Neo Somnambula: Desert Lotus

by Robipony

Rating: teen
Tags: Sex, Profanity, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Narcotics, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Science Fiction, Comedy
Length: 9657

Snapshot is a mare who survives in the walled city of Neo Somnambula by working at a brothel. Despite her debt, Snapshot still tries to follow her dreams of being a photographer.

Neo Somnambula, a walled city with the Equestrian desert, a refuge against the burning sun above and the swirling sands around. However, this sanctuary isn't a symbol of harmony but a city divided into corporations, the upper-class nobles and those beneath them. Sometimes in order to survive in such a city you must resort to drastic measures.

Snapshot knows this all too well, working as a prostitute at the X-Streams brothel in the Glowpulse district. Yet as long as she has her camera, she can hope for a brighter future... Even if it seems unlikely.

Neo Somnambula is a Cyberpunk/Ancient Egyptian inspired Alternate MLP Universe. It takes place in an alternate timeline where Equestria was reduced to a desert wasteland. :rainbowderp:

This story contains: Suggestive content, references to drugs, cybernetics, gangs, a "live" chat commenting on sexual content, tentacles, a red-light district, and in this AU Cadence never became an alicorn so she's a pegasus.

Credits

This story was written for the Science Fiction Contest III.

Cover art by your's truly. :rainbowwild:

Proofread by: NiCkY.

Here are the ocs that were used in this story that belong to other creators:

Thunderbolt Sentinel - Thunderbolt Sentinel

Screwy - Genderbent Screw

Arcane Dust - Arcane Dust

Published 2024-05-07 13:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-05-09 13:28:57 UTC

Metal Lotus

The young earth pony mare breathed quickly as she lay on the bed. Despite doing this so many times, she still felt so nervous. Sweat dripped down her tan coat while the lenses of her glasses upon her ocean-blue eyes started to fog.

Realizing what was going on, Snapshot took several deep breaths as she tried to slow her heart rate. It would do her no good if she fainted during her session with a client.

“It's okay…” Snapshot reassured herself.

After pushing a few stray strands of her short red mane from her vision, Snapshot focused her attention on the room around her. The room consisted of light panels, each emitting a deep red bathing the room in a reddish hue. The bed she lay upon had red satin bed sheets and pillows with matching pillowcases. While the room seemed bare, Snapshot knew that there were sensors behind the wall, recording everything going on inside.

On the upper right corner of Snapshot's HUD was a chatbox as various viewers talked, waiting for the show to start. As she waited for her client to arrive, Snapshot pulled up the file on her client.

The client's name was Screwy. He was an earth pony with some Grav-Tech implants and some Bouncy-Hoof cybernetics.

“That'll be a new experience,” Snapshot said. She had never done it with a customer who had Grav-Tech before. It was a prospect that was exciting, which helped settle her nerves a little.

“I wonder if he bought it for sex or if maybe he has some other use for it?” She wondered.

He had also requested to use X-Stream's privacy settings to conceal his identity during their session, both his face and cutie mark would be digitally censored during the stream. Also, he had been checked for any diseases and had a clean bill of health, just the way that X-Stream liked it. Today would be his first session at X-Streams.

As Snapshot looked over Screwy's information, she heard the door to her room open. Closing the file, Snapshot peered up at the stallion who had entered.

Screwy had a blue coat and a frazzled, silvery gray mane. As he stepped into the room, the young stallion's magenta eyes glanced around nervously.

“A-are you alright?” Snapshot asked.

“W-what? Ye-yes, I'm fine,” Screwy answered meekly.

Rising from the bed, Snapshot carefully walked over to him. Her HUD alerted her that in about a minute, the stream would start.

“Is this your first time at X-Streams?” Snapshot already knew the answer, but she felt that it might make her client feel more comfortable.

Swallowing hard, Screwy nodded.

“I hope you don't mind me asking,” Snapshot spoke softly, “but are you a virgin?”

Screwy scrunched his nose and shook his head. “N-no.”

Well, that would certainly make things easier. Gently, Snapshot placed a hoof on Screwy's cheek. Now that she was closer, Snapshot could see the Grav-Tech implants that were small hoof-sized metal pads attached to the right and left side of Screwy's back, just above his hips.

“Then just pretend that nopony's watching,” Snapshot encouraged, “if anything needs to be adjusted, I'll whisper it in your ear and we'll do it at your pace.”

Sometimes, viewers watching the stream could donate X-Bits, X-Stream's digital currency to maybe change positions, have their name called out, or something else within the confines of the agreed-upon terms of both the prostitute and the client.

Taking a deep breath, Screwy nodded. “Y-yeah, I suppose you're right.”

A message appeared on Snapshot's HUD, alerting her that the stream would start in ten seconds. The lights in the room, pulsing with the timer.

Gently, Snapshot directed Screwy to the bed. “It'll be okay. Let's just take it nice and slow, and go from there.”

“T-thank you,” Screwy said, “what should I call you?”

Taking Screwy's forehoof, Snapshot gently placed it against her cheek. “You can call me whatever you want. I'm your Desert Lotus after all.”

PronTast3sG00D: Wow.
PronTast3sG00D: Did you guys see that?
DazzleRazzle: Would love to be pounded like that.
CornMaster69: I don't know you could use Grav-tech like that.
OnlyFlanks: Yeah, now I want some.
DeviantDinkie: It's a shame that she didn't have any Grav-tech.
C0mpletelyN0rmal: Yeah, would love some zero g bucking.
H4mst3R: Is the sound coming through?
T3ntacl3sRC00L: Sounds fine to me.
Venusunev: But even then the mare's still hot.
PronTast3sG00D: Oh, definitely.
OnlyFlanks: Desert Lotus is so sexy.
CornMaster69: Love a mare with glasses.
Dankw3b: Cornmaster likes nerdy fillies.
DeviantDinkie: Nothing wrong with that.
Dankw3b: Didn't say there was.
Dankw3b: lol.
Radstad: Nah. Nerdy fillies are hot.
H4mst3R: Nvm.
H4mst3R: Accidentally muted the stream on my HUD.
DeviantDinkie: O_O
H4mst3R: Oops.
H4mst3R: lol.
30GrayPonies: I love her Sub-Dermal Light Implants.
Venusunev: Yeah, they are pretty awesome!
OnlyFlanks: I especially like how it pulses when she climaxes.
PronTast3sG00D: Yeah, that's pretty sweet.
NetherFlame: Yes... More…

“You’ve done well today Snapshot,” Cadence said, as she went over the numbers of the day, “you were able to satisfy four clients and managed to make over five thousand X-Points in donations.”

Snapshot blushed while she sat nervously on the couch. “T-thank you, ma’am.”

The two mares sat inside Cadence’s office. It had synthetic wooden panels on the walls, upon which were posters of some of X-stream’s most talented stars, a wooden desk, and the large leather couch that Snapshot sat on. Behind the desk was a leather chair, which Cadence sat in, and behind the pink pegasus, embedded in the wall was a fish tank containing a few exotic fish.

Cadence was the main mistress who ran X-Streams. She made sure that her fillies were cared for and that the clients went home satisfied. On occasion, she would stream, using her body, her four cybernetic legs, and the robotic tentacles within to please both her clients and the viewers, all under the alias of Hathor.

It was because of Cadence that Snapshot was able to work in what was probably the safest brothel in Neo Somnambula’s Glowpulse district. Cadence had even been the one to come up with Snapshot's alias, Desert Lotus. Largely it was because she was from the desert and had been so shy when she started that she reminded Cadence of a delicate lotus.

“I have routed your earnings to your account,” Cadence continued, “as well as a bit of a bonus.”

“A bonus?” Snapshot blinked in confusion.

Some of Cadence's robotic tentacles were holding onto some papers that Cadence had been looking at. Rumor had it that she had lost her legs when some rogue sorcerers tried experimenting on her, altering Cadence with their foul magic.

Cadence nodded. “It’s been three years since you started working with us. So, I thought you could use some extra Bit-Chiques. That it might help you with your little hobby.”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” Snapshot replied.

It was then that Cadence took on a serious almost motherly tone. “Snapshot are you sure you don’t want a room here? If it’s money you’re worried about I’m sure we can work something out.”

“No, it’s fine,” Snapshot answered, “I like having my own place. It gives me a brief respite from my work.”

“I’m just worried about your safety,” Cadence explained, “gang activity has increased lately and I’m afraid that you might end up being hurt or… worse.”

Snapshot couldn’t help but smile, her heart warmed by her employer’s compassionate words. Such emotions were rare in this dark corner of the lower city.

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

Cadence looked Snapshot over and let out a tired sign. “Just… be careful alright.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

With her work finished for the evening, Snapshot went to the locker room to clean herself off before heading home.

Walking past the lockers and the bathroom stalls, Snapshot made her way to the alcove that served as the shower room. It was a large room with white tiles with a drain in the center, inside there were nine shower faucets, three for each of the walls aside from the one with the entrance. At this hour, there was nopony else here, so Snapshot had the whole room to herself.

Stepping inside, Snapshot walked to the far right corner from the entrance and waved a hoof to activate the shower.

The water felt nice on her coat, Snapshot began cleaning herself with some liquid soap. While it was company protocol for the prostitutes to clean themselves between clients, Snapshot also enjoyed showering after work.

As Snapshot showered, she heard the sound of the door to the locker room opening.

Not before long, a unicorn mare stepped into the shower room. Her long pink mane with purple highlights was braided into a ponytail, before it was loosened by the mare's silver magic, causing the unsecured strands to drape over the mare's pale green coat.

It was Barb, one of the most popular prostitutes in X-Streams both for her beauty and her willingness to do just about anything that the clients and the viewers asked of her. While most of the other fillies seemed to get along with Barb, for some reason she would act distant around Snapshot.

Not wanting to cause any trouble, Snapshot focused on finishing her shower quickly.

Despite Snapshot’s concern, Barb didn't seem to be interested in her, her silver eyes focused on the wall as she waved a hoof and proceeded to clean herself. Water trickled down her form, the tattoos of purple flowers and thorn thistles seeming to crawl up her legs to taste the cascading moisture. Irritated, Barb closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall.

Once Snapshot had finished rinsing off, she quickly left to dry herself, before leaving the X-Streams brothel.

The street lights and neon signs were bright in the Glowpulse district, known by many as Neo Somnambula’s domain of sin and desire. Most of the buildings were made of concrete and sandstone with piping, tubing, wires, and metal support beams connecting them. Holographic advertisements were everywhere, promoting cybernetics that could enhance your love life, brothels with mares and stallions that could fulfill your wildest fantasies, arcades with the newest virtual reality pods and games, and drugs that could bring you such great ecstasy.

Whatever source of entertainment you wanted could be found. Any sensual desires your heart could lust for could be found in this dark place. The music generated by all the nearby clubs seemed to have a low bass that throbbed like a faint heartbeat.

With the upper city being built completely over this district, no sunlight reached these dismal streets, which made it a playground for gangsters, gamblers, and deviants alike. Even tourists would come here to partake in the debauchery and fulfill their wildest fantasies. Drugs and sex flowed through the streets like wine.

Yet even in a place like this pockets of peace and serenity could be found, and it was these pockets that Snapshot wanted to capture.

Wearing a black, hooded cloak, Snapshot walked through the streets, her eyes swaying from side to side, looking out both for her quarry and any trouble that could befall her.

The smell of stagnant water, perfume, and other substances that were either residual drug fumes or the scent of body fluids filled Snapshot’s nostrils.

As Snapshot walked past a brothel, known as the Breeding Pit, her eyes caught sight of something down one of the alleyways. It was a faint blue glow coming from further down the corridor.

Curious as to what this glow might be coming from, Snapshot ventured down the alleyway. Even as she walked, Snapshot kept herself alert in case a thug or drug addict was hiding nearby.

After wandering a little longer, Snapshot discovered the source of the glow. Somepony had taken scrap metal and had welded it together into the shape of a lotus blossom. After setting it up in a makeshift metal vase, they must have cast a light spell on it, allowing the metal petals to glow with bright blue light.

Upon seeing this beautiful piece of artwork, Snapshot reached under her cloak and pulled out a digital camera, and started taking pictures of the metal lotus.

A smile graced Snapshot’s lips as she examined the photos on the small digital screen of her camera.

“Perfect.”

Once she was satisfied with the images she had taken, Snapshot went back down the alleyway she had come from. Before leaving the alley, three stallions approached her.

“Well, well, well,” one of the thugs chuckled, “what do we have here?”

Two of the gangsters blocked her path. Each of them bore the symbol of a broken heart on their clothes, marking them as members of the Joy-ripper gang.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a cute mare with an antique camera,” another gangster chuckled.

Snapshot’s legs quivered and wobbled. This was really bad.

One of the Joy-rippers grabbed Snapshot by the shoulder and shoved her against the wall. “I say we have our way with her and then sell off her camera for a pretty bit. I call dibs on rutting her first!”

This was extremely bad. Fear gripped Snapshot as she looked up at the three thugs surrounding her. They were going to take everything she had left in this city and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

With all the gangs down here, law enforcement was nowhere to be found. No Horizon Knights would be coming to save her.

“Or… you could just let her go,” another voice said.

Snapshot and the three Joy-rippers turned their attention to a new pony that had entered the alleyway. Annoyed, one of the thugs approached the newcomer.

“Oh, and who do you think you are,” the gangster growled, “you little sh–”

There was a crack as the newcomer’s hoof slammed into the lower jaw of the thug, sending a chipped tooth flying through the air.

One of the other gangsters growled. “How dare y–”

Before the gangster could reach for his brace blaster, the newcomer’s rear hoof was propelled at high velocity into his chest, causing the thug to cough up blood.

With two of the Joy-rippers down for the count, the third was less interested in meeting the same fate.

“I think I’ll just… you know… leave.” The last gangster said as he turned around and walked away from his fallen comrades, whistling a quick anxious tune to himself.

As the two incapacitated thugs crawled away in defeat, the newcomer turned his attention to Snapshot. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes,” Snapshot replied.

“Here let me help you up,” the newcomer said as he walked over and courteously offered his hoof to Snapshot.

“Th-thank you.” Snapshot took his hoof.

Now that she was no longer slumped onto the ground, Snapshot could better view her rescuer.

Snapshot had met a few tall ponies in her life, yet most of them paled in comparison to the stature of this pegasus, his goliath size on par with many diamond dogs. His black leather jacket contrasted with his yellow coat. Yellow and black strands of his mane flowed down past his neck.

With sincere, yellow eyes, the newcomer gazed down at Snapshot. “Those goons didn’t hurt you badly did they?”

Blinking a couple of times, Snapshot realized that she was blushing. “N-no, y-you stopped them in time.”

If things had gone south, Snapshot would have had to endure numerous invasive tests and if she had received any sexually transmitted illnesses from those ruffians, she very well could have lost her job at X-Streams.

The newcomer smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

As her rescuer turned to walk away, Snapshot couldn’t help but feel a little bit charmed by him.

“W-wait, what’s your name?” Snapshot asked.

Turning around, the stallion smiled. “I’m Thunderbolt Sentinel.”

“Uh, I’m Snapshot,” she said, “i-if you want I could get you a treat for saving me.”

Thunderbolt waved a hoof. “That’s not necessary.”

“P-please, I insist.”

After walking down the street a ways, they stopped by a food vending machine and bought some black velvet instant cupcakes, before walking to a nearby park.

The parks in the Glowpulse district were different for a couple of different reasons. For starters, most of the other districts didn’t have advertisements for brothels and sex toys outside of their parks. Also due to there being no sunlight down here, the only plants inside these parks were fungi and plants that were genetically modified to not need the sun.

After finding a park bench, both of them sat down and began to eat.

“So, what were you doing in that alleyway?” Thunderbolt asked as he opened the container of his instant cupcake. Immediately as the lid was peeled off, the top of the cupcake puffed up.

“I-I was taking some pictures,” Snapshot answered as she presented her camera. She turned on the screen and showed the pictures of the scrap metal lotus.

“This is really good,” Thunderbolt muffled in between bites. “So you're a photographer.”

“Uh, k-kind of,” Snapshot answered.

It wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the complete truth either.

“You know there are ways to take pictures using your HUD,” Thunderbolt continued.

“Y-yeah, but it just doesn’t feel as authentic,” Snapshot explained.

“I suppose that’s fair.”

“So, uh, what do you do?” Snapshot asked as she opened her instant cupcake.

“Nothing terribly special,” Thunderbolt replied, “I’m a security guard.”

Considering his effectiveness in the brawl earlier, that didn’t surprise Snapshot. Combined with his size there was no doubt that Thunderbolt Sentinel was a good security guard.

“It must be hard work,” Snapshot said.

“Nah, it's mostly just sitting in front of a bunch of monitors all day and occasionally going for a walk.”

This elicited a slight giggle from Snapshot and Thunderbolt smiled. Some sudden pulsating light caught Snapshot's attention as her Sub-Dermal Light Implants activated, causing blue lines resembling the circuits on a motherboard to pulse up and down her legs.

“What's that?” Thunderbolt asked.

Snapshot let out an annoyed sigh. “Just some faulty cybernetics.”

They were something that Cadence had suggested might help increase her popularity at the brothel, which it did, but like with all tech from Flim Flam Industries, it would act up sometimes. Quickly Snapshot made some adjustments on her HUD and the lights faded.

“Would you like to exchange our Ba-Link information?” Thunderbolt asked, “I go through this district on my way to work and if you want I could accompany you to your place if you feel the need.”

Ba-Links were the digital implants that allowed their users to access their HUD, the Canternet, and manipulate their cybernetics.

“Oh, uh, sure,” Snapshot said, “if you don't mind me taking a picture of you.”

“Not at all.” Thunderbolt grinned.

Holding up her camera, Snapshot angled it so that it would be able to capture both Thunderbolt and her as they sat on the bench.

“A-alright, smile!” Snapshot instructing.

Both of them gave a warm smile as Snapshot hit the button and took the picture.

“Thank you for escorting me to my apartment,” Snapshot said.

“It's no trouble,” Thunderbolt Sentinel replied.

Snapshot smiled as she unlocked the door to her apartment.

“You can come in if you want,” Snapshot said.

Thunderbolt shook his head. “No, I need to be heading home as well.”

“O-okay, well take care then.”

“You as well,” Sentinel replied, “have a great evening.”

After waving farewell, Snapshot stepped inside her apartment.

The room was wide enough for one pony to walk inside with two alcoves one on each side. One held a small bed, while the other alcove served as storage space. On the far side of the room was a round window, through which the lights of the district could be seen.

In the storage area was a special printer that Snapshot used to print pictures off of her vintage camera. Sure, she could just save them into a digital archive, but Snapshot loved the feeling of a photograph in her hooves.

Pulling out her camera, Snapshot looked over her recent pictures. “What should I print off today?”

After picking out some of the best pictures of the metal lotus, Snapshot realized that she had room to print out one more picture on the photo sheet.

“Hmm…”

As she scrolled through the pictures again, she came across the photo that Thunderbolt and she had taken together. The fact was that if it wasn't for him, she might not be here right now.

“Guess you're the lucky winner,” Snapshot said, as she selected the image and clicked the print icon.

Minutes later, the printer finished its task, and using some scissors, Snapshot separated the different photographs. After taking the pictures of the lotus and putting them in her scrapbook, Snapshot held onto the last picture.

“What should I do with you?”

As she considered what to do with the photo she lay down on her bed. On the wall above the bed was a collection of various photographs attached with sticky tape, forming a collage. In the center of the pictures was the last photo that Snapshot had taken of her family. It showed her parents, her little brother, and her standing in front of their farmhouse.

After some more pondering, Snapshot put the photograph of Thunderbolt and her in the upper right corner of the collage. Smiling, Snapshot admired her collection, before she pulled over her bedsheets and went to sleep.

Sand crunched softly underneath Snapshot’s hooves as she walked around her family’s rock farm. There were all sorts of rocks here, big ones, short ones, some the size of a pony's head.

After the Daybreak, the once lush and beautiful land of Equestria was reduced to a vast, scorched desert. Outside of the walled cities like Neo Somnambula, there were few settlements due to roaming raiders, nomads, and the Tatzlwurms that lurked in the sands.

The sun was setting as Snapshot gazed out into the rock field. As per usual the rocks looked like, well… rocks.

“So, this is your family’s farm,” Thunderbolt said.

“Yeah.” While Snapshot felt excited about returning home, a part of her felt apprehensive.

As she looked around, Snapshot realized that something was off.

“Where is everypony?” Snapshot asked.

“Maybe they're inside.” Thunderbolt pointed to the old trusty farmhouse.

“Uh, yeah, of course.”

Walking up to the cabin, Snapshot opened the door and stepped inside. It was just how she had left it.

The main room was divided into two sections, one being the living room and the other the kitchen and dining area. In the recreational area, there was a couch large enough for four ponies facing an old television. The dining area had a table with four chairs set around it.

Yet her family was nowhere to be seen.

“Hello!” Snapshot called out, but nopony answered.

Looking around, she didn't see any sign of a struggle or that they had evacuated in haste. All the furniture and bobbles on the countertops were completely undisturbed.

“Maybe they went to buy some supplies,” Snapshot said, “I'm sure they'll be back soon…”

Turning around, Snapshot realized that she was alone in the cabin. Where was Thunderbolt? Did he stay outside? She could have sworn that he had followed her inside.

Stepping outside, Snapshot was surprised to see that it was now night with the full moon overhead. Surrounding the cabin were thousands of ponies, their features completely obscured. Fear gripped Snapshot's heart as she heard the crowd chanting, their words completely garbled.

“W-what's going on?” Snapshot asked, her legs twitching nervously.

The figures continued talking, their unholy chant undisturbed by Snapshot's inquiry. Then the ground began to rumble underneath her. Before Snapshot could do anything, the giant Tatzlwurm engulfed both her and the farmhouse, as the figures watched on.

Snapshot’s eyes opened as she was woken up by the nightmare. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes.

“Stupid dream,” Snapshot mumbled as she tried to fall back to sleep.

The alarm clock app on her Ba-Link had other plans.

Painted Lotus

Snapshot lay upon the bed, her usual choker swapped out for a black dog collar with a leash clasped on. She wore a black headband that projected two blue holographic cat ears. Some black whiskers were painted onto her cheeks.

It was a standard X-Streams room, only this room’s lighting was bright yellow.

Looking over the client’s information on her HUD, Snapshot knew that this session was going to be a rough one.

The client was a diamond dog named Griz. Roughly three-quarters of his body was cybernetic. This was his twelfth time at X-Streams, though this would be Snapshot’s first time attending to him. Then on top of that, he was fine not having X-Stream’s privacy protection feature, meaning he wasn’t afraid of others seeing his face.

Hearing the sound of the door creaking open, Snapshot looked up to see her client enter the room. Upon seeing him, Snapshot’s eyes went wide.

He was a massive diamond dog, a head taller than Thunderbolt. His left arm, both his legs, and his right eye were completely cybernetic, the silver metal contrasting with his dark brown fur. Adorning his form was a black sleeveless t-shirt, a black spiked collar, and a pair of black sunglasses.

Griz smiled as he took off his sunglasses, revealing his remaining magenta eye and his red cybernetic one. “You must be the Desert Lotus. Are the uh… cameras running?”

There was a minute left to go.

“Not yet,” Snapshot answered.

“Well, I just wanted to reassure you ahead of time,” Griz said, “while I do like to play rough, I just want you to know that I have no intention of harming you.”

While she wasn’t sure how reassuring that actually was, Snapshot was grateful for the effort. “T-thank you.”

After pulling off his t-shirt, Griz let out a deep content sigh, before tossing the garment aside and taking hold of Snapshot’s leash.

As the countdown for the stream began, Griz smiled down at Snapshot. “Now let’s put on a show that nobody will ever forget.”

Gr00vyPickl3: Well, that's got to hurt.
PronTast3sG00D: Right, I can't believe she took all of that.
C0mpletelyN0rmal: She's gonna hurt in the morning.
CornMaster69: Dude, she's going to hurt tonight.
OnlyFlanks: I'm not even sure I could take that.
C0mpletelyN0rmal: It was pretty big.
HR4kingHR4d: I still can’t believe she managed to swallow it.
BadDragoness69: Even I don’t have toys that big.
LittlePrincess: I do.
Venusunev: But if she can handle all of that, I'm sure her clientele will skyrocket.
RocketRed203: HOT!
Diggin4Diemonds: I'm sure that more than a few diamond dogs will want to have her.
S1l3ntKr33p3r: HELL YEAH!
Dankw3b: It should have been me!
RawHorsin72: I'll definitely be watching more of Desert Lotus's streams after this.
BuckedX3: Same.
RocketRed203: Super HOT!
WildFilliesNerU: This was an amazing stream.
PronTast3sG00D: Yes.
PronTast3sG00D: I'm so pumped for the next one.

Both Snapshot's jaw and hips were sore. The experience that Griz had put her through, while mostly pleasurable at the time, was beginning to catch up to her.

A groan escaped her lips as Snapshot lay on the couch in the breakroom. As she lay there, Snapshot barely noticed the mare that had walked up to her. Looking up, Snapshot saw that it was Barb standing over her, a bag of ice resting on her right hoof.

“Here,” Barb instructed, “put this on your belly, that should help with the swelling a little.”

Graciously, Snapshot took the gift. “T-thank you.”

Setting the pack under her belly, it felt really cold yet it did seem to soothe her soreness a little.

Barb sat down on the couch next to her. “Was that your first time taking a diamond dog?”

“Y-yeah.” Snapshot nodded.

Smiling, Barb gently rubbed Snapshot's head. “Yeah, one's first diamond dog or dragon can be quite a challenge. After a while, you grow used to it.”

As nice as Barb's petting was, Snapshot couldn't help but be puzzled by it. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” Barb asked.

“Why are you being so nice to me,” Snapshot replied, “you always seem so distant and grumpy.”

After blinking a couple of times, Barb gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry, detoxing from Henbane Gummies is a bitch.”

While Snapshot didn't personally take any drugs, she was aware that many prostitutes did. The most common cause for the death of prostitutes in Glowpulse was due to a drug overdose. Some would try to go cold turkey, but oftentimes they would suffer severe side effects and irritation was certainly one of them.

“Oh, I see,” Snapshot mumbled.

Barb let out a slight giggle. “Sorry if you thought I was being unfriendly.”

“Don't worry about it.”

A notification popped up in the upper right corner of her HUD, indicating that somepony had sent her a message. Opening it, Snapshot saw that it was a message from Thunderbolt Sentinel.

Sentinel: How are you feeling today?

After reading the message, Snapshot smiled and sent a quick reply.

SnappinPh0t0s: I’m doing well.
SnappinPh0t0s: Thank you for rescuing me yesterday.
Sentinel: It was no trouble.

It was so nice how sweet Thunderbolt was. Snapshot wondered if Sentinel would be this kind if he knew what her occupation was.

Sentinel: I found this mural today.
Sentinel: Would you like to see it?
Sentinel: It might be good for a photo.
SnappinPh0t0s: Sure.
SnappinPh0t0s: Where would you like to meet?
Sentinel: We could meet up at the park.
SnappinPh0t0s: Sounds good.

As Snapshot closed her messages, she saw Barb looking down at her with a mischievous grin.

“Oh, were you talking to somepony?” Barb asked.

For a moment, Snapshot was confused but then recalled that it wasn't uncommon for a pony's eyes to flicker when something popped up on their HUD.

“Uh, yeah,” Snapshot replied, “A friend of mine has something he wants to show me.”

“Oh? Is it something naughty?” Barb teased.

Snapshot shook her head. “No, he found something that he thought I might like to take a picture of.”

“You're a photographer?”

Snapshot blushed a little. “K-kind of.”

Their discussion was interrupted as the door opened and Cadence entered the breakroom.

“Barb, you’ll have a couple of clients in room two thirty-three in ten minutes,” Cadence said.

“Duty calls.” Barb stood up and walked out.

Cadence then turned to Snapshot. “Snapshot, I have a job for you.”

Carefully Snapshot walked through the halls of X-Stream’s basement levels, a food box resting on her back. She had only been down here a few times, but she had never been to the footage room before.

A heavy beat, reminiscent of a heartbeat, echoed through the building as she walked through the hallway. The white walls and floor tiling looked yellow due to the lights above.

Following Cadence’s instructions, Snapshot eventually reached her destination. After a quick knock, she opened the door. “Hello?”

Beyond the threshold, the room was dark, save for the light coming from the screens. Eclipsing the monitors was a chair with a pony sitting in it.

“Did you bring my food,” a feminine voice asked.

“Uh, yes,” Snapshot answered.

The mare didn’t move. “Come put it on the table.”

Stepping into the room, Snapshot cautiously walked through the darkness to the table. As she approached, Snapshot had a better view of what was on the monitors.

Numerous scenes of X-Stream’s prostitutes serving their patrons could be seen on the screens in their rooms, their live stream chats on the right side of each. At the lower left corner, Snapshot could see Barb resting on a bed and she served to pleasure two stallions simultaneously.

Snapshot was so focused on the scenes playing before her eyes, that she hadn’t noticed a turquoise magical aura pick up the food box.

“Thank you.” The mystery mare said as she opened up the box. The smell of locust noodle ramen filled the air.

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

The unicorn mare had a bluish-gray coat, and a black mane that covered one side of her face, however, the most intriguing thing about this mare was the fact that the right side of her body was covered in tattoos of ancient hieroglyphs.

“Aw crap!” The mare growled, “They forgot to include the zesty sauce!”

As the mare grumbled, cursing under her breath she noticed that Snapshot was still present. With a sigh, the unicorn repressed her anger and focused her eyes on Snapshot, the golden irises of her eyes surrounded by a dark gray ocean.

“Do you need something?” The mare asked.

“Oh, uh, sorry, miss…”

The unicorn smiled. “The name's Tansha.”

“T-Tansha, i-if you don't mind me asking. What is it you do here?” Snapshot asked.

Waving her hooves around, Tansha motioned at the various screens. “Oh, this! I basically work as the moderator for the streams. I make sure the clients stay in check, that the notifications are working properly and I monitor the chat to keep all the viewers in line.”

Looking at the screens, Snapshot felt overwhelmed. “S-surely it must be hard to keep track of all of them.”

“It'd probably be easier if I had a Doll Mode Program on my Ba-Link,” Tansha replied, “but I'm not a fan personally.”

“Why not?”

“Just don't like that kind of stuff in my head,” Tansya answered, “besides there's a shower in here in case things get messy.”

“Messy?” As Snapshot pondered this, she managed to catch the smell of a slightly familiar feminine musk in the air.

It was about then that another message appeared on Snapshot's HUD.

C4d4nc377: Snapshot, you have an appointment with a client in room six twenty-nine.
C4d4nc377: Please be cordial.

“I have to get going,” Snapshot said.

As Snapshot left, Tansha gave a quick wave. “Thanks for bringing the food. Come see me again sometime.”

Thunderbolt was standing patiently next to the park bench when Snapshot arrived. A smile graced his lips as he watched her approach.

“I-I’m sorry for being late,” Snapshot said, “I-I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

“No worries,” Sentinel replied.

After catching her breath, Snapshot straightened herself. “T-then I guess I’m ready to go.”

Sentinel smiled. “I’ll lead the way.”

All sorts of bizarre things could be found in the Glowpulse district at this hour, from a mare with cybernetic head augments that made her head into a literal gun to a griffin selling banned VR games. There was even a drug dealer who was dishing out his drugs using a cybernetic scorpion tail.

A couple of gangsters leered creepily at Snapshot, however, once they saw the tall stallion that was guarding her, they backed off.

Snapshot followed Thunderbolt through the streets. They went past the Kraken’s Den, an establishment where ponies would go to be pleasured by artificial tentacles. Then they passed by the Sweet Sparks Drug Den, along with the Whistling Cherry Brothel which catered to the stallions who wanted to be dotted on by older mares. Then there was the Evernite Diner, which served both as an old diner and a love hotel.

After walking down an alleyway, Thunderbolt turned and motioned up at the concrete wall. “Here it is.”

It was the mural of a blue sphinx, fast asleep, curled around a pegasus mare holding a lotus made of glowpas.

Snapshot marveled at the painting. “T-this is amazing!”

Pulling out of her camera, Snapshot began taking pictures of the mural at different angles.

“I’m glad you like it,” Sentinel said.

“How did you find this?” Snapshot asked as she continued snapping photos.

“I spotted it on my way to a local coffee shop, and I thought you might like it.”

Smiling, Snapshot finished taking the last few photos. “Thank you I-I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.” Thunderbolt smiled. “Would you like to get something to drink? I’m a little bit parched myself.”

Finishing her pictures, Snapshot turned to Sentinel. “I-I wouldn’t mind.”

Snapshot fidgeted slightly as they sat in a booth at the Evernite Diner. This was an establishment where couples would typically order some food and drinks, rent a room for a few hours or maybe an evening, before having a coffee and going on their merry ways. Looking at the calm expression on Sentinel’s face as he read over the menu, Snapshot couldn’t tell if he was aware of this or not.

She was so nervous that Snapshot hadn’t noticed the waitress when she walked up to the table.

“Good evening,” the waitress greeted, “what can I get for you both?”

“I'll have a canned coffee,” Thunderbolt answered.

“S-same,” Snapshot said.

After jotting down their order, the waitress walked over to the next table. No surprise, the gown that the waitress wore was designed to complement her figure for any stallions that might be looking for some eye candy. Just one of the perks of the Glowpulse district.

From Thunderbolt's straightforward expression, he didn't seem to notice.

“Well, thank you for hanging out with me,” Thunderbolt said, “my job has odd hours, so it’s hard to find ponies to hang out with sometimes.”

Working in a brothel, Snapshot understood that all too well. This arrangement of theirs was nice, which made her feel uneasy. Thunderbolt was a good friend, but would he still be her friend if he knew who she was?

As Snapshot pondered this, the waitress returned.

“Here’s your canned coffees,” the waitress said as she set the drinks down on the table.

“Thank you,” Thunderbolt said.

After shooting Thunderbolt a charming smile, the waitress walked away.

“D-do you come here often?” Snapshot asked.

“Sometimes,” Thunderbolt answered, “like if I forget to make my lunch or don’t feel like preparing dinner.”

As Snapshot sat there with Thunderbolt, she knew that she had to tell him the truth. As scary as it was she also knew that if she didn’t tell him about her occupation eventually he’d find out and this relationship would crumble apart.

“Thunderbolt, there’s something I want to tell you,” Snapshot said.

Sentinel raised a hoof. “We’re friends, so there’s no need to be formal. You can call me Sentinel or Senti if you want.”

“Senti, there’s something you should know,” Snapshot said.

Thunderbolt’s eyes flickered as something appeared on his HUD before he let out an annoyed sigh. “Sorry, apparently something happened at work and they need me to go back.”

“Oh… okay.”

Snapshot’s ears drooped as she watched Sentinel leave.

It was late as Snapshot walked through the streets of Glowpulse. She let out a yawn as she walked across a bridge on the way home.

Walking along the bridge, Snapshot could see something glowing to her left. Turning she saw the giant hologram of a pink pony. Their features were completely obscured except for the thousands of eyes that were looking down at her lustfully.

“We're lonely.” Thousands of voices rippled through the air. “We could use your company.”

The eyes leered down at her, the gaze oppressive and overwhelming. Instinctively, Snapshot stepped back and noticed that something felt off. Looking down, she realized that the bridge and surrounding buildings had completely changed.

Everywhere around Snapshot there were photographs. Even the ground was made entirely of photos. They all were the same image, the picture that Snapshot had taken the night she first met Thunderbolt, however with one huge difference.

The part of the photographs that she was in, was scorched or torn out.

High above were glowing blue pyramids that rotated in the air in a circular motion, like asteroids drifting in space.

“Please tend to us,” the eyes said, “we feel so lonely.”

Looking across the strange bridge, Snapshot saw Thunderbolt walking away.

“Senti, wait up!” Snapshot called out as she ran after him.

“Go away,” Thunderbolt growled, not stopping as he walked away.

Confused, Snapshot continued to follow, trotting to catch up to him.

“What's going on?” Snapshot asked.

“I want nothing more to do with you,” Thunderbolt hissed.

“I-I don’t understand. Please tell me what’s wrong.” As Snapshot reached out and touched Thunderbolt, the stallion turned around, anger burning in his eyes.

“Get away from me!” Thunderbolt barked, “You're dirty!”

Snapshot's heart cracked in her chest at the last word. While a part of her had felt it to be true, she had never thought that he would say it to her.

As Snapshot watched Thunderbolt walk away, holographic pink tentacles began to wrap around her body.

“It’s okay. You don’t need him. You don’t need anyone,” the eyes said, “just keep pleasing us. All of us.”

Snapshot awoke in a cold sweat, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. After blinking a couple of times, Snapshot realized that she had been crying.

“I-it’s just a dream.” Snapshot rubbed the tears away. “J-just a bad dream.”

Star Lotus

The room was adorned with red linen tapestries, scarlet bed sheets, and comfortable crimson cushions with golden filigree. Stone walls and pillars made the room resemble an ancient Saddle Arabian bed chamber with simulated sand dunes beyond.

Snapshot stood in the center of the chamber, her body adorned with a lavender belly dancer outfit. The thin fabric covered enough of her flesh to be alluring to a stallion’s wanting eyes. A semi-transparent veil covering her muzzle.

“D-do you think I look okay?” Snapshot asked Barb nervously.

Barb wore a matching belly dancer outfit. Looking over Snapshot's clothes, Barb smiled reassuringly from behind her veil.

“You look absolutely stunning,” Barb answered, “and I'm sure that our client will be pleased.”

The client in question was a unicorn stallion named Arcane Dust, who enjoyed working with alchemy as well as being dotted on by multiple mares at once. He also appreciated his privacy and thus would be using a Digi-mask to conceal his face and cutie mark.

While normally, Snapshot would have some time before the stream started rolling to talk to her clients, Arcane Dust had insisted that the filming start, just a few seconds before his entry. While Arcane Dust would be taking on the role of a prince returning to his harem, Snapshot and Barb would be playing the roles of his harem mares.

The room's lighting and the simulated dunes pulsed as the timer on Snapshot's HUD counted time. It was about time to start.

There was a jingling of beads as a blue unicorn entered.

Arcane Dust stepped into the room, his pose brimming with confidence. His lapis blue eyes brightened as she saw the two mares.

“Welcome home master,” Barb said enthusiastically.

Fulfilling the role of the eager concubine, Barb ran up to her client, pushing his blue mane gently aside with her hoof, and kissed him through her veil. Arcane Dust returned the kiss almost as if he had done this a thousand times.

After the quick exchange, Arcane Dust turned his attention to Snapshot. “Has my new concubine been prepared for me?”

Barb bowed her head. “She is still new, but she will certainly satisfy your needs master.”

Going off of the small introductory script that had been prepared, Barb and Snapshot followed Arcane Dust to some cushions that had been laid out for him. As Arcane Dust sat down, the two prostitutes kneeled on the floor.

“Then I trust that both of you are ready to please your master,” Arcane Dust chuckled.

Smiling, Snapshot and Barb looked up at Arcane Dust. While both looked eager and happy, Snapshot gazed up nervously.

“Yes, master.” Both of them said simultaneously.

OnlyFlanks: This was an awesome threesome.
OwlicornPrince81: Yes.
OwlicornPrince81: I really love the harem theme.
Venusunev: I really enjoyed the collab with Barb and Desert Lotus.
CornMaster69: Yeah, they both were so hot together.
Radstud: Really like those outfits.
WildFilliesNerU: Love the outfits.
Gr00vyPickl3: Wish I could convince my filly to wear something like that for me.
BlazingRok: What emoji can I use to express how this stream made me feel?
N0tanAng3l: Wish I had a couple mares like that.
Wh3r3smyP4nts: Do you think they might ever do a foursome?
B-MyM8Plz: What was that?
WildFilliesNerU: That would be fun.
HubPrune: Probably not unless somepony rich paid for it.
B-MyM8Plz: I think somepony’s tapping on my door.
WildFilliesNerU: Or a couple rich someponies.
PronTast3sG00D: Very unlikely.
Wh3r3smyP4nts: Sad.
B-MyM8Plz: I’ll be right back.
GigaPone: There is always hope.
2Mar3s1B4n4n4: Love both of these mares.
URw41fusRB3l0ng2Us: Same.
Little Princess: Maybe we’ll see them collab again sometime.
OnlyFlanks: That would be cool.

“You did a great job,” Barb said, as Snapshot and she showered.

“T-thank you,” Snapshot replied.

“That trick you have with those sub-dermal lights is pretty neat as well. Do you do it manually or do they activate automatically when your endorphins reach above a certain level?”

Snapshot shampooed her mane.

“I control it,” Snapshot answered. However, that didn’t include the times it acted up on its own.

As Snapshot continued to shower, a new message appeared on her HUD. It was from Thunderbolt Sentinel. It had been a week since the last time they had hung out before his work called.

Curious, Snapshot opened the message chat.

Sentinel: Sorry for the late message.
Sentinel: Work kept me busy.
Sentinel: I found something cool that I wanted to show you.
SnappinPh0t0s: What is it?
Sentinel: It’s a surprise.
Sentinel: We can meet up again at the park and I can show you if you want.

Nausea gripped Snapshot’s stomach. While she loved spending time with Sentinel, she knew that the more time they spent together, the more likely that he would learn her secret. Yet at the same time how was she supposed to refuse?

Without a reasonable excuse to offer, Snapshot sent her reply.

SnappinPh0t0s: Sure, let’s meet up.

Letting out a disheartening sigh, Snapshot leaned her head against the wall.

“Is something wrong?” Barb asked.

“You know that stallion I was talking about?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he wants to meet up again.”

Barb scrunched her nostrils. “Is he a jerk?”

“No,” Snapshot replied, “he’s actually very nice.”

“Then why don’t you want to see him,” Barb asked.

Snapshot sighed. “Because I’m afraid that he might not like me once he finds out what I do for a living.”

“Oh… is that all?”

“Does there have to be anything else?”

As Snapshot bemoaned her situation, Barb walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Just tell him. Maybe he’ll be fine with it.”

“But what if he’s not?” Snapshot groaned.

Suddenly Snapshot felt herself being turned around, her back against the shower wall, her face just inches from Barb’s muzzle. Her eyes stared intently into Snapshots.

“Look there’s a lot of reasons mares get involved in this line of work,” Barb said, “Some because they’re sexual deviants, some because they need the money, some have traumatizing childhoods and instead of facing their problems, they get high on every drug under the sun and fall into serious debt!”

“I-I don’t do drugs,” Snapshot whimpered, a little bit frightened by the sudden turn of events.

“That’s not the point,” Barb retorted, “the print is that if this great stallion can’t see past that and see what a great mare you are, then he doesn’t deserve you!”

“B-but I like him,” Snapshot said, “he’s a really nice friend.”

Barb patted Snapshot on the shoulders. “If he’s really a good friend, then this won’t matter to him.”

Stepping back, Barb smiled. “Besides, even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll still be your friend.”

Well, even if it didn’t necessarily help Snapshot with her situation with Thunderbolt, it was encouraging for her to know that Barb had her back.

“T-thank you,” Snapshot said.

Barb beamed. “You’re very welcome.”

Once both Snapshot and Barb had finished showering, they left the shower room and proceeded to dry themselves off. As Snapshot finished drying her mane, a message from Cadence popped up on her HUD.

C4d3nc377: Snapshot can you meet me down in the moderator room?

Snapshot was puzzled by the message. Had she done something wrong? Hoping for the best, Snapshot sent a reply.

SnappinPh0t0s: Yes.
SnappinPh0t0s: I’ll be right there.

After she finished drying off, Snapshot made her way to the lower levels.

Entering the moderator room for a second time, Snapshot was surprised by all the other items that had previously been concealed by the dark. Off to the left side, there was a VR-pod with a computer hooked up to it. In the center were all the computer screens, a digital terminal, and the chair that Tansha had sat in prior. Then off to the right was a shower with a pink transparent shower curtain.

Cadence stood in the center of the room by herself. Looking around, Snapshot didn’t see Tansha anywhere.

“Uh, hello mistress,” Snapshot greeted, still not too sure what was going on.

Taking a deep breath, Cadence put on her best smile. “Hello Snapshot. Barb tells me that you are skilled with a camera.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.” Oh no. Had something happened that had resulted in Cadence being upset with Snapshot’s hobby?

Cadence placed a hoof on Snapshot's shoulder. “How would you like to work part of the time as a moderator for X-Streams?”

“W-what?” Snapshot was confused by Cadence’s sudden request.

“Tansha left and I need somepony to take her position,” Cadence explained, “of all my fillies, you’re the most qualified to take over. Naturally, it will come with a raise, and half of your time will be working here. So, will you accept?”

The proposition of a pay raise was rather appealing. Also, it would be nice to come to work and do something other than being bucked all day.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I’ll take it,” Snapshot replied.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” As Cadence pulled Snapshot into a hug, some of the mistress’s robotic tentacles emerged from her cybernetic leg casings and embraced Snapshot, startling the young mare.

“We’ll need to install a Doll Mode program onto your Ba-Link,” Cadence continued, “I don’t know how Tansha managed to do all this without one.”

Snapshot struggled against her mistress’s embrace but to no avail.

“I-I have a question,” Snapshot said.

“Yes, what is it?”

As Cadence let go of Snapshot, her mechanical tendrils recoiled back into her robotic limbs.

“Why did Tansha leave?” Snapshot asked.

“I don’t know.” Cadence shrugged. “She just said something about going out for ice.”

“Ice?”

Cadence shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t know either. Just said it, packed her stuff, and left.”

Ice was expensive in Neo Somnambula being shipped in from the frozen north. It was so expensive that only the rich nobles in the Upper City could afford it. Was the ice that Tansha was referring to a euphemism for a drug perhaps? Blue Sugar maybe.

“Now that it’s settled, I’ll begin the arrangements for you to take over,” Cadence said, walking toward the door. “I’m so glad you accepted the position.”

After Cadence left, Snapshot looked around the room, soaking it all in. It was going to be a welcome change of pace. Things were starting to look up.

Just like before, Thunderbolt was standing by the bench, patiently waiting, when Snapshot arrived at the park. Swallowing hard, Snapshot approached the stallion.

Upon seeing Snapshot approach, Thunderbolt's face lit up. “Good evening Snapshot!”

As Sentinel approached he noticed that Snapshot's ears were drooping and that her eyes were downcast.

“Is something wrong?” Thunderbolt asked.

Time was up. The moment of truth had arrived.

Swallowing hard, Snapshot turned to Thunderbolt. “Senti, there's… there's something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not… really a photographer,” Snapshot said, “I want to be, but that’s not really what I do.”

“Oh?” Thunderbolt looked at her quizzically.

“I’m sorry.” Tears began to well up in Snapshot’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have lied to you. I was just afraid that you might think less of me if I told you the truth.”

Gently, Thunderbolt reached around and held Snapshot’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Snapshot cried, “I shouldn’t have deceived you.”

“Snapshot, really it’s okay,” Thunderbolt said, “I already knew.”

Snapshot was about to continue when suddenly Thunderbolt's words sank in, her eyes growing wide in terror. “W-wait! Y-you knew!”

Thunderbolt smiled and nodded. “I mean there's holographic ads for you all over the place.”

Upon hearing this, Snapshot's blushing cheeks grew hotter from embarrassment.

“H-how long d-did you know?” Snapshot asked.

“About… eh, two years.” Thunderbolt raised his left hoof and wobbled it slightly.

Snapshot blinked rapidly a few times, in shock. “W-what, two years?”

“Yeah, that’s right about when I moved into my apartment.”

“A-apartment?”

Thunderbolt nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been living down the hall from you for two years.”

“T-t-two years!”

Snapshot was in total disbelief. How had she been neighbors with Sentinel and hadn't even noticed?

With a warm smile, Thunderbolt gently placed a hoof on Snapshot's shoulder. “Do you feel better now?”

After recollecting herself, Snapshot analyzed her current situation. Despite her fears, Sentinel hadn't rejected her even though he already knew what she was.

“Y-you d-don't hate me?” Snapshot asked as she wiped away tears.

Thunderbolt shook his head. “No.”

This was still a bit of an awkward situation for Snapshot. She still couldn't believe that she had noticed that he was her neighbor.

“Follow me,” Thunderbolt said, “there is something I want to show you.”

Walking through the streets, Thunderbolt led Snapshot to the top of one of the buildings where a couple of blankets and a cooler were set out.

“What’s all this?” Snapshot asked.

“Just something I set up quickly an hour ago,” Sentinel answered, “ the sight I wanted to show you is nearby and I thought some drinks might be nice.”

Sitting down on one of the blankets, Thunderbolt reached into the cooler and pulled out a wild cherry soda, and held it out to Snapshot. “Care to join me?”

Walking over, Snapshot took the soda and sat down on the second blanket next to Thunderbolt. Smiling, Sentinel reached into the cooler and pulled out another soda for himself.

In truth, it wasn't really wild cherry, just a bunch of chemicals that were altered and mixed by Flim Flam Industries to taste like something close to the actual flavor.

“So, how did you end up working down here?” Thunderbolt asked, as he cracked open the can and took a sip.

“It’s a long story,” Snapshot answered.

Thunderbolt shrugged. “I don’t mind if you’re willing to share.”

Snapshot considered the matter, before deciding to speak.

“About four years ago, I left my family’s rock farm, hoping to use my skills in photography here in Neo Somnambula. However, it didn’t work out.”

“You didn’t have the right credentials.”

Snapshot nodded. “Why hire an amateur when you could just take the photos with a drone yourself? Thus nopony would hire me and eventually, I ran out of money and went into debt.”

Stories like this weren’t too unfamiliar to Sentinel. There were many ponies in the Lower City, especially here in the Glowpulse District who had gone through similar circumstances and had ended up neck-deep in debt.

“Then one day, my creditors came and I was given a choice,” Snapshot continued, “I could either go into prostitution here in Glowpulse or I could be shipped off to the Cyberton District and maybe win my freedom in the murder games.”

Though most likely it would be her being murdered. Either way, the loan sharks would receive their money back.

“So, you started working at X-Streams,” Thunderbolt said.

“Yeah. It wasn’t ideal, but I’m treated well and I’m making progress on my debt, even if it's slower than I’d like.”

Sentinel shrugged. “You’re doing what you can… Have you considered going back to your family?”

Snapshot let out a deep sigh. “I don’t think they’d want me back.”

“Why?”

“Because of all this.” Snapshot motioned around her.

She had come to Neo Somnambula seeking to make a name for herself as a photographer and she had failed. Now she was a tainted mare who survived by being a plaything for others. Why would her family want her back? Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of never seeing them again.

“Now there is something special that I thought you might want to see,” Thunderbolt said.

“W-what is it?” Snapshot asked, wiping away the tears.

With a wing, Sentinel pointed skyward. “Look up.”

Following Thunderbolt's instructions, Snapshot looked upwards. High above it was dark, the outlines of support beams were barely visible.

“What am I looking for?” Snapshot asked, uncertain what Thunderbolt was trying to show her.

“Don't you see all the lights up there?”

Snapshot gazed up and after a few seconds, she saw small lights above, most likely coming from electrical devices that were monitoring the water, sewage, electricity, and other variables in the upper city. As she peered up at the small specks of light, she noticed something unique about them.

“Yes, I see them now,” Snapshot replied, “they look like stars.”

Sentinel smiled. “Do you know that there is so much light pollution that even in the upper city it's near impossible to see the stars?”

“No, I actually didn't know that.”

“I know it probably doesn't mean much,” Thunderbolt said, “but it's kind of interesting how even the grimmest of things can be beautiful from the right perspective.”

Those words meant a lot to Snapshot as both of them looked up at the fake stars. As she enjoyed the view, she barely noticed another light appearing in her peripheral vision.

“Your cybernetics are acting up again,” Thunderbolt said, noticing the glowing subdermal implants on Snapshot's legs turning on.

After quickly blinking, Snapshot laughed and Sentinel joined her.

“So, do you want to make up constellation names for those stars up there?” Sentinel asked.

Snapshot giggled. “Oh, why not.”

The End