Hunter's Flower

Chapters

Tour of the Town
Reality Crashing
The Bet
Beginning to Understand
Dreams Shared
Praise
Testing the Waters
Meetings and Travel Plans
Preparing for Hearts and Hooves

Tour of the Town

Wallflower felt like she was in a completely different world as she walked alongside Lightning. She had heard about the large, ivory like towers with their gold and purple domed roofs that could be found in Canterlot. She had heard about the large building made of steel and stone in Manehatten that tried to surpass the clouds. Even news of the Crystal Empire had reached her ears with their buildings made out of various colored crystals. Yet seeing what Hollow Shades had to offer was something else! Had somepony described the place to her or if she had read about it, Wallflower was sure she would have thought it was a nightmarish place in which only the most hardened of hearts could bare to live. As she looked around, however, she found that that wasn’t the case. The massive, almost pitch black trees she saw were no less intimidating than any other tree she had ever seen before. It was surprising to see that they had built their homes around the trees instead of inside them like some ponies did but nothing more. She didn’t even mind the bats that flew around the place, sometimes having one stop in front of you before kissing your nose and flying off.

Then there were the decorations. By Celestia the decorations! She had never seen spider webs in those bright colors, shifting ever so slightly. It should have made her cringe to think that so many spiders were in this one area, making them. But instead it filled her with amazement to see how they were using them. Some of the pictures they created were almost at the border of being offensive, but still rather impressive. Sky lanterns of reds, pinks, oranges, and blacks floated about them while illuminating shapes related to love.

“It’s a lot to take in,” said Lightning as she probably noticed Wallflower staring about her. “First time seeing the place like this myself. Thestrals sure get into the spirit of things, don’t they?”

Wallflower nodded dumbly as she looked around, slightly awestruck by how the thestrals were acting. She would have thought that Nightmare Night would have been a bigger, more elaborate holiday for them given their association with the night. Yet what she saw all around her were ponies getting into the spirit of love. Above her, with the moon shining brightly down upon them, were thestral couples flying around closely. Some were holding hooves as they flew around while other kept giving the other a look so suggestive that that made Wallflower actually blush. Those on the ground were trotting side by side, their bodies pressed close together as their tails intertwined. One couple was even standing off to the side, eating a fruit of some kind that Wallflower had never seen before, making out briefly in-between bites.

A hoof reached down to touch the heart pendent lightly bumping on her chest. There were others she could see with the same item indicating that they were single as well. From young to old, these single ponies were mixed about. Some fluttered about, talking to another single or one of the active couples about. Other seemed to form packs as they moved along the streets while in high spirits.

There was one pairing that did catch her attention far more than any other. It was a stallion and a mare, both looking a bit on the young side as if they had just entered adulthood or were about to. And they were kissing! Now, Wallflower had seen ponies kiss before. Back home there were plenty of ponies who kissed each other on the cheek as well as married couples who would openly give a quick kiss to their partner in public. Yet what she was seeing now was something completely different from anything she had ever seen before in her life! Both had their hooves and wings wrapped around each other to tighten their embrace, their lips locked against the other as if trying to fuse. While they were far away, the green earth pony could hear them moaning and could see bulging from their cheeks. What in the name of Celestia were they doing? What’s more, none of the other ponies around seemed to care. Just walking around them as if they were a wet floor sign in the middle of the road!

As she and Lightning walked past them, the pegasus in front of her seeming not to notice anything out of the ordinary, Wallflower kept her eyes on them far longer than she knew she should have. What she had seen was far more tame than most of the debauchery that went on in the world. Yet that sort of thing shouldn’t be on display where everypony could see it! It was just so wrong. And still…seeing it did something to her other that offending her. Wallflower instead felt her heartbeat quicken while her cheeks began to heat up. Something deep inside her began to burn, traveling down to her marehood. Then, for a single moment, she imagined herself taking the place of that mare as the two kissed with the potential for so many to see them. Getting that attention from her stallion and perhaps being watched and envied by other made her feel so-

“So do you live here or…” began Wallflower quickly as she shook her head, doing her best to shake out the impure thoughts in her head while wanting to make conversation. She fought hard to control her breath and return to a more normal state. The last thing she wanted was for this mare to abandon her and risk losing her first friend ever!

“Yep,” said Lightning while suddenly getting a spring into her step. “Like I said, moved here not too long ago. Before I was living in Las Pegasus.”

“Wow, Las Pegasus?!” exclaimed Wallflower, her shock causing her to raise her voice a bit. “I’ve heard about it before but never been. It must have been amazing! So, why’d you move?” At that, Wallflower noticed Lightning slow down considerably. Her eyes now held a faraway look that Wallflower had seen plenty of times when she had looked at herself in the mirror. Regret mixed with sadness. Seeing this, Wallflower bit her lower lip and hoped she had time to correct her mistake. “You don’t have to tell me if don’t want to. In fact, we could forget I ever said anything.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” said Lightning after shaking her head. Her prior composure had returned along with a smirk. “I just made a real mess of my life back there. Self destructing so hard that I had no stable job and, as uncool was it was, had to sleep on my mom’s couch more than a couple of times. By the time somepony helped pull my head out of my plot, my life there was an utter mess. Thought it would be better just to start up somewhere new.”

“Oh,” replied Wallflower as they turned a corner. Now all around them were small shops with thestrals crowding the streets. “So what made you come here specifically? I mean, there are so many other places you could have gone.”

“That’s kind of a long story,” admitted Lightning, her smirk turning into a more sheepish smile. “Let’s just say this place has what I needed.” Wallflower blinked at this information, wondering what it meant. As they trotted along, she began to wonder if she should press the issue. No, they didn’t know each other well enough and she might lose a friend. Maybe ask for a hint? Would that work? Or maybe she should leave it alone. It wasn’t any of her business after all. Lightning seemed happy after all. What the pegasus said next seemed to confirm this. “Anyways things are great for me now. Got myself a job at the gym, got a roof over my head, and I’m even in a forming herd. So I really don’t regret coming here.”

As Lightning spoke, Wallflower couldn’t help but glance at the pegasus’ neck and noticing for the first time that it was bare. No heart to show she was single. Briefly, the green earth pony chided herself for not noticing it sooner. They had been walking all this time and it was only now that she realized that the mare actually talking to her wasn’t single?! Was she really that unobservant? What kind of a friend would miss something like that? Was she doomed now to lose her possible friendship?

Before Wallflower’s thought could go into more of a downward spiral, a thestral walking by did something that caused her heart to stop. He just looked at them and said “Evening ladies.” Normally, Wallflower would think that he was just talking to Lightning and ignoring her per as usual. But…But he had said ladies. Plural. Was there another mare in the direction he was looking at or had he noticed her as well? Could it be possible that she was in a town where two ponies might notice her?

“Evening Coach,” came a voice above them, causing the two mares to stop. It was a good thing to because Wallflower felt like her head was spinning from this new development. Now completely still, a thestral stallion landed in front of them. He was a bit on the chubby side with both a cap and one of the heart shaped necklaces on. Also…he was looking at her! Noticing her! “Is this a friend from Las Pegasus?”

“Nah,” said Lightning with a wave of her hoof. “Met her after she got off the train. Just showing her around for now.”

“Uh…hi,” said Wallflower as she gave a nervous smile. Her heart began to pound against her chest wondering what would happen. Would he move on to talk to Lightning or-

Wallflower’s mind seemed to shut down completely as the stallion closed the gap between them and took her hoof. “Well, I hope you enjoy it here,” he said as he kissed her hoof, his fangs lightly brushing against her flesh as he did so causing her eyes to grow wide. “Perhaps we could get to know each other better while you’re here. Maybe over lunch or something.”

“I-I,” stammered Wallflower as she looked on at him, her heart pounding. But before she could say another word the mare felt a tail brush against her flank. Turning her head, she saw that a thestral mare with a freckled muzzle was now standing on her opposite side. Wallflower began to wonder when she got there for she had heard nothing only to have her thoughts shut down by the half lidded gaze the mare was giving her. It also didn’t help that this mare was emitting some sort of purring noise like a cat as she licked her lips.

“Personally, I think this little treat is too sweet for you,” said the thestral mare as she gave the stallion a quickly glance with a smirk. Then she returned to look in the direction of Wallflower. “You look so tense. Perhaps you need a little help…unwrapping as it were. What do you say? Want to make this a week of pure magic? If things go well, it might even last much longer.”

Wallflower felt her breath quicken as her brain synapses fire so quickly that they might overload at any moment. She had literally no idea how to respond to any of this! This…THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE! Two ponies fighting over a mare was just something that didn’t happen. Maybe in one of those trashy novels that were burned back home, but never in real life. Did it? And yet it was happening. Happening to her of all ponies. Why? Out of the corner of her eyes, she could now make out several other ponies looking in her direction. Many of the ones with hearts around their neck were eyeing her up as if she were a helpless mouse and they were the owl ready to snatch her up.

“Back off you two,” barked Lightning suddenly. Wallflower watched as both the mare and stallion turned to look at the pegasus who had a frown on her face. “If you couldn’t tell, you’re making her seriously uncomfortable. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t fainted yet!” It was then that both the stallion and mare turned to look at Wallflower again and their eyes widened. Both quickly backed away, giving the green mare a bit more room.

“O-oh my,” began the stallion as he rubbed the back of his head, looking very embarrassed. “I guess I got a little over excited there. I came on too strong.” His hoof then moved towards his forehead where it then began to pound the stallion’s face. “Stupid, stupid.” He repeated over and over between each blow.

“Yeah,” said the mare as she looked away for a brief moment before returning her focus to Wallflower. A small smile appeared on her face. “Listen, ah, if you’re ever up for some fun my door is always open. The names Chocolate Delight by the way.”

“AAHH, more stupid,” screamed the stallion as he continued to pound his face in. “I never even introduced myself. Stupid, stupid.”

“Let’s go,” whispered Lightning as she tugged on Wallflower’s sweeter. The mare, still in a daze with what had just happened and what was happening right now, simply followed the mare without so much as a word. Behind them a crowd began to form around the stallion as he continued to denounce himself as stupid.

A short while later found Wallflower sitting at a café, giving her a moment to catch her breath from everything she had seen and done. After the…odd greeting from the locals, Lightning made sure to give her the speedy tour of the town with little interruptions. Most likely to prevent Wallflower from being ganged up like that again. Despite the speed of everything, Wallflower was able to get a good lay of the land. She now knew where the mayor’s office was as well as all the shops one would need to know if you were staying for a prolonged period of time. Lightning had even recommended a few places to eat based on her own experiences.

There was one place that caught her attention in a big way, actually getting the mare to ask her guide if they could go in. That place was the local floral shop. As the two walked past it, Wallflower had noticed in the windows several ferns and blooms that she had only ever seen in books before. One of them was a plant called the Lunar Phoenix. It was odd plant with large white petals that were raised towards the sky. According to the books she had read, this rare flower seemed to wilt and appear dead during the daylight hours only to magically revive itself when the moon was out. Even more interesting was the way it glowed during certain moons, like a like red hue when there was a blood moon out or a ghostly white during the full moon. Moving closer to the building, Wallflower gleefully looked upon other plants that she was seeing for the first time. Like in the back was a plant called the Widow Maker. It was a large plant with four long greenish leaves, one almost draping the floor with the other three above it. From what she had read, the plant emitted an alluring scent that caused animals to be drawn to it as if in a trance of sorts. Once its prey stepped on the bottom leaf (which was twice the length of the average pony), the other leaves would surround it and stick to it before slowing eating away at what it had captured. The plant got its name from the numerous explorers who were unable to return to their loved ones as well as an incident back in the early day of Equestria when a noble got one for her husband. Wallflower swooned at the thought of all these exotic plants in one location before making a metal note to return here before she left. She needed to pick up a few for her home.

From there the two moved on looking for a place to stay and, well, Wallflower didn’t know how to feel about it. The Hollow Shades Inn was one of the few larger structures that was built like the homes of the town yet was situated within the trees well above everypony’s heads. Made of blackened wood, the long rectangular building looked like a four story log cabin held up by the ten trees that pierced its walls. Getting up there wouldn’t be a problem since there were ramps that circled the trees leading upwards so Wallflower wouldn’t need to ask for a lift. It was interesting and probably a unique place to stay. However, what caused her unease were the hooting stallions/colts that she had seen on the train. Already she could see several annoyed guests and thestrals giving them death glares which they paid no mind to. In Wallflower did stay there she doubted she would get much rest.

As they left the hotel, with Wallflower wondering if there were any other options for her lodging, the two ran into another stallion. Unlike the last one she had met face to face, this stallion lacked any heart pendent around his neck meaning he was taken. At first, Wallflower thought that he would ignore her since he wasn’t single and thus had no need to notice her. That proved to be wrong rather quick, smiling at her and asking if she would like to join the two of them for a quick bite to eat at the café where they were now sitting.

Now sitting across from Lightning and the stallion named Hunter, it was clear to Wallflower that the two were close. It was clear they were comfortable with each other with the way Lightning would lightly touch him or playfully tease him as she rested her head on one of her hooves while looking in his direction. Hunter, in turn, didn’t seem bothered by Lightning’s actions nor did he ask her to stop. He also leaned against her when she sat down next to him. It was nice seeing them together, being so comfortable with each other in such an open place. Yet there was a feeling inside of the earth mare, one that she knew all too well made worse by the fact that she had gotten to know Lightning so well. Briefly she wondered what it would be like for her to be in Hunter’s place, receiving those looks as butterflies danced in her stomach. To have that same level of affection given to her. It had to feel nice.

With cheeks beginning to turn red, the waitress returned to their table with three glasses of a bubbly amber liquid. THREE! “Sorry for the wait,” said the bat winged mare as she bowed. Wallflower stared at the mare, noting that she didn’t have one of the heart pendants before she walked away.

“Everything ok?” asked Hunter causing Wallflower to jump a tad in her seat. She turned to look at him and saw that his eyes were fixed gently upon her. “I’ve noticed you’ve seemed a bit nervous.”

“More like shell shocked,” said Lightning as she took her glass with a hoof. She took a small sip before setting it down. “Ever since I met her she seems to just go a little out of it whenever ponies talk to her. Or look at her for more than a second.”

“S-Sorry,” mumbled Wallflower as she hung her head. Her eyes began to water as the stared at the table. She knew it, she had messed up! They probably thought she was this weird-o mare and would shun her. Or just ignore her like everyone else. Honestly she didn’t know what would be worse.

“Hey, hey,” said Lightning causing Wallflower to look up in time to see the pegasus waving a hoof in the air. “No need to get so down on yourself. Just something we noticed.” She then paused to take another sip of her drink. “Look, you don’t need to tell us if you don’t want to. We did just meet after all. So it would be totally cool if you want to talk about something else.”

“But if you do want to talk about whatever is bothering you, we’ll be here to listen,” added Hunter with a nod as he picked up his own drink.

“Thank you,” said Wallflower with a smile, wiping away a tear with her hoof at the same time. She then let out a small sigh as the courage within her gathered. “I’m honestly not used to so much attention. Or any attention at all for that matter. Sort of comes with the territory of being a wallflower I guess.” Wallflower then picked up her drink and took a mouth full…only for her eyes to widen suddenly. It was like all the scents of fall had been liquidated into this glass. The scent of a cool autumn day danced on her tongue as did the burning of leaves. There was so much more, everything ‘Fall’ could be found in her mouth! It was so surprising and so powerful that it was simply too much for her to handle, spraying it out from her mouth. As she began to cough, Hunter got out of his seat so that he could move behind her in order to assist if need be. As for Lightning, she apparently found this rather amusing.

“Oh man, you should really see yourself right now,” she managed to say between her snorts and laughter. The pegasus was laughing so hard that she need to steady herself with a hoof on the table.

Wallflower managed to look up in time to see that Hunter was looking at his partner with little amusement. “I seem to recall that when you tried that drink, your reaction was far worse.” That stopped Lightning in her tracks, the mare silencing her laughter as she crossed her hooves on top of her chest while looking a tad sullen. As for Hunter, his eyes met Wallflower’s. “Sorry about not warning you. It’s a traditional drink around these parts and, well, we can sometimes forget that not everypony knows how to drink it properly. Mainly in small sips to help the conversations last longer during the holiday seasons.”

Hunter then smiled kindly at her and Wallflower felt the butterflies in her stomach again. It felt nice to get such a simple smile just for her. But before she could ponder any more, Hunter moved back to sitting with his sulking friend.

“So, just a sip,” said Wallflower as she picked up her nearly empty glass. Carefully she took the smallest of sips, tasting the same thing that had been on her tongue mere moments before. Only this time it wasn’t so overwhelming. Very pleasant actually. She looked up from her glass as she set it down, noticing Hunter nodding.

“Well anyways, I don’t know why you’re not more noticed back home,” began Hunter, but stopped when the chanting of ‘Party’ could be heard. Instantly his ears flattened against his skull as did several other thestrals within Wallflower’s field of vision. Slowly she turned in her chair to see that group of young stallion’s again marching down the street with bottles of cider in their hooves acting like this was the greatest celebration in Equestria. A few of them were staggering as if a bit tipsy, pushing and shoving each other. Wallflower’s eyes widened when she saw one nearly crashed into a mare who had been walking down the street. If it hadn’t been for her quick actions at taking flight, there could have been an accident.

As several very stern looking thestrals began to descend to the ground and surround the group, Hunter shook his head. “It’s like this all the time,” he muttered as the others around him went back to what they were doing. “We mainly get stallions from all across Equestria who want to take advantage of the laws and customs we have here. Some of them are or feel the same way as us, but most of the time we get morons like them. And don’t get me started on how we’re treated when we leave town. Heh, maybe that’s why ponies around here are quicker to notice you. It’s very rare to have a mare outside of town to join in on the fun around this time.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” said Lightning with a nod. “Might even be getting used to mares moving in. First was Four Eyes and from what I heard they weren’t too keen on her moving here. Then I came and that was less of a hassle. Maybe they’re catching on that mares like us are far better than those idiots.”

Wallflower smiled a bit at this before turning her head to look that the now silent group. She could see that the thestrals who had surrounded them were officers, taking away their bottles and writing up tickets. She could not hear the natives as they spoke to the group in low tones that made it impossible for Wallflower to hear nor the outsiders who were looking back with cross expressions. It was now that Wallflower understood just how hard it would be to get thestrals to join the Sol Invictus. If what she had heard was the truth, thestrals seemed to get tourists like these all the time who just made asses of themselves. As for when they left, well, she had to admit that the Sol Invictus had done enough shaming of them for being lunatics in the past. Not to mention that whole drinking blood rumor. With all that over their heads, it was easy to see why they might mistrust outsiders. However, while it would be difficult, Wallflower was going to try!

While her plans of trying to get Lightning to join the Sol Invictus hadn’t changed, Wallflower believed that she might not be the best choice in trying to get others in Hollow Shades to join. Not if what she had just heard was to be believed. Instead, she needed a thestral. One of their own who could help show them the right way. How did that old saying go? Every great tree started as a seed? She could already see that Hunter was a very understanding and accepting thestral stallion. Perhaps she could appeal to him first, help get him to see why the Sol Invictus was a good thing. Then, when the others in the town saw the benefits and how much happier he was as a member perhaps they would consider joining up as well!

The green mare was about to turn around, ready to bring up the subject, when she noticed something. It was that stallion and mare that she had seen earlier kissing passionately. The two had detached and were heading into a space between buildings. What set alarm bells in her head was the way they were looking over their shoulder and above their heads, as if they didn’t want to be followed or something. Then a moment later the two slipped down the alleyway.

“I’ll be right back,” said Wallflower as she got out of her seat, eyes locked on the alleyway.

“So?” asked Lightning.

Hunter raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at his pegasus marefriend, diverting his attention from Wallflower as she moved across the street. “So…what exactly?”

Lightning let out a puff of annoyance, her wings extending slightly as she did so. “What do you think of her?” she asked in an exasperated tone, rolling her eyes as she did so. “She’s got that nerdy vibe that I know you love. Might not be as nerdy as Four Eyes, but pretty close. If she happens to be alone at the end of the week we could invite her to have some fun with us. I can’t speak for Moondancer, but I for one wouldn’t mind listening to her moan. We could take turns with her and show her something she’ll never forget!”

As Hunter lifted his glass to take a final sip, he thought about it for a moment. Lightning was correct in that she was more his type. She would be a far better model for those magazines he used to buy, having the right amount of nerdy adorkableness to make his cock twitch. Just the idea of having her and Moondancer in their sweaters, coating his balls with their saliva while her watched was enough to nearly have his stallionhood unsheathe. As for personality, she didn’t seem rude or annoying. Just pleasant to be around. Honestly, the ponies back in her home town didn’t know what they were missing. With that said however…

“Lightning,” said Hunter, his voice carrying with it a warning. “We still don’t know her all that well. And we might want to have some more ‘advanced’ fun that night. She might not be into that sort of thing. Or, worse case, she might know somepony in the Sol Invictus and tell them about us. That or she could be a member herself.”

Lightning sagged a bit at that. “Yeah, good point,” she admitted. “We could just do some toned down vanilla stuff, but… Oh well. I’m sure she’ll get used to it here and start loosening up. Plenty of other singles around here. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Having crept into the alleyway, making sure not to startle anypony who might be there, Wallflower looked upon a scene she never thought she would see. Hidden from the view of the world, she peeked around a corner to see the two she had followed. With wide eyes she saw that the stallion was in a standing position with both hooves on the wall. In-between him and the wall was the mare who let out muffled moans, her mouth filled with his exposed cock. Even in the dark of the night, there was enough moonlight shining down to illuminate the drool coming out of her mouth as the stallion’s hips jerked back and forth. Or the wetness running down the mare’s legs.

What Wallflower was witnessing was something she knew was wrong. Unmarried sex wasn’t illegal, but it should be frowned upon. Especially when the couple were this young! She didn’t care if they were just doing oral, somepony needed to stop them. To explain to them this wasn’t the pure, righteous way they should be treating each other. This sort of thing needed to happen after they were married or at the very least done in a bed. This however felt like he was treating her like some cheap tail raising tart. Wallflower half expected to see a small bag of bits lying around somewhere.

While her teachings had taught her she needed to stop this at once, Wallflower found herself frozen to the spot. She could feel something burning deep inside of her, starting at her chest before slowly moving downwards. All she could do was to stand there transfixed as the stallion’s ball sack bumped against the mare’s chin.

“You’re…amazing,” gasped the stallion as he removed one of his hooves from the wall. Wallflower watched as the hoof traveled downwards to caress the mare’s main causing said mare to let out a mew of delight.

As the stallion gasped, Wallflower noticed something she hadn’t noticed before. The mare was looking in her direction. Rather than pull back or do anything else, the green mare remained where she was as the bat filly gave her a saucy wink before her own hooves began to move. The sound of sucking became louder as the mare began to spread her legs open as far as they could so that the slit between them could be rubbed. All done in a way to make sure Wallflower could see everything. She could see the wetness increase greatly before the hoof even reached its destination, the mare’s expression filled with lustful fulfillment.

Then, in that moment, Wallflower suddenly found herself in the mare’s place. She was the one being watched, stared it as she took the cock deep into her throat. Wallflower rubbed her clit as the stallion above praised her, gave his attention to her while another one watched on. Nothing else in that moment mattered as she floated in a river of blissful happiness. A longing to having this moment last forever. Yet it could not as the stallion pulled out completely before assailing her with a stream of white.

Wallflower gasped, the sudden change snapping her out of the fantasy. She could now smell the scent of something like chlorine as the bat mare’s face was covered in white gunk. As her partner got back on all fours, she began to lick the stuff that shot out of his penis like it tasted good or something.

“Wow,” gasped the stallion. “What has your mom been teaching you?”

The mare giggled as she too got on all fours. “Plenty,” she replied with a swish of her tail. “Of course, that was just the basics on how a professional sucks cock. Just with a lot of extra love just for you.” With that the mare looked underneath the stallion to see his member was still rock hard in the open air. “Perhaps we could finish up at my place. Me and mom can give you something more advanced. I think I can even convince her to do it for free this one time.” Before the blushing stallion could say anything, the mare turned to look in Wallflower’s direction. “And I wouldn’t mind asking our peeping guest to come along as well.”

Reality Crashing

Wallflower watched as the mayor of Hollow Shades laughed behind his desk. The office itself was very formal looking, a circular room with polished dark wooden floors that reflected everything cast upon it. Black and white portraits hung from the walls depicting several thestrals of some significance that Wallflower wasn’t aware of. Perhaps they were town heroes or just former mayors. Behind both the desk and the laughing mayor was a single large arcing window that allowed much of the moonlight to shine through. As for the laughter, it wasn’t a friendly chuckle or a fake laugh, like the mare had seen and heard many times before. Instead this was a full blown laughter unlike anything she had ever seen before. The old stallion was laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks as Wallflower stood there in front of the desk, too afraid to move or say anything. Very soon the mayor began to pound his hoof on the desk, the laughter never ceasing for a second as his head fell onto the desk.

This was a very different reaction than what Wallflower had expected when she decided to see him. Just a short time ago, she had borne witness to two young thestrals in the mists of lewd acts in a public area. She thought she had been somewhat hidden, but the mare had seen her as she sucked on the stallion’s cock. Then, when it was over, the mare had suggested that they have a threesome with the mare’s mother AS WELL AS suggesting that Wallflower tags along! Needless to say, as a member of the Sol Invictus this was something that she would not do. How could she? Wallflower had been taught her entire life that such actions were wrong and needed to be stopped. So without a word she had left, ignoring the feeling between her legs as she made her way onto the main streets. The only problem was what could she do now? Normally when a member of the Sol found a pony or ponies engaging in such actions their main recourse was to tell the others. From there, they would get the word out to all other ponies in the area to make sure they knew what sort of immorality that pony had done. That they should not engage him until he had learned that what he was doing was impure. Only then could the healing begin.

The only issue with that was Hollow Shades not having any Sol members within its borders save herself. That was the whole point of her coming here, to get more members and hopefully start a branch of the Sol Invictus within Hollow Shades. Now, Wallflower could get on a train to head back home and tell the others what she had seen or any other town nearby that had a branch of their order. But as Wallflower ran, she knew what they would say. That it would not surprise them that something like that was going on since Hollow Shades was full of Lunatics! That they might as well shun the entire town even more than they already did, defeating the purpose for Wallflower’s journey. This left Wallflower with only one recourse: contact the highest authority she could find.

“You want me to what?” laughed the mayor, his forelegs wrapping around his large belly as he laughed.

“To do something about this immoral behavior,” said Wallflower slowly, earning a louder laugh for the mayor. Puffing her cheeks, the green earth mare moved closer to the desk and placed a hoof on it. “I don’t know what is so funny! I heard a mare telling a stallion that she has learned how to please a stallion from her mother! That he would get to have something more ‘advanced’ as she said. Then she mentioned a price meaning-”

“Prostitution,” managed the mayor as he wiped away a tear, doing his best to regain some amount of control over himself. As for Wallflower, she felt her jaw drop. He understood the implications of what she was saying so why was he acting like this wasn’t a big deal? “It’s completely legal here in Hollow Shades.”

Another hoof found itself on the mayor’s desk, lifting Wallflower up just a bit more as she looked at the stallion in disbelief. “How? How could this town not make something like that illegal?! Don’t you understand that such behavior erodes moral fiber and destroys marriages with unwanted seduction? Not to mention forcing the mares into a life no sane mare would want for some pimp or whatever, selling their bodies while also putting themselves in danger! As mayor, this is something you should take more seriously!” As she spoke, the amusement on the mayor’s face slowly began to fade. But instead of adopting a more concerned look like Wallflower had expected, he instead looked bored. Like he had heard something like this many times before.

“Let me assure you,” he began in a steady voice, lifting himself up in his chair slightly. “That I take the safety of the mares living on Natalus Street very seriously. There are always several officers standing ready and patrolling the sky, ready to act at the moment they hear something wrong. All of the mares there also undergo weekly tests to make sure they are safe for those within our fair city as well as the many, many guests who visit us for their services. All of those fine mares have chosen their path of their own free will. For some, sex or sexual acts are their special talent. All of the houses on that street belong to them and nopony else.

“Furthermore, while the rest of Equestria considers prostitution to be an illegal act, Hollow Shades does not. We thestrals believe that what we do with our bodies is of our own business. If two or more consenting ponies wish to pleasure each other than that is their choice. Our desires are not something that we should feel ashamed of, but things to be explored and managed properly. Now, it is not untrue that there are times when it goes too far leading to cheating or desiring the special pony of another. We teach our fillies and colts that once you are in a herd, those within should get your sole attention unless it is agreed upon. As for rape cases, those are cracked down upon with a fury unseen within the rest of Equestria.” The mayor then cleared his throat loudly. “With that said, however, we do not blame the prostitute in cases of unfaithfulness. If the marriage was going well then the stallion or mare would not be seeking their company.”

Wallflower felt her jaw drop once again as she removed her hooves from the table, backing up a few steps in the process. This…This had to be some sort of joke! One that she found to be very unfunny. The idea that ponies could have such a viewpoint was beyond all that she had been taught her entire life. No blame going to the temptress? Just doing whatever you wanted with no consequence? NO! There were lines that good ponies should never cross. Indulgences that had to be avoided at all costs lest they pollute the minds of the young or impressionable. It…It was madness to think otherwise. Lunacy!

“Of course,” whispered Wallflower as she looked out the window, the moonlight shining through it clearly. “This town has never had the Sol Invictus to show them the way! That’s why they are the way they are and why it’s so important that I fulfill my role!” She then looked up at the mayor who looked like he wanted to get back to his work. Already his hooves were reaching for a large quill, his eyes rolling before looking down on a document before him. Briefly his eyes flicked to her, the same eyes that had once been welcoming to her before he started laughing his flank off, now looked annoyed.

“Sol Invictus,” he muttered under his breath, tone heavy with disdain. Wallflower’s ears wilted at the sound of it. Yet he said no more as he took the quill with his mouth and began to write.

This display, however, did not dissuade Wallflower. She took a step closer to the desk while placing a hoof over her heart, ready to make her case. “Sir, I wish to spread the word of the Sol Invictus to the thestrals. In accordance with the law of Equestria, any group or organization is allowed to speak within the streets of any town as long as it has permission to. Now I know that-”

“Do as you wish,” grunted the mayor, visibly surprising Wallflower. If the mayor noticed this, he did not show it as he continued to talk with the quill still held within his jaw. “Say whatever you wish to say, but do not be surprised if the thestrals here turn a deaf ear to it. Not many will be willing to change their point of view no matter how much your order harasses them.” He then paused for a moment, as if something had just occurred to him. He then looked up at Wallflower and for once she wished she was that unnoticeable mare once again if only to be spared the heated look he was giving her. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear before you head out. You are free to preach whatever and however you want. But should you do anything to interrupt our celebration in any way it will be my greatest pleasure to lock you away for a very long time. If only to send a message to your ‘high and mighty’ order. Is that clear?”

“I-It is,” gulped Wallflower.

“Please, listen to the word of the Sol Invictus,” cried Wallflower as she stood out in the middle of the street with her saddle bags open. She had chosen a spot near Natalus Street, a place where she knew the worst of the worst liked to live, to preach her message of purity. A place that she knew needed it the most. As many ponies trotted, walked, and flew in and around that street Wallflower stood there with fliers in hoof with plenty more in her bags. She held them up, approaching any pony who passed her by with a smile on her face. It didn’t matter if they were a thestral or just a visitor. Anypony who was willing to stop and listen, she would talk to them about all the positives of being a member of the Sol Invictus.

Well, if anypony would listen to her that is! Everypony she approached would look at her with a startled expression at first only to avert their eyes once they realized what she was trying to show them. Some trotted away while others galloped like she had a bad case of the cutie pox. There were even those who took to the sky nearly ramming into another thestral just to get away from her. None of them gave her a chance to say anything or listen to all the goodness that was the Sol. They didn’t even pretend to listen to her like many would for the Lunar Witnesses who came knocking door to door. It was a simple, flat refusal without hearing a single word! As for those nearby, they seemed to be giving her a far wider berth than anypony else on the street. Many seemed to be actively ignoring her in order to go about their business.

Wallflower found it harder and harder to keep that smile on her face as so many thestrals either ignored her or gave her the cold shoulder. She would have thought that it wouldn’t affect her, having been ignored her whole life by family and neighbors. But it was different and she knew it. Back home, she had been ignored because she simply was easily overlooked. She was easily forgotten. That was just how her life was. Yet here in Hollow Shades, she had been noticed by so many in such a short amount of time. Now those same thestrals, ones whom only a few short hours ago were greeting her with warm smiles, were ignoring her by choice. They were choosing to turn and look a different direction, ignoring her when she called out to them. It hurt so very, very much.

As another thestral walked away, ignoring her yet again, Wallflower’s ears flattened while her shoulder slumped. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said to herself as she fell onto her flank. The sky was beginning to become a tad brighter while the decorations that had been lit were growing dim. Despite the promise of a bright new day Wallflower’s spirits had never been so dark. Wallflower had known from the start that this wouldn’t be easy, being the only member of the Sol in the town. Given how the mayor reacted as well as the town’s ponies, it was very unlikely that she would do any better during her remaining time here. Her eyes began to water a bit as she thought about how badly this had turned out. At how much she had lost so quickly all for nothing.

“Hey there Wallflower,” came a familiar voice. Ears perking up and head raised, Wallflower turned to see three figures actually approaching her! Two of them she knew, causing her heart to leap that not everypony had turned their backs on her! Star Hunter was leading them, saddle bags stuffed to the brim with food. On his left was Lightning, the one who had spoken to her, looking a little beat. The last in the group was a unicorn mare that Wallflower had not seen before walking close to Hunter. Perhaps somepony very close to him. Her horn was lit as she carried a large black bag in her magical grasp, the contents of which were hidden from sight. All three of them were looking in Wallflower’s direction, causing her heart to leap with joy as she also leapt to her hooves to greet them.

“H-Hey Lightning. Hunter,” said the green mare as she quickly removed her tears with a quick motion of her hoof. She did her best to return their smiles with her own. For the briefest moment she saw them falter in their steps, Lightning dropping her smile completely as she began to survey the green mare with a serious expression. As for Hunter, he managed to keep his smile while his eyes looked at her with concern. No doubt trying to keep her at ease.

“Hi, you must be Wallflower,” said the unicorn as she drew closer. As she did, Wallflower began to notice something around the mare’s neck that was almost hidden by her sweater. It was a choker made of black lace with a pendant hanging from it. While Wallflower needed a closer look at it to be sure; the pendant looked a lot like the constellation cutie mark that Hunter had. “I heard a bit about you from Hunter. I’m Moondancer. I see you’re a fan of sweaters.”

“They are comfy,” agreed Wallflower with a smile, happy to find not only another pony who noticed her but a fan of sweaters as well! It was like hitting the friendship lottery! She only wished they could have met when she hadn’t been sitting on the ground feeling sorry for herself.

“Hey Wallflower, have any punks been bothering you again?” demanded Lightning in a low yet dangerous tone. As she spoke, the pegasus’ eyes darted back and forth as if looking for an offending pony. Her wings rose slightly, preparing to take flight at a moment’s notice. “Nopony has been pressuring you or anything, right? Because if they have then they’ll get a hoof full of Lightning!” Lightning then moved over to whisper in Wallflower’s ear. “See what I did there? It works both ways. Either I get my hooves on a couple of lightning bolts or I can just shove my hoof right into their ass!”

At that, Wallflower’s eyes widened as conflicting emotions surged within her. While being a member of the Sol, she found such a notion to be grotesque. Not just because it was violent but also (for reasons that escaped her) some ponies found things like that enjoyable! Yet despite her revolution at such an action, Wallflower had an odd and warm feeling growing inside of her. Perhaps it was because simply the idea that somepony would care enough to make such a threat for her. It was amazingly touching in a way Wallflower never knew before!

“Ah, no,” said Wallflower not wanting one of her very few friends to get in trouble over her. Slowly she looked down at the flier still in her hoof. “It’s just that things aren’t going so well right now. Remember how I told you that I’m here on business?” As they nodded, a wonderful though filled Wallflower with hope. Wallflower had remembered her plan to ask THEM to join!

Just as quickly as that joyful feeling came in, it retreated as fear wrapped around her very soul. Fear that her only friends here, nay, the only friends she had ever had would leave her. After seeing it so often tonight it wasn’t that hard to imagine. One look at that flier and they too would walk away, ignoring her forever. She would be alone again, never to have those comfortable conversations like she had while Lightning was giving her a tour of the town or having lunch with her and Hunter. Even if she left the Sol- NO! Wallflower quickly took a breath while mentally scolding herself. How could she even consider giving up the lessons she had been taught from birth about the Sol just to keep a friendship? If they couldn’t accept her for who she was and what she believed in then they weren’t worth having as friends! At least that’s what she believed good and pure ponies like Princess Twilight or Princess Celestia would say at a time like this.

Glancing down at the flier in her hoof, Wallflower considered hiding it. To conceal the truth. But, wouldn’t that be just as wrong as giving up her beliefs? If they were true friends then they would accept her. So, after taking a breath, she held up the flier while her body shook a bit. “I’m, ah, in town to recruit new members,” she said in a weak voice. “It’s not going so well and…”

Wallflower’s voice trailed off as the three gathered closer to look at the flier. As expressions of surprise shined brightly on their faces, the green earth pony felt like her fear was confirmed. It felt like she had been bucked in the gut by an Apple, liquidizing her insides including her heart. Something inside her told her to quickly pull back the flier and lie, saying it was all a joke. But her trembling hoof refused to budge and the air remained in her lungs. The only thing that seemed to be working were her eyes that seemed to grow warmer with the threat of tears. She wished that she could at least close them so she didn’t have to see them walking away.

“Sol Invictus,” said Hunter as he looked up. “Must be hard getting members around these parts.” His words caused Wallflower to perk up in relief. His words were neither harsh, sarcastic, or anything that could be considered negative. Instead they were calm as he looked at her. Next to him, Lightning looked disappointed in the same way as Pearly White did when she couldn’t get a new mane curler. As for Moondancer, well, she just looked shocked yet made no attempt to run or teleport away.

“It is,” replied Wallflower. “I, ah, knew coming here it would be difficult. Just didn’t expect it to be difficult in a different way.” She then looked away. “If that makes any sense.”

“Well that kind of makes sense,” said Lightning. Slowly Wallflower turned to look at her feather friend, thankful that the look she had was not disgust. “I mean, no offense, but the Sol Invictus can be huge dicks at times.”

“What she means,” said Hunter loudly before Wallflower could defend the Sol or Lightning could continue. “Is that the Sol Invictus has a way of doing things that bothers us. Like publicly causing a spectacle and humiliating anypony who doesn’t share their beliefs or values.”

“Or asking ponies to spy on their neighbors,” added Moondancer. “We heard that that’s what the Sol is asking ponies in Fillydelphia to do. Feels like they’re trying to create a world like in 1984 or Fahrnayheit 451.”

Wallflower tilted her head. “I’ve never heard of those books,” she admitted. It wasn’t surprising given that her home town only held books that were written by hoof instead of the widely published volumes across Equestria.

Moondancer smiled as she adjusted her glasses, an excited gleam in her eyes. “Well, both books deal with dystopian futures,” she began as Lightning gave an annoyed sigh before falling onto her flank. “The novel 1984 deals with a world where the government runs everything, even trying to get into your very thoughts. You have no privacy because there are spells cast in every home that allows the government to look in whenever they feel like and you have no idea when they will be. Furthermore, it is mentioned that foals are encouraged to spy on their parents and report them. There’s just nopony you can trust because if you let your guard down you will be taken in to Big Sister. Not to mention the fact that they are trying to destroy words and rewriting history so that they are always right.” Moondancer paused for a moment as a facial muscle twitched violently for a moment before continuing. “Fahrnayheit 451, fireponies actually start fires instead of putting them out. Books, all of them, have been banned and it’s their job to destroy not only them but the homes in which they are found in.” Moondancer paused as her eye began to twitch while gritting her teeth, as if she were trying to contain her rage or something.

As Hunter placed a hoof on Moondancer’s side to try and calm her down, Lightning stepped forward. “I think what four eyes here is getting at is that we can see the Sol Invictus doing all that stuff if they had the power,” she said in a brash tone. “I mean, I can see them barging into anypony’s home looking for porn or whatever before torching the whole place down just to ‘cleanse the site’. Or rewarding ponies for spilling the beans on their neighbors if they found something arousing that the Sol thinks shouldn’t be. And I don’t want to think about what could happen if they got ponies in the government or got Princess Celestia on their side!”

Wallflower stood there, looking at her friend as she spoke about the Sol. Part of the green earth mare wanted to say that none of that could never happen! That the Sol Invictus just wanted what was best for everypony to keep them pure. And yet…she couldn’t deny that their fears weren’t unfounded. She had seen at their meetings more than once the burning of items they deemed to be unclean. She had heard about the public shaming and other such acts although never taking part in them herself. It had been taught to her that it was their duty to bring such vile actions to the public’s attention so that all would know how wicked that pony truly was. So that there would be no dark corner to hide their perversity. It would be easy for those outside the order to fear them taking things too far. Perhaps jailing those vile ponies up instead.

So instead she turned her head to look at Hunter. “Is that what all of you think?” she asked him. The thestral looked surprised by the question, biting his lip as he looked away. It was clear that she had put him on the spot and that he was uncomfortable about it. Just as Wallflower was about to tell him to forget about it he spoke.

“Well, there is a lot of bad history between the thestrals and the Sol,” he began while scratching the back of his head with a wing. “That’s something that neither side can deny and it can’t be forgotten overnight. So I don’t see myself or any other thestral getting along with the Sol anytime soon. But…” Wallflower looked at Hunter as his words trailed off, curious as to what he was about to say. And it wasn’t just her. Both Moondancer and Lightning were looking at him in the same way as her. The stallion took a breath as he looked at her. “But I don’t have a bad history with you, as a single mare. Heck, none of us knew you were a member until just now. So I don’t see any reason things would have to change between us. We could still hang out or get lunch while you’re in town. That’s something, right?”

Wallflower’s eyes widened when he said that. A burning sensation began to grow on her cheeks as he looked at her, his words echoing in Wallflower’s head. The green furred mare couldn’t help but smile at this wonderful news! To make things even better, Lightning was nodding her head meaning that she wouldn’t be ignoring her as well. As for Moondancer, the unicorn didn’t look disgusted by the notion and was still standing there. So perhaps they might even become friends as well. Maybe by the time she left Hollow Shades she would at least have three wonderful friends for life.

“You sure this is a good idea Hunter?” asked Moondancer. It was several minutes after they had parted from Wallflower’s company, having excused themselves due to the rising of the sun. Already many thestrals were leaving the streets and the air above their heads. If it weren’t for the scents coming from the few restaurants that were still open, as well as a few other places that rarely ever closed their doors, somepony who stumbled in might think that the town was deserted.

“I’m guessing you’re talking about Wallflower?” As the stallion said this, he already knew the answer. The only other thing it could be was about the garlic and marinara sandwiches they were having for dinner along with a fresh fruit salad.

“Yes, of course I’m talking about her!” exclaimed his nerdy sub as she gave him a serious look. “I mean, she’s a member of the Sol and she’s here in Hollow Shades! There’s no telling what might happen if she stays here! Not to mention befriending her!” Moondancer paused for a moment as she sighed while looking away. “I’m just worried. If she ever found out about, well you know, then it might end your career as an author.”

Hunter merely nodded at this. That was something he was afraid of. If the Sol ever found out about some of the kinks he was into, he was sure that they would be going to every bookstore to demand that they remove his books or shaming the ponies who bought them. Then it would only be a matter of time before his publisher dropped him due to the bad press or the low sales. Sure he could get another job here in Hollow Shades, but it wouldn’t be the job he loved. The one he had worked hard to get.

“That is true,” said Hunter at last. “But, she doesn’t seem as high and mighty as some of the other members of the Sol. As long as we act normal and don’t draw any attention to ourselves, we should be fine.”

“Still, it does suck,” mumbled Lightning with her head down.

Moondancer rolled her eyes. “You just wanted to invite her to have an orgy with us.”

“Well duh,” snapped Lightning. “It’s just the only thing I’ve been thinking about since lunch! Seriously, have you seen that flank? Even if we weren’t the first ones here to tap that I still would have insisted that we try! Just image all the things we could have done with her! A little bit of nerd on nerd play before all three of us start licking Hunter’s cock. Or maybe having all three of us stacked on top of each other so Hunter here could fuck us all at the same time! We could-”

Hunter stood there in the library, looking down at the sight before him as Lightning checked to make sure that nopony disturbed them. Then again, he was sure that neither mare would have even noticed in somepony walked in on them right now. Both Moondancer and Wallflower were on the ground, bodies pressed with the only things separating them were their sweaters. On each of their limbs were huff cuffs which connected them to each other ensuring that they could not separate. Not that it looked like they wanted to for both mares were busy using their tongues to study the other’s mouth while their twats pressed against each other. Slowly Hunter walked around them, listening to their moans as he studied their rears. Both had their tails out of the way, giving their master a perfect view of their dripping wet snatches and their puckered ponuts.

Around the two were scattered books that had once been on the table, books that they had no doubt been reading before he found them making out. No doubt they had fallen to the floor when he had knocked over the table in his hurry to get to them, to bind his mares together like this. Calmly he picked one of the up seeing that it had a picture of a mare lying in a tub, her hooves chained to the wall in order to keep herself spread. Holes had been cut out on the sides of the wall he could see with cocks sticking out of them as their seed poured out of them to fill the tub. The mare on the cover looked elated by her situation with her tongue hanging out and with hearts in her eyes. The title of the book was ‘A Healthy Diet of Cum’.

Smirking a bit, Hunter took the book and gave slap to the flank of Wallflower who was on top. It wasn’t hard nor loud, but mainly to get their attention. The first smack didn’t seem to phase the earth mare so Hunter tried again only a bit harder. This time the spot where he had hit had left a slight reddish hint close to her cutie mark. In response, Wallflower’s head rose to let out a whimpering moan while, at the same time, Moondancer began to lick her neck slowly. Now the air was richer in the scent of mares in heat. Both cunts were winking madly, desperately desiring a cock as they drooled their nectar.

Licking his lips, Hunter prepared to smack the other flank. This was halted when he felt a tongue beginning to lick his sack. The thestral stallion had no need to turn around. There was only one other mare in the room: Lightning Dust. He could feel her head between his hind legs as she wetted his sperm sack with her saliva without his permission. While it did feel good, very good in fact, Hunter knew he had to discipline this mare. Perhaps he could-

Hunter was brought out of his fantasy rather suddenly as he felt an elbow hit his side. It took him a moment to realize that it had been Lightning who had done it. That as well as for him to realize that his cock was poking out of its sheath as they walked.

“Seems like somepony really likes some of my ideas,” chuckled Lightning as she trotted a bit faster. As she did, she swished her tail from side to side in order to give her dom a good view her of nether lips as well as her ponut. Slowly she turned her head to smirk at him. “We may not be able to have fun with her, but there are still things we can do with just the three of us.”

For a moment Hunter was silent as he walked. Briefly he glanced to Moondancer’s worried expression, one that a part of him shared. With a member of the Sol in town it might be better if they just laid low for the week until she left. Heck, Wallflower might not even last the entire week. She might bolt out of town when she found out about what happened on the last day! On the other hoof, they could still have fun. It was getting late and Wallflower would probably just go to the hotel and get some sleep. Not to mention that Wallflower didn’t know where they lived. So unless the green earth mare made a habit of knocking on every door or peaking through every window they should be ok.

And he was feeling like Lightning needed some…punishment.

Wallflower trotted through the streets with a new smile on her face. Sure, her mission here was probably going to end in complete failure. Not like anypony back home would even remember that she was sent here! But the important thing was that Wallflower had made friends! That alone made all of this worth it.

More than that, her new friends had given Wallflower something to think about. As she passed by the floral shop again, she paused there to stare at herself in the window as the first light of the sun began to shine into the windows. Inside, the plants almost seemed to stir with life with many of their blooms opening up a bit more to take in the pure light. A few even seemed to release puffs of pollen into the air giving the ponyless store a hazy look. While looking at herself eye to eye, she thought about what they had told her. The reasons why they didn’t feel comfortable joining the Sol. And, if she was being completely honest with herself, Wallflower couldn’t fault them. Wallflower understood the reasoning behind the spying, that it was a necessary evil. One that had to be committed in order to find those who were revealing in such vile acts. But she could see how it would appear to those who were not in the order, making them loom paranoid or distrustful and the like.

Tilting her head to the side, Wallflower also thought about how they dealt with those they had found. It was hard, even for somepony like her, not to see themselves as bullies. Rather than try (at least at first) to help those ponies see the error of their ways and bring them back to a more wholesome lifestyle, they ruined them. They publicly exposed them as the deviates that they were, ruining the relationships within the community. Yet none of them had ever sought to better themselves or change their ways. At least, not in any way Wallflower knew. Those ponies where left with nothing but a hatred of the Sol for putting them in that situation rather than seeing it as a fault of their own for engaging in that lifestyle.

“Maybe we need to change that a bit,” whispered Wallflower to herself as her vision began to get a little hazy. Thinking it was due to staring through the widow for so long or a morning mist, the green mare ignored it for more pressing thoughts. Perhaps she could talk to some of the Sol leadership and see if they could institute some changes. Maybe offer to help those they found in some way. Or maybe offer up a support program where family members could bring the corrupted to them, so they could talk to them in a more comfortable environment. Perhaps even treat them.

Well, if anypony would listen to her that is. Still she should try and maybe in time she…Lightning, Hunter, and…Moondancer…would…

Wallflower’s thoughts began to trail as the most wonderful scent filled her lungs. With half lidded eyes and what felt like a dopy smile, the mare’s hooves began to stumble towards the door of the shop. Almost heading butting the door to open it, she ignored the rigging of the bell above her head as she stood through the building. All around her were plants like flowers, shrubs, small trees, and other things similar of a more exotic variety. They climbed the walls, sat on shelves, or even hung from the ceiling. If it weren’t for the wooden floor Wallflower would have thought herself lost in the middle of an overgrown forest. Not an unhappy thought in her opinion had her mind been able to better process what was happening. Her body seemed to know where it was going only slightly stumbling to a stop once or twice when she veered off course, everything she saw being nothing more than a blur not to be concerned about. The notion that she might have broken into the building did not cause her any sort of alarm. Nor was she bothered when she felt her hooves became stuck on some sort of substance. No, Wallflower just-

“Bad!” came a croaked voice followed by several smacks from a broom. The suddenness of the voice, as well as one or two sudden strikes to her forehead, awoke Wallflower from her haze. Now she was more aware of where she was and, to her horror, the reality of the situation. Yes, she had probably broken into the floral shop ad had been caught by the owner. But that wasn’t the worst think, not by a long shot. Her heart began to race as she saw that she was up close and personal with the Widow Maker, standing on the leaf that was used to capture the prey while the other leaves were beginning to surround her. She also noticed that the same broom that had struck her was also striking the plant, making it look almost like it was whimpering in pain.

After coming out of her stupor, Wallflower realized what had happened to her. She had read in a book that some more carnivorous plants send out sweet smelling aromas to lure their prey to them. Perhaps that was the same with Widow Makers. Now that she was free from her trance Wallflower began to tug with her hooves in an effort to free herself. Thankfully, for whatever reason, the substance on the left had lost a great deal of its stickiness. It still took some effort, but Wallflower was able to free herself before the leaves could swallow her.

“Thank you,” said Wallflower in between her pants as she looked at the figure who had saved her. It was an ancient looking thestral mare with her grayed mane done up in a beehive fashion. Her legs looked very thin and wobbly while her brown coat looked like it had seen better days. Its color had dulled considerably with her age as well as showing several spotted areas. Ever her bat-like wings looked withered and too small for her to fly about anymore. As for the mare’s face, it was heavily lined with wrinkles and eyes were hidden behind extremely thick glasses that looked like they weighed down the mare’s entire head. As the elderly mare turned to her side, Wallflower noticed that her cutie mark was of a plant that Wallflower instantly recognized as a Queen of the Night in full bloom.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” croaked the mare as she set down her broom. “Door must have been open a smidgen. Damn thing always gets like that when it don’t get its vittles at just the right time. I swear, makes more fuss than Jet did when he was a tiny foal bless him. Just lucky I was coming down ta feed it or else you would have been made into pony gumbo.” The elder mare then began to cough loudly, rising a wither hoof to her mouth to block the spittle that followed. This went on longer than Wallflower felt it should. Fearing that the mare who saved her might pass out due to loss of breath and not seeing a glass of water or anything else around, she moved behind the mare to gently pat her back.

“Thank you kindly,” said the mare when she had finally caught her breath. She then made to move to the back of the shop which Wallflower helped. Practically carrying the elder mare, the two entered a door where a small kitchen like area lay indicating that the mare lived here. It was sparse, having only a few outdated modern conveniences like a fridge and sink along with an old fashioned table. The mare gestured to a counter were an open pill bottle laid open next to a glass of water. Nodding, Wallflower brought the mare to where her medicine laid. Once there the elderly mare quickly took her pills and downed the water, breathing heavily as she finished.

“Are you alright?” asked Wallflower as she released the mare.

“As good as any mare my age can be young’en,” said the elder mare as she continued to take deep breaths. “Oh Luna, how I wish I could be as spry as I was sixty years ago. Ohh was I ever a catch back then.” She then turned to look at Wallflower, leaning a bit closer to get a better look. “Well now, isn’t this a treat. An earth pony in my little old shop. Judging by that there necklace you got there its old Hearts and Hooves?”

“Ah, yes,” said Wallflower as she gave the other mare a nervous smile thinking it would be better to not say the real reason she was here. “I was actually on my way to get a room at the hotel when I passed by and-”

“Oh you don’t want to go there around this time of year,” said the elder mare with a wave of her hoof and a scowl on her face. “That there place ain’t no good to anypony right now. Not with all them rowdy, horny colts from all over Equestria packed into one place. Rest of the year a fine place to lie your head down for a spell, but not this week. No, no. A nice mare like you’d better find someplace nicer. Got any friends in town yet?”

Wallflower looked at the mare with a startled expression for a moment. Why would Hearts and Hooves attract horny colts? Maybe this old mare had a bad experience there like a couple on their honeymoon in the next room over with paper thin walls? That might make sense. “Well, I have made a couple of friends,” said Wallflower with an uneasy smile. “I, ah, just don’t know where they live. Or if they even have a spare room for me.”

The elder mare choked out a laugh. “Spare room,” she chuckled before coughing a few times. Something that further confused Wallflower, like a joke the other knew but needed more context for her to follow. Before Wallflower could ask what was so funny, the elder mare looked at her with a sly smile on her wrinkled muzzle. “Well dear, how about I help you find out where they live? If they don’t have a ‘spare room’ for you then you are welcome to stay here with me.”

“R-Really?” asked a shocked Wallflower, taken aback by this gesture. “But you don’t know anything about me! I could rob you or do all sorts of things!”

“And if you were going to do any of that, you wouldn’t of said that,” countered the elder mare as she turned and walked away towards a nearby kitchen drawer. “Heck, you could do that all right now if you wanted and there wouldn’t be a lick I could do to stop you. Not that I have much to steal. And you don’t seem like the type to do anything like that.” At this point, the old mare opened the drawer and pulled out one of those plastic containers that Wallflower’s mother used to store her recipes on cards. “But don’t think I’m doing this for free missy. I’ve been needing a helping hoof around this shop for a while now and haven’t found anypony whose up to the task. Last fella I hired took off like a bat trying to escape Tartarus when the Widow Maker tried to eat him. And the one before that kept going to the Eternal Ecstasy, even breaking in after I closed shop! Such a silly filly. Should have just shelled out the bits and taken it home. Would have given her such a discount. Seeing how you stayed behind to help me, well, you might just be up to the task.”

Wallflower found herself a bit flushed by the compliment. It might not have been much, but it was more than she had ever gotten from her own mother. “Thanks. I might take you up on that offer Miss…”

“Intoxicating Aroma,” said the old mare as she opened the box and started pulling out cards. “Oh, to the lads back in the day I was intoxicating. But now everypony just calls me Great Granny Aroma. Now then youg’en, get those hips moving and help me figure who your friends are! Might still be awake.” So, with a smile still on her face, Wallflower walked over so she stood next to Great Granny Aroma and looked down at the cards she had.

Wallflower yawned as she walked up the circling ramp which lead to the home of Star Hunter. While it still felt like the morning had just begun, the earth pony begrudged the amount of time it took to get here, even though she knew it wasn’t anypony’s fault. Great Granny Aroma had managed to find Hunter’s address, helped by the fact that she had large pictures of everypony’s cutie marks on her filing card to make looking for the addresses much faster. The problem was that while her directions were good even for a non-flier like herself, Wallflower found it easy to get lost since all of the homes were very far above her head. Well, that and she had gotten her directions mixed up when she got here.

She only hoped that they would still be up. From what she saw, many of the thestral homes had heavily curtained windows which had been pulled shut. No doubt this society, being nocturnal and all, had called it a day or whatever and was preparing to go to sleep. Something that Wallflower felt like doing herself.

When she had finally come to the desired door, Wallflower raised a hoof to knock on the door when she suddenly paused. Biting her lower lip, it suddenly occurred to her how weird this was going to be. Never mind asking people she had just met if she could stay with them for a while, but her just appearing like this might be…unsettling. Would they think she was some sort of craved stalker? That she had followed them here. Lowering her head, Wallflower feared that they might find this to be so freaky that they might distance themselves from her!

Lowering her hoof, Wallflower turned to walk away. Yes, it would be better if she asked them when she saw them on the streets if she could stay with them. If they said no, then she could tell them that it wasn’t a problem. That she was staying with another pony she had met. Wallflower then tilted her head realizing that there might be a problem. What if Great Granny was more than a little weird like watching Wallflower as she slept or going through her things? What if she cooked something that only thestrals could eat? At least Hunter lived with ponies from the other tribes so he should-

Wallflower’s thoughts were cut off when she heard something very faint coming from behind her, most likely from inside the house. Her ears twitched as she tried to figure out what she had heard. Could it have been a cry of…pain? Was somepony hurt? Or could it have been something else? Wallflower stared at the door with an uncertain expression on her muzzle. If something was wrong in there, there were at least two other ponies inside who would be able to help. Unless something was wrong with all three of them, they should have been making their way out of the house right?

Slowly and carefully, Wallflower moved closer towards the door where she then placed an ear on the wooden surface. She had hoped that she would have heard nothing, making her think that the noise she had heard was nothing more than her tired mind playing tricks on her. Then she could go back to the floral shop and get some much needed rest. Instead, she heard a ‘thwack, thwack’ sound from inside followed soon by another sound that didn’t sound quite right. Pulling her head back, Wallflower knew something was wrong. Without thinking, her hoof reached for the doorknob and turned it.

The door was unlocked, making Wallflower worry even more. As she slid into the shadowy kitchen, she began to image what had happened. That somepony with powerful, dark magic had knocked on the door prior and used its vile magic on the three inside before they could do anything. They were probably at the fiend’s mercy at this very moment somewhere else within the house. So, taking a deep breath and tasting something odd in the air, she began to move about quietly.

Heart beating faster than it had ever been in her life, she moved through the building while thinking about how she should do this. If it looked possible for her to help them, Wallflower would leap into action. Hopefully her sudden appearance would throw the villain off guard and together they might be able to defeat him. If it didn’t look possible she would make a beeline for the police and prey that they would take her seriously.

Very soon, Wallflower came across a door that was cracked open with light beaming out from it. She moved slowly towards it, noticing that there was something odd in the air. It smelt odd yet…familiar to her somehow. But before she could dwell on it for too long Wallflower heard another ‘thwack’ followed by a cry that sounded like it came from Moondancer. Doing her best to remain silent, Wallflower approached the door and looked through the crack.

What she saw was not what she had expected to see.

The room on the other side of the door was a bedroom, its furniture pushed to the side to make more room for the three figures. Lightning Dust was the first one she saw, sitting on her hind legs in a way that caused the green mare’s eyes to widen. Her legs were behind her back, all four limbs cuffed and bound together along with her wings. Attached to the end of her tail, for some reason, was a bell but for what reason she had no idea. Clamps had been attached to her pussy with threads at their ends that led to her legs in order to keep the mare’s private area exposed. Her mouth had been gagged with some sort of ball with holes in it that were dripping saliva. The mare was also collared like some sort of animal as well as having blinders on so that she had to look at what was going on in the middle of the room.

Another ‘thwack’ caught Wallflower’s attention, causing her to see more of the depravity before her. In the middle of the room were Hunter and Moondancer. The stallion stood there were a riding crop in his mouth as he circled Moondancer. The mare was bound in a way that Wallflower had never seen before. A pulley system had been put together from the ceiling that kept Moondancer suspended in the air by the cuffs on her forelegs. Her sweater was gone as well as the choker Wallflower had seen earlier, replaced with another collar along with a ring on the mare’s horn. Most likely a means to keep her from using her magic, making her helpless. She was ungagged which surprised Wallflower. One would have thought that she would be screaming for help in a situation like this!

There was a sudden motion that caught Wallflower’s attention, allowing her to see Hunter strike Moondancer’s rump. With her attention drawn there she saw that the unicorn had a large vibrator nestled within her own private area. It wiggled wildly as juices dripped from it only to pool on the floor below. Now Wallflower knew what that scent was and brought a hoof to her muzzle

“Good slave,” said Hunter as he took the crop out of his mouth. Wallflower found herself unable to move due to the shock only able to watch as he held the crop with one hoof before moving it between her legs. Her breath was caught in her lungs as she watched the stallion she had thought was good slowly grind it near the mare’s folds. “You’re holding out so much longer than you used to.”

“T-Thank y-you Master!” cried Moondancer as her head rolled back and her hips pushed in Hunter’s direction. The unicorn’s tongue began to hang out of her mouth and Wallflower could see the mad look in her eyes. It was like she was seeing something nopony else in the room could and it enraptured her. The juices began to flow more than ever, running down the crop which did not cease its movements.

“You’ve been so close for a while now,” continued Hunter. “But you must hold out a bit longer.” He then moved the crop away and, to Wallflower’s shock, licked the fluids off of it. “Wait until I fuck your holes in front of your naughty slave sister to show her what she missed out on. For her to watch as your body withers from the pleasure that I allow you to enjoy at my leisure. Then, only when my cum is running down your legs, will you receive permission to cum.”

“Yes!” cried Moondancer again, this time fidgeting a bit in her confinement. “Please Master; let this slave cum. Continue to use this slave’s body however Master wants! Use any hole for they belong to you. This slave is nothing but a sperm bank for Master’s use alone.”

Wallflower watched as Hunter moved behind Moondancer, briefly looking over to her pegasi friend. She could not see her eyes nor read any expression on her face. But what was shocking was that the mare was also aroused by what she was seeing. The evidence was there, leaking from that spot between her legs causing Wallflower to blush. It seemed like both of them were…enjoying this perversion! That they liked being treated in such a demeaning way!

Quickly she turned to look back at Hunter how had just finished applying something to his cock making it look slick. He stood on his two hind legs, holding her sides with his front ones to keep himself balanced as his member was poised to enter a place Wallflower knew it didn’t belong. “Now then, tell me how much you want this,” growled Hunter as he remained almost perfectly still. “Beg me to fuck your brains out before your slave sister. Let her know exactly what she will be missing.”

“Please,” moaned Moondancer, desperately trying to push her rump backwards in an almost frantic fashion. Wallflower watched this, a hoof moving to cover her mouth while Hunter moved his own hips back to keep his cock from entering her ass.

“Please what slave?” he hissed into her ear.

“Please Master fuck this slave with your cock!” the Moondancer all but shouted, her rump wiggling slightly as if to tempt him. “Ram it into your horny slave’s ass and fill it with your seed! Stretch your slave’s hole with your flare! Pound me in front of the unworthy one. Let me lick the cum off your cock when you’re finished with me.” That seemed to be good enough for Hunter as he moved forward, his cock penetrating Moondancer’s ponut and silencing her.

Wallflower felt her eyes widening as she watched it sink in deeper and deeper, unable to take her eyes off such an evil act. The unicorn mare’s body seemed to shake, both her lowers holes filled as her hooves gripping onto the restraints as much as she could. Her head was thrown back, her mane on the stallion’s shoulder as a throaty moan echoed within the room. She didn’t cry out for him to stop or that it hurt. No, instead she seemed to just surrender to what was happening to her. Accepting it with a smile that Wallflower could not believe would ever be on a mare’s face in this situation.

Then, once Hunter was all the way in, he began to pull back. The helpless mare trapped within her bounds continued to moan and cry out, but not to stop. Instead, the mare’s cries begged him to continue. Asking permission, PERMISSION, to cum as if he did not care about her at all. She did it all with a sloppy smile on her face that made the smart unicorn look stupid or that her brain was on vacation. Wallflower couldn’t believe the amount of control over her own body Moondancer was giving up to this…this monstrous stallion that the green mare had thought she could trust.

After several more thrusts, Wallflower watched as the degradation took a new level. Hunter paused in his motions, his front hooves reaching down to Moondancer’s lower legs to lift them up before spreading them. Wallflower could now see everything of Moondancer’s private area. The large dildo still wiggling and vibrating about like a snake trying to enter a hole, filling it while Hunter’s cock filled the back one. She could see the mare’s reddened teats, causing her to wonder what the stallion had done to them. Wallflower watched as Moondancer’s legs were twitching slightly and her stomach rose with each breath. The Sol mare knew she had to do something, to march in there and stop him from degrading those mares even more. But instead she remained where she was, wide eyed as the events before her played out.

“Watch,” said Hunter, pausing a moment to nip the neck of the bound unicorn and causing her to shutter. “Watch and know that you could have had this. I had planned on doing this to you both, to be bound from the ceiling with a double ended dildo connecting both of my pretty cock warmers. Perhaps a few other things I have lying around here.” Wallflower’s ears twitched as she heard Lightning let out a muffled whine. “So instead, you will watch every moment as I fill this slave’s ponut with my seed. Perhaps more than once with a more…up close view while your own arousal builds. Then if this tight cunt manages to please me enough I may be in a good enough mood to listen to you beg for the same. I suggest you begin thinking about what you plan to say.”

With that said, Hunter began to plow into Moondancer’s anal passage. His movements were that of a savage, his flesh smacking into Moondancer’s loudly as he sought to release his load into her. Each thrust caused the mare to bounce as he held her, continually forcing her to show her pussy to the other mare. A mare who was forced to watch everything.

As she watched this, a sickening image appeared in Wallflower’s head. An image of herself in Moondancer’s place. That she was the one bound and collared like some sort of animal, ass and pussy full as her head rested on the shoulder of the one taking her. That she was the one whose legs were spread so that all could see. Her heart leapt as she imagined not only Lighting but Moondancer as well watching her. Both similarly bound so that they had to watch her being taken, unable to look at anything. Their expression…envious? Yes, having them both watching her and wishing they could be in her place. Could there be more? Yes! More were there watching her in that moment from all sides. Figures sat alongside the walls of the room and peaking through the door like she was now! None of them could take their eyes off her as Hunter used her! Perhaps some of them were even allowed to pleasure themselves as they watched envious of what-

Wallflower suddenly snapped back to reality as Moondancer let out a whinny. As her vision became focused, she realized that one of her hooves had moved to…to touch herself! Quickly she brought it before her and looked down. Eyes widened as she saw that her hoof was laced with her own juices. It sickened her to realized what was going on. But, what was more sickening was that she knew she should have felt more sickened. That there was some part of her that was-

“NO!” screamed Wallflower, unwilling to even consider the thought. It just wasn’t possible. She was a member of the Sol Invictus. She was pure of mind, heart, and body. She was not a Lunatic who would even think of doing such vile things with anypony!

Slowly she looked up and, to her horror, saw that three set of eye were looking at her.

Author's Note

Special thanks to all of those who helped with the editing: Clocktower Society, Mani, Gavin, Marco Dams, Allstalr Malachal, and Javarod

The Bet

To say that there was a nervous tension in the room would be an understatement. At least that’s how it felt to Wallflower as she sat there at Hunter’s table on one side, the three ponies she thought were her friends on the other. It wasn’t just the gaze of resentment and betrayal that came from Lightning Dust that made Wallflower’s ears flatten against her skull. It wasn’t just the icy cold glare coming from Moondancer. Nor was it the expression of Hunter, who appeared to be trying his best to remain calm right now. Those things were unsettling enough. But what made this worse was what they were still wearing! Lightning still had those blinders on and both mares still wore those collars. Moondancer had removed both the vibrator from her pussy (which Wallflower was thankful for) as well as the anti-magic ring (which made her more nervous than thankful). Still, there was no removing the scent of her and Hunter’s activities, a reminder of what Wallflower had seen.

Not like she could forget it. The images of such lewd and vile behavior would forever be etched in Wallflower’s memory. The sheer vulgarity of what they were all doing behind closed doors, it simply baffled her mind. How could any pony do that to another pony? How twisted and broken could a mare be to willingly allow something like that to happen to them and enjoy it? What’s more, how could she have…touched herself like that? Wallflower had spent her entire life in the service of the Sol, hearing about all sorts of acts done by and to other ponies of the obscene. All sorts of humiliating and painful things. Yet never once had she felt the urge to touch herself like the way she had. Why was that?

Hunter’s sigh brought Wallflower out of her own mind for a moment. “Well,” he said while doing his best to look her in the eye. “I guess there’s no point in saying it’s not what it looked like or anything like that. It’s pretty clear what you saw.”

“Y-Yeah,” stammered Wallflower as she placed a hoof on the table before making tiny circles with it.

“I can’t believe you actually did that!” yelled Lightning as she slammed a hoof on the table, her hoof cuffs on full display as she did so. But Wallflower barely noticed as she wilted under Lightning’s fury. “I thought you were cool, but you broke into our home and spied on us! You did exactly the thing I thought you would!”

“I didn’t mean to,” whispered Wallflower, knowing how pathetic that sounded right now. At best she sounded like a filly who had knocked over a vase after galloping in the house. “I just…wanted to know I could spend more time with all of you. Perhaps ask if you had a spare room.”

“So you entered our home without permission?” demanded Moondancer, eyes narrowing as she did.

“I-I heard a noise and thought something had happened,” stammered Wallflower.

The uncomfortable feeling within her began to deepen as the other two mares did not let up their gaze nor did they say anything. As this feeling grew she realized that her own gaze was shifting as well as taking notice of the closed door not too far from her, just on the outskirts of her field of vision. A part of her wanted to bolt right here and now, to race out the door so she could get as far away from them right now as she could. Away from those angry looks. Yet she remained where she sat.

In the end, she knew it was useless. She knew her limitations as an earth pony. She might be a little stronger than any of the other ponies gathered at the table, but that meant very little against one who could use magic and two who could fly. She would be caught before she opened the door.

But more than that, Wallflower didn’t want to run away because despite seeing what she saw she still wanted to be their friend. She knew she shouldn’t want to, that these ponies were nothing more than ‘Lunatics’, that she should get out of here and expose them for being impure so that everypony around could see that as well. To judge them out in the open so they could no longer hide their vulgarity in the shadows. To do to them exactly what they feared she would do in a way that was supposed to help make them better ponies.

At the same time, these three were the first ponies she could remember outside of her immediate family who seemed to enjoy being with her. Noticing at she was alive. To actually give her comfort and support when she seemed down. Those were such wonderful feelings. So much so that it seemed impossible that ponies who had trotted down such an impure path would be capable of.

Wallflower wasn’t a betting mare…mainly because the Sol frowned upon gambling as well. But if it wasn’t frowned upon and if she did like to make the occasional bet, she wouldn’t put a bit on them wanting to be anywhere near her when that happened. When that happened, they would never want to be near her again. And then…she would be alone once more.

I know it's’ selfish, thought Wallflower as her head dipped down a bit more. Even though they pretended to be normal, I don’t want to lose them. But…I don’t know how! Once the rest of the Sol finds out we’ll do what we always do. It’s not like there’s another…

Wallflower’s eyes began to shine with understanding while a burst of energy seemed to explode within her. Within her mind dots were being connected by rainbow colored light as she remembered her earlier conversation as well as her own thoughts following it. Yes, this would solve all her problems! The Sol needed to change its approach and here was her first step into putting it into practice. Her friends needed guidance to understand what they were doing was wrong, not being ostracized for their vile conduct. She needed to help them understand that.

“It’s not too late to change your evil ways!” shouted Wallflower at the top of her lungs, head thrown up as she got on her hind legs. With her forelegs helping to support herself against the table she looked at the startled expressions before her. “All you have to do is give up this indecency and promise never to do it again! You have to know its wrong!” The three began to exchange glances while Wallflower felt her heart beginning to pick up speed. No doubt they would try to deny it for the hold of evil would not break that easy. But she would not give up for she knew she was in the right, that the ideals of the Sol were right.

“Ah…no,” said Hunter simply. It was oddly calmer than what Wallflower had expected. She had thought he’d give more of an angry denial or some show of force to kick her out. But Hunter and the mares just sort of sat there, like they were surprised and wanted to see where this was going.

Well, that was just fine with Wallflower. “Hunter. Moondancer. Lightning. What I saw was simple unclean cruelty that no being should ever do to another. I can’t just walk away and pretend I never saw any of it. But I don’t want to cause any trouble. So, please, let me help you get those dark thoughts and impulses out of your systems. We can talk about it while I’m here. Perhaps later I can help you find somepony who can better help you, anonymously. No one will ever have to know about what you did. Not the ponies of Hollow Shades. Not the ponies around here. And not the Sol.”

Seconds passed as Wallflower kept her gaze locked on the three as they looked at each other. There seemed to be a change within them. Lightning didn’t look any less pissed, but a bit more annoyed. The tide of Moondancer’s anger seemed to have ebbed a bit, her features relaxing. As for Hunter, his shoulders relaxed greatly while his breathing seemed to become easier, like a great deal of weight had lifted from him.

“That is very kind of you,” said Hunter eventually as he looked at her. There was a smile on his face that gave Wallflower hope that her words had reached him. That her kindness had reached passed the vile that had taken root within him. “I means a lot to me that you are willing to do this for us. To not tell anypony. It’s just that-”

“There’s nothing wrong with us,” finished Moondancer in a stern tone. “There’s nothing that needs to be ‘fixed’ or ‘changed’ or however else you might want to put it. We’re happy like this.”

“Moondancer, I can’t see how anypony could be happy like this,” pressed Wallflower with a measure of disbelief in her voice. Yet still she remained standing, holding her ground. “Both you and Lightning were completely denigrated, treated like property! And Hunter! You got them to call you master. Telling them they needed permission to, ah…” Wallflower felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she struggled to say the word cum aloud. It just felt so vulgar to say it herself. Eventually she gave up and settled on a different word. “Climax. You had them both bound, using a riding crop on them. It was just-”

“Amazing,” interrupted Lightning, rolling her eyes as she said it. “Seriously, its just really hot sex. No need to make a big deal out of nothing.”

“Out of…” sputtered Wallflower.

“Wallflower, I get that you are worried about what you saw and what you think was going on,” said Moondancer who briefly shot a pointed look at Lightning before turning her softer gaze at Wallflower. “And maybe you would have a point if both me and Lightning were taken by surprise tonight. But we consented to this without any pressure. We agreed to be dominated like this. Hunter agreed that if we don’t like something he can slow down or stop. We trust him, with all our hearts, to do this for us. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t put our bodies in his hooves.”

“But it’s wrong and-”

“Who said its wrong?!” demanded Lightning as she stood up at the table, matching Wallflower’s stance. Her eyes looked straight into Wallflower’s…mainly because she was still wearing that blinder. “Why is it wrong Wallflower? Explain to me without all that impure garbage that the Sol spews out like…like…I don’t know, something that spews out guck or something.” Wallflower stood there with her mouth slightly hanging open for several minutes, the words failing to reach her tongue. Lightning saw this, ears flattening against her skull as she smirked. “I bet you’ve never tried it before, have you?”

“WHAT?!?” yelled Wallflower as she stumbled back. She twirled on her hind legs, the room spinning around her for a brief moment before she managed to land on all fours. Yet even after all four hooves were safely on the floor Wallflower could still racing feel her heart racing. For reasons other than the near fall. “Of course I’ve never done anything like that before! I…I’ve never even…”

Lightning smirked at that as she climbed up and onto the table. Wallflower was now forced to look up at the pegasus as she stood there, wings extended to their full glory as thin beams of light entered the room. It might have looked awe inspiring like some war hero trying to rally the troops or something like that. Well if not for what she was still wearing or the context of the conversation.

“So let me get this straight,” said Lightning as she looked upon Wallflower. “You are judging us for something that you’ve never tried before, claiming it to be wrong just because. Seriously, you’ll have to do better than that.”

“I...,” began Wallflower, pausing to gulp as she gathered her strength. “I don’t need to try something to know its wrong.” As she spoke, Wallflower felt her heart rate increase.

“Oh?” asked Lightning as she jumped off the table. The floor creaked slightly as the turquoise hooves touched down onto the floor right in front of Wallflower. They were close now, so much so that Wallflower wanted to back away. But her hooves seemed to be frozen in place while Lightning inhaled deeply. “What’s this I smell? Were you turned on as you watched Moondancer having her ponut rammed by Hunter, all tied up and helpless? Did you pleasure yourself as you watched, hidden from sight even though you ‘knew’ it what we were doing was wrong? I bet that’s why you stayed there instead of running off into the daylight. You were so turned on that you couldn’t help yourself. So, how about you stay awhile and find out what it really feels like? The three of us could show you everything you’re missing. See if it still feels wrong after a couple of days.”

“Lightning!” said Hunter loudly, his voice ringing with such authority that it caused Lightning to instantly back away. Both mares turned to look in his direction, watching as the stallion stood and began to move towards them looking cross at the pegasus. “Don’t pressure her like that. Just like how it’s our choice to do this, it should be her choice not to.”

“Ah, come on Hunter,” said Lightning as she turned around, stomping a hoof as she did so. “She said it herself, she can’t understand how anypony could be happy like this! So why not help her to understand?”

More heat ran into Wallflower’s face, nearly changing the entire color of her fur in the process while Lightning continued to talk. These words had no real meaning to her at the moment as Wallflower was still doing her best to understand what Lightning had said. She wasn’t like that at all. She wasn’t some impure sex fiend or anything like that. She…She had just been taken by surprise, that’s all. She was just a virgin who had stumbled onto things that were only briefly discussed by the Sol in the most mechanical of terms. Seeing it with her own eyes, listening to their moans, and smelling their lust had just sneaked up on her. There was no way all that could feel good to a mare like her. Also, while it was… flattering that one to three ponies might want to have sex with some nopony like herself she just couldn’t see herself doing anything like that. Well outside of that one fantasy…

Don’t think about such things, thought Wallflower as she mentally shook her head. It’s wrong and you know it. Just focus on helping them realize it too. That’s where you’re head needs to be. But how do I do that? Looking around the room for a source of inspiration, Wallflower’s eyes quickly fell on some old books. Her mind quickly connected them to the pure Princess of Friendship, a figure who would surely know how to settle this. Perhaps the only one who could do it better would be the great Princess of the Sun Celestia. So, what would Princess Twilight say if she were here when two friends were in a disagreement? Maybe find a compromise or meet them halfway in the hopes of seeing your point?

Well, it was the only thing she had right now so why not. “Ok,” said Wallflower suddenly. Three sets of eyes turned to look at her. “I, ah, I’ll give it a try.”

“Really?!” asked Lightning with a wide grin.

Wallflower held up a hoof, thinking quickly on the spot as she did. “I said I’ll try it. For a time just to see if its as great as you claim it to be. But if it isn’t or if I can’t understand how anypony would be attracted to any of that then I want you all to promise that you’ll listen to what I have to say about this seriously and consider joining the Sol.”

There was the stomping of hoof on wood followed by the sound of a chair being pushed back. Now Moondancer was standing up, looking at Wallflower with a frown on her face. “There’s no way we would agree to that. You could just say ‘I don’t like this’ right when we get started.”

“And it’s not something you should just jump into like that,” added Hunter as he looked at Wallflower.

“Sorry,” said Wallflower. “I’m just sort of making all this up as I go along. I have no idea how I’m supposed to handle this without talking to the rest of the Sol.” She paused to take a breath. “But…I think that if I’m not willing to take what you are all saying seriously then how are you supposed to take me seriously.”

Hunter said nothing for a while, just looking at Wallflower as if he were examining her or something. Slowly he turned to look over at Lightning who nodded vigorously with a big grin on her face. When he did the same with Moondancer, her response was a bit more reserved. Slowly she got back into a sitting position with a single hoof under her chin. After a moment or two of thinking the mare adjusted her glasses before giving a slow nod. Hunter nodded back before turning to look at Wallflower.

“Ok then,” he said with a sigh. “We’ll do this. But we’re going to go slow and not throw you in some of the more extreme experiences right away.” He then let out another sigh before looking at the shut shutters where beams of light were shining into the room brighter than before. Behind him, Moondancer let out a yawn. “It’s getting to be too late and I don’t think most of us are in the mood to keep going. How about we all get some sleep and meet back here at sunrise tomorrow? That should give all of us time to reconsider if any of us are getting cold hooves. Also it’ll give you time to consider what you want out of this and what’s not on the table.”

Wallflower tilted her head at this. “You mean, I can say no to things?” she asked as a wave of relief washed over her. Mostly because she was glad they weren’t doing anything crazy tonight. Or, as the sun was out now, today.

“Of course,” replied Hunter with a nod. Behind him, Lightning and Moondancer were also nodding. “Everything we do is based on consent. If you don’t want to do something I certainly won’t force you. We might suggest you try something, but in the end the choice is yours. I just need to know right off the bat what you now what you would feel is uncomfortable.”

Just about everything, thought Wallflower with a slight wince. But I am trying to go at least half way so I can’t say that. I’ll just think of a few things I definitely don’t want to do. Doesn’t really matter I guess. I just need to show them I’m giving this my all, honestly tell them I didn’t enjoy it at all, and then convince them that the Sol knows best!

“Well that could have been worse,” said Lightning after the door closed behind her. As she turned around there was a slight spring in her step. And how could there not be? She was about to get the chance to help show a sexy, sheltered virgin a good time. A mare who she thought she had no chance with just a few hours prior! Not to mention the bonus that the Sol wouldn’t find out about them. So, as far as she was concerned, things were looking better than she thought they would.

When she looked at her herdmates, the smile she had faltered. It seemed that neither of them shared her optimism. Hunter had moved back to his seat, slightly bent over and letting out a loud sigh. There was a frown on his face as he stared at the table, his leathery wings hanging almost limply at his sides. As for four eyes, she looked more annoyed than anything else. One hoof was lightly tapping at the table as she stared at Lightning with a deeper frown.

“Could have been worse?” echoed Moondancer, pausing for a moment to rub the sleep out of her eyes. “Let’s face it, Lightning. We just got super lucky that she didn’t bolt right out the door the moment she saw us and hopped on a train to who knows where! If she had those crazies would have been all over us! Hunter could have lost his contract and never sold another book outside of town again!” The nerdy mare then placed both hooves on either side of her head, slowly shaking it back and forth. “Oh Luna. We never should have had a session while a member of the Sol was in town.”

Lightning rolled her eyes at this. “If you’re so worried about this, why didn’t you use some magic spell or something to make her forget?” she demanded as she moved over to the table. Before Moondancer could even lift her head to look at the speedy mare, Lightning had brought her hoof to the other mare’s horn and gave it a swift flick. “I mean, you could do it right? You have to know like a bajillion spells!”

“First of all, I don’t know a bajillion spells,” replied Moondancer, a hoof rubbing the side of her horn that was flicked. “Second of all, mental spells are very dangerous and there are hundreds if not thousands of ways they can go wrong! If you’re not careful you can wind up pulling out the wrong memory or doing an incomplete job creating fractured memories which can lead to a mental breakdown. I once read about this one filly who tried to erase the memory her brother had of her eating the last cookie and it didn’t end well.”

Lightning tilted her head. “What happened?”

Moondancer looked up, a beyond serious expression on her face. “She used too much magic and wasn’t very skilled, turning her brother into a blank slate. Every memory and experience he had was lost, never to be recovered again. He even lost his cutie mark.” Moondancer then shook her head. “Dozens of unicorns in Canterlot tried their best to undo the damage before going to see Princess Celestia. However there was nothing anypony could do for the colt. His memories weren’t suppressed or removed and placed somewhere else. They were completely destroyed! In the end, that colt had to relearn everything but his own past experiences were lost forever. Memories with his friends, time spent his parents, and so much more could never be brought back.

“Besides, even if I were to use the spell properly, it wouldn’t guarantee that all of our problems would be solved. There are spells out there that can detect if your memory has been altered. Or residual memories can pop up, completely restoring the full memory over time. The more a pony examines or thinks about it, the faster the real memory will come back. That or the pony will have a nervous breakdown.”

Moondancer paused to take a breath. “Now there have been reports of certain magical artifacts that could have been able to successfully remove memories without any of the potential negative side effects. Its just that nopony can really remember them. But the Research Laboratory has been trying to create, or recreate, something similar for groups that like mind manipulation kinks or just a far more realistic scenario. If we do get it working it’ll be for really deep activities. The kind you need a crystal bell for.”

“Oh,” was all Lightning could say as she looked around the room nervously. She tried her best to smile in a carefree manner yet she knew that it wasn’t her best. It felt off on her face.

“Let’s,” began Hunter as he stood up. He looked at the two mares with an expression Lightning had seen many times before. It was the look of somepony trying to look brave. Lightning had seen it ever since she was a foal, watching other loud mouth foals as they tried to do a dangerous stunt for the first time. She could always see that small glint of fear in their eyes as well as the twitch on the lips. It was all a front either to make himself feel better or for their sake. She didn’t question it and if Moondancer noticed it either, she said nothing. Both mares just looked at their Dom as he cleared his throat. “Lets just get some sleep. We’ll figure this all out tomorrow night.” Neither Moondancer or Lightning said anything against this, removing the remaining equipment from their bodies before heading back into the bedroom to put everything away before hitting the hay.

Wallflower awoke the next moonrise to the sound of the old alarm clock which rested on the table next to her bed. Groggily she opened her eyes for sleep had been more elusive than normal. All throughout the day she twisted and turned underneath the hoof stitched quilt that Granny Aroma had provided to her, head spinning with the deal she had made. More than once she had gotten up to pace the room, moving past the small table the guest room provided and almost tripping on the dark red rug that covered most of the wooden paneled floor. As she did so, Wallflower breathed in deeply smelling the lingering scent of pine as well as the many floral scents created below her hooves.

When sleep did finally come for her it offered no true relief. Her dreams were full of the lewd and frightening horrible things that she had been unaware that her imagination could ever produce. As Wallflower looked at herself in the mirror, ignoring the baggy eyelids, one of the more prominent dreams resurfaced.

Wallflower found herself deep underground along with many other mares standing in a long row as far as she could see. All of them were facing the wall for the bridles with bits in their mouths were connected to chains that seemed to be fused into the walls. The green earth mare could feel more chains wrapped around each of her legs, keeping her from moving too much. Looking down she saw that those chains were also fused into the rocky caverns floor as well along with straw used for crude bedding. She could feel her tail was lifted up as far as it could so that her private areas were exposed and unguarded.

It wasn’t just mares that were down here. Out of the corner of her eye, Wallflower could see Diamond Dogs patrolling behind them, carrying torches to light their way with one paw as the other carried a spear of sword. More than once, one of the beasts would become excited jerking off onto one of the mares and coating their coats with their white fluids before using their manes to clean off their vile cocks. None of them seemed to do that to Wallflower, something that she felt like she should be grateful for. Yet…it stung her somehow. Like she wasn’t good enough. Why did she feel that way?

Hoofsteps now echoed through the halls, causing Wallflower’s ears to perk. Ponies were here! Help was here! She and the others would be free soon. She along with many other mares turned their heads back and forth looking for the sound. Eventually Wallflower saw three ponies, a stallion with two mares by his side, being escorted by one of the Diamond Dogs. The stallion was a brown thestral that seemed familiar yet could not place. Both of the mares with him had their heads lowered slightly as they walked behind him. As their neared, Wallflower could see that leashes were attached to collars around their necks granting her a feeling of foreboding.

“You see Lord Hunter,” said the Diamond Dog as he waved a paw at the mares. “Lots of goodies for auction today. Plenty to choose from. But if these ponies don’t meet your tastes we have many others in tunnels down below. I hear Equestria is getting a little savanna fever. Why not get yourself a zebra? Or one that was just fished from the sea: a hippogriff. Maybe a bit of danger training a griffon?”

“Yes, thank you Fiddo,” said Lord Hunter in a dismissive tone as they neared Wallflower. Trembling, she watched as he eyed the mare’s rumps like her mother would eye tomatoes at the market. Then suddenly they stopped outside for her limited scope of vision and her being unable to move her head around. “Well now, isn’t this a nice treat.”

Wallflower gasped as a pair of hooves gasped at her flank. Her eyes widened as she felt his breath along her slit and the tips of his wings feeling her up. What’s more she felt more hooves touching her. Hooves that felt like they belong to a mare before their lips pressed against her cutie mark. Wallflower’s front legs gave out causing her flank to be raised even higher, closing her eyes as the stallion’s wings moved to touch her teats.

“This one,” said Lord Hunter, his breath being felt against her ponut now. “She is showing promise.”

“No, no,” said Fiddo quickly. As he spoke, his voice began to morph. What had once been the gruff voice of an alpha male became mixed with the voice of Pearly White. “You don’t want this lonely little thing. A stallion in your position needs only the finest pretties there are. Ones that are already sparkling and shiny. Much better than this piece of dirt.” The words stung in Wallflower’s heart so much that her eyes opened, allowing tears to flow. Now she could see the mare next to her, looking down at her with a smile on her lips despite the bridle. There was a look in her eye that was not cruel or heartless, perhaps envy?

“I beg to differ,” responded Lord Hunter right before his tongue ran upwards, starting at the bottom of her pussy and moving up to taste her ponut. The sensation was so great that Wallflower’s hooves scraped the bottom of the cave while a whinny escaped her mouth. Thoughts became sluggish while feelings became dominant. The touch of feathers around her teats and a hoof touching her mane. It all felt so amazing, so personal. The attention was like nothing she had ever felt before.

Then Wallflower felt Lord Hunter pull away as did the other two mares. Panic swept over the green mare as she laid there letting out a pathetic whimper. She didn’t want them to go. She wanted them to continue!

“Make sure she is first in the auction,” commanded Lord Hunter his voice moving father away. “I wish to make use of her as soon as possible.”

“Surely, my lord, you’ll stay for the rest of the auction,” continued Fiddo, sounding more and more like Pearly. “So many better slaves than this one for you to choose from. Better quality all on display. Miss this you should not.”

“Do not make me repeat myself,” was that last Wallflower heard before they went out of ear shot.

Slowly, Wallflower got to her hooves while panting. She then blinked to find herself moving down the hallway, the chain in front of her being held by a massive Diamond Dog that looked strong enough to fight a young dragon! What was going on? Briefly she looked about only to see that on both sides of her were rows of flanks sticking out in her direction. Every color from every species of pony, zebra, griffon, and so forth could be seen on display as they walked towards a bright light.

Another blink of the eye found Wallflower on a stage, very different from where she had been. The wooden floors and crimson curtains reminded her of the stages she had heard about from the few ponies that ever visited her hometown. As she was led across it by the same Diamond Dog, Wallflower looked at the audience to see a sight that made her heart stop. All of the ponies there were nothing more than silhouettes, dark masses with their only real visible feature being glowing white eyes that were fixated on her! As she walked Wallflower could hear them muttering about, perhaps, her.

Wallflower did not have long to dwell upon this for the chain that held her was yanked hard very suddenly. As the mare lost her balance and footing, the Diamond Dog picked her up by her hind legs so that her face was buried in his crotch area. She only had time to take a single breath before she was thrusted into some kind of restraining device which instantly locked around her frame. This device looked like it was made of old, rusty metal wrapped firmly around her hind legs while keeping them spread apart as she hung upside down. As she swayed a foot or two from the ground in a vain attempt to force herself free more shackles here placed on her front hooves to keep her in place. Once more her tail was moved out of the way, another Diamond Dog bringing his paws to her pussy to spread those lips. When it was all done the mare was completely exposed and completely helpless. Everypony there could see everything about her.

Then, to her shock, the figures in the crowd began to take focus. They were the ponies from her hometown! Ponies she had known her whole life, ponies that had mostly ignored her during that time, were all looking at her with their glowing white eyes. Another Diamond Dog was talking, waving around a large dildo as he did so. Sometimes, as he spoke, the dildo would brush her folds earning a gasp from the mare. Yet Wallflower could no longer hear the words over the beating of her own heart. Something was going on with her own body that made it feel alien to her. A pressure was building inside of her as the eyes continued to bore into her. Barely she noticed Lord Hunter standing up, looking directly at her, followed by the gasping of the crowd. Wallflower could feel a dopey smile appear on her face as her hind legs began to twitch. Then something exploded inside of her as she came-

Shaking her head in an effort to forget the rest of the vile dream, Wallflower headed downstairs where Granny Aroma waited for her. Much to her surprise, the shop was open despite the sun’s light still shining its orange glow through the windows. The ancient mare sat at the counter, eating a bowl of oatmeal with another one set right next to it.

“Eat up missy,” said the elder mare. “Going to be a busy night for us, just you wait.” Wallflower nodded as she moved besides the mare. As she took the spoon in her hoof, Granny stared at her while also adjusting her glasses. “Well don’t you look like you’ve been dragged through the mud. Busy day? Hmm?”

“No,” said Wallflower with a sigh. Looking out the window she found herself just in time to spot a familiar face. It was Lightning Dust, galloping past her window with a baseball cap on her head. Sweat was gleaming off her coat as she paused to trot in place, her voice yelling out loud to bark orders at somepony else. Or rather someponies. Moments later several other thestrals came into view, all of them looking slightly overweight and drenched in sweat. But that was all she saw before lowered her head. Right now, Wallflower didn’t want to look at her friend. Not with the memories of what she had seen last night. “I…just had a hard time getting to sleep.”

“Well we can’t have that now, can we?” replied Granny. “I’ll make sure you get some rest young’en. You’ll need all the energy you can get for old Hearts and Hooves.” A sly smile crossed her lips. “And I might have just the plants to help you out there missy. A nice mixture of jasmine and lavender. I’ll bring them up to your room so you can be all rested up for some fun when the sun goes up!” As the old mare let out a laugh, Wallflower forced herself to smile without saying a word. If only this mare knew what she was doing for her cause.

The rest of the early night followed without incident. Wallflower’s duties were not that different from when she tended her own garden back at home. She watered the plants that needed it, gave extra soil here or there, and made sure that the place looked presentable for the ponies that entered. One thing that Wallflower was on edge about where the thestrals who came in to make their purchases, fearing they would ignore her like they had on the street. While her fears were well grounded, nothing like that came to pass. Most of their customers eyed her with suspicion, no doubt fearful that she would try to sell them on the idea of the Sol while they bought their plants. But when they saw that Wallflower was just there to help them find what they were looking for and to help ring them up, they relaxed somewhat. While none of them tried to talk to her in a manner like they had when she arrived in Hollow Shades or even to make small talk, it was nice not to be ignored again. There were a few odder duties that confused her however. For example there were plants that had special needs like the Cobra Lily, a flower with four petals that ended in thin spikes that curled upwards to give the appearance of fangs. Whenever she passed it in its tiny pot, the flower would hiss at her or try to snap at the air in her direction. It was a frightening thing, making Wallflower question the sanity of anypony who would want such a thing in their house!

Granny had just laughed at that. “Shows what you know missy,” she said as she approached the nipping plant. Wallflower watched as she produced a bloody piece of meat in her hoof before gently tossing it to the Cobra Lily. Once it was close enough the plant snatched it in the air and proceeded to consume it at a frightening rate. Then, when it was done, the petals opened up wide and a wonderful aroma filled the air. It was completely foreign to Wallflower yet brought out memories of fruit vendors from tropical lands who had visited her town.

“The Cobra Lily is a very interesting plant,” explained Granny Aroma as they stared at the flower together. “Now it may seem scary at first, but it's more bite than anything. Not at all poisonous, but if it gets those fang into you WATCH OUT! It’ll latch into the skin until it either consumes you or its dead. Since it only eats smaller creatures and is so easy to pull out of the ground a filly could do it, most that’ll happen is just some minor pain. But once you know how to handle it it’s not that bad.”

“Amazing,” breathed Wallflower. Then she looked over at the mare standing beside her, noticing for the first time the many puncture wounds on her leg. Wounds she most likely received from the plant from when she flirted with something so dangerous and vile. “But it doesn’t seem like a nice scent is worth all the trouble. Not when there are some many less scary plants out there that look nice and don’t bite.”

Granny gave out a short laugh at that. “You shouldn’t dismiss something you don’t understand. Take this here Cobra Lily. Now it looks scary and might hurt you a smidgen, when it's well taken care of its petals can be used to cure a whole number of things! Mostly poisons and venoms. I got myself a nice field of them and when their ready, these biting cuties are sent to all the local hospitals.”

Wallflower blinked at that. Turning her head, she looked at the plant as it just sat there. “But…aren’t there other less…” Words seemed to fail the mare as she stared at the plant. It looked evil and wrong. Yet it helped ponies as well as many other races.

“Naturally there are other methods of dealing with such things,” said the older mare as she placed a hoof gently on the back of Wallflower. “Like, for example, there are unicorns out there who might have cutie marks in removing them toxins out of the body. But those are rare and not everypony likes them. Heard of ponies thinking it ain’t natural for magic to be going into the body like that. Then going as far as to call anypony who is willing to do that crazy.” Granny Aroma then shook her head slowly. “So foolish when you think about it. Calling something evil just because they don’t understand it. Well, not everypony has access to a unicorn who can do something like that so most ponies around these parts settle for these plants. Not that I mind a smidgen since I get paid for them.”

Wallflower looked from the plant to Granny Aroma and then back to the plant. She had heard of plants that had all sorts of great medical purposes, but none like the Cobra Lily could be found in the hoof written tomes of her hometown. Was it because the writers didn’t know about it? Or was it because they thought it was evil looking and never gave it a chance? Maybe, even worse, they knew about what it could do but thought that something so evil looking was too unnatural to be used. That it might cure you of the poison but corrupted you from the inside. That did sound like something that a member of the Sol would believe, much to her shame.

What’s more, Wallflower thought about what Granny Aroma had just said. She had heard of ponies who did talk like that. There was this one mare who lived on the edge of Mareville who disliked having doctors use anything other than magic to examine her, saying she couldn’t trust those new devices. That all the other ponies in town were crazy for moving away from the tried and true method of doing this. Was…she and the other ponies in the Sol just like that mare? Wallflower didn’t ponder too long for she quickly shook her head to banish such a thought. No, they weren’t like that. They had research on their side. They knew what was wrong and wicked.

Before Wallflower could ponder any longer, a bat fluttered into the building through an open window. Tied to its back was a scroll which it presented to Granny Aroma as it landed on the table in front of her, turning around before remaining completely still.

“Thank you deary,” said Granny once the note had been removed. The bat let out a squeak before flying up, kissing her on the cheek, and flying away. With a soft smile Granny Aroma opened the note and began to read it. “Hmm, delivery. Lets see if we have any in the back.” With that, the old mare walked into the back of the store.

A heartbeat later, the door to the shop opened revealing the stallion that Wallflower was a bit nervous to see right now: Hunter. he too looked a bit out of sorts as he approached her. It was a little odd since she had seen him so commanding before. Not to mention her dream…

“Hey,” he said softly, scratching the back of his mane as she did so. “Lightning said she saw you here. I thought we should talk before tonight.”

“Oh,” said Wallflower as she briefly looked away. Already she could feel her heart rate increase.

“I just wanted to tell you,” began Hunter before pausing to take a deep breath. When he finished, there was a more confident look in his eyes before speaking again. “That you don’t have to do this if you really don’t want to. If you want we can just pretend like last day never happened and go on with our lives.”

“I,” began Wallflower as two conflicting emotions appeared within at the same time. Relief that she might have a way out of this and…disappointment? What was wrong with her? It had to be that dream, some lingering something from her failed sleep to get her to feel like that! No, she had to get all that out of her head and focus on what mattered. She was doing this to help them see the truth. She would give this a try, tell them truthfully she didn’t like it, and then she would try to convince them to leave their vile path! “Thank you for saying that, but I was the one who made the bet with you. So I’m going to do this.”

Hunter watched her for what seemed like several minutes, staring at her face as if to search for some hint she was lying. The mare felt her body shrink under that gaze. For some reason she felt much like a foal who had just told a lie with Hunter being her father.

Finally Hunter let out a sigh. “Alright then,” he said. “Just remember that you can back out of this at any time you want. Nopony is going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” As he said that, he brought a hoof to his chin while his eyes brightened a bit. “Which reminds me. Is there anything off limits or anything you would like to try?”

Now that caused Wallflower to tilt her head in confusion. “Off limits?” she echoed. Honestly, she thought that she would be nothing more than a plaything for a short amount of time. That he would torture her in many sexual ways or do bizarre things to her. So it was a little shocking to see him nodding.

“I would never do anything that you wouldn’t consent to,” he explained. “Like, for example, you refuse to do anal. Or you don’t want to be bound in a certain way. If you’re sure you don’t want that then they are off the table. If there are things you want to try, like say a fantasy scenario, we can more than likely set up something. Other than that, we can try various things going slowly to see how you react.”

Wallflower blinked at that, surprised at what he just said. If she was more suspicious, she might think that this was some sort of evil plan they had to get her to loosen her guard. Maybe tell her all this just so that she would come, capturing her and brainwashing her to become just as wicked. Only she knew that wasn’t true. She had been the one to propose this after all and Hunter did just give her an out. He was just being strangely thoughtful for a Lunatic. In an odd way, it was like how she decided to plant her gardens. Deciding what plants she did and didn’t want while trying to picture the ones she did want planted. Only this was going to be done to her, to her body! Also, did she have a fantasy? She had never actually thought about stuff like that on her own.

“Thanks,” she said as Granny Aroma entered the room with a potted plant. “I’ll think about it.”

Beginning to Understand

Wallflower’s face burned as she slowly trotted down Natalus Street making a delivery for Granny Aroma, keeping her eyes down as much as possible as she went. The reason for this wasn’t what she had been hauling in the small, two wheeled wagon owned by the ancient mare’s shop. Rather it was the street itself which was the cause of Wallflower’s embarrassment. On either side of her were tall, two to three story homes made of dark wood with upward curving roofs that had tall spires in the middle of each. Each of these buildings stood a good distance apart from each other, some with their shutters closed, others with them open, a red glow spilling from them onto the street. One or more thestral mares standing outside peering up and down the street, while the scent of perfume lingered in the air around each house almost like a mist.

For a short while, Wallflower had managed to convince herself that nothing was wrong. That this area housed the thestral elite or something. It made sense to her since the buildings here were larger than the tree houses above, with plenty of space between them for luscious lawns. But with each step she took, it slowly became clear how wrong Wallflower was. From the houses whose shutters were closed, she could still hear wild moans as well as other loud cries. Things like ‘harder’, ‘give it to me baby’, ‘fuck, fuck, fuck’, reached her ears as she passed them homes. The mares looking down from the windows whistled at her, asking if she wanted to come in for a good time. There were even mares on the street, standing by the front doors in small herds of three or four with their tails raised up so high that Wallflower could easily see their vaginal holes and ponuts. Their cutie marks, by Celestia and all that was pure in this world, their cutie marks! One clearly showed a stallion’s dick shooting out three white water droplets while another was a heart with the symbols for male and female inside. More than once, Wallflower would see stallions like the ones who had come on the train with her approaching these mares. Most looked nervous, stumbling over their words as they tried to ask random things earning annoyed looks from the mares. Only one strode up to one of these mares, hoofing over a large bag of bits before being escorted into one of the buildings.

That’s when Wallflower could no longer deny where she was: a red light district. She had heard about places like these from the Sol her whole life. A place where innocent mares were lured into with the promise of making a quick bit, their minds and hearts quickly corrupted. Where relationships were destroyed as the siren’s song lured good husbands and coltfriends to their ruination! Only, Wallflower had always heard that places like this were well hidden within massive cities in order to keep prostitution away from the eyes of the law. To see it out in the open so…brazenly was enough to turn her world upside down. But then again, the mayor of Hollow Shades had told her that prostitution was legal here. She just never assumed they would be so open about it.

A part of Wallflower was tempted to do what the Sol would normally do in this situation. To gather a group of their followers and publicly shame those who were straying from the path of purity. Yet Wallflower just lightly bit her lower lip as she pushed forward moving past that thought in the process. If she wanted to make the Sol better than it was right now, to get the thestrals onboard with joining them, she had to show them that they weren’t bullies. Or, at the very least, show it to Hunter, Moondancer, and Lightning Dust. Not to mention that Granny Aroma was letting her stay at her place in exchange for working at the shop. That would most likely end if she started causing a commotion in the streets, scaring away customers.

So as Wallflower watched small rocks move past her, she began to consider a better way to handle this situation. Perhaps... maybe she could try talking to them? If they had become tail raisers in order to support themselves then surely she could help them find a better way. Maybe she could try contacting some of the other members of the Sol in other cities to see if there were any job agencies out in their neck of the woods. Or she could try sending a letter to the princesses, explaining the situation here and giving them a list of mares who wanted to improve their lifestyles. A small smile appeared on Wallflower’s lips as she thought about this. Yeah, that sounded so much better than what the Sol normally did. Perhaps those mares would consider joining so they could help other mares who were in horrible situations as well. Or, if not, they could just move on happy with their new lives. Maybe telling friends about what the Sol did for them from time to time.

Neon lights caught Wallflower’s attention as she passed another building with its shutters closed. Looking up ahead of her, the green mare saw a large red sign sticking out above the street which had a mare standing upright with one of her hooves around a pole. At first Wallflower didn’t understand this, but as she began to pass the two story building it began to click. Unlike the previous building behind her, the first floor walls looked like they were all made of black tinted glass with more neon signs and posters attached to them. Most of the neon lights were twisted into words that read ‘MARES, MARES, MARES’, ‘XXX’, and ‘Sweet Apple Acres Reserve’. It was when she saw one of the posters that it all began to click for Wallflower. The picture was of a young thestral mare wearing black heart shaped panties and stockings in the middle of a circular stage with her hoof wrapped around a metal pole coming out of the middle. Stallions and even a few mares looked like they were cheering this thestral on as she gave the photographer, and by extension Wallflower, a smoldering look while licking her tiny fangs.

Face burning even more now, Wallflower began to move her little wagon faster to move past the strip club. About halfway a sudden noise caught her attention and, before she could stop herself, Wallflower looked up. What had happened was the large double doors had opened, showing a brief glimpse of the inside as loud music blasted out. For a moment, Wallflower saw several dark tables and chairs positioned around a stage where the only light seemed to be coming from. Dozens of stallions were gathered around the stage’s edge seemingly from all sides, eyes fixed on the mare who was rolling her flank in front of one of the guests with her tail raised high. Then the door closed, returning the area around to its dark silence.

Wallflower didn’t realize that she had stopped dead in her tracks, however. Her eyes glued to the closed, unguarded doors while her face flushed even darker. She had naturally heard of places like these before from the Sol yet had no idea why such a place was even popular. After all, she lived in a world where most mares walked around naked. Clothing like her sweater was considered optional or used to show status like the unicorns in Canterlot. So how could wearing such skimpy material made one more appealing? Wallflower didn’t have an answer for that, not back when she first heard about them or now when she had seen one of them for the first time. Yet that sight captivated her for reasons she could not quite place.

Wallflower found herself on a small, circular stage only large enough for her to take three steps in any given direction. All around her was darkness, with the only light seeming to come from the floor beneath her hooves. Because of this everything else was lost to the shadows. Looking around her she could just make out shapes. The shapes of ponies all around her! Most of them were sitting in chairs with high backs reminding her of thrones, their heads facing her without moving. A small few were milling this way and that, but it was far too dark for Wallflower to make out anything more.

Loud music began to play from somewhere above her head, causing her body to sway seductively back and forth all on its own. Wallflower knew she should have been scared by this, but she could feel herself smiling as she slowly lowered her barrel towards the ground. She could feel her tail swishing back and forth, giving those behind her the briefest glimpse of what she had to offer. Faintly she could hear movement behind her, maybe stallions leaning closer or getting out of their seat to get a closer look. A look at HER! Rather than feeling embarrassed by this and stopping herself, Wallflower felt her heart racing as she picked up the pace slightly as if to continue giving them a better view.

When Wallflower’s body touched the stage floor, she spun around and twisted in a way she had never been able to do before so that now she was on her back and her hind legs spread wide. Like this, the green mare could see her body proper for the first time. Looking down her barrel, she saw that she was not wearing her normal sweater but instead white silk stockings on all four legs. There was a pattern on them that looked like hearts with a lock in the middle of each, but what it meant she had no idea. She was also wearing matching panties which concealed her breeding hole and ponut from the ground. As she looked between her spread legs, Wallflower saw that the shadowy figures around her were leaning forward. A few of them even leaving their thrones in order to trot closer to the stage as a dampness crept over her panties. Yet even as a group formed before her, Wallflower still could not make out who these ponies were.

But did it really matter?

Licking her lips, Wallflower twisted her body around so that she was back on her barrel facing these figures. She then began to crawl towards them, flank slightly elevated and tail raised. They were still looking at her, their faces never moving away from her. The tempo of the music was getting faster as if to match her own excitement at this moment. Wallflower felt her shoulder rolling as she crawled, no longer caring about how or why she was here or even how she knew how to do all this. All that mattered was getting close to these ponies who were watching her.

When she was close to the edge, Wallflower reached out a hoof towards the closest figure…only to have her hoof bounce back. Looking up in alarm she saw the air rippling where she had touched. Was it magic of some kind? Was she nothing more than a bird in a cage, a plaything to dance for these stallions enjoyment?

Why did that thought make her feel so…so happy? Wallflower suddenly got back onto her hoofs and trotted over to a pole in the middle of the floor that hadn’t been there before. Like the dancer she had seen in the poster, she wrapped her hoof around the cool metal before spinning around. A truly happy smile appeared on her face as she let go of all her worries, all her anxieties and just danced for these stallions. Whoever had done this to her had picked her out of all the other mares. Had seen her, wanted her before Pearly White or anypony else. This pony had dressed her up to look pretty before putting her on display for all these others. She had no idea how she knew it was just one, but it felt so right to believe that. This pony was her-

Wallflower gasped aloud as she broke from her daydream. Or, would it be called a nightdream here in Hollow Shades? Wait, why was she worrying about something like that when there was something wrong with her?! How could she think that being made an object was a good thing? Or even dancing and wearing something like that in front of ponies she had never even met before?! Where had that scene even come from?!

For the next several moments, Wallflower stood there pondering with her eyes glued to the ground. Could it have been that dream she had? The one where she was a slave to the Diamond Dogs, having Hunter pick her out of all the rest? Or…Or maybe it was that fantasy she had at Hunter’s place. The one where she was the one getting fucked while the others watched her. Maybe even the fantasy she had when she first arrived in this town had something to do with it, sucking that stallion’s cock while his marefriend watched. Oh by everything holy within the Sol, was it this place? She had had thoughts and dreams of being wanted before but none of them were like this. Was this place with its open sexuality corrupting her?

A slight fear grew in the pit of her stomach as Wallflower began to move again. What was alarming her the most was how little she was afraid of this corruption. Was she so far gone already that she was welcoming it? Judging by the slight trickle of mare juice running down her leg, she just might be.

Wallflower finally found herself at her destination, having needed to go up and down Natalus Street several times before she found herself at the right dwelling. Located three buildings away from the adult shop (a location that Wallflower found herself gawking at), it stood as imposing as the others where the prostitutes hung around. Thankfully there were none of those mares hanging around the door or looking out the windows as it would have made all of this more nerve wracking. With shaking hooves, Wallflower unhitched herself before walking over to the door and knocking.

“Coming~,” came a lovely, sing-song voice from the other side. A moment later the door opened, revealing a thestral mare. Her coat looked almost pure black with a mane that matched it perfectly with two white stripes running through it. Despite reminding Wallflower of a skunk, her smile was very friendly and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked excitedly at the green mare. There was also just enough light for Wallflower to make out her cutie mark: three white musical notes with a star for the note head.

“Uh, hi,” said Wallflower as the mare looked at her, head tilted slightly but still grinning. She didn’t seem like all the mares Wallflower had noticed on this street. “I’m making a delivery for Granny Aroma.”

“Thank Luna!” cried the mare as she zipped over to the wagon. By the time Wallflower turned around, the mare was already holding up the flower within its pot. Wallflower found herself smiling at this for she was just as excited about this plant as the customer, having only read about it back home and glad to see it for the first time with her own two eyes: Waterfall Lilies! In the moonlight, Wallflower could make out its ocean blue petals as well as hearing a constant stream of water flowing down like a waterfall. She knew from her personal studies that these plants only grow in areas rich in fresh water, constantly sucking up the water and letting all the excess spill out from the petals.

“So soothing,” cooed the mare as she brought the plant close to her tufted ear, listening with closed eyes to the sound of the running water. “This is just what I needed to create a more calming environment. Put all my darling little clients at ease.” She then turned to look at Wallflower. “Please, come in while I get your pay.” Without waiting for an answer, the mare placed the potted plant on her back before moving into the house. Not wanting to stay out in the streets alone, Wallflower followed her.

Stepping inside, the area reminded Wallflower of her grandmother’s home before it was torn down. The walls and floor were made of paneled wood, with a few black and white pictures here and there to break it up as well as having a red oval rug on the floor. A light gloss was reflected off these surfaces from the few black candles burning in the room. The furniture looked hoof made from the same blackened lumber of the area, expertly crafted and polished with red cushions tied to the seats. Looking around, Wallflower couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary other than two sets of stairs leading up to the upper floors. Well, that and there didn’t seem to be a kitchen or anything but that could be explained by the lack of her exploration of the house. All in all, it didn’t seem like a pit of debauchery so maybe there were other types of ponies who lived on this street. Maybe the mare inherited from her grandmother and didn’t want to move.

As the mare went to search for the bits, Wallflower noticed another room which was separated from this room with a silky curtain. Feeling a little curious, Wallflower moved over to the entrance and pulled aside the fabric. What she saw was something she wouldn’t have expected. The room was much wider than the room she was in right now, with one long padded bench running along one wall while a few armchairs were nestled along the other walls. Other potted plants were nestled on small wooden tables along with books filled with crossword puzzles and the like. It honestly reminded her of the waiting room at the dentist, only far fancier than the one they had back home.

“Alright~,” sang the mare, surprising Wallflower so much that she jumped a little. As she turned around, she saw that if her curiosity had bothered the mare she hid it extremely well. With a small bag of bits in her mouth, she beamed brightly at Wallflower. As she lowered the bag into Wallflower’s awaiting hoof, Wallflower noticed her eyes glancing at the heart shaped pendant still hanging around the green mare’s neck. “Well, there you go. Payment in full. Now all that’s left is your tip for bringing this out all the way here. Perhaps I can offer you a quicky?”

“I, ah,” began Wallflower, uncertain as to what she meant by a ‘quicky’.

“Oh don’t worry about a thing,” said the mare as she moved besides Wallflower, wrapping a wing around her barrel. “I promise I won’t keep you that long. It’s only fifteen minutes. You can spare that much time. Just tell Granny I offered you some tea or something. And I bet you didn’t come here to work all night. You deserve to have some fun! Just leave it all to me.”

“Well, ah, miss,” began Wallflower but her words were cut short as she noticed something in the mare’s gaze. It wasn’t predatory or anything like that. In all honestly Wallflower had no idea other than it wasn’t hostile. But something about it made her excited and nervous at the same time, heart racing a little as the mare’s lips neared her own.

“Nighttime Sonata,” whispered the mare, her voice sending a pleasurable chill running down Wallflower spine. At the same time, Nighttime’s wing was slowly moving backwards towards Wallflower’s flank.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” came another female voice. Blushing, Wallflower turned her head to look while Nighttime slowly turned her head with a smile still on her lips. Walking down the steps was a pinto thestral mare. This was the first time Wallflower had ever seen that colouration on a thestral, most thus far had dark colours, or dark shades of typically bright colours with few exceptions. As she reached the landing, Wallflower noticed that her wings matched her brown and white spots as one wing was brown while the other was white. As for her long mane which was parted in the middle, it was a pure brown.

“Hey there Sugar Dream,” grinned Nighttime as she trotted over to the other mare, kissing her quickly on the lips. Face flushed, Wallflower quickly averted her eyes before the two mares returned their attention to her. “Looks like Granny Aroma got herself a new special shophoof. She just delivered the Waterfall Lilies! We can put them in the waiting room along with some soothing music so some of those out of towners won’t be so tense. Anyways, I was thinking about tipping her with our special quicky. You can just tell she needs one.” Nighttime’s face lit up. “Do you want to help out? Or are you too tired?”

“Hardly,” said Sugar in a calm tone, her eyes half lidded. “That out of towner was nothing but a little colt. Barely took much to get him off.” She then let out a short laugh before walking over to Wallflower whose heart pounded faster as Sugar glanced down at the heart shaped pendant. “But this one, I can tell she needs it really badly. Let’s give this mare a memory she won’t soon forget.”

Wallflower’s heart was racing even faster than ever as both thestrals came ever closer, slowly licking their lips as they did. By now, there was no question in Wallflower’s head into what she had stepped into: a whore house. Up until now, she had been fooling herself as she trotted into a den of utter corruption. Now, here she was at the mercy of two mares who would do unspeakable things to her. Whatever they would do would make her just like them, unable to leave this place. She would be stuck selling her body for the rest of her life! That’s…That’s what they did, right?

“No,” said Wallflower as she shut her eyes, turning her head away from them. “I don’t want that.”

“Are you sure?” purred Nighttime in her ear, goose bumps appearing down her neck as she felt the mare’s breath.

“We promise we’ll be gentle,” whispered Sugar in her other ear. “Or not, depending on what you desire.”

“I’m sure!” yelled Wallflower at the top of her lungs, legs soon giving out. For a moment, nopony moved or said anything. Perhaps they had been stunned by Wallflower’s outburst. If that was the case then perhaps Wallflower could make a break for it! Get out before they had a chance to drag her upstairs and do the deed with her! Quickly, Wallflower opened her eyes while her legs prepared to leap up off the ground…but stopped when she saw that the mares had backed up by several steps in order to give her room. Not only that, they were looking worried. But why?

“Think we overdid it a little?” asked Nighttime as she looked over at Sugar.

“Obviously,” whispered Sugar in a sharp tone. “Well, don’t just stand there. Get her some tea so she can calm down a little.” Nighttime raced off into the waiting area, leaving Wallflower alone with Sugar. Slowly, Sugar moved closer while keeping a concerned eye on Wallflower. “Sorry about that. Guess it must have felt like we were pressuring you. Do you need help standing or…?”

As Sugar let the question hang, Wallflower slowly stood up on shaky legs. “I-I can stand,” stammered Wallflower who was still eyeing the door.

Sugar appeared relieved. “Oh good,” she said as she smiled with concern. “You had me worried there. Usually, we get a lot of out of towners who, well, lets just say they need a reminder as to why they came here. A little tease here, a little prompt there gets them... well, you know. I guess I just thought that since you were an out of towner… and at this time of, well, no excuse really.” Wallflower said nothing as she stared at the mare with some measure of disbelief. She sounded like she was sorry, but Wallflower still had some doubts. She could be just backpedalling, fearful that a police officer had heard Wallflower’s cry. Then again, the two of them could have easily overpowered Wallflower and forced her upstairs or wherever they were planning on taking her. They could have easily begun the corruption.

“Sugar, where did you put the tea?” shouted Nighttime from the other room. Sugar’s eyes were suddenly filled with annoyance.

“In the bottom cupboard,” she yelled back. “Same place as always.” As she finished saying this, Sugar rolled her eyes. When she spoke again, it was in a muttered tone. “That mare, I swear. Been living here for six years now and still can’t remember where I put the tea bags.”

“I can’t find them,” shouted Nighttime again, causing Sugar’s head to sag while shaking from side to side in defeat. “I found the hot chocolate though. I’ll make her some of that.”

“That’s the wrong,” yelled Sugar, but stopped as Nighttime came racing back with a heart shaped mug in her hoof. As she moved, the brown liquid inside splashed about flinging into the air before landing in small puddles.

“Here you go!” cried Nighttime happily, hoofing over the mug Wallflower who accepted it while Sugar just looked resigned. “Sorry again for all that. If you don’t want to do anything, that’s fine. But, if you ever change your mind, just come a-knocking. For you, we’ll give you an hour and a half free of charge. You can have me or Sugar or even both of us.”

“Well, as long as we aren’t entertaining clients,” amended Sugar as she took a step closer to Nighttime. “If she wants both of us, she’ll still have to wait.”

Nighttime rolled her eyes. “Of course,” she said. “That goes without saying.”

“Um, actually,” began Wallflower, causing both mares to look at her. Under their gaze, the green mare began to feel a little intimidated. A part of her wanted to say thanks and get the heck out of here as quickly as she could. But another part of her wanted to at least try to help them, to see the errors of their ways. She didn’t think she could meet them halfway in this situation, but she could try talking to them like how she was thinking about not too long ago. Even if they refused, Wallflower would at least get some experience in talking to mares in their situation. So that had to count for something right?

Feeling like she might be in way over her head, Wallflower took a sip of the slowly cooling drink to help steady her nerves before continuing. “I’m, ah, a member of the Sol.” Wallflower winced a little as she watched the two mare’s faces shift. At first their eyes widened, the two looking at each other in confusion. Like they were wondering if the other heard what she had heard. When they both looked back at Wallflower, their expression held the appearance of a mare about to say that was a not so funny joke or something to the effect. Slowly that changed as Wallflower didn’t say anything, both looking defensive now.

“I heard there was a Sol in Hollow Shades,” said Sugar, a clear edge to her voice. “But I never would have thought you’d have the gall to con somepony as nice as Granny Aroma! What is it? You using her to find out who is ‘unclean’ or whatever?”

“No, you-” began Wallflower.

“Or were you just scouting the area,” demanded Nighttime, interrupting Wallflower as she extended her wings. “Trying to figure out how many ponies you’d need to bring here in order to better shame us? Or just trying to figure out which home to set fire to?!?”

“I’m not!” shouted Wallflower. As the two gave her a disbelieving look, Wallflower sighed and tried to collect her thoughts. “I… Recently, I’ve been doing some thinking about how the Sol Invictus has treated ponies like you two. And I want to change how we do things, actually helping ponies instead of making them miserable.” She paused there, taking a deep breath. “If you let me, I think I might be able to help both of you escape this life. You don’t need to sell your bodies for a living. Whatever forced you into this lifestyle, there is a way out. One that we can find together. If you let me.” As she said that last part, Wallflower held out her hoof. At the same time, the two mares speechlessly looked down at it. Nighttime was then the first to move, raising her hoof off the ground giving Wallflower hope that her passionate speech had connected with at least one of them! That she was on the road to helping not only them, but the rest of the Sol finding a better way.

Only to have those thoughts shattered as Nighttime brought her hoof to her mouth, holding it there to keep herself from laughing. Horribly it failed as the mare let out a few snorted chuckles with Sugar staring at her prostitute friend in an unamused fashion before the mare fell to the ground. The skunk maned mare could not hold it back any longer, rolling on the ground as she laughed so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes.

“Y-You think t-that w-we were f-f-forced into t-this?” Nighttime managed to say between her fits of laughter, her hind legs kicking the air wildly. Something that only got worse when she saw Wallflower nodding. “HAHAHA! We…Nopony f-f-forced us. I-I-It was an o-option on c-career d-day back in s-school!”

“WAIT? WHAT?” shouted a confused Wallflower.

“Yeah, it was actually a tossup for me,” added Sugar who seemed to be looking back at her own past with fondness. “It was between this or working at the sweet shop. It was hard choosing between that feeling you get when you watch a foal’s eyes lit up when they love a new treat you invented or body shattering orgasms. Still think I made the right choice since I can still help out at any of the sweet shops in town if they need an extra hoof.”

“But…But that’s,” stammered Wallflower as her world began to crack. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing! Was this place so twisted that they couldn’t see how wrong this was? That whoring your body shouldn’t be an option at a school career day?!? But it didn’t sound like either of them had been pressured into this. That they had chosen this of their own free will. Did that make it any better? Wallflower began to turn her head about, as if she were searching for signs of vileness. Anything she could use to convince these two that they should stop doing this to themselves. To show that they were missing something.

Wallflower’s eyes suddenly brightened. “But, don’t you think that you're missing real love in your lives?” she asked earnestly, thinking about the lonely home she herself had. “I don’t think there would be many stallions or mares out there that would ok dating a mare who has, ah, slept with so many strangers. Don’t you want to have a real, loving family one day?”

Nighttime snickered as she slowly got off the ground. “Oh, already taken care of,” she said while wrapping a wing around Sugar. “We’re already married.”

Even though Wallflower hadn’t dropped her mug, the sound of glass shattering into millions of pieces echoed through the room. She stood there, mouth hanging slightly open, staring at the pair. Nighttime was giving a toothy grin while a hint of red appeared on her cheeks. Slowly, very slowly, Wallflower brought the mug up to her mouth, drank a mouthful of the hot cocoa before doing the most epic spit take of all time. Nighttime and Sugar raised their wings, using them as shields from the spittle that went flying all over the place until finally it was over.

“You’re both-” began Wallflower, pointing at them. “But… I don’t… You’re together… So the…” She rambled like this for some time, her mind working hard to comprehend what she had just heard. The world around her began to twist and turn as her understanding got turned on its head. She could feel herself breathing more heavily as she tried her best to figure this out. But it was like trying to put in a puzzle piece in a slot that clearly didn’t fit! It just didn’t make sense to her at all! As the panic continued to climb, the earth mare noticed the looks that the other two in the room were figuring her. All amusement, all fear, all hatred was now gone. Instead, they looked at her with pity. They pitied her.

“Come on now dear,” said Sugar as she approached Wallflower. As gently as she could, the pinto wrapped her wings around Wallflower as Nighttime took the mug out of the green mare’s hoof. Slowly Wallflower, still rambling, was guided towards the waiting room and made to sit on the long padded bench. Once she was on both mare’s sat next to her with their tails wrapped along their flanks.

“Ok,” said Nighttime. “Use your words. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?!?” yelled Wallflower as she grabbed her mane and pulled it down. “What’s wrong? You two are married! You’re supposed to love and honor each other until the day you die! I could understand forming a herd with somepony you both loved and trusted, but this isn’t it! You are both bucking whatever random stranger walks through that door for bits! How can either of you claim to love the other when you’re doing something like that?!” As Wallflower’s voice echoed through the room, both mares gave each other a look.

“I guess I can sort of see where you’re coming from,” began Sugar. “But, well, can you honestly tell me how many stallions or mares you’ve been with?”

Wallflower’s face began to burn with embarrassment as she looked down at the floor. “I, ah, have never really…Nopony has ever really noticed me before so…”

“I get it, I get it,” said Nighttime, wrapping a wing around Wallflower’s back while raising a hoof in the air in a sage like manner. “You’ve never really experienced that sort of love. That’s why you don’t really get it. See, the two of us fuck all night like you said. But, when we close up for the day and go back to our own bedroom, that’s when we make love.” As Wallflower looked back up at the black mare, she saw her ears twitch a little before placing her hoof under her chin. “Well, I guess we also sometimes make love in front of the client if he pays for the both of us. But when we are fucking him, its just sex. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“Nighttime,” groaned Sugar, Wallflower turning her head to see the other mare resting a hoof on top of her noggin. She then let out a sigh. “Around here, sex has only as much meaning as you give it. Many ponies who come through that door are only seeking pleasure, a short release for whatever reason. Others just have a need to feel wanted, to have somepony to hold on to when they are feeling weak. Sometimes they just need a confidence boost of sorts when they're having a bad day, going home thinking that they satisfied us. And sometimes they really did! Then there are those that, well, want to learn how to pleasure their mare. They’re willing to pay a lot of bits just so they can feel skilled enough to pleasure the mare in their lives better. Not to mention there are who are simply attracted to us, wanting the memory of fucking a hot mare or two. But when two ponies connect, placing their trust in the other to make each other feel good, that’s what I call making love.

“That’s right,” chimed in Nighttime. “I mean, I’m not going to let Sugar here tie me up or anything like that. Not into the really kinky stuff. But I still trust her with my life.” Wallflower said nothing, but blushed madly as the image of what Hunter had done to his mares. If she went by what Sugar was saying, then how much trust were Moondancer and Lightning putting in him?

“And you don’t feel bad about any of this?” asked Wallflower. “Don’t you feel used? Like a tissue or something, tossed aside when they're done with you?”

“Ha!” laughed Nighttime, throwing back her head as she did so. “Like tissue. That’s a good one!”

“I don’t get it,” muttered Wallflower.

“Never mind,” replied Nighttime with a wave of her hoof. “Anyways, the way I see it, ponies who come down this street will pick the mare they think is the hottest. Or the one they heard will give you the time of your life! So when they pick me, it’s like a huge compliment. Even more so when they’re willing to wait for my legendary skills! Only the second best thing you do for me in my book.” Nighttime then grinned before moving her mouth closer to Wallflower’s ear. “The best is to ask for both me and Sugar.”

Now Wallflower was beginning to think that her cheeks would be forever red given how they were burning. Her hooves trembled a bit as she had to admit to herself that she did understand what Wallflower was saying. It was the same way she felt in her recent fantasies, to be picked out of all the rest. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to work on this street on the far end, having stallions walk past all of those other mares just to share her bed for a while. What she got was enough to cause her to bite her lower lips. It was the same feeling of joy she got from her fantasy not too long ago where she was dancing on a stage or that dream where Hunter bought her.

“I…never thought of it like that,” admitted Wallflower. “I’ve always been taught that rampant sex and all those kinks were evil. That they truly hurt ponies, turning them into deplorable creatures. I never thought…”

Sugar gently patted Wallflower on the back. “Well, sometimes it is wrong,” she admitted, causing Wallflower to turn to her. “It’s like anything out there really, too much of anything can be bad for you. Eat too much and you’ll gain weight. Fixate on a hobby or a project and you’ll become obsessed. Even sex, well, can be like that. That feeling of pleasure can be addicting. And I won’t act like we’re a perfect couple or anything like that. Even in this sort of relationship, there will be times when it gets a little too much. Like when a certain mare won’t stop talking about how big of a dick the last stallion had.” Sugar suddenly leaned forward to shoot Nighttime a dirty look.

“B-But it was big,” said Nighttime, as if this was some sort of defense. “I mean, I’ve had some pretty big dicks shoved into me but this one took the cake! Plus it wasn’t just the size of it, but by Luna he knew how to use it! How that stallion is still single is mystery for the ages!”

“I got it the first ten times you told me,” snapped Sugar. “But when I said ‘I got it’ I didn’t mean ‘tell me another fifty times’!” Sugar then looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look on her face. “Anyways, it's not like everypony out there is in the same boat me and Nighttime are in. Not going to lie, but I have heard about mares in other areas in Equestria who are pressured or forced into prostitution. Or have to do what they can just to make ends meet. I agree that that’s wrong and that somepony should be out there to help them. All they need is a helping hoof and a reassuring smile, not to be shamed or told that they have been completely corrupted.”

“Yeah,” agreed Wallflower as she nodded, a smile appearing on her face. This had been an eye opening experience for her. By simply talking things out, she was able to understand these mares far better. Hopefully she could take what she had learned back with her when she went home so that the Sol could truly start helping other ponies. Still smiling, she turned to look from side to side at both mares. “So, ah, are we good?”

“I think so,” said Nighttime with a nod. “You don’t seem to be at the same level of arrogant, jerkish, insufferable, un-”

“What Nighttime is trying to say,” interrupted Sugar loudly. “Is that we think we can trust you. I mean, now that I think about it, it would have been smarter of you just to leave when you had the chance than telling us you were a member of the Sol. That way you could have gotten a bunch of your members here in secret and we would never have known. Still, you talked to us like we were actual ponies and not criminals. So, yeah, I think we’re good.”

A short while later, Wallflower was saying her goodbyes to the two mares, ready to head back to the shop and help out Granny. After she and Sugar shared a brief hug, the pinto mare had to go back upstairs to see what was taking her client so long to get up. As she left, Nighttime whispered that her offer still stood if she ever wanted to feel good. That or maybe experience what a night as a tail raiser would be like. Wallflower quickly said no in the most polite way possible before heading out. As she pulled her cart, she kept her head up as she looked around at the mares. She watched as stallions and mares were now approaching them a little bit more, heading into the homes with the stallions appearing as though they had just won a million bits.

That was when Wallflower knew what she wanted to do tonight.

“Are you sure about this?” asked Hunter. Wallflower nodded as the light of the morning sun began to shine through the cracks of his drapes and shutters. Within the stallion’s home she simply sat there, a cup of chilled water sitting in front of her provided by her host. The table looked like it had just been cleaned, no doubt the residents having just cleared it after their evening (or was it morning?) meal. Sitting across from her was Hunter, looking at her patiently with Lightning Dust and Moondancer standing on either side of him. Moondancer was giving her a neutral, appraising look as she rubbed her chin with her hoof making it hard to figure out what she was thinking. Lightning, on the other hoof, was far easier. She was leaning forward slightly with a wicked smirk on her face that would have normally made Wallflower fearful for what was to come. Only, right now she was more nervous than anything else.

“I gave this a lot of thought,” she said after taking a large gulp of water to clear her throat. She had talked a lot, telling Hunter the general outline of what she wanted to try. “Is…Is it too much?”

“No, we can do that very easily,” said Hunter, causing Wallflower’s heart to beat a little faster with anticipation. “I just wanted to make sure. Now, beyond the scene, is there anything you don’t want me to do?” At that, Wallflower blinked before looking down at her water. She knew what she wanted alright, at least for now. But she had just assumed that things would just play out. Of course Hunter had told her that they wouldn’t do anything she wasn’t ready for so…

“Uh, I guess I don’t want you putting anything in me,” she began with her voice sounding unsteady, even to her. She raised her head a little to see Hunter smiling and nodding at her in a reassuring way. It made her feel a little better, a bit more confident. “Also, no kissing. Sorry, but I’m not ready for anything like that.”

“Awww,” whined Lightning as she lowered her head. Seemed like she was hoping that wasn’t off the table.

“Perfectly understandable,” said Hunter pleasantly while Moondancer nodded. He then turned to Lightning. “Could you please get the room ready? Everything you need should be in the closet.”

“Yes Master,” said Lightning, a new spark of excitement appearing in her eyes as she saluted the thestral stallion. Within the blinking of an eye, she vanished leaving an amber zigzagging trail that led to the bedroom.

“Alright then, let's get ready,” said Hunter as he stood. At first, Wallflower just sat there unsure of what to do as Hunter walked away from the table towards a nearby closet. Was she to follow him or something? Her answer came almost at once as she noticed Moondancer’s horn glowing, lifting her glasses off her face before the same glow appeared around her sweater. Wallflower watched as the unicorn stood up on her hind legs, raising her hooves into the air while her magic lifted her sweater off her body without messing up a single strand of her mane. As Moondancer landed back on all fours, Wallflower couldn’t stop herself from blushing at the difference. Without the baggy sweater, the earth mare could see Moondancer’s elegant form as well as her curves. In fact, now that she looked at her as a whole, Wallflower could see that Moondancer had just the right amount of fat in the right places to make her gentle curves all the more impactful. Biting her lower lip, Wallflower brought a hoof to her own sweater and gripped it tightly. There was no way she could ever measure up to that.

“Come on,” said Moondancer as she put her glasses back on while also taking off her choker, looking at Wallflower as she did so. At the same time, Hunter returned carrying a long white box in his mouth which he then placed on the table. “You don’t want that sweater to get ripped, do you?”

“Well, I,” began Wallflower nervously. Of course she didn’t want this sweater to get ruined. But she also didn’t want them to see her without it!

“We could help you take it off if you want,” offered Hunter as he moved behind her with the silence of a shark. While passing behind her, Hunter’s tail lightly brushed up against Wallflower’s flank causing the mare to jump a bit. Turning her head to look at him she saw there was no devious look in his eyes. Without realizing it, Wallflower closed her eyes and imagined having Hunter moving behind her. Him lifting her up like how Moondancer had been, using those leathery wings of his to steady her, before his hooves took hold of her sweater and pulled it up. She imagined what it would be like to have his body pressed against her now exposed fur, no doubt moving his nose close to her neck to inhale her scent. Thos teeth nibbling at her-

Blushing so badly that her fur might forever be colored scarlet, Wallflower quickly took off her sweater as well as the heart shaped pendant. It wasn’t as refined or showy as Moondancer’s had been, just grabbing it by the bottom and pulling it up. The result had been her mane getting tossed around, covering her eyes as the sweater landed on the floor. With one hoof, she swiped away the strands of her mane finding that Moondancer and Hunter were staring at her. The mare cringed slightly fearing the judgment in their gazes.

“Very nice,” said Moondancer, a slight purr in her voice that shocked Wallflower. Heart beating faster, Wallflower looked up to see the two ponies in front with…approval in their eyes? But how? She wasn’t as perfectly shaped as Moondancer nor as lean as Lightning. She was just something that fell somewhere in between. She was just average at best.

“Like unwrapping a present,” added Hunter as he approached the green mare. Heart still rapidly beating, she took a sharp intake of breath when he stopped and stretched out a wing. That leathery appendage moved so that it was right under her chin, lifting her head up so that they were eye to eye. Wallflower wanted to look away, but something in Hunter’s eyes commanded her to keep staring into those slit orbs. Before she knew what was happening, that wing was curling up and around her cheek. Yet she did not break her gaze as she felt a warmth growing between her legs. Staring at him, Wallflower began to wonder if he was going to break one of the rules she had set and try to kiss her. It certainly felt like that’s what they were leading up to. Yet, nothing of the sort came as his wing pulled back.

Before Wallflower could react, two feathery wings wrapped around her barrel nearly causing Wallflower to cry out. “A present for all three of us,” said Lightning with a slight moan in her voice. When did she return? Any more questions were put on hold as Lightning began to run her hooves down Wallflower’s body, causing her to shiver. Not from cold nor fear, but something more pleasurable.

“Now, a few rules before we start,” said Hunter. Wallflower’s eyes widened. They hadn’t started yet?! As he spoke, Lightning released her hold on her and moved into sight showing that she had what looked like a silver tray on her back. The first thing she noticed upon that tray were the same collars and hoof cuffs that she had seen the two mares wearing before. Now that she got a good look (without distraction) at them, she could see that both the collars and cuffs were the same color as Hunter’s coat. Attached to each of the collars was a tag shaped like Hunter’s cutie mark that each read ‘Hunter’s slut’. Next to one of the collars was the magical suppression ring as well as two bells. After nodding at the tray, Hunter reached a hoof towards the table and pulled over the box which he then presented to Wallflower. Inside the box were similar cuffs and a collar. But unlike the two on the tray the color was different, white without any borders or anything other than D rings on each. While looking at them, Wallflower began to feel her fear sprouting within her gut. Like it finally was sinking in that she was going to do something so wrong, unclean, and immoral.

“This is a set I keep for guests,” continued Hunter. “Not at the same level of quality as the ones I have for Lightning and Moondancer, but they will do just fine for now given the circumstances. Once we put these on you and get you all hooked up, we’ll begin. But first, I want to tell you about the safe words.”

“Safe words?” echoed Wallflower, still glancing at the collars.

Hunter nodded. “Yes. For the sake of simplicity we will keep them simple. These words are Kiwi, Starberry, and Juice. Can you repeat them for me please?”

“Kiwi, Starberry, and Juice,” repeated Wallflower. What odd choices. Once more Hunter nodded.

“These words are very important in making sure that everypony is having fun and staying safe,” he said in a firm tone. “If you want me to slow down what I’m doing to you or just tone it down then just say Kiwi. Understand?”

Wallflower blinked. “To slow down just say Kiwi.”

“Good,” said Hunter with a smile. “Now, if you want to take a break for whatever reason, we can pause when you say Starberry.”

“Starberry means pause,” said Wallflower, nodding herself. She was now starting to get it. These words allowed her some sort of control over the… activity they were about to engage in. Allowing her control even when all tied up.

“The final phrase is Juice,” finished Hunter. “I am sure you can figure out this means stop. Not pause, but it ends the session. Use this if things become too much to bear or if you are in pain. Once you say this, the session will end on the spot and we will make sure you are ok. We have an emergency first aid kit at the ready as well as a few other things that should help you to relax. All three of us will be here for you until you are calm enough to go home.” Now Wallflower was getting a little more nervous. She thought this might hurt, but from the way he was making it sound…

“Has,” began Wallflower before stopping herself and gulping loudly. “Has anypony seriously hurt themselves before?”

“With us, not really,” said Hunter as Moondancer and Lightning nodded in agreement. “There have been the occasional scares here and there as well as some minor injuries. Nothing too extreme. With that said, if you are still feeling nervous you can back out. Nopony will think any less of you if you do.”

Once more, another out. A chance for Wallflower to back away from all of this. To avoid this corruptive act, keeping herself pure and good within the eyes of the Sol. With how nervous she was, the offer was extremely tempting. However, Wallflower’s eyes hardened before shaking her head. No, she wasn’t going to back down! These three were her friends and she promised them she would give this an honest try. If she backed out now, she doubted she would ever be able to convince them that this was wrong and to join her within the Sol!

“I’m ready,” she said fiercely, with all her conviction.

Hunter nodded before making a gesture with his wing. At the sight of this, Lightning set the tray on the ground as she and Moondancer moved to the side of Wallflower. There they sat waiting, looking excited and blissful as Hunter picked up the first set of hoof cuffs. From there, Wallflower watched as the two began to extend their legs out for the thestral as he secured the cuffs. As each one was tightened on, the mare would let out a small moan of longing, not caring at all that somepony else was watching them. Then came the collars to which they looked upon longingly. Wallflower watched as they accepted these collars without protest as if they were animals or something less than a pony. It honestly felt like they were degrading themselves by doing this! Yet neither seemed to mind or even care as they gasped as a loud ‘click’ was heard to show that it was secured around their necks. Lightning was the first to be collared followed by the most passionate kiss Wallflower had ever seen in her life. Hunter dominated the kiss, wrapping his webbed wings around the mare and pulling her closer, forcing them to lift their heads while also exposing their necks. The bold mare’s body seemed to just submit to him in that exchange, letting him hold her up while the scent of her arousal filled the air. This seemed to go on for an eternity, yet Wallflower found herself unable to look away.

Eventually Hunter’s lips left Lightning’s, moving to collar Moondancer. As she watched them kiss, Wallflower found their kiss to be more impactful and more passionate than the last. As Hunter slid the magic suppression ring on Moondancer’s horn, causing the unicorn’s body to shiver in what appeared to be ecstasy, as one of Wallflower’s hooves went to touch her lips. She idly wondered if Hunter would ‘forget’ her rule on no kissing when he went to collar her as well. In a flash, she could see herself in that same embrace, Hunter focusing on her alone. Wallflower squirmed where she sat, feeling the heat and wetness in her nethers followed by something that shocked her: her other hoof was dangerously close to her lower slit. After pulling the offending hoof away and holding it in front of her, making sure that she could still see the two kissing, Wallflower began to chastise herself. What was wrong with her? To touch herself like that, with other ponies around no less, was just wrong. She needed to focus! Firmly, she planted her hoof back onto the ground and watched the scene before her until Hunter reluctantly pulled away while a strand of spittle still connected him to Moondancer.

Then, as the two mares began to put on their bells, it was Wallflower’s turn. Slowly she lifted a hoof to be bound, feeling like she was allowing herself to be treated like a criminal. Only, the material that these cuffs were made of didn’t feel as hard or cold as she thought they would. In fact, they felt sort of nice. Secure even. Once all four hooves had been cuffed, Hunter’s wings moved towards her mane to move it out of the way in order to prepare for the final piece. The collar slid effortlessly around her throat as Hunter got close. So close that Wallflower could feel his breath against her fur whilst taking in his scent. She sat there, almost zoning out as she continued to wonder if he would move just a little closer to claim her lips, when she was suddenly brought back to reality with a familiar ‘click’. And, just like that, she was collared like some animal. While Hunter backed away, one of her hooves reached up to the collar and found that there was no tag.

Why did that bother her ever so slightly?

“Come,” said Hunter in a commanding tone, gesturing towards the bedroom. Taking a breath, Wallflower slowly trotted towards the door with Lightning and Moondancer right behind her. The stallion opened the door as Wallflower neared it to reveal that, in the middle of the room, was a similar pulley system that she had seen the last time she was here. Only this time there were four thick, heavy chains hanging from the ceiling that rattled slightly with the slight passing of wind.

Wallflower moved over to it, knowing what she was about to do. Only Hunter walked besides her, placing her in the middle of the chains before ordering her to stand still. This was easier said than done as when he lifted one of her hooves to attach a chain to it, the clinking and clanking of the chains sending shivers down her spine. Biting her lower lip, Wallflower moved the now bound limb as soon as Hunter released it to test how far she could go. While she could swing it back and forth, Wallflower guessed that she could only take a step or two in any given direction. And before she knew it, all her limbs were bound in a similar fashion. She gulped as she shifted in place, examining how it all looked.

“Alright,” said Hunter, watching her carefully as he walked backwards to another part of the room. “This might be a little scary. Please try not to freak out too much, we’ve got you. If it looks like you’re going to fall, Moondancer will catch you with her magic.”

“Or I can get you no problem,” said Lightning as she puffed out her chest with pride.

“More likely you catch her followed by crashing through the wall,” muttered Moondancer, earning a nasty look from Lightning.

The clanking of the chains increased as their slack lessened. Looking over to her side, Wallflower found Hunter pulling on a wheel connected to the pulley system. With slow carefulness, the chains tightened their hold until she found herself lifted into the air. Her first instinct was to thrash about, trying to free herself so she could return to the ground. But she knew those actions were futile since she was well aware that she lacked the strength to break these bonds. Not to mention the fact that she had asked for this. With those facts in mind Wallflower surrendered to what was happening as her front legs were pulled above her head. There was a sudden clicking noise, which was followed by her bonds repositioning her body. Now it looked like she was standing up on her hindlegs with her front ones stretched well above her head. She tried to wiggle them but found it pointless. At least the rear cuffs weren’t as tight, allowing her to close her legs, but could do little else. In the end, she was helpless before the three. Her freedom was gone.

With her body now on full display, Wallflower began to feel an odd tingle run through her body. She became aware that Moondancer and Lightning were watching her as well as Hunter from the corner of his eyes. Their gaze was upon her, staring at her with an odd smile on their faces that nearly brought out a moan from the helpless mare.

“Wallflower, how do you feel?” asked Hunter as he appeared within her vision. “Is anything hurting you?”

Wallflower blinked at Hunter’s words before looking at each of her limbs. “N-No,” she managed to say. “Everything feels ok.”

“Good, good,” Hunter said with a nod. “Now, what were those safe words we talked about?”

“Kiwi means slowdown,” recited Wallflower. “Starberry for pause and Juice when I want to stop.”

Hunter smiled at her. “Alright then, we can begin.” The stallion then took a breath, closing his eyes as he did. When he opened them again, there was something different about them. They were harder, sharper. His posture changed, reminding her of a hoof drawn picture in one of the old Mareville books in the library of a unicorn noblestallion. Like he was in complete control over all he saw. Behind him, Moondancer and Lightning Dust sat down on their flanks with their heads lowered. Yet even like this, Wallflower could still see the small smiles on their faces.

“So this is Barkmoore’s latest capture,” said Hunter as he surveyed Wallflower, tilting his head to the side as he did so. “Hopefully she is better than the rest of the used trash he tries to pawn off on me. Hmm, she’s not too bad looking. A pretty face that would look lovely serving as my cocksleeve. Certainly would be a shame to have her end up as a chew toy for some of those wild pups Barkmoore keeps as company.”

Wallflower’s heart began to flutter while Hunter spoke. Having only given him an outline of what she wanted, she had to assume that this ‘Barkmoore’ was the creature selling her, a captured slave in a private action. But she hadn’t expected him to give her a compliment, even a minor one at that! And the new way he was looking at her was sending all sorts of signals through her body that were completely alien to her. It scared her how good the feelings were while she was in this situation.

“Now, let's check out the merchandise,” said Hunter as he moved closer. Wallflower watched him, trembling for some reason as he moved to her right side. Turning her head as far as it could go she saw his hoof reach out to touch her flank. The contact made her gasp, head thrown back a little as his hoof pressed against her body. Her breathing hitched, chest rising slightly within her bouds while straining to keep her eyes open. Yet Hunter paid her noises no mind, humming a bit as he caressed her cutie mark.

“A little on the lean side,” he muttered, squeezing her flank once more causing Wallflower to gasp. “But it has a nice shape and feel to it. Hopefully she won’t bruise too easily. And I don’t feel any scars or see any marks.” Hunter spoke as if he were inspecting fruit at the marketplace, appraising her to see if she were good enough to put in a salad or something. What was weird was that while this should have been demeaning to somepony like her, it was instead sending small jolts of pleasure through her body. The small bits of praise, somepony taking the time to just look at her. It felt amazing, even if he was only talking about her plot. A haze began to slink into Wallflower’s brain as she enjoyed the feeling, mildly wondering if anypony had ever talked about Pearly like this before.

Hunter’s hoof then began to run down her legs, rubbing along the outside. Wallflower was still somewhat lost in the head, barely aware of how Hunter was touching her. She only heard bits and pieces of what he was saying. ‘Not as well developed as a farm mare, but softer’ and ‘Fur has a slight floral scent to it’. Then, she was snapped back into reality as his hoof moved onto her inner thigh. The touch sent jolts through her body and mind, her head being thrown back as the chains rattled. Out of instinct, she began to close her legs and push the hoof out.

“No!” she cried over the rattling of chains. As she pressed her legs together, she felt something that caused her eyes to widen. There was something, a thin line of wetness, between her legs! How? He hadn’t licked her there or anything. Had she-

“Open up,” growled Hunter while his other hoof grabbed the chain connected to her hoof cuff. Wallflower remained silent, doing her best to keep her legs closed. All at once the stallion opened his wings, using them to balance himself as he stood on his own hind legs, and pulled on the chain. A cry filled the room as Wallflower’s legs were opened up once more, allowing Hunter to feel the inside. She looked down, only able to see part of the hoof as it kneaded her leg.

“Well, well,” said Hunter slowly as he let go. Using three legs he moved in front of her, only one of his forelegs up. The bound mare could see a slight shimmer of light being reflected off of it. “Looks like somepony is enjoying this very much.” He then reached out a wing whose tip touched her teat. Another loud gasp and the rattling of the chains filled the room as Wallflower thrashed in her bouds. No pony had ever touched her like this before. Heck, nopony had ever looked at her like this before. All his touch amounted to was light tracing, yet it was causing something to build up inside her. She could just barely make out him talking about her teats, but her moans were drowning it out when added to the clanking caused as she thrust her chest into the air. Oh by the pure light, it felt like something deep inside her was going to explode!

Then he pulled away. “Nooo,” wailed Wallflower, despite herself. The feeling began to hang there, making her desperate for something. What that something was, she had no idea. All she knew was that she needed Hunter to help her reach it. Even if she knew how to do it herself, which she didn’t, her legs were useless right now. Then, as Hunter trotted out of sight, she felt it slipping further away like the receding tide.

“Hmm, so far she has the makings of a decent slave,” commented Hunter from outside her vision. “Almost one already given how wet and eager she is. Perhaps with the right training and a firm, guiding hoof, she’ll become something more. Like clay becoming a masterpiece under the right artist's touch.” Wallflower’s eyes widened at this.

“I’m not,” she said as she struggled in her bonds, useless as she knew it was. “I’m not like that at all. I’m not a slave.”

“No?” asked Hunger in a mocking tone. Without any warning, Wallflower felt something strike her flank right on her cutie mark followed immediately by a ‘smack’ sound. She cried out in pain, throwing her head back and hips out as the pain shot through her rear. Then, shockingly, the pain began to dull only to be replaced with a dull warmth that felt…good. As Wallflower now hung there panting, she felt the object that struck her touch her side gently rubbing small circles over the place where it had struck. Glancing down she saw that it was a riding crop. It’s owner was behind her, out of sight, as he worked.

“Your body begs to differ,” said Hunter, his tone now sending shivers down her spine. “It knows it wants to serve a master who will bring pleasure in return for obedience. No doubt there is a part of your mind, your very soul, that knows this as well.” The crop left her side and before long it smacked the opposite flank. Wallflower gritted her teeth trying to contain her cry only to fail as the crop quickly moved between her nethers. There it remained, motionless as she let out a soft whimper. Would he smack her there? “Yes, the sound you make is most pleasing. Very good for you. When we have finished, I’ll be sure to pay Barkmoore three times his price. A find like this is worth every bit!” The green mare’s eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head at the sound of that. It was so much like her dream, him wanting to buy her. But willing to pay that much? For something like her? There was just no way and yet the feeling inside her felt like they were rising again.

“Normally, I would sample the product before buying it,” hissed Hunter softly, rotating the crop slowly to make Wallflower feel more. “But with you, I’ll wait till I have you properly trained. You will crawl your way to the collaring block of your own free will, surrendering yourself to me as your slave sisters watch. Only then will you earn the privilege of receiving pleasure from my cock, to feel my seed filling your womb and anus.” Wallflower’s mouth opened, her shock at his word choice surprising her to no end. It sounded so wrong to hear it, yet it brought more of the same longing.

There was a sudden intake of air as Hunter began to move the crop, grinding it against her fair sex. Her head lowered, but her eyes looked upwards while her teeth gritted tightly. She could feel the flow of her juices running down her neck as well as from the corners of her lips. Her appearance must have looked pathetic, yet she didn’t care. All the pleasure that had been lost was returning, edging her closer to the point where it would explode within her. What would it feel like when it happened? She was scared to find out, but was far too curious to use a safe word.

“Moondancer! Present!” barked Hunter as he continued to move the crop. “Lightning! Bloom! Show your future slave sister what is in store for her!” Fighting through the pleasure, Wallflower managed to focus her eyes on the mares as they moved. It was a sight to behold as both of them moved fluidly with blissful smiles on their faces. Moondancer turned around so that her flank was facing Wallflower, tail moving to her side so as to give them a full few of her two holes. Her legs were then spread as far apart as possible, flank raising high into the air while her chest touched the ground. Her forelegs planted on the ground in between her head, which was also on the ground. While staring at her, Wallflower was reminded of a pose in a magazine she had helped burn. That of a mare about to be mounted by stallion. As for Lightning, she playfully rolled over onto her back. Once like that, Lightning reached for her rear hooves to spread them as far back and apart as possible to give Wallflower a view of her own private area. Juices were creating a trail going down to touch her ponut, showing how eager the mare truly was.

“That is what you’ll be like by the time your training under me is complete,” whispered Hunter into her ear. The effect sent new shivers down her spine, amplified by his use of the crop which continued to rub between her sex. “You will be able to do those things and more any time I want. Whether it is at home or when I am showing you off to friends, you will do it all. And, should you make a mistake, I will lovingly correct you.”

“N-No, y-you c-can’t,” muttered Wallflower as her body began to twist within the chains. The rattling could barely be heard as she saw herself being led by Hunter into a large gathering. The two of them soon stopped in the middle of a room so that the hundred or so creatures gathered could see her clearly. Hunter began to bark orders which Wallflower could not properly hear, but her body moved all the same, taking on the same positions that Moondancer and Lightning had as well as a few other random ones she had seen. Imaging all this as well as the feeling of the crop was bringing her closer to the edge she had felt, her eyes now becoming crossed as she did so.

“Oh, is this the part where you cling to the hope that somepony will save you?” asked Hunter, his voice breaking through the clouded haze over Wallflower’s mind. “That once Princess Celestia finds out that something has happened to you, she will do everything in her power to save you? Ha! I doubt it. I happen to know for a fact that she has a collection of slaves herself! Mares and stallions she bought with your tax bits, kept at the castle to service her as her concubines. She might put on a show, but that’s all, unless she desires to add you to her collection.”

“No…lying,” murmured Wallflower as Hunter’s speed with the crop increased. She could now feel her breath hitching, the head looking upwards as she imagined the princess of the light and the image of all that was pure owning her own lot of slaves. Ones that might also be bound like she was, but with golden chains as she…as she…

At that moment, the crop finally rubbed against Wallflower’s clit. The friction against her tiny bundle of nerves was far more powerful than anything she could have expected, head flinging backwards as she was taken through an odyssey of pleasure. White light filled her vision and, for a moment, she felt like she was drifting within a void of heavenly warmth. Only barely could she feel the liquids running down her legs as they twitched uncontrollably. Did she care that she must look like a stupid creature at that moment, head hanging limply to the side with her eyes crossed and mouth open so that drool could easily pool on her coat? No, at that moment she didn’t care if a thousand ponies saw her like that. Right now she felt too good to be embarrassed by something like that.

Sluggishly, Wallflower began to regain a bit of her bearings. As her sense of the world around her returned, Wallflower could see that Hunter was no longer in back of her. He was now seated on top of Lightning who was still in that position, blossom if she recalled correctly, reclining back as if she were now his throne. The stallion was grinning, showing off his teeth as his crop which was still wet from her juices ran up and down Lightning’s legs. As for Moondancer, she was now laying on her belly in a pose that looked like she was lying prostrate as she licked the bottom of Hunter’s sperm sack. Even with the foggy state her mind was in, Wallflower could still make out the look of pleasure in the mare’s eyes with every stroke of the tongue.

For the rest of the session, Wallflower hung there as she recovered from her orgasm and witnessed act after act of debauchery. She watched as the two mares took his cock in every hole, rubbing it against their slits as they praised their master, and drinking all of his cum. She listened to them as they called Hunter their Master, obeying his commands without question. All the while she could see that the three always kept her in the corner of their eyes, watching her and making sure she got the perfect view of everything. This was all for her. And now, she was beginning to think she was going to lose this bet.

Author's Note

IT'S BACK. And just in time for my birthday! :pinkiehappy: :twilightblush:

This took longer than normal to write, but that was mainly due to dusting off the cobwebs and getting back into the groove. Hopefully the longer chapter will make up for that. Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

Dreams Shared

Wallflower trudged through the desert, the hot sun beating down against her naked coat as she crossed dune after dune. The heat of the sun sapped her strength making her wish she could slow down or just stop and rest, but every time she tried her Diamond Dog captor would pull on the reins connected to her bit and bridle. While it was crudely made, looking old and dingy, Wallflower had discovered that it was sturdy enough so that she had no hope of breaking free. And even if she did by some miracle break free, where would she go? No matter what direction she looked, all she could see was sand. She could very easily get lost, running around in circles until the heat of the sun finally took her or she died of thirst.

As Barkmoore the slave master tugged on her reins again to force her to quicken her trot, Wallflower looked at the other slaves who had been bought at the auction. All of them mares, clearly prettier than she was and for what she had seen, been bought at ridiculous sums. All of their heads were downcast, many of their manes being dragged in the sands as they too suffered as their Diamond Dog slave traders transported them to their final destination. What was odd was that some of them looked familiar to her. Several times, Wallflower found herself staring at one of them thinking that they were her sister or some other pony she knew back from home. One time it was even her own mother! But before the image could sink in, they seemed to morph back into some random mare.

“Faster pony!” snarled Barkmoore as he again tugged roughly at reins. “Town ahead, town ahead. Bring you to Lord Hunter and get big tip Barkmoore will. Barkmoore leave with treasure while you stay slave.”

Letting out a small whimper, Wallflower looked ahead to see that Backmoore was right. Where nothing but sand had been just a moment before stood the gates to a massive city made of sandstone, with long red drapes spaced out along the walls. All of this made Wallflower feel smaller than ever as she was pulled through, feeling the lack of sun on her fur for the first time in so long. As they moved through the gate, Wallflower also noticed a large number of guards from all sorts of tribes. Unicorns, pegasi, earth, and even thestral! What’s more she also spotted a few non ponies in armor alongside them like the kirin and griffons. All of them wore armor in light leather padding, holding spears upright as they watched the mares pass without a word as if this were an everyday occurrence. Clearly none of them took issue with mares being sold. Some, Wallflower noticed, had a gleam in their eyes as they watched them pass and some even licked their lips.

There was a brief pause when they reached the opposite side of the guard, one of the guards asking about their business. One of the Diamond Dogs in front let out a few barking remarks before producing some tour paperwork that looked like it had been chewed on. The guard took it, looking unbothered by this and managed to read it. Whatever it said seemed to confirm what they were there for, allowing the group entrance. However, as the rest of the mares were led into the city, Barkmoore spoke to a bat winged one in hushed tones. The thestral guard nodded as bits were then exchanged before taking off, flying over houses and pillars of sandstone towards a villa laying on top of a mountain overlooking the city. Tugging again on her reins, Wallflower found their progress halted as she was silently told to wait while the others went into the city.

The two waited there in silence until a chariot pulled by two thestrals arrived and landed in front of them. Tugged again by her reins, Barkmoore forced her in. The chariot waited only long enough for her hooves to no longer be touching the sand before it shot off into the air, the city below becoming a blur of shapes as they zoomed off towards the villa.

In what felt like a blink of the eye, they had landed and before Wallflower could take note of anything she was led inside. Now the villa, which had looked like a fine upper class building from the distance, now looked like a wooden cabin on the inside. Wooden floorboards, wooden walls, a tree coming out along one side of the wall all gave the impression that this place belonged deep in the woods rather than a mountain top. It all seemed…really confusing as it was also familiar in some way that Wallflower could not quite place.

“So, you finally arrived Barkmoore,” came the voice of the stallion who had bought her. Heart racing, Wallflower looked up to see Lord Hunter sitting in a comfy armchair at the other end of the room. Leaning back in his seat, one hoof raised to rest his chin on, his legs dangled off the edge of the seat which showed off his privates. Between his legs were two collared mares, Moondancer and Lightning Dust. As one they licked Hunter’s balls in slow motion as if to savor the taste. Watching them, Wallflower felt her own tongue quiver slightly as her mouth became moist. Like she too longed to taste it. There were others there as well. Off to the side were two other thestral mares, Nighttime and Sugar, who laid on the floor as they licked the other’s birthing hole while making loud lewd noises.

“Barkmoore came as soon as Barkmoore could,” said the Diamond Dog as he bowed deep before Lord Hunter. “Puny dirt pony slow. Bad thing it is.”

Lord Hunter’s eyes narrowed at this, causing Barkmoore to visibly wince. “You shall not speak of my property like that,” he said, his tone causing Barkmoore to take a step backwards while Wallflower felt her heart flutter. It was odd for she knew she should have said something like ‘I’m nopony’s property’ or something to that effect. Perhaps even knocking Barkmoore down and making a run for it while he was terrified. And yet knowing that she alone had been bought at that auction to somepony who was fond enough to scold this beast for such a minor insult was…moving.

“Many, many sorry Blackmoore is,” said the Diamond Dog quickly. “Won’t happen again.”

Lord Hunter said nothing for a moment before letting out a sigh. “You shall be paid outside by my staff,” he said shortly. “Now leave my sight.” Dropping the reins, Barkmoore turned and quickly left. In mid-air, however, the reins transformed into mist starting at the farthest end and moving up all the way to her bridle and bit. The mist began to descend down from her muzzle before floating around her neck in a ring shape as the rest of it reached out towards Lord Hunter’s other hoof, wrapping around it before solidifying into a leash. Wallflower sat there shocked as the mist continued to become a solid, pressing against her neck as it became a collar.

As Wallflower reached up to touch the collar, an almost indescribable feeling overtook her. She knew that, at that moment, she belonged to somepony else. And it made her happy. Somepony out there wanted her. Looking up, she saw her Master’s warm eyes upon her and allowing her time to take in this new position in her life. Still touching the collar, seeing that the leash was still in his hoof, Wallflower found herself feeling safe. That somehow she knew that as long as he was in control, she would be ok. A small voice in the back of her head that sounded just like Pearly White told her that she was wrong, that there had to be some sort of magic in the collar to make her think this.

Lord Hunter smiled at her and when he spoke Pearly’s voice vanished. “Come here,” he said in a commanding purr. “I want to try out my new slave.” At that moment, the room became filled with ponies lined up on either side of her. Briefly she glanced at them. On one side she saw the thestrals of Hollow Shades looking at her curiously, even Nighttime and Sugar. Opposite of them were the ponies of her hometown, disgust in their eyes and their lips beginning to curl into hateful sneers. Even her mother and father were there, almost right next to her, and they seemed to be begging her to resist. To try and take off the collar. That if she did that, then they would come help her.

“Sex only has as much meaning as we give it,” came Sugar’s voice echoing all around her. Remembering what she had told her, she looked forward again towards Lord Hunter. He still held her leash, not tugging on it or anything. Like he was waiting for her to decide something, not applying any pressure. Taking a breath, Wallflower’s eyes trailed down to look at the mares between his legs. Both of them had their tails raised, pushed to the side so that their vaginas were visible and showing anypony who looked their way that they were drenched. Neither stopped giving the Master attention, but Wallflower could see that they were watching her out of the corner of their eyes smiling as they moved a little further apart from the other leaving a space large enough for one more pony to join them.

“Go on, have a taste,” said Nighttime as she appeared right next to Wallflower. The green mare let out a shudder as she felt a leathery wing slide down her back before cupping her flank. “See if you like it. You know you want to. Then, maybe we can all have some fun.”

“Don’t you DARE!” declared Wallflower’s mother as she stepped forward, glaring at Nighttime who merely smiled. “No more exploring, it’s wrong and you know it! It’s shameful and impure!” Wallflower looked at her mother, her breath quickening as she looked over at Nighttime who just gestured at Master Hunter. Wallflower looked over at the stallion who was still waiting for her with great patience. Moondancer and Lightning were now wiggling their flanks as others watched them. Watched them…Wallflower wanted them to watch her too! She wanted them all to watch her as she-

Gasping, Wallflower shot up out of bed. Sitting there, a sudden wave of panic hit her as she looked around seeing sights that were unfamiliar to her. For a moment, she thought she was going to have a panic attack as she tried to figure out where she was and how she got there. Thankfully, that didn’t happen for with every breath she took things began to come back to her. She was in Granny Aroma’s guest room, sleeping in the bed she had provided for her. She was here on a mission from the Sol to get more members. And, not too long ago she…

Breathing returning to normal, Wallflower felt her hooves reach up to grab either side of her head as she remembered the deal she had made with Hunter and his herd. As well as taking her first steps into that world of the unclean. How she had been tied up, suspended in a way that exposed everything and treated like an animal in some sort of inspection. All of it at her request! Her green cheeks darkened as she remembered the feeling of the collar that had been slipped around her neck, the cuffs around her hoofs, and…and the stinging of the crop on her flank. Finally, she remembered cumming in front of them as they all watched.

But, what came after that?

Wallflower sat there in the darkness for a while, slowly lifting her head up with half of her vision obscured by her mane. With her mind calmer now, she could easily recall what had happened since it had only occurred a few short hours ago. She had no idea how long she hung there after her orgasm, watching as Moondancer and Lightning’s holes were filled with cum. But when the…scene finally ended, Hunter approached her to let her down while the two mares went to get something from out of the room. Her heart beat a little faster and the blush returned to her face as she recalled how gently he helped her out of the bindings, speaking to her in a reassuring tone as he helped her back onto her hooves. How he held her close to him, wrapping one of his bat-like wings around her as he then led her closer to the bed. At first, Wallflower felt a small twist in her gut thinking that Hunter was going to take her while she was in a vulnerable state. A state where she might have allowed him to do that with no objections. But no, he held her there as he talked to her, telling she did a good job on her first try and just reassuring her that he had her.

Wallflower closed her eyes as she remembered that feeling. The feeling of being the only mare in the room, having a stallion whispering softly into her ear as he held her. Feeling his heartbeat as their bodies were pressed together. His warmth. All of that just made her feel so…safe. Like he would never let anything bad happen to her. In that moment, that feeling was the most intoxicating thing she had ever felt.

A moan escaped Wallflower’s lips as she recalled what happened next. Both Moondancer and Lightning returned with robes which they together helped put on her, separating her from the touch of Hunter. She recalled fighting back the urge to whine like a little filly as they put on their own robes before tossing one over to Hunter which landed on his back. Wallflower was then led over to the bed where she was placed on her back, mane spread out as she stared at the ceiling while Hunter put his own robe on. Then all three of them crawled onto the bed and surrounded her. Wallflower could remember the feeling of all of their hooves wrapping around her, cuddling her for what seemed like forever. All of their attention was on her, making her feel even more safe. Oh by everything that was pure and good; if the feeling with her and Hunter had been intoxicating, now she felt like she died and gone to paradise!

Oh, if only she could have stayed like this forever. It would have been so perfect! But the real world could not be denied. Moondancer and Lightning both had to work in the ‘morning’ as did Wallflower. So after checking the clock and making sure that Wallflower was ok to move, Hunter helped Wallflower back onto her hooves before taking her back to Granny’s place.

With tired eyes, Wallflower glanced over at the clock ticking away on the nightstand next to her bed and saw that she still had a few hours before she had to get up. She knew she could just lie back down, close her eyes, and return to the land of slumber. Yet the fear of returning to that impure dream frightened her. Having that collar around her neck, leash held by her Mast-, NO, Hunter while so many ponies watched. Yet what scared her even more was that there was a part of her that wanted to return to that dream. To-

What was that smell? Sniffing the air, Wallflower picked up a scent that was shockingly familiar. An odor that made her eyes grow wide as she sat there on the bed, not daring to budge. At first, she tried to tell herself that there was nothing there. That it was just a trick of the mind, bits of the dream that had lingered into the waking world. Yes, nothing but her overactive imagination at work. But, the more she thought about it, the more she could smell it. And the more she smelt it the harder it was to deny that it was what she thought it was. Slowly, Wallflower lowered her hooves until they were in front of her to inspect them. There, even in this low light, she could see one of her hooves was semi wet. Hair from her mane was sticking to it as the liquid began to dry. Her body began to shake in fear as well as something else, something that was so very wrong to all her teachings, Wallflower somehow managed to bring her hoof and inhaled.

In an instant, her throat went dry as her fears were confirmed. Not thinking about anything else, Wallflower tossed off the blanket to see it for herself. Bending down, she could see it. Her most private of private areas was slightly wet as it winked. She had been playing with herself in her sleep.

“Young’en, watch out!” Granny Aroma’s sudden voice startled Wallflower, causing the sleepy mare to stumble and veer off course from her chosen path within the aisle of the plant shop. As she did, her barrel grazed branches and leaves of a very thorny plant. The sharp prickling felt like they were about to cut into her, causing Wallflower to jump to the side while her jaw tightened on the watering pail in her mouth.

In a panic, Wallflower began to circle around herself trying her best to see if she had been cut. Around and around she went, quickly becoming dizzy while forgetting her surroundings once again. Thankfully, she did not fall into the plant but rather she tripped over a large root running along the floor before rolling to the other side of the room. The world began to tumble around her, pail lost as her back landed against the counter where Granny sat. Her accident didn’t end there, however, as the force from her plow knocked one of the potted plants on the counter down. Luckily, Wallflower looked up in time to see it and managed to catch it before it shattered on her head.

“Sweet Luna and Blessed Moon!” cried Granny as she moved her ancient body around the counter, moving as fast as her old bones would allow her to check and see if her employee was alright. After setting down the flower pot, Wallflower managed to rise just in time to look into those very thick and heavy glasses worn by the old mare. “You alright there young’en? Nothing hurt too bad?”

“No,” replied Wallflower with a wince. Feeling the adrenaline beginning to drain from her system, allowing her to think more clearly as she calmly looked down at herself. With her brown eyes, Wallflower scanned her sweater and flank finding there were no cuts on either of them. Just patches of dirt that could be easily washed away. Naturally Wallflower’s back was feeling a bit sore, but it was already beginning to fade. Honestly, she felt rather lucky that this was the worst she got given all the dangerous plants that were here. If she had rolled a little more to the right, she could have been scooped up by the Widow Maker again!

Granny let out a sigh of relief. “Ohh what a relief,” said Granny before a frown appeared on her face. Her head lowered a little so that her beehive mane tilted in a way that made it look like it might fall down before she raised a slender hoof into the air, shaking it in anger. Light seemed to roll around on her very thick glasses, giving them an angry glint. “Need to keep your wits about you missy! Can’t go down these aisles while in Luna’s LaLa Land! This ain’t one of them fancy dancy flower shops you find in them fancy dancy towns or cities! Not keeping your wits about you is a good way of getting hurt! Or worse! Now I ain’t had anypony living under my roof die before and as sure as Luna’s sweet flank ain’t gonna start tonight. You hear?”

“Y-Yes,” stammered Wallflower as she fought her best not to take a step back as she felt a well of shame. This hadn’t been her first accident of the night, but it had been the closest she had gotten to where she could have been really hurt. No wonder as her eyes had been narrow, with small wrinkles here and there. Her mind had been groggy as well, affecting her hoof coordination so much that she was tripping over herself. Several times she had found herself trying to water plants with an empty pail or was just watering the floor. Either the older mare hadn’t noticed this or she just assumed that Wallflower was still getting used to working all night.

Only that wasn’t the case. Not really. The sad truth of the matter was Wallflower didn’t get much sleep after her little discovery because she didn’t trust herself. Afraid that, if she fell asleep, the dreams of being made a slave again would return. Perhaps picking up where they left off where she would see what choice she would make. Afraid that, while she slept, her hoof would return to her private area again to pleasure herself while she dreamed. Instead, after she cleaned up (thankfully she didn’t have that much too clean), Wallflower spent the rest of the night in a semi-awake state going as far as to set her alarm to sound off every fifteen minutes to ensure that no dream would take her to that impure state again. No matter how much a part of her wanted to go back.

Perhaps the elder mare sensed the shame within Wallflower for when she spoke next, her tone was kinder. “Guess this is also a tad my fault as well,” she said. “Should have seen this coming with this being your first time in Hollow Shades during Hearts and Hooves. All the excitement and fun to be had.” A lewd smile appeared on Granny’s lips. “Spending some daylight with a stallion, no doubt wearing you out.”

Wallflower cheeks felt like they had just been lit on fire. “We…We were just hanging out,” she said quickly. A moment later, as the image of her hanging in Hunter’s room appeared in her head, Wallflower felt like kicking herself.

“Oh ho!” laughed Granny as she backed up. “Is that what you young folk are calling it now? Or just what them ponies from parts on yonder call it, too afraid to say you had sex in public for fear of being shamed?!” Granny Aroma then let out another laugh while Wallflower stood there, mortified.

“We didn’t have sex,” said Wallflower as she reached out a hoof to Granny Aroma. Perhaps it was the panic look on her face or the pleading of her voice to believe her, but whatever it was Granny stopped laughing. The old thestral looked at her, raising an eyebrow at her.

“And why not?” she asked, once again shocking Wallflower. “I’ve seen that stallion, looks mighty strapping if you ask me. Fine pick for any mare. Trust me, if it weren’t for this old heart of mine, I’d be out there making a move or two on him myself. Showing off all the skills I’ve learned over a lifetime, enough to put most mares to shame I’d wager. Lucky for you I want to live as long as possible. I ain’t dying before that old Pear does so I can spit on his grave!” All of a sudden, Granny Aroma raised a hoof towards the ceiling and began to shake it violently. “You hear that you old custard?! I’m still in the game! Gonna outlive you if it’s the last thing I do!” Then, just as suddenly as she had begun, she stopped as a sudden series of coughs began to escape her.

“Granny, please calm down. You’re getting too excited,” said Wallflower as she forgot her embarrassment and rushed over to the mare. Slowly, she helped Granny Aroma to back behind the counter where her chair lay as well as a tall glass of water. “There you go, just relax.”

“T-Thank you young’en,” said Granny Aroma in between her coughs while being helped into her seat. She then tried to reach for her water, but the coughs made it difficult. Thankfully Wallflower was there to help.

“Granny, it's not that I don’t think Hunter is handsome,” said Wallflower as Aroma began to drink her water with both hooves on the glass. “But the truth is I still don’t know him all that well. I’ve only been around him a couple of times. That and…” Her voice trailed off for a moment as she looked down, a bit of forlorn on her face. “And, honestly, I don’t think he really likes me that way.”

“Poppycock,” said Granny as she set the glass down. Slowly, Wallflower lifted her head to look at the ancient mare who appeared more stern than normal. “I seen the way you lit up when he stopped by last night, almost glowing. You like him so don’t deny it. And judging by the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you he likes what he sees! So if a little thing like not knowing him all that well is the only thing keeping a pretty mare like you from crawling into his bed, then that’s an easy fix! Spend some more time with him, get to know him better.”

Wallflower allowed herself a small smile as she looked at Granny, wishing she could be completely honest with her. To be fair, she did think Hunter was handsome in his own right. He had welcomed her into Hollow Shades much like the rest of his tribe. But, unlike most of them, he didn’t distance himself from her when he found out she was a member of the Sol. Despite his issues with them, Hunter said he didn’t have an issue with her. It was nice, knowing that he was going to judge her for herself. Just being acknowledged by another made Wallflower’s heart flutter about. Then, as she stood there, memories of the security she felt wrapped in his hooves came back. So powerful that just thinking about it almost made her swoon.

Yet, Wallflower knew better than to believe that there could be anything between them. When he had said what he had said after finding out she was a member of the Sol, that was just him being a decent stallion. Nothing more for her to read into. Besides, he already had two mares in his herd so why would he ever be attracted to some invisible duckling like herself. But even if there had been something between them at that point, she had messed it up. The only reason Hunter was spending time with her, doing all these…these things with her was because she was practically forcing him to. All because of that deal they had made. He…He was probably just being extra nice because of it.

“I think I’d better-”

“Hey Wallflower!” came a loud voice from behind, causing Wallflower’s sentence to be cut off as she jumped into the air. Panting and with a hoof over her heart, the green mare spurn around to see the amused face of Lightning Dust standing there.

“Lightning!” yelled Wallflower as Granny began to cough madly. Acting quickly, Wallflower moved closer to her employer where she then began to rub her back in small circles while Granny reached a shaking hoof over to grab her glass again. As Granny Aroma began to drink, Wallflower shot Lightning a stern look. “You shouldn’t sneak up on ponies like that!”

“Yeah well,” began Lighting, shifting her weight so one of her forelegs could swing lazily as she averted her gaze. “It wouldn’t have happened if you had been paying attention to the store. I mean, I was here for like thirty seconds and neither of you two noticed me. So whose fault is it?”

“Yours!” stated Wallflower, her voice raised in annoyance.

“Not important,” said Lightning quickly as she looked at Wallflower again. “Anyways, I was on my way to have lunch with Hunter and Moondancer and thought you might like to join us.”

“I don’t think-”

“She’ll go,” interrupted Granny Aroma this time, setting her glass back on the counter.

“B-But Granny you were just,” stammered Wallflower, but the old mare quickly placed a hoof on her lips to silence her.

“I’ll be fine,” said Granny firmly. “Been taking care of these old bones long before you showed up at my doorstep so I think I can handle them for an hour or three.” She then winked at Lightning whose feathers ruffled for some reason. Briefly glancing back, she saw that Lightning had a rather lewd smile on her face while her wings stood erect. What was going on here? How could a lunch take three hours and why would that excite Lightning so much? Looking confused, Wallflower turned to look at Granny once again who continued to speak. “You go and get to know your friends a bit better. Trust me, you’ll never get these moments again. So take them by the hoof and savor them for all their worth!”

With that, the conversation was over. Wallflower left the flower store a minute or two later, following her pegasus friend as she seemed to strut.

“And so there I was, running down alleyway after alleyway, knocking over trash cans and throwing wooden pallets in my path wherever I went. Anything I could find that might slow my pursuer down or even cause him to give up his case. But the big guy just plowed through them like they were nothing more than crackers,” said Hunter, a gleam of excitement in his eyes as he told his story between bites of his fruit salad. Wallflower sat across from him, sitting at a table at the same café where she had first met Hunter before and leaning forward as her heart pounded in her chest with excitement eagerly awaiting to find out how this story would end. Her own meal laid before her, mostly untouched and almost completely forgotten. The only thing in front of her that she was reaching for on occasion was her drink, taking small sips of the fruit beverage. Not that she was the only one here who was like this. Moondancer and Lightning, who were sitting on either side of him, were listening with rapt attention showing that they had yet to hear this story before. That or they had and just really enjoyed hearing it. A brief glance showed that they were enraptured by this tale, their meal had not gone untouched. What’s more, thestrals around them seemed to be listening in as well. Wallflower had noticed a few at the nearby tables chewing their food more slowly as they leaned closer in the direction of Hunter, ears pricked in order to pay attention to every word that was said. Then there was the wait staff who lingered a bit longer than they normally would have to hear what was being said.

As Hunter paused to take a bit of his food, Wallflower briefly wondered how they got to this point. When she and Lightning had arrived, they found that Hunter and Moondancer were already seated and waiting for them as they nuzzled each other affectionately. The sight had caused Wallflower to blush as well as marvel, finding them pretty brave to do something like that out in public. Such a thing would never happen back in Mareville as such displays of affection were meant to be private, behind closed doors. Perhaps neither of them felt any shame in showing each other this level of affection. Or…Or maybe finding it shameful was just a Mareville thing. As the two sat down and Hunter separated from Moondancer, the stallion began to focus most of his attention on Wallflower almost exclusively. Acting her how she was feeling, if she was sore, and other such questions. As the other two joined in, Wallflower began to see this as them just checking up on her. Which was nice.

Near the end of Hunter’s line of questions, a thestral mare flying overhead began to drop flyers all over the place with a few landing on their table. Everypony there was curious as to what this was about, pausing as they all took a nearby flyer or shared it with a pony close by. Wallflower was lucky she didn’t have to share hers as its content nearly caused her eyes to enlarge. The flyer was from the strip club Wallflower had passed by yesterday, showing the silhouette of a mare on a pole while below it was a stallion with two mare’s dressed in fancy underwear on either side of him. Cheeks turning red, Wallflower scanned it to see that there was going to be an amateur night tonight with a grand prize of seven hundred bits. What’s more, they were offering specials for the rest of the week like a two for one special tomorrow as well as a catwalk of all the mares of the red light district! Words seemed to fail her, stunned at how somepony could just drop these around like they were nothing along with the ponies around her seeming more excited than disgusted. For a brief moment, Wallflower remembered her dream of dancing on a stage and, before she knew it, she was pocketing the flyer under her sweeter.

N-No doubt to show the ponies back home.

From there they just talked as if there hadn’t been an interruption. About how everypony’s night was going. Any plans they had before the sun came out. Just talking and laughing while they waited for their food to arrive, allowing Wallflower to learn more about them. It turned out that Moondancer had once been a student for Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, something that impressed Wallflower since she had heard of the place but had never known any unicorn from her town who attended. For a few minutes she told them about some of the little things that happened there, like how one of her friends got her head stuck in a glass beaker…somehow. Moondancer also revealed that she used to study next to Princess Twilight Sparkle herself! Before Wallflower could even think about asking if it would be possible to meet the princess, Lightning began to tell about her short lived time at the Wonderbolt Academy. It didn’t surprise Wallflower to hear that she had gone there given her speed, but why she wasn’t a reserve member at the very least seemed baffling. She almost managed to get the words out, however a small voice inside her head told her to wait. That it might be a sore subject. Then she found out that Hunter was a murder mystery novel writer, something that Wallflower had never read before but sounded interesting. Now it seemed like a competition was going on between the three of them, because rather than telling them about his school or academy life, he was regaling them with the first time he had ever been scared while on the job searching for material for his books.

“Eventually I came to a fence,” said Hunter as he set down his fork, lowering his voice while leaning a little forward. Now there was a shadow covering his upper face so that only his yellowish golden eyes could be seen. “When I saw that, I opened up my wings ignoring the aches and pains from flying all that way to Fillydelphia. Nothing else mattered besides getting to the other side of the fence. Nothing! So I flapped my wings with all my might, gritting my teeth as my hooves left the ground. I managed to get airborne, but not fast enough because I banged my hoof on the top of the fence before falling face down on the ground. Ignoring the pain and the blood on my forehead, I quickly got to my hooves as I heard the sounds of thundering hooves getting closer. Not slowing down for a moment. I galloped as fast as I could towards the alley’s exit as I heard the sound of the fence being knocked to the ground. For a moment I looked back and saw that my assailant had run through the metal fence, the links of the fence snapped like they were old twigs. Now scared beyond reason, I poured everything I had into my speed in the hopes of getting out of there. But it was too late. Already I could feel his hot breath as it brushed against my coat.”

“WHAT HAPPENED?!?” shouted Wallflower, slamming her forelegs onto the table creating a loud clatter that drew everypony’s attention. But she neither noticed nor cared as she stared at Hunter, heart pounding even faster. “WHO WAS IT?!” Hunter, who had pulled back in surprise, suddenly looked extremely sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head with a wing.

“Ah, I was caught,” he said. “Turned out the stallion chasing me was Officer Over Zealous, a rookie on the police force who had been asked to bring me down to the precinct.”

As Wallflower sat down, the other two mares began to giggle. At first, Wallflower thought they were giggling at her until she saw Moondancer elbowing Hunter. “That takes me back,” she said with a smirk. “A great build up with a lame pay off. Kind of like Rose Street, Bloody Street.”

As Lightning snickered more loudly, Hunter rolled his eyes. “If I recall correctly, you said that the problem with that book was that my villain was flat.”

“A flat villain can make for a lame ending,” replied Moondancer as she leaned over to the side, resting her face on her hoof while still facing Hunter.

Hunter let out a groan as he covered his eyes with his hooves, head looking downward towards the table. “Look, it’s the most exciting story I have,” he grumbled. “Over Zealous just galloped up to me, out of uniform and not saying a word. You should have seen his face! I thought he was actually a mugger or something.”

“Why wasn’t he wearing a uniform?” asked Wallflower, tilting her head a little as she did.

“Apparently he got a mustard stain on it while he was waiting for me,” said Hunter as his hooves slid back onto the table. “Took it to the cleaners thinking they could get it done before I arrived.” Hunter then shook his head. “Anyways, Over Zealous got fired shortly after that. It seemed I wasn’t the first pony he chased down. Before me he chased down a colt whose coat matched the description of a suspect and nothing more. And before that chased down several ponies who all had fire based cutie marks thinking they might have something to do with an arson case. Even broke down a couple of doors along the way.”

“Maybe he should be the subject of your next book,” laughed Lightning. “Instead of a murder, it could be a comedy! The nitwit police pony who keeps going after the wrong ponies!”

As Lightning laughed some more, Wallflower just leaned back into her chair while letting out a sigh of relief. “I sort of want to check out some of your books now,” she said. “Maybe when the train stops on the way home I can-” Wallflower was cut off as Moondancer’s horn lit up, the unicorn smiling as a portal was created at their table. She then reached inside with a hoof before pulling out a slightly tattered book before placing it on the table. She then closed the portal before creating another one, once more pulling something out of it. This time it was two books, in far better condition, which she then sat next to the tattered one.

“Here you go,” said Moondancer as the portal closed, her magic now being used to pick up the tattered book. “Best copy of his first book I could find in the bargain bin.” At that, Hunter made an annoyed sound before picking at his food. Moondancer, however, ignored him as her magic picked up the other two books. “And this one is one of his more recent books that did much better. Also got him an award too! And this other one is from my personal collection. I have a feeling you might enjoy it.” Stacking the books on top of each other, making sure Hunter’s books were on top, Moondancer slid them over to Wallflower while giving her a small wink.

Feeling a warm glow at being given something from a friend (something that nearly made her eyes water), Wallflower accepted the books while looking at the top cover. Rose Street, Bloody Street was the title. “Thank you. I can’t wait to get started,” she said before turning to look at Hunter with a slight smile. “And I’m glad you got out of that mess ok.”

“Of course he’s ok,” said Lightning with a roll of her eyes. “I mean, he’s sitting right there in one piece. And I should know, I’ve seen every part of him.” This last part was said in a low, yet sultry whisper that left nothing to Wallflower’s imagination to what she meant. Shivering slightly, despite wearing her normal sweater, Wallflower leaned back in her seat while her cheeks darkened.

As the group paused in their conversation to eat more of their food, Wallflower looked around the café noticing a change from last night with many of the thestrals. It seemed like there were more couples sitting around then there had been the night before. Some of them were in the traditional stallion and mare, while others were just two mares. There were even a few pairs of stallions who seemed really close. Wallflower also noted a large number of herds as well sitting around them, walking in front of the café, or soaring overhead. What caught her attention was that she remembered many of these mares wearing the same heart shaped pendant that she was wearing now. Only now that pendant was gone, their necks bare. Was there some meaning behind this?

What’s more, Wallflower also noticed a few of the thestrals looking at her again. No longer were they doing everything possible to avoid looking at her or giving her the cold shoulder. Nor were they giving her hateful looks. But it wasn’t the same look that many had given her when she first arrived. It just seemed like they were curious to see what she did next. Perhaps it was because she had stopped trying to give out fliers or shoving them in other ponies faces. Maybe they thought she had given up trying to recruit them into the Sol, thus relaxing themselves around her a little at a time.

Only she hadn’t given up. Not really. Last night, er, day, she had just had a moment of weakness as she was bound experiencing new sensations that affected her thinking! That was all, right? Yes, that had to be it! She was still in this little deal.

So as she chewed her food, she wondered how she should proceed. She needed to make a dent in their armor, the same way they had done to her. But how should she go about it without outing them in public? If she did that, then she would have gone back on her word and lost all trust she had gained with them. Worse, they would hate her for sure! And she really didn’t want that.

Suddenly an idea came to mind. “So, you never told me how you all got into, well, you know,” said Wallflower. As the three looked at her, Wallflower took one hoof to the other running a line over where the cuffs had been before bringing that same hoof to her neck. As they watched her, Wallflower felt like patting herself on the back. Now she could gather more insight into how ponies got into such an impure lifestyle! There was even a good chance that she would be able to point out that they were pressured into it or something!

Thankfully, the three of them understood Wallflower’s meaning. “Oh,” said Moondancer with a wave of her hoof. “Well it’s nothing all that dramatic. I just happened to find a misplaced book in the library one day. Turned out to be a book about, well, that sort of thing. And at first I dismissed it, but as time passed the more curious I became.”

“I’ve always had a rather overactive imagination,” admitted Hunter with a small, sheepish smile. Wallflower frowned at that, not really satisfied with such simplistic answers. It couldn’t be that simple, could it? Then again, her imagination was what created the whole slave pony for sale thing. Dreaming about being sold in front of hundreds of ponies, bound and exposed. Dreaming about being collared, feeling happy that she now belonged to somepony who wanted her while feeling safe that she-

Quickly, Wallflower bit her inner lip as she began to sink back into the perversion that were her dreams while her most private areas began to grow warm. Cheeks darkening, she turned to look at Lightning finding a very odd sight. Lightning, normally the most open and the one whom Wallflower thought would be the loudest on this subject was now displaying an uncharacteristic silence. Her head was downcast, staring at the table with wide eyes.

“Lightning, are you ok?” asked Wallflower, watching as the pegasus’ head shot up.

“What?” asked Lightning, blinking a little as she looked around. Wallflower noticed it as well, Hunter and Moondancer were looking at their herdmate with worried expressions on their face. Her wings ruffled a bit as Lightning’s cheeks began to darken before beginning to shove as much food into her mouth as quickly as possible. As the fork became nothing more than a blur, Lightning’s cheeks beginning to puff from not being able to chew or swallow fast enough to keep up, Wallflower worried that she had gone too far. She hadn’t meant to upset Lightning and neither of the others seemed to think this as well for they shot her an equally worried look. Still she had caused this so it was only right that she take some responsibility.

“Lightning, if it’s too much you don’t have to-” Lightning suddenly spit out her food, silencing Wallflower on the spot. She then turned to look at the green earth mare, eyes now narrowed.

“Too much? You think that something like that is-” This time, she was the one being interrupted by Hunter. All he did was place a hoof on her shoulder, causing the mare to turn and look at him. The stallion remained silent, only pointing his other hoof at the mess she had just made allowing her to understand. Slowly, Lightning began to slump in her seat. “It’s a little complicated for me. I was, sort of, born into this.”

“If it’s private, then you can just leave it there and I’ll understand,” said Wallflower truthfully.

However, Lightning shook her head. “It’s cool. My Den Mo-, er, I mean I was told that it might help me out if I get this all off my chest. And I trust all of you.” Once more, Wallflower felt her cheeks darkening as something warm filled inside of her. Only, it wasn’t in the space between her legs but rather in her chest. A warm ball that started out small but quickly grew within the span of seconds.

“I…I’m not like Hunter or Moondancer,” began Lightning as she took her drink with her hooves, quickly taking a sip. “I didn’t stumble into this lifestyle. Instead I was born into it.” Wallflower’s eyes widened at this admission and, judging by the looks on Hunter and Moondancer, they were just as surprised as well. “See, my mom and, grr, dad met each other at a... well you know. They were both new to the whole, my mom being a young mare from Los Pegasus while that utter bastard came from Cloudsdale. He had ties to the cloud factory and a few connections to politics yadda yadda while my mom worked her hooves off washing dishes for the hotels. So they were sort of from different worlds. From what my mom told me, they tried to see each other whenever they could and planned a lot of their scenes via the mail so that when they were together they didn’t waste a second. My mom, she trusted him like no other stallion she had ever met before. Did things with him and nopony else since. Heh, even thought that one day they might become something more ‘official’.

“Then, well, they became careless. I never asked for the details since I’m smart enough to know how foals are made. Maybe it was in the heat of the moment or whatever, but they bucked pretty hard while my mom was in heat. She told me she was pretty shocked when she found out, but decided to keep me because she knew I’d be an awesome foal! And she wanted that sack of crap to be a part of our lives, even if he didn’t want to marry her. Because my mom is awesome like that. And, if you have been paying any attention to how I’ve been talking about that waste of airspace, you can probably guess how that turned out.”

Wallflower found her hooves reaching to cover her mouth as Lightning paused to down the last of her drink. She had never, never heard of any parent doing something like that back home! To use a mare like that, make her feel special and loved, and then what? Kick her to the curb? That was sickening! That was far worse than anything they had been doing prior. So much so that it didn’t matter to Wallflower what they had done! All she could see in her head was a mare who looked like an older version of Lightning, in a panic as she tried to raise her little filly all by herself with no help. If she could fly and walk on clouds, she’d head over there just to kick the flank of the asshole. And judging by the expressions on the other two, they felt the same way.

“I can’t believe he said no!” spat Moondancer.

Lightning let out a hollow laugh. “Oh, he didn’t just say no,” she said darkly. “He threw a fit, pinning all the blame on my mom. See, that pile of manure in the shape of a pony had plans for the future that he never told my mom about. He wanted to run for office, a position of real power and not the ‘pretend’ power he had while he was with my mom. The plan was that, once he was ready to run for office, he’d wash his hooves of my mom and everything they had been doing. Because if anypony ever found out what he had been doing with my mom, that would be the end of his dreams. And those dreams were more important to him than anything else. So he thought that my mom had found out about it and claimed that she got herself pregnant just so he would be forced to take them along for the ride! Like she would ever, ever do something like that. Mom said he had a really bad temper. Maybe that’s where I…I…I got it from.” Tears were now beginning to appear in Lightning’s eyes as she spoke, hooves shaking. Wallflower quickly began to scan the table, looking for a napkin. After finding one, she turned to wipe the tears from her friend’s eye only to find Moondancer doing the same thing, her horn alight with magic as it held the napkin in its hold. As for Hunter, he had reached out a wing and a hoof to pull Lightning closer to him.

“Hey, you’re safe here,” Wallflower heard him whisper. “We got you.”

Lightning sniffed loudly. “He hurt her,” she managed to say as more tears appeared. “I heard all about it. She managed to call for help using her bell and they stopped him.” Wallflower didn’t know what this bell was or how it summoned any sort of help, but she was just glad whoever came did so in time.

Wallflower didn’t know how long she sat there, watching Hunter comfort Lightning while feeling conflicting emotions within herself. On one hoof, she felt like this somewhat proved her point. That all of that impure, sadistic behavior of tying up ponies and hurting them for pleasure had helped to create somepony like that. She wanted to stand up right now and point this out to Lightning, telling her she needed to get out of this lifestyle before the same thing happened to her. But, on the other hoof, there was guilt. If what Lightning was saying was true, and Wallflower had no reason to believe she was lying, then there was a good chance that her father was afraid of what the Sol might do to him if they ever found out. They would have plastered his filthy conduct all over Cloudsdale, making sure everypony there knew what he was doing behind closed doors. Shaming him until he lost everything. Perhaps…Perhaps fear of losing one’s dreams, possessions, and respect of others can drive ponies into doing horrible things. Not that she was making excuses for that bastard!

“So what happened after that?” asked Wallflower once Lightning seemed to have calmed down a bit, one of the wait staff coming over to give Lightning a glass of water.

“Well, that was the last time they saw each other,” said Lightning after taking a loud gulp. She reached out with both hooves, taking the glass of water before downing half of it in one go. “It wasn’t easy for her, raising me all by herself. But she had help. Many of the,” she paused there for a moment, giving Wallflower a brief look as she seemed to choose her next words very carefully. “Some of the ponies she knew who also liked that sort of stuff helped her out a lot. Checking up on her, watching me when she had to go to work, donating whatever they could. They were a big help. I don’t think my mom, awesome as she is, would have been able to get through those rough first couple of years without them.” Saying all this seemed to cheer Lightning up a little as if she were suddenly remembering found memories. Wallflower found herself smiling as well, glad that things hadn’t been too hard on them. Glad they had help. But also saddened once again by the realization that the Sol would have never of done anything like that for the mother and her foal. More likely they would have tried to separate the two, pressuring Foal Protective Services. Honestly, after all that, she could understand why somepony like Lightning would never join the Sol.

“So, what happened to your father?” asked Moondancer. Wallflower turned to look at the unicorn, a serious look on her face. “Did you ever find out who he was or…”

“Yeah, I found out,” said Lightning.

“Oh,” said Moondancer. “Does this mean we can never go to Cloudsdale? Can’t imagine that you wouldn’t have tried ramming your hoof through his head after finding out who he was. No doubt there’s a standing warrant for your arrest.”

Wallflower’s eyes widened at this statement, but even more so when she heard Lightning laugh. “Don’t worry four-eyes, nothing happened,” said Lightning, causing both Hunter and Moondancer to smile. “I mean, I did run into the asshole one day in Cloudsdale. I was young, just there for a tour along with the rest of my class. And there he was, standing off to the side looking like Princess Celestia had smeared shit under his nose and ordered him never to clean it off! I approached him, wanting to ask him so many questions before hitting him in the dick. But he recognized me as soon as he saw me. Told me to stay away, that that life was over and all I was nothing more than an unwanted byproduct.” Lightning then grinned. “He then began to get a little too close and my teacher spotted him. Must of thought he was doing something he shouldn’t because she screamed something before bucking a cloud so that lightning hit his flank. Ahh, I’ll never forget his scream or the look on his face as Ms. Dewdrop led me away, asking if he touched me someplace he shouldn’t.” This got a good chuckle out of everyone at the table, including Wallflower.

“I had thought about going back to see him after I found out I was going to the Academy,” continued Lightning as she toyed with her glass a little. “It was a nice little dream. Me as a Wonderbolt stopping at his house, showing how far I got without him in my life. Rub that in his face. But I quickly dropped it.”

“Why’s that?” asked Hunter.

“His life was already crap and falling apart all around him,” explained Lightning with a shrug. “Found out about it the day after I got my letter. Seems he got himself into a minor office, got married, had some foals with her. Honestly seemed like he was getting everything he ever wanted until that temper came back to bite him in the flank. His wife had been seen with a couple of black eyes over the years creating some nasty rumors. I don’t know if her friends finally managed to convince her to press charges or it just reached a point where she couldn’t take it anymore. All I know is that when she took the asshole’s sorry flank to court, a whole bunch of ponies who had worked for him came forward, talking about how he would throw stuff when he got angry. Which was nearly all the time. In the end he lost everything. Lost the position he longed for, his nice home, and his family. Bet he needs supervised visits just to see his foals, if he’s even allowed near them. Honestly, with all the salt being rubbed into his wounds I doubt he would feel it.”

“Oh, well I’m glad-” began Moondancer.

“So then I thought of something far better!” said Lighting, interrupting Moondancer who mumbled something that sounded like ‘there it is’. “I started thinking about how great it would feel if he came crawling back to me after I became a Wonderbolt. There he’d be, bit less and homeless, hoping the rising star of the Wonderbolts would take pity on him. Throw him some bits or even a place to stay. Only for me to say I don’t know who he is because my father was never there for me!” Lightning then slumped in her seat. “Well, that will never happen.”

Lightning then let out a sigh before getting off her pillow and moving away from the table. “Hey, Hunter, I…I think I’m going to see my mom tonight. She’s working at, well, you know. No doubt she’ll be getting off around the time I get there and, well, I don’t know how long I’ll be there.”

Hunter gave her a nod. “Alright. Thank you for telling us,” he said in a soft tone.

Lightning smiled back, giving him a nod. “Maybe I’ll also see my Den,” she began before cutting off. “I mean, better speak to my shrink about this as well. Hmm, maybe I should stop by the gym and tell them the next class is canceled. Sure those lazy shits would love it.” With that, Lightning took off leaving a zig-zagging trail in her wake.

“Well,” said Moondancer as she rose. “I think I’ll be heading off as well. Lunch period is almost over.” Hunter didn’t say a word, instead kissing Moondancer goodbye. Wallflower watched the kiss, which seemed more like a kiss two ponies had before they got intimate. Really, really intimate! Wallflower just sat there, feeling the burning between her legs growing as she felt jealous of the passion Hunter was bestowing upon the Moondancer. What shocked her the most was that, for a moment, she wished she was in Moondancer’s place. That she was the one being kissed like this, in public for all of Equestria to see. When it ended and Moondancer turned around, Wallflower thought she saw Moondancer’s pussy winking. But maybe she was mistaken since it was only briefly before her tail returned to its spot, covering her sex completely.

For a moment, the two sat there at the table. Hunter smiling at her while she smiled back, albeit a nervous and awkward one. She was sitting here, alone with a stallion. It was so unlike back when they were in the shop for some reason that Wallflower could not place her hoof on. Perhaps it was because it felt more like a date now that it was just the two of them. But, like she had told Granny, there was no way he could see her like that. So at most they were just two friends getting to know each other better. Only she had no idea on what to say or how to act. As the seconds ticked by, Wallflower felt more and more like a fool wishing she could find the courage just to excuse herself.

Thankfully, Hunter broke the tension. “So where did you come up with that idea yesterday?” he asked.

“Y-Yesterday?” stammered Wallflower, feeling her cheeks warming up so much that they could melt steel. Nervously she glanced around at the tables and servers around her to see if anypony was watching or listening in on them. Thankfully, they were all still engrossed with what was going on at their own tables paying no attention to them. Turning back around, Wallflower saw that Hunter had moved so that he was now sitting next to her.

“I’m just curious where you came up with that idea,” he said in a low voice, not going into any specifics. No doubt to make sure that if anypony did overhear them they would have no idea what they were talking about. “Somehow I doubt you read it in a book given that, well, you being in the Sol and all.”

“Ah, well,” began Wallflower in a nervous tone, biting her lower lip slightly. “The truth is I don’t know where I got the idea from either. Just sort of dreamt it up after I saw you, ah, you know.” Her cheeks flushed again. “I guess you’re not the only one who has an active imagination.”

Hunter gave a short laugh at that. “It seems so,” he said with a smile, making Wallflower feel a bit more at ease. It was nice, sitting there and admitting this sort of thing with no judgment. That she could trust him to tell him whatever was on her mind, her thoughts, her fears, her whatevers. It was…nice.

“Has your imagination been acting up after that?” he then asked, a sly smile on his face. Wallflower gave him a nod before going into her last dream. He sat there, listening as she spoke trying her best to give every detail she could remember. The heat of the sun on her flank, the way Barkmoore pulled on her reins, how she tried to watch the scenes as they changed while riding in the chariot. Must to her own surprise, she mentioned that he was the stallion that had bought her. That, in her dreams, he was her Master. When she said this, Wallflower thought for sure he would be shocked. That he would say that they had gone too far, that they needed to stop since she was getting the wrong idea about them. That he would never want to be her Master.

It surprised her how happy she felt when he didn’t say any of that.

“Impressive,” he said when she had finished, causing Wallflower’s heart to flutter. “You do have an imagination. Heh, you’re even giving me ideas.”

“Oh,” said Wallflower. “L-Like what?” Hunter didn’t respond right away. Instead he leaned close to her, their bodies touching. Gently he moved some of her mane out of the way with a hoof before his mouth was placed close to her ear.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered, his voice now husky and commanding. A small squeak escaped Wallflower’s mouth, but it wasn’t a nervous one nor was it a sound that begged him to back away. No, her heart was racing in her chest as she did as he commanded her to do. “Sit still and listen to my voice. Block everything else out as you envision all that I tell you. Feel as though you are really there.” Wallflower didn’t move, wishing she could nod to let him know that she understood. But it seemed he understood, for he began to speak.

The chariot landed on top of the mountain overlooking the desert village. The villa, no, the entire area before looked like it had been once carved out from the mountain side using craftsponyship that superseded everything she had seen before. Before her was a large open courtyard with part of the mountain hanging high overhead as if in order to provide the welcome shade from the hot sun without feeling cramped. But despite all the space, it felt very Spartan, making Wallflower feel tiny and insignificant. At first, the only things that Wallflower could see within this courtyard were two rows of rocky pillars, completely smooth with images of carved into them leading towards a large three story manor that looked like it was sticking out of the mountain. As Wallflower began to take all this in, she noticed that there was something else there: a pool. The pool lay almost directly in the middle between where the chariot had landed and the manor, rectangular and large. Large enough for a dozen ponies to swim freely without fear of bumping into each other.

“Get moving pony,” growled Barkmoore as he tugged on Wallflower’s reins, forcing her out of the chariot and onto the smooth, polished floor. Looking down, Wallflower might have mistaken it for marble for it easily reflected everything. And that included her privates. Seeing this, Wallflower quickly tucked her tail closer to her in order to provide a barrier, a shield to block her pussy from being so easily viewed as she was led forward.

As the two made their way closer, Wallflower began to take in the sights of the others that were in the courtyard. A few of them that Wallflower noticed looked like they belonged in Equestrian high society, wearing the fanciest clothing as they stood around talking to each other with their noses slightly raised. There were also a couple of guards posted here and there, mostly hiding in between the pillars as they kept an eye on everything.

The rest, however, were clearly slaves and all of them mares. Wallflower saw one, a pink unicorn whose mane was an even lighter shade of her coat with a yellow stripe down the middle. This unicorn had cuffs on her hooves, a bit and bridle, a band around her dock to keep her tail flagged, saddle, and an anti-magic ring firmly placed on her horn. The poor mare moved slowly, Wallflower seeing a large pink dildo sticking out of her cunny as well as a large green plug in her ponut. Her bridle had blinders on either side forcing her to turn her head from side to side to see what was around her, the word ‘servant’ written in elegant cursive on them. Chains came down from her blinders as well as her saddle, connecting to a tray holding a large teapot as well as fancy cups. The slave moved from noble to noble, silently offering them a drink. There was another slave, a midnight blue pegasus, who was dressed similarly to the unicorn with the only change being binding on her wings to keep them folded as well as massive teats that nearly touched the ground. The pegasus followed behind the unicorn, waiting patiently as the nobles took their tea before swatting the unicorn serving them away. The pegasus slave was halted after that, the nobles making a gesture with their hooves. It seemed this gesture meant ‘stand on your hind hooves’ for that was what the pegasus did, swaying as she fought to keep herself from falling backwards. Wallflower heard the nobles laugh at this as their tea floated besides them, reaching out with their hooves to squeeze the mare’s teats sending thin streams of milk into their cups.

Quickly, Wallflower turned away to look at the other maids as they worked. Nearly all of them were dressed the same with minor differences here or there. One maid, an earth pony, had a ball gag in her mouth with a feather duster sticking out of it which she used to clean whatever she could find. Another mare, a unicorn again, had a tray of food on top of her saddle. The tray also had thin chains attached to its end which ran all the way to the poor mare’s cunny, connecting to ring piercing so that they kept her hole open.

A whimper escaped Wallflower as she moved closer to the pool. Was this to be her fate? A bound servant, sexualized and humiliated? With each step of her hooves, Wallflower found her heart racing as she imagined what sort of slave her new Master would make her. Would he have her bringing drinks or treats to his guests or would he make her a milking mare, expanding her teats to a humiliating level. Or perhaps she would be like that mare with the gag in her mouth, just a cleaning pony. With all this, it surprised her that none of the ponies were making use of the slaves. Pressing them against the pillars and filling their holes with their cocks.

Now, as the two walked parallel to pool water, close enough for them to see their reflections in the crystal clear liquid, Lord Hunter came out of the manor. Unlike his guests, the stallion had forgone the need to wear anything. Not that she blamed him given how hot it felt. As he moved, his wings extended to their full length as if he were ready to take flight at any moment. Only he didn’t, walking closer to the pair with a hungry, powerful look in his eyes that made him seem like the alpha predator. Like he would leap at them when they least expected it.

Walking behind him were two more slaves, a unicorn and a pegasus. While she could only see their fronts, Wallflower could tell that neither of them were wearing the same attire as the other slaves. There were no bridles, no blinders to keep them looking forward like beasts of burden. Instead, both mares wore see through veils with tiny golden bangles dangling from the bottoms. Below that were golden bands around their neck which, as they came closer, Wallflower realized were collars! Locks swung from the middle, both shaped like hearts while also bearing Lord Hunter’s cutie mark. A few golden bans were wrapped around their forelegs, each one having a gem of some kind in the middle, with cloth coming out of it and running up towards something on their backs. Above their veils, Wallflower noticed only one thing that was similar on both: ear tags. Each of the two had a long tag that looked almost like it was made out of a ruby or something with dangled down. Only the unicorn had one additional piece of jewelry: a golden ring around her horn with a red gem in the middle.

“There she is,” said Lord Hunter, finally folding his wings as he drew near. His focus was on her, smiling in a way that sent shivers down her spine. But, shockingly, in a good way. “There’s my new slave. I have been waiting for you.” He then turned to look at Barkmoore, the smile on his face vanishing. “You were expected to arrive earlier.”

Barkmoore shrugged. “Dumb dirt pony move slow,” he said crudely, tugging at Wallflower’s reins. The poor mare was taken aback by this, stumbling forward and nearly landing on the ground. Head down, the mare took several deep breaths as she steadied herself while not wishing to look at either of the two as Barkmoore continued to talk. “Nothing more than mound of dirt, it is. So many better, pretty ponies to buy.”

As Wallflower tried to bite her lower lip through the bit, Lord Hunter moved forward. “Like all the other trash you send me?” he stated. Looking up in surprise, Wallflower saw that her Master was using one of his wings to gesture to several of the servant mares walking about. “Pretty, perhaps. But none of them have that gleam that makes them special. That fire hidden deep inside. This one, however,” Wallflower gasped as she felt her owner’s wing touch her face. It soon wrapped around her jaw, guiding her gaze so that she looked into his eyes. “This one is a rare treat. An emerald hidden within the dunes. All she needs is to be cleaned up so that she can sparkle.”

After tossing Barkmoore a bag (no doubt containing his bits), Lord Hunter clopped his hooves together several times. At once everypony, both noble and slave alike, began to move in their direction. The nobles were soon in front, standing in a semi-circle formation with their heads still slightly raised and their slightly curious gaze upon Wallflower. As for the servants, they were in the back bowing so that their heads were touching the floor and their flanks high into the air as if asking to be mounted.

As Hunter began to step in front of her, Wallflower saw the other two mares move to either side of her allowing Wallflower to see what else they were wearing. Both of them had on thongs, the bands made of thin golden chains while the material covering their foalholes was the same see through material as their veils. This created only a slight barrier and minor obstruction to keep their privates private as their tails were flagged. Their hind legs also had golden bands on them, with cloth running up to a cloth saddle on their backs. Wallflower only briefly registered that there was a small array of items on their backs for her attention was taken by what was below. The earth mare felt her mouth suddenly dry up as she saw that both of their teats and clits were pierced, small golden hearts dangling from each.

“Thank you all for coming here today,” said Lord Hunter, speaking to the group while extending his wings once again. “It is not everyday that I find such a treasure from the slavers. Witness as she becomes one of my most prized possessions!”

As her Master turned around to face her, Wallflower felt new heat on her face. His eyes were locked onto her; firm, unblinking eyes that seemed to dominate her. So much so that Wallflower barely registered that her bridle was being removed. Without ceremony it was tossed to the side before a golden collar exactly like the ones the other two mares were wearing was placed in the stallion’s hooves. The only two who were wearing them as far as Wallflower knew. Her Master held it up so she as well as all the other guests could see it, using a wing to bush her mane out of the way. Any normal mare would have tried something to get away at this moment. Yet, Wallflower could only stand there as her eyes fixated on the metal band which would soon be around her neck. The metal band which would forever mark her as his treasure. Treasure, something priceless and sought after. Something to be prized. And he was going to make her that, in front of all these ponies!

As she stood there, legs trembling a bit, Wallflower could feel the other two mares in action. One of them was working on her tail, lifting it up so that her now dripping sex was exposed. The other was putting on the bikini bottom. Oh, Wallflower could feel the thin golden chain on her flank followed by the see through cloth pressing against her foalhole. Bracelets were placed on her legs followed by the silken saddle that felt so good. As the two worked, her Master continued to move her mane out of the way, over to one side. Once he was done, a veil was placed in front of her mouth.

With all her might, Wallflower managed to look at the crowd watching this. No longer did they look as snooty, but instead they were looking in awe of her. But, that couldn’t be right…could it? She was just a plain old wallflower, a nopony. Yet it seemed at any moment, one of them would stand and demand that her Master sell her to them. And somehow, Wallflower knew deep down that this stallion who was her Master would never do that. That made her nethers quiver with delight.

“I know you have a flower cutie mark,” whispered Lord Hunter as he brought the collar closer. “But now, you are so much more. From this day forward, you shall be my Emerald Blossom of the Desert.” Wallflower made a noise, one that she didn’t even know she could make, as she stood there closing her eyes in acceptance of the collar. It wasn’t because she knew escape was hopeless, for there was no way she could get away with many ponies watching her. There was something more, something she did not understand until she heard the click of the collar around her neck.

A soft moan escaped Wallflower’s lips as the lock swung from side to side against her chest. Now she truly belonged to somepony. Somepony who wanted her, her above some many other prettier ponies. Ponies like Pearly. But why-

There was a slight pain in Wallflower’s ear before it was suddenly weighed down. Slightly panicked, Wallflower looked to her side to see that her ear had been tagged with the same ruby that the other two mares wore. Slowly a mirror was brought over to her, levitated by the unicorn’s magic along with a set of heart shaped rings. No doubt the final touch. But her focus was on the mirror, for in it she saw the reflection of the tag as well as the words written in it in elegant cursive letters. ‘Breeding’.

Lord Hunter took one of the-

“Stop,” whispered Wallflower, her breathing quickening as she came out of the dream. Quickly she reached forward to grab her cup before downing the contents in the hopes that it would put out the burning, glowing feeling inside her. But it did nothing.

“Sorry,” said Hunter, a sheepish smile on his face. “I think I might have gone a little too far there.”

At first, Wallflower didn’t reply. Instead she sat there, going over everything in her head. For the most part, all he had done was detail what she was seeing. It was so detailed that Wallflower almost felt the heat of the sun against her coat, the wind blowing through her mane, and the feeling of cloth against her fur. Everything was so clear in her mind. But not everything she saw came from him. How she felt belonged to her. Hunter had never mentioned how she felt when she saw the other slaves, when she whimpered in fear, or…how she had closed her eyes in acceptance of the collar. By all that was pure in Equestria, she had no idea how she would have felt that way. But she did and even now her private area was slightly wet, almost the same as in the fantasy she had just come from. But…

“Did you mean that?” she asked in a low whisper, head ducking downward a little as she spoke. She was too embarrassed to look at him right now.

“That you were an Emerald Flower in the Desert?” guessed Hunter, cocking his head a little.

“No,” said Wallflower quickly. Perhaps too quickly. “Well yeah. I mean maybe! You-” Wallflower paused to bite her lower lip before she could say it. The part in the fantasy he had created that stunned her more than anything. “I…I mean, did you want to breed me? Or was that…I-I can understand if you were getting carried away with all that. Y-You w-were pretty into it so-”

“I meant it,” said Hunter. Wallflower’s fur was almost completely red with shock and embarrassment as she turned to look at Hunter. He looked back, a very serious look on his face as he reached out a hoof to move some strands of her mane out of the way. “You’re definitely my type of mare. If you were a member of my herd, and you were ready for that step, I would breed you for as long as you wanted.” His eyes then softened a bit as a wing wrapped around her barrel, pulling her a little closer. He did so gently, in more of a reassuring manner than anything else and it was only then at Wallflower realized that she had tears in her eyes. “But don’t worry, I’ll never make you do anything you don’t want to. I won’t bring it up again if it bothers you that much.”

“No…I mean….I just…,” stammered Wallflower, her head feeling a little dizzy right now. “Nopony has ever said that to me. I’ve never even been kissed and…and…”

Wallflower felt Hunter’s wing squeeze her a little, causing her to look up. Hunter’s head was so close, his eyes locked onto hers. A sudden urge swept over her, Wallflower’s eyes closing as she moved her lips closer to Hunter’s. She did so fearfully, as if expecting him to refuse her. To say that he was just… she didn’t know what! Mocking her? Leading her on, but wouldn’t be caught dead kissing her in public? But all those fears vanished as she, a member of the Sol, kissed him in public.

Her first kiss. How could she describe it? It was soft, their lips pressing together sending warm tingly feelings through her body. She felt his tongue entering her half close mouth, the sensation it created was like nothing else she had ever felt. The world around her melted away as she felt his tongue sliding around her mouth to taste everything it could. And, slowly, she began to do the same. She could taste the strawberries and kiwis he had for lunch! Everything in this moment was so personal. That she was opening up to another, truly opening herself to another. Oh by everything pure, how could something like this be wrong? HOW?!? Perhaps it was because she now wanted to do nothing more than remain lip locked with this stallion.

But, alas, it ended. Far too soon in her opinion for Hunter pulled away before resting his forehead against hers. “So, how was your first kiss?” he asked.

“G-Good,” she whispered, the world still so far away.

“Alright,” he said while his lips reached her ear. A shudder went through her body as she felt his breath against it. “If you want, we can kiss again when you come over tonight. Just think about what else you want to do.”

Slightly dizzy from the kiss, Wallflower reached a hoof down towards the flier in her sweater. She then looked him in the eye. “I want to dance for you,” she whispered.

Author's Note

Soooooooooooooo, a little problem here. I was hoping that I would be able to finish this story by Feb 14...but it looks like that won't be happening. Not without cutting this story really short. Sorry all. But I will be working on this story more often

Praise

Hunter soared through the air below the canopy as he headed towards Hollow Shades Elementary. The building stood in the middle of a clearing away from other buildings, three stories tall, circular, and made of the same dark wood as all of the other buildings within their forested town. Yet during this time of year, more festive coloring had been added to it. The rows of large arcing Princess Celestia sized windows were now laced with large pink hearts. Bats flew around, many of them holding red and pink paper hearts in their little feet as they flew around the building making slight chirping noises and squeaks. One or two of these bats even had little boxes of those heart shaped candies which they dropped on the heads of fillies and colts heading out the windows on their way home as the buzzer sounded.

Managing to maneuver around the swarm of youthful thestrals, Hunter paused to watch them pass. Some of them had lunch boxes which they held in their mouths, looking slightly down at the moment. Others looked elated as they carried in their tiny fanged mouths small paper hearts, their own lunch boxes stuffed within their saddle bags which appeared to almost be bursting. A grin appeared on Hunter’s face as he remembered back in the night when he was that age when he had gotten his first heart from a young filly. He could understand why those without the hearts looked so down, but he wasn’t that worried. They still had time before Hearts and Hooves ended.

It was several minutes later when the last two left the school: a colt and a filly who were flying so close that they were nuzzling their cheeks together. Again Hunter smirked at the sight, silently wishing them both the best of luck before he headed into the building.

Now inside, Hunter landed inside a classroom which also had been decorated for the season. On the ceiling, the school’s trained spiders had been at work constructing a web above the student’s heads. Without any difficulty, Hunter could make out several shapes within the webs. There were a few hearts, but most of the images depicted pairs kissing. A colt and a filly, a filly and a filly, and even a pair of colts with their lips firmly locked. On the walls were a few large posters with the princess of love herself, depicted as bringing two young ponies together with her wings. It had been kind of Princess Cadence to travel here and pose for these posters along with young thestrals. For a moment he did wonder what the rest of Equestria would say if they ever saw the devious look in the mare’s eyes or the slight smile she had on her lips as she looked down on the two young thestrals. Or the look the two foals were giving each other. But the thought passed as quickly as it came.

Posters and other such holiday decorations were things that most ponies would expect, perhaps universal in all schools throughout Equestria. But here in Hollow Shades there were other changes for the holiday that were hard not to notice. Like, for example, how the room felt more open and spacious as all of the desks had been removed. In their place, heart shaped bean bags were placed in the room large enough for two of the little ones to lay on. Just looking around Hunter could see that some of them still had the indents of their occupants. Near each of the bean bags were a pair of clipboards which lay haphazardly on the floor, no doubt left there as the students ran out the window on their way home.

While the room was cleared of all the fillies and colts that did not mean that it was empty. In a corner of the room was Moondancer, using her magic to put away pink rectangular boxes on a nearby shelf. Her back was turned to Hunter, but no doubt she had heard him landing as she spared a brief glance so she could see who it was out of the corner of her eye. Briefly, Hunter could make out a small smile and a twinkle in the eye of his nerdy sub before she quickly turned her head to look forward. Perhaps she was hoping that Hunter would sneak up on his ‘unsuspecting’ mare before taking her within this empty classroom.

“Let’s see, where does this one go?” said Moondancer aloud, ears flattening against her head as she spoke. While Hunter couldn’t see it, he could tell there was a slight smirk on her face as her magic began to levitate things more slowly. She then began to hum, as if she were thinking about something intently while her flank shook a little. Her tail even raised a little as she did this, her moist sex appearing for small instances. Even from where he stood, Hunter could catch whiffs of her need at the moment.

A small smile of his own appeared on the stallion’s face. “Sorry Moondancer, but you’re going to have to wait,” he said as he approached his nerdy mare. Boxes dropped around her as Moondancer turned around, a look similar to betrayal on her face.

“B-But,” she stammered as her Master now stood in front of her, straightening himself to appear more in command. Seeing this, Moondancer lowered her head a little while giving him a pleading look. “Please. Tonight’s class was all about sex and…and I’m teaching them about pleasuring themselves.” She paused to moisten her throat, Hunter taking this moment to pick up one of the boxes. Through the plastic window, he could see a bright pink vibrating egg in its casing. Nothing at the level that one would find in the Clocktower, but something simple for one’s first time.

For a moment, Hunter remained silent as he licked his lips. It was so tempting right now to take Moondancer right here. To throw her onto the desk as she used her magic to make sure they weren’t interrupted. To lay in with the dirty talk while spreading her legs apart before an empty classroom, ordering her to imagine her class was there watching their horny teacher. To cum on her deck and force her to lick it up before coating her entire body with his seed! Just to lose themselves in the moment of pleasure. But…

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you like I always do,” said Hunter as he brought a wing to her cheek, slowly tracing her jaw as Moondancer’s eyes closed. Already she was leaning forward while adding a bit more weight to his wing, a soft coo escaping her lips. Then, with agonizing slowness, he pulled his wing back. “I just need you to be a little patient. You can do that for me, can’t you?”

There was a small pout on Moondancer’s face now, her cheeks slightly puffing out that made her look all the more adorable. Yet it didn’t last too long as Moondancer let out a sigh. “Alright then. So, how did the rest of your lunch go with Wallflower?”

“Very productive,” said Hunter as he gestured towards the door with a wing. The nerdy sub nodded before her horn lit up. There was a momentary flash and, when it faded, everything was put away properly as they headed out the door. “We had a nice little chat that helped me learn a bit more about her. I think she might be an exhibitionist.”

“Oh?” said Moondancer, turning to look at him as they went down the hallway. “I had a feeling that that might be the case back in the bedroom. She seemed more excited when we were sitting there, watching her. But how did you come up with-” Her words were cut off as a door slammed behind them followed by the scampering of hooves racing towards them. Neither pony spoke as a small filly whose cutie mark had yet to appear raced past them, quickly saying goodbye to Moondancer as she went. It was only when they were alone again, the filly no longer in sight, did Moondancer continue. “How did you figure it out?”

Hunter smiled slightly. “I asked her where she came up with the idea of that, well, you know,” he said, careful not to say anything where other ears might pick it up. “Apparently her imagination has been acting up ever since she saw us. She had a dream like, well, what we did. And it hasn’t been the only one. She told me that she had another dream where she was brought to ‘me’, squirming slightly in her seat during certain parts. Like when she and the, ah, other mares were being brought into this city and the guards were looking at her. Or when other ponies appeared in our room, watching her. I don’t know if she realized it or not, but when she talked about those moments her voice hitched slightly and her cheeks began to darken.”

“Hmm, I see,” replied Moondancer slowly as the two made their way down a ramp, leading to the first floor and out of the school. There was an odd way she said it that caused Hunter to raise an eyebrow, however when he glanced at her, Moondancer’s face was more thoughtful than anything else. Then, as they made their way out of the building, Moondancer continued. “So, is that how you figured it out? Or was there more?”

“Well, after hearing that I had a pretty good idea,” said Hunter with a nod. “Still, I wanted to make sure so. While she was telling me about her dream my own imagination began to work up and, well, I told her to close her eyes and listen to me. I watched her reactions as I told her about an improved version of the end of her dream.”

“And was I in this little fantasy?” asked Moondancer, a sly look on her face and a hopeful tone in her voice.

Hunter let out a chuckle. “Of course you were,” he said before giving a quick kiss on the cheek, causing his sub to blush. “You were near me the entire time. In fact, you were also in Wallflower’s dream as well.” Moondancer didn’t appear all that surprised, just smiling nodding her head a little to single Hunter to continue. “Basically, you and Lightning were there, dressing up Wallflower in a ‘special’ outfit. In front of a crowd of high end nobles. The reaction I got just confirmed what I believed. You should have seen her! I thought she was going to cum right there at the table! Then, when I was done, I asked her what she wanted to do tonight and she said she wanted to enter that amateur stripping contest. So, yeah, pretty sure she’s into exhibition.” As Moondancer nodded her head Hunter bit his lower lip as he remembered what else had happened during lunch. “Though, I will admit that my fantasy did get a little carried away in one part. It was the outfit ‘you’ and Lightning put on her. I, er, sort of had this idea that a part of it would depict her station… as a breeder.”

Moondancer slowed down a little at that, turning to look at him with a neutral look. “And judging by the fact that you didn’t come flying to me right afterwards to warn me that she was leaving town to report us, she didn’t mind,” said Moondancer, lowering her glasses a little as she spoke.

“Yeah,” said a very amazed Hunter, taken aback a little by this. “In fact, she seemed flattered that I would even consider doing that to her. That I could see her that way. Then one thing led to another and we kissed.”

Moondancer let out a small hum as the two turned a corner which led them into a far busier street. All around them the two could see pairs and groups of thestrals moving from shop to shop, having a good time. Hunter noticed a couple at the local chocolate shop, a blushing mare holding out her tongue as her stallion places a small heart shaped chocolate in the middle of her tongue. Slowly she took the treat in, eyes closed, while her blush deepened just before she looked like she was going to faint. Near them, a group of fillies were trying on different heart shaped glasses and giggling to each other before sharing a few kisses between them. Naturally other shops had customers coming and going, the shops trying to get ponies to buy from them before the big night while those shopping were doing their best to fight the temptation not to spend all their bits right away. Sadly, some of the out of towners were there as well, walking in a group down the street chanting ‘Party! Party!’ over and over again loudly. Why they hadn’t been kicked out of town yet was beyond Hunter, but if he had to guess it was because they were only disturbing the peace right now. That or they had connections in Canterlot that afforded them so protection…but Hunter highly doubted it. They had had Canterlot ponies in Hollow Shades before and their rank never really protected them as much as they thought it would.

“How do you feel about her?” Moondancer asked at last, pulling Hunter from his thoughts. He looked at her, finding a very serious expression on Moondancer’s face.

Hunter didn’t answer right away, looking down at the ground as the two continued to walk. How did he feel about Wallflower? Well, he had been honest with her when she asked if he wanted to breed with her. Wallflower was a very attractive mare in his eyes since she was his type, something he had told both his herd and the mare as well. But there was something more with her than just appearances. From what he had seen from her, Wallflower was a very honest mare with an open mind. She had told them that she was a member of the Sol instead of lying to them and she was willing to give their lifestyle a try, even making this crazy bet to see them halfway. He had no trouble talking to her. So…

“I like her,” said Hunter at last, turning to look at her. “And I’d like it if we all got to know her a bit better.” Moondancer let out another hum causing Hunter to raise an eyebrow. “What about you? Do you not like her?”

“If I didn’t like her then I wouldn’t have loaned her my books,” said Moondancer, perhaps a little too quickly. Her ears flattened against her head as she turned to look in front of her. “It’s just…do you think we’re pushing her a little too much. I mean, somewhere in her mind she’s already thinking of you as, well, you know.”

“Well we ‘clicked’ pretty fast remember?” said Hunter with a slight grin, his wing slightly shoving her shoulder. At the same time, Moondancer’s face turned bright red with steam coming out of her horn. She looked at Hunter, her mouth moving with half formed words coming out.

“T-That was…I mean I was…,” she managed to say while her eyes darted from left to right. “We…You…I guess we were…”

Hunter let out a laugh causing his sub to puff her cheeks again. “Calm down and use your words,” he said in a good humored manner. Moondancer heard this, her ears lifting slightly while a small smile appeared on her face. Though her face still looked a little on the red side, it was slowly fading as she relaxed and composed herself.

“Ok, you have a point,” said Moondancer before letting out a sigh. Briefly she reached to touch her choker with a hoof, a small smile appearing on her face. “We did get together pretty fast after that one session. And Lightning became a part of our lives pretty quickly as well. So if you compare Wallflower to us, then I guess we’re taking it slow with her. Maybe I’m overthinking it.” Moondancer then looked at Hunter with a serious look in her eyes again. “Perhaps I should talk to her. Just to see if there is anything we should worry about.”

Hunter said nothing for a moment, just continuing to walk as he mused over this. Was he worried about what Moondancer said, that on some level Wallflower was starting to think of him as a Master? To be honest: yes and no. On one hoof, her dreams could have been just that: dreams. Just random stuff her mind came up with as she slept. Or her mind was just coming up with fantasies it wanted to try, using Hunter and his herd as characters since she didn’t know anypony else. He also could take her dreams, as well as her admission of said dreams, that she was beginning to see their way of life had some appeal to it. Honestly, he would have been more worried if Wallflower had admitted that she killed Moondancer and Lightning in her dream before having sex with him! On the other hoof, she was walking into a world so unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Feeling powerful things that she had never felt before.

A frown appeared on Hunter’s face as he thought back to that moment before they kissed. He remembered how flustered Wallflower had been when he had told her about his fantasy. And he had meant what he had told her: that if she were a member of his herd and was ready for that next level he would breed her. What he saw in her eyes nearly shocked him. She was crying. Crying because nopony had ever told her anything like that before, thinking she was not even worth noticing, let alone kiss. Nopony deserved to feel like that. Yet, it made her vulnerable to so much to what she was now feeling. No telling what she would do if she thought it would be suddenly yanked away from her.

“Alright,” said Hunter at last. “Just be gentle with her. And see me afterwards.” He added as the two continued to walk, hoping he was making the right decision.

Later, when the sun was just beginning to rise, Wallflower found herself in a small backroom with maybe two dozen or so other mares. The room reminded her of a locker room, with lockers that were five tiers tall and looked so small that one could barely fit a saddle bag in them. Behind her was a bench that stretched the length of the room that looked well polished. On the opposite wall were several make-up stations, each one having a cushion for a mare to sit on as they looked into a mirror with bright lights surrounding it. In this room were two wooden doors in this room, with one leading straight to a washroom that also had a couple of showers. The other door led into the club.

A wave of nervousness washed over Wallflower, her heart racing as opened the locker to see the outfit the club was providing her to wear for the contest. Her legs trembled a bit at the vile fabric, something that only served to remind her what sort of place she was now in. The place she had walked into of her own free will. That soon she would be out there, shaking her flank in front of complete strangers on a stage, exposing her sex for them! What had she been thinking?!? Had she been thinking? The decision to do this had been so sudden that it had surprised her. Now that she was here, she couldn’t help nervously shaking slightly.

But at the same time, Wallflower felt her sex growing moist as she thought about it.

“So, who’re you dancing for?” Wallflower’s ears perked at this, turning to look at the other occupants in the room. Most of them were young, ranging anywhere between just leaving fillyhood and slightly older than Wallflower. There were a few older mares as well, with one looking like she could be in her forties, but still looking highly attractive. Nearly all of them had already put on the attire given to them as they stood around by the mirrors, hoping to get a chance to do some last minute touch ups. Those that hadn’t gotten dressed were complaining that the outfits weren’t ‘sexy’ enough.

“My coltfriend,” answered the other mare as the two stood in line waiting. “He’s going to be sitting near the stage! What about you? Anypony out there come to cheer you on?”

“Just a mare I’ve had my eyes on for a while,” answered the first mare. As she spoke, a devilish grin appeared on her face while her tail rose slightly, as if in anticipation for what was to come. “We’re not together…yet. But I plan on changing that once I give her a very special ‘show’.” Wallflower gulped as she tried to avert her eyes, yet something compelled her to stare. She could see that the mare’s thong as it pressed against her sex, but parting just before it could cover her ponut. The earth mare’s lips trembled as she saw something inside that hole, something that looked like a gem sparkling in the light.

Ahead of the two, a middle aged mare chuckled aloud before turning her head to look at them. “Ah, that brings me back to when I first danced for my husband,” she said before striking a pose. The older mare’s wings extended their full length, nearly pushing two other mares on her sides away. Not that the mare seemed to notice or care as her own flank did a little bounce, revealing her own attire for the briefest of moments. “That was a night to remember. The feeling of the lights on my fur, the beat of the music in my ears, the lustful gazes of everypony out there.” She paused for a moment to let out a short giggle. “Not to mention the feeling of his cock against my belly after I stepped down to give him a very personal lap dance! With how fast we flew to get to his home, we could have been made Wonderbolts. Hopefully we get to relive that ‘not so little’ experience tonight!”

“Hurry up mom,” came another, younger voice. Looking over to where it came from, Wallflower saw a mare in her late teens tapping her hoof while her narrow eyes remained glued onto a mare fixing up her mane. “You’ve been in front of the mirror for like forever!” The older mare said nothing at first, just continuing to work on her mane. Now Wallflower had to bite her lower lip as it seemed that the younger mare was not calling her ‘mom’ as an insult for the two shared far too many features. Same mane color, coat color, their faces looked almost identical except for a few lines under the eyes of the older.

“I just want to make sure we knock them dead dear,” said the older mare, grinning into the mirror before blowing a kiss at it. “Mmmmm, those horny out-of-towners won’t know what hit them. Hopefully one of them can provide a good rut for more than three minutes.”

Conflicting feelings began to run through Wallflower’s mind and body as she stood there, the lone earth pony within this small locker room. On one hoof, this place was just about the picture perfect vision of lunacy that the Sol sought to destroy! A place that should have been making Wallflower feel utterly sick to her stomach. She knew what she should do: leave this place so quickly that nopony would notice that she didn’t even give an excuse before hopping on a chariot to round up every member of the Sol so they could begin to cleanse this place. If there was any place that deserved such a fate, this was it! It was far worse than what was going on in Hunter’s house because, to be fair, it was his house and his bedroom. But this was a business that allowed sexual deviants to seduce those who walked through their doors, letting these mares rob them of their purity as well as their bits. No doubt making them feel unclean as they left.

Or, at least, that’s how she should only have felt. Because there was something else within her that conflicted with her teachings. On some level… she was admiring these mares! They all seemed so confident in what they wanted, talking about it with no shame or remorse. Looking forward to having fun. By all that was pure in Equestria, when had Wallflower done anything like that? The closest she ever came to was when she was watering the plants, but that was partly out of duty and loneliness. Those mares, the one with the coltfriend and the one with the husband, they were doing this to surprise the ones they loved. Or, at least, she hoped that was the case.

“Hey you,” came a voice, breaking Wallflower from her thoughts. Nervously, Wallflower turned to look at the mare who had spoken to her, seeing a charcoal colored mare standing there with a stern look on her face. As her golden eyes narrowed, Wallflower became aware that the room had gone silent. Briefly glancing to the side, she saw that all of the mares in the room were looking at her before returning to look at the mare.

“Yes?” said Wallflower slowly and carefully while slightly raising one of her hooves. The green mare also did her best to smile, as if hoping it could ease the tension. Only she could feel how unnatural it felt without needing to see it in the mirror.

“You,” said the mare again. “I saw you the other night. You’re that member of the Sol, aren’t you? The one hoofing out fliers and trying to get us to join you!” A loud gasp with one mare even doing an overly dramatic faint, bringing a hoof to her forehead before swooning and landing on the ground. “Yeah, I’m right. I recognize that sweater you’re wearing. Don’t try to deny it!”

“I’m…I’m not going to,” mumbled Wallflower as she felt herself sink closer to the floor, her body beginning to shake with fear as the mares began to surround her. Glancing around, she saw that all of her exits were being blocked by these bat winged ponies. Some were even hovering in the air as if they thought Wallflower would try to leap over them in order to escape. All of their eyes were on her now, narrowing just like the charcoaled mare. Their smiling faces had morphed into something angry, baring their fangs at Wallflower.

“What was the plan Sol bitch?” demanded the charcoal mare, nearly spitting in Wallflower’s face as she spoke. She inched every closer, the hairs of her mane looking like they were about to stand up straight while more of her teeth could now be seen. “Come in here, get our names or cutie marks, and then race back to your buddies so you can fuck up our lives like you do with everypony else?!?” Some of the mares in the room sounded like they were now hissing, their features turning more and more menacing by the second.

“N-N-N-o,” stammered Wallflower in barely a whisper. But she couldn’t say any more than that as she couldn’t understand what was happening. She had thought that the ponies here were warming up to her again. Had she just seen what she wanted to see? Regardless, for the first time ever she feared for her life, wondering if it would end here in this tiny locker room far away from her home.

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” continued the charcoal mare as she stepped even closer, clearly not hearing what Wallflower said as her life began to flash before her eyes. Her very, very lonely life. “See, the Sol thinks they can bully us like they do with the rest of Equestria, then they are sorely mistaken! We’re going to make sure they get the messag-”

“OK everypony, I’m back,” came a sudden voice right after the sound of doors opening broke the tension. As soon as the voice was heard, Wallflower saw that all of the eyes that had been staring at her had grown wide while the rest of their faces took on a more surprised appearance. “I picked up all the sexy lingerie I had in my clearance aisle so if any…pony…wants…what the hay is happening in here?” It was then that the crowd that had surrounded Wallflower began to part slightly, allowing her to see who had entered.

Standing at the doorway leading into the club were two mares. One of them Wallflower recognized instantly as Nighttime. The prostituting mare was standing there, head tilted in confusion as she held a pair of panties in her mouth. But she wasn’t the one who had spoken. No, that had been the mare standing next to her. A mare with a grey coat and a purple mane which had a single black stripe running down the middle. Her golden eyes, which had been wide with confusion for a moment, slowly began to narrow as she surveyed the scene while Nighttime looked like she was sucking on the panties. It…It was an odd duo to say the least.

“P-Passionate,” stammered the charcoal mare. As she spoke, all the other mare’s began to back away slowly as if they were trying to pretend that they had been doing nothing wrong. The charcoal mare began to look around her, her eyes looking terrified that they were all deserting her now. “I-It’s not what you think!”

“Oh really?” said Passionate as she walked closer to the pair. As she did, Wallflower could see that the grey mare had her saddlebags on which were both stuffed to the brim with panties and stockings. “Because it looks like you were harassing an out-of-towner to me!”

Nighttime said, or at least tried to say something but it came out all muffled. Quickly realizing this, the mare flung the panties she was carrying in her mouth into the air which then fell on her mane. “Bad Snuggles!” cried Nighttime as Snuggles cringed a little. “How could you do that to Wallflower?” Wallflower blinked, slowly raising herself off the ground as Nighttime galloped over to her. Within a heartbeat, Nighttime had wrapped her wing around the green earth mare before pulling her very, very close. “This is just a poor, sweet, naïve mare!”

“She’s a member of the Sol!” roared Snuggles as she pointed to Wallflower.

“Oh, I know,” said Nighttime and Passionate at the same time. This shocked every other mare in the room, including Wallflower. She knew that Nighttime knew that she was in the Sol, but how did this Passionate mare know? And if she did, why wasn’t she angry or look all distrustful at Wallflower like so many others?

“Y-You know?” stammered Snuggles as she looked at Passionate.

“Yeah, the mayor told me about her after she showed up in his office,” said Passionate as she rolled her eyes. “He felt I should know about her since I’m in charge of the Hearts and Hooves celebration. Just wanted to know in case she caused any trouble. And, in all honesty, she’s been behaving herself rather well. Especially compared to that large group of party stallions.” Passionate then turned to look away at a floor corner of the locker room while the words, “Dumb colts,” could almost be heard by all.

“And I met her yesternight,” said Nighttime loudly, speaking as if she just wanted to throw in her two bits. “Did you know that she’s staying and helping out with Great Granny Aroma? Well she is! And she delivered some Waterfall Lilies to me! She even told me and Sugar she was in the Sol after making the delivery.”

“Then why is she here?” demanded Snuggles as she pointed an accusing hoof at Wallflower, who was still on the ground. As she spoke, Wallflower saw that their gaze had returned to her. Yet thankfully it wasn’t as vicious as before. Perhaps due to the fact that Passionate was in the room. “If you both know that she’s a member of the Sol, then why is she in this stripping contest? Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”

Passionate said nothing at first. Merely regarding Wallflower for a moment before nodding her head. “Yes, being here does seem to go against all their ‘teachings’,” admitted Passionate. As she spoke, Snuggle’s face took on a joyous smile of pure triumph while Wallflower’s heart sank a little. She might have fallen completely into despair had Nighttime not been there, still holding her close. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the other thestrals moving just a little bit closer. Perhaps if she begged them, they might let her go and-

“But that still doesn’t give any of you the right to harass her like that,” finished Passionate, Wallflower’s eyes widening at that. But not as much as the other mare’s in the room including Snuggles!

Snuggles blinked at that, staring back at Passionate like she had just been smacked upside the head before finally rolling her eyes. “Seriously? After what she and her group do to ponies on a nightly basis, you’re telling us to-”

“Yes,” interrupted Passionate in a firm tone that silenced Snuggles. “Because if we start assaulting them just because they belong to the Sol, then how are we, how are any of us, better than they are?” Passionate then took several steps closer to Snuggles and looked her right in the eye. “There are better ways of telling somepony they’re not welcome here. To let them know we don’t want anything to do with them. And if they do start harassing us, antagonizing us, or even try to start burning things in front of us then we have the police to take care of them. Mob justice is not real justice. Especially around this time of year.”

“Yeah, what she said!” shouted Nighttime so loudly that it hurt Wallflower’s ear. But despite that, the green mare couldn’t help but smile a little. “As my mommy used to say: make sweet, sweaty love and not war! And if you chased poor little Wallflower out, who’s going to help Great Granny out?” At that, nearly everypony in the room made a noise that was stuck in their throats before looking away. Many of them, Wallflower noticed, looked like they were ashamed of something.

“Well,” began one mare off to the side. “She is helping Great Granny Aroma and Granny’s always been good to all of us. So maybe she isn’t all that bad…” There was a murmur of agreement on that which seemed to cause Snuggles wings to twitch madly as she looked about. It also surprised Wallflower to see so many mares acting like this now. Was…Was Granny somepony with this much influence?

“That, er, that still doesn’t explain why she’s here!” stated Snuggles, looking flustered as she pointed a wing at Wallflower. “I think we all at least deserve to hear why she’s here.”

“Ah,” began Wallflower, pausing as she saw everypony staring at her again. At first, her first instinct was to tell them that it was none of the business. That she didn’t need to explain or justify why she was here. But that lasted for only a moment as Wallflower knew that wasn’t going to fly. After all, how many times had the Sol stuck their collective noses where they didn’t belong? How many times had they intruded on another’s personal life when it was none of their business? Hmm, it was weird but Wallflower was beginning to understand how those ponies must have felt. In any case, it would be the height of hypocrisy to refuse them at this point. Besides, if she was going to improve the image of the Sol, she needed to be honest with them. Actually, the more she thought about it, there was no reason not to tell them the truth. Well, she didn’t need to tell them about Hunter and the bet.

But there was something she needed to do before she told them anything.

“I’m sorry for what the Sol has done,” began Wallflower as she stood up on her own, her words seeming to surprise just about every mare in the room. Taking a deep breath, Wallflower reached down to grab her sweater before quickly pulling it off and holding it out to the very stunned Snuggles. “You can check that if you want to see if there are any papers or matches or whatever.”

“I…er…this,” said Snuggles as she looked down at the sweater now in her hooves before looking back up at Wallflower. “W-Why?”

“Because you’re right to be suspicious and angry at the Sol,” said Wallflower in a solemn tone. “I’ve lived my entire life hearing about how our mission is good, meant to help all of Equestria down the path of purity. How we were right to do what we did because it was the only way. I never got to see the other side or hear how other ponies viewed us. How much pain we cause instead of helping. Until I came here that is. Honestly, even through you scared the hay out of me I’d probably would have done the same thing if I were in your horseshoes.”

Wallflower tilted her head down a little, allowing her mane to fall in front of her face. She then took another breath before moving it out of the way. “And I want to change that. I want ponies to take our words seriously. That’s why I’m letting you look through my sweater, to see for yourself that I didn’t bring anything with me. And the reason I’m here,” Wallflower paused to gulp, “is because I’m trying to meet you all half way. To understand why you like doing these sorts of things. Then maybe you’ll all take me a bit more seriously.” Wallflower paused to blush, hiding it by bringing a hoof over her face as she looked away. “That and I sort of wanted to try it out myself. For…personal reasons.”

This had not gone as unnoticed as Wallflower would have hoped for nearly everypony there had some reaction. Snuggles stared at her open jawed, the sweater in her hoof falling to the ground without her noticing. Passionate looked surprised but seemed to accept this. As for the rest of the mares, minus Nighttime, they all let out a collective gasp before rushing over to normally invisible mare. At once they crowded her with excited smiles on their faces, looking like at any moment they would begin letting out excited ‘squees’.

“Somepony you like?” asked one by Wallflower’s side who began rubbing her cheek against Wallflower’s. “Is he out there? Is he going to watch?”

“Who said it was a he?” said another. “A pretty mare like this no doubt wants a mare. You know, somepony who knows what they’re doing!”

“Might be more than one pony,” said one of the older mares in the room, sounding almost sagely as she spoke. “Might be a herd out there tonight, meaning she might want to please both sexes! So daring of the little Sol mare.”

“Well…What I mean is…,” stammered Wallflower as she felt her face flush even more. She could feel wings and hooves all around her now, but she wasn’t scared that they would try to hurt her. Not now for there was too much excitement in the air that she could feel it as she was brought front and center to one of the mirrors.

“Don’t worry,” said one of them again as she collected some sort of gel with her wings. “We’ll get you nice and ready. Could some pony get her something super sexy to wear?” Before Wallflower could mention that the stuff that the strip club provided her was fine, a couple of mares were already going through the saddlebags on Passionate, throwing out panties and stockings in the same way a dog digs a hole.

Nighttime let out a small laugh as she watched all of this play out. “See, I told you~,” she said in a sing-song voice as she looked at Passionate to which the mare only responded by nodding. Grinning, Nighttime pulled out what looked like a ticket before giving it to Wallflower. “I’d say this cute little mare deserves a treat after being honest with herself! Well, that and seeing how all of you scared her so much. But mainly being honest! For that, she gets the grand prize for tonight: one free ticket for a threesome with me and Sugar! That should help her get some experience for later~!” Wallflower felt a lump growing quickly in her throat as she felt the ticket thrust into her hoof. As she looked down at it, she saw the others doing the same with clear envy in their eyes.

“That was the prize tonight?” asked one of the mares as she and several other mares turned to look at Nighttime. “Then…Then what do we get then!”

“Yeah, that’s not fair Nighttime!” shouted another before several other similar shouts were heard.

“Grr, fine!” said Nighttime as she rolled her eyes. Quickly she pulled a paper seemingly out of nowhere as well as a pencil, swiftly scribbling something down with her mouth before holding it up so everypony could see her rather sloppy writing as well as a trace outline of lips. “There, this is an I.O.U. for a threesome. Winner gets this.” She then tucked the paper under her wing. “Now, let’s get this filly ready!”

“I look like a Hearths Warming gift,” grumbled Wallflower under her breath, hoping nopony heard her. Not like that was likely to happen given how loud the music had been playing since the club opened.

Not for the first time Wallflower stared at herself in the mirror to see what the thestrals had done to her. Her mane still looked wild and slightly tangled up, only now it was pushed to one side more so that it seemed to drape around her neck. Small bits of makeup had been applied allowing her features to become more distinct and more healthy looking. There had, she remembered, been a brief fight to add more like lipstick and such. That ended quickly when they realized that doing so might be going overboard, making her appear ‘overly slutty’.

What they had done, in the end, was apply some gel to her pussy. Wallflower’s face fidgeted as she remembered how they warned her that it might feel weird the first time, telling her to brace herself before applying the cold gel to her private areas. She could still see her face as it was reflected in the mirror of her eyes going wide as they gently rubbed the cream all over, so many of them watching her as her tail shook while remaining raised. As it was then gently rubbed upon her slowly aching pussy lips, Wallflower’s features seemed to melt into pure bliss before letting out a soft coo as her neck and shoulder slumped. The tingling sensation that gel gave her nearly had her into a moaning heap, but she somehow managed to keep that to herself. It wasn’t until after the mares had finished applying it that they explained what the gel was. Apparently, some mares liked to rub their private areas in the faces of their clients so the gel basically helped protect them from most germs while also making their pussies smell like fruit. While she was thankful for this, she had to wonder by all that was pure why it had to make her feel so good as well.

At least she fared better than some of the other mares who had that stuff put on them later, turning them into momentary moaning wrecks for several long minutes. Despite all the impurity she had seen since coming to this town, it still surprised her how the thestrals seemed ashamed at this. Nor did any of the others seem bothered by it.

After the gel had fully absorbed into Wallflower, it was time for her to get dressed. Something that brought a whole new layer of embarrassment as well as excitement for Wallflower which she never knew she could feel just by wearing something like this. The stockings were bright red with cut out hearts in the welt which felt sensual against her fur. The panties they had gotten her, something they referred to as a thong, was a tiny red thing. After they helped her put it on, Wallflower turned around to look at herself in the mirror and saw that the panties were in the shape of a heart as well, only covering her slit and not that well. The fabric was remarkably thin, allowing her folds to be seen. Finally, a heart shaped bow was attached to her dock which kept her tail somewhat raised. Just enough, she soon discovered that when she turned her panties would flash those behind her. And somehow, wearing this was so much more embarrassing than walking around naked.

With that she was ready with nothing else to do but sit and wait. For a time, she sat there watching the others as they too got ready for the contest. More than once she was asked to help out to which she nervously agreed to, mostly due to the fact that she had never done this before. Thankfully most of her tasks were simple, like fetching a different pair of panties or stockings or holding up the mare’s mane a certain way so they could see how it looked and not apply the gel. To be honest, she didn’t feel ready to touch a mare there. Especially ones she didn’t know all that well. But none of them seemed to mind that, thanking her with a hug after helping her which left many butterflies in her stomach.

Sighing to herself, Wallflower walked away from the mirror to sit down along with the others as they all waited to be called out by the DJ. Even with the doors closed, Wallflower could hear the loud music blasting through the speakers (mainly due to the fact that the speakers were right above the door) and the crowd cheering for the mares. Every time a new mare’s name was called, said mare would saunter out, the others wishing her good luck before she stepped out, the noise from outside growing louder with the opening of the doors. Sometimes the mare returned right before the next name was called, her coat and mane glistening with sweat and a wide smile on her face as she trotted over to a mirror to wash up. Other times the mare would not return at all, making Wallflower wonder what happened to them. They were alright, right?

It wasn’t until the contest was halfway over when Wallflower’s name was called. As she stood up, a new wave of butterflies appeared in her stomach while excitement pumped through her veins. She gulped, feeling so very nervous as the teaching she had followed her entire life told her that this was wrong. Not only that, but she barely knew what to do! All she knew was what she had seen that one time in passing as well as her fantasy. Oh by all that was pure, she was going to make a fool out of herself! Yet the crowd cheering for her urged her forward. It didn’t matter that they had cheered like this for all the other mares. This was her welcoming cheer and it sent something through her that could not be denied. Besides, they weren’t looking for anything professional so maybe they wouldn’t mind if she messed up?

“Good luck,” called out one of the mares that Wallflower passed. Wallflower grinned in a slightly awkward manner as several others in the room mirrored the same sentiment as she exited the room.

As she stepped out, the music beginning to wind down from the last song, Wallflower found herself in a room blanketed by both darkness and light. The light seemed to be concentrated around the heart shaped stage just a few steps from the locker room. From what she could tell in this moment was that the stage was completely bare save a single, silver pole right in the middle that brought to mind the image of a stake through the heart. To get onto it, a pony like her without any wings would have to walk up a small metal stairway. As for the rest of the room it seemed to be so bathed in darkness that it was difficult for her to see more than a few feet in front of her. She could tell there was movement in the background, ponies shifting in their seats or perhaps the wait staff milling about to deliver drinks.

But somehow, she could tell that there were eyes upon her. Their looks were making her feel as if there was an invisible spotlight upon her. Her eyes shut for a moment, feeling something inside her growing. This feeling; it excited and scared her at the same time. And by all that was pure she loved it!

Once Wallflower opened her eyes, she made her way to the stage just in time for the song to end and a new one to begin. Now that she stood there, she could make out a little more of the room she was in. The first thing she noticed was the number of pink and red crystal hearts dangling from the ceiling. Wallflower also noted that there was a painting for the Princess of Love, Princess Cadence near the bar which made her rethink her view on the stage. The princess stood there with what she now knew to be a lustful expression on her face while holding up a bow and arrow in her magical aura. Perhaps the pole was meant to be an arrow of love shot through the heart. It was surprising how this different point of view could so radically change how she thought of things. Lowering her gaze a bit, she could see tables in the distance with anywhere from one to six ponies at each. Closer to the stage were comfy chairs in sets of two, most of them having one stallion and one mare who was clearly a stripper. But there were some exceptions. In one of them she could see Hunter and Moondancer, sitting together and watching her with great interest. It was sort of sad that the others were not doing the same. Instead they were looking at her like they wanted her to get on with-

Realization struck Wallflower hard. She had been so focused on looking around the room that she had forgotten the reason she was here on this stage. Feeling nervous now, Wallflower did the only thing she could think of: she twirled around where she stood. Wallflower could feel her mane and tail flowing around her, the audience shifting a little as they spotted her panties for only the briefest of moments before she came to a sudden halt. Her heart was racing now as her back was towards those watching her, those making noises of mild approval. Ok, a rocky start but maybe she could pull this off.

Doing her best to remember what her fantasy self had done, Wallflower began to sway in what she hoped was a seductive manner while her tail raised up a little more. Knowing that she had a limited amount of time, the green mare began to lower her front half down closer to the ground while keeping her front half up in the air. Soon she found herself in a humiliating position, no doubt appearing like a horny bitch begging to be bred. Yet, the noises of approval began to grow as if to urge her on. Asking, no, begging her to continue. Wallflower cheeks began to turn scarlet as a smile crept onto her face. Her breathing became deeper while she reached with one of her front hooves towards her back, barely reaching her tail to move it out of the way so that all could get a glimpse of her covered sex.

Her confidence began to grow more and more as the crowd reacted favorably to this. She could hear it clearly now, ponies were whistling at her or howling like timber wolves, a few even pounding on the floor to clap for her. The noise, oh how it excited her to know she was having this effect on them. It made her want to give them more of what they wanted so that they would continue to cheer for her! To continue watching her!

An idea quickly formed in her mind, thinking that they might like it. Quickly shifting her weight around, Wallflower flipped over in a barrel roll that might have taken her off the edge of the stage! A loud gasp was heard as well as the fluttering of wings, but thankfully Wallflower was ok. Now staring at the ceiling, she spread her hind legs as far as she could so that all could see it. Her blush continued to deepen, her panties becoming wetter by the second as she could feel their eyes staring at her protected treasure. Wallflower could hear it clearly, ponies coming closer to the stage. Leaving their seats just to get closer to her! Her breathing became so fast that she was afraid she might become light headed, but she had to do something or else she might cum all over the stage just from this.

Raising her head a bit, she looked at them. Yes, they were there. So many heads close to the stage…including Hunter and Moondancer. Both were there, side by side, as they were the first to put bits on the stage. Others quickly followed suit, placing their own bits on the stage as if they were bidding for something. Oh sweet purity, she now knew what Nighttime and Sugar were talking about!

She wasn’t done as the music hadn’t ended. Remembering what sort of dance this was, Wallflower began to scoot on her back towards Hunter with her hind legs still spread facing the targeted stallion. Yes, towards Hunter. Towards the stallion who had been the first to give her bits. The one who had cuddled with her not too long ago. The one who had taken her virgin lips, the one she had given her first kiss to. The stallion who commanded her in her dreams. Yes, it all seemed so right that she should do this for him. Soon her hind legs were at the edge of the stage, almost dangling off, with Hunter and Moondancer’s faces staring directly at the space between them. Others began to crowd around behind the pair, all so that they could get a look at what was to come. As Wallflower continued to breath deeply, she could see Nighttime among them licking her lips as if she were staring at her favorite flavor of ice cream.

Now was the time. Wallflower reached with her front hooves and began to scoot her bum a little, taking off her panties. She had to lift herself off the ground, bending her body to roll the now soaked garment down her hind legs before throwing it away. Where she did, she couldn’t remember. It didn’t matter really, as they had been given to her for this. All that mattered was that she was now exposing herself to Hunter and Moondancer, legs still spread so that they got a front row view of her dripping wet pussy. A thrill unlike anything she had felt before began to take over, her head feeling dizzy as she felt their eyes as well as other staring at her sex. This thrill compelled her to reach out with her front hooves towards that space between her legs, spreading those lower lips so that they could see more as a dumb smile appeared on her face. Yes! She could feel their eyes glued to her even more, just knowing that was enough to make her back arch. More! She wanted more! She wanted more ponies watching her, more ponies noticing her like they were now. To do that, she needed to show more. Do more depraved things for their amusement. So a hoof began to reach towards her pearl, ready to play with it in front of them. Ready to-

Realization of what she was about to do struck her light a bolt of lightning, her hooves pulling back swiftly. That…what was that? Why was she about to do something so wrong? So unclean and perverse? And why did she feel regret for not going through?

Quickly getting back onto her hooves, Wallflower saw that while there were a few disappointed faces most seemed to still be excited. Taking a breath, she moved over to the pole while shaking her hips. Yes, she was still here to do a dance only she wished she knew how to do more. Wallflower reached out to grab the pull with her hooves…and slipped. Eyes wide with shock and fear, she felt her hoof move around the pole as gravity pulled the rest of her body towards the ground. Acting out of instinct, she reached out for the pole to wrap her hoof around it hoping it would stop her. In a way this worked as she did not hit the ground. But the momentum of the fall sent her spinning around with her hoof still wrapped around the cold, silver metal once before she stopped. Heart beating faster, more out of fear and panic now, she paused to catch her breath as the crowd let out a loud whoop. It seemed as though most didn’t realize that that wasn’t planned.

Oh well. They were happy at least. For a moment she stood there, shaking her flank towards the crowd as she looked over her shoulder to see their faces. A sea of horny, lust filled gazes met her eyes. Many of those near the stage had placed more bits on the stage, her heart soaring with this coinage praise! As for those who had not left their seats, Wallflower could see more than one had his cock unsheathed as they sat there watching her. Then there was Hunter and Moondancer. When she saw them, her smile faltered for a brief moment as their clearly worried faces were shown. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, her frown turned into a happy smile as she realized that they had clearly seen what nopony else had. That her spin had not been on purpose. And that they were worried. Worried about her!

Again Wallflower spun around on the pole, this time planned and in control. Her eyes were closed as she felt the rush of air around her, her smile starting to hurt a little. But that didn’t matter. She was happy.

When she stopped, Wallflower tried to pose for the crowd like in the posters she had seen prior. Both her hind legs were wrapped around the bottom of the pole with one hoof wrapped around near her shoulder. She leaned back, letting her long mane fall backwards. By the sounds they were making, the crowd loved it! Slowly she began to pull herself back up, only for something unexpected to happen. Her lower body made contact with the pole first, her clit brushing up against the cold metal nearly causing to yelp as pulses of pleasure rocked her body for a moment. Oh sweet wonderful purity, the last time she had experienced anything like this before was when Hunter had used the crop on her. She had no idea she could do it to herself. And she wanted more! Forgetting the crowd, Wallflower began to rub her pussy against the pole. At first it was a simple, slow grind as she closed her eyes while a low moan was caught in her throat. But with each consecutive gyration her whole body began to bounce. She could feel her mane shaking, flying into her face and several stands landing in her mouth. The stage felt like it was getting warmer, small droplets of sweat appearing on her coat. Why had nopony told her she could feel this way? Barely she heard the crowd getting louder than before while something inside her, similar to that night with Hunter grew inside her. Knowing what would happen, her motions became wilder and wilder to reach that point where it would explode inside her. So that she could-

Wallflower hoof, glistening with sweat, suddenly slipped. Her eyes widened as she fell, trying to grab the pole again only this time she was not as lucky. She landed on the stage flank first as the music came to a sudden halt. She sat there panting, feeling the warmth inside her fading while her wits slowly began to return. W-What had happened to her? She felt like she had been nothing more than a primitive wild animal! A creature whose sole desire was to feel good! And…And she had acted like that in public! She was the very thing that the Sol hated so much, just an impure pony who would continue to infect others with her vile actions! And yet, why did she feel so torn inside? Why was there a part of her that wanted to get back on her hooves to continue? Or to find Hunter so he could…

Shaking her head in order to clear her mind, if only just a little, Wallflower looked up in time to see two thestrals wiping down the pole. She could hear the crowd pounding their hooves on the floor, one even whistling for her. A blush appeared on her face as she stood up, an embarrassed smile upon her face as she turned to face them one last time before making her way off the stage. Her legs felt strange now, as if they were no longer her own. They felt jittery. In fact, her entire body was a flutter as if she was coming down from a sugar high. No, not a sugar high. This felt so much more profound and powerful.

“Wow, I didn’t know you had it in you,” said Snuggles as Wallflower made her way to the doors leading back to the locker. “Good job out there.”

“Thanks,” said Wallflower, her voice no louder than a kitten’s mew as she hurried back into the locker room. Once inside, she trotted out of the way as the next mare’s name was called. Standing by the door, she began to take slower and more controlled breaths. Anything to help her with how she was feeling. Yet it barely seemed to do anything. Her mind returned to Hunter who had no doubt returned to the chair he had been sitting on when the dance started, waiting for her. And she could just see herself running out of this room to go to him, to climb on top of the stallion to ask how much he liked the show. To have him pull her close to him so they could kiss and maybe Moondancer would-

Before Wallflower’s fantasy could go any further, the door suddenly swung open causing Wallflower to let out an ‘eep’ as she jumped into the air. “Hey Wallflower,” came Moondancer’s voice, almost shouting to be heard over the music. Wallflower turned to see the mare frowning as she looked up at the speaker, a collection of bits floating in her magical aura. As the green mare blinked the unicorn quickly stepped inside and closed the door to dampen the noise. “You forgot to take these.”

Wallflower smiled awkwardly as she approached her friend. Friend, it was so nice to think that without it being wishful thinking. “Thanks,” she said as accepted the large pile of bits. As soon as she touched them though, she was reminded just how dirty this money was. If anypony back home found out, what would they do to her?

“So,” said a very nervous Wallflower, trotting over to her locker to lock up her bits. After she finished, she turned to look hopefully at Moondancer. “D-Did you and Hunter enjoy the show?”

“We both did actually,” answered Moondancer. “Hunter’s back at our seats waiting to give you a little surprise.” All doubts and fears were pushed back and out of the way as joy bloomed inside her heart. They liked it! And Hunter wanted to give her something? However, the smile on Moondancer’s face dimmed as she took a moment to adjust her glasses. “Hunter told me you two kissed.” The world seemed to shatter at that moment. That kiss. Her first one ever. It had felt so good that she had forgotten that Hunter was in a herd. Was she in trouble? Was Moondancer angry that Hunter kissed another mare, one who was in the Sol? She didn’t seem angry when she entered, but then again Wallflower didn’t know this mare all that well. For all she knew, Moondancer was one of those mare’s who held all their anger inside until she exploded, tail and mane bursting with flames as her coat turned white! Or…Or maybe she was here to let her explain. To apologize before warning her not to do it again.

Gulping, Wallflower gave the smallest of nods. “W-We did,” she said nervously.

“Relax, I’m not mad,” said Moondancer, her features softening a tad. “At least, not right now. But that could change depending on how you answer my next questions.” Wallflower tensed up as Moondancer eyed her, the unicorn’s eyes somehow feeling sharper. “I want to know, honestly, how do you feel about Hunter?”

That took Wallflower back as she had not been expecting anything like that. But, at the same time, she began to wonder herself: how did she feel about Hunter? Was he just some stallion she was forcing to do impure things with, the threat of blackmail over his head? Did she only have an interest in him because she wanted him to join the Sol? No, no he was something much more than that. Her mind moved to the way he held her, the way he smiled at her when he talked to her. Things that made her heart beat faster. Not to mention that Granny was right, he was handsome.

“I like him,” said Wallflower, cheeks burning at this admission. “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I do l-like him. And I’d like to get to know him better.”

Moondancer tilted her head a little at that, surprising Wallflower. “Huh, Hunter said almost the exact same thing,” she said, surprising Moondancer even more as a feeling seemed to explode in her chest. For a moment, she thought she was going to burst out into tears. But not the sad tears she used to cry back at home, alone in her room. These felt…brighter perhaps? Anyways, she managed to keep them locked inside herself for now as Moondancer continued. “Why do you like him? Is it because he’s the first stallion you ever spent time with?”

Wallflower felt her world become very still at that moment as all the warmth she had been feeling suddenly froze solid. “I…I…,” she began to stammer as her heart began to beat faster, her mouth becoming very dry at that moment. Oh wow. Wallflower hadn’t thought about that. Sure she had met a few stallions when she came to Hollow Shades, but none of them as…personally as she had with Hunter. And not just when she had seen him engaging in bondage within his home or allowing him to tie her up. He was the only stallion who she was on first name basis with. The only one who had spent time with her, made plans to be with her. He was in her thoughts when she was on the stage and the one who commanded her in her dreams.

But did Moondancer have a point? Did she like him only because he was the only one willing to spend time with her, noticing her? Slowly the world around her began to fade away until she felt like she was standing in a black void, the only light anywhere coming from rectangular screens floating above her head showing off various images on them. One of which was very recent, her dance with all the stallions in the room looking at her. Watching her with rapt attention, placing their bits on the stage. They…They noticed her as well. If she were to spend time with any of them, would she still like Hunter? She then turned her head to look at another screen, showing her and Hunter kissing. That had been her very first kiss, something that had felt so good. But, was that the reason she liked him? That it just felt good in that moment? Another screen showed her cuddling with Hunter, Moondancer, and Lightning. Yes, that had felt good as well. But was that enough to say she liked him? Feeling her legs growing weak, Wallflower turned to look at another screen, this one just showing Lightning looking at her with confidence. Lightning had been the very first mare to talk with her here, showing her around. And she liked her too. Did that mean she had feelings for Lightning similar to Hunter? Then there was a screen showing Nighttime and Sugar. Both mares had been so patient with her, Nighttime clearly expression her desire to fuck her. Just thinking about it made her blush even more, knowing how much that mare wanted to do that with her. Wallflower began to breathe more heavily now as she thought about it. Then there was a screen with Granny Aroma. She liked Granny, but she was clearly a grandmother type figure in her life. What about Moondancer? She liked her just fine and…and…and…

Wallflower flinched as she felt herself being touched on the shoulder. The world of darkness began to shatter, returning her to the small locker room once more with Moondancer standing in front of her.

“Just take a breath,” said Moondancer.

“I…I don’t know,” admitted Wallflower as she looked at the unicorn with pleading eyes. “I mean, he was the only stallion not to ignore me when he found out I was a member of the Sol. The way we kissed, the way it felt when he held me, the way he noticed me. It all feels so…But it also felt so good when everypony out there was watching me. So…So I don’t know-”

“Alright, I think I can help with that,” said Moondancer as she placed a hoof on Wallflower’s lips. “Tell me: which felt better? When you were out there dancing, did it feel better knowing that Hunter was watching you? Or was it the same when everypony out there was watching you?”

Wallflower blinked at that before her eyes widened. As Moondancer pulled her hoof away, the green mare began to consider the differences before quickly coming to a conclusion.

“Knowing that all of them were looking at me felt good, but knowing you and Hunter were watching me just felt so much more…powerful,” admitted Wallflower, feeling surprised by this answer as well as the smile on Moondancer’s face. “There were times when I felt like I was dancing just for him. F-For the both of you. And seeing Hunter putting down those bits… But, I don’t know why. Why do I feel this way?”

“I can’t give you an answer,” said the smiling Moondancer as she gently shook her head. “Maybe you’re falling in love, experiencing your first crush, simple infatuation, or even an emotional high. But, the fact that you aren’t instantly coming to the conclusion that its love is a good sign. And that you can tell the difference between the different types of feelings is even better.”

Wallflower sat there, feeling both relieved as well as confused. “But, how will I figure out what it is I’m feeling?”

Moondancer shrugged as her horn lit up. “That’s something you’re going to have to figure out for yourself,” she said as Wallflower’s sweater appeared on her. Her stocking began to glow and, in the blink of an eye, they vanished as well. “If you want, you can spend more time with other ponies. Get to know them better, see if you like them more than you like us. But first,” Moondancer closed the gap between them so that their lips could touch. At first, Wallflower sat there with her eyes open wide before they closed as she gave in to the kiss. Her first kiss with a mare. It was slower than with Hunter, their rolling around in each other’s mouths. And yet her heart began to race almost as it did when she was on stage.

Then, they separated. Moondancer did not pull completely away, instead resting her forehead against Wallflower’s. Oh, by all purity in the world, her cheeks had to be pink right now as she looked into Moondancer’s eyes with her own half lidded ones. She wanted to kiss again. She wanted to find Hunter and kiss him! She wanted Moondancer to kiss her again! She didn’t care who saw them anymore. She just-

“But first,” Moondancer said, her voice low as she looked into Wallflower’s eyes. “How about you get to know us more? More and more, finding out everything you ever wanted to know. Then see if you like it. We’re a package deal after all. Hunter, Lightning, and myself will bare yourself for you as long as you do the same. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” whispered Wallflower, her voice almost coming out as a longing hiss.

“Good,” said Moondancer as she, regrettably, pulled away. “Now, lets not keep Hunter waiting. He’s getting us a special seat for when we find out who won tonight. And maybe, if you’re up to it, we can have a little more fun.”

Dumbly, Wallflower nodded as she followed Moondancer out the doors and back into the main floor. Her vision felt like she was in a tunnel, staring at Moondancer’s tail as if seeing it for the first time. As she walked, a few stray thoughts came to mind. She had come here to help convert thestrals to the Sol. But now, she had to wonder, who was converting who?

Author's Note

Are we done with the strip club? Maybe, maybe not~

Just a heads up, this story will begin to pick up a little steam in the sex department but more for story purposes as Wallflower begins to get more involved. So for you people waiting for it I hope it has been worth the wait

Anyways, hoping to get back to this story sooner rather than later. Fist I have to work on Officer Spike, commissions, my Yugioh story which I plan on getting cover art for, and my life with is slowly turning back to normal... Ah, normal. Never thought I'd be glad to say or type that word. Anyways, you all take care

Testing the Waters

“Ah, there you two are.”

Wallflower blinked as she heard the words. Up until this point, she had had a bad cause of tunnel vision, as her gaze was locked on the flank of the unicorn in front of her. Only barely was she aware that they had left the locker room of the strip club, watching as Moondancer’s tail swished back and forth with each step giving the green mare the briefest of glances of her honey pot. Wallflower could remember gulping more than once as she spotted the glistening lips of the mare who had only a few moments prior locked lips with her. Seeing it made her realize just how wet she was, but could not tell if her tail was pressed tightly against her sex in order to guard it or if it were raised in order to display herself more before the crowd.

She might have been able to break away sooner from the sight had it not been for the music. If there was anything that Wallflower had been even barely aware of, it was the pounding music as well as the mist that began to flow across the floor, though that could have been her newly perverted imagination. The mist had swirled around the unicorn’s plot, caressing it like a lover in order to better tease Wallflower while also seeming to cause everything else around it to blur out of focus. It had been as if the only thing that existed in Wallflower’s world was the plot of another mare. The flank even seemed to bounce at times almost matching the beat of the music, though that might have been more Wallflower’s imagination at work once more brought on by the lyrics. It was a song she had never heard before, not surprising given where she had been raised, but the words that were sung were sinfully ironic at that moment. Phrases like ‘so full and appetizing, looking like a treat for me’ fueled Wallflower’s focus even more, her mouth watering. Yes. It did look like a treat in that moment. One that Wallflower, for reasons she didn’t understand, wanted to dive into.

Then came the words, spoken just loud enough so that they could be heard above the music without shouting but with enough authority in it that it caught Wallflower’s attention without the speaker needing to repeat himself. Looking up, she saw that they had reached their destination: the seat Hunter had procured for them. Had any other pony done this, Wallflower was sure that the words would have mixed in with the sounds all around her. He sat there, leaning back in what looked like a long, hot red armchair that could hold two or three ponies in it with his wings fully spread. Rather than sitting on it like one would a cushion, Hunter sat there with his legs dangling off the edge.

Wallflower swallowed, glancing around to see if there were any other seats nearby. She found them and quickly saw that they were full. Most of the time, a stallion sat in the middle with his legs hanging off the side in the same manner as Hunter’s though not looking as commanding as he did in that moment. Instead they seemed to sit there with dopey looking grins on their faces with a mare sitting next to them. Wallflower noted the more elaborate panties they wore as well as the long stockings on their legs and came to the conclusion that these mares were the normal strippers who worked here. Many of the ones that she could see had half-lidded expressions with the slightest hint of a smile aimed at the stallion. They slid their hooves up and down the stomachs and sides of their companions with gentle strokes while whispering something into their tufted ears. Taking this all in, it seemed like the strippers here had them wrapped around their tails. And a moment later it seemed literal as one of the mares flicked her tail into the stallion’s face, who inhaled the scent before it was lowered down to his neck. Down and down it went, pausing right above his sheath, cock beginning to peak out, before pulling it off of him. Seamlessly, the mare slid off the chair with the stallion following behind her pulled away, the stripper getting off the chair with her client following her towards another part of the club whose neon sign proclaimed it to be ‘VIP’.

There were others, of course. In some chairs, Wallflower found that there were two strippers on either side of a stallion. The strippers appeared to fawn over these lone stallions, one whispering into his ear while the other looked on longingly as she stroked his side. And in one chair, Wallflower found a mare being in the company of a stripper. The mare seemed to have the same dopey grin as the stallions, receiving the same treatment as they were.

But Wallflower could also not help but to note that there were a few seats that had only one occupant in them. These stallions had a deep frown on their faces, looking grumpy or just downright annoyed as they sipped their drinks and watched the stage behind Wallflower. Occasionally she would note that their eyes would linger toward the VIP section, briefly looking hopeful or glancing to the side when they spotted movement. One stallion in particular, she saw, softened his expression to the point where he seemed hopeful as a mare wearing a thong began to walk by. Tentatively he raised his hoof, trying to grab the mare’s attention. However, the stripper seemed to ignore him, moving past in order to get to another, resulting in the melancholy expression returning.

A feeling Wallflower knew all too well.

“Come on Wallflower,” said Hunter, recapturing Wallflower’s attention with ease. Her eyes focused on the sight before her; Moondancer having gotten onto the seat next to Hunter with her sweater-covered barrel pressed gently at his side. Again, Wallflower looked around for a seat for herself. Surely, they didn’t want her to sit on the floor here…did they? But before her ears could go limp, discouragement filling her heart, Hunter patted the spot next to him.

The spot that was not being filled by Moondancer.

Instantly, Wallflower felt her cheeks growing flushed as she realized what he wanted from her. She looked up at Hunter, a smile appearing on her face as she asked a silent question. A question he heard loud and clear for he nodded at her, his commanding gaze never leaving her.

“You did a great job up there,” said Hunter as Wallflower got up onto the chair, feeling his eyes watching her the entire time. It took her a great deal of effort not to leap up like some silly filly for, if she had, she believed that not only would she make a scene, but she would also crash into the still outstretched wing. Either of which would sour the night for all of them. Perhaps even the remainder of her stay!

“T-Thanks,” stuttered Wallflower, still blushing, as she did her best to position herself on the chair. Due to the lack of room, she found she had to move over to her side while pressing her barrel against Hunter’s, much in the same way Moondancer was. Glancing over at the unicorn, she saw that Moondancer was now resting her head near the thestral’s shoulder so that her head was below his own while taking care that her horn wouldn’t poke at his face. Blushing even deeper now, Wallflower tried to do the same. However, when she did, her mane seemed to choose that moment to spill all over the place and flow over her face.

“Can’t have that now, can we?” laughed Hunter as he pushed her mane to the side so that she could now look into his golden orbs. The sight of them, in this moment, stole her breath away as the stallion’s wings closed in around her. It folded around her body perfectly, wrapping her up in its leathery membrane while pressing her closer to him. Wallflower felt herself shudder, not out of fear, but because of how good it felt. Not just the feeling of the wings sliding across her flank briefly, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine, but more how she knew this appeared. While he had held her in a similar manner when they had cuddled after her very first session, that had been in private. Now they were in public where anypony could see them; see Hunter holding her like she was one of his mares. A mare that was taken.

A mare that belongs to him, thought Wallflower as she took a deep breath, finding herself leaning closer to his body. Another shudder went through her body as an unclean image appeared in her mind. One that was similar to this moment, only both she and Moondancer had collars on, with leashes running down to one of Hunter’s hooves. Everypony here seeing them as nothing more than possessions. But, rather than be repulsed by this, Wallflower found herself not bothered by it at all. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. But why was that?

“Now then,” said Hunter as his muzzle moved closer to hers. His voice was low and husky, drawing Wallflower in deeper. No longer could she turn her head away from his golden orbs, nor did she want to. “I believe you deserve a reward for that wonderful dance. Would you like it now?”

“Y-Yes,” Wallflower managed to whisper, her heart beating quickly. A moment later, Hunter captured her lips with his own. There, within the strip club where everypony could see them, Hunter kissed her with far more passion than when he had given her very first kiss. Wallflower let out a small ‘meep’, a noise that could barely be heard over the music before she found herself melting away. His teeth lightly pressed against her own, his tongue exploring her mouth. Blissfully, Wallflower moaned, just barely noticing that Hunter’s foreleg was now touching her flank. He touched her there, squeezing her rear with both his leg and wing which tightened its hold a little as if to hold her up.

Wallflower soon lost track of time as the kiss continued, the music in the background fading into nothingness. She allowed his tongue to guide her own, learning as they went when he wanted her tongue out of the way or when to mimic his own. Hunter knew what he was doing and the pleasure she received by submitting to him made her head spin leading her to that ultimate pleasure! She could feel saliva escaping from the cracks of her mouth, slowly making its way down to her neck along with a small trail of tears. Her pussy burned as a part of her wished to take off her sweater so that more of her body could be pressed against his! Only barely could she make any coherent thoughts as to how he was dominating her so. Was it because of the way they were seated, with Hunter slightly elevated above her so that he was looking down thus giving him a position of power? Was it experience? Having practiced with two mares would help. Or was it just because of who he was?

And was this who she really was?

Eventually, the kiss ended with Hunter pulling away. For a moment, Wallflower remained where she was with her eyes half lidded, mouth hanging open as she panted. There was not care of how she must of looked, how stupid or unsightly she would have appeared to her fellow followers of the Sol. Both the warmth around and within her pushed such silly worries away.

As the world began to come back into focus, Wallflower rested her head back onto Hunter’s shoulder as she looked at the scene before her with an almost lazy expression on her face. Moondancer was the one Hunter had locked lips with now, allowing the green mare to see just how he must have kissed her. Her ears strained to pick up the slick sounds they made, but not so much the moaning. The unicorn’s glasses were lopsided, almost looking like they would fall off at any moment. Yet neither seemed to care at that moment. One of Moondancer’s forelegs was draped over the stallion’s barrel, poking out from under his wings. And, much to Wallflower’s surprise, so was hers! Had Moondancer positioned her like this while she had been making out with Hunter? Or…had she done it herself? Regardless, the pair of them looked like at any moment she would crawl on top of Hunter’s hindlegs and do who knows what! Wallflower bit her lower lip, feeling herself in conflict over wanting to find what that could be and not.

Wallflower watched the pair until their kiss ended. When it was over, Hunter used his teeth to place Moondancer’s glasses back into place. With that done, the two looked into the other’s eyes with half lidded smiles on their faces. Wallflower could almost feel the love oozing out of them as they savored the moment. Love that her teachings claimed could never come from such lunatics, the type that could only come from those who were pure. But, there it was right in front of her. And seeing it caused a pit of loneliness to form in the pit of her stomach, wishing that a stallion or mare would look at her with the same love in their eyes.

The earth pony was about to turn her head away before that feeling could grow when the two turned to look at her. “Wallflower, kiss Moondancer,” said Hunter in a soft but commanding tone. Wallflower took a breath as the two were looking at her now, their gazes showing almost the same amount of love as they held for each other. Almost. Even though Wallflower had never had somepony look at her like that before, she could tell that it was different. It was close, but there was something missing that she could not put her hoof on at the moment.

Still the green pony obeyed and, under the gaze of the stallion, leaned forward to kiss Moondancer. Almost as one, the two mares began to moan as their kiss took off. The kiss was just as wonderful as when she had first kissed the mare, but now she had more context when compared to Hunter. This time it felt more like they were equal, dual tongues dancing around each other while caressing the other’s mouth. The wet noises they made were soft yet made Wallflower yearn for more. Was this what Moondancer meant by getting to know them more? If so, Wallflower would gladly do this over and over again.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything~,” came a sing song voice. Wallflower’s eyes shot open, heart racing as she broke the kiss to see that a member of the wait staff was in front of them. The mare looked about the same age as herself, with a purple mane that was tied up in the back into a ponytail but still having enough left so that her bangs covered a single eye. Over her grey coat she wore silk white stockings on each leg, decorated with the club’s logo. Wallflower’s first thought upon seeing her was that she would admonish them for such an immoral scene, having them kicked out then and there…that is until she remembered where they were. Remembering how open the town was to things that she had been taught her entire life were vile should have calmed her beating heart down. Only, it didn’t. It was still beating fast as a wave of excitement similar to what she had felt on the stage began to course through her body. Why she felt like this, the mare had no idea. All she knew was that her lower lips twitched just slightly.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Hunter, his forelegs moving up to the mares’ barrels and giving them both a firm squeeze at the same time. The mare continued to smile before turning around, revealing that she was balancing several glasses on her flank! What happened next stunned Wallflower for the mare then lowered her head down to the ground, her flank now raised him into the air so that they could all get a good look at her behind. The green mare stared, mouth going dry, as their server’s tail swished out of the way to give them all a snapshot of her private region protected only by white silk panties. It was-

Wallflower suddenly found herself trotting through the main floor of the strip club, light sweat shimmering on her forehead from the dance she had just given onstage. She knew she should be getting cleaned up and ready for her next one, but today the club was short hoofed, meaning every mare who wasn’t dancing had to help on the floor. Not that Wallflower minded in the slightest. Especially since ‘he’ had requested her.

With a smile on her muzzle, Wallflower made her way across the floor knowing that she was diverting everypony’s eyes away from the stage. Even for a moment. She could feel their lustful gazes on her flank, which swayed in time to the rhythm of the music being played overhead, yet careful not to tip the drink which rested on her behind. Gone were the stockings and panties she had worn when she was stripping, replaced with the white silk ones like the other servers wore which stood out in the darkness. A few of the bolder stallions reached out to touch her cutie mark with a wing or hoof, wishing for her to serve them. Sadly for them, somepony else got that pleasure.

Soon she came to the seat where her special stallion was waiting. At first, she could barely make out who he was. Somepony important to her. Somepony special. There was a connection between them, yes. Slowly the stallion’s face began to take on Hunter’s, who smiled warmly at her.

When she was in position, Wallflower turned around before lowering her head to the ground so she could present herself to him. Her face turned scarlet as a silly grin appeared on her face. She could feel his eyes staring at her birthing hole as it winked against the fabric as well as her other hole. What’s more, she could feel the eyes of many of the nearby stallions turning to look at her and away from the stage. Their eyes began to grow, becoming almost as big as her. But none of this frightened Wallflower. No, rather she loved it. She wanted them to see everything as Hunter pulled down her panties, with enough skill so that the glass never left her flank. A cry escaped her mouth as she felt warm air from his nose brushing against her wet lips, knowing that they were drooling more than ever!

She could feel him spreading her cheeks now, his breath against her pussy before he-

Wallflower jumped a little as she felt a cold glass being placed in her hoof, almost spilling it onto Hunter. It probably would have had it not been for the aura of Moondancer who had been the one holding the glass.

“Careful there,” said the waitress. As Wallflower accepted the glass, she turned to look at the smiling mare. “If you need anything else, just flag me down. And don’t forget to give our fillies some love as well! Tonight we have our fillies giving two private dances for the price of one. We also have an amazing VIP special: you and your party will be entertained by the mare of your choosing in the comforts of one of our special rooms overlooking the stage. Fifteen minutes is seventy-five bits while a half hour is two hundred bits and an hour is four hundred.”

The green mare felt herself blush a little as the mare said all that. While she was still new to this world where everything she had been taught was wrong and worthy of being burned, it was somewhat easy for her to figure out what all this meant. And she liked it. A private dance. Just her and a stripper with no one else to pull their attention away. Or perhaps, since she was here, maybe she could give Hunter a private dance? Somehow she doubted it. She was, after all, only here for the contest and not an employee. But the VIP special, well, that was a little harder to figure out. She doubted she or any other mare could dance like that more than fifteen minutes before everything got stale. Was…Was there something more they had to do? There had to be given the prices.

“Thank you, but we’re fine for right now,” said Hunter calmly as he nodded to the mare, not outright dismissing the idea.

As the mare walked away, panties flew past their chair reminding Wallflower of the stripper she had been ignoring up until now. Looking towards the stage she saw that the mare was completely nude now, standing up on her hind legs with her back against the pole. Her forelegs were behind her head, wings on full display, as she lowered herself slowly to the ground. On occasion, the mare would thrust her hips out a little, earning a few bits from the crowd gathered around the stage. Then, seamlessly, she slid onto the floor. Somehow her body began to move away from the pole, her hind legs bent under her in a manner that Wallflower would have thought to be either painful or at the very least uncomfortable. But the mare just kept going until her head was on the floor and her hips elevated so that all could see her winking pussy.

Wallflower sipped her drink as she watched the mare twist around so that she was on her belly, bouncing her flank up and down in a teasing motion. But before the glass could leave her lips, she felt Hunter’s tongue pressing against her neck. The surprised mare let out a throaty groan, closing her eyes for a moment to savor the feeling before his lips began to nibble across her coat. Her glass fell from her hoof, but Moondancer was already on it as her magic surrounded the glass to keep it in the air.

But that wasn’t all that Moondancer did. Her hoof took hold of Wallflower’s and began to lower it down Hunter’s body. She allowed Moondancer to guide her hoof, feeling the form of the stallion whose lips and tongue were making her moan nearly uncontrollably. Her hips jerked a little from this, pressing against Hunter’s side briefly.

But when Wallflower felt her hoof gliding over Hunter’s sheath, she instinctively jerked her hoof away as her eyes widened just slightly. She looked over at Moondancer, whose head still rested on Hunter’s side, simply gave her a half smile before her hoof continued downward. Wallflower watched, heart racing, as the unicorn’s hoof touched the stallion’s balls. In a public place. The earth mare bit her lower lip, hearing Hunter let out a hum of approval which Moondancer heard as she began to blush. Yet Moondancer’s eyes were fixed on Wallflower, inviting her to join in on this.

Wallflower felt her hoof tremble as it hovered over Hunter’s body, watching the scene next to her. Not for the first time since coming to this town did she remember her teachings telling her how wrong this was. She had refrained from touching herself on stage, rubbing her pussy in front of a group of strangers. That had been wrong, she knew that. And to do something like this was no less wrong than that! She had been taught that you should never touch a stallion’s private area unless you were wed to him and such acts were always to be done in private. But only to be done barely when copulating, no other time! To do something like that, especially in such a public area, would be high lunacy! Something like this should be a line drawn in cement, something she should not cross for any reason!

And yet as she looked at Moondancer’s hoof, that line in her mind suddenly became a line drawn in the sand as she became excited for reasons she did not fully understand. I’ve already done so many things that the Sol told us are wrong, she thought as her mouth felt very dry at that moment. Turning, her lips came close to the floating glass which tipped slightly in order for her to drink. Even as she did this, her eyes remained fixed on the testicles of the stallion she had been kissing, whose wing she was still wrapped up in. I just danced in front of everypony here showing them my private parts. I made out with not just a stallion but also a mare. I let Hunter tie me up and help act out that dream. Didn’t all that feel good? Nopony got hurt. So, ah, wouldn’t this be the next step? To touch it? That’s all I’ll be doing, right? W-What would be the harm? Wallflower’s heart began to beat faster as she watched Moondancer gently caress the stallion’s testicles. Her thoughts were becoming like a wind, eroding the line until it was barely visible.

But some of the line still remained held by fear which kept the mare at bay. Her eyes began to dart around, looking to see if one of the waitresses were nearby. Or any other pony really who might spot them like a stripper or a customer. Thankfully, right now, most of the waitresses were up by the stage taking orders from those who were watching as the mother and daughter duo got ready for their dance. The other strippers were too busy chatting with those seated, claiming their attention. It seemed like no one was looking their way right now. For once, she was glad nopony was paying attention to her. But, how long would that last? It would be so easy for the waitress who gave them their drinks to come over and check on them, spotting what Moondancer was doing. Probably be just as bad, or even worse, if Wallflower joined in. They would all get in trouble, no doubt being hauled off to jail. So, was it worth it for such a cheap thrill? M-Maybe she should try and talk them out of it? As a friend of course!

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” whispered Hunter into her ear, his voice husky which sent shivers down the mare’s back. Wallflower pulled her gaze away from Moondancer and looked into the golden eyes of the thestral which shined with both warmth and understanding. “Moondancer was just letting you know what you could do. We won’t be bothered here for a bit. And if we get caught, the most they’ll do is ask us to stop. Maybe leave. But if this makes you feel uncomfortable, we’ll stop with no hard feelings. Neither of us will make you do anything.” As he spoke, Wallflower felt that line in the sand vanish completely.

Taking a breath, Wallflower reached down to touch the sack of the stallion. She cupped one side opposite of Moondancer and…to be honest, she didn’t know what she was expecting. It was warm in her hoof, but beyond that, she didn’t get why this was so stimulating for Moondancer. Heck, she didn’t even see why it was such a big deal at all.

“Mhmmm,” went Hunter, catching Wallflower’s attention. “Very nice Wallflower.” A blush appeared on Wallflower’s face, her hoof still holding onto the stallion’s ball. She could feel something filling her. Something good and wonderful. She was pleasing him. She was making the stallion feel good just by doing this. And that meant something.

Wallflower brought her head down, laying on the stallion’s chest as her hoof began to roll around the stallion’s orb slowly, careful not to hurt him. In return, the kisses returned. His lips and tongue were pressed against her neck before moving up towards her chin. He nibbled at her ear more than once, causing her vision to go blurry with pleasure. His hoof continued to fondle her rump, moving from cheek to cheek while circling the base of her tail. Small, soft moans began to escape from Wallflower’s lips as the feeling of pleasure began to grow. She might have cried out loud, not caring if she drew the attention of the entire club, had Hunter not sealed her lips with his own. And as their tongues mingled, the green mare idly thought of what it would feel like if they were caught. If somepony just walked by and saw them? Would they be upset…or jealous? And, for some reason, this thought was what excited her the most.

Eventually their lips parted, a stand of saliva connecting them until Hunter turned to face Moondancer. Wallflower was left there, a panting mess from something so simple while Moondancer received the same treatment. Her eyes stared out at the club before her, watching as mother and daughter put on a show for all. The younger mare on stage was flicking her tongue at the older’s exposed folds, making it look like she was lapping away at the hole that birthed her while also rolling her own flank before the crowd. The younger mare then slapped her mother’s flank with her wing, the two then separating before trotting around the stage. A soft groan escaped Wallflower as they then returned to each other, the mother getting on top of her daughter so that their bellies were pressed against each other. Their tails flicked out of the way, showing just how close their pussies were to each other. All it would take was a brief movement and they would be-

Hunter’s lips found her neck again, causing Wallflower to close her eyes, a perverted moan escaping her throat as she was drawn back towards the stallion. From there, Wallflower lost all sense of time as she felt herself becoming lost in the pleasure and guided solely by the stallion who held her. He would kiss her, drawing her closer to himself. Or he would tell her to kiss Moondancer, sometimes on the lips or other times telling her to lick the unicorn’s horn. Then, when Moondancer did something else, he would ask her if she wanted to copy her. Things like kissing Hunter’s chest while her hoof continued to fondle his sack. Perhaps these were small acts to Moondancer, but to a mare like Wallflower, they were something much more. Every time she heard him let out a sound to show he was pleased with her actions, Wallflower’s heart soared. She felt good making this stallion feel nice. The stallion who saw her called her the Emerald of the Desert, who claimed her first kiss. She wanted to show him how much that all meant to her, to give him more of something.

Then, everything seemed to culminate into one final kiss. She saw Moondancer, her muzzle so close to her own, with her tongue hanging out slightly. With half lidded eyes, Wallflower copied her unicorn friend knowing that something wonderful was about to happen. And it did for as soon as she did this Moondancer’s tongue reached out to touch and caress hers out in the open for all to see. Wallflower’s heart felt like it was about to explode with bliss as their tongues coiled around the other and pressed against each other, drops of spit landing on Hunter’s coat. That feeling all but exploded inside her when Hunter’s tongue joined in. For some time the three sat there, ignoring the rest of the world as they performed their three-way make out session while gasping and moaning lewdly.

When it ended, Hunter brought his lips to Wallflower’s ear. The panting mare shuddered with anticipation, believing that he was going to nibble on it again. Instead however, he whispered into her ear. “Would you like to take things up a notch?” His words shook Wallflower, her eyes widening as she looked up into his. Take it up a notch? What could that mean? Hunter didn’t say anymore, however, only glancing over at Moondancer who was looking at Hunter curiously. He said nothing, only gesturing to the VIP section with his head. Moondancer’s expression said it all, her mouth dropped as she looked back at him silently for several long seconds. Then, she looked over at Wallflower for a brief moment…and then smiled.

As for Wallflower, she was also putting the pieces together. Although she couldn’t see the full picture, she could tell that whatever Hunter had in mind was something they couldn’t do here in public space. Something more explicit than what they had been doing up until now. And, somehow, she felt even more excited than when she had been offered the chance to touch his balls. Her heart was beating faster, a rush going through her body.

“M-Maybe,” said Wallflower finally as, despite what she felt, she didn’t want to commit to anything just yet. Not when Hunter hadn’t told her what they were doing. “I’d have to know what we’d be doing. But, ah, if I don’t want to do it I can say no…right?”

“Of course,” replied Hunter warmly, causing Wallflower to relax. “Normally we would go over everything we would want to do before hoof, however right now we’re doing things on the fly. Still, your consent will always come first.” Wallflower thought about it for a moment more. It was true, they had never pushed her into doing something that she didn’t want to do. How easy would it have been for Moondancer to use her magic and force her to touch Hunter’s balls? Or how easy would it have been for Hunter to take full advantage of her when she had been bound, hanging from his ceiling? And the way he spoke to her didn’t feel like there was any pressure to this. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how much she could trust them. If she did go back there and they wanted to do something too extreme for her, Wallflower felt confident that they wouldn’t press the issue.

And so Wallflower voiced her agreement along with a nod.

As the three of them got out of their seat and began moving towards the VIP section, Wallflower began to hear a small voice in the back of her head. Though it was small, its demand that she should leave was clear. That she was getting herself deeper and deeper into this lunacy. That if she didn’t stop soon there would be no coming back! It urged her to gallop out at full speed, take the first train out of here no matter where it led, and make her way home from there. To go there and tell everypony back home what a vile place this was so that they would come and-

Firmly, Wallflower stomped out the voice before it could finish. Deep down, she knew that if she did that then all of her work here would be for nothing. That the Sol would do things that would justify the opinions of ponies like Snuggles. Then nopony here would ever listen to what she had to say about the Sol, about its positives. And if she could do that here, then there was no reason why the Sol couldn’t do the same elsewhere.

…That and she was curious as to what Hunter had planned.

Together they moved away from the main floor and down a hallway. Looking before her, Wallflower saw that the way was barely lit with low burning candle sticks attached to the walls. Each one gave such a soft glow that it would just be enough for a mare to just make out what was in the hallway while also creating a perfumed scent. Wallflower noted that there were six doorways on either side of the hall, yet none of them had a proper door. Instead thick, red curtains that dragged along the floor blocked every entrance. Finally, at the end, was a ramp that led upwards to the upper floor.

Hunter led the way forward and, at first, Wallflower thought they were going to go up the ramp. However, just before they reached it, Hunter turned towards the last doorway on his right and pulled the curtain over with his wing. Beyond the curtain was a small room where, opposite to where she stood, had a couch attached to the wall. Other than that, the room was surprisingly empty while also being slightly dimmer than the hallway.

This can’t be a VIP room, thought Wallflower as Hunter gestured for them to enter. She looked about, trying to find anything that she might have missed. Anything at all that might show this as something worth being in here for four hundred bits. Still there was nothing. Squinting, she could just make out the reddish pink walls and could feel the carpeting under her hooves. But there was really nothing else! Then she remembered what the waitress had said. That the VIP room overlooked the stage. So perhaps that was where the ramp led and this was just a room made for private dances. Yeah, that made sense.

“Ok Moondancer,” said Hunter, his voice causing the green mare to jump a little as she was brought out of her thoughts. She looked over at Hunter, who closed the curtain while Moondancer’s horn glowed briefly. Was she casting a spell or something?

“That should do it,” continued Hunter, looking at the curtain and giving it a firm nod. He then turned around, moving in-between the two mares with his wings outstretched. A coo of delight escaped Wallflower as his wings glided across her flank, over her fur and onto her sweater. The wing then made it to her covered neck before finding her chin and cupping it. “Now, Wallflower, do you remember the words I told you yesterday?”

Wallflower’s eyes fluttered for a moment as the wing moved away, Hunter taking a few steps towards the couch. “Ah, Kiwi means slow down. I say Starberry when I want everything to pause. And Juice means that I want what we’re doing to end.”

“Very good,” praised Hunter, causing a swell of pride within Wallflower. “Well, I don’t think we really have any need for the words today. Since we’re here and it’s your first time doing this, I’ll be letting you go at your own pace. Or even just sitting off to the side and watching. Still, I think if things get a little too rough or you get scared, the safety words are there if you need them.”

Wallflower nodded, a smile appearing on her muzzle as she did so. It was touching to know that Hunter was looking out for her like this. Made her feel safer with them.

“Tonight, you and Moondancer will be worshiping my cock,” said Hunter as she turned his back to the couch. Instantly he jumped backwards, his flank landing on the cushion and his hind legs dangling off the edge. They were spread wide, allowing both mares to get a good view of his balls and the cock that was just beginning to poke out of its sheath. For a moment, Wallflower stood there staring at the stallion’s sex before his words registered in her mind.

“W-What?” she asked, glancing over at Moondancer who was licking her lips.

“I would like you and Moondancer to pleasure my penis using your mouth, tongue, and hooves,” said Hunter, his voice displaying no signs of irritation or annoyance. Most likely he knew that Wallflower would need a moment or two to process this as she stared at his thick, meaty member.

Only, Wallflower was more surprised with herself right now than the request. Instantly she recalled that mare she had seen in the alleyway, sucking away at that colt’s cock. Now she was being offered the same thing, the same treatment as then. This should have shocked her, appalled even, to have a stallion asking any mare, let alone a member of the Sol, to do something like that. The moment he had asked her, Wallflower knew that there should have only been a milliseconds worth of delay before telling him all the reasons it was wrong to do so. Reminding him that it wasn’t pure or even righteous to do something like this. Especially with a mare that he had not wed. Not to mention in a place like this!

Instead, she felt those same feeling she had felt as she watched that thestral filly sucking on a cock while knowing she was being watched. Her pussy began to dampen as she felt that same burning sensation growing within her heart, pure desire racing through her. Only, for some reason, it felt stronger than it had back then. Was it because it was going to be with Hunter? That…That could be it. Wallflower raised a hoof, ready to take a step forward as a part of her realized that this was just the next step. After all, hadn’t she been fondling Hunter’s ball in public just a few minutes ago? What he was asking her to do now was just moving upwards a bit while giving her the option to use her mouth and tongue. Hadn’t she stared at Moondancer’s sex, feeling that desire to taste it? As she stared at Hunter’s pole, the words to the song returned, causing her mouth to water a bit.

Wallflower’s hoof began to lower itself forward, ready to move closer to the stallion. But, before it touched the ground, the mare hesitated as a fear grew inside. An odd feeling of fear as it was mixed with the excitement she felt. It was all so new to her. Swallowing, Wallflower brought her hoof back as she gave Hunter a nervous look.

“I-I don’t want us to get in trouble,” she said, glancing away from Hunter to look at the curtain. The curtain that offered them feeble protection from would-be intruders.

When she turned around, Hunter was still smiling. “Don’t worry,” he said while Moondancer moved in front of him. “Everything will be fine.” And, as he said that, Moondancer lowered her head to give one of his balls a long lick. Her moan reverberated within Wallflower, feeling it as though she were the one being pleasured.

The doubts holding Wallflower back crumbled as she moved beside Moondancer. She could do this. This was all for the Sol!

…right?

Such thoughts were put on hold as she now sat in front of the stallion. Now that she was closer, the merest breath seemed to fill her lungs with a scent that did not come from the candles. Rather, she assumed, it was the scent of a stallion. It was a bit on the musky side mixed with salt as well as something else that Wallflower could not put her hoof on. But the results were evident as her body began to react. Her mouth began to water faster than ever, forcing her to swallow lest her spittle leak out of the corners of her mouth. The mare’s pussy began to wink a little faster now as a burning desire grew.

Yet even with all of this, she was not ready to do what Moondancer was doing. She was not ready to bend down, lapping away at this stallion’s balls and moaning like…like that. Instead, Wallflower brought her hoof back to his sack so that she may fondle them once more. Only this time, she could see what she was doing. She could now watch as the hefty sack spread as far as it could within her hoof, with the orb inside staying at the middle. Wallflower swallowed again as she caressed it, eyeing how it slightly wobbled before allowing it to slide off her hoof.

For a minute or two, Wallflower continued like this while her gaze shifted every now and then to Hunter’s rising pole. It seemed like every time she turned her focus back to it more had emerged from its sheath. And the more it did so, the more of that scent filled her body. The more it seemed to call to her.

Slowly, Wallflower’s hoof shifted from the sperm holder as it made its way upwards. It glided over the stallion’s fur, taking in its feel as she made her way closer and closer to where the pole of flesh rose. But, when she was about to touch it, Wallflower paused as she realized her hoof was trembling. Something held her back, sending a brief fear into. Most likely it was years of being told just how wrong this was. Only Wallflower steeled herself as she closed her eyes. She needed, NO, wanted to do this.

And so, with a slow and tentative motion, Wallflower touched her first cock of her own free will.

Wallflower’s eyes opened as she felt the shaft on her hoof. It was interesting to say the least. It was both hard but also a little soft. Hunter’s cock felt warm in her hoof, feeling the veins on the surface rising upwards as his cock continued to grow. It was interesting, but like her first reaction with his testicles, Wallflower didn’t see what the big deal was. Well, ok, it felt a bit better on her hoof than his balls did. Maybe if she tried moving her hoof around she might-

An ‘Eep’ escaped her lips as Hunter’s cock grew a little faster as she gave the fleshy member a light tug. The scent in the room grew a little stronger as more of his penis was exposed and she could now see that something was glistening off of the flat head. Wallflower took a breath, taking in so much of the scent in the room that she could now taste it within her mouth. While her maw began to water, Wallflower realized what she was doing. She was making him feel good. NO! She was arousing him! A-After all, didn’t his cock grow larger when she tugged at it? That had been her! Pride began to swell inside her as her cheeks darkened, Wallflower’s breathing deepening in order to take in more of that smell.

Her hoof seemed to go on auto-pilot, stroking Hunter’s cock as she watched on in awe. It moved slowly, up and down, careful never to move too fast for fear of hurting Hunter. She saw with her own eyes the shaft was continuing to grow, the medial ring now visible. She could feel something wet on her hooves, making the meat she was holding more slippery. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop, not even when a slick sound could be heard as she rubbed his cock. Never once did she feel appalled by the wet feel of his cock. Rather, it seemed to urge her on!

“D-Does this feel good?” she eventually asked, her words coming out in a breathless fashion.

“Yes,” said Hunter, his tone reminding Wallflower of the dreams she had had of him. Dreams where he was her Mas…the stallion who had bought her above all the others. It almost made her shudder to think he could do that with a single word. “You are doing very well for one so new to this. It pleases me.”

‘It pleases me.’ Hearing that sent something running through Wallflower that nearly made her gasp. She wanted to continue pleasing him. Wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything else in her life! As she let go of the stallion’s pillar, sinking down so that she was closer to Moondancer’s level, she began to realize that this wasn’t about the Sol. Not anymore. She wanted this for herself and nothing else.

Now her nose was close enough to Hunter’s untouched orb that she almost touched it. The scent was now inescapable, filling her lungs with each breath she took. Not that she wanted it any other way for she inhaled it like it was the most intoxicating thing she had ever smelt. It was such a strong, powerful odor that she felt had to come from a strong stallion. A stallion she had the honor of pleasuring.

As her rear mouth continued to drool, Wallflower stuck out her tongue in a way that would allow only the tip of her tongue to taste the stallion directly. Just in case the taste was vile, for she had no desire to ruin the moment with gagging. Thankfully that did not happen for as soon as her tongue began to caress the sack of flesh, her taste buds seemed like they were going to explode with flavor! It was a salty taste, but one she found herself enjoying to the point where she might have gone cross eyed! But when the sound of Hunter letting out a low groan, feeling his wing against her mane in a gentle caress of approval, made that impossible.

Wallflower began to lick the ball sack with gusto, now moaning alongside Moondancer as she did so. No longer was she using the tip of her tongue, but starting at the middle in order to better lap away. The green mare could feel her flank move back and forth, like a dog wagging its tail. Her scent began to add itself to the others, though her focus was on the only important one before her. The sounds she made were soon like a pervert chorus with words like ‘so good’ and ‘wonderful’ added in. Both were so very true.

In a short amount of time, Wallflower found herself moving upwards to the shaft which was leaking his pre-seed. Wallflower had no idea how she came to such a decision, how the idea appeared in her head. Had it been because Moondancer was doing the same and, lost in this well of delight, Wallflower had just mimicked her? Had Hunter urged her upwards with a gesture or words? Had she just wanted to taste more now that nearly all of that wonderful stallion flavor on his balls was nearly depleted? But none of that mattered as her tongue tasted his pre for the very first time, her pupils becoming like hearts right besides Moondancer. There was some bitterness to it, but the green mare found it quickly becoming her new favorite snack. She lapped it up with long motions of her tongue, moving upwards as if to polish this pillar!

She wasn’t alone in this. Wallflower noticed that Moondancer was just as committed to the act of pleasing the stallion as much as she was. Perhaps even more. Moondancer was slower than the newbie, no doubt to better savor the taste of her lover. On occasion she would bring her muzzle close so that her cheek would rub up along the side, letting her glasses become disheveled and lopsided in the process. Or she would bring her nose up so that it was pressed right against the vein covered pole where she would then inhale deeply, her eyes fluttering as she made her way past the medial ring and up to the flare.

What caught Wallflower’s attention the most was the look in the mare’s eyes. She wasn’t lost in the moment, filled with lust or anything like that. No, it was something that caused Wallflower to slow down in her own efforts. It was devotion. Purer than anything Wallflower had ever seen before in any of her Sol meetings, Moondancer expressed this feeling with every gesture. And seeing it made Wallflower wonder if she too could do the same. Could she show the same level of devotion to this stallion? Could she-

Moondancer’s hoof wrapped around Wallflower’s head, cutting her thoughts off as she found herself pressed closer to the cock. Looking forward, she saw that Moondancer was just as close while giving Wallflower a sultry look so powerful that caused her cheeks to warm up so much that she could probably melt a glacier. Moondancer’s maw opened wide, wrapping around the shaft in a way that reminded the green mare of a pony eating an ear of corn. Wallflower copied this motion and, as Hunter let out another guttural moan, Moondancer slipped her tongue around so that they may touch. The freckled mare moaned, her action sending vibrations into the object of her affection and making him moan as well. She responded at once, tasting not only the wonderful taste of Hunter’s cock but also the tongue of the nerdy mare. Together they began to move almost as one with Wallflower trailing behind Moondancer just a little bit as they made their way up the shaft. More and more slick noises could be heard, growing louder as their passions grew.

When they finally reached the flare, Moondancer pulled away, allowing Wallflower to catch her breath. There she was, panting slightly, as she watched the unicorn wink at her before taking the entire flare into her maw. The sight brought back memories of the mare in the alleyway, only this time she was up close. Close enough to see the cheeks of the mare stretch due to the stallion’s girth as well as the drool escaping. She could hear the slight sounds the mare made which put that filly to shame! Wallflower could do nothing but watch with wide eyes as the mare bobbed her head up and down slightly to take more inside, to taste him more. To show more of her devotion!

Then, after a minute or two, Moondancer removed her jaw from around the stallion meat and moved close to Wallflower’s face. “Would you like to try this as well?” Moondancer asked, so close that Wallflower could smell the scent of the stallion. Dumbly she nodded, causing Moondancer to grin as she backed away a little bit in order to give her room.

Wallflower hesitated for only a moment, more to take a breath than anything else, before she brought her lips to the flare. The scent was more intoxicating than ever, stronger now that she was at the fount of that delightful fluid coming from his cock. Stars and hearts began to fill Wallflower’s vision as her mouth opened as wide as she could and took in the member. And only now did she realize just how wrong she had been before. What she had seen of stars and hearts was nothing for entire galaxies of shooting stars along with a cosmos of other shapes filled her sight! She began to bob her head, taking in that wonderful taste from a wonderful stallion. She didn’t mind that her jaw hurt a bit as it was stretched out further than before for she could feel him getting even harder. Could feel more of that fluid coming out of his cock. Could feel him bringing a hoof to her mane, stroking it as though she were a pet he was praising! And that made her feel so wonderful!

As she took more of the stallion’s cock into her mouth, a new sense of pride filled her like nothing else ever had! She was pleasing this stallion, this kind stallion, just by using her mouth! She was making him moan her name, feeling his hooves and wings around her head to keep her there! His attention, His focus, was on a nopony like her! She felt her tongue moving in circles around his great shaft on its own accord, the shaft sending more of its wonderful fluid into her mouth where she greedily swallowed. Wallflower wanted to do more to praise this cock, to praise the stallion who it belonged to. To do more to make him feel better, even if that meant giving him everything she could just to allow him a fraction of the wonder that she felt right now. Because he was her-

“Come on, come on!” The sound of a mare’s voice shattered Wallflower’s focus like glass, her eyes widening as she suddenly recalled where they were. Her ears perked, hearing the sounds of hooves clopping on the floor nearby.

“I’m coming,” laughed another voice, a stallion’s this time. By the sounds of it, an older stallion than Hunter. And they were close. Perhaps right in front of the curtain! Wallflower’s heart was pounding in her chest now, adrenaline pumping through her like never before. She wanted to pull her head away from Hunter’s magnificent meat stick before they swung open the curtain and saw them. Saw her, a member of the Sol with her mouth full of cock and pussy dripping all over the floor. But, for some reason, she didn’t move. It wasn’t because of Hunter, for she could feel his forelegs and wings becoming a little lax, as if they were getting ready to allow her to come up.

I…Maybe I don’t want to draw any attention, thought Wallflower. I mean, w-won’t there be a popping sound if I let go of Hunter’s penis? T-T-They m-might hear that! And Hunter might moan as I let him go. They might do what I did and come to investigate! So I should just stay like this. As Wallflower listened to the clopping of hooves, her mind continued to play the scene in her head of the curtain opening wide to reveal to strangers! It should have been a terrifying thought…so why was her pussy burning madly as mare juice flowed from it?!? Why was she excited along with being afraid? What was this pressure building up inside of her?

“So which room would you like for your very private dance,” giggled the mare, her voice so close that Wallflower felt her eyes rolling into the back of her skull.

She could then hear the stallion laugh, his voice all so close. Perhaps right in front of the curtain! “They’re all the same, aren’t they? Anyone will do. So eeny, meeny, miny, moe!” With that, Wallflower heard a curtain opening loudly, her pussy clenching as more juices began to pour out. This was it! This was the end! This was-

Then she heard the sound of the curtain closing somewhere else. And as she heard that, Wallflower felt herself orgasm just as powerfully as she had when she had been tied up. She could feel her mare fluids running down her legs soaking her tail as she slumped down to the ground. By purity, the face she must have made in that moment! She knew she had a dopey grin on her face, eyes probably rolling into the back of her head while the cock slid out of her mouth.

Then, a moment later, Wallflower found herself wrapped up in Hunter’s wings as he held onto her. She could hear music playing, but she was not sure if it was a new song or not. She had been so focused on sucking Hunter that she, well, wasn’t paying attention to anything else. The only thing she knew was that she was still in the same room, but the scent of sex was gone. As if by magic.

“Hey there, you back with us?” asked Hunter gently as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Yeah,” answered Wallflower in a horse voice. It was only now that she realized just how dry her throat felt. That as well as how wet the area between her hind legs felt. “I thought they were going to find us. We were lucky.”

“No, we weren’t,” answered Moondancer, the pride vibrating in her tone causing Wallflower to shoot her a look. “When we got in here I cast a Perception spell on the room. To put it simply, it averts a creature’s gaze and attention away from a specific spot to the point where they won’t even realize that the object is there. My mother used to use the same spell on the cookie jar when me and my sister were foals! As long as we weren’t too loud, like screaming at the top of our lungs, most ponies wouldn’t have given the room a second glance.”

“Oh,” said Wallflower slowly, a smile appearing on her muzzle as she pressed herself closer to Hunter. A weird feeling grew inside of her, like she felt as though she had been cheated or something. It was weird, like she had wanted to be caught or something. Yet at the same time, she didn’t! Maybe she was tired and confused; a good night’s rest would clear her mind a bit. At the very least she knew one thing was for certain: she felt glad she was with these two for looking out for her. For thinking ahead the way they did to ensure nothing went wrong. Yes, she could trust these two.

“It looks like you’ve discovered a few new things about yourself,” whispered Hunter into Wallflower’s ear. His tone was like a caress running down her back, her body pressing itself closer to him. “When we have more time, if you want, we can help you explore these kinks more. But for now, I think we should get cleaned up. We’ve pushed our luck more than enough for now.”

“What a day!” exclaimed Hunter as the door to his home opened a little over an hour later. Grinning, the stallion spiraled past the threshold while pulling in his nerdy marefriend who giggled from the gesture. Laughing and grinning, the two circled the other with their hooves connected until Moondancer’s flank made contact with the kitchen table. Hunter watched as she jumped at this, her glasses nearly falling off in the moment, before she burst out laughing once more. Hunter joined in as he nuzzled one of, if not the, most important mare in his life while excitement from the club still pumping through their veins.

Both ponies were feeling good at what they had accomplished at the club. After the three of them had left the private room, Moondancer having used a spell to clean themselves up really quickly as well as removing the scent, they had been caught by one of the wait staff. Thankfully the mare had only questioned why they had been back there without an ‘official’ stripper, accepting their explanation of their friend Wallflower wanting to put on a private show for them without a hint of suspicion. Smiling at her, the trio left after paying for their drinks…as well as leaving a nice tip to a very confused waitress. Once they were out, the party went their separate ways with Wallflower heading back to Granny Aroma’s shop with her bag of bits, a coupon she had won, and the panties she had worn on stage. Meanwhile, Hunter and Moondancer headed back home as they began to revel in the excitement of what had just happened.

An excitement that had yet to dim, for while Hunter had enjoyed the sensation of fresh lips around his cock, he had not released his load. A problem his nerdy sub was more than willing to help him with for as soon they locked lips, Moondancer’s magic went to work locking the door while also closing all the drapes so well that not even a crack of light could come through. They two began to kiss loudly, moaning without a care as Hunter’s hooves went to the unicorn’s side so that he could pick her up and put her on the table. This forced them to separate, but neither of them cared. Moondancer spread her legs, revealing her treasure for Hunter so that he could-

“What’s going-,” came a voice that brought the two out of the moment, Hunter’s cock unsheathed and mere centimeters away from its favorite warmer. Both ponies turned to look across the room, spotting Lightning as her face changed from alert to sheepishness. “Guess I should have figured it was you two.” She said after a moment, scratching the side of her neck as she did so.

“Yeah,” said Moondancer, sitting up on the table while Hunter moved away. For a moment, he stared at his pegasi lover, noting that something was off with her. Her posture was far more docile than normal and her eyes, they looked so tired. Not physically tired, for Hunter knew Lightning well enough to know that she was the type to run laps around the town just for fun before hitting the gym followed by a long lasting session at the Clocktower. No, he had seen this look in her eyes only when she was emotionally drained. And a glance at Moondancer as she slid off the table told him that she had noticed it as well.

When Hunter turned to look back at Lightning, he didn’t say anything at first. He had a guess what had caused this as he recalled the last time they had seen each other. How she had revealed some very old wounds she had been carrying with her to everypony during lunch. About the stallion who, while she had not named him, had been the one to impregnate Lightning’s mother. About how he had a temper, lashing out at the mare before abandoning both her and their unborn daughter to pursue his own desires. And…the sick connection she found between them. Hunter had seen it as a huge stride forward for her, one that he was proud of her for. But it seemed like her trials weren’t over.

“So, how did it go?” he asked at last as he moved towards her. “With your mom and Den Mother?”

“I-I guess it was alright,” said Lighting as her wings fidgeted slightly, ruffling about. “Tried to see my mom first, but she was busy on Maid Duty at the Society. I tried asking the Head Maid where she was so I could talk to her, but that didn’t go so well. I’m kind-of sort-of still on thin ice with her as it is and she wasn’t going to pull my mom out of duties for me any time soon. Said I would have to wait for her break to talk to her unless this was a matter of life and death. Well, seeing as there was nothing to do until then I decided to head over to my Den Mother’s office. That went pretty good. Said I made good strides by talking to you guys about my feelings and junk. After that, well, just the usual talk until I left. Then I waited for my mom to go on break and we found a place where we could talk in private. R-Really glad for that, you know. Some pretty heavy stuff there. It w-wouldn’t have been cool if anypony overheard us. Saw us c-crying.” As she said this last part, Hunter watched her gulp before looking away with her eyes downcast. No doubt to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Compassion filled Hunter, walking towards her without thinking about what he should do. Only what he could do to ease whatever was wrong with her. To comfort her. But, before he could take more than a couple of steps, Lightning swung her head back towards him. She tried to put on a braver, stronger face as she held up a wing to single him to stop. Yet even then, Hunter saw her eyes were slightly watering.

“So, yeah, pretty good night,” she said with a forced smile. “Didn’t get into any fights or anything. I mean, I wanted to bite the Head Maid’s head off when she told me I couldn’t see my mom but I didn’t. So, hey, improvement! But enough about that. How was your guys’ ni-”

“Lightning,” interrupted Hunter, his tone firm but not unkind. He looked at her squarely in the eyes, his gaze focused on her alone. “What else happened?”

“Nothing!” said Lightning instantly. She began to back up, but she was too slow as one of Hunter’s winds caught her. As soon as she felt the leathery membrane on her back, she came to a halt despite how easily she could get out of it. If she really wanted to that is.

“Lightning, you’re safe here,” said Hunter, feeling the pegasus tremble a little as she looked away. “You know you can tell us anything and it’ll stay with us for as long as you want. We’re here for you.”

“…For now at least,” muttered Lightning, her tone soft and nearly silent. It might have gone unheard had it not been for Hunter’s tufted ears which twitched at the noise, his wing lifting off of her as Lightning looked up. Her face screamed of shock and horror, no doubt hoping that her comment had gone unheard.

“What?” asked Hunter, his voice coming out both confused and hurt at the same time while his wing returned to wrap around her. “I-I don’t understand where this is coming from.”

“Don’t you?” asked Lightning, tears now fully forming in her eyes. Her tone completely lacked any sort of venom or anger while coming off as if she had regrettably resigned herself to some horrible fate. “Hunter, I…I had to face something tonight. Something I really, really didn’t want to think about. But ever since lunch, its been popping into my head over and over again. About how I’ve pushed everypony in my life away from me. A-And the why. Because I have him inside of me. A part of that bastard who hurt my mom is always, always going to be a part of me.”

“Lightning,” began Hunter, but the pegasus shook her head as more tears began to appear in her eye.

“Come on Hunter, both you and Four-Eyes have to have realized it!” she all but shouted. “You’ve both way smarter than me! The way I’ve looked down on others who don’t push themselves like I do. The way I take out my frustration on the ponies around me. You should have been able to figure it out by now: I got all that from him! And just like him, I ruin every relationship I’ve ever been in!”

Lightning paused for a moment as her teary eyes looked right into Hunter’s in a way that compelled him not to look away. “Nopony stood by my side when I got kicked out of the Academy. They were glad to be rid of me. Then I just started taking out all my anger and frustration out on everypony around me, even when they were just trying to help! I lost all my friends because they couldn’t stand to be around me, even my ex. Even the Maids of the Society! We used to get along so well, but now…Now I hear them whispering behind my back. Especially the Head Maid. I know she thinks that I’m nothing more than an ungrateful brat, acting like this after everything my mom went through to raise me. A-And she’s right.” As Lightning placed both her fore hooves on Hunter’s shoulders the stallion brought his other wing down on her so that she was enveloped in its leathery membrane. Her body shivered as she stared right into his golden orbs. “I nearly ended up just like him!”

“But you didn’t,” said Hunter firmly, leaning his face closer to hers. “Lightning, you didn’t chase away everypony in your life. You’re still in the Society. And you’re making things up with your mom. You know you are. Every time I see her, she keeps telling me about how much happier you look these days. That you seem brighter.” At that, Lightning blushed for a moment. While his eyes were still fixed on hers, he felt her hooves travel briefly towards the center of his chest before returning to his shoulder. And at the same time he could see Lightning’s jaw move like it was ready to say something, only for her to stop herself. So, Hunter continued. “And you’re making a new life for yourself here. Along with us. I think, all things considered, you didn’t end up nearly as bad as he did.”

At that, Lightning looked at him hopefully for a moment before leaning her head forward a bit in a motion that felt like she was moving in for a kiss. Yet, just as quickly as she started, she pulled herself back before looking away. “Hunter, I…Look, lets not pretend anymore. I’m not like Moondancer or Wallflower. You never went after me because you wanted to, it was because my mom asked you to help.” As Hunter sat there, stunned by this, Lightning let out a sigh. “Don’t get me wrong, I…really like what you did for me. I don’t normally say this, but it was sweet. And really special seeing how far you were willing to go for me. But let’s be real here, you never would have asked me to join in on your sessions if I hadn’t forged that signature. In the end all I am is just a good fuck until you both get tired of my body. That or I just get in the way of whatever family you guys might want to build. Then, well, you’ll ask me to leave and-”

Lightning got no further than that as Moondancer’s magic surrounded her mouth, clamping it shut. Both Hunter and Lightning turned to look at the unicorn who, up until this moment, had not made a peep. Now they found that they had turned their attention to her just in time to see her rolling her eyes with a deep frown on her face. With a huff, she marched right over to Lightning with a serious expression on her face. Once she was close enough, Moondancer stopped and raised a hoof right up to Lightning’s face. She then pulled it back causing Lightning to close her eyes. Then…

“You really are dense, aren’t you,” said Moondancer as she booped Lightning gently on the snout.

“Hey!” barked Lightning as the magic released its hold on her mouth, instantly allowing her to regain her speech. She glared at Moondancer with fury at what she had done, the hairs of her mane sticking up as she did. At the same time, she removed one of her hooves from Hunter to touch her nose as if she were checking to find blood. That or she was just embarrassed.

“I’m just stating a fact,” replied Moondancer calmly, cleaning some grime off her glasses as she did so. “I mean, do you really think the only reason you’re here is physical satisfaction? With all the members within the Society you believe, statistically, that you are the best? That all the members in Hunter’s contacts list were not as satisfying as you?”

“Ahh,” was all Lightning said, a sheepish smile appearing on her face as she lowered her head a little. This earned another eye roll from Moondancer.

“Of course you would think that,” she muttered before sighing. She then gave Lightning a very, very serious look. “Lightning, I will admit that there are times when putting up with you is a real chore. With those vile breakfast smoothies you make or when you get impatient with whatever before doing something reckless.” Moondancer then sighed. “But, sometimes, those are the qualities about you that I admire the most. The fact that you do those things or the way you push your body to the limit. Even just the way you can approach another at times to either make a friend or tell another off. I even enjoy bickering with you. So, when Hunter asked me how I felt about him giving you a collar for when we were at home I said I was alright with it.”

“Because we both like you beyond the physical level,” added Hunter, Lightning turning to look at him with a baffled expression. “Lightning, your mom might have played a part in us meeting. But remember, I choose to go through with it. I choose to chase you in the City and choose how our session would go.” In his hold, Hunter could feel Lightning shivering from the memory. Though he had a feeling it wasn’t in fear or any such emotion like that as a blush appeared on her face. “And I have never regretted it. Nor have I regretted letting you live with us, becoming a part of this herd. Not even when I brought you to the collaring block and forged that lock.” As Hunter said this last part, he placed the tip of his hoof on the mare’s neck causing her eyes to flutter slightly. “So, please, don’t tell us that our feelings for you aren’t real. Or that we would toss you aside so easily.”

“Geez,” said Lightning with a sniff, one of her hooves reaching up to touch Hunter’s hoof that was still on her neck. At the same time, small droplets of tears were beginning to form in her eyes. But these were not like the ones she had before for there was a small smile on her face. “Now you’re getting super mushy on me.”

“You know you like it,” whispered Hunter as he moved in. Their lips met and soon so too did their tongues. For the next several minutes they remained like this as their tongues coiled around the other and light moans filled the air. Lightning began to melt with the kiss, her body relaxing more and more as Hunter felt her drape her form onto his. Then, when the kiss was over, she sank a little lower so that her head was now right below the thestral’s neck. With his wings wrapped around her, it almost looked like she was curled up in a blanket.

“Master…Hunter, thanks,” said Lightning as she continued to cuddle onto the stallion’s chest. There was almost a purr in her noise, one that seemed more out of genuine reassurance than pleasure. Though Hunter would not rule out that pleasure might have been part of it. At the same time, Moondancer’s lips began to peck at the pegasus pony’s cheek. “You…really know how to put me back into my place. I guess talking about that asshole, what he did, took me to a pretty dark place.”

“Trust me, I know what that’s like,” whispered Moondancer as she gently kissed Lightning’s jaw. “At least the part about being in a dark place. But one thing I learned from all that experience is this: real friends, no matter how hard you try to push them away, will come back to help you when you need it. No matter how much of an ass you make of yourself.”

Lightning seemed to smile slightly at this. “Thanks Four-Eyes,” she managed to mutter playfully.

“Now then,” said Hunter as his gaze moved downward towards Lightning. “I know we’re not in a session right now, but I want you to say something. Can you do that?” Lightning didn’t say anything out loud, but he could feel her head give a very definite nod. “I want you to say, in your own words, how wrong you were to think we would discard a member of our herd.”

Lightning’s head jerked up a little, head still pressed against his body as she looked up at him. For a brief moment, he thought he saw her biting her lower lip. Then she shut her eyes tightly as if bracing herself for something before speaking. “I was wrong,” she said. “I know you both are too cool to just throw me out without trying to work things out. Because…I belong to you.” As she said this, Hunter could feel the mare’s body as it relaxed. He could feel her lips turn upright into a smile as the effect of her own words seemed to have a positive effect on her own state of mind.

“Good girl,” Hunter said as he stroked her mane gently.

“...Does that mean I get a reward?” asked Lightning, her tone hopeful. Briefly Hunter glanced over at Moondancer who gave him a brief nod to show that she was alright with giving up her own one-on-one time with him. That she understood Lightning needed this more right now.

“Yes,” he said while opening his wings. The pegasus pony shivered for a brief moment as the warmth her Master had surrounded her with vanished. Though she quickly adjusted to the change as she stood up, a grin appearing on her face as she backed up quickly.

“Great!” she said as she opened her wings. They began to flap so that she was soon hovering above the ground. “Let me go get my collar on and-”

“No need,” said Hunter as he took her hoof with his own. With ease he pulled her back down to the floor, her wings seeming to fold to her sides on their own when all four hooves touched the wooden boards. Lightning tilted her head to the side as a dumbfounded look appeared on her face. “Just head to the bed and lie on your back.”

Lightning had a questioning look on her face, but did not object to this. Instead she only nodded before turning around before heading towards the bedroom they all shared. As she moved, Hunter turned to Moondancer to give her one last kiss while making a mental promise that he would make this up to her. Perhaps taking her out to the Lunar Belle once more since she had enjoyed being treated as a ‘plate’.

When Hunter had made his way to the bedroom, he found Lightning right where he had told her in exactly the correct position. Her head was laid against one of the pillows there, staring up at the ceiling as she waited for whatever Hunter was going to do to her. The mare’s wings were no longer folded at her sides but instead spread out, lying on the bed limply as were her legs. As he looked at her like this, Hunter could see, and not for the first time, the differences in her body when compared to Moondancer. How her body was smaller, her frame lithe and well toned. Slender and powerful.

As silently as he could, Hunter moved across the room with his eyes ever leaving her. Much like how a shark or some other predator would circle their prey before going in for a bite. And as he did this, he saw that while Lightning never moved her head she gave off tells that she was following his movements. Her eyes, once focused on the ceiling above her head, turned in their sockets as much as they could to try and see him. The mare’s ears twitched about whenever a creak was heard on the wood. Seeing all this, the stallion had to wonder if the mare was also trying to feel the vibrations he caused with his hoofsteps.

Seeing her like this, Hunter felt his own anticipation on the rise. To open his wings so that he might fly over to her. To land on top of this mare before laying claim to her body like some wicked avian. Sure there was not enough room to really go all out like this, but he could try something similar. Of that he felt confident. However, Hunter fought back those desires as he made his way to the end of the bed. No, he had something else in mind and he would not allow his own desires to get the best of him.

Now that he was where he wanted to start, Hunter looked over his pegasus at this new angle. Her legs were spread out, laying flat against the bed as if waiting for a spreader bar to be attached to them. Her tail had been moved off to the side so that it would be out of the way. Most importantly was her sex, perfectly exposed for anypony to see. Looking between the valley of her legs, Hunter could see how it softly winked and drooled so that her mare juice was moving downwards towards her ponut. Said backdoor seemed to twitch a little, pulling itself inwards just a tad as if to entice the stallion to use it. At the same time, Hunter could hear her breathing becoming more audible now as her stomach moved just a little higher now. With each breath Lightning’s body seemed to struggle to keep on the bed like she wanted to arc in some whorish manner to entice him.

Using his hooves, Hunter moved Lightning’s hind legs a bit so that they would be bent upwards. Had this been any other pony in this situation, Hunter would have never even considered doing this. After such an emotional upheaval, said pony should have been too physically and emotionally exhausted to do something like this. Something that should have been evident to him now as he felt no resistance with her legs as he moved them. However, Hunter knew Lightning well enough to know not just that she could do this but that she needed this as well. Needed this level of contact, this level of connection between two. But not as a Dom. No, she needed something different.

Which was why Hunter leaned forward to gently kiss the area around her moist petals.

The effect was instantaneous! Lightning gasped louder than she would have had she felt the crop on her flank which was quickly followed by several more sharp intakes of breath. Hunter kept her legs apart as his lips danced around her quivering lips, never touching the folds themselves but simply the area near them while making sure that it was as loud as could be. Each butterfly kiss caused his mare’s body to tremble and rock, the noises she made being completely unintelligible. He could smell her nectar becoming stronger as more of her fluids began to flow out.

Hunter took his time, never rushing any of ministrations. It would have been so easy for him to move on to her honey pot, to lash at it with his tongue for fast pleasure. But no, the Dom had other plans for her this night that called for a slower touch. As such, his gentle kisses were more exploratory right now as he searched for each pleasurable spot he could find. With each touch of his lips, he listened to her reactions and made mental notes on what spots stimulated her the most as he slowly wound her up.

Once Hunter had circled around her nether region several times, believing that he had found all of her most sensitive spots, the thestral upped his game ever so slightly as he added in his tongue. There, the lashes he gave were slow and controlled causing her body to tremble. Hunter found himself grinning slightly to himself as the mare’s legs began to press against him, showing how much she was enjoying this by trying to prevent him from pulling away. Her breathing was coming out in short gasps, but also mixed with just the occasional mew of delight. Her scent was now impossible for any creature with a sense of smell to ignore.

He circled around her breeding hole many times, drawing ever so closer to it with each lap. It amused Hunter to think that, had this been any other activity, Lightning would have gotten bored and begged him to hurry up. Yet it seemed that that wasn’t the case here as she continued to moan out this slow, pleasurable torture upon her sex. And when Hunter’s mouth met her folds, the mare’s actions said it all. Her front hooves shut up into the air before quickly slamming down on the bed as soon as she felt Hunter’s lips pressed against her lower ones. The contact caused Lightning’s forelegs to rise up into the air before quickly slamming down onto the bed as she cried out. Her body then began to jerk rigidly at a rapid pace as Hunter began to lick and suck on her flower, stimulating the outer entrance at a quicker pace than he had before. More than once her hips thrusted upwards causing the stallion’s nose to come into direct contact with her juices.

Then, after what felt like hours of this, Hunter made his move. Lifting his head up just slightly, he spotted her exposed clit. With only the briefest of pauses, the stallion’s lips found their way to this cluster of nerves where they wrapped around it. As he gently sucked on it, Lightning hit her limit as she climaxed hard. Her mare juices rushed all over his chin and down his neck where they then began to soak the bed. While this was going on her cries of passion became so loud that it almost hurt his ears. It almost made him worry that those living in the surrounding tree homes might hear the noise; either worrying that they were being attacked or knocking on the door demanding that they keep it down!

Hunter remained where he was, feeling the power of her squirting juices upon him as it began to die down. When it became no more than a light trickle, Lightning’s body finally slumped down as a light tremor ran through her form. Her voice had also died down as she took several deep breaths. When this happened, Hunter looked upwards towards her rising and lowering belly before beginning to crawl up onto the bed in the same manner as a cat stalking its prey. With all the grace he could, Hunter moved up the mare’s body, his body gliding over her own while being careful not to hurt her. He only stopped when his face met her own and his cock, which had long since left its sheath, was pressed at her entrance.

Now that he was in position, Hunter made his next move. Carefully he brought his right hoof and wing to the side of her head, using them both to gently lift the now limp object up so that he could stare more easily into her eyes. Though her eyes were half lidded, Lightning managed to look back at him with a half smile. Then…

“I love you,” said Hunter as his hips and lips moved forward at the same time. Lightning let out a small noise as her lips were captured by his own, his tongue easily slipping into her maw, while at the same time the stallion’s shaft made its way into her lower entrance. The kiss was forceful and dominating, his tongue rolling around her own as he held them close together. He could feel her eyes fluttering as she surrendered to it without a fight while her upper body pressed a little closer to his own. At the same time, Hunter’s assault on her lower entrance was much slower and less forceful. Lightning’s inner passage had always been tight; a result caused due to both her smaller size as well as her extensive physical training. However, it was not for that reason that caused Hunter to move as slowly inside of her as he did. No. Those inner walls of hers were still slick from her previous orgasm, granting her just enough lubricant for him to enter her with a bit more ease. Yet, that was not what Hunter did.

“I love you,” Hunter said, momentarily pulling his muzzle away from hers before diving back in. With each second, it felt like he made only a centimeters worth of progress in filling her. And that was what Hunter wanted. He wanted to savor every single second of the mare underneath him and for her to feel every moment that her body surrendered to him. For her body to truly remember every moment of him claiming her in this long, non-stop motion. Her body seemed to be responding as it clung to him, more so when his medial ring slowly brushed against her clit.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, he was fully inside her. Her pussy clenched around his love staff as if trying to prevent it from leaving, to keep the head of it inside its moist walls. Lightning’s hind legs trembled as they lifted upwards trying to hook themselves around Hunter’s own legs but failing every time. Not so for her front legs as they had wrapped around the barrel of the stallion. Like this the two remained for several more moments, lips still locked together as they savored this moment. Then, Hunter pulled his head back to look down at his lover’s half lidded, almost teary eyes with a smile that spoke volumes of how he felt about her.

“I love you,” he said again, now moving his hips slightly. It wasn’t the rapid movement of wild rutting, charging forward for the sake of mutual pleasure. Rather it was the slow, controlled movement of one making love so that they may both bask in the other’s body and warmth. The small movement was enough to make his mare hiss in pleasure while the hold around his barrel tightened.

“We both love you,” said another voice, one that nearly caught them both off guard. As Hunter continued his slow thrust, the two turned their heads slowly to see that Moondancer was standing there by the bed. How long she had been there, neither could tell. All they knew was that she had had enough time to remove her sweater so that her choker could clearly be seen. Before Lightning could fully register this, Moondancer leaned down to kiss her herd sister while her horn began to glow. There was a flash of light and, when Moondancer pulled away, Hunter saw what she had done. And while Lightning couldn’t see it herself, her expression said that she knew.

Around Lightning’s neck was a black lace choker just like the one Moondancer always wore. And on it was a silver pendant shaped like Hunter’s cutie mark.

For a moment, Lightning laid there with her eyes open wide in surprise as she took in the meaning of this. “But…when did you?” she asked as tears began to form in her eyes.

“We got it a couple weeks ago,” said Moondancer as she reached out a hoof to stroke Lightning’s mane. “At first we thought about giving it to you after our next session.” She then paused, kissing Lightning on the cheek before licking away one of the mare’s tears. “But then Master had an idea to give it to you on Hearts and Hooves.”

“Master?” asked Lightning with a gasp, staring up at the stallion who nodded in confirmation. This caused the mare to tear up a little more, holding onto the stallion even tighter as she buried her face into his shoulder. “I love you Master. I love you Four-Eyes. I love…I love…” As she spoke, Moondancer climbed up onto the bed. There she sat, watching Hunter as he continued to slowly make love to the mare beneath, planning on making this last for as long as possible.

“Ooohhh yes! Yes!” came the soft cries of pleasure from Wallflower before biting her lower lips to keep herself from being heard by the old mare who was letting her stay here. Her eyelids looked heavy to the point where she looked like she would pass out at any moment. But the fatigue she felt was a matter for later as this took priority.

After the trio had left the strip club, Wallflower made her way back to Granny Aroma’s home feeling more energized than she ever had before in her life! Her heart was nearly pounding in her ears as she thought back to all she had done in such a short amount of time. From kissing ponies for the first time in her life, deciding to do a strip tease, standing up for herself in front of all those mares, the out in the open displays of affection, and…and what she had taken part of in the back room. Even now, just thinking about it, brought in a rush of excitement in ways the green mare never thought possible! Making their way into that private booth while being careful nopony would notice, the feeling of stallion meat in her maw, the fleeting fear that they were about to be discovered, and even having that one waitress noticing them as they left! I-It was almost too much for her!

For a short time, Wallflower tried to bring her thoughts back to something more wholesome in the hopes that it would still her heart. So that she would be able to go to sleep and be rested for the night tomorrow. To do this, Wallflower had begun to recite aloud the tenets of her order. Speaking words of purity and righteousness in a soft tone to both calm her soul as well as to ensure that she would not awaken the elder mare she was staying with. Yet this proved to be a failed effort because, for some reason, her attention kept drifting over to the objects on her dresser: the panties and stockings she had been allowed to keep from the strip club as well as the bag of bits. Every time she looked at them just laying there, her mind would be brought back to the club. The music, the lights, the eyes of every stallion and mare in the club upon her! Moondancer’s lips. Hunter’s approving gaze and the feeling of his wing wrapped around her. The sound of Hunter’s voice praising her…his…

Every time this happened, Wallflower had tried her best to shake away these thoughts and memories. She tried turning her back to them, only to turn her head as if there was a siren’s song luring her back. She tried getting up and moving them to another spot in the room. Under the bed. In the closet. In a drawer. But every time she thought they were out of sight and out of mind, she would feel herself wanting to look at them again. Just stopping in her reciting for seemingly no reason, getting up and looking at them!

After a good hour or so of this, Wallflower realized she had to try and do something. Something that would take her mind off of the events of the day, to help her relax until she was ready to fall asleep. Thankfully she had just the thing: the books Moondancer had lent her! After all, the hoofwritten books back in Mareville had always lulled her to sleep. No reason why it shouldn’t do the same here. With no other plan in mind Wallflower took one of the books at random, got back onto the bed with the covers brought up to her barrel, and began to read.

Oh, if only she had picked a different book. The one she had held in her hooves had been from Moondancer’s personal collection. And after reading the first chapter Wallflower’s green cheeks were now burning red. Her hooves trembled as she read the words which seemed to flow out of the book and into her mind. Try as she might to set the book down and pick a different one, she found herself ensnared by the story which unfolded before her.

As she read it, Wallflower found herself wondering if there had been a reason Moondancer had picked this specific book for her. The story was of a young mare, new to the city of Canterlot and looking for work, who had caught the attention of a wealthy and young business stallion. With few bits left to her name, she had agreed to become his personal servant. Both Wallflower and the mare had assumed that that meant she would just do things like the laundry, cooking, and cleaning. It meant a roof over her head, three meals a day, a decent wage, and working for a handsome (judging by the description at least) stallion. Neither the mare nor Wallflower expect what future lay in store.

The arrival at the manor should have been a red flag for her to leave and for Wallflower to shut the book. There, moving about the place, were at least a dozen or so mares. Each one seemed to be dressed in a perverse version of a maid outfit: black lace stockings going up each of their legs with white frills around the top, matching black panties with heart shaped cut outs to exposes their sex, a white bow tied around their docks which seemed to keep their tails raised, and a white lace choker around their necks that reminded Wallflower of a dog collar. When the two entered, all of the servants gathered at the entrance and stood on either side of a long red carpet. But they did not face either of them, instead turning around as one and bringing their faces to the floor so that their flanks would be raised. As she read this, Wallflower began to wonder along with the main mare character if she would be treated like this. But, oddly, no. That wasn’t what happened as the mare was given a regular maid uniform and told that she had a different set of tasks more aligned to what she had originally thought.

As the pages turned, Wallflower began to insert herself into the role of the main character. She saw herself putting on the maid uniform, breathing a sigh of relief…but also feeling a hint of disappointment. While the days went by with her tending to her duties around the manor, she found that while the other mares helped out they had a separate set of other duties to perform as well. Duties that were on full display for Wallflower to see, but was never forced to participate in. She would see it all happening, seeing the devotion they gave him. Seeing the happiness they experienced whenever they gave their whole being to him. And Wallflower found herself wanting that as well.

When she could fight back this desire no longer, Wallflower approached the stallion to ask if she too could become like the other servants. Her employer told her that they were ‘special’, that she would have to undergo training under his hooves to become like them. For her to be pushed past what she thought her limits were, to be broken and reforged. He also assured her that she could stop at any time. That she was not bound to this by any magical or physical means. With but a single word, she could return to her normal maid duties or leave with all the bits she had. Hearing this, Wallflower knew in her heart more than ever that she wanted this. Wanted to serve this stallion with everything she had for being so kind.

Once she said yes, they began at once. It started with a bath, the other mares in the house washing every bit of her while her employer, NO, her Master watched. They peppered her body with kisses and stroked her sex while making her coat shine. All the while, Wallflower kept her eyes on her Master’s cock which slipped out of its sheath. Once she was washed and dried, she was given her new uniform. After putting it on, her Master began to inspect her. He ordered her to turn around so that he may get a better look at her. To lift her tail higher. To lift her flank in the air. Every order Wallflower was given was followed as quickly as she could as she felt happiness blooming within her for she was pleasing him. She knew she was. She could see it in his eyes in how he looked at her, how he corrected her stance so that she may better please him.

Then came her Master’s order for her to approach him so that he may evaluate her oral skills. Wallflower approached her Master sitting in a fine chair, feeling nervous and excitement blending into one. As she approached him, a new figure took his place. Star Hunter. Yes, she was now inserting him into the role. Oh, how fitting it was. That cock…that pleasure spear…she wanted to…

By this point Wallflower was no longer reading the book which lay propped on her pillow. Her chest pressed against the mattress, her flank raised high in the air as she rubbed her pussy with a hoof. The occasional whimper escaped her lips as she imagined the scene in the book, adding to it the memories of when she had sucked Hunter’s cock in real life. Remembering how much it stretched her maw, how the scent made its way from her mouth to her nose. Just thinking like that was enough to make her eyelids flutter as her hoof brought her closer to that feeling of orgasmic high.

“So good,” she whispered, noticing something next to her head that brought a smile to her face. It was the flier she kept from the café. The one that had advertised the ametuer contest! As she looked at it Wallflower began to see herself taking the place of a silhouette of a mare on a pole, spinning around it while spreading her legs so that all could see her pussy and ponut. And…and below it she was there as well! She had taken the place of one of the two mares dressed in fancy lingerie. Moondancer quickly took the place of her partner, between them appearing Hunter who sat there looking up at her with a pleased expression on his face. Seeing this caused Wallflower’s hoof to move faster, faster, and fas-

Wallflower gasped as she found herself no longer in her room, but instead on the stony courtyard that was a part of Lord Hunter’s villa. Briefly she turned her gaze to the crowd gathered around her, feeling the piercing on her ear flail about as she did so. Everypony there was watching her with rapt attention as if waiting for her to make her next move. Even the poor, bound servants were gathered as if they were about to witness something important.

Slowly, Wallflower began to move her hoof across her body listening to the golden bracelets on her hooves clatter. First her hoof came to her muzzle which was covered by a thin, see-through veil before moving upwards to her pierced ear. As she touched the dangling tag, she began to feel the silk saddle on her back as well as the thin golden chains on her flank which kept the see-through fabric covering her foal hole in place. Joy filled her heart as her hoof toyed with the tag, remembering what it said: breeding. Yes, she was Lord Hunter’s breeding slave. One of only three out of all the mares she had seen. Wanted by him. Desired by him above others.

“Now then my Emerald of the Desert,” came her Master’s voice, regaining her attention. Wallflower focused her gaze on him as the sun’s light seemed to encroach more in the shadowy area where she now stood. She looked at him just in time to see him clapping his hooves together, a slave mare crawling behind him for him to sit on. As he did so, his shaft sprang out of its sheath. “Take your first steps as my newest treasure. Submit to me, to your fate!”

Wallflower stood there, a small voice whispering in her ear to run. To knock over as many of the pompous nobles around her and make her escape. That or at least put up some resistance! But Wallflower did none of that, instead slowly approaching Lord Hunter as she moved the veil away from her lips with a single hoof. After all, why fight this? She was far away from her home, captured by slavers and brought here by Barkmoore. There was no way she could escape the desert, let alone this Cliffside villa! What’s more, what did she have back home? All she had were her plants which were no doubt long dead. Nopony back home probably knew she was missing let alone knew she existed. So what was the point in fighting it? Wouldn’t it be easier on her just to accept her fate?

What’s more, this stallion had seen her! Saw that she was here and alive. He wanted her, comparing her to a gem! W-Was it wrong to be wanted like this?

And so, in front of everypony there, Wallflower wrapped her lips around Lord Hunter’s cock and began to take it inside of her.

The crowd watched silently as the sun’s light moved closer to them, their eyes glued to Wallflower’s submission. The loud slurping noises she made seemed to echo on throughout the area as Wallflower took more of the pleasure tool inside her mouth. Her head bobbed back and forth, feeling it twitch inside her. She closed her eyes, feeling a hoof as it gently caressed her mane. Her pussy drooled knowing that so many ponies were watching her, wondering if their own shafts had been unsheathed and were pleasuring themselves to what they were watching. And she wondered what was going to happen to her ne-

The sun’s light hit her, causing pain to wreck her body and her eyes to open wide. She tried to move her legs so that she may try and block the light, but they would not move. She tried to pull her head back only to find that that too was frozen in place. As the light of the sun continued to fall upon her, she began to realize that her body felt oddly stiff. The scent of something almost plastic in nature filled her nose, replacing the scent of the stallionhood completely. Wait, Lord Hunter wasn’t there anymore! Where was he?!? And why couldn’t she close her mouth.

“How unsightly,” came a voice that caused Wallflower’s blood to run cold. She tried to turn her head, but found it impossible. But she did not need to look to know the voice of her own mother, her tone dripping with utter contempt. As if she were looking at something unclean and vile. But…But there was no way she would ever use that tone with her. She loved her…when she remembered she had a second daughter that is.

Somehow, Wallflower managed to pant despite not being able to move as other figures appeared around her. Those she could see before her were the townsponies of Mareville. A-And she was no longer at the villa, but back home. In the headquarters of the Sol. But what-

“What is that…thing?” demanded her father whom she could see pointing at her. Tears swelled in the mare’s eyes, wishing she could talk. To plead with him to remember her. To say anything!

“I believe that thing is what they call a sex doll,” said Pearly White as she stood in front of her, flanked on either side by Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Both members of royalty looked down at her with disdain, the princess of love using a hoof to cover the eyes of the tiny alicorn she held in her foreleg. “Nothing more than a tool lunatics use, tempting those of us who are pure to partake in. To rut with as much as they please, unable to say no to any of their desires. No wonder they think of mares as mere objects.”

“Then let us be rid of it,” said Princess Celestia whose radiance filled the room as she appeared. But her voice held no comforting warmth to it. Instead it was harsh and biting, making Wallflower feel like she was being stabbed with something with each syllable that was spoken. The ponies around her cheered at this, lifting their hooves up while the sun alicorn’s horn shot a beam of light at the ground in front of Wallflower. Her heart beat so fast it felt like it would explode at any second as a large pit appeared right at her plastic hooves. Even more so when she saw the white flames shooting out of it, stinging her eyes wishing she could close them. She could feel the heat against her form, making her wish to move away. But she couldn’t! She was a sex toy, an object. Just like the ones they…NO! NO!

Fear unlike anything Wallflower had ever felt in her life coursed through her body as she felt herself being lifted into the air. More than anything she wanted to scream at them that she was real, a real pony just like them! To beg her parents not to do this to her! She didn’t want to die like this! She didn’t want to die! She didn’t want-

And with that, she was thrown into the flames.

Pain seared her soul as she hit the bottom, her body beginning to melt. Her legs were nothing more than a puddle, her barrel soon joining them. She could feel her face stretch and drip downward as she cried out wishing that this agony would just end! Her ear’s began to mix with the rest of her head, the tag that had been placed on her ear falling to the ground where it then rolled into the rest of the flames and vanished. While she still had eyes, Wallflower looked up to see her family grinning sadistically. Happy that she was dying. With every bit of her mind she screamed that she was real! That she was alive! For somepony, anypony, to save her! She didn’t want to die down here in this pit all alone! That she’d be a good filly from now on! Just please don’t let her-

“Enough!”

Something washed over everything, causing the world to ripple as a coolness overtook Wallflower. The flames vanished, leaving her on the ground as a half melted version of herself. The ponies who had been watching her were gone as well, replaced by a single being who looked down at her with both pity and fright at what she had become. As for Wallflower, she could just make out the sight of the one who had saved her.

The Lunatic Princess of the Night. Princess Luna.

Author's Note

Wow, been a while. Sigh. Hope you all enjoyed this and please check out my Sunset Shimmer story!

Meetings and Travel Plans

There are those that say the city of Fillydelphia was almost indistinguishable from Manehatten. In some ways they are right. Just walking down its crowded streets with its massive buildings on either side would give a pony the same feeling of insignificance. Around every corner would be some pony out to scam an unsuspecting passersby with a fake designer saddle bag, watches, and party cannons. There was also no shortage of mares and stallions alike, dressed in various ways to entice those on the streets for some ‘paid companionship’. In truth, those who fell for this were really walking into a trap laid by the police. Something that was especially silly for those living in Fillydelphia considering that Hollow Shades was just a short train ride away where prostitution was legal.

While both cities shared these points, Star Hunter found he much preferred Fillydelphia for what made it different. While both cities did have their tall skyscrapers made of steel and glass, Fillydelphia still had many sections where it was like trotting into the past. With many of its old brick building that had been standing for fifty or more years gave the city a nice touch of personality. Many artists across the country would come here to sketch several of its more historically famous buildings. The city was also home to Dragon Town, a section of the city where a small population of dragons lived within Equestria. While there was always a bit of tension with these two cultures living so very close to one and other, the ponies there did their best to make an effort.

Then, of course, what was most important to Hunter was his relationship with the Fillydelphia police. While this was nothing new for writers in his genre to look up case files for inspiration, it was no less appreciated on both ends. Hunter used these case files for his inspiration, making sure that the main characters always hailed from the city, worked with the police there, and made sure not to show the police as a bunch of blithering idiots like some other novels did.

“Seriously, you never thought that a unicorn started those fires?!” yelled Lightning Dust as she slammed a hoof onto the counter. Hunter barely lifted his eyes from the file that had been given to him by one of Fillydelphia’s finest, Detective Hard Case, to look at one of the two mare’s sitting with them. Several of the other patrons of the coffee house they were seated in turned to look the turquoise coated pegasus while Moondancer gave her fellow sub a disapproving look. This however, only allowed Lightning to get closer to Moondancer in order to tap the unicorn’s horn with her hoof. “I mean, hello, magic anypony?”

Hard Case let out a sigh before finishing his fourth cup of sugarless coffee and then setting the mug next to his fedora. “One or more young dragons testing out their flames was the first theory we had,” he said as his eye twitched. “It made sense seeing as how all of the buildings that burned down were abandoned. We tried to question the residents of Dragon Town, but they refused to speak so-”

“Of course they refused to speak since you were accusing them without any real proof!” snapped Lightning. She then quickly rearranged her face to look as goofy as possible. “Oh a building burned down, it must have been a dragon.”

Hard Case let out a grunt. “Again, abandoned buildings with nopony to insure it. Meaning there was no motive for profit or anyone to murder. There was also the scorch trail that was left behind at each of the crime scenes. The signs pointed to a dragon.”

“Again,” said Lightning loudly as she moved her face closer to Hard Case’s. “It could have been a unicorn using their magic to create those flames. Instead of wasting time accusing the dragons, you should have been checking for unicorns who have some special talent with fire or something.”

“That might have wasted more time,” said Moondancer as she picked up her doughnut with her magic. “The Equestrian government doesn’t keep a list of everypony’s cutie mark on hoof. Only those with a criminal record have their cutie marks recorded by the local authorities. If you are suggesting that the police check everypony’s cutie mark in the city it would take them over a week to do so. That also doesn’t account for the ponies who have been reading up on fire magic. There are over three dozen libraries in Fillydelphia that they would need to check and it might not even do them any good. Many spell books contain various levels and types of spells so they would have to literally read thousands of books to figure out which spell was being used before checking to see if those books had actually been checked out. Then again, just because they weren’t checked out doesn’t mean somepony didn’t look through them and write down the spell. Basically, if they had tried to look for a unicorn who could have done this it would have been looking for a needle in a haystack of millions.”

Lightning and Hunter stared at Moondancer for a moment while she calmly nibbled on her pastry. Lightning recovered quickly, however, shaking her head in order to clear it of this massive dump of information. “Ok four eyes. Are you telling me it’s ok to accuse any entire race just to save some time?”

“I am simply saying that they were doing the best with the information they were given,” replied Moondancer as she set down her doughnut. “It’s like any scientific discovery: you make a hypothesis and then begin to test out your theory by gathering more information. The police had a theory that was, admittedly, sound and logical. When going to gather more information the dragon remained silent. Each night that passed, another building burnt down so time was a factor in all of this. While I believe that they should have continued to check out more leads, they were looking into the option that they hoped would have best produced results.” Moondancer then turned her head to look at Hard Case. “It probably didn’t help that the press was all over this.”

“Got that right,” replied Hard Case as a waitress gave him another refill. “Ponies were scared out of their mind, wondering if their building was going to set aflame in the night. We were working days without much sleep. Had to show we were making some progress. Having the dragons refusing to cooperate, slamming the doors in our faces every time we went to question them, really didn’t help their case.” He then took a large gulp of his coffee while looking over at Lightning. “In the end, turned out to be a blasted fire snail. Thankfully, nopony was hurt by the time it was all over.”

Lightning Dust leaned back into her seat while crossing her forelegs. “Still say you should have tried harder.”

“Oh for the love of,” began Hard Case as he slammed his mug onto the table. His eyes narrowed at Lightning, but paused. If Hunter had to guess, it was because ponies were once again looking in their direction. The thestral writer could hear them whispering to each other as well as the sound of chairs being moved in order to get a better look. The detective probably could see this from where he was seated so instead he took another large gulp of coffee before turning his attention to Hunter. “Are you seriously in a relationship with this stubborn mare?”

“Yes, we’re all in this together,” replied Hunter calmly as he closed the case file.

Hard Case looked at him for a moment before shrugging. “Well, whatever. Always took you for the type to go after librarians over jocks. So, back to the reason I’m here, do you like this one or not?”

Hunter nodded. “It’s got potential and has already given me an idea.” Hunter then turned to look at Moondancer. “Remember how we were talking about Autovampirism not too long ago?”

He could see the unicorn’s eyes widen briefly as she no doubt remembered their very, very, VERY brief time within the Clocktower’s Castle of Blood. Back when it was just the two of them, occasionally trying new kinks just to see if they would enjoy them, blood drinking was at the bottom of Hunter’s list. His tribe had been afflicted with the ‘vampony’ label for as long as they had been in Equestria due to their bat-like appearance and fangs. Most thestrals Hunter knew, himself included, were insulted whenever they went to a restaurant and were either told they didn’t serve blood or were simply give a bucket of the stuff shortly after they were seated. Where they got a bucket of blood, and so quickly, was a mystery…for the police to solve because anytime that happened the thestral would go galloping to the police while not looking back. Seriously! If it hadn’t been for Moondancer’s curiosity then Hunter would never have approached this area of the Society.

“Besides,” Moondancer had told him as they had walked towards the castle. “Autovampirism is an actual condition where a pony feels compelled to drink their own blood. There are even cases where a pony will drink the blood of another pony that have been recorded outside of the Society. Sure, a few of them were actually thestrals but there have been a surprising amount of earth ponies and unicorns who enjoy drinking blood as well. Not to mention the occasional pegasus. Besides, the Society is a place where we can safely explore the various kinks there are. It would be wrong to pass up a chance to broaden our understanding and miss a chance to see something like this in action.”

So, for the sake of Moondancer, Star Hunter walked into the building with her…only for the two of them to run out mere moments later.

“Y-Yeah,” said Moondancer in the present while looking a bit embarrassed by the memory.

“Well, I think I can use this case to tell a murder story involving Autovampirism,” explained Hunter as he took a bite of his strawberry and kiwi doughnut. “Several ponies are found dead, drained of all their blood with two puncture wounds on their necks. The story hits the newsstands and the ponies of Fillydelphia are scared to death of a ‘vampony’ murder. Superstition and rumors fly as the thestrals of the city are being blamed while a single lone detective works on the case.” Hunter leaned forwards a bit towards Hard Case. “So, what do you think?”

Hard Case said nothing, only lifting his mug to down the rest of his coffee. When he finished, he let out a sigh before holding it away from the table. “I think I need more coffee,” he deadpanned as a waitress gave him another refill. “Personally, I don’t really care all that much about your books. I see enough of it in real life. I’ll run your idea in front of the chief and send you a letter with what she thinks.”

“Whoo, hold on a second here,” said Lightning as she glared at Hard Case. “If you don’t care then why are you even here? Couldn’t somepony else have given us these files like a rookie?”

“Yeah, that could have happened,” admitted Hard Case before taking another gulp. “But doing this beats helping organizing safety for the Hearts and Hooves day celebration we got coming up next week. Or dealing with the Sol whatever’s who are doing some public rally.”

“The Sol Invictus…is here?” asked Moondancer as she, Hunter, and Lightning exchanged quick looks. The Sol Invictus Church was as far away from the Clocktower Society as one could get. They were a group of overly pure ponies who had made it their mission to make Equestria in their image. Thankfully the lacked any real power to do so. Most of the time they worked through public shaming and boycotting ponies who had ‘unnatural desires’ as they would put it. One of Hunter’s greatest fears was that they would find out about his fetishes and causing them to end his career as an author.

“Those annoying horseflies are everywhere,” muttered Hard Case as he gulped down more of his coffee. “Guess you didn’t hear about this, but a couple of months ago they had this rally where they were trying to convince ponies to spy on their neighbors and report any unnatural behavior. Bet they think there is some sort of ‘Den of Wickedness’ or something out there.” Hard Case then let out a sigh. “Tried to make the ponies and dragons around here scared, that these dirty individuals will corrupt young minds. That they have the best intentions for all of Equestria and, if they cared, they should be helping the Sol too. What a load if I ever heard it.”

“So what are they doing this time?” asked Lightning quickly. “Any clue?”

“Think something about a recruitment drive,” said Hard Case absentmindedly as he put on his hat. He then looked at Hunter with an envious look. “Not like that’ll matter to you all. Those idiots stay away from Hollow Shades. So you’ll get to enjoy a nice thestral Hearts and Hooves Day celebration.” As he said this, Hard Case’s face morphed into a dreamy expression unlike anything anypony at the table had seen on him since he arrived. It was like he was lost in his own little world of pleasure, his tongue almost slipping out from his mouth while his cheeks flushed. “Really wish I could get the time off and visit again. Only Celestia knows how long its been since my last vacation.”

Then, without another word, Hard Case walked off leaving them with the bill. As Hunter rolled his eyes and signaled the waitress to bring them the check, Lightning spoke up.

“So, ah, what’s so different about a thestral Hearts and Hooves Day?”

Between the Crystal Empire and Canterlot, there was a small town known as Mareville. Nestled within the countryside and tall pine trees as far as the eye could see, this tiny little community sat mostly ignored by the rest of Equestria. Very few ponies knew about its annual jam festival, flower petal dance, its refusal to serve any strong cider, and other wholesome family friendly features. In fact, if it wasn’t for the train that stopped there on its way to the frozen north from the capital, the existence of this small settlement would be completely unknown.

That was just fine for the good ponies who lived there. It meant that large stores like Backyard Bargains wouldn’t set a hoof in their small town and run all of the older stores out of business. That the neat and orderly blocks that held their cobblestone dwellings, would never be challenged by modern trends. It meant that they could live their lives without all the chaos that occurred across Equestria on a seemingly weekly basis. They could preserve the ideals that they had held onto since Mareville’s founding many, many years ago without worrying about what the rest of the world thought.

After all, why should anything change in this nice little town? Everypony here had a job, had a purpose. The last crime that had occurred in Mareville had been about forty odd years ago done by some young colt who wanted an extra piece of candy at the store. The strong sense of community was something that they all held with pride. Sure they didn’t follow the trends and fashions of the rest of Equestria. Maybe their tiny hospital, more of a clinic really, didn’t have the latest gizmos. So what if their library was behind on times with all their books being hoof written? Everything here was pleasant as could be. To the ponies living here, the rest of Equestria should strive to be more like them! Then maybe there would be fewer gods of chaos, bug queens, and so on running across Equestria.

So it was little surprise to find that nearly all the ponies here were members of the Sol Invictus Church.

Today, all of its members were gathering into the town hall. The banners in front of the building proudly displayed their symbol for all to see while two mares stood in front of the doorway passing out pamphlets for tonight’s meeting. Sadly, as ponies both young and old trotted on in, one of the two mares had hardly given any out. It was as if she were part of the background, something ponies looked at but never registered for some reason. Nopony took notice of her dark green and unkempt mane nor did they see the freckles on her lighter green face. The fact that her cutie mark was a wilting lily did not trouble them in the slightest or even cause them to reach out with sympathy when she first got it. It was only when she spoke up; waving one of the pamphlets wildly in front of her like a mad beast did they take a startled notice.

After doing this several times, Wallflower Blush let out a sigh as she watched her sister give out pamphlet after pamphlet. If Wallflower didn’t know any better, she would have blamed Pearly White for her lot in life. Pearly just stood out with her brilliant white coat, shining golden mane, lovely voice, and well just about everything else. Whenever she walked into the room, everypony noticed her as if there was a magical spotlight that drew everypony’s attention towards her. Their parents would often forget to bring Wallflower along whenever they went out to eat or on family outings, too busy beaming with pride at Pearly’s mere existence. There wasn’t even a single picture of Wallflower in her parent’s home. Yet, Wallflower knew that Pearly wasn’t to blame. Even when Pearly wasn’t in the room or even in town, Wallflower was just invisible to the rest of the town. Teacher’s had often done a double take whenever they saw her in class, wondering out loud if she was a new student. Wallflower had to go to the post office each and every day in order to see if she got any mail since the mail pony would skip her house. She had no friends nor pets, just potted plants which she had grown herself and organized around her home. They seemed to be the only things in this town that would notice if she ever vanished from this world.

Within the next several minutes, the ponies gathered and were seated minus Wallflower because for some odd reason they were one chair short. So standing in the back against the wall, the green earth pony wanted as a unicorn mare walked up to the podium on the opposite side of the room. The mare cleared her throat, signaling for everypony there to stop their quiet whispers and to give their undivided attention to her.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” said the mare. “It does this pure heart of mine proud to see so many faces gathered here on this day. Just as much as it pleases me to announce that six fiends were discovered in Equestria this month. Plans are already being made to reduce their influence and drive them from proper society.” She paused there, to allow those gathered to look at each other and feel warmth of the community. In that moment, her horn lit up a bright red before materializing a stone basin with a fire burning inside. Now silenced, the crowd watched as more items were teleported. A ball gag. Bondage magazines. Dirty books. A crop. Leather hoof cuffs. With each item that was brought in, the ponies gasped in horror and shock. A few even fainted at the sight of these tools of the unclean.

The unicorn mare nodded in approval of these responses. “Yes, I know it is hard to look at these vile things,” she said before tossing the books and magazine into the blaze. “Every day, more and more trash like this appears on bookshelves and into the hooves of those who may be swayed from what is pure. To trick them into believing that hurting the one you care about is love. Deceiving them into things like sexual slavery, raping each other, whoring themselves, degraded into being used as a sexual device, and well need I go on?” Wallflower along with the other ponies shouted ‘NO!’ in unison causing a pleased smile to appear on the mare’s face as she tossed the rest of the items into the fire.

“In today’s sad world, we will need to be ever more vigilant,” continued the mare. “We need to safeguard the innocent who are not yet fully pledged members of the Sol Invictus. We need to root out those who dare to practice such vile acts so that Equestria may be purged. The wicked will have their influence removed so that we can live in true harmony! But to do this, we will need to expand our numbers so that it will be harder for the vile ones to hide. As such, many of you who volunteered at our last meeting will go out and join others dedicated to our cause all over Equestria.”

As the unicorn produced a magically scroll, Wallflower felt her heart rate quicken. She had been one of the ponies in Mareville to write down her name. All she did here was run the town’s bulletin board, making sure that announcements for yard sales and fundraisers were on display as well as the results. But this right here was a chance to go out into the world and do something that mattered. Perhaps she could write something up to be put on the bulletin board as well as pictures of what happened. Maybe even be remembered for doing something…anything. Perhaps she would be sent to Canterlot where she could enlist ponies like Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants into the Sol. Maybe even Prince Blueblood! Or she could be sent to Ponyville, meet up with Princess Twilight as well as the rest of the Elements of Harmony and getting them to join! She could almost see her homecoming with ponies all around congratulating her, their eyes on her for a change.

Slowly the names were read off, with each pony being given a round of applauses. Las Pegasus, Manehatten, Horseshoe Bay, Canterlot, Appleloosa. With each name and city, Wallflower’s options grew smaller and smaller. But that was ok with her; there were still some options left. Pearly White naturally got the loudest send off, with ponies shouting how she was sure to recruit the most while she was in the Crystal Empire. And then…it was over? Wallflower blinked as the mare rolled up the scroll and continued with the meeting without mentioning Wallflower’s name.

Wallflower felt her body sink lower towards the floor while the mare began to talk about some of the things those who were being sent out were going to do. She, however, wasn’t really listening. All Wallflower could think about was how unfair it was to be passed over. Every other pony here who had signed up had been chosen to go out to help their cause. She alone had been overlooked like she didn’t exist like all the other times. This had happened to her far too often for her to be naïve in believing that it was a mistake or an oversight. No, she had been forgotten yet again.

For a moment, Wallflower did her best to look on the bright side. If she left, she’d have to find somepony who would take care of her plants while she was away. At least now she didn’t have to deal with that hassle nor would she spend her trip worrying if they forgot. That was something…right?

Looking up, Wallflower saw her sister whispering to another pony in the room. She was all smiles like she was on top of the world. Several other ponies around her were staring at Pearly with admiration as clear as day. She could tell that they expected great things for her during this endeavor. And as she continued to watch Pearly, Wallflower straightened herself up as her eyes narrowed in determination. There was no way she was going to just let an opportunity pass her by without a fight. She had signed up for this and by Celestia she was going to do it to. She didn’t care if she was sent out to Appleloosa to try and convert the buffalo. She was going to do this.

So, when the meeting finally finished twenty minutes later, Wallflower marched up to the front of the room to where the unicorn mare was collecting her things. “Excuse me,” she said causing the mare to jump a bit.

“My dear filly, you startled me,” said the mare as she placed a hoof on her heart. After taking a few deep breaths she composed herself before flashing a smile at the green mare. “Now, how may I help you dear? Did you just come in to see what the Sol Invictus is all about?”

“Ah no, I’ve been a member all my life,” said Wallflower. “I was standing in the back this entire time.”

“You…You were?” asked the mare as she blinked.

Wallflower nodded. “Yes and I signed up at the last meeting to help recruit new members,” she continued quickly. “My name is Wallflower Blush.”

The unicorn hummed as she used her magic to bring back her scroll. She gave it a once and then a twice over before her eyes widened. As she rolled it up, a blush appeared on her face. “Ah, so you did. I honestly don’t know how I could have missed it. However, I’m sorry to say that I don’t have anywhere to send you.”

Wallflower felt her ears flatten against her skull as she heard this. “W-What? Are you sure?”

The unicorn mare sighed. “I’m afraid so my dear. I already sent out the notices to each town and city that has our presence in informing them of who is coming. Maybe next time-”

“There has to be something I can do to help,” interrupted Wallflower as she went over the map of Equestria in her head. “Maybe Prance or Stallionguard or Hollow Shades.”

The unicorn mare regarded her for a moment before smiling warmly. Gently the mare placed a hoof on Wallflower’s shoulder. “I can see how much you want to help. Bless you young filly and your desire to spread the word of the Sol Invictus. However, we have enough ponies in both Prance and Stallionguard so you are not needed there. As for Hollow Shades, you should know that our order has no presence in that wicked town. Those…creatures that live there are truly most foul. Lunatics the lot of them, a lost cause if ever there was one. There is no point in having you go there.”

“But maybe we should be going there,” said Wallflower as she brushed off the mare’s hoof. “I could go there and perhaps see if there are any ponies who would be willing to listen. Perhaps there might be a few who would like to join and are just waiting for an extending hoof. Even if I can only get a few to join the Sol Invictus, we could show them how much better our way of life is. Then we could slowly convert them a little at a time.”

“Unlikely,” replied the unicorn mare. “But, I will admit that your idea has merit and there is a passion in you that might sway them. If you feel so strongly about this, then go and spread the word as best you can.” The mare then moved closer to Wallflower. “Just, don’t be too disappointed if you fail. Nopony here will think any less of you.” With that, without another word, the mare walked away leaving Wallflower by herself.

“Think less of me?” repeated Wallflower to herself. “That would actually be an improvement.”

Author's Note

edited by Javarod

Preparing for Hearts and Hooves

Hunter laid there in his bed, the sheets wrapped around his form as the waking world called to him. While his alarm clock had not gone off yet, his body seemed to sense that the sun was beginning its decent over the horizon. It seemed to know that the shadows on the walls were getting longer. It could feel the air around him getting cooler. His nose breathed in the air which was slowly beginning to approach that ‘night air’ scent. In a few short hours the moon would begin to rise and so to would the thestral, the tribe that dwelled within Hollow Shades.

While some would have tried their best to go back to sleep, returning to their pleasant dreams for just a little longer, Hunter knew that one of his dreams was right next to him. That dream was his marefriend: the unicorn Moondancer as she still slept with their bodies so close together. His forelegs were wrapped around her as were his wings feeling the steady rhythm of her chest rising and falling. Her head was close to his, so close that her horn rested on top of his head. Hunter remembered the state of her mane from before sleep took him: undone from the usual messy bun it was in while also being slightly damp from sweat. During that time her glasses, which were now resting on her nightstand, had begun to fog up obscuring her sight, making it harder to see the look in her eyes. As much as the stallion wanted to open his eyes to look into Moondancer’s face as she lightly snoozed, he desired even more to feel her like this until they had to get up.

It was a wonderful feeling to wake up to. Last morning when the sun was getting ready to rise the two of them, plus their recent herdmate Lightning Dust, had participated in a vanilla threesome. No hoofcuffs or clamps or anything else they would use when they were in the Society. There was no role playing nor dirty talk. The only sounds that he could remember hearing were the moaning all three of them did as they used their bodies to pleasure each other. Mornings like that one were important, not relying on the fetish lifestyle in order to keep their relationship going strong. Just a simple, plain moment to feel each other’s fur against their own and using their own skills to pleasure each other.

As he laid there, Hunter began to feel that something was off. He could feel Moondancer, but where was Lightning Dust? Normally she slept on his other side so that he was sandwiched between these two beauties. It was also not all that unusual for her not to be in bed when they woke up. Most evenings she would be awake by now either already in the shower or out the door so she could get to her job at the gym. The only exceptions were on her nights off which this one fell upon. When that happened Lightning would take the opportunity to sleep in as long as she could. Usually she would only rise when she felt the warmth of the bed had completely faded or she smelt breakfast. So where was she?

As if in answer to his silent question, the door to the room was kicked open, stirring the two on the bed. “Come on you two!” yelled Lightning as loudly as she could, causing the two to jump now. “Moonlight is burning!”

“Lightning,” groaned Moondancer as she levitated her glasses off the nightstand as well as her alarm clock. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she set her glasses onto her face before looking down. Eyes narrowing she looked up at their herdmate with murder in her eyes. “I had literally five more minutes before I had to get up and get ready to teach my class! Why didn’t you wait?”

“Because you’re going to need a long shower after last night,” replied Lightning with a smirk, eyeing the two of them. “I know nopony would really care around here, but we should practice good hygiene. Besides you also need to set a good example for the kiddies!” Hunter rolled his eyes at this as he climbed out of bed as well. Lightning had little room to talk about good hygiene given her appearance. It was clear that she had yet to take a shower for around her muzzle was matted, most likely from their fluids. Other parts of her turquoise fur were either in a similar state or were sticking upright slightly. Her normally slicked back amber and gold mane had a bad case of bed mane with it sticking in all directions. Even her feathers seemed to be slightly ruffled. Despite her messy state nothing about it seemed to bother her as she continued to smirk at the two of them.

Moondancer just grumbled under her breath as she too got out of bed. With eyes glued to the floor, the unicorn mare marched towards the door and pushed her way past Lightning on her way to the bathroom. Within moments they could both hear the sound of water running.

“You know,” said Lightning as she moved over to Hunter, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Before Hunter knew it, Lightning’s muzzle was by his ear. “You could always join her for some fun. Help her…wash away her frustrations.”

Hunter found himself in the doorway of the bathroom, his eyes glued to the shower stall. He had heard the water running since he had entered her home, his movements silent like a vampony moving through a crypt. It was clear that his prey had not heard him enter or sensed him standing there causing the stallion to grin. The water had been running for some time now, causing the small bathroom to fill with steam. While thestral eyes were much keener than a normal ponies he had some trouble seeing past the glass door before him, only making out her silhouette. Yet there was no way he could ever mistake that form or the peach colored glow of her magic as Moondancer moved the soap across her form.

After watching her like this for another moment or two, Hunter crept over to the shower. Knowing that there was nowhere for her to run, no chance of escape, Hunter quickly opened the door. Moondancer gasped as she jumped, her eyes shut due to the water running and her wet mane clinging to the sides of her face. As his cock slid out of its sheath from the sight of her like this, Hunter moved behind her in the tiny shower stall before placing a hoof over her mouth to keep her from screaming. As he leaned over her frame, placing his other hoof around her barrel, Hunter took in a whiff of her shampoo.

“You’re using the strawberry kiwi shampoo I told you to,” whispered Hunter into her ear. “Good.” At the sound of his voice, Moondancer who had just lit up her horn allowed her magic in that fight or flight moment to fade away as her body relaxed. He could feel her surrendering to him without any more of a fight. She was his to do with her whatever his heart desired. He could even feel her lips wordless say the word ‘Master’ against his hoof.

Hunter did not take his prize just yet. Instead he pulled back so that he stood on his hind legs while pulling Moondancer along with him. Looking down over her shoulder, Hunter could see the water hitting her underside. He could even feel it against his dick which was pressing up against her nether lips as hard as ever. Yet the stallion could also feel some wetness on his cock in an area where it would be very difficult for water to get there. Smirking, he lowered the hoof away from her mouth towards her lower region. He made contact with her folds-

Hunter shook his head, clearing away his fantasy before turning to glare at the cheeky mare. Lightning looked back at him without any guilt. “I’m not going to make her late,” he said firmly.

“Oh?” she said while still smiling. “Then maybe the two of us can have some alone time.” Once again she leaned her muzzle close to his ear before whispering again, her voice husky. “There are so many things I’d love to show my master in the shower. Things that my mother taught me herself that I know you’ll love.” Then she quickly pulled away. Before Hunter could say anything, Lightning sauntered out of the room with her tail raised high into the air. After a few steps she paused to look around to see him staring back before giving him a sly wink.

As Hunter succeeded in keeping his cock sheathed and remain in control of himself, he soon followed her out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. In the past, the small kitchen table would have been slightly messy with his porno magazines laid across it, polices files, his typewriter, and a few plates holding the remains of his last meal or three. But that had been before he had joined the Clocktower Society. Before he had become Moondancer’s dom and insisted that she move in with him. Before Lightning Dust had become a member of their herd. Since then, Hunter had done his best to make it a habit of putting away his files and typewriter away whenever he was done working so that they could eat together at the small, round table. Or in case they ever wanted to have some fun in the kitchen. Save time now, have more fun later!

Eyeing the table, Hunter noted that it wasn’t cleared off. On it were three small piles of letters, their mail for the day which he guessed Lightning had sorted for them. As he approached the table, he saw that Lightning had moved over towards the kitchen counter where a stockpile of food laid waiting. Vegetables, fruits, oats, and containers of powders were piled up around an extra large blender that she must have brought out.

“Seems like a little much for your nightly breakfast shake,” commented Hunter as he briefly looked over his mail. Mostly coupons, with the first one being a special for the adult shop. Sexy board games were five percent off with this coupon. Also they were advertising a sale on flank replicas of famous ponies claiming them to look and feel just like the real thing.

“It’s for all three of us,” said Lightning as she took a carrot and sniffed it. “Lately the topic of my Den Mother sessions have been about us. She wants to know how things are going, how I’m adjusting, making sure I’m not reverting back into my angry, self destructive mode. Just glad it never became so bad I put an innocent filly in danger just to get back at somepony.” As she said this, Hunter set down a coupon for sea salt brownies to look at her. While she was continuing to work there was a noticeable blush on her face. “Guess it’s been making me think lately how much you and Four-Eyes have done for me. How lucky I am to have you both in my life. So I began thinking maybe I should try helping out more, like making sure all of us are eating healthier! After drinking this stuff, we’ll all have plenty of energy throughout the day. Er, night I mean.”

“That’s good.” Both Hunter and Lightning turned to see a very dry looking Moondancer enter the room. Dressed her usual sweater (even after all this time Hunter still loved how she looked in it) and her mane tied up in its normal way she moved to sit down next to Hunter. “I’m going to need all the energy I can get today. Mondays, I swear.”

“Universally hated,” agreed Lightning with a nod.

“This one is going to be a bit more taxing than usual,” replied Moondancer with a sigh. “Hearts and Hooves day is coming up soon and the school is going all out. When I first started, I thought all we were be doing for it would be to have the colts and fillies making paper hearts along with a history lesson. Maybe even thirty minute party.”

Lightning let out a laugh as she set down everypony’s breakfast. “Ah, those were the days. Didn’t get as much candy as Nightmare Night and the whole tone of it was super sappy, but it was sort of alright. Did you know I got the most Hearts and Hooves cards out of everypony in my class? That’s right, everypony wanted a piece of me!”

“Don’t most schools in Equestria have some sort of policy about that?” asked Hunter as he tapped his chin and causing Lightning to urk. “That the rule was you HAD to give a card to every single classmate?”

“It is,” said Moondancer as she took her drink. “I get the idea around it; you know, not wanting to make others feel left out. It was nice getting the cards, but they never really meant anything since most of the time they were all bought at Barnyard Bargains with my name quickly scribbled on it. It just felt sort of hollow since the only reason I ever got one was because they had to give me one.” Moondancer then paused to take a sip of her drink before suddenly gagging. “Oh dear sweet…Lightning, what the buck is in this stuff?!”

“Stuff that’s good for you,” shot back Lightning before drinking her glass in one go. “Sorry if it’s not the same as that fast food junk you like so much.”

Moondancer didn’t respond right away, just pushing her glass away from her while her hooves were busy trying to rub out the taste of whatever was in her glass from her tongue. Slightly worried, Hunter brought his own glass to his nose to take a whiff. Nothing smelt horribly wrong. At least, nothing to warrant Moondancer’s reaction.

“Anyways,” panted Moondancer as she settled down. “Turns out that thestrals celebrate things differently here in Hollow Shades. So on top of adjusting to myself to how things are I have a lot of extra work to do.”

“Really?” asked Lightning as she reached over to take Moondancer’s unfinished glass. Her voice held a skeptical tone that mirrored the look on her face as she looked at Moondancer. “How different can it be here? Are you having your students actually make their own chocolates for Hearts and Hooves? If that’s the case then it must suck to be a chocolatier here. They were really counting on those extra bits I bet.”

“Well if you’re curious I can show you,” said Hunter as Lightning began to drink her second breakfast smoothie. “Since my next book doesn’t need to be on my editor’s desk for a while, I volunteered to help out today. I’m sure you’ll find it much more interesting to see everything in action.” At that, Hunter sipped his drink with a knowing smile. Before he too gagged a bit.

Lightning looked around her, her mouth hanging slightly open as she took in the sights around her. Not that Hunter blamed her, for even after living here his entire life, there was something almost magical in the way thestrals set up for this holiday. The small town of Hollow Shades seemed to become more alive than normal. All around them, they could see more thestrals working hard to decorate the tree homes that circled around the massive trees. Others walked across the bridges that connected the tree homes, bringing extra material to their neighbors. The airways were filled with thestrals as they zipped this way as well as that, saddle bags and forelegs filled with all sorts of things. All of them doing whatever they could to get ready for this special time of the year.

But they weren’t the only ones working hard. Above them, high in the trees, were some of the trained spiders many of the residents of Hollow Shades owned. Each of these black creatures was large, about the size of a house cat with six red eyes as large as a berry. They moved between the trees and under the bridges, working together in order to craft various webs in places that would be free from air traffic. Each of these webs was special, the spiders being fed a special liquid that the Hunter’s tribe had created long ago to change the color of their webbing. Some spiders created bright red, heart shaped webs a story tall between the mammoth trees. Others created multi hued webs shaped like a stallion and a mare kissing. Then there were some webs that showed the thestrals in more…intimate positions. Also working above their heads were a countless mass of bats. As if not wanting to be upstaged by the spiders, the bats fluttered around holding paper lanterns with their feet. The others kept closer to their owners, forming a sort of bat cloak around these ponies until they were needed for some sort of job.

On the ground floor where the two of them were, both Hunter and Lightning could see the various shops getting ready for Hearts and Hooves day as well. As they passed by along the various dirt roads on their way to their final destination, both Hunter and Lightning could see the many business that only existed on the earthy ground. On both sides of the roads were two to three story buildings that were made of blackened wood that seemed to only exist in this part of Equestria. These buildings were unique in that they all had curved roofs that ended in a point with tall spire like structures in the middle. All of their windows looked more like archways that a fully grown pony could easily fit through which during most of the year produced an orange light. Now that light had been replaced with a pink along with an alluring mist that flowed out into the street with a sweet, perfume like scent to it.

Like in most towns across Equestria, tea shops seemed to spring up out of nowhere sitting at seemingly every corner. Other places ponies could get something sweet to eat now had hearts plastered everywhere one could look. Other shops were pulling out specials to help provide a more romantic event for their customers. For example, a stallion named Cork Screw who ran a sparkling cider shop was now advertising he had several different flavors for this special time of the year. Pumpkin spiced sparkling cider, rose petal sparkling cider, and so many more to make the night more romantic. Then there was Groovy, a stallion who specialized in making sea salted chocolates that were only legal here in Hollow Shades. The stallion was claiming to make them ‘extra special’ just for couples and was even provides private rooms for them. What made them ‘extra special’ was a mystery that would have to wait for another day.

Soon the two flying ponies were near Natalus Street, the red light district of Hollow Shades, to see that it appeared busier than normal. Almost as packed as the marketplace! Ponies were seen milling into the brothels and love motels used by the prostitutes. Some, Hunter noticed, carrying large bags of bits in the hopes to reserve one of them for Hearts and Hooves Day. From what Hunter had heard in the past, these ponies were either trying to get one of them as a surprise for their mate or just trying to make sure that they could be in the company of their favorite hooker for the day. There were also a number of mares waiting in lines, resumes held either in their mouths or tucked under their wings.

“What is all of this?” asked Lightning as they paused for a moment.

“Seasonal help,” came the reply. But it wasn’t from Hunter. Both ponies looked up to see a grey coated mare with a purple mane that had a single black stripe running down its middle. Hunter knew this mare well, Passionate Nights. The mare who ran the adult shop on this very road.

She was also the mare who was in charge of making sure everything was running smoothly for Hearts and Hooves Day.

“Seasonal help?” echoed Lightning as she tilted her head. “This isn’t Hearths Warming.”

Passionate smiled at that. “Thestrals…do things differently,” she said. “Hearts and Hooves isn’t a single night event for us but a weeklong celebration until that very special night! And it all starts with this!” Passionate reached into her saddle bags and pulled out a large, red heart shaped medallion that had a red ribbon attached to it that was supposed to go around the wearer’s neck. As Lightning eyed it, Passionate continued to explain. “For the next week, singles will be wearing these around town so that everypony knows who doesn’t have that very special somepony. That way other singles and herds that are thinking of adding a new herdmate will know who is on the market. During the week, it is expected that these singles do everything they can to try and establish a relationship. See if they mesh well with those they are interested in, get to know each other, see how they are in bed, that sort of thing. Then, on the final night, you give these to the pony your heart belongs to when you will then proceed to make love either in their home, in one of the many hotels, or outdoors near the bonfire for the entire night. Maybe even going into the day.”

“Oh wow,” whispered Lightning as she licked her lips. “Pity I’m already taken otherwise this might be a lot of fun.” She then, rather suddenly, grew thoughtful. “What happens to those who don’t find anypony?”

“Well that does tend to happen,” replied Passionate. “Most of the time there aren’t enough stallion’s to go around or there are ponies out there who just haven’t found anypony they click with. When that happens, couples can take in that mare or stallion for the night to share their love with them. If they know him or her, of course. Or we ask the seasonal help. Those mares over there,” Passionate said as she gestured to the resume holding mares, “are submitting their personal info. Their likes, dislikes, favorite sex positions, that sort of thing. There is a chance that they simply might not have met the right pony during the week so we will help bring them together for that one night. Assuming they don’t find anypony special that is.”

“Neat,” replied Lightning. “So nopony is left out?”

“Well, we wouldn’t say that,” commented Hunter as he shook his head. “There are ponies out there from all across Equestria who will be coming here thinking they can have all the free sex they want. Mostly stallions. Some coming here to have an affair, thinking that it will be a no strings attached event without having to pay anything beyond their own travel expense. Then there are colts who go around fucking every mare they can.”

“It’s sad but true,” agreed Passionate with a nod, her eyes closed as she did this. “It sucks because we do get those ponies who are looking for romance or are couples from out of town who want to try something new. Honestly, most thestrals around here don’t have a problem with these ponies which is why we don’t ban out of towners from the festivities. It just means we have to be watchful for the bad seeds. We don’t ask them to leave or anything like that, but they will be ignored on Hearts and Hooves Day completely.”

“Some shops will even refuse service to them for the remainder of the week,” added in Hunter.

“Alright then,” said Lightning with a nod. “So, what’s our job in all of this?”

Passionate smiled at her.

The first thing Wallflower saw when she opened her eyes was movement. Dark trees, more massive than anything she was used to sped past her. She also noticed numerous foliage within the night as they too sped past her with equal sped. Her ears twitched as the sound of movement that had awoken her from a dreamless sleep surrounded the mare. Turning her head from the window, Wallflower saw that the cart full of stallions were eagerly collecting their things while a train attendant gently woke up those ponies who had fallen asleep.

Well, everypony except for her as the attendant had passed her by.

Wallflower pushed down the pain she felt at being ignored again, her ears flattening as she went to get her saddle bags from the overhead compartment. So far this trip had been trying on the mare and had started at rock bottom. On the day each of the ponies who had left to help recruit more members for the Sol Invictus there had been a huge send off. Ponies gathered to throw streamers into the air cheering wishing they luck as they made their way onto the train. Wallflower had been in the crowd, watching them leave while being hugged by some many of the town’s ponies. Pearly White’s had been the largest by a wide margin, complete with a marching band playing loudly as the mayor herself helped her onto the train. Yet Wallflower didn’t get any of that. She sat there, alone, waiting for her train to show up for what seemed like forever. It was only in the last minute before she was to leave when her parents finally did show up to wish her a safe journey, apparently forgetting that she was leaving that day.

From there on, the long train ride began. She had been mostly ignored by everypony there, forgetting even to check her ticket. The mare with the food trolley hadn’t noticed her, something that Wallflower had been more than prepared for as she had brought her own snacks for the train. As she munched, she watched as ponies came and went; listening to their conversations in the hopes that she might have something to contribute. When her trip started the train was filled mostly with crystal ponies who got off fairly quickly. From what she had overheard, they were touring Equestria to see with their own eyes how much the world had changed in the last thousand years or so. After that first one, stops became very seldom. The train did stop at Canterlot where a large group of ponies who had just reached stallionhood loudly boarded the train. With them were also a few unicorns who seemed to be looking behind them more than once, as if they thought they were being followed. The other two stops where at towns as small as Wallflower’s own town with its residents climbing aboard looking excited. Oddly though, Wallflower noticed that they were all stallions.

Much to Wallflower’s disappointment, there was not much in the way of conversation. Most of the stallions around her seemed to keep to themselves or the groups that they entered with. When they did talk it was done in whispers. Well, except for the younger stallions who seemed to treat this train ride like they were going to a party or something. More than once they had to be told not to throw things around the train or to keep their voices down. At one point, it got so bad that one of the unicorn’s on board threatened to throw them out after a food fight they were having caused a cupcake to be thrown in that stallion’s face. A few times, she had dared to start a conversation with one of the ponies around her preferring those older stallions. When she spoke up they almost jumped off of their seats while acting as if she had suddenly materialized before them. Those conversations had been…awkward to say the least. Most seemed amazed at her claim to have been sitting there the entire time before becoming very nervous for some reason. Eventually, Wallflower had given up going back to starting out the window wishing that she brought a book with her before finally falling asleep.

As Wallflower strapped her bag on, she could feel the excitement in the crowd around her. While she didn’t know exactly why, Wallflower did feel her own spirits lift a bit. This was it, her big chance to help out the Sol! If she could just get one thestral to join it would be a huge step for them! They could finally establish a base within the thestral community and show them a better way. Something like that was sure to get ponies to at least notice her existence.

Slowly, Wallflower trotted off the train and onto the dirty train station while going over her game plan. First thing to do was talk to the mayor to see if he or she would be willing to join. If not, she should at least see if it would be alright to talk to ponies around her. The last thing she wanted was to step on too many hooves. If she got permission, she should then try to find a place to stay before-

“Hey you!” shouted a mare, causing Wallflower to snap out of her thoughts. It was at that moment when something blurred in front of her causing the earth pony to stop dead in her tracks. Whatever it was, Wallflower watched as it quickly circled around back to her leaving behind a zig-zagging trail in its wake. Before the earth mare had time to reregister anything else the object landed right in front of her revealing a slightly annoyed looking pegasus mare. It was like she was looking right at Wallflower. Like she…noticed her. “Are you the last one?”

Slightly nervous, Wallflower looked around her just to make sure that this mare wasn’t talking to somepony behind her. Something that had happened in the past. Seeing that she was the only pony around, Wallflower gulped before looking back at pegasus who looked like she was about to start tapping her hoof in irritation. “Ah, I think so?” she said before the desire to pound her forehead with her hoof kicked in. Why oh why couldn’t she have said that any better? At least say it with some confidence.

The irritation on the mare’s face quickly vanished, looking much more relaxed. “Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to here that. I’ve already had to deal with four trains that came by before this one with stallion after stallion. Look, I normally love being surrounded by stallions, but this is getting really tedious.” It was then that the pegasus probably noticed the look of unease of Wallflower’s face because she suddenly raised an eyebrow. “You doing ok there? You look a little nervous. Let me guess, first time here?”

Wallflower felt her eyes widen at that. This pegasus, this mare was still speaking to her. Even feeling like she had made a fool of herself, this mare didn’t seem to mind. She was STILL SPEAKING WITH HER! Wallflower could feel something warm rising inside of her as a smile appeared on her face.

“Y-Yes,” stammered Wallflower as she desperately tried to think of what to say next. She could feel the collar of her brown sweater suddenly feel a bit tighter while her cheeks began to darken. “I’m sort of here on business you see…” Again, Wallflower wanted to facehoof so badly but resigned. What made her think to say that? She should have introduced herself, asked what her name was, made an excuse about being tired, or SOMETHING! Sure that was the truth but for the love in the Crystal Empire why did she have to say that! If only there was a way to restart this conversation.

“That’s cool,” replied the mare either not noticing Wallflower’s embarrassment or choosing to ignore it. “Picked a really good time to come on down. This week Hollow Shades is celebrating Hearts and Hooves Day and all are welcome to join in the festivities. Who knows? You might find that special stallion or mare while you’re here. Unless, of course, you already have somepony waiting for you back home?” As the pegasus said this she wiggled her eyebrows in what Wallflower believed was a suggestive manner.

“Ah,” was the only thing Wallflower could say to that at first. Then her brain began to function once again. “N-No, there’s really nopony special in my life right now.”

“Well then this is your big chance to change that!” said the mare as she reached into her saddle bag. A moment later she pulled out a red, heart shaped medallion and slipped it around Wallflower’s neck. “With that on, all the stallions and mares here will know you’re single. I’m sure by daybreak you’ll have had at least several ponies toppling over each other for the chance just to get to know you. Hopefully you don’t break too many hearts before the final day!”

With a shaking hoof, Wallflower reached down to take hold of the medallion. Slowly she looked down at it while it laid in her hoof, her mind wondering how that could be possible. Her entire life she had been an afterthought, a pony who might as well have been blended into the background. Never before had she even been on a date except when she made believe as a filly, dressing up her plants as her would be coltfriend. The sort of thing that this mare was talking about was something she would expect more from Pearly White. Wallflower could easily see her sister walking into a new town before being greeted by suitor after suitor. But her?

“Thanks,” said Wallflower as she let the medallion slip off of her hoof. “But I really don’t see that happening.”

The mare didn’t seem put off by this, instead smirking while rolling her eyes. “Trust me, there are plenty here in town who would love to get to know you. Like there’s this mare I know that you sort of remind me of, except you’re a little less nerdy looking than Four-Eyes is. But, the thing is, she managed to find a stallion who lives here and they are totally head over hooves for each other. Besides, if you go in with that loser attitude you’ll never find anypony.” As Wallflower’s cheeks began to burn red, the mare used her hoof to reach into her saddlebag once again. She foraged around it for a moment, the sounds of clinks and clanks being heard before she pulled out a card. “I’m also suppose to give any single mares this. If you’re having any trouble finding somepony, just go to that address and ask for Passionate Nights. She’s in charge of this event plus runs a really awesome shop that is sure to make that big night extra special.”

Wallflower felt like tears would begin to appear at any moment. She couldn’t remember the last time anypony was willing to be this kind to her before. “Thanks,” said the green mare as she put the card away for safe keepings. “My name is Wallflower Blush by the way.”

“Lightning Dust,” replied the pegasus. Lightning looked around her, spotting that the area was now devoid of other ponies. “Well, looks like everypony has gone into town meaning I’m finally done. Say, do you want me to give you a tour? I remember when I first moved here and, well, as much as I hate to admit it, you can get lost easily around here.”

Wallflower nodded eagerly, hoping that this was the start of one of her first real friendships. Who knew? Maybe she could make more friends here. Perhaps she could even convince them to join up with the Sol.