True Meaning of Discipline by Ice 
(Celestia / Twilight Sparkle)
paddle

(26/10/2018)

https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/32973660/#q33090065

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>"Twilight Sparkle!"
>The steely note that shot her voice through froze the purple filly in her wild tracks
>Princess Celestia rarely raised her voice
>And she never yelled at Twilight
>But that special tone she adopted to reprimand the little one was still fairly new to the filly, and more than enough to command immediate attention
>To be fair, Twilight was very well behaved
>And even when the rambunctious nature of youth started to get the better of her, her parents had always let her get away with just about anything she wanted
>The puppy dog eyes always slayed 'em
>Especially when combined with a little "You're not really gonna ground me, Daddy?"
>"Oh, sweetheart... I mean... well, I guess you've learned your lesson, right?"
>Worked every time
>So Princess Celestia's new - and authoritative - reign over her came as something of a shock
>While she tended to be demure and obedient by nature, she was still unaccustomed to somepony demanding that obedience of her, 24 hours a day
>And now, as had happened a few times since her coming to live in Canterlot Palace, the stern eyes of her new governess rooted her to the floor
>She noticed the liquescent golden aura about Celestia's long horn
>Glancing behind her, she watched that same aura gently replace one of the reception hall's magnificent vases atop its marble pedestal
>Yikes!
>She had been so wrapped up in thought, she hadn't even noticed bumping into it in the midst of her frolicking
>And that was saying something - if she hadn't even felt herself topple it from its rock-steady place of display
>Testament to her excitement
>After all, her parents had come to visit her at her new school today
>It was the first time she had seen them in over a month
>Even her big brother had managed to get out of his classes at his own new school for a couple of days
>No small feat considering he had just started at Canterlot's Royal Military Academy, which was famously strict
>So she of course had been bouncing off the walls since they arrived that morning
>"I, I, oh P-Princess..." the little filly stammered
>"Twilight Sparkle, that is the second piece of priceless art you've nearly destroyed this morning" came the reply, in a voice as cool and unyielding as granite
>Oh right... there was that painting hanging in the parlor from earlier...
>"I, I'm sorry! I just..."
>The Princess reached out with one graceful hoof to take the little pony by the chin, raising her face to meet the royal gaze
>Graceful, gentle, but firm
>"I know that you are excited, Twilight, but that does not mean that the rules here - or my expectations - have been relaxed. I expect you to get hold of yourself, or I will be forced to teach you the true meaning of discipline here in the Palace."
>The true meaning?
>Up until now, Twilight had only gotten in real trouble a few times with her new teacher
>And that had so far meant things like extra chores, or missing out on leisure activities, or - yuck! - writing lines
>Oh how she hated writing lines
>And as far as she was concerned, those all constituted some pretty severe discipline!
>So this new threat - what in Equestria could it mean?
>There wasn't any punishment worse than writing lines
>Twilight's thoughts, racing around her head, were stopped cold by two sudden and simultaneous realizations
>First, that Princess Celestia was waiting for an answer
>And second, that all of this was happening right in front of her family!
>In the sudden heat of the moment, she had completely forgotten that her parents and big brother had been right by her side when she took off running down the hall
>But now that she remembered, she flushed a bright pink with embarrassment
>For an instant she tried to turn to look back at them, before realizing that the Princess still held her firmly by the chin
>Her eyes darted back and forth before finally meeting those of her teacher
>And seeing the rare severity in those normally placid pools of magenta, immediately dropped in shame
>"I- I'm sorry, Princess Celestia" she stammered, before adding a frantic "Please don't make me write lines!"
>Disappointing the Princess was bad enough - she always felt awful when she got in trouble
>But having this all play out in front of her family just added a new layer of embarassment to the whole ordeal
>As for Twilight's family - her parents had been shooting nervous glances back and forth, while trying to keep their attention on the scene at the same time
>Neither one of them had realized that the Princess could be so strict
>And with their own precious little filly!
>Night Light even gave his wife a questioning look for half a second, but the way she fervently shook her head - trying to keep the motion as subtle as possible - confirmed his gut instinct
>Don't question the Princess
>But really, what did Twilight blurt out about writing lines?
>Wasn't that a terribly archaic punishment?
>Sure, they had threatened to ground her a few times in her life - even the most well-behaved foals needed a show of authority now and again
>But who ever actually followed through on it?
>Shining Armor, on the other hoof, was obviously suppressing a snicker at his sister's predicament
>His father, snapped out of his reverie by the sound of his son about to burst out laughing, went wide-eyed with horror
>A gentle elbow and Shining, seeing the look on his father's face, managed to lock it down just as Celestia released her grip on Twilight Sparkle
>The purple pony scurried over to her big brother's side, and for an instant he almost felt bad for laughing at her - almost
>Retreating from the imposing shadow of authority into the comforting, protective one of her stalwart older brother, she felt reassured
>It wasn't that she didn't like Princess Celestia - no way!
>In fact, she was just about the best, nicest, most caring teacher ever
>And to suggest that she wasn't comforting or protective would be downright untrue
>It was just that... she still wasn't quite accustomed to this new style of "tough love"
>And it was a little weird being away from home for so long
>Away from her parents and her big brother
>Away from her friends
>Well okay, she never did hang out with the other foals at school that much
>Where did anypony find the time, in between all the reading at school, and the books she brought home for homework, and the ones she read for fun after dinner, oh and reading just before bedtime
>Besides, she had Shining Armor to play with whenever she wanted company
>And he was the best big brother - not to mention best friend - anypony could ask for
>So he was a lodestone for her, the point to which she was naturally drawn when she needed a rock in the stormy seas of life
>Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close in a mock head-lock
>"Cool your jets, little sis" he intoned calmly, with just the hint of a laugh at the edges of his voice
>He snapped to attention abruptly, however, as the Princess stepped towards them
>"Quite right, Shining Armor" she said warmly. "You should look to your older brother as a sterling example, Twilight."
>The little filly stood up a little straighter with pride
>Celestia was so wise!
>And seeing her gentle smile again put Twilight at ease
>Her parents relaxed as well, and soon they were all walking down the hall amiably once more, towards the cozy dining room reserved for less formal entertaining
>The couple couldn't stop thanking the Princess for her kind words about their son, and of course for taking Twilight as her personal student as well
>The purple filly was awash in a heady mix of pride at being Celestia's own student, joy at seeing her family, and excitement for the prospects that the future held
>By the time they were entering the dining room, she felt like she could positively gallop laps around the place!
>An hour later and Twilight was sitting alone in the small library that served as a private classroom for her lessons with Princess Celestia
>Locked up, guilty, and awaiting sentencing
>What in Equestria had gone wrong?!
>Well...
>Okay, she was pretty darn wound up just at the time they had to be sitting down to lunch
>And the serving ponies were starting to annoy her, flitting around, setting out silverware and fussing with her napkin and such
>While it may have been a "less formal" setting, that isn't saying a whole lot when you're eating at the Royal Palace
>And the grown-up talk was soooo boring
>And everything took soooooo long
>And
>And
>...and maybe none of that was a good excuse for her... minor incident
>Okay, small outburst
>She let out a sigh of frustration as she laid her head down on her writing desk
>Who was she kidding?
>It was a downright tantrum
>And what for? Because she hadn't liked the menu items that had been prepared for their lunch
>Even the young filly, now that the heat of the moment was past, could recognize what a trivial thing that was
>On top of that, it didn't even make any sense - she loved daffodil and daisy sandwiches!
>No, she thought while trying to come up with something to tell Princess Celestia, there really was no excuse for her behavior
>It was itself just an excuse - an excuse to act out all the day's frustrations
>And speaking of the Princess - what in Equestria was she going to say to her?!
>She had seemed really mad...
>Not that she yelled or anything like that
>But she had never sent Twilight to their little library like this before
>To "wait for her punishment," as the Princess had pronounced in her icy voice of authority
>Her parents looked aghast, and of course she was almost certain that Shining had dropped his face into his hoof just to hide a smile - the jerk!
>But then, suddenly, the tell-tale sound of golden-shod hoofsteps on the cool marble of the hallway snapped her out of her self-pity
>And right into panic
>She jumped up and turned to face the door as it swung open smoothly, ready to launch into some kind of frantic defense - even if she didn't know what she would say
>But fortunately, in a way, she didn't have to say much of anything
>Because when she saw the look on the Princess' face - the disappointment in her beautiful magenta eyes - she really couldn't
>And as she dropped onto her haunches with a thud, she realized that she had never noticed just how beautiful those eyes were
>She felt the sting of tears, sudden and unbidden
>"P-Princess I-I-I-," she stammered, but her stupid tongue just couldn't seem to get anywhere
>As the door closed behind her, the Princess stepped up to the filly and, not breaking her slow stride, gently took her by the hoof and led her towards her little writing desk
>Twilight stopped trying to speak then, and slipped unconsciously into the comfort of being led by her strong, wise, and loving teacher
>As they reached the desk, she felt the Princess lifting her up subtly
>"Put your hooves on the desk, Twilight" she intoned softly
>As the little pony did as she was told, guided by Celestia's deft hooves until her torso was stretched over the desk - she dreamily reflected on how strange this seemed
>This certainly wasn't the way the Princess had ever made her write her lines before
>With the thought of those dreaded lines, Twilight came to just a bit, remembering with apprehension that she was supposed to be getting punished
>"P-Princess" she tried to stutter again, looking up into her teacher's face
>"You are my student, Twilight Sparkle, and- more than that still," Celestia interjected. "I promised you that I would teach you true discipline when you came to need it. It is my duty not to let you down."
>With that, she produced a long, thin, wooden implement that had been tucked under one silky wing
>Twilight squinted at it suspiciously - it was very odd indeed, like something that construction ponies used to stir paints, only obviously older and more finely crafted
>"I haven't used this in a very long time, Twilight," she said with an almost wistful lilt
>Putting one hoof firmly on the filly's back, she added "But you should know from your reading, that many years ago it was very commonplace for disobedient foals to be spanked."
>WHAT?!
>Okay, now was the time to panic after all
>This had to be some kind of cruel joke
>But deep down, she knew the Princess wouldn't joke about something like this...
>She struggled in vain against the gentle but unyielding hoof holding her down, her hind hooves clip-clopping one after another on the library's hardwood floor
>But when she felt the cool wooden paddle come to rest against her haunches, she finally found her voice
>Kind of
>"No no no I'm s-s-s-sorrrrrrry! I know I m-m-misbehaved and I s-s-shouldn't have and I was just acting up because I was sooooo bored and you know that I actually really like d-d-d-daffodil and daisy sandwichesssss!"
>She bawled out the litany of her offenses, tears welling up again in her eyes
>Celestia waited until she had stopped to pant rapidly before speaking up again
>"You obviously know what you did wrong, Twilight, and so I won't belabor the point. You are a smart filly - I think you know also that you deserve this punishment."
>"But, but!"
>But she couldn't really say anything to counter that.
>"Hush now, little one."
>It only took the first loud crack against her tender flanks to send her back into a fit of bawling
>The sting of the paddle was something totally new to her
>New, and yet somehow almost familiar, something primal that she seemed to have known in some distant past life, that she had utterly forgotten and yet instantly recognized
>In her head she was trying to apologize, argue, plead, anything to stop this from happening
>But all her mouth would do was call out the Princess' name in stuttering gasps
>The second stripe fell across her backside, and all she could focus on was her disobedience, her willful and foolish behavior at lunch, and then the spanking that was her due
>Cause and effect
>Like some law of nature that she had somehow failed to learn in all her studies, that books and theories failed to grasp
>But that the paddle now burned into her like a brand
>The third, fourth, fifth strokes and she was given up entirely, not trying to resist or defy this new law
>She submitted herself in an unconscious way, deeper than waking thought, and she could do nothing but cry tears of contrition
>She surely lost count beyond that
>When three sudden, fast strokes licked across that softest part of her haunches, just above her thighs
>And it took her a good while after that to actually realize that they had stopped
>She had no clue how long she spent just laying across the desk sobbing, tears streaming down her muzzle
>She slowly came to, breathing heavily
>Suddenly she was scooped up, and Celestia carried her gently to the large, plush floor-level sofa where they often sat and read together
>Setting the filly down, the Princess carefully wiped her face with one soft wing
>"P-Princess," sniffled the little pony.
>"I'm s-sorry-"
>But Celestia hushed her gently
>"You've taken your punishment. It is in the past now. Everything is forgiven."
>The purple filly edged closer to her teacher, curling up beside her as Celestia wrapped a protective wing around her
>The afternoon light streaming in through the stained glass of the library windows glittered in rainbows across the two ponies, vying admirably though in vain with Celestia's shimmering mane
>Stroking Twilight's head softly, she added "You know, Twilight, how much I care for you."
>The filly nodded eagerly, burying her face in Celestia's side as she did so
>"I... love you too, Princess."
>The mighty ruler looked down at the small foal with shining eyes, with a look that the little one never saw for pressing her face fervently into the white, downy fur of Celestia's neck
>They lay like that for some time, Twilight oblivious to the ticking of the clock, feeling that she could stay there forever
>But eventually Celestia tenderly prompted her
>"Are you ready to return to the festivities, Twilight? I'm sure everypony is waiting for us."
>It wasn't until they were walking down the hall and Twilight saw Ferrous and Stalwart, two of her very favorite Royal Guardstallions, coming towards them, that she realized with horror - her haunches were criss-crossed with blazing red stripes!
>She immediately shrunk back, her tail trying desperately - but to no avail - to cover her flanks
>"Twilight?" asked the Princess, gently taking hold of the filly's neck with a hoof and guiding her back to her side
>The little pony was blushing furiously now
>She was fearfully torn between objecting to the Princess - as she wanted to do - and obeying silently - as she knew she should
>"Come now, my faithful student. There is nothing to be ashamed of."
>Easy for her to say!
>But oh, horror of horrors! The two stallions stopped short right in front of them
>"Good afternoon Your Majesty!" they boomed in unison, dropping to one knee before quickly snapping back to attention
>"And good afternoon to you, my little lady" added Stalwart
>Twilight could barely stammer a hello before the two ponies clearly took notice of her embarassment, and then her backside - as it was practically glowing, it was hard not to
>Plus, they recognized a freshly punished foal when they saw one
>But Stalwart quickly gave a friendly laugh and patted her on the head
>"Not to worry little lady, I've been there plenty of times in my day!"
>Twilight looked up in obvious surprise
>"Oh yes, how you think they train the new cadets at the Royal Military Academy?"
>"You know," added Ferrous, "My drill instructor always told us we should bear our stripes with pride. They show submission, obedience, and that you've learned something important to boot!"'
>Celestia smiled at him and noted, "A very wise instructor indeed"
>After the two stallions saw them off and they continued down the hall, Twilight thought pretty hard about that one
>When they met up with Twilight's family again, she felt a wave of embarassment washing over her anew
>It didn't help that her parents' jaws dropped practically to the floor
>But seeing them try to stammer to each other in fervent whispers while simultaneously trying to play it cool in front of the Princess was admittedly a little funny
>Each time one would open their mouth to say something, the other would not-so-surreptitiously elbow their partner
>Celestia herself couldn't suppress a half-smile as she asked them, "Is everything quite alright?"
>She heard the Princess describing how "A little bit of discipline goes a long way" and how well Twilight was doing here at the Palace as the older ponies led the way towards the garden
>Then Shining Armor sidled up to her snickering
>Oh great
>Here it comes
>He grabbed her in a playful headlock and whispered excitedly, "Man little sis, you really got it good!"
>"Okay okay Shining! Stop it..." she started to blush again
>"Aw, hey..." his voice softened. "You shouldn't sweat it. I guess you're not used to it, because mom and dad were always so easy on us. But you should see what they threatened us with at the Academy!"
>"Really?" Her eyes widened in curiosity
>"Did you get it from your drill instructor?"
>Shining seemed taken aback by the question for a split second, before laughing it off
>"Hey now, I'm not getting into that! Come on we gotta keep up," he said loudly as he bounded ahead to catch up with the adults
>"Wait for me!" came the reply, as Twilight trotted after him, being very careful to keep her exuberance within acceptable limits
>When the five of them sat down for dinner that evening, Twilight was caught off guard
>She gave an audible yelp as her haunches came down on the chair
>Even the very plushy dining room chairs couldn't entirely save her sore, striped rear end
>And finally, Shining Armor couldn't contain himself anymore
>He burst out laughing 
>"Shining Armor!" his mother gasped
>Both she and her husband looked downright mortified, for what felt like the hundredth time that day
>"Okay okay, I'm sorry!" he snorted out as he got himself under control
>And nopony else could have noticed the stealthy smile that Princess Celestia flashed at Twilight across the table
>And the little filly couldn't suppress a big smile of her own as she felt a strange, but somehow appropriate feeling of - why yes, after all; it was pride