Pip’s destination wasn’t far from the massive stalactite in the center of the Hanging City. Located to the south, the stony spike looked like it could hold a thin, four story building in it with room to spare. Beyond that, nothing else seemed to mark it as elite or anything else really. For all Pip knew this could have been an office building where Dark Bargain was going to meet up with him.

The chariot ascended so rapidly the small stallion thought they would crash into the ceiling. Thankfully that did not happen, however it still felt like Dragon Fang’s head was almost touching it. They flew for a few minutes, heading towards an opening near the base of the stalactite which Pip was just now able to see. There they entered a large room that looked like it had once held two dozen chariots or so, but was now completely bare. No torches to light the area, nopony there waiting for them, not even a sign. Just smooth stone as far as the goggles would allow Pip to see.

Wordlessly, Dragon Fang exited the chariot and walked off, away from the entrance. Without pausing or looking at him, Dragon beckoned Pip to follow, and he disembarked, rushing over to the soldier before slowing down. Once he was close enough, Pip saw that her head was tilted towards the ground while her eyes seemed to scan the ground. He was about to ask what she was looking for, but when she came to a sudden halt he got his answer.

There, on the floor, was a large door made of wood that looked like something an older castle would have.

As Pip took this in, Dragon stepped onto it and began to stomp a hoof against it. Bang. Bang. Bang. While the sound echoes across the room, Dragon Fang walked off to stand besides Pip once more with her arms crossed. Pip looked up at Dragon Fang who was now focusing her attention on the door with a look of undisguised irritation. “Should have had somepony waiting for us,” she muttered, looking like she was fighting to keep her eyes from rolling. “The staff here better have a good reason not to-” At that moment several clicks were heard coming from the door. Slowly it opened to reveal a thin thestral mare wearing a Prench style maids uniform. As she lifted the door out of the way, Pip saw that her black mane was tied into a very tight knot and had several streaks of grey here and there. When she lifted her head, he noticed the thin lines across her tired face. Behind her was a long, winding stairway that seemed to spiral downwards.

“Good evening, Dragon Fang,” said the maid as she gave a bow. “Please forgive my tardiness, but the young miss is in a foul mood this night. You know how she can get when she is upset.”

Pip had expected Dragon to say something harsh to the older mare, but was surprised to see an apologetic look appear on her face. “That I do,” she said with a small sigh. Her face quickly hardened again as she turned to look at Pip. “Miss Night Shift, this is the Mr. Pipsqueak. I will be leaving him in your care.” Without another word, Dragon turned and walked away.

“Leaving so soon? You know, dear, you are more than welcome to stay awhile. I am sure the master would be pleased to have you here as long as you like.”

“I have other things I need to take care of.”

“But surely you could stay a little while. Maybe get something to eat,” said Night Shift, causing Dragon to pause. “We try our best not to waste food, but tonight we accidently cooked a bit too much. It would be so wrong of anypony to waste it. If you like you can head down to the kitchen and have some of it. Or you could take some home with you. I’m sure your charming father and darling sister would love to have some of my midnight apple pancakes.”

Dragon Fang spun around so fast that it almost caused Pip to jump back in fright. Her normal expression had changed, mouth hanging open as drool was clearly falling from it. There was a twinkle in her eyes that Pip remembered seeing in his former classmates’ eyes whenever they talked about Heart’s Warming Eve. Her arms seemed to tremble as if she were fighting to keep something held back…and losing. Without a single word she shot past the two ponies, nearly knocking them both over in the process, and flew down the stairway that lead to who knows where.

“Blimey,” was all Pip could say as he looked down the stairway. Night Shift let out a chuckle.

“I knew that would get her to stay,” she said before turning to Pip and giving him a once over. “So, you’re the one who married Mistress Succubus?”

“Ah,” began Pip before simply nodding. It was weird. For some reason he felt like he was meeting Succubus’ mother for the first time, right before they were heading to prom. The way she was examining him felt more than a little intimidating.

Night Shift continued to examine him and, after a moment or two, she nodded. A small smile appeared on her face as she beckoned him closer to the stairs. “Please follow me, Master Pipsqueak, and I will take you to the master of the estate.”

As Night Shift began to walk carefully down the steps, making sure she didn’t step on her uniform in the process, Pip hesitated for a moment before finally collecting his nerves to follow her. Like the chamber above him there were no sources of light to illuminate the path ahead of them. If it weren’t for the goggles he was wearing he felt sure he would have missed a step and fallen to his death. And while goggles probably didn’t give him the same viewing power as the thestrals natural eyesight he could take in his surrounding well enough. It was clear that everything here had been painstakingly carved from the stalactite and done expertly. Everything he could see looked smooth and would probably be cold to the touch. The walls, like many of the buildings and the train he had ridden on, had carvings etched into it depicting violent battles of thestrals verses many different races. Even though it wasn’t in his tastes, he could still admire the hard work and skill that went into making all of this.

“Tell me,” said Night Shift as they passed an archway to their right that seemed to lead out to a hallway of some kind. “How is Lady Succubus doing? Is she getting along well with the ponies there? Is she eating well?”

Before he could say another else, Night Shift stopped on the step she was on and turned around to face him. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment.

“You must excuse me,” she said. “I know it is not my place to be concerned about such things. It’s just that I have been in service to this family for more than thirty years and have watched over all of the former Duke’s foals as they grew up. Please, forgive me if I have stepped out of line.”

“No, no,” said Pip quickly. “You just caught me a bit off guard is all. I mean, I know how thestral mares like her are treated here so…”

“You assumed that I would have been glad she was gone,” supplied Night Shift.

“…Maybe,” answered Pip honestly as he avoided making eye contact with her.

“Well, I honestly don’t blame you for thinking that,” said Night Shift causing Pip to look at her face once more. She was frowning, but it didn’t feel like she was frowning at him. “Many of the staff here refused to go near her room out of fear that they would see her. Some even threatened to quit if they were ordered to do anything that would mean looking at her. Not even her own parents wanted to be in her presence while she was in her natural state, unless they had to. Normally, they would insist on her wearing that contraption when she was in their presence or else they would become every…disagreeable with her.” She let out a sad sigh. “There are very few here who are willing to tolerate or are willing to overlook it.” She then let out a small sigh before turning around to continue to walk down the stairs. But before she stepped on the second step down, Pip spoke up.

“There’s nothing wrong with the way she looks -- to ponies and just about everyone else, she’s the kind of prize duels were fought over in the ancient past,” stated Pip firmly as Night Shift turned around to look at him.

“And here, we would still fight duels to not be made with her. I do not hate her, but physical repulsion is a powerful force, though the mistress was never but kind.” She then half turned with her face still looking at Pip. It looked like she was about to say something, but she stopped herself as her ears began to twitch. Night Shift quickly looked up and Pip followed suit. As soon as he did, however, he felt something latching onto his head. The small stallion gave a muffled yelped as his body began to fall backwards while chunks of his mane were being pulled on. Pip would have surely cracked his skull if not for somepony grabbing his shirt to keep him from falling.

“Hey,” said the familiar voice of Banshee moments before she was pulled off Pip’s face. With his vision restored he could see the filly was thrashing about as Night Shift held her by the back of her black dress with one hand while holding onto Pip’s shirt in the other. “Let go of me Night! LET! ME! GO!”

“Miss Banshee,” began Night Shift in a cold tone that caused the fur on the back of Pip’s neck to stand as well as causing the filly to freeze in mid thrash. “Not only have you assaulted a guest who is here to see your brother, but you have also disobeyed me when I ordered you to sit in the corner of your play room.”

“I, ah, thought my punishment was over?” replied Banshee in a scared tone.

“Punishments are only over, young filly, when either I or Master Bargain say they are!” boomed Night Shift with enough force that Banshee’s ears went flat before covering them with her hands. “And they only get worse when naughty foals try to escape them.” She set Banshee down while releasing Pip now that he had gotten back on balance. Once he was situated, Night Shift grabbed Banshee by the shoulders to turn her around so they were face to face. “Go back to your corner right this instant and you’d better not even think about leaving your seat for a moment until I say you can. Should you dare test me on this I swear that your next punishment will be far longer and much more painful!” Without saying anything the filly flew down the stairs and out of sight.

The rest of the trip was done in almost complete silence. The only sound Pip heard was the echo of their hoofsteps against the stone steps. They went past two more archways before they turned to walk through the third one. There, they entered a long empty hallway that didn’t give Pip any impression that they were wealthy in the slightest. Pip had expected to see paintings of famous ancestors, tapestries, fancy sculptures, or anything that looked like it would belong to the elite of society. But the bareness of it all made it feel more like they, like the thestrals of Hollow Shades, had fallen on hard times and had sold everything in order to survive.

As they walked, Pip and Night Shift passed by many more archways. These ones, however, had old styled wooden doors which were tightly closed leaving what was on the other side a complete mystery. All but one. As they passed it by, Pip saw it was open and couldn’t help but look inside. What he saw was a large room with the only furniture being a small, circular wooden table with four tiny chairs surrounding it. Out of the four, two of the chairs had large stuffed animals sitting in them: one of those creatures looked like a cross between a wolf and a spider as well as a bright red fox. The remaining seats were situated so close together that it almost looked like they were touching. On top of the table was an old, silver tea set that seemed like nopony had used it for a while now. Other toys neatly lined the walls, looking out with their blank expressions. Lastly, Pip noticed there was somepony in the room. Sitting in a corner was Banshee, facing the wall with her head down low.

After passing this room, Night Shift brought Pip to the last room down this hallway which she politely knocked upon. After being told by the voice of Dark Bargain to enter, Night Shift opened the door to reveal one of the most interesting rooms Pip had ever seen in his life. For starters, the walls of the room were covered in crystals. Waves of bright greens, reds, oranges, purples, and blues shined brightly thanks to the several candles that had been lit around the room. Those same crystals continued up onto the ceiling where they began to spiral into each other. In the center of it all, Pip could see that some of the crystals were larger than others. For a moment he wondered why this was until he spotted the massive one in the center. What he was looking at was a model of the Hanging City!

Various furniture had been placed strategically around the room. Like, for example, a wooden desk and chair that looked like it was made some two hundred years ago. There was also things like a wooden wine cabinet, a coffee table which was holding a basket of fruit, and several other comfortable chairs around it. Sitting in one of those chairs was Dark Bargain who was looking less than pleased as he set down the book of fairy tales he had been reading just as Pip and Night Shift entered.

Dark Bargain gave an unwelcoming smile, slithering, “Ah, good, you’re here. We can begin getting you ready to meet with the Countess.”

“Sir,” said Night Shift while taking a step forward. “There was another problem with Miss Banshee.”

Dark Bargain rubbed his temples at this. “Again? What did she do this time? Trying to make another doll? No, don’t tell me. I don’t need this right now. Just make sure she is kept in her play room and out of the way until this ordeal is over.”

“Of course,” said Night Shift as she took a slight bow. As she did, Pip couldn’t help but notice that she seemed less than pleased by this. His time working as a bartender had taught him how to read ponies. When they were depressed, angry, and so on. Even those who tried to hide these emotions, Pip had learned the subtle gestures and expressions they made that gave away what they were truly feeling. It helped him to know when somepony wanted a drink (as well as knowing when to cut them off) or when they just wanted somepony to vent at for a bit. Right now, Night Shift looked like she was keeping herself from yelling at Bargain.

Dark Bargain eyed the maid, probably noticing this himself. However, he ignored it as he went on to ask “Is there anything else I should know about? If not, you may leave.”

“Only that Miss Dragon Fang is here as well,” said Night Shift, her voice holding a tiny bit of amusement now. “I imagine she is in the kitchen eating some of the leftovers from breakfast right now.”

“Is she?” asked Dark Bargain, sounding interested. A faraway look appeared on his features as he ignored the other two ponies in the room for just a moment. When it ended the stallion shook his head and returned to his normal state. “Seeing as her family is assisting me at the moment, I believe that offering them some food in return is the very least I can do for them. When you leave, head down to the kitchen and make sure that Miss Dragon Fang is well taken care of. Also, please send her my regards and apology for not being there in pony.”

“Of course, my lord,” said Night Shift as she gave a short curtsy before leaving.

The door shut. “Well then, I see you are impressed by my private study.”

“Oh,” was the only thing Pip could say at that moment. Blinking, he quickly came to the conclusion that Dark Bargain had caught his expression. “Ah, yeah. I’ve never seen anything like it even in Twilight’s castle. It’s…incredible!” He tried to play up his perkiness, not letting the bastard know that this meeting was about 117’th on the list of top 25 things he’s most like to be doing right now.

Dark Bargain let out an approving ‘hmm’ noise as he walked over to take hold of one of the lit candles. “My great-great grandfather did all this,” he said with something like pride in his voice. “It took him forty years. You see, Mr. Pipsqueak, from what I understand, he wasn’t particularly skilled at using our natural magic. Many thought it some sort of hobby, seeing that he didn’t want to hire anypony to do the work for him. Others took this as being cheap and head strong. Regardless of his reasons, he managed to finish and enjoy it for several years before he passed on.” Dark Bargain paused as his free hand moved out to touch the wall. “Out of all the rooms in this estate, it is here that I feel the most at peace.”

“It’s something to admire. Almost a pity that the rest of this place looks abandoned.” The words escaped his mouth before Pip even knew he was saying. Eyes now wide, he watched as Dark Bargain slowly turned to look at him.

“Interesting,” replied his host, a frown forming on his face. “Am I current in assuming that you think this place should be a cluttered mess like the mansions in Canterlot? A place that’s only purpose is to display one’s wealth in order to stroke the ego?”

“Well, not exactly. What I meant was to say that this place just feels very bare. Almost like nopony lives here.”

Dark Bargain let out a sigh. “Well, I suppose I can’t blame you for thinking like that. The culture of Equestria and most other countries in the world have conditioned the populace to see the elite in that fashion. It was…frustrating when my family first began dealing with the Canterlot elite almost a century ago. From what I’ve read, most of them refused to listen to us, believing we were mere peasants without a bit to our name. So my ancestors changed the top floor to better accommodate visitors from Canterlot as well as other ponies whom we do business with. Personally, I avoid using it whenever possible. But with what has been happening lately I have found myself in it several times this week.”

“What for? Is it other nobles you’re having a hard time with?”

“That would have been less annoying…. Instead, several ponies have been visiting me ever since they found out about my situation, wishing to buy the mines before I lose both them as well as my title. They have been coming from all across Equestria, including one from Ponyville.” This information gave Pip a moment’s pause. There was only one pony he knew who could afford to do something like this and that was Filthy Rich. Yet, it didn’t seem like something he would do. From what Pip had heard from Scootaloo, Filthy was preparing to open seven new stores across Equestria and even in Griffinstone. And while he was understandably excited about expanding the family business like he was, it was also causing him a great deal of stress. Traveling from location to location, checking the sites, working with the local governments, and appointing new managers for these future stores. Add that to the troubles with Diamond Tiara and the idea of taking on the responsibilities of running a mine seemed like it would be a bit too much for him. “I know of who you are thinking, an admirable guess, but the wrong Rich,” chuckled Dark Bargain. “Spoiled Rich showed up two nights before you arrived trying to ‘seduce’ me into selling her the mine. If she thought that a single romp would be enough, then the deluded mare truly thinks too highly of herself.”

As he said this, Pip thought about the middle aged mare in question. While some would call her a MILF, Pip would never dream of sleeping with her even if he were still single and desperate. He’d rather pay for it than deal with her. Years of being married to the richest family in Ponyville had allowed her all the cosmetic surgery and magical anti-aging spells bits could buy. Yet none of that could hide how artificial her face had become (almost mask like) which gave her an eerie look to her. Nor could it hide the fact that her formerly just fine, albeit petite breasts on her small chest had been pumped up gradually into G cup breasts that looked like they were weighing her down, not that he had anything against implants, provided they fit the girl, as so many dancers had. Now, Pip might have been able to look past all that if not for her personality which was more rancid than a charnel pit. Yet, something seemed off. Why would Spoiled Rich be trying to buy the mine using her body? Everypony in Ponyville knew they were very well off, rivaling several of the wealthiest ponies in Canterlot society. Had Spoiled asked Filthy for the bits and he refused? The fact that she had been willing to leverage her body, and Bargain had accepted without intention of reciprocating, reminded him of the caliber of character on display.

“Well, that’s surprising. So, are you considering it?”

“Selling the mines?” asked Bargain with a raised eyebrow. “Such a notion isn’t even up for consideration. Right now, I am the only true supplier to the various forges and jewel crafters in the Hanging City with whatever is left over going to Hollow Shades. If I were to sell, I would be dooming my tribe as the last pieces of our culture crumble away. Perhaps even the great Hanging City would meet the same fate as Hollow Shades, nothing more than a tourist trap towards ponies who don’t see us as truly being a part of Equestria. Even then, selling the mines is a short sighted plan. I may gain a large, instant gratification at the cost of a steady stream of income, not to mention that by selling out now, it would almost be like admitting that I was guilty. No, selling the mines, even now. would be a terrible idea.”

“I’m sorry; I just thought that at least that way you’d be able to survive. You know, in case…”

“Ah,” said Dark Bargain with a nod. “Preparing for the worst. It is not a bad notion. However, I intend to fight this to my last.” The large thestral then motioned towards the door. “Let’s get you suited up. There is no way the Countess will take you seriously, dressed as you are. I have already taken the liberty of having a suit tailor made to fit you perfectly.”

“Wait,” said Pip as Dark Bargain moved towards the door. “H-How could you do that? Wouldn’t you need my measurements first?”

As Bargain opened the door, he looked at Pip and gave him a slight smile. “Oh, there are great many things that I know. Now let us make haste. The night will not last forever.”

Once more, Pip followed a thestral down the empty halls. As they neared the arch that lead to the spiraling stairway, Pip thought that they would be turning to go up or further down. But that was not to happen for instead they continued to walk towards the opposite end of the hall. After walking past many closed doors, Bargain stopped at one seemingly at random and opened it before allowing Pip to step inside.

The inside of this room was very plain and boring compared to the last room he had been in. The walls were perfectly smooth with antique dressers and a bed pressed against them along with a grey changing curtain. To make it even more boring, everything in this room was grey except for the wooden furniture. The blankets, pillows, walls, ceiling, and changing curtain were all the same shade of grey making it look like they were melting together. Lastly, hanging off the changing curtain, was a black suit in one of those see through bags.

Must be a guest room, thought Pip as Dark Bargain entered the room. It’s so joyless and sterile to be anything else.

“This was Succubus’ room,” said Dark Bargain calmly as Pip’s eyes went wide. Calmly, the Duke placed the candle onto the dresser before turning to leave. “I’ll be waiting outside the door while you get changed.” And before Pip could say anything, the door closed behind him.

“Are you sure she lives out here?” asked Succubus as she and Ghostly followed behind Dragonfly through the dark forest north of the Harvest Family Apple Farm. While not nearly as large as Sweet Apple Acres, it was still a massive expanse of land full of apple trees of every type known to pony. The three of them had stalled for a moment with their mouths watering as they watched many ponies hard at work picking the sweet, tasty food while their stomachs grumbled loudly. But if it had been bad for them, it must have been torturous for those who worked there as both Dragonfly and Ghostly knew. Those ponies working in the fields had to get up bright and early (well, in the evening while the sun was still out for them) to wait in a line in order to get work for the day in a first come first served system. Then, if they were lucky, had to work the entire day picking the sweet and tasty food without eating any of it. Just one bite and you would never be allowed to work there again.

Now, however, the three of them were in the forest where the sweet scent of the apples was covered by dank and vile odors. The black trees were tall, hiding the moon and stars with their branches. Some of the trees even had low hanging branches that looked like withered hands that were trying to grab them…or reaching out for help. The ground below them crunched loudly as their bare hooves stepped onto the dry leaves that had long since fallen as large, black spiders scuttled out of the way. And speaking of spiders, it seemed like every other yard there were several trees bound together in tight, white webbings that still contained the remains of dead wildlife. Including bears.

“This was the only place she could go,” answered Dragonfly as she stepped around another webbing, making sure nothing touched it. If anything did, the one that made it would come running on all eight legs so it could feast on a fresh meal.

“Better out here than on the Wall,” said Ghostly softly from behind Succubus. The mare was hunched behind her fellow buxom mare, constantly looking around her. Whether she was looking for the creatures who made the webs or for ponies who might wish to harass them remained to be seen.

“That’s for sure,” agreed Dragonfly softly while thinking of all the poor souls who lived there. “Papa once said he would rather take his own life than to see us rot there for the rest of our lives. He…he might even try to convince us to join him if that ever happened. I wouldn’t blame him if he did. That’s where you go when you have nothing left. There’s no hope of ever getting out of it. Just staying there until you die, whether it be hunger, a raid, or by your own hands.”

“Well then, we know who we have to help next,” said Succubus in a cheery tone, much to the surprise of the other two with her. “After we get as many mares around here who wish to feel sexy, we can try to get some of them from the Wall! I’m sure that there will be a lot of mares who would want to leave that place.”

For a moment, Dragonfly gritted her teeth to keep herself from shouting how cruel that would be. Taking mares away from Hollow Shades and the Hanging City to parade them on a stage with the promise that one day they would find work elsewhere. Like that could happen! It seemed ridiculous to believe that one town could provide jobs for dozens if not hundred mares that she may wish to talk to. Nor could she believe that one pony would have the connections to help find the displaced thestrals work. As far as she was concerned, they would just be trading one poor location with another. Not to mention that Succubus would be talking them into abandoning their families. From what Dragonfly knew of the ponies living on the Wall, being together with the family was one of the few things holding them mentally together.

“Don’t get your hopes too high,” warned Dragonfly. “Batibat is the only other big breasted thestral in Hollow Shades and I doubt she’ll listen to you after you start that idiotic ‘sexy’ talk.”

“Well, I’ll never know unless I try. Isn’t that right, Ghostly?”

“I…I suppose,” mumbled the last mare in the group. “But I think Dragonfly is right about Batibat. She only ever comes into town when the tourist season truly starts up. Or, at least, that’s the only time I see her. I make her a costume every year and she never says a word to me or almost any other pony. The exception that I know is Mayor Steel Fang. Then, when the tourists leave she leaves town as well.”

“Really?” asked Succubus, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Why is-”

“We’re here,” Dragonfly snapped quickly as she pointed in front of her. There, several hundred yards away, was something that should have been condemned years ago. It looked like an old log cabin that was missing doors and windows which had been replaced by tattered cloth. They could all see a chimney…or what remained of it as they could see its remnants scattered across the grass. Worse of all was the number of webs surrounding it. While not as thick as some of the others they had seen so far, there was still a large amount connected to the roof and the left side of the house. And that was only what they could see.

“Are...” began Ghostly before she gulped loudly. “Are you sure she lives here?”

Dragonfly didn’t need to say a word. As they got closer, a figure appeared out of the doorway. She was a mare in her early to mid thirties with a well toned body. On her body she wore a massive white pelt of fur as if it were a robe with its massive, fanged jaw serving as a hood. In spite of this, the three younger mares could still see her massive chest thanks to an opening near the top. The only thing that the three of them could see was that her natural coat was a deep shade of purple.

“Well, well,” said the mare as her gaze fixed itself on Dragonfly. “Now this is something I didn’t expect. Thought you wouldn’t leave your home when there was a changeling on the loose, especially out here in the woods.”

“Hey,” whispered Succubus to Ghostly, using her hand to block her mouth. “Didn’t you say something similar when we came to your house? What’s with Dragonfly and changelings?”

“Oh right, you don’t know,” whispered Ghostly. “Nopony knows all the details, but back shortly before the Starlight Rebellion there was a massive changeling raid in Hollow Shades. Many thestrals were taken, including Dragonfly. Steel Fang led a group trying to reclaim those who were taken and to avenge those who had been killed. Only, ah, the wolf spiders had taken care of them. The theory is that they flew right into a pack. Dragonfly was the only thestral left alive. Steel Fang took her home and adopted her since her entire family had either been killed in the fires the changelings created when they raided or by the wolf spiders. But ever since then, she normally freaks out whenever she hears of any changelings, sometimes infamously.

“Oh my,” said Succubus looking over at Batibat and Dragonfly who seemed to be focused on their banter. Grinning, she then raised her hand and shouted “Excuse me!” The two of them looked at her with Batibat seeming to notice her for the first time.

“Who’s this?” demanded Batibat as she pointed her thumb at Succubus.

“Hi there,” said Succubus in a cheery tone as she approached Batibat, never noticing Dragonfly face palming as she did. “I haven’t heard much about you, but I’m hoping we can change that. The name’s Succubus.” As she said her name, Succubus held out her hand. Yet the big breasted thestral before her only gave it a suspicious looking glance before eyeing the rest of her.

“You must either be either brave or stupid to wear so little around here,” commented Batibat while not taking Succubus’ hand. “Not many thestrals would dare to expose so much of their fur.”

If this bothered Succubus she didn’t show it. She just kept smiling cheerfully at the mare in front of her. “After never getting to choose what I wanted to wear for so long I decided to give stuff like this a try,” replied Succubus as she pulled back her hand to place it on the top of her exposed cleavage. “And you have no idea how wonderful it feels to just be free like this. Not worrying about what others are thinking about you and being comfortable.”

Batibat snorted. “If I ever cared about what others thought of me I would have cut these off long ago like so many others,” she said while gesturing at her bosom.

“But then why are you hiding all the way out here?” asked Succubus.

Batibat rolled her eyes. “I’m not hiding from anypony,” she said in a tone that hinted at annoyance. “They all know where I am and where to find me if they need me. Or want to harass me. Most see the amount of webbing before realizing whatever it is isn’t worth it. They’re the smart ones. The others, well…”

“But you’re still being hidden away,” commented Succubus, not noticing the chills running down the spines of her two friends. “Trust me, I know what’s like. My parents kept me locked up for most of my life because I didn’t want to have my breasts cut off either. They said it was the best I could hope for to avoid what other mares went through. And they were right, I didn’t go through any of that stuff I heard about. But here’s the thing both you and me both know: that wasn’t really living.”

Batibat’s eyes opened a bit at this statement. She opened her mouth to say something, looking like she was going to deny it, but Succubus continued to talk. “Can you really tell me you are living here? Sure, it must be nice not having to worry about the treatment you would get in town. But you’ve traded that for a hundred other problems. Fear that wolf spiders might spot you. Finding food out in the forest. Trying to stay warm during the winter season. It looks like you’re surviving…but you’re not living. There’s more to life than this and you know it. And I can prove it to you by taking you to Ponyville where-” Before Succubus could say another word, Batibat held up a hand to silence her. The three mares looked at her and, oddly enough, she didn’t seem angry like Ghostly had been. Instead, she looked tired.

“Let’s just stop right there,” said Batibat as she lowered her hand. “I’ve heard sugared words like that before. That if I leave this place I’ll be able to have a better life. That I will be able to get an actual job so I won’t have to live in this dump. That I’ll be loved and so on.” Batibat let out a sigh. “Listen honey, I’ve heard this song and dance plenty of times over the years. Every year I deal with horny tourists who see me as a cheap fuck, promising that they’ll take me with them if I spread my legs. But in the end, I’m still here while they go home to their families. I honestly don’t know who’s worse: the thestrals here or the ponies in the rest of Equestria.”

“But this time will be different,” insisted Succubus, causing Dragonfly to fight really hard not to face palm. “There will be no sex, just dancing naked and-” Once again, Succubus was cut off by Batibat. This time, however, she did it by letting out a hollow laugh.

“Oh that’s rich,” said Batibat without any hint of amusement. “You just want to parade me in front of a bunch of drunken stallions like a piece of cheap meat while you sit in the back like some sort of pimp. I do all the work and you reap all the rewards.”

“Actually, I dance too,” said Succubus. For the first time since they arrived, Batibat looked taken aback by this statement.

“Y-You what?” she asked hesitantly.

Succubus nodded. “That’s right, I’m a dancer too! I’m also the mare who hires all the dancers while my sexy stallion takes care of the bar. And I treat all the mares who work for us just like how I would want to be treated.”

Dragonfly watched as Batibat stared at Succubus for a moment before glancing over at her shack. While her head was turned, Succubus took that moment to move besides her while draping an arm around her shoulder. Batibat looked startled for a moment as her head whipped around to look at the grinning mare.

“It’ll be fun,” continued Succubus. “At the Treasure Chest, we make sure all of our mares are well taken care of and safe. We have a bouncer who went to Princess Luna’s Military Academy, special stones that will alert the police if any trouble comes along, and we have sensors in every private booth to alert us if any naughty colts try to have sex with you. And you’ll make so many friends there. Why, we even have an adorable zebra mare dancing for us!”

“A zebra?!” said Dragonfly, Ghostly, and Batibat together.

“I’ve always wanted to see one,” said Ghostly as she put her hands on her cheeks. “I heard they have striped coats that look amazing.”

“I’ve heard that they live in some far northern country where it’s always snowing,” said Dragonfly. “That’s why their coats are white, to blend in with the snow.”

“A chance to meet a zebra in the flesh,” muttered Batibat, never noticing Succubus’ grin.

“And, if for some reason you don’t like it, we’ll help you find another job in town,” continued Succubus. “I don’t know if we can do it right away, but with the help of two princesses I’m sure we’ll find something. Perhaps they’ll be able to help us find stuff outside of Ponyville. Like working in the Crystal Empire, Appleloosa, or wherever else you can think of.”

For a long time, Batibat remained silent with her head tilted downwards so that nopony there could read her expression. With each passing moment, Dragonfly wondered if Batibat was actually leaning towards accepting this insane idea like Ghostly had. Sure, her life was harder than most other ponies here, but this was their home. Wasn’t it worth sticking around to try and save it?

Finally Batibat raised her head. She opened her mouth, but before any words came out there was a loud rattling noise from inside her cabin that caused her eyes to widen in…fear? That’s what it looked like to Dragonfly at least as she watched Batibat look over that the entrance. Worried that something dangerous might have snuck in there, Dragonfly was about to voice this when she saw something in the window. It lasted for only a second, but the tiny winged thestral was sure she saw a messy blonde mane as well as a tiny brown horn.

“Thank you for the offer,” said Batibat quickly. “But, I’ll have to decline.”

“B-but why?” asked Succubus as her eyes darted towards the doorway, making Dragonfly wonder if she saw what was in there. “I promise you that-”

“I…want to believe that there is something more for us out there,” replied Batibat as she pulled away from Succubus. “But I’ve had to deal with too many broken promises. Now leave before-” Batibat, who was about to turn around and walk into her hut, was stopped as Succubus reached out her hand to keep her there. Batibat eyed the hand with an intensity reserved for a thestral about to make a killing blow. “Release me.”

“I’m not giving up on you,” said Succubus loudly, but releasing Batibat all the same. “I’m able to live, really live because I left. There is so much out there. So many colors, experiences, ponies, and possibilities that you will never have if you stay here! So I’ll keep coming back every night if I have to until I can convince you to leave.”

“You mean you’ll berate me until I submit,” Batibat almost snarled.

“Call it whatever you want,” said Succubus earnestly as she took a step back. “At least think about it. It’s the least you can do.”

Dragonfly watched as Batibat shot Succubus a stubborn look that lasted until her ears perked. The wild thestral then looked back at the doorway for a moment, before letting out a heavy sigh while her shoulders drooped.

“I’ll…think about it,” said Batibat slowly.

“Great,” said Succubus happily as she bounced up and down. “Me and my Pip are staying at Steel Fang’s place. If you want to leave just look for us there.”

“Right,” said Batibat with a sigh. She moved to take a step forwards but then stopped. “If you are looking for mares who want to leave this place, I know of one who would most certainly like to join you. That annoying mare is out here at least three times a week measuring my bust and asking me all sorts of questions. The only reason I don’t strangle her is because she brings food from the town.”

Dragonfly let out a soft cry of shock causing all of the other ponies to look at her. “Oh no,” she cried. “No, no, no, NO! Please tell me you’re not talking about Novel. Anypony but her!”

Ghostly hung her head. “Erotic Novel,” she said with a sigh, a hand moving to hold her head. “All the times that crazy mare has broken into my house…”

“Ah,” began Succubus as she looked around appearing utterly clueless to the other ponies’ misery. “What’s so bad about her?”

“Oh, you’ll find out,” said Batibat as she glanced over at Succubus’ chest before walking into her cabin in the woods.

Author's Note

Look up what Batibat means

Anyways, thanks to Koekelbag and kalash93 for their help editing and advice