Story by existentialtorment

After years under the curse of silence, Kirin society had some catching up to do. An entire people rediscovering the joys of socializing, one would expect bumps along the road. There was only so much Equestrian friendship ambassadors could do – kirinkind was quite… excitable, after recent events. Not as excitable as the Kirin ambassador to Equestria, Autumn Blaze, but still. Most heeded their pony allies and reaped the most of their new and improved situation. Unfortunately, though, Nirik accidents slowly built into a trend. A culture that was isolated at best for most of its history, it was simply inevitable that exposure to Equestria (and each other) would cause such incidents. Eventually enough time had passed that something had to be done. Constantly exposed to Autumn Blaze, ponies had no problem believing some kirins might be a bit too bubbly for their own good.

Kirins always saw Niriks as something natural and self-explanatory, but after the silence was lifted, research was underway to isolate and prevent these baleful transformations. Interpreting ancient texts and observing an increasingly abundant repertoire of live cases, they figured something out. They possessed empathetic abilities beyond even those of the changelings, and Nirik-fication could follow any strong emotion that spliced adrenaline into a kirin’s system. Three main causes were isolated – anxiety, excitement and physical duress.

While the matter was kept hushed within Kirin circles, Autumn Blaze snooped around – as she was inclined - and after a short diplomatic visit Equestria got involved. Pony specialists dedicated themselves to helping Kirindom, producing a convenient artifact that’d rectify the issue while kirins ironed out their emotional kinks. And while on the surface, the woodland nation was grateful… The whole affair did lead to about half the kirin leadership having a Nirik episode - this was intensely embarrassing. Many believed it wasn’t right, to offload their issues on their new pony neighbors. Surely it was time to prove they weren’t helpless in emotional affairs! Ponies had rescued them once, so why make them do it again? Forward-thinking Kirins were united in a desire to prove their self-sufficiency.

Then again, they DID ‘solve’ the last Nirik crisis by using the Stream of Silence. And to fix that solution, they used Foal’s Breath flowers so as to regain speech. Taking a tool and using it on the problem until the problem went away – that was kind of the kirin way… It wasn’t long until they had a solution – mirth crystals! Found in their ancient forests, Crystal Mirth had a striking effect of filling the user with joy and contentment, able to bring a kirin back from the brink of transformation. The woodlanders rejoiced – clearly, their problem was solved!

They were going to tell the ponies, but then they realized the supply was finite… Unlike the Stream of Silence, Crystal Mirth didn’t last forever – a crystal only held its power for so long. But after looking through more ancient texts, kirins found there was a way to reenergize inert mirth crystals. And what a fitting way it was. Mirth was recharged by laughter! Back in the day, Crystal Mirth was kept abundant as kirin laughter was heard aplenty amid the forests, but their period of silence left a modest reserve at best. Now if they had a way to recharge lots of crystals at once… with a lot of laughter…

Some weeks later, Fluttershy and Applejack were on their way to the Forest of Mirth. As esteemed friends to kirindom, they were invited to partake in a sacred ceremony of some kind – one that was so touchy (how the letter put it), the details couldn’t be disclosed on paper! It wasn’t harvest season, meaning free time, and the forest was a natural wonder, meaning rare animals, so they hopped on that invitation without any second thoughts. And indeed, the visuals were astounding, not to mention the place deserved its name, as a faint mixture of gasps, chirps, squeals and giggles was omnipresent throughout.

It was within that the news was broken to them.

“Oh goodness! That’s so awful. Of course we’ll… um… help. Wait, you want us to do… what?” Fluttershy slowly tilted her head, rubbing her hands in hesitation.

“You folks sure ‘bout this? That’s downright the silliest thing I ever have heard! Ah, what the heck, it sounds about right.” Applejack stretched and crackled her knuckles, steeling herself.

Poor Autumn Blaze, a national hero and their dear friend, had fallen under the forest’s curse! For months now, the jumpy, nosey, motor-mouthing mare was afflicted, and nobody knew. Kirin sages looked into it, and there were but two ways of curing her. To consign the mare to silence, or to purify her of excess mirth in the Forest of Mirth! And while afflicted, Autumn had committed enough indecencies that by the Kirin code, the only acceptable way forward was to be silenced. Unless! The ritual were performed by another species.

The ritual being a long, intense session of tickle torture. Autumn Blaze needed to have all those excess giggles squeezed out of her. The mares were given ritualistic outfits replete with protective charms against the horrible curse – charms mostly comprised of dangly crystals all over the place – and lead to their unfortunate friend. They were a little hesitant before, but then they saw her!

Autumn had been secured in the special Tree of Mirth but moments ago, but she already looked like she’d been laughing for hours. The kirins were serious about security – the former ambassador was covered in intricate jewelry replete with the same crystals. They were explicitly told not to believe any claims about her ‘having been here for two days’ or any such nonsense. Easily done, especially in such a cozy, spine-tingling atmosphere. The ambient laughter really made tickling sound quite enticing. Besides, Autumn at her best could compete with Pinkie in her antics. And Pinkie got hers quite routinely in Ponyville… all put together, the ponies were mentally geared for what awaited them.

The snugly bound kirin wheezed and whistled in relief, blowing a lock of fluff off her face.

“Fi-phew-finally! Okay, this is better than t-the comfort teddy I asked for h…h… h-hours ago! Heh-heh! Am I g-glad to see… phew… you two,” Autumn babbled as her restraints began to crinkle and glow. She giggled nervously. “L-long story short…”

“Oh poor thing, you.” Fluttershy said. She smirked and nodded, appreciating the view. Inadvertently, many memories of Autumn being just a little insufferable popped into her mind. And tickling was pretty mild – and fun! – as punishment. It’d be interesting to be on the other end for a change! “She really is out of it. Goodness, I guess we’ll just have to tickle you. We’re told these crystals and chains should make this easier, so, just hang in there! We don’t be too mean.”

“Oh come on,” Autumn grumbled, sighing and shaking her head. She recoiled in suppressed laughter. Her own mane tickled her breasts – she sure was afflicted! By something.

“Yeah, heh, heh, you fluffy guys know how to set a scene… Say, this is mighty fine woodwork! Look at ‘em chains ‘n stuff. Y’know, you may be nuttier than a squirrel at this here moment, but y’look damn good! And them toots, oof!” Applejack winked at the nervously eye-darting kirin. Chains and gems tinkled and chimed as she shifted in her elaborate restraints. The earthen mare knelt before the helpless kirin’s feet. “You know me, I’m honest – lemme tell ya, I’m near-on jealous of your exotic stompers. There, I said it! You make a solid, proper-sized earth pony blush. Mmm-hmmm… damn thick, damn smooth, damn plump. Hoo-wee, you’re ticklish as hell ain’tcha?”

Fluttershy came over, looked at Applejack, and received a hat tip of affirmation.

“Guuuuuuys, c’monlistentomeyougotta-“ A careful finger pushed into the kirin’s prodigious soles, carefully stroking its arch… “GASP!!! Mmhaha HAH! AH! OOOH NO… P-please prittyprittyplee HEHE PLEASE BE GENTLE!!!”

“A single stroke did that?” Fluttershy murmured in enchantment. Autumn was electric, coiling with chirps, squeals and giggles. The pegasus rubbed her hands and exhaled. If only disciplining friends who breached their boundaries was always so fun! “Oh my…”

Good thing the Forest of Mirth suppressed innate pony magic, as otherwise Applejack would have seen through the scheme and Fluttershy wouldn’t have found such intense tickle torture particularly kind. Indeed, the kirins came up with a positively genius idea!

Autumn Blaze was always a controversial kirin. Outside the sacred woods, she was fairly well liked – her bubbly, energetic, nosey nature resonated well with ponies. But at home, Autumn was a little infamous for being… out there. Even before the silence, and ESPECIALLY during it, she was universally known for her perpetually running motor-mouth, constant antics and tendency of barging into business that wasn’t quite hers. And no, years of solitude didn’t dull her attitude; in fact, they only strengthened it! Her role in their rehabilitation was indubitable… but it only bought so much tolerance. She just got on everyone’s nerves! Especially the ruling kirins, who had a reputation to build up and uphold!

Autumn Blaze set very particular expectations with her never-ending hijinks, and often, visitors to Kirin lands left disappointed, finding a thoughtful, ponderous people instead of a nation of Autumns. Even those she visited, including the now-former Elements and Princess Twilight herself, sometimes found her behavior a little out there. Considering the fact Equestria was a nation soldered by Pinkie Pie, it was clear she needed reining in…

Autumn herself didn’t need tricking. She outright volunteered when the idea was given to her. The mare’s particular brand of bubbly giggles did wonders for the crystals, and her adventurous nature let her withstand the tickling with relative ease. Needless to say, there was a long line of important kirins wishing to send her into breathy peals of hysterics. Tickling as torture, after all, was another piece of ancient heritage! Back in the ancient kirin empire, criminals of noble descent would be tickled unto Nirik duress, and forced to endure no less than seven transformation cycles before being let go.

Now, sadly, the texts didn’t come with a recipe for the anti-Nirik stocks. Autumn was only going to come back for so many sessions of intense, exhausting tickle torture before bursting aflame. But then, genius struck. Kirin artificers manufactured a set of rings, inspired by pony magic nullifiers, which instead blocked the three problematic areas of a kirin’s empathetic aura. It wasn’t cheap, but once the three rings were attached to any kirin’s horn, they were incapable of becoming a Nirik. The rings had to be held together with chains and padlocks, so strong was a Nirik energy output! The fact that containing a Nirik outburst felt exactly like an orgasm, but in one’s highly sensitive horn, only made it better. Witnessing Autumn’s cross-eyed, electrocution-like reaction was inspiring to say the least…

A special outfit was designed, comprised chiefly of empathetic metals to those in the mare’s horn. Fitting numerous rings and gemstones on Autumn’s body optimized the reach of her laughter, allowing for more Crystal Mirth to be charged. Furthermore, they carried a little bit of the intense Nirik energy from her horn rings, channeling the fiery pseudo-orgasm into other sensitive areas of her body. Her breasts, her fingers, her palms, her knees, her toes, even her privates. Kirinkind certainly prided itself on going all the way when a solution proved useful! Autumn was a drooling, wheezing mess after a single hour with all these improvements, calling uncle in sign language for being too busy sputtering and regaining breath.

One would think that a week of tickle torture would cool Kirin tempers towards their ambassador. No, it was not the Kirin spirit to back down from a fruitful endeavor. The next question was – how to keep the resident motor-mouth going for longer? Day after day, a longer queue assembled, and more and more important kirins had to face disappointment, unable to sink their claws into the airheaded motor-mouth’s smooth, picturesque, perfectly abusable feet. It just so happened, however, that the Forest of Mirth contained Trees of Mirth, whose spirits gladly restored a weary kirin’s strength if given a small amount of laughter. Autumn totally nailed the spiritual negotiations, convincing the tree to reshape itself to include a comfortable set of restraints to keep things optimized. She certainly had time to question her judgment as the next session stretched for hours and hours, with barely a tummy ache and a parched throat cropping up despite intense, meticulous, devilish exploitation of her helpless, sensitive feet.

Autumn Blaze was just horrifically ticklish. Hours after hours of vindictive kirin fingers stroking, scratching and caressing her feet, the most she gained was a blush. Kirins simply weren’t wired to get desensitized - they WERE a nation that took years of complete silence on the chin, after all. Autumn Blaze’s body saw no reason to become any less mind-meltingly sensitive. You could brutalize her soles with toothy hairbrushes for as long as your wrists could take it, and she’d still sputter into high-pitched, girly squeaks at a gentle fingerpad’s proximity. Her olive green toes practically defied description – some in the line came simply to watch the kinds of noises and faces she made when one took a simple paintbrush to her toes… to say nothing of combs, floss or good old-fashioned kirin claws.

And obviously, they found a way to ramp it all up with more empathetic metals. That’s on top of various pedicuric oils and lotions, a renowned Kirin export.

Needless to say, Autumn had that maybe someone else should go for a change. After all, she’d helped produce enough Crystal Mirth to cover the entire crisis. By then, however, most of the Kirin ruling class were simply hooked to driving her wild. It was like Crystal Mirth, but you weren’t sapping vital supplies – instead, you made more! Furthermore, it was not the Kirin way to stop while you were ahead. It only made sense to reenergize the entire Forest of Mirth just to stay safe in the future.

Besides, Autumn was taking it on the chin. A few hours to sleep, some leeway for stretching around, a couple magazines and newspapers to keep her entertained, and she wasn’t in a bad way. Sure, she complained, begged, bargained and argued, but what else was new? Two days of virtually non-stop tickling, and the pesky ambassador was still good as new!

So the Kirin leadership had an idea. They’d resolved all their differences, united in how elated a good old Autumn tickle session made them feel. What if they didn’t just solve their crisis, but go one further and hand Equestria a gift? Clearly, this was a foolproof system! And of course they were cautious.

They invited their most trusted Equestrian connections and eased them into the idea. Autumn’s own diplomatic blunders taught the Kirins that being too upfront wasn’t always a good idea…

“Y’all damn adorable when you chirp like that! C’mon, how’d I get that outta you? Huh? Hmmm?” AJ teased her. She sat on the ground by the stocks, fingers dancing upon the velveteen, pearly soles. Her humble fingernails scraped this or that bit of flesh – it simply wasn’t necessary to dig in that deep! She tried. It was hilarious, but her ears hurt. “Give it up, Autumn, or else them toes get it! Heck, why’d I say that. Screw this, I just can’t resist! Ya gotta be proud of yourself, girl, there’s certain ponies who’d kill for piggies like these! Now lemme just get a good griiip…” The alluring green toes in question were already restrained, but AJ added an extra prevention against wrinkling or dodging. Fingers grasping the top of Autumn’s foot, she kept the toes pried back with her thumb. It opened up both the soft green stems and the abuse-moist arch perfectly taut for exploitation. Her fingers quite literally ran wild with the idea, dancing, prodding and lovingly raking all over – especially the toes. “Gosh, this is the funnest exorcist I ever did partake in.”

“G-guwahahaAHAHAH OH NO COME OOOON! Pwuuhuhuheeeheeease…” Autumn shot back, gasped and moaned as the earthen mare’s fingers squished a subtle erogenous point. She wormed in place, her tummy rising and lowering, hands forming fists, which only sent ticklish shocks through her own fingers. The kirin let out a low, rumbling laugh and bawled at the roofs of the Forest. “bwaaahaaaHAAAAAAAPPLEJACK BE REHEHEASONABLE! NOT THERE no no NO NOT THERE EITHER NOOOO!!!”

“You have such a pretty laugh! I mean… hee-hee, oh, gosh, it’s so easy to take it for granted when we’re around you! It’s… um… really awful that you’re, uh, possessed…” Fluttershy rolled her eyes and licked her lips. She was quite distracted – her slender, gentle fingers were pushing into Autumn’s arches, producing walking motions, drawing figures. It was engaging, to say the least. Fluttershy knew to capitalize on dominance when she had it, and Autumn’s laughter really was quite addicting. Her wings jolted and trembled as the kirin’s toes pressed up against her fingers as they sat snugly slotted between them, keeping the foot static and its sensitive skin taut. “But I’m suuure we’ll all laugh when we think back to this! You know, in your place, I’d be, ahm… um… happy, yesss. I’m sure this tickles horribly…” She dragged a single fingernail down the wide, blushy expanse of Autumn’s arch. The kirin threw her head back, wheezed and erupted with moans and laughter. “…but at least your friends are having fun! Yeeeah.”

“Nuuuuuuuhuhuuuuuuh! No-no-NOOO, ooh- mmf! MmmMMMFF! Pwwwwuahahaaa!..” Autumn tried to cast puppy eyes at Fluttershy, being tearful enough to pull it off. Sadly, she couldn’t stop thrashing her head as silky fingers titillated her exposed arches… “Nooo, qu-qu-quhuhuit being CRUUUEL! Beeeheheee KIND OR SOHOHOMETHING! bwaaaah! GuuuUUUYS! NOHOHOOO!”

For now, the ponies were clearly having immense amounts of fun, and even Autumn herself hardly complained! Compared to her usual quota, anyway. That kirin found it too easy to run away with errant thoughts, even while ruthlessly tickle tortured… And the two ponies were being quite gentle and teasing, not that it stopped Autumn from erupting into peal after peal of energetic, piercing laughter. Soon enough, they’d bring along the tools and see what happened from there. There was a slight chance that the Forest’s pall of mirthful complacency would lift after a Nirik-gasm (as they’d taken to calling those). Maybe that could cause the mares to re-evaluate their decisions. The kirins didn’t see why they wouldn’t go wild with tools and teasing aplenty, but then… ponies were ponies!

Oh well, they’d found two more Trees up for negotiation, and besides, it was an open question if Crystal Mirth could be made more powerful with a cocktail of emotions. Were the situation to deteriorate, well… they certainly planned to find out. Equestria would definitely appreciate the extra gift of super-strong Crystal Mirth! On top of the one-stop solution to keeping your royal court in perpetual unity: by enrolling a particularly pestersome court member into tickle dummy duty. That’d make up for tricking and tickle torturing two of their most trusted agents for a couple days. Definitely.