Equestria Dark: Tales of a New Appleloosan Stallion Water Salespony

Written by VelvetHeart

Peacekeeper winced belatedly, the echoes of Hardnose' angry kick still ringing in her ears. The station wall was cracked where her superior's hindhooves had struck it in a fit of frustration before stomping off to finish her paperwork.

The frustration was evident throughout the squad as they pushed their way through the doors, their expressions a mix of sorrow and annoyance.

It'd been a mission months in the making - ever since they intercepted a suspicious carriage and found that hidden compartment;

Warm Milk. Stallion Water. Hot Cream. It had dozens of street names, but to the peddlers it meant only two things: Money and power.

The local police could've just busted the mare pulling the cart, but they had bigger plans. Concocted by minds so far up the chain of command that Peacekeeper'd never even seen them, a steady surveillance had been set up with the purpose of finding the core of the operation and the poor stallions who'd fallen victim to it.

...but when they finally made the raid in full force, they found naught but empty rooms and a few stains.

It was no wonder they'd come home demoralized.

Peacekeeper sighed. If only they knew.

Making her way to her locker, the policemare quickly made sure nopony was around, and carefully undid the lock.

There it was: a plain-looking brown paper bag. This was what she betrayed all her oaths and vows for, her reward for a leak that fated at least one stallion to suffer for the wealth of others.

The bag had just appeared in her locker while she was out, as it always did - perhaps it was just another of their ways of controlling her, showing her that there was somepony else there in the station who danced on their strings, watching her, making sure she remained quiet and docile.

And it had started so simple, just a quick gulp to steady her for the police academy selections.

With a nervous glance, she reached out, ready to tuck the fat bottle of ill-gained product into her saddlebags...

...the paper crumpled, smaller and smaller - too small to contain the large bottle she expected. For a moment, panic sent her heart aflutter. Did they stiff her on the payment? Did ... did somepony find it? Did they search her locker?

That was when she saw a glint of glass, and her heart lurched into her throat, hooves frantically snapping the paper bag shut again.

Ice trickled down her spine as she frantically looked about. She'd only caught a glimpse, but it was enough to recognize it: That tiny little glass bottle, slightly smaller than a shotglass, delicate and beautiful, filled with a thin, clear, slightly viscous fluid.

Cold Water.

It had no other streetname. It didn't have to. Even in the darkest alleys, it was spoken of in only the most hushed of whispers. The only known fluid in Equestria that could simply quench a heat without actual pregnancy, giving the mare that used it properly a subtle, but-powerful euphoric high that lasted for weeks, something only recently-impregnated mares normally enjoyed.

Cold Water. Being found in possession of Stallion Milk would've surely ended her career, but Cold Water... if they found out, there would be no mercy for her. Princess Cadence would personally get involved, and when Princess Cadence got involved in a Cold Water case...

Peacekeeper choked off a whimper as fear grasped her, quickly followed by cruel stab of guilt as another realization hit her;

They have a little colt.

It was the only way. Cold Water was harvested by draining a colt too young to be fertile, and then forcing him, raping him. No more than a few drops at a time, they'd force him to produce. How long had some poor little thing suffered to make that tiny, single-dose bottle that now lay hidden in her locker? How much longer would he have to suffer at the hooves and mouthes of power-obsessed mares because she stymied his rescue?

Those criminal mares, they were tightening their grip on her.  Peacekeeper understood it well enough. This dark treasure they awarded her with was worth so much more than her usual, and so much more addictive.

The worst part was that despite her guilt, she already knew they'd won. She couldn't possibly discard this extravagant bribe. Her heat would soon be upon her, and she was already considering which of her toys to use on the night that tiny bottle's contents would grace her nether passage...