Shadow Play

Chapters

T- 27 Days
T- 19 Days
T- 17 Days
T- Error: Invalid Integer
T- 15 Days
T- 14 Days
T- 11 Days
T-10 Days
T- 9 Days
T- 6 Days
T- 5 Hours
T+ 23 Years, 5 Months, 1 Week, and 5 Days

T- 27 Days

Testing yawned as he rose out of bed, looking around the small room. It wasn't much to look at, but it was theirs for the time being. Looking to the bed beside him, he smiled towards the still sleeping form of Puppershy, all curled up under the blankets. She was cute in the way she imitated certain animal behaviors. She was pony enough where it counted, but she had a way of knowing how much pony she could do without and have it come off as endearing rather than annoying or burdensome. Curling up cutely when you slept was, after all, far more endearing than forgetting what a toilet was for.

Swinging himself out of bed silently, he stretched, walking over to the bathroom - the only other room in technicality in this tiny little place. The kitchen was a corner with a single cabinet and a stove unit - the mini fridge something they had had to go out and buy themselves. The bedroom was the living room, as well as any other room they might have needed. The bathroom at least had the decency to have a door to it and a shower that was separated by a bit of frosted glass, allowing for two ponies to use it without even seeing anything that the group hadn't already seen a dozen times before.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Testing sighed. He was already getting that 'rough' look that he... Cress hated. Maybe he'd lean into it with being a separate pony? No, even without being Cress, it was already a look he didn't like. He'd need a razor for sure, maybe a set of clippers to manage the mane. That all would have to wait for later. Starting a new life had expenses attached that were more important than looking completely put together. Most places could let you get away with mostly put together anyway. At least, so Testing could hope.

In the end, he just splashed his face with water to help with the waking up process. Neither Cress nor he were morning ponies, that much was a certainty. Unfortunately, the world had been built towards the early birds' convenience, and he had to put in the effort and try to be part of that mystical early race. Besides, he needed a job, otherwise the lot of them were out on the street. Testing could try and call in a favor from some more well off ponies, but no. He didn't want to call Cress for a stipend. After all, he wasn't a leach, nor would he ever let himself be if he could do anything about it.

"You awake already?" Stellar asked as she found her way into the bathroom. Testing just chuckled, throwing his shirt off as he got ready to shower. "I don't know what I hate more, mornings or the ponies who like them."

"Never said I liked 'em, Stella." Testing said while stifling a yawn. It was an unfortunate circumstance that none of the ponies that had shipped out were morning ponies. It also didn't help none of them were trust fund kids. Testing was more than aware that Raven's wealth wasn't why she was loved, but those bits certainly made life easier.

Testing turned on the shower, shivering under the cold onslaught. There were five ponies, and it had long since been discovered that at most four could expect a hot shower before their run down place stopped giving them the desired temperature. The prospect of sexy double or triple baths had been floated, but then only one shower got hot water and then the next couple had cold water. Unfortunately, their shower wasn't large enough for all the ponies and one griffon to get in at once - otherwise they might've tried for a morning orgy shower - but, in the end, singles was the only was to get most ponies happy.

This being the situation, it had been thought that the first ponies to get a shower would be the ones to get a hot shower. Testing, however, didn't care to deprive the last pony up of a comfortable shower. Despite the biting cold water, Testing smiled - happy to know that he could spare Puppershy the cold he could suffer through.

Life wasn't the easiest right now, but it certainly could be worse. There were walls, there was a roof, and everypony had a blanket to sleep under at night - admittedly the same blanket as everypony else, but a blanket just the same. Some meals were smaller than the stomachs that ate them, but each meal still made it on the plate. Testing knew that all they needed to turn their fortunes was a few jobs in the group. Unfortunately, not everypony in the group could work quite as well as the others.

As he lathered his mane he thought over the list he had mentally constructed. Gunther was a definite no go, seeing as his mental capabilities were about enough to clean the apartment and ward off unwanted visitors - so long as they didn't whip out their scholng or pussies... or showed nipples, even by accident... or generally had anything of a domineering disposition. He was the golden retriever of guards - on paper good, but too playful to be a threat to those adequately prepared.

That, of course, wasn't entirely fair. He had made a great deal of progress. He just wasn't in a place where he could be trusted to work in a public environment. His less than advanced mental faculties also unfortunately made private environment jobs where he could be away from those that might take advantage of him usually a bit too above his mental paygrade. It was unfortunate, but it wouldn't do to put him up against what he wasn't quite prepared for. He needed some time, and Testing would buy as much of it as he could on their shoestring budget.

Next up were Sultry Rose and Puppershy. Both of them were capable ponies, very capable indeed. Unfortunately for them seeking actual work, Rose was just a little... impatient was the nice way of saying it. The personality that had been fomented slowly after the division in the mare had been one with propensities towards anger, to say the least of it. Not very helpful for jobs in most areas when one had a boiling fire of anger that could lash out in any direction.

Beyond that, both Sultry and Puppershy had a problem with their name. It wasn't that they didn't like them, quite the opposite. The names they had were the one that they had wanted or had approved of - which was more than what most ponies had - but the names were... a bit too forward. Sultry Rose felt like an invitation - though knowing the pony behind it, it was an invitation to get clobbered - while Puppershy felt demeaning - which maybe it had been when Testing had haphazardly bestowed it, but now it felt more and more like a term of endearment to those in 'the group'.

Endearment, unfortunately, didn't solve the problem with either mare's name. With all this considered, Testing Testing and Stellar Afterglow were the only ponies with names and an ability to get work. Unfortunately, neither of them had been able to find any success to that point. The world was barren of jobs it seemed. Their situation wasn't getting any better, and time was slowly closing in on them for their eventual eviction. At that point... well, they all still had legs to walk with. Perhaps the next place would have some jobs?

Testing stepped out of the shower, toweling off while grabbing the hanger with his clothes, making quick work of getting dressed. Life was on a knife's edge on whether or not it was doing well or going poorly. The next few weeks certainly were going to be a determining factor in that struggle.

"Alright, so I'll be hitting up the local Hayburger and then the Shetland Cafe, whether or not Hayburger works out." Testing said, looking over their notebook of options.

"In that case I'll check out the local mall. There are enough stores there that I should hopefully find something. I'll be sure not to carry any bits on me; just in case. Don't need to be tempted to spend on what we can't afford." Stella nodded with a sigh. "This'll work eventually. Sooner or later we'll have something."

"Yeah, here's hoping." Testing said, stuffing the notebook away. "I'll be sure to check up a few other places after Hayburger and Shetland. It might be killer, but having five jobs at once might be helpful to the rest of the group."

"Having you alive is a tad bit more important, I'd think." Stella mused, throwing on a light jacket. "Mission start?"

"Mission start." Testing confirmed with a smirked, opening the door to the outside. Courteous as always, he let Stella out first while he checked his pockets for his keys one last time, and stepped forward to leave. His progress was halted when he found a hand grabbing his arm, or more specifically his jacket's sleeve. Looking back, he saw Puppershy.

"We'll be okay." She said simply, the proclamation hitting a chord in Testing's heart. The sincerity in the mare's voice, the certainty that honestly had no foundation if Testing was completely honest with himself and the world at large, gave Testing a bit of hope that he had no good reason to have. He hadn't been devoid of hope, but he had been as realistic as possible. Now... well now that realism was tainted with a pleasant note of optimism.

"Of course. We'll get ourselves settled on jobs and then the world will be our oyster." Testing smiled. Puppershy returned the smile, hugging him deeply - making sure to only touch his clothes and not the pony underneath them. Testing could've stayed in that embrace for a long time. It made getting a job feel that much more unimportant compared to what he already had. Puppershy, however, did eventually end the hug for the both of them. Pulling back with a loving smile on her beautiful lips, she gave a small nod, as if signaling their moment was over.

"Be safe." She said barely above a whisper. Testing smiled, feeling emotions that he knew the shadow of from another life. Emotions that had settled on three mares in turn, but for him were focused on but one.

"You bet. I'll be back before you know it - and with a job too."

He hadn't gotten a job. It burned at his soul as he walked the streets, looking over his list of places he might work. He had made an extreme effort and had gone to basically all of them, even ones that Stellar had already checked. None of them had needed a pony of his skills - which admittedly weren't many. He was just another pony off the street, no real, training beyond a high school education.

He was a colt at the age he should be heading off to university. Sure, universities were attracting fewer and fewer ponies to them, but even so his lack of any specific training was really a detriment to him. He needed the work not only for himself, but for the others in the group.

He sighed, flipping through the pages, trying to figure something out; ANYTHING. He had tried fast food, upscale food, department stores, grocers, and even janitorial positions at any number of places. He shook his head, trying to figure out what he had forgotten, what he had missed in his already rapidly diminishing list.

He looked up, realizing he had wandered into the park. The scenic greens had always been a favorite of Cress', and so had a shade of that place in Testing's heart. Manehatten was, after all, a nice enough place, it just seemed devoid of any opportunities for any of their group - or at least for him. The outskirts had nothing, the center had nothing, not even the shadier districts had anything it seemed. Sure, he hadn't looked that hard at the shadier corners, but still! He was up shit creek without a paddle.

He sat down on a bench and just bent over, resting his arms on his legs and his head on his crossed arms. He felt near tears. The world was just beating them down at this point. It wasn't fair - not that the world needed to be fair. He realized he was owed nothing, but even so it was a bitch and a half at the moment and he only needed the half, thank you very much.

"Are you alright?" A concerned sounding voice asked. It was a mare's by sound of it. It was gentle like a... well not a mother, but maybe a particularly caring sister. Testing looked up and saw a unicorn mare. She was petite, easy on the eyes - though not exceptionally lovely - and had an expression of a pony who truly cared. Something else somewhat familiar tickled at Testing's brain - almost as if something else was being brought up but wasn't being to vocal about it. A feeling about the mare maybe, but nothing he could place for certain.

"I'm just tired." Testing replied, not wanting to let an awkward pause get drawn out. The tickling at his brain subsided slowly, but not completely. "I've been having a hard time of it recently." The strange mare gave a nod, sitting down beside him.

"Yeah, I get that. Life's been a bit of a bumpy ride for me, too. Some plans been falling through and just all around a bit of a hectic time. Got some new ones, but even those seem... iffy." The mare commiserated. Testing smirked at this.

"Not from around here, are you?" He asked, stifling a slight chuckle as best he could.

"Yeah. How could you tell?" She seemed genuinely curious. It was funny really. Not 'fall on the floor in laughing fits' funny, but certainly funny in some way to Testing.

"Most ponies around here would've kept walking for one." He said, generally gesturing to the path in front of them, on which several ponies did, in fact, jog right on by. "Manehatten isn't exactly a place of friendship and rainbows. Kind of the opposite of that really."

"Am... am I intruding? I don't mean to be rude." She backed a tad bit off, looking as if she'd stand and walk off just like any other pony would've in the first place.

"No no." He waved her off with a grin. "It's a refreshing change for somepony to actually care for once around here. It's mostly dog eat dog around these parts." Testing admitted, turning his attention out over the park. Filled with ponies, mostly in groups of one or two - the definition of being alone together. "Name's Testing Testing." He offered finally.

"Bitter Sweet." Sweet returned, extending a hand for a shake. Testing accepted it with a chuckle, thankful he had opted for gloves. True, they really should've tried to make it part of the recording that everypony was immune to his arousing touch - but getting Cress, his mares, the Elements, Starlight, and the Princesses immune seemed to have already pushed the bill. Now he made the difference by being careful.

"Name like that, don't suppose you're a baker?" He commented, pushing his thoughts to one side. The mare gave him a wry grin for his words, giving a bit of a warm feeling to Testing. He didn't often make ponies happy these days, but he loved it when he could.

"Nope. Parents were, but I could only make soot and ash on a consistent basis." Both of the ponies shared a laugh at that. It wasn't boisterous laughter at a joke, but the laughter of simple fun. "Are you from around here? I might guess you are since you seem to know what most ponies around here are like."

"Kind of." Testing admitted. It was hard to say really, he had never physically set foot in this body in this city before a few days ago, and yet the shadows of memories still danced about in the vague fog of his entwined life with Crescendo. "I have memories of Manehatten, just not-"

"Frequent visitor then." Sweet offered.

"Something like that." Testing shrugged. "You're obviously not from around here. Just here for some relaxation in the busiest city of Equestria or are you on business?"

"I'm here with some friends for a bit. We have some business elsewhere, but we have things to do all about the place. Manehatten just so happens to be a convenient place to be for the next few weeks." She said, vague gestures showing her mild discomfort with the topic. The tickle came back slightly, but he shrugged it off.

"I get that." Testing nodded. "Well, guess I need to head out, still got things to set up today." He said, standing up from the bench. "You take care. Hope you get your stuff all sorted out." Sweet smiled at that and gave a nod.

"Same to you." Testing tipped an imaginary hat before moving off. His thoughts were a mess as he tried to connect dots. It had happened occasionally ever since he had been separate from Cress that he had had strange feelings. Twinges, twitches, tingles, tickles, or itches - whatever they were - crept up occasionally, and now he had another experience.

It wasn't frequent enough to truly tease out what it actually meant. What didn't help was that the ever so vague recollections from Cress' side were somewhat similar in the feeling they produced. Testing sighed, doing his best to kill the train of thought. If there was something that would explain his situation, he'd have to wait for it to be a tad bit more plain with its meaning. Vague feelings were only so good. Now if those vague feelings started working towards actual solid understandings, then maybe he'd actually pay attention to them. As it was, he'd just move on with his life.

Testing closed the door behind him in sullen silence, not really wanting to announce his presence. It wasn't hard for the others in the room to notice him though. The look on Stella's face seemed to confirm what he had feared. Yet another day of no success. This was getting to be a pain.

"What are we going to do?" Puppershy asked, looking up at Testing like half of her namesake. Testing shook his head and gave a small shrug.

"All I know is that if we measure out our resources carefully we might be able to make a month. Eating small meals and not using lights or the water as much as possible. Heck, if we really hunker down we might make it past the month and kick the ball down the road a tad further." Testing said, not mincing any words over this.

"We could also cut our losses, buy some supplies, and head out to see if someplace with a more affordable living situation also has jobs open in the area." Sultry offered. "If we're lucky we'll get our deposit back and have enough to rent a small shack to give employers an address."

"True enough." Testing admitted, looking over the pathetic excuse for an apartment the five of them were crammed into. "We might even be able to afford a train ticket for all of us alongside the rest of it if we cut back severely. Living on crackers and free water from restaurants severely I mean."

"Doable." Gunther nodded. "I can live off of seeds." Testing shook his head to this.

"Most ponies at the park give seed to slightly less big birds. Plus, it wouldn't be right. I'm not having us cut that far back. No one lives off of seeds so long as we can still afford a loaf of bread."

"We could forgo the bread and just settle for a spot of dumpster diving." Stellar pointed out. "Most dumpsters are actually surprisingly sanitary considering, just a matter of knowing what to look out for. Free food would be cutting back more than bread and water living I'd bet."

"And then we'd need two showers a day." Testing pointed out. "More water to pay for."

"Are we actually going to leave Manehatten?" Puppershy asked, looking between the ponies present. "I'm alright with that if every... one is willing to actually go for that." The group paused for a few moments. The air was thick with contemplation.

"I think that if we are going to leave, the best time would be by the end of the month. If we can't make a choice by then..." Testing's voice sloped downwards as he failed to actually say what was on his mind.

"There won't be enough money to try." Stella finished, sensing the foreboding line of logic. "We could all cut back enough to buy a few weeks past that, but even then." All of the ponies and the griffon nodded to this. "Shorter showers, maybe once every other day. Possibly looking into cheaper options for food. I hear the bakery down the street sells loaves that are a few days past date for real cheap."

"Sounds like we have a decision." Testing nodded. "If we don't have jobs by three weeks from now, we're leaving." The group nodded. The next few days were going to be tough - the circumstances of their entry into the world for one - but they had been through worse. There was no reason to believe they couldn't make it through this as well. The shadows of lives once lived would make it, otherwise...

T- 19 Days

Testing walked down the streets of the city as he had many times before, looking about for any places that might need workers. The search had been just as hopeless as it always had been, and even now his hopes for any sort of gainful employment were waning. He wasn't giving into despondency yet, but every day did seem to bring it closer.

The streets were all hustle and bustle, and yet it felt so empty. Testing simply sighed, looking down at the notepad that held the list of places where he thought he might have a chance. It was starting to look less and less hopeful with each name crossed out one by one, leaving the final three options.

The Prissy Pony was not one he wanted to spring for - mostly since it was a strip club. Possibly he could work the bar? He doubted it. Despite being eighteen years old - though technically more along the lines of that many days in actuality - and so generally allowed to serve alcohol in Manehatten, he also was afflicted with the same baby face Cress had. The exact same, actually.

A passing glance might make him out to be somewhere around sixteen, if not fifteen. Mental age didn't count for much when he looked young enough to be learning algebra for the first time. If it was mental age they were after, he could deliver in spades. Few ponies, after all, could claim to have been born as a result of being raped. Some ponies could say they were the result of rape, but it was almost too true in Testing's case.

Referring back to the list before him, he found the address - which ended up was a few blocks over from where he was walking. Quickly sniffing himself, he nodded at the fact that his smell was no worse than the streets around him. He'd walk in there, ask for a job, and move on. What was the worst that could happen?

"Fuckin' really?" The pony at the door asked, eyebrow cocked. He gave Testing an appraising look that seemed to esteem Testing as 'not exactly Prissy Pony material' - if Testing was any judge of looks. "You fuckin' wanna fuckin' work fuckin' here?" So much for employee loyalty. The large stallion was built like an old brick building, and some of his tattoos made him look like some of those buildings too.

"Well, if you are hiring, then yes." Testing pressed, desperately hoping beyond all hope.

"Fuckin' look, kid, we ain't fuckin' hiring fuckin' minors."

"I'm eighteen." Testing interjected, holding up the document Twilight had made for him. The stallion looked at it with even more caution - obviously being one who was well acquainted with fake IDs. He took it, and with a sharp tap from another piece of magic enhanced plastic, paused.

"You fuckin' got the fuckin' Princess of fuckin' Magic and fuckin' friendship to fuckin' make you a fuckin' ID? Fuckin hell, bro, fuck!" He said, passing the ID back to Testing with a whistle. "Fuckin' haven't fuckin' seen to many fuckin' IDs fuckin issued by the fuckin' newest fuckin' princess. Fuck." Testing would have to guess the stallion liked to fuck. Either that or he was from further downtown than his accent hinted.

"Long story, but yeah, she was the one who issued me the new ID. Previous one got a bit too close to the Dark Stone in Basics of Magic, and when I tried... well, I did say it was a long story." Testing lied, doing his best to get this guy off of his case. The stallion huffed, and looked Testing over once more before shaking his head.

"I'll check with the boss, see ifin he fuckin' wants to fuckin' interview your ass." He muttered, obviously not entirely pleased with having to do this for whatever reason. Why he would ever want to stand about outside an old converted factory in the darkest and dankest corner of Manehatten on a wet afternoon like this was beyond Testing, but then again the other stallion's personal motivations were not within his purview. "Fuckin' wait here."

And so he fuckin' did. It wasn't a long wait, as the big stallion came back out and waved him in through the heavy metal door. The resounding clang of it closing behind Testing sparked a moment of fear, the terrible hours that birthed his existence knocking at his hindbrain. The comparisons between this place and that place were more than coincidental in his eyes - although coincidence they were.

"Fuckin' walk to where you see the fuckin' sign for the fuckin' bathrooms," the burly stallion said behind him, pointing towards the general direction, "take the fuckin' stairs beside the fuckin' sign. Fuckin' march your fuckin' tiny ass up there and fuckin' knock on the fuckin' boss' fuckin' door. If you're fuckin' lucky he fuckin' might be fuckin' and fuckin' invite you to fuckin' join him. Fuckin'."

"Honestly, Stonewall, you need to lay of the 'F'. You'll wear it so thin that the fillies will be able to dance in it." A voice called over from the counter. There, a unicorn mare stood with cloth and glass in hand, dutifully cleaning in the way of bartenders everywhere. "I'm Clean Sweep," the unicorn said, gesturing with the glass toward Testing as she did, "resident head bar keep, first line defense for the fillies, and manager of the poker tables."

"This place has a betting parlor?" Testing asked, completely confused how a place could get the necessary licenses for both business ventures.

"Strip poker mostly, though the clients do have to bet money against the clothing of the fillies or colts. Naked clients are only allowed in the back rooms." Sweep answered. "You best get a move on, though. The boss doesn't like being kept waiting." Testing gave a hesitant nod before doing his best to follow 'Stonewall's' instructions.

To be fair, they weren't hard to follow with how well signed the bathroom was. Testing wondered why a strip club would want their bathrooms to be well signed to the point of excess, but the prospect of work was a bit more pressing. Walking up the stairs, he knocked on the "fuckin'" door, and waited.

"Yes yes, come in." A surprisingly prim voice called out from behind the door. Opening the door, Testing found that the pony who was inside was not, indeed, fuckin' fucking. In fact, the boss seemed to be just doing paperwork. The table he sat at was on of the collapsible folding tables that let Testing see the pinstripe suit pants the other pony wore, completely removing the enticing option that he might've had a pony under the desk sucking him off.

"I was told you wanted a job, young stallion. Please, sit down." The unexpectedly prim pony invited, gesturing to the chair across from him. Testing entered the office, closing the door behind him with some confusion boiling in his soul. The office was, at best, not fully furnished. Stepping inside, Testing could tell the folding table wasn't the only functional piece in the rather small office.

The chairs, all three including the one the boss sat in, were folding metal chairs lacking cushions. The once white paint was chipping off here and there, and the edges were frayed in rust. The cabinets behind the stallion were apparently unpainted and had never had paint touch them. They also didn't have any rust on them. The smooth sound of the boss opening them spoke of well-oiled and expertly maintained craftmanship of the industrial brutalist design of the filing cabinets.

There were no paintings, no rugs, and the window was obviously an unmodified original from when the building had been nothing more than a factory that had needed a supervisor to look out over the floor. Now, the window looked out over the floor that was lit in strings of incandescent bulbs that dangled precariously from one end of the massive building to the other. From this vantage point, Testing could see the arrangement of the dancing poles, the raised catwalks, and other areas in which the fillies - and colts, by what Sweep had said - would perform for the lusting watchers.

Compared to this room, it was fabulous. The dance area had character to it, and possibly thought put into the aesthetics. If thought had been put into this office, it was the general thought of "I need a table, a chair for me and two guests, and about three filling cabinets for our records. Also, if it could be made only just large enough for only myself, my guests, and the most intimidating bouncer we have on staff, that'd be grand." Either that or instead of skimping on the costs of alcohol they skimped on the expenses for executive furniture.

Bringing himself back to the moment as he sat down at the chair across from the boss, Testing put on his best rendition of the prototypical interview smile. A cheerful disposition tempered by professionalism that attempted to give the air of knowing what he was doing at all times. Unfortunately for those interviewees everywhere, interviewers only ever see this as the smile of someone who is mildly constipated.

"According to my door pony, you are of age - despite not looking it." The boss began, leaning a tad back in his rickety metal chair. "Being eighteen is all well and good, but I need maturity. I can't have somepony who accosts my fillies and colts working in here. You have to be able to hold yourself back from fraternizing the wonderful ponies we employ here - whether or not they are dressed to the nines or dressed to the nones."

The stallion across the table leaned forward and stared Testing down. "You might think you are pretty good against seeing eye candy every second of every day, but you'd be surprised." He said in a voice that felt a tad bit more intense than what Testing thought the circumstances necessitated.

"I want you to be honest with me, because if you are lying it'll become very obvious in a short while." He continued, his stare just as intense as his voice. "Have you seen every bit of anatomy of your fellow pony? Have you seen dicks that aren't yours? Have you seen a pussy, an asshole, or tits that flop out at you as soon as they open their shirt at you? Have you fucked? Have you been fucked? Have you watched others fuck? Have you done all that in a way that didn't include a screen or a magazine?"

Testing had to stop himself from saying "Why yes, I have met Berry Punch," as the stallion came to an end of his barrage. "Uh, yes... I have actually... all of those." Testing confessed, absentmindedly checking the fact he was wearing gloves. He always did, but it was like checking to see if you were wearing pants: ludicrous to think otherwise, but you just know that the moment you don't check is the moment that you forgot them.

"Oh really?" The boss pony said with a crooked half-smile. "So if I brought in a strip dancer right now and had her go down to her birthday suit, what would you do?"

"Depending on the filly, I might whistle. I'd most certainly ogle." Testing admitted with a shrug. "I am a guy, after all."

"I see." The stallion nodded slowly. "And you wouldn't, for instance, try and grab her? No pinching or gentle caresses? You are sure that you have the guy downstairs under control?"

"I mean, he'll definitely get excited, but... I got stress relief at home." Testing joked. It was true beyond a shadow of a doubt. It was also the reason why one of the first sundries that the entire house had concluded that they had needed despite their meager means was a candle to help with the smell.

The boss pony just raised an eyebrow before picking up a radio from his desk. "Send in Mahogany for a test." He said in his cryptic way. Testing didn't really have to guess what would happen next with the context he already had, and it was something he was equal parts looking forward to and dreading.

A moment later, the door behind him opened once more, and shortly a very attractive mare walked in. She was draped in what essentially looked like a doily that had been stretched out. More holes than actual fabric. Testing could already tell that beneath the holey fabric was the barest measure of coverings.

"Yeah, boss?" 'Mahogany' said in a tone that spoke of the sheer boredom she seemed to be feeling.

"This colt wants to work for us." The boss pony said simply, pointing a lazy finger at Testing. "Give him your best." Mahogany, even though she was facing away from Testing, rolled her eyes so hard that Testing felt it. Mahogany turned to face Testing finally, sizing him up.

There honestly wasn't much to measure on the surface.

The mare began her technique, doing her best to entice Testing into doing something the pony behind her wouldn't like. Testing, for one, was well prepared - having the shadows of memories of Cress' moments with Berry. This mare was certainly a tad larger in some areas compared to Berry, but she lacked the effortless sexiness the older mare could pull off so easily.

This mare could rub her hands over the curves of her breasts and slap her wobbling ass as much as she wanted, but Berry - even as the shadow of memory - was considerably better. Maybe he'd call her at some point? It'd be nice to talk to somepony out of the group that wasn't the other side of the pair. It'd be fun.

The throwing of her shroud onto him brought Testing back from his wandering thoughts. Mahogany was doing a good job of it, as his schlong attested, but it wasn't enough to make him want to touch her. She just didn't come across as his type. Then again, what was his type? Submissive ponies? That was generalizing it a tad much.

The mare brought him back the second time with the crack of her hand against her voluminous behind. Her hand print lingered a second longer than Testing had anticipated, almost making him feel sorry for the mare. She would just dance and dance only to be showed up by his general disinterest built up from his thorough inoculation against the lewd.

She was sexy, she just wasn't sexy enough. It really was a pity. Sure, Testing would have to scurry away for a quick wank session unless he wanted a serious case of the blue balls, but he wasn't really tempted to do that now. At least, not right now.

Mahogany then, in a final act of sensual power that she might have over Testing, moved entirely too close to Testing. "Boss, may I?" She asked, not even looking over her shoulder. A low grunt from behind her gave her all the permission she needed, and a second later she grabbed Testing's cheeks and planted a long, sensual kiss right on Testing's lips. It was enough to drive his boner to knew heights while also bringing waves of panic to what rationale he still had left.

She pulled away, licking her lips in a predatory way. Her hips wiggled as if she were a cat ready to pounce, and based on the newly minted lustful light in her eyes, Testing could tell she was about to. He wasn't going to be getting the job, was he?

Testing tensed as he watched the mare lift herself up to her full height over him. It had been a bit since his power had been used, and unfortunately he was about to find out how it felt to have it backfire.

With a lustful growl, the mare pounced, sending him and his chair toppling backwards into the far wall. She was on top of him in an instant and was kissing him with wild abandon. Testing did his best to ensure all her tongue was doing was licking his clenched teeth, which even so was quite a lot weirder than he wanted.

The lust crazed mare was suddenly pulled off of him by two strong hands, only for those hands to be tackled by the mare's sex-crazed state. "Mahogany, that's quite enou-" The stallion's voice was cut off in what Testing could only assume was a kiss. The next sound was likely the sound of his pants getting unzipped.

Testing, thinking quickly, got to his feet and threw open the office's door open. "Bouncer to the office! We need some muscle!" Looking back, he saw the boss wrestling Mahogany off of his no-no square. He'd have to help more directly, wouldn't he? Just great.

Acting quickly, he grabbed Mahogany in an approximation of a full nelson and tried to heave her off of the boss. She, however, proved stronger than him and kept herself close to her prize. All Testing could do was keep her from going too much farther.

Suddenly, Testing was pried off and the massive Stonewall hauled the ravenous Mahogany off of the boss with ease. "Get her out of the room and find her either a dildo or somepony to fuck her!" Testing gasped out, trying to catch his breath. "It's the only way to snap her out of it, trust me!" The hulking mass of bouncer looked at Testing, but eventually just nodded and moved out of the room.

"I... assume by your familiarity with that reaction that this isn't an entirely rare occurrence for you." The boss breathed, standing up from the floor while dusting his ruffled suit off. "Would you care to explain why one of my most professional dancers decided to try raping the two of us and why you hadn't made that possibility one that I had known beforehand?"

Testing sighed, looking out the open door towards the mare who was attempting to fuck Stonewall's bicep. "It's... well, not a curse. It's kind of hard to explain, but," Testing paused, considering how he could best phrase this to not kill any chance of getting a job, "Well, when I kiss somepony it gets them worked up into a frenzy of passion. They only stop after cumming... or orgasming in general."

"And you figured a strip club was a good place to work with such a preexisting condition?" The stallion asked in a tone that Testing couldn't quite read. Was that just general snark or was there something else to it?

"Honestly, I've tried other places before this. No pony else has... exactly been in a position to find out about my situation." Testing answered truthfully. No pony else had tried to touch him or kiss him in any of his other interviews for some reason, which was likely for the better.

"I see..." The boss pony muttered, moving back to his desk which had somehow managed to avoid Mahogany's destructive lust. "Well, I can arrange for you to have a thirty day trial period with us as a bartender or a table manager. Your choice." He said pulling out a small bundle of papers out from one pile.

Testing was too stunned for words for a good few moments, taking in all that had just been said. "Excuse me?" He began lamely. "You mean... you're alright with me... working here?"

"Honestly, the number of candidates that can pass Mahogany are quite few, and I make it a requirement that everypony has to pass either her wiles or Topaz's." The stallion said nonchalantly. "Beyond that, the number of applicants for on floor positions are quite limited before even that requirement. Most who want to work here want to dance here"

"I... see." Testing mumbled, reaching out for the papers.

"Very good, we'll discuss which position you'll go for after you finish the paperwork. Both positions require most of the same forms either way." The stallion nodded. "I'm Grind Stone, by the way, and I'll be your boss from the moment you finish signing those documents."

"Testing Testing." Testing replied, holding out a hand for a shake. Stone crooked an eyebrow, taking the hand in his firm grasp.

"Parent's audio engineers or something?" He asked with his crooked smile.

"Something like that." Testing shrugged. It seemed there was some light at the end of the tunnel after all.

T- 17 Days

"I find it hard to believe that they are getting you into work so soon after hiring you." Sultry muttered, looking over the well put together Testing. "Most employers wait until a week or two later to actually give you work by what I can recall from Periwinkle."

"Well, they likely get a lot of business and need anypony that passes first muster." Testing shrugged, checking himself over one last time. He had been told to dress up as best he could - which was exactly what he had done. Rarity's suit was the perfect blend of daring and conservative. It also was surprisingly not stuffy compared to its general appearance. "Five bits an hour isn't the most that it could be, but I've been told to expect decent tipping. Benefits of being a mixed strip club I suppose."

"If somepony tries to kiss you again, you best sock 'em before it gets awkward again." Stella commented, handing Testing his dress gloves. "Don't need there being repeat instances to make Mr. Grind Stone suspicious when you've only just gotten the job."

"Don't worry, I don't intend to give him any reason to think poorly of me anytime soon." Testing smirked, grabbing his keys from the table. "Who knows, if this job last long enough we might be able to afford a trip back to see if we can get rid of this power."

"That'd be... nice I suppose." Puppershy muttered. Testing paused momentarily at that, not sure what she meant, only to catch a glimpse of the clock on the far wall.

"Shoot, shorter on time than I thought." Testing cursed himself, grabbing his things quickly before moving out of the small apartment. "I'll be back early tomorrow, don't wait up!" He called as he closed the door behind him. What the night would bring was not a certainty, but he'd make the best of it.

"You'll be on table seven. Did you read the manual I sent you?" Clean Sweep asked as she handed Testing the box of essentials for his position.

"Yes, Ma'am. Spent yesterday familiarizing myself with procedure." Testing answered, making sure to take a firm grasp on the wooden box that was far too fancy in his opinion for what it contained. According to the manual, it held three different decks of cards - two of which were nonstandard to trip up card counters who wanted to cheat their way to a good view - , a shortwave radio to alert bouncers or call for more supplies, poker chips for those who hadn't bought enough at the front desk, a cash drawer for said transactions, and a cudgel for the rowdier guests.

Well, the cudgel was actually a fancy cane to be used to scoop the chips towards his side of the table, but it was sturdy enough that Testing could imagine it as an effective weapon.

"What's the bouncer's channel?" Clean Sweep quizzed, still holding the box firmly in her grasp, keeping it away from Testing's full possession.

"Channel three. If I want the specialists for burly miscreants I have to switch to channel five." Testing replied. Sweep gave him a good chuckle, shaking her head as she released the box into his care.

"Call them miscreants and I doubt you'll have many issu-" She trailed off suddenly, her expression fading from cheer to complete loathing. "Great, just great. Gimme a second will you?" She said already pulling up her radio, switching the channel quickly. "All stations be advised," She said into the radio's receiver with clear dictation, "we have a Code Madrigal, be advised, Code Madrigal tonight."

Not sure what to make of this, Testing checked around, unsure what 'Madrigal' meant. He knew a Code Brown, a Code Blue, and even a Code Adam - which hopefully would never get called in a place like this - but a Code Madrigal was beyond him. The general view of the area also didn't help. It seemed to be normal in the main area, though devoid of dancers in the hours before opening.

"What's a Code Madrigal? I don't think that was covered in the manual." Testing asked, turning back to Sweep.

"Boss' kid is in the building." She answered simply, switching the radio back to channel three. "It isn't covered in the manual, but perhaps it should be despite being only an inter-employee thing. Grind Stone is all business and efficiency as much as possible in this industry, but his blind spot is that kid of his. Doesn't help that the kid is smart enough to not break any rules... frequently." Testing was already getting a picture painted for him.

"If he sits at your table, be courteous and just do what he wants. He isn't bad unless you have a real star at your table." Sweep instructed, her eyes trailing the pony in question. Looking over with as nonchalantly, Testing followed the gaze right to where it landed on a young stallion. He was a few years Testing's senior - though likely only a few months older than Cress.

He wore an obnoxious yellow blazer over a black leather shirt - or at least it looked like that. Honestly, most of the guy's fashion decisions were suspect after the yellow blazer that put the sun to shame and really weren't worth actually taking in. Around him he had an entourage of what Testing could only guess were an admixture of 'yes-colts' and bad influences. Or both.

"Just get to your table and act like he isn't here unless and until he sits at your table. With any luck, he'll just pass us all by in the betting parlor and just drool over the dancers tonight." Sweep muttered, shooing Testing away. Testing, not needing another invitation to leave, did so with gusto, his dress shoes clopping loudly against the concrete floor as he made his way to the betting parlor.

The parlor was less parlor and more converted cafeteria space. It had been converted quite nicely to be fair, but it was still a cafeteria though now it had round tables instead of rectangular benches, drapes instead of bare windows, and lighting that wasn't entirely provided by florescent tubes. All in all, the place actually looked relatively well put together beyond the floor being brutalist concrete that had its cracks and broken elements filled in with clear resin to 'keep the character of the space'.

Making his way to his table, Testing quickly set up his things. Checking his list for the night, he found he had a mixed table. Quartz, Carbuncle, Spruce, and Pine - all very fine ponies by most any standard that wasn't their given stage names. Being able to tell at a glance what type of ponies to expect as far as apparent gender was certainly nice - with all stallions getting mineral based names and all mares getting tree or wood types for names - but being called 'Carbuncle' must've not been the best thing to experience. The price of anonymity, Testing supposed. At least he only had to go by 'Teller' like everypony in the room who wasn't going to undress.

The four ponies shortly arrived to his table, each wearing more than the dancers ever would that night. Most off them had a jacket, a polo, an undershirt, and any other extra piece of clothing they could manage to wear without dying of heat stroke in the old building. It might've been a dirty trick to beat off the pervert who lacked the funds to play them to the nude, but that was business for you.

"You the new guy?" One of the strippers asked, setting down a drink on one of the coasters. By appearances, the mare was drinking something strong, but he knew that this was just another trick, especially since it smelled of apples more than brandy in the room so far.

"Yeah, that's me." Testing answered, shuffling the first deck of cards while he waited. Neither Cress nor he had ever been particularly skilled in shuffling, but yesterday had been productive for Testing in more ways than one.

"Ready to see how bad ponies can get? 'Cuz you got front row seats." She joked, taking a sip from her glass. Testing chuckled as he continued to shuffle.

"I doubt they'll get as bad as I've seen ponies get." Testing smirked, watching the entryway for signs of players coming to join in the fun. "I've seen some messed up shit in my time. If they can even match half of what I've seen and experienced, I hope the bouncers turn out to be carrying swords or axes."

"That fucked up, huh?" One of the two stallions asked, a hint of genuine concern in his voice. Testing cursed his oversharing nature, but resigned himself to this fate.

"You all know about my... condition, right? Grind Stone told me that he'd be informing all staff about it." Testing said, turning back to face them.

"He told us not to try and kiss you and to ensure all guests do the same." One of the mares answered. "He also said something about it might be as bad as Mahogany, who was in quite the state the other day." So the boss had decided to go with the minorly cryptic route. Good.

"Yeah, well he's right to warn you. It isn't pretty, and I don't want anything untoward to happen tonight or any other night." The four of them nodded to that. "Shouldn't be too hard though. Don't intend on kissing anypony tonight."

"That's alright with me." One of the stallions chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Though if one of the players tries to kiss you, should we just let it happen or do you want us to go grab cameras first?" The table broke out into laughter except for Testing who just smiled and shook his head good-naturedly.

The night began in earnest a few minutes later as the first participants filtered into the betting parlor with their chips in hand and a lustful gleam in their eyes. A few ponies picked Testing's table, and were quickly dealt their cards. Due to the nature of the gambling taking place, there was no reason to try and rig the results - even if the two backup decks existed.

For the most part, the night went smoothly, each round of gamblers coming and going after they had either run out of funds or had decided to just pay the pony they wanted naked to go with them to the back room for more intimate attentions. It was strange to Testing that none of the strippers actually got too much farther than jeans and undershirt. Both of the mares never even had to show their bras even as the night began to wear on.

Dealing yet another hand to a fresh table with the strippers newly reclothed, Testing looked up to find himself looking at the pony he had hoped to not see so close. Sitting down across from him was the boss' son, his friends taking up the remaining chairs. What was worse was that this view was accompanied with that odd feeling he always seemed to get at the worst times.

"Right, Teller, gimme my cards and let's get these ponies into something more comfortable." The cocky pony smirked while setting down a heap of chips on the table. Testing looked at the strippers he had left at his table. Spruce and Carbuncle were the only ones left after the other two and their replacements had been bought for personal services, and now they were staring down the prospect of playing the owner's son.

Testing quickly complied, not seeing any reason to go against the stallion's wish to play a game. The cards flew across the table to each pony, and shortly the betting began as each pony checked their cards.

"So, Carbuncle, we meet again." The young stallion began, leaning back in his chair. "How are things going with you - oh, and I raise fifty." He said, tossing the chips onto the table with a smug smile.

"Going well, Red Tape." Carbuncle replied, throwing his jacket's chip. "You been doing well since the break up, or is that a sore spot?" Testing began sweating as he tossed a card out to each player after the first round of betting. This table was already shaping up to look not so friendly.

"The slut ran off, no skin off my nose." Red - according to Carbuncle - answered as he checked his new card with a smirk. He tossed a golden chip onto the pile, which each of his buddies met with ease. Carbuncle glanced up from his cards towards Red for a second before tossing in his shirt's chip while Spruce set down her shawl's chip.

A moment later the players all showed their hands and Spruce and Carbuncle were found lacking. The two ponies begrudgingly took off the clothes they had bet, throwing the exterior layers without much ceremony. Testing stole a quick glance at the other ponies, noticing how ravenous they were already looking. This wasn't shaping up well in his opinion.

Testing quickly reshuffled the cards while making sure everypony got the chips due to them while stowing away the spent chips from the strippers. With little delay, he sent out the cards once more, gauging the reactions of everypony at the table as betting started up once more.

"What I heard was that Goldenrod decided you weren't good enough." Carbuncle goaded while tossing his undershirt's chip onto the table. "I ain't gonna say you're lying, but I find it hard to believe Goldenrod would just run on you without so much as a letter." Red Tape glared at Carbuncle for a moment before loosening up slightly as he tossed a golden chip in response.

"Yeah, well the slut's a liar too. I'm better off without 'em." Red chuckled humorlessly while taking his next card up. "I burn through sluts; maybe one day I'll burn through you too."

"Can't burn through what already dumped your ass." Spruce chimed in, tossing her top's chip down. The table went silent for a heart stopping moment. Testing looked between the two sides of the table, his hand already moving to his nicely made cane.

"I'm sorry, was that a bitchy slut in heat moaning or just Spruce?" Red said, not even looking at the mare. "Oh wait, that's redundant." He spat, with purified venom dripping from each word. His mood wasn't helped when he found his cards coming up short.

"If that's your best material, you're going to have to lookup your supplier." Carbuncle smirked. "Not even a dog would lick up that vomit." Red just cocked an eyebrow at that as he brought up his next hand for inspection.

"Shut the fuck up." He muttered crossly, clearly losing a few screws with how cross he was becoming. If I was to guess, the trend of bad cards was holding. That opinion wasn't born out with him playing a platinum chip. The two strippers paused at that. They had enough clothes on each of them to match a platinum and then some, but if even one of the other players had better cards than the two of them they'd be reduced to very little. Probably just their undies and maybe socks.

Both of them finally tossed their chips in, staring down Red. "Next card, Teller." Red said through gritted teeth. Testing quickly shot out the cards to each player, having been lost in the spectacle of the platinum chip being used. Red smirked devilishly as he looked at his new card.

"You two know what? I'm glad I get to play you two tonight." Red Tape snarked as he fiddled with his chips as if contemplating how much to throw in. "And I'm oh so glad you decided to taunt me." He then threw another platinum chip in before turning to Testing. "Give each of my friend's a platinum."

Testing gulped, running the math quickly. "Uh... one hundred and twenty thousand bits, sir." Testing replied, unsure of what else to say in response to such a ludicrous request. Red Tape just stared at Testing in response.

"Give them the chips, Teller." Red Tape said simply, flashing his canines at Testing - whether or not that was supposed to be particularly frightening or not. "Grind Stone, your boss, is my father. Give my friends the fucking chips, Teller."

Testing looked over to the strippers who shrugged at him in response. "I know that you might like to think that being my boss' son makes you have some extraordinary leverage over me," Testing said, turning back towards Red while idly fishing out the chips, "but it won't be anything compared to the preternatural leverage I might just end up having over you when you owe my till an eighth of a mil." He said before flipping the chips onto the table.

Red Tape paused at this before leaning forward onto the table, staring Testing down. "You must be new, because I could've sworn you just threatened me." He said with a hint of menace. "Last pony who did that didn't last too incredibly long."

"Oh no, not a threat at all." Testing said while leaning back with unwarranted confidence. "I just wonder how you'll explain a deficit of that size to your pops. Heck, he might not care, but then again he might. Either way, no skin off my nose." Red Tape's eye twitched at this impertinence.

"You know fucking what?" Red Tape said after a short pause. He then tossed a second platinum chip onto the pile. "I want you to deal yourself in. Then I want you to choose between your clothes or your wallet." Testing paused. A second later an idea hit him as he stealthily switched the deck he had been using for the second deck in the box, shuffling with near murderous intent.

"Fairs fair, sir." Testing said with a pleasant smile. "I'll be betting on my clothes, though I'll have to use the standard chips. Would you say my entire ensemble is worth two platinum? It is a Rarity original." That gave Red Tape a slight moment of hesitation before he nodded.

"Alright, fuckcolt, time to see what your cards think." Red Tape snapped, waiting for Testing to deal himself in. Unlike the first deck, the second deck had texture to work with, and within seconds his shuffling resulted in a premade royal flush. Testing then set his hand on the cards, not even turning them over yet.

"How about an additional ante before we show our true colors?" Testing proposed, matching Red Tape in big dick energy. "How about, if I lose I have to keep my clothes off until I leave tonight against one more platinum, or would you like to fold?" Red Tape glared daggers straight through Testing's smugness.

"I see you and raise you a second platinum. You're walking naked back home unless you want to fold now." Red Tape said as he leaned closer to Testing. Testing put on the theatrics of considering this for a moment, only to nod. Red Tape's friends all looked at their greedy friend and the insane dealer, not sure what type of shooting star they had hitched their wagons to.

"Your move, bub." Testing jeered, his hand still resting on top of his unseen cards. The table was still for several moments as each either made peace with their gods of choice or made contracts with the nearest devil for a boost of luck.

"Read 'em and strip." Red Tape said with all the smugness in the world as the table flipped their cards over. The other players each had respectable combinations of cards. A few two pairs, a full house in front of Carbuncle, and a straight flush in front of one of Red's friends. They were overshadowed by the two royal flushes on the table. Red Tape and Testing looked at the other's cards, and both spotted the problem.

That being they both had a royal flush made up entirely of heart cards.

"THE FUCK‽" Red Tape shouted as he shot up from his chair in indignant rage. Immediately the bouncers descended from the corners of the room even as the enraged stallion flipped the table over as he bore down on Testing. It was with a sigh of relief that Testing found Red Tape's fist stopped from striking him by a particularly pleased Stonewall.

"Fuckin' fuck, Red Tape, fuckin' simmer down or fuckin' get your fuckin' scrawny fuckin' ass kicked to the fuckin' curb, fucker." He said in his overly crass way. Red Tape whirled around, even with his arm in the massive stallion's grasp, and had the sheer audacity to glare at the beast of a pony.

"Get your Tourette's syndrome ass hands off of me, Stone, or so help me I will end you." Red Tape spat. Stonewall, for one, didn't take this so well.

"Fuckin', I'm fuckin' gonna fuckin' haul your fuckin' ass to the door." Stonewall sneered. "Whether I fuckin' kick it fuckin' to the fuckin' curb is fuckin' up to your fuckin' discrimi-fuckin-nating ass being fuckin' polite enough or fuckin' not, fuckin'." Red Tape's response was interrupted by the fact that a larger, though far quieter, presence had entered the room.

"Mr. Stonewall, why is my son being held?" A stern voice said, bringing attention to itself without being raised. Testing looked over and saw Grind Stone standing at the entrance to the betting parlor with his hands folded neatly behind his back.

"Fuckin' Red fuckin' Tape tried to fuckin' assault this fuckin' Teller." He replied, gesturing towards Testing. "He fuckin' threw the fuckin' table and fuckin' disrupted the other fuckin' guests and fuckin' then fuckin' insulted my fuckin' person, fuck."

Grind Stone nodded to all this slowly, seeming to not notice the ample amounts of "fuckin'". "How exactly did my son insult you, Mr. Stonewall?"

"Fuckin' used my fuckin' condition fuckin' as a fuckin' insult, fuckin' sir." Stonewall answered as simply as he could. Grind Stone looked towards the restrained Red Tape who still fought fiercely with the wall of muscle to be let go.

"Red Tape, you ought know better than to try and insult Mr. Stonewall's condition. His services are extremely valuable to this establishment and would be sorely missed if they were to be absent." Grind Stone said in a calm tone that filled the room without trying.

"But, Dad, he's tryin to-"

"Enough of that, Red Tape. I want you to go to the backrooms and think long and hard about what you've done."

"But, Dad-"

"Enough, Red Tape, I won't have another word of it from you." Grind Stone said firmly. Red Tape finally wrenched his arm free of Stonewall - who more than likely just let him go - before storming off. Grind Stone stayed behind, and after his son was out of the room, turned his attention to the guests.

"I am sorry for that disturbance. Please, enjoy a round on me. Waiters and waitresses?" He said to the crowd at large, and a second later his offer was fulfilled as waiters in skimpy mockeries of tuxes and waitresses in fetishistic maid uniforms swarmed into the room with platters holding a variety of glasses and bottles of drinks.

It was almost as if this was something they were used to doing.

It was to no surprise of Testing's that Red's friends were absent from his table after Stonewall set it back up with little effort. In fact, his table remained empty for several minutes after the flippening - though that too was little surprise.

"I find it odd that Grind Stone seemed so willing to act against his son. I heard that he was sort of his blind spot on things." Testing commented, looking over towards the entrance even though there was nothing to really see.

"He is." Spruce answered, bringing Testing back to the table. "You think having his son sent to the back room is entirely bad? The kid was about to get kicked out on his ear and instead is likely to get a stripper all for himself and one for each of his friends!" Testing stopped and thought about that.

"He's... getting rewarded for costing his dad extra money?"

"Honestly? Yes. Grind Stone doesn't see it as such, but that's what he's doing." Carbuncle nodded. "Can't wait to see what the brat turns out to be in a few years. Either the pony that burns this place down to the ground with poor management skills or a politician of the best caliber." Testing sniggered at that.

"Yeah, like that'll happen..." Testing mused, though not entirely sure himself. The odd feeling that always seemed to pop up wasn't helping matters. Though he had been distracted by the feeling of tension that the table had radiated, he still felt the ebbing motion of that powerful feeling that now was beginning to taste like something more solid.

Before it had been faint enough that he hadn't recognized it, and even now he wasn't entirely certain he had got it right. Perhaps if he was a changeling he could've pinpointed the emotion to what it actually was, but instead he was left unsure. All he knew was what he could attempt to gleam from his own experiences and what that feeling left him with.

It was like the taste of blood with a sting of fearful anticipation. It was the feeling of watching a pony crossing the railroad tracks ahead of a train that was barreling its way around the corner with uncontrollable speed. It was the fear of the thing breathing on the nape of your neck. It was the Doctor crawling across the ceiling in an unlit room that you had the misfortune of being in. Whatever it was and whyever it had happened, it tasted familiar enough, and it held Testing's heart in its vicelike grip.

It was the forewarning chill of dread yet to be realized - the consequence without the action.

T- Error: Invalid Integer

The freezing wind gnawed at Testing as he struggled through the frozen wastes. How had it happened? What had happened?

The frozen world hung in a limbo of death and decay. When the world was at its lowest, entropy continued its malignant work further. Gales of immense size swept across the world, and bodies froze in the open in whatever pose they last held. Statues of death - monuments to mortality carved of flesh and ice.

The sky was frozen, the stars hanging still in a persistent vigil over the lost world. In that world were two, or were there three? Each time Testing blinked or looked away the number changed, whether growing or waning. Always it seemed, though, that there were at least two. Two that marched through the gloom and death towards their end.

And then there was one.

Frozen in the waste that was the world, Testing couldn't help but watch as the lone figure turned away from where it walked to return to what it had left. What had it left? What was there?

All the while, even above the howling of the wind and the baleful screams of those clamoring for either their salvation or a faster death, was the crackle. Testing had thought it the sound of something going past, but as he listened, he found it something far stranger than the trudging steps of a passerby. It was the sta-

Testing startled awake, Puppershy's silhouette in the dark room the only thing he could see. "Zzzjwuht?" Testing slurred incoherently as he came to his senses. His heart pounded and his breathing was already rapid, as if he had just been running.

"You were thrashing about." Puppershy whispered to him in the black gloom. "I though you might be having a nightmare."

"I... was I?" Testing couldn't remember what he had just dreamed... or if he even had. All he could really recall was going to bed at a horrid hour after getting out of the club. Looking over at the small clock on the nightstand, he could see that it was still a horrid hour, if not an even worse one.

"Are you alright?" Puppershy pressed, scooting up closer to him. Testing nodded slowly after a moment.

"Yeah... I don't even remember if there was a nightmare or any dream." He confessed, nestling in closer to Puppershy. She was so warm, it was lovely just being together in the bed. "It's alright, go back to sleep." He hushed, rolling slightly to pat at Puppershy's shoulder.

The mare sighed and wedged herself closer to Testing, letting herself drift back to sleep. Testing simply lay there and thought back on that empty space that was what might've been a dream. All he could sense was the absence of a space of time. As if something had happened but had been taken away. It was strange to be sure.

Testing sighed and let himself melt back into the the reality of the bed, rolling over slightly to wrap an arm around Puppershy. He smiled contentedly, feeling the warmth of the mare and the gentle, steady breaths that left her. THIS was real. Cress had his mares, and now... now Testing had a mare.

It was no secret in the group who was more attracted to who. Testing and Puppershy were certainly the first pair to be easily spotted, and then came Sultry Rose and Stellar Afterglow - who's affections were harder to see with how they chose to show it. The relationship they all shared was by no means mutually exclusive, a particular benefit to Gunther, but it did mean that certain intimacy felt more... intimate when with certain others.

Testing smiled, leaning against his mare, thinking pleasant thoughts in hopes that they'd carry him off to a wonderfully placid dream. Perhaps one with Puppershy? Or maybe one where he fully reconciled with Cress?

The small hollow sheltered Testing from the gales above. The fire had long since died out, but its embers were better than the frozen rocks around him. The hollow held room for little else beyond him and the dying fire, but even so felt... emptied. As if it had held so much more and yet was now vacated to so little.

Testing clambered up the edge of the depression in the ground and looked out towards the icy fields beyond. The world was still, no sign of wind or howling that had been there but moments before in Testing's mind. The dunes of snow now lay unmoving, save for the tracks of the continued march.

He saw them, just beyond the ridge of the largest snowbank, moving ever onwards. Before them was a field covered in snow like everyplace else the world held. This field, though, had ridges and protrusions without natural explanation. A once tall building just barely peaked above the snowy dunes, its pinnacle crusted in snow and ice.

He had once seen this place, Testing thought. It had been different, with a gleaming castle to one side. There had been life and love and happiness. There had been sorrow and darkness too, but they had been transient. The world had changed since then, and now the opposite was true.

The frozen world chilled both body and soul, and Testing feared it. The foreboding sense that had plagued him tasted pure here. It was at home. It was the consequence after the incident had passed, and it now had the sharpness of reality. A world of terror and death built on the bones of the fallen and the promise of those yet fallen.

Glancing towards the horizon, all that lay beyond was the wayward stars that hung motionless, broken into hemispheres by the galaxy's edge. And then there, just above that band of milky stars, were the two dea-

The blaring sound of the morning alarm going off broke Testing into the realm of the living. This time he was drenched in sweat, and worse yet, he knew why. Eyes fixed at the ceiling, he stared beyond the walls and grime, a creeping dread that hadn't been real until then filling him.

Each time he had had this feeling, that originally indescribable twinge in his gut, it was the reaction of his soul to an action that had yet to happen. The reaction to that... that frozen waste beyond. The land where snow covered all, and life -though immensely rare - was somehow so drastically cheapened.

The worst part wasn't knowing that two ponies he had met at random had been tied to that dark feeling. The prospect of those two being tied to it changed little in the long run or even the short term. No, the true pain was that it had been felt in the faintest traces from those who shared a bed with him. Each of his closest friends had a tinge of the forewarning of dread to them. But beyond them, and the innumerable other ponies and otherwise he had passed who stank to varying degrees of the same smell and tasted of the selfsame flavor, there was one that frightened him so. One who's existence seemed so much more tied to the feeling.

Testing had ignored it at the time as he had many mixed feelings to negotiate at the time, but reflection on the past had brought the taste he sensed in Red Tape out in the flavors of the past. Through it all, one pony was a beacon of that feeling, who's memory in Testing's mind was even more tainted by that ominous feeling that crept ever closer to Testing and all he held dear.

What part in this was there for such a pony? Why did that pony have to emanate the dread that he now knew to be the fear from a future unrealized?

Beyond that, what might he even be able to do to stop it?

If visions came and certain ponies were more heavily implicated in the entire fear of futures unmade, was it warning that might allow him to affect the ending and avoid the action that would cause the fear in future, or was it the inevitable that Testing was gazing into - the immutable destiny of the world? Was he able to stop the danger, or was he hastening it? Was he able to help, or would he only be able to hurt?

All he knew was that he could only try to touch the lives of the two that stank the most of it that were close to him. A firm resolution filled his soul even as he rolled out of bed.

Two souls to save. But how much time? How long until there was no more hope left? Perhaps his efforts were already vain. Even so, destiny, the biggest prick of them all, had crossed the wrong stallion if it wanted a smooth progression of events. This stallion had a rebellious streak a country mile wide. If destiny wanted to impose some sovereign hand, it would have to strap Testing down until he died; and even then Testing would haunt its ass until it regretted crossing him!

The future was cold and dark, but the present was warm and bright. Warm and bright... no better time to make hay then.

T- 15 Days

Testing sat in the park, a bag of bread on his lap. In such a situation, it is odd for anypony to not be throwing some to the innumerable pigeons around them. Testing, however, was generally weird as far as most things went, and denying some pigeons the bread that he intended for his friends was just par for the course - possibly even birdie.

As he had hoped, a few hours into waiting he saw the mare of the hour. There, strolling down the path was Bitter Sweet, looking much the same as she had nearly two weeks ago. He had tried to meet her the day before, but she hadn't strolled down the park's path - or maybe she had done so at a time he hadn't been watching.

As she slowly approached, Testing couldn't help but get that feeling once more. The tingle that spoke of the fear that the future was to bring about. Taking in a breath to steady himself, he stood up as she passed by.

"Hey, Bitter Sweet." He greeted while putting on a good smile. Sweet turned to look at him, a look of unsure recognition on her face. "Testing," He provided, "We met out here in the park the other day." Her face lit up with a smile as she connected the dots.

"Testing! Good to see you again!" She said while folding her hands in front of her. "Glad to see you're doing better today. Things turning out better recently?"

"Oh yeah, though I do have something I'd like to talk to you about." Testing said, steering the conversation as quickly to where he wanted it as possible.

"Oh?" Sweet asked, cocking her head to one side. "If you want a date, I have to say I'm not into stallions... or anypony to be fair." Testing blinked that away, shaking his head with a smirk at the ridiculous romcom nature of this conversation.

"No, no, I already have a mare of my own." He said, waving her off. "No, I just wanted to see if I might be able to help you?" He smiled at her, his heart racing as he hoped to the high heavens to make this work out well despite himself. "I mean, you cheered me up when you really didn't have to while you yourself were apparently not doing your best. I'd like to return the favor if I can." Sweet paused at this, likely unsure how to take what had been said.

"You... want to help me?" She asked, looking Testing up and down quizzically. "We barely know each other. If not for knowing each other's names I'd say we were perfect strangers."

"Yeah, and even so you helped me out." Testing pressed. "You gave me a hand when you didn't even know my name. Now I know your name and I'd like to see if I can give you the same." Sweet was taken aback by this. She didn't seem appalled by the notion, but she was certainly surprised and a bit at a loss for words. "I'd like to help you," Testing repeated, "and, if you were willing, maybe even be considered a friend?"

"My friend?" Sweet parroted. Then, a second later, a smile broke out across her face. "Sure, I'd like that." She answered finally. Testing returned the smile, feeling he had made progress. "I mean, I don't have much of anything that I need help with right now." She continued, dashing Testing's hopes slightly. "Most of my problems are... more to do with time. I'm mostly just bored. Sure, things haven't been their best, but I have plans for the future. But, I'd very much like having you as a friend."

"Oh... well you're sure you're doing alright?" Testing asked, hoping to not push his luck on this. Sweet paused and then shrugged.

"Yeah, it's just a matter of time until things sort themselves out." She looked back to Testing with a smile fitting her name. "Thank you for wanting to be my friend, though. It means a lot to me." Testing gave a faint smile, happy that he had done at least that much. It mightn't have been the most he could've done, but it was all he seemed to be able to manage.

"Hey, why not swap numbers? Stay in contact beyond just... well, wandering over to the park in hopes of finding each other." Testing chuckled. Bitter Sweet gave a giggle at that as well, pulling out her phone.

As they swapped numbers, Testing couldn't help but wander if the slight easing of the feeling was him becoming accustomed to its presence or if - just maybe - he might be doing something right. Either way, it was reason to smile stupidly all the way back to the apartment before he had to head off to work.

Testing took a breath in as he stepped once more into the Prissy Pony. The one pony that had held that feeling in his presence the strongest beyond that very first time he had ever felt it may just be in the club. That pony also so happened to have good reason to believe that Testing might've cheated at a card game.

At the time, Testing just wanted to prove a point. He wouldn't have had Red Tape pay the large sum one way or the other - despite how helpful it would've been to do so. He would've pardoned the other stallion's stupidity with money in exchange for teaching him a lesson about writing checks his luck wouldn't cash.

It was unfortunate, therefore, that the two of them had the exact same spread of cards in front of them when betting had ended.

Walking up to the counter, Testing caught Clean Sweep's eye. The mare finished cleaning off a glass before grabbing one of the wooden boxes from the store of them. She planted the box on the counter and leaned on it, staring Testing - who was a tad bit shorter than her - directly in the eye.

"The fuck did I hear you did last time you were in here?" She asked pointedly, keeping Testing from grabbing the box and running. "I had to tend to some guests in the back rooms past closing and I come back out to find, lo and behold, my newest Teller decided to play stupid games with the owner's son."

"To be fair, he told me to play." Testing said in his own defense.

"Oh did he now?" Clean leered with the force of a thousand disappointed mothers. "And I suppose he also asked you to spit in his face."

"No... and I also didn-"

"No, you didn't, but I did hear what you did do." She snapped at him. "You fuckin' tried to cheat him out of the game. You went for a royal flush of your own and found out how bad that goes when you don't actively know who has what cards."

"Am I supposed to?" Testing asked, genuine intrigued by the prospect that he'd have to learn card counting, though also generally curious what all his job expected of him. He was also, far more pressingly, absolutely terrified of the mare and only had his odd sense of humor as a fallback plan in stressful situations such as these.

"Well, in your defense, you didn't have the spectacles in your box the other night, but even so it was a dumb move that I hope to never hear repeated. Capisce?" Testing slowly nodded, though still confused. "Good." Clean huffed a moment later, releasing her hold on the box.

"Tonight you'll have the piece that will ensure you will no longer have any such problems." Clean Sweep sighed, opening the box. "Most of the boxes have them, with the exception of the boxes we hand to first time Tellers. Seems that, though you are still considered a first time Teller, you will be needing these." She said holding up a pair of spectacles. "Every card's back is marked in special ink that tells you what everypony at the table has. Now do be careful since these things cost upwards of two normal paychecks. I know you're strapped for cash, so don't make things worse on yourself."

Testing slowly nodded, recognizing the value of such an item, both in functionality and actual price tag numbers. "Table seven, or am I being switched?" Clean Sweep simply nodded and shooed Testing away to his work before returning to her own.

He was certainly glad that she wasn't entirely mad with him, but the disappointment she radiated wasn't nice either. He could only hope to regain her good graces.

Setting down at the table, he looked around, sliding on the minorly shaded lenses. They had that certain vibe of an old fashioned dealer in a shady saloon someplace, which made them that much cooler in conjunction with their functionality. His table, according to the list, would be a female only table. An interesting change to be sure, but not one that would prove much of an issue.

As he began to shuffle the deck in anticipation of his players arriving, Testing froze as he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. A hand that caused the heart pounding sensation he had been so mystified by to reemerge in full force. Taking a steadying breath, Testing looked over his shoulder at Red Tape, who gave him the most saccharine sweet smile he had even seen. The stallion had forgone his garish wear from their last encounter and now wore a black, pinstripe suit that looked positively professional.

"Teller, buddy, glad you had the guts to come back to work after that little... altercation." Red Tape said through gritted teeth.

"About that," Testing began, only to be shut down by Red Tape as he sat down across from him, that misplaced smile still across his lips.

"Oh, you don't have to worry, I'm not mad. No, I'm not mad at all about what you tried to pull." Red Tape said, his tone almost natural were it not for the gritted teeth. "No, pops taught me better than to get mad at just some Teller." The suddenly menacing Red Tape leaned forward, his expression unmoving as he stared down Testing. "Because, when a pony like me gets shown up, gets made the fool..." He hummed a single note as he pulled back, becoming more at his ease as he let the implications of his words do the work.

Oh what work they did! When combined with the aura that only Testing had to live with, it was a pain to have to keep anything close to a poker face around the pony on the other side of the table. Something in the stallion told Testing all he needed to know, and yet left so much unspoken to be discovered later.

"You're trapped, Testing Testing. You're a cornered pony with no other routes to eking out a meager living than to come. Right. Back. HERE." Red Tape said matter-of-factly, his smile morphing into a true grin of satisfaction. "So come on, gnat, dance with the spider."

Testing did his best to hold his nerve, even as he felt the aura of malice and unrealized dread growing in its potency. "You wanted this, after all!" Red Tape pressed as he leaned back comfortably in his chair. "And best of all," Red Tape chuckled an airy laugh, swiping something off the collar of his suit, "you lost all your allies the same night you pulled the stunt that's got you here, to where you need them the most. And do you know why?"

Testing shook his head, desperately wishing for some reprieve from the oppressive atmosphere that surrounded him at that moment. "Because," Red Tape continued, folding his hands in front of him in a state of pure ease, "you just aren't worth the trouble to help.

"You're just the new hire from off the streets. Had you been around for maybe a day or two more and established something of any type of rapport with anypony at all; well maybe you might've had some friends around these parts. But, as it stands, you aren't worth enough to protect. Do you know what that means?" Testing had a sinking feeling he did, in fact, know. Red Tape gave a contented sigh as he watched Testing like a predator stalking a maimed piece of prey.

"It means I get to have fun with you." Red Tape's smile only grew in its sincerity and size as he looked Testing up and down with hunger. "The bouncers don't have your back - not even Stony who got given a few paid days off as recompense for me calling him names - , the Tellers don't have your back because they don't know or care for you, the bar tenders don't know you exist beyond last night, the dancers think you're an idiot who'll burn himself alive before making any meaningful progress, Clean Sweep thinks you're a fool who needs a few lessons in the world, and my father - oh my!"

Testing did his best to not shrink back from the smile that showed more and more teeth that somehow now had a far more menacing gleam to them than any teeth he had seen - and he had seen some very menacing teeth before. "My father," Red Tape pressed with arrogant glee, "has more than a few reasons to despise you. He might take a fair hand towards you because he always does with everypony, but underneath the thin veneer of polite social interactions, my father hates you and wants you hurt as much as I might IF I were mad."

Red Tape let out a boisterous laugh, slapping a hand on the table as he struggled to say his next few words. "But isn't it grand that I'm NOT mad?" His laughter died away a second later as he rubbed a tear from his eye before focusing back on Testing. "No, not mad at all. Because, you see, anger is a choice. I choose to not get mad.

"No, I choose, instead, to get even. I choose to not stoop to your level of petty back and forth and to go straight for the fucking jugular. I CHOOSE..." He let the word hang in the air, its immense weight bearing down on Testing like a shark on its prey, "to make you my bitch." He hissed with immeasurable glee.

Testing couldn't help what emotions sparked across his face at that pronouncement. He couldn't help the voices he heard in his hindbrain. Voices that mocked and jeered him. Voices that told him who he was. A voice that proclaimed it all, all they had done to him in the dark. A voice so familiar.

"He... he hypnotized me while they fucked my ass. And then he fucked me... he... he made me think I was a filly... and then a bitch... and then made me forget who I was... and then m-made... he made me his slut.

"And deep down, the other guy... that guy who is me but isn't? He's still Gunther's sex crazed, nympho slut! I'm still Gunther's sex crazed, nympho slut! Every second I feel whatever he made me into bleed into who I really am! Every second I'm not cumming, and every time I cum... no matter what, I can feel his words in me. Ringing inside my mind!

"I can't fight it... I... I'm a slut... a HONRY, SEX CRAZED, NYMPHO, SLAVE-DICK SLUT! I don't want to be, but... but he's drilled it so deep inside of me... he's made me cum, he's molded me, he's whipped every inch of ME out of ME, until he has gotten exactly what he wanted out of me! A slut! A helpless... worthless slut..."

Testing held back a multiplicity of urges as he stared down Red Tape, his fist clenched and his expression barely hiding anything of what storm raged inside of him. Part of him, a part he had beaten back as best as he could, wanted to fall to his knees and suck Red Tape off until what little part of Dick Slut's life could be extinguished as he drowned in the other stallion's cum.

The other part of him wanted to throw the table as Red Tape had the other night and choke the stallion in a primal rage. Testing held back that urge, leashed it beside the urge that wanted to die from fellatio related asphyxiation. He chained both inner beasts deep inside of himself as he stared Red Tape down.

There, seated in that stallion, was something far darker than simple juvenile dickishness. There was a piece of the stallion across from Testing that sought to hold, to take, and to humiliate. Testing began to wonder if this stallion really had friends so much as those he kept at arms reach to humiliate with greater ease.

"So what do you have to say to me, bitch? What do you say to the stallion who so graciously decided to make you his own personal bitch?" Red Tape said with a malice filled demoniac smile. Testing swallowed back bile that had risen up in his throat. A piece of Cress, the part that had almost devoured Gunther, suddenly made so much more sense to Testing.

Where compassion driven by the realization that Gunther was in much the same boat as Testing after the griffon had had so much of his mind taken away had created a great disconnect in emotional understanding, there was now a intensely personal understanding of the boiling rage and utterly pure hate that Cress had had. Testing had to fight to not let himself give into that same anger.

It was the anger that had nearly killed Gunther. It was the anger that had killed Silver. It was the anger that now made his hands clamp down in a ironlike grip onto the sturdy wooden box.

"Well, bitch?" Red Tape prodded, leaning forward.

"Go to Hell." Testing spat back.

"Oh, trust me, bitch," Red Tape replied pleasantly, seeming almost pleased with the answer, "by the end of this, you'll wish I had only taken you through Hell." Testing gripped his box tighter as he stared down Red Tape - the stallion who had gone beyond just a stupid colt in Testing's mind. Where once he might've thought to call this thing that might've been a pony at some point 'Red', now only the full brunt of the name felt fitting. Not for its meaning, but simply for its weight.

Red Tape tipped a nonexistent hat to Testing as he stood up from the table, taking his leave - though not before patting Testing on the shoulder in an almost friendly way. Testing struggled to not tear about an launch the solid block of wood into the back of the other stallion's skull. With enough force there wouldn't even be pain. A quick death by the sheer force of turning the other pony's gray matter into a thin paste inside his skull.

Testing took a few deep breaths, trying his best to remain calm as he set the box down on the table as his strippers took to his table finally - all of whom seemed completely disinterested in the stallion's emotional turmoil.

They, despite any wish to keep distance from their Teller, couldn't help but notice how the stained oak box - whose sides were an inch thick at their thinnest points - seemed to have divots in its surface in the shape of hands taken by barely restrained rage.

T- 14 Days

"I'm sorry to hear that you are leaving us, and especially on such short notice." Grind Stone said with the utmost politeness. Testing restrained himself from diving forward at the stallion as he sat in the cold office at the end of the same shift that had seen his confrontation with Red Tape.

"Sir, if you don't mind me pointing out such an easily missed fact, that is not - indeed - what that piece of paper on your desk says." Testing said with all the decorum he could manage.

"I know," Grind Stone replied smoothly, "but, in effect, it is identical." The prim business pony leaned forward on his desk, giving Testing a look that wasn't sympathetic, but certainly hid all the anger Testing believed resided just behind the thin layer of hospitality the stallion seemed able to muster. "You are accusing my son of some rather dire things, and as it stands, you yourself admit that there were likely no witnesses to this event that you wish to report to me.

"Now, Mr. Testing Testing, I hope you understand the optics of having some seemingly random pony come off the street, work for two nights - causing a rumpus on one of them - only to then accuse my son, whom I have known his entire life, of improper attitudes and actions." Testing felt the urge to add this stallion's name to a list that only had one on it so far.

How fast anger grew.

Testing wanted to march out, to leave the two of them behind and start the search once more for some sort of job that wasn't here. He wanted to leave them as he had left Dick Slut.

But he couldn't.

Code Madrigal spoke of a shared hate towards the singular bane of the entire establishment. He felt duty bound to stay, if for no other reason than to return the Hell that the stallion thought he'd be bringing on Testing. And so he held back every word he wanted to spit at Grind Stone - save for eight particular ones he had just in case.

"Then I shall endeavor to find you proof." Testing said, lacking all menace or anger that he might've let into his voice. His words were a simple promise. They were simply facts that no pony would deny. Grind Stone, for one, seemed unaffected on the surface. Testing could only hope that the mire beneath the placid exterior had been shaken to its very core.

It was all the stallion deserved until the real reckoning brought everything else falling down atop him in a blaze of apocalyptic proportions.

"And you're STAYING‽" Puppershy gasped. "B-but, what if he really means it? What if... what if he does want to make you-"

"Then I'll chomp off his dick as soon as he tries to put it down my throat." Testing said, cutting her off before she could even finish. He then stopped, breathing as calmly as he could as he held out a hand and closed his eyes in an effort to tone down his anger. He hadn't yet truly decided if his rage was actually justified, or simply a product of past traumas.

He wanted to be angry, but right now there were concerns more pressing - or at least that should be more pressing - in his mind. "No... no, there's more. The stallion trying to antagonize me is just a small piece of it." Testing opened his eyes to a room full of concerned gazes. "I've... been having weird things happening to and around me recently."

"What... sort of weird?" Stellar asked, regarding the stallion with a cautious eye. Testing then did his best to explain everything he knew, had figured out, or suspected. It was a difficult process, but in the end the others had a better idea of what had been transpiring in their friend's head than anypony else.

"And, you're saying, that each of us give a bit of that feeling off?" Rose pressed. Testing nodded slowly as he did his best to try and explain.

"It's minor, like just a hint of the feeling that is almost unnoticeable." Testing replied. "I think that the more a pony has this... feeling about them, the more tied to the events to come they will be."

"And you're sure that these feelings are... well, what you are making them out to be?" Stella asked. "I'm not trying to say you shouldn't take these seriously - prophetic dreams have been recorded for too much of history for me to say that it isn't a possibility - but are you sure that you are getting this straight?"

"No, I'm not." The most honest part of Testing answered. "I'm afraid every moment that I'll find out at some point in the future that, SURPRISE, the feeling meant nothing, and as a result it ends up that I wound up ruining ponies' lives. I'm afraid, but I honestly have no better idea than what I've already told you all."

The room fell into uneasy silence for a while, as they all considered everything that had been said. It was a lot to take in, that much was for sure, and not all of it made perfect sense. Honestly, none of it really did beyond the fact that it somehow felt right that Testing of all ponies would be the one to be signaling the oncoming danger.

"And that stallion Red Tape, he gives you that feeling on steroids?" Rose said, breaking the silence after what had felt like hours.

"He's only beaten out by one other pony I've ever met. His being seems to exude the aura of this unreal fear, this... this dread out of time." Testing replied. "The amount of that feeling that he walks around with... its just so much."

"He might be the reason behind what you saw." Stella posited. "I doubt he'd solely cause the collapse of society and the general end of the world all in one go, but he might be the antecedent to it all. A herald of sorts that brings the doom and gloom on faster than it naturally would arrive."

"I fear that that might just be the case." Testing confirmed. "I don't know if he causes it, if he plays some major role in it, or if he might be just an inspiration to the actual pony or ponies that end up causing it; but I do know that he is the worst pony in this city. The next worst is a pony I recently befriended who I think I have a better chance of... redirecting."

"So you have been working at this on your own?" Puppershy asked. "Do you think we can stop this? Can... can we beat this?" Testing desperately wanted to reassure her. He wanted to hug her and tell her that, yes, everything was alright and that everything was well under control. He just couldn't.

"I don't know." He answered, giving no pony or griffon any hope they shouldn't have.

"Are we sure we should do this?" Gunther asked, looking about the group. "He might be dangerous. He might try and hurt us." The griffon cautioned. Testing had to agree. He knew that in the very least that the devilish pony known as Red Tape had it in for Testing, but whether or not that translated to a willingness to hunt down Testing's friends... so far the wrath of the pony had not been tested. It's limits were undefined - terrifyingly so.

"We have to try and do something." Stellar Afterglow said, as if trying to convince herself at the same time as everypony else. "We can't just let this go on to the end that Testing saw. No pony, or any other creature for that matter, could possibly live in a world like that for long. We have to do SOMETHING." She said, growing more sure and emphatical with each word.

"What about Cress and the artifacts?" Puppershy offered. "We could just call him and ask him to make a recording, or maybe try some other trick with a different artifact. It would be easy... right?" Most of the group seemed to take this with a nod of approval at what seemed the simplest solution to their dilemma.

"Easy? Yes." Testing nodded. "Will it happen? Probably not."

"Why not?" Was the generally voiced question.

"Two reasons." Testing began, closing his eyes as he resigned himself to the post of bearer of bad news. "One, it wouldn't be Cress' style. The pony isn't an artifact user - just an enormous dick. Changing somepony wholesale who's worst crime is thinking that he could treat the staff at his father's business like trash is just... well, it makes him not so much better than the pony he's changing in a way.

"Second, Cress' wedding is in, like, two weeks or so." The room was filled with a bit of confusion at this reason, though was stopped from pandemonium by Testing's raised hand. "I hadn't said because he hadn't told me until last week and he had said he'd rather not explain to his parents and Double's who we are and how we met. I think we can all respect that as we also were the ones that wanted space from him and the bad atmosphere that Ponyville holds for us."

The group was silent for a moment as they drank this all in. It was true that they had been the ones that had, in a sense, ran away. They had wanted space - especially for Gunther's sake - from Cress and Ponyville and everything else the area held. Though they had parted on good terms, they had parted intentionally. Calling in favors of such a high caliber against what amounted to the town's biggest prick who may or may not have ties to a dystopian future whose primary portent was Cress' doppelganger's dreams was... less than likely to result in success in even the most optimistic of circumstance.

"Cress is a no go." Testing said, as if to cement that fact all the further in their minds. "He needs to have a calm, relaxing time leading up to what is to be the best day of his life. I don't think any of us, despite any hesitancies or grudges we may or may not have, would want to ruin the best day of not only Cress but of Berry Punch, Spring Periwinkle, Midnight Raven, Double Time, and Spring Thyme." The group nodded in general agreement to this assessment.

Beyond outbursts they had had at one point or another, there never really had been animosity towards those they had split off from - in more than one sense. Sure, there might be some caution, maybe even a bit of hard feelings towards certain actions and attitudes that had been taken in the past, but even so it was minor at the worst of times.

"We'll have to settle it on our own then." Stella sighed. "It won't be easy trying to deal with a stallion who has such a superiority complex. He might not be a giant big bad evil guy, but small pricks can be just as annoying as large ones." The group nodded as one to this, already cooking up a variety of ideas.

"If you guys don't mind," Testing said, breaking into the thinking time, "I'll go and get into some more comfortable clothes. This suit is nice and all, but I need to not wear it all the time." Without waiting for an answer, Testing stood up, grabbed some close from the bag he kept his clean things in, and walked into the bathroom - figuring he should at least try and wipe away some of the smoky smell the club had left him with.

As he finished getting dressed once more, a gentle tapping on the door caught his attention. He turned and saw Puppershy entering, timid as ever.

"You holding up alright, Puppers?" Testing asked, shifting his shirt on properly as he approached the mare. Puppershy held her one arm with the other hand, looking to the floor as she tried to summon up her courage. "Puppershy?" The mare finally looked up, and immediately Testing could see how red her eyes had gotten. Down her cheeks streamed fresh tears that followed in the wake of their forbearers.

"Tell me you'll be safe." She pleaded sincerely, stepping closer to Testing. "Tell me that he won't hurt you and that you come back every night in the same way you left. Please... please promise me that if you have to... that we all can just run away from it all and find someplace new." Testing's heart ached for the mare at that moment, and in the best sign he could give her of how he felt, wrapped his arms about her in a loving embrace.

"I'll never leave you." He whispered tenderly to her, willing his words to be true. Puppershy sniffled once or twice before Testing pulled back, taking her hands in his own before pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you, Puppershy." He said, holding her hands in a firm - yet tender - grip. "I'll never leave you behind. Never."

T- 11 Days

The streets of Manehatten - a phrase that held such mystery and wonder that it was a wonder why it filled Testing with such dread. Even when he wasn't dreaming, he could imagine the city as a frozen waste - especially with the shadows of memory that his once shared life with Cress provided him. Of all the cities in Equestria, Manehatten certainly had that pre-post-apocalypse look down.

Once more, he entered the Prissy Pony, leaving behind the twilit world that felt ever closer to its own end. Already he had made something similar to progress with Bitter Sweet, the fearful aura she unwittingly projected now reduced to a degree. He wasn't sure if when he removed it fully - assuming that he could - that anything would happen, or if the change would even be permeant. How long would his actions stave off the end? A few more years? Months? Days?

What was worse was the world he now marched into. It was a world of his own damnation. A place in which a being that might've been a pony now prowled. A pony he wanted - no, needed - to bring down. How much of a threat to the future could Red Tape be if he was behind bars? Could he even get Red Tape behind bars?

Honestly, he doubted it. Grind Stone would never let his little colt go to jail - at least not for long. He was a stallion of means and - by all accounts - poor parenting skills. Whether there was a tragic element to Red Tape's existence that drove his father to treat him with such irrational kindness or some other factor at play that made Grind Stone slacken his grasp on his own son, Testing didn't know. Nor did he care. All he cared about in that moment that he moved passed the heavy metal door was what torturous existence Red Tape had prepared for him and how to act against it.

Entering the main area, there was no readily apparent change to the surroundings that made it obvious what Red Tape had planned, or if there would be anything for that night. The room was quiet, with only a janitor on the main floor. It was eerily quiet, the silence only broke by the thwap of the cleaning pony's wet mop striking the floor every few minutes.

Clean Sweep wasn't behind the counter, nor were there signs of any bouncers that would regularly make their rounds about the place, even before the venue officially opened. Testing turned to look back to the door, pressing his lips together into a fine line of thought. The urge to leave was growing, but he had work to do in more than one sense of the word. After all, if he did nothing to show Red Tape that not everypony would roll over, how much longer until Red Tape either went to far or got to far? The menace needed to be dealt with.

"Good evening, bitch." A calm voice said from inside the club. Testing turned to look at Red Tape, who simply stood there with no discernable expression, having not been there a moment ago. "I'm glad to see you didn't try to run away. It would've been a pain to hunt you down - though I assure you that it is entirely doable."

"I'm here to end this before it starts, Red Tape." Testing said simply, hoping beyond all hope that at this last moment there might be some reconciliation. "You might think you have all the cards, but I have more than enough on my side to mitigate any danger you pose to me."

"Rich talk coming from you, bitch. But no, the time to stop it before it began was when you could've still gone naked for the rest of the night. Now..." Red Tape allowed a smile to form across his features, "well, nudity isn't the least of your concerns." The stallion then held up a small metal cylinder, holding it out towards Testing. "Do you happen to know what this might be?"

"No idea, Red." Testing answered truthfully. Red Tape shook his head, turning the cylinder this way and that in his hand, as if admiring a fine specimen of some sort.

"Electromagnetic pulse generator." Red Tape answered, his grin growing slightly. "Now, I don't entirely expect you to know what it does, but in short - it kills cameras, audio devices, and anything else you might've used to gather - oh, I don't know - proof of possible wrong doing." The sound of a sharp click and the buzzing of electricity filled the air for a few seconds. "I'm sorry to say that, unless you had a faraday cage around your phone, that it's now dead and will require a bit more than a few minutes to fix."

Testing grimaced at his. Even though he knew that his phone was back home - having been forgotten as it charged away - the thought that this pony wanted to make sure that there would be no evidence spoke volumes of the lengths he wanted to go to. What awaited Testing would certainly not be anything he wanted to deal with.

Moving quickly, Testing darted for the door, only to have it closed hard in his face. "Now now, bitch, you can't just run." Red Tape called out in singsong fashion. "I already broke a few of my father's lights to make sure we could have private fun. You can't leave now!" Testing gritted his teeth and turned to face the pony.

So many things flitted through Testing's mind. Excellent retorts, stinging one-liners, masterful quips, innumerable turns of phrase worthy of heroes about to die. They were all consumed by his growing rage. This pony wanted him so bad? Testing's burning anger wanted to test how much he could take.

"That's a good bitch." Red Tape cooed, misinterpreting Testing's silence for withdrawn acceptance. "Now come over here so that we can begin." Testing, just holding back his anger, stepped forward. His stature certainly wasn't exceptional by any standards, the difference in build between them actually rather minimal, but even so Testing almost seemed massive in comparison to Red Tape at that moment.

"Call me 'bitch' one more time," Testing rumbled, "and I'll make sure that it's a closed casket." Red Tape smirked with a light huff of laughter.

"Lay a finger where I don't want it and I'll have you spade like the bitch you are." Red Tape taunted. Testing felt the rage rising up inside of him. Just as he would go to crush the stallion, he stopped himself, a thin smile taking his features in response.

"Fine." Testing said through a devilish smile. "How about this: you open that door and I'll walk away naked. Sound good to you?" Red Tape paused, reassessing the pony before him.

"Either you are just as much of a whore as I thought or you think prison will save you from my wrath." Red Tape chuckled at that. "You’re wrong about the second thing. If anything, it'll just make my hold over you that much stronger. A few hundred bits here and there and a lot can happen behind closed doors.

"But yes, a nice naked walk back to your place would be nice." Red Tape smirked, rolling his shoulders in anticipation of the fun. "But you'll strip outside and you'll walk. No running or jogging or even power walking. Just a nice, long, leisurely walk through all of Manehatten. I want to see the sights and have the sights see you." Testing held himself back to just a nod.

"After you, bitch." Red Tape smiled, holding a hand out to the still closed door. Testing tried it and found the heavy thing easy to open. The other side revealed a huge pony standing as guard. "Out of the way, colts, we got a whore who needs to show off coming through!" Red Tape called out behind him. Testing clenched his fists, readying himself for what was about to happen.

Stepping outside, he saw three guards just standing about looking like walls of muscle. They all wore black short sleeved shirts and black cargo shorts along with a ballcap and a pair of sunglasses. They were likely all bouncers that had been paid to assist Red with whatever scheme he had originally intended.

"Don't be shy, bitch, start stripping." Red Tape jeered, stepping out behind him. Testing took a steadying breath. Turning to face Rep Tape, he stared angrily at the pony, ready to make this happen.

"I'm going to be kind to you, Red Tape." Testing said simply, to the laughter of said pony. The guards joined in with the laughter of sycophants, ratcheting up Testing's nerves. "I'm being serious." Testing said firmly. "I'm giving you this one chance to call this off. You've had fun, but this is as much fun as you'll have."

"Bitch, I'm just stating to have fun." Red Tape smirked, crossing his arms smugly. "I get to call the shots, not you. So get to stripping, bitch."

"Last chance, Red." Testing said with a hint of menace touching his voice. "Do this, and you will shortly find yourself sucking my dick. I will ruin you beyond your wildest imaginings. I swear to you on anything you find worthy of it that I will crush you." Red Tape just cocked an eyebrow at Testing.

"Look, bitch, you aren't gonna do shit to me. I've got the power here, you can't deny that." Red Tape said with more smugness than the ocean had water. "Now get with the show and let's start walking. Alright, bitch?" Testing sighed.

"Fine, but you brought this upon yourself." Testing said resignedly. Testing grabbed the hems of his gloves and let them fall to the floor, looking up at Red Tape, who shooed him on. Testing smirked, grabbing the buttons of his nice suit. "Fucking pervert." Testing jeered the stallion. "Can't even pay to get a show." Red Tape's face completely changed from an overly self-confident expression to one of pure confusion.

"You call me a bitch, but you're the bastard." Testing prodded as he took off his suit and passed it to a guard, who for some reason was willing to take it without a question as all the ponies about - even those who had no real part in the proceeding - stopped and watched as Testing berated a pony while taking his clothes off.

"Never even fucking seen your mom about. Bet she's a hooker though, probably works here too." Testing spat maliciously. Red Tape's face grew red - or perhaps redder seeing as he was already red. "Ever gotten your rocks off with your mom? Bet you have, you sick fuck." Red Tape quivered in anger, his hand twitching with barely contained rage.

"Nah, you ain't the type that's just gonna get them off on her." Testing continued, trying to get exactly the reaction from the stallion he wanted. "Fucking bastard that you are, you probably fucked her." Testing laughed at that. "Bet you even are your own siblings' dad. How fucking fucked up is that?"

Judging by the stallion's flaring nostrils and clenched fists, he was on the cusp of blowing up. "Fucking pervert, fucked your own mom. Bet that's why your dad let's you get away with everything. He knows the worst you could do 'cuz you already fucked your mom." Testing shook his head, working down the buttons on his shirt. "No, that isn't it. Fucked up pony you are, and with how perverted you are, you probably fucked your dad to. Sucked your own dad's cock, you cocksleeve whore?" That did it.

In a flash a movement that no pony truly could register, Testing was on the floor. His cheek and neck stung fiercely from the harsh impact of what Testing could only assume was a harsh slap from the other stallion. Perfect.

Suddenly, Red Tape no longer quivered in rage. No longer were his eyes filled with primal anger. No, they were filled with a far more primal force that had gleamed in different eyes in different ways since the dawning of time. In his eyes gleamed a simple, pure lust.

In a flurry of motion, Red Tape began hastily removing his clothes in full view of the street that, though not full, had more than a few witnesses. "F-fuck you... I g-gotta... gonna... I'm gonna fuck that mouth right off of you, bitch!" He hissed, throwing his shirt to the side before forcing his pants down. Testing only smirked, watching the stallion in front of him failing to fight off the effect of his power.

"Fucking... fucking... gonna fuck you right here on the street, you fucking bitch! Gonna fuck you dead and then fuck your corpse!" The guards were suddenly roused by this more than crass declaration and dove forward to deal with the lust driven pony.

With a discreet motion, Testing was able to lay a finger on two of them as they went past. Not taking any more time than he needed, he grabbed his clothes and ran down the street. The group of ponies was by then reduced to a tight knot of ponies fucking or ponies trying to stop other ponies fucking.

Running through the streets, Testing couldn't help but smirk. Shortly the police would be arriving and have some interesting conversations with those that they found either still fucking or resting in their own juices in the open. Having run with his clothes in hand in a still somewhat decent state also would come back around to help him if he was right. It did have a certain look that tended to favor him if he was to be honest.

Either way, the first moves had been made, and now the game was on. Cress had always been competitive, and the apple's doppelganger didn't fall far from the metaphor.

T-10 Days

"Well, Mr. Testing Testing, despite the statements provided by Mr. Red Tape and his bodyguards, there's a cloud of witnesses that agree with your version of events." The officer concluded, closing his notebook. "Technically, under Manehatten penal code you can press charges for assault and battery as well as, and I quote..." The officer opened his notebook once more, checking over the lines, "'Presenting evidence of eminent intentions to perform divergent sexual acts on your person without permission' or, essentially, trying to rape you but failing to actually do so."

"I... well, the assault and battery charge I do want to press, but I don't think I could get him on the... other charge." Testing confessed, leaning against the doorpost of the apartment. The officer shrugged.

"Honestly, doubt you'll even get assault and battery at this point." The officer replied. "According the various witnesses you goaded him on verbally. Quite crassly I might add - though that isn't against the law. Unfortunately for assault and battery charges, they kind of get nullified - or many times reduced - when preceded with what the law likes to call 'fighting words'."

"'Fighting words'? You fuckin' kidding me?" Testing chuckled. "Is that the actual legal term? Sounds a bit too much like something that you'd expect from a saloon." The officer smirked at that and shrugged.

"Either way. If you intend on pressing charges against Mr. Red Tape you'll be under obligation, but not particularly court order, to stick around for the next few weeks as the trial is put together. Your charges are likely to be lumped in with the city's charges on 'public indecency' for brevity's sake, so you can look forward to that." The officer said before tipping his hat to Testing. "Evening, sir."

"Evening." Testing called out as the two officers walked away. Testing smirked, pulling the door closed as he went back to the others.

"He tried to force himself on you?" Stella asked. "I never figured he'd go that far. I thought he was supposed to be... I don't know... careful? By what you said, your coworkers acknowledged he didn't take too many dumb risks for fun." Testing shrugged as he fell into his beanbag chair.

"I think we all find it hard to stay off me after I slap a touch on somepony - or, in this case - get slapped by somepony." Testing admitted.

"So you used your power on him?" Sultry Rose chuckled from her seat on the bed. "Good fucking job, mate, you got him down for the count and it looks like its his fault!" She laughed, only to get a pillow in the face from Stellar.

"It isn't good." She said plainly, contradicting the mare who had a face full of pillow at the moment. "You used your power to make him do something. That, I do believe, is classified under Article Three, Section B, Subsection seven of the Arcane Criminal Offenses Act of Thirteen Seventy-Six as 'Arcane Coercion', which makes you culpable of the crime and subject to the punishment that would be given to the other party were they charged."

"True, but I didn't technically 'use' my power as such." Testing noted. "He slapped me across the face. He struck me with intention to harm me. It ain't my fault that in so doing he activated an arcane effect imposed upon me by an artifact of unknown origins." Stellar Afterglow just cocked an eyebrow at him in response.

"His dad knows a bit about your condition. Do you think he'll not connect some dots?" Stella pressed. Testing turned his head and showed a patch of black and blue that only showed well when light hit it. It didn't form the expected cartoonish hand print, but it showed that the impact area was to the right of his mouth.

"Missed the mouth. Plus, that assumes that his dad doesn't just think his son is being as stupid as he always is. I'm of the opinion that the guy is compliant in the whole thing." Testing said, leaning forward in his chair. "Grind Stone has to know what his son is doing on some level, otherwise he is too far gone for anypony to deal with him."

"Well, I hope this works out for you, Testing. I rather not have to visit you in jail." Sultry sighed, falling back on the bed with a thump. "By the way, how long until the guy tries to bribe you do you think?"

"I'm expecting the call here in a short while. Allowing for the time that it'll take for him to hear that I'm pressing charges and extra time to berate his son - if he has access to the idiot - I'd say somewhere around ten, maybe fifteen, minutes." Testing shrugged. "I'm not accepting any offers though. I want to send a message that he shouldn't expect everypony has a price."

"I can see how you are so popular outside of our little group." Stellar chuckled, shaking her head. "I hope you have a point at which you'll pull out. I'd hate for this crusade to go sour on you."

"I figure that at the point he starts calling in hits on me is about when I call Cress to have a layer of protection on me." Testing said. "Protecting somepony in legitimate danger shouldn't be beyond him. Beyond that, I have no intention of backing away from this."

"Well, I will enjoy watching this going either wonderfully right or incredibly wrong." Sultry said, rolling over to look at the group. "You said about fifteen or ten minutes right?" She asked, a glint in her eyes. "Anypony, or anyone, up for a quick fucking session? We haven't really been able to have fun since you got a job - which is likely not to be a problem again, at least for a bit."

Testing paused to considered this. He supposed that it was true that their fun levels had dropped since he had to duck out to work on a somewhat irregular schedule which would call him up for random nights. He hadn't had it for too long to be fair, but even so the whole situation had dampened the mood.

"Why not? Fuck the job worries away." Testing shrugged.

"Yeah, fuck your job!" Gunther cheered a bit too enthusiastically as he threw off his shirt. The others simply shrugged in acceptance before stripping down with the same gusto as Gunther. It felt good getting back to the fun, now that the heady stuff was at least slowing down temporarily. It was almost like getting back to their roots in a way.

"Testing..." Puppershy murmured as the group removed the last pieces of clothing they had. Testing turned to the mare with a curious look. "I... I wanted to ask if... maybe just you and I fuck... I mean, just us together. I don't want to stop the others from having fun, but..."

"We understand, Puppers." Stellar smiled. "Sultry, Gunther, and I will have fun in the bathroom, you two enjoy the bed." Puppershy, despite her history with sexual activities, blushed profusely in response as the three others went into the bathroom. Sultry Rose stared at the two of them as she walked away from the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest.

"Mine." She said like a beast cornered as she backed into the bathroom. Puppershy and Testing looked at each other and then broke out into laughter. It had been such a stressful few weeks that it was nice to just laugh at it all. Laughter really was the best medicine.

The two of them sat there for a short while, letting their laughter die out to smiles naturally as they looked on each other lovingly. Testing almost asked Puppershy how she wanted to spend the evening, but in a rare moment of lucidity, he simply held out a hand to his mare, preserving the moment nicely.

Puppershy lowered her head, looking through her dangling bangs at Testing as she accepted the hand with a renewed blush. The two of them stood up from their place on the floor and took the few steps needed to get to the bed, where Testing lifted the slightly larger mare up into the air. Using all the muscle power he had, he gently set her back down onto the bed.

Climbing over her, he placed his legs on either side of her wide hips. He smiled at her with all the love he had within himself as he gently brushed her yellow hair out of her face. The two of them stayed there for a moment, simply looking into each other's eyes as they enjoyed the company.

Puppershy then wrapped her arms around Testing, pulling herself upward until their lips met in a passionate kiss. Testing slowly lowered himself, letting Puppershy lay down in the bed once more while also pressing himself against her warm entrance.

Pulling away from the kiss, Testing gave Puppershy a soft smile. "Are you ready?" He asked in a near whisper, adjusting himself slightly to rub his lower head across her sex. She nodded shakily in response, moving her hips in tandem with his. Testing then pushed into her with more restraint than he likely had ever shown in sex, slowly easing deeper inside the mare who moaned into his shoulder as pleasure built up inside the two of them.

He pushed until he hilted, and then slowly pulled away; setting the rhythm at a slow, yet steady pace. Puppershy joined in, moving herself along with him, driving both of the higher. The room was filled with their moans and the sound of flesh striking flesh. It was a wonderful moment not just of carnal indulgence but also of emotional rejuvenation as they not only fucked but made love with each other.

It was a moment they both wished would last forever as the two ponies made the other feel all the better. Testing pressed his lips against Puppershy's in another passionate kiss, feeling tears filling his eyes as he cherished their moment together. He loved her and could only hope for many more days to express it as best he could.

Every second built up on the last as they flew higher and higher in each other's tender embrace. Their passion burned bright, and in a flare that put the sun to shame, the two of them felt the pleasure build up into their shared orgasm. The two of them moaned into the other's mouth as they continued to kiss through the hurricane of emotion.

The world slowly faded back into view as they opened their eyes to look into the other ponies'. The two of them sighed inwardly in release as they simply let themselves melt into their partner.

It was unfortunate that this moment was ended by the interrupting tone of Testing's phone ringing on the nightstand. Testing pulled away from the kiss, groaning to himself at the stupidity of it all. Why couldn't he just have a few moments of rest in which he could enjoy his favorite mare in the world? Was it so much to ask for?

"Sorry, it's probably Grind Stone wanting to bribe me." Testing muttered, pulling out of Puppershy slowly. "Shouldn't - ah - take to long, Puppers." He smirked at her before rolling over to reach the phone. Looking at the caller ID, he could see that his guess had been correct at least on the identity of the pony. Answering the call, Testing almost made to make a greeting when he was interrupted by the voice on the other end.

"Mr. Testing Testing," Grind Stone's voice echoed across the line, his tone darker than Testing had anticipated from the stallion, "I've been informed you intend to press charges against my son for what he did." Testing opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off once more.

"No need to talk, Mr. Testing Testing, because I have very few things I want to hear from you." The business pony said coolly. "I'm calling you as a courtesy, because I believe everypony deserves at least that much. You never know the character of a pony until they are put in dire straits, and I have to say that yours is... interesting."

Testing stopped himself from trying to reply, knowing full well what would happen; he was right, of course. "Let me put this simply, Mr. Testing Testing: I know a good few things about you, and in a short while I intend to know a great deal more. I think you might find it interesting that, beyond a blip on the records dating to a few weeks ago, you are an unknown. 'How very interesting,' I thought, Mr. Testing, 'that a pony can seem to materialize from thin air as far as paper is concerned.' So I had some more digging done. Very interesting stuff, I must say." Testing was sweating bullets, uncertain what might be found and what it might mean.

"Most paper ponies fall over the second you stare at them, but you..." Grind Stone trailed off for a second, a distorted chuckle coming through the line, "well, let me simply congratulate you in implicating a Princess in your fabrication." Grind Stone let it hang in the air for a moment before diving forward once more.

"I should also congratulate you on some other ponies' behalf. Say... Sultry Rose, Stellar Afterglow, and... Puppershy. All very fascinating ponies, no doubt. And all, interestingly enough, moving about as a sort of group." The growing grin on the stallion's face was audible through the phone as Testing's mood grew darker.

"I'll save you the question you're wandering, Testing Testing." The stallion said in a magnanimous tone. "I want you in my office within the hour. And, to save you the next bit of wind from your lungs, if you don't show, or if I have indication you have contacted the police... well, let's just say that I have plans for the three in the bathroom and the one that's right next to you in bed." Testing froze at this, his eyes widening in shocked terror.

"Good, I see you are taking this as seriously as you should." Grind Stone purred. "Now, put some clothes on and come down here this instant. Also, don't try and tell your friends. If I see them reaching for their phones... let's just say that they won't have the ability to make use of them for long." Testing snarled at his phone.

"Touch them and Hell will be a reprieve, you bastard." Testing hissed. Grind Stone simply snorted at that.

"My dear Mr. Testing Testing, you aren't in a position to make such outlandish threats." Grind Stone said matter-of-factly. "See you shortly." The call then ended, leaving Testing with only his anger.

"What did he say?" Puppershy asked from beside him, bringing the threats into sharper focus.

"Make sure no one grabs a phone until I'm back." Testing said, getting out of bed in a hurry. "The fucker is making threats, and I intend to be the trump card to them all." Puppershy just watched him in stunned confusion, watching him dress before opening the door to reveal a tall, well-muscled stallion.

"Mr. Grind Stone has directed me to accompany yous to da office. For yus own safety and the safety of yus friends." The imposing stallion said with an even tone.

"Fine." Testing grumbled. "Don't touch me, though." Testing snapped, trying to avoid any future problems. "I tend to stab things that I don't want touching me."

"That'd certainly put a damper on my evening, Mr. Testing Testing. I shall endeavor to not touch yous, as you requested, as it wasn't part of my instructions one way or 'tother." The guard replied politely, motioning to the hallway outside. "If yous be so kind as to take point, I shall escort you from the rear - in case yous get lost an' all in this big city." Testing huffed, doing as the stallion said with one final glance to Puppershy. Pain pulled at his heart, but in the end this had to be done if anything was to be settled.

Testing sat down in the office, staring daggers at Grind Stone who seemed far less intimidating than he might've in a highbacked, plush chair. As it was, the metal folding chair served as a stark reminder that other things got the bits while decorations didn't. One of those things was likely the 'help' that was currently watching Testing closely.

Grind Stone, from his rickety seat, returned Testing's stare with equal intensity. The two stallions sat there for a short while, sitting in silence as they stared each other down. Neither one flinched, neither one making a move to act as they simply watched the other for a moment or two.

Finally, Grind Stone began, "Mr. Testing Testing, I think we can understand each other quite perfectly, so let's get down to business." He said in his smooth way. "I'm going to have you not press charges. You'll note that I didn't say something like 'I want you to' or 'Will you please?'. You are going to drop those charges, and you're going to tell the authorities that my son and you have made up your differences. You'll do this, or things will get a lot harder for you."

"If I let your son out he'll be right back to where he was - where he is." Testing said simply. "He wanted to take sexual advantage of me, not to mention he had a tool that destroys electronics with him to ensure no evidence would survive. He clearly intended to do something quite beyond the pale and didn't want to taste consequences. Unfortunately - or, as I see it, fortunately - due to your son's lust he was driven to public indecency."

"Don't play games with me, colt." Grind Stone spat. "You obviously used your power to make him attack you. That is what we call magically induced coercion - which, in case you weren't aware, is illegal."

"I didn't kiss your... son." Testing retorted, pulling up from spitting 'bastard' in hopes of a calm resolution. "He slapped me to the ground, leaving a large bruise on my cheek in a place that says he didn't ever touch my lips with his hands, and then went into a frenzy. I did not willing cause him any magical compulsion to one effect or another."

"Colt, I heard that you goaded him into hitting you. It's plain to see that his striking you was more than a little intended on your part." Grind Stone hissed.

"He was having me strip in public!" Testing shot back. "I was insulting him for what I saw him as: a pervert without an outlet! Beyond that, a masochistic, sadistic, son of a bitch-ass whore!" He roared, rising from his chair in his fury. "He wanted me paraded through the streets naked and did not only make it known that he didn't care if I was thrown in prison, but had made it abundantly clear that he'd rape me behind prison walls once I was! Your son is an evil excuse for a pony's turd!"

"If you think you are in the right company to make such statements, than I implore you to reconsider the company about you." Grind Stone said sharply.

"Code Madrigal." Testing spat in response.

"Pardon?" Grind Stone cocked his head.

"Your staff has implemented an unofficial code that they send out on occasion for a very particular purpose. Code Madrigal; do you know what it might be for?" Testing prodded. Grind Stone simply shrugged.

"I haven't the foggiest." He said in a tone that tried at evenness, but was betrayed by the stallion's fraying nerves.

"It's a code that's called out over the radios to warn everypony when your son is present in the club. He is such a menace, and an infamous one at that, that your entire staff has agreed to warn each other when he is in the building. If it weren't for the money you pay them, I bet most of them would sooner leave than let your son get his mittens on them." Testing said, watching as Grind Stone unsuccessfully tried to hide his growing anger.

"No pony that works for you likes him more than they have to to survive here - and some don't even like him that much." Testing pushed on. "Your son is already hated, how much longer until ponies stop giving you the benefit of the doubt they have been and leave you in the dust? How long until the disdain they have for Red Tape transfers itself onto you? What then? Are you willing to let this business of yours die?"

Testing stopped for a breath, watching Grind Stone's reactions carefully before going for what he could only hope was a coup de grâce. "Don't be your son's shield. Don't take his falls for him. Be the smart pony I know you are. Be the fair pony everypony here believes you can be and let your son pay for his mistakes just this once! He might recover from this if you let him and be all the better for it!

"Let me go, leave this insanity behind you and become the better pony! Don't let your son get away with this, because if he does..." Testing paused, unsure for the briefest moments if he should finish his thought. In the end, though, he had already come too far. There was no coming back - he had to finish. "If he does, then I will not rest until he pays in some other way."

"Entertaining as this might be," Grind Stone said, returning to his previous calm, "I'd like to ask you how you intend to get out of here in fit enough state to tell anypony else what has been said or done? My son isn't the only one with measures to ensure the eradication of any evidence." Testing watched the stallion carefully as he simply adjusted some papers, as if this was just an unpleasant part of his regular duties.

"Mr. Vice Grip, would you please take Mr. Testing to our special room? I'd like him to become our newest... resident for a short while." Stone said with all the airs of professionalism. The large pony behind Testing grabbed his shoulder and began to direct him out the door.

"This is a mistake, Grind Stone," Testing shouted at the stallion, "You want to end up in the same situation as your son‽ Do you want to be ruined‽"

"Ruined?" Grind paused. "Oh, my dear Mr. Testing Testing, you must be misinformed. My son's name has been left untarnished through all this thus far. Only official court records mention that he has been detained. The public, beyond those that have already been paid handsomely to remain silent, have no clue that my son has done anything... inappropriate. And, for all of our sakes, I want it to remain that way." Testing grit his teeth, staring daggers a Grind Stone.

"If you are dead set on this, Grind Stone, I will make a wreck out of you! I will end all that you have built!" Testing roared, pulling against the vice like grip of... Vice Grip. Grind Stone simply shook his head. "Last chance! You can make the difference right now! So far you're just a protective father, but the moment this stallion forces me outside this door, you are officially a part of this as a coconspirator!"

"That's nice." Grind Stone said, his gaze already on the mountains of paperwork before him. "Do enjoy your stay, Mr. Testing Testing. I believe you will find it most... instructive." Testing grimaced, looking back to Vice, who simply pulled him along towards the door. Testing pulled and strained against him, trying his best to break free from the pony's grasp, but said pony lived more than up to his name.

"Yous gonna be havin' a nice long stay here, Mr. Testing Testing. Why not start it off on the right foot and be a nice little colt and just... you know... not be such a wriggly worm?"

"Vice Grip," Testing said through clenched teeth as the office door closed behind them with a thud of finality, "you are only doing what your boss is telling you, but you can stop!" He hissed desperately. "What you're doing is wrong! I don't care how much he is paying you, but when he burns, those that work for him are only kindling on the fire! You have a chance right now to do what's right!"

"Interesting point." Vice conceded, dragging Testing down the walkway away from the office. "If only I had a reason to think yous was going to do anything. 'Cuz, you see, you ain't the first to try an' pull one over on da boss, and yous certainly not gonna be da last."

"Then I'm sorry you can't see what's in front of you." Testing said darkly. Before Vice even had a chance to react, Testing rammed his head into the exposed hand that held his shoulder.

The effect was instantaneous, as it always had been, and Vice shortly found himself taking quick and shallow breaths as his primal desires flared up into an all consuming pyre. In that short moment of heart restarting lust, Testing shirked off Vice Grip's grasp and charged back towards the office, a plan slowly forming in his mind even as he made his way towards the one pony he honestly should've been running from.

Throwing the door open, Testing didn't hesitate to dive across the table, lunging for Grind Stone.

T- 9 Days

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VERY INTENSE MATERIAL, AND MAY MAKE SOME PEOPLE NOT FEEL WELL!
READ ONLY IF YOU ARE ALRIGHT WITH VERY INTENSE AND FAIRLY GRAPHIC MATERIAL!
I'M SERIOUS!

Testing struggled awake, his mind foggy and body aching. The world was a blur of patchy light in darkness, and worse yet, he wasn't sure where he was exactly, nor how he got there. His memory was a foggy mess of random images after he jumped at Grind Stone. Any way he looked at it, he was in trouble.

Blinking himself to further lucidity, he found that he was in a position he recognized and dreaded. His arms and legs were tied, suspending him above the floor with his belly facing the ground. Unlike those restraints from his nightmares, these were not affixed to rickety supports. By the feel of it, they were anchored into the ceiling. Almost as if the lessons of the past had been learned; despite different parties employing this particular tactic.

As he hung there, it became increasingly obvious to him that he was, much like he had been that dreadful day, entirely naked. He cringed at the feeling of the cool air grazing him as he simply hung there loosely.

Despite all of it, he did his best to try and stay calm. There was no use panicking in this situation, he had to keep a cool head. At any moment an opportunity might arise and he had to be ready to take advantage with a clear mind. Otherwise... he didn't want to think about the possible otherwise to that situation.

Staring through the darkness and blurred light as his eyes slowly adjusted, the world slowly resolved itself into a room lit by only a singular candle flame. In the dimly lit room he could see that there was one other pony with him, sitting calmly in a chair. He had a few guesses as to who it might be, and none of them were promising.

"Good morning, Mr. Testing Testing." Grind Stone's voice called out through the darkness. "Glad for you to join us today." Testing groaned, hating the stallion more by the second. "Now, you may be wondering why you are in the position you are currently in. It's simple really."

Testing listened as the stallion lifted himself from his chair and walked slowly up beside him. "It's because I'm about to introduce you to a new world. Now, you may be worried that this is a world of suffering filled with whips and chains and daily lashings, but you'd be wrong."

"Fuck me into submission? Reprogram my mind into a more pliant state by application of gross amounts of mind shattering pleasure, which will also help to reinforce the conditioning?" Testing mumbled. This caught the stallion off guard. He stood there in silence for a moment, and then chuckled slightly.

"My my, either you have quite the dirty mind or you have been in the company of some very interesting ponies - or people, as it may be." Grind Stone purred. "Either way, you are quite correct. You will shortly learn to love me and everything I stand for."

Grind Stone lowered himself to kneel beside Testing as he whispered into his ear. "Even my son, the lout that he is." The slightly displeased smile was evident in his tone. He pulled away and stood, walking a short distance away into the darkness. "In short order, I shall have you be as he wanted you: his personal bitch. You will drop all charges, and then you will abandon those pesky ponies you had been living with in favor of my son. I care little how he treats you in the end, so long as he enjoys you for all you're worth before throwing you into the ditch where you belong." The rasp of the stallions shoes turning on the concrete floor provided an excellent punctuation as he turned to face Testing once more.

"Unless, of course, you'd be so kind as to drop charges now." Grind Stone hummed gently. "I'd forgive you your insolence if you'd but drop it altogether, and then left us alone. I hear Fillydelphia is wonderful this time of year. Why not go there? On my bit, of course. I could set you up with a wonderful apartment that you'd otherwise be unable to attain.

"All you'd have to do is drop the charges and never speak of this to anypony. Otherwise..." The snap of a leather belt put an exclamation point on the unspoken words. Testing closed his eyes and sighed, hoping that the other pony would go for the bait.

"Fine..." He said reluctantly. "I'll drop it, just let me go." Grind Stone chuckled at that, stepping closer.

"Glad to hear you've come around, Mr. Testing Testing. I knew we could be reasonable." Testing's face was then seized by a gloved hand and brought within a hair's breadth from Grind Stone's dimly lit face. "And I also knew you could be quite foolish. Thinking I'd let you go now. I have no way of telling if you'd keep your word. No... no I'm going to make sure you won't talk out against us, you wretch!"

Suddenly, Testing had his mouth pried open. A second later it was kept open with a metal ring that was inserted into his maw. A strap fastened it to his head before the hands finally let him go. Testing breathed deep breaths, knowing full well how intense it could be to get choked and how much worse it would be if he ran out of air without being somewhat prepared.

His heart ached as he listened to a door swing open followed by multiple pairs of feet stepping inside. Already his mind was casting long shadows towards the past, towards the horrid day that had made him. Tensing with ever ounce of strength he had, he tried to wriggle free, to do anything to escape. His bindings, though, held him firm as he continued to struggle.

A second later his hair was seized and his head pulled up. A dick then entered his mouth, and all at once the world crumbled into fear. Panic flared through his mind as he could already hear the dull echoing voices he had tried to ignore since his separation from Cress. Voices that called out to him from the dark and told him who he truly was.

Testing thrashed out, doing his best to resist, but the firm hand in his hair made him bob back and forth along the shaft's length. The taste struck Testing and his eyes widened in horror as he realized how good it tasted. He flailed, fighting against the part of him that loved this, that screamed and craved for more.

He shouted in his mind that he was no longer Dick Slut. He was Testing Testing! He was a pony born from Cress' trauma, but not defined by that trauma! He was strong! He could fight and resist! He had seen this before, he knew all the tricks!

A dick shoved itself into his ass, parting him once more in painful bliss. It had been so long since anything had been forced inside of him that it instantly shattered a piece of him with more force than the dick in his mouth could ever have delivered.

The twin hammering pushing in and out of him broke down his mental barriers slowly as he tried to continue his struggle. He didn't even realize it as his hand began to jack off dicks that were on either side of him as he focused on resisting the dissolution of his mind. He had to keep some strength, any amount, or else risk it all. He had already been partly molded, and now... now the words had an open path to slip in through as he desperately fought a losing battle.

When the stallion came down his mouth, he didn't even resist the reflex to swallow every drop, his training pushing him into automatic as his mind retreated farther away from the horror of the past made into the present. Cum splashed across him from those he jacked off, and a second later he had new dicks assaulting him.

Testing wanted to scream, to cry, but all he could manage were tears that mingled with the cum that was already beginning to cover him. He flailed, and even so continued working at the four dicks. When his own dick was teased with an expert throat, Testing couldn't help but slip just that bit farther.

It was all so much to take as his mind failed to rally each time a pony came across him, slowly covering him even as his efforts to escape morphed into attempts to bring the others about him to orgasm while thrusting into the maw of whoever was beneath him suckling at his cock.

Testing bucked to and fro, fighting within himself as he tried to think of someplace else, something else, anything else. He tried to retreat, but all that lay behind him was where he had come from. A world much like this one that had molded him into existence. He screamed at himself to fight, but all he could do was whimper into the crotch of whoever he was sucking off.

"My my, how eager we are, Mr. Testing." A voice cooed in his ear. It was a voice he knew... or did he? It was hard to tell. The world was a blur. Everything a struggle, even breathing. It all seemed too much.

And then it was gone, leaving him swinging slightly as all the dicks left his grasp and holes. Testing whimpered slightly as his hands idly waved about to find the next dick. None of them came closer.

"I see you have a bit of experience here, so let's just use what we have to push you in the right direction for now." The voice he might've known said calmly. Suddenly, there way a light that filtered through the room, landing on the opposite wall where it revealed a blank screen. "Now, there are going to be pictures in just a moment. I want you to tell me how or what they make you feel. Alright?"

Testing couldn't have managed a nod if he wanted. In fact his head had already lulled back towards the floor as what cum hadn't been swallowed slowly leaked out of his mouth.

A moment later, a few hands grasped at him and removed the ring from his mouth and attached a collar around his neck before pulling his head back with the leash they clipped onto it. He was forced to look at the screen before him even as he yearned to simply fade into darkness.

The first picture flashed up, and it showed a picture of a stallion in a business suit. Something pawed at his mind to tell him something about a stone. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to matter as his dick was sucked and his ass was plowed once more.

"Good!" Testing burbled out, feeling the pleasure from both sources as he looked on the picture. Something in his mind fought against it, fought long and hard to stave off any changes. It was going to be a hard battle.

The next picture appeared, showing Testing another pony. This pony was red, young, and aroused such an anger in Testing's heart that even his bedraggled state couldn't restrain him as he thrashed about, only to be plowed once more from behind while he was sucked off. It felt so good, but his hatred felt better. It burnt away the pleasure, even as it threatened to consume him.

"HATRED!" Testing roared, straining against the restraints once more. He was slapped across the face by a gloved hand, sending his mind whirling even as hatred sustained itself.

"Wrong!" The voice chastised him. "That is your Master, you LOVE your MASTER!" The voice continued, slapping Testing once more before letting the dick and mouth return to their work.

The next picture showed, and it showed... it showed Friends! Testing smiled at the picture of Stellar, Sultry, Gunther, and... and PUPPERSHY!

Something struck Testing's mind with the force of a hammer. It broke through the pain of his balls being squeezed harshly and the sensation of cum dribbling off of him. "LOVE!" He roared, fighting through it all as his mind rallied around a common support: the memory of Puppershy. The memory of love.

Anticipating it this time, Testing turned his head and bit down on the hand as it tried to slap him. The grip on his balls released even as he dug his teeth as hard into the flesh as he could. Initially the other hand bashed at his face in an attempt to make him let go as howls of pain filled the room. Those howls were replaced as Testing's teeth dug deeper and deeper, tearing through the cloth and making contact with skin. With blood!

The howls turned to moans of pleasure as whoever he was biting began to feel lust, and so turned pain into a sort of pleasure. The pony moaned lewdly and loudly, the position of the hand telling Testing that the owner had sunk down to the floor. Testing forced his teeth down harder, smiling at the sound of pants being torn open and a dick being spanked in furious self-gratification.

Testing would've paid... well, no, he wouldn't have paid to watch as Grind Stone masturbated to his finger being chomped off. As it was, Testing's eyes were barely able to see past the red of his hatred. Hurried footsteps and alarmed voices rang out through the small room as the help tried to save their boss, only to find it most impossible to stop Testing from biting down all the harder.

Where once his mouth was filled with cum, it was now filled with blood and the taste of the pony that was the subject of his undivided ire. All the while, Grind Stone simply pumped at his own dick as the pain that he clearly had to be feeling combined with Testing's magical effect equaled a masochistic enjoyment of what otherwise would've been beyond torturous.

Testing had never expected to have his teeth touch the bone of something living, but as they did, he could only find it within himself to bite down harder. In a roar of painfilled pleasure, Grind Stone came as Testing found his teeth clamping down together, no longer hindered. Even as the stallion fell backwards in his on rapturous pleasure, Testing quickly stuck out his tongue while swinging himself forward and brushed the stallion's nub of a finger.

"Grind Stone..." Testing wheezed, spitting out the finger to the floor in the stunned silence that filled the room, "let me out of these restraints and I'll make you feel a whole lot better than you do now... I'll... introduce you to a whole new world." Testing smirked despite himself, waiting for the answer. The stallion didn't move for a second, but then the sound of desperate clambering filled the room.

"L-l-let him down!" Grind Stone called out, grabbing onto the chain that held up Testing's left hand with a desperate enthusiasm. "LET HIM DOWN, YOU FOOLS!" He clamored, undoing the first cuff before anypony else moved.

In a moment that showed how competent they truly were, the ponies in the room that weren't masturbating or fucking dove forward and pinned their boss as he struggled against them. With one hand free, Testing quickly undid the mechanism on his other hand before maneuvering himself back to work on the restraints holding his ankles.

With a wet thwop, Testing hit the floor, unable to catch himself in his ragged state. Using what time he had, Testing dove forward and desperately pawed at each pony. Soon, they were all on top of each other, all desperately seeking their own release.

In the frenzy, Testing struggled his way through the dark halls that led off from his cell. By the looks of it, the place was likely the club's basement. The grime and sounds of lustful jubilation that weren't solely coming from behind him told him the truth - or one of the truths.

This dark area that he had been dragged to; this... this complex... this was the back rooms. And the backrooms weren't just for special guest. No, they were for special workers.

Blood and cum dripping from him, Testing stumbled his way through the halls weakly. Fighting against his own body as he tried to make his way to the surface, the thoughts of his loved ones pushing him onward as he fought off the urge to stop and puke his stomach out.

Stumbling from wall to wall as he pushed onward, the dark feeling slowly crept into his mind, fogging the edges of his reality. He tried to push past it, even as a chill breeze seemed to touch his skin as he stumbled and fell his way through the hall towards the distant stairs.

The dirty walls seemed to crumble about him, as new cracks formed like bolts of lightning across their surface. All the while, frost began to creep its insidious path through the few shining gaps to the world above, slowly chasing him as he fumbled his way to freedom.

His bare skin ached in the cold as he felt the blood and cum freeze to him, and yet he pushed on. Above, the world shuddered violently, as if the city were collapsing about him. Already he could feel it, the deathly silence of the end. He forced his mind through it as he pushed his body beyond what it could take.

All at once, the warmth of the present returned to him as he fell onto the stairs. He wept there for several seconds, his body screeching at him as he desperately clawed his way up the stairs. The pain was unimaginable, and yet his mind was forced to reconcile it. Even the dulling his mind could give to spare him as he climbed did little to ease it as he tried to push against everything that latched onto him.

Be it minutes or hours later, Testing made his way to the door at the top. With little strength left to him, he fell against the door, a desperate hope failing in him that he'd be found. His heart cried out as tears continued to stream down his face. He needed to survive. He HAD to survive.

He whimpered at the door, pleading with it as he fell farther down its hard surface. He pawed at it with cum soaked hands as he tried to make it beyond the dreaded portal. Tears fell down his face, washing a little of the off white from his features as he felt his heart break.

All at once, the door opened. The fresher air hit his lungs, sending energy through his entire being as he quaked at the threshold. A voice said something, but his mind had already begun to put itself to rest. In pain and immeasurable joy mingled with grief, Testing let the hands drag with out from the door.

Behind him lay darkness, and before him lay winter. A nagging voice in his own mind asked him which was truly worse. Had he escape a horror to face a worse one? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that if he had to, Grind Stone would be losing more appendages if it meant Testing could be freed of the demoniac stallion.

T- 6 Days

"I'm sorry that it took so long to inform you." The policemare said as she escorted the doppelgangers and Gunther down the hall. "He didn't have any emergency contacts listed on file and he wasn't exactly in a fit state to tell us who to call until recently - and even so he isn't doing very well at all." She explained, stopping at a door that looked like all the rest. The group waited in anxious silence as the bolt was removed from the door.

"He's gone through quite the ordeal, I'm afraid." She continued, swinging the door open. "We have him under protective custody for now, but in time we hope to maybe do something more permeant - though that depends on the courts processing our requests quickly.

"Either way, I'd advise caution in how you interact with him as he is in a rather fragile state at the moment. We wouldn't want him regressing." The mare said in a low tone, looking inside the room with a frown.

Puppershy was the first to rush inside the room. Before them was Testing Testing, sitting on the floor, hugging himself as he desperately tried to keep his breathing calm and failed. Puppershy, not waiting to say any words or any other gesture, wrapped her arms around Testing.

"It's alright, Testing, it's me. It's Puppershy, your safe!" She whispered desperately, hugging the stallion she loved with all the strength and passion she could muster. Testing didn't respond, however, simply staying still as he was hugged with a stare that pierced the simple room's walls.

"What's wrong with him?" Stellar Afterglow asked in a hushed tone, staying towards the back of the group. The policemare just shook her head.

"I'd say it's easier to say what isn't wrong with him." The mare began, looking on Testing with pity. "We received a call from a concerned citizen who told us there was a pony that had just escaped sexual abuse who was covered in fluids and a bit of blood. Even with resources being stretched recently, that type of scenario gets treated quickly - especially the blood part."

"Was he hurt?" Stellar asked, looking over Testing.

"No, it wasn't his blood. The only blood we found was around his mouth." The mare answered. "Apparently, during his ordeal or while he escaped he managed to bite the finger clean off of one of his captors. Middle finger on the left hand, in case you might've wondered."

"He... he actually bit somepony's finger off?" Stellar said with no little amount of shock.

"Clearly in line with self preservation, mind you, so no need to worry about any charges that might be levied." The policemare comforted. "He was rescued by an anonymous citizen who found him at the entrance to their backrooms. In accordance with the law, we cleared the entire area due to having a well founded concern of wrong doing in the area. We got a warrant 'ex post facto', but it'll still hold up nicely in court given the circumstances.

"No big surprise, but we found out what we had suspected for years - the Prissy Pony was a front for some messed up shit." The mare shook her head. "Apparently there was a whole scheme to take vulnerable individuals and turn them into brainwashed whores and sluts. Your friend here got lucky, all things considered. They had chemicals and drugs down there to help the process along that he was lucky enough to avoid. Things ranging from sodium thiopental to hard drugs like heroin and otherwise. Some legal to possess, most illegal, and some unidentified as of yet.

"I doubt they had much of any science behind what they were doing. More than likely they were mixing concoctions that more often than not just resulted in a braindead vegetable; which for them was close enough to what they wanted, the sick fucks." The policemare just shook her head.

"I only wish we had been faster about it. So many ponies could've been saved." The mare sighed, her heartbreak at the suffering of so many ponies more than evident.

"I think that those that were saved are more than thankful that you did as much you have." Stellar smiled at the police pony. The mare retuned the smile, nodding towards the room as she took up her post beside the entrance. Stellar Afterglow hesitate a second, but in the end decided to walk in with the rest of them.

Puppershy had been petting Testing, lavishing him with snuggles and kisses as she sat next to him in tears. Sultry Rose and Gunther sat on the other side, Gunther holding his hand pleadingly. All the while Testing's face was a mask of flashing emotions that didn't seem to corelate with one another nor stay long enough to be recognized.

Simply put, he was a mess.

Stella simply sat down with the rest of them, softly speaking with him as best they could in hopes that simply being there for him would help; and, to a certain extent, it did. His face began to mellow out, and his breathing calmed over the course of the next few hours as they simply sat by him and did their best to comfort and reassure him.

Slowly, yet surely, Testing seemed to return to them. He still shook like a leaf in the breeze and said things that didn't quite make sense on occasion, but it was Testing in some way. It did all of their hearts good to see their friend recovering in some way, even if there was much yet needing to be done.

As she sat with the group, Stellar Afterglow felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw a police pony nodding towards the door, evidently wanting a word with her. She nodded in return before standing up.

"I'll be right back." She said softly in almost a whisper. The others nodded in acknowledgement, sending her off as they continued to tend to Testing. Stellar walked up to the door and looked expectantly at the officer.

"I'm glad to see you've all made progress on your friend." The officer began. "We were quite concerned he wouldn't be able to testify against those that did so much to him, but at this rate he might just make it. There are others that can testify in his place, of course, but his firsthand account will do wonders towards putting Red Tape, his father, and the rest of them behind bars for quite long time."

"I can't promise anything." Stellar Afterglow cautioned. "He is still quite fragile, and I'm not sure how much can be healed... he... he's been through something similar before unfortunately, so this is hitting him quite hard."

"Dear Celestia..." The pony grimaced, "I feel even worse for him now, the poor guy." The police pony just shook their head, unable to fully express all they were feeling. The two of them stood there for a moment in silence, neither one feeling up to the task of breaking the silence. These were not times to take lightly, and both of them knew it.

Eventually, though, the officer continued. "I've just come back from the court office. An emergency meeting was called and a verdict has already been delivered on whether or not to take you all into permenant protective custody."

"And?" Stellar pressed.

"Unfortunately, with the scandal unfolding as it is, we can't have you in the city. It's far to dangerous to you and to the due course of justice." The pony said, doing their best to explain things.

"Scandal? Surely the arrest of sex traffickers who were erstwhile runners of a strip club isn't too much of a scandal. Honestly it seems right up their alley when you say it aloud." Stella countered.

"That isn't the half of it though." The officer pressed. "The Prissy Pony was roped off and squads of officers have been turning that place inside out. We haven't got through half of the evidence, but this whole plot seems to be implicating a variety of politicians, judges, lawyers, and a variety of well respected elements of society. Not to mention that beyond being a strip club owner, Grind Stone was actually a fairly well respected member of society. Don't ask how, because no pony has the answer on how he pulled off that hattrick."

Stellar cursed under her breath. There were reasons she supposed that Grind Stone and Red Tape had been so blatant in their cruel acts - or at least Red Tape had been. Neither of them were good ponies, and now they were paying for that. At least, so it was to be hoped.

"The thing is that you're going to have to be entered into the witness protection program. Unfortunately for the standard procedure, it appears there a ponies implicated that are in multiple levels of the program. In other words, we can't use the normal system to protect you." The pony explained. Stellar nodded solemnly, unsure what this meant for the group.

"Fortunately for you, there is the Royal Service for the Protection of Witnesses. It's a separate branch that works only on the backs of Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and their direct retinues of guards. Generally, I'd say trust no pony in this case, but between the three princesses and the ponies tasked with guarding them when they sleep... well, I'd say you'll be fairly safe with them." The police pony said, a small smile on their face.

"I don't want to get your hopes up just yet, as there is no confirmation that they will take your case on, but seeing as their two factors of activation are when the pony is part of a major case or when the standard system is considered to be compromised, I'd say you have a pretty good shot."

"I see... that's good, then, is it?" Stellar asked, unsure how to feel in the whirlwind that was today.

"It bodes well in the end. You'll have new identities and will be relocated. I'd... suggest having somepony go pack your things as quickly as possible to make sure you're ready to go. We can even call in an escort from the local detachment of the National Guard." The police pony said. "You'll have to cut ties with everypony you know, unfortunately, as there's a chance those connections leading back to you could also lead somepony with ill intent back to you. It'll be tough, but as far as anypony can tell, it is very much a necessity in this case."

"Thank you." Stellar smiled. The police pony just nodded in acknowledgement and left the group in the open cell. Stellar turned and looked to the ponies of the group, thinking over everything that she had been told and what it'd mean for them. Perhaps with new names they could find better jobs that weren't taken away because of what they were called.

Then again, they'd lose their names. They'd be assigned new monikers that they'd have to learn to go by. They'd lose that single piece of self-definition that they had made for themselves.

The coming days were going to be painful for sure, and none of them would have the luxury of looking forward to it.

Sighing, Stellar walked back inside and sat back down, passing the news on to the other ponies. They each seemed concerned in their own way, especially the still shivering Testing.

"Y-y-y-you m-m-m-mean that w-w-w-we're gonna h-h-have to move?" Testing asked, quaking in Puppershy's hug. Stellar nodded simply, not sure exactly what his opinion would be.

"G-g-good." He said simply.

"Yeah, fuck this city!" Gunther cried in an amount of excitement that everypony else couldn't help but feel to be appropriate.

T- 5 Hours

The days leading up to their departure had been relatively uneventful. With the support of his friends, Testing slowly did make a recovery of sorts, though the trauma that had been inflicted had left its mark. There'd be no escape from the pain it caused, and no end to the damage that it inflicted upon his psyche.

Throughout those last days, everypony except Testing and Gunther took a turn to go to the house and pack as much as they could in what little time they could be afforded. Due to the limited items they had, by the time word came down that Royal protection was being granted, they were ready to go.

Testing sighed as he looked at his new ID, issued directly from 'The Office of Her Royal Majesty, Princess Luna'. As soon as they were to go into hiding, which was only minutes away, he would no longer be Testing Testing until such a time as everypony involved in the case had seen justice. Until then, he'd be Blackberry Frosting.

Had Blackberry tried to come up with the worst name for a pony possible, it likely would've contained at least one of those words in it.

All the same, it was to be his new name as soon as they left Manehatten on a Royal sky carriage . He had never ridden on or in one before, royal or not - even as Rousing Crescendo. Now he was going to have five separate rides on a sky carriages, just to ensure no pony could track him.

Tes- Blackberry was grateful that the group hadn't been split up; more grateful than he could ever express. Aurora, who once had been Stellar Afterglow; Sunflower Blossom, who had been Sultry Rose; Gregor, who had been Gunther; and Morning Splendor, who had been his sweet Puppershy, had all been jubilant when they had received the thumbs up to the request to stay together. It was almost enough to make up for the fact that they'd be leaving behind anypony who might've once known them - their other halves included.

There was a pain there that hadn't been anticipated. They had wanted to live separately from the ponies who they were the shadows of, but the thought that contact would then be impossible for the meantime was... hard to swallow. Unexpectedly so.

In the end, there was nothing for it, and they'd have to live on without the others knowing what had happened until it was all over. Blackberry's testimony was vital to putting the ponies in jail that needed to be, and they weren't about to deny that. And beyond even that, the ill memories of Manehatten now rose up - and despite their short time there, those memories had been more pungent than the power of the evil times they had had in Ponyville.

"I won't miss the city." Sul- Sunflower sighed, looking out the window of the skyport's waiting area. "The place was rotten from the first moment we got here, and never once changed. Putting it behind us is a relief."

"Hear hear." Aurora smirked, lifting her head from her bag. "So long Manehatten, hello Wherever-the-Fuck-else." The group laughed at that, not so much out of enjoyment, but out of commiseration. The place had been terrible, and leaving it behind would be a blessing, no doubt.

"I'm just glad we got to stay together." Morning said with a nearly incandescent smile as she leaned against Blackberry - who was doing his best to steady his nerves that had been perpetually rattle to a certain extent ever since his escape from the dungeon that was the Prissy Pony's back rooms. "I'd hate to imagine going separate directions with no way of contacting each other."

"We would've run if they had tried to ship us to different directions." Sunflower said with a chuckle, turning her attention back to the large windows. "At least, I assume we would've. I would've, at least."

"I probably would've been sad but gone along with it." Gregor conceded dejectedly. "I rather not cause a fuss..." He murmured, lowering himself to his bag some more.

"Don't feel bad, buddy, it isn't like we would've gotten far on our own anyway." Morning Splendor said, patting Gregor comfortingly on the back. Most of the group nodded to that, knowing full well the chances of success if they were to try and survive the wrath of all those implicated in the scandal without the assistance of the guardsponies that were surrounding them as the sky carriages were prepped.

The group fell into another bout of silence as they continued to wait. The chances of an attack were low in the not so often used skyport - which was only used by the sky carriages, coaches, carts, and other such large sky bound vehicles - but even so the security around them was tight. It felt nice to know that they were safe, but less nice to be accompanied by three ponies in uniform and five that were out of uniform - not to mention the unknown number that were hiding behind corners, in shrubs, under chairs, and just beyond particularly large ponies that milled about the port's floors.

Soon enough, though, they were ferried out of the waiting area by their guards. "Carriage is ready. You'll be using the one in Lot C. There will be decoy launches and a few other launches on the part of civilian carriages, so do be aware that other ponies will be milling about. The guard retinue that is following you to the Baltimare exchange will be on the carts in Lots D and E. When you arrive in Baltimare you'll receive instructions on how to proceed. Be quick, but don't be rushed." One of the guards told them as they walked at a decent clip through the halls towards the gates.

"Thank you for all the help." Blackberry said with a small smile that portrayed a portion of the pain he felt and would continue to feel. The guard nodded solemnly before falling back into position in the half ring of guards that trailed them. If there had been a camera in front of them recording the whole situation, it certainly would've looked like a reference to something - though of what, Blackberry wasn't sure.

Stepping onto the field that extended off the skyport, the ponies found their way to Lot C, where a fairly large carriage waited on them. It was primarily built of cloud - as most highly effective sky carriages were - with some odd elements of things that weren't clouds but rather placed there for the benefit of the ponies who weren't pegasi or able to cast a cloud walking spell.

The group quickly set about putting there things on the carriage, only for Blackberry to hear something behind him. "Testing, hey Testing!" A voice he knew called out. He turned and faced Bitter Sweet who was walking over towards him from Lot B with a huge smile. Blackberry quickly looked over to the guard.

"She's good, don't worry." He said, stopping the pony from bringing out their war bow. The guardspony nodded slowly, watching the mare as she approached.

"Make it quick, and be sure not to tell her anything about what situation you are actually in." The guard said in a gruff tone. Bla- Testing nodded, and turned to jog over to Bitter Sweet.

"Heading out too?" Sweet said with a pleasant smile. "Guess you didn't get my text then, my... well, coworkers I guess. My coworkers and I are also shipping out today." Much to Testing's delight, as he listened to her, he barely felt anything of that darker aura coming off from her. One more relief to add to the rather short list.

"Guess that's good." Testing replied. "Sorry I couldn't talk or hang out much, I got caught up in some... eh, work related activities." Testing fibbed. Sweet nodded her head in a commiseratory way.

"I get that, but even so don't sweat it. I was tangled up in... stuff, too." She said with a slight chuckle. "I'm gonna miss seeing you around, Testing. You take care." She extended a hand to Testing, a sad smile on her face.

"You take care too, Bitter Sweet." Testing replied, taking her hand in his gloved one.

"Yo, Bitter Sweet, get your ass over here! We're supposed to be leaving!" A distant voice called out from Lot B. Testing leaned over and saw a cloud cart that housed two ponies - namely a pegasus stallion and a tall unicorn mare. Bitter Sweet sighed and shook her head as she let go of Testing's hand.

"Coming, Fallstreak!" She called back with a huff before turning to Testing one last time. "See you around, Testing." Testing nodded to that, giving her a wave as she ran to her cloud cart and hopped into the driver's seat, turning on its mythril driver core. A few pulls of a few levers later and the cart was up and away, but in that short moment before it was gone, Testing felt an immense aura emanating from one of the other two. It was stronger than Red Tape's, but certainly not the strongest he had ever felt.

Testing Testing sighed, and a few steps later, Blackberry Frosting climbed aboard the sky carriage with his friends. He was going to leave that life behind, one way or another. There was no reason to carry the burden of that past anymore. Though, if he were honest, the strongest aura that he had ever felt did still bother him slightly - namely who had it. As the carriage soared through the air towards their new lives, Blackberry couldn't help but wonder...

Why Midnight Raven?

T+ 23 Years, 5 Months, 1 Week, and 5 Days

The frozen wastes before the two travelers slowly began to morph and change as they carried on their westward trek. Before them, the ice choked world let out into a vast area of unfrozen stone that shone in the midnight. The winds held still as the two of them marched on, entering the warmed land.

About them rose plumes of steam from geysers and the ever rising heat from deep crags that opened up deeper into the dying world that tried its best to continue on living. The world was warmed, if not for only the power of the earth itself. The invisible trail they followed led them deeper and deeper into this place, a place that otherwise might've made for a wonderful spot to settle.

The Interloper and his follower opened the clasps on their enchanted furs, releasing the warming bubble they projected around their wearers as they marched deeper. It was quiet, save for the burbling pools of liquid water and jets of active geysers about them. Then again, perhaps it was too quiet.

Suddenly a bipedal form broke through the gloomy fog of the place and stared them down. It wore nothing on its scaled hide - and if that were not enough to tell the two of them what they looked on, the brief flicker of flame that shot from its maw gave them all the understanding they needed.

"You enter the land of the Dragons, ponies." It said in its raspy voice, looking between the two of them. "What business have you here?" He - if it was a he - stood a good deal taller than the ponies. The Interloper's follower, being given to such knowledge, placed the dragon at a young age of fifty years, possibly even as old as eighty. He still had his bipedal form, after all, so he certainly had yet to reach full maturity in the very least.

"We are but travelers looking to pass through." The Interloper replied calmly. "We have no intention on causing harm or any damage. We merely are traveling westward towards the Celestial Plains. We intend to take the Gutto Pass across with the ultimate goal of the Shining City." The young dragon seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Most take the long way around, pony." He noted severely, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

"Most are alright with stopping in Griffonstone to wait out the Maelstrom. We rather wait it out after we complete our crossing." The Interloper explained. "Griffonstone is not well known for its hospitality to ponies who aren't merchants or diplomats - and even then. We'd rather be in territory that doesn't perceive us as hostile or actively try to take advantage of us while we wait for weeks on end for the weather to clear enough to move on." This gave the young dragon some pause, and after a moment, he nodded slowly.

"I see your dilemma. I will have to bring you before the Dragon Lord, though. Only the Dragon Lord can determine if you are true and so are allowed to pass through our lands unhindered." The dragon said eventually. "Follow me, unless you wish to burn alive, ponies."

Presented with no options beyond this one, the two of them followed after their guide. Expertly, the dragon led them through a path that wound carefully around the dangerous areas, which became far more plentiful as they drew closer to the heart of the land of the Dragons.

The fields that were once so monotonously covered in white powder now stretched on before them as varied tones of black and brown with dashes of red and orange. It was both reprieve and a terror to them as they weaved their way through in the dragon's footsteps.

Eventually, the young dragon stopped at the mouth of a cave that sat on the side of a rising volcano's slope and turned to the two ponies. "You must enter here. The way is narrow, but safe. The Dragon Lord will judge you, deciding whether you may carry on through our lands or must take another way."

"We will do our best to abide by his judgement and not abuse the confidence you showed us by leading us this far." The Interloper said with a short bow to the dragon. The dragon snorted contemptuously and spread his wings, taking off to the heavens with a few strong beats of his leathery appendages. Both ponies watched in awe as the dragon flew away for a few moments before finally returning to their sense. Gathering their courage as best they could, they turned to the cave and entered.

The path was, indeed, quite narrow. It was barely wide enough for them to pass through without turning sideways. It showed why the dragons likely used the higher entrance to the main area. This fissure in the rock was likely to accommodate peoples who weren't of the sort that could survive plunging through the rising plume of an active volcano.

Eventually, after squeezing through a few tight spots, the two of them broke into the open chamber. The wide expanse of the natural cavity before them held their awe for several moments as they gazed upon its beauty, with each sight either terrific or terrible.

Sparkling, untouched gems glittered tantalizingly from the walls - as if asking to be plucked like ripe fruits. Scores of dragons of all shapes and size lounged around the cavern on the higher levels, and as one, leered down towards the ponies with gazes that promised worlds of undiscovered pain should they be provoked - and, perhaps, even if they weren't.

The narrow path behind them that had very little in the way of turns suddenly felt far more insidious than it had a few moments prior.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" A voice called out from the other side of the chamber. There, broad chested and slightly shorter than the other dragon that had led them here, sat a young dragonling. upon a stone chair - it might've once been described as a throne, but the years had not been kind to it, and now it was little more than a glorified stool.

"It's been a while since I've entertained some ponies in my home. Tell me, what brings you out here?" The dragon said in a youthfully smooth voice. The two ponies slowly lowered their hoods and looked at each other with open skepticism before looking back to the dragon who was no older than his early forties, and more the likely in his mid-thirties - exceptionally young for a dragon.

His scales were a dull purple that was shading closer to lavender, and his long, curved spines that ran from the crest of his head down to his tail were a pale green. His wings, many times an indicator of age for a dragon, were relatively small for a dragon - hammering home how young he truly was. On the whole, this dragon was quite the odd one to find in such a position of authority.

"Are you the Dragon Lord?" The Interloper asked in a clear voice. "It's just that I was made to believe the Dragon Lord was a dragoness by the name of Ember." The dragon paused, a moment of silence passing as the two ponies and the many dragons silently took stock of the other.

"I, indeed, am the Dragon Lord. You are also right, though, but she is no longer with us, and so left it to me to guide our people." The dragon said, taking up his staff that had sat by the side, as if an afterthought. It was most certainly the Bloodstone Scepter, and - by the lack of reaction of the host of dragons about them - this dragon was certainly the rightful wielder. Its gleam was dulled with age and the aura of magical power it once held seemed either gone or severely diminished. It was a shadow of its former self, much as the world was.

"I've introduced myself. Why not be so kind as to introduce yourselves?" He said, bouncing the staff against his open palm as he waited expectantly.

"I am known by many names, but most simply call me 'The Interloper'." The stallion said, his voice unwavering in the presence of a Dragon among Dragons.

"Mysterious fellow, then." The Dragon Lord smiled. "And how about you?" He said, turning to the Interloper's follower. "Don't tell me, The Wanderer? The Traveler? The... Passerby? How about," He held his hands up and then spread them in an arc, as if to present something truly remarkable, "the FOLLOWER!"

"N-no." She stammered, stepping a tad closer to the Dragon Lord. "My name is Evening Star. You wouldn't know me but... I... the pony that raised... the pony I call - or called - mother, I... I think she might be somepony you know." The Dragon Lord cocked his head slightly, regarding Evening Star carefully as she gathered up her courage. "Starlight Glimmer?" She offered hopefully. The Dragon Lord then paused. He seemed frozen on the spot for a moment or two, but then he nodded slowly.

"Starlight Glimmer... yes, I know her. Knew her." He gave a small grin, as if struck by a fond memory - or several. "She was quite the pony. Bet she still is if she's still kicking." The Dragon Lord looked back to Evening Star. "I doubt she told you much about me."

"I think she did." Evening Star smiled faintly. "The dragon that Dragon Lord Ember trusted the most. Possibly the smartest dragon according to mother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dragon Lord Spike."

~ÞE END~