Captain Anonymous - Chapter 23 - The Bond
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>You and Shining walk side by side to Luna’s bedroom. You begin to shed your uniform as Shining Armor removes his armor, both of you setting your apparel aside neatly on either side of the bed as you climb into it. You lay on your back, staring at the ceiling in the darkness. Shining lays on his side, looking at you. Both of you remain silent for an hour or so, Shining tossing and turning, neither of you able to fall asleep.
 
>Just down the hall in Celestia’s guest room, Twilight and Cadance are also unable to sleep, talking to each other in the darkness. Twilight nudges her sister in law with a hoof and she rolls over to look at her.
 
>”Hey Cadance, this is probably a silly thing to worry about but…” she hesitates, biting her lip
 
>”Well, go on,” Cadance urges
 
>”My brother and Anon, you don’t think they’re like… becoming romantically attracted to each other, do you?”
 
>Cadance laughs loudly at the suggestion, so hard she has a hard time catching her breath before finally settling down and replying.
 
>”Oh goodness no, Twilight!” she says reassuringly with a giggle. “You’re the only one Anon pines for, and the same is true for Shining and me. There is some kind of strange bond forming between them though, something I’ve never sensed before.”
 
>”Do you think it’s anything to worry about?”
 
>”I don’t think so, Twilight. I sense a growing love between them, but a very different kind of love than a mated mare and stallion have for one another.”
 
>Twilight gives a little sigh of relief. She remains silent for a while longer before speaking again.
 
>”When we were at the hospital… as Anon was recovering from the drugs they gave him… he… he said he wanted to marry me… and he asked me when he’s going to get to be a daddy…” Twilight blushes and shudders a bit.
 
>”Oh my…” Cadance replies with a little gasp. “Well, how do you feel about that?”
 
>”I really don’t know… I love Anon more than anything, but the thought of getting married terrifies me for some reason… and the thought of having foals… what if we can’t even have foals together? He was very adamant about wanting to be a father. It was all… overwhelming, to say the least.”
 
>”Let me ask you a question, say the first thing that comes to your mind and don’t dwell on it. Go with the very first thing you think okay?”
 
>”Alright…”
 
>”If Anon proposed to you right now, would you say yes?”
 
>”YES!” Twilight blurts out loudly.
 
>Cadance smiles and laughs.
 
>”I think that’s all you really need to know then. You can worry about foals later on. We’ll find a way to make you two parents one way or another, if that’s what you want. There’s no rush,” she says, gently resting a wing on Twilight’s back.
 
>“Look at me and Shining, we want to have a family but we haven’t had any foals yet, and it certainly hasn’t been for lack of trying,” she says, nudging her playfully, “but I can promise you, Twilight, you’re going to be an aunt someday.”
 
>She gives her a quick nuzzle before rolling back over and closing her eyes and yawning. ”No point in fretting over it right now, try to get some sleep, okay?”
 
>”Okay… goodnight Cadance,” Twilight yawns and sighs as she rolls over, trying to clear her mind. It’s not long before her fatigue overcomes her and she’s fast asleep.
 
>After about an hour of lying in bed wide awake, Shining finally whispers to you
 
>”Pst… Anon.. hey Anon… you asleep?”
 
“No.”
 
>You feel the mattress shift as Shining sits up.
 
>”You tired at all?”
 
“No. You?”
 
>”Nope.”
 
“Think we should ask Luna to put us to sleep or something?”
 
>”I doubt she’s even here, Anon.”
 
“Maybe we can sneak into bed with Twily and Cadance,” you suggest.
 
>”I’d really rather not tick my wife off any more than she already is. I’ve learned from experience not to try to sneak back into bed with her when she’s upset with me.”
 
“What a whipped little stallion you are,” you tease.
 
>”Oh please, like you’re any better,” he snorts indignantly, “Twily has such a tight leash on you I’m surprised you can even breathe. Besides, I’d rather be whipped than lonely. Cadance says jump, I say how high. You know how it is, the mare has all the power, all we can do is grovel at their hooves and hope they don’t toss us aside like a used tissue one day.”
 
“You do know you’re MARRIED to her right? Did you not see how Cadance reacted when she thought I was dominating you? That mare fucking adores you, she won’t-”
 
>”I know, I know, Anon, I was being facetious.”
 
“Oh,” you reply.
 
>”So are we just going to sit here trading barbs and lame jokes all night or what?”
 
>You shrug and sigh. You lay in uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Shining eventually speaks up again.
 
>“You wanna go for a ride?” he asks nervously, a faint blush on his face as he rubs the back of his neck
 
>You sit up in bed and raise an eyebrow.
 
“You mean right now?”
 
>”Yeah, why not?” he replies.
 
“I guess we could, but it’d be a pain in the ass for both of us to get all dressed up again and-“
 
>Shining interrupts you before you can finish.
 
>”Oh, pfft, we don’t need to do that. I’ll slip my bridle on and you can just ride me bareback. We’ll go wherever you wanna go,” he says eagerly.
 
“You sure you don’t want your saddle to make things more comfortable for you?”
 
>”Nah, I’m fine.”
 
>Shining has already slipped out of bed and put his bridle on, he’s now standing next to you on your side of the bed, giving a nervous swish of his tail.
 
>”Hop on.”
 
“I’m not even dressed, Shining…”
 
>”Who cares? It’s not cold outside or anything, you’ll be fine. Now come on already, let’s go!” he snorts, starting to prance in place.
 
“This isn’t a fetish for you or something now, is it?” you ask, still hesitating.
 
>”What? Of course not, Anon, don’t be weird,” he says with another couple impatient tail flicks.
 
>You sigh as you climb out of bed. You hesitantly swing a leg over Shining’s back and take the reins. You gasp a little bit feeling his soft warm fur and strong tense muscles beneath you against your bare skin as he begins to stride out of the room, nothing protecting you from the elements but a thin pair of underpants as you exit the castle.
 
“You think we should take the back streets, try to avoid the main roads and too many prying eyes?” you ask nervously. No matter how long you’ve been here you’ll always be uncomfortable not wearing clothes in public.
 
>Shining simply nickers in response, pawing at the ground as he awaits further instructions from you. You squeeze his sides a bit and touch your left rein against his neck, Shining immediately responding, walking forward toward one of the quieter areas of Canterlot.
 
>You feel Shining wanting to move more quickly, so you occasionally ask for a trot or canter, causing him to snort and smile as he changes his gait for you. You can’t help but to reach down and pat or scratch his neck from time to time, always getting an affectionate nicker in response.
 
>Shining seems hesitant to return to the castle. Whenever you steer him in that direction he stops, looking back at you and nodding in a different direction pleadingly. You keep indulging him time after time, by the time you’re finished you feel like you’ve gone down every street in Canterlot a hundred times.
 
>Shining finally starts to sweat, his slick body soaking your undergarments and making it difficult to keep a good grasp on him with your legs as you finally ride back toward the castle. Throughout your entire ride Shining never spoke a single word, communicating instead with soft nickers and body language.
 
>As you pass a clock you see that the two of you had been out riding for three hours. It really didn’t feel like that long at all. When you get back to Luna’s bedroom you dismount, finding a towel to dry Shining off. He sits on his haunches as you rub the towel vigorously over his body. You also take your underpants off and dry his sweat off of your body.
 
>As you finish Shining pulls you into a deep, strong hug, letting out a series of nickers as his tail swishes back and forth. You return his hug affectionately, scratching his neck and back. Your embrace lasts several minutes before the two of you get into the bed. Shining isn’t shy about cozying up to you, scooting close and resting his head and a hoof on your chest, giving one more nicker as you pat his neck and rub his sides.
 
“Shining?”
 
>”Yeah Anon?”
 
“What the hell is this thing between us?”
 
>”I don’t know, Anon. Does it make you uncomfortable?”
 
“No, it feels nice, just strange is all.”
 
>”I know. Every time we’ve gone for a ride, I felt closer to you by the end.”
 
“Me too. You don’t think this will be a problem when it comes time to carry out our plan, do you?”
 
>”Not at all. I would like to know what’s happening to us though. Like right now, before all of this we’d never have willingly gotten this close to each other in bed. I mean, it’s not like I wanna kiss you or rut you or anything, but it’s comforting being with you. When you’re actually on me, I hardly think of anything at all, it’s like some kind of subconscious urge is being satisfied, and when I feel your firm grip on those reins all I want to do is obey, and that brings me pleasure.”
 
“Has this ever happened to any other pony that you know of?”
 
>He scoots closer to you, but you don’t pull away, instead continuing to pat and rub and scratch him for “being a good boy.” It seems ludicrous when you think about it that way. Like Cadance said, he’s not your pet, but that’s just how you feel at the moment – you’re rewarding him for ‘being good.’
 
>”I don’t think so,” he says, nickering as you continue to reward him for giving you a nice ride. His submissiveness to you is very unlike him, but once again, you both strangely derive a great deal of satisfaction from it.
 
“Do you know much about your ancient history?”
 
>”Not much, why?”
 
“I was just curious if there was some point a really long time ago when it was common for ponies to be ridden and form these kinds of bonds with their riders. Maybe with a race that’s extinct now?”
 
>”I don’t remember learning about anything like that in school, but Twilight’s much more of a history buff than me, she might know.”
 
“I’m just wondering if we’ve awakened some vestigial instinct in you or something. What are you feeling right now as I’m patting and scratching you?”
 
>”I don’t really know… kind of like I’m being rewarded, I guess?” he replies hesitantly.
 
“Rewarded for what?”
 
>When he doesn’t respond you decide to test him. You pull him closer and begin scratching his neck more vigorously, patting him and praising him as well.
 
“GOOD boy, Shiny, VERY GOOD boy, thank you so much for the nice ride my noble steed, my strong, loyal, faithful stallion, my good little pony,” you say, half expecting him to hoof you in the face and break your nose again for talking down to him. Instead he closes his eyes and smiles, letting out a loud, deep, long and drawn-out nicker, his tail flicking a few times.
 
>”Thank you master,” he says, nuzzling against your chest, not seeming to realize what he just said. He nickers a couple more times, reveling in your affection and praise until you finally decide it’s time to snap him out of it.
 
“Shining,” you say, trying to get his attention, only getting a nicker in response. You shake him a little bit and push him away gently. “Hey, Shining,” you say, snapping your fingers in front of his face. He still seems oblivious, so eventually you clap your hands and yell out his name loudly, “SHINING!”
 
>He finally shakes his head and comes back from whatever state of mind he was just in, still resting against you slightly, looking up at you with a curious expression, as if he’s not sure where he’s at or what he’s doing.
 
“Shining, do you know what you just called me?”
 
>His ears lay flat against his head and he looks away from you, blushing in embarrassment.
 
>”Yeah…” he says, pausing for several moments, “I called you ‘master.’” He covers his eyes with both front hooves and plants his face in a pillow as he replies.
 
“Why did you call me that?”
 
>”I don’t know, it just slipped out,” he whimpers. “Can we please not tell anypony about that?”
 
>You pull him from his hiding place between the pillows and sit up in bed, having him sit on his haunches as you continue your conversation. He avoids eye contact, still in shame.
 
“Well duh, obviously that can stay a secret between the two of us,” you say to ease his mind, “but what I want to know is do you really see me as your ‘master’ in some way? Your attitude toward me has changed dramatically all in the span of a day after a few little rides together. I thought we were just having fun but obviously there’s more to it than that for you…”
 
>Shining still refuses to make eye contact as he slowly considers his response
 
>”I guess… I guess I do… at least… at least when we’re riding,” he admits reluctantly, “but I mean, that doesn’t make me a slave or anything. I chose to do those things. I wanted to obey you, and be rewarded like this, it makes me feel so good in a way I never have before… but at the same time I feel so ashamed…” he whimpers. You smile, slowly sliding back down in the bed until you’re on your back again, looking up at the humiliated stallion as he stews in his shame.
 
“Of course you’re no slave, Shiny,” you try to comfort him, “You’ve already proven you could take me to task should you decide to at any time, I doubt I could ever force you to do anything.” you motion for him to lay back down and get comfortable with you, which he does slowly as you continue to speak to him. “If it makes you feel good to call me ‘master,’ and for me to call you a ‘good boy,’ then I’m happy to indulge you. I was sort of hoping we could talk to Cadance and Twilight to figure out what’s happening with you, but if it’s something you want to keep private that’s fine too.”
 
>”Let’s keep this between us for now,” he says, gently settling his head and a hoof against your chest again, closing his eyes as you stroke his neck once again.
 
>”Anon… in the hospital, while you were recovering… you said some things. A lot of things. Things you don’t remember…” he says after a few minutes, hestitating to continue.
 
“Oh really? Like what?” you ask, a bit confused as you don’t remember saying anything.
 
>”Some of it was jibberish but you also said some things that maybe you didn’t quite want anypony else to hear just yet. Or at all…”
 
>You shrug it off
 
“It happens with drugs like that sometimes. You and Twily were the only ones there, right? So it’s no big deal,” you reply dismissively.
 
>”Yeah, I guess,” he hesitates, “you said you loved me, Anon.”
 
>You pause, your hand resting on Shining’s neck.
 
“Is that right?” you ask.
 
>”Yeah.”
 
>Once again you shrug it off like it’s nothing as you continue stroking his neck
 
“Well I do love you, Shiny,” you say, pulling him closer. “I love ya a lot pal, especially after how you reacted to me being in a relationship with Twilight. We’re practically family – heck even closer than that it seems.”
 
>You reach down and give him a nice thorough scratch behind both ears, causing him to push even closer to you and nicker, wanting more. You give a gentle laugh.
 
“Even though you’re a big tough hardened military stallion, from what I’m seeing right now you’re down for a good cuddle just as much as the next pony. In fact you seem almost starved for it.”
 
>”And you’re okay with all of this, Anon?”
 
“I don’t see the harm in it. Just remember I’m not Cadance. You just keep your sword sheathed, if you know what I mean, and it’s all good,” you say, scratching his back, more than half of his body draped over you at this point.
 
“Now, be a good boy and close your eyes and try to get some sleep. We don’t have long before dawn and Luna’s going to want her bed back. We both need rest.”
 
>He leans up and nuzzles your cheek with a soft nicker before settling back down on your chest.
 
>”Yes master,” he softly whispers with a smile on his face as you continue stroking his back and neck until you both fall asleep.
 
>In a barely lucid state you feel the mattress sink next to you under a sudden additional weight, another warm, soft, furry body pressing against you, a chin resting on your head as you and Shining are covered by a large, silky smooth and perfectly groomed wing. You sigh, wiggling into the warmth and comfort of the new body next to you, smiling in your sleep.