Smoke

I woke the next morning from dreams of maps and routes. Not maps from here to there, but from here to power. Plans and ideas formed as I slept, notions of how to expand my businesses and my control along with them. As sunlight filtered through my fourth story windows, illuminating a bedroom decorated with mementos of my business accomplishments, I noticed a familiar warm, wet feeling from below. I felt Jade still asleep beside me, so I looked down, perplexed to find Day Planner sitting on her stomach, holding my softening cock between her hooves as she licked it clean.

Day Planner paused from her licking long enough to acknowledge my confused expression. “Sorry if I was presumptuous, Mr. Deal, but as I passed your room on my way down to the office, it occurred to me that morning wood would only slow you down. It’s been dealt with; just give me another moment and you’ll be cleaned up.” As if that were the most normal explanation in the world, Day Planner resumed licking up any remaining traces of cum from my crotch.

The conversation had awakened Bright Jade, who blinked in confusion at the mare between my legs, addressing Day with a disappointed tone. “I was going to do that… I want to be useful too!” She turned to me with a pout, as if I were somehow supposed to get morning wood all over again, just for her.

Day Planner gave my penis one last careful inspection before rising and getting off the bed. “It’s my responsibility to make sure Mr. Deal stays on top of his game, Ms… well, I don’t know your name, but if you’re here tomorrow, I’ll likely just be arriving to work at this time. If you’ve dealt with Mr. Deal’s morning condition, that will free me up to prepare his coffee.” Without asking Jade’s name, Day Planner left the room.

I smirked at Jade’s pouting. “Relax, Jade. I’ll make you useful. I didn’t bring you all the way from the Frozen North for nothing.”

Jade’s unhappy expression vanished, and she nodded, climbing out of bed ahead of me. She trotted toward the door, calling out over her shoulder, “Pirouette told me to be early this morning so she can see how I am. I’ll go wait for her.”

Before I could tell Jade that Pirouette wouldn’t be in for another couple of hours, she was gone. I sat up in bed, mulling over the events of the day before and the wee hours of this morning. That I could really do something with this power was unquestionable, but smart businessponies hedge their bets. I needed to learn what I was really capable of, and soon, but The Tall Tail wouldn’t run itself, and it was the cabaret that put food on the table. It was time to get to work.

A quick shower later, and I stepped into my office, eager to see just how the first day with Jade around, and with Day Planner’s new attitude, would go. I’d no sooner sat down and looked at my desk than I realized the downside of an efficiency obsessed secretary: Papers and proposals were organized left to right, near to far, in the order they demanded attention. Bills, supply orders, payroll, a couple of job applications, business proposals, and a stack of general mail were placed in that order, shattering any illusions of a slow, pleasant morning. Day Planner came trotting in from the floor below, my coffee floating in the air ahead of her. At least that comfort wasn’t denied me.

“Good morning again, Mr. Deal,” she began as I reached for the first sip of my desperately needed caffeine. “I’ve arranged the paperwork as efficiently as possible. Should anything demand your attention before you finish, the most critical tasks will already have been handled. If you’ll simply place things in your outbox as you finish, I’ll see to addressing them and getting them sent. In the meantime, I’ll get to work re-organizing our records. I suspect we could reduce costs if we had a better idea of where our money went.”

I halted with my coffee just a hair from my lips, staring. I’d either ensured the financial success of The Tall Tail for years to come, or created a monster. It was too early to say which. I took a drink and hoped for the best.

Two mind-numbing hours later, the paperwork was handled, and it felt precisely the same as being let out of class had as a colt. I dropped the last sheets into the outbox and sprung up from my chair, eager to stretch, walk the floor, check on Jade, or do anything but more paperwork. I practically bolted for the office door, only to be stopped by Day’s voice.

“Mr. Deal?” My blood ran cold.

“Yes, Day?”

“Excellent work, sir. I’ll let you know if anything needs your attention.” Flashing me an honest smile I hadn’t been sure she was still capable of, Day returned to her record keeping. Relieved, I slipped out the door.

I had always loved stepping onto the show floor of The Tall Tail. From the very first day of business, I’d felt like a king surveying his realm as I stepped down from on high. Despite the usual implications of a cabaret, The Tall Tail fairly shone with class and polish. The same expensive wood paneling lined the walls down here as in my office, the bar was beautiful mahogany polished to a shine, the stage was well-lit, and whether customers were seated at one of the circular tables or one of the half-booths surrounding them, their view of the show was carefully unobstructed. There were plenty of places in Manehatten to get a drink. The Tall Tail was one of very few where a pony on a normal salary could enjoy something truly classy.

Neither Jade nor Pirouette were in sight. I slipped through the performers-only door beside the stage, and carefully avoided tripping over props, scenery, and other bric a brac associated with running a stage event, making my way toward the dressing rooms. As I approached, Pirouette’s voice floated to me.

“No, Jade, you can’t stay on three hooves for that step. You need to lift your left fore and right hind…” I’d known my choreographer long enough to recognize the tone. Jade might not be hopeless, but she wouldn’t be on stage anytime soon. Well, whatever. She was mine; I’d use her where I wanted. Pouring drinks for a while wouldn’t hurt her, and if she flirted like she had back on the cavern tour, the stallions would buy us out of every bottle.

I poked my head in the door. “How’s it coming?”

Pirouette gave Jade a quick “Catch your breath, hun,” before turning to me. With Jade wandering over to a seat, Pirouette spoke freely. “Honestly? Done, it may be a year or two before I can put her on stage. She’s not as bad as Day, but she’s got no experience at all. We’re talking the basics of the basics here.”

I nodded. “Keep it up. It’d be a waste not to use her, but I won’t spoil your shows for it. She can shine almost as bright behind the bar.”

Pirouette offered a relieved smile. “That’s why I like you, Done. You don’t cut corners for a bit of flash. The filly’s a bit weird, honestly, but she’s nice enough, seems to really want to make you proud. Give me time, I’ll get her there.”

I patted Pirouette’s withers and returned her smile. “And that’s why I like you. You always put on a great show for my customers, even when I make it hard on you.” I was still a bit annoyed with Pirouette about last night’s deception—covering for somepony trying to bail on me was asking for it—but there was enough history between us to let that slide once. I turned to go check the floor before opening in a few hours, but she called me back.

“Hey, Done… about last night. I’m glad you talked Day into sticking around, and I’m sorry for playing dumb. I just… I can understand wanting to be on stage bad enough to give up everything. You know?” Pirouette’s head was hung low.

I patted Pirouette’s back again. “You miss it, don’t you?” She nodded.

“For years, I was ‘the one.’ I was going to be the famous ballerina in Canterlot. I missed one audition, and it all… I’m sorry, Done, you’ve heard all this before.” Pirouette turned to check on Jade, but it was my turn to call her back.

I’d had enough mystery the night before, and one remained. “Hey, Pirouette. I meant it last night about your mane. It looks great on you. But what’s the story? You got jumpy when I mentioned it.”

Pirouette sighed and trotted back, then brushed the long bangs aside with a hoof, revealing swelling and a bandage. “While you were out, we had our monthly bad drunk. When I told him to go… back of his hoof. Said an old nag like me should just pour drinks and let him watch the fillies.”

I startled Piroutte with an angry growl. “Who? Nopony touches my girls!” I felt the smoke rising, but with no pony to punish, forced it back down. Pirouette smiled and let her mane fall back into place.

“Oh, hun. I know you take care of us, but relax. It’s over, and knowing you it’ll be years before you’re on vacation again. You’ll be here next time. Thanks, though. It’s nice you care so much when I’m off the stage these days.” She turned and headed toward Jade again, sighing and muttering about ages and stages.

I worked myself back to calmness and let her go. She knew as well as anypony that age ended careers on the chorus line. All she could do now was put together the best shows in town; her days in the spotlight were over. And put on the best shows she did—that night, like every almost other at The Tall Tail, her girls received a standing ovation.

A week passed, with each night illustrated in vibrant colors, all depicting my little empire of businesses growing, smaller entrepreneurs coming under my umbrella, and ever more direct methods employed in my rise to power. Waking, little changed day to day. Day Planner buried me in hours of paperwork before I went to check on Pirouette and her girls, shows went on, and money came in. I was getting restless, though, snapping from time to time. The dreams of grandeur weren’t moving into reality, and each night made waiting that much harder. Finally, during yet another morning of paperwork, I was given an opportunity.

“Day, what’s this catalog?” The cover displayed a mare in a provocative pose, in an outfit meant to titillate. Not the sort of stuff our shows used, but it wasn’t exactly tasteless.

Day Planner turned from her work to look at what I was holding up. “Oh, that. Pirouette threw it away unopened. If I may, sir, I think we have a little room to draw more attention without crossing the line. If the girls on stage appealed a bit more, we could bring in more bits with the same number of shows.”

I flipped through a few pages. These were definitely not our standard fare, but they weren’t vulgar or tacky. So the girls drew a bit more attention to their flanks, thighs, and tails. Where was the harm?

“Good idea, Day. I’ll sell her on it.”

Day nodded graciously and returned to her work. “Thank you, Mr. Deal. Good luck.”

I headed down the stairs, not expecting to need any. After all, it was an obviously good idea.

Pirouette scowled, and her dancing girls looked back and forth between us, confused. Arguments between management and the ownership were rare at The Tall Tail, and never public. “Done, since when do we dress our girls up like that? Taste and restraint has always been the name of the game here!”

I was no less annoyed. These outfits, maybe a new act or two, and The Tall Tail would bring in more business than ever. I was sure of it. And since when did the manager get to argue with the owner in front of staff? “They’re hardly outrageous, Pirouette! If they bring in a few extra bits and the girls don’t have to work any harder, what’s the harm? You’re being unreasonable.”

“Unreasonable! Done Deal, I have managed your acts for eight of the ten years you’ve run this club, and I have never once been unreasonable!” Pirouette stabbed at a page angrily, crinkling the paper. “Just look at this outfit! It draws a stallion’s eyes right to a mare’s thighs!”

Before I could snap a reply, one of the chorus girls surrounding us quietly interjected. “I think it’s kinda cute…” Another, younger mare nodded from her perch on a makeup table. “It’s not that bad. I wouldn’t mind it.”

I grabbed the catalog back from Pirouette, a victorious smile on my face. “It’s settled then. I’m placing the order, Pirouette.”

Pirouette turned on the girls who’d spoken up for me. “I can’t believe you two! Why would you want to wear something like that?”

Angry that Pirouette was still putting up a fight when I’d said the matter was settled, I took a parting shot as I left the room. “Because they’re not jealous that age keeps them out of the spotlight, Pirouette.”

I could hear the gasps as I left the room, but I didn’t turn around. Not even when I heard Pirouette begin to cry.

The show went on as normal that night, and as usual, I watched from a table near the back. It was good, but it was definitely a bit off. The events in the dressing room had left the performers feeling uncertain. During a routine with a pair of mares singing a duet with no accompaniment, Bright Jade approached me, looking worried. I’d calmed down from hours before, but seeing Jade upset was one more reminder that there were problems I’d have to sort out. That she was bringing them right to me during the night’s best routine only made things worse. I took a deep breath and evened out my temper. This wasn’t Jade’s fault.

Speaking quietly, so as not to disrupt the song, I simply asked, “Yes?”

Jade lowered her tone to match. “Sir, Pirouette said she wants to talk to you in your office. Right now.”

I frowned. Pirouette knew I hated being interrupted during the show, but that could only mean it was serious. With a sigh, I remembered that I’d made her cry. She’d been a fool and out of line, but she was still a friend. “All right. Back to work, Jade; I’ll go sort this out.”

Jade nodded and hurried away to tend to a customer who was holding out an empty glass, and I quietly found a path around the outside of the large hall, avoiding blocking anypony’s view on my way to the stairs. I paused on the landing, resolved to be patient, and pushed open the door.

Pirouette stood in front of a mirror on the wall, staring at herself. Her visible eye was puffy and red, and her cheeks were still damp. Had she only just stopped crying? She turned when she heard me enter, and the tone she took was new to me—half mother hen, half betrayed friend.

“Done… what’s gotten into you? You’ve always been a good boss, and a good friend, but since you came back… I don’t know what to think. You came back early, with a mare in tow who acts like satisfying you is all that matters. You talked Day into staying, but now if she’s on the clock, she works like a mare possessed. You’re as protective of the girls as ever, but you’ve been snapping, and now today… you’ve never asked me to compromise on my work, Done! And those outfits! And worst of all, what you said!” Pirouette’s voice cracked as she struggled not to cry again. “What is it, Done? What’s wrong? What’s gotten into you?”

I could actually hear the anguish in Pirouette’s voice. Eight years of working side by side with her, and I’d never heard her so miserable before. I lowered my head, ashamed. Of all the ponies I’d ever met, none had stood side by side with me through thick and thin like this mare. She hadn’t deserved the insult, and I could’ve brought up the outfits in my office, where she didn’t have an audience that looked up to her. I needed to fix this.

“Close your eyes, Pirouette.”

Pirouette looked at me, confused and I thought, mistrustfully. Had I hurt her that badly? “Done… I don’t understand.”

I walked over to her slowly, and gently pushed her mane back, away from her hurt cheek. To my surprise, Pirouette pressed her muzzle against my hoof. Affection? “I know. And that’s my fault.” I spoke as softly as I could. “Just trust me on this. Please?”

Pirouette gave me an appraising look, but finally nodded and shut her eyes. I stepped back and pulled the smoke up from inside of me, my first time calling it out when it wasn’t boiling on its own. I was a little relieved to see the dark mist begin to swirl around my body. Glad it had come when called, I looked toward Pirouette, and the smoke began to writhe from me along the ground, twisting up all four legs, around her torso, down her tail and up her neck. When it coiled gently around her muzzle, I willed it to stop, and it did, safely outside. My most trusted friend deserved to know my big secret.

“Okay, Pirouette. You can open them.” I offered a reassuring, heartfelt smile.

Pirouette’s eyes opened, and she looked at me. When she saw the smoke wafting around my body, her eyes bulged. When she saw the lines of it stretching to her, and looked in the mirror, her jaw worked, terrified, but not a sound came out. I sighed. I should’ve expected it would scare her at first.

I raised a hoof, trying to placate Pirouette. “It’s alright! It doesn’t hurt. You don’t need to be afraid. I should’ve told you about this before, but it’s pretty hard to explain.”

At last, Pirouette found her voice. She spoke in a mix of frenzy and pleading. “Done! What are you doing? Stop! This isn’t right! Please!” She looked at her legs and stood stock still, perhaps afraid of moving them while they were coiled in smoke.

I frowned. “Pirouette, calm down! It’s alright. You’re my friend; I won’t do anything to you.” Pirouette of all ponies understood me. I just had to lay it out the right way. “I’m not sure what it is, but since this smoke came into me, ponies do what I want. Day was going to quit, but she stayed. Jade… I’m not sure what happened there, but you’ve seen how she is. She’s mine. And there was an awful pony on the train I sorted out. Just think of what we can do! The restaurant next door that wouldn’t sell, that pack of hoodlums that make trouble every so often, the dance school that said all those awful things about us! Naturally, we’ll keep taking good care of your girls; they’re the heart of this whole thing. They deserve the very best. Finally, I’m going places, Pirouette. I’m sorry for what I said earlier, honestly. You’re my best friend, and I want you with me, every step of the way, just like always.”

My frown had turned to a smile while I spoke. The things I’d accomplish, and Pirouette beside me all the while, the one pony in the world I could tell anything. The idea was heaven itself. Then she spoke.

“No! Done, get a hold of yourself! Listen to yourself! Don’t you hear what you’re saying? This is evil! You just made Day stay? You ‘sorted out’ some pony on the train? You don’t even know what happened to Jade, and it doesn’t bother you at all! Making me cry is the least of it! Done, you’re better than this! Come back! You don’t need this… stuff! This isn’t you. I want my sweet, kind Done back! The one who made his bits making ponies happy! Please!”

Pirouette’s tears had resumed, and my own were forming in my eyes as she spoke. I had trusted her. I had showed her everything, told her everything. I had been sure she would understand! We were going to stand side by side, at the top of Manehatten’s high society… and now this. I could feel my tail droop, and my head sank to stare at my own hooves. The first teardrop landed directly between them, a perfect bead on my beautiful hardwood floor.

Pirouette’s voice was encouraging, despite her tears. “That’s it, Done! I know you can do it! We’ll take you to Canterlot; I’m sure the princesses can fix—”

The words died in her throat as I raised my head and flicked my mane back. Maybe my sad smile told her everything. They often say a lot more than words. “It’s okay, Pirouette. I’m not angry with you. You just don’t see… but I can fix that.”

Horror washed over Pirouette’s face. “…Done? W-what do you mean?” I didn’t answer. “Done, please… listen to me!”

I wiped a tear from Pirouette’s cheek. Even approaching middle age, it was easy to see she’d been a beauty once. I hated seeing beautiful mares cry. “We’ll still be good friends.”

I stepped back, and the smoke stopped moving around her, instead closing tight against her body. Pirouette opened her mouth, but nothing escaped, not even a gasp. As the smoke pressed itself into her flesh, Pirouette thrashed, dropping to her side on the floor. The skin around her eyes tightened up, some of the sheen of youth returned to her coat, and her mane and hooves regained gloss I hadn’t seen from them in years, if ever. The thrashing slowed as the smoke sank further, disappearing completely into her body. As the last wisps vanished, Pirouette shuddered, her body wracked by orgasms. She lay panting on the ground, pupils dilated, staring into space. Though unfocused, this was entirely different from Day and the mare on the train. Somehow, I wasn’t afraid for her.

I sat next to Pirouette’s head, and stroked her mane, smiling down at her gently. “Hey in there. You’re okay, right? You’re gonna get up and manage the girls like always. The costumes are fine. You want the girls to get ahead. You want to get ahead, right? We’re going to do this together, just like always.”

Pirouette blinked at last. When her eyes focused on my smiling face, she returned that smile, with interest. “Yeah. Together. Help me up? I’m a little woozy…”

I rose and offered Pirouette a hoof up. As she stood, she caught sight of herself in the mirror, and her jaw dropped. She saw what I had seen happening—a good fifteen years of the clock wound back. “Did you… did your… that stuff?”

I nodded, amused at her inability to speak. “Yeah. Just call it smoke; I don’t think it has a name.”

In a flash, forelegs were wrapped around my neck, squeezing tightly. “Oh, Done, thank you! I can dance again!”

I returned the hug, smiling, though Pirouette couldn’t see. I had no idea how I’d given her back her youth, but as long as she was happy, I didn’t care. All was right with the world.

After more apologies in each direction, Pirouette headed down to her girls backstage. I followed just far enough back not to meddle as I listened in. The exclamations ranged from, “You look like a million bits, Pirouette!” to “Woah, Mr. Deal must really know how to kiss flank when he messes up!” I let the latter slide—a good businesspony knows which misunderstandings to correct, and which to let stand.