
> “Shush now, Alpha. Medical personnel are on their way.”
> He nods and slowly moves his head to you.
> “S-sorry, man… I fuck… I f-fucked up.”
> You just shake your head.
“It’s okay. Focus on yourself now. What’s done is done.”
> He groans before looking back at AC Thor.
“… S-Sir… Can y-you remove this fuck… This fucking helmet and c-cloth… On my face?”
> AC Thor nods silently and does so. Underneath the balaclava is another Caucasian man. He is around the same age as you. His hair is a light brown and his skin is fair. His eyes are a pale grey, and his facial features are pleasantly handsome with a strong jawline. Mumbling his thanks, Alpha looks at AC Thor again.
> “… Sir, this is it… My t-time has come… Please, I need you… To d-do two things for me…”
> AC Thor simply nods as he places a hand on Alpha’s chest.
> “… Tell my Derpy… That I love her so very much… That I don’t want her to cry... And… R-rescue that Pom… Pommel… Fo…”
> Alpha loses consciousness as Bravo yells in despair. Grimacing in rage, AC Thor gets up swiftly and goes over to the room with the laptop. Looking down at the officer in a pool of crimson, you choke on your breath.
> That could have been you… You could easily have been Alpha, choking out your last words as you fight to stay alive from the many bullet wounds in your body.
> Your eyes meet Angela’s, and you see something in her eyes. A fire. Angela is angry. Then, you feel your sadness and fear for Alpha melt away as cold fury courses through your being, igniting a flame that burns in every fibre of your being. Glancing at Bravo and Foxtrot, you can see the same look in their eyes.
> Your detachment wants vengeance.
> Quick footsteps appear from the walkway as paramedics rush in, carrying a stretcher. You stand up to let them do their work, and you hear AC Thor calling for your detachment to enter the office. Glancing at Alpha again as the medical team work to stabilise him, the four of you walk over to join AC Thor, who is staring at the laptop with his phone by the side of his head. The pony mare is now laying down the couch, and she is watching your group silently.
> He points to Foxtrot and does a writing motion with his hand, to which the officer tears a piece of paper from a nearby file and grabs a pen. Holding the tip to the paper, she waits.
> “Block 45, Blue Ridge Road, Unit 11-13, Postal Code… 8514862…”
> Wait. That address.
> You turn to Angela at the same time she that does to you, and you see the look of recognition in her eyes. Then, AC Thor says his thanks and hangs up, tapping at the piece of paper with his finger.
> “Storm this address and get the fucker inside. Take one of the armoured vans. The video feed is from this address, and you have 29 minutes to save Coco Pommel… I will follow once I get Blossomforth here to the vans below.”
> He looks up and gives you all a hard look.
> “What are you waiting for? GO!”
> You obey and run out of the office with the other three officers, not even turning to glance at the team of medics that have surrounded Alpha. Turning the corner, you flick your thumb, making your weapon ‘safe’ again.
> You are going after Sprinkle Medley’s killer, and you are going to save that mare.
> You have 28 minutes to do so.
> …
 
> Bravo pulls the armoured van into the familiar carpark, and stops the van behind two police cars. Leaving the engine and lights still on, he throws the door open and gets out. Foxtrot does the same, having been seated in the passenger’s seat beside him. Moments later, the back door opens and Angela and you jump out. You check your watch as you address the others.
“We have 4 minutes and 37 seconds. Let’s go! Let’s go!”
> As you run across the small field towards Block 45, all you can focus on are the memory of chasing Starlight across this very path and the alternating rhythm of your legs and body. This time, the metallic clinks you hear are heavier, especially when there is a fucking seven-kilogram door-breaching tool on your back. The four of you cross the grass patch quickly, passing the rubbish chute where Sprinkle Medley’s body was found and into the lift lobby, where a pair of officers are already waiting. One of them has a hand on the button of the lift.
> “ECAD RT officers, right? We got your memo from AC Thor himself. How much longer?”
> The six of you pile into the lift and Angela jabs the button to the eleventh floor. Bravo answers the officer as he adjusts the weight in his arm; he is carrying Alpha’s ballistic shield.
> “3 minutes and 15 seconds.”
> That policeman who spoke earlier quickly nods, handing Bravo a sock with a white tube leading out of it. It is attached to a silver tube, which is in turn attached to a firing device via a beige cable. The firing device itself is a T-shaped plastic object with a removable cap on the top. Your eyes widen as you look at the crude object.
“A door-breaching charge? Really?”
> The Police constable nods.
> “Tactical Response gave us this as instructed. 200 grams of TNT flakes with two PETN primers. It is the fastest available option to take down that door, so use the ballistic shield and cover your ears.”
“Seems excessive; I mean, we have our tools here.”
> Angela pokes you in the arm.
> “The faster, the better. How much time?”
> You check your watch again.
“2 minutes 12 seconds.”
> The elevator opens. Bravo checks the sign for the unit numbers, then he heads left. The rest of you follow, stacking up on him with your weapons in a ‘low-ready’ position as the other two officers stay behind at the lift landing. In front of you are another pair of Police officers standing outside a particular unit, and they wave to you as the four of you move along the corridor briskly and with purpose. The corridor is flanked on one side with doors to their respective units, while the other has a handrail and is open to the outside, allowing natural light and wind into said corridor.
> At least the explosion later will not be deafeningly loud, Boss. Place is not entirely enclosed.
> Aye, Brain.
> Your group stops in front of the indicated unit, pressing yourselves against the wall. Bravo hands the charge to Angela as she moves to place it on the handle, while Foxtrot orders the other two officers to retreat quickly further down the corridor. Angela comes back and glances at you.
> “Time?”
> Your eyes travel down to your watch yet again.
“1 minute 14 seconds. Weapons ready and face shields on.”
> You flip your face shield down with a hand, and several clicks can be heard as you switch your weapon to ‘full automatic’ and bring it up to your eye level. Pressing a button on your radio, you speak into it as Bravo braces the shield with an elbow, his shoulder and the side of his helmet.
“Det 1 to Zulu. We are in position and ready to breach. Over.”
> “Zulu to Det 1. I am six minutes out. Do it. Breach now.”
> With a nod, Angela unscrews the cap of the firing device and pulls it sharply upwards.
> ‘BOOM!’
> The entire fucking world shakes as a concussive wave washes over you. It feels like a giant hand has slapped your entire body, knocking the wind out of you as a fuckload of wood shreds shoots out into the corridor.
> FUCKING HELL THAT WAS FUCKING LOUD!
> Ears ringing, you register movement as Bravo storms into the flat, and you follow Angela closely. Passing the main door, which has flown off its hinges into several chunks, you scan the living room. There is a short passageway to the kitchen at the back, and on your left are two doorways; the one further down, nearer to the kitchen, has its doors closed. Moving swiftly, Bravo rushes to sweep the first room as Angela and you stack up to the closed door while Foxtrot proceeds into the kitchen. You move to the other side of the doorway, and with quick nod to Angela, you reach over and twist the door handle. It opens.
> Swiftly, Angela uses her shoulder barge in, throwing the door wide open as you rush in after her.
> “POLICE! GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!”
> In front of you is a Caucasian man that looks to be about 30 years old, and he is rather handsome but thin. From his attire, it seems like he got dressed very hastily, as his shorts are worn the wrong way. 
> Your eyes search the room. It is padded with what you can only assume to be sound-proof material, and there is an array of stands and recording devices in front of you, along with a small table that has an opened laptop on it. Further in, you see the mare in the snuff video. She is still tied on the bed, and you immediately notice that her genital area is horribly stained with fresh blood, which covers the sheets directly below her suspended hindquarters. A bloodstained knife rests at the foot of the bedframe.
> Angela orders him to get down again, and he compiles by kneeling, whimpering as he puts his hands behind his back. Then, your watch beeps, and barely a second later, a loud snap echoes through the room. You look up quickly, and you see that the mare is choking and gasping as the device behind her pulls the ruffia string around her neck taut.
> Moving swiftly, you push aside the stands and recording devices as you swing the butt of your sub-machinegun across that man’s face. Drawing your knife, you swiftly cut the string, causing the machine to snap back its arms and allowing the mare to breathe again; she coughs and splutters as her neck is released from the choking hold. Then, you turn your attention to the man who is writhing on the ground on his back, groaning loudly as he covers his face with a hand.
> With a swift movement, you pull down the pair of shorts he is wearing, and you see that his crotch is covered in blood. Coco Pommel’s blood.
“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”
> With that, you straddle his chest, twisting your body as you drive the back of your sub-machinegun repeatedly into every inch of his body.
“FUCK YOU, YOU SADISTIC PIECE OF SHIT! GOD FUCKING DAMN YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!”
> The butt of your weapon slams into him on every alternate syllable with punishing force. When he tries to block with his arms, twisting and turning his body to avoid your blows, you simply move the butt of your weapon to another portion of him that is exposed. Head, shoulder, neck, chest, head, neck, shoulder. Fuck him. All that matters to you now are three things: your panting, your body’s form as you drive the weapon over and over again into that sadistic fucker, and the sheer fury inside that is throwing you into a frenzy of rage.
> “Enough, Delta!”
“FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!”
> This motherfucker! You want to hurt him. You want to hurt him so badly! You are going to kill him! You are going to-
> Suddenly, you feel a firm grip on your shoulder and your face shield lifts up. When you spin to see whose hand that was, a fist comes flying at your face.
> Oh sh-
> ‘Wham!’
> That blow connects with the left side of your face, throwing you off balance as you topple to the ground. Your left cheek bone smarts painfully, and you can taste the blood that is coming from a tear on your lower lip. The cloth that covers that portion is becoming wet and sticky.
> “I said: That’s enough, Delta.”
> Glaring at the fucker who struck you, you see that AC Thor is the room, and he has his eyes on you. They are narrowed, and his gaze is hard as his flicks his right wrist a few times. Your eyes meet his, then they travel to the sadist on the ground, who is now just twitching and moaning. His face is covered in bruises and blood as it swells rapidly. He is missing several teeth.
> Holy shit, you went totally berserk on him.
> “Get up.”
> Hearing AC Thor’s command, you comply, but not before throwing a kick at the semi-conscious man in front of you. You stand up slowly, and you see that the other three officers of your detachment are in the room; they are standing behind the Assistant Commissioner, and the laptop is now closed under Foxtrot’s gloved hand. Turning your eyes on AC Thor again, you see that his face is a mask of rage. He points a finger at Sprinkle Medley’s killer.
> “Delta, this man has surrendered. Do I have to remind you that what you just did is a serious breach of the Criminal Procedure Code?”
> Fixing your eyes on AC Thor, you give him a glare of your own.
“Sir, I know the Code, so you don’t have to. This sack of shit used a knife to-”
> “I KNOW WHAT HE DID!”
> That shut you the hell up.
> AC Thor turns as he moves his eyes slowly to each member of your detachment, making sure that every officer in the room is paying close attention to him. Settling his eyes on yours again, he speaks. His voice is slow and dangerously soft.
> “Delta, you are already in trouble, so don’t make things even more difficult for yourself. Hand me your weapon, bring me that bloodied knife, and raise your hands as if you are guarding yourself from a boxer.”
> What the fuck. What is he-
> “That is an order.”
> Wordlessly, you reach your weapon out for AC Thor. When he grabs it, you walk over and pick up the knife, which you hold out to him handle-first. The Caucasian man pauses as he puts on a glove on his right hand, still holding the sub-machinegun in his left. Taking the knife, he tilts his head lightly as he waits for you to carry out the last part of his order. You let out a breath, glaring at him before you raise your fists in front of you, blocking him from your line of sight.
> You do not trust him, but he is the Commanding Officer for this operation and you are bound by-
> Pain erupts the back of your forearms and your left shoulder. Your eyes dart down, and you see half of the blade is embedded into the uniform of your left shoulder.
> “SIR?! WHAT THE FUCK?!”
> Angela screams at AC Thor as you recoil, gritting your teeth from the fire that comes from your wound. You stagger backwards and fall, feeling the door-breaching tool on your back impact the foot of Coco’s bed as you groan in agony. Gripping your upper arm just below the knife, your eyes travel up to AC Thor’s, and you stare at him in disbelief as Angela rushes to your side, already moving to check the extent of your wounds.
> Holy fucking Jesus, that hurts!
> The Assistant Commissioner turns as you groan again through your teeth, and once more, he looks at each of your team-members before he fixes his stern gaze on you again.
> “All of you, I want you to listen to me, and listen well. Bravo swept the other bedroom, and Foxtrot swept the kitchen. Charlie, you joined Foxtrot because the both of you thought you heard noises from there. Delta, when you entered this room, this fucker lunged at you with a knife. Before you can raise your weapon, he brought you to the ground and tried to stab you. You managed to block his first attack, but he slashed your arms and stabbed you in your left shoulder. Charlie, you heard the commotion and rushed to help, and when you enter the room, you see the bastard on top of Delta as they wrestled with the knife. You ordered Delta’s assailant to stop, but he ignored you. Then, Delta gets an opportunity to defend himself when he manages to press the barrel of his MP5 to the side of the fucker’s neck. With his personal life and safety threatened, Delta had no alternative and was forced to squeeze the trigger, unfortunately killing his attacker in the process.”
> What the hell? But that bastard is still-
> Before either of you can react, AC Thor grabs the sadist by his t-shirt, pulling him up on to his hands and knees as he drags him forward. Then, with his right hand, he jabs your weapon into the man’s neck and squeezes the trigger.
> The deafening sound of gunfire fills the room, and you feel that your ears explode again as you clench your eyes. When you open them, you see six empty cases bouncing towards a corner of the room as AC Thor drops the body and thrusts the sub-machinegun into Angela’s vest. Bravo and Foxtrot simply stares at the Assistant Commissioner in shock. Your pain momentarily forgotten, you are sure that your eyes are as wide as those belonging to the officers from your detachment.
> AC Thor… Murdered him. With your weapon.
> Even through the ringing in your ears, you hear AC Thor’s next words.
> “Charlie, untie Coco Pommel and bring her to the Animal Agency Shelter for emergency surgery. Get one of the pairs of Police officers to escort you there. Hurry please. Bravo and Foxtrot, bring Delta to the Medics below and report to back to Briefing Room 3-2 at PHQ. I will be there in an hour’s time, at 1530 sharp, to conduct the debrief. Charlie, I will see you there as well.”
> Turning to face you, AC Thor addresses you directly.
> “Delta, after you get patched up, wait for DSP Koh to come down and escort you to his office. You will give him your statement of the events that happened here, and cooperate fully with him at all times. I will speak with you after the debrief.”
> Gritting your teeth again, you just glare and nod. In this condition, you are in no position to resist as the pain flares again in your arms and shoulder. You can feel the blade moving lightly in your flesh as you breathe, and all you can focus on now is the intensity of the burning sensation that floods your senses. The pain… It is all you can think of.
> Fuck. That. Caucasian. CUNT.
> “Move. Now.”
> You yell out when Bravo accidentally hits the knife handle with his radio as he rushes to pull you up.
> …
 
> “Easy now, Anon. Take your time.”
“Sure, Sir… What time is it?”
> “5.41pm… And no, you are not doing your night shift after all that.”
“Yes, Sir.”
> DSP Koh moves you to the wall beside the door to his office, allowing you to brace yourself against it for support as he puts down your heavy green case. Reaching into his pocket, he draws out his keys and proceeds to open the door. He then carries the case in before coming out into the hallway to help you stagger in, being careful not to touch the sling that holds your arm in place. You drop down into a chair, leaning backwards with a groan as you feel pain radiate from your wounds, and this is despite being on a dose of strong painkillers.
> According to the doctor at Florence General Hospital, you have: a two-centimetre long puncture wound that goes straight through your left shoulder, a total of six slash wounds on both your forearms, a torn left upper lip, a bruised cheekbone, three large bruises on your chest, a bruised right elbow and a bruised right knee. His assessment showed that most of these wounds are superficial, and the shoulder wound affected only the deltoid muscle and just nicked the bone. He asserted that you will have full function of your arm in a month’s time, but there will be a permanent scar. With the bruises on your chest adding to those that are healing on your back, your torso looks like it belonged to a cow.
> One that is beige and purple, Boss.
> Sitting behind his desk, DSP Koh lets out a sigh as he fixes his eyes on you. His gaze is almost… Pained. It is as if it hurts the Deputy Superintendent to look at you.
“What is it, Sir?”
> “It’s... I am glad that Angela and you are safe.”
> You just nod and smile at the Asian man. Your gut tells you that there is more to that, but you decide not to press the issue.
“Thank you, Sir… I’m glad too.”
> Smiling lightly in return, your supervisor reaches over and pulls out a document from a folder. He clicks a pen and fills up the basic fields, then, he sighs softly before looking up at you again.
> “Anon… I know you are not one for bureaucratic bullshit and pretence, but I need your full cooperation. What happened earlier is a trage-”
“For Alpha, Coco Pommel and all the other Rescue Team officers. Not that sadistic fuck.”
> Your supervisor frowns at your interruption, but you fix him with a hard look that matches the fire you feel with.
> He isn’t your enemy, Boss. Control your fucking emotions.
> Closing your eyes, you check yourself as you swallow the lump in your throat and breathe out slowly.
“I’m sorry, Sir… It has been a rough day for me, and that was highly inappropriate and uncalled for. My apologies.”
> “Understandable, given that you almost died today and had to undergo minor surgery and stitches, but don’t do that again, Inspector. I may be your friend, but I am still your superior in rank and appointment.”
> You nod slowly before opening your eyes again. Forcing yourself to look at DSP Koh, all you want to do now is just curl up with Starlight and sleep for a week.
> “As I was saying, what happened is a tragedy not just for everyone that you mentioned, but for you as well.”
> What.
> You frown.
“F-for me?”
> Tapping the form that he has written in, DSP Koh’s next words sends a chill down your spine.
> “Inspector Anonymous, you are now under investigation for the murder of one Andrew Pierce.”
> What the fuck?!
> Your jaw falls open as you regard the man in front of you. Murder? How? You didn’t do it! It was AC Thor! You only did your job! True, you bashed his fucking face in, but-
> “What does the Criminal Procedure Code and the Disciplinary Code say about extra-judicial killings, Anon?”
> You slump back into your chair as you groan, bringing your right hand up to pinch the bridge of your nose. Of course.
> What happened earlier is, at face-value, an execution that took place without proper legal processes. It makes you a suspect for murder, and the onus is on you to prove that you did it to defend yourself.
> That fucking AC Th-
> Nevermind... Fuck that. You are just tired now.
“If convicted… A maximum sentence of a death penalty… And a dishonourable discharge from the Force, Sir?”
> Without saying a word, DSP Koh nods slowly.
> … Fuck….
“I didn’t do it, Sir. It wasn’t me.”
> Sighing, DSP Koh puts down the pen he is holding and slumps against his chair as well.
> “Everyone will say that, Anon. That’s why I need your statement.”
> Breathing out heavily, your eyes travel down to his desk. There is only one thing on your mind now.
“… I won’t get to see Starlight again… Right?”
> “Until cleared of charges, Anon, no. You will be detained in the Police Detention Barracks until then, and even after, you are required to be put on administrative leave for two weeks… If convicted, you will go straight to the Prisons and be placed on death row, and I doubt you will get the same privileges for Starlight as that vigilante did. Given past court rulings Anon, I must admit that the chances of being convicted are… High…” 
> Your supervisor sighs.
> “I don’t like it any more than you do, but this is how it is, and how it will be… I’m sorry.”
> Groaning again, you feel cold fury flood your being again. FUCK THAT GUY! You have been framed by that Caucasian asshat, and you have been betrayed by your Commanding Officer for the raiding operations. The injustice of it burns intensely, and your mind is rapidly becoming clouded with rage. With a swift movement, you stand up quickly, not even feeling the pain that shoots from your stitches as you send your chair flying backwards. It crashes into the door with a metallic crunch.
“FUCK! FUCKING FUCK!”
> Squatting down, you cup your hands over your head as you feel the rage quickly disappearing, being replaced by intense sadness and despair as the single most important thing in your life appears in your mind. Warmth gathers at your eyes as your vision blurs, and you feel a deep cold darkness in your stomach.
> Starlight. Your Starlight… You will not get to see her again.
> You press your palms to your eyes as sobs wreck your body. Even as you feel a pair of hands gently guide you onto a sofa, all that matters to you now is knowing that your pony lover will be crying in the future. For you, and because of you. Memories of her tear-stained face comes to your mind, and you feel the despair within you heighten as you realise that you did not even say goodbye to her when you left this morning. Helplessness and regret join the dark and cold mix that is already in your heart.
> You want to spend your nights sleeping with Starlight by your side and in your arms. You want her to have fun as she dances and runs, and have her palette bursting with flavours as she partakes in another frozen confectionary at Bridget’s. You want her to laugh as you tickle her, and you want her to enjoy the pleasures of an orgasm as you made love to her. You want to fulfill your promise to take her to the airport… You want her to feel loved, and you want her to be happy… You want Starlight to smile again…
> But… You cannot provide all these now… They will just be memories and dreams.
> It is over.
> That feeling of hands on your shoulder and back is so distant, and the words you hear are echoes that you do not listen to. What do they matter now, when you are leaving her; the sweet, passionate and beautiful mare that you love so immensely? Wetness and warmth covers the inside of your hands as more tears escape your eyes. Your breath chokes in your throat as your chest heaves, and you can feel mucous dripping from your nose.
> Starlight will be alone again, and she will have to face loneliness once more.
> And so will you, Boss.
> …
 
> Having just finished giving your statement to DSP Koh, you lean back against the sofa. You told him the truth; the details of the briefing, the interaction with the officers at the back of the van; the fall that stopped Echo from participating in the raid at the warehouse; the killing of the first M16 wielder by your detachment; the discover of Blossomfirst(?) under the desk; and the realisation of what was going to happen to Coco Pommel.
> When prompted, you proceeded to give an account of the ensuring firefight, providing detailed information on how you killed the purple guy from the window. You then gave details on how you tried to save Alpha and how you nearly got killed yourself, including the way which AC Thor gave the order to what remained of your detachment to storm Andrew Pierce’s place.
> Following these, you talked about the decision to use a door-breaching charge and the experience of being caught near a high-explosive charge as it goes off. You elaborated on the tactical decisions that your team made in the sweeping of the apartment, the scene that greeted you in Coco’s room, followed by the bashing that you gave that sadistic fuck, and finally, the way that AC Thor murdered that man using your weapon and the version of events that he painted.
> When you finished talking, you wait as DSP continues to write. Clicking his pen, DSP Koh re-reads the entire account before passing the form to you and asks that you verify the details in it. You read it thoroughly as your supervisor opens a drawer and pours out two glasses of whisky. He takes a drink from his glass, refilling it as he motions to yours with a hand.
> You put the document down as you grab the glass, downing it swiftly in a gulp.
> “If you are satisfied with the accuracy of your statement, Anon, please put your signature at the top right hand of each page and another one at the bottom of the last page.”
> Taking a breath, you ponder your next action as you pick up the pen that the Deputy Superintendent had used earlier. Should you point the finger at AC Thor? Do you have enough leverage to say that he was the murderer and not you? What is the weight of evidence that you have against him?
“Sir… May I have a moment to… Collect myself? It’s… Hard to talk about it.”
> Your supervisor nods as he rests the pen down and leans back into his chair. He smiles gently at you as he sips from his glass.
> “Take your time, Anon. Just sign when you are ready.”
> Nodding gratefully at him, you pause to think. You know that you are already in a ton of trouble; as with other cases of extra-judicial killings before you, you are being investigated for murder. It is not your fault and you know it, but the circumstantial evidence points heavily to you. After all, AC Thor used YOUR weapon to kill him and no other officers there opened fire, so that is already a pretty damning piece of information that can be used against you. Furthermore, if AC Thor’s version of events is to be believed and the other officers stick with that, you are the first person to encounter Andrew Pierce in that room. He is dead, so it will be your words against any evidence that is stacked up against you.
 > You frown as you consider your available defence: the one of acting out of self-defence. If all the officers in your detachment stick to AC Thor’s version of events, including Coco Pommel and those pairs of officers outside the apartment, then there is no way for anyone to say that Andrew Pierce died as a result of an extra-judicial killing. He IS dead, after all, and the way that AC Thor executed Andrew will lead the Investigation Officer to conclude that the weapon was pointing upwards when he was shot. You know this, as you saw it happen right in front of you.
> Reaching a hand over, you feel the stitches in your forearms under your fingertips. The medics and the doctor that patched you up can testify that your wounds are plausibly the result of defending yourself from an attacker, given the angle of the slashes on your forearms and that of the stab wound. AC Thor deliberately attacked you with that knife, and gave a version of events that puts you in a position of plausible deniability to cover for your earlier attack on Andrew Pierce with the buttstock of your weapon.
> It is then that you realise something, and that something that made your eyes widen. Your gaze settles on DSP Koh, who was watching you the entire time, and he smirks at you as your mouth opens in shock.
> Holy shit.
> AC Thor… Planned this. The killing of Andrew Pierce and pinning it as you defending yourself? It was deliberate. He wanted Andrew Pierce dead for some reason, and he used you to achieve that goal whilst trying to cover for you… And by the looks of it, he may very well succeed. As for DSP Koh…
> Your suspicions about his involvement are confirmed when DSP Koh reaches into a drawer and pulls out yet another Statement form, which he hands to you. Still reeling in shock, you take a quick read of the document, and you see that the events described there are similar to the account you gave, except… What happened in Coco Pommel’s room.
> That section describes an account that reflects what AC Thor said in Coco’s room.
> Leaning back into the chair, you watch as DSP Koh leans in to refill your glass with whisky. Lifting his own in a silent toast to you, he smiles.
> “You’ll get a Distinguished Service Medal for your actions today, Inspector Anon, and Andrew Pierce’s death will officially be an unfortunate occurrence when he decided to attack an armed officer, which forced you to take the necessary actions to save your own life and of those around you. Rumours of the way you fended off a strangle-hold from a burly two-metre tall Andrew Pierce by sticking a chopstick in his eye will fly, as well as how you took down three guys in the warehouse office by using a tennis ball for a distraction… You still have to be placed on administrative leave for two weeks though, and you will have to spend the next week in the Detention Barracks as you wait for Special Investigations to publish their findings.”
> You just gape at him. Then, you speak the first thing that comes to your mind.
“Sir, why didn’t you say these earlier? You made me believe that I am going to be hanged!”
> “You may very well still be, Anon. Unless, like AC Thor and I said, you cooperate fully with us… And letting you realise the preciousness and fragility of your relationship with Starlight will only make you treasure and love her more… We human beings have a tendency to learn best when we are put out of our comfort zones, especially when we feel loss, fear, hurt and pain.”
> Taking another gulp of whisky, he proceeds to refill his glass yet again as he keeps eye contact with you.
> “Welcome to power politics in the Force, Anon… And please, for heaven’s sake, sign THAT form instead.”
> …
 
> You are feeling restless and feverish. As you lay down on the couch, tossing and turning in discomfort, you cannot place where that feeling came from. Is it from being injured badly earlier, or it is because you are going to be missing a shift for the first time in your short Police career? Does it stem from your worries for Starlight, Alpha, Coco Pommel or Angela, or is it from the rollercoaster of emotions from your discoveries earlier that utterly wrecked many of your beliefs about the Police Force, especially that of your superiors and those in positions of power? It might also be because today is the first time you killed another human being, and you did that twice within mere minutes of each other.
> DSP Koh has left his office after telling you that AC Thor will speak to you before bringing you to the Detention Barracks. He left you in his office with silence and the half-bottle of whisky for company. Despite the urge to, you drank only the glasses that the Deputy Superintendent poured for you, as you want to be sober when you speak with AC Thor later. You have many questions for that manipulative fuck, and even though you understand the circumstances and consequences of your position, you are not afraid of him.
> Adjusting your body on the couch once again, you plant your sock-covered feet on the armrest as your gaze travels to the clock. 6.11pm. You sigh as you feel your stomach churning, but it is one of unease, not hunger... Strange, you should be feeling hungry about now.
> Pulling out your phone, you decide to give Angela a call. You have not heard from her since she left Pierce’s place, and you are anxious to find out about Coco Pommel.  
> She did not take your call. 
> Sighing softly, you then proceed to check the news. Nope, nothing on the raids.
> As you are about to put down your phone, it vibrates and beeps. Unlocking it, you see Angela’s message.  It reads: “Hey Anon. Busy at the Agency shelter, helping them with the ponies we rescued. Total 8 of them. Coco’s done with surgery. Looked bad, but nothing serious. Will recover in a week. Asked Thor if I can adopt her, and he said ‘Yes’! :D”
> Smiling warmly, you ask Angela if she is taking the night shift later and if she can help you to look after Starlight in the meantime, as you will be in the Detention Barracks. You are not sure if Angela is privy to what is going to happen to you, and you decide not to give away any information besides the bare minimum. Putting the phone down on your chest, you feel the discomfort in you heighten. Sleep sounds really damn good now.
> Then, your phone vibrates and beeps again. You lift the phone up, letting your head rest on the armrest as you read. Her reply states that she is taking a day of leave to spend the night at the Agency shelter with Coco, and that AC Thor has already taken Starlight into his care. Angela ends her message by wishing you good luck with the investigations, and that she-
> The door opens with a click, and you sit up as Assistant Commissioner Daniel Thor enters the room. Upon seeing that giant of a man again, you feel a mix of cold fury and disgust erupt within you. This is the man who used you. He took advantage of his position and appointment as Commanding Officer of the raids to manipulate you, and he has taken your pony. You would have gotten up and punch his fucking face if you are not hurting so badly from your injuries.
> Instead, you just watch him, fixing him with a glare as he makes his way over to a chair, which he pulls around for him to sit so he is facing you. AC Thor then leans in, his eyebrows narrowing as he addresses you with a soft voice. His eyes are a deep blue, and in your anger, all that you can think of is driving that pen on the desk into one of those fucking orbs.
> “How are you feeling-”
“I DON’T NEED YOUR EMPATHY, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU MANIPULATIVE CUNT! FUCK YOU!”
> Clutching your shoulder as pain radiates from the wound there, you groan as you grit your teeth. That shout was a bad call.
> Careful now, Anon, he-
> FUCK. HIM.
> To his credit, AC Thor does not even flinch at your outburst. Instead, he leans back into his chair and breathes out deeply, still keeping his eyes on you.
> “Your rage is understandable… And justified. I won’t pretend to know what you are feeling right now, but I can make it up to you. Tell me what you want, and I will see what I can do.”
> You cannot help chuckling bitterly at that. Curling your lip in disgust at how superficial he seemed to you, you spit your next words at him.  
““Make it up to me”? Really? You think I will fucking trust you after that shit you pulled? You used me, Sir. You killed him. You murdered him! You murdered Andrew Pierce in my name! IN MY NAME, ASSHOLE, AND I AM GETTING FUCKING INVESTIGATED FOR THAT!”
> Your shouting is rewarded with more pain, but you just grimace through it.
> Again, AC Thor keeps his stoic expression under the barrage that you unleashed on him. Taking a moment to catch your breath, your rational mind takes over and you keep your voice level, but cold.
“You have Starlight with you now, don’t you? Angela told me. Are you going to use her like you used me? Mark my words, you fucking asshole: if you harm her, I will kill you… I will do it with my bare hands if I need to, you psychopathic bastard.”
> Smiling lightly, AC Thor speaks. Again, he is so unnervingly calm.
> “I won’t hurt her, Anon, and killing me will jeopardise the future of all Equestrian Citizens in this country. You know this, so don’t let your rage blind your rationality, Inspector… But, if you still want to…”
> He stands up. Ignoring your bewildered expression, he moves over to your green case and unlocks it with a key. AC Thor reaches in, pulling out your Glock 19 pistol as he removes the magazine to check that it is filled. Satisfied that it is, he slides it back into the weapon and cocks the weapon, chambering a round as he hands you the pistol handle-first. When you do not take it, he simply tosses it on the sofa beside you and reaches his hands to his side, pulling at the Velcro flap on the side of the ballistic vest he is wearing. With a few swift motions, he removes it and drops it on the floor. He sits down at the chair again, letting his arms fall to his side as he looks at you once more calmly.
> “Go ahead, Anon. You have 15 bullets with which to take my life if you want to, but all I ask now is just to talk.”
> You snatch up the pistol with your right hand. Gripping it firmly, you fix your eyes on the Assistant Commissioner as an array of thoughts and desires floods your mind; many of them are very dark and impulsive. Your grip trembles, and your mind races.
> FUCK!
> With a swift motion, you toss the pistol at a corner of the room, causing a jolt of pain to surge through your body again. Glaring at AC Thor, you cover the bandages on your shoulder with a hand as you shake your head slowly, making him smile.
> “You are angry that I used you, but it was the most feasible way for me to get Andrew Pierce. His death was part of my plans, and you happened to be a part of it. A tool that I used, in other words, without your consent or knowledge. Naturally, you will be pissed, and I am ready for that. So, if at any point in time that you feel like going over there to pick that pistol up and use it, I will not stop you.”
> You frown deeper. What the fuck is this guy playing at now?
> “I want you to trust me, Anon, and I will demonstrate my intentions by making it up to you. I have already made arrangements for Starlight to stay at a sanctuary for ponies whilst waiting for you to be cleared of all charges. The other ponies there will look after and care for her, so you can be assured that she is in good hands… Or hooves for that matter… And as I have said, tell me what you want and I will see what I can do. I owe you that much, on top of what DSP Koh has already promised you.”
“You are damn fucking right that you owe me.”
> AC Thor simply smiles even wider.
> “Take your time to think, Anon. Tell me what you want, and I will do as you say it… Short of killing myself, that is. Like I said, I am needed for the well-being of ponies in this country, Inspector.”
> Giving him a glare before moving your eyes downwards, you feel the discomfort within you building. It is almost like you are running a fever; you feel very restless and your stomach feels bloated. With a groan, you move to lie down on the couch, laying your head on the armrest again as you close your eyes.
> “You are not feeling well.”
“Gee, thanks for pointing that out… Sir.”
> That ‘Sir’ was heavily emphasised and forced; you did not even bother to keep the sarcasm out of your voice. AC Thor sighs.
> “I can understand your behaviour, Inspector, but it doesn’t make it any less appropriate or pleasant… And frankly, it is starting to wear my patience. I have been forthcoming and accommodating with you so far; the least you can do is reciprocate and not be so childish.”
> You feel a flare of anger at his words, but you agree with his point. After all, you are only an Inspector; a small fry in the Force, and he is Director of two Departments and an Assistant Commissioner to boot.
> Fine, then.
“I want three things, Sir. Not just one.”
> You open your eyes to look at the brute of a man, having made your decision rather quickly. Wordlessly, AC Thor gives you a nod soft and a smile, which you take as permission for you to speak.
> Boss, you would have spoken out anyway.
> True, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“First, I want you to keep Starlight safe for me, and for you to return her at the soonest possible moment. At no point in time should she be in danger or harm, and she is NOT to be used for whatever political games that you play or are thinking of playing… And tell her that I miss her and that I love her.”
> “Done.”
> That is easy enough. Now for the harder ones.
“Second, I want information. I want you to tell me what I want to know, to the best of your knowledge and abilities, and I want honest answers... I want the truth, and none of your political horseshit.”
> AC Thor now fixes you with his trademark piercing stare. Again, you feel like you are being x-rayed.
> “And if this information is meant to be a secret? How can I trust you to keep them that way?”
> You sit up and let your feet rest on the ground, leaning in as you fix him with a hard stare of your own.
“Well, I covered for you, didn’t I? Andrew Pierce’s death was no act of self-defence, Sir.”
> AC Thor smirks at you.
> “You are learning fast, Inspector. It’ll do good for your career.”
> The Assistant Commissioner leans back in his seat.
> “Very well, Inspector. What do you want to know?”
> You ask the first thing on your mind.
“What is the outcome of the raids, Sir? Besides Alpha, were there any other casualties? What of the ponies that were rescued? How are they and where are they now? What’s going to happen to them? What-”
> Putting up a hand, AC Thor gets you to stop. He reaches over and grabs the pen that DSP Koh and you used earlier, which he uses to scribble on a notepad.
> “Slow down there, Inspector. Let me take down your questions before I answer them.”
> The sheer humanity of that causes you to smirk; despite his tough and cold exterior, the ‘Big Man’ is still a person. You are still pissed at him, but your anger is slowly being replaced by a combination of anxiousness and curiosity as the need to know takes precedence in your mind.
> Waving a hand at you to continue, you repeat the questions you have already asked, adding that you would like to know what is the follow up to Andrew Pierce’s case and how he plans to keep the true nature of his death quiet. You expected AC Thor to flinch when you blatantly clarified that HE killed Pierce, but that man calmly ignores you as he re-reads what he has written. His blue eyes travel up to yours before he speaks.
> “The raids achieved their objective; we secured the safety and lives of all the seven ponies in that warehouse and brought them to the Agency shelter for medical treatment and surgeries. Fixing bones, mending cuts, and patching of a bullet hole in a leg for Babs Seed. Followed up with blood, urine and stool tests, x-rays, treatment for malnutrition, dehydration and parasites. We also put them up to get their vaccinations. They will be kept in the Agency shelter for a week for recovery before they will be transferred to the village that Starlight is in now. Incidentally, that village belongs to us; the Equestrian Citizen Affairs Department. They will be safe there.”
> You nod and wave for him to go on. 
> “That pony your detachment saved? Coco Pommel? She had to get tissue glue for cuts in her vaginal walls, and she is lucky that the blade did not puncture her bladder. The last update I got of her is that she will survive, but is required to keep her hind legs immobilised to prevent the cuts from tearing open. She’s likely to be up and about in a week’s time, according to the doctor who saw her.”
> You nod again. You already know that last bit of information.
> AC Thor draws a breath before he continues. His facial expression remains neutral, but you detect a hint of sadness in his voice. 
> “As for the Rescue Team, we have nine casualties: five killed and four injured. Those four were sent to Florence General Hospital for treatment, and the three who sustained bullet wounds have been stabilised… For those who lost their lives, their bodies have already been released to their families. A memorial service for them will be held in St Steven’s Church next week, probably Saturday morning. That has not been confirmed yet.”
> Pausing, AC Thor sighs softly as his gaze travels to a spot on the floor.
> “The five killed were exemplary officers, Inspector, just like yourself. Officers that have friends, family, and lovers… And three of them even have children… It pains me greatly that I sent them to their deaths, especially when I personally selected each individual for the Team… I will be speaking to each every one of their families after this, and I will have to bear their sorrows and anger with me.”
> Keeping silent, you just nod and let out a breath of your own. Your heart aches for the family members of your fallen brothers and sisters.
> The Assistant Commissioner raises his eyes to yours.
> “This is the price that we pay, Anon; it is the heavy burden that we carry as Police officers... We do our jobs to ensure the protection and well-being of others… We take on risks to our bodies, minds and souls, so our countrymen don’t have to… We see the horrors of the darkest facets of humanity, so that sweet, innocent children do not have to... So that the everyday man and woman feel safe enough for them to complain on the Internet that our country’s security is lacking, and that our services are woefully insufficient.”
> Snorting softly, you nod silently to show your agreement. He did not need to say them, but his words resonate strongly with you, especially when many of your friends do not understand why you are moody at times after work. It is a burden of wearing that gold badge and that blue uniform. Like Inspector Noel said at the scene where Sprinkle Medley’s body was found, this job kills a person’s mind and soul slowly, even if the physical body manages to survive intact.
> Hearing his perspectives, your heart now aches for the man before you. You decide to change topics, so you ask him about Andrew Pierce and his plans to keep the nature of his death a secret. He gives you a small smile and asks you if you are worried that he will digress again.
“To be honest, yes, Sir.”
> He chuckles softly. It is… Weird… Seeing AC Thor opening up like that. From what little that you have heard of him, the Assistant Commissioner is supposedly as friendly and warm as a church gargoyle.
> “Let’s just say that I have an extensive network of connections in the Force. Your detachment officers will experience something similar to what you experienced with DSP Koh, and those pairs of Police officers you saw at the scene are… Shall we say, under my direct control… And rumours of what actually happened will fly, yes, but so will others… I think the tales of YOUR exploits with chopsticks and tennis balls in the raid will be especially popular, way more so than an Assistant Commissioner carrying out some vigilante justice himself.”
> Shaking your head, you cannot help but feel a mixture of fear, disgust and… Uncleanliness… From looking at the man before you.
“Information and image management, as well as having your very own henchmen, Sir? I swear… You elites scare and disgust me.”
> “That’s because you are not high enough yet to play this game, Inspector. In time you will be, and from what I already seen, you will be good at it.”
> Shaking your head, you ask him why he chose you specifically as the scapegoat, and what is his interest in ponies. He narrows his eyes as he smiles softly again.
> “Before I answer that, Inspector, I want to talk about Changelings. Do you know what they are, Anon?”
> You nod slowly as you recall Starlight’s description of them being “shape-shifters”, and they apparently “live off love”, whatever the hell that means. Telling him as such, AC Thor puts up a finger as he nods.
> “She is correct, but she left out the part where Changelings can sense ambient emotions. They are not able to read minds, but they can sense what a pony or a person is feeling; some examples being happiness, love, fear, and determination. An experienced Changeling can not only tell how a person feels, but can make a surprisingly well-informed guess of what that person is thinking at that moment. After all, most emotions are hard to suppress, and decision-making is often emotionally driven.”
> Again, you nod slowly, confused as to why AC Thor is telling you all these.
> “ECAD is working closely with the Changelings of Equestria, Inspector Anon. They help us with the gathering of intelligence through establishing a surveillance network, and they provide assistance with our rescue efforts… They are the reason why ponies are going ‘missing’. That security camera footage you saw for Minuette’s case? Those men you saw is a Changeling agent specifically trained to rescue ponies who are suffering from their slavery, and unlike humans, they do not shed any of their hairs or skin when they transform.”
> Holy shit.
> You slump back against the sofa as your mind reels from learning that.
“… H-how many of them are here…?”
> “They are not a threat, Anon, if that is your concern. Like I said, they are working closely with ECAD. There are many of them here, and they have retained the ability to transform and use basic spells. Changeling magic uses love, you see, not harmony, and love is readily available here from the ponies we already rescued. That village I was talking about? That’s the haven that they built for ponies, here on Earth. A sanctuary, if you will.”
“Why are you telling me all this, Sir?”
> His response is quick and sharp.
> “Don’t you want to know? You asked for information, so I am providing you with it. After all, you handled those cases.”
> Fair enough. You raise a hand in a gesture for him to continue.
> “That’s why all missing pony cases revolve around the same circumstances, Anon: no DNA evidence, no theft, no broken locks or windows, and why people sometimes change into others. They don’t need to damage property, Anon, when a simple unlocking spell will do, and their focus is to save ponies who are suffering from slavery, not to harm humans. That is not the Equestrian way of doing things… And as I have said, they are not your enemy.”
> Wow… Just… Wow…
> These Changeling agents are perfect criminals. It seems almost… Unreal… That there are shape-shifting aliens on Earth that are helping their fellow aliens. Sapient, miniature equine aliens. Then, a thought occurs to you as you stare at the Assistant Commissioner.
“… How do you know all these Sir? And how can you be sure that that is their only intention? That they are “not our enemy”, as you put it?”
> AC Thor tilts his head slightly. That look in his eyes… That smile he is wearing…
> Your eyes widen. No… It cannot be…
> AC Thor smiles softly at you as he holds out his hands with his palms facing up. With a flash of green, the skin on his right hand becomes a light blue as his left becomes purple.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!”
> You kick your legs hard as you scoot backwards into the sofa. Another flash of green and his hands becomes fair again. Stunned, you just gape at the Assistant Commissioner, and yet again, he gives you a calm smile.
> “Like I said, we are not your enemy. The Changelings here on Earth are not your enemy… I want the same thing that you want, Inspector Anon, and I want the same thing that all your fellow officers in the Rescue Team want; and that is the safety and well-being of ponies here on Earth. We work to save ponies too, Anon, just as you do, because we are indebted to Starlight, Trixie, and Discord for their role in helping to re-form us, and to the ponies of Equestria for readily accepting us into their societies before the War. They gave us friendship and love, and they gave us hope for a new life. As such, when I heard that Princess Twilight has been captured, I went after her and took her place.”
> Recovering from your position, you groan again as your stitches smart. Gritting your teeth, you frown as you regard the man before you. Fear floods your mind as you realise that the man you are talking to is not actually human.
> As if he knew your thoughts, AC Thor turns his head. Nodding at the corner of the room, the… Changeling speaks again.
> “Feel free to pick up that weapon if it makes you feel safer, Anon. Even without tasting it, I can tell that you are scared of me… But your fears are unfounded; I am just another living being… If you shoot me, I will die.” 
> He turns back to you, and you cannot help but recoil from his gaze. It may be irrational, but you are scared as shit.
> “But, I am really hoping that you do not do that. Anon, there are still many ponies out there that needs my help and yours, and removing an ally will not bid well for what you are trying to accomplish. I could have killed you already if I wanted to, Inspector, but I want to be your friend.”
> You speak slowly, watching the Changeling before you for any sudden movements.
“You killed Andrew Pierce, despite you saying that it “that is not the Equestrian way of doing things”. Why should I trust you, Changeling?”
> “That was a personal matter, Anon, and my behaviour does not reflect that of other Changelings. I wanted… Vengeance…” 
> He sighs and slumps against his chair, covering his face with a hand.
> “Andrew Pierce killed somepony close to me in a horrifyingly sadistic way, and I wanted to avenge her... I know it’s wrong, but… Being here for so long, and seeing what happened to my friends… These have changed me… In ways that I could never imagine… In ways… That I despise myself for… I am not the same person when I left Equestria… Not anymore…”
> It is then that you notice that the ‘Big Man’ is… Crying. He is silent, but you can see the small heaves of his chest and the tears that roll down his face.
> Holy shit.
> Slowly, you reach an arm out and touch him on the side of his elbow. He does not react to your touch, but he speaks again after a few moments. His pain is evident in his soft voice.
> “… She was the most beautiful little foal I have laid my eyes on, Anon… She had so much love and innocence, and she was one of the first to accept me for who I am… She was a special pony… And I loved her so, so much… She did not deserve that… Nopony deserves that, but especially… Not her…”
> Removing his hands, he sniffs as he fixes his wet eyes on yours. Any earlier rage you felt is gone now, and when you look into them, his blue eyes has lost that piercing look that he often gave you. His gaze is… Hollow.
> “You said that you will die before you let Starlight come to any harm, Inspector… What if she died because of him? Screaming in agony as she was used like a piece of meat to please the multitude of perverts and sadists watching her? Waiting for a death that came so slowly and painfully, whilst these monsters pleasure themselves at the sight and sounds of her anguish and torture? What… What would you do, Inspector Anon, if that girl… That victim… is Starlight? What would you do, if you know you can get away with it?”
> You swallow. Whatever happened to that pony… You do not want to imagine it. Your eyes meet AC Thor’s, and you feel that familiar tiredness from being emotionally exhausted. It is reflected in his eyes.
> Your mind considers his last question, and shaking your head slowly, you close your eyes and sigh.
“It’s still wrong. No matter how you justify it, you should have let the legal system decide his fate. We are in no position to mete out sentences, Sir; THAT is not our duty and not our right… That is the job of the Justices and the High Court. To do what you did… It is still wrong, no matter the circumstances…”
> Opening your eyes, you meet AC Thor’s gaze with a hard look.
“… But I would have done the same fucking thing, Sir.”
> He smiles as he snorts softly.
> “From the intensity of your emotions as you answered my questions in my office that day, I knew I chose right… Especially when I found out what you did to Thaddeus Benson.”
> You are not even surprised anymore.
“You’ve been watching me with your Changeling intelligence network, haven’t you?”
> He chuckles softly.
> “Like I said, we are not your enemy, Inspector, and I wanted to make sure that Starlight is treated well… Thaddeus left the position, by the way, and has recently applied to work as a janitor at an engineering firm. He has been blacklisted from ever owning a pony again.”
> When he finished speaking, he holds out a hand. 
> “Thank you for that, Anon. It means a lot to me when you stood up to protect my ponies.”
“Your ponies, Sir?”
> His smile widens.
> “I am an important and powerful figure in ECAD, as well as the leader of the Changelings. I take ownership of ponies here on Earth now, in place of my beloved Princesses.
> Your eyes linger on his hand for a second, then you reach out yours to shake it. He smiles, and you return it.
> Guess you’ve made a friend, Boss.
> …
 
> “You disrupted my plans for Starlight, you know that? When Ms Heather told you that Starlight is going to be ‘euthanised’, it was actually a cover. The plan was to knock her out with a dose of anaesthetics and transfer her to the village... Then, you came in like a hawk and snatched Starlight from me. Ms Heather is new, you see, so she did not know the… Ah… Arrangement, we had in place.”
> Interesting.
> “As for your question on the future for pony slaves, the Bill that was passed by Parliament states that a pony that has been missing for six months will be free to be registered under another owner. The intent there is to protect ponies who are hiding from their previous masters, and for those who want to sell themselves back into slavery under new masters.”
> You frown when you hear that. Ponies… Are wanting to sell themselves into servitude? What? 
> As you open your mouth, AC Thor is already speaking again.
> “You heard right, Anon. There are some ponies in the ECAD village that are willing to auction themselves to fund it for their brethren, as well as the projects we are undertaking for the betterment of ponykind. Their selflessness and love for others will go a long way in helping to secure a brighter future for ponies here on Earth. We were unable to get Parliament to agree on financing the village, as some feel that ponies are not citizens of this country and it would be not be fair to impose a new tax on your kind just to benefit them, but the passing of that Bill is already a huge step in the right direction.”
> Even as you are listening, you cannot help but feel that discomfort within you rise again. You suppress a groan.
“What about those who are still suffering? What do you know of Cadance’s plans?”
> AC Thor gets up and guides you to rest on the couch, giving you a stern look.
> “I am afraid I will have to let Princess Cadance answer these at a later time, Anon. You are not well, and you need medical attention.”
> Wait, what?
“Cadance… Is with you? The Princess herself?”
> He nods.
> “She is the only Princess that I have found, and she is residing in that village with the other ponies. Princess Twilight has sealed the Portal linking Earth to Equestria, and as far as I know, she is now the ruler of what remains of Equestria… As for Princesses Celestia and Luna, we are still searching for them.”
> Taking out his phone, AC Thor types out a message. Closing your eyes, you groan as you feel your stomach churning again. You feel dizzy now, and your body is strangely weak.
“… Sir…”
> He taps a button and puts his phone away. Letting your eyes close, you feel that dizziness become more intense as your stomach churns yet again. You hear AC Thor get up.
> “Medical personnel will be here in about five minutes. Don’t worry, Anon, I will look after Starlight... She means a lot to you, but she does to me too. She is a heroine to us Changelings, and we will treat her as she deserves.”
> You nod slowly as you hear him move to the door.
“Sir? You haven’t heard the last thing.”
> “Go ahead, Anon. Like I said, I owe you.”
> Forcing your eyes open, you meet his gaze.
“I want you to get me Trixie. Trixie Lulamoon.”
> The ‘Big Man’ smiles as he nods to show his understanding. 
> “For yourself? Or for Starlight?”
> You smile softly in return.
“Both.”
> “I’ll see what I can do.”
> AC Thor walks back to you and places a palm on your forehead. You close your eyes again.
> “Rest now, Inspector. You’ll be okay… And thank you… For doing your job… For loving Starlight… And… For understanding me.”
> You just nod in return as you feel him removing his hand. The door opens again, and you hear his footsteps stop.
> “If you are wondering, Anon; my real name… Is ‘Thorax’.”
> He leaves, closing the door gently behind him. Again, you hear only silence as you blindly reach a hand over to the bottle of whisky. Finding it, you take a big gulp from it.
> That hit the fucking spot.
> You take another swing.
> …
> What the fuck kind of name is 'Thorax'? Is he like a bug, or what?
> …
 
> You open your eyes slowly, blinking a few times as your vision focuses. The ceiling tiles above you are a light grey, accompanied by a white fan that spins slowly. Nothing looks familiar.
> Where the hell am I?
> Moving your eyes around slowly, you see that you are lying in a bed which is flanked by pale green curtains on both sides. From the natural light that is streaming onto the tiles at the foot of your bed, you note that it is day, but there is no clock to tell you the time. Again, the white and blue wall opposite you is not familiar.
> You are obviously in a hospital or medical wing, but which one and where?
> Slowly, you move to sit up, feeling a weight on your left. Letting your eyes drift down, the first thing you see is the mane of your pony lover. Starlight is sleeping by your side, resting her body on the yellow blanket that covers you. She is curled up in the foetal position, back pressed against your body as her head rests on a small cushion. Her hooves are holding on to her tail, which is wrapped protectively around her belly. You smile at the sight, feeling your heart ache at the sheer cuteness of seeing your pony like that, and the happiness and relief that you feel inside. Your Starlight is safe, and she is with you now.
> Sitting up gently, you attempt to pull the blanket off you, but Starlight has pinned one side down with her weight, and the other side is caught under the mattress.
> Great, you are stuck here.
> You extract your hand from under the blanket and reach it over to her shoulder gently, feeling the familiar warmth and softness of her coat and the firmness of her muscles underneath it. Opening your mouth, you whisper to her.
“I love you, Starlight... You’re my beautiful and sweet pony girl, and I missed you so much… Sleep well, my little pony.”
> You do not care that she is not listening; you just wanted to say something to her. It is then that you realise that Starlight is wearing a gold ring on her horn. Said horn is… Repaired. No more cracks or chips, and its sharp pointed end is definitely a danger. Curious, you lean in for a closer look. The ring sits near the base of her horn, and it is a highly polished golden one with small round white jewels that are embedded in it at regular intervals in a circle that spans the entire ring. At the centre of the ring, lining up directly to the middle of her face is a larger round aquamarine gem that is emitting a soft glow. It reminds you of the glow of a very weak lightstick, and as you continue petting her, you watch as its glow grows steadily brighter.
> What the fuck is that thing?
> Hearing a door open, and you immediately lie flat and close your eyes. You are not sure why you did that, but your gut is telling you that pretending to sleep is a good option.
> Footsteps. No, hoofsteps. And Voices.
> “… Happy with the progress of our research, but we still have a long, long way before we are sure that it is safe for unicorns to use… So for now, you’ll have to be content just with basic levitation.”
> “Aww… Okay, Princess… It’s something, I suppose… Guess the Great and Powerful Trixie will have to wait before she can make teacups again.”
> The two female voices laugh softly. You keep still as you hear the rustle of the curtains on your right and the sounds of the ponies as they step up to your bed.
> “She’s really tired, isn’t she? I don’t understand why she insists on keeping watch over him at night… I mean, the doctor is MAKING him sleep as part of the treatment. I told her many times that she is harming herself by doing so, but she just doesn’t listen to me… Starlight’s being ridiculous for this human.”
> Wait, what? Starlight has been staying up for you, you have been in this place for “treatment”, and you are being “made to sleep”? What the hell happened to you?
> The other voice came out in a harsh whisper.
> “Trixie! That is highly inappropriate! You do NOT refer to him that way! I know that you did this for Starlight, but he IS your Master now, and you will treat him as such. You should be more respectful when you mention him. After all, you agreed to this, didn’t you?”
> From the snippets you have heard, you know who these two are now. Trixie Lulamoon and a pony Princess. No idea who the latter is though.
> Then, you feel… Something… Pull your right eyelid up. It is a weird feeling; there is no pinch and no touch, and it feels like your eyelid is covered with energy as it lifts in the air. You stay stock still, pretending to be comatose as you fix your gaze at the ceiling. Then, a pony’s face comes into your vision. This is a unicorn mare with a pink coat and a tri-coloured mane that has pale yellow, pink and purple hairs. Her eyes are purple, but unlike Starlight’s, which is a slight bluish violet, hers are more of a pinkish lavender.
> All still fucking purple, Boss.
> She frowns slightly as she leans in to look into your eyes, ‘hmm’-ing softly as she does so. From your peripheral vision, you see that her horn is covered in a teal aura of some kind, and the same-coloured jewel in the golden ring that she wears on it lights up brilliantly. That is the same ring that Starlight is wearing, but it has three rows of small white round jewels that surrounds it instead of just one. They are glowing lightly too.
> Then, you freeze when a torch shines into your eyes. The discomfort of looking directly into the beam almost makes you flinch, but thankfully, it moves away quickly. That is when you almost shit yourself in fear when you realise the torch is in the air. By itself. The handle of it is covered in the teal aura.
> THAT TORCH IS FUCKING FLOATING, BOSS! HOLY SHIT!
> You keep still even as your mind reels from that experience, and you see the pink pony’s face frown slightly as she thinks. Then, her expression becomes neutral again and your eyelid drops back down. You crack your mouth open to release a silent sigh of relief, and you hear a female voice again; the one that scolded Trixie.
> “Before we speak, let me cast a spell so we do not wake them up.”
> “Okay, Princess. It is better that way.”
> You feel that energy around your ears this time. Strange, you expected silence, but you can still hear everything around you.
> “Trixie, I don’t know why we are still talking about this… He is a good man, Trixie… A brave, kind and generous one… He risked his life as an ECAD Rescue Team officer to save other ponies, and he saved Starlight from what he thought was going to be her death. She loves him, because Mister Anon helped her, cared for her and loves her in return, and he gave her a new home and a new life… He is giving you a new home too, and you should be grateful, Trixie, for the chance to be his. He is a good Master and a good human, and you should respect and love him, and do what he asks of-”
> “I agreed to it purely because Thorax and Starlight asked me to. Trixie doesn’t like it, and she doesn’t like him! I know what he does to Starlight, Princess! He is using her for his sick pleasures! He is… He is raping her! And now, you are asking me to let him to THAT to me too?! I DON’T WANT THAT! TRIXIE DOESN’T WANT TO BE HIS SEX SLAVE!”
> The way that Trixie rolls her ‘R’s is interesting. Wait, did Trixie just refer to herself in the third-person?
> You hear the princess sigh heavily.
> “We’ve been through this many times, Trix-”
> “TRIXIE KNOWS WE DID! AND HER STANCE HAS NOT CHANGED!”
> Silence. It stretches on for a long time, punctuated with sighs from both voices. Then, Trixie speaks again.
> “… Starlight fell in love because she had no choice, Princess. She has been manipulated by him into loving him, believing that all the lies that he told her… I’ve been through that as well, Princess, and these ‘humans’ are disgusting, foul hairless apes that only have cruelty and perversion in their hearts. You know what happened to me, Princess, and every time that I look in the mirror, I am reminded of that… Starlight is a victim of his games, and she is just NOT seeing it… If I had my way, and if Starlight doesn’t need him as she does, Princess, I would have strangled him with my magic.”
> Wow… Trixie hates your fucking guts. You wonder what the hell happened to her.
> “YOUR MAGIC HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU BY HIM, TRIXIE LULAMOON! HE PAID FOR IT WITH HIS OWN MONEY! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH EACH OF THESE ENCHANTED RINGS COSTS?! HE CAN BUY TWO CARS WITH THAT AMOUNT! HE CAN BUY HALF AN APARTMENT! HE CAN BUY FOUR NEW MARES THAT WILL PLEASE HIM WITH EVERY AND ANY MEANS NECESSARY, AND WITH EVERY PART OF THEIR BODIES! HE CHOSE TO RETURN YOUR MAGIC TO YOU BECAUSE HE KNEW YOU WILL WANT THAT! HE KNEW HOW MAGIC IS IMPORTANT TO YOU! SO THAT YOU CAN BE HAPPY AGAIN!  BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU AND STARLIGHT! AND HERE YOU ARE, TALKING ABOUT KILLING THE VERY MAN THAT HAS GIVEN SO GENEROUSLY AND KINDLY TO YOU!”
> Fuck… That Princess has a temper, and a loud voice.
> WAIT WHAT?! You spent about $100,000 on her?! FUCK! HOLY MOTHER OF FUCK!
> You hear a hoof impact the ground hard.
> “Sweet Celestia, Trixie! You are lucky, you know? You should be grateful, and yet you are behaving like a foal! You should be ashamed of yourself! I know that you are tired of hearing this, but I am going to say it again: He is DIFFERENT, Trixie! You can trust him! He will take care of you and Starlight, and he will love you as how he loves her. He wanted you for Starlight as well, not just him! I know it! Thorax knows it! All he wants in return is for your companionship and love, and yes, maybe ‘that’ too, but Starlight is perfectly happy with him, isn’t she? There IS a reason why she loves him so much, Trixie, and hasn’t he already shown some of that for you, when he emptied his life savings to give you back your magic? Tell me, how many humans will do that for you, a pony slave on Earth? Tell me, Trixie… Doesn’t that count for something?”
> Swallowing a lump in your throat, you continue to listen. Reminding Trixie that she is “a pony slave” is really harsh though...
> “Is it too much to ask that you do this? For Starlight? Or for your fellow ponies in Harmony Village? For Thorax and me? I know how your previous master treated you, Trixie, but Mister Anon is not him. You never have to live in fear again. You never have to experience pain again. You never have to be hungry again! You nev-”
> “Enough, Princess! We have been through this so many times, and I am sick of hearing this. Trixie will NEVER love him, and that’s final.”
> Ouch.
> “Take a walk, Trixie, and think it over again... Like you said, we have indeed been through this countless times, and yes, I am getting tired of it myself. Go! Take a walk! ... But be back by lunchtime. Starlight would be awake by-”
> “You can take those disgusting carrots that they always serve and shove them up your plot, Princess! Trixie will come back when she sees fit!”
> With that, the door slams. You hear a few hoofsteps before a crash echoes through the room.
> “Celestia damn that stubborn mare!”
> Silence.
> Cracking your eyes open, you watch as bits of a wooden chair float in the air, attaching themselves back together in one piece before it lands gently behind one of the curtains. The right curtain moves, and you close your eyes once more as hoofsteps approach your bed. You hear a sigh.
> “You don’t have to pretend to be sleeping anymore, Mister Anon.”
> You open your eyes, and standing at your right side is the pink mare earlier. She looks exhausted; her posture is slumped, and she has prominent eyebags. Then, you notice the folded wing on her back. She is… An Alicorn. When you fix your eyes on her, she gives you a bittersweet smile.
> “As you can see, not everything goes according to plan.”
> You just nod.
“It was impulsive for me to ask for Trixie… I was only thinking of Starlight and myself, and have failed to consider what she might have thought or wanted… I was wrong to demand that of her… A pony like that needs her freedom and her distance from us humans, especially after what she has gone through… I can only hazard a guess, but she must have suffered horribly … I would like to tell her that I’m sorry, and that I have reconsidered wanting her.”
> The princess smiles at you. It is a genuine one, this time.
> “I am glad that Starlight is right about you... After all, what I told her is what Starlight has told me. Those are words that I placed my faith but not my knowledge in, and that is despite knowing that Starlight has what you humans call ‘Stockholm Syndrome’… To be honest, Mister Anon, I have had a hard time believing what she said about you, and I take Thorax’s words with a pinch of salt nowadays, especially after what he did to Andrew Pierce… I never wanted it to be like that, and he took it upon himself to do it…”
> Shaking her head slightly, she closes her eyes as her bottom lip trembles. Keeping silent, you allow the princess to manage her emotions and get a grip of herself. You do not know how she is related to the foal that Thorax mentioned, but she obviously must have been close to her.
> Reaching your right hand over, you place it on her ear, rubbing it gently as you try to comfort the pink pony. The princess jolts from your touch, but you just reach further and rub it again, smiling softly at her despite the look of mistrust she is giving you. 
“I’m sorry for your loss, Princess… She must have been a very special pony, and one that you loved dearly... I do not wish to impose my beliefs on you, but I believe that she is in a better place now. I’ll pray for her before I sleep again.”
> She smiles at you gently as she leans into your hand. Her pinkish, lavender eyes stay on yours, and you see the gratitude in them when she speaks again. 
> “Thank you for your kind words, Mister Anon… As I have said, I am glad that Starlight is right about you. For her, and for you. Thorax and I trust you to look after her, treat her right, and keep her happy, so… Don’t let our faith be misplaced, okay Mister Anon?”
> You smile as you nod, glancing at Starlight’s sleeping form before you look into the pink pony’s eyes agai.
“I love her with all my heart, Princess. Those things will come naturally.”
> The princess gives you a sad smirk and a soft snort.
> “As much as I loved my little Flurry, Inspector?”
> You swallow as you hear her question. This ‘Flurry’ must be that foal that Thorax also loved. Is he this mare’s husband? You do not want to ask that, just in case it may offend her. It seemed like even though the death of that filly still hurts her, she must have come to terms with it as she can even joke about it. Nonetheless, you think carefully before you answer.
“Probably never able to meet your level of love, Princess… But I will do my best to come close to it.”
> She smiles warmly at you. Then, your eyes travel up to the golden ring that she is wearing, and your blood curls in your veins.
“Princess… Cadance, right?”
> She nods slowly, and you pause before you speak again.
“Did I… Did I really spend $100,000 to buy those rings? When did I do that?”
> Cadance shakes her head.
> “You did not spend $100,000, Mister Anon…”
> Whew. That IS a relief. You roughly estimate that all your liquid wealth stands at approximately $255,000. Your job pays well and your spending is relatively low, but that amount is after taking the inheritance you got from your grandm-
> “… You spent $240,000. You bought two of them; one for Starlight and one for Trixie.”
> FUCK.
> Princess Cadance laughs as you gape at her.
> “Hahaha! I-I’m s-sorry for laughing! Hahahaha! B-but your f-face! Hahaha! Too g-good! Hahaha”
> You pinch the bridge of your nose as you sigh. From the way she is laughing, you do not know if the princess is being serious or not.
> Fuck! $240,000?! If that really happened, why did you even…?
> For Starlight, Boss. Duh! To give her back her magic again, and because you love-
> You feel a hoof tap your hand. Letting it fall, you see that Cadance is now just smiling gently at you.
> “You did buy those, Anon, but more specifically, you signed Starlight and Trixie up for the Magic Restoration Project… These pieces of jewellery are created by the ECAD research teams in Harmony Village to allow ponies to replenish their harmony reserves. You see, they use Changeling magic to convert love into harmony, which help to restore some of the magical abilities that we ponies have lost here on Earth. You’ll see a few Pegasi flying around and a tiny number of Unicorns casting spells in Harmony Village, but these are very basic models that are extremely limited in their use. For Unicorns, we have only managed to allow them to use basic levitation, which you saw when I was examining you earlier… And yes, I knew you were awake then.”
> Okay.
> You motion for her to continue with a hand.
> “This programme is for life and for subsequent advances, hence the high cost, so you will be receiving newer and more powerful models when they are ready. This one that I am wearing right now is a prototype of a newer model, and I am conducting a field trial as I am the only Alicorn available. Alicorns are more powerful in our magic, you see, so it will be safer if we do so.”
> That explains the repairing spell that she casted on that chair. Hmm… Interesting.
> Pointing a hoof at Starlight, she nods as you turn your gaze to your beautiful pony.
> “Similar to how Changelings live off love, being in the presence of those who love them will replenish the harmony reserves of ponies who wear these jewellery. It was an idea that was brought up by one of the Changeling agents, and we managed to copy it into wearable accessories… Starlight volunteered to be a tester, but we decided against it… Well, given her history. Back in Equestria, I mean. No offense to her though, but it was a unanimous decision.”
> Probably something to do with that village she founded, Boss.
> No matter, Brain. Her past is irrelevant; only her love is.
“When did I sign them up? I don’t remember that happening.”
> “You told me to when you woke up five days ago, but don’t worry, the doctor said that they are done treating you for your Syndrome, so they have stopped using those drugs that has the side-effect of memory loss.”
> Five days?
> You frown as you turn back to Princess Cadance.
“How long have I been in here? And what is this place?”
> Her response nearly made you jump up.
“Almost three weeks. 19 days, to be exact, and this is Florence General Hospital. Ward 15C. You are in because you had Harmony Syndrome.”
> What the fuck. 19 days?!
> And what the fuck is ‘Harmony Syndrome’?
> You put that question to her, minus the expletive.
> “Harmony Syndrome happens to select individuals who managed to get pony blood into their own bloodstream. It has symptoms similar to that of an allergic reaction, and while it is extremely uncomfortable, no one has died from it yet. This is a rare occurrence, as the individual has to have the predisposition to be ‘allergic’ to it, for lack of a better word… The blood of a pony has magic, you see, and under the right circumstances, it can cause humans with certain dispositions to have such a reaction when it enters your body. We call this ‘Harmony Syndrome’, and we treat it by addressing the allergic symptoms and by inducing sleep into the patient. Your memory loss might be due to the drugs the doctors gave you for the former.”
> Wow… What the fuck.
> “It is a one-off event, so you will not experience it again… They stopped giving you medications two days ago, but you may have to wait for a few more days before you can be discharged… As for the hospital bills, you will be covered by the Police Force as you got injured during an operation… That’s what Thorax says, anyway.”
“Well, that’s good.”
> You lay back down on the bed, feeling drowsy again. Those drugs must still be in your system.
> “Mister Anon?”
> You look up at Cadance. Her expression is serious now, and she is frowning at you.
 > “Did you mean it when you said you don’t want Trixie anymore? Isn’t that what you asked from Thorax, along with information?”
> You close your eyes before you answer.
“Yes, I meant it. She has the mind of a free pony now, and I don’t want to break her… To force her into slavery once more will be cruel and selfish of me, and I already have enough emotional and ethical baggage as I keep Starlight with me... Starlight is my lover, but she is still my slave first… And Trixie is right, Princess… Starlight has no real choice with me; I had to give her permission for her to make her own decisions. I am a pervert, and the things I have done very well may be considered ‘manipulation’ by some definitions… I wanted to a remedy for my loneliness, Princess, and I used Starlight to get that.”
> Opening your eyes again, you look at the pink pony. Her expression is neutral, making it hard to decipher what she is thinking at the moment.
“I want Trixie to return to Harmony Village, Princess, and for her to be a free pony. Keep her as a beneficiary of the Magic Restoration Project; I will pay for it, if it means that she can have a better life. She is Starlight’s best friend, after all, and any friend of Starlight’s is one of mine… Bring her back home when she returns later, but I would like to see you again for the many questions I still have.”
> Cadance smiles warmly at you as she nods.
> “You are an amazing man, Inspector, you know that?”
> You smile as you lean back on the pillow, enjoying the comfort it brings and closing your eyes. Your head feels so heavy.
“Starlight has said that before… But I don’t believe it. Not with the things that I do and think.”
> You feel a hoof touch your right cheek.
> “Maybe you should learn to look from another angle, Mister Anon. I think you judge yourself too harshly.”
> With that, you hear her hoofsteps leading away as the door opens and closes.
> Silence.
> You adjust your body to get comfortable.
> “… Thank you so much, Master… For me… And for Trixie… I love you... Oh sweet Celestia, I love you so bucking much… Thank you, Master! Thank you!”
> Oh yeah, Cadance’s spell was just a disguise. You cannot even remember when she lifted it, that does not matter now.
> Keeping your eyes closed, you turn on your side and drape an arm around Starlight, pulling her close to your chest. She is crying again, and you can hear her soft sobs as her chest heaves against your arm. You are not bothered though, as you know that they are tears of joy and gratitude. Leaning in, you notice that her mane smells different; it is… Creamy, not floral. Still has her feminine scent in it though, which you breathe in heavily as you smile.
“You are welcome, my sweet, beautiful Starlight. If it can make you happy, I will do anything for you… And I love you too.”
> That is cheesy as fuck, Boss. Learn to be more creative.
> You ignore Brain as you close your eyes and start to pray for ‘Flurry’. You ask God to grant her peace and to welcome her into his embrace, to forgive her for her sins (if they do have those), to let her know the beauty of his friendship and love… And to… Keep her… In…
> You do not finish your prayer as you drift off into the abyss.
> …
 
> “… Mister Anon…”
> You stir as you hear a familiar female voice.
> “… Mister Anon, your dinner’s here…”
> Opening your eyes slowly, you see Princess Cadance’s gentle smile as she looks at you from your right. When your eyes meet hers, she nods gently towards the table at the foot of your bed. Your eyes travel there, and you see a tray that is covered with a plastic wrap.
> “Is your shoulder okay, Mister Anon? Does it still hurt?”
 > You frown as you roll your left shoulder. It feels a little stiff, but it does not hurt anymore, and the wounds on your forearms have already healed. As for the bruises on your chest and back, you do not feel them anymore, and a quick peek down the patient’s garment you are wearing shows you that they have faded significantly.
> The three weeks of sleeping and medical care given have done wonders for your recovery. Perhaps it is a blessing that you got Harmony Syndrome, after all – you are relatively healthy now.
> Turning to the pony princess, you smile at her.
“Shoulder’s a little stiff, but no pain.”
> She giggles softly, and you frown at her.
“What’s funny?”
> Cadance shakes her head slowly before she replies.
“Sorry, Mister Anon, but your response is exactly the same whenever I asked you that… And when I follow that up with “would you like me to feed you?”, you’ll answer…”
> She pauses and waits for your response. You think carefully. She obviously expects you to say something, but you do not want to fall into her trap... Still, the idea of a pony feeding you sounds… Interesting.
> Especially if said pony is female. A pretty one.
“Err… “I would love that, please”?”
> She giggles softly again as she beams at you.
> “Same answer again. You really like pony mares, don’t you, Mister Anon?”
> You chuckle as you feel a tinge of warmth on your cheeks from her tease.
“I can’t help it. You ponies are just so adorable, especially with your large eyes and flowing manes and tails... I like human girls too, but you pony mares just have a sort of natural, feminine charm that I find appealing.”
> Princess Cadance shakes her head at you.
> “If what Starlight said is true, then your words are a nice way of saying that you like looking under our tails, Mister Anon... Especially when we don’t normally wear clothes.”
> Shit.
> As you cough to hide your embarrassment, she laughs softly before nodding at the tray again. You sit up, letting the blanket fall as the plastic wrap gets covered in a light teal aura. It lifts itself off the tray, showing the contents in it: Rice with dishes, along with a clear vegetable soup, a serving of apple slices and water. Taking a whiff of it, you smile as your stomach rumbles. All food is good food. Even hospital food.
> Cadance walks over as she… Magics… The wrap into a nearby bin. Turning her attention to your food, you watch as she frowns lightly. The teal jewel in her ring and her horn light up again with that aura as does the fork and spoon on your tray, which float by themselves as they gather a portion of rice and vegetables onto the spoon. Said spoon then rights itself before floating up to just before your mouth. You recoil lightly as Cadance giggles again.
> “Here is the part where you will say that you “find that objects floating by themselves creepy” and ask if my magic “has any taste”, to which I will reply with “You’ll have to get used to it” and “No, it doesn’t and that it is perfectly safe for you to eat”, Mister Anon. We’ve done this many times now, and you have done that with Starlight as well.”
> You stare at the floating spoon as you swallow that lump in your throat.
> Meh, fuck it. You are not one to shrink in fear.
> With a swift movement, you take the contents on that spoon into your mouth, chewing it slowly as you try to detect anything that may be out of the ordinary. Cadance simply shakes her head at you as you smile sheepishly after you swallow. She is probably used to your reactions by now.
> You ask her if she has answered any of your questions yet, to which she shakes her head.
> “As I told you before, Mister Anon, there is little point if you don’t remember my answers. That would be a fruitless pursuit, and I would rather you just rest instead… But, there is a simple way to see if you are ready.”
> Nodding slowly at her as you take another bite from the spoon, you use a hand to gesture for her to continue.
> “Mister Anon, can you tell me five things that you remember from the last time we spoke?”
> Frowning, you watch as the spoon gets filled with rice and a piece of chicken. That is easy enough.
“First, I asked you about the rings you, Trixie and Starlight are wearing, which you explained that they use Changeling magic to replenish ‘harmony’ in a pony. Second, you said that I spent a fortune on them. $240,000 for two rings and memberships for some Project, which is effectively almost all the money I have. Third, you talked about Harmony Village, which is a sanctuary for pony slaves who are rescued by Changeling agents…”
> Pausing to take another spoonful of food, you search your memories.
> What else did she mention?
“Fourth, I overheard your argument with Trixie, and she said that she would have strangled me if not for Starlight… And… Oh! Fifth, I told you to let Trixie go home, and for her to remain a free pony.”
> Cadance smiles warmly at you as she floats another spoonful of rice and vegetables up to you.
> “You are ready then, Mister Anon. This is the first time you passed that test.”
> Your eyes travel to the pink pony as you grin at her. Taking a moment to look her over, you cannot help but notice that the princess is a beautiful creature. Her facial features are sharp and pleasant, with big, pinkish-lavender eyes that grabs your attention. The princess’ tri-coloured mane has a pale yellow, purple and pink in it, and it is long enough to almost touch the floor as it curls at its ends. Her tail shares a similar colour scheme and has the same curls. She has a slender body that is covered in a pink coat, which a brighter and richer pink than Starlight’s, and her cutie mark is a teal heart that has multiple facets in it, almost like it is cut from a gem of sorts. It has two golden… Branches? ... Decorations? … Some wavy shit? … That adorns both sides.
> Then, you notice her wings, or more specifically, her wing.
> Ah hell.
> She is missing her right one entirely. All that remain is a stub that is connected to her backbone, while the other one is currently folded, and you can see the feathers tucked inside it. The sight of the beautiful creature before you with only one of her wings makes you feel… Broken… And frustrated inside.
> Similar to listening to an epic orchestral overture, Boss, only to have it cut off halfway. A real shame indeed.
> Seeing your gaze, the princess nods lightly at the stub before she speaks softly.
> “… I lost that wing when I escaped from my previous owner… He shot it off when we were running away...”
> Turning your eyes to her own, you see that she is now smiling bitterly at you. Horn and jewel still glowing softly, you allow her to feed you another spoonful as you wait for her to elaborate. She does not, and simply chooses to prepare another spoonful of food.
“Princess Cadance… I… I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m sorry.”
> She shakes her head softy as she gives you another bitter smile.
> “I have told you my story before, Mister Anon, and I’m sorry that I will not repeat it… I… I don’t like to talk about it as it brings back painful memories… But for the sake of your curiosity, let’s just say that I serviced males like you during my captivity…”
“That is sufficient, Princess… And thank you for sharing that with me.”
> She smiles softly at you as she feeds you again.
> “Soup? Mister Anon?”
> You nod. Drinking it slowly, you feel the spoon move across your lip gently as she scoops up a stray drop. Princess Cadance is so… Caring and attentive. She has obviously done this before.
> Why, though? You are a male human; an enemy of her species that has so many similarities to those other men that raped her, and yet here she is, providing and looking after you.
> What does she want? Can you trust her?
> Well, she has not killed you yet, Boss… But best not to be complacent.
> You make a note to add those to your list of questions.
> Looking at her once more, you cannot help but let your eyes drift over her. Every action she makes is graceful, and they exude a sense of control that accentuates her beauty and femininity. Whether a result of being royalty or if she was taught to be like that by her previous masters, you would probably never know.
> You can see why she was chosen to work in that line; a pretty pony princess made to degrade herself for sadists and perverts would be an extremely lucrative asset for her former owner. The thought of what she has been through makes your heart ache for her.
> “You like what you see, Mister Anon?”
> Fuck.
> Grimacing at being caught, you hazard a cautious glance at the pony princess. She simply sighs softy as she smiles at you.
> “It’s okay… Not the first time, and certainly won’t be the last… And you don’t have to apologise, Mister Anon. You have always been direct, but you have also been a gentlecolt about it so far… I don’t suppose you’ll want some ‘alone’ time with Starlight later?”
> Wait what?
> You were not even thinking about… Nevermind, how would she know that anyway? All she saw was you eyeing her up.
“You probably won’t believe me, but my mind is not in the gutter this time, Princess. I was captured by your gracefulness and femininity, and they complement your natural beauty well. I am a male and a visual creature, and it is what I see that captures my attention and attracts me, but I was thinking of something entirely different just now.”
> She giggles as she blushes.
“Sweet talk will get you nowhere, Mister Anon... While I admit that you have a gift for that, I am afraid that I have gotten used to it. Save these for Starlight.”
> Nope. From the way she is trying to hide her smile and the way she is blushing, she certainly has not “gotten used to it”.
> Girls love compliments. Pony mares are no exception, apparently.
> You decide not to press the issue as you take another spoonful of food. Wait… Where is Starlight?
> You ask the princess that, and Cadance gives you another spoonful of soup as she answers.
“Miss Angela brought Trixie back to Harmony Village and Starlight accompanied her. They left at 1pm exactly today, and it is a six-hour drive to-and-fro… So, they should be back in another half hour or so… Oh! Trixie wanted me to give this to you, as a sign of her gratitude for what you have done for her.”
> Your eyebrows rise at that. Trixie? The mare who wanted to strangle you, actually gave you a gift?
> Letting the spoon fall on the ceramic plate with a soft clatter, you watch as Cadance looks to your right as her horn and jewel glow with that teal aura again. A paper bag floats by itself through the air before it comes to rest on the bed by your right leg.
> Past You was right. Unicorn magic is creepy as fuck.
> Carefully, you open the bag and tilt it, letting its contents fall on the bed. You frown as you pick up what looks to be a purple wizard’s hat made of what feels to be a silken material of sorts. It has stars and circles on it, and they are coloured in varying shades of blue and yellow. Accompanying the hat is a cape which shares the same colour scheme and design. At the centre of the cape, in between where the collarbones of the wearer will be, is a large light blue gem that is attached to the top of one side of the cape. As you lift the cape to get a better look at it, the top of the other side moves over to the gem, which somehow manages to adhere to it, forming a collar of sorts. Intrigued, you move to pull that side away, and it does so but only after you put a surprisingly larger amount of strength than you expected for an action this simple.
 > “That gem is enchanted, Anon, and it will never lose its power. It acts as a fastener for both sides of the cape, allowing the wearer to put it on without the need for buttons or pins.”
> Holy shit, pony magic is amazing.
> “These belonged to Trixie when she was a working as a showmare back in Equestria. She used to put up shows of illusion and performance magics, you see, and she used the hat and cape whenever and wherever she performed… This is the only thing she had left when she was captured and enslaved, but she wants you to have it for giving her back her magic… She says “thank you”, and asks that you continue to love Starlight for who she is, to cherish and protect her as your friend and lover, and to always keep her happy… She does apologise for not saying goodbye personally though, as you were sleeping at that time.”
> Wow… You can only gape in awe at the significance of the artefacts before you. These were Trixie’s prized possessions, and she has given them to you. You smile warmly at them as you vow that you are going to keep them safe.
“Didn’t she want to kill me?”
> Princess Cadance smiles warmly at you.
> “You gave her another gift besides her magic, Mister Anon. You let her go; her freedom means a lot to her… Let’s just say that she changed her mind after she felt the sincerity of your kindness and generosity.”
> You nod, feeling proud of yourself. Then, you remember the argument she had with the pony princess.
“What did Trixie mean when she said that “every time that I look in the mirror, I am reminded of that”? Reminded of what, Princess?”
> Princess Cadance grimaces. Sighing softly, she focuses her magic again as she prepares yet another portion of food for you.
> “She was bought by a man who used her as a maid and as furniture. Yes, Mister Anon, you heard me right: furniture. She helped his other servants with the household chores, but mainly acted as his footrest, his coffee table, his towel holder and his… His ashtray… He likes to smoke, and when he did… He put them out on her face...”
> … Oh fuck me…  
> Just when you thought you have seen and heard enough about the abuses that these ponies suffer from, you learn of this shit. Again, you just feel tired from that… And sad. Not even angry; just tired and sad.
> … We fucking humans… God damn us for our cruelty and selfishness…
> “The ECAD research teams have been working on a restoration spell that may help heal scarred tissue, and I will cast it on her and many other ponies if it is ready when I get back to Harmony Village… I hope that it will help that poor mare, as I heard that she used to be really pretty, being a stage performer and all… And I’m sorry, but the spell uses part of the innate magic in ponies for it to work, so it probably will not help the scars from your wounds.”
> You shrug.
“It’s okay… I’ll wear them with pride and with purpose. Every time I look at them, I’ll be reminded of my duties as an ECAD Rescue Team Officer and a Police Officer… And I’ll use them as a daily reminder to love Starlight even more.”
> “I’m glad to hear that. Both for you and for her. She is a lucky mare to have you as her Master.”
> Smiling gratefully at Princess Cadance, your thoughts drift back to Trixie as you fold the clothing in your hands.
 “… I guess Trixie’s hatred for humans and me is justified, isn’t it Princess? I mean… After what she has been through… Ah, nevermind, you are probably tired from hearing all that, so I won’t say it… But, if I would have gotten her instead, maybe she will be one that will have to suffer my cuddles and kisses, and not poor Starlight.”
> Cadance smiles softly at your weak joke and raises her eyes to meet yours.
> “Yeah, and not to mention the many times that she will be screaming and gasping that she loves you, especially as she writhes in ecstasy when she orgasms under you.”
> What the fuck.
> You shake your head as you chuckle at the inappropriateness of that statement. It came from the pony princess as well, and she is a victim of sexual exploitation and abus. You frown even as you grin at her, hoping that Princess Cadance senses your unspoken question. She does.
> “My therapist says that humour helps with dealing with my past… And it does… It really does.”
> Sharing a smile with you, she focuses again on her magic as she sighs deeply.
> “Let’s not talk about that anymore, okay Mister Anon? You are almost done with your meal, and what remains is turning cold.”
> You nod as she feeds you again. It is nice, not having any worries as you sit here on your bed while a pretty pony looks after you. Not just any pony, but a Princess to boot.
> If only Starlight is here for you to hug and snuggle with… That would be perfect.
> She probably would not want to kiss you as you had just eaten chicken, Boss, but who knows?
> Brain is right. That pony may very well surprise you. She has done so many times before.
> …
 
> Done with washing your hands, you exit the small toilet and walk slowly back to your bed. The other two beds in the room you are in are empty, and you are thankful for the privacy they give you. As you climb on the bed, you pick up the newspaper clipping that Princess Cadance left you before she took the empty tray out of the room.
> It is a two-week old article entitled “ECAD Raids On Slave Smuggling Ring A Success”, and you see an accompanying picture of AC Thor as he speaks into several microphones. That podium that he is standing behind is the same one as that in Falcon’s Hall. You read the article carefully, noting that it described the smuggling ring as being one of the biggest ones in your country, and that taking it down was “an unparalleled achievement in addressing criminal exploitation and abuse of Equestrian Citizens”, which helped immensely in “the securing of a brighter future for both ponies and humans alike”. The article gives a surprising amount of details on the operation, including the time and date, the number of officers involved, the number of casualties and fatalities on both sides, and even the location of the warehouse.
> On the deaths of your fellow officers, the article quoted AC Thor when he said: “… what happened is a tragic loss for the Force… But their bravery and commitment to their duties and responsibilities will always be remembered. They demonstrated the utmost professionalism… [And] diligence to the very end, and they will be honoured as heroes by their friends, family and colleagues, but especially so by the ponies that they saved that day. Arrangements have been made for them to be present for the memorial service, and some of [these ponies] have volunteered to be bearers of our fallen brothers and sisters to their final resting place… As for those who used criminal force against our brave officers and were killed as a result, I will only say that our officers have exercised their utmost restraint and professionalism in their conduct… [But] were forced to take the appropriate and necessary actions to defend themselves and those around them…”.
> Hmm… Thorax is quite the politician. 
> As you continue reading, you note that they did mention the raid on Andrew Pierce’s apartment, but only said that “there were a total of 14 smugglers who lost their lives”. There are excerpts from the accounts of nearby workers and residents, but they merely describe what you already know or are speculative in nature, so you dismiss them as unimportant. Overall, the words used in the article are carefully chosen to give off a positive vibe and outlook on the raids and the Police Force itself.
> Information management, Boss. Classic example here.
> Before you can put the paper clipping away, the door opens as Princess Cadance trots in. She smiles politely as she comes over to your side.
> “The nurse told me that you can be discharged tomorrow, Mister Anon, and Miss Angela has already cleared the paperwork before she left earlier.”
> Smiling at Princess Cadance in return, you make a mental note to thank Angela for her help.
> The pony’s eyes fall on the newspaper clipping in your hands, and she smiles warmly at you.
> “Thorax told me a week ago that you have been cleared of any charges against you, and the Police Commissioner has approved his request to award you with a Distinguished Service Medal for your bravery. You still have another three days for your administrative leave to be over though, but congratulations nonetheless.”
> You just nod in return, knowing that you did not deserve that medal. Men and women who loved and cared for ponies have died, and AC Thor’s help in clearing your name is expected. Sighing softly, you frown at the picture of AC Thor, unsure of what to think of your new… Friend. Princess Cadance’s eyes follow your gaze, and when she sees what you are staring at, her expression changes into a slight frown.
> “Do you know that since that day, Thorax has had recurring nightmares and trouble sleeping? He is a brilliant actor and is experienced in politics, Mister Anon, yet the guilt that resides in him from that action continues to torture him every night.”
 > You frown as you hear this.
“Why should he feel guilty? That son of a bitch deserved that. Fuck him.”
> Princess Cadance flinches.
“What?”
> “Mister Anon, I can understand why Thorax did what he did and your apparent support of that, but we ponies always believe that violence is only to be used as a last resort… And the death of another being, no matter how much that person “deserved it” as you say, is always a tragedy… Especially when it is brought about by deliberate actions.”
> You snort.
“Are you telling me that ponies are pacifists?”
> Princess Cadance’s eyes narrow before she answers.
> “You misunderstand me. Just because we strive to live strongly by the guiding virtues of the Elements of Harmony, it doesn’t mean that we will not be ready to defend ourselves if need be. Killing is an abhorrent thing, Mister Anon, but your kind seems to be more readily accepting of it than we do.”
> “By ‘Elements’, you mean Laughter, Kindness, Generosity and what-not? Starlight mentioned them before.”
> The princess shakes her head lightly as she smiles at you.
> “And Honesty, Loyalty and Magic, Mister Anon… Magic is the cumulation of friendship; the ‘spark’, so to speak, that allows us to achieve Harmony in Equestria… This is ‘harmony’ in the sense of peaceful living, in addition to being a resource that we ponies use.”
“The way you describe it Princess, it seems like your world is from a fucking children’s cartoon or something.”
> She flinches again at your words.
> Right. ‘Elements of Harmony’ and shit. No more swearing.
> You apologise, and she nods.
> “… Have you wondered why Starlight is so readily willing or even eager to be your slave, Mister Anon? Even a… A… Bed slave, at that?”
> You frown as you consider her question.
“She is desperate. She needed a means to secure her survival, and her servitude and obedience are a small price to pay for that… I am aware of what she is trying to do, Princess Cadance.”
> “These are true, but think deeper, Mister Anon... Think about trust and love.”
> Huh? Okay…
“I suppose because I was a stark contrast to that druggie and to what she experienced at his place? Or… Is it something to do with the War?”
> Nodding lightly, Princess Cadance smiles softly at you.
> “Yes, and yes, Mister Anon. Since you know what the Elements of Harmony are, you probably also know that it is a way which many ponies see the world in… Our societies are based on the virtues of the Elements, and we thrive on the trust and friendships they bring. When you were kind and generous to her and showed her that you were honest and loyal, your actions naturally resonated with her ideals and got her to trust and love you in return. Especially, when you said that you “will trust her not to hurt you” on that first day, and when you told her that you loved her, you paved the way for her own trust and love in you… And the act of lovemaking is sacred to us, Mister Anon; it is one of the ways to show love to another in its purest form. It’s all simple, really… And yes, Starlight and I had been talking while you rested. A lot.”
> Hmm. Interesting. These ponies really live in some sort of la-la fairyland, but many of their beliefs and ideals are similar to that of your own species.
> And to think that our societies are so different from theirs, Boss. No wonder the aliens do not want to make contact; look at what the fuck we did to these miniature sapient technicolour horses.
> Princess smiles softly as she places a hoof on the top of your hand.
> “You may say that we are too… Nice… For our own good, but it has worked for us… We have had peace for so long, Mister Anon, and life was good in Equestria… Do you know when the last time Equestria was engaged in an armed conflict, Mister Anon, besides the human invasion?”
> You shake your head. How the hell would you know that?
> “More than six centuries ago. Even then, it was a minor skirmish with the griffons over disputed territory… We lost 21 Royal Guards in the three-day conflict, and we held a nation-wide mourn that lasted for the same number of days to honour and remember them… As I’ve said, we will defend ourselves if need be, but violence and killing will always be the last things on a pony’s mind.”
> So Thorax feels guilty for taking vengeance on Andrew? Even IF that bastard deserved it?  
> Despite yourself, you cannot help but feel an immense respect for his beliefs. Humanity has loads to learn from their pony slaves.
> You smirk, causing Cadance to retract her hoof. When she raises an eyebrow at you, you explain yourself.
“I am just thinking how far we humans have fallen from the social ideals which you describe. True, we have a dynamic range of peoples with many belief systems and ideals, and many of them are good and righteous, but humanity has always had that dark facet that we struggle with. By that, I mean that we humans seem to be way more prone to greed, selfishness, cruelty, and indifference than you ponies seem to be… Equestria seems like heaven to me, Princess, and I cannot help but feel envious for you ponies to live in such a place… Even now, there are wars and armed conflicts that are ongoing between members of my species, and many humans die every day from those.”
> Now it is Cadance’s turn to smile bitterly at you. Her eyes seem… So sad.
> “… You humans have advanced immensely in the ways of violence and killing, Mister Anon, both instrumentally and mentally… But… I won’t deny that it has served your kind well… Has Starlight told you what happened during the human invasion of Equestria?”
> You shake your head.
“She only mentioned that you and the other Princesses were captured. Nothing else.”
> The pony princess takes a breath as her eyes fall to your blanket. When she speaks again, her voice is soft. Pained, almost.
> “When the Portal opened in the city of Fillydelphia, your government was unaware that a group of humans came in and took the ponies there as slaves. They quickly took control of Fillydelphia and depopulated it, and when we sent an emissary to negotiate for their return, he was killed by what we now know to be the traffickers. Naturally, we were incensed by the death of our diplomat by what we believed to be an act of aggression from your government, so we arranged for teams to travel to Earth, requesting an audience with your leaders… We sent a total of six teams, and none of the members in each of them returned.”
> Turning her eyes to yours, she lets out a sigh.
> “We do not know for sure what fate of the members are, but we guessed that they were all either killed or enslaved, and for the first time in centuries, our ponies pressured us to take up an armed response to save their brethren. The Princesses and I worked hard to placate our subjects, but the turning point came when one of the slavers shot the God of Chaos, Discord, with a high-calibre weapon in an attempt to assassinate him… Discord had immense power and creativity when he worked hard to disrupt their enslaving operations, you see, and is a national hero for helping to reform the Changelings… When our subjects learned of his injuries, they cried for war… And… We… We provided it… Discord survived the attack, but it is unfortunate that his mind or magic are affected by either the attack itself, or the type of ammunition used… Again, we do not know what actually happened for sure, but he remained in a catatonic state even after he recovered from his wounds. The damage is done: last I know, he was barely speaking to anypony and seemed to be generally uninterested in Equestrian affairs, choosing instead to spend his days in solitude for extended periods of time. That attack affected him greatly, and his days of mischievous madness and chaos were over.”
> The princess drops her eyes again and pauses.
> “As you can guess, your government did not take lightly to our retaliation... There was a lot of misinformation, but your government’s intentions were not wrong when they declared war.”
> You nod, recalling vague details from the news reports that you read years ago. It was not a subject that interested you then, but you remember that ponies were called anything that the newspaper editors and politicians dreamt up. Some of the names that were given were “the enemy”, “savages”, “primitives”, “militants”, “hostile forces”, “terrorists”, and even “equine invaders”.
> Attempts to justify a war that was practically a steamroll, Boss.
“I heard it was bad, Princess, but if you could forgive my ignorance, can you tell me what happened then?”
> Princess Cadance sighs softly as she keeps silent and hangs her head. Her mane flows forward, obstructing a portion of the sides of her face. You wait, and your patience is rewarded when she speaks again.
> “… We were never prepared for your technology and methods of warfare, Mister Anon… As far as I have read of your histories of war, our tactics resemble those used during your ‘medieval’ periods, almost a millennium ago... We had entire units of Guards and Battle Mages lined up in the field, waiting for your cohorts of troops… It was not a war, Mister Anon… It was an utter slaughter… Only the Pegasi Units stood some chance, but your projectile weapons easily outmatched wings, hooves and spears… And… When we tried to retreat, your ground troops were waiting with their rifles and automatic weapons… We… We never stood a chance… And when the Equestrian Army fell, the Princesses and I met in the Royal Castle to discuss our options, but three hours after we sent out an emissary, your soldiers entered the Castle… And… And… Brought us here to Earth.”
> Oh fuck.
> Your mind reels as you hear these details. All you can picture in your mind is the carnage that will happen if a twelfth-century army of Christian Crusaders attempted to do battle with your modern military. A single artillery shell or an attack helicopter would have caused so much death and destruction.
> Your eyes are now staring at your blanket as well; you cannot bring yourself to look at Princess Cadance. Her voices comes out soft… And resigned.
> “… Has Starlight ever told you that you are her superior, or that it is ‘right’ for ponies to submit to humans?”
> You frown as you recall.
“She did say something along those lines when I first got her, but I thought that that was a result of her brokenness... Why?”
> Silence. Then, you hear a sob. Looking up, you see tears streaming down the Princess’s face as she cries while also trying to be quiet about it. When you move a hand over to comfort her, she recoils away from your touch, so you just sit quietly and wait for her to answer you.
> This pony was one of the rulers of Equestria, and she was responsible for the safety and well-being of not only her country, but for all her subjects. You can only guess the dark and cold mixture of emotions that she is feeling right now as she cries. Probably anguish, despair, guilt, and sorrow, laced with the painful sting of failure and the burn of self-directed anger, complete with a dash of disgust at her own perceived weaknesses.
> Yet here you sit on your bed, unable to do anything to relieve her of the burden that she carries.
> This poor girl… This poor, poor pony princess… Your heart aches for her again.
> After a few moments, she swallows, fighting to maintain control over herself as she speaks again. Princess Cadance looks directly into your eyes, and her eyes are red and puffy, while mucous flows from her snout.
> “… When the Princesses and I were captured, we lost the means to a unified course of actions for the war effort. From what the other ponies in Harmony Village told me, there were rag-tag groups of heroically brave ponies who banded together to form militias and resistance groups… As you can imagine, many of them died needlessly and violently… We lost an approximate total of 6,570 Guards and Battle Mages, Mister Anon, as compared to 83 of yours, and more than half of these are inflicted by Princesses Celestia and Luna themselves… So many of my subjects died in the first battle of the War… Butchered in the thousands by your technology and your troops… 6,570 ponies… And this number does not even take the losses of the militia groups into account… as compared to 83… 83 human soldiers! For the entire Equestrian Army, Mister Anon!”
> Fresh tears flows down her eyes again as she tucks her face into her wing, using it to wipe away both the moisture from her eyes and that from her nose. Keeping her head down, she speaks again, softly this time.
> “… What a joke… Our ‘defence’ was a joke, Mister Anon… And to think… To think that we actually thought we could push your forces back through the Portal… Looking back, we must have been crazy to have fought against your kind… We were… We were so stupid… We should have just surrendered and submitted to you humans… We should not have chosen war… We should not have listened to our subjects… Maybe… Maybe then, those thousands of mares and stallions would still be alive today… Maybe then, I would still have my husband with me… And my heart wouldn't feel so… So heavy… Every… Every day…”
> Tears stream freely from the Princess’s eyes as she mourns for her kind and for her deeds, especially when she mentioned her husband. Her anguished sobs and heaves are painful to watch, and you feel as if a hole is being torn in your heart as your ears are filled with the sounds of her crying.
> You remain silent, again giving her the time and opportunity to recover. When she eventually speaks again, she simply stares at the foot of your bed, keeping her voice soft and low.
> “… With odds like that, Mister Anon, how can we deny that you are meant to dominate over us? That ponies are meant to serve your kind? … After all, you are physically stronger and larger than any of my subjects, and your instincts for violence and killing are honed over many centuries of war… Who… Who am I to deny what would naturally occur when our civilisations clashed? … How can I argue that humans are not superior to ponies? Who am I… Who am I to think that slavery is not meant for my little ponies?”
> Those are rhetorical questions that you instinctively know the answer to, but you hold your tongue. They make you feel uncomfortable, and your inner white-knight is squirming as he tries to find a way to attack the points that she made. He fails. Miserably.
> Even Brain is silent.
> The ensuing silence drags on as you wrestle with your thoughts, punctuated by Cadance’s occasional sobs. What the pony princess said earlier about humans’ supposed ‘superiority’ makes sense, and you now understand why Starlight is so obedient to you; she must have known the facts of the War, and like many of the ponies you have met since your training days in the Academy, she has internalised her ‘natural position’ in this hierarchy of power, given that they have no alternatives to enslavement by who they now perceived as ‘superior’ beings. The actual alternative being death, of course.
> Those who chose the other are probably long gone now, Boss. The pony slaves you see now are the result of a selection bias; those who chose to serve humans remained alive.
> Cadance uses the tip of her wing to wipe her eyes but she does not say anything. In the ensuring silence, you continue delving into your thoughts.
> Starlight said that she ran her horn into the leg of the soldier that was tying Trixie up, and that she was “not sorry” for that… Is that her showing a pony’s natural predisposition for an intense dislike of violence and killing, as described by Cadance? She might have been panicking then, but if you were in that situation, you probably would have gone for his neck or heart… You would have aimed to kill when you defended those you cared about, as evidenced by what you had done in the warehouse raid.
> When she is with you, you treated Starlight with gentleness and care and did not physically hurt her in any way. Coupled with the difference between your treatment of Starlight and that from her previous master, which matches her positively naïve Equestrian worldview and value system from the ‘Elements of Harmony’, as well as promises of food, companionship, fun, safety and love, and you get a perfect combination for obedience and servitude.
> Your eyes widen as you realise that you have total and complete domination over Starlight. It all makes sense now: You are the Master that Starlight believes is ‘superior’ and more powerful than she is, but at the same time, you are all that she could ever wish for given her circumstances as a member of an enslaved race. From your behaviour, you fit all the criteria and check all the boxes, and you are the Master that is different from other Masters. As such, anything and everything that you could ever ask her to do for you and with you is a small price to pay for what you are providing in return… And not just her; any ponies that are in her position would probably behave the same exact way.
> Probably short of killing themselves, Boss… But do not be surprised if Starlight actually does it if you explicitly order her to do so.
> Starlight… You need to see her. Now. You need to assure her that you will never leave her, and you will never abuse her… That her faith in you will never backfire, and that she can trust you with her life…. That you will never… Never ever hurt her, despite your position as her Master… You love her, and she is yours… She is your little pony…
> Having recovered from her bout of crying, Cadance wipes her eyes again as she regards you with a frown and a questioning look. It is then that you realised that you actually voiced out what you were thinking.
> Crap. How much did you actually say?
> “From the look that you are wearing, Mister Anon, and those words you just said, I am guessing that you have figured out why Starlight obeys your orders with no questions and resistance? Like I’ve said, we have been talking… You, Mister Anon, are the human of her dreams… To her, you are the best Master that a pony could ever have here on Earth, and she trusts you and loves you with all her heart.”
> While you know these, it still feels good to be reminded. The Princess returns your smile with one of her own as you nod.
“… I suppose it is no longer a wonder to you now that Starlight readily accepted when you suggested the possibility of marriage?”
> You simply nod and smile again, earning yourself a warm and wider one in return from Princess Cadance.
> “And you are probably right about Trixie; if she was in Starlight’s position, she will probably be the Obedient and Subservient Trixie to you, Mister Anon.”

> Laughing softly, the alicorn joins you as she giggles. She recovers, and gives you a warm smile.
“Thank you, Mister Anon… Thank you for choosing to love one of my subjects, and for being who you are… Thank you for all the things you have done for her, and for all the things that you will do for her… It gives me some semblance of peace to know that another one of my subjects will live out her days in safety, and most importantly, in the loving care of a Master who treats her well.”
“Seems like you have met others like me then, Princess?”
> Cadance tilts her head slightly and she gives you a look, as if you had asked her a silly question.
> You just did, Boss.
> Oh.
> “I have… But I’m afraid that that number is not high enough... At least, not high enough for my liking.”
> You simply nod and keep silent, thinking of what you had learned about Starlight, and ponies in general.
> Seems like your Stockholm Syndrome game is strong, Boss. Couple that with the circumstances of a pony slave on Earth, and you can probably get an entire harem of obedient and willing mares that will eagerly let you indulge in any dark and depraved desires that you have.
> Starlight probably knows that she is lucky that your tastes are pretty vanilla… And despite your carnal cravings for her body, that you love her enough to not hurt her in any way.
> You cannot help but smirk as Brain tells you that your pretty pony will raise her tail, spread her legs or open her mouth for your pleasure, as and when you want her to.
> You really are a pervert, Boss.
> Really? Who is putting these thoughts in my head then, Brain?
> Shut up, Boss, and just enjoy them.
> …
 
> Excusing yourself, you leave the princess in your room as you step out into Ward 13C. Taking a left turn, you cannot help but be impressed by the ward you are in. You see medical trolleys, wheelchairs and computers arranged around the ward, and its walls are filled with posters offering medical advice, motivational quotes and reminders for the staff. On your left is a row of other doors leading to the rooms of other patients. On your right is an open area with a counter that surrounds a series of workstations, and inside it are at least 10 nurses and doctors who are working with computers, charts and documents. The counter that surrounds the work area is a large triangle that follows the shape of the ward, and at the wall behind the work area is another row of doors to the rooms of patients.
> A female nurse sees you stepping out and rushes to assist you, but she nods when you tell her that you are just going to get some drinks from a vending machine. You politely decline her offer for a wheelchair, and tell her that you will be back shortly, earning yourself a smile and a warm “take care of yourself, Sir”.
> So this is where our taxes go to, Boss.
> You ‘hmm’ lightly. Based on the level of service and healthcare that you have received, you are okay with this.
> That young nurse is pretty cute too. Pity that her uniform looks like pyjamas for some reason; it covers all her… Assets… Pretty well. Shame, really.
> Probably because there are perverts like you in this hospital, Boss.
> You smirk. Patients or doctors, Brain?
> Both. And probably the janitors too.
> Pulling out your phone as you walk down the hallway, you check the numerous messages you had received as you walk barefooted, still dressed in the light blue patient’s attire. One was from DSP Koh four days ago, asking if you are feeling better and when you can be discharged. Eight were from Angela, filled with well wishes for your recovery, demands that you reply when you wake and several dirty and frankly offensive jokes that made you chuckle.
> Your favourite is: “Whenever I am bored, I’ll toss a penny between two Jews and watch them fight to the death… And if I am in Church, I’ll do the same with two Catholic priests, but I’ll use a small boy instead… And the winner gets to fight Michael Jackson!”
> Some may call it tasteless and degrading, but your sense of humour is fucked up anyway.
> Angela. Bless that girl. She knows you well.
> Scrolling down the list, you smile when you see that you have received at least 15 other messages from your friends. They range from simple wishes for your good health, offers of prayers, and even an offer for a lunch treat from one of your old schoolmates to celebrate when you are discharged from hospital, subject to a maximum of “… $30. Tops. I ain’t growing money, buddy :D”.
> Oh boy… It feels good to be remembered.
> Walking through a pair of automatic doors, you exit the ward and enter the elevator lobby. Leisurely, you reply the messages you had received, mostly thanking them for their concern and sending a message to take up that offer for a free meal. You decide not to reply Angela’s messages as you will be seeing her later, but you sent a message to DSP Koh telling him that you will be discharged tomorrow and that Angela has the details. Pulling out some coins, you step in front of a vending machine to buy a bottle of peach tea for Cadance and a bottle of lemon tea for yourself. You take the cap off your own bottle and take a swing from it.
> Hmm… Chilled, sugary goodness. Probably bad for you, but that drink is fragrant and smooth. You like it.
> Holding the two bottles with their necks between your fingers, you pay attention to your phone again as you walk back to the automatic doors. You see a message from an unknown number.
> It read: “Inspector Anonymous, this is Alpha from Detachment 1. Raids are over, so no need for code-names. Anyway, Angela gave me your number, and she said you would be okay with that. I hope you are well, and if you are awake, please come to Bed 71 in Ward 18A. I want to thank you personally for putting yourself in danger for my stupidity. You saved my life, Sir, and gave me a chance to be with my lovely Derpy Hooves again. I will be eternally grateful for what you had done, and your selflessness and bravery have renewed my respect for Senior Officers in the Force. Thank you, Sir, and may you have a speedy recovery. With gratitude, Staff Sergeant Herman J. P. Veldman.”
> You grin widely as you read the message again. Alpha is alive? Holy shit! And he is in this hospital too?
> Oh well, Cadance will have to wait for her drink.
> You make a detour and step into a lift, pushing the button to level 18. Taking a sip from your bottle of tea, you frown as Brain voices a rather disturbing thought.
> Could Cadance be lying to you, Boss? What if everything she said is not true, or only partially true? What about AC Thor’s assurance that Changelings are “not your enemy”? Everything they said is just so… Convenient. They seem to be painting a picture that make ponies perfect for enslavement; at least, for those who are still alive... It is almost like they are trying to milk your sympathy for ponykind, and especially when they are evidently desperate for human allies… Furthermore, how can you be sure that the Cadance that you were talking to earlier is indeed her and not a Changeling agent?
> Best to be on guard, Boss, and take what she says with a pinch of salt.
> Or, I can confront her directly, Brain.
> The elevator ‘ding’s as it reaches the eighteenth floor. Keeping that thought at the back of your mind, you step out and glance around to get your bearings. Ward 18A is on your left, and you walk through the pair of automatic doors, travelling down the hallway cautiously as you look around for Bed 71. Then, you see it: a sign beside a door says “Beds 70-72”. You smile. You are going to meet that young Caucasian lad that you risked your own life to save.
> “Sir! Don’t go in!”
> Pausing with your hand on the door’s handle, you turn your head around to see a middle-aged nurse looking in your direction. She shakes her head at you, which make you raise an eyebrow at her.
“Why?”
> She blushes lightly as she answers.
> “His pony is in there.”
“So what? I own my own pony too, and she is okay. Don’t worry, I’m a good friend of his.”
> Before the nurse can react, you open the door and step in, smiling warmly-
> “… Ohh Derpy… Yeah, just like that… Hmm… Good girl… Ohh yeah… You are such a good girl for Master… Uhh…”
> God dammit, Alpha.
> Herman, Boss.
> God dammit, Herman.
> The sounds of wet slurps and smacks echo through the room from behind a closed curtain, accompanied by feminine moans and odd… ‘Glurk-glurk’ noises, causing your face to become hot as you realise what you had just walked into. With a swift movement, you duck back around the door and close it quietly.
> Thank God that the other beds in Alpha’s room are empty too. Alpha… Really loves Derpy… And by that, you mean that he really, REALLY loves that pony.
> A cackle of laughter draws your attention, and you see that the female nurse that spoken earlier is now laughing her ass off at your reaction.
“A-are you going to say “I told you so”, Ma’am?”
> She chokes as she fights to control her laughter.
> “Hahaha! No, honey! Hahaha! I said that to six people already today! Hahahaha!”
> Yep, Herman really, really, REALLY loves Derpy.
> You cannot help it, and you laugh too.
> Giving the nurse a wave, you proceed back to the automatic doors, still shaking your head lightly in amusement. You will just send him a text instead… And you WILL mention this incident to him.
> If he is to become your friend in the future, you will never let him live this down. You will tease the fuck out of him, and you will show NO mercy.
> You grin as you push the button for the lift, shivering lightly from the coldness of the tiles below your feet.
> That is a promise.
> …
 
> Stepping out of the lift, you put your phone back into your pocket after checking the time. It is 7.33pm now. You frown lightly, wishing for Angela and Starlight be back soon; you do have a collection of awesome friends, but none will take the special places that these two hold in your heart: one of a sworn sister-in-arms and best friend, and the other being the beautiful pony girl that shines her glimmering light into the dark loneliness of your heart.
> Y’know, cause her name’s Starlight Glimmer.
> Bad pun, Boss. Get out.
> Chuckling at your own silliness, you turn around the corner and slam into someone who is moving in your direction. Pretty quickly, you might add… Because it fucking hurt.
“Ow! Hey, watch where-"
> “Oompf! Sorry! I-”
> Blinking rapidly as you rub a painful spot on your chest, you look up to see Princess Cadance covering her snout with a hoof. Her eyes are clenched in pain, but she forces them open to look at you. She freezes at the same moment that you do. Her shocked gaze is fixed on you.
“Oh shit… I’m sorry, Princess! Are you hurt? I’m so sorry!”
> Even through her pain, you watch as she lets out what is unmistakably a huge sigh of relief. That is not a reaction you expect, but you have to make sure that she is okay first. Gently, yet firmly, you remove her hoof and examine her muzzle. There is no blood, but other than that obvious fact, you do not know what to look out for; any bruises will be covered by the hairs of her pink coat. She freezes in place as you use your hands to turn her head from side-to-side, making sure that there are no other visible injuries.
“Does your muzzle still hurt, Princess? I’m really sorry about that.”
> Princess Cadance remains still, looking at you with a frown as her eyes dart quickly between your hands and your eyes, the latter still holding the sides of her face. From the way her eyes are wide and the flattened ears, you can tell that she is scared of you, but her tail remains rigidly held aside instead of tucking against her body as you would expect. You frown as you consider her behaviour.
> Probably a reflex of being man-handled by her clients; freeze up and let them do whatever they want, hoping that they will be satisfied quickly-
> Let her go, Boss.
> - Not dissimilar to how those fainting sheep behave when they are frightened. A strange adaptation, but it is probably-
> Let. Go.
> - Or was she taught to be this way because-
> FUCKING LET HER GO, GOD DAMMIT!
> You remove your hands as if you have been scalded, grimacing at your own stupidity.
“Sorry! I… I didn’t mean to be so rude.”
> Princess Cadance just nods as she smiles weakly at you.
> “It’s… It’s o-okay… I… I am still not quite comfortable with being held like that… It… It brings back memories, you see…”
> Her eyes drift off to her lower right as she lowers her head a little, keeping silent.
“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have done that, but I wanted to make sure that you are alright.”
> She nods again without looking at you, closing her eyes in the process. Her long mane bounces lightly with her head movements. An awkward silence falls between the both of you, but you are quick to break it. You do not want her to brood over her past experiences and memories.
> Experiences and memories that YOU made her re-visit from your man-handling of her, Boss. Well fucking done, idiot.
“Princess? You seemed to be in a hurry… Were… Were you looking for me?”
> Shaking her head lightly as if to clear her thoughts, the Princess opens her eyes slowly and fixes them on you. Again, you are captured by the beauty of those pinkish lavender irises, even as her brows are narrowed in concern.
> “I was. You were gone for so long, Mister Anon! The nurse said that you went to get a drink, but when I couldn’t find you, I thought something bad has happened… I… I guess I over-reacted… A little…”
> Crossing one hoof over the other, she rubs her… Upper arm?... As she hangs her head, letting that long mane of hers cover a portion of her face. You reach a hand cautiously to her, choosing to touch her shoulder with your fingertips gently. Given your faux pas earlier, you reason that it is better to be careful with the pony princess.
“I’m sorry, Princess. Didn’t mean to make you worry. I just found out that one of my friends happened to be here, and I couldn’t resist going over to see him for a moment…”
> You hesitate as Brain reminds you of his suspicions about Cadance. Should you tell her who Alpha really is? For that matter, should you share any information with this pink pony at all? You have yet to determine if she really is who she appears to be, and if she is really worthy of your trust. After all, as far as you know, the War is officially not over yet for your government, and despite her claims that Equestria was utterly defeated in battle, you cannot help but wonder if everything she said were lies. Your mind races to come up with a plan for the pink pony.
> Princess Cadance is a former ruler of an enemy state, after all… And she has many things to gain if you blindly trust her.
“… Nevermind that. Thank you for your concern, Princess, but I’m okay and I got your drink right here… Let’s just head back to my room, okay? I have a favour to ask of you.”
> “A favour, Mister Anon?”
> She blinks at you in surprise, but you just motion your arm forward, indicating that she should lead the way.
“Later, Princess. Please.”
> Princess Cadance nods, giving you a smile before she turns and starts walking. You follow her calmly, looking around the hallway carefully. Your plan needs you to be armed with a weapon for it to work; if you are unable to secure one, you will have to improvise.
> “You had me worried, Mister Anon… Starlight made me promise to look after you in her absence, and I don’t know how I could face her if something bad happened to you… Or Thorax, for that matter.”
> You frown.
“AC Thor?”
> The pony princess turns and smiles at you, nodding slowly as she slows down to walk by your side.
> “You are the one of his Rescue Team officers, Mister Anon, and you are the man who looks after Starlight. Without a doubt, you are important to them both. If something bad happened to you, I’m sure they will be very upset.”
> With her attention being placed on a nurse that emerged from one of the patients’ rooms, Princess Cadance did not see the frown on your face as you consider her words. Her behaviour is so… Innocent… As if she is blissfully unaware of your suspicions of her and that she trusts you fully; if this is indeed a Changeling, she is a bloody good actress.
> Following her down the hallway, you lag behind as your eyes fall on a trolley that has a few files, medical supplies and a tray of what is unmistakably surgical instruments. You smile. Bingo.
> You are about to reach for a scalpel when a nurse steps into the hallway, smiling politely at you with a warm “Good evening, Sir”. Heaving a quiet sigh of relief at not being caught in your attempt to … ‘Liberate’… The bladed tool, you simply smile in return as you watch the nurse put both hands on the handle of the trolley and pushes it away towards the lift lobby that you just came from.
> God dammit. Seems like you have to do it the crude way then.
> You walk calmly as Cadance opens the door to your room with her magic. Smiling lightly, you thank her and enter the room, moving over to your bed and placing both bottles on the table as the pink pony closes the door. When she turns to you, you nod at the peach tea.
“I hope you like it. It is one of the more popular flavours for that brand.”
> Smiling warmly at you, she trots over and lifts the bottle with her magic, taking a look at the writing on the packaging. You watch as she removes the cap and takes a swing of it, “hmm”-ing softly as she drinks slowly from the bottle. You ponder the sight before you.
> This Cadance may very be… Your enemy. Despite AC Thor’s assurances, you cannot help but feel the potential danger that you are in now, whether she is indeed THE Princess Cadance or a Changeling agent. She has not done anything yet, but you do not want to take any chances… And after what the Assistant Commissioner did, you do not fully trust him either.
> At the same time though, how can a beautiful pony mare that seems so innocent and graceful be malicious? After all, it appears that she has been looking after you for the past few days at least… It just does not make sense.
> A loud sigh escapes your mouth before you can hold it back, and almost immediately, the pony princess looks at you with a frown, clearly concerned with your sudden action.
> “Mister Anon? Are… Are you okay?”
> Fuck it. You cannot deal with this cloud of suspicion any longer. Time to put your plan into action; it is ugly and crude, but a plan nonetheless.
> Clearing your throat, you speak cautiously as you clear your mind of any emotion or thoughts, replacing them with other thoughts. Dark ones; cruel ones. This step is important for success.
“Princess Cadance, can you close your eyes and keep still for me, please?”
> Putting the bottle down gently back on the table, she stops the teal glow of her magic and raises her eyebrows at your odd request.
> “Is this the favour that you wanted, Mister Anon?”
“Actually no. I have something else in mind, but this is necessary for that to happen. I know that it is a bit much to ask at this point in time, but will you trust me?”
> Unexpectedly, Cadance blushes profusely before shaking her head softly. She sighs and regards you with what is unmistakably a look of discomfort and hesitation as she flicks her tail and frowns at you.
> “…Y-you… You want… S-sex? Is… Is that it, Mister Anon?”
> You blink, surprised by her response. That was not your intention at all.
> You are going to kill her. That is your intention. As you said to yourself earlier, your thoughts are dark and cruel.
> Before you can reply, the pony princess grimaces and nods gracefully, closing her eyes as she turns around and lifts her tail, using her magic to lock the door with a click. She hangs her head and clenches her eyes, and you note that her hindlegs are trembling and her ears are pressed flat against her skull. Her actions tell you that the Princess is visibly terrified of the prospect of you having your way with her.
> “…If th-that is what you wa-want… then… I am y-yours… To u-use… And to f-fuck… You are my superior, Mis-Mister Anon, so I… I will obey, if that is your w-wish… Pl-please…. Please be… Gen-… Please be g-gentle with me…”
> The pony is stuttering so much as she quakes with fear. Your eyes are drawn to her marehood, but you do not feel any sort of attraction to her or sexual arousal. Instead, your mind is focused on your plan and the fact that she submitted herself to you so quickly, but reluctantly. You can only guess that her behaviour is either a result of her past experiences as a slave herself, or like Starlight, she has also internalised a pony’s perceived power position with respect to human beings. Either way, you cannot be sure which it was as of this moment, but if this is a Changeling before you, you have to applaud her performance. That portrayal of fear is top-notch, and the way she stammers is extremely convincing.
> You frown. If this was the real Cadance, however… You will deal with that later.
> “… I… I-I trust…. I tr-trust you, Mister Anon… And… I tru… I trust what St-Starlight has s-said about you…”
> You ignore that last bit and keep your eyes focused on her, making sure that she is not peeking as you make your way over to the stand beside your bed. Pulling out the surgical tube that is connected to a bag of IV fluids, you let what is left of the solution drip from the bag as you twirl one end of the tube around your left hand, allowing you a firm grip on a line that you can use to strangle someone.
> Or somepony, in this case. Without the scalpel, you are forced to improvise.
 “Keep your eyes closed, pony, and stay still. Keep your tail up.”
> “… I-I will… Mis-Mister Anon…”
> You advance on the pony as your mind is focused on the grim task ahead of you. Unlike ponies, as Cadance claims, you have no problem harnessing your killer instincts when they are needed. You are already familiar with violence, having been exposed to way too much for your own liking. Even now, you are alert and calm, and you can feel a cold emptiness in your gut and the tightness of your grip on the surgical tubing.
> You are going to kill the pony princess. This thought keeps repeating itself in your head.
> Stepping over to her side, the princess flinches as she feels your presence beside her body. Seeing that the pony is keeping her eyes closed, you are sure that she did not feel you move your left arm around her.
> You are going to strangle her… You are going to choke her to death. 
> Gritting your teeth, you hiss your next words to her.
“It will be over soon, pony, and it will be quick. Don’t worry and just stay still for me.”
> She nods timidly as she visibly braces herself for whatever you are doing to do to her, holding her body rigidly in place and clenching her eyes even tighter.
> You frown as you brace yourself. This is it. Remove her magic and just do it.
> With a swift movement, you swing a leg over and straddle the pony. Using your left hand to snatch the ring off her horn whilst simultaneously moving your right to grab and twist the tubing between your fingers, you loop the rubber tubing around her head and below her muzzle. You press your weight down on her, forcing her into a laying position as you tighten your grip on the tubing; just enough to let her feel it press against her neck, but not enough to crush her windpipe.
> The princess gasps in surprise and pain as her eyes shoot open, and you keep your head at the side of her face to avoid that sharp horn of hers and her teeth. You purge your mind of its previous sadistic and malicious intent. Instead, you let the white-knight in you scream in rage at the horror you are subjecting the pony to, and immediately, you feel a wave of guilt and disgust wash over you as you consider your actions. Despite hating yourself, you know that this is necessary for you to trust her; especially if she is indeed an enemy.
> Your duties as a Police officer is to “Protect and Serve” the people of your country. Now, you are close to an individual who may or may not be a threat, so it is imperative that you identify and classify the potential danger that she poses. If you had to use fear and violence to do so, then so be it.
“I am going to kill you, Princess. It is over.”
> Instead of putting up a fight as you expected, she merely whimpers and hangs limp. Noting that she did not even attempt to defend herself, you cannot help but feel immense sadness from the resignation that oozes from the clearly depressed pink pony before you. You can feel the weight on the tubing become heavier as she leans her neck into it, and you can feel the tubing vibrating each time that she utters a syllable. Relaxing the pressure that you are placing on the tubing, you hear her speak. Her words come out soft and… Resigned… Almost as if she has no will to live. It tears at your heart to hear them, but you continue to put the fear of death in her as you keep your grip firm on the tubbing.
> “… Do it… Just do it, Mister Anon. Take my wretched life if you want to… I… I have failed my subjects. I have torn their lives apart with my decisions, and I have destroyed Equestria… I am not worthy to be called ‘Princess’, and if I am to die here on Earth by your hands… Just… Just give me a quick death… Let me be with my family again…”
> Tears are spilling from her eyes, but they are silent ones.
> “… Kill me… Please… Kill me…”
> You frown deeply. How can someone be THAT good of an actor?
> You cannot do it. Your mind is a garbled mess, and you hesitate. This plan of yours is working, but you are not prepared to face the sheer weight and magnitude of the depression that crushes the heart of the pony princess. Seeing it revealed so vividly… It unsettles you.
> Her eyes open, and from the angle with which you can see her, you watch as her left eye focuses on you with a glare.
> “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! DO IT! DO IT FOR YOUR SICK AND PERVERSE PLEASURE, YOU SADISTIC, MANIPULATIVE MONSTER! KILL ME! I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED YOU! TRIXIE IS RIGHT! YOU HUMANS ARE DISGUSTING, FOUL HAIRLESS APES THAT ONLY HAVE CRUELTY AND PERVERSION IN THE BLACKNESS OF YOUR HEARTS! DO IT! BUCKING DO IT ALREADY! I HOPE THAT STARLIGHT SEES THROUGH YOU, YOU HEDONISTIC LOAD OF SHIT! KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!”
> That outburst is unexpected. 
> Her behaviour and reactions are definitely real, but you have one more thing to do to make sure that she is indeed Princess Cadance and not an imposter. You release your right hand from the tubing and use it to yank hard on her mane, causing several of her multi-coloured hairs to get caught between your fingers as she yelps in pain. Your eyes widen at what you see.
> Fuck… You just… Shit… This is… This is the real Cadance…
> Releasing your hold on her, you get off the pony and slump yourself against the frame of your bed, panting heavily as you chuck the surgical tubing away in disgust, staring at the hairs in your hand and the ring sitting in the middle of your palm.
> Movement draws your attention to the pony, who is now looking at you with a huge frown and a clearly perplexed expression. She blinks several times, and the tears that have gathered in her eyes roll down her cheeks, but there are no more fresh ones. The Princess continues staring at you incredulously, so you decide to speak.
“I’m very sorry, Princess Cadance, but I had to make sure that you are not an imposter. What I did was vulgar and rough, but know that I never wanted to hurt you, Princess, and I certainly will not kill you. Your faith in me is well-placed, and you can be assured that I will never hurt Starlight, or any person, human or pony, if I can help it… What I did was the only way that I can be sure, and I am deeply sorry for terrifying you like that.”
> Your words only serve to make her more confused, and she just stares at you with her muzzle hanging open. With her remaining frozen in place, you decide to explain yourself.
“I deliberately lead you to believe that I was going to harm you. Asking you to trust me like that is one thing, but I focused my mind on all manners of dark thoughts that will surely alarm a Changeling, since they can sense ambient emotions. I desired to harm and to kill, but when you did not respond to those and misunderstood my intentions, thinking that I wanted sex, I had to make sure that you were not merely acting, and that your reactions to my aggressive actions and behaviour are real. Finally, I pulled on your mane to check that you are indeed not a Changeling, as I know from my investigations that Changelings do not shed fur or hair when they are transformed… What I did was to ascertain if you are really who you claim to be, and it was the only way that I can be sure that I can trust you, Princess… And again, I’m sorry for that.”
> You focus your eyes on the Princess’, and give her time to process what you had just told her. Inside, you are coming to terms with what you had just done… You attacked Princess Cadance, scared the fuck out of her, and now, you are just sitting here waiting for the stunned mare to recover. 
> She probably will injure you really badly or even kill you for what you did to her, but you deserved it anyway. From your past interactions with her, she probably will not do the latter... At least, you hope so.
> The silence drags on as Cadance continues watching you, so you decide to speak again.
“May I put your ring back on your horn? As a gesture that I intend you no harm and that I trust you enough to give you back your magic.”
> Offering your open palm to the princess, you let her gaze linger on the ring for a few moments before you get up slowly, using your other hand to pick up the ring. You lean over, carefully and gently sliding the ring on her horn, and the jewels in it start glowing again softly when it comes to rest at the base of said horn. Surprisingly, she remains still as you do that, just watching you and your actions with narrowed eyes. She is judging you. Assessing you.
> You slump back on the bed frame and look at the princess as she lights up her horn and jewel with that teal aura. Lowering your eyes, you grimace and mentally brace yourself for her revenge. You deserve whatever she has in mind for you, especially after what you did.
> What you did not expect is for the open end of a bottle of peach tea to press itself gently to your lips. It tilts slowly, forcing you to take a sip of the sweet, flavourful beverage before the bottle floats away. Surprised, your eyes dart to the pony princess as she moves the bottle to her own lips with her magic and takes a sip of her own.
> What the fuck.
> Even Brain is silent as he reels in shock at what you just experienced; that was definitely not what you expected.
> Floating the bottle back to you, Princess Cadance uses her wing to wipe her eyes carefully as she turns to smile at you.
> She fucking smiled at you?! After you made her believe that you wanted to kill her?!
> “Trust doesn’t come easily to your species, does it, Mister Anon?”
> Eyeing the floating bottle, you manage to clear your mind enough for you to turn your gaze to the alicorn and shake your head. Princess Cadance gives you a small nod when she sees your response.
> “It makes sense I suppose, given your histories of conflict, so I cannot say that I am surprised… I am glad, however, that my subjects and I are generally blessed to have more faith and trust in others, but that too, is probably a product of our history as well… Have another sip, Mister Anon; I’d imagine plotting and pulling off a stunt like that is hard work, especially one that involves the thought and intent of killing another.”
> Now, she is offering you another sip of her drink. Clearly, you underestimated the pony princess. Frowning at the bottle floating in the air before you, then at Cadance, you address her cautiously.
“Aren’t… Aren’t you afraid of me? After all that?”
> That earned you a weak smile from the pony.
> “I can understand why you did all that, especially if it helps to alleviate your mistrust of me. I am fine with suffering some fear, a few missing hairs from my mane and bruises to my legs to earn that… I have faith in your love for Starlight and my ponies, Mister Anon; I believe that you will not hurt me, especially when I will never hurt you in return… Besides, nothing you can do to me will faze me now, especially after what I have gone through before… I live for each moment, Mister Anon, and I learned to forgive and forget easily.”
> With a small shake of her head, the smile on her muzzle widens just a little.
> “You probably can tell that I am desperate for allies here on Earth, and you are right. I want to secure a better and brighter future for my subjects, but you can be assured that I will never do what Thorax did to you… I want to do it peacefully through persuasion and diplomacy, as is the proper Equestrian way under the guidance of the virtues of the Elements of Harmony… As how the other Princesses will want it… That way, the resulting peace will last longer, and people and ponies alike can be genuinely happy and live together in harmony.”
> This Princess Cadance. The strength of her character burns with an intensity that makes you really like her. You feel your respect for her rise immensely, even if you disagree with her rather naïve and innocent views of the ways of your world. She clearly possesses outstanding courage, resilience and tenacity with regards to the abuse she suffered, and they show in her reactions to what she perceived to be your attempt on her life. As for her faith in your inherent goodness and integrity? It is almost as if you are a saint; the pony princess buys trust by offering her own.
> You smile. If you were serving as one of her Guards, you will lay your life down for her in a heartbeat. You will die protecting her and be glad to do so. She deserves it.
> If just one of the Rulers of Equestria is like that, what of the other Princesses, Boss?
> Probably why those 6570 Guards chose to fight under their leadership, Brain. I know that I would if I was a pony.
> From the things she has said and the way she behaved, you feel that you are beginning to reciprocate her trust. Everything she said made sense, especially with Starlight’s behaviour. 
“I… I didn’t hurt you too badly, did I?”
> The pony princess smiles warmly at you as she moves the bottle of peach tea back to her lips when you did not take a sip from it. Drinking slowly, she removes it from her lips and places its cap on before moving the bottle back to the table.
> “Like I said, there are no more than a few bruises and a few missing hairs. I’ll be okay, Mister Anon… Would you like to rest on your bed? Sitting on the cold floor is probably not very comfortable for you.”
> You shake your head.
“Before I do that, I have two things I want to settle first, Princess. First, did you really mean it when you said that you wanted to die? Or rather, that you wanted me to kill you?”
> Princess Cadance tears her eyes away from you and fixes her gaze on the tile before her, hanging her head as she continues lying on the floor in silence. When she answers you, her voice comes out in a whisper.
> “… I do not deny that I welcome the thought of death, Mister Anon… It seems like a sweet relief for the guilt that plagues my entire being … Every day that I live on Earth is another where I am reminded of the actions that the Princesses and I took that doomed Equestria and our subjects… Some to death, many more to slavery… And it is a fact that most had their lives destroyed because of our decision-making… For now, I work to make what difference I can to the lives of my subjects on Earth as a penance, especially for those living in Harmony Village. I will not kill myself as I recognise the importance of what I am doing…”
> She raises her pinkish lavender eyes to yours, and despite the lack of pooling tears in them, you can see the pain and sorrow in them. Your heart bleeds at the thought of this beautiful creature before you being so sad. She probably has cried herself to numbness at this stage.
> “… Yet, if someone wishes to kill me, I will not resist nor defend myself… I… I am tired… I am tired of seeing my subjects having lives of misery, horror and abuse, and from seeing the scars that that torment those who have managed to escape them… I am tired of all the not-so-subtle hints that they give me daily, suggesting that I was incompetent, impulsive or lacked foresight in my role as a Princess…”
> Taking a breath, Princess Cadance shakes her head slowly.
“I am tired of feeling the cold emptiness in my heart… Where my husband and daughter once filled… I am tired of the guilt and the pain… Of fear, sorrow, and anger… I am tired of living, Mister Anon, and I… I want to be with my family again… So, if you really wanted to kill me, I will not stop you… Or anypony for that matter…”
> … Fucking hell…
> You let out a sigh as you feel the massive weight and sheer darkness of the emotions in the heart of the pony princess. Those eyes tell you everything that you needed to know.
“… I cannot pretend to even know what you feel, Princess Cadance... But… May I hold you? If it helps, I would like to give you a hug.”
> The pony princess keeps her eyes on you for a few moments before she shakes her head and gives you a weak smile.
> “I would prefer if you do not touch me, Mister Anon… Like I said, it brings back painful memories…”
> Well, shit.
> “… But I would like to hold you instead, if you would give me your permission to do so?”
> You frown and ask her what difference does it make. Her smile becomes warmer and wider.
> “The difference is that whoever holds the other is in control, Mister Anon… I would like to be in a position where I have some semblance of autonomy and control… It is probably silly of me to think that way, but it does make for a pleasant change from what I am used to…”
> Nodding lightly, you sit up as Princess Cadance gets up on her hooves. Leaning in, she wraps both hooves around your neck and rests her head on your right shoulder, pressing the side of her neck against yours. You keep your hands on the floor as she sighs softly and plants her haunches down, pressing herself against your body.
> This pony is taller but leaner than Starlight. You can feel the bones of her front legs pressing against your back, and you can feel the tickle of her mane as the hairs in it brush your face. Her scent is different from Starlight’s; underneath the same creamy fragrance that Starlight also had in her mane, the princess smells feminine as well, but it is a ‘rounder’ and fuller scent, whereas Starlight’s natural feminine aroma is ‘sharper’ and more pronounced than the princess. If you had to use a metaphor to describe it, it would probably be the sweetness of fruit punch verses that of pure apple juice. Both are sweet, but sweet in differing ways.
> Good luck explaining that to someone who does not get it, Boss.
> You miss Starlight. The embrace of the pony princess reminds you of your beautiful pony lover, and you feel an ache for her within you.
> Holding you tightly for several moments more, Princess Cadance releases you gently and sits in front of you, thanking you softly. You wave it off with a gentle gesture of your hand and a smile.
> “You had another thing you “wanted to settle”, Mister Anon?”
> That made you frown, as you worry that your next question might come off as insensitive, but you decide to be direct.
“When you thought that I wanted sex, you seemed to be willing to give it to me even though you are afraid. Why is that?”
> She snorts softly as she smirks in what is unmistakably a bittersweet fashion. Lowering her head, she bows to you as she answers.
> “If submitting means that you will be gentle and caring towards me, then it is a small price to pay in return. You are my superior, Mister Anon, and I meant it when I said that; this is what I try to teach my subjects to do too, for their sake. It is much better to serve willingly and get a reward for good behaviour, than resist and get hurt in return. If there is a lesson to be learnt from the War, this is it: Resistance is futile, painful and accomplishes nothing. Hence it is better to submit and obey.”
> You frown at her answer.
“What of your dignity as a person, Princess? What about consent? What about those who still suffer because of sadistic and malicious humans who treat your ponies like dirt? Who suffer torture, abuse and death because of these disgusting people? Should they submit too?”
> Turning her eyes down, Princess Cadance lets out a breath.
> “What I said is a general guide, Mister Anon; it is a philosophy to direct behaviour in the most productive and beneficial way for my ponies… At least, this is for those who have decent humans as their masters.” 
“Right.”
> She smiles weakly again.
> “You may disagree with me, but don’t forget that you probably have a selection bias in the type of pony owners you meet and hear about. In other words, Mister Anon, as a Police officer, you tend to see more of the worst kinds of people that ill-treats ponies in your line of work; many of my subjects have been taken in by good families, but you do not hear of them as they behave and do a good job in their roles of servitude… It may sound harsh or degrading to you, but we ponies are quick to recognise our circumstances… We are intelligent beings too, Mister Anon, and like you, we desire to be cared for, treated well and receive recognition whilst avoiding pain and fear…” 
> You nod, showing her that you are still listening. 
> “And don’t forget our individual tendencies to ignore the silent majority in society; not every human is a sadist who abuse my subjects, and you’ll be surprised at the number of ponies who said “no” to leaving their owners when Thorax’s Changelings approached them. Like you, Mister Anon, many of them are decent people, but unlike you, many remain hidden and silent; after all, not everyone is a Senior Officer in the Police Force, who is also a member of an ECAD Rescue Team.”
> Lighting up her horn, she gently lifts both of your hands and places them on the sides of her hindquarters, where her cutie marks are. 
> Your eyes widen. 
> Her smile now seems forced, and you manage to catch that shudder that she makes when your hands touch her buttocks. The pony princess gyrates her hips backwards, rolling her rump against your hold on it. Her voice comes out in a scared whisper, even as she tries to keep it sultry.
> “… If… If you want s-sex, Mister Anon… Ju-just… Just say so… A-and… And I will provide it…”
> Biting her lower lip, the mare lets out a breath that washes over your face. Despite her sensual movements, all you feel is sadness. Clearly, she is forcing herself to do this. 
“No. Please… Stop.”
> Removing your hands quickly, you shake your head at her. 
“Just… Answer my question, Princess. Please.”
> After a moment of silence, where she simply watches you briefly in confusion, she gives her head a little shake before she bows respectfully to you and speaks again.
> “My dignity and consent did not matter anymore when we lost the War, Mister Anon. Yes, we did lose the war, but your government insists that it is still on to justify the continued practice of enslavement of my subjects… Politics aside, it is probably better that we serve as slaves than trying to fend for ourselves in this world. I personally believe that that applies to all ponies, whether they believe it or not, and what ‘dignity’ and ‘consent’ we have now is that you give us… Again, this may appear harsh, but it is a fact of our lives now and we recognise that. Feel free to disagree with me, but being here on Earth for years now, I see that this is the best possible outcome for my subjects and me… Your government was quick to kill off any bands of slaves that mobilised and rebelled, but you probably won’t know that anyway.”
> Staring hard at the pink pony, you clench your fists and fold your arms.
“Then I will give you both of yours by not insisting on treating you like a cocksleeve, Princess. You may believe whatever you want, but I have my own set of values and beliefs, and they tell me that despite you being a very attractive mare, I am choosing to treat you as a person who is fearful of a human male’s touch and respect that as a boundary that I will not cross… And also because I want to be faithful to my Starlight.”
> Princess Cadance grins at you.
> “I thank you then, Mister Anon. Your kind gesture means a lot to me, and I am sure that Starlight will be delighted and moved by your love for her… By the way, you never have to worry about “my plans to take away Starlight from you”. She already said “no” to a Changeling agent when he offered to bring her to Harmony Village, did you know that?”
> What? When?
“What? When?”
> Smiling warmly at you again, Cadance magics both bottles of teas over. You catch yours, but you quickly shift your attention on the pony princess as she gets up on her hooves.
> “I’ll tell you after I have a bathroom break, Mister Anon… Oh, and you may want to get a nurse to clear that mess below the IV bag. It’s still leaking.”
> Flinching as a wave of guilt washes over you, you just nod and get up as well, heading to the door to your room despite your eagerness for answers. Princess Cadance gives you another smile before she uncaps the bottle of peach tea in her magical grasp. You pause as you reach your hand to the handle.
“By the way, Princess, if you ever want to talk… I will be ready to listen. I’ll give you my number when I get back. I do have some leadership experience during my Army days, so I can relate to many of the things you said…”
> Pausing, you swallow hard and lower your eyes.
“I’ll… I’ll be here for you, anytime and anywhere, and I’m sure Starlight and Angela will be glad to help you as well. Just… Call me or drop me a message whenever, okay?”
> That earned you a questioning look from the pony princess.
> “Why?”
> You smile at her.
“Because I want to help you, Princess. You deserve that much. You don’t have to bear everything by yourself, y’know?”
> Cadance smiles warmly at you.
> “Thank you… It means a lot to me to hear that… Thank you…”
> The last thing you see and hear before you turn to leave the room is the pink pony taking a swing from her bottle of tea, again ‘hmm’-ing softly as she drinks her beverage.
> You are pretty sure that that was meant to cover a sob in her throat.
> …

> Thanking the nurse, you return her polite smile as she leaves the room with the mop in her hands. You sigh softly as you move over to lie back on your bed. Cadance is still in the small toilet on your left, and in the relative silence that follows, you replay what has just happened in your mind. 
> What you did was reckless and rough, and you probably scared the poor pony when you told her that you wanted to kill her. Despite her tough exterior and her words, you are sure that she is shaken badly inside, but… You had to do it. You had to know her identity and that you can trust her, and that was probably the fastest and most efficient means to achieve that… At least, as far as you know, anyway.
> Sighing again, you shake your head slowly and rest your head on your pillow. You know that you are a reckless, impulsive idiot at times, but so far, things have worked out for you. Now that you think about it, it is a wonder that you are doing relatively well in most aspects of your life.
> You frown as Brain reminds you of your relationship with your family, but you are quick to silence him. That is not a topic that you like to think about, and despite the passage of time, the emotional wounds you have are still fresh, and the pain they bring still hurts.
> The toilet door opens, and out comes Princess Cadance, moving regally and gracefully as she walks towards you. If she had been crying, there are no signs of it when she smiles gently at you while climbing on your bed. You adjust yourself and prop the pillow up behind you, resting your back against it to allow you to see the pony princess clearly. As she lays down on your right, keeping a distance away from you, you gently ask if she would like to hold you again. 
> Princess Cadance grins at you as she shifts her body over, pressing her side against yours as you keep your hands by your side. It seems like the pony recognises that you are being careful not to touch her, especially when she looks up and regards you with her eyes; she has the same facial expression that Starlight had when she was watching you prepare her food that night when you… Did her… In the missionary position. It was a look of adoration.
“Why… Are you looking at me like that?”
> Princess Cadance blushes softly, but keeps her eyes fixed on yours.
> “I… I want to thank you for being considerate and kind to me, Mister Anon… I have a way to go before I fully recover from my experiences, so I appreciate your respect towards me… As for the look… Well, I was thinking… I was thinking that if I didn’t have the responsibilities that I have now… I…”
> Her voice trails off, and she sighs softly. When you raise an eyebrow at her, she blushes deeper and smiles sheepishly before she speaks again.
> “… If it were possible… Maybe… Just maybe… I would love to call you ‘Master’ too, Mister Anon…”
> You blink.
> Oh no… Oh no no no no no….
> If Princess Cadance has been talking to Starlight, she definitely knows what her role will be if she becomes yours.
> A freaking pony princess as your new bed slave? That slender and graceful feminine body, complete with the luscious mane and tail? Not to mention the beauty of her smile? Holy shit, Boss, you-
> SHUT THE FUCK UP. THAT IS NOT HAPPENING.
> You shake your head vigorously. She giggles softly at your reaction before she rests her head on her hooves and closes her eyes.
> “It’s just a silly fantasy, but I envy Starlight, you know? To be able to live a simple life under a caring and loving master that respects her and treats her kindly… To not have any worries about her food, safety and future… To not have to dabble in politics and face the consequences of not living up to the expectations of other ponies… I do envy her, and other the ponies who were fortunate enough to have met someone like you…”
> With a small sigh, she takes a moment to breathe deeply before she continues speaking, opening her eyes to look at you.
> “I have to be honest with you, Mister Anon. When I started talking to Starlight, I felt that everything she said about you was a load of wishful thinking on her part… I mean, my experiences with your kind were… Well… Not friendly, to say the least…  But now, having met and getting to know you and others like you, I am glad that she was right, as are the other ponies whom I have talked to about their Masters and Mistresses… You are a wonderful man, Mister Anon, and I can see why she loves you so… It is a beautiful thing that you have with her, and… I cannot deny that I do miss that feeling of being in love…”
> Coughing awkwardly to cover your embarrassment, you are tempted to shift your body away from her. This is getting into dangerous territory, and you are not comfortable with it.
> Thankfully, she does not say or do anything else other than turning her gaze away and staring at a spot on the bedsheet. You give her a few moments to delve into her thoughts before you take out your phone and ask her if she has one of her own. She confirms it and gives you her phone number, which you give a ‘missed’ call to, again reassuring her that you will be ready to talk if she ever wants to. It is the least you can do for the poor princess, especially when she has taken much of her time to look after you. 
> Princess Cadance thanks you softly, giving you an appreciative smile before she lowers her head, again staring at that same spot on the bedsheet. 
> Silence. The princess is deep is thought; based on what she mentioned earlier, she is probably reminiscing on the times when she is still with her family. This poor, poor pony girl. You really want to hug her and tell her that everything will be okay, but you know that that is a lie. Nothing can change the fate of those ponies, and if you had to guess, her husband is probably dead or missing, as are her children.
> So instead, you choose to keep your silence, simply watching her and waiting. Eventually, the silence becomes uncomfortable and you open your mouth to say something, but Princess Cadance speaks before you can do so.
> “I escaped with the help of Thorax’s Changelings exactly six weeks ago. Since then, I have been doing some work for Thorax in Harmony Village after your government has granted its approval for it, mainly organising and planning the development of our new home. While I recovered from my wounds, one of my tasks is to bring ponies who are selling themselves as slaves to meet their new Masters. Trixie’s case was an exception, as you specifically asked for her, and you asking for information has led me to spend a lot more time here than what is usual, since I had to wait for you to recover… Nonetheless, I do not regret any moment of it.”
> She lifts her head up to smile at you, but you frown in response. 
> Wait, didn’t the Princess address your government leaders more than two months ago?
“Six weeks? So you are saying that that speech you did in Parliament…”
> Shaking her head lightly, she lets out a breath.
> “I never said those words, Mister Anon. I was not present there that day… I was recovering from… “Serving”… Your kind at that time…” 
> Your eyes widen. 
> What? How? Who? Did AC Thor lie to the entire Police Force? 
> You frown. No, it cannot be. You know your government: the speech did happen, as the Bill would never have been considered otherwise. So, it means that-
“Changelings… Those ponies were Changelings.”
> Princess Cadance confirms your epiphany with a small nod.
> “Twilight is a Bearer of the Elements of Harmony, but she was the only Princess left in Equestria after our capture. She had to manage and save what was left of our nation, so she was forced to send her best friends, the last three Bearers, as the final party to leave Equestria as diplomats. They were a unicorn named Rarity and two ‘Earth’ ponies called Applejack and Pinkie Pie, and their tasks were to carry a letter that I had almost finished writing to your government and to negotiate for peace between our governments… Or what’s left of ours, anyway... The Bearers made an arrangement with Twilight that if they do not return within a week, she will cast a dangerously powerful spell to teleport all humans out of Equestria and seal the Portal in Fillydelphia for good.”
> Cadance sighs softly.
> “As you can probably guess, the three of them were enslaved quickly when they came to Earth, but somehow, Thorax made contact with the Bearers and rescued them, secretly keeping them in his house while he arranged to rescue me from captivity. By then, Twilight has already sealed the Portal after returning all non-Equestrian beings back to Earth... We do not know how exactly she did it, but the Bearers and I suspect that she managed to get the God of Chaos, Discord, to help her, somehow.”
> You nod slowly and wait for her to continue. She does. 
> “While the four of us were recovering in his care, he had his brother and other Changelings to impersonate the their Bearers and me to complete their mission... It may be deceitful, but Thorax and his brave Changelings wanted to protect us, so they volunteered for it… After the speech was made in Parliament, they discussed the terms of our surrender… In short, the Bearers and I were free to leave Parliament as a sign of good faith, the four of us were to be considered to be legally freed from ownership, and your government will allow us to create a sanctuary for rescued pony slaves. In return, we are to formally surrender to them and conduct research and development in Harmony Village for a variety of causes as instructed by your government, especially with the creation of new technologies through the incorporation and generation of harmonic magic here on Earth.”
> You shake your head slowly. Your bullshit meter is getting triggered.
“Forgive me, Princess, but this is all too good to be true. First, you expect me to believe that MY government will simply let your kind amass in a location to develop what might possibly be new weapons technology? You are talking about a high potential for revolt here, especially with magic-equipped former pony slaves who have suffered as a result of the actions of my kind. Second, I know how my government thinks, Princess; they will not allow the creation of Harmony Village without a catch to it. Third, how will I know what everything you are telling me is true? After all, you are just TELLING me everything without showing me proof… Finally, you are saying that AC Thor made negotiations on behalf of your government, when you or the other Princesses were not even consulted? I’m sorry, but I have a hard time believing everything that you just said.”
> Expectedly, Princess Cadance looks at you with a frown before sighing again. She is evidently exasperated with your doubt. Remaining silent for a moment, she speaks softly as she rests her head on her hooves again, staring at a spot on the wall.
> “… I will answer your third question first. Just before the day of the surrender ceremony, the three Bearers and I brought representatives from your government to the site of the Portal, which conveniently enough was situated near an airbase. Your soldiers confirmed that that was indeed the location of the site, and many of them who were in Equestria also confirmed that the Portal were closed after they were mysteriously transported back onto Earth with a flash of light. As for what actually happened in Parliament that day when Thorax’s brother was there, you may speak to your elected representative for details. He or she will probably deny it happened, given your government’s insistence that your people will be more accepting of slavery if the War is still officially on. Whether you want to believe me or not is your choice, but all I am offering is the truth and my knowledge.” 
> Princess Cadance takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly before speaking again. She and raises her head to look at you, giving you a weak smile as she does so.
> “Do you want to carry out another ‘exercise’ of trust again, Mister Anon? And even if you did… How far do you want to go, and what can I possibly do that can convince you to trust me? No matter how convincing my arguments, or how raw my reactions are, you ultimately still perceive and decide if I am telling the truth or not.”
> She pauses and waits for your response. You frown as you consider her points, shaking your head gently as a thought comes to you before you reply. 
“I realise that I am behaving like someone with paranoia; choosing to accept what you are telling me at one moment while rejecting it at another… I guess what you are saying is that trust is a choice, isn’t it Princess?”
> Princess Cadance smiles weakly at you in return and nods.
> “It is, and you have every reason to doubt me, especially after what you had gone through. I can understand that, but… I’m tired, Mister Anon… I’m tired of the hurdles I must jump and the obstacles that I must cross whenever I interact with your kind; you are not the first to be sceptical, and you certainly won’t be the last... As I’ve said, all I am offering is the truth and my knowledge, so why don’t I tell you everything that I know, then you decide what you want to believe?”
> You nod once in reply. You can do that. 
> Shaking her head slowly again as she continues smiling back at you, the Princess returns her head back on your bedsheet before she speaks again, staring back at that damned spot on the wall.
> “Thorax did what he had to in order to help us. He, and the other Changelings on Earth had no way of contacting any of the Princesses before they found me by sheer luck, and ponies are dying and suffering every day, Mister Anon. He wanted and needed to do something, and when he chanced upon the three Bearers first, it was an opportunity that he felt compelled to capitalise on… I discussed this with him and with Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie after he rescued me, and we came to a consensus that it was the right thing to do, even if he did made decisions on my behalf and used deception to achieve it, which was against the virtue of Honesty as an Element of Harmony.”
> You shake your head slowly in admiration. 
> These ponies. Still believing in their philosophy despite the circumstances… It is remarkable, really. How many of us can do that for our own beliefs?
> “I can answer the rest of your questions at once, Mister Anon. To ensure our cooperation and security from my subjects in Harmony Village, your government situated the sanctuary in the middle of an isolated plot of land, far away from any human settlements. As I am the only Princess available, they drew both a spoken and written agreement with me on our compliance. In addition, your government maintains a network of security systems to ensure that no ponies attempt to escape into the surrounding countryside. They also keep an entire Army brigade ready to be activated within two hours, as well as a squadron of planes on perpetual standby to conduct five rounds of airstrikes, should a need to quench a… “Revolt”, as you say, arises... Your government was not shy of letting me know the details of their arrangements.”
> Your eyes widen. You are not surprised that your government is ready to respond with deadly force, but you did not expect them to go to such lengths to ensure that these former slaves do not become a threat. That explains why Angela’s drive to bring Trixie back is taking so long as well; keeping these ponies in an isolated area keeps any military intervention away from public eyes, hence more freedom to conduct their operations as needed. Cadance raises her head and turns to you.
> “Your government is not stupid, Mister Anon. They know what they want from us, and they know how to keep us in line if need be… Not that they had anything to fear, if I may be honest with you, as all my subjects and I want now is just to live in peace and rebuild our Equestrian way of life; in the sanctuary that your government has kindly offered us to live in… Thorax and I are hoping to locate and rescue Princesses Celestia and Luna soon, and they too will have the chance to decide if they want to come to Harmony Village or not… Hopefully, their masters are as kind and generous as you are, and I can only hope that everything turned out okay for them…” 
> Princess Cadance sighs softly before she sits up, resting her hindquarters on the bed as she keeps her gaze lowered and remains silent. You suspect that she wondering about the fate of her fellow princesses, so you decide to give her some time before speaking softly. 
 “… Princess Cadance?” 
> Her pinkish lavender eyes swivel up to meet yours.
“What happened to Twilight and the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony? Can ponies still return to Equestria? Also, from what I know so far, AC Thor and his Changelings are seemingly operating without the knowledge of my government. What do you know about this?” 
> You cluck you tongue as you consider your next words.
“And I hope I don’t come off as being insensitive, but how can you be sure that Thorax and the Changelings are trustworthy? I am hesitant to take his assurance that Changelings “are not our enemy”, Princess, and I want to hear your views on this.”
> Her reply is quick and in detail.
> “Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie are now residing in Harmony Village, Mister Anon. Applejack is one of the foreponies in the orchard that we planted and maintain, which helps to supplement our food supply. Rarity and Pinkie Pie run courses for other ponies in their fields of expertise; the former is a dress designer, while the latter used to run a bakery. They are part of the training team that impart skills to those who have the interests, as well as those ponies who are seeking to sell themselves back to human ownership… I have pried every bit of information I could from them, but we do not know what exactly happened to Twilight, only that she successfully closed the Portal… As far as I know, if her magic remains intact, she is probably the new Ruler of all Equestria, governing our nation as a monarch… We hope that once Harmony Village is fully established and that your government offers us basic rights, such as stronger legal protection and the right to go home, Twilight may reopen the Portal someday for my ponies to return to Equestria… And no, until that day, we are stuck here, destined to live our lives with you and your kind as our superiors… It isn’t ideal, but your government has already been kind and generous enough to my subjects and me… Well, generally anyway.”
> Shaking your head, you admit to Princess Cadance that you admire the optimism and beliefs that she holds about humanity’s good nature, earning yourself a soft smile from her. She does not say anything about that, however, when she continues speaking.
> “I do not know if your government is actually aware of the Changeling presence in your country, Mister Anon, but I can assure you that despite the… Clandestine… Nature of their work, all they want is peace for my kind and to save ponies who are suffering on Earth… They needed to do what they did as Thorax’s available means of offering help to my subjects are severely limited if they simply abided by your laws. As far as possible, they will not harm any humans in their operations, and certainly are not planning to overthrow your government or anything of that nature and magnitude…” 
> The alicorn snorts softly as she shakes her head.
“We do not have the numbers, nor do we have the ambition to do such a thing; we know your kind’s preparedness for war and violence, and experiencing that during the War is more than enough… You have my word as the Princess of Love, and the former Ruler of the Crystal Empire, that Thorax, the Changelings, my kind and I simply want peace now… But as I have said: you choose to believe me or not… But I hope that THIS may convince you.” 
> Lighting up her horn and jewel with her magic, Princess Cadance covers your right hand with the teal aura. You can feel the strange energies that pulls your hand up, lifting your arm gently as your hand floats in front of the pink pony. She leans forward and plants her lips gently on the top of your hand, closing her eyes as she kisses it softly. Then, she gently glides your hand back on the bed and raises her eyes, looking at you pleadingly.  
> “Please…  Please believe me.”
> You frown.
 “Do you do this to every human that doubts you?”
> Princess Cadance smiles softly at you before she shakes her head.
> “Not everyone, but to be honest, it has been more times than I can remember… In fact, I’ve kissed the hands of several of your Rescue Team officers… I am not ashamed to do it, if my submissiveness means that will tomorrow will be a brighter day for my subjects.”
> That is an interesting perspective to adopt. Clearly, she loves her ponies dearly.
> Ask her, Boss. Ask her… That.
> You frown slightly, but decide to humour Brain and satisfy your curiosity.
“I don’t mean to be crass, Princess, and forgive my bluntness, but have you… Had to sleep with anyone as part of your… “Persuasion and diplomacy”?”
> She sighs softly even as she gives you what is unmistakably an exasperated smile. Yeah, she knows that you are a pervert, and still is. 
> You smile sheepishly at her.
“After what I’ve been through, Mister Anon, and the circumstances that I have to work with… Let’s just say that my body practically belongs to your kind now... I must atone for my role in the War and carry out my duties to better the lives of my subjects who now reside in Harmony Village… And frankly, even though I struggle with the memories of my captivity, I do admit that the experience of making love reminds me of the love I once shared with my husband… The defence mechanisms that the mind is capable of is indeed strange and remarkable, Mister Anon, but they do help me get the job done… Especially, when my partner is gentle and considerate…”
> You let out a sigh of your own as you regard Princess Cadance’s sitting form. Hearing her words and the tone that she used when she was speaking simply makes you feel sad for the pony princess. Slowly, you reach out a hand to cup the side of her face, keeping your movements gentle and well within her field of vision. You feel her flinch slightly when you touch her, but she allows you to run a thumb over her right cheek. Smiling softly at her, you sit up yourself and look into her eyes.
“You are a very brave pony, Princess, as well as a loving and caring leader. Believe me when I say that you have my utmost respect and admiration for the strength of your character, and that… That you have my full and complete trust… Well, I choose to give you that, anyway.”
> Princess Cadance smiles warmly and leans into your hand, raising a hoof and pressing it on your chest.
> “You silly, silly human… I can see it in your eyes that you feel sad for me… But don’t be, Mister Anon, as I am merely doing what a Princess of Equestria should do. Ours is a position of courage, sacrifice and selflessness, and I know what is expected of me the moment that I chose to be a Princess; it isn’t very different from your own role as an enforcer of the law, I would expect… I will be okay, and I am already receiving help from others who care for me dearly... But, thank you, Mister Anon, for your kind words and your trust in me. I know it is hard for you to make that choice, so I want you to know that I appreciate it.”
> Tired from the conversation you had with Princess Cadance, you simply nod and smile at her before you reach into your pocket, to check the time on your phone. 9.37pm. 
> You let out a small sigh as you put it down on the bedside table.
> “If I may, Mister Anon… What will you do with Trixie if she decided to stay with you?”
> Frowning slightly, you turn your eyes to the Princess and decide to be direct with your reply.
“From what little I gather, Trixie has obviously been free for some time, since she seemed really reluctant to the idea of being owned by me… I do not want to break her, Princess; I will do my best to accommodate her and be patient as I ease her into her new role, but… To be honest, Princess, I do have an expectation that she should serve me in every capacity as I desire; after all, I am her Master and she is my slave, and I do expect obedience from her. Ideally, I would want to fall in love with her as well, and we can have a three-way relationship.”
> “What if she doesn’t want to pursue a sexual relationship with you? What will you do?” 
> Oh boy… Princess Cadance is going for the hard questions.
“I will not rape her, if that is what you are worried about. Sure, I will be disappointed, as I want something in return for both giving back her magic and everything that I will do for her in the hypothetical future. I am providing Trixie a safe home, good food and a life that is free of physical hardship, cruelty and fear, especially when I am also re-uniting her with Starlight… I will give her some time and space to experience what I have to offer and re-consider her position, and I believe that I will be very fair and kind in how I will treat her. In time, I will try to get her to reciprocate my affections, and it will be great if she does so happily and willingly… But if she really is not comfortable with my advances, I guess I will have to accept that as well… It would mess up my relationship with Starlight though, as she will be caught in the middle of any conflicts between Trixie and me. I suppose that I may have to make arrangements to send her back if it doesn’t work out, but Starlight will definitely be upset if I do.”
> Sighing softly, you just give the pony princess a weak smile.
“I honestly don’t know what I’ll do, except hope for that things turn out fine. Maybe it is better that Trixie remains free, isn’t it?”
> “I suppose it is, Mister Anon. You can give Starlight all your focus and attention then.”
> Starlight. God, you want to see her so badly now.
“Any idea why they are taking so long?”
> Princess Cadance simply closes her eyes and shakes her head gracefully, causing her long mane to sway from left-to-right. That made you want to sigh again, so you decide to change topics.
“I do admit that the thought of having two mares to share my bed is an appealing one, Princess.”
> Cadance does not even blush as she smiles at you.
> “Oh? And what will you want to do with them, if you had the opportunity?”
> That made you smile. You have not thought about this before, and Brain is buzzing with ideas.
“I want to lay Trixie down on her stomach on my bed as I take her from behind, wrapping both arms around her chest as I hold her body close to mine. I want her to kiss and lick Starlight to an orgasm as I finish in Trixie, before I lean in to kiss Trixie passionately on her wet muzzle. After that, I want Starlight to reciprocate the oral treatment she received from her as I join in, and together, we will make Trixie cry out in pleasure as we bring her off to a climax. I want it to end with us resting our heads on the same large pillow, me hugging them together with a mare on each arm or with one mare spooning the other. I will give them both a gentle kiss above their closed eyes and bid them a soft “Good night” before we drift off to sleep together.”
> Cadance giggles as you finish your description of your fantasy, causing your face to burn. You cough softly to clear your throat as you chuckle weakly in embarrassment.
> “That was surprisingly sweeter than I expected… But, Mister Anon, you know that they are both heterosexual, right?”
> This time, you cannot help yourself as a grin breaks out on your face. 
“That just makes it hotter, doesn’t it, Princess? Getting two straight mares to make love to each other? Especially when you can see the subtle reluctance and awkwardness in their body language before they obey me, licking and kissing the clitorises, vulvas and asses of another female. They would probably be questioning their sexual orientations as they are giving and receiving pleasures that they never thought of before, even as they wonder how their BEST FRIEND can be so good at giving oral sex to another mare when they feel the tongues of their counterpart enter their vaginas. They will be moaning loudly into the pussy on their faces as they strive to match the pace of their friend’s kissing, licking and suckling, and as they feel their climaxes approaching, I will tell them to continue through it. Then, they’ll be squirting their pleasure into each other’s mouths, swallowing as they feel the sides of their heads being pressed tightly by the thighs of-”
> … And now, even Cadance herself is blushing as she turns her eyes away from you, moving her head slightly to her left. She covers her mouth with a hoof even as she is smiling widely in embarrassment at the vividness of your descriptions.
“- I’m going to stop talking now.”
> You give another awkward cough and an apology in the short silence that follow. Brain is quick to give you a mental kick for losing yourself into the perverse pleasure that you enjoyed as you reveal what is probably the surface of the depths of your depravity. 
> What? The pony princess ASKED for it, dammit!
> For some reason, seeing the Princess herself blushing and grinning at your words as she rolls her eyes at you in exasperation makes you laugh like an idiot.
> Hopefully, these giggles that she is making is a sign that she already knows the kind of answer to expect when she asked you that question.
> You join her when she practically guffaws in mirth.
> Yep, she is not surprised nor offended. You knew you liked the pony princess for a reason.
> …

> “Starlight was visited by a Changeling agent that day when you went for the Periodic Review of Cases meeting at Falcon’s Hall… He explained to her that if she wants it, he will be able to use a magical artefact to teleport her to Harmony Village, thus making her ‘disappear’. Starlight is one of his closest friends back in Equestria, so Thorax has been watching you ever since you got her from the Agency shelter. He snatched the earliest opportunity to check that she is doing well under your ownership, and offer her a means of escape if necessary.”
> You freeze, stunned by what you learned. Someone broke into your house?
> The pony princess turns to look at you, giving you a warm smile.
> “As you can guess, Starlight told the Changeling everything she knew about you, and convinced him that she wanted to stay with you temporarily. She felt safe with you, and asked him to give her a chance to live under your ownership and care… I don’t know what you did exactly, but you gave her hope, Mister Anon. You gave her hope for a new life, and you made her believe that you loved her.” 
> You frown.
““Temporarily”, Princess? Meaning? Also, was Starlight… Already in love with me at that time?”
> Princess Cadance’s smile grows even wider.
> “She asked for a week before he contacts her again. As far as I can tell, I see that Starlight believes in you, Mister Anon, but I cannot say for sure when she said that she loved you because she genuinely did, or if she was simply captured by the difference in the way you and her former Master treated her. We have talked about this, and she insisted that it was the former, but I cannot shake my doubts given the timeframe for that to happen… I don’t mean any offense to you, but wouldn’t you agree that two days is way too early for her to fall in love?”
> You shake your head, earning yourself a questioning frown from Cadance.
“I guess that I see the concept of ‘love’ differently from you, Princess, and maybe Starlight agrees with my definition… I told her that love is a choice, Princess, not a feeling. It is consciously and intentionally choosing the best outcome for someone, despite how it makes you feel. To me, love is a commitment and a way of living… So when I said I love Starlight, what I actually mean is that I want the very best for her as far as I can provide it, no matter the circumstance and no matter if how badly it hurts me as I pursue that outcome. Time is not a factor here, Princess; the decision to make that choice is.”
> Princess Cadance raises an eyebrow.
 “For example, assume that you have an aged parent or a child that is stricken with a mental condition. His or her behaviour frustrates you to no end, disrupts your daily schedule and gives you additional problems on top of your already numerous ones. Worse, he or she abuses you verbally and even physically, does things that embarrass you in front of others and even causes you to lose friends. In short, your life becomes a living hell because of said person. Sooner or later, you end up growing resentful, hating the way that he or she behaves and probably not even liking him or her, blaming them for all the misery and problems in your life… Yet, you still choose to continue providing care and attention to that person, sacrificing your time and energy to look after him or her. You do these despite how terrible you feel and how bad his or her behaviour is, simply because he or she is your family member and you love them.”
> Smiling at Cadance as she nods in understanding, you continue in your explanation.
“This is the love that I am talking about, Princess, and it is an intentional choice. Time spent with a person does influence whether you make that choice to love them, but it is ultimately still a decision to make that is no different than choosing what to wear or what to eat… In this case, the feeling of ‘love’ that you are referring to is what I see as an emotional or “romantic” attachment, but it is not ‘love’ as I would define it… Like I said, love is a choice and not a feeling, and I think Starlight sees it the same way that I do, especially after I explained my perspectives to her… You are free to disagree with me on how you conceptualise ‘love’, Princess, as your life experiences are different from mine.”
> You sigh softly and raise your eyes to the ceiling.
“Starlight will always be my pony, and I am her Master. You can say that it is selfish of me to think this way, but I want her to always be thinking of me and me alone… I want her to make me feel important and respected by obeying and serving me as her Master. I want her to give me the brilliance of her mind and the wonderful warmth of her body to sate my desires and passions, and I want her to take away my loneliness by being there for me unconditionally… I want her to give me everything she has, Princess… But most importantly… I want her to love me, Princess, and I want her to give me her heart.”
> You smirk.
“Starlight belongs to me as a slave, but I also want her to be my lover… I want her to be happy and willing as she serves me in every capacity that she can because she wants to, not because she feels forced to.”
> Letting out a breath, you continue speaking, keeping your eyes on the slow revolutions of the ceiling fan above you. 
“In return for all that, Princess, I will love Starlight and do everything in my power to give her a good life with me as her Master… A new life that is filled with joy and abundance as compensation for going through so much undeserved hardship… I will be faithful and loyal to her as her lover, and I will fight with every fibre of my being to protect, cherish and love her for the wonderful pony that she is. I will provide for her with everything that I have, and I will treat her with kindness, generosity, and gentleness because I want to be the Master that Starlight feels safe with; the Master that she can rely on to always be there for her, and one that she can put all her trust and love in without ever fearing the sting of betrayal.”
> Your thoughts drift to the times when you had sexual contact with Starlight, and you feel a small, bittersweet smile tugging at your lips. You are aware that you are rambling on at this point, but you just want to lay out all your innermost thoughts to a listening ear.
“True, I will take and demand some things from her, but I will give her much more in return; I will make Starlight smile and laugh as much as I can, not just because I love the sound of her voice and her cute giggles, but because it makes me happy when she too is happy… I will hug her body close to mine every night before we sleep, because I want to show her that I love her and that she never has to fight loneliness on her own again… I will treat her with kindness and gentleness, because I want to see that beautiful smile of hers every morning when she wakes up by my side… And I will never compromise on her well-being and safety, because I never want to see those pretty purple eyes of hers in pain, fear or sorrow ever again… I will do all that, Princess Cadance, because Starlight is everything to me, and I cannot live without her.” 
> Letting your eyes travel down, you look into the pinkish lavender eyes of the pony princess.
“I promise that I will love Starlight with all my heart, Princess, for Starlight is mine and mine alone. Now, and till the day I die, she will always be my little pony.”
> Princess Cadance is practically beaming at you as she blinks her wet eyes. You are about to apologise for your long-windedness when she opens her muzzle, so you just-
> “As you will always be my man, Master… Oh sweet Celestia, I love you so much Master Anon…”
> The both of you jump at that unexpected voice. You scramble to sit up as your eyes darts towards the source of it. There are three new figures in the room. Standing near the doorway are Angela, Starlight, and Coco Pommel. 
> Your colleague is wearing a collared tee-shirt and jeans and carrying your backpack, and she simply shakes her head at you as she rolls her eyes. Starlight has a hoof pressed against her chest, and she looks like she is on the verge of breaking down. Your pony lover gazes lovingly at you with watery eyes and trembling lips. Adorning her sides is a pair of light green saddle-bags complete with a design of her cutie marks on them, and she is wearing that gold ring on her horn with its glowing teal and white jewels. Coco Pommel lets out a sigh while tilting her head, using a hoof to wipe her eyes. The cream coated ‘Earth’ pony with her short, light blue mane and tail is wearing what looks like a white and purple sailor collar with a red tie, and she has a frilly red and purple hair clip in her mane. She is also carrying a pair of plain red saddle-bags. 
> First it was Cheerilee with her cheerleading outfit, and now it is Coco Pommel with that sailor collar; you swear that these ponies possess weapons-grade cuteness, especially when they wear clothes. 
> Get Starlight to wear a French maid’s outfit, Boss. Complete it with black thigh-highs to emphasise the pair of white panties that covers her hindquarters, and you will bleed to death from your nose. 
> Good idea, Brain. Holy shit.
> Turning to Starlight, Coco Pommel gently places a hoof on her shoulder before nodding towards you with a smile. She speaks softly to the pink pony.
> “Go on, Starlight. Your Master is waiting for you.”
> “Master Anon!”
> With that, Starlight sprints towards you and jumps up on the bed, practically tackling you in a hug as she buries her tearful face into your chest. You cannot help but grin as you reach down and remove her saddle-bags, setting them down on your left before wrapping your arms around her. Holding her tightly, you blink rapidly as you lean in to kiss her repeatedly on the top of her head, telling her how much you love and missed her. The corners of your own eyes are becoming wet as you feel an immense warmth both on and in your chest as you are re-united in an embrace with your pony lover. You breathe in the scent in her mane, and it smells floral again this time, but with that new creamy fragrance; she must have used your shampoo, but you still cannot place what the new smell is. 
> Nevermind that, it feels like ages since you last held her, and that is way more important.
> “M-Master! Master, thank you… Thank you so much! I missed you too… I-I love you! I love you too, Master! I love you… I love you… Oh goodness, I love you, Master… Love you… I love you… I love you… I love…”
> She breaks down entirely, mumbling incoherently as she nuzzles you again and again, pressing her face and eyes into your chest. You blink tears away as you stroke the back of her mane with your left hand, holding her close to you with your right by pressing on her lower back. Pushing against you with her hooves, you allow Starlight to get up as you move your butt backwards, letting you rest your back in a reclining position against the slightly elevated portion of the bed. Starlight looks up and leans in, closing her eyes as she kisses you fiercely on your lips. Your mare wraps her hooves around your neck, pressing her weight against yours as she aggressively attacks you with another passionate kiss. You can barely ‘hmmph’ in surprise when your mouth is covered by her lips, and her tongue repeatedly brushes along the length of your mouth in her eagerness as she lets out a muffled moan. The teal-coloured jewel in her horn-ring pulses brightly and rhythmically like a heartbeat.
> How can you resist something like that? 
> You open your mouth, and immediately her tongue dives right in, wrestling with your own as she ‘hmm’s loudly. Your pony is salivating a lot, and she tastes and feels as you remember; that distinct plainness intermixed with the texture of her warm tongue and mouth. You close your eyes, allowing your passions to take over as Starlight angles her head differently and leans in further, pressing her lips onto yours in another kiss whilst laying down on your chest. Reciprocating her kisses, you wrap both arms around your lover to press her body into a tight embrace. 
> Starlight is passionate and so wonderfully eager in her demonstrations of love. It makes you dizzy with happiness as you realise the intensity of her feelings for you, and you feel your emotional floodgates threatening to break. The pink pony, on the other hand, clearly has no reservations about that; you cannot see her face, but you can feel her tears falling onto your face and neck as she cries and moans in-between each moment that your lips touches hers. Her body raises and falls in sync with each breath you take, and your heart is thumping like a drum. You can feel her own heartbeats as she presses her chest against yours, and it is strong and fast.
> She is a special pony, alright. God damn, you love her so.
> You can hear voices in the background, but you ignore them. All that matter is the lovely and beautiful mare in your arms, and you focus all of your attention on her; on kissing her over and over again, and on holding her body close to your chest. You want her to know that you need her. You want to show much you love her, and you want her to know that she is everything to you. She may have heard what you said earlier, but you want your actions to demonstrate that you meant every word.
> Eventually, you pull back gently to catch your breath, opening your eyes slowly as your vision is filled with the image of Starlight’s gorgeous smiling face. Her mane is a mess from where you held her, and you see streaks of wetness leading from her puffy eyes that cut down to her lower cheeks, but the things that captures your attention are her wide smile and the purples of her irises. Those bluish violets that you know so well and love. The soft pulsing glow of the teal jewel in her ring is beautiful as well, but you keep your focus on your pony’s face, drinking in the sight of her beauty.
“How long have you been standing there, Starlight?”
> She leans in to nuzzle the tip of her nose against yours, making you chuckle as you close your eyes.
> “Long enough, Master, to hear what I wanted and needed to.”
> Opening your eyes again, you reach both hands up and wipe her cheeks gently with your thumbs, choosing to remain silent for a moment as you take in every detail of her pretty face. You want to burn this memory of her in your mind.
“I’m sorry for making you worry, Starlight, and I am very grateful for all the care that you have shown me… You are an amazing mare and a wonderful, sweet, sweet pony, and I love you so God damned much… Yet, I feel that I don’t deserve you… Especially… After knowing what has happened to you and your kind? How you perceive humans, and the magnitudes of the horrors that you have experienced? I realised how fucked up I am, and I feel just awful taking advan-”
> Starlight places a hoof on your mouth gently as she shakes her head lightly. Giving you a warm smile, she speaks in a soft voice.
> “Just knowing that you love me is sufficient, Master. You will always be my Master and my lover, and I am grateful that you chose me to be yours… Believe me when I say that I will treasure this opportunity to honour, serve, and obey you, and that I am happy to do so… I choose to give you my mind and body, and I have already given you my heart; so take them, Master, and do with them as you please, for you deserve it for being the man that you are… I believe that everything you told the Princess is true, and I know that you will keep those promises you made… You are my very special somepony, Master, and I’ll say it again: I trust you, and I love you… I love you so much, Master Anon… Now, and till the day I shall pass, I will always be with you.”
> You give Starlight a grin. Those words she said gives you immense happiness and a sense of completeness. This beautiful pony, this amazing mare, is the one that you had dreamed of: she is the girl that you had prayed for on every lonely night, and now God has given her to you. He has answered your prayers, and he has added so much more on top of everything that you had asked him for.
> You choke as your tears start rolling down your cheeks. The emotions you are feeling now are… Overwhelming. Gently, you hold Starlight’s hooves in your hands and look down at them, using your thumbs to brush over the tops as you sniff softly in gratitude and happiness. When Starlight leans in with a concerned look, you smile as you look into the eyes of your pony lover, telling her quietly that you are just thankful for the blessings that you had received.
> The blessing that is her: Starlight Glimmer. The pink mare with her purple mane and tail that has that adorable teal streak running through them, and that cute little twirl of hair at the front of her mane just makes her even more adorable. 
> Then, you notice that she is wearing that red collar; the same one that you had put on her, on that morning when she became yours. Reaching a finger over, you tap it gently.
“You are still wearing it.”
> Starlight lowers her eyes for a moment before they come back up to meet yours, smiling warmly at you before she speaks.
> “I never took it off when I was at Harmony Village, Master… Even when I worked, even when I bathed, I had it on me the entire time when I stay there… I wanted to show the other ponies that I am proud of being yours. Some of them thought I was crazy, but that’s because they didn’t get the chance to know the man that owns me... The Master, who loves me as much as I love him.”
> D’aww… Those words; they melt your heart.
“Always been a bit of a rebel, aren’t you, Starlight?”
> “Don’t you have a streak of your own as well, Master?”
> Chuckling softly at her rhetorical question, you close your eyes as Starlight leans forwards, gently brushing her lips up your wet cheek before kissing you softly on your eyelids. You hear the soft ‘chu’ when her lips leave your right eye, and again when she does the same to your left cheek and eyelid. Opening your eyes slowly, you grin at her before using your hands to raise her hooves to your mouth. You kiss the tops of them gently while keeping your gaze on hers, making her smile as the jewel in her horn-ring emits an even brighter glow.
“I love you, Starlight, and I will never tire of telling you that.”
> The mare giggles as she blushes softly.
> “Just as I will never tire of hearing it, Master.”
> “Jesus Christ, you two. Like fresh out of trashy romance movie.”
> Looking up at the same time that Starlight does, the both of you smile sheepishly at Angela as the lady cop shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Behind her, Coco Pommel is blushing softly, and Princess Cadance simply smiles at Starlight and you. 
“Sorry, Angela.”
> With a small sigh and a grin of her own, the policewoman deposits your backpack on the right bedside table before she moves over to rest her elbows on the bed frame. Nodding at the backpack, she turns her eyes to yours.
> “There’s a fresh set of clothes for you in there… And I’ve just spoken to the nurse before we came in; you can be discharged tomorrow if the doctor clears you.”
“Thanks Angela. You’re the best.”
> She smiles.
> “Heh, glad you know that. How’s your shoulder, Anon?”
> You roll the bandaged shoulder experimentally, feeling barely any amount of resistance in your motion.
“Feels alright. Fully healed, I think.”
> “Good, because DSP Koh is asking if you are joining me for the day shift three days from now. You up for it?” 
> Smiling at your partner and best friend, you give her a nod and a salute with your right hand.
“Ready to serve our nation, Ma’am.”
> “Oh stop it.”
> You let out a chuckle as Angela rolls her eyes again. 
> “I will let him know… Oh, by the way, you have to report to the Career Centre to do a psychometric and physical re-evaluation of your Operational Readiness Status BEFORE you can start the shift. You know how… ‘Efficient’… They are, so you better get it done the day before the shift. Starlight, can you remind him?”
> Your pony smiles as she nods.
> “I will, Angela.”
> Urgh… Bloody Bureaucracy…
> Amen, Brain… Amen.
“Dammit… Is that really necessary?”
> Angela’s response is swift.
“Directive from Manpower, Anon. You got injured, so you have to.”
> Turning to Coco as you groan, Angela speaks to the cream-coated pony.
> “Coco? You wanted to see Anon right? Go ahead… And Starlight? May I have a word with you?”
> Starlight smiles at you before she nods at Angela. Giving you a quick peck on your left cheek, she gets up and jumps off the bed, just as Angela picks up Coco and deposits her on it. Angela touches Cadance’s shoulder, and the lady and the two pink ponies move to exit the room, but not before Starlight turns and gives you a worried glance. In that brief moment when your eyes met hers, you saw her frown at Coco, which made you wonder what she was thinking. Before you can do or say anything however, she leaves the room before Princess Cadance does, and the door shuts quietly behind them.
> “Don’t worry, Master Anon. Angela is just keeping her occupied so I may speak to you in private.”
> Turning your attention to Coco Pommel, you see that she is smiling pleasantly at you, so you nod at her, indicating that she should carry on speaking.
> “Master Anon… You... You forgot our previous conversation the last time I was here, but Angela said that your memory is back. Are you alright now?”
> News sure spread fast, don’t they, Brain?
“I’m fine. Angela is right; been talking to Princess Cadance, and I have no problems then. How about you? How are you, Coco?”
> Coco Pommel answers you eagerly, still with that pleasant smile on her cute face.
> “I’m doing well, Master Anon. I have fully healed, and I am doing well. Angela has gotten me a contract in the Logistics Department of your Police Force as a part-time seamstress. She is very kind for helping me, and having that job allows me to earn a little extra money for myself.”
“A seamstress in Logistics? Maintaining the ceremonial uniforms, I take it?”
> Coco nods politely.
> “And the design and creation of Unit patches and flags, Master Anon. They bring me the uniforms and materials twice a week in a van, but I do help my family in their work as well; they are designers in Requiem. I am happy that they chose me as their pony.”
“Requiem?” 
> Your blank look causes her to giggle softly.
> “A high-end fashion brand, Master Anon. We specialise in apparel designs for the urban professional woman.”
“Ah, I see… Wait, “designers in Requiem”? You aren’t living with Angela? I thought she adopted you.”
> Coco Pommel gives you a little shake of her head. 
> “No, Master Anon. I was stolen from my family. When I told Angela that, she managed to find them the next day and brought me back home. I was bought by Mr and Mrs Kheng because of my experience in Manehatten’s fashion world, you see, and their bosses were looking into branching their company’s designs for pony owners from the upper-middle income group. I like working for them as my family are really nice and generous, and they pay me for my work as well… Angela rejected Mr Kheng’s offer of a monetary reward for bringing me home, so they insisted on designing a gown for her for the upcoming Senior Officers’ Annual Gala instead.”
“That’s nice of them to offer. Angela must have been happy.”
> “She is. She did confine in me that she planned to order an evening dress for the Gala.” 
> You smile.
“So she saved a bit on that then.”
> “Mm hmm. I suppose she did, Master Anon.” 
> Shifting her front hooves slightly, Coco Pommel smiles shyly at you as she blushes again.
> “I was talking to Starlight and Angela about how I can repay you for saving me, and… Well, I gathered that you are… Attracted… To pony mares... So I… I offered myself to you a week ago…”
> Oh boy… Here we fucking go….
> You swallow. Is this what Starlight is worried about?
> Probably, Boss. Oh wait, Coco is still speaking.
> “… But Master Anon, you… You covered my… Privates… With my tail and told me that you only loved Starlight... I will always remember how you said that I was “an attractive mare”, and that you “would gladly make love to a beautiful pony girl like myself if the circumstances were different”.”
> The mare is still blushing as she giggles cutely and covers her mouth with a hoof.
> “Y-you said… T-that you didn’t take up my o-offer not because of me… As you “liked the shades in my mane and tail, because they complement my striking cyan eyes and my sweet demeanour”.”
> You smile and cough nervously, trying to hide your burning face as she recounts the sheer corniness of the garbage that spewed from your mouth.
> Fucking hell, Brain, I actually said those words to her?
> Believe it, Boss. Believe it.
> Smiling warmly at you, Coco continues.
> “You told me that your “heart only desires Starlight, for she is the shimmering light of your life”, and that you “would love no other, but her and her alone”.”
> The cream-coloured pony lowers her eyes.
> “Starlight was really upset that I even dared to asked you to do… Well, THAT, with me… She hasn’t really gotten over it yet, but the good thing that came out of it, Master Anon, is that I can tell that she is really grateful and proud of you.”
> You give her a smile of your own, feeling a sense of accomplishment for the actions of Past You. He did well. No, YOU did well.
“Is what you wanted to talk to me about?”
> “No, Master Anon.”
> At your raised eyebrow, Coco turns her head and dips her muzzle under the flaps of her red saddle-bags. Using her teeth, she pulls out two clear, folded zip-lock bags and deposits them in front of you. The mare gently pushes the two packages towards you before she straightens herself up.
> “I got my family’s permission to make you both customised formal wear for the upcoming Gala. Yours, Master Anon, is a jacket and a pair of pants, and they are in the bag with the green rim. It is a token of my appreciation for what you did for me that day. As for the one with the yellow rim, it contains a gown, hoof wraps and a pair of shoes for Starlight. A gift, Master Anon, as a way to say “I’m sorry” to her for tempting you… I wanted it to be surprise, so I asked Angela to distract Starlight when I am giving you these.”
> Smiling warmly at her, you gently reach a hand forward and pet her short light blue mane, stroking it gently as she closes her eyes and smiles.
“You silly pony, Coco. There is no need for all this; I am merely doing my job as a Police officer, and fidelity is expected in any relationship anyway, so my rejection of your offer is expected… But… Thank you, Coco Pommel. Really, I appreciate it.”
> The cream-coloured mare smiles as she dips her eyes. 
> “It’s no problem. I just hope that you and Starlight like my designs.”
> Letting that hand that is stroking the top of her head fall to her to shoulders, you pet it a few times as you look into her light blue eyes.
“You said that you work in the fashion industry, so I’m sure they will be amazing. Have a little faith in yourself, Coco. By the way, and I am just guessing here, but did you make these saddle-bags as well?”
> You point to the pair on her back with a thumb before doing the same to Starlight’s.
> “I-I did.”
“The reds provide a nice contrast to your coat colours, as does the light green for Starlight’s. Nothing overdone. I like them.”
> Coco’s eyes widen.
> “R-really?!”
“I’m not familiar with apparel, but I can tell that these are very well made. They look to be the work of a skilled craftsman… Or ‘crafts-mare’ in this case, hmm?”
> You wink at her, grinning at the pony in a teasing manner.
> “T-Thank you, M-Master Anon!”
> Coco blushes from your compliment. God, she is really adorable.
> Then, Brain gives you an idea.
“Say, Coco, can I commission you to make an outfit for Starlight? I’ll pay you for your work.”
> The cream-coloured pony smiles at you as she nods. Reaching into her bags again, she pulls out a name card, which you take and give it a quick read. It has her name, address and contact number. Excellent.
> “I already have Starlight’s measurements, so just let me know what you want, Master Anon. I will do my best to make it for you.”
> Hmm… Where to start?
> Oh, of course.
> You already spent $240,000. What more is a couple of hundred dollars?
> …

> When the door opens, you catch Angela speaking to the Princess Cadance outside as Starlight enters the room by herself. Your pony lover immediately jumps back on the bed and wraps her hooves around your side. In that fleeting moment when you glance down at her, you notice her eyes dart to Coco Pommel as you feel her clutching your body tighter to herself. The pink mare’s body language seems to suggest that she is offering a challenge to her cream-coloured counterpart, who blushes and dips her head in shame as she backs herself to a corner on the bed.
> Starlight’s possessive of you, Boss; she sees Coco as a threat.
> You sigh softly as you move your hand around your pony, holding her into a one-armed hug. Then, you pull back and made sure that your eyes are on her own before you speak. 
 “Starlight?” 
> “Yes, Master?”
“Be nice to Coco. There is nothing between us.”
> Frowning at your words, Starlight meets your gaze as her own hardens.
> “But Master! Coco tried to… She… She…”
> Your pony lover dips her head and lets out a breath, leaving anything she wants to say to trail off. Clearly, the pink mare already recognises that her jealousy is unfounded, and in the ensuing silence, you take the opportunity to speak.
“Haven’t I already demonstrated that I am yours, Starlight? Why keep the hostility, hmm?”
> Starlight lowers her head and nods.
> “I… I’m sorry, Master…” 
> Shaking your head lightly, you speak.
“Not me, Starlight.”
> “But…”
“Not me.”
> The pony glances at Coco before she lets out a soft sigh, letting her eyes fall back on the bed sheet.
“I’m sorry, Coco Pommel, for letting my emotions get the better of me… I… I have a tendency of doing that… And I apologise.”
The other pony smiles weakly as she walks over to place a hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. 
> “It’s my fault, really. I didn’t know that the both of you are in a relationship at that time, and I should have checked first before I did anything… I was careless, so I should be blamed instead… I’m sorry, Starlight. I never meant to make you feel bad… And I would have never done that if I knew you two were already in love. I’m sorry.”
> When your mare keeps silent, Coco Pommel lets out a sigh of her own before she speaks again.
> “Starlight, I’ll forgive you if you forgive me, okay? What do you say? Deal?”
> Looking up at the cream-coloured pony, Starlight keeps her violet eyes on the other pony’s cyan ones for several moments, not saying anything as she just watches her. Then, you let out a breath of relief when your pony lover gives her a small smile.
> “Okay. Deal.”
> “Friends?”
> Starlight pats the top of Coco’s hoof with her own as her smile widens.
> “Friends.”
> With that, the cream-coloured pony gently pulls Starlight into a hug and closies her eyes, who reciprocates with a soft smile. You can hear them thanking each other softly.
> The sight of the two mares embracing each other is bloody adorable, and it warms your heart.
> Before you can say anything, Angela is back with Princess Cadance, and she is looking at her phone as she speaks.
> “I have to go, Anon. Got to send Coco Pommel back and meet my boyfriend for supper later. I don’t want to be late.” 
> Your partner looks up from the device.
> “Anyhow, I’ll be back tomorrow to give you a lift home, so give me a call when they release you, yeah?”
> You give your partner a nod and thank her for her offer. She smiles at you before her eyes travel back to her phone. She groans.
> “Aww shit, it’s almost 10 now. Coco, you ready to go?”
> Said pony looks up at the sound of her name, and she takes a moment to give Starlight one last smile before she releases her. Getting on her hooves, she nods politely to Angela as the mare moves over to the edge of the bed.
> “I am, Angela.”
> Princess Cadance steps forward and says that she must be going as well. Walking over to the your bedside, the Princess winks at you with a glint in her eyes before she leans in to speak to the other pink pony.
> “Starlight Glimmer? Your Master wanted me to give this to you.”
> “Princess Cadance? What are you- Hmmph!”
> Cadance reaches her neck forwards and gives Starlight a kiss on her lips, and you see your pony’s eyes widen in surprise as she freezes. Closing her eyes, Cadance moves her head lightly as her jaw lowers, allowing her tongue to enter your mare’s mouth.
> Holy. Shit. You feel a stir below as you stare at the scene before you.
> Starlight’s eyes remain wide as the princess angles her head and kisses your pony deeper. When Cadance breaks the kiss gently, you see a trail of saliva connecting their mouths before the pony princess licks her lips. Starlight simply pants and stares at the alicorn with her muzzle hanging open; Coco Pommel too, is staring open-mouthed at the Princess in shock. Angela is rolling her eyes again, and you can practically SEE her cursing at you under her breath, obviously under the impression that you told Princess Cadance to do that.
> Starlight blinks rapidly as her hoof darts to her mouth. Clearly, your pony lover is still in a state of disbelief at what has just happened.
> “P-P-Princess!”
> With a warm smile, Cadance leans in to nuzzle Starlight gently. 
> “Take care of your Master, my subject, and live in Harmony.”
> Starlight lowers her hoof as she nods numbly. 
> “I-I will, y-your Majesty.”
> Turning her eyes to you, Cadance grins.
> “I hope you liked that, Mister Anon.”
> You give her a grin of your own as you reach your hands over and pull the still-stunned Starlight into your arms, pressing her back against your chest before you speak again.
“I did. That was fucking hot.”
> “God dammit Anon!”
> Laughing heartily as Angela glares at you, you take some comfort in the fact that Coco Pommel is giggling softly too. Glancing down, you see Starlight is now blushing hard as she recovers from the experience. After an exchange of pleasantries and farewells, Starlight sees the three girls to the door as you wave them goodbye, and you note with amusement how your pony darts her eyes away when Princess Cadance grins at her before stepping out. You call out to your pony lover, and when Starlight goes to your bedside, you bring her up on the it. 
> “Thank you, Master.”
 “You’re welcome… So, how was kissing a princess, Starlight Glimmer? 
> Your pony lover sits on her haunches as she blushes and looks off to the side.
> “It was… Wet.”
> You laugh again, and you feel Starlight thump you on the chest with a hoof. She pouts cutely, apparently trying to cover her embarrassment as her face flushes even more.
> “You are mean for making her do that, Master. You are so naughty, and you are a pervert.”
> You shrug in response.
“C’mon, I didn’t TELL her to do it, she just-”
> “… But I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
> You grin.
“Nor I you, Starlight, you beautiful, sexy mare.”
> “I am more than just beautiful and sexy, Master…” 
> Starlight returns your grin as she flicks her tail.
> “… I am a NEEDY mare… And I get HORNY often.”
> L-lewd. Also, no unicorn jokes.
> Sticking her tongue out, your pony lover gives you a half-lidded gaze with a mischievous glint in her eyes, complete with soft panting and an open-mouthed smile. Starlight looks as if she is in heat.
> Your eyes widen as you feel Little Anon rising and poking against the fabric of your pants. Shaking your head lightly, you growl playfully at the pony in response.
“Oh yeah? Then you’ll be a good little pony girl for your Master, won’t you?”
> Keeping her grin, Starlight’s eyes travel down to your erection. Leaning in, she nuzzles your cock through the fabric of your pants, and you SEE and HEAR her take a deep sniff of your crotch before she shudders and moans.
> “You know it… Ohh… We’ll have to do something about this, won’t we, Master?”
> You rest a hand on the back of her mane, giving her a warm smile when she looks up at you.
“Maybe later. I just want to hold you for now. Come here, and lay your back against my stomach.”
> “Yes, Master.”
> You spread your legs to make room for your pony as she follows your command. Turning around and laying her body back, her head comes to rest just below your chin. Leaning in, you give her a quick peck on her cheek as your hands move to her belly. You give it a good rub, causing her to giggle softly as she relaxes herself against your chest and flattens her ears, smiling as she closes her eyes. Her hooves rest on the back of your wrists, and you can feel her gently guiding your hands as they move up and down her front. 
> Her coat is soft, fluffy and warm, and her tummy has that little pudge from the position that she is in. Extending your fingers fully, you run them from her chest to her abdomen, pressing your palms firmly down and causing Starlight to ‘hmm’ softly from the gentle massage you are giving her. She opens her eyes slowly and giggles, watching as you use your fingers to push the flesh of her tummy together before releasing it. You repeat the action a few times, and you feel like a chef that is gently kneading dough. When you tell her that, Starlight laughs at your silliness.
“So what did you guys talk about when you were outside, Starlight?”
> The pink pony in your hands smiles up at you.
> “Angela wanted to check that I was feeling fine after sending Trixie back. I will miss her, but Princess Cadance says that I can always give her a video call on a computer or visit her when we get clearance from Thorax. What about you and Coco Pommel, Master? What did the both of you talk about?”
“Coco made me a suit to thank me for saving her, and to apologise for what she did. She wanted some privacy as she was really embarrassed about messing up so badly.”
> Starlight nods, but you can see a slight frown on her face as she raises her eyes to yours. Her mouth opens slightly, then closes again.
“Something wrong, Starlight?”
> “Nothing, Master.”
> Her response is swift. Too swift. You give her a little frown of your own and speak sternly.
> “Starlight. Honesty with me. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
> The pony hesitates before she takes a deep breath, lowering her eyes before she speaks. 
> “Master, I… I don't want to share you with another…”
> You nod silently, looking at your mare expectantly as you wait for her to continue. Taking your cue, she lets out a soft sigh and dips her head.
> “… I know it is unreasonable of me to expect this from you, but I cannot bear the thought of you being with somepony else… You are my Master and I am your slave, so you have the authority to go for another mare if you wish to... But Master... I… I want you for myself.”
> You reach a hand up to her chin, guiding her head backwards as you lean in to kiss her gently on her lips. Starlight’s eyes are practically shimmering as they look up at you, but her expression is hard to read. 
> “… M-Master…”
> Shaking your head slowly, you give her a gentle smile.
“You silly pony, Starlight. I already promised Princess Cadance that, didn’t I? I’ll stay true to you and you alone, so you don’t have to worry about that. I chose you, Starlight, so you never have to doubt my faithfulness and love. You’ve been through a lot… And you have got so much undeserved hardship; the last thing you need is to wonder if I have other mares behind your back.” 
> With your hand still supporting her chin, you run a thumb over her cheek.
“You can trust your Master, my little mare.”
> She nods as her lower lip trembles. Tears are starting to gather in her eyes. Oh no, please don’t cry.
“Hey, Starlight. Give your Master a boop on his nose, won’t you?”
> Nodding quickly, Starlight sniffs as she gets up into a sitting position and turns around, reaching a hoof up to press its soft underside on your nose.
> “Boop.”
> You chuckle, making your pony smile when you take her hoof in your hand and kiss it. Lowering it to the bed, you let out a breath and just keep your eyes on her violet ones.
“Good girl.”
> Starlight glances down at your hands as she smiles in response. Her gaze returns to yours before she speaks softly.
> “Master, you need grooming.”
““Grooming”?”
> Smiling warmly, Starlight lights up her horn and jewel, and the both of you watch as a pair of nail-clippers float out of her saddle bags. Moving your hands out in front of her with her magic, she carefully drops the clipper between your palms. 
> “I’m sorry, Master, but your fingernails are long. Can you teach me how to cut them? I’d do it, but I have yet to learn how to.”
> That made you smile. She anticipated your needs and came prepared for them.
> You reach a hand out and stroke her mane.
“Taking initiative, huh? You’re a good girl, Starlight, and I appreciate it.”
> She returns your smile with a warm one as she magics over a piece of tissue paper, no doubt for you to drop the clippings into.
> ““I will serve you with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind”, Master. I promised you that.”
> This mare. God damn do you love her so.
> Holding the clipper in your right hand, you move it on to the nail of your left thumb. Starlight peers at it; her large eyes are focused on the clipper as she watches and studies your every move.
“Clipping nails for humans is easy, Starlight. The trick is not to go too deep, or else it will hurt and bleed. See the white portion? It is a good guide for how far you should go. So, start from the corner of the nail by sliding the blade under it, and work your way across the length of it. When you reach the end, it will fall off, then, you use this portion of the clipper to file the nail down gently.”
> You demonstrate as you speak, giving Starlight a crash course in the fine art of fingernail maintenance. Done with the thumb, you go on to do the same for your index finger before you turn your attention to Starlight, seeing that she has this look of an excited filly that is itching to try out what she has just learned. Her ears are upright, and she is looking at you with eager eyes. You smile as you hold out the clipper in your palm for Starlight to pick it up with her magic.
“Be careful, okay Starlight?”
> She nods and smiles in return, floating the clipper to the nail of your left middle finger. 
> “I will, Master… And if I do mess up, we ARE in a hospital, right?”
> You laugh nervously as you hear the soft ‘click’ of the clipper.
“R-right.”
>  …

> Starlight masters the skill quickly and does the rest of the nails on both hands, as well as the nails of your toes with a little guidance from you. The way she smiles and looks up to you for affirmation each time she successfully clips a nail simply melts your heart, so you smile and encourage her, telling her that she is a good girl and that she did well. With a smile of her own, she clips the last nail and throws away the clippings in the bin, before using one of the wet wipes she found in the bedside drawer to clean your fingers and toes. Satisfied with her work, Starlight throws that away as well.
“Thank you, Starlight.” 
> “You are very welcome, Master.”
> You use the short silence that follow to pet and stroke her mane, enjoying the feeling of its silky fullness in your hands. The length of the hairs in it accentuates Starlight’s feminine beauty, teal streak that runs through its purple length is just adorable.
> “Master?”
“Hmm?”
> “I have something for you... A token, to show how much I appreciate having you.”
“Oh?”
> Seems like the universe really likes you today, Boss. Receiving gifts from three pretty mares, especially after six years of not having anything other than well-wishes for your birthdays and Christmas? It is almost like the world realises how selfish it has been with you, and had decided to compensate for that.
> You smile a little at that, because you do not even get anything from Angela. Like your parents and you, she is also not in the habit of exchanging gifts, so you both usually just give each other a phone call on these special occasions. To receive a present is a wonderful thing that you cherish, but since you hardly sent anything yourself, you have developed an expectation of not receiving something in return. Not that you are complaining; it just feels… Normal… For you not to exchange gifts, especially after years of not being in the habit.
> Yet, here you are, waiting to receive yet another one. From your pink pony, no less.
> You watch Starlight focus her magic before she turns her head and closes her eyes, looking serene as her horn and ring-jewel glows with a teal aura. Out of her saddle bags comes a pendant of sorts, covered in the same magical aura as it floats up into the air silently. Opening her eyes, she looks at you with a soft smile before moving her eyes to the pendant, using her magic to move it slowly towards you. You grab the black string it is attached to, holding the pendant in your palm as you examine it.
> The pendant is a dark golden shield, decorated with intricate carvings that run along its border, and you estimate that it is about four centimetres tall and three centimetres wide. It is a rather heavy thing for its size, and it is about half a centimetre thick with a loop at the top of the shield for the black string to pass through. At the centre of the shield, protruding just that little bit, is Starlight’s cutie mark: the eight-pointed star with the two wavy streams. The purple sections of the star are done in a reddish-gold, the white portions are in a brighter copper colour, and the wavy streams are done in a shade in-between these colours. It is evident that a high level of skill is involved in making the artefact: Starlight’s cutie mark is replicated beautifully on the pendant, albeit in different colours to those on her… Well, butt. 
> Turning it over, you see that the back of the golden shield has a similar border to its front, but the centre of it has words in the same bright copper colour as that of the whites in Starlight’s cutie mark. The writing is done in an elaborate cursive, but you can clearly read it.
> It said: “Because you chose to… I will always be your little pony.”
“…Whoa…”
> You open your mouth in awe as you read the words again.
> “I had it made for you at the forge at Harmony Village, Master, and I chose the design and got them the materials. Those workshop ponies are quite talented, aren’t they?”
> Your mouth remains hanging open in wonder as your eyes drift to Starlight’s face. She is blushing softly as she smiles and nods at the pendant, and you follow her gaze to the object in your hands once more.
> “This is made from the ammunition of the smugglers that your Rescue Team went up against, Master. Thorax mentioned that Angela was given the task to dispose of what remained of their ammunition, so when ECAD gave the approval for her to melt them down in a metalworks plant, I asked her for the residual metals, and she brought them to Harmony Village for me. The workshop ponies used the metal from brass casings for the shield, and they treated and cleaned the copper that came from the jackets of the bullets to form an alloy. That was used in the cutie mark design and for the words, and the pendant has a simple enchantment to protect it from corrosion and discolouration.”
> Starlight grins when her eyes travel to your face; it is no doubt still frozen in a mixture of shock, gratitude and awe. She continues speaking, keeping her voice gentle when she does.
> “I chose a shield to represent the nature of your job, Master: to be a protector and defender of people and ponies alike. A shield is a tool that is used in war, Master, so it represents your duty to do battle with those who seek to harm the innocent and the helpless... I chose to use the metal from the bullets from your first raiding operation to represent the danger that you may face in your work, and I wanted my cutie mark to be on the face of the shield to remind you that I will always be with you…” 
> Lowering her head and blushing shyly, Starlight continues speaking as she smiles softly.
> “… Finally, I chose those words at the back as I wanted to inscribe my gratefulness to you for being my Master, and declare that I belong to you and you alone. It’s probably just a lot of silly thinking on my part, but I wanted a gift that is meaningful, Master. I wanted something that is symbolic; an object that will remind you of me whenever you see it... I got the idea from the collar I am wearing; this one, which you gave me on the first day that I met you.”
“… S-Starlight…”
> Still smiling at you, Starlight keeps her head low.
> “I volunteered to clean the toilets every morning and night during my stay in Harmony Village, Master. I did it to convince the workshop ponies to forge this for me, as I did not have anything else to offer in exchange… It was worth it though, as they spared no expense when they put in the effort to make this beautiful pendant for me... Well, for you actually.”
> Starlight… She did this for you. She went and… Starlight… She… She…
> When you just blink at her numbly, your pony just gives a soft giggle as she uses her magic to move the pendant over your head and onto your neck. She must have taken measurements as the black string was just the right length, allowing the pendant to rest nicely just at the middle of your sternum. With a quick glance down and back into Starlight’s pretty violet eyes, you clench your own tightly as the shock that froze you in place wears off rapidly, replaced with an immense warmth and gratitude that overwhelms you.
> Hot tears squeeze themselves out of your eyes as you let out a pained breath, and your body shudders as you cry uncontrollably. You cannot even respond when Starlight moves to hug you; you feel her hooves wrap around your shoulders as she presses the side of her neck against yours, and her head comes to rest against your left cheek. Her voice comes out soft and gentle. 
> “Don’t be lonely anymore, Master. That battle is over, and you’ve won… You’ve won because you have me now… Do you understand? You have me, Master… And I love you.”
> Unable to speak, you just move your hands around her body and hold her close. You bury your face into her mane, sobbing loudly in gratitude and joy. Starlight is right: You have her now, and your struggle with loneliness is over.
> As you continue crying, you try to tell her how happy you are, but you choke on your thanks as another wave of tears escapes your eyes, forcing you to clench them shut again.
> “… Staring at the moon so blue… Turning all my thoughts to you…” 
> Your pony is singing to you. You can feel her chest and throat vibrating as she lets her wonderful song fill the room.
> “… I was without hopes or dreams… I tried to dull an inner scream but you… Saw me through…”
> This song. You know it.
> “… Walking on a path of air…”
> What is the title?
> “… See your faces everywhere…”
> Starlight’s beautiful voice distracts you from recalling the name- Oh! This is “You Took My Heart Away" by Michael Learns to Rock! That’s it!
> “… As you melt this heart of stone, you take my hoof to guide me home and now… I'm in love…”
> Your pony leans back slightly, and you release her as you open your wet eyes. Keeping her own shimmering ones on yours, she closes them as she sits. Tears roll down her cheeks, and you watch her angle her muzzle upwards ever so slightly when she starts to sing the chorus. 
> “… You took my heart away… When my whole world was grey… You gave me everything… And a little bit more…”
> She sang that so effortlessly. Starlight must have been practicing.
> “… And when it's cold at night… And you sleep by my side…”
> Opening her eyes, Starlight gives you a quick smile before she opens her mouth and closes the chorus.
> “… You become the meaning of my life…”
> Quickly, you use a hand to wipe your eyes and swallow to clear your throat. Having the fresh memory of her melody as a reference, you quickly join her in signing the next verse.
“… Living in a world so cold… You are there to warm my soul…”
> “… Living in a world so cold… You are there to warm my soul…”
> You close your eyes and focus your efforts on the next part of the song. Starlight surprises you when she sings the lyrics in a higher key; her voice forming a perfect harmony with your own.
“… You came to mend a broken heart… You gave my life a brand-new start and now… I'm in love…”
> “… You came to mend a broken heart… You gave my life a brand-new start and now… I'm in love…”
> Opening your eyes, you keep them on Starlight’s as the both of you extend your voices to sing the chorus in unison.  
“… You took my heart away… When my whole world was grey… You gave me everything… And a little bit more…”
> “… You took my heart away… When my whole world was grey… You gave me everything… And a little bit more…”
> You feel your diaphragm straining as you do your best to sustain your attempt on the high notes. Starlight clearly has no problem, as she simply sways her head gently in time to the song.
 “… And when it's cold at night… And you sleep by my side… You become the meaning of my life…”
> “… And when it's cold at night… And you sleep by my side… You become the meaning of my life…”
> Taking a deep breath, Starlight closes her eyes again as she angles her head once more, extending her neck and opening her muzzle to sing the bridge.
> “… Holding your hand… I won't fear tomorrow… Here where we stand…”
> Holy shit. She hits that high note perfectly, even managing to do a powerful vibrato as she closes each line. You mentally prepare yourself and your vocal chords as you join her for the last line of the bridge.
“… We'll never be alone!”
> “… We'll never be alone!” 
> Without missing a beat, Starlight ‘lah’s the guitar solo, opening her eyes as she looks at you with those shimmering eyes. She sways her head from left to right and back again as she loses herself in her music, but starts nodding her head four beats into the chorus, and you follow her lead as you join her again in singing the chorus.
“… You took my heart away… When my whole world was grey…”
> “… You took my heart away… When my whole world was grey…”
> This is more than just singing together. Starlight and you are declaring your love for each other through the song. 
“… You gave me everything… And a little bit more…”
> “… You gave me everything… And a little bit more…”
> The warmth and passion you feel envelops your entire being as you gaze into the tearful eyes of your pony lover. 
“… And when it's cold at night… And you sleep by my side…”
> “… And when it's cold at night… And you sleep by my side…”
> Starlight is so beautiful. She is yours, and you are her Master.
“… You become the meaning of my life… You become the meaning of my life…”
> “… You become the meaning of my life… You become the meaning of my life…” 
> Indeed, she IS the meaning of your life. Now, and till the day you die.
“… You become the meaning… You become the meaning of my life…”
> “… You become the meaning… You become the meaning of my life…”
> Ending the song together, you exchange smiles with Starlight before she giggles, and you laugh with her. You have no idea why the both of you are laughing, but it does not matter; it just felt like the right thing to do. Recovering, Starlight gives you a warm smile as her eyes fall on the pendant that you are wearing, right before they flick up to meet your gaze.
> “I hope you like it, Master.”
> You meet her smile with a grin of your own.
“Are you kidding me? It is the best thing I have ever received! I love it!”
> Starlight nods before she leans in and plants a gentle kiss on your lips, closing her eyes briefly as she does so. You keep still and accept the kiss, and you notice how brightly the teal jewel in her horn-ring is shining.
“Thank you, Starlight. Really, I mean it.”
> With yet another cute giggle, Starlight shakes her head as she smiles wider.
> “Then kiss me, Master. Kiss your little pony, and show her how much you love her.”
> Almost immediately, you reach both hands out and pull her into your embrace again, leaning back on the bed as your lips meet hers in an aggressive kiss. When you open your mouth, her tongue enters and wrestles with yours in a wet embrace as you close your eyes and work your jaw, savouring the taste and texture of her mouth and tongue. You can feel her hooves pressing on your chest as you hold her tightly in your arms.
> You do not care how lewd the sounds of your make-out session is. You do not care if she is practically drooling into your mouth, or you into hers. You do not care if the both of you are crying silently in happiness. You do not care if someone comes in.
> Starlight Glimmer. She is everything that you care about.
> Now, and until the day you die.
> …

“Your singing is as amazing as I remember, Starlight. When did you learn the lyrics of that song?”
> Starlight smiles before she answers.
> “About a week ago, Master. Thorax made arrangements for Trixie and me to come here after your mandatory isolation was over, and while we were chatting one night, Angela happened to mention that you liked that band. I asked for her help, and she allowed me to listen to that song on her phone repeatedly until I learned it.”
> God bless Angela. That woman is an awesome friend.
> “Your singing is quite alright too, Master.”
> You smirk at her.
“Nah, definitely not as good as you. I always thought that I sound like a chicken that is being strangled.”
> Your pony giggles as she nuzzles your chin with the top of her muzzle, telling you that you are being silly again. She leans in, resting the side of her face against your chest as you stroke her upper back in silence, simply enjoying the feeling of her warm body against yours. The little mare smells lovely; you can tease out her natural feminine scent from the fragrance of your shampoo and the other creamy smell in her mane. 
“Starlight, did you put something in your hair? It smells wonderful.”
> Looking up at you, Starlight gives you a small nod.
> “It’s my new conditioner. Coco recommended it. I want to keep my mane and tail silky for you, Master.”
> Reaching a hand up, you smile as you run your fingers through her mane.
> Damn… If those hairs were soft before, they are practically flowing like a liquid between your fingers now. Lovely.
> “I take it that you like it, Master.”
“I do. Your hair is softer and more luxurious. Coco Pommel sure knows how to make a pretty mare even more beautiful.”
> Starlight nuzzles you gently under your chin.
> “Still the sweet-talker, aren’t you Master?”
> You grin at her as you release her from your embrace, leaning in to look into her large beautiful eyes.
“It’s not sweet-talk if it is true, Starlight.”
> “Oh Master!”
> Starlight covers her mouth with her hooves as she blushes. You quickly pull her back into a hug, earning yourself an ‘eep’ of surprise and more giggles from the pink pony.
“Is this why you guys are late? You took a shower at home, didn’t you? I can smell our shampoo in your mane.”
> “Yes, Master. After sending Trixie back, Angela and I stopped by our home to do some cleaning, since it has been empty for a long time. We took a shower before we went to fetch Coco from her place. Then, we came here to see you, Master.”
“Ah. Thank you then.”
> Starlight just smiles and keeps silent, so you take the moment to examine and play with her hair. That conditioner must be some really good stuff, seeing how her mane feels so differ-
> “Master, can you finger me?”
> Your eyes widen in mild surprise. Starlight has shown that she is forward with her offers for sexual contact, but for her to ask it so explicitly… That is really bold, and you like it.
> Chuckling softly, you address the horny pony.
“That’s why you got me to cut my fingernails, didn’t you, you naughty little mare?”
> Starlight grins as she closes her eyes and leans in further, pressing her face and body closer to yours as she flicks her tail. 
> “It’s been so long, Master… And I want you.”
> You match her grin with one of your own before you nod.
> With her horn and the teal jewel lighting up, you hear the door to your room click as its lock gets engaged, and the curtains moving around to cover your bed entirely. Bint her lower lip, Your pony looks at you with an expression that can only be described as… Needy. Her ears are pinned flat as she blushes, and her sparkling violet eyes captures your attention. They desire you, as much as you desire her. 
> Starlight practically breathes her next words as she looks up at you and does a little wriggle of her rump.
> “When I bathed, Master, I prepared myself… My behind, I mean…”
> That made you frown. You look down, making sure that you keep eye contact with her before you speak.
“Starlight, are you sure about this? I don’t want to bring up any… Bad memories.”
> Shaking her head as she gives you a small smile, you watch the curl in her mane bouncing from side to side.
> “Master, it’s okay. Really… I… I want this.”
> Starlight blushes lightly as she glances down and back up at you.
> “It has been a long time since what happened at the shelter, and I… I want to do this with you. I made a promise to serve you, and I want to give you my entire body… I want to replace those bad memories with new ones that we make together, Master… So just… Be gentle with me, okay?”
> You smile warmly at Starlight and ran your hand through her mane slowly, taking a moment to admire her for her bravery.
“You know I will. Starlight, if this is really what you want, then let’s take things slow and easy first… Now, how about a kiss from my favourite mare?”
> Almost instantly, Starlight lunges forward and plants her lips onto yours. You close your eyes and open your mouth, allowing her warm tongue to enter your mouth as you press your own against the wet intruder. At the same time, you move your right hand directly below her tail and rub her privates with your fingers. You use all four of your fingers to brush the length of her vulva, feeling the warm supple flesh there yielding to the slight pressure from your fingers. Starlight moans into your mouth as you caress and rub her vulva, which gradually becomes moist from the wetness leaking from her vagina. 
> You angle your head in another direction, moving your jaw and puckering your lips to increase the pressure of the kiss that you are sharing with her, and again, she moans into it as your fingers rubs her pussy in a crude circular motion. Breaking the kiss gently, you open your eyes just as she opens her own. Her breath washes over your face, and you can hear her panting echoing yours as Starlight tries to catch her breath.
> You are not going to give her that chance. With the fingers on your right hand becoming wet and slimy from her vaginal secretions, you gather even more of her natural lubrication on them before you move your index finger to her anus, while the other three position themselves outside her vagina.
“I love you, my brave, beautiful Starlight.”
> She smiles warmly at you.
> “Master, I- Uhhh!”
> Gently, yet firmly, you insert all four fingers into her respective entrances, adjusting your wrist to compensate for the slight strain on your forearm as you do so. Starlight lunges her body forwards, pressing her chest against yours and arching her back as you penetrate her pussy and ass. She holds the side of her face to yours as her hooves wrap around your neck, and she moans loudly into your ear when your fingers sink deeper into her body. 
> You move your left hand up to her mane, holding the back of her neck briefly for you to kiss her on her throat. Then, said hand travels down to her hindquarters and presses it down, causing her hind legs to bend as she adopts a squatting position. This allows you to push your fingers slightly deeper into her depths, making her moan loudly again in a slightly higher pitch when you hilt them inside her. You cannot see her face, but you can picture her clenched eyes and the cute little muzzle of hers hanging open in your mind as you start wriggling the digits of your right hand. Your pony bears down on your fingers, and you can feel her clenching her insides as her body shudders lightly.
“You doing alright, Starlight?”
> She nods.
> “Ahhh… Ohh! M-Master… Uhhh… Your fin… Your fingers… They-”
> Before she can complete her sentence, you use your wrist to pull your fingers halfway out of her before pushing them in again, causing Starlight to gasp and moan. Then again; this time, slightly faster. And again, faster still. 
> You work up a rhythm, thrusting your fingers repeatedly into her depths in firm strokes. Your left hand moves lower still and you wrap your fingers around the dock of her tail, holding it firmly and lifting her tail up, exposing her nethers to the world as you continue to masturbate your mare.  Her passages are tight, wet and warm, and you can hear the soft and rather lewd sounds that come from your pony’s backside each time that you drive your wrist towards you. Starlight clenches down again on your fingers as she lets out a yet another moan, and you can feel wetness gathering in your palm as you continue finger-fucking her pussy and ass. Her hooves grip your neck tighter as you speed up. 
> “Ohh…. M-Master… Keep going… Yes… Master! Uhh…”
> You release her tail and slide your left hand over her butt, passing her cutie mark and the curve of her hips. As she moans and gasps her pleasure, you reach around and move your hand to her groin, keeping the rhythm in your right wrist the entire time. Going further still, you feel the soft flesh of her teats rest on your wrist, just as your left index and middle fingers find what you are looking for: her clitoris. The fleshy jewel between her legs.
> It is already covered in her juices, and when you touch it, it darts out against your fingers as Starlight winks her privates; at the same time, you can feel her clenching down on your fingers in your right hand yet again. You press your left index and middle fingertips onto the bottom of her vulva, and begin moving them in a firm circular motion. Closing your eyes, you focus on the technique you are using as you speed up again. You want to bring her off, and you want her to feel good.
> “… I can’t…. I… Uhh… M-Master… I can’t… I’m close, Master… Ahh…”
> She is tensing up. Her grip around your neck is becoming stronger as her insides bear down on your fingers. 
> This is it. Faster, and more pressure.
“Then don’t. Let it happen, Starlight.”
> You angle your head and move your mouth close to her ear, and your next words come out in an authoritative whisper.
“Cum for me, little pony. Cum. Now.”
> “Y-yes Master! I’m going to cum! Uhh! Ahh! UHH! MASTER! AHHH! Ahh! Master! Ohh… Ahh….”
> You flinch a little as Starlight cries out her pleasure directly into your left ear. She clenches down hard on your fingers in a series of spasms as her feminine juices soak your fingers, and you can feel the wetness rolling down your wrist before it falls on the cloth of your pants just above your erection. Your pony lover lets out a shaky, shuddering breath when you slow your rhythms down to a crawl, continuing to rub and finger her privates while she rides out her orgasm.
> Slowly, you remove your hands and place them on her upper back and hindquarters again, pressing her to your body as she pants hard and recovers. You can hear her beautiful voice as she sighs repeatedly in relief and pleasure. Glancing down, you note that your right index finger is clean, if a little wet and slimy from being in her ass. 
> You smile. Starlight did a good job of cleaning herself out.
> Letting her recover, you go back to your one of your favourite things to do: breathing in the feminine scent of her mane as you bury your face into it. You close your eyes and kiss her on the side of her neck, ‘hmm’-ing softly as the sweet, wonderful smell of your pony lover fills your nostrils. 
> “… Thank you, Master… I… I needed that.”
“I am not done yet.”
> “Wha-”
> Leaning your weight forward to lower Starlight on the bed, the shield pendant you are wearing swings forward, landing on her chest as you give her what may be described as a predatory grin. You note how beautiful and vulnerable your pony lover is as she lays on her back. Her hind legs are held apart for your searching eyes, yet, it is her violet irises that capture your attention, as does the brilliant teal jewel in her horn-ring; the latter is pulsing and shining like a series of heartbeats. Your gaze lowers as lust clouds your thought processes, and your erection is pressing uncomfortably against your pants as you behold her feminine entrance. 
> You are going to make love to Starlight. You are going to fuck her pony pussy.
> Starlight grins back at you from between her front hooves; she knows what is going through your mind as you remove your shirt quickly and toss it carelessly to your right. Then, you hook both thumbs under the waistband of your pants and underwear, sliding them down and freeing Little Anon. You gather your clothing in a ball and toss them aside as well, and you see your pony lover biting her lower lip in anticipation as her gazes falls on your throbbing erection. She spreads her thighs further apart, causing the lips of her vulva to open wider and expose her vagina, just as she hides a portion of her blushing face behind her front hooves. Starlight acts so demure, but her behaviour seems to suggest that she has a sexual appetite that rivals your own. 
> Your grin widens. 
“Roll over for me, Starlight.”
> “Yes, Master.”
> With that, Starlight flips herself on her belly and pushes her hindquarters up with her back legs, presenting her toned rump to you as she sways it lightly from side to side. Looking over her shoulder as she keeps her head lowered, you see that her large eyes are half-closed in apparent lust and need, and her tongue is lolling out of her mouth as she pants and blushes. 
> Almost immediately, you are on her, using your right hand to hold her silky tail up again as you dive in to eat her out. Using your tongue, you lick the entire length of her vulva and end off at her anus, tasting the light saltiness of her arousal and what remains of her earlier orgasm. The feeling of her soft warm flesh arouses you to no end, and you can barely think straight as you run your tongue firmly across her privates again in a sloppy lick. When you breathe in, you can smell the faint feminine, musky scent of her genitals.
> “… Ohh… Master… I love it when you do that… Ahh…”
> Starlight loves oral, Boss. Remember that.
> With a moan of your own, your left hand slaps on her cutie mark, and you use it to grab the firm muscles there while your mouth covers the entirety of her pussy, which you proceed to suck on firmly. This causes her to cry out and tense up, and you can see her hind legs trembling from your efforts. 
> “Ahh! M-Master! Gently, please! I’m sensitive!”
> Okay, maybe a little too rough.
> You close your eyes and lower your mouth to her clitoral hood, which you proceed to massage gently with your lips and jaw, being careful not to nip her with your teeth. Starlight shudders and moans your name again as you push your tongue into the small gap at the bottom of her vulva, and you use it to probe and lick the flesh of her love button, massaging it carefully in a circular motion.
> “Uhh! Master! Ohh… Gently, Master… That’s it… Ahh…”
> Sliding your left hand along the side of her hindquarters, you reach your thumb towards the ring muscle of her asshole and slide it in, earning yourself yet another gasp from Starlight as she clenches down on the new intruder and winks her pussy. You can feel her clitoris pushing against your tongue when she did that, and you bathe it with your tongue and saliva. Moaning lightly, you use your mouth to massage the surrounding flesh of her sex.
> “Master… Yes… Uhh… Ohh… Master, please… M-more… Give me more…”
> Eyes still closed, you increase the pressure and speed of your cunnilingus as you begin gently thrusting your left thumb. You hear the grunt that Starlight makes from the larger intruder, but you continue loosening her up; if she wants some anal action, you are going to prepare her well for it, lest you end up hurting her. Pausing, you remove your thumb as you kiss her one final time on her clitoris.
> “W-why did you stop, Master?”
> Starlight is panting hard; you cannot see her face, but you can already picture the look of confusion and frustration on it in your mind. You answer her question by shifting your weight forwards, bringing your mouth up to her anus and plunging your tongue in.
> “Ahh!”	
> Starlight tastes… Interesting, there. In addition to the faint saltiness, you can taste a subtle, barely noticeable bitterness there that quickly goes as you lather her ass with your saliva. You can feel the firm ring muscle of her anus clenching periodically on your tongue as you assault it with licks and thrusts into her depths, and again you smell the floral and creamy scent when your nose presses into the dock of her tail.
> “… M-Master… Uhh… You… You’re so dirty… Ahh…” 
> Starlight giggles lightly when she said that. In all your wildest fantasies, you have never considered that you would be doing what you are doing right now. It is animalistic, dirty and perverse… But you love it. You are kissing, licking and tonguing her asshole, and you feel an immense arousal from enjoying your little mare in such a carnal matter.
> Moving both of your hands to her lower back, you use them to pull her butt closer to your mouth.
> “I love you, Master… Ohh… I love you…”
> Starlight sounds so sexy when she moans, especially when she calls for you. You continue eating her out for a moment longer before releasing her, licking your lips to clear them of your saliva before grinning down at the panting mare She gives you a smile in return, keeping her eyes half-lidded as she wriggles her rump again, causing her tail to swish lazily from side to side.
> Shifting your weight, you move to a kneeling position behind Starlight, using your right hand to stroke your erection while the other simply caresses the top of her butt. You adjust yourself as you hold the head of your cock at her the entrance of her vagina.
“Ready?”
> Starlight moves her hooves under her chin and nods.
> “Take me, Master. Take your little mare, and use me as you desire… I’m yours.”
> God damn. Whew.
“I love you, Starlight. I love you.”
> Leaning forwards, you push Little Anon into her marehood. You groan as her labia parts around you; her silky and moist inner walls are gripping your erection as you thrust forward, bringing you warm pleasure in return. Starlight lets out a breath as you bury yourself to the hilt, panting through her opened mouth when you pause to give her time to get used to your member. She closes her eyes for a moment before opening them again, batting her eyelashes at you as she smiles and nods lightly.
> You grin as you pull yourself out, sliding Little Anon out until just the glans is left in her sex. Then, you thrust back in, earning yourself a gasp from Starlight when you bury your entire length in her again. Working up a rhythm, you rest both hands on her cutie marks and massage them firmly as you start fucking Starlight; gently at first, then building up to a comfortable pace. You close your eyes and grit your teeth as pure, unadulterated pleasure floods your senses.
> “… Ahh… Rut me, Master… Rut me… I'm a good girl… I'm a good girl for you, Master…  Ohh…”
> Indeed, she is, Brain. God, her tight passage feels so damn good. 
> Starlight is moaning in sync with your thrusts, and her beautiful voice accompanies the lewd, fleshy smacks that echoes around the room when your groin connects with her backside. You can feel her clenching on Little Anon, and the ensuing tightness only serves to heighten your arousal and pleasure. The shield pendant bounces against your chest as you rock your body forwards and back, but you pay it no mind; not when you are busy making love to your little mare.
> You move your hand to her tail and lift it up, holding it upright near its end. Leaning forwards, you press the purple and teal hairs to your nose and breathe deep, enjoying both her wonderful scent and the warm, wet grip of her vagina on your cock as you piston your hips back and forth. You can feel a pressure building within you, so you focus your mind on the smell of your beautiful mare to try and distract yourself. Not so soon. You cannot cum so soon.
> “… Master… Ahh… Rub me, Master… Please! Rub my clitoris, please!”
> Covering your teeth with your lips, you move the hairs of her tail to your mouth and hold them there. You grunt through your closed mouth, not stopping your thrusting for a moment as you reach a hand around her hind leg. Finding her love button, you press your first two fingers on it. Still holding her tail in your mouth, you lean your upper body forwards slightly to give your arm an angle with which to rub her clitoris in a firm, circular motion. It is already covered in wetness, and it darts periodically out in time with the clenching of her vaginal walls.
> Starlight moans out and calls your name again when you build up the pace of your rhythms. Her body is rocking back and forth from the force of your thrusts, and you can feel her tensing up again as she shuts her eyes in a grimace. Taken without context, it looks as if your mare is in pain, especially when she is panting hard through her open mouth.
> With a grunt, you thrust hard against her one last time before pulling out. You remove your hand from her vulva and use the back of it to wipe your sweaty forehead. Breathing in and out rapidly, you pat Starlight on the top of her hindquarters with the other to get her attention. She looks back at you, frowning lightly in confusion at the interruption of your love-making. Like you, she is panting hard.
> Smiling softy at the pink pony, you give her your next instructions.
“Lay flat on your tummy, and keep your tail to the side. I’d like to try the back door.”
> Starlight swallows and nods, and you can tell that she is nervous by the way her eyes narrow slightly. She obeys you quietly, but seeing her fear, you reach a hand forward to touch her cheek and tilt her head gently towards you. When her eyes meet yours, you give her a soft encouraging smile. You keep your voice gentle.
“You wanted this, didn’t you Starlight?”
> She nods again, but she averts her eyes and frowns. You notice that her tail is now held flat, then it curls in to cover her privates.
> “Y-yes, Master, I want to try this with you… But… But…”
“But? But what? Starlight?”
> Your pony lover clenches her eyes and shudders, shrinking back as if to make herself as small as possible before she gasps out her answer.
> “I’m… I’m scared, Master… I’m so scared…”
> Oh no. 
> “Pl-please Master, I’m scared… Please… I’m scared…”
“Hey, Starlight. Starlight, look at me.”
> You wait until her eyes are on yours before you speak again.
“I’ll go slow and gentle, and we can stop any time if you want, okay? Just say so, and I’ll stop. That's a promise.”
> Starlight swallows and nods, even giving you a soft smile despite her obvious fear.
> “Okay.”
> Carefully, you shift your weight once more and position your body over hers, pressing your left palm flat on the bed beside Starlight’s head to support yourself while using your thighs to spread her legs apart. Using the fingers of your right hand, you gently sweep her tail aside and touch the tip of your penis to her anus. Your right hand then moves to stroke your erection several times before you press it into the ring muscle, feeling it part slightly around you. With your member in position, you pause.
“Relax, Starlight. Don’t clench up like that.”
> “Y-yes, Master.”
> Starlight closes her eyes, and you take it as your cue to push yourself forwards. You penetrate her gently yet firmly, causing her anus to open up around Little Anon. Since he is already covered in her natural lubrication, he slides into her anal passage without much trouble. Groaning and clenching your eyes shut from the sensation of her impossibly tight passage gripping you, you shift your shift your body again, resting your weight on both elbows as you move your hands to her shoulders to hold her in place; this new position allows the pendant to rest on her body when your chest touches her back. Starlight whimpers from the penetration, so you coo some comforting words to her and remind her to relax and trust you, earning yourself some nods from your pony. Eventually, you hilt yourself in her and let out the breath you have been holding in.
> If Starlight’s vagina is tight, her ass is like a warm, silky vice that presses onto you from all sides. You see now why some people love this. 
> The next thing you hear captures your attention: a sniff from your pony lover. 
> You freeze. Oh no… Oh no no no….
> “C-continue… Continue please, Master…”
> That made you frown.
“Are you sure, Starlight? We can stop now. I'll ask again: is that what you really want?”
> Tilting her head and opening her wet eyes, Starlight manages to smile at you again, even as tears roll down her cheeks and she sobs lightly.
> “Y-yes, Master. Remember the first time we made love? It’s all just bad memories… Memories that I want to replace with new ones with you… As you rut my plot, Master, I want you to kiss me and rub my clitoris… I want you to make me cum as you fuck my ass. Please?”
> You blink. Your pony has never used the ‘f’-word before.
“… Starlight…” 
> She gives you a hard look even as she sniffs.
> “Kiss me, Master. Kiss me and fuck me.”
> You reach move your head at angle and lean your body to the right, almost touching her lips with your own open mouth before you hesitate at the last second. Earlier, you were tonguing her butt, and you have not had the chance to rinse yo-
“Hmmph?!”
> Starlight practically smashes her muzzle to your mouth and kisses you; her tongue quickly finding its way into your mouth and wrestling with yours. Instinctively, you return her affections and kiss her passionately, and you begin slowly thrusting into her hot and tight anal passage while fingering her clit with your right index and middle fingers. You close your eyes and focus on the tasks at hand, acceding to her wishes and trying to bring Starlight as much pleasure as you can, even as you can hear her crying softly. Kissing her deeply, you feel your pony licking your tongue and moving her jaw, following your lead as she moans and sobs.
> You groan into Starlight’s muzzle from the pleasure of your gentle love-making before you pry your lips away from her own. Letting out a deep breath out and opening your eyes to look at Starlight just as she does the same to you, you whisper your next words to the softly sniffling mare, even as your hips continue moving.
“S-Starlight… Uhh… Let me know if… Ahh… It gets too much okay? I’ll stop… Ohh… I'll stop… ”
> Starlight nods silently as more tears roll out of her eyes; she is rocking back and forth in sync with your thrusting, and her breath comes out each time you hilt yourself into her. Somehow, she still winks her lower lips, and you can feel her clitoris darting out and her inner walls clenching down on your member again.
“May I… Ahh... Go faster?”
> Your pony lover sniffs and nods again, giving you a soft smile despite her crying.
> “Y-yes Master, I can take it… Uhh… Pl-please… Go faster…”
> With your left palm on her shoulder, you shift your upper body to a more comfortable position, choosing to lean over her back and resting the side of your face against her own. Planting a soft kiss on her cheek, you pause your thrusting to whisper into her ear.
“You are one hell of an amazing pony, Starlight… And I love you so God damned much.”
> “… A-and I you, M-Master… Ahh…”
> With a grunt, you pick up the pace, grunting from the immense pleasure you get from the silky tightness of your mare’s ass. Not wanting to be selfish, you press your right fingers slightly harder onto her clit as you circle them, and you are get a soft moan from Starlight when she winks again. You hold your head against hers, letting out a breath of your own as you close your eyes and focus on making love to her. The pressure within you is rising in intensity.
> “… Uhh… Keep going, Master… Keep going…”
> Spurred on by her encouragement, you groan as you pick up the intensity of your thrusts, and the pleasure you feel heightens. Starlight is clenching down on you again, and you notice that her sobbing has ceased; it is replaced by her beautiful voice as she vocalises through her open muzzle. Knowing that Starlight is beginning to relax and enjoy herself makes you smile, yet a part of you wonder what exactly is going through her mind right now. You do have your suspicions that Thaddeus Benson, the Agency handler, anally raped her roughly when Starlight was at the shelter, and her reactions seem to back up what your gut is telling you; clearly, the experience of whatever he did traumatised her greatly.
> Yet here she is: your brave, beautiful Starlight, getting you to do the exact thing to her in an attempt to help her recover from her ordeal. She is an amazingly resilient pony, and seeing her exercise that wonderful trait of hers makes you vow to love and cherish her even more.
> You let out a deep breath once as you pick up the pace yet again, and you hilt yourself repeatedly in her with a series of soft fleshy slaps. The pressure in you builds up again. 
> “… Ahh… Uhh… You are close, Master… I… Ahh… I can tell…” 
> Starlight speaks again, and her voice is laden with unmistakable desire.
> “… I want to climax with you… Master, make me cum with you…”
> You pause to quickly scoop more of her natural lubrication and lather them on Little Anon. Moving your lips to her ear, you practically growl your next words at her, grunting softly in-between each thrust.
“Beg for it, Starlight… Haahh… Uhh… I want to hear you begging for it.”
> “Please, Master… Rub me… I need you to rub my clitoris faster… Master, please… I want to cum… Faster, Master! I want to cum with you! Please, Master! Faster, please!”
> Grinning as you increase the speed of your fingering with each “please”, you start fucking her with gusto, quickly losing yourself to the rapidly building pleasure that fills your mind. You can feel her tensing up again, and you know your own orgasm is approaching quickly.
> “… Ahh… Ahh! I’m close! M-Master, I’m close! Ahh… Uhh! I’m going to cum!”
> This is it, Boss. Together, with her. Faster, and harder now.
> You do just that; you grunt as you feel the sharp climb of pressure within when you drive your hips back and forth aggressively, fucking Starlight hard as you vigorously rub her clitoris. Starlight is clamping down hard on you, and her body is held rigidly still. Then-
> “M-Master! Ahh! Ahh! UHH! OHH! MASTER! AHHH! UHH! Ohh! Uhh… Ahh…”
> You clench your eyes and groan loudly as you cum deep inside her tight pulsing depths. Your arms hold her tightly as your orgasm washes over you, and your hips are pressed flushed against her hindquarters as Little Anon twitches rhythmically inside Starlight; each pulse you feel brings you overwhelming pleasure and relief that floods your senses. You can barely register the feeling of her clitoris pressing against your index and middle fingers as it darts forward and back quickly, but you manage to remember to slow them down into a gentler rhythm. Your ears are buzzing with a strange ringing sound, and you can feel your chest heaving against her sweaty back when you pant and groan. Clumsily, and with your eyes still closed, you lean in and kiss Starlight on the side of her neck before breathing out heavily, letting the air from your lungs wash over the hairs in her mane as your orgasm finally dies down. You are exhausted, you are panting hard, and your body is drenched in sweat.
“… F-fuck…”
> Best. Orgasm. Ever.
> Starlight groans when you pull yourself out of her, but simply lays still and pants through her open mouth as you sit up on the bed slowly. Her ass is a reddish pink; it is gaping and leaking with your essence, and her vulva is glistening in the light. Your pony does not respond when you drag yourself over to her side, and you get a moment’s distraction when your knee contacts with the spot on the bed sheet that is directly below her vagina; it is practically soaked through, and even now, your semen has flowed onto it as it trails down along her outer labia. Turning your attention back to Starlight as you lay down by her side, you move your thumb across her wet cheek and call her name softly, causing her to open her leaking eyes and look at you. 
> Incredibly, she manages to give you a soft smile even as she swallows hard. Her voice is weak, but you can hear her when she speaks.
> “… Mas… Master…”

> You reach both hands to her; one goes to her shoulder while the other snakes itself under her belly and around her waist. With a gentle heave, you pull your pony lover towards you and then on top of your chest, taking care to slide the shield pendant off to the side for her safety and comfort. Being careful not to injure yourself from her sharp horn, you cradle her head to your chest. Starlight starts crying again, so you just stroke the back of her mane and coo comforting words to her, hushing her softly and telling her that she is safe, that you will protect her and that you love her very much.
> Now that the cloud of lust has cleared, you feel a mixture of gratitude, sympathy and pride for Starlight. She has faced her fears and braved one of her worst ordeals for you, simply because she wants to give herself entirely to you. Your pony lover relived her trauma again in order to fight and try to overcome it, and she did that to be a better bed slave for you: her Master. 
> You swallow that lump in your throat and kiss her on the forehead, thanking her with a shaky voice for the sacrifice that she has made. The pink pony in your arms manages to nod as she continue crying, and your teary eyes focuses on the pulsing teal jewel in her horn-ring when you look down at her. 
> What Starlight did is a concrete and powerful demonstration of the fire of her love for you, even when she has already given you the wonderfully thoughtful gift that you are wearing around your neck. A wave of tears spills forth from your eyes as you realise this, so you kiss her and bury your face into her mane again as your chest heaves. The both of you are crying together.
> Starlight has chosen you as you have chosen her. She loves you as fiercely as you love her. 
> If there was any doubt in your mind about that, it is definitely gone now.
> …

> Carrying Starlight to the small bathroom that is attached to your hospital room, you pause for a moment as she moves her saddle-bags onto the counter with her magic. You gently lower your pony onto the bathroom floor, and you notice her wincing slightly as she walks over to the toilet. Instantly, you move to support her, only for the pink pony to let out an amused snort and tell you that she is fine, if but a little sore. Your concerned frown remains, and when Starlight looks at you, she flashes you a smile and assures you that you have not hurt her.
“Okay, but let me know if there is anything I can do to help, yeah?”
> “I’ll be okay by tomorrow morning… But yes, Master. I will.” 
> Starlight turns around and backs herself over the toilet, turning her head to check the position of her backside. With a soft sigh, she closes her eyes and visibly relaxes, and you can hear a soft splashing sound behind her. Opening her eyes, she jumps and blushes heavily when she notices you still looking at her. The splashing sound stops abruptly as she lowers her head, trying to hide her face behind the curl of her mane. 
> “M-Master! Y-you… You voyeur!”
> You cough in embarrassment and tear your eyes away from her, focusing your attention instead on opening her saddle-bags. You take out the toiletries that Starlight said she had brought with her.
“Sorry! I was concerned that I was too rough earlier, and I got caught up in thinking about that.”
> You retrieve your shaver, two toothbrushes, a tube of toothpaste, your bottles of shampoo and body wash, and a bottle of conditioner that you have never seen before. Wetting the blue toothbrush under the running tap, you squeeze some toothpaste on it as that splashing sound resumes.
> “It’s… Well, it’s embarrassing… But Master, if you really want me to… I mean, if you want to see me… To watch me…”
> You are quick to respond. Blushing hard and pausing with your toothbrush in the air, you keep your eyes on your reflection in the mirror.
“Hey. Starlight. I am not into… Well, whatever you are thinking, okay? Just… Finish up your... ‘Business’.”
> “Okay, Master…”
“Hmm…”
> Moving the bristles to the back of your mouth, you brush your left molars, moving quickly along your teeth to work on the other side. Your mouth quickly fills with the taste of mint.
> “… But are you actually not into it, or do you THINK you are not into it? For all you know, watching me pee might be your fetish, Master.”
> You do a spit-take, covering the sink and mirror in white as you cough from inhaling a bit of the minty mess. Starlight is laughing on your right. You turn to give her a deadpan look, which causes your pony to laugh even harder. Rolling your eyes, you use the side and back of your hands to wipe the mirror and sink clean before finishing up your dental care routine.
 > You give your mouth a final rinse as you hear a toilet flushing in the background. Spitting the water out, you set the blue toothbrush aside and pick up the red one. You wet it under the running tap before you squeeze some toothpaste on it. Turning towards Starlight, you squat down just as she approaches you and sits on her haunches. She looks at her toothbrush before her eyes travel up to meet yours, raising an eyebrow as she does so.
> “Master, I have my magic now. I can do it on my own.”
> You give her a smile.
“I know… But would you let your Master brush your teeth and bathe you?”
> Starlight blinks.
> “Master, I noticed that you have been asking me for my permission a lot lately. You didn’t used to do that… Why?”
> That… Was unexpected.
> Shrugging lightly, you answer her.
“I honestly have no idea… I wanted to give you the autonomy to say “no”, especially since you have levitation magic to look after yourself now. You… I…”
> You swallow as you glance down at the floor, trying to find a way to put your thoughts into words. Clearing your throat with a soft cough, you frown and try again.
“What I meant to say is that I… I love you so much, Starlight, and… I see that you love me as well… So… I… I…”
> Jesus fucking Christ, why is it so hard to-
> Starlight presses her hoof to the back of your hand; the one holding the red toothbrush, and when your eyes meet hers, she gives you a frown.
> “Master… Is it something to do with my magic? I… I can take my ring off if you want me to…”
“No. Keep it on, Starlight.”
> She nods, but her frown depends.
> “Are you… Regretting letting Trixie go? That you set her free?”
> You shake your head in response, but your eyes narrow as you consider her words. Muttering under your breath, you repeat her last sentence to yourself as your gaze rests on your pony lover.
“… Setting her… Free…”
> Is that it, Boss? Setting Starlight free? Is it because hearing her saying she can brush her own teeth reminds you that she is a thinking, feeling and autonomous person, especially after you gave her some of her magic back? That she isn’t that helpless and traumatised little mare that you once saw her as, and assumed a bastardised parental role for when you looked after and provided for her, even if you expected sex and her love in return?
> You sigh in frustration from the mess of thoughts, and you are not sure how to respond-
> “M-Master? You… You want to set me… F-free?”
> Shit. She heard it.
> Fuck.
> Shaking your head, you let out a breath.
“I don’t know.”
> Your eyes move up to meet her violet ones, and they are looking at you with obvious wonder and disbelief. Your pony’s muzzle is hanging open as she stares at you.
“I don’t know, Starlight… You… I don’t know…”
> Letting out another frustrated sigh. You realise that your love for her has changed your perspective of Starlight: She… She is no longer a bed slave… but your lover now, and you are her ‘special somepony’. You heard her use that phrase earlier, but now that you give it a serious think-through, you realise the implications of what it actually means: you are her not only her romantic interest; you are special to her, and you are important in her eyes. 
> This sudden desire to set Starlight free… Is it a result of your growing love for Starlight? 
> No, Boss, it is the result of the growing love BETWEEN the both of you. When you realised how far she went to show that she loves you, as well as what she is capable of when she exercised that autonomy from your direct management, you desired to set her free so she is not restricted by your whims and fancies. Freedom will allow her to grow as a person; one that is capable of making her own choices again. Freedom will allow her to be truly happy as she does the things that she wants to. Freedom… Is how you can truly show that you love and trust her.
> Your eyes widen. Brain is… Right… And you have subconsciously been allowing her more freedoms, especially when you started asking for her permission to do the things you want to do.
“Starlight, how do you feel… About being set free?”
> The pink pony simply reaches a hoof over. It goes under the shield pendant you are wearing and lifts it up, exposing its back to you. 
> “Please read it, Master. Read it aloud for me.”
> You look down at the copper words.
““Because you chose to… I will always be your little pony.””
> As your eyes move up to meet Starlight’s, you are surprised when she leans forward to kiss you on the lips. It is a quick peck this time, but you can feel the immense sincerity behind that action. She pulls back, and seeing your blank expression, the little mare nods and smiles warmly at you.
> “Yes, Master. If it makes you feel better, continue asking me for my permission if you want to… But know that I belong to you and you alone, and I am serving and obeying you because… I love you.”
“… Starlight…”
> “I AM free, Master… Because I choose to be yours.” 
> Starlight blushes and grins at you, which makes you smile in return. Moving her hoof back to your hand with the toothbrush, she taps it gently before lowering said hoof back to the floor.
> “Master, with your permission, could you brush my teeth and bathe me? Like how you did before?”
> Nodding at her, you give her an affirmative. 
> “And can you groom me later, Master? It should be easier and faster now, especially with the conditioner.”
“Sure.”
> Your pony does a show of closing her eyes and bowing to you before she speaks again, and you note the symbolic gesture of reverence and deference due to you.
> “Thank you… Master Anon.”
> Standing up quickly to wet the bristles of Starlight’s toothbrush again, you kneel down in front of your pony lover as she opens her little muzzle and closes her eyes. You use the thumb of your other hand to pull back on her right cheek, sliding the toothbrush in to brush her molars. Your muscles work automatically from the familiarity of the action, having done this before. You work your way across the outer surface of her teeth before telling her to open her mouth wider. When she complies, you adjust your hold on her head and angle your wrist to brush the inner surfaces of her teeth. 
> Done, you remove the toothbrush and give it a rinse under the tap, telling Starlight to spit in the toilet as you retrieve the shower head from its holder and turn it on. Satisfied with the temperature of the water, you bring the jet near to your pony’s mouth for her to rinse it.
“Let me see those teeth.”
> Starlight gives you an open grin that allows you to check on the condition of her oral hygiene. Hmm, white. Nice.
“Good. Now, let’s get you clean.”
> “Yes, Master.”
> Kneeling down, you feel the pendant around your neck swaying as you guide her so she faces to your right. You direct the jet of water to her back, running your other hand across her coat as you rinse her down, ending at the tip of her tail. Telling Starlight to close her eyes, you gently clean her face and work your way to her chest and belly. You brush her tail aside and run your fingers across her privates several times as warm water splashes on her rear end. Your pony lover teases you by giggling and wriggling her hindquarters.
> You shake your head gently and smirk at her, feeling a stir from below. 
“Starlight, you keep doing that and I’ll end up rutting you right here. On the bathroom floor.”
> The pink pony giggles and gyrates her hips against your palm, making you rub her vulva. She bites her lower lip and bats her eyelashes at you.
> “I honestly don’t mind if you want to, Master.” 
> Your pony lets out a breath and smirks. 
> “… But you’re right, a bed will be much more comfortable.”
“You are a tease.”
> Starlight turns her head and glances down between your legs. With a snort, she gives you an amused grin as she looks up at you.
> “And you are a pervert, Master.”
> Chuckling softly in response, you turn off the water and open the bottle of shampoo. Squeezing out a generous amount, you spread the viscous scented liquid on her mane, her back and her tail before closing the bottle and setting it aside. You reach your fingers into her mane, massaging her scalp and neck as you wash the hairs in it.
“You and Trixie have been here to see me huh? What was her reaction when she found out about me?”
> As you work on the middle of her mane, you notice that the smile on your pony’s face falters a little as her gaze drops, but she recovers and answers you.
> “Master, you… You probably already have an idea from the way she speaks to Princess Cadance...” 
> Letting out a sigh, you ‘hmm’ in response and concentrate on the bottom of Starlight’s mane, using your fingers to soap the purple and teal hairs thoroughly.
> “I… I know she only agreed because I asked her to do this for me, but I thought that she’ll have a change of heart once she met you… Well… You saw how she reacted, and we have had a few… Disagreements… Over your ownership of us.”
““Disagreements”, huh? How bad was it?”  
> Starlight lets out a breath and looks off to her right. You proceed to rub the shampoo on her back into her coat, working your way from her upper back to her neck and chest, followed by her front hooves. 
> “Trixie was so scared of the thought of having sex with you, Master. No matter how I tried, she was convinced that you will brutally rape her at the soonest possible moment.”
“Why?”
> Starlight sighs softly.
> “Because she has trust issues from the mind games that her owner played with her. Let’s just say that he loved to toy with her emotions.”
““Mind games”? “Toy with her emotions”? Starlight, elaborate please.”
> Your words earned you a deep breath from Starlight and a frown before she speaks.
> “He’s a… Sadist, Master. Trixie said that he once told a servant of his that he “never liked the idea of taking a happy horsey and traumatising them. No, it's much more fun to take the ones that are already in despair and top it further”… I will never forget these words, Master... Just as I will never forget the look on her face when she repeated them.”
“Fucking-! Shit!”
> A terrible sourness rises within you; a mixture of disgust and anger, and it causes you to pause your soaping of Starlight’s body. You grimace and curl your lip, muttering darkly under your breath.
“… Why the fuck do these… ‘People’… Exist…”
> “I don’t know… But Trixie guessed that he was physically and sexually abused as a child, and he developed a sadistic streak from that.” 
> You did not mean for Starlight to hear that, and her answer does little to soothe the sickening rage within for the bastard. A soapy hoof touches your hand and draws your attention to your pony. Starlight has tears in her eyes, but she manages to give you a weak smile.
“I’m glad that you set her free, Master. You are right: a pony like her needs freedom and her distance from another master… For now at least.” 
> You nod.
“It’s a good thing that her torment is over then.”
> “Yes, Master. Thorax’s Changelings ensured that.”
“Hmm.”
> Placing your hands back on her chest, you let out a sigh and continue working on the front of her body.
“What did he do to her, specifically? Princess Cadance gave me an idea, but I’m sure Trixie told you more since you are her best friend.”
> Starlight shakes her head gently.
> “Sorry, but I did promise her that what she said is a secret between the both of us. Trixie is a proud pony, Master, and does not want anypony to know of her… Troubles... She took some time before she even told me… So please, Master, don’t order me to say them.”
> You pause and frown at Starlight.
“Why will I order you to do something like that?”
> Your pony simply turns her head and smiles at you softly.
> “Because I will obey if you did, Master, and I trust your judgement.”
> W-wow…
> If she places so much trust in you, Boss, then use it to choose the best outcome for her. Simple.
> Shaking your head at her, you make sure your eyes are firmly on her own before you speak.
“Then I choose not to. Honour that promise you made to your best friend, Starlight Glimmer.” 
> Said pony smiles warmly and turns to kiss you gently on your cheek.
> “Yes, Master. I will.”
> With that, she closes her eyes, keeping herself still for you as you soap her belly and groin. Moving lower, Starlight grins when you massage the soft flesh of her teats with your hands. 
> “You should try suckling on them the next time we make love, Master… I hear that some stallions like doing that.”
“I can see why. Yours are lovely, Starlight.”
> Your pony giggles softly, and you squeeze gently while soaping her there, causing your pony lover to ‘hmm’ softly in response. Reluctantly, you move your hands to her lower body, working from her back, down to her hindquarters, and finally, to the ends of her hind legs. Starlight closes her eyes and spreads her legs slightly when you wash her genitals, keeping her tail up to allow you access to her privates. 
> You proceed to work on her tail, rolling its long flowing length between your palms several times. Reminding Starlight to keep her eyes closed, you gently clean her face before turning the shower on, which you use to carefully to rinse her down thoroughly from head to hoof.
> “The conditioner, Master.”
“Right.”
> Picking up the new bottle, you wring out the wetness from her mane and tail before squeezing some of its contents into your palms. You rub your hands together before running them through the hairs of her mane, and you do the same for her tail. Starlight smiles at you as you work, and you end it off by kissing your pony between her eyes.
> Leaving the conditioner to set, you replace the shower head on its holder and start your own showering routine. At Starlight’s request, you give her a verbal walkthrough of your actions, feeling a little awkward at having to narrate what you are doing and explain why you do it that way. She obviously senses your discomfort when she tries hard, but fails to hide an amused smile when you tell her why you pay special attention to the hair-covered parts of your body.
> It’s only fair that she teases you, Boss. You do that to her all the time.
> Eh, fair enough, Brain.
> Soaping your mouth and chin, you then show Starlight how you shave. You never could grow a nice beard, and leaving your moustache on would probably make you look like a child-molester, so clean-shaven is the way to go. Done with shaving, you put away the razor before turning the shower on again, rinsing away the foam that covers your body. 
> Calling Starlight over, you get her to hold the showerhead with her magic as you use both your hands to wash the conditioner off. When you finish doing that, you flick your wet hands and grab the floating showerhead with the teal aura surrounding it.
> “Master?”
“Hmm?” 
> You turn to look at your pony, and at that exact same moment, water splashes onto your face and mouth.
“What the-”
> Blinking and spluttering, you hear giggles echo around the small bathroom as more water flies in your direction. You use a hand to shield your eyes, catching the chain of your pendant by accident, and you catch a glimpse of Starlight from behind your fingers as she uses her hooves to flick the water off the floor at you. Your pony is laughing wildly and jumping around as she does so, clearly enjoying the opportunity to harass you like this. 
> You grin. Oh? Little pony wants a water fight, does she? 
> Moving swiftly, you turn the shower on and spray a jet of water at Starlight. She dodges with surprising quickness, using her magic to levitate and form several small globes of water from that which covers the floor. They are suspended momentarily in the air before they launch themselves at you. Being prepared this time, you raise your arm to block the incoming projectiles, laughing as you thrust the showerhead forward and direct the jet of water at your pony. Starlight is doing a little dance of victory, and the suddenness of your response catches her off-guard; her wet mane clings to her face before she shakes her head vigorously and frowns, giving you a look of mischievous determination as she grins evilly. 
> Lighting up her magic, you see the hose beneath the holder for the shower head being covered by a teal aura as it uncoils. The end of it points itself in your direction, and you see the tap that the hose is connected to turning clockwise when it too, is covered with Starlight’s magic.
> Oh shit.
“Ekkk! C-cold!”
> A jet of water hits you before you can even bring your arms up, and you let out the most unmanly shriek of your life.
“Gah! S-stop! Hahaha! Starlight! STARLIGHT, STOP! Gah! Starlight! Hahaha!”
> Starlight is cackling herself as she chases you around the small bathroom with the floating hose. Realising that your efforts to continue dodging is fruitless, you decide to go on the offensive. You snatch the hose from the air and press a thumb on the opening, forcing the hose to expel a high-powered jet of water, and you see your pony’s smirk falter as her eyes widen. Giving her a cocky smile of your own, you aim the hose at her, and the resulting high-pitched ‘Eep’ you get is immensely satisfying. 
> “M-Master! It’s cold! NO MASTER, PLEASE! Hahaha! Master, stop! Please! Hahaha!”
> You laugh boisterously as you continue to spray Starlight mercilessly.
> Heh, pride comes before the fall, little pony. Why, you think you can-
“Gaaah! Stop! Hahaha! Hey, no fair! Hahahaha!”
> Your jet of cold water flies back towards you when she lights up her horn again, making you splutter, shiver and laugh when it hits you. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the stream that you direct at the pink pony bending impossibly backwards in mid-air, and the water in it comes crashing against your bare body even as you try to shield yourself with an opened palm. Starlight is laughing hard, and the look of pure mischievous happiness on her face is worth you getting splashed with cold water.
> You are not sure how long the water fight you had with your pony lover lasted. Judging by the state of the bathroom when the both of you finally stop giggling, you are glad that you are not footing the water bill.
> Hell, you even got the toilet paper wet.
> …

> Wearing a fresh set of the outfit that Florence General provides for its patients, you carry a well-towelled Starlight Glimmer in your arms and set her on your bed. At that very moment, the both of you glance at the stain on the mattress before looking at each other. You laugh at the same time that she giggles, and you continue chuckling as you go back to the bathroom to retrieve her soaking saddle-bags, which you place under the fan. It is highly unlikely that her bags will dry by the time you discharge tomorrow, but one can hope that they do.
> Grabbing Starlight’s grooming brush from her saddle-bags, you sit down on the bed and give her a quick peck on her cheek. Getting her to face you, you start the session by focusing on her mane first. Like how you did before, you use the brush first before following it up with running your fingers through her hair. 
> Starlight is right; Coco Pommel’s conditioner made her hair silky smooth and so very soft.
> “Master? What would become of us?”
> That… Is an odd question.
> You frown as you continue working on her mane.
“What do you mean, Starlight?”
> Your pony lover frowns as she thinks, keeping her gaze on a spot on the mattress. After a moment of that, she speaks in a hesitant manner, as if she herself is unsure of what she wants to ask.
> “I mean… After you get discharged tomorrow… I’m still to share your bed and you are my special somepony, right? Will… Will things change between us, Master?”
“Yes. They will.”
> Starlight frowns and looks up at you; those large violet eyes tell you that she is worried by your answer, and her muzzle opens slightly as she pauses. When she speaks again, her voice sounds… Cautious.
> ““They will”, Master?”
> You chuckle softly and boop her on the nose with a finger, causing her muzzle to scrunch up adorably. Pausing with the grooming of her mane, you lean forward and cup the side of her face with a palm before using your thumb to stroke her cheek.
“Things will change when I get to know you better, Starlight, and that is inevitable. As far as I’m concerned, I have only known you for what, seven days? Don’t get me wrong; I am grateful for everything that you’ve done for me, but I want you to show me the real you, Starlight.”
> Your pony lover blinks at you.
> “The… The “real me”, Master?”
> You nod and smile as you lower that hand on her face to tap her on her hindquarters, where her cutie mark is. Starlight’s frown deepens before she realises your intent. She nods, obeying your unspoken order to get up and turning around for you to groom her the back of her mane. Same technique: brush first, then fingers. Brush. Fingers.
 “Mm hmm… You heard me: I want to know you better as the pony you are, Starlight… I want to know more about the beautiful mare that I am deeply in love with.”
> Starlight grins and steps to her side. She flicks her tail at you, and you catch a glimpse of her vulva.
> “Oh, I think you know a PART of me really well, Master.”
> You laugh. Starlight gives you a smirk of her own as she moves back into position, allowing you to finish brushing her mane. Shaking your head slowly as your chuckle dies down, you start working on her tail.
“From what I know of you, Starlight, you seem to appreciate good food and music, but simply accepting what I give you, following me to the places I want to go, or having sex with me when I want it… These aren’t enough for me… And I want more.”
> Starlight angles her head slightly to look at you. Her facial expression is unreadable, but at least she is giving you a small smile as she waits for you to elaborate.
“We have only done things that I want to do, Starlight, and you have been obedient and respectful towards me. I appreciate that, and I do wish that you continue to be so, but I want to do the things that YOU want to do as well… That’s what I mean when I said: “I want more”… Because… I love you and want you to be happy.”
> A warm and wide smile graces your pony lover’s face when you said that. Her eyes fall on the bed sheet as she blinks, and you can swear that they are wet before she shakes her head a little. Giving her the moment to sort out her emotions, you focus on running the brush-
> “How do you feel about kites, Master?”
> You frown slightly as you start grooming the underside of her tail.
“Never flown one. Grew up in the inner city without any nearby parks, and none of my family members are into it, so I never had the opportunity to try… Those huge ones always looked so cool though, especially those with the multiple colourful tails.”
> “I love them. Kites have always been a hobby of mine, Master.”
> Glancing at Starlight, you note how excited your pony is; she still has that wide smile on her face, and her eyes are lighted up in anticipation. Hell, she is even wagging her tail lightly.
> That pony sure does love kites, Boss.
> Putting the brush down on your bedside table, you spread your arms open. Almost immediately, Starlight jumps into your arms, and you take a moment to adjust the curl in the front of her mane. You hold her against your chest as you pat her softly on her lower back, and you can feel her body pressing against the shield pendant.
“Let’s stop by a toy store after we leave this place tomorrow. If you want to fly one, then let’s do that.”
> “R-really?! Master, really really?!”
> Chuckling softly at her reaction, you lean back to look at the face of the pink pony in your arms. Starlight’s violet eyes are shimmering with tears, and there is that wide, joyful grin on her face. The teal jewel in her golden horn-ring is pulsing again with a brilliant glow, which complements nicely with the teal hairs in the sea of dark purple of her mane. You lean in and kiss her between her eyes, causing her to close them and giggle softly.
“Really really, Starlight… And after that, we can stop by Bridget’s Restaurant for dinner and a Blueberry Crème Supreme.”
> Starlight buries her face into your chest, chanting a series of “thank you”s in quick succession. Blinking your own wet eyes, you smile and whisper your next words to her as you continue stroking her lower back.
“Things will change between us, Starlight… But know this: for better or for worse, I will continue to love and cherish you for who you are… Whatever happens, I’ll never leave you, and I’ll be there for you. Always. That’s a promise.”
> Starlight looks up and nods; her eyes are pooling with tears as well.
> “And I promise to work through these changes with you, Master. For better or for worse, I will love you and cherish you for who you are.”
> Leaning in, you kiss her deeply and passionately on her muzzle. You feel her tongue dancing with yours, and you close your eyes to savour the feeling and taste of your pony lover. Her moan fills your ears, and you feel your heart thumping strong within you. Breaking the kiss off gently, you glance at the ceiling before reaching over to grab your phone. You unlock it to check the time before turning your eyes to Starlight.
“It’s almost midnight now. Would you like to join your Master for some star-gazing on the roof, my little pony?”
> Starlight’s eyes dip down quickly before she moves them up to meet yours.
> “Only if you climax in my mouth later, Master. I promise to swallow it all.”
> What. The. Fuck.
> You give your pony a deadpan look as she laughs. 
“Way to kill the romance, Starlight. Well done.”
> “Aww c’mon, Master! Blowjobs are romantic!”
> Shaking your head again as you grin, you move your right hand below her butt as your left stays at her shoulders. You carry the still-giggling Starlight and stand up, making your way to the door of your room. Starlight taps you on your chest with a hoof just when you open the door, and her voice comes out in a whisper.
> “Master… Do you think the hospital staff heard us… Making love?”
> You grin.
“Only one way to find out.”
> As you make your way out of your room and turn to walk down the hallway, you notice that the doctors and nurses there seem to be avoiding making eye contact with you and your pony. You are about to dismiss their behaviour as being a figment of your imagination when your ears pick up the hushed whispers behind you as you walk.
> Apparently Starlight’s did as well, as she is blushing furiously. You smile down at her.
“You are quite the loud girl, it seems.”
> “M-Master!”
> Your resulting laugh echoes through the quiet ward, earning yourself several dirty looks from the hospital staff there.
> “Hehehe… So are you, Master.”
> As you step out through the automatic doors and into the elevator lobby once again, you made sure that your laughter is controlled and softer this time.
> …