Flash!

Snap closed his eyes to the bright light and shook his head while the spots faded from his eyes.

Flash!

“Augh.” Snap raised his hands to his eyes as they burned from the exposure. “Please tell me I’ve never done anything like this to a person.”

A powerful voice with no identifiable gender echoed throughout the room. “No, but isn’t what you do now worse?”

“What do you mean?” Snap could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he searched the complete void that surrounded him. It threatened to engulf him and he tried to fill the sea with photos of his memories. Beautiful landscapes, kind portraits, and lovely mares in nothing but– Stop!

Flash!

This time as Snap opened his eyes, he stared back at himself, only now his coat was white and his mane black. He stretched out a hand and the stallion across from him did the same. Snap stopped and raised the hand. The other him did the same. Snap lowered his and the creature lowered in perfect time. A simple mirror. Nothing to fear.

Snap slowly stood up, shutting his eyes to make sure no new light was going to blind him. He opened one eye slightly and saw the copy staring back with vacant black holes. There lay no soul for him to capture, no beauty or life to show off, and definitely no happiness to share with the rest of the world. “I should be going.” He turned around and –

Flash!

“Gah!” However, it was not from the blinding camera shutter that he cried out this time. A quick glance back showed the shade to be holding on tight to his wrist with a grip that threatened to crush it. “Please, what do you want?”

The voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere, as if they were whispering in a dark underground tunnel. “What you now desire.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will. You already are starting to. Otherwise, how could you continue? Continue something so wrong?”

Snap tried to pull out of the vice, but it only increased in pressure and the pain now spread up his arm as it turned white. “No. This is just temporary. I‘ll find a new job, one where I take different photos.”

Woman filled the room, almost all of them in nothing or skimpy lingerie. One appeared next to the shade and cocked her head as she stared at Snap. She had a very shapely body, but it only worked to terrify him more for she lacked that which he found most beautiful. She had no vacant holes, but only a blank slate for a face, just like the rest.

“Aren’t these what you wish to photograph. Breasts, babes? Admit it Snap, you do find pleasure in all of this.”

The girls started transforming, gaining more then firm features, their coats becoming distinct colors of their own. Snap tried shutting his eyes and just as Trixie’s face was about to come into view–

Flash!

He heard a faint scream as his hands clamped over his eyes, suddenly free of the oppressive grip. He wasn’t sure if it was him or the shade, only that it made his ears bleed. Even amongst this cacophony though a whisper reached him. “Remember that you are only a pervert. Only by accepting that fact will you survive this terrible crime of yours.”

Snap collapsed to his knees as he took in deep, shuddering breaths. The room surrounding him was now clear, just as it had been at the beginning “Please, please just let me wake up.”

The booming voice came back, surrounding him with noise again. “Then admit to your crime!” A light turned on slowly before it was glaring and pointed directly at him. “Do that, and you will be released.”

Snap sighed as he turned away from the light. “I suppose if there was anyone I would talk to, it may as well be myself.” He took in a deep breath and stared into the light with a deadpan expression. “I have asked many mares under the pretext of it being my “job” to get undressed for me and then to allow me to take pictures of them at least almost bare naked. What gets worse, is that they seem to get so excited during this process that so far I have slept with two of my models, almost all three.”

“The final nail in the coffin is that I enjoy my work. These are the best pictures I have taken in my whole life. However, what I am doing is terrible. I put on a brave face outside, but here, in the depths of my mind, I can only admit to the possibly illegal acts that I commit.

There was a long pause and Snap turned his head away so that he no longer stared into the harsh light. He didn’t even look up when the ghostly touch of another pony brushed against his shoulder. The voice was much lower when it asked, “Have you hurt any of them?”

“No. At least, I don’t think I have. I probably have just been too stupid to notice though.”

Another pause that he didn’t bother covering his eyes for filled the room before the voice returned. “Perhaps council is needed then. Maybe you should make sure that that which you deem irredeemable could be declared as worthy of existing. I know I am intrigued to see your work. However, perhaps a more modern point of view would be better. It must be your choice of course.”

Snap spent more time in the utter darkness, trying to make sense of what had just been said. Were those memories, a warning by someone, or perhaps... perhaps I should take it as a sign. It isn’t wrong when it says I need help. Maybe a little closure about this job would give me the ability to find another.

The black stallion woke up panting as his mind reeled at what he had just decided. Dream or not... it had its merits. He slowly raised the crystal he used to contact Smut. “I really hope hes awake right now.”

The rock glowed deep purple as he squeezed it, and it only took a few moments for him to hear, “Hello? Who is this?”

“This is Snap. I will try to be quick.”

“Like in bed?”

Snap refrained giving his boss the satisfaction of acknowledging the comment and plowed on. “I have my next target. I think it would be best for me to do this one to make sure that we are being legal in our activities and won’t be exiled when Playcolt is published.”

A short gap in the reception cut off Smut and he came back while cursing the small phone. Once connection was restored, he immediately asked, “Who? I am all for covering our asses, but I need to know who.”

“A princess.”

An audible smack could be heard across the crystal. “I guessed that. I meant which one are you going to ask.”

Snap paused. He hadn’t really given it any thought and now that he had to choose, it scared the crap out of him. “Um, uh, well.”

“Please Snap. I’m very tired and would like to get back to bed as I suspect you do too.”

He rubbed his eyes. Smut was right, he needed sleep. However, he still had to decide and stated, “The girl I choose is–”

Author's Note

One girl per vote, the board has been wiped, Princesses only.