The Baying Moon

The following day wasn’t any better for Moondancer. Neither was the day after that. Nor the next day. Or the two that proceeded. For creatures she was certain couldn’t tell time, the Diamond Dogs ran her captivity with machine-like efficiency and Moondancer was an absolute wreck.

Mornings started with breakfast and water served to her in bowels. She wasn’t allowed to use her hands or any civilized eating utensils; instead they shoved her muzzle into the dog food every time. Mornings were the easiest to resist them and snark back, but by lunch and especially the end of day she was far to destroyed from the hours of non-stop tickle torture to do anything but flop her face into the bowels and use her tongue to lap the food and water into her mouth.

After breakfast came her walkies. Rover took the lead on these directing her to a new section of the cave system where the other dogs moved all their implements of cruelty for that day. Tickle torture began with a warm up the three mutts raking their claws down her feet and tickling arms and sides as well. Next was always the black oil, the Celestia-damned sludge painted onto her feet and left to sit there while it ravaged her with its ticklishness and grueling heat as it exponentially increased the sensitivity of her soles. The oil’s aphrodisiac effect could not go understated, her massive erection was teased, poked, prodded, and stuffed full of sounding beads every day. The cock ring ensured she was unable to climax from the pleasure while it roughly tickled her privates. All the while the dogs would pamper her feet and feed her real food. Rarity had done too excellent a job teaching them how to give foot massages and pedicures. Moondancer hated how much she grew to love this minuscule portion of her day. The nerd truly missed the simpler time when the dogs just gave her massive wedgies.

After the oil had seeped into her skin the dogs would test out the accursed effects with tools. Nothing was off the table — feathers, coarse stones, thick bristled brushes, tweezers, combs, more flea/itching powder, paintbrushes, a hairdryer, the electric gem polisher — the dogs experimented with everything they could get their paws on to make her howl louder and locate the gems faster. Moondancer had passed out from this phase the first couple of times; however, the oil seemed to have another latent effect where it also built up her mental endurance. It made a sick sense after all, she couldn’t laugh while unconscious. This stage would last anywhere between four to six hours depending on if her captors had picked a particularly rich vein of the mines for her to magic to find or if Rover felt extra sadistic.

Dinner was served off her feet after they were scrubbed clean. Rover alone slurped her taut peanut buttery soles each night. Moondancer feet reeked of the goober goo no matter how methodical Rover’s tongue scrubbed them, and he was exceedingly thorough. It wasn’t in her head either, Rover buried his wet nose into her feet and drooled on them once they were locked up again in the morning. Lastly each night, Moondancer was unstrapped from her chair, fed and walked, before she collapsed on her pillowy bed. What scared Moondancer the most was that, for her, this was becoming routine.

* * *

Moondancer flopped around on her bed. The groggy mare reached out and grabbed her glasses from an empty crate. She stared up at the ceiling while her hand lazily fiddled with the leash’s clasp. Like always, the latch didn’t move. She gave the leash a half-hearted tug and dropped it, the cord draped across her unflinching face.

She rolled on her side tucked her legs inside her sweater. ‘Why hasn’t Twilight or anypony saved me yet? She had to have gotten my message right? What if… what if she doesn’t care? No! No, Twilight is my friend, period. That dumb dog must have lost my recorder and books, or worse. But still, shouldn’t my Canterlot friends have noticed I’m missing by now — am I really that much of a recluse? Let’s be honest with ourself Moondancer, you could be gone for a year and nopony would notice.’

Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. The door creaked open and stole her attention. Rover scampered in, tailed by Fido and Spot.

“Quickly!” Rover said to the other two as the each grabbed one of Moondancer’s hands. He detached the hexed leash from her collar and hoisted the unicorn up. The three dogs dragged Moondancer to the bondage chair.

“What’s going on? You guys look spooked.” Moondancer questioned looking over each of the nervous mutts. Her eyes lit up, “Is Twilight here to save me!?”

“Captain Pony is here! We can’t let her know we’ve been so nice to Nerd Pony or she’ll be mad!”

“‘Nice!?’” Moondancer shouted back indignantly.

“If she takes Nerd Pony we’ll lose our gem finder!” Fido cried burying his head in his paws.

“And our entertainment!” Spot added.

“And my pet!” Rover wailed!

Rover preemptively interrupted the retort forming on Moondancer’s lips with a brutal wedgie that hauled the dork off of the ground.

“Gahh!” Moondancer choked on her words and cupped her crotch. Her fingers could feel the cold bitter steel of the rings around her cock and testicles though her khakis. ‘Never mind, I don’t miss these at all.’

Rover jerked her briefs skywards and tossed her onto the chair like a sack of potatoes. With lightning fast speed Moondancer was strapped down and buckled in, the stocks slammed closed and locked around her ankles. Her red high-tops swung from the lock just out of reach, like always. She scrunched her toes prepared to make them fight to put on the toe binds but the dogs slammed themselves against the cell door shoving each other before Lassie had a chance to even open it.

“At least give me something to read! I’m going through serious book withdrawal here!”

“Heh, no wonder they thought you were Twilight.” A darkly feminine voice echoed throughout the cell. Moondancer snapped her head to the source. A tall figure leaned against the corner with her head down bathed in darkness. ‘She was not there just a moment ago!’

“Here I thought you moronic curs had managed to do something right.” The shadow mare shook her head and took a step forward; her imposing wings unfolded increasing her presence. Her skin tight suit gleamed. It was purple and black with lightning bolt decals. A black hood of the same latex material covered her head save her light cyan muzzle, studded ears, and spikey azure mane. A short tail of the same color swished above thick boots clad around her feet. A sharp pair of goggles glowed an eerie yellow as she stared down the Diamond Dogs.

A squrrrk sound screeched from her suit with every step forward. Rover and Fido crouched with their ears folded down and tails tucked between their legs. Rover’s position could generously be called a bow while Fido hid his face under his massive paws. Spot took a different approach turning turtle to present his soft belly with his tail hiked between his legs. All three whimpered beneath the domineering mare as she stood over top of them.

“Then I come to find out that not only had you captured one of my targets and were keeping it a secret.” Her voice was calm and sickly sweet. “But that in actuality you… Grabbed! The Wrong! Pony!” Rage burst forth and she punctuated the last word stomping the ground.

“But, but, but…” Rover fidgeted on the floor daring to look and point at Moondancer. “That’s the Nerdy Princess Pony!”

“Princessss Twilight,” she hissed, “has WINGS! Where do you see any on this loser!?”

“Hey!” Moondancer shouted, but was ignored.

Rover studied Moondancer the way Moondancer studied a book, drinking in every single feature. He looked back up at the snarling pegasus with the very prominent impossible to miss wings. He ping-ponged his gaze to Moondancer, then the Captain, Moondancer, Captain, Moondancer, Captain, Moondancer--

“Ah-ha!” Rover exclaimed his eureka moment. “Nerd Pony’s wings are under her sweater.” The dog basked in his own cleverness. Even Fido and Spot nodded with pride at their leader’s genius. The Captain kicked a dirt clod into Rover’s face.

“That’s not Twilight you brain-dead hounds!”

“I-I-I--” Rover stuttered.

“Leave.” She fumed.

“But we--”

“GET OUT!” The mare screamed and thrust her finger to the cell door.

Lassie flung open the door right as the three berated dogs barreled at it. She shut it and hid behind the wall from the shouting pony.

“This is what happens when you hire third party contractors. Utter incompetence.” The mare muttered to herself face-palming. “Little wonder how Rarity escaped them.”

She lifted up her goggles and pulled them and the latex hood off her head. Still shaking her head she floofed her hair back into shape and looked over to the bound pony in the center of the room.

“You’ll have to excuse them, they’re idiots.”

“I gathered that about two minutes in.” Moondancer said in a flat tone.

“Heh, still some fight in you, huh?” The mare snorted. “So tell me, how’re you doing?”

“Hunky Dory.” Moondancer’s sarcasm was sharp enough to cut glass. “Now that those dumb dogs finally get that I’m not Princess Twilight, how about you let me go?”

“Hmm…” The mare tapped her chin looking up towards the ceiling. She walked up to Moondancer with an exaggerated saunter. “How about… No.” She dropped her head back down, her golden eyes bored into Moondancer’s and she flicked the collar around the unicorn’s neck.

Moondancer’s pout was subtle against her usual facial expression, but the latex coated mare noticed it and smirked. A glint tore Moondancer away from the staring contest down towards the mare’s crotch. Nestled in-between two angular winged-skull cutie marks was a large round bulge that caught and reflected the light. A seam ran from between the mare legs up to a zipper clasp atop the squishy looking knob.

“My eyes are up here.” The mare teased. “And that,” she pointed to her bulge, “is only for very good fillies~” She traced her finger above Moondancer’s pants zipper, blue light from the cock ring shined through. “And from the looks of it, somepony must have been very naughty to get one of those put on them.”

“Who the flying feather are you and who are you working for! What’s really happening? What do you want with Twilight and her friends?” Moondancer spat. “And what the heck is with the tickling!?”

The mare ran her hand along Moondancer’s muzzle and chin as she walked around to her other side.

“The name’s Nightshade. I’m the Captain of the Shadowbolts, Equestria’s actual number one aerial team as well its number one set of…” she twiddled her other hand in the air, “erotic procurement specialists.”

“That’s the best you could come up with? What, no catchy acronym?”

“Marketing is still working on it, but I’m open to any suggestions.” Nightshade continued her uncomfortable amount of face touching — which for Moondancer was any amount — as the pegasus sat on the edge of the bondage chair. She looked over to Moondancer’s trapped feet and poked her sneakers hung next to them.

“Cute Converse, bet you wish they were covering those blushing soles of yours.”

Moondancer’s toes fidgeted and she growled, Nightshade paid her no mind. Instead she unknotted the laces and checked the tag on the inside of the tongue.

“Oh pretty big shoe size for a unicorn, you wouldn’t mind if I took these right? A little souvenir, considering you’ll never wear shoes again now that we’ve got you.” She dangled the red sneakers in front of Moondancer who grunted and turned away. Nightshade ran the soles of the sneakers down the side of Moondancer’s face.

Moondancer bit back her rage, not letting the bully get a rise out of her.

“Get used to that, you’re under my heel from now on!”

Nightshade tied the laces together and hung the sneakers around her shoulders. She disappeared to the back of the cell and rummage through the crates. A few clacking sounds emitted from her position and she cooed. Several clings and clangs followed, it sounded like Nightshade ran her finger back and forth around evenly spaced metal.

“Eenie meenie minie… moe!”

The metallic clacking stopped and a scraping noise took its place for a moment. Slow rubbery steps approached Moondancer from behind.

“First things first, gotta get you properly registered into our system. We both know those mutts aren’t filing the proper paperwork and whatnot.” Nightshade played with Moondancer’s right ear, squeezing and flicking it.

“Cut it out!” Moondancer yanked her head away but Nightshade pinched the tip of her ear and tugged it upwards.

“This’ll only hurt for a moment.”

Moondancer saw it too late to react. For a nanosecond her brain thought the red handled tool clamping onto her ear was pair of pliers. But pliers don’t have a spike. Nightshade clenched the ear-tag applicator’s handle. The steel spike pierced Moondancer’s ear merging two golden bits of metal on it into one. Moondancer was too shocked to even yelp. The farm animal earring dangled from its new home. The shiny heat shaped tag was engraved with #4443 and the words No Release under the number.

“Perfect~” Nightshade tossed the ear-tag applicator over her shoulder. It crashed into one of the crates. She hopped in front the stocks. Moondancer recovered enough to stare death at Nightshade. The pegasus missed the basilisk-esque glare and bent down inspecting the furious unicorn’s soles. The trapped cream feet snapped at her face but didn’t even generate a breeze.

“Wow, not only are you a shoe-in for Twilight looks wise,” Nightshade wiggled Moondancer’s shoes from around her neck.

“UUUUGGH!” Moondancer groaned at the awful pun

“But I’d say your feet are an exact match for hers.” Nightshade nodded impressed. “Well, before she ascended anyway.” She rolled her eyes. “Now she’s got some princess sized stompers.”

Moondancer pictured Twilight showing off her feet and blushed. ‘I wonder what Twi did with all her old shoes after her feet grew. I’d take them… Where did that thought come from?’ She shook sense into her head.

“Ohh, I see, geek’s got a crush on the nerdy princess~”

Moondancer stared forward and stonewalled Nightshade.

“Daww, so cute. Well whatever tickles your fancy.” Nightshade skirted her fingers over Moondancer’s foot barely avoiding contact.

“EEP!” Moondancer yelped but sucked in her lip. “You’re not clever or funny. The Diamond Dogs have been at this for days and haven’t broken me yet.”

“Filly, the situation you’re in is no laughing matter.” Nightshade tried and failed to keep a straight face. “I break ponies just for kicks.” She played with Moondancer’s stolen sneakers again. “You’d have to be barking mad to think whatever those mutts have done is anywhere near my skill level.”

“Oh my Celestia, this is somehow worse than the actual torture I’ve been put through.”

“Speaking of, have those dogs been applying the oil I gave them to these lil’ piggies?” Nightshade pinched a toe between her latex clad sharpened nails. Moondancer squealed like an actual pig.

“That’s a yes!” Nightshade licked her teeth, her tongue piercing rattled against them.

“These could prove useful. Congratulations, you just volunteered to be the lab rat in my new scientific experiment. Isn’t that exciting?” Nightshade leaned against the stocks, cocked an eyebrow, and smiled. “And if you ask nicely I’ll even let you write up the research paper, Nerd.” She bent down and flourished the full cruet of black oil.

“Everyone needs to stop calling me ‘nerd’! My name is Moondancer!” The nerd yelled.

“Whatever you say, Moon Prancer.” Nightshade patted Moondancer’s head and uncorked the bottle.

The unicorn’s teeth clenched. She was far more peeved at the space inserted into the middle of her name than Nightshade deliberately getting it wrong.

Nightshade poured the oil across all her toes and down the entire length of her soles. She placed the stopper back into the full bottle and swapped it for the hairdryer. You might not be Princess Twilight, but how ‘bout I call you Princess Nerd instead?”

“Only if I can call you Queen Bitch.” Moondancer scowled tempting fate.

“Deal!” Nightshade’s head shot forward and she grinned wide showing all her teeth. Her pierced tongue slipped between them.

Moondancer flinched. ‘Why am I such a magnet for crazy ponies?’

Nightshade flicked on the hairdryer and blasted Moondancer’s feet.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!” The unicorn screeched endlessly.