Author's Note

So, for those who prefer something more simple, I'm sorry to say this might not be for you. This is my first fanfiction, and I picked a challenging one. pairing a main character with an OC is always a challenge, but I feel like using another main character would have been like cheating. They're already established, and I want to flesh something out that no one can see coming.

This is very much alternate universe, and I understand if it's not your cup of tea. I try to keep the characters, well, in character even in an alternate universe so I hope I can convey that. I want Fluttershy's kindness to shine through.

Also this fic will have copious amounts of sex for a while, but I promise it's all driven by a plot. I hope you stick with this, stick with me on this journey.

And the whole purpose of this prologue? I wanted to establish it. That feeling. You know the one... Do you guys remember the first time you were so.. Lustful for someone. When you knew you wouldn't be satisfied until you had them, all encompassing, blood boiling... I remember. It doesn't always work out, but it's still fun.

I'll probably put a journal entry about all this.

If you enjoy more traditional fics with only MLP characters keep an eye on my page too, since I'll have something more traditional coming down the pipeline soon too.

Enjoy my first fanfiction!

Prologue: The Shadow Brothel

Prologue

Welcome To The Shadow

A.K.A 'I've seen your file'

Life hadn't always been easy for Fluttershy, no, in fact most times it was downright horrid. Still, she did her best to carry on and live every day as though she could truly make a difference. It didn't make her any friends, it didn't make her less lonely. At least she was able to live with herself though. She still wanted more, though. Sometimes the poor girl thought that was wrong, sometimes she even thought she didn't deserve such things but it wouldn't stop her from trying. She would try until she found what she was looking for, even if she didn't yet know what that was. Was it truly something she could find in a brothel? Standing outside it's large black doors had her rethinking the entire thing.

The building itself looked inconspicuous. It didn't bring too much attention to it and she'd heard correctly, unless one already knew what went on behind those intimidating doors they would have no way of ever knowing the truth. The only thing noteworthy of the building as a whole were the large, black letters above the similarly colored door which spelled out 'The Shadow'. This was no ordinary brothel, it had an extremely good reputation and all of the escorts available were top notch. Confidentiality here was key, and this was no shady establishment despite it's purpose. The girls were all to be treated kindly and with respect. They had the final word on clients, and everything else almost. All the girls who resided within actually lived here. Even those who had other jobs or school or such things outside of the brothel.

Fluttershy had come across the information by pure chance, another late night spent scrolling through her phone. The brothel had it's own message board where all clients were encouraged to post reviews on both the escorts and the services within. There were no negative ones and this place was very, very exclusive. The questionnaire Fluttershy had to fill out had her blushing from the questions alone, but she persevered just for the hell of it. It was a fun thing to do, it was just passing the time. She hadn't even intended to formally apply, she'd been hitting 'next' without thinking too much about it. When the message popped up on her screen that her application had been received the poor girl had been mortified, and even though no one could see her in the confines of her blankets she still hid under them anyway. She was even more shocked when some woman named Nikki had called her to give her a formal phone interview. The woman, whoever she was on the other end, had sounded friendly enough and Fluttershy had answered, once more expecting to be turned away. To her surprise once more, she'd been accepted, somehow. She'd received a key to the establishment in the mail, was sent a list of rules and was told to come whenever she pleased. It was open twenty four hours, after all.

Anyone who knew the shy girl, which was no one, might wonder why she'd choose to join such an establishment. Well, loneliness was a heck of a thing. Fluttershy worked a good-for-nothing job in a kitchen. It didn't pay much but it was enough to pay her bills. She hated it though, and spent all her free time trying to help animals and shelters in anyway she could. Usually that just meant trying to acquire signatures. The people at her work bullied her incessantly, tortured her because of her sexual orientation and the fact that she was an easy target. She had absolutely no friends, no one to talk to. She turned to online friends but usually those were temporary as they all inexplicably disappeared without a word. Fluttershy never got used to that, and each time someone vanished from her life it hurt just as much as the first time.

When you threw in her failing health, her anxiety issues and the fact she ended up in the hospital more often than not... Most people didn't want to deal with that. Who would? It was far too complicated for the average person. These women, and possibly men, in this place.. It was their job to like the people wasn't it? No one would be mean to her unless she requested it and she couldn't see herself doing such a thing, ever! It would all be fake, it would all be in her mind... But it would help. Even if it was only temporarily. That was how she'd ended up there. That was how she'd found the brothel. The poor girl never could have expected what would come from her in this place, never knew what she would find. The good, the bad... When everything was said and done she wouldn't have changed a single thing. Not one.

If she could pretend, even for a little while... She would take the plunge.

And so she did.

The place seemed even bigger on the inside, and it already looked pretty massive from the outside. It hardly looked homey outside, all bricks and blinded windows. That was why Fluttershy was so shocked when she entered and she found that once she was past the entrance, which even included a little shoe rack to stack one's shoes, which she did, it seemed like a cross between someone's living room and a bar. Directly ahead of her was the bar, which was usually manned but if it wasn't clients were encouraged to grab drinks for themselves. They'd be charged for them, the rules had said, thus it wouldn't be a problem. There were several couches closer to where she was entering all around a few round coffee tables. To the side of the bar in another more open space were several regular sized tables, all supporting many chairs. All the chairs were pointed towards a large stage which contained a pole. Fluttershy could only imagine the shows that were put on there. The other side of the bar was where a set of stairs was, they led upstairs to what Fluttershy could only assume were the escorts' bedrooms. There was a door behind the bar too, one of those swinging doors with a round window which could only lead to a kitchen.

The rules had been very clear that in this main area, the lounge as they called it, there would be no actual nudity and no sexual actions. They were to go upstairs with an escort, and sessions with one could last up to a maximum of two hours. There were special circumstances, but those were rare and the rules Fluttershy had been sent did not specify what could lead to special circumstances. Escorts had the last say on who they brought up and they could turn down anyone for any reason. There were also rules against getting attached to specific escorts for obvious reasons. Despite all these things being laid out quite clearly, a part of her had still expected to walk in and find people fucking everywhere, which did not happen. Instead it seemed rather tame, and surprisingly... Nice.

She knew how to recognize escorts, they would have somewhere on their body or clothes, displayed clearly, the letter 'SB'. It stood for Shadow Brothel, and it seemed like a pretty good system. It prevented clients from hitting on each other, and allowed the escorts to stand out. The young woman behind the bar was magnificent, with her dark, midnight locks that rolled down her back like a waterfall. Her bangs contained one brilliant streak of a lavender like color, which actually matched the sweater she was wearing, and a pinker, raspberry like streak complimented it. She was sitting behind the bar on a simple, red stool. One leg was crossed over the other, and she used a leg to prop an elbow on, pushing a book up into her face. The 'SB' sewn onto the front of her sweater told her exactly what her purpose here was.

Scattered across several of the sofas were a few people Fluttershy was assuming were clients. Some were sitting on their laptops, one was even playing a game of some kind! Other people were sitting closer to the stage and speaking to some of the other escorts. One had very short, rainbow colored hair and a second nearby had the silkiest, most stylish purple hair she'd ever seen. Both had 'SB' on their tops, both opting to wear crop tops and shorts as they entertained their guests with what Fluttershy could only assume was pleasant conversation.

The pinkette swallowed thickly, and approached the bar slowly. She pulled a stool back and winced as it made a loud sound while she dragged it back. The clients remained focused on whatever they were doing but the barkeeper glanced up from her book and offered Fluttershy a warm smile. She shut her book much harder than she needed to, and placed it behind the bar. Several moments went by in complete silence while violet and cyan eyes made contact. Still neither spoke, and the barkeeper must have realized Fluttershy was uncomfortable at some point because her mouth curved up into a playful grin.

"Hey there, new girl." she said, finally breaking the awkward silence between the two. Fluttershy's cheeks flushed instantly, and she honestly considered turning around and running out. "I heard we'd accepted a new client. I'm Twilight, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Fluttershy looked towards the outreached hand then tentatively gripped it lightly in her own, giving it only a quick shake before relinquishing her hold on the other girl's hand. "I'm Fluttershy." she replied, figuring it had to be better than being called 'the new girl'. She cleared her throat then, because that awkward silence was returning and the more seconds that ticked by the more awkward it got, and the higher the shy girl's anxiety rose in response. "Um, can I have a water please?"

"Water, really? You don't want something a bit stronger for your nerves?" Twilight quirked a brow, and Fluttershy considered it, but shook her head no in response. Moments later Twilight was handing her a bottle of water, still all friendly smiles. "Are you familiar with the rules yet?"

"Yes." Fluttershy squeaked in response, uncapping the lid as quickly as she could and downing at least half the bottle right then and there. "I read them all over several times."

"Good!" the barkeep replied cheerfully, giggling softly. "You're going to do just fine here, don't worry. None of us bite." A wicked grin appeared on her face.

She's going to say unless I like that kind of thing, isn't she?

"Unless you like that kind of thing." Even though Fluttershy knew Twilight was about to say that it still brought a shy smile to her lips. She just shrugged in response though, before taking another quick look around. Sure, the lounge was nice but that wasn't what interested the shy girl. It was the atmosphere. There was an innate sense of belonging in this place, she felt welcome in a way she hadn't in many other places. Not her job, not when she'd still lived with her family, not throughout school. It was a little scary, it was intimidating.

"Something catch your eye?"

Fluttershy had been so lost in thought she actually jumped, slightly. She blushed too. Of course. It wasn't like she wasn't a sexual being, she liked sex. She thought so anyway... It was a little complicated, and she didn't want to think of it. Thought, there was one thing that struck her as interesting. There was no rule stating that clients had to have sex. As far as she knew she could just come here to relax, have a drink, talk to people then go home without ever even having sex. Though, she assumed tips were encouraged in that case. "Um, not exactly. I mean, you're all very pretty. Um, not that I was actually looking... I mean-"

Twilight just chuckled. "Relax, Fluttershy. I'm just teasing you. You're gonna fit in just fine here. Everyone was actually really excited, you're the first female client we've had in a while. I heard management is even thinking of having your membership free until we find some other female clients."

"Oh, gosh, that won't be necessary at all..." she mumbled, though it would be nice... She could barely afford to come to this place as it were, and her credit card would be sure to take a severe blow in the coming months. Not to mention summer had just hit, so she was technically out of a job. She'd be relying on Employment Insurance for a source of income since she'd never be able to sit through a job interview without passing out. It was the only reason she stayed where she currently worked. She'd only ever gotten that job because Zephyr, her brother had gotten it for her. He managed the place after all, though he was completely clueless to the abuse she took there.

The next couple of hours proceeded rather well, in her opinion. Her anxiety was bubbling right below the surface but she was keeping it at bay. It actually gave her a small sense of pride, and she held a conversation with Twilight the whole time. The girl was some sort of genius, enrolled at University on a scholarship. Working here paid damn well, and free housing was included. She also seemed to really enjoy her job, most of the time, so she claimed. Fluttershy talked about her job, and other such meaningless topics. She didn't consider herself interesting enough to talk about herself for very long, but she hung onto Twilight's every word, absorbing any new piece of information about the establishment as she could. She wasn't even aware of the time passing by, not so quickly. By the time she even looked around again everyone had vanished. Some had likely gone upstairs with the pretty girls, and the others had most likely cleared out and gone home. It was just Twilight and Fluttershy, and the animal lover wasn't even surprised when the question came.

"You know, if you want to learn a little more about what we do here, I could take you up to my room and show you?" she offered, her voice lowering to something far more sultry than she'd used over the last few hours.

Fluttershy blinked in response, and her face quickly turned a shade more akin to a tomato than human skin. She raised her hands up in front of her and began flailing as she shook her head from side to side. Then she thought that might have come off as rude, so she swiftly babbled out as many words as she could find. "That's so nice of you to offer, but I don't think that's such a good idea! I mean, you're really pretty...! It's not that I don't like you, Twilight, it's j-"

"Shhhh." she cut off the shyer girl. "It's alright, hey, you don't have to do anything. I was just making the offer, alright? I'm just as happy to sit here and talk to you." she reached over and squeezed Fluttershy's hand, a comforting gesture that legitimately had the poor girl feeling a lot better. Fluttershy only smiled in return, and she hope the gesture expressed the gratitude she felt for that simple action, but she heard a door slam from upstairs, and glanced towards the stairs.

**

Fluttershy didn't know it at the time, but she'd spend many nights thinking about what came next. She didn't know if the feelings she would have months later would ever reach that person, or whether or not she truly knew how much she had meant to the shy girl. She didn't know she'd have help in finding herself, in finding the kind of person that she truly was, under all that anxiety and the mess that was her personality. And even as she would watch it all crash and burn, in a manner of speaking, she would remember these times, remember this first day and she would do everything exactly the same. She'd hold on even tighter, and enjoy the fleeting moments even more knowing that one day they would end. She'd sit down and write her story, write about what had happened at the Shadow Brothel and how she'd found hope somewhere completely unexpected. How her heart had grown stronger. She'd write it, knowing that this person would never read her words, know what had happened.

She was meant to be in the Shadow Brothel. She had been meant to be there at the same time as all of these people. She hadn't believed in fate, but if it wasn't her fate to end up there, she'd never have met her new friends. She'd never have met the Shadow's top escort, would never have learned what it felt like to be at peace, even for brief moments. If she'd had the opportunity, later down the line, she'd have told that escort how she remembered each detail from their first meeting, and...

**

The mind was a strange thing, and sometimes people had a tendency to focus on the oddest of things, not realizing that later on that would be the thing they remembered. The strangest things could stir such strong emotions upon remembering them. For Fluttershy she would always remember the sound of those black pumps clicking against the floor, remember each specific click as the sound grew closer from the person coming down the stairs. She watched with wide eyes, unsure why she was so captivated by the sound, as the newcomer approached the bottom of the stairs.

Even from so far away Fluttershy could see that this woman possessed the most intriguing emerald eyes, and as they focused on her own she could already feel herself getting lost within them. Locks of black bounced around this woman's shoulders until she stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and though Fluttershy wasn't usually a fan of shorter hairstyles for this woman it just worked. Her skin was pale, and her features were surprisingly delicate considering her attire, one thing the pinkette noticed was how small this woman's nose was. She wore a black crop top that ended just below her small breasts, and it left her tight midriff exposed. Her tummy was taut, and smooth and looked like it seriously needed to have kisses placed upon it. Her pants were leather, and the hugged each curve as if they were crafted for her body alone. Fluttershy had to swallow.

"I'm Nikki." she called out, and her voice cut through the otherwise silent room. The clicking from her pumps resumed as she walked towards Fluttershy. "I thought I'd come down and welcome you myself. I'm part of the administration here at the Brothel, as well as an escort here."

"A high class escort." Twilight teased, sticking her tongue out towards the girl, eliciting a grin from the black haired beauty.

"Yes, well..."

Fluttershy didn't know what high class escort meant, but she wanted to find out. She had realized the moment this woman had started talking that she was the one who'd done her interview on the phone, and most likely the one who had accepted her application. She remembered the voice on the phone mentioning that her job was client relations. Clients who had problems were to address them to this woman, and she would take care of everything. Fluttershy hadn't imagined those words as dirty back then, but she certainly was at the present.

"Fluttershy right? I've read your file."

God, why was her voice so sweet? She didn't even know what it was that was drawing her to this NIkki girl, she didn't seem particularly special, but it was like she'd been hit by a lightning bolt and all her senses were waking up at once. Fluttershy had not once felt like this in her entire life, and though that was something people said all the time in jest, for her it was the absolute truth. Her heart was speeding up and she wondered if she was going to pass out for real. "You read my file...?" she squeaked out. She hadn't said anything bad during her interviews, hadn't even discussed kinks...

The chuckle that Nikki gave her in response was melodic almost, a symphony all it's own. "It's a little empty, but I'm expecting you to fill it up fast." each word seemed calculated, chosen specifically to have Fluttershy's blood boiling. "I'll fill it up myself, if I have to."

That was it. With those words Fluttershy was done. Caught. Screwed. She simply didn't know it yet, but it wouldn't take long for her to realize Nikki, from that point forward, had her completely wrapped around her finger. Fluttershy was now a puppet to wish Nikki had control of all the strings. She didn't know whether it was a crush, or what, or... It didn't matter. Something had awoken in Fluttershy, and her sex drive which was usually rather low was thrumming away, like a car in idle she'd always be ready to go until she got a taste of whatever it was Nikki had to offer. She'd only read of such things, but now that she was feeling it she knew no erotic novel could have prepared her for feeling actual, real lust.

Sadly Nikki had only meant to introduce herself. Soon she was excusing herself and leaving to wherever she had to go, and Fluttershy watched in a daze as she left. A high class escort... And management. That woman could have her pick of anyone, and Twilight had explained once she'd left that Nikki was sort of famous around the Shadow. She was the best tease they had, and the most requested escort but she was especially picky with her clients. Sometimes she'd go out of her way to make a client happy but she had no quota like the other escorts. No one had once complained about a session with Nikki, and every single one had practically been weeping for more. It meant Fluttershy would have to work twice as hard to have Nikki notice her. Except...Did she really want to bring all that attention to herself?

The thoughts consumed her, and she had to excuse herself from Twilight. She needed to go home and think through her feelings, but as she left she knew she would be going back to the Shadow Brothel. She had no job for several months, until she returned to it at the end of the summer. It meant she could spend as much time as she needed at the brothel, hoping to capture Nikki's attention. Was that creepy? Probably a little but... It would all be okay wouldn't it.

"Get that crush under control." Twilight had chuckled as Fluttershy left.

God. She had no idea.