"Think about it, Mel. A hot meal!”

Melody didn’t even bother to turn her head as she responded dismissively. “No.”

“It’s been three weeks since we last had something decent to eat.”

“No, Hearth. I don’t care what you say; I’m not slutting myself for your comfort.”

Hearth Claw snorted indignantly. “Well, when you say it like that, of course it sounds bad.”

Melody turned on Hearth, ignoring the bitter cold that bit at her as she drew away from their small fire. “'Sounds bad’? Hearth, it is bad! You’re asking me to sleep with somepony I don’t even know! Celestia’s sake, I’m not even old enough yet!”

Hearth Claw glowered back, not standing down. “Why not do it for Symphony?”

Turning back to the fire, Melody snorted. “I can’t believe you’d sink as low as to use my sister against me, but my answer is still no.”

Hearth Claw finally pulled back submissively. “That… is kinda low… Sorry.”

Shaking her head, Melody waved a hoof dismissively. “Forget about it. It’s the cold. And the hunger.”

Glancing about the small, cramped alleyway, Hearth smiled awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess.”

Melody pulled closer to the alluring fire, attempting to thwart as much of the gnawing cold as possible. She cast a furtive glance at her sister, a small smile creeping across her face as she watched the sleeping cream pony pull herself closer to the fire.

Despite her best efforts, her sister still suffered through the harsh winter. In the back streets, Melody learned the hard way that something as simple as a cold altered the chances between life and death. Her sister had caught the smallest cough a few days ago, and survival had been a fight every day since. Melody managed to scrounge up a few coins doing menial tasks, and had bought her sister a small quilt.

Melody's thoughts drifted about as she daringly pondered the revolting idea of prostitution. Granted, it was a horrible thought. But the last time, though demeaning, still had turned out a large sum. One hundred bits. Melody remembered the night fondly; Symphony, Hearth and her had all gone out and ate like the royal Princesses. Of course, Symphony wasn’t sick then.

Melody bit her lip, closing her eyes to block out the blowing snow. Hearths Warming sure looked pretty in Canterlot, but the harsh night’s before-hoof could definitely kill somepony. Melody might survive, but Hearth wasn’t a Pegasus; she didn't have the naturally thick coat they had for the cold of flying. And Symphony definitely wasn’t getting better without help…

Melody finally let out a long sigh, her breath coming out as a dense mist. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Hearth hid her smile as best as she could, but Melody saw it creep around behind her muzzle. Melody glowered at the red filly. “For Symphony.”

Hearth Claw quickly nodded. “Oh, yeah. For sure.”

Melody let out another sigh, already feeling this was a bad idea. Slowly, she stood, brushing snow off her lap. “Not tonight, though. Nopony is going to be out in this weather.”

Quickly agreeing, Hearth added. “Plus, it’d be a good idea not to do it when you’re tired. Can’t risk… Y’know: slipping.”

No, they couldn’t. Melody didn’t think she could imagine the punishment for 'turning tricks' at her age. The first time around, she didn’t even think there’d be any buyers. But it turned out there were a lot of ponies who were, in Melody’s opinion, twisted enough to 'like' fillies.

Melody wrapped a small worn vest around her, curling up next to the fire. She slowly drifted off into another nightmarish dream.

“I still can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Hearth Claw snorted. “Shut up, you look gorgeous.”

Melody flipped her mane about playfully. “Gorgeous, hey?”

Hearth Claw turned her head away. “You do.”

Melody gazed at the broken glass bottle she used as a mirror. Minus the distortion, Hearth was right. She did, indeed, look gorgeous. Hearth was extremely crafty with her hooves, rearranging Melody’s hair into a way she hadn’t even seen before, but was definitely…

'Seductive.' Melody thought acidicly. Suddenly, all her past concerns swamped her. “I don’t want to do this.”

Hearth visibly deflated, her good humour disappearing and being replaced by disappointment. “I already got you all done up and everything. You’re practically ready, now. You couldn’t change your mind half an hour ago?”

Melody looked at herself in the 'mirror' again. It was true, Hearth had put a ton of effort into making her look more appealing, and less like a street urchin. Melody groaned again, managing to sigh at the same time. “Alright, fine. I’ll still do it.”

Hearth Claw let out a squeal she had attempted, and failed, to muffle. Melody instantly rounded on her. “What was that?”

Eyes fixing on anything but Melody, Hearth Claw’s answer was minute. “Uh… N-nothing.”

Melody narrowed her eyes at the red mare. “You really think I enjoy making a whorse out of myself? You think I’m doing this willingly? I’m doing it for you two. So you can survive. I don’t enjoy a second of this.”

Hearth Claw lowered her gaze. “Sorry. I was just having a bit of fun with, y’know... dressing you up. I didn’t think th-”

“No, you didn’t think. All you have to worry about is if I look presentable. I have to worry about the Guards, the…the…‘clients’. I have to deal with…” Melody’s voice dropped to just above a whisper. “…the pain.”

Hearth still didn’t lift her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

Melody shook her head. “Whatever. Let’s go, before I actually change my mind.”

They started down the alley, Melody pausing to check on her sister. Without looking away from Symphony, she said “As soon as I’m all set, you come back here and look after her. I’ll take care of myself.”

Hearth nodded again, eager to be on her good side. “Absolutely. Symph will be safe with me.”

Melody grabbed a small red bundle from atop a barrel, trotting down the street with it held carefully in her teeth. Though she hated the dress, and everything it represented, she couldn’t let it get ruined. Twenty five bits for a dress was expensive; that was enough to eat for weeks.

But Hearth had insisted on the dress. Melody still didn’t know why she gave in. Maybe it was just to keep her quiet. A short thing, made of rather scratchy material. Very… exposing, too. She was partly amazed she could find something like that in her size. It was what Melody had expected for such a cheap price. At least it looked “appealing”, so it suited what Mel needed it for.

Stopping in a small alleyway, not far from the heart of Canterlot’s hood, Hearth helped Melody pull on the red fabric. It was a pretty tight fit, but the next size up cost too much. Hearth drew the two buttons together, locking the dress firmly in place.

Melody turned towards the red mare, the long steel dagger in her hoof. “Take it. Go back and check on Symphony. I’ll come back when I’m done with… When I’m done.”

Hearth quietly took the dagger carefully, trotting back the way she came. Melody grimly walked onto the street, screening carefully for Guards. Though it was unlikely any came this far into the slums.

None this way… None that way either… Oh, Celestia, why am I doing this?

Melody turned the corner, gazing down another long, dark street. A glance at the windows showed them broken and shattered, small slats nailed over them in a feeble attempt to repair. Melody almost started wishing she had brought that knife with her, but her more rational mind abolished the idea. Better her to die on the street than for Symphony to die because of ill-protection.

She approached the end of the street, and a quick glance to her left showed a black stallion. A thought flipped through her head, taunting her towards the pony. One simple fact kept her from approaching. A small red rag tied around his upper fore-leg identified him as a gang-member, and Melody didn’t dare tempt a criminal’s malice. Definitely not without a weapon.

A quiet trot quickly put distance between her and the oblivious crook. Melody let out a small sigh as the pony grew smaller. Oblivious to where she was going, she ran into a blue stallion. “S-Sorry!”

“No, no. It’s my fault. I’m s-” The blue stallion took full stock of Melody. A rather perverted grin played on his face. “Wha… Are you a..?”

Grimacing, Melody glanced at the pony. Not seeing anywhere to hide a badge, helmet or other, she nodded. “Yes, I’m a wh-…. A 'Mare of the Night,' I suppose.” An interesting term that she had read from one of the books Hearth had “acquired”.

“Hmm…”

Melody was torn between happiness and nausea. One the one hoof, she found a buyer early on. On the other, she had found a buyer.

“So you’re… for sale?”

'That’s a polite way to put it.' “Uh… yeah, I guess.”

The blue stallion raised a hoof to his chin. “Aren’t you too young for this?”

Melody glared at him. “I’m old enough.”

“Heh. Lots of attitude. I like that.”

Melody almost gagged. “You’re sick.”

She quickly pushed past the pony, attempting to make distance from her and this.. freak. She could find another way to get money. Definitely. One hundred per-

“I’ll pay one fifty.”

“Wuh… One hundred? And fifty? Bits?”

The blue stallion slowly nodded. “Yep.”

Where the hay…. Doesn’t matter. “Uh… A-alright.”

The pony gestured down the street. “Alright, follow me.”

Melody slowly sauntered after, being careful to distance herself so that if he decided to jump her, she’d have time to react. She even watched for sharp objects on the sides of the street, but short of yanking boards off the windows, she couldn’t find anything.

They made their way to a small building, hardly anything noticeable. It was a two story house, its windows were boarded up, just like any other shanty-house. Melody carefully made her way up to the doorway where the stallion was waiting. “Hurry up, I don’t have all day.” He growled.

He pushed the door open, letting Melody enter first. Definitely not her ideal choice, but she had no word in it anymore. She crossed the threshold timidly, stepping into the dark building, out of the gloomy orange winter night. The stallion stepped in, closing the door, destroying the last remaining light, and any hope of escape.

The blue stallion struck a long match, lighting a small lamp. A small shake of his head extinguished the stick, the flickering light illuminating a small living room.

Melody glanced around at the bookshelves nervously. “So.. uh.. what d… What do you want me to do?”

“Undress.”

Ugh. Melody bit her lip. “Uh… I can’t really… reach. The buttons.”

The blue stallion sauntered over, but he only had one thing on his mind. Not risking any finesse, he brutishly snapped the dress open, even breaking off a few buttons. This was definitely not going Melody’s way. He left her standing that way, the dress pried open awkwardly. “Undress.” He repeated.

What the hay am I doing here? Melody glanced at the pony as he wandered into another room. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Nevertheless, she attempted to push the dress off. Some rather defacing struggling later, Melody was finally free of the tatters.

She slowly glanced about, waiting for her “host” to reappear. A small glint caught her eye: There was what appeared to be… No, what was definitely a letter opener sitting on the coffee table. Melody approached carefully. She glanced about, checking to make sure the stallion didn’t come back.

She reached the coffee table, snatching the small dagger up quickly. She trotted back to her rags, slipping the letter opener in stealthily. Though killing was the last thing on her mind, Melody wasn’t ignorant enough to believe all ponies knew when “stop” meant stop.

Hoofsteps echoed around the hoof, soon accompanied by the blue stallion. “This way.”

Melody rolled her eyes as soon as he wasn’t looking. So romantic. She wrapped her teeth around the clothing carefully, trotting apprehensively after the blue stallion.

He pushed open another door, revealing a small cot in a definitely unkempt room. Melody glanced at the cot anxiously. 'This is it. Can’t back out now.' Melody bit her lip. There was only two things that kept her from just jumping this pony. One: she had no idea where he kept the money, and two: Symphony needed a doctor.

With those thoughts stuck firmly in her head, she set her clothing down and turned to the stallion. “S-so what do you want me to do, n-now?”

The stallion grinned mercilessly. “Lie down on the bed.”

Melody complied, turning away from the stallion and laying flat against the cot. The pony instantly took charge, grabbing her rear hooves harshly and rearranging her to a more “suitable” position. He finally pulled her rear into the air, exposing herself to him completely.

A small pillow lay in front of Melody, and she reached stretched her neck out, biting onto and pulling the pillow towards herself. She felt the stallion put his hooves on her waist, and instantly buried her muzzle into the pillow.

The stallion wasted no time in foreplay, only one prize on his mind. This was definitely not for Melody’s satisfaction. The flare of his head pressed against her opening, the stallion attempting to force his way in. Melody bit her lip again: No way was that going to fit.

She moaned into the pillow softly as the stallion obliviously continued to rip her apart. Melody could feel herself being stretched open painfully, the stallion completely ignorant to her pain. A small saving grace broke in just over his strained grunts.

“Thunder Lane? I’m home!”

Instantly, the blue pony pulled back. “Oh buck, buck, buck! Quick, get up!”

Melody pulled herself off the bed, unaware of what to do next. The stallion dropped to the other side of the bed in an attempt to hide his “excitement”. Hardly a second later, an orange stallion pushed through the door. “I found this in the mail, an- Oh. Uh… Hello?” He said, pulling his eyes off of a letter in his hooves.

“Umm… Hi.” Melody smiled awkwardly.

The pony smiled back with just as much nervousness before rounding on the blue pony. “Thunder Lane? What’s she doing here?”

“I...uh.. Found her. On the street. She’s homeless, see. So I offered to get her off the streets.”

The orange pony smiled. It was the same smile Melody had seen on Caretaker, often just before brutalizing somepony. Though Melody had learned quickly, it took other ponies a long time to recognize it from his other smiles. His other, sick, perverted smiles.

“I see. Well, she can’t stay here. We don’t have enough room.”

Thunder Lane nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’ll take her outside.”

The orange stallion nodded. “Yes, you’d better.”

The blue pony trotted out from behind the bed, and Melody noticed he was no longer up. He put a hoof on her neck gently, his grip tightening once they were out of eyeshot. He kept muttering under his breath. “Buck it all. I never get a break around here.”

Melody was steered towards the door, Thunder Lane throwing it open in his tirade and shoving Melody out harshly.

She turned, sputtering. “B-But what about my pay?”

Thunder Lane grit his teeth ferociously. “You didn’t really earn it, did you?”

Melody growled at the stallion, but he shut the door too quickly for her to act. Overcome by her unusable adrenaline, she fell backwards onto her now sore rump, glaring at the door indignantly. 'Now what? What the hay do I do now? I need money for Symphony.'

Her eyes dropped to her hooves. 'It’s not fair! How am I supposed to support two fillies? I can’t do this. I’m a failure, and now Symphony’s going to die, and I can’t do anything!'

Melody opened her eyes slowly, a small puddle of ice forming in front of her muzzle. 'I just… can’t do this.'

A loud thump interrupted her thoughts. Followed by two more. And another. Melody quickly glanced about, looking for the source of the noise. Another loud thump emanated, and Melody pin-pointed the source. It was coming from inside the house.

Melody winced as she heard the muffled sound of glass breaking. 'What the hay?'

The door slowly cracked open, and Thunder Lane walked out again. The orange pony came along beside him, but Melody’s thoughts weren’t on him. Thunder Lane had quickly managed to acquire several deep gashes around his skull, as well as twelve bruises and blotches, deforming his face.

What was more important was what was in his hooves. Melody barely caught the heavy coin purse he threw at her before rounding back towards the house.

The orange stallion slowly shook his head. “Sorry about that. My brother can be quite… thick.”

Melody pulled the drawstrings, revealing a large sum of bits. “H-how..? Why…? Wha..?”

The orange stallion glanced over, looking into the purse. “Well, I paid his price, as well as extra for the dress. And a little bit more, too.”

Melody looked back up at the orange stallion, tears re-brimming in her eyes. “Th-thank you.”

The orange stallion shook his head again. “No problem. But why are you doing this?”

Melody glared at the coins. “I… have to. My… My sister is sick.”

“I’m sorry. What about your parents?”

She almost spat when she next spoke. “Dead? Abandoned us? I don’t know. They never bothered to say.”

The orange stallion let out a long sigh. “Sorry… Listen, filly, I know it’s not much, but I can help you if you need it.”

Melody snorted. “Nah, I think I’ve had enough of him.” She gestured towards the house for emphasis.

“Me too.” The orange stallion chuckled. “Nevertheless. If you need help, I’ll give it if it’s within my power to. ‘Name’s Blitz.”

“Melody”

Blitz smiled. “Nice name.” He sighed again, turning towards the door. “Well, I got to go talk to my brother about his fetishes.”

Melody nodded, her eyes being drawn once again to the purse. “Yeah, I- My sis… I got to go, too.”

Melody slowly hoofed through the small mound, awestruck and completely oblivious to her surroundings. A single thought broke her concentration.

Symphony.

Author's Note

Another (late) chapter. Leave your thumbs, if you enjoyed. Or if you didn't.