Velvet Conundrumby Dragonborne FoxChaptersConsternationContemplationConsumptionConsternationTwilight Velvet skulked her way home as the streets of Canterlot waned to a quiet din. Her head was level with her barrel, and ears flattened against her head as a weary, almost despairing sigh fled her mouth. At her side strode her husband Night Light, himself as dejected and his pace just as slow. All around them, the streets were deserted, save another soul or two that trotted past them on occasion. For a while, as the hours went uncounted, none approached the duo as the sunset of the horizon melted into the young night. An unspoken, but noticeable tension, hung between them—large as the coming moon, but weighing only upon those two. To all the other ponies they passed, it mattered as little as the equally-heavy silence that lingered between husband and wife. Their troubles weren't important to the world; it was asleep and dead to that tension that coming night as far as they were concerned. By Tartarus, not even having three Princesses in their family, and a captain of the Royal Guard could help them now. The matter was strictly between them, kept under lock and key even as the street on which they resided started coming into view. Their pace quickened upon seeing home, but their mood had not improved; indeed, their scowls were firmly set upon their faces, and seemed to deepen with every step. Both could feel that tea kettle steaming, and heard its sharp whistle ringing in their heads as Night Light opened the door to let Twilight Velvet inside. He dutifully followed her in, shut the door, and locked the door just to be sure that no eavesdroppers could sneak in unannounced. Both strode to the living room, Velvet spinning around to scowl at her husband. The tension could've been sliced by a knife, and neither would have noticed; their focus was solely upon their spouse. Little else mattered. Velvet spoke first, partly to break the silence and partly to let all the bottled emotions spring forth, "You've said earlier today that you can't have foals anymore?" Night Light gravely nodded. "Ever since Shining's wedding," he clarified bluntly. "A changeling managed to kick me between my hinds hard as it tried to cocoon me." Twilight Velvet's nostrils flared. "And you're sure," she continued, anger flashing through her eyes, "that it's not my reproductive bits failing?" Another mute nod answered her. "It's possible, with your age," Night Light stated with a blaise shrug. "But I've heard of mares older than you still pumping out foals that came out fine and dandy after the fact." Velvet snorted again. "How is that possible? Shouldn't their age prevent them from doing that?" Another blaise shrug was all the answer she needed. Night Light piped up again anyway, "It should, but it doesn't." He kept his even stare, though something about his expression seemed off to his wife. She couldn't place what it was, and so ignored it. "I've heard several theories; potions, fertility rituals, crossbreeding, and magic—that one seems to be the go-to explanation at any rate for most of the theories I've come across." That made Velvet's mental gears turn. "Couldn't you try the potions?" she asked, a mite hopeful. Night Light shook his head, causing whatever hope she had to sink. "All of that's applicable only to mares at the moment," he said sourly, frown deepening with the statement. "They've tried it with stallions, and… the results turned out messy." Velvet wilted. She didn't particularly fancy the mental image her brain conjured there and then. "So… we can't have a third foal…" she grumbled, mood souring at the thought. "We can't," Night Light affirmed, ears flat against his head as the words left his mouth. "You could try to be a surrogate mother, but… you might get attached to the foal if that were to happen." Velvet, dejectedly, nodded with a tired sigh leaving her mouth, withers sagging at the prospect. "I'll double-check with the doctor to be sure of it, then. But that won't be until next month," she said. Night Light trotted around to sit on the sofa, face still sour at it all. "Just…" The next words he spoke would ignite something that he could only see in his wildest dreams—or nightmares, if one asked any other member of the noble houses what they thought on this matter. "Just do what you need to do." Velvet trotted and sat at his side, gears still tumbling in her head. Whatever she needed to do… hrm, that was going to be a challenging prospect… She toyed with the idea of surrogate motherhood and potions, but crossed that first one off her list due to the fact she'd need to give the foal to the clients after birthing it, not to mention all the other problems even associated with that option could potentially bring. And her age might not be a fine selling point on even becoming a surrogate mother either, some maddened part of her brain shouted in her head. As for potions, where would she even get her hooves on such? Those came from outside Equestria for the most part, as far as she knew at any rate. And then there was that whole 'check-the-labeling' kerfuffle she'd inevitably have to delve into to make sure she got the right product without any nasty or lingering side-effects. Chills ran down her spine when she concocted another mental image of enlarged horns and legs mismatched in length. No thank you, she'd take poison joke over that any day of the week. At least poison joke had antidotes and humor, unlike some of the potions whose various nasties she'd heard about from friends abroad. Velvet counted her lucky stars; at least she had options on the table. But first… she'd have to get that appointment out of the way. And the sooner she did that, the more at ease she could feel after the fact. She nuzzled her husband consolingly, blissfully unaware of how much her world would change within the coming months ahead. [/hr] The month went by without much incident, and the appointment eventually came. As promised, Velvet got herself checked out by the doctor, and now she waited in the check-up room for results. As she idled, she perused a few brochures hanging off a small little rack, reading them extra slowly to pass the time. Medical, remedial, side gigs, potions, and… Huh. After going through half the small stack at her hooves, she rescanned the potions brochure to find an advertisement written in big, bold writing. FERTILITY EXTRAVAGANZA!!! Are you tired of failed attempts at getting pregnant? Than this potion is for you! Come now to Zejorpa's Wild Buck on 1800 Canterbury's Trot Road in southern Canterlot for a taste of this wonderful brew! Experience renewed purpose in the bedsheets, for a limited time only! Velvet re-read that again, to be sure of what she was seeing. It was then she noticed a bit of fine print beneath the blurb, and zeroed in on it to see what it beheld. *Applicable only to healthy mares. Stallions need not apply. "Of course," she thought sourly. She thought back to Night Light's confession, and furrowed her brow as thoughts of beating up the changeling responsible flooded her mind. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts before they could get too vivid. "No, no. And no," she continued to think as she picked up another brochure to read through, "I am a noblemare. And noblemares don't engage in such actions." Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the room swung open, and in strode a unicorn stallion complete with the doctor's coat. Her expression brightened, and a warm smile spread on her muzzle as she put aside the brochures. "Oh, hello Dr. Hayseed! Did the results go by smoothly?" she asked. Dr. Hayseed nodded, expression neutral as his horn glowed and papers arranged into a stack appeared at his side. He shuffled them for a moment, then levitated the parchments before him to make sure he had his ducks in a row. Once he was satisfied, he hoofed them over to Velvet, who took them in her own magic. "I think you should see what these say for yourself," he said coolly, though Velvet could've sworn there was a hint of dismay in his tone. Velvet started scanning the papers. First one just had the standard info; patient's name, date and time of appointment, reason for appointment and so forth. She shuffled that one to the back to start using the second one. That paper had testing info; yadda yadda, reason for test, what sort it was, and the rest of the works. To the back that one went. Page three, on the other hoof, proved far more interesting. "Magical anomoly found in mare's body…" Velvet read aloud, brow furrowing at what she beheld. "Symptoms higher than normal mares… may be tied to alicorns in family…" She turned to Dr. Hayseed and asked, "What are the symptoms?" Dr. Hayseed gave a resigned sigh and answered, "Well… in your case, it's tied directly to your inability to have another foal." Velvet nodded, "Go on…" Dr. Hayseed continued, "Seeing as you've tried and tried again, it's basically like this: you've had a lot of innate and ambient magics coursing through your body, doubly so since you've basically birthed the Princess of Friendship. Coupling that with your son Shining Armor's prowess, and your grandfoal Flurry Heart…" He took a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled a long and almost despairing sigh through his lips. "With what you've displayed during the testing today? The magic would kill any foals you've tried to conceive now, unless you've found ways to channel that magic elsewhere without harming anypony else in the process." Velvet wilted, ears turning back against her head as she absorbed what the doctor told her. "But… isn't there anything I can do?" she asked, hope still swimming somewhere in her voice. "There is, but…" Dr. Hayseed's brow slanted, and a frown tugged at his mouth. "For you, it'd be nothing short of suicidal; it involves inducing a magical surge in a highly protected room. Were there to be a backlash of any sort, you'd collapse on the spot, and there'd be no saving you. The magic is going to keep on building, making it impossible to completely bleed out through that induced surge." Another inhale went in through his nostrils, and out his mouth as he let that sink in. Finally, his head grimly shook. "I'm sorry, but… for you, there's nothing we could do. We could point you to some other doctors, but they're out of Equestrian bounds and legalities. Not to mention the absurd amount of bits and other goodies they could try to shake out of you." Velvet wilted further and further as he finished off with, "And Equestrian law dictates that I am, in no way possible, obligated to point you to those doctors due to the sheer number of risks involved. It's just too dicey to even attempt." Velvet nodded in understanding, mood tanking with the motion. Nonetheless, him being unable to point her to those out-of-continent doctors made some semblance of sense, some sour part of her mind reasoned. It was one thing to visit for simple tests; treatment was a whole other kettle of fish that different cultures tended to disagree on. And if she had to choose, she'd rather keep her legs intact than have her innate magic used for nefarious and nebulous purposes. Still, she felt the need to ask, "So… is the magic going to affect me in other ways as I get older?" Thankfully, Dr. Hayseed shook his head again. "Barring fertility issues, it should not," he said bluntly. "Though that will change, should you ever need prosthetics in the future. I've heard new legs are in vogue for those who are unable to walk due to missing limbs." Velvet nodded, forcing a smile onto her face in light of that information. As long as she was careful, she'd keep all four legs in shape for a long while yet. "I see," she said a mite rigidly as she stood up to offer a hoof to shake with Dr. Hayseed's. He raised a hoof, their pasterns locked, and the shake was swift and firm. "Thank you for the information. I was worried that I would have more problems down the road." "You're welcome," Dr. Hayseed replied, smiling as their hooves parted and returned to the floor. "And besides, you might have lots of grandfoals on the way thanks to Princess Cadence. It's not the end of the world." Velvet smiled for real that time, envisioning lots of siblings for little Flurry. She laughed with Hayseed, and the smile remained on her face as she left the room to pay for the appointment and leave. The smile fell only when she turned into an alley on her way home, evolving into a scowl as she kicked at a wall in anger. Even so, there was a small niggling feeling in her head, telling her not to get her hopes up. But she composed herself and shook her head, idly hoping that nopony saw her kicking a wall in a fit of rage. That nagging voice be damned, she was going to find a way. It would just take quite a lot of trotting to get there. She hoped there wouldn't be any theatrics involved. She had enough drama in her life. ContemplationThe sun began to set once more as Velvet passed a sign reading 1800 Canterbury's Trot Road. The sun's light bounced off as it reached a certain angle in the sky, in turn glistening off of Velvet's bouncing mane and her small saddlebag as her eyes scanned the road for anything remotely out of place. At both sides spanned several shops, filled with the standard hustle and bustle that went in and out with a disorganized rhythm. Even the alleys of Canterbury's Trot were scrutinized. Besides the trashcans, and the very few establishments wedged in those alleys, there was nothing of particular note that struck her as odd at first. If anything, the alleys and trashcans looked spick and span, all of them gleaming with the same aura the rest of Canterlot did. There were the few bits of refuse that ruined the mood somewhat, but those were quickly noticed by somepony else and dealt with accordingly. Velvet hurried along, going from one end of the road to the next in a steady trot, being mindful of the other ponies going in and out of the various establishments. She did her best to look inconspicuous, though she still got some stares regardless of her attempts. Some bitter part of her demanded more recognition for contributing to Equestria as a whole via her foals. But, that got shot down by her more logical side, which pointed out that attention-seeking for the whole issue would look rather bad on her entire family. She shook the thoughts aside, and continued on her hunt for anything in Canterbury's Trot that would stick out as particularly off. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the end of the road—a medium-length trot that split off into different intersections and ended near somepony else's house that lasted a good half-hour—nothing turned up. Unless, of course, the house she'd discovered counted as something interesting. She spent another half-hour trotting back up the road, keeping vigil over anything out of place. Her target seemed to elude her; despite her best efforts to leave no stone unturned, it simply did not heed her whims and show itself. The ponies around her failed to notice, failed to leave anything that could point her in the right direction, failed to even heed the alleys unless the bits of refuse needed to be picked up. The third trot back down, however, proved a bit more interesting; out of an alley between a bakery and a clothing store, a lone zebra stallion emerged. Anywhere else, he'd have been uninteresting, but in the hustle and bustle comprised mostly of unicorns, he stuck out like a thumbtack on a wall. Odd he was, though Velvet chanced a glance around to see if anypony else noticed him. Nope, the hustle and bustle was still going strong. She turned back to the alley to gather more clues. Stranger still was where, specifically the zebra came out of. Far back in said alley, via a door with curtains that Velvet did not notice before, which shut behind him as he left. She veered right in that direction and cantered slowly to it, head high and ears perked in curiosity. She smiled at the zebra as their paths crossed around the middle of the alley. "Hello, good sir," she said. "Good day to you too," the zebra greeted with a nod. "What is it that you seek?" "I'm looking for Zejorpa's Wild Buck. Do you know where it is?" Velvet asked. The zebra nodded, and lifted a hoof to gesture to the door behind him. "Just down that way. They have a special going," he answered. "Convenient," Velvet thought with a slow nod. "I see. Thank you for the help," she said. The zebra nodded back with a smile, and past each other they trotted with grace. She, of course, made a beeline for the door with a quickened pace. Upon reaching it, she found not a sign indicating that it was, indeed, the establishment she'd been looking for. Parting the curtain without opening the door, she found plain wood with a glass window above the knob, the words ZEJORBA'S WILD BUCK painted on in curving writing. She let the curtains fall and turned to her saddlebag, magically opening it and pulling out a satchel that jingled as it was disturbed. She opened that satchel and smiled at the gleaming bits within, some of which attempted to spill out of the container before her magic caught and returned them. Velvet closed the bag and put it back in her saddlebag, before opening the door and striding inside. She called out "Hello?" to be sure, but received no answer as the door clicked shut behind her. Truth be told, she didn't know what to expect from an establishment with WILD BUCK in its title, but it seemed a lot more… tame than what she anticipated. The room had a receptionists' desk, breaking off into two halls at either side. The floors were carpeted with soft blue, and the walls and ceiling a dark red for contrast. Barring the two halls, there was little else—the establishment was surprisingly quiet for one so bold with its name choice, and whoever the receptionist was, they were not present. Perhaps she had come in at the wrong hours? She had just turned to leave when she heard the sounds of hooves upon carpet. She stiffened, ears twitching for a moment. "Hello?" she called again. "Coming," an unfamiliar voice replied, just high enough of pitch that she couldn't tell whether the owner was mare or stallion outright. Velvet waited for a few moments, and smiled with relief as she saw another pony enter from the right hall. She could tell this was a stallion, but his features were softer than most—rounder muzzle, slender legs, and a long tail fit for a mare. Only the short, boyish way his mane was cut really offset the image. She was certain he could pass up for a mare if he tried hard enough. "Hello, miss," he said, moving to settle behind the receptionist's desk. "What can I help you with?" Velvet strode forward, smiling. "Yes; you see, I've heard there was a fertility brew sold here?" she asked. The receptionist nodded and pulled out a book from under the desk to peruse it. Velvet glanced around as he opened it and read through it, noting the lack of a bulletin board or anything of the sort on the walls. Though, some part of her mind wondered if such was deeper within the establishment. A few minutes of silence passed before the receptionist answered. However, what he said wasn't what Velvet expected at all. "You'll have to see the owner to take the brew directly; safety concerns and all that. Plus, the limited supply makes it more tedious; it must be made by hoof." "I do?" Velvet said, smile falling. 'Safety concerns' barely registered at all, and none of the rest was admitted into her mental processes. The receptionist nodded, and turned to the right hall to call out, "Zejorba! We have one wanting the concoction!" Velvet looked down the hall, just in time to see another door at its far end open. Out strode another zebra stallion, though he wore a few bits of silver jewelry. She had to admit, he did look a bit elaborate. They locked eyes for a moment, then he smiled and gestured her over with a hoof. "This way please," he said, turning around to trot inside. Velvet hurried along after him, though she was careful to keep from going into a gallop. Glancing along the hall as she went, she noticed no other doors to enter through. This establishment was built a bit strangely, though she supposed there were reasons for it. Once inside the office, she noticed how… foreign it looked. Besides the standard desk and bookshelf that was situated near the door, it was less homely than the receptionists' desk area. The floor was concrete, and in the back corner stood a cauldron surrounded by corked herbs and bottled liquids. The walls, too, were built of concrete as well, and in the opposite corner was a firepit large enough for the cauldron. There were wall decorations present; fearsome masks painted in bright colors, adorned with feathers and the like. She turned to the zebra as he sat at the desk, and he gestured for her to sit before him. She obliged and asked, "So, um… what's with all this?" The zebra, whom she assumed must have been Zejorba, chuckled. "Well… potions can get a bit explosive if made wrong. I should know—I've had firsthoof experience," he said, smiling wistfully. "Made sure to have the desk and shelf reinforced, should anything go wrong." Ah, that explained it. "Does potion-making require you to be alone?" she pressed. A mute, resolute nod answered her. "Unfortunately, though that's for safety's sake. I don't want my clients exploded upon," he said. Fair enough, Velvet wagered. "So, what's brought you here to try the Fertility Extravaganza?" Velvet winced. "Well… my husband has been rendered sterile, and… I keep making innate magic that I can't bleed off. If I get pregnant now, the foal will miscarry," she explained, somewhat shamefully. Her ears folded back as Zejorba bade her to continue with another nod, "So… I was hoping I could kill two birds with one stone?" "Hrm…" Zejorba looked contemplative as he absorbed all of that. "Well… the brew can help with that…" he trailed off, rubbing his chin with a hoof. "It can?" Velvet repeated, though some part of her mind sensed a 'but' in there somewhere. Zejorba inhaled through his nostrils, shook his head and sighed. "It'll be pricier if I make a more… souped-up Extravaganza, as it were. Tell me, have you heard of how much it costs?" At Velvet's head-shake, he stated, "Two thousand bits total, for one souped-up drink. You see, the ingredients are awfully expensive, since they import to Equestria and all. And I have to make sure you're able to withstand it." He settled in his seat and asked, "So, who are you?" Velvet's mouth flew off before she could reign it in, "Mother of Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle." Zejorba's eyes flew wide, and his mouth dropped a little. A few seconds went by before he was able to contain himself, and his face steeled into the no-nonsense business-esque look that Velvet expected. "Alright..." He nodded firmly. "You have the bits?" Velvet produced her satchel and hoofed it to him, and he took it in his hooves to dump the money slowly and meticulously upon the desk. After that, he spent a few minutes dutifully counting the bits, setting them aside in neat and tidy little stacks as he went. He did this without a word, instead opting to do the math in his head. Velvet took to glancing at the shelf again, noticing it had little wooden instruments and pumice figures depicting spear-ponies and tribal warchiefs fighting against hyenas and lions. There was also a further assortment of unfamiliar herbs, uncorked and exposed—quite possibly left there to dry out. Some had purple leaves, whilst others opted for vines and bristly thorns. She turned her attention, once more, on Zejorba, still counting away the bits. "Do you grind up the thorny herbs?" she asked. Zejorba nodded, pausing for a moment to remember how many bits he'd counted so far. "I'd have to; I'd rather burning tastebuds than cut cheeks," he retorted. "So the brew's spicy?" Velvet asked. "Yes," Zejorba answered. He resumed counting, eyes focusing on nothing else and hooves moving slowly, but carefully. A few more minutes passed before he stuffed the bits in the satchel and gave it back to Velvet. "Hua?" Velvet took the satchel, brow raising and eyes going wide. "Sorry, but… you're a few bits short," Zejorba replied with a sigh. "But, since you're looking for assistance… and you're Twilight Sparkle's mother, I believe I have an alternative for you." Velvet nodded, unsure of what she was about to get into. "Go on…" Zejorba obliged, "Well… this is going to sound unorthodox, but you must become a stripper here for the tenure of the potion's lasting effects." "A… stripper…" Velvet began putting two and two together. Zejorba nodded. "Until either the debt is paid," he said, "or you fall pregnant." Velvet did the math in her head, idly wondering how Night Light would take it if he ever caught wind of this. She was pretty sure the other nobles would give her all sorts of flak for stooping this low, but… at the same time, she mothered a princess, so she reasoned whatever point they could make would be moot. She nodded. Zejorba's eyes went wide again. "You already agree to this? But…" Velvet cut him off, "Well… ever since the wedding fiasco, my husband has been… unable to provide in bed. He even told me to 'do whatever' I needed to do to have a third foal, so…" A rather sheepish grin crossed her muzzle at the absurdity of it all. "I'm… merely following his advice." Zejorba took another moment to absorb all of that before nodding again and reaching under his desk to fumble for something. "Marital boredom?" he asked as he fished out a piece of paper and plopped it on the desk. Velvet nodded. "I guess you could say that," she admitted. She was hoofed the paper, and started to read it. "Say, could I head back home every night, so my husband doesn't catch on?" "Oh, sure, you can do that if you like. Make sure the terms are to your liking before signing, then. Now excuse me while I hunt for the inkwell and quill…" Zejorba said, getting up from his seat to trot out of the room. Velvet did just that, and re-read the terms thrice before deciding she would abide by them. ConsumptionAfter signing the contract, Velvet idled around the establishment until dusk. She then retreated down the left hall to a room labeled 'dressing room,' which she found oddly fitting given the circumstances. As per said contract, and Zejorba's agreement, she could head back home on the daily once all this was said and done. She sighed in relief in that one, before getting to work on trimming herself up a bit. Watching herself in a dressing mirror provided solely for this gig, she started with the simplest of her tasks: the socks. Long, red velvety things that went surprisingly smoothly upon her legs, up to the cutie mark and shoulders, ending in black trimming that marked where her hooves were. As soon as they were fitted, she spun around in the mirror to check that they were on properly, and securely. That done, she magically pulled off a saddle hanging from the wall and plopped it onto her back. She shifted at its weight a bit, before moving about to secure it around her waist as she ogled it in the mirror. It matched the trim, and had cutesy little heart patterns embroidered into its leather, alternating between red and black for a bit of pizzazz. As soon as it was secure, she pulled off a collar from the dressing mirror, and studied it for a moment before adorning it. It had the same pattern as the saddle, but with an additional heart-shaped metal ring at the front, and a circular piece dangling from that heart's bottom to act as a leash anchor. For a moment, Velvet checked again that everything was in order. Spinning around once more to see that everything was secure, she turned her rump to the mirror and magically lifted her tail, a pair of scissors, and a maneband before she craned her neck. Using the reflective glass to see what she was doing, she cropped off half her tail's length and put the fallen locks into the nearest trash bin. After that, she crammed the rest into a tight bun and used the band to secure it in place. She knelt on her front knees and wiggled her rump, turning to the glass to see if the tailcut had the desired effect. … eh, there was a bit of tail sticking out, fanning out on the top of the bun, but it still showed off her sex. That would have to do. She stood up and turned to the door, hearing a faint hustle and bustle going on. She shrugged and trotted out of the room, eyes widening as she saw Zejorba in the hall with a pink, bottled brew in hoof. He studied her for a moment, and smiled warmly. "You're killing it, and it's not even service time yet," he said appraisingly. Velvet had the decency to blush. "Thanks, sir," she said. "Don't mention it," Zejorba replied, keeping his warm smile. "I'll give you the brew once service time rolls around. The earlier it's taken before then, the faster it might wear off." Velvet nodded in understanding; potions were finicky things. It probably took a lot to even get the brew just right. "Try on some of the other outfits in the meantime, see what fancies you. Who knows, you might be able to turn your husband on when you return to him." Velvet grinned. "I can do that. How many hours until opening time?" [/hr] Opening time rolled around once the moon rose, and Velvet strode down the left hall to get a head start on things. She kept the heart-patterned accoutrements on her body, and made sure to fan out the loose bits of her tail to make that mess look a little more orderly and appealing. Rounding a corner of the hall, she found a large… 'lobby' would have been the best way to describe it. Entrances lined with more curtains were scattered about the room, and at the far back there was a drinking bar settled next to the restrooms. In the center of the room was a stage affixed with three poles spread out, surrounded by a single row of seats. Above them, affixed to the ceiling, were some loudspeakers spaced apart for maximum effect. Velvet trotted to the bar, and found it was occupied by a single zebra mare. "Hey," said zebra greeted. "First time here?" Velvet nodded. "Yes. Say, do you serve the strippers anything?" The zebra nodded. She reached under the bar and pulled out a bottled, corked up pink potion. "Was told to keep this on hoof for you, when opening hour rolls around," she answered, carefully pushing the drink to Velvet. "Go on, drink it." Velvet obliged, taking it in hoof, uncorking it and bringing it to her muzzle in one motion. Clamping it with her mouth as music started to come from the speakers, she started to drink. A spicy, sweet taste flooded her mouth as she drank, warm and yet oddly inviting. It did not burn her tongue much, but lingered as she polished off the potion. She put the emptied bottle down and turned to the stage as a few mares, dressed like her with variations in their outfits, pranced their way up to those poles. "Are you going to join them?" the zebra asked. Velvet turned to her, feeling a warm and tingly feeling in the entirety of her nether regions. Velvet shook her head, smiling. "No, I just want to watch and see how they do it," she answered. The zebra nodded, and she turned back to the stage to find a small hoofful of stallions, mostly unicorns with some zebra mixed in, cantering to the scattered seats with satchels in mouth and magic. The mares on stage began to dance, twirling on the poles and shaking their rumps seductively as the stallions opened their satchels and began tossing them bits. One zebra noticed Velvet, though, and did not open his bag. Rather, he trotted to her, and hooked his foreleg in hers. He tugged roughly, and Velvet went along with him in an awkward three-legged trot, the tingly sensation starting to evict logic right out of her mental coffers. Parting the curtains of one of the siderooms, she found nothing but a small dresser and a queen-sized bed. The zebra roughly threw her to the edge of that bed belly-up and clambered onto its sheets, smirking as he took a moment to eat Velvet up with his eyes. "An older mare…" he observed, grinning wryly. It took a few seconds for Velvet's fogging mind to conjure a response. It was another few after that, just for her to articulate it. "I have my reasons," she said with a playful wink. The zebra nodded. "Ah. I heard the mother of the Friendship Princess was coming here," he noted. Velvet felt something hard and fleshy land upon her stomach, brushing up against her fur as he bucked his hips gently. "Are you she?" Velvet nodded. "And I want a third baby," she answered. The zebra grinned at this, and Velvet could've sworn his tail hiked. Velvet's mind continued to go hazy as she saw the zebra shifting so that his member would go in front of her face. On autopilot, she opened her mouth to start sucking, and the stallion groaned and put his hoof to the back of her head. Roughly, he started to fuck her mouth, drawing out his thrusts with a few grunts, but no pants or moans. Velvet couldn't help but moan; it was all she could do to withstand the onslaught. When she felt him swelling, he pulled out with a pleased smirk. "For an older, married mare… you sure take a dicking real good," the zebra complimented, throbbing hard and dripping wet. He grabbed Velvet and turned her onto her stomach before shifting his body so his snout would be level with her groin. He inhaled deeply, humming in appreciation as a tantalizing scent made its way to his nostrils and flooded his brain. Velvet yelped as he put his mouth on her bud and began sucking and licking eagerly. Static clouded her mind at first, before building up into warmth and pleasure as his aggressive motions tried to milk her dry. A hoof grasped her teats roughly, molding them and twisting their nipples just hard enough to send jolts up her spine. She began to grind against his lips and tongue, moaning loudly and lewdly even as her magic started to stroke his length. Her vision blurred, filled with light and warmth as her eyes began to roll back and her tongue lolled out. Gently kneading his balls with her hooves, she growing wetter and wetter; she was almost there in fact, just about to— —then the paramour pulled his muzzle off with a lewd lick and a slurp. Before Velvet could whine in protest, he spun around again without striking her, and grasped her by the collar with a hoof as he aligned his dick to take the plunge. "It's as if you went into heat again," the stallion mused, a glint in his eye as he prodded for a moment. Velvet drooled, and she'd have swished her tail in anticipation if she were able. She barely heeded the remark, and quivered in anticipation of what was to come. She cried out, in both surprise and need, when the member slid in and hilted in a single, fluid motion. He stilled, still throbbing within her eager walls, watching her intently. Then he started to fuck her roughly, pulling her mane with one hoof and the collar with the other. Velvet screamed in pain and pleasure, her nub grinding against his medial ring as it pistoned in and out. Her hooves moved to clutch his neck, and he pulled harder on her collar as his hips continued to hammer into her. Velvet's back arched, and her back legs tried to coil around his hips, but they moved too fast for her to anchor properly. The warmth grew stronger now, further still fogging her mind as she was mercilessly fucked upon the bed. The zebra changed it up a notch; his hooves released her collar and head, only to grasp the sides of the saddle to pull her up violently, lifting her off the bed as he moved to stand on his hinds to continue the adulterous serenade. Still standing, he then moved to pin her against the nearest wall, dick still ramming into her as she bounced up and down in his grasp. Velvet could only cling to his neck for dear life, hinds still flailing in their desperate attempt to find purchase. Sensing this, the paramour shifted his front legs to grasp her buttocks, pressing her harder against the wall as he continued fucking her. Her horn began sparking wildly, of its own accord, though its magic could not go anywhere as it was unfocused. He didn't seem to care either way. He was intent only on pounding the living daylights out of her. He kept going, starting to twitch and produce pre, which didn't help nor hurt with how wet she already was. He bit down on her neck, close to the collar, grunting and groaning as he continued to fuck her silly. Velvet was lost in a sea of pleasure. Nothing else mattered in the world but this. Some part of her madly babbled that she was going to have to find a way to explain this to her husband, but… but acknowledged that him telling her to do whatever meant that he barely cared anymore. Twilight and Shining might be a bit harder to convince, though… She yelped again when the paramour started to suckle on the spit he had clamped down with his teeth. "Yeeeeeeeeeeeees!!" she hollered, winking wildly as the cusp of release came within her grasp once more. "More! Give me more!" The paramour obliged, twisting around to throw her back on the bed to finish the job. Between grunts, he managed to mutter through clenched teeth, "Taking it like a proper whorse… you certainly know what you want." His ministrations sped up, smacking into her with a force that set her buttocks rippling and her sex winking in a frantic frenzy. For another minute or so, the only sound to be made was the slick thrusting, the lewd moans, and the grunts that were almost drowned out amidst it all. Then, it came. The paramour's rough movements ground to a standstill as he emptied himself in Velvet. Velvet, in turn, ground against him to achieve release herself, smearing his spaff all over her inner walls. Some leaked out because of this, staining her bunched-up tail but the rest stayed inside as she slowed down to a gentle stop. The mental haze still lingered, even as the drowning voice of logic tried to screech about unsightly, horrible things. Pleasure finished smothering it, and that was that. The paramour flopped onto the bed, and they exchanged glances. "Same time tomorrow?" he asked. Velvet gave a lazy nod as her logical side was, finally, snuffed out. "Same time," she agreed. "Although I'd rather next week, if you're alright with it?" The paramour nodded, eyes slipping shut. "I can make do with that," he replied softly, inhaling deeply.
ConsternationTwilight Velvet skulked her way home as the streets of Canterlot waned to a quiet din. Her head was level with her barrel, and ears flattened against her head as a weary, almost despairing sigh fled her mouth. At her side strode her husband Night Light, himself as dejected and his pace just as slow. All around them, the streets were deserted, save another soul or two that trotted past them on occasion. For a while, as the hours went uncounted, none approached the duo as the sunset of the horizon melted into the young night. An unspoken, but noticeable tension, hung between them—large as the coming moon, but weighing only upon those two. To all the other ponies they passed, it mattered as little as the equally-heavy silence that lingered between husband and wife. Their troubles weren't important to the world; it was asleep and dead to that tension that coming night as far as they were concerned. By Tartarus, not even having three Princesses in their family, and a captain of the Royal Guard could help them now. The matter was strictly between them, kept under lock and key even as the street on which they resided started coming into view. Their pace quickened upon seeing home, but their mood had not improved; indeed, their scowls were firmly set upon their faces, and seemed to deepen with every step. Both could feel that tea kettle steaming, and heard its sharp whistle ringing in their heads as Night Light opened the door to let Twilight Velvet inside. He dutifully followed her in, shut the door, and locked the door just to be sure that no eavesdroppers could sneak in unannounced. Both strode to the living room, Velvet spinning around to scowl at her husband. The tension could've been sliced by a knife, and neither would have noticed; their focus was solely upon their spouse. Little else mattered. Velvet spoke first, partly to break the silence and partly to let all the bottled emotions spring forth, "You've said earlier today that you can't have foals anymore?" Night Light gravely nodded. "Ever since Shining's wedding," he clarified bluntly. "A changeling managed to kick me between my hinds hard as it tried to cocoon me." Twilight Velvet's nostrils flared. "And you're sure," she continued, anger flashing through her eyes, "that it's not my reproductive bits failing?" Another mute nod answered her. "It's possible, with your age," Night Light stated with a blaise shrug. "But I've heard of mares older than you still pumping out foals that came out fine and dandy after the fact." Velvet snorted again. "How is that possible? Shouldn't their age prevent them from doing that?" Another blaise shrug was all the answer she needed. Night Light piped up again anyway, "It should, but it doesn't." He kept his even stare, though something about his expression seemed off to his wife. She couldn't place what it was, and so ignored it. "I've heard several theories; potions, fertility rituals, crossbreeding, and magic—that one seems to be the go-to explanation at any rate for most of the theories I've come across." That made Velvet's mental gears turn. "Couldn't you try the potions?" she asked, a mite hopeful. Night Light shook his head, causing whatever hope she had to sink. "All of that's applicable only to mares at the moment," he said sourly, frown deepening with the statement. "They've tried it with stallions, and… the results turned out messy." Velvet wilted. She didn't particularly fancy the mental image her brain conjured there and then. "So… we can't have a third foal…" she grumbled, mood souring at the thought. "We can't," Night Light affirmed, ears flat against his head as the words left his mouth. "You could try to be a surrogate mother, but… you might get attached to the foal if that were to happen." Velvet, dejectedly, nodded with a tired sigh leaving her mouth, withers sagging at the prospect. "I'll double-check with the doctor to be sure of it, then. But that won't be until next month," she said. Night Light trotted around to sit on the sofa, face still sour at it all. "Just…" The next words he spoke would ignite something that he could only see in his wildest dreams—or nightmares, if one asked any other member of the noble houses what they thought on this matter. "Just do what you need to do." Velvet trotted and sat at his side, gears still tumbling in her head. Whatever she needed to do… hrm, that was going to be a challenging prospect… She toyed with the idea of surrogate motherhood and potions, but crossed that first one off her list due to the fact she'd need to give the foal to the clients after birthing it, not to mention all the other problems even associated with that option could potentially bring. And her age might not be a fine selling point on even becoming a surrogate mother either, some maddened part of her brain shouted in her head. As for potions, where would she even get her hooves on such? Those came from outside Equestria for the most part, as far as she knew at any rate. And then there was that whole 'check-the-labeling' kerfuffle she'd inevitably have to delve into to make sure she got the right product without any nasty or lingering side-effects. Chills ran down her spine when she concocted another mental image of enlarged horns and legs mismatched in length. No thank you, she'd take poison joke over that any day of the week. At least poison joke had antidotes and humor, unlike some of the potions whose various nasties she'd heard about from friends abroad. Velvet counted her lucky stars; at least she had options on the table. But first… she'd have to get that appointment out of the way. And the sooner she did that, the more at ease she could feel after the fact. She nuzzled her husband consolingly, blissfully unaware of how much her world would change within the coming months ahead. [/hr] The month went by without much incident, and the appointment eventually came. As promised, Velvet got herself checked out by the doctor, and now she waited in the check-up room for results. As she idled, she perused a few brochures hanging off a small little rack, reading them extra slowly to pass the time. Medical, remedial, side gigs, potions, and… Huh. After going through half the small stack at her hooves, she rescanned the potions brochure to find an advertisement written in big, bold writing. FERTILITY EXTRAVAGANZA!!! Are you tired of failed attempts at getting pregnant? Than this potion is for you! Come now to Zejorpa's Wild Buck on 1800 Canterbury's Trot Road in southern Canterlot for a taste of this wonderful brew! Experience renewed purpose in the bedsheets, for a limited time only! Velvet re-read that again, to be sure of what she was seeing. It was then she noticed a bit of fine print beneath the blurb, and zeroed in on it to see what it beheld. *Applicable only to healthy mares. Stallions need not apply. "Of course," she thought sourly. She thought back to Night Light's confession, and furrowed her brow as thoughts of beating up the changeling responsible flooded her mind. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts before they could get too vivid. "No, no. And no," she continued to think as she picked up another brochure to read through, "I am a noblemare. And noblemares don't engage in such actions." Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the room swung open, and in strode a unicorn stallion complete with the doctor's coat. Her expression brightened, and a warm smile spread on her muzzle as she put aside the brochures. "Oh, hello Dr. Hayseed! Did the results go by smoothly?" she asked. Dr. Hayseed nodded, expression neutral as his horn glowed and papers arranged into a stack appeared at his side. He shuffled them for a moment, then levitated the parchments before him to make sure he had his ducks in a row. Once he was satisfied, he hoofed them over to Velvet, who took them in her own magic. "I think you should see what these say for yourself," he said coolly, though Velvet could've sworn there was a hint of dismay in his tone. Velvet started scanning the papers. First one just had the standard info; patient's name, date and time of appointment, reason for appointment and so forth. She shuffled that one to the back to start using the second one. That paper had testing info; yadda yadda, reason for test, what sort it was, and the rest of the works. To the back that one went. Page three, on the other hoof, proved far more interesting. "Magical anomoly found in mare's body…" Velvet read aloud, brow furrowing at what she beheld. "Symptoms higher than normal mares… may be tied to alicorns in family…" She turned to Dr. Hayseed and asked, "What are the symptoms?" Dr. Hayseed gave a resigned sigh and answered, "Well… in your case, it's tied directly to your inability to have another foal." Velvet nodded, "Go on…" Dr. Hayseed continued, "Seeing as you've tried and tried again, it's basically like this: you've had a lot of innate and ambient magics coursing through your body, doubly so since you've basically birthed the Princess of Friendship. Coupling that with your son Shining Armor's prowess, and your grandfoal Flurry Heart…" He took a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled a long and almost despairing sigh through his lips. "With what you've displayed during the testing today? The magic would kill any foals you've tried to conceive now, unless you've found ways to channel that magic elsewhere without harming anypony else in the process." Velvet wilted, ears turning back against her head as she absorbed what the doctor told her. "But… isn't there anything I can do?" she asked, hope still swimming somewhere in her voice. "There is, but…" Dr. Hayseed's brow slanted, and a frown tugged at his mouth. "For you, it'd be nothing short of suicidal; it involves inducing a magical surge in a highly protected room. Were there to be a backlash of any sort, you'd collapse on the spot, and there'd be no saving you. The magic is going to keep on building, making it impossible to completely bleed out through that induced surge." Another inhale went in through his nostrils, and out his mouth as he let that sink in. Finally, his head grimly shook. "I'm sorry, but… for you, there's nothing we could do. We could point you to some other doctors, but they're out of Equestrian bounds and legalities. Not to mention the absurd amount of bits and other goodies they could try to shake out of you." Velvet wilted further and further as he finished off with, "And Equestrian law dictates that I am, in no way possible, obligated to point you to those doctors due to the sheer number of risks involved. It's just too dicey to even attempt." Velvet nodded in understanding, mood tanking with the motion. Nonetheless, him being unable to point her to those out-of-continent doctors made some semblance of sense, some sour part of her mind reasoned. It was one thing to visit for simple tests; treatment was a whole other kettle of fish that different cultures tended to disagree on. And if she had to choose, she'd rather keep her legs intact than have her innate magic used for nefarious and nebulous purposes. Still, she felt the need to ask, "So… is the magic going to affect me in other ways as I get older?" Thankfully, Dr. Hayseed shook his head again. "Barring fertility issues, it should not," he said bluntly. "Though that will change, should you ever need prosthetics in the future. I've heard new legs are in vogue for those who are unable to walk due to missing limbs." Velvet nodded, forcing a smile onto her face in light of that information. As long as she was careful, she'd keep all four legs in shape for a long while yet. "I see," she said a mite rigidly as she stood up to offer a hoof to shake with Dr. Hayseed's. He raised a hoof, their pasterns locked, and the shake was swift and firm. "Thank you for the information. I was worried that I would have more problems down the road." "You're welcome," Dr. Hayseed replied, smiling as their hooves parted and returned to the floor. "And besides, you might have lots of grandfoals on the way thanks to Princess Cadence. It's not the end of the world." Velvet smiled for real that time, envisioning lots of siblings for little Flurry. She laughed with Hayseed, and the smile remained on her face as she left the room to pay for the appointment and leave. The smile fell only when she turned into an alley on her way home, evolving into a scowl as she kicked at a wall in anger. Even so, there was a small niggling feeling in her head, telling her not to get her hopes up. But she composed herself and shook her head, idly hoping that nopony saw her kicking a wall in a fit of rage. That nagging voice be damned, she was going to find a way. It would just take quite a lot of trotting to get there. She hoped there wouldn't be any theatrics involved. She had enough drama in her life.
ContemplationThe sun began to set once more as Velvet passed a sign reading 1800 Canterbury's Trot Road. The sun's light bounced off as it reached a certain angle in the sky, in turn glistening off of Velvet's bouncing mane and her small saddlebag as her eyes scanned the road for anything remotely out of place. At both sides spanned several shops, filled with the standard hustle and bustle that went in and out with a disorganized rhythm. Even the alleys of Canterbury's Trot were scrutinized. Besides the trashcans, and the very few establishments wedged in those alleys, there was nothing of particular note that struck her as odd at first. If anything, the alleys and trashcans looked spick and span, all of them gleaming with the same aura the rest of Canterlot did. There were the few bits of refuse that ruined the mood somewhat, but those were quickly noticed by somepony else and dealt with accordingly. Velvet hurried along, going from one end of the road to the next in a steady trot, being mindful of the other ponies going in and out of the various establishments. She did her best to look inconspicuous, though she still got some stares regardless of her attempts. Some bitter part of her demanded more recognition for contributing to Equestria as a whole via her foals. But, that got shot down by her more logical side, which pointed out that attention-seeking for the whole issue would look rather bad on her entire family. She shook the thoughts aside, and continued on her hunt for anything in Canterbury's Trot that would stick out as particularly off. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the end of the road—a medium-length trot that split off into different intersections and ended near somepony else's house that lasted a good half-hour—nothing turned up. Unless, of course, the house she'd discovered counted as something interesting. She spent another half-hour trotting back up the road, keeping vigil over anything out of place. Her target seemed to elude her; despite her best efforts to leave no stone unturned, it simply did not heed her whims and show itself. The ponies around her failed to notice, failed to leave anything that could point her in the right direction, failed to even heed the alleys unless the bits of refuse needed to be picked up. The third trot back down, however, proved a bit more interesting; out of an alley between a bakery and a clothing store, a lone zebra stallion emerged. Anywhere else, he'd have been uninteresting, but in the hustle and bustle comprised mostly of unicorns, he stuck out like a thumbtack on a wall. Odd he was, though Velvet chanced a glance around to see if anypony else noticed him. Nope, the hustle and bustle was still going strong. She turned back to the alley to gather more clues. Stranger still was where, specifically the zebra came out of. Far back in said alley, via a door with curtains that Velvet did not notice before, which shut behind him as he left. She veered right in that direction and cantered slowly to it, head high and ears perked in curiosity. She smiled at the zebra as their paths crossed around the middle of the alley. "Hello, good sir," she said. "Good day to you too," the zebra greeted with a nod. "What is it that you seek?" "I'm looking for Zejorpa's Wild Buck. Do you know where it is?" Velvet asked. The zebra nodded, and lifted a hoof to gesture to the door behind him. "Just down that way. They have a special going," he answered. "Convenient," Velvet thought with a slow nod. "I see. Thank you for the help," she said. The zebra nodded back with a smile, and past each other they trotted with grace. She, of course, made a beeline for the door with a quickened pace. Upon reaching it, she found not a sign indicating that it was, indeed, the establishment she'd been looking for. Parting the curtain without opening the door, she found plain wood with a glass window above the knob, the words ZEJORBA'S WILD BUCK painted on in curving writing. She let the curtains fall and turned to her saddlebag, magically opening it and pulling out a satchel that jingled as it was disturbed. She opened that satchel and smiled at the gleaming bits within, some of which attempted to spill out of the container before her magic caught and returned them. Velvet closed the bag and put it back in her saddlebag, before opening the door and striding inside. She called out "Hello?" to be sure, but received no answer as the door clicked shut behind her. Truth be told, she didn't know what to expect from an establishment with WILD BUCK in its title, but it seemed a lot more… tame than what she anticipated. The room had a receptionists' desk, breaking off into two halls at either side. The floors were carpeted with soft blue, and the walls and ceiling a dark red for contrast. Barring the two halls, there was little else—the establishment was surprisingly quiet for one so bold with its name choice, and whoever the receptionist was, they were not present. Perhaps she had come in at the wrong hours? She had just turned to leave when she heard the sounds of hooves upon carpet. She stiffened, ears twitching for a moment. "Hello?" she called again. "Coming," an unfamiliar voice replied, just high enough of pitch that she couldn't tell whether the owner was mare or stallion outright. Velvet waited for a few moments, and smiled with relief as she saw another pony enter from the right hall. She could tell this was a stallion, but his features were softer than most—rounder muzzle, slender legs, and a long tail fit for a mare. Only the short, boyish way his mane was cut really offset the image. She was certain he could pass up for a mare if he tried hard enough. "Hello, miss," he said, moving to settle behind the receptionist's desk. "What can I help you with?" Velvet strode forward, smiling. "Yes; you see, I've heard there was a fertility brew sold here?" she asked. The receptionist nodded and pulled out a book from under the desk to peruse it. Velvet glanced around as he opened it and read through it, noting the lack of a bulletin board or anything of the sort on the walls. Though, some part of her mind wondered if such was deeper within the establishment. A few minutes of silence passed before the receptionist answered. However, what he said wasn't what Velvet expected at all. "You'll have to see the owner to take the brew directly; safety concerns and all that. Plus, the limited supply makes it more tedious; it must be made by hoof." "I do?" Velvet said, smile falling. 'Safety concerns' barely registered at all, and none of the rest was admitted into her mental processes. The receptionist nodded, and turned to the right hall to call out, "Zejorba! We have one wanting the concoction!" Velvet looked down the hall, just in time to see another door at its far end open. Out strode another zebra stallion, though he wore a few bits of silver jewelry. She had to admit, he did look a bit elaborate. They locked eyes for a moment, then he smiled and gestured her over with a hoof. "This way please," he said, turning around to trot inside. Velvet hurried along after him, though she was careful to keep from going into a gallop. Glancing along the hall as she went, she noticed no other doors to enter through. This establishment was built a bit strangely, though she supposed there were reasons for it. Once inside the office, she noticed how… foreign it looked. Besides the standard desk and bookshelf that was situated near the door, it was less homely than the receptionists' desk area. The floor was concrete, and in the back corner stood a cauldron surrounded by corked herbs and bottled liquids. The walls, too, were built of concrete as well, and in the opposite corner was a firepit large enough for the cauldron. There were wall decorations present; fearsome masks painted in bright colors, adorned with feathers and the like. She turned to the zebra as he sat at the desk, and he gestured for her to sit before him. She obliged and asked, "So, um… what's with all this?" The zebra, whom she assumed must have been Zejorba, chuckled. "Well… potions can get a bit explosive if made wrong. I should know—I've had firsthoof experience," he said, smiling wistfully. "Made sure to have the desk and shelf reinforced, should anything go wrong." Ah, that explained it. "Does potion-making require you to be alone?" she pressed. A mute, resolute nod answered her. "Unfortunately, though that's for safety's sake. I don't want my clients exploded upon," he said. Fair enough, Velvet wagered. "So, what's brought you here to try the Fertility Extravaganza?" Velvet winced. "Well… my husband has been rendered sterile, and… I keep making innate magic that I can't bleed off. If I get pregnant now, the foal will miscarry," she explained, somewhat shamefully. Her ears folded back as Zejorba bade her to continue with another nod, "So… I was hoping I could kill two birds with one stone?" "Hrm…" Zejorba looked contemplative as he absorbed all of that. "Well… the brew can help with that…" he trailed off, rubbing his chin with a hoof. "It can?" Velvet repeated, though some part of her mind sensed a 'but' in there somewhere. Zejorba inhaled through his nostrils, shook his head and sighed. "It'll be pricier if I make a more… souped-up Extravaganza, as it were. Tell me, have you heard of how much it costs?" At Velvet's head-shake, he stated, "Two thousand bits total, for one souped-up drink. You see, the ingredients are awfully expensive, since they import to Equestria and all. And I have to make sure you're able to withstand it." He settled in his seat and asked, "So, who are you?" Velvet's mouth flew off before she could reign it in, "Mother of Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle." Zejorba's eyes flew wide, and his mouth dropped a little. A few seconds went by before he was able to contain himself, and his face steeled into the no-nonsense business-esque look that Velvet expected. "Alright..." He nodded firmly. "You have the bits?" Velvet produced her satchel and hoofed it to him, and he took it in his hooves to dump the money slowly and meticulously upon the desk. After that, he spent a few minutes dutifully counting the bits, setting them aside in neat and tidy little stacks as he went. He did this without a word, instead opting to do the math in his head. Velvet took to glancing at the shelf again, noticing it had little wooden instruments and pumice figures depicting spear-ponies and tribal warchiefs fighting against hyenas and lions. There was also a further assortment of unfamiliar herbs, uncorked and exposed—quite possibly left there to dry out. Some had purple leaves, whilst others opted for vines and bristly thorns. She turned her attention, once more, on Zejorba, still counting away the bits. "Do you grind up the thorny herbs?" she asked. Zejorba nodded, pausing for a moment to remember how many bits he'd counted so far. "I'd have to; I'd rather burning tastebuds than cut cheeks," he retorted. "So the brew's spicy?" Velvet asked. "Yes," Zejorba answered. He resumed counting, eyes focusing on nothing else and hooves moving slowly, but carefully. A few more minutes passed before he stuffed the bits in the satchel and gave it back to Velvet. "Hua?" Velvet took the satchel, brow raising and eyes going wide. "Sorry, but… you're a few bits short," Zejorba replied with a sigh. "But, since you're looking for assistance… and you're Twilight Sparkle's mother, I believe I have an alternative for you." Velvet nodded, unsure of what she was about to get into. "Go on…" Zejorba obliged, "Well… this is going to sound unorthodox, but you must become a stripper here for the tenure of the potion's lasting effects." "A… stripper…" Velvet began putting two and two together. Zejorba nodded. "Until either the debt is paid," he said, "or you fall pregnant." Velvet did the math in her head, idly wondering how Night Light would take it if he ever caught wind of this. She was pretty sure the other nobles would give her all sorts of flak for stooping this low, but… at the same time, she mothered a princess, so she reasoned whatever point they could make would be moot. She nodded. Zejorba's eyes went wide again. "You already agree to this? But…" Velvet cut him off, "Well… ever since the wedding fiasco, my husband has been… unable to provide in bed. He even told me to 'do whatever' I needed to do to have a third foal, so…" A rather sheepish grin crossed her muzzle at the absurdity of it all. "I'm… merely following his advice." Zejorba took another moment to absorb all of that before nodding again and reaching under his desk to fumble for something. "Marital boredom?" he asked as he fished out a piece of paper and plopped it on the desk. Velvet nodded. "I guess you could say that," she admitted. She was hoofed the paper, and started to read it. "Say, could I head back home every night, so my husband doesn't catch on?" "Oh, sure, you can do that if you like. Make sure the terms are to your liking before signing, then. Now excuse me while I hunt for the inkwell and quill…" Zejorba said, getting up from his seat to trot out of the room. Velvet did just that, and re-read the terms thrice before deciding she would abide by them.
ConsumptionAfter signing the contract, Velvet idled around the establishment until dusk. She then retreated down the left hall to a room labeled 'dressing room,' which she found oddly fitting given the circumstances. As per said contract, and Zejorba's agreement, she could head back home on the daily once all this was said and done. She sighed in relief in that one, before getting to work on trimming herself up a bit. Watching herself in a dressing mirror provided solely for this gig, she started with the simplest of her tasks: the socks. Long, red velvety things that went surprisingly smoothly upon her legs, up to the cutie mark and shoulders, ending in black trimming that marked where her hooves were. As soon as they were fitted, she spun around in the mirror to check that they were on properly, and securely. That done, she magically pulled off a saddle hanging from the wall and plopped it onto her back. She shifted at its weight a bit, before moving about to secure it around her waist as she ogled it in the mirror. It matched the trim, and had cutesy little heart patterns embroidered into its leather, alternating between red and black for a bit of pizzazz. As soon as it was secure, she pulled off a collar from the dressing mirror, and studied it for a moment before adorning it. It had the same pattern as the saddle, but with an additional heart-shaped metal ring at the front, and a circular piece dangling from that heart's bottom to act as a leash anchor. For a moment, Velvet checked again that everything was in order. Spinning around once more to see that everything was secure, she turned her rump to the mirror and magically lifted her tail, a pair of scissors, and a maneband before she craned her neck. Using the reflective glass to see what she was doing, she cropped off half her tail's length and put the fallen locks into the nearest trash bin. After that, she crammed the rest into a tight bun and used the band to secure it in place. She knelt on her front knees and wiggled her rump, turning to the glass to see if the tailcut had the desired effect. … eh, there was a bit of tail sticking out, fanning out on the top of the bun, but it still showed off her sex. That would have to do. She stood up and turned to the door, hearing a faint hustle and bustle going on. She shrugged and trotted out of the room, eyes widening as she saw Zejorba in the hall with a pink, bottled brew in hoof. He studied her for a moment, and smiled warmly. "You're killing it, and it's not even service time yet," he said appraisingly. Velvet had the decency to blush. "Thanks, sir," she said. "Don't mention it," Zejorba replied, keeping his warm smile. "I'll give you the brew once service time rolls around. The earlier it's taken before then, the faster it might wear off." Velvet nodded in understanding; potions were finicky things. It probably took a lot to even get the brew just right. "Try on some of the other outfits in the meantime, see what fancies you. Who knows, you might be able to turn your husband on when you return to him." Velvet grinned. "I can do that. How many hours until opening time?" [/hr] Opening time rolled around once the moon rose, and Velvet strode down the left hall to get a head start on things. She kept the heart-patterned accoutrements on her body, and made sure to fan out the loose bits of her tail to make that mess look a little more orderly and appealing. Rounding a corner of the hall, she found a large… 'lobby' would have been the best way to describe it. Entrances lined with more curtains were scattered about the room, and at the far back there was a drinking bar settled next to the restrooms. In the center of the room was a stage affixed with three poles spread out, surrounded by a single row of seats. Above them, affixed to the ceiling, were some loudspeakers spaced apart for maximum effect. Velvet trotted to the bar, and found it was occupied by a single zebra mare. "Hey," said zebra greeted. "First time here?" Velvet nodded. "Yes. Say, do you serve the strippers anything?" The zebra nodded. She reached under the bar and pulled out a bottled, corked up pink potion. "Was told to keep this on hoof for you, when opening hour rolls around," she answered, carefully pushing the drink to Velvet. "Go on, drink it." Velvet obliged, taking it in hoof, uncorking it and bringing it to her muzzle in one motion. Clamping it with her mouth as music started to come from the speakers, she started to drink. A spicy, sweet taste flooded her mouth as she drank, warm and yet oddly inviting. It did not burn her tongue much, but lingered as she polished off the potion. She put the emptied bottle down and turned to the stage as a few mares, dressed like her with variations in their outfits, pranced their way up to those poles. "Are you going to join them?" the zebra asked. Velvet turned to her, feeling a warm and tingly feeling in the entirety of her nether regions. Velvet shook her head, smiling. "No, I just want to watch and see how they do it," she answered. The zebra nodded, and she turned back to the stage to find a small hoofful of stallions, mostly unicorns with some zebra mixed in, cantering to the scattered seats with satchels in mouth and magic. The mares on stage began to dance, twirling on the poles and shaking their rumps seductively as the stallions opened their satchels and began tossing them bits. One zebra noticed Velvet, though, and did not open his bag. Rather, he trotted to her, and hooked his foreleg in hers. He tugged roughly, and Velvet went along with him in an awkward three-legged trot, the tingly sensation starting to evict logic right out of her mental coffers. Parting the curtains of one of the siderooms, she found nothing but a small dresser and a queen-sized bed. The zebra roughly threw her to the edge of that bed belly-up and clambered onto its sheets, smirking as he took a moment to eat Velvet up with his eyes. "An older mare…" he observed, grinning wryly. It took a few seconds for Velvet's fogging mind to conjure a response. It was another few after that, just for her to articulate it. "I have my reasons," she said with a playful wink. The zebra nodded. "Ah. I heard the mother of the Friendship Princess was coming here," he noted. Velvet felt something hard and fleshy land upon her stomach, brushing up against her fur as he bucked his hips gently. "Are you she?" Velvet nodded. "And I want a third baby," she answered. The zebra grinned at this, and Velvet could've sworn his tail hiked. Velvet's mind continued to go hazy as she saw the zebra shifting so that his member would go in front of her face. On autopilot, she opened her mouth to start sucking, and the stallion groaned and put his hoof to the back of her head. Roughly, he started to fuck her mouth, drawing out his thrusts with a few grunts, but no pants or moans. Velvet couldn't help but moan; it was all she could do to withstand the onslaught. When she felt him swelling, he pulled out with a pleased smirk. "For an older, married mare… you sure take a dicking real good," the zebra complimented, throbbing hard and dripping wet. He grabbed Velvet and turned her onto her stomach before shifting his body so his snout would be level with her groin. He inhaled deeply, humming in appreciation as a tantalizing scent made its way to his nostrils and flooded his brain. Velvet yelped as he put his mouth on her bud and began sucking and licking eagerly. Static clouded her mind at first, before building up into warmth and pleasure as his aggressive motions tried to milk her dry. A hoof grasped her teats roughly, molding them and twisting their nipples just hard enough to send jolts up her spine. She began to grind against his lips and tongue, moaning loudly and lewdly even as her magic started to stroke his length. Her vision blurred, filled with light and warmth as her eyes began to roll back and her tongue lolled out. Gently kneading his balls with her hooves, she growing wetter and wetter; she was almost there in fact, just about to— —then the paramour pulled his muzzle off with a lewd lick and a slurp. Before Velvet could whine in protest, he spun around again without striking her, and grasped her by the collar with a hoof as he aligned his dick to take the plunge. "It's as if you went into heat again," the stallion mused, a glint in his eye as he prodded for a moment. Velvet drooled, and she'd have swished her tail in anticipation if she were able. She barely heeded the remark, and quivered in anticipation of what was to come. She cried out, in both surprise and need, when the member slid in and hilted in a single, fluid motion. He stilled, still throbbing within her eager walls, watching her intently. Then he started to fuck her roughly, pulling her mane with one hoof and the collar with the other. Velvet screamed in pain and pleasure, her nub grinding against his medial ring as it pistoned in and out. Her hooves moved to clutch his neck, and he pulled harder on her collar as his hips continued to hammer into her. Velvet's back arched, and her back legs tried to coil around his hips, but they moved too fast for her to anchor properly. The warmth grew stronger now, further still fogging her mind as she was mercilessly fucked upon the bed. The zebra changed it up a notch; his hooves released her collar and head, only to grasp the sides of the saddle to pull her up violently, lifting her off the bed as he moved to stand on his hinds to continue the adulterous serenade. Still standing, he then moved to pin her against the nearest wall, dick still ramming into her as she bounced up and down in his grasp. Velvet could only cling to his neck for dear life, hinds still flailing in their desperate attempt to find purchase. Sensing this, the paramour shifted his front legs to grasp her buttocks, pressing her harder against the wall as he continued fucking her. Her horn began sparking wildly, of its own accord, though its magic could not go anywhere as it was unfocused. He didn't seem to care either way. He was intent only on pounding the living daylights out of her. He kept going, starting to twitch and produce pre, which didn't help nor hurt with how wet she already was. He bit down on her neck, close to the collar, grunting and groaning as he continued to fuck her silly. Velvet was lost in a sea of pleasure. Nothing else mattered in the world but this. Some part of her madly babbled that she was going to have to find a way to explain this to her husband, but… but acknowledged that him telling her to do whatever meant that he barely cared anymore. Twilight and Shining might be a bit harder to convince, though… She yelped again when the paramour started to suckle on the spit he had clamped down with his teeth. "Yeeeeeeeeeeeees!!" she hollered, winking wildly as the cusp of release came within her grasp once more. "More! Give me more!" The paramour obliged, twisting around to throw her back on the bed to finish the job. Between grunts, he managed to mutter through clenched teeth, "Taking it like a proper whorse… you certainly know what you want." His ministrations sped up, smacking into her with a force that set her buttocks rippling and her sex winking in a frantic frenzy. For another minute or so, the only sound to be made was the slick thrusting, the lewd moans, and the grunts that were almost drowned out amidst it all. Then, it came. The paramour's rough movements ground to a standstill as he emptied himself in Velvet. Velvet, in turn, ground against him to achieve release herself, smearing his spaff all over her inner walls. Some leaked out because of this, staining her bunched-up tail but the rest stayed inside as she slowed down to a gentle stop. The mental haze still lingered, even as the drowning voice of logic tried to screech about unsightly, horrible things. Pleasure finished smothering it, and that was that. The paramour flopped onto the bed, and they exchanged glances. "Same time tomorrow?" he asked. Velvet gave a lazy nod as her logical side was, finally, snuffed out. "Same time," she agreed. "Although I'd rather next week, if you're alright with it?" The paramour nodded, eyes slipping shut. "I can make do with that," he replied softly, inhaling deeply.
