Welcome home, master!

----

>"Welcome home, master!"
>A pony sitting in your hallway greets you.
"Hello, Starlight." You say, closing the door behind you and quickly move to where you can discard your jacket.
>Casually petting her mane as you pass her, she gives you a small, satisfied hum.
>"How was your day, master?"
"Eeeeeeehhhh... it was... long, but acceptably successful."
"Read through some documentation to prepare for a new project, ran some tests on the old one, held a presentation..."
>You recount your day, and as soon as you're free from your shoes, make way into the living room to crash on the couch.
>Starlight quickly follows after you.
>"Did the presentation go well?"
"Well enough... but, let's not talk about that right now." You grunt and wave your hand dismissively.
>The last thing you'd want to keep on your mind, as you're sinking into the heavenly soft cushions of your furniture, is work.
"How was /your/ day?"
>"Oh, I did great, master! I dusted the shelves, swept the floors, watered the plants, washed the dishes... uuh..."
>"Aaaand I spent the rest of the day reading the book you gave me, until I heard you were coming."
>"I /really/ like it."
"No problems at all?"
>"No, master."
>Hmm.
"I feel like I should go check it myself... buuut I really don't feel like getting up right now..."
"So I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and then punish you later in case you lied to me."
>"I wouldn't lie to you, master!"
>The force of her answer makes you giggle.
"Alright, I'm happy, you deserved this today." You pat the empty space next to you.
>Starlight hops up on the couch and lays down on her back next to you, with your lap as her pillow.
>Absentmindedly, you use the opportunity to pet her a few more times and let yourself relax.
>She looks up at you, and you smile back down on her.
>You both deserved this today.

----

>"Is something bothering you, master?"
"No."
>Quite the opposite actually.
"I'm just a bit tired, but it's alright. Why?"
>"You usually rub my belly when we're like this."
>With her forelegs dangling over her exposed belly, her body is practically begging for attention.
>You put your hand on her chest ready to give her what she wants, but then pause.
"So... you just wanted a belly rub?"
>Starlight nods, her cheeks slightly reddening in embarrassment.
"..."
"If there's something you want, slave, ask for it instead of pretending you care if there's something bothering me."
>The sudden change in your tone freezes her in place.
>"I-I care! I honestly thought something was bothering you, master!"
"That's not /why/ you were asking though, was it?"
>"But..." Her heart is racing. "I..."
>A slew of emotions washes over her face.
>Uncertainty, anger quickly replaced by fear, then helplessness.
>Finally, her expression settles on a pleading regret.
>"I'm sorry, master I..." she stammers, unsure how to phrase her apology.
>"... should have been honest about what I wanted."
"Good girl."
>You would have also liked for her to honestly care if something was bothering you, but dwelling on it would only make her anxious.
>"Thank you, master!"
>"...Could you... please rub my belly?"
>Hah.
"Yes, I most certainly could, Starlight."
>"Thank you..." she trails off as you start gently raking your fingers through her fur.
>"I'm, sorry I didn't..."
"...Shhhhh, it's already behind you." You silence her softly.
>Nothing more needed to be said.
>You close your eyes, unwind, and idly continue moving your hand, occasionally making her shift or turn to expose whatever spot needed your attention the most.
>Adding some ear scratches with your other hand for a good measure, her tension quickly melts under your affectionate touch.
>You might not be relishing in it as much as her...
>But it would be a lie to say you didn't enjoy making your pony squirm.

----

>...
>You stir the pot one last time and turn off the stove, your creation still maintaining a gentle simmer.
>Now, if only you could recall where did you put those mittens...
>There! A brief search of the kitchen gives provides an answer.
>With your hands protected, you heft the pot to the dinner table, where Starlight has already taken care of setting up the dishes.
>It was something trivial, but it still made this a joint effort.
"Dinner time!"
>Your voice echoes through the house as you take a seat and wait for Starlight to show up.
>Expedited by the delectable smell, she appears almost instantaneously.
>"What are we having today, master?" Starlight slowly inhales through her nose.
>"It smells like... Hillock soup?"
"Correct!"
>You smile, proudly presenting your culinary handiwork, only to be rewarded by an unenthusiastic eyeroll.
>"...Yaaaaaaaaaay..."
"Oh don't give me that! It's a good recipe and it's not like I'm forcing you to eat it!" You point your at her aggressively.
"If you don't like what I made... you have my permission to starve."
>Even though, there's of course no need for her to do such a thing, as your food tastes just as excellent as it smells.
>Despite your /obviously/ sarcastic tone, her eyes nervously lock onto you, like if you were proposing a serious threat.
>You're not sure what offends you more.
>The fact that she thinks you'd really make her starve at this point, or how ungrateful she is that you wouldn't.
>Fiiiine...
"Just kidding."
>You give an unsatisfied sigh, and start filling your plate with the steaming stew.
"I tried adding a bit of chives to give it a bit more flavor this time because of you. And if you still don't like it, we have enough oats to last throughout the winter... but I want you to at /least/ try it first."
>When your plate is full, you put one scoop into Starlight's bowl as well.

----

>This way, by the time it's her turn eat, it'll be the perfect temperature.
>"Yes, master," she says reservedly before continuing in a more polite manner "please enjoy your meal," and sitting in her place.
>Under you, on the floor, next to the table.
"Thank you."
>Without a rush, you softly blow on a spoonful to cool it off, your mouth already watering ready to eat.
>Mhhmmm...
>It was as satiating as ever but this time also feeling exceptionally fresh.
>You'll have to make this change permanent.
"I think you're going to like it."
>Aside from it being true, you also can't but tease Starlight a bit.
>There was a certain kind of instinctual, nearly primal comfort in being the first to eat.
>But the real satisfaction came from the lack of uppity comments from Starlight, even after teasing her about it.
>That and the food itself of course.
>You don't bask in your display of superiority for long though.
>Partly because of how hungry you are after a full day of work.
>Partly because having two huge eyes looking up on you and watching every spoon that approached your mouth made eating a bit difficult, on a different level.
>Despite her apparent lack of enthusiasm, she really wanted to eat too.
>When the content of your first plate disappears, now warming you up from the inside, you fill your plate with another scoop and set Starlight's own bowl in front of her.
"Enjoy your meal, Starlight."
>"Thank you, master!" She replies, honestly grateful, and bows down to her food, all the way down on the floor.
>You return your attention to your own dish and resume eating as well, stealing the occasional glance on her.
>Once upon a time, being a proud and independent pony, she would have actually prefered to starve, and hunger-striked out of spite.
>Now she was diving face first into whatever you put in front of her.

----

>Those five extra minutes it took for you to finish your first plate bothered her way worse than the lack of cutlery or that she was eating on the floor.
>Though... it makes a stray thought linger in your mind.
"Do you ever miss your old life, Starlight?"
>Licking the fur around her muzzle clean, she lifts her face up from her bowl.
>"Master?"
"Having a whole town on a leash, living in a castle... must have been fun."
>"Oh..."
>"No master, I really can do without /that/ part of my life."
>There's sadness in her voice but also a great deal of discomfort.
>You don't say anything.
>A lack of acknowledgement from you should be enough for her to understand that you want her to go on.
>Being the smart pony she is, she picks up quite quickly.
>"When I founded that town, I wanted to make Equestria a better place and teach everyone that they would all be happier if they stopped doing what their cutie marks told them to and just tried to be themselves."
>"I thought I was helping and everyone was happy, but then princess Twilight came and showed me how I was just making everyone miserable and they chased me out."
>"And when I tried again..."
>Starlight winces, putting a hoof on her face.
>"I messed up real bad and accidentally almost destroyed all of Equestria. It was really, really bad."
"So I've heard, but it ended up pretty well and you made friends like that!"
>Ready to offer a rebuttal she opens her mouth, but the words catch in her throat.
>She wasn't supposed to argue.
>"Yes master."
>Instead, she hangs her head down and shifts her attention back to her food, content with ending the conversation there.
>Sadly for her, you don't share the same outlook, which means that her opinion doesn't matter.

----

>You wait for her to finish eating before you press on.
"Talk to me Starlight."
>For a brief moment she looks at you, hoping to be allowed to stay silent, but when that permission doesn't come, she averts her sight.
>"Those ponies in the castle, master? They were Twilight's friends, not mine. To me they were just ponies I knew and was /supposed/ to be friends with."
>"I had friends before and this was nothing like that. We didn't like the same things, we didn't do stuff together, we never even hung out."
>"And when I tried to make friends with them I... just messed up again and made all of them hate me. That's not how friendships are supposed to go."
>While you listen and nod along to her explanation, you think of what to say.
>This wasn't how you meant the question, but correcting her would make it look like you don't care.
>Which you do, but... there must have been hundreds of good things about it too.
>She wasn't just focusing on the bad parts of her past to avoid complaining about her present, was she?
>"I was a bad mayor, bad friend, and an overall terrible pony. I really don't miss any of that."
>Starlight groans, frustrated with herself, as you nod one last time.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better... you're pretty good at being a slave."
>"You really mean that?"
"Yes, I do."
>"Thanks... it means a lot to me."
>She offers you a weak smile but it does little to hide the melancholy deep beneath.
>As far as you're concerned, if she cares about being good, she is.
>And for her, you've told her she's good and that should be the end of the debate.
>Well, maybe except...
"I still have one more question though."
>She raises an eyebrow, ready to be disheartened by another inquiry.
"Did you like the soup?"
>Taking her bowl in her teeth, Starlight's smile grows wider as she hands... mouths?... it to you.
>You'll take that as a yes.

----

>...
>The night has come and you find yourself sitting naked on the edge of your bed with a pair of cuffs in your hand.
>Using your knees as a support, Starlight present her hooves.
>You slip the cuffs on, and pull them tight around her fetlocks, making sure the thick leather hugs her tight.
>Then the prong falls in place and loosens it just enough to maintain the necessary blood flow.
>You pick up a lock and she looks almost thankful, contrasting with your subconscious frown as you fight with the cuffs to find the attached steel rings.
>"Is something bothering you master?"
>You laugh.
"Why? Do you want belly rubs again?"
>"Haha... no master I... you usually smile when you're tying me up."
>Finally you manage to get the lock in it's place.
"Usually..."
>A loud click sounds as you secure the cuffs closely together.
>Starlight carefully sets her hooves back on the floor, while you reach behind you into a neatly arrayed pile of restraints for a blindfold.
>The look in her eyes, just before you hide them behind the blindfold, tells of her anxiety.
>With straps pulled tight around her head, you gently slide your hand down her mane to dissuade her fears, and loudly tap the mattress next to you twice.
>Forced to move her forelegs simultaneously, barely able to bend her hooves and robbed of her sight, she uncertainly wobbles forward, using her snout to scout ahead.
>When she finds the bed, she hops closer, and puts her bound hooves up on it.
>Normally she could jump up easily, but now she has to stabilize herself, and make sure she’ll actually land on the bed.
>Once she’s up, she topples on the soft surface and rolls on her back to offer you her hind legs.
>You take one of them, holding it in place, while you wrap the cuff around with your other hand.
>Like with her other hooves, you make sure the cuff is tight and secure, before you surprise her by flicking a finger right down the middle of her sensitive frog.

----

>She immediately yanks her leg back, slipping from your grasp, and pins it against her torso.
>Barely able to suppress a chuckle, you stretch to grab her other hoof, earning yourself a soft whine.
>Using slightly more force than necessary on the still willing pony you pull her leg straight.
>It twitches against your hand as Starlight fights her instincts, telling her to pull her leg away from you.
>This ends as the last buckle closes taut, and firmly secures her hoof inside the rigid leather.
>With all cuffs in place you grab two more locks and also...
>"S-spreader bar, master?" Starlight squeaks suddenly.
"...Yes."
>One of the locks falls in place and you reach for her first hoof again, setting it at the other end of the spreader bar, not far enough to be uncomfortable, but just enough to prevent her from curling up or closing her thighs.
>"But you don't need to use it anymore!"
>She bends over and tries to reach her free leg, but the click of a lock tells her it’s in vain.
"That's my decision to make, Starlight, not yours."
>The playful but strict tone sends her back down, and cuts off all future protest before they can even start.
>Putting her hoof down, you crawl on the bed next to her.
>The mattress shifts under you, causing Starlight to fidget despite her best attempts at staying still.
>She knew very well that, especially after being reprimanded, any sort of disobedience could very quickly drain your patience and turn a potential playtime into a punishment.
>The whole time, only her ears swivel freely, tracking your every move and waiting for you to tell her what you plan to do next.
>You don't let her wait for long, soon answering her unvoiced question with a rattling chain.
>Connected firmly to a radiator behind your bed, you pull the chain as far as it will go and loosely coil it around her neck, adding one final lock to her bondage.
>Starlight's ears fall flat on her head.
>No matter what, she isn’t going anywhere until you let her.

----

>With your pony trapped, you stash away the key in your nightstand, safely out of Starlight's reach.
>After switching off the lamp and rolling over, you cover both of you with a light blanket.
>Laying next to her on your side, you wiggle closer, pressing your bare skin against her fur, sharing your body heat.
>Her already excited breathing accelerates as you wrap your limbs around her, surrounding her on all sides.
>You pin down her forced-spread legs with your foot, while wriggling your arm behind her back and into her mane and resting your other arm across her chest, chin and neck.
>Then, just as she draws another breath, you squeeze...
>Starlight's chest dips as she tries to draw in air which doesn't come.
>Her muscles jolt and strain under you, shaking violently to no avail.
>Seconds later, as suddenly as you began, you let go.
>Removing all but the minimal pressure from your grip on her neck, you still holding her closely in your embrace.
>You didn't need to actually choke her to make her understand.
>She is completely helpless.
>Forcing the air in and out of her lungs, she mewls pitifully, knowing that any second you could stop her, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.
>Instead, you give her a kiss.
>She’s smaller, she’s weaker, she’s all tied up, and even without the restraints it wouldn't be a contest.
>You could use her like a toy.
>Tickle her, choke her, rape her... you could get up and pick some toys to tease her all night or whip her bloody.
>There was no one that would come and save her or make you answer for her abuse.
>Still, you didn’t do any of those things.
>You made sure she knew you /could/, but you didn’t, that you /chose/ to be nice.
>Starlight felt safe.
>She couldn't fight, she couldn't run, and she couldn't hide... but she didn’t need to.
>She was nothing but a slave.
>And her master would guard her well.

----