The Town of Friendship

After making a promise to a sibling whose status in life might possibly have been revoked, Twilight set about making ready for her long pilgrimage. She packed everything vital to life itself in a small saddlebag and prepared to make her escape from a life of dirt and endless debauchery. She hoped that the sunshine of friendship awaited on the other side of the mountain that now loomed in front of her. Her mind was a whirl of activity, and she went over about thirty mental checklists of things she would need. She knew she would never return to Canterlot unless it was absolutely necessary, so she made sure she was thorough in her packing.

She put the bag on her back and prepared to leave the last three years of prostitution behind. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought of the freedom that friendship and trust would bring. She didn’t know what she would find along the way, and a part of that frightened her, but another part excited her. She was journeying into the complete unknown, and she couldn’t help but quiver in anticipation. For you, Shining Armor, she thought as she left her room and trotted down the brothel’s stairs.

Thankfully, it was the middle of the night and nopony else was awake. She knew she would have to slip past the guards at the door, but she figured she could handle it. After all, she was one of the most sought after mares in Canterlot. A bit of sly seduction, and a fake permission slip she had created, and she could easily make her way out of the brothel and into the cool night air. I can do this, she thought confidently, I will make it to that town.

She made her way to the near side of Rose’s desk, thinking nothing of it since her friend was supposed to be in her own room. She slipped into the shadows, not wanting to be seen by the guards until she could put on every ounce of her charm. But what she didn’t realize was that Rose was working late that night, and she felt a small tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the friendly secretary giving her a very inquisitive look. “Twi,” Rose whispered, “what the hay are you doing?! You ain’t supposed to be out of your room! You know only the night workers are allowed out of the brothel!”

“Rose,” Twilight whispered back, “I’m doing it. I’m going to the Town of Friendship!”

“You’re nuts!” Rose whispered harshly, “the Town of Friendship’s just a rumor! I don’t even know if it exists!”

“I have to try!” Twilight whispered back in the same tone, “if I don’t…then I may as well just remain here and waste away to nothing while my body is used for money.”

Rose looked over to where the guards were and breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn’t been caught. Their whispers had grown in volume and in tone, and she made a mental note to keep the levels at a minimum. “Look, Twi,” she said even softer than before, “I know the town sounds like an amazing thing. But don’t you think I’d have gone there if I believed in it?”

“No, I don’t,” Twilight said, “I don’t think you’re bold enough.”

“Me?! Not bold?! I’ll show you not bold! Just give me a minute.”

With that, Rose jumped off her small seat and ran into her room. Twilight smirked, but inside, she was rejoicing. She would need Rose to accompany her, not just for a friendly chat or two, but she knew that they could face anything if they did it together. She couldn’t make this journey alone, and there was nopony that she wanted by her side more than Rose. She broke into a smile as her friend returned quickly with her saddlebag packed and ready to go.

“You know we’re leaving Canterlot forever, right?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t care!” Rose whispered back hotly, “you won’t accuse me of not being bold enough to get to the Town of Friendship! When we arrive, I’m gonna rub it in your pretty little face!”

“Whatever, Rose,” Twilight said as her smile grew wider, “now, let me handle the guards.”

With that, the two mares trotted right up to where the guards were stationed. Twilight turned on all of her sexiness, and the guards became putty in her hooves. She did have to cut a deal with one of them, and they went into a nearby alley and had sex, but she quickly returned with permission to leave, and a few bits for their journey. The guards had been successfully dispatched, and the two mares left the brothel forever.

“You sly mare,” Rose said as they trotted towards Canterlot’s main gate, “I mean, I could see them letting you out, but what about me? I didn’t have to have any kind of sex!”

“I took one guard for the both of us,” Twilight said simply, “the guard that had sex with me told me he’d vouch for you if I did it with him.”

“Wow…” Rose said, “…you did something like that for me?”

“It’s what friends do,” Twilight responded before winking, “and now we’re both free from that life!”

“If we can make it through the main gate,” Rose said, “but I think I can return the favor.”

They trotted up to the guards at the gate and presented the falsified permission slip. The guards took a look at it and noticed that it gave permission for both mares to leave the city and venture into the great beyond. It even had a perfectly forged signature from Queen Lilly herself. So the guards looked at each other and let the two out. There was no train, as it had been destroyed by Lilly’s forces, but the mares knew they would fight through anything to reach the Town of Friendship.

“Why do I feel like singin’ a song all of a sudden?” Rose asked in annoyance as they trotted into the forest.

“I think road trips are just like that,” Twilight said, “especially when you take them with your close friends.”