Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale

Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale, Chapter Eighteen

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It took a few more days, but we made it to Ursa's Rest. Thanks to the new guns and soda, we were able to go faster than before. Though the guns were already showing their age even after a little use, and risked falling apart.

At least we were now back to civilization. But seeing the massive bear at the center of town did not fill me with relief though. I was at least glad to be someplace where I could lay in a bed, and get something decent to eat. But the place also brought back memories I didn't want to remember.

Still, this was the best place to restock. If we sell a few of the guns, and anything I didn't need, then I could be heading home tomorrow. Unfortunately the day was getting rather late, so we didn't have much time before the shops closed.

"This place hasn't changed much." Spell said, sounding a bit displeased.

"Right, your father mentioned, Grizzly Deal." I commented.

Spell physically cringed. "Ya, I'm not going to stay long here, or things might get awkward."

From behind us, Low Pressure chuckled. "Oh, I smell something scandalous!"

"What, no, nothing of the sort." Spell protested. "Well not completely, I mean, not in a way you might be thinking. It's just, well, my brother was supposed to marry Grizzly, but that fell apart. Worse, Grizzly was found pregnant, which was going to be a scandal. So to protect Tripwire, mother wanted me to marry her and say I was the father, which would have damaged only Grizzly and my reputation."

The chuckling from Low became less from amusement and more from embarrassment. "S… sorry. Back in the Enclave, if we had to take a partner, there was no way out, and no spare. Well unless you were in the upper class, but that was never for show. Makes ponies angry you see. So ya, if you're going to marry a pony, you were practically already married."

I sighed, remembering my last talk with my Pa. "I lived so far away from anything, my Pa had to go looking for a sutor. If I never left, if I had listened…"

"Everything will be fine, Miss Lottery. You don't need to worry about that anymore." Spell said, trying to comfort me.

"So what's next?" Low asked us.

Spell Circuit was the one to answer, with a bit of irritation in his voice. "We explained this yesterday… but to reiterate, we're going to sell the guns we collected to the gun shop here, and split the caps. I'll use mine to prepare for dealing with my brother. Miss Lottery will supply herself for her trip home. And you can do whatever with your share."

Low gave us a smile and then asked "neat, and is there a place I can get washed and get my mane done?"

"Yes there is." I said, not feeling like telling him that one of his ex-lovers worked there.

With a plan in mind, we trotted into Ursa's Rest, the busy place quickly draining to me. There were too many ponies and too much commotion, where I just wanted to relax, but I endured.

Fortunately the gunshop was quiet, and the griffon running it was available. He looked down at the guns were willing to sell to him. “Right miss, these guns are clearly trashed. The wood is rotten through, and despite grease used to preserve the metal, rust has still eaten its way in. If I were to take them, the restoration would cost me a lot of caps and time."

I couldn’t meet his eyes, it was hard enough to even look Low in the eyes. “We just… need any caps we can get right now.”

A long sigh came from the griffon. “I don’t know what happened to you little mare, but I can guess it involved that stallion.” I flinched at his correct guess. “You know what, even though these guns are in need of serious restoration, they are valuable to gun collector's. The rifles and revolvers alone are works of excellent griffin engineering, it be a disgrace to my ancestors to not try to fix them. And the shotguns, though I’m not a fan of windcheaters, but they do deserve my respect. So I’ll give you a fair price for them, and if you ever want one back, I’ll give you a discount.”

“Ahh, thanks.” I said as I looked up. Strangely, as my eyes met his own, I felt a bit comforted. It helped put me at ease as I accepted the deal.

“Don’t mention it, the name Horus by the way.” he said as the griffon placed a fair amount of caps in front of me.

I had decided to keep a revolver, as it was at least reliable enough to get me home, and needed the least restoration.

Once the caps were properly divided, I pointed Low to where he could get cleaned off, and his mane done. He posed again with his revolver before flying off, leaving me alone with Spell.

He purchased a .357 revolver. Something that looked in good condition and reliable.

We didn't say much as we washed up and then trotted to a general store, where I knew there was food and water. The food wasn't much, lots of dried meats and hard baked breads made from something called corn or razor grain. At least the food was meant to stay good for a long time, so as long as I don't get robbed again, I'll be good for my trip back home.

"So…" I finally spoke up, getting Spell's attention. "About some of the things I said before… I'm… sorry. I was too harsh on you for things you didn't do."

Spell shook his head. "No, don't apologize. The fact that I didn't do anything, that makes me accountable. From what I heard, at least you tried to do something. Tried to stop my brother. It's more than I ever did. So many times I could have ended the danger of the mezmetron. Or maybe if I stayed with Redeye, I could have eventually convinced him to return to his old ways. But I ran… ran away and I ignored it."

A small smile formed on my face. "Ya, I did get Tripwire good. Too bad I didn't finish him off."

"More than I ever did." Spell said with a sigh. "And about how things use to be, the slavery before Redeye. You're right to call me out. It took an outsider to teach me that, and even now I'm still making excuses for them, for myself. If I was a braver pony, then I should have thrown away my family name and fought against it. But even when my one family looked down on me, I still wanted their love and respect."

I looked at Spell, feeling a bit conflicted and confused. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Slavery was a family business, it was the family business of my friend, it was part of our lives. Going against it meant going against everything I knew. It means hurting my family, disappointing them. I loved them too much to do that to them, even when they didn't show me the same love back. It's why I let Father keep that horrible magic. I hoped that maybe, one day, he'd actually trust me." Spell then took a deep breath, waiting a moment before saying. "But now all I have left is my brother… and I have to stop him."

Spell took a moment to look at his leg, lost in thought, before looking at me again. "Miss Lottery, again I'll say that you were right, that things were twisted and wrong. Before and after Redeye showed up. But now that things are getting better, my brother wants to go back to those times… I won't let it happen. That peaceful wasteland you thought was out here, I can't make it happen, but I'll do my best to at least keep it from getting worse."

I slowly dropped several bars of hard tack into my bag, a bit stunned by his statement. More about how he said it, like some hero. "I um.. I appreciate it."

Regaining a bit of my composer, I remembered that we did have some spare caps. "Say, you want to get a few beers, you know, before you go."

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"And then my Ma fleeked, almost thought her soul would leave her body." I told Spell as we sat at the bar, both two beers in and feeling relaxed. "My brothers then ran from her, still with the radscorpions dangling in their mouths."

Spell laughed as he held onto his beer, waiting for himself to settle down before drinking some more. "That reminds me of when my friends and I found a radroach nest. We decided to sling rocks at it, resulting in the roaches chasing us back home. When one of our parents asked us what we thought would happen, my friend said he thought caps would fall out."

We both laughed again.

Having a normal conversation felt good, like it was something I had been missing from this horrible adventure. It was at least one last good thing before I left for home.

"Well, were there caps?" I asked.

A chuckle came from Spell. "Actually there was, and a guard took them as payment for killing the radroaches. The look on my friend's face was priceless. He even swore that next time he would stand up to the dangers of the wasteland and claim what's his."

finishing off the beers, it was time to go. Not that we had the caps for any more. And I didn't feel like sleeping outside again, not tonight at least. So we trotted from the brightly lit Ursa's Den to the still lit up, but not as bright outside.

"So are you sure you want to leave now, why not wait till morning?" I asked Spell.

He sighed. "I don't know how many contacts my brother has here, best I go before they figure out it's me. Anyways, unlike my brother, I know a bit about survival in the wasteland. So I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" I don't know why I was asking, maybe it was the alcohol. "Just one night can't hurt, keep ourselves warm."

It made me feel… I don't know, but I both hoped he said yes and no.

Spell looked me in the eyes, "Miss Lo-"

"Just call me Lottery." I said, cutting him off.

"Lottery, while I do appreciate the offer, I don't think it's right for me to take it." He said softly. "You have already been through more than enough, and I don't want to add to it more than I already have. As a friend, all I want is for you to get home safely."

"Right… thanks." I said, letting go of the suggestion, and feeling a bit stupid.

So I trotted with Spell to the edge of town. Spell had his new revolver poking out of his jacket, with ammo to spare in his pockets. I had also made sure the gun was in good condition, though it was just a quick check. So he stood there, in a dirty tweed jacket, scraggly and armed, yet I couldn't help but think he looked quite manly.

"I guess this is it then." I said, stretching out to give him a kiss on the cheek. "For good luck, and thanks. For saving me back then."

I could swear he was blushing under his mane. "Th… thanks." He said nervously, then asked, "you could come with me."

He then held out his hoof. "To stop my brother… together."

I looked at his metallic hoof for a long while, though it must have been only seconds. It was tempting, and made me feel less hopeless, but only for a second. Taking a step back, I shook my head and answered, "sorry, but I can't."

He then pulled back his hoof and scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, that was a bit too forward of me. You just reminded me a bit of my old friends, back from when times were better. Never did get to investigate that Molly Manticore place, last I heard, somepony set it on fire, screaming about evil robots.

That got me to chuckle, and then I said jokingly. "Who knows, if it's evil, it might have put itself back together." It was strange, him just saying that had put me at ease, reminding me how I wanted to explore. How different things might have been if I met Spell first and not Tripwire. "Now you get going. Before I decide to drag you home with me." I said, not sure if I was joking or not.

"Right then, you take care out there, Lottery." A silver overglow covered his horn, and with a pop, he vanished.

So I sighed, and said "cheating unicorns" before trotting to where I could get a room.

Though ponies were about, I felt more alone now then I had ever. My eyes darted side to side, watching for any unwanted staring, but none were looking at me. I was just another pony in the crowd, and soon I too will vanish, not to be missed.

Fortunately the shabby hotel had room available. They were quite small, and built with scrap woods, but I at least had a wall between me and the wasteland. Still, all the gaps made me a bit paranoid that some pony could peek on me. So I curled up, holding myself, and let sleep take me. Hoping for good dreams, but expecting nightmares.

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Again I found myself running, but this time from raiders. They laughed at me as they got closer and closer. A pony ahead of me waved me to her, to safety.

Charging in, I burst into a room, where the door slammed shut behind me. Looking back, I saw Bandsaw with a wide smile on her face.

"See, I told you that you'd return." She said, holding up a mirror. In it I saw myself, but as a raider, smiling with yellowed eyes and teeth. "

I recoiled in horror, scratching at my own face. The raiders outside began pounding at the door, wanting to be let in.

Bandsaw trotted over to me, and as she spoke, black acrid smoke escaped her mouth. "Why go home when you can have revenge? No, I won't let you leave just yet." Her face cracked and flaked off, revealing a pitch black pony shaped thing hidden underneath. "You will fight, and there will be bloodshed. There will only be Strife!"

I tried to push her away, but the thing was too strong. And as I struggled, the pounding only got harder and more aggressive.

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I woke to the sound of pounding on a door. My door?

Surprised and worried, I meekly said, "h… hello?"

"Miss Lottery, open up." Spoke a deep and authoritative voice.

My chest tightened up as fear gripped me. Whoever this was, or what they wanted, I didn't know. They could be with Tripwire, here to finish me off, or worse, drag me back. But with no place to go, I took a deep breath, and moved my revolver into an easy to grab spot.

"Alright, I'm opening the door." I told them.

With a creek, I opened the door to reveal a rather large griffin in painted black armor with a white talon painted on top. He glared down at me and said. "Miss, I am to escort you to Lady Grizzly Deal. Sooner the better."

I relaxed a bit, but then became confused. Why did she want to see me? I was a nopony.

"Oh… alright." I said as I gathered my belongings.

Not wasting time, having been ready to leave as soon as I was up, I went with the griffin. The trot to Ursa's Den was awkward to say the least, as he didn't say anything and most ponies gave us a wide berth. This unfortunately included getting into the death trap called an elevator.

Like the last time I was here, the room before Grizzly's office had several mares standing guard. Oddly this time, one mare blocked the door, holding a spear. "Sorry, the young miss is here at the moment, it will be a few minutes." The guard mare told us.

The griffin just nodded.

The guard mare looked a bit odd, now that I could see her up close. Her mane was in many tight braids, ending with beads that looked a lot like dry bones. She even had white paint on her face that made her look even more aggressive. But what was stranger was the melee weapon at her side. It was a decorated wooden paddle, with the teeth of an animal along the edge. The decoration looked like a fruit in between two spears, green color painted within the groove work.

From the other side of the door I could hear what sounded like yelling, but too muffled to catch any of it. The likely argument went one for a few minutes, like the guard said, before one voice became clearer as it got closer.

The voice was young and feminine, if a bit squeaky. "I don't care if you don't want me there, not like you actually care!" The doors were shoved open and a rather skinning young mare… no, an older filly, maybe of twelve or thirteen years old. She had a rather nice looking dress in the Ursa's Den style, but clearly made from really high quality materials.

Grizzly's voice was also raised to a more authoritarian shrill. "Young lady! If you go back to those sh.. dirty ponies again, I will make sure you don't see the light of day until you're an adult! You hear me!"

The older filly stuck her tongue out at Grizzly and blew a raspberry, then trotted to the elevator.

Grizzly herself sat back in her seat, looking a bit frazzled. When she saw me peeking from the side of the doorway, the mare quickly got her mane back in place, put on a straight face, then motioned for me to come in.

She eyed the griffin and addressed him. "Hans, go make sure Wiretap actually goes back to her room, and stays there."

"I'm not a foal sitter." The griffin said. But then Grizzly tossed a tin to him, rattling with the sound of caps. He caught it in mid air, then said, "It will be done."

With a stressed filled sigh, Grizzly then motioned for me to sit down on a nearby, and knocked over, chair.

Quickly putting the chair up right and sitting down, I nervously waited to find out why I was here.

Grizzly took a long moment to collect herself, pulling out a flask to take a swig. "Sorry about that, she's just getting to that age." Grizzly then put away her flask and took a deep breath. "Now on why you're here… and seeing that blank look on your face, I'm guessing you're clueless about anything right now."

"I'm… at a loss, yes." I answered.

Looking through several papers on her desk, Grizzly then placed one in front of me. It was thicker than the others, and gave me a weird foreboding feeling. "Recognize this?" She asked.

It took me a moment, but it came to me. "It's a… magical contract… the one I sighed when getting my leg fixed."

Grizzly smiled, but it felt half hearted. "It's the magical contract I gave to Tripwire to make sure he can't just cut and run. One that should not have loopholes, or a way to alter it in any way. Do you get where I'm going?"

"N...no, sorry." I responded.

Grizzly face hoofed as she breathed out "of bucking course."

She took another long moment to collect herself, then explained. "What this contract is, is a centralized financial credit loan. Or to say it simply, it puts the financial responsibility onto one pony as we give a line of credit to a group. It's for when a Talon mercenary company comes in, and their commander holds the purse strings. Makes it less messy when there is just one bill."

I nodded as I followed along. "Yes, I remember signing something like that. But Tripwire was the one responsible… right?"

"Correct, otherwise I wouldn't have allowed this." Grizzly then pointed to a burnt part of the paper, just above the attempt of a signature I made. "Except, this happened."

Now I was getting worried, but still didn't quite understand.

Grizzly then continued. "It seems that Tripwire has figured out how to cheat a magical contract. Effectively, it thinks he's dead. Something I would love to be true, but I know it's not." She again tapped the burnt part. "I've seen how a contract works when a signer dies, and only the signature burns out, and not attempt to burn the whole damn contract with it." She then pointed to a burn mark on her desk. "Or everything else around it as well."

"He did know a lot about magic." I responded.

This time Grizzly nodded. "Apparently so. It seems that in the ten years Redeye was around, he learned a few new tricks. Unfortunately that leaves you as the soul holder of his debts."

"What!" I blurted out.

Again she pointed at the contract. "Your name is on it, thus the debt passes to you. And since it's magical, and you clearly know nothing about magic, there's no way you can run from it. No matter where you go, we can find you. And that's not mentioning the curse."

My chest felt tight and my breath became short as explained to her. "B...but I have no money, I mean Tripwire had almost everything. He.. he… he took everything from me."

"Honey, trust me, I know you can't pay. Even if you sold the rest of what you had, it's far from enough to satisfy the contract." Grizzly then leaned back, taking a more relaxed position. "This is why I'm going to offer you a deal, a way to pay off the debt. And let's say, if Tripwire were ever to show his miserable face here again, I'll force him to pay that debt, and let you keep whatever you make here."

"But… I… I don't want to work here… I just want to go home." I said dejectedly. "That's not fair."

Again Grizzly sighed. "Life's not fair, I get that, but fairness is not going to get my money back, or going to let you trot out free. But I can at least be kind, and give you options."

"Kind!" I said glaring at her. "That's not kind, not after what he did to me!"

Grizzly looked a bit bored as she stayed relaxed. "I can probably imagine what was done to you. From what my girls told me, you were with Grinder."

I involuntarily flinched at his name.

This got Grizzly to roll her eyes. "That stallion should have been executed along with the rest of his fucked up family. Even told Redeye that to his stupid face. But the fool thought Grinder still had his…" she wiggled her hooves in their air to quote the word, "uses."

I glared at Grizzly, but she didn't seem to care, just said to me. "Before you get your panties in a twist, I've already signed a deal with Gwadina Grimfeathers. Any attempt on me will be seen as a crime to her new NCR. Anyway, almost everypony around here has had dealings with the hopefully dead Redeye. This place was the main trading hub for slaves after all."

Again I was hit with a wave of shock and confusion. "What?"

"Yes yes, shocker, I know. Well unless you're from around here, then it's ancient news." Grizzly said as she dismissively waved a hoof at me. "So before you go on some noble sepal, or make a woah is me, sob fest, I'll tell you this. You're nothing special. You're not the first wide eyed wannabe hero, coming here to do good. And certainly not the first to fall trap to shit head ponies like Grinder. Most of the time they're a nuisance, trying to fruitlessly do good. But unlike them, I have actually ended slavery here, and with my own fortune. And trust me when I say that it was an expensive move on my part. And I do intend to make that money back.'

She then leaned in closer, speaking softly. "As for what you went through, that's sadly a cap a dozen stories around here. Talk to any working mare here and they will tell you. Rape, sex slavery, murder and other things worse then that. Things have not been easy for most ponies for a long time. There was even an area controlled by raiders, where they kill any stallion on sight, so the mares had to go out and collect water. They get caught, raped, then sent home, only to do it all over again the next day."

I lowered my head, not wanting her to tell me any more. It was worse than what Ma and Pa ever told me. Far worse.

"And Miss Lottery, if it were only a few months ago, we would not be even talking. You would be made into a debt slave, and forced to work off that debt in any way I deem necessary. But times have changed, and the slavery market is a sick brahmin pulling an overstuffed cart. So instead of forcing you into work, I'll give you an opportunity, If you do want to go home that is." Grizzly said as she again relaxed back in her chair.

"Yes, I want to go home, more than anything." I said, nodding vigorously.

She clapped her hooves together once, causing me to flinch to attention. "Alright Miss Lottery, I'll lay it out straight, and fortunately all jobs are open. So there is something you can do, even if it's not much. Now the problem is working off that debt, which is sizable. Backroom staff is always busy, but the pay is minimal. Front staff gets better pay, and tips, though you're expected to stay on the move. There is show staff, pays real well, but you need to have some talent that is useful. You can even do some odd jobs, but those tend to be considerably dangerous."

"And how long do I need to work until I can leave?" I asked.

"That is the problem, isn't it. Well if you're part of the show staff, and you're popular, then maybe a few months at least. But like I said, you need talent, something popping and flashy. Can you dance, sing, tell jokes?" Grizzly asked me.

"Well my Ma said I'm good at singing… back when I was younger." I answer.

Grizzly shook her head. "And my mother said I was the most beautiful mare, as mothers do. Then it's front or back staff. Unfortunately that will at least take you, let's say at best, a year to pay off your debt."

My eyes widened in worried shock. "I can't wait a year!"

"Well there's the odd job, which pays well. But it would require you to go out into the wasteland. You know, deal with raiders and feral ghouls, along with any other nasty out there." She said coldly.

I averted my gaze as I found a lump in my throat, unable to say a thing to that. The last thing I wanted was to go back out into the wasteland and face those monsters alone.

Raising her hoof up to get me to settle down, a grin then formed on Grizzly's muzzle. "Yes I can see that a pony like you isn't suited for that. Such jobs are for ponies with grit and backbone. So I'll offer you a fifth option. That is, to work as part of the Red Light Showroom."

As she mentioned the showroom, I remembered what I was told about it, and seeing the ponies there. The suggestion of it made my stomach churn. "What, no, no way. That's too much."

"Even if it will take half the time to pay off your debt, maybe even sooner if you're good at it." Grizzly said as she locked her eyes with my own. "You did say you want to go home as soon as possible, am I right?"

"Y… yes, I want to go home." I answered.

"Then there's your options, work for me for over a year to pay off the debt, show some talent and get out in a few months, brave the wasteland, possibly survive, or spend a few months in the red light." Grizzly then pulled out a chip and rolled it to me. "I'm sure your family misses you dearly, just as you miss them."

I took the chip, it was in the same colors as this place, with a star imprinted on one side and a number ten imprinted on the other. "More than anything."

Grizzly then pushed a new contract to me, this one not magical. "If that's so, then what's wrong with a little prostitution. Trust me, as part of the Red Light Showroom, there are no pimps, and you will be protected. Any extra caps you earn you get to keep, and there are always options for high paying jobs. Frankly, if you're daring and lucky, you could even pay the debt off in a month."

It was disgusting and horrible to imagine me doing that. But I was already a defiled mare, and I had already given myself to other stallions. Thinking about it, I couldn't actually go any lower than what I have become. Grinder and Onyx had already made sure of that.

All that mattered was freeing myself from this wasteland and going home.

My mind wandered to the odd jobs for a brief moment. Maybe I didn't have to sell my body. But I remembered Chilly, remembered the mare eaten by geckos, remembered the mare captured by raiders, and remembered what happened to myself. I had only gotten as far as I did with Tripwire's help and guidance. It was clear to me, I was only alive because of him, and that made me sick.

Ma and Pa were right. The wasteland would kill me, and so far I had only gotten lucky. And like Pa said about luck, it turns on you eventually.

Taking the contract, it was another paper I couldn't read, so I glanced at Grizzly one more time. "If I… If I do this, I will pay off that debt quickly."

Grizzly placed a hoof on her chest. "I Promise on Celestia's grave. If you do this, you will be out of here before you know it."

Looking back at the contract, wishing I could read it. I swallowed nervously, and signed. If I was to go home, then I don't care what I have to do to get there. So long as I am alive, I can go home again.

A wide smile formed on Grizzly's muzzle. "Good, trust me when I say, you're not going to regret this. So welcome aboard, I'll have a guard escort you to your room, and a locker where you can keep your things. I'll even have one of the mares show you the ropes. So please, enjoy yourself, and as a show of generosity, you can keep that chip."

She then clapped her hooves twice, and a guard came trotting in. "This is one of our new Red Light mares, please show her to the dorm."

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I had been taken to a back room filled with lockers and given a key. The guard didn't say much, just telling me where, to pick an unused locker, and to wait there.

Then she just left.

Loading the locker with my guns and gear, I stopped to wonder what I was doing, and if this was the right decision. Could I have done something else, negotiated for another job. Maybe. But here I was, about to sell myself just like a whore.

"Oh HELLO!" A voice loudly greeted me from behind.

Almost jumping out of my skin as I turned to see a pink unicorn mare with a long red and purple mane. She had on the Ursa's Den uniform, but the ones with the rather tight panties. The mare also had a rather excited smile, wide with rather white teeth. Though something about how she didn't blink unnerved me greatly.

"Uhh, hello, I'm Lottery." I responded.

"Oh yes, Lottery, I was told to say hi to you. Hi! I'm going to show you around." The mare excitedly explained to me before getting close. "Names Sugar Honey, and I got to say you look cute! But sadly you need to be in uniform. FOLLOW ME!"

A bit perplexed, I followed the overly excited unicorn to what had to be the dressing room. Several other and rather tiered looking mares were there, getting ready for the day. Sugar quickly took me to a booth, sitting me down.

"Do I need to dress up? It's, I mean, I just sighed up." I informed her.

She gave a quick chuckle and a wave of her hoof. "Nonsense, the sooner you get working, the sooner you learn how to work. That's how I started. Been doing this kind of work for seven years."

"And how old are you?" I asked.

"What, you know you should never ask a mare her age. I mean I'm not that old, only twenty. I'm not old, right?" Sugar asked, sounding worried.

"No… not at all." I told her. Not wanting to upset the unstable mare.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good. Old mares get thrown out you see. Starve on the street, ya know. Now get that suit off, you got a show to go do!"

"Shown, what, no!" I protested as I struggled to keep her from stripping me.

"SUGAR HONEY!" A loud voice called out, causing both of us to jump.

It trotted an older and rather beautiful mare. Her uniform was far more loose and elegant on her, and in her mouth was a long stick-like thing, ending in a cigarette. "Did I not tell you to not rush the new mare?"

"Ahh... no… wait yes, yes you did… sorry." Sugar responded as she backed away from me.

The older mare trotted over to me, she was a dark chocolate brown unicorn mare that was taller than the average pony. She had a beautiful dark green mane with vibrant green highlights, all dun up in a smooth bun. "Sorry about Sugar, I believe she's gotten into the mentats again, the poor thing. My name is Sparkling Delight. I'm the mistress of the Red Light, and I'll be your new boss."

I nodded. "Th… thanks. But must I dress up?"

Sparkling nodded back slowly. "You need to learn your job, sooner the better. But be sure, you're not seeing any clients on your first day, unless you want to. But right now you're just being shown around and observing. With that in mind, Sugar dear, go get a spare uniform for our new sister."

"Ye! Right away!" Sugar Honey responded before running off.

Watching the excitable mare leave, I then asked Sparkling, "is she alright."

The older mare sighed. "Poor thing, her parents sold her off to just survive the winter. She managed to escape being sent to Fillydelphia, but her master was not kind. I've tried to help her, but she's stuck in her own world now. Sex work is unfortunately the only job she can keep right now. But rest assured that she and all her sisters here are in good care, even you. We're family, and we take care of eachother."

"But that's no way to live. It's too cruel. " I said.

"That's life in the wasteland, drear." Sparkling said to me as she trotted over. "Now let's get you ready for your first day. You have a lot to learn, and all day to learn it. Fortunately Things are slow right now, so we can take our time."

What preceded was a makeover which put me in the same outfits as the other mares around me. The makeup was fortunately lightly applied, but considerably stood out in the black light. I still didn't like the tight panties that pushed my tail up, and showed an outline of my privates, but at this point, I stopped caring so much.

"Right, looking good, but there can always be more done. "Sparkling said as she examined me."

"More… what?" I nervously asked.

"Best if you see it yourself, Sugar dear, show her your goods." Sparkling said as she motioned to Sugar.

The unicorn then turns around, putting her face down and ass up. Seeing more than I wanted to, Sparkling then pointed with her cigarette to the base of Sugar's tale. Her doc has a piercing through it, which was weird to me, but the more I looked the more I saw. It was not just her doc, but her genitals, and what had to be her nipples.

"Wait… why?" I asked in confusion.

Sparkling smiled, looking me in the eyes. Her gaze was strangely enchanting, like beautiful gems that I could get lost in. In them I felt more… relaxed. "Deary, patrons don't come here for the tame, no not at all. You will understand soon enough. Especially if you want to earn those caps. Now come with me, Sugar Honey has a client that will be a good learning experience."

I didn't like it, but I nodded and followed the mares out.

The day went on, and I was shown how to do normal work, such as serving drinks. But now and then I would shadow Sugar into a back room, where she would have sex with a client. I never knew a mare could bend like she did, or other strange things with a stallion.

Whenever I tried to look away, to get away, Sparkling was there, making sure I watched. And as the day went on, the more extreme the customers became. Sometimes it borders on abuse, but Sugar seems to enjoy it, or at least acted like she did.

At times I would become overwhelmed, and Sparkling would offer me a drink to calm me down. The first drink relaxed me, the second made me feel loose, and after a third I started enjoying myself. Strangely, Sparkling Delight would make me look in her eyes every now and then, and it made me feel off.

I lost track of my time in the Showroom, it was all a mess of lights, sounds, and stallions. I think I even blacked out at some point, coming to some of my senses as I rode a stallion, a bitter taste in my mouth. Maybe I was dreaming again, just another nightmare. I didn't know anymore, and I didn't care. As another stallion joined in, I just accepted it, not wanting to think, and letting myself be swept up in pleasure and lust.

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