Pip's Treasure Chest 2: Journey to Hollow Shades

by Brony-wan-kenobi

Rating: mature
Tags: Death, Anthro, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Romance, Changelings, Bat Pony, Pipsqueak, Suicide / Self Harm, Slice of Life, Sex
Length: 109322

Pip and his wife Succubus are asked to journey to Hollow Shades by both Princess Twilight and Luna. Now Pip will learn more about where is wife came from while danger moves towards them.

Pip thought his troubles were behind him. That he and his wife could continue their lives working and running the Treasure Chest in Ponyville. But this was not meant to be. They have been called to Hollow Shades, one of two Thestral town in Equestria, on the request of Dark Bargain for reasons they do not know.

As they head to a destination that Succubus would rather not go to, another force is active in Canterlot. One that could spell trouble for the newly weds.

editing by Koekelbag
Featured on 10/31/18

Published 2017-06-19 21:30:06 UTC
Last updated 2018-10-31 08:44:32 UTC

A New Chapter Begins

Night had yet to fall in Equestria when Merry Day left the castle left the castle in a hurry. Her normally tidy maid’s outfit looked like it hadn’t been washed properly in days and looked baggy on her, as if she had lost a great deal of weight recently. The mare’s mane was no longer clean and tidy, but instead had a messy, greasy look to it. There were also dark circles around her eyes as if she hadn’t been sleeping well while her arms, which were currently holding several files against her chest in a tight embrace, twitched from time to time.

It wasn’t just her appearance that had changed in recent days. The rumor mill within the castle was spinning like mad due to Merry’s recent behavior. It was well known within the castle that Tick Tock, Merry’s former fiancé, had broken off their engagement after she had refused to tell him what had happened to their future house funds. Another thing that had become well known was that Merry had sold all of her worldly possessions dirt cheap. From her fine silverware which had been in Merry’s family for several generations to the watch Tick Tock had made for her when they became formally engaged. All she owned now was the single uniform she was currently wearing.

Several times over the last few days, Merry had heard various theories trying to explain her actions. Most seemed to believe that Merry had gotten hooked on Griffonstonian weight loss drugs. Others believed that Merry was trying to get out of a huge gambling debt and was too ashamed to ask for help or even admit what had happened. A few maids believed that she was actually a Changeling and that the real Merry was being held in a cocoon somewhere far away.

But none of those rumors mattered to Merry as she bolted down the streets towards a more run down area of Canterlot. Several times she bumped into and even knocked down several ponies that were unable to get out of the way in time. Merry offered no apology nor did she turn her head to look at the ones yelling at her. They were all the farthest thing from her mind which was focused on getting back to him; to complete the task he had given her.

Eventually, Merry arrived at Prince Charming’s apartment building. With greater speed than before she raced into the building and up the stairs, slowing down only when she came to the door. Once inside, Merry closed the door quietly as so that she won’t disturb or annoy her lover. To her, anything that even slightly irritated him was the single greatest crime a pony could commit. Merry didn’t know if she could live with herself if she upset him in any way.

Once the door was closed, Merry lifted the folders in her magic as she began to undress right on the spot. After she had freed herself from her uniform Merry tossed it onto the dirty floor without a care in the world as her now thinner, bonier frame was out in the open. Her hands fidgeted slighty, making it a tad more difficult to take off her bra but, at least her panties came off without a hitch. Now completely naked, Merry Day got on her hands and knees, the way Charming had instructed her. With the folders still in her magical hold she began to crawl across the dirty floor like some kind of animal.

Merry found Charming in what he called the grand dining room. Given the original layout of this apartment, this room was most likely originally intended to be a sitting or family room. But not any longer for Charming had recently purchased a massive, elegant table that would be fit for nobility. Hanging above the table was another recent addition, a crystal chandelier that held four candles which were currently burning away. On the table was a single plate and dining set that had been imported from a far away land. And there, at the end of the table, sat Prince Charming in the only chair that he had purchased as he ate a meal that smelled heavenly.

If Prince Charming was aware of Merry’s presence as she crawled next to where he sat, he showed no signs of it. Not even when Merry moved into a sitting position next to him, as if she were a dog, did he even glance in her direction. So Merry just sat there as she held the documents in her magic at eye level, waiting to be spoken to by her love as she fought to keep her stomach from making any noise that might offend him.

As she sat there, however, a weak voice sounded in the back of her head. The voice sounded like it had lost a great deal of its strength since Merry had first heard it when she had met her beloved Prince. Now, instead of screaming at her, it was like the soft whisper of a pony who was on the verge of death. The naked mare did her best to shut it out as it tried to plead with her to get away from Charming. It told lies that he was just using her and didn’t care about her. That she had to go to Princess Celestia to warn her of what he was doing. For her to-

“What’s this?” came Charming’s voice as he touched her cheek gently. It was upon hearing his voice that Merry realized that she had shut her eyes tightly in an effort to ignore the voice. Thankfully it was being dragged away again to deepest part of her mind while she looked longingly into her perfect stallion’s glowing eyes which darted from her to the files she had brought.

“I-I brought you more files from the castle,” answered Merry in a whispery voice. “Just like you asked.” As she spoke, she watched as Charming took the files in his hand before placing them on the table next to his plate. Before he opened the first one, Charming poured himself another glass of wine.

“You are such a wonderful marefriend,” said Charming, causing Merry to blush madly. “Did anypony catch you this time?”

“Almost,” answered Merry, now looking at the grimy floor. “Some of the maids have been following me around today. I think my boss believes I’m in some sort of trouble and is asking the others to keep an eye on me. Thankfully I managed to give them the slip so I could get these for you.” Merry then looked up and saw that Charming was smiling that wonderful smile of his as he looked at her. Her heart fluttered with joy, knowing that she was pleasing him.

“Very good,” he said before shifting in his seat. Now, one of Charming’s hooves was outstretched before Merry. “As a reward, you may clean my hooves with your tongue. That’ll make you happy, right?”

“Oh yes!” cried Merry as tears of joy ran down her face. She all but launched herself to the floor near her coltfriend’s hoof so that she could begin licking it clean

--

At the same time, Pip and Succubus were on a train heading towards Hollow Shades. Only one train ever seemed to head that way and it was far different than either the Crystal Locomotive or the Friendship Express. The Night Express, as it was called, was the most intimidating train Pip had ever seen. The train seemed to be made of black metal with various horrific images carved into it with great detail. Many of these images, especially on the curved smoke stack, showed the thestrals battling diamond dogs, Changelings, and eight legged wolves that looked like they were vomiting something at the bat winged ponies. Poking out at the front of the train were two large, menacing looking tusks that caused a shiver to run down the small stallion’s spine.

When the couple had first gotten on board, they were greeted by a thestral mare who had a very lithe frame, wearing a light grayish stewardess uniform. The mare seemed to do a double take at Succubus, briefly covering her mouth as she did this, before ushering them down the poorly lit hallways until they reached a passenger compartment just for them. Then, before they could take their seats, the mare vanished. Several hours later and they still had not seen her or any other passenger. Pip didn’t know if it was because they were the only passengers or if they were being intentionally avoided.

Pip knew that the most likely reason for this was because of Succubus’ breast size. It had been explained to him not too long ago that thestrals believe that a beautiful mare is one that has small sized breasts. The larger they are, the uglier the mare is in the eyes of their society. Most mares who ‘suffer’ because of this either choose to have their breasts removed in order to avoid the scorn or are kept locked away and out of sight. The latter was what had been the life Succubus had been forced to live, practically locked away until her family decided to marry her off to some stallion who wasn’t bothered by her body.

So, for several hours, the pair sat next to each other in silence as they await their final destination. A destination that, in truth, neither pony wanted to go to. Pip could easily remember the conversation they both had with Princesses Twilight and Luna, who told them they had to go and meet with Dark Bargain in the town of Hollow Shades. Once there, the stallion would fully explain the situation in full to them.

“Normally we would love to help you both sort this out,” Princess Twilight had explained to them a few days ago. “However, there is a slight problem with our friends the yaks that requires our attention.”

“I’ll go,” cried Succubus who had jumped over to Princess Twilight, holding her arms in a tight grip as she brought their faces closely together. “Send me! I heard that Princess Celestia loves to send unqualified ponies to help solve big issues like this. I’ve never seen a yak before, don’t know anything about their culture, or even what the problem is but I’ll manage with Pip by my side. So PLEASE SEND US THERE INSTEAD OF ANYWHERE NEAR THE HANGING CITY!”

“I, er, well,” Twilight had stammered in a bit of shock before looking over at Luna for help.

“The issue sadly requires a royal touch seeing that we might soon be breaking our alliance with them,” Princess Luna had replied as she walked over to the two mares and separated them. “We knew when going into an alliance with the yaks, that there would be a period of…adjustment for both sides. However, the yaks’ tendency to rage out over every little thing has been causing problems for us for years now. For example, last week a group of yaks destroyed a restaurant that was serving Yakistanian cuisine that wasn’t perfect. Not only was the building heavily damaged but several ponies were hospitalized. And that, sadly, is one of the better stories I’ve heard.

“Simply put, being their ‘friend’ is putting the citizens of Equestria at risk. We have voiced our concerns several times but nothing has come from it. Now it is time to show them we are serious. Both me and Princess Twilight are going to be traveling to Yakyakistan to speak with their king face to face, as well as meeting a race that the yaks have formed an alliance with: the caribou.”

Pip could remember suddenly feeling a cold wind blow by as soon as Princess Luna said the word 'caribou. And he noticed that everypony else in the room was also shivering, running their hands down their arms to create some friction. Then, a half second later, Sunset Shimmer came walking around a corner with a frown on her face.

“Twilight, the AC is on the fritz again,” she had said while shaking her head. “Keeps sending large blasts of air off randomly. And I don’t know who to call to get it fixed since magic created it.”

“I’ll look at it when I get back,” Twilight had said before placing a comforting hand on Succubus’ shoulder. “And don’t you worry Succubus. At most, you will be there for two to three days tops. We have already sent a message to the Countess informing her that you are under the protection of the crown. Nopony there will have any power to keep you there against your will.”

Now, every so often, Pip would look over at his wife to try and to attempt to start up a conversation. Each time he would find her sitting there, wearing her short shorts jeans and a red button up blouse that was tied up in front of her breasts to better show them off, looking out the window. It was only due to the reflection in the window that Pip was able to see her face, which had sadly lost the sparkle in her golden slit eyes and the smile on her face. Instead, her face held an emotionless mask as she stared off into the ever changing scenery. There were also moments when parts of her body seemed to tense up for a moment or her legs would begin to fidget slightly.

Eventually, the fields outside the moving train were replaced with a forest. The willow trees there were thick and dark, blocking out the soon to be moonlit sky. Looking out, Pip could see large webbing that wrapped around the trunks of several trees which added to its menacing appearance. But beyond that, Pip could barely see anything else in this dark forest. From all of this, he guessed that they had entered the land Apple Bloom had described in a report she had given for Miss Cheerilee’s class years ago: the Weeping Willow Forest. Meaning they were close to the homeland of the thestrals.

“I can’t take it anymore!” screamed Succubus as she suddenly stood up, five minutes after they had entered the forest. Her hands gripped the side of the window and began an attempt to pull it to its side.

“Succubus, calm down!” shouted Pip as he went over to her. His smaller arms wrapped around her waist as he then tried his best to pull her away. “You’re going to break the window.”

“I don’t care!” she shouted, trying to open the window and stop Pip from pulling her back at the same time. “We’re making a break for it! Maybe we’ll head to Griffinstone or Saddle Arabia and start a new life there!” It was then that Succubus, unable to keep her position with her split focus, was pulled backwards. Pip tried to keep them both upright and failed, his back hitting the ground followed by his wife landing on top of him.

“Pip!” cried Succubus as she turned around so that their chests were pressing against each other. Now Pip was looking up at Succubus’ worried, wide-eyed face. “Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?”

The small pinto stallion let out a small groan. “I think so,” he said while trying to keep his voice normal. Succubus looked like she calmed down a bit by this. Slowly she got off of him to reveal that, either during the fall or when she turned around, the knot holding her shirt together had come undone. Neither pony brought this up, however, as Succubus helped Pip get onto his hooves before embracing him.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered into his ear. “I don’t want to go back there.”

“I know,” replied Pip as he tightened his hold on her a bit in an effort to make her feel safer. “Believe me, if the princesses hadn’t told us we had to do this we wouldn’t be on this train.” He then pulled back a bit so that he could still look her in the eyes. “I promise that we’ll be on the next train out of here whenever this is over. Whatever this is.”

Succubus managed to smile a bit. “Thank you,” she said before leaning down and kissing him before pulling back. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Succubus then kissed Pip again, but with a bit more passion and force this time. Again and again, Succubus would pull away to say how much she loved him, how much she needed him right now, thanking him for being there, and so on before locking lips. Each time she did this, the kisses became longer and with more need. Soon, she stopped saying anything at all, letting her actions speak for her. Pip knew that she needed something like this more than usual. She needed this closeness to let her know everything was going to be alright.

Wet noises and moans filled the room as the two kept their mouths locked together. Their bodies pressed so tightly together that Pip could feel his wife’s nipples harden despite the fabric between their bodies. And he was sure that Succubus could feel his cock straining against his pants, wanting to be in the open air. Hands roamed Pip’s body as the two swayed to and fro. He could feel his shirt being untucked before one of his wife’s hands was feeling his back. The other hand slid between them and pressed itself against his bulge.

When Succubus pulled away, the two panted for a moment allowing Pip to realize that somehow he was now in a seat. The mare on top of him quickly got back to work, kissing and sucking on his neck like a vampony in some classic horror novel would do. The sensations hit Pip like a sky chariot, forcing him to close his eyes and moan while he drowned in the pleasure his love was giving him. He could barely feel her hands now as they moved across his body. It was only when he heard his belt being undone did his eyes open.

“Succubus,” Pip hissed as he shot a glance at the door. It was unlocked and all of the windows were uncovered. “We can’t do this here. Not like this!”

“Why not?” asked Succubus in a sly tone as she opened his pants. Not too long after, she pulled his boxer briefs down allowing his stiff member to be freed.

“Somepony might see us,” said Pip as he watched Succubus lick her lips. “We might get kicked off the train or something.”

Succubus moved closer to her target so when she spoke Pip could feel her warm breath washing over his cock. “Nopony has been down here in hours,” she said with a simple, purr filled voice. “Now let me take care of you.” With that said, Succubus’ lips descended upon the head while her hands cupped the sack below. Pip let out a pleasurable hiss when contact was made while Succubus hummed in delight.

The feeling of her lips was soon replaced with her tongue. Succubus started circling around the edge of the head with her tongue with a bliss filled expression on her face. After doing this several times, she moved down to the shaft so that she could paint it with her saliva. Each lick was slow and long with Succubus lowering her entire body and then raising it up with her tongue. Looking down, Pip saw that her eyes were focused on him alone. He could see the delight in her gaze at what her actions were doing to him. Her hands were not idle as one hand had moved from his sack to the base of his shaft, using a few fingers to jerk him off while the other hand fondled his balls.

Pip’s hands were now gripping the seat tightly. With his cock feeling every wet, Succubus began to flick her tongue against it at seemingly random spots before kissing the length. She let out a hum that caused Pip to fight the desire to throw his head back, but still moanedloudly. As he did, Pip could feel Succubus’ lips curl into a smile. She released him only to move down a bit more, kissing and licking his cock in this fashion until she reached his ball sack.

Still keeping her eyes on Pip, Succubus began to pleasure this part of his body while keeping her eyes on him. But unlike the slow motions she had been doing up until this moment, Succubus seemed to go feral. Her tongue moved swiftly across his sack and every now and then she would take one of the orbs in her mouth while growling like an animal. Pip found himself both scared and aroused by this. He knew that she was doing this to increase his arousal which, as was plainly visible, was working. Yet there was the fear that she might, in her passion, accidently clamp her sharp fangs down a little too hard.

At least, he would hope it would be accidental.

Before Pip could dwell on this for too long, Succubus pulled her body back as she allowed her shirt to fall down her body. As he watched this happen, Pip could now smell her arousal as well. The strong smell dominated the room now. He then spared a brief glance at the windows and saw that they had fogged up a bit. With her breasts now completely uncovered, Succubus took each in a hand to lift them gently.

“Allow me to pleasure you with these,” she said while leaning forwards. Pip then felt the familiar feeling of having his member sandwiched between her breasts. He could no longer see his member, hidden between her soft yet firm flesh.

Pip opened his mouth to say something, but the words were lost from his lips as she began to move. He could still feel the saliva on his member, which allowed this to proceed with less friction. Succubus was not holding back, lifting her jugs at a pace that would have astonished him had he not been caught up in the buildup of pleasure. But this speed came at a price and the saliva began to thin out. Pip could feel a twinge of pain coming from his cock and Succubus looked like she was feeling slightly irritated.

Eager to fix this, Succubus stopped what she was doing and released both her breasts and Pip’s member. Quickly she brought a hand close to her mouth and spat on it before using that same hand to grab Pip’s still hard shaft. The horny thestral mare then began to apply her spit onto Pip’s cock as if she were giving him a hand job. Then, after a couple of pumps, she went back to her boob job.

For the next several minutes, things continued like this. Succubus held his cock between her breasts, pumping them up and down until she needed to wet his dick again. Sometimes she would give him a sloppy hand job. Other times she would take his member in her mouth, moaning as she tasted his pre-cum. Or she would simply spit on it to give his cock the wetness it needed. While her breasts bounced up and down, Succubus would speak to him in a soft voice that spurred on his approaching orgasm. She would talk about how much she loved making him feel good with her breasts. She would talk about how much she knew he loved this. That soon they would be making love right here in the train car for anypony to walk in and see him filling his sexy wife with his seed.

That last comment pushed Pip over the edge. Without any warning he bucked his hips as his orgasm exploded. He watched as cum shot out from between Succubus’ breasts, landing on the top of her breasts as well as on her chin. Pip, panting heavily, saw Succubus as she moved one hand on top of her breasts near where the cum had landed as a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

It then looked like she was about to say something, but never got the chance. Before either of them knew it, the door slid open as the thestral stewardess stepped in. The mare’s eyes widened as her eyebrow twitched, her mouth hanging open in disgust at what she beheld. Pip could feel his face heat up as he saw her eyes focus on him before moving down to his groin and Succubus. As for his wife, she seemed to take the expression of a pout before moving down so that her cheek was pressed against Pip’s slowly softening member.

“Mine,” said Succubus.

--

Less than an hour later, the Night Express had finally stopped at its destination: Hollow Shades. Once it had made a full stop, both Pip and Succubus had been roughly pushed out of the train by the angry stewardess. Before either of them could collect their bearings, their luggage was flung out of the train followed by the door slamming shut so hard that Pip was surprised that the glass didn’t break.

After watching Succubus sticking out her tongue at the mare, Pip turned to look at the town. Hollow Shades looked like it had been built around a massive hole in the ground large enough for Pip to imagine a hundred thestrals flying out of it with room to spare. In front of him where what looked like shops made of the same wood found throughout the forest. Each one was two stories tall with wooden, leering gargoyles sticking out along the rooftops, the tops resembling a purple scaly egg. The one closest to the train station looked like a grocery store, with piles of fruit in barrels right outside the door and the prices written in red letters on the barrels. And while Pip didn’t have a pegasi eye view, he could somewhat see what was on the other side of the hole thanks to the spaces between the shops. What he could make out were many tightly packed, triangle shaped buildings that looked like they were more residential.

Pip then began to take a larger notice of things. There were few thestrals milling about, either on hoof or wing. Most of them were wearing heavy clothing intended for farm labor that covered nearly their entire bodies except for their hands and heads. Pip could even see one such thestral stallion riding on a cart full of apples being pulled by a six-legged, eight-eyed wolf the size of a timber wolf. The other thestrals dressed in a style that would allow them to fit in with the Canterlot crowd, but were still just as form concealing. Even the guards, he quickly noted, seemed to make sure nothing from the neck down was uncovered besides their hands.

The pinto was glad his wife’s back was still turned. She couldn’t see the glares that some of these ponies were giving them. It was as though both of them had offended the entire town just by being here. Or perhaps it was how they were dressed. Pip didn’t know if they could see Succubus’ breast size, but nopony with eyes could miss the amount of skin she was showing. As for himself, Pip was wearing a rather casual red short-sleeved shirt and jeans.

Feeling like the next few days would be highly unpleasant already, Pip decided to quickly look around to see if there was anypony to greet them. After all, they were here to meet Dark Bargain and Pip knew he lived in the Hanging City. It was a reasonable assumption to believe that the stallion would either send a servant to pick them up or meet them here himself.

Yet, as Pip looked around, all he saw was a little filly in a white frilly dress sitting on a bench at the other end of the platform. Despite being a distance away, Pip could make out her grey coat and long green mane that was done up in many curls. He could also see that the mare was holding something in her small hands that looked like an old, straw doll. It seemed odd to him that she would have something like that given how expensive her dress looked. But, in the end, it didn’t concern him so Pip turned his head to look the other way.

“I hate you,” came a whisper in his ear. Pip’s eyes widened as he turned around to find out who had said that. It wasn’t Succubus because the voice was far too foal-like, but with a giddy edge to it that sent shivers down his spine.

“Pip, what’s wrong?” asked Succubus who had taken notice of Pip’s distress.

“Did you hear that?” asked Pip, still frantically spinning around to try and find who had spoken to him. But there was nopony else around close enough.

“Hear what?” asked Succubus as she blinked at him.

“A voice,” explained Pip as he stopped to look at her. “It said-”

“Go away,” hissed the voice in his ear. Before Pip could do or say anything, his arm moved on its own accord behind his back. He then felt something kick him behind his legs to bring him to his knees. Pip let out a scream of pain as he felt each of his fingers twisting around each other as if somepony were trying to tie them into complicated knots. Fearful of what was happening, he looked up at Succubus to find her looking not scared or worried or anything like that, but angry. Her eyes were narrowed as she looked down at him and Pip felt icy fear grip his heart.

Then…

Pip's Mission

“BANSHEE!” screamed Succubus so loudly that it almost hurt Pip’s ears. He felt whatever force was controlling his arms and fingers lessen, the pain slowly fading as it did. But the fear he had felt was still there as he looked up at his wife who was looking around, her normally cheerful face contorted into pure rage as she began to look around.

Without saying a word or even checking to see if he was alright, Succubus stormed past him with her hands clenched into shaking fists. Pip slowly began to stand and turned in the direction Succubus had been marching towards. Down the platform he noticed that the filly who had been sitting on a bench was now on her hooves looking in their direction while her straw doll lay on the ground. She did not look like she feared Succubus at all. Quite the contrary, she looked like she was over the moon with joy at seeing Succubus. Her small hands were balled together as if she were in prayer as the older thestral marched towards her.

Then, as if she could no longer control herself, the smaller thestral ran the remaining distance towards Succubus. Arms and wings open, the filly wrapped them both around Succubus’ leg.

“Succubus!” cried the filly happily. “I missed you so much! Now you’re finally home!”

Pip didn’t move from where he now stood, his eyes on his wife’s back. For a moment, it seemed like she was frozen in place without a single tremble while the filly nuzzled her cheek against Succubus’ leg. He could then hear his wife let out a deep sigh before she got down on her knees, freeing herself from the white dressed filly in the process, and hugged her back.

“I missed you too Banshee,” Succubus whispered, Pip barely able to hear it.

“Now all we have to do is get rid of the meanie that was keeping you away!” said Banshee cheerfully. In a way, it reminded Pip of the same cheerful and innocent tone that Succubus used. It was a little disturbing hearing her use it while talking about ‘getting rid of’ him. “Then you can come home again!”

Succubus pulled away a bit. “Banshee, how many time do we have to tell you,” she said, slightly annoyed and slightly amused at the same time. “You can’t use your powers to-” Succubus paused mid-sentence as she whipped her head around so quickly that Pip was afraid she might of hurt herself. She was now looking straight at him, her eyes wide and her grey coat almost seemed to have turned white. Banshee tugged at Succubus, trying to get her attention again only for the older mare to release her and run straight to Pip.

“Pip, oh Pip,” she cried, frantically checking Pip and showering him with kisses. “I can’t believe I… Are you still hurting? Oh Pip, I’m so sorry.”

Pip eventually managed to grab her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m feeling better,” he said, noticing as he did that Succubus seemed to calm down. Her body seemed to relax a bit and color returned to her coat while her eyes began to shine with happiness. “But, what happened to me?”

“Oh,” said Succubus as she turned to look at Banshee. Pip followed her graze to find that the filly had already picked up her straw doll once again, holding it close to her chest as she frowned at Pip. Her eyes no longer shined with the same brightness that they had when she was looking at Succubus. Instead they seemed to darken, full of utter disdain and hatred of Pip. Slowly, Succubus brought Pip closer to the filly.

“Ok, let’s try and have a proper introduction,” said Succubus once they had closed the gap. She looked back and forth between them, slightly nervous now as if she were afraid that they might attack the other. “Banshee, this is my husband Pip. Pip, this is my little sister. She’s, er…” Succubus’ voice trailed off for a moment as she looked down at her little sister before looking back at Pip. A few beads of sweat were now appearing on her forehead as she lightly bit her lower lip. “Well there’s no easy way to say this,” she eventually said, “but she’s the one who caused you all that pain.”

Pip frowned at this while looking Banshee. It seemed impossible that she could do that. Judging by the fact that she didn’t have a horn and was clearly a thestral, it was clear she couldn’t use magic. Yet, at the same time, Banshee brought the doll close to her lips and began to whisper something that Pip couldn’t hear. The next thing he knew was that his ears were being pulled on painfully in opposite directions.

“Banshee STOP!” shouted Succubus after Pip yelled out in pain. While his vision was slightly distorted due to his tears, he could almost make out the filly’s frown before lowering the doll. At once the pulling stopped. As Pip’s body began to relax he felt Succubus’ melons press against the side of his head as she held him tightly.

“What?” panted Pip as the pain slowly began to fade. A million questions began to form in his mind, but only one word came out. “How?”

“It’s her special talent,” said Succubus as she kissed one of Pip’s ears. Something that Banshee didn’t look very happy about. She looked like she was itching to bring her doll back up to her lips. “It’s sort of like voodoo, but instead of using pins she just speaks to her doll. I’m not really sure how it works since it's super rare in our tribe. Dark said that it’s been seventy years since anypony has had this talent.”

“That’s right!” said Banshee as she pointed an angry finger at Pip. “And now that you know what I can do to you, you better leave now so Succubus can stay with me. There’s no way I’m going to let you hog her all to yourself you little-”

“Miss Banshee, that’s enough,” came a harsh female voice from above that rang with authority. When they heard it, Pip saw Banshee’s eyes widen before a shiver ran throughout her body. The filly took a few steps back, her small wings raised as if she were about to take flight. Yet before she could get any further, the figure of a Guard landed behind her causing Banshee to jump into the air. Pip then watched as the filly turned around, her arms moving in a way that suggested that she was raising her doll up to use her powers. A moment later, Pip gasped and Succubus screamed as there was a blur of motion towards Banshee followed by the doll falling to the ground in halves.

Like any filly who had just been scared and then had her (most likely) favorite toy destroyed before her eyes, Banshee began to cry loudly. Instantly, both Pip and Succubus ran over to her in order to provide comfort. As soon as they were near enough, they both took a knee besides her and Banshee quickly wrapped her small arms around Succubus.

As Banshee clung to her older sister, Pip took a moment to see who they were dealing with. The Guard was covered in slender, body forming purple armor from the neck down. Judging by the face, which had an inky black coat, he was left to assume that this thestral was a mare. Her pure white mane was cut short, with enough bangs to cover almost the entire left side of her face. However, despite this, Pip could make out several deep scars running up into that hidden area making him wonder if she had grown it out to hide some sort of horrible wound. Finally, she held in one hand the handle to a large scythe with the blade resting on her shoulder.

“You must be Mister Pipsqueak,” said the Guard as she ignored the crying filly. Instead she lazily began to eye him up like she was assessing his worth. If she liked what she saw or not, it was hard to tell as she kept her face as impassive as possible. “I am-”

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!” raged Succubus as she suddenly stood up and marched over to the Guard. “YOU SCARED MY LITTLE SISTER! YOU COULD HAVE HURT HER!”

The Guard didn’t even flinch at this. “Miss Banshee assaulted Mister Pipsqueak by using her powers,” she said. “Such a thing is unbecoming of a filly in her position and would only cause more trouble for your brother if any serious damage had been done. I merely ensured that she would not get tempted to do so again. At least until she can make another doll.”

Succubus let out a growl. “I was going to have a talk with her,” she said. “And if she did it again I planned on simply taking the doll away from her. I’ve done it before.”

The Guard shrugged. “My way might work better,” she said coolly.

As Succubus opened her mouth, Pip stood up quickly and spoke up. “Look, I agree with Succubus that how you handled this was a little overboard,” he said over the wailing of the crying filly who had also gotten up and raced towards Succubus. Banshee hid behind her sister, clinging onto whatever material she could grab onto. “You could have just taken the doll away or something other than scaring her like that. But what’s done is done. So could you please apologize to her and promise that you won’t do that again.”

The Guard shifted her gaze from Succubus to Pip and then to Banshee before looking at Pip again. “I will not apologize nor can I promise I won’t do that again,” she said stone faced, causing Succubus’ face to turn red. “As I said, she assaulted you a, guest of a lord and a civilian, for petty reasons. This is clearly an abuse of the rare gift she has been born with. Frankly, she should be grateful that I respect Dark Bargain enough not to have done something more…severe.” As she said this last word, a small smile formed on her lips that almost caused Pip to take a step back. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished leaving her expression unreadable again. “But if you are insistent on it, I shall allow the two of you to discipline this imp to the best of your abilities. Should you fail in my presence, I shall correct her again.”

“You…You,” began Succubus, still red faced. Instead of trying to continue her sentence, Succubus turned and picked up her little sister in an almost motherly way. She made light hushing noises as she began to pace back and forth all in an effort to calm Banshee down.

“Now then,” said the Guard as she turned around. “Lord Dark Bargain is waiting for you. The mayor has graciously allowed you both to stay with him while you are here on business.” With that, the Guard turned and began to make her way down the street.

“I don’t like her,” growled Succubus as she and Pip began to follow her. Banshee was no longer crying uncontrollably now, instead making loud sniff as she held onto Succubus as if her life depended on it. “I don’t like her at all.”

For some time the group walked in silence through the streets of Hollow Shades. Not many ponies were out causing Pip to wonder where they all were. Were they out doing their various jobs? Were they hiding? Were they asleep? Sure, from time to time he would spot a small group of thestrals, but no more than two or three at a time. They kept moving as if they were on some sort of mission with their heads held low.

As much as Pip wanted to ask questions about all this, he kept them to himself for the time being. He didn’t want to risk irking the Guard mare who had remained silent since they left the train station. He also knew that Succubus had grown up confined to her family’s estate to hide the fact that she had larger breasts than what thestrals considered acceptable. Even if she did, Succubus had grown up in the Hanging City and not Hollow Shades so she couldn’t tell him anything about this place. And Banshee…he had a feeling that she wouldn’t tell him anything even if she did know. Best right now to keep the fragile peace by keeping his mouth shut for the moment.

Eventually the group came to a ranch style home built out of logs and seemed to reflect the same style as the rest of the buildings Pip had seen so far. Around the building were wire cages packed full of various insects, each one labeled so ponies from a distance could easily make out what they said. From where Pip was standing he could see cages full of dragonflies, grasshoppers, crickets, and praying mantises. Also near it was a large shed that seemed to have a wall missing, allowing the group a perfect view of the inside. In the middle of the shed was a blacksmith’s forge, shooting out flames while an anvil stood several feet away. All along the walls of the shed were various tools as well as finished swords of all shapes and sizes. And, just above the opening was a sign that read: Steel Fang, Swordsmith, Mayor.

Standing there near the forge was a massive thestral stallion that must have been Steel Fang. He was a heavy set stallion, wearing overalls and a long-sleeved black shirt. His hands were covered by thick gloves as he held a large hammer in one hand which he swung onto the heated metal on the anvil. Each time he raised the hammer high above his head Pip was able to catch a glimpse of his face. Steel had a long white beard that went down to his chest while one of his fangs actually looked like it had been replaced with a metallic one. The true color of his mane was unknown for he was completely bald but his coat was an ashen grey. His attention was solely on his work for he gave them no mind.

“So should we-” began Pip as he heard somepony else racing towards them from the other side of the house. The entire group turned just in time to see another thestral approach them.

“Oh there you are Banshee,” said the mare as her face shifted from worry to relief in an instant while she placed a hand on her heart. Like with the Guard, this mare had a very slender frame as she wore an old fashioned dress which hid most of her body. She also had the same inky blank coat but her long braided mane was midnight blue. Pip also noted that her wings seemed a bit on the smaller side, reminding him of Scootaloo’s. Perhaps this meant she couldn’t fly either.

As this new pony approached them, the Guard stepped forwards. “Dragonfly, you should be more attentive to your duties,” she said before jerking a thumb over at Banshee. “You were assigned to watch over Miss Banshee while both she and Lord Dark Bargain were here. What happened?”

Dragonfly took a step back at this. “I really did try sis,” she said in a hurt tone. “We were playing hide and seek and…well…” The mare fell silent as she looked away, clearly in shame. The Guard let out a sigh before walking forwards causing the other black mare to flinch. When she looked up at the scythe wielding mare there was clear fear in her eyes. But it quickly turned into relief as the Guard passed her, as if she knew that by doing this that she was safe.

“Dragonfly,” said the Guard, causing Dragonfly to panic slightly. “The big breasted one and the tiny earth pony will be our guests for the next few days. You know what to do and what not to do. Is that clear?”

Dragonfly whipped around quickly. “Yes sis,” she said quickly. She then turned back to look at Pip and Succubus so quickly that she almost looked a little dizzy. “Ok then, how about we all go in…side…” Dragonfly seemed to trail off at this point as Pip and Succubus began to move closer to her. Her eyes then began to bulge a bit as she stared in the direction of Succubus before glazing over soon after. A small smile appeared on her face as she seemed to go into a dreamlike daze. Her head jerk over to the side to look at Pip where she seemed to become slightly more focused, but not completely back in the waking world.

At this all Pip looked over at Succubus who also happened to look over at him at the same time. Judging by the confused look on her face that mirrored his own, neither of them knew what her deal was with Succubus. Honestly, seeing this made Pip wonder if they wouldn’t be better off staying at a hotel or something.

“Dragonfly!” snapped the Guard, causing her sister to jump slightly and waking up completely. “See them in. Now!”

“R-Right,” stammered Dragonfly as she gestured to the couple who had just set down Banshee. “I’m really sorry about that. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen newlyweds and, well…” She trailed off as Banshee raced past both her and the Guard and went straight to the house. Everypony, even the Guard watched as Banshee paused at the door and turned around to glare directly at Pip before entering, slamming the door without a word. “O-Ok then. Let’s get inside. Yes, let’s get inside. Sounds like a plan.”

Somewhat nervous, Pip and Succubus began to make their way towards the house with the two sisters walking in front. Dragonfly moved a little bit faster, making it to the door first and opening it for everypony. The Guard entered first without giving the midnight blue maned thestral a glance. When Pip and Succubus entered, Dragonfly again got this weird look on her face as if being near them put her in a trance of some kind.

The inside of the house was different from what Pip had expected. While the outside of the house was dark and unappealing, the inside seemed to be more family friendly. Everything looked like it had been handmade from the local forest. While still dark, all of the chairs were draped with colorful blankets and cushions. Hanging from the walls were various pictures, one of which contained Steel Fang and the two thestrals he had just met when they were younger. While Steel looked exactly the same as the stallion outside, Dragonfly and her sister were tiny compared to the stallion who was squatting in the picture and had a hand on both fillies’ heads. Dragonfly’s sister didn’t have the bangs covering half of her face but instead has heavily bandaged. Still, both she and her sister were holding up pictures they had clearly drawn themselves while their smiles were frozen in time. Pip’s ears perked when he heard the crackling of a fire causing his attention to shift towards a massive stone fireplace. And next to it was Banshee who was quickly talking to a male thestral sitting in a chair, reading a book while nodding occasionally to the filly.

Despite having only met this stallion once, Pip was not likely to forget Succubus’ older brother Dark Bargain. The last time they had met was after a thug had broken into the Treasure Chest with the intent of taking Succubus back to her family by force, not caring who got in his way. A short while after he had been stopped, Dark Bargain had arrived to reveal information that Succubus had kept hidden from him before making him an offer. He had promised Pip whatever was physically possible if he ended his marriage with Succubus. It could have been getting rid of Kegger while providing the funds to turn his club back into a bar or his very own boat to travel the seas on. He had even offered to find Pip a new wife if he wanted it. After much internal turmoil, Pip had declined.

To this day, Pip still didn’t know what to make of the stallion. When he had spoken to Pip, Bargain sounded like he genuinely cared about Succubus yet was trying to take her back to a place that sounded like a personal Tartarus for her. Then he leaves without waiting for Pip’s reply!

When the door behind closed, Bargain looked up from the book he was reading and smiled. “Ah, good. You’re here,” he said while gesturing to the seats close to him. “Please sit. We have much to talk about.”

“Lord Dark Bargain,” said the Guard as Pip and Succubus moved towards the chairs. “There was an incident by the train station involving Miss Banshee.”

“Yes, I am aware,” said Bargain with a light hearted smile. “My little sister was regaling me of what happened after she disobeyed my instructions to remain here and play with Dragonfly. However, I believe that she is omitting some parts. Tell me, did she happen to use her powers against Mr. Pipsqueak before you gave her a good scare and destroyed her doll?” Banshee looked at Bargain with her mouth hanging open in surprise.

“That she did,” replied the Guard as Banshee shot her a murderous look.

“Well then Dragon Fang,” said Bargain as he closed the book. “You can rest assured that she will be punished accordingly. I shall inform the staff that we shall be forgoing dessert for the foreseeable future.”

“But that’s not fair!” shouted Banshee as she stomped her hoof. And, as far as Pip could tell, she wasn’t the only one in the room who felt this way. Dragon Fang’s expression shifted to allow a frown on her face and her eyes hardened as they glared at Dark Bargain.

“You are correct,” said Bargain as a frown appeared on his face. “Given the fact that you disobeyed my orders while not doubt worrying poor Dragonfly here who, out of the kindness of her heart, offered to play with you as well as harming somepony who is not only my guest but also our dear brother-in-law I think that your punishment isn’t fair. So, when we have departed this charming home, I will think long and hard on how to make your punishment more fair.”

“B-But,” stammered Banshee as she looked over to Succubus for help. The large breasted thestral opened her mouth to say something, but somepony else spoke up before she could.

“Good to see his lordship isn’t so soft,” said Dragon Fang with something that sounded like satisfaction in her voice. “Well now, since that’s been taken care of I’d better be off.”

“Oh,” said Bargain as he raised an eyebrow. Pip also thought he heard disappointment in his tone, but perhaps he was imagining it for his voice returned to normal as he continued to speak. “As far as I am aware you do still live here. What I am going to discuss isn’t anything secretive so there is no reason for you to excuse yourself.”

“Duty calls,” said Dragon Fang in an off handed tone. “I still have to patrol the eastern end of the forest before my shift ends. There have been an unusual amount of spider wolf sightings over the last couple of days and I need to determine if we need to cull their numbers. Also, Old Stallion Dreadhoof says he spotted a changeling last night so I need to-”

There was a sudden crash that caused everypony to look beyond where Dragon Fang was standing. On the opposite side of the house was Dragonfly as she stood in the middle of a kitchen area. Her coat seemed to have lost several shades of color and her hands were trembling. On the floor around her was broken glass (which, thankfully, hadn’t embedded itself in her) and dozens of ice cubes. On instinct, Pip got out of his seat with Succubus at his side and went over to help pick up the mess. As he picked up the pieces, his experience of working in a bar for so long told him that it was too much glass for a single cup meaning she most likely dropped a pitcher.

“Ch-Changeling,” stammered Dragonfly who didn’t even seem to notice the mess or the ponies trying to clean it up. “A-Another o-o-one was s-seen-n?”

Dragon Fang moved over to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think so,” she said in a surprisingly gentle voice. “It’s always something or another with Dreadhoof. Diamond Dogs, Changelings, cults. Most of the time it's just him trying to get somepony out to his neck of the woods so he’ll have somepony to talk to. Other times…well, there is a reason why I’m heading over there. Just try to relax until I get home. Can you do that for me?”

Dragonfly gulped and did her best to nod. Her sister gave her a bit of a smile before her stony expression returned. Perhaps that gave her some comfort, for Dragonfly seemed to calm down a bit more. Still on the floor, Pip watched as Dragon Fang turned around and bowed in the direction of Dark Bargain. Once she righted herself, Dragon Fang moved towards the door and exited without saying a word.

It wasn’t for several minutes until all ponies were seated once again. Dragonfly eventually was able to collect herself and tried to tell the couple that she could handle this mess. But both Pip and Succubus held firm that they had this, telling the mare that she should sit down. It was only when all the glass, ice, and liquid had been removed from the floor did the two return to their seats.

“Well then,” began Dark Bargain as he cleared his throat. “I believe it is time that we got down to business. I have no doubt that both of you remember the night when my father sent a, for lack of a better word, thug to return Succubus to us via force.”

“Hard to forget,” said Pip, doing his best to keep venom out of his voice. It was hard to forget the feeling of helplessness as he tried (and failed) to stop that thug from taking Succubus away from him. Nor was it easy to forget how Rumble had been injured to the point where he needed to be taken to the hospital. If the police hadn’t shown up when they did…

Bargain gave a short nod before pressing his hands together. “That part, as you know, was the workings of my father. What you don’t know was that my mother was threatening the local Guard into keeping any information about Succubus a secret. Wanted to keep things quiet. I’m sure they had many plans that they would enact, laws they might exploit when they got you back, Succubus. But, both of them were found out once the princess began looking into things. Currently they are both in Canterlot facing serious charges. For the moment, I have taken up my father’s position until then as the last remaining Duke.”

“Ok, that’s great!” said Succubus quickly, clapping her hands and standing. “I’m sure you’ll do a great job! Now, if you’ll excuse us, me and Pip have to-”

“Stay,” said Bargain in a very firm voice while gesturing to the seat Succubus had just left. Looking over at his wife, Pip could see that she wanted to argue or just ignore him in order to leave faster. Everypony watched her as she hesitated for a moment, eventually sitting back down with her arms crossed under her chest and a pout on her face.

“So,” said Pip who like Succubus wanted to leave. And he knew that the quickest way to do that would be to find out why they were here before doing everything in their power to speed things along. “Sounds like everything worked out well for you.”

“It would seem that way, wouldn’t it?” replied Bargain with a sad smile. “But, now we come to the problem. Shortly after my parents were brought to Canterlot, the good nobility of the capital began to question if there was a chance that I was involved in any illegal actions as well. There is no proof at the moment, which is why I myself have not been hauled away by the Royal Guard. But they have brought their views to Princess Celestia who believes that this matter bears looking into. So,” Bargain clapped his hands loudly, “she has requested a formal investigation done by the Countess into my actions. That is where you come in Mr. Pipsqueak. Countess Diamond Vein would like to speak to you and ask you a few questions. Then, if she believes that I am guilty, my post will be given to the only member of the family who is of age: Succubus.”

Pip felt his jaw slack a bit. “Wait, I thought you said that your parents would disown her if she stayed with me,” he said while quickly processing everything he had just heard.

“I did say that,” said Dark Bargain with a nod. “And they would have if they had not been arrested before they had the chance.”

“But,” began Succubus who quickly gulped. “I-I don’t want to go back down there. I want to stay in Ponyville.”

“Then all you will have to do is sign away your rights to the title when you see the Countess,” said Dark Bargain as he waved a hand. “A simple matter really, and will protect you from those scoundrels in Canterlot. You see, I don’t believe that they believe that I had a hand in anything. There are a number of wealthy stallions and mares who wish to climb up to the ranks of the elite. Once you sign it away, there will be any who will wish to purchase it and everything that goes with it. The estate, the family heirlooms, and of course-”

“The mines,” said Pip in sudden realization. “You said during our last meeting that your family controls the entire southern mining system. Do you think that’s what they're really after?”

“Good, you remember,” said Dark Bargain with a nod and a pleased smile. “As I said, there are those who just want the title and all the perks that go with it. Attending fancy parties, the connections within the government, being invited to have tea with Princess Celestia, and a few others I could mention. But there will be those with more ambition and greed who will look beyond that. Perhaps it will be one of the nobles who will either move up a rank or add my family’s property to their own. Perhaps it will be a wealthy business pony looking to expand their wealth. Who knows?”

“But that’s not going to happen,” said Banshee as she looked at Succubus with pleading eyes. “Because Succubus isn’t going to let that happen. She’s going to come home and we’ll all be together again. She has to!” The filly then shot a glare at Pip who couldn’t help but cringe slightly. “And if that mean old earth pony is going to keep her from being with me then I’ll-” Whatever threat she would have made died on her lips as soon as Dark Bargain placed a hand on her head.

“Well,” said the Duke while standing up. “I believe that is all I have to say for now. Forgive me if I am repeating something you have already heard, but I have arranged for the two of you to remain here for the time being.” Banshee made a growling noise at that, which Dark Bargain ignored. “This has, of course, been done for your benefit Succubus. However, should you so desire, you can return to our family estate knowing that you can leave whenever your heart desires.”

Pip looked over at Succubus who was biting her lower lip. The look on her face seemed to indicate to him that she was having an internal debate with herself while staring at Banshee. Eventually tears began to form around her eyes and she turned her head to look away.

“I…can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t go back to that place.”

“But Succubus!” cried Banshee as she tried to take a step forward. It was only because of Dark Bargain’s hand that she was unable to do so.

“I will send to have a carriage pick you up at sundown,” said the thestral stallion as he looked at Pip. “I will help you…ready yourself for when you meet the Countess.” With that said, Bargain took hold of Banshee’s hand so that they could leave. Banshee fought this, tugging madly against him to get to Succubus while shouting that she wanted to stay with her. In the end, her pleas went unheeded as she was forced out the door. Only then did the dam controlling Succubus’s tears break.

Into the Darkness

“Are you feeling any better?” asked Pip as he did his best to hold his wife in his arms, her large breasts pressed tightly against his chest. Currently the two of them were in the small spare bedroom that had been given to them. In fact, it was so small that the only thing in it was the bed. In order to get to the door they would have to crawl across the bed. Sure there was a tiny stretch of floor right in front of the closet where their stuff was, but it felt utterly pointless given how little there really was.

“I…I think so,” said Succubus as her tear stained face gave a small nod. Looking at her, Pip could tell that the tear flow had stopped. “Thanks for staying with me. I-I really needed this.”

Pip did his best to smile at her, to reassure her. “Well, I’d be a pretty horrible husband if I just let you cry and not do anything.”

“That’s why I love you so much,” said Succubus as she smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. Pip then felt her hands slide down his body until they rested on his ass. His eyes widened when he felt them squeeze it right before pulling his hips closer to hers. Just as they made contact, Succubus moved her face close to his and captured his lips.

As Pip felt Succubus’ tongue slip into his mouth while her hands felt his rear, he knew that what Succubus really wanted at this moment was an escape. She had been crying for what felt like hours since her family had departed and before that she was simply depressed. With every moan, every nip of her fangs on his lips, he knew that she wanted to forget all about her troubles by focusing on this act. To throw herself into a passionate love high that she wouldn’t come down from for the next several hours. Pip knew it would be temporary with the possible result of reality hitting Succubus even harder than before. But, as he felt her soft hands slipping under his pants and touching his bare flank, Pip felt himself unable to stop her.

Succubus’ lips began to leave a trail of kisses that went down to his chin while her hands continued to rub against his flank. As her hands began to move back, Pip felt their bodies move so that they were no longer on their sides but instead with her straddling his waist. Looking up, Pip felt a chill when he saw her hungry expression while her hands began to pull up on his shirt. Her hips grinded slightly against his crotch, her breathing becoming heavy as she felt Pip’s hardening member. She-

A sudden knock on the door caused both of their eyes to widen. “Dinner’s almost done,” said Dragonfly from behind the door, her voice sounding slightly out of breath.

The hungry, lustful expression on Succubus’ face vanished in an instant. Her teeth began to grit themselves while he felt her hands ball up into fists. For a moment, Pip thought she was going to throw her head back in frustration, cursing whoever she could think of for getting in the way. Instead, there was a flicker in her eyes right before they began to gleam with the promise of more tears. Then, as she lowered her head, she slid off of Pip.

“Go on ahead,” said Succubus as she moved into a sitting position with her legs crossed. “I…I’ll be there in a minute.”

“You sure?” asked Pip. “I can stay here with you and we could go together.” At that, Succubus looked up with a small smile on her face.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Just need a minute or two.”

Nodding, Pip managed to make his way out the door as Succubus fell backwards onto the pillow, letting out a groan of frustration. As Pip closed the door, he smelt something new in the house, something odd. The most logical thing he could think of was that he smelled their dinner. Yet the scent was…hard to describe. It wasn’t something so awful that he would need to cover his nose, but it wasn’t an enticing smell either. Just something that fell in between.

Within moments, Pip had made his way to the kitchen where Dragonfly was standing in front of a large black pot. In her hand was a large metal stirring spoon that was at work within the pot as swirls of green mist rose up from its contents. After giving it several long stirs, Dragonfly pulled out the spoon to reveal that it was covered in a thick green goo that reminded him more of slime than anything else. For a moment he stood there watching her as she sniffed it before giving it an approving nod. Something must have caught her attention because she then turned her head to look in his direction, nearly dropping the spoon in the process.

“I, well,” she said, stumbling a bit with her words as she held the spoon in both hands like somepony would hold a baseball bat. Her head was slightly tilted away from him, but Pip could make out the signs of a blush on her dark complexion. For a moment, Pip wondered what was wrong until he noticed her gaze shifting slightly towards his lower region before turning her head to look away.

“You heard?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Thin walls,” she replied while biting her lower lip slightly. “That mixed with thestral hearing means that the whole house could hear the moaning.” She then turned her head to look at him while forcing out a smile. “But I am glad she’s no longer feeling as depressed. It’s a good thing she had you there.”

As Pip scratched the back of his head, wondering how to respond to that, Dragonfly walked over to a cabinet where she pulled out several bowls stacked on top of each other. When she returned to the pot, she picked the top bowl up so she could begin to fill it with the goo like substance that Pip assumed was soup. The instant the bowl had been filled, Dragonfly held it off to the side away from Pip just before the door opened.

“Ah good,” said Steel Fang as he entered his home, taking the plate from his daughter’s hand before closing the door behind him. Once closed, he took the bowl with both hands and brought his face close to the rim. Loudly he inhaled the scent, throwing back his head as he did before sighing. The tiniest of smiles appeared on his face as he looked at Dragonfly.

“Oh daughter, how you spoil this old stallion,” he said before walking over to her and kissing her forehead. “Such a feast we will have this morning. I think there might be enough for seconds!”

“Papa, we have guests,” said Dragonfly as she gestured to Pip. The thestral stallion looked over at the smaller earth pony as if noticing his existence for the first time. He tilted his head a bit, as if he were confused as to why Pip was there.

“Who are-” Steel began, but was interrupted as Dragonfly held out another bowl for him to take.

“Remember, the special guests that were coming?” she asked. “Think about it while you help me set the table. Go on.”

“That was tonight?” asked Steel as he walked over to the table. As he set both bowls down, he looked over at Dragonfly. “Oh stars above my head, how could I forget something like that? I could have sworn that they were coming tomorrow night instead. What a terrible host I am to have forgotten something so important!”

“You say that about everything you forget,” said Dragonfly as she walked over to him with two more bowls. As she handed them to him, she kissed him on the cheek. “Now don’t worry and introduce yourself to him. You are the mayor after all so you better give him a good impression.”

“Oh, right, mayor,” grumbled Steel as he set down the bowls. With powerful strides he walked over to Pip and then held out a hand. “Greeting to our honored guest. I am top weapons smith of Hollow Shades, Steel Fang.”

“And Mayor,” added Dragonfly as she set a small loaf of bread on the table as well as a tiny stick of butter. Pip couldn’t help but smile as Steel rolled his eyes at that while fighting the desire to throw up his hands.

“Thanks,” said Pip as he took Steel’s very rough hand. “The name’s Pipsqueak, but you can just call me Pip for short.” For a moment, Steel held onto Pip’s hand. The two locked eyes for a moment while Steel squeezed the hand in his own. Then, he released it with a smile on his face.

“Good hands, a hard worker’s hands,” laughed Steel while Pip did his best not to rub his poor hand. Steel then clasped Pip’s shoulder, almost knocking the stallion to the ground. “Ah, that’s what I have always liked about earth ponies. Even one puny as yourself is worth more than a hundred of those lazy Canterlot scum.”

“Papa!” cried Dragonfly in a disapproving way.

“Not this again,” said another voice. It was Dragon Fang, who was standing at the doorway as she began to take off her armor. Her gloves and helmet were already off, placed on wooden pikes coming out of the wall next to the door that reminded Pip of a coat rack.

“Ah my little dragon,” said Steel as he went over to the undressing mare who had taken off her chest piece to reveal a long sleeved black shirt underneath. She paused for a moment to accept a hug. “Good to see you back in time for supper. Now you can regal our guests with tales from this night’s adventure! Have you met them?”

Dragon Fang rolled her visible eye as she began to undo her armored pants, revealing something that looked like grey sweatpants underneath. “Yes Papa. I was the one who brought them here.”

“You were?” asked Steel in a surprised tone. Then a look of realization appeared on his face. “Ah yes, now I remember. Lord Dark Bargain asked you to.”

Fang said nothing. She just stood there with a hand pressed against the left side of her head until a loud *crack* sound was heard that made Pip wince. Fang let out a pleasurable sigh as she repeated this with the right side of her head until the same sound was heard again. Looking far more relaxed than Pip had ever seen her, Fang made her way to the table while holding her arms straight up to stretch them as well, creating more cracking noises.

As Fang sat at the table, Succubus entered the room. She looked like she had washed her face and had calmed down, but there was nervousness to her stance. One that Pip understood when he saw Steel staring at her with his mouth slightly open. However, he did not take on a look of utter disgust like the train mare had.

“Well then, I believe this is the Lady Succubus then?” he asked gently. He then gestured to the table. “Please, partake in our dinner. Dragonfly makes the best soup in all of Hollow Shades.”

“Thank you,” said Succubus as she sat down at the table, Pip taking the spot next to her.

Soon, everypony was seated at the table and began to eat slowly. And, after looking at a spoonful of his soup, Pip could understand why. Floating in the goo were large insect legs, wings, heads, and claws that looked like the belonged to a praying mantis. His stomach gave a lurch, wanting to show its contents to all who were gathered yet Pip held it at bay. Seeing everypony else eating it, and not wanting to appear rude, Pip brought the spoon to his mouth so that he could taste it. As soon as it made contact, Pip’s stomach shook violently and it was all he could do so as to not gag on the meal.

Out of the corner of his eye, Pip looked at Succubus. She, like the rest of the thestrals, was eating the soup. Yet, unlike them, she seemed to be taking it almost as hard as he was. Perhaps it was because she had been eating Pip’s cooking for so long that she became accustomed to that. Or maybe she never liked it in the first place. Regardless, Pip could tell this was going to be a long meal for the both of them.

While Pip lowered his spoon back down to the bowl to try and eat some more, he became aware of the conversation going on between Steel and Dragon Fang. “…by the time I got there, there was nothing,” she was saying. “No changelings, that green shit they like to leave all over the place or anything like that. Played twenty questions with old stallion Dreadhoof to make sure he was who we thought he was. The usual. Passed with flying colors so for now I don’t think we need to be on the lookout for a changeling assault.” At that, Dragonfly let out a sigh of relief.” Right now I’m more concerned about the spider wolves. Numbers are pretty high this year; maybe triple what we saw last year.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” said Steel with a ghost of a smile as he lifted his gooey spoon to his mouth. He swallowed the contents before speaking again. “If the numbers are that high, I’ll be better able to justify hiring more guards. Even if it is only temporary, it will be a huge boost to moral.” He then frowned. “But the problem will be arming them.”

“Don’t you have any spare weapons?” asked Pip. “I mean, I saw your shop and-”

Steel barked out a laugh. “Those?” he asked while pointing in the direction of his shed. “You think those are weapons?”

“Well…” began Pip who faultily slightly at the mad look in the stallion’s eyes.

“Papa, be nice,” said Dragonfly as she cut her father some bread. “Mr. Pip never got a close look at your forge.” This seemed to subdue the stallion whose expression softened.

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “He never did. Perhaps then he would have seen that those…things I am forced to make to put bread on my table are nothing short of scrap!” He slammed his palm on the table while a small fire seemed to be lit in his eyes. Yet, at the same time, it looked like he was fighting back tears. “If my own papa and grand papa could see me now, see what this family has been reduced to, they would-”

“Be proud that you are swallowing your pride for the sake of your family,” snapped Dragon Fang as she shot her father an angry look. “Or would you rather we all die of starvation!?” This caused Steel’s shoulders to slump a bit before he looked down at his bowl.

Pip gulped as he looked over at the now silent table. There was a tension that was so thick that not even a knife could cut it. It weighed down on all who sat at the table, almost suffocating them. Pip glanced over at Succubus who had also decided to glance at him. He could tell she wanted to excuse herself to get away from this just as much as him. But neither knew how to do so without being rude.

They could both tell that this was going to be a long meal.

Sunlight was shining through the window into Merry’s face as she lay naked on the bed. She was somewhat awake, covered in sweat and sexual fluids that were beginning to dry onto her fur. More than ever before she knew she needed a bath or a shower. Yet she found she had very little strength left in her, barely enough to look over at the damaged clock to see that it was now almost noon. There was a small spark of panic within her as she realized just how late she was for work.

Slowly, Merry managed to get into a sitting position on the bed while wincing in pain the entire time. Sex with Prince Charming was always brutal and left her entire body sore in a bad way. Part of her wanted to ask him to be a bit gentler with her. However, it was a very small part, for whenever a thought like that went through her head the rest of her mind would scold her. If Prince Charming wanted it that way he would get it, for his pleasure was more important than anything she felt. And seeing to it was her pleasure.

Eventually, Merry managed to get onto the floor where she began to crawl around to look for Charming so she may get his permission to use the water and perhaps get something to eat. She found him not at the table where he usually was, but instead near the door with a suitcase and one of the folders she had brought. He must’ve heard her with those wonderful ears of his, turning to look at her with a smile on his face. Seeing that smile made her smile.

“Yes,” he said in an angelic voice that caused her heart to soar to the heavens as he approached her. “I nearly forgot something. You have been the most excellent pawn to date. It’s really a shame.”

Merry was confused by this for she had no idea what he was talking about. Nor did she know why he had a suitcase. If they were going somewhere all he need to do was ask her and she would have gladly packed anything for him. But all thoughts left her head as he touched her cheek, his horn glowing brighter than ever as he smiled down at her, showing her all of his teeth.

The tiny, almost dead voice in the back of her head, the one that didn’t like her one true love, gave out a horrifying scream of pain that shocked Merry. And it was painful, so painful that Merry wanted to start pounding her head against the dirty floor so that she could dull the pain ringing in her skull. But she found herself unable to move. Her limbs felt like they had been turned to stone, that she was a mere statue that would be suffering until the day some merciful pony smashed her into a thousand pieces and scattered her to the wind.

Soon the screaming began to fade and, in its place was a new sense of understanding. As she looked at Prince Charming she understood what he was. How could she have been so blind before? This stallion was so much more than she ever thought. He was above Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight, and Discord. He was above any god that any creature could imagine. He was the universe itself and she was but a speck, just outside of it wishing to become a part of its perfection. Yet, she knew she was not worthy of such a great honor. No, all she was worthy of was being next to its perfection. As long as it was there, all was right.

“Very good,” whispered the universe into her ear. “Now, I’m afraid that it’s not working out. I’m leaving.”

Merry’s eyes widened at that. “What?” she whispered.

“Please don’t make a scene,” the universe said while straigthening up. “This is hard on me as well. I just think that both of us would be better off without each other. You understand, don’t you? Now, there are no more bits in your account and the rent is due in three days. Just thought I should let you know.”

And without another word, Merry watched as the universe floated away from her. She wanted to cry out, to cling to its greatness and beg it for another chance. Whatever she had done to displease it she would correct in a heartbeat. But she found herself unable to move as the door opened and closed, leaving her alone in this mess of an apartment.

For several long moments Merry stared at the door, the realization of what just happened slowly sinking in while her breathing quickened. Tears began to form in her eyes as she placed a hand over her heart right before she began to scream! She could hear her neighbors telling her to shut up, but what right did they have to tell her that? Didn’t they understand that she had been close to greatness itself, all that was glorious, and somehow she had displeased it enough to cause it to leave? She had given up everything of her former life to make the universe happy with her, yet it hadn’t been enough.

She had failed.

She had failed.

She was worthless.

She was worthless.

She wanted to die.

Several hours later, the moon was just beginning to rise across Equestria. While many ponies were preparing for a peaceful night’s rest, Pip was awakening from his own thanks to the noise made by his alarm clock. Before he even opened his eyes, he knew he was being held close to Succubus’ naked form with his head placed right above her breasts. Looking up, he could see her eyelids twitching as she fought to rebel against the commanding noise of the alarm. With the skills Pip had gained since he became married to her, Pip was able to slide out of her hold without waking her before silencing the noise.

Once up, Pip moved his own nude form towards the closet so he could get changed. In order to do this, he would have to step into the tiny closet which was something best suited for a stallion of his size. Quickly he put on his best dress pants, a button up shirt, belt, and tie before heading back over to Succubus who he kissed on the cheek.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he whispered causing her to stir slightly.

“Stay..safe,” she replied, still half asleep as she turned.

Taking a deep breath, Pip left their room and headed down the hall. Thankfully there was no scent of food in the air which meant his stomach would be safe for a while. To be sure, he was hungry, but not hungry enough to ask for another bowl of that bug soup.

When he got to the kitchen he found Dragon Fang sitting at the table, dressed in her armor while eating a slice of bread with some water. As she bit into it, the bread made an unnerving crunch noise that made him think of the bread they had had last night. It too had made the exact same noise for it was very hard while tasting like sandpaper. Looking at the table, Pip saw there was nothing for him.

“Good, you’re up,” said Dragon Fang after swallowing the last crumbs of her meal. “Saves me a bit of trouble of having to get you up. Well, let’s go then.” With that said, Dragon Fang got up out of her seat and headed for the door.

When he got outside, Pip felt a sense of unease as he looked at his ride. It resembled a chariot; much like the ones some ponies from Canterlot would take when visiting his club. However, the main shape of it bore a striking resemblance to a coffin made out of black wood. On both sides of it were two sets of bat wings: the first being much larger than the second. And pulling it were two muscular looking stallion guards who looked none too happy.

As Pip followed Dragon Fang into the chariot, he could make out the sounds of Steel Fang hard at work once more. He opened his mouth to ask Dragon Fang if he had offended him the previous night but the chariot took off into the air, throwing him back a bit before he could ask any questions.

Grabbing one of the safety handles in the front, Pip hung on for dear life as they went high into the night sky. Feeling brave enough to look around, Pip began to scan for any other thestrals. He thought he saw the movement of bat wings in a forested area just outside of the town, yet beyond that there was nothing. The streets still looked deserted and the town seemed even emptier than it had when he had been on the ground. It almost felt like he was flying above a ghost town.

“Where is everypony?” asked Pip loudly.

Dragon Fang gave him a look he could not identify before she said, “Preparing for the tourist season,” and then turned to look straight ahead again. Pip wanted to ask what she meant, but noticed that they were now almost at the center of the large hole he had spotted when he had first arrived. As he looked down, all Pip could see was an inky darkness within that pit that seemed to go on forever. Feeling sweat forming on his palms, Pip gripped the handles as tightly as he could as the chariot took a sudden nose dive downwards.

Pip had never been more scared in his entire life as they shot downwards, moving faster and faster with each passing moment. Soon the light of the moon and stars were gone, swallowed up by the darkness making it so Pip could barely see anything in front of him. He knew that this wasn’t the same with the others who had excellent night vision as well as powerful hearing, but it didn’t make him feel any better. For all he knew the bottom could be inches away or-

There was a sudden burst of hot air to his right that smelt utterly vile. Looking in that direction, Pip managed to see a blur of large white teeth for a moment before he was below it. Then, behind him, he could hear a whooshing sound followed by the snapping of jaws. He felt the hot air again and again, always followed by the same blurs and sounds as he descended deeper and deeper into the pit. Each time he heard them, he racked his brain for what might be causing them. The only thing that came to mind were quarry which he had learned about back when he was in Miss Cheerilee’s class. If that were the case, Pip was even more afraid. He couldn’t see them nor their homes but they could see him. All it would take was one eel that was slightly faster, ready to pounce and he would never see his death coming.

After what felt like hours of falling downwards at near Rainbow Dash levels of speed, the chariot suddenly began to right itself. As it did Pip almost let go of his support and fall to his knees. Happy to no longer feel like he was falling, Pip looked around only to find himself in a deep, dark void of nothing. He looked up to see neither sky nor ceiling. He looked right and left, but there was nothing there as the chariot continued to fly. He braved himself to look downwards, but for all he knew there could have been some mammoth scaly monster down there ready to lung up and devour them with a single bite and they would never see it coming.

Pip felt his breathing quicken as the chariot began to slow down to the point where he could barely even feel a breeze on him. Now it was like standing in a cold, unfeeling void with no idea what was around him. He could feel his palms tightening on the handles, but he couldn’t see them. Buck, he couldn’t see his arms or anything for that matter! He was only vaguely aware of the pathetic whimpering noises he was making, but he was too scared to care. He was in someplace far worse than Tartarus. He could see why Succubus wanted to leave here for nopony in their right mind would want to stay here.

His body was shaking now as the minutes passed him by and still nothing. He began to hear a rustling noise, something different from the flapping of wings. Pip’s head began to look back and forth as he searched in vain for the source of the noise. His blood began to run cold and he felt the need to let go of the handle. To jump off this chariot and end his life before he was stuck for all eternity in this empty pit of despair. But he found he could not move his legs for they had been crippled by the fear coursing through his body.

“Calm down will you,” said Dragon Fang right before Pip felt something slip onto his head. Panicked, Pip raised his hands to try and beat off whatever was on him. He struggled and squirmed, but whatever it was slid more quickly down his face and then…he could see again.

Blinking, Pip could now see the area around the chariot for the first time since they had been down here. He looked down at his hands, which had turned almost completely white and shaking, and grinned madly. Slowly, he brought one on his shaking hands to his face and began to feel what had given him back his sight. It felt like a pair of goggles, much like the ones that pegasi used to protect their eyes while flying in dangerous weather. Probably enchanted to allow non-thestrals some sight down here. He looked over at Dragon Fang who was looking very annoyed with him, and smiled broadly at her. It was just so wonderful to see again! He felt like crying and laughing at the same time, the joy bursting through his body was just so powerful!

Now that he could finally see, Pip looked around him. While he couldn’t see very far, he was able to tell that at this moment they were flying next to a rocky wall. As they passed its brown and grey surface, Pip would spot holes from time to time that almost resembled doorways. More than once, he couldn’t help but notice figures either standing in the frames or sitting with their legs dangling over the edge. Sometimes there was even a group, huddled together as they just sat there. But most of them were empty and devoid of any presence.

“Let’s hurry up,” said Dragon Fang loudly, clearly talking to the stallions pulling them as she shot a glare at the wall. “We’ve spent too much time flying by the wall.” Wordlessly the two stallions quickened their pace in acknowledgement while moving away from the wall and out into the open nothing.

Once more Pip found himself flying through nothingness. However, it was not as unnerving this time since he could see the other ponies around him. It gave him more comfort to know they were there.

After several more minutes of flying, Pip began to see something growing in the distance. They were stalactites, perhaps hundreds of stone icicles that were hanging down from the ceiling. But the sheer size of them blew Pip’s mind. He had heard they were big, but that didn’t do any justice to what he was seeing. Many of these stalactites were large enough to fit a four or six story building with room to spare, with doorways in them like the ones on the wall. The smaller one story ones were squat, almost looking flat against the ceiling. It surprised Pip a bit that none of them had any markings, signs, or decorations at all to indicate if they were for personal or business use. But that didn’t seem to slow down the inhabitants. Unlike in Hollow Shades or along the wall, there were ponies everywhere! Thestrals were flying from spike to spike while wearing old fashioned attire that nearly covered their entire bodies. Chariots and carriages zoomed across the darkness as well, but there were far fewer of them.

And, in the middle of it all, was what held Pip’s interest: the most massive stone spike of them all. It looked like it could hold both Twilight’s and Celestia’s castles stacked on top of each other within it, making all of the other stalactites seem more like tiny bumps. Along the tip at the bottom, Pip could hardly believe it but there was an orangish colored glow coming out of the doorways. It was so hard to believe that this place had any source of light that it amazed the tiny stallion to no end. Like all of the other buildings hanging from the ceiling it had no marking nor decorations on it, but Pip could just feel its importance. Just looking at it told Pip that this had to be the heart of the Hanging City; the place where the Countess lived.

“Is that where we’re heading?” asked Pip while keeping his eyes on the center spike.

“Eventually,” answered Dragon Fang. “But first we have to take you to Dark Bargain’s. We have to get you ready, remember?”

“We are so sorry for the inconvenience,” said a unicorn stewardess as Prince Charming sat in a seat within his own private cart. Everything in it seemed to scream fancy and important. Every piece of metal, from the seats to the sink, looked like they were made with well polished gold while the cushions were made of red silk. In one corner was a handsome bar which was stocked up with wines so great that the only way you could get something better was if you were Celestia herself. Finally there was a large four poster bed, fit for royalty. Or, at least, those who wished to pretend they were royalty.

“Tell me, how long till we get to Hollow Shades?” asked Prince Charming as he stared out the window with a glass of wine in his hand. He was sure that the mare was thinking that he was admiring the stars or the moon since they seemed to be shining a bit more brightly this evening. The truth, however, was that he could less about things he could not reach and take possession of. His gaze was fixed on the city that he was now leaving, getting further away as the train made its way down the tracks.

“If all goes well, maybe a day,” replied the stewardess. “At most a day and a half as long as there are no issues with the train.”

A frown appeared on Prince Charming’s face. He knew he might sound like a little child if he said it out loud, but he wanted to be there sooner. Right now in fact! The sad truth was that it was mostly his fault that it would take this long. He could have rented a chariot to take him to Hollow Shades, allowing him to get there in a few hours. But, seeing that the method of travel would mess up his perfect mane as well as costing him the same amount as this private cart, Prince Charming thought this would do.

Sighing, Charming lower his glass to set it down when something caught his eye. In the moonlight, he could make out a pony figure who had just made a running jump off of the edge of Canterlot and now falling head first to the ground below. A grin appeared on his face, knowing that it was most likely what’s her name. The stupid little pawn was killing herself, just like he had wanted. Like the many others he had used up until this point, her death would go either unnoticed or un-mourned. Even if somepony did notice, it wouldn’t be because they cared but were curious as to why she stole several documents before she killed herself. If that did happen, they would find them in her apartment along with a copy of the one he still had in his possession. Whatever they thought about at that point was of no interest to Charming for he knew it wouldn’t matter.

Turning to look at the stewardess, he smiled at her and watched her blush at his utter perfection. Since she was not too bad on the eyes, he believed he now had the perfect way to pass the time until he reached his next pawn.

Author's Note

Well things got dark. Hopefully I'll be able to lighten up the next chapter a bit

Succubus' Quest

Dragonfly hummed to herself as she moved about from cage to cage along the side of the house. Each and every morning she needed to ensure that the insects inside of them were well fed, their numbers thriving, and that there were no gaps in the cages that would allow them to escape. Checking the notepad in her small hands, she had noticed a drop in the grasshopper cage meaning she would have to take them off the family’s menu until their numbers went up. On the bright side, the crickets and the stag beetles had just produced a large amount of eggs meaning that soon she could start cooking them.

The young mare tapped her chin with the eraser end of her pencil as she strode around the corner that brought her closer to her father’s blacksmith shop. The question was what to make out of them. There was a decent bread recipe that she hadn’t made in a while. Or maybe she could cook them like how they had that one time with the pumpkin seeds back...when things weren’t so bleak.

Unable to help herself, Dragonfly looked in the direction of an old dirt road that went into the forest. According to her father, when he was young, ponies from all across Equestria and beyond would travel that road to enter their town. They would come for the metals mined down below, the finest blades in Equestria, the best armor a pony could buy, and jewelry that even the craftsponies in Canterlot envied. Tales on how Princess Celestia herself would come to have a blade commissioned for one of her brave knights for their valor. He would talk about how nopony back then was without work and no mouth went unfed. Ponies walked with their heads held high with pride; for here, and only here, could they walk around without the disguise that Princess Celestia insisted that wear.

Neither Dragonfly nor Dragon Fang had ever seen those days. The road had always looked like it did now, covered in large webbing. There were no wagons to be filled with treasures that the thestral race prided itself in making. The trains sometimes brought ponies who sought out thestral craft, but mostly these days it only brought tourists. Add to the fact that the mines were being horribly mismanaged for some time meant that those who lived in this area faced hard times. There was little work to go around; most families having to carefully ration their supplies until the tourist season began.

Sighing, Dragonfly headed towards the door only to have it open when she was a mere few feet away from it. Succubus walked out of the house, awake and looking rather down. Her wings were slumped low on her back and her eyes seemed to be a bit darker, less alive than when she had first arrived. Even her mane looked a bit flatter than it had been yesterday. Her attire, a bright red tube top and matching mini-mini skirt, looked ever more out of place than her normal attire.

“Bored,” she cried out as she slumped out of the house. “So boooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrred!”

“I’m, ah, sorry to hear that,” said Dragonfly as she watched Succubus fall face first onto the ground and lay there like a log. Honestly, at this moment watching this mare was more like watching a little filly. For the life of her she couldn’t understand how Succubus was related to Dark Bargain.

“There has to be something to do around here,” complained Succubus, the dirt slightly muffling her voice. “Someplace where we can go and have a little fun.”

“We don’t have anything like that here,” replied Dragonfly sadly as Succubus turned her head to look at her. “Anyplace ‘fun’ is only open during the tourist season to save on bits. And even if such places were open right now, I honestly don’t know how much fun we would have with so few bits.”

Dragonfly watched as Succubus turned around so that she was now lying on her back, letting out a groan as she did so. Her face, as well as what little she was wearing, looked dirty. That did not seem to bother the big busted mare as she stared up into the star filled sky with an expression of longing.

“How can you live like this?” asked Succubus.

“Because we have no choice,” replied Dragonfly simply. “It’s just the way things are.”

“Of course you have a choice!” snapped Succubus as she got up, now looking angry. “You always have a choice! Look at me. I was in a similar position where my life sucked. But did I sit back, shrug, and say there was nothing I could do? No! If you don’t like the way things are then either change them or leave!”

Dragonfly felt her face beginning to burn as she glared at the other mare. “You really think it’s that easy?” she demanded. “This is our home! We are doing everything we can to save it but nothing is working. The last three mayors before Papa tried to get bring other businesses to Hollow Shades so we could have work, but nopony thought it was worth it because of the location. Then the job got thrusted onto Papa because nopony else wanted it. And if we did leave, where would we go? Can you imagine an entire community trying to find work at the same time? I doubt there are enough jobs out there for us!”

“Well I’d hire you!” said Succubus. Her eyes then brightened as a thought crossed her mind. “Why stop with you? How about we find as many thestrals as we can who want to leave and they can come work in Ponyville! I can help ponies and not be bored!”

“…you own your own business?” asked Dragonfly, who was taken aback by this.

Now grinning broadly, Succubus folded her arms underneath her large melons as she nodded. “Me and my Pip are not just partners in bed but also in our own business.”

Dragonfly blinked at this as she gave the other thestral mare another look over. For the life of her she didn’t see how this was possible. Just by the way she dressed…there was no way a mare who wore so little could ever run a business. Well, in Hollow Shades at least. Maybe it was different in the rest of Equestria. She had seen many of the tourists and they seemed to enjoy showing off their arms and legs. Maybe they considered it more professional to wear less? Still, Succubus didn’t seem to act like any pony who might co-own a business.

“Well, I suppose we can find a few ponies around here who might be interested,” began Dragonfly, causing Succubus’ grin to grow. “So, what kind of ponies are you looking for?”

“Any mares who are sexy and want to dance naked!” exclaimed Succubus.

“…WHAT?!”

In the ivory and gold city of Canterlot, Princess Celestia sat in front of an elegant wooden desk within her private chambers. On almost any other night at this time she would have been coming out of her massive bath, her fur carrying the scent of various oils she used to relax and rejuvenate her body before going to bed. A few candles would be lit, providing just enough light for her to see without hurting her eyes, the scents they carried further relaxing the day princess as she toweled herself off with the softest towels known to pony kind. While that would be going on, Celestia’s only thoughts would be what to do until she fell asleep. Would she relax in bed with a good book? Or, instead, would she sit on the toilet as she rubbed her pussy and fingered her plothole while remembering the last time she had been fucked on the island. Instead of that she was going over paperwork, her normal calm and motherly expression replace with a concerned frown as her eyes went over various words and numbers.

Something was very wrong in Hollow Shades and the Hanging City.

As Celestia continued to shift through the papers in both her hands as well as in her magical grasp she heard a soft knock on her door. Raising an eyebrow, Celestia quickly glanced out the door to see that the moon was well within the sky and the stars were shining brightly. Very rarely did anypony come knocking on her door at this time. The staff knew that she was not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. And if it were, they would come barreling through that door without wasting anytime knocking.

“Come in,” said Celestia while doing her best to keep the curiosity out of her voice. A moment later the door opened to reveal Kizbit with a frown on his face. “Well this is a surprise. I believe your schedule says that you should be putting your nightcap on right now. What brings you to my room at this time?”

“What indeed,” muttered Kizbit as he stood into the room, fighting to hold back a yawn as he did so. “It just so happens that I was running a bit late this night and, on the way to my room, I happened to spot that the lights were on in your room. Far be it for somepony like me to tell a mare of your age when they should be in bed, but I do believe that you have a busy day ahead of you. Surely, whatever minor matter you are working on can wait until the morning?”

Celestia let out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair. “If this were a minor matter then I would be in bed,” she said calmly, her hand reaching out to touch the documents as she did. “What I am dealing with is the issue with the new Duke Dark Bargain.”

Kizbit let out a hum as he nodded his head in understanding. “Yes, that matter is a tad important. But, it was my understanding that you were going to wait until after you heard back from the Countess before deciding if he might have had any part in his parents’ plot.”

“That was and still is the plan,” replied Celestia with a nod. “Yet, with Luna away at this time I find myself with a trusted council for that particular area. I am ashamed to admit it, but I am a bit in the dark when it comes to most of its current on-goings. So, earlier today, I had requested a bit of information to see if there might be anything there that might shed light on either his innocence or guilt. I have their family’s finances, holdings, their mine safety reports as well as reports from the other mines just so I have something to compare them to.”

“Well then,” began Kizbit as he stepped into the room. “I take it you have found something more nefarious about his family? Something to make you worry about the safety of the Hanging City or, pardon the theatrics, the whole of Equestria?”

“No,” replied Celestia as she glanced over at the desk. “As far as I can see, the family in question has never warranted any suspicion until this matter came up. Their finances are, for the most part, clean. There have been a few scandals within the family history; however they mostly involve one member of the family sleeping with a maid or butler. Nothing I don’t hear about our own nobles here in Canterlot. The mines that they own have had a few safety violations from time to time, but they have always fixed whatever problems have been brought up by their next inspection. They have always reported when a certain ore vein would need time to re-grow with their thestral magic. Diamond Dog raids on the mines have also been reported and stalls on shipments due to these attacks have always been reported. As far as I can gleam, this was a one time deal. We’ll know more once I hear back from the Countess.”

“Well that’s good then,” said Kizbit as he walked over to the bed and began to pull down the covers. “Since nothing is wrong, I think you should set this matter aside until later. You have several meeting that will require you to be at your be-”

“That isn’t what has me worried,” interrupted Celestia, regaining Kizbit’s attention. “It’s the other mining systems. By law, those mines must be maintained to a certain point if the owners want to keep them. When I was looking at the other mines’ documents I saw that they are all working barely above the minimum. Various sections of the mines have been closed down for one reason or another. Most of the work force has been outsourced from the thestrals, meaning that the mineral deposits aren’t growing back fast enough. There are a number of fines brought up about safety issues every year.”

“Well,” began Kizbit slowly. “That certainly does sound concerning to say the least. However, since they, as you yourself have said, are still operating the mines to an acceptable degree then I see no reason why you should be concerning yourself with this. It’s most likely the reason why it was never brought to your attention before now. There are far more pressing matters that you will need to deal with in the morning like, for example, a progress report from your sister and former student.”

Celestia, unable to control herself, let out a growl of annoyance that shocked Kizbit so much that he almost fell onto the bed. It frustrated the princess that he couldn’t see just how terrible the situation really was. It had been a long time since she had been to either Hollow Shades or the Hanging City. She could clearly remember the passion that the thestrals held as they worked their craft in the jewelry, blacksmiths, and the mines. How they held themselves up high as they walked through the streets. Would it still be like that with these changes? If not, would the thestrals eventually decide to take the mines back by force after leaving Equestria just like how the Crystal Empire had threatened to do not too long ago? Or would they become resentful towards the rest of Equestria, becoming a place that would be hostile to those they saw as outsiders. And if the mines weren’t taken care of, would there be a disaster like what might happen with the weather if the pegasi mishandled it?

Luckily, Celestia believed it hadn’t gotten that far. If it had, Luna would have informed her already of any growing tension with the ponies there or of any other kind for danger. Her sister was most likely trying handle this on her own since the thestrals looked up to and respected her above all the other princesses. If she had to guess, Luna was supplying them with all the work she could while trying to see if there was any legal way she could take back the mines.

As she opened her mouth to inform Kizbit of this the door to Celestia’s chambers flung open as two Royal Guards rushed into the room. Celestia whipped her head around, annoyed at Kizbit’s reaction to what she had found out as well as this intrusion. She glared at the two for a moment, but calmed down when she saw the pale expressions on both of them. It was as if they had just seen Tirek storming towards the city.

“Princess,” said one of them as they both took a knee before her. “Forgive the intrusion at this late hour. An incident has occurred involving a member of the castle staff that we believe you should take a look at.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” said Dragonfly as she walked down the streets of Hollow Shades with Succubus by her side. The streets were nearly deserted, despite the moon being up for a few hours now. The few ponies they did see had their heads hanging low as they quickly made their way to their destination. The only sound they could hear was the wind as it blew through the trees and the broken windows of the nearby buildings, all of which looked like they had been abandoned for some time now.

The sad thing was they weren’t.

“Relax,” said Succubus off-handedly, walking next to Dragonfly as she swayed her hips for all to see and ignoring the looks of disdain she received because of this. “At least we’re out of the house, in the fresh night air, and going to talk to mares about letting their sexiness shine. The worst that can happen is that they’ll say no, right?”

“Most mares here would vomit in front of your hooves if you asked them to do that,” hissed Dragonfly as her eyes darted around looking for anypony who might have overheard what Succubus had just said. While Succubus planned to leave here, Dragonfly knew that she would remain to look after her family. Something that would become more difficult if the residents here knew what she was helping with.

When she looked forwards again, she found Succubus filling her vision as she had moved in front of her and was now walking backwards. “Well if that’s the case then why are you helping me?” she asked with a grin.

Dragonfly rolled her eyes. “Because I’m afraid you would go running around the town, screaming your head off as you looked for ‘sexy’ mares,” retorted Dragonfly stiffly. “I’m going to take you to a few ponies I know who I hope will accept my apology after you ask your question. Maybe after a few of them say no then you’ll give up.” Succubus said nothing to this, just giggling a bit as she moved right back to Dragonfly’s side.

After a few minutes, the two stopped in front of a two story building with at least twelve gargoyles hanging off the roof. Unlike many of the building they had passed before this point, the windows were all intact, however all of the glass looked like they had been painted over with a thick layer of black paint. All across the dark wood, somepony or ponies had carved graffiti into it. Words like ‘freak’, ‘ugly’, and ‘vomit’ littered its surface with various phrases mixed in. The air around this building was vile due to the amount of shit that had been tossed onto the yard and the small front porch.

Taking a somewhat deep breath, Dragonfly marched over to the building with Succubus in tow. It was slow going for the two due to being careful not to step in anything. Eventually the two made it to the front door and, doing her best to ignore the maggots everywhere, Dragonfly knocked on the door.

“Go away!” shrieked a voice on the other side. “Please, just leave me alone! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Ghostly, it’s me, Dragonfly,” said the small breasted thestral while using one hand to cover her nose.

“D-Dragonfly,” said the voice on the other side. The two of them could now hear hoofsteps coming closer to the door very slowly. “Oh thank Luna and the Countess. I thought you were one of those horrible ponies who keeps wrecking my house.” It was then that both ponies could hear a soft click of a lock being undone from the other side. “So, what brings you over here tonight Dragonfly? To be honest, I didn’t think you’d be leaving your house for a couple days after I heard there was a changeling sighting. Not that I don’t mind pleasant company.”

“False alarm,” said Dragonfly as two more clicks were heard. “My sister checked it out herself. And sorry but this isn’t a normal social call. Guess you could call it a business-”

Dragonfly’s words were drowned out by a loud shriek of terror followed by the sounds of many locks being put back into place. “Your father said he wouldn’t kick me out! I swear to you I had everything cleaned up three days ago! You know it’s taking every bit I have to clean up this mess! An-And I know I paid my taxes s-so-”

“Ghostly, you’ve done nothing wrong,” interrupted Dragonfly loudly. “Please calm down. I just brought somepony who wants to meet you. She…She says she might have a job for you.”

For a moment, there was an eerie silence as Dragonfly waited for a response of any kind. She had expected Ghostly to react like this given her situation within Hollow Shades. Ever since she had entered puberty she had been harassed by the ponies who lived here, barely able to get by and living in the house her parents had left her before their passing. She let out a sigh of relief as the locks began to unlock again before the door, ever so slowly, opened to reveal Ghostly Stitch.

She was the palest, whitest thestral ever to be seen. Her coat was whiter than pure, freshly fallen snow that sent shivers down most ponies’ shines. The mare’s mane was silvery and long, going down so far that it touched her ass. Both of her eyes were hidden as her bangs went low enough so that they were completely covered. Her lips were the brightest thing about her, natural bright red making them pop out in contrast to the rest of her appearance. The clothing she wore looked old, covering her body as best it could but seemed to be straining to keep her double D cups hidden within.

“A job?” asked Ghostly, her voice carrying a faint trace of hope in it. “For somepony like me?”

“Yep!” cried Succubus as she jumped between the two mares, causing the other two to jump back. “And I think you’ll work out just fine! You got that timid, spooky sexy vibe going for you. All I need to know is if you can dance and what you look like naked!”

“W-W-Wh-,” stammered Ghostly, unable to finish a single word. Nopony there could see her eyes to see if they were wide with shock or narrow with rage. Her mouth just hung open as Succubus looked back at her with a blissfully ignorant smile on her face.

“I am so sorry,” said Dragonfly quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Ghostly began to speak in a harsh tone with a finger pointed in Succubus’ direction. “H-How dare you?! No, seriously, how dare you come to my door and mock me?! I get enough shit from everypony else, but I expected more from some pony who shares in my shame of having…THESE!” At that point, her finger moved from Succubus to indicate her large mammaries. “Calling me sexy when I’m cursed with these? Thinking ponies will actually enjoy seeing me naked? They’re more likely to vomit! S-So you l-leave right-”

“But you are sexy,” interrupted Succubus in a matter of fact tone as she took a step forwards. Without warning her hands moved to grab Ghostly on the shoulders, their breasts pressed against each other.

“NO I’M NOT!” shouted Ghostly as she tried to get away. “YOU’RE A THESTRAL! YOU SHOULD KNOW NOPONY AROUND HERE WILL EVER WANT ME! OR YOU FOR THAT MATTER!”

“Well it’s a good thing the job isn’t around here,” said Succubus calmly, her words causing Ghostly to stop struggling.

“You,” began Ghostly but stopped to gulp. “You want me to leave…my home?” Ghostly place a hand on the doorframe. “I grew up here. This is all I’ve ever known. I’ve never been outside of Hollow Shades a day in my life.”

“Well that’s going to change,” said Succubus as she pushed Ghostly inside of her own house.

For a moment, Dragonfly stood still as she looked around. Ghostly’s shouting had attracted much attention for she could now see many faces peeking through the windows of their homes. The few ponies on the streets had stopped, lifting their heads so they could look in the direction of the house. Not wanting to be under their gaze or to give any of them the opportunity to come up to her and ask what was going on, Dragonfly also entered the home where she quickly shut the door before securing a few of the many locks and bolts.

After making sure no nosy pony would, or rather could, enter, Dragonfly made her way down a narrow hallway and past the stairway leading to the upper floor. She could see within her field of vision the ceiling that looked completely covered in webbing complete with various spiders crawling every which way. On both her sides faded wallpaper looked like it was slowly peeling off in random parts. There was a small table pressed against the wall that looked like it was about to collapse with a brown, lifeless plant on top. At least the floor was clean of any filth like what could be found outside.

Dragonfly moved down the hallway and entered a living room where the two big breasts thestrals were standing in.

“Look, I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there,” Succubus was saying as she continued to hold onto Ghostly’s shoulders. “You’ve been told you’re ugly and not at all sexy your whole life here. And that may be true in their eyes, but not in the eyes of the rest of Equestria. Believe me, if I had any stallion from any other part of Equestria in here right now I’d be pointing to the bulge in his pants. Or get you to strip in front of him so that he creams in his pants. That’s happened more than a few times with me. And don’t get me started on the mares. You’ll either be lusted by them or envied and hated. The only thing you need to do now is run with it.”

“B-But I live-” began Ghostly, but Succubus placed a finger on her mouth to silence her.

“I think, for your own good, you need to see what else is out there,” said Succubus as she lowered her hand and moved behind the other mare. As she did this, her hands were placed on Ghostly’s hips. Once Dragonfly saw that Succubus was directly behind the other mare, Succubus began to slowly move her hands upwards towards Ghostly breasts. Ghostly opened her mouth, looking like she was going to say something, but whatever she intended to say turned into a moan as Succubus squeezed the white mare’s breasts.

“Oh, the good stallions of Ponyville are going to love that sexy moan of yours,” whispered Succubus as her hands moved out of sight of Dragonfly’s vision. It didn’t take long for the only small breasted mare in the room to find out what Succubus was doing for she soon heard the sound of a zipper. Before her very eyes, Dragonfly watched as Ghostly’s dress fell to the ground so that it pooled around her hooves. Ghostly it turned out was not wearing a bra, only pink panties with a black rose on its front. Her nipples were small but the areola was so huge that somepony could fit two bits within it easily. Dragonfly couldn’t help but notice that the mare’s coat was completely flawless and that her body was only thick enough to support her upper body. In a vain effort to cover herself, Ghostly moved her arms up to her breasts but the sheer size of them made this a pointless effort.

Dragonfly blinked and, in that moment, Succubus had somehow removed her entire attire. More naked than Ghostly, Succubus wrapped her arms around the other mare’s torso while pressing her mounds against Ghostly’s back. The pale white mare’s face flushed red, a squeak escaping her lips as Succubus place one hand under one breast to give it a squeeze.

“I can just see it,” said Succubus is a husky voice that seemed to send a shiver down Ghsotly’s body. When she spoke next, her free hand began to travel up and down Ghostly’s body, tracing against its soft fur. “All those naughty colts and good stallions coming from all corners of Equestria just to see this sexy body. Watching as you tease them each time you swing or grind up against the pole. They’ll set bits on the stage just so you can rub these soft, bouncy tits in their faces. Oooh, I bet some will cum just from that. And when you get off the stage there isn’t a doubt in my mind that they will want a private show with you.”

“Y-You’re wrong,” whimpered Ghostly. Succubus said nothing at first, only moving so that they would now be face to face. The mare from Ponyville then placed a hand on Ghostly’s breast and smiled.

“I know I’m not,” replied Succubus in a firm but kind voice. “Because every night, I get on that stage to dance with everypony looking at me with lust filled expressions.” She paused to shiver slightly, as if just thinking about it was intense for her.

For a moment, Ghostly turned her head to look away. Dragonfly could see her lips pursed slightly, as if she were thinking and forgetting that not only was there another mare in the room but two of them were naked! When she looked back at Succubus, she took a step back.

“I…I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said.

“But why not?” cried Succubus looking flabbergasted.

“Because no pony in their right mind would ever do something like that!” said Dragonfly as if this were common knowledge.

“Well,” began Ghostly before she paused to gulp. “I’m really…I really want to know what it feels like to be…wanted like that. An-And I know I’ll never get to know that if I stay here. But, what if I leave everything behind for this new life and it doesn’t work out? Like, what if I get stage fright or something like that? What will I do then? Will I have to come back here? I’d like to have a relationship, maybe get married and have some foals, but who would seriously consider having that kind of relationship with a stripper? And where will I stay?”

“Oh,” was all Succubus said as she stood there blinking. “Is that really all you were worried about?”

“Well yes I wa-,” began Ghostly before she stomped her hoof on the ground. “Of course I’m worried about these things! Who wouldn’t?” Succubus raised her hand with a grin on her face, causing everypony else to groan.

“I swear,” said Dragonfly as she placed a hand on her head.

“First off, I’m a married mare,” began Succubus while still grinning. “And so is another dancer at the club. Being a stripper might make it a tad bit more difficult to find your prince charming, but if he’s out there you’ll find him, so don’t worry. As for if things don’t work out, well we’re not going to throw you to the streets! Me and Pip know a lot of ponies in Ponyville who would love to hire you. What’s your special talent?”

“My…special talent?” repeated Ghostly in a surprised tone. “I…I make costumes. When I was a filly I made all of the costumes for my glass for things like plays and Nightmare Night. Of course, when I got these well…”

“Well that’s perfect!” shouted Succubus as she bounced up and down giddily. “Naturally I’ll do all I can to help you shake that sexy body all across the stage, but if for whatever reason you want to do something else I have a friend named Rarity who would love to hire you! And if she can’t, maybe you can be a waitress until you can find something. As for where you can stay, I happen to know several ponies who would be willing to take you in if you don’t want to stay with me and Pip. Princess Twilight told me if there was ever a pony who needed a helping hand to send her to the castle and there will always be a room waiting for her.”

“I-I-I,” stammered Ghostly as her arms dropped, revealing her mostly nude form. Her wings shook slightly and her arms trembled as tears began to appear on her face. Without warning, she lunged at the smiling thestral mare and, much to Dragonfly’s shock, wrapped her arms around her in a hug. “I’ll do it!”

Author's Note

editing by Koekelbag

Into the Woods

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 :pinkiecrazy:

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

Doctors and Writers

“Please Princess,” called out Kizbit. “You have a full schedule tomorrow with many important meetings. Surely somepony else can handle whatever this is!”

Celestia, however, continued to march down the halls of her castle while ignoring him. So too did she ignore all of the castle's residents as they moved out of the way for her before bowing. She ignored her staff whispering to each other about why she was outside of her quarters after the sun had gone down while wearing her sleeping gown. Celestia kept her gaze locked on the backs of her two guards as they moved swiftly down the halls, matching their pace as best she could.

As Kizbit continued to call out to the princess, Celestia followed the guards down a flight of stairs. With each step she took down these steps, she felt cold dread in the pit of her stomach as well as in every feather on her wings. Something had happened to one of her maids. Something that had caused her guards to have difficulty voicing. But she could see the fear in their eyes as they tried to speak to her. Whatever had happened to Merry Day, it had shaken them considerably.

While stepping off the landing, Celestia’s thoughts turned to Merry Day. Merry had been the topic of her latest conversations with the Head Maid. According to her, Merry’s actions had seemed abnormal. When they first spoke, Celestia was only mildly concerned but still waved off the Head Maid’s concerns. Everypony goes through a rough patch in their lives and, when she was willing to talk to them about it, they would be there. But in the days that followed that first meeting the Head Maid brought up the issue of Merry again and again. And it was with each visit that Celestia could clearly see that things were getting worse. Going into places she shouldn’t, coming into work smelling of rancid sex, rapid weight loss, breaking up with her fiancé just to name a few. It was after their last meeting earlier today that they both agreed that something needed to be done soon.

And as Celestia entered the double doors leading to medical ward of the castle, she was all too aware that ‘soon’ was too late.

“Princess,” called out Kizbit, still hounding the Princess as he passed through the double doors as well. Yet Celestia paid him no heed as she followed the guards into one of the rooms where her journey ended. “Princess, the country will need you at your best tomorrow! You have a breakfast meeting with Duke Copperhorn! He made an appointment to speak to you privately about your sist-dear sweet heavens what happened to her!”

At that moment, Celestia was only vaguely aware that Kizbit was standing next to her with a hand covering his mouth. The majority of her focus was on the sad sight that lay before her. On a table in the middle of a medical room lay Merry Day. She was completely naked for some reason allowing all those gathered in the room to see she was almost nothing more than a sack of skin and bones. The mare thrashed about wildly but to no avail for she had been strapped to the table so methodically that even her individual fingers seemed incapable of moving. Tears were running down her face as she made pitiful noises through a gag that was securely fitted into her mouth.

Pulling her attention away from the mare, Celestia became aware of the various doctors around her. Four of them stood around Merry, their horns lit up in various colors with their equally glowing hands on various parts of the struggling mare’s body. Another doctor was going around with a sponge, dabbing it on the foreheads of the other doctors as well as Merry to wipe away the sweat. Lastly, in a corner, were two doctors who were looking at an x-ray picture of a brain. And even though Celestia wasn’t a doctor and it was far away, the princess could tell just by looking at it that something was wrong.

“Princess,” said one of the doctors who had been looking at the x-ray, probably noticing Celestia out of the corner of his eye. He moved over to her quickly while the guards moved out of the way to let him pass. “Forgive me for alerting you of this situation so late at night but thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Please, do not worry about that Doctor…”

“Speedy Recovery,” supplied the doctor.

“Doctor Recovery,” began Celestia anew as she looked from him to Merry. “Please, can you tell me what has happened?”

“Ah, yes,” began Recovery before clearing his throat. “Well, from what I’ve been told, Ms. Merry Day here ran through the streets of Canterlot completely naked. Several ponies reported this to the guards and a few were sent out to arrest her for indecent exposure. And it was a good thing too because when they found her she was falling down the side of the mountain, halfway from colliding with the ground. After one of the pegasus guards caught her, however, her first instinct was to pull out the guard’s sword and try to kill herself with it. When that failed, she tried to bite her own tongue off. Thankfully, that was prevented.”

As the doctor spoke, Celestia felt one of her hands move to clutch at her heart. Slowly her gaze turned to the figure still trying to thrash about. Now her restraints made more sense.

“Forgive me,” said Kizbit as he took a step forwards, trying not to look at Merry as he did. “But, from what I am hearing, it sounds like this mare is undoubtedly troubled. Would it not have been wiser to have her taken to a mental facility rather than here? I am sure she would have received proper, if not better, care there.”

Celestia turned to look at Kizbit for a moment. While part of her wanted to snap at him for this comment, the better part of her knew he had a very good point. While the medical wing of the castle was well staffed, it could hardly compare to a facility that specialized in metal ailments. There would have been specialists there who would know how better to treat Merry as well as having better means to keep her from hurting herself and others. So, without saying a word to him, Celestia turned her attention back to Doctor Recovery.

“Well naturally we intended to do that,” said Dr. Recovery as he gestured for the princess to follow him into the corner where the x-ray picture was. As they followed him, the good doctor continued to speak. “But before we did that, we wanted to help her out as much as we could seeing as Merry is a member of the staff here. We…we wanted to make sure we did everything in our power to help her along.”

“I understand,” said Celestia as they all came to a stop in front of the picture. Now that she was even closer to it, Celestia felt a pit of dread growing in her stomach. The brain x-ray showed some sort of hazy fog surrounding it, something that Celestia had no problem recognizing what it was. Magic! So much magic and so potent that it could be seen on the x-ray.

It seemed that Dr. Recovery noticed the look that Celestia gave the picture. “It was while we were examining her that we found that,” he said sadly, shaking his head as he did while running a hand through his mane. “Whoever put that inside of her did a number on her body. There is the problem of malnutrition, but from what our magical scans have revealed her body is actively trying to fight what infected her it at all costs. There is no telling how long this has been going on, but I fear that this is a battle she will lose unless we can figure out what happened to her. Several of the doctors here are adding some of their magical energy to help fight it, but it doesn’t seem like it is making much of a difference.”

Celestia turned to look at Merry. “Then perhaps they should give it all to her,” she said.

“I really wish we could do that Princess, I really do,” replied the doctor with a sad sigh. “But we need to consider other possible patients. If we gave her all of our magic only for another seriously injured pony to be brought before us, well, we’d be useless and that pony might die. And even if we were sure that we would have enough time to recover, it seems pointless right now. We have four highly trained medical unicorns trying to help her with the most powerful spells we can muster and there has been no change.” Doctor Recovery let out another sigh. “It’s sad that I wish this were a case of drugs. That I cou-Princess?”

At that moment, Celestia was striding over to Merry as waves of guilt washed over her. Part of her blamed herself for this. If she had just acted sooner then maybe Merry wouldn’t be in this state. So she stood behind Merry so she could place her hands on her head and her horn began to glow. She could hear Dr. Recovery saying something but her whole focus was on the magical golden glow of her hands as she sent her power into Merry’s brain, ready to remove the taint that existed there. She felt her magic connect and-

Celestia took a step back as a wave of nausea hit her. For a moment the world began to spin before she doubled over and began to empty her stomach of its contents. Whatever that magic was, it was the vilest thing she had ever come across in her life.

“Princess, please forgive me,” said Dr. Recovery. “If I had known you would have done that…”

“Will she be ok?” asked Kizbit in a worried tone, looking from the princess to the mare on the table. Everypony present could hear the fear in his voice.

“Well, she’s handling a lot better than the last pony who tried that,” said the doctor with a grimace as he watched the princess heave. “Dr. Feelbetter is in her own hospital room right now.”

“But will she-” began Kizbit.

“I’ll…be…fine,” said Celestia between her gasps. Slowly she began to rise with the help of her guards. “That…was…foolish…of me.”

“It’s alright Princess,” said Dr. Recovery as he began to check Celestia’s pulse. “I don’t believe that this magic, whatever it is, will infect you like it has Merry. Still, I’d like to have you stop by in the morning for a quick check up.”

“How can you…be sure?” asked Celestia as her breath began to return to her.

“Because of the other change in Merry’s behavior,” said Dr. Recovery with a frown. “When we discovered the magic in her brain, we did our best to question her about the ponies she’s come into contact recently.” At that moment, Merry let out a loud and pitiful cry as more tears ran down her face. “All she could say was that ‘he left her’ over and over again. I tried to ask who ‘he’ is, but to no avail and only barely managing to get the gag back into her mouth before she tried to bite her tongue again. Given the fact that the magic is in her brain, I think we are dealing with a mind control spell of some kind.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed for a moment while her hands clenched into fists. Mind control, she should have known. It was the same tactic that the Changeling Queen used on Shining Armor. She should have recognized the signs. They were right there in front of her. The off behavior. Going into places where she…

Celestia’s thoughts trailed off as a new realization washed over her. Looking down at Merry, she believed full heartedly that this poor mare had been used like a pawn. That some monster had used one of her subjects like a pawn for another’s benefit. White hot rage surged through the sun princess as she thought about what this creature had done. That thing had destroyed her chance at a happy marriage, damaged her body and mind, and then left her for dead. And those were just the things she knew. Who could guess whatever sick, twisted things she had been put through.

“Kizbit,” said Celestia in a tone so cold that the stallion in question took several steps back. “Inform Captain Ground Siege that I want a full investigation done immediately. Have Merry’s apartment checked for clues, trace her steps, speak to her friends, I don’t care. I want this monster brought before me so that he can answer for his crimes!”

At the same time, Pip was putting on the suit jacket as quickly as he could. He wanted to get out of this room as quickly as possible. Even though the temperature was pleasant, somehow being in this room just sent a shiver down his spine. Perhaps the reason was that it was in knowing that it once belonged to Succubus that made it so unbearable. If he were to look around, he could almost see her walking around trying to find something to do in this prison that was supposed to be her home.

Taking a breath, Pip looked himself over and saw that his tie had been done wrong. Frowning, he began to undo it but slowing down a bit as to do it right this time. He wanted to get this right so he wouldn’t have to spend any more time in here.

“My lord,” came the voice of Night Shift from the other side of the door. “I am here to inform you that Miss Dragon Fang has just departed.”

There was a small pause before Dark Bargain spoke. “Oh,” he said in a would be casual tone. “It is poor showing of a host not to see his guests off. I do hope there is a reason why I was not informed?”

“Indeed there is your grace,” said the maid calmly. “She received an urgent call from her summoning stone. She left so suddenly that she did not bother to take any of the leftovers I prepared for her.”

For a moment, Pip could no longer hear the voices clearly. Straining his ears, the pinto stallion could almost make out muffled sounds. Forgetting about his tie for a moment, Pip allowed his curiosity to get the better of him. Slowly he moved so that his hooves made as little noise as he could while moving closer to the door.

“-should be thrown down the pit for this latest blunder. Cutting corners on security after the last four instances!” Bargain was saying, his tone causing the fur on the back of Pip’s neck to stand up. Clearly, something bad had just happened to make Dark Bargain lose his composure. But what could it be?

“Sir, with this new situation, do you believe it is best to bring Mr. Pipsqueak to meet the Countess?” asked Night Shift. “If anything were to happen to him then Miss Succubus would be heartbroken.”

“That…that might be for the best,” said Bargain, apparently reining in his temper. “The last thing I need right now is Succubus blaming me for not keeping her husband safe. I’ll go and send out some messenger bats to request information on how bad this raid was. While we wait, we’d better err on the side of caution and make sure all the exits are securely locked.”

“It shall be done my lord,” said Night Shift while Pip heard something flowing in the background. Had she curtsied? “Perhaps after the bats have been sent, you could comfort the young miss? Perhaps read her a story like she has been asking for. It may put the both of you at ease.”

Dark Bargain let out a groan. “I still have not found a story I feel is proper enough. That latest book I have found has been pure bottom of the barrel garbage, not even halfway decent. How any pony could find such rubbish enjoyable is beyond me.”

“Begging your pardon your grace,” said Night Shift, her voice now holding a very definite edge to it. One that reminded Pip of his mother when he had done something to cross her. “But the young miss likes those kinds of stories.”

“I do not have time for this!” bellowed Dark Bargain, clearly losing his cool again. Pip could almost see his face red, twisted in rage as he stared at the maid. “If you feel that strongly about it then you read to her! Perhaps you’ll manage to get three words in before she complains about something!” As he spoke, it sounded as if Bargain was getting further away. Perhaps he was storming off to send out that bat like he said he would.

Pip didn’t know how long he stood there, waiting by the door listening for anything he could. Would Night Shift knock on the door, asking if he was ready? Or would she ask if he heard anything? If that were the case then what would she say if he answered honestly? Yet as the seconds ticked by his ears were met only with silence.

Taking a deep breath, Pip stood up straight before opening the door. Standing at the doorway, Pip could not see anypony. Slowly he leaned outwards to see that the hallway was completely empty. The maid had apparently left to some unknown place in the unfamiliar estate.

Pulling himself back, Pip began to wonder what he should do. He knew that the last thing he wanted was to stay in this room. However, he equally didn’t want to get lost in this place. For all he knew one wrong turn and he could end up falling to his death outside. Or he could bump into something less than friendly. Considering what he had seen of the Hanging City thus far, that was a possibility. Pip supposed that he could manage to find Dark Bargain’s study again since it was just down the hall…but did he want to? The Duke was in a bad mood so it might be best to let him calm down.

“Well,” whispered Pip to himself as he looked around the room. “I guess I could just stand outside and wait. I’m sure nopony will mind.”

So, after nodding to himself Pip walked out of the room before a force knocked him onto the ground.

“Oh my!” came a loud female voice from above. As Pip scrambled to get up to his feet he looked up and saw perhaps the most unusual mare he would find in this estate. She was taller than he was, which didn’t mean anything since almost everypony around was taller than him, and probably a few years older as well. Dressed in jean overalls, a long sleeve grey shirt, and thick dark gloves she seemed out of place. Especially since she seemed to have spots of soot all over her clothing and coat. That said, he noticed that she was pretty. Her coat was a rich, chocolate brown color and her long, black mane was braided in a way that it rested on her left shoulder. Her body was slender which was well suited for, what he had to guess, were A-cup breasts.

“I am so sorry,” she said as reached out. Pip took the gloved hand and quickly discovered that, despite appearances, this was a very strong mare! When she pulled up Pip felt like he was being thrown into the air with very little effort on her part. Thankfully she held onto him and managed to get him onto his hooves.

“Th-thank you,” gasped Pip, his legs shaking a bit.

“Not a problem,” said the mare with a twinkle in her brown slit eyes as she smiled at him. “Now, what’s a little colt like you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Dark Bargain,” said Pip as he fought the urge to frown while straightening up. “We’re supposed to see the Countess.” For a moment, the mare looked at him in confusion. Then, all at once, her eyes widened as realization came upon her while her smile faded. She looked almost scared.

“You’re Mr. Pipsqueak?” she asked in a tone one might use if they just realize they cut in front of Princess Twilight at the Hay Burger. Something that Pip had heard several times in fact.

“You can just call me Pip,” replied the pinto as he held out his hand. The mare seemed to relax at the gesture, grinning again as she took off her glove to take Pip’s hand in a bone crushing handshake.

“Pleasure to meet ya,” she said. “Name’s Cold Shut, Dark Bargain’s fiancée.”

“I really, really don’t want to be here,” moaned Dragonfly as she and the other mares stood in front of one of the dark dwelling of Hollow Shades. Nothing really set it apart from the others except that there were large packages on the porch wrapped in brown packaging paper. Each one of the packages went up to about her hip or perhaps higher. But beyond that, the place looked spotless.

Succubus tilted her head as she looked at the house. “What’s so bad about her?” she asked.

“You’ll see,” deadpanned Dragonfly as she exchanged a look with Ghostly. Well, she hoped she did since it was hard to tell who the other thestral was looking at. When she returned her gaze at the house, Dragonfly took a breath to both calm her nerves as well as to call out to the thestral living inside. “Hey Erotic! It’s Dragonfly and Ghostly! We have-”

Loud crashes interrupted what Dragonfly was about to say next, which she expected would happen. Honestly, she was surprised she was about to get out two more words before it happened. Soon the crashes stopped and the door swung open so fast that Dragonfly was surprised it didn’t fly off its hinges. As the door hit the outside wall a slender, flat chested thestral wearing nothing but a bathing robe and square shaped glasses jumped out of the building with her arms extended as she flew towards Ghostly.

“Ghostly!” shouted Erotic as she stared at the white mare. Before Ghostly could take a step back, Erotic, who has had a grey coat and a short midnight blue mane, had her head nestled in the pale mare’s bosom. With a cat like grin, Erotic’s hand moved up to grope the other mare’s breasts causing her to ‘eep’. This was followed by Ghostly trying to do what any sane thestral would do in this situation: try and pry the offending mare off!

“So nice,” breathed Erotic as Ghostly placed her hands on perverted mare’s head and tried to push her off. “It’s been soooo long since I last felt these wonderfully big, soft boobs! How could any sane pony hate them?”

“Please,” huffed Ghostly as she continued to try and pry Erotic off of her. “Help.”

“Erotic, please let go of her,” said Dragonfly, sounding exhausted as she went behind the mare to grab her robe. Dragonfly then began to try and pull her away while doing her very best not to pull the robe off. “Do we really have to go through this every single time? Do we really need to have another meeting with my father about this behavior?”

“As long as I can hold these,” began Erotic as she gave the breasts a squeeze, “then it’s completely worth it!”

“But we have company!” shouted Dragonfly.

“Company?” repeated Erotic as she looked around. For the first time, she took notice of Succubus who had been standing there watching everything transpire with a small smile on her face. Dragonfly could see Erotic’s eyes widen causing her to grip the perverted mare’s robe all the tighter while bracing herself. Erotic then shouted something that had the words ‘want’ and ‘boobs’ before lunging at Succubus so fast that her robe ripped.

Luckily Dragonfly let go for the robe fragment in time, wrapping her arms around the perverted mare’s waist just in time. She was dragged forward for a bit before planting her hooves into the ground in order to hold her back.

“She’s off limits!” yelled Dragonfly as Erotic struggled to get free with a lustful look in her eyes. “She’s married and-” Whatever Dragonfly was going to say next never escaped her mouth. Upon hearing this, Erotic let out a painful wail that pierced the silent night before going limp.

“She’s off the market?” asked Erotic, sounding like she was going to cry. “Then why did you bring her here? To torture me with what I’ll never have?” She then looked over at Succubus’ breasts before muttering, “Lucky bastard.”

“Oh, I don’t mind a little grabbing as long as I get to return the favor,” said Succubus in a casual tone that shocked Dragonfly. Well, until she remembered how Succubus had convinced Ghostly to join her on this mad venture. Remembering how the two of them stood naked, bodies pressed against each other made the act of grabbing a pony’s breast seem tame.

As Dragonfly let go of Erotic she noticed the mare shiver at these words. “Ooooh, I like her,” said Erotic as she stood up straight while part of her robe began to fall off her body to reveal her chest which shined in the moonlight. Thankfully, few ponies were outdoors right now. “Well then, what’s your name sexy?”

“I’m Succubus,” was the reply as Succubus wrapped her arms under her breasts as to push them up a bit. Everypony there could see that Erotic was fixated on those breasts. “Do you mind if we come inside? There’s something I’d just love to talk to you about.”

“Sure thing,” said Erotic with a grin as she walked to the door while swaying her hips. Dragonfly hesitated for a moment along with Ghostly, both having been inside her house before. And while neither mare wanted to go inside, Dragonfly knew that it was better to go inside to talk about Succubus’ offer rather than to stay outside with Erotic’s robe continuing to fall off. So after taking a moment to brace themselves, Dragonfly and Ghostly followed the eager Succubus.

This was something that they would both regret the moment they stepped inside to the building’s family room. The only piece of furniture in the room was a single love seat situated in the back of the room facing the fireplace so that its occupants could see everything in the room perfectly. Hanging proudly off the dark wood walls were various posters of nude mares showing off their large tits. Some of them looked like they were at the beach, soaking up Celestia’s blasted sun with their hands rubbing up against their pussies. Others clearly looked like they had been taken at a photo studio. There, the nude mares posed with their hands touching their breasts while standing in front of cheap backgrounds. The most disturbing poster hung over the stone fireplace showing a female griffon in some form of bondage. The image made it look like the griffon had been made into a trophy to be hung on the wall. Her lower torso and claws were hidden on the other side of the wall in a way that caused her to arc her body and make her breasts more prominent. Along the walls were various glass cases positioned so that they wouldn’t get in the way of the posters. And in each of these glass cases were various sex objects. Blinders, blindfolds, dildos, ball gags, anal plugs, and things Dragonfly had no idea what they were for.

“Ooh,” exclaimed Succubus as she began to examine the posters more closely. “You have an impressive collection here.”

“Thanks,” said Erotic as she allowed her robe to fall unceremoniously onto the floor revealing the book cutie mark on her flank for all to see. “I had to specially order them because, well, you know. Ponies around here are uptight about everything! Spazzing out over little things like showing off ‘too’ much fur. It’s crazy!”

“It’s immodest,” growled Dragonfly as the fur on the back of her neck stood up.

“And their views on large breasts are just so…anal,” continued Erotic as she threw up her arms. “You know how it is. Most mares have them cut off early rather than living with the ‘shame’ of having them. I have to be the only mare in this town who wishes she had the same treasures you mares have. Instead I am cursed to have these small lumps on my chest instead.” As Erotic spoke, her hands moved to cup her breasts. “Oh how I wish I could just swap these with somepony else’s.”

“Well then,” said Succubus as she continued to walk around the room. “Have you ever thought of leaving Hollow Shades?”

“I did,” said Erotic with a sigh while walking over to sit in the love seat. Once seated, she rested her head in her hands while her elbows were parked on her legs. “For three months I was living in Horseshoe Bay and it was a nightmare. Everywhere I went ponies either assumed I was a member of the Night Guard or a vampony wanting to suck their blood. Every other morning I found the door to my apartment covered in garlic! I’m just lucky nopony tried to run a stake through my heart. And don’t get me started on the sex! Some of them wanted me to bathe in ice cold water so I’d feel ‘more like a corpse’. Others wanted me to suck all the blood from their bodies when they came. Seriously!”

“Oh you poor thing,” said Succubus as she walked over to the naked mare and sat down next to her. Once seated, Succubus wrapped an arm around the other mare’s shoulder who immediately leaned her head over to rest it on the other mare’s breast.

“In the end I decided it would be best just to move back here where I would only have to deal with that crap during the tourist season,” continued Erotic. “Thankfully I can work anywhere, even if this place is a major roadblock to my creative side.”

“She’s a writer,” said Dragonfly before Succubus could ask. “Mostly porno books that are sent across Equestria. But she also writes stuff that we can sell to foals during the tourist season.”

“I haven’t read any of her porno books,” said Ghostly. “Mainly because she isn’t allowed to sell that sort of stuff here. But the ones she’s allowed to are really good. We get some ponies who come every year just to see if she’s written anything new.”

“Really?” said Succubus, her eyes lighting up. “What books have your written?”

“Well,” began Erotic with a grin as she straightened up. “I am the acclaimed writer of ‘Land of Desires’. It’s about two mares who have lived in a country where pleasure of any kind is outlawed but are sent on a mission to another country. There they quickly discover that this new land is all about sexual freedom! Then I wrote ‘The Three Wishes’ which is about a stallion who gets three wishes and uses them to fulfill his most perverted dreams. I also wrote “The Seventh Element: Orgasms’, but that was taken off the shelves really quickly since the characters too closely resembled the Element Bearers. Can you believe that? Well, anyways, the story I’m working on now should be a big hit. Haven’t thought of a name yet but it’s going to be about a superhero who gets her powers from orgasms! The stronger the orgasm the more powerful she becomes! I was just getting into the writing mood when you lovelies showed up.”

“Please,” moaned Dragonfly as her hands began to cover her face. “Stop.”

“Oh don’t be that way Dragonfly,” said Erotic who looked over at the other mares in the room as she spoke. Ghostly had been lightly biting one of her fingers while her cheeks had gained a bit of red. Succubus seemed to be looking at her with great interest. “You really need to learn how to relax about this stuff.”

Dragonfly frowned as she saw Succubus nod in her direction before looking over at Erotic. “Well, if you would like to leave Hollow Shades again, I know the perfect place for you: Ponyville. It’s where me and my husband live. Right now we are recruiting as many open minded thestrals as we can who would like to join us and work at our strip club. Ghostly has already agreed and we have already asked Batibat.”

“A strip club?” asked Erotic before a dreamy gaze appeared on her face. Dragonfly watched as Erotic shamelessly reached down to her exposed slit and began to rub it lightly. “Surrounded by nude and semi nude mares. In the bathroom, several stallions jacking off to the dancers while wishing they were fucking their favorite.” She paused as she let out a moan. “Maybe some of the mares doing the same after a hot dance. All the research I could ever want.”

“And think about this,” whispered Succubus as she leaned over to talk into Erotic’s ear. “You could sell your book in the store we have downstairs. You could hold a dildo before buying it, no more mail orders for you. And so many sexy outfits for you to try on.”

Erotic’s hips gave a bit of a jerk at that. “Yes,” she hissed. Then, suddenly, she stopped as a thoughtful look appeared on her face as well as a frown. Her hands then moved to once again cup her breasts. “It sounds good, but I don’t think I’ll be a big hit. Not with these little things. Stallions outside of Hollow Shades prefer mares with larger tits.”

“Don’t worry,” purred Succubus. “I know for a fact that there are stallions out there who would love a feisty sexy mare like you. There are plenty of good stallions out there who get nice and hard when you show them small, perky boobs like yours.”

“Really?” asked Erotic, sounding unsure.

“I’m positive,” replied Succubus with a nod. “In fact, one of the best dancers at the club is a Zebra with breasts as big as yours. The stallions love-” In a flash, Erotic had straddled Succubus’ hips with her hands on the other mare’s shoulders. There was a wild, lust filled look in Erotic’s eyes.

“You have a zebra working for you?” she asked/demanded. “I’ll go just for the chance to met a real life zebra and for the chance to sleep with her!”

“Alright then,” said Succubus calmly. “But before we go, we need to talk about some of the rules. Personally I don’t have a problem if you show your love with my breasts, but some of the dancers might…have a…” Succubus’ words began to be drowned out by noise coming from the outside. Angry shouting was echoing through the once still night as was the marching of hooves. The mares could all hear doors slamming shut as the various thestrals living nearbye left quickly to either find out what was going on or knew and were joining in on what was sounding like a riot.

Breakdown

As the mares rushed out of Erotic’s house, the yelling seemed to grow louder. Dragonfly instantly began to look up and down the streets for signs of what could be wrong. Yet despite the noise, the streets seemed to be as empty as they always were. This cause a bead of sweat to run down her face as she wondered what was going on. Movement from above caught her attention. There, flying overhead were at least a dozen thestrals as they zoomed across the night sky. As she flew, she could hear a few yelling about how ‘This has gone too far’ and ‘We demand justice’. Brining her hands to her mouth, Dragonfly yelled up at them in a desperate attempt to gain their attention. She had hoped that they might be able to provide some information on what was happening. But, sadly, that didn’t happen. Whatever had angered them, and likely many others, was front and center on their minds as they flew off into the town. Once they were no longer in sight, Dragonfly opened her own tiny wings and took off into the air while ignoring the look that Succubus gave her. Now up in the air, she began to spin around in place looking for where her fellow thestrals were heading. It didn’t take her long to spot the large mass converging on a single house by both land and air. And it took only one more second before she realized that it was her family’s house they were surrounding.

Without bothering to say anything to the mares on the ground, Dragonfly sped off to her home. As she flew, she had to swerve around the many aerial thestrals who were moving so that they could get a good view of…her papa. He was standing there in front of his forge, looking at the mass crowd around him while wiping away sweat from his face with the towel around his neck. The local guard was also there, but not in the way she expected. They were in the crowd, with the crowd. Many of them were holding up their scythes while their eyes burned with hatred. They, along with the rest of the crowd, shouted at her papa.

“Is it true that one of the mines was attacked?”

“Is my son safe?! Please, he is working down there to provide for us!”

“How many thestrals died this time?!”

“Please tell me those Equestrian bastards got it good!”

The crowd viciously agreed with that last one as Dragonfly landed next to her papa. Many of those gathered raised a fist in the air, screaming loudly their approval. Some began to shout how they hoped Diamond Dogs had taken them as slaves or Changelings had captured them for food. Others began to shout out all the horrible ways the Equestrians perished in gory detail.

“Enough!” shouted Steel Fang as he looked out at the crowd with narrowed eyes. He then held up his hands as the crowd began to quiet down a bit. “Now, I don’t know how all of you learned about the attack on the mines,” he said while Dragonfly gasped in shock. “But if you came to me looking for answers you will sadly find none. I only got the messenger bat from the Countess a few minutes before you all showed up and the information I received was minimal. I was not informed who the attackers are, but we are to remain on high alert until this is over.”

“What is the Countess going to do about this?!” shouted a stallion in the air. His words were followed by hundreds of other thestrals’ agreement. “The Equestrians keep defiling our mines and allowing things like this to happen! How much longer will we have to suffer until something gets done?”

“I say we treat their kind like we would the spider wolves and take back the mines by force!” shouted another. Many more shouted their savage agreement to this.

“Enough blood is being missing in the mines already!” shouted Steel Fang, his face turning red as he did. “We do not know the truth yet; let us not spill any more innocent blood!” There was a short pause as he looked at the crowd while they, in turn, looked back at him. “Please, go and comfort those who fear they might have lost somepony they care about.”

That seemed to do the trick. Slowly, and very reluctantly, the crowd began to disperse. Many went to those who they knew had family members working as guards down in the Hanging City or were lucky enough to still be working in the mines. Yet this did not stop many of them from being very vocal with their feelings. There was so much hate in the air that Dragonfly felt she would throw up any second.

“This is why I never wanted this job, Daughter,” groaned Steel Fang as he moved to sit on an old chair near his forge and letting out a loud sigh as he sat down.

“Papa, I think you handled this very well,” said Dragonfly as she looked around for some water to give to her father. Despite her words, Steel Fang waved it off with a hand gesture.

“Please do not lie to your papa,” said Steel Fang as he ran his hands through his mane. “They have become a blade forged by hate and despair. Every new disaster, every year they have to swallow their pride is another blow from the hammer. The only reason we have lasted this long is because Princess Luna insists on buying all of the Guard’s weapons from us. It’s because of Duke Dark Bargain’s family that there is at least one mine that does not outsource. They are both working hard to save our home, but I do not know how much longer our tribe can hold out. It is only a matter of time before the blade is finally used.”

Dragonfly placed a hand over her heart before walking over to her father. “You…you don’t think that would happen?” she asked.

“I fear it will happen soon,” said Steel Fang. “I have heard talking, both here and in the Hanging City. Some wish to take back the mines with blood while others wish to leave Equestria altogether.” He then looked Dragonfly in the eye. “Talk like this is happening more and more. If it comes down to it, if there is no other choice for us, I will try to add my voice to leaving Equestria.”

“You can’t!This is our home! This is where the thestral race began! We were here before there even was an Equestria! After everything we have done to try and save Hollow Shades we can’t just throw it away! There has to be another way! Maybe we could talk to Princess Twilight or Princess Cadence for more help!”

As she spoke, Dragonfly noticed tears swelling in her father’s eyes. He wiped them away and, when he spoke, his tone was strangled. “I am glad my papa was not here to see this,” he choked. “He would be so proud of you, my little princess. The pride of the thestrals burns brightly in you even when it has begun to cool for so many others. But if he looked at me, he would die from the shame. Barely able to perform my craft, barely able to help put enough food on the table to fill our bellies, considering abandoning Hollow Shades. But what else is there, Daughter? If we try to take back the mines by force, then it would be seen as an act of rebellion. We would be besieged only to lose the mines again. More life lost without anything to show for it.” Steel Fang shook his head. “My little princesses deserve better than what they have been given. And I will make sure you get it, even if I must bare eternal shame when I pass.”

“But the mines, papa,” whispered Dragonfly. Both she and Steel Fang closed their eyes while turning their heads away from each other. They both knew that without thestral magic, the gems and ores that were abundant in Equestria would no longer grow back, that sooner or later, the vast riches that the thestral race had spent its entire existence cultivating and managing would eventually be depleted.

“I, er, well,” stumbled Pip as he stared at Cold Shut while massaging his sore hand. Given what he knew about Dark Bargain from his own personal experiences, it was hard to see why he’d chosen to marry somepony like this. She just seemed so much more…energized than he was.

“Speechless I see,” laughed Cold as she gave a playful slap to Pip’s back. Well, he hoped it was playful as it sprawled him to the floor “Oh, sorry about that. You be a weak little earth pony.”

“Yeah, I am,” replied Pip as he began to crawl back up. When Pip got onto his knees, he saw that Cold was holding out a hand for him which he accepted. As soon as their hands connected he felt like she was tossing him into the air before gently putting him back on his hooves.

“Well, it takes a big stallion to admit something like that,” said Cold as she began to pat some of the dust off of Pip’s suit. This, however, only resulted in her smearing the dust and soot on her gloves onto Pip’s jacket making it even filthier. “Sooooo, how’s Succubus doing these nights?”

“Ah good,” replied Pip as he spotted the mess Cold was making. He was about to ask her to stop when he realized what she had asked. “Do you know my wife?”

“Your wife?” Her eyes glittered.

“Long story -- I’ll tell you later.”

“Alright, I used to,” said Cold with a grin, pulling her hand away from Pip’s shoulder before placing it on her hip. “We used to play together all the time when her family invited mine over. But that was before she grew her, ah, breasts. When that happened her family kept her on a tight leash so nopony else would find out about it. Was really looking forward to seeing her again, but can’t really blame her for not wanting to come back here.” She then gave Pip a sly smile. “Is she still a free spirit?”

Pip couldn’t help but blush. “That’s putting it lightly,” he said, earning a laugh from Cold. “She actually convinced me to turn my bar into a strip club. Right now she’s the star attraction.”

This made Cold laugh even harder than before. “Oh stars above my head; that sounds like something she would do! I can remember all the times we would lock ourselves in her room and dance to imaginary music. Succubus would always ditch most of her clothing or try to find something that wasn’t so fancy. Other times she would bring out the books she stole from the other staff so we could practice our reading skills.” Cold Shut then bent over with her hands holding her stomach while laughing even harder. “I can still remember how my face heated up when we had to look up a bunch of the words we didn’t know.” As she said this, Cold backed up until her flank touched the stone wall behind her which she then used for support.

Pip warmly smiled at this display, happy to see that Succubus did have at least one friend down here her own age. He supposed that it was possible she had a normal life before the issues her society had with her body popped up. But then, his smile faded slightly as he realized something else. That not only was she made to be a prisoner here, but she also lost her friend. Maybe she lost more than just one. Maybe there were other fillies and colts Succubus used to play with as a child that she was forbidden to see ever again for something that was beyond her control. It was then that Pip realized he had a huge opportunity before him. Before him, bent over and laughing her flank off, was a mare who could share stories with him about Succubus. While she was opening up to him more and more since he had found out, Pip still wanted to find out more about his wife. Maybe he could even do something nice for her with this information? Not only that, but Pip would also be forming a friendship with his wife’s old friend and future sister in law.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear more,” said Pip.

“Naw, I don’t mind that in the slightest,” chuckled Cold as she pushed herself away from the stone wall. Moving rather quickly, Cold flung her arm around Pip’s neck. “But if I’m going to be telling you anything, it’ll be in the kitchen! Need to get some fluids in me and a snack while I’m at it.” At that moment, Pip’s stomach made a very loud noise causing him to make a face. “Well, well, looks like I’m not the only pony around here who’s belly needs filling. What’s the matter? Too nervous about meeting the Countess to eat anything?”

“N-No,” replied a still embarrassed Pip. “That’s not it at all. There just wasn’t-”

“Relax,” said Cold as she patted his chest with her free hand, no doubt leaving a bruise in the process. “Just having a good laugh is all. Been too long since I had I’ve had one. Think it’s been too long since anypony done here has had a good, honest laugh.” She then began to move, almost dragging Pip with her in a manner that reminded him of a more brutish winged Pinkie Pie. “Well, nothing like remembering the good old days to lighten one’s spirits over shadeberry tea!”

As the two made their way down the hallway, Pip suddenly remembered Dark Bargain. Would he be a horrible guest for not waiting in the room for either him or Night Shift? Not even leaving a note to where he was going during a time when it sounded like something major was happening? However, Pip was able to reason that he wasn’t really going anywhere other than the kitchen. And it was sort of their fault for not knocking on the door and telling Pip they were needed elsewhere, not to mention that he was with Dark’s future bride so it should be alright. At least, Pip hoped it would be alright.

As Cold turned to head back towards the spiraling stairway, Pip noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Peaking out of a doorway was Banshee who was glaring at Pip once again. For a while, Pip continued to look in her direction until the filly seemed to catch on that he was onto her. When that happened, her expression seemed to grow ever sourer before pulling her head back and out of view.

“Hey Pip,” called Cold, grabbing his attention. “What’s the hold up? I thought we were getting some grub.”

“Oh, sorry,” said Pip as he took a step before pausing again. He then looked back at where Banshee’s face had been. “Ah, would you mind waiting here for a second? I’d like to talk to Banshee first.”

Cold gave him an odd look. “From what I’ve heard, hasn’t she attacked you twice already?” she asked. “Might be smarter to avoid her for now. You know, not give her the lucky third time’s the charm?”

“Maybe,” agreed Pip with a sigh before looking back at the spot where Banshee’s head had been. “It’s just…I think this is something I have to do. She’s important to Succubus so I should at least try to see if we can get along, right?”

Cold gave him a look for a moment or two before finally shaking her head. “Go on then,” she said as she waved her hand. “I’ll be here waiting for you. Just try to scream if she uses that voodoo on you and I’ll come running.”

“Thanks,” said Pip as he turned fully and began to walk over to Banshee’s playroom. When he got there, the small stallion saw that the door was still open allowing him to see the entire room. He could see that Banshee was back in the corner of the room with her head down low again. Pip also noted that her tiny hands were clenched tightly to her dress so much so that he thought that she would rip it apart. Or perhaps she was so angry right now that she wanted to do something to him with the only thing stopping her was the knowledge of some sort of horrible punishment from Night Shift. At the very least, he knew he was safe from her powers since she didn’t have a new voodoo doll on her.

Taking a deep breath to collect himself, Pip entered the room. As calmly as he could, the pinto walked towards the filly so that he wouldn’t upset her even more. The last thing he wanted to do was make her more tense or upset. Along the way, however, Pip noticed something on the small table that he hadn’t noticed before. Looking down, he saw that it was a crudely done drawing of two thestrals: one much smaller with the letter B above her and the larger one having the letter S. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the two smiling thestrals depicted there were supposed to be Banshee and Succubus. Pip then took a moment to look at where the picture laid on the table. It had been left in front of the two chairs closest to each other. If Pip had to guess, Succubus and Banshee used to sit there together.

“Go away,” came Banshee’s voice, starling Pip slightly. There was an edge to it that, if this were a normal filly, would have been amusing at how threatening it was trying to be, but Pip knew this wasn’t a normal filly and that the threat was dangerously real.

“I just want to talk,” said Pip as he took a step closer.

“Well I don’t wanna talk to you,” snapped Banshee as she turned to look at him. “I just want you to drop dead, sister stealer!”

“I didn’t steal your sister,” Pip said calmly while edging a bit closer. At that, Banshee leapt up from her seat and turned to look at Pip with fire in her young eyes.

“Then where is she?” demanded Banshee before stomping over to Pip. “Why hasn’t she come home yet? She’s missed every tea party we had planned! She hasn’t read to me in a really long time! She would never leave me here all by myself so you must be keeping her all to yourself! You big meanie!” Now close enough, Banshee punched Pip’s leg as hard as she could. It hurt, but thankfully not enough to make Pip cry out or anything like that.

“Look,” said Pip as he lowered himself to get down to her level. “I’m not the one keeping Succubus away from you. There are just…grown up issues that she’s dealing with. And she wants to move on with her life.”

“NO!” screamed Banshee. “I’m a part of her life!”

Pip’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake. “No, no, no,” he said quickly. “That’s not what I meant. See, she-” Pip paused as he racked his brain for an answer he could give that wouldn’t upset the filly. Something she could understand. But it was so very hard to do with those eyes looking back at him.

It was then that Pip heard a growling noise coming from Banshee. Not the vicious kind, but sounds of a stomach begging for food. There was amusement in seeming her expression shift slightly as Banshee became embarrassed while holding her stomach. Then Pip had an idea.

“Would you like to get something to eat?” he asked. “I’ll explain more during it; no sense in arguing on an empty stomach.” He forced good cheer.

Banshee shifted away from him a bit. “Why?” she demanded. “So you can get me into trouble? Because Miss Shift told me not to leave this room.”

“I’ll take the fall,” said Pip with a wink. “You know, in case we get caught I’ll just say it was my idea.” He paused to allow Banshee to think it over a bit. He could see the war going on inside of her. On one side, it was clear that she didn’t want to owe him any favors or be around him. On the other side, Banshee was clearly hungry and wanted to get out of this room. Pip continued. “Cold is waiting for us by the stairs. She said she’s going to be telling stories of when Succubus was a filly like you.”

Banshee’s eyes sparkled as she heard this. “Well,” she said slowly. “I guess so, as long as you promise I don’t get into any trouble.”

“I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep that from happening,” promised Pip as he held out his hand. Banshee looked at it for a moment before reaching out with her own. But before they made contact, she pulled away and began to walk towards the door. Pip shook his head a bit, but still got up and followed her. It was small, but he felt he was making at least some progress with her.

Dragonfly stumbled into the house, wiping away the tears from her face as she closed the door behind her. When she heard the familiar clicking noise that singled it was shut the mare moved so that her back was pressed against the door. Her wings began to hurt due to the pressure she put on them because of this, but Dragonfly didn’t care. Right now, she just wanted to be alone yet didn’t have the strength in her to lock the door.

Her ears twitched slightly as she heard the noises of her father working at his forge outside. Dragonfly knew he was trying to get his mind off of things, to do something he had a passion for even if the things he made weren’t up to his usual standard. After all, he wasn’t making weapons and armor for the Guard, but rather weapons he could sell to tourists that would just hang off on walls or behind glass cases sitting on top of fireplaces. These maces would never crush, falchions would never sever, and rapiers, would never rend. And the ores he was given were certainly not the best for this sort of work, but she could tell his heart is in it even less than normal. There was more of a lag between the blows of his hammer while the sound it made was lighter than normal.

Hearing this tore up Dragonfly’s heart so much that she nearly collapsed onto the floor. It hurt so much with all the hate still flowing through the air and the despair of those she loved all around her. The only hope she had seen and experienced all night had come from those who were excited to leave. Those…cowards who Succubus was convincing to leave their tribe behind. Like things were only tough on them! With clenched fists, Dragonfly tried to think of something that might help save Hollow Shades. Something that might help calm everypony down. This place was something that was worth saving, worth doing everything in their power to bring it back to its former glory. To be like the tales her papa just to talk about. Sadly, this proved to be difficult with the sad noises her papa was making outside as well as all the angry thoughts she had inside her head. Her thoughts remained angry and disjointed. Taking a deep breath, Dragonfly realized she needed to calm down if she was going to be of use to anypony. And nothing in all of Hollow Shades calmed her down like a nice, long shower. That thought brightened her up a bit, actually getting her to smile a bit as she walked over to the only bathroom in the entire house. Once inside, she closed the door before heading over to the shower and turning it on. She watched as it ran for a moment with her hand in the water’s path so she could check to see if the water was heating properly. For a minute or so she stood there as icy cold water slowly began to warm up before she pulled her hand back.

From there, Dragonfly took a few steps back so that she could better undress. Calmly she reached behind herself to unbutton her gown until there were no more buttons left. With it now loose enough Dragonfly quickly removed her dress from her form before hanging it up on a hoof on the wall. Her bra and panties, however, remained on as she walked into the now steaming hot water with a smile on her face. The instant the hot water hit her body; she let out a moan as she felt all of her worries wash off of her along with the dirt and water. She closed her eyes as the warmth seeped inside of her, relaxing her body.

She was so calm, so relaxed, that she didn’t even notice that her body was momentarily covered in emerald flames. When those flames vanished, a Changeling Queen stood in her place. She still retained the same face and mane, her fur was now replaced with chitin that was the same inky black color as her coat had been. Her tiny bat wings had vanished, replaced with four large wings that looked very much like the ones that resembled her name sake. On the top of her head was a large, jagged horn that almost scrapped the ceiling as Dragonfly turned about so that the water could hit her back.

As the water continued to pour over her, Dragonfly began to move her hands over her body starting with her breasts. Unlike her older one, this form wasn’t nearly as flat. If Succubus’ breasts could be compared to watermelons, then hers would be a pair of cantaloupe. Both of them looked firm, with large dark nipples that were now dripping water. Humming slightly, Dragonfly moved her hands so that one traveled down her slender figure while the other traced the opposite’s arms. Unlike other changelings, Dragonfly had no holes in either her arms or legs, so her hands glided across her chitin without any trouble. It was only when she reached her nether region did Dragonfly bring her hands back up. While Erotic may have written several stories about how Changeling Queens were futas or had some kind of penis, Dragonfly wasn’t like that at all. She was a one hundred percent female with a thin, virgin slit. Maybe there were some Changeling Queens like that but she didn’t know.

Or, more likely, it was just Erotic thinking it was more ‘hot’ to imagine something like that.

As Dragonfly let out another pleasant sigh, the sound of the front door opening could be heard causing Dragonfly to step out of the water. As the door closed she could heard Succubus loudly calling out her name causing her heart to race. She had forgotten that Succubus was staying with here! How could she have forgotten something so important!

“Just a minute,” Dragonfly called out as she turned off the water. “Don’t come in!” As she stepped out of the shower stall, Dragonfly began to focus her magic into her horn so she could transform into her thestral form. As her horn began to glow green, however, the door opened and there stood Succubus looking right at her. For a moment, the two just stood there as their stared at each other with wide eyes.

Gulping, Dragonfly spoke first. “Now, I know you’re freaking out right now,” she began slowly while raising her hands in a way she hoped wasn’t threatening. “But I need you to stay calm. “Yes, I-”

“You’ve got big boobs!” shouted Succubus

Dragonfly felt her lower jaw drop. “IS THAT REALLY THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICED?!”

“You should strip!” declared Succubus, running her hands up and down the naked mare. “You are beautiful! Come!” And so she dragged the naked Dragonfly from the room before she even had time to protest.

Author's Note

Special thanks to kalash93 and Koekelbag for their help with this chapter

Clues

“Oh, Luna, of all the times for you to be away,” moaned Celestia as she reached for her coffee mug. It was late at night, or perhaps early in the morning, depending on your point of view, and the solar princess was still awake. Situated in front of her were the recent grievances filed against Merry Day as well as a report on what was found at her apartment. If Luna were here, then the two of them could be working together in shifts in order to keep their minds fresh. Also, while it pained Celestia to admit it, something like this was more Luna’s field than hers. Luna could have probed Merry’s subconscious for more information. Then, if she found anything, Luna could have contacted Celestia even in her sleep. What’s more, Luna preferred this sort of thing over the day to day bureaucracy of the courts.

As soon as Celestia took hold of her mug, she felt its lack of weight before turning it upside down. Nothing, not even a drop came out. With a resigned sigh, Celestia’s horn lit up, signaling the palace staff that she was in need of more. She knew that they were still up, helping in whatever little way they could to help bring justice to Merry. It was heartwarming to see so many of her ponies taking up the call all on their own. One of the very few who was not doing so was Kizbit, who still insisted that Celestia should be asleep in bed so that she could be well rested for the coming day. In a strange way, Celestia respected the aged stallion for this. He cared for both his country as well as her health, seeing the big picture and was willing to stand up to her if he felt she was doing something foolish. It was far better than all of the yes ponies who agreed with her no matter what. There were days she considered binding them in logic traps to make them squirm, as well as to teach them a lesson.

As Celestia waited for her hot wake up juice, she stood to stretch. With her arms above her head, Celestia continued to think of the little progress they had had this night. Soon after Celestia had left Merry to the care of the castle doctors she had sent order to the new Captain of the Royal Guard, Ground Siege, that the castle was to be on high alert. Starting with the guards, everypony who worked at the castle was to be checked for any signs of mental manipulation not caused by wives. Siege had acted quickly and after several were cleared for duty, they were sent out to check on Merry’s apartment. According to the report sitting on her desk, they had found several files left there as well as plenty of DNA. While it was a long shot, there was a possibility that the individual who did this to Merry might be in the system.

However, what really worried Celestia were the files. The information within them pertained to several nobles who were under investigation at the moment. In the span of a heartbeat, the princess of the sun came to the conclusion that this must have been an attempt to interfere. Perhaps one of the nobles had paid somepony to deal with the situation, not caring who got hurt in the process. Or perhaps some demon, that…thing, found Merry and used her like a puppet to get what it wanted for both Merry as well as what was in the castle. It made sense. Yet there were still some nagging questions in the back of her mind. If the plan was to steal the files, why use a maid like Merry instead of one of the clerks. Surely using one of them would have been less suspicious than having a maid try to do it. Also, why leave the files? It would be such a simple matter to check their records to find which one, or ones, were missing. After that it would be a simple matter of figuring out who hired the fiend. Celestia just couldn’t help but wonder what she was missing. Or was this just a case of a semi competent heist.

Then, as Celestia began to lean backwards in order to crack her back, an idea appeared in her brain. There was another possibility that she hadn’t considered. What if the true point of all of this was in reality a frame up job? She knew that the nobles were always bickering with one another over various issues as well as trying to secure a high position. If one of them got wind that one or more of the nobles that had slighted him/her was under an investigation, then framing in such a manner would be too good of an opportunity to pass up! Not only would their fall from grace be complete, but their station would be left open for another noble to claim or add to their own. It was the sort of manipulative thing she would expect from some of them. But the problem with this line of thinking didn’t subtract suspects, instead adding more. It would be easier to trace a spider’s web than try to untangle the mess that was the social interactions of the nobility.

A knock on the door pulled Celestia’s thought’s back to the moment. Expecting a maid with more coffee, she turned her head towards the door and gave permission to enter. The door opened and indeed there was a pony there with more coffee for her. But it wasn’t a maid. Instead Celestia found herself looking at Captain Ground Siege. The earth stallion was admittedly not the type of pony she’d prefer to represent the Royal Guard. In the past she had preferred to appoint stallions and mares who gave off a majestic vibe while appearing regal -- somepony who the common pony would want to approach on the streets -- ideally one that didn’t give poignant reminders that the Royal Guard was a killing machine. If it hadn’t been for the recommendation by Shining Armor as well as support from the other three princesses, Celestia would never have considered him for the job. This stallion, however, looked more like a thug than anything else. The earth pony was powerfully built, his ash grey coat covered with numerous scars with his dark purple mane done in a buzz cut. His face seemed to have a permanent scowl on it.

“Bumped into a maid on the way up,” he said in a voice that was more of a light growl and sounded like the chipped edge of a rusty shamshir being rubbed against a bucket, “Thought I’d save her a trip.”

“How very kind of you,” said Celestia as Siege handed over the coffee. After the mug was safely in her hands the stallion shrugged. Calmly, Celestia took a sip of the drink before looking at the Captain. “But I take it that this was not some random act of kindness. You wanted to speak to me.”

“Wanted to give you an update. As of right now, all of the Guard on the castle grounds has been checked out and given a clean bill of health. Now that I know none of that damn magic is in their heads, we can begin looking at the rest of the staff. I’ve ordered all guards confined to quarters and have forbidden unplanned visits. I’ve ordered all members of the Royal Guard to detain anypony acting off or refusing to submit to an examination. Given the circumstances, I hope you will agree that this is the best course of action.”

“I’d rather not give into paranoia,” commented Celestia before taking another sip of her coffee. “But, as you said, given the circumstances, this is the best course we can take right now. Have you found anything on the DNA?”

Siege shook his head. “Had my stallions working on it as soon as they could. Cast all sorts of spells and all it could tell us was that some of the DNA found belonged to Miss Merry Day. But all this tells us is that whoever did this to her has never been convicted of a felony here in Canterlot. But if he strikes again, we’ll have his DNA on file.”

Celestia set down her mug with enough force that Siege flinched slightly. Honestly, she was surprised the mug didn’t shatter. “That’s not good enough.”

Siege raised an eyebrow. “The fuck you want me to do, your majesty? Line us up shoulder to shoulder and check every pony from Vanhoover to Appleloosa? Order everypony in Canterlot to submit a sample of their DNA for comparison?”

“No,” said Celestia as she began to massage her temples while also taking several deep breaths. “I apologize for that outburst. Clearly I’m not thinking straight. Let’s move onto the files found at the scene. Have you been able to glean any information from them?”

Siege shrugged again. “Not too much from them. We searched our records and, as far as we can tell, those files left at the apartment were the only ones that were taken. Did a magical scan on them and found traces of magic deteriorating on them, but that’s as much as we’re going to get. Could have happened by holding them in a magical grasp for too long or, my personal belief, copying one or more of them.”

“That makes no sense,” muttered Celestia as she moved towards the window. Outside she could see the moon shining overhead. Still she felt like she was in the dark more so than ever before. “I get that somepony would think that stealing those files might hinder an investigation. I could consider that this was a framing operation to help discredit those being investigated. But making copies of them? Why would somepony do that?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” growled Siege. Celestia turned around and saw that he looked a bit more thoughtful, a hand placed under his chin. “Didn’t know if this would help, but I sent word via magical fire to every police station in Equestria in the hopes that they might have seen something similar. So far I’ve gotten a few replies and what they tell is pretty fucked The first comes from Fillydelphia about a single mother of three foals. She…used to work as a secretary for one of the top banks in the city. One day, seemingly out of the blue, she began acting strange. Looked like she was rapidly losing weight, going into places she wasn’t supposed to, her own bank accounts emptied. Some of her friends tried to talk to her, naturally worried, but couldn’t get anything out of her. One morning, clients of the bank suddenly found their accounts empty, their bits sent to a bank within Griffinstone, and the only employee not to show up was the mare. Police went to her place only to find her dead with a bottle of bleach in her hand. They also found copies of all of the clients whose accounts had been emptied. They reasoned she had been on drugs and planned on giving the dealers the information in exchange for more only to get robbed. They guessed she must have had a moment of clarity of how much she fucked her life over that she ended it right then and there.” As soon as she heard this, Celestia’s hands moved to cover her mouth. She felt her white coat becoming paler, if that were possible. It sounded very similar to what had been going on with Merry. Only, there had been no Guard to catch this poor soul at the last moment.

“Another one was a house keeper to a wealthy stallion living in Los Pegasus. The stallion was a very wealthy plastic surgeon.According to his co-workers, his housekeeper of nine years began acting oddly. She was looking vacant and losing weight, but he assumed that it was because she had started dating again, as she had grown fat after her divorce. Told one of them he had seen her with a stallion on more than one occasion. His co-workers mentioned that, as time went on, he became more and more worried about her. Then one day they found him in dead in the operating room with a variety of missing supplies. Evidence showed that his housekeeper’s hand prints were all over the murder weapon. The police theorized that she tried to rob the place and was caught. That, or she somehow convinced him to operate on her, killed him after the surgery, and then cleaned up the place minus his dead body. Her place was searched and most of the missing supplies were found there. So a warrant was made and four months later they found her body. The coroners ruled that her wounds were self inflicted. Bank account empty. All her possessions sold.

“The third one comes from Horseshoe Bay. According to the police, there a stallion who had made a killing in the stock market began to suspect something was going on with the nanny. At first he thought that she was seeing somepony since she was a young and, by his own description, ‘a mare he’d love to fuck if he wasn’t married’. But as time went on, he began to notice she was losing weight at an unhealthy rate and was going into places she shouldn’t. She was picked up more than once for trespassing. I can requisition records and CCTV recordings. One day he noticed somepony had been rifling through his filing cabinets followed by somepony buying up shares he had planned on or bidding against those he had planned on. He confronted the nanny, offering to get her the help she needed if she came clean the next day. When she didn’t show up for work, the stallion called the police. When they got to her home, they found her in the bathtub with her wrists slit. Evidence at her home pointed that she had been stealing information, but there was no money in any of her accounts. She had withdrawn it the previous day causing the police to suspect that she had planned on running away with this possible stallion. However, since the wounds were again self inflicted and the boyfriend was only speculation, the police concluded that she must have been on drugs and her dealer robbed and killed her after she failed to pay a massive debt. Since her death, they have been on the hunt for said dealer.”

Celestia didn’t know how it happened, but somehow she found herself sitting on her bed clutching the fabric over her heart. She felt like she was both in a daze while also about ready to cry. As she heard Siege beginning to talk about the shocking similarities between these cases and Merry’s, Celestia was only half listening. Three poor souls had been taken by this monster in order for him to get what he wanted while they took the blame. Their names forever ruined due to this sick monster. What made this all the worse is that had it not been for that one pegasus guard, they never would have known. They would have assumed drugs were involved or a gambling debt and would not have looked at the case any closer. Inside of her there was a burning sensation. She wanted to find this creature and destroy him for the way he treated these mares, her subjects. But not with her magic! No, she was to wrap her fingers around his neck and squeeze while she watched the life leave his eyes.

“Given all of this,” continued Siege, “I believe we are dealing with the same pony.”

“This isn’t a pony,” snarled Celestia as her anger showed. “This has to be a Changeling or some other creature. No pony could ever do something like this!”

Siege shook his head. “Princess, ask any of your infantry if they have seen worse in war. All of them have. I have no doubt a pony could do this. I seem to remember a pony who tried to bring about eternal night after she was driven insane.” Celestia glared at him and opened her mouth to speak, but the Captain continued to talk. “There was also the Starlight incident where you lost not only your cutie mark, but also your wings and horn to a mere unicorn. She would have done the same thing to everypony in Equestria had she not been stopped. May I tell you a story?

“You may, Captain.”

“When I was a younger lad, there was this one colt in my neighborhood who everypony avoided like a parasprite invasion. Came from a family that was normal as could be. Gave out good candy during Nightmare Night, wished you a good day when they saw you, helped out when help was needed. They were good folks. Their son, on the other hand, was just fucked up. Liked hurting ponies, see. Knew just what to say to dig the knife a bit deeper into your gut when he couldn’t punch the shit out of you. Sometimes a pet would go missing for days only to appear one morning hanging from the owner’s tree. We all knew this shit did it, but never had any proof. Then one day, this mare went missing. Several days passed with everypony getting worried. Only one who wasn’t was that damn fucker. We eventually found her in an old cabin not too far from that damn fucker’s home, gagged and half crazy. The things he did to her just for the fun of it. His silver tongued lawyer tried to defend his miserable life with a psychiatrically evaluation in order to prove he was crazy. Only thing it proved was, as sick as he was, his mind was as normal as anypony there. My point is, your majesty, that true evil is not a far stretch for more of us than we want to believe.”

“I get it,” stated Celestia firmly. “There have been plenty of evil ponies and I shouldn’t rule out the possibility that this might be one of them.”

“As you say your majesty,” grunted Siege. “Now then, based on this latest perversion, I believe that the individual we are looking for has decided to up his game. He’s gone after using a proxy. This time, however, I’m getting the feeling he’s planning on going after one of these nobles. Perhaps all those other mares were more like test runs or he simply wasn’t confident in his abilities prior to now. Or he has gone after other nobles, succeeded, and we just don’t know right now. Until we catch him and an interrogator has several rounds with him spanning months, we will not know. Whatever the reason, he has something planned, and it’s our job to stop him.”

“And we will,” said Celestia as she stood up. Her wings shot open in an impressive display of power. “Right now this fiend thinks he’s gotten away. So we’ll let him continue to think this. Make sure nopony talks about what is going on with Merry outside of the castle. I don’t care if you have to use magic or lock them up, this must not be spread to the public! Next I will send trusted ponies to these nobles to keep an eye on them. If something odd should happen to them or any of their staff, we will send the Guard there at once!”

“As you wish. I will also send word to Princess Twilight asking her to return to Ponyville.”

Celestia blinked at this, her wings lowering slightly. “Princess Twilight is in a delegation with the Yaks.”

“As is Princess Luna, who is more than capable of handling the situation there by herself,” growled Siege. Celestia opened her mouth to argue, but Siege took a massive stride towards her to cut her off. “Like I said, we can’t rule out what this criminal is. He may be a stallion, drunk on whatever special talent he has. It could be a Changeling. It could be some ancient evil from a thousand years ago that has been forgotten. All we do know is that he is powerful and vile enough to make you sick, princess! With that in mind, it would be foolish not to prepare for the worst. We gather the princess and her friends so that they can assist us in this should our troops not be enough.We can’t just keep the nobles treated like prisoners. It may be wise to hold covert meetings with your water engineers and see if they can put anything in the supply that could confer resistance.

Celestia felt her pulse quicken as she listened to the Captain talk. What he was saying made sense. It was the sort of thing that she would have said in the past. In fact, she would have called Twilight down right away to have her and her friends deal with the situation alone. So why…

“I can handle this,” stated the solar princess. “If he is that powerful and our guards not enough, I shall deal with him personally.”

Siege shook his head. “You are the last pony who should do something like that. Imagine if he got his vile magic on you and made you like Merry. You-”

“Is it better that Twilight suffer that fate?!?”

“In this situation: yes,” replied Siege. “If that happened to her, the damage to Equestria would be minimal when compared to what would happen if he got you. She doesn’t make sure we get just the right amount of sun to live.” Celestia gritted her teeth. “This is a judgment call, princess, doesn’t mean either of us has to like it. We have to keep our eyes on the big picture. Princess Twilight holds the least amount of political say or power out of all the princesses and the only official work she has is what you give her.”

“We don’t know if we can cure Merry!” shouted Celestia, stomping a hoof on the ground as she did. “Twilight has given much to Equestria and I REFUSE to repay her or her friends by letting that thing get his hands on them. I will deal with this and, should I fail, they will be the ones to stop me. IS! THAT! CLEAR!” For a moment, Siege stood there with his expression fixed like a statue. Finally, he nodded.

“Let me go!” shouted Dragonfly as she was dragged naked and dripping wet into the living room. Nervously, she looked around to see if anypony else was there. Thankfully, both Ghostly and Erotic were not there, meaning her secret was safe for a bit longer. However the window blinds were wide open! Anypony walking by might see her in her true form! Acting quickly, Dragonfly’s horn lit up brightly before her body was covered in green flames and Succubus released her. When the flames died down, there stood Dragonfly in her normal thestral form except naked and wet.

“Ah, why’d you do that?” whined Succubus as she looked at the disguised mare’s smaller boobs. “You could have at least left them big! They’re your real breasts. You shouldn’t have to hide them at all. Besides, they’re perfect for being a stripper!”

“Let’s get this through your head,” hissed Dragonfly as she pointed a finger in front of Succubus’ face. “I will not lower myself to becoming a stripper. Now, where are the other two you managed to rope into your insanity?”

“You mean Ghostly and Erotic?” Dragonfly fought to keep her eye from twitching, instead nodding quickly. “They’re both at Erotic’s house. Did you know that Erotic has two rooms full of sexy clothing and a stripper pole? We were looking at them while we waited for you to come back. When you didn’t I began to get worried and told the others I’d be back as soon as I found you.” Succubus then folded her arms across her chest while looking thoughtful. “Ghostly wanted to come with me. I think she was nervous about being alone with Erotic. But she’ll have to get used to stallions pawing at her body and seeing her naked so I told her to stay there.”

Hearing this allowed Dragonfly to let out a sigh of relief. Knowing Erotic, it was more than likely that she’d find a way to hide Ghostly’s proper clothes so that she could continue to look at her body in inappropriate ways. Without the proper attire, there was no way any sane mare would leave their house. So for the moment, Dragonfly could count on neither of them bursting through the doors. The last thing she needed was to have anypony come in right now. Knowing her luck right now, if somepony did come in the conversation would somehow end up with Succubus revealing the truth about her. Speaking of which…

“So, why aren’t you more freaked out?” asked Dragonfly, eyeing the thestral carefully. “Are you a Changeling too?”

“Nope!” said Succubus with a grin. “I’m 100% sexy thestral!”

“Then why are you acting like nothing’s wrong?!?”

“Because nothing is wrong as far as I’m concerned,” replied Succubus in a matter of fact tone. “Well, as far you being a Changeling is concerned at least. I’ve never really met a Changeling before, but you don’t seem evil or wicked. The only thing you’re doing wrong is hiding how sexy you really are.”

Dragonfly slapped her forehead at this. “You stupid,” she muttered under her breath. When she spoke again it was far louder while a finger pointed at Succubus as if she were issuing a challenge. “Has it occurred to you that I might have kidnapped the real Dragonfly and have taken her place?”

Succubus shook her head. “Nope! I mean, if you had done something like that, you probably would have tried to stun me as soon as I saw your true sexy body in the shower before doing anything else. That or try to mind control me. Both of those are much more likely to keep me quiet than telling me not to freak out. Also, from what I’ve heard, most Changelings suck at pretending to be ponies. I’m sure your father or sister would have noticed you acting differently. And since I’ve met your sister…” Succubus allowed her words to trail off, causing Dragonfly to look away.

“You have a point,” admitted Dragonfly. Dragon Fang was a member of the local guard, chasing down Changeling sightings more than six times a month. Her super serious big sister would have seen through any changes in behavior.

“So how about you turn back into your real sexy body?” asked Succubus as she moved closer to Dragonfly. She was looking at the disguised thestral with a sultry look while swaying her hips with every step. Dragonfly sputtered for a moment before Succubus was standing before her. She felt the busty thestral beginning to touch her softly, a gentle caress on her thigh while her other hand was landed gracefully on her left breast. Dragonfly could feel her cheeks beginning to warm up as her breathing quickened slightly. When Succubus spoke next it was in a tone more akin to a purr. “Sleek and smooth, I bet every good stallion and naughty colt would just love you if you decided to strip. You could change into any dream, any fantasy they could want. It could be anything from a pop star diva to an old school crush or even a princess. Many would cream their pants at the chance to see their dream mare dancing just for them while removing their clothes until nothing was left.” Succubus then began to slowly move the hand on her breast downwards, down her stomach before moving it to the small of her back. “But then again, you could also easily charm them with your true form. With a body like that there’s no need to be anypony else. Just think of every good stallion and naughty colt seated all around you, their eyes glued to your large rack and perfect body. All of them waiting to see what you take off next as you buzz around the room.”

“NO!” shouted Dragonfly as she pushed Succubus away. The Changeling took several more steps back, her cheeks slightly red as she looked into Succubus’ confused expression. “I can’t let anypony know I’m a Changeling you idiot! Don’t you know what will happen to me or papa if they ever found out? I’d be killed on sight and papa would be taken to jail for protecting me! Besides, this is who I am! I’m Dragonfly the thestral! It’s how I was raised!”

“How you were raised?” echoed Succubus. “Didn’t the Changelings raise you at all?”

Dragonfly looked away. “I suppose they did for a while. Not that I can remember any of that. My earliest memories are a bit of a blur. I remember feeling fear all around me and the smell of smoke. Then I was being carried into the air followed by falling down to the ground. After that, everything becomes clearer. I spent hours in the forest around Hollow Shades, too afraid to move because of the creatures I saw in the woods. I did my best not to make a sound, to stay hidden for as long as possible. There was a noise coming closer to me and I thought it must have been one of wolf spiders come to eat me. But it was papa. He was holding a blade in his hand while covered in Changeling blood. For the longest time he just stood there, staring at me as I laid there helplessly. When he finally moved closer to me, I closed my eyes believing that this was it. I remember hearing a loud thud and when I opened my eyes a tiny bit papa was on his knees with the sword lying next to him.”

Dragonfly sat down on one of the kitchen chairs before turning her head to look at the picture of her and her family. “I found out many years later that papa had lost his wife and birth daughter to a Diamond Dog raid the previous year. Seeing me like that, he couldn’t bring himself to kill a helpless child who was so close in age to the daughter he had lost. Instead, he told me to turn into a thestral before taking me back to the others. Several of them were treating Dragon Fang who had lost an eye from the whole ordeal. That night, papa took us both home with him. Ever since then, I’ve lived here like any other true thestral while hiding this…this stupid body from everypony else.” She turned her head to look at Succubus. “That’s why I get freaked out and scared whenever I hear of a Changeling sighting. They might be looking for me or could see through my disguise and ruin everything!”

“Then maybe you should leave,” said Succubus as she walked over to the chair closest to Dragonfly and sat down. “This place is crawling with Changeling sightings and Diamond Dog attacks. Wouldn’t it be better if you left and found a place where you could be you without anypony judging? Where you wouldn’t need to live in fear? You could have that in Ponyville, stripping for bits and sending the money home to help out your family!”

Dragonfly turned her head so she wouldn’t have to see the other mare, a frown on her face. “I’m sure that’s the life papa wants for me. Dancing around like an idiot just to help support him and my sister. He’d die of shame before the first bit fell into his palm.”

“But-”

“SHUT UP!” screamed Dragonfly as she stood up, knocking the chair she was sitting on back. “I don’t want to hear anymore of this nonsense! I’m not going to leave and break papa’s heart after everything he’s done for me. I’m not some shameless, heartless creature like you!”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” demanded Succubus as she stood up, her eyes blazing with anger.

Dragonfly rolled her eyes in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her bare chest. “Just what I said. You don’t care who you hurt as long as you can have fun and enjoy life on your terms. Must make thing easy when you don’t have to see the damage you leave behind. Like, I don’t know, a little sister that misses you.” At that Succubus averted her eyes. “I bet she would be so proud to know that her beloved older sister prances around naked for the enjoyment of others. Bet she’ll really like that when she finds out that’s what you’ve been doing while she’s been worried about you. How about the rest of your family? Just going to let their legacy, every bit of good they’ve done for the thestral tribe be undone so you can continue to have fun?”

“You don’t know what it was like,” snapped Succubus as she looked at Dragonfly in the eyes. “I was locked in one cage before being given to another. You may like hiding who you are, pretending to be something you’re not to make other ponies happy but that’s not me! I just couldn’t keep hiding who I was or marry somepony I don’t even know!”

Dragonfly rolled her eyes. “Boohoo,” she mocked. “Do you really think you’re the only thestral who is unhappy that they didn’t get to pick who they would spend the rest of their live with? Half the ponies in the Shades are in arranged marriages and all of those in the Hanging City go through the same thing. It’s a part of our culture.”

“A culture that is crumbling,” remarked Succubus.

“Yeah and it’s going faster thanks to you,” replied Dragonfly with no small about of bite. “If you hadn’t run away, then none of this would be happening. We have to live with the consequences of your actions! If that mining system goes than that’s it,” Dragonfly held out her hand and snapped her fingers in front of Succubus, “we’re history. The ponies in Canterlot will do everything in their power to take it from us and your brother is doing everything he can to save it! And it’s not like you care. All you’ve done since you got here is try to get as many of us to leave and become strippers. You’ve already made up your mind on what will happen if your family loses everything. Just go back to your life without a care in the world.”

“I-I can’t go back there,” stammered Succubus.

“No, you can. You just won’t do it. That’s the difference between you and me. I’m going to do everything in my power to give this place as much time as possible. There have been far too many days when I’ve gone to bed hungry, making sure that we’ve all had enough to keep us alive then to let this all be for nothing. I have humiliated myself for the tourists countless times in the hopes that it won’t be in vain. I’m not giving up and going somewhere just because it’s easier or nicer. Hollow Shades and the Hanging City will continue to stand no matter what the cost because we have given too much already for it to all go to waste. And if I can see papa make blades the way he once did then everything will be worth it.” Then without giving Succubus a chance to say anything more, Dragonfly pushed past her and walked towards the bathroom to put her clothing back on.

Blueblood yawned as he made his way down the hallway towards his Aunt Celestia’s room. Despite the late hour, Blueblood was dressed in one of his finest blue tux. His mane sparkled with a brilliant shine to show everypony around him that it was freshly washed. Even his facial features looked immaculate without a single trace of fatigue present. If anypony, mare and stallion alike saw him, they would see what he wanted them to see: an elite among ponies. True, his Aunt had summoned him to her bed chambers with what sounded like great urgency; however Blueblood was not the type to allow something like that to derail him from always looking his best. After all, if the common pony ever saw him at less than his best it would be an utter disaster!

Yet as he walked, he could feel something…off in the air around him. Something had happened, that much he knew just from his summons. His Aunt had never summoned him to her bedchamber this late before without any prior warning. Nor had her message felt so rushed and secretive. It was because of that that he had not whined within his chambers as he got dressed. Beyond that, there was a feeling of tension in the air that could be cut with his horn. The Guards all seemed stiffer than normal and the maids looked besides themselves with grief. More than once he spotted a mare about to burst into tears, running down the hallways towards the nearest washroom. Seeing all of this almost caused Blueblood to allow worry to appear on his face. He managed to prevent this from happening though. If they saw him or any of the other members of the royal family worried than it would be like announcing to all that they were doomed! He had to maintain the air of confidence to show that everything was all right and that they were in control.

“An utter outrage!” shouted a voice behind the prince. Blueblood turned his head calmly to look behind him. There, storming in his direction in his nightgown was what looked like a younger version of him. The only difference was that unlike Blueblood’s mane which was blond this eighteen year old had a mane of crimson. This younger stallion marched forwards with his fists clenched tightly, irritation clear on his face as well as the heavy bags under his eyes.

“A good evening to you as well, little brother,” remarked Blueblood with a smirk.

“Stuff it!” barked the younger brother as he stormed past Blueblood. “What does she think she’s playing at, summoning us at this unnatural hour? Only Aunt Luna and her diseased ridden thestrals would be up at this unholy hour. Is she not aware that some of us have to get our sleep? I have a meeting at ten in need to be prepared for to discuss the recent rise in metals of all things! This is the last time I do her a favor!”

“Oh?” remarked Blueblood with no small amount of satisfaction at seeing his younger brother so worked up. It made him look all the better. “I thought you were doing it because Aunt Celestia said she would no longer pay for your little excursions unless you pulled your weight.” This caused the younger brother to pause in his steps before turning around to look at Blueblood with utter hatred. “If you want to keep traveling around Equestria and beyond, having your kind of fun then I suggest you not cause our dear Aunt to lose faith in you. I would oh so hate to see you reduced to the pay level of janitor. What an embarrassment it would be for the family.”

“The only embarrassment to the family is you Blueblood,” spat the younger. “I’ve heard you’ve been heading down to Ponyville to attend, of all things, a strip club! It’s pathetic. At least hire a whore that you can take away from the public eye.”

To this, Blueblood allowed the simplest of shrugs as he continued his walk. It was true that ever since his first time at the Treasure Chest he had gone back more than a few times. The establishment had truly surprised him with the quality of, well, everything minus the restrooms. Blueblood felt like the bartender kept the finest drink just for him so that lesser fare would never touch his tongue. It made the experience more elegant and put the prince more at ease. Then there were the mares. By far, Succubus was the best out of all of them. He didn’t care how long he had to wait in order to see on stage again or to get one of the private dances. While he waited, the other dancers were there to fill that time. His second favorite was that slender zebra mare who danced with plenty of energy that caused him to dream of what she would be like in bed. Would she be as bombastic there as she was on stage? A stallion could only hope. Then there was that crystal mare who did a mix of a strip and belly dance. In his opinion it was a true visual treat. Then there were the times when they would just sit with him and talk to him. Now, Blueblood held no delusion that they were interested in him beyond his wallet or that that had actual feelings for him. They were paid mares keeping him company in the hopes that he would ask them for a private dance. That said, it felt rather freeing to let out some of the stresses from his day.

In an odd way he was thankful towards the modest strip club. Prior to his first visit, Blueblood had been what many would consider a purist. The idea of mating with a pony other than a unicorn was a notion that made his skin crawl. That was until he saw Succubus dance for the first time. In that moment a whole new world opened up for him. He began to see the appeal of mares beyond unicorns much to the dismay of those he worked with. Even griffons began to have a sexual appeal despite not even being part pony. Would his fellow nobles agree with this? Most assuredly not. Far too many of them, including himself until recently, were fixated on the idea of keeping the nobility purely unicorn. In fact, many of them were still furious at Princess Luna for wedding an earth pony of all things. If they ever found out that Blueblood fancied the idea of courting somepony of a different tribe they would do everything in their power to end it.

Soon enough, both brothers stood before the door leading into their aunt’s bed chambers. Blueblood raised a hand to lightly knock on it, but his younger brother opened it without waiting for permission. All of the heads inside the room turned to look at the two while Blueblood gave them an apologetic look. Gathered around his Aunt Celestia were notable ponies like Fancy Pants looking rather tired and dressed slightly less proper than his younger sibling.

“Ah, Blueblood and Charming,” said Celestia in a tired voice. “We can finally get started.”

Author's Note

Thanks to kalash93 and Koekelbag for all their help

The Countess

“So, there we were, sneaking around Night Shift’s room while we thought everypony else was in the parlor,” said Cold with a wicked grin on her face. “Succubus was searching through the book shelves and I was looking under the bed. Or at least until Succubus began flinging the books off the shelves and one landed on my leg!” As Cold laughed at the memory, bringing a free hand to cup her face as she did, both Pip and Banshee exchanged a look. Neither of them saw what was so funny about the situation but decided to allow her to tell the story in the hopes that they might understand. Or maybe it was something you had to be there for.

It had been an hour since the three of them had made their way into the dining room for lunch. Like nearly all of the rooms Pip had been in it seemed pretty bare. Both the table and chairs were made of darkened wood with etchings of battles long past in their legs. Off into the corner was a cabinet filled with dishes that looked so old that they could have been around before Starswirl even grew his beard! As for the meal, it had been far tastier than what he had gotten in Hollow Shades, yet still it didn’t fill him. Each one had been given a single black apple with white specks on it that looked like the night sky and had a nice, soothing flavor to it as well as some bread and cheese. In their glasses was a sweet green liquid that tasted something like bananas.

As they ate, Cold Shut had been regaling the two with stories from her youth as promised. So far, all of them had taken place at this very estate, making Pip wonder if the first time Succubus had ever left this place was when she left for good! Still, it had been amusing to hear about the time Succubus wanted brand new clothing and decided to play dressmaker; actually taking scissors to her own clothing so that she could remove the sleeves, frills, as well as shorting the skirt. According to Cold it had been the first time she had ever seen Succubus wear something so revealing. Oh, if only she could see Succubus now.

“Since it had been a heavy book, I did what any little filly would do and cried out,” continued Cold as she took a last sip of her drink. “Crawled out from under there to give her a piece of my mind but never got the chance. See, Succubus had found it! The treasure we had been looking for! All of Ms. Night Shift’s dirty books hidden in the very back of her bookcase, just waiting to be read!” Then, the gleam in Cold’s eyes faded as her head slumped. “At least, we would have had I not yelled out. Turns out our parents had gone to check up on us some time ago and, when they didn’t find us in Succubus’ room, they naturally went looking for us. So before we could look at any of those books our parents came barging through the door, all because they heard me scream.”

“I still don’t understand why you would be interested in those dirty books,” said Banshee. “There are plenty of dusty books all over the place.”

“Ah,” began Pip as his eyes shifted from Banshee to Cold before returning to Banshee. He could feel sweat beginning to form on his forehead as he wondered how best to explain this. If he told her the truth, then he would probably have to explain what sex was out of fear that she would make another doll in order to force the answers out of him. Plus, it was up to Dark to decide when she learned about that sort of stuff so he didn’t want to be stepping on anypony’s hooves. So with all that in mind, Pip decided to say what his own parents would tell him when he asked about that sort of stuff when he was a young colt. “You’ll find out when you’re older.”

Banshee’s lips became a thin line as she glared at Pip. “Why can’t I find out now?” she demanded coldly.

“Well,” began Cold as she stuck a finger in her glass and used it to scoop up any traces of the liquid inside. “It’s because of the stuff that’s written in the books that makes them dirty. Stuff that should be for mature ponies only.” After saying that, Cold stuck her finger in her mouth. Pip could hear her hum as the traces of the flavorful liquid danced on her tongue for the last time. According to her, nopony would be able to get another glass until dinner. Until then they would have to make do with plain water.

“Well I’m plenty mature!” shouted Banshee as she slammed both her hands on the table’s surface. Her head then shot towards Pip, looking angry at him again. “I bet it has something to do with what’s Succubus doing in Ponyville! Every time I ask Dark about what she’s doing there he tells me that I’ll find out later when I’m older. Tell me now or else-”

“Or else what?” said Dark as he entered the room, arms crossed as he looked disapprovingly at Banshee. Unlike with Ms. Night Shift, Banshee didn’t look at all intimidated by his presence. She stared back with contempt which only caused Dark Bargain to sigh as he turned his attention to Cold. “I had been made aware that Banshee was in a time out. Tell me, why was she taken out of her room without mine or Ms. Night Shift’s permission? For that matter, why in Luna’s name would you tell her a story like that?”

As Cold turned her head to look at Dark, Pip felt a growing unease inside of him. Dark didn’t take to her like a fiancée. It was like how he talked to Pip, more business-like than anything else. Did Dark care for her at all? Or was he just angry at her and doing his best to hide it? Regardless, Pip couldn’t just sit there. He did have a promise to keep after all.

“Actually, it’s my fault,” said Pip quickly. At once, both Dark and Cold turned to look at Pip. “I told Banshee it was alright to come with us. I thought it would be good if we spent some time together.” As Dark continued to look at him, Pip felt the need to keep talking for some reason. “I, ah, would have asked you if it was ok but I still don’t know my way around here very well.”

“I see,” said Dark Bargain slowly as he seemed to scan Pip’s face for signs of deceit. After another moment or two, Dark gave him the briefest on nods. “Very well then. I will let this minor slight pass since you were truthful to me. However,” Dark swiftly turned his attention towards Banshee, “you have been taught better young filly! A punishment is not over until the one who gave it says otherwise. Return to your playroom and sit in the corner this instant until you hear otherwise.” Pip looked, almost flabbergasted at Dark before turning his attention to Banshee. The filly thestral grit her teeth and it was painfully obvious she wanted to start up an argument. Still she got out of her chair, stomping her hooves hard as her glare never left her brother who looked back at her with mild annoyance now.

Once she had left, Dark turned his attention towards Cold. “Now, do you have anything to say for telling her such a story unfit for her young ears?”

Cold rolled her eyes. “Oh lighten up Dark,” she said in an exasperated tone. “I was never going to tell her anything her ears weren’t ready to hear. All I was doing was telling her about when we were young and-”

“You were telling a filly,” began Dark as his hands moved up to rub his temples, “who idolizes her big sister, all of the things you two did back then. And it never occurred to you that she may try to imitate her?”

“Again, lighten up,” said Cold as she stood up, pushing the chair back roughly as she did. After turning to look at Dark she marched over to him before quickly poking him in the chest with a finger. “Let her be a filly while she still has the time.”

“I do not have the time for this!” Dark barked, throwing his hand into the air in a surprising bit of rage that took both Cold and Pip by surprise. Pip was sure that they both saw his eyes widen, as if he just realized what he had just done before slowly lowering his arms back down to his side. He then turned to look at Pip. “I have just received word from the Countess. She has assured me that it is safe to travel and that she will see us when we arrive. Let us be off.” Then, without another word, Dark turned and headed down the hallway.

Pip stood there for a moment, still somewhat shaken by that sudden burst of anger. Before he could really ponder about it Pip quickly realized that he might lose track of Dark which might further his ire. Getting to his hooves as fast as he could, Pip said his goodbyes to Cold before chasing after Dark in the pitch black hallways. For her part, Cold gave him a wave goodbye while wishing him luck. Pip wondered if she were wishing him luck with the Countess, dealing with Dark, or perhaps both.

As Pip made his way down the hallway, he spotted Dark quickly. Dark was taking his hand off the wall while the other was being lowered back to his side, as if it had been covering his face for awhile. His wings were being tucked back into place after looking rather slack, the way a pegasus pony did when they were depressed or sad. For once, the intimidating and imposing Dark Bargain seemed…fragile. Like he was struggling to hold himself together and realized he was failing. By the time Pip had moved closer to the point where he was almost directly behind him, Dark had begun to walk again as if everything was normal.

In silence the two walked, Pip just behind Dark as they made their way back up the stalactite. When they reached the top, there was no chariot waiting like before. Instead there was an elegant black carriage waiting for them with the door already open. Dark moved towards it but paused at the door. He turned slightly before gesturing for Pip to enter first to which the small stallion complied. The inside was less than what Pip had expected. When he had looked at it from the outside, images of a noble pony’s carriage had instantly filled his mind. Things like buckets of ice to keep the Champagne cold or a family crest on the ceiling. Even magazines of the Rich and Famous could have been in there. However, before he even saw the inside, Pip knew that it would contain none of those things. If the inside of Dark Bargain’s estate had shown him anything was that the inside would be equally bare.

Sure enough, Pip slid into an empty seat with only a matching one across from him. Dark quickly followed him, closing the door as he entered and sitting across from Pip. They sat together in an almost uncomfortable silence as the carriage began to move. Then, as they felt their ride lift off the ground, Dark spoke.

“I hope you will forgive me for that outburst.” There was a slight pause. “As well as for leaving you by yourself for so long. As a host, I have shirked my duties.”

“It’s fine,” replied Pip while keeping his head down to avoid looking at Dark. “You have a lot on your mind right now.”

“That might be true,” agreed Dark before letting out a sigh. “However, as a member of thestral nobility, there are great expectations for me to live up to. Failure to do so, regardless of the reason, is not excusable to our tribe.” Slowly Pip looked up at Dark. While his back was straight, allowing him to sit at his full height, his wings had slacked slightly and his ears were limp. A hand was running through his mane as he sighed. “Now, more than any other time, is when my family needs to live up to our expectations. That is why I agreed to continue with my arranged marriage to Cold Shut.”

Pip was slightly taken aback by this. Sure, he had known that Succubus had been a part of an arranged marriage so the idea that others in thestral culture doing it as well wasn’t that big of a stretch. In a way, it made sense why they were getting married. That’s why Pip was only slightly taken aback by this, something that Dark noticed.

“Please, don’t misunderstand,” he said with a rare smile. “Lady Cold Shut is the daughter of the High Blacksmith and has inherited her father’s skill with the hammer. I have known her to be a caring soul since we were very young and she has a sharp mind to go along with a powerful body. And by thestral standards, her beauty is almost unmatched. Only a fool would not leap at the chance to wed her.”

Pip raised an eyebrow at this. “Then I’m guessing you’re a fool?”

“I will confess that I am. She is not the mare that stole my heart and holds it pressed against the razor edge of a scythe.”

Pip stared at Dark, now utterly confused. “But…” began Pip trying his best to process all of this. “If you’re in love with somepony else, then why not break off the engagement?! I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“I cannot do that Mr. Pip,” said Dark as he shook his head sadly. “There is tradition to keep in mind, specifically in these troubled times. The ponies that live here need to know all is right and look to ponies like my family to know everything is alright. To see us honoring our traditions gives them a feeling of security and hope that one day things might go back to the way they were before. One cannot simply go against tradition just because you want to, something that I find far too often in many of the story books that Banshee wishes me to read to her. You see, I refuse to read her any of that garbage. The idea of a princess getting to choose who she wants to marry, spitting in the face of her parents and their country because all she cares about is what she wants and are ok with it, is not something that should be put in the mind of a young filly. Banshee needs to learn, as I did, that the world doesn’t work like that.”

“It worked like that for Succubus,” snapped Pip. The words came out of Pip’s mouth before he realized it, carrying more than a little bite to them.

“Yes and no,” replied Dark calmly. “She got her ‘happily ever after’, one that I honestly believe she deserves. She is happier with you in that club than I have ever seen her before in her entire life. But it was not without cost. The embarrassment my parents suffered caused them to act the way they did, trying to bring her back so that they could save face which has lead to this situation we are in now. I don’t wish to embarrass the High Blacksmith for he is a good stallion whom I have known since I was a small colt. It would be wrong to go against the agreement our families have had for over a decade just because I fell in love with somepony else. There has been enough scandal to go around without me adding to the mix.”

“But it’s your life!” yelled Pip, almost getting to his hooves while spreading his arms wide. “You should be free to live however you want! Same goes for Cold! Just talk it over with her and then go talk to her father, mother, or whatever!”

Dark gave Pip a sad smile as he shook his head. “I admire your passion Mr. Pip,” said Dark. “But, you are mistaken on one critical point: my life does not belong to me. As a noble, I am granted an enormous amount of power and influence. Yet it is not for myself, but so that me as well as the rest of my family can help support our tribe. You have seen the results of those who do not understand this all around you right now. Those who sold their titles and the mines for mere bits gravely affected the way we live around here. They failed in their duty to keep those under them safe by throwing them into an uncertain future that grows bleaker with each passing day. As I said before, I must do all I can to assure them that those who have not sold out are still carrying on our traditions. No matter what the cost to my own happiness.”

Pip sat there, trying his best to wrap his head around what he had just heard. The small stallion had always heard about the gossip going on in Canterlot. Stories about how a lower noble was caught illegally gambling, sleeping with a much younger mare, and even heard about how Prince Blueblood treated Rarity at the Gala many, MANY, times. They seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted, seemingly only receiving a slap on their wrists for their poor behavior. It was only after serious offences that they were removed from their gilded thrones. Yet now, as the carriage bumped in the air, he was hearing something he never expected to hear. Perhaps the reason the nobility in Canterlot was able to get away with so much was because it was expected of them to screw up or maybe because Princess Celestia was so forgiving. Or maybe it was because Equestria didn’t look like Hollow Shades. That it wasn’t clinging onto dear life with its ponies having to eat bugs just to survive.

“This…just doesn’t seem fair,” said Pip at last. “None of it does.”

“Alas, who ever said life was fair,” commented Dark as he looked out the window. Perhaps he could see something, but all Pip could see was an endless dark void. “I just hope that there is enough fairness left so that I can retain my title for my tribe’s sake as well as Banshee’s. I…fear she might have to live on the Wall.”

“Dark, there’s no way me or Succubus will let that happen,” said Pip quickly. “If things don’t go well then she can stay with us.”

Lazily, Dark turned to look at Pip. “I don’t think having her live above a strip club is an appropriate environment for a filly.”

“We could get a house in town,” said Pip, undeterred by Dark’s comment. “The club is going well and I’m sure I could get the money.”

“I’m sure you could,” replied Dark softly. “But…could you make it work? Truthfully, Mr. Pip, it would be a huge sacrifice for the both of you taking in Banshee so soon into your marriage. You both work most of the night and sleep through most of the day. What time could you provide to a young mare? To help her with her homework or attend student/teacher conference? To take her to a friend’s house or if she needs to see a doctor? The only way I see it working is if one of you decided to stay at home, meaning you would barely see each other. Following that logic, whoever worked at the bar would never get any time to see Banshee.”

“But,” began Pip, however he stopped himself from saying anything more. He realized what Dark was getting at. If Banshee did come to stay with them, it would mean the end of his and Succubus’ time working together at the Treasure Chest. If Succubus stayed at home to take care of her little sister it would certainly make the filly happy. But, would it make Succubus happy? Pip could see that Succubus loved her little sister, yet doing it this way would mean that her fun time would be over. Succubus loved showing off her body to everypony there and helping the mares with their own dances. Could she handle staying at home while Pip went off to work each night, the two of them barely ever seeing each other? Could the Treasure Chest survive without her? If that failed, what would they do? If Pip stayed at home then that meant he would have to hire someone else to run the place as well as bartend and hope that they didn’t make a mess of things. Also, Banshee would barely be able to spend time with her big sister. Hopefully Pip had made a better impression on Banshee during his short stay to get her to warm up to him, but he still didn’t want to take his chances with a mare who could threaten him with her strange power.

Then there was the matter of his personal time with Succubus. The alone time he spent with Succubus was something he looked forwards to each and every night. Sure, the sex was getting better and better the more they explored each other’s bodies. He enjoyed making her feel like she was on cloud nine, getting a sense of pride in the fact that he could make her cum the way she did. If Banshee moved in with them, it would mean they couldn’t wake up in the nude soaked in their sweat and bodily fluids out of fear that she might see them. No more romps in the shower or screaming out each other’s name as they climaxed. Pip had been considering what it would be like to have foals one day, but not this soon. Was…was Pip being selfish right now for wanting to keep it between him and his wife a bit longer?

“I had planned on allowing Banshee to visit you and Succubus after our last meeting in Ponyville,” continued Dark in a somber tone. “It’s one thing to visit on a weekend every so often, so you can make temporary plans. I hope you understand the difference between that and having her live with you full time.”

Pip’s throat felt dry as he nodded. “Isn’t there anypony here who could take her in?”

Dark opened his mouth, but before any sound could come out there was a loud thud while the carriage shook. Pip looked around as he was slightly alarmed by this. Remembering what he had overheard back at Dark Bargain’s estate he had feared that a Diamond Dog had jumped onto the top of the carriage and was ready to claw his way in. That fear, thankfully, was short lived as the carriage began to slow down to a halt. After a moment or two of remaining motionless, the door to the carriage was opened by one of the stallions who had pulled them. Looking out, Pip could see a large stretch of barren, smooth rock that reminded him of the one he had just left at Dark’s. The only difference was that there were far more chariots and carriages around him. Just looking out the door he could make out at least a dozen or so.

“There might be,” continued Dark as he got out of the carriage followed swiftly by Pip. Without missing a beat, Dark turned on his hooves and walked over to a massive stairway. It was so long that Pip thought it might be able to have a hundred thestrals walking up it side by side and not feel cramped. Upwards it went back into the earth above them and into more darkness. “Sadly, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high. If I lose the mine, there is a great likelihood that whoever buys it will operate it much like the others. Bits will become tighter than ever and few will be able to feed another mouth.”

As much as Pip wanted to argue this point, the small stallion felt like it was futile. Dark seemed to have lost much of his former presence as he directed them towards the stairs. While other thestrals who were occasionally going up and down the stairs flew on their wings Dark seemed to drag his hooves a tad instead. It was something that somepony like Pip who had seen his fair share of ponies entering his bar to drown their sorrows in hard cider would notice. That voicing his fears and concerns about the future hadn’t lifted the weight he was under, but rather made it feel all the more real. Pip found this odd since he was planning on telling the truth about what happened at the Treasure Chest so that should help clear Dark. Did Dark know something that Pip didn’t?

After a grueling long walk, the two finally made it up the stairs. At the very top were two rows of statues creating a path for the two to follow. Each statue depicted a guard holding his scythe in both hands which was pressed up against the ceiling. With each one the two passed, it seemed like the statues were made out of the same rock that this stalactite was made out of. Perhaps done when they were carving it out. Pip also noted that the blades on the scythes were not made of stone, but steel. Had there been any source of light Pip was positive they would have shined in all their deadly glory. As they neared the end of the path, two large doors stood there slightly ajar. And as they neared Pip could hear voices.

“We are very sorry for the tragedy that occurred,” came the panicked voice of a stallion.

“You are not the one I want to hear an apology from,” came an older, female voice. “Duke Copperhorn is in charge of that mine, which includes security. He has refused to allow the Night Guard stationed here to oversee its protection and safety, insisting that he uses his own security. Clearly, they were either not enough or were not diligent enough in their duty to allow so many to die. Now, where is he?” That last sentence was spoken in such a cold tone that it could freeze Tartarus over three times. Both Pip and Dark visibly shivered.

“H-He is in Canterlot,” stammered the stallion within, clearly feeling the direct effects of her tone. “He has a breakfast meeting with Princess Celestia.”

There was a short pause. “Has he been notified about what has happened?”

“Yes. Yes he has,” replied the stallion quickly. “I sent him a message myself when I heard about what happened along with suggestions on how to make up for this blunder. A public apology as well as paying for the funerals for those who died as well as the medical expenses for those hurt. But…” The stallion’s words seemed to die in this throat. For a while, there was silence that made Pip feel uncomfortable. It was as if this stallion had realized he was about to say something he knew he shouldn’t or would be taken the wrong way. As the two walked closer to the door, the silence created a feeling of great uneasy. Then the stallion spoke again. “He…He said that it wasn’t necessary. He’d just pay a fine and-” The sound of glass shattering into millions of pieces interrupted and silenced the stallion as well as causing the two heading for the door to stop in their tracks for a brief moment.

For several long heartbeats, the only sounds that could be heard were the echoes of the shattered glass as it resonated all around them and the scared whimpers of the stallion beyond those doors. Finally, the mare spoke again with a tone as sharp as a saber. “A fine?! Is that all he thinks is necessary after so much blood has been spilt? After innocent ponies were hurt who were not even in the mine? The danger he put the entire Hanging City in? All that can be forgiven by paying a fine!?”

By now, Pip and Dark Bargain were close enough to the door so they could peek inside. Instantly Pip’s eyes were drawn to the mare who was about the same height as him, with a long mane the color of silver that almost touched the ground. What also stood out about her was the fact that her wings were much larger than normal, about the same height as her. She wore a black dress that, much like the rest of the fashion sense in both the Hanging City and Hollow Shades, covered as much of her body as possible leaving only her hands face, and wings exposed. What fur he could see was a dark red color. Her gaze was fixated on a larger, plumper unicorn stallion with a slick black mane which was parted in the middle, who looked like he was groveling on the ground before her. His pudgy face was slick with sweat, dripping off his double chin as well as his goggles that allowed him to see in this lightless environment.

“I w-would n-n-not put it that way,” he stammered, looking around him in fear. Pip gazed in the direction that the fat stallion was looking at…and quickly brought his hands up to cover his mouth or else he would have screamed. Chained to the walls were several monsters that Pip had seen only in the carvings up until this point. They had the bodies of wolves covered in both black and white furs, but with eight legs that bent like spiders. Their jaws were hideous, the upper part looking like a normal wolf’s while the lower one seemed to split into two as its skin stretched. Each one had eight bloodshot eyes, all focused on the fat stallion.

The mare, whom Pip assumed had to be the Countess, gave him a disgusted look. “Be gone from my sight,” she said coldly. The stallion didn’t need to be told twice, scrabbling to his hooves so quickly that he tripped and landing face first on the ground. With blood trickling down his face he got up again before making a mad dash out the door, not paying any attention to the two he nearly ran down in the process.

Once the stallion was behind them, Dark turned to look in the direction of the Countess and gave a bow. “Countess Diamond Vein, I have brought Mr. Pipsqueak of Ponyville as requested.” Pip stared at Dark as if he had lost his mind. From what he had just seen, the Countess at least needed a moment or two to cool her head! Plus he was in no hurry to enter a room with…with those THINGS who were now eyeing Pip and sniffing the air.

The Countess, meanwhile, took a breath before she spoke. “Very good,” she said. “Duke Dark Bargain, you may leave us. Please shut the door and wait outside.” What followed seemed to happen in a flash. Pip remembered feeling a hand press against his back, pushing him into the room, before the doors closed behind him. Pip pressed his back against the wall, hoping that it would open, but it remained shut.

Above him, Pip heard a series of rapid clicking noises. Body trembling, he looked up to see more of those creatures. Separated by a heavy looking chain link net, Pip could see at least three more of those creatures walking on the ceiling in the same manner as a bug or spider. Parts of the ceiling he could make out had what looked like thick webbing that he prayed did not come from these creatures. The last thing he wanted was to know that they could make something he could get caught in, making it impossible for him to run away.

“Ah,” began Pip as his body began to shake. “Perhaps we could do this a bit later?”

The Countess raised an eyebrow. “Whatever for? You are here now so we might as well get this over with.”

“Yes, but-” Pip’s words died in his throat as he felt something touch his shoulder. Turning his head he saw one of the creatures, a young one about the size of a puppy, with one of its paws touching his shoulder while its tongue hung out. Crying out Pip bolted away from the door only to have the creature jump to the floor and follow him.

“Sit,” said the Countess. Looking over his shoulder, Pip was amazed to see that the creature sat. As Pip stopped moving, taking a moment to collect himself by taking several deep breaths, the Countess walked over to it almost appearing as if she could glide. “So very sorry about this,” she said as she picked the creature up into her arms. “This little one must have slipped down through the protection.”

“W-What is that thing?” asked Pip as he watched it lick the Countess with wild abandon.

“It’s a wolf spider,” she replied with a smile, patting the creatures head as it continued to lick her. “They live mainly in the forests around Hollow Shades, usually moving in packs as they check their webbing for foolish prey that has become stuck in it. Since the dawn of my pony’s tribe, we have kept their numbers at bay or else they would overrun Hollow Shades and then the entire forest. Perhaps they would even branch out into the rest of Equestria, feasting on pony flesh.”

“So w-why are there so many here?” asked Pip as he took another step away from the Countess.

“Because I’ve been working with Princess Luna to domesticate them,” replied the Countess simply as she set the wolf spider back on the ground. Pip kept his eyes on it as the thing began to wag its tail followed by running around the Countess. “They have proven to be so dangerous to us in the past that they might be able to help against the Diamond Dogs and the Changelings. Their eyesight, for example, allows them to see through Changeling illusions, and their ability to walk on walls will help in the tunnels. All of the wolf spiders we have trained are in this room, providing me with extra security. Well, that and making sure that nopony becomes too…comfortable in my presence. I have found that panicked minds have a harder time making convincing lies.”

Pip gulped as he looked over to the wolf spiders still chained to the walls. “So that means they’re safe?”

“Only as long as I wish them to be,” replied the Countess as she beckoned Pip to follow her to another corner of the room. Not wishing to upset her, Pip quietly followed seeing that they were heading towards a table. The closer they got, the easier it was to see the bowl containing the same black apples he had eaten at Dark’s family estate as well as the plate of raw meat. The wolf spider scurried over to the table before sitting down next to it, waiting for its mistress to give it something tasty to eat.

“Well, then,” began the Countess once she was standing next to the table as she picked up one of the apples and handed it to Pip. “Let us get this charade over with, shall we?”

Pip, who was about to take a bite of the apple, paused and looked at her as she gave a slab of meat to the wolf spider. Had he heard her right? “Countess, I’ve come a long way to talk to you because-”

The Countess gave him a look, silencing him instantly. “Mr. Pipsqueak, I am going to be honest with you: this is a waste of both of our time. I did my own investigation in this matter and concluded that Dark Bargain had not aided in his parents crimes. In fact, he was probably the one trying to keep them in line while they were trying to get Succubus back. However, the wisdom of the unicorns in Canterlot disagree and have insisted on another investigation to which Princess Celestia has agreed. No doubt in an effort to remove Dark Bargain and his family from nobility so they can put in another unicorn. And, if I don’t do this, it’ll just give them an opportunity to strip me of my status as Countess. Not like Princess Celestia would care.” As she finished her sentence, the Countess picked up an apple for herself and took a savage bite out of it.

“You don’t really think that…do you?” asked Pip.

The Countess said nothing for a moment, looking Pip over as she chewed her food. Then, after swallowing, she spoke. “Back when my tribe first joined up with Equestria my ancestors headed the group that would become the Mining Safety Committee, with members including both thestrals and earth ponies. It was a post given by Princess Celestia herself, promising that we would work together to keep Equestria a land of riches for all ponies. Back then, its purpose was to record how much of what was being mined and where so that thestrals better organize how to regrow what had been taken. At times we would put a limit to what could be taken from the earth as well as telling mines that they needed to close down for a period of time. Over time, the nobles of Canterlot began to voice ‘concerns’ that we were playing favorites and that our interests lay only with our tribes instead of the betterment of all Equestria. So, bit by bit, we were all replaced with unicorns who know nothing about the ways of mining or its importance. I suspect many of them are in the pocket of more wealthy unicorns who have connections to those in control of the mines, lowering the standards for how they are to be kept up in order to help those who now own the mining networks.

“As for me right now, I’m little more than a figure head. All I do is collect taxes to be sent to Canterlot and maintain as much law as I am allowed to. Whatever power the Count or Countess of the thestrals once had was long since diminished before I was even born. To make matters worse, I have personally lost favor in the eyes of those in Canterlot. Princess Celestia has not set hoof in either the Hanging City or Hollow Shades in years nor has she invited me to Canterlot since that little stunt she pulled to stop Princess Luna from upgrading our military.” The Countess paused to take another savage bite from her apple. “The sad fact of the matter is that I am no longer welcome in that blasted city so I cannot ask her for help. Princess Luna has been working hard for the last few years trying to buy back the mines in order to give them back to us, only to be shot down. Princess Twilight Sparkle has tried talking to the owners about increasing the number of thestral workers in order to keep the mines healthy so that they may profit from them longer. Her words, sadly, have fallen onto ears that refuse to listen. Even Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor have tried to help us, hiring our best blacksmiths to help theirs improve their skills. The only thing Princess Celestia has done is this.” As she said this last part the Countess gestured to Pip, as if to indicate the current situation.

“But…But there has to be a chance that it will help,” said Pip. For the life of him, he didn’t want to believe anything that the Countess was saying. Sure, nopony was perfect but he didn’t believe that Princess Celestia was so uncaring towards this area of Equestria. Yet, all he had seen since coming here made it hard not to see how she could think like this. The thestrals weren’t thriving nor happy like the rest of Equestria. If all of the other Princesses were trying to help out as best they could, then surely Princess Celestia had to have some idea. Perhaps-

“I sincerely doubt it,” said the Countess with a sigh, interrupting Pip’s thoughts as she tossed the apple core to the wolf spider pup. The creature jumped into the air to snatch its second snack of the day and eating it in one go. “It’s more likely that, regardless of what I send back to them, the nobles of Canterlot will still press for Dark Bargain to be removed from his station. Especially now since Princess Luna and Princess Twilight are out of the country. Unless Succubus chooses not to pass on her rights to her heritage, then whatever future our tribe had here in Equestria will be gone for good.”

At that same moment in Canterlot, Prince Blueblood stood next to one of the best mages in all of Canterlot. Clad in golden robes, her horn was brightly lit while a swirling blue vortex grew before the pair. Only a few minutes ago it had been the size of a pea, barely noticeable. Now it was nearly as tall as he was while creating a powerful force that seemed to suck everything loose into it. This portal would take him to where he had been assigned to go from his aunt: Hollow Shades.

Closing his eyes for a moment, the prince thought back to the meeting that he had had along with several other trusted members of the Canterlot nobility. Aunt Celestia had informed them of what had happened to one of her maids in such great detail that it made most of the ponies in the room sick to their stomachs. Such a horrible abuse of one’s magic and to another pony no less! Thankfully, word had yet to get out on this and there was a chance to catch this monster. That was where ponies like he came in. His specific job was to approach Duke Dark Bargain under the guise of additional Canterlot inquiry and find out in he was showing any of the same symptoms as was described to him. If he was, Blueblood was to send a message back to Aunt Celestia using one of the emergency communication spells she had taught him and sit tight until help arrived. In the event nothing was wrong he was to stay put and keep an eye on the matter until the fiend was caught.

Most of the nobles had agreed to his, being given their own assignments from his Aunt. Only one, however, had made a fuss of the matter: Prince Charming. The foolish colt had claimed that this was a job for a pony of lesser importance, easily replaced if something happened to them, before going off on his other job that she was interrupting at the moment. Seeing the look in his Aunt’s eyes, the twitch in her frown, and a few other warning signs alerted Blueblood and the others that it might be a good idea to leave the fool to his own devices.

“My Prince, it is done,” said the mage as she fell to one knee, panting slightly as she did. When Blueblood heard this he opened his eyes before taking a single step towards the portal.

“So, this will take me straight to Duke Dark Bargain?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied the mage behind him. Normally, this would have been enough for the prince. After all, all of the mages here had come from Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and had all been at the top of their class. Their skills were unmatched nor was their loyalty to the crown ever put into question. Even the portal before him looked right. Yet, despite all of this, something felt off to Blueblood. Maybe it was the fact that the mage, who had been rather friendly towards him considering the hour when he had knocked on her door, had suddenly become rather nervous when he told her where he needed to go. Not once since then had she looked at him, avoiding eye contact. Even now, her eyes were glued to the floor as she panted.

Was he imagining things? Had the attack on Merry Day made him overly suspicious of other members of the staff?

“My Prince, the portal will not stay open for long,” said the mage. Snapping out of his thoughts, Blueblood noticed that the portal was indeed beginning to waver slightly. So, taking a breath, he walked in…

And appeared in a forest full of webs.

Blueblood goes Batty

Webs. That was the first thing that Blueblood saw when he appeared in what should have been Duke Dark Bargain’s estate. A few feet in front of the stallion was a tall, dark tree that was heavily wrapped in white webbing so thickly that he could barely see the bark. However he wished that he couldn’t for he could see the corpses that were entangled within it. There were three of them, wrecked hollow husks of the creatures they had once been. One looked like the remains of a very large dog but given the state it was in it could have once been a bear. But the other two, upon seeing them, caused Blueblood’s hand to shot towards his mouth to keep from screaming. They had been ponies once. Unicorns in fact. He could tell this because their horns were still attached to their head.

Fearfully the prince took a step back. He had seen pictures of malnourished ponies, ones who had gone weeks without food. Yet, in comparison, they looked like the picture of health compared to what laid before his eyes. Skin and fur were wrapped so tightly against their bones that it had ripped in several places, only noticeable by the remains of the their dulled coats. The eyes and teeth were missing, their manes only held close to their bodies by the webbing. Their terror filled expression, however, were forever locked in mid scream for all the world to see. Or at least to whatever poor soul had gotten him or herself lost in this place.

Much like Blueblood himself.

The prince was about to turn so that he could see which way was best to run away…if there was one when something caught his attention. On the remains of the corpse, sticking out of a decaying pocket, was a badge. Self preservation was halted as curiosity drew his attention. Taking a step or two closer, as well as doing this very slowly, Blueblood could see that the badge held the Equestria crest which was something only those who worked for the government would have. Blueblood could feel his mouth becoming very dry as he wondered how somepony like him could have wound up in a place like this. But then again, he himself was in a place like this so perhaps he should reserve judgment for the time being.

Slowly still, Blueblood approached the body until his nose was inches from the webbed up remained. With this being as close as he was willing to get, the prince’s horn lit up while a glow surrounded the badge. Careful not to disturb the webs as best he could, Blueblood lifted the badge up so to see it fully. Squinting due to the low light he was able to make out the words ‘Mining’ and ‘spector’. It didn’t require somepony with the intelligence of Twilight Sparkle to realize that what laid before him was a former mining inspector. But who was it and why wasn’t his death reported? Blueblood was sure that he would have heard something if one of the government’s employees went missing. Both Auntie Celestia and Princess Luna would have raised a fit! Or, at the very least, the Mining Committee would have been pestering everypony to help them locate their lost inspector.

Many more questions raced through the prince’s mind, but those were interrupted as he felt something large crawl on his pants. Freaking out in a desperate attempt to remove whatever it was caused Blueblood to fall forwards into the webbed victim. Thankfully he managed not to land face first, instead having the sleeve of his coat make contact and stopping him mid-fall. Moving on instinct now, Blueblood turned his body to see what had crawled on him. It was a black spider the size of a purse dog, its many red eyes staring at him in a way that made it look curious but no less terrifying. Breathing hard, Blueblood tried to stand only to fail as the back of his coat was now stuck to the web. He struggled in vain to free himself quickly finding just how fruitless it was to do so.

A series of clicks from above caught his attention and scared the black spider away. Slowly looking up, the prince saw a horrific combination of spider and wolf at least two sizes bigger than the one that had been on his leg. The thing was higher up in the tree, staring at him with hungry eyes as it moved closer. As its horrible mouth opened in a disturbing way, Blueblood’s flight or fight instincts kicked in. A blaze of light shot from his horn into the path of the spider-like creature. It screamed in pain as if fell to the ground where Blueblood could see it was only slightly burnt. A problem that he could easily fix as he fired again and again at the spider-monster as it scurried to avoid the unicorn’s attacks. Finally, Blueblood managed a hit on one of its legs causing it to fall off and blood to begin spilling out. The monster screamed out in pain once again before limping away from Blueblood leaving only a trail of blood behind.

Breathing heavily, Blueblood struggled with his bonds for a bit longer until he realized how hopeless it was. It would probably take muscular strength the like he surely didn’t have to break free. So, instead, Blueblood used his magic to teleport himself out of his coat. Now free, he began to run away from the tree in a direction he hoped would have less webs. Sadly that did not happen as it seemed that the entire forest had web covered trees as far as the eyes could see. As well as a pony cloaked from head to hoof but that would… Wait, what?

For a moment, Blueblood stood there while staring at the mysterious cloaked figure. He had heard stories since his youth of a similar figure who brings souls of the departed to their final destination. Was this that figure? Was this death and he was in the afterlife? He had always thought that the figure would be dressed in black, not in white fur with the head of one of those spider wolf monsters as a hood. Yet now that he thought about it the change wasn’t a bad one. Made a bit of sense seeing where he was and what had attacked him moments ago.

“Oh, a unicorn,” said the cloaked figure in voice that clearly belonged to a mare. The way she used his tribe’s name was the same way a Canterlot noble would speak about a rat on the street, filled with loathing and hate. “I heard the screams and thought that…” The mare’s words trailed off before looking away. “In any case, you seem to be fine. If you value your life then you should return to town.” With that said, the mare turned around and began to walk away.

“Please, a moment if you would,” said Prince Blueblood as he reached out a hand. However the mare did not stop nor did she slow down. Frowning, the unicorn began to follow her as he continued to talk. “My name is Prince Blueblood of Canterlot and it seems I am lost. Would you mind showing me the way out of here?”

“Figured you were from Canterlot,” said the mare as she continued to walk, her tone slightly mocking. “With clothing that nice. What’s the matter? Can’t use any of that unicorn magic to just go ‘poof’ to your nice safe home?”

“It doesn’t work that way,” replied Blueblood with a frown but continued to follow the mare. “My teleportation spell is, admittedly, rather on the poor side so I can not return to Canterlot. In order to teleport safely within the range I am able to it would require intimate knowledge of my destination, which I do not.”

“Well then it seems you are out of luck,” replied the mare, her voice almost sounding happy at that fact. “Because I have no intention of helping anypony stupid enough to enter this forest. Least of all some dumbass unicorn claiming to be nobility.” Her hoof steps quickened now, most likely in an effort to be rid of him.

“I didn’t come here on purpose!” snapped Blueblood in a voice louder than he would have wanted. Silently he scolded himself for this. Yes, this mare was being irritating as well as rude and unhelpful. However she was his best chance out of this situation. If more of those spider things appeared, or bigger ones, then he didn’t know if he could hold them off on his own. He was a prince after all, not a warrior or even a fighter! What’s more, he lacked the knowledge to use navigation magic. They had gone over basic compass spells back when he was younger…but he hadn’t been paying much attention since he had felt he would never be in that situation. After all, he was a prince. Learning such a spell was the job of a servant. Not to mention that the likelihood that he would be in the forest and not in a country suite was utter nonsense.

For a moment, Blueblood wanted to hang his head at the irony which had befallen him. All his life he had assumed he could get by thanks to his aunt, good looks, and standing within Canterlot society. That learning the most basic of survival spells was beneath his attention. Now here he was, having to beg this mare for help because of this. A mare who had a clear disdain for unicorns so using his charms wasn’t going to work. Also based on some of the things she said, she probably didn’t believe he was who he said he was. Well, that or she didn’t care. The only way out of this situation would be to convince her that helping him was either in her best interests or if he could make it worth her wild.

So, after taking a deep breath, the prince continued. “Look, I am on an important mission for the crown. If you could assist me in escaping this forest I will see to it that you are greatly rewarded. Why, I’m sure Princess Celestia herself would recognize you for your efforts!”

The mare snorted. “Princess Celestia doesn’t give a damn about anything that happens out here,” replied the mare. “If it takes helping out one of her spoiled, precious unicorns to get her attention then I say you can all become spider chow. Now, if I haven’t made myself clear enough, drop dead and leave me alone.”

“Then bits,” urged Blueblood as he saw this was most likely his last chance to get help. “Help me and I’ll make sure you get plenty of bits for your trouble!” This seemed to work. The mare’s pace slowed down considerably before glancing behind her to look at Blueblood again. He could clearly see an internal battle being waged inside of her and that the side he was rooting for was gaining ground.

“Do you have the bits on you?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Blueblood said quickly. “I should have at least a thousand bits on me at this moment. Help me and they are all yours.” He saw her bite her lower lip. She wasn’t sold just yet. “Plus, I’ll make sure you get another thousand once I return home.”

The mare suddenly rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before,” she said bitterly. She shook her head and then sighed. “Just…show me the bits and we have a deal.” Blueblood grinned as he reached into his pocket… and found nothing! His eyes widened as a cold sweat began to appear on his brow. Frantically he began to check his other pockets, even patting himself down for good measure while the mare glared at him. Eventually he stopped as a sickening thought occurred to him.

“The bits must have been in my coat,” he uttered while falling to his knees. “Back in the web. It’s still there in that…” Blueblood’s words trailed off as he lowered his head. He was stuck here without any money nor did he have anything to barter with. His fancy pocket watch, for example, was also in his coat. He literally had nothing to offer other than his own life for which this mare clearly didn’t value. Blueblood could hear her sighing and waited for her to begin walking away.

“This is just too pathetic,” she said eventually before sighing again. He could hear the crumbling and crackling of the dry leaves as she turned around. “Follow me and I’ll take you to my place for the day.” At that, Blueblood’s head shot upwards to look at her. Her back was facing him making it impossible to see her face.

“Y-You mean-”

“It’s only for the one day and you get no food,” said the mare quickly, stomping a hoof on the ground to get his attention. “A mare staying in town said that she’d be coming by every night with this job deal. If she’s true to her word, you can follow her back into town. She seems dumb enough to do something like that for you. But if she doesn’t show, you’re on your own. That’s all you get for free. Is that clear?”

“Of course,” said a relieved Blueblood who knew he wasn’t in much of a position to be making demands. Quickly he got up onto his hooves. “But, I will make sure I repay this kindness. When I return to Canterlot, I will be sure to send some bits your way Miss…”

He paused, waiting for her to give her name. At first she said nothing, only starting to walk again before speaking. “Another thing I’ve heard before from you Equestrians before. I’m sure once you get back to your fancy home you’ll forget all about me.” The mare then let out a hum. “But I might as well tell you my name. It’s Batibat.”

About a half an hour later, Blueblood found himself walking it the most disgusting building he had ever set hoof into. When he had seen the outside, he had hoped that this wasn’t Batibat’s home. That they were just passing by a decaying building on the way to wherever it was that she called home. That sadly wasn’t the case. Inside, the floor was littered with leaves, dirt, and tree branches along with the foul odor of wet animals. Wooden boards from the ceiling hung loosely allowing anypony to see the outside. What furniture there was looked like it had belonged to a frat house at one time, with vomit and piss stains all over them. Even the wooden dining table, which was held together by several large pieces of rope, looked like it was in dire need of cleaning with the most powerful cleaning agents in known existence. Even then, Blueblood would still feel dirty eating off of it. The newest thing, and cleanest for the matter, was a large blue cooler in the back of the hut.

There was, however, one thing that caught his eye. Something that felt completely out of place given the setting; hanging on the opposite side of the room was a silver shield baring a family crest. Having spent most of his life gazing upon many similar items within the homes of the Canterlot nobility, Blueblood had gained a bit of knowledge on such items. He could tell that the shield was old, maybe several hundred but the workmanship on it was so superb that he could still clearly make out the crest. Or a more likely option was that it had simply been taken good care of since its creation. Interestingly enough, the family crest depicted two of those spider monsters holding a large broadsword together upwards. Below it was an inscription written in a language that Blueblood was unfamiliar with.

Blueblood was about to inquire about the shield, perhaps stir up a conversation, when movement in the corner caught his attention. There, dressed in rags, was a brown unicorn colt no older than three or four years old. His blond mane was wavy and littered with twigs. The colt’s red, slit eyes stared at him with clear curiosity. Feeling a bit awkward Blueblood managed to force what he hoped was a convincing and disarming smile towards the young colt. The colt looked at him for a moment before smiling as well which revealed his fangs.

As Blueblood was slightly startled by this, Batibat walked past the prince towards the colt. Once she was close enough, she knelt down so that she was at the same eye level as him before placing a hand on his head. “Murky, this stallion will be staying with us for the day. Please do mommy a favor and remember what I taught you.” The colt, Murky, nodded while saying nothing.

Content with this, Batibat stood up and turned to around to face Blueblood while removing her hood. Upon seeing her features for the first time, Blueblood found his breath taken. He knew she had a purple coat, but her mane was the most intoxicating shade of red he had ever seen. Long, flowing, and utterly wild in appearance. Her equally red slit eyes glanced at him, making him feel like he was her prey. And, if he was completely honest, had they met under different circumstances he would have welcomed being her prey for the evening.

“Pick a spot wherever and sleep there,” she said, as she picked a corner of the room and sat down. “There’s no food for you so it’s best that you save your energy until that mare comes. If she comes I should say.”

“R-Right,” replied Blueblood as he scanned the room for someplace clean to sit on. This sadly proved to be a hopeless endeavor so he resigned to sitting across the room facing Batibat. At once he could feel a tingle going down his back as well as several other sensations that he didn’t particularly like. Still he was able to count his blessings for the shelter since it was better than sitting outside with those things. The last thing he wanted right now was to be kicked out due to his complaining.

For the next few minutes, everypony sat in utter silence. Murky sat there staring at Blueblood. Or rather, in particular his horn. This brought several questions to the forefront of Blueblood’s mind. Was he the first unicorn this colt had ever seen? If Batibat was indeed this colt’s mother then that meant his father surely was a unicorn. Was he dead or had he abandoned them? In either case, why were they living in such horrible conditions? He knew for a fact that there were many organizations out there to help the poor and homeless across Equestria. Had they somehow missed this one family who were so much in need of help? Or were there many families who needed help but there wasn’t enough bits to go around. As Blueblood continued to wonder these questions, along with many more, he looked over at Batibat. Her eyes were closed granting her a more peaceful appearance. Yet he knew she wasn’t asleep. With everything buzzing around in his head, there was no way he could fall asleep. Maybe if he asked a question or two…

The prince bit his lower lip. He didn’t want to open any old wounds or insult his hostess. Doing so might cause his to end up outside and alone, wandering through the forest until he either found his way out or died. That was a risk he wasn’t really willing to take. Perhaps he could inquire about something a bit more innocent and see where it went?

“Excuse me,” said Blueblood breaking the silence. “I seem to be having trouble falling asleep. Would you permit me to ask a question?”

“That’s your problem, not ours,” replied Batibat harshly without opening her eyes. “So just close your eyes and shut your trap.”

“I simply wished to inquire about the shield,” Blueblood said quickly. He watched as Batibat opened her mouth but wordlessly closed it. Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at him.

“The shield?” she asked after a moment before glancing over to it.

“Yes,” said Blueblood. “I was wondering if it was your family’s crest or coat of arms. I have seen many in my life, but never one like that before.”

Batibat shook her head. “It’s nothing more than a relic, something to remember a time when my family was still strong,” she replied as she looked away from the object. “As well as a painful reminder of what we have lost. I only keep the damn thing because my grandfather made me promise to keep it.”

“May I ask what happened?” asked Blueblood. “But if it’s too painful, you don’t have to.”

“Not like it can hurt me anymore,” replied Batibat with a shrug. Blueblood could see her glancing at the shield out of the corner of her eye, before returning her focus to him. “My grandfather was a Duke around these parts. He used to tell me how almost every month he would get offers to buy his mining system that he always refused. No matter how much they offered him, he’d always said no. Then came the day he realized he was getting too old and passed on his station to my father who sold the mines the first chance he got. After that he spent his days living like a big shot wasting his bits on poor investments, gambling, booze, and plenty of other things. By the time I was born all of the bits were gone and so was he. All he left us with was a pile of debts. My mother took her own life shortly after that leaving my grandfather to raise me all by himself.”

“That…That’s horrible,” said Blueblood. He had heard of nobility falling into ruin many times over the course of his life, but had never seen those ponies after their fall. Nor did he ever check in on their families. But now, seeing a mare whose blood was that of nobility reduced to something like this was truly an eye opening experience.

“That’s life oh great prince,” replied Batibat simply as she closed her eyes again. “Just something that happens and not everypony has a ‘loving’ aunt who can bail them out of any tight situation they’re in.” Blueblood felt his face as it began to burn while his ears flattened against his head. As much as he wanted to argue against this he found he could not. For as long as he could remember, Princess Celestia had always been there to help him out. If it wasn’t for her, he never would have been able to get into her school with his lackluster magical skills and poor testing. When he got into trouble with the other nobles, his aunt was there to help smooth things over and the worst he ever experienced was a lecture. Whenever he was in any sort of trouble or needed anything really, she was there to help him. Now, looking at Batibat, he wondered if Princess Celestia didn’t care about him, would he be in the same position?

Blueblood opened his mouth to ask another question when a series of frighteningly familiar clicks could be heard. Batibat opened her eyes as she leapt to her hooves. Together they went to the window and saw that the situation was far worse than he had thought. There wasn’t one of those creatures out there but hundreds. They moved across the ground at an amazing speed while others looked like they were crawling down the trees. A few were no bigger than the one that Blueblood had seen earlier but the rest were much, much larger. Many of them reminded the prince of a report he had once read where several timber wolves had combined to create a massive creature that could swallow a pony with a single gulp.

“What…What’s going on?” breathed Blueblood as he stumbled backwards. Batibat looked confused and frightened as well, which did not do anything to make him feel more at ease.

Batibat bolted away from the window and began to race around the room as fast as possible. She never paused for a moment as she snatched up whatever she could carry, brining it over to the open windows and doors in an effort to barricade them inside. All the while she muttered to herself frantically. “This should not be happening. I haven’t needed to attack any of the wolf spiders for weeks and none of them survived. So why…are…they…” Batibat turned to look at Blueblood with narrowed eyes. “Did you attack any of the wolf spider?”

“You mean those things out there?” demanded Blueblood before a thud was heard on the roof. All three ponies in the room looked up and, through the holes in the roof, saw one of the wolf spiders sniffing the air while saliva dripped from its open jaw. “Ah, y-yes I did.” Blueblood paused to gulp. “I was stuck to one of those webs and I thought it was going to attack me and-” Blueblood was cut off as Batibat dropped everything in her hands and quickly closed the distance between them. Roughly she grabbed him by the shirt as her eyes bore into his own.

“Did you kill it or wound it?” she demanded.

“I-I tried to kill it,” answered Blueblood causing Batibat to pale. She released him as she stumbled backwards and then fell to her knees, her head looking at the dirty floor. Murky, who had curled himself into a ball, began to cry loudly as another crash could be heard. “Why does that matter?”

Batibat shook her head without looking up. “It means that it returned to its pack and informed them of what you did,” she replied grimly. “Right now, every wolf spider in the forest is probably heading towards us. Even if we were to somehow escape, they’ll continue to hunt us down until we’re dead.”

Pip yawned as he made his way towards Steel Fang’s home. Above him the sky was growing brighter as Celestia began to raise the sun. A light fog covered the ground that sent a shiver down his spine. With everything that had happened, he was glad to be back on the surface instead of in that pit of darkness.

The meeting with the Countess had been brief; him telling her what had happened from the moment that thug entered his club to his meeting with Dark Bargain. While the Countess was somewhat polite, she bore the look of somepony who had been told the same story far too many times to hide the boredom from her face. The only reason she was doing any of this was because she had to at least go through the motions. When he was finished, she had thanked Pip and then told him that she would be in touch with him after she got word from Canterlot. Until then both he and Succubus were not to leave Hollow Shades. Then, when Canterlot came back with its verdict, the Countess could go over Succubus’ options on how to proceed.

When he left, a chariot had already been prepared for him to take him back to Hollow Shades. Thankfully neither Dragon Fang or Dark Bargain were there, leaving him alone for the trip back into the world of light. With everything that he had learned about how life was down there, how much they were counting on a thestral victory in this matter, some time alone to think about these matters was what Pip needed most.

Now as Pip entered the building, he knew that the first thing he had to do was talk to his wife about this. So they could decide what to do as a couple. So that-

Pip’s brain, for whatever reason, shut down when he saw Succubus and another thestral mare standing before him in the nude. Why this was so shocking he had no idea since he had seen her and other mares nude plenty of times before? Perhaps it was because he didn’t know this mare. Perhaps it was because he had been in such a dark place for so long, dealing with so much serious stuff that seeing something like this again threw him off. Or maybe it was because they were both naked in a home that didn’t belong to any of them!

“Pip!” cried Succubus, snapping Pip back into reality as she launched herself at him. Within mere seconds Pip found his wife’s arms were around his smaller frame, holding him in close to her nude form as she kissed him deeply. Her tongue snaked itself into his mouth as she moaned pleasurably while he slowly returned the embrace.

“Well it looks like we’re done here,” came the other mare’s voice. Slowly, Succubus and Pip separated to turn and look at the mare who was gathering up her garments. As she began to put them on, she looked up at the two and grinned. “Hey now, don’t stop on my account. Wouldn’t mind watching the two of you going all the way right here.”

As Pip blushed at this, Succubus chuckled as she held onto the smaller stallion so that his face was pressed up against the side of her breast. “As much as the thought of that turns me on, I think we’ll have to save that for another day. Me and my sexy stallion here have a lot of catching up to do. Besides, the guest room is a bit too small for all three of us.”

“Pity,” said the mare with a pout as she put on a shirt without a bra. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped seeing this isn’t your place. Maybe when we get to Ponyville you two can make it up to me.” Now fully clothed in skimpy attire for what thestrals usually wore, the mare walked past them while swaying her flank from side to side. “I really can’t wait! Might as well start packing.” With that, the mare exited the building.

Before Pip could ask who that was Succubus had him in another lip lock, kissing him as if she hadn’t seen him for months instead of the single night they had been apart. It was hungry, even feral as she moved his body backwards towards what he hoped was the guest room. Several times Pip felt like he was about to fall on his flank but was saved by his wife’s arms. Soon Pip felt the pull of gravity once again, only this time Succubus allowed him to fall while their lips separated. He landed on the guest bed with Succubus staring at him like the Countess’ wolf spiders had done.

“Pip,” she purred as she slid down into a crawling position on the bed, moving up his body as she continued to talk. “So much has been going on. I have some wonderful news to share. But that can wait until after.” The two were now face to face with each other with Succubus licking her lips. “I’ve been denied you for far too long my sexy stallion.” She paused to kiss him deeply once again, pinning him to the bed with her body. He could feel her pussy, wet from want, against his leg. “No need to be quiet, everypony is out of the house. Just you and me.”

Once more Succubus’ lips were on his, kissing him needily has her hands began to remove his shirt. Soon their bare chests were pressed against each other while the only sounds in the room were their collective moans and the smacking of lips. Pip ran his hands down the sides of his wife’s soft body as her mouth moved towards his neck. Small gasps escaped the small stallion as he felt her fangs lightly prick at his neck. Pip could now feel her tit flesh moving across his chest as Succubus began to grind her body against his. At the same time, her hands were hard at work bellow unzipping his pants to free his member which was steadily growing harder by the moment. Even though his eyes were closed, Pip’s body could sense that it would soon be completely free of its bindings so that there would be nothing in-between them. Then, nothing would stop them from going all out in their love making.

So, realizing this, Pip’s hands grabbed onto Succubus’ before she could pull down his underwear. The stallion then opened his eyes in time to see Succubus pull her head back to give him a surprised look.

“We,” began Pip as he gulped, “need to talk first.”

“We can talk later,” was the reply as Succubus tried to pull his underwear down again. However, Pip held firm with all the willpower he could muster at this moment.

“Succubus, I want to do this with you as well,” he said in a serious tone. “But…we really do need to talk about this. It’s about the meeting I had.” For her part, Succubus groaned before flopping over onto the side of the bed next to him.

“Why?” she asked s the two rolled to their sides so they were staring at each other. “We don’t know what Princess Celestia will decide. She might not do anything to my brother so he can keep being a Duke. Yay for him. If not then you already know what I want to do. Seriously Pip, after being down there can you seriously tell me that you want to spend the rest of your life living in the Hanging City?”

Pip thought about it for a moment while trying to hold back a shiver of fear. “To be honest, no. I wouldn’t like living there. I wouldn’t even be willing to go back down there unless I absolutely had to.”

“Then we know what we have to do,” replied Succubus as she reached over to place a hand on Pip’s side. Slowly, Succubus brought her he closer to Pip’s until their foreheads touched allowing them to gaze into each other’s eyes. “When this is over, we can go back to Ponyville and back to our lives. While you’ve been down there, I’ve been scouting for more dancers who are willing to come back with us. I’m almost sure I can get a few more living on the Wall to come with us as well. So as far as I’m concerned, the only thing we need to be asking ourselves is why aren’t we making love right now to celebrate?”

As Succubus moved in for a kiss, Pip felt he to speak up again with the big issue. “But what about Banshee?” This stopped Succubus and got her to retreat. She then stared at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head. Seeing this, Pip clarified. “If your brother loses everything, what will happen to Banshee?”

Succubus blinked. “That’s simple. She’ll stay with us. There, problem solved.”

“That’s what I thought too,” said Pip. “But your brother pointed out the problems with that. And I really do see his points. I mean, a strip club isn’t really a good place to raise a filly as young as her. She’d have to be confided to the upstairs apartment every night with the music blaring. And if she goes downstairs and foal services finds out they might take her away. Not to mention that we’re both working every night so neither one of us will be available if she needs us or wants to play with us. The only way this could work realistically work is if we bought a house and one of us stayed home to watch her. No matter who does this, we won’t be seeing much of each other.”

“I…I never thought of it like that,” muttered Succubus, her eyes looking down towards the mattress. “Banshee is my sister and I love her to death. B-But I just started living for myself and being with you.” She paused for a moment as her eyes turned to look at Pip again. “Also…I’m not really ready to be a mother just yet.”

“Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready to be a father either,” said Pip as he reached over to place a hand on Succubus’ side. “But I also don’t want to see anything bad happen to your brother or Banshee. He’s afraid they might end up living on the Wall but-”

“That won’t happen!” said Succubus as she sat straight up, wings extending as she spoke. “They can’t live there!”

“But what can we do?” asked Pip as he sat up, bending his knees as he did while also placing both hands on his head. “I would ask them to stay with us until Dark found a job and got his own place, but I’m still worried about Banshee staying at an active strip club! We could close it down until they were ready to move out but who knows how long it’ll take them? We have our own bills to pay and our dancers will leave if there’s no work. It’s just feeling more and more like the only way we can make sure they’re ok is if you take over for your brother.”

“No!” stated Succubus firmly. “There has to be a way. Maybe…Maybe we could buy a house for Dark and Banshee. Would that work?”

Pip lowered his hands off of his head to place them at his sides while looking at his wife. “That would be tricky. We would have to find a place first, make sure we qualify for a loan, and then there would be the waiting period until we could move in. All in all, it would take up a lot of time. Plus, if Dark can’t find a job in Ponyville then we’re paying his bills along with our own. Realistically we can only go on like that for so long.”

“Ah, ok,” said Succubus as worry kept into her voice. “Maybe we could ask Princess Luna or Princess Twilight. Maybe they would have some work for them. Not to mention they would be able to give them places to stay. I bet even Rarity could help with that. She might have a boutique opening somewhere and needs a manager or something for it. Yeah! That’ll work out.”

Pip, however, frowned. “I’m not so sure about Rarity. She has a few boutiques, but hoping that she’ll open another one anytime soon is really pushing it. Princess Luna is living in Sweet Apple Acres along with Applejack, Big Mac, and several foals so I don’t think they’ll have the room to put up two more. Princess Twilight and her herd might be able to take them in, but she’s still uncomfortable hiring ponies to work under her. I know for a fact that Snips and Snails tried asking her for a job once and she said she didn’t have anything for them.”

Pip sighed and shook his head. There were two more Princesses that they hadn’t brought up, but both seemed unlikely to be of much help. While he had heard plenty of nice things about Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, Pip didn’t know either of them personally enough to warrant counting on them to help. Maybe Twilight could, but they already had plenty of ponies working for them, it would be a long shot. As for Princess Celestia it was doubtful if Dark Bargain would even consider a job in Canterlot. He would be working for the pony that he and his tribe blamed for the situation they were in.

Pip let out a sigh. “I just wish there was a way Banshee could take the job,” he said.

“She’s too young,” replied Succubus as she sadly shook her head. “She has to be at least sixteen in order to claim the title.” Hearing this caused Pip to groan. Of course there would be something like that in play. Otherwise, Dark Bargain wouldn’t have called them there. He could have simply given the post to his sister and convinced her to let him run things until she was…old enough…to…

Pip eyes widened as he got an idea. “Could we find somepony to hold the post till she was old enough? Like a Steward or something. Just somepony to manage things until the next in line to take the post is old and mature enough to do so.”

Succubus’ eyes flashed with hope. “I don’t know. I mean, something like that has never happened. But if it’s happened before in Equestrian history then maybe the Countess will allow it if it’ll help this place.”

“Only problem is we’ll need to find the right pony for the job. Somepony we can trust to do a good job, but won’t try to keep the position when it’s time to return it to Banshee.” Pip found himself frowning at that. Perhaps he was becoming more cynical, but he could see somepony from around here getting used to living the ‘high’ life as it were and would try to keep it. Maybe exploit some loophole or just downright kill Banshee and her brother so there would be nopony to return the title too.

Succubus, on the other hand, grinned brighter than ever. “We don’t have to worry about that. I think I know just the mare for the job. She cares way too much about this dump to let things go into ruin or even consider selling the mines. But I know for a fact she would bug out if she had to stay there for too long.” As Pip made a face, Succubus giggled while moving on top of him. A sultry smile gracing her lips as she did so. “We can check to see if we can do that in the evening.” Succubus paused, leaning down to loudly kiss Pip’s neck. The small stallion moaned loudly as he felt her tongue against his fur, her breasts pressed against his body as a hand stroked his still covered cock. As tingles of pleasure continued to course through his body, Succubus leaned forwards a bit to whisper into his ear. “For now, my sexy stallion, I believe we should enjoy whatever time we have alone together. Just you and me doing our own sexy dance.”

At this point, Succubus’ hard nipples were poking into Pip’s cheeks. With no reason or desire to control himself any longer, he turned his head slightly to latch onto the closest one. Succubus mewled in pleasure the moment his lips made contact, wrapping her arms around his head to keep him there as he sucked greedily on the nub. Not that Pip had any objection to this as he played with the nipple in his mouth with his tongue. Over and over again he ran his mouth muscle over it, tasting the slight bit of sweat that was on it. While normally Pip would have reached to caress the other breast, tweaking the nipple just the way he knew she liked it, his hands wanted to be touching something else. He reached downwards to take hold of her soft flank, squeezing it as he lightly bit the nipple in his mouth causing Succubus to moan both lewdly as well as loudly.

As soon as he felt her arms loosen, Pip released his captive and latched onto the other nipple. His hands continued to paw at her rear, squeezing and kneading while his wife ground her hips into his body. Every cry she made, every pant that passed through her lips, every motion made by her slowly moistening pussy urged the stallion onwards. His tongue moved about wildly, lapping everything it could in his saliva before sucking on it to drive her wilder. As he did this, Succubus’ hands were roaming down his body in a slow and sensual way. When they reached his underwear, the stallion felt one of her soft hands slip under it to touch his bare crotch. Moaning into her breast, Pip felt tingling sparks as her hand enclosed around his shaft while her thumb began to circle around the tip. Over and over it went, creating a small amount of friction that almost made Pip’s back arc. Eventually he could wait no longer, lightly biting on the nub before pulling back a bit. The effect was instantaneous. Succubus began to make several gasping sounds as her body became stiff and rigid. Opening his mouth, Pip released the flesh in his mouth so that it could return to its proper shape.

“Oh, I just love it when you play with my breasts like that,” said Succubus softly through her panting. “Please, I’ve been waiting for this for so long. Don’t stop just yet.” Despite wanting to do more, lapping away at her pussy and drinking her juices, Pip moved his hands from her flank so that he could continue to play with her breasts. After being down in the Hanging City for a single night, he could understand why Succubus never wanted to go back. Why she was so hell bent on leaving as soon as possible. She deserved a little bit more attention right now. And the stallion certainly didn’t mind giving it.

Both of Pip’s hands touched her large, warm breasts. At first he gently kneaded them while kissing around the areola on each one. Each time he moved between them, his kisses became faster while his hands kneaded her just a bit rougher. Succubus screamed her delight as her thumb continued to rub against the head of his cock, smearing pre-cum all over it. Then Pip began to go all out. Once more he was latched on to one of her nipples, sucking on it as hard as he could while gripping the breast firmly. His other hand meanwhile pinched and twisted away at her other nipple causing the mare above him to convulse in pleasure. She had let go of his member, instead holding on to Pip tightly as he switched breasts. Succubus was breathing hard into his ear at this point, her grip slightly painful as she urged him on.

“Pip. My sexy Pip. Keep playing with my breasts like that! Use that sexy mouth and tongue to make me cum! Oh, you really know how to shower my breasts with love! Keep doing that until I cum!”

Then, much to her surprise as well as her disappointment, Pip detached himself from Succubus’ nipples. Before she could ask why he did that, Pip put his arms on her sides and tried to roll them over. While this first attempt did not succeed, the second one did as Succubus helped in the roll. Now on top of her, Pip reached down to finally removed his underwear. With his hardened shaft out of its confides, the pinto stallion positioned it between the valley of flesh before him. Once it was in there, Pip spread his wife’s breasts as best he could before quickly spitting on his rod to help lube it up. Succubus helped as well, lifting her head so she too could add some saliva.

Pip thrust his hips back and forth a few times to help coat his dick a bit more, as well as feeling her chest against his meat, before closing the two mounds. With his hands placed closed to her hardened nipples, Pip made sure they were pressed tightly together before making his first thrust. Both ponies moaned loudly as the friction they both felt coursed through their bodies, Pip feeling Succubus lift her hips slightly at the same time. As he pulled back to prepare for another thrust, the pinto managed to move his thumb and pointing finger towards this wife’s nipples. With them in position, Pip was able to squeeze both nubs at the same time as he thrusted once again. Succubus, in response to this, cried out his name at the top of her lungs while her hips flailed again.

Over and over again, Pip thrusted into the space between her breasts. He could feel his pre-cum flowing a bit to add to the lube, but there was not enough to eliminate the friction they both felt. With each thrust, Succubus’ hips went wilder and wilder as she cried out for more. Pip did his best to continue to play with her breasts, knowing how much she loved having them played with. No, that was the wrong thing to say. She loved having them looked at. She adored having they played with by somepony who loved them. It set her off like nothing else in Equestria. If he could, he would have tried doing other things. Yet it was the fear of losing pressure when he was so close to his orgasm that prevented him for doing so. Thankfully, Succubus didn’t seem to mind.

“Pip, oh Luna, PIP!” she cried out. “Please, shower by breasts with your cum! Shoot all of your love between them. Coat them with your seed so I can feel it on my fur! I want everypony to smell you all over me so that they know how much you love my body! This body that they call ugly that drives the rest of Equestria wild!” Again and again, Succubus called out for him to cum causing Pip to pick up his pace more. Finally, the pinto could no longer hold it in. With a grunt as his only warning, several ropes of cum were launched to fill whatever gaps there were between her boobs with his hot load. Feeling this must have been what she needed for Pip saw Succubus’ eyes roll upwards as so of his cum began to slowly crawl towards her neck. He could feel her hips jerk upwards once again, shaking as they were held up for several long seconds before crashing down on the bed.

As Succubus’ chest rose and fell slowly to help her catch her breath, Pip removed his hands from her breasts. As he slowly pulled his softening cock away from her, he couldn’t help but notice the large amount of sticky white cum that was there. The large mass of his seed moved down her belly and would have continued to roll down Succubus’ sides had she not moved to prevent this. Pip watched as Succubus got up while at the same time scooping up as much of his cum as she could with her hand before smearing it across her breasts. As she did this, Succubus parted her lips to release a pleasurable noise while her eyes closed as if to better savor the sensation. Once her breasts were well coated, the thestral mare began to lick her fingers clean one at a time.

Watching this erotic sight was enough for Pip to get hard again. The pinto watched as Succubus grinned at him while pulling out the last finger she was sucking on with a loud popping noise. The next thing Pip knew was that he was on his back, staring at the ceiling as Succubus straddled his hips in front of his cock. He could feel his member pressed against her ass cheeks before he raised his head.

“That was delicious my sexy husband,” she said as she licked her lips. “You know how much I love tasting your salty, sexy taste. But I’ve waited far too long for my sexy stallion’s cock to be inside me, filling me.” She gave a lewd moan as she bent over a bit, causing him to shiver as her flank cheeks were still pressed against his rod. “Now, since you’ve been a brave stallion, allow me to do all the work. You just lie there and watch me as I make you cum. Over and over and over again. I want everything I have been denied since this trip began.”

As Succubus raised her hips, Pip fought the urge to gulp. Both the mind and body were willing…but he was unsure if he could last more than one more time. After hearing her say that how long was Succubus really planning on doing this? He was a normal earth pony who couldn’t magic his balls to produce an endless amount of sperm after all. Plus he was starting to get tired after such a long night so-

Whatever thought he had against the idea quickly vanished as he felt Succubus lower herself onto him. Both ponies gasped and moaned as Pip’s rod was slowly inserted into Succubus’ warm tunnel. Despite the many times they had done this, it was still as tight as the first time they had had sex. The slick feeling around his cock reminded him of all their previous love making causing it to become as hard as it could get within her. Looking up at his wife, Pip could see that her eyes were closed to better savor the feeling of being filled by him. Seeing how much pleasure he was giving her caused the pinto to smile slightly. If he could make her feel good like this then maybe there was nothing to worry about. He just needed to give her his all and she would be happy and that would be all that mattered.

Succubus’ eyes fluttered open as she reached towards his chest with her hands. Gently, she began to feel his scrawny frame with the tips of her fingers starting at his shoulders. Bit by bit, she traced his body while letting out the occasional coo until coming to his hips. As her hands pulled away, she smiled at Pip while licking her lips in anticipation.

Then, she began.

It didn’t start with her lifting up, but rather grinding her hips against his slightly. As she did this, her hands reached up to cup her breasts, squeezing them in front of her husband. Lewd noises escaped her lips as she continued, moving her hands to pinch her nipples as her hips continued to shake. Eyes fixed on her husband Succubus began to pull on her nipples as far as she could before releasing them, making for a very erotic show. As her hips began to grind faster so too did the speed at which she played with her breasts increase. She kneaded them, pulled them, pinched them, pressed them together, and everything else Succubus could think of. The temperature of the room began to increase, sweat beginning to appear on both of their bodies. It mixed in with the cum on her breasts causing them to shimmer while beads of the stuff rolled down her body and onto Pip’s. The small stallion tried to sit up so that he could play with her breasts as well or, well, do anything to help get her off like she was doing for him. However, as soon as he tried, Succubus reached out with both hands to pin him against the bed.

Succubus said not a word, just shaking her head as her pussy clamped tighter around his cock. With a quick kiss, Succubus released her hold on him before straightening up with her wings outstretched. She began to rise quickly off his cock only to stop just before the head could be in the fresh air. Succubus then slammed downwards to bury it deep inside her again, her breasts bouncing about as she did. There was no rest as she raised herself up again to repeat this, crying out her stallion’s name as she did so. Again and again, Succubus took Pip’s cock deep inside her wet tunnel as the stallion lover laid there. He could feel the walls of her pussy clamping around his member, just noticeably tightening up with each impalement. Trying his best to make this last, Pip found himself gripping the covers of her bed. But it was so very difficult right now. His cock was twitching to release another load, this time inside her. And Pip knew that Succubus could feel it.

“Oh Pip!” she cried out passionately while continuing to bounce. “Yes! I can feel it! I’m so close my Pip! You’ve got me so hot and close! I just need to feel your seed filling me up while you watch to cum! OH BUCKING LUNA PIP! PLEASE FILL ME UP RIGHT NOW BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND!” Succubus’ passionate cry was the final straw. No longer able to hold himself back, Pip’s cock shot load after load deep within her while his body went limp. He could see it in the mare’s face that she too felt his orgasm hit her, eye’s fluttering in ecstasy while her mouth moved soundlessly. Her own orgasm hit her after his third rope, the walls of her pussy clamping down harder than anything else that had happened this night as she came hard. Succubus began to fall forwards making it look like she was going to land on top on her husband but managed to stop herself at the last moment. With both hands on either side of Pip the thestral mare lowered herself until their hot bodies were pressed against each other.

For a moment, they laid there panting as they recovered from their own orgasms. As they looked into each other’s eyes the two had the same thought at the same time: moving their lips in to capture the others for a brief kiss.

“Wow,” said Pip as he pulled back slightly, his lips brushing against those of his wife’s. “That was amazing.”

Succubus giggled at that before kissing him again. “Whoever said we were done my sexy stallion?”

Meanwhile, as the sun continued to rise into the morning sky, a bright flash occurred in an alleyway near the town square. Rats scurried out as fast as their tiny legs would take them as loud crashes echoed in the air as well as the cries of a couple ponies. An old metal trashcan rolled out into the street followed by three ponies. The first, looking positively drained of all life was Prince Blueblood. His clothing was now beyond salvation with various claws marks all over it as well as blood from both him and the spider monster’s staining it. His mane was left in shambles while his coat seemed to be paler than ever before. Dark circles were around his eyes as he panted as hard as a pony who had just finished the entire Equestrian Games by himself in a single afternoon. Following him were Batibat and her son, both looking as if they two had just exited a living nightmare. Their rags were even more ragged than ever, if that were possible. Large chunks of skin could now been seen of Batibat’s body, but thankfully nothing that the unicorn would have found inappropriate or indecent to be seen in public. As for her son, the colt was clinging to his mother’s leg for dear life while his eyes remained tightly shut.

As he walked, Blueblood felt himself stumble over his own hooves as sweat dripped down his face. Never before had he felt so drained in his entire life. But, then again, never before had he had to fight so hard just to stay alive. Whatever adrenaline had been coursing through his veins now seemed to be fading fast.

“Thought you said it was unsafe to teleport to a place you didn’t know,” said Batibat. Blueblood didn’t need to turn around to know she was glaring at him angrily. “Perhaps if you had just done that in the beginning, me and my son wouldn’t be homeless!”

“Madam, believe me when I say that this was the most unsafe thing I have ever done,” breathed Blueblood as he leaned against a dirty wall. Right now he was far too tired to care about looking undignified or any other sort of nonsense. “I panicked with no way to know where we would land… or in what condition. Didn’t even know I could get us this far. Might as well count our blessing.” Slowly he turned to look at the mare finding her to be frowning at him. He supposed that she had every right to be angry with him. She had taken him in, reluctantly at that, only to lose everything except their lives. Still, he saved them so that had to count for something. Right?

“Well we can’t go back,” she fumed. “The moment one of them gets our scent they’ll be all over us. With no place to stay the night-”

“I’m sure one of these fine ponies will open their doors for royalty,” interrupted the prince as he stood up and tried to flash a reassuring smile. Batibat remained unconvinced probably due to the fact that he looked like a homeless bum of several years. Still, this did not detour Blueblood. “Perhaps a hotel would be best. We will be able to have all the amenities we’ll need. Food, running water, soft beds. After we get settled in, I can contact my aunt and explain what happened. I’m sure she’ll send bits to help us out as well as reimburse you for all of your loses.” Blueblood then clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Now, all I need to do is find one.”

“There’s only one in Hollow Shades,” said Batibat, jerking her thumb towards one of the nicer buildings near them. It was a large, three story mansion like structure with a purple roof. From where he stood, the prince could see several niches between its many windows displaying thestral stallions in ‘heroic’ poses. In all honesty he would have assumed this was the building of a noble or some other wealthy pony. “But it’s never take in any of us.”

“Ha,” said Blueblood as he did his best to walk towards in a confident stride. “There is not a hotel in Equestria that would turn me away!” Despite saying this, he could hear Batibat sigh loudly as she followed him.

When Blueblood entered the building, he was met by a long and open room with red carpeting. There were fine chairs placed around the room with old, yet elegant wooden tables placed next to with each with a vase and flower on them. The walls were draped with flowing purple curtains along with murals carved into the walls of thestrals battling changelings. As he glanced around, the prince felt like the curtains were covering up some of the more…gore filled images in order to make the guests fill more at ease. Taking a wiff of the air told Blueblood that something was cooking. Looking around, he spotted an open door that lead into a long dining room full of tables that looked far too new that did not match the rest of the theme around him.

Before he could examine his surroundings any further, the sound of hoofsteps alerted him that someone was coming towards him. Turning his head in time, he spotted a tall thestral mare clad in a black dress that covered nearly her entire body as well as wearing a veil to conceal her face.

“…Can I help you?” she asked in a cold tone.

“Yes,” replied Blueblood as he flashed a smile. Never before had it failed to charm even the coldest heart he had encountered. “I have had a bit of a rough trip and I was hoping that you could provide me as well as my companions with a room for the evening.”

“All the rooms that somepony like you could afford are booked for the next several weeks,” replied the mare in a snappish tone. “And that is being generous to the fact that you could even afford something beyond a broom closet.”

“I can assure you that I can pay,” said Blueblood quickly, not daring to drop his smile for a moment. There was still a chance his charm could still work, he just knew it. “Perhaps you don’t recognize me in this state, but I am Prince Blueblood. If you allow-”

“You’re the ninth pony to claim to be Prince Blueblood this year,” interrupted the mare, irritation ringing in her voice. While he couldn’t clearly see her eyes Blueblood was sure she was rolling her eyes as she spoke. “If you think I am dumb enough to allow you to spend the day here so you can just run off without paying…” Her voice trailed off as the door opened behind Blueblood. The stallion turned around to see Batibat standing there with her son in her arms now. When he turned back to look at the mare he saw that her hands were clenched into fists. “You dare bring that unsightly harlot into my home?! You blasted unicorns have some nerve. This establishment is not a whorehouse!”

“Please madam,” began Blueblood as the mare stormed away out of sight. A moment later she returned with a blade in hand. Knowing his magic was not strong enough to throw up a shield spell and not willing to risk his life trying to disarm the mare, he ran out while shooing Batibat out.

The three of them ran and ran down the street. Well, it was more like a quick jog for a few blocks until Blueblood felt himself nearly collapse to the ground in front of a mare wearing skimpy clothing.

Author's Note

Yes people, we have a chapter with clop!

Arrival

Old Flint, the train engineer, let out a huff as he paused from shoveling coal into the engine. Sweat had drenched his shirt and was dripping down his nose while his body ached for a few minutes to rest. Resting on his shovel for a moment while pulling out a bottle of water, he couldn’t help but think about how times had changed. Back when he was a much younger stallion, he could have gone all day or night without so much as a single break until his shift ended. But that was before he had found a decent mare to settle down with and raised a fine young mare who was on this train right now.

Thinking about his daughter, Trolley, caused the stallion to shake his head. She was a good mare who, in his opinion, ought to be out enjoying life and being with friends. Spending time at those…whatever it is the foals called coffee houses these days. No, instead she was working on this here train in order to keep an eye on him. Had been ever since the dumb doctor had told him he needed to slow down a bit. Used a whole bunch of fancy words that Trolley, bless her soul, had been able to follow. Easy for the doctor to tell him to slow down, that damn doc didn’t have to work hard to put a meal on the table or struggle to pay the bills. Or being able to pay for his daughter’s wedding. He would make sure that when her special day came, he would be able to make all her dreams come true.

As he took another chug of water, Flint looked out the window. The train had left Canterlot and was now in the middle of one of the worst places he had ever been in. Damn black wooded forests covered in webs. He had seen the bastards who made them webs, creations that were probably thought up by Discord himself. The locals who actually lived in this forest, proving just how nuts they were, claimed that the beasts had always been there. Flint could only shake his head at that tale. No way in normal creation could those things come about no matter what proof ponies showed him! At the very least, he was happy that no monsters like them could get aboard this train. Not while he was on board!

Without any light being able to penetrate the mixture of wood and webbing, Flint was unable to see if the sun was out. Looking down at his watch and squinting, he was sure that his shift was almost over. Pretty soon one of them younger stallions would come in and take over his work so he could rest. He’d go back to the room they had prepared for him where his daughter would be waiting for him. She’d sit him down, fussing over his health while fixing up one of those ‘recommended’ meals that quack doctor suggested that tasted like puke. The only reason he’d eat it was so Trolley wouldn’t worry about him. He’d be a good soldier and stomach it down while he listened to her talk about her shift before telling him he needed to retire.

The sound of a door sliding open as well as the rush of noise from the outside drew his attention. He looked over expecting that stallion who’s name he had trouble remembering…only to have his heart stop dead. It was Trolley, naked as the day she was born and covered in white fluids. There was a look in her eyes that set off alarm bells in his head, not really looking at anything while swaying back and forth.

“He left me,” she wailed suddenly, looking like she was about to fall to her knees. Old Flint did what any good father would have done and moved over to comfort his daughter while she repeated this over and over again. As he did, he noticed that there were other ponies just behind her as they looked on with worry. Mostly the other ponies who spotted her in this state as she had run through the train cars. Whether they were here to see if she was alright or just get an eye full, it didn’t matter to Flint right now. All he knew was that his filly needed her father now.

What happened next took him even more by surprise. She screamed while clutching her head, shaking it back and forth before she lunged forwards. Old Flint tried to grab her but his hands were so slick with sweat that he couldn’t keep a grip on her. She just slid off of him as Trolley, his only child in all of Equestria, flung herself into the fire. Flint’s legs gave out as he heard her cry out like nothing her had ever heard before, falling onto his back as he watched her crawl further into the inferno. A choir of horror filled noises erupted behind him, but nopony did anything. Her screaming had been silenced and her body stopped moving.

“PLEASE GO AWAY!” came a screaming voice that awakened the prince. Slowly his eyes fluttered open, his head pounding as he looked upon the revolting sight before him. Before his eyes was what appeared to be a front lawn that seemed to be poorly kept, littered with trash as well as large piles of shit. The smell of the air around him caused his head to pound while tears pooled around his eyes.

Slowly he began to get onto his hands and knees only to find something as simple as this to be extremely difficult. It should have been the simplest of things in the world but now felt like he was trying to lift a mountain with his magic. Remaining on all fours, the prince turned his eyes to see that he was in front of a horribly graffiti house labeled with horrible insults. Briefly glancing around also showed him that somepony, or ponies, had flung more shit against the walls of this dwelling as well as rotten eggs. He had heard of homes like these belonging to, what was it again, rednecks?

“I ALREADY TOLD YOU I’M LEAVING!” screamed the voice again. Blueblood turned his head to look in front of him. Standing in front of the door was Batibat, holding her colt in her arms, while another thestral he didn’t know wearing skimpy attire held a fist near the door. “I’LL BE GONE SOON SO I WON’T BOTHER YOU!”

“Ghostly, it’s me,” said Batibat with a sigh.

“…Batibat?” came the voice again, thankfully much quieter than before. The stallion’s ears then began to twitch as he heard a series of locks being turned. “Oh, thank goodness. When I arrived home today I saw a bunch of drunks defiling my house again. I’ll be so glad to never have to put up with this again.”

“It’s going to be fun leaving this place,” said the mare next to Batibat. As she spoke, Blueblood heard the noises behind the door stopping as if the figure inside had frozen. That or there were no more locks. “Finally, I’ll be able to wear whatever I want without getting those dirty looks!”

“…Erotic?” came the voice in a fearful tone. “NO! You are not coming in here to grope me again!” With that, the sound of locks turning could be heard at a frantic place. As Blueblood turned to look at ‘Erotic’ the noises stopped only to be replaced by something heavy and wooden scrapping the floor with the house. Something probably big and heavy.

“Why did you have to open your big mouth Erotic?” demanded Batibat in a soft tone while she glared daggers at the mare. “She was about to let us in!”

“But I’m just so excited about leaving!” cried Erotic. “Honestly I don’t see what she’s getting so bent out of shape about. Seeing her practice her dancing that way with so little on… it was a compliment. Besides, Ghostly has to get used to being groped sooner or later since she’ll have plenty of horny stallions gripping away at that sexy body of hers. She should just think of it as practice.”

“…And you wonder why we act this way around you,” muttered Batibat before turning to look at the door. “Ghostly, please. I just lost my home and we need a place to stay for the day.” Instantly the noise stopped. Blueblood watched and listened for any sign that the door would open soon. Yet nothing happened. It was as if the pony on the other side was taking in this information before deciding on what to do. It seemed like Batibat felt the same way so she continued. “Ghostly, you know I wouldn’t be asking you this if I had any other choice. I can’t bring my son to Erotic’s place because, well, it’s Erotic’s place.”

“…That’s true,” mumbled a voice barely loud enough for Blueblood to hear.

“I could have checked in with Steel Fang since he’s always offering me support,” Batibat continued as glanced over at Blueblood. “But I sort of ran into this dumbass unicorn who claims he’s on a mission for the crown. He’s both the reason I’m now homeless…as well as the reason me and my son are still alive. Heard about what happened in the mines earlier from Erotic and I don’t think it’s a good idea to be dragging an unconscious unicorn across town. Most likely he’d get a pike through his gut before we made it halfway.”

Blueblood’s pupils shark when he heard this, a hand moving instinctively to his stomach while gulping. Only briefly was he aware of the scraping noises on the other side of the door. Instead, Blueblood was more focused on his own well being at the moment. He knew that there were those out there that wanted to harm not just him, but any member of the crown. It was impossible for him not to know since he had received several death threats ever since he had hit puberty. Most of the time, it was one of two things: a mare who he had embarrassed in some fashion or some drunkenly irritated stallion who was simply pissed at their own misfortune in life and wanted somepony else to blame. Yet there were those that Blueblood, even at the height of his arrogance, could see they had a legitimate issue with them. A law being passed that cost somepony their job, leading them to lose everything. Not enough government funding in one area bringing about rage.

A shiver ran down Blueblood’s spine. Batibat had said something about the mines just now? Had something happened that he was unaware of? How recent was it? If it had just happened and it was serious, surely a message would have been sent from the Duke in charge of the mine explaining what happened to the Mining Safety Committee which would then inform Princess Celestia! That was how it was supposed to work! However the image of that pony caught in the webs left to feed the bellies of those monsters and the attitude of the thestrals here was bringing about all sorts of doubts into Blueblood’s mind. That as well as fear. If something was going on here, would he be their next target in order to keep him silent? Perhaps they had already tried. He had landed just a short distance from where the other pony was. That was certainly a possibility. Just like it was also possible that the townsponies would blame him for whatever just happened in their town.

It wasn’t until he felt the touch of another that broke him out of this dark train of thought. Blinking, Blueblood turned his head to see a thestral with a long silver colored mane which hid her eyes put her neck under one of his arms. The mare, who he assumed was the one who had been trying to stay within the safety of her home, said nothing as she did this. Something was off here. Both her appearance, what little he could see at this moment, as well as her odor were not what he pictured a redneck to be like. They should be messy and smell like really cheap hard cider with a hint of cigarettes.

With great ease she managed to help him onto his hooves before leading him into the house which surprised him yet again. It wasn’t as trashy as the outside was. The prince spotted a bucket full of soapy water as well as a few trash bags as they moved inside the building and up the stairs. While there were plenty of webs inside, something that caused him to have flashbacks of his near death experience, it was not at all what he thought the inside of a redneck’s home would be like. Had he been mistaken?

“Here we go,” said the mare softly as they reached the first bedroom on the second floor. The curtains had been pulled down tightly to block most of the sun’s light, making it difficult to make out much of the details in the room. He could make out a bed and dresser, but that was it. Slowly he was brought over to the bed where he was then slowly lowered onto.

“Thank you,” said Blueblood as a hand went to rub the area around his horn. “I will not forget this kindness.”

The mare, Ghostly, took a few steps backwards. She looked…nervous, but that might be because of the lack of light. He did see her look over at the door were two figures were watching him before returning to look at him. “Well, ah, is there anything you need?” Yes, she was nervous. He could hear it clear as day in her voice.

“I could use a little food,” said Blueblood in his kindest voice despite how much of a disaster this assignment had been. Right now his magic was weaker than it had ever been in his life and his body felt drained. He guessed that if he tried he would be unable to do even the simplest of spells. In order to replenish his magic Blueblood would need two things: food and rest. But while he rested he could at least let the Duke know where he was. “Also, I need to get into contact with Duke Dark Bargain. I have been asked by Princess Celestia herself to speak with him. It is very important that I reach him as soon as possible.”

“I can help with that!” said the loud voice of the mare they called Erotic, bouncing at the doorway. “Just give me a second and I’ll have a messenger bat heading his way!” Then, before anypony could say anything else, the mare sped off loudly down the stairs.

Batibat sighed loudly. “Knowing that mare, she’ll use all kinds of innuendos in her letter.” Shaking her head, Batibat departed along with Ghostly leaving Blueblood all by himself.

For the next several minutes, Blueblood sat there as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Slowly he began to make out the outlines of the various objects on the walls. All of them looked metallic, perhaps even fine silver. The prince also noticed several small cardboard boxes against the wall. Given what he heard her say earlier, Blueblood figured that she was probably getting ready to move soon. He would have tried to get up to get a closer look had he not seen a light entering the room.

Blueblood looked in its direction to see Ghostly holding a lit candle in one hand and a bowl in the other. The stallion gulped as he got a good look at the mare for the first time from a distance. Well stacked and curvy in all the right places, she reminded him a lot of Succubus from Ponyville. At least where their bodies were concerned. Succubus had that confidence about her that commanded everypony to look at her body and drink in the sight. She was that confident girl at school who, if you were ever lucky enough to get into bed, would take the lead while giving you an experience you would never forget. Ghostly, on the other hand, had that shy mare next door quality to her. She dressed more reserved and perhaps a bit self conscious about her appearance. That was only a guess on his part based solely on what he had seen and how she held herself. Still, the more lustful part of him wanted to take her to bed so that he could explore every part of her body. Perhaps he would even be able to live out one of his fantasies where his partner would be all shy and embarrassed, only it wouldn’t be an act! Despite how tired he was, Blueblood could feel his member hardening and pressing against his pants.

“I hope you enjoy this,” Ghostly said she approached the prince. As she drew nearer, her eyes must have spotted his bulge from behind her mane for her cheeks began to glow red. Realizing it was too late to bother trying to hide it Blueblood gave her a half hearted smile as he accepted the bowl. “She was right, they will find me sexy,” she muttered while turning around and quickly exiting the room.

Confused by what she just said, Blueblood stared at the door as he took hold of the spoon and ate from it…only to feel like vomiting a moment later. It felt crunchy, gooey, and vile all at the same time. Looking down he saw to his horror that it was mashed up cockroaches, some only partially grounded and still clearly alive as they were crawling over their fallen brethren. Just looking at what he had just eaten caused him to shake violently. How could anypony eat something like? What would possess a pony to serve this filth to another pony? Was this some sort of sick joke? Gritting his teeth, Blueblood lifted the bowl over his head ready to fling it across the room.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” came the voice of Batibat. Turning his head to the door, the prince was shocked to see that she had changed her attire. No longer dressed in furs, Batibat was now covered in a cheap bathing robe that didn’t quite cover her. He guessed it was probably a size or two too small since it didn’t close up top allowing him the sight of the valley between her breasts as well as both side boobs just before getting to the nipple. Now he could get a better gage of her body, seeing that it was nice and firm. While she still had that powerful and wild look to her, Blueblood found it very appealing.

“I…well…” stammered the prince as he closed his legs, hoping that Batibat didn’t see that he had gotten harder for the MILF before him. Batibat didn’t seem to notice but simply walked over to him and looked down at the bowl.

“Canterlot unicorns,” she said she took the bowl from him. A look that grew more intense when she looked at its contents. “Do you have any idea how much she gave you? I’d guess about three meals worth and it probably cost her most of what little bits she had! Looks like she even added sugar to help with the taste! Just because this isn’t some fancy cuisine doesn’t mean you should go wasting it. Not after she gave your ungrateful ass a roof over your head as well!”

Blueblood bristled at this. If he had the strength in him, he would have risen to his hooves. Instead he glared back at the mare. “How was I supposed to know that? I was served a bowl of insects! You can’t tell me that ponies eat that stuff around here!”

“They do if they want to live,” snarled Batibat. As she turned around to leave, Blueblood reached out and grabbed her by the wrist almost knocking the bowl out of her hands in the process.

“I smelt the food at that hotel,” he said firmly. “While it may not be something I would normally feast upon, it is certainly several steps above eating something like that! So don’t tell me that she don’t have anything better.”

Batibat looked away. “It’s not for us,” she said in a bitter tone. “It’s for all the ponies who visit Hollow Shades.”

“What? That doesn’t-”

“Tourism is the only way my tribe can keep this town running,” interrupted Batibat. “Making sure that the tourists get the best food helps ensure that they will come back next year. Problem is that there is only so much we can grow. There used to be more farmland, but because we had to cut back on things like guards we lost a lot of crops to the wolf spiders.” Batibat then let out a sigh before freeing herself from Blueblood’s grip. “Things get better after the tourism season ends. The town imports food from other places across Equestria and we’re able to eat a bit better. Some, like the mayor’s family, have actually begun to harvest more tasty insects in order to save bits and give their share of the food to those who need it most. Ponies…like me.”

Blueblood stared at Batibat, trying his hardest to understand what she was saying as she seemed to lose much of her fire. How could any town in Equestria be reduced to this level without Princess Celestia hearing about it? Sure, Princess Luna had dealt more with the thestrals in the past couple of years, but surely word would have reached Canterlot of just how had things were. Again his thoughts traveled to the sight of that dead pony in the webs wondering if foul play was involved in keeping the situation around here silent.

As he pondered, Blueblood saw Batibat sit next to him with her head downcast. Turning to look at her, Blueblood wondered why she lived out alone in that forest. Was it because of shame? Her father had sold one of the mines to increase his own wealth only to lose everything. Was she hated because of this, or because she had a son that was a unicorn? She seemed to hate unicorns yet her own son was one. He thought of how the mare at the hotel had acted when she had seen her, calling her a whore. Had she been whoring herself just to survive? To get out of this place? Perhaps a reason she hated Canterlot unicorns was because the stallion who knocked her up was from Canterlot and had then left her alone to raise their foal.

An odd feeling ran through Blueblood as he thought about this. He was by no stretch of the imagination a virgin, losing it shortly after his eighteenth birthday from some mare whose name he didn’t even remember. Time after time, he had sex the same way any common pony would have if they were as popular as he was along with an almost unlimited bank account: stupidly. Twice, he thought he was going to become a father before he actually stepped out into the real world. The first time it turned out that the stupid mare had read the test wrong. The second time had been more complicated. A mare had shown up at the castle well into her pregnancy that Blueblood didn’t even remember claiming he was the father. Naturally he denied it until the mare described a particular party he had attended where he knew he had gotten very, very drunk. The possibility that he could have been the father became all too real that not even he could deny it. This time, however, it turned out he wasn’t the father and that she was just trying to scam him.

That encounter had been a life changing experience for Blueblood. His sexual exploits were now confided to whore houses, escort services, and his favorite strip club in Ponyville. These places had mares who were professionals, either using birth control magic or not allowing him to get too physical. All of these places valued his privacy. Still he had to wonder if, perhaps, there was a mare out there who he had knocked up and she was unable to tell him he was the father. After all, birth control spell were known to fail, if extremely rare. Could he have done something like that to a mare like Batibat?

Blueblood reached out slowly to Batibat, ready to ask if she knew the father. At the last minute, however, he decided not to. After all he barely knew this mare and it wasn’t his place to pry into her personal life. He owed her that much decency at least. “You are right,” he said at last while placing a hand gently on hers. “I shouldn’t have wasted something given to me. You take it.”

Batibat whipped her head around to look at him. A look of surprise was evident on her face. “But-”

“You and Murky need that more than I do,” interrupted Blueblood with a half smile. “He is a growing colt after all.” For a moment, Batibat just stared at him as if he had grown a second head. Then she leaned over to him so closely that his arm was sandwiched between her wonderful mounds as she kissed his cheek. Face burning slightly from the gesture the prince watched as she then got up and walked out of the room.

Dragonfly let out a yawn as she approached her family’s home glad that the night was finally over. From going to find all the large breasted thestrals to the mining massacre to having Succubus finding out what she really was it had been one thing after another. However, it seemed like the worst just had to come with the dawn. Mourning families were out getting drunk, breaking into the storehouses that kept the hard cider and wines that were saved for the tourists. Groups were gathering, burning the Equestrian flag while cheering loudly. Duke Copperhorn’s surface office had been ransacked. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, some stupid unicorn approached the hotel matron claiming to be Prince Blueblood. Most likely trying to make himself seem more important than the street bum he most likely was while trying to impress Batibat.

Slumping her shoulders, Dragonfly felt guilty that she was the only one coming home. Both her father and sister were still out there trying to handle the situations. Out of the three, she was the most useless in civil matters. She couldn’t fight nor did she had the authority to order ponies to calm down. Then there was the matter of her secret. If somepony got to rowdy or rough with her the illusion covering her body would be dispelled, revealing the fact that she was a Changeling to the entire town. The last thing she wanted to do was cause more trouble for her father.

So, as she neared the house, Dragonfly began to think of things she could do to help relax her family. Perhaps have a bath prepared for them when they got home? Maybe not, since there was no way of knowing when they’d be back. She could try to make some bread with fresh grasshoppers. The bread would be nice and soft while the grasshoppers gave a more satisfying crunch that wouldn’t make them feel like they would lose their teeth! But could she make it in-

The world around Dragonfly began to spin as she touched the door handle. She began to feel happy, giddy even without knowing why. Her stomach felt like it was about to burst as a surge of energy filled her like nothing else she had experienced. Stumbling backwards, Dragonfly fell onto her back as she began to hear colors and see sounds. Part of her knew she should be worried right now, but that seemed so far away right now. Everything just felt…lovely like this. Everything was just sooooo right.

“Dragonfly?” The disguised mare didn’t look around, she just staring up at the sky with a grin on her face. Then a shadow was cast upon her followed by the funny face Succubus was making. It was so funny! Like she was frowning or something! It was so funny that Dragonfly began to giggle and laugh.

“Why are you laughing?” asked Succubus as she tilted her head.

“I don’t know,” replied Dragonfly as she began to roll on the ground, giggling all the while. “I feel like a happy caterpillar right now. Don’t you want to feel like one?”

“…Ok. Let’s get you off the ground and go for a walk. Maybe we can find a doctor or…on second thought, let’s just walk until we find your father. Yeah, let’s find your father so we can have a nice chat.”

“Papa, Papa,” sang Dragonfly happily as she was pulled to her hooves. Once up she wrapped an arm around Succubus’ waistline. “You know what I think? Screw this bucking town and all its problems. You know what we should do? Do you know what we should do? Get out of here and do that thing…that thing you do were you take off all your clothes. Just do that and dance. Telling daddy his little queen bee is going to do that!”

“Ahhh,” whined Succubus as she pouted. “Normally I’d be super excited to hear that. Well, most of it anyways. But something tells me that you’re not well right now.”

Dragonfly threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, you’re my buddy. My big busty buddy. Hehe, busty buddy. Like the sound of that. EVERYPONY, LOOK AT MY FAKE BOOBIES!” Dragonfly reached down to her dress and began to unbutton them. Or at least she tried to. For some reason she couldn’t focus on them and walk at the same time. It was just so weird, she could have sworn she did something like this earlier. Also not helping was Succubus; she seemed to be trying to keep her from tearing her dumb dress off. Was it getting like super hot? It felt super hot. Everypony should just get naked, run around, and have sex. Be happy everypony!

The world was full of so much love right now.

That cloud looked like a kitty.

Prince Charming exited the train as soon as it stopped, annoyed that there was nopony there to help him. Walking onto the platform he heard a pathetic wailing sound that annoyed him to his core. Turing his head lazily towards its source, Charming saw a large crowd of ponies gathered around some old timer who was clawing away at the engine with tears running down his pathetic excuse of a face. Some of those gathered were trying to calm him down while others stood and watched.

“Trolley,” wailed the stallion annoying Charming in the process. “My Trolley. Why? Why?”

Stopping for a moment, Charming thought the name sounded familiar. Perhaps it belonged to that silly mare he had been playing with during the train ride here. She had told him maybe once or twice, but Charming didn’t really care. She was an ok plaything for a bit, not really worth learning her name or remembering her. Nor was she really worth keeping around, hence why he broke up with her. True, she could have been of some minor use to him like acting like his pack mule but he was sure somepony on that train would raise an eyebrow if she followed around some random stallion.

When the moment passed, Charming began to walk into the town of Hollow Shades. He had waited long enough to get here. Soon, he would meet his destiny as the ruler of all Equestria. And it would begin in this shithole of a town.

Princess Celestia sat in her dining room with a large spread of food before her. The cooks had gone all out this morning with three different berried flavored pancakes, triple stacked with whipped cream on top along with more berries. There were also strips of hay that had been fried up along with shredded hash browns and toast. Let’s not forget the small slice of cake that was just sitting there begging to be eaten. On any normal day, Princess Celestia would have requested that this fine meal be brought to her balcony so she could eat it while enjoying the scenery of her fine city in the morning light. As she slowly savored her breakfast, Kizbit would be going over her duties for the day.

However, she was not eating anything. Her food had been regretfully pushed over to the side while papers were sprawled in front of her. Instead of a cup of nice, calming tea was a mug of coffee that was still piping hot. The Princess felt her stomach growl as it demanded that she stop for a moment to get something to eat. In that way it was like Kizbit who had insisted that she come down here. But that had to wait. Right now nothing mattered to Celestia except the papers before her…and the one she didn’t have at the moment.

Something was wrong. All of the ponies she had sent out to the various nobles had quickly contacted her, informing that they had made contact and that they showed no signs that they had been infected like the maid had. Well, all but one. So far Blueblood hadn’t sent a reply back which worried Celestia even more. Kizbit had tried to tell her that she was getting worked up over nothing, that it might take a little more time for him to assess the situation. That or he was putting it off for the moment. The problem with that was Blueblood’s behavior had never been better in recent years. The stallion was acting like somepony in a position of authority, taking his duties more seriously than he had in his youth. Something she was very proud of. Besides, when Prince Charming bothered to send in a response and Blueblood hadn’t something was wrong!

Running a hand through her multi colored mane, Celestia began to fear for the worst. At the time, it had seemed like such a good idea, send nobles she trusted to meet with the possible targets as to not arouse suspicion that they were onto this fiend. Now, however, she was not so sure. What if that monster had already gotten to Dark Bargain and when Blueblood got there something happened to him? Perhaps something like what happened to Merry or worse! Perhaps she should have sent a small army to each location in order to set up a sting or something. But what if their target hadn’t arrived just yet? Grabbing her mug of coffee, Celestia drank several gulps in the hopes that it would help give her better focus.

“Princess,” said Kizbit causing Celestia to jump slightly in her seat. She hadn’t heard him enter the room. “Duke Copperhorn is here for his breakfast appointment.”

Celestia frowned at this. “Send him away,” she replied as she gathered her papers once again. Perhaps she had simply missed Blueblood’s in the pile. “I am far too busy right now.”

Kizbit, however, placed his hand on the papers to hold them down. As Celestia looked up at him the unicorn spoke. “Princess Celestia, Duke Copperhorn has had this appointment for well over a month and has traveled all this way to have breakfast with you. Now I know how important it is that we find this villain, but you cannot shirk your other duties just to focus on this one.”

“Kizbit,” growled Celestia, feeling herself getting angry at this. However, the stallion held his gaze as well as his ground.

“If you wish to make things appear as if everything is normal and we are not onto the individual who affected Merry, canceling important breakfast meetings with your nobility is not the way to do it! Furthermore, you need a break. You have been drinking nothing but coffee to keep yourself going all throughout the night. If you refuse to sleep then you should at least get some real food inside you. You are no good to anypony if you collapse.”

For a moment, Celestia stared back at Kizbit until her eyes fluttered slightly while her stomach growled. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Kizbit did have a point. She had been running about all night and into the morning with the signs of strain starting to show. Perhaps she could take a few minutes to eat something to help refresh herself. That and she might as well get something else off her plate so it didn’t come back later to bother her.

“Very well,” said Celestia as the papers before her began to glow in a golden hue. Calmly they floated over to Kizbit who took them from her gently. “Please take these to my private chambers before introducing Duke Copperhorn. While you are up there, there should be another stack of papers on my desk. Bring them to me at once.”

“Very well,” said Kizbit in a tone that suggested he wanted to argue with her about this but decided not to. As he turned however, “I do wish Princess Luna and Princess Twilight would return soon so things can get back to normal.” Celestia frowned at this yet said nothing as her assistant walked away. While she didn’t like it at all, she knew she had nopony to blame but herself for how she had acted these last several years. Allowing Twilight to handle fiends of this nature while she tended to the more mundane things. Perhaps that was why she was so rusty and making mistakes. She was simply out of practice.

Duke Copperhorn stood into the room, dressed in one of the latest (and most expensive) suits bits could buy. Dramatically he bowed before her as if to make a big show. “Good morning Princess Celestia,” he said as he rose into an upright position. “Please forgive me when I say this, but you are looking a tad under the weather.”

“It has been a tad busier than usual,” replied Celestia calmly. As she spoke, Copperhorn took a seat close to her. Once seated, he snapped his fingers rapidly to signal one of her maids. Celestia watched this while doing her best to keep her anger at this hidden. She disliked her guests treating her maids in such a fashion and, given what had happened to Merry, the anger edged closer to the surface. Still she did her best to remain calm as she did not want to make an un-princess like scene. Besides, she knew he would be getting something fitting within the next few minutes anyways.

“Would it have something to do with the screening I had to go through when I arrived?” he asked before turning to the maid. “A cup of tea right now.” He then turned back to Celestia. “It was rather… invasive to say the least.”

“It does,” admitted Celestia as the maids brought out the tea. Both were quickly served while the princess brought her food closer to her. As she spoke, she began to cut into her pancakes. “I regret that I am unable to go into the specifics at this moment, but rest assured that everything will be explained in due time.” Celestia then paused to take a bite out of her food, fighting really hard not to close her eyes in order to better savor the flavor.

“Well,” began Copperhorn as he levitated one of the other stacks of pancakes closer to him, “you’re not the only one dealing with issues. A minor accident at the mines followed by the Countess making such a big scene out of nothing. It felt like she wanted me to come back and cancel this appointment. I mean, really, who in their right mind would do something like that? Having breakfast alone with a mare such as yourself is one of the finest perks of being nobility.”

Celestia paused as she was about to take another bite out of her food, eyeing the noble for a second before continuing. As she chewed her food Celestia set her utensils down. “An accident? Was anypony hurt?”

Copperhorn shrugged. “I suppose a few ponies got hurt, otherwise it wouldn’t be an accident,” he said dismissively. “Nothing for us to worry about.” At that moment Kizbit returned. Silently he handed Celestia the papers she had asked for before retreating. Copperhorn raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing.

“Well, since you brought up the mines, there is something I would like to go over with you while you are here,” began Celestia. However, Copperhorn let out a polite laugh.

“Oh isn’t this a marvelous surprise,” he said as he took hold of his tea cup. He then made a gesture with it as if to toast himself. “I would be most honored to take control of Dark Bargain’s mines. I do say that it would be wonderful to be rid of that dreadful stallion. Also poking his nose into my affairs, telling me how many ponies I should be hiring and whatnot.”

Now Celestia was the one to raise an eyebrow. “You seem to think that the Countess will side against him.”

“Hardly. The Countess will, most likely, twist the facts around to make him out to be as perfect as you my dear Princess. Make all sorts of false statements to clear him of any blame that rightly belongs to him. They are both thestrals after all so her word should count for very little in the grand scheme. After all, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize that he had to be in on it as a backup plan. His arrival at that, er, establishment was far too perfect to be a simple coincidence. Surely even you can see that.”

Celestia frowned. “I would prefer to have all the facts before making any decisions,” she said causing the noble next to her to huff. “I also have confidence in the Countess that she will be fair and that her word will have weight. However, if that is not enough for you, then perhaps the word of Prince Blueblood will. Right now he is in the Hanging City with Duke Dark Bargain.” As she said this, Celestia noticed something off about Copperhorn. When she began speaking he had begun to lift his tea cup to his lips only to pause when she mentioned Prince Blueblood. His hand trembled slightly, almost unnoticeable had it not been for the many years of experience Princess Celestia on reading ponies like him.

“Prince Blueblood is in the Hanging City?” he asked in a would be casual voice. “Have you heard from him?”

“Not yet,” said Celestia honestly to see his reaction. The barest hint of a smile graced Copperhorn’s lips as he resumed drinking his tea. He seemed far more relaxed now for some reason. Why?

“Well I do hope he can stomach that horrible place,” said Copperhorn as he set down his cup. “Nightmarish, wouldn’t go down there unless I had to. And the ponies who live down there, I will admit that I question their sanity. Are you sure it’s safe for him to be alone with a pony who might be possible of doing horrible things?”

“I am sure he is fine,” replied Celestia while a knot began to grow in her chest. She didn’t like this feeling she was getting from Copperhorn, not at all. Like he…Celestia mentally shook her head. This was a gut feeling right now and nothing more. Right now there were more pressing matters she had to talk to him about. “In any case, I would like to talk about your mining network.”

Copperhorn poked at his pancakes, not meeting the princess’ gaze. “As far as I am aware, my mines are not the ones up for grabs. The Mining Safety Committee would have informed you had I fallen below the standards they have set. According to them, everything is in order.”

“Then their judgment is in question,” replied Celestia in a far sterner tone than she normally used. “During the investigation of Dark Bargain I couldn’t help but notice a few things that worry me. For example, the numerous sections of the mines you have closed down seemingly for no reason. Areas that produce large amounts of copper, iron, and other metals needed within Equestria. No attempt has been made to reopen these sections or allow thestrals to use their magic in order to regrow the mineral deposits there. Meaning you are killing part of Equestria’s riches.”

“Princess, Princess,” said Copperhorn as he waved his hands about. “Please, this was supposed to be a simple breakfast between us. Why are you turning it into an interrogation? If you wanted to talk to me about the mines you could have told me so beforehand so I could have brought along the necessary ponies who deal in the day to day grind. They would have been able to give you all of the information you need.”

“As the owner of the mine as well as a noble, it is your duty to know these things,” stated Celestia firmly with a frown. Something that deepened when she saw Copperhorn scoff and look away. “Furthermore, I’d like to hear why you are only employing forty thestrals to work in your mines which cover hundreds of miles. Following that, you can explain to me why the Mining Committee has only given you minor fees for these constant safety violation that have been piling up over the years.”

“I,” began Copperhorn sounding like he was about to argue or complain. Perhaps it was because of the look Celestia was giving him that made him reconcided, instead snapping his fingers several times to again summon a maid. “I suppose we’d best get a refill. Something tells me this will be long.”

Celestia said nothing to this, instead taking another bite of her food. As she looked down, she noticed Copperhorn lean back quickly to get a glimpse of the maid’s flank as she bent over the table to pour the tea. The Princess rolled her eyes at this. It was probably because he thought that she wasn’t watching that he could get away with something like that. Perhaps some stallions really did have a one track mind. That they-

Celestia dropped her fork as her eyes widened. Slowly she began to rise, eventually standing on her hooves and bracing herself against the table. Copperhorn was probably looking at her in shock, but she wasn’t paying attention to that. At that moment, Celestia was finally beginning to see the full picture. Or at least it was looking a bit clearer now. That monster wouldn’t go after one of the ponies in the files, not right away at least. That thing targeted mares near them, altering their minds and used them to get what he wanted. Perhaps…Perhaps he was going after one of their children or siblings. While the government’s focus was on the individual in the file, that creature could walk in and take whatever he wanted. Or perhaps…

Celestia’s eyes widened in horror. “Kizbit!” she screamed. The stallion rushed over to his princess’ side but before he could open his mouth to speak Celestia had grabbed the middle of his shirt. She knew this was rude and uncalled for, but she had no time to argue with him about her schedule. “Contact Captain Ground Siege this instant and have all of Canterlot’s Guards ready to move out in the flying chariots!” Kizbit’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, prompting Celestia to release him as she opened her wings. “I think I know where he is!”

Pip laid in bed, staring tiredly up at the ceiling. Succubus had rode him like never before, sucking him dry in a way he didn’t think was possible. Heck, she would have probably kept riding him if Dragonfly hadn’t made such a racket outside. But he had to wonder what was going on with her. Succubus had told him to rest for a few minutes while she went out there to see what was wrong with her. Was something up or was his wife just giving him some extra time to, er, refuel?

Before Pip could shutter at the thought of going on round who-the-hell-knew, there was a knock on the door. At first, Pip simply lifted his head in surprise but did nothing more. This wasn’t his house after all and figured he shouldn’t open the door. If it was Succubus, she would have either have simply opened it or just starting yelling for him. So Pip just lowered his head back down to close his eyes. Hopefully when Succubus got back she would see him sleeping and let him rest.

It might have happened if there wasn’t yet another knock on the door. Followed a few minutes later by another. Sighing to himself, Pip forced himself to get out of bed and quickly put on a pair of pants. He had no idea who this was. It could be an emergency message for Steel Fang or somepony from the Hanging City. If it was a message, the least Pip could do for their host was to take a message. So with that in mind Pip walked over to the front door and opened it, revealing a unicorn he had never met before.

“Is Succubus here?”

Prince's Scheme

Pip blinked at the stallion who stood at the doorway. It was odd to see a unicorn here, especially at this time. He wore tight black pants that seemed more stylish than comfortable in Pip’s opinion along with a silk like shirt that was left open so all could see his upper chest. With a long mane that went down to his shoulders, it was like he was looking at a stallion who looked like he belonged on the cover of one of those cheesy romance novels his mother liked to read. The only difference that Pip could make from that comparison was the way they held their heads. The stallions on the book covers always had their heads down to look at the smaller mare next to them. This stallion, however, even though Pip was much shorter than him had his nose slightly raised in the same manner as the Canterlot Elite. Or Spoiled Milk.

As the stallion began to look annoyed, Pip began to wonder something. How did he know Succubus was here, in this town. Everything he knew about his wife told him that she had lived in the Hanging City all her life until she came to Ponyville. And Pip had lived in Ponyville all his life so he would have remembered this guy. Perhaps he was a mail order husband Succubus had met when she went to see Ms. Match Marker, the mare who brought them together. But that still didn’t answer the question of how he knew she was here. True, there were a few ponies back home who knew that they were in this town, but not even Pip had known where he would be staying when he left.

“Is Succubus here?” the stallion asked again, tilting his head downwards a tad to look at Pp. Pip had seen ponies give him that look before. It was one that said ‘you are insignificant compared to me’. But there was something more behind it, like a timberwolf hiding as it waited for its prey to drop its guard. The smaller stallion could feel his hands begin to sweat slightly while at the same time feeling the beating of his heart increase.

“You’ll have to come back later,” was all Pip said as he closed the door. Or, at least, he tried to. The unicorn’s horn lit up green, freezing Pip on the spot before lifting him into the air. Before Pip could even comprehend what was happening to him he was flung backwards across the house until he hit the wall. He then fell to the floor with a thud as pictures crashed all around him, littering the floor with broken glass as the stallion strode into the house as if he owned it.

The stallion looked around, as if he were waiting for something to happen. “So she is not home,” he said softly as he turned around to close the door. Pip tried to stand, but the magic that surrounded his body refused to let him. “Well then, perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me where she is. I have traveled a long way to see her.”

“There’s no way I-” Pip said before he felt a powerful blow to his chest causing him to cough blood. He looked up at the intruder seeing his horn was still glowing, hands behind his back in an imperial sort of way.

“This is why I prefer mares,” he said. “So much easier for me to bend to my will while not wasting any of my precious time.” Pip felt a sudden blow to his left cheek, which quickly began to swell. “I hate having to become violent, so utterly unbecoming of a stallion such as myself. But, alas, you have nopony to blame this upon but yourself. Thankfully you are a powerless earth pony with no magic to make this more difficult for me.” Pip cried out as he felt a force roughly grabbing his mane, pulling it upwards as his follicles were strained. “So, this will continue until you tell me where Succubus is and, as a reward, I shall grant you a swift death. Or you can oppose me until she returns in which case…” The stallion left the threat hanging in the air as Pip’s head was slammed into the wall.

“Trolley, my Trolley,” wailed Old Flint into his hands as he sat there, his back against the train. Hands soaked with his tears which dripped down onto his pants, he laid there in the dirt as others shuffled around him. None of the passengers knew what to say, what they could say, to him at this moment to give him comfort. The crew of the train had done their best to help, taking his limp body out of the train once they had arrived while he cried out for what he had lost, hoping that being away from where she had passed would do some good.

As Old Flint let out another sob, he wondered the same thing over again: Why? Why had his Trolley killed herself like that? If something was wrong, why didn’t she come to him? Ever since she was a little filly Trolley had always known she could come to him with her problems. Even if he couldn’t fix things right away he would try. At the very least she would have known he was there for her, comforting her like he always did. So why?

“Should we talk to the locals?” came a voice off to his side. “Maybe they could up us figure out what happened to Trolley.” Old Flint lowered his hands as he looked over to see several stewardesses from the train huddled together.

“Doubtful these bat-freaks could help us,” said another, a scowl carried in her voice. “This place is so run down I doubt they even have a police station. Nothing but a damned tourist trap where all the ‘police’ do is help bring foals who wandered off back to their parents. Better off calling up Canterlot and waiting for some real police.”

“But…we know what happened to Trolley,” said a third voice. “Poor dear killed herself. In front of her own father too. Poor dear.”

“Come off it,” said the second voice again. “Use your damned head for a change! That’s the sort of lazy thinking I’d expect from those bat-freaks! Trolley was fine when we left Canterlot but then started acting all funny. Started spending time in the private cart in the back, with that Prince Charming or whatever his name was, more time than she should have and acting like some lovesick fool. In fact, I was going to give her a piece of my mind when we stopped because I covered for her three times.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” said the first mare. “The way she looked when she finally came back was so unlike her. Clothing all rumpled. That look on her face.”

“Maybe she just had a crush,” suggested the meek one. “Maybe she confessed her feelings but got rejected real hard.”

“Shut it,” snapped the second voice. “Look, my guess is he was some sort of drug dealer or something. Makes sense I think. Probably got her hooked on something so bad she was willing to do anything. Took advantage of her, had his way, then cut her off dry. Makes sense he’s the only one not here, doesn’t it? Kills herself because of him and he doesn’t want the law asking too many questions.”

“You’ll have a hard time proving that,” said the meek one as she shook her head.

As the three continued to talk, Old Flint lowered his hands to his sides as a wave of pure, white hot anger overtook him. He remembered the state she was in as well as her last words that were forever carved into his memory. His Trolley would never take drugs. At least not willingly. That monster, Prince Charming or whatever, must have slipped or something to take advantage of her. Maybe he had charmed her, making promises in order to get her into bed with him and then tossing her out into the cold. Someway, somehow, that pony had done this to his Trolley and Old Flint was going to make him pay.

Scrambling to his hooves, Old Flint ran to the front of the train while startling everypony there. He paid them no mind as he went in to grab his shovel before heading out into the town. It was the only place that fiend could be. When Old Flint found him there would be blood to pay.

Blueblood was currently in the room Ghostly had provided for him, lying down on the bed as he stared up at the ceiling. His clothing was still in a state that had only ever existed in his most erotic dreams prior. Only he wished it had been because he had been with several sexually starved mares instead of being attacked by the largest spider creatures he had ever seen! At least then there would be a small smile on his face as he considered how he was going to explain his appearance to the Duke before they met. Thankfully, Ghostly was proving to be a most excellent hostess as she was right now searching through her father’s old possessions in search of a proper replacement.

Yet as he laid there, resting from using so much of his magic as well as from the hellishness of his journey, Blueblood wondered if he should be assisting his hostess in some small manner. He knew most nobles would scoff at the mere idea of helping a common in such a way, but he was a prince. A prince who had, at this moment, no access to his fortune and was still receiving kindness from the locals in this sleepy little town. It would be the sort of thing his aunt would appreciate him doing, even if Miss Ghostly refused to allow him to.

Gritting his teeth a bit, Blueblood pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed. As he did, Blueblood noticed a closet on the opposite side of the room. He looked at it for a long moment, thinking that it was possible that the mare of the house might have sorted some clothing in there that might have belonged to her father. If it did then Ghostly could stop looking…wherever she was currently looking. If it didn’t then he could just close the door and no real harm would be done.

So with his mind made up, Blueblood pushed himself off the bed and approached the closet. Slowly he opened it revealing it to be full of cardboard boxes, going up to his chest level. He could easily see that each one that had several areas that had been covered up by marker until there was a single phrase: best offer. This didn’t seem that odd to him. From what he knew thus far the town was struggling. Perhaps she had a yard sale or something like that recently to try and clear out some extra space while trying to earn a few bits. Thinking that there might be something to wear as well as being a bit curious, Blueblood opened one of the boxes.

What laid before him was something he never thought possible in this town. Plates made of pure silver! Or, at least, it looked like it in the low light the room provided. Slowly he reach in and picked one of them up, feeling the weight before bringing it up to his nose. It felt like silver and smelled like it as well. Bringing it away from his face, Blueblood could see that it was engraved with such meticulous detail that it should be a work of art rather than something you ate off of!

As Blueblood continued to examine the plate, a memory from not too long ago began to surface in his mind. He remembered he was at an auction hosted by a pair of unicorn brothers who might have had a history with one of Princess Twilight’s friends. The two held one of these auctions every so often and, normally, Prince Blueblood steered clear of them since most of what they sold was rubbish. But that night had been different for he had been told by a reliable source that they had been selling some higher quality items lately. Sure enough, not long into the auction Blueblood was seeing old fashioned hand crafted items made of pure silver. When asked to prove if it was silver or just silver plated, they allowed the use of magic to prove if it was genuine or not which it surprisingly was real. Seeing how elegant these items were, the nobles were tripping over themselves in order get their hands of them spending hundreds of thousands of bits.

At the time, Blueblood had only though it was odd that the two had come across such amazing items but never paid it much more mind than that. He knew the two had a reputation as con-artists so it was more than likely that they conned some poor fool. Or perhaps, standing here, he wondered if it had been somepony who was just that desperate.

“Prince Blueblood, the Duke is OH,” came the voice of Ghostly as she entered the room. By the time he had turned around, the thestral mare had a hand covering her mouth.

“These plates,” said Blueblood as he looked down at the art in his hands. “Where by chance did you come by these?”

“They belonged to my parents,” replied Ghostly after a moment, lowering her hand as she spoke. “They made them, right here in this house back before…they passed.” Blueblood saw out of the corner of his eye that she was looking away. “With times as tough as they are, I thought I’d sell some of them because I think that they’d want even somepony as ugly as me to be happy. Or at least a tad more secure. But I’ve only been able to sell six boxes at a bit per box.”

At that, Blueblood nearly dropped the plate. He spun around to look at the mare who seemed surprised. “A bit per box?” he repeated. “For such high quality wares?”

Ghostly tilted her head in confusion. “That’s, er, not what I was told,” she said. “I tried to sell them for more, but nopony around here has the bits I was asking for. It was only until the tourist season a year or so back when these two brothers approached me and explained that they were really low quality. That was apparently the reason nopony who visited during the tourist season ever bought anything from me. So I asked them how much they were willing to spend.”

“I,” began Blueblood but stopped himself. He couldn’t believe it! He simply couldn’t believe it. This mare was probably sitting on a fortune. Even if these items were low quality she could probably sell them for the going rate of silver and collect far much more than a single bit per box.

“Oh, right,” she said quickly. “Please forgive me, but Duke Dark Bargain is here and would like to see you now. If you don’t mind.” Blueblood nodded dumbly, not even caring if he wasn’t well dressed anymore as Ghostly left the doorway and was quickly replaced with the stallion he had come here to see.

Blueblood had seen the recently appointed Duke a few times before but had never actually spoken to him. If he were being completely honest, the first time Blueblood saw him he assumed that the stallion was a mob boss. With that scar on his grey coated face, just missing his eye, and that ridiculously long mane tied up in the back along with his dark suit it was hard not to see how anypony could not come to such a conclusion. But today, however, was a different story. Blueblood’s keen eye could make out the signs of fatigue in the other stallion’s coat and his suit looked less sharp than it normally did. The stallion probably hid all this well from those around him, but for a pony like Blueblood he could see the signs of stress and fatigue as clear as day. Thankfully, he did not look like the description of Merry Day.

Despite this, Dark Bargain still held himself like a member of the nobility should as he eyed Blueblood carefully. Once he had finished, the Duke approached the Prince calmly and once he was close enough looked down at the plate Blueblood held. Blueblood watched him as Dark Bargain’s eyes took in the craftsmanship before nodding slowly.

“Such fine work,” murmured Dark Bargain softly. “Wouldn’t you agree Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood felt a bit more relieved to see that the Duke could tell he was a real prince unlike the fool from the hotel. “Indeed it is truly exquisite. Fewer and fewer items of such skill can be found these days.” The Prince’s hand moved over the plates before gently sliding across it. “Such treasures sold at such cheap prices. I do not wish to speak ill of my hostess, but she was foolish for trusting whoever offered her a bit per box! She should have tried taking something like this to Canterlot. Anyone of the shops there would have paid her something far more reasonable.”

“Perhaps,” said Dark Bargain with a nod as he strode over to the curtained off window. “But it can hardly be surprising that somepony with a past like Ms. Ghostly Stitch’s would feel less inclined to traveling. I do not say this because I know her well, quite the contrary to be honest, but I have seen plenty of mares who have suffered like she has. Sometimes they leave in the hopes that they might find happiness in the world beyond while others are far less lucky. These walls might be the only refuge that Ms. Ghostly has ever known making it harder for her to willingly leave where she might face equal or worse torment for her unsightly appearance. Or, equally likely, she could simply not afford the price to have her parents wares shipped to a place like Canterlot or Manehatten.”

“Unsightly…” began Blueblood, putting the plate away as he looked at the Duke in surprise. What was he on about? Ghostly was a very attractive mare! Blueblood was burning to give the other stallion a piece of his mind, but managed to stop himself. While defending his hostesses was important Blueblood knew he had a duty to uphold. Now was not the time to tell Dark Bargain that he was categorically wrong. So he cleared his throat before speaking. “You seemed to arrive here quickly.”

“Yes,” sighed the Duke sadly. “Bit of trouble going on with the town after the accident at the mines. It appears that the residents here have reached a snapping point and its extent is so great that the mayor contacted the Countess for assistance calming down the rioting. Right now a small number of guards are right now doing their best to help bring order back into the town while I assist in my own way. It was while I was trying to calm down several drunks that Miss Erotic spotted me and proceeded to discreetly inform me that a unicorn claiming to be in service to the crown wished to speak with me.” The Duke paused as he gave Prince Charming a once over again. “I had heard a rumor that a stallion claiming to Prince Blueblood had tried to get a free room for himself and Batibat. At the time, I had assumed that it was just another pony trying to pull a ‘fast one’ if I’m using the term correctly. But I sincerely doubt that any con-pony would adorn himself in clothing of Prench silk made by Fancy Thread of Canterlot.”

Blueblood touched his ruined shirt. “You have a good eye,” commented Blueblood with a half smile. “Good to see you can recognize his work.”

Dark Bargain allowed himself a brief smile as well. “I simply recognized the logo, nothing more my Prince,” he replied before the tired expression returned in fullest. “Your appearance here is unexpected. I had assumed that Princess Celestia was going to wait to hear back from the Countess before making her decision about my position. That as well as having some random errand colt deliver the news of my dismissal.”

Blueblood looked at Dark Bargain with confusion. He knew, of course, what was going on with him as part of his mission. However, the idea that Princess Celestia wouldn’t wait for all the information before making a decision like this was just downright insulting to the crown. Normally the Prince would have made a rude comment at this in order to shame his fellow noble, but he bit his tongue. Given everything he had seen and heard since he first arrived in the forest of webs to this point, it was clear that these ponies were suffering. Had his aunt known about this, she would have done something by now. It was a hard truth that when one rules over such a large land, some areas’ problems can slip through the cracks.

Blueblood paused to consider how to respond to Dark Bargain. Whether or not it was intended, the Prince felt like there was a bit of a threat behind the Duke’s words. Not too long ago he had mentioned riots. Would Dark Bargain throw him to the angry mob outside if he thought his position were in trouble? Or perhaps he would he be given to the spiders that lived in the forest? Neither of those options sounded pleasant to the Prince nor did he believe he could handle either of them.

“Be at ease,” said Dark Bargain as he crossed his arms. “I am sure that Princess Celestia sent you here herself. Should any harm befall you, it would only make things worse on me. To be honest, I’m rather offended that you think me so petty.”

Blueblood blinked as he realized that some of his fear must have shown on his face. So he straightened himself up a bit before taking a calming breath. “It was never my intent to insult you. The journey here has been less than pleasant. A fantastic story to be sure, but I am sadly not the type who goes on life or death excursions. The mind can run away from you so much more easily when one is tired.” Dark Bargain gave him a short nod. “As for my Aunt, I know that she regrets having to put you through all of this. Still she will wait to hear from the Countess before coming to a decision that will be fair. You have my word on that.”

Dark Bargain closed his eyes. “I wish I could believe that,” he said softly. “I truly do.” Dark Bargain slowly opened his eyes. “Yet it has been many years since the Countess has been made welcome in Canterlot thus leaving my tribe without any representation. Few ponies can even remember when Princess Celestia last visited Hollow Shades or the Hanging City, but I do know for a fact that she has visited the surrounding areas on multiple occasions over the years. I have watched as families starve while, on the same day, reading in the papers about a Cake Tasting event that Princess Celestia participated in. Then there is the Mining Safety Committee. With all this, it is hard to believe that any fairness can come from Canterlot.”

Blueblood felt the desire to defend his aunt yet the words could not form in his mind. After being in this town, seeing what they ate to survive, how could he justify or excuse Canterlot’s absence? To allow two towns to ‘slip through the cracks’ as it were. No, there was no excuse. But, he knew that if his aunt knew about this she would be furious. So why didn’t she…

Blueblood’s eyes widened as a horrifying realization came over him. He remembered the mare who had sent him here from Canterlot. Instead of appearing in the Hanging City or even Hollow Shades, he appeared in the middle of a death forest. He might have been able to accept that it had been an honest mistake, that is until he took into account the dead body close to where he appeared. A dead mining inspector that the Mining Committee had failed to report missing. Had that been some new pony that they couldn’t bribe or threaten into going along with whatever was going on? Or was it somepony who had been complicit until his or her conscience finally got the better? Maybe…

“May I pose a question?” asked Blueblood as he felt cold sweat appear on the back of his neck.

“You may,” was the simple reply.

“Let’s say there was somepony trying to keep a secret from the crown,” began Blueblood as he began to pace back and forth. “Perhaps even a group of ponies, and that secret has to do with Hollow Shades. Perhaps even the Hanging City. These ponies have done everything in their power to ensure that Princess Celestia never finds out how bad things are getting. Even going so far as to commit murder.” Blueblood’s hand moved towards his head so that he could run his fingers through his mane. “This has been going on for years without anypony catching on. Then, one night out of the blue, a member of the royal family is sent to this town on official business. Except, he never makes it there. That pony is killed in order to help maintain the secret. But why? How does this help them?” Blueblood turned to look at Dark Bargain who was giving him an uncertain look.

“…Why, may I ask, are you posing me this question?” Dark Bargain asked softly.

Blueblood launched into the tale of his journey. From the moment he left the castle to arriving at Ghostly’s home, Blueblood left no detail out from his exciting tale. Well, mostly. He did neglect to inform Dark Bargain for the reason he was sent here. He did not suspect that the fiend had gotten his hands on Dark Bargain since, while they had been talking, he seemed to be of sound mind. Nor did he appear to have lost the amount of weight described to him by Princess Celestia. There was, however, the chance that Blueblood had arrived before the fiend had. For that reason, Blueblood decided it was best to withhold that small piece of information least it somehow reach his targets ears. It was not like withholding that information bothered the Duke. No, he sat there listening to the story quietly so as to take everything in.

“What I am failing to understand is why they would try to kill me as well,” finished Blueblood. “A common worker pony’s death or disappearance is far easier to cover up. Surely they would know that Princess Celestia would look into my disappearance.”

“Perhaps that is what they want,” said Dark Bargain. He then gestured to Blueblood. “You were to be sent to me by one of Princess Celestia’s trusted mages. Meaning that Princess Celestia would have to believe that she had sent you here. I believe those in Canterlot who wish to take both my mines and status would be quick to accuse me of any wrongdoing. After all, I would be the last pony who was supposed to see you. Imagine how easy it would be for them to say that in my desperation I killed you and hid the body. There are plenty of places to hide a body here. Even if your body was eventually found in the forest, I doubt there would be any evidence left to point away from me. Again, it would be easy to claim that I tossed your body to the wolf-spiders in the hopes that they would leave nothing but your bones.” Dark Bargain paused to rub his chin. “Maybe they could even use your ‘death’ to get rid of the Countess. Once Princess Celestia sees the state Hollow Shades is in, the other nobles could clamor on about how she’s not doing her duty. Perhaps in her angered state, she would believe them.”

“That…” began Blueblood as his voice trailed off. His eyes shot downwards for a brief moment as he collected his thoughts. “That plan seems overly complicated and requires plenty of assumption on how Princess Celestia would react.”

“True,” agreed Dark Bargain with a sigh. “But I am trying my best to give your murders some credit as to how this might benefit them. It does sound better than just blindly killing anypony from Canterlot and trying to cover it up.” Dark Bargain paused for a moment before a smile appeared on his face. “Then again, we are working under the assumption that there is a massive conspiracy at hoof. Maybe your planned death was a bit more personal. By any chance did you break that mare’s heart?”

For a moment, Blueblood stared at the Duke as his mind processed the comment. Soon he too was smiling as well as laughing. It felt good to laugh again after everything that had happened to him. Made him feel like things were going to be alright. He knew that sooner or later he would have to stop, return to the situation at hand, and figure out who might be behind his attempted murder. He would also need to know just how bad things were in this town. After all, if they were eating grounded up cockroaches then there had to be more things wrong. Yet that would have to wait a few more minutes. Blueblood wanted to let this brief moment of happiness last a bit longer.

“How are you feeling?”

Dragonfly opened her eyes a bit, groaning as the pounding in her head was intensified by the light of the morning sun shining into her orbs. She flinched, averting her gaze instantly to see where she was. Or at least as much as she could without moving her head which was currently laying on top of a table. Dragonfly could see that they were across the street from the local hardware store and that the tablecloth that her head was laying on was black with a white coffin pattern to it. As far as she knew there was only one place in Hollow Shades she could be: The Darkest Corner Café. Out of all the places in the town that catered to the tourists looking for a spooky experience this place was the best (AKA the place that had sold out the most). Coming here was like stopping at an all year round Nightmare Night store where you could get food with names like Frightening Fritters or Spinechiller Latté. Dragonfly was glad to see that she couldn’t see any of the staff walking around in those ridiculous outfits that reminded her of something a vampony would wear in one of those cheap after-school movies or plays.

What she did see, however, was Succubus. The large breasted thestral’s eyes were looking down at her full of concern as she sipped something from a plastic glass shaped like a skull. Slowly, Dragonfly lifted herself off the table.

“What happened?” murmured Dragonfly slowly.

Succubus shrugged as she finished sipping her drink. “I have no idea,” she said after removing the straw from her mouth. “I heard a noise outside and found you lying on the ground. You were sort of acting like this one guy who came to the club and had way, way too much salt and cider.” She paused and took another sip of her drink. “Thought about taking you to a doctor, but then I remembered you’re, well, a you-know-what. So instead I began looking for your father until I got tired.”

“Thanks,” groaned Dragonfly as she rubbed her temples. “Not really sure what happened. It felt similar to what it’s like when I’m around newlyweds only times a thousand. I guess,” Dragonfly paused and glanced around before talking, “Changelings get drunk or high or whatever on love when they have too much of it. Or maybe if their bodies can’t handle it. I DON’T KNOW!” Dragonfly suddenly slammed her fist against the table as the pain in her head had a sudden sharp increase before dying down.

If this bothered Succubus, she didn’t show it. She just kept watching Dragonfly looking a little confused. “What do you mean you don’t know? I mean, you are one of them so shouldn’t you know how your body works?”

“No,” breathed Dragonfly. “I have no memories of before Hollow Shades. Everything I know comes from instinct plus a lot of trial and error. Just glad you came by. Don’t want to think what might have happened if any other pony showed up. I might have revealed my secret.” As she gave the large breasted thestral a smile, a thought occurred to her. “Hey, what were you doing in the house before I showed up?”

Succubus smiled and Dragonfly felt a bit of the love she had felt before the world turned upside down emanating from her. “Oh, me and my Pip were finally making love.” Dragonfly stared at Succubus with her mouth hanging open.

“You…were…I…what?”

“Yeah,” sighed Succubus in a longing sort of way. “We hadn’t had any sex since we got on the train. Every time we started it seemed like there was somepony to stop us. So when we FINALLY got a moment I made sure to remind my darling Pip how much I love him.” She let out a small laugh. “Well, and then some.”

“You flooded my family’s house with that much lust?” demanded Dragonfly.

Succubus waved her hand at that. “Well, my Pip is the sexiest stallion I have ever met. Not one of those naughty colts who fools around with just any mare or filly. And the way he looks at me when we make love, seeing all of me! So how could I not lust over such a hunk?” She then gave Dragonfly a sly look. “But this couldn’t be the first time two ponies have made such passion in the sheets at that place. Hasn’t your sister or your father-” Succubus couldn’t say another word, taken aback as Dragonfly quickly covered her ears.

“I’m not hearing this!” shouted the changeling even while her head pounded like mad. “I’m not going to let you put the image of my papa doing…that into my head!”

Succubus sighed. “I’ll take that as a no,” she said sadly as she frowned. “Too bad.”

“Well, we’re waiting for our arranged marriages before we have our first time,” replied Dragonfly, lowering her hands as her face turned red. Slowly she looked away from Succubus. “Or, at least Dragon Fang will be. I’m probably never going to do…that.”

“What?” said Succubus as she stood up. “Why not? Is it because you really have big boobs? If-” Succubus got no further as Dragonfly had launched herself across the table to place a hand over the other’s mouth.

“No you idiot,” hissed Dragonfly as she glared dangerously at Succubus. “It’s not because I have these disgusting large breasts. What happens when my future husband finds out I’m a changeling? My illusion might vanish while having sex or when I’m asleep. If anypony here finds out…” Dragonfly pulled away from Succubus, moving back to her seat with her head hanging.

“Oh, is that all?” asked Succubus in an innocent sounding tone. Dragonfly looked up giving the other mare a death glare while Succubus let her cup down. “Look, if you want that kind of happiness then you won’t find it here where you have to hide who you really are. Trust me on this, I’ve been there. Leaving the Hanging City allowed me to show the world my true sexy self. I know that you’ll find plenty of ponies out there who would love to get to know you and make love with you. They are out there, in the rest of Equestria. Trust me; I’ve heard that there are plenty of stallions and mares out there who are always fantasizing what it would be like have sex with a changeling. Not to mention the bonus of you being able to turn into any other pony you want.”

“Great, turn me into a prostitute who makes my clients dirty wishes come true,” growled Dragonfly as she held her head with both her hands. “Yeah, that’s just what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”

“Well, actually I was thinking you could just strip in both your true form and then maybe shake it up from time to time,” replied Succubus. “Just imagine dancing nude before a crowd, turning into each member of the Elements of Harmony while doing so. Or perhaps some other famous ponies like Songbird or Sapphire Shores.”

“…What happens when word gets back here that I’m doing that?” asked Dragonfly. “I’m not like you. I actually love my papa. If word gets back here that I’m a you-know-what then the thestrals around here will be angry with him. They might lock him up or worse! My sister, what about her!?! She’ll be kicked out of the local guard because she grew up with me and never reported it. They’ll never trust her! And I can’t just leave my home when its struggling like this! I care about my home! I’d-”

“Fine, fine,” interrupted Succubus as she leaned back in her seat. “All I am trying to do is help you in the only way I know that works. But if you’re that worried, I might have another idea that could help.”

Dragonfly raised an eyebrow at that while leaning back in her seat. Everything she knew about this childish mare told her that Succubus would probably bring up something erotic. Perhaps Succubus was going to suggest that she do some nude modeling for painters or magazines. It was almost humorous to think about that. Dragonfly could become any mare, any shape, any coloration that was needed and the magazine would only have to pay one mare. That might work out if she could convince them to make up several fake names in order to keep her name out of those books. However, there was still the chance that some angry model would find out about her and do everything in her power to ruin her. Maybe Succubus’ suggestion was that she simply date for money. Great, she might not be a hooker but she could still run the chance of being a homewrecker! What else was there?

“See, I was talking to Pip and we came up with this great idea for everypony to get what they want,” continued Succubus when Dragonfly hadn’t said anything for a while. “If my brother loses his title, I was wondering if you could be the family steward until Banshee became of age!”

Dragonfly felt her brain shut down as she gaped with open mouth at Succubus. She had to have misheard her. There was no way that she was suggesting that she become a steward! It was just…insane!

“Please tell me you’re joking,” muttered Dragonfly. However, one look at Succubus told her that she was not. Not giving the mare a chance to answer, Dragonfly slammed a palm onto the table. “Do you have any idea how bad of an idea that is?”

Succubus shrugged. “Not really,” she answered calmly. “I think it works out for everypony. You want to help Hollow Shades and I want to leave but I also don’t want my family to be homeless. As far as I know, you’re the only pony who would gladly surrender this power since the longer you stay in the Hanging City the greater the chance will be of you being caught. You said it yourself, you can’t get married to another thestral because your illusion might drop in the heat of the moment. Well, that and you might give birth to a thestral changeling hybrid which might turn out to be sexy like you.”

Dragonfly felt her eyes narrow. “Let me guess, if I say no you’ll blab my secret?”

“Nope!” replied Succubus cheerfully, surprising Dragonfly. “Look, I know that if I force you to do this you’ll snap sooner or later. Being in charge of something as big as this puts a lot of pressure on a pony. Believe me, I’ve seen it in my parents. With all that on you plus the knowledge that you are there because I forced you to won’t make you do the job any better. You might just lunge at somepony or have a mental breakdown. Maybe you’ll even decide to try and sell the mine just to get back at me before you realize what you’ve done. I just think it’ll be better if you choose to do this on your own.” Succubus then reached over to touch Dragonfly. “I won’t lie and say that you being what you are doesn’t have something to do with my decision. And I know that this is a big risk for you. But it’s the best I can come up with right now. You’re the only pony I really know who could do this.”

Dragonfly looked away from Succubus. This was a chance of a lifetime. She might not be able to fix every problem or even one. But the thestrals around Hollow Shades knew her and they would probably calm down. They, like Succubus, knew she would never sell the mines to anypony and all of the ponies who worked in the mines would keep their jobs. The tension that was building in Hollow Shades would most certainly lessen to the point where thestrals would stop talking about leaving their homeland. Or burning the rest of Equestria to the ground. Protecting their home as well as their way of life was what mattered. However, Succubus was right about something else: this was a big risk. The thestrals in the Hanging City were more alert for Changelings seeing how easy it was nowadays to go through the tunnels. New security methods of detecting them were always a high priority. If she did anything to stop or stall them, then her position would most certainly be called into question. If she were ever discovered…

Was it worth the risk?

“I…I need some time to think about this,” said Dragonfly at last, pulling away a bit from Succubus.

“Well, hopefully it won’t come to that,” replied Succubus. “I mean, it’ll only happen if-”

“Succubus!” came a loud squealing voice. Both mares turned to see Banshee standing at the now opened door to the café looking positively thrilled. Before anypony could say or do anything, the filly had leapt into the air and flown towards her older sister so as to wrap her small arms around the mare’s neck.

“Banshee,” said a startled Succubus before hugging the younger thestral. “What are you doing here? Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“I’m not a foal,” said the young filly gently as she hugged her older sister. “I can stay up late if I want to. Besides, Dark said it was ok this time. He had to come up here to deal with something important and I bugged him until he said I could come. Said that you could deal with me for a while until he was done with him business.”

“Ok, but how did you find us?” asked Dragonfly curiously. Banshee didn’t say a word, only pointing to the window near them. Dragonfly took this to mean she must have spotted them through the window as she was traveling by. It was probably easy since Succubus’ attire stood out like a spot light and that they were the only ones in the café.

“Well, how about we make things a bit easier on Dark and head to Steal Fang’s house,” said Succubus as she stood up. “The last thing we want to do is worry him. And I’m sure by now my Pip is fully rested. Or at least rested enough for now.”

As Dragonfly stood up as well, rolling her eyes at the comment, she noticed Banshee giving her sister an odd look. “Why? What happened?”

Succubus grinned like the cat who got the canary. “Oh, I’ll tell you one day,” she said. “Trust me, there is no way I’m going to let Dark handle that talk.” Rolling her eyes, Dragonfly also began to stand. As she turned around her eyes widened in both shock and horror at what she saw. Both Succubus and Banshee had their backs towards her, with Banshee having been let go so she could walk next to her sister while holding her hand. And, tied to her back, was a new doll.

“You are truly trying my patience,” sighed Prince Charming as he looked in the refrigerator for some fancy bottled water. However, like most of the cabinets, there was scarcely anything that he would deem edible for even the lowest class of pony. The few things he saw were bowls a quarter full of what looked like mush the color of vomit. Green vomit. Brown vomit. Yellow vomit. Nostrils flared in annoyance, he closed the door to turn back to look at his very unwilling host.

The small, pathetic stallion before him looked like he had seen better days. Both of his eyes had dark rings around them and seemed almost closed tightly due to the swelling. Blood was trickling down his lips while both cheeks had swelled as well. Magic was holding both palms of his hands against the ground as his fingers were pulled upwards as far as they could normally go. All it would take was a thought and Charming could have them touching the back of his hands like he had done so not too long ago. The false prince knew without needing to look that welts and bruises covered his victims torso.

“Won’t…tell…anything,” breathed the pathetic stallion in labored breaths. This caused Prince Charming to frown deeply.

“A part of me can understand why you’d want to fight this much,” replied Charming as he walked over to whatever his name was, stopping so that his hoof was right on the tiny stallion’s leg. “I’m sure a mare like that is fun for you to have your way with. Fucking her like the one bit whore that she is. Don’t try to deny it; I can smell what the two of you were up to as soon as I entered this barn. I bet even somepony as amazing as me wouldn’t tire of her so quickly. But let’s face facts; I will get her in the end. So why not make it easier on yourself and just tell me where she is.” Charming watched as whatever that stallion was called slowly looked up at him. For a moment, Charming believed he had come to his senses and was ready to tell him everything.

“I…won’t…betray…her,” breathed the pathetic stallion, causing Charming’s eyes to narrow. “And…she…won’t…betray…me.”

Rolling his eyes at this, Charming put all his weight on the stallion’s leg. He heard a crack right before the insane stallion beneath him cried out in pain. The whole thing was simply too annoying, this fool actually believed in the absurd concept of love. There was, after all, no such thing. Love was nothing more than an illusion created by idiots. A greater form of lust and just as shallow, based solely on how attractive both parties found each other. If it were real, however, it had to be the weakest thing Prince Charming had ever seen. So many ‘romantics’ believed it to be a powerful force yet he knew better. How many times he had turned a daughter against her boyfriend and parents because she ‘loved’ him more? So easily did he turn a fiancée against her husband to be, leaving that sad sap for him until he grew bored. Heck, he had even done the same thing with his own mother, turning a once upstanding mare in the community into his own personal cock warmer because she ‘loved’ him more than her husband. It’s not like he ever did anything wrong, these things would have happened sooner or later. All he had ever done was speed up the process and direct their ‘love’ towards him. Anything else that happened could hardly be considered his fault. How could it be when they choose to end their lives because they lusted after him so badly that they could not live without him?

Prince Charming’s horn lit up, sending a powerful blow into what’s his name’s gut to silence him. Sneering at the pitiful creature at his mercy, Prince Charming pondered what to do with this wretch. Perhaps he should start pulling teeth as well as bending his fingers? Hmm, that might get some blood on him which he didn’t want. Blood stained so easily. Perhaps he could use his magic to hold his lungs still? That might be a challenge. He could just-

“Pip,” came a sing song voice from the other side of the front door. Slowly, Charming turned to look at the door knob to see it turn but not open. He had locked before he started in earnest as he did not want to be interrupted torturing this fool. “Pip dear, I think I locked the door before I left. I know you’re tired from that marathon we had but could you please open the door?”

“Please Succubus, shut up,” groaned another mare’s voice. “I have a key.”

The Prince did not wait for her to unlock the door. Upon hearing the mare’s name, Prince Charming strode over to the door, unlocked it himself, and opened it. He then smiled as he saw her, in the flesh, for the first time. Her eyes widened before looking confused, most likely because she had never before laid eyes on a more attractive and perfect specimen. That was, after all, the reason he had gotten his surgery, so that he would look like every mare’s dream stallion.

“Greetings,” he said as he reached out a hand to touch her cheek, his horn glowing green. He only just registered the two other mares with her, but they would be of little concern. All he had to do was employ the same magic on them and all of his troubles would be gone. Time seemed to crawl by, allowing Prince Charming to better savor this single moment where all of his dreams would come true. First things first, he would make sure that Succubus would become single again by getting her to murder her former ‘love’. Yes, that would be a fitting punishment for the annoyance that tiny colt caused him. Charming would relish his attempts to plead with her as she killed him in a way to prove herself. Then, he would marry Succubus which should go smoothly. After all, everypony who saw him would know instantly that this mare had traded up! Once that was finished he could move on to phase two. All he had to do was wait for Canterlot to remove Duke whatever his name is so that Succubus and he became the new Duke and Duchess. If, for some reason, Canterlot began to lean in the former Duke’s favor he could always frame him for murder or make him vanish. Just find some stupid mare and get her to do all the dirty work for him. Nothing he hadn’t done before.

From there, it would be a waiting game. He didn’t care about this shit hole or anything like that. No, everything here could rot for he had grander plans for himself. Sooner or later, he would be invited to the castle by Princess Celestia herself to have breakfast where it would be just the three of them. Then he would have her. He would do to her the same he had done with so many, only difference was he would never let that one go. Charming would make himself her entire world so that she would want to marry him followed by doing everything in her power to make him immortal as well. Perhaps he would keep Succubus around as his personal fuck toy as well as her little sister when she was old enough. That is if she grew to be as attractive as her sister for, if not, he would simply get rid of her for good. With Celestia under his sway, he would move on to the other Princess’. One by one he would make them his, having them kill their husbands (except for Twilight’s wife Sunset, he would test her out to see if she was worthy enough to be allowed to live as his sex slave). Until the end of time, he would live in the lap of luxury while his stupid mares did all the hard work.

Smiling, Prince Charming’s hand made contact with Succubus’ cheek. He had won.

Author's Note

Next chapter: The Fall

(lightning flashes in the background)

The Fall

Prince Charming continued to smile as the moments passed by, Succubus looking into his eyes. He heard a gasp from the other mare, most likely because she too was simply amazed by the handsomeness before her. No doubt she was having the same thoughts that Succubus had when she first laid eyes upon him. The same lustful desires that all-

“Excuse me but who are you?” asked Succubus as she swatted his hand away. Prince Charming took a step back, shocked by this as she continued to talk. “Well, whoever you are, I don’t let naughty colts touch me like that. Especially when I’m not working. That sort of thing is reserved for my Pip. Are you a friend of his? Is that why you were inside?”

Prince Charming couldn’t believe what was happening. His body trembled slightly as he did everything in his power to process this. No mare had ever resisted his magic like this before! At least not since he had gotten that plastic surgery to alter his face! Ever since then no mare had been unable to look at him without having at least one lustful thought. Breath quickening, Charming wondered if maybe the issue was that she didn’t find him attractive. NO! That was impossible! There had to be some form of thestral magic that made her immune to his magic. That was the only way this bat-winged mare could resist him! That had to be it. THAT HAD TO BE IT!

“Succubus, watch out!” shouted the other mare, probably noticing his horn glowing brighter. Succubus turned her head to look at the other mare in confusion while he raised both hands. He would break through any defenses she had by using his magic at its fullest, even if it meant her brain might be permanently damaged. So long as he could have her in at least a somewhat decent condition to be wed, then he didn’t care about anything else. His dream was about to come true and nothing would stop him now.

However, as Prince Charming was about to make his move, he heard a moan behind him. It had to be whatever his name finally getting some air back into his lungs after that last blow. Succubus must have heard it to for her ears twitched as her head turned towards the door. Before he know what had happened, Succubus had shoved him out of the way and flown towards that tiny pathetic stallion. Turning, Charming saw Succubus cradling that waste of space in her arms.

“Leave…get…away,” he managed to croak, probably in some utterly pathetic attempt at nobility or some crap like that.

“Pip, what in Luna’s name did he do to you,” replied Succubus as tears began to fall down her face. The scene before Charming made him utterly sick to his stomach. Rather than watch this continue, he lunged towards his prey. Succubus never had the chance to turn around or do anything. Before she realized it, his hands were on both sides of her head as he began to focus every drop of his magic to enter her brain. Horn glowing brighter than it had ever before done in his life, cracking slightly from all the power and his teeth gritting, Charming prepared to take what was his by right.

However…

“Let go,” came a whisper in his ear. Without meaning to, Charming did what the voice said. Shocked by this, he looked around to see two sets of eyes upon him. The older mare was holding a hand over her mouth, looking like she was about to puke as she looked upon him in disgust. Or maybe it was because she was looking at the mess he had made with that sorry excuse of a stallion. There was no way any mare would find him disgusting after all! As for the other mare, or rather filly, she was holding a doll close to her lips while her gaze conveyed the desire to murder.

“Nopony hurts my sister,” the voice whispered again while the filly’s eyes narrowed. Prince Charming then let out an ear piercing scream as his arms twisted behind his back. His fingers pulled in every direction as he felt his insides being squeezed. All the while he heard the voice whispering to him, saying all the horrible things that were happening to him. Wishing him death for what he had done. Out of the corner of his eye, the fallen handsome stallion saw Succubus bringing the unconscious puny stallion around him. Charming’s focus sharpened when he saw that they were heading for the door.

“That magic,” whispered the unknown mare, seemingly talking more to herself. “It’s lust…no, obsession magic. Maybe a mix of both?” Charming had no idea who this mare was or how a non-unicorn could tell anything about the type of magic he used. Nor did he really care. All that mattered right now was that his future was trying to escape him. So, bearing the pain, Charming lit his horn up again before aiming it at the filly. “Banshee! Tell him to stop! He’s going to-”

Too late. Prince Charming fired his magic at the filly holding the doll which exploded on impact before sending the filly flying backwards until she hit the wall behind her. Instantly the pain that had rendered him helpless ceased. Getting to his hooves, Charming considered what he should do with the filly. If she was the one who had the power to do that she would become a powerful tool for him. Maybe worthy enough to keep her around after he was tired fucking her senseless or when she showed signs of being too old for his tastes. She would be a very useful tool. Quickly Prince Charming shook his head. There would be time to ponder what to do with her later. Right now his main prize was getting away.

The unicorn charged out of the house and into the open area where Succubus was dragging that ugly piece of trash with her. With her back facing him, more focused on where she could go, his future plaything never saw him coming. With ease he got behind her, knocking whatever his name is out of her grip as a hand went to cover her mouth. Charming almost laughed as he held her, instead allowing a large grin to appear on his face as the mare shook about trying to free herself. Had she been smart and dropped the dead weight then she would have been able to fly away safely. Instead she tried to save the both of them and look where it got her: right back into his grasp.

Succubus began to trash more violently, opening her mouth to try and bite his hand. This, sadly for her, was not the first time Charming had dealt with a difficult mare in such a fashion. As such he remembered to use his magic in order to keep her jaw shut before she managed to hurt him. He then tripped her, knocking her to the ground before he saddled her sides thus pinning her.

“No more games,” said Charming as he reached her head. Just as he was about to touch her again and use the full force of his magic, he felt something strike his side. Knocked off Succubus and in considerable pain, the unicorn looked up to see an older stallion holding a shovel. Said stallion was sweaty, dirty, while looking at him with the utmost hate. “What now?”

“You,” snarled the older stallion as he held the shovel in both hands, gripping it like a weapon. “You took my Trolley away from me!” With that he swung the shovel at Charming who had barely a moment to dodge, rolling to the side and getting dirt in his mane. With his eye twitching, Charming quickly scrambled to his feet as another blow came his way. Only this time it nicked his shirt, creating a small rip.

As the older stallion prepared to swing again, yelling about his Trolley (whoever she was), Charming gritted his teeth while magic flowed to his horn. This was interrupted as he felt the shovel connect with his leg, knocking him back into the dirt. For a moment he laid there, staring up at the stallion who had murder in his eyes. The fallen unicorn’s horn lit up and fired a blast, but the older one was ready, easily reading what was going to happen and dodging it with ease. Feeling his heart rate quicken, Charming looked around for anything that might help him. For the most part, there was nothing there except cages of bugs. Why wouldn’t anypony need cages of bugs?!? Not lingering on them for more than a millisecond, Charming spotted something that would help him: a forge with weapons! Picking one of the visible swords at random his horn glowed again, the same green colored aura wrapping around the blade before it flew towards him as the older stallion swung down. Charming caught the handle of the weapon in time to block, pushing back with enough force to make his attacker step backwards.

Breathing a bit harder now, Charming stood up with sword in hand. Yelling in rage he swung at the older stallion who tried to block it with the wooden handle. To Charming’s shock and horror, the blade only dug in a tiny bit before it began to bend and warp before his eyes. Too stunned to move, Charming felt the older stallion kick him away. What kind of shit quality sword was that? Was the moron who had worked on it a novice or just mentally-

“Here,” came a mare’s voice. Charming blinked, it was the other mare. She must have run out of the house because she was now standing next to the old stallion holding a large knife as if to give it to him. The older stallion looked at it for a moment, before looking at the mare and taking it. Charming meanwhile used his magic to grab another sword from the forge. Even if it was shit, it should be enough to handle such a comparatively puny thing.

Deciding to go on the offensive and hoping to catch them off guard, Charming lunged forward with the blade pointing at the mare. The old stallion, with just the knife in his hand, did exactly what Charming had hoped he would do: move in front of the attack. Charming could not help but to grin as his blade drew nearer, but faded as the stallion deflected the attack. Prince Charming felt himself forced back a bit, surprised to see such a smaller weapon handle his. His surprise seemed to double when he noticed that there was a large cut in his blade that almost sliced it in two. Turning his head back towards the older stallion, he saw that he too was surprised by this. Not only had be deflected a real sword but that knife didn’t have a roll or knick on it!

“Papa never uses the good steel for sword meant to be hung on walls,” said the mare to the older stallion, just loud enough for Charming to hear. “We get so little good material and what we do get is used to make kitchen knives.”

The old stallion nodded in thanks to the mare as sweat rolled down his face. “Now I will finish him off and avenge my Trolley,” he said before lunging at Charming. The younger stallion tried to block the attack, but the shitty sword was sliced in two and he was knocked to the ground once again. Looking up, he was that the older stallion had raised the blade above his head ready to strike Charming dead in the very next instant. “For…For…For…”

Something was happening. The stallion seemed to swagger a bit as he began to grow pale and clammy. He was now breathing harder, lowering his arms until they hung limply. “No,” he said as he fell to his knees before Charming, the realization of what was happening clear in voice. “Not…now.” With that, the old stallion fell the ground with the knife slipping from his fingers.

But the knife did not lay there for long. As soon as he could, Prince Charming used his magic to levitate it to his hand while getting up. He couldn’t believe his luck. The old stallion must have had a heart attack! It seemed like fate wanted somepony as great as him to succeed! What other reason could there be? Smiling broadly, Charming looked down to see the old stallion still trying to reach him only to grasp the air. Even now he was being annoying.

“I have no idea who this ‘Trolley’ is,” said Charming coldly as he let go of the blade so it would levitate in his magic once more, pointed down at the old stallion’s neck. “Probably because she was not worth remembering. Just like you.” With that, Charming sent the blade downwards…

Only for him to be stopped AGAIN! Only this time somepony used magic to blast the knife away. Glaring, Charming began to turn his head frantically looking for whoever did that. He did not have to search for long for where had once been a flat chested thestral was now a changeling with a long horn that had smoking coming from it. As the Changeling fell to one knee, panting, a wave of understanding filled Charming. That must have been how she could sense magic! He also realized something else: that this was a golden opportunity. If he could use his magic on her, she would be a powerful tool for him to use just like the filly. She could help get rid of those that annoyed him by framing them in some way. Perhaps she could even become Succubus for a while until he managed to break through whatever it was that was keeping him from making her his. Such a wonderful treasure trove Hollow Shades was being right now!

Charming approached her with a grin. The Changeling began to light up her horn, however the effort to do so looked like it was taking a lot out of her. It was almost as if she wasn’t used to using her magic for some reason. While slightly annoying, it did not lower her worth too much. No, her ability to become anypony was all that he really needed from her. As Charming continued to walk towards her, the Changeling fired another blast which he easily side stepped. The Changeling, after firing, fell down on all fours as she panted heavily. He could see her arms shaking to hold her up, probably having used a great deal of her magic already. That was fine with him, it meant she would be able to fight back even less.

Once in front of her, Prince Charming bent down so as to be able to touch her face more easily. As his hand drew nearer, the false mare looked up at him with a look of horror. Perhaps she knew what was going to befall her. Not like it mattered to him. Prince Charming- PAIN! He screamed out in complete and utter pain as he felt something stab into his leg. Falling to the ground, Charming looked and saw that worthless tiny stallion in a crawling position. And in his leg was the knife that had been blasted out of his hand. Somehow, while he had been focused on the Changeling, this sack of crap had managed to get the knife which he then used on somepony as glorious as himself! This would not stand. Gritting his teeth in white hot anger, Charming kicked whatever his fucking name was right in the face. Moving as fast as he could, Charming lunged at the stallion who had hurt him. Now with both hands on his chest, pinning him to the ground, Charming looked upon a bleeding face that looked utterly atrocious. Raising a fist, the unicorn stallion prepared to end this annoyance as he should have done when he first saw him. He had cost Prince Charming too much time and caused too much pain, more pain than he deserved.

“No you don’t!” shouted Succubus moments before she tackled Prince Charming. The unicorn fell with his back to the ground, wincing as his head hit the hard dirt. Succubus was on top of him, holding his arms down with all her might. A cute attempt, but useless when dealing with somepony as great as himself. With a simple glow of his horn, Succubus was lifted off of him so that he could stand.

“Don’t worry my dear,” said Charming as he looked at her. “You’ll be in that position again very soon. Naked as you pleasure me for the rest of your life.” Again he reached out for her while the mare glared back. There were no more distractions, no more ponies to get in the way. The Changeling looked like it was taking everything just to keep from falling to the ground. The old annoying stallion was on the ground right now in no shape to help anypony. What’s his name was nothing more than a moaning lump on the ground, not even able to help wipe off the blood on his face! There was nopony left to get in his way. It was finally over, he had won!

“Take a running leap off a cliff,” whispered a familiar voice. Charming’s body began to move on its own, standing up straight before beginning to walk. Where to, he had no idea. But as he moved he saw the one thing he had forgotten about, the filly who had used the doll. She was standing by the doorway, holding a poorly made rope doll that looked like it had been made in a hurry. Of course, this was nothing he couldn’t handle. All he had to do was use his magic again and- “No magic. Just run as fast as you can to your death.” With that, Prince Charming began to walk faster as he was unable to use his magic.

The unicorn struggled as his body moved against his will, moving faster despite the knife in his leg. It was complete agony, blood streaming down his legs which stained his pants. On any other day he would be furious. But he wasn’t, instead the fear he felt overshadowed almost everything else. It was like being trapped. No matter how hard he fought his magic would not come to him and his body would not listen. He had no idea where he was heading or how long it would take to get there. All he knew was that that monster had control over his body and was going to kill him. HIM!

“I DON’T DESERVE THIS!” screamed Prince Charming as he broke into a full run. He was barely aware of anything around him. He managed to catch of glimpse of a large group of thestrals in the air, before it felt like a hand being pressed against the top of his head to keep him looking straight ahead of him. “PLEASE, SOMEPONY HELP ME! I DON’T DESERVE THIS!” Over and over he screamed for help, his voice being the only thing that would obey him. Tears began to run down his face due to the pain which had not numbed him at all. Briefly he began to wonder if he would bleed to death before he reached any cliff. Or perhaps he would faint due to the blood loss and be saved!

Yet he soon realized that neither would happen. Running faster than he ever had before in his life, Prince Charming leapt into the air to launch himself into the largest hole he had ever seen before in his life. And looking downwards, he saw to his utmost horror that there was no bottom. Charming screamed again as gravity took over, pulling him downwards into that darkness. There were no more thoughts in his head. No hope that his magic might return to him and allowing him to teleport or levitate his body to safety. No crying out for mercy or help. Nothing but his own screams filled his lungs and thoughts as he zoomed towards his end, unaware of the creatures along the walls which eyed their next meal.

Dragonfly’s entire body ached as she fought to keep her lunch in her stomach. Every inch of her felt like thousands of needles had been jabbed into her exoskeleton. Her head was almost swimming. She had never felt this weak before in her life. Then again, she had never used so much of her magic before so it was probably to be expected. Hopefully she would never need to use it like this again.

“Succubus!” cried Banshee as she ran over to her sister, never dropping the poorly made doll as she did. Dragonfly couldn’t help but smile at this sight. It was over. That stallion, whoever he was, was gone due the efforts of the small filly.

“Pip!” cried Succubus. Lifting her head, Dragonfly saw Succubus rushing over to her husband who, despite his injuries, had managed to injure the stallion. As the large breasted thestral lifted him off the ground, Dragonfly couldn’t help but wince due to the state he was in. Over half of his face was covered in blood, swellings on both sides. And that was only what she could see as there was no telling what that monsterous stallion had done to him, the wounds hidden beneath his clothing. Still, despite the pain he was in, Pip had not ran with Succubus away from the one who had done this to him. Whether he had come back to help her or just because he wanted so pay back, the fact remained that if he had not then she would have fallen prey to whatever magic he had been using.

Slowly, Dragonfly turned to look at the old stallion who had come to help them. he was still lying on the ground, not moving at all. It was possible that he was dead right now, probably due to a heart attack or something. When he had shown up, she could feel the anger and sorrow that had wrapped around his heart. Perhaps the both of them, combined with the intensity of battle, had caused this sudden attack.

Before Dragonfly could do anything else, her ears picked up the sounds of wings flapping in the air. She looked up and could not surpress a grin when she saw a large group of thestrals in the air. Many of them were holding torches despite the brightness of the day while others carried weapons of various degrees. Some wielded scythes like her sister or basic swords. A few were even carrying wooden clubs spotted with bent nails across their weapons. Dragonfly assumed that the shouting must have caught the ears of a few who then gathered as many as possible to help. It warmed her heart to see that even during dark times like these that there were so many willing to help out their neighbors. With so many helping hands it would be easy to carry those who needed medical attention to the closest stocked hospital. Yet, there was something wrong. Dragonfly could feel their emotions and there was no relief to see that they were ok nor was there any confusion as to what was going on. She felt their anger and hatred being directed downwards in their direction. But what could…

Dragonfly’s eyes widened as she realized, only now, that her disguise was gone. She had been so focused on trying to protect those around her, so scared at what that stallion could do, that she hadn’t noticed that she no longer looked like a thestral. Her true form was on display for all of the world to see.

“Changeling!” screamed one of the thestrals.

“It’s wearing Dragonfly’s clothing! Did it take her?”

“Did you see that unicorn running? What happened here? Was it that thing’s doing?”

“This never would have happened if not for Canterlot! We can’t even protect our home because of them interfering! I say we take back our home!”

“Hear, hear! Force that creature to tell us what she did with the real Dragonfly and then kill them all! We’ll rip that Changeling’s wings off and burn her alive!”

“Let’s stab those unicorns controlling our mines with their own horns!”

More and more, the thestrals shouted what they would do as they drew closer to the group. Not a single one of them seemed to notice or care about the others who were hurt. Their anger, their rage had taken full control now. Perhaps after they were done with her, they would see to Pip. After all, the villagers here had no real issue with earth ponies since they were never the ones hurting the town. Heck, earth ponies used to work alongside the thestrals in the Mining Safety Committee before it was taken over by unicorns. Yet, there was a chance that it wouldn’t work out that way. that when they were done with her, they would turn on Pip and the old stallion who had come to their rescue. Perhaps they would carry out their threat and start attacking everypony who entered Hollow Shades as a message to Canterlot, telling them that they were no longer a part of Equestria. How would Princess Luna react to this after everything she had done in the past several years to legally buy back the mines for them? Would she be able to stop her sister from bringing in an army to wipe the thestral tribe from existence for hurting her unicorns?

The first thestral landed in front of Dragonfly. Looking up, she saw to her horror that it was her father. Her eyes widened before clamping the shut tightly. She knew what she had to do at that moment.

“You fools!” she shouted loudly, her voice echoing around the town. “Do you really think I would let that foolish mare life after I had taken her place? She’s been dead for days!” She could feel the tension and resentment towards her grow as she spoke. But none of that mattered to her. The only thing that did was her family. As long as nopony knew that her father had been harboring her in secret, they would be safe. If they ever found out the truth, her father would be removed from his position as mayor and killed along side her. Dragon Fang would share the same fate after being kicked out of the local guard. As long as they were safe, it wouldn’t matter what horrible death they had planned for her.

She kept her gaze away from her father as he knelt down. “Are you alright my little princess?” he asked in a clear voice that could be easily heard. Eyes wide, she turned to look at him to find that his face was, for the most part, calm. But she could see tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

“You fool!” yelled Dragonfly quickly as her eyes darted towards the crowd of thestrals landing about them. “I fooled you! I fooled all of you!” She got no further as Steel Fang swiftly brought her into a hug. For a moment, she was too shocked to speak. Didn’t he know that he was signing his own death warrant by doing this? Whrn she spoke next, her voice was nothing more than a shaky whisper. “Papa, why?”

“How could I do anything else?” he asked in return. “I could never face my own papa knowing that I turned a blind eye when my little one needed me most.” As he stood up, Dragon Fang landed beside her with scythe in hand. Steel Fang turned to the crowd. “Everypony, this is not an impostor. This is my daughter, the mare many of you have known your whole lives. I have raised her ever since-”

“YOU KNEW?!” bellowed a mare, face hidden by a veil as she pointed at Dragonfly. “After everything the Changelings have done to us, after all the raids and murders over the centuries, you knowingly took their filth into your home? You let her walk around like she was one of us?” Behind her were many angry roars.

“She is one of us,” said Dragon Fang sternly as she eyed the mare who had spoken. “Dragonfly is my sister and nothing will change that.” She then gritted her teeth and tightened her hold on her scythe. Then, she did something that Dragonfly could only remember her sister doing once before when she had taken Dragon Fang’s favorite doll without asking: she roared. “AND ANYPONY WHO TRIES TO TAKE HER LIFE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME!” As she screamed this, spit went flying and her eyes seemed to flash red. The large group of ponies seemed to back away slightly as they were clearly intimidated by this. However, Dragonfly held no hope that this would work. There was only one of her and so many of them. Even if her Papa tried to help it would make little difference. The only thing that would happen would be them all dying together.

It seemed like the mob realized this as well. There was no request for them to stand down or even to ask if they were sure about this. The mob seethed in utter rage at their betrayal. Not one of them cared if they got hurt; Dragonfly and her family were going to die. Steel Fang seemed to see this as well as he took a step backwards so that he could better place a comforting hand on his daughter’s shoulder. The only comfort they would have would be that they would fall as a family.

Then they came. They gave no warning, only lunging forwards with a savage roar as if they had all suddenly devolved into animals. Before she knew it, Dragonfly felt her father’s hand leave her as she was roughly grabbed by another thestral whose grip held no kindness. The world seemed to spin around, giving her little sense of what was happening around her. But she could make out a few things. She caught a glimpse of Dragon Fang, swinging her weapon to try and hack away at those assaulting them but Dragonfly could see several ponies moving to get behind her. She managed to see Pip as he was roughly pulled away from Succubus. Dragonfly could hear a filly’s screams as her own face was suddenly slammed into the ground. Arms being pinned, Dragonfly felt herself cry a bit. They had fought off that evil unicorn, gave it everything in order to be alright, only for this to happen. It was as if Discord were playing some sort of cruel joke on them.

Before things could get any worse, a bright light shined down upon them. so bright, if fact, that Dragonfly could see it even with her face pressed against the dirt. As the light faded, she could feel the hands that had been holding her down lessen in their hold. Curious to see what was happening, Dragonfly lifted her head up enough to get a good look. What she saw made her heart sink even further. It was Princess Celestia, standing before them in a white sleeveless dress and holding a golden staff in the other. Besides her was Duke Copperhorn, looking around him in a confused way as if he hadn’t expected to suddenly be here. Very soon, his confusion shifted to nervousness. As for the Princess, she was also looking around her in shock. But not just at the crowd gathered with weapons. She was looking at the buildings and vacant streets, staring at them as if she expected something else.

“Princess Celestia,” spat one of the thestrals near Dragonfly. This caught the solar princess’ attention, her gaze focusing on the crowd before her who were probably gripping their weapons tighter.

“And Copperhorn,” snarled another, causing the Duke to hide behind the princess.

“KILL THEM BOTH!” Another loud roar was heard as many seemed to forget about Dragonfly and her family, heading towards Celestia with their weapons raised high above their heads. They seemed to quicken their pace when they saw Celestia’s horn begin to glow, wanting to reach her before she could use any magic. And they almost succeeded too. Right as several weapons, including one sword aimed at her neck, were about to make contact a large gold colored blast shot out in all directions. As it washed over them, the thestrals froze as their bodies glowed slightly. With the danger averted, Celestia levitiated those closest to her further back. When she had done that, the princess seemed to go back to looking around as if she were taking in the sights with a frown on her face.

Despite being grateful for this unintentional save, Dragonfly felt a sense of dread growing in her with this arrival. Princess Celestia hadn’t set hoof in Hollow Shades in many years, so what was she doing here now? Was she here to tear down their town and give it to Duke Copperhorn? Had she heard about the unrest and was here to arrest everypony for treason?

“Duke Copperhorn,” said the princess at last, not looking at anypony in particular. While her voice held no apparent anger in it, Dragonfly saw Copperhorn flinch as if he had just been slapped. “What is happening here?”

“Ah, well,” began Copperhorn as he gulped a bit. “I think it’s clear. These savages are running amuck. Violent, every last one of them!” He then took a step forward and pointed a slightly trembling finger at them. “This was probably orchestrated by that foul Duke Dark Bargain and the Countess! You heard them, they wished to kill the both of us! I can think of no better reason than to overthrow you and take control of Equestria. Looks like the rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He’s just as underhanded as his parents.” Angry grunts and growls from the thestrals followed these words, unable to open their mouths due to the spell cast upon them. Copperhorn looked a little relieved by this, probably glad none of them could say anything to the contrary.

Celestia continued to look at the scene before her, not saying a word to anypony. Her eyes scanned every thestral there at least twice, only doing a double take when she saw Pip and Dragonfly. With a single gesture of her hand, the small stallion was lifted from the grasp of two thestral stallions with knives and carefully brought over to her. Dragonfly felt her heart sink for she knew how this would play out. Princess Celestia would look at Pip and side with Copperhorn, not giving them a chance to explain themselves.

She, along with everypony else, watched as she laid Pip on the ground. When he landed the golden glow around him vanish as Celestia waved a hand over his form. “I have used a spell to numb the pain,” she said gently as she eyed the stallion a bit closer. “You are Pipsqueak of Ponyville. My sister has spoken about you favorly many times. Please, tell me what has happened here.”

Pip gasped. “A unicorn,” he said. The pain may have been numbed but it was clear he was still hurt. “Wanted Succubus for something. Fought him off.”

“A unicorn?” said Celestia with a hungry look in her eyes. Quickly she leaned down, getting on her knees next to Pip. “Please Pip, I know you are badly hurt but this is very important. Where is this unicorn? He may be the one who attacked a mare in Canterlot who is now in critical condition. Finding out what he did may be the key to saving her.” Celestia’s eyes then darkened. “Then he will face my full wrath for all that he has done.”

“Banshee,” breathed Pip. “Sent him…away.” Dragonfly could see Pip’s eyes flutter a bit, perhaps meaning that he was struggling to stay awake. If this or his answer bothered Celestia, it did not show it. The solar princess stood upright and looked at the gathered crowd once again.

“Is Banshee here?” she asked as the glow around their bodies lessened. Instantly Dragonfly could tell that she could move her jaw, yet the rest of her remained stationary. Around her others were realizing the same thing, screaming at Celestia to wish her to die. They yelled and screamed their heads off until, finally, Celestia silenced them and only them with a wave of her hand.

Hoofsteps could now be heard in the distance. Fearing that Celestia might have brought in her own guard to help with whatever she was doing here, Dragonfly look upwards in the direction of her exacutioners. To her surprise it was not guards who were coming but instead Duke Dark Bargain and some scruffy looking unicorn who looked like he had seen better days. As soon as they arrived, the Duke looked around with a look of panic in his eyes. While the scruffy looking one walked towards Celestia, the Duke ran towards the crowd shouting the names of his sisters. Dragonfly wished she could see what happened next but that was impossible as she was still unable to move her neck. She had no idea if he was looking down at them or getting down on the ground to hug them.

In front of her, the scruffy unicorn had stopped in front of Celestia to take a short bow. As he did this, Dragonfly could seem Copperhorn taking several steps back to the point where he almost fell backwards. He was staring at the scruffy unicorn as if her were a ghost come back to haunt him. There was even a moment where Copperhorn looked like he was about to teleport away as his horn gave a soft glow. Yet he did none of those things. he just stood there with his hooves planted firmly on the ground.

“Please, forgive me for not contacting you sooner Auntie,” said the scruffy stallion. “As you can see I had a bit of trouble upon arriving here.” He then spared a glance at the group held in place. “So this is the rukus that could be heard all over town. When me and Duke Dark Bargain heard it we came running as fast as we could.”

Celestia looked at him with a frown. “Prince Blueblood, what has happened to you?” she asked. “Did anypony here hurt you?”

The stallion shook his head. “Nay. Most of the ones I have met have been kind given how those from Canterlot have treated them. Had a bit of a run in with the creatures that live in the forest. it’s the oddest thing, for some reason I was teleported there instead of in front of the Duke.” replied Blueblood. As he said this last part, Copperhorn seemed to shirk a tiny bit which seemed to go unnoticed by the other two nobles. They were far too focused in their conversation. “I have been conversing with Duke Dark Bargain and have been resting in one of the local’s home. It seems because the mines are barely giving those on the surface any ores the local economy has dried up. A few attempts have been made to get new business to enter, but in order to do that they would need to clear away forest land which would disturb those monsters.” He paused to shutter briefly. “Those have not ended well. The end result is that this town has become a tourist town whose occupants scramble to get whatever food they can. Even if they have to eat bugs. During my time here, I have learned quickly that those from Canterlot are not held in high regards. Perhaps this living situation, along with the recent mining accident, have caused the present uproar.”

“Hollow Shades has become…what?” asked Celestia, her last word spoken softly. Celestia turned fully around to look behind her. While all she could see was her back, Dragonfly knew that all Celestia would find would be abandoned looking homes and empty streets. How could she not know about this? How could she not know about so many ponies suffering?

“Now wait just one minute here,” said a flustered Copperhorn. “Are you trying to blame me and my fellow Dukes for this? I own that mine and it is up to my discretion where the ores and gems are sent. All of the material that MY employees have mined have gone to business partners who had done much better work than these ponies could ever do! The only one who disagrees is Princess Luna due to her stubbornness and fondness for this place. Further, I have followed the Mining Safety Committee’s rules and have already submitted the appropriate fine. Whatever their troubles are they are, ultimately, their troubles.” A noise was heard that caused the Duke to jump a bit. All around her, Dragonfly could see the thestrals fighting harder against Celestia’s magic to get to their targets.

“You are one of the ponies that cut back on the work force,” said Blueblood coolly. “Not to mention closing up massive amounts of territory.”

“That was a business decision,” snapped Copperhorn. “If I were to keep the mines running as they had been then my own standard of living would have dropped!”

“Princess!” called out Dark Bargain. As Celestia turned around again, showing that she had placed her free hand over her heart, she saw the Duke running towards her while holding his youngest sister. “This is Banshee, my youngest sibling. She said she forced him to jump into the entrance to the Hanging City.”

As Celestia’s hand rose to cover her mouth, Banshee gave her brother a sour look. “I told you, he was hurting Succubus. And, well, he hurt Mr. Pip too. And Mr. Pip was sort of nice to me,” she said in a defensive tone. “I was protecting them!”

“That you did,” said Celestia as she lowered her hand. All those who could freely move now turned to look directly at her. “You saved them from a most horrible fate, one that a mare back at my castle is suffering from right now. I had hoped to figure out what he did in the hopes of undoing it, but it seems like all we can do now is hope for the doctors to figure it out on their own.”

“Excuse me.” Celestia and the other turned their heads to look at Dragonfly, who gulped at her daring. “I…I might be able to help her. I think. I was somewhat able to sense the emotions generated by the magic he was using and its similar to what a few thestrals around here have experienced after a Changeling force fed on them. Trying to force out love when there was none, I think.”

Celestia regarded her for a moment before stepping forwards. “You…why are you here?” she asked as she walked. There was no anger in her tone or any emotional energy coming off of her. Her eyes displayed no emotion. It was like she was trying to keep all of her negative feelings towards her surpressed. Not that Dragonfly could blame her. She, like most of the world, knew about the Changeling invasion where she had been made a fool. Tricked into thinking a queen was her niece, turned on her personal student, defeated in combat, and finally humiliated by being held in a sac of green goo. Yeah, hard to get over all of that.

“I was raised here,” answered Dragonfly quickly, her heart pounding hard in her chest. “My Papa found me when I was young and raised me like a thestral.” Dragonfly suddenly lowered her head as to not look at Celestia out of fear that doing so any longer might tick the princess off. “Please, I don’t care what happens to me! I’ll help you, then give you my life, if you just help my family and my town! That’s all I’m asking!”

Dragonfly had no idea how long she held her head down. The only thing that seemed to move were the tears traveling down her face towards the ground. She waited for Princess Celestia to say something. For her to laugh at such a request and tell her that they could easily torture the information out of her. Or to warn her that they would be watching her closely and, if it looked like she wasn’t working fast enough, she would die right then and there. Maybe she would tell her that her family wouldn’t be sentenced to death for raising her, but instead be given life long sentences. Or…Or maybe she would just be killed like the bug she was.

Finally, Dragonfly could take no more. “I know it’s a lot to ask,” she began as she gulped the air around her. Before she could say anymore, she could feel a presence real close to her. Looking up, she saw that Celestia had bent down and was looking straight at her with a warm smile on her face.

“Your father has raised you well,” she said kindly. Before Dragonfly could say anything else, Celestia stood up and addressed everypony. “I will release all of you. I want those injured taken to the nearest hospital equipped to help them. Those you feel have wronged you will be staying at Duke Dark Bargain’s for the time being. As for Duke Copperhorn,” she said as she turned to look at him, “I believe it is time I looked at his mines myself. As well as having a long overdue chat with the Mining Safety Committee.”

Return to Ponyville

“As you can see everything has been left intact,” said Blueblood as he strode down the stony halls with Batibat and her son behind him. Darkness surrounded them as did the silence of this place deep within the heart of the Hanging City. As the three walked, Blueblood only able to lead them due to the special goggles he wore, there were signs that this place had not been occupied for some time. Dust seemed to have settled over large portions of the floor, being kicked up with every step they took. Patches of moss could be seen from time to time, glowing an eerie whitish green to break up the darkness.

Time had passed since that fateful day when Prince Blueblood had first arrived in Hollow Shades. A month to be precise. In that time much had changed. For starters, the unicorn prince had been able to send for more of his clothes while he assisted his Aunt Celestia. Today he was sporting a handsome blue suit that went well with his eyes. As for his companions, they were no longer wearing just the rags and furs that he had first seen them in having recently traded them in for more proper attire. Murky, Batibat’s son, was dressed in one of the finest attires one could get from Canterlot: a miniature black suit and tie which the lad was fidgeting in almost non-stop. As for Batibat she was dressed in the local fashion of a long sleeved black dress with a high neck line so that the only visible flesh that could be seen was her face and hands. She still wore her furs now more like a cape than a body concealing cloak. If Blueblood had to guess she felt more comfortable with them on. None of them seemed to care about how dirty their clothing was getting by being here and walking through all of this filth. After all, why should this bother them after everything they had been through?

As the three approached a door on the side with a large iron ring for a door handle, Blueblood began to slow down. Horn lighting up, the door opened for them with some slight strain on Blueblood’s part before entering the room. It was large to say the least but absolutely bare. The only thing it held within it was a massive fireplace that looked like two or three fully grown stallions could lie down in it with their hooves touching the head of the one below. Looking around himself, Blueblood guessed that this might have been a dining room or sitting room for entertaining guests. But that would be his best guess. After all, thestrals seemed to do things very differently.

Batibat looked around, taking everything in. “I…I can’t believe you’re just giving me all this,” she said. “All I did was provide you some minor shelter.”

“More like returning it to you,” corrected Blueblood with a slight grin. “While we were investigating the former Duke Copperhorn, I discovered that it was his father who bought the mine from yours. The family had planned on moving here when they first purchased the place, to use as an office to better oversee the mines. That idea was scrapped quickly when they got down here. I believe the official reason was that this area of Equestria was…inhospitable for their likings.” Batibat said nothing at first as Blueblood watched her walk around with her head looking up at the ceiling. He wondered what she might be feeling at this moment, having lived her life in the wild to only now being returned to her family estate. Her noble lineage restored to its rightful place. If the prince had to guess, it was a lot to take in.

“Did,” began Batibat before she stopped herself, her back now facing Blueblood. He watched as her wings extended slightly as she took a breath. “Did Princess Celestia take this from him because you asked her to?” The smile on Blueblood’s face turned into a slight frown at the implication.

“Nonsense,” said Blueblood as he instinctively waved a hand about. “Aunt Celestia is a mare of the law, not a brutal dictator who does whatever she wants. Duke Copperhorn was guilty of many, many crimes. When Aunt Celestia made her impromptu investigation on the mines he was in charge of she found many discrepancies between that and the official report that was given to her. The mine, it turns out, was operating at a far lower rate with many more areas that were closed down. As we came to discover he, and possibly a few of the other Dukes, have been behind the ore shortage that has caused a jump in prices. Not only that but we discovered that in areas that were ‘officially’ closed down were being used to grow gems without anypony knowing. Most likely to pay members of the Mining Safety Committee as well as his rather large gambling debts. We also discovered a book that listed off members of the castle staff, most likely those he was bribing for whatever reason. We are still looking into it. There are many, many more crimes that we are continuing to uncover even as I speak now. With all this evidence, my Aunt Celestia used the power invested in her to strip him of his title.”

“As for the other Dukes and the Mining Safety Committee, well, their time is up as well. Several members of the Committee have taken a plea bargain, confessing to everything in exchange for lesser sentences. Those who have refused in a vain attempt to maintain their innocence will probably be joining Copperhorn in prison. As for the other Dukes their properties have already been searched. One of them, for example, was using his estate here in the Hanging City to keep several mares as slaves. The states their minds were in when we found them…” Blueblood paused to shiver at the memory of what he had seen. None of those mares knew who they were anymore, a complete loss of all their independence. They lived only to take orders from those they considered to be their master.

Because of their condition, both Princess Celestia and Prince Blueblood were very interested in knowing the identity of the seller. They had already ruled out a splinter group of Diamond Dogs who were not all that known for selling their property to ponies in the first place. Never mind the fact that they used ponies to help with their own tunnels, they were more likely to grab whatever pony was foolish enough to approach them just so they could add another body to their workforce. The horses of Saddle Arabia were also known to have slaves, especially young mares to use in their harems and whore lounges. Yet they had plenty of laws that kept themselves from turning their slaves into a state like the ones they had found as well as ones that forbid them from selling to another nation. While there had been times when these laws had been broken, Celestia had said it herself that those they had found were broken…but never to this extreme. Griffons came to mind as well owing to their greedy nature. If they thought they could make a lot more bits they certainly would have put in the extra work. Yet, given what they had encountered with the self proclaimed ‘Prince Charming’, they could not discount the idea that a pony was behind this as well.

Getting the information they needed to uncover the identity of this field was, sadly, not making much progress. The former Duke who had purchased these mares was not speaking unless they cut him a deal: give him his freedom and he would tell them not only who sold him these mares but also where to find them. The stallion probably felt confident that Princess Celestia would do whatever it took in order to see justice served, even cutting a deal with the lesser evil. However, that was not what happened. Princess Celestia had decided to hunt down these slavers through her own means. To ensure they did not go underground and lie low, the princess had gone to the press requesting that they not print anything on these mares as well as having any information that they might consider relevant to the case be sent over to Captain Ground Siege.

Turning his head, Blueblood saw that Murky was walking along side the wall with a hand against its surface. Deciding it best not to go into too great of detail at the moment, he moved on. “Of course with all this coming to light there are a great many changes. For starters, the members of the Mining Safety Committee have been replaced with the Countess taking her rightful position of Head back while its other members are being replaced by earth and thestral ponies.”

Batibat turned around, a slight smile on her face. “Hmmhmm. I’m sure the other nobles in Canterlot weren’t happy about that,” she said as she walked over to him.

“No,” he answered with a sigh. “They have been in an uproar since they found out. Either calling into question their credentials or various other things. I am sure many of them either benefitted from the corruption or simply want to keep unicorns in chief positions within the government. Regardless of what they have to say on the matter, my Aunt is ignoring them for the time being. If they continue to protest then they will live to regret it.”

“So then, Princess Celestia just decided to give me back my family’s estate, just like that?” asked Batibat as she crossed her arms under her sizable chest. She gave the Prince a slight grin that reminded him of a predator as she eyed him up. Even with his magic back to its full strength he felt, for some odd reason, like prey before her gaze.

“Well, er, I never said I didn’t have a hand in it,” replied Blueblood as he was unable to keep his unease out of his voice. Something that brought a smile on Batibat’s face. Or maybe it was his confession. “She was trying to decide who would get all of the mines with the help of the Countess. Her first thought was to have the mayor of Hollow Shades take up one of the mines-”

“There’s no way that would happen,” interrupted Batibat as she lowered her arms, all traces of a smile gone. “The law around here states that those who knowingly harbor Changelings will be put to death! Not that I want him to die, but…” Blueblood sighed before giving a nod. He too was aware of this law.

“Yes, the Countess informed Aunt Celestia when she brought it up,” said Blueblood as he shook his head. “Given his daughter’s assistance she was able to get his family a pardon, but that is it. I might have then suggested that the mines be returned to their original owners providing they ensure that the mines be kept up to the new standards. Members of the new committee will be making far more frequent inspections as well as members of Canterlot. I have personally volunteered to help in this regard.” Batibat’s smile returned for a moment before becoming solemn. It was an odd thing for Blueblood to take in. he had assumed that she would be beyond happy to receive her family’s former home, to no longer have to whore herself out or the like. To be better able to provide for her son.

“Can I do this though?” she asked softly as a hand touched her breast. “Thestrals generally look down upon mares who have breasts like mine. Openly mocked and shamed for being so ugly. How can I possibly do this with such a handicap?”

“Well, I suppose the fact that you will be hiring a large amount of workers will be a good incentive,” said Blueblood quickly. “Only a fool would lash out at the hand giving them a paycheck. One that I believe many in this area of Equestria have been desperate for. Perhaps once they realize that you are the one who helped end this tourist season nonsense they will begin to give you proper respect.”

Batibat’s smile returned causing Blueblood’s heart to stir since it had been his reassurance that had done that. “Thanks,” she said. “This is just such a huge change right now and there’s so much to do.”

“Well if you need any assistance know that you can always count on my help,” said Blueblood. “For example, two months from now I would be honored to take you to the Grand Galloping Gala. The perfect place to make the necessary connections you’ll be needing while also looking for new employees.”

“At a party?” asked Batibat, who was half smiling at this.

“Oh yes,” said Blueblood with a nod. “Did you know that I found my current secretary there a few years ago? Working for a stallion named Bloated Wallet who ran the First Canterlot Bank. I saw her there, at the party with a briefcase so that if any of his clients had any questions she could just reach in there and grab the proper document. Also seemed to know more about the on-going at the bank than Bloated, able to answer any question I had while Bloated stumbled for an answer. But I’ll admit that might have had something to do with the amount of wine the fellow was consuming. Well, before the night was over I made her an offer to quit her job and work for me. All it took was doubling her salary and helping her son get into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Never regretted hiring her for even a moment and I know for a fact that Bloated has been trying to get her to come back to the bank at least twice a month.”

Batibat let out a hum as she tapped her chin. “So what you’re saying is that I should try stealing somepony else’s employee.”

Blueblood shrugged. “Well, that is up to you,” he answered. “I don’t know if many in Canterlot or anywhere else in Equestria will be able to handle living in the Hanging City. It might prove to be problematic. It might just be better to hire within here and Hollow Shades to help with the economy. However, my own experience has taught me that the most qualified ponies that you need are usually already hired. You just need to convince them that working for you would be better for them in the long run. It is up to you. Still, I would insist that you still go to the Gala where you’ll be able to meet the various ponies of the Elite.”

Batibat didn’t say anything at first, simply nodding to show that she understood. As Blueblood watched her he saw her eyes flicker in the direction of Murky. This caused the stallion to follow suite seeing that the young pony had his back turned towards them, not paying any attention to what the grown-ups were talking about. When he turned back to look at the new Duchess he found that she had quickly closed the gap between them. Her body was so close that he could smell the shampoo she had used this morning as she stared at him with those piercing eyes of hers. He couldn’t help put stare back into them while remaining silent as a familiar desire began to grow inside him.

“So then, that’ll be it?” she asked softly, her tone nearly causing Blueblood to shutter. “You’ll be taking me there solely as a guide? As…repayment for the help I provided you in the forest instead of bits?”

“No, I’ll let you collect a tad more interest on that debt,” replied Blueblood with a cheeky grin while moving a bit closer. “I believe that the term ‘date’ would be most appropriate for such an occasion. Us getting to know each other outside of being in mortal peril from giant spider like wolves.” In all honesty, Blueblood had never met a mare like her before. She had that exotic beauty he had come to discover in thestrals mixed with that wild appearance that came from living in wild for so long. Normally, being a mother would be a deal breaker. Despite what some paper claimed, he did not enjoy destroying homes with his advances nor was he going to be a mare’s quick ticket to an easier life. Yet there was something about this mare that override those precautions. Perhaps it was the way she talked to him, clearly not caring about his title while getting him to see the other side of things. It was odd to say the least.

Was this love through? Now that was the big question. To be honest he had no idea. What he was feeling now was completely different than what he felt when he had seen Succubus dancing on stage. Nor was it like those few times when he hired an escort to satisfy his more carnal needs. Sure he did want to feel what it would be like in bed with her, wondering if their sex would turn into a fight for dominance. However, there were other feelings floating around him that he wasn’t used to. Well, simply rutting her wouldn’t get him any closer into figuring out what he was feeling. Spending time with her would.

Well…maybe a little rutting while they were spending time together wouldn’t hurt either.

“Well then,” she said, her lips now so close they were brushing up against his. Blueblood closed his eyes, ready for a kiss. One of many to come he hoped. Yet, as he waited, nothing happed. After a moment or two he opened his eyes to see that Batibat had taken a few steps away. “I hope you don’t mind taking things slowly for a while. Like no kissing until, let’s say, the third date?”

Blueblood hid his disappointment while nodding. “If that is what you wish,” he answered.

Batibat nodded as she walked a few steps away. “Well then, I suppose we’d better get back down to business,” she said. “I haven’t heard anything of Dragonfly in the last month. Has she been able to help in Canterlot?”

Old Flint sat in his wheel chair within the Canterlot Cemetery, his hands shaking slightly as he held the wheel bars. The scenery around him looked peaceful, perhaps a fancier word like serene would be better. Not that an old fossil like him would know any better. All around him were white coble stone pathways that lead all over the place along with a few bridges to get over the small trickles of water with fish in them. Most of the ponies buried were from fancy families, getting themselves large fancy tombstones that were hand chiseled to perfection. Others belonged to heroes of Equestria: proud soldiers in one way or another had turned the tide of battle in the nation’s favor. They too received fine tombstones that stood tall and proud. All of them had red flowers planted around them to give the place a sense of peace.

Then there was Trolley’s grave. After he had awoken in that bat winged hospital, he had been informed by Princess Celestia no less that the criminal who had hurt his precious Trolley would no longer be able to hurt anypony else. That it was thanks in part to his efforts that he was unable to accomplish his goal. As reward, she would not only be paying for his medical expenses but also ensuring that his daughter’s remains would be placed in the Canterlot Cemetery.

Old Flint was sure that the Princess meant well. Thanks to her he would have a lot less stress worrying about how he was going to pay two sets of bills. With his heart in this state now, he could no longer do his job anymore meaning he had no way of paying for either. Truly, it was kind of her. However, sitting here as he looked down at her modest gravestone made him feel like they were both out of place. At the time, he should have asked for whatever remains they could have gathered be placed in the normal cemetery where his family had been buried for years. That being laid to rest here did not change the fact that she was gone and that the last time he saw her…

The stallion shuttered at the memory while the fancy device the doctors gave him began to beep. Looking down at it, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for himself. The doctors with their fancy learning had told him he had to take it easy from now. That he was very lucky to be alive and that he had to take better care of himself. All Old Flint wanted to do was chuck the device as far as he could. Lucky? He was lucky? How could they tell him that with a straight face?! He had outlived his daughter! How could he consider himself lucky with that hanging over his head? There were so many things he had been looking forward to seeing. Walking Trolley down the aisle with the knowledge that he had been able to pay for the wedding himself. That his efforts had been able to give her this special day. Meeting his first grandfoal. Being able to brag to all the others about how well his family was doing thanks to all the years of blood, sweat, and tears he had put into his life. All those things were gone forever.

A wind blew past him causing a shiver to fun down his body. The weather was getting colder. Winter would be here soon. Still he did not take his eyes off the grave. He wondered if perhaps he should just sit here and allow himself to freeze to death. After all, what else did he have to live for?

“Excuse me,” came a voice behind him. Old Flint turned around and saw a very thin unicorn mare behind him. She was young, perhaps around the same age as Trolley had been. Slowly she approached him, her legs a little shaky as if she hadn’t walked in a long time. “Is…Is this the grave of Miss Trolley?”

“It is,” grunted Old Flint as he turned to look back that the grave. He had no idea who this mare was. All of Trolley’s real friends had shown up the day of the burial. As far as he was concerned, there was no excuse for missing it. The mare approached the grave slowly on shaky hooves until she was besides him, her hands trembling despite being covered by gloves.

For a while she stood there, tears rolling down her face as she looked at the stone. Old Flint couldn’t help but look between it and the mare next to him. With somepony else there, it made the silence all the more deafening and uncomfortable. He wanted to tell her to leave, that she wasn’t family and he was sure she wasn’t one of Trolley’s friends. But what stopped him was Trolley. He could almost hear her telling him to be nice. So, for Trolley, he held his tongue. It’s what she would have wanted.

“That…That should have been me,” said the mare after a while, wiping away tears as she spoke.

“How you figure that?” grunted the stallion without looking at her. “I know you weren’t on the train.”

“I wasn’t,” said the mare, her voice a little shaky now. “I mean, I should be dead right now. Sort of wish I was after what he did to me.” That got Old Flint’s attention. Quickly he turned his head to look at her, eyes wide as she talked. “The things he put into my head. I should have died jumping off this mountain. Its only because of dumb luck that I’m still alive. I just-” The mare broke off as a loud sob escaped her. “I just wish she could have been that lucky.” She took another deep breath. “Maybe if I had been stronger, if I had been able to fight him better, then he never would have been on that train.”

Old Flint stared at the mare as she fell onto her knees. He stared at her for a while, thinking on what to say. A part of her wanted to yell at her. Wanted to say she was right, that if she hadn’t been so weak than maybe his Trolley would still be here. But he never even opened his mouth. The last memory of his daughter played in his mind. The look she had in her eye, the way she talked. Trolley had been a strong mare and if he could do that to her than he was sure there was nothing she could have done to fight it.

“Hogwash,” was what he said at last as he turned to look back at the stone while a small tear fell from his eye. Still, out of the corner of his eye, he could see the mare looking as if he had just slapped her. “Bet them fancy doctors that looked at you told you the same thing.”

“They did,” she said, her voice darkening a bit. “Princess Celestia and that…mare who cured me told me the same thing. That mare even explained to me how his magic worked on the Princess’s order. Something about understanding being the first step to recovery. He made himself look that way so I would-” The mare closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she did. “So I would find him attractive! A single, fresh lustful or longing thought was all it took. He…All he did was expand on it, making it more powerful and all consuming.” She then turned her head to look at him, Old Flint’s eyes looking down a bit now. “Knowing this didn’t make me feel any better. It just made me feel weaker. Because I couldn’t keep my thoughts pure or clean or whatever I allowed that thing to take a hold of me!”

Despite himself, Old Flint couldn’t help but bark out a laugh. “You think it's that easy?” he asked while the mare looked agape at him. “Young ponies these days. Do you really think there has ever been a stallion or a mare alive who has been able to control every single thought or feeling that runs through that head of theirs? Certainly not me, I’ll own up to that. Anypony that says they can, I call them a liar.” He then turned to look at the mare. “Now, look here. What goes on in our heads ain’t some big weakness. Just means you’re a pony like my Trolley was. Weakness is when we act on those things, of our own free will. Being brainwashed isn’t of your own free will now, you get me?”

Old Flint paused to press his hands together before rubbing them. “I fought that fella so I can tell you this: had he failed with you he would have just gone to another. Wouldn’t matter how many mares he ran through, would have just kept going to get whatever he wanted. More and more mares turned into my Trolley and yourself.” Old Flint paused to shutter. “If you won’t listen to any of them fancy doctors, then listen to this: if there is anypony to blame for my Trolley’s death it’s me. I…I had her in my hand. Just let her slip by. Could have done something, jumped up to grab her before she…before she burned to death. Couldn’t even avenge her like how a real father should, instead my damned heart gave way.”

Old Flint began to move a little within his chair as the mare slowly got to her hooves. Turning his head to look at her, he could tell there was something more going on behind those tear stained eyes. Something that he believed was echoed in his own. He felt somewhat lighter now that he had talked to her, feeling a bit better. The pain he felt from losing his Trolley was still there as strong as ever, but for some reason it hurt less. Why it did that who knew. Some of those fancy brain doctors who were all touchy feely with feeling might be able to give some long winded answer just to pad out their wallets. All Old Flint knew was that he was feeling a bit better and for him that was good enough.

The mare reached out to him. “Thank you,” she whispered as she touched his hand before her eyes widened. “Oh my- You’re freezing! How long have you been out here?!?” Without waiting for an answer, the mare walked behind Old Flint and began to push his wheelchair away from the grave.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” yelled Old Flint as he tried to gather the strength to stand only to fail.

“Taking you home and getting something warm inside of you,” stated the mare as the made their way to the exit.

“Well I’m not telling you where I live so you might as well take me back,” said the old stallion stubbornly.

“Then I’ll just take you to my place,” replied the mare. “The Princess managed to get me a new apartment after that monster took everything from me. It’s a little old fashioned, but I do like it.” Old Flint said nothing. He knew he could start yelling and screaming his head off until one of those police officers finally made his or her way to them. That he could have her arrested for trying to kidnap him! But he didn’t have the heart to. She was worrying about him and Trolley, bless her soul, would have done the same thing. In fact, if she were still here, he was sure the two would be chatting like friends as they pushed him along. The thought made him feel a bit happy. Besides, he couldn’t turn her in to the police after what she went through. Just wouldn’t be right in his mind.

“You’re a stubborn mare Miss…”

“Merry Day,” she supplied as she moved them out of the cemetery.

Around the same time, Princess Luna was opening the old creaking door that lead into the family kitchen. To say she appeared worn would have been the understatement of her life. Her black and white plaid top was unbuttoned and unkempt to reveal her still well toned stomach as well as her black bra. Her jeans had several large tears in them that were thankfully nowhere near her naughty bits or showed off anything she didn’t want her niece or nephew to see. Meanwhile her starry mane was not flowing down her back like normal, but instead seemed to stick out in every direction. There was a slight twitch in one of her eyes while both had dark circles around them. One might think that she and Big Mac had just finished a romp in the literal hay to celebrate her return. Sadly that was not the case.

Almost walking with a limp, Luna walked over to one of the cupboards while her magic began heating up a kettle. In almost no time at all she made a batch of the Apple Family’s Hot Cider and poured herself two steaming cups. Setting one of them on the kitchen table, she brought the one still in her hands to her mouth. Slowly she took a sip, feeling her energy returning to her after so very long. Something she knew she would need as she glanced over at a corner of the room. A spot that appeared completely empty to most ponies.

“I made this for you,” said Luna as she levitated the mug into the air. “Might not be the tea you’re used to back home, but it’s the best we have.” With that, the mug sailed across the room towards the corner. If anypony was watching, they would have thought Luna had gone crazy again and was throwing mugs against the wall. But then they would have been surprised to see Celestia, dressed in one of her golden gowns that felt very out of place in this country setting, suddenly appear and catch the mug gracefully.

“You could have played along a bit longer,” said Celestia with a pout before she blew on her mug. “I was hoping to have a little fun.”

“Not at my expense,” said Luna as she sat down, eyes closed as she took another sip. As she drank, part of her mind was wondering what her sister was doing here right now. She had no doubt that Celestia was well informed on matters that concerned her, probably knowing the moment both she and Twilight were back in Equestria. What was a little off was the fact that she was here instead of seeing Twilight. It was very rare these days, nay, years that they talked to each other like this. In fact, Luna was almost positive that her sister had never visited her at the farm! So…what had changed? Part of Luna wanted to cut to the chase and simply ask her that, but instead decided it would be best to play things out. “Not after how my trip went. I just don’t have the energy.”

It seemed like it was only now that Celestia realized the state Luna was in. Luna could feel her sister’s eyes going over her country life attire, taking it all in before moving closer. Even as Celestia took a seat next to the moon princess Luna did not open her eyes. She just wanted to rest them for a bit longer. However, given who she was and who was in the room with her that was not likely to happen.

“Did something happen with the yaks and the caribou?” asked Celestia. As she said that last part, thunder could be heard from above their heads with enough force that it shook the house a bit. Luna’s ears spun a bit as she heard the familiar sound of lightning striking nearby. Perhaps right outside her home. But she didn’t get up. Instead she calmly took another sip of her hot cider before a soft knock could be heard on the window.

“Sorry about that Princess,” came the familiar voice of the mailmare before she flew off.

Opening her eyes, Luna spotted her sister’s confused expression. “You get used to her,” said Luna with a brief smile. It, however, quickly faded as she returned to the topic at hand. “Yes, something did happen with them. Something horrible to do with the leader of the caribou: King Diann.” As she said this, dark clouds began to cover the skies above Sweet Apple Acres. The wind began to blow hard causing the branches on the nearby trees to tap against the glass windows. At this sudden change, Celestia seemed to grow worried as if all this were to better set the mood.

“W-What happened?” breathed Celestia as she leaned a bit closer to her younger sister.

-Flashback-

Luna sat there at the table, a document before her that did not look promising at all. She had looked over it several times since she had sat down at this table in Yakyakistan; finding that no matter how many times she did things did not look promising for her. Shifting her eyes, she looked over at Princess Twilight who appeared anxious for what was to happen next as she rocked back and forth on her seat. Sweat was appearing on the mare’s brow as she mouthed wordlessly their options. As if doing this would somehow help them get out of the danger they were in. On her other side was Prince Rutherford who, like both Luna and Twilight, had a document before him. There was a mad grin on his face as well as an air of complete triumph. He stared straight ahead towards the front of the table where King Dainn sat.

“Things are not looking good for any of you,” said Dainn confidently as he eyed the table.

“We’ve been through worse,” said Twilight as she grabbed an item on the table.

“So you have,” replied Dainn as he waved his hand. “But those were nothing more than mere trails compared to what you face now. Before you is what true might looks like. An army the likes of which you can scarcely believe. One that will conquer your nation if you are foolish enough to resist. So I give you this one chance: will you do the wise thing and surrender or will you waste my time with a pointless battle?”

The Yak prince slammed both his fists onto the table. “Yaks fight!” he roared loudly. He then looked to Luna and Twilight who both nodded. As one, all three of them turned to look at Dainn.

“Very well,” he said before adjusting his overly large and thick glasses. When he spoke next, all sense of power that his voice held was gone, replaced with something that could be considered nasally. “Roll for initiative.”

As the other two at the table rolled their dice, Luna rolled her eyes before following suit. In the middle of the table was an O&O map with several figures on it. Rutherford’s was a large red barbarian holding an axe and a sword. Twilight’s was that of a yellow mage of some kind, one hand holding a fireball while a tome was held under the other’s arm. As for Luna’s teal rogue, she was holding two small daggers while remaining crouched low to the ground. Before them were a dozen soldiers of the ‘Mighty Bad Guy Alliance’ that they had to defeat.

“Is this not the most fun ever?” yelled the yak, causing Luna to wince due to the high volume. “Told you yaks make good friends. Help yaks to find outlet to aggression!”

“I have waited forever to get in a good O&O campaign,” exclaimed Twilight with starlit eyes.

“Soon we plan on showing them the joys of LARPing,” said Dainn as he took a handful of chips. “It’s so hard to find countries that don’t outright ban all the fun stuff in life. If Equestria is really as into this as my people are than we’ll get along great.” Dainn loudly ate the chips while staring at Twilight’s chest. “Especially seeing how many cute girls there are who like this game.”

Luna fought really, really hard not to roll her eyes. “Well, it’s good to see that the caribou have had such a powerful influence on you,” she said while looking at Rutherford. “Perhaps we can go over some of those issues between our two nations soon and then we’ll be on our way.”

Rutherford looked horrified. “Friends…leaving? But game not done. First time leaders get together to have fun. You no leave until game done.”

“He’s right princess,” said Twilight, much to Luna’s annoyance. “This is the perfect time to strengthen our ties with each other and bond. You know, work out our issues.”

“You just want to play this game a bit more, don’t you,” deadpanned Luna. Twilight had the decency to admit it with a nod causing Luna to sigh. “I suppose finishing up one game won’t be too bad.”

-End Flashback-

“It took almost an entire month to finish that ONE game,” cried Luna as she sank in her seat. “From the time we got up till the sun went down, we did nothing but pretend we were different ponies and roll the dice around. I swear it was like that little runt was trying to keep us there for as long as possible so he could keep staring at our chests. Every time I thought we were almost due there was some sort of side mission or some twist to the story. It just kept going on and on! The only good thing was that when it was over, Rutherford promised to teach the yaks new ways to keep them from destroying everything in sight if something wasn’t perfect. Or simply avoiding places that might trigger a rage attack.”

“Wow,” said Celestia in a deadpanned voice. “How horrible for you. I can’t imagine anything worse than playing a simple dice game.” To that, Luna gave a derisive snort which shocked the other princess. Luna could clearly recall the days and nights when she lived in Canterlot, having to listen to Celestia as she regaled her with just how awful it was at a cake tasting contest or how a dress fitting went way too long.

“What happened to you?” asked Luna as she lifted her mug.

“Hollow Shades.” That was all Celestia needed to say to get Luna to pause right as the mug was pressed against her lips. Resisting the urge to groan, Luna slowly lowered the mug and placed it on the table. Now, Celestia had her full attention.

“So you found out how bad things were getting over there,” said Luna slowly.

“Hard not to,” said Celestia as she shook her head. The sun princess then let out a sigh while her shoulders and wings slumped. To Luna, Celestia looked almost defeated. “Ever since you left, I’ve been dealing with problem after problem. From a town that used to create the most elegant metal craft becoming a tourist trap to numerous nobles in numerous crimes, it’s been a busy month. But the worst part of all is that I have nopony to blame for this but myself.” Celestia shook her head again. “I never extended an olive branch to the Countess or even an apology towards her for how I acted back then. I allowed the changes to the Mining Safety Committee so that it was run by unicorns rather than the skilled earth ponies and thestrals. I…I never checked up on them to make sure everything was going smoothly or to see if their standards had lessened over the years. Equestria would have lost all of its best resources if things had continued like that!”

Luna shook her head. “There you go, thinking that its all about you,” she said. Luna paused to finish up her mug and, as she did, saw that her sister had lifted her head. Celestia was giving her a look of incredulous fury. “Sister, you are not the one who failed. Creating those committees is something I can’t fault you on. We can’t be everywhere and know everything after all, so we need to rely on others that, well, sometimes fail to meet our expectations. Just be glad you were able to fix it in time. Both me and Twilight weren’t getting anywhere.”

Celestia blinked at this while Luna’s horn lit up to put her mug in the sink. “That’s…not what I was expecting to hear from you,” she said. “I thought you’d agree with me that this was all my fault. That I should never have let this happen or something like that.”

“Never said you weren’t blameless,” stated Luna as she raised a finger. “I still think you should have checked in on that committee or just visited Hollow Shades more often. It might not have the same grandeur as some of Equestria’s other cities, but it still one of our cities. Might have saved all of us some trouble.” Luna let out a sigh. “But, I’m not blameless in the whole mess either. I tried to buy the mines back for the thestrals instead of coming to you for help.”

Celestia leaned forward. “Why didn’t you?”

Luna raised her eyebrow. “We haven’t really been on the best of terms these last several years, now have we? You never approved of my school or my marriage. When Reasonable Voice tried to take away my school you…did nothing. Not even a letter asking how I was doing with all of this. Just…” Luna’s words trailed off as she saw Celestia, her head lowered again while looking away. Like she was trying to make sure she wasn’t looking at her sister. Closing her eyes, Luna took a deep breath. “I…feared you might dismiss this. That, as far as you knew, there was no issue with the mines or how they were being run. The last thing I wanted was for whatever ground we gained to be ruined by another fight.”

“You’re right,” mumbled Celestia. “A month ago, if you had come to me with this I probably would have dismissed it. Thought you were seeing things that weren’t there to try and make me look bad. Instead I did that all on my own.” Celestia let out a sigh as she turned her head to look at Luna. “I’m sorry about all this Luna. This distance we’ve put between us. I always thought I knew best since you were gone for so long. That you missed so much that it would take longer for you to adapt to how things had changed. Turns out I was the one who was having trouble adapting to the changing times. I suppose I should have made more of an effort to extend an olive branch to you as well.”

“Same goes for me,” said Luna as she reached out to touch Celestia’s hand. For a moment, the sun princess’ hand just laid there unresponsive before it turned around to embrace the touch of her sister’s. “It took two to make this mess we’re in. I probably should have tried a bit harder to talk to you and ease these tensions. Maybe let you foalsit for me instead of thinking that you’d give Snowsong to one of your students as a test.” Luna let out a small chuckle at that, almost missing her sister’s face turning pink.

Celestia coughed into her hand. “Well then, how about we make a new start by working together on something.”

“You have my attention.”

“While I was searching the homes of the other Dukes in the Hanging City, I discovered that one of them had several mares kept there as sex slaves. I haven’t been able to get much out of him through the legal methods-”

“I can’t believe you outlawed truth spells and truth potions,” groaned Luna. “Or any other magical way of obtaining a confession.”

Once more, Celestia’s face turned pink. “Because any spell or potion that can alter the brain like that could also be used to plant false memories or make them confess to something they didn’t do. Remember that time I used a ‘truth’ spell one you and you confessed to Star Swirl that you were the one who took his dingy out into the middle of the ocean?” Luna growled at the memory as well as what happened afterwards. Star Swirl had grounded her for sixth months while Celestia gloated about all the fun she was having. As she thought about this, Celestia had regained a more confident composure. “I think I’ve made my point. Now then, let’s get back to the matter at hand, shall we?”

With a sigh, Luna nodded. As Celestia began to talk about what they had been able to find out, the lunar princess found herself in an odd place. It had been so very long since the two of them were like this, sitting down to discuss a problem about the kingdom as equals. Now here they were, racking their brains on how to figure out this latest issue to their kingdom. Perhaps next time Celestia came over it would be as a normal visit to see family again. Perhaps she could spend time with Luna’s family, getting to know the Cider twins and her niece while leaving all the headaches of the throne back in Canterlot. Or maybe they could work out some sort of friendly competition between their two schools. Something like a Friendship Games or something to that effect. But those happier times would have to wait for now. They had a sex slave ring to find.

Dragonfly walked down the streets of Hollow Shades with her head held low, trying her best not to attract too much attention. It had been almost a month since she had walked down the streets of her home. A month since she had gone to Canterlot to try and treat a mare who had been infected by the magic of the unicorn stallion who had attacked them. Try being the key word in all of that. She had been able to feel the, for lack of a better word, obsession magic in the mare’s skull as well as being able to reach in and touch it with her own magic without any negative effect. But that was only due to her Changeling heritage. Getting it out proved to be very difficult as her magical knowledge was very limited, kept to the basics of illusions and basic attack spells. So rather than coming in and solving everything with a single spell, Dragonfly had to practice taking the magic out of Merry a bit at a time.

Eventually, Dragonfly had succeed in her task and was allowed to go home. Yet Dragonfly knew things would never be the same again. Hollow Shades knew that she had been a Changeling this entire time and that her papa had help keep her secret. Princess Celestia had told her that it was perfectly safe to do so, that she had told the Countess that Dragonfly was under her protection due to her services to the crown. As she walked down the streets of her hometown, she wished things could be that simple. Even though the sun was somewhat shining above her and that every thestral should be in bed, she still could tell she was being watched. Curtains swished from the houses as the occupants of those homes tried to hide the fact that they had been watching her. Several didn’t even bother to hide that they were keeping an eye on her, glaring at her with hate filled eyes as she walked.

No, nothing would ever be the same. There was too much bad blood between the Changelings and the thestrals. She had deceived them all for her entire life. No song or dance would ever get them to trust her again. She didn’t even bother to put on her thestral form, instead walking about town in her true one. There was no point in hiding it any longer.

The only good thing she saw as she walked was that the town was looking much better than before. The obvious signs that this town survived solely on tourism were far fewer now. There was not a single billboard in sight to show ponies where they were or advertising some sort of show. Old stands that had been collecting dust were clearer than she had ever seen before and shelves in stores were clear of pitiful trinkets. Nothing was there now, but Dragonfly could smell the signs that forges had been lit recently with every step she took as well as the distant sounds of a hammer pounding against steal. Her ability to sense emotions was on overdrive as she felt a strong surge of pride like nothing she had ever felt before or with such force behind it. It was like her…no, their tribe had regained their soul.

Eventually, Dragonfly spotted the one spot she had thought to be her only refuge in Hollow Shades: her home. Only she could not see the many cages of insects that lines the house as well as she normally could. The reason for this was because of the great many tents that filled the yard. As she drew closer, Dragonfly could make out small bags outside each of them.

“Dragonfly!” came a familiar cheery voice. Rather than fight it, Dragonfly stood her ground as she became wrapped in one of Succubus’ hugs. For a brief moment, the Changeling mare was able to make out that, despite the cold weather, the large breasted mare was wearing nothing but a lime green g-string bikini that barely fit her. “Welcome back! We missed you!”

“Succubus, what are you still doing here?” asked Dragonfly as she felt their boobs being pressed against each other. “I thought you would have wanted to get out of here the moment you could.”

“Well I would have,” began Succubus as her cheerfulness took a heavy drop. As Dragonfly pulled back a bit, she saw that Succubus’ ears now laid flat against her mane and her smile was nowhere to be seen. “But the doctors said Pip wasn’t good enough to travel. That naughty colt really did a number on him. The Hollow Shades medical staff even allowed doctors from Canterlot to treat him without putting up a fuss!”

“Any…lasting damages?” asked Dragonfly, genuinely concerned. What little she had seen of Pip told her that he was a decent stallion. Plus, he did crawl a good distance while in considerable pain, stabbing the stallion who was about to assault her with a knife. He may have questionable tastes in mates, but he was a dependable stallion in her book.

“Thankfully no,” said Succubus as she let go, looking a bit more cheerful as she did. “There was some issues with torn muscles in his fingers and some internal bleeding, but a few potions flown in from Zecora’s along with a couple spells fixed him right up. We’re leaving today.”

“Well that’s good,” said Dragonfly as she looked around. “And what’s with all the tents? Ponies from Ponyville who heard about what happened?”

“No, even better!” exclaimed Succubus as her cheerfulness returned at full force. At a shocking speed, Succubus had wrapped an arm around her shoulder while the other one gestured to the tents. “While Pip was recovering, I decided not to let this opportunity slip me by. There were so many sexy mares out there ready to show the world what their made of! So I went out there and found them!”

As if this had been some sort of cue, the tents began to stir. Dragonfly was not at all surprised to see that the first one to step out into the sunlight was Erotic wearing a white bra with slits on it that exposed her nipples and no panties. As the mare stretched her arms in a yawn Ghostly crawled out of her tent. Even as she got to her hooves, Ghostly was still trying to cover some of her exposed body which was near impossible seeing as she was wearing the same thing as Succubus except dark blue. At least she still had some decency!

The two of them spotted both Dragonfly and Succubus quickly, walking over to them as others left their tents. One by one, more scantily clad mares left their tents and stretched in the light of day. Some were wearing simple bras and panties while others were wearing two piece bathing suits that would never be found in Hollow Shades. But what was surprising was that not all of them were as big breasted as Succubus or Ghostly were. While many were of the larger size there were those with smaller sizes that were acceptable by thestral culture. It puzzled Dragonfly to think that any of them would want to join Succubus in leaving to become stripper!

“Dragonfly!” cried Erotic while eyeing her breasts like they were prized candies. “You naughty, naughty mare. To think that all this time you were hiding such treasures from me.” She licked her lips, sending chills down Dragonfly’s spine. “I can’t wait to feel them with my own two hands. Will they be soft like a mare’s or will they be harder? Oh, I also need to find out about that transformation power of yours.”

“You’re so lucky,” mumbled Ghostly. “Being able to hide this from Erotic all this time.”

“W-What are you wearing?” demanded Dragonfly as she gestured to Ghostly’s figure. “I can understand Erotic and Succubus wearing next to nothing, but not you! And what about all the other mares?”

“Oh this?” said Ghostly as she looked down for a moment. “It was Succubus’ idea. Since we’re going to Ponyville, she thought it would be better to get us used to wearing something like this sooner rather than later. We’ve also been working on dancing around while the others watch during the day so we don’t bother anypony.” She fidgeted a bit. “To be honest, some of us are taking longer to get used to this than others. I don’t think I’ll be very good.”

“Nonsense,” said Succubus as she moved behind Ghostly. Gently she placed both of her hands on the other mare’s shoulders while leaning her head over to Ghostly’s ear. When she spoke next, Succubus’ voice came out as a husky whisper. “I think the naughty colts and good stallions of Ponyville will love you and that shy, innocent dance of yours. The way you do it is sssooo sexy they’ll need a change of pants. Those that manage to hold in their loads will be begging and scrapping for a private dance. Anything for a chance just to touch and be touched by you.” Succubus’ arms slipped downwards to Ghostly’s chest, squeezing them upon contact. Ghostly threw back her head to let out a lewd moan.

“But…But all these mares,” stammered a red faced Dragonfly as she gestured to the other mares. Anything to distract herself from the sight before her. “How did you manage to convince them all? Isn’t the town doing better?”

“Starting to,” said Erotic as she placed both her hands behind her head. Doing so stretched the material of her bra, showing off more of her flesh that should have been covered! “Ore shipments to various plants owned by them unicorns have been canceled. Dark Bargain is making sure that instead they are going to Hollow Shades as well as the Hanging City. Forges that are still in good condition are at work right now. Pretty soon, more thestrals will be hired to work in the mines. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.” She then frowned while lowering her arms. “Problem is, it’ll take time. Time to find new Dukes. Time to organize and hire. Time to grown ores and gems.”

“Most of us here have been living on the Wall for years,” said one of the mares in the group. “Eating moss and small ferns in order to stay alive. So when Miss Succubus approached us with this offer, we thought it might be a good idea. You know, send some of the bits we earn back home to help out our families. Just until things get better for them and work becomes more stable. Maybe even branch out and see the rest of Equestria for a bit.” Those in the crowd began to nod in agreement.

Dragonfly stood there amist the group of barely dressed mares. She wanted to urge them not to do this. To remind them that good things were right around the corner. That all they had to do was wait a few more years and then things would be as they should have been. But she didn’t. These mares had been preparing to leave for a while now and she could see that their minds were made up. That they were committed to this course and nothing she said or did would have any effect. Those that couldn’t handle it or weren’t as committed had probably left some time ago. Plus it wasn’t like she had any right to tell them how to be a proper thestral. She was just a Changeling, an outsider. She…She didn’t belong here anymore.

“Don’t worry about them,” said Succubus as she let go of Ghostly. “Me and Pip will make sure they are all well treated at the Treasure Chest. I also promised them that if they didn’t like it there we would help them find better jobs. Heck, I even recommended a few of them to Miss Matchmaker.

“That’s…good,” said Dragonfly, visibly surprising Succubus by this. She guessed this was because she had assumed that the Changeling mare would try to talk them all out of it. So Dragonfly took a deep breath. “I…don’t suppose you could give me some details?”

“Ah good, you’re home little one,” came the voice of Steel Fang as Dragonfly closed the door to her home a few hours later. He was sitting there at the table, patting the seat next to him. Before him was a loaf of bread with two extra plates. “I saw you talking to them and thought you might be hungry.”

“I’m fine,” said Dragonfly as she walked in…and stopped dead cold. Everything was gone. The walls were bare, devoid of any pictures. All the kitchen equipment was missing from the counter. Turning her head, she noticed a distinct lack of furniture. “Papa, what has happened?”

The old forger shrugged. “Was to be expected,” he said simply. “No longer mayor now, am I? Shortly after you were taken to Canterlot I was removed from office. Good ridence I thought. Free to forge to my heart’s content. Ah, but some things just don’t go the way we wish. Nopony will give me any share of the ore, good or bad quality.”

Dragonfly stood there despite her father motioning her to sit next to him. She felt the sting of tears around her eyes which she quickly tried to hide. This was all her fault. She had known that her father would lose his position as mayor. She thought she had prepared herself for this. But somehow seeing their home like this was more than she could bear. She had ruined everything when her disguise had failed, when she had tried to save Pip. Now the ponies she loved had to pay the price. As she lowered her hands from her face Dragonfly found herself in the warm embrace of her father. Had her mind been able to focus better, she would guess that he had gotten up when he noticed her in such a state. Instead she wept harder than before.

“There, there, little one,” he said gently. “It’ll be alright.”

“No it won’t,” sobbed Dragonfly softly as her hands clutched onto her father’s shirt. “I ruined everything. You must hate me right now.” At that, she felt Steel Fang take a step back followed by him placing a hand under her chin. Surprised by this, she allowed him to raise her head so that they could look into each other’s eyes.

“Hate you?” he echoed. “For defending our home and defending our guests? What you did made your papa proud! You acted like a true thestral that day.” Slowly he released her chin. “I always thought that there would come a time when we could no longer hide you. It seems like that night has come at last.”

Dragonfly bit her lip slightly. “But what will you do without the forge?”

Steel Fang gestured towards the table. Next to the bread laid an opened scroll. “I received it by messenger bat not too long ago,” he said. “From the new Duchess Batibat. She has offered me and your sister jobs within her new estate. I shall be her personal blacksmith while Dragon Fang shall do the protecting. We…shall be taken care of.” He then looked at her with sorrow. “But, alas, only one of my daughters shall join me in the Hanging City. I am not so foolish as to hope to presade her to allow you to join us. Even if you take a different form it would be a giveaway if you moved in with us at the same time.” He shook his head. “No, even if you did, my little princess would never be able to leave the estate. A prisoner in a rocky cage. That is no life for you. My little princess deserves more than this old smith could ever give.”

“I know,” said Dragonfly with a sniff. “I know I can’t go down there and live with you. Just like how I knew I could never stay here. I just wanted to see this place once more.” She took a breath in an attempt to gather her strength. “That’s why I decided to leave with the others and go to Ponyville.”

Steel Fang frowned at that. “To dance without clothing?”

“I…don’t know,” admitted Dragonfly as she moved to the chair closest to her and sat down. Her father soon followed, still frowning. “I agreed to try it out for a bit. But I am going to be looking for another job as soon as possible! I just hope you do not think any less of me.”

“That…is not the life I wished for you,” said Steel Fang evenly as he moved to take some bread while Dragonfly felt her heart beating faster. “It should not be the desire of any papa to see their young one doing such a thing. My own papa would be ashamed of me to know that I allowed one of my little ones to fall to such a fate.” He then gave her an odd look. “But I suppose it could be worse. Dancing naked is far better than becoming a local whore.” As he said his, he cut some bread and handed it to Dragonfly. “Hopefully you will find better employment soon. That is all I can hope for.”

“Same here papa,” agreed Dragonfly as she calmed down some.

“Maybe it is for best,” continued Steel Fang as he took a bite of his bread. “Out there you will not have to hide. Hard to build a relationship when you must hide such an important part of yourself. Now you can go out and find a nice stallion who will give you little ones of your own.” Dragonfly choked on the bread she had been eating as her father laughed.

Pip walked down the aisle of the train carts, passing by the many thestral mares as he did while also being thankful that he was no longer in any pain. The past month had been a difficult one for him, going from one specialist to another to be treated for the numerous injuries he had sustained. Thankfully he had the support of Succubus by his side nearly everyday to see how he was doing as well as giving him updates on how things were progressing. Not just with finding more mares for their club, while that was the top topic of conversation she wanted to talk about, but also how things were progressing with the town and her family. Then when visiting hours had passed she would sneak into his bed every night to, as she put it, ‘keep him warm with her body’. Due to the damage done to his body they had been unable to have full on sex, but there was plenty of oral to be had. That is until they were caught. That had been very, very akward to say the least.

As for his other visitors, they had been few. Dark Bargain had stopped by with Banshee only twice due to him being so busy. Until new Dukes and owners for the other mines could be found Dark Bargain was in charge on maintaining them. Right now he wasn’t hiring anypony for that would be too long of a process, only managing what each mine was producing and making sure that those in the two thestral cities were finally getting their fair share. It was to be sure tiring work, but Dark seemed to taking it in stride. Perhaps with the fear that his family would be homeless gone, a great deal of stress had been removed.

As for their visits, they were simple enough. Dark Bargain had come the first time to personally thank Pip for doing all that he could to keep Succubus safe from harm. That as well as to explain that the investigation into him was officially over. As for the second, it was to give Pip a personal invitation to his wedding with Cold Shut. Banshee was quiet most of the time, mostly glaring at Pip while she was there. At least while her brother was in the room. It was only when they were alone did she allow herself to say thank you and that he ‘can keep Succubus company until she comes home’. Pip guessed that was as much approval as he was going to get from the little filly.

As he passed by the rows of tuffed ears, Pip was glad to be finally heading home. Sure, there was a lot of work that needed to be done. The good thing about having so many mares was that they could now eliminate the long wait time between stage dances as well as allow more private ones to be going on at once. And with so many mares of different colorations and bust sizes he was sure there was a mare out there for each customer. However, the two of them would have to work out a schedule as well as trying to figure out where they were going to house these mares. For the moment they could sleep on the main floor or with Rarity until they figured something out. They couldn’t go to Dark Bargain since buying them all the tickets for this trip had already put a strain on his very tight finances. He would also need to make sure that they didn’t forget about the other mares who worked for them. The last thing Pip wanted to do was drive them away by making them feel like they were being replaced. But all of that would be worth it to be back in his own home, sleeping in his own bed with his wife by his side.

Still it was nice to see so many hopeful smiling mares coming out of such a dark place. All of the mares were either talking excitably with each other or trying to avoid Erotic from feeling them up. Speaking of Erotic, it would probably be best if he laid down some ground rules with her in the near future. The last thing he wanted was-

Pip suddenly found himself being grabbed, pulled into a private compartment so quickly that the world seemed to spin. As he landed on the ground, he heard the door slam shut. Pip’s heart began to race as he wondered who it could be as he was unwilling to look. Was it Kegger? That stallion might have heard…somehow that Pip was bringing in more mares and wanted to stop him. Was it Prince Charming? Was it possible that he had somehow survived whatever Banshee had done to him? For once in his life, Pip prayed to whoever was up there that this was just a random mugger and not somepony trying to kill him.

It was then that he heard the now familiar sound of clothing being dropped to the floor. Looking around towards the door, Pip saw Succubus standing there with her short shorts pooled at her hooves. The only thing she was wearing was her red button up shirt which was no longer tied into a knot, now hanging loosely so as to show off her smooth stomach as well as part of her breasts. She stood there with a smile, the curtains to the cart closed behind her so that nopony could see the inside. Taking in a breath, Pip could now fully smell the arousal growing in the room. He didn’t need to see it to know that her juices were moving down her inner thighs.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” she purred as she got down on her hands and knees. Once on the floor she began to move towards Pip with the grace of a cat, sashaying her hips as she moved closer. Her eyes looked hungry as they fixed on Pip’s face. “So many times we were interrupted. So many times denied. I’ve only had your love inside of me once my sexy stallion. I want that cream inside me so bad it hurts.” By this point, Succubus was on top of Pip with their lips just touching. Their eyes fixed on the others. “But I won’t be denied any longer.”

With that said, Succubus smashed her lips against his while her tongue invaded his mouth. Her hands went for his head, fingers running through his mane. Her moans filled the small room as she pushed her body against his before grinding them together. Already he could feel wet patches on his pants from her need. He could feel her shirt being moved around allowing her rock hard nipples to press against his still covered chest. This was not their usual love making. It felt more like Succubus was a starved mare while he was the buffet. That she was trying to inhale him with all her might, to suck him dry. It was only by some miracle that she hadn’t ripped off his shirt and pants.

Caught off guard with all of this, Pip just laid there frozen in place…for only a moment or two before he began to return her passion with his own. As his member stiffened in his pants, Pip’s hands reached for her flank. He gasped both cheeks before giving them a good squeeze to make his beloved wife moan into his mouth as she continued their messy make-out on the floor. Pip moved his own tongue into the mix, creating an awkard yet no less desired dance between the two. His moans flowed in her mouth as he licked her tongue, teeth, and the roof of her mouth. Everything there tasted wonderful. She was wonderful. A small voice inside his head warned him that somepony might hear them, but it was ignored completely. Right now the couple were so lost in each other it didn’t matter if Princess Celestia herself walked in on them. They would probably continue with their love making, giving her a show unless pried apart by her magic.

Time lost all meaning for the two as they continued to suck the other’s face loudly. Pip barely noticed it was getting warmer in their cart or that the smell they were creating was getting stronger. His member began to hurt as it tried its hardest to be free of its confinement. Yet Pip’s hands refused to leave his mare’s flank.

It was only when Succubus pulled her head back did things change. However, rather than allowing Succubus to take the full lead this time, Pip quickly latched onto her neck. His wife gasped in surprise and delight at this, no doubt feeling the suction Pip was creating as well as him pressing his tongue against her neck. The mare seemed to give way as she became momentarily limp above him. Had he been a larger stallion, Pip would have taken this opportunity to press the advantage by slipping a finger into her slit.

Instead, Succubus rolled off of him so that she now laid on his side. As Pip continued to suck on her neck while moving downwards towards her collar bone, Succubus’ hands were at work. With a single hand she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, before pulling down all of his lower clothes so that his cock stood straight up. He could feel her looking at his pillar of flesh while she cooed, gasped, and moaned in delight. Her body began to grind next to his as Pip felt one of her hands move in-between them. While interested in what she was doing, Pip had other concerns as his now free hands found their new target: her breasts. One of his arms reached over to grab the closest mound of flesh before giving it a squeeze. He delighted in feeling his wife’s body tremble in delight, squeezing and kneading her soft orbs with much gusto. In a low, breathy voice he could hear her saying his name over and over again.

As Pip now began to move up and down her neck, coating it with his saliva as he went, the small stallion felt Succubus’ hand on his member. Only it was wet with something. It took a moment for Pip to realize he could no longer feel her arm between them and realized what she had done: coat her hand with her own juices. The thought caused more blood to rush to his dick before his brain seemed to shut down as her hand began to move. Up and down it went, coating his cock with her fluids as she jerked him off. Her motions were not controlled like they usually were, sometimes going rapidly before slowing down to a considerable degree. Pip felt his back arch more than once as her slick finger twirled around his members head and menial ring. Wishing to return the favor, Pip’s hand moved downwards until he felt her hard nipple in his palm. Without looking, his fingers began to circle the areola causing her breathing to deepen. Smiling to himself Pip proceeded to use his fingers to pinch and pull on her nipple to further effect.

Perhaps too great of an effect for Succubus, she began to speed up on the hand job she was providing. Faster and harder she went causing Pip’s limit to near its end. In a vain attempt to hold back he stopped his necking and clenched his teeth, but it was not enough nor did Succubus slow down. All that happened was Pip’s hips being trusted upwards as a jet of white foal making fluids shot upwards. More jets came out while the room took on the scent of semen, dropping down on both their bodies almost like rain.

Eventually, Succubus let go of his dick and Pip lowered his hips. As he laid there panting, Pip opened his eyes to see that Succubus was getting into a sitting position. Her arms and boobs had spots of cum littered on them. Shifting his gaze he could also see plenty of spots on his shirt as well as the floor. Movement brought his attention back to his wife as she slowly slicked up his cum on her arm, her eyes glued onto him as she did this. As her tongue collected his spunk Succubus moaned loudly once more as she shifted her lower body. Pip could not tear his gaze away even if for some reason he wanted to. He could feel signs of life returning to his member, but not enough. At least for now.

“I’ve missed your love so much,” said Succubus with a purr as one finger collected some of his cum on her breasts. Scooping it up she brought it to her outstretched tongue which immediately began to lap it up while still eyeing him up. “Now, let’s get my sexy stallion all cleaned up.”

Succubus was on top of him again with her legs pressed against each other between his own. She did not go for his lips to lock in on another kiss. Instead her tongue was hanging out, ready to lap up all the cum on his shirt. He watched her as she did this, her gaze glued to his as if to make sure she was being watched. He could feel her legs rubbing against each other as the scent of her neediness increased. As she moved down his shirt, her hands went to undo the buttons. In all honestly he was surprised to see that she had not ripped it off him by now.

When his chest had become bare and the cum gone, Succubus began to lick his fur as she traveled downwards still. Pip’s member was hard again, feeling his wife’s body against it as she moved downwards. As her tongue traced the area right above his cock, she shuffled a bit to take off her shirt completely so that they were both equally nude. Slowly she backed up, his member feeling her boobs slide across it until her mouth was directly over head. Pip’s hands balled into fists as he felt her warm breath against it. Waiting for it to enter her mouth or to feel her tongue slide against it. But neither happened. Instead, Succubus remained there as if taking in the sight of his cock for the first time. She inhaled deeply, like she was taking in the scent of her favorite food.

A coy smile then graced her face. She gave his member a quick lick before standing up with her legs spread a bit. From where he was, Pip could see her juices glistening in the light to show off her need. Wordlessly she reached down and Pip took her hand without question. His wife helped him up onto his hooves before letting go and embracing him.

“My sexy stallion,” she whispered into his ear in a husky voice. “I’d love to tease you longer. To build up the pleasure for us both. However,” she paused to take his hand, moving it down between her legs and between her folds. “I can’t wait. I need my Pip now.”

“As you wish,” was his reply as Pip’s fingers entered her. Succubus gasped and tightened her hold on Pip, smooching her breasts into his face. Not like Pip minded at all! As three of his fingers slid in and out of her, he latched on to one of her nipples as to suck on it like a foal. He could feel her body grow a bit stiff while his tongue flicked her nub.

Then…she pulled away much to his disappointment.

“Not like that my stallion,” she said with a smile, her chest bouncing a bit from her panting. Pip watched as she sat down on one of the seats where she then proceeded to spread her legs as far as she could. Her hands then reached downwards to her dripping wet pussy so as to spread those lips. Pip watched, his member now at full mass again, as those folds tried hard to wink at him only to be prevented by his wife’s hands. “Please, do not keep me waiting.”

Pip would never disobey that request. Moving quickly, Pip positioned himself so that his mast was aimed directly at her lower entrance. From there he rubbed it along the slit, listening to Succubus as she made whining noises. Before she could beg him to stop teasing her, Pip slid it in completely with one stroke. As one the two gasped in delight. Pip felt her warm tightness wrap around his member as if it refused to allow it to leave. Given how good it felt it was a demand that Pip almost considered obeying. Well, if not for the fact that he knew of a much better feeling anyways.

Pip pulled back a bit, almost to the point where his cock left her wetness, before shoving it back in. Over and over again he repeated his motion, earning the delighted cries of pleasure from Succubus. He watched as her breasts delightfully bounced up and down in timing with his thrusts, the nipples looking like they were as hard as diamonds now. Even in the position she was in, Succubus somehow managed to push her chest out a bit so that it was closer to her stallion. While the only things coming out of her mouth were breathy moans and grunts, her eyes seemed to plead her request. Happily Pip leaned down to attach his mouth to her nipple. He sucked and lightly nibbled on it, earning louder and louder cries of pleasure from Succubus.

Thus it should have been little surprise when the door opened. Pip had expected to see a member of the train staff coming in to check on all the noise. But it wasn’t. Instead it was Ghostly, Erotic, Dragonfly, and several other mares coming to look in on them with flushed faces. Erotic was now rubbing herself as she watched; completely uncaring that she was in a public place. Ghostly was biting her lower lip. As for Dragonfly…

“Where are all the lonely ponies?” she sang in something like a slur, her body moving around wildly. “Where do they all come from?” Had Pip not been so focused on the task at hand he would have wondered if she had one too many drinks.

“Oh my,” whispered Ghostly. “I guess stallions out there do like mares with big breasts. I hope I find one.”

“Mmmmmm, I want to try this one out,” moaned Erotic as she began to strip completely. “Succubus, sharing him for a bit? Or perhaps we could have a kinky threesome”

“NO!” shouted Succubus at once, her legs wrapping around Pip as he continued to pound into her. Pip detached his mouth from her nipple to look at her and she looked right back at him. “Pip is my stallion. I only want him and I’ll be all the mare he will ever need. Watch as my sexy stallion fills me with his love. My stallion. My Pip.” At that point, Pip leaned in so the two could kiss. As they did, Pip made a final thrust inside of her, filling her womb with more of his seed. He could feel her lower walls quivering in delight before she too came.

Just one of the many orgasms that would happen on the train ride home.

When the train finally arrived at the Ponyville station, Pip and Succubus were the first to exit the train. There wasn’t a large crowd there waiting for them, just Rumble and Zahara who both gave them an odd look. Not surprising since they both appeared as if neither had bathed in several day, their manes matted and their clothing smelling of the musk of sweaty sex.

“Good to see you back boss,” said Rumble as he helped with their bags. “Heard about what happened out there. Sorry I wasn’t there to help.”

“It’s fine,” said Pip as he looked around. “Any trouble-“

“A ZEBRA!” came a sudden collective shout that caused all fur in the area to stand up. Pip, Rumble, Zahara, and Succubus all turned to see that all the thestrals on the train were looking in their direction. Their eyes sparkling in wonder.

“Not again,” moaned Zahara. Before she could say or do anything else, Zahara was surrounded by dozens of mares, some of whom flew out the windows of the train just to get to her first. Others tackled each other and they tried to make their way out of the train as quickly as possible. It looked like all thestrals were simply fascinated by zebras. Thankfully Succubus pulled away from Pip to make sure none of them crossed any lines.

“So,” said Pip as he turned to look at Rumble. “Any trouble at the club?” At this, Rumble’s face darkened.

“Guess you didn’t hear,” he mumbled. “Thought for sure somepony would have told you or you would have heard something.” He sighed and scratched his head, causing Pip to panic slightly.

“Please, don’t tell me the Treasure Chest burned down or something,” he begged. Rumble shook his head.

“No, but I almost wish that’s what happened,” he said, causing more dread to grow in Pip. Had the zoning laws changed and he had to close down shop? Had Kegger finally been able to start his own club? “See, Rarity broke in while you were gone. Ran out of booze at her place. She’s been having a hard time ever since she found out Sweetie Belle has gone missing. Nopony has seen or heard from her in two months.”

Author's Note

Its finally over! Now I can move onto my Clocktower stories and the next part of the island series!

But before that I am working on a bonus that I hope will be out for Nightmare Night that will be pure clop. Keep your fingers crossed

Nightmare Night Bonus

Nightmare Night had been a big deal for the ponies of Ponyville for as long as Pip could remember. Like most other small towns the folks would put up booths full of games, snacks, and other spooktacular activities for the foals. However, not many towns could pride themselves that Princess Luna herself oversaw this event in pony. Because of this the town put more of an effort into everything Nightmare Night. Adults and foals alike wore the finest costumes Rarity could make or they would try to make their own in order to impress the night princess. The games were more elaborate. The treats were tastier. The scares were more, well, scarier. Everypony celebrated this night.

That included those who worked at the Treasure Chest.

The normal pirate theme of the bar turned strip club was lost on this one night. For this one night everypony got a treat. For starters, the serving mares did not wear their pirate themed attire. Instead, thanks to the motivation of Succubus, the serving mares brought the guests their drinks while wearing nothing but their underwear. Those who ordered could see them dressed in silken panties, bras, teddies, and so forth but were forbidden to be touched. Rumble told them all before they entered that if they did; they would be tossed out and would not be allowed to enter for a full year. All of the seafaring memorabilia was replaced with pictures of sexy witches and demons luring unsuspecting stallions towards them. That night Pip served mug after mug of a brand new Apple Family product: Pumpkin Spiced Sparkling Apple Cider. The best way to describe this drink was that it was if somepony had liquidized everything fall and put it into a bottle. There was no other way to describe it.

As for the dancers, they had gone all out. Each mare had altered their manes and furs so that they would look more like some other famous mare. Mares that would never be caught dead on that stage, removing their attire before a large crowd. Ghostly had decided to look like Fluttershy, dying her mane pink and her fur yellow. When she had gone onstage, she had worn a skimpy one piece dress with cute animals decorating it which she slowly peeled off in a timid manner much like the real one would have. Erotic had attached a horn to her head and wings on her back, her coat now a bright pink. However instead of being the princess of love she was now the princess of lust. With a dress or red hearts, she quickly removed it to show that she had hearts on all of her naughty parts that had to peeled off. Dragonfly had used her magic to become Daring Do with the matching smaller bust line just to add to the realism. Even her safari outfit had rips and tears in it so that it looked like she had come back from some grand adventure.

That was just what was onstage. As Pip looked around from his station, he spotted many of the other mares they had brought with them from Hollow Shades. They sat there with the guests, talking and flirting while lightly touching their legs as they did as everypony waited for the next stage dance. They smiled and laughed, making their clients feel at ease before suggesting that they go downstairs for a more private dance. Pip doubted that there wasn’t a single mare who hadn’t had at least one private VIP dance this night.

“Seems like everypony is having a good time,” purred Succubus. Standing next to him, Succubus had decided to go as the princess of the night. Her coat had been died the right shade of blue and they had died her mane so that it looked like the evening, starry sky. All she had on right now was a bikini with crescent moons over where her nipples were and full moon on her bottom thong so that everypony could see that she had painted over her cutie mark.

“Looks like,” agreed Pip as he set down a clean mug. Once his hands were empty, he felt Succubus take a hold of his arm before giving him a strong tug. He turned to look at her to see that his wife had sultry smile on her face. “Ah, what’s up?”

Succubus giggled as she pulled him out from behind the bar. “I just think that you’ve been such a good, hard working stallion tonight that you should get a very special treat tonight. You know I wore this because Princess Luna is your favorite princess.”

“But the bar-” Pip said quickly as a blush appeared on his face. He had a good idea what this treat would be. However, it wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait until all of the customers went home. Succubus didn’t pay this concern any mind as she took him not to their upstairs apartment but instead downstairs to where the private dances were held. Quickly they passed ‘An Exotic Rarity’ which had several stallions and mares in, looking over the sexy Nightmare Night themed costumes and other stuff that Rarity made. He barely had time to notice Snips and Snails helping out a customer before he was being dragged down a long line of small rooms.

Pip felt his heart beat quicker while be began to make a series of half hearted protests. Each room had in them a loveseat-styled couch as well as a pole. This way, the stripper could give the paying customer a private pole dance followed by a lap dance. Or they could go straight to the lap dance. But there were also security runes in place so that neither of them could go too far. If they detected anything inappropriate or illegal going on an alarm would sound. Pip knew that the moment the alarm went off, Rumble would contact the police as he headed down to detain the two who were fooling around. Not something he wanted to get caught doing in his own club!

Before he could remind Succubus about this, the two were at the end of the hallway were the last room was. Smiling, Succubus pulled him inside the dimly lit room and forced him to sit down. Once seated, Succubus moved towards the pole with her hips swaying at every step. The moment her hand touched the metal, music began to fill the room. It was a fast, jazzy beat with the sound of wolves howling in the background. The kind of howls that a pony heard on full moon nights.

“Succubus, the runes,” began Pip.

“Don’t worry about them my dear Pip,” said Succubus in a sultry tone while her back was pressed against the pole. “I asked Princess Twilight to turn them off in this room only. The mares know that tonight, this room is off limits. Nopony will disturb us.” In time with the music, Succubus began to slide down the pole while spreading her legs. Once her wondrous flank touched the ground she pulled the thong away to show it to Pip. Even though he had seen it many times before, both in the privacy of their own home as well as the numerous times she had done this on stage, it was still captivating to him. Almost like he was seeing it for the first time. He watched her smile as she brought a hand to her lips and licked it before bringing it down to her now winking snatch. Once there, Pip watched her rub it a few times making a whimpering noise as she did which made his cock press hard against his pants.

After she pulled her hand away, the dance began in earnest. Succubus slid her back up the pole before taking it with a hand and spinning around it. Once, twice, three times she spun around before landing back on her hooves. Still holding the pole she began to strut about with her free hand caressing her flank. When a wolf howled with the music, Succubus would then smack her rear so loudly that it caused Pip to flinch. As for Succubus, she paid this no mind as she went back to circling the pole for him.

While Pip adjusted himself in his seat, Succubus began to pick up the pace a bit. With her free hand she managed to undo the string in the back that held her top on. Once undone, gravity went to work as her bikini top fell to the ground in time with another wolf howl. Grinning wickedly, Succubus positioned herself so that the pole was right in front of her. Raising one leg up while both hands held onto the pole, Succubus began to grind her slit onto it. Over and over she did this in front of him, moaning and grunting as she moved faster. Her mane began to fly about due to the speed she was going while Pip’s cheeks turned reddish at the sight. He could almost see the pole glistening with her fluids in the dim light. Suddenly she stopped, hooking her leg around the pole as she leaned backwards. Slowly she spun around, her chest heaving upwards with each breath she took.

As he watched Succubus spin around a second time, the small stallion began to wonder why this was affecting him so much. He had seen her doing this sort of thing plenty of times already upstairs on the larger stage and had barely gotten a boner. Was it because of the smaller, more intimate space where it was just the two of them? Or maybe it was because of the danger that this place provided. Unable to stop himself, Pip glanced over at the door and was relieved that nopony was looking. All it took was for one pony to just come wandering down here, peaking into all the rooms. While neither had done this (or at least been caught doing this) Pip could easily see Snips and Snails pulling a stunt like this.

Looking back in front of him, Pip saw that Succubus was back on her hooves with the pole in front of her again. The metal pole was resting between her large breasts as her body pressed against it. Slowly she stuck out her tongue and began to lick the pole in the same manner as she would a cock, her hands on her breasts as she does so. After a few licks, Succubus began to lower her body a bit licking the metal as she did so before rising up again. Over and over again she did this, loudly moaning with her eyes closed. Pip was close enough to see her fingers teasing her nipples as she moved, pinching and twisting them while her face contorted in ecstasy.

When the music stopped, Succubus fell onto her knees as she panted. Her eyes turned to Pip as the music started up again. This time the music had a more primal tone to it, not helped as Succubus got on her hands and knees so she could crawl over to him. Pip’s cock twitched as she looked at him with hungry eyes and licking her lips. His mind and body knew what was coming up next.

When Succubus got close enough to him, she did not go right for his pants like he thought she might. Instead, Succubus began to crawl upwards onto the love seat while pressing her mostly naked body against his own. Slowly she moved up onto his lap, kissing the area were his member demanded freedom from before passing it by so that her breasts could weigh down upon it. The kisses continued up his chest as her hard nipples pressed against his shirt. When she got to his head, Succubus kissed his neck and cheek before moving up so that one of her nipples could bounce again his lips. Soon enough she was standing on the armrests of the love seat and her hands against the walls. Right in front of Pip’s face was the only piece of clothing on her body which covered her pussy. It was so close that it was impossible not to smell her need or see how wet she was at this moment.

“Go ahead,” whispered Succubus just loud enough for Pip to hear while slowly sashaying her hips. “Unwrap you treat.” When she stopped moving, Pip’s hands rose to undo the string holding her thong up. Once undone, the thong fell onto his lap but he barely registered that. Instead, his focus was on his treat.

With his hands on her hips, Pip moved forwards in order to dig in. her winking clit was just too inviting to do anything else. He started with a series of quick kisses and licks around her outer lips to a sample of her sweet taste. Succubus voiced her pleasure as she brought her hips as close as she could urging him to continue. The stallion complied, his tongue heading for the source of the liquid she produced. He heard her gasp as his tongue shot as deep as it could inside her, feeling the walls of her pussy as they clamped onto the invader. He did his best to press back, feeling against those walls as more juices moved onto his tongue. Bit by bit he moved his head around to see if her could do deeper or get a better angle, but there was only so much he could do. So as he pulled out of her, he brought his hands to her waiting folds. At first he spread those lips as far as he could so that he could lick them better, earning the loud and delightful cries from the mare above. But that didn’t last long as he released her, causing Succubus to let out a whine before he inserted a finger into her. Pip could hear her wings standing upwards as he quickly moved in and out of her, before adding another finger. He could see her legs begin to shake and tremble as he moved them about in a scissor like motion inside of her. At that point, Pip was ready to go in for the kill as he locked his lips around her clit and sucked on it hard.

That did it. Succubus’ body went rigid right before she came all over his hand. After a moment or two of this, she began to lower her shaky body downwards causing Pip to remove his fingers in order to better help his wife. With his hands on her sides, he helped her onto his lap as she panted madly. Both could feel the temperature in the room begin to rise, the coloring of her coat beginning to rub off onto his clothing. But neither of them seemed to notice or care as they looked into each other eyes before moving in or a passionate kiss.

“Mmm, did you like that?” asked Succubus after she had pulled away. But not too much. Just enough so that her lips till touched his.

“Yeah,” was all the stallion could say between his own pants.

“Well I hope you didn’t fill up on that one treat,” replied Succubus as she slid down his body. “Because you have a full bag of treats waiting for you. But first I think your princess of the night deserves her offering for the night.” By that point, Succubus’ face was right in front of his pants zipper with the rest of her body on the floor between his legs. Using her teeth, she unzipped it and allowed his member to stand free. “Oh look, it’s my favorite.”

Without another word, Succubus began to lick Pip’s dick. Each stroke of her tongue started at the base and only stopped when she got to the very top. The noises she made as she coated his cock with her saliva were loud and erotic, causing his member to twitch every time he heard it. Her eyes were glued to his as he looked down at her. After several of these lick, she moved downwards in order to lick his sack. As her tongue wrapped around one of his orbs one of her hands moved up to take hold of his cock. Loudly she slurped as she tasted the flavor of his sack while her hand stroked his dick causing Pip to moan. Her motions were slow and gentle, none too eager to get this over with. Pip was sure she wanted to savor every second she could.

As if she had her fill of his sack, Succubus loudly released it before making her way back up Pip’s shaft. With the tip of her tongue, she traced the veiny surface of his member before coming up to his head where she lapped up the precum that had formed. But instead of taking him into her mouth, she leaned back down to breath in the scent of his member as her hands rested on either side of her breasts. With them in hand she brought them close so as to envelope his member with her mammaries. Pip’s body stiffened as he felt their warmth surround them while Succubus moaned.

“I know how much you like this,” said Succubus as she began to move her breasts up and down. Pip let out a gasp as the friction began to warm his cock, pleasuring it. “I love it too you know. I love how my breasts bring my love pleasure, feeling your stalliony cock pulsing between them. I love the way feel when you shoot all of that hot love between them. Please, cum for me my stallion! Please Pip, cum for me!” Pip didn’t need any more encouragement. He had already been on the edge due to the buildup of the dance and her skillful tongue. Her words and the pressure created by her breasts had been all that was needed for ropes of white, hot cum to fill that space between her mounds. As his sperm began to force its way up and down her breasts, Succubus closed her eyes and opened her mouth in savoring delight.

After the last rope had been fired, Succubus crawled back onto Pip’s lap to straddle him. When the stallion looked up, they both leaned in for a kiss. It was slow and meaningful, their tongues gently exploring the other’s mouth for the thousandth time. But still both of them moaned in delight of what they felt in that moment, savoring the other’s love. When it was over, they looked at each other for a moment before Succubus reached over and took a hold of his still hard member. With great skill she maneuvered her body so she was right above it with his cock right at her lower entrance.

“So, are you enjoying your time with your princess crush?” she asked in a teasing tone. Her smile faltered however when Pip shook his head.

“No,” he said as he took her by the hips. “I’m enjoying my time with my wife.” With that, Pip’s hands guided her downwards. Both ponies cried out in joyful delight as they felt themselves connecting. It was true, despite how corny it must have sounded. Princess Luna may have been his Princess crush when he was a colt and he may have a dream about here every once in a while, but she could not compete with the way he felt about Succubus. For whatever reason, he loved her like he loved no other pony in the world. She completed him in ways he never knew he needed, bringing out the best in him.

“Pip,” said Succubus happily as she began to bounce, a smile on her face and a tear in her eye. Slowly she rose, gasping out his name as she did so before losing herself onto her interment of pleasure. Her breasts, still dripping with his semen, bounced as she did this. As she rose again, still moaning out his name, Pip released his hands from her hips to play with her breasts. Not bothered by his own fluids he smeared them across her mounds, rubbing his seed against her rock hard nipples. He squeezed and kneaded them, causing Succubus to bounce harder. To move faster while her moans grew louder while placing her arms on his shoulders for support.

Soon Pip forgot all about the world outside of this little room. He didn’t care that his shirt was beginning to cling to his wet fur or how wet his flank felt. His focus was on how erotic Succubus looked as her sweat rolled down her body and matted her mane. How the fur dye she used was smearing all over the place. The way she was shaking her head back and forth as she screamed his name. If he had the strength, he would pick her up right now and kiss her hard before gently laying her on the floor. He would then do the work of ramming his cock inside of her until it exploded all inside of her. But he knew he wasn’t strong enough to do that.

So instead Pip did the only thing he thought he could do. Right before Succubus was going to thrust downwards, Pip managed to move his hips upwards to heighten the force. Succubus cried out in delightful surprise by this as she continued to move faster. Pip did his best to keep up, but his attempts were not all that well timed out. But neither pony seemed to mind as they grinded their privates into the other’s while gasping out the other’s name. It was like their entire vocabularies had been replaced allowing them only to say the other’s name as they continued to fuck. And it didn’t bother them at all.

Finally, Pip felt his end coming closer. He looked up at Succubus and he could see it in her eye that she was close too. Without a word between them they both moved in for another kiss, locking lips moments before their orgasms overpowered them. Between their kiss the two panted like crazy as they collapsed fully onto the chair, both feeling how much Pip’s seed was filling her up. For a long time they remained there, the music moving from tune to tune as they kissed. The ponies upstairs had probably long since noticed they were missing. Perhaps they had heard them and were giving them space. Perhaps not. The couple didn’t care right now. Pip would deal with it later. All that mattered was that he was home with the mare he loved who loved him equally.

Author's Note

Happy Nightmare Night