Adrian

“So he just broke in and took Rusty? That’s fucked up!”

“We’re all aware of how fucked up it is, Cel Shade,” Roxy said. “The question is how we’re gonna get him back.” She looked around the room, then back at me. “Where are Trixie and Chrysalis?”

“They’re getting ready to go,” I answered.

“To the police station?”

“Hell, no! We’re gonna find where that old bastard took Rusty and get him back ourselves! Why do you think I asked you two to wear black?”

“So you think we’re gonna find him that easily?” Cel asked. “This is Manehattan, not Ponyville. How do you expect to-”

“Just trust me, okay?” I interrupted. “I have a plan.”

“Why can’t you just call the cops on him and press charges?”

“Fuck that, Cel. Before they can even search Saddleton’s place, they have to get a warrant, then I have to hire an expensive lawyer and possibly go to trial.”

“Plus, since you had Rusty in the first place, Saddleton has a case,” Roxy added.

I nodded. “What she said. I’m not going through all that legal bullshit. I’m taking Rusty back, and I’m doing it tonight!”

I heard a few soft chuckles coming from the bedroom door, and I turned to see Chrysalis standing in the doorway, her black shirt and pants making me think she was naked for a second. “I didn’t realize I was rubbing off on you this much, Adrian.” She walked to my side with a satisfied smirk on her face. “I wouldn’t say I’m displeased, though. As a matter of fact, I makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like a proud mother.”

“That’s probably because you’re more than old enough to be my mother,” I scoffed.

The changeling narrowed her eyes at me, giving me an unimpressed scowl. She then looked at Roxy and Cel, who were trying to hold in laughs. “Not. One. Chuckle,” she warned.

“Okay, I’m ready!” Trixie called out before coming into the room, also dressed in black.

“Perfect,” I said as I picked up my pet’s bed and carried it over to Roxy. “Alright, Rox. You should be able to get a good whiff of Rusty’s scent from this.”

The diamond dog nodded and leaned forward, taking a few long sniffs of the bedsheets. “Okay, I got the scent,” she said, lifting her head up. “Now let’s see if I can catch a trail… Found it!” she suddenly exclaimed as her body stiffened and her tail stood at full attention. “C’mon! We gotta go before I lose it!”

With the first part of the plan set into motion, we set out to find where Mr. Saddleton took my pet and complete Operation: Rescue Rusty.

Hey, I take this shit seriously.

Trixie

The trail of Rusty’s scent led us to a quiet uptown neighborhood, where we stopped in front of a modest, two-story house. Moving as quietly as we could, we snuck into the bushes just outside the left wall of the house.

“He’s here,” Roxy said, narrowing her eyes at the front door. “I’m sure of it.”

“Perfect,” Adrian nodded, then turned to his pegasus friend. “You’re up next, Cel. Go check the upstairs windows and see if you can find Saddleton. Chrysalis will check the downstairs windows.”

Cel Shade and Chrysalis gave a silent nod before splitting up, with Chrysalis’s body distorting and shrinking as she changes into a less conspicuous form.

“A mosquito?” I giggled. “How fitting.”

“Consider yourself lucky I don’t carry malaria,” she spat as she buzzed away.

“Now we wait for them to come back, and we’ll move on from there. So far, so good,” Adrian sighed.

“Wait a sec,” Roxy said, turning to Adrian with a raised eyebrow. “Even if we do break Rusty out, what are you gonna do then? The first thing Saddleton’s gonna do is blame you guys, and you don’t really have a place to hide him in the apartment.”

“Don’t worry about that. Chrysalis will have that covered.”

“She does?”

Just then, we heard the sound of wings flapping as Cel Shade descended to us. “Okay, I found him upstairs. He was locking his closet door when I saw him, and he’s headed downstairs. That must be where he put Rusty.”

We then heard a faint buzzing sound as Chrysalis came back to us. “He just went to his living room. He’s plopped in front of the TV right now,”

Adrian nodded to the changeling. “Then you’re up next, Chrys. You’re going to-”

“Seduce Saddleton, I know,” she interrupted. “I pretty much expected it.”

“Wait, why is banging the landlord necessary?” asked Roxy.

“When I used to have… ‘companions’ over, I’d cast a little hypnosis spell on them after they’re spent and too tired to resist. That way, I don’t have to deal with them again,” Chrysalis explained.

“So if you did that to Saddleton…” Cel thought out loud,

“Then I can make him think that everything that happened tonight was a dream, including when he kidnapped Rusty,” the changeling finished. She then lit up her horn and changed into a short, curvy pegasus mare with a pale maroon coat and a white mane and tail. She seemed a little aged, judging from the slight wrinkles on her face. “This mare in particular should catch his eye.”

“Is it someone he knows?” asked Roxy.

“It’s someone he knows of, yes,” Chrysalis answered, walking off with an extra swing to her hips as she headed to Saddleton’s front door.

“That leaves you and me, Trixie,” said Adrian. “Cel’s gonna carry you up to Saddleton’s bedroom window, and you’re gonna undo the locks with your magic. Once you’re inside, he’ll take me up there, too. Roxy will stay down here to catch Rusty while Cel watches the stairs. If Saddleton, for whatever reason, starts to head there, Cel will fly up and let us know.”

I nodded as Cel Shade flew over to me, picking me up bridal style and flying me up to the window. As we got closer, I narrowed my eyes at the lock he was using. “Sheesh, with the rent that withered old horse charges us, you’d think he could afford magic-proof locks,” I scoffed. “I’ll have this window open in no time.”

I lit the window up with my magic, concentrating specifically on the lock at the bottom. It took a little fidgeting, but I soon heard the satisfying click of an undone lock. With a triumphant smile, I opened the window and Cel carried me inside.

“Now where is that closet Cel was talking about?” I thought, as I looked around the small bedroom. I eventually spotted a closet door on the far right wall, and I stepped lightly so as not to make any noise. I leaned towards the closet door, pressing my ear against it so I could hear what was inside. “Rusty? Are you in there?”

“Trixie? Is that you?”

Bingo.

“Yes, it’s me. We came to get you out of here,” I told him.

“’We?’ Does that mean Adrian’s here, too?” he asked.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his sudden joy. “Who do you think planned this whole thing? In fact, he’s on his way up now.” I looked back at the window and saw Cel Shade helping the human into the room.

“He’s in there?” Adrian asked.

“Yes. Just give me a moment to pick this lock,” I answered, concentrating my magic on the closet door’s keyhole. “Okay, this one might take a while.” I squinted my eyes and focused more magic into the lock, which was more complex than the one on the window. After a minute or two, I heard another pleasant click as the door unlocked. “We’re in. You can do the honors, Adrian.”

He took my offer with a smile and opened the closet door, and I could see his eyes brighten like stars once he finally saw his pet again.

“Adrian!” the jackalope cheered from inside a small metal cage. “Thank Celestia! This closet smells like baby powder and cough medicine.”

“It’s good to see you too, buddy. Now, let’s get outta here. We’ll bust open the cage once we’re out and home free.”

Rusty shook his head. “You can’t! This thing’s attached to the floor!”

“This sicko does this often enough that he has a special cage in his closet? How comforting,” I groaned.

“You think you can work that lockpick magic again?” Adrian asked me.

“Pfft! Of course. I’m the Great and Powerful-”

“Less bragging, more picking!” Rusty interrupted.

I grunted and looked back at Adrian. “He’s lucky we’re friends,” I told him, then turned back to the cage and once again concentrated my magic on yet another lock. I slowly worked the magic through, sweat rolling down my forehead as I focused as hard as I could on breaking this thing. I was already taking more time than the last two locks combined, my horn started to sting a little, and Adrian anxiously tapping his foot wasn’t helping things, either. “Look, I know this is taking a while, but just give me a few more minutes, okay. This is a tough lock to crack.”

The only response I heard was a deep breath, and the incessant tapping soon stopped. With my head clear of distractions, I kept at the lock, inching my magic trough, little by little, until…

CLICK!

Finally…

I sat on the floor for a moment to catch my breath, the three consecutive lockpicking spells wearing me out a bit. I watched in tired happiness as Rusty jumped into Adrian’s arms the second he opened the cage. Even though Rusty wasn’t my favorite guy in the world, it still felt good to see him and Adrian reunited like this.

I came out of my thoughts when I saw Adrian offering me his hand. “Does the Great and Powerful Trixie need some help getting up?” he asked.

I chuckled. “A little, perhaps.” I took his hand and he pulled me up to my hooves before we both left the closet.

“Roxy’s waiting to catch you outside. I gave her the spare key so she can take you back to the apartment as soon as she has you.”

“Well good luck, you guys, and thanks again,” Rusty said as Adrian dropped him out of the window.

I meandered around the bedroom, my eyes focusing on a picture frame standing on Saddleton’s nightstand. The mare in the picture resembled the one Chrysalis disguised herself as; same maroon coat, same white mane and tail, only this mare looked much younger. There also seemed to be something scribbled on the lower right-hand corner.

“To my biggest fan…” I read, squinting my eyes as I struggled to read the mare’s chicken scratch, “XOXO, Sonia Sugarcube.”

Huh, I guess Chrysalis did have it handled. Still, how did she know-

“Get ready, Trixie,” Adrian called. “Cel’s gonna come up any second now.”

“Coming,” I answered, turning around to meet him by the window, only to feel a chill run up my spine as I felt my tail drag something off the nightstand. “Shi-”

CRASH!

Before I could even reach to grab whatever I had knocked over, the sound of shattering glass filled the room, and my state of mind changed from calm to panicked in a split-second.

“What was that!?” Adrian asked with a hushed yell.

“I-I don’t know!” I stuttered. “I just turned around and something fell!”

“Dammit! Okay, Cel’s coming up now. You go out first!”

“Me? But-”

“We don’t have time to argue about it, Trixie! If we don’t hurry up now, we’re both screwed!”

There was no point in going any further. I nodded in understanding and rushed to the window, where Cel Shade had just arrived to carry me down, but…

“Cel! Fly away. We’ll jump out!”

“What? Trixie, are you crazy?” he asked.

“It’s not a long fall. We’ll be fine. Just go! At least if we get caught, you won’t get caught with us!”

Cel Shade opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly changed his mind and turned around, flying as fast as he could and leaving me and Adrian alone to get ourselves out. “Now let’s get out of here before-”

“AHA!”

SEVERAL MINUTES EARLIER

Chrysalis

I patted my mane as I rang Saddleton’s doorbell. I was almost certain that he wouldn’t resist having Sonia Sugarcube in his home. Whether it was from the way he’d constantly hum her songs whenever I passed by him in the lobby of my building, or from those vintage music magazines I’d see him read every now and again, it was clear that he had a thing for this mare, which made it all the easier to bed him.

Or, in the case of this plan, couch him.

I could hear the stallion’s footsteps approaching the door, and I cleared my throat as he opened the door.

“Do you have any idea what time it… Oh my…” His eyes looked like they were about to pop out any second, and he struggled to form words. “Are you… Sonia Sugarcube?”

“Why, yes I am, love,” I chuckled, perfectly imitating the mare’s Trottingham accent. “I’m terribly sorry to trouble you at such an inconvenient hour, but I can’t find my way around here. I’d really appreciate you letting me stay here for a moment while my chauffeur comes for me.”

“Oh! Of course! P-please, come in!” He quickly moved aside so I could enter, and as I passed him, I was hit with the sickening odor of… that form of love.

“Infatuation… Why, just why did it have to be infatuation?” I asked myself. “No, no, it’s fine. If I can handle a little of my least favorite flavor from a few college students, I can certainly endure it from an old stallion.” All the while, my face carried a false smile as I walked into Saddleton’s living room. “I just need to turn that infatuation into good old lust, and we’re set.”

“Could you give me the address for this house?” I asked. “I’d like to let my chauffeur know where I am.”

“Sure, Miss Sugarcube.”

“Please, love. Call me Sonia.”

Saddleton let out a foal-like chuckle. “If you insist, Sonia. 1129 Bridle Drive.”

“Fantastic. I’ll just send over this address and he’ll be here posthaste,” I said taking my phone out and pretending to type a message, when in actuality I was just typing random words.

…Okay, not totally random. It was just the phrase “Fuck my life” three times.

“If you don’t mind my asking, Sonia, what brings you to Manehattan?” Saddleton asked.

“Oh, I’m just visiting some old friends of mine,” I answered.

“Well, do you, by any chance, remember me at all?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Remember you?”

“Well, I should have expected that. It was about sixty years ago. You held a concert at my university and signed a picture for me. I told you that I was your biggest fan.”

“Oh, yes! Now I remember! It’s all coming back to me, now,” I lied, letting out a laugh. “You were quite the handsome stallion back then.” I glanced at him with half-lidded eyes. “As a matter of fact, you still have that… strapping young charm about you, Mister…”

“Saddleton. Oswald Saddleton, and thank you.”

“Ugh. Oswald Saddleton? Oh, your mother must have hated you.”

“If you’d excuse my boldness,” he continued, “you’re quite alluring, yourself.”

“Oh, stop, you charmer!” I giggled, trying to stop myself from gagging at the infatuation emanating from the stallion in front of me. Don’t get me wrong, I was more than willing to do what I had to do for the sake of this plan. Hell, I was used to it.

It’s just that, in this case, I’d prefer not to.

“I’m starting to regret not getting to know you all those years ago,” I sighed. “Makes me wonder what would have been.”

CRASH!

I winced as I heard a harsh sound upstairs. “Oh, come on! Really?”

“What the hell?” the stallion muttered under his breath. “Ahem. Excuse me, Sonia. I need to go check on something upstairs.”

“Oh, can’t it wait, Oswald?” I asked. “I was enjoying our conversation.”

“I know, so was I, but I really need to see what happened up there.”

Dammit, you stubborn old bastard!

“I’m certain it was just the wind, love,” I insisted. “Now please, can’t we just make the most of the short time we have?”

“I’d love to, Sonia, but I-”

Before he could get another word in, I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close to me, reluctantly pressing my body against his. Things were getting desperate, and while I wanted to lead into his bedding, it was time for me to get more aggressive.

“Oswald, take me!” I pled.

“W-what!?”he stammered.

“Come! Let’s do what we should have done decades ago! Make me yours, Oswald!”

It was then that I began to feel the lust starting to build up, and I let out an internal sigh of relief. I could finally follow through and hold up my end of the…

Wait… where did the lust go?

“Hold on a second! You’re not Sonia!” Saddleton said, pushing me away.

“Whatever do you mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“The real Sonia Sugarcube was a classy lady! She would never throw herself at a stallion she just met! You’re that slutty tenant of mine, aren’t you?”

I growled and stomped over to him. “You better watch who you’re calling a slut, you shriveled little… shit.” I mentally kicked myself when I realized that I had blown my cover.

I am sooo off my game…

Mr. Saddleton rushed to the stairs, and at this point I hoped that his old bones would collapse on themselves in his haste, but I had no such luck.

I just hoped that at least Adrian and Trixie were able to get away.

I shook myself out of my thoughts and flew up the stairs, only to find Saddleton standing in front of his bedroom doorway. “AHA!” he yelled, pointing inside. “Knowing you three, I should have expected you’d come back for your pet!”

“This didn’t have to happen, Saddleton!” I heard Adrian yell back. “You didn’t have to break into our apartment and kidnap Rusty!”

“He’s right!” I said, walking past the stallion as I entered the room, standing by my roommate’s side. “You had no right to come into our apartment unannounced!”

“Looks like you three have forgotten how things work, so let me remind you,” Saddleton grunted. “You’re renting space from property that I own. Your rent money goes to me! You know the rules: no pets, and according to the lease agreement that all three of you signed, I reserve the right to enter any unit and conduct an inspection with or without your consent!”

“That may be true,” Trixie said, “but I read that lease agreement front to back, and you violated it, too!”

He chuckled. “Oh, really? Tell me then, Miss Lulamoon, how did I violate it?”

“According to the article on unit inspections, the agreement states that you, the landlord, would give tenants fair notice of any and all inspections at least three days in advance.” Trixie lit up her horn and made the contract appear before here, conveniently turned to the article she just referenced. “A good showmare always reads her contracts at least twice.”

With the tables turned, I decided to take over from here. “So, it seems we’re at an impasse, Mr. Saddleton. Yes, we did break the contract, but it seems you did so, too. I’m sure that if we were to, say, take this to court, it would be quite interesting. I wonder who the jury would favor. Would it be the tenants who kept a harmless pet, or the landlord that not only committed an act of breaking and entering, but also what could be classified as a kidnapping? Quite interesting, if you ask me.”

He said nothing.

“Even if you were to win, though, let’s be honest,” Adrian added. “Who would be willing to rent an apartment from a landlord that has no qualms with breaking and entering?”

I could feel it. The sweet scent of defeat radiating from Saddleton. He was the one backed against the wall now.

“…Fine,” he grumbled. “You can keep the little rat, but if he ever causes any trouble in my building, it’s out with the three of you, you hear me?”

“Hmph. Loud and clear. I’m glad we could reach an understanding, Mr. Saddleton,” Adrian smirked.

“Yeah, whatever. Now get out of my house.”

“Gladly,” we said as we walked past our landlord and down the stairs with victorious smiles on her faces. We’d done it. While things did take a turn for the worse for a moment, we were still able to come out on top in the end.

I almost forgot what it felt like to win.

We finally made it back to the apartment, and by then we were all ready to head to bed. When I unlocked the door and walked inside, I saw that Roxy and Cel Shade were still here. “You’re back?” the pegasus asked. “Thank Celestia. I thought that Saddleton caught you for a second.”

“He did, but we were able to strike a deal with him, thanks to our little legal expert here,” Adrian said, patting Trixie on the back. “We can keep Rusty and stay in the apartment.”

“Phew. That’s a relief,” Roxy sighed. “Rusty’s in your room, sleeping. The poor thing was exhausted.”

“Yeah, so are we. I really gotta thank you guys. You really came through for me tonight. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Don’t sweat it, man!” Cel Shade said as he got up from the couch. “You know we’re in your corner. We’ll see you later, okay?”

Adrian nodded as his friends left, shutting the door behind them. He then turned to us, looking at us with a smile.

“Save us the mushy thank-you speech,” I joked. “You’re welcome.”

“Well, good, ‘cause I wanna go to bed,” he yawned.

“Me, too. I’ll see you guys in the morning,” Trixie said tiredly.

“Hold on,” I said. “One more thing before you two head off.”

The looked at me inquisitively as I reached my arms around them, pulling both of them close to me and letting out a long, relaxed sigh.

“Um… Chrysalis?” Adrian asked.

“Shhh… Just stay quiet,” I whispered, petting Adrian’s head. “I need to get the taste of infatuation out of me.” I turned to look at the unicorn at my right side. “Hey, Trixie, have I ever told you how hot you look in black?”

Her face turned beet red as I slurped up her momentary arousal. I could always count on her to get flustered at the slightest insinuation.

I was definitely getting used to having these two around. If I knew things would be like this, I would’ve had my apartment burned down a lot sooner.

I…

I want this to last forever.

Author's Note

It's back, bitches!

I'm sorry it took sooooooooooo long for this story to update, but what better time to come back than on the first anniversary of this story's first chapter?

I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things from here. None of that "wait 'til next year" bullshit. The time is now.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts in the comments. Keep it sketchy, folks!