Things only seemed to be getting worse.

Applejack and her brother had spent the last couple of weeks running themselves ragged, maintaining the farm and trying to get a handle on the weird things happening in town, and having little time to relax as a result.

Mac was having the worst of it, spending long hours in the fields and even longer ones staking out the creepy building in the woods, but it was no picnic for Applejack either. Any free time she had was dedicated to trailing after friends who were increasingly too busy for her, and whose behaviour became stranger with each passing day. In that time, she had become all but convinced that whatever was happening was affecting more than just Rarity, and it was worrying her to no end.

Pinkie Pie was the easiest to keep track of, a few nights spent watching over the bakery told Applejack that she was still throwing parties, they just didn’t involve her. People she didn’t recognise would stream into the shop after hours and stay late into the night, an air of exclusivity to the events rather than her usual ‘welcome all comers’ fair. Days were little better, every moment not spent at the sweets shop seemed to be reserved for that bitch Aurora, and while it was a small blessing that they were more discreet than they had been before, there were still things that bothered her endlessly.

The collar for one, a tiny leather thing with a heart shaped clasp in the middle that Pinkie had been wearing without exception since they had last spoken. Then there was the waiting, the pink-haired ball of energy whom Applejack had never known to stay in one place for more than a moment would stand stock still outside waiting for her girlfriend, as if her whole world came to a stop when they were apart. On one occasion she had waited outside thirty minutes in the rain, drenched to the bone, but motionless until Aurora bothered to show up.

On the nights without parties she mostly seemed to stay at Aurora’s hotel, but on at least one occasion under cover of darkness she had watched the pair leave for the same woods Rarity had gone to earlier, with Pinkie lead there on all fours in an outfit that could’ve gotten her arrested.

Presumably Aurora had thought no one was watching, or more likely, she just didn’t care, but it was confirmation that others were connected as well, and AJ didn’t like it.

Her other friends were harder to pin down.

Fluttershy was apparently giving private yoga lessons now, or at least that’s where she said she was going in the brief time they had to chat. She had already been hesitant to discuss this with Fluttershy, well aware of how much she took other people’s problems to heart, but it turned out she needn’t have worried. Fluttershy had barely paid attention, her new clothes had invited even more than the usual amount of attention she drew, and although she was still her usual diffident self, Applejack could sense something different. Fluttershy practically revelled in the attention now, she would turn beet red at a wayward comment from a passerby, and then make eyes at them from across the room.

That was enough on its own to justify Applejack’s next steps. Another late night, this time spent watching her cabin, and sure enough, the moment the darkness had fallen, she wandered out and floated away, and while Applejack couldn’t be sure, she could already guess where she was headed.

Dash had probably bothered her the most. Their last conversation had left a bitter taste in her mouth, and while it was still possible Dash had been correct, that all of this was just one big overreaction, Applejack was unwilling to take that chance. Much as she hated to pick favourites, she trusted Dash more than anybody, she was the first person she turned to for advice, and knowing she couldn’t be relied upon was a terrifying prospect all its own, but if she was right, if Applejack really was just out of touch, then she would figure this out on her own.

Then there was Twilight, the only person acting normally, or at least ‘normal’ for her. She and Starlight hadn’t left the castle in ages, and she had to force her way past Spike to even get a conversation with her. They were apparently working on some big project, something that demanded their full attention, to the point where Starlight couldn’t even come to talk. She had come within a hair’s breadth of unloading on Twilight, of telling her everything, but she had seemed normal enough, she wasn’t dressing any differently, swamped and stressed, but that was her more often than not, and what was she supposed to tell her anyway?

That Pinkie Pie had a girlfriend she didn’t like? That Fluttershy was a bit more confident? That Rarity was a bit busier than usual?

No.

Strange building or not she needed proof that she wasn’t paranoid before she was willing to involve anybody else. If there was one thing, she was learning through all of this, it was that she wasn’t as clued into the goings on of her little town as she had once thought, and jumping to conclusions was the last thing she wanted to do.

That was the main reason she was of mixed feeling as she trudged her way once again through the forest. She was wearing… well wearing might have been too generous a description, she was located vaguely within some of Mac’s hand-me-downs, doing her best to pass as the little brother he never had. There was no lack of clothes in her wardrobe that fell well outside even the most charitable use of the term ‘feminine’, mostly flannel shirts and blue jeans, but nothing she owned would adequately disguise her hips, thighs, or rear. Binding her chest was only just barely necessary, neither as ‘lacking’ as Dash, nor as ‘blessed’ as Starlight, but still plenty uncomfortable. Her hair managed to fit under her hat, a lucky break all its own, she was always embarrassed to admit how much she loved her long blonde locks, and while she would have been willing to cut it if it was necessary, she was more than happy for this workaround.

Without Rarity to hem the improvised ensemble them she had done the best she could, but her best was less than impressive. She felt like a child in adults clothing, and it was, to her mind, a miracle in and of itself that she managed to make it past the bouncer, though even that was only because Mac was there to vouch for her.

It was overwhelming.

The sound was an entity all its own, a solid mass that arrived without warning, the bright colours against the darkness an assault on her eyes, all of it at once was almost too much to bare, but Mac left her little time to dwell. The moment they entered he had already taken the lead, directing her to the nearest empty table, with Applejack taking up and hiding behind a menu as quickly as she could manage.

No sooner had they taken a seat however, than had someone already begun to make her way over to greet them.

Their server arrived with a bounce in her step, landing on her toes with a palpable sense of enthusiasm.

“See anything you like handsome?

Applejack felt her jaw go slack, she recognized this woman, or at least she thought she did. Before her stood someone she respected, someone she had voted for, someone who at this moment wore a plaid skirt that ended mere centimetres from where it began, and a top knotted so high on her chest that it would hardly pass for a bra.

“I – I uh…” Applejack watched the stick of a lollipop work its way across her lips, a finger winding and unwinding one of a pair of silver pigtails.

“Sh- He’ll have a number two.” Her brother interjected, passing a pair of bills to their host as Applejack tried and failed to grasp what was happening right in front of her.

“I’ll get right on that.” She replied, removing the sucker from between her lips with an audible pop and gesturing towards Mac. “Nothin’ fer me thanks.”

She shot both of them a wink and took their menus underarm. “Then I’ll be right back cutie.”

Applejack was still trying to figure out exactly what she was supposed to be. The outfit was clearly meant for someone younger, much younger, which made it all the more surreal that, despite, or perhaps because of a few wrinkles here and there, that the woman now sashaying her way away from them wore the whole thing rather well.

The moment the mayor was out of earshot Applejack looked to Mac with a mixture of emotions she could barely comprehend.

“What the heck was that?!” She whisper-shrieked.

“You know who that was.”

“But she was – and her hair was – and what in tarnation did you just order?”

His tone was dour. “You’ll see.”

“The heck I will! we need ta’ get outta here! We gotta tell someone! We-.”

“If we rush outta’ here right after arrivin’ it’ll look suspicious.”

“But-.”

“We need ta’ stay calm, not draw attention to ourselves, we can leave in a little bit.”

Applejack gave him a look, she knew he was right, she hated it, but she understood.

“Where’re the others? Dash? Rare? Shy?”

“Lem’me have a look around, wait here and I’ll be back soon as I can.”

Mac rose to his feet. “Just go with it for now, try not to be conspicuous.” As he began to wander off Applejack was left feeling equal parts confused and enraged. She was still unsure of what she just saw, and felt a creeping sense of dread at the thought of what there might still be waiting for her. The only thing bringing her any sense of comfort was the knowledge that the moment she found out who was responsible for this, she would be sure to make them pay.

Pushing these thoughts from her mind, if only for a moment was difficult but necessary. She was here to learn, she needed to get as much information as quickly as possible, and the first step was surveying her surroundings.

The room really was spectacularly empty. The few patrons she could see were scattered amongst a sea of empty tables, likely meant for nights like the one she had anticipated when she first tried to get in. Her first impression was that this was an especially slow night, but more at issue was that the lack of customers left Applejack with little cover to look around without it being painfully obvious, though whether or not her server was in any fit state of mind to take notice was in serious doubt.

She could see a bar without a tender, an empty grotto with vacant stands. Everything told her there was less going on tonight than should be expected, but with little room to maneuver it was up to Mac to fill in the gaps for now. So, she remained more or less rooted to her seat, dreading whatever would happen next in the waking nightmare she now inhabited.

As the mayor returned Applejack was left taking in every fine detail she had failed not notice in their initial meeting, unsure of whether or not she could look away. The knee-socks that stretched up to her mid-thighs, the tiny, vestigial tie that dangled into the gaping void of her unbuttoned top. It was all too much for her, and the creeping, queasy feeling that sat at the pit of her stomach only got worse as the waitress approached, trey in hand.

Setting it down on the nearest free table the mayor dipped a finger into a single shot glass, tracing a line of clear liquid from just below her navel, up to the thin knot that held her top together.

“First time?” She asked, apparently sensing Applejack’s apprehension.

Trying her best to be calm, the blonde farmer looked up at the woman who stood before her. “Uh…yah, I – I guess so.”

It didn’t help.

The eyes peering down at her, absent her glasses, were the same ones that she had known her entire life, kind, gentle, and compassionate, even as she wedged the tiny glass between her breasts.

“Don’t worry dear, just follow my lead.” The voice was still warm and mothering as her soft hands grasped either side of Applejack’s, face guiding it downward. “Tongue out please.”

Applejack hesitated for a moment, wishing more than anything that the voice guiding her would sound just a little less patient and affectionate, but hesitation soon turned to a begrudging compliance, and her tongue emerged as instructed.

The hands enveloping her pulled her just a little bit closer before taking her upward. “Here we go.” Her motions were tender, never forceful, her skin soft and sweet, the faint taste of strawberries mixing with the bitter taste of alcohol as Applejack’s tongue ran up the length of her stomach, sinking into the her bellybutton and drawing further upward until she met with the ends of her top.

She looked up and saw the same nurturing, almost maternal eyes staring down at her, a soft smile on her lips. “So far so good, now just a little higher.”

She could already guess what was supposed to happen next. The mayor brought her out of her seat, half standing as she approached, lips pursed but reticent, the feel of gentle fingers stroking the back of her neck, no doubt meant to be reassuring but instead feeling perverse and unsettling.

Trying her best to keep her distance, to avoid eye contact, Applejack pressed up against the mayor’s chest, eyes firmly shut. The older woman leaned forward, the glass now up against Applejack’s lips, resisting the urge to pull away as the softness of her breasts gave way against the farmer’s face. Applejack was reminded of how much she hated the taste of alcohol the liquid burned its way down her throat towards her stomach. She did her best to ignore it, to not gag, to not think about what she was doing, opening her eyes when she felt the glass was empty only to realize that her ordeal still wasn’t quite over.

“Almost there dear.”

The mayor’s sucker had been replaced with a thick green object, jutting out from between her lips, and despite another wave of revulsion washing over her, Applejack could intuit what was expected of her.

She was careful to put as much space between them as possible, but she shouldn’t have bothered, the moment she was close the mayor lurched forward, forcing the tiny fruit into AJ’s mouth followed swiftly by her tongue.

The silver-vixen was relentless, evidently eager to impress.

It didn’t last long, but it didn’t need to, Applejack wanted it to be over before it had even begun. The sugary-sweet taste of candy on the mayor’s tongue, the supple texture of her lips, the burning of the vodka and the sourness of the lime all pooled together, a bizarre blend, drowning her in sensation. When she finally pulled back, a thin strand of drool the only thing connecting them, the older woman looking back at her, returning the sucker to her mouth, an almost unnervingly peppy aura radiating off of her.

“Bet your glad you let your friend order for you now huh?”

“Yeah…” She replied through gritted teeth.

The mayor started to recollect her trey, leaning over far lower than was necessary, snow white panties hiked up and exposed, almost certainly for Applejack’s ‘benefit’.

“I’ll be around if you need anything else sweetie.”

Applejack just nodded.

The mayor walked away, leaving the disguised blonde feeling both stunned and humiliated by what had transpired, but her waitress wasn’t quite finished. The erstwhile politician moved on to a new table, trey in hand, adorned by a bottle and empty glass, stopping only a few metres from where she had just been.

She dipped low as she approached, mid-sized breasts suspended from her thin frame, cradled by the tissue thin fabric of her top. Applejack braced herself for the entire production she had just endured to begin again, as the woman poured a light brown liquid into the waiting glass and presented it to a man Applejack simply did not recognize.

The man barely seemed to acknowledge his servers overture taking the glass with little more than a sideward glance.

“UGH!” His face contorted shortly after gulping down the fluid, briefly frozen in disgust before spitting in out directly into the face of his waitress and sending the tumbler clattering to the floor.

“This is awful! You can’t even fetch a decent drink you old cow?”

The politician barely reacted to either the spray or the insult, holding in place despite the sudden onslaught of abuse. “I’m sorry sir, I brought you exactly what you asked for.” There was a tinge of remorse, to her voice, but that aside she remained utterly sanguine, falling to one knee to collect the discarded glass.

The man meanwhile had taken the bottle in hand, tipping it over and pouring glistening liquid atop the head of his kneeling civil servant, drenching her from head to toe. The white portions of her outfit were suddenly transparent, hardened nipples visible through the now translucent fabric that barely concealed them to begin with, sleek argent hair now matted and damp. Still, it barely seemed to register as she dutifully collected the discarded glass before rising to her feet, dripping and wet, but otherwise placid.

“I apologize sir, I’ll find something else.”

“Make it something decent this time or I’ll-.”

The man’s voice was cut off by the sound of his head planting against the table. Applejacks palm pressed against the side of his face, pinning him against the hard surface, her other hand crushing his wrist and forcing his arm back.

She snarled, a caustic, edge to her words. “Apologize to er’.”

“Ahhh, what the hell are you talking ab- AHHHH!”

Applejack began to twist, an almost primal rage ignited within her, savouring every moment as she torqued her subject harder.

“Apologize. Now. Or yer’ goin’ home one arm poorer.”

“What’s your problem man I- FUCK!”

“One more chance.” She hissed, she was serious, a little more pressure was all it’d take.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Louder.”

“I’m sorry!!”

She could see panic in his eyes, darting from her to the mayor, who stood sopping wet, apparently unsure of what to do. Applejack had her apology, but it didn’t matter, not really, he didn’t mean it, and even if he did it didn’t make up for what he had done, what he was probably going to do.

The choice, it turned out, wasn’t hers to make. She recognized Mac’s enormous form force its way between them, a wedge separating her from the scumbag who looked down at his arm like a long-lost friend, unaware of how lucky he was that she had not returned it a mangled stump.

“Sorry bout’ him, he, can be a bit protective of his favourite girls.” Her brother said, gesturing towards the mayor.

He was turning her away now, trying to put as much distance between her and the man she increasingly wished she had dismantled.

“Your friends a psychopath!” The man called after them. “What kinda’ freak considers this ancient hag a ‘favourite’?” He yanked on one of her pigtails as he shouted, sending her tilting to one side. Applejack clawed into Mac’s arm at the provocation, but he continued to sweep her forward, preventing her repeated attempts to pass him by and pummel the insufferable ass in the distance.

They pressed on until they were sufficiently out of sight, but Applejack was still shaking with rage.

“What’re you doin’? We need to get back there.”

“Your makin’ a scene, we need to blend in fer’ now”

“Blend in!?” She slugged him in the arm. “How?! By doin’ body shots off’a our mayor the field hockey player?!”

“I think she’s supposed ta’ be a school girl.”

She hit him again, more out of frustration with the situation than him, not that she was willing to forgive him for that ridiculous stunt either.

“Did you find the others at least?”

“I have an idea of where they’ll be, but we need ta’ get a move on.”

Their next destination was at what she surmised was the building’s centre.

A long stage stretched from the back and into an uproarious crowd, the only part of the entire place that seemed to be as populated as she had expected.

A leering, shouting mass of degenerates were flinging bits onto the stage as an impressively acrobatic woman wound her way down a long metal pole. For the second time that night Applejack was left groping for words as she slowly came to recognize Zecora dancing to the overpowering music.

Downright Amazonian in stature and build, the white-haired woman wore her trademark golden rings, and nothing else as she splayed herself at the base of her metallic companion. Pieces of shimmering, emerald green fabric were strewn along her platform, in the recent past they no doubt afforded her a shred of cover, though based on their size, not much of it, but now she was on display in her entirety and by appearance, loving it.

The pair forced their way towards the front, meeting no shortage of resistance as Mac’s hulking figure blocked for many the view they had come to see. They settled just as the potion master above concluded her set, now bending and scraping for scraps of paper and coins littered along floor. Her task was made all the more difficult by her proximity to hands eager to get more than their money’s worth.

It took every bit of willpower Applejack could muster not to take hold of fingers that wrapped themselves around Zecora’s exposed breasts, to not silence permanently the ridiculous comments made as others laid forceful slaps on her upturned rear. Despite it all the gold-clad dancer went about her task, a stoic expression to her face as she rose to her feet carrying off as much as she could and disappeared behind a curtain into the back.

The brief lull of the music and the absence of anyone for the crowd to hoot at was quickly filled by an obnoxiously upbeat and unseen announcer. “What d’ya say folks? Quite the warmup act eh?”

Two women, clearly on cue, emerged from the back to take Zecora’s place, one tan and lithe, the other pallid and curvaceous.

“But now its time for the main event”

Applejack looked up at the stage aghast as Fluttershy and Rarity wandered out into the spotlight to the almost deafening delight of the audience.

“That’s right everybody! our two most popular products are back in stock!” Applejack was briefly shaken from her shock, she was certain she recognised the voice, but couldn’t quite place it, especially not when it mingled with the jeers and laughter that surrounded her on all sides.

“For auction tonight: A night alone with either of the two lovely young women you see before you. I’m sure you’re all quite familiar with them by now, but just in case there are any first-timers in the audience, why don’t you introduce yourselves?”

Rarity took the lead immediately; her confidence, the only aspect of the situation that felt in any way familiar. “Naturally you all know me as the ravishing and radiant Recherche.” The crowd practically exploded as the towering beauty made her presence known. They thrilled to the sight of her, adorned in a matte bodysuit, its zipper pulled down below her navel, practically splitting it in half, while rest stuck to her like clingwrap. “And of course, you know that no matter how high you decide to bid, that I’m worth Every. Single. Bit.” Her hands rode through her lustrous purple curls as she spoke, drawn up behind her head to put her full, flawless figure as clearly on display as possible. “Your pleasure is my purpose.” Applejack couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Your wish is my command.” Even less so what she was hearing. “I just hope whoever wins is man enough handle me.”

The aesthete relinquished her spotlight, albeit reluctantly, after striking a few more provocative poses to the endless delight of her spectators. Fluttershy soon moved to take her place, shrinking under the glare of the light as trepidation pervaded the air previously filled by Rarity’s all-consuming zeal.

“I’m – that is – Um…” Flutterrshy could not possibly have looked more out of place. Stood up in front of a crowd was already a bizarre location for her and wearing an outfit somehow even more scandalous that Rarity’s was the ultimate bit of surrealism. A mess of straps extended out like spiderwebs across her thin frame, held together by a few silver rings, and covering little other than her most sensitive areas.

After taking a moment to regain her composure she started again, her voice only just remaining audible in the cavernous building. “People usually call me -.”

“You’re quiet now but I’ll have you screaming my name later!” A wave of scarlet burned like a forest fire across the pink-haired woman’s face, Applejack’s head whipped back, searching for the source of the taunt, but she soon realised it was pointless, it could have been any one them, and there was nothing she could do right now.

“I’m usually called Angelique” She managed to force out after an extended deluge of laughter at the stranger’s remark. “I’m pretty popular, b – but I don’t really know why… I hope someone is willing to pay for me, I’ll try my best to be of use.”

‘Recherche’ stepped out from behind her sheepish companion, piqued either out of sympathy or the need to retake the limelight. “Don’t let the demure façade fool you.” She chirped wrapping hands around the tanned beauty, worming her way under the straps concealed her round, perky chest. “I can personally guarantee that she’s even more eager to please than I am.”

“Recherche please – I - I don’t -.”

“She acts shy, but the truth is she loves all the attention, isn’t that right?” She asked, with a peck on the cheek and a hand rapidly descending her partner’s abdomen. “R-right.”

“And once someone gets you alone, I just know you’ll show them what a good little slut you really are.” A wide, mocking smile accompanied her ‘compliment’. “I – I’ll b a good little slut.”

The announcer returned somehow managing to channel an even greater obnoxious energy. “Whatdaya say folks? Are we ready to start the bidding?”

“70 bits for Fat Tits!” came an over-eager reply, no doubt in reference to Rarity.

“100 for the bean pole.” Came another.

Applejack turned, searching for the lone voices in the crowd, fully intending to burn their faces into her memory and track them down as soon as possible, but their cause was soon joined, and her quest rendered pointless.

“200!”

“500!”

The bids climbed higher by the second as Rarity, spurred on by the attention of her audience, let her hands continue to roam over a Fluttershy either unwilling or unable to resist her advances, the, menagerie-keeper a quivering captive to the fashion queen’s ministrations.

There was little time for Applejack to be stunned, Mac gave her a nudge and, having read his gesture, roused herself from her awed stupor long enough to throw a hand into the air.

“7 – 700, Fer’ that one…”

“1000!”

“1100!”

She had barely had time to lower her arm before her bid was buried and forgotten.

Fluttershy was now unambiguously helpless, everywhere Rarity’s hands went, hers followed, offering weak protest and even weaker resistance. As she melted into Rarity’s arms, she made even easier prey, she squealed and moaned as the designer read and obliged her every move. When her hips began to roll Rarity’s thigh stepped between them and offered her something to grind along, when she turned away from the crowd, Rarity was there to force her face forward, nibbling along her ear and kissing her neck, drinking in her mortified reaction.

The bids climbed steadily, matching every outrageous move Rarity perpetrated on her life-sized doll, and pushing her on towards ever more obscene heights, until finally…

“2500.”

With that, the bids finally quieted down, a man who all but oozed wealth and status had his arm upraised and pointed squarely at Fluttershy. The rest of the bidders had fallen silent, making it clear that no one was willing to challenge the hefty sum, the only voice remaining was that of the announcer and the item for auctions uneven panting.

“It sounds like we may have high bidder folks.”

Applejack felt helpless.

“Going once!”

She needed to do something.

“Going twice!”

She couldn’t let this happen.

“And S-.”

“8000 fer’ both of em’!”

There was a brief silence, Mac looked stunned, AJ was on her feet now, unsure of what would happen next, of what she had even just done.

“A NEW RECORD HIGH BID! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!”

Cheers and excitement filled the room, while the two women on stage collapsed into one another, either at the revelation of the sum or the sound of their sale. Fluttershy’s thighs slammed together, her hands shot between her legs as she wobbled, barely managing to stay upright. Remarkably, she was still doing better than Rarity, who fell backward, easing off of Fluttershy for the first time since their ‘introduction’ and writhing along the floor.

The room went wild as Applejack and Mac approached the stage, she felt a few revellers pat her on the back, while catching glances of others shooting jealous sneers in her direction, but she had little time to contemplate either. As they arrived front and centre, she looked up at the two women she had just ‘bought’.

The thought made her sick to her stomach.

She offered a hand first to the one who was actually still on her feet, which Fluttershy accepted. Her fingers were damp, but Applejack barely spared it a thought, leading her down off the stage, the winged worrier joined her at ground level, her head slightly bowed.

Rarity was slow to rise, feigning a certain amount of poise, as if she hadn’t spent the last few seconds grinding her way up and down the stage, keen to dismiss or choose not to acknowledge the dark patch between her legs or the faint puddle she was leaving behind.

She too joined Applejack’s growing coterie, if she were herself she might have been delighted that the combination of her thigh-high boots and Fluttershy’s bare feet made her the taller of the pair. At present however Applejack could only wonder at what was going through her friend’s mind, and whether such things were even remotely of concern to her.

While Fluttershy instantly took her place a full step behind Applejack, dutifully waiting to follow her lead in absolute silence, Rarity was more direct.

“So you’re the one who payed all those bits just to spend time with me?” Every single syllable dripped with sweetness, she was already coiling herself around AJ’s arm, pressing up against her. “Not that I can blame you of course, but I’ll have to think of something special to make sure you get your money’s worth.”

Applejack did her best to ignore her, to tune out the noise, turning to Mac for some semblance of reassurance. “Is there somewhere we can go?”

Mac nodded and took a position at the front of the pack, beginning to lead the way, only to be stopped a few steps later by a similarly imposing figure.

“Your currency I must receive, before you are allowed to leave.”

One last unpleasant surprise, if it even qualified as a ‘surprise’ at this point. She should’ve been expecting this, and she hated herself for, on some level, getting used to what was happening around her.

Zecora had been waiting at the crowd’s edge for her emergence with an evidently singular objective. She was dressed now, though with how little fabric there was it was a mystery why she had even bothered. Why she was tasked with collecting the toll was further in question, maybe they were short staffed? It hardly mattered. Applejack retrieved a wad of bills from the pockets of her ill-fitting jeans, keenly aware that it represented the sum total of their remaining savings, that their business, their entire way of life was under threat without it.

Still she handed it to powerfully built shaman, and did so gladly. She had her friends with her now, they were what mattered, and she would be back for everyone else soon enough. Whoever was getting her money would be paying it back personally, she would see to that, but for now she had more important priorities to tend. She felt the bombshell on her arm shiver at the sight of the wad and could faintly hear Fluttershy do the same, but blocked it out as best she could.

“You patronage we appreciate, I hope that you enjoy your mates.”

Applejack forced out a smile, one she knew was almost certainly unnecessary, but she was unwilling to take any chances, not now.

As they walked away the chipper announcer returned one final time, as if intentionally turn her stomach one final time.

“Don’t worry people, the night is still young, you all know what we say when our next performer takes the stage: Hellooooooooo, Nurse!”

She scowled but didn’t look back, it wasn’t important, it wouldn’t change anything.

Mac lead she and their companions to a hallway near the back, dimly lit with ‘VIP’ written across every door that lined the walls. Through each door they passed Applejack could hear the faint sound of moans and groans reverberating from either side, a feeling of disgust welling up within her.

They stopped by a room that appeared unoccupied and made their way inside, Applejack first, with Rarity still very much attached, whispering an endless stream of compliments into her ear. Fluttershy followed silently after, a single step behind as always, with Mac closing and locking the door behind them.

Away from prying eyes, she could, if only for a moment feel relief. She was alone with her friends and her brother, there was something comforting in that knowledge, if nothing else.

Of course she also knew this was only the beginning, it was time to get some answers.

Author's Note

1) This was originally 2 chapters but in the interest of actually meeting a deadline for once I broke it in half since it was overlong anyway (I also cut some corners editing, please don't hate me :'( ). Expect another chapter in like...a few days? probably before Christmas, definitely before New Years.

2) Coming up with "stripper names" is quite possibly the most annoying part of this whole thing now, probably should've made a list in advance

3) comments, suggestions, etc.