This pastebin is a log for a CYOA run in a "Submission is Mandatory" thread on 4chan's /mlp/ board.
http://boards.4chan.org/mlp/catalog#s=Submission%20is%20Mandatory
If you want to influence where the story goes next, all you need to do is give the thread a visit and make a post. The story is collaborative work of me and other two authors. To give credit where it is due, each update is prefaced by a separator indicating who wrote it.
 
Beran    "====" (http://pastebin.com/u/BeranBeran)
Olibird  "@@@@" (http://pastebin.com/u/Olibird)
Escapade "####" (http://pastebin.com/u/Mendicant)
 
-- Crystals and Collars --
@@@@@@@@
>The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.
>Kind of ironic how accurate that metaphor is when it comes to using dark magic.
>You muse to yourself as you arrange crystalline lattices around your throne room, setting up for one massive spell.
>The Equestrian Princess Patrol are on their way after your little...mishap with the Crystal Heart last week, and you know you can't fight them.
>You may be the most powerful dark magician out there, but even YOU can't take both of them at the same time.
>...Kinky.
>As the last crystal locks into place, you look around and sigh contently.
>This is either going to be spectacular or suicide.
>Technically, that can be the case with dark magic in general, but still...you've never had to cast a spell THIS big.
>You don't know if there’ll be anything left.
>Approaching a window, you look down upon your domain, everything you've built with your own four hooves.
>Down below, your ponies sparkle as brightly as the crystals that make up your empire, all oblivious to what's about to happen.
>If you could activate the Crystal Heart yourself, none of this would be necessary.
>...Then again, if you hadn't messed with it, your ponies wouldn't have been mineralized, and the princesses wouldn't be out for blood.
>Hopefully them being turned into living crystal won't have any side-effects.
>You scan the skies looking for any sign of...there they are, right on schedule.
>If this were literally anypony else, invading a kingdom to depose the ruling monarch, all the other countries would claim jus ad bellum and carve up the offenders.
>Leaving the window, you opt to sit on your throne and await the two usurpers.
>You COULD cast it now...but where's the fun in that?
>You wouldn't get to see the look on their faces.
>Oh wait, right. One last thing you SHOULD do, just in case things go awry.
"Jewel!"
>The mighty doors to your throne room open before your hoofmare steps inside, her head bowed low, her nose almost rubbing against the carpet.
>You had her nose rubbing against a much different carpet last night.
>"Yes Mistress? How may I serve you?"
"I want you to take the rest of the day off."
>She raises her head a bit, but doesn't dare to make eye contact.
>You've trained her well.
>”M-mistress?"
"You've been doing such a good job lately, I've decided you deserve a day off. Enjoy your position as queen's hoof, walk around the kingdom, do something you'd like."
>Just don't be here when the alicorns arrive.
>Her face contorts in a mixture of confusion and fear.
>You wave a hoof dismissively before she starts trying to figure out what kind of game you're playing.
"Don't worry, I'm not replacing you. This is a genuine reward, no tricks. Now go before I change my mind."
>Jewel Joy bows again, her snout booping against the carpet before she blurts out, "Yes Mistress, thank you Mistress!"
>She almost gallops out of the room, leaving you once again alone with your thoughts as the doors swing shut.
>That doesn't help matters as, without anything to distract you, your growing anxiety gnaws away at your mind.
>You'll have to look into getting a personal musician.
>Maybe a harpist...or better yet, you could use mental puppetry to have a perpetually singing choir.
>Your fantasies about what kind of music you'd like accompanying your royal presence are interrupted by the doors to your throne room slamming open, revealing the distinct forms of the alicorn sisters, their horns glowing threateningly.
>It’s almost like they want to hurt you.
>You grin, showing off your slightly pointed teeth.
"Why, Princess Celestia and Princess..."
>Hang on, what was the blue one's name?
>She has a moon on her rump, her name probably has some relation to it.
"Selena. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"
>Judging by the way her ears sink down, you guessed wrong on the younger one's name.
>Unphased by your slight to her sister, Celestia steps forward, her fury plain to see.
>"Umbra. The atrocities you've committed against the ponies of the Crystal Empire are unforgivable. You've enslaved ponies, turned them to stone, we've received reports of torture-"
>You lean forward, meeting the living goddess's gaze.
"All conducted perfectly legally, Celestia. I don't know if anypony's told you this, but Equestrian law doesn't apply to other countries. If you take issue with the way I treat MY citizens, then we could work this out diplomatically, without using such violent language."
>The blue alicorn you inadvertently snubbed steps up to stand by her sister.
>”We offer you this one chance, Umbra. Surrender peacefully, and you will be granted a fair trial, under natural law. If you continue to resist, we will have no choice but to end your life.”
>You laugh before you can stop yourself.
>Great, now you sound like the kind of cackling villains they LOVE to write stories about.
>It’s not your fault these two are so stupid.
>It’s like dealing with a pair of foals, really.
“Natural law?! All you want to do is throw shackles back on one of the only ponies to escape them! How many other sovereigns have you deposed in the name of “natural law?” I have a better idea. You two return to your castle, I’ll send an ambassador to discuss these concerns, and in exchange, I WON’T consider you breaking into my home as an act of war and take your Principality as my own.”
>Celestia shakes her head, giving you the response you’ve expected.
>”I fear she’s beyond reason now, sister. She’s nothing but a madmare. You leave us no choice Umbra! Together, Luna!”
>Their horns flare as they prepare a spell that would not doubt obliterate a normal unicorn.
>It’s a good thing you aren’t a normal unicorn.
>Before they have time to let loose their spell, your horn sparks, the dark magic bubbling up from within, your vision turning green as the eldritch forces take hold.
“Me? A madmare?! No you!”
>You launch a blast of destructive magic from your horn, the black energy rocketing towards the younger alicorn.
>...Really? No you?
>Those very well could be your last words, and you couldn’t even come up with something that sounded good?
>Dammit, you practiced this! You had a whole speech ready!
>Celestia cries out an instant before a bubble of golden light surrounds them before turning green as a blue, larger bubble appears an instant later.
>That wasn’t...quite what you expected to happen.
>Your magic dissipates harmlessly as it slams into their shield.
>”Sister, what are you doing?! I can protect myself, focus on the spell!”
>”Are...are you really doing this now, Luna? You’re my sister, I’m not going to let anypony hurt you!”
>”Yes, I’m doing this now, and you aren’t trying to protect me, you’re treating me like a foal!”
>The two sisters argue behind their doubly reinforced barriers as though you weren’t just trying to kill them, your jaw agape.
>You’re tempted to watch this...but with them distracted, this is the perfect opportunity for you to make your move.
>Changing focus from them to the crystals you oh so carefully set up, a beam of pure magic shoots out from your horn into the first, charging the gem before splitting and lancing out to two others, the processes then repeating.
>It isn’t long before you quickly reach the most magic you’ve ever channeled at once, making it incredibly hard to think, the alicorns’ words nothing more than a dull buzzing in your ears.
>Unfortunately, the spell’s no where near done.
>Pain lances out from your horn as you push even more of yourself into the spell, ignoring every sign that you’ve gone too far, every warning that you need to stop NOW.
>You can feel blood vessels in your eyes bursting as the magic starts to warp your very being, tearing away at your soul.
>”Luna, look!” The elder alicorn’s words manage to cut through the fog enveloping your mind, a clear sign of danger.
>Behind their barrier, in the center of the arcane matrix you’re assembling, their horns spark, signalling that your time is quickly running out.
>Their horns rapidly brighten as their own spell charges.
>Coupled with that shield, they seem almost like a bi-colored star.
>Of course, that might just be because you’re going blind.
>But you just need a few more seconds...just a couple more crystals…
>You push every last fibre of your being into casting the spell-it’s the ONLY thing that matters now.
>The bands connect, completing the spell, just as the Princesses launch their attack.
>There’s a flash of prismatic light before the world goes black.
========
>You are Queen Umbra.
>After your little dispute with the Royal Sisters of Equestria forced you to banish yourself and your Empire to the void of non existence, you have finally returned.
>And, oh girl! The world had quite a party while you were gone!
>To the East, Griffin kingdom rose and fell.
>To the North, Yaks must have stolen a dictionary and learned to read, because now they know what a country means, and claim to be one.
>And to the south, Equestria has changed.
>Celestia is gone, and her younger sister, who's now in charge of Canterlot, apparently ate one scoop of dark for lunch and two scoops of edgy for dinner.
>Which might also explain why she now goes by the name Nightmare Moon, and no one has seen the sun since...
>Since around the time you have returned, actually.
>At first you thought it might have been your doing, but now you know better.
>The spell you cast, /was/ the strongest dark magic spell in all of known history.
>But luckily, you got away from it with only a migraine strong enough to shatter a mountain, and occasionally hearing voices you're not sure are really there.
>That, and your eyes are still glowing green and smoking purple, even when you are not actively using dark magic.
>Definitely not a good sign.
>Your body looks nearly the same, but on the inside, the magic might have changed you in more ways than you can count.
>You might not even be /you/ anymore.
>You almost made a "smoking hot" joke right now.
>Only time would tell though, and you were never the one to wait for things to happen.
>Just as soon as you could tell the difference between floor and ceiling, you crawled back to your throne and started giving orders.
>In a few days your empire was running again, and your mind turned to a well deserved revenge.
>Your army reassembled, and went out to reconquer your lands.
>Few more days later, when your army was celebrating the conquest of Our Town, now also known and Your Town, a letter came.
>Equestria was demanding your surrender and threatening you with invasion for taking what was rightfully yours.
>Not being the one to fear, you decided to meet the problem head on and journeyed to Canterlot.
>That's when you learned of who Nightmare Moon really was and how she came to power.
>Were you at your best you could have just beaten her, but given your current state, the amount of dark magic it would require would have definitely been lethal for you as well.
>She then, was facing a silently growing rebellion, and while her army was larger than yours, she could not afford to attack your kingdom even if she wanted, as her forces would have been spread too thin.
>If either of you were to survive and stay in power, you had to solve your grudges with diplomacy.
>The negotiations were not easy, both of you had a leverage, but after a week of talking, thinking, and a disgraceful kiss of a hoofguard, you both managed to agree on a deal.
>Nightmare Moon will stay an Empress, and you will stay a Queen.
>Crystal Empire will be renamed to Crystal Kingdom, and join the Equestrian Empire as its dependency.
>You will remain in charge in all of the kingdom's mineral and pone resources, and establish its laws, but a council will be established to "communicate the needs of the people" and help you make the right decisions.
>You will retain the control over Crystal Kingdom's army, and all the lands you've already conquered, but you will refrain from further conquests both in Equestria and elsewhere.
>Canterlot will be in charge of all foreign relations, making the two states appear as a single unified body to the other nations.
>You will have to send part of the kingdom's production to Canterlot as a tribute, but in return Nightmare Moon will provide you with a stream of additional workers to compensate for the increased demand on production.
>There are also hundreds of other smaller clauses, none of which are particularly noteworthy, setting up the rules and standards for how will the kingdom and the empire interact in nearly every matter imaginable.
>Everything from what is the current time and which of the 24 hours should be considered 'day' and 'night', to how should the seals on official correspondence look like.
>All has been described in detail in the treaty you signed, before you left.
>Now, it is roughly two weeks after your return to the material world, and you've just arrived from Canterlot back to your Crystal E... Kingdom.
>With the deal with Equestria in place, peace has been secured and the immediate crisis had been resolved, but you still have more things to worry about before you can take a well deserved nap.
>The council should already be set up, and the councilors ready to meet their Queen.
>With the wave of newly incoming workers, barely avoided all out war, and everyone still trying to cope with being gone for a thousand years, it's almost certain the councilors will already have something to pester you with.
>Next, the prisoners you took in Our Town are still in the dungeons, waiting for you to decide their fate.
>On one hoof, you could just send them all to slave in the crystal mines.
>On the other hoof, you could integrate them to your kingdom as free citizen.
>On the third hoof, /technically/ you haven't had a new plaything in over a millennium, and some of the prisoners might be worth some personal attention.
>And lastly, you should take care of your little problem with magic.
>Your dark magic powers are not safe to use right now, and they might stay like that for quite some time.
>You will either need to find a way to fix that, or come up with some sufficient substitute for it.
>Being the responsible Queen you are, you should address at least one of these problems before the end of the day.
>What is your top priority?
========
>You'll go check up with the council, better know what the Tartarus is happening before making any major decisions.
>Leaving the outside world behind, you enter your would-be-shining-if-there-was-sun castle, and make your way up one of the staircases, to a floor where the throne and council rooms are.
>It feels good to be back in your castle where /you/ are the Queen.
>Though all the stairs seemed like a much better idea back when you could just teleport wherever you needed to be.
>But you'll deal with that later, now is the time to rule.
>Soon, you arrive at the council room.
>You never needed a council before, so it has been set up fairly quickly.
>If it wasn't for all the armored guards watching over the entrance, there would be nothing that would hint that this room is where all the kingdom spanning decisions will be made.
>You would have had the council meet in your throne room, but that's not a place where a private conversations can be held.
>Already you can hear the muffled voices bickering inside.
>One of the guards opens the door for you and the room immediately falls silent.
>Inside, three ponies and a griffin sitting behind a table acknowledge your presence with a courteous bow.
>The first one to stand up and greet you is a tall, lean unicorn, with snow white coat and white-pink mane.
>As soon as the door shuts, she walks towards you, the clip-clop of her golden hoofguards sounding like a melody.
>She is beautiful, and judging by the way she sways with every step, she has had lots of practice showing it.
>"Your highness." She gives you a gentle nod and holds out her hoof for you, "Fleur de Lis. Voice of the Empress in your council."
>Is she offering hoofshake to a Queen?
>"It is customary to plant a kiss on the hoofguard, when greeting Empresses representative." she adds with a soft smile.
========
>You measure the mare with your eyes carefully.
>The treaty clearly stated that the council's role is only advisory.
>It didn't say anything about messengers of the Empress having any power in Crystal Kingdom's territory.
>It is important that your counselors understand this as well.
"That may be the custom in Equestria, but in Crystal Kingdom, queens do not kiss the hooves of messengers."
>You briefly consider making her make kiss /your/ hoof, but decide against it.
>It is clear that whatever happens here will be reported back to the Empress and humiliating her messenger like that could become awkward later down the line.
>Instead you simply continue into the room, and take a seat at the head of the table where the other councilors are seated.
>Fleur follows behind you, retaking her seat at your near right. If she was affronted by your lack of gesture, she's not making it known in the slightest.
>One glance over the other councilors, whose eyes are now all pinned on you, makes it clear that they all had to humiliate themselves in front of Empresses representative.
>While it is important for everyone to know their place, reminding them of it so vehemently only reveals how insecure the Empress, or at least Fleur is in her position.
>Heh... beginner's mistake.
>Putting your forehooves on the table you greet everyone with an open arms gesture.
"Since you are sitting on my council, I assume you all already know who I am."
"However, that pleasure is not mutual, so why don't we start by introducing yourselves to me?"
>Even though you already know who she is, you nod to Fleur, and let her introduce herself again.
>Aside from representing Empresses will, she also represents the unicorn nobles of Canterlot.
>Uppity as she may be, she is the second most important person in the room.
>Following the traditional order, you focus on the pegasus sitting on your near left next.
>With light blue coat and dark blue mane, he is the only stallion on the council.
>"I'm Soarin, your highness, I represent the pegasi of Cloudsdale. I'm here here to help you with your military." he says plainly.
>In other words, he's here to make sure the you don't let the 'rebels' use your kingdom as their base of operations...
>And also to make sure you don't plan to join them.
>The possibility of course crossed your mind, but it would be nigh impossible with a Wonderbolt on your back.
>While, you don't have a first hoof experience, you heard that their unit has built quite a reputation for both their performance and endurance in the last few centuries.
"Very well... " You look to your far right where a white coated earth pony mare with straw colored mane is sitting, "... you are?"
>"The name's March Gustysnows, from Whinnyapolis, I'm here to speak for the earth ponies, you highness. For the workers in your mines."
"The /free/ workers, you mean?"
>"Yes, yes, yes, the /free/ workers in your mines, your highness."
>Some of your workers were slaves, and the idea of things having political representation was puzzling.
>Lastly you turn to your far left, to an uneasy looking griffin with dark brown coat and white-green head, wearing a scarf.
"And you?"
>"I, I'm Greta and I...'m from Griffin Kingdom..."
>There is a short pause.
>"...your highness."
>The treaty did say there would be a councilor representing the non-ponies.
>But an actual non pony on your council?
>Your time with the Nightmare Moon made it clear what she thinks of griffins.
>To think she would appoint one of them in your council?
>Your eyes instinctively go to Fleur, but she seems to be contemptuous of the griffin's presence.
>Before you can ask, March opens her mouth.
>"Excuse me, your highness, but what is /she/ doing here? This was supposed to be a serious work. And she doesn't even know what her job is!"
>She waves her hoof on Greta and all attention shifts to her.
>The griffon sinks back in her chair.
>She looks at you, silently pleading for support.
========
>Of course she knows what her job is, she's just too afraid to speak up.
>It's not the first time your presence did this to someone, and the glowing eyes probably helped a lot when it came to terrorizing beings.
"It's a good question. You only said where you are from, not what you are doing here."
>Evidently, a question was not what she hoped to hear.
>The four gazes, all waiting for an answer, freeze her in her place.
>When her silence becomes annoying, which was after about two seconds, you start slowly tapping your hoof on the table to hurry her up.
>You're trying to run a country here, this is not a time for an amateur hour.
>When you're almost about to give up on her, she finally catches up and starts stammering.
>"I'm watching, I mean I'm here to watch over... Griffin Kingdom heard that there was a new Kingdom next to them and wanted some griffin to... help with, help making trade possible. So they wanted to..."
>Her speech is rudely interrupted by Fleur's unapologetic sigh.
>"Equestria and the Griffin Kingdom have a very strong trade relationships. When the trade guild heard that the Crystal Kingdom joined the Equestrian Empire, they asked the Empress to be allowed to appoint their representative to your Council."
>”The Empress agreed, hoping to strengthen our bond with the Griffin Kingdom, and help integrate the Crystal Kingdom's resources to Equestrian and international market."
>Interesting.
>You're not sure how you feel about Nightmare helping to trade /your/ resources to other kingdoms, but if the Griffins consider you to be important enough to want an ambassador of sorts in your council, you might be able to use Greta to bypass the ban on having your own international policy.
>You could look into this later when the others are not around.
>Now you move on to some more pressing questions.
"So you were appointed by the Griffin Kingdom, is that correct?"
>You only wait long enough for Greta to nod and then continue speaking.
>She's too stressed and you don't have the patience to wait for her to form another semi-coherent answer.
"Well then, before we can continue, I think we need to make some things clear. Exactly who is directly under Nightmare's authority?"
>If you are to rule your kingdom with these four watching over your back, you need to know who they answer to.
>Your question is answered by the stallion.
>"We ALL serve the Empress, but the only one under her direct authority is her," Soarin casually points to Fleur.
>"March used to work as a foreman for the miners union in Whinnyapolis. The Empress asked her to join your council because of her expertise with managing large scale mining operations, but she doesn't directly answer to anypony, except for you, your highness."
>"Greta answers to the Griffin Kingdom. Empress Moon created her position, but didn't have any say in who will the griffins fill it with."
>"And myself, Empress asked Cloudsdale to provide a pegasus to act as your military adviser. So, I'm here because of the Empress, but /directly/ I answer to the Cloudsdale Senate. They chose me, because from all the Wonderbolts available, I was the one with most experience."
========
>Well, that didn't really answer the real question, but you can't just ask which one of them is a traitor, so it will have to do for now.
"What kind of operations do you expect to be involved in here?"
>He rubs his chin with a hoof.
>"I could brief your generals on the changes in military tactics in the past thousand years, and I could help training the new recruits, if that's what you want."
>"But mainly I'm here to tell you about the needs of the pegasi in your kingdom, and warn about the potential dangers of decisions you'll be making."
"So, you're not going to fight?"
>"Unless you are attacked when I'm around, no. I'm here to give advice. Leading military operations is not part of my job."
>Hmmm... you're not sure if you'd want him to do any leading, even if it was.
>He used to be a soldier in Celestia's army when she ruled, mere two weeks ago.
>So if he's already helping Nightmare Moon and yourself, the extent of his loyalty is... questionable at best.
>Having the advisor to your military be a traitor would be lethal.
>You take a moment to mull things over, and slouch back in your chair.
>It's nowhere near as comfortable as your throne.
"Very well, we'll talk about the specifics later, when I've had the time to think about it."
"Either way, I expect you to do a good job. I expect ALL of you to do a good job."
>You don't look at anyone in particular but everyone knows who that last part was aimed on.
>While Greta certainly has a purpose, you get the feeling that she might not be the best fit for the job.
"Meanwhile, are there any immediate problems that need to be solved right now? I heard arguing before I walked in."
>This time it's March who fills you in.
>"Why, yes, your highness, my colleagues and I were just discussing what to do the new workers that are to be arriving from Canterlot in just a few days from now."
>"I s'ppose it could wait until they are here, but I think it wouldn't be too hasty to decide what to do with them right now."
========
>First things first.
"Alright, what is the problem?"
>"Well as you know, Canterlot will be sending over some new ponies to work in the mines."
>"Which is great and all, except that according to esteemed miss Fleur here, all the ponies being sent are all prisoners, which leaves us in quite a pickle."
>"No." Soarin interjects shaking his head.
>"It's not a pickle, I can't believe we're even talking about this."
>He turns from March to you, his voice resonating with deep concern.
>"Your highness, I know this is the way things were being done thousand years ago."
>"But if you force these ponies to work, you will be bringing back a tradition that, even in the most remote parts of Equestria, has been outlawed for over thirty generations."
>"You should be working on releasing your slaves, not adding more of them."
>The Equestrians have always had problems with slavery.
>Who would have thought that they would still be so flustered about the war with the First Griffin Empire, eleven centuries ago?
>After of moment of hopeful silence, March takes back the word.
>"I'm really, REALLY sorry to say this... but the sad reality of the situation is, the crystals will not mine themselves."
>"I agree we need to improve the working conditions and treat these ponies better."
>"But I saw the numbers, the local economy is built on the mines and there will not be a pony left working in them if we don't make then."
>You raise your hoof to silence both of them, and turn to Fleur.
>Sheer convenience of slavery aside, one slave is four times cheaper to maintain than a regular worker, guardpony’s pay included.
"I assume the Empress has an opinion on this as well?"
>"Of course." she readjusts her mane.
>"All the ponies arriving are those who refused or failed to do their duty as Equestrian citizen."
>"The Empress thinks it would be adequate to give them another chance to prove their worth to the Empire, and they should be put to work as soon as possible."
========
>"The only thing /forcing/ them to work will prove is that they are afraid of whips. We need to give them a /choice/ if they want to work or not."
"These are prisoners, Soarin. Convicts. Would you prefer to have them sit in cells all day long, weighing on our economy and finding idle time in which to rebel again?"
"Nothing says I must work them to death or eternity, but they will work."
>"If you don't want them to rebel, then why are you giving them a reason to?"
>Soarin leans over the table, his wings instinctively extending, as he becomes agitated.
>"Slaves rebel. They always do. And no amount of whip or carrot is going to change that. The only way to stop slaves from rebelling is to stop having slaves!"
>"Soarin, please, the economy..."
>Albeit visibly feeling guilty, March tries to argue on your side.
>"This is NOT about the bits March! How can you approve of this? P...ponies are not things!"
"Enough."
>You speak with cold, balanced tone, void of emotion and leaving no room for debate.
"The Empress and I are in agreement."
"March? I want you to review the situation at all of the active mining sites, and find out which of them could use some added ponypower the most."
"I want the new laborers working alongside the regular workers. When they arrive, I will address them, and then they're going straight into the mines."
>Out of the corner of your eye, you spy a small complacent smile sitting on Fleur's face.
>It was entirely your decision, but there's no harm in letting her think otherwise.
"Soarin? I want the ponies to work, I don't want them to die. If you are concerned, examine the working conditions, and we will discuss them later. Understood?"
>"..."
>"Yes your highness, understood."
>He's not happy with the decision you've made, but being a soldier, he knows better than to argue with his superiors.
>Throwing him a bone like this, should be enough to make him feel like you at least listened to what he said.
"Then that will be all. Council dismissed."
========
"Soarin, stay here for a word. The rest of you can leave."
>The other two ponies give you bow, and walk away.
>Greta bows as well, then trots away at a brisk pace.
>Whatever her opinion was, she's glad no one wanted to hear it.
>Soarin covers his face with his hooves for a moment, and takes a long deep breath, calming himself down, and folding his wings back where they belong.
>Then turns to you and listens, looking down.
"Soarin..."
>You trail off waiting for him to make eye contact.
"That was inappropriate."
>He looks down again.
>"Yes your highness."
"This was the last time you argued with me in front of the other councilors. I can't have you challenge my authority like that."
>"Yes your highness, I was out of my place, it will not happen again."
"No, it won't."
>You look for any signs of disobedience or resistance.
>Sideway glances, rapid breathing, subtle shaking...
>He may not let it happen again, but he certainly wants to.
"I don't want you to argue with me when the others are around, but now that it's just the two of us, do you have anything to say?"
>The speed with which his response arrives surprises you.
>It doesn't show in his tone, but it’s in the way he's breathing.
>"I thought was here to give you my honest opinions, not to tell you what you wanted to hear."
>First you thought he was sad, but no, he's angry.
"You are completely right about that one. But you're here to give me your opinion, NOT to argue with me."
"If that's what you came here to do, then you're going to have to leave."
>"Permission to speak freely, your highness?"
>Didn't he already pass that point?
"Yes, of course."
>"I didn't ask for this job. I was assigned to it. If you want someone to replace me, write a letter demanding my replacement, And I will personally take it back to Cloudsdale."
"That's not what I meant."
>"..."
"The problem is not you, it's your attitude."
>"Your highness?"
"I listened to what you had to say, but you didn't give me a viable alternative."
"Letting them sit in prison doesn't make them any more free than working in the mines does."
"They are prisoners, not free people arriving of their own will, I can't just let them go."
>"Why?"
>What?
"... I just said that they are prisoners."
>"I know, but why? Why are they prisoners?"
>Again, what?
"Because they committed crimes…? Do you seriously not know how the law works or you trying to make some point?"
>"I mean why are they prisoners? Did they kill somepony? Did they set something on fire? Did they steal something?"
"I... don't know."
>Not that you particularly cared either.
>When you conquer a town, you don't differentiate between who fought against you and who was just hiding, everyone becomes a slave.
>It's a punishment for being on the wrong side and getting caught.
>"And that's exactly the problem."
>Soarin pauses and glances behind him, then turns back to you.
>"Ever since the Empress came to power, there have been large scale raids and arrest all across the Empire."
>"Did hundreds of ponies just decide to start raping and murdering, when the Sun didn't come up?"
>This far up north, not seeing sun for a few weeks was normal occurrence every winter.
>You're honestly not sure if such a thing could drive a southern pony insane.
"You think that the Empress decided to arrest them just for fun? Are you saying that they didn't do anything wrong?"
>"No, of course I don't know what they did..."
>"But neither do you. And you shouldn't be deciding what their fate will be until you know /why/ they are in prison."
>"Just because the Empress..."
>He thinks about how, or if, he should finish that sentence.
>"Just because the Empress said something doesn't mean that you have to do the same. You have a choice."
========
>Could the Empress really be sending you innocents?
>Would she arrest ponies that didn't do anything, just so that she would have enough workers to feed to your mines?
>Does she even need to?
>The regular criminals aside, the Empire must be brimming with traitors, rebels and dissidents.
>If vandals deserve to be punished for destroying other pony's property, then rebels deserve to be punished for trying to destroy Nightmare's Empire.
>If that's the kind of ponies she's sending to you, then releasing them would be... problematic to say the least.
>You need to keep the relationship working.
>Whatever the reason for their imprisonment, she thought it right to put them to jail, and defying her authority like this would be pointlessly stupid.
"I'm not doing this because the Empress said so. I'm doing it because it's the right choice."
"These ponies are prisoners for a reason. If you honestly believe some of them are innocent, you'll need to find the proof yourself. I can't base my decisions on a hunch."
>He's not happy with what you say, but he listens and faces you when you speak.
>"I... understand."
>Somewhere deep inside of his eyes, you can see that a spark of hope just died.
>Sadly, there's nothing you can do to save it.
>Not without doing something that would be really, really dumb.
"In the future, if you have any issues with the decisions I make, you can discuss them with me in private."
"Openly defying me, or the Empress however, would not end well for you. Do you understand?"
>"Yes, your highness."
"It won't be a problem, will it?"
>"No, your highness. I'm a soldier, I'm not trained to like my orders, I'm trained to carry them out."
"..."
>"Permission to leave?"
>There's nothing more you can do right now.
>Not while he's imagining innocent fillies and colts, starving and working 16 hours a day just so you could have some extra bits for your treasury.
>Or whatever he thinks the inside of your mines looks like.
>With a wave of a hoof, you send him away.
@@@@@@@@
>Once you’re certain Soarin’ won’t return with any last second outburst, you set off towards your bed chambers.
>You still need to deal with the Empresses little pet, but you’re going to do so on your terms, not hers.
>Scaling three new flights of stairs, you once again find yourself torn between regretting having your castle built like this, and lamenting the fact that you never learned how to teleport the “conventional” way.
>Still, you eventually find yourself outside the ornate doors to your bedroom.
>As you’re about to open them, you pause, and look over at the plain, unassuming door right by yours, leading to your hoofmare’s room.
>Now that you think of it...you haven’t seen Jewel at all since you’ve returned from Canterlot.
>You know you SHOULD summon that prissy unicorn mare but...
>It has been a long, stressful week, you’ve just dealt with ponies trying to order you around in YOUR castle, an incompetent griffin, and a quite possibly seditious pegasus.
>Little miss “voice of the Empress” can wait.
>You’ll deal with her when and where YOU wish, and right now?
>You want nothing more than to relax.
>What better way than to do it with your favorite stress reliever?
“Oh Jeeewwweeel,” you sing out.
>The walls to her room are paper thin, so she’ll always be able to hear your call.
>Yet, despite the fact that she KNOWS better than to leave you waiting, there’s no response.
>You frown. Where has that stupid girl gone to?
>If you have to actually get up and look around the castle for her…
>Well, her screams would be a clearer message to Fleur than any discussion the two of you could have.
>Snarling, you throw open her door to make sure she isn’t trying to hide from you, revealing...oh right.
>”M-mistress…? Is that you?” Jewel calls out, exhaustion dripping from her voice.
>Your hoofmare’s balanced on her hind legs, a dog collar around her neck which in turn, is hooked into an almost taut chain leading to the ceiling.
>NOW you remember!
>She had asked you what you wanted her to do while you were gone, and you left her hanging.
>Hiding your grin at that private joke, you spark your horn.
“Yes Jewel, it’s me. I’m here now.”
>You gently grasp your favored servant in your magic, undoing the collar and cradle her before you, having lifting her out of that stress position.
>She shuts her eyes tight as you levitate her over to you, whimpering out, “Th-thank you Mistress. I missed you…”
>A warm smile dances across your lips.
>You give a cursory examination to your slave, making sure she’s clean, that there aren’t any obvious signs of your guards taking advantage of her while you were out.
>Her still quaking legs and deep bags under her eyes are testament to her exhaustion, but you don’t see any other signs of abuse.
“As you should have. I trust the servants kept you well fed?”
>She nods her head, still keeping her eyes closed.
>”Yes Mistress, they did. One of the maids tried to let me down, but I wouldn’t let her!”
>”Good girl, Jewel,” you coo to her, brushing over her back with a ripple of magic.
>The fact that a maid tried to go against your will is a tad disconcerting...but you’ll deal with her tomorrow.
>It’s a good thing you recently came into possession of a whole herd of new ponies...ones who’ll be quite fun to break in.
>Surely one of them would love to be a maid instead of a miner.
“Come along now. You and I are going to have a bit of fun before you get to rest.”
>She gives the barest of pauses before nodding her head again, “Y-yes Mistress, I would love that.”
>Levitating her behind you, you trot into your room, soon depositing the exhausted mare onto your bed.
>Humming to yourself, you swish your tail as you approach your toy chest.
>Opening it, you peruse through the contents. It has pretty much everything anypony lucky enough to spend the night with you could want for a...fun time.
>That’s of course if you even want to use them.
>The question is...what do you want to do tonight?
@@@@@@@@
>As you gaze over your collection of toys, any plan you try to form devolves into the same guilty thought.
>You hadn’t meant for her to be chained to the ceiling for a week.
>What you had intended to be a little reminder that she is nothing without you, had blown into nothing but torture, because you hadn’t expected to be gone more than two days, let alone a whole week.
>She could have died.
>Not only that, she must have realized it, and STILL turned that maid away.
>That level of devotion deserves to be rewarded, not tormented further.
>You close the chest and turn back to look at your hoofmare. Her eyes are glazed over, her eyelids drooping as her head threatens to fall forward onto your bed.
>Still...she serves YOU, not the other way around. You aren’t going to let her rest quiiiite yet.
>After all, if not her, then who else would you use?
>You wonder if that’s another thing you should fix, while you set aside your regalia and cloak.
>Climbing onto your bed, you grasp her cheeks in your magic.
>She stiffens against your pull, most likely out of fear, as you force her to look at you.
“Jewel...you deserve a reward for doing such a good job. Tell me. What would YOU like to do tonight?”
>”I…” Her mouth works wordlessly as her eyes dart back and forth, looking over you for any hint as to the ‘correct’ answer.
>Finally, she says, “I would like whatever you’d like, Mistress.”
>You shake your head.
“No, no, that’s not a proper reward. I want you to tell me what YOU want.”
>Her eyes snap shut and she winces as though you had slapped her.
>Well, tries to wince, anyway.
>Your grip on her keeps her from actually being able to pull her head away.
>You get up and walk around her, looking over the (relatively) recently crystallized form of your pet.
>Keeping your horn sparked, you let go of her face before gingerly ‘grasping’ the folds of her sex with your magic, simulating a tongue running over her nether lips.
>She shivers, a whimper leaking out from her muzzle.
>However, she still doesn’t give you an answer.
“Tell me, Jewel. How long have you...personally served me?”
>Her ears perk up a bit. She must feel safer with questions that have an objective answer.
>”J-just under a yyyyear, Mistress.”
>Keeping up your magical teasing under her tail, you go on.
“How much of that time have you been my only hoofmare?”
>”Th-three months, Mistress.”
>A smile brushes over your lips for a moment.
“You’ve done such a great job since you’ve started working solo. Do you mean to tell me you’ve never once thought about what you’d like, never fantasized about something for yourself?”
>Her ears sink right back down against her head, as you bring up her former “co-worker.”
>”I…” she tenses up, fidgeting a bit on the bed.
>Is that her working up courage, or a climax?
>”I would just like to cuddle with you tonight, Mistress!” She finally blurts out.
>You pause, raising an eyebrow.
>She hunches down, quivering, her muscles visibly tense under her sparkling fur.
>She’s serious, isn’t she?
>...Do you really want to just do THAT?
@@@@@@@@
>You look over her still cowering form, ceasing her magical molestation.
>She only curls in tighter, a little squeak arising from her throat...she’s obviously thinking she made the wrong decision.
>Well, you did offer her a reward. If she wants cuddles, then she’ll get cuddles.
>However...they will be on your terms, not hers.
>Keeping your horn alit, you open your toy chest and levitate a few lengths of rope out and over to you.
“If that is what you’d like…”
>She lifts her head, cracking an eye open to look at you. “Mistress…?”
>Enveloping her in your magical aura, you lift your hoofmare off the bed, eliciting a yelp of surprise.
>Floating her a few inches off the bed, you easily force her enervated legs against her barrel.
>As you coil the ropes around her, securing each of her limbs, she whimpers out, “M-mistress, wh-what are you doing?”
“I’m giving you what you want. However, I’m not going to let you forget that it’s only by my grace that you’re allowed this rest.”
>You consider securing her mouth as well. She’s questioning you, and she doesn’t really NEED to talk right now.
>However...some proper adoration would be nice, after dealing with that council.
>Deciding you’d rather hear your pet sing, you simply make sure the ropes binding your pet are secure and lay her on her side with her head on a pillow.
>Laying against her, you pull her back against your belly.
>You can feel the tension in her unwind as you wrap a foreleg around her.
>”Thank you, Mistress. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she sighs and nuzzles against your chin.
>You pat her barrel with a hoof, prompting her to mutter out, her voice slurring, “You’re so warm…”
>Smiling, you muse to yourself.
>You HAD planned on simply using your pet and make Fleur stew a bit before you summoned her, but if you’re cuddling Jewel, it would make any meeting with Fleur...awkward, to say the least.
>Then again, nothing says you can’t make her wait until “morning” to meet you.
>Jewel twitches against the ropes keeping her helpless, the muscles in her back jerking against you, evidence that she’s already falling asleep.
>She can’t even manage to cuddle you properly right now, can she?
>If she can’t handle even this...then you’re going to need a new pet. This one’s defective.
“Jewel.”
>She jerks again, this time snapping back to wakefulness. “Mistress…?”
“I think it’s time for you to have another friend, don’t you?”
>Jewel tenses up against you before she starts to squirm, struggling against the ropes as she tries to roll around to face you.
>“No, please, Mistress, I-I don’t need a friend, all I need is you! I can-”
“Calm down,” you command, glaring at her as she twists around, peeking at you out of the corner of her eye.
>”I...but Mistress...”
>She relents, going still as she looks at you, pleading as best she can.
>Apparently you’ve left her as your sole pet for too long.
>She’s become so dependent on you, that she’s afraid of having other friends too...you can’t have that.
>You need to get her a new friend...and at the same time, yourself a new pet...whether she likes it or not.
>But how do you approach this without crushing her?
@@@@@@@@
>You press a hoof to the side of her head and forcibly turn her away, burying her face against the pillow but otherwise leaving her half turned towards you.
"Are you trying to tell your mistress that you know better than her?"
>She shudders against you, but doesn't respond.
>This is what you get for trying to be nice, you suppose. You give her one small reward, and suddenly she threatens to turn rebellious.
>You push down against her, more as a warning as you growl out,
"Jewel...you know that mistress knows what’s best for you, right?"
>A small whimper rises from her throat before she squeaks out, "Y-yes mistress. I'm-sorry."
>Lifting your hoof from her muzzle, you turn the rest of her to properly face away from you.
"You do? Then I don’t see why you’re putting up such a fuss. As I recall, you had quite a lot of fun with your last friend, didn't you?"
>She jerks against you before answering, ”Yes mistress! I did!”
>Well, now that sounds like a forced answer if you’ve ever heard one.
>You pull her in tight against you, your hoof pressing to her barrel as you say,
“Reeaally? Then tell me. Of all the things I made you two do, what did you enjoy the most?”
>She shivers against you as she searches for the ‘right’ answer, stammering out, “I-I...I…”
>You know she just needs some encouragement.
>Sparking your horn once more, you grab ahold of her teats and squeeze them, playing with her nipples.
>Your pet gasps out the moment your magic tugs at her, soon squirming against the ropes holding her still.
“Was it when I tied you up, blindfolded you and made you guess whose tongue was teasing you?”
>Jewel shudders violently against you, the closest thing you get to an answer as she no doubt remembers the penalty for guessing wrong.
“No? What about when you two were a living sculpture for that party? Didn’t you like kissing for hours, with dozens of guests eyeing you?”
>You reach a hoof down, underneath her tail and stroke over her nether lips while continuing to magically tease her teats.
>It gets her properly struggling against the ropes, a small moan rising from her throat.
>If you didn’t know better, you’d swear the way her head’s shifting is her shaking her head “no.”
>Of course she knows better than to do that. She just needs one last push.
“What about when I had you two compete to see who would get to orgasm that week? As I recall, you were the better one at that game…”
>Taking the bait, your pet cries out, “That one, mistress! I-I enjoyed that one the most!”
>You kiss her on the back of her head.
“See? You DID love having a companion. This is why I need a new pet. Then you two can play all sorts of fun games that you haven’t been able to, since you’ve been servicing me by yourself.”
>Before she can respond, you grip Jewel’s ear in your teeth and nibble over it. It certainly feels different than you’re used to.
>Almost like you’re chewing on a flexible piece of glass.
>“Nyuuuhh...Y-yes, mistress...”
>Without letting up your ministrations, you continue on,
“You WILL be friends with this new pony, Jewel. Is that clear?”
>She winces and tries to curl in upon herself as best as the ropes will allow, pressing her nethers against your hoof before nodding her head. “Yes mistress...I’ll be ffffriendss with whomever you chooooose....”
>Smiling, you kiss the back of her head once more and cease teasing the bound mare, your wet hoof resuming its previous position on her chest.
>She thrashes against her bonds in response, forgetting herself as she cries out, “Mistress, please, I’m so close!”
“Mmm...well, since you ARE being rewarded...I’ll make an exception just this once.”
>”Th-thank you mistress!” Your pet cries out, hiking her tail as high as she can against you.
>You wrap your clean hoof around her tied limbs as you get to work.
>No reason to get both of them dirty, after all.
>She twitches and wiggles against you, moaning as you drag your fetlock over her winking sex, avoiding her clit as it pokes out periodically.
>Your pet may be close, but there’s no reason you have to give it to her right away.
>Instead, you drink in her little moans, feeling her squirm against your barrel and buck against your hoof as best she can while bound.
>”Mistress….pleeeaaase!” she whines out, her limbs shaking, her muscles twitching against you.
>You take her ear in your teeth once more, licking over the tip.
>Ignoring the fact that it still feels like you’re biting a window, you work your hoof downwards, rubbing over her winking clit and grind your fetlock into her.
>That was just the push she needed.
>Jewel jerks against you, arching her back as she lets out a loud whinny, signifying her climax.
>Her pussy spasms against your hoof as her fluids leak out around it, soaking the blanket underneath her.
>You continue to grind your hoof into her, letting her ride out her climax, until she goes limp against you.
>Only then do you pull your hoof back, wrapping it around your pet’s form, smearing her fluids into her fur.
>”Thank you mistress...thank you...” she breaths out shuddering every so often.
>”I love you, mistress...” she murmurs before going quiet, bringing a smile to your lips.
>You squeeze your pet’s limp form against you, and bury your face in her mane, listening to the sound of her steady breathing, the post climax rhythm lulling you to sleep.
>Just as you’re about to cross the threshold into the realm of dreams, your pet’s voice rings out in your ears again, dragging you back to the world of the waking. "M-mistress?"
>Cracking an eye open, you lift your head.
"Yes, Jewel?"
>"Can I ask you something mistress?"
>Setting your head back down, you mutter,
"You just did."
>As you make a point of nuzzling back into her mane, you can /feel/ the flurry of emotions running through her.
>Only once she’s had enough time to stew do you speak up.
"You may ask another one."
>While she doesn’t exactly perk up, she does speak.
>"I...I wanted to ask...am I not good enough for you mistress? Did I...am I not being good enough? Is there something more I could do for you?"
>...And here you thought she was just jealous.
"Don't worry Jewel. You're serving me just fine. But do you remember that one time when I had you and your friend kiss me on both ends at the same time? I want to do it again, and plenty of other things too... and you can't do them alone. I'm not sending you away. I'm just getting you some help."
>She relaxes against you, the tension in her unwinding with every word.
>"So...I will be allowed to stay with you? Can I stay with you mistress, even after the new pet arrives?”
"Yes Jewel. You can stay as long as I want."
>"A-as long as-”
>You squeeze her, cutting her off.
"Hush now, I want to sleep."
>Jewel’s tension returns with a vengence, your mare quivering, her muscles tightening as she processes your words.
>...She’s not as comfortable to hold when she’s stressed. It feels like holding a giant aspen leaf.
>You give her a moment to try and wait out her terror.
>It’s only once it’s become clear that she’s not going going to stop, do you grab her in your magic, and spin her around to face you, earning a yelp of surprise from her.
>Wrapping your hooves around your cowering pet, you lay your chin on the top of her head, feeling her bound legs pressing to you.
“Shhhh…I’m not sending you anywhere...”
>Jewel nods her head and slowly but surely calms down against you, her trembling soon coming to a halt.
>Perfect for you to fall asleep against.
########
>You open your eyes, and find yourself sitting in your council room.
>…
>Only this time, it’s empty.
>You look around for a few moments, and take note of the room around you.
>It looks just like it did before, with the appropriately labeled folders in front of each pony’s seat.
>You walk around the room, and look at the large, pristine crystal table.
>In the sun, it’s almost glaringly bright.
>…
>How long had it been since you’d had a chance to simply look at your palace?
>A thousand years?
>You shake your head.
>That’s what they’ve told you anyways — a thousand years of self-imposed exile.
>Not that you remember even a day of it.
>You take a moment to simply stand, and bask in the gentle reflections of the clear, crystal walls.
>Reaching the head of the table, you take a seat, and look at the papers resting before you.
>The stack is mercifully small, containing only the briefings from your council members, and their initial reports.
>As you sort through them, you decide which one to read first.
>Fleur De Lis perhaps?
>Cracking open the cover page, you see what appears to be a wall of small, extremely fine, elegant text.
>You cringe.
>Wonderful writing for sure, but not exactly something that you’d like to read at this very moment.
>…
>Perhaps the griffon has something more… simple to read.
>She wasn’t the most vocal member of your council; perhaps she is equally reserved in writing.
>You reach for the cover, and draw it back, revealing...
>”So this is what my favorite little unicorn dreams of…”
>Your ears stand tall, hearing the voice filling the air.
>You look up, and see… Luna?
>That’s what her name /was/ if you remember correctly, but apparently she had an identity crisis, and dyed her fur or — whatever...
"Hmm? Oh, Moon...something. Are you trying to usurp my Empire again?"
>You grin widely, and laugh at your own joke.
"We all know how well that worked last time..."
>While in Canterlot you were forced into being more reserved, being back in your Empire, you feel much more confident facing the mare before you.
>If you remember correctly, when she /first/ came to your Empire with her sister, she was temperamental to say the least.
>Now all you have to do is...
>The mare giggles as she casually walks around your council table, tracing her right wing-tip on the crystal as she walks.
>”With you entrapped in ice for a thousand years?”
>”Why yes little one, we /do/ remember how successful you were during your /failed/ reign…”
>…
>That’s… that’s not what you expected.
>You blink, taking the moment to gather yourself.
>Perhaps she has… developed a tongue since you last saw her.
>Unfortunately for her, this time, she’s alone, and if she was foolish enough to come here without her army of guards, so be it.
"Last I checked, the only issue I had was when you and Big Sister tried to kill me...and it didn't work. Plus, I'm the one sitting on the throne, that means I'm still the one in charge."
>Still, there is a surprising lack of response.
>Instead, she continues her slow, calm walk toward your seat.
>She’s not even looking at you — and that smile is still on her dumb little face...
>Something’s off…
>She speaks.
>”In charge?”
>”Come now little one, certainly your adolescent understanding of the arcane has not corrupted your memory so severely; we are sure you recall you signing away your kingdom to us so that you could scamper your way back to the frozen tundra you call home…”
>You can practically /feel/ your blood boil.
>Whatever humor was in your banter before disappears entirely.
"...Adolescent understanding of the arcane?!"
>You stand up from your chair, snarling at the approaching mare.
>/She/ dares to call /you/ an adolescent?
>Wasn’t /she/ the one who bickered with her sister in the middle of battle?!?
>Her sister did /everything/ for her!
>If anything, /she’s/ the adolescent, not you!
>Your voice is raw with anger and vengeance.
"Listen, you. I am the Crystal /EMPRESS/, and the foremost scholar on dark magic!”
“You may have your stupid little wings, but I can do things nopony could even /dream/ of!”
“Now, you have the /nerve/ to come into MY home, and insult me?"
>You draw forth a massive dark force into your horn.
"I think Jewel would like a new frien-“
>Then, something goes wrong.
>As you spark your horn to teach the lunar princess a lesson in humility, a sharp pain pours out from it.
“Gah!!!"
>You fall onto one hoof, your eyes practically blinded by pain.
>Your mind is racing.
>This doesn't make any sense… that spell isn’t supposed to-
>Something brushes against your chin.
>You look up, and see the dark alicorn staring down at you with a small, but haughty, sarcastic grin.
>”Foremost scholar?”
>She giggles.
>”Tell us, then, why does the supposed “foremost scholar” of “dark magic” wield an impotent horn?”
>You feel her mane brush your ear before touching your horn, causing another flash of deep, raw agony.
“AHHH!!!!”
>She continues.
>”Even a year old /foal/ can control their spells, yet your own craft causes you pain?”
>Her words barely register as your mind struggles to block out the sensation from your horn.
>It’s feels like boiling water being poured over your head…
>”Can you not control your own horn?”
>Finally, she grants you space.
>”No little filly -- you are neither scholar, nor mage, nor Empress…”
>You look up, and watch as the room shifts.
>Everything is getting darker.
>Your ears are filled with the sounds of cracking, as the once clear walls shift and shatter, transforming into dark, black walls of crystal.
>Her eyes…
>Is that… dark magic?
>The air begins to feel heavy — it’s difficult to breathe.
>”You are our subject…”
>Then, whatever was in her eyes disappears.
>The room, still dark, seems less… hostile.
>You turn to your right, and see the walls are still scarred, blackened and warped.
>You take a deep, welcome breath of air, before looking up at the pony towering over you.
>She smiles.
>”And /we/ are your Empress... “
########