The Mayor Of Canterlot

Around an hour later Mark and Drusilla arrived in the guard barracks, where the photographer was being detained. The pony in question was calmly reading a book while seated on the bed when they were escorted to his cell and did not bother to look up when he heard the door open.

"You’re wasting your time if you want anything else from me, I was just looking for an exclusive. I know my rights, and you can't keep me for just being curious. You can’t pin anything on me so we both know I’m not going to be here for any longer than 24 hours. Why don’t you do us both a favor and let me out now. I might even consider not writing about this unwarranted imprisonment by the royal guard."

"Impressive," Mark whistled in amusement, "That almost sounded rehearsed."

"If you’re gonna skirt the law you might as well know it, right sir" Drusilla commented.

Their voices finally caught the unicorn’s attention and he turned to look at them. He was a fairly simple brown earth pony with a dark brown trench coat and fedora.

"Well now, this is an unexpected turn. What brings you here, Mr. Mayor?" The photographer asked with a smirk.

"I was hoping we could have a little chat, Mr. Kodak," Mark told him, "and depending on your answers, you might get something better than the picture you took."

"Oh! An interview! Now we’re talking!" Kodak stood eagerly and approached the two. "So Mayor, care to tell me why you’re bringing drunken mares to your home? That doesn't sound like the thing a wholesome, herd-orientated public servant would do." He finished with a leer at them both, bouncing his eyebrows.

"Not so fast, Kodak.” Drusilla halted his approach, “Before we do anything else you will have to sign this privacy agreement, stating that nothing we discuss here leaves this room.”

She held up a contract and a pen for him to see.

"Not interested." Kodak turned away and dismissed the two, "You know when the door is..."

"...and in exchange for your cooperation, I will reveal some juicy gossip discussed in the Meeting of Mayors. Information that won’t be announced publicly for a good while...which I have received permission to reveal to you."

That froze the photographer in his tracks.

“So, what do you say Mr. Kodak? Do we have a deal?"

Kodak remained quiet for a brief moment before rushing in to sign the papers, without even bothering to look at them. "Deal. There. My signature. Now, out with the data!"

"You first. Tell us exactly who you saw leaving my home this morning."

"To be honest I couldn't see much," Kodak confessed sheepishly, "I spent most of the night trying to find a good angle while staying hidden and working under a rainstorm on top of that. Bravo by the way, how the hell did you keep moving so fast everywhere while drunk?"

"Not important, keep going," Mark ordered him.

"Well, with the rain, your constant movement, and me trying not to draw too much attention, getting an open shot was virtually impossible. When you got to your house I was stuck with what to do. Truth be told I wish I’d thought to bring my recorder as well, ‘cause stallion, I learned more about your kinks last night than anyone would be comfortable knowing.” Kodak paused again to chuckle, which ended in a soft ‘eep’ when Mark growled at him, showing sharper teeth than the reporter was probably used to seeing.

“S-So anyway,” He nervously continued, “I decided to hide behind some dumpster until you two took a breather and, before I realized, I had fallen asleep. It wasn't until a loud thud woke me up that I saw the mare leaving your house, but in my drowsiness and because it was still too damn dark, I couldn't make anything out. I tried to capture at the very least a quick picture but my flash was on and the light reveal my position. I hid again, begging that she either didn't realize it or was startled enough to run away."

He showed them a bruise on his face, just under his left eye. "Next thing I know I felt someone grab the side of my head from over the dumpster and lift me. I freaked out and thought it was someone mugging me, so I swung out blindly. My fist hit someone, and I heard a mare gasp. Next thing I know a fist connected with the side of my face and then everything went dark – I still feel woozy by the way. By the time I woke up again, I was already here, with my camera destroyed and only a blurry picture I managed to hide before that crazy chick knock me out." he finished in frustration, “Now tell me, who was she? I understand breaching privacy but knocking me out cold seems extreme."

Mark could only shake his head, "I don't know either, everything on that night from when the party began was a blur, I was hoping you might have a clue.” He could see the pony’s reluctance and pressed on, “Did you recognize any detail about this mare? Did she have wings or a horn?"

"Well, I can say she was definitely on the tall side and I think I remember long hair. But as I said, I'm still dizzy so I could be remembering wrong. Other than that I don't know anything else."

Mark stared at Kodak for a long moment as the stallion rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Eventually, Kodak said, “Sooo, I told you what I know, how about that tidbit from the meeting...”

“Really?!” Drusilla cut in, “You told us nothing beyond how bad of a reporter you are.”

“Hey!” Kodak shot back.

Before he could continue Mark raised his voice, “Fine, something for something. Princess twilight made an announcement that’s going to change the political dynamic of both Equestria and the Badlands.”

He cut off as the reporter continued to look at him, expecting more. When nothing else was said, Kodak asked, “is that it?”

When Mark said nothing more, Kodak pressed, “Well, there has to be more, what was the announcement?”

“What was the mare's identity?” Mark countered.

“I can’t tell you.” Kodak ground out in frustration.

“Same,” Mark replied.

He turned from the cell and walked away with Drusilia following quietly, and behind them they could hear a stream of frustrated pony-sounds.

“For a moment I thought you were going to tell him everything,” Drusilla said to Mark as they left the barracks.

“If he had told me who she was I may well have,” Mark replied, “but if I get almost nothing, then so does he.”

“No almost there, sir.” Drusilla snorted, “He gave you nothing at all.”

“He did let us know that the mare would be strong enough to punch him out in a single hit,” Mark replied.

“With respect, sir, I could punch that weed out in a single blow, He looks like his mother never fed him a full meal in his life.” Drusilla scoffed.

Mark Chuckled at that observation. “Point, I suppose.”

********

Humming a small tune under her breath Drusilla tapped the edge of her table while waiting for her friend at a local coffee shop. Rather than the formal attire she had changed into a pair of black jeans and boots, with a leather jacket. The jacket was opened to reveal a white shirt with a red circle in the middle. This shirt was one of her favorites since the circle was just the right size to contour and accentuate her modest bust.

The chime of the bell at the front door caught her attention and she smiled and waved over to Raven. In contrast to Drusilla’s minimal colors, Raven was wearing a long, light blue skirt and light yellow shirt. In her hand was a small blue purse and her long black mane spilled down over her back.

"So sorry for being late, Drusy." Raven apologized as she sat down at the table across from the thestral. "The royal chef caught me on the way here, and well, you know how that stallion loves to gossip."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I tell you, that guy seriously needs to get laid and stop putting his nose in everyone else’s business." Drusilla complained with an eye roll.

"By the way, I'm dying to tell you who the Captain of the Royal Guard is dating these days." Raven excitedly continued.

"Oh, sounds juicy, but me first!" Drusilla cut in with equal excitement as the waitress arrived and took their orders.

Once the waitress left Drusilla continued, "Ok, do you remember the Mayor of Blossom Sprints? Mayor Tree Hugger?"

"Yeah?"

"Confirmed, total whorse."

"NO!"

"I'm telling you my contact confirmed it. The first thing she does after meeting him…she tells him she’s open to a roll on the hay."

"Oh wow, you think you know a mare. Hand on my heart, I swear I thought that mare was too innocent to even know what the word sex means."

"Told you, a free spirit and relaxed disposition doesn't mean she’s naive."

"And what did your contact do?"

"Ha, what do you think? He gently declined and moved on."

"Ok, me next!" Raven started, "I know we usually go with softballs first, but, by Faust, I'm just dying to tell you this one!" She was almost bouncing on her chair.

"Oh, really?" with her interest peaked, Drusilla leaned forward, "tell me, what’s new in the castle?"

"Two things actually, starting with Princess Luna," Raven replied.

"Oh Faust, what did she do this time?"

"The better question would be who."

That caught Drusilla’s attention and she slowly shook her head, "No."

"Looks like her dry spell is finally over. Remember how I told you how there were rumors of Princess Luna having a crush on somepony recently?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, this morning some guards swear they saw the princess skipping through the hallways, positively glowing and smelling of tomato juice as she headed to her chambers."

"Oh ho ho! Go, Princess Luna. Any idea which stallion or mare got lucky?"

Raven shook her head, "You know how reserved Princess Luna is. Some speculate it was one of her guards and they took advantage of the assembly to sneak out and have some fun. That’s why it took so long for the guards to intervene and prevent things from escalating further among the mayors. By the time everypony was restrained and Princess Luna put everypony to sleep, her stud returned to his mare and they both disappeared into the night."

"She’s seeking a herd?!" Drusilla whisper-shouted in shock and Raven hissed to keep her voice down.

"Remember you didn't hear it from me," Raven cautioned.

"Of course, but geez, sounds intense." Drusilla whistled back in surprise.

"Not as intense as what happened to Princess Celestia." Raven continued, getting Drusilla's attention again as her friend smirked and leaned forward.

"You didn't hear it from me," Raven reminded her as she glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby to hear them, "but there is a rumor that princess Celestia entered a fight club."

"Oh, ho, ho! Now you did it, girl. This I need to hear in detail." Drusilla crowed, making Raven hiss intensely at her. Drusilla clapped her hands over her mouth in apology as Raven scowled at her.

“Really, what’s gotten into you today? If you’re going to be like this you can wait till later to hear.” Raven admonished.

“I’ll be good.” Drusilla squeaked between her fingers.

Raven accepted her apology and continued, "Ok, I heard from a maid, who heard from the chef, who heard from a patrolling guard that in the middle of the night, while the mayors were having their little party, Princess Celestia snuck out of the castle to the main city and didn't return until dawn….And when she did, her clothes were all sweaty and loose…And she had bruises all over her body and half of her face was slightly red and swollen. In fact, that is why she had that bandage on her shoulder. She is bandaged on the whole left side of her chest. I even heard somepony gave her a nasty scratch right on the nipple!"

Both mares winced and subconsciously rubbed their own breasts. "

Nothing a well-placed healing spell, bandages, and some creams can't solve, but still, that is one nasty injury." Raven continued.

The thestral nodded and stared down at the table, still processing the information. "Wow, you think you know a pony, am I right?"

"Can you truly blame her?"

Their food arrived and once the waitress left, Raven lifted her cup. "I keep telling you, behind closed doors, she’s no different than you and me. Besides, after spending 8 hours in boring meetings and having to maintain the appearance of a noble and composed princess, anypony would become a thrill seeker. I’ve seen her without the mask, and believe it or not, Princess Celestia can be a bit childish at times, even tomboyish. Sure, she’s still feminine and has the decorum we know, but she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty either."

"Agreed, I bet that mare has one heck of a left hook too," Drusilla commented and both of them laughed at her joke.

"Ok, now your turn, how have things been going working in Town Hall?" Raven demanded.

"Oh, ho, ho! Girl, do I have a doozy of a story for you as well," Drusilla smirked and leaned forward. "You didn't hear it from me, but Mark got lucky after the meeting."

"Oh wow! Go, Mark! Tell me, who was the lucky girl?"

"Sorry Inky, best bud code; can't tell," Drusilla shook her head, but smirked, "but I can tell you this, he caught himself a freaky one."

"Oh, really? How freaky?" Raven smiled widely, now invested in the story. "Are we talking about dirty talk freaky, or straps and leather freaky here?"

"I’d say 'slap me hard and call me a whorse’ freaky.'"

"No!"

"Heck yeah, he hit the jackpot there, girl."

"How are we sure she wasn't the one that rocked his world instead?" Raven asked with a smirk.

"Mark? Nah, I know him better than that. He might have a heart of gold, but you get him going and he will pounce on you like a wild animal."

"You seem very sure about this, Drusy, is there something you’re not telling me?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

Smiling, Drusilla beckoned Raven to come closer until she was close enough to whisper in her ear.

"You’ll never know." She teases then licked Raven’s ear, making her flinch and back away as her friend laughed.

"Damn it, Drusy!" Raven laughed too and cleaned her ear, "Mark is right, you really are the queen of teasing."

"Don’t you ever forget it."

"But come on girl you two are perfect for each other. You sure you don’t want to make it official and ask him out?"

"Nah, I'm not ready for a relationship yet." She dismisses the idea. "Besides, it’s way funnier and hotter just teasing and playing the ‘will they or won’t they’ game to screw with everyone."

She took a sip of her drink, "Plus, Mark has his eyes set on the mystery mare."

"And you are ok with letting him go like that?" Raven asked in genuine concern.

"Who knows, maybe? Maybe I'm the one looking? Maybe this is a package deal?"

She grabbed raven’s hand, "Would that make you jealous, dear?" Drusilla winked and slowly kissed the air at Raven until she pulled back her hand.

"Ok, Drusy, cut it out." she admonished.

"Oh Inky, sometimes you’re just too easy." she sighed, "but all jokes aside, there is a reason why my boy has his eyes on her."

"And why is that?"

"After they were done, she bailed, and because Mark is the way he is, of course he couldn't let that be the end of things. So we’re looking for her."

"Looking for her? He remembers what he did but doesn't know with whom he slept?" Raven asked, confused.

Drusilla could only shrug, "They were both weird drunk last night."

"Oh my, just like the…the mayors!" Raven’s eyes wide "He slept with one of the mayors!?"

It was Raven’s turn to clap her hands over her mouth as Drusilla glared at her. Drusilla Held her glare for a moment longer before a smile twitched at her lips and she looked away.

"I didn't say anything like that, now did I." She finished with a sidelong wink.

"Wow, now thismakes things all the more worrisome.” Raven muttered, “This is exactly the sort of thing the royal guards were trying to prevent. What would the press say if they found out?"

"Which is why this doesn't leave the table, Inky," Drusilla warned her.

"Your secret dies with me," Raven promised.

"Good, because I'm gonna need help tracking her down. We don't know which mare it was, but my boy has a list of suspects. What do you say I let you in on who she could be in exchange for some info?"

"But of course, it’d be nice to help sort out some of the fiasco from last night. The drug certainly did a number on everypony and nopony was measuring their drinks. I’m noble enough to want to help Mr. Mark find some closure on this matter.” Raven commented, finishing with a haughty tone.

Then her eyes flashed wickedly as she leered, “Plus I want to know which of the mayors is a freak in the sheets.”

"I knew that would get your interest." Drusilla smirked and passed over a couple of papers, "Ok here is the list I got…"

********

The Next Day

Tapping his foot, Mark looked around the restaurant while waiting for his date to arrive. Opting to go with a semi-formal outfit, Mark had picked out a simple short-sleeve red button-up shirt, formal pants, and running shoes.

"Calm down, Mark." Drusilla told him over his earpiece while she observed him from another table on the opposite side of the restaurant, "Remember, they can smell it if you’re nervous.”

Mark picked up his phone and pretended to be on a call. "I know that, but it’s just dawning on me that there may be no way to avoid this conversation being awkward, even though I just want to clear the air."

"I tried to warn you, Mark." He could hear her chuckling from the other side, "Too late to pull out now so you will have to soldier through and get this over with. Who knows, maybe if you play it right you might get another round."

"Drusy!"

"What? Don’t act like you don't want that." Drusilla challenged.

"Well yeah but I…and…ack, it’s complicated." Mark sputtered in reply.

"Relax, tiger. You’re a catch, so just relax and go with the flow.” his friend reassured him, “Your wingmare is right here with you if you need advice."

"Thanks, Drusy."

Then Drusilla’s voice became serious, “Ok, look alive, here she comes."

Straightening, Mark looked to the entrance of the restaurant just in time to see Ocellus walk in. Unlike their first encounter, she carried herself with a much more cheerful disposition. Instead of her formal attire, she was wearing a more casual outfit: a slightly loose white shirt with an orange dot on the front, some worn-out jeans, a dash of lipstick, and the same purse she had during the meeting. As she turned her head to scan the restaurant, Mark noticed a hickey on her neck. His eyes went wide as he remembered leaving one during his session, too.

As soon as Ocellus spotted him, she waved and approached him with a big grin plastered on her face.

"Mayor Mark, so sorry for the delay.” She apologized, “I got sidetracked with a friend on the way here."

"It's ok, it hasn't been all that long anyway. I haven't even ordered anything yet." Mark replied easily.

"Oh, great, because I could really use a bite and there is something I have been dying to tell you," Ocellus informed him as she took a seat and scanned the menu for options.

"That’s great, there’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss as well. It might involve that love bite you’re sporting there." He pointed at her neck, and she immediately covered it as she blushed and giggled nervously. Though, her cheerful demeanor never vanished.

"Oh, this? Don't worry about it." She dismissed the bite, before leaning closer, "If your topic also involves the mayor’s party, we should probably keep our voices down. You know, sensitive issue and all that."

"Agreed," Mark responded with a nod.

Once the waiter came and took their order Ocellus didn't waste time on starting the conversation. "If it's ok with you, may I go first?"

"Sure, go ahead," Mark replied.

"Thanks, because I've been dying to tell you this. Mark, seriously, I can't thank you enough for last night!" she gushed, and then surprised him as she slid around the booth to gently hug him.

"Ah, your…welcome?" He pat her back twice before she released him.

"Yona and Silverstream kept telling me to never meet your heroes – that it never ends well – but they were wrong. You were so nice to me and lifted one huge weight off my shoulders." Ocellus continued.

"I did? Wow, Ocellus I…I didn't realize you had these kinds of feelings." Mark smiled lightly, letting her vent her hype.

"Me neither,” she exclaimed back, “and while it was scary finding that it all happened because some pony decided to spike our drinks, I want to see the good that came from it."

"I'm glad to hear you’re taking this so well Ocellus, really. That sort of thing requires a hugely positive outlook on life." Mark congratulated her and then looked away in embarrassment, "So, I suppose you are not angry at me for well…taking advantage of you?"

"Advantage? Oh, that! Water under the bridge,” Ocellus dismissed easily, “we both weren't exactly thinking straight last night, right? Words were said, mistakes were made, and intentions exposed. We can all be adults here and put all of this behind us."

"Wow, I’ll give her this, your little changeling knows how to not let things bring her down." Drusilla complimented, watching everything unfold.

"Agreed," Mark nodded, reaching for the jewelry he had kept, "and since there are no hard feelings…"

But, before he could fully withdraw it from his jacket Ocellus interrupted him and continued her rambling with a blush as she grabbed her cheeks, "I mean, it might not be exactly as romantic as I would have wanted, but it turns out that one kiss was all the incentive Gallus needed to finally be honest with himself."

"What?" Mark’s hand froze before he revealed the jewelry and Drusilla confirmed his suspicions.

"Abort, abort! She's not our girl, bro." Her voice hurriedly came through his earpiece.

Mark faked a laugh and kept staring at Ocellus who hadn’t noticed his sudden movements as he put the jewelry back. "How do you know?" He asked both mares at the same time.

"That hickey’s not yours dude, it’s a diamond shape. Only beaks can leave that type of mark." Drusilla explained.

"Well for starters, after watching us kiss, Gallus finally had enough and dragged me to the balcony where we had a discussion under the pretext that I was getting too carried away. Things started to heat up and then finally he got the courage to confess not only how he was jealous, but also in love with me!" Ocellus recounted the story with closed eyes and sighed dreamily at the memory.

"Wow, talk about surprises," Mark commented neutrally.

"Oh, I knew it for quite some time now." Ocellus opened one eye at Mark with a smile and pointed at her nose. "Changeling, remember? I was simply waiting for him to admit it and when he saw how others might be interested, he found the courage to do so. That night we made things official, and well…I wouldn't be able to be here if it wasn't for your actions! Seriously Mr. Mark, thank you!" She hugged him once more as he chuckled and pat her back, "I wanted to say this sooner, but by the time Gallus and I came back you were chatting with Princess Celestia at the bar, and I didn't want to intrude."

"Don't mention it."

"Oh my, where are my manners!" Ocellus let go and fanned herself briefly, "here I'm rambling about me like a parrot, without even asking about your day. Tell me, Mr. Mark, what did you want to talk about?"

Mark did his best to keep his smile friendly instead of relieved, "Mostly…I just wanted to clear the air and apologize for, well, kind of force-feeding you love. Not gonna lie, part of me was fearing I would leave here with a slap in the face." he admitted.

"I see, then I'm happy to tell you that’s not gonna be the case then. Here, why don't we have a toast," She lifted her cup, "to happy accidents!"

"To happy accidents," Mark repeated and they click their cups as they enjoy the rest of their lunch.

"One down," Drusilla said to herself as she marked Ocellus' name from her list, "two to go."

********

"…So as you can see, even if I have the perfect excuse of blaming my actions on a drink, I would prefer to clear the air and apologize for anything inappropriate I might have said…or done." Mark finished his explanation to Tree Hugger, taking occasional glances at the pony in question. His assistant kept her eyes firmly on her clipboard with an intense glare, mentally promising to give her contact an earful when she saw them again.

Finding the mayor wasn't that hard. They discovered she was in the middle of a 'cleansing' yoga session in a secluded section of the palace garden. What her informant forgot to mention was that said yoga session was an au’naturale event, and the mare didn't have any issue chatting while performing each pose butt naked.

I’m gonna get you for this, Inky! Drusilla promised as she kept taking notes.

"There is no need for any apology, Mark." Tree Hugger replied. Sitting with her legs behind her head, she joined her palms as she meditates. "The events of last night might have been aided by that drug, but its effects did nothing but open everypony to their true inner selves.”

Taking a deep breath, she arched her chest forward and Mark was unable to look away from her medium-sized breasts, probably about a C cup, as much as he wanted to fight it.

"I-I see, s-so glad to hear that but apologies were in order nonetheless. The things I said, the fear that I might have forced myself on someone…"

Opening one eye, Tree Hugger looked at him in pity.

"You seem distressed, would you like to join me?" she invited.

Putting her legs back, she stood up and then went into a hand-to-foot pose, making it easier to talk.

"No!" Drusilla yelled before clearing her throat. "I-I mean thanks, but that won't be necessary, Mayor Tree. We just wanted to ask a couple of questions, that is all."

Tree Hugger lifted her head to stare at the secretary in confusion, before sighing in disappointment. "Such a shame to repress one's self, but if that lifts the pressure on your souls I will be happy to comply. Thanks to my herbal tea diet and meditation practice, I have pretty strong resistance to those drugs, plus I barely drank that night." She changed to a half-standing forward bend while chuckling.

"Really? Because that could be of great help, thank you, Tree Hugger." Mark gave a genuine smile of appreciation as Drusilla went back to staring at her clipboard.

Noticing that, Mark leaned toward her, asking, "Why so embarrassed? You do this kind of thing to me all the time."

"That is teasing! This is an exhibition! There’s a difference!" Drusilla hissed quietly back, "She’s not teasing anyone here, just leaving no room for the imagination."

"Ah," Mark nodded in understanding as Tree Hugger moved into Gate Pose,

He listened intently as she began to recall the party, "After the toast made by Princess Celestia, we all went to the dance floor where we kept rotating partners. Everything was innocent fun and games until about a half hour in when everyone's aura started to turn more pink than usual. I saw you needing to take a breather in a corner when Mayor Ocellus introduced you to one of her friends."

"Yeah…I remember a bit of that, right up until the part where I kissed her."

Tree Hugger nodded and moved into Compass Pose before continuing, "After that, Mayor Cumulus grabbed my flank and asked me to dance, so I did. He was tired, so after one dance I let him sleep on a bench and use my lap as a pillow. I think I saw Spectral taking you to the garden about that time.”

That grabbed her audience’s attention. "Oh, really?"

She nodded and stood back up, "It didn't last long though," in Parivrtta Janu Pose she continued, "you both came back with Princess Twilight, all 3 of you laughing at something. Both of them were flapping their wings all over your body as you grabbed a handful of them.”

"Oh god, please tell me I didn't grope one of the Princesses?!" Mark begged.

"Oh, you did that too." Tree Hugger confirmed, leaving him mortified. She doesn't seem to notice, or care, as she took up the next part of her story, "After that, the music went slower, and Princess Luna invited you to dance with her." In Revolved Seated Wide Angle, she looked up, "You two seemed so cute, and her aura got an intense pink as you hugged her from behind while she nuzzled the side of your head and even stole a quick kiss here and there while blushing." Tree Hugger stopped and took a moment to treasure the memory, "You looked like a couple in love if you ask me."

"Yep, if she remembers that things will get awkward next time I see Princess Luna." Mark lamented as he grabbed his head and shook it while Drusilla looked at him in surprise.

"Anything else?" Mark queried with a resigned tone.

Tree Hugger shook her head, "When I saw you again you seemed very tired, so I let you rest on my lap."

That was something Mark remembered, "Yeah, I recall that. We talked about auras and something involving a lot of mares?"

She nodded while in Ubaya pose. "I got excited, too – so much so that I wanted to share a copy of my medical record with you. Though by the time I came back, you were gone and the guards were going into overdrive dispersing the crowd and preventing mass panic.”

She broke the pose and balanced on both hands while recalling the incident, “Eh, kind of a half-success with how a lot of panic still happened when half the mayors awoke in padded rooms with their hooves tied up, but still: Better alternative.” She stared down. “I should have done more, but even I was too relaxed to see the warning signs.”

"Wait what? Let's go back there." Drusilla cut in, perplexed at the idea, “You share your medical records with others?”

"Well, yeah, just because I'm a free spirit doesn't mean I'm not clean," Tree Hugger answered with a shake of her head, "that is just a mean stereotype ponies put on us. Contrary to what they think, we preach about fulfilling and enriching love without boundaries or consequences."

She finished her yoga positions and stood to face them, "Our physical form is our temple and as such it must remain clean and purified of any sort of illness. Especially when sharing one’s soul."

Mark and Drusilla exchanged glances.

"Wow, Tree Hugger that…that is a healthy way of living," Mark admitted.

"Wait, wait, that’s nice and all but why did you want to show him that?"

"Duh, to schedule a session of soul bonding.” Tree Hugger responded easily, “I wanted our experience to be free of any drug influence."

"That’s very thoughtful, but well…" Mark started to say.

Tree Hugger put her finger on his lips.

"I know you are gonna reject it, but as I said, that drink only helped you express your real self, nothing more. So, the offer will remain open and I will send the records of all the mares that will be invited," she winked at him, "in case you change your mind."

With that said she turned around and grabbed a robe before leaving but not before patting Drusilla's shoulder. "You should be more honest with yourself too."

Wordlessly they both watched her leave without a care in the world.

"Drusy did she just offer…?" Mark started.

"The less said about it the better!" She interrupted him with an intense blush as she checked Tree Hugger off the list, "She’s not our gal, so let's just move on."

He nodded, "Not much doubt there. Even if I tried to not look I got a good glance at her full body and besides being in pretty good shape she didn't seem to have ever had any type of…"

"I said not to speak about it!" Drusy insisted, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away to the last suspect.

********

Later that evening, the two visited a local casino on the outskirts of Canterlot, where the Mayor of Las Pegasus was exploring the place and playing on one of the machines. The usually elegant thestral had opted to wear more common fare for her night out, with blue jeans and a button-up red shirt slightly open revealing part of her bra-less cleavage. A pink handkerchief was wrapped around her neck to leave something to the imagination and the ensemble was finished with sunglasses on top of her head.

"Greetings, Mayor Mark." She said as she pulled the lever and turned around to look at the two with a subtle smirk, "So nice to hear you wanted us to talk some more outside the assembly."

Mark noticed other ponies glancing at them. Even in the noisy casino, they would need to speak carefully while in public. The slot machine behind Spectra stopped, showing a jackpot win.

"My name is Drusilla Dracul," the secretary introduced herself neutrally, "I'm Mayor Mark’s assistant. Nice to meet you, Mayor Spectra."

"The pleasure is all mine, dear." Mayor Spectra smiled and closed her eyes as they shook hands, "I have been an active follower of the Mayor of Canterlot ever since he made and fulfilled his promise of helping the thestral community and his campaign of placing us in a more flattering light than what some ponies believe." They both returned the stares of the ponies around them, who quickly returned to their own slot machines.

"I'm simply a firm believer in equal opportunity and tolerance for everyone, Mayor Spectra.” Mark replied, gaining her attention again, “It’s you all who are the true heroes with everything you have achieved. I only threw out ideas, It’s thestrals who put in the effort to make them come true."

Spectra leaned closer and smiled at him before turning to Drusilla.

"He’s too humble for his own good, isn't he?" she asked.

Drusilla sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. "More than you could imagine. Sir, if I can speak my mind, I really wish you would just take the compliment."

They shared a small laugh, calming any tension going on around them as Mark pointed to the end of the row of machines. "Well, now that we finished with the pleasantries, could we have a moment of your time in private, Mayor Spectra?"

"Sure, just let me grab my earnings real quick," She agreed as she turned and scooped all of the bits she had just won into a bucket. The group headed over to the lounge where an empty booth caught their notice. Once seated Drusilla pulled a semi-translucent curtain across the opening for added privacy.

"There, that should do it." Spectra crossed her fingers and sighed, "Now, about last night," she leveled her stare at Mark, "after our small chat at the party, there are certainly plenty of unresolved issues that needed to be addressed."

She extended her neck and even though it was covered by make-up, up close both human and thestral could see a hickey behind the powder.

"Before we say anything else, I just want to apologize, Ms. Spectra. If I forced myself on you I…I didn't mean to…" Mark started but she raised a hand to stop him, shaking her head.

"Relax tiger, you were very gentle, all things considered.” She assured him. “If anypony should be apologizing it should be me." She admitted in shame as she looked down, "Let me ask you, how much do you remember?"

"I remember us dancing during a calm song. I admitted to having…" Mark pretended to cough and looked away "…an attraction to bat wings and you inviting me to touch them." He finished with some heat on his face, an action that Spectral copied.

"I can't believe I said that," she said, more to herself.

"It's okay, ok, it wasn't either of our faults. It was the drink talking." Mark quickly reminded her.

"I know, but that doesn't excuse how a simple game of teasing could escalate so much," She added with a shake of her head, "anything else?"

"I…not much. Whatever happened next is a mystery to me." Mark admitted, trying to be honest but not yet ready to tackle the main issue.

"Then allow me to fill in some blanks there. After our dance, we went to the balcony to admire the night while still hugging each other." She smiled at the memory, "my ex and I used to stargaze all the time. I intended to play with you a little, flying around, maybe carrying you with me here and there and then leaving you wanting for more." She chuckled to herself, "I never imagined things would turn out the other way around."

"Excuse me?" Mark couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"While we were hugging you stole a quick peck on my cheek and apologized with a sappy excuse about the moonlight on me, or something. Normally it wouldn't have affected me but that stupid drink turned me into a school filly so I just continued to invite you to explore more, as I rubbed my body against yours with closed eyes. I eventually grabbed your hand and slowly made you grope me and pull my dress here and there."

The atmosphere was starting to heat up as Mark and Drusilla were getting red-faced with the increasingly erotic story.

"For Luna’s sake, I don't know what came over me! Please don't think of me like that kind of mare. There’s a process to these things, you know? Normally I would have waited for the third date before letting you go that far." Spectral finished, defensively.

"O-Of course! I wouldn't do any of that normally either. I-I mean you are extremely attractive and I wouldn't be opposed, but I would wait for when we both were ready!" Mark stammered as well, "We aren't animals either, sure I don't mind mild teasing, but that was taking things too far, too fast."

"Exactly!" She pointed at him and sighed, "Thank the stars Princess Twilight caught us just before you…" she coughed and looked away with a blushing face, "found gold if you understand."

"We don't need to describe it further." Drusilla agreed rapidly, "So…was Princess Twilight also…?"

"I…I'm not sure, I remember that she was carrying a glass of wine but with how she stopped us, it reminded me of a schoolteacher. She kept telling us how we shouldn't do things in the open and suggested that we’d had one too many drinks." she laughed a little, "That mare could potentially be a great mom one day."

"Agreed." Mark nodded.

"Anyway,” Spectra continued, “once she calmed down, she went on and on about how happy she was that you put your name on the list."

"Wait what?" Mark's eyes went wide, "I did that?"

"You don't remember?" Spectral looked at him in confusion while Drusilla looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Mark only shook his head, "Ms. Spectra, I love being the Mayor of Canterlot, if I did indeed write that, it should immediately be rendered null and void under the law against signing binding contracts while intoxicated."

"You know about the law I made?" She asked, putting her hand on her chest, genuinely touched.

"Of course, it was a brilliant legislation that defended those that could potentially make bad decisions or worse were tricked into making them while under the influence of any substance." Mark asserted.

"Aww, thanks. It’s a shame though because Princess Twilight seemed over the moon at having you on board, but still, thanks." Spectra happily replied.

"How thankful do you think the princess was, Mayor Spectra?" Drusilla questioned with a raised eyebrow but Spectra simply shrugged.

"I don't know,” she admitted, “after she took you for a dance, everything turned hazy, but I swear I saw you trip and accidentally grope one of her breasts."

"Oh no, please tell me I didn't." Mark brought his hands to his face in embarrassment.

Upon seeing his reaction Spectra quickly tried to mollify him, "Eh, I could be wrong. I mean, next I heard was her boasting about how much she’d 'grown' over the years and inviting you to grope the other one to see for yourself." She shrugs once more, “Not that I would blame her either, if I grew two or three cups as she did, I would be boasting too.”

Her attempt failed and Mark groaned, even more embarrassed, at that revelation.

With Mark unable to continue, Drusilla picked up the conversation, "So, other than that hickie, nothing else happened?" She pointed at the love mark on Spectra’s neck.

"Pretty much, next thing I knew I woke up in the kitchen covered in jelly…and nothing else."

That snapped Mark out of his funk as he looked back in surprise only to find Spectra smirking at him.

"Got you."

"Oh hardy, har, har." He replied sarcastically and looked away as the thestral laughed.

"Relax, Mark just a little something to shift the mood. As you said, it wasn't our fault and all things considered," She grabbed his hand, "I enjoyed our time together. Having your arms around me felt so secure and comfortable." She confessed with a sigh before winking at him. "Give me a call if you ever visit Las Pegasus again, I would love to give you a tour of the town. Just no drinks this time."

"Agreed." Mark nodded and they exchanged goodbyes.

"That’s the last suspect, back to square one." Mark sighed as Drusilla crossed Spectra’s name from the list.

"Not completely, sir." She disagreed as she looked back at him, "While it may be true that none of them were our mystery mare, their stories clue us in on who you spent the night with; those mysterious pegasi."

Mark froze at that, "Oh no, please tell me it’s not them."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, sir, but they are the only ones that fit the criteria." She shows him the list, "All the pegasus mares at the party were shorter than you. Heck, only two mares were actually taller, and they were both earth ponies. Besides, according to them, you were very close to each of them at one point or another."

"No, no, it must be a mistake. I mean…" he started to pace back and forth, "They can't be, the-they have alicorn magic, yeah! They couldn't get poisoned like the rest of us did. I mean I can't, they’re our rulers for Pete’s sake!"

"Mark, Mark look at me!" She grabbed his shoulders before he could start to hyperventilate, "Look at me! Ok?”

He complied and looked right at her yellow, reptilian eyes.

"I have my reservations too, but they will more than understand. It WAS an accident that they played a hand in. So, we can do two things here. We take a deep breath, schedule an appointment and ask them directly, or we forget the whole thing and pretend it didn't happen; leave it as just a one-night stand."

As Mark’s breathing slowed down she let him go.

"Either way, I'll be right by your side, sir," Drusilla assured him confidently.

After a few deep breaths, he managed to calm down and nod, "Thank you, Drusy. I needed that. You’re right, we can stop this investigation anytime we want…plus, I could also be wrong about them being tall, I don't remember much, after all.”

Drusilla crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not disregarding the option, just saying it's a possibility. At the very least, I'm positive it couldn't be Cel…I mean princess Celestia. Of them all, she was the only one that seemed relaxed during the party, and we only talked, according to Ocellus.'' Mark defended.

"True, if anything, it looks like Princess Luna is the one." Drusilla agreed and put two of her fingers on her chin, "So…do we continue then?"

"I'll need to think about it, this seems like a big can of worms. I need to be sure if I truly wish to open it. Could you give me until tomorrow to give you an answer?" Mark asked her.

"Of course, take all the time you need."

"Thanks."

"Now, about that list Spectra mentioned?" Drusilla changed subjects and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Should I be worried?"

"We’ll work on fixing that mistake first thing in the morning, don't worry," Mark promised her.