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The Carat and Stick by RapeApe

By grapenut
Created: 2024-11-16 10:05:45
Expiry: Never
sim

  1. The Carat and Stick by RapeApe
  2.  
  3. https://ponepaste.org/user/RapeApe
  4. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/40939620/#40947586
  5. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/41006415/#41030738
  6. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/41141935/#41240912
  7. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/41341005/#41345243
  8. https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/41443617/#41462827
  9.  
  10. ---
  11.  
  12. >Rarity was no less flustered than when she left the boutique.
  13. >This denial was driving her mad, and she knew it.
  14. >It had only been a scant few days without a climax, and she was already throwing caution to the wind.
  15. >There had been a FILLY there!
  16. >And worse, it had been Cadence’s filly!
  17. >What if Flurry told her mother what Rarity was doing?
  18. >She would never be able to live it down!
  19. >Mercifully, she had managed to be sneaky enough to avoid detection.
  20. >And yet the facts remained.
  21. >She had RISKED detection.
  22. >This lust was going to ruin her.
  23. >There were social consequences for being such a depraved beast, and the instant word got out her life would be over.
  24. “Should I perhaps sequester myself for a few decades?”
  25. >It should be possible to overcome this.
  26. >Perhaps she would adapt to this need eventually?
  27. >All she needed to do was avoid the public eye for a while, and then return as though nothing had happened!
  28. >Sure, missing 30 years was a pretty large sacrifice.
  29. >But it was a small price to pay to maintain her reputation.
  30. “Bah. This is silly.”
  31. >There had to be a better solution.
  32. >She would simply control herself.
  33. >It shouldn’t be too hard; Rarity was a pony beyond reproach!
  34. >All she needed was some deep breathing, and LOTS of ice water.
  35. >The boutique was in sight, but she stopped moving.
  36. >It simply wouldn’t do to approach Coco in such a disgraceful state.
  37. >She needed to be calm and focused lest she reveal she's lost control.
  38. >Rarity took a moment to collect herself.
  39. >And then, once her breathing was steadied, she approached the door.
  40. >Rarity put her hoof up against the door to push it open, but backed down.
  41. >She stared at the glass for a moment, trying to catch her reflection.
  42. >Was her mane out of order?
  43. >Did she need to re-squiggle her tail?
  44. >It simply wouldn’t do to enter without impeccable grooming.
  45. >She was trying to appear as though she were well put together, after all!
  46. “Much better.”
  47. >Hm?
  48. >What’s Coco doing?
  49. >She’s holding a piece of scrap cloth to her face.
  50. “Why is-”
  51. >A wave of emotions washed over Rarity.
  52. >At first shock, then humiliation, a sense of disgust, a feeling as though she had been violated…
  53. >And through it all, she couldn’t deny the tingling sensation in her rear end.
  54. >That wasn’t just any scrap of cloth.
  55. >That was the one Rarity had used to clean up after herself when she’d gotten a tad too excited.
  56. >Coco was, whether knowingly or not, huffing Rarity’s vaginal secretions.
  57.  
  58. >She stepped away from the door.
  59. >How DARE she?
  60. >She had no right to…
  61. >To do what?
  62. >Rarity was incensed, but she couldn’t say exactly why.
  63. >It felt like this was some grand betrayal.
  64. >And yet, all she’d done was smell something.
  65. >Rarity yet again left to collect her thoughts.
  66. >She walked down the streets, trying her best to contain her anger.
  67. >Something was wrong.
  68. >Coco had violated her privacy!
  69. >By noticing something that had been left in a public place.
  70. >She was degrading Rarity!
  71. >The pony who was trying to rope her into all sorts of perversities.
  72. >Everything about it felt wrong, but Rarity couldn’t say WHY.
  73. >She needed time to think.
  74. >Again.
  75. “It seems like I need that quite often these days.”
  76. >Life was so much easier when she didn't need to think.
  77. >Rarity stepped into a nearby diner.
  78. >The first thing she noticed was the carpet.
  79. >It seemed an ill-advised choice to use carpet in such a location, and worse still to allow it to wind up in such dreadful condition.
  80. >One could plainly see where ponies most often trod as it had been nearly worn through.
  81. “Oop. Never mind the nearly part.”
  82. >The lighting was inadequate, the tables scratched up and scarred, and there was a distinct smell of old cooking oil in the air.
  83. >There was hardly anypony present.
  84. >In fact, Rarity was the only customer.
  85. >Two extremely tired ponies were leaning against the counter.
  86. >The more frazzled between them approached her.
  87. >They guided her to the nearest table.
  88. >”Need the menu, hun?”
  89. “That shan’t be necessary. I will take a watercress sandwich.”
  90. >They scowled at Rarity as she sat in the booth.
  91. >Something about the request had upset them.
  92. “Perhaps I’ll move to a table that’s been cleaned recently. This one is rather… sticky.”
  93. >”Does this look like the kind of place that has watercress?”
  94. “Oh. Begging your pardon. I’ll take whatever you have that’s light and dainty.”
  95. >”Carrot cake.”
  96. “Hm.”
  97. >It would do.
  98. >The pony in question left, giving Rarity some time to think.
  99. >This location was clearly quite seedy, and not the titillating kind.
  100. >She couldn’t help but be concerned by how close it was to her boutique.
  101. >Was the region set to become a slum?
  102. >A small slice of cake was placed in front of Rarity.
  103. >The frosting was uneven, and the taste forgettable
  104. >It wasn’t bad, per se, but it certainly wasn’t good either.
  105. “I take it that business has been quite poor.”
  106. >”What are you talking about?”
  107. “Well, it’s just that I’m the only one here.”
  108. >”We mostly serve the night crew. They ain’t here yet.”
  109. “Ah. Do you get a lot of customers?”
  110. >”Ever since the new ponies took over we can’t keep up. They’s payin’ their workers! It’s been so busy lately we can hardly keep the place clean.”
  111. >That would explain the tables.
  112. “What about the carpet? It’s rather worn, is it not?”
  113. >”You’re the first pony to complain.”
  114.  
  115. “Ah. I appear to have misinterpreted things slightly. My apologies. You go and rest, you look like you need it.”
  116. >She glanced at the menu board and discovered WHY this place was busy despite the underwhelming fare.
  117. >It was dirt cheap.
  118. >Their clientele was clearly ponies who were too weary to cook for themselves, yet unwilling to part with their meager pay.
  119. >This wasn’t very far from her boutique, which was a bit concerning.
  120. >Rarity had done her due diligence in mapping out the region and confirming she was in the right location to attract the proper clientele.
  121. >Yet she’d overlooked a few details such as just how tightly packed things were in the Empire.
  122. >There was very little geographic distance from the ultra-rich to the lower class.
  123. >And it appeared as though she had accidentally wandered into the poor part of town.
  124. >Poor might be a slight understatement.
  125. >Twilight Sparkle had spoken very highly of her brother’s intellect and character.
  126. >Rarity had little doubt that he would do his best to resolve things.
  127. >Indeed, if the server’s testimony was anything to go by he had already made some meaningful changes.
  128. >And yet, she couldn’t help but worry.
  129. >Perhaps it would be best to speak with him.
  130. >If she was to make a life here, she had to help the community.
  131. >And it would have to be indirect aid.
  132. >There was no way the boutique could support that many ponies.
  133. >Ah yes.
  134. >The boutique.
  135. >Where she had somehow found herself tied to two perverts.
  136. >Lovelace, who was so crass she could probably make Cadence blush, and Coco, who was busy…
  137. >Smelling things.
  138. >She let out a long sigh.
  139. “And the biggest pervert of them all.”
  140. >Herself.
  141. >Rarity was angry at Coco for sniffing that cloth.
  142. >And upon reflection she knew exactly why.
  143. >It was because Coco had reminded her of herself.
  144. >It was almost like looking in a mirror.
  145. >A highly sophisticated fashionista.
  146. >Behaving like a beast.
  147. >She’d been trying to get Coco to join her.
  148. >But somehow, actually SEEING it with her own eyes made it feel wrong.
  149. >There was a huge difference between fantasizing about fucking Coco, and actually seeing her in a sexual context.
  150. >It was hypocritical for Rarity to condemn Coco, of course, she had done something far more perverse not that long ago.
  151. >But some part of her couldn’t help but be outraged.
  152. >She hated being told that beneath all the grace and sophistication, she was just an animal looking for dick.
  153. >It only hurt because it was true.
  154. “Perhaps I’m looking at this the wrong way.”
  155. >Did sex make Coco less dignified?
  156. >Perhaps.
  157. >But perhaps Coco made sex MORE dignified.
  158. >When one high society fashionista is desperate for dick, they’re a freak.
  159. >When TWO are?
  160. >Suddenly it’s a trend.
  161. >What was poor Coco feeling?
  162. >Was she struggling with the same fears as Rarity?
  163. >Had she been sniffing rags and other things for years, fearful that her secret might become known?
  164. >Coco didn’t need to be shamed for what she’d done.
  165.  
  166. >She needed to be LIBERATED from her shame, as did Rarity.
  167. >Rarity stood up and left for the boutique.
  168. >She then returned to the diner to pay for her cake.
  169. >After spending an uncomfortable amount of time on apologies, she set out with a heart full of determination.
  170. >Time was a factor.
  171. >She was going to approach this directly, and get the job done as quickly as possible!
  172. >This was going to take courage.
  173. >She might lose some social standing, and-
  174. “Oh. Oh dear.”
  175. >Never mind that plan!
  176. >She was going to work in secret.
  177. >She’d have to beat around the bush a bit; it might take a tad longer, but haste made waste!
  178. >This was going to take cunning and duplicitousness.
  179. >But how?
  180. >She had no plan whatsoever.
  181. >Truth be told, she was working a thousand angles at once, and none of them would get the job done.
  182. >If only she could-
  183. >”Welcome back, Rarity.”
  184. “ACK!”
  185. >Apparently, she had returned to the boutique during her reverie.
  186. >”You look flush. Are you okay?”
  187. “Quite alright, dear!”
  188. >Rarity decided it would be best to lose herself in her work.
  189. >She sat down at the sewing machine and returned to working on Coco’s outfit.
  190. >Its flirtatious and provocative nature made it impossible to put the issue out of mind.
  191. >Visions kept flashing in her mind of savage dickings, and of Coco sniffing things.
  192. >It seemed that no matter-
  193. “Oh! Idea!”
  194. >”Sorry, Rarity. What was that?”
  195. >AT LAST, she knew how she was going to get to Coco.
  196. >It started small, with that rag.
  197. >But it was going to get far bigger soon.
  198. >A huge part of her was appalled, disgusted, and ashamed by the perversity of her idea.
  199. >But it was shouted down by the Rarity that relished in what was to come.
  200. >”Rarity? Are you there?”
  201. “Just a moment. I must think something through before I say anything too silly.”
  202. >Coco was timid and meek.
  203. >She wasn’t a coward in the same way as Fluttershy, but even so she was quite sensitive to social pressure.
  204. >She would do things to avoid judgement.
  205. >If the only way to avoid shame was to suck…
  206. >But the rag wasn’t enough.
  207. >Not yet.
  208. >It was merely the beginning.
  209. “So… what did it smell like?”
  210. >Were it not for the whirring of her machine, there would have been a deafening silence.
  211. >Rarity didn’t look up from her work.
  212. >She didn’t have to.
  213. >She knew that Coco stood completely paralyzed, face red to the point of being ready to burst, lips and tongue stubbornly refusing to speak.
  214. >She knew exactly what Rarity was talking about.
  215. >And her mind was racing, seeking any way to escape the conversation.
  216. >Looking for any place to hide.
  217. >It was a primal terror that any social creature could understand.
  218. >The fear of ostracization.
  219. >She feared that at a moment’s notice, Rarity would reveal the shameful secret.
  220.  
  221. >But for Coco, there was more still on the line.
  222. >Her budding career was in danger.
  223. >And worse still, she faced unemployment.
  224. >Being without friends or funds, lost in a strange land, with nowhere to go…
  225. >Shame was a terrible motivator.
  226. >Isolation was worse.
  227. >It was a feeling Rarity knew all too well.
  228. >The fact that she had been complicit in hurting Twilight…
  229. >The world must never know.
  230. >And…
  231. >It was wrong to inflict that pain on Coco.
  232. “Fret not. I don’t intend to tell.”
  233. >But if she didn’t, Coco would never be free.
  234. “Assuming…”
  235. >There must be some compassionate way to balance this.
  236. “You’re willing to work with me.”
  237. >”Uh- err, I mean-”
  238. “You see, Coco dear, this is meant to be a safe place for us to discover ourselves. You’ve pushed back on this in the past, dear, but I intend to cater to those who are more amorously inclined. By this standard, what you did is perfectly acceptable.”
  239. >”I- um, that is to say, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
  240. “Please don’t insult my intelligence. I didn’t dispose of the rag properly. That was my fault. You shoved your muzzle in it. I won’t pretend to understand the appeal, but this is the right place to do such things, is it not?”
  241. >”Um… I er, I didn’t know what it was? It just smells kinda sweet. I didn’t know it was your- um… your drippings.”
  242. “Oh, really? Then how do you know that now? I didn’t tell you.”
  243. >She was pretty sure she hadn’t, at least.
  244. >”When you said that stuff about being amorous, though. It was, um-”
  245. “Enough. This is not a den of lies. I got aroused and made a mess. You sniffed it. If you are unable to discuss this like a grown mare, I shall be quite cross!”
  246. >Rarity finally turned to look at Coco, and found a snivelling wretch.
  247. >Coco’s face was a rictus of pain and grief, her eyes puffy and watering, her posture like that of a beaten dog.
  248. “THIS!”
  249. >Rarity gestured around the boutique.
  250. “Is a safe place, Coco. At least, that’s what I want it to be. A place where ponies may be open with themselves about their desires. You’re going to help me make that vision a reality. Because if it’s NOT a safe place, then you are a sex pest and a threat to public decency. I don’t want that. Now, go upstairs and take a moment to collect yourself. We-”
  251. >Coco ran up the stairs before Rarity could finish.
  252. “My, she’s fast!”
  253. >The poor thing was clearly having a rough time.
  254. >It simply broke Rarity’s heart to see Coco suffer.
  255. >She was directly responsible for Coco’s pain.
  256. >Yet something urged her to press on.
  257. >Somehow, despite knowing she had caused that sorry state, and despite feeling pity for her friend and associate, Rarity knew deep down that it was the right thing to do.
  258. >Coco stubbornly stayed hidden upstairs until well after closing.
  259. >But Rarity stayed.
  260.  
  261. >But Rarity stayed.
  262. >Patience was perhaps not the most exciting of virtues, but she was willing to wait for her friend.
  263. >Of course, if there were some way to NOT wait she wouldn’t be opposed to it…
  264. >The instant she finished her work, Rarity climbed the stairs to Coco’s boudoir.
  265. >It wasn’t exactly proper to violate her privacy in such a manner…
  266. >Perhaps this was wrong?
  267. >Yet on the other hoof, she couldn’t simply leave her to languish!
  268. >There was a tail rather conspicuously sticking out from under the bed.
  269. >It was rather hard to miss.
  270. >Rarity sat on the bed, taking great care not to disrupt the bedding.
  271. >It was a nice place, tastefully decorated, and maintained to high standards.
  272. >She had done a good job for how briefly she had lived here.
  273. “I’m not leaving until we’ve talked about this.”
  274. >How far was she meant to take this?
  275. “You know, dear, I’m really not certain how to handle this situation. The way you’re behaving is rather bothersome. I feel like I'm attending a foal rather than a peer. Should I start to treat you like a filly?”
  276. >No answer.
  277. >Perhaps she should!
  278. >If Coco was to throw tantrums, it might be time to discipline the wretch!
  279. >Rarity had half a mind to tan her backside until-
  280. “Oh dear.”
  281. >That simply wouldn’t do.
  282. >As much as she loved him, master’s abuse was wholly unacceptable.
  283. >He was not without faults.
  284. >And it was Rarity’s duty to prove to him there was another way.
  285. >Still…
  286. >She had to punish this insolence!
  287. >It would have to be something relatively minor.
  288. >Coco could still leave if she so desired, after all!
  289. >But it would also have to be something that would dissuade her from hiding from the inevitable.
  290. >Tonight was not the time for punishment, it was a time for consolation.
  291. >Tomorrow, however…
  292.  
  293. Scene change!
  294.  
  295. >Shining Armour and Cadence were standing before the Crystal Heart.
  296. >He held an SA80 Bullpup by his side.
  297. >And Cadence?
  298. >She had selected an M134 minigun.
  299. >They were low on ammo because of the fire, but retained hope that it wouldn’t be necessary to shoot a single round.
  300. >As they had feared, there was to be a window where the Heart was totally undefended.
  301. >Worse, they could hardly find anypony able to help them defend it.
  302. >A few members of the militia stood guard at the bottom of the stairs.
  303. >And then it was just him and his wife.
  304. >They had to keep it safe from everything until the changing of the guard.
  305. >It was a rather sizable six hour gap, and he wasn’t even sure that relief would be coming.
  306. >Shining Armour was CERTAIN that their saboteur intended to strike during this moment of weakness.
  307. >They could show themselves at any moment…
  308. “You should go. I’ll be fine on my own.”
  309. >”We’ve gone over this. I’m not leaving until you do.”
  310. >She was stubbornly sticking to her post, despite the danger to herself.
  311. >It was pretty bad…
  312. >If only they’d had more warning, they could have set up sandbags or something.
  313. >Wait…
  314. >Where would they find sand up here?
  315. >He gave his head a shake and tried to focus.
  316. “Aren’t you supposed to believe that the wife should obey the husband? Get to safety. THAT’S AN ORDER!”
  317. >”I’m never going to abandon you.”
  318. “It might be dangerous. Flurry needs her mother.”
  319. >”SHE NEEDS HER FATHER TOO!”
  320. >This was a side of her that he’d never seen before.
  321. >Cadence NEVER argued with him like that!
  322. >And he could hardly believe she’d refused a direct order.
  323. >He clearly didn’t understand her as well as he’d thought.
  324. >He told himself that, if they pulled through this, he was going to sit down with her and talk.
  325. >He was going to try and understand where she was coming from.
  326. >Because there was clearly more depth to her thought than she let on.
  327. >”Something’s coming!”
  328. >She was right.
  329. >Shining Armour could feel an incredibly powerful magic approaching.
  330. >It wasn’t as strong as Celestia’s, but it was still overwhelming.
  331. >This aura wasn’t soothing like Celestia’s.
  332. >Somehow, it wasn’t anything.
  333. >Magic and emotion were intrinsically linked.
  334. >It was usually easy to tell how somepony was feeling by their magic alone.
  335. >But this was empty somehow.
  336. >It wasn’t wild magic; it was definitely controlled by a living thing.
  337. >But this living thing somehow felt nothing.
  338. >No anger, joy, fear, anxiety- just emptiness.
  339. >It would be a mistake to liken it to calm, for that too was a state of mind.
  340. >This was more than mere control.
  341. >This was more than mere calm.
  342. >It was meditative, as though the wielder were in some kind of trance.
  343. >Hoofsteps approached.
  344. >Both Cadence and Shining Armour raised their weapons…
  345. >A figure reached the top of the stairs.
  346. >A deafeningly loud tone filled the air.
  347. >The firing of a minigun doesn’t make discrete blasts, but a massive, persistent grinding sound.
  348.  
  349. >Hundreds of brass casings fell to the floor.
  350. >And Cadence was out of munitions in the blink of an eye.
  351. >Princess Luna stood before them, completely unscathed.
  352. >”We suggest you put the weapon away before there are any accidents.”
  353. >How the FUCK was she alive?
  354. >A quick wave of emotion rippled through the magic before vanishing entirely.
  355. >Anger? Surprise? Disappointment?
  356. >It had been too quick for Shining Armour to be certain, but it was definitely negative.
  357. >Whatever was happening, her control wasn’t quite as absolute as it appeared.
  358. >Cadence dropped the weapon.
  359. >He could hear her crying, but was too transfixed to look.
  360. “You’re not hurt? Are you bulletproof?”
  361. >”Perhaps. Or perhaps her aim is as bad as her trigger discipline.”
  362. >The faintest ripple of scorn.
  363. >And perhaps a bit of pride?
  364. >”I’m sorry! I’M SORRY! Oh, nonono…”
  365. >”Calm yourself, Mi Amore, for I am unharmed.”
  366. >He finally turned to look at her.
  367. >She was lying on the ground.
  368. >Trembling.
  369. “She’s fine, dear.”
  370. >”I- I almost-”
  371. >Yeah.
  372. >Shining Armour had absolutely no clue how she’d survived that, much less walked away unharmed.
  373. >There was no way Cadence had missed that many shots.
  374. >And even if she HAD missed or the weapon had somehow malfunctioned, she had pulled the trigger.
  375. >Cadence had, in a moment of panic, attempted to gun down a friendly.
  376. >The fact that Luna was SOMEHOW still standing didn’t change that.
  377. >It would probably be best if she never held a firearm again.
  378. >But for now, at least, it had turned out fine.
  379. “It’s okay. And we have backup now. You go and-”
  380. >”NO! I’m not letting you fight this on your own!”
  381. >”I’m not allowing either of you to fight this. You are needed elsewhere.”
  382. >She was right, of course.
  383. >They still had a lot of work to do to try and put the Empire back together.
  384. >”I shall personally see to the defence of the Heart until you have restored order.”
  385. “On your own?”
  386. >”No. My ponies are currently conducting a sweep, hunting hostiles.”
  387. >Cadence was still shaking.
  388. >But she was at least getting up.
  389. >Shining offered her a hoof.
  390. “I want a blood test.”
  391. >”Why? You would be unable to stop me if I were hostile.”
  392. >She was telling the truth.
  393. >But something was wrong…
  394. >This wasn’t Luna’s magic.
  395. >Hers was peaceful, serene even.
  396. >She was not empty.
  397. “If you’re not Chrysalis, you have nothing to hide.”
  398. >He approached her.
  399. >She offered him a leg.
  400. >The test came back normal…
  401. >”Are you satisfied?”
  402. “No. Who are you? You’re not Luna.”
  403. >The nothingness before him was frightening.
  404. >There was no sign of hostility at all.
  405. >But the sheer nothingness of it was putting him on edge.
  406. >”I see bravery runs in your family.”
  407. “Talk. What even IS this?”
  408. >”It is I, suppressing FURY!”
  409. >Another ripple…
  410. >A vast and terrible one.
  411. >”Chrysalis did this. I’m certain. I have NOT forgotten what she did, nor have I forgiven her!”
  412.  
  413. >Venom dripped from every word, and somehow the lamps failed to cast light for a brief moment.
  414. >He could see the hatred burning in her eyes, and something about her posture sent shivers down his spine.
  415. >There was something terrible in there, something vengeful and cruel.
  416. >Something on a short leash.
  417. >She was working very hard to control her temper.
  418. >And NOPONY wanted to be near her if she was set off.
  419. >He couldn’t help but be amazed that being shot by Cadence hadn’t done it…
  420. >Luna brushed past him and stood in front of the heart.
  421. >Her horn began glowing.
  422. >She wasn’t casting anything, just flooding it with magic.
  423. >”Rest assured, Chrysalis shall not have her prize tonight. She won’t even try. The instant she sees ME, she shall return to hiding.”
  424. “Chrysalis is dangerous.”
  425. >”And I am far worse. You two had best be off. You won’t be safe here for much longer.”
  426. >She was right.
  427. >If this WAS Luna, the Heart was in good hooves.
  428. >If it WASN’T?
  429. >They had to retreat immediately.
  430. >”I shall let you know before I depart, so that you can arrange for a proper defence.”
  431. “Thank you, princess.”
  432. >Shining Armour had to pick up his wife before leaving.
  433. >He was a very strong pony, but she was pretty big.
  434. >It made the stairs difficult to navigate.
  435. >But Cadence wouldn’t walk.
  436. >”I shot her.”
  437. “She’s fine, dear.”
  438. >Somehow.
  439. >He knew Luna was a powerful magic user.
  440. >But there was more to it than that.
  441. >She hadn’t blocked it or dodged.
  442. >It just went straight through without hurting her.
  443. >She had some kind of trick.
  444. >Was that-
  445. “It’s an illusion!”
  446. >He rushed back up the stairs and rounded the corner as quickly as he could with Cadence’s extra weight holding him down, fully expecting to see the heart gone.
  447. >To his surprise, he found Luna standing before the Heart.
  448. >”I’m still not Chrysalis.”
  449. >He surveyed the room.
  450. >Somehow, he couldn’t look directly at anything.
  451. >No matter what he tried to focus on, it felt like it was just at the periphery of his vision.
  452. >Reality itself had become blurry.
  453. >He couldn’t tell what the spell was, but he could feel that it was extremely potent.
  454. >And no doubt extremely dangerous.
  455. >He took a single step back toward the door.
  456. “How did you survive being shot?”
  457. >”It would be unwise for me to give away that secret. Tell nopony; I do not wish for them to seek more effective weapons.”
  458. >He wasn’t satisfied.
  459. >But this was a dangerous place to be.
  460. >And Cadence was still on his back.
  461. >He had to get her to safety.
  462. >”You are suspicious of me. That is to your credit!”
  463. >He had so many more questions.
  464. >But whether this was really Luna or not, he had to move.
  465. >Either to try and salvage the Empire, or to get Cadence to safety.
  466. “I would like to speak with you when this is over.”
  467. >”You shall have your audience! Now begone! I am preparing for battle!”
  468.  
  469. >He was happy to leave, but still worried.
  470. >The trek to the bottom of the stairs was long and arduous with Cadence on his back.
  471. >He knew he wasn’t going to make it.
  472. >But he didn’t want to admit it.
  473. “She’s fine, honey.”
  474. >”I shot her.”
  475. “And she’s fine.”
  476. >”If that had been anypony else…”
  477. >Yep.
  478. “I know you’re scared. Scared of yourself. But I need you to be strong right now.”
  479. >Please get off of me.
  480. “We still have work to do.”
  481. >My legs won’t hold out much longer.
  482. “We have to issue new orders for all the troops, re-hire everypony, find some way to pay for it, and pick up Flurry. Oh, horsefeathers. Flurry!”
  483. >”It’s WAY past her bedtime!”
  484. “But we can’t bring her here yet. It might be dangerous! One of us needs to go see her. She’s DEFINITELY worried!”
  485. >Cadence climbed off of his back, providing desperately needed relief.
  486. >She seemed to have forgotten the trauma of her recent accident, or at least put it out of mind for the moment.
  487. >”I’ll go! We’ll stay at one of the barracks until morning.”
  488. >The poor girl was probably miserable and exhausted.
  489. “Who did you leave her with?”
  490. >”Anon.”
  491. “ANON? He’s a terrible influence!”
  492. >”He’s a doctor. We want her to look up to highly skilled ponies. Err, people.”
  493. “He’s a PERVERT!”
  494. >”So am I.”
  495. >Good point.
  496. >Anon would probably bring the average level of perversion down.
  497. “Good point. I just hope he found a good way to entertain her.”
  498. >”Flurry takes after you an awful lot. They probably had fun with their dorky stuff.”
  499. “You should really join in some time.”
  500. >”I’m not really into that kind of thing… I’ll make you a deal. Knock me up again, and we can play while I’m pregnant.”
  501. “Not until Flurry can look after herself.”
  502. >”Okay… what about anal? Fuck my ass and I’ll give you six hours of any game you want.”
  503. “I’d prefer not…”
  504. >”I’ll talk you into it some day.”
  505. >They eventually made it to the bottom of the stairs.
  506. >Four ponies stood guard by the door, three of them armed with spears and one with a bolt action rifle.
  507. >They were alert, and well positioned.
  508. >But it would be easy for any well armed insurgents to overpower them.
  509. >Chrysalis has somehow secured weapons that even he couldn’t buy…
  510. >If she chose to, she could blow them away and walk up unhindered.
  511. “Thank you, soldiers. The Heart is currently being guarded by somepony extremely dangerous. If you are met with any credible threat, stand down. There is no need for you to risk yourselves any further. However, I still want you to stand guard for the safety of the public. It would be extremely dangerous for anypony to go up there.”
  512. >They saluted him.
  513. >”Understood, sir!”
  514. >As soon as the exchange was over, Shining Armour could feel the exhaustion catching up to him.
  515. >The Heart was safe.
  516. >Or at least, there was nothing he could do to make it safer.
  517. >They were pretty sure nothing else was going to happen for a while.
  518.  
  519. >And while there had been a ton of damage done, things were stabilising.
  520. >It would be extremely hard to fix the Empire.
  521. >It was probably going to take decades to undo all this damage.
  522. >But they’d weathered the storm.
  523. >Just a few more hours, and he could sleep.
  524. >”I’ll go get Flurry. Oh! I’d better pick up Whammy first. Flurry won’t sleep without him.”
  525. >And Shining?
  526. >He had to go talk to the treasurer.
  527. >They needed to make a new budget.
  528. >It was probably going to be bleak.
  529. >Hopefully the old stallion was still up…
  530. >He stumbled through the palace, trying his best not to nod off.
  531. >Somepony touched him.
  532. >He nearly leapt out of his skin from the shock.
  533. >”Sorry, your highness! I couldn’t get your attention!”
  534. “Howlite. Hi.”
  535. >”I have found something interesting, sire! An Equestrian financial institution is interested in helping!”
  536. >That WAS interesting!
  537. >He passed Shining a document.
  538. >It looked thick…
  539. >”I’ll give you the short version. It’s a line of credit. Up to a hundred million.”
  540. >The exact amount Garnet was threatening to cash in?
  541. >What an oddly convenient number.
  542. >”3.5% annual interest, compounded daily.”
  543. >That was not bad at all.
  544. >He’d rather avoid it, of course, but if it smoothed things out…
  545. “Thank you. I’m going to see the treasurer, and we’ll see what he thinks of it.”
  546. >”I can take it to him if you like, I’ll just need access to-”
  547. “I have to talk to him anyway.”
  548. >”You need to sleep.”
  549. >He did.
  550. >He REALLY did.
  551. >But…
  552. >Something felt wrong.
  553. >He couldn’t think straight enough to say what.
  554. >But…
  555. >Some part of him said it was important.
  556. “I’m talking to him. Thank you, and you’re dismissed.”
  557. >”Very well. If you need more help, you know where to find me.”
  558. >Shining Armour began to calm.
  559. >It was a strange sensation, and a somewhat unwelcome one.
  560. >As his heart slowed and his pressure lessened, he started to become aware of just how stressed he was.
  561. >And he began to nod off.
  562. >He had to get to Graham Scale and make a budget.
  563. “Heh. Funny name. Graham Scale.”
  564. >What even WAS a graham?
  565. >He knew what a graham cracker was, and what graham flour was, but he’d never seen a graham.
  566. >He was going to have to ask him…
  567. >”Prince!”
  568. “ACK!”
  569. >Shining Armour nearly jumped out of his chair.
  570. >He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and found himself sitting at a desk.
  571. >Right before the treasurer.
  572. >An old, grey crystal pony with a faded yellow mane.
  573. >They looked at him through their thick glasses, with no shortage of worry on their face.
  574. >”Are you certain you’re okay?”
  575. “Ugh. Sorry, what’s going on?”
  576. >”You fell asleep in your chair and started mumbling something about crackers.”
  577. “Oh. Uh… What were we doing again?”
  578. >”We were discussing our budget for the next quarter.”
  579. “I probably shouldn’t be making decisions right now. Tell me how bad it is and I’ll think about it in the morning.”
  580.  
  581. >”Bad? You’ve given me the best news since you took over, and you ask how bad it is?”
  582. >Huh?
  583. >”I don’t know how Garnet came up with this, but it fixes almost everything.”
  584. >”I’m glad I could be of help, your highness.”
  585. “ACK!”
  586. >The voice came from right behind him!
  587. >Shining Armour DID jump this time, and gracelessly landed on the ground.
  588. >He even managed to pull the chair down on top of him!
  589. “I must have been sleepwalking. What happened?”
  590. >”Garnet’s a genius is what happened. Crystals!”
  591. “I don’t get it.”
  592. >”Some human research firm is putting machines in their wildlife to study them. They need some way to power them.”
  593. “Alright? And why do they need crystals? They’re really good at powering machines”
  594. >”Because their power sources are dangerous to the wildlife. Ours are inert. There’s no concern about pollution if they lose them, so they don’t have to bother recovering anything.”
  595. >Huh.
  596. >Gram Scale looked almost giddy.
  597. >”Your highness, we have an EXPORT!”
  598. >That WAS good news!
  599. >And Garnet looked oddly…
  600. >Proud.
  601. >”I trust this is enough for you to leave me alone.”
  602. “That depends. What do we need to give them, and what are they willing to pay?”
  603. >”Quartz- and it has to be quartz for some reason- with a capacity of 5 ETU.”
  604. “5? That’s pretty small.”
  605. >They weren’t going to pay much for them…
  606. >”And it needs to take two years to discharge.”
  607. >That would be hard to manufacture.
  608. >They’d have to be practically perfect.
  609. >”And they want ten thousand of them.”
  610. >That woke him up.
  611. “Excuse me? How are we supposed to deliver THAT?”
  612. >”You wanted me to figure out how to pay your bills, so I did! The rest is up to you!”
  613. >It wouldn’t be easy…
  614. >But it SHOULD be possible.
  615. >With less than two weeks before the next exchange, it was going to be hard.
  616. >But the Empire was good at working with crystals…
  617. “How much are we getting out of it?”
  618. >”50 each, so half a million bits.”
  619. >It was a start.
  620. >A good start!
  621. >But it wasn’t enough.
  622. “Good work, Garnet. You’ve bought yourself some time. Looks like I won’t be burning your home down for at least a few more days. We’ll talk soon.”
  623. >She ran away as soon as his mouth closed.
  624. >Gram Scale set to fiddling with his abacus, and jotting seemingly random numbers down.
  625. >”If we can land a few more deals like this, we’ll be okay.”
  626. “Garnet has stolen a hundred million.”
  627. >He dropped his quill.
  628. >Lowered his glasses so he could look over them.
  629. >And tried to stare straight through the prince’s head.
  630. >”I thought I’d stopped that.”
  631. “How did you know about it in the first place?”
  632. >”The princess warned me early this morning. Or yesterday morning.”
  633. >Oh, right.
  634. >That felt like a long time ago.
  635.  
  636. >”That shouldn’t be possible.”
  637. “She supposedly has bearer bonds. No idea how; she claims someone gave them to her.”
  638. >”Bearer bonds… no way of telling whose is whose. And they’re so easy to transfer she could spend them almost anywhere. We’d have to stop accepting ALL of them if we wanted to filter hers out.”
  639. “We can’t do that. Too much collateral damage.”
  640. >”You’re not seriously letting her keep it, are you?”
  641. “I’m not really sure what to do about it yet.”
  642. >”Really? Because I am. Shove her in the deepest, darkest hole you can find and force feed her the money until he chokes.”
  643. >Huh.
  644. >He’d had the exact same idea…
  645. “Not if she’s going to be useful.”
  646. >”If she tries to cash them, we’re insolvent!”
  647. “That’s the plan. If she crashes our banks, they’re just paper. I’ve made sure she understands that.”
  648. >Graham Scale smirked.
  649. >It was a somewhat strange look on such a saggy face, but the prince was happy to share the moment of victory with his treasurer.
  650. >”You’ll still have to deal with it eventually. How long do you think you have?”
  651. ”That depends on how scared she is. Do you have any ideas?”
  652. >”Well, you could shove her in the deepest, darkest hole-”
  653. “I meant ideas that don’t involve killing anypony. I’d rather not lower myself to that level.”
  654. >”Oh. Fractional reserve banking and fiat currency?”
  655. “Eugh. Tell me more about the hole idea.”
  656. >Graham scale chuckled at him.
  657. >”If you don’t want to play dirty, I think your only real options are to find them, or to pay.”
  658. >Figures.
  659. >”You won’t be able to keep her from cashing them in forever. Sooner or later, you have to deal with that.”
  660. “I know. But first we have to live that long. What kind of budget are we looking at?”
  661. >”It’s too soon to be sure. We’re exploring a new market, and there’s probably more opportunity to be had. Uh… I don’t know the manufacturing cost of the crystals. Assuming it’s zero, for our annual budget, assuming we made no changes except for paying for the stuff that was stolen and destroyed, and assuming we don’t manage to find any more buyers... we’re expecting a surplus of ten bits.”
  662. “SURPLUS?”
  663. >”This wouldn’t be enough to buy back anything; we’d still be paying for our own water. Who owns that?”
  664. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t had a chance to investigate it that closely.”
  665. >”Yeah, it’s been a rough day. We’ll have to spend SOMETHING to make the crystals, so we’re still looking at a deficit. If you want to pay your workers, it’ll be a significant one.”
  666. >He did.
  667.  
  668. >”Even so, this is workable. If you manage to get the order ready in time, we should be able to borrow enough to stay afloat. Future revenue will significantly exceed our previous projections from the deal alone. The influx of cash into the labour force should help the service sector out, so we should get a good portion of the wages you pay out back in the end. I can’t know how much of that will get back to us for sure, but even if it’s zero we can pull through this. Half a million quarterly is a life saver. That looming hundred million is a problem, but we can’t pay for it either way. If you find some to avoid paying that, this ordeal could turn out to be quite profitable in the long run.”
  669. “I’m sorry. Quarterly?”
  670. >”Did we not mention? They want that every time the portal opens for the next ten years.”
  671. >Two million a year.
  672. >For ten years!
  673. >Two million wasn’t a lot back in Equestria.
  674. >At least, not for a government.
  675. >He’d seen the budget the royal guard had, and it dwarfed the numbers he was now working with.
  676. >But the Empire was small.
  677. >Not to mention economically weak.
  678. >He would have to use this wisely…
  679. >But if he was careful, they could get a lot done with it.
  680. >And with a little luck, they’d be able to get even more.
  681. >Something in the back of his head was nagging them.
  682. >How had Garnet come up with this idea so quickly?
  683. >Did she already have the deal lined up, and if so, why had she not tried to capitalise on it herself?
  684. >He knew there was a detail he was missing.
  685. >But he was too tired to care about that right now.
  686. >He fell asleep in the chair, too exhausted to climb the stairs to his bed.
  687.  
  688. >Rarity woke up feeling extraordinarily groggy.
  689. >She had wound up spending the night at Coco’s waiting for her to be ready to talk.
  690. >Ultimately, Coco refused to get out from under the bed.
  691. >The irritation that Rarity had felt eventually gave way to concern and pity.
  692. >The words of comfort she’d offered were just that; words had a tendency to feel hollow in the face of actions.
  693. >After all, she knew that, were their roles reversed, she would be mortified.
  694. >And all this speech about how there was nothing to be ashamed of felt hollow.
  695. >She was at that very moment hiding her own carnal proclivities.
  696. >Was it not hypocritical to make Coco flaunt things if she was so adamant about hiding her belt?
  697. >If she was so ashamed of her sexuality, Rarity had to ease her into it.
  698. >Being around lascivious things ought to ease her apprehensions.
  699. >As soon as she discovered it was normal, she would find the confidence to be honest with herself.
  700. >Rarity had to expose her to as much sex as possible without scaring her off.
  701. >She would be punished.
  702. >But it had to be done with great care.
  703. “If it’s going to cause you that much distress, I suppose we don’t have to talk about it.”
  704. >They still definitely had to talk about it.
  705. >It was critical for her plans!
  706. >But it could wait for a later date.
  707. >The Empire probably wasn’t ready for what she had in mind anyway.
  708. >Rarity did her best not to think of what that implied.
  709. “We never properly closed up shop last night. I’ll go do that now. Then we can go get something to eat; you must be starving! We’ll have to chat about business a bit, and I fear it might make you feel a tad uncomfortable. But we can pretend this whole incident never happened.”
  710.  
  711. >True to her word, Rarity left the room.
  712. >She took her time to close up, so as to give Coco more time to collect herself.
  713. >They hadn’t made a single sale yesterday, which was more than concerning!
  714. >But at the moment she was far more worried about the wellbeing of her friend.
  715. >She wound up waiting in on her own for several minutes just to afford Coco a bit more time.
  716. >Then, bracing herself for the worst, she ascended the stairs.
  717. “Ah, hello Coco!”
  718. >She was sitting on her bed.
  719. >She looked disheveled, and her face was stained with tears.
  720. >She would need a bit more time to clean up.
  721. “Tidy yourself up and we’ll go out for breakfast. Though I fear our options will be rather limited. Manehattan isn’t without its advantages.”
  722. >“I’m sorry.”
  723. ”Whatever for?”
  724. >“For… um…”
  725. “Ah! Shush, I shan’t hear a word of it. We’ll discuss it when you’re ready, and if you’re never ready we’ll never discuss it.”
  726. >They ABSOLUTELY would discuss it.
  727. >Coco’s desire to sniff things could be a great asset!
  728. “Please, prepare yourself for going out. Oh! I must look terrible myself.”
  729. >It took Coco surprisingly little time to prepare.
  730. >In fact, she was ready long before Rarity was.
  731. >Rarity couldn’t help but feel a bit of envy at the ease with which her companion could bring out her beauty.
  732. >Perhaps Rarity could learn something from her?
  733. >She was unwilling to compromise on results, but it WOULD be nice to have the routine be a tad more expedient.
  734. >Something to ponder at a later date.
  735. >Though there WAS a problem.
  736. “Are you really planning on wearing that when we go out?”
  737. >”It’s what I always wear.”
  738. “Therein lies the problem. We’re meant to be advertising. You should be wearing something fresh and chique.”
  739. >No reply.
  740. “One of our new items. Something that nopony has seen before.”
  741. >Still no reply.
  742. “Something eye-catching, that will entice ponies.”
  743. >Realization flashed across her face for just a moment.
  744. >Coco began to back away, her gaze averted and her face flush.
  745. >”I- umm… that is to say… err, I’d rather not.”
  746. “Very well.”
  747. >”Wait, really?”
  748. >She’d already been pushed too hard recently.
  749. >Rarity needed to help her relax a tad.
  750. >She’d have to take initiative, and show Coco it was safe.
  751. “I’m not trying to torture you, dear.”
  752. >At least, not yet.
  753. “I’m trying to help you. Though we really do need to attract attention… I shall wear it. Now please, give me a bit of privacy.”
  754. >The colours weren’t right on her, but that was okay.
  755. >Rarity began with the hosiery.
  756. >The stockings began as semi-opaque, allowing the viewer to see her legs and thighs through them, albeit somewhat darkened.
  757. >The lace finish at the top was a fair bit darker, contrasting her milky coat and drawing attention straight to the upper thigh.
  758. >It was held in place with true black straps that ran over her back and buttocks.
  759. >They were perhaps a tad too tight…
  760.  
  761. >Getting the straps over her belt took some work, but she prevailed in the end.
  762. >The stockings could someday be complimented by some titillating undergarments that were visible from the correct angle, but for the time being they had to be considered acceptable public attire.
  763. >At present, the outfit simply left her nude underneath with sufficient coverage that the fun bits were obscured.
  764. >She put on the slip dress, and was disturbed to find that it too was too tight.
  765. >It had been measured perfectly for Coco, she was sure of it!
  766. “I suppose I need to watch my figure.”
  767. >She had to be attractive, both for her master and for her career!
  768. >Rarity took a look at herself in the mirror.
  769. >Despite being a tight fit, it did what it was meant to.
  770. >The dress was just barely too short to hide the end of her hosiery, and she flashed bare thighs and the straps with every step.
  771. >It wasn’t quite at risk of exposing the belt, mercifully.
  772. >But she wasn’t done quite yet.
  773. >Legwear needs proper protection to be worn outdoors.
  774. >Merely walking on the streets would ruin her attire!
  775. >So she needed shoes to protect them.
  776. >Small, red numbers that subtly increased her height to give the illusion of longer legs.
  777. >Tie ons, of course.
  778. >Properly fastening a shoe with nails or screws would make switching wardrobes far too time consuming.
  779. >Besides, it was ultimately unnecessary.
  780. >She was far too refined and delicate to need such sturdy protective wear.
  781. >And finally, of course, the choker.
  782. >It was not part of the ensemble.
  783. >Rarity stared at the mirror once more.
  784. >She could feel the lust getting the better of her again…
  785. >It was understandable that Coco was hesitant to adorn this attire.
  786. >It was more than a tad provocative!
  787. >But…
  788. >At that moment, the thought of getting all that carnal attention was most welcome.
  789. >She stepped out to make her debut.
  790. “Well? How do I look?”
  791. >Coco’s breathing hastened.
  792. >Her face reddened, and she sputtered instead of speaking.
  793. “Yes, I suppose it’s a tad ill fitting. Rest assured it would have looked better on you. Now, let’s head out.”
  794. >”Is- is it okay for you to be wearing that?”
  795. “Of course! Let’s get going.”
  796. >It was imperative that they move before Rarity had too much time to think, else she might be unable to withstand the embarrassment!
  797. >The streets were unusually busy and clamorous.
  798. >Had they missed a festival of some sort?
  799. >”Rarity? What’s going on? And why do so many of them have spears?”
  800. “I can honestly claim to be uncertain.”
  801. >There WERE more weapons than usual.
  802. >But not nearly to the same degree as during the mess with the changelings.
  803. >Had something bad happened?
  804. >Surely not.
  805. >Everypony was far too jovial for there to have been a disaster of some sort.
  806. >Rarity approached the first unarmed pony she could find.
  807. “Excuse me. Yes, you, the ochre crystal stallion.”
  808. >”Whoa. Uh, er… hi there.”
  809.  
  810. >He was immediately flustered.
  811. >The outfit worked!
  812. “Ah. Sorry, I’m already in a relationship.”
  813. >”Oh… I mean, I don’t remember asking.”
  814. >The poor dear was visibly crestfallen.
  815. “Though I must say I’m a tad surprised you’re single given who’s in charge of this place. Have you- oh! I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to pry into your affairs. Might I inquire as to what all the commotion is about?”
  816. >”Didn’t you hear? The prince beat the tar out of Garnet!”
  817. “He did? Oh my! Who’s Garnet?”
  818. >”You aren’t from around here.”
  819. “And what was your first hint? Was it the opacity of my body?”
  820. >”Garnet’s the richest pony to ever live. Well, she was before we got locked out of time, there are a few crazy rich ponies down in Equestria that could probably contest the title. She owns most of the city, you know. Pretty much everything in the commercial district is hers.”
  821. “Well, not my establishment.”
  822. >”Business owner, huh? You got a lease, don’t you? Take a wild guess who you’re paying.”
  823. >Oh.
  824. “It appears as though she’s not particularly popular. Back in Ponyville, our oligarch is rather well liked. His wife is a wretch and his daughter is rather spoiled, but Mr. Rich himself is nothing if not a gentlecolt. I assume by the… joviality shall we say, that this Garnet is different.”
  825. >”You could say that. How did your guy get rich?”
  826. “He’s an angel investor. In fact, he’s how I got my own start back in the day! His terms were more than agreeable, and when I had a rough patch he allowed me to defer payments for several months.”
  827. >”Must be nice.”
  828. “And how did she make her fortune?”
  829. >”Treason.”
  830. >That didn’t sound right.
  831. >He began to walk away, and Rarity chose not to pursue him.
  832. “If you’ll excuse me, Coco, I must know more about this pony. If I’m doing business with her…”
  833. >”I understand. Would you like me to find breakfast in the meantime?”
  834. “That would be much appreciated.”
  835. >As luck would have it, nearly everypony was willing to speak about Garnet.
  836. >None of them seemed to like her.
  837. >She had been born wealthy, and leveraged it with a remarkable abundance of skill and lack of conscience.
  838. >If the masses were to be believed, this Garnet had at one point funded an independence movement quite extensively.
  839. >These ponies had wound up so extravagantly well provisioned that they posed a massive threat to the Empire’s control over their region.
  840. >Though no evidence was provided, the general consensus seemed to be that she pushed them to adopt a more bellicose position, demanding revenge rather than mere emancipation.
  841. >Princess Amore herself wound up making a rather terrible deal with the wretch.
  842. >She would cease to fund the rebels, and in doing so destroy their organization and prevent a terrible and pointless war.
  843. >In exchange, the Empire would reimburse her a hundred fold for every bit she had invested in them.
  844. >The debt had yet to be fully repaid…
  845.  
  846. >It turned out that Garnet was very difficult to find, and for good reason!
  847. >Rarity had little doubt that merely walking the streets could be dangerous for such a pony.
  848. >The masses were quite open about wanting to do her harm, and more than happy to hear that it had actually happened.
  849. >Coco eventually returned to retrieve Rarity, and brought her to a quaint little establishment.
  850. >The eatery was little more than a counter with a display case.
  851. >She wanted to condemn it for the lack of decor, but ultimately there was no room for anything aside from the fare and the staff.
  852. >Even the seating had been put outdoors!
  853. >They eventually found themselves sitting on a bench, working away at a few pastries.
  854. “How did you even find this place?”
  855. >”Um… by walking.”
  856. >Coco, of course, failed to find anything unusual about the establishment.
  857. “I do wonder where they prepared the pastries.”
  858. >”Oh. This kind of place usually has the kitchen in low value real estate and moves it into the storefront to save on costs.”
  859. “Ah. That makes sense.”
  860. >Or at least it would, if this was Henson Yard in Manehattan.
  861. >Around here…
  862. “Oh. I suppose they made this arrangement back when this was a major capital city, didn’t they?”
  863. >”It’s so weird that there was a coup and we didn’t even hear about it.”
  864. “There was a what?”
  865. >Coco had apparently overheard that there had been a major attempt at stealing the Crystal Heart.
  866. >Everything slowly began to make sense.
  867. >She had been so focused on figuring out who Garnet was that she hadn’t thought to ask what had set the prince off in the first place.
  868. >Despite having elected for a very light breakfast, this outing had left her with a lot to digest.
  869. >”Are you sure this is a good place for us to set up?”
  870. >For most, it wasn’t.
  871. >For them, it was a golden opportunity.
  872. “There is a lot more uncertainty in the Empire than I had realized. We should be celebrating.”
  873. >”Oh. Okay then. Um… why, though?”
  874. “Uncertainty means opportunity. It’s obvious that the empire as it currently is won’t exist much longer. Whether what comes next is better or worse remains to be seen. If we’re fortunate, we’ve positioned ourselves right in the middle of an economic boom. If we’re unlucky, well, we can always leave.”
  875. >Coco could, at least.
  876. >Rarity couldn’t.
  877. >Not unless her master left as well.
  878. “When I was asking around, I had more than a few comments on my attire. I, um, I fear I may have sold this outfit. The buyer should come by this afternoon for payment and adjustments.”
  879. >”Oh, that’s great. Now I won’t have to wear it.”
  880. >Rarity would make her something even more provocative to make up for it.
  881. “Yes, well, I know you’re hesitant to deal in such things, but that has to change.”
  882. >She averted her gaze slightly.
  883. >”I don’t understand why we have to cater to that crowd.”
  884.  
  885. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not asking you to pleasure the customers.”
  886. >Coco flinched.
  887. “We’re trying to appeal to the local clientele. Though I may have some… objections to her ways, by which I mean I abhor her, their current princess is the aspect of love. And if I understand their history correctly, their most successful princess was quite similar.”
  888. >”I don’t know much about princess Amore.”
  889. “She was a peacemaker who reigned in their out of control military while managing to keep the Empire intact.”
  890. >She was probably a lot more sane than the current ruler.
  891. >But the love connection ran deep regardless.
  892. “Look at it this way. Lovelace was able to make a living here.”
  893. >”I still don’t like that we’re partnered with her.”
  894. “Yet there were no designers to be found in the city. Titillation isn’t what’s unusual around here. We are the outliers.”
  895. >”So… you’re saying that we’re trying to dignify them?”
  896. >That’s not exactly the angle Rarity had been working.
  897. >But she’d take it!
  898. “Exactly. You’re looking at this as us sullying our craft. The correct way to view it is as us elevating their culture, and hopefully making a tidy profit in the process. But we need to demonstrate that clothing can be both elegant and alluring at the same time. Can you do that for me?”
  899. >She nodded.
  900. >It was a slow, gentle nod that clearly lacked conviction.
  901. >Coco was still afraid.
  902. >But Rarity knew that she had made great progress regardless.
  903. >”I don’t really know how to do that kind of stuff though.”
  904. “Then I suppose it shall be a learning experience for the both of us. We had best get to work. We’ve made far too little clothing given how long we’ve been open.”
  905. >And it was becoming painfully obvious they weren’t going to meet their sales goal for the first month.
  906. >That had been anticipated, and they certainly weren’t in trouble yet.
  907. >But they also couldn’t afford to pass up any opportunities.
  908. >Be if opportunities for business, or more frivolous activities.
  909. >They returned to the boutique in relative silence.
  910. >It felt odd knowing that such massive changes were happening all around them.
  911. >The empire was in turmoil and tumult.
  912. >Rarity was no stranger to such things, and so it felt bizarre to be uninvolved in it.
  913. >“What’s wrong?”
  914. “I’m merely wondering how this mess with Garnet and the attempts to steal the Crystal Heart shall involve me.”
  915. >”Why would they? Isn’t that royal family business? I don’t see why it would affect us commoners. OH! Or, um, or socialites such as yourself of course.”
  916. “No offense taken, I knew what you meant. And it shouldn’t, but somehow I often seem to wind up in the middle of major events. If past trends hold true, then I shall be involved in the resolution.”
  917. >Hopefully that didn’t sound too conceited.
  918. >”I thought it had already been taken care of.”
  919.  
  920. “They have yet to apprehend the perpetrator, correct? This isn’t over. I fully expect there to be some bizarre consequence that I find myself in the center of.”
  921. >It was nearly time to make a move.
  922. >Rarity could feel her heart racing, and couldn’t help but notice sweat was starting to build up despite the brisk weather.
  923. >Her heart felt like a hammer as they entered the boutique.
  924. “I suppose we had best get ready for this outfit’s new owner. If you’ll excuse me, I shall be changing behind the privacy screen.”
  925. >She shuddered in anticipation as she slipped out of the garment.
  926. >She had been telling the truth when she claimed to have sold it.
  927. >What Rarity had excluded was that there was to be more than a mere exchange of wealth.
  928. >She had recognized the buyer as one of the thugs that Cadence had sent to abduct her all those moons ago.
  929. >After a few choice words and some bad faith negotiating they had acquiesced to Rarity’s exorbitant demand for payment.
  930. >It turned out that they were relatively wealthy.
  931. >But it was going to cost them more than bits.
  932. >Rarity walked back out, wearing a rather plain outfit.
  933. >The two of them folded up the outfit that was to be sold, and set to work on new attire for the future.
  934. >Rarity couldn’t help but be mindful of the sun’s passage as it seemed to shoot by their front window.
  935. >Had she bargained too hard?
  936. >Had the wretched client backed down due to the price?
  937. >Or had this all been some vile prank intended to hurt her even further?
  938. >She could hardly believe it when the pony approached.
  939. >A dainty little mare who could at first glance be mistaken for a late adolescent approached.
  940. >A citrine yellow pony with a silver mane.
  941. >It was a rather peculiar colour combination, but it blended fairly nicely.
  942. >Almost as though their mane and tail were an inlay on some fine jewel.
  943. >”Hello there!”
  944. >They spoke as though there was no history between the two of them.
  945. >It was one of the brutes who had abducted and beaten her, of that there was no doubt.
  946. >They even admitted as much during their previous meeting.
  947. >And yet, somehow, they behaved as though there was nothing out of the ordinary in the two of them speaking.
  948. “It’s on the counter. Fetch it yourself, pay up, and get out. And please, try to let the door hit you on your way out.”
  949. >Coco leaned in close to Rarity and whispered into her ear.
  950. >”Umm… is this a sales technique I don’t know? It feels a bit… mean.”
  951. “We have history I’d rather not discuss at the moment.”
  952. >Had she really allowed her hatred to taint this discussion?
  953. >She’d been rather hoping to prevent Coco from noticing their animosity.
  954. >Perhaps she needed acting lessons?
  955. >The pony who’s name Rarity didn’t care to learn approached the garment.
  956. >”I’d like to see it on somepony before buying it.”
  957. “You saw it on me.”
  958. >”And it didn’t fit you. I’d like to see it on somepony who isn’t fat.”
  959. >Realization and understanding flashed across Coco’s face.
  960.  
  961. >Meanwhile, Rarity was dumbfounded.
  962. >”Rarity? I think I know why you don’t like her. Would you like me to take over?”
  963. “Fat? Well! I- that is- ugh. Just… Please. We’ve already agreed on a price. Don’t let her try to renegotiate it.”
  964. >Coco gave her a sweet smile and approached the customer.
  965. “It’ll be worth it, Rarity. Doubly so if everything goes according to plan.”
  966. >Rarity had allowed herself to be talked down to exorbitant pricing.
  967. >Initially it had been extortionate since doing business with this wretch would cost some of her dignity.
  968. >But their brief exchange revealed she was something of an idealogue.
  969. >Her rather incoherent philosophy was doubtlessly influenced by Cadence.
  970. >And though Rarity was loath to admit it, their goals aligned at the moment.
  971. >They had agreed to take a few… actions which would help push Coco away from prudishness.
  972. >Nothing serious of course.
  973. >Just some gentle touching, perhaps a few compliments on her appearance.
  974. >Nothing that would scare her away, but something that might introduce the idea to her that she’s attractive.
  975. >This thug would be useful for the process.
  976. >But when this was over, Rarity would make that bitch pay.
  977. >She’d have them tied up in public and flogged!
  978. >Wait, no, they might enjoy that.
  979. >What if-
  980. >”Eep!”
  981. >Rarity was snapped out of her vengeful reverie to find Coco wearing the outfit.
  982. >She couldn’t help but ogle her friend and business partner.
  983. >The dress fit absolutely perfectly, and clung to her curves in such a way that the eye was naturally drawn to her most enticing parts.
  984. >The leggings did their job perfectly as they obscured everything save for the subtlest flash of thigh, accentuating and perhaps even exaggerating her slender and delicate legs.
  985. >And the straps!
  986. >Their slender form managed to give the illusion that her buttocks was much larger than it really was, while they still showed it to be quite firm and pert by resting neatly on the surface despite the tension applied to them.
  987. >It was perfect.
  988. >It showed Coco’s body off as the alluring and seductive thing it was, while still covering enough to be considered entirely decent.
  989. >Perhaps a side-slit would be a good addition?
  990. >Hmm. No, it doesn’t leave enough to the imagination.
  991. >She couldn’t help but wish there was easier access to some of her holes…
  992. >Perhaps if the waistline were a bit further forward and the skirt a tad longer, it could be flipped up for a quick clothed fuck?
  993. >Oh, but how would that affect the spacing?
  994. >Would she appear to have bizarre proportions?
  995. >Coco’s lips were moving, but she was too nervous to speak.
  996. >Her beat red face bore a rictus of terror and embarrassment.
  997. >And the customer was circling her just as planned.
  998. >Coco stood stock still as they examined and admired every inch of her body.
  999. >”Ooh. Cute. Hubby’s going to love this when he sees it.”
  1000.  
  1001. >Coco whined incoherently.
  1002. >”Yeah, you’re right. That IS a problem. We’ll have to have it adjusted for my body. I assume that’s included in the purchase price.”
  1003. >She reached up and gave Coco’s butt a squeeze.
  1004. >”Please. Stop?”
  1005. >”It seems like it would be hard to remove if I was in a hurry. That’s a drawback. And does this fabric stain easily? Oh, wait! I normally wear a tail wrap when I’m dressed up. We’ll have to see how that looks. Hold still.”
  1006. >This wasn’t part of the plan.
  1007. >They grabbed some nearby fabric and pushed the skirt of Coco’s dress aside.
  1008. >Coco yelped in terror, but did not move.
  1009. “Excuse me! I think you might be going too far!”
  1010. >They began wrapping the garment around Coco’s tail.
  1011. >She no longer looked red.
  1012. >Rather, she was aghast.
  1013. >Pale as a sheet, and unsteady on her legs.
  1014. >She couldn’t handle this!
  1015. >Rarity got up from her seat and moved in to put a stop to this.
  1016. “What do you think you’re DOING? You’re-”
  1017. >The skirt of the dress was out of the way, and the wrapping held her tail sufficiently high and tight that absolutely nothing was obscured.
  1018. >Coco’s lips were engorged and slick, ready and eager to take cock.
  1019. >Something compelled Rarity to lean in and take a lick, but she restrained herself.
  1020. >Instead, she flipped the skirt back down to offer her friend some semblance of decency.
  1021. >Coco bolted upstairs immediately.
  1022. >”The outfit’s a little conservative, don’t you think?”
  1023. “What I THINK is that you should LEAVE!”
  1024. >”Why, what did I do?”
  1025. “She told you to STOP.”
  1026. >”Your point? This is the Empire. No means yes.”
  1027. >Rarity was flabbergasted.
  1028. >She wound up yelling something decidedly inelegant at the customer.
  1029. “Well fuck you then!”
  1030. >”Lose some weight and we’ll talk.”
  1031. “I- HMPH!”
  1032. >”Anyway, the sale’s off. And you need the money, don't you?”
  1033. “Pft! Not-”
  1034. >She whispered into Rarity’s ear.
  1035. >”Play along”.
  1036. “I-”
  1037. >Huh?
  1038. “We’re not so desperate that we need yours.”
  1039. >How was she meant to play along?
  1040. >Conceding weakness in negotiation was just stupid!
  1041. “The price is set.”
  1042. >”And your reputation isn’t. How do you think others will react when they find out you treat paying customers like this?”
  1043. “Ugh. What is it you want?”
  1044. >”I want the outfit tailored to fit me.”
  1045. “That’s a given.”
  1046. >”And I want your assistant to finish modeling it for me.”
  1047. “She’s not my assistant, she’s my associate!”
  1048. >”Whatever. If she doesn’t finish, I walk. I’ll even let her keep her butt covered.”
  1049. “Then I suppose you’re walking.”
  1050. >”And I’m going to tell everypony how you treated me.”
  1051. >There was a soft sound coming from the stairs.
  1052. >They both turned to look.
  1053. >Coco had taken one step down.
  1054. “Coco, dear, don’t fret. I shall take care of this.”
  1055. >”I- uh… I think we should try to make the sale.”
  1056. “And I think we should show her the door.”
  1057. >”Won’t it be bad for our reputation?”
  1058. “Well, yes.”
  1059.  
  1060. >”She said I could keep myself covered, right? If you think it would be best to kick her out then that’s okay, but if you think we should-”
  1061. >She lost the courage to speak and slowly descended the stairs.
  1062. >It was an agonizing process, one step at a time.
  1063. >When she was near the bottom she stopped quite suddenly.
  1064. >Coco swallowed nervously, closed her eyes, and stepped down.
  1065. >The customer smiled and approached her.
  1066. >She sensually rubbed herself against Coco, caressing her tight body and slowly exploring its contours.
  1067. >The fabric held strong, keeping her hooves off of Coco’s coat.
  1068. >”You’re really cute, you know that?”
  1069. >She gave Coco’s rump a quick swat, bringing out a startled gasp.
  1070. >”Most mares would love to have a butt like that. Your marefriend here is lucky to have you.”
  1071. “We’re not romantically involved!”
  1072. >”You don’t need to lie to me. The way you jealously guard her… you have feelings for this pony.”
  1073. >She pinned Coco down with one hoof.
  1074. >And then reached behind her with the other.
  1075. “You said you’d leave her covered!”
  1076. >”I am.”
  1077. >And started stroking her through the fabric.
  1078. >Coco gasped in shock.
  1079. >The aggressive customer gently and slowly masturbated the terrified mare.
  1080. >”See? She’s covered. I don’t mind, as long as her tongue is free.Ever lick a cunt before? No? You’re in for a treat.”
  1081. >And Rarity tackled her.
  1082. “Get. Out.”
  1083. >Coco ran outside.
  1084. “Not you! Ugh! What the hay were you thinking?”
  1085. >”I was thinking that you’re being too passive with her.”
  1086. “Pardon?”
  1087. >”You ran off before I had a proper chance to explain things to you. Lock the doors.”
  1088. “Not until you leave.”
  1089. >”I can’t leave. You have me pinned down.”
  1090. >Oh.
  1091. >Right.
  1092. >Rarity hesitantly let the pony get up.
  1093. >And they marched over to the doors, and bolted them shut.
  1094. “I believe-”
  1095. >”I’m part of the slave trade.”
  1096. >The what?
  1097. >”The princess abducted me about two years ago and gave me to my master. He wound up releasing me after a while. And you know what I did when I was free? I asked him to marry me.”
  1098. “O-kay… I’m happy for you, but what does that have to do with anything?”
  1099. >”Now I work for the princess trying to track down possible slaves and get them to their masters. There aren’t many slaves in the Empire yet. Probably fewer than twenty, yourself included. But we’re hoping to get those numbers up.”
  1100. “Again, what does that have to do with ANYTHING?”
  1101. >She sat down on one of the chairs.
  1102. >”I’m saying I want to help you. Sorry for calling you fat, by the way.”
  1103. “It WAS rather uncalled for! And don’t try to convince me it was all part of some master plan!”
  1104. >”I wouldn’t exactly call it a master plan. I just wanted you to protect her from me. For that to happen, I had to get at her.”
  1105. “And what, pray tell, is the point of all that?”
  1106.  
  1107. >”The POINT is that now, you’ve saved her from being raped. Any ill will you generated by putting her in that outfit is gone, and she’ll feel like she owes you.”
  1108. >Oh.
  1109. >”I tried to talk to you about all this before, but we were in public and you didn’t really catch onto my hints. They must have been too subtle.”
  1110. “Don’t expect me to forgive you just because you’re suddenly being civil! You kicked me in the face!”
  1111. >”And I’m sorry about that. But if I hadn’t, you’d have never met your owner. Oh. You winced there. You’re definitely not ready to be recruiting yet if you’re still that embarrassed.”
  1112. “Can we just get to the point so I can kick you out and be done with it?”
  1113. >”I’m between jobs. The princess hasn’t found anypony who’s ready to take in just yet. Well, she’s found lots, but they’re not safe to grab. So we’ve got spare time on our hooves. I’m offering to help you.”
  1114. “By traumatizing her?”
  1115. >”We’ll make sure she doesn’t leave the city. And we’ll make a point of sexually harassing her wherever she goes. This will be her safe haven.”
  1116. “I don’t think constantly hounding my friend will accomplish anything good!”
  1117. >”And that’s exactly the problem. You’re thinking of her as a friend and not a slave. Look, I’ve got experience and you don’t. You should at least hear me out.”
  1118. “I- very well, I’ll listen. But I can promise no more than that!”
  1119. >The customer smiled.
  1120. >”You picked a pretty tough one, I think. She wasn’t very aroused.”
  1121. “I saw her, um… nethers. They were surprisingly engorged when you were violating her personal space.”
  1122. >”Yeah, and you nearly came when we tied you up.”
  1123. “I did NOT.”
  1124. >”Sure you did! I’d never seen anything quite like it. You’re probably one of the horniest ponies I’ve ever met. I bet it’s why the princess chose you even though it was so risky.”
  1125. “Rubbish.”
  1126. >”Agree to disagree?”
  1127. “I don’t agree to that!”
  1128. >”Well, the point stands. I’d bet she has a weaker sex drive than any slave I’ve met before. I honestly don’t know how it compares to most mares, for our standards she’s frigid.”
  1129. >Rarity didn’t want to believe that.
  1130. >But she’d agreed to hear this pony out.
  1131. “So what do you suggest?”
  1132. >”We’ll keep harassing her-”
  1133. “You just want to molest her.”
  1134. >”So that she’ll agree to anything for safety. Then you’re going to have to claim ownership of her. We’ll come up with some contrivance so that it’s for her own protection, of course, and you’ll swoop in to save the day by saying she’s your marefriend or something. Then we’ll have her assume the role more and more often until it follows her home. I suggest you make a collar for her right away, since we’ll want to act as soon as we have a chance.”
  1135. >That…
  1136. >Seemed like it might work.
  1137. >Provide Coco with safety as her pretend slave or marefriend.
  1138. >And gradually stop pretending.
  1139.  
  1140. >She was rather meek, so she wouldn’t object to minor overreaches of their pretend arrangements.
  1141. >They’d need lots of opportunities to put her into that role, but eventually…
  1142. “I’ll think it over.”
  1143. >”Great. We’ll be in touch.”
  1144. “Wait! I never got your name.”
  1145. >”Name? Oh, I don’t have one anymore. I gave it up about half a year ago.”
  1146. “Then what should I call you?”
  1147. >”Umm… we’ll have to figure that out later.”
  1148. >They looked at Rarity as they unlocked the door.
  1149. >They shared a brief smile.
  1150. >”Oh, and I’m not buying that thing.”
  1151. “PARDON?”
  1152. >”I mean… forty thousand bits? Pft. It’s great, but nothing’s that good.”
  1153. >She quickly slipped out and closed the door.
  1154.  
  1155. >Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.
  1156. >There were so many important things happening, and there she was in bed.
  1157. >Reading.
  1158. >Her family had just had a near miss with some sort of bizarre sabotage plot, and she was lazing about.
  1159. >Her brother would be thrilled to know she was in bed, though.
  1160. >He was always so worried that she wasn’t getting enough rest.
  1161. >And in truth…
  1162. >He was right.
  1163. >She was always tired lately.
  1164. >Even now, having recently awoken from a nap, she couldn’t shake the fog from her head.
  1165. >Her injuries hurt.
  1166. >It had become a dull ache rather than a burning pain, and most of the time she was able to forget it was there, but still.
  1167. >It hurt.
  1168. >Her sleep was shallow and intermittent, and it seemed like no amount of rest would ever be enough.
  1169. >And when she WAS awake, she was weak and groggy.
  1170. >She was on the mend, of that there was no doubt.
  1171. >But she was still far from being well.
  1172. >That recent study session with the crime against literature that was the sabotage bill had proven to her that her head wasn’t working quite right.
  1173. >She couldn’t focus, and it wasn’t just because the wording was incoherent.
  1174. >Any time she’d try to read, one of three things would invariably happen.
  1175. >She’d begin to nod off, she’d be distracted by a sudden ache, or she’d be distracted by something else.
  1176. >Something else…
  1177. >Twilight used her mercifully functional magic to fetch a book without getting out of bed.
  1178. “A critique of pure reason?”
  1179. >That sounded a bit heavy given how much she was struggling to focus.
  1180. >Besides, the title sounded familiar.
  1181. >There was a good chance she’d already read it.
  1182. “A critique of critiques?”
  1183. >That could be an interesting one.
  1184. >How would the author manage to reconcile the flaws of critical analysis with their own analysis?
  1185. “A reasonably critical review of a critique of critiques.”
  1186. >That was getting a little silly.
  1187. “The anatomy and physiology of ponies and related equines.”
  1188. >Huh.
  1189. >That could be easy enough.
  1190. >And it would be nice if she knew a bit better what was happening to her body.
  1191. >The spear had hit very close to the heart, that she knew, but the details on what exactly that entailed were foggy.
  1192. “Published 80 years ago.”
  1193. >It wouldn’t benefit from the tools and insight that humans had brought with them, but that wouldn’t matter too much.
  1194. >There was plenty to be learned without needing alien knowledge.
  1195. >As far as she understood, their stuff was only relevant if you wanted to get into the biomechanics of it all.
  1196. >While it WOULD be nice to know that stuff too, it would have to wait.
  1197. >Her interactions with the doctor had led her to believe there was an immense amount to be learned, and that she’d be totally lost if she rushed into things.
  1198.  
  1199. >It would be best to start with the basics, and then build on it.
  1200. “Illustrated?”
  1201. >That seemed like a waste of time.
  1202. >She knew what a pony looked like, and-
  1203. “Eww! What’s THAT?”
  1204. >It was a heart.
  1205. >It wasn’t a symmetrical roundish thing at all!
  1206. >It was weirdly lumpy, with tubes going everywhere.
  1207. >And it was making her VERY uncomfortable.
  1208. >She turned the page to the next section, only to find brains were wrinkly and lumpy.
  1209. >Muscles were weirdly ribbed, there were small bones everywhere, and ponies just looked really weird inside.
  1210. >The outside, however…
  1211. >Those weird feelings were coming back.
  1212. Twilight knew what they were.
  1213. >But it was weird.
  1214. >She'd never felt this way until fairly recently.
  1215. >Ever since the doctor…
  1216. >All those muscles and bones looked pretty good if you covered them properly.
  1217. >There was something special about a nice, strong jawline.
  1218. >Those powerful legs were pretty impressive too.
  1219. >And the penis-
  1220. “Ack!”
  1221. >There was a drawing of a penis!
  1222. >She slammed the book shut.
  1223. >Why was that there?
  1224. …
  1225. >It WAS part of equine anatomy…
  1226. >And this was a book about that.
  1227. >A perfectly reputable one, from the looks of it.
  1228. >She stared at the door as though daring it to open.
  1229. >Then she furtively picked the book back up.
  1230. >It wasn’t so bad.
  1231. >Just a tiny little lump protruding from the body.
  1232. >This was educational.
  1233. >It wasn’t dirty!
  1234. “The penis provides the means of penetration of the female reproductive system-”
  1235. >Hnnn
  1236. >Something felt so wrong and yet so right.
  1237. >”For semen deposition and is composed primarily of erectile tissue. The scrotum serves to protect the testes and is thought to be held outside the body to maintain a lower temperature.”
  1238. >She reflexively spread her legs a little bit.
  1239. “The retractor muscle retains the placid penis in the sheath and relaxes during erection-”
  1240. >She flipped the page.
  1241. >And what she saw took her breath away.
  1242. >This penis looked different.
  1243. >It was HUGE!
  1244. >Long, hard, and intimidating.
  1245. >And…
  1246. >And she kinda wanted to touch it.
  1247. >For science.
  1248. “Oh no. I’m becoming a pervert!”
  1249. >She closed the book again and set it aside, heart racing and loins aching.
  1250. >But maybe…
  1251. >Maybe just one more peek?
  1252. “No! Cadence wasn’t right about me! I don’t- I don’t need it.”
  1253. >There was a knock on the door.
  1254. “NOTHING! I mean… Come in! Oh, hi Cadence!”
  1255. “Hi, Twilight!”
  1256. >She looked exhausted.
  1257. >But still happy.
  1258. >There was no faking that joyous expression.
  1259. >“Did I hear you shout my name!”
  1260. “Uh… no?”
  1261. >”Hm. So… sexually frustrated?”
  1262. “I- but- that is- zuh?”
  1263. >She walked up to Twilight’s bed and sat down beside it.
  1264. >Her head barely peeked over the edge.
  1265. >”Hm. Okay, I’ll stand again. That kinda ruined the moment.”
  1266. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
  1267. >She rolled her eyes for some reason.
  1268. >”You do know my job, right?”
  1269.  
  1270. “You’re the regent of the Crystal Empire?”
  1271. >”Okay… you know my hobby, right? Matchmaking! I know the signs, Twilight. You can’t fool me! Oh! But this is actually troublesome… I can’t have you getting pregnant!”
  1272. “I think it’s a bit EARLY to be talking about that!”
  1273. >Cadence started walking around the room muttering to herself.
  1274. >Twilight couldn’t begin to guess at what was going on.
  1275. >And then suddenly, she stopped with a gasp.
  1276. >”Got it!”
  1277. “What, now I suppose you’re going to try and set me up with somepony.”
  1278. >”Nope!”
  1279. >Huh.
  1280. >”I know who you belong with, Twilight. And neither of you would agree to it. But if an opportunity comes up, I need you to be single!”
  1281. “Do you mean to tell me that you, Mi Amore Cadenza, want me to stay… single.”
  1282. >”For now.”
  1283. >That was honestly a relief.
  1284. >Though she couldn’t help but be worried by what had come before.
  1285. “What was that about me not agreeing to your plans?”
  1286. >”Oh, you’re WAY too timid. You still have a lot of growing up to do before I can have you married off.”
  1287. >She was completely insane.
  1288. >”I suppose it makes sense that this would happen now, shortly after the attack and all the surgery.”
  1289. “It does?”
  1290. >”You had a near death experience, and now you’re afraid of missing out!”
  1291. >That actually did make some sense.
  1292. “Look, Cadence, I’m not really… comfortable talking about this.”
  1293. >”Oh, right. I’m sorry! I’ll show myself out.”
  1294. >She trotted out and shut the door.
  1295. >Then immediately opened the door and came back in.
  1296. >”Oh, right! I wanted to talk to you about something.”
  1297. “And I’d rather not!”
  1298. >”No- I want to talk to you about how Shiny handled Garnet.”
  1299. >Oh.
  1300. >Right.
  1301. >She’d been so disappointed…
  1302. >Her own brother.
  1303. >Using violence for money.
  1304. >”He should have crushed her skull.”
  1305. “Uh… not exactly where I was expecting you to go with that.”
  1306. >”I know. He’s ashamed of himself for what he did, but it was the right thing.”
  1307. “No, it wasn’t. We’re better than that! Violence should only be used to respond to violence.”
  1308. >”And that’s exactly what happened.”
  1309. “No, it wasn’t! She was demanding money, not hurting ponies!”
  1310. >Cadence let out a long, weary sigh.
  1311. >It was the sound of a mother explaining to their child for the hundredth time that ice cream wasn’t a vegetable, or that bathing wasn’t optional.
  1312. >A condescending yet understanding tone of frustration that could only come as a result of tired repetition.
  1313. >”Shiny doesn’t get it either. How could he? He was born rich.”
  1314. “We’re not THAT rich.”
  1315. >”What do you do for a living?”
  1316. “Uh-”
  1317. >”How did you pay to put yourself through school?”
  1318. “That is-”
  1319. >”Do you or do you not live in a castle that you own?”
  1320. …
  1321. >”How many ponies do you think can spend multiple years studying friendship without any income, Twilight?”
  1322. >She didn’t know.
  1323.  
  1324. >”It’s not your fault. Hay, it’s not a fault at all! But you have to try and stay grounded. Where does our money come from?”
  1325. “Mostly from Princess Celestia, right?”
  1326. >”Completely and totally wrong.”
  1327. “But-”
  1328. >”It comes from the common pony, she just steals it on our behalf.”
  1329. >Twilight tried to jump out of bed, but quickly regretted her fast motions.
  1330. “Ow! Um- princess Celestia is NOT a thief!”
  1331. >”She collects taxes, doesn’t she?
  1332. “Well… yeah?”
  1333. >”And they’re taken from ponies whether they like it or not.”
  1334. “But that’s different!”
  1335. >”No, it’s not. Taking from somepony without permission is theft.”
  1336. “But she protects them! And she uses the bits to build roads, and rails, and-”
  1337. >”I know, Twilight. She’s a good pony. One of the best, even. She’s so good, that even when she steals she’s doing the right thing. But make no mistake, she IS stealing.”
  1338. >How could she even SAY something like that?
  1339. “You’ve got it all wrong. NOT paying taxes is theft.”
  1340. >Cadence replied with a decidedly un-dignified snort.
  1341. “It’s not possible to exist in Equestria without benefitting from the crown. The roads, the rails, the water and weather! Hay, just being safe from monster attacks is a big deal! If all that stuff started falling apart, if the infrastructure was ruined and we were constantly being overrun by invaders then sure, but everypony is getting the benefits of her reign. Not paying is stealing.”
  1342. >And now, Cadence looked shocked.
  1343. >”Did you just make that up on the spot?”
  1344. “Does it show?”
  1345. >”No! That was really good. Actually pretty compelling. You’ve given me something to think about… whatever, the point is those bits came from ponies selling their time and talent. Do you think maybe they’d have rather been doing something other than working?”
  1346. “Where are you going with this?”
  1347. >”Garnet wasn’t trying to steal OUR money, nor Celestia’s. We don’t have money, the ponies do. She was trying to steal from them.”
  1348. “It’s just money.”
  1349. >”It’s not just money, Twilight. It’s time and effort. I was born a commoner, I know how these things work. A hundred million bits is more than a lifetime of labour. She was trying to take that from them. If that’s not violence, I don’t know what is.”
  1350. …
  1351. >”Talk to Applejack about it. She’ll side with me. Hay, I bet all your friends would.”
  1352. “Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”
  1353. >”How is telling you to talk to Applejack hypocritical?”
  1354. “You collect taxes, don’t you?”
  1355. >”Weren’t you just saying that’s okay?”
  1356. “It is. But you’re saying it’s okay to beat up Garnet when she wants it for herself, while you’re spending a pretty good chunk! You’re wasting it on new weapons! And- and- and on this fancy palace, and on your bizarre matchmaking stuff- you’re painting yourself as some champion of the workers, but look at yourself! You’re wearing a bunch of gold, and half of them are unemployed!”
  1357.  
  1358. >”We’re working on it.”
  1359. “How is it any different for Garnet to live in opulence off their bits than it is for you? You’re not that different-”
  1360. >”SHUT IT!”
  1361. >She didn’t say it.
  1362. >She didn’t shout.
  1363. >She hollered.
  1364. >Cadence wasn’t angry.
  1365. >She was FURIOUS.
  1366. >And Twilight was more than a little scared.
  1367. >”You don’t know HALF of what we’ve done for these ponies! Any problem you can think of to dredge up, either real or imagined, I assure you. It was WAY worse before Shiny and I stepped up!”
  1368. >She was scared.
  1369. >But she wasn’t spineless.
  1370. “Okay… how did- that is, how does buying all these weapons help? They’re expensive!”
  1371. >”Because, Twilight-”
  1372. >Venom dripped from her tongue as she said Twilight’s name.
  1373. >”We need to reduce the size of our army, but the crystal ponies would never accept us reducing our ability to project force. A more effective small army is CHEAPER to maintain than what we had before.”
  1374. …
  1375. >”We had already reduced full time deployment by half before this mess happened, and while we’d LOVE to cut it back more, that’s not realistic anymore!”
  1376. “Oh.”
  1377. >”Talk to Applejack. Find out what a hundred million represents to a worker, and not a professional student.”
  1378. >Ouch.
  1379. >”Talk to Rarity. Find out what our tax policy is like. See what we’re trying to do for the ponies on the streets.”
  1380. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
  1381. >No answer.
  1382. “I’m trying to make sense of your philosophy. Nopony seems to really get it.”
  1383. >”Unfortunately.”
  1384. “And I didn’t mean to imply that you’re as bad as Garnet-”
  1385. >Even though she had said as much.
  1386. >”Just that Shiny went too far. But I clearly touched a sore spot of some sort. Wanna talk about it?”
  1387. >Twilight gestured for her to sit on the bed, and almost immediately regretted it.
  1388. >Cadence was a big pony.
  1389. >The instant she put her weight down, Twilight was nearly thrown to the floor.
  1390. “Ack! I mean- tell me what’s wrong.”
  1391. >”What are you afraid of, Twilight?”
  1392. >Quesadillas.
  1393. “Oh, you know. The usual.”
  1394. >”Hm. I hear that public speaking and rejection are the normal answers. Those don’t really bother me much. Garnet though… she scares me. They all do.”
  1395. >She was afraid of them?
  1396. >That didn’t sound right.
  1397. “I mean, sure. They’re pretty awful. But they don’t seem dangerous.”
  1398. >”She nearly destroyed the Empire the other day, Twily. That’s pretty dangerous.”
  1399. >Oh.
  1400. >Right.
  1401. >”But that’s not what scares me about them. They’re all defined by some kind of excess. Garnet’s avarice is her only trait! Jasper has nothing but wrath, Tiger Eye is arrogance incarnate…”
  1402. “What about Howlite?”
  1403.  
  1404. >”He seems okay, but I don’t trust him. There’s no way a good pony can come from the filth of the Empire’s old aristocracy. I don’t pretend to know how it happened, but it seems like the instant princess Amore was removed the void was filled by the worst of the worst. It’s not just the senate, you know. We’ve had to dismiss some very high ranking officials because they were… they were just repugnant. Some of them are too well positioned to get rid of.“
  1405. >She was right, of course.
  1406. >The Empire’s corruption was well known across Equestria.
  1407. >Everypony had been thrilled when it came back, but then rumours started circulating.
  1408. >The public had soon learned just how lucky they were to have Celestia at the helm.
  1409. “You’re afraid you’ll become like them.”
  1410. >Consumed by excess.
  1411. >It wasn’t hard to guess what her vice would be.
  1412. >”They used to be ponies. But something changed them.”
  1413. “I’m PRETTY SURE they’re still ponies.”
  1414. >”Not where it counts. When you called me a hypocrite and said I was a lot like her… well, it wouldn’t have hurt so much if it wasn’t true.”
  1415. “You’re not going to become like them.”
  1416. >”How can you be so sure?”
  1417. “Shiney and I won't let you.”
  1418. >Her exasperated sigh suggested that wasn’t compelling enough.
  1419. “Besides. You have more than one trait.”
  1420. >”I… suppose.”
  1421. “You're a family oriented goofball-”
  1422. >Who apparently has very strong feelings about fiscal policy of all things.
  1423. “And you don't have a selfish bone in your body. You're all worked up because you're afraid you'll do wrong by your subjects. Do you think that's something that keeps them up at night?”
  1424. >Twilight could see the tension leaving Cadence’s body.
  1425. “That was really bothering you, wasn’t it?”
  1426. >”Thank you, Twilight. I'd talked myself out of it, but you're right. As long as I'm thinking about others and not myself it should be okay.”
  1427. “That's great! But what are you talking about?”
  1428. >”Oh, right. I didn't tell you. It looks like we'll have a bit of a budget surplus. It's not a lot, but I'm thinking of taking a small slice of it for a personal project. It’s sorta half way between a state service and a criminal rehabilitation program. Troublesome ponies who aren’t an active threat could serve their sentence through volunteer work for the community instead of by sitting in a cell.”
  1429. “And here you were all worried you were becoming a bad pony. That sounds like a great idea.”
  1430. >Cadence reached over to give Twilight a big hug before remembering the injuries, then settled for a pat on the head.
  1431. >”Thank you again. I guess I'd best get to work.”
  1432. >She stood up and headed to the door.
  1433. >”This is so exciting. I really hope we can take down Garnet and put her through this. Can you imagine that stuck up bitch choking on cocks all day?”
  1434.  
  1435. >She closed the door, leaving Twilight alone.
  1436. “Now wait just a minute.”
  1437. …
  1438. >She kinda wanted to see it too.
  1439. >This was REALLY bad.
  1440. >Maybe…
  1441. >Maybe if she were to clear her head she’d be better?
  1442. >Just…
  1443. >Deal with the problem.
  1444. >The door was closed.
  1445. >She collected the book one more time.
  1446. >There was something strangely appealing about the sketch.
  1447. >When she looked at it she just felt BETTER.
  1448. >It was almost ineffable, speaking to some part of her that simply couldn’t be equated to normal needs.
  1449. >Just looking at it set some primal part of her mind at ease.
  1450. >It was water for the thirsty, food for the hungry, and shelter for the cold.
  1451. >But merely looking at water cannot slake one’s thirst, no matter how big the lake.
  1452. “The, um, sensory nerves are mostly near the front. So if I just… rub it.”
  1453. >Though she may be loath to admit it, Twilight was starting to learn what she liked.
  1454. >This hadn’t been her first moment of weakness.
  1455. >Her previous… experiments had revealed that it felt better if she spread her legs a bit.
  1456. >She tenderly reached between her legs…
  1457. >And gasped at the touch.
  1458. >It was different, like it always was.
  1459. >The first time she’d done it out of curiosity.
  1460. >It had been a transcendent experience!
  1461. >She’d never felt anything quite like it before!
  1462. >The jolts of pleasure, the excitement, the THRILL of being alive!
  1463. >Her body had remembered that experience, and it demanded more!
  1464. >But…
  1465. >Something was always missing.
  1466. >This drawing might just be it!
  1467. >It felt so much better than last time.
  1468. >Her hips bucked of their own volition, trying to meet her hoof half way as she ogled the book, feeling a warmth building up deep inside her.
  1469. >But it was no longer just her body demanding action.
  1470. >Her treacherous mind had decided to speak its piece.
  1471. >It was demanding more.
  1472. >MORE!
  1473. >She didn’t know what, but she KNEW that this wasn’t sufficient.
  1474. >She wanted to feel the weight of her mate as they pressed down against her!
  1475. >She NEEDED the feeling of a cock splitting her in half, she NEEDED-
  1476. *knock knock*
  1477. “ACK! I mean- actually, I did mean ack. Who is it?”
  1478. >”It’s time for your medication, princess!”
  1479. >Oh.
  1480. >Right.
  1481. >She’d best deal with that.
  1482. >But after she was done…
  1483.  
  1484. >Shining Armor had never had to hire anypony before.
  1485. >He’d always been able to promote from a known and tested pool of ponies.
  1486. >Pulling somepony out of the public and giving them a task was entirely novel.
  1487. >He’d approached the task with trepidation, knowing all too well it was going to be a challenge.
  1488. >He had no experience with the task, and worse, the ponies of the Empire just didn’t like him very much.
  1489. >And to top it all off, he really didn’t have any idea what he was signing them up for.
  1490. >Loathe as he was to admit it, his upbringing had left him rather disconnected from the public.
  1491. >Not to the same degree as his sister, of course. He’d had a job, and a rather demanding one at that.
  1492. >But still, he didn’t understand what it was like to be a commoner.
  1493. >Having been THE head of the guard, he’d experienced what he hoped was far more pressure than most had to deal with.
  1494. >But he didn’t really understand what occupied the thoughts of most ponies.
  1495. >How could he hope to?
  1496. >He was never one of them.
  1497. “Hay, you! Want a job? We pay at the end of every day, and- oh. You’re pretending you can’t hear me. Okay.”
  1498. >They were so close.
  1499. >So PAINFULLY close.
  1500. >And yet, it still lay just out of reach.
  1501. >The deadline to make their first shipment was approaching painfully quickly, and their chance to stand on their own hooves was threatening to slip away.
  1502. >He needed workers, and FAST!
  1503. >But…
  1504. >Nopony was interested.
  1505. >He approached the next pony he saw on the streets.
  1506. “Want a job cutting crystals? We pay in bits!”
  1507. >”What makes you think I don’t already have one?”
  1508. “Well, probably because I recognize you from the dole registry. You’re unemployed.”
  1509. >”Oh. Well, in that case… bite me.”
  1510. >What the hay was wrong with them?
  1511. >At this rate he wasn’t going to-
  1512. >No, there’s no point in worrying about that.
  1513. >Deal with it when- err, if it comes.
  1514. >For now, he had to stay focused.
  1515. “Hay, you! Want a job?”
  1516. >”Doing what?”
  1517. “Cutting and boxing up crystals.”
  1518. >Several ponies turned to walk away in perfect unison.
  1519. >That was arguably the best reaction he’d gotten to date.
  1520. >”Whatever you’re doing, it can wait.”
  1521. >He knew that voice.
  1522. >His day was suddenly MUCH worse.
  1523. “Senator Tiger Eye.”
  1524. >The pony who’s main contribution to society was making constant movements to exile Shining Armor and his family.
  1525. “To what do I owe the displeasure?”
  1526. >”I wouldn’t have signed it if I’d known.”
  1527. …
  1528. “Huh?”
  1529. >”Are you deaf too, or just stupider than I’d previously suspected?”
  1530. “I’m mostly surprised. The bill that nearly killed the Empire. Are you admitting to having signed it?”
  1531. “All of us did. Well, except Howlite.”
  1532. >Garnet lied!
  1533. >And Shining didn’t know why he was surprised.
  1534.  
  1535. “How can you be so sure the other two signed it?”
  1536. >”I’ve known them longer than you. Jasper and Garnet both were promised what they wanted. They wouldn’t have cared what else was in there once they saw their prize. And… I’m no different. I didn’t pay
  1537. attention, because I thought it would claw back some of our dignity.”
  1538. “In what way does that mess make us dignified!?”
  1539. >”It doesn’t. But the part I was shown by your assistant-”
  1540. >Shining’s eyes shot wide open.
  1541. “Which assistant?”
  1542. >”Rock Salt.”
  1543. “I don’t have an assistant by that name…”
  1544. >”They weren’t a bug, I checked.”
  1545. >Worrying.
  1546. >”And I’ve known them for a few years now. I actually met them before you.”
  1547. >VERY worrying.
  1548. >”The stuff they showed me was a proclamation of how Equestrians such as yourself are dirty and we needed to set ourselves
  1549. apart. A call for independence! I thought… It doesn't matter what I thought. I failed.”
  1550. “So you didn’t want this to happen.”
  1551. >”We’re CRYSTAL. We have INTEGRITY. We’re not going to violate our treaties!”
  1552. >He spoke with fury and conviction, as though that wasn’t exactly what Jasper had been pushing for all along.
  1553. “Hm…”
  1554. >He’s actually being honest from the looks of things.
  1555. >That could be useful.
  1556. “Something tells me Rock Salt is never going to show up again, but if they do I need you to tell me.”
  1557. >”If I see them again, I'll break their legs and question them myself!”
  1558. “Good enough. Thanks for your honesty in this matter. This place would work a lot better if more ponies were like you.”
  1559. >He waited patiently and stoically.
  1560. >Shining couldn’t help but wish the wretch would leave.
  1561. >Sure, he was being useful, but that didn’t mean they were suddenly friends.
  1562. >But he just wouldn’t leave!
  1563. >Awkward minutes arduously dragged on.
  1564. “Did you have anything more to tell me?”
  1565. >”No.”
  1566. >Huh.
  1567. >He’s probably waiting to find out what the repercussions are for all this.
  1568. >If he was to be taken at his word, his goal had been to insult Equestria.
  1569. >Not exactly noble, but far from the greatest crimes.
  1570. >And the bill had ostensibly been created by Shining Armour himself, so he couldn’t exactly claim it was insubordination or treason.
  1571. >Was gullibility a crime?
  1572. >He couldn’t afford to let this go totally unpunished. They had to learn to READ things before signing them!
  1573. >But he couldn’t have them thinking it was wrong to come clean.
  1574. “Thanks for being the first and possibly only one to admit to having been involved in that mess. I’m sure you’ll be more careful in the future. Getting tricked like that is… humiliating. Dangerous, too.”
  1575. >He wasn’t exactly happy with that reply, but it was all he could think of off the cuff.
  1576. >At the very least, he was highlighting how this worked contrary to Tiger Eye’s goals.
  1577. “You’re dismissed.”
  1578.  
  1579. >He set back to work desperately trying to hire ponies.
  1580. >And his frustration only grew.
  1581. >He couldn’t for a second imagine that this would be a problem back in Equestria.
  1582. >With the sheer number of ponies he’d asked, one would expect at least ONE of them to have taken it.
  1583. >And that was before accounting for the extraordinary levels of poverty in the Empire.
  1584. >Why were they not EAGER to get a chance at changing things up?
  1585. >There was something just WRONG with them-
  1586. >”Have you no pride?”
  1587. >Tiger Eye again, standing on a literal soapbox.
  1588. >Where did he even get it?
  1589. >”Have you all forgotten what it means to be CRYSTAL?”
  1590. >He addressed a nearby crowd, shouting more than speaking.
  1591. >”This is a DISGRACE! We are NOT beggars! Or at least I didn’t THINK we were! Imagine my shock when I see my compatriots turn up their nose at the chance to claw back some of the dignity that has been stolen from us!”
  1592. >”What, you think this is dignified? It’s just labour.”
  1593. >”WHO SAID THAT? Just because it’s not martial? Because it’s not administrative? Because it’s not BUREAUCRATIC?”
  1594. >“We’re not labourers! We’re warriors!”
  1595. >”You’re BUMS!”
  1596. >”That stuff is meant to be done by the tributaries!”
  1597. >”WHAT TRIBUTARIES? The world has moved on, and it has no use for the likes of you! You’d rather live off the alms given to us by Equestria! You depend on the PITY of our lesser!”
  1598. >He was quite literally foaming at the mouth.
  1599. >“To be CRYSTAL used to mean something! We were admired! ENVIED! Do you think we still command even a fraction of that respect?”
  1600. >They didn’t.
  1601. >They were a curiosity. A novelty.
  1602. >They might someday be considered friends by Equestria as a whole, but the notion that they’d be envied of all things was laughable.
  1603. >”Do you believe that when Equestrians think of us, they feel small? Do they feel weak? They don’t think about us at all, except maybe as a relic. We’re just a footnote in their history. And because of YOU, that’s all we’ll ever be.”
  1604. …
  1605. >He wasn’t exactly wrong.
  1606. >”I have never been more disgusted by my kin. No, you’re not my kin. You’re my burden. We’ll regain our pride DESPITE you. And don’t you dare for a SECOND think I’ll forget this. The Empire doesn’t need
  1607. people without dignity.”
  1608. >He flashed a rude sign before jumping off his soapbox and approaching the prince.
  1609. >”What do I need to do?”
  1610. “Wait. Are you offering to help?”
  1611. >”Are you deaf or just stupid?”
  1612. “Mostly surprised.”
  1613. >Wait.
  1614. >Didn’t they just have that exact exchange?
  1615. “Uh… Go to the dilapidated warehouse near the train station and talk to the foreman.”
  1616. >”Which dilapidated warehouse? That doesn’t narrow it down much.”
  1617.  
  1618. “The one that’s been propped up enough to not be a hazard. You’ll know it because it’s not covered in warning signs.”
  1619. >”Okay. And what is it that we’re actually doing?”
  1620. “Cutting, testing, and boxing crystals.”
  1621. >”I don’t have any experience.”
  1622. “On site training. They’ll get you up to speed.”
  1623. >He set off without so much as another word.
  1624. “Wait. You think they’re resisting because it’s undignified?”
  1625. >”You wouldn’t get it.”
  1626. “Correct, I wouldn’t. Just like how they’ll never understand what it means to be Equestrian.”
  1627. >Tiger Eye scoffed at him.
  1628. >”I don’t want to take away their identity, and I don’t want to wound their pride. How can I avoid that?”
  1629. >”Your presence is a greater indignity than you can imagine. Consider dying.”
  1630. >Harsh.
  1631. >But still, this was a huge stride in the right direction.
  1632. >Celestia’s advice was taking on new meaning yet again.
  1633. >Governance wasn’t about defeating your opponent, nor outmanoeuvring them.
  1634. >It was about WIELDING them.
  1635. >He thought he’d understood when he forced Garnet to help, and yet, there was still more to it than
  1636. mere coercion.
  1637. >This one, as wretched as he may be, WANTED to help.
  1638. >Their goals aligned, and though they seemed to have different motivations, they could still work toward the same end.
  1639. “If you were trying to get ponies to help out with this, how would you do it?”
  1640. >”I’d talk about the sabotage. I’d ask if they wanted a chance to show the bugs we’re too strong to be broken by such tricks.”
  1641. “We don’t actually know it was changelings yet.”
  1642. >Though it was almost definitely changelings.
  1643. >”I’d ask them if they were content living off the scraps Equestria throws at us, and if they want to show the world that we’re still the best there’s ever been.”
  1644. >He’d frame it as an act of defiance.
  1645. >Was it really so simple?
  1646. “Well, show me how it’s done.”
  1647. >He followed Tiger Eye from a respectable distance, watching and listening as they went.
  1648. >And to his surprise, it was kinda working.
  1649. >Sure, most were still turning him down, and he had more than a few heated exchanges of words.
  1650. >But some ponies were showing interest.
  1651. >Others even agreed to help.
  1652. >And within a few hours, they had their workforce.
  1653. “I can’t believe it. I’ve been working at that for DAYS. Thank you.”
  1654. >Tiger Eye didn’t reply.
  1655. “I’m an outsider-”
  1656. >”I had noticed.”
  1657. “And I need help understanding what it means to be Crystal.”
  1658. >He seemed almost pleased by the request.
  1659. >“We’re numerically small, and come from a hostile and desolate land. And yet we were quite possibly the world’s first superpower. We have a unique identity all our own, and we worked tirelessly to preserve it despite our numerical diffidence.”
  1660.  
  1661. ”So you compete with other powers.”
  1662. >“No. There was no point in comparing ourselves to outsiders since there were no outsiders who could compare! We compete with ourselves, always trying to be more than we ever had been before. While all the other tribes of ponies were fighting with each other and splitting over tinier and tinier differences, we stood together, proud and strong. And because we stood up for each other, we wound up better off as individuals too.”
  1663. “That’s not the impression I got today.”
  1664. >”That’s because they’ve forgotten who they are. I had too, for a little while. When we returned, it was… jarring to see Equestria of all places had become such a mighty nation. I remember when they were tiny and largely irrelevant. Were it not for the sisters, nopony would have even known the name. But now? We couldn’t imagine ever becoming as grand as them. It was humiliating and discouraging. But then we discovered Earth. The Imperium were the ones who found us, and they come from the Isle of Man. A tiny, irrelevant dot that stands tall on the world stage. There are several other nations I’ve learned of that, despite having vanishingly few citizens, accomplish amazing things. We don’t need to be big to be mighty. And if THEY can do it, we can do it better.”
  1665. …
  1666. “I need to talk to Twilight. Thank you again.”
  1667. >He took his time heading to the palace, trying to organise his thoughts.
  1668. >Unfortunately, he’d always been a fast walker.
  1669. >His head was still a mess when he’d arrived.
  1670. >He briefly considered waiting until he had everything straightened out, but that was a waste of time.
  1671. >Twilight had always been good at helping him think things through.
  1672. >He gently knocked upon her door.
  1673. >”Oh, come on! I mean, come in!”
  1674. >He entered to find her flush, and sweaty.
  1675. “Oh no, Twily! Are you sick? Have we been pushing you too hard? I should go, you need your rest-”
  1676. >”No, no. It’s okay. What can I do for you?”
  1677. “Are you sure? You look terrible?”
  1678. >”Oh. Well, you know how it is. I just can’t seem to get comfortable! Yes, that’s it!”
  1679. >She was behaving strangely.
  1680. >He’d have to keep an eye on her.
  1681. “I need your advice. I needed to hire 20 ponies, and I just couldn’t do it.”
  1682. >”Is this for that trade agreement with Earth?”
  1683. “Yeah.”
  1684. >”Oh dear. That’s pretty important! We’d better get out there-”
  1685. “Already done. Tiger Eye just… yelled at them for a while. He berated and shamed them.”
  1686. >”And that worked?”
  1687. “Yeah! I mean, not perfectly, but it got the job done. He persuaded ponies that wouldn’t give me the time of day. Hay, one pony signed up without even being told they’d be paid!”
  1688. >”You’re trying to figure out why it worked. Or more specifically, what he was offering that you weren’t.”
  1689.  
  1690. “Kinda. I know that it was dignity or pride or something along those lines. But it’s not how I understand these things at all. Sometimes I forget just how different they are from us.”
  1691. >Slightly different blood, radically different history.
  1692. >It should be no shock they’re different.
  1693. >But he was having trouble understanding a central part of their spirit.
  1694. “They kept saying dignity, but I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use. The way Tiger Eye talks, it’s like his dignity comes from being better than others.”
  1695. >All that talk about how they weren’t envied anymore.
  1696. >About how they were dependent on their lessers.
  1697. >Maybe it was a mistake to project these traits onto everypony else, but he couldn’t help but wonder…
  1698. >Did they NEED competition?
  1699. “He said that they didn’t bother comparing themselves to others, but I don’t think that’s true. He has this burning need to assert primacy.”
  1700. >”I know that look.”
  1701. >What look?
  1702. >”You’ve got all the pieces to this puzzle, you’re just not sure how they fit together.”
  1703. “I’m not so sure I’ve got all the pieces.”
  1704. >”You do. Trust me, I’ve seen that face a thousand times.”
  1705. >It wasn’t the most persuasive argument, but Twilight had a tendency to be right.
  1706. “Alright. Let’s start from the beginning. I don’t understand the crystal ponies. I tried offering them money, but they weren’t interested. Tiger Eye offered them some twisted interpretation of pride, and did pretty well. Whatever it is, they value it as much as if not more than material wealth.”
  1707. >”It’s not dignity, and it’s not pride. It’s something similar. Something related to their culture, something that we don’t really get.”
  1708. >The two sat in silence for a few minutes.
  1709. >Twilight eventually fetched a dictionary and began to flip through it, seeking the perfect word.
  1710. >But it was Shining Armour who eventually broke the silence.
  1711. “Honor. Why didn’t I see it before? They’re the EMPIRE, although the face of it has changed a few times, it’s always been a martial society.”
  1712. >”Noun. High respect, great esteem. It fits.”
  1713. “Traditionally, this would have come from placing one’s self high on the social hierarchy. Being part of the mechanism of state would help with that, even if it was just a rank and file militia. They were still putting themselves above the outsiders, even if they never wound up being needed. Asking them to toil at the request of myself, an outsider, to make things for other outsiders, all with no barrier to entry so that they’d be associating with the lowest in society- I hurt their sense of honour.”
  1714. >Tiger Eye had two strategies.
  1715. >Either say they were showing themselves to be better than Changelings, or better than Equestria.
  1716. >Either way, he promised honour.
  1717. “Okay. We have a hypothesis. He’s just reflecting the Crystal’s need for honour, but he’s being excessive. Now we need to test it.”
  1718.  
  1719. >”Wait, did you say excess? Hmm… Why do soldiers fight?”
  1720. >It was Shining Armour’s time to recognize a look.
  1721. >Twilight had figured something out.
  1722. >She just wanted a quick sanity check.
  1723. “There are a lot of reasons. Do you want specifics, or-”
  1724. >”The most primal answer, please.”
  1725. “Well, a good soldier fights because they love what’s behind them. But sometimes it’s because they hate what’s in front of them. Of course, some do it for glory- oh.”
  1726. >Noun.
  1727. >High renown or honour.
  1728. “Glory or honour, Tiger Eye. Plunder or wealth, Garnet. Hatred or wrath, Jasper.”
  1729. >How did Howlite fit in?
  1730. >Maybe he didn’t need to?
  1731. >”Cadence told me that you’d gotten rid of a lot of the old leadership. Why not these ones?”
  1732. “They’re too influential.”
  1733. >“Which means they’re not universally hated. If everypony disagreed with them, it would be easy. It’s starting to look like you have these senators because they’re actually speaking to the desires of the ponies.”
  1734. >It was plausible.
  1735. >That implied some VERY bad things, though.
  1736. >They’d have to find healthy ways to handle Jasper’s desires.
  1737. “There’s a LOT of speculation here, we should start with public opinion surveys.”
  1738. >”I’d be happy to organise that! But there’s actually… one more thing that needs to be studied. One more excess. Or rather, two closely related ones. You mentioned that one motivation is love.”
  1739. >Cadence!
  1740. >”Ever hear of the rape of the Sable ponies?”
  1741. >Everypony who went through the academy knew about that.
  1742. >It had been a stark warning about how easily those who wielded power could become corrupted and selfish.
  1743. >And…
  1744. >It made some sense!
  1745. >Cadence was BARELY crystal at all, but she WAS the descendent of their royals!
  1746. >She had that incident with the amulet, but might there be more to this than a mere magical artefact?
  1747. >Was her incredible lust based on desire for more than he’d realised?
  1748. “If we think the senators got there because they represented some buried desire of the public, Cadence would need a different explanation.”
  1749. >”Does she? Not every piece needs to fit.”
  1750. >True.
  1751. “You’re the one that brought it up though.”
  1752. >”Just as a curiosity. The pattern is there, but it’s probably just noise.”
  1753. “I still think we should include it as a data point.”
  1754. >”I don’t. She got there because she’s related to princess Amore, not because she represents the public.”
  1755. >True.
  1756.  
  1757. “But Princess Amore was almost universally liked. We can assume that she represented them reasonably well.”
  1758. >”And Cadence is BARELY related to her. There’s no reason to assume they’re similar.”
  1759. >She was right.
  1760. “I STILL think we should include it.”
  1761. >”Why? It’s icky.”
  1762. >If only you knew, Twily.
  1763. “You think you know the royal guard because you grew up around the palace. You’re wrong. That’s them being on their best behaviour; put them under enough stress and get them far enough away from watchful eyes, and they change. Just because Cadence doesn’t represent them doesn’t mean they aren’t similar.”
  1764. >This wasn’t going to match perfectly, of course.
  1765. >They weren’t ALL soldiers.
  1766. >And even if they were, they’d be different from the Guard.
  1767. >But military life was a big part of their culture.
  1768. >He had to respect that, and be mindful of it.
  1769. >He had to try and understand them, and talking to them would only get him so far.
  1770. >The soldier angle was a good starting point.
  1771.  
  1772. Scene change!
  1773.  
  1774. >Cadence was sitting alone in her room, mulling over a stack of papers.
  1775. >She sat under bright lantern light, wearing a green tinted visor, and chewing on her quill.
  1776. >It was going to be tight, but it should just barely work out.
  1777. >Then, quite suddenly, there came a gentle knock on the door.
  1778. “Come in, Shiny.”
  1779. >That was his timid knock.
  1780. >He’s worried about something.
  1781. >Cadence shoved aside her project with a pout.
  1782. >It would have to wait until he was straightened out.
  1783. >Such was her duty.
  1784. >Cadence got up from her chair, and after a quick glance around saw there was only one.
  1785. >She sat on the floor to make the seat available to her beloved.
  1786. >It was-
  1787. “Oh. Hello, Lovelace. I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
  1788. >”Cute hat.”
  1789. >She sounded frightened.
  1790. “Thanks! Did you know that you knock just like Shiney when he’s scared?”
  1791. >”Is now a bad time? Maybe I should come back later, and-”
  1792. “Oh, no, it’s actually perfect! We got the factory working today, just barely, and we’re a bit ahead of schedule for making our shipment.”
  1793. >”Should you be telling me this?”
  1794. “It’s not exactly a secret. The long and short of it is we can proceed with the planned budget, which means I know what I’m working with. Which means I should be able to place an order. We won’t need it soon, so there’s no rush- I’m actually not certain who it’s for just yet.”
  1795. >”Oh, that’s a relief. What do you need?”
  1796. >That was a sudden change of mood.
  1797. >What is she afraid of-
  1798. >Oh.
  1799. >Right.
  1800. “Are you STILL sore?”
  1801. >”YES!”
  1802. “But that was a month ago!”
  1803. >”We are NEVER doing that again!”
  1804. “Aww! But it was really fun!”
  1805. >”Nuh-uh. Not a chance. Never again, I SWEAR you won’t even THINK of touching me, not in your LIFE!”
  1806. …
  1807. >”For two weeks.”
  1808. “I’ll try to be gentler next time.”
  1809. >”Who’s the mark?”
  1810. >Cadence couldn’t help but smirk.
  1811. “Garnet.”
  1812. >Lovelace took half a step back as her jaw slowly descended.
  1813. “Yeah.”
  1814. >”You’re trying to enslave my landlord? Do- do you think she’d like it?”
  1815. “Not a chance. This one isn’t matchmaking, and it’s not charity.”
  1816. >It was revenge.
  1817. “Whether she knew what she was signing or not, she attacked MY family-”
  1818. >Cadence stomped the ground, struggling to contain her anger.
  1819. “And MY kingdom, she’s not just walking away from that!”
  1820. >”Cadence, I’ve known you for a LONG time, and I’ve never seen you like this! Are you okay?”
  1821. “Of course I am!”
  1822. >She didn’t attempt to hide the rage in her voice.
  1823. >”You only have four emotions. Happy, goofy, playful, and horny. Where’s THIS coming from?”
  1824. “She attacked my family! Of course I’m angry.”
  1825. >”You’re supposed to be the princess of love, not rage!”
  1826. “How could I claim to love them if I don’t hate somepony who tried to destroy them?”
  1827. >”I… guess?”
  1828.  
  1829. “You’ll understand someday when you have foals. She needs to be neutralised, but I don’t want to spill any blood”
  1830. >There were better fluids to spill.
  1831. >”Look. You’ve got good reason to be angry, but I still think you should reconsider. Maybe wait a while to calm down. You’re all emotional.”
  1832. “No need to worry about that. She’s still untouchable; by the time I have an opportunity I’ll have had plenty of time to calm down and think it through.”
  1833. >”I… okay, that’s actually a really good answer.”
  1834. “Look… I said earlier that I was placing an order. That’s a bit of a lie. I need a friend right now.”
  1835. >It didn’t take long for Lovelace to be standing next to Cadence, trying to comfort her.
  1836. “You’ve known me since back when I was normal.”
  1837. >”You were never normal, and that’s okay.”
  1838. “You know what I meant. I need somepony to help keep me grounded. Shiny won’t do it since he’s convinced himself he’s not good enough for me. He’s scared of chasing me away. Twilight won’t do it since she’s too meek to even talk about this stuff. I’m counting on you.”
  1839. >”Of course.”
  1840. “Let me know if you ever think I’m going too far.”
  1841. >”I thought you went too far a long time ago-”
  1842. >Cadence’s heart felt like it had turned to ice.
  1843. >”And I was wrong. I’ve talked to them, and they’re happy.”
  1844. >That wasn’t the problem.
  1845. >The problem was that Lovelace hadn’t spoken up.
  1846. >She couldn’t be counted on for hard truths.
  1847. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
  1848. >”Because I trust you.”
  1849. “But-”
  1850. >”No, shush. I want you to think about that for a while. I TRUSTED you when you declared you were going to have an innocent pony abducted from their home and raped by a stranger. I trusted you when you said it was for the best. And I trusted you when you started to make a habit of it.”
  1851. >It was a rather unusual pep talk.
  1852. >”And the reason WHY is because you’ve got a good heart. The Cadence I know isn’t capable of evil.”
  1853. “I’m not so sure about that…”
  1854. >”Well, I am. You can make mistakes, which is why I want you to think this through, but I know for a fact that no matter what happens, your heart will always be in the right place.”
  1855. “I guess…”
  1856. >”No, no guessing. THINK about it. You announced that you were going to start abducting and raping ponies, and I STILL believed in you. Hay, I SUPPORTED you, even though it made me feel terrible. Do you think I’d have acted like that had anypony else in the whole world said the same thing?”
  1857. “But what if I’m wrong about this? About everything?”
  1858. >Twilight’s accusation only hurt because it rang true.
  1859. >”Then you change your plans and try again. That’s like, how science works!”
  1860. >That might have been a bit of a stretch!
  1861. >”Now, tell me what your plan was.”
  1862. >Well…
  1863.  
  1864. “It’s a different arrangement than usual. It’s supposed to be a punishment after all, and a really bad one. We effectively make her state property and let everypony have their way with her.”
  1865. >”Public cum dump?”
  1866. “It’s an important role for society, but it makes you undesirable for marriage. Garnet’s already useless for marriage though. I can’t think of any stallion that would want to live with THAT.”
  1867. >”It’s not the weirdest idea you’ve ever had. What standard of living would she get?”
  1868. “I don’t know.”
  1869. >”How long would she serve this role?”
  1870. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
  1871. >”How many hours a day?”
  1872. “Not sure.”
  1873. >”What happens if somepony gets too rough with her?”
  1874. >Cadence shrugged.
  1875. >”You, like, haven’t thought this out at all?”
  1876. “I didn’t think we could afford it until a few hours ago. There’s no point in figuring this all out if we can’t do it anyway.”
  1877. >”What’s there to afford?”
  1878. “Security, training, apparel, we’d need some way for ponies to make reservations, some checks and balances in place to prevent this from damaging relationships or stopping them from forming, we’ve got to maintain her health and appearance- oh, we’d probably need to teach her how to apply makeup properly to hide that permanent scowl-”
  1879. >”Okay, there’s lots of stuff. But this sounds a lot more high class than what I was imagining.”
  1880. ”How so?”
  1881. >“I thought you were just going to stick her in the stocks and see what happens.”
  1882. “Oh, not at all! The ponies deserve better, this would be a high quality service!”
  1883. >”Oh. It’ll never work.”
  1884. “But-”
  1885. >”How would you keep her from biting?”
  1886. >Hm.
  1887. >”I TOTALLY get it. Having a bunch of sluts out there you could use whenever would be fun! And, like, you don’t like her. But you’re trying to do two things at once, and it’s going to be super hard. You need to think with your head instead of your holes. Is sex a punishment?”
  1888. “Of course not! But here I am turning it into one… I see the problem. Well, I’ll just have to make sure she likes it.”
  1889. >”But then ponies will TRY to get punished so they join her.”
  1890. “That’s preposterous.”
  1891. >”I’m not sure what that word means.”
  1892. “Nopony would EVER want to do something like that! Mares want husbands and masters, not just endless sex!”
  1893. >Lovelace’s expression was somewhere between condescending and exasperated.
  1894. “What?”
  1895.  
  1896. >”How is it that you of all ponies don’t realise what a lack of dick does to a mare?”
  1897. >Well-
  1898. >”I sell relief to mares that are celibate despite their best efforts.”
  1899. “They don’t fuck, and that’s not by choice?”
  1900. >There ought to be a word for such a terrible fate!
  1901. “That makes this program even more important! They need relief!”
  1902. >”Trust me. The moment word gets out about this program, there will be mares TRYING to make you angry so you sign them up.”
  1903. >That was almost impossible to believe.
  1904. >But Lovelace had been a long time confidant.
  1905. “O… okay. I trust you.”
  1906. >She couldn’t deny her heart was broken.
  1907. >But maybe it was for the best.
  1908. >The whole thing was ill conceived in the first place.

Submission is Mandatory archive

by grapenut