>Be Agent 47
>You used to have a different name before you graduated the Academy, but now you're Forty-Seven
>And you wear the name proudly - there aren't more than sixty ponies in the world who have successfully completed the training you have
>There will be more in the future, but you're still part of an elite group
>The Academy was founded by a former Secret Service agent who developed the curriculum
>Of course you only saw him at graduation, where buyers picked up the new graduates and took them to their assignments
>Your organization provides executive security solutions
>One of their clients is Fox, and recent assignments have included being part of the detail for executives traveling in Latin America
>It turns out ponies make excellent additions to security teams once properly trained, and you've been properly trained
>You're better than people at spotting possible threats
>Though not naturally as cool headed as people in a crisis
>Which meant a lot of the training was learning to do just that - keep a cool head
>You had one of the coolest heads at the Academy
>And you also excelled at hoof to hoof combat, as well as hand to hoof
>This new assignment pairs you with Agent 42, who you knew well at the Academy
>You two were frequent sparring partners, and you look forward to revisiting that with him
>You've both been briefed about the assets you're protecting
>While you're working together he specifically is assigned to Roseluck and her colt
>Better him than you - her street smarts are practically non-existent!
>Smalltown mare from Equestria ended up as an executive's bedmare before becoming emancipated and the mother of a free colt
>She's completely unequipped to live the life she's now living as a well-known TV celebrity in a shitty Brooklyn neighborhood
>She's already managed to get herself foalnapped in broad daylight
>Admittedly it was by a bunch of kids looking for a quick buck
>This is not the kind of thing career criminals would even consider
>But that doesn't mean the situation she found herself in was any less dangerous
>If the foalnappers had known what they were doing - really known - she'd be dead
>Which is why you and Forty-Two are moving into Apartment 1B, right across the hall from them
>Your asset is her roommate, also a TV celebrity from the same show, which you've watched every episode of for research
>Your asset is, well... a slut
>Not by choice, but that's what she is
>You've studied her psychological profile
>Fillies who grow up with the kind of experiences she has usually go one of two ways
>They either end up frigid or promiscuous
>She's very much the latter, which is an issue you'll have to contend with
>You can't stop her from having whatever trysts she chooses to - she's a free mare after all
>But it will be your job to assure her safety regardless of her own reckless behavior
>Which you still figure is going to be a less thorny problem than 42's gonna have keeping Rose from walking into traffic
>Or something stupid like that, like getting into the car of a stranger with candy
>Regardless you're going to have to have each other's backs, so you're glad to be working with him of all ponies
>You two have always had respect for each other
>And you really couldn't ask for a better partner in what's likely to be a long, open-ended assignment
>Doesn't hurt that both assets are beautiful mares
>Yours especially in that she's also incredible sexy in the kind particularly way of a young, beautiful mare who is also clearly...
>Damaged goods
>She really shouldn't be free
>She should be the bedmare of a powerful, wealthy man who throws orgies with his equally powerful friends
>But that's not how things worked out, which is why you're here
>Once again you find yourself so very thankful for the Academy
>They saw the potential in you when you were a feckless colt
>They bought you and trained you, giving you the opportunity to earn not just the respect of your peers
>But the respect of your superiors as well
>And to you that's a much greater thing than being free
>If it hadn't been for the Academy who knows?
>You could have ended up as fucked up as she is
>Thankfully your training also makes it easy for you to overlook just how attractive you find her particular stripe of fucked up
>You're confident it will have no effect on your mission here - you are a highly trained professional
>But you're still a stallion
>Which means if she were to take an interest you'd probably have to make some serious calculations
>Regarding exactly what could compromise the mission and what wouldn't
>Of course this is exactly the kind of situation where thinking with your dick can get you in trouble
>Make you vulnerable, and compromise the safety of the asset
>So you try to stop thinking about that
>But not before the image of her pretty little muzzle wrapped around your cock floats into your mind
>That would be nice, wouldn't it?
>And probably not all that difficult to make happen
>And what safer place for your asset than between your legs?
>Stop thinking like this
>You are a professional
>But you're not made of stone, even if you're starting to feel yourself stiffen
>Good thing 42 stepped out to get some groceries
>He'd definitely give you shit if he caught you like this
>But it's not like he hasn't commented on how attractive the assets are
>Of course he mistakenly believes he got the prettier one
>He can think whatever he wants, you know you got the better end of the deal
>Not that it's a competition - it's an assignment, and one that ought to be pretty cushy
>You have your own place and a pretty relaxed schedule
>Just protect the assets while they're not directly under network security
>You have to be vigilant, of course
>But at least you're not the one who has to follow your asset to a flower shop in Manhattan four days a week
>But this will be interesting on several fronts
>You've never been around free ponies before, though you've read up on them
>From what you can tell they're generally undisciplined but good intentioned
>Got to be sure none of that rubs off on you
>Intentions don't matter - only results
>And discipline ALWAYS matters, regardless of what floats through your mind in idle moments
>Once contact is made there will ne no idle moments except when you're asleep
>And you're to make contact with the assets today
 
>Be mare
>Having a security detail is fun
>First of all the one assigned to you - Forty Seven (dumb name) is hunky
>A BIG brown stallion with a black mane
>Bigger than master was
>He wears sunglasses and a communication device in his ear
>He's not network property, but belongs to a security company that he's frequently in contact with
>He didn't laugh when you asked if he could call in an air strike with that thing in his ear
>Because he never laughs - he takes EVERYTHING seriously
>Which makes it irresistible to mess with him
>In fact it's became like a game for you over the last week
>Trying to sneak out without him noticing or give him the slip when you're out together
>He's good, though
>So far you haven't managed to do it
>And he's definitely on to you - you've seen him almost smile at your behavior
>But you remain undeterred
"Rose, I'm going out for a walk"
>"At eight o'clock on a Wednesday night? That's not you," she replies. "You're just messing with him"
"So what if I am?"
>"We're not supposed to make their jobs more difficult"
"I think of it as making things more interesting for him. It's got to be a boring job"
>"I'll bet you five bucks he's waiting in the hallway outside our door"
"You're on"
>You carefully, quietly open the door to the hall to be greeted by the sight of the brown stallion
>"Ma'am," he says politely with a nod
"Dammit! Rose, I'll pay you when I get back"
>You head toward the front door with the stallion following behind you
>You really didn't want to go for a walk, you just wanted to see if you could get out without him noticing
>But you can still tease him a little
>He looks extra yummy tonight, but you figure that's just because you're going into heat
"Do you just wait here in the hall?"
>"Sometimes I do, Ma'am"
>As he follows you outside you make it a point to raise your tail just a little more than you should
>Not in a come hither way, but like you did in the salon as a filly when you wanted a client to pick you
>Free mares have a word for this kind of behavior: slutty
>It's a recent concept for you
>Being too brazen about attracting male attention in a sexual way is called being slutty
>And being too friendly with stallions (or men) sexually makes you a slut
>Slut means whore, which you think is kind of funny
>Of course you act slutty sometimes - you were raised to be a whorse, and a good one at that!
>But free mares say it like it's a bad thing - none of them wants the others to think she's slutty
>Even when she is
>And the stallions pretend to go along with it to humor the mares, even though you know they like it
>Except those who have daughters - fathers of fillies discourage slutty behavior for obvious reasons
>Who would want their daughter to be a slut if she had other options?
>Being raised with no other options you don't mind raising a few eyebrows being slutty
>Sometimes not even on purpose - you were raised that way
>So you're not the least bit uncomfortable giving the brown stallion following behind you a nicer than usual view
>There's no way he doesn't realize you're in heat as well
>But you're not even going to look back to see how it's effecting him
>He won't let anything show anyways - you've already learned that
>You're pretty sure he's enjoying it though
>At least you hope he is
>A stallion who just passed you did a double take - you caught that from the corner of your eye
>You figure free mares look down on being slutty because it makes the field uneven
>They can all pretend to be equal, but some can pull off being slutty while others would just make fools of themselbes if they tried
>And the prudish ones always seem to be the ones with the least to flaunt anyway
>They can look down on you all they want while you turn heads with complete impunity
>Because you have Mr Forty Seven following along dutifully behind you, enjoying the view you hope
>But shit, now you need a purpose for this walk beyond just teasing him
>You've already headed off in a direction that's not as familiar to you as other parts of the neighborhood
>Having him around makes you totally fearless, and you weren't exactly fearful to begin with
>Along the block in front of you there's a neon sign that reads The Pink Pony
>A pony bar!
>You have a $20 bill on you, and that sounds like fun!
>You stop and turn to Forty Seven
"Hey, can I buy you a beer?"
>"I don't drink, Ma'am," he says in his official tone. "At least not while I'm on duty"
"When are you not on duty?"
>"Wen I'm asleep, Ma'am"
>You can't decide whether you like being called Ma'am or whether it makes you feel old
>But you do like leading this handsome stallion around
"I'm going in. What can I get you?"
>"Seltzer with lemon would be fine, Ma'am"
>So you find yourself in a pony bar on a Wednesday night drinking a beer you didn't really want in the first place
 
>Be mare
>You turned a few heads walking into the bar
>You like to think it's because you're pretty, but you know being a little famous is part of it too
>Still you're just happy that you turn stallions' heads
>And even a mare or two every now and then
>Though that's not your thing you still like the attention
>You headed straight to two open seats at the bar, Forty Seven walking behind you
>When you ordered a cider the barmare told you that you didn't want the cider they had
>So you got a beer and a seltzer for your companion
>You don't have much experience with beer, but it's pretty good
>A little bitter, but not in a bad way
"So, what's your story, Forty Seven? How did you get to be a secrent agent?"
>"I'm not a secret agent, Ma'am," he replies. "Just your personal security"
"Ok then, how did you end up security?"
>"Same way you ended up in a brothel. I was bought then trained for this purpose"
"Do you like it?"
>"Does it matter what I like, Ma'am?"
"Maybe it matters to me. Or at the very least I'm curious. You don't have to indulge me if you don't want to, though"
>'I don't mind. I was singled out as a young colt for sale to the Academy because of my size and level headedness"
"And I'm guessing the Academy was a big deal?"
>My training was rigorous and I excelled at it. It also shaped my values"
"They taught you values?!"
>"Yes, Ma'am. Duty and honor"
"So you're more like a soldier than a secret agent"
>"Similarly trained, yes Ma'am"
>How would Skydancer put it?
>She would say something about internalizing your experience as part of your identity
>You can't put it into a smooth sentence like she can
"And that training made you the dutiful security stallion who now serves with honor"
>'It's a lot to live up to, but I'm confident in my abilities, Ma'am"
"Being good at what you do is a big deal. Even when I was at the brothel I still took pride in my work"
>"I'm sure you did, Ma'am. And I'm sure that pride was well earned"
>Is this his game?
>Is he flirting with you?
>You've noticed his nostrils flare a couple times while talking - he knows you're in heat
>Hell, half the bar knows it by now, though you can tell you're not the only mare here in a similar way
>You are curious to know more about your new shadow, and you've never met a stallion (or man) who wasn't happy to talk about himself
>This guy just needs a little prodding
"So do you have any dreams, Forty Seven?"
>"Dreams are for free ponies, Ma'am," he replies in a hushed tone
>Shit
>You KNEW he was private property, yet you asked him about his dreams?!
>Idiot
>You really have become a free pony
"Sorry. I didn't mean to..."
>"Easy mistake to make, Ma'am. I was specifically told not to wear a collar on this mission so as to avoid unwanted attention"
"It feels weird, doesn't it?"
>"Yes, Ma'am"
"I remember. It took me a while to get used to not wearing one"
>"I'm still not used to it. But I understand the reasoning. What it would look like if I followed you around wearing one"
>You hand't thought of that!
>But now that he says it you're glad he isn't wearing one
>Because if he were it would look like...
>You'd bought him - he was your property
>Shit, that wouldn't go down very well at all in this part of town
>"Back to your question," he continues, "I do hope future missions involve more travel. It's a bigger world than I realized..."
>He trails off and looks into the distance whistfully
>"I've had the privilege of seeing more of it than I thought I ever would," he says, "and I wouldn't mind seeing more"
"I'll drink to that," you say, finishing the glass of beer in front of you
>The barmare appears the moment you set it down
>"Can I get you another?," she asks
"Sure, thanks"
>You look back at your companion who isn't even yet a third of the way through his seltzer
"Where have you been? Other than the Hamptons I've never been outside the city"
>He laughs
>"Well you know a lot of places are non-starters because of my status. Canada, the E.U. Any place that doesn't recognize private property"
"Of course"
>"But I've been to Mexico a couple times, as well as El Salvador and Guatemala"
"How was Mexico? I've heard good things"
>"I'm sure it's a great place to visit. It's beautiful... But in my line of work it... keeps you on your hooves"
"Oh, right. I've heard the drug gangs are more powerful than the government is some parts"
>He laughs again and says, "In too many cases they're on the same side - even the same people"
"How do you handle security in a place like that?"
>"Very carefully. Though the toughest assignment I had was Brazil, mostly because my Portuguese isn't as good as my Spanish"
"How many languages do you speak?"
>"English, Spanish, Portuguese and a little Mandarin, but that's more aspirational than realistic"
"How so?"
>"There'll probably never be a mission in China. But if one comes up I want the first thing they think to be '47 speaks Mandarin'"
"So you have a lot of opportunities"
>"I do. I consider myself very lucky to be in the position I'm in"
>The position he's in
>unf
>You know what position you'd like him to be in
>His weight on your back as he thrusts into you
>That's just your heat talking
>Maybe not entirely - he is really hot in a good little soldier kind of way
>And he's anything but little
>Would it be too slutty to just have him fuck you in the bathroom here?
>It would be pretty obvious, but from the look of this place it probably wouldn't be the first time it's happened
>It would be high risk, though
>But he's military trained - probably disiplined enough to pull out before putting a foal in you
>Stop thinking like this - fucking the help is looked down upon, and security probably counts as help
>It has to - he's working right now
>Not to mention ponies here know who you are
>What if somepony tweeted about it - that might get Mr 47 here in trouble
>You don't want that
>You wonder if he's ever even had sex
>But you know well enough not to come right out and ask him
>What if he's a virgin?
>Then wouldn't letting him plow you be a kindness?
>Especially after teasing him all the way over here?
>Stop
>No need to make things awkward with him
>Yet
>If it's gonna happen let it happen in a way that won't be awkward
>Is this gonna happen?
>Shit, stop thinking about it
>You're just being lazy
>If this is what you want you should go out and find a free stallion
>It's not like there aren't plenty of them around, probably a few eyeing you up right now
>Don't fuck your bodyguard
>Or at least don't fuck him yet
>You take sip of your beer and try to think of what to say next
>Taking a cue from the lull in conversation Forty Seven speaks up:
>"By the way, thank you Ma'am"
"Thanks for what?"
>"For this. This is work, sitting at a bar talking with a pretty mare? It's a welcome... change of pace"
>Great
>He appreciates you messing with him and teasing him while you're sitting here fantasizing about fucking him
>Now you feel guilty
"You know, the reason why we're here is because I've kind of been... messing with you"
>"Of course you have. It's not unusual behavior, especially with entertainment industry types"
>You're an entertainment industry type?!
>Actually you are, but you don't think of yourself that way
"Entertainment industry types?"
>"Yeah. You guys like to make it into a game. I was told not to be surprised if that happened. This is my first entertainment assignment"
"What do you usually work?"
>"Executive security. They don't play games. They just expect a lot"
>He smiles
>"But I realized from the moment we met that you were going to be mischievous"
"Sorry about that"
>"Nothing to be sorry about, Ma'am. You haven't done anything wrong"
"You mean that?"
>"Of course. You wouldn't believe the stories from the guys who've worked in the music business"
"I might. The love of my life used to be in the music business, not here but in Equestria. He was pretty... extreme"
>Thinking about master makes you sad, but you still have to laugh
"He was always seeing just how far he could push the network with his requests. That's how we ended up together:"
>"For a certain type of pony it's irresistable when they feel like they have handlers. And security counts as that"
"And I'm that kind of pony, too?"
>"Don't let me take the fun out of it for you. We can double down and make it a competition if you like, Ma'am"
"Why would you do that?"
>"You think I'm not enjoying this as well?"
>Holy shit!
>He's enjoying this!
>So much for feeling guilty then
"A competition?"
>"You're not going to give me the slip. But you're welcome to keep trying. It's... adorable, if you don't mind me saying so. And it keeps me on my hooves"
>Is he being condescending or hitting on you?
>Or does he really think you're adorable?
>Of course he thinks you're adorable, because you know you are
>He adds: "And keeps this assignment from being boring"
>You shouldn't say what you're about to, but you can't help yourself
"If it gets boring for you just let me know and we'll see what we can do about it"
>That was probably over the line, but saying it gave you a little thrill that you haven't felt in a long time
>You feel like you did when you were a filly flirting with the guard
>Then sneaking off to the bathroom for a tryst
>Or not, because whether or not it happened was entirely YOUR decision
>Just like now, you think
>So drawing this out for a while will be its own kind of delicious
>Also one big thing in Forty Seven's favor: he doesn't smell like an Italian hoagie
>And if you get desperate in the meantime you know a producer who is both hot for you and very kind
>He doesn't smell like a hoagie either
>But he's engaged so your window of opportunity to do stuff with him is supposedly shut
>Though you're pretty sure he'd go for one last little fling with you
>Which would be enough to help you keep your hooves off Mr Forty Seven here
>You finish your beer and the barmare appears
>"Can I get you another, sweetie?," she asks
>You produce your $20 bill
"No thanks. What do I owe you?"
>You settle up and leave
>With tip you only got three dollars back
>So you're gonna owe Rose two dollars, and definitely not make that bet again
>Walking home, 47 following behind you don't feel compelled to be as slutty as you were when you walked over here
>There's no need for it
>You know you have his attention, and not just in a professional manner
>And whether or not that amounts to anything more than a little flirting is entirely up to you
>Which feels almost though probably not quite as good as getting plowed in the bathroom of the Pink Pony would have
 
>Be mare
>On your laptop going over the books for your former organization
>You COULD have stopped doing this when you were emancipated
>Or you could have demanded they pay you more to do it
>But the truth is you're doing fine financially
>And this work - the regularity of its weekly rhythm, the certainty of the math itself, the connection with your past
>It's meaningful to you, and you'd probably keep doing it even if they stopped paying you
>Of course you wouldn't let anypony know that
>Because working for free is not something a free pony ought to do
>You have a choice about what you do, and when it comes to work you have to make sure you get paid for it
>Because you have to pay for everything yourself now and don't want to run out of money
>Money is security when you're free
>So are the two stallions across the hall, and the network is paying for them
>But they should - your show makes a lot of money for the network, so it's in their interest that you're safe
>An alert comes in showing you just got a new email message
>Not from the work email on your phone, but from your old webmail account open in a tab on your screen
>Which means it's one of your friends
>Clicking over you see it's from Snowdrop
>The subject reads: I went 2 a fancy party leik u go 2!!!!
>Ever since your TV wedding she's assumed your life involves going to fancy parties because you're a celebrity
>You stopped trying to convince her otherwise a while ago because she obviously likes the idea
>Even if it isn't true
>There's a photo attached to the email
>You click on it to reveal a picture of Snowdrop and several other mares tied to a carousel
>They have children (mostly little girls) on their backs
>It was taken outside on a sunny day
>Well the email just came in, so you assume Snowdrop is online
>You Skype her
>And seconds later she appears on your screen wearing headphones
"Backstory on this?," you ask instead of just saying hello
>She smiles and replies, "We had an offsite gig at a fancy party! It was so exciting! We got champagne and everything!"
"And got ridden by little girls, I see"
>"It was fun. Pretty cute, huh?"
"Yeah. No idea why they'd pay our offsite prices just for a carousel though"
>"That was just the first part. Later we went inside to a private room where there were no children and, you know"
"OK. That makes more sense"
>"Of course no pictures of that were allowed. But the guy who took that pic, that's his daughter on my back"
"Cute kid"
>"Yeah, she's on my back and less than an hour later he's is in me"
"What did he do with the kid?"
>"They had a bouncy house"
"So father and daughter both got to ride you"
>"And he was nice enough to send me the picture"
>She giggles
>"Then they gave us champagne and canapes! I was thinking of you the whole time! I felt like I was a celebrity!"
"Nice. What's up with the headphones, by the way?"
>She blushes
>"I'm not allowed to use the speakers anymore. It was disturbing the other girls"
"What exactly was disturbing them?"
>She blushes again and looks away from the screen
"Oh come on, it's me. Spill"
>"Well, I've gone down the rabbit hole with some of the porn I watch. You know how one things leads to another"
"Violent stuff?"
>"Whip," she says shamefully, "Especially where the mare is tied down but desperately trying to get up and run"
"Oh, Snowdrop. That's... pretty specific"
>"You'd be surprised how much of it is out there. Besides, you can't throw any stones"
"I know. You know some of the stuff I'm into. But still, whip porn?"
>"It's not like I wanted to get into it, but punishment videos got old and I needed something a little... stronger"
"Well that is some strong stuff. And you can see how the audio of it might be traumatizing to somepony who wasn't into it"
>You add:
"Which is most ponies, you know"
>"Speaking of traumatizing how's Rose holding up?"
"She seems OK. A little less bold and headstrong than usual, but that's to be expected. We have bodyguards now"
>"How does that work?"
"They live across the hall and follow us whenever we go out"
>"Is that cool or awful?"
"It's OK. They're cute in a dorky soldier way. And mine is pretty hunky"
>"Really? Is there romance in the air?"
>You laugh, since that's such an un-Snowdrop like thing to ask
>Growing up the idea of romance was something you scoffed at because it was nothing you were ever going to experience
>So it just was this absurd idea you all mocked
>Not all of you - Skydancer didn't usually join in on that much
>And now you realize that's because she was actually having little romances with some of the other fillies
>Including Snowdrop
>Maybe you were being insensitive to her by mocking the idea of romance in front of her with Snowdrop?
>Wow, thwe shit it takes you years to realize
>But Snowdrop is waiting for a response about Forty Seven
"I've got his attention that way, of course. But I don't know what to do about it. Having to make your own decisions aboiut that stuff is..."
>"Complicated?," she asks
"It sounds cliche, doesn't it? But it is!"
>"I KNOW! My one relationship like that has become more complicated lately"
"Oh no! Are you and Sky on the outs?"
>"No. Nothing like that. We'll always have a special; bond, even if it is only over video chat these days"
"Is that waht makes it complicated?"
>"A little. The real issue is," she switches to a high pitched filly voice, "having to talk like this all the time"
"You're kind to indulge her that way now that she no longer visits where we grew up"
>"I don't mind doing it, either. Just not EVERY time we talk"
>She laughs and adds, "But I shouldn't complain. I mean, I still like making her cum, and if that's what it takes..."
"It isn't one-sided, is it?"
>She smiles 
>"Of course it isn't. It just feels a little lopsided lately"
"Just be honest with her about it. She's very smart and self-aware. I'm sure the last thing she wants to have is any issues between you"
>"I won't let it come to that. Our relationship is way too important to both of us. I'm just venting"
"Good. You're my two oldest friends and I don't ever want to be in a position where I had to choose a side, because I couldn't"
>"Never going to happen"
"Maybe now that she no longer goes back home she can visit you instead?"
>"I didn't realize that could be an option. I'll have to run it by her and see what she thinks"
"If anypony can manage to get special treatment it's her"
>"Always. Because she is special"
>You're not going to argue that
>Part of you wants to say we're all special, but this isn't the situation to say it
>Truth is it's something you've only recently started thinking about, and you're not even sure you believe it
>But more and more there's a part of you that would like to
>The idea you might be a special, noble, magical creature who deserves to be cared of is overwhelming
>But you want to believe it
>And it hurts a little, because that means ponies like Snowdrop and Skydancer deserve the same
>They're never going to get it beyond what they can manage to do for each other
>Why believe in something wonderful when the world around you will only try to crush it?
>Seems like a set up for disappointment and heartbreak
>Hope is awful fucking stuff
>Yet part of you still wants to have it
>Something about that seems cruel
>You hear the sound of tiny hooves raing toward you from the other room
>A colt's voice shouts, "Auntie! Auntie!," as he enters your room. "Can I show you what Mr Forty-Two taught me?"
"In a minute. I'm on a video chat with my friend Snowdrop. Want to meet her?"
>"Yes," Snowdrop adds, "Let me see the colt"
>You turn your laptop around to face him and suddenly he's shy, looking away from the screen
>Curiousity quickly gets the better of him though, and he looks up
>"Wow," he says, "You're as pretty as mommy and auntie!"
>"Thank you. And you're a little charmer, aren't you?," Snowdrop replies
>"What's a charmer?," he asks
"It means you know how to say the things a mare likes to hear"
>"And you look just like your sire," Snowdrop continues
>"You knewe my daddy?"
>"I only met him the one time at, umm... auntie's wedding. He was a very handsome stallion, just like you're going to be before very long"
>The colt beams
>Of course he does - what colt (or stallion or man) doesn't like being called handsome by a pretty mare like Snowdrop
>He looks over the screen toward you and says, "She's nice. Can she come over and play sometime?"
>You hear Snowdrop laughing 
>You want to say, "Maybe when you're older," but stop yourself
>That would only lead to more questions with answers you're sure Rose wouldn't like
"Maybe," you say turning the laptop back toward you
"I'd better get going," you say to your friend on the screen. "Nice to catch up and thanks for sharing that bit about the party"
>"Thanks for letting me vent a little," she replies. "Talk later"
"Bye," you say as you shut the screen
>The colt looks confused and asks, "What's 'vent'?"
"That's when something is bothering you and you just want somepony to let you talk about it. Something friends do for each other"
>"What's bothering her?"
"Nothing serious. Just a little... friendship problem. She'll work it out"
>"Do you think when I grow up I could marry her?"
>You laugh
"I'm sure youi'll find a mare as kind and pretty as she is, but not her"
>"Why not?"
>Which of several possible answers do you give him?
"For starters she isn't a free pony, so getting married isn't an option for her"
>"That's not fair"
"No, it definitely isn't. Now what did you want to show me?"
>He snaps himself into what you assume is a martial arts pose
>He rears up on his hind legs and flails his front hooves in a way that looks like it could actually do some damage
>Thankfully those hooves remain a safe distance from you
>He returns to standing with all four hooves on the ground as Rose appears in the doorway to your room
"That definite looks like you could do some damage"
>The colt looking up at you now wears a very self-satisfied look on his face
>"I don't know how I feel about him learning to fight," Rose says
"He's a colt, so he's bound to get into a fight or two. Better he be good at it"
>"How gender-normative of you," Rose answers
>Gender what?
"I don't even know what that means and I can tell it's bullshit"
>"Auntie!," the colt chiodes, "You said..."
"I know what I said. Sorry"
>"I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that," Rose adds
"OK, but he should still probably learn to fight, though"
>"Yeah, I don't think I have much of a choice about that with Forty-Two around"
>Good
>Because you know what a swishy stallion looks like - one does your mane every week
>And there's nothing swishy about this colt - in spite of his mother's wacky ideas
>He pretty much just wondered aloud if he could fuck Snowdrop someday
>And he doesn't even know what fucking is yet
>He should know how to fight, because that's likely to come up a lot sooner
>Or you think it will
>You really don't know much about colts, but you have seen some fighting more than once on the streets since moving here
>Better to be the one kicking ass than getting his ass kicked
>You want to see him grow up to be a winner, not a loser
 
>Be VP
>Your arm still isn't 100% and may never be
>But you've weaned yourself off the painkillers
>Which leaves you with an understanding of how people end up addicted to that shit
>It was nearly as hard as quitting smoking was when you did that 15 years ago
>And you were only taking them as directed!
>Worth it though - nice not to be groggy and constipated all the time
>As soon as you stopped taking them your dick came roaring back, too
>Which is doing well at your age, when you really can't be sure how much longer you'll be able to count on it being...
>Ever ready
>So far so good though
>No blue pills required for you yet
>And your mare and your wife haven't been let down that way
>Beyond these last two months when you were on the painkillers
>Of course you don't let on that you're thinking about Cloudy sometimes when you're banging Cynthia
>But fair is fair - you're pretty sure she's thinking about that piece of shit stallion you bought for her half the time anyways
>Thankfully she keeps him out of the apartment you share
>He can stay at the place in the Hamptons - you don't give a shit about that place anymore
>It's nice for a week or two in the summer, but the truth is you'd have more fun running off to Mexico City 
>Which you can do for pocket change with the dollar's current value against the peso
>And you know this because you just got back from there
>Fox Latin America wants to do their own version of Hippodrome because the Spanish dub is so popular
>They don't give a fuck about the CGI either
>They want to shoot it as an actual death match in front of a live audience
>Not that you haven't done that - there was the Madison Square Garden event
>One hell of a publicity stunt as well as an insurance and legal nightmare to pull off
>Evidently it's not nearly so much of an issue in the land of vitamin T
>You chuckle a little remembering how the driver of the Escalade almost freaked out when you asked him to pull over
>So you could get some chilaquiles verdes from an vendor's orange thermos set up on a card table on the sidewalk near the metro
>For 30 pesos - a buck fifty - which was still a rip-off
>But satisfying regardless, eaten out of a styrofoam container with a plastic fork in the back of the stupid vehicle
>The driver was so worried about security with you on the street
>But it was fucking Polanco - how dangerous are the streets around the embassaies and Maserati dealerships?
>You know it was more than that though
>It was the class thing
>The driver was horrified that the executive he was driving wanted to line up on the sidewalk with cops and construction workers
>To buy the most pedestrian breakfast possible
>But it was fucking good
>That's the thing there, no matter how spoiled you might be from eating at some of the best restaurants in New York
>The most lowbrow street food there is still fucking great
>Which makes it annoying when colleagues insist on going out to restaurants that may as well be in New York
>Knowing this is why you made the driver stop
>And a couple hours later you'd sealed the deal for the Mexican production of Hippodrome
>Full on bloodsport in the way the US version only pretends to be
>Most of the time at least
>You kind of have mixed feelings about it
>Domestically Hippodrome has pretty much peaked
>The government shutting down the gambling on it hurt
>That was always a grey area, and the risk along with most of the profit from it was borne by a subcontractor
>Who is now out of business
>But the inability to legally bet on the show's outcome with your smartphone definitely hurt Hippodrome
>It's still popular, but you're confident the future lies with Blinders Off, which is still gaining in popularity
>And causing no less controversy - more actually
>But it holds zero appeal for the Latin America market
>They want the bloodsport
>The Spanish taught them well
>The hangover of 15th Century Iberian Christian rage ended up writing most of the New World's history
>They've been out for blood from the moment they took the penninsula back from the Moors
>And their slave trade from overland across the Sahara to the ocean, the West Indies and the greater Americas
>The Portuguese started it with Pope Leo's blessing, of course
>You're sure the Portuguese dub of Hippodrome is going to shift to the Mexican version once production starts
>It's the same bloody rage in the culture - look at fucking Brazil
>Same Inquisition and slave trade roots
>But you have to hand it to the Spanish, really
>For the little details, like coming up with tapas
>Make the symbol of hospitality a glass of sherry with a thin slice of ham on top
>So you can rout out all the Muslims and Jews under the guise of hospitality
>While taking over the New World with West African manpower
>And cutting egde seafaring technology
>Leaving the cold, unpleasant parts to the French and the Puritans
>In your darkest moments you like to think you could be some kind of evil genius
>Technically you own two slaves and are responsible for a hit show that feeds people's lust for pony blood
>But you could never even come close to what the Iberian pulled off for how long?
>A couple centuries?
>Then again you're just a network executive
>They had the fucking pope in their back pocket
>Back when being pope basically meant you controlled Europe, after those pesky infidel Moors were driven out
>Why not profit from taking out your rage on the rest of the world?
>At least the heathen parts - they don't count
>Really only the British and the Dutch gave them a run for their money
>New York and London are still the capitals of capitalism
>Though London seems to be in the process of fucking itself
>Not really their fault though
>Tyrany of the masses, which is why you're glad to live in a Republic
>And you're proud to be part of it's last minutes of global cultural hegemony
>Which makes you smirk a little at the thought of critics calling Blinders "insightful", "Important" and "philosophical"
>Which they're increasingly doing
>And to you that's hilarious, though you could never admit it
>You suspect it's something you have in common with Bob Dylan
>Everyone thinks his lyrics are so deep, so meaningful, so insightful
>But you've never seen them that way
>You're pretty sure he's just a guy who could string words together that fit nicely over folk rock melodies
>And created enough of a mystique around himself that everyone assumed he was deep
>So they read whatever deep meanings into his songs they wanted
>Dylan is undoubtedly a talented guy, just like you are
>But he's no deeper than anybody else
>He just created work people like to project some kind of depth onto
>And you've done the same with Blinders
>Critics comment about how it addresses the searing social issues of our time
>Who knows? Maybe it does
>But what is it, really?
>A bunch of pretty mares trying hard not to talk over each other
>With barely an topical outline worked out for them to go by
>In front of an audience that wants to find meaning in whatever they happen to say
>Because they represent a perspective that never got a platform before
>Which you suppose is why the show is called "daring", "inniovate" and "groundbreaking" in reviews
>You don't really care what critics think, just about ratings 
>And ratings are good
>But what they praise the show for has nothing to do with your intent
>You just knew if you put a bunch of pretty mares talking about raunchy and controversial shit on TV people would watch it
>It was nothing more than that
>A younger you would have put ten times more effort into the concept for a show
>Only to have it not get picked up or last a single season
>But you've learned from your mistakes
>Hell, the idea for the show came from one of your mistakes
>Roseluck - falling for her was a mistake instead of acknowledging the fundamental nature of your relationship
>And staying true to that
>A mistake you won't be making with Cloudy
>In fact...
>You have no meetings for the rest of the day, and nothing here is on fire
>You grab your personal phone and call her
>"Daddy!," she answers
"How's my good little girl?"
>"Missing her daddy"
>This is going to get old one day
>You're actually surprised it hasn't yet
>The pretty young pegasus who rides your dick calling you daddy still gives you a dirty thrill
>You're an old perv, but it's better than being an old monk
>Besides she wasn't cheap so best get as much enjoyment out of her as you can
>Which turns out to be pretty easy because she's so well-behaved
>Roseluck wanted to be treated like an equal
>And doing that ruined her
>Cloudly just wants to be your pretty talking pet who fucks you
>And while a younger you would never have had a reason to string those particular words together
>You're quite happy you have a pretty talking pet who wants to fuck you at this stage in your life
"Would you like it if daddy came over to play with you now?"
>"I'd LOVE it! Will you bring wine, too?"
"Of course"
>"I love you, daddy!"
>The wine is a newish thing between you two since you got off the painkillers
>It makes talking to her after so much easier
>She's not exactly the conversationalist Rose was - probably still is
>Because she's not half as smart as Rose, or if she is she's not letting it show at all
>You're fine with that either way
>But she's cute, and even cuter when she's wasted
>And she's also a total lightweight (you've heard most pegasi are)
>So by the time the two of you polish off a bottle of wine she's a lot more fun to hang out with
>Because while you barely have a buzz she's visibly impared
>And it's hilarious - you could spend hours with her like that nd not get bored
>Shit there's an idea!
>Do something like Drunk History, but with ponies
>And no history
>Just drunk ponies
>A charismatic male host sitting down with a pretty young not all that bright pegasus mare every week
>And getting her wasted while flirting with her
>It's pretty thin as far as a premise goes
>But you're damned sure every guy who wishes he had a mare of his own but can't - for whatever reason - would watch it at least once
>The question is whether it's enough to hook viewers week after week
>You think you'll need a little more than just drunk featherbrains, cute as they are
>But probably not a lot more of a hook
>Just a way to spin it or a gimmick to make it stickier
>Gonna have to run that by some writers
"I'll see you in a little bit"
>You end the call and get ready to leave your office
>At 2:30PM on a Thursday
>To go drink wine with your pretty little talking pet who wants to fuck you
>It's good to be the boss
 
>Be Cloudburst
>Life is funny
>Some things are very exciting
>You live in a nice apartment in New York City
>You're pretty sure it's an expensive apartment because none of your neighbors seem poor
>Master is a very important man who makes television
>You've become very fond of TV lately because it's a good way to fill up your days
>Which can otherwise get a little dull in the long periods between the exciting parts of your life
>Since master is a busy man who also has a bitch of a wife distracting him
>Well maybe she isn't a bitch, you don't really know
>You just hate her because she keeps master away from you sometimes
>Which sucks, but you understand
>Very important men don't have a lot of free time
>But what little he has he chooses to spend with you, which makes you feel important somehow
>Though you're not one to have delusions of grandeur
>You know your life is grander than most
>Sometimes you get to ride in black cars and go out to fancy restaurants
>And even if you don't see master as much as you'd like you know he loves you
>He makes you call him daddy, after all
>And you give each other lots of cummies
>You like that part a lot
>This very important man wants to have cummies with you
>And now that he's mostly healed from his scary accident
>Is getting shot an accident?
>You're not sure
>But now that he's better you two are making more cummies than ever
>AND drinking wine!
>Just like all the successful people on TV
>They're always drinking wine on Grey's Anatomy when they're not cutting people open, which is gross
>Or fucking, though they never seem to get that right
>When two of them start one always comes up with some kind of issues before too long
>So they stop fucking, which seems like an exhausting way to go through life
>It makes you glad you're not a doctor
>Being unsure about where your cummies are coming from AND having to see people die all the time?
>No wonder the characters on that show are so fucked up
>But they are successful people who drink wine
>And you're a successful pegasus who also drinks wine
>Master is on his way over with some right now
>So it's going to be an afternoon of cummies and wine
>You feel your tail rising in anticipation - silly, he's not here yet!
>And experience has taught you to drink the wine very slowly
>Otherwise you just fall asleep too early and wake up feeling woozy the next day
>You don't want to fall asleep in what little time you get to have with master
>Though he'd tell you it's OK - "perfectly natural" he'd say - to fall asleep after cummies
>He's done it a few times
>And you just stayed there beside him listening to him breathe
>It gave you a weird feeling - like he was yours as much as you were his
>You tried not to think like that, because you know it's wrong
>But it felt good to have YOUR man sleeping beside you in YOUR bed in YOUR apartment
>Even if technically none of it is really yours
>It's OK to pretend a little
>Master wouldn't mind, you're sure
>He might not have as much time for you as you wish
>But he is very indulgent
>You know better than to take advantage of it, but pretty much anything you ask for appears
>Because he's an important man who makes things happen
>You understand not all of those things are good, though
>He told you not to watch Hippodrome, so you haven't
>But you've seen ads for it and you get the gist
>Master is not a man you ever want to displease
>The very thought terrifies you
>He also told you Blinders Off was not a show for good girls, but he didn't forbid you from watching it
>So you did a couple times
>It made you angry
>A bunch of entitled whorses endlessly going on about their bad girl lives and sharing their opinions on things ponies shouldn't have opinions about
>And you know one of them used to belong to master!
>So you automatically hate her for that - not being a good girl to such a good master
>She deserved to get foalnapped
>Stupid bitch
>But these kind of thoughts you know you'd better keep to yourself
>Because while you HATE to admit it you know master still has some interest in her
>When she was abducted he was at her place in godforsaken Brooklyn instead of here with you (where he belongs)
>Whatever he sees in her is not your business
>But you can't let him know you hate her for it, because that might make him think less of you
>And you can never let that happen
>Even though your life may be dull for long stretches of time you know you have it way better than most
>Including those you see on TV
>And you don't really have a care in the world aside from pleasing master
>Which is pretty easy - it's mostly a matter of cummies, after all
>He might be a complicated man at work or at home, but with you?
>He's very simple, which suits you just fine
>The last thing you want is a complicated life like characters on TV have
>Or the mares on Blinders Off
>Well, not the unicorn - she's OK, but the poor thing has to go through life with a horn sticking out of her head
>Which might work on a stallion, but on a mare?
>It looks ridiculous - such a masculine feature 
>You actually feel a little sorry for unicorns, but thankful you weren't born one
>But now it's time to do your mane and tail to make sure you look great for master
>Probably ought to preen your wings as well
>He could be here in less than an hour!
 
>Be mare
>On your way to pick up Cuddleslut from play group
>He's not yet old enough for school, which the city provides for ponies as well as children, though in seperate facilities
>So Rose pays for him to attend play group with other colts and fillies his age while she's at the flower shop
>But play group ends before she gets back from work
>So most days it falls on you to pick up her colt
>Which you don't mind - it gets you out of the apartment
>When you lived in Manhattan you didn't really want to leave the penthouse because the view from there was better than on the sidewalk
>Brooklyn is a different story
>You like taking little walks around the neighborhood
>There are even ponies you see so often that you say hi to them in passing
>Even if you don't know many of their names
>They're just neighbors, so you say hi to them
>You're sure they've noticed you can't go anywhere without a large brown stallion in tow these days
>But they know what happened to Rose, so nopony has commented on Forty Seven's constant presence
>You've even gotten used to it
>Though the novelty of trying to mess with him wore off a but when he told you he thought it was adorable
>If you want to be adorable you can be that for a lot less effort
>Play group happens in a storefront church ponies rent from the congregation on weekdays
>You never even saw a storefront church until you moved to Brooklyn
>It's literally a storefront where people hold services on weekends - that's the only thing that makes it a church
>To passers by it may as well be a store or beauty salon
>Nothing about the space itself suggests it's a church aside from a lectern and a big cross on the wall
>And it's just a couple blocks from where you live, so it's not much of a hike
>As you arrive to black colt says goodbye to another colt he was talking to and joins you and Forty Seven
"How was your day, sweetie?"
>"OK. Well, really not so great"
"What's the matter?"
>"I'll tell you on the way home"
>You start walking in that direction follower by the colt and the stallion
>"Auntie," the colt asks, "if you were married to daddy how come you're my auntie and not my mommy?"
>This was bound to come up
"Your mommy and daddy had a special moment together before I married him. That's what created you"
>"It was sex, right"
>Forty Seven almost successfully hides a snicker, but not entirely
"Yes. And I was very happy for them because your mommy had a crush on daddy since she lived in Equestria"
>"For his music?"
"Yes. She's played you the album"
>"I love daddy's music. He was a good pony, right?"
"Of course he was"
>"Blaze's mom says she doesn't want us to play together anymore because of daddy"
>Blaze
>You don't really know the other ponies at playgroup, but he has mentioned Blaze before
>And with a name like that you can guess which one he is
"Did she tell you this?"
>"No. Blaze did. He said daddy did bad things on TV so she doesn't want us playing together"
"Your daddy was on a bad show. But that doesn't mean he was a bad stallion. Remember he wasn't a free pony"
>"He was pirate property?"
"Private property. Or if you want to be less polite about it he was a slave. So was your mommy, and so was I"
>Forty Seven is doing a good job being indifferent to your conversation, but you think he may have winced a little at the word "slave"
>"But you and mommy are free now"
"Your daddy was partly responsible for that. But he couldn't free himself"
>"Did he do bad things on TV?"
>Oh boy, this one you should almost leave for Rose - she should be the one talking to him about this, not you
>But you're the one who is here now
"Good and bad are different for a slave. A free pony has free will"
>"What's that?"
"You know what's right and wrong, and you choose to be good even though you could be bad because you want to be a good pony"
>The colt nods at you
"Slaves don't always get to make choices like that. You have to do what your master tells you"
>"Even if it's wrong?"
"When you're a slave you don't have a choice. When you don't have a choice right and wrong don't really apply"
>"Who was daddy's master?"
"The network. They put him on TV and told him what to do. He did what he was told because he was a slave and didn't have a choice"
>"Did he do bad things?"
"If a free pony had chosen to do what he did it would have been bad. But your daddy didn't have a choice"
>"So good and bad don't mean the same thing if you're a slave?"
"Right and wrong only matter when you have free will and can choose one over the other. Slaves don't get to choose"
>You really ought to drive that home, because there's a chance he'll actually see the show one day
"Your father wrestled with that. Like your mom he grew up free. He knew right from wrong, but when your a slave..."
>"You have no choice?"
"You certainly don't have many choices. And none at all if your master tells you to do something"
>"Did he kill ponies on TV?"
"No. He was the announcer on a show where..."
>How do you put this?
>You've never even seen Hippodrome
>Master was ashamed of it, and it didn't sound like the kind of thing you'd want to see in the first place
"Slave ponies fought each other. The winner became a free pony"
>"And the winner kills the loser, right?"
"I've never watched it. It's a bad show. But that's the idea, yes"
>"Killing is wrong"
"All the ponies on that show are slaves. They don't have a choice"
>"So killing is not wrong sometimes?"
>You look at Forty Seven
>He smiles at you, realizing you're almost in over your head
>"It's like fighting," Forty Seven says to the colt. "Fighting is not good, but if you're attacked you have to defend yourself"
>The colt nods
>"If, god forbid, someone is trying to kill you," Forty Seven continues, "then killing them first is the smart thing to do"
>"Why were the ponies trying to kill each other on TV?," the colt asks
"Because network property, and that's what the people at the network told them to do"
>"Bad people"
"Yes, very bad people. They have free will and make the ponies who don't fight. For entertainment"
>"You and mommy have free will," the colt says slowly - you can almost see the wheels turning in his head
>"But you work for the very bad people at the network," he continues, "Is that why you don't let me watch your show?"
"Our show is good, it's just about grown up stuff, not for colts or fillies"
>"Like sex?"
"Sometimes. Also why slavery is bad, even though people don't always want to admit it or own up to it"
>You want to add something a little more noble to that to drive home your point
"Slave pony voices almost never get heard. Our show tries to change that"
>"And the bad people at the network can't make you kill each other because you're free ponies now," the colt replies
"If the bad people let us keep talking about it maybe more people will realize that all ponies should be free"
>"Why do the let you talk about it if they're bad people?"
"Because it makes money. And people care a lot more about money than they do right and wrong"
>Nice
>It's important that he know that
>And you're proud of yourself for not falling apart under this intense line of questions
>About very delicate matters
>"So is Blaze's mom wrong for not letting us play together anymore?"
"She's being a little ignorant. A lot of free ponies have no idea what it's like to be a slave"
>He's still looking at you, waiting for you to continue
"You can't judge a slave by free pony standards, and that's what she's doing. She might not even know any better"
>"So she's stupid?"
"The word is 'ignorant'"
>"What's the difference?"
>How do you explain this to a colt?
>Compare it to something he knows
>You visualize the room at playgroup
>There's the cross, the lectern, the boxes of toys and games for the little ones
>You've got it!
"Think about doing a puzzle. If somepony is stupid maybe they can't do the puzzle because they can't see how the pieces fit together"
>"Sometimes there's a lot of pieces and it takes a long time"
"Right. Being ignorant is like being smart enough to put the pieces together, but you're missing a few so you don't see the whole picture"
>"Then our puzzles at playgroup are all ignorant"
>You laugh
"Blaze's mom's view of your father is missing a lot of pieces. Important ones"
>"Can you give her those pieces so Blaze and I can still play together?"
"We can talk this over with your mom when she gets home and see what we can do"
 
>Be VP
>Sitting on the couch in the apartment you keep for your side piece
>Who is an adorable grey pegasus now drunkenly splayed across your lap, asleep
>She's no Rose, that's for sure
>Your dick actually likes this one better
>And she is easier to deal with
>You still miss Roseluck a little sometimes
>Face it dude, you let yourself fall for her
>A mistake you watched yourself making, but did it anyways
>But you're still in a position to look out for her
>And boy does she seem to need that!
>Thankfully Blinders makes a lot of money for a show that costs almost nothing to produce
>So the added cost of a security detail - especially a pony security detail - really didn't make any waves with the network
>Especially in light of nearly losing one of its stars or half a million dollars, or both!
>At least the pony on your lap is easy to take care of and keep safe
>You're keeping the relationship strictly within the paramaters of what she's been groomed for since she was a foal
>Or a young filly, at least
>Which in truth probably wasn't all that long ago
>You're pretty sure you won't have to worry about her getting ideas in her little featherbrain
>She knows how good she has it and acts accordingly
>You let any threats about what could happen if she didn't be implied
>You're sure her own worst fears combined with whatever she was taught are a better deterrent than anything you could provide
>You could never do that with Rose
>To be fair Rose had known freedom and you knew it was what she wanted for herself
>She was happy to act like a free mare as long as you let her
>And by not keeping her within the lines you ruined her to the point where she HAD to become one
>Ruined
>Funny to think of it like that, but it's kind of true
>Which is why you set things up for her to be able to choose what she wanted anyways
>As soon as she realized she had the choice
>You were happy not to make that immediately clear when you foisted her off on Bronc 
>Kind of a you broke it you bought it moment for him
>Then the poor bastard went and broke himself
>You smile thinking about his crazy requests to "mamagement" - a couple interns at the network
>Boy did they end up with crazy stories about their first jobs in the indusrty!
>You miss that fucker
>He hated you, of course
>You made him do something he truly hated doing on national television
>But he hated himself more for... being so damned good at it
>He couldn't help but take pride in his work because he was a born performer
>He had star quality, that's for sure
>And in return for exploiting it you saw to it he lived the life of a rockstar
>Which he was already familiar with
>And just like a rockstar he had nobody around him to suggest he ought to consider slowing down
>That was your fuck up - you totally enabled that shit
>But if it hadn't been you it would have been somebody else
>He did his best to sweat you, though
>He got you to buy him his own mare, for fuck's sake!
>And while she's been a pain in your ass she's also been one hell of an investment
>Bronc had a good eye
>You really do miss him
>You sigh and the little sleeping pegasus on your lap shifts her weight on you
>And does that thing where she kind of fluffs her wings then returns them to their resting position
>Damn, that's cute
>Is she drooling, too?
>This is nearly cute overload
>An ad from years ago runs through your mind
>Of Course You Can Own A Horse!
>That ran on your network, and every other one for that matter
>Back in the days before anyone had actually seen Equestrian ponies because none were here yet
>But the debate about how to deal with them was raging
>Lots of fear stories about how dangerous they were
>Not unfounded - they were supposedly quite powerful creatures in their own magical world
>Just not in yours
>Of course you can own a horse
>That ad pretty much undid every passionate anti-slavery campaign
>It just made it seem self-evident that people should own them
>Of course you can own a horse
>It wasn't even clever or original - just a matter of being the right thing at the right time
>Like so much in life
>And why not?
>Look at this little one
>Not that bright, barely educated, young and very pretty
>You can guess what would happen to her if she'd been born a free pony
>In a magical world where ponies ran things she'd have been fine
>On the streets of Brooklyn she'd have been fresh meat thrown to the wolves
>Then again, your own interest in her is pretty wolfish
>But you're happy to care for her in return - which is all she knows to expect, therefore all she could ever want
>You honestly don't think it's that bad a deal
>Though your niece very much disagrees and has no problem telling you so
>And as long as she's kind enough to do that outside of this one's earshot you're OK with it
>She's welcome to be an abolitionist if she wants, just like you're welcome to be an owner
>By the time anything actually gets changed in that regard you'll be too old to care, anyways
>Still asleep, the pegasus on your lap starts to squirm
>You know what that means, and you're the one who got her drunk, so...
"Come on, Cloudy. You've got to get up and go pee"
>You run a hand through her mane
>"Daddy, I...," she begins, slurring a little
"Get up and go pee"
>"Yeah, I've got to go pee"
>She climbs off you and weaves her way to the bathroom without incident
>Saving the couch and your pants from the threat
>And the rug, for that matter
>Bladder control isn't her strong suit
>Which can be an issue when you get her drunk and she passes out
>You learned this the hard way
>So it's probably not so good a thing to make a habit of doing with her
>To her
>Remember what drinking did to Bronc
>Got to make this be more of a once in a while thing
>And certainly no alcohol of her own in the house when you're not here
>Cloudburst appears from the bathroom and wobbles toward you
>She stands right between your legs and rests her head on your crotch
>"You smell like us, daddy," she says
"I'm sure I do"
>"Are you going to stay over tonight?"
>Good question
>You kind of don't want to, having already killed the afternoon and early part of the evening here
>It's what? 7:30 or so?
>You should get something to eat
>Did you and Cynthia have plans?
>Not tonight, but tomorrow
>You COULD stay here - you know it'd make her happy
>And you have a suit and a couple shirts here
"Sure. I'll call Cynthia and let her know"
>"Yay! I love it when you stay over!"
"So what should we do? Order some delivery and...?"
>She gives you a sheepish look and mumbles, "There's a new Gray's Anatomy on tonight"
"That's fine"
>You've suffered through worse
>Actually you have quite a bit of professional admiration for Shonda, even though you'd rather not watch her shows
>And the Viet place around the corner is just fine, and they deliver pretty quickly
>Why not spend the evening with your pretty little mare doing something she likes?
>She's still a little drunk, which does make her even cuter
>She'll probably fall asleep halfway through the show anyways
>As long as you're indulging her you might as well make her say it
>Because you don't get tired of hearing this shit
"How does a good girl wake her daddy up in the morning?"
>She gives you an adoring look - there's no way that's fake - followed by a lacivious smile
>"With a blowjob?"
"Good girl"
 
>Be mare
>Roseluck just got the colt to bed and met you in the kitchen
>She opens a bottle of wine
?"I'm assuming you'll have a glass with me?," she asks
"Sure. What are you going to do about Blaze's mom?"
>"I guess I'll have a talk with her. The son shouldn't suffer for the sins of the father"
"Sins?! You know the situation he was in!"
>Of course I do. But a pony who has never been private property would have a hard time understanding"
>She pours two glasses of wine and offers you one
"Cheers," you say, being sure to look her in the eye
>That's what you're supposed to do it before you drink
>Touch the glasses together and look your drinking partner in the eye
>It's a weird human thing, but apparently ponies now do it too
>Rose is the one who taught you about it, after all
>"Regardless of whether he had a choice," she continues, "He was the face of Hippodrome. Nopony is going to forget that"
>You take a sip of wine - you're still getting used to drinking the stuff, but it's much nicer than what master drank
"Yeah," you reply very softly, "and it killed him"
>"We know that. But to them he's still a traitor to all of ponykind"
"But that isn't true!"
>"Of course it isn't, but it's what they saw on TV"
"And she's going to take it out on his son? That's not fair. I thought free ponies were supposed to be fair"
>"They give lip service to the idea. I guess I'll find out just how fair-minded this mare can be"
"Look at us - talking about free ponies like we're not them"
>"We've been through things many free ponies can't imagine, or if they can they sure don't WANT to"
"They're pretty easily shocked"
>"To be fair your story would be shocking to most ponies, free or not"
"Not the mares I grew up with, but I get what you're saying. It's not like it's my fault, though"
>"Definitely not. It's something that's bound to happen when ponies are nothing but pieces of property"
"I was one very nice piece of property, though"
>"You were always more than just that, you were never allowed to see it"
"Or even think it, really"
>You take another sip from your glass
"It's still a little scary, you know? I know we're doing fine, but there really isn't all that much separating us from..."
>You were going to say unicorns starving on the street
>But the truth is there's not as much of that as you'd thought there'd be
>Some ponies are homeless, some spend their days begging on the street
>A day doesn't go by when you don't see one or two like that
>And you've learned to ignore them because there's nothing you can do about it
>But things aren't nearly as bad as you thought they were going to be in Ponytown
>Ponies have their own charity organizations that do their best to help out those in need
>Not that they can do much, but it's rare that you see a pony dead on the street
>You have, but it's rare
>"Oh, come on," Rose says, "If you're talking about finances I KNOW yours are in good order"
"True. And we live below our means, which is good"
>"I'm definitely drinking much less expensive than when I was with John"
"You spent a lot of his money, didn't you"
>"He treated me like his mistress - not like your friend Sky, and not like I owned him, but like I wasn't his property"
>She takes a sip of wine
>"Like I was his kept mare. So I behaved accordingly - like a mistress of a wealthy man"
"Doesn't sound all that bad"
>"You know it wasn't... until it was"
"Do you think Moonglow is in a similar situation? Her master treats her more like a kept mare status symbol than his property?"
>"That's certainly the story she tells. I hope it's true, for her sake. Why?"
"My friend Skydancer sent me a link to a video about unicorns and said I should look out for any unicorn friends if I could"
>"Do you have it on your phone?"
"Yeah, I'll play it for you. I'll warn you though, it's pretty racist. Abd scary and sad"
>You set your smartphone on the counter and start the video
>Nice to have counters at pony height
>You don't need to follow the video visually, you've already seen it and is mostly just clips of sad, undernourished ponies
>Nearly all of them unicorns
>But you follow along with the sad music and narration:
>"More help is needed than we have resources to provide. But there is something we can do to lessen the suffering"
>"Over three quarters of unwanted pony births are unicorns. Please spay or neuter your unicorn, it's the humane thing to do"
>"The Humane Society also offers no-cost reproductive health services for free unicorns"
>"Together we can we can be part of the solution to the suffering"
>That's the whole thing - just that narration over pictures and sad music
>But it's chilling the way it singles out unicorns and proclaims sterilizing them is the right thing to do
>Because the way the say it makes it almost seem plausible, instead of horrific
"Should we be worried about Moonglow?"
>Roseluck thinks for a minute and says, "Doing that to a bedmare would work against the purpose of having one"
"Right. Most men like it when we're responsive to them, even if it's faked. Doing that would make a mare unresponsive"
>"So she's probably safe," Rose andswers, "But this is something bigger and more disturbing"
"The racism?"
>"More like genocide"
"Isn't that more of a war thing?"
>"Usually it is, but think about it: If you make it so unicorns can't breed you don't have to kill them - they'll die out on their own"
"Why would anyone want to get rid of an entire pony race?"
>"Why does genocide ever happen? One group scapegoats another, then comes into power and pushes it even further"
"Thinking that all problems will be solved if the undesirable race is gone?"
>"And it makes sense for it to be unicorns. Breeders don't really breed them. They don't sell well. Half of Ponytown is unicorns"
"The poorer half, of course"
>"When your value is based on what people think about you and you're not a pegasus or an earth pony it's got to be tough"
"You don't think ponies - earth ponies and pegasi - could be partially behind this, do you?"
>"I'm sure it's possible, but this really seems like human thinking. Especially selling a slow moving genocide as the humane thing to do"
>She pours you each another glass of wine and looks at you intensely
>"I mean," she questions, "How do you feel, I mean REALLY feel about unicorns?"
"I don't know. I really only know one beyond a few neighbors I say hi to on the street. But they're ponies like us so we..."
>You take a sip of wine
"The right thing to do would be to stick together. That's how I feel, really"
>"I knew a few unicorns back in Ponyville. We'd gotten over racial antipathy a long time ago in Equestria"
"So it wasn't like here"
>"It might have been a long time ago, but not in my lifetime. Some earth ponies may have been a little distrustful of unicorn magic"
"Kinda racist"
>"Maybe a little, but magic was powerful there, and sometimes it could be dangerous"
"And Ponyville was an earth pony town, right?"
>"Oh yeah, and it had been for a long time. There were a few pegasi and a few unicorns, but it was mostly earth ponies"
"So if people are behind this like it seems, what do they want?"
>"Maybe sympathy twoard ponies in general is increasing, so they have to come up with another way to keep us down?"
"So this is what? Divide and conquer? Haven't they already won? Haven't we already been conquered? Aren't we already down?"
>"One could argue unicorns are the proudest race. Taking them out could strike a blow against the idea of pony pride"
"Sucks this is happening just as I'm finally begining to have an idea what that even means"
>She gives you a sad look and says, "Yeah, it does. But we've got to use our soap box to fight against this"
"Ponies have to stick together"
>"Especially when genocidal people start offering solutions to problems"
"Should we give one of the producers a call, or just wait to bring this up at the next production meeting?"
>"Let me talk to Moonglow and see what she thinks. Please tell Skydancer this was a good catch on her part. Thank her"
"We could invite her on. She's really smart, and a pegasus would show solidarity of all ponies"
>"Maybe, but I think more important is making unicorns more relatable. Because that ad made them seem like dogs"
"Wait, I thought people loved dogs?"
>"But magic nuisance dogs who can talk back? They'd like that a lot less. That's how they're portraying unicorns"
 
>Be Agent Forty-Seven
>Relaxing a bit with your partner Forty-Two in your Brooklyn apartment
>It's 8:30 on a Wednesday night
>You can let your guard down a little, as the assets are very likely in for the evening
>Still you leave the motion detector on - you can check the video if/when it goes off
>It really didn't take much in the way of stealthy electronics in the hallway above your door to make that set up work
>You figure it's subtle enough that the landlord won't even notice, and so far he hasn't
>Then again he knows who you are and why you're here, and he seemed happy to have you
>It's not a bad place
>The apartment is just big enough for two stallions as long as you don't fill it up with stuff
>And beyond the necessities neither of you have much stuff
>It's also cheerful
>The couple who lived here before you stenciled some hearts on the walls and painted some flowers here and there
>Which makes the place feel a lot less spartan than most of the places you've lived
>"They're definitely in for the night," Forty-Two says, "Unless yours wants to mess with you some more"
"She's over that. Telling her I thought it was adorable took all the fun out of it for her"
>"She'll never be completely over it. She's a whorse and you're a big, strong stallion. You know she wants it"
"She makes no secret of loving the attention, that's for sure"
>"They're all whorses, yours just doesn't bother trying to pretend she isn't"
"What about yours?"
>"I've caught her checking me out, especially when I'm interacting with the colt"
"You're going to become something of a father figure to him, like it or not"
>"In a very limited way, and I don't mind that. She also checks out mares, so I'm nmot too worried about things becoming... compromised"
"Me neither"
>"You've got more to worry about than I do. Not that I don't trust your professionalism"
"I'm not all that concerned. But I won't deny she's a piece of ass and has a... generous nature"
>"I'm surprised she hasn't tried to suck your cock yet"
"Thankfully she hasn't. Trying to take a pass on that would be a great way to hate myself for a while"
>"No matter what you do you lose in a situation like that"
"True"
>"I mean you could almost rationalize it - it wouldn't be compromising the asset in her case because she's already..."
"So compromized?," you laugh. "I could almost believe that. HQ wouldn't buy it though"
>"Who knows? Maybe they just assume it's already happening. They know exactly what you're dealing with"
"And I know the conduct that's expected of me. So do you"
>"Yeah. Ever wonder what it would be like without those expectations, like if we weren't chipped?"
"Being around free ponies is starting to get to you, isn't it?"
>"No. Just making conversation"
"It doesn't matter. We are chipped and that's that"
>"I know, I'm not stupid. But imagine If our dams made it in without getting chipped. I heard it was chaos at the portal"
"It was who got to you first when you came across. If they'd made their quota for the day the abolitionsts took you and no chip"
>"That must have been nuts"
"The ponies coming through didn't even realize what was going on"
>"And when they stopped coming through?"
"The changed the law so you could only chip foals born to chipped dams. Like us. That stopped the foalnapping and sale of free ponies"
>"Until a few rocket scientists decided to try foalnapping a pony celebrity"
"Which is why we're here"
>"So imagine if we'd been born to dams without chips"
"We're already in Ponytown, so it wouldn't be all that different I guess"
>"Sure it would. What would you have done if you'd had choices?"
"Probably the military or law enforcement, so like I said, not all that different"
>"Yeah, me too I think"
"Might not have ended up as well trained as we are, though"
>"Good point. They don't lavish the kind of resources on free ponies that they did on us"
"Of coure not. Free ponies aren't loyal like we are. They're thinking about other things"
>"Like what the girls are talking about on the show"
"Ugh. If watching that weren't part of the mission I wouldn't watch it at all"
>"Not a fan?"
"It's hard enough to listen to one mare talking. Multiply that by five talking over each other? Not my thing"
>"It's better with the sound off"
>You laugh because its true
"Accomplish this mission and we'll probably get bred for it"
>"Assuming we manage not to breed inadvertently before its over"
"Let's try to keep that from happening"
>"You ever been bred?"
"Yeah, once"
>"Lucky"
"My service record is a little longer than yours. Your time will come"
>"Was she prety?"
"Of course she was. What I saw of her. They had her tied in a stall. And gagged. I guess so she couldn't say anything to ruin the mood"
>"Good thinking"
"Still a little weird. Gave it to her good, though. Doubt it was her first time - you could have parked a truck in there"
>He laughs
>"But it was still...?"
"Yeah, it was still pretty awesome. Their bodies are more responsive when they KNOW you're putting a foal in them"
>"Good memory to have"
"I'm sure she remembers, too"
>"I'm sure she does. She's the one who carried the foal and gave birth to it. Shit, a little 47 galloping around somewhere out there!"
"Who knows where, but yeah. There'll be a little Forty-Two before too long I'm sure. We were top of the class, after all"
>"You ever do a recovery mission?"
"No, you?"
>"Yup. They only let you do so many of those because they say it's hard on you... mentally"
"I'd would think. Fuck, they should have bred you for that!"
>"It was my first mission out of the Academy"
"Wow. They threw you right on the fire, didn't they?"
>You said it: top of the class"
"Let me guess - 100% recovery and no permanent damage to the assets"
>"Almost. One suicide"
"Life is for the strong. Sucks to be weak"
>"Not that either of us would know what it's like to be weak. But that fucker kept me from a perfect score my first time out"
"How'd he do it?"
>"Unicorn. Gun"
"Impressive. That's some strong magic!"
>"I was impressed in retrospect, but at the time I was just pissed"
"I hear you. But you know the job isn't always controlling the situation. Sometimes it's managing an uncontrolled situation"
>"I kept thinking I should have seen it coming..."
"There was no way. That's ability way outside the bell curve"
>"They'd escaped from a research facility. I knew there was a gifted magic user among them. They'd warned us"
"Still you can't beat yourself up. There's no way you could have seen that coming"
>There's a beep from the motion detector in the hallway
>"That would be the guy upstairs getting home from work"
"Yup"
>But you check the video just to be sure
"He's bringing her flowers"
>"Wonder what he did wrong"
"Not our concern, thankfully. She's starting to show, isn't she?"
>"Either that or she's overeating"
"I'm pretty sure he's knocked her up"
>"Must be nice"
"The nice part is almost over for him. Then he'll be tied down to the repercussions. May as well be gelded"
>"That's harsh"
"You were wondering what life would be like as a free stallion. There's your answer"
>"He seems happy enough"
"Happiness is fleeting, and you know it"
>"Having a mare to come home to every night? You can't tell me that wouldn't be nice"
"The SAME mare every night? One you just turned into an incubator and soon to be milk dispenser? No thanks"
>"When you put it that way..."
"I think you just need to get your rocks off. Youy're not thinking straight"
>"You're probably right. I could use a piece of tail"
"I'm willing to go on austerity measures with the groceriers to fund some street meat for you if that'll clear your head"
>"You're a good partner, Forty-Seven. I may take you up on that"
"Look where we are. It's not that hard to find a mare willing to rent her hindquarters for a pair of twenties"
>"Or just one of you're willing to overlook obvious signs of addiction"
>You laugh
"Regardless if you bring her here don't turn your back on her"
>"Duh"
>The motion detector beeps again
>"That's probably your friend"
>You look at the monitor to see her in the hallway, walking toward the front door
"Shit, I'm off"
>"I'll just keep an eye on things here then"
 
>Be mare
>You weren't planning to go out tonight, but when you read there was a KtMA rally just a few blocks from you
>At 9PM on a Wednesday night - do unicorns not have jobs?
>You wanted to check it out - Sunrise will be speaking, and you're curious about her and her grassrots movement
>You're a little intimidated, too
>Because even though the organization is open to all ponies (and people, you think) it's mostly a unicorn thing
>You're not racist - or you try not to be - but you just don't know that many unicorns
>Like really know
>Since moving to Brooklyn you have a lot of unicorn neighbors you say hi to
>They seem nice
>But you never knew any growing up, and you can't say you're all that close to any of them now
>You know Moonglow from the show, but she's in her own bubble
>Her race doesn't define her
>Not nearly as much as her bedmare status and Gucci collar
>And you would never argue with her about that, either
>You've been private property, and as far as that goes she's really at the top of the pecking order
>In spite of being a unicorn
>Which makes her opinions on the show even more inflammatory than yours
>To ponies, that is
>She has a lot of young adult men fans
>So the producers say - you don't really follow twitter
>There are a couple free pony interns for that, and you don't even remember their names
>They've only shown up to a couple meetings with the cast
>Come to think of it they're both unicorns
>But that's not a huge surprise
>It seems like unicorns make up a disproportionate share of free ponies
>Because no one wants them
>Is that racist?
>Is it racist if it's true?
>Yeah - that's the point - racism is real and since moving to Brooklyn you've seen it operating in the world around you
>In a way you never thought of back when you were private property and lived in your own little bubble
>Which is exactly why you dragged your ass out on a Wednesday night to see a KtMA rally for yourself
>Forty-Seven fell right in line behind you, dutifully following a few paces back
>Your smartphone tells you you're now just a block and a half from the site of the meeting
>In the basement of a church, of course
>So many free pony grassroots organizing happens in churches during off hours
>It makes sense - many churches are abolitionist
>Even those who see magic as ungodly, it seems
>But it's hard for you not to be a little distrustful of them
>The scariest night of your young life was when some Christian missionary types tried to foalnap you from the brothel
>What would have happened if they'd succeeded?
>Would you be a free pony in Canada? Praying to Jeebus?
>Or would you have been brought back minus an ear?
>That would have been the end of your career at the brothel
>Or maybe not - there are probably guys who are into that - maybe more than you'd think
>Or maybe you'd just have become a preacher's bedmare somewhere, hidden away because you were his dirty secret
>That would have sucked
>You're lucky things turned out the way they did
>Even if it means having to face a world far more complicated and dangerous than you ever expected
>You've heard people and even so ponies say everything happens for a reason
>Maybe that's true, but so much is happening for so many reasons, some related some not
>There's really no way to understand what's going on in this world
>Not in any meaningful way
>You just have to get by and try to do what you think is right
>Even if you end up being wrong about it
>Which is why you find yourself outside the open door to a church basement
>There are plenty of ponies around, most of them unicorns
>You look back at Forty-Seven, half expecting an eyeroll
>But he's too much of a pro to give you that
>You wonder what he'll think of this
>Probably nothing - it has no impact on his life
>That's how you would have thought back when you were private property
>You enter and follow a couple ponies down a flight of satairs into a large basement auditorium
>Forty-Seven follows you closely
>There's got to be over 100 ponies here! Maybe closer to 200!
>You get a few looks of recognition, which you're used to by now
>Everypony is standing facing the stage at the front of the room, where a yellow unicorn mare stands at a podium
>Sunrise
>"Settle down, everypony," she says into the microphone
>"First I want to thank everypony for coming out tonight," she continues, "I know we all have busy lives, but this is important"
>"Systemic racism against unicorns is as real as the subjugation of ponykind at the hands of men"
>"We're here to speak out, to act out to put an end to both in our lifetimes"
>"We're here to...," she pauses giving the audience the cue they've been waiting for
>Everypony responds: "KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!"
>"Free our enslaved brothers and sisters!," the yellow unicorn shouts
>The sound of hooves on the floor applauding gets louder
>She continues: "Stop the racism against and end the forced sterilization of unicorns!"
>The applause contiunes to increase
>"So that every colt and filly regardless of race can grow up free, with dignity, pride and self-determination!" 
>The applause reaches a deafening level, and the unicorn on stage takes a step back waiting for it to die down
>It takes a minute, then she leans into the mic 
>"They're trying to divide us," she says in a softer voice. "You know it and I know it"
>"They want us to think the fight for abolition and equal treatment under the law for all pony races aren't the same struggle"
>"They know how much easier it would be to perpetuate the enslavement of our brothers and sisters if free ponies failed to speak up"
>"And if fewer and fewer unicrons are born until someday there are no unicorns to speak up at all"
>"The want us divided among ourselves so we cannot speak with one voice for all of ponykind"
>"Those chained in slavery cannot be heard. Their voices are silenced. We must speak for them, and we will not be silent!"
>The applause begins again
>You KNOW Crystal is here somewhere
>She hints at this stuff sometimes on the show, though she's careful not to come off this radical
>She's mentioned Sunrise and KtMA plenty of times off camera though
>You look around the room and eventually spot her, right up in the front of the crowd
>Of course
>Forty-Seven leans over to your ear and whispers, "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"
"Of course"
>"Events like this aren't exactly the safest places to be, if history is any guide"
"I know. That's what I have you for"
>You missed what Sunrise just said, but everypony in the room shouted "KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!" again
>"I'd feel more confident," Forty-Seven says inches from your ear, "if we were a little closer to an exit"
>You oblige him, but move very slowly
>You feel eyes on you and do not want to cause a scene
>"Are there any pegasi among us?," Sunrise asks
>"Silly question, right?," she continues, getting a little nerveous laughter from the crowd. "Has anypony ever met a free pegasus?"
>The crowd goes quiet
>You hadn't thought about that, but there aren't any pegasi in Ponytown it seems
>"Two," the unicorn continues, "I've lived in Ponytown my entire adult life and I've only met two free pegasi"
>The audience murmurs disapproval
>"An entire pony race silenced by slavery," she says sadly. "Who will speak for them?"
>"We will!," says a chorus of pony voices around you
>"How many earth ponies here," she asks, "Show of hooves"
>You raise a hoof, and a look around the room shows you're one of 20-some earth ponies in the crowd
>The unicorn on stage looks around at the raised hooves
>Her eyes rest on you for a moment - she recognized you
>When her eyes get to Crystal she lingers for a moment on her as well
>"Thank you," she says. "For realizing this is a fight for all ponies, not just unicorns, and standing with us"
>The 20-some hooves in the room come down
>"Who will speak for our enslaved earth pony brothers and sisters?"
"We will!," you say along with everypony else
>The mare on stage looks right at you
>"I see we have a couple mares standing with us who are doing just that on a national level," she says, now looking st Crystal
>You feel a lot of pony eyes on you and manage a smile
>"Thank you," the yellow unicorn says, "I think they deserve a round of applause"
>It lasts at least half a minute
>"And on to the rest of you," she continues, "I see your horns. Who will speak for all unicorns, slave and free?"
"We will," you say along with everypony, even though you're aware you don't have a horn
>"That's why they're coming for us," Sunrise says quietly, "They want us silent, preferably forever"
>That causes some murmurs in the crowd
>"Will we be silent?"
"NO!"
>"What will we do instead?"
>You see this coming and join in
"KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!"
>"Since our last rally I'm told there have been over a hundred foals born here in Ponytown," the mare says
>Applause erupts 
>"That's over a hundred voices of the future," she continues, "Voices that will literally..."
"KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!"
 
>After the rally some ponies ask to pose for selfies with you, and across the room you see Crystal is in the same position
>Eventually you make it over to her
>She gives you a very smug look
>"I thought you found the politics of abolition distasteful," she says
"We're going to be talking about this on the show. I don't want to be ignorant"
>"What did you think? She's great, isn't she? We should totally have her on"
"I get what she's saying and even why she's saying it, but..."
>"But what? It's all pretty obvious stuff if you've got four hooves and a tail"
"You're wrong. Like when she said we have to be the voices of those who have no voice"
>"You don't agree?!"
"It's missing the point. I had no voice for a long time. But guess what else? I had nothing to say about any of this"
>"Nothing?"
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't even dare to let myself think about any of this stuff, much less say it. I was a good girl"
>"You were brainwashed," Crystal says matter of factly, then adds, "Tall, dark and handsome behind you just rolled his eyes"
>Guess he's less stoic when he's out of your field of vision
"He doesn't even like me being here"
>"You know they offered me one. I flat out refused"
"We weren't given much of a choice after what happened to Rose"
>"Could be worse. He's cute at least. If I were into boys I might not mind having him around"
"Yeah you would," you whisper, "He's private property"
>"Oh shit. But of course. Of course it would be like that," she says looking over at the stallion, "No offense"
>"None taken, ma'am," Forty-Seven replies
>"You ready to meet Sunrise?," Crystal asks you, smug once again
>Why the fuck not?
>You came to the rally, totally took part in it
>Even got a little swept up in it if you're being honest with yourself
>May as well meet the mare behind it all before she ends up being a guest on your show
>Which seems inevitable now
 
>The first thing you notice about her up close is her cutie mark - a microphone
"MY late mast, er, husband had a microphone cutie mark!," you blurt out
>"I'm well aware," Sunrise replies, "I'm trying to put mine to better use than he did, in this world at least"
"Nice that you have a say in the matter. He didn't"
>"That's what we're fighting to end"
"You couldn't have been more clear about it"
>"If you'd said Crystal Clear I would have hit you," Crystal says with a smirk
"That would have been a mistake in front of my muscle over there," you say gesturing with a nod toward Forty-Seven
>"I'm afraid things are getting to the point," Sunrise says sadly, "where I'm going to have to consider some protection for myself as well"
"What do you think about that, Forty-Seven?"
>"There's definitely a target on your back, ma'am," he says flatly to Sunrise, "and if you take your message on national television..."
"When," Sunrise interrupts, "Not if"
"That's what I'm afraid of, honestly. Talk like this will get somepony killed, and it will probably be you"
>"We cannot be silent in the face of this oppression," Sunrise replies, "not when we have the choice to speak up and..."
>She gets a faw away look in her eyes
>"Change things," she continues, "for everypony's sake. Of course that will mean sacrifices. I'm not stupid. I accept that"
>It's still shocking to hear somepony talk like this
>And obviously it's showing on your face
>"It's a lot to take in for a mare who proudly wore a collar to her wedding, isn't it?," Sunrise says gently
"You have no idea"
>"Get used to it," Crystal says, "because this is happening"
 
>Be VP
>Washing off your dick in the bathroom sink at the apartment you keep for your little pegasus
>It's funny what Cloudy does to your head
>She's so small and cute that every protective instinct you have gets stoked up
>You want to care for her and indulge her and sheild her from the big bad world
>And you do that
>But hand in hand with that feeling she stokes something in your darker side
>When you cuddle with her you're sometimes hit with the urge to squeeze her too hard
>Like way too hard
>Of course you don't give in to it
>But you like sex with her a little rougher than you have since you were in your young twenties
>After one girl broke your heart so you took it out on the next couple girls you dated
>Particularly that chubby one with the great ass
>You never thought of yourself as one of those guys who was into anal
>It always seemed a little gay to you
>But for the year or so you dated her you were into that
>Relentlessly
>No wonder you were the last man she dated before deciding she was into girls
>You really were a full on perv with that one in a way you haven't been since
>Until now with Cloudy
>You like taking her in the wrong hole while she calls you daddy
>You like the idea that you're hurting her a little for your own pleasure
>The way she whimpers while you're doing it makes you rock hard
>You're going to have to record that one day
>Audio only, of course
>Because there's sure as hell no reason for video of 50 year old you fucking a small horse up the ass to exist in this world
>She suffers through it for the sake of being your good girl
>That's just so fucking delicious
>You get hard at the office just daydreaming about it
>In a conversation with your niece last week she used the term "cuteness aggression"
>She was talking about her dog's behavior
>You'd never heard that particular term before - you're sure there's a whole array of new lingo you have yet to learn
>But understood it right away
>It's exactly what Cloudy brings out in you
>It's why you like getting her falling down drunk just to watch the spectacle of it
>And why you feel so tender toward her but still want to hurt her just a little bit
>Sexually
>And you don't feel the least bit bad about it, either
>She's not a woman, she's YOUR little pony
>You own her
>If all that cute means you rail her a little extra hard
>And up the tailhole every now and then so be it
>It's not like you're abusing her
>Well, maybe you are just a little, which is part of what gets you off
>But you're also really good to her
>How many mouthfuls of her piss have you swallowed without complaint when going down on her
>And she cums so hard she loses control of herself?
>You can't count
>And it takes a while to get the taste of horse piss out of your mouth after
>Or the smell of it off you when you make her cum from just straight up fucking
>Which you do often
>You put her up in a nice place and take care of her every need
>No one could call you a bad master because you're definitely not
>You reach for a towel as she appears in the doorway
>"I should be doing that for you, daddy"
"You've done plenty by being such a good little girl for me"
>She gives you a little smile
"I didn't hurt you, did I?"
>"You just made me sore again, daddy, and now I have to..."
>She looks at the toilet
"Right, I'll get out of here"
>You'll give her that little bit of dignity
>Least you can do after what you just did to her
>You walk out to the bedroom and put your pants on, instinctively reaching for your work phone
>Because it's still afternoon on a workday
>To see you have one new message from a certain beardy producer
>Shit, you hope Roseluck hasn't managed to get herself into trouble again
>You don't bother to read it, just call him straight away
>"Hi John," he answers
"What's on fire?"
>"Nothing yet. But this is big"
"Good big or bad big?"
>"The girls are adamant about having Sunrise as a guest next week"
"Is that a pony or an R&B singer with a positivee message?"
>"She's the leader of KtMA"
"That acronym sounds familiar, but I'm not tracking it"
>"Keep the magic alive?"
"Oh shit. The unicorn rights group"
>"That's not how they think of themselves, but yeah"
"Dare I ask how they see themselves?"
>"Abolitionists speaking up for pony voices silenced by slavery"
"But that's just the rhetoric, right? It's still a unicorn rights group"
>"It's both, actually"
"How long has it been since abolitionists have had any mainstream media attention?"
>"Been fringe for a while - since I was a kid, or a teenager at least"
"Wow. And those voices have never been actual ponies before. We're going to lose a few sponsors"
>"We call them advertizers now, but yes"
"Thanks for reminding me I'm a fossil"
>You switch the phone to speaker and rest it on the bed so you can put your shirt back on
"It still fits with the spirit of the show, but I was hoping it wouldn't come to this until the third season"
>"So they're more precotious than you thought. We're talking epic shitstorm here"
"Fuck it - that's what Blinders Off is supposed to do - cause epic shitstorms"
>"This'll be the biggest one yet, and I wasn't going to touch it without your approval"
"You have it. This will probably hurt us in the short run, but pay off bigtime in the long run"
>"If we're lucky enough to make it that far"
"There's always that, but I'll let it be my risk"
>"You're sure about this?"
"If the show gets too hot we can always sell it to Netflix. If things get to that point and you're still committed to it I can..."
>"I appreciate that"
"I doubt things will get to that point"
>"I'll make it happen then"
"Good. But I want to meet with Miss Sunrise before we have her on. Just so I know what we're dealing with"
>"Dynamite is what we're dealing with, but I'll make that happen, too"
"Who sounds like a fossil now?"
>"I picked that up from you!"
>Dynamite
>You laugh
>Literally the dynamic way to mine in the early 20th Century
>Now an antique expression in the 21st - did you pick that up from P.G. Wodehouse novels you read in your 20's?
>Probably
"We're green lit. Talk later"
 
>Be VP
>At your desk with a yellow unicorn mare seated in front of you
>Her blue eyes are giving you an icy look, which is exactly what you expected
>"Why would a slaver give me a national soapbox to stand on? That's what I don't get"
"I'm actually agnostic about slavery?"
>"How can you say that?! You OWN two of us personally!"
"Sure. Because I can. If I couldn't it wouldn't be a big a deal. I've also been responsible for nearly a hundred ponies getting their freedom"
>"And how many deaths?"
"About the same. Your politics is going to result in deaths as well, if it hasn't already. How many have you freed?"
>"My sighs are set on all of them"
"Couldn't you keep the magic alive by finding a nice unicorn stallion and...?"
>"I plan on having foals someday if I'm lucky enough to be able. But now I can do more good for ponykind this way"
"You really think you can convince people to destroy over a billion dollars' worth of property in the stroke of a pen?"
>"It's happened before in your history"
"It took a civil war. Over half a million people died. Something like that would be a lot of blood on your hands"
>You ctach yourself
"Hooves, I mean"
>"Unlike the blood on your hands it would be for a just and righteous cause"
"So you're telling me you want to start a civil war? Say that on television and you'll be arrested for incitement"
>"Those are your words, not mine. I hope to accomplish this through nonviolent means, though I do believe in fighting for a just cause"
"Listen, you ought to have your say. But once you do the genie will be out of the bottle. You'll be the most..."
>"Controversial pony in America?"
"Yeah, and national news - probably international as well"
>"I'm aware. I'm as prepared as I will ever be"
"No you're not. I want you to sit down with legal for an hour or two. Run what you're planning on saying by them"
>"Last time I checked we still had free speech in thia country"
"We do, but there are limits. There are also broadcast standards. The more work you make for the editors the less of your message gets out"
>"Why are you doing this? Why work to get my message to the nation when you claim to be agnostic on the issue"
"I've made a lot of money for the network by putting controversal pony related material on television"
>"So this is all about making money to you?"
"It's proving I have my finger on the pulse. When this airs everyone will be talking about you, and Blinders Off"
>"So for you this is nothing but a way to hype your show?"
"I get what I want, you get what you want. It's win - win. Just be sure this is what you want"
>"I've never been more sure of anything in my life"
"You were born in Equestria, right?"
>"I was a filly when I came through. I was taken in by abolitionists for a while, then ended up in Ponytown"
"So this isn't just survivor's guilt, you were indoctrinated from a young age"
>"I've always been free, as all ponies ought to be"
"Even in a world where men rule?"
>"If women can find their way into positions of power ponies can be treated equally under the law"
"That's one hell of a leap. Very idealistic of you"
>"Is it so hard to believe I have ideals? Obviously you lack them, but what if it were your brothers and sisters enslaved?"
>She's actually kinda cute, for a unicorn
>You'd totally do her, horn and all
>Of course the fact that she's about to be a guest on one of your shows means you can't let that on
>She's right at that sweet spot
>Fully an adult, but still full of the passion of youth
>You're getting better at picking up on how old they are the more time you spend with them
>This one is younger than Rose but definitely older than Cloudy
>How young is Cloudy?
>You're sure the number is in her paperwork
>But since she was a private purchase from a trusted source you didn't really pay attention to her stats
>Younger than Bronc's whore?
>Maybe a little, which makes her pretty young
>Well it's a big bad world - they have to grow up fast
>Maybe that's why you feel so protective of her - she's like your little pioneer wife
>Or pioneer side piece
>Which very much makes you a dirty old man
>You might not want to know her actual age
>You realize there's an angry looking yellow unicorn across the desk from you waiting for a reply
"Thankfully I've never had to think about that. But I get it - you're an actual pony abolitionist and civil rights leader"
>"You seem surprised"
"I figured somepony like you was going to come along, I just figured it'd be a few years from now"
>"Probably because you don't realize how desparate things are. The ponies you know are a pretty... skewed sample"
"And some of them have been through some serious shit, regardless"
>"Which you exploit for entertainment purposes"
"Maybe, but I also allow their voices to be heard. Just like I'm doing for you. Being heard costs money"
>"I don't like that, but I guess I have to accept it's true some of the time. So this is an investment in me"
"This could become an ongoing relationship. Of course I'll take care of security while you're here, but you should..."
>"I realize that. I'm looking into it"
"I have a relationship with an excellent pony security organization if you're interested"
>"Free or slave labor?"
"Shit, they're private property"
>"You know that's not going to work for me. For the time being I'm going to have to use volunteers from my supporters"
"Good luck with that. Now if you don't mind we ought to get you down to legal"
 
>Be mare
>Walking down the hall toward your studio
>There are several studios in the building, so it isn't too much of a surprise to see Juan Pablo coming toward you
>The handsome pegasus stallion smiles at you
>"I hear you're making history today," he says
"Or jumping the shark, depending on your politics"
>He laughs
>"I don't have any politics, so I'll go with making histroy. Ada Maria was telling me all about it"
"It's scary, to be honest"
>"Free pony probnlems"
"Yeah, you're pretty much expected to have opinions, and you're a monster if they don't line up with everypony else's"
>"You and Rose are the only free ponies I know. Well, Crystal, too, but she won't give me the time of day"
"Free ponies have a lot of trouble with Hippodrome"
>"I have a lot of trouble with Hippodrome, but I deal with it"
"How are you holding up?"
>"You know what it's like, you we're married to it. I'm doing just a little better than that"
"He never wanted to talk about it"
>"Then you'll understand when I say I feel the same way. So Sunrise - as free ponies what do you and Rose think of her?"
"Rose is worried. She's afraid she'll cause a rise in hate crimes against ponies"
>"That's natural, she is the mother of a free colt. Of course she worries. You guys are just out in the open"
"She's also been a lot more cautious since she was foalnapped"
>"Understandable. What about you? You have free pony opinions on Sunrise?"
"I think she wants too much too quickly - she's getting a lot of ponies' hopes up when in the end she's only going to..."
>"Get herself killed?"
"Yeah. It's to the point where I'm actually wondering if her message would be more powerful if she became a martyr for it"
>"Ponies dying so that others can be free? That's what I'm selling every week"
"That's got to be horrible"
>"It would be easier if it were meaningful. Do you think Sunrise is meaningful?"
"I don't know. I don't agree with everything she says. She claims to speak for ponies like you, then brings up topics no slave has opinions about"
>He laughs
>"You know. You've lived it. Opinions aren't exactly encouraged, and having them will only make you miserable"
>You nod - you remember what it was like
>"I know my job is horrible, but I know I'm treated very well for doing it. I have to be grateful. I could be a unicorn starving on the street..."
>He stops and looks you right in the eye
>He is handsome, and he smells good, too - stallion with just a whiff of booze - reminds you of master
>Makes you want to lick him, but you know better
>You hope he and Ada Maria are happy together
>"Does that really happen? Do unicorns really starve to death on the street in Ponytown?"
"Yeah. Not as much as you might think. Ponies try to help each other out, but some slip through the cracks"
>He winces
>"I've seen a lot of death, but that still seems horrible"
"That's the double edged sword. You're valuable, so you get treated well. They're just refugees no one cares about except other ponies"
>"I can see why she sounds so angry about it"
"She does seem angry, doesn't she? I think that's because she actually believes she can change things. Imagine believing that!"
>"I can't. But is sounds like a very dangerous way to think"
"I'm starting to think that way a little bit myself, and it scares the shit out of me"
>"Do you think she can? Like actually change things?"
"Nopony knows. She CAN start a shitstorm that I'm going to get caught in"
>"You get used to being in a shitstorm, especially when you don't have a choice about it"
>God, he reminds you of the way you used to think
>Which makes you both sad for him and a little jealous
>And that conflicted feeling makes you horny
>Without knowing exactly how generous Ada Maria is with her stallion you probably should wrap this up
"Well good talking with you. I gotta get back to work"
>"Yeah, me too. We'll have to have you and Rose over sometime soon"
"Definitely. I'd love to see the old place and what you've done with it"
>"She changed a few things, but I think you'd still recognize it"
>Slaves in the penthouse, free ponies on the street
>A smug echo of your former self thinks, "That's how it's supposed to be"
>But you know that isn't true
>There' no "supposed to be" about any of this
>Just what is and what could be
 
>Be Cloudburst
>You are angry and confused about so many things
>Master... Daddy told you Blinders Off was not a show for good girls
>And you watched it and knew what he meant
>It was bad girls talking about bad girl things
>But today is different
>You have no idea why daddy would put that yellow bitch on TV
>She's not just a bad girl, she's the baddest of bad girls
>She's saying things nopony should even THINK!
>And she's so shrill and angry while saying them!
>She's the most horrible pony you've ever seen
>And the half bottle of cider you have in you might only be making your reaction to her worse
>But you are mad
>You're almost shaking you're so angry
>But daddy knows better than you do
>Even if he likes making your tailhole sore
>You wish he didn't like that - or being so rough with your wings - so much
>But that's being ungrateful and selfish
>You can't EVER be that!
>You couldn't have dreamed of a better master... daddy
>He's so good to you - you're a bad girl for even thinking of complaints
>He's a smart, powerful, rich man who takes very good care of you
>A sore tailhole now and then is nothing when the truth is you can't imagine a better life
>Not like that yellow free unicorn bitch he put on TV
>You shouldn't be watching it because you're a good girl
>You should just change the chanel
>But DADDY put this hot garbage on TV!
>He knows something you don't, and while this isn't for you 
>You can't look away, even from the stupid ad with animated bears for toilet paper
>The yellow bitch said she's speaking for those who have no voice
>She specifically mentionned pegasi
>Do you dare ask daddy to put you on the show?
>Because you HAVE a voice and you'd love to tell her she's a piece of shit and she should shut the fuck up
>She wants to ruin everything - she wants to take you away from daddy
>The thought is terrifying!
>But you know that's never going to happen
>If daddy thought there was even the slightest chance of that he wouldn't have let her be on TV 
>Right?
>And there's that cunt Rose nodding along like the ungrateful bitch she is
>Daddy gave her everything she wanted, including her freedom
>Yet here she is on TV stabbing him in the back!
>Again
>Why does he let her do this?!
>You almost can't believe she's an earth pony because she sure as fuck acts like a filthy unicorn
>You shouldn't think like that
>You were brought up knowing racism is bad, and you shouldn't be racist
>Even though a teeny tiny little bit of racism against unicorns is perfectly normal
>But you can't take it too far or you'll be racist, which isn't good
>You take another sip of your cider
>The card daddy gave you doesn't work at the wine shop, just the grocery store
>But you've learned you can buy some cider on the budget you're alotted
>If you just take the cost out of your food budget
>Which means on days like today when you know daddy isn't going to visit you can choose not to eat
>And instead have a couple ciders
>It should be one or the other because you don't want to get fat - you know cider is fattening
>You've got to stay sexy for daddy
>Because there's no better feeling than him taking pleasure from you
>Knowing you're satisfying him by his grunts and moans of pleasure
>And cummies!
>Because of you - you make him happy!
>And that's EVERYTHING!
>Now the other unicorn, Moonglow is talking
>She's about as good a girl as a unicorn can be
>"I miss Equestria as much as anypony," Moonglow says, "and being able to use magic in a proper sense"
>You didn't realize she was that old - as old as Roseluck at least
>"But there's nothing there anymore, and if I'm being honest I have it better here than I did there," she continues
"You tell her!," you say to the television
>"My master is a kind, powerful man who dotes on me. If I wanted to go shopping in Paris I could"
>"Nonsense," Sunrise counters, "No slaver would let his property go somewhere where they'd automatically be granted asylum"
>"I've been to Paris," Moonglow replies very smugly
>"Why are you even on this show?," the yellow bitch asks
>Moonglow laughs
>"I like to think I balance out the opinions here," she answers, "But the truth is my master used to play golf with the executive producer"
>"So you're in the top one percent," Sunrise responds
>"My master is, for sure," a still smug Moonglow answers, "But as far as ponies go I'm more like the top seven or eight percent"
>Roseluck adds, "Owning a mare is still very much a status symbol for wealthy men"
>Moonglow smiles and replies, "Owning the RIGHT mare, that is"
"Rose, you just got TOLD by a unicorn!"
>You're probably being a little silly talking back to the TV, but you have enough cider in you that you don't care
>"And you know you're missing the critical ingredient for your day of action march in Brooklyn, right?," Moonglow adds
>"What am I missing?," Sunrise asks
>"A reason for anyone to care," Moonglow replies, "Beyond this show who is going to cover it. The New York Post?"
>"Why wouldn't they?," the yellow bitch says
>"They might give you a paragraph buried somewhere under a byline like 'Strays on Parade', but I doubt it," Moonglow answers
>Strays - that's hilarious
>You're laughing a little more than you should, but fuck it - it feels better than being angry
>The show is a lot better when Moonglow is talking
>"You know the history of slavery in this country," Monglow continues
>Crystal interrupts her, "We do not conflate our struggle with that of African Americans"
>"You don not conflate YOUR struggle," Moonglow answers, "but I do. The parallels are obvious"
>"Not to me," Sunrise replies
>"You're lying," Moonglow counters, "That's the reason why you're here"
>"What's the reason?," Sunrise asks, hesitating a little
>Moomglow has her on the defensive, which is fun to watch even though you have no idea what she's getting at
>"After being emancipated blacks in former slave states were brutalized, terrorized and lynched for a century," Moonglow says
>Silence
>"And no one cared," She continues, "You know this. Then suddenly the eyes of the nation were on their struggle. Why?"
>"I can't believe you're going there," Crystal comments
>"It's why she's here, isn't it?," Moonglow continues, "No one cares about ponies marching. But if white kids march with them and something happens to them?"
>"That's not why I'm here," Sunrise replies, "But of course we welcome the support of all who want to stand with us, four legs or two"
>"You have to say that," Moonglow answers, "but what you really need is white kids"
>There's some murmuring in the audience
>"Show of hands," she continues, "How many white people under thirty sympathize with this cause?"
>The camera panns to the audience to show about a quarter of them raising their hands
>"If you really want to support Sunrise you'll march with her in Brooklyn," she concludes, "I won't be joining you, though"
>"I can't believe you did that," Sunrise says, a little dazed
>"You're welcome," Moonglow answers, then turns toward Ada Maria, "Can we move on from this topic now?"
>Wow
>Good girl steals the show by calling the bad girl out on her shit
>That was satisfying
>Maybe daddy lets bad girls on TV just for moments like this
>Or maybe he's just fearless
>He knows you're his no matter what bad girls have to say about it
>So they can make fools out of themselves on television all they want to
>Of course they need white people with them
>Not to march, but to be their masters
>If you were on the show that's what you would have said
>But you realize you don't want to be on the show at all
>Unless daddy says you have to be
>You're pretty sure he has no interest in you that way
>And you're very happy with the way he is interested in you
>Maybe you'll have another cider and watch some cartoons
>That sounds like a plan
 
>Be VP
>Riding in the back of your black car to surprise Cloudy
>You know she doesn't have all that much going on in her life
>Not that everypony HAS to be motivated
>But it's been a few days since you've seen her
>And you know she likes riding in the car and being taken out to eat
>So this ought to be a nice little surprise for her
>You're feeling a little celebratory yourself, because it's been a big day
>Blinders aired a couple hours ago with Sunrise as the guest
>You were informed that the @BlindersOff account on twitter went wild
>And the hashtag #KeepTheMagicAlive is trending
>Also you lost an advertiser, like you figured
>So you're pretty pleased with yourself
>So far you've done very well creating and then shining a spotlight on pony controversy
>Sunrise is nothing short of a gift to the show
>Her call for a Day of Action march in Brooklyn just got national exposure
>This could be the start of a movement
>And something of a legacy for you
>When people and ponies play the clip of today's show for historic reference long after you're dead
>Better than looking up outtakes from Orson Welles drunkenly trying to get through TV commercials for Paul Masson
>Muah, the French!
>It's funny but it's also sad what he was reduced to
>You hear the great man's voice in your head: "Here under protest is beefburgers - we know a little place in the American far west..."
>You sigh
>Now the real question is how do you keep your talent away from Sunrise's Day of Action
>Crystal is impossible to keep away
>You can't comtrol her, and she's very much on board with the movement
>So best to send her with a camera and a unicorn tech or two
>So that if Sunrise has her Howard Beale moment you'll have exclyusive footage of it
>God, that movie was meant as a dark warning satire, but in retrospect it pretty much predicted the future
>Chayefsky was a fucking genius
>Though you think you're not so bad yourself
>You've pulled a few good moves
>Like stealing from Letterman's playbook and making a cameramare one of the voices on the show
>That worked out really well
>What about Roseluck?
>You can pressure her security pony to advise her against it
>She's more cautious than she usecd to be, due to the combination of motherhood and getting herself kidnapped
>But if that doesn't work you can place a major order from her shop that day so she can't go
>Cynthia's birthday is coming up, so there's a perfect excuse to fill the place with flowers
>Keep that in your back pocket
>Moonglow has no interest - she made that clear both to Sunrise and the audience
>That white kids bit was a good moment - you feel roud of casting her
>Ada Maria is company property, so no problems there
>Besides you're putting her and Juan Pablo up in the penthouse - they have every incentive not to go against your wishes
>And they know it
>Bronc's whore, what about her?
>There's still plenty of juice left in that orange so you don't want her in harm's way
>That's why you're paying for her security as well
>But you don't think she's at the point of coming out and supporting abolitionists
>Yet
>She could actually be moving in that direction, though
>The reluctant free mare who grew up as a sex slave and thought that was normal
>She was a big part of the show's early critical success
>Plenty of viewers tuned in to see what the mare from the fairytale wedding had to say
>Only to be shocked by matter of fact descriptions of filly sexual exploitation
>People were pretty naive not to realize that was a thing
>You make creatures that attractive private property and people will be fucking them, even the young ones
>There's always those who will pay extra for the young ones, as creepy as that is
>Seems kind of obvious
>You spent a lot of money on a little grey pegasus, and not all of that premium price was the wings
>Then again plenty of people get most of their information from TV, with a little social media on the side
>Pony issues were never covered from the pony's point of view before
>And you were the first man brave enough to do that on national television
>Brave - you know you weren't brave at all
>You just knew a bunch of pretty mares would make for good TV
>And if you did minimal editing to what they said it would also be shocking as well
>More shocking than Hippodrome
>Sex sells - even Sunrise is beautiful, which makes her easier to put on television
>Makes you wonder what percentage of your viewers are pro-slavery men jacking off the the fantasy of tying her down and hatefucking her
>Probably more than you'd expect - that does sound kind of hot
>It took a fair bit of willpower not to hatefuck Bronc's whore when she threw herself at you
>But not giving her what she wanted was the play there
>Could you imagine being that cunt's master?
>It would have been nothing but hate sex, and that would done some negative things to your head
>And the show, which hinged on her journey to freedom at the time, even if it wasn't obvious to her
>Now you've pulled the lens back to all of ponykind
>You hope this doesn't get you shot - again
>Unlikely
>The real target here is yellow and outraged, with a horn growing out of her head
>And the whole country just met her thanks to you
>The car has now stopped at a familiar residential building 
>In front of a fire hydrant
"Wait here, we'll be down in a couple minutes," you say to the driver
>You let yourself in the front door using your key and walk up the steps to the apartment where you keep your pony
"Cloudy?," you call out as you slide your key in the lock, so as not to scare her
>Ponies spook easier than people
"Cloudy," you call out again opening the door to the modest but tastefully arranged studio apartmenmt
>The TV is on, and your little pony is asleep on the floor in front of it
>You notice an empty bottle of cider on it's side next to her
>And register a little disapproval
>Which builds as you note the state of her mane and tail
"Cloudy!"
>That rouses her
>"Daddy? I wasn't expeshting today"
>Obviously - she's already been drinking
>Who taught her to do that?
>She registers the disapproval on your face and her ears go back, eyes widening
>"Daddy, I'm sorry!"
>You walk over to er and crouch down
>She looks at you in fear
"It's OK. Give me a hug"
>She stands up on her hind legs and presses into you
>Bursting into tears
>Her scent is stronger than usual
>Not like she's in heat, just like unwashed mare with a whiff of alcohol
>Fuck!
>Your little pony is depressed!
>YOU are a bad master!
"It's OK. Everything is going to be OK. You're still my good girl"
>You cradle her head with your hand and she clams down a little
>Of course she's depressed - you've made her world so fucking small
>What else does she have to fill it when you're not around beyond TV and daydrinking?
>You bought a flower shop for your last one, but what have you done for this one?
>Other than getting her into drinking and creepy roleplay?
>She has a cutie mark, which means she has a special talent
>You don't even know what it is - you never bothered reading her paperwork
>You don't even know how old she is!
>You were so excited to get your hands on her you didn't give a fuck about WHO she actually was
>Beyond a trained little sex pet
>It's been all about your desires with zero consideration of what her needs might be
>Obviously she needs better than that from you
>You've got to fix this
>After a minute's embrace you feel her push away from you ever so slightly
>"Daddy, I have to...," she says looking in the direction of the toilet
>You release her and she trots in that direction in an almost but not quite straight line
>You reach for your work phone and call the driver waiting downstairs
"Bobby? Change of plans. Take the rest of the night off"
 
>Be Cloudburst
>In the bathroom, peeing
>Embarrassed, ashamed and terrified that you've been...
>A bad girl
>You neglected your appearance thinking master would never find out
>Drinking and not bothering to bathe for three days behind his back because you figured he'd never know
>That's not what a good girl would do
>If you were doing something you didn't want him to find out about than you were actually being...
>Bad
>Two bottles of cider is a lot for you
>Thankfully you'd drunk them over the course of the afternoon then fell asleep 
>You're still drunk, but can speak without slurring if you concentrate on it
>The shower is right next to you
>You shouldn't keep master waiting, but by the same token he shouldn't see you in the state you're in
>How fast could you put yourself at least halfway together?
>Realistically ten to fifteen minutes - that's too long
>But you could improve the state of you quite a bit in a mere five
>You flush the toilet and open the door to call out to daddy
"Daddy, is it OK if I take five minutes to... freshen up a little?"
>"Take ten," he answers. "I'm going to order delivery. Thai sound good?"
>You weren't planning on eating today, but something salty sounds really good right now
>Not that you deserve it
>A quick look in the mirror confirms this
>You look like shit, and you can't believe you let daddy see you like this!
>You are so ashamed and rush to turn on the water in the shower
"Thai sounds wonderful, thank you!"
>You hope that sounded more cheerful than you feel - at least you got it out without slurring
>It would be wrong to let daddy down any more than you already have
>You know he's disappointed in you at the very least
>But it's probably worse than that!
>You shiver as you get into the shower even though the water has yet to get hot
>Making him wait for you will only make things worse, no matter what he says
>You hurry through your shower, not even bnothering with soap or shampoo
>Even a wet mane and tail will look better with a quick brushie than what you just saw in the mirror
>You really should blow them out, but taking the time to do that seems unwise
>Making daddy wait for you a second more than absolutely necessary is a bad idea
>So as much as you'd love to grab the drier you resist doing so
>At least you smell better now
>You can't believe he hugged you like that
>What if he was disgusted?
>He certainly SHOULD have been - you were fucking disgusting
>He should never have seen - or smelled - you like that
>Stupid, lazy and self-indulgent, that's what you are!
>And drunk, but a quick look in the mirror reveals you're now borderline passable
>Still not fit to be seen by him, but in the best shape you're going to get yourself without making him wait any longer
>With your ears back you emerge from the bathroom to find daddy sitting on the couch looking at his phone
>As you approach him he looks up
>"Tere you are," he says gently, "Feel a little better?"
"A little, but you should never have seen me like that. I'm so sorry, daddy"
>"I'm the one who surprised you. Ended up surprising myself in the process"
>You lower your head to look at his feet because you don't deserve to look him in the eye
>You feel his hand on your wet mane
>"I'm not upset. I'm not pleased, but it's not your fault. This is my doing"
"You're very indulgent daddy, but I can accept responsibility for my own actions. I know I was bad"
>"No you weren't. This is my fault. I get you drunk a bunch of times then leave you cooped up for days on end with nothing to do"
>You can't believe what you're hearing!
>You have to tread very carefully with what you say, and being drunk isn't helping
>You can't contradict him, but he's making way too light of this!
>You KNEW you'd let yourself get into a state he'd disapprove of, but you did it anyway
"I was the one who let myself go, which I never should have done. I'm sorry"
>"I'm the one who put you in that position. I'm the one in control here. I should have known better"
"I'm sorry to have made you feel like that daddy, and I'm ready to accept the consequences"
>You have to bring up punishment if he won't
>He's never punished you before, and the idea is terrifying
>But things can't get back to normal until it happens - that's what you were taught
>And like it or not now is the time
>You'd hoped this time would never come because you figured you could be a good enough girl to avoid it
>But you've failed at that
>And as kind as daddy is trying to shoulder some of the responsibility for your transgression
>You were still bad and have to be punished
>He's giving you a puzzled look
>No need to beat around the bush
>Just say it
>So with ears all the way back, eyes on his shoes you summon your most contrite voice and say:
"I think we'll both feel better after I'm properly punished, daddy"
 
>Be VP
>Your little pegasus just asked you to punish her
>This situation makes you thankful your sadistic streak is very short and narrow
>Because while visions of physically abusing her flew through your head for a second there's no way you would actually go there
>You can see how guys get off on that shit, but that isn't you
>Poor little thing
>She really expects some kind of physical retribution - she believes that's what she deserves
>Maybe Sunrise has a point
>The training they put private property ponies through really fucks with their heads
>Owning a sex pet is a level of fucked up you can deal with
>But facing a situation where she'd actually be relieved if you beat the shit out of her right now?
>She's actually expecting it
>That's a little more fucked up than you want to deal with
>Railing her a little too roughly is one thing
>Beating her is another entirely
"I'm not going to punish you for being depressed, Cloudy"
>She's looking at your shoes
"Look at me"
>Slowly she lifts her head, but doesn't quite manage eye contact
>She looks ashamed, but also scared - she's shaking 
"I'm not going to punish you"
>"I'm sorry I disappointed you, daddy. I know what I deserve"
"I said it's not your fault. You're depressed, and that's my fault. I've been neglecting you, and I'm sorry for that"
>Now she looks confused
>"Depressed?"
"That's what it looks like. I'm not a psychologist, but getting drunk alone in the middle of the day while watching TV?"
>She blushes
"Yeah, that sounds like you're depressed"
>"Isn't that selfish of me?," she asks in a very quiet, small voice
"What do you mean?"
>"I was taught depression was a luxury for people, not ponies. We're not supposed to be depressed"
"A luxury? I don't know about that. But let's say it's true. Your circumstances are more luxurious than you've even known before, right?"
>"That makes it worse. I'm not just selfish, I'm ungrateful. I'm so sorry daddy"
"Stop apologizing. It doesn't work that way. Look at a guy like Tony Bourdain - he was living the dream"
>"I don't know who that is"
"Was. He was a guy who had it all - fame, bestselling books, several hit shows, got to travel the world - all on his own terms"
>"What happened to him?"
"He killed himself"
>"Why would he do that?"
"Because he was depressed"
>He pupils go narrow
>"I would never do that, daddy"
"Of course you wouldn't. His depression was chronic, yours is acute - different things"
>"I don't understand"
"We can make a few changes in your life and make you happier, I'm pretty sure"
>"Changes?"
"Yeah. something to give you more of a purpose, keep you busy doing somethng you like"
>"I have a purpose - pleasing you, daddy"
"And you're very good at it," you say running a hand through her mane
>She looks at you pleadingly
"You are a good girl, Cloudy. But pleasing me doesn't fill up all the days in the week, does it?"
>"No...," she says looking away
>You look at her flank - her cutie mark looks like a brush and a pencil - what's that supposed to mean?
"Why don't you tell me the story of how you got your cutie mark?"
>"We're not supposed to talk about our lives before, daddy"
"Who told you that?"
>"It's what we were taught"
"You were also taught to do what your master tells you, right?"
>She nods
"So tell me the story of how you got your cutie mark"
>She hesitates, then brightens a little
>"Well, you know all of us girls were taught how to keep ourselves looking good for the masters we'd have someday"
"Of course"
>"Some of us were better at it than others. A lot of the girls would go too heavy with the makeup, which doesn't look classy at all"
"So they looked more like whorses than bedmares"
>"You have to be subtle with it. I understood that"
"Obviously. I never realized you wore makeup"
>"This is the first time you've seen me without it I think. I still think you should punish me for that"
>Boy is this one lucky you don't get off on that kind of thing
"Continue the story"
>"So one day Lily shows up looking like a... what you said, and I took her into the bathroom with some of the other girls who were having trouble"
>She smiles at the memory
>"I not only fixed her up, but showed all of them how to do it right. And since the blow dryer was right there I blew out her mane as well"
"I bet she looked great"
>"She looked amazing! Then it happened. A hairbrush and an eyeliner appeared on my flank"
"So your special talent is being a stylist who could someday end up teaching at a beauty school?"
>"If I weren't so much more valuable as a bedmare, maybe that would have happened"
"I think it still could. Give me a minute to think"
>You know a pegasus stylist from work - pink and gay - what the fuck is his name?
>He's really good, too
>He does both Hippodrome and Blinders Off
>Vidal! Of course that's his fucking name!
>You can call him tomorrow
"Would you like the chance to put your special talent to use? Doing hair and makeup for ponies?"
>Now her eyes go wide, pupils as well
>"You'd DO that for me, daddy?"
"Plenty of men let their mares work. And it's not like there isn't work for stylists at the network I happen to run"
>She claps her forehooves together, which is adorable
>But then she gives you a confused look
>"I don't understand it, daddy"
"Understand what?"
>"I feel like I was a bad girl, and instead of punishing me you're rewarding me"
"You're not looking at the big picture. I created a small problem and solved it before it became a big one"
>She considers this
"And that solution might just make your life a little brighter, which is good for both of us"
>"Then I should make your balls a little emptier"
"Look who's all raunchy"
>"Sorry daddy. I'm still a little drunk"
>You unbuckle your pants and unzip your fly, giving a growing Little John some air
"It's OK. You should make my balls a little emptier regardless"
>She's immediately on you with almost calf-like desperation
>You don't even last a minute
>And as you're zipping your fly back up the buzzer rings
"That would be our dinner"
 
>Be mare
>He wants to meet in a so called neutral place
>So you chose a coffee shop that has a mixed clientele - two legs and four, light and dark colored people
>This time of day there's just a few people on laptops and one pony couple patronizing the place
>He's sitting at a table by himself, and stands to meet you as you walk in
>He looks so much better without the beard
>You like to think you can play this cool, but you can't
>You run into his arms to be rewarded with a somewhat hesitant hug
>Not what you were hoping for, but not unexpected
>By the time her releases you 47 has taken a seat at the bar, leaving you some privacy
>"I got married last weekend, you know"
>You knew he was getting married soon, but didn't know it had happened already
>Of course you wouldn't - there was no way he was going to invite you!
"So it's definitely over between us?"
>"You knew that"
"Well your timing is shit. YOU convince me I deserve to be taken care of, give me a little taste of it, then leave me hanging!"
>That came out sounding angrier than you meant, and you don't stop yourself from adding:
"It's not fair!"
>"Since when did you give a shit about what's fair?"
>Good question
>Its never been something you thought about before
>But now it's something you hear all the time
"I live with a free colt. What is and isn't fair is a really big deal to him"
>"There you have it. You're settling in to being a free pony"
"I guess. But it's lonely"
>You don't want to make a fool out of yourself, but you hear yourself saying in a very low voice
"I ache for you"
>He gives you a loving look that quickly turns sympathetic, and lifts his left hand to show you the gold ring on his finger
>"I can accept being the guy who allowed a magical creature to seduce him to cheat on his fiancee"
"That was a two way street and you know it!"
>"Fair enough, but I'm not the kind of guy who cheats on his wife"
>You don't know why that's such a big fucking deal, but he seems adamant
>"Can I get you something?"
"A coffee, I guess"
>"Black?"
"A little milk, thanks"
>You feel a little like a fool
>For the second time in recent memory you're practically throwing yourself at a man who you KNOW is going to reject you
>But when he returns with the coffee you try just one more time
"Plenty of married men have pony mistresses"
>He gives you another sympathetic look
>"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"
"Can't blame a girl for going after what she wants"
>"You're a free pony now - you can do better than being some man's mistress"
>You'd love to have a comeback for that, but he's right
>"You were happy being married, weren't you?"
"Of course. But I can't just run out and buy a replacement for him. He was one of a kind"
>He sighs
>"No offense, but he was a notorious wreck of a drunk. Talented and good looking? Sure. Obviously madly in love with you, too. But..."
>You feel anger rising - if he says anything else bad about master you're going to...
>You don't know what you'll do
>"I know what you two had was special, but you're such a kind beautiful mare... You can do just as well of better when you're ready"
"And how do I do that?"
>"Socialize. Meet some ponies"
"I don't know how to do that!"
>"Doesn't Ponytown have a nightlife scene?"
>You think of the little bar a couple blocks from your place
"Not really," you lie
>You could easily meet somepony there
>Certainly a Mr Right Now if not a Mr Right
>Then again master was hardly a Mr Right by most standards
>The life of ease in the penthouse with America's sexiest stallion was great
>But the constant drinking was something you had to actively overlook
>He wasn't nearly as sexy when he was red-eyed and slurring and only half-hard
>Which was the end of every night
>And that might have become a problem over time if it hadn't killed him
>The morning sex was fire, though
>And master's dick was bigger than this guy's
>You almost want to say that, but it seems cruel to punish him for being right
>Then again it was cruel of him to awaken something in you and just walk away emotionally
>While you still have to see him at work
>That's probably why workplace relationships are frowned upon, or it's one of the reasons
>But can you REALLY do better?
>Find a stallion as sexy as master, but as emotionally supportive as this guy - as he was for a minute at least?
>Do those two things even go together?
>"I'm not going to be cheesy and tell you you'll find The One. It'll probably be hit or miss out there for you like it is for everyone"
>You nod absently
>"There is no The One. But there are probably hundreds of stallions out there that you would be very happy with"
>Again you nod
>"I'm just saying don't settle for less than what you deserve, like being someone's mistress"
>Fuck, he's probably right again, though you would never have been able to admit that before now
"I want you, but I guess it's good our timing was such shit"
>"Why is that?"
"Because you being right all the time would have gotten old really quickly"
>He smiles
>"It's not like I haven't heard that before"
"Guys love being right. It's annoying"
>"Sorry to be annoying"
"I'm not kidding myself though, right? You really do give a shit. You really do care and believe in me, right?"
>"Of course I do. I put my fucking future in jeopardy just to show you"
>That makes you feel a little better for some reason
>But the message is clear
>His life has moved on, so yours should, too
>"That and the obvious," he adds
>Now you smile at him
"The obvious was good, too"
>"Good enough that I still feel guilty about it"
>That makes you feel a little better as well
"No point in that. We did what we did. It wasn't meaningless, but it's over. And you can still say you're not the kind of guy who cheats on his wife"
>Knowing the way men are you have to add:
"At least for the time being"
 
>The walk home with 47 is uneventful
>As you climb the steps to the front door you see a unicorn mare leaving his apartment 
>She quickly pushes past the two of you, eyes downcast
>Her mane looked like shit, and her make up was pretty awful
>She was skinny and scraggly, too
>You know exactly what she was - a skank
>A streetwalker
>You shoot a questioning glance at 47 even though it's obvious what the situation is
>"You weren't supposed to see that, Ma'am"
"I'm in no position to judge"
>But you are judging her hard
>Not for being a whorse, you'd never look down on anypony for that
>But for not taking any pride in her appearance, and probably none in her work, either
>Generally cheapening the profession
>And lowering the value of mares in general
>Because she clearly wasn't a real pro
>She's doing it to feed a habit, and is most likely making a beeline to her dealer right now
"What do you think she was on?"
>"Meth, from the looks of her, Ma'am"
"Out of professional curiosity, if you don't mind me asking... What does a mare like that cost to...?"
>"She'll ask for fifty, but you can always negotiate her down, especially if she's having a bad day"
"How far down?"
>"Depends. Half that if she's desperate"
>You know what clients of your former organization pay for similar services
>It's A LOT more than that - beyond an order of magnitude more
>Suddenly you remember being a filly at the brothel
>Spying on a couple of workmen there doing something involving wires
>They were talking about a mutual friend's new girlfriend in a less than flattering way
>One of them said, "I wouldn't fuck her with your dick"
>And it was all you could do to keep from laughing so hard they would have heard you
>But you managed to keep quiet
>Now you can imagine 47 walking in there and saying that to 42
"You get what you pay for, I guess"
 
>Walking into your apartment you're greeted by the sight of Cuddleslut sitting in the kitchen
>Completely engrossed in some game he's playing on Rose's smartphone
>He's gotten so big so fast
"Where's mommy?"
>"She's having a playdate with Miss Chrissy. They're in our room talking about grown up stuff"
>Playdate?!
>Miss Chrissy? Who the fuck is that?
>The door to their room is shut
>Weird
>But you hear hoofsteps and Rose opens it
>"How was your thing?," she asks
"Exactly what I expected"
"Is that good or bad?," she queries
"Neither. How's your 'playdate'?"
>She opens the door a little more to reveal Crystal is in there with her
>"We're having fun," Roseluck answers with a nervous giggle
>The smile on Crystal's face and molten look in her eyes suggests what Kind of fun
>Are they hooking up?!
>That's kind of what this looks like
"Hi Crystal! Planning the revolution?"
>"More like entertaining the troops," she replies
"Well if I'd have known you were coming I'd have picked up some wine"
>"I brought a bottle," she replies, "I'd offer you a glass, but we finished it"
>Rose giggles again
>Well fuck, look at that
>You may not agree with Crystal's politics, nor do you think she'll be a good influence on Rose that way
>But you'd been hoping Rose would find a marefriend sooner or later
>Crystal is a good mare, though
>You don't have to agree with everything somepony says to like them, and you consider her a friend
>Hopefully this showmance will work out better than yours did
"Should I run out and get another bottle?"
>"The place on the corner delivers now," Rose says turning to the colt, "Let mommy see her phone for a second, sweetie"
>"But mommy, I'm in the middle of a game!," he complains, "That's not fair!"
 
>Be Cloudburst
>Nervous about starting your new job - internship - today
>Daddy said you'd do great, because how could you not? It's your special talent!
>But this is such a big deal
>Daddy makes TV shows but he isn't famous
>You're going to be working with ponies who are actually ON TV!
>Celebrities!
>It all seems so glamorous, even more than when daddy takes you out to fancy restaurants
>But you're nervous because you've been trained how to behave at restaurants and fancy parties
<You don't know a thing about how to act in the workplace, and you don't want to say or do anything that'll make you look stupid
>Especially in front of celebrities
>Daddy was confident Vidal would show you the ropes and you'd be fine
>It's important to show him his confidence was not misplaced
>It's also important not to call him daddy at work - it has to be master or sir - he made that clear
>Just riding in the back of the black car with him on the way to work was exciting
>But now is the moment
>Daddy - master - leads you to makeup
>"If you want to go in on your own you can," he says, "He's expecting you"
>You realize what he doing
>He wants you to feel like a big girl who can do things on her own without needing her daddy there
"Thank you, sir. I've got this"
>You sound a lot more confident that you feel, but it gets a smile out of your master
>"Good girl," he replies and turns to walk away from you
>You walk into the room alone
>There are a few chairs facing lit mirrors along the wall with counters under them 
>And there, looking down at his smartphome is a stunningly beautiful pink pegasus stallion 
"Oh my god, you're gorgeous!"
>He looks up from his phone and gives you a very quick look up and down
>"Honey, I could say the same to you and it would be no lie! You must be Cloudburst"
"Yes sir!"
>"Oh, none of that sir shit, please. Call me Vidal. Do you go by Cloudy?"
"Yes, I do"
>"Then welcome to Makeup, Cloudy. I hear it's your special talent, so you should fit right in"
"Unless my cutie mark is lying to me. Thanks"
>"Cutie marks don't lie.Sometimes their meaning isn't obvious, but that's not the case with us"
"It's good to be here, to get the chance to put my special talent to use"
>"Damn right it is. That was the first thing I told the BF when he bought me. I've got to be able to do what I do best"
"The BF?"
>"Boyfriend"
"You call your masteer your boyfriend?"
>"He is my boyfriend. Legally he may be my master, but I he didn't buy me to be a bottom"
"A botttom?"
>"He bought me because I'm obviously a top, and I'm going to act like one"
"A top?"
>"Oh, you're a sheltered little thing, aren't you? It's a sex thing, a gay thing... think about it"
>You do and end up blushing
>"OK, I don't need to say anything more. I'm guessing you have a very different relationship with John"
"He's definitely the top"
>"I would think so. It's not like you have the equipment to be one"
>You blush some more
>"Does he make you call him master?"
>Do you tell him?
>In spite of making you blush you like him
>You've never met a pony so frank and self-possesed before
>Fuck it, tell him
"I call him daddy"
>Vidal laughs
>"Oh, that old pervert! I get it though. Who wouldn't want to be your daddy? If you're going to rob the cradle may as well own up to it"
"Rob the cradle?"
>"You are half the age of his last mare. That's the kind of thing some ponies will tut tut about. Especially free mares"
>Makes sense, but it feels like he just called you a filly
>You may be young, but you're not a filly anymore
>"They're just jealous, you know," the stallion adds
>He continues: "And speaking of John's ex and your maturity level I'm going to continue styling Roseluck until I know there's no weirness between you two"
"Fair enough"
>Good, actually
>You weren't exactly looking forward to meeting her
>Not after how she betrayed daddy - master
>And how he still looks out for her even though he has it so much better with you
>You don't like that
>So you don't like her, really
>You're actually thankful Vidal sees fit to keep you two separated, at least for a while
>That actually relieves a little anxiety
>"Any questions so far?"
"No. It seems a bit more freewheeling here than I expected, that's all. Not as proper as I thought a professional setting would be"
>Vidal laughs and says, "You mean raunchy? I know I'm raunchy. I hope you can deal with that"
"Of course I can. It's just a little bit of a surprise, that's all"
>"Talent and creatives have a lot of leeway here. We can get away with shit among ourselves that would have the office drones calling HR"
>He continues, "So as long as you act proper around them we get to keep our little bubble here"
>He suddenly looks a little sad
>"Hell, Bronc - rest his soul - used to come in still drunk from the night before. He drank on set! He made a lot of work for me"
"I've never been allowed to watch that show, but everytime I saw him on TV he looked great"
>"My doing. Well he was a beautiful stallion - except for that stupid mustache, which was John's idea. But he lived HARD, and I had to cover that up"
"From what I saw of him you did great! Like in the wedding! But I've never actually seen Hippodrome"
>"Nor should you. It's evil. I have no part in it beyond making the hosts look good, and that's more than enough"
>You hope you don't have to work on anypony associated with the show, if it really is as bad as everypony says
>"As long as we're on the topics of bad behavior and the level of discourse you know everypony sees the bond with their stylist as sacred, right?"
>You're not sure what he means by that
"I think so..."
>"They're going to tell you things. Overshare. TMI kind of stuff"
>You nod
>"Anything juicy you're going to share with me. This place is the nerve center, and I HAVE to know what's going on with everypony"
>So part odf this job is going to be gossiping with Vidal about the celebrities you style
>That sounds pretty good, actually
>You've never been much of a gossip, but you've never had much to gossip about
>Nor have you ever had a gorgeous, raunchy gay pink stallion to gossip with
>This is going to be a lot more fun than watching TV all day alone
>"But this bond is sacred," he continues, "which means anything said in this room stays here. Discretion is part of the job"
"I understand"
>"That goes double because of your relationship to an executive"
>Uh oh, that doesn't sound good
>"Johm is a smart guy. He knows everything that's going on here. You can't let him lean onm you for intel"
"I can't put myself in conflict with him, you know that"
>"There's no conflict," he replies, waving a wing dismissively
>It sure sounds like the possibility for some
>"I'm just saying discretion is part of our professional courtesy. John knows that, so of course he expects you to be discreet"
>That's a relief
>You sigh
>There's no way daddy would put you in a position where your loyalty was being split
>"It's just that if he ever forgets that it's on you to remind him"
 
>Be mare
>Talking with Rose on the way to today's Blinder's Off taping
>It turns out she met somepony she knew from Equestria at one of Sunrise's rallies
>She's become more intrerested in politics now that she's seeing Crystal
>Crystal is very into politics, the kind you think are dangerous
>You're happy Rose and Crystal are together, but you wish the politics weren't a part of it
>But Sunrise is charismatic, and her message seems to resonate with a lot of free ponies
>Including Rose's Equestrian friend Applebloom, who it turns out was a contestant on Hippodrome
"That's got to be rough on her. I understand it's kill or be killed, but you still have to live with being a killer"
>"That's the point," Rose answers, "She isn't a killer. Everypony just thinks she is"
"How is she still alive if she lost? And why is she free then?"
>"She didn't lose, she just refused to... um... finish the job. They had to fake that"
"Are you saying Hippodrome is like deep fakes?"
>"It wasn't at first back when it was done live and people could bet on it. Once the betting became illegal there was no reason to do it live"
"So they could just fake it?"
>"You were married to Perfect Pitch and you didn't know any of this?"
"He didn't want to talk about work, and I respected that"
>"He told me that sometimes they had to fake it. Using pro software so no one could tell"
"That's waht happened with your friend?"
>"Now everypony thinks she's a killer and she isn't!"
"You know the truth and we have a soapbox. You could vindicate her"
>"I wish it were that easy. John would never let that make it on the air"
"You sure? You've said a lot of negative things about him that aired"
>"Personal things. He has no problem with me trashing him personally as long as it makes for good television"
"But we can't go on the air and say Hippodrome is faked?"
>"That would hurt him professionally - the show is still popular. He won't allow us to hurt him professionally"
"So we can't help your friend... what was her name again?"
>"Applebloom. I'll figure something out"
>You've now walked through the building all he way to the make up room
>Entering you see not just one, but two pegasi - the large pink stallion you expected and a small grey mare
>"This is Cloudy," the stallion says to you in particular, "Our new intern. She'll be doing your mane and makeup today"
>You're a little doubtful, as she's younger than you
>But a quick look at he cuitie mark is reassuring - obviously she's meant to be a beautician
"Hi cloudy," you say setteling into the chair, "I've been going back and forth about the bangs for years. What do you think"
>"They're cute and they suit you. I'd keep them," she replies
>"That's what I always tell her," Vidal chimes in, the he says to Rose, "I've got you over here"
>With Cloudburst so close to you it's impossible not to smell her - she doesn't smell bad, but very obviously a young mare
>It's familiar, a smell you recognize - it's the way the VP smelled the last time you were in his office
"Are you John's good girl?"
>"Wow," sh3e replies, "gossip moves quickly around here! Yes, I am"
"Not gossip. I recognized your smell on him. You mark him pretty heavily"
>She blushes and says, "I do? I didn't even realize it"
"It's not like other people would notice, but it's pretty obvious to ponies, which I guess is the point"
>"You don't think I'm being out of line with it, do you?"
"He knows. Hell, I've pointed it out to him. He's the master, so he decides what's OK. If he didn't stop you it must be OK"
>"Now I'm embarrassed that it's that obvious"
"It's understandable if he's a good master"
>You hear a little snort from the other chair
>Rose obviously has her own opinions on the matter
>"He's a very good master," Cloudy says, then adds, "To me at least. But he is also a busy, important man""
>"Which is why you have this internship," Rose says with a sigh, "He is good that way"
>"What way?," Cloudy asks
>"He doesn't want your entire life to just be that of a kept mare," Rose answers, "When I was his he bought me a flower shop"
>You hear the barest whisper from Cloudy saying, "And look how you thanked him for it"
>It was too soft for Rose or Vidal to hear, clearly meant only for you
"Who knows? Maybe there's a salon in your future, Cloudy"
>Why did she trust you enough to make a comment like that to you?
>She has to know you and Rose are friends - roommates, even!
>It must have been something you said - what?
>Thinking back you realize what it was
>You didn't ask if she was John's bedmare, the term Rose would have used
>Or if she belonged to John, like a man or woman would have
>You asked if she was John's good girl - only somepony who was brought up to be a good girl would have said that
>You may be a free mare now and entertain some free pony thoughts, but obviously your upbringing still shows
>And she recognized that immediately
>Rose and Crystal would call it your indoctrination
>But it's the way you were raised, regardless
>You realize something else - all three mares in this room know what John's cock tastes like
>And all of you have benefitted from the man's generousity, even though two out of three of you hate him
>"I think I'm already very lucky," Cloudy says. "I have a good master and I get to put my special talent to use"
"And I'm guessing you never had to maximize ROI along the way by being a rental"
>"They told me I was too pretty for that," Cloudy replies
"It was a lie. Look at me. We're in the same league, right? Solid nines out of ten, really just a step short of supermodel territory"
>You look back to see her nod
"And I was a rental because I was sold to an organization that expected serious ROI. By the time John bought me for master..."
>You do the math in your head - it's just an estimate because you never saw your actual figures
"I'd probably paid for myself five times over and still cleared a decent profit on the sale"
>"Not everyone has the stomach for running that kind of organization," Vidal says, then to Cloudy, "Yours was called a finishing school?"
>"Yes," she replies, "How did you know?"
>"I know a couple people in the industry," the stallion replies, "There are a lot of gay owners and staff"
"Why?"
>"If you're in the market for a stallion you want him broken in," he replies, "not so with a mare. You won't get top dollar for even slightly used"
"I get that. My first client paid a premium for me because I was in new condition"
>"Yeah," Vidal responds, "Probably years before that seal should have been broken. That's not going to happen to a mare surrounded by gay men""
"Should is a relative term"
>"Here it is," Rose adds, "It wasn't in Equestria"
>"For better or for worse," Vidal answers, "these two beauties were born here. Now tell me Cloudy, Westchester or Connecticut?"
>"Rockland County at first," Cloudy answers, "then Connecticut"
>"And in Connecticut it was a liberal arts cirriculum, a little bit of Home Ec and some electives?," he asks
>"Yes," Cloudy replies
>"And you never even heard the word bedmare or knew what it meant until a few weeks before you were sold?," Vidal asks
>"That's right," Cloudy replies, blushing
>"Oh honey," he says, "John paid top dollar for you. You're like a young 1960's wife"
>"I just want to be worth it, then," Cloudy responds
>"You know you ARE!," Vidal quips back
>"There are free mares here as well," Rose says impatiently
>"Just how free?," Vidal asks. "Did the inevitable finally go down between the rose and the cameramare?"
>You laugh
"Yeah it did"
>"Really?," Vidal says in an exaggerrated tone. "I've watched Rose walking around as oblivious as a straight guy for months now"
>"Not oblivious," Rose answers, "uncertian. Most of my experience with mares was in threesomes with her. I wasn't very... confident""
>"So this is your first full on gay thing?," Vidal asks excitedly. "I'm sure you did fine"
>"In any meaningful sense, yes," Rose replies, "and she seemed happy enough"
"She fucking melted from what I could tell"
>"Have you rented the moving truck yet?," the stallion asks. "Or is Crystal renting it?"
>"No," Rose answers, "and you can ask her yourself"
>"Oh you know I will in like, five minutes," he says, then adds, "I'm so happy for you two!"
"So am I"
>"This was a long time coming, honey," he says to Rose, "and you deserve it, especially after all you've been through"
>"I almost feel silly coming to this so late in life," Rose replies
>"Better late than never," Vidal replies
>By this point Cloudy had done your mane, mascara and nose
>You look in the mirror and realize you look great
"Great job, Cloudy! Vidal, I think you have some competition"
>"No, honey," he responds, "It's easy to make you all look beautiful. You're all tens in my book!"
 
>Be agent Forty Two
>Going over the location details for the planned Day of Action protest
>You heard from HQ that Rose will not be attending, but it's best to be prepared for things not going to plan
>Forty Seven is out shadowing his asset
>Normally this would be time for a wank, but today a monkey wrench got thrown into that plan
>A knock on the door of your apartment follows the alert of the hallway motion detector
>Foalsitting - that's what you're reduced to
>Rose couldn't arrange a playdate or a sitter for the little guy
>And she was getting together with Crystal for a more adult playdate
>You offered to watch him, because the thought of the little guy stuck in the next room while his mother is dyking off just seemed wrong
>The thought of you in that position is kinda hot
>But that shit could traumatize a colt
>Even so you made it clear you weren't going to let this be a thing
>The last thing you need is to be roped into being a foalsitter, and something tells you Rose would be the type to take advantage
>Especially in the flush of newfound love
>Or whatever it is between her and Crystal
>You open the door to be greeted by a black colt
>"Hi Mr Forty Two!," he says
>You stopped correcting him that it's "Agent" a while ago - it seems like he's been taught to call all male adults "Mister"
>That's got to be his mother's doing - it seems kind of old fashioned and Equestrian
"Come on in, cadet"
>He beams at you
>"I've never seen your place before!", he says looking around, "Wow, you guys have hardly any stuff"
"Two agents on assignment don't need much stuff. We do have video games tough"
>"So do I on mommy's phone"
"Ours are more violent"
>He smiles at you
>"Mommy's with Miss Chrissy"
"Plotting to emancipate all of ponykind?"
>"That means free, right?"
"Yeah"
>"I'm free. Mommy and Auntie used to be slaves, but they're free now. A lot of ponies are still slaves, and that's sad"
"For some of them it is, sure. For others not so much. I'm private property and I'm not sad"
>"YOU have a master?!"
>You laugh
"No, I'm owned by a a security company that bought me from the academy where I was trained"
>"So you're not a free pony but you live here and have no collar?"
"I'm on assignment with Forty Seven. You know what our asignment is?"
>"Keeping me, Mommy and Auntie safe?"
"You got it"
>"I still have nightmares about the men taking Mommy"
"Of course you do. That was a horrible thing to see happen"
>"You're here to make sure nothing like that ever happens again?"
"That's exactly why I'm here"
>"Good"
>The colt thinks for a second and asks: "And you're not sad you're not a free pony?"
"No. I get to do a job I've been trained for and know I do well. All my needs are taken care of, well, nearly all of them"
>Don't open that can of worms with a colt, stupid!
"And I have a lot of autonomy, probably more than you do"
>"What's autonomy?"
"I get to make a lot of my own decisions as long as I'm accomplishing the mission. There's no one telling me what to do all the time"
>"I don't even get to decide what's for dinner unless it's my birthday," the colt says glumly
"That's because you're still a colt. By the time you're a stallion you'll have all the autonomy you could want"
>"Wanna hear something gross?"
>Colts - short attention spans and always obsessing on gross stuff
>You indulge him
"Sure. Tell me something gross"
>"I think Mommy and Miss Chrissy are doing it"
>Uh oh
>Play dumb
"What do you mean?"
>"You know... IT!," he says like you're an idiot. "I mean, two mares can't really... do it, but I think they're trying"
>Shitshitshitshitshit!
>Play this cool
>But what the fuck do you say to that?
>You don't want to traumatize the little guy any more, but you can't lie to him because it's so obvious even he noticed
"That's not my business. That's Mommy and Miss Chrissy's business. They probably wouldn't like you talking about their private lives with other ponies"
>"Does that mean Mommy's gay?"
>Thank you and fuck you Rose for this shit
>You are not the one for this colt to be having this conversation with
>But obviously you're the closest thing he's got to a strong male figure in his life, so it falls on you
>Fuck!
"I wlawys thought gay was if you were a mare who only liked mares or a stallion who only liked stallions. Your mommy had you so she's not that"
>If you're not really careful here it could compromise your ability to complete this mission
>And that bitch Rose put in this position so she could dyke off next door with her marefriend!
>"But a mare doing it with another mare is gay, right?"
"They've got a whole lot of words today to describe sex things there days. I don't even know them all"
>"So Mommy's not gay?"
>Who knows how she identifies herself? You sure as fuck don't
>You never bothered trying to keep track of all those identifiers anyways, because you've never had to protect an asset who identified that way
>She's a free mare now - she could reject the whole heteronormative thing
>And you're pretty sure you couldn't use the word 'heteronormative' or try to explain it without sounding sarcastic
>So don't go there
"Your Mommy has been through a lot you know. And some ponies like mares and stallions. I'd call that bi, and in a mare I'd call it... pretty awesome"
>The colt gives you a confused look
"I'm saying I think your mom is awesome no matter who she may or may not be dating"
>Hopefully that's crisis averted
>Shit, maybe this assignment would have been easier if you'd gotten Forty Seven's asset
>"Blaze hates faggots," the colt says, matter of factly. "He says they have caca on their peepees"
>Why can't you two just be playing video games right now?
"You probably shouldn't use that word"
>"Faggot, caca or peepee?"
"The first one. Blaze is the one whose mother won't let you go on playdates with him because of who your sire was, right?"
>The colt nods
"He and his mom are ignorant"
>"That's what Mommy says!"
"She's right. Do you know what ignorant means?"
>"It means you're not really stupid or mean but you say stupid and mean stuff because you don't know any better"
>That's better than how you would have put it
>"But I think Blaze is stupid, mean AND ignorant"
"That's it exactly. If YOU don't want to sound meand and ignorant you probably shouldn't use the word faggot like Blaze does"
>"Why?"
"Because it's one of those words that means you hate somepony for ignorant reasons"
>"Like having caca on their peepees?"
>Why can't you two just be playing video games right now?!
"I don't know about caca and peepees," you begin
>"That's what they do..."
"Regardless, hating somepony for that is just ignorant"
>"But it's super gross!"
>You agree, but given some of the shit you've paid to do with mares you can't throw stones
>Seriously, think!
"So is peeing and pooping, and we all do that"
>Think some more, and don't fuck this up
"Say you hated apples..."
>"I love apples!"
>OK, try another tack
"You love apples. Imagine you met a pony who hated apples for no good reason. And he saw you eating an apple and decided he hated you"
>The colt laughs
>"That's silly"
"Of course it is, but this guy really hates apples. And he calls you a piece of shit stupid fucking applefag"
>That gets a shocked look from the colt
"Then he says it again - fucking applefag! What would you do?"
>"I'd fight him"
"He's older than you and could easily kick your ass. It's either take the abuse or a beating"
>The colt thinks for a moment, then asks, "This is because I'm eating an apple?"
"He hates ponies who eat apples"
>"That's stupid"
"That's ignorant. That's why you don't use the word faggot"
>You're not even all that invested in what you're saying, but damn are you doing a good job!
>"Why can't Mommy just be normal?"
>FUCK!
>Now you really have to sell this because you're how entirely sure how much you actually believe it
"Just because being straight is the majority doesn't mean it's normal. There are enough gays an bi's out there to make those other flavors of normal"
>Then for his benefit you add:
"And there are plenty of ponies who think sex is just gross to begin with"
>"Do you think that, too?"
"I did when I was your age"
>"Not anymore?"
"Around the time you get your cutie mark your junk wakes up"
>"My junk?"
"You call it your peepee now because that's all it's good for at the moment"
>Careful here
"It wakes up one day. Once it does you can't sit still around pretty mares without being distracted by them"
>You're missing something there
>Right, he might be gay
>There's no way this one is gay - you know it
>But given his mother you'd best hedge
"If you're straight, that is. Otherwise it'd be around whoever turns you on. And your junk will demand your attention""
>"That sounds horrible"
"Just part of being an adult. Enjoy being a colt while you can"
>"What if Mommy doing it with Miss Chrissy makes me gay?"
"I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. You're probably straight because most ponies are. But you'll know when your junk wakes up"
>Is that right?
>Better hedge again
"It's pretty obvious to most ponies, at least. Probably will be for you as well when the time comes. Do you want to play some vidya?"
>"Sure!"
>FUCKING BLESSED RELIEF TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION OVER!
"Let me show you what we've got. Most of our titles are rated 'mature'. You're mature, right?"
>"Bring on the violence!"
>So much easier than sex!
 
>Be mare
>Tomorrow is the Day of Action march
>You are still up in the air about whether you plan to be part of it
>You feel like you should be there because it's going to be a hot topic on this week's show
>And in the broadest sense you think freedom is good now that you've lived it
>But Sunrise is so presumptious claiming to skeak for all enslaved ponies
>That REALLY rubs you the wrong way
>Rose and Crystal have completeloy drunk the Kool-Aid
>Of course Crystal will be there regardless, with a camera and a tech documenting the event
>Which is going to be a bunch of ponies marching in the street chanting and carrying signs and really not much else
>Sounds pretty boring, to be honest
>Rose has been trying to convince you it's important, but you really don't see it
>Ponies can't change anything - people make the decisions
>And protesting on the street doesn't seem like a way to make the people in charge sympathetic to you
>Or it doesn't seem like it would work that way
>Maybe people and ponies marching together might send a good message - that does make a kind of sense
>But whether that amounts to anything has nothing to do with whether you take part in it
>"BUCK!," you hear Rose shout from her room
"You OK?"
>She emerges still engrossed in her phone
"What's wrong?"
"We've got no choice," she says into her phone, "but I don't have to like it. Ok. See you tomorrow"
>She ends the call and looks up at you
"What's going on?"
>"Big last minute order came in at the shop - rush job for tomorrow"
"That's extra, right?"
>"You know it - I'm going to have to scramble to fill it"
"The timing is pretty rough. Are you going to miss the Dat of Action because of it?"
>"It's a large, complicated last minute order, so yes. And I don't think the timing is a coincidence"
"What makes you say that?"
>"It's to be delivered to a private residence on 5th Ave. I looked up the address online. Guess who?"
>You have no idea who would need a large complicated order of flowers delivered to the residence there
"Someone rich, obviously"
>"John. It's John. He didn't even bother to try hiding it"
>The VP
"Finding new ways to control you"
>"That's what Crystal would say. And please, no hint he's behind this to her - I don't want to hear it"
"What are you going to do?"
>"I run a business, and because this is so last minute it's will be very profitable. I can't pass on it"
"And he knows that"
>"Yeah, but I don't this is about control - it's his messed up way of looking out for me. He still cares for me and I have to think that's a little sweet"
"He cares because you're now talent on one of his hit shows. That's why we have Forty Seven and Forty Two"
>"True, and he is the asshole who made me choose between my foal and his will"
"Yeah, you can't give him a break on this. He's controlling you"
>"Except for the fact that he gave me that choice in the first place, when technically that choice wasn't really mine"
>She winces a little bit and continues:
>"Like it or not my son was born a free pony is John's doing. He gave me to Perfect Pitch knowing I'd be freed as soon as we realized it was possible"
>Shit, she's right
>You got so caught up in thinking like a free mare there that you forgot
>He did give Rose the choice when she was his property and he could easily have made the choice for her
>Instead he gave her barely the start of a whipping and handed her off to your master and eventually freedom
>Then he arranges security for the two of you - three of you
>And you've met his good girl Cloudy, he seems to be doing right enough by her
>The only one he's done really wrong by was master
>But maybe that was just too much indulgence with regard to the stallion's demons?
>That and making him do a job he HATED
>Putting him in an impossible position
>Like every contestant on Hippodrome
>Right, don't cut him any slack - he's still a monster!
"No, fuck him. He's an asshole, even if he is a generous asshole"
>Rose sighs
>"Regardless it means I'm going to miss the Day of Action"
"That means I will as well, because you don't have a sitter"
>"You'd do that?! I could try to lean on Forty Two again, but he made it pretty clear that was a one time thing"
"I'm sure it'll be more than that, but best not to take too much advantage. I got tomorrow"
>"You're sure you don't mind missing the march?"
"I still have some issues with Sunrise's message. It makes sense that if ponies are supposed to be free that each pony race should be treated equally"
>"But?"
"People haven't even worked that out among themselves yet. The boss or master is almost always the same kind of person"
>"A guy like John. An older white guy"
"Yeah. If they can't work out something resembling equality for themselves how could they for ponies?"
>"Ponies managed to work it out in Equestria, more or less"
"Ponies were in charge there. That's not the case here at all"
>"Maybe it could be someday"
"You think the kind of guy who says 'Of course you can own a horse' is going to accept the idea of ponies being equal to him, let alone in charge?"
>"I guess that's kind of a tough sell"
"They haven't even let a woman be president yet. Women having any say in their government is still a new thing"
>"But we're not asking to be in charge. All we're asking for is freedom and equality"
"And I'm saying generations of well meaning people haven't even worked that out among themselves yet. I don't see them magically granting it to ponies"
>"We could really use an alicorn princess. That's what united the pony races and protected us"
"Celestia was like a goddess, wasn't she?"
>She wasn't almighty, but she raised the sun everyday. Until the day the sun didn't rise. That's when we knew. Nopony said it, but we knew"
>Rose is tearing up
"That must have been terrifying"
>"It was the end of the world. Literally. Imagine the world ending before your eyes and you're still there and there's nothing you can do"
"Except make your way to the portal and take your chances - I think you did OK"
>"If I could go back to the way things were... The only thing that gives me hope is being the mother of a free colt"
"I understand wanting to make this world better for his sake. I just doubt how much ponies can actually accomplish"
>"If we can win the hearts and minds of young people like Moonglow said..."
"The look on Sunrise's face when she said it was priceless"
>"Well it's not an element of her strategy she wanted articulated quite that way to the viewing public - especially in terms of people and race"
"Moonglow definitely took control of the message there, but I don't think she was wrong"
>You think about what Roseluck said about needing an alicorn to unite the pony races
"You've seen the alicorn rumors on the internet, right?"
>"About Princess Cadance? That's just wishful thinking I'm afraid. If she'd made it through we'd have known about it years ago"
"You don't think there's a chance she was found by abolitionists who realized who she was and have been keeping her in hiding?"
>"Listen to yourself. No, I don't believe that's possible. People can't keep secrets that well. And spreading those rumors is cruel"
Because it gives ponies false hope? All hope can be cruel, not just false hope"
>"I don't want to believe that. But I don't believe there are any alicorns among us, so Sunrise is the closest we've got"
"You don't think there'll ever be any more alicorns?"
>"Magic is so weak here. I don't think there's enough magic in this world to create and alicorn. I'd love to be proven wrong"
"So for now you're gonna line up behind Sunrise?"
>"Well, not tomorrow, unfortunately. And I've got to call Crystal and let her know. She's not going to be happy, but she'll understand"
"As long as you don't tell her it's John's doing"
>"Yeah, I'm definitely going to leave that part out for now. We haven't had any issues yet, and I'd like to keep it that way"
 
Excerpt from NY Times article Saturday, July 6 2019:
 
Marching for Magic
 
Keep the Magic Alive, a unicorn advocacy group will hold a Day of Action march in Brooklyn tomorrow. The purpose is twofold - to support equal rights among the pony races and to call for the emancipation of all ponies regardless of race. The unicorn Sunrise, the spokespony for the group has gained national recognition through several appearances on the controversial Fox talk show Blinders Off. While the group has been criticized for being overtly pro-unicorn pony freedom deas indeed break along racial lines, with the majority of free ponies being unicorns. "Of course we celebrate unicorn births," in light of what she calls a "slow motion attempt at genocide," Sunrise told the Times, referring to several organizations (including the ASPCA) offering free healthcare to unicorns willing to undergo voluntary sterilization. "We have to speak out against injustice wherever we see it. It's our duty as the only ponies capapble of speakinmg out. Slavery and genocide are gross injustices that we live with every day, and we're marching to bring both to an end," reads the group's press release. While the issues the group supports are pony centered Sunrise told the Times that all sympathizers are welcome at the march. "Americans proudly speak of liberty and justice for all, and we encourage those who believe that should extend to ponies to make their voices heard by marching with us." NYPD confirms that a permit has been issued for the event. More information about the demonstration and the organization can be found at KeepTheMagicAlive.org
 
>Be mare
>Today is the Keep the Magic Alive Day of Action, which means Rose went to work early to fill the not so mysterious last minute order at her shop
>That left you foalsitting Cuddleslut, who has been mostly good
>He's just discovered video games, and Rose got him a very modest tablet computer to play them on
>Hopefully it'll be a while before he realizes just how modest it is and wants something more expensive
>That's kept him busy most of the morning, but she also left him with a few dollars, and that's...
>What's the expression people use when someone has money the just HAVE to spend?
>Burning a hole in his pocket, even though he has no pockets!
>You promised him you'd take him to to corner store at 11AM
>He's become obssessed with the corner store, and you understand that
>If you'd seen the variety of junk food snacks they sell there when you were a filly - all for a coupole dollars!
>You would have been obsessed as well
>Back when you were a filly just having sugar cubes was a big deal
>It's almost unbelievable what the colt has available to him just half a block from your building
>You're sure you could just let him go by himself - the Chinese people who run the store know him and are very nice
>Well, nice to customers who are polite to them
>You've seen them give back as good as the got from those who are rude
>You wonder if before too long, once their hard word puts their kids through college if it won't be ponies running shops like that
>That would be something, actually - to have your neighborhood corner store run by ponies
>You'd probably shop there more often even if the prices weren't the best around
>Just to support pony run businesses
>You already try to do that
>"It's 10:56, auntie!," the colt says excitedly
"OK. We'll head out in a couple minutes"
>You'd really like to just send him out on his own - you KNOW he could handle it
>But Roseluck doesn't think he's ready yet, so if you did and anything were to happen...
>Yeah - you're going with him, which means poor Forty-Seven will have to dutifully shadow the both of you for half a block and back
>It seems silly, but that's how things are
"If you save half of what you have I'll take you to the store again in the afternoon. How does that sound?"
>He considers this for a moment and replies, "Good, but I'd still like to keep my options open"
>Keep his options open?!
>Free colts!
>You grab your keys, open the door and let him out into the hallway
>By the time you're out the building's door Agent Forty Seven has fallen in behind you
>To the casual observer the three of you on the sidewalk probably look like a family going out for a walk
>Then again many casual observers know exactly who you are and what your situation is
>So your little fantasy of being a family walking the streets of Ponytown really doesn't hold up
>Regardless you think it's a cute little procession, Cuddleslut a few steps ahead of you, Forty Seven a few behind
>You learned pretty quickly that three ponies walking beside each other on these narrow sidewalks just gets in the way of those you share the sidewalk with
>Looking up from the colt you see a familiar face coming toward you
>THE GUARD?!
>What's he doing in Ponytown?!
>And what's he doing engrossed in conversation with a unicorn mare?
>She's got to be a free pony!
>She's a little older than Rose by your guess - definitely Equestrain born
>Pretty dark blue coat and mane, looks like pale stars on her flank
>As they approach he still hasn't noticed you, his attention entirely on the mare
"Hey! Long time no see"
>He looks up, confused for a second, but recognizes you immediately
>"Hey kid! Fancy meeting you here," he says, adding, "Oh right, you live here. Hey Tari, this is..."
>"I know who this is!," The unicorn interrupts. "Starry Night," she continues, extending a hoof. "He insists on calling me Tari"
>It's obvious her annoyance is pretend annoyance
>Holy shit! Are they dating?!
>How in the fuck is the guard dating a unicorn free mare?
>"I'm actually a big fan," Satrry goes on, "I can't believe how brave you've been. It's inspiring"
>You supress a snicker at the word "brave", which used to have a different meaning for you
"Thank you and it's a pleasure to meet you, Starry. I'm so glad you enjoy the show!," you reply than turn to him, "Backstory?"
>"It's a long one," the guard replies, "But I could try to give you the nutshell version"
>You hear the clop of a small hoof on the sidewalk, apparently annoyed at this obsticale between him and the corner store clearly in view
"You go on, sweetie. Just be careful crossing the street"
>"I know," the colt replies, "Wait for the walk light then look both ways just to be sure"
"OK. I'll be watching you"
>You divide your attention between the colt walking away from you and your old friend in front of you
"Nutshell version, please"
>"He's not yours, right?," the guard asks
>"You KNOW that!," Starry says to him. "I swear he watches the show, he just doesn't follow along so well"
>"It's too girly for me," the guard replies. "I just watch to see you and make sure you're OK. The rest of it isn't so much my jam"
>"Baby steps, as they say," Starry says, "I swear I wasn't looking for a project, or a man for that matter"
"So how did this happen, assuming this is what it looks like?"
>She blushes, he almost does. Maybe he does a little. Hard to tell. He's got a beard now, though he keeps it closely trimmed
>It actually looks good in spite of how much of it is silver
>The colt has crossed the street safely and disappears into the store
>"Well, my mother passed a few, well more than a few months ago now," the guard begins
>You know what people and free ponies expect to hear in response to news like that
"I'm so sorry for your loss"
>That's what you're supposed to say, even if you don't mean it
>Of course you're sad that something sad happened to someone you care about
>But you have no reference point - you don't have any memories of your mother
>You don't know who either of your parents are/were, nor whether or not you have any siblings, cousins or whatever
>It seems odd to console a man for the loss of his mother, but you know it's expected and will probably be appreciated
>"Thanks," he replies automatically, "it wasn't a shock or anything. In fact I took a month off to take care of her at the end"
>That explains it. The organization stopped issuing him checks months ago. When you called Madam to see if he was OK she said he'd found another situation
>You figured that meant he'd been fired or quit or something
>You'd been meaning to call him to see how he was doing, but you have only so much time
>And keeping up with Snowdrop and Skydancer were bigger priorities
>Even over keeping up with Durril, which you feel guilty about 
>But you'd still been meaning to give him a call, and now feel embarrassed at your failure to do so
>"Anyways," he continues, "my mother had opinions. We didn't agree on things like the Catholic church. But she ran deeper than just that"
>Is he  actually blushing now?
>He lowers his voice and says, "She didn't approve of slavery. Not one bit"
>Starry giggles and he shoots her a stern look
>"Sorry," she replies, "that would have been a pun in Equestria"
>Then she adds, "That was insensitive of me. Still getting used to being sensitive to a man's feelings. Really honey, sorry"
>"This is a new thing for both of us," he answers
>"Anyways," he continues, "After she passed I couldn't go back to work. I'd always told myself I was doing good protecting you girls, but..."
>Is he choking up?
>"But I realized," he continues, "none of you should have been in that position in the first place. And even I took advantage of it"
"You're not talking about what happened between us, are you?"
>"When he told me about that," Starry chimes in, "I broke up with him. We didn't talk for a week. I was convinced he was a monster"
>Really?!
"Are you kidding?! That was one of the few times in my life when I actually HAD consent - when whether or not anything happened way MY call!"
>That sounded a lot more intense than you meant it to
>Starry answers, "You were too young to really give consent. You know that, right?"
"No. Please. Don't take that away from me. Whatever it was it really meant something. You can't judge - you weren't there"
>"Fair enough," she replies. "Honestly I can't imagine. I forgave him when he explained that he was just ignorant and didn't know any better"
>She adds, "Only because I understood your perspective a little from watching the show. I still think it was wrong though"
"Right and wrong didn't matter in that situation. Kindness mattered, and he was kind"
>Now she's blushing
>"I understand that now," Starry answers, "It's just really hard to wrap my head around that given how I was raised. He is kind, though. That got him his second chance"
>You want to say maybe hers is just a different kind of ignorance, but you hold your tongue
>If only for his sake, even though you didn't like her calling him a project
>He looks fine. A free mare should be happy to have a man like him, especially a unicorn
>Don't be racist
>"Tkank you," he says to you like you've just forgiven him
"So?," you say to the guard while watching Cuddleslut emerge from the gorner store with one of those tropical ice pops in his mouth
>"So I looked at my life," he replies, "What I wanted to change, you know. I couldn't go back to work, but with my modest inheritence I didn't have to"
>You nod
>"Then I realized I wanted to be in a relationship but had no clue about dating nowadays"
"Yeah, that's a thing for me as well - then again I never knew from dating. Still don't"
>"Turns out there's an app for that. AI and machine learning know you better than you know yourself"
>Scary thought
>"I just answered honestly, and when the question came up would you date a free mare I said yes, even though I'd never thought about it"
>"I answered maybe about a man," Starry adds, "but the app hooked us up anyways. I was really doubtful at first"
>"YOU were doubtful?," the former guard counters, "Me with a free unicorn?! What kind of judgment was I in for?"
>"Well I knew nothing about former slave guards," she counters
>"See what I mean?," he responds, giving you a plaintive look
>You expect this to escalate as Cuddleslut heads toward you after successfully crossing the street
>Instead they smile at each other
"Well I'm happy for you, and wish you the best. Are you headed to the Day of Action?"
>"Just for a peek," Starry replies, "then brunch. No reason to radicalize the new convert"
>The former guard rolls his eyes and says, "She doesn't want me too close to the front line. I want to see it though"
"I get that - I've come to sympathize, but I don't feel like it's really my struggle, even if they are mostly on the right side"
>"She's no Celestia, but she's the best we've got," Starry says. "You get what I mean?"
"Sort of. Roseluck has given me a loose idea of what Princess Celestia meant to ponies. I grew up thinking of her like mythology"
>"She wasn't like that," Starry answers. "She was very real"
"That must have been amazing. Like I said Rose has told me a little bit about what life was like there under her rule"
>"Under both their rules. She ruled with her sister Princess Luna until the end. Here ponies just have to do the best we can"
"Right. Sunrise is an inspiring speaker but I can't see her ruling anypony"
>"Not even applicable here," Starry replies. "Everything is uncertain, complicated and ultimately some sort of compromise"
>She sighs
>"You play the hand you're dealt," the former guard replies
>You know what he means but it gets a confused look from Starry
"He means that what you get isn't always what you want or think you ought to get, but you have to deal anyways"
>"Right," Starry replies, "big difference from Equestria. There you knew how things were supposed to work and you could count on it most of the time"
>"I don't know how any of this is supposed to work," he answers, "inter-species dating, brunch... I don't think I've been to brunch in 20 years"
"Just go without getting radicalizied and you'll be fine"
>Starry smiles at you
>Then she turns to him and says, "I doubt much has changed aside from the prices"
>"I'm not eating avocado toast," he replies
>"I already told you that you don't have to get avocado toast," she says patiently
>They're pretty cute together, even if the come off as a little old
>They are a little old, after all
>You always thought of the guard as older, but now he actually seems a little old
>He gestures toward agent Forty Seven
>"She has her own private muscle," he says to Starry
>"And I've got you to be my muscle," she answers. "I'm not a celebrity. I don't need 24/7 protection"
>"This is a high crime neighborhood, especially violent crime," he replies, "I worry about you living here"
>He looks past you to agent 47
>"What's your take on this?," he asks the stallion
>"Violent crime is very high in this area, sir," 47 replies, "but statistically ponies are unlikely to be the victims of it"
>"It's man against man?," the former guard asks
>"For now it is," the stallion replies, "That could change with the political winds, of course"
>"Would you let your marefriend live here?," the man asks
>47 pauses for a second then reples: "I doubt I'd get a say in such a matter, sir"
>"Good answer," Starry affirms
>The former guard shrugs, accerpting defeat on the issue
>"We should get together sometime", Starry offers as Cuddleslut approaches
"Sounds great. He has my number. Enjoy brunch!"
>He gives you a hug and says, "See you around, kid"
>"Really a pleasure to meet you," Starry says
>Then they walk off
>Cuddleslut removes the ice pop from his mouth and looks up at you
>"Who were they?," he asks
"He's an old friend, or sort of friend. Someone I was close to back when I was your age. A good guy"
>"They're not a couple, are they?"
"Yeah, they are"
>"A free mare and a MAN? That's not right"
"Don't talk like that"
>"It looks like she should be wearing a collar"
"He's a good guy. I'm happy for them"
>"She thinks she's too good for a stallion?"
>You see what's going on here
"I don't think it's like that at all"
>"That's what it looks like and it's doesn't look right at. She's a free mare and she's with a man and not a stallion?!"
>You don't know how to answer that
"I don't know what to tell you. She's a free mare, so she's free to make her own decisions. Let's head home"
 
>Be Cloudburst
>You've just about settled into your routine in make up with Vidal
>Since only three pony shows are currently in production your workweek is pretty modest
>Three days a week
>But it gets you out of the house and gives you something else to take pride in beyond just pleasing master
>Which is still top priority, of course
>It also seems like he's more interested in talking with you now that you have something else going on in your life
>He's let you babble on and on about your day while listening patiently
>He's a very indulgent master
>On workdays he sends the car to pick you up at 7:30
>It's really a limo, but no one calls it that - everyone says black car
>You get in the back then ride to pick him up
>When he gets in he always gives you a kiss and a gentle pet on your mane
>About half of the time he'll raise the screen between driver and passenger and let you take care of him
>You figure you're one of a very few mares in this city being driven to work in a limo
>With a powerful man's cock down your throat
>Lucky is what you are!
>But it does mean you've had to start keeping mints at your work station
>You don't like mints all that much but your job puts you in close contact with other ponies and smelling like your ride to work would be...
>Unprofessional
>Not like the ponies at work don't know exactly what your primary purpose is with relation to their boss
>But it's one thing to work alongside the boss' bedmare and another thing entirely to smell his cum on her breath
>You weren't really trained for the workplace, but you just know that would be unseemly
>Today you needed the mints
>Two of them, just to be safe
>Three upsets your stomach, you've learned
>Today was also a longer shift because Crystal will be on the stage instead of behind the camera
>So extra effort had to be put into her look, and that fell to you
>You get the feeling that she tolerates you, but doesn't particularly like you
>That isn't a surprise as your views of the world couldn't be much more different
>She's a free mare abolitionist who works because she has to, giving her a modest life in Ponytown
>Maybe a little better than modest now that she's something of a pony celebrity
>But nowhere nearly as posh as the life you live as a bedmare to a rich and powerful man
>You don't HAVE to work - you're not even getting paid to do so
>You've just here because Daddy was smart enough to know you should put your special talent to use
>And he doesn't really require much in the way of styling
>So you're here
>Vidal told you Crystal and Roseluck were an item
>When you seemed surprised he said it was pretty obvious
>Evidently there are plenty of obvious things going on that ponies are trying to keep hidden
>That's the kind of stuff that keeps a gossip like Vidal happy
>But that also is probably another reason why Crystal is merely tolerant of you
>Rose is no fan of you, after all
>She knows you think she's ungrateful because... well, she is
>But you know she's Equestrian born, and they have a very different view of things
>Not that that gives her a pass for being ungrateful
>And though you try to hide your judgment from her you know you're not that good of an actress
>She knows how you feel about her
>She had it all - you hate to admit it, but you even suspect Daddy loved her
>You're a little uneasy with the thought of him loving another mare, even though you're confident in where you stand with him
>You're the good girl she wasn't
>And like a bitch the cheated on him - what gave her the right?!
>Nothing
>She didn't have the right at all
>And still Daddy forgave her instead of flaying her alive like she deserved
>What did it get her?
>She's a free mare single mother living in Ponytown dating a MARE for fuck's sake!
>What a spectacular self-inflicted fall from grace!
>He's still providing security for her and she walks around all smug and entitled because she's free
>You relize you hate her
>You actually hate her
>You don't think you've ever hated anypony before
>You've known a few mares who were total bitches, but you just avoided them - you didn't actually hate them
>Thankfully Vidal still insists on styling her
>She's got to ba as happy about that as you are
>A look up at the monitor confirms they've started taping
>Which means your workday is technically done
>Even though you have to stick around in case somepony needs a quick tough up
>That never seems to happen, but you have to stick around just in case
>"May as well put the sound on," Vidal says, "This one is going to be interesting"
"How so?"
>"After what happened over the weekend?," he replies
"Oh, right. The riot"
>"It wasn't a riot," he says flatly. "Someone purposely caused a panic during which people and ponies were hurt"
"Didn't someone die?"
>"Yeah," he answers, "One person got trampled to death. Not good at all"
>You reach for the remote and take the monitor off mute
>Ada Maria is in the middle of a sentence as footage from the KtMA incident plays on the monitor behind her
>"...calling on barring ponies from gathering in large groups because we're supposedly too easily spooked," she says
>"You can see right here," Crystal replies, "NYPD officers have their guns drawn. The thought it was an active shooter situation, too"
>"Yet no bullet casings were found," Ada Maria answers, "and no gunshot injuries"
>"It was firecrackers," Crystal says indignantly. "Someone deliberately set off firecrackers and yelled 'GUN!'"
>"Just like yelling 'FIRE!' in a crowded theater," Rose chimes in
>"Now one woman is dead and many are injured because of it," Crystal replies
>"Her name," Ada Maria says solemnly, "was Maddy Bishop. She was 23 years old and an abolition activist"
>A picture of a very pretty young woman with long dirty-blonde hair fills the monitor
>She's wearing one of those plastic headbands with fake pony ears and a unicorn horn on it
>"She'd dedicated herself to fighting for equality between ponies and people," Ada Maria says, "She was trampled to death in the panic"
"I can't believe they used a picture of her wearing that!"
>"It's becoming a thing," Vidal replies. "I think it's really tacky, but it's supposed to show solidarity"
"The kind of solidarity that gets you trampled by panicked hooves while fighting for pony rights?"
>"The irony is not lost on me," he replies, "but that doesn't make it any less tragic"
"Of course. Any idea what the fallout from this is likely to be?"
>"That's being determined right now," the pink pegasus answers. "They're trying to get their spin into the mix"
"Well it was obviously no pony's fault. Some chucklefuck staged a fake mass shooting and everypony panicked"
>You like the word chucklefuck - you don't remember where you heard it, but you've been waiting for a chance to use it
>"Obviously," he replies. "But many would like to spin an alternate narrative out of that"
>You're actually glad there are pony voices to speak out then
>Even if it's pony voices you disagree with, some you even hate
>Because this isn't right - they're free ponies, after all
>They already have it bad enough - it just seems cruel to mess with them on top of that
>Then again, you know some people are cruel
>You've heard stories, though part of you didn't want to believe them
>You've also seen shit on the internet that gave you nightmares
>It's a dangerous world where very bad things happen every day
>You're lucky to have Daddy to keep you safe
>You don't want to have to think about just what alternate narratives might be
"I don't know how much more of this I can watch"
>"You can take off then," he replies, "All the heavy lifting is done, and I'll be here if anypony needs a touch up"
"Thanks!"
>You get your phone and text Daddy: fyi got done early today!
>His response arrives a minute later: come up to the office. i can break away in 15
>Yay!
>It's always fun to spend an afternoon with him, and breaking away means just that
>Maybe he'll take you out to a fancy restaurant or a cocktail bar
>Or maybe you'll just go back to your place for more cummies
>Or maybe cummies in the limo on the way to someplace else exciting
>It doesn't matter as long as you get to be with him
>And be his good girl
 
>Be mare
>It's girl talk time!
>And not a taping of the show - that was yesterday
>It's a pain in the ass to set up with everypony's schedules, but you manage to schedule a video chat with your old friends
>At least once a month
<Of course it falls on you to organize it, but you don't mind
>What you'd really love to do is take them out in Ponytown for a night
>The one time you did that everypony had a great time!
>But they rarely get nights off, and never all at the same time
>And you really can't afford to pay your former organization their out call rates plus take them out someplace
>Well you could, actually
>But then everypony would want to make it a regular thing, and you don't have THAT kind of money
>You might if Blinders Off gets picked up for another season
>Of course there are rumors about that
>Some say it's a lock because the show has good ratings and a more than respectable viewership
>Others caution that its increasingly abolitionist leanings might make corporate want to distance themselves from it
>The VP and the producers really haven't given you anything to go on
>But there was a rumor that if the network didn't renew it Netflix might pick it up
>You don't see how that would work
>You talk about real issues in real time
>The show might not be broadcast live, but it's relevan to the moment it airs
>You doubt people stream ahows like that
>You could find out
>It's offered streaming after it's broadcast - someone has to have the stats on that
>Might be good to know
>But now's not the time to think about that
>You have a different set of mares to catch up with
>And a hot bit of gossip to share
>By the time you get on to the chat the other girls are already there
>Skydancer, Snowdrop AND Durril - she's the toughest one to schedule
"Hi girls!"
>"Hey," Snowdrop replies
>Durril and Skydancer proceed to talk over each other, much like you and Rosedid when you first started taping the show
>They pause, and Durril defers to Sky
>"How's freedom treating you?," Skydancer asks
"Complicated as usual"
>"You seeing anypony yet?," Durril asks
>"She isn't," Snowdrop says before you can reply
"How do you know?"
>"You have the same hungry look Skydancer's had for a while," Snowdrop replies. "And not skinny hungry"
>"Is it true?," Durril asks
"Unfortunately. It's not for lack of takers. I get checked out all the time. It's lack of... inclination"
>"Free pony shit is complicated, right?," Skydancer confirms
"Yeah. I could easily just go get fucked, but the whole dating thing they do is still over my head"
>"I can't imagine," Snowdrop replies, then clarifies, "Both dating and NOT getting fucked"
>Everypony laughs except Sky
>"I stopped going back for a reason," she says sadly, "Not out of lack of desire"
>"And I bet somepony there misses you horribly," Snowdrop answers
>"Don't rub it in," Sky answers. "I didn't ask to be like this, but I'm pretty convinced growing up the way we did is why I am"
"It left marks on all of us"
>"Well I don't want to be responsible for leaving any of those marks on somepony else," Sky says, "more than I have already"
>"Or maybe there aren't any fillies who are as sexy as I was back in the day," Snowdrop teases
"Yeah, right. That's definitely got to be it"
>You're happy to see that gets a smile out of Sky
>You were starting to worry about the direction this conversation was taking
>If it were anypony other than Snowdrop talking to Sky like that you'd think they were being insensitive
>But Skydancer and Snowdrop have a more than just friends relationship with different... What's the word?
>Boundries
>You know Sky hasn't magically lost her attraction to fillies, and deciding acting on it isn't right had to be tough on her
>You don't know if you agree with her decision, but she's made up her mind. She has to live with it
>"It's just one of many marks left," Sky says flatly. "Like what was the one big rule for clients growing up?"
"No rough stuff!," you reply in unison with the other girls
>"Right," Sky says with a little smile. "And I end up a dominatrix, wile two of you end up with fetishes along those lines"
"Yeah, Durril, how did you manage to dodge that bullet?"
>"I dunno. Maybe because I had another physical outlet," Durril muses
>She blushes, which looks really funny on a green mare
>You thought green was such an ugly color for a mare when you first met her as a filly
>Some of that must have been jealousy because she's a beautiful mare now
>"But if you think I'm not getting off a little bit when I'm dancing," she says slyly, "think again"
"It's pretty obvious"
>Snowdrop nods
>"I'd still like to see you dance someday," Sky says whistfully
>"We'll have to arrange that," Durril replies
"Or if WE can't maybe I can"
>"You have the most agency by far," Durril answers
>"What I'd like to see is Skydancer at work," Snowdrop says
>You and Durril laugh
"We know you would"
>"Yeah," Skydancer replies, "pretty sure that's not going to happen"
>"I know," Snowdrop answers, "But I'd still like to see it. A man being dominated by a mare? What's hotter than that?"
"I dunno... whip videos?"
>"Ooooh, burn!," Durril says
>"I can take it," Snowdrop says, smiling. "At least there's not a video of me getting off on being choked out floating around online"
"I don't masturbate to it, al least," you respond. "Oh wait! I've got gossip! You won't believe who I ran into on the street the other day"
>"Spill," Snowdrop says excitedly
"The guard back from when we were fillies!"
>"Last time I went back there he was on leave," Skydancer says, "Caring for his mother or something?"
"Caring for his dying mother. Who turned out to be an abolitionist! And on her deathbed she converted him!"
>"So he quit his job?," Durril asks
"Yeah, but it's bigger than that"
>"Don't keep us waiting," Snowdrop pleads, "Spill!"
"He's dating a mare"
>"Dating?," Skydancer saks, "like a free mare?"
"Yep"
>"A unicorn?," Durril asks
"Yep"
>"I can't see him with a mare," Snowdrop says, "other than you, of course"
"I'm never living that down, am I?"
>"You fucked him for a sandwich," Snowdrop giggles, "Way to devalue the rest of us!"
"I had no idea back then. Really. Now I know exactly what all of you are worth. One extreme to the other"
>"Sky's still worth the most, right?," Snowdrop asks
"Nice try. Not telling, and you know it"
>"I've always wondered about the kind of guy who dates a free mare," Sky speculates. "Idealist or cheapskate?"
"In his case it's probably a little from column A and a little from column B"
>When the girls laugh a little at that it almost fells like being on the show
>Tailoring your comments for comedic effect is a recent skill, but one you like to think you've gotten good at
>"Is she pretty?," Snowdrop asks
"For an older unicorn, yeah"
>"Are we talking Madam old," Durril asks, "or..."
"Not that old, but definitely Equestrian born"
>"The guard with an Equestrian born free unicorn," Skydancer says in a surprised tone. "There's an odd couple"
"She's gonna do a number on his politics, that's for sure"
>"Are you talking keep the magic alive kind of shit?," Skydancer saks. "I thought they frowned on interspecies couples"
"Seems to me like they're trying to be inclusive. I've met Sunrise. You've seen her on the show. It seems like she's trying to reach out"
>"Seems pretty horn-centric, if you ask me," Durril responds
>"Yeah, really," Snowdrop chimes in, "Unicorns just being unicorns without much consideration for the rest of us"
>"While giving lip service to us all being in this together," Skydancer adds, "Regardless of what else they post online"
"That bad?"
>"Yeah," Skydancer answers, "or worse, depending on which sources you trust"
>"If he lets himself get cucked so she can give birth to a unicorn foal," Snowdrop begins, but you interrupt her
"Cucked? What's that?"
>"You don't spend much time online, do you?," Durril asks
"Not as much as you girls do, obviously"
>"Probably why you're giving Sunrise the benefit of the doubt," Skydancer responds. "They're really a fringe group"
>The sound of a hoof knocking on the door to your room disrupts the conversation
>"Permission to enter, Ma'am," comes 47's muffled voice from the other side of the door
"Permission granted"
>You don't like talking that way to him, but he seems to prefer it
>"Ooooh, is that your muscle?," Durril asks
>"Turn the laptop around and let us see," Snowdrop demands
>You comply as 47 enters the room
>"Yummy!," Snowdrop says
>"Hi hot stuff," Durril chirps. "Come by the tack dance club and I'll see to it you're taken care of"
>"Ma'am," 47 says in his usual all business tone, "We're on lockdown"
"Lockdown?! What are you talking about?"
>"They let STALLIONS in the tack dance club?," Skydancer asks
>"They let in who I tell them to," Durril replies
>"We have a situation," 47 says calmly, but you can see he's concerned
"What kind of situation?"
>"Unrest on the streets," he replies. "We're to shelter in place"
>"Holy shit!," Skydancer exclaims, "There's a full blown riot on the streets of Brooklyn right now!"
"What the fuck is going on?"
>"Your pegasus friend summed it up neatly, Ma'am," 47 responds
>"You keep her safe!," Durril demands
>"That's the plan," 47 answers
"Um, girls? I think I've got to go"
 
>Be mare
>There's a riot going on?
>You followed 47 out the common room where Roseluck, 42 and the colt were waiting
>47 is bringing you up to date
>"It's more of a panic on the streets than a riot," he says then adds, "There's an active shooter situation two blocks from us"
"Holy shit!"
>"Please stay away from the windows," he councils
>You hadn't even realized you were walking toward the window so you could look out at the street
>Rose laughs nerveously
>"I did the same thing when Forty Two told me," she says
>"These things rarely last long," 47 says, "but given our proximity to the situation best to avoid line of sight to the street"
>"You doing media?," 42 asks 47
>"To find out what I already know is true?," 47 asks. "Shooter is a white male in his early 20's armed with a semi-automatic weapon"
>"He's no fan of blacks or Jews, is particularly concerned about hispanics replacing him," 42 adds
>"But sees even more of theat from free ponies," 47 continues, "Especially in light of the recent increases in unicorn birthrates"
>47 sits in front of his laptop
>"Hashtag Ponytown already trending on Twitter," he says. "Already the misinformation has started"
>"Are they posting that he's an abolitionist?," 42 asks
>"You know it. Just saw an account get deleted for it," 47 replies. "Definitely fatalities. Pony fatalities. There's video"
>47 furiously taps away on his keyboard
>"There's also an alleged manifesto on infinity," he says flatly
>"I ain't reading that shit," 42 answers
>"You already know what it says," 47 counters
"What does it say?"
>47 sighs
>"The usual. You know the profile. Every time something like this happens it's the same. White nationalists," he replies
>"If it's that obvious why isn't it reported that way on the news?," Rose asks
>"That's a whole other ball of wax," 42 replies
?"Yeah," 47 begins, then pauses. "Journalists don't want to be seen as fear mongering or inadvertently encouraging these people"
>"Then there's the political angle," 42 continues. "Politicians who benifit from the support of such people can't acknowledge they actually exist"
>47 laughs and says, "Even though their silence is tacit approval of their actions. And some of what they say actually encourages them"
"You believe this?"
>"More importantly THEY believe this," he replies. "I just have to be aware of it for security's sake"
"Who is they?"
>"White nationalists," he replies. "Alot more of them out there than you'd think, and they hate free ponies more than any other minority"
"What have we done to them?"
>You exist and breed in their country," he replies, "thus changing the demographics, culture and undermining their hegemony"
"Their what?"
>He ignores the question staring intently at his screen
>"Shooter may be in custody," he says. "Told you these things move quickly"
>"It'll be a few minutes before they announce it, though," 42 answers. "But if he's in custody and not dead we were right about him"
>47 laughs again
"What's so funny?"
>"I just read someone saying this is a DS false flag," he answers
"A what?"
>"Conspiracy theory stuff," the stallion replies calmly, "The kind of guy who thinks shooting up a crowded place is a good idea eats that stuff up"
>"It's better that you don't know what some of these people believe," 42 adds, "It makes it a little harder to sleep at night"
>"And the nutjobs over at infinity are already calling him ourguy," 47 says
>"Well if the shoe fits," 42 says sadly
>"Mommy, I'm scared," the black colt whines
>"It looks like the scary part is over," 42 says confidently
>"These things don't last long," 47 repeats
>Suddenly you hear an explosion like a tunderclap
>It's powerful enough to shake your building a little
>Thankfully far enough away that your windows aren't blown out
>But you're pretty sure somewhere nearby windows are blown out, and probably worse
"What was that?!"
>42 rushes to the window for a quick peek outside then touches the communication device in his ear
>"There's been an explosion," he says, "perimiter secure, assets safe"
>"Can't say with certianty, Ma'am," 47 replies, "but a truck bomb would be a good guess"
>"This guy pulls off an mass shooting and a McVeigh?," 42 asks, almost seeming impressed
>"We don't know that. What did HQ say?" 47 asks, furiously scrolling through various feeds on his laptop
>"Shelter in place," he replies
>"We're a few minutes away from any reliable information," 47 says
>"You really should have your com device in," 42 chides
>"In this situation I can monitor things better without it," he replies
>"You're still violating protocol," 42 counters
>"We just had a mass shooting and an explosion two blocks from us," he replies, "and the assets are safe. Don't tell me how to do my job"
>"Sometimes I worry you're too into this stuff," 42 says quietly
>"You gotta know your enemy," 47 answers without taking his eyes from the screen
"I didn't realize we had actual enemies"
>"With these types the newest arrivals are at the top of the hit list," 47 replies
>"We're talking the kind of people who seriously want to send ponies back through the portal," 42 adds
>Rose gasps in horror
>"But there's nothing left there," she says in disbelief
>"That would suit them fine," 47 says with an edge of anger in his voice, "You see how much contempt the have for our lives"
"That's just a few angry, disturbed people, isn't it?"
>"If this wasn't happening here right now what would your reaction be?," he asks. "Just another horrible story on the news, right?"
>"Because this is happening all the time now," 42 adds
>Shit
>They're right
>You hear about mass shootings all the time and feel bad for those killed and traumatized by them
>But they happen so often you they are just another awful thing out of many on the news
>You've never even been a fan of following the news because it's depressing
>Though you've been making an effort to keep up recently so you don't make a fool out of yourself on TV
>But you just realized something that never hit you before
"So we're targets, aren't we?"
>47 nods toward 42 and says, "That's for us to worry about"
>You didn't realize that was going to be an aspect of being free
>You've known for a long time there were some people who simply didn't like ponies
>But when you were private property you were in your place and posed no threat to them
>Being a free pony changes that, it makes you a threat and those people are willing to paint a target on you because of it
"But it's true, isn't it?"
>The stallion nods
>He looks really sexy right now
>Why are you horny?
>What's wrong with you?
>A lot, probably
>A lot more than suddenly being overcome with the desire to fuck your bodyguard
>When he gives the all clear you're going to have to start figuring out how dating works as a free pony
>Otherwise you are going to fuck your bodyguard
>Is it wrong to be so horny when you know ponies were killed just two blocks from you?
>Is that what made you horny?
>You're glad the others are here
>Because if it had just been you and 47 in this situation you're pretty sure he wouldn't be lost in his laptop screen right now
>He'd be lost inside of you
>unf
>Stop it, stop it!
>You can't fuck your bodyguard!
>You realize Roseluck is kind of staring at you
>"You OK?," she asks
"Yeah. You?"
>"I have to be, don't I?," she replies with a quick nod in her son's direction
>42 picks up on the cue and says, "You were very brave today," to him
>You have to stifle a giggle at the word "brave"
>"You kept your cool while something scary happened," 42 continues, "That's what you're supposed to do in a crisis. Good job"
>The colt looks a little sheepish and scared, but you can see some pride on his face
>42 is a good agent
>He's kinda sexy, too
>Shit, stop thinking like that!
>Dating - you have to start dating
>The thought is terrifying
>You don't know a thing about it
>The guard said there was a app for it
>He said it knows you better than you know yourself
>You owe him a call anyway, and checking in to be sure he and Tari are OK after what just happened seems like the right thing to do
>You can ask him what that app is then
"Are we still on lockdown?"
>"Unfortunately, Ma'am," 42 replies
"I'll be in my room making a call"
>"I ought to call Chrissy," Rose says, "I hope she was nowhere near this"
>"Ten confirmed dead, and they haven't started going through the rubble of the buildings," 47 says matter of factly
>Then he adds, "Looks like a war zone. Don't be surprised if it takes a few attempts for your calls to go through"
>You should also call the girls to let them know you're OK
>Last thing you want is anypony worrying about you
>Though it seems like there's even more to worry about than you'd realized
 
>Be mare
>47 wants to explain the anatomy of the terrorist attack yeasterday
>He looks like he's been up all night as details are reported along with misinformation about it
>He's seems sure he can tell which is which
>You're pretty sure you couldn't
>It's mind blowing how people react to events like this on the internet
>The news outlets report the official story
>But for various reasons details are left out
>That opens the door for conspiracy theory types to add their own speculation about those details
>Speculation that is shaped by their political beliefs
>And it's easy for those with the same beliefs to find each other and push their view of it
>Regardless of whether the "facts" used to support that view are actual facts
>When someone is called out for incorrect facts they label their accuser fake news
>Which strikes you as really ironic
>But it also undercuts the ideals men claim to support
>Not that it matters to you, because nopony has any actual say in civic life or politics
>Free ponies can march around on the streets and talk on TV, but none of you can vote
>Only poeple can vote, and the result of the vote is supposed to represent the will of the people
>Which strikes you as silly and maybe even a little stupid
>In order for the vote to represent the will of the people the people need to have access to correct information
>If no one can be sure of what's true and what isn't why even vote?
>Your vote isn't going to represent your will if your choice is based on incorrect information!
>Skydancer once told you that religious statements can neither be proven nor disproven
>Because religion has no proof - it's a matter of faith, which is whether or not you believe it
>The whole idea of faith sounds like wishful thinking to you, but it's popular with people
>But when the news becomes a matter of faith, whether or not you choose to believe it instead of whether or not it's actually true?
>Something about that seems really wrong
>Stories in the news should be based on facts
>And you suspect some sources believe that more than others
>But social media is now a news source - one you stay away from
>Not 47, though
>He's been combing through it all night and into morning, discussing every find with 42 who stayed with him dutifully
>Then 42 asked for Rose's permission to debrief the colt while 47 debriefs the two of you
>She reluctantly agreed, but firmly told the stallion not to traumatize the colt any more than he already is
>42 assured her he intended to do just the opposite
>Which leaves you and Rose sitting in front of a disheveled looking 47
>"The shooter - I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of naming him - was from Rochester," he begins
>"And he was more ambitious than most," he continues
"Both an automatic weapon and a bomb, you mean?"
>"A van full of explosives, to be precise," 47 replies. "This guy was thinking bigger than a high bodycount at a soft target"
>"The market wasn't a soft target?," Rose asks
>"That wasn't his first choice," 47 answers, "He wanted to take out the KtMA Day of Action,but he broke down outside of Ithaca, where he had to spend the night"
"So car trouble is the only reason there was no mass shooting at the Day of Action?"
>"Followed by an explosion that would have taken out police and emergency responders"
>"This guy was anti-police as well?," Rose asks
>"When police protect free pony lives they're on the wrong side of the fight in their view," 47 says matter of factly
>"Why is there a fight in the first place?," Rose asks, "I'm not fighting anyone"
>"You have to understand the inflammatory langue they use to frame it," he responds. "Do you want me to go there?"
>"Can you maybe, like, go halfway there?," Rose asks
>The stallion sighs
>"OK," he begins, "The way they see it nothing was done to stop the invasion so something has to be done to stop the replacement"
"Invasion?"
>"The arrival of ponies here in the first place," he answers
>That gets a visible reaction from Rose, who is practically shaking with anger
>"We were refugees fleeing a darkened world!," she nearly shouts, "not to mention half of us were enslaved upon arrival!"
>"They're more or less OK with that half," he answers
>"Of course they are," Rose practically spits
>"But they see free ponies as invaders to their country," 47 continues, "who will eventually replace them"
"Replace? We can't even become citizens yet"
>"They're afraid that day will come when your numbers are bigger than theirs," he replies, "then you will have taken their place"
>"That's ridiculous," Rose replies
>"Their fears are based on reproductive rates," 47 continues, "Free ponies recently edged past hispanic people"
"Really?! I mean there are a lot of fillies and colts running around here, but I didn't realize..."
>"Reproductive rates increase dramatically when a population is under stress, and fall when it isn't," he explains
>"Ponies are definitely under stress here, whether free or not," Rose answers
>"You're a perfect example, Ma'am, he says, "If you don't mind me saying so"
>"How so?,." she asks
>"Enslaved refugee gets herself pregnant at the first opportunity?," he asks
>Rose blushes hard and he nods
>"And you're thinking about giving him a brother or sister in spite of being romantically involved with another mare?," he asks
>"Shit, you're good," she answers
>"I'm observant Ma'am," he replies, "Major part of the job"
>He adds, "Hispanics used to be the main targets of this kind of terrorism until free pony breeding rates caught up with them"
"Just free ponies? I would think in the case of private property ponies breeding is very profitable for the owners"
>"Of course, unless the ponies are worth more in specialized fields," he replies
>"Like we were," Rose replies, "and you still are"
>"I'm a stallion, so it doesn't apply. But of course I've been bred"
>He added that bit just to brag, you're sure of it
"So that's why they hate us? We're here and outbreeding them?"
>"And by doing so eventually change the culture by changing the demographics of it, correct," he replied
>"So when this psycho missed the Day of Action he still had the gun and the bomb and he... just decided to use them anyways?"
>"Apparently he spent a few days scouting soft targets here until he found one he liked in the form of the market"
"I shopped there"
>"Everypony shops there," 47 replies, "Or shopped there. The building isn't really standing anymore"
"Shit. How many were killed?"
>"Thirty five ponies, six people and over fifty injured," he replies, "With a few still missing"
"That was a big explosion!"
>"Most of the victims died from gunshot wounds," he says, "Not much you when the shooter has a tactical assult rifle"
>"Why do they even sell those things?," Rose asks, then adds, "That's just crazy"
>"I agree, but we don't make the rules," he replies. "I can't even  tell you what to do, but I can advise you"
"Stay away from places that would be easy targets? Kind of hard living in Ponytown"
>"Try to avoid situations where lots of ponies are gathered in one place," he replies. "KtMA rallies, for example"
>He looks ar Rose
>"This hit close enough to home as is," he continues, "but if his and your plans had both worked out we might not be having this talk right now"
>"Crystal's not going to like that," Rose replies
>"Even once you explain how close she came to...?," he answers
>"No closer than if she'd been shopping at the pony market yesterday," Rose counters
>47 looks at her gravely and says, "We can't eliminate risk, but we can do our best to minimize it"
>"Which means you and Forty Two telling me a lot of things I don't want to hear, right?," she asks
>"Prpbably, Ma'am," he replies
"On an unrelated note... or more like an FYI..."
>Why do you feel embarrassed bringing this up?
>It's nothing to be ashamed of, this is how things are done these days
"I downloaded a dating app and I'm going to give it a shot. Just letting you know"
>"That shouldn't be a problem, Ma'am," he answers. "Whoever you date will probably be aware of your celebrity and not be put off by..."
"The fact that security will be there with us? I don't even know how I feel about that"
>"Ive been nothing but professional, Ma'am," he says, "and will continue to conduct myself in that manner"
>Did he sound a little sad saying that?
>You know he thinks you're cute
>And you think he's cute, too
>If the situation were different maybe...
>Stop kidding yourself
>If he were a free stallion and not your bodyguard you'd totally jump him
>And maybe even get to have a little peek at the stallion underneath the good little soldier act
>You still COULD do it
>But it might be cruel - that's what you're afraid of
>If things work out what happens when this assignment comes to an end?
>You're pretty sure you can't afford to just buy him, and how would he feel about that if you could?
>And if things didn't work out, which seems like the more likely option
>He'd still be stuck on assignment with you, or forced to admit to his organization he'd compromised the asset
>So as easy as it would be to just fuck the stallion you spend so much time with in the first place...
>It would be really unfair to him
>And at the end of the day he's still a stallion
>If you threw yourself at him he wouldn't resist, even though he knows better
>Knowing better doesn't matter once the penis gets involved in the decision making
>Don't think about his penis!
>Stop
>You can't even let on what you're thinking
>There's no way his ego could handle you thinking he's the more vulnerable one in this situation
>But he is
>And that's the only reason he's not balls deep in you right now
 
End