>You pull back from the jar. "Hold up. I need to... Think about something". Turning from the desk, you walk away a few paces and move Ginger onto the top of your tongue. You open your mouth just enough and allow her to squirm out until her head, neck and forehooves are free. Unlike last time, your lips aren't firmly closed on her neck, yet she doesn't try to go any further- She would fall anyway, if you let her. You can feel her chest moving as she inhales and exhales, almost in time with you, only her breathing is a little more rapid. The little guardmare has more time than she was allowed before, and after, maybe, fifteen seconds she scoots back a bit until she is neatly placed on your tongue- It seems the two of you have an unspoken understanding. You close your maw and gently slide her into the usual spot before returning to Celestia. "I'll make her bigger, but not by much. You'll know the un-shrinking potion works, and I'll get some research data"
>Celestia glares. "Wait. Research? Are you admitting you haven't even tested that antidote?"
_
>"No, princess. I didn't say that. I've tested the un-shrinking compound on plants and it works perfectly. I just don't know exactly how potent it is when absorbed by ponies", you respond while gathering a tiny chemical dropper and a vial of the un-shrinking potion. Then you grab a little notepad from under the desk with a pencil that has been sharpened enough times that it's barely longer than Celestia is tall. You also get something else from down there- Something with a metal base and an attached measuring stick with a sliding pointer. "You'll like this, Fluttershy. This is something they use to measure the size of baby animals. Only, I'm gonna use it to measure you instead." Being very meticulous with the removal of the cork from the vial, you're equally careful with dipping the dropper into it and extracting as much of the clear, water like liquid as you think you will need. You write down the exact amount on the notepad and return the vial to the wooden rack with the rest of the vials of un-shrinking potion. Fluttershy doesn't sound pleased about how things are progressing, and whimpers at the sight of the dropper. "I don't want to do this", she says leaning into Celestia and hugging one of the princess' legs. You unscrew the lid and peer in at the two mares. Celestia looks unsure just like the smaller pony, so you tell her the first thing that comes into your mind to put her at ease. "Look, you don't have to worry about this. After what I've done to you already, how could you even doubt my potion making skills?" She's irritated, but looks like she agrees
_
>"Fluttershy, just stay put", you reach a hoof into the jar, "Princess, you should move over he-" You're surprised by how quickly Celestia backs off from your hoof when you try to nudge her away. The rapid sound of her bare hooves tapping the glass as she skitters away from you sounds like a few ponies running in a race, if they were all really small and the racetrack was only three inches long. You look at her- There is fear in her eyes. You're not surprised that she's still afraid of you, but the way she is looking up to you while backed against the wall of the jar makes you wonder how deep that fear goes. Or maybe she just really doesn't want to be touched. "Okay..." is all you say to her, keeping your eyes on hers for a moment. You take your hoof out of the jar and hold the dropper above Fluttershy a few inches. "This shouldn't grow you more than double the size you are already, Fluttershy. Maybe less or a little more. Just stay nice and still for me, okay?" Her reply is quick and meek, you can hardly hear it. "Okay"
>You squeeze the end of the dropper and allow the entire amount stored in the tiny glass tube to drip onto her. She flinches when the drop of potion lands on her back and begins to soak into her coat.
_
>The growth is quick to start. Fluttershy is already approaching Celestia's size and you only dosed her with the un-shrinking potion moments ago. You watch the pegasus expand in size, gaining height millimeter by millimeter, until she reaches and surpasses the shrunken princess' height. This doesn't remove her anxiety- You can tell she isn't relieved to be the first pony you've grown with your experimental illegal potion and that probably wouldn't change even if you were growing her back to normal. Your expected increase to her size is nearly confirmed, when the growth slows and halts when Fluttershy reaches a size about twice that of Celestia's. That's a little more than you anticipated, which is good. The mixture is more potent, so in essence, you have a little more un-shrinking potion than you thought you did by measure of how much growth you can get out of the batch. You take your pencil and scribble a few notes down- Only, you're interrupted when Celestia speaks. "She's... Still growing"
_
>You calmly put the pencil on the desk and look over to Celestia's jar. You don't notice it immediately, but when you watch Fluttershy closely you see her become just a little bit larger. Then, for a few seconds, nothing. Until it happens again. And again. It's even more obvious when Celestia approaches the big little pony to try and comfort her, since you can directly compare them. "I'm sorry..." Fluttershy whimpers, looking more anxious than she did when she first started growing. "Don't worry, you're fine. This happens sometimes with potions, your body is just absorbing every last trace of the stuff. That's why you're getting those little intermittent growth spurts."
_
>"How can you be certain? You said this potion hasn't even been tested on a pony before!" Celestia says irritably. You sigh. "Princess, she's fine. If I didn't know what I was doing you'd still be sitting on your throne eating cake. This will be over in a second, there's nothing to be concerned abo-" You're silenced by surprise when, in an instant, Fluttershy's body expands rapidly, becoming several times the size she just was. Her lower half immediately fills up the jar, pressing tightly against the glass while the rest of her is freed from the container. "Oh, no" She has a look of dread. The pegasus tries to look down, but her ability to twist and curl her body is limited by the jar's presence. Fluttershy gasps. You realize why- In your surprise, the other occupant of the glass prison had left your thoughts. You can't see Celestia from this angle, at all. So, you reach for the jar, and rotate it in place. Gradually turning it to bring Flutter's right flank into view, the little princess is soon revealed- Trapped tightly between the wall of the jar and Fluttershy's cutie mark. Her front side is pressed against the glass and her wings are spread, perhaps the little string you bound her wings with must have broken during Fluttershy's sudden growth explosion
_
>You can't help but grow a smile when you see her. "Oh, just look at that. She's alright, Fluttershy. Good thing your flanks are so soft". Fluttershy covers her blushing face and begins whimpering. "Oh I'm sorry, I'm sorry...". You hear something from the other jar and look around to find out what it is. Several of the guards are tapping on the glass and yelling at you frantically. When you look at the princess again, more closely, you get an idea why, and your smile vanishes. She is giving you a look of panic and desperation, and her chest isn't moving at all. Being squashed between the jar and Fluttershy's flank hasn't injured her- But it has caused a serious complication. Celestia cannot breathe. You freeze when a little sensation from under your tongue lets you know she isn't the only one...
_
>You're not sure how to respond to this problem. Celestia being asphyxiated is an urgent matter, and even if she wasn't vital to your scheme, you weren't intending on harming any of these ponies... physically. You don't know how much time you have to help her. But the same is true for Ginger. You wonder if Celestia, even at a reduced size, could be more able to tolerate injury and air depravation because of her superior alicorn body thus allowing you more time to help the earth pony, somehow, without being noticed or bringing suspicion. You could just release Ginger now- But then they would all know, and Celestia would probably stop cooperating with you if she didn't think her guards, or Fluttershy, Cheerilee, Fleur or herself were in any real danger. You see now that going to extra trouble to kidnap Twilight Sparkle would have paid off for you
_
>The three other mares were easier, but the amount of leverage you would have had with Celestia's pupil in captivity might have made so much of your other efforts unnecessary, and then you might not be in this situation. Another troubling thought you have ignored since you first entered the palace appears in your mind- The possibility that Twilight knows about Celestia's disappearance already and is obsessively trying to track her- and you, down. But even if she or Luna should discover your hiding place, the traps you set for such an intrusion should be enough to stop them. Yes, having one or both of those ponies in your possession might even make negotiations smoother
"Okay, okay. No worries. Fluttershy, hold still"
_
>You try to hide your uncertainty and grab the jar, wrapping one foreleg around it and one around the mare's body. When you tug on her, you feel her move, but she is stuck in the thing tight. Making it worse, the top of the jar where the lid attaches is a little thinner than the rest of it, so getting those thighs out might be a problem. You keep pulling on the whimpering pony, while moving Ginger onto the top of your tongue. She's probably not aware of what's going on, but that doesn't matter much if she just needs fresh air... Only, you can't let any of these ponies see her. So you open your mouth- Barely, and start calmly breathing in, out, in, out... Maybe the flow of air will be enough for her? However, Ginger starts to crawl forward, so you raise your tongue and very gently hold her to the roof of your mouth for a few seconds before bringing her back down. She seems to understand what you're trying to tell her- She can't come out. But the little mare seems content with this, and doesn't protest with another signal or try to squirm out again. As before, you give her some more time before hiding her away
>You've pulled Fluttershy out most of the way. You see Celestia is still located on Fluttershy's cutie mark, having been dragged along with the bigger mare's flank. You were hoping she would have been freed when the pegasus' body began to shift but she seems to have become almost imprinted into the soft and giving surface of the Flutterflank. This might be a complication when you have to squeeze them out of the most narrow part of the jar. There's also another problem
"I think your butt is too big"
_
>The pegasus lets out a little squeal and quivers in your grip. Hopefully she knows you weren't trying to fluster her. But her emotional state becomes less of a concern when you see and hear something else happen. On one side of the jar, near the opening, a tiny crack forms with a sharp splitting sound. You hold off on pulling Fluttershy for a moment and see why
"Oh. You're still growing"
>It's happening like before. Intervals of nothing, then tiny growth spurts. Fluttershy has the sense even in her upset state not to writhe or struggle lest she injure Celestia but she has begun to cry actual tears now. You know another sudden big expansion would be disastrous right now. Celestia would almost certainly be snuffed out and if the size increase was like before, Fluttershy would be back to her natural size or close. You decide it's now or never. You tug harder on the mare and with just a little bit of extra pressure, her soft and pudgy flanks leave the jar with a slight *popping* noise. Fluttershy is freed, and the jar rolls off the side of the desk, smashing into many pieces on the floor. You sit the extremely distressed mare on the desktop and look for Celestia- You see her tiny form lying on the wood surface, hyperventilating, with her wings open but limp

>You can't tell if Celestia is hurt or not. Fluttershy seems to have stopped growing... for now, so you might know how potent the un-shrinking potion is if she actually has settled. What do now, master alchemist?
_
"Princess? I'm sorry... Are you alright? Let me just-"
>You lean closer and reach out to the princess, gingerly stroking her with the tip of your hoof. She reflexively extends her wings, hops up and retreats when she feels it, bumping into one of Fluttershy's legs. Celestia flinches in surprise and turns around to see the formerly very tiny mare now towering over her quite a bit. She looks like she's about to say something, then after a moment strokes Fluttershy's hoof with her own
>"Are you still..."
>"Growing? No, no, princess, it feels like it's over". Fluttershy answers and touches one of Celestia's wings. The princess folds it, then the other
>The princess hasn't tried to fly away yet. Perhaps her wings have been injured- You decide she needs checking out and move over toward the guards
"Somepony needs to have a look at the princess. Do any of you have first aid training?"
>A few of the guards raise their hooves. You randomly pick one of them out and put him down next to Celestia. It takes you a sec to realize this was the same stallion you sat on before- He seems less jumpy now. Maybe he figures nothing weirder could even happen to him at this point
"Princess, I brought one of your guards to give you a look over. If there's anything you need, I should have it here somewhere"
>Celestia looks up at you. "Okay", she says, and sits down allowing the guard to unfold a wing and begin touching it
"Here, Fluttershy"
>You guide the biggest of your little ponies onto the height measuring apparatus. She comes along obediently and lets you measure her, and stays put while you write down the measurements and some notes. When you're done, you put the device away and pet her. What a good mare. When you get back to the princess, you can see that she is extending and retracting her wings without any obvious problems
_
"Is the princess alright?"
>The little stallion can't look you in the eyes or respond. You can't exactly blame him for it. Instead, Celestia answers you
>"Yes. There's nothing the matter. Just a little bruising at most"
>You pick up the guard by his tail and put him back in the jar. When you go to get the princess, she steps away from your hoof
>"No, please. Would you allow me out of the jar? Bind my wings if you must. I'm doing what was asked of me". She doesn't sound like she's trying to trick you. But you aren't sure about trusting her with this much freedom, yet. You sigh and retrieve a small length of string like the one you previously tied her wings with from a compartment in your desk. You let Celestia approach in her own time before tying it around her. You finish the knot, and wait a moment before picking her up by her tail when she isn't expecting it. "Hey!" She reacts with both worry and anger.
"I said I'd let you out if you were a good girl. You're nearly there, princess. You said you wanted assurances. I'll hear them and let you out if they're fair. Until then, you'll be sharing quarters with your guards"
>"Please! Don't!"
>Amid the princess' protests you lift her over to the jar and gently place her inside. Then, you pick up Fluttershy, cradling the little mare in your forehooves. She blushes and covers her face when you smile at her
"Well. What to do with you."

>What do? Fluttershy is too big to fit in the jar and too small for the cell bars to contain her. But she also can't be allowed to roam free around the secret lair. Some of the potions and items around here are dangerous. Also, you're thinking it's time Ginger was let out. Maybe you could slip away for a little while to speak with her...
_
>You try to think of somewhere to contain Flutters while you see to Ginger in the former guard chamber, which you have been using as an extra store room and not for its original purpose- Since you started using this place as a lair, you have just slept on the couch near your desk. The guard chamber is the only room in this basement with a door, so you expect nopony at all to hear you in there. You remember one of the drawers in your desk was emptied recently when you had old notes to burn, and it is big enough to fit the pegasus inside at her current size. But, maybe it wouldn't be a great idea to shut her away in darkness. She has calmed down to an acceptable level and you don't want to upset her again. You could make her smaller and keep her with Celestia and the guards... Or, grow her back to her normal size and put her in the cell again. But, you sort of like her like this. She's easy to handle and you don't need to worry about accidentally crushing her. Her timid character just makes her easier to keep in check, and since you shrunk her you haven't needed to bind her wings knowing that she has difficulty using them when she is stressed out. Except, now she's not so stressed out. You'll need to do something to contain her. You realize you have a few empty, small crates around the lair. One of those, if flipped over and weighed down with something, would make a good makeshift cage for Fluttershy. You put her on the floor and instruct her to wait there, while you go behind the desk and grab a crate. She gets what you're doing when you drag it over to her and turn the wood container on its side
>"Please, I won't run off anywhere..." She whimpers
_
"I know, Fluttershy, but I need to make sure you won't hurt yourself with anything I have lying around here. I'll let you back out real soon, okay?"
>You put the upturned crate over her. The wooden planks that make up the box have a few inches of space between them, so she won't be in the dark. They're too close for her to squeeze through too, the only thing you need is something to stop her simply lifting it and getting out. You lift another crate next to the desk, full of firewood, and neatly stack it onto Fluttershy's cage. Satisfied with the yellowquiet containment procedure, you turn back to the one jar still on the desk and pick up the lid of the other, now broken jar. It fits on the identical second jar perfectly
"Princess, I'm sure you're still feeling shook up. I'll give you a little time... There's just one small matter I have to look in to. I'll be back to talk with you soon"
>You enter the guard chamber and shut the door. The room is full of mostly wood crates, but there is a small desk on one side of it. The top is cleared save for one or two mixing flasks. You exhale slowly through your nose and bring a hoof to your lips. When you move Ginger onto your tongue, you gently suck on her, to remove some of the warm and wet saliva that has drenched into her coat and mane before opening your mouth and letting her squirm out like before. She hesitates- briefly, when she realizes you're offering her a hoof to crawl onto, but does so, pulling herself out from between your lips and onto your hoof's soft underside
_
>You watch the little mare in your hoof lay weakly on her belly and catch her breath, and try to discern if there's anything to be concerned about. It would probably be better if you could ask her, if she's up to talking. You carefully pick Ginger up with your other hoof, lifting her by the waist then placing her on the desk, laying her on her right side. She looks worn out, not just because of her mane and tail being in a state but physically, taking some effort to lift herself off the ground with her forelegs. Her experience has taken a lot out of her, clearly. You stroke her face very softly- She doesn't seem to mind it. Or, she's not up to resisting. Then, the little mare opens her eyes. Gratitude, fear, confusion. You can't quite make out what that look in her eyes is telling you

>What do/say?
You have:
>Ginger Snap
>Several boxes, some of which have food inside
>Some alchemical equipment. Bottles, pots, tubes, bowls...
>More than a dozen bottles of room temperature drinking water
_
>For a couple seconds, the two of you just look at each other. It seems you're both waiting for the other pony to say something
"Hey..."
>You give her a moment to respond. She doesn't
"Are you... Alright?"
>Ginger's eyes look away. "Yeah"
>She's not injured. That's a relief. Ginger seems hesitant to talk with you, something you predicted. She hasn't had the easiest time after all
"Okay. That's good. I thought... maybe, I could talk with you. I know this must be really awkward for you, I... Don't know what to say, really. I'm sorry you went through all that"
>The little pony rubs a hoof across her brow. "Mm. Okay. I'm... Can you just, get me some water? I'm burning up. Please"
"Yeah, yeah, water. Just a sec"
>The natural warmth inside your maw must have been overwhelming to Ginger because of her small size and how long you kept her inside there. You leave her on the desk while you go to grab a bowl and one of the glass bottles containing drinking water. It is room temperature, so, there is a slight coolness to it. You place the bowl on top of the desk and unscrew the bottle's top, then pour water into it carefully until it is nearly full. You hold it up to Ginger, who tips the edge with her forehooves and begins to drink vigorously, with gulps as big as a tiny pony could ever manage. She dips her entire muzzle into the bottle top and in her voracity spills some of the water down her neck and chest. When she has had enough, she pulls her nose out of the water and takes a few deep breaths. You put the cap down on the desk and rest your hoof next to her
"I've got plenty of water here. I'm thinking we should get you washed up, huh? It will make you feel much better"
_
>The little guardmare nods silently. You fill the glass bowl about three quaters with water, and gently pick up Ginger by the torso with both your hooves, lifting her over to the small body of water and gradually lowering her in. Her hind hooves twitch when they break the surface, with the relative coldness of the liquid surprising her. You release her when she is submersed up to her withers, keeping a hoof in the water with her in case she needs help staying afloat. You watch her dive under completely for a moment before emerging again, already looking better with her mane having become soaked and less messy. She holds onto your hoof with one of her own, and uses the other to stroke through her mane. You pick up the bottle top with your spare hoof, and use it to collect water to pour onto the tiny mare, who, having kept her eyes shut since diving underwater the first time, is surprised the first time you do this and lets out an adorable little squeak, but doesn't protest when you continue. She dives underwater a couple more times, sometimes staying under for a few seconds while sweeping through her mane or her tail to clean them more thoroughly before resurfacing. When she's satisfied, she holds onto your hoof again and pulls herself onto it, and out of the water. You use your other hoof to remove the short cloak from your back and place it on the desk before letting Ginger gently slide off your hoof and onto the soft fabric
"There we are. You can dry yourself off with this"
>You pick up the other side of the cloak and lay it over the mare, watching her use it like a towel to dry some of the water out of her coat and mane. She still looks pretty tired, but seems more comfortable, too. The water must have helped well enough. Maybe Ginger will feel okay to talk with you now that she is doing better

>What do?
_
"If there's anything else you want, Ginger..."
>"That's okay... Um, maybe, somewhere... More comfortable". Somewhere comfortable? The only thing you can think of in the guard chamber is the chair in the corner of the room. It's pretty soft, but the pillow might not be very giving to something of Ginger's weight. But it's worth a shot
"I can take you to the chair over there. Until I can figure out something else"
>Ginger nods in agreement. You're almost going to move in and grab her tail in your mouth, but maybe that's not a good idea. Instead, you use your hoof to pick her up and hold her against your chest while you slowly step along to the chair and put her down on the pillow. Then, you sit on the floor beside it. You're still looking down at her, only now she is close to eye level with you. She'll feel less intimidated if you're not looming above her. You hope
"Good?"
>"Yeah. Thank you"
_
>She still seems unsure and afraid. She might understand you weren't going to eat her now, but there was no way she knew that while she was in your maw being sucked on and caressed by your tongue. It will probably take a while for her to get over that, if she does. Your ruse has worked as a way to manipulate Celestia but any rapport you could have with Ginger now will be colored by this intense first interaction. But if things go as you planned, she will be in your care for some time. You just need to make that as easy as possible for the poor girl
"So... About before"
>The guardmare looks down and moves herself a little to lay more comfortably on the pillow
"I was never going to eat you. I had to push the princess into negotiating with me... So, I had to convince her otherwise. Only, I guess I had you convinced for a while there, too, huh?"
>"Yeah"
"Hm. Sorry for scaring you like that- I would have let you in on my deception ahead of time, but... That might have compromised it"
>You hear Ginger hum quietly in response. Of course, she isn't going to lie about it, if she had known you weren't going to subject her to any real danger she would have told her princess about your ruse. You wouldn't expect less from the royal guards
>"I understand... Then, Luster is alright too? Um, the other pony. You took him out of the jar with me?"
>She perks a bit when she asks about the other little guardpony. She must know you don't want to hurt any of them now. Perhaps she was hoping this was true since the swallow fake out
"Oh, yes. He's fine, I was careful"
>Ginger's expression of optimism becomes one of confused scepticism the moment you say this.
>"Wha... You were careful? Careful, what do you mean?"
_
"Well, even after I uh, ate you, the princess still needed a little more motivation. I couldn't fake swallowing him too. So, I, very gently... Sat down on him"
>Ginger's eyes become wide and nervous, and a stark redness covers her little white face
>"You... What!?"
"Oh don't worry, he was perfectly safe, I didn't put much weight on him. He was a little... Very bewildered. Out of breath? Maybe, but he was fine. He's safe and sound in the jar with the others now"
>The mare covers her face and rests her head on the chair's pillow. "Please tell me you didn't do anything like that to the princess"
>Well, technically, *you* didn't. But since you feel like being truthful with Ginger, you elaborate on everything that happened after sitting on Luster- Pretending you were going to eat the two other guards, using the un-shrinking potion on Fluttershy, everything...
>The revelation that Celestia is okay after the growing Fluttershy incident at least seems to put her at ease even though she is clearly terrified by the thought of the princess having been exposed to danger like that. Maybe it was better she didn't see it with her own eyes. Once you've brought her up to speed, the inevitable question arrives
>"So... What are you gonna do with me now?"
>She can't go back in the jar yet. In fact, you think it would better serve the plan if Celestia didn't become aware of her survival until everything is all over and dealt with, but how long that will take isn't clear to you just yet. Ginger might be cooperative and agreeable at the moment, but since she is loyal to Celestia it wouldn't be wise to trust her completely. You'll have to think of something...
_
"Okay. I can't take you back to the jar. Yet. If all goes well, maybe you'll be back with the rest of your fellow guards by tomorrow. Right now, I'll have to keep you in here, somewhere"
>You stand up and look around, trying to think of something. Something safe and comfortable, without allowing her the ability to escape. The little guardmare sits up and sighs
>"Look, I'm not going to try running away. I couldn't even get out of this room by myself. Can't I just... stay right here? You don't have to lock me away..."
"Perhaps, Ginger. If you'll promise to stay put, I don't see the harm in leaving you there. You've been very agreeable, so maybe... Maybe you've earned my trust"
>You reach for Ginger and stroke her face. She lightly leans into your hoof as you touch her and touches it with her own
"I know it might not mean much to you... But I'm very grateful for your help. I know you didn't have much of a choice, in anything, but you've been instrumental. You might not know it, but you're helping more ponies than just myself. When everything is... Set right, I'd like to make it all up to you. Somehow"
>"Sure... Yeah. Um, hey. Listen, could you maybe, do something for me? Only, it's not for me, really..."
"Maybe? Tell me, we'll see"
>"The princess. Would you, please, just let her out of the jar?"
>You weren't planning on it just yet. You wanted to hear her terms of negotiation first, but...
"Okay. I'll do that"
>Ginger exhales, and you see her face change ever so subtly- There's a hint of a smile, barely
"Now, I might be leaving you for a couple hours, so, if there's anything else you need..."
>"No, no, it's fine. I think I just want to get some rest"
"Alright. Hold on, there's something I'm going to leave with you"
>You go and fetch your short cape from the desk and bring it over to Ginger, covering the little pony with the dry side up to her neck. You watch her tug at it to better wrap herself and curl up inside the soft garment
_
>"Thanks..."
>You softly pet her and head back to the door, slipping out of it back into the main room of the dungeon. Everything is as it was when you left it, Fluttershy is still under the box and it doesn't look like Celestia and her guards have made any attempt to climb out of their jar or do anything. Not that they could, since they wouldn't have a way to unscrew the lid even if they could reach it
>The first thing you do is move the boxes trapping Fluttershy. She doesn't speak, but looks at least a little relieved to be out. When you turn to the ponies in the jar, you find Celestia sitting in the center with the eleven remaining guards around her. She doesn't react to your approach
"Princess?"
>Celestia raises her head, then stands
"I've decided to let you out of the jar, after all. I'm sure your terms will be quite fair, so if you're still inclined..."
>The alicorn nods and you move closer to the jar. This time, when you reach in, she is less skittish, and allows you to grab the end of her tail and pick her up, making no fuss when you lift her out of the jar and put her on the desk. You leave her for a moment to go and drag one of your chairs over to the desk. It's bigger than the one Ginger is laying on, and has two cushioned hoof rests attached to the wood frame to match the pillows that cover the seat and back. You gently lift up Fluttershy in your hooves, and sit in the chair, placing her in your lap. You relax and lift both of your hind hooves onto the edge of the desk, barely an inch from Celestia who jumps back as they come to rest on it. You feel Fluttershy flinch in your lap- And begin stroking and petting her casually
>"Ah- Would you mind taking your hooves OFF the desk?!" She says, sternly
"My desk. My hooves"
_
>Celestia sighs and walks an inch or two before sitting near the desk's edge. Before she speaks, the princess just feels her chest and looks at her hooves- It figures she isn't used to dealing with official business without her crown, necklace and shoes. She shrunk out of them back at the castle, and you've been wondering if she's even used to being naked like this except when she's sleeping...
>"Alright. My terms are fairly simple. I realize you will want to keep some of these ponies after we have discussed the specifics of the revised legislation to ensure I follow through. I wouldn't expect otherwise. But, I'm going to ask for the release of Fluttershy, those two mares and half of my guards along with me once negotiations are concluded. And one more every week until they are all freed. All returned to their orginal size, of course. Those who aren't released immediately must be cared for safely and appropriately. No jars, no dungeons. And..."
>She hesitates for a moment, looking away. "I also want you to restore my magic"
>You raise an eyebrow, but don't interrupt her
>"I know you will not do so immediately. Which is why I would ask that you provide me with the antidote to this magic nullifier you have devised, along with the first pony you set free"
_
>Celestia looks like she wants you to appease or deny this request immediately. But, you don't
"Go on"
>"I... That potion. Potions. You were able to reduce me to this size with merely a few drops of your shrinking potion, but you've produced such an excessive amount of it... The growth potion, too. After each of us has been restored, they must be destroyed. Both of these concoctions are too potent. Perhaps you will be able to create size altering potions in the future... But not ones this dangerously effective"
>Celestia straightens herself and looks at you
>"Those are my terms"

>What do?
This doesn't sound good. She wants her magic back soon, and all our potions destroyed. And we won't be left with many hostages. We could try renegotiating... the terms for having the negotiation in the first place? Maybe we could even tell her what we could do with the excessive amounts of the potions, and why we created so much.
_
>You keep stroking Fluttershy while you think. Celestia is asking too much, certainly, does she really think you will agree and give her what she wants?
"You know I won't be able to abide by those conditions, princess. You ask for more than I can allow"
>She doesn't look very surprised or disappointed, merely angry. She must have known you wouldn't agree to those requests
>"I-"
"Hush. Your magic? Forget it. And forget being grown back. You, princess, are going back to the palace exactly as you are"
>In an instant, Celestia's demeanor changes. Her mane almost seems to stop flowing and her face becomes perplexedly fearful
>"No, you can't..."
"That's where you're mistaken, princess. When you get your size and your magic restored is up to me... When the alchemy regulations have been amended and kept that way for an acceptable amount of time, I'll make sure the nullifier antidote and the un-shrinking potion find their way to you"
_
>The little princess swallows nervously and tries to slow her breaths- She looks uneasy. She wasn't expecting her magic returned immediately, but the thought of enduring weeks or months before being allowed the antidote, while also being stuck at this small size, has shaken her. By how much is not completely clear to you. You move in your chair just enough to get more comfortable and relax your hooves. Fluttershy becomes nearly still and the minor squirms and movements she was making in response to being stroked and petted cease
>"No, no no no, please. Nopony must see me... This way. You have to change me back! And without my magic, how am I to raise the-"
"Do you think I haven't thought this through already? I happen to know Princess Luna is capable of taking over your sun-raising duties just as you did with the moon for those long, long years. It won't be a problem. As for your size... You'll just have to live with it, princess"
>"I can't go back like this"
"You'll be fine"
>"Plea-"
"No"
>She isn't taking it well. You expected dismay. And maybe a little begging. Celestia hasn't disappointed you at all
_

We can still decide on how we're going to release the guards and other pones. If we keep Fluttershy, it might look good to just let Cheerilee and Fleur go since they don't have any special value. We only snatched them because we were unable to spirit more element bearers away after all.
_
>The tiny princess drops to her knees and bows her head. You wonder if she thinks your decision to keep the un-shrinking potion from her is a product of vengeful feelings- A way to punish her for the disruption of your business and your very life. She wouldn't be completely wrong to believe that
"...As for the potions. I won't be destroying them. No, I'm still very much in need of my potions, princess. I didn't brew so much shrinking potion just for you and your guards, of course not. You're not a fool Celestia, but I warn you, neither am I. What I need, once we reach an agreement, is further assurance that you won't betray me. If you were to do that... The potion just might find its way into the water supply of Canterlot. Or, anywhere, really. Manehattan? Ponyville? Who knows?"
>Celestia doesn't give you much of a reaction. Her ears droop a little and you see her wings twitching, still bound by the string
>"I understand. Our agreement- It must be reasonable, but I will honor it ... You do know, that if you were to enact such a measure, the danger you would be subjecting your fellow citizens to? It would be catastrophic"
"Let's just hope it never comes to that, hm? Now, as for the arrangements regarding your fellow captives..."
>You look down at Fluttershy and resume stroking the small pony
"I will return Fluttershy to her normal size and release her within a day of the revised legislation being signed. I can promise you that. I shall do the same for one other pony every month until they are all free. And don't worry- I'll make them as comfortable as I can while I'm keeping them. They will be safe... Oh, and I'm going to let you select two guards to take you back to the palace, princess. I'll grow them back to normal under conditions of my choosing"
>Celestia looks at the guards
>"Then, for some of my ponies... Months? A year? Too long a time to keep a pony in captivity"
_
"Isn't the sentence for trading and manufacturing controlled potions sixteen months in the dungeon?"
>The little mare subtly shivers and averts her eyes from you. She must not have expected being called out for her double standard
>"Please. If you would, reconsider. These ponies haven't wronged you"
>You think for a couple moments while looking at the guards, and Cheerilee, Fleur, and then Fluttershy. It's true, they are useful to you, but aren't here because of circumstances they could control. It would be a little less work for you to have them returned sooner, but the amount of attention they will need from you is negligible so keeping them longer isn't really going to cost you. Then, the thought occurs to you, that having them returned safe and sound at their normal sizes sooner means the friends and families of these ponies will have less time to raise concerns and possibly try to locate them on their own. A believable lie could pacify them just as easily however...
>Ginger's fate as far as Celestia knows is a complication. Technically, saying Ginger is no longer around would be a lie. Only, Celestia can't find out the actual truth yet. You'll have to release Ginger last of all, and, if you can, talk Celestia into lying about her. You would rather her parents not hear a tale about their daughter being devoured by a gigantic pony, so another lie would have to be created. Perhaps the little guardmare has joined a crown-funded expedition into unmapped territory? Yes, that would work
_
>Only, there's a problem. If you reunite Ginger with the other guards like you promised her, they will be able to tell Celestia the truth about her when they are freed. Convincing them to keep the secret probably won't be possible without a way to influence them once they're already released. And if the princess realizes the truth about the guardmare so soon, she might decide your threat of tainting the water supply is an empty one and move against you...
"...One pony, every other week"
>Celestia nods without speaking
"...And, there's one other thing I want to run by you, princess. Something for you to consider. And your guards, I guess. I'd like to offer you a kind of... Service"
>The princess is immediately uncertain and looks at you with suspicion
"Can you guess why I first began working on size altering potions?"
>She answers quickly and sharply. "If the reason is unrelated to my captivity, then I can only assume you had economic motives"
"No. Not quite, princess. As with many of my creations, these two particular potions have obvious military applications, wouldn't you agree?"
_
>"Yes. But what is it that you intend?" She seems to get the gist of what you're implying
"I said I would return your guards to normal size. Only, what if I could, uh, improve that by making them larger than usual?"
>"Larger? That would create... Problems. Canterlot is not built to accommodate gigantic ponies"
"I didn't say gigantic. Larger. A smaller dose of the un-shrinking potion could grow your guards enough to be much stronger and more imposing without being impractically huge, hm? Not that I'm against impractically large. There are situations where a pony of such a scale would be useful... The shrinking potion, too, has similar though opposite uses. Even an aggressive dragon wouldn't be any trouble if it could be reduced to the size of, well, you"
>Celestia looks annoyed with that last comment, but she clearly comprehends what you're suggesting
>"Yes, yes, well... Perhaps, we can discuss this in more depth when all of my ponies have been released?"
"...I want to make one giant pony"
>"No, please, no giant ponies. If... If you have no more conditions to impose, then, I believe we are agreed on terms?"
>Bingo
__

>Now what do?

We could start on the new and improved alchemy regulations papers with our little desktop alicorn, or take a little break to do something else before correcting Celestia's tyranny.
_
"I guess so. Then, we can begin on the new legislation, princess?"
>She nods
>"If you wish. I am hoping you will be reasonable with your suggested alterations- After all, you must consider the need for order and the safety of-"
"Yeah sure, I will be, don't worry"
>You take your hooves off the desk and put Fluttershy back on the floor, reaching under the desk into one of the several saddlebags. You take out the two scrolls of paper inside and place them on the desktop, doing the same with a third, blank scroll, and a small ink pot and quill
"But, you know, I was thinking we shouldn't be revising the regulations as much as starting over. The current laws are much too restrictive and too vague in certain areas... I'm surprised you wrote them, Princess. A pony as smart as you should have seen these obvious problems"
>She doesn't answer, just turns around to look along the parchments. You tap her on the rump to nudge her forward and she twitches, snapping her gaze back at you and blushing with a nervous expression
"Go on, princess. Why don't you read me that first rule?"
>Celestia sheepishly walks up the roll of paper and begins to read the text, which must be a little difficult for her at her size. You try imagining how legible a bunch of giant words written on your floor would be
>"One. Potions with effects potentially dangerous or weakening to the drinker are hereby outlawed"
>She reads the sentence in a formal tone and turns back around

>What do?
We can probably push for some of these laws to be dropped completely, but Celestia won't want to give us free reign to do whatever we feel like. We have to find a realistic compromise that pony society will still be willing to accept, for safety of course.
_
Part 2 end.