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The Carat and Stick pt2

By RapeApe
Created: 15th March 2021 05:53:56 AM
13th April 2022 05:19:27 AM
RarityNSFWSimBdsm

  1. Turns out I was using the word laceration wrong, and puncture wounds aren’t quite what I thought they were. This inconsistency is caused by ignorance on my part, and is not relevant to the story.
  2.  
  3. >You wake up on the floor with a headache and covered in blood.
  4. >Terrible night or wild party?
  5. >Either way, this isn’t really good.
  6. >You need a shower and fresh clothes.
  7. >You sit up slowly, eyes complaining about the bright light.
  8. >And you see your patient, not yet transferred into the right bed.
  9. >And Rarity, slumped up against the wall.
  10. >Asleep.
  11. >Right, that whole shitshow.
  12. >You take a moment to check on Twilight’s readings.
  13. >Everything looks normal.
  14. >Gives you time for a shower, at least.
  15. >But you can’t really leave to get less bloody clothing.
  16. >She still needs you nearby.
  17. >Besides, it’s probably not safe for you to leave the clinic.
  18. >A quick shower later, you put on your clothing save for the labcoat.
  19. >That takes care of most of the blood.
  20. >You briefly consider cleaning up the entryway, but decide against it.
  21. >It’s probably going to be considered evidence.
  22. >Which is great, because that means somepony else will clean it for you.
  23. >Time to check in on Rarity.
  24. >When you enter the room she’s still asleep.
  25. >You need to talk to her.
  26. >You try to wake her up gently.
  27. “We need to talk.”
  28. >”Hm? Oh. OH! Twilight!”
  29. “Still breathing. I’m probably going to need your help keeping her that way.”
  30. >”Of course! What must I do?”
  31. “She needs constant monitoring. She’s hemostatic, err, she’s not bleeding anymore, but that doesn’t mean she’s in good shape. Hear that rhythmic beeping?”
  32. >”Yes, actually. It’s rather irritating.”
  33. “By design.”
  34. >”Why would one design something to be annoying?”
  35. “Because that way it’s harder to ignore. We stop paying attention to that beep, and she could die in minutes.”
  36. >”Truly? What exactly is it, that it’s so important?”
  37. “Her heart. Or a representation of it, at least.”
  38. >”Her HEART? Are you certain?”
  39. >You were pretty sure, yes.
  40. >”But it’s so slow!”
  41. “She’s been very seriously wounded. And the operation could have gone a lot better, I’m sad to say.”
  42. >”There must be something we can do to help!”
  43. “There is. Ultimately it’ll be up to her, but there are things we can do to help her chances. Can I trust you to help me with it?”
  44. >”But of course! I cannot bear to think of what might happen should I refuse!”
  45. ”Alright. I need you to do everything exactly right though. And in my experience, it’s much easier to learn the how if you know the why. There are a few different things that can cause sickness, but the catch all term is pathogen. When enough pathogens get into your body you get sick until your body can get rid of them. When too many of them get into you at once, you die.”
  46. >”How is that relevant?”
  47. “Well, the first and best defence you have against pathogens is your skin. When that gets damaged, all sorts of things can get in and cause problems. Ever notice how when you get cut it gets all red and swollen after a while? That’s because a bunch of pathogens got under the skin, and your body hasn’t managed to clean up quite yet.”
  48. >”Is that why bandages help wounds heal? Because they fill the role of the skin and prevent anything further from getting in?”
  49. “That’s a very big part of it, yes. It’s important to clean and cover wounds right away to keep the number of pathogens to a minimum. When pathogens get inside your body through any means, we call it an infection. If they’re concentrated in one area like with a cut it’s a localized infection, but if they spread out it’s disseminated or systemic. The body looks for certain markers on everything inside it, we call these markers antigens. If it spots an antigen that isn’t its own, it tries to destroy whatever it’s attached to, thus clearing out the infection. So Twiggy’s skin has been damaged very heavily. What does that mean?”
  50. >”She is likely to have an infection.”
  51. “Likely is a huge understatement, but yes. And because there is so much damage to her skin, her body’s going to be strained really hard to fight all of the infections at once. But I’m afraid it gets a bit worse than that. She lost a lot of blood. Blood has antigens too, so if your body sees any blood that isn’t yours it attacks like it was a pathogen. If you can get blood that’s similar enough, you can trick the body into accepting it and everything’s okay. I used to have a small stockpile of blood, sorted by the different things your body looks for so I could get around that problem, but…”
  52. >She looks away from you.
  53. “Your blood has antigen A and Twiggy’s has antigen B. If I gave her your blood it would have killed her. Mine, though, has no antigen. So even though I’m a human and she’s a pony, it was a better match than yours. But just because there was no antigen doesn’t mean it’s all okay. Your blood moves materials through your body, oxygen from the air, glucose from your food, and all sorts of other things. My blood is really good at carrying exactly what a human needs. Not so much what a pony needs.”
  54. >”So it’s like replacing a custom tailored dress with a pret a porter number that’s a few sizes too small.”
  55. “Something like that. But there’s another problem. My blood doesn’t know it’s inside her, and now it’s seeing her antigens and noticing they’re not me. My blood is attacking her. Not as badly as yours would, but it is. So now her body’s being stressed by the infections, AND the blood transfusion. But then, A and B antigens aren’t the only markers in blood that your body looks for. It won’t be as fast as if we’d used your blood, but her body will notice that mine doesn’t belong and wipe it out. We need to stop that from happening until she’s made more of her own to replace it, so I gave her a drug to make the body worse at noticing antigens. Can you tell me what the problem is with that?”
  56. >She stared at Twilight for a while.
  57. >What she was thinking, you hadn’t a clue.
  58. >Was it mere worry?
  59. >Perhaps something closer to guilt?
  60. >Maybe she was just wishing for her more learned friend’s help in this pop quiz.
  61. “I’ll give you a hint. It’s related to all the cuts.”
  62. >”Oh. OH! If her body can’t find antigens, it won’t notice the pathogens!”
  63. “Exactly. The infection will be almost unopposed at first, so it’ll be really entrenched by the time she starts fighting back. We’ve got drugs that will help her do that, but she’s still at a disadvantage.”
  64. >She’s starting to tear up a bit.
  65. >Now you feel like a jerk.
  66. >But sadly, this is all true.
  67. “And then since some of the wounds were so deep, the pathogens will be really far into her body. Her heart was exposed for a fair while, and while I tried to keep it as clean as possible there’s always going to be SOME pathogens. And then since I was in such a hurry I had to cut a few corners, which will have made the risks worse. If I’d had enough blood lying around to do a full transfusion I could have been a bit more careful, but…”
  68. >Her lip is trembling.
  69. “One of her arteries, uhh, the tubes that move your blood around your body, was broken by the spear. To keep her from bleeding to death I had to stitch it back together.”
  70. >”Stitch? Like sewing?”
  71. “You saw me do that earlier.”
  72. >”I had no idea you’d done it to her insides too!”
  73. “Well, I did. One of the corners I had to cut was that I went in without properly preparing. Lots of pathogens would have gotten in then. I also had to get past her ribs in a hurry, and wound up breaking one.”
  74. >Rarity winced.
  75. “And then since I was in such a hurry, the actual stitches were pretty sloppy. If they come apart before she’s healed up I’ll have to go back in and do it again. But then it’ll be really hard because the holes and tears from the previous ones will make her artery fragile, like the silk you were saying you couldn’t embroider more than once.”
  76. >”Might not be able to, not couldn’t.”
  77. “Whatever. The point is that those sloppy stitches could kill her down the road. It’ll be a fair while before we know.”
  78. >”How long?”
  79. “A week, maybe? They’ll dissolve on their own over about a month, so if they hold long enough for her to heal decently I won’t need to go back in. Having to go and correct those stitches while she’s in this condition is dangerous, but if it ruptures we’ll have no choice. But there might be a bit more damage than that. When an artery is severed like that, you have to put a clamp on it when you stitch it together. Her lower body was completely without blood flow for quite a while, almost like her heart stopped but only for her hind quarters. We won’t know for a while how bad it was, but damage is likely.”
  80. >”What kind?”
  81. “Hard to say. If she wasn’t out of oxygen for very long, muscle degradation. She’ll be weak as a kitten for a long time. Might take years to recover. Next is nerve damage. She could lose sensation or control of parts of her body, maybe even partial paralysis. If she’s really unlucky, kidney failure. That’s so bad I don’t even know what it would do, she’d need to see a renal specialist. Not long ago she’d have five years to live at best, even with all the medical support in the world. These days? Well, nobody knows yet. Hopefully it’s a mostly normal life, but there are plenty of things that could go wrong. The new methods aren’t old enough for us to know how they turn out.”
  82. >Rarity started to openly cry.
  83. >You sit next to her, and hold her close.
  84. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. That's the absolute worst case scenario, I’ve done lots of emergency surgeries and never run into that. I can’t promise everything will be okay, but her chances aren’t bad. And we’re going to do everything we can to make them even better, right?”
  85. >She sniffles a bit, then nods.
  86. “Do you know which one is the puncture wound?”
  87. >”The one on her chest?”
  88. “No. Common mistake, but that’s a penetrating wound, it’s a puncture if the thing that caused the wound stays inside. The puncture was the one with the glass. She had one puncture wound on the back. Two penetrating wounds on her chest.”
  89. >”Does the name really matter?”
  90. “Yes. They need to be treated differently, and ambiguity can make that hard. The puncture wound is the one that had the glass sticking out of it. That’s going to get really badly infected, and it’ll ooze pus as a result. That bandage needs to be changed every day, making sure to be gentle so as not to bump the wound. If it starts bleeding we need to apply pressure until it stops, otherwise we need to wash it out with sterile water and spray an antiseptic on it.”
  91. >“Antiseptic? Sterile?”
  92. “Oh, my mistake. An antiseptic is a substance designed to clean a wound of pathogens, and sterile means that all the pathogens in it have been destroyed. We’re physically removing pathogens with this process to help her out. We’ll do that for the incisions too, that’s all the cuts. The penetrating wounds, though, are trickier. A big chunk of skin has been lost since the spear was so much thicker. I stitched them a bit to narrow the wound, but you generally don’t close penetrating wounds since they need to be treated, and you’d have to keep opening them up.”
  93. >Plus they drain better that way.
  94. “With these we pack them with sterile material. We do this to absorb pus for when we change them, to occupy space so nothing can get in, and to keep everything where it belongs. Penetrating wounds heal slowly, we’re probably going to have to treat the big one for a month or more.”
  95. >”This is all my fault.”
  96. “Some of it, yeah. Not ALL of it. You’re not the one who stabbed her.”
  97. >“I suppose. I simply can’t understand why anyone would do that to her, though! She’s such a nice pony.”
  98. “Yeah, I don’t get it either. But someone’s been on a rampage lately.”
  99. >”Why, I had forgotten about that! You said somepony had been poisoned?”
  100. “Yeah.”
  101. >Can’t hide the fact that her friends are here any longer.
  102. >Might as well cache in on it.
  103. “Hyperactive pink pony. It was a close one, too. Someone must have really wanted her dead.”
  104. >”Hyperactive pink? It couldn’t be… who was the other one?”
  105. “Butter yellow pegasus with a pastel pink mane. Real quiet, meek girl.”
  106. >“With butterflies for a cutie mark?”
  107. ”Yeah, actually. How did you know?”
  108. >”And this pink one. Did she perchance have balloons for her mark?”
  109. “That’s the one. Any clue why someone would have it in for them?”
  110. >”Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. I can understand wishing Pinkie harm during her four in the morning singalongs, but why would anypony wish to harm Fluttershy?”
  111. “As you pointed out, that one might have been an accident. It’s too different from the other two attacks. I mean, someone was trying to mess with her, maybe scare her away. But a nasty fall from a pegasus is much more survivable than poisonings and stabbings. She would have had some lasting damage without intervention, but she’d have probably survived.”
  112. >”Which of these attacks came first?”
  113. “The fall.”
  114. >”So they’ve grown more brazen.”
  115. >Yeah.
  116. >She was right.
  117. >Where does one escalate from stabbings though?
  118. >Decapitation?
  119. “I know you’re from Equestria, but maybe you can answer a question. Are broad tipped spears standard issue?”
  120. >”Broad tipped?”
  121. “Near the end of the operation when I was starting to calm down and had gotten used to the blood loss, I noticed that the piercing wounds weren’t right. I thought the military here used a small headed spear, something good for punching through thick hide. That’s not the kind of wound I saw. It left a wide enough hole that stitches were needed to narrow it, and it completely severed the artery. Almost impossible to do with just a point, unless your aim is freakishly good. I haven’t actually looked at it yet, but I bet that thing has a wide tip.”
  122. >You’ve seen more stab wounds than most people your age.
  123. >Had you not seen the weapon in the first place, you might have thought it was a dagger or chef’s knife.
  124. >It wasn’t a standard issue spear, you’re sure of it.
  125. “What does the royal guard usually do? Aside from ceremonies.”
  126. >”Very little. Equestria is a rather peaceful place, free from most strife. We’ve not had any major armed conflict in centuries.”
  127. >The Empire was far more militant than Equestria.
  128. >They had recent memories of subjugation, and their leader was a military stallion.
  129. >These ponies did not wish to be vulnerable ever again.
  130. >Weapons were commonplace, even by human standards.
  131. >But even so, surely there had to be some means of tracking where they came from.
  132. >Some serial number, a maker’s mark, SOMETHING.
  133. >You hear noise near the front.
  134. >Hopefully it’s good news.
  135. “I’ll go check it out. You stay here and keep an eye on her. Scream if that beeping stops.”
  136. >You skulk out to the front, furtively checking around the corners to see who’s there.
  137. >It’s just the prince.
  138. >He’s staring at the broken glass and blood with a bizarre mixture of shock and rage.
  139. >”What the hay is going on here?”
  140. “Before we start, she’s alive.”
  141. >”There was another attack? Who?”
  142. >He wasn’t going to like this.
  143. “Before I tell you, I need you to promise you won’t freak out.”
  144. >He stomps on the ground angrily.
  145. >”Tell me, damn it!”
  146. >He was going to freak out, wasn’t he?
  147. >You can’t think of any way to be gentle about this.
  148. >Best rip off the bandage.
  149. “It’s your sister.”
  150. >He blanches.
  151. >An impressive feat for somepony so white.
  152. >He pushes past you and runs to the recovery room.
  153. >You can hear a gasp, followed by guttural growling.
  154. >You can’t lie to him.
  155. >He needs to know the truth.
  156. >But perhaps you can package it in a nice way.
  157. “I’ve had patients recover from worse. It’s not good, but it’s not as bad as you think.”
  158. >”Is she going to be okay?”
  159. “With a little luck.”
  160. >”When will she wake up?”
  161. >This is where things get awkward.
  162. “Well, I’m not really sure. Might be tomorrow. Might not be for weeks.”
  163. >You can’t bear to look him in the eyes for this next part.
  164. >You choose to stare at his hooves instead.
  165. “Maybe never.”
  166. >Neither he nor Rarity took that well.
  167. “The lack of usable blood put a huge strain on her system. It’s going to cause problems, we just don’t know how it’ll manifest yet.”
  168. >Shining Armor didn’t react quite like you’d expected.
  169. >”Hooves behind your back, Rarity. I’m taking you in.”
  170. >”What?”
  171. >”You’re under arrest for… I DON’T KNOW WHAT FOR!”
  172. >He tackled Rarity.
  173. >You try in vain to pull him off.
  174. “Dude, what are you doing?”
  175. >”This… this BITCH sabotaged a hospital!”
  176. >You were aware.
  177. >”She’s going down!”
  178. “What are you going to do, lock her up? That’s already happened.”
  179. >He growls a little.
  180. “Yes. What she did was terminally stupid. But it’s my fault too for letting it happen.”
  181. >”She’s a criminal!”
  182. “She’s my responsibility.”
  183. >”Somepony needs to pay for this!”
  184. “Then let it be me!”
  185. >”Damn it, man!”
  186. >He releases Rarity and looks you in the eye.
  187. >”So what, she can just endanger my sister and walk away scott free?”
  188. “No. She’s not going to rot in your dungeon, but she’s also not just going to walk. What’s going to happen is Rarara will punish herself.”
  189. >”I’ll do what?”
  190. “Would you rather get locked up forever?”
  191. >”I shall punish myself posthaste! What must I do?”
  192. >Uhh…
  193. “I dunno. You tell me. I’m heading to my office, in the meantime you tell the prince all about the operation.”
  194. >”But why me? Should it not be the expert?”
  195. “Think of it as a pop quiz. Besides, I’m sick of being the bearer of bad news.”
  196. >You head to your office and pick up your laptop.
  197. >He’s going to want to see the footage.
  198. >Hell, you want to see it.
  199. >You take your time about it, relishing the chance to decompress a bit.
  200. >Things have been too hectic lately.
  201. >You’re used to operating on stabbed patients.
  202. >You’re not used to being part of the investigation.
  203. >And you’re also not used to working with so many handicaps.
  204. >But you can’t avoid returning forever.
  205. >On your way back to recovery you hear something.
  206. >Something angry.
  207. >”You have no right to order me about, mister so called prince! Twilight is my dear friend!”
  208. >”I’ve every right. This is an ongoing investigation!”
  209. >”What good could prying me away from her possibly do for your investigation?”
  210. >”I can’t let important information leak, otherwise I can’t protect her!”
  211. >”Protect her? Well! It’s a mighty fine job you’re doing!”
  212. “Stop it, you two.”
  213. >You enter the room to find Rarity and Shining Armor glaring angrily at each other.
  214. “We’re all on the same side here. There’s no reason to fight.”
  215. >They both turn away from each other, looking a little embarrassed.
  216. “If you wanted to talk to me in private you could have just said so. But the girl knows pretty much everything that happened anyway.”
  217. “What took you so long to get here? I called for help hours ago!”
  218. >”Cadence left your pager on the nightstand.”
  219. “Seriously? I mean, I know she’s kinda ditzy but I thought she’d be able to take this seriously! Your sister almost DIED!”
  220. >”It’s not her fault!”
  221. >You raise an eyebrow.
  222. >”There was another attack.”
  223. >Shit.
  224. >”Applejack.”
  225. “Who?”
  226. >”Blonde country girl.”
  227. >That’s not good.
  228. >You liked her.
  229. “Is it serious?”
  230. >”Pretty heavy bruising around the face.”
  231. “I’d better go look at her.”
  232. >”Not that severely. And it’s not her.”
  233. “Eh? She looked like a her. Or he, I suppose. Hay, girl. Were you aware that she’s a he?”
  234. >”I had no clue!”
  235. >”No, that’s not what I meant! Applejack’s a she. I think. It’s just that she’s not the one who’s hurt.”
  236. “Oh. Good, I suppose. Pretty lame attack though, how did that have you tied up for so long?”
  237. >”Well, she made a huge noise after beating them off.”
  238. >You suppress a snicker.
  239. >”So we tried to lock down the palace and catch them.”
  240. “And?”
  241. >”Didn’t work. From what I understand- ugh.”
  242. >Rarity looks as confused as you feel.
  243. >”You understand ugh?”
  244. >”I probably shouldn’t say this, but I suppose there’s no point. The guilty party knows we know by now, I’m sure of it. Applejack accused the cook of knowingly poisoning Pinkie. Looks like she was onto something, a scuffle ensued, he got her by the neck. She kicked him in the dick.”
  245. >You flinch in pain at the thought.
  246. >”Got a few good hits in, then he managed to get away. We closed down all the exits and swept the place, but can’t find him. Then Cadence noticed the message you’d sent and I came here.”
  247. “That doesn’t seem to add up though. If she was being choked it would be really hard to fight back properly. And if she’s hurt them that bad it would be really hard to run. Are you sure Applejuice is telling the truth?”
  248. >”Yes.”
  249. >”Yes.”
  250. “Oh. Alright then. This is bad though.”
  251. >”Ya think?”
  252. “This proves there’s more than one of them.”
  253. >”More than one? We’re up to… let’s see. All the major suspects so far have alibis for Fluttershy. The cook wasn’t a unicorn so he didn’t do it. The pony who tried to break into your stuff didn’t have palace access.”
  254. >You see where he’s going with this.
  255. >You show start replaying the security footage and show it to him.
  256. “Pegasus.”
  257. >”Didn’t attack Fluttershy. Not the chef, not the thief. And the two Equestrian guards who questioned you appear to have been in on it, and they can be proven not to be any of the attackers. We’re up to SIX ponies.”
  258. >Six ponies MINIMUM.
  259. >All of whom were evading capture.
  260. >”Hay, that spear isn’t standard issue.”
  261. “Called it!”
  262. >”But more importantly, the perp is wounded.”
  263. >Oh.
  264. >Yeah, that was true.
  265. >Somehow you’d missed that.
  266. >No way you’re going to say so, though.
  267. >”Thank you, Twilight. This is a huge lead. Anon! I need you to tell me if anypony comes in with a sliced up butt or a smashed dick!”
  268. “That’s a violation of the WHOs code of ethics.”
  269. >”SERIOUSLY? You’re not going to help with MULTIPLE attempted murders?”
  270. “Nope. Patients need to be able to seek the treatment they need without fear. IF, and this is just a hypothetical, but IF somepony who HADN’T taken that oath happened to be around, and they just happened to tell you?”
  271. >You look at Rarity.
  272. >”This seems a tad pointless, does it not? For what reason could MY informing him POSSIBLY be different than if YOU were to do it?”
  273. “Would you feel comfortable telling everyone your client’s measurements?”
  274. >”I understand completely.”
  275. “Before you run off, mind moving your sister onto the bed? I’m scared I’ll drop her.”
  276. >”Yeah, you are pretty weak.”
  277. >He effortlessly levitates her onto the bed.
  278. “Pardon?”
  279. >”Hard to blame you I suppose. Gotta be tough finding time to work out when you’re tied to this place. Still, some crunches couldn’t hurt.”
  280. “I MEANT because of the blood loss!”
  281. >”Oh.”
  282. “What was all that about crunches?”
  283. >”Well, it’s just that, err…”
  284. >You raise an eyebrow.
  285. >”You wouldn’t pass the physical standards for a grade one teacher?”
  286. >You’re now aware that you have no clue how to treat wounded pride.
  287. “I’m not a pony! This is perfectly reasonable for human standards!”
  288. >”Is it?”
  289. “Is this really what we should be talking about right now? There’s a stabber on the loose!”
  290. >”Right! Keep an eye on her! Anypony tries to her her, shoot them!”
  291. >He runs out the door.
  292. >You yell after him.
  293. “SHOOT WITH WHAT?”
  294. >A few seconds later he runs back in and drops a pistol on the ground.
  295. >You pick it up just in case Rarity gets any ideas.
  296. >You don’t think she’d do it, but recent events have proven that you never know.
  297. “I’m not in THAT bad of shape.”
  298. >”You protected me.”
  299. >You were aware.
  300. >”After I did such a horrible thing, you saw fit to protect me.”
  301. “I’m not going to just stand by while you’re in trouble.”
  302. >”That’s a relief. I must confess he’s quite fearsome when angered.”
  303. “Yeah. He is.”
  304. >You rub your sore lip.
  305. “We need to think of a punishment that’ll satisfy the prince. I have a feeling he’ll check in on that.”
  306. >”Why, yes. I suppose he will.”
  307. “Don’t worry too much though. He won’t lay a hoof on you. He owes me BIG.”
  308. >”Thank you. What might I do to repay you?”
  309. >This was a golden opportunity.
  310. >”Do you wish to, ahem, partake?”
  311. “That’s more of a reward for YOU than it is for me. Besides, I don’t think I can perform right now. But I think we can arrange something.”
  312.  
  313. >This might be a good opportunity to get some conditioning done.
  314. >She genuinely does seem to be a submissive.
  315. >You just need to reinforce the link between that pleasure and doing what she’s told.
  316. >And you’re very well situated to do that.
  317. “Alright. I know what I want. If I’m going to let you be near your friend, I need to know you’ll do EXACTLY what I tell you, and without question. Hopefully everything will be fine, but if something goes wrong I need to know I can trust you.”
  318. >”I understand.”
  319. “No, you don’t. I’m not just trusting you with her wellbeing, I’m trusting you with mine. The prince is itching for a fight, and I said your screw up was my fault. If you do ANYTHING that jeopardizes her health, I’m going to get it. Even if she winds up being totally fine, the slightest screwup could put be in shackles.”
  320. >She chews on her lip for a bit.
  321. “I’m placing a huge amount of trust in you just by letting you be here, and recent history suggests you don’t deserve it. You’re going to prove you can be trusted.”
  322. >”And what must I do?”
  323. “Lie down and roll over.”
  324. >”WELL! I-”
  325. “Out.”
  326. >”But-”
  327. “Out.”
  328. >She lets out a long suffering sigh.
  329. >”Very well, if such is the price of accompanying Twilight.”
  330. “It was your idea.”
  331. >”It was not!”
  332. “You said you wanted to thank me. Is rolling over really so much more to ask than fucking?”
  333. >”But-”
  334. “Oh, I get it. You just wanted to have a go, and you were using this all as an excuse.”
  335. >She turns so red you’re surprised her nose doesn’t start to bleed.
  336. >You reach into your pocket.
  337. >Wait, no. That’s the one with your pager.
  338. >You reach into your OTHER pocket and find the RF emitter.
  339. >Rarity lies down on the ground and rolls on her back.
  340. >You nudge activate her clitoral implant as subtly as you can manage.
  341. >No reaction yet.
  342. >You’ll have to start making notes to chart her progress.
  343. >Maybe not right now.
  344. >You’ll refrain from pushing your luck.
  345. “On your hooves. Bow. Good.”
  346. >You reach out and scratch her behind the ears.
  347. >She pulls away almost immediately.
  348. >One minute she wants you to rut her, the next you aren’t allowed to scratch her ears.
  349. >Poor thing’s confused.
  350. >That’s partly your fault.
  351. >Her whole world’s been turned upside down, her friends are in danger, and her captor and savior are one.
  352. >You need to offer guidance.
  353. >Some kind of certainty.
  354. “You’re my mare.”
  355. >”Pardon?”
  356. “You’re my mare. And I take good care of what’s mine. Look me in the eye and say it.”
  357. >She looks over your shoulder.
  358. >”I-”
  359. “No. In the eye.”
  360. >She takes her time about meeting your gaze.
  361. >Once you’re satisfied she’s looking in the right place, you nudge the stimulator up a tiny bit.
  362. “You’re mine.”
  363. >”And you, mine.”
  364. >Ugh.
  365. >Close enough.
  366. >For now.
  367. “Turn around and present.”
  368. >You can see her nibbling on her lower lip.
  369. >She moves far too slowly.
  370. >Were you the slightest bit more confident in your control, you’d scold her for dallying.
  371. >But she hasn’t surrendered to you quite yet.
  372. >When she finally turns around you see her tail is flagging.
  373. >You hadn’t noticed her move it.
  374. >It must have already been up.
  375. >You reach out and firmly grasp her pussy in your hand.
  376. >Rarity offers a shocked cry.
  377. >You can feel the muscles rippling, reacting to your touch and demanding more.
  378. “This is mine.”
  379. >”Ah!”
  380. “Nopony is allowed to use this except for me, got it?”
  381. >You turn the stimulation up a fair bit as you knead the flesh.
  382. >Hopefully she won’t be able to tell the sensations apart until you’re done.
  383. “NOBODY gets to fuck you except for me.”
  384. >She’s grinding against your hand, trying to get more friction.
  385. “Say it!”
  386. >”Hnn! I shan’t allow anyone to violate me!”
  387. “Anyone except?”
  388. >”Ah! Ah! Anyone except for you!”
  389. >You slide your thumb and middle finger in, and wiggle them around until they’re good and drenched.
  390. >Best to leave it there for now, lest you put her over the edge.
  391. >You let go.
  392. >Rarity whines at the loss of your touch.
  393. >You sit back down and gesture for her to approach
  394. >Rarity trots toward you and sits down in front of you.
  395. >You extend your still dripping fingers.
  396. “Suck.”
  397. >Rarity wraps her lips around your fingers, caressing them with her tongue and licking off her juices with surprising vigor.
  398. >She closes her eyes and trembles subtly.
  399. >You feel her moan around your digits.
  400. >You grasp her tongue between your fingers and gently pull it out of her mouth.
  401. >Saliva drips down your fingers as she stares up at you with something that might be desire.
  402. “You’re going to try and be better for me.”
  403. >It wasn’t meant as a question.
  404. >But she awkwardly nods in the affirmative regardless.
  405. >Her tongue almost slips from your grasp as she does so.
  406. >You let go shortly after she stops nodding.
  407. >She’s being awfully compliant.
  408. >SUSPICIOUSLY compliant.
  409. >Sure, she was starting to give in, but this is wrong.
  410. >She must be working an angle.
  411. >If your guess is right, these short term gains are going to ruin you in the long run.
  412. >Time for a calculated gamble.
  413. “I just want you to know, I will do everything in my power to keep your friend safe whether you help me or not.”
  414. >”Oh, thank goodness.”
  415. “If you still intend to thank me, though, go and get yourself two dildos. With suction cups.”
  416. >You THINK there are two with suction.
  417. >Probably.
  418. >”Two? Why two?”
  419. >You don’t answer.
  420. >After a short while she leaves.
  421. >You reposition yourself in the hallway, making sure you’re close enough to keep an eye on the patient.
  422. >It was a little awkward doing this all in the recovery room.
  423. >Rarity returns shortly after with two of the smaller fake dicks in tow.
  424. “Sit on the ground, rump against the floor but head up.”
  425. >It’s awkward, but she manages to contort herself into a roughly human sitting position.
  426. >You affix one to the ground, pointing straight up.
  427. “I think you know what to do.”
  428. >She nervously glances at Twilight, her entire head crimson.
  429. “Your friend is still sedated. She wouldn’t wake up for hours even if she were perfectly healthy. You’re fine.”
  430. >”But.”
  431. >She doesn’t finish the sentence.
  432. >You close the blinds regardless, giving Rarity more privacy than she deserves.
  433. >Can’t even masturbate in front of unconscious ponies, much less in public.
  434. >Yet another quirk you’ll need to fix in time.
  435. >She apprehensively lowers herself onto it.
  436. >She grinds into it rather than bouncing, rubbing her throbbing clit against the suction cup.
  437. >You listen to her whimpers and cries crescendo, becoming shrill and frantic.
  438. >All the while you keep dialing the stimulator up.
  439. >If you had to guess, it probably feels like a potent vibrator at this point.
  440. >You then unzip your pants, exposing your firm but not erect penis.
  441. >Just when you think she’s nearing her peak…
  442. “Stop.”
  443. >She keeps grinding for a couple of seconds after you speak.
  444. >You grab her by the horn, briefly forgetting it’s numb.
  445. >Though she can’t feel it, it’s still a good grip for pulling her head forward.
  446. >You grind her muzzle into your crotch.
  447. “You can’t suck me off properly until I recover. But I still expect you to clean it.”
  448. >She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
  449. >You just recently showered, so your odor is pretty neutral.
  450. >She begins by licking at your scrotum, seemingly making a point of coating every inch of it in saliva and periodically pausing to kiss it.
  451. >Once it’s thoroughly wetted, she takes it into her mouth and suckles gently for a short while.
  452. >All too soon she opens her mouth with a gasp, letting you fall out.
  453. >”Hnn!”
  454. >The tingling in her groin is getting the better of her.
  455. >But you can’t let her just get off that easily.
  456. >You grab her horn again and shove your mostly erect dick into her mouth.
  457. >with one hand around her horn and the other against the back of her head you shove her balls deep, feeling yourself graze the back of her throat.
  458. >Despite her earlier training she starts coughing and convulsing.
  459. >But you don’t let up.
  460. >You rhythmically move her head back and forth, repeatedly fucking her face.
  461. >Rarity begins to spasm as her long awaited climax washes over her.
  462. >Her eyes roll into the back of her head, tears streaming down her cheeks and legs twitching about.
  463. >Perfect.
  464. >You let go of her head and pull out.
  465. >Rarity collapses on the floor panting.
  466. >But you’re not done with her just yet.
  467. >You place the other dildo on the ground near the first one and smother it in surgical lubricant.
  468. >Rarity doesn’t react, too drunk on bliss to care about what you’re doing.
  469. >You return to your seat with a smirk.
  470. >The stimulator hasn’t stopped yet.
  471. >You can see she’s still winking, still needy for more.
  472. “Get back to bouncing.”
  473. >You pick her up relatively gently and position her rump near the toys.
  474. >Rarity groggily positions herself atop the one.
  475. “There are two of them for a reason.”
  476. >”Why?”
  477. >You’d rather not spell it out for her.
  478. >Thankfully, you don’t have to.
  479. >She gasps in realization.
  480. >”At the same time?”
  481. “Yep.”
  482. >”But I don’t think I can.”
  483. “Then you need to train your holes better.”
  484. >She looks away from you, and stares at the dildos for a moment.
  485. >She then decides she can’t bear to look at them either and stares straight up at the ceiling, craning her neck as far as she can.
  486. >Her exposed, supple neck looks painfully plane.
  487. >You’ll need to get her a collar or something.
  488. >Rarity gently eases her ass onto the lubricated toy, wincing a bit as it forces its way inside.
  489. >She leans forward onto the other one, struggling a bit to get it to go in.
  490. >You nudge it forward with your foot, allowing her to put her weight on it.
  491. >She fails to suppress a squeal.
  492. >Her eyes light up with excitement.
  493. >She starts to bounce up and down, albeit very cautiously.
  494. “Does it feel good?”
  495. >”AH! Oh YES!”
  496. >She’s already trembling with delight.
  497. >A much more rapid response than anything you’ve tried before.
  498. >You’re starting to suspect that double penetration is one of her fantasies.
  499. >Her swollen teats jiggle with each bounce, a tiny bit of milk dripping out with each motion.
  500. “You’re my property. You belong to me. This is what you want.”
  501. >She screams in ecstasy, another climax washing over her.
  502. >But this time, she doesn’t stop.
  503. >Her movements grow more frantic as she rides the wave of mind numbing pleasure.
  504. “You’re never going to leave me. You’re my loyal slave, and you love it.”
  505. >She reaches between her legs with one of her hooves and starts to rub her rabidly twitching clit.
  506. “You love being property. You love being a fucktoy. And you’re going to train yourself to be the best slave mare ever.”
  507. >She screams again, assailing your ears with a cry that reeks of lust.
  508. >This time, Rarity stops bouncing.
  509. >She collapses on the ground.
  510. >Her eyes close.
  511. >She’s smiling dreamily.
  512. >You overstimulated her.
  513. >Oh well, it was worth it.
  514. >You turn off the radio emitter and start to clean up after her.
  515. >When you’re done, you bend over to pick up Rarity and nearly collapse on the ground when a wave of dizziness comes over you.
  516. >Vertigo was unexpected.
  517. >You should have adapted to the blood loss by now.
  518. >Maybe you’d donated more than you’d thought?
  519. >Whatever the case, you can’t pick her up right now.
  520. >You satisfy yourself with sitting on the floor with her head on your lap.
  521. >You stroke her mane gently.
  522. >To your surprise, she speaks.
  523. >”Are you satisfied?”
  524. “Yes. That was a good performance. Could have been better, but good.”
  525. >”Then, may I ask a favor?”
  526. “You can ASK. No promises.”
  527. >She looks up at you with a face that is the very picture of hopelessness.
  528. >She looked so happy a moment ago.
  529. >”Please don’t tell anypony that I might have killed Twilight.”
  530. “A bit late for that.”
  531. >”Yes. I suppose it is. But I beg of you, please don’t tell my friends. I couldn’t bear to face them were they to know I’d done such a monstrous thing.”
  532. >Ah.
  533. >This was why she was being so compliant.
  534. >She wanted to get something out of you.
  535. >But in doing so, she’d given you wonderful leverage.
  536. “That’s a mighty big thing to ask of me.”
  537. >”I thought you were used to keeping secrets.”
  538. “I am. About my patients and their conditions. Sabotage is not a medical condition.”
  539. >She sniffles.
  540. “And her family has a right to know what’s going on. I’ll have to contact her parents, and they’re supposed to be fully informed. When I tell them there was sabotage, they’ll want to know who’s to blame.”
  541. >”I hadn’t even thought of her parents.”
  542. “And her mentor’s that sun princess, right? She’s going to want to know.”
  543. >”Princess Celestia! I shudder to think what she might do!”
  544. “And purple over there is a public figure. News travels more slowly in these parts than back on Earth, but I figure that nearly every paper on the planet is going to want to interview me. The whole world’s going to know. It’s going to be international news for sure, probably even interplanetary.”
  545. >Rarity falls limp.
  546. >You’re not entirely sure why.
  547. >But you think she nearly fainted.
  548. >Emphasis on NEARLY.
  549. >You can still push a little harder.
  550. “Human royal watchers are going to be really interested. And when they find out it was her dear friend who betrayed her? Not a lot of people know much about Equestria, but that’s all going to change. You’re going to be a household name. Your picture will be beamed into billions of homes if this gets out.”
  551. >”Please, master! I beg of you! I shall do whatever you wish!”
  552. >Perfect.
  553. >You hear the door swing open.
  554. >You hurry to your feet, trying to lift Rarity with you.
  555. >Too slow.
  556. >You see four ponies standing at the end of the hallway, jaws agape.
  557. >Applejack’s expression quickly changes from shock to anger.
  558. >”Now what in tarnation is going on over here?”
  559. >You try to back away from them and head for the rear exit.
  560. >Rainbow Dash already has you flanked somehow.
  561. >”Not so fast, monkey boy! What are you doing with Rarity?”
  562. >Pinkie approaches more calmly and cautiously than you’ve ever seen before.
  563. >”And why does she look like Mootilda?”
  564. >And finally, Fluttershy.
  565. >”And why can I smell. Um…”
  566. “There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.”
  567. >”Which is?”
  568. >The speak in a chorus.
  569. >You see them closing in around you.
  570. >You reach into your labcoat pocket and grab the pistol...
  571.  
  572. “ALL OF YOU STAY BACK! I HAVE A GUN!”
  573. >”What’s that?”
  574. >Pinkie was apparently not familiar with human weaponry.
  575. >In fact, none of them seemed intimidated.
  576. >You can’t use it to scare them away.
  577. >Not without actually firing.
  578. >You grip the handle tightly.
  579. >And then you freeze.
  580. >You can’t even draw it.
  581. >Rainbow Dash flies up in front of you and presses her face against yours, staring uncomfortably into your eyes.
  582. >”You’d better start talking!”
  583. >Rarity ran to the larger group with a manic grin on her face.
  584. >”Oh, I’m DELIGHTED to see you all! It has been FAR too long.”
  585. >”Glad to see y’all too, Rare. But right now we gotta take care of this varmint. Rainbow?”
  586. >”With pleasure!”
  587. “Hold on now. Can I at least talk?”
  588. >”And what are you gonna say?”
  589. >Rainbow Dash was right. There wasn’t much you could say to get out of this.
  590. “Look, tensions are high right now. We’re all at risk of doing something rash. Why don’t we sit down-”
  591. >You start walking toward the lobby.
  592. >Dash grabs you by the collar and pulls you back.
  593. >You try to struggle forward against her.
  594. >It’s shockingly difficult, even with her in the air.
  595. “And talk things over in a reasonable manner. Would you let go already?”
  596. >Applejack seemed to be acting as a de facto leader, taking the metaphorical reigns with Twilight out of commission.
  597. >”’Shy, take Rares to the restroom to clean up that awful pattern.”
  598. “It-”
  599. >You bite your tongue.
  600. >Telling them how to get it out means admitting too much.
  601. >”Dash. Pinkie. Guard the exits. I don’t want nopony getting in or out.”
  602. >”Right!”
  603. >”Okie dokie!”
  604. >Pinkie seemed to be in great spirits regardless.
  605. >”And why don’t you and me have a chat, just like y’all wanted.”
  606. “Alright. I’ll tell you all about how somepony is trying to murder your friends, and how one of them TRASHED A HOSPITAL. MIGHT HAVE KILLED SOMEPONY TOO.”
  607. >Rarity’s ears perk up.
  608. >”Why, yes! Of course, that is the most important issue at the moment. And while I would LOVE to have my pristine coat back, I fear that it must wait! I owe the good doctor here many thanks!”
  609. >You can feel tension leaving your body.
  610. >Not all of it.
  611. >But enough.
  612. >”We are all endangered here, and had he not been hiding me away I dread to think what might have happened.”
  613. >Applejack looked unimpressed.
  614. >”What’s with the ink?”
  615. >”Disguise!”
  616. >”Why didn’t you write home?”
  617. >”Too dangerous!”
  618. >”Why do I smell rut?”
  619. >Rarity froze.
  620. >”And if he ain’t the bad guy, why’d he threaten us?”
  621. “I did not!”
  622. >”Oh? Truth be told, I dunno what a gun is. But with the way y’all said it I’m bettin’ it ain’t pretty. Now tell me, what’s a gun?”
  623. >The two of you stare at each other for a while.
  624. >You break eye contact first.
  625. >”Knew it.”
  626. “Okay, so I threatened you. But I haven’t actually done anything wrong! I was just protecting your friend!”
  627. >”So lemme get this straight. Rarity came to town, but somehow knew there was danger so she came to YOU for protection. Rather than tryin’ to get her out of the Empire y’all painted spots on her, but didn’t bother to disguise her mane and tail. And then you didn’t bother to tell anypony nor send any letters out for WEEKS. Then when her friends show up you press Fluttershy for all of Rare’s secrets, but don’t so much as HINT to us that she’s alright. And then when we find her, you say you’ll hurt us. But you ain’t hiding nothing.”
  628. “Yes!”
  629. >You try to answer calmly and nonchalantly, with a great big smile on your face.
  630. >Thankfully, Rarity is willing to step in to your aid.
  631. >”Well, it’s not QUITE so simple. But that is the jist of it.”
  632. >Blackmail can be a wonderful thing.
  633. >”And he threatened you because he was frightened!”
  634. >”I ain’t buyin’ it. Rares, it’s okay. We’re here to help.”
  635. “Well-”
  636. >”No. You’re going to your little office while Rarity tells me what happened WITHOUT you starin’ at her.”
  637. >Damn.
  638. >You try to think of a reason to object.
  639. >But anything you come up with would just raise suspicion.
  640. >Rainbow and Pinkie escort you to your office.
  641. >They direct you in, and you close the door behind yourself.
  642. >All you can do now is hope.
  643. >”So! How didja meet Rarity?”
  644. >You nearly jump out of your skin.
  645. >Pinkie was sitting in your office chair, spinning.
  646. “When did- how?”
  647. >”Yeah! How did you meet?”
  648. >How did she get in ahead of you?
  649. >That’s not really important at the moment, but it’s still bothering you.
  650. >She didn’t seem angry.
  651. >In fact, she seemed quite cheerful.
  652. >You sit in one of the guest chairs and try to look her in the eye.
  653. >You get dizzy long before she does.
  654. >You elect to wait until the chair stops to try and talk to her.
  655. “I met her through the princess.”
  656. >You have to say SOMETHING.
  657. >But you’re scared to speak too freely.
  658. >What if Rarity actually pulls through for you?
  659. >You can’t contradict her.
  660. >But you have no idea what she’d say!
  661. “You’re not angry?”
  662. >”Nope! Why would I be? Rarity’s okay, and she finally found a coltfriend!”
  663. “Err…”
  664. >”She always went on and on and on about finding the perfect stallion and we all knew it was never going to happen but she kept on trying and then she dumped a prince and tried to get with some other fancy pony who already liked Applejack so she tried to act like a farm pony and it was super insulting and she wouldn’t even look at any commoner stallions it had to be nobility or a celebrity but none of them were interested so she started to focus on her boutique to try and get famous so that she could meet them!”
  665. >You aren’t certain you followed all that.
  666. >”But then she never had time to actually look for a coltfriend, so I was afraid she was going to wind up being one of those crazy cat ponies.”
  667. “I was under the impression she only had one cat.”
  668. >”Give it time. Or don’t! Because now I don’t have to worry about her being alone forever!”
  669. “That was a big concern?”
  670. >”Oh yeah! I kept inviting her to all kinds of mixers and stuff hoping she would find out you don’t need to be a prince to be a good pony, but she wouldn’t even show up. So then I had to try and get stallions to go to her, and for a while it worked! But I was running out of excuses, and she was spending less and less time at home.”
  671. >She kicked off your desk and started to spin again.
  672. >”This chair is fun!”
  673. “I knew she had high standards, but I didn’t know she’d struck out that many times.”
  674. >She grabs your desk and stops abruptly, eyes spinning a bit from the experience.
  675. >After violently shaking her head about she returns to normal.
  676. >”Do you want foals?”
  677. “Pardon?”
  678. >”I don’t think Rarity wants foals. Which is really weird! Foals are great, they’re super cute and they love to play.”
  679. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
  680. >Pinkie Pie was surprisingly trusting.
  681. >Or she knew what was going on and was okay with it.
  682. >Probably the former.
  683. >Probably.
  684. ”Applesnack seems angry.”
  685. >Pinkie giggled a bit.
  686. >”Oh, that’s not how she is when she’s angry.”
  687. “Oh, that’s good.”
  688. >”Yeah. She’s SUPER angry!”
  689. “Oh…”
  690. >”She’s just worried about Rarity. Plus you said a bunch of lies and were really mean to her just now.”
  691. “Yeah… I panicked. She’ll get over it though, right?”
  692. >”After a while. Once she decides you didn’t foalnap Rarity, chain her up underground, and make her do a bunch of things she really doesn’t want to.”
  693. “That’s, uhh, that’s oddly specific.”
  694. >”Last time Rarity went missing that’s what happened! The diamond dogs were really mean!”
  695. “DIAMOND DOGS? I thought they’d disbanded after their oil rig got nuked by the Tibetan free state.”
  696. >”What’s a Tibet?”
  697. >Must be a misunderstanding of some sort.
  698. “So… why did you all come here anyway? I thought nopony knew this place was open.”
  699. >”Oh! Twilight said that she was coming here to do something and then she didn’t come back and then rumor was going around that she got hurt really bad but that you fixed her!”
  700. >Huh.
  701. >Rumor moved FAST.
  702. >There was no way Shining Armor had let that leak.
  703. >Not unless he’d finally had a stroke and turned retarded.
  704. >Must be another info leak.
  705. “So you’re here to see Twill. Alright, you can all see her.”
  706. >Pinkie darts past you, sailing straight over the desk and landing right by the door.
  707. >She swings it open with a giddy grin, nearly smashing Rainbow Dash in the face.
  708. >”ACK! Pinkie! What gives?”
  709. >”We’re going to go see Twilight!”
  710. >”That’s great! But what about him?”
  711. >”He’s going to take us there!”
  712. >”No, I meant what about him hurting Rarity?”
  713. >”Come on, Dashie! Anon is our friend, we should trust him!”
  714. >”But-”
  715. >”All sortsa weird stuff is happening, so maybe there’s a good reason for it.”
  716. >”Alright? Rarity says she’s fine, but I don’t really know.”
  717. >You lead the two to the recovery room.
  718. >Pinkie rears up and starts chewing on her front hooves as she approaches.
  719. “Calm down. Panicking won’t help anything.”
  720. >”Whew! That’s a relief!”
  721. >She was a strange one.
  722. >You usher them into the room.
  723. >They both gasp in shock.
  724. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I mean, it’s pretty bad, but not- err, how bad does it look to you?”
  725. >”What happened?”
  726. >Demanded Rainbow Dash.
  727. “I am not at liberty to discuss that at the moment.”
  728. >That might be true.
  729. >But mostly you just don’t feel like going over it again.
  730. “She’s stable, so we shouldn’t have to worry about anything sudden happening. But she’s not out of the woods just yet.”
  731. >Pinkie snorted a bit.
  732. >”Oh you silly. There are no woods this far north!”
  733. “Oh. Right you are! I take it you’ll be wanting to stay for a while.”
  734. >They both nod.
  735. “Alright. Don’t touch her, or any of the machinery. She needs some of that stuff. I’ll leave you two for a bit.”
  736. >You leave the room and close the door behind yourself, wondering where the others went.
  737. >You return to your office and start flipping through the cameras hoping to find them.
  738. >But they seem to have vanished.
  739. >You can only hope for the best.
  740.  
  741. >You walk into the recovery room behind the two.
  742. >But for some reason you’re not getting any closer.
  743. >You stop walking, and watch in amazement as you slide backward along the ground.
  744. >You slide backwards straight back to your office, pulled by some unseen force.
  745. “Hello, Appul.”
  746. >”DNN’T YUU PPLE MU!”
  747. >She yells at you, speech muffled by the labcoat clenched in her teeth.
  748. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t damage my stuff, by the way. This clinic can’t handle much more equipment failure.”
  749. >She spits your clothing out and spins you around.
  750. >You’re not entirely sure how she did that.
  751. >”Are y’all seriously trying to tell me that this place will come crashing down if your dress gets damaged?”
  752. >Dress.
  753. >Don’t take the bait, Anon.
  754. “Regular clothing is too dirty.”
  755. >”So what? When was the last time a little dirt killed somepony?”
  756. “Probably earlier today.”
  757. >You don’t know, of course.
  758. >But it wouldn’t surprise you.
  759. >Applejack walks around your desk.
  760. >And sits in your chair!
  761. >Why do ponies keep doing that?
  762. >”Tell me what happened.”
  763. “What do you mean?”
  764. >”I mean y’all are gonna tell me everything about what’s going on here. From the beginning.”
  765. “From the beginning? That’s going to be REALLY hard. Uh, around 2500 years ago a man named Hippocratese was making a compendium of known illnesses and treatments-”
  766. >She gives you a dirty look.
  767. “Too far back?”
  768. >”A tad.”
  769. “Okay. Skip forward 500 or so years and Pliny the elder is working on his book, Naturalis Historia. While not explicitly a medical text his criticism of the majii and astrologers marks a turning point in medicine.”
  770. >”Skip to when you foalnapped Rarity.”
  771. “What? Are you accusing me of something?”
  772. >”Darn straight I am! You were holding her against her will!”
  773. >Damn it!
  774. >Had Rarity sold you out?
  775. >”And the look on your face tells me I ain’t far off the mark.”
  776. >Keep calm, Anon.
  777. >You’ve been under way more pressure than this.
  778. >Nobody’s about to bleed out, this should be easy.
  779. >Just throw all the blame at her.
  780. “Well, I’m sorry to tell you this but you’re wrong.”
  781. >”Am I? I can see y’all are lying.”
  782. “What, are you an expert on HUMAN body language?”
  783. >”Well, not as such-”
  784. “And I assume that you can prove your outrageous slander.”
  785. >”It ain’t slander, it’s TRUTH! You hurt Rarity! And then when Twi came by to save her, y’all shut her up, didn’t you?”
  786. “I did WHAT? Are you really DARING to suggest I STABBED somepony?”
  787. >You reach for one of your drawers, forgetting you’re on the wrong side of your desk.
  788. >Woops.
  789. “Left top drawer. Get a pen and some papers, and write it out. I dare you.”
  790. >”Now why in tarnation would I do that?”
  791. “So I can sue your ass for libel!”
  792. >”SUE me? What in the hay did I do?”
  793. “You came into MY clinic, and started throwing all these accusations around after I saved your friends LIVES over and over again? You’re going to ruin my reputation!”
  794. >”Well, maybe if it weren’t built on a LIE it would be a mite harder to ruin!”
  795. >She had no proof.
  796. >None.
  797. >If she did, she would have mentioned it by now.
  798. “Enough posturing. I’ve done nothing wrong, and I challenge you to prove otherwise.”
  799. >”Well, thing is I can’t.”
  800. >You can’t help but crack a smile.
  801. >”Even Rarity wouldn’t say what was goin’ on. But I know she’s hiding something, and I’m gonna find out what.”
  802. “Great! So it sounds like it’s your word against mine then.”
  803. >”Sure is. Now I wonder who the ponies are going to believe.”
  804. >Oh.
  805. >That could be a problem.
  806. >Like, a HUGE one.
  807. “The royal family is on my side you know.”
  808. >”For now. We’ll see how that changes once they find out what y’all did to Twi.”
  809. “Good luck with that.”
  810. >You could prove her wrong by showing her the security footage.
  811. >But the longer she spends barking up the wrong tree, the better.
  812. >That only buys time, you’re going to have to do something about this.
  813. >Applejack is trusted in her community.
  814. >Neither Rarity nor Shining Armor doubter her for even an instant when she was attacked, despite the absurdity of her story.
  815. >Sooner or later, somebody will believe her.
  816. “Well? Don’t let me keep you. Get to your investigation.”
  817. >”Don’t mind if I do!”
  818. “Oh, one minor detail. You’re banned from the clinic.”
  819. >”Beg your pardon?”
  820. “You heard me. There’s lots of sensitive information about my patients here. I can’t have you or anyone else digging into what they told me in confidence. And if you’re going to be grasping at straws looking for proof of some non-specific crimes you’re a security hazard.”
  821. >”Y’all can’t ban me from here!”
  822. “I can and I did! I have good reason to think you’re trouble.”
  823. >”I ain’t. The whole world knows I’m trustworthy.”
  824. “You think you’re a bigshot? Well I’ve got news for you. I don’t even know your name!”
  825. >”You don’t know anypony’s name!”
  826. “Details. Now if you want to look around here I’d suggest you go get a warrant.”
  827. >She stands up from your desk with a huff.
  828. >”Fine. But know that this ain’t over. Nopony hurts my friends and gets away with it.”
  829. >She pushes past you and walks out the door, hips swaying in what you assume to be a naturally seductive manner.
  830. >That was rough.
  831. >Your bluster can’t save you forever, and-
  832. >Applejack walks back in.
  833. >”Say, I know I’m banned but can I still visit Twi? She means a lot to me. I promise I won’t go snooping around outside of that room.”
  834. “Oh, of course! Just don’t touch anything, she needs some of that stuff to live.”
  835. >”Thanks. That’s mighty decent of y’all.”
  836. >It was also probably a mistake.
  837. >But you’re not the kind to deny visitors.
  838. >She walks out without a word.
  839. >What to do about Applejack...
  840.  
  841. >A few hours had passed in relative peace.
  842. >You’d attended to the patient while bearing the scrutiny of Applejack.
  843. >You’d also FINALLY remembered to ask the visitors for blood samples to try and find a better match for the patient.
  844. >Somewhat ironically, Applejack is quite the rarity with O.
  845. >You also got a good match between Twilight and Fluttershy, which is quite the relief.
  846. >Conditions are still far from ideal, but you’re not in the same bind as before.
  847. >As for the patient, you still don’t know how things are going to play out.
  848. >But you’re cautiously optimistic.
  849. >Earth hospitals are rife with some of the deadliest and toughest bacteria known to man.
  850. >The medical system is where the most horrendous bugs go to develop resistance to cutting edge treatment.
  851. >But in your clinic things are a bit different.
  852. >Antibiotics haven’t been abused for centuries out here, so there’s no such thing as MRSA.
  853. >Whatever got in her will respond to treatment, no doubt.
  854. >When struggling with all the handicaps you have out here, it’s easy to miss the subtler advantages.
  855. >But there’s something nagging you other than the medical stuff.
  856. >Where’s Rarity?
  857. >You haven’t seen her since the visitors arrived.
  858. >After searching the entire clinic, you finally find her outside by the fire exit.
  859. >She doesn’t react as you approach.
  860. “You shouldn’t be out here. It’s not safe.”
  861. >Her eyes are wet.
  862. >She’s been crying.
  863. “Come back inside.”
  864. >”I don’t understand.”
  865. “Uh, okay. So someone’s been hunting your friends down and you’re probably on their list, so you should be somewhere that you’re not easy to get at.”
  866. >”I don’t understand why you’ve chosen to protect me.”
  867. >Oh.
  868. >You sit down next to her.
  869. >She still doesn’t move.
  870. >”You wouldn’t let the prince blame me for what I’ve done, and now I understand you’ve not told a single soul of the incident ever since.”
  871. >She sniffles.
  872. >Trembles for a bit.
  873. >Then sobs.
  874. >You gently pet her mane.
  875. “It’s going to be okay.”
  876. >”No it’s not.”
  877. “It was close for a while, but she’s going to be fine.”
  878. >Probably.
  879. >”I know. You would be panicking right now if you thought she might perish.”
  880. >Maybe now’s not the right time to dispel that illusion.
  881. “Then what’s the matter?”
  882. >”Applejack knows I’m lying.”
  883. >Oh.
  884. >That could be a problem.
  885. >”Everypony is going to figure out what I did. Twilight is never going to forgive me! All of my friends will leave me, I shall be a pariah! MY LIFE IS RUINED!”
  886. >She collapses entirely, sprawling out on the ground.
  887. “Whoa, stop crying. It’s fine.”
  888. >She keeps bawling.
  889. ”She’s never going to find out, don’t worry.”
  890. >She’s now rolling on the ground.
  891. “I’ll protect you if she does!”
  892. >She’s being a drama queen.
  893. >You strike her buttocks with an open palm, eliciting a shocked gasp.
  894. “Stop crying!”
  895. >She stares up at you with wet eyes.
  896. “Nopony is going to blame you for that. Well, maybe the prince. But I’ll take the blame for it if I have to.”
  897. >”But… why?”
  898. “I meant what I said. As long as you’re with me you’re my responsibility. I have to take responsibility for allowing that to happen, and I also have to take care of you. Even if Applejam is going to drag my name through the mud because of it.”
  899. >If her expression was anything to go by, she still didn’t get it.
  900. >Not really.
  901. >But she seemed to understand the most important part.
  902. >You were going to protect her.
  903. >”Such is the price of my reputation.”
  904. >C’mon…
  905. >This might be it.
  906. >This girl is vain in so many ways, there’s no way she can handle the social stigma.
  907. >”I don’t know what to do.”
  908. >Seriously?
  909. “It seems pretty obvious to me.”
  910. >Stick with the famous life saving alien, or go to the dungeons for sabotage and have your face on all the gossip magazines.
  911. >Yet she wasn’t convinced.
  912. “Is being with me really so awful.”
  913. >”Yes.”
  914. >Ouch.
  915. “What’s so bad about it? Talk to me.”
  916. >She looks away.
  917. “Please? I promise I won’t hold it against you.”
  918. >”Well… there’s the constant punishments and spanking. And the perverse sexual acts.”
  919. “Which you enjoyed.”
  920. >”And my abhorrent living conditions. I can’t help but wonder if the dungeons would be more hospitable.”
  921. >Maybe.
  922. >You’re not certain what standards are kept in prisons around here.
  923. >You MIGHT be treating her worse than a prisoner.
  924. >And for somepony so pampered, that must be especially torturous.
  925. >There’s that guilt again.
  926. “Perhaps we can come to some kind of an agreement.”
  927. >”Whatever do you mean?”
  928. >You’re of the belief that good slaves deserve good living conditions.
  929. >You open your mouth to say that, but bite your tongue.
  930. >You should probably shy away from the S word for now.
  931. >Some day she’ll wear the label with pride.
  932. >Some day.
  933. “I don’t keep you like that arbitrarily. I just need some assurance you won’t leave.”
  934. >”You have it!”
  935. “No, I don’t believe I do.”
  936. >”What must I do to earn your trust?”
  937. >You can’t help but smile.
  938. >That was the right question.
  939. >Sadly, you don’t know the right answer.
  940. “We’ll take this one step at a time. What is the worst part of your current room?”
  941. >”The plumbing.”
  942. >Hm.
  943. >That was admittedly pretty bad.
  944. “Okay. We’ll fix that.”
  945. >She looks at you warily.
  946. “Consider it a gift. Or a show of good faith, if you’d rather.”
  947. >”I suppose I should be thankful, though I cannot help but wonder what terrible ploy you have in mind.”
  948. “No trick. I just want you to be happy.”
  949. >”You’ll have to excuse my skepticism after all you’ve done.”
  950. “It’s not so complicated, you know. Cause me trouble and you get trouble. Make me happy and get rewarded. I’d rather have to reward you than punish you.”
  951. >Not that punishing can’t be fun.
  952. >But her constant rebellion can get a bit tiresome.
  953. >”I suppose I’ve little choice but to trust you.”
  954. >She chokes out a forlorn sigh.
  955. >”I know when I’m beat. Master.”
  956. >That’s the spirit!
  957. >”If I am doomed to be yours, might I ask a favor?”
  958. “You can ASK, but I won’t make any promises I can’t keep.”
  959. >”Might I please stay in contact with my family and friends? They mean the world to me.”
  960. >Hm.
  961. >That would make things harder.
  962. >Cutting off her support network makes her reliant on you.
  963. >But if you refuse she’ll doubtlessly resist you forever.
  964. >If you say no she’ll resist you harder in the near future.
  965. >If you say yes, you might lose her later.
  966. >You could restrict her to letters only, then you could screen them and withhold anything you saw fit.
  967. >But she’ll definitely see what you were up to, and sooner or later somepony will ask why they can’t ever see her face to face.
  968. >But then it finally occurred to you that you actually don’t have a choice in the matter.
  969. >Her friends were running around the empire knowing full well they were being attacked.
  970. >They will demand to see her eventually, whether you allow it or not.
  971. >Trying to fight it will just cost you good will, and make you seem weak.
  972. >She sees your hesitation; you’ve taken too long to decide to seem anything but calculating and manipulative.
  973. >Better not stall any longer, you’ll just make it worse.
  974. “I’m not the kind to break up a family. We’ll figure something out.”
  975. >”Thank goodness.”
  976. >You wait with her in silence for a couple of minutes, waiting for the followup.
  977. >After a while you start to get impatient.
  978. >You’ve never been good at waiting.
  979. “You’re not going to ask about your career?”
  980. >”Well, now that you mention it…”
  981. “I don’t want to waste your talents. But again, I need some kind of assurance you’re not going to leave. We’ll have to do some trust building exercises.”
  982. >Yeah, that’s what you’ll call them.
  983. >Definitely not training.
  984. >”I’m not a fool, master, nor am I as naive as you may think. Ours is not going to be a romantic relationship between equals.”
  985. >Pretty clumsy wording.
  986. >She sounds flustered.
  987. >”You just wish to use me as an outlet for your lust.”
  988. >Partially, yes.
  989. >But it’s going to go beyond just the occasion rutting.
  990. >No need to push your luck right now, though.
  991. >”If I keep that satisfied, I’ve kept up to my obligations. So, master, may I use my hooves?”
  992. >She doesn’t wait for your answer, immediately reaching for your crotch.
  993. >Rarity fumbles with your pants for an embarrassingly long time, but you choose not to help.
  994. >When she finally gets access you’re pleasantly surprised by the sensation as she awkwardly gropes about.
  995. >She doesn’t actually grip with her hoof, instead choosing to wrap around you with her cannon near the fetlock.
  996. >Her grip is delicate and dainty as might be expected of Rarity.
  997. >You’d been expecting a coarse, aggressive sensation. Instead it’s perhaps too soft.
  998. >You enjoy the velvety smooth stroking that’s just on the right side of tickling.
  999. >Her technique needs work.
  1000. >But you can’t fault her for her enthusiasm.
  1001. >She stares transfixed at your now erect penis, blushing profusely.
  1002. >She moves her muzzle next to it to take in the scent when she thinks you aren’t looking.
  1003. >You pretend not to notice, prefering to allow her to explore her own desires.
  1004. >At no point does she ever look away.
  1005. >She barely even blinks as she continues her mediocre ministrations, her thoughts completely consumed by cock.
  1006. >She wants it.
  1007. >But she's not ready to admit it yet.
  1008. >That's okay. You'll allow her desires to grow. To consume her thoughts and dreams.
  1009. >You'll allow this horny mare to become ever more desperate until she has no choice but to admit to her needs.
  1010. >You can practically hear her winking. The piercing is doubtlessly grinding itself into her mercilessly, teasing her with every involuntary contraction.
  1011. >Her husky breathing and suppressed moans are growing harder to ignore.
  1012. >Her rhythm is growing more erratic and less refined.
  1013. >You're starting to think she'll cum before you do.
  1014. >But that won't do, not this time.
  1015. >You want her desperately aroused when you next get some alone time.
  1016. >And so you cut the session short and stand up.
  1017. >You start to stroke yourself, and shortly after finish with a decent burst of semen aimed straight at Rarity's face.
  1018. >She yelps in surprise and recoils as a couple of ropes splatter on her face, forcing one eye closed.
  1019. >You manage to produce a third, smaller burst which lands mostly on her horn.
  1020. >To your delight Rarity doesn't seem to notice.
  1021. >The two of you head back in through the back door.
  1022.  
  1023. >Rarity had deftly ducked into the shower so quickly you almost didn’t see it happen.
  1024. >You can already hear the water running.
  1025. >You’ll leave her to it.
  1026. >She kinda needs it.
  1027. >Besides, you’d promised her plumbing.
  1028. >Better go check on the patient while she cleans up.
  1029. >Unless…
  1030. >You wait a couple minutes to make sure she feels secure.
  1031. >Then you press your ear to the door.
  1032. >It’s muffled and a bit drowned out, but you can hear something.
  1033. >A gasp.
  1034. >Maybe a lustful moan.
  1035. >You’d wanted to keep her on edge until morning, but it looks like she’s decided to take matters into her own hooves.
  1036. >And you’d promised her she could masturbate whenever she wanted for a week.
  1037. >You can’t afford to go back on your word, especially not now when you’re so close.
  1038. >You once again decide to leave her alone and head to the recovery room.
  1039. >All conscious ponies look your way when you enter.
  1040. >Notably, Applejack seems angered.
  1041. >”Where’s Rarity?”
  1042. “I think she’s in the shower.”
  1043. >”Why? We cleaned her up just earlier. You do something to her?”
  1044. “No. I think she just showers a lot.”
  1045. >”Hm. Well, it IS Rarity. I suppose it checks out. Alright, never you mind me.”
  1046. >You’re feeling a lot calmer after that little stunt in the alley.
  1047. >Rarity didn’t do a very good job, and you had to finish.
  1048. >But it still did wonders to clear your head.
  1049. >And you need that clarity.
  1050. >You check Twilight’s chart.
  1051. >Some might say it’s silly to keep a chart when there’s only one caretaker.
  1052. >And in some ways they’d be right.
  1053. >But the chart isn’t just for communication.
  1054. >And not even just a record either.
  1055. >It’s a moment for review.
  1056. >A time to reflect on what’s happening and weigh the options in an organized manner.
  1057. >Physicians are human, with all the failings and trappings that entails.
  1058. >It’s all too easy to make a mistake when handling a crisis.
  1059. >And you think you’ve found one.
  1060. >You fetch a simple home glucometer and a finger lance, and prick her leg.
  1061. >Fluttershy is watching you intently.
  1062. >Pinkie is telling a story in an exuberant manner, but it doesn’t seem to be coherent.
  1063. >The handheld glucometer beeps and gives you a reading.
  1064. >”Umm, excuse me mister doctor, but why did you just cut Twilight?”
  1065. >Fluttershy seems worried.
  1066. >Hard to blame her.
  1067. “I’m checking to see how much sugar is dissolved in her blood.”
  1068. >”Sugar?”
  1069. “Every part of your body needs energy, and sugar is the main dish for the bulk of it. You turn food or fat into sugar through a process called glucogenesis and then store it in your blood for when you need it.”
  1070. >14.2 millimoles per liter.
  1071. >That’s very high.
  1072. >For a human, at least.
  1073. >For a pony it’s on the low end of normal.
  1074. >So she’d recovered at least.
  1075. “Humans don’t keep as much sugar in their blood as ponies do, only about a third as much. When I gave her my blood I should have also given her some sugar to balance it out. Looks like she recovered on her own though.”
  1076. >You’ll give her a glucose drip anyway
  1077. >You’ve never had to worry about this before in your life.
  1078. >And they never mentioned it in med school either.
  1079. >Then again, they didn’t teach you much about xenotransfusions at all.
  1080. >It was a footnote that didn’t even end up on the quiz.
  1081. >There’s a very good chance you’d have overlooked that detail even if things were fine.
  1082. >Given the chaos and handicaps you’re thankful nothing bigger went wrong.
  1083. >Still, you’ll have to make sure you never make that mistake again.
  1084. >You really need a break.
  1085. >”Is something wrong mister doctor?”
  1086. “It’s fine. We’re… 20 hours or so after the incident and she’s not dead. Pressure’s reasonable, pulse is steady. She’s not getting worse, so it’s only a matter of time until she gets better. If nothing goes wrong she’ll be fine.”
  1087. >That’s still a pretty big if.
  1088. >You’re not ready to promise anything.
  1089. >But at least you’re no longer worried about having to break the news to the prince.
  1090. >You can’t help but wonder what he’d do to you if she died.
  1091. >Speak of the devil.
  1092. >You can hear Shining Armor barking orders in the distance.
  1093. >He’s still a bit too far away for you to know what he’s saying, but his frantic tone is telling you plenty.
  1094. >You take the opportunity to connect an IV drip before stepping out to wait for him.
  1095. >He walks in, followed by eight armed ponies.
  1096. >You notice they aren’t wearing any armor.
  1097. >The prince walks past you on his way to check on your patient.
  1098. >”How is she?”
  1099. “Better than the last time you saw her.”
  1100. >”She’s improving, then.”
  1101. “As much as she can in about a day. It’s going to take a while.”
  1102. >He steps into the room and locks eyes with everypony present, which now includes Rarity to your surprise.
  1103. >Only once he’s examined the visitors does he look at his sister.
  1104. >”Why are they here?”
  1105. “Who, her friends?”
  1106. >”Did you run out of bullets or something?”
  1107. “What?”
  1108. >”Give me the gun.”
  1109. >You’d almost forgotten you had it.
  1110. >After checking the wrong pocket twice, you fish it out and pass it to him.
  1111. >He pulls out the magazine and checks its contents.
  1112. “Everything to your liking?”
  1113. >”No. Why did you let them in here? Any one of them could be here to finish her off!”
  1114. >You can hear a chorus of exclamations and denial coming from behind you.
  1115. “I didn’t think you meant her friends!”
  1116. >”I told you that if ANYPONY tried to get close to her you were supposed to shoot them! How much clearer do I need to be?”
  1117. “Well I’m sorry I didn’t gun them down! Should I have shot you when you came in? Why would they try to hurt her anyway?”
  1118. >He knew something he wasn’t sharing.
  1119. >You could see it in his eyes, hear it in the way he almost replied only to bite his tongue.
  1120. >”Everypony out. OUT!”
  1121. >Twilight’s friends reluctantly began to file out.
  1122. >You can hear Applejack grumbling something as she goes.
  1123. >Rainbow Dash glares at him for a moment before flapping by.
  1124. >”You too, Anon.”
  1125. >You raise an eyebrow, but step out the door.
  1126. >He closes it, leaving himself in the room with the patient.
  1127. >No, not the patient. His sister.
  1128. >You have to remember just how personal this is for him.
  1129. >It wasn’t just his sister, it was his soldier that did it.
  1130. >His soldiers that she didn’t want following her, but only put up with because he insisted.
  1131. >Poor guy’s probably blaming himself.
  1132. >No wonder he wants privacy, doesn’t want anypony to see him break down.
  1133. >You’re tempted to eavesdrop, but elect to spare his dignity.
  1134. >Nothing you can do to help with that.
  1135. >Might as well do something productive, like clear your name with Applejack.
  1136. >The sooner she drops her suspicions the better.
  1137. “Hey, Apples. Still think I did it?”
  1138. >”I mean, kinda. He did kick y’all out just now.”
  1139. “He kicked you out too.”
  1140. >”Can’t argue with that.”
  1141. “Come with me.”
  1142. >”Ain’t sure I wanna. Could be a trap.”
  1143. “Your friends can come too if it makes you feel better. And then there’s those guys with the spears.”
  1144. >”Alright, fine. What’cha got?”
  1145. “Proof.”
  1146. >You go back to your office.
  1147. >The security footage of Twilight getting stabbed should clear your name.
  1148. >When you approach, one of the armed ponies levels their spear at you.
  1149. >You reflexively put your hands up and step back.
  1150. >”Sorry, doc. The Prince doesn’t want anypony tampering with anything.”
  1151. “I wish to point out that I’m not a pony.”
  1152. >”Sorry. You’ll need his permission first.”
  1153. >You step away until he lowers his weapon.
  1154. “Geeze, coulda just told me. Well, Sorry Jay Jay.”
  1155. >You’ll have to get Rarity to teach you how to pronounce their names.
  1156. >You’re almost certain you’re getting it wrong.
  1157. >And it’s kinda embarrassing.
  1158. “I have a video proving I didn’t do it.”
  1159. >”Now why would you have something like that?”
  1160. “See that small black dome built into the ceiling? It’s a camera. It’s always recording.”
  1161. >”My, gotta say that’s mighty impressive. How much film you got?”
  1162. >Film.
  1163. “That’s harder to answer than you might think. It’s… kinda like a reusable film. A lot of the things in here are worth stealing so I try to keep security up.”
  1164. >Not that it’s done much lately.
  1165. >”You got a video of whatever you and Rarity were up to before we showed up?”
  1166. >Yes.
  1167. “Can’t help you. Just at the entrances and in lockup.”
  1168. >”Well, how ‘bout a video of when Rarity came in?”
  1169. >Shit.
  1170. >If you can’t produce a video of Rarity walking in the clinic recently, you’ve basically admitted you’re keeping her here.
  1171. >Applejack’s a lot smarter than you thought.
  1172. “I do. But I can’t show it.”
  1173. >”And why might that be?”
  1174. “Patient confidentiality.”
  1175. >”So she’s your patient, then.”
  1176. >Kinda.
  1177. >You had done some work on her after all.
  1178. >”Well, I suppose I’ll trust you for now. I’ll show myself out.”
  1179. >She turns around and nearly bumps into the guards who immediately produce their weapons.
  1180. >”Oh, right.”
  1181. >”ANON!”
  1182. >It was the prince.
  1183. >You run to the recovery room, fully expecting that Twilight is crashing.
  1184. >You fling the door open and step in, eyes already on the heart monitor’s display.
  1185. >65 bpm.
  1186. >No alarms are going off.
  1187. >She’s fine as far as you can tell.
  1188. >”Close the door and get in here.”
  1189. “You’re acting weird.”
  1190. >”Just do it.”
  1191. >He’s avoiding direct eye contact to try and hide his face.
  1192. >But it’s clear that he was crying.
  1193. >”Without looking, what’s in the bags wired into her legs?”
  1194. “Normal Saline, Amoxycillin, and 5 percent glucose solution.”
  1195. >”What procedure did you perform on my wife?”
  1196. “We implanted a radio controlled neural stimulator on her pudendal nerve.”
  1197. >”Hm. That sounds right… can you refer me to a good chiropractor?”
  1198. “No such thing as a good chiropractor.”
  1199. >”Alright. You’re clear. Who all was in this room while I was away? Just Twilight’s friends?”
  1200. “Just them. Why?”
  1201. >He used his magic to levitate the edge of Twilight’s mattress up.
  1202. >”See it?”
  1203. >You did.
  1204. >Squirreled away between the fitted sheet and the mattress were some lumps.
  1205. >A needle was poking through the fabric.
  1206. >He used his magic to pull out the syringes, revealing them to be three of your stolen saline flushes.
  1207. >All empty.
  1208. >Somepony had tried to overdose her.
  1209. >You stand slack jawed for a bit longer than you care to admit.
  1210. >”Is this the fentanyl they stole from you?”
  1211. >He winks at you in an exaggerated manner.
  1212. >Why- oh. Gotcha.
  1213. “That’s it alright. Three needles…”
  1214. >”You can treat her for that right?”
  1215. “Yeah. Same principle as the atropine poisoning. Good thing you noticed though, by the time it kicks in it’d be too late. Luckily for us fentanyl takes a while to start up.”
  1216. >A blatant lie.
  1217. >But hopefully one that would be believed.
  1218. >He wanted them to continue to use the saline.
  1219. >As soon as they found out it was harmless, they’d go back to more effective methods.
  1220. >”I’ve got the place locked down hard. Every doorway is being watched, every pony is being watched.”
  1221. “I’d noticed. Why aren’t they in their armor though?”
  1222. >”They’re reserves. The actual soldiers are compromised, I’m hoping they won’t be.”
  1223. >Makes sense.
  1224. >”And just in case, I have more guards outside.”
  1225. “This doesn’t make sense. Why would one of Twiggle’s friends try to poison her like that? And why did they even have those in the first place?”
  1226. >”It might not make any sense to you, but it perfectly fits a certain profile. Say… a lot of this stuff is to measure the innards of ponies, right?”
  1227. “That might be an oversimplification.”
  1228. >”What tests have you got that are easy to do?”
  1229. “Quite a few.”
  1230. >”And can be done in the field on short notice?”
  1231. “It would be easier if you just told me what you’re looking for.”
  1232. >”I don’t know.”
  1233. >That’s annoying.
  1234. >You’re pretty sure he’s figured it out, he’s just not talking.
  1235. >But you’re sure he has his reasons.
  1236. >”I’m willing to bet one of your tests will reveal the traitor. But I have no idea which, so we’ll have to try them all.”
  1237. “Wait a second, let me get this straight. One of her friends tried to kill her and you know why, but you’re not telling me and the only way to catch them is with a quick medical checkup?”
  1238. >”That’s the jist of it.”
  1239. >Weirdo.
  1240. “Send them into imaging, it’s far from the exits and private enough.”
  1241. >”Good idea. I’ll stay in the room with you in case they attack.”
  1242. >You hadn’t even thought of that.
  1243. >Great.
  1244. >Now you’re nervous.
  1245. >One of them tried to murder somepony!
  1246. >What will they do if you catch them?
  1247. >Will they try to silence you?
  1248. >Calm down, Anon. There’s plenty of horsepower here to help if it goes south.
  1249. >And if you do get hurt, you’re in a hospital.
  1250. >Should be fine, right?
  1251. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
  1252. >”I don’t pay you to think. Wait, I kinda do? I mean, we’re paying for health but you seem to spend a lot of time thinking about how to do it. Okay, I DO pay you to think, but not to second guess me! Except that you do that all the time and keep nagging me to take my pills which I don’t need because I’M FINE!”
  1253. >He’s nervous too.
  1254. >He always gets wordy when he’s on edge.
  1255. >”Be thorough about it, alright?”
  1256. “You want me to do simple tests that can be replicated in the field, and also be thorough?”
  1257. >”I know I’m not making it easy, but this could be huge.”
  1258. >Fine.
  1259. >You’ll trust him on this one.
  1260. >You leave and cross the hall, entering imaging.
  1261. >One of her friends tried to off her, and that was supposed to be impossible.
  1262. >Some kind of brainwashing?
  1263. >Could that be the spell that whiffed on Fluttershy?
  1264. >If it’s mind control magic, now would be a really good time to have an MRI.
  1265. >Fluttershy enters first.
  1266. >The prince is no more than a few steps away.
  1267. >You scold yourself for being afraid of such a demure and gentle pony.
  1268. >Fluttershy seats herself on a stool before you and tries to hide behind her mane.
  1269. “It’s okay, YOU don’t need to be nervous. We’re not doing anything painful or dangerous today.”
  1270. >”Oh. Okay. Umm, what ARE we doing though?”
  1271. “I don’t know. I already checked for typing and didn’t see anything weird.”
  1272. >Though there’s no way of knowing if the tests were accurate if things got REALLY weird.
  1273. >Anything out of the core blood groups wouldn’t be detectable.
  1274. “Guess I’ll just go through the usual physical?”
  1275. >This stuff is easy and you’ve done it a million times.
  1276. >If it doesn’t satisfy the prince you’ll start doing harder and more in depth stuff.
  1277. >Hopefully this doesn’t take too long.
  1278. >You wrap a pressure cuff around her leg and rapidly pump it up, listening for bloodflow with your stethoscope.
  1279. >It’s elevated, pulse is high.
  1280. >She’s scared of something.
  1281. >This WOULD be suspicious if it wasn’t Fluttershy.
  1282. >”Doesn’t that sugar test hurt?”
  1283. >Blood sugar.
  1284. >Good call, Fluttershy.
  1285. “It can if you do it wrong. Once upon a time the machines needed way more blood so people had to prick themselves where they’d bleed enough.”
  1286. >You bump her knee.
  1287. >She nearly jumps out of the stool.
  1288. >Good reflexes, no signs of nerve damage.
  1289. “That hasn’t been a problem for decades though. Now we poke where the patient is less sensitive like their upper arm. Err, leg. Open your mouth.”
  1290. >The tongue depressor goes in.
  1291. >You take a good look around.
  1292. >Her teeth are in unusually good shape.
  1293. >That’s not normally something doctors have to check, but tooth decay is pretty common out here.
  1294. “Looks healthy. And don’t worry, I’ll tell you before doing the sugar test, okay?”
  1295. >Again, not something you’d normally check without reason.
  1296. >She doesn’t have the warning signs.
  1297. >But the prince told you to be thorough.
  1298. >You apply the stethoscope to her chest.
  1299. “Deep breath. And out. And in. And out. Sounds normal, let me get my thermometer.”
  1300. >She opens her mouth again for you to stick it in.
  1301. “Nope.”
  1302. >”O-oh. Oh dear. Umm…”
  1303. “Oh, it’s not that either. This checks in the ear.”
  1304. >”Oh. Thank goodness.”
  1305. >You walk behind her with the thermometer out, then switch it for a finger lance when she can’t see.
  1306. >You prick her shoulder and apply the drop to your meter.
  1307. >Fluttershy scratches at her shoulder a few seconds later.
  1308. >17.2 millimoles per liter.
  1309. >Extremely high for a human, pretty much perfect for a pony.
  1310. >Temperature’s slightly elevated.
  1311. >Might be a sign of ovulation.
  1312. “Alright, we’re all done here. Good job, Buttershy.”
  1313. >”Oh! But what about the other one?”
  1314. “Already done.”
  1315. >”Really? But when you did the other one to help Twilight it hurt. Even though you said it would just be a pinch.”
  1316. “Yeah… sorry about that. But I was telling the truth this time.”
  1317. >”But you said you’d warn me first.”
  1318. “Heh. Yeah, I suppose I did lie again. But this one didn’t hurt, right?”
  1319. >She smiles at you, still trying to hide.
  1320. >”It didn’t hurt at all.”
  1321. “Great. I’m glad to tell you that you seem healthy, if a bit nervous.”
  1322. >”Oh, thank you. I’m so glad to hear it.”
  1323. >She shows herself out just a bit too quickly, doubtlessly eager to be back with her trusted friends.
  1324. >Shining Armor is the very picture of nervous energy.
  1325. >”That’s all you’ve got?”
  1326. “You wanted quick and easy, right?”
  1327. >”Alright. I guess we can use those fancy machines later if nothing comes up. Anything odd with her?”
  1328. “Nothing incriminating.”
  1329. >”Alright. Dash, get in here!”
  1330. >A few seconds pass before Rainbow Dash trots into the room, rolling her eyes.
  1331. >”Alright doc, let’s get this over with.”
  1332. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”
  1333. >”Minutes? Can you try for seconds?”
  1334. “I’ll see what I can do.”
  1335. >You go through the paces of a regular physical.
  1336. >Resting pulse is about 60.
  1337. >Pressure of 110 over 70.
  1338. >Reflexes are sharp.
  1339. >Body temperature is perfect, lungs sound clean.
  1340. >She’s in really good shape, to nobody’s surprise.
  1341. >You prick her with the finger lance.
  1342. >Nothing happens.
  1343. >You retract the guard a bit so that more of the needle will go in.
  1344. >Nothing.
  1345. >She has really thick skin.
  1346. >You take a fresh lance and poke her manually, forgoing the spring loaded device.
  1347. >”Ow, hay! What gives!”
  1348. “Sorry. I must have hit a nerve.”
  1349. >But at least you got blood.
  1350. >You apply it to the glucometer’s test strip.
  1351. >Bah.
  1352. “Faulty strip. But I think there’s enough blood here for another test.”
  1353. >”Well, okay. As long as you’re not going to do that again.”
  1354. “Butterfly didn’t complain, you know. She took it like a champ.”
  1355. >”Hmph.”
  1356. >Again, the same result.
  1357. >Something’s wrong.
  1358. >You fetch a different glucometer and strips from a different batch.
  1359. >You then proceed to prick her on the other side.
  1360. >”Ow, HAY!”
  1361. “Sorry.”
  1362. >You press the test strip to the blood.
  1363. >Another bad reading.
  1364. >And another.
  1365. >The odds of getting four bad strips in a row are astronomical.
  1366. >But still FAR more likely than the alternative.
  1367. >Then again, there are lots of things in this world you don’t understand.
  1368. >If you get the same reading AGAIN…
  1369. “Ah. Okay, there we are. The first glucometer must be failing, lucky I have another. Anyway, everything seems to be in order.”
  1370. >”Finally! I’m out of here.”
  1371. >Rainbow Dash flies out of the room after flicking her tail at you.
  1372. >The moment she’s gone your facade breaks.
  1373. >Your knees are shaking, your heart is hammering in your chest.
  1374. >You’re scared.
  1375. >How did you get mixed up in this?
  1376. >You’re not a cop or a soldier or anything.
  1377. >Sure, there have been hostile patients, but they’re…
  1378. >Human.
  1379. >A known quantity, something that you understand and can account for.
  1380. >That thing DEFINITELY wasn’t human, nor was it a pony.
  1381. >You’re not even certain it’s alive!
  1382. >And whatever it was, you have no doubt in your mind it would kill you to keep you quiet.
  1383. >Shining Armor seems to notice your fear.
  1384. >He motions for you to talk.
  1385. “What the hell was that… thing?”
  1386. >”Perfect. You’re doing that test on everypony here.”
  1387. >This didn’t make sense.
  1388. >She shouldn’t be alive, much less flying and talking.
  1389. >How can her blood sugar be ZERO?
  1390.  
  1391. >Everyone had to be tested.
  1392. >And you mean EVERYONE.
  1393. >You even had to check Fluttershy and “Dash” again, much to the latter’s dismay.
  1394. >The prince tested you personally.
  1395. >And you made sure to test him.
  1396. >There was only one pony there with an impossible reading.
  1397. >And though the initial shock had worn off, you still found it beyond unsettling.
  1398. >Once all the results had come in the prince ordered everyone into the lobby.
  1399. >You heard somepony lock the door behind you, but didn’t look away.
  1400. >The rage on Shining Armor’s face had you transfixed.
  1401. >You’d never seen anything like it before, not even when he accused you of murder.
  1402. >This wasn’t the usual emotional reaction you’d come to expect.
  1403. >This fury had been allowed to simmer for who knows how long, leaving behind a distinct aura of distilled hatred.
  1404. >A malice that had persisted beyond the moment, one that had lingered long enough for him to become calm.
  1405. >A calculated rage.
  1406. >You were VERY glad not to be the object of his ire in this moment.
  1407. >”Alright everypony, listen up! Someone poisoned my sister.”
  1408. >A chorus of shocked gasps filled the air, assaulting your ears with cacophonous echoes.
  1409. >The mixture of anger, anguish, and astonishment was loud enough to wake the dead.
  1410. >Yet Applejack says nothing through it all.
  1411. >She merely glares at you.
  1412. >The prince stamps on the floor.
  1413. >The cracking sound is like a gavel, silencing the assembled masses.
  1414. >”The substance in question is highly toxic and was delivered in a large dose. Your prognosis, doctor.”
  1415. “Right. We’re extremely lucky the prince noticed when he did. Even if the princess’ health wasn’t already compromised this would put her in a precarious position. Another half hour and her wounds would have been the least of our concerns. Antidote has been administered and her condition appears to be improving. If we caught it in time it should be out of her system very soon, though at this point it’s anypony’s guess if she’ll recover.”
  1416. >Hopefully that sounded convincing.
  1417. >Shining Armor had coached you on what to say.
  1418. >You didn’t know what he had in mind, but it was clear he was running some kind of counterintelligence.
  1419. >”Thank you, doctor. Now, I’m going to offer the perp a chance to come clean, and I would strongly urge them to take it before I reconsider my stance on the death penalty.”
  1420. >Everyone except the prince looks at you accusingly.
  1421. “Et tu, Rarara?”
  1422. >”I’m sorry, but yes. It was only the girls and yourself in that room, and they would NEVER harm Twilight!”
  1423. >Applejack is looking mighty smug.
  1424. >There are more than a few spears pointing your way.
  1425. >The prince groans with frustration.
  1426. >”Okay, FINE! Ruin the big reveal why don’t you. Just… arrest the rainbow one already.”
  1427. >Everypony looks at “Dash”.
  1428. >Then to the prince.
  1429. >Then back again.
  1430. >And again.
  1431. >”Really?”
  1432. >One of the guards asks.
  1433. >You’re not sure which one.
  1434. >”Yeah. It’s a changeling.”
  1435. >”WHAT? Am not!”
  1436. >”Sir!”
  1437. >Twilight’s friends valiantly surround Rainbow Dash, putting themselves between her and the angry guards.
  1438. >Even Fluttershy used her own body to protect her friend.
  1439. >Though she didn’t look happy about it.
  1440. >The lot of them valiantly or fearfully stared down a fan of spears.
  1441. “Please don’t stab anyone. I’m tired.”
  1442. >Shining Armor pushes through the guards to stand face to face with Applejack who has taken the vanguard.
  1443. >”Stand down, girl. I know what I’m doing.”
  1444. >”Not a CHANCE! We ain’t letting you hurt Dash!”
  1445. >”It’s not Dash though! I already told you, it’s a changeling!”
  1446. >”I think we’d notice if one of our best friends was a changeling!”
  1447. >”No you wouldn’t. Isn’t that kinda the whole point of changelings?”
  1448. >”But they’re terrible actors! You’d have to be mighty thick to actually mistake one of them for somepony you knew. Err, no offense.”
  1449. >”Some taken.”
  1450. >”Look, she ain’t a changeling and I’ll prove it. Dash, a couple of weeks ago you pranked me mighty good. What didja do?”
  1451. >”Oh, geeze, that’s a tough one. I prank you so often! Uh… was that the whoopie cushion?”
  1452. >Pinkie giggled.
  1453. >”Oh, silly! Last week was when we replaced all of the apples in that really big tree with red super bouncy balls and when Applejack bucked it they-”
  1454. >She gasped.
  1455. >”Dashie would NEVER forget a great prank like that!”
  1456. >One by one, the false Rainbow Dash’s body guards peel away.
  1457. >She’s soon completely exposed.
  1458. >The false pony elects to go kicking and screaming, denying her guilt with every breath.
  1459. >It was kinda pathetic.
  1460. >Despite the whole poisoning thing, you kinda feel sorry for the wretch.
  1461. >You wouldn’t want to be in Shining Armor’s dungeon, especially not after what they did.
  1462. “So… what are you going to do to her?”
  1463. >”Nothing she doesn’t have coming.”
  1464. “Alright… Can’t really say that sounds too promising. Go easy on her, would you?”
  1465. >”And why should I?”
  1466. “Because I’m tired and don’t want to have to sew her back together.”
  1467. >”And who said I’d let you?”
  1468. >Good grief.
  1469. >He mad.
  1470. “As your doctor, I must recommend you sit down for a while and cool off.”
  1471. >”No time for that, Anon! We need to find Rainbow Dash! Topaz, I want the entire city sectored off. No movement between districts at all until we can sweep through with the test. Sapphire! Scout out the hills again, I don’t care how many times we’ve looked, there’s something there! SOMETHING had to taint the aqueduct, and I’m betting it’s the bugs. Amber!”
  1472. >Amber?
  1473. >You’re pretty sure that’s not a crystal.
  1474. >”I want you to gather the rest of the reserves and make sure they’re armed, we’ll be needing them tonight.”
  1475. “I’m serious, man. You’re bright red! And I’ve never seen that vein bulge before, you have to calm down before you have a stroke!”
  1476. >”There’s no time for that!”
  1477. “Don’t make me sedate you!”
  1478. >He walks away to Twilight’s room, ignoring you completely.
  1479. >You shake your head in frustration, moving to follow him.
  1480. >”Now just hold up a second there.”
  1481. “Not now, Applebutt.”
  1482. >”I’m serious, what do y’all think you’re doing?”
  1483. “Pumping him full of enough diazepam to knock out an elephant.”
  1484. >”I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
  1485. “And I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”
  1486. >He was going to work himself into a very early grave at this rate.
  1487. >Unless he gets lucky, then he’ll only punch a fist sized hole through his brain.
  1488. >”And I don’t think y’all are seeing the whole picture.”
  1489. >You fail to suppress an angered growl.
  1490. >”Do y’all even know what a changeling is?”
  1491. “A menace?”
  1492. >”You ain’t wrong, but there’s a lot more to it than that.”
  1493. “Can it wait? I’m kinda busy here.”
  1494. >She follows you into your lockup.
  1495. >You search for a syringe of diazepam for a while before remembering they had been destroyed with the opiates.
  1496. >How are you going to get him to take the pills?
  1497. >Maybe you can trick him somehow, say they’re anti-sleep drugs or something.
  1498. >”Changelings are shapeshifting bug critters that capture ponies and feed off their emotional energy.”
  1499. “Bugs. Gotcha.”
  1500. >You do your best to convey your disinterest.
  1501. >”Which means that a LIVE pony is worth more to ‘em than a dead one. And since we ain’t found a body that means the REAL Rainbow Dash is still alive!”
  1502. >How many of these can you give him before he ODs?
  1503. “Wait, repeat that last part? I wasn’t paying attention.”
  1504. >”The real Rainbow Dash is probably still alive, at least for now. But what do y’all think they’re going to do to her once they find out their cover’s blown?”
  1505. >Damn.
  1506. >They wanted these ponies out of the picture for some reason.
  1507. >They’d rather finish her off than let her go.
  1508. >”The moment they find out we’re onto them she’s a goner. He’s gotta get her back before they notice he’s coming.”
  1509. >Huh.
  1510. >That was pretty heavy.
  1511. >He really didn’t have time to take a nap.
  1512. “That… complicates things. Alright, thanks for the warning.”
  1513. >Applejack follows you as you make your way to the recovery room.
  1514. >You place your head on the knob, ready to open.
  1515. >But you hesitate for a bit.
  1516. >”What are y’all gonna do?”
  1517. “Something reckless.”
  1518. >You push the door open and nearly smack the prince in the face.
  1519. >He shoves his way past you on his way to the front door.
  1520. >”You’re not stopping me, Anon.”
  1521. “I know.”
  1522. >”Then why-”
  1523. “Can I come with you?”
  1524. >He clearly wasn’t expecting you to say that.
  1525. >And if you know anything about pony body language, Applejack wasn’t either..
  1526. “Somepony might be hurt. It might be a good idea for me to be nearby.”
  1527. >”Hm. I appreciate it, but no. You’d be too much of a liability.”
  1528. >Ouch.
  1529. >”This is delicate, and you’re not cut out for it.”
  1530. “I can hang back a bit.”
  1531. >”Not good enough. They can’t see us coming, you’d have to be way far back. As in, still in the city far back. If we have to move wounded to you anyway we might as well take them here.”
  1532. “I understand.”
  1533. >You wouldn’t want him in the OR when you were working.
  1534. >Fair’s fair.
  1535. >”I’m taking most of your testing machines. After we get Dash we’re going to sweep those things out of the Empire.”
  1536. “I only have so many test strips.”
  1537. >”We’ll figure it out. You stay here until I say otherwise. We might need to find you in a hurry. Girls! I'm enlisting you to sweep the palace for changelings. Move!"
  1538. >Everyone gallops out the door, leaving you alone and feeling very vulnerable.
  1539. >It's a bittersweet feeling, knowing you can't do anything more to help.
  1540. >On the one hand you’d played your part and then some.
  1541. >You stopped a few deaths and blew the case wide open, which should be more than enough.
  1542. >On the other hand, you can’t see it through to the end.
  1543. >You now find yourself sitting on the sidelines during the climax.
  1544. >It's do or die for them, wait and see for you.
  1545. >All because shapeshifters decided to try to rub out a team of magical girls.
  1546. >Fucking horse world.
  1547. >There's still so much about this place you don't understand.
  1548. >If only there'd been time to ask a few more questions.
  1549. >You lock up to the best of your abilities and sit down for a much needed rest.
  1550. >That wasn't as rough as an emergency operation, but it was still taxing enough.
  1551. >And it feels like it’s been a week since you actually had proper sleep at this point.
  1552. >You doze off for a while, never quite relaxing enough to truly fall asleep.
  1553. >Eventually you're pulled from your trance by the sounds of whimpering.
  1554. >Coming from recovery.
  1555. >You scurry there as quickly as your half asleep body will carry you.
  1556. >When you open the door your suspicions are confirmed.
  1557. >Twilight Sparkle is awake.
  1558. “How are you feeling?”
  1559. >”Augh…”
  1560. “Yeah, I figured as much. I've got something for that.”
  1561. >Ibuprofen.
  1562. >2 capsules.
  1563. >That's pretty much all you've got after your opiates were destroyed.
  1564. >You could put a neural block in her spine, but that’s pretty dangerous.
  1565. >Besides, she was mostly hit around the lungs and heart.
  1566. >Paralyzing those isn’t a great idea.
  1567. >You place the pills in her mouth and head to the sink to get her a glass of water.
  1568. “Here, drink slowly. Morphine is pretty good at dulling pain.”
  1569. >If only you had any.
  1570. >Those things are practically placebos.
  1571. “I'm also going to put a muscle relaxant in your iv drip. We can't have you moving around too much and opening your wounds again.”
  1572. >Her breaths are short and shallow.
  1573. >Little surprise, it's gotta hurt to breathe.
  1574. “Don't push yourself, you've been through a lot.”
  1575. >You sit down next to her.
  1576. >No point in hovering around.”
  1577. >”Rarity.”
  1578. >Oh good.
  1579. >She can talk.
  1580. “Has been found and is healthy. Last I saw she was with your brother. “
  1581. >”You. Ah.”
  1582. “Whoa now, don't try to get up.”
  1583. >Hopefully she's less stubborn than her brother.
  1584. “You're well on your way to a full recovery. In fact, you woke up earlier than I expected. That's good. Very good. Do you remember what happened?”
  1585. >”Stabbed.”
  1586. “Sadly, yes. It wasn’t pretty. Luckily I got to you pretty quickly.”
  1587. >”Changelings.”
  1588. “Yeah. Your brother figured that out. How did you know?”
  1589. >”I didn’t.”
  1590. “Just adds up, eh?”
  1591. >”Yeah. Explains a lot. How long ago?”
  1592. “I’m not sure when he figured it out. I learned only a few hours ago.”
  1593. >”No. How long, ah, have I been here?”
  1594. “Oh, a bit over a day. Uhh, 25 hours. You woke up pretty fast all things considered. Hay, for a while we weren’t sure you’d ever wake up, yet here we are. Man I’m good.”
  1595. >She falls back against her pillow, awake but exhausted.
  1596. >You take a moment to look over her vital signs again.
  1597. >Pulse and pressure are higher than before, but that’s to be expected now that she’s awake.
  1598. >Oxygen is slightly depleted, but not by enough to be cause for concern.
  1599. >Probably just the shallow breathing taking its toll.
  1600. “The good news is I think you’re going to make a full recovery. The fact that you woke up so quickly and remember what happened tells me that your brain is fine.”
  1601. >Probably.
  1602. >If it’s not it should be able to adapt to the damage fairly quickly.
  1603. >Best not to worry her about the details just yet.
  1604. “And most of your major organs were spared in the attack, so I’m not really worried about them either. The bad news is it’s going to take a long time for you to get your strength back. You’re going to have to work at it for quite a while.”
  1605. >”How long?”
  1606. “That’s the big question, and there isn’t a simple answer. You went pretty deep into hypovolemic shock before I got you stable, so your body diverted as much blood as it could away from your limbs and muscles to keep the important parts working. This causes hypoxia and in turn lactic acidosis, both of which will damage your muscle tissue. It’s hard for me to guess the extent, but there’s no doubt it happened. You’re probably feeling pretty weak all over, and that’s going to linger for a while. The good news is that muscle tissue gets damaged all the time so it’s pretty good at recovering, you’ll probably have most of your strength back in a couple months.”
  1607. >”But?”
  1608. “Knew that was coming, huh? Unfortunately, you’re right. Some of your muscle tissue was severed by the attack. I sutured it back together so the collagen scaffold should develop pretty quickly, and thankfully it was a pretty sharp head so the cut was clean. After around six to eight weeks you’ll have to start stretching them gently several times a day to regain strength and flexibility. Should take... at least a year.”
  1609. >She doesn’t answer.
  1610. >She doesn’t have to.
  1611. >There really aren’t that many ways to react to such news.
  1612. >”Sorry I blamed you.”
  1613. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Water under the bridge.”
  1614. >You’ve got a lot of questions for her.
  1615. >You want to know more about the changelings.
  1616. >And about the attack.
  1617. >But it’s probably best to stay on topic for now.
  1618. “I’m going to try and give you some privacy, but I’ll still need to keep an eye on you. I’ll check in every four hours, but if you need something sooner don’t hesitate to call for help. That button on the side of your bed is linked to my pager so you’ll be able to get ahold of me even if I’m not here.”
  1619. >”Even at night?”
  1620. “It’s part of the job.”
  1621. >”When will you sleep?”
  1622. “When you’re better.”
  1623. >”Sorry.”
  1624. “Eh, it’s my fault for going to med school. Besides, I live really close by so I can actually go home. If your brother will let me.”
  1625. >And nobody else gets stabbed.
  1626. “Now, I probably should have gone over this earlier but you have to get as much rest as possible and try not to move too much. If you re-open those wounds we’ve got trouble. Oh, and we’re going to have to change the dressings on those pretty often. Some of my stuff got sabotaged and I had to get creative, long story short you’re immunocompromised for a few days so your wounds are pretty much guaranteed to get infected.”
  1627. >”What are they infected with?”
  1628. “I can’t say. I could do a culture, but I lack the tools and knowhow to do much more than a Gram test. Probably some staphylococcus strain, but I don’t know what kind of bacteria are on changelings.”
  1629. >She sniffles pitifully.
  1630. >But all things considered, she’s taking this pretty well.
  1631. >Nobody has a positive attitude about being wounded, after all.
  1632. >”I don’t get it. Why would a changeling stab me?”
  1633. “That’s weird?”
  1634. >”Yeah. Really weird. Chrysalis always tries to capture.”
  1635. “Chrysalis?”
  1636. >”Their queen. Or one of them, we’re not really sure how many hives there are.”
  1637. “Then how do you know it’s hers?”
  1638. >”It’s always hers.”
  1639. >Oh.
  1640. >They had history.
  1641. “So this isn’t the first time you’ve faced her.”
  1642. >“You didn’t know?”
  1643. “I didn’t even know what a changeling was until a few hours ago.”
  1644. >”Want me to tell you about it?”
  1645. >Yes.
  1646. “Only if you’re feeling up to it. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
  1647. >”Metamorphic eusocial arcanovores. I’ll tell you more later.”
  1648. >Wow.
  1649. >That was pretty brief, especially for Twilight.
  1650. >You were expecting a full lecture or something.
  1651. >She must be more tired than you thought.
  1652. >But at least it explains the blood sugar.
  1653. >If they eat magic, there’d be no need for chemical energy.
  1654. >Though it actually raises more questions than it answers.
  1655. >Can they eat any kind of magic?
  1656. >Or are they more specialized?
  1657. >What happens to their prey after they’ve been fed upon?
  1658. >Your understanding of magic is pretty remedial, but as far as you can tell they don’t actually need it to live.
  1659. >Would they recover?
  1660. >What are the symptoms of having your magic eaten?
  1661. >This isn’t just idle curiosity, you might be treating their victims soon.
  1662. >You weigh your options for a while and eventually decide to just let her rest.
  1663. >Somepony will have to transport the patients, you can grill them for info.
  1664. >And if they don’t know THEN you can press Twilight.
  1665. >And odds are you’re just going to administer treatment symptomatically anyway.
  1666. >Actually, you’re working under the assumption it’ll just be Dash coming in.
  1667. >If ponies are their food supply they’re going to try to have a healthy stockpile.
  1668. >And if they’re eusocial they probably come in fairly large groups.
  1669. >Man, you hadn’t thought of that before.
  1670. >There are probably dozens of those things out there, maybe even hundreds.
  1671. >And the food chain will expect there to be more prey than predators.
  1672. >You could be overwhelmed in a moment.
  1673. >Sorry, Twilight. This could be important.
  1674. “I’m probably going to have to treat some of their victims. What should I expect? More stab wounds?”
  1675. >”Probably not.”
  1676. >That’s good at least.
  1677. >”They like to keep ponies in a weakened state so they’re easier to control. Malnourishment and sleep deprivation are pretty normal.”
  1678. “So it’ll depend heavily on how long they’ve been captive. Hmm…”
  1679. >Malnourishment and sleep deprivation aren’t so bad.
  1680. >You’ll have to dodge refeeding syndrome if they’re in really bad shape, but it would have to be pretty extreme abuse for anypony to be a lost cause.
  1681. >”And don’t freak out too much if they’re catatonic or delusional. They use magic to control ponies too. It should wear off after a little while.”
  1682. “That takes energy to maintain, right?”
  1683. >”Not much, but it’s constant.”
  1684. >You feel a bit more pride than you should for knowing that.
  1685. “Then they’re spending magic to control their magic supply. Pretty counterproductive, they won’t use that option if they don’t have to. Probably something I’ll mostly see in freshly caught ponies. So catatonia is actually a indicator that they’re relatively healthy. Weird. I’m going to go start preparing, you try to get some rest.”
  1686. >You’ll start by preparing a grocery list to send someone out for.
  1687. >You’re not really equipped to handle starvation, this isn’t a kitchen.
  1688. >But luckily you don’t need any specialized equipment unless they’re right next to dead.
  1689. >Better get some pedialyte out, maybe prep some glucose IVs just in case.
  1690. >Should you expect them to be kept in filth?
  1691. >Could be-
  1692. >The door opened.
  1693. >Shining Armor comes walking in with a very leftover Rainbow Dash leaning against him.
  1694. >It doesn’t look like she’s been starved or anything at a glance.
  1695. >But she’s covered in bruises.
  1696. >Someone had beaten her until she was black and blue.
  1697. >Granted, she was halfway there when they found her.
  1698. >You’re still going to have to take a good look, blunt trauma can do nasty things that aren’t readily apparent.
  1699. “You got her.”
  1700. >”And about twenty more.”
  1701. “Are they all this bad off?”
  1702. >”No, thankfully. We still want you to check them out just in case, but Dash here got the worst of it.”
  1703. “Speaking of. How are you feeling? Wait. Wait just a second. I’m testing you both.”
  1704. >Neither of them resist as you test their blood sugar.
  1705. >They’re both normal.
  1706. >Which means Dash wasn’t starved for long.
  1707. >Must have been a recent capture.
  1708. “Okay, you’re clear. Rainbow Rash, where does it hurt?”
  1709. >She just groans at you.
  1710. “Yeah, stupid question. Sit her down in imaging, we need to check for internal bleeding and bone fractures.”
  1711. >”Right. The rest should be here soon. We’ve got some cuts and bruises, but nothing like this.”
  1712. >You help him move Dash into the clinic.
  1713. >Bandaging her up will take a while…
  1714. >You’re probably not getting out of here until dawn.
  1715. >And you were looking forward to showing Rarity to her new home.
  1716. “And how are you feeling, Shining?”
  1717. >”Tired.”
  1718. “Any dizziness or confusion? Sudden weakness? Vertigo?”
  1719. >”I’m fine, Anon.”
  1720. “But-”
  1721. >”We saved the prisoners and captured three changelings. I’m feeling good.”
  1722. >Doubt.
  1723. >The moment Dash is sat down before the X-ray, you drop the good news.
  1724. “Your sister’s awake, by the way.”
  1725. >”Wait, WHAT? Why didn’t you say so sooner?”
  1726. “Because I didn’t want you to drop the patient when you ran off to see her.”
  1727. >He’s already galloping away.
  1728. >”YOU WERE RIGHT TO WORRY!”
  1729. >Alright.
  1730. >The sooner you finish up the sooner you can go home.
  1731. “Okay, let’s take a look.”
  1732.  
  1733. >Day had broken before you finished up, as expected.
  1734. >Most of the captives were fine save for emotional distress, and that’s not your department.
  1735. >Physical trauma was mostly limited to light bruisings and in one case a fractured orbital.
  1736. >It was nothing that warranted medical intervention beyond the odd disinfecting and bandaging.
  1737. >Rainbow Dash, on the other hand…
  1738. >You still didn’t know the whole story with these changelings, but the work they’d done on her spoke volumes.
  1739. >They were cruel.
  1740. >There was simply no other word for it.
  1741. >You didn’t care what kind of past history they had, doing THAT to a helpless captive was just cruel.
  1742. >You’ve done what you can, now you just have to wait and see.
  1743. >She’ll live, you’re sure of that.
  1744. >But you might have to do some work to get her healthy.
  1745. >Look at you, taking work home again like that.
  1746. >You need to unwind and get some sleep.
  1747. >You try to unlock your front door, only to find it’s already open.
  1748. >Had you forgotten?
  1749. >Probably.
  1750. >It’s easy to overlook something like that when you’re stressed, especially since it’s really only a formality.
  1751. >Most ponies didn’t even have locks on their front doors around these parts.
  1752. >You push the door open to find the lights are already on in your kitchen.
  1753. >Still not that weird.
  1754. >What IS weird, however, is that Rarity is sitting at your table sipping from a mug.
  1755. >At least you hope it’s Rarity.
  1756. “Not that I’m upset, but why are you here?”
  1757. >”Oh, that pink whore insisted upon it. She even threatened to sick her thugs on me should I refuse.”
  1758. “Really? That doesn’t sound like Ponk. I didn’t even know she had thugs.”
  1759. >”I was talking about Cadence.”
  1760. “Oh. That makes more sense.”
  1761. >”Before we discuss matters any further, I’ve several questions regarding Rainbow Dash.”
  1762. “Wait. Not another word. Are you a changeling?”
  1763. >”I am not.”
  1764. “You sure? Because you gotta tell me if you are.”
  1765. >”Do your test if you must.”
  1766. >You approach more histitantly than you ought to.
  1767. >It’s not good to show weakness in front of either Rarity or the enemy.
  1768. >But you can’t help but be somewhat fearful.
  1769. >Those bugs are dangerous, and you’re no fighter.
  1770. >She doesn’t flinch when you prick her.
  1771. >Hm…
  1772. >Looks normal.
  1773. >Something is still off though.
  1774. >It’s just odd that she’s not fighting you on anything yet.
  1775. >Maybe she doesn’t hate this as much as she claims?
  1776. “Okay, looks like you’re clear. Your friend will live.”
  1777. >”Whatever do you mean? Was that in doubt?”
  1778. >She must not have seen the poor thing.
  1779. “I can’t tell you much more without her permission. Privacy and all that.”
  1780. >”I see…”
  1781. >Her downcast eyes and sluggish motion reveal more than her words did.
  1782. >She’s worried.
  1783. >Can’t blame her.
  1784. “I promise you she’ll be okay.”
  1785. >”You’re certain?”
  1786. “It might take a while. I might need to get help from some specialists.”
  1787. >And you might have to explain some processes they won’t be comfortable with.
  1788. “Or maybe she’ll just be fine. It’s a bit early yet to tell. I’ll see her again this afternoon, we’ll know more then.”
  1789. >”So you AREN’T yet certain.”
  1790. “I am. Just not sure if it’ll take days, weeks, or months to get her back to normal.”
  1791. >”Ah. I suppose that’s as much as we can hope for.”
  1792. >You move to sit down opposite her before remembering there’s only one chair at the table.
  1793. >You open your mouth to tell her to get up, but another thought crosses your mind.
  1794. “Isn’t that chair hard on your back? I’m pretty sure it was designed for a biped.”
  1795. >”Oh, it’s dreadful.”
  1796. “Then why are you sitting in it?
  1797. >”Where am I meant to sit?”
  1798. “I’m not sure I understand the question.”
  1799. >She finishes her drink rather than responding.
  1800. “So, ready for the tour?”
  1801. >”I’ve already shown myself around.”
  1802. “And?”
  1803. >”It’s remarkably drab.”
  1804. >Drab?
  1805. >What was she on about?
  1806. “I thought you’d at least like the kitchen.”
  1807. >”Why, it’s the worst of all!”
  1808. “It’s colour coordinated.”
  1809. >”White tile with white walls and a white stucco ceiling is NOT color coordination!”
  1810. “It compliments the white ice box.”
  1811. >”It’s not white, it’s alabaster.”
  1812. >Geeze.
  1813. >Is she trying to be too annoying to keep again?
  1814. >It was kinda working last time, not that you’d ever let her know.
  1815. “Well, maybe I’ll make you decorate a bit. What’s the worst that could happen?”
  1816. >”I’m sorry, did you just ask me to decorate your home?”
  1817. >Uhh…
  1818. >”You wish for MOI to decorate for TOI?”
  1819. >You were worried you’d angered her.
  1820. >You were wrong.
  1821. >A big goofy grin has begun to form on her face.
  1822. >”Why, I’ve always wanted to try my hoof at interior design again. The boutique is lovely, but I can no longer change its aesthetic without muddying my brand. I appreciate how much faith you’re placing in me.”
  1823. >She always finds a way to surprise you.
  1824. “We’ll start with the kitchen and if I like what I see, you can do another room.”
  1825. >”Oh, rest assured you won’t like what you’ll see. You’ll LOOOVE IIIIT!”
  1826. >Wait.
  1827. >Is this going to cost a lot of money?
  1828. >You’re pretty tapped, and you’ve had some pretty significant expenses over the last few days.
  1829. >Restocking when the portal opens is going to cost a fortune.
  1830. >Cadence and Shining offered to help, but you’re not sure how much they intend to give you.
  1831. >You can’t afford to renovate!
  1832. >But you also can’t afford to tell her you’re broke.
  1833. >Even if this relationship is a bit unorthodox, you have to convince her she’s better off sticking with you than running off.
  1834. >Well, maybe you don’t HAVE to.
  1835. >But it would make things way easier.
  1836. >Quick! Change the subject!
  1837. “We can discuss the details later. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired.”
  1838. >”It has been a rather long time since I last had proper rest, yes.”
  1839. “Let’s run over some ground rules real quick before going to bed. No breaking anything.”
  1840. >”Fret not! I shan’t be making THAT mistake again.”
  1841. “Good. You’re responsible for your own hygiene. I want you to shower and brush your teeth regularly so you always look your best.”
  1842. >She was going to do that anyway.
  1843. >It’s a good idea to give her a few orders she can’t help but follow.
  1844. >Just to make obedience part of her routine.
  1845. “If you make a mess I expect you to clean up after yourself.”
  1846. >”I assure you, that shall not be a problem. I do not make messes.”
  1847. >Should you point it out?
  1848. >Naa.
  1849. >Can’t lean on that constantly, you’ll desensitize her.
  1850. >Best not to bring it up unless you’re going to get something out of it.
  1851. >Just let it go.
  1852. “Alright. I want you to tell me where you’re going when you head out, and I expect you to be back by midnight.”
  1853. >”Truly? I may depart whenever I so wish?”
  1854. “Unless I need you for something, yeah.”
  1855. >Not that you were happy about it.
  1856. >But you can’t be TOO domineering right now, not while her friends are looking.
  1857. >But you really need to get a symbol of ownership on her.
  1858. >Something she won’t or can’t fight, yet something that won’t get you in hot water.
  1859. >Maybe she could pass it off as a fashion statement.
  1860. >You’ll introduce that later, hopefully tomorrow.
  1861. >For now though, you really need sleep.
  1862. >PROPER sleep.
  1863. “There’s probably something I’m forgetting, but we’ll deal with that later. C’mon, it’s time for bed.”
  1864. >”I was hoping you might say that. Where am I meant to sleep?”
  1865. “In the bed.”
  1866. >”But you only have the one.”
  1867. >You maintain eye contact.
  1868. >Her cheeks are gradually turn pink as she slowly starts to realize.
  1869. >”Oh, oh my.”
  1870. “You’re going to make a big deal out of that? After how slutty you were last night?”
  1871. >”I was NOT-”
  1872. “You gave a hoof job in a back alley.”
  1873. >”I- um…”
  1874. “Don’t worry, it’s almost something to be proud of around here. Let’s get moving.”
  1875. >You lead her to your bedroom.
  1876. >Which is NOT white on white.
  1877. >”Beige walls and a brown shag carpet with a single exposed light fixture in the middle?”
  1878. “Not to your liking?”
  1879. >”There are no decorations on the walls! All you have in here is a princess sized bed with a- a QUILT!”
  1880. “And a nightstand. What’s wrong with quilts?”
  1881. >”When they’re properly adorned? Nothing. But when they’re… that. It’s just a patchwork mess of varying fabrics!”
  1882. >Now she’s just making up rules.
  1883. >”Your basement is so brilliantly colored, why is your home so bland?”
  1884. “I dunno. You’d have to ask the ponies who made them.”
  1885. >It wasn’t something you’d really bothered to think about before.
  1886. >But she had a point.
  1887. >The Empire as a whole was extremely brightly coloured.
  1888. >It could actually be really hard on the eyes on a bright day.
  1889. >Maybe somepony had heard you complaining about that and overcorrected?
  1890. “But it’s kinda a nice break from all the crystals and light around here.”
  1891. >’I suppose it could be. The Crystal Empire is absolutely gorgeous, but a few Earthy tones would contrast well.”
  1892. >Alright, that’s enough.
  1893. >You don’t want to hear a thesis on interior design right now, time to tie her up and gag her.
  1894. >Wait.
  1895. >Her pajamas are still at the clinic.
  1896. >And her toys are there too.
  1897. >You’ve got the radiostimulator, and she has the piercing…
  1898. >Maybe you can improvise with sheets?
  1899. >All you need is a blindfold.
  1900. “I don’t suppose you have a sleeping mask, do you?”
  1901. >”Of course! Should I not?”
  1902. >That’s convenient.
  1903. “Alright, get on the bed. Belly up or down?”
  1904. >”I’m not certain I understand.”
  1905. >You rummage around in the closet for a little while before returning with a few sheets.
  1906. >As you begin to lay them out in folded as long ribbons on the bed, she seems to slowly figure it out.
  1907. >You can’t help but notice her bite her bottom lip.
  1908. “You didn’t think I’d forgotten, had you? You’re supposed to sleep in bondage.”
  1909. >”Ah, yes. Master.”
  1910. “Though if the way you’re grinding your hind legs together is any indication, it’s not much of a punishment.”
  1911. >She does her best Fluttershy impression, trying desperately to hide behind her own mane with a timid “eep”.
  1912. >But you’re having none of that.
  1913. >You gently grasp her chin with your hand and push her to meet your gaze.
  1914. “I want you to be honest with me. I won’t be angry either way, but it’s important for the both of us that I know. Do you enjoy being tied up?”
  1915. >”I, err, that is to say…”
  1916. “When you were all snug and secure in those special pajamas, vibrator insistently grinding away at you, nothing to do but focus on the pleasure and bask in the sensation. Did you enjoy that?”
  1917. >She closes her eyes and swallows, knees trembling slightly.
  1918. >Looks like she’s not going to answer you.
  1919. >That’s not great, but you’re still pleased with the progress.
  1920. >When you first met her she’d have yelled at you.
  1921. >Now, she’s nearly admitting she wants it.
  1922. “Hopefully you do. A well proper mare should be able to appreciate all forms of pleasures. Enough stalling. Belly up or down, your choice.”
  1923. >You coax her on the bed and position her straddling it sideways, rump and hind legs dangling from the sides.
  1924. >You struggle for a bit to tie a proper knot around her legs using the sheets before finally managing to anchor them at her fetlock, affixing them to the legs of the bed.
  1925. >Her legs are spread wide, revealing everything to the world.
  1926. >Her tail is even flagging in a completely shameless display of lust.
  1927. >You were expecting to have to titillate her a bit before getting to work, but she’s already wetter than a T-shirt contest.
  1928. >If this keeps up you might be able to use sex as a reward soon.
  1929. >Her front hooves are harder to bind securely.
  1930. >You don’t have enough bedding to anchor each of them to a post, so you wind up just trying them to each other.
  1931. >She’s not COMPLETELY immobile, but it’ll do for the night.
  1932. >Rarity looks up at you expectantly as you affix the mask, robbing her of her sight.
  1933. >No gags are available, except maybe for a sock or dish rag.
  1934. >But you don’t want to do that to her.
  1935. >Not now that she’s finally getting into it.
  1936. >Don’t push your luck.
  1937. “Alright, that should do it. Good night.”
  1938. >”Good night? Is- is that all?”
  1939. “Yeah. What were you expecting to happen?”
  1940. >”Well, I, err, nothing master. Good night.”
  1941. >Woops.
  1942. >What did you JUST say about pushing your luck?
  1943. “No, hold on. You’ve been behaving yourself very well recently, so I’ll hear you out. What did you- oooh. Well, I’m pretty tired so I wasn’t planning on that. But if you want it I’ll do you a favor.”
  1944. >”Hnng.”
  1945. >She’s started panting a little.
  1946. >And she’s wiggling her rump around about as much as she can bound as she is.
  1947. >She’s doing as much as she can to ask for it without actually asking for it.
  1948. >You drop your pants and walk around behind her, pressing your penis against her drenched labia.
  1949. >You grind against it for a few seconds, relishing in the lusty gasps coming from the other side of the bed.
  1950. >You press in a little further until your glans is enveloped, standing above her stationary form and feeling her racing pulse as it subtly massages your genitals.
  1951. >Her heat seeps into you, warming you to your core and taking off a chill you didn’t even know was there.
  1952. >It takes almost all of your willpower not to thrust then and there.
  1953. >But instead you back out.
  1954. >Rarity whimpers a bit when you leave her.
  1955. >You press yourself against her anus, and see her tense up immediately.
  1956. >She doesn’t want anal.
  1957. >She might even fear it.
  1958. >Had it hurt last time?
  1959. >She really seemed to get off on the double dildos, but that might have been despite the pain.
  1960. >You’ll have to train her to take it properly.
  1961. >But for now this gives you a perfect opportunity.
  1962. >You press against her ass until it’s starting to give in.
  1963. >But not quite pushing all the way through.
  1964. “Where do you want it?”
  1965. >”Ah?”
  1966. >You’re not letting her get away with being totally passive here.
  1967. >She’s supposed to be an EAGER sex slave.
  1968. >Somepony who’ll do whatever you say for a chance at a quick fuck.
  1969. >If she doesn’t participate, she’s not really yours.
  1970. >She’s just another hole.
  1971. “Which hole?”
  1972. >”I, err, the proper one. Please.”
  1973. “Proper? You’ve got three holes, all of them perfectly suited for cock. You’re going to have to be way more specific. Where do you want it?”
  1974. >You press in against her ass a bit harder.
  1975. >You can feel her body fighting it.
  1976. >It’s probably already starting to get uncomfortable.
  1977. “Ass?”
  1978. >You press your thumb against her swollen clit.
  1979. “Or pussy?”
  1980. >”The latter.”
  1981. “Say it.”
  1982. >”P-”
  1983. >You can hear her swallow a lump in her throat.
  1984. >”Please master. Ravage my pussy!”
  1985. >Bueno.
  1986. >You change targets and shove yourself in without delay, eliciting a delighted squeal.
  1987. >It takes mere seconds for her to start spasming with a climax.
  1988. >Her natural lubrication flows down her thighs almost as freely as cries of ecstasy flow from her mouth.
  1989. >The sensation is overwhelming. You struggle to control your hips, fighting against some primal instinct that has seized control of your body.
  1990. >But you can’t finish so quickly.
  1991. >She’s ALMOST yours. You can feel it!
  1992. >Satisfy her completely. Bring her pleasure she’d never known before.
  1993. >Make her understand that she needs you.
  1994. >You pull out, and put your index finger in.
  1995. >You move it around erratically, probing her innards in a way that no pony possibly could.
  1996. >Meanwhile, you turn on the radiostimulator to medium
  1997. >”Ooh! That, what was that?”
  1998. “Shh. Just relax and enjoy.”
  1999. >You’ve used it on her before, but never set so high.
  2000. >This is not the time for subtlety.
  2001. >A second finger goes in, moving independently of the first.
  2002. >Rarity grips down on your digits as though trying to crush your bones, muscles contracting and rippling with every movement.
  2003. >A third finger moves in.
  2004. >Rarity’s breathing is growing ragged and strained.
  2005. >She’s bucking against her bindings, trying desperately to move herself closer to your hands.
  2006. >Her moans are again growing uncontrolled and primal.
  2007. >You pull on her tail.
  2008. >Hard.
  2009. >She releases a suppressed scream.
  2010. >Her arousal sprays your hand, marking her second climax for the night.
  2011. >But it’s not over yet.
  2012. >Once her convulsions die down you release her tail.
  2013. >Rarity lie limp on her bed, panting heavily.
  2014. >You position your penis right before her pussy and wait.
  2015. >And wait a little more.
  2016. >Finally, she catches her breath.
  2017. >”Oh, master. That was wonderful.”
  2018. “Was?”
  2019. >You penetrate her without warning.
  2020. >Her back arches in an impressive display of flexibility, straining her against her restraints.
  2021. >You take the opportunity to grab her mane and hold it tight, pulling her head from the bed.
  2022. >She offers a shocked yelp.
  2023. >But soon enough she’s once again gyrating her hips in time with your thrusts.
  2024. >You’re not sure you can hold out long enough to get a third climax out of her.
  2025. >The world fades away as you focus on controlling yourself, zeroing in on your muscles.
  2026. >Straining them to the best of your abilities.
  2027. >The pleasure passed the point of no return long ago.
  2028. >Your rhythm grows ever more frantic, you can feel the pressure growing far beyond what you can tolerate.
  2029. >You’ve got seconds left at best to finish her.
  2030. >Memory of her excitement at the double dildos flashes by your mind.
  2031. >You slip one of your lubricant drenched fingers into her ass.
  2032. >”YES! Ye- YAAAA!”
  2033. >She starts shivering.
  2034. >You push yourself to the hilt and unload deep inside her, nearly collapsing.
  2035. >The moment you release her mane, Rarity falls limp.
  2036. >You pull out of her still twitching pussy and watch as the thick white seed slowly oozes out of it.
  2037. “Good night, girl.”
  2038. >”Hmm.”
  2039. >You drape a blanket over her before climbing into bed, resting your feet on her rump.
  2040. >You set an alarm and settle in to sleep.
  2041. >The stimulator will continue to work at her through the day, forcing endless pleasure on her until you’re ready to fuck her again.
  2042. >You fall into a dreamless slumber.
  2043.  
  2044. >Getting out of bed is probably the hardest part of day to day life.
  2045. >Doubly so when you’re still tired.
  2046. >Quadruply so when you’re sharing that bed with a horny bound mare.
  2047. >In a perfect world you’d creampie her again then go back to sleep.
  2048. >This was not a perfect world, not quite.
  2049. >Fortunately, it could be pretty close sometimes.
  2050. >Work was only about 10 minutes away, for one.
  2051. >The clinic was closed due to the whole changeling fiasco, and likely would be for a fair while.
  2052. >And your two remaining patients were doing better than expected.
  2053. >There was of course to be followup with the both.
  2054. >Twilight in particular would need attention for a fair while.
  2055. >But your workload was, barring more stabbings, pretty light for the immediate future.
  2056. >You manage to return home within an hour of departing.
  2057. >After the next rest you’re afforded the opportunity to awaken of your own volition.
  2058. >The clock reads 14:33.
  2059. >And Rarity is still there.
  2060. >And probably very overstimulated.
  2061. “Rarara? Are you awake?”
  2062. >”Ahhh…”
  2063. >It sounded like she couldn’t decide between a lecherous moan and an agonized groan.
  2064. “You did a great job. I’m turning it off now, okay?”
  2065. >She sighs with relief the second you stop tormenting her clit.
  2066. >You couldn’t help but wonder what it felt like to be overstimulated like that.
  2067. >Your subtler, surgical stimulation is superior to simpler systems.
  2068. >Unlike a vibrator or something of the like, nothing was actually touching her cunt.
  2069. >She hasn’t been rubbed raw, and doesn’t need time to heal.
  2070. >She wasn’t injured in any way, but did her nervous system understand that?
  2071. “So, how are you feeling? Did you have fun?”
  2072. >”I must use the restroom.”
  2073. “Oh.”
  2074. >You set to untying the sheets.
  2075. >It takes longer than you’d expected.
  2076. >You rush yourself, briefly considering cutting the fabric to release her sooner.
  2077. >If she wets your bed, you swear…
  2078. >The instant she’s released she bolts to your washroom.
  2079. >At first you wait patiently for her to return.
  2080. >But after a while you hear the shower start running.
  2081. >You really shouldn’t have been surprised.
  2082. >Should you go in and talk to her?
  2083. >No, no you’ll give her a moment to herself.
  2084. >She’ll be back soon.
  2085. >Right?
  2086. >You daydream for a while, waiting for her to finish…
  2087. >How long does it take her to shower?
  2088. >Nearly an hour after she went in, Rarity finally returns.
  2089. >Her mane and tail are wrapped up in big, fluffy towels that you’re pretty certain weren’t in there earlier.
  2090. >Where did she get those?
  2091. “You sure you didn’t miss a spot?”
  2092. >You ask sarcastically.
  2093. >”I fear I may have, though you ran out of hot water.”
  2094. >Of course you did.
  2095. >”But I suppose it shall have to do.”
  2096. “Well, if you impress me I’ll look into getting a bigger tank.”
  2097. >”Why is it so dreadfully small anyway?”
  2098. “Didn’t need anything bigger.”
  2099. >If you get a bigger tank will you need another lava crystal?
  2100. >You’re not sure where they come from or how they’re made, but they’re surprisingly cheap for a magical heat source.
  2101. >Is it safe to have more than one?
  2102. >And if not and you’ve got to replace the existing one rather than just throwing another in, how does one dispose of them?
  2103. >Bah, that’s not important right now.
  2104. “So… you hate the decor in this place?”
  2105. >”Oh, please! Hate is such a weak word. I abhor it.”
  2106. >Aren’t those synonyms?
  2107. >”A simple splash of color would do wonders to improve your abode.”
  2108. “Really? Just some colour? I’d have thought you’d want to do something drastic.”
  2109. >”Pardon, say color again.”
  2110. “Yes, I know I have a weird accent. I’m surprised you’re not used to it by now.”
  2111. >”Oh, I do apologize. It just sounds so… prominent when you say color. Or when you say proper names. Or soft consonants. Or-”
  2112. “I get it.”
  2113. >You’re kinda self conscious about it.
  2114. >Not that you’re about to admit that to her.
  2115. “Back on topic. You just want some paint or wallpaper or something?”
  2116. >”Well, truthfully if we were to properly remedy this mess we would start with a large fire.”
  2117. >Harsh.
  2118. >”But if a touch of makeup can make Spoiled Rich look attractive, I’d imagine the same treatment ought to be enough to make your place look as resplendent as the palace.”
  2119. “Please don’t. I get a headache every time I go there, it’s just too bright.”
  2120. >”I meant the sun palace in Canterlot. It’s nowhere near as luminescent.”
  2121. >The sun palace wasn’t as bright.
  2122. >You’re not entirely certain how to react to that fact.
  2123. >Why were they so into bright things anyway?
  2124. >Something to investigate.
  2125. >Wait.
  2126. “You’ve been in two palaces?”
  2127. >”Three, actually. Four if you count the castle of the two sisters in Everfree. Is that unusual?”
  2128. >Just how rich is this girl?
  2129. “You know it’s unusual.”
  2130. >She offers only a smug grin.
  2131. >Still, you can’t help but feel a bit intimidated.
  2132. >You knew she had friends in high places, and you knew she had money.
  2133. >But things like this really drive home just how much she outranks you in the social hierarchy.
  2134. >She could ruin you if she wanted to.
  2135. >Even without mentioning your pseudo-legal kidnapping.
  2136. >Don’t worry about it, Anon. It’s not a problem now that you own her.
  2137. >It’s an asset.
  2138. >Just make sure you stay in charge and everything will be fine.
  2139. “Well, if you think you can make it as nice as a palace I’d love to see what you had in mind for this place. Would you please come up with a proposal?”
  2140. >No!
  2141. >Don’t ASK!
  2142. >”I shall need some time to think on it. One’s muse rarely appears on demand.”
  2143. “Of course.”
  2144. >”Have the changelings been addressed? It would be ever so lovely to step outdoors and see the sights of the Crystal Empire. I’m certain I would find inspiration.”
  2145. “They’re partially stopped. As in it should be safe to go outside, but they’re still trying to flush them out. We’re not allowed to leave the district until further notice.”
  2146. >”That shan’t be a problem.”
  2147. “Which is about 10 blocks.”
  2148. >”Oh. A mighty small district, is it not? What exactly is its purpose?”
  2149. “Ruby Row? I think it was the spa district.”
  2150. >Honestly.
  2151. >An entire DISTRICT for a spa.
  2152. >”THE? As in, only one spa district? Wait, does that mean there’s a SPA nearby?”
  2153. “Not anymore. Apparently there was a hot spring here back before Sombrero took over, but tectonic shifts some time in the last millennium redirected the flow a bit out of the city. Now this is just where they dump things that are hard to zone.”
  2154. >”Ah. How disappointing. How far out of town is it anyway?”
  2155. “I dunno.”
  2156. >”You don’t? Why, has it truly been so long since you last went that you’ve forgotten?”
  2157. “I’ve never gone.”
  2158. >Rarity starts looking around frantically, eventually opening your closet and pulling things out seemingly at random.
  2159. “What are you doing?”
  2160. >”I’m looking for a fainting couch! How have you never been to the HOTSPRING?”
  2161. >She’s going to find a way to drag you there, isn’t she?
  2162. >”You owe it to yourself to visit once this mess is over. I’m certain you’ve suffered a great deal of stress as of late, and I assure you a good soak would wash it all away.”
  2163. >You can’t help but smile to yourself.
  2164. >She cares about your stress levels.
  2165. >She might not even realize it yet, but she wants you to be well.
  2166. >You’re getting closer.
  2167. >”Well, I had best be off. Ta-ta!”
  2168. “Wait. You’re going out like that?”
  2169. >”Oh, heavens no! I still need to dry off properly, fix my mane, and do my makeup.”
  2170. “And put on your dress.”
  2171. >”And put on my- pardon, which dress did you mean?”
  2172. “The one you first had sex in.”
  2173. >The one she’d made in your basement.
  2174. >The one she was wearing when you broke her in.
  2175. >The one that still has some interesting stains on it.
  2176. >”I’d rather not!”
  2177. “Okay. You don’t have to.”
  2178. >”Oh! Wonderful.”
  2179. “But I think you’d rather wear it than not. It would be much less humiliating.”
  2180. >She’s nervously chewing on her lower lip.
  2181. >It’s always going to be risky pushing her limits.
  2182. >There’s always a chance you’ll go too far too soon.
  2183. >But if you don’t push you’ll never make more progress.
  2184. “New rule. Whenever you’re out you’re going to wear a buttplug.”
  2185. >”A WHAT?”
  2186. “You heard me. It’s for your own good. I’m going to want to tap that from time to time, and it seems to hurt. I don’t want to hurt you, hay, I want you to enjoy it. This will help you get used to it.”
  2187. >Her face is beet red.
  2188. >Her blood pressure’s probably almost as high as the prince’s.
  2189. >She takes a couple apprehensive steps away from you.
  2190. >Okay.
  2191. >You might have pushed a bit too far.
  2192. >Ease up the pressure a touch.
  2193. “Wait. I forgot that your dress is still dirty.”
  2194. >No you hadn’t.
  2195. “You can wear something else if you wish.”
  2196. >”Thank you!”
  2197. >It comes out more as a squeak than as proper language.
  2198. “I assume you’ve got some clothing around here.”
  2199. >”Of course! I shall go fetch it!”
  2200. “Plug first. Otherwise you’d have to strip.”
  2201. >”Oh. Oh right. Of course… master.”
  2202. >Excellent.
  2203. >That went almost exactly as planned.
  2204. >You’d had to let her wear a slightly less embarrassing outfit, but you got the thing you wanted.
  2205. >Wearing that plug is mostly an excuse.
  2206. >You prefer her pussy to her ass, it just feels better.
  2207. >Of course it would be nice to be able to use both, but it’s not really a high priority.
  2208. >You can do that later, once the last vestiges of resistance have crumbled.
  2209. >Hay, she might even enjoy it at that point.
  2210. >Rarity climbs upon the bed with great trepidation.
  2211. >She presents her butt.
  2212. >You fetch a smallish golden plug.
  2213. >Not so large as to cause pain, but heavy.
  2214. >Heavy enough that it should be impossible to ignore.
  2215. >Wait. It’s really heavy.
  2216. >Is this thing actually real gold?
  2217. >Wow.
  2218. >How much could you sell that for?
  2219. >No, bad idea. It was a gift from the princess.
  2220. >She’d probably be upset if it got melted down.
  2221. >Besides, this is hypoallergenic.
  2222. “Alright. I’m lubricating it. It’s a pretty small one, so don’t worry.”
  2223. >”Eep.”
  2224. >The slick, shining piece of metal meets her rear end with a fair amount of resistance.
  2225. >Last time you’d plugged her you’d used something bigger, and it had gone in fairly easily.
  2226. >She’s fighting this.
  2227. “Relax, girl. You’ve taken bigger. This is nothing.”
  2228. >She grits her teeth and seems to fight back even harder.
  2229. >You slap her butt as hard as you can.
  2230. >She yelps in a bizarre mixture of shock and pain, nearly jumping out of the bed.
  2231. >And loosens up.
  2232. >In the seconds in which she was distracted you slide it in no problem, revealing only the sapphire inlay at the end.
  2233. >Seriously, how expensive was this thing?
  2234. >”Is it in?”
  2235. “Yep. See, that’s not so bad, is it?”
  2236. >It’s a bit gaudy, but you’re thinking of making this part of her default outfit.
  2237. >”May I leave?”
  2238. “You may. Have a good day, and make sure you’re home by midnight.”
  2239. >She rubs her slapped rump for a moment before moving away and heading to the washroom yet again.
  2240. >You’ll make sure she’s still wearing it before she heads out the door, just in case.
  2241. >Because it’s actually important for your plan that she keeps it in.
  2242. >That’s no mere sex toy right now.
  2243. >It’s a symbol.
  2244. >The weight and hardness are a constant reminder of the one who put it there.
  2245. >And also a reminder that there are no improper holes.
  2246.  
  2247. >You’ve been thinking.
  2248. >Rarity has been submitting of her own volition lately.
  2249. >Sure, she hesitates and all that.
  2250. >And she could be much more proactive about it all.
  2251. >But you can’t deny she’s doing much better than even just a few days before.
  2252. >Perhaps this constant pushing you’ve been doing is insufficient.
  2253. >Drawing out desired behavior is only half of your job.
  2254. >Now she needs reinforcement.
  2255. >Your strategy, such as it was, had been entirely based on breaking her will to fight.
  2256. >Now that that’s effectively done, your objectives have changed.
  2257. >Even an otherwise perfect plan can’t survive such a massive paradigmatic shift.
  2258. >And your methods were hardly perfect in the first place.
  2259. >No sense in using a flawed strategy that was devised for a different goal.
  2260. >Time to change things up.
  2261. >While working on your plan, you hear the door opening.
  2262. >Rarity had home early.
  2263. >Good thing too, you hadn’t thought things through when you’d said midnight.
  2264. >Had she arrived so late, you’d have been obligated to stay up.
  2265. >Otherwise who would tuck her in and tie her down?
  2266. >Fortunately, this was not to be a problem.
  2267. >Not only had she returned before midnight, she’d only been gone a couple of hours.
  2268. >Now to figure out why.
  2269. >She entered, bearing a powder blue and white striped sundress, the silhouette adhering to her anatomy shockingly well even for what was doubtlessly custom tailored.
  2270. >The pleated skirt hung gracefully, stretching and scattering with each stride but never quite reaching the ground.
  2271. >It looked a bit strange having the rear legs covered so while the front legs were almost entirely bare.
  2272. >But that was just how they did things here.
  2273. “Welcome home. Enjoy your walk?”
  2274. >”Oh, it was dreadful.”
  2275. >Dreadful.
  2276. >To a normal pony, that meant extremely disagreeable.
  2277. >She had a tendency to… embellish such things.
  2278. >So it was probably too windy or something.
  2279. >”I could hardly go anywhere without some brute is a uniform telling me I had to turn back!”
  2280. >Nailed it.
  2281. “I did warn you.”
  2282. >”I had assumed a fetching young mare such as myself would be exempt from such abhorrent treatment!”
  2283. “Exempt from a military lockdown? I’m not sure you know how states of emergency work.”
  2284. >She approaches you cautiously, keeping her gaze just off of your eyes.
  2285. >Whether it’s out of a sense of reverence, fear, or shame, you cannot tell.
  2286. >”Umm… master? May I take it out?”
  2287. >Good.
  2288. >VERY good.
  2289. >The rules didn’t state she needed permission to take the plug out, just that she had to be home.
  2290. >Yet here she was.
  2291. >Granted she’d probably misunderstood the rule and assumed she was to ask first.
  2292. >But you aren’t about to complain.
  2293. “You may if you wish, but you’d just have to put it back in again. We’re going out.”
  2294. >”Out? Where to?”
  2295. “I’m taking you to dinner.”
  2296. >”To dine! Oh, but I’ve nothing to wear!”
  2297. >There are many things wrong with that statement.
  2298. “Don’t worry, that should be fine. I think the dress code is semi-formal.”
  2299. >Any Rarity original should suffice.
  2300. >And nobody understands human fashion, so you can bluff with your labcoat.
  2301. >”But these are simple rags! They’re for when I’m walking the streets!”
  2302. >You barely manage to suppress a chuckle.
  2303. “Yeah. I bet you walk the streets a lot.”
  2304. >”Why yes, of course!”
  2305. “You do any soliciting when you walk the streets? Or do they come to you?”
  2306. >”Well, my customers usually come to me at the boutique. Though I can think of a few exceptions. Just a couple months ago this young stallion came to me with a delightful proposition.”
  2307. >Pftt.
  2308. >”The poor dear couldn’t afford my usual rate, but he just needed a minor alteration so I agreed to work for a pittance.”
  2309. “A minor alteration. That can’t take long, so you’re saying it was a quickie?”
  2310. >”Indeed! I gave him a quickie for a few bits-”
  2311. >The red starts to form in her face from the bottom up, as though it were being methodically painted in.
  2312. >”Oh my. I assure you I was talking about TAILORING! I’d done nothing untoward!”
  2313. “Don’t worry, I know you’re not a prostitute.”
  2314. >Prostitutes charge for their services.
  2315. >It’s tempting to make a joke about how she does it for free.
  2316. >It really is.
  2317. >But it’s not worth angering her over.
  2318. >You’d rather not risk inciting rebellion, especially not over a dumb joke.
  2319. >You head for the door and motion for her to follow.
  2320. >She still seems a bit flustered, but musters the courage to come regardless.
  2321. >”But where are we headed? If we cannot leave the spa district our options must be sorely limited.”
  2322. “They are. But luckily there’s a nice place right nearby.”
  2323. >Or at least you think it’s nice.
  2324. >Truth is you’ve never eaten there.
  2325. >Actually, you’d best dial it back a bit case it’s a disappointment.
  2326. “Or at least I’ve heard it’s good. The chef seems to take their work pretty seriously.”
  2327. >Best of all, he owes you big.
  2328. >Never paid for his appendectomy.
  2329. >You figure you’ll be able to leverage that for a free meal, maybe get him to pay you too.
  2330. >”You HEAR it’s pretty good? Have you never been?”
  2331. “It’s hard for me to judge pony fare, different digestive system and all that.”
  2332. >”How different, exactly?”
  2333. “How detailed of an answer do you want? I happen to be something of an expert.”
  2334. >”Perhaps something heavily simplified.”
  2335. “Your system is much longer than mine and has bacterial colonies that decompose a wide variety of carbohydrates into simpler forms.”
  2336. >”Meaning?”
  2337. >Hm.
  2338. “There are lots of pony foods I can’t get nutrition from. I’d starve to death if I tried to eat only hay.”
  2339. >”You can’t eat HAY?”
  2340. “I can, and I have. But I don’t actually get anything out of it. I need much richer foods to stay alive. Dairy, grains, fruits and nuts. Stuff like that.”
  2341. >”How peculiar. How was it?”
  2342. “What, the hay?”
  2343. >”Have I surprised you?”
  2344. >Huh?
  2345. >Oh.
  2346. >What the hay.
  2347. “Heh. That’s funny.”
  2348. >”But I am genuinely curious.”
  2349. “Well, to use your lexicon…”
  2350. >You do your best to imitate Rarity’s mannerisms.
  2351. “It was quite unpalatable.”
  2352. >”Perhaps you’ve simply not found the perfect recipe yet?”
  2353. “Somehow I doubt there is a recipe that would make it good.”
  2354. >Hopefully they’ve got something edible at this place.
  2355. >Again, you’ve never been there.
  2356. >You seldom eat out precisely because of this problem.
  2357. >Your lack of knowledge about fine dining makes it nigh on impossible for you to ever meet Rarity’s doubtlessly extreme standards.
  2358. >Yet it’s something you want to be able to offer her.
  2359. >She needs to think that life as your toy can be as good as her old existence.
  2360. >No, she needs to think it can be BETTER.
  2361. >This outing is about her, not you.
  2362. >Wait...
  2363. >Are you losing control of this relationship?
  2364. >The eatery is ostentatious, featuring an exterior made almost entirely of glass or some transparent crystal, held together by a polished steel frame.
  2365. >The entrance is flanked by two fire pits, burning three glowing hot roses each, arranged as an oblique triangle.
  2366. >If memory serves that symbol is the owner’s cutie mark.
  2367. >Probably the restaurant’s symbol too.
  2368. >When you approach the front door a young stallion in a suit steps in your way.
  2369. >”Excuse me, sir and madame. Have you reservations?”
  2370. “No.”
  2371. >”Well, I do apologize, but-”
  2372. “You’re not full. I can see through the windows.”
  2373. >”You need a reservation to dine chez Eden Rose.”
  2374. “There’s literally only one occupied table. The lockdown killed your business.”
  2375. >”Sir, I’m afraid I must ask you to leave if you don’t have a reservation.”
  2376. >Rarity tugs on your labcoat briefly.
  2377. >”We should really do as he says. These establishments take their reservations quite seriously. Some places demand that you book months in advance!”
  2378. >Change of plans then.
  2379. “Could you please relay a message to the head chef? Just tell him the doctor’s here.”
  2380. >The doorman eyes you suspiciously, but eventually nods and shows himself in.
  2381. >Rarity looks at you quizzically.
  2382. “The chef and I have history.”
  2383. >”I’d gathered as much. But what history?”
  2384. “Let’s just say that lots of ponies owe me a favor.”
  2385. >Or in his case, thousands of bits.
  2386. >The doorman returns with a hurried gait and opens the door for you, stepping aside.
  2387. >”I apologize for my prior behaviour. Please, take any seat you like.”
  2388. >Rarity doesn’t attempt to mask her surprise.
  2389. >And you don’t attempt to mask your smug grin.
  2390. >The interior feels out of place in the empire, being filled with wooden and earthy tones.
  2391. >All of the furniture seems to be carved from some wood, and then stained appropriately.
  2392. >The lack of colourful paints and polished surfaces is not only different to what you’ve grown to expect of the empire, it’s diametrically opposed to what you expected from a fancy restaurant.
  2393. >The tabletop candles don’t throw nearly enough light to properly illuminate this place, which just exaggerates how brown everything is.
  2394. “I don’t get it.”
  2395. >”What’s the matter, mas- doctor?”
  2396. >Hm.
  2397. >You hadn’t told Rarity she could call you doctor.
  2398. >She just broke the rules.
  2399. >But given she almost called you master out of habit, and that you don’t want to cause trouble for yourself with Applejack and friends, you’ll tolerate it.
  2400. >At least in public.
  2401. “The decorations. It’s just wood on wood. And some of it seems a bit crude now that I look a bit closer. Aren’t these fancy places supposed to be…”
  2402. >”Gaudy?”
  2403. “Yeah, that.”
  2404. >”It’s called faux authenticity.”
  2405. >Did she just make that up?
  2406. >You’re pretty sure it’s an oxymoron.
  2407. >You might have to start carrying a dictionary when you’re with this girl.
  2408. >“The design is meant to be reminiscent of a more sincere, family owned establishment and put us at ease and suggest that the venue is a more casual and laid back environment than we might be accustomed to. The lack of finery SCREAMS of a casual outing like any- ahem- lower class establishment might offer.”
  2409. “Wait. It’s a fancy place, but they’re decorated like a less fancy place to tell us it’s okay to pretend it’s not fancy?”
  2410. >”That would be the jist of it.”
  2411. >This is a prank.
  2412. >It has to be.
  2413. >And yet, they had a doorman.
  2414. >You choose a seat almost arbitrarily.
  2415. >To nobody’s surprise, it was designed for a pony.
  2416. >Your upper half towers over the table, while your legs are folded nearly in half trying to fit in.
  2417. >Rarity nearly floats into the opposite seat.
  2418. >You weren’t previously aware that it was possible to sit down gracefully.
  2419. >No menus in sight, perhaps they’ll be by soon?
  2420. >”So what is the occasion?
  2421. “Something of a celebration I suppose. Looks like everypony’s going to walk away from this in one piece.”
  2422. >”That’s wonderful, yet I can’t help but feel you’re concealing something.”
  2423. “What makes you say that?”
  2424. >”It’s abundantly clear that you are ill at ease here. You didn’t know that a reservation was expected, you didn’t understand the decor, and you don’t seem to fit in the seats. You chose this venue not for yourself.”
  2425. >Hmm.
  2426. >You’d actually revealed quite a bit in the last few minutes, hadn’t you?
  2427. >Well, it’s not really like you were trying to hide it.
  2428. >”So why then would you bring one of the most attractive bachelorettes in the land to such an establishment? Whom are you trying to impress?”
  2429. >There’s the ego.
  2430. >Best not to disillusion her too hard.
  2431. >You’re trying to make her like being with you.
  2432. >There’s already enough resentment to work through, no need to anger her.
  2433. “Impress? No, you got it all wrong. I don’t need to impress anyone. Everyone’s already impressed or terrified, a date won’t shift the scales.”
  2434. >You’re probably one of the most polarizing people on the planet.
  2435. >Even if you define “people” extremely loosely.
  2436. >”I understand why some would be moved by some of your feats, but what precisely has others fearful?”
  2437. “Same thing. Some find my craft a bit off putting.”
  2438. >”Truly? Your professional pursuits seem noble enough.”
  2439. >Is she trying to imply the rest of your activities are ignoble?
  2440. >Maybe you aren’t as far along in the conditioning as you’d thought.
  2441. >A sharply dressed young mare quietly delivers two menu cards
  2442. >”Can I start either of you off with a drink?”
  2443. “Coffee. Black.”
  2444. >”What’s your house red?”
  2445. >”We carry Sauvignon Blanc, madame.”
  2446. >”Eugh. In that case I’ll have a Prosecco.”
  2447. >”Very good, madame.”
  2448. >What language were they even talking?
  2449. >The waiter walks back to the kitchen.
  2450. >You can’t help but notice everything is priced in multiples of five bits.
  2451. >That’s never a good sign.
  2452. >”You were telling me why some fear you.”
  2453. “Oh right! Medicine can get messy. Some ponies think it’s a bit ghoulish.”
  2454. >”I suppose it could be. Running thread through poor Twilight like that, just the thought brings me chills.”
  2455. >Stitches make her uneasy?
  2456. >Now you REALLY don’t want to tell her why the chef owes you.
  2457. >Explaining that you pull entire organs out would really bother her.
  2458. >Good thing you’re not a transplant specialist…
  2459. >”But you’ve not yet told me why we’re here.”
  2460. “Well, if you must know I’m rewarding you. I’m quite pleased with how helpful you’ve been in the last few days and figured you deserve something nice.”
  2461. >She scowls a bit at the menu.
  2462. >You can only guess at what’s going through her head.
  2463. >Is the concept itself upsetting her?
  2464. >Was she hoping that this might be something a bit more?
  2465. >Was the menu just a disappointment?
  2466. >You’re considering ordering her to explain when she offers the information herself.
  2467. >”I must confess to being uncomfortable with this arrangement.”
  2468. “Why’s that?”
  2469. >”I’d rather not receive something that has a monetary value for my, ahem, more intimate actions.”
  2470. “Why not?”
  2471. >”I thought you’d said you understood that I am not, err, employed in that profession.”
  2472. >What, it’s too close to prostitution?
  2473. >Damn prude.
  2474. “You’re still afraid of it? Well, we’ll fix that.”
  2475. >She’s already nervously chewing on her lip.
  2476. >But you don’t want to spoil this outing for such a stupid reason.
  2477. >She’s going to be rewarded for being your slave, and she’s going to like it!
  2478. “Don’t worry. I’m not paying you for that.”
  2479. >”But-”
  2480. “Shush. Why would I pay for it when I get it for free?”
  2481. >You furtively reach under the table and grab her by the pussy.
  2482. >Rarity yelps slightly when you make contact.
  2483. >You can’t help but notice she’s wet…
  2484. >She might even be leaning into your touch.
  2485. >For all her hesitation and fear, Rarity really does need it.
  2486. >She whines a little when you let go.
  2487. >Cadence was right about her.
  2488. >She craves dick.
  2489. >And though she complains about it, she always cums before you do.
  2490. >And usually more than once.
  2491. >If she wants it, then there must be something else holding her back.
  2492. >Shame?
  2493. >Maybe it’s time for another different approach.
  2494. >Feed that ego, tell her to be proud of her owner.
  2495. “If anything, you should be paying me.”
  2496. >”WHAT? Why would I pay you when you- err,”
  2497. >She almost said it out loud in public.
  2498. >Luckily she caught herself.
  2499. >Luckily for HER, that is.
  2500. “Because I don’t need you. There are thousands of mares out there who would happily do what you do.”
  2501. >At least, you suspect this is true.
  2502. >Just based on what you’ve seen in the Crystal empire lately.
  2503. >You really don’t know though.
  2504. “But the princess insisted we were meant to be together, so I decided to give it a shot. And these last few days? Well, I’m starting to think you’re good enough for me.”
  2505. >”Excuse me. I. Good enough. For YOU?”
  2506. “Yeah! I’ve got high standards, so you should feel honored.”
  2507. >She opens her mouth as though to reply, but she seems to be dumbstruck.
  2508. >C’mon…
  2509. >Take the compliment!
  2510. >”From whence do these standards come?”
  2511. “Oh come on. You know well enough. Revive enough dead princesses and you’ll have a steady stream of fangirls.”
  2512. >This was effectively true.
  2513. >Though none of them had ever proposed to become your fucktoy.
  2514. >At least, you don’t think they were.
  2515. >It took a while for you to learn their body language after all.
  2516. >Maybe you missed an opportunity?
  2517. >No point in wondering about that now.
  2518. >”Well, I suppose I should be flattered.”
  2519. >”Your drinks.”
  2520. >A mug of coffee is slipped before you.
  2521. >And in front of Rarity stands a fluted crystal glass full of a slightly yellow bubbling liquid.
  2522. >”Are you ready to place your orders, or would you like more time to decide?”
  2523. >”That depends. Which lettuce do you use for your Niçoise?”
  2524. >”It is composed of both romaine and leaf.”
  2525. >”Then it is decided.”
  2526. >”Very good. And for you, sir?”
  2527. >You don’t know what half of these things are.
  2528. >And most of the stuff you DO recognize would make you choke.
  2529. >Would it be crass to ask for oatmeal?
  2530. >Wait.
  2531. >Rarity said lettuce.
  2532. >You can eat that!
  2533. “What’s in the dish she’s getting?”
  2534. >”Lettuce, artichoke hearts, trimmed asparagus, basil leaves, onion, green beans, and tofu.”
  2535. “I’ll have that then.”
  2536. >”Very good.”
  2537. >He steps away.
  2538. >Rarity daintily sips from her drink.
  2539. >You test the coffee.
  2540. >Nothing special.
  2541. >”I suppose I owe you an apology.”
  2542. “It’s about time. What for?”
  2543. >”It was wrong of me to accuse you of poisoning Twilight.”
  2544. >Oh right.
  2545. >That had happened.
  2546. “Yeah, that was pretty low. But I’ll get over it.”
  2547. >”I’m glad. I cannot articulate how thankful we all are that you were there to aid us in such dire times. The thought of losing Twilight or Fluttershy is simply too much to bear.”
  2548. “What about the pink one?”
  2549. >”That would be dreadful too.”
  2550. “Well, I’m glad I could help.”
  2551. >”And to think, we’d been fooled by a changeling? Why, I never would have imagined such a thing could actually happen.”
  2552. >Hm…
  2553. “Hold on a sec.”
  2554. >You unfold yourself and march to the kitchen.
  2555. >You throw the doors open, causing everypony to look at you with a startled expression.
  2556. >Including a middle aged stallion in a toque.
  2557. >”Doctor! I swear I’m not trying to avoid you. I’ll pay the bill, I promise! I just have to-”
  2558. “That’s not why I’m here right now. CHANGELING CHECK!”
  2559. >You push your way in the kitchen and produce a glucometer.
  2560. >Everypony is too shocked or baffled to complain.
  2561. >Within a minute you’re marching out and returning to the table, having cleared the staff.
  2562. “Sorry about that.”
  2563. >You say to Rarity as you force yourself into the seat again.
  2564. “All this talk about changelings and poison reminded me that I should be careful.”
  2565. >”I thought you’d said this district had already been cleared?”
  2566. “Yep. But I need to make a habit of doing stuff like that until we’re certain it’s all blown over.”
  2567. >”But why should you? It is us that Chrysalis hates. We’re the one’s that get in the way of her machinations, and- oh dear. Not only were you instrumental in her defeat this time, but you’ve discovered how to identify them. She must abhor you now.”
  2568. “Probably.”
  2569. >You’ve been trying not to think about it too much.
  2570. >Lots of people don’t like you. You got used to that a long time ago.
  2571. >Hay, when you were doing your residency your supervisor told you as much every day.
  2572. >But having a murderous maniac out there writing your name on a list was something new.
  2573. >”Do you think they’ll catch her?”
  2574. “For all I know they already did. Shining Armor’s been unusually tight lipped about this stuff for a while now, probably ever since he figured out it was changelings.”
  2575. >”That would be lovely, but I somehow doubt it. She’s proven quite slippery in the past.”
  2576. “Well, there’s not much we can do other than hope right now. He seems to be taking it very seriously though, so I figure he’ll pull it off.”
  2577. >”I do hope you’re right. I dread to think what might happen if she evades justice once more. The attacks are worse every time. Speaking of, might I ask how they’re doing?”
  2578. “Your friends? Well, without getting into specifics they’re better than I’d expected.”
  2579. >”I’m glad to hear it.”
  2580. “You should come to the clinic with me tomorrow morning so you can see them.”
  2581. >”May I?”
  2582. “Of course. Maybe you could actually be helpful. The rainbow one is a bit…”
  2583. >”Obstinate?”
  2584. “That. There was a test that she absolutely refused to do, despite Twilight’s objections.”
  2585. >”Is this test critical?”
  2586. “Could be. None of what she’s complaining about suggests she got unlucky, but if she did we need to start making plans to send her to Earth for treatment.”
  2587. >”My. Is it that serious?”
  2588. >Kidney trauma.
  2589. >It could be totally fine, it could warrant an artificial kidney, or it could be anything in between.
  2590. “I don’t know, that’s why I need to do the test.”
  2591. >”I see. And what is it you ask of her?”
  2592. “I need her to pee in a cup”
  2593. >”Ah. Yes, I suppose I can see why that might be met with hesitation.”
  2594. >The waiter was approaching with the dishes.
  2595. >You taste yours hesitantly.
  2596. >It’s not bad.
  2597. >Not good either.
  2598. >You can’t help but feel like it’s missing something like chicken or grilled fish.
  2599. >But it’s better than most pony entrees you’ve tried.
  2600. >Rarity seems to be enjoying it at least.
  2601. >The conversation dies down while the two of you eat.
  2602. >For you, it’s an awkward and bland meal.
  2603. >For Rarity, it’s an ambrosiac treat.
  2604. >Or so you hope.
  2605. >The waiter returns to take your plates almost as soon as you’ve finished.
  2606. >”Was everything to your liking tonight?”
  2607. >”There was a tad too much vinaigrette, but despite that it was excellent.”
  2608. >”I apologize for the excess, madame, and shall relay your input to the chef. And you, sir?”
  2609. >How to put it politely…
  2610. “It exceeded expectations.”
  2611. >”I am glad to hear it. Would either of you be interested in the dessert menu?”
  2612. >”Tiramisu for the both of us. And have you any ice wine?”
  2613. >”Indeed. Locally sourced from the White Water Winery, made with their own carefully grown Emerald grapes.”
  2614. >”Ooh, that sounds lovely. I shall have a glass of that.”
  2615. “Wait. It’s made of emeralds?”
  2616. >”It is the name of the grape, sir. Known for its exceptional verdance and flavor. It was first cultivated right here in the Empire by-”
  2617. “I’ll pass on the drinks, thanks.”
  2618. >”Very good.”
  2619. >You wait for him to take his leave.
  2620. “You ordered for me?”
  2621. >”When we were perusing the menu earlier I couldn’t help but notice they were woefully lacking in desert options.”
  2622. “And so you decided I didn’t need to pick?”
  2623. >”Well, master-”
  2624. >She doesn’t seem to have noticed she said it.
  2625. >”Forgive me for saying so but you seemed out of your depth when selecting. So I took it upon myself to choose something that you ought to be able to eat.”
  2626. >Oh.
  2627. >That was very thoughtful of her.
  2628. “Thank you. Though you should ask me first in the future. What is this anyway?”
  2629. >”Coffee, cheese, cocoa, sugar, and liquor.”
  2630. >She finishes her booze off right after saying that.
  2631. >Wait a second.
  2632. >Alcohol in the desert, wine, and more different wine.
  2633. >Is she trying to get tipsy?
  2634. >The waiter returns yet again with the deserts, wine, and the bill.
  2635. >You cautiously reach for the paper, as though it might bite you.
  2636. >”I have been asked to inform you that your meal tonight is complimentary.”
  2637. >You let out a sigh of relief.
  2638. >Rarity drinks greedily of her wine.
  2639. >She’s definitely trying to get tipsy.
  2640. >They have a decent sized liver, and they produce a decent amount of ADH.
  2641. >Less than a human, but still enough that a modest dose won’t linger too long.
  2642. >Based on your medical expertise and extensive first hand experience in university, you estimate that she’s just going to be a bit buzzed.
  2643. >But why?
  2644. >The dessert is actually really good.
  2645. >You can’t help but wonder where they get the cheese from though.
  2646. >Goats and cows can talk in this world.
  2647. >Do they use another mammal?
  2648. >Is this bat milk or something weird like that?
  2649. >You do your best to stop thinking about where they got the cheese.
  2650. >Rarity leans on the table, looking up at you with half lidded eyes.
  2651. >The wait staff seem to be keeping their distance from you, probably at the chef’s orders.
  2652. >He’s been skipping out on that bill for a long time.
  2653. >No doubt he’s hoping you’ll leave without bringing it up.
  2654. >You unfold from the seats, and offer Rarity a hand to get up.
  2655. >She looks away and blushes slightly, accepting your offer.
  2656. >She leans against you just a bit as the two of you depart.
  2657. >”Thank you, Master. That was a lovely outing. Shall we retire for the night and make love?”
  2658. >Is she asking for sex?
  2659. >Is that why she had the wine?
  2660. >To lower her inhibitions enough to ask you?
  2661. “A-”
  2662. >You bite your tongue.
  2663. >Don’t agree, idiot!
  2664. >This is a golden opportunity!
  2665. >She’s buzzed, so her inhibitions are low.
  2666. >And she’s ASKING for it!
  2667. >Right now she wants it more than you do.
  2668. >This is your chance for a paradigmatic shift!
  2669. >From now on, she has to EARN it.
  2670. “Ah, I dunno. Not tonight. I don’t really feel like it.”
  2671. >”Pardon me?”
  2672. “I’m not in the mood.”
  2673. >”But- but we had a dinner date! I thought that next we were meant to- umm, to make beautiful music.
  2674. “Sorry, but I don’t feel like it right now. But if you’re really insistent, perhaps there’s something you could do to put me in the mood.”
  2675.  
  2676. >You do your best to return home casually so as not to appear eager.
  2677. >The goal is for Rarity to think you don’t want to fuck her.
  2678. >To make her think that she has to do something to earn it.
  2679. >And ideally, to make her think you’re doing her a favor in the process.
  2680. >Though that might be a bit more of a long term goal.
  2681. >Rarity, for her part, keeps walking on ahead only to have to slow her pace so you can catch up.
  2682. >If she doesn’t learn to keep pace, you might have to put a leash on her.
  2683. >Actually…
  2684. >No.
  2685. >Not yet, at least.
  2686. >It would draw too much attention.
  2687. >Though Cadence did say that was her plan.
  2688. >For you to ease the taboo on this kind of thing.
  2689. >You’ll have to cross that bridge eventually.
  2690. …
  2691. >Do you?
  2692. >You weren’t explicitly ordered to.
  2693. >In fact, you had to suss that plan out.
  2694. >And even then you never actually agreed to it.
  2695. >As far as you can tell, you’re under no obligation whatsoever.
  2696. >Though you have to admit, it would be fun to see how far you could push it.
  2697. >It might be fun to see this stuff become fashionable.
  2698. >Or more.
  2699. >Dare you dream of it being the norm?
  2700. >No, don’t aim so high just yet.
  2701. >You need to focus on Rarity.
  2702. >She’s doing well, but she’s not actually done yet.
  2703. >Get her to wear the label of “slave” with pride.
  2704. >And make her accept that you’re going to own more than one.
  2705. >And ideally, get her to help train your second one.
  2706. >When the two of you get home, Rarity walks in before you.
  2707. >A faux pass to be sure.
  2708. >But it’s not one you’re going to bring up this time.
  2709. >It would take time and risk altering her favorable mood.
  2710. >You intend to put this opportunity to better use than enforcing door etiquette of all things.
  2711. “I think we can make this work.”
  2712. >”You’ve changed your mind?”
  2713. “Nope. I’m just not in the mood. However… you might be able to put me in the mood.”
  2714. >”What did you have in mind?”
  2715. “I’m going to go shower. If I were to find something exceptionally enticing when I returned, perhaps I would change my mind. I, err, I brought the ropes and cuffs home this morning. They should be in the closet.”
  2716. >She’d figure it out.
  2717. >Probably.
  2718. >You try to go slowly in the shower so as to give her plenty of time to get things set up.
  2719. >Even with flossing you figure you were in there less than half as long as her shower earlier today.
  2720. >How does she even do it?
  2721. >You might have to watch her shower someday.
  2722. >Covertly, of course.
  2723. >Not because of privacy concerns, of course.
  2724. >Just so that she doesn’t alter her behavior.
  2725. >When you’ve finished up you enter the bedroom fully expecting to be disappointed.
  2726. >Instead, you see a dripping wet pussy right before you at roughly crotch height.
  2727. >Rarity is lying on the bed, resting on her back.
  2728. >Her hind legs are awkwardly positioned behind her, hooves up behind her head and held in place with cuffs.
  2729. >The impressive display of flexibility leaves her with an almost legless appearance, as though her body just stops at her butt.
  2730. >Her front legs are likewise bound, except in front of her face.
  2731. >Perhaps she’d used her mouth to do the cuffs up?
  2732. >No blindfold, and no gag.
  2733. >You feel as though she could do better.
  2734. >But perhaps she just didn’t have enough time to think it through.
  2735. “Good work, for how little time you had to plan it out. I’m sure you’ll do even better next time.”
  2736. >”Next time? But-”
  2737. “I think you’ve earned your reward. Open.”
  2738. >You gesture for her to open her mouth, and then fit a bit in her mouth.
  2739. >Why did these even exist here?
  2740. >You’re not certain of their origins, but you’re also not about to complain.
  2741. >Once the bit is securely fastened in place and Rarity is effectively rendered mute, you roughly pull the plug from her butt.
  2742. >She gasps in shock.
  2743. “I think you should do something like this every night. Just to keep things… fresh. You know what they say about variety. Oh, and a few VERY important rules. No gags until I put them in, nothing on the neck, and no pressure on the diaphragm. And try not to be bound for more than half an hour before I get here. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
  2744. >You’re pretty sure she’s not listening.
  2745. >Better go over it again tomorrow morning.
  2746. >You position yourself before her sopping wet hole, and gently press your tip against it.
  2747. >But you don’t quite penetrate, instead allowing the tension to build.
  2748. >You press ever harder, making sure your presence is known but refusing to actually move in.
  2749. >Then, you push the plug against her anus.
  2750. >She offers a muffled yelp and squirms a bit, but is completely powerless to evade.
  2751. >Hrm…
  2752. >She should be healed enough by now to work her tail hole properly.
  2753. >And she seems aroused enough that she might accept it.
  2754. >Time to work through her resistance.
  2755. “I know you haven’t learned to enjoy anal sex yet. But don’t worry, we’ll teach this lewd little hole how to have fun.”
  2756. >”Uh! NUH!”
  2757. >The plug slides in.
  2758. >And so do you.
  2759. >Rarity gasps with what you assume to be pleasure.
  2760. >You grind yourself against her pussy while you fiddle around with the plug, trying to split the stimulation evenly between the two holes.
  2761. “Honestly, a mare your age and you haven’t even done proper anal training. What were you going to do if you needed to work three cocks at once?”
  2762. >You roughly thrust into her a couple of times and give her buttocks a good heavy slap.
  2763. >She cries out in ecstasy and begins convulsing.
  2764. “You already came?”
  2765. >You ask in genuine shock.
  2766. >It takes a few seconds for you to get back into character.
  2767. “Er, just as I’d expect from such a slut.”
  2768. >You get back to your rough thrusting in hopes of prolonging her orgasm.
  2769. >She involuntarily thrashes against her bindings as the waves of pleasure wash over her.
  2770. >After several seconds her entire body grows tense.
  2771. >Then, with one last squeal, she falls limp.
  2772. “Surely you’re not satisfied.”
  2773. >You pull out of her and produce a slim, pink vibrator made of some rubbery material.
  2774. >You slide it into her gaping pussy and switch it on.
  2775. >Rarity squeals, and you’re pretty sure you hear a “yes” in the garbled mess.
  2776. >You work it around in her for a while, marvelling at how much wetness is coming out of her.
  2777. >The deluge of marecum could fill a wine glass.
  2778. >You pull the excessively lubricated vibrator out.
  2779. >You then start to slowly work said vibrator deep into her ass.
  2780. “It shouldn’t hurt. Just relax and enjoy the sensation.”
  2781. >You stick your dick in her again, slowly and methodically moving both yourself and the vibrator in a carefully syncopated rhythm.
  2782. >She gets much tighter when you push the dildo in.
  2783. >You go to the hilt and stay put, moving the dildo exclusively.
  2784. >Her spasms and contractions milk your dick without you having to move it, like a tender massage.
  2785. >It’s an unusual sensation, a ring of gentle pressure working its way from your pelvis to your glans then back.
  2786. >A warm, soft, and welcoming ring of pressure.
  2787. >Subtle by comparison to actually fucking her, but just hard enough to bring pleasure.
  2788. >You could finish like this and be totally satisfied.
  2789. >Maybe you will, just to see how it feels.
  2790. >But not just yet.
  2791. >Instead, you pull out of both of her holes.
  2792. >Hopefully that loosened he rup a bit.
  2793. >You produce a string of glass beads.
  2794. >Some of them are pretty big…
  2795. >Better not go too far.
  2796. >Number 3 looks to be about as big around as your dick.
  2797. “I want you to get to four tonight.”
  2798. >She doesn’t answer, of course.
  2799. >You’re not sure she’d be able to even without the bit.
  2800. >She’s panting so heavily.
  2801. “If you don’t have all of your holes ready and willing, you’re a bad lover. But don’t worry, you’ll love it soon enough. Deep breaths.”
  2802. >To your surprise, her breathing starts to even out a bit.
  2803. >It’s still fast and heavy, but more controlled.
  2804. >The first one goes in no problem.
  2805. >The second one takes a bit of pressure.
  2806. >And the third one…
  2807. >Is stuck.
  2808. >You stick a couple of fingers in her sopping pussy and begin to play with it.
  2809. >She’s winking and trembling with delight.
  2810. >But the bead still won’t slip in.
  2811. >You know she can take this one.
  2812. >She’s taken bigger toys before, albeit with some crying.
  2813. >If she can take something bigger, you don’t have to worry about damaging her.
  2814. >You force the bead in.
  2815. >Rarity tries to pull away, tries to scream.
  2816. >Her thrashing becomes violent for a moment and tears well up in her eyes.
  2817. >You stop stimulating her cunt and instead stroke her mane for about a minute until she calms down.
  2818. >This wasn’t good.
  2819. >It wasn’t supposed to hurt that much.
  2820. >Ideally, it wasn’t supposed to hurt at all!
  2821. >This wasn’t punishment sex, after all.
  2822. >You take out the bit.
  2823. “Relax, you’re fine.”
  2824. >”It hu-u-urts!”
  2825. “But-”
  2826. >”Take it out! Please take it OUT!”
  2827. >Damn.
  2828. >You either push on, potentially making her dread sex when you were FINALLY able to use it as a reward.
  2829. >OR you take orders from your slave.
  2830. >There is no winning play here.
  2831. >Unless…
  2832. >Maybe you can talk her into keeping it in.
  2833. >Convince her she wants it to stay.
  2834. “Nothing’s damaged down here. You’re fine.”
  2835. >”Take it out!”
  2836. “Not until you calm down. If I try to force it while you’re closed up like this I risk actually hurting you.”
  2837. >She sniffles a bit, but nods in comprehension.
  2838. >She tries to sit up, seemingly having forgotten she’s tied herself in place.
  2839. “You’re fine. Just calm down, take a few deep breaths.”
  2840. >”I’m sorry master. It just hurt so bad!”
  2841. “Well, it’s not supposed to. You’ve taken bigger things in there before. Did it hurt that bad then?”
  2842. >She nods.
  2843. >You nearly ask her why she didn’t say anything, but think better of it.
  2844. >Reminding her of the time you ass raped her might make her a bit grumpy.
  2845. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
  2846. >The truth.
  2847. “I thought you’d enjoy it. Many mares do.”
  2848. >Again, true.
  2849. “And I really want you to have fun tonight.”
  2850. >Three truths in a row.
  2851. >It’s starting to feel a little weird.
  2852. “So we won’t be going for four tonight.”
  2853. >”Really?”
  2854. “Yes. I’m not trying to torture you.”
  2855. >Well, not at the moment at least.
  2856. >You’re going to have to talk this through with her.
  2857. >You’ve got a strategy in mind.
  2858. >And that starts with fucking her brains out.
  2859. >You penetrate her sopping pussy without warning, eliciting a shocked gasp.
  2860. >”I- ah! I thought that we were done for the night. Ooh!”
  2861. “Not yet we aren’t.”
  2862. >Hopefully she’s close.
  2863. >Her heavy breathing and flushed face seem to suggest she is.
  2864. >You pick her up with a bit more effort than you’d care to admit.
  2865. >You hold her against your chest and lean your head on her shoulders, thrusting as quickly as you can without losing your grip.
  2866. >Focusing on moving her distracts just enough from the glorious sensation to let you continue.
  2867. >Your arms begin to burn with exertion, your legs grow rubbery, and lightning runs through your spine.
  2868. >”Yes! Harder, master! HARDER!”
  2869. >You can’t hold out much longer.
  2870. >Rarity’s cries reach a fevered pitch.
  2871. >That’s your cue.
  2872. >You pull the beads out in one swift motion, causing Rarity to tense up and tighten around your shaft.
  2873. >You lose control as the pleasure overtakes you, releasing your seed against your will.
  2874. >Your vision fails you as your eyes roll into the back of your head.
  2875. >You can vaguely feel yourself falling on the bed atop Rarity.
  2876. >Still thrusting, still holding her tight.
  2877. >Your overstimulated dick finally starts to grow limp, and you pull yourself out.
  2878. >Rarity’s tongue is hanging out of her mouth, drooling in a notably un-ladylike fashion.
  2879. >You untie the legs behind her head, allowing her to rest in a more comfortable position.
  2880. >You also remove the blindfold.
  2881. >Her front hooves stay bound.
  2882. >When you lie down next to her, she looks you in the eye and smiles.
  2883. >There’s genuine joy in her massive blue eyes, and more than a hint of a blush in her cheeks.
  2884. “How was it? Lovely?”
  2885. >”Lovely? No, it was marvelous!”
  2886. >Marvelous?
  2887. >In Rarity speak, you think that’s somewhere between exceptional and fantastic.
  2888. >Just short of divine.
  2889. >Given the hiccough in the middle, that’s about as much as you could hope for.
  2890. “Well, I’m glad you liked it.”
  2891. >She shuffles a bit to the side to cuddle up against you.
  2892. >You place an arm over her and pull her in.
  2893. >”I do apologize for stopping things halfway through.”
  2894. >How to reply to that?
  2895. >You could chastise her, or you could be sympathetic.
  2896. >There are good arguments either way.
  2897. >”If I may ask, what is the cause of your fascination with my, ahem, derriere?”
  2898. >Or she could just give you a perfect opening.
  2899. “I’m just trying to keep things interesting.”
  2900. >”Keep things interesting? Whatever do you mean?”
  2901. “I just don’t want sex to grow... stale.”
  2902. >”Stale! But I accept such humiliating poses for you! What more could you want?”
  2903. >Going off the rails a little bit.
  2904. >You’re trying to entice her, not insult her.
  2905. “The Crystal Empire is a pretty wild place. They have different sensibilities than Equestria, and most of Earth. You have no idea how many ponies come in looking for aphrodisiacs or other lewd things.”
  2906. >That’s not a lie per se.
  2907. >She doesn’t know.
  2908. >The fact that it’s basically just Cadence is irrelevant.
  2909. “And talking to them, I’ve heard some of the things mares will do for their lovers.”
  2910. >”Such as using their rump?”
  2911. “Oh, much much more. That’s not even anything special around some circles. But I get it, it’s not something you can do just yet. We’ll get there though.”
  2912. >There is a pregnant pause that lasts much longer than you cared for.
  2913. >Perhaps a couple of minutes even.
  2914. >Had you blown it?
  2915. >The hope was to put in Rarity’s mind that she’s bad in bed without actually saying it.
  2916. >And honestly, you think she IS bad in bed.
  2917. >She just lies there and lets you do all the work.
  2918. >But you don’t want to insult her.
  2919. >Attacking her ego is dangerous.
  2920. >But manipulating her ego?
  2921. >That gets results.
  2922. >She mutters something under her breath that you don’t quite catch.
  2923. >It didn’t sound like happy muttering.
  2924. >Should you pry?
  2925. >No, she’d just lie.
  2926. >”Have you any more wine?”
  2927. “Nope. I think you’ve had enough anyway.”
  2928. >”Oh dear.”
  2929. “You don’t need a drink. Just say it, it’s okay.”
  2930. >”Alright. Master, would you mind untying my hooves? I wish to take a shower.”
  2931. “Yeah, no problem.”
  2932. >Wait.
  2933. >It’s cuffs.
  2934. >Where’s the key?
  2935. >Rarity gestures to the nightstand.
  2936. >You find the key right next to your candlestick.
  2937. >When you release Rarity, she gets out of bed.
  2938. >And walks right past the washroom.
  2939. “Where are you going?”
  2940. >Rarity leaves the building, leaving your front door open.
  2941. >You scurry out of bed and rush to the exit, forgetting your nudity.
  2942. >But when you step outside, there’s no sign of her.
  2943. >Rarity has run away.
  2944.  
  2945. >Rarity tore through the streets in the vain hopes that she might outrun her feelings.
  2946. >A myriad of excuses ran through her mind as to why she’d left so suddenly.
  2947. >She told herself it was a cunning escape from a cruel captor.
  2948. >She verbally exclaimed that she had emancipated herself from a vile miscreant.
  2949. >And she affirmed that this was a statement about freedom and autonomy.
  2950. >That fiend had no right to abduct her!
  2951. >He was a cruel beast for robbing her of her magic!
  2952. >An incorrigible reprobate who had RAPED her!
  2953. >And yet…
  2954. >She didn’t hate him.
  2955. >And that shook her to her very core.
  2956. >It wasn’t a yearning for freedom that had spurred Rarity’s egress, quite the contrary.
  2957. >It was fear.
  2958. >Nay, TERROR!
  2959. >A gut wrenching panic at the ineffable horrors that come to her unbidden.
  2960. >How could she possibly feel anything but loathing for that beast?
  2961. >Had that whore of a princess been right about her?
  2962. >No!
  2963. >That was unthinkable.
  2964. >Rarity needed help, and she needed it quickly!
  2965. >But from whom?
  2966. >Rarity needed a confidant.
  2967. >A fantastic listener who might make sense of these frenzied thoughts and feelings.
  2968. But more importantly, it needed to be somepony who’d dare not judge her for her proclivities.
  2969. >There was but one pony that fit the bill.
  2970. >Rarity had to get to the palace.
  2971. >”HALT! NOT A STEP FURTHER!”
  2972. >She was shaken out of her reverie by several very burly ponies wearing full suits of steel scale armor.
  2973. >Rarity saw three spears pointed directly in her face.
  2974. >Upon backing up she spotted yet more glistening metal out of the corners of her eye.
  2975. >Arbalests were pointed at her out of nearby windows.
  2976. >It was a far cry from the glistening bronzed wood of Equestria’s guards.
  2977. >These ponies were far better equipped.
  2978. >And something told her there were many more of them nearby, ready to pounce on anypony or anything brash enough to cause trouble.
  2979. “Please, you must help me! I- I need my friends, I have to get to the palace!”
  2980. >”Step. Back.”
  2981. >Rarity was not certain who’d said it.
  2982. >None of the ponies she could see had moved their mouths.
  2983. >She was in no mood to argue, however, and took several cautious paces backwards without turning around.
  2984. >”Name.”
  2985. “I- I’m Rarity!”
  2986. >The ones with the spears seemed satisfied by her distance and raised them.
  2987. >They spent a brief moment muttering amongst themselves.
  2988. >It did not take long to reach a conclusion.
  2989. >”Close your eyes and hold still. We need to verify your identity.
  2990. “Close my eyes?”
  2991. >”Just do it. And if we see any magic coming from that horn? Well, uhh, wait. I practiced for this. You’re going home on a stretcher.”
  2992. >Rarity didn’t want to argue with that either.
  2993. >She closed her eyes and tried to hold still.
  2994. >”Wait, boss. Sorry for talking out of turn, but why would she be going home? Wouldn’t it be the clinic or something?”
  2995. >”Is this really important right now?”
  2996. >”Not really. We’ve already blown it, right? But if this happens again we’re going to want to get it right.”
  2997. >”Okay… but what’s the difference if I say home or hospital?”
  2998. >”Well, the way I see it is we’re less intimidating that way, right? We gotta be as spooky as possible to try and prevent fights. If we say they’re going home then it sounds like they’ll be fine, right?”
  2999. >Something sharp poked Rarity in the leg.
  3000. >She nearly jumped with shock, but managed to restrict it to a mere flinch.
  3001. >”It’s showing the wrong symbols. She’s clear. You can open your eyes, ma’am.”
  3002. >The voice came from a fair distance.
  3003. >They must have used a unicorn’s magic to draw the sample.
  3004. >When Rarity could see again, she noticed that there were considerably fewer weapons visible.
  3005. >One of the guards had put their spear down and was cautiously approaching her.
  3006. >It was a stocky young mare, probably an Earth pony.
  3007. >Most of her body was obscured by armor, but Rarity could see the face of a brown crystal pony smiling up at her.
  3008. >”We’re very sorry about that. Are you hurt, ma’am?”
  3009. “I- I’m okay.”
  3010. >”Alright. Please come this way and tell me what happened.”
  3011. ”Please, I just wish to see my friends.”
  3012. >”I understand, and we’ll get you there. In fact I’m going to escort you to the palace right now. But I need to ask a few questions while we’re on the way. Were you attacked?”
  3013. >Attacked?
  3014. “No, I haven’t.”
  3015. >”Okay… were you being held against your will?”
  3016. >Was she?
  3017. >Perhaps.
  3018. >It had been made clear that she was not to do so.
  3019. >And yet, it was ever so easy to leave.
  3020. >Why had she not run before?
  3021. >Had it been shame?
  3022. >Fear?
  3023. >Desire?
  3024. >The guard seemed to take Rarity’s silence as an answer and nodded solemnly.
  3025. >”And I’m sorry to ask this. But were you assaulted in a sexual manner?”
  3026. >Why would she even think that?
  3027. >”Would you consent to us collecting samples for a rape investigation?”
  3028. “What? No! I wasn’t, umm, you know.”
  3029. >”Are you certain? There’s no shame in it at all.”
  3030. “No.”
  3031. >”Please, ma’am. Your secret’s safe with me.”
  3032. “I said NO!”
  3033. >”But-”
  3034. “Please! I just want to talk to my friends.”
  3035. >”Alright.”
  3036. >The pony sounded dejected.
  3037. >But she began to escort Rarity to the palace.
  3038. >The two of them walked, largely in silence.
  3039. >When they arrived, the armored pony placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder.
  3040. >“Ma’am, if you change your mind or need protection from somepony, go to any guard post. They’ll make sure you’re safe. Do you understand?”
  3041. >Would they?
  3042. >Perhaps.
  3043. >Perhaps if Rarity made enough noise about this, she could be saved.
  3044. >Her friends were in town.
  3045. >If they knew what was happening they’d report back to princess Celestia!
  3046. >She would be freed.
  3047. >Free to go home.
  3048. >And with the choice to never return!
  3049. >But no, it wasn’t the crystal ponies that would save her.
  3050. >They would report that whore of a princess.
  3051. >If Rarity was to be saved, she needed her friends.
  3052. “I understand. But I assure you, my friends will be able to help me.”
  3053. >”Alright. I’m going to go back to my post. Do you think you could find it on your own?”
  3054. “I would.”
  3055. >”Good. If you need to talk to me any further, I’ll be happy to help.”
  3056. >Despite what she’d just said, the guard didn’t leave.
  3057. >She instead waited for Rarity to step away, and enter the building.
  3058. >As soon as she opened the doors, Rarity was swarmed by yet more guards.
  3059. >And yet another sample was taken.
  3060. >But to her surprise, Rarity was free to move about as she wished.
  3061. >Nopony made any attempt to restrict her nor direct her.
  3062. >No explanation was offered, nor did Rarity ask for one.
  3063. >It did not take long to navigate the shimmering halls and make her way to the guest quarters.
  3064. >Rarity had spent a great deal of time exploring the palace during simpler times.
  3065. >She knew the layout well.
  3066. >Upon arriving, Rarity realized she didn’t know in which rooms her friends were staying.
  3067. >It occurred to her that she could ask somepony.
  3068. >But whom?
  3069. >She was not eager to speak to the guards again, lest they interrogate her further.
  3070. >But knocking at random could very well be worse.
  3071. >And she dared not interact with Cadence!
  3072. >Just as Rarity had resigned herself to asking for help, she heard a most welcome sound from behind.
  3073. >”Rarity?”
  3074. “Fluttershy! Oh, I’m so glad to see you.”
  3075. >”Oh my goodness! Please, come into my room. It’s, umm, it’s the one behind you. I think that one’s empty.”
  3076. >Fluttershy pushed the door open and beckoned for Rarity to enter.
  3077. >The room was somewhat spartan compared to what Rarity knew of the palace’s lodgings.
  3078. >It was far from being rustic, yet it still had a homey feel that was usually absent from such opulent places.
  3079. >The bed wasn’t elevated very high off the ground, the carpeting wasn’t particularly plush, and there was only enough furnishing for a few ponies.
  3080. >Fluttershy made her way to the lamp in the middle of the coffee table, navigating the darkened room.
  3081. >”I’m sorry, but would you be so kind as to light up? We have company.”
  3082. >Dozens of fireflies began to gently fly from the top of the lamp, scattering themselves about the room and hanging lazily in the air.
  3083. >The place was filled with a soothing greenish glow in short order.
  3084. >The two of them sat opposite each other around the table.
  3085. >For some reason, Rarity couldn’t bring herself to look directly at her friend.
  3086. >She stared down at the table, pretending to inspect the varnish.
  3087. >”Rarity? What happened to you?”
  3088. >Rarity opened her mouth, but was dumbfounded.
  3089. >How was she to explain the situation?
  3090. >How does one admit to being a freak?
  3091. >This was Fluttershy, but even so!
  3092. >And yet, Rarity needed to talk.
  3093. >She had no choice!
  3094. >”Umm, I’m very sorry but, were you…”
  3095. “Was I what?”
  3096. >”Um. Raped.”
  3097. “No.”
  3098. >And that was exactly the problem.
  3099. “Why does everypony ask me that anyway?”
  3100. >”You’re, um…”
  3101. >For the first time since leaving, Rarity took a moment to assess herself.
  3102. >Her mane and tail were in a terrible state of disarray.
  3103. >The smell of rut was heavy in the air.
  3104. >The fur between her legs was matted and dirtied.
  3105. >And most damningly, a small amount of semen was dripping down her leg.
  3106. >Rarity felt faint.
  3107. >And yet, at the same time, somehow excited.
  3108. >The blush on her face was intensified by the twin triggers of lust and shame.
  3109. >”Are you sure? I swear I wouldn’t tell anypony.”
  3110. “I wasn’t raped, Fluttershy. Though I must confess that is indeed why I wished to speak with you. I gave myself to him willingly, and now I’m not certain what I should do!”
  3111. >”You did? But you told me you were saving yourself for your one true love!”
  3112. “I was. And I fear I did.”
  3113. >Fluttershy’s face was oscillating between looks of concern and confusion.
  3114. >She eventually settled on a vacant expression, save for a scrunched up muzzle.
  3115. >”Well? Do you love him or not?”
  3116. “I do. I love him dearly. But I don’t want to! He’s nothing like what I’d dreamed! He’s supposed to be of noble blood, with pristine grooming and impeccable manners, and a smile so handsome it’s illegal to print on a magazine cover lest all the mares of the land swoon!”
  3117. >”And?”
  3118. “And he’s nothing of the sort. He only showers once a day! He doesn’t hold doors for me, and he is completely oblivious to proper dining etiquette. And his face! It’s so… bizarre!”
  3119. >”Is he a noble?”
  3120. “He lives in a hovel that makes your home look palatial. Look at me! I debased myself with- with a SERF!”
  3121. >”Oh. So he’s not what you’d thought he’d be. Does that really matter? If you love him, isn’t that the important part?”
  3122. >Rarity averted her gaze once more.
  3123. >That had been bothering her, it was true.
  3124. >But they had yet to reach the most critical part of the story.
  3125. >”Does this pony have a name?”
  3126. “He, um, he might not be a pony.”
  3127. >”Oh my goodness! Is it the doctor?”
  3128. >Rarity froze up.
  3129. >She couldn’t answer.
  3130. >She didn’t need to.
  3131. >”I heard a rumor about humans not long ago. Is it true?”
  3132. “Is what true?”
  3133. >”Well, did it fit in?”
  3134. “Did what fi- FLUTTERSHY!”
  3135. >”Sorry!”
  3136. >Fluttershy shrank back, completely obscuring her face with her mane.
  3137. “Where did you even hear that?”
  3138. >”There were some guard mares talking about how he had these things to wrap them in, and that they could stretch out to be huge.”
  3139. >It wasn’t enormous.
  3140. >Thankfully.
  3141. >It fit eerily well, as though it had been made for her.
  3142. “I’m ever so sorry for snapping at you like that, dear. I’m just so tense at the moment. There are a million problems with this relationship, and I don’t know what to do!”
  3143. >”Why not talk to Princess Cadence?”
  3144. “No.”
  3145. >”Why not? She’s supposed to be an expert on love.”
  3146. “No. I already know her thoughts on the matter.”
  3147. >”And what does she think?”
  3148. >Should she tell Fluttershy what had happened?
  3149. >The indignity would be too much to bear!
  3150. “I would rather not say.”
  3151. >”Oh, it’s okay. I understand.”
  3152. >No, she really didn’t.
  3153. >”But if you want me to help you, I need to know what the problem is.”
  3154. “I already told you.”
  3155. >”Really? But it doesn’t sound like you.”
  3156. “And what, precisely, doesn’t sound like me?”
  3157. >”Well, it’s just that you used to read all those books about forbidden romance and true love conquering all. And the doctor seems very nice, so what’s wrong?”
  3158. >She was scared.
  3159. >Nay, terrified.
  3160. >Blinded by fear at the realization of what she was becoming.
  3161. “We were making love and I told him to stop.”
  3162. >”Oh my goodness! So he did rape you!”
  3163. “No. That’s just the thing. He stopped when I told him to.”
  3164. >That vacant scrunched up expression was back.
  3165. “And I didn’t want him to!”
  3166. >”Then why did you tell him to stop?”
  3167. “Because I didn’t want to do it!”
  3168. >”Rarity, please get a hold of yourself! You’re not making any sense!”
  3169. >She was right.
  3170. >This didn’t make any sense.
  3171. >She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
  3172. “I… I liked it. But I didn’t want to like it. I don’t want Cadence to be right.”
  3173. >”Right about what?”
  3174. “She said awful things about me. Things I cannot possibly repeat!”
  3175. >”Things like?”
  3176. “I just finished saying that I cannot possibly repeat them!”
  3177. >”Oh dear. This is all so confusing. I don’t know what to do.”
  3178. >She was tearing up.
  3179. >This was too much pressure for Fluttershy, and Rarity knew it.
  3180. >Worse, she knew that it was her own fault.
  3181. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I’m not being fair to you. I’ll tell you what happened, but you must swear you won’t tell a single soul!”
  3182. >”Of course, Rarity. My lips are sealed.”
  3183. “Not even your critters! I wouldn’t be able to show my face in Ponyville if they all knew.”
  3184. >Here it goes.
  3185. >Be brave, Rarity!
  3186. >Fluttershy is your dearest friend, and this is not the first time she’s acted as a confidant.
  3187. >She can be trusted.
  3188. >Hopefully.
  3189. “He makes me do strange things before we have our fun.”
  3190. >”Strange things?”
  3191. “Yes. Such as restrictive clothing, and tying my hooves to the bedpost to leave me in strange poses. He’ll even cover my eyes sometimes. It’s indecent.”
  3192. >And she loved it.
  3193. >”What a fascinating ritual.”
  3194. “Ritual?”
  3195. >”Oh yes. Many animals have complicated processes that they have to follow before mating, especially if it’s dangerous or difficult to do. That’s why peacocks have such pretty feathers you know, it’s to show off to the females that they’re strong and healthy.”
  3196. “You think this is like peacock feathers.”
  3197. >”Oh, no. Not quite. I think it’s more like octopi, or maybe the praying mantis. He is a predator after all.”
  3198. >The doctor was a predator?
  3199. >How did she know?
  3200. >Rarity banished the thought.
  3201. >HOW Fluttershy knew things about animals was immaterial.
  3202. >WHAT she knew was what mattered.
  3203. “Please explain.”
  3204. >”Well, being a male octopus or praying mantis is actually very dangerous. If you approach a female octopus and she isn’t interested, she’s liable to eat you!”
  3205. >EAT?
  3206. >They would eat their own kind?
  3207. >”So when they approach females they do it very carefully. Sometimes they’ll even pretend they’re females so they have a bit of time to decide if it’s worth the risk or not.”
  3208. “I can hardly imagine being EATEN as being worth the risk for some sex.”
  3209. >”Oh, but it is! If they didn’t then there wouldn’t be any octopi anymore, and that would be terrible. Some critters like bees always die when they mate, but they do it anyway.”
  3210. >That was a chilling thought.
  3211. >That lovemaking might be invariably terminal.
  3212. >That she might only experience that bliss once…
  3213. >”And then there’s the praying mantis, like I said. The female will bite the male’s head off while they’re mating, and the male will try not to be eaten. Sometimes they get away, and sometimes they don’t. I think that might be what’s happening with the doctor.”
  3214. “You think he’s trying to bite my head off?”
  3215. >”Oh goodness, no! The male never kills the female in these rituals. If he did the pregnancy would be lost and the critters would stop existing. I think he’s trying to protect himself from you.”
  3216. >He needed protection from Rarity?
  3217. >That didn’t sound right.
  3218. “I wouldn’t bite his head off, dear. That’s a silly thing to worry about.”
  3219. >”You wouldn’t. But maybe a human female would. Or maybe she’d just wound him? Or maybe, since they’re predators, she expects him to prove he’s a good hunter first by catching her. Or maybe they have to worry about their mates running away. There could be all sorts of things that might make him need to do this. To him it’s probably not weird. In fact, to them it might be weird to mate without tying anyone up.”
  3220. >That actually did make Rarity feel a bit better.
  3221. >If this was common for them, perhaps she wasn’t a total freak.
  3222. >And perhaps he didn’t do it to hurt her.
  3223. >Maybe this was how he showed love?
  3224. >It was something to think about.
  3225. >Even so, Rarity was a proud mare.
  3226. >And it was unbecoming of her to delight in such things.
  3227. >Yet she could not deny that she yearned for more.
  3228. “I… I need some time to think. Would you mind if I were to use your shower?”
  3229. >”Oh, of course! Go right ahead. But I’m afraid I don’t have that conditioner you like.”
  3230. >It was one indignity after another.
  3231. >Still, she didn’t wish to be seen in such a wretched state ever again.
  3232. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
  3233.  
  3234. >Despite the lack of proper hygienic products, Rarity greatly appreciated the shower.
  3235. >The head was adjustable, and offered a wide array of streams from fine mists to a heavy massaging deluge.
  3236. >It was a far cry from the meager offering of her past few showers where one could stand directly before it and fail to even get wet.
  3237. >And the heat!
  3238. >One could steam vegetables in this room if they so wished.
  3239. >Even with the unscented shampoos and disappointingly mundane conditioners it felt marvelous.
  3240. >She could feel her stress and fear running down the drain and into the sewers, presumably to wind up in the ocean and cause the fish a panic attack.
  3241. “Ah, there are those worries again.”
  3242. >That was a silly thing to think.
  3243. >Everypony knew that fish were immune to stress.
  3244. >The minerals in the ocean water negated it!
  3245. >That was why sea salts were so much better for you than those harvested from the flats.
  3246. >Did freshwater fish feel stress?
  3247. >Something to ask Fluttershy after the shower.
  3248. >The door made a creaking sound.
  3249. >Rarity turned to see a silhouette against the curtain.
  3250. >A tall, burly figure was looming before her, carrying a massive sword.
  3251. >Rarity let out a shrill scream.
  3252. >Somewhere in the distance, several bats became disoriented as their echolocation failed them.
  3253. >”You okay in there, ma’am?”
  3254. “Wait. You aren’t here to hurt me?”
  3255. >”I’m just checking to see if you’re okay. Got told you’d been in here over an hour, and weren’t answering when called. Then I knocked and you didn’t answer. We were worried you slipped and hit your head or something.”
  3256. “Oh. Well, that’s a relief. Ahem. GET OUT! OUT! PERVERT!”
  3257. >”Geeze, fine.”
  3258. >Rarity waited for the pony to close the door behind him.
  3259. “Perhaps I was too hard on the dear.”
  3260. >He had just been looking out for her health, after all.
  3261. >On the other hoof, he should know better.
  3262. >Shower time was sacrosanct!
  3263. >Though she did have to confess, she had been in there for quite a while.
  3264. >Even by her, ahem, unusually thorough hygienic standards, it had been a long time.
  3265. >If she stayed too long she risked lathering herself bald!
  3266. >Loathe as she was to admit it, it was time for Rarity to move on.
  3267. >But where to?
  3268. >Back to a demeaning and humiliating life?
  3269. >Or back to a dull and humdrum existence?
  3270. >The answer should have been clear.
  3271. >She should march right up to that reprobate and strike him in the groin before leaving this accursed city forever.
  3272. >But for some reason, she didn’t wish to.
  3273. “Oooh, they should have warned me that love would be so confusing.”
  3274. >Rarity stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel.
  3275. >There was no hair dryer in sight, and she lacked the proper product anyway.
  3276. >She would not yet be able to restore the elegant curves of her mane and tail.
  3277. >Straight would have to suffice.
  3278. >It was a mystery how Fluttershy managed to keep her hair in order without the proper tools.
  3279. >Or perhaps it was a travesty.
  3280. >To have such natural magnificence and squander it through neglect was simply unconscionable.
  3281. >Though it might have been for the best.
  3282. >If Fluttershy put in the proper effort she might be as beautiful as Rarity herself!
  3283. >It simply wouldn’t do to have such a serious rivalry between friends.
  3284. >Once Rarity had finally restored her image to the best of her abilities, she finally vacated the washroom.
  3285. >And found a very tense looking Fluttershy pacing back and forth.
  3286. “Fluttershy, dear, what’s the matter?”
  3287. >”Excuse me!”
  3288. >Fluttershy pushed past her and ran into the washroom.
  3289. “Oh.”
  3290. >Oh dear.
  3291. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting!”
  3292. >Well, what was she to do now?
  3293. >Perhaps she had imposed enough for the night.
  3294. >And yet, Rarity was not eager to leave.
  3295. >Where could she go but back to the human?
  3296. >She still wasn’t certain she ever wished to return.
  3297. >Yet it wasn’t safe to leave on her own!
  3298. >Changelings aside, it was doubtful the guards would let her board a train to Ponyville without some severe questioning.
  3299. >She needed more advice.
  3300. >But from whom?
  3301. >Twilight wouldn’t understand this predicament.
  3302. >And Rainbow Dash would doubtlessly find this all quite humorous.
  3303. >Applejack was prone to asking far too many questions.
  3304. >And Pinkie Pie was, well, she was Pinkie.
  3305. >But perhaps she was still the best pony to ask.
  3306. >Pinkie was, despite her tiresome exuberance, a good pony at heart.
  3307. >And she of all ponies could be trusted with secrets.
  3308. “If you would be so kind as to excuse me, I am going to go speak with Pinkie!”
  3309. >Rarity didn’t wait for a reply.
  3310. >She stepped out of the room.
  3311. >And nearly bumped into a certain pink pony.
  3312. >The wrong one.
  3313. >”Hi, Rarity!”
  3314. “Cadence.”
  3315. >Rarity made no attempt to suppress the venom in her tone.
  3316. >”Rumor has it-”
  3317. “Hmph!”
  3318. >Rarity turned away and began heading to the exit, not waiting for Cadence’s forked tongue.
  3319. >”Oh wow. Somepony’s in a bad mood. I suppose I would be too.”
  3320. “Not another word, wretch.”
  3321. >”Okay. Have fun in Ponyville then.”
  3322. “Pardon?”
  3323. >”I said have fun in Ponyville. Sorry this didn’t work out.”
  3324. “You’re allowing me to leave?”
  3325. >”No point in you staying now that you’re single.”
  3326. >Don’t listen to her.
  3327. >Just keep moving.
  3328. >”It’s a shame, too. You’re a perfect match. You could have been very happy with him. Oh well, I’ll have to find him somepony else.”
  3329. >She’s manipulating you, Rarity!
  3330. >Just ignore her!
  3331. >”I guess it’s my fault for setting him up with a fixer upper.”
  3332. >Fixer upper!
  3333. >Oh, it is ON!
  3334. >”Would you mind answering a few questions before you go? Does he like big bubbly butts, or firm ones?”
  3335. “Anything that’s not flabby. I fear you wouldn’t qualify.”
  3336. >”Ah, not a fan of fatties. Must be why things fizzled between you two.”
  3337. >Did she just-
  3338. >”And is he as big as they say? I mean, I snuck a peek once and it wasn’t anything freaky, but maybe he’s a grower.”
  3339. “He’s big enough for most ponies. Though I doubt you’d notice anything with your blown out holes.”
  3340. >”Ooh, scathing. It’s almost as offensive as your odour. Smells like cheap shampoo.”
  3341. “I don’t have my proper cosmetics, thank you very much!”
  3342. >”Ah, that explains the stringy dried out mane.”
  3343. >Rarity couldn’t help but grind her teeth.
  3344. >”I suppose all those years of torturing it with too many products took its toll. You know, I’d heard that ponies who routinely wore too much makeup eventually needed it or else they looked sick. Looks like it was true.”
  3345. >Two more insults at once!
  3346. >Rarity was still processing the mane one, she couldn’t keep up!
  3347. “Why are you so cruel?”
  3348. >”You started it.”
  3349. “That’s beside the point! You went WAY too far!”
  3350. >”And you didn’t?”
  3351. “You made a disaster of my life!”
  3352. >”I know. And I’m sorry, I really am! But I was trying to set you up with the love of your life. It’s sorta my thing.”
  3353. “Hmph. Your techniques need some work.”
  3354. >”I guess so, but I’ll learn. Maybe the twins would work better.”
  3355. “What nonsense are you talking about now?”
  3356. >”Oh, sorry! I’m just wondering who I should set Anon up with next, now that you’re leaving him. It’s hard to choose though, I’ve got so many mares who would love to be with him.”
  3357. >Don’t you DARE!
  3358. “You keep a list of filthy whores? Why am I not surprised?”
  3359. >”Oh, of course! But I’m not picking any of them. He’s a friend after all. Anon’s getting somepony of quality.”
  3360. >No you don’t.
  3361. >He’s MINE!
  3362. >”Ah, what am I thinking. He’d be embarrassed by the twins. Maybe the dutchess?”
  3363. >Dutchess.
  3364. >A NOBLE!
  3365. >Could Rarity even compete?