From Within

"There must be some misunderstanding!"

Rarity was, during the best of times, a bit dramatic. A romantic mare with a penchant for theatre, The Spirit of Generosity tended to exaggerate and embellish little details in the name of a little flair. This was during the best case scenario, so one could only imagine how she may behave when her business, her dream, her very livelihood, was being threatened.

To her credit, Rarity maintained much of her composure after receiving her letter. She took in some deep breaths, and made her way to Town Hall the very next morning, more than a bit eager to get this whole thing resolved. Upon arriving at Town Hall, however, Rarity’s tension and frustration only seemed to climb with each passing moment. From the moment she stepped into the office area, right as the building opened for the day, there was a line almost to the door. It seemed that Rarity wasn’t the only one who had their request denied. Ordinarily, Rarity would have just come back another time, but that wasn’t an option today; Due to some mishandling by the postmistress (Rarity loved Derpy dearly, but she had always thought the mare was a bit too dim for her profession), Rarity didn’t even receive the letter notifying her of the denial until the day of the appeal deadline.

And so, with no other recourse, Rarity waited. And waited. And waited and waited. For hours, Rarity was stuck there, the line barely crawling forward at all. Rarity was beginning to think this was some sort of cruel prank, and she could feel insanity inch nearer at a much more rapid pace than she approached the desk. The whole situation would be infuriating on a good day, not even accounting for the fact that Rarity’s business, her passion and livelihood, hung in the balance.

Then, after hours of frustrating waiting and dreaming up worst-case scenarios, Rarity made it to the front of the line just to learn that she had been in line for nothing.

“Afraid not, ma’am,” said the stallion behind the desk. Rarity didn’t recognize him, so she reasoned he must be new; The nametag he wore labeled him as “Burke”, certainly a new name in the office. “Mayor Mare has you down for ‘do not renew’, signed and stamped. There’s two copies of the paperwork that she has to fill out, so I don’t think it was an accident.”

“But the DNR list is for overdue licensing fees! I’ve never once missed a single payment or tax on my license!” said Rarity. “This is preposterous! You can’t just take my license away for no good reason!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s nothing I can do. If you’d like to file an appeal, I can get you the necessary paperwork and in 48 hours—”

“I don’t have 48 hours! The deadline is today!” snapped Rarity. Burke hummed curiously before checking his notes and shrugging.

“So it is. In that case, you shouldn’t have put it off until the last moment, ma’am.”

Rarity very nearly lost her temper but, by some miracle, managed to contain herself for the time being.

“Alright, alright, I didn’t want it to come to this, but… Do you know who I am, sir?” Rarity genuinely did hate throwing her name around, as she believed someone of her stature should behave with humility and grace, but these were extenuating circumstances. “I am Rarity!”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Burke with a nod. “Says so right here at the top, see? ‘Rarity: Request denied. Do not renew’. This is your file, isn’t it?”

“I meant…I’m Rarity. You know.” Rarity beckoned with her hoof, to no avail. “The Spirit of Generosity?” Again, the new receptionist seemed puzzled. “One of the Elements of Harmony? We’ve saved Ponyville—All of Equestria, in fact—from numerous cataclysmic threats?”

“I’m from Cloudsdale, so…” said the earth pony receptionist with a shrug.

“I’m best friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle, for Celestia’s sake!” Rarity was blooming bright red, both from frustration and embarrassment as the whole room seemed to be looking at her. After this still got no results, Rarity took in a breath to calm herself, and lowered her voice considerably. “I would like to see the Mayor now.”

“I don’t know, ma’am… I’m pretty sure the Mayor is out to lunch right now…”

“Just… Dial her and tell her it’s me, and that I need to speak to her. Urgently.”

“Alrighty, then. Your call, ma’am,” said Burke with a shrug. He picked up the phone that was set on the desktop and dialed out the relevant number. The line barely had time to ring at all before the line connected, and he set the device to speaker so that Rarity could hear her. “Ms. Mayor? There’s a mare here to see you about her ‘do not renew’ status. I told her it was irreversible without an appeal, but she insisted I call anyhow…”

“Ms. Mayor, it’s me, Rarity.” The seamstress quickly cut into things, hoping to get this whole messy ordeal smoothed over as soon as possible. “As I was telling your incredibly ‘helpful’ receptionist, this simply must be a mistake. I am a reputable businessmare, I keep on top of all of my paperwork, and my payments are always in on time. So I fail to understand why you’re revoking my vending license.”

“Ah, Ms. Rarity. This is actually quite lucky, that you’re here. I wanted to speak with you,” said the Mayor, the phone speaker not quite masking the disinterest in her tone. “I’ve just finished up with a meeting. Come to my office straight away.”

“Thank heavens, I’ll be right there!”

Rarity turned her nose up and trotted forward, stopping just long enough to shoot Burke an incendiary glare before carrying on down the corridor into Town Hall proper. Though she had only been to the Mayor’s office a few times, Rarity remembered the way, and it wasn’t long at all before she was before Mayor Mare’s door. She straightened her hair and took in another deep breath before knocking firmly. After a few tense moments in silence, Rarity knocked again, a bit harder this time. Still, no answer, and Rarity was beginning to get frustrated. She knocked one more time, even louder than before, and was about to barge in when the door finally swung open.

“Oh, hello, Ms. Rarity.” The Mayor stood before Rarity with a smile, and slowly stepped aside, gesturing into the room. “Please, come in.”

“Ms. Mayor. Forgive me if I’m a bit short, but this has been quite the stressful incident,” said Rarity, entering the room with an air of impatience to her. So focused was she on getting this whole ordeal resolved, she didn’t even hear the Mayor lock the door behind them. “This is my business we’re talking about.”

“Of course. I’m more than happy to discuss these things with you. Have a seat, dear.” The Mayor gestured to a nearby cart carrying mugs, spoons, and a pot of coffee. “Can I offer you a coffee, Ms. Rarity?”

“No, thank you. I’m more of a tea… mare…” Rarity trailed off as, somehow, the Mayor produced a cup from the cart that was prepared with a tea bag. Almost as if she had been expecting Rarity to say that. “Very well. I’ll take tea. Just sugar and a bit of lemon, if you have it.”

“Of course.” The Mayor prepared Rarity’s tea accordingly, and sat it on the desk for her before pouring herself a coffee. She sat at her desk, across from Rarity, and sipped her coffee. “It’s nice to see you, Ms. Rarity. It’s been some time.”

“Yes, quite. No disrespect intended, Ms. Mayor, but I didn’t stand in line for nearing four hours just to catch up with you over a cup of tea,” said Rarity, all but leering at the Mayor as she very casually enjoyed her coffee. “If you don’t reverse your decision soon, I won’t be able to sell my designs for the upcoming fair in the Crystal Empire, or sell anything anywhere at all. I’ll be ruined! I—”

“I offered you a drink, Ms. Rarity,” said the Mayor plainly. “I would be incredibly offended if you were to refuse my offer just because you’re upset with me for doing my job.”

"Ms. Mayor, I don't see how—"

"Just relax, Rarity. I give you my word that, by the end of our conversation, we will have reached an agreement." The Mayor pushed Rarity's teacup forward, smiling with a disarmingly gentle warmth. "Drink the tea. Calm your nerves. Then we can chat."

Rarity was beginning to get frustrated, but she held her tongue. Causing a fuss wouldn't get her license renewed any sooner, a concept she understood well from her dealings in her own profession, and so she kept her cool. What's more, the tea smelled incredibly enticing, and were she not so stressed, Rarity likely would've indulged without much convincing. Finally, after considering the situation, Rarity took a sip of her tea, begrudgingly admitting that the warm beverage, perfectly balancing sweet and tart, did indeed make her feel a bit better.

"There we go, isn't that nice?" asked The Mayor. Rarity gave a slightly acrimonious little nod, which seemed to tickle The Mayor for some reason. "So, your license, yes?" She flipped through her paperwork, clicking her tongue at what she saw. "I must say, Rarity, I was very surprised. It's not like you to miss a payment."

"I agree, which is why I did not," said Rarity. "If you look in your records, you should see my payment of 900 bits on the 25th."

"Ah, I see. That explains it. The vendor licensing price has recently been adjusted, it's actually 925. But our system isn't equipped for partial payments, so it considers your fees unpaid."

"Is that all? Then why didn't my initial partial payment get reversed or… you know what? That's unimportant!" Despite the situation, Rarity actually felt a fair bit of hope. The problem, formerly insurmountable as far as she could see, was suddenly very easily solved, indeed. "If that's the case, then I'll just write up a new check and—"

"I'm afraid it's not so simple. We'd need to issue a whole new payment in your name, and that will take some time to process," explained The Mayor, casually sipping her coffee. "By the time the paperwork has cleared, it'll be long past the legal grace period, and you'd need to close your business entirely before reopening."

"But… That could ruin me!" said Rarity. "By the time I'd be able to reopen, I'd have bled so much money I'd have to close at least one of my shops, and if one of those shops go, then—"

"I understand how upsetting this must be for you. There's truly nothing that can be done, I'm afraid. However…" The Mayor let that one word hang in the air for a bit, grabbing up Rarity and pulling her in with the implications such a simple word could have. "You are an upstanding citizen, and the City of Ponyville owes you a great debt for all you and your friends have done for us. So… I believe I have a solution."

"Whatever it is, I will do it," swore Rarity, her hoof to her heart. "Anything to save my business."

"Ah. Well, firstly, when I said there's nothing I can do… Perhaps it'd be more accurate to say that there's nothing legal I can do. If I were to, say, fudge some dates and authorize some paperwork before it's ready, then I can technically have your paperwork filed 'yesterday', as far as the law is concerned." The Mayor chuckled, taking another sip of her coffee. Almost as if unaware that she was doing it, Rarity too sipped her own drink. "We call it the Time Machine Method. Trouble is, of course, this is highly illegal. And if I'm to be risking my job, and—more pressingly, prison time—then I'm going to need some sort of compensation to ensure I get something out of this little gamble."

"Compensation." Rarity arched her brow suspiciously. Far from stupid, and with a good amount of experience with the sometimes shady upper crust of Equestria, Rarity knew what a bribe was. Though her previous experiences with The Mayor had never given her the inclination that she was any less than a perfectly moral elected official, Rarity had to suppose that you never really know with politicians. Always pushing their own agenda. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“If you’ll forgive my asking…” The Mayor hid her smirk behind her coffee cup, though she did so poorly. “You’re in season, aren’t you?”

“I beg your pardon?” scoffed Rarity. She had been thinking she’d need to reach into her coin purse, but it seemed that The Mayor had even less pure thoughts in mind. “And what exactly does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh, calm down, Rarity. It’s just us mares. Though I suppose you have a point. It doesn’t really matter if you’re in heat or not,” said The Mayor with a shrug. “Because I am. And if you want that license of yours renewed, then I think it would be in your best interest to lend me a hoof. You help me, and I’ll help you. Seems fair, no?”

“Seems disgusting and unbefitting of a mare of your position to me.”

“Perhaps. But unless you’d like to be panhandling in the streets in order to feed your little sister, you’ll be a good girl and help your old friend out.”

Rarity scowled openly, but couldn’t refuse. Unfortunately, she was in a bind here. If she didn’t act soon, her business may never recover. It wasn’t pleasant, far from it, but The Mayor spoke the truth; Rarity had others to provide for, and one evening of unpleasantness was more than worth it to protect them. So, with a seething frown, Rarity took gulped down the last of her tea (to steady her nerves, of course), and stood up from her seat.

“When and where?” demanded Rarity. The Mayor smiled, setting her coffee down and rolling back in her chair. She spread her legs, her smirk widening when Rarity processed what she was being shown. “Really? Now?”

“I think I’ve waited long enough. Besides, I’m sure you’ll want the relevant forms filed as soon as possible,” said The Mayor. She held up the clipboard of documents, the forms that Rarity so desperately needed. “So put your tongue to work for me, and I’ll have it all in order by the time you’re finished. I give you my word.”

Rarity looked The Mayor up this way and that, appraising her a bit before giving a tiny nod and rounding the desk to meet her. The Mayor winked, visibly annoying Rarity, who kneeled before her and shimmied into place. A sweet, honey-like aroma wafted into Rarity’s nostrils, and she immediately felt her cheeks flush red. Suddenly, it felt so much warmer between the two mares, and it only took a stern look from The Mayor for Rarity to lean in and slowly lap at The Mayor’s cunt.

“I’ve always liked you, Rarity,” sighed The Mayor as she scribbled the necessary adjustments to Rarity’s paperwork. She wiggled a bit closer, using her free hoof to keep Rarity’s head steady. A bit taken aback, Rarity did the only thing she could think to do, and licked a bit faster, gently kissing around The Mayor’s lips before suckling her clit. She was a bit more eager than she’d expect of herself, but that was simply to speed the process along. The quicker she finished the task at hand, the better. “Always so agreeable. So pleasant. So easy.”

Rarity grumbled her indignation, but didn’t stray from her goal. If anything, her tongue only worked fasted, her lips sliding and slithering up and down The Mayor’s folds with increased vigor. A moan floated down to Rarity from above the desk and she smiled, taking that sound to mean that progress was being made. She doubled her efforts, and so too did The Mayor’s moans increase.From the sounds of things, The Mayor’s heat was working in Rarity’s favor. She couldn’t foresee this taking too much longer.

“And good with your tongue, too. Mm… Oh, Rarity, hon?” The Mayor glanced down to meet Rarity’s gaze and smirked at the frustration that was slowly slipping away into lustful obedience. “I’ve got a surprise for you. Would you like to see it?”

Before Rarity could reason out a response, or even conjecture as to the nature of The Mayor’s “surprise”, a pillar of warm, slick flesh invaded her mouth, pounding straight to the back of Rarity’s throat. She yelped in surprise, the bulbous tip of The Mayor’s ovipositor filling her gullet and suddenly stealing away any thought in Rarity’s mind. She didn’t fight it, didn’t resist or pull away, she simply bobbed her head up and down, as if nothing was unusual at all.

“Since you’re being such a good girl, I’ll tell you what’s happening before your mind is too warped,” said The Mayor with a cackle. “You’re going to suck me off like a good pony whore, and then The Hive is going to take your mind. You will become one of us, and you will help us destroy your kingdom from the inside out. And it’s going to feel so damn good.”

A moan left Rarity’s lips, but the thought of pulling away never once occurred to her. Her mind was hazy, foggy, poisoned by The Mayor’s changeling presence. She sucked The Mayor's ovipositor dutifully, each flick of her tongue and sloppy smack of her lips sending another tingling wave of pleasure through her quivering body. The Mayor held Rarity by the horn and slammed her hips forward, pistoning her shaft in the obedient little pony's tight throat. Thick, sticky green goo drooled from The Mayor's ovipositor into Rarity's belly, the saccharine nectar making the mare jitter and twitch beneath The Mayor.

"Go on, pony bitch," growled The Mayor, yanking on Rarity's horn and forcing her to swallow every last inch of changeling ovipositor before her. "Become one of us…"

Rarity's eyes rolled back in her head, moaning around The Mayor's ovipositor as it sprayed more of that viscous green goo down her waiting gullet. In addition to the goo came a tiny egg, splashing down into Rarity's gut before hatching and teleporting to her brain. Her eyes flashed green before fading back to their normal sapphire color, and when The Mayor withdrew her ovipositor, Rarity wore only a smile on her face, and few droplets of changeling nectar on her chin.

"Always a pleasure, Ms. Mayor," said Rarity with a grin. The hivemind buzzed noisily in her head, plans of The Hive's next move. Everything was going according to plan, and now Rarity would be a part of her kingdom's downfall. Her smile widened at the very thought. "Not a bad haul. You've got the entire office?"

"My secretary is railing the last straggler right now. We've been busy while we were waiting for you," said The Mayor. "So, tell me, what's next?"

"Oh, I need to see to my workshop," said Rarity, waving as she made for the door. "These designs won't finish themselves."

"Eh… Workshop? Designs?" The Mayor tilted her head, more than just a bit confused. As her job was done, The Mayor couldn't quite access the hivemind to know what Rarity had planned. "Whatever for?"

In response, Rarity used her magic to grab a stack of documents from The Mayor's desk, chief of which being her license renewal form, and grinned at her cohort as she exited the office.

"For the upcoming fashion fair in the Crystal Empire," said Rarity deviously. "And for the glory of The Hive, of course."