Author's Note

This is a new type of story for me. Enjoy the show!

Act 1: Show Time

***A Patriot Pony Production***

The sun was setting on Canterlot as the moon rose higher into the darkening sky, eventually taking its place. That didn’t stop the ponies from going about their business, though. In fact, this was the time when the entertainment district of Canterlot was the most crowded.

Restaurants, art galleries, and theaters saw a spike in income at the dawn of the night, but these paled in comparison to the attention received by the Colt’s Club. It was the hottest exclusive in Canterlot, available only to ponies with a connection on the inside. It was secretive, only making it more attractive to those who wished they could get in.

At least, that’s what the regular patrons liked to think.

Everypony knew it was a strip club, but it did take a considerable amount of bits to get any enjoyment out of it. Ponies had to pay to get in and pay even more to get any special attention from the dancers, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Away from the club floor and stages were secluded rooms for only the wealthiest of guests. Not much is known about those rooms.

What happened in there was between the paying guest and the dancer of their liking, and no other dancers were as sought after as Gemini, the gem of the Colt’s Club.

“Gentlecolts, and any adventurous mares in the audience…”

A husky stallion’s voice boomed from speakers overhead, and everypony inside roared with excitement.

“Quiet down a little, because it’s time for the first act to begin.”

A hush fell over the tables and bars throughout the club floor as the thundering music softened and the lights dimmed.

“She’s a shy filly, you know. Gemini gets a little nervous in front of large crowds, so why don’t we all nicely ask her to come out for us?”

Several stallions from the floor cheered and whistled, only to be quickly silenced by their friends who were eager to see the dancer. Overhead, several spotlights glowing a dark, purple hue aimed towards the centermost stage. The center stage rose higher from the floor than the others around it, forming a tall, circular platform. A single, golden pole connected the center of the stage to the black ceiling.

The crowd began to murmur with excitement as fog began to form along the top of the stage, rolling over the edges and hitting the floor. Her head appeared first, as though it was rising out of the carpet of fog. The purple light from the fixtures above reflected dazzlingly off of her shimmering, golden hair, nearly blinding some of the ponies looking on. Her silver eyes glanced around the stage, meeting the gaze of each stallion and mare beneath her.

She sat on the stage now, fidgeting quietly with a lock of her own golden hair.

“Guests of tonight’s show, please put your hands together for… Gemini!”

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers as the mare on stage rose to her feet, extending her rose-colored wings to their full extent. As she stood tall, the ponies on the club floor could see just how tightly her attire hugged her body. It was a thin top and a bottom piece, almost like a bikini any mare would wear to the beach, but the one on Gemini was a little more revealing, enticing the young stallions to sit forward in their seats.

It was an emerald color, and a transparent cape fell from straps of the top, falling over her cleavage and coming down to her belly button, which stood out in full view.

Then, the music began.

Gemini retracted her wings, tucking them in as she kicked her leg out behind her. Her leg wrapped around the pole that protruded from the floor of the stage, and she pulled herself in. As she neared the poll, her hands grabbed on tight, and she catapulted herself into the air, high above the stage.

The dancer’s wings shot out, and she hovered above her cheering audience, arms stretched out wide as a sly grin came over her. The music began to slow a little, and Gemini descended to the stage. Her bare feet touched the top of the stage, and her hips swayed from side to side to the soft beats of the music playing overhead.

Using her legs and her wings, Gemini moved gracefully across the stage, circling around the center poll. At last, to the audience’s delight, her wings exploded outward, ripping away the thin top that lightly covered her breasts. The top was sent flying across the club floor, landing somewhere out of sight.

With her chest bare for all to see, Gemini twirled on the tips of her toes as she continued to circle the poll. Other dancers on the sidelines watched on with admiration and jealousy of her skill and beauty on the center stage.

The music was deafening now.

Lights flashed in every direction, but they always seemed to come back to Gemini as she did a little flashing of her own. Her wings would occasionally fold across her breasts as she danced across the stage. It was harmless tease that drove the ponies watching her wild.

She didn’t conceal her breasts for long, though. Once Gemini had her fun, allowing the stallions up front to peak at her nude form, she pulled her wings back, setting her breasts free once again. Ponies around the stage were caught in a trance, in between the music, flashing lights, the buzz in their drinks, and most importantly, the sway of Gemini’s hips and the bouncing of her hefty breasts.

“We love you, Gemini!”

The dancer turned her head in the direction of the speaker. It was a pair of mares among the stallions at the base of the stage. They were holding hands and jumping up and down with excitement as they noticed her looking back at them. Gemini stopped her spinning and beamed at them before raising her right hand to her lips, blowing them a kiss.

The mares beneath the stage squealed with pure, unfiltered joy, almost drowning out the music blaring overhead. Now, the performance was reaching its climax, and everypony in the audience knew it. Gemini started walking backwards, away from the mares as she juggled her breasts in her hands.

The audience roared with cheers before quickly being hushed as the dancer reached the edge. Then, she took a running start and leaped off of the stage, head first into the audience that surrounded her. Just before she hit the club floor, her wings sprouted, taking her high into the air, all the way up towards the lights that all shined on her.

The music stopped, and the lights turned dark.

The once silent audience erupted into applause, some whistling and stomping their feet. The speaker from before returned, talking over the crowd.

“How was she? Did you all enjoy the show? Why don’t we all give Gemini another round of applause for her performance!”

The audience hardly took a breath as they cheered and cried, some even begging for the dancer to come back down. After several moments, the cheering eventually began to die down, and Gemini slowly descended from the dark ceiling. Her feet touched the stage, and she was immediately greeted by a tall, thin stallion in a dark suit.

“Well done, Gem. Another fine show, that was. You looked a little sloppy out there, though. You got off balance more than once.” He looked towards the club floor and pointed with a long finger. “What if you fell and hurt yourself, Gem? Nopony else brings in bits like you.”

The dancer took deep breaths as her heart rate returned to normal. The adrenaline that had fueled her routine was gone, leaving her with the feeling of exhaustion.

“Wow, Onyx… I was almost touched by what you said. You’re all heart, ya’ know?” She stretched her arms out and smiled, knowing she was making him uncomfortable by showing off her naked breasts. “Maybe you should get on a stage, see how much money you make in a night doing what I do.”

The manager frowned as his eyes fell to the floor to look away. “I’ve tried. I don’t have the legs.”

Gemini laughed aloud and crossed her arms across her chest. “I know. I was there. You were trying to demonstrate a new routine, and you sprained your ankle after three minutes at the pole. Dancing doesn’t suit you.”

Onyx put on a stern look, quickly silencing her. “No, but it suits you. Look…” He let out a long sigh and held a hand to his face. “You did good, Gem, you always do, but I don’t want you taking unnecessary risks, and that stunt you pulled, the one with the mares in the audience, that was unnecessary.”

Gemini frowned and narrowed her eyes. “I blew them a kiss. What, I can’t appreciate my fans?”

Onyx didn’t answer, he was already walking away. He slid off of the stage, hitting the floor with a soft ‘thud’. “Stick to your routine, Gem. You’re hard to replace, but not impossible.”

His last words left a sharp sting, and Gemini felt them hurt. She stood alone now, on the center stage. The lights were dark, and gentle music played overhead as everypony below eagerly awaited the next performance. No eyes were on her like they had been minutes earlier.

She hopped down from the stage and quietly retreated towards the back, passing several dancers that would be making up the second performance. They said nothing as she passed them by, but Gemini knew exactly what they were thinking. She wasn’t well liked by the other dancers, especially the ones that had worked for Onyx before she came along.

Gemini was the new recruit, the rookie, and had managed to surpass them all after a few months, earning a wild and popular reputation. The only other employee at the Colt’s Club she knew that tolerated her was the bouncer, a mountain of a stallion. Rumors circulated among the dancers that he used to be a Royal Guard, though he always denied it with silence or grunts.

He was waiting for her at the door to her dressing room, holding the skimpy top that she threw away during her dance.

“Hey, big guy, is that for me?”

He grunted, nodding his head. She couldn’t see his eyes through the black sunglasses covering them. If there was anypony meant to be a bouncer, it was him.

Gemini raised her arms, shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno… I think I like this look. What do you think?”

His expression didn’t change.

Gemini rolled her eyes and grabbed the top from him. “Fine… Give me a minute to change.”

The bouncer opened his mouth at last. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be waiting by the side exit to walk you home.”

Gemini stopped at the door, smiling before she finally went inside. Once in the privacy of her dressing room, she closed her eyes. A fire sparked beneath her feet, but it wasn’t hot, and it didn’t burn anything it touched. The fire was green, and it quickly rose, consuming Gemini from the legs up.

Moments later, the beautiful dancer was gone. In her place stood a thin mare with pale skin, almost transparent. Her rose-colored wings were replaced by insect-like ones, torn and tattered, and a jagged horn sprouted from her forehead. She finally looked towards her mirror, a tall pane that rested against the wall opposite to her dresser.

More of her ribs were showing than the last time she had looked at her true self. The changeling opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt cracked and burned, like she had tried to swallow molten lava.

She was starving.

Cicada could afford food. Onyx payed her well, but love? That was harder to come by. If she didn’t do something soon, the changeling feared for her abilities to survive. Suddenly, she remembered that the bouncer was waiting for her.

She quickly grabbed her clothes from the top of the dresser. The green flame returned, and within moments, Gemini stood tall once again. A short while later, she was dressed in denim shorts, a black tee, and flip flops. She opened the door and ran out onto the club floor, towards the side exit, and she didn’t look back once.

***Up Next: The Special Request***