> Lookin For Love (In All the Wrong Places) > by Diceman > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter I: Speed Dating 101 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter title placeholder *RRriiinnnggg*Thump* Fluttershy sat up in her bed, her hoof firmly pressed against what used to be her alarm clock; now little more than a heap of broken brass and gears. She looked at the window on the opposite side of her bed and the rays of sunlight now shining through it. She scratched under her right wing with her front leg and yawned. She could already hear the chickens outside making a fuss as they line up in wait for their first meal of the day. At the foot of her bed she could feel her pet rabbit Angel start to stir; which means it would be time for their morning tea and breakfast right after she got done feeding the chickens. Fluttershy threw the blankets off her back legs and rolled over onto the floor, landing on all four legs. She then let out a long yawn and stretched out, her back arching into the air like a cat after a long nap. She then lifted her wings up and gave them a few short flaps to dislodge any loose feathers. A few of them fell to the floor, but as she turned her head to examine her bright yellow wings, she noticed that quite a few of them were jutting out at odd angles. "You know, sometimes I wish I was an earth pony. At least all they have to worry about is their mane and tail." Fluttershy looked at her wings dejectedly, it was always such a massive hassle to preen them and even a bigger mess to keep them clean and in functioning order. Sometimes she even wished she was an earth pony, she already knew she wasn't a particularly good flier and she wouldn't have to deal with pegasi society looking down on her for being so different. Some of them were understanding; like her friend Rainbow Dash, but many others saw her as an oddity. "Oh well, better get to work on it." Fluttershy buried he head in her wings, adjusting the feathers that were out of line with the rest and plucking out the ones that were either too damaged or refused to go back into place. She continued to preen herself until she heard a light thumping sound coming from the right of her. She looked up from her wings to find Angel tapping his foot impatiently and glaring at his food bowl. "Give me a minute will you? It's not like you're going to waste away on the spot or anything." Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at the impatient bunny and went back to checking her feathers. For the most part they seemed to be in order, though a few seemed worse for wear and would need preened later on in the day. She walked across the room to her full vanity mirror. She stood there, staring at herself; her hair was in place for the most part, only a few stray strands needed brushing down. Her tail on the other hoof needed some very hectic brushing to say the least. Angel had told her that she had a habit of gnawing on her tail in her sleep, but this time it was much worse than the average day. "Angel, could you come here for a moment? I need your help with my tail" Fluttershy asked. The rabbit hopped over to Fluttershy, pointing at his belly and tapping his foot, an angry expression on his face. "Oh right, the food thing. Tell you what, you sit on my back and brush my tail while I make you breakfast. It that alright with you?" Fluttershy asked. Fluttershy watched as Angel crossed his front legs in defiance followed by a snort and him turning his head to her, his eyes shut in a snubbing pose that she had seen other ponies use in Canterlot. Just my luck I have the only rabbit pet in Equestria with pony traits. More stubborn than Apple Jack, I swear Fluttershy thought to herself. "I guess I could sweeten the deal. Would a few cherries extra do the trick?" Fluttershy asked. Angel opened one eye and then the other and slowly turned his head towards Fluttershy and raised both paws with the digits tucked in. He slowly raised each digit until there were six. His face then changed from a frown to a sly smile. "Seriously? Six whole cherries? Who do you think I am? Rarity? I don't have that kind of money just lying around." Fluttershy stared at Angel and then back at her tail. She knew Angel was trying to hardball her, trying to take advantage of her generous nature and reserved personality, but not today; she was really not in the mood for his shenanigans. "You remember the last time you wanted cherries?" Fluttershy asked Angel. Angel just shook his head, clearly he had not even bothered to listen to her story back then. Fluttershy gritted her teeth angrily. "The stall pony gave me all the hassle in the world, ponies kept cutting in front of me. Six bits for a pair of cherries. Seriously if it wasn't for the shortage that would have bought an entire jars worth." Fluttershy stared at Angel angrily, but quickly realized she was letting her frustration get the better of her. Here she was in her bedroom trying to talk economics to a rabbit. He may be a smarter than average rabbit, but the concept of money and exchange was well outside what a normal rabbit could comprehend. It still didn't stop him from being a jerk, however. "Tell you what, since you want to try and hardball me this morning; you get a small head of cabbage to yourself. No carrots, fruits, not even coffee. Maybe you will eventually learn who's boss around here." Fluttershy turned around and grabbed the hairbrush in her mouth. She then sat on her haunches and pushed her tail up with her right wing. Before she started brushing however, she noticed Angel hopping away, chirping under his breath in what she knew was the rabbit way of cursing. Part of her wanted to just give in and avoid a possible confrontation with him later on, but the other side of her knew better. Being nice and kind is one thing, but if those seminars with Iron Will and then subsequent outbursts afterwards taught her anything is that she needed to be firm sometimes. Angel needed to remember that she, while not the sole provider of her estate, was still the largest contributor. Her day of being a doormat were long over. Fluttershy began to brush her tail, much to her surprise though it seemed to go much more smoothly than she expected. Sure there were a couple painful knots, but most of damaged split ends and crooked hairs came out with the greatest of ease. Maybe it was because she was brushing vigorously in an attempt to calm herself or it could have been that the tail looked worse off than it actually was. After a few moments of brushing she moved on to her mane, which only took a few swift light strokes to get in order. She then stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. While her mane and tail were in pretty good shape she couldn't say the same for her coat or under her eyes. *Sigh* "it's the same thing each year around this time, I get up and think 'this year I'll nab myself a date at least!' but then I look at myself in the mirror and realize that no stallion would want me." Fluttershy heard some chirping outside her window, pulling her attention away from the mirror. Sitting on a branch outside her home were a pair of Blue Jays, each of then snuggling another and comforting themselves in bird song. Fluttershy lowered her head dejectedly. Hearts and Hooves day was tomorrow and everypony had already made plans; well almost every pony. There were a few stallions in town looking for dates, but she felt that even at her best she couldn't possibly compete with some of the more laid back and better looking mares in town. She stood there, staring at her reflection in the mirror when the sounds of aggravated chickens broke her out of her trance. She rushed to the window and lifted it open, quickly peeking her head out of it to see what all the commotion was about. "I swear if it's that fox again, me and her are going to have wor-" Fluttershy fully expected to see a red fox raiding the chickens eggs again when she noticed a bag of feed spilled over in the middle of the coup. Seconds later Angel popped out of the pile of chick peas, he shook his head and batted at his ears, knocking a few stray peas out of them. He then grabbed a handful of peas and started tossing them in random lines across the coup area. Awww, he's trying to feed the chickens for me Fluttershy thought to herself He's doing it wrong, but at least he's trying Fluttershy watched as Angel kept tossing peas willy-nilly across the coup, much to the dismay of the chickens whom seemed to think he was trying to pelt them with feed instead of give them feed. Fluttershy let out a giggle, catching the attention of Angel. Angel immediately scowled at Fluttershy, putting one paw on his right arm and then pumping his other arm into the air and shaking it back and fourth; the rabbit sign for 'fuck you' or 'get fucked'. "How vulgar!" Fluttershy said, though this kind of vulgarity was far more tame compared to what Angel usually did. "Also, you wish you could have a mare as good looking as me!" Did that just come out of my mouth? Fluttershy thought, thinking she was maybe trying to psych herself up for the day. Angel raised an eyebrow then burst out laughing, rolling on the ground and pounding it with his right paw. "Oh, you're one to talk. I haven't seen you with a date in years mister" Fluttershy said. Angel managed to pull himself off the ground, wiping away a tear from all the laughing. He then made some motions with his paws and an X sign in the dirt, he then made a few more paw signals and then drew two rabbits, followed by an equal sign and what looked like an infinity symbol past that. He then stared at Fluttershy and shook his head, crossing his arms firmly. "Oh, right. Rabbit dating always leads to many children. I forgot." Fluttershy looked at the ground, noting that Angel was far from ready to deal with a family yet. "Well, maybe you could handle a family if you weren't such a jackrabbit all the time. I mean really though, the only thing holding you back is that attitude problem of yours." Angel made another gesture with his paws, one that even a regular non-animal speaking pony couldn't miss. "Yeah,yeah. I know, fuck me or whatever." Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "Anyways, thanks for feeding the chickens for me. Would you mind maybe watering the petunias for me this morning as well?" Angel raised his arms in the air and waved them about in a fashion that clearly said "don't push your luck". "Oh well, can't blame a girl for trying" Fluttershy said to herself as she pulled her head back inside and closed the window. Still I should reward him, reinforce that kind of behavior till it's second nature to him... Fluttershy thought to herself for a moment, however her train of thought was quickly derailed by a sudden growl from her stomach. "Oh right, food..." *** After a few minutes of digging around in the cupboard Fluttershy finally decided on what she wanted for breakfast as well as a salad for Angel when he was finished with the chickens. As she went about making the salad for Angel she noticed that both the carrot shavings and radishes were abnormally low, most likely due to Angel sleepwalking for a midnight snack. "Will have to head into town for those, the garden out back isn't remotely ready for harvest" Fluttershy should as she added the last bit of carrots and radishes to Angels salad from their respective bags. She then added a few cherry tomatoes, half a head of lettuce and only the smallest amount of onion to the salad. She then tossed them together, put it in a bowl and set it on the table. She then set a small flask of french dressing next to the bowl. "Hmm gonna need to go into town for that as well, we are out of blue cheese dressing as well..." Fluttershy sighed. Putting the shopping list for the day in the back of her mind she proceeded to pull a bowl of batter from the fridge and set it on the table. she then grabbed four slices of heavy Italian bread from the cabinet. "Hmm gonna need more bread too..." Fluttershy said, making yet another mental note as she added wood to the stove. "I hope I have enough bits for all this, works been a bit scarce ever since Ponyville went over-budget on the construction of town square." Fluttershy stared at the bit of paper hanging on the fridge. Her income had taken quite the blow over last year. Her payout from the city for general animal control was down, next to nopony was buying any of the eggs or produce she had thanks to the larger farms in the area having massive stockpiles from last season and even the stipend her parents gave her was lower than usual; most likely due to fluctuations in the market last December. "Maybe I can start selling fish again? Maybe I can even get the local otters to help me out." Fluttershy opened a nearby drawer and pulled out her flint to start the fire in the stove. She then put a pan on the stove, dipped the bread in the batter, being careful to get both sides and then set it on the frying pan. I really should thank Twilight for these non-stick pans, butter is getting kind of expensive. Fluttershy thought to herself. As the french toast cooked she couldn't help but keep staring occasionally at her budget for the month. Everything seemed to be mostly in the norm for this time of year except one minor problem; at the bottom of the sheet in red pen was a number that kept creeping into the back of her mind. Negative one hundred is the number she had to come up with for the month. That number, that very large negative number was going to be difficult to deal with. Even on her good months she would just barely make an extra sixty bits from odd jobs around town. Fluttershy sighed dejectedly as she flipped over her toast, setting the pan back on the stove to finish cooking as she continued to stare at the budget paper on the fridge. "I could just get a loan from Rarity..." the thought of asking for a bailout from one of her friends didn't feel like the right course of action and the last time she got a loan from Rarity she had to pay it back by being rarity's personal fitting mannequin for a whole month. The very thought of being on display for the public, getting the occasional poke from one of Rarity's needles as she adjusted a costume on the fly and being her personal maid for the month didn't really help the idea of getting a loan either. As the toast finished cooking she closed he oxygen intake on the stove to put out the fire all the while thinking about what kind of work she could do to make ends meet. The Apples never really needed any help with the farm, sugar cube corner could barely afford to keep Pinkie Pie employed; mainly due to Pinkie's voracious appetite for sweets. Even weather patrol assistance was out of the question, not due to lack of ability, but because the other weather ponies already look down on her as is. She didn't want to make them hate her even more by virtue of taking one of their jobs from them. A sudden noise startled Fluttershy. Already sitting at the table was Angel, eager to start eating, but getting agitated a Fluttershy for being slow. Fluttershy looked at the table; her batter was still mostly unused and in her worrying she forgot to cook the other three pieces of toast. "Sorry Angel; I'm just worried about our financial situation" Fluttershy picked up the bread and batter and put them back in the fridge. She then put a plate out on the table for herself, then slowly slid the french toast onto her plate before putting the pan back on the stove top. As she sat down to each she watched as Angel made a few hand signals at her before digging into his salad. "No, I already thought about loans and working with my friends. The only one I hadn't really thought about was Twilight, but knowing her limited budget, I doubt she could help either." Fluttershy took a bite of her toast and watched as Angel gave more signals. "Yeah, you think they would give the princess of friendship a much larger budget. I guess Celestia hasn't gotten the budget worked around her yet. Even so, it would be really rude to bother her about it; especially with all the extra work she's been saddled with." Angle took a few more bites of his salad and then waved in the air, making a gesture that Fluttershy could have swore was a mistake on her part. "What!!" Fluttershy yelled, aghast. "Did I read that right?" Angel made the same hand gestures followed by a whistle that sounded much like a cat call. "First of all, how did you know there was a brothel in Appleloosa and secondly, why in Equestria would I ever sell my body for money? I'm not that desperate, not yet at least." Fluttershy didn't know what to make of Angels suggestion. She couldn't tell if he was being serious or pulling her leg so to speak; detecting animal sarcasm was actually very hard if not impossible. Angel made a few more gestures indicating that he was just tossing out ideas and mentioning that Fluttershy actually looked really sexy, for a horse anyways. "Thanks? I guess?" She couldn't seem to make out how Angel even knows what constitutes a pony being sexy or not. She certainly never felt that way and judging by most ponies reactions in town; there didn't seem like there was much weight to his compliment. Either that or he was buttering her up for a snack later on, which seemed far more likely than the former. A few minutes of silence went by as Angel and Fluttershy finished their food, Angel seemingly finishing the last half of his meal off in two bites. He then quickly darted out an open window and headed for the shed out back. "What is he up to now..." Fluttershy said to herself as she finished the last bite of her toast. "Well, whatever it is it will have to wait till later." Fluttershy stared at the fridge and her cabinets, making mental notes of all the things she needed to pick up in town as well as to keep a lookout for money making opportunities. Fluttershy stood up and moved the dishes on the table to the sink. She then moved toward the door, picking up a pair of saddlebags and tossing them over her back. "Well, into town I go. Hopefully I can find some work." Fluttershy stared at the big negative number in red on her fridge, sighed and then opened the door. As she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, she noticed that a watering can appeared to be moving all on its own near the petunias. Upon closer inspection she noticed a white fluffy tail pushing the can closer to the flowers. "Angel, you are so nice sometimes. A giant pain in the flank most days, but a sweetheart all the same." Angel peered out from behind the watering can and mouthed at what Fluttershy could only identify as a snide whatever related remark followed by what she could only slightly identify as calling her a female dog in heat. "Oh you, you're so silly. I'll be back later with food for the house and maybe a treat for you; if you're good" Fluttershy said, smiling. Angel briefly smiled, but quickly waved his paws in a motion that said 'this better be worth it, this can isn't light you know'. "I know, I know; always got to act the tough-guy right?" Fluttershy stepped off the stoop to her house and onto the dirt road into town. I sure hope I can find some work in town... she thought to herself. *** "Holy Celestia, that's a lot of red..." Fluttershy couldn't believe just how much the town market was into the whole hearts and hooves day thing. Everywhere she looked there were heart balloons, strings with little paper hearts and even a few of the stores were already selling a particular heart shaped candy that tasted of slightly sweet chalk. Very few of the produce stands were actually selling produce; most of them were selling various candies, cards and jewelry. One stand was even selling sexual related items; though under a heavy red curtain with a sign that said adults only, most likely not to raise a stink with the mayors office. "Well, I guess today's shopping list is bust. I guess I can try tomorrow..." Fluttershy turned away from the market, ready to head back home when she realized she had also come here looking to make a few extra bits. "Oh right, the budget..." Every fiber of her being just wanted to go home. She wasn't normally afraid of crowds, but this years festivities seemed completely out of proportion to the last few years. Almost supernaturally so. "I guess I can check the town bulletin board, see if there's any jobs I could do on it..." Fluttershy made her way through the crowd, doing her very best to avoid eye contact with most of the ponies gathered there. Quite a few ponies in the market were ponies she had never seen in town before, almost all of them were stallions however; most likely looking for an easy date or even willing to pay for a 'fun time' by the looks of some of them. Fluttershy managed to fight her way through the crowded market and closer to the mayors office. Right across from the office was a bulletin board used to post everything from help wanted ads, lost pet ads and even the occasional special sale at the market. Each bit of paper was normally color coded to what kind of page it was. Green was for botanical or garden work, yellow pages were for general labor, blue pages were for missing pets or lost items and red was for serious town announcements by the mayor or any higher authority. However, today seemed to be one were enforcing the color coding was a waste of time. Nearly all the pages on the board were either bright red or some shade of pink. As Fluttershy got closer she noticed that the few yellow or green posts on the board were completely covered by the sea of red and pink ones. Most of them were little more than advertisements about selling candy, but a there was the odd cat-call level post as well, including one where a stallion seemed to go on about something being large, though the post was mostly covered up. Fluttershy scanned the board, trying to find a post, any post that wasn't either a sale ad or barely under X rated personal ad when she noticed a single white sheet of paper towards the end of the board. It really stuck out from the rest of the sea of red and pink merely by virtue of being plain. Fluttershy moved up toward it and started to read it. "Mares, want to make a little extra money this holiday and maybe even net you a dream stallion? Come to Trilby lane and sign up for the speed dating extravaganza! Each and every stallion you manage to interview will net you a bit in your pocketbook, up to twenty bits for less than an hour of your time, you can't beat that kinda value! Sign up today and who knows, you may find that special somepony!" "Trilby lane? That's not to far from here actually" Fluttershy said to herself, looking up from the bulletin board to look at the street signs. "There's Thor Avenue, Trilby Lane breaks off that street a block before Sugarcube Corner." Fluttershy headed down Thor Avenue only to find that she didn't even need to bother looking at the street signs, big red arrows were posted on the buildings all the way down the street, most likely to help the out of town ponies navigate, though why they would need this was beyond her; Ponyville was not a large town by any means. Twenty bits eh? if I do this today and tomorrow I'll be nearly half way to covering this months deficit Fluttershy headed down the street till she saw a cream colored pony with a red and pink mane holding up a sign pointing to an outside patio. "Roseluck?" Fluttershy asked as she got closer. "Hello Fluttershy! What brings you this way?" Roseluck asked. "I umm, saw a post about a speed dating service where I could maybe earn a little extra side money and maybe get myself a date for Hearts and Hooves day" Fluttershy replied, nervously kicking at the ground. "Really? I would have never guessed a young gorgeous mare like you would ever have a hard time getting a date. I mean, yes you are a bit...socially awkward, no offense mind you, but I never pegged you for having that kind of problem. I mean-" Roseluck set her sign down and walked around Fluttershy occasionally putting her hoof through Fluttershy's mane. "I mean, there are mares in this town that would kill to have your mane and tail, and your body is just so well fed, but not fat in any way." "Umm, you're making me a little uncomfortable, Roseluck" Fluttershy squeaked. "I-I'm sorry hun. I'm just shocked you would have that kind of problem is all. Anyways I'll call the guy renting the cafe for you." Roseluck turned around and stared at a window on the corner of a small house. "Hey Jet, we got one ready to go!" The front door of the building opened and a group of three stallions walked out of the building. Fluttershy had a sudden sinking feeling, like she was getting herself into something she wanted nothing to do with. Two of the stallions that came out were wearing black suits and shades, each with a headpiece that screamed 'I am security' in their ears. The third stallion made Fluttershy want to just walk away right then and there. He had a deep blue coat and very greasy, slick backed black mane. He had narrow, beady eyes, a sinister terrifying smile with a single silver tooth and a mustache that was either faker than his silver tooth or so greasy that it could be considered a fire hazard by most cities. "Let me introduce you. This is Big Dee Jet, he will be your boss for today" Roseluck said enthusiastically, though her own disgust was still very noticeable in her voice. "I said call me Dee Jet babe. Ponies know me better by that name" Dee Jet said. "S-sorry boss. A minor slip-up" Roseluck apologized. Fluttershy's eyes widened, she had heard that name before a very long time ago. It was an old tape that Rainbow Dash had when they were teenagers. The Pony in front of her was little more than an old D-lister porno star, no just a bad one, but one she heard had a serious superiority complex; despite only starring in porno movies so low brow, gross and low budget that everypony got tested for disease after filming; even the camera ponies. "Well, looks like we have another winner on our hands. Very nice mane and tail, above average body build and very deep green eyes. Stallions are gonna fall over for you babe" Jet said, as he walked slowly around Fluttershy, clearly oblivious to how nervous she was. "Follow me, I'll set you up with a table. Interviews start in just a few minutes" Dee Jet said as he motioned Fluttershy to follow him. Every fiber of her being was screaming not to do this. This stallion in front of her gave her all the wrong vibes. However, she needed the money and the interviews only lasted a short time. Roseluck was nearby as well, she wouldn't allow anything to harm her. "O-okay then, Mr. Big Dee, lead the way" Fluttershy said timidly. Fluttershy noticed Dee Jet giving her a sideways glance, one that seemed to indicate that he was checking her out. Though she could have just been imagining it, the thought of him ...wanting her; made her feel ill. She followed Dee Jet into the building to find it populated with dozens of stallions and only a maybe a dozen mares at most, two of which were just there to serve drinks. He led her to a table towards the back by a door that had his name in gold on it. "This will be your table, stallions with numbers will walk up to your table and try and talk you into going on a date with you. Each stallion you see will earn you one bit, up to a maximum of twenty for the day. If you decide to go out with one then you earn a bonus of fifty bits. If the stallion doesn't interest you then all you have to do is say next and one of the waitresses will escort them to the next table. This shouldn't take more than thirty minutes of your time, at the most." Dee Jet looked over at one of nearby mares and beckoned her over to him. She was a relatively young mare, deep amber eyes, strong legs, nice wavy green mane with a very well kept peach colored coat.She seemed to have a very up-beat personality judging by how she carried herself. She couldn't have been no more than a few months past her eighteenth birthday at the very most. She didn't recognize her from any pony normally in town, so she must have been some pony from out of town; most likely one on spring break. "I need to see you in my office for an interview session" D Jet said. Fluttershy had the most sinking feeling. She wasn't quite sure what an 'interview session' was, but something deep down told her it wasn't good. Not helped by Dee Jet's creepy demeanor. "O-ok?" The mare said apprehensively. Dee Jet motioned one of the waitresses over to him. "I need you to get Fluttershy here to sign the paperwork. The A2 paperwork if you would be so kind." The mare waitress nodded her head and walked off towards a desk on the far side of the room. "We will be beginning shortly Fluttershy, knock em dead" Dee Jet gave Fluttershy the the most rapey smile she had ever seen in her entire life before opening the door and heading into his office; the peach coated mare close behind. Just as she closed the door behind her the other mare walked over to the table and set some paperwork and a pencil down in front of Fluttershy. "Don't read too much into it; it's all just legal stuff so you don't sue us if one of the stallions breaks your heart and stuff like that" the waitress said as she flipped the pages to the last part where Fluttershy was supposed to sign. "I would like the read the whole thing if that's okay with you" Fluttershy responded. "Well, I don't think you have time, we are starting in a minute or less. If you want any bits or bonuses, I suggest you just sign it now and worry about it later" the waitress said, pointing at the dotted line. What do I do? I need the bits, but signing a contact without reading it is stupid. Fluttershy watched as other mares signed the paperwork without so much as looking at it, even the ones that skimmed it seemed to sign it without much hesitation. Oh, I know! Fluttershy picked up the pencil in her mouth and signed the paperwork in bear writing, but not her own name; that of Buddy Bear, a local fishing bear not to far from her home. The waitress raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem to care how or in what language Fluttershy signed the paperwork, just so long as it was signed. "Good, your first interview will be up in a few moments. Good luck!" The waitress picked up the paperwork and walked it over to a table on the other side of the room. A timid green stallion with a microphone on his flank approached Fluttershy's table. I hope I did the right thing... she thought as the stallion took a seat across from her. ***Meanwhile In Dee Jet's office*** This is unlike any office I have ever seen before... Clarinet thought to herself. The room was little more than a large bedroom from what she could guess. There was no office desk, printing or general office equipment anywhere to be found. The room was however, set up in a way that made her feel a bit uneasy. In the middle of the room was a large king sized bed, off to the left of it was a camera and lighting and on the far side of the room was a floor safe and a table and chairs; each being occupied by a different stallion all playing what she could only presume was poker. "If you will beg my pardon, but what was your name again babe?" Dee Jet asked, only briefly making eye contact as he walked over to a nightstand by his bed. "It was Clarinet, sir" Clarinet replied. "Let me take a stab in the dark, you're a university girl, am I correct in assuming that?" Dee Jet said, sitting on the end of the king sized bed. "Yeah, I'm from the Canterlot Royal Engineers Academy. I'm here on spring break, well...more like spring extra work" Clarinet signed as she stared at the floor. "Well, yes. Quite a few ponies couldn't afford to go to the regular summer break areas such as Marmalade Beach or the Charity Islands. My scouts even told me quite a few either headed for the smaller towns to find extra work or just hid around in their dorms to make up lost credits. May I ask how much your total tuition is?" Dee Jet had a grin on his face, one that looked both somewhat sinister and triumphant at the same time. Why would he ask that? she thought to herself. "Well I have a royal grant, but the remainder is about eight-hundred or so bits left over for my last two years needed for my bachelors degree." "So sad, universities keep getting more and more expensive each year. You're one of the lucky ones though, royal level academies run upwards of four thousand bits a year last I checked" Dee Jet said as he counted in the air with his hoof. "Yeah, it's quite the bummer. My friends are already on the Charity Islands having a blast and I'm working odd jobs part time just so I can barely afford cheap Ramen." In truth she was kinda glad she didn't go on vacation; the price of alcohol alone would have broken what little bank she did have. "Well, I have an opportunity for you to make quite a bit of money." Dee Jet reached over to the nightstand and picked up a small bit of parchment with a list on it. He quickly read over the contents then set it down. "Deep bottomless eyes, very fit strong body with a an A class posterior. Brilliant emerald green mane and a very warm peach coat. Oh, and the piston cutie mark on your flank is a nice touch to the total package" Dee Jet smiled as he eyed up Clarinet. "Quite frankly you're gorgeous. all the makings of a star, but in a humble down to earth package." "I-Umm, T-thank you, I guess?" She could feel the blood rushing to her face. She knew that she was blushing , but this is the first time anypony had called her gorgeous or went this far to flatter her. However, this flattery seemed really off-putting as well. She knew very well this stallion was a former porn star turned director. This wasn't any normal flattery, this was an attempt to butter her up to agree to something, though she wasn't sure what just yet. "You babe is what we call an A plus find in my business, only one class is above your pedigree babe and those are the S class finds, which are only one in ten thousand" Dee Jet licked his lips, his silver tooth reflecting light onto a nearby wall. "I'm kinda liking all the flattery, but I still don't know why you wanted me to meet back here with you. Though if I had to guess, knowing your background..." "Hit the topic right on the nose with a hammer, this isn't a interview session, or one of those petty pep talks the staff makes daily;this is the real deal. I want you to star in one of my porn films, right here, right now" Dee Jet stated, smiling ear to ear. I figured it was related to that... Clarinet thought to herself. "Sorry, but with all due respect, I couldn't possibly do that. What if my parents found out I was in a porno? Not only that, but I have much more respect for my body that that." She turned around, reaching for the door handle... "I guess fifteen hundred bits wasn't enough was it?" Dee Jet said, right at Clarinet put her hoof on the door handle. Holy Celestia's cutie mark...that's a lot of money She froze in place. That kind of money could easily pay off her tuition with just enough left over to start her own engineering bay or pay for a years rent. However, she wasn't so sure her pride could take he hit from others knowing she was in a porno; let alone if the academy found out about it. Still, fifteen hundred bits was just so much to pass up at this point in her life. "I guess the extra five hundred for doing a specialty video wasn't enough either? Oh well, I guess I can just get a farm girl to do it instead" Dee Jet said, his tone obviously baiting her to agree. Clarinet turned around, determination in her eyes. "W-what would be required of me?" She knew there would be a point in her life where she would regret what she was about to do, but that kind of money was something no mare her age could pass up. Dee Jet smiled. "All you have to do is act natural, it will only take a half hour at most. Me and the boys are professionals, all you need to do is just enjoy the fun. Piston Jay, get the B suit out for our star here!" One of the larger stallions, a black one with a long white streak down his back got up from the poker table and walked over to a closet near the back of the room. Clarinet watched as he stallion sorted though all kinds of sexually related items. Maid suits, bunny ears, vibrators, hoof cuffs and chains and even what looked like leather horse; a kind of square on a pedestal that a male or female was to be strapped down to. She watched as the stallion pulled out what she could only describe as something black, but exceptionally shiny. The stallion picked it up with his mouth and walked over to where she was standing, dropping it gently on the floor. "Put this on" The stallion Dee Jet called Piston Jay said with a dull, low voice. She looked at the item on the floor, it seemed like some kind of very loose fitting black latex catsuit, though from what she could tell there seemed to be parts of it missing. She bent over and stared to slide her legs into the proper slots, then her head. The suit was very baggy and loose, like it was made for a mare much larger than herself. "it seems a bit...loose and there doesn't seem to be a way to close the back up. There's no stitching on it at all..." Clarinet complained. Dee Jet walked over to her and muttered the words " Size fit, extra tight." Clarinet watched as the suit closed up in the back and began to shrink in size around her. First at the legs and then slowly working up her body. It moved up her body, slowly squeezing her like she was a tube of toothpaste. It wasn't a terribly uncomfortable squeeze, but the suit seemed to work on it's own; getting the fit as skin tight as it could possibly be. Then she felt it; what she thought was tight before was nothing compared to how the suit covered her rectum and sex. It seemed to push up on them with force until it covered them both with a very tight and thin later of latex. Finally the suit finished making itself skin tight, the last of it stopping a few inches up her neck. "Amazing isn't it? Us professionals use some of the best gear available. This one is an older model, but even shy mares can't help but love it" Dee Jet said, as he walked around inspecting the suit for any errors. "It is kinda neat, a little tight around the backside, but I could see other uses for it. Like maybe a costume in a spy movie or something." Clarinet put out her front right leg in front of her. The black latex suit seemed to cover her all the way down her leg, even covering up the hoof. "Ok babe, I need you to head on over to the left side of the bed. I want you to put half your body on the bed and the backside off it standing" Dee Jet pointed to the left side of the bed, right across from where the camera was pointed. Clarinet nodded and did as she was told, putting her body half on the bed showing her rear towards the camera. "Like this?" I hope this goes by quickly, I already feel nervous about this as is... she thought to herself, blushing furiously. "Right on, babe!" Dee Jet motioned for one of the stallions to man the camera. A very thin, yet built blue pegasus in a backwards ball cap flew over her and Dee Jet, landing behind the camera. "All set here boss" The blue stallion said. "Good Kodak. I want the hover cams out for this one, need to get those angles you know" Dee Jet said. "Already on it boss" Kodak replied. A few seconds later multiple little balls were floating in the air, each of them taking up a position around the room. Each of them were no more than the size of a golf ball and some could even be mistaken for a puff in somepony's morning cereal. "Ok, I'm gonna set the suit up in a way that may be a bit uncomfortable at first, but trust me. I done this for over twenty years now. You're perfectly safe here. Bondage level three" Dee Jet said plainly. Suddenly, she could feel the suit moving her forelegs to her sides forcefully. Having her forelegs pulled out from under her she landed face first on the bed. At first she tried to resist, but the suit seemed to not care for the wishes of those who wore it; only for the one commanding it. The suit held her forelegs tightly at her sides and then the latex on the suit seemed to meld with the body part, locking her forelegs in place. Then a bunch of latex straps wrapped around her midsection, securing her forelegs firmly to her sides. "Hey! I didn't agree to-" Before she could spout out another word a line of leather with a ball wrapped around her mouth, forcing the ball part into her mouth. She tried to protest but all that came from her mouth were muffled grunts. "Calm yourself, the suit can't hurt you...well, much anyways. Aphrodisiac level five, sensual sensitivity level five" Dee Jet said in a commanding tone. "Whoa boss! Isn't that a little bit top end for a newbie? I mean yeah, she will enjoy it, but what if it makes her black out or you know; do that sex crazed thing some mares do?" Kodak asked, showing concern for Clarinets well being. "I'm going to get he best performance out her I can. I'm sure she can handle it!" Dee Jet yelled with pride, smacking Clarinet on the rear, making her squeal. "Roll camera!" This is so embarrassing! Clarinet tried to vocalize what she wanted, but the ball gag in he mouth just muffled it to sound like she was enjoying it. She tried to break her forelegs free from the restraints, but they were much stronger than she ever imagined a flimsy material like latex could be; they didn't budge so much as an inch no matter how hard she tried. As she tried to break her restraints a strange feeling started to rush through her body. The first sensation was something akin to heat, like when a mare was ready to breed, but not in the exact same sense. Sure, blood rushed to her face and sex, but it was more much more primal than just the normal end of month heat. Mares her age manage to keep it under control, to not let nature dominate them. This however, was far stronger than any sane mare could handle. She could feel her heart race, her sex starting to contract to make winks at any stallion that would rut her. It was like being a teenager all over again, but multiplied a dozen times over. "Good girl, struggle a little! The viewers love it!" Dee Jet whispered. Wait, this isn't live is it? she turned her face toward the camera and traced the line to a window. Just outside the window was a transmitting dish. That sly fucker! She tried to struggle harder, figuring something on the suit would break, when the second sensation hit her like a train. Every single movement she made seemed amplified around five times over. The way she felt earlier, when she first noticed how tight the suit clung around her nether regions was now quite pronounced. Every little movement reminded her of just how tight it was back there, the little bit of rubbing to her vulva only made the former heat that more excruciating to handle. "She's definitely ready boss, try not to leave this one a drooling mess like the last one." Kodak said, giving Dee Jet the signal. Dee Jet walked up behind Clarinet, and smelled her sex, eliciting little whimper from the mare as she tried to control herself. I hope he gets this over quickly. This entire situation is not fun she thought. "Mmhhppfff!" The sensation was sudden and heavy. Dee Jet had begun to tease her body. She could feel his tongue skillfully going in circles around the outer edge of her vulva, intentionally skipping over her clitoris; much to her dismay. For the next minute or two she tried to keep her composure as Dee Jet teased her by working closer and closer to her labia and clitoris, only to torture her by not going any further. The suit was not making things any easier either, by now the effects of the aphrodisiac was in full swing and it was taking every ounce of willpower she had not to moan out loud. As much as she tried though, a few whimpers came out of her mouth. "You want this? Don'tcha bitch?" Dee Jet said as he ran his tongue quickly across Clarinet's clitoris, making her moan loudly. Clarinet turned her head toward D Jet. No, what I want you to do is blow your load quickly like every stallion ever so I can go home she thought to herself, but vocalizing it was impossible with the ball gag in her mouth. However, somewhere deep down she was curious if Big Dee Jet was actually as good in practice as he was teasing. "Too bad, you're getting it anyways!" Dee Jet put both of his forelegs on Clarinet's back, just a bit north of her tail and leaned forward. "Hmmnnppfff!!" Clarinet squealed with ecstasy. Big Dee had forgone the teasing and went right for the main course. She moaned loudly as his tongue skillfully moved from her outer labia to her inner labia and back out again. Oh...oh my goddess, he's amazing... Whatever part of her wanted out of the agreement was little more than a whisper in the back of her mind. She had heard before than porn stars were good at sex, but she never would have guessed they were anywhere near this good. Her whole body had the quivers, the shock and hot sensation shot up from her sex all the way up her spine. She kept moaning, louder and louder; Dee Jet was moving downward in forceful circles toward her clitoris. She wanted, no, needed him to hit that spot on her body... "Ahhhmmmnnnn! y-yes, right there! Hmmmppp!" The ball gag had popped out of her mouth right as Dee Jet covered her clitoris with his lips, sucking it slowly while forcefully pressing his nose in between her folds. "Nyaaahhh!, yes! Yes!" Not only was he sucking on her clitoris, but his tongue kept colliding with it rapidly; making her moan loudly. He's too good, I-I think I'm gonna climax already... Clarinet found her mind muddled in pure pleasure. She instinctively started to spread her legs and raise her rear end into the air; a mares signal of complete submission. Even if her mind was whispering no, her body was telling it to shut up. No stallion had ever made her feel this good, even the occasional fling with a lesbian didn't come anywhere near what this has been porn star could do. "Good girl, you should be rewarded" Dee Jet said as he licked his lips. "Open end one." He entire body gave a little shake as the rush of fresh air flowed onto her sex. Her body seemed to making winks at him at regular intervals, begging him for more. To think that all that pleasure from earlier was him making contact with the suit and not her body. Her mind raced with greater expectations; if he could nearly make her nearly orgasm through a layer of latex, what could he do with actual contact? "Mmnnnn...yeah!" It didn't take long for her to find out. Dee Jet went right for the kill, swirling his tongue past her vulva and through her folds, penetrating her like a corkscrew. His tongue inched deeper and deeper into her body, feeling out and fondling every crease and ridge inside her. She tried to adjust her backside to guide him to her g-spot, but he didn't seem to need her assistance. He was feeling around inside her and intentionally missing it; most likely to keep her on edge. "There it is, now for the finishing touch" Dee Jet said after he pulled his tongue out of Clarinet's nethers. The teasing was getting the better of her. Her entire body was shivering in anticipation and on the brink of orgasm. She wanted to berate Dee Jet for not finishing he job, but she knew better; patience and submission would pay off in the end, now was not the time to get picky. As she stared at Dee Jet, whom was eyeing up how to best proceed, she noticed a monitor behind the camera operator. It was her in the image, with a slowly increasing number at the bottom. A message that read out 'stream purchases' and a number exceeded seven thousand bits was on the bottom of the screen. Her doubts started to come back; was this how Dee Jet made his money? How many perverts were watching her get ravaged by this porn star? She stared at the screen, noticing how her backside was dripping wet, her mane was a mess and her entire body was quaking. I wonder if this will bring me fame...I wonder if I made the right ch- Before she could complete the thought, Dee Jet plunged his tongue once again into her backside; this time with dominating force. "F--Ffff-fuck , that's...so..." She couldn't even get the phrase out. Dee Jet had hit her G-spot dead on. His tongue drilled into her vagina, making her scream in ecstasy. His lower lip quivered and vibrated her clitoris while his upper lip massaged her inner and outer labia, all the while making rotations with his tongue; each rotation hitting her G-spot with authority. This is what she was wanting; that last push to get release from all the teasing. "Celestia yes!" she screamed. Her eyes started to roll into the back of her sockets, her own tongue tasting the bed sheets as it flopped out uncontrollably. Her body instinctively responded by raising her bottom, But Dee Jet was in complete control. He kept up his pace, hitting her G-spot over and over again until it happened. Her entire body seized up, fluids from her vagina flooded onto Dee Jet's face and the euphoria of orgasm washed over her. This, this is what she wanted, her body was in a state of lightheaded haze, heat, uncontrollable muscle spasms and a faint tingling feeling. Her front legs tried kicking outward, barely being held in place by her restraints. Short kicks from her back legs where blocked by Dee Jet whom seemed prepared for it. So...so good she couldn't breathe or for lack of a better term, her body was too busy to breathe. Her entire backside felt as if it were on fire, followed by an electric sensation that shot up her spine. Her sex was contracting and the walls inside her vagina were rubbing together; searching to squeeze a member that wasn't there. Her mind felt hazy, like she wanted to fall asleep, but the intense flood of feelings from her body wouldn't allow it. Slowly, her body started to come down from it's high. Her breathing was ragged and fast, her head felt a tiny bit hazy and her rear end kept humping the air, wanting more. She stared over at the screen next to the camera man; the number had gone up to around twelve thousand bits and there was a new number on the screen. A number of watchers in the region of three thousand. T-three thousand ponies just watched me orgasm the hardest I ever had in my life. The thought of that many perverts watching her didn't seem to want to register. She no longer cared who was watching her, only wishing for more of what she already experienced. She started to flick her tail at Dee Jet, and invitation that she wanted more. Dee Jet leaned over her body, a large mass sliding along her belly between her and the bed. There's no way it's THAT large It was quite obviously Dee Jet's member, but there couldn't possibly be any way it could be as large as her body was feeling it to be. She had heard porn stars scout out smaller mares and use camera trickery to make the stallions seem larger than normal, but this size she was feeling was absurd in the ninth degree. Maybe it's the suit, he did up the sensitivity She thought, trying to rationalize away why it felt so large. Dee Jet gently bit into her ear, making her rear rise up in expectation. She then heard his whisper under his breath. "That session earlier was just an appetizer and yes it is that big. Suit bondage mode off." Dee Jet let go of Clarinet's ear and stepped away, his member eliciting a slight moan as it was pulled out from under Clarinet. The bindings holding her forelegs in place unlatched themselves and she could pull her forelegs out in front of her. She slowly stood up, though her body was still a bit shaky from her earlier orgasm. She turned toward Dee Jet and the camera and just stared in awe at his member. Holy Celestia, it IS that large She sat there, gazing in astonishment. She had seen a few reasonable sized members in her life; mostly from random flings at school, but his member would put a full grown horse to shame, let alone a pony. Even the few Highlander ponies she dated could not compare. How would that thing even fit in a mare? I'm pretty sure even if it did they wouldn't walk right for a week... Dee Jet smiled, the look of shock on Clarinet's face was the exact reaction he wanted. He walked over to the bed and sat on his haunches facing toward the camera. "Come on, suck it bitch. I need a warmup." Clarinet walking up to Dee Jet and sat down, inspecting the massive member up close. It was mostly black with a few small splotches of white and a small scar or two going vertically up the shaft. It looked to be about four or so inches wide toward the top, with the base being slightly wider in overall girth. it seemed to lack a ring toward the center that many other stallions had and a scar made her think it was removed surgically; quite possibly to avoid it getting stuck inside whoever he was filming with. It wasn't just girth that shocked her, but length as well. By her estimates it had to be nearly two feet long from base to tip. If he shoved that in me, it would really hurt, not to mention it would go right through my cervix and into the top of my uterus. The thought of such a large object in her terrified her, part of her hoped that he just wanted fellatio and that was it. "Well, you gonna suck or do I have to punish you more?" Dee Jet moved his member and balanced it on Clarinets nose, inviting her to start. She grabbed the base of his member at the base and began stroking up and down. It was hard, but not exceptionally so. it was kind of like it was soft as a skin level, but just a half inch below that it was like hardened leather. Still malleable and flexible, but tough. She decided to further test exactly what she was dealing with, maybe to come up with a plan to exhaust him so she didn't have to take his member up her backside. She wrapped both forelegs around his member and pushed up with her back legs and then down. She ran her tongue up the shaft, pulling backwards with her forelegs ever so slightly. Wow, his pelvic muscles are something else the member didn't even so much as budge with her first tug. As she moved back down to come up to repeat another stroke she tugged a bit harder and still it didn't budge. Jeeze, I'm not sure if it even bends... Dee Jet smiled, leaning back on he bed until he was laying flat on his back. lifting Clarinet forward with ease. Okay, I do not want this thing in me she thought to herself. The entire motion of lifting her forward barely budged his member a bit. He could pick her up with it if he so wished. Dee Jet sat back up, a smile on his face. " I could wear your body like a cock-sleeve if I wanted, babe. You don't do what I do for twenty years without training the right parts." Dee Jet smiled, the look of bewilderment on Clarinets face filled him with pride. "So, you gonna suck it or continue with the sloppy hoof job?I bet you can't even make me cum with your level of skill..." Clarinet puffed her face in anger. The insult that she didn't know what she was doing, much less the fact that she couldn't get him to blow his load hit her pride in a soft spot. How dare he say that, I never met a stallion I couldn't outlast or make blow their load prematurely she thought to herself. Though most stallions were nothing more than two pump chumps, she would have to bring her A game on this stallion. if I get him to blow now he won't have the stamina left to put ...THIS mammoth in me. Clarinet moved her tongue up Dee Jet's shaft and began to lick the outside edge of the tip, noting that Dee Jet made a very subtle moan as she completed her circle. Dee Jet leaned back, allowing her to get a better vantage point on top of him. However, as she gripped his member in her forelegs, she noticed a minor problem; it may be too wide for her to fit in her mouth. This was still the largest penis she had ever come across and she wasn't sure of her ability to actually please him in this way. I think my best ever deep throat was about eleven inches without my gag reflex kicking in She thought to herself. Only one way to find out... She opened her mouth as wide as she could and lowered her head over the tip of his member. Her lower jaw kind of hurt, but she managed to get her entire mouth over the tip, but only about a couple inches down. After a few moment of holding a position only a couple inches deep she began to probe how to go about making Dee Jet blow his load early. There was just clearance from the roof of her mouth to prevent any raking from her teeth at least so long as she kept her tongue out of her mouth and on the underside of his shaft as padding. Having this thing in my mouth, yeah, I REALLY don't want this thing going up my backside. She began to move up and down the shaft, twisting and turning to allow her some leeway space; even if only a little. Using her tongue she would occasionally make circles around the tip of the shaft. However she tried it though she couldn't get her mouth any further down than three inches at the most and she had a hunch as to why. She pulled her mouth off Dee Jet's member, making a long sucking motion all the way up and began to play with the tip again. The problem then became obvious; it wasn't the size, but the angle. The way she was standing meant the member was arched in the opposite direction of her throat, meaning no matter how hard she went down it would simply hit the back of her throat and go no deeper. She needed to re-position herself in the opposite direction. Clarinet got up on the bed and sat down spread legged on Dee Jet's chest. Dee Jet didn't seem to complain, he seemed to not care how the job got done, so long as it got done. So long as he doesn't try and sixty-nine me, this should be fine. Noting how precariously close her sex was to her mouth made her nervous. If she could get the job done from the side she would have, but his member was just to thick to risk trying from any other direction. She leaned forward, pulling the member closer to her. As before she opened her mouth as wide as she could and engulfed the tip all at once. This time however, thee seemed to be a little bit more space to work with and it seemed to slide down her throat much easier than before. I'll start with the three stroke special and then the killer squeeze. She slowly bobbed up an down on the tip of the penis, going no deeper than three inches at most. So tried to remember a technique one of her friends from school used. It used a mares throat muscles in a special swallowing motion to effectively squeeze the stallion dry in moments. The trick was you needed to get at least halfway down the shaft for it to work properly; a challenge she wasn't sure she was up to doing, given how large Dee Jet's member is. Couldn't hurt to try... She bobbed her head up and down on the member , changing the angle each time it went in; twisting and turning each time to keep Dee Jet guessing. After the third wide stroke she leaned in hard, this was her opportunity to make him blow early. The member was much easier than she thought it would be, quite possibly due to the ring most stallions had being missing. She slowly pushed forward, stopping every half inch or so to make sure she wasn't blocking any airways or triggering her gag reflex. "Oh baby, that feels nice" Dee Jet moaned and smacked Clarinet on the right flank. *Gluk* she almost lost it, her gag reflex triggered from the slap on the rear, but she kept her cool. Despite the hot stinging sensation on her rear, she kept focus. She was only maybe five inches down at the most, she needed to be further down for the trick to work. She continued down the shaft, occasionally moaning and constricting her throat muscles to gauge Dee Jet's reaction. The stallion seemed content, but otherwise not remotely flustered or struggling to keep it in. The occasional twitch from his member betrayed his calm attitude however, he was deeply enjoying this. Just a little bit to go... She pushed forward, eight, nine and then ten inches. By now she was approaching her limit. She could feel the massive member getting ready to pass her airways, if she did this wrong she would start to choke herself. She never would have guessed that she could have possibly gotten something this big down her throat, there was little to no leeway this far down. It was also incredibly dangerous as well, one minor slip up and she could knock herself out or worse; die of asphyxiation. She pushed on a bit further, noting that at this point the tip of his member was now moving past her airways. Thankfully it seemed it didn't block them, his member being just barely soft enough to let air pass though. She moved up the last inch and stopped, she could feel her gagging sensation coming on and needed to finish this quickly while she still had some degree of control. It was now or never... Dee Jet threw his head back moaning loudly. The entire upper half of his member felt as if it were being squeezed and then let go in a fleshy vice grip. He could hear Clarinet making a swallowing gluk kind of noise with each contraction; each one more powerful than the last. She knows the Anaconda Squeeze? Dee Jet thought to himself, struggling to not ejaculate. He knew of that technique, but he had never had it performed up him; most mares couldn't even get his penis in their mouths let alone far enough down to try it. Every time she swallowed, a wave of release followed by constriction went all the way up the length of her throat. Each cycle got a little tighter, making it harder and harder for the stallion to hold back. Got to think of something... Dee Jet thought. He thought maybe sixty-nining her would make her let up, but the chance of her choking was very high. He didn't have a choice though; the technique made a negative pressure force in the mares throat until all the plumbing inside a stallion couldn't take it anymore; the valves and muscles holding back ejaculation would fail and the mare would suck him dry all at once. The last thing he needed is to embarrass himself live in front of his fans and compromise the rest of the session. "S-suit, sensitivity setting ten" Dee Jet grunted, beads of salty sweat rolling into the sides of his mouth. He wrapped both forelegs around Clarinets backside to give him leverage then curled his tongue, plunging it into her vagina like a drill. "Grrrrmmmpppp!" *Gluk *Gluk* Clarinet's felt Dee Jet's tongue enter her backside, twisting and turning; voraciously licking her G-spot. It was so sudden that she just barely managed to not choke. This time was far more pronounced than the last however, her body immediately started shaking violently; on the teetering edge of orgasm. She was going in for the money shot, but Dee Jet wasn't going to let her have it easily. G-got to figure out a way to sl-slow him down At first she tried to block him out, focus on what she was doing. However, every time she maneuvered her backside to prevent him from hitting her G-spot he strengthen his hold on her with his forelegs. It didn't take long for her to realize that trying to physically overpower a stallion was foolhardy, much less one that knew exactly how to break a mare sexually. I have an idea... Clarinet locked both back legs behind Dee Jet's head and clenched her backside as hard as she could. Dee Jet retorted by sucking on her clitoris all the while desperately trying to get his tongue back inside her. Just when she thought she couldn't hold on any longer she felt it bump up on her front lip and then a few short squirts down her throat. Now was the moment to finish the job. She clamped down her lips and held her breath, using her throat to clamp down as hard as she could. She then slowly pulled back inch by inch, her mouth making a slurping sound like a shop vac pulling water from a pool. She could feel small spurts of cum flow down her throat, but she needed to keep going; she needed to completely drain Dee Jet dry. Dee Jet writhed in ecstasy, his legs were stiff as boards as small jets of his cum fired down Clarinet's throat. It was just the beginning though, he felt the full load drain out him and move up his shaft, the bulk of it just in front of where Clarinet's mouth was. There was nothing left to do, but lay back and enjoy himself; she had beaten him to the punch. Her body quaked and a rush of weakness enveloped her as she reached the last three inches on Dee Jet's shaft. The small jets of cum were massaging her throat as she swallowed it, turning her on far more than she would have liked. Still, Dee Jet seemed completely paralyzed by his orgasm and was no longer eating her out with vigor. One part of her kind of wished she could have came with him, but the other part knew that if she blew first she wouldn't have had the strength to finish the job. Well, this has been fun at least she thought to herself. She smiled toward the camera her mouth covering the last two inches of his member and pulled off with a loud pop. As soon as her mouth left the tip of his penis a torrent of cum came shooting out the top like a fountain. She pushed it slightly away from her, though a few splotches still ended up on her face and mane. She could feel Dee Jet moaning as the torrent flowed from the tip and soaked the floor in fluids. She sat there, panting heavily while sitting on Dee Jet's chest, watching his member slowly slide back down into it's shaft. Across from her the monitor near the camera was clocking in at ten thousand viewers and twenty-five thousand bits. She unlocked her back legs from behind Dee Jet's head and slowly turned around. She then slowly leaned over, intentionally gliding her sex over his shaft as he winced in pain. She leaned over to his left ear and whispered. "How was that for a sloppy hoof job?" She said in a sensual, but patronizing tone. Dee Jet ground his teeth in pain. Breathing heavily as Clarinet kept bumping his penis with her sex, taunting him, fully aware that he was empty and exhausted. He opened one eye and stared at the screen behind her. Despite only being an A class mare she had managed to bring in low end S class income for him and for that he was happy. However, the fact of her completely controlling him like she did cut his pride deep. Not only that, but she finished him off in a hurry, making it more painful than pleasurable for the most part. "Doc, I need a boost if you would, one for her as well" Dee Jet said. A unicorn stallion still sitting at the table stood up. He was much scrawnier than the rest of the group, being only maybe the same size as Clarinet. "Okay boss!" He said with a slightly nasal tone. Boost? Clarinet was confused. We are done aren't we? The unicorn pulled a pitcher filled with a blue glowing fluid from the nearby mini fridge as well as two paper cups from on top of it. He then used his magic to pour two cups of the strange liquid before setting the pitcher down. He then used his magic to levitate both cups over to Dee Jet and Clarinet. Dee Jet didn't even bother to grab the cup, he just opened his mouth and let the fluid pour into his mouth, bits of it dribbling off the edges of his mouth and onto the bed, staining the blanket a deep blue. Clarinet sat up and grabbed the cup in both hooves. It glowed a deep blue color, but also seemed to have different densities of fluid in it as well; making the blue color deeper at one spot and lighter in another. Wondering what exactly it was she leaned her nose over the edge of the cup and inhaled, an action she immediately regretted as she pulled her face away, her eyes shedding a couple tears. "What is this stuff? It smells like cold medicine that's been sitting in the sun for a month!" Clarinet held the drink as far away from her face as possible. It smelled like rancid milk mixed with rubbing alcohol that somepony peed in. Even some of the sulfur processing units at school didn't reek this badly. "It's a stamina restoration potion. Drink it and you will feel like a thousand bits" Dee Jet motioned her to drink it, giving a smile to reassure her. Clarinet eyed the concoction suspiciously. Dee Jet didn't seem to have any adverse effects from downing it earlier, so it probably wouldn't hurt her. She slowly put her lips to the edge of the cup and held her breath as to not get a nose full of absolute reek. She opened her mouth wide and tilted the cup, downing the entire drink in a single motion. It kind of had next to no flavor at all, only a very slightly numbing sensation and a very cough syrup like aftertaste. She tossed the cup on the floor and waited. It didn't seem to have much effect on her at first, but slowly she could feel her strength return. Her backside no longer ached from over-stimulation, he breathing went back to normal and a warm sensation shot down her body; removing any sense of fatigue in her body. "Amazing isn't it? Also, bondage level seven" Dee Jet said in a commanding tone. Before she could say a word Clarinet felt quad straps go over her mane and across her cheeks, locking a dense ball gag in her mouth. Her forelegs snapped to her sides, the suit fusing like before. Thick straps of latex wrapped around her forelegs and chest, snapping tight and knocking the breath out of her. The suit became harder to move around in, as if it was suddenly made of thick leather. A choker appeared on around her neck with a leash dangling half way down her chest. The suit then constricted, making sure no part could possibly break free. I thought we were done, that I sucked him dry! Her mind raced, why would he bind her body so harshly? I couldn't be that he still Ha- "Gmmmmpphhhfff!" The suit closed the hole at the back where her sex was to tightly, rubbing intensely up against her body;only made worse by how hard it was to breathe. N-no, the potion! It restores sexual drive as well? Her train of thought was broken as Dee Jet rolled her over on her back, his body at head level between her back legs. Dee Jet gave a badly faked reassuring smile, one that in her eyes reeked of falsehoods. He leaned in to her right ear "You agreed to a half hour remember? It's only been about fifteen minutes, tops. Also, that move back there really hurt me both physically and to my ego. I'm a nice guy though, I won't punish a mare as skilled as you too harshly." Dee Jet gave a lick on Clarinets cheek. "I love that terrified look you get when bond tightly. It's probably why our little arrangement is making me so much money from the viewers." "Hmmowwmmff!" Clarinet said angrily. How!? It took me nearly ten minutes to get started on fellatio, not even counting his little session with me at the start... "I think you said how. Remember the little unicorn over at the table? This entire room is under a time dilation spell from him. Out there it looks like we have been doing it for more than two hours, but in here it's only been about fifteen minutes in this room. It's a little trick I use to cut hiring costs and get nice long sexy movies out there. But enough about that, lets get back to work shall we?" Does that mean- Clarinet felt Dee Jet's thick member poke out of it's sleeve and rub up against her sex. No, anything but that thing inside me! She struggled with everything she had. Her back legs were hard to move, but they were starting to overpower the suit a bit. She heard the restraints binding her forelegs to her sides start to squeak, clearly stressing under her efforts to break free. "Relax babe, it doesn't hurt as much as you would think." Dee Jet grabbed he leash connected to the collar around Clarinet's neck and gave it a hard tug. "Ghhmmmpppfff!" The sudden jolt of pain made her body contort. The whole of the suit squeezed down on her body as if she were a tube of toothpaste. The suit was already tighter than she would have liked, but the sudden contraction was exceptionally painful. The air being forcefully pushed from her lungs, the latex riding up her crotch like an atomic wedgie, the choker around her neck making her fight for oxygen; not an experience she wanted to repeat. Normally, she wouldn't mind a little pain with her pleasure, alone they added a bit of spice to the her former encounters, but together like this was too much. "You're not being a good girl. I have to punish you again." Dee Jet tugged the leash once more, this time not as hard, but for longer. "Hnnnnnggg! Mnnnhpppff!" The jolt was a little less extreme than the last time. Her body still felt as if it were being crushed by a large snake, all the previous pains were there, but this time felt oddly...sensual. There was an additional torture this time, a small burst of what she could only guess was electrical current giving the tiniest zap to her clitoris. Somehow her body felt hotter, as if she was being turned on by this kind of extreme bondage play. Am..am I liking this? The thought that she would actually enjoy this kind of play never really crossed her mind. The second tug however, while painful, just turned her on more than she expected. I can't be seriously enjoying this... she thought. Well, only one way to find out if it was a fluke Clarinet snorted at Dee Jet in defiance, trying her best to curse at him through her ball gag. She needed this question answered and the best way to get answers was to be a defiant little sub. "You're not fooling me babe. I watched your body closely when it contorted the second time. Your sex was winking a mile a minute at me. I want you to show me how much you want it." Dee Jet wrapped the leash around his left hoof then leaned in. He slowly began to kiss up Clarinet's body, starting just above her vulva and working his way up to the neck. He then buried his muzzle in the blankets, sucking on her neck just behind her ear. She moaned in approval, but she wanted something different, a bit more pain to go with her pleasure. She wanted him to tug on that leash so she could find out exactly how kinky she really was. Sending this message to Dee Jet without the ability to speak would be difficult; especially since she had no idea what he wanted. An idea struck her, if acting submissive is what got her what she wanted last time then maybe it would again. I guess this means I have to take that big thing up me. Staring down at Dee Jet's member made her quiver with anxiety, but if she wanted her question answered about herself then she needed to give a sign than she was ready to accept him, to bend to his every whim. Dee Jet meanwhile was really getting into the foreplay. He was exceptionally good with the hickeys and the occasional nibble on the ear was enough to make her quiver with anticipation. He also had just about a third of his member out of the shaft, rubbing it up against her latex covered sex, occasionally lightly prodding it in preparation for full on penetration. Despite all the arousal, there was one thing she wanted from him and she was going to get it. Mustering what strength she could gather she slowly began to move her back legs toward each other. The suits restraint magic, for lack of a better word was being difficult, but not impossible to work with. Dee Jet wasn't making it easier, his foreplay making her lose her focus more than once. With a final push she was about to wrap her back legs firmly around Dee Jet's waist. She then arched her back, rubbing he tip of his member with her sex, hoping he would take the gesture as a sign of submission. "That's more like it, my little sultry cock sleeve." Dee Jet gave the leash a hard tug, holding it out at legs length for a few seconds. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. This pain, this excruciatingly sensual pain is what she needed to test. Her body writhed and contorted in a hurricane of pain and pleasure. In the back of her mind she wanted to doubt it, but the evidence was crystal clear. The squeezing of her body gave her exhilaration, the tiny electric shocks aroused her and even the choke play turned her on. Her mind raced in the few seconds of sexual ecstasy, her sex winked a dozen times ; all of it confirming what she needed to know. That she loved and needed this kind of kinky sex in her life. Dee Jet loosened his pull on he leash, allowing Clarinet time to catch her breath. As soon as her breathing returned to normal he leaned over her left side and whispered in her ear. "Ready for the main course?" Dee Jet said as he prodded her sex with his penis. Clarinet nodded and used her back legs to pull Dee Jet inward, hoping that would be enough confirmation that she was ready for him; that her body was fully submissive to him. "Good, but I want to hear it from you and so does the audience. Gag off, foreleg restraints off" Dee Jet commanded. The ball gag in her mouth quickly snapped off and retreated behind her head and the foreleg restraints that kept her legs bound to her sides began to merge with the suit; allowing her to move them again. "I...I'm ready for you" Clarinet said, wish a hushed voice. Dee Jet shook his head. "Not good enough, bad girl." Dee Jet pulled on the leash, hard. "Nyaaahhh!!!" As before a jolt intense pain shot all over her body making her shiver intensely. She instinctively pulled Dee Jet inward with her back legs and arched her back, bumping into Dee Jet's member. "Well?" Dee Jet asked, pulling on the leash lightly; watching intently as Clarinet writhed in sensual agony. "I s-said fuck me stupid already, you asshole!" Clarinet wrapped her forelegs around Dee Jet's neck. "I want you to pound me until I can't feel feelings anymore, so stop being a little bitch and ravage me!" As much as she enjoyed the suit giving her pleasure, it was a mere shadow of the real thing. Teasing was fine and all in her book, even a little bit of pain, but this was borderline torture. I swear to Celestia if he doesn't stick it in me already I'm gonna slug him! Dee Jet smiled at Clarinet. "Open end one." The latex over her sex retracted, rush of fresh air washed over her sex, making her give a little gasp, making her leg go of Dee Jet. Dee Jet then wrapped his forelegs around her thighs for leverage. He then nodded to his groin, indicating that he wanted her to watch that area. Slowly, the large member from before pushed out of its sleeve. She could see the veins popping up on both sides as is swelled in girth; slowly getting wider down the entire length. She waited with baited breath, the anticipation making her legs shake. She watched as the member reached its full length, bumping into her sex. j-just fuck me already! she thought to herself. Dee Jet didn't push forward. She could see the sweat roll down his face as his penis swelled in size until the tip was around four and a half inches in diameter; at the very least. Her mind raced with faint second thoughts about if it will fit or not, but she no longer cared. Even if it hit the back end of her uterus, even if she couldn't walk right for a week, none of that mattered; she desperately wanted release. She watched as he pressed his penis up against her vulva and began to slowly push inwards. A dull pain shot up her back as his penis spread her vulva, then outer and inner labia. Calm down, you can handle this... She felt his forelegs squeeze her thighs and pull back while his body pushed forward. She watched as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and drip off his chin onto her belly. He began to shift from side to side while pushing. He's trying not to put it in to fast, trying not to hurt me. At least not badly. "Ah! Ah-"she jolted back her head biting down on her hoof. Her body quaked violently, her nethers gripping Dee Jet's member tightly. She looked down at the massive member; it was in her. It was only in maybe half an inch at most, but the fact that it was in at all and not making her scream in pain was a miracle unto itself. Breathing heavily, Dee Jet began to slowly push the rest of his penis into her. He slowly pushed in maybe another inch or so. It hurt, but not as much as she expected it to. "Sorry babe, this is gonna hurt for the first few thrusts while your body gets used to the size" Dee Jet said, though his tone was far from comforting. "Ah, mmmnnnppfff!" She bit down on her hoof again, doing her best not to yell. She stared at Dee Jet's member, most of which was only a few inches into her. She then noticed what looked like a bulge slowly moving up her belly. It wasn't very large, maybe only half an inch tall. Its so big I can physically see it deforming me She laid back her head, biting hard into her hoof. Her breathing felt ragged and labored; each little gasp of air feeling as if it were immediately pushed out of her. With each inch she could feel her body shaking violently, the pain becoming more intense. She almost wanted to push Dee Jet away, but deep down she knew it would hurt just as bad going out. No, she needed to endure. She looked back down at Dee Jet, he had only made it another half inch or so into her. "This next part is gonna hurt like no other, babe. For both our safety I have to take precautions.' Dee Jet looked physically drained. Just getting this far into Clarinet was taking all of his focus. "I'm sorry, bondage level ten." She suddenly felt a cold rush of some kind of liquid run up her spine, around her mane and shoot off into the air past her ears. She watched in horror as a blanket of black splashed onto her muzzle, quickly spreading itself around her face like some horror monster from a B movie. It quickly coated her entire muzzle in a thick latex substance, connecting with the other part of the suit at the neck and spreading around. It flowed freely around her cheeks and over her ears, blocking out all sound. The black liquid then formed many straps each ending in a familiar ball gag that was forcefully pushed into her mouth. Soon her entire face was covered in black, then the suit covered her eyes in a thick latex blind that double circled around her ears before securing itself at he back of her head. Her forelegs snapped together in front of her belly and not to her sides like the last few times. They were quickly bound together with straps followed by other straps binding them to her waist. She could even feel the bulge in her stomach before at the end of each foreleg. She felt another couple of straps go up and down her legs, connecting to various parts of her body; including one that went between both back legs, wrapping them firmly around Dee Jet's waist. The entire structure of the suit seemed to change. It seemed to gain a inner layer that felt very...stringy in texture. They ran all along the inner workings of the suit like some kind of interconnected muscle system. I wonder if I can still move? She wanted to try to move around, but remembering the intensity of the restraint from previous times made her reluctant. Still, her curiosity quickly overpowered her caution and she tried to move the strongest point of her body; her back legs. A sensation of ripples running up and down her body began the moment she tried to move her legs; like the strands underneath were vibrating. Her attempt to move didn't even seem to budge her legs in the slightest. I guess the other layer acts as a extra restraint system. She felt another ripple move throughout the suit, then a buzzing sound; something very odd for hear being functionally deaf. The suit hen snapped inward on her body like a rubber band , Hard. She couldn't even scream, the suit snapped in such a way that it forced all the air from her longs out at once. Her waist and rib cage felt as if a couple full grown stallions were sitting on her. It wasn't just her upper body that hurt, her pelvis seemed to push inward as well, making Dee Jet's member inside her feel much larger and painful. Just as the suit began to let up, allowing her to gasp for breath the buzzing noise in her ears stopped. "Grrrhhmmmpoppfff!" An electric shock rattled her body, moving from her neck all the way down past her sex and into her legs. Strangely though, despite the initial pain she almost seemed to...enjoy it. The shock persisted for several seconds all he while she found her body reacting the same was as before; complete arousal. Her sex gave a few winks and she could feel her sex getting wetter than before. The shock let up and was replaced by another feeling; the strange stingy layer began to massage her whole body. The sensation of dozens of mouths licking and sucking every square inch of her body replaced the once painful squeezing. She moaned in ecstasy as every square inch of her body seemed to soar in euphoria. I-think I like this suit...It clearly should be illegal, but I just...love the way it hurts so good She wondered if the original designer was heavily into self satisfaction or solo bondage, possibly even auto erotic asphyxiation. "Every mare always tests it" Dee Jet said in a somewhat happy tone. "Well, either way you ready to let me in?" "Immmhmmm!" She could just barely make out what Dee Jet said as she responded in affirmation. However, it's not like she had a choice in the matter. She couldn't move, see, barely hear and she had a dick the size of a cart axle buried in her. Dee Jet could do all kinds of terrible things to her body without her willing to and she could do nothing about it. All she could do now was feel out the experience, to trust his judgement. Dee Jet let go of her thighs, wrapping both forelegs around her waist for leverage. He then pulled back an inch or two. She didn't know what he was up to, but as he pulled back his member she noticed it didn't hurt in the slightest. He hasn't bottomed out yet. I wonder what he- With one swift motion Dee Jet thrust his member deep into her, slamming into her cervix. She couldn't make a sound, the force of the impact winded her. Her body seemed in complete shock, though it didn't hurt in the slightest. He body shook violently, her vagina contracted hard, gripping Dee Jet's member. A wave of euphoria washed over her body though it was only brief. She only felt part of the orgasm, the initial shock blocking out most of it. So-so big. So full She could feel the tip of Dee Jet's member under her forelegs, her body still quivering with the satisfaction of being penetrated so thoroughly. "Bondage mode seven. Ball gag off" Dee Jet commanded. The strange stringy under layer seemed to melt away into the rest of the suit. Most of the binding straps detached as well. The latex mask that has covered her face began to retract behind her neck from whence it came. She could hear and see again, even breathe a bit better now that the suit wasn't in high gear. She started up at Dee Jet. His coat was entirely drenched in sweat, his breathing felt labored and heavy. It must be hell on his stamina to keep that big dick of his working she thought to herself. Dee Jet didn't seem to care much. His smile showed how much he was dedicated to his job. A smile that shouted that he was set on a goal, even if his body protested. "Ahhhnnn" Dee jet began to pull out his member out, her body seeming to protest the motion as it attempted to squeeze down on it; refusing to let it go. He pulled back until just a bit of the tip was left in her, then thrust into her with authority. "Nyahhh!" Her back legs tightened around his waist as she moaned loudly, begging him to go deeper. The pain from before was completely gone, only the feeling of his cock hitting every single nerve ending inside; filling every inch of her vagina remained. Even the sensation of the tip ramming into her cervix felt good though it wasn't like she had any previous experience with that particular sensation; most males didn't even get remotely that deep into her. "F-fuck that feels good! Whatever mare told me size didn't matter was a fucking moron!" She focused her efforts, squeezing down on Dee Jet member as he pulled it back; moaning loudly as her body twitched, begging for more. "Nayah, Ah , ah,, Hnnmmm...Celestia yes!" Dee Jet had settled into a rhythm of pulling out most of the way and thrusting into her deeply; gliding though her like oil on a piston. Each magnificent stroke into her took only a couple seconds and every time she moaned loudly. Soon she got the timing right with her own body and they were completely in sync; She would squeeze down on his cock as pulled back and he would ram it all the way to her cervix, spreading her and hitting every square inch of her insides. "Oh, goddess yes!" Each and every thrust was like paradise inside her, a crescendo of penetration, cursing and mutual enjoyment. Each thrust nearly made her orgasm, but was timed just well enough to keep the heat of the moment going; a perpetual state of hot soaking arousal. She wanted to stay in this state for as long as she could, but deep down she knew she had the easy job; Dee Jet would eventually run out of stamina or blow his load in her. The heavy thrusting went on for a solid seven or so more minutes. Seven minutes of complete and utter euphoria. A couple times it felt as if she had and orgasm, but it was a small one, nothing like the full body seizure from before. She stared up at Dee Jet who oddly seemed just as tired as before; she forgot that he was a professional, he could probably keep this up for another hour if he paced himself right. One part of her wanted it to last forever, but she knew that wouldn't be any fun; for her or the ponies watching her. She looked over the side of Dee Jet and noticed the bit count was at over fifty thousand. Sure, she knew she was getting paid a large sum for the use of her body, but deep down she wanted to pay Dee Jet back. If only for giving her the best sex she ever had in her life. "F-faster, you stud! You don't want the crowd to get bored do you?" She teased, knowing that if she poked his pride as a stallion the right way that he would comply out of sheer determination alone. Dee Jet merely nodded and pulled back. "Graaahhh! Here comes the love train baby!" She could feel Dee Jet's member swell in size very slightly as he rammed it into her body. Each thrust got faster and faster, making her scream his name in gratitude. Each solid thrust hit every nerve completely with the interval between each successive thrust getting shorter and shorter. By the time Dee Jet reached thrust eight or so he was slamming into her cervix nearly three times a second; he was hammering her sex like he was a life size engine piston and she loved every moment of it. *Plok* Glop* Plok* The sounds of her sex being ravaged mercilessly filled the room. The bed beneath her body rocked back and forth with the force behind each thrust. Her body could no longer keep up with his pace and she didn't think she wanted to; this was the end game and she didn't want to delay the finale in any way. "Goddess yes! F-fuck! Break me you beast, plow me like a corn fi-field!" She felt her body climax two, three times in quick succession; none of which slowed Dee Jet's relentless pounding of her sex in the slightest. She didn't care though, her mind was completely fuzzy from the chain of orgasm's her body was experiencing. Was this what it felt like to be sex crazed? To feel the absolute satisfaction of not only being dominated, but of wanting to live only in the moment; a moment of complete thoughtlessness and pleasure? Nothing else mattered right now, she lived only for this moment... "Y-yes, S-so...Good!" She had no idea how many times she had climaxed, she lost count somewhere in the upper teens. Her brain kept flooding with happy signals, her tongue was laying sideways out of her mouth and her eyes were rolling into the back of her head. Dee Jet was going to fuck her until she blacked out, but she needed to stay conscious; if only to feel Dee Jet blow like a volcano inside her. "Raaaggghhhh!!!" With one mighty primal roar, Dee Jet pushed his member as far as he could into Clarinet in one final thrust; going though her cervix and right into the middle of her uterus. "Yes! Nyaahhha!" This was it, Dee Jet's member was pressed up against the top of her uterus; filling her completely. With the last little bit of her stamina she used her vagina muscles to grip his member with everything she had. She squeezed with her back legs pulling him in tightly, not wanting to miss any part of this moment. She could feel it, the lower part of Dee Jet's shaft was flexing, pumping cum into her. The warm sensation of his seed filling her was unlike anything she had experienced before. Torrents of it filled her body, back-washing all he way down her vagina; some of it flowing out onto the bed and onto her tail. She couldn't breathe, the combination of Dee Jet's last mighty thrust, her body going into convulsions from over-stimulation and the warm rush of Dee Jet pumping everything he had into her like she was a gas tank prevented even the shortest gasps of air from entering her lungs. No mater what she did, the climax continued. Head head felt hazy, her body worn out like she had run a hundred mile marathon. There was only a sensation of floating on air, in perpetual pleasure. Dee Jet breathed heavily, his entire body shaking and in pain. He watched as clarinet continued to shake violently, her head tilted back and her eyes closed. She was completely unconscious. He slowly pulled his cock out from her, the death grip from her back legs and her vagina gripping him like a Chinese hoof trap making it all the more difficult. Thankfully she was still wet enough that getting it out wasn't too much of a problem, the real pain being his body still sending spurts of cum into her as he pulled out; her body clearly wanted to keep him. "Okay, cut" Dee Jet ordered with labored breaths, his body quaking as he finally managed to pull all of his cock out of clarinet. "Dammit boss, you broke another one!" Kodak yelled as he stepped out from behind the camera. "She's stuck in a climax loop like the last one!" Dee Jet pointed at the monitor behind him. On the screen showed a number of over a million viewers and a hundred and twenty thousand bits in earnings. "She's easily our tenth highest A class earner this year only behind Lady Midnight and Hip Breaker. I never thought an amateur could bring in this much money." Kodak stared at the screen for a moment, his eyes wide in astonishment. "I want you to prepare the paperwork for this little mare. Give her twenty thousand bits on top of her agreed cost and let her keep the suit, I want her signed within the hour. An additional ten thousand signing bonus should get her to do so." "What should her porn name be?" Kodak asked. Dee Jet put his hoof under his chin, musing. "Well, how about Musical Bondage? I mean she had an amazing sex voice under that ball gag, like a choir of getting plowed." "And how do we want to break the orgasm loop? The first one yesterday was out cold in the corner for almost six hours" Kodak asked. "Right, and we don't need the locals or hospital knowing what we are doing here. The city zoning office would have our hides if they found out. We did get that shipment of calming ointment in. I think it's called climax away or some other; it's in the closet." Dee Jet pointed to a white tub at the bottom of the closet. "That should stop her climax loop" Dee Jet said. Piston Jay walked over to the closet and picked up the tub by he handle, carrying it over and setting it on the bed. "Boss, it says it's a lubricant and is also a suppository? How am I supposed to-" "Oh I know. I can't give it to her myself because there would be no way in Equestria that I would fit." Dee Jet watched as piston Jay scratched his mane absentmindedly. "I'll spell it out for you. Put this gel on your dick and ass fuck her in the corner over there; make sure to penetrate her fully and she should come to in about thirty minutes. Don't worry about pacing yourself, the drug works both ways, neither of you will orgasm from it." Dee Jet motioned for Piston Jay to carry Clarinet away and he merely nodded. "I think I've heard about that stuff, don't some of the other porn stars use it to last longer?" Kodak asked. "They do. They also edit in orgasms later on; filthy new age slackers don't have the stamina, grace or technique to do it live. Let alone last more than ten minutes without it." Dee Jet had a disgusted look on his face. "An absolute disgrace to the art form I say. If you can't make a mare orgasm at least a half dozen times you're doing it wrong." Dee Jet watched Piston Jay set Clarinet down on a pillow, her rear raised up in the air. Piston then covered his member with a thin green ointment and then stared at Clarinet. "You sure this is how it's done boss?" Piston Jay asked. "Yes, yes. So long as you keep pushing the medicine in her over time. The medicine needs her near climax for an extended time to work" Dee Jet said, motioning him to continue. "Just don't be too rough with her, we don't need our future star damaged." Piston Jay nodded and leaned over Clarinet's body, biting her ear and gently pulling it back; the mare giving the tiniest moan at him. "Open hole two." The suit opened up a hole around her anus, allowing him access. "Doc, another drink if you would!" Dee Jet yelled. A cup filled with blue liquid quickly hovered over Dee Jet. He took it from the air and downed it in one gulp, tossing the cup aside. "Now, onto business." "Boss, we aren't done for the day? I mean, those potions are not-" "Nyah!" Kodak was interrupted by a loud moan from the other side of the room. Piston Jay had begun to ass fuck Clarinet. Both Dee jet and Kodak watched as her body reacted instinctively, raising her bottom into the air. Piston Jay had already settled into a rhythm and despite not even being coherent; she was still enjoying it. "That's a pro in the making, she puts on a show even when shes not aware of it. As I was saying, yes, I'm well aware of the potions limitations. However, there was one more mare I wanted to convince. Outside there was an S class pony with a yellow coat and a pink mane. She would be perfect for a gangbang session." Dee Jet put his hoof under his chin again. "And she's most certainly a virgin." "An S class huh? The last S class we had brought in netted us almost a half million bits and she's a virgin? You sure?" Kodak seemed to barely contain his enthusiasm. "I got a look at her backside before I set her up at the table. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but she was incredibly timid; which makes me lean that way. I am worried though, she might outright refuse no matter how much we offer." Dee Jet mused, scratching his chin. "Well if she doesn't' there's always option B, keep sending her gifts until she agrees" Kodak suggested. "Hmmmnnnn!" Clarinet moaned loudly. She had opened her eyes, but still seemed mostly catatonic; her eyes glazed over. She didn't even seem to be aware of her surroundings. "I want to avoid that cost wise, but an S class is hard to come by. Especially a virgin one." Dee Jet sighed dejectedly. "Bring her in Kodak, the worst she can say is no." ***ten minutes earlier at Fluttershy's table*** "Next!" Fluttershy yelled, another stallion grumbling under his breath as he left her table. Over twenty different possible suitors had already come and gone and every single one of them was little more than a horny university colt. A white stallion with a purple comb over took a seat opposite of Fluttershy, grinning broadly. "So, what's your name, profession and other stuff, you know the drill by now" Fluttershy said dejectedly. "I'm Grendel Sheet. I'm twenty two and I'm a a master clothes maker from Canterlot. I'm interested in skiing, baking and pillow talk" The stallion grinned from ear to ear, not taking his eyes off Fluttershy. Huh, this one doesn't seem so bad Fluttershy thought. "I'm Fluttershy. I enjoy social work with animals, nature in general with a passing interest in botany. I'm twenty and live near the Everfree Forrest." "Interesting. I would have never had thought a delicate mare like you could live near such a scary place on her own. I heard some of the creatures in that place are downright lethal" Grendel said, clearly impressed. "Oh, yes; very much so. It's not just creatures that even I can't calm, but very toxic plants and fungus as well. I usually avoid going into it myself." Fluttershy stared into the stallions eyes, waiting for his next few words. "Really? Well I'm really good at math and I see you and me having a great time tonight." The stallion leaned in and lowered his voice to a whisper. "You see I'm really good at math. You plus me equal sixty-nine if you catch my drift." And it was going so well too... Fluttershy shook her head in disgust. "Why does every stallion I come across have some crappy pickup line? I'm not here for a one time fling, I'm here for an actually special somepony!" "But, you haven't even seen my dic-" "Next!" Fluttershy yelled. The white stallion shook his head as he got down from the chair. "Babe, if you're not looking for a quick lay, then you are in the wrong place. Prude." Grendel walked away, moving onto the next table. Another stallion came up to the table with a smirk on his face. Before he even sat down she could tell he was ready to fire a pickup line her way. "Hey babe, wanna see my totem where I pvp?" He said in a casual voice. "I think I would much rather get fungal rot on my face. NEXT!" Fluttershy shouted. "Jeez lady, stop being so serious. It's not like I walked up to you and asked 'You want some fuck' or anything like that" the stallion said. "No, that would have only made you the forth stallion to openly proposition me for sex today. Next!" Fluttershy yelled. Another stallion swayed toward the table, almost as if he were overconfident. However when he got to the table he hesitated to pull the chair out; noticing Fluttershy's frown and obvious grumpy disposition; a face that meant she was not in the mood for any more shenanigans. "Let me guess, you want to make me a pair of pants so you can get into them right?" Fluttershy asked sarcastically. "I was gonna go with something a little more practical." The stallion moved up to Fluttershy's side " If I flip a coin what are my chances of getting head?" Fluttershy resisted the urge to punch this stallion square in the face. She slowly turned to him and gave him her special stare, making the stallion back away slowly in fear. "You have three seconds to get out of my sight before I hurt you." The stallion turned tail and ran out the door, crying the entire way. "I am so done with this. All that's here are a bunch of horn dog stallions and colts from out of town looking for an easy lay." Fluttershy looked around at other tables with stallions making the mares giggle at their terrible pickup lines. "And mares with no standards..." "Fluttershy? Is that you?" A familiar voice said from nearby. Fluttershy turned her head toward the sound. Waving at her over the crowd was a mare with a grass green coat, an amaranth mane styled into coiled dreadlocks with vermilion highlights. "Tree Hugger!" Fluttershy shouted, waving back and motioning her toward the table. Tree Hugger worked her way through the crowd over to Fluttershy's table, pulling out the chair and sitting across from her. "It's been awhile hasn't it?" "It has, how have you been?" Fluttershy responded, almost ecstatically. "Oh, I came into town to get supplies for my spring herb hunt. Heard Everfree had some exceptionally rare flowers and herbs used in medicine and balancing. Found this spot and figured it was a cafe of some kind. Thought I could get some honey sweetened tea and some pita bread to munch on. I saw you giving that stallion the death state; what gives with that? You're usually way more chill" Tree Hugger stared at Fluttershy, tossing one of her dreadlocks back casually. Fluttershy stared down at the table, too ashamed and embarrassed to make eye contact with Tree Hugger. "I- I came in here to earn a few extra bits and maybe get a date. I was just...so angry and frustrated. All the stallions and colts do nothing but throw pickup lines at me, like I was just meat to them." "Oh, I see. I had a few stallions toss me a pickup line or two on the way in. You just gotta let it flow over you ya know, no need to get mean." Tree Hugger looked over her shoulder, waving at one of the stallions. "I guess, I don't know how to handle it though. The thought that they just want my body and nothing else makes me feel gross and unwanted; like me being me is not enough." Fluttershy stared at the table, sighing. "Cheer up girl. Think of it this way; all those stallions out there are hormone driven by nature, ya know. Just a bunch of uni kids on spring break and all that stuff. If one gives you a pickup line take it as confirmation that you are gorgeous and in high demand. Sure, some of them just want to have a spring sweat session with you and that's it, but you have to feel the vibes babe; lots of mares in here only want that too." Tree Hugger closed her eyes and hummed a tune. "Don't you feel it? The energy of love is in the air." Fluttershy looked up. "But, I don't want just sex. I want a special somepony to cuddle with at night, to love me for me." Tree Hugger nodded in agreement. "Oh, I didn't say you need to go home with any of these stallions. It's perfectly fine to want a pony that loves your body and your soul. I was just thinking maybe that all these other nature driven stallions are stuck in search mode, their natural drive overriding their ability to see past the physical, ya know?" Another stallion gave a wink toward Tree Hugger and she returned the favor with a smile and a wave. "Eventually one will want you first and your body second." "Well, there's plenty that want my body first" Fluttershy grumbled. "Yeah, you probably won't find that here. The testosterone and estrogen in the air is so thick you could make soup with it. Love is in the air and all, but it's all primal love here, ya dig?" Tree Hugger said. "Also, why you need bits anyhow?" "Well, the budgets pretty sparse this month and the city coffers are not paying as much for general animal assistance. I'm short about a hundred or so bits, it's kinda embarrassing actually" Fluttershy blushed, scratching her mane nervously. The sound of a door latch turned Fluttershy's attention away from Tree Hugger to the door behind her. A thin, but muscular blue pegasus in a backwards ball cap walked out of the doorway, scanning the crowd, stopping when he laid eyes on Fluttershy. "Are you Fluttershy by chance?" He said in a slightly high pitched voice. "I am, is this about my payment? It feels like I been here longer than expected" Fluttershy said, pointing at the clock on the other side of the room. "Yeah, sorry about that. We are a bit behind schedule, but don't worry we plan to compensate every mare. Actually, the boss wants to see you in his office. He may have a deal for you that may earn you a substantial amount of money." Kodak stepped aside, allowing Fluttershy room to go first. Fluttershy glanced at Tree Hugger, doing her best to send the signal that she was not comfortable going back there alone, hoping Tree Hugger would go with her. "Chill out girl, they only want to talk. Sounds to me that your moolah problems might just be over." Tree Hugger watched Fluttershy's eyes dart from the door back to her, catching the hint that she was scared. "Do you want me to go with you?" Kodak locked eyes with Tree Hugger, examining her body type, mane, cutie mark and other minor details. "Sure, why not." I'm sure boss could offer the spare B class mare a blowie movie job or something Kodak thought. "Right this way ladies." Kodak pointed to the short hallway before the door. Fluttershy nodded and shot a glance at Tree Hugger, one she immediately recognized as a thank you. Fluttershy walked ahead of the pack, followed by Tree Hugger and lastly Kodak. Even with Tree Hugger as backup, she still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that she may be in danger. As they approached the next door she noticed an odd musty odor. Looking behind her she noticed Tree Hugger had caught on as well. The group opened and walked through the door. Fluttershy stopped just a few feet into the room, followed by Tree Hugger and Kodak shutting the door behind them. This didn't look like any office she had ever seen. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, a large studio camera to the left of it. A few nightstands and cabinets in the room and a table with Two ponies sitting at it. A unicorn she hadn't seen before and Big Dee Jet, the porn star. There was an odd smell lingering in the room and strange sounds that reminded her of suction cups popping and a squeaky door hinge. She turned to her right and had to control herself from not jumping away in fright. It was the mare she seen from before, but in a far more ragged state. She was wearing some kind of rubber or latex suit, her mane was far more frazzled than before. She had her mouth half way open and her eyes had a glazed over look to them, as if she wasn't aware of what was going on. Behind her was a near solid black stallion of considerable size. The lighting in the corner wasn't too good, but there was no mistaking what was going on. The stallion was having sex with her right out in the open with not a care for who was watching him. Not just any sex though, judging from where the stallion was positioned he was giving her anal sex. "Hnmmm so good!" The mare said in a low voice. "Whoa, I didn't know this placed doubled as a brothel." Tree Hugger said, also noticing the mare to her right. "Well, she really seems to be enjoying herself though." Is she? No. I need more time to make that judgement Tree Hugger thought. At first Fluttershy thought that maybe the mare was in trouble, but she seemed to be completely content with this stallion plowing her backside. Her eye would occasionally twitch followed by a low moan every few thrusts. Her forelegs seemed to be bound to her, but her rear end was in a position mares give when completely submitting to their mate. She couldn't fathom anal sex being at all pleasurable, but then again she was a virgin and didn't exactly have much personal experience to pull from. "Don't mind her, she's getting a treatment for over stimulation" Dee Jet stood up from his chair and approached Fluttershy, stopping when he noticed Tree Hugger next to her. "Kodak, who is the B class mare next to her?" He asked, pointing at Tree Hugger. "I'm Tree Hugger, one of Fluttershy's friends" Tree Hugger said as she locked eyes with Dee Jet. "Well, I guess I can offer you both jobs. I'm Big D-" "Big Dee Jet, I know. My mom has a few of your videos. Not exactly my kinda gig, but I can respect what you do" Tree Hugger said, turning her attention back to the mare being ass fucked in the corner of the room. "She seems really relaxed, like on a whole new level of vibes. I can sense her chakra is a bit off balance though. I guess this treatment is to fix that." Hmmm, no, she's most definitely in broken state. She doesn't seem in pain though, which means the treatment is working. Tree Hugger thought to herself. "Well, yes. It's being taken care of. Anyways I called you back here to discuss business" D Jet said, pacing around the room. Fluttershy had a sinking feeling. She now recognized that musty smell in the room. She prepared herself for what Dee Jet was going to ask. internally terrified of what would happen if she refused. "In my line of business you, Fluttershy, are what we refer to as an S class mare. One with the body, temperament, and mind to become a legend in our business. You are an even more rare case as from what I gather, you're a virgin are you not?" Dee Jet asked. "I'm- how would you. I'm not!" Fluttershy lied. Dee Jet shook his head and smiled. "There's no need to hide it or feel ashamed, your expression and hesitation gives you away. Also the way you reacted to Clarinet over there being 'cured'." "To be fair Dee Jet, most ponies would act strange after seeing that. Well, most. I think she looks really happy with herself." Tree Hugger watched as Clarinet let out another moan of satisfaction. He's going to proposition her for That kind of work. Should I try and push Fluttershy not to, or support her decision? Tree Hugger felt conflicted. At one point this kind of work pays exceptionally well, but on the other it could destroy and innocent mare like Fluttershy. I guess I'll make my decision based on what she wants... "That aside, I want you to star in my next film. Your personality disposition would make a great gang bang film. I would say maybe even a heavy bondage film, but Clarinet over there filled out quota on those for awhile. I'm willing to offer you five thousand bits up front for use of your body in my production with additional bonuses based on income generated." Dee Jet turned his attention to Tree Hugger. "I can only offer you around a thousand bits upfront I'm afraid. No offense, but we have a pay scale to uphold." "Not my kinda thing. Also I know of your pay scale thing from a few others in your line of work. You called me a B class pony and if memory serves those ponies end up doing some more than nasty stuff. No disrespect, but I'm not really into anal or ass to mouth." Tree Hugger glanced over at Clarinet again. "I don't want to end up like her, even if she's diggin it, thanks." Fluttershy winced at the thought of having a dick in her rectum, followed by it being put in her mouth. However, five thousand bits was a huge sum of money; enough to cover even the worst expenses many years over. The thought of having three stallions have their way with her body; each ramming into a different orifice did not entice her in the least. She really didn't even have much interest in regular sex, let alone rough sex with strangers. five thousand though... Fluttershy thought. "That's a lot of moolah" Tree Hugger said, putting her hoof over Fluttershy's shoulder to comfort her. "I think she would need more details before she makes a decision like that though. I have a few friends in this business and I think she would want to know what would happen to her. All the details." Tree Hugger knew exactly what Fluttershy was thinking. She's not going for it, I can see that. Looks like they will talk her out of it for me. She wanted to tell Fluttershy what she was getting into, but had confidence she would make the right choice; she wouldn't intervene unless she needed. Dee Jet sighed dejectedly, obviously not liking to give up his script. "We will position Fluttershy on the bed and come in at you one at a time. Oral will be given by the mare to the stallions as well as hoof jobs. While you are busy blowing Kodak or Doc I will move in and perform cunnilingus on her to prepare her for penetration-" "Wait, cunni- what now?" Fluttershy asked. "The technical term for being eaten out, hun" Tree Hugger answered. "As I was saying. The mare will then assume the side-missionary position while still sucking on Kodak. I will be continuing cunnilingus while Piston Jay positions himself for anal insertion. We hold that position till Fluttershy orgasms once, then we moved out to double penetration cowgirl position with me on the bottom and-" "Wait, I seen your thing on screen before. There's no way something that size will fit in any mare without it hurting a whole lot." Tree Hugger made a motion with her hooves to Fluttershy, indicating both girth and length. "Okay, okay I get the picture." Fluttershy shuddered, the thought of being penetrated everywhere was already bad enough; him describing it made her feel ill. Not to even mention one of them had a dong the size of a small tree. "It's okay Fluttershy, I'll back you up with whatever decision you make?" Tree Hugger said, putting her foreleg over Fluttershy's side. Though I already know what your decision is, your body language is screaming it already... "No, I won't do it. No amount of money is worth degrading myself to that level. I'm with Tree Hugger on this one; my body is a temple!" Fluttershy turned around, ready to walk out the room, when a female voice called out to her. "Y-you should r-reconsider" Clarinet said. Fluttershy turned to the mare, her body still being rocked by thrusts from Piston Jay. "You're body w-will never feel any greater climax if you turn them away. G-goddess that feels good" Clarinet raised her head, her eyes still very much glazed over and allowed Piston Jay to bite her ear. "F-faster..." Piston Jay nodded and grabbed her ear with his mouth. He steadily increased his pace, ramming her anus as hard and fast as he could; Clarinet screaming obscenities, moaning loudly. "Whoa girl. There's enjoying something and enjoying something too much. I think you need a meditation session to clear those desires." Tree Hugger stepped back, clearly disturbed by Clarinet's sex drive. Oh yeah, she's definitely broken state... There was something seriously wrong with this mare. Fluttershy remembered how she was so vibrant and cheery before she came in this room. Now she was broken; seeming only to want more and more sex. She wasn't sure this mare wasn't permanently brain damaged somehow. "You will have to ignore her. The treatment we are giving her requires the mare be on the brink of climax for an extended period to be absorbed. I helps them recover from the loop they get stuck in during extreme sessions." Dee Jet motioned for Piston Jay to slow down. "Only a couple more minutes and a hour nap and she will be fine Piston; there's no need to go that hard into her." "Y-you're a monster you know that. Even if she agreed to this you did something to make her like that!" Fluttershy accused. "L-let them...your body will thank you...." Clarinet laid down, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her tongue rolling out. "No! I refuse. This monst-" Tree Hugger watched the stallions body language turn from docile, to fight or flight posture. The stallion in the back seemed to be charging a spell. They all seemed to be ready to defend themselves or even possibly attack, given Fluttershy's violent posturing and accusations. "Calm down Fluttershy" Tree Hugger gave Fluttershy a hug, leading her toward the door. " We both refuse, have an awesome day." Tree Hugger pulled the handle and helped Fluttershy walk out the room. She got one of the worst vibes she had ever felt come right from Fluttershy. She could feel her body shaking in rage. "Let's get you out of here hun, trust me, this place is bad juju for you." Fluttershy seemed to move as lightning when she got out of the cafe, running behind another building with Tree Hugger close behind. There she collapsed on the ground, crying. Tree Hugger laid beside her, letting Fluttershy cry on her mane. "Shhh, I know. You were angry and scared, you're in a safe space right now." Tree Hugger nuzzled Fluttershy, petting her mane gently. "I-I wanted to hit him so hard for what he did to that poor mare. He...he turned her into a sex crazed shell of a pony." Fluttershy ducked her face into Tree Hugger's mane, sobbing softly. "I know a few in that line of business. Big Dee Jet is well known in the business. He may look like a slime-ball, but from what reports I gather he's always been on the level; though I have heard he specializes in the more extreme stuff" Tree Hugger put her hoof to her face. "It wasn't him I was worried about. That black stallion, Piston Jay, I heard his name before." "The one doing...butt things to that mare?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah. He got convicted of domestic violence, sexual imposition of a filly and use of illegal drugs a few years back. One of my friends in that line of work, Lady Midnight said he's been blacklisted for a while." Tree Hugger scratched her chin. "Wait, what about a filly?" Fluttershy asked. "Occasionally a fifteen or sixteen year old gets caught up in those videos. I don't have all the details cause me and Midnight only see each other a couple times a year at most. Like I said though, I never heard anything bad about Dee Jet." "I guess I got angry over nothing then, will that mare be all right?" Fluttershy looked up into Tree Hugger's eyes, ears visibly forming in then. Tree Hugger embraced Fluttershy in a hug. "Calm down, girl it's fine. The reason I stopped you is well, there are four well built stallions in there and we didn't need you getting hurt. Also that unicorn in the back was charging a spell to hit you with. I'm not too keen on magic, but I bet it was a climax spell." "A what?" Fluttershy pulled away, shocked. "Yeah, it does exactly as it says. From what I heard from Midnight it also REALLY hurts if you're not like, letting nature flow and stuff. I didn't want you to get hurt. As for that mare, she's well, in broken mode" Tree Hugger shook he head somberly and stood up. "Let's go get us some shakerinos. I'll explain after we get some food in my belly. My treat." Tree Hugger stood up, helping Fluttershy stand up. "Y-you sure? I don't want to be a burden" Fluttershy said apprehensively. Tree Hugger smiled. "You're my friend and you look like you been under a lot of stress recently. I can't bear to see you so unhappy ya know? Follow me, I know just the place." Tree Hugger turned down the road into an alley, intentionally avoiding the cafe Dee Jet and his crew were stationed at, Fluttershy close behind. After coming out behind sugar cube corner they headed toward the center of town. Once they got close she took another detour to a small stand close to the center of town, but completely devoid of customers. "Wait, I've been down this street before and this wasn't here" Fluttershy said, noticing that the next street up was the road leading to the quill store Twilight frequented. A stallion appeared at the back of the stall carrying a tub of what looked like strawberry ice cream. He was much shorter than a normal stallion, very thinly built. He had a lighter amber coat with a light orange mane. "Mr. Cake?" Fluttershy said, not being able to see most of the stallions face. The stallion set the tub on the counter and smiled, waving at her. "Fluttershy! How you been?" He then noticed Tree Hugger, her blank lazy stare locked onto Fluttershy. "Oh, I see you've found a special somepony for hearts and hooves day tomorrow" Mr. Cake quickly inspected Tree Hugger with a glance "and a pretty one to boot, but ummm...don't tell my wife that, heh." Fluttershy suddenly felt like she was going to implode on the spot. The blood rushed to her face and she turned away, avoiding eye contact with both Tree Hugger and Mr. Cake. "We, we're j-just friends" Fluttershy said in a barely audible tone. Are you just friends? A nagging thought in the back of Fluttershy's head made her think. She didn't seem to really have that much of an interest in stallions, maybe deep down she really was into mares. She did like Tree Hugger, but wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual or even if it wasn't just a strong kinship with another pony that could talk to animals. A quick glance at Tree Hugger neither confirmed or denied it; her being calm almost all the time made her incredibly hard to read. "You know, I thought there would be more ponies at your stand. Your wife made a killer banana shake yesterday" Tree Hugger said. "Actually, since you both are here I'm kinda stuck. The second freezer broke down and I managed to get all the ice cream in the first one except this last tub of strawberry. I don't have the room and I can't finish it myself, so...you two want some free shakes?" Mr. Cake smiled, shaking the tub from side to side. Fluttershy and Tree Hugger glanced at one another, then back at Mr.Cake. "Never look a gift horse in the mouth" Then both said in unison. "Whoa, we are totally in sync Fluttershy, groovy." Tree Hugger smiled, hopping up onto one of the stool chairs, followed shortly by Fluttershy. "Two titan sized shakes, comin up" Mr. cake said enthusiastically. "So...umm" Fluttershy's mind kept wandering back to the mare at the cafe. She still didn't know if she would be alright. "She'll be fine. She was currently what people in the business call the broken state" Tree Hugger said. Turning toward Fluttershy and seeming to read her mind with her lazy glance. "For the next few days her sex drive will be though the roof. The thing that stallion was doing to her was a treatment to get her mind back to normal. I mean, her sex drive will still be stupid high for the next day or two. Its some kind of leftover drive from when we were more nomadic, some kind of extreme desire to get pregnant if I remember correctly. "So...she just looked like she was in a bad state" Fluttershy had an overwhelming feeling of guilt wash over her. "I feel really bad about jumping to conclusions now." "No, it was completely rational with your limited evidence. Mare breaking is looked down upon, but sometimes it happens accidentally. She will probably make a fortune in recovery funds alone. From what I remember they will probably sign her up with a contract. Mares that end up like her are usually signed on with a nice A class contract. Even if she only does it for a couple years , she's pretty much set for life." Tree Hugger turned her attention to Mr. Cake, who seemed to be having problems with the shake machine. "H-how do you know so much about this?" Fluttershy asked. Tree Hugger sighed. "Years ago, back when I was a university girl I got involved with a group that did porn videos. I was desperate for bits to pay tuition and I was told I could get a thousand bits easily. I well..." "This seems like a touchy subject, are you okay talking about it?" Fluttershy asked, putting her foreleg on Tree Hugger's shoulder. "Nah, it's cool. You have to be honest with your regrets and your friends." Tree Hugger smiled. "I was given an address to a building with no windows on it and after signing some paperwork they introduced me a stallion named Unending, he was older, probably in his early fifties, but oddly really handsome. They told me what was expected of me and that I could bail out at any time if I got nervous. I can't stress this enough that they were really cool about everything." Tree Hugger took a deep breath. "You can stop at any-" Tree Hugger shook her head, interrupting Fluttershy. "No, you asked for an answer and I want no secrets between us. Unending was well known for having incredible stamina. He wasn't really popular per say, but he was a workhorse all the same; kept himself a steady income. He was also very soft spoken and respectful, unlike quite a few of the lower end slime-balls in the business. They set me up with a pair of really gentle warm up stallions-" "Warm up stallions?" Fluttershy asked, almost looking as if she regretted asking it. "They basically set you up on a side bed off camera and do some...really incredible foreplay. They avoid penetration or anything that would make a mare climax, but they leave you hot and ready to do the job. Another mare was ahead of me and just got done warming up." Tree Hugger blushed furiously. "Sorry, those two warm up stallions were REALLY good. I never been pampered that much in my life and I had them both for a whole forty minutes." "That...seems excessively long" Fluttershy said. "It was, but I loved every minute of it. Anyways, the mare ahead of me had a recently treated case of Anorgasmia, a dysfunction where it's incredibly hard to climax if not impossible. I watched as Unending kept at it, trying his hardest to get her to orgasm. All kinds of positions and holes; it nearly gave the poor guy a heart attack. That mare finally managed to climax at the forty-one minute mark, but well..." Mr. Cake set down two twenty inch tall strawberry shakes next to Fluttershy and Tree Hugger. "You two lovebirds enjoy." Fluttershy blushed, followed shortly by Tree Hugger. Tree Hugger took a slurp of her shake, barely getting any in her mouth. "This is really thick. Anyways, she climaxed, but she got stuck in the daze you saw the other mare in. Without treatment it can last for hours on end and is really bad business wise, due to all the payments the studio has to pay out. I was really warmed up and ready to do the dirty, but after watching that mare just break like that...I backed out. Unending was really cool about it though, he probably didn't want to go on anymore as is. He did offer me a quick session with the warmup stallions on camera, but that experience scared me out of ever trying it or going back." "Oh...I'm sorry for making you relive that." Fluttershy took a sip of her shake. "Oh, it's okay. Unending got in contact with me a few days later and took me out for lunch and bought me a really nice dress. Gave me a bag with five hundred bits too. He was really sorry I had to see that happen. I actually kind of miss the old codger." Tree Hugger took another sip from her shake. "So, what ever happened to him?" Fluttershy asked, also taking a sip from her shake as well. "He died not too long after that from heart failure, ran onto another mare with climax problems and pushed himself too hard." Tree Hugger sighed, taking another drink from her shake. "Oh, that's terrible. I guess that line of work has a lot of risks, doesn't it?" Fluttershy asked. "It does, lots of the males run into serious heart, hormone and erectile problems if they do it for too long. Some like Dee Jet get age modification surgery to keep up, but it gets stupid expensive and only makes them crash harder later on. Mares usually end up with problems reproducing or just no longer enjoy it. Some older mares have even ended up being broken and in a coma for months at a time." Tree Hugger took a large gulp from her shake, putting her hoof up to her head to stifle the brain freeze. "It's one of the many reasons I never went back and even if I did I would have only done it for a year or two at most. That job is brutal on the body and soul; it just wasn't my destiny ya know?" Fluttershy lowered her head. "I'll send a letter to Dee Jet later down the line. I should have kept my cool, like you did." "It's fine. Dee Jet is not the kind of guy to go out of his way for vengeance or anything like that, every pony makes mistakes ya know? He might try bribing you with gifts later on though. Just have the mail pony return them to sender; best not even deal with it." Fluttershy and Tree Hugger talked back and fourth about everything from family, animals, finance and even a little bit of politics; a topic Tree Hugger was not much a fan of. Hours flew by and not a single other pony showing up at the stands, the shakes just kept on coming even though both of them commented on how they will go right to their flanks. Before they knew it the evening set on them, then the stars came out. "Girls, it's been great and all, but I have to lock up for the night." Mr. Cake said, staring at the clock that read nine o'clock at night. "Wow, has it been that long?" Fluttershy stared up at the sky. The moon and stars were already out. "I know, time flies with positive vibes" Tree Hugger stared up at the sky, also in awe of how much time passed. Fluttershy got down from the stool and stretched herself out, pointing her wings to the sky and then to the ground before folding them to her sides. "Thank you so much Mr. Cake, I didn't expect that many shakes, come to think of it there was a blueberry one and a banana one mixed in wasn't there?" "Yeah, I noticed that too. How much do I owe you Mr. Cake?" Tree Hugger shook her mane, a small purse falling out onto the counter. "Oh, don't worry about it. Needed to get rid of some of the old stock before it expired anyhow. Hearing you two lovebirds go at it and your smiles was reward enough for me" Mr. Cake said, smiling ear to ear. "I like your positivity Mr. Cake. I like rewarding ponies that go above and beyond." Tree Hugger reached into her bag and pulled out a small rainbow opal, setting it on the counter and pushing it toward Mr. Cake. "A-are you sure? Those are worth over fifty bits easily." Mr. Cake hesitated, not sure if he should take the opal or if Tree Hugger didn't understand the value of what she was giving him. "That's quite a lot Tree, you sure about this?" Fluttershy asked. Tree Hugger got down from the stool, tossing her purse back into her mane. "It's nothing, really. I find weird stuff like that when foraging all the time. Be one with the earth and the earth rewards you back and all that." "T-thank you very much. Stop back any time you want!" Mr. Cake said, ecstatic. "Oh I will, your shakes are the best." Tree Hugger turned her attention to Fluttershy. "Let me walk you home hun, might be a few stallions with less than pure intents out, you know how hormones can get, ya know." "I would be delighted" Fluttershy responded. They both said their goodbyes to Mr. Cake and headed toward the center of town. Most of the stalls were already closed with only a few stragglers busily counting out their tills for the night. There were a few stallions hanging out in back alleys, but none of them seemed very interested in either of them. Either that or staying within the main streets lights kept them away. As they reached the edge of town only the moonlight was left to illuminate the path up to her home. Despite the town being rather full with the shadows of spare stallions out looking for a good time, the outskirts of town didn't even have a single soul; aside from a few police ponies on patrol that is. "You ladies have a nice and safe night. Make sure to stick to the main streets; don't want any hormone driven incidents ya know." One of the police ponies said as they left the town limits. It didn't take long to reach Fluttershy's cottage, they had barely even started discussing the stars when they reached the tiny bridge leading to her home. "So" Tree Hugger scratched one foreleg with another. She seemed somewhat nervous; something completely out of character for her. "I'm gonna go rare herb picking in the Everfree Forrest tomorrow and I was wondering..." Tree Hugger took a deep calming breath. "I remember you saying your finances were less than groovy and was wondering if you would pick up plants with me tomorrow. We can like, split the profits and stuff after. I, uhh scratch your back you scratch mine and ...stuff." Fluttershy didn't know how to respond. She needed the bits, that much was true; but this was far more than just a simple business venture. She may be terrible with social cues, but she wasn't completely blind to them. The light blushing, the nervousness, all of it pointed to either one of two things; she either had a really uncomfortable itch in a private spot or... Holy Luna of the night, is she...asking me out on a date? "Umm, Shy? You okay?" Tree Hugger asked. "Oh, oh yes. I'm fine. I was just spacing out a bit." She is! She IS asking me out on a date! Fluttershy thought. "I would be honored to accompany you. It's a date!" Fluttershy said, barely containing her glee. Tree Hugger smiled the widest smile she had ever seen. "I'll like, pick you up at eleven and stuff, okay?" "See you then! Good night!" Fluttershy said, waving as Tree Hugger walked away. She could barely contain her excitement. She unfurled her wings and performed a double barrel roll in the air followed by a slow decent as she fluttered her wings cheerfully. This was it, this is what she had been missing all along and it was with an amazing mare. Fluttershy turned to her home and walked though the door, casually tossing her empty saddle bags on the hat rack by the door. She hummed a tune as she walked to the fridge, pulling out a small bowl of pre-made salad and setting it on the table. Meanwhile angel managed to start rummaging through her saddlebags, popping up out of them and glaring at Fluttershy when he noticed they were entirely empty. "Oh, the shops in town didn't have any regular goods on sale today. All of it was hearts and hooves day stuff" Fluttershy said as she prepared the salad for Angel. Angel protested, sending her a flurry of signs that read out as a combination of " Why didn't you come back earlier and what did you do all day?" "Oh, I found myself a date!" Fluttershy pirouetted in place, nearly knocking the salad to the floor. Angel tilted his head and with a hearty laugh gave the signs that read out "Oh, that's a really good joke." "It's not a joke, I actually found a special somepony and she asked me out. It was a magical afternoon!" Fluttershy said, barely containing her excitement. Angel opened his mouth, not exactly sure how to phrase his next set of signs to her. He first made and angry face followed by a a female sign. He then made a few more motions with his paws that looked like intercourse, followed by shrugging. "Angel! I am not a confused raging lesbian!" Fluttershy growled. Angel made a few more gestures that spelled out "You just proved my point for me, filly fooler." "Whatever Angel. Even if it turns out I AM a lesbian it's perfectly normal. A whole bunch of mares are that way!" Fluttershy protested, slamming her hoof on the table. Angel rolled his eyes. He began to make signs in an order that took Fluttershy a moment to translate. He made a sign that mean eating, followed pointing at the door. He then made a sign for rainbow and then ran around in a circle quickly. "Scandalous! I will not be eating out Rainbow Dash on a regular basis! Besides, Rainbow Dash isn't a lesbian, she's just sporty is all." Fluttershy crossed her forelegs angrily. Angel put both paws up to his ears , made a poor impersonation of a horse neigh followed by a motion that looked like he was about to take a dump on the floor. "It is not horse shi-" Fluttershy stopped herself, inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "You know what Angel, I will not have you ruin this day for me. I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning when you stopped being a jackrabbit about this." She opened her eyes and walked across he room and up the stairs. It didn't matter what Angel said, she was going to do her best to make tomorrow the best day ever. She climbed the stairs and opened the door to her room. It was already pitch dark, but the moonlight from her window illuminated her bed and any obstacles to it. She climbed into bed, a smile across her face and closed her eyes. I hope she's the one. I really hope she is... > Chapter II: Finding Balance > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter II: Finding Balance *Paw paw paw* Fluttershy wiggled her nose, brushing something fuzzy and soft from it. *Paw Paw Paw* There it was again, something small and fuzzy was poking her on the muzzle around her nose. It kind of smelled too, oddly like...mare spunk or very dense sweat. *Smack!* The stinging sensation made her open her eyes immediately. She sat up, rubbing her cheek, her eyes still trying to focus on what hit her. Sitting on top of her blankets at chest level was Angel bunny, his fur seemingly drenched on one side. It wasn't just drenched, it smelled really odd, like rotten pretzels mixed with sweat. There was something else, it felt squishy underneath her tail and legs. She motioned for Angel to get off of her and he did, cursing under his breath. She removed the blanket off her legs and immediately regretted it. The smell of mare spunk filled the room, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. It was all over the bottom half of the bed, on her back legs and up most of her waist. Some bits of it had even congealed on her hooves to make what could only be described as mare fluid jello. She rolled out of bed, the squishy feeling making her feel ill. The stuff was all over the place; In her bed sheets, her blanket, all over her legs both fore and rear. Some of it had even stained the mattress all the way through to the bottom. Not only was the bed basically completely ruined, the smell emanating from it had to be some kind of record; one that could only possibly be topped by how much mare spunk was all over the bed. She tried to figure out what had happened. She knew that younger fillies could have a wet dream and do this kind of damage; she had done it some years ago as a teenager. All mares and stallions eventually did, usually requiring the replacement of the entire bed set. However, it had been years since she did it last and there was no way her pitiful sex drive could produce so much gunk. It had to be early on when sleeping as well. Most of it was still partially damp, but the vast majority was congealed. A tug on her back leg broke her out of her train of thought. Angel motioned in no uncertain terms that he wanted words with her. Fluttershy stared at Angel and Angel stared back at her. Part of her wanted to laugh at how he managed to get covered in her juices, but the other part knew better. She was already in hot water with him and she was prepared for the storm. Angel began firing of gestures rapid fire. He explained to her that in the middle of the night she started leaking, spraying him all over one side with mare juices; like a shower of disgusting horse heat. He then insinuated no less than four times that she was a dirty whore and needed to get laid really badly if she blew musk all over her bed like a fucking garden hose. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're angry with me, but to be perfectly fair it's not like I wanted to shower you with horse musk." Fluttershy watched Angels reaction, which was another handful of signs that read 'horse shit'. To be honest with herself though, she really wanted to laugh; he kind of deserved it for being a jerk all the time. "Oh dear, what time is it?!" Fluttershy stared at the wall opposite her bed. The clock read three quarters past nine. She didn't have much time to prepare before Tree arrived. "How about a nice shower with me Angel? It will help get all the ummm...horse smell off you." Angel made a few gestures asking her weather it was a regular shower with water, soap and shampoo or a kinky shower when she blows her horse musk all over him again; like a garden hose. He made another set of signs that read out 'I'm not into that kinky shit'. "Regular shower. Also you shouldn't tell any of your animal friends about this incident. You know, better for both of us that way" Fluttershy said. Angel made a few more gestures about how he was going to tell all her animal friends how much of a secret filthy slut-nugget she was. How she could barely contain her sex drive and sprayed innocent animals with her loin fluids. He then made gestures that signified that he may keep his silence, for a modest bribe. "Well, you go ahead then. I'm not too sure you would like all the animals calling you a 'musk rat' when they find out who sprayed you down like a garden hose" Fluttershy said in a coy manner, smiling that she got the better of the him. Angel stood there for a few seconds, his mouth agape at the insult Fluttershy gave him. He then made more gestures that read 'that's playing really dirty' and 'clever girl'. "Well, you don't live with a smart ass rabbit for years and not learn an insult or two. Ready for a shower?" Fluttershy asked. Angel scratched at his musk dried fur and frowned, sending gestures at Fluttershy that said quite blatantly that we should get on that before he smells like pony vagina forever. "Might get you a date with a stallion if you kept that scent, I mean it's not like I ever see you with a lady rabbit." Fluttershy laughed, it wasn't often that she manged to get Angel to walk right into multiple jokes, but when he did she was going to milk it for all it was worth. Angel put his finger up and snorted at Fluttershy, crossing his arms. He then moved his paw up, flipping Fluttershy the bird. "May as well, I mean you already know what home plate feels like right?" Fluttershy giggled as she walked out of the room, thoroughly satisfied with her last insult. Angel soon following her, grumbling curses under his breath. Fluttershy walked out of her room and into the adjacent bathroom across the hall. It wasn't much of a bathroom, at least not compared to some of her friends. Rarity having a Jacuzzi in hers, Twilight's having small library or Pinkie Pie's oven and...cooking supplies? Fluttershy shook her head, realizing that her home may as well be normal for all the strange things her friends had. It was kind of crowded, the sink and mirror being just a few feet from the shower stall, but at least the tub at the end was large enough. "Oh, that would feel good..." Fluttershy had the slightest inclination to run herself a nice hot bubble bath, but sadly it would take almost twenty minutes to draw the water at least. Taking into account how long she usually soaked in one, it was entirely out of the question. She opened up the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and stared at her shampoo selection. "What would be best for getting rid of mare funk?" She scanned her limited selection. She had peach sunset, summer waves and winter pine varieties. She wanted something that would get out he smell, but didn't know which one was best. Each of them had their own unique smell, but her body reeked and she didn't want to mess up her date by smelling like a combination of musty old shoes and funk. Angel tugged on her tail, getting her attention. He then gave the gesture that she should probably use them all at once. "I guess that could work. I'll scrub it into you first if you return the favor?" Fluttershy asked, grabbing all the shampoo varieties out of the medicine cabinet. Angel nodded in agreement, though begrudgingly. Fluttershy slid open the shower door. It was a small shower, baby blue in color and only five feet squared, but it got the job done. Fluttershy walked into the shower stall, Angel close behind her. She slid the shower door closed and reached for the handle to the hot water. Just before her hoof touched it she had the strangest sensation. It was like a sudden surge of power toward her head. It felt light she was flexing a muscle...but located in her brain? The sensation left her almost as quickly as it came, leaving her standing there pondering what it was. She figured it was possibly a side effect of what happened in her sleep last night. That much mare juice was probably a world record somewhere and took a lot out of her while she slept. She turned the hot water handle until it reached the correct setting. Streams of water poured out of the above shower head onto her and Angel, quickly steaming up the shower. She motioned Angel toward her and into the jet of water. She picked up each individual bottle one at a time and squeezed the contents of each bottle onto his back. She then picked up a small scrub ball out of the corner of the stall and began to rub Angel's back. The rabbit tapped his foot rapidly in appreciation. The shampoo's mixed together and began to lather, changing into a brownish red color. At first she thought that maybe Angel would protest and crack a joke about how the shampoo was now brown; insinuating she was into some kind of disgusting scat play. However, he seemed just content to have the mare spunk cleaned out of his fur. She slowly scrubbed down the small rabbit, being meticulous about getting behind his ears. A few minutes passed and Angel has rinsed all the remaining shampoo from his coat. He turned and gave a an appreciated thumbs up, commenting on how he liked the smell being like fruit and pine trees growing by the ocean. "Ok, do me- scrub me next." She had to pay attention to how she phrased things with Angel; she really didn't want to give him any ammunition. Angel rolled his eyes and gestured that he was far above going after low hanging fruit. He did however comment on how the bed might fulfill her wishes. Immediately following a gesture that said 'oh you wish I would do you'. Fluttershy giggled. "Fair is fair I guess. Wash my mane and back first." Fluttershy laid down in the shower. The water flowing over her mane. The rabbit grabbed the three bottles and jumped on her back, setting them down between her wings. He then picked up each of the bottle individually and put a dab at the base of her mane. He then laid down between her wings and put his large back feet up. He pushed his back legs into her mane, spreading and mixing the shampoo around. He then tucked his back feet under her mane and kicked rapidly, lathering the shampoo in mere seconds. "I love how you do that" Fluttershy said, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation. He may be just a rabbit, but he knew what she liked and how to be efficient about it. She got clean and a professional level massage Angel went about repeating the same routine on her back, wings and chest; Fluttershy assisting him by getting her legs and belly. "You know for a jackrabbit you can be sweet sometimes. I just wish you would chill out with the tough guy attitude all the time." Fluttershy said. Angel replied by chattering with his teeth, speaking to her in a form of morse code since his paws and back feet were busy finishing up one of her wings. After a moment of deciphering Angels chattering Fluttershy repeated what he had said, making sure she got the translation right. "I see, you think that because I'm a overly kind that I need a strong friend that will say no for me. Did I read that right?" Angel chattered the morse code for yes. Angel rinsed the last bit of shampoo off Fluttershy's wing. He then turned toward the mare and locked gaze with hers. He took a deep breath and began to gesture at her. He pointed to his wrist, followed by pointing at Fluttershy. He then clasped his paws together then forming them into a heart. He continued gesturing until he ended with pointing at himself. "Oh, Angel." Fluttershy leaned forward to nuzzle the small rabbit. "Even if my date with Tree Hugger went that far, you would still be my friend. I wouldn't abandon you just because I was in love. I promise." She then stood up, realizing that here was one place she hadn't yet cleaned up; her private areas and tail. "Angel...C-could you possibly?" Fluttershy spread her legs and lifted her tail out of the way, exposing her sex to the small rabbit. Just the thought of asking him was embarrassing, even though he had done it in the past. "It's kind of hard to reach back there." Angel stood there, staring up into Fluttershy's private parts. The water flowed down each side of her sex, only the smallest stream actually flowing in between the slit. This wasn't the first time she asked him to help her out, but this time he just couldn't do it. The memory of sleeping on her tail, only to be awoken by moaning and a blast of mare musk to his side was still fresh in his memory. Angel shook his head, giving the gesture that he was not in the mood to be climaxed on like last night. He turned away, opening the shower door and slipped through, closing it behind him. "I guess I can't blame him. It's not everyday you see a mare Climax in her sleep, let alone be the unwilling participant." Fluttershy stood there for a moment. The rest of her body was as clean as it could possibly be. However, she could still smell the musk coming from her tail, flanks and sex. As she tried to figure out how to go about washing herself she had the shortest of dizzy spells. It was a sensation like from earlier, but this time it felt as if her back legs was...thinking?" Okay, this is really weird she thought to herself. It was like her entire brain was located in her back leg, but only for less than a millisecond. It was kind of annoying, but not exactly life threatening. She pondered that maybe she should go see a doctor about it after her date. Her proximity to Everfree could give her exposure to all kinds of weird aliments; even exotic pollen could make her sick. "Oh, I hope I'm not coming down with something." She outright couldn't afford being bedridden, least of all with her financial situation. "Best not worry about it." Fluttershy picked up each bottle once more and mixed together each shampoo. She then spread it all over her tail, making sure to put another dabs here and there to cover it all. She slowly rocked her forelegs back and forth, pushing the shampoo as deep into her tail hairs as she could. She then stood up and pressed the tail against her back legs with her forelegs; using it as a makeshift scrubber. She moved it up and down until she was satisfied with the results, switching it to the other leg and repeating the process. Then came the hard part; cleaning her private areas, starting with her bum. She could reach back there and manually scrub using her tail, but it took both of her forelegs to do it and she much disliked being face first on the shower floor in such a compromising position; especially if Angel were to see here like that. "Oh, that could work!" Fluttershy pushed her tail up against the wall, making it bunch up into a ball and began to move her rear end up and down. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before. My tail is long enough for this with ease-" Fluttershy saw a flash of an image. A pony that was shrouded in black was penetrating her rectum, followed by her screaming in pain. The image was gone a mere second or two later, but the pain...oh the pain was unimaginable. It quickly faded, but she had never thought her body could hurt that much. For a split second it was like a chainsaw forcefully stuck up her rear and turned on. She just barely managed to right herself before falling over from the sheer shock. "What was that?" She tried to remember exact details of what she just saw, but the memory seemed fragmented or damaged somehow. She remembered a very faint memory of Princess Luna telling her to see her later for counseling, but she couldn't figure out why she would need such a thing in the first place. "She only ever comes into dreams if there was a nightmare, but I don't remember having one." Fluttershy stood there, the water rinsing off her tail and backside. "I'm pretty sure I had a wet dream I don't recall, but Luna was there...it doesn't make-" Fluttershy put her hoof over her mouth. "I didn't seduce Luna did I? How scandalous...I hope that's not the case. Last thing I need is reporters here trying to get a story about lesbian relations with the princess of the night." Fluttershy pulled her tail up to her face and inhaled. There was still the smallest hint of mare spunk still in it, most likely due to her using her tail as a makeshift rag. After a few more dabs of shampoo and completing the cycle all over again; the smell was completely gone. "Good, I no longer smell like a filly in heat" She said, putting her tail down. She turned the knob on the shower, turning the water off, slid open the door and stepped out. Sitting on the sink was a towel, most likely set out by Angel. "He's so thoughtful sometimes." Deep down she had the slightest bit of guilt. She thought it was just plain jealousy coming from Angel, but it was really fear of abandonment, of being no longer in her life. She thought it was odd, that a creature so dead set on keeping up his bad boy attitude was really a softie deep down. Fluttershy took the towel off the sink and began to dry herself off, humming a tune to herself. She moved the toweled to her backside, drying off the fur just below her sex when another flash occurred. She was laying on her back in a mostly dead field. A shadow that looked much like another mare was on top of her. There seemed to be small ..tendrils or objects going into her private parts. "At last, that voice comes out. See, this isn't so bad is it?" The image said in a voice that sounded familiar, but somewhat off. Fluttershy blinked and found herself holding the towel to her backside. For a split second it felt like she was ready to climax, but it faded away just as fast. It had only been maybe a second or two by her judgement, but it was much longer in her mind. "What is going on?" This flash had a slight tinge of terror to it, but nowhere near the pain of the last one; this one was almost pleasant. Was she having flashbacks to some other dream or was this parts of a nightmare she had forgotten? The details seemed to fade just as quickly as they came, just like the last one. Fluttershy finished drying herself off, being somewhat cautious around any part of her body even remotely related to sex. "Something is wrong with me, but I don't have the slightest clue." Face your fears... The voice of Luna popped in her head as she stared in the mirror. Words she faintly remembered from her dream last night. "She's right, I won't let this ruin my date!" Fluttershy turned toward the door and tossed the damp towel into the hamper by the door. She crossed the hallway into her room and stood in front of the large mirror by her bed; which didn't smell as bad as before. She noticed a white powder all over the bed, an empty bottle laid on the floor nearby. She picked up the bottle and turned it over. "Baby powder?" This must have been Angels doing. It wasn't exactly a permanent solution, but the room no longer smelled like and orgy happened in it. Fluttershy stared at herself in the mirror. This was the first date in her entire life, she finally found a pony that loved her for being herself. However, as she stared at the reflection in the mirror a sense of dread overtook her; she had no idea how to act on a date. She had seen old films, mostly very tacky detective movies about love, but she was quite sure that would never work. She picked up her hairbrush on the nightstand beside the mirror and began to brush her hair, all the while going over in her head what she should and should not do. Should I be extra flirty? She was sure that it wasn't her body that Tree Hugger was attracted to, but most likely her personality and vibes she put off. She literally had no kind of experience in flirting as it was, nor the confidence to even try it. No, flirting was off the table, at least any excessive flirting. Should I...make myself sexually available? She had heard that some mares skip the pleasantries and go right for the physical part. Being that forward or driven was just not in her nature. No other pony in her family was like that either, her parents and grandparents all took it slow from what she could remember. Neither of them even had foals until they were almost together for half a decade. There was also the danger of taking it far too fast. She really liked Tree Hugger, both as a friend and a potential lover. She didn't want to ruin her chances by seeming desperate. Should I wear something? Makeup or a bow, maybe even a sundress? She didn't exactly have much in the way of clothing, her daily routine made wearing such things completely impractical. She did however have a few dresses made by Rarity, but they were far too heavy, hot and flashy to wear casually. They were also going into the Everfree Forrest, it would be prudent to not wear anything that could get caught on a stump or branch. She could possibly bring bug spray, but it was too early in spring for any of the biting insects to really be a problem yet. How would my friends react? Would it drive us apart? The though of her friends reacting negatively was something she had to consider. She was pretty sure Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Twilight would be completely fine with her decision, but others she wasn't so sure about. Rarity always seemed a little bit distraught when Tree was around, she could see in her face that she thought Tree had no fashion sense and while she was never openly hostile to her; she also avoided conversation with her as well. Applejack might have a few words about it though. She was born into a very conservative farm family and her experiences told her that she wasn't too happy about filly fooling in general. Again, she wasn't openly hostile about it, she just didn't understand the point. The reaction from the towns folk would be a mixed bag. Spike would be indifferent as would the cakes, most of the local weather ponies would probably not care, though Thunderlane would probably be sad though more for not getting to home plate with her or Tree; being the horn dog playboy he was. Lyra and Bonbon would probably be ecstatic about them, being the towns most openly lesbian couple. Even the Cloud sisters would be for them as both of them were bisexual as is. Most of the town would either be indifferent or supporting with only a very loud minority protesting them being together. Maybe she should count her blessings that a little out in nowhere town was so accepting of others compared to more rural areas. Do..do I really love her or am I just being desperate? Can I really see myself living with her the rest of my life? This was the hardest question she could ask herself. It was true that despite having so many animal friends there was a void in her life that needed filled. friends were friends, but a lover shared a much deeper connection and commitment than just simple friendship. She really did think that Tree Hugger would make an amazing special somepony. They had some key differences in experiences. Tree Hugger was far more well traveled and knew much more about botany than she did. However, she was much better at talking with animals and problem solving while Tree Hugger was a bit more impulsive and cunning. The last part of her question nipped at the back of her mind, could she envision herself living with her; maybe even growing old with her. She knew that she liked Tree, maybe even loved. She just didn't have enough information to work with. Was it just a passing attraction to her or a more long lasting attraction, a soulmate? I think I may be being a bit silly. Honestly it's only the first date Fluttershy thought to herself. She finished brushing her mane and moved onto her tail, that last question in her mind begging to be answered. Yes, she did love her, but no, she had no idea if it would last. This first date would have to answer a lot of questions. She finished brushing the knots from her tail and set the brush down on the nightstand. She took a long gaze in the mirror. Part of her still didn't see what the physical or mental attraction to her was. She was a timid, poor mare living next to one of the most dangerous Forrest's on the entire planet. She wasn't particularly ugly nor exceptionally sexy. Others offered so much more than she did, but Tree Hugger chose her and she didn't understand why. "I-I guess I just need to have faith in myself...and face my fears." *Gwwrroolll* A sudden growl from her stomach broke her out of her self criticism cycle. "Or I need to stop overthinking this and get some food in me." Fluttershy glanced over herself one more time in the mirror before leaving the room and heading downstairs. As soon as she made it downstairs she noticed that Angel had already set out a few carrots for her on a plate and was busy filling a picnic basket. "How thoughtful of you, wait a second..." She realized that there must be some ulterior motive for Angel being so nice to her. He was nice on occasion, but no several time in a row like the last two days. "You're gonna ask me for something aren't you?" Fluttershy asked. Angel stuck his head out of the basket and nodded. He then gave a series of gestures indicating that he only wanted three things from her. The first was quite obviously food, his gestures indicating he wanted a full size apple pie to himself with whipped cream on top. "Okay, reasonable enough" Fluttershy responded. He then made another set of gestures and sounds indicating quite rudely that she needed to get laid tonight so she didn't hose him down in her sleep again. "First dates don't always lead to sex, Angel. I don't think me or Tree are going to make that kind of move on the first date." Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "Besides that kind of thing in involuntary anyways; I can't stop it." Angel made a set of gesture indicating that she was indeed still a whore and that he would be wearing his raincoat to bed tonight if that was the case. He also made a gesture that was him with his paws folded under his head and his eyes shut, followed by holding his nose. "Insult aside, you're right. That baby powder is only covering up the smell; the bed itself is still most likely ruined." Fluttershy put her hoof under her chin and thought hard. She remembered that the Apple's were selling the old guest bed and getting a new one because the frame was falling apart on it. "I have an idea." Fluttershy rushed over to a piece of parchment stuck on the fridge and turned it over. She them grabbed a pencil out of the kitchen draw and began to write with her lips. "Dear Applejack, I was wondering if you would be so kind to sell me the extra bed on an IOU? I don't need the frame it's just an accident has rendered my old mattress...unusable. It would be a big help to me if you could have Big Mac lug it to my home sometime this evening; assuming he doesn't have plans for hearts and hooves day that is. If not an IOU could you maybe work a deal out with me? Just send a note back with Angel with your suggestions and if the IOU is okay Angel will let you in to swap them." Fluttershy read over the letter, making sure she didn't miss anything. "I guess I could ask that as well." "PS: Alternatively, is there any home remedy to remove mare musk from a mattress? I umm, had a accident I guess." Fluttershy wondered if telling Applejack what had happened was the right thing to do. It couldn't hurt though, she wasn't a very gossip driven pony, unlike Rainbow Dash or Rarity, both of which could have her business out on the town in minutes. "Angel, I have a special mission for you while I'm out today. I need you take this letter and give it to Apple Jack for me." Fluttershy rolled up the bit of parchment and handed it toward Angel. Angel raised and eyebrow and gestured at what his paw, quite obviously asking what his payment would be for such a long trip. "Your payment would be not sleeping on the floor because there's not much room on my couch and getting that apple pie you wanted. I mean, unless you like sleeping on hardwood or a rabbit hole..."Fluttershy said, slowly moving the letter away from him. Angel grabbed the letter from her hooves and gestured a quick obscenity toward her, quickly followed by a a gesture that signaled that she had won. He jumped out of the basket and onto the table, gesturing that he will run this over to Applejack's real quick. "Be safe, I don't suggest you take he direct path there through town. There was yellow jacket nest in the dead tee by the road the last time I was up that way" Fluttershy warned. Angel just stared at her for a brief moment, putting one paw in his bicep and flexing it then gesturing that he wasn't afraid of no punk yellow jackets. He then turned around and jumped out the open window near the door, dashing off down the path leading into town. Fluttershy shook her head. Somehow she knew she would be pulling out stingers from an overconfident rabbit later on in the day. "I wonder what he packed in the basket?" Fluttershy opened he top of the basket and peered inside. There was a small bag of baby carrots, a couple dozen small radishes, four bundles of celery, two pudding cups and some cream cheese. "Not bad actually. Could use a bread product though." Fluttershy reached on top of her fridge and pulled down a bag filled with raisin bread, tossing it into the basket. She then looked up at the clock, it was nearly a quarter to eleven. "Oh my, I need to down these carrots and get moving." Fluttershy leaned over the table and picked up the carrot in her mouth. As she shoved it down her mouth to take a bite she felt a sudden surge of pain, followed by a flash of light. She saw a female figured pony cloaked in shadow with what looked like little devil horns behind her ears. Behind her was a dark cloudy sky, but more importantly there was something deep in her mouth all the way down her throat. She looked down to find that a thick rigid cock was in her mouth, further down than what any sane pony would deem safe. She could barely breathe, she could also feel some kind of liquid pumping down the shaft from the bottom of the member by feeling it pass her bottom lip. It was some kind of watery substance that burned like coals in her throat and tasted oddly like sour grapes. The shadow mare shot her a sinister grin. She then could feel the girth of the member in her mouth thicken, pushing her esophagus to it's breaking point. She couldn't breathe and the pain was unbearable. With a single thrust she felt her lower jaw break and vast amounts of red light leaving her mouth and into the shadowy figure, then another flash. For a split second she could feel the residual pain in her jaw. She gasped for air as she pulled the carrot from her mouth. I don't get it, what exactly happened? It was quite obvious that she had gone through a traumatic event at some point, but why was she remembering it now? "Did I have a nightmare and forget most of it?" It was the only conclusion she could make. She remembered what she dreamed about early on and then suddenly Luna. Either her mind was making things up or something happened last night; with Luna being related to it. "Don't let it ruin your day, eat and get ready." Fluttershy shoved the carrot in her mouth and chewed for a few seconds, swallowing the whole thing in one go. As she picked up the next carrot she had an odd sensation, her tail twitched and then there was no feeling in it. Before she could inspect it, feeling had come back to it. "Okay this is just getting weird" Fluttershy growled. Breathe deep, don't let it get to you... *Knock Knock* "C-come in!" Fluttershy yelled! The door opened and Tree Hugger walked in. "Hey, you ready to frolic through natures grace?" Tree Hugger said enthusiastically. Wow Fluttershy thought. Here she was going about things lightly, but Tree looked like she meant business. She had a double set of saddlebags on her back, one bag with what looked like reference books in it, another with tools sticking out of it, another filled with food and an empty one on back right. She had a blue bandanna around her neck and her dreadlock styled mane was in a large ponytail at the back of her head; being held in place by a yellow bandanna with printed flowers on it. She actually looks kind of adorable, yet sporty at the same time. Those eyebrows really accentuate her eye color. "Oh, uhhh, sure." Fluttershy grabbed the basket by her and made for the door. She quickly tossed the pair of her own saddlebags over her back, placing the basket of food in one of them. "Calm down, no need to rush-" Tree stopped mid sentence, turning her head sideways at Fluttershy. "Shy, I'm getting really weird vibes from you. Like your energy is jumbled and all over the place, kinda like discord but somehow less orderly." "Oh , It's probably nothing. maybe something I ate" Fluttershy lied. Tree gave her a long soft stare, as if she was looking deep into her soul for an answer. She felt as if Tree knew she was lying to her, but didn't want to speak up about it. Tree gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay then, lets get to it!" Fluttershy could feel it; that nonchalant dismissal of hers seemed forced. She was always more in tune with nature than her and could most certainly feel something was off. Why she didn't push the point confused her though, maybe she was giving her the benefit of the doubt? Or was it because she didn't want to pry to much into personal matters. "Fluttershy?" Tree said, noticing Fluttershy space out. "Oh, I'm fine. I was just thinking of where we can start at. There's a meadow not to far from here that had a lot of basic herbs we can get easily." She knows I'm lying, I can feel it Fluttershy thought, giving a fake laugh and waving her foreleg in a vain attempt to push the lie. "Well, lead the way" Tree said, enthusiastically. Fluttershy nodded and headed out the door, Tree Hugger close behind. "So, this spot. What kind of herbs we talkin about?" Tree Hugger asked. "Mostly common stuff. Silverleaf, Hailbloom, Coppercap mushrooms, actually I think Fire truffles may grow near there as well; though by this time of the year the local boars have already dug all the easily accessible ones up." Fluttershy went over the herbs she could think of in her head. "Those are nice, but only the Fire Truffles really sell for anything and even then only maybe ten bits a pound." Tree Hugger opened one of her bags and pulled out a book titled 'Natures Gold'. She laid it flat on the floor and turned the pages, some dust flying off the edges as she turned the pages. "How old is this book?" Fluttershy asked coughing a few times as she waved the dust away from her face. "It's been in the family for a dozen or so generations. It has a lot of details and personal notes about plants that you just can't find anywhere else. Including how to get some of the more dangerous rewards out of them safely." Tree stopped turning the page and let the dust clear. Fluttershy examined the page closely. On the left was an entry for a plant she had seen before, but never actually knew it's name. The picture looked sort of like a very fluffy sea urchin, but one that had an entry below warning of an incredibly potent toxin it secrets. "I think I seen this plant before. It's kind of deep into the Everfree Forrest though, near the castle of the two sisters." Fluttershy continued to read the plants description, including it's name. "Lions mane, roughly about seventy bits per ounce of poison collected from it. Used in anti-venom's for all kinds of snake bites, earth ponies are immune to it, but pegasus ponies can die from a sting. If we find them I'll do the harvesting, but look on the other page and the pages after, those are where the big money is." Tree pointed to the opposite page. There was an illustration of a very large yellow cylinder covered in sharp protrusions all over it surface. "Yellow Grenadier?" Fluttershy asked. "Each plant has a rareness classification from one to ten. Lions mane is about a seven or so. Anything past that page are nine and up, with the last few pages being elevens or plants thought long extinct." Tree kept turning the pages until it reached the last four or so at the back of he book. "This one for example is called the Dragons Lava. The last one seen alive was well over a century ago. The plants burrow deep into the ground and find gold to cover their seedlings in. The shininess of the gold would attract birds to the seed pods and the birds would disperse them." Tree let out a sigh. "Sadly prospectors would take all the seeds the plant made and not plant any of them. The plants themselves only make a single pod in their entire lives and they soon went extinct from greed." Tree picked the book from off the floor and stuffed it back in her bags. "There should be more rare stuff a couple miles into the Forrest itself. I've heard stories about the dangerous stuff that lives in there, so stay close to me okay?" "So long as we don't cross the Lucoa Hot Springs then we should be alright. Much more beyond that point and we will start running into the Lost zone..." Fluttershy scratched behind her head nervously. "Lost Zone?" Tree asked. "I've only ever been that far in once and it was terrifying. Hydras, wasps the size of footballs, even the occasional dinosaur." Fluttershy scratched her foreleg with her other nervously. "The rarest animals and plants can be found here, but it's incredibly dangerous past that point; many notable explorers have never returned." Tree put her hoof to her chin. "Well, we will see how far we need to go in. Hopefully not that far. Shall we get going?" Fluttershy nodded, closing the door behind her when she heard very angry clucking. "Oh, if you will excuse me a second, I forgot to feed the chickens!" "No problem, I'll help" Tree said enthusiastically. Somethings off about her today. A pony that dedicated to animals wouldn't just let something as important and routine as feeding skip her mind that easily. Tree thought as she followed Fluttershy out back toward the chicken coup. Fluttershy opened the chicken coup and walked in, grabbing a bag of chick peas by the fencing as she walked in, Tree following her lead and doing the same. The chickens seemed, erratic at best. Some of them didn't seem to recognize Fluttershy while others did, but seemed to keep their distance. They feel something is wrong with her as well... Tree watched as Fluttershy began to disperse the feed around the yard. She kept getting the strangest vibes from her. It's wasn't like she wasn't herself, but that her energy was jumbled and chaotic, like her friend, Discord. Best act nonchalant, so I can keep an eye on her... Tree put her hoof into the bag and scooped some feed out, sprinkling it around her as the grateful chickens swarmed her and seemingly ignoring Fluttershy. "It seemed they really like you Tree." Fluttershy said as she watched the chickens surround tree in a tornado of feathers. She suddenly felt a tug on her wing, but before she could see what had tugged her she had another flash. She was in the same position as earlier, with her jaw and throat on fire from the mare above her. She stared up into he creatures face, a face full of nothing but malice. She then felt a hard member from before push into her anus, the pain making her scream in agony; like someone turned on an industrial blender in her butt. Then she felt a sickening crack and a shooting pain up her back and rectum. Her wing flopped to the side, twisted the wrong way and useless. The stallion pumping into her anus had been using it for leverage, his last painful hump snapping it like a twig. Another flash brought her back to her senses. The pain in her wing was extreme, but fleeting. She scanned the ground for what had pulled her wing. A few feet away was a chicken giving her the saddest of glances. This little chicken knew something was wrong with her. Oh no, even the animals feel some things is amiss. Tree didn't see that did she!? Fluttershy turned her head toward Tree, thankfully a couple of chickens seemed to had perched on her muzzle, blocking her line of sight as they headbutted her affectionately. "Your chickens seem to really dig me Shy" Tree said,laughing as the feathers tickled her nose. "Oh, they do that. They like meeting new ponies. I guess you put off all the right vibes." It actually almost hurt to say those words. She knew the chickens were avoiding her. Aside from a couple very worried ones staring at her the rest seemed to not want to look her direction or intentionally avoided her path. She would have to tell Tree sooner rather than later that something was seriously wrong with her. I'll tell her at lunch... She really didn't want to ruin the date by worrying her, but Tree was incredibly perceptive even though her calm somewhat relaxed demeanor betrayed that part of her. "Okay, I think they have enough for the day. I feel so silly letting that slip my mind like that" Fluttershy gave a fake smile as she made her way out of the coup. Tree picked up one of the chickens from her muzzle and set them down. She watched as they all glanced nervously toward Fluttershy and then back to her. They feel it too. Shy is sick on the inside and she's doing her best to not worry me. Tree watched as Fluttershy put the bag of chick peas down outside the coup. She then returned her gaze to the chickens, nodding that she too knew Fluttershy was in trouble. "If you play with the chickens all day we won't get any work done, silly" Fluttershy said. "I almost wish getting paid for animal play-dates was a thing. I could hang with these lovely ladies all day." Tree smiled, picking another chicken off her back. "Sorry girls, I got work to do. See you all later okay?" Tree nodding at the chickens and they nodded back. She mumbled under her breath that she would make sure Fluttershy was okay before leaving the coup. "You ready to roll?" Tree asked. "Only if it's in the grass with you!" Fluttershy responded, her terrible attempt at flirting quite obvious. "That was adorable hun, bit on the nose, but you know I wouldn't mind that." Tree replied. They each gave the other a smile and headed toward the treeline into the Everfree Forrest. *** "I found some more over here!" Tree yelled, waving down Fluttershy. "It's a big one too!" It hadn't been a half hour since they reached the meadow and Tree was already moving like a mare possessed. In just a matter of minutes she had already spotted and collected eight whole pounds of Fire Truffle and an additional two pounds of the far more rare Blizzard Truffle; something she didn't expect entirely since the local fauna usually ate those during the winter months. Meanwhile she had been keeping herself occupied with the less expensive herbs. Silver Leaf, Kings Blood, three dozen or so Bronze Cap mushrooms and oddly enough a single Lunar blossom, a flower that typically only grew much further into the Forrest around the old castle. "That makes another two pounds of Blizzard truffle shy! This spot is loaded!" Tree yelled, barely containing her excitement. By her estimates she had collected maybe forty or so bits in the common stuff and an additional eighty or so from the Lunar blossom. Tree on the other hoof was quite possibly approaching the five hundred mark. The key difference being is that Tree's finds would require a trip to Canterlot to sell while hers could be easily sold locally. The locals of Ponyville just couldn't afford the more expensive truffles, well, maybe Rarity and Mr. Rich though he would most likely push her where she found them. She scanned the ground looking for more herbs, but all she could seem to find were more mushrooms and some snake-root, which no sane pony would buy. She looked up and watched Tree move like lightning, she seemed to not have an end to her stamina. It wasn't that she couldn't keep up with her, she could if she was feeling well, but as they made their way to this clearing kept getting more and more strange sensations. She would get a sensation where her heart would skip a beat followed by her wings not wanting to work. She would go to move her leg only to have her tail twitch or her wing flap. "I think I need to sit down for a moment." Fluttershy sat on her haunches and something pricked her right on the side of her vulva. She saw a flash of light and again taken back to the burned out clearing from before. This time was slightly different. There was nothing really sexual going on, but her entire body hurt something fierce. Her jaw was loose, her wing in tatters and an extreme amount of pain coming from her hips, sex and ribs. She tried to move , but there was no response from her body. All she could see was a red mist hanging around her, some of it flowing into her and some just floating like kicked up dust. There seemed to be flecks of blue and green floating around in it. Every time a green or blue one passed close to her it would absorb into her body. the sensation made her feel a little bit better, it dulled the pain and the more that entered her body the better she felt. With a flash of light the image came back to reality. "Are you okay?" Tree asked, only being a few feet behind Fluttershy. "I heard you yelp in pain like somepony hit you with a log." There was a pain in her backside, but she couldn't see what it was. "I think I sat on something sharp but it's umm...in a very private place." Fluttershy blushed. She could feel where the pain was coming from, but it was in a spot she couldn't reach on her own. She was hesitant to ask tree to remove it. "I...I think something sharp poked me in the well...the lips area and it really hurts." Whatever it was that pinched her was actually quite painful. "lift your tail for me hun." Tree approached Fluttershy, but noticed that her face was beat red. She was clearly nervous about showing her private parts to another pony, even another female. "I...okay." Fluttershy lifted her tail to the side, blushing furiously as she exposed herself in front of Tree. Tree leaned in to get a better look and saw something black moving around. Upon further inspection she noticed it was a wood borer beetle. It had it's two pincers on its head grabbing between Fluttershy's labia and vulva. "Looks like you sat on a beetle hun and he's none to happy with you." He didn't seem to have a very tight grip on her, but she imagined that that must be painful. "Can you get him off me?" Fluttershy asked, wincing in pain. "I'll try to coax him off you, this may tickle a bit though." Tree reached into one of her bags, pulling out a wide stroke paintbrush. Gripping it in her mouth she slowly moved inwards toward the beetle. She slowly moved the tip of the brush back and forth across Fluttershy's sex, trying to coax the insect to let go. If the pain only kind of bothered her, the paintbrush was just torture. Despite the prickling sensation and it being merely slightly ticklish, this kind of sensation was almost like foreplay. She gritted her teeth to try and bear it, but broad strokes were arousing her. She could feel her wings start to become stiff, the rush of blood to her fact and worst of all her body was trying to force her to raise her rear in the air. "There he goes!" The Beetle had let go of Fluttershy and fell to the ground, scuttling off under a nearby log. "He's gone, you can put your tail do-" Oh, shes , well then... Fluttershy was doing her very best to hide how she was feeling, but Tree was just as good at spotting animal behavior as Fluttershy; all the signs pointed to her being aroused. Her wings were slightly lifted, her front legs bent ever so slightly as to raise her flanks into the air, her ears folded back to instinctively allow a stallion to grab them; all this just from some tickling. She must feel like she's going to die of embarrassment. I know that part of anatomy is kinda automatic, but she is really pent up for some reason Tree put her brush back into her saddlebag and walked up beside Fluttershy, putting her foreleg over the back of her neck. Best ignore it, she can't help it. All better Fluttersh- The moment she put her foreleg on Fluttershy's shoulder she could feel just how out of balance her energy was. She knew something was off earlier this morning, but the physical contact made everything crystal clear. Her energy just wasn't slightly off balance, it was nearly completely in ribbons. Little flecks or power that were supposed to be assigned to other parts of her body where in the completely wrong spots. Some of them had managed to head, grabbing small bits here and there, but the majority was all over the place; like it was thrown into a blender. She shouldn't even be walking around in her condition, let alone working... There was something else buried deeply in her. A very strong power holding her together and keeping her moving. Alicorn magic? Could Fluttershy be some kind of secret princess? A moment of searching invalidated that thought, this energy was foreign; most likely from one of the princesses. Fluttershy watched as Tree stood there in shock, the game was up. She knew something was wrong with her and could feel it."I umm...I have to tell you something..." What could have done this kind of damage to her? There were only a handful of creatures of magical nature that could. She had the urge to berate Fluttershy for not telling her earlier, but she knew better. Fluttershy had her own reasons for not telling her what was wrong. "You see..." Fluttershy wiped a tear from her face. "I been having these strange flashes where my body doesn't fell right. Like I'm a jumbled up mess inside of me..." She thought for a moment weather or not she should tell her about the strange flashes of her being hurt, even raped, but she wasn't sure if they were real or a byproduct of he weird bodily sensations or not. "Sit down Shy , we can talk about it over lunch." Tree opened up her saddle bags and began to set different containers of food on a nearby rock. After checking the ground for any rabbit holes, bugs nests and the like she pulled out a green and white checkered table cloth. With a quick tug of her mouth she unrolled it, allowing it to drift to the ground calmly. "Come, lie down for a bit." Tree laid down on the blanket, patting a spot beside her to indicate where she wanted Fluttershy to lay. Fluttershy inhaled deeply and laid down beside Tree Hugger, doing her best not to make eye contact. "I'm I-I'm sorry I wasn't completely honest with you earlier. I didn't want to worry you, ruin our date or anything like that." Fluttershy's ears folded back as tears formed in her eyes. "Shhh, calm down. I'm sure you had your reasons." Tree lowered her chin over the back of Fluttershy's neck. She glided her neck, muzzle and mane up and down her neck affectionately; doing her best to calm her down. She's completely messed up inside. How can she still be functioning with all this weight on her all the time? If a mere touch on her shoulder told a story, rubbing up against her like this told a much more detailed event. He imbalance of energy was no only messing up her bodily functions, but putting all her fear, anxiety and other emotions out for anypony to fell out. All this pent up frustration, both physical and...oh. There it was, plain as day; she was in love. "That feels nice, Tree" Fluttershy nuzzled her back affectionately, brushing her mane up against the bottom of Tree's neck. "I know that you can feel it. You've always been good and feeling out these kinds of things..." "I feel it Shy, why do you think I invited you out with me today? I had to find out if you were feeling the same way about me as I was about you." Tree pulled away and stared into Fluttershy's cyan eyes. "I'll go first. I love you Fluttershy. The day we met was the most bodacious day ever. Even with Discord being a douche-whistle, my mind would wander thinking about how you were doing from time to time." "I...I wondered about you too. I wasn't sure I was good enough for anypony, let alone a mare as amazing as you were. I...I love you Tree, but I'm such a broken mess right now that I'm not sure you can love me back." Fluttershy lowered her head, staring at the blanket below her. She wanted to lean in and give her a deep breath stealing kiss. However, she was absolutely sure it was the wrong choice of action. The way her energies ebbed an flowed pointed to a serious complication. She desperately wanted to show her how much she loved her with actions rather than words, but such a high cost emotion like that could trigger a cascade effect. Until she found a way to balance out the damage there was no way they could get more intimate than just some playful rubbing. She has a lot of sexual tension built up as well. Most likely from years of feeling lonely...if I kiss her now I'm pretty sure she would want to immediately go the full distance. I have to put her safety over my desires though. Especially in her condition. "Is something wrong" Fluttershy asked, her mouth half open; awaiting Tree to steal a kiss from her. Tree Hugger sighed. Every fiber of her being hurt to hold back, but she knew the damage had to be mended before they could go any further. "Listen...I know what you want right now, but I'm worried about you. You energy is all blended up and we have to fix it before something terrible happens." Tree nuzzled Fluttershy affectionately. "Trust me, I want to stop sand bagging too, but I need to put you first." Fluttershy didn't know what to think. Here Tree was, ready to get intimate with her, but she knew it was dangerous; that it could hurt her or worse. "I...I think my heart can hold back a little more." "I know the feeling hun, it hurts me too." Tree reached over to the containers of food she placed on the rock and began to set them one by one on the blanket. A container of celery sticks, some marinara sauce and cheese sticks, a couple of biscuits and crackers and hummus. "We need to figure out what kind of creature did this to you. I know of a few magical creatures that could damage a flow, but not to this extent." "Well, I don't remember being attacked by anything. I pretty much went right to sleep when I got home." Fluttershy reached into her saddle bags and pulled out a picnic basket. She began to slowly unload it's contents onto the blanket while tree began to open the containers she previously set down. "Doesn't mean something couldn't have attacked you in your sleep. Did you maybe check your bed to see if it was a mimic?" Tree asked, dipping a cheese stick into he marinara sauce. "No, Angel would have warned me if a mimic was in the house and it's not like they could lug the bed out by itself without any of the other local animals noticing. Pretty sure Mr. Blue Jay, the local otters or seals would have warned me about such a thing before I entered." Fluttershy dipped a baby carrot in creme cheese and swallowed it in one go. "You're right, also mimics wouldn't stop with a single bite. They go for the kill if they get the chance. Maybe a vampony bit you in the middle of the night? Those neck wounds they leave do heal up rather quickly." Tree picked up a biscuit, taking a solid bite from it. "Hmm, maybe. I do remember that vamponies make you feel really lethargic the next day. Also, they avoid targeting any pony that smells like their own." Fluttershy took another bite of her food. "Own kind? You can't be a vampony hun, you're energy is entirely different." Tree Hugger stared at Fluttershy curiously. "It's a long story, but occasionally on full moons I transform into a bat pony myself and go hunting fruit. It's kind of a leftover backfire from one of Twilight's spells." Fluttershy noticed the very distraught look on Tree's face. "Oh, it's not dangerous or anything. Well, it's dangerous if you happen to be a fruit tree. There have been a few times I woken up in Applejack's south field with a couple dozen apples next to me." "That's really neat actually. Is it like, the bat ponies that work for Luna or?" Tree asked. "No, more like a feral bat. A bat that has a thing for apples" Fluttershy explained. Tree put her hoof to her chin, humming. "Could your bat thing be related to how your condition is? If you ran into a air phantom at night time they could have done this too you." Fluttershy swallowed. "No full moon out, so no. Also air phantoms avoid pegasus like the plague. Their particular brand of magic has next to no effect on us. "Hmmm I guess you still qualify as a pegasus in that form. The only thing left I can think of is some more rare metaphysical stuff. The problem with those is they are exceedingly rare and avoid ponies in general. Aside from those I'm right out of ideas." Tree sighed dejectedly. "I can still help treat you, but I suggest you taking it easy the rest of the day." Fluttershy stared into Tree's lazy laid back eyes. S-should I tell her about those flashes I been having... The thought had crossed her mind, but she wasn't sure how Tree would react. She couldn't even remember them ever happening, every time she got them the memory would fade away as fast as it came, leaving her grasping at straws. the pain remained for a moment, but no sooner did she try and think or comment about it, the memory vanished; like it never happened to begin with. I don't even remember how many of them I had today... "You...have an idea Fluttershy?" Tree asked. "I...don't take this the wrong way. I keep having these...walking hallucinations I think where...something is happening to me. They happen randomly and leave me in a large amount of pain and distress, but the memory of what caused them seems to slip away just a few moments after. All I can remember from last night is you in my dream in this field, then suddenly Luna." Fluttershy took another bite of her food. "You must of had a nightmare of some kind. Maybe whatever attacked you triggered a nightmare and she came running." Tree took another bite of her food. "She might know what attacked you." Fluttershy sighed. "She probably does, but she's asleep currently and it's a long ride to Canterlot by train." Fluttershy stood up, dropping a celery stick from her mouth. "That's it!" "What is it?" Tree stood up, looking in the direction Fluttershy was, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "My friend Twilight could just send her a letter through Celestia! We can get the answer straight from the source instead of sitting here guessing all day" Fluttershy said. "So, do you want to go now?" Tree asked. "Well, maybe not right now. We should get our foraging done for the day. Besides, Luna wouldn't even be awake until later in the night anyhow. So...how close are you to your target?" Fluttershy looked back at her own, pitiful harvest in her saddlebags. Tree put her foreleg on Fluttershy's chest, pressing for her to lay down. She quickly took the hint and laid back down on the blanket, Tree following suit. "Before we go any further, we need to at least try and re-balance your energies." "How do we do that?" Fluttershy asked. Tree leaned forward, embracing Fluttershy in a hug. "This may seem a little bit invasive, but I need you to close your eyes and clear your mind. You need to be in harmony with me so I can try and mend the damage." Fluttershy blushed. "Y-you're going to enter my mind or something?" The thought of another creature possibly finding out her secrets bothered her a bit. There were things inside her she would rather not be made public. Tree didn't fail to feel Fluttershy's apprehension. "I'm only interested in finding your core, I won't pry any secrets from you unless you want to show them to me." "O-okay then." Fluttershy closed her eyes. She slowly calmed herself, trying to forget her woes and pains, focusing only on nothingness. At first it was difficult, little images of current moments and Forrest background noise kept popping in. However, she stayed calm until there was nothing but a blank slate. She had a sudden lurching motion pull on her belly, sucking her into an endless void. She opened her eyes and found herself in a clearing...one that had been touched by flames. "Your core is in complete turmoil. " Coming toward her was Tree, but not in a physical sense; her body seemed semi transparent. She didn't make eye contact with her at first, but seemed to be focused on the sky. "Yeah, I haven't seen damage this bad in years." "Really?" Fluttershy looked around her. There was effectively nothing alive around them, only burned grass, the wind occasionally kicking up dirt, dead trees all around the edge of he clearing and a sky filled with dark clouds. She felt a slightest bit of a whooshing sound behind her. "It's right behind you shy, that is the center of your body or at least a representation of it." Tree pointed behind her. Fluttershy turned around to find a blue and green glowing glob floating several feet in the air. It seemed to be pulsating or beating like a heart would, but a heart that had seen better years. There were other small fragments that seemed to be orbiting it, little flecks of red, blue and green energy. On the glob of green and blue were what looked like colored streamers in the same red, green and blue configuration as the power orbiting it. "All that is the core of your being Fluttershy or a representation of it that our minds can comprehend." Tree sighed as she examined the damage. "This is worse than what I felt on the surface. Damage like this must have been forcefully extracted from you, I can see the bulges in the core where Alicorn power is doing its best to heal." Fluttershy watched as one of the red streams of energy reached out and touched a passing red fleck, absorbing it. At the same time another one reached out and absorbed a green fleck, this one chopping off a bit of the stream and making another red fleck. "As you can see, it's healing, but at a very slow pace. Whatever attacked you could have very easily killed you." Tree pointed to bulges in the glob of blue and green. "The way it is bunched up like this tells me you must have been in excruciating pain. They were forcefully tearing your essence from you and if they were not stopped this would have very likely ended your life." "Could those flashes be imprints of whatever attacked me?" Fluttershy asked. Tree nodded. "They most certainly are, but the memory of them seemed as if it were purged or hidden from you. I can feel malice coming from inside the core, but we cannot reach it. The memory of what attacked you in in there, but we cannot risk damaging you any further." Fluttershy approached her core and reached out to it. "C-can I touch it?" "You are already touching it, it's part of you. I suggest being gentle though, she's barely holding together as is." Tree said, pointing at some of what looked like scarring on the cores surface. Fluttershy reached up, touching the bottom of the core with her hoof. A sensation of pain shot down her leg, followed by a emotion that felt like deep sadness. She jerked away her hoof instinctively, shaking it as if she was just shocked. "Yeah, it's a pretty nasty wound. Here, let me show you how to help fix the absorption problem." Tree moved beside Fluttershy and reached up to one of the red ribbons hanging at the bottom. The then lifted it up until it floated straight out in a line at the middle. "Your spirit is trying to heal itself, but these little seekers are reaching for the wrong spots." Tree moved another two red ribbons toward the middle. "I don't get it." Fluttershy scratched the back of her head, confused. "Each energy has it's own density and floats a different way. I'll explain; green is the energy of life and is the heaviest, it will float close to the ground here." Tree moved two of the green ribbons on top toward the bottom, small specks of green slowly started connecting to them. "Red is the next densest energy, it's controls you physical strength, willpower and stamina." Tree pointed to the red ribbons slowly getting longer as they reached out and absorbed other red bits of light. "The lightest is blue energy. It controls your ability to think, calculate and is part of your imagination and inventiveness." Tree pushed two of the remaining blue ribbons toward the top. Fluttershy watched as each ribbon collected bits of energy. Though she was pretty sure she didn't feel any different. There was however the sound of chimes coming from her core. They sounded almost in harmony, but just ever so slightly off every few notes. "so...what happens if you lose all of any of these energies?" "hun...that already happened." Tree pointed behind her. There was what looked like a massive cloud of red mist rushing toward the core and turning into red specks of light as they collided with it. "To simplify it, whatever attacked you drained you dry of red and blue and a significant portion of green. That blue blob you see half merged to the green is Alicorn magic. Most likely Luna is the only reason you are not a weakened blithering mess right now." Tree walked around Fluttershy's core, examining it. "Your life energy and hers was supplementing what was missing. Life force can do that, but if you lose all of your life force..." "I would have died." Fluttershy said, finishing Tree's sentence for her. "Yeah, barring stronger magical intervention you would have died in your sleep. My theory is that's exactly what happened, Luna found you on the brink of death and pulled your energy together in a hurry to save you; binding it with her own power." Tree sighed. "I get why she did it though, letting you heal naturally just wasn't an option. Unfortunately her power is now working against your own body." "How so? If it kept me alive then it can't be all bad, can it?" Fluttershy asked. "Your body doesn't like it. Alicorn energy is vastly different to ours and much stronger. When your body is done healing it will most likely either be absorbed or purged." Tree stared at Fluttershy, a stare that spoke of her worry greatly. "You may want to have Luna remove it sometime soon, save you the trouble of being out for a week when it finally decides it can't cope." "Wait, out for a week? How dangerous can it be?" Fluttershy asked. "Potentially life threatening. Your body seems to be in harmony with it for the most part. Luna may have slacked off saving you, you know with your energy in shambles, but this patchwork seems stable so far." Tree walked around the core, inspecting the core for any fissures or signs of cracking. Fluttershy watched as bits of her being slowly reaffirmed themselves onto the mass of blue and green. "Is there anything more we can do?" Fluttershy's eyes shot open. She was back in the meadow on the blanket. Tree was close by, but seemed her attention was entirely focused on a very large shadow moving among the trees. "Is there som-" "Shhh" Tree interrupted, putting her hoof to her mouth. The creature moving about the trees grew closer. What was once a mere shadow was now easier to distinguish. It was long, easily as long as most houses and it was shaped like a half moon, a dozen feet in the air or more at it's peak. It made the ground tremble as it moved, making the local birds in the area flee in all directions. Tree lowered herself to the ground, near Fluttershy. "I don't know what it is, but it's big and angry. I heard it knocking over trees; that's why I broke the connection between us." Tree whispered. The creature finally began to walk toward the meadow, the sun illuminating it's identity. It was brown and red in color with tan colored splotches all over its body. Down it's back were what looked like spikes or sails of some kind, getting smaller down he tail. however, on the tail was a large set of four spikes, each of them larger than a full grown stallions body. "Fluttershy, do you know what that is?" Tree asked, a terrified tone to her whisper. "It's a Stegadon, it's a kind of dinosaur that you can find in the lost zone. He shouldn't be this far out though..." Fluttershy peeked above the nearby log to get a better view of the creature. It seemed to be swaying it's spike sails back and forth, the tops turning purple with every motion. It groaned and growled, thrashing his tail about. Both of his eyes looked somewhat cloudy, as if it was nearly blind. "It's an older bull I think, I think he's looking for a mate...which means..." Fluttershy ducked just as the bull looked her way. "He's in heat." "Can we tell him he's in the wrong area?" Tree whispered back. "I know about dinosaurs, I don't actually speak their language. Even if I could his judgement and vision are already impaired." Fluttershy peeked above the log once more to check if the stegadon had noticed them. The second she lifted her eyes above the log a feeling of immense regret for poor decision making washed over her; the bull was staring directly at them, no more than ten feet from them at most. "Ummm I suggest we CHEESE IT!" Fluttershy took off running, Tree Hugger shortly behind her. Mere seconds after taking off running, the bull smashed though the log behind them, tearing the picnic area to ribbons. He continued charging at them as if none of the rocks, logs or bushes in his wake even existed. "Head for the tree line, we need to put as many obstacles in his way as possible!" Tree Hugger yelled. Fluttershy merely nodded in approval, though the tree line they were headed toward was where the bull stegadon came from. She hoped there wasn't any predators stalking him; they could easily outrun a single bull but, an Allosaurus, Carnosuar or Raptor pack would be another story entirely. As they made it to the tree line she could hear another very loud roar; her judgement was right, there was a predator nearby. She realized they were in a near no win situation; they had a rampaging Stegadon behind them and an apex predator somewhere ahead. "What in blazes was that?" Tree yelled, dropping her usually cool and calm demeanor entirely. "It's an apex predator of some kind, I just hope it's one of the slower ones." Fluttershy yelled back. "You mean like a Re-" Birds fled from the trees ahead of them as a deafening roar echoed throughout the Forrest. It was loud, but sharp, like it was a combination of elephant trumpet, tiger and lion roars. The sound sent shivers down her spine, she recognized that roar nearly anywhere. It was loud, but had a very slight gurgling sound toward the end of the roar. "Listen to me, very carefully. If we come across this Rex, go around his left side, hes slower there and entirely blind on that side." Fluttershy yelled just as the T-Rex in question came into view a mere hundred or so yards away. Grab her and fly, you fool! She felt a part of her inside screaming at her, telling her a different course of action. The T-Rex had noticed both of them, but his one good eye seemed to be completely focused on Tree Hugger. Her mane, he's attracted to the color of her mane! She new T-Rex was colorblind, but it didn't mean he couldn't mistake the way her mane refracted light within the gray-scale vision he did have. He's mistaking her for the Stegadon behind us... She only had a couple seconds to act, they were less than thirty yards from the Rex and he had his one working eyes solely on Tree Hugger, moving his body into a position to grab her up even if she went wide of him. No, No, No! not like this! Fluttershy began to flap her wings with everything she had. She gabbed Tree Hugger and lifted her into the air. The Rex lunged forward, his snout smashing into a tree, just missing her and Tree Hugger by mere inches. She flapped her wings harder than she had ever before in her life, getting higher and higher off the ground. The Rex didn't give up however, he stood back up and jumped up into the air, again barely missing them by inches. Just as the Rex was about to make another try at making them both a pony sized snack the Stegadon rammed into him, knocking him on his side. The two began to fight with one another, the Stegadon getting the first blow with his tail impaling the Rex's leg. "This is absolutely bonkers!" Tree yelled. Fluttershy could barely hear her, her ears were ringing with the wind in them, her eyes cloudy from watering up and her wings were protesting how hard she was pushing them, getting more painful with each flap. This is what it must feel like to go fast, the blur of Trees below them attested to that. That said, there was no way she could keep up this kind of effort, and she slowly began to lose altitude. "B-brace yourself, this is going to be a crash landing!" Fluttershy yelled. With one more flap of her wings she felt them entirely seize up. She watched as they began to gain speed toward he ground. She pushed herself to spread her wings one more time, hoping she could glide down safely. She watched as she passed the first set of trees and right into a large set of vines. A branch struck her square in the forehead before she felt the vines grab them. All she could hear was Tree yelling her name in panic and the whooshing sound of air. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head... > ChapterIII: The Lost Zone > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter III: The Lost Zone Why does my everything feel numb? Fluttershy thought to herself as she tried to move her body. "First aid kit, where is it!" A nearby voice yelled. She watched at Tree Hugger frantically searched her bags for a first aid kit, finally pulling it out from the bottom of the bag full of books. Fumbling with it she opened the kit and pulled out what looked like a blue stick made of crystal. She tried to focus on what Tree was doing, but her eyes grew heavy...she wanted to sleep so much. She could feel vibrations in the air and hear a faint humming sound. Her body felt much lighter than it did before. She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze meeting Tree's. "Thank Celestia you're alive!" Tree's eyes welled up with tears as she frantically waved a strange crystallized tree branch over Fluttershy's body. "Do you feel tired, any pain or swelling?" She wasn't sure she could answer her. Her body didn't hurt, but at the same time there still was dull numbness all over. However, when she tried to move her legs, only the front ones would even begin to twitch. "I-I can't feel my" "On It!" Tree dove into her saddlebag rummaging around until she pulled out a jar filled with a clear liquid. She quickly unscrewed the brass lid and filled it with some strange sparkling water. She then leaned over Fluttershy, her forelegs shaking visibly, her entire face stricken with an expression of panic. "D-drink this, it's Laki Laki water." Tree said as she held the a brass cap over Fluttershy's face, her entire body trembling. She slowly opened her mouth allowing Tree to gently pour small amounts at a time into her mouth. It tasted almost minty, but at the same time colder than anything she had ever put in her mouth before. The feeling changed from super cold to somewhat warm as it made it down her throat. After a few moments of drinking small amounts that Tree gave her, she could feel her spine stretch out. It was an odd experience to say the least. It was like somepony had taken a rolling pin to her back while doing acupuncture at the same time. It kind of hurt, but was more of a tingling pain you get when a leg or wing falls asleep on you. "Okay, Shy, I want you to slowly try and move your back legs!" Tree said, visibly trembling all over. She tried to move her back legs, but they only so much as barely moved up before she no longer had the energy left in her to keep them elevated. "Oh thank goodness!" Tree picked up the strange crystal branch and began running it over her body again. Every pass seemed to make her feel just the tiniest bit better, though she still wanted to sleep. Her eyelids slowly lost the strength to keep themselves open, she took a deep breath and drifted away, slowly the only thing she could hear was a panic stricken Tree yelling at her, but seemed so far away. All she wanted now, was rest. "No! No, no, no, no, stay awake, please!" Tree cried. There was no stopping it though, try as she might, Fluttershy closed her eyes. *** She could hear the popping a crackling sound near her and see a warm red light through her eyelids. Her body felt very warm and an odd pressure was on her ribs. She slowly opened her eyes to find a fire not to far away from her. Her entire body ached, ached and stiff, as if she had been sleeping for days. She slowly gazed at her surroundings, she seemed to be in some sort of tunnel or cave. She could see some moonlight coming in from a crack the entrance a solid fifty or so feet away. It was a rather small opening from what she could judge, barely big enough for her to squeeze through. The feeling of air being blown over her wings caught her attention, bringing her gaze to her wings. Laying on her side with her forelegs outstretched was Tree Hugger, the crystal wand from before laying by her side. She looked worse for wear, there were deep bags under her eyes and she seemed to be neglecting herself. She could only remember hitting some vines after she saved Tree from that T-Rex, but everything after that was fragmented. She remembered that Tree was frantically doing some kind of first aid on her, but she kept blacking out. "Tree?" Fluttershy asked. Tree slowly opened her eyes, her expression quickly changing from tired to full on elation. Her mouth hung slightly agape, her eyes were wide with tears forming on the sides. "Fluttershy!" Tree lunged at Fluttershy, though a quick whine of pain made her back down with the hugging a bit. "Oh Shy, your back was broken, blood everywhere, you kept going in and out of consciousness" Tree hugged Fluttershy tighter, tears freely soaking her mane. "The wand indicated there was brain bleeding and organ damage and broken wings...I didn't think you would wake up again!" Was I that injured? She knew that it took quite a bit of speed to injure a pegasus by any reasonable amount, she must have been moving nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash when she hit the ground. However, despite all the injuries Tree was frantically talking about; she didn't feel that much worse for wear. Aside from the aching and stiffness nothing seemed to be horribly out of order. "H-how long have I been out?" Fluttershy asked. "Two days. I- I wanted to go get help, but I couldn't risk leaving you in your condition; especially with all the massive predators around. And I-if you died while I was away...I wouldn't be able forgive myself." Tree began to bawl uncontrollably. "I-I'm just so happy you're alive!" She understood now; Tree had been mending her injuries non-stop for the last two days. The amount of injuries she mentioned though; she would need some exceptionally powerful magical medicines or equipment to stabilize her, let alone bring her close to a full recovery. "T-thank you Tree." She was so distraught, completely different from her normally laid back self. She seemed to be mostly okay, aside from some minor cuts and bruises. "N-no, there's no need for thanks. If you hadn't acted when you did I would most likely have been a pile of bones by now." Tree shuddered at the thought of her own death. "What's important is that you survived that. W-when you landed there was a stick in your back leg really deep. I was absolutely sure it ruptured a large vessel; I panicked. There were just so many injuries all at once." Tree broke down sobbing, hugging Fluttershy tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She couldn't help but sob with her, putting her wing over her side in an effort to console one another."It's okay now, we are both fine. We're both alive and still have one another." She gave Tree an affectionate lick on the cheek, followed by nuzzling her. Tree smiled, returning the favor with gusto. "A-are you cold, hungry, thirsty?" "I umm...maybe?" She was actually all of the above, but didn't want to impose; Tree already looked as if she had seen a ghost and was under an incredible amount of stress. "Sure!" Tree perked right up, standing up and moving to her bags in the corner. She pulled out what looked like a small amount of granola and a flask of water and set them down next to Fluttershy. She then went back and pulled out what looked like some kind of half tucked sleeping bag. She unzipped the side of it and it folded out into a full size blanket. Fluttershy smiled. Even in the dire situation they were both in, Tree was still prepared. She watched as she seemed to struggle to carry the blanket over to her. It struck her as odd, that a strong mare like Tree would have such problems with a simple blanket; but as she thought about it the reason was plain as day. Tree had been so focused on keeping her vigil over her that she most likely ignored her own needs; most likely not eating, drinking or sleeping well . Judging by how she limped a bit on her back leg, she most likely had pulled her leg at some point as well; barely giving herself a patchwork job to keep herself moving. Tree went wide of the fire and tossed the blanket over Fluttershy. She then walked over to the food and began to break it up into smaller chunks, handing Fluttershy easier to chew chunks. Fluttershy watched as she worked like a mare possessed. She was even visibly shaking, as if she were cold, despite the fire. "D-do you want to share the blanket and food with me? You look cold and tired." Fluttershy asked, lifting one of her wings to allow Tree room next to her. "I---I well" Tree blushed furiously, she seemed to have taken the request the wrong way. Fluttershy gauged her reaction, despite Tree most likely shielding her with her own body, Tree seemed somewhat taken aback by the idea. Most likely thinking it a bit too intimate. She would need reassurance. "It's fine, it's just sharing a blanket and body heat. It doesn't have to be intimate...." She didn't really understand why Tree would take it that way, but the thought was nice; even if a bit odd for the situation. She watched as Tree's face flushed as red as her mane. "Y-yes, I would like that very much." Tree lifted up one side of the blanket, pushing herself under Fluttershy's wing. She popped her head out the side of the blanket where the food and water was sitting. She leaned forward and picked up one of the granola nuggets with her mouth, giving it to Fluttershy. She took it from her with care, but the second it was in her mouth she swallowed it in a single motion. "S-sorry, a bit famished." "Silly, you haven't had anything to eat or drink in two days now. I thought about maybe giving you food and water while you were out, but the risk was far too great that you could choke. I been picking a little at what I had in reserve, but I was doing my best to save some for you." Tree picked up another chunk with her mouth, this time swallowing it with a single bite. "I appreciate it." Fluttershy nuzzled behind Tree's ear, covering her face with Tree's mane. "I'm just glad you're okay. It's been really trying the last couple days. Usually I'm way more calm and collected, but no matter what I tried I couldn't stop crying...worrying that you may never wake up." Tree started sobbing, her entire body visibly shaken. "What kind of friend nearly lets her bestie die?" Fluttershy didn't know what to say. She had dealt with ponies being heartbroken before, but never a feeling of self loathing Tree was going through. There was no way to really console her with words, she had sacrificed her own physical and mental well being for her when many others would have just cut their losses and run.Yet, here she was, angry with herself that she couldn't do more; that she was worthless. Her mind raced with ways to comfort her, but no words could really help the situation; at least not any that were not her just repeating herself. I need to show her how much she means to me. "No, you went far and beyond a bestie Tree, you and I are soulmates." Fluttershy leaned in hard, softly running her tongue up Tree's neck. "Fluttershy I-" Tree didn't resist in the slightest. Her body seemed to like the experience, given her light moaning and lifting her chin to allow Fluttershy more leverage. Fluttershy knew she had made the right move. Words were only that, words. They meant nothing without action to back them up. Tree didn't seem to even remotely want to resist her aggressive suckling on her neck, in fact she seemed to be turned on by it, her ragged breath and slight raising on her rear giving away just how much she wanted it.She slowly worked up her neck, stopping just behind her right ear, she gave it a quick lick then a very light nibble, making Tree moan for more. "Nah...Sh-shy, ahn ahn" Tree began to sweat profusely, her body pressing ever harder up against Fluttershy. Tree was loving every moment of this. She could smell the mare juices flowing from her, despite her using her tail to block that part of her body. She watched as her body contorted, the blood rushing to her face as she blushed and her ears folding back in pure bliss. "Kiss me you beautiful mare!" Tree cried. Tree wrapped both forelegs around Fluttershy's neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Fluttershy rolled to the side, allowing Tree to take the initiative and get on top. Their lips touched, both of them turning their heads the opposite directions as Tree pushed in deep. Her lips were soft, almost exceptionally so, they tasted like a new spring rose just coming into bloom. Her tongue was like silk, but at same time strong and wild; batting hers around forcefully as if trying to take her breath away. Tree ran her hoof down Fluttershy's neck, across her chest and to the small spot where her wing met her body. She began to slowly stroke the inside curve, making her wing immediately go stiff with anticipation; a signal that no pony could miss. Tree slowly pulled away from the kiss, her saliva drooling in a line onto Fluttershy, though she didn't seem to mind. Both of them could feel the edges of their vulva's grinding against one another; little twitches from their tails and bellies telling the other that they were winking. Each knew what the next step must logically be. However, both of them gazed into each others eyes, each of them having their bodies shudder in anticipation; their breathing heavy and ragged. I want her so much right now... Tree thought to herself. If it had been any other day, time or situation she would have gone into a fit of desire, putting Fluttershy in all kinds of sensual positions; making their bodies sing in harmony. Her hormones were telling her to get on with it, to have sex like a ravenous filly for hours on end. To mash their bodies together in a sea of sweat, passion and love. She wanted her now more than ever before... but deep down, she knew better. "S-shy...I want you so much , b-but...I can't. I can't risk hurting you in your condition. I-I hope you don't take this the wrong way." Those were quite possibly the hardest words she had ever said in her life. Her own body screamed at her in protest, nearly every fiber of her being telling her to go for it; to fulfill her deepest desires. However, the smallest voice of her conscience told her it was wrong; that the risk was too great. Fluttershy stared up at Tree Hugger, she felt he slightest tint of hurt, but she knew deep down she was right. To be honest she didn't know if she would survive a lustful tussle with Tree. As much as she wanted her, the time was just not yet right. "I-I understand, but please tell me when we get out of here and I'm feeling better that we will continue where we left off?" Fluttershy asked. Tree leaned inward, whispering into Fluttershy's ears. "Once we are back and you're better I plan for us to go at it for hours" Tree lowered her voice, doing her very best to sound sensual. "Like rabbits." Fluttershy tried not to giggle, hearing Tree talk in such a dirty and obviously cheesy manner was both off putting and hilarious at the same time. She felt the same though, she wanted Tree just as much as tree wanted her. She still gave out a chuckle, followed by a reassuring smile. "I can wait, but I have an idea. Can we ...do it at my place? It will probably drive Angel bunny crazy with all the noise we will be making." "Deal, I'm up for a little harmless joking, but first, let's get us some shuteye; I haven't slept right in days." Tree stood up and laid down by Fluttershy's side. Fluttershy rolled over, putting her wing over Tree's back. They stared into each others eyes for a few minutes, both of them not wanting to let the magic of the moment fade. With a yawn and peck on the cheek, Tree laid her head down on her forelegs, drifting to sleep. We will get through this, don't worry... *** "All search parities, spread out!" Luna shouted in a commanding tone. "I want every square inch of the Everfree Forrest combed for them." "You're highness, the professional tracker is still a day's travel away at he earliest, should we just wait for them?" A white pony in blue and gold ornate armor stepped forward. "My men are...hesitant to enter the Everfree by foot. We have all heard the stories about what's in there." Luna sighed. "I understand perfectly well the dangerous creatures that are in the Everfree, but they have been missing for two days and sadly I cannot track ponies through dreams unless they are actually dreaming. Besides, you are the best of the best; a few bears or dragons shouldn't bother you." A few of the soldiers lined up began to sweat profusely, some of them even swallowing nervously. Luna had the sudden urge to chastise each and every one of the royal army guards, but just barely stopped herself from shouting at them in frustration. I swear, Celestia has been slacking on our military training. I need to smack her upside the head when I get back. Luna thought to herself as she examined the mostly cowering wreck that was the 3rd division rangers. Then again, as much as I dislike cowardice, I can't just rightly send them in there with their paltry training. She knew that Tree Hugger and Fluttershy must have been deep down in the Forrest if they were still alive. If they were in the general zone one to three then they shouldn't be no more than a few hours from exiting the Everfree. However, she knew if that was the case she wouldn't be out here. Deep down she knew they must have gone at least as deep as the end of the shadow zone, possibly even to the midnight zone; though she hoped they had the sense to stay away from there. A pony wearing a leather jacket and explorers hat came running out of the nearby treeline, tripping over a whip attached to his hip. The pony stood up rubbed his face before walking over to one of the guards and whispering in his ear. "You're highness?" One of the guards asked in a terrified tone. "Yes commander?" Luna replied. "Indiana Bones managed to find a picnic blanket in a meadow not to far from here. There appear to be hoof tracks nearby, but something else was there as well." The pony in the leather jacket and explorers hat reached into his pocket and pulled out a large, slightly red and tan reptile scale and handed it over to the commander, shaking his head. The commander took the scale from his hooves and examined it; turning his head from side to side in a vain attempt to understand what he was looking at. "A dragon maybe? Seems kinda big for a lizard scale." "What did you find commander?" Luna moved closer to the commander to get a better view of the scale. *Gasp* Luna stepped back, her sudden shock making the commander drop the scale on the ground. "Your highness! What's wrong!" The commanding yelled, hesitant to pick the scale back up. Luna took a deep breath, closing her eyes to compose herself. She slowly opened her eyes, fixating her gaze on the scale. "Commander, tell me; what do you think that scale belongs to?" "I think it may belong to a dragon, but it seems too flexible to be an adult one; possibly a juvenile." The guard put his hoof over his mouth. "Y-you don't think they missing ponies were eaten by a dragon?" Luna shook her head. "No, look at the edge of the scale; it lacks he sharper fold of a dragon scale. This scale belongs to a large dinosaur, most likely an Iguanadon or a Stegosaurus." Other ponies began to mumble among one another, some so much as muttering the word impossible and bullshit under their breaths. "Commander, this is now far worse than I ever expected. They have both have most likely slipped into the lost zone." Luna began pacing back and forth, clearly distraught. "With all due respect your highness, I thought dinosaurs were long extinct" The commander said, stepping forward confidently. "They are and at the same time they are not. You see, they still exist in a place called the Lost Zone. It's a small time space distortion in the Everfree Forrest that's usually sealed off from most other creatures. On rare occasion ponies that are either well attuned to nature or lucky end up there...most of them never return." Luna sighed. "There's no point sending any of you in there after them, you don't find the Lost Zone; it finds you." "I don't follow your highness. There must be some way to reach them" The commander said. Luna stared into the tree line, a somber expression on her face. "Even if you could find it, I would be sending dozens of ponies to their deaths. No, I will have to go in there alone." Luna sighed. "A literal needle in a haystack." "Are you sure about this your highness?" The commander asked. "Yes, send a message to my sister that I'm going in alone." Luna spread her wings and took to the skies with so much force that it knocked the commander flat on his side. I'm on my way, I just pray I can find you both before it's too late... *** *RRooowwwrrgggg* Fluttershy's head shot up, waking her from a deep sleep; Tree following shortly after her. "W-what was that?" Fluttershy asked, barely keeping her breathing in check. Tree yawned, stretching as she stood up. "It's that Rex from the other day. He has been stalking me by smell for the last day or so from what I can tell. I went out a few times to get some medicinal herbs for your and my own injuries. Thankfully there's a river nearby and he always loses my scent around there." "Y-you been going out there all alone?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah, I been keeping the entrance hidden whenever I went out for supplies with some rocks. I have a feeling that he's getting closer and closer each day. That roar was exceptionally-" *Thum thum* The sound of heavy footsteps and loud inhaling stopped Tree mid sentence. A deep rumbling sound came from directly above them, bits of dirt and a few pebbles falling onto the fire pit. The light from the exit hole was blocked and what looked like a single large nostril was pushed up against the entrance. "Under the blanket, now!" Tree whispered as she tossed the blanket over herself and Fluttershy. The blanket covered both of them, but Fluttershy could still see what was going on though some of the stitching. The large nostril inhaled deeply followed by a brief, terrifying pause. It then exhaled in a snort, kicking up dirt and ash into a cloud that covered the blanket. "Whatever you do shy, do not move. He may be big, but he can't differentiate colors" Tree said in a hasty, but still terrified low tone. "I know that..." Fluttershy snapped back with a whisper. She didn't mean to snap, but her entire body was shaking with fear. Deep down she knew that a Rex could quite easily destroy this little hovel they found within an hour if it was desperate enough. She took a deep breath and lowered herself to the ground as low as she could, doing her best to keep her fear in check. Light flooded into the cave, but only briefly; the Rex soon blocked the light again, this time peering into the cave with his single good eye. Fluttershy held her breath as she watched the Rex's eye move from one side of the cave to another, slowly panning it for the slightest hint of movement. His gaze fell on the blanket a few times, he knew it was out of place, but didn't seem to be in any rush to test it. He then focused his gaze of a singular spot on the blanket, the exact spot Fluttershy was peering through. They locked gazes, she knew this was it, either he would recognize her stare and go for the kill or he would ignore it and move on. The slits in the Rex's eye narrowed and she knew what this meant; he had recognized the reflection in her eyes as the stare of prey. *kork kork* The Rex lifted his head up and growled, clearly agitated that he was interrupted. A few growls and a roar or two later, he walked away from the cave entrance in the opposite direction, swishing his tail angrily. "H-he knows we are here...our eyes met" Fluttershy whispered, her tone barley containing her panic. "Calm down, it was only a matter of time before he found us." Tree patted Fluttershy on her shoulder, reassuring her with her lazy stare. "It's all right, he's still injured from his fight with that Stegadon from a few days ago. Even if he spots us out in the open we can easily outrun him." She knew Tree was right, but it didn't make the situation any less terrifying. From what she knew Rex was much slower than most of the prey it tracked, but it made up for being slow by having high burst speed during an ambush and being relatively silent for it's size. "I wonder what spooked him?" Tree pushed the blanket off of herself and walked toward the entrance. She could here the sound of chewing outside the hold and some heavy stomping, but not as heavy or the same sound as the Rex made. "D-don't go, what if he's still out there?" Fluttershy cried. "Have to take that risk" Tree pushed a couple rocks out of the way and slowly peered outside the cave. Dead in front of her was a sea of green and red, with a few brown and an oddball blue thrown into the mix. There were double pairs of horns sticking out everywhere. "Fluttershy, you gotta see this!" Tree pulled her head back into the cave and motioned Fluttershy to her. Fluttershy tossed the edge of the blanket off her and moved toward Tree apprehensively. Tree moved out for the way to allow her to peak out. Just as she did she came face to face with a small frilled dinosaur with only a single stubby horn at the end of it's snout. "Pony?" The creature said. "I-I am" Fluttershy said in a terrified tone, though she was completely unaware that she could communicate with this species of dinosaur, though his dialect seemed very close to that of an Iguana or a Bearded Dragon; which seemed very odd for a Triceratops to be speaking. "Mom! There be ponies here!" The triceratops young-ling yelled. Before Fluttershy could react there were two or three full sized adult Triceratops staring her down, one of them with yellow marking under her eyes, pushing the young-ling aside. "Ponies? Preposterous" One said, though he was clearly staring right at her. "What are they doing here?" Another asked. The mother of the child stepped forward, staring Fluttershy right in the eyes. "H-hello m-ma'am!" Fluttershy said, terrified. All three of the triceratops stepped backward quickly, all of them with clear expressions of shock on their faces. "It can talk!" One yelled, his front legs shuffling in a combination of excitement and nervousness. "Indeed, this is strange" another added. The mother with the yellow lines under her eyes stepped forward, though very cautiously. "It has been many years since I last seen a living pony in our lands and never in my life has one actually spoken to me. You speak our tongue as if you have spoken it your entire life. How is this possible?" Fluttershy pulled the rest of her body from the cave, sensing that this herd of triceratops were more curious than dangerous. "I-I don't know myself. I just said hello and I knew I automatically...it's kinda surprising for me as well." Tree Hugger popped her head out of the hole beside Fluttershy. "What's all those weird noises you are making Flutt...oh." Tree noticed three very large triceratops staring right at her. "Another pony, though this one seems to not know our tongue" one of the triceratops said. "She seems a bit scared of us. Can you tell her we mean no harm?" Another added. "I'm talking with them Tree, they don't mean us any harm" Fluttershy said, giving Tree a smile to calm her down. "She's much better at communication with plants and some animals, but her experience is pretty much limited to being chased as food in this region." "I see, so the question is, what are ponies even doing in this region? I was under the impression that your sun goddess blocked off the entrance to our home from most creatures". "Well, you see miss, umm..."Fluttershy stumbled on her words, "I am Prime Matriarch Shulan, but you may call me Shu for short." "I am Fluttershy, I'm umm...just a simple pegasus, your highness." Fluttershy lowered her head and forelegs in a deep respectful bow. Tree Hugger doing the same once she noticed what she was doing. Shulan smiled, nodding in approval. "I see, so your kind does know and show respect. The handful of ponies that I have seen never seemed to even try to talk with us, always just watching us from afar, like we were going to eat them at any moment." "Not to sound rude or arrogant, but my ability is exceptionally rare. Even more so since I'm a pegasus and not an earth pony. Though I sometimes wish I was born an earth pony. Would make my connection with other animals easier to explain." Fluttershy sighed. "Silly pony, I would give my left horn for an ability like that. Also the sky is the limit for you, there is no place you cannot reach." The other triceratops nodded in approval along with Shulan. "Anyways, what brings you to our lands?" "We were having a picnic in a meadow not too far from my home when we were chased by a very old, angry and mostly blind stegosaurus. He chased us for a solid mile or two until we ran into-" "I wondered where old Rupert lumbered off to. Old guy still thinks he has what it takes to woo the ladies during mating season, even blind he never gave up." Shulan blushed, noticing that she had interrupted Fluttershy. "S-sorry, I tend to rant on a bit. Please continue." "It's fine, we ran into a Rex with one blind eye, the same one your herd scared off" Fluttershy stated. "Oh...him. Yes, I heard him speaking with other predators before; they call him Tooth-face. He's been a right thorn in everyone's side for nearly a century now." Shulan signed, shaking her head. "If he has been tracking you then I'm afraid he doesn't stop until he gets his target." "I see..." Fluttershy said, sending a sideways glance at Tree. "You...wouldn't happen to know a way out of the Lost Zone? I only ever been here once before and it was very short." Shulan scratched the edge of her frill, thinking hard. "There IS a well known exit aside from the random holes that appear from time to time to let travelers in and out, but...well..." "You don't mean to send them that way, do you?" One of the triceratops asked. "That gateway is dangerous, every creature that has tried to go through the gateway has been killed by...by that thing guarding it" another triceratops added. "What are they saying Shy? I can't understand them." Tree asked. "There is a way out, but it's guarded by something really dangerous. So much so that even this herd is terrified of it." Fluttershy watched as each member of the herd spoke up out of turn, each one pleading for Shulan not send Fluttershy and Tree toward the gateway. "Silence!" Shulan shouted, the rest of the herd falling silent instantly. "I'm only giving them the option, not forcing them there." Shulan stared out over the herd, waiting for a single one to speak out of turn. However the herd seemed both terrified and respectful of her, even the younger ones not so much as making a peep. After a few tense moments she turned her attention back to Fluttershy and spoke. "About a two days walk south of the river lies a very strange tree with a giant flower on top. It is the only of its kind in our lands and we think it was once native to yours. It has killed many a curious plant eater in self defense; or so I've heard. Behind this strange plant is a gateway that leads out into your world, though I do not know where in your world exactly." "Could I ...well " Fluttershy stared at the ground, thinking of how to phrase her next sentence. "Could your herd escort us that way? if it's not too much trouble I mean." Shulan shook her head somberly. "As much as I want to help you, I cannot endanger my family and relatives with your presence. If it were maybe a smaller pack of predators after your, then maybe yes. However, you have one of the oldest and strongest predators in these woods after you; we can't risk him getting you then attacking one of our young-lings in retribution or worse killing them for sport until he gets to you. I'm sorry, but this is the best I can do to assist you." "Oh, I see. Do you know of any safe places to rest along the way?" Fluttershy asked. Shulan stared at the sky absentmindedly for a moment before speaking. "Yes, about half way is an odd structure sitting high up between two crossed redwoods. I believe a long deceased pony explorer used it a decade or so ago. It may be in disrepair, but its far better than nothing I suppose." Fluttershy nodded and bowed down gracefully, using her other foreleg to poke Tree Hugger to do the same. Shulan smiled and bowed in return. "I wish you the best of luck on your journeys." With one more somber nod Shulan turned to her right and began walking, motioning the rest of the herd with her tail to follow. "So any ideas how to get out of here?" Tree asked. "Yeah, we head due south of the river for a couple days. There's some kind of tree thing with a large flower on top guarding a gateway out of here. They were kinda vague about it's description though; like they heard of it, but never actually seen it themselves." Fluttershy ducked back into the cave, Tree following shortly after. "We need to get moving quickly though, that Rex wants you as a snack and once he's picked a target he will pursue them until they are his meal. At least that's what the elder told me." "I'm pretty sure we can outrun him. I mean, that Stegosaurus did a number on one of his legs. I'm surprised he can even walk with an injury like that. Also...large tree with a flower on top? That can be a lot of things actually." Tree mused for a moment. "I know of a few plants like that; some of them pretty deadly to be honest." Fluttershy grabbed her saddlebags, tossing them onto her back quickly. "She said it was not native to the lost zone and most likely came from Equestria." "Hmmm" Tree scratched the back of her mane. "Maybe it's an overgrown Momo Fruit plant?" "I've never heard of that one before" Fluttershy said as she checked that her saddlebags were strapped down firmly. "It's not native to most of Equestria. It's actually only found in deep, hot jungles. It kinda looks like a giant open red and white polka dot purse." Tree stuck her head into her saddlebag, pulling out a book with her mouth and setting it on the ground. She quickly turned the pages while mumbling to herself. "Ahh here it is!" Tree turned the book and pushed it toward Fluttershy. Fluttershy stared at the picture for a moment. It looked like a large, but very gaudy polka dot purse. From what she could make out it was around twenty or so feet in diameter and had a large stalk with what appeared to be a pear the size of a full grown mare hanging in the middle. "That's a big fruit, wonder what it's for?" Fluttershy turned the page, but quickly stepped back; aghast at what the pictures depicted. On the next two pages were a set of pictures depicting a deer and her fawn walking up and eating the fruit.The next picture was of the large sides of the plant beginning to move, only the fawn seeming to notice something was amiss. The last picture depicted the fawn jumping out just as the side of the large plant closed in on the deer, trapping her inside. The last picture is what made her feel ill...the plant crushed the mother alive, spurts of what looked like blood flowing from the sides of each opening. "T-that's horrible...that poor deer...and now that fawn is an orphan." Fluttershy pushed the book , looking away. "I think I seen enough. I think I'm gonna be ill." "Yeah, I know. Nature can be brutal and unforgiving sometimes, but you know, we have to be ready for all kinds of crazy dangerous stuff here. My problem is that the description you gave me wasn't enough to identify it. It could literally be anything." Tree noticed the horrified look on Fluttershy's face."Oh don't worry, I know enough about weird plants to know how to get around them." Fluttershy heard the last echos of the triceratops herd disappear, their footsteps no longer shaking the ground. "We need to move, like right now. That Rex can't be too far from here." Tree nodded and picked up her book, tossing it into her saddlebags before putting them on her back and strapping them down. "Sooner we get home the better. I'm diggin all the neat plants and animals here, not so much the possible dying part though." Fluttershy nodded in agreement before sticking her head out of the hole. She quickly looked around to see if it was safe to proceed. Out the corner of her eyes she could see the Rex approaching across a distant meadow. He was only at most three hundred yards from them. Fluttershy hopped out of the hole and motioned Tree to follow. "We need to run to the tree line as quickly as we can" Fluttershy said as she helped Tree Hugger out of the hole. "Wait he's not that...oh." Just under two hundred yards away she could see the old Rex smelling the air, trying to get his bearings. "Yeah, let skedaddle before he sees us." Both Fluttershy and Tree Hugger made a beeline straight for the brush opposite the cave they were in. After they put around two hundred yards between them and the cave, Tree stopped and stared back. "Crap, I forgot the blanket!" The Rex was already at the cave, doing his best to dig out the entrance so he can get to what he thought was a pony sized snack inside. "Forget about it. We can find other ways to keep warm at night." Fluttershy said as she watched the Rex roar angrily as he struggled to kick up what looked like blackish rocks. "Yeah I guess. In a way I think leaving it behind bought us some time, the entire front part of that caves foundation is solid granite. Even with his size it's going to take hours to dig though all that." Tree watched as the Rex managed to stub his toe, roaring angrily before bending over to lick it. "Good point, but I don't want to be here when he finds out there's just a blanket to eat..." Fluttershy said. "I agree, he's gonna be one really unhappy camper once he's through that granite." Tree turned around stretched her legs. "I suggest we keep a light gallop for as long as we can, you know, put as much distance between us and being future dino kibble as possible." Fluttershy nodded in agreement and both of them set off running, Tree Hugger taking point as they made their way into the brush. *** She drew in breath, but it didn't so much as remotely dent her fatigue. She watched as Tree's back legs moved gracefully in her gallop, while her own just barely managed to keep a trot. They had been running like this for a solid half day, though at about two hours in she realized that calling her exhausted pace a gallop was about as accurate as calling that Rex hug-able. She knew that Tree was intentionally setting her pace as to not leave her behind, but at the same time she could feel frustration coming from Tree that they couldn't go faster. Tree had asked on three separate occasions if she needed to rest, but each time she declined; not wanting to disappoint her. However, she desperately needed to stop for a rest, her will to not be a hindrance was at its breaking point. "Hun, we need to stop." Tree stopped a few yards in front of Fluttershy, staring back at her. "I appreciate you trying to keep up with me, but you know, pegasus are just not built for this kind of long distance travel." "I-I'm..." she wanted to say that she was fine, but she knew from Tree Hugger's stare that she was well past the point of bluffing her. "Yeah, let's take a break." Fluttershy began to lie down in the grass, only to be stopped by Tree. "What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked. "You almost laid down in a bed of poisoned mushrooms is what is wrong." Tree pointed to a small collection of bright red and orange mushrooms just inches from Fluttershy's belly. "They won't kill ya, but I'm sure we don't need an itchy rash added to our problems or you know, a psychedelic trip." Tree looked around them, looking for a safe spot to take a rest. "That branch up there seems nice." Fluttershy pointed out a large branch a dozen or so feet in the air. "Good thinking, off the Forrest floor from all the creepy crawlies and a vantage point to spot any potential threats." Tree Hugger began to climb the tree, but stopped a few feet up. "Something wrong shy?" "No, I just need a moment to catch my breath before I fly up there." Fluttershy unfurled her wings, but they immediately dropped to her sides the moment she tried to move them. "Umm...ok, I guess I was a bit more pooped than I thought." Tree Hugged hopped off the tree and lowered herself in front of Fluttershy. "Hop on, I'll get you up there." "Y-you sure you can carry me up that high?" Fluttershy asked. "So long as you hold tight onto me, it shouldn't be a problem" Tree said, giving a head tilt and a wink of the eye in confirmation. Fluttershy nodded and stood up, placing her body over Tree. Tree slowly stood up herself allowing her ample time to wrap her forelegs gently around Tree's neck. Her strong, powerful...sexy neck... No silly, it's not the time for that... Fluttershy winced, trying to push impure thoughts out of her head, but as Tree began to climb they came back in full force. Her powerful back legs, he soft tail brushing up against her own, the feeling of layers of muscles pulling her up this tree without even the slightest hint of fatigue. No, down wingboner! She could feel her own wings rise into he air as blood rushed to them, making her ever the more drained as she tried to keep them folded to her sides. Her hips wanted to move on their own, feeling the grind of a firm fit flank rubbing near her nethers was agony. She wanted so much to just bite the tip of Tree's ear and start humping into her body on the spot, but that small voice in the back of her head kept telling her to keep herself in check. It was taking every bit of her self control to not act on her impure thoughts. Here she was face buried in a mane that smelled of sweat and flowers, a powerful yet gentle body moving below her as if no weight was on it at all. A sleek yet rough around the edges green coat that she could see losing herself in. Every second was agonizing, she kept repeating in her head that this was not the time or place for bumping fuzzies. Later, later if we find that rest spot we were told about...then maybe... "You okay back there shy, you can get-oh" Tree turned her head and noticed Fluttershy was shaking, her wings fully erect for the world to see. "I was about to say you can get off, but I'm not sure if you would take it as the other meaning." Fluttershy blushed, quickly moving her body to a sitting position on the branch. She turned her head to see that both of her wings were stiff as boards, almost to the point where it was painful. "I- I can explain!" Tree put a hoof over Fluttershy's lips. "Shhhh, babe, you don't have to explain anything to me. The fact that you had me in such a compromising and dominant position, yet held back nature itself speaks volumes to your personality." Tree leaned forward, her face nuzzling under Fluttershy's neck. "I-I'm just so...so frustrated. My own body is at war with my mind and I can barely keep myself in check sometimes." Fluttershy knew she didn't need to apologize, but her own mind automatically tried to do so anyways before she could stop the words coming from her mouth. "No need for apologies hun, it is the mating season after all. Being a bit horny is completely natural for this time of year. I even had my own little train of thoughts running through my head while you were on my back. I can't honestly say all of them were pure either. " Tree Hugger took a deep breath and pulled away from Fluttershy. "Soon as we find a safe spot, we can get this out of our systems, but for now we need to focus on not becoming someones lunch." Fluttershy inhaled deeply, doing best to calm herself down. She's right you know, but I can't keep holding back nature forever. It will drive me batty to even try... After a few minutes the heat in her body subsided and her wings slowly folded down by her sides. It was odd though, being around Tree made her feel safe, but at the same time hormones kept nibbling away at her composure; pushing her toward an inevitable encounter. An encounter that she feared she wouldn't be able to put off for too much longer. "You okay hun?" Tree waved a hoof in front of Fluttershy's face, trying to get her attention. "Oh, uhh...sorry. I think I spaced out there for a second" Fluttershy said, blushing. "Well, in either case rest for a bit while I get a better view of what's ahead." Tree wrapped her forelegs around the trunk of the tree and pushed herself up using her back legs. "Sure you don't want me to just fly up there?" Fluttershy yelled. "Nah, I got it, you need to take a break" Tree Hugger replied. Tree Hugger continued climbing the tree until she reached another twenty or so feet high. Carefully she put a foreleg around each branch, only putting about half her weight on them to check them for stability. After a few minutes of searching she found a branch that seemed sturdy enough to hold her weight. She slowly started to pull herself onto the branch being careful to distribute as much of her weight over the widest area possible. When she was finally settled she began to pull herself along the branch on her belly. As she reached the end of the branch she noticed a very pungent smell, like that of rotten eggs. She looked out toward their destination to find only a few dozen trees separated them from a vast solid yellow field. It wasn't very large, only being at most a couple hundred yards across the middle, but it seemed to stretch out for what seemed like dozens of miles in either direction. "Well, at least the trip is-" just then she spotted a dinosaur, some kind of plant eater with a duck bill and a long backward horn attempting to cross the field. At first the dinosaur seemed agitated, randomly shaking its head as if a swarm of gnats had smacked it right in the face.It didn't seem too worse for wear as it made headway through the field, making very strong and fast strides. However, the moment it reached the middle of the field it swayed from side to side, stumbled a few times, then fell down with a thud. Tree Hugger watched as the creature tried to pull itself back up, but just a few more audible whines and it laid there, still. She watched as the creatures body went into a fit of spasms then finally stopped moving entirely. She could see the obvious rise in its chest cease. "Something wrong Tree?" Fluttershy yelled, noting the clear distraught on her face. "Yeah, you could say that." Tree pushed herself back off the branch and onto the trunk. She then slowly slid down the trunk until her rear end collided with the branch Fluttershy was resting on. "You okay? That must feel like sandpaper on your coat" Fluttershy asked. "It's fine. Just a few drops of tree sap on my coat, nothing major" Tree said as she wiped away a few hard bits of tree sap stuck on her coat. "So, how did it look up there?" Fluttershy asked. "Not good. There's some kind of field made of some kind of yellow substance. My guess from the lingering smell is it's some kind of poisonous sulfur. It's not too wide across the middle, maybe a hoofball field or two at most. There was a dinosaur of some kind walking across it." "Did the dinosaur make it across? I mean if we run really fast we should-" "No, that's way too dangerous" Tree said, interrupting Fluttershy. "I watched that dino walk across the field, but about halfway it collapsed and well...he or she is now very much dead. Didn't take very long after it dropped either." "So you don't think we could hold our breath and run across?" Fluttershy asked. "If the concentration was enough to kill a multiple ton animal halfway across in just a minute or two, then a single breath from either of us would be fatal. Worse is if I remember my geology right the gas would be denser closer to the ground than fifteen feet in the air." Tree shook her head. "That poor thing never stood a chance." "I see...and sulfur can sting the eyes, nose and even ears in high enough concentrations. One little slip-up and we will both be deader than a party thrown by Maud Pie." "Hey now, that wasn't very cool of you Shy. Funny, but a bit mean ya know?" Tree said disapprovingly. "Sorry, I'm not very good at joking under stress. Anyways, any ideas to get past the field of death?" Fluttershy asked. "From what I could see it is easily a days walk around it if not more. Frankly I don't want us to have to spend the night in another hole if I can help it, even more so now that that Rex knows what to look for." Tree looked over Fluttershy's shoulder just in time to watch yet another herbivore drop dead. "Also if we get attacked by another predator, its an invisible wall; an option between death by asphyxiation or being torn limb from limb..." Fluttershy said, her body shivering at the thought. Tree Hugger tapped her hoof against the tree branch, thinking hard about how to safely get across the field. "The options we have are pretty limited. We can split up and meet at the building you mentioned, but that leaves each of us vulnerable. You being on your own with out a second pair of eyes or my knowledge of plants." "And you without my ability to fly and translate languages" Fluttershy interjected. "My thoughts exactly" Tree replied. Fluttershy stared at her surroundings, trying to get an idea of how to get both her and Tree across the field together. Not too far from her on a branch opposite the one she was sitting on was a large clump of tangled vines. "Maybe we can build a bridge across? Or a rope?" Fluttershy pointed toward the large clump of tangled vines. Tree turned her head and glanced at them briefly before shaking her head. "No, sourcing the parts for a bridge that size would take days of planning and work; time we don't exactly have. A rope to shimmy across with could work in theory, but it would have to be several hundred yards long." Tree turned back to face Fluttershy "and I'm not too sure I would stake my life on tied together last minute rope." "I guess this means we are walking?" Fluttershy asked. "It's a bummer I know, but-" Tree Hugger jumped backwards, placing her back against the tree just as a small lizard like creature landed on the branch in front of her. "Don't be so jumpy, it's just a little gliding lizard." Fluttershy picked up the small lizard, scratching under his chin with her hoof; making the small lizards eyes roll back in ecstasy. "See, nothing to be afraid of. He's just gliding from tree to tree looking for bugs to eat." "It just..." Tree Hugger stopped mid sentence, her ears perking up and a slight gasp came from her mouth. "That's it Fluttershy! The solution to getting across to the other side!" Fluttershy stared quizzically at Tree Hugger for a moment. "I'm not sure this little guy can carry us across. I mean, I'm sure he's a tough little guy, but-"Fluttershy stopped mid-sentence, covering her mouth as she giggled. "Oh I get it, I can fly across carrying you. Errr, glide I mean." "Exactly! Errr...except if I mess up the calculations..." "We will both be deader than Firefly season two" Fluttershy said, finishing Tree's sentence for her. "A bit brutal there Shy, some of us haven't recovered from there being no season two. Anyways, yeah, we can't afford to mess this up." Tree reached into her saddlebag and pulled out what seemed to be a survival knife and sat it down on the tree branch. "I'm gonna run a few calculations, see if this is feasible." "You're...not gonna carve into the tree are you?" Fluttershy asked, staring at the knife. "No, no. I'm gonna use a marker on the blade. Don't wanna write in my books if I can help it." Tree pulled a black marker out of her bag and began to write on the side of the blade. "You should know me by now, I don't like hurting trees hun." After a few moments of writing down angles and math that Fluttershy barely understood, she watched Tree Hugger put the knife and marker away and stand up. "Well, by my math we need to get to the top of a tree that's at least a hundred feet high and no more than twenty feet away from the edge of that field. However, you really need more time to rest before we try that." *Roooooaaarrrrrr!* A loud roar shattered the silence around them. "But how? He was crippled and we ran as fast as we could!" Tree said. Fluttershy looked at Tree then at the gaseous field. "Time we don't have." > Chapter IV:Raptor Rumble > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter IV:Raptor Rumble "I just don't get it, how could he have caught up with us so quickly? We ran like the wind for hours and he was just limping around." Tree Hugger racked her brain for a few tense moments. "It's doesn't make sense!" "Calm down, just because he followed us doesn't mean he will catch us. He may have known some kind of shortcut." Fluttershy looked around, trying to find a tall enough tree to go through with Tree's plan. She spotted what looked like a very tall, though thin spruce tree. "Tree, look!" Fluttershy said, pointing out the thin tree just a hundred or so yards away. "Will that work for us?" Tree stared at the tree for a moment, tilting her head from left to right as to try and get an idea of how the angle would work. She then looked toward the mostly yellow death field from before, counting under her breath. "I guess it could. It looks to be about ten more yards out than what we needed, but" Tree looked around and noticed that most of the trees near the field were far too short for what they needed. "I guess we don't really have too many options, do we?" A sudden roar made both Fluttershy and Tree Hugger jump slightly in place. "No, no we don't and judging by the last roar he's gaining on us faster than before...somehow." Tree Hugger folded up her knife and put it in her saddle bags followed by her marker. "We need to get up in that Tree." Tree Hugger wrapped her forelegs around the trunk of the tree and slowly slid down to the ground. "Are you okay flying over to the top or do you need to piggy back on me again?" Tree yelled up at Fluttershy. Fluttershy gave her wings a few feeble flaps to check if they were still in working order and that she had the stamina to spare. After a few moments she managed to get herself hovering in the air, though her body still ached from earlier. "Yeah, I can. Might take me awhile to get over there though." Fluttershy stared at the tip of tree she needed to fly over to. It just seemed so far away now, even though any other day it would be a quick flight. Another roar coming from the woods indicated that he was closer, though still a few minutes away from what Fluttershy could gather. "I'll head on over and get climbing. I suggest you put a little bit more urgency getting over there. If he manages to catch me on that tree alone, I'm as good as dead" Tree Hugger yelled before turning around and running to the nearby tree. Fluttershy took a deep breath and began to flap her wings, slowly gaining in altitude. She watched as Tree made her way across a small clearing and to the base of the Tree. She started climbing up the Tree as if the Forrest floor was literally on fire. She slowly began to move toward the top of the tree, only moving a little bit faster than walking speed. Another roar and a sudden flood of birds entering the sky alerted her to just how close Saw-tooth was. How he could be moving so quickly through the brush just didn't make sense. "Hurry up Shy, we really don't want to be lunch!" Tree cried. "C-coming!" Fluttershy yelled back. She pushed a little bit harder to get to the right altitude as she approached the treetop. She could hear the footsteps of Saw-tooth get closer. A mere forty or so feet from the ground, she took a quick glance at the ground below her out of curiosity. Staring right directly at her was Saw-tooth, glaring at her with his one functional eye. A cold chill ran down her spine as they stared at one another. She didn't know if he was capable of jumping up high enough and snapping at her, but he seemed content to just stare at her. He slowly began to open his mouth, seemingly to speak to her. "You go away. Green one, food." Saw-tooth said, though in a very broken and guttural manner. He then moved his gaze away from Fluttershy and toward the Tree she was hovering next to. He knows shes on the other side! Fluttershy thought. Fluttershy watched, her body paralyzed with fear as his gaze met with Tree Hugger body as she shimmied up the side of the Tree. With a self assuring roar he charged forward, lowering his head into a ramming position. "Tree!" Fluttershy pushed herself up and over the tree, looping around an pulling Tree Hugger off the side just as Saw-tooth rammed into the tree, knocking it over as if it were a mere twig. "What in the!?" Tree Hugger said as she watched the Tree she was just climbing fall over and snap in half. She looked down to realized that the roar she heard earlier was far closer than she had anticipated. Saw-tooth stared up at Tree, his eyes meeting hers. He grinned and opened his mouth wide. Rows and rows of razor sharp teeth, each the size of a sword lined his mouth. Tree very much wanted to panic, but she knew that if she did that now she would most certainly be dead. "F-fluttershy? Can you still manage to get us across that field?" Fluttershy grunted, barely able to maintain altitude with the added weight of Tree Hugger. "I'm not sure!" Fluttershy noticed that she was slowly losing altitude and that Saw-tooth was ready below, with his mouth wide open. At the back of her mind, she knew there was no way she could get across that field with Tree Hugger in tow. She even had the slightest whisper at the back of her mind...that she should just drop Tree Hugger. Saving her own life at the cost of her friends. What am I thinking? Fluttershy thought to herself. She didn't know how such a selfish and one sided thought even crossed her mind. Maybe it was some kind of built in survival instinct or the fear getting the best of her. One thing she did know however, is that her stamina was finite. Saw-tooth below has already noticed she was fatigued and was eagerly awaiting her to slip up. "Need to think of something fast!" Fluttershy looked around for any Tree she could land on that was at least somewhat tall. There was a pine tree nearby that was only about two thirds as tall as the one Saw-tooth knocked over, but it was the only viable option as the others were too short to allow her to land safely. Landing there will only buy us a little bit of time at most, nowhere near enough time for me to recover Fluttershy thought to herself. She needed a plan and fast. For a brief moment she thought that maybe she could dive drop Tree onto the ground, letting her easily outrun Saw-tooth, but she quickly realized that being separated from Tree in this Forrest was a terrible idea. Fluttershy flapped her wings, slowly gaining a little bit of altitude as she approached the next tallest tree. As she approached it, she realized that maybe Tree's idea of gliding across could still work out. They would just need an extra boost and she had an idea how. She watched Saw-tooth follow them, his mouth open and ready to eat Tree Hugger if her grip failed her. She landed on top of the tree, setting Tree Hugger down and leaning over one of the branches. She paused for a moment, trying to come up with the worst insult she possibly could."Hey you big stupid jerk, why don't kill yourself by climbing up to your chromosome count and jumping to your IQ?" Saw-tooth just stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "No idea what you are trying Shy, but I don't think he knows what a chromosome even is" Tree said, pointing out the now obvious. "Don't get why you are trying to anger him, but try something a little more basic." "Tree I need you to hold onto me around my waist as hard as you can. I'm gonna use this big idiot as a slingshot" Fluttershy said. Fluttershy inhaled deeply and yelled. "You smell like toenails!" Saw-tooth roared in anger and charged at the base of the tree, his head lowered into a ramming position. Fluttershy stood up and spread her wings out flat, Tree Hugger still clinging tight to her as if she was cellophane. Fluttershy lowered her body, Spreading her back and front legs over the widest area possible. "Wait, are you planning to-" Tree Hugger was cut short just as Saw-tooth collided with the tree below. The entire tree snapped forward, launching Fluttershy into the air like a rock from a makeshift slingshot. "Shy are you sure you did the math on this?" Tree Hugger yelled. "Nope!" Fluttershy replied, flapping her wings to get a little bit more altitude. Tree watched the ground below her start to get closer and closer and judging from their angle of decent, they were going to be at least a dozen yards or so short of the other side of the field. She was pretty sure Fluttershy was aware of this as she watched her flap her wings as hard as she could to get just to slow their decent a little bit. "Hold you breath Tree!" Fluttershy yelled. The pair glided toward the ground, landing just a few yards from the safer side of the field. Fluttershy tumbled forward a bit on landing, landing on her side while Tree Hugger rolled a couple times and was on her feet. However, the second Tree opened her eyes, she regretted it immediately. Her eyes immediately began to water up, her nostrils burned as if a dozen fire ants had just crawled up them, even her ears felt as if somepony set them on fire. She could just barely make out the safe spot she needed to reach through the torrent of tears her eyes were making. As she made her way toward the edge, she noticed that Fluttershy was a bit further ahead of her, laying still. Oh no, did she- the thought ran across her mind, but her body reacted before she could finish it. She charged forward and grabbed Fluttershy by the tail, dragging her along the ground. After a few panicked moments Tree managed to pull Fluttershy out of danger. However, she noticed that the obvious rise in Fluttershy's chest had stopped. "No, No! You crazy mare, don't you die on me!" Tree Hugger inhaled deeply and put one hoof over Fluttershy's nose. She leaned Fluttershy's head back, and blew into her mouth. *Cough* Cough* Fluttershy opened her eyes and began to cough very hard, sputtering and wheezing, coughing up bits of very yellow flem on the ground. "I *cough* think I inhaled a lot on the landing, one of the books jabbed me in the ribs pretty hard." "Oh thank goodness!" Tree Hugger embraced Fluttershy in a hug. "I thought I lost you there for a moment!" Fluttershy slowly stood up, her legs wobbling uncontrollably beneath her. "I...I think my legs are a little numb. I can just barely feel my own weight on them." Tree Hugger lowered her head, inspecting Fluttershy's legs for abnormalities. "The landing wasn't that hard. It may be some of that poison working through your system. It's fine though, you can ride on my back until you get feeling back in them." "B-but...what about Saw-tooth?" Fluttershy glanced behind her and there he was no more than a couple hundred yards at most. His one good eye set on her and his mouth began to move. "You die with her" he said. A chill ran down her spine. She could feel a knot in her neck, as if she had just tied her own noose. He meant it, just the way he put the words was enough to send the cold rush of fear through her body. She stared back at Saw-tooth, her entire body trembling. Suddenly, she could feel a warm comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Don't let him get to you, Fluttershy. I got a good view of how long this stretch is from up there. That trip is gonna take him all afternoon at the least" Tree Hugger said reassuringly. "Yeah, you're right. It would be suicide for him to charge through all of that. I'm worried though...why wouldn't he at least try to-" "Because he has us to do the work for him" A deep raspy voice said from behind, cutting Fluttershy off. Fluttershy and Tree turned in place, staring at the bushes behind them. Slowly they could see small feathers move among the bushes and the glint of something shiny and metallic all around them. One by one six foot tall dinosaurs emerged from the brush. Each of them covered in a light brown fuzz that covered their entire bodies. On their arms and head were feathers of all kinds of bright colors, ranging from radiant orange to royal purple. "What are those?" Tree asked. "I'm not entirely sure. I think they are from the raptor family, but they are nowhere near the size I seen them in books. These ones are much larger." Fluttershy watched as more and more of them came out of the brush, five, seven then finally ten of them in total. The largest of the group stepped forward and made a few loud calls to Saw-tooth. Saw-tooth responded with a roar or two in return. "What did they say shy?" Tree Hugger asked. "He said 'Capture them both, you may eat the...winged one once I get my fill of the red haired one. " Fluttershy's eyes went wide once she realized what she had translated. Before she could react, two of the raptors jumped into the air and slammed down on her back, pinning her to the ground. One then opened his mouth wide and grabbed her by the neck, his teeth putting enough pressure to be painful, but not break the skin. "Make any false moves and I snap your neck like a twig" the raptor mumbled under his breath. "Shy!" Tree charged forward, but was quickly surrounded on all sides by raptors. She quickly put all her weight on her front hooves and kicked both bag legs out hard, hitting one raptor in the stomach and another square on the chin. Two more tried from the front and side, however, the front one was grabbed by Tree's back lags and thrown into the one charging from the side. Another tried to dart in low and grab her by the throat, but was quickly stopped by a headbutt and a bite to the nose. "Cease resisting this instant, or your friend here will feel a very sharp snapping sensation." The largest raptor near Fluttershy stepped away to show Fluttershy being held up in the air in one of the other raptors mouths. Tiny beads of blood were running down her neck as the rows of sharp teeth dug into her flesh. Tree hesitated for a moment. She had the urge to charge in, knowing full well if they surrendered they would be dead anyhow. Then she saw the terrified look on Fluttershy's face. The fear of losing her friend to a rash decision on her part paralyzed her, stopping her dead in her tracks. Two raptors walked up to Tree, one putting his foot on her face and slamming her to the ground. "Anrrg!" Tree yelped as her face hit the ground, a small stream of blood flowing from her teeth. "Make sure she cannot run." The largest raptor nodded to one of the others positioned nearby "Make sure to not bite any arteries. Our lord likes his prey fresh and struggling." One of the raptors jolted forward biting down on on Tree's back right leg, HARD. "Ahhrrggg!" Tree screamed in agony. Every second was like an eternity as dozens of sharp, jagged teeth pierced her flesh. The raptor shook her hard as he sunk his teeth in, making sure to make it as painful as possible. She cried out loud as the teeth scraped against the bone, threatening to snap it, all the while the raptor had a sadistic grin on his face. Her body contorted and she wanted to kick with all her might, but she knew doing so would most certainly insure that she would lose her leg in the process. All she could do was endure the pain and pray the damage wasn't as significant as it felt. After a few minutes of screaming, shaking and crying the raptor finally let up. He slowly pulled his teeth out from Tree's leg, occasionally shaking her to get a few more whimpers from her. He ran his tongue across his lips and teeth, slurping greedily. "It's been a few years since any of us had tasted a large mammal such as yourself. Your body meat is exquisite and the screaming from you pain is so much more satisfying than killing typical herbivores, I could barely control myself." The raptor wiped his chin of blood and ran his tongue across his claws. "So good, I can't want to get more." The raptor glanced at Fluttershy. "That's quite enough, Sadis. We have to leave her in well enough shape for our lords hunt tonight. Belmuse, stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound. Our lord is not fond of partially rotted meat." The largest raptor moved toward Fluttershy, nodding for the raptor holding her up in his mouth to drop her. Fluttershy landed on the ground with a thud, her body still visibly shaking in fear."L-let us go...or...or I'll be forced to hurt you!" Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, using her stare on the lead raptor. Some of the raptors stepped away, clearly terrified of her, but the largest raptor refused to budge. "Fear magic, being used by a herbivore?" The lead raptor leaned toward Fluttershy, staring her right in the eyes. "Amusing, our lord uses such magic himself, but I am immune to it." The lead raptor slapped Fluttershy across the face, dropping her to the ground with authority. "Not to give you any false hope, but I intend to keep you alive until we can extract how you do that from you." "W-what are you planning to do with us?" Fluttershy cried. "You will see. Sadis, bite this one as well." The lead raptor stepped away. Sadis grinned and wiped his mouth. "With pleasure, Lord Breem." Sadis moved toward Fluttershy, his body low to the ground and his mouth wide open. "There is no need for that" One of the smaller raptors stepped forward. "Look at her legs, they are discolored. Which means she inhaled too much of the gas here. She won't be able to walk for hours, let alone run." Breem stared at Fluttershy for a moment, then raised a claw to make Sadis stand down. "Agreed. However, I want her wings bound to her side with rope in the meantime." Sadis, stared at Breem, then back to Fluttershy as if he was thinking of still biting into her. "But, mammal flesh is so delicious!" "No buts. Grendel is right; there is no need to disable her." Breem keeled down to eye level with Fluttershy. "Don't take this as an act of mercy, the magic extraction process is incredibly painful and I would rather not risk you dying halfway through." Fluttershy began to sob uncontrollably. "You're all monsters you know that!" Fluttershy's eyes began to glow a dim red and her front teeth began to form fangs. She could feel the anger surging in her... a beast within ready to be unleashed. Her fur ruffled and stood up in random places. Her ears stood up and became pointed and her wings unfurled, losing their feathers and instead having a leathery sheen to them. "I...I will kill you all!" Fluttershy tried to stand up, but the moment she tried she collapsed, her head hitting the ground face first. The raptors all stepped back, each one of them not exactly sure what they just witnessed. "Oh, this one's definitely going on my altar tonight." Breem turned to his followers "I want this one caged and the other chained!Tonight our lord feasts!" Fluttershy's vision was clouding, she couldn't feel anything. Her eyes felt heavy and she soon felt the grip of sleep take her. *** "Ow, my head..." Fluttershy put her hooves on her temples, her ears still ringing and her head throbbing. It was strange, she had a sensation like a sudden rush of adrenaline and rage, but quickly subsided. She opened her eyes to see that she was locked in a fairly shabby wooden cage. Her wings were bound to her side with rope and she seemed to have some kind of collar around her neck. Looking around she noticed the collar was attached to bits of twine and rope hat reduced how she could move around somewhat. "You okay shy?" Tree Hugger said. "I'm okay I guess, how is your leg?" Fluttershy replied, though not knowing where the voice came from. "To your right Shy." Fluttershy slowly turned her head right, though the collar pushed on her neck a bit to keep her looking forward. Dead next to her was a rocky concrete-like platform being held up by four thick tree stumps. Suspended in midair a few feet above the platform was Tree Hugger. Her legs were wrapped in studded leather shackles with a chain attached to the ends, each chain leading to a large nearby tree. "My gosh, that can't feel good" Fluttershy said, her hoof over her mouth. It wasn't just the obviously uncomfortable position she was in, her body had multiple small cuts and abrasions on it. There was dried blood on her face under her nose. Bloodied bandages were wrapped around her leg, though it looked like some kind of white substance was leaking from under them. Her hair was a mess and her body seemed to be struggling just to keep air in her. "No, no it doesn't. My leg still hurts, but it's nowhere near as bad as the first few minutes after they bit me. Hanging in the air like this saps my strength away though, I tried to break these chains but the more I struggled the faster I ran out of breath." Tree Hugger stared at Fluttershy, a defeated look on her face. "Occasionally a raptor will walk by and lash my back a few times to make sure I'm well subdued." "They have been beating you?" Fluttershy's eyes well up with tears. "Why...what could they possibly get from doing that!?" Tree Hugger turned her body to reveal several bloody lashes on her back. "I dunno...but, I don't think we are getting out alive. I was told in a few hours Saw-tooth will arrive. I am to be let free to try and hobble away, before he eats me that is." Tree Hugger hung her head, tears dropping on the platform below her. "I...I no longer have the will to fight, Shy. Maybe if I barter with them I can somehow get them to let you go free..." Fluttershy lurched to the side of the cage, the collar pulling on her neck so hard that she nearly gagged. "You can't give up Tree! We both have so much to live for still! There's got to be a way out of here!" Tree Hugger shook her head. "Even if we break free, there's no way we could get away with my injuries." "Get away what now?" Sadis walked up to the left side of the platform, a wide toothy grin on his face. "You let us go you big jerk!" Fluttershy rattled the bars on her cage fiercely. "You will stay right where you are. I'm already angry that Lord Breem told me you were off limits." Sadis walked over to Fluttershy's cage and kicked the side, knocking her over. "It's been a while since I was in charge of prisoners, usually he leaves the medic or the spiritual healer as guard. Somehow he thinks easing them into death makes the meat taste better." Sadis walked over to Tree Hugger and licked the side of her face, cleaning the blood from her nose. "I however, enjoy the fear of others. It adds adrenaline to the meat, something a calm death does not provide." "You're nothing more than a coward. If these chains were not holding me up I would mudhole stomp you." Tree growled, spitting at Sadis. Sadis's grin quickly turned to a frown. "You would think my various tortures would have broken you by now. I see that I may have to go to an extreme." Sadis ran a claw up Tree's neck, balancing her chin on the tip. "You will see that I haven't even begun to inflict real pain." Sadis walked toward the back of the platform and lifted up a bag, setting it behind Tree Hugger. He unzipped the bag all the while making a sinister low pitched giggle. He pulled tool after tool out of the bag, showing them to Fluttershy one by one. "You see, this one is called an ass ripper. You heat up the spikes on it and slowly turn a screw to close it. Then after it cools down you rip the buttocks off in a single pull." Sadis set the tool down, shaking his head. "Sadly, I must leave her mostly undamaged. So sad." Sadis then pulled out what looked like a single leg armlet or guard; one typically seen on royal guards back and front legs. "This little one is called an iron boot. You strap it around a leg or if the creatures have them, a foot. You then slowly pull the lever on it to crush the legs until they are either pulp or broken, great for getting confessions from heritics. Again, our lord wants her still being able to run." Sadis set the device on the platform and continued to rummage through his bag. "Oh this one is neat." Sadis pulled out what looked like collar with multiple leather straps attached to it. "It's called the self-choker. You see you put it around a neck and each strap to an appendage. If the creature so much as moves out of a certain safe position it will choke them, quite possibly to death." Sadis stared at the chains holding up Tree Hugger. "No, too much of a risk." Sadis continued to rummage through his bag. "Ahh, this ones neat, though I never enjoyed it as much as the one at the bottom of the bag." Sadis pulled out what looked like a large metal pear with an ornate knob at the thinner end. "It's called the Pear of Anguish. You see, it's mostly effective against females. You stick it in the vaginal orifice and then slowly turn the knob at the end. The pear opens and begins to stretch out the innards, usually to the great discomfort and screaming. Once the pear is fully open you leave it in for a while; sadly it sometimes kills the subject from internal bleeding. However..." Sadis set the metallic pear on the platform. "You're...sick, how could any creature possibly enjoy that?" Fluttershy said angrily. "Flatterer, but that won't save you. I plan on giving you much worse torture than these once the magic is extracted by our Lord. Trust me though, that will be far more painful than anything I could possibly do. That said, your friend has something special coming her way." Sadis grinned. "You can beat me, but you're never going to break me" Tree Hugger said defiantly. Sadis let out a harrowing laugh that shook Fluttershy to her core. "Oh, but that's the point!" "You leave her alone, you jerk!" Fluttershy cried. "Silly mare, where would the fun be in doing that? No, I have something far more tortuous in store for her." Sadis reached into his bag and removed what seemed to be a syringe filled with some kind of green liquid. "The best part is I don't have to work for it. Your own biology will do all the work for me." Sadis pushed on the end of the syringe, squirting some liquid out of the end. "This little toxin kills a mammal of your size in roughly six hours, but should be in full effect in a little over four." Sadis lifted the syringe into the air and stabbed it into Tree Hugger's flank, injecting the toxin as Tree yelled in protest. Sadis removed the syringe from Tree's rear end, tossing it to the ground."This little toxin is my favorite. It's made by mixing the seeds of a rare flower and has an immediate effect on the creature injected with it. You should be feeling the effects right...about ...now." "I don't feel any-*gasp*" Tree felt her heart skip a few beats, then her muscles started to tense up, especially in the rear section of her body. A lingering heat slowly moved up her back and around her neck. She could feel the flush of blood running into her face and especially to her nethers, where the creeping heat was slowly moving towards. Sadis leaned in and gave Tree Hugger a quick lick on the cheek, eliciting a gasp from the mare. "You see, it triggers and intense heat in mammals. The fun part is it keeps on building up for hours, getting ever the more intense as time goes by." Fluttershy gasped and put her hoof over her mouth. Suddenly she lost sight of Tree, having a flash of something sticking a large bulging member down her throat. The image went as fast as it came though, leaving Fluttershy puzzled. "H-hes intending to rape you, Tree!" "Rape is a strong word. No, I want her to beg for release sometime in the near future. You see..." Sadis moved behind Tree and opened his mouth, breathing lightly on Tree's sex. "Years ago I managed to capture a few mares and a Zebra from your world. I tested this concoction on them and found that I quite enjoyed coitus with mammals of your type. The way you body squeezes down harder on my member than raptor females, the heat and sounds you generate and the submissive movements you all are quite to my liking." Tree Hugger panted heavily, the blood in her face clearly showing her blushing. "L-loser! What's wrong, can't get a date with the other females in your tribe?have to rape creatures smaller than you because you're such a failure at life." "no, the females here snap to much. Though i see you snap in a different way. i was going to leave you be, but since you insulted me..." Sadis leaned his muzzle into Tree's sex, grabbing both flanks in his claws. "W-what are you doing!?" Tree cried. "Getting you hot and bothered." Sadis thrust his tongue in-between Tree's folds, lashing left and right vigorously. Every few seconds he would stop and perform a lapping motion with his tongue, penetrating her and pulling out rapidly. "Ghah! Hnnggg!" Tree rocked her body back and forth, trying her best to dislodge the raptors grip, but the chains holding her up made resistance difficult; if not impossible. She tried mentally blocking out the sensation though the toxins running through her body was making that incredibly difficult. Every second was agony, her body seemed to want this, but her mind was of a entirely different opinion. Slowly her backside heated up, her sex twitching uncontrollably as Sadis ravaged her. "Tree!" Fluttershy tried to pull the cage bars inward when suddenly her collar snapped tight around her neck, choking her for a few moments. Tree began to pant heavily, her body quivering with every motion when suddenly...the sensation ceased entirely. Her body was still ravaged by heat and was shaking violently. She couldn't control herself as her backside ached for more, winking and contracting in protest. Sadis slowly lifted his head up from between Tree's legs and wiped his chin."Ahh just as delicious as I remember it." Sadis removed his claws from Tree's flanks, but not before giving her a slap on the rear eliciting a squeal from the mare. "Now that I got you all riled up it's time to take my leave to let the toxin do its work." Sadis looked toward Fluttershy with a grin. "You're lucky our lord wants you intact. If I had my way you would be he one strapped up there. I like the soft demure ones far more." Sadis leaned his snout in the cage and gave a quick lick on Fluttershy's cheek, pulling back just as Fluttershy moved to bite him. "In your dreams buster!" Fluttershy said indignantly. "Demure and a bit feisty! Oh, how I wish I could break you in proper." Sadis stared over at Tree whom seemed to be grunting and gritting her teeth to in order to keep any semblance of self control. "Well, I'll be back in a couple hours to see if she's ready to surrender to me. Oh and by the way..." Sadis leaned in by Tree's ear and whispered. "If you are unable to relieve yourself multiple times around six hours from now, the toxin will kill you dead from heart failure. Mind you, you will be food by then...but there's always the chance Saw-tooth will be late. Just remember, I hold your life in my claws." Sadis stood up, licked his lips and walked away. Making sure Sadis was out of earshot, Fluttershy began trying to snap the threads on her collar one by one, all the while trying to keep Tree focused on her. "Tree, are you okay?" "I-I'm fine for now. He left me hot and bothered, but you know me; self control is kinda my thing." Tree grunted in pain, her breathing being a bit faster than usual. "Though I wonder where those insults I tossed at him came from.Guess I'm still a bit angry about the leg biting." Tree gritted her teeth as her vaginal walls rubbed against one another. "Don't worry, once I get out of this collar we can figure out how to escape." Fluttershy continued to gnaw on the thread on her collar, though the fiber used on them seemed far tougher than they looked. "I-I hope so , Shy." Tree panted a few times, she quickly closed her eyes to focus on keeping control. "I don't want to give that monster the satisfaction of victory." Fluttershy stared at Tree, tears in her eyes. Deep down she was glad that Tree had found a reason to go on, but the creeping doubt in her mind was still telling her escape might be an impossibility. However, they had to try; giving up and dying was just not an option. *** The wind flowed across her wings, but it was far more primal than what she was used to. The air was also far denser, possibly due to the multiple volcanoes this region sported. Below her she could barely make out herds of plant eating dinosaurs resting under the afternoon shade. Maybe I can glean information from this herd, the last three haven't been all that useful. Luna thought. She slowly descended from the sky, making sure at first to keep her distance from the herd and especially the young-lings. From what she could tell this group seemed to be composed of large three horned creatures vary in color from dark blue to light green. She slowly approached one of the largest ones around the edge. Her horn lit up and a small portal appeared. "Hello, I am Princess Luna" She said. The portal swirled for a moment and started making grunts and sounds toward the large creature. The creature grunted back at her, though seemed somewhat confused as to what exactly was going on at first. "I am Prime Matriarch Shulan, your highness. Am I to assume that you visit is about the ponies we met early this morning?" Luna could barely contain her excitement as she replied. "Yes, there are two ponies that have gone missing. One of them is a yellow pegasus and the other a grass green earth pony." Shulan nodded her head and made a few more sounds that were quickly translated by the portal. "Yes, we told them of a way out of our lands through a known portal. They left north east of us around fourteen or so hours ago. I told them of a tree-house that they may be settling down in for the night." Finally, I'm getting somewhere! Luna thought. "Thank you very much for this information. I thank you for your assistance and with any luck they will be safe at home tonight" Luna said. The portal put out a few more odd sounds. Shulan merely nodded and bowed her head respectfully. Luna bowed respectfully in response before her horn lit up, closing the portal. Luna unfurled her wings and took to the skies once more, a feeling of relief washing over her. "Good, now I have something to work with. With any luck I'll find them and-" A sudden realization washed over her. She may be able to find the tree house she was talking about, but what if they never show or decided to skip it and keep going? I guess I'll have to work with what I got and hope for the best. ***Two hours later*** Her entire body was at war with her, every moment spent in suspension was a moment of unimaginable agony. The heat that she thought was controllable was no longer. The heat and lust was just so much more than the first hour or so, at least then the tension, pressure and heat could be reduced or eliminated by focus, but now; no amount of effort even dulled it. She could barely keep breath in her lungs, the panting was both heavy and rapid at the same time; alternating randomly. Her fore and back legs hurt so much from the convulsions from her backside. Each time her body would naturally try to pull her back legs together followed by her forelegs, but the chains holding her up had no give in them whatsoever. Even the leather bracers they were attached to were tight enough to dig through her coat and into her skin each time. She thought that if she could just close her back legs together then her body would stop going wild at random intervals or when the wind so much as caressed her back. The other minor discomforts barely held a candle to what her backside felt like. She could feel her vulva and lips pulling together hard every few seconds and then winking for another few; exposing her clitoris. This was followed by her vaginal walls squeezing for a member that just wasn't there, rubbing vigorously and painfully against each other. Her flank muscles would then contract hard, followed by her rectum. It seemed her body didn't really care what hole relief would come from; so long as it was from somewhere. The worst of it was how the effects of the toxin took a heavy toll on her willpower and sanity. The constant flash rushes of blood from her face back down to her nethers made conversation with Fluttershy broken and limited to short bursts. The effect on her mind was constantly switching from focus on Fluttershy to screaming 'something fuck me hard!' in he back of her mind. She could even swear she was beginning to hallucinate stallions walking up behind her, smelling her sex and the pool of fluids on the ground, but then suddenly walking away completely disinterested in her. This only added sexual frustration, regret and more lust to her already hormone addled brain. All she could do was hang there, her body protesting in intervals. She even could feel her own willpower to fight back fading away in the mess that was her mind. It took so much willpower to try and keep a sane mind...that the idea of letting Sadis plow her stupid almost seemed like a good idea. The only thing keeping her from calling out his name in order for him to rut her was Fluttershy's words of encouragement. Possibly the only sane thought was the hope that Fluttershy would be the one to break this horrible spell on her. She watched over the last couple of hours as the little mare chewed up all the stands on her collar and ripped it clean off. She then began kicking hard at the side of the cage, though it seemed to barely budge at all. Still, she persisted whenever there wasn't a raptor patrol nearby to hear her. Her labors did manage to crack one of the wooden bars, though it seemed to only splinter ever so slightly. "I think I almost got this Tree. I can practically feel the wood starting to give way!" Fluttershy proclaimed. "What's starting to give way?" Fluttershy turned and saw Sadis's toothy maw right behind her, his evil grin nearly right up in her face. "Oh, well I see you figured out the collar trick...or did you?" Sadis examined the collar at the bottom of the cage. "Oh, you poor thing. You see, breaking the collar like that triggers a spell that makes the bars harder than stone. The trick was to break the cage first while choking yourself half to death THEN break the collar." Sadis pulled his head from between the bars and walked towards Tree Hugger. So sad, we intentionally leave defects in some of the cells to ...encourage escape on occasion. Keeps the tribe sharp for hunting and all that." Sadis inspected Tree Hugger, looking over her back and her legs. "I see she is just about ready to call out my name in lust." "She will never give in to you!" Fluttershy growled. "She's my mate, not yours!" Fluttershy quickly covered her mouth, not knowing where that outburst came from. Sadis toothy grin changed from sly grin, to full on scary smile. "Oh...oh my! I didn't know you two were lovers. Had I known this before I would have doubled her dosage. I do love me some psychological torture on top of physical." Sadis reached for one of the chains holding up Tree's body and touched it. He then mumbled something under his breath and all the chains vanished along with the bracers. Tree fell to the ground with a light thud, however before she could stand up the leather bands on her legs disappeared. Her forelegs suddenly snapped to her sides hard; a kind of tight leather tube appeared binding her upper body. She tried to struggle against it, maybe finding a way to break free, but the tube seemed magically reinforced somehow; any push against it made it tighten further, like some kind of twisted Chinese hoof trap. The sensation didn't make her feel any better though; her muscles tensed up as if somepony was having a light bondage game with her. Sadis stood behind Tree, his sinister smile sending shivers down her spine. "So, are you ready to beg me for release yet?" Sadis asked. "N-never. I would rather d-die before I give in to you!" Despite her tough talk, she knew that deep down she was approaching her limit to resist. Her back legs were already raising her rear into the air as an act of invitation and submission; something that they seemed to do automatically despite her willpower. "Your mind says no, but your body is clearly saying yes. You see, I tested my methods on the mares and zebra intensively. I know all your species mating habits; including the raised rear thing.Well, before I raped them all to death that is. The only question left is how much fight you have left in you." Sadis leaned down, placing both claws firmly around Tree's flanks. "Ahhnnn!" Tree's body quivered in anticipation, her legs quivered as Sadis touched her. The blood rushed to her face and she began to pant heavily, her body clearly ready for even a little bit of stimulation. "Hold on Tree, I'll find a way out somehow!" Fluttershy yelled as she furiously kicked the side of her cage with everything she had. "I see that voice came out. Allow me to show you the tool of your release." Sadis hoisted Tree Hugger up by her flanks, leaving her hanging upside down. He squeezed her flanks a little as he got her head level with his groin, but the mare seemed resolute in not making a sound. "You're resistance is commendable, but every creature has its limits." Tree watched as a pink appendage extended from Sadis's groin. It wasn't the first time she had seen a dick, but this one for some reason both enticed and disgusted her at the back of her mind. It was roughly the girth of a highland earth pony, though it seemed to have a large bugle toward the center. The tip was also different, pointed with a bit of a flange on it that had small reverse studs of flesh in the opposite direction. The shaft also had what looked like tiny soft reverse hooks all up and down the Y and X axis. That member looks like it could be a lot of fun a whisper in the back of her mind said. Tree shook her head, but the whisper kept getting louder. Her thoughts were already clouded and her judgement impaired enough, but Sadis revealing his member made her body go wild. It was almost as if the lustful part of her mind knew that it was structured in a way to be pleasurable, but completely at odds with her will to resist. "N-no, I don't want it!" Tree shouted, though the wavering in her voice gave away the slightest hint of apprehension and weakness; both of which Sadis picked up on. "That close to breaking huh? I thought you were tougher than that. The zebra I used it on lasted almost five hours before breaking down. Well, I think a bit more...encouragement is needed. Sadis lifted Tree to head level, wrapping one arm around her midsection and another grabbing on her flank, pulling it to the side to expose her sex. He then opened his mouth, his tongue mere inches from her sex. No! I-I won't be able to handle him doing that, not in my compromised condition! Tree thought. I have to do something, anything to stop him! Tree tried kicking with her left back leg, but found that it didn't even phase Sadis. The impact was much less hard kick and much more lightly tossed pillow in terms of power. "You think you have the strength to fight back in your condition? Resisting has sapped you of any real power you once had. Don't worry little mare, I'll help you out~" Sadis pulled back, his mouth wide open and tongue fully extended, like a sharp knife. After a few tense seconds, he jolted his head forward, plunging his entire tongue deep into Tree's vagina. "Ahnnn!" Tree threw her head back, gasping for air as the tongue plunged past her walls and bumped into her cervix. The brief, but powerful sensation was almost enough to completely overwhelm any fight she had left in her. Her vaginal walls were squeezing down on his tongue with everything they had. She could feel her clitoris winking at high speed, each time brushing up against the bottom of his powerful...strong...tongue. D-don't give in to it...resist. the thought and will to resist was a mere whimper, barely audible in the back of her mind. Just give up. We are going to die anyways, may as well enjoy the last few hours we have right? Another, much louder voice said. "Ahhnn~ hnnn, ha, nnnmmmhhh!" Whatever little bit of fight she had left melted away as Sadis began to move his tongue around inside her. He sharply lashed his tongue from left to right, making sure to rub entirely down one side before hitting the other side. Every so often he would flick his tongue rapidly as if her were a snake, which made her moan out loud for more. Gone were the contractions, pain and unbearable heat; all replaced by euphoria, relief and the ecstasy of a growing climax. "Fight it Tree!" Fluttershy yelled as she tried gnawing on the cage bars. However, she knew Tree had lost any ability to fight or even think straight. She knew Tree had limits, but she wasn't sure when they would finally break down. Gone was the mare that fought so bravely to resist, replaced with little more than a lust addled sex doll for her captors. "Hmmmnnn ~ R-right there!" Tree wrapped both back legs around Sadis neck, giving him more leverage to eat her out. Sadis obliged and continued to ravage her backside occasionally squeezing her flanks for good measure. "Tree...no..." Fluttershy's eyes welled up with tears, she couldn't bear to see her friend like this. Tree didn't even seem to recognize she even existed, all she cared about was getting to climax. The expression on Tree's face made it all the more painful. She was smiling, her tongue was hanging out as she moaned loudly, occasionally yelling an obscenity. Her breathing would increase and her eyes would roll back into their sockets, her eyelids twitching. The feeling of helplessness washed over her; she was too late. She failed to save Tree. "Ah, ha! Ahhhhnnn. Ri-right there~ , harder, faster! I'm so close!" Tree began to rock her hips into Sadis's face, hoping he would penetrate her even deeper. Nothing else mattered to her, but the moment she hoped would occur in the near future. Sadis lashed his tongue around her insides as if he was a fleshy blender and she enjoyed every second of it. He would occasionally lick circles around her outer labia and vulva, making her scream for more. The tiniest thought crossed her mind that she was being raped, but was immediately drowned out by how amazing this was. She wanted Sadis to rape her stupid, she wanted him to plow her backside like a jackhammer. "Here comes the finishing touch...then the main course!" Sadis said. "Ghhhgggtt!" Tree nearly choked on her own spit as she clenched her teeth. A river of drool ran down both sides of her mouth and her eyes went wide from the initial shock. Sadis had thrust his tongue hard into her, spreading her wide before increasing his pace. He squeezed her midsection with his arms and the leather corset-like restraint did the same; barely allowing any air into her. She didn't care though, if anything the pain made the climax feel ever so closer. She locked both legs around his neck, her eyes rolling in the back of her head. "Righteous!" Tree screamed. "No..."Fluttershy whimpered. Tree's body seized up, her back legs squeezing hard around Sadis's neck. Her vaginal walls clamped down on Sadis's tongue, not wanting to let go. A rush if pure euphoria rushed up her spine and spread out to the rest of her body. Her body quivered violently as a torrent of fluids from her insides sprayed over Sadis's face. She kept gasping in short burst, her own climax working against her breathing. Sadis smiled as he set Tree back down, her rump waving in the air in front of him. He stared at Fluttershy for a moment while,licking the fluids from his face. "How does it feel to be so helpless? I raped your lover right in front of you and you did nothing. Worse yet she enjoyed every moment of it...I guess you can't rape the willing." Fluttershy couldn't bear to watch. Her friend was just laying there, face down with her rump in the air; waiting for more. the shame and guilt of letting her friend be taken advantage of like this hurt so much. She began to cry, her tears flowing like rivers down her cheeks. I'm worthless...how could I let this happen to her Fluttershy thought. Suddenly her vision blacked out and a flash of light blinded her. For a few brief seconds she could feel a tingle in the back of her head. She opened her eyes to see three shadows doing something to a winged creature in front of her, though she couldn't seem to make out the details. the vision dissipated in a few seconds, returning her to her senses. "Got nothing to say I see?" Sadis asked. "I-I swear I'll get you for this!" Fluttershy cried. "They all say that, but in the end they either become my playthings or food." Sadis looked down at Tree, whom was still coming down from her high. "In a few seconds she will be begging me for more." "Nnnggg!" Tree Hugger grunted, her eyes wincing for a brief moment. The euphoria from her orgasm was slowly fading away, quickly being replaced by the unbearable heat and sex drive from earlier. Her body tingled all the way down her back, her vaginal walls began to contract again, looking for a member that wasn't there. Blood rushed to her face and her breathing increased. After a minute or so the heat was back to where it was from before, entirely unbearable. Sadis leaned over Tree's backside and ran one of his claws down the leather corset binding her forelegs. The corset disappeared and four small leather bracelets fell to the ground. Tree slowly began to stand up, but Sadis grabbed her around the neck with one of his clawed hands, caressing up and down her neck. "Ha~" Tree gasped, bending her front legs in submission. "Good little cock sleeve. Now that you understand that only I can satisfy your lust, do you want more?" Sadis whispered in Tree's ear, his other claw running up the outside of her inner labia, making her moan loudly. "P-please, more." Tree said, gasping for air as Sadis let one of his claws rub her clitoris. Sadis picked up Tree around the waist and lifted her up to around his own waist. His member slowly peeked out from under him, extending outward until it was just a few inches away from Tree's sex. Tree, began panting in excitement, she spread her legs wide in preparation for what was coming. I..I can't let him do this it's- Fluttershy saw another flash of light and then darkness. Slowly, the image from before appeared, although this time it was in color and well defined. Clarinet, Piston Jay and Jet were all crowded around something winged and yellow. She walked toward them, but stopped dead in her tracks once she realized what the yellowed winged creature was. T-that's me! The three ponies were busy raping her in every orifice that they could reach. Clarinet was on top, dislodging her jaw, Piston Jay below, taking her from behind and Jet ramming his oversized member into her. She watched as her body writhed in pain, screaming for them to stop, but her cries only invigorated them to go further. The memories started to flood back, these were the origin of the strange flashes she had been getting recently. She watched as bit of light were being torn from her body and absorbed into the three other ponies. This explains that mess in my bed...I was...dream raped!? Fluttershy racked her brain for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly happened. Then it all made sense, she was attacked by some kind of dream succubi and Luna saved her. She remembered Luna staying by her side until she woke up, making sure no other creatures took advantage of her weakened state. The image faded away again and she was back to her senses. Back in the cage were she was being forced to watch Sadis rape her best friend. The feeling of powerlessness and how worthless she felt washed over her again. I let those...things take me and here I am letting this monster take Tree Fluttershy collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into her forelegs. I'm worthless, I don't deserve her. I don't have the power to help...I'm worthless , worthless! Stop beating yourself up. You only need to let your rage flow through you, we can save her together. Stop suppressing me and we can all get out of here alive! A voice in Fluttershy's head spoke, loud and clear. It was so familiar, like she had it in her all along. Fluttershy reached up and touched her chest, listening to what the voice told her. "So, do you want it sex slave?" Sadis said as bumped Tree's backside with his hips, making her moan. "Well, do you?" "Y-yes, pl-please. I want it!" Tree said as she struggled to move her hips toward Sadis's member. "Not good enough!" Sadis thrust his hips hard into Tree, his member sliding between her back leg, intentionally missing her sex. Tree let out a yelp as Sadis's hips collided with her backside, followed by panting and a confused glance at Sadis; wondering why he didn't penetrate her. "You have to say you're a filthy little whore and call me master when asking for a favor. So what do you say little whore, do you want this?" Sadis thrust into Tree's backside again, enjoying the mares discomfort and suffering as he slowly pulled back. He then slowly moved his claw up and down tree's inner labia, making the mare quiver with anticipation. "Go on, say it. You need to know that you exist to please me." "I-I'm a filthy-" "No! Don't you dare say it Tree!" Fluttershy yelled, interrupting Tree. Fluttershy's eyes flushed blood red and her front teeth extended into fangs. She could feel the primal rage building inside of her and the power that came with it. She could feel her own muscles grow in size, her ears extended and her wings lightened as her feathers retracted. She locked eyes with Sadis, and let out a primal screech. The cage rocked back and forth violently until it shattered into nothing more than splinters. Fluttershy bolted forward with a single powerful flap of her wings right at Sadis. Before he could react she grabbed him around the neck with her forelegs and slammed his body into the base of a nearby tree. She quickly took a glance back to make sure Tree Hugger was okay before laying into Sadis with all of her might. It was like nothing she had ever imagined. This is what it felt like to have real power, the strength to protect those she loved. She punched into Sadis with the greatest of ease, she could feel the air exiting his lungs, the ribs below his scales cracking as if they were made of twigs. She knew she had to let up, but she couldn't stop. Such a un-redeemable monster could not be allowed to live. Sadis tried to lunge at her, but it was so slow, as if his movements were almost stopped in time. Fluttershy punched him in the teeth, shattering dozens of them as they flew out of his mouth, impaling themselves into the trunk of a nearby tree. She then kicked him in the groin, right in his exposed member which exploded into a bloody, gory and shredded mess. Sadis hunched over, grabbing at his privates as a torrent of blood spilled from them. Sensing her moment to end his life she moved behind Sadis with lightning speed and wrapped her forelegs around his maw and neck. With one swift motion she pulled with one foreleg and pushed with another. Sadis neck snapped and his head spun in place three times, ending up staring Fluttershy right in the eyes. He gasped for air one more time before falling over, dead. Tree stood up, her eyes meeting Fluttershy's. She had what could only be explained as an expression of both horror and confusion combined. Fluttershy had a sinking feeling for a brief moment, but it was quickly interrupted by more raptors rushing to the commotion. Each of them eyed her up as if trying to gauge what she was capable of before attacking. However, one of them spotted Sadis corpse on the ground and shouted to the others to charge her all at once. I can't handle that many at once... thinking quickly, Fluttershy punched a nearby tree with all her might, snapping the trunk in two all the way up to the canopy. H-holy shit on a sandwich, did I do that? The groups of raptors stopped dead in their tracks, most of them with petrified expressions on their faces. "I-I want to please our lord Saw-tooth, but I also kinda don't want to die!" One of the raptors said, his voice panic stricken. The groups slowly backed away before full on calling for a retreat. Fluttershy turned around, staring at Tree Hugger, whom seemed to not really know who or what she was. She wasn't sure if it was the toxin that was still effecting her or her new form, in either case Tree seemed to barely recognize her. A sudden sound of a horn turned her attention away from Tree. The raptors were calling for reinforcements. She looked around, trying to get her bearings when she spotted her saddlebags on the ground next to Tree's, completely torn to ribbons. Thankfully the raptors had not gone through Tree's belonging yet as the bags seemed entirely devoid of holes and rips. She picked up the saddlebags in he mouth and tossed them over her back. She tried to judge how she was going to fly tree out of here when she realized; the bags felt as if they were almost weightless. Fluttershy flapped her wings a few times and took to the air. The bags didn't even so much as drag her down in the slightest. "I can do this!" Fluttershy swooped down and picked up Tree Hugger, who moaned softly as she was lifted into the air. She almost expected Tree to fight back, but then she realized the Tree she knew was only barely there. Sure, she probably recognized her slightly, but in her condition, sex was the only thing on her mind. Fluttershy headed for the canopy, the wind across her now larger ears drowning out the angry growls of the raptors below her. Each flap of her wings lifted them with the greatest of ease, almost as if Tree weighed nothing at all. So this is what this side of me really feels like... there was still a hint of anger at the back of her mind, but it was replaced by relief that they managed to escape, at least for the time being. Once she breached the canopy, she flew higher to try and get her bearings. Behind her a few miles was the death field they crossed before being captured. "Which means I need to fly this direction." She then realized that she had no idea how far east or west they were taken. It was almost sundown and she would need to find that tree house Shulan mentioned. Not only to hide, but to figure out how to cure Tree Hugger of her affliction. "Wait...I'm part bat right? I wonder if I can do that echo stuff." Fluttershy closed her eyes and curled her lip. She started to make very small chirps coming from the side of her mouth. After a few seconds she could see pulses of the world around her, all in a deep crystal blue. She increased the rate at which she chirped and the picture became solid. She could see everything for miles around her. Predators, ant hills, even single bees on flowers below her. Then she noticed one of the echos coming back different than the others. She turned her head in the direction of the strange echos and focused hard. It seemed...the echos were reflecting off of...glassware of some kind. Glassware sitting high up in a tree. Why would there be glasses sitting high in a tree Fluttershy thought. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. It wasn't just glassware, but oddly shaped metals, one even kind of looked like a candle holder. Fluttershy opened her eyes. "The tree house!" She realized what she was sensing. The tree house Shulan mentioned was around twelve or so miles away, dead north-east of her current position."Huh, this echolocation stuff is pretty handy." "Ahhnn~" Tree Hugger moaned as she moved her forelegs between her back legs and rubbed vigorously, seemingly not caring about being in the air or Fluttershy carrying her. "I need to get her into bed so I can figure out a cure for her" Fluttershy said to herself. "Hold on Tree, I'll get you help soon!" > Chapter V: Heat of the Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter V: Heat of the Night "Hold on Tree, we're almost there." Fluttershy continued to chirp, listening for the echo to bounced off what she could only assume was glass. From what she could guess she was no more than a couple minutes away from the tree house, or at least what she thought was the tree house. Thankfully the trip had been uneventful, Tree Hugger kept mostly still even though her moaning was getting a bit louder than she would have liked. The raptors seemed to only pursue her a couple miles at most before giving up entirely and the fact they were in the air meant following them by scent was going to be difficult for Saw-tooth. It seemed most of their immediate problems were dealt with, but once she settled down there were going to be a few more. Tending to Tree's medical needs were a top priority, her body was riddled with bruises, abrasions and small cuts. There were several long lashes across her back that cut deeper than she first realized and were in danger of becoming infected. Then there was the toxin Sadis injected into her. She knew Tree had packed away a few antidotes for some of the more common poisons they could run into, but not being a botanist there was serious doubt that she could figure out exactly what potion was required. Those are only the short term problems... Fluttershy thought. There would be no telling how emotionally distraught Tree would be once the spell on her body and mind was broken. Not even counting if Sadis caused any internal damage to her. Then there was the proverbial long term elephant in the room; both of them had been sexually assaulted and while she knew she could probably write hers off as a bad nightmare, she had no idea how Tree would react. Or...if she would ever forgive her for letting it happen. He mind drifted off for a brief moment as she passed over what she could have sword was a roof of some kind. She turned around and looked straight down at the canopy below. There was a jumbled up layer of dead tree branches with a few wooden shingles poking through the debris. "This must be the place Shulan mentioned." Fluttershy closed her eyes and chirped a few times. Below she could just barely make out the shape of a tree house. It seemed to have fishing nets strung around the outside with vines and tree branches growing around it to block view of it from the ground. She could just barely make out something that looked like a door handle and a single window on the left side of the building. She would have to get closer to inspect the building visually. She lowered herself down through the canopy, moving slowly to not catch herself or Tree on any stray vines. As she lowered herself she noticed something very odd, the powerful flaps from her wings were making the foliage...ripple, as if it were made of water. She reached forward and her entire hoof phased through the foliage entirely as if there was nothing there at all. Some kind of illusion maybe? Fluttershy pressed forward, phasing through the brush entirely. Below her was a little wooden platform maybe five feet across and four deep surrounded by railings. Hanging over one of the railings was a rope ladder that seemed to be hanging over the edge, but seemed to turn invisible halfway down the tree trunk. There was a closed door on the other edge of the platform with a small wooden latch and a slit at the top. She slowly lowered herself to the platform, making sure to keep her wings going just in case the wood couldn't handle their weight. As she landed she noticed that it was surprisingly sturdy, not so much as a single creaking sound as she touched down. "Nhhhgg!" Tree gritted her teeth. "We're here Tree, let's get you inside." Fluttershy picked Tree up by putting her head under her belly and lifting her onto her back. She opened the door and walked in. "Wow!" Fluttershy said aloud. She almost couldn't believe her eyes. The tree house had two rooms, one seemed to be a restroom of some kind and the rest was a single living area. There was a queen sized bed in the middle against the back wall, on the right was a cauldron and wood burning furnace. There was even a working fridge in the back left corner. She looked directly above her to find a single faintly glowing yellow crystal, which seemed to have a few wires go out in all directions including one to the fridge and one to a lamp on a small table beside the bed. "Hmm she mentioned it was uninhabited, but this looks like somepony, or something is living here. Well, either that or they left the place immaculate and never came back..." Fluttershy mumbled to herself. "Ahhnnn~" Tree Hugger moaned. "Right, I need to get you fixed up." Fluttershy walked to the left of the bed and gently rolled Tree Hugger onto it. Tree immediately began to moan loudly as she rubbed her sex in an effort to relieve herself, panting loudly as she tried. Fluttershy then lifted the saddle bags off her back and set them on the floor. She slowly began to rummage through the contents until she came across what looked like a med kit. She lifted the small white box out of the bag and set it on the floor. She then opened it to inspect its contents. "This isn't good." Fluttershy groaned. There was only a little bit of rubbing alcohol, one antidote and a few small bandages left. The wand she had seen Tree using on her was still there, but it's crystal like glow was faded, as if it had lost quite a bit of its power. "Drained power eh? I wonder..." Fluttershy grabbed the wand with her mouth and lifted it toward the small faintly glowing yellow crystal near the ceiling. The crystal glowed bright yellow and a bolt of electricity struck the tip of the wand, making Fluttershy drop it out of shock. The wand fell to the floor and rolled a couple of times before coming to a stop at the base of the bed. Fluttershy leaned over, being careful to keep her distance. The wand seemed to have it's former glow and sheen restored, but she wasn't too sure about if there was any aftershock. She slowly pawed at the wand for a few moments with her hoof, like a cat would yarn before picking it up in her mouth. I can't believe that actually worked. Fluttershy thought to herself. "Now , if I just run it over Tree's wounds, then they should heal up right?" Fluttershy moved to the left side of the bed and leaned over, running the wand over a small cut on Tree's shin to test it. the wound closed up in a few moments, leaving a small puff of what looked like water vapor as it closed. "Good, first things first, that bite wound." Fluttershy set the wand down at the end of the bed and rolled Tree Hugger toward her. She then bent over Tree and started to remove the bandages around the bite wound, making sure to be as gentle as possible. As she removed the bandages a rancid reek hit her nose, as if she had just nose dived into a sewer. It was a combination of what smelled like alcohol, rotted garbage and crushed Silverleaf, which while able to treat a wound was not exactly the best for keeping infection away. She removed the last of the bandages, letting the Silverleaf fall on the bed. "This is pretty bad..." Fluttershy stared at the multiple puncture wounds on Tree' Hugger's leg. Most of her cutie marks was effectively gone as it had significant sheering damage and deep puncture wounds all through it. The sheering damage was deep enough in some spots to see some exposed leg muscles. Thankfully it didn't look as if infection had set in, but there was no guarantee how long that would last. She's one tough mare to be in severe heat like this with a wound this serious. I wonder if the toxin has a pain killing element to it? Fluttershy turned to the saddlebags, digging around in them for whatever she could find that could be used to disinfect the wound. "Huh, there's some Ochu root in here. I wonder when she picked this up? They aren't native to Equestria." She lifted up the root and inspected it closer, making sure it was what she thought it was. The root has an alkaline smell to it and a brown fuzz all up and down the length of the root. She knew Ochu root excreted a powerful antibiotic, but had the side effect of hurting like hell. It could also be eaten, but tasted like rancid radishes and took forever to take effect orally. "Yeah, this is Ochu root alright. Now Tree, this is going to smart...a lot, but I need you to bear the pain and hold still." Fluttershy held the Ochu root above Tree's wounds and squeezed it. A thick white pus drained out of the root and onto the wound, seeping into the deeper ones as it drenched her back leg. Tree made the slightest whimper, but it somehow came out as a half whimper-half moan. After a few more seconds Tree went right back to rubbing herself, her moans growing ever louder. "I guess that toxin does have pain killers in it." Well, either that or Tree was much tougher than I thought. Fluttershy tossed the root aside and picked up the wand in her mouth. She ran the wand over the area a couple times, making sure to keep it hovering over the deeper parts of the wound for an extended time. The wound didn't exactly seal up, but some healing had occurred. She could no longer see the exposed muscle from before and the puncture wounds were no longer as deep. Even bits of fur and some of her Cutie mark had come back. "I guess that's enough for now." Fluttershy set the wand back down at the base of the bed and reached into the first aid kit. She pulled out the few bandages she had left and began to wrap up Tree's back leg. Tree on the other hoof seemed completely oblivious to Fluttershy trying to help her and took the couple times she almost bumped into her belly as a sign to spread her legs, making bandaging her that much harder. Unfortunately, she just barely had enough to cover the entire wound in a single layer. She finished up by double looping the ends and tying the bandage down as tight as she could without cutting off blood flow. "Those back wounds need attention as well. I need her to stand up though." Fluttershy paused for a moment, how could she get Tree to stand up so she could get a better look at the lashes on her back. She could stand her up forcefully, but there was a chance she would just lie down and continue to rub herself. She tapped her hoof on her chin for a moment when she got a idea, although one she wasn't a hundred percent comfortable with. "Well, I guess this is the easiest way." Fluttershy rolled Tree onto her belly, the mare still furiously rubbing her sex. She then covered her eyes with one leg, blushing furiously, reached out...and gave a sharp smack on Tree's ass. "Yes, mount me!" Tree yelled, lifting her backside up into the air, bracing herself with her front legs and spreading her back ones in preparation for what she thought was oncoming penetration. Fluttershy blushed. "Oh...my." Tree had her rear high into the air and was panting heavily while staring at Fluttershy with lust filled eyes. "N-no, no. No, umm, bumping fuzzies. I just need to inspect your wounds with a little bit more light" Fluttershy explained, though not having much effect. Tree Hugger didn't seem to understand a word she said, only the slap on the rear and the possibility of sex. Her mind is that far gone. She doesn't even know I'm here... Fluttershy thought. Despite this Fluttershy got up on the bed and stood over Tree, examining the wounds on her back. "These look bad, but they are kinda shallow. Shouldn't be too much to heal these." Fluttershy jumped down from the bed, much to the disgruntled protest from Tree. She checked the medical box again, picking out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some cotton swabs. She then set them on the bed and hopped up, Tree's eyes widening as if sex was still on its way. Fluttershy sighed. I wish she was of sane mind, would be nice to have the real her here right now. "This may sting a bit." Fluttershy opened the bottle of rubbing alcohol and placed the cotton swabs on top; tilting the bottle a bit to soak them. She continued doing this for a few minutes, making sure to clean out each wound thoroughly. "Now, to seal up the wounds." Fluttershy returned the remaining cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol to the medkit and picked up the wand at the end of the bed. She slowly ran the wand across Tree's back, watching closely as the wounds closed up and her coat growing back. "Well, that's the serious wounds handled." Fluttershy inspected Tree, noting the spots where she had bruises and abrasions and running the wand over them where she found them. There was just one more spot to check for wounds, it wasn't exactly a spot she wanted to check. I..I really don't want to look there. Even more so that it will turn her on something fierce. Fluttershy set the wand down at the base of the bed and coaxed Tree to lift her rear toward her. Tree complied with an ecstatic smile on her face, most likely expecting something completely different from Fluttershy. Fluttershy put both hooves on Tree's outer labia, the mare moaning in excitement. She then slowly spread her lips apart. "Yeah, eat me !" Tree yelled excitedly. The smell hit Fluttershy in the face, the mare musk coming from Tree was far stronger than she could have ever imagined. However, it was oddly...arousing. Bad Fluttershy, this is a medical examination. No time for that! She then moved the lips further apart to inspect the inner labia, vulva and clitoris for damage. From what she could tell there didn't seem to be any bleeding or swelling. The only thing left to check was the vaginal tract, Fluttershy apprehensively moved her hooves in a little closer and then spread Tree wide. "Ahhnnn~" Tree moaned loudly. From what she could tell there didn't seem to be any damage inside her either. The smell however was nearly overwhelming. There was even the tiniest urge to...lick her down there, but she managed to resist the urge. Mentally berating herself in the process. "W-well, you don't seem to have any internal damage. At least not...down there. You can go back to rubbing yourself." Fluttershy jumped down from the bed, picking the wand up and putting it back inside the med kit. Tree, moaned in protest, but seemed to not care moments later as she got back to rubbing herself. "I really wish you were of a sane mind right now, Tree. I could really use your help finding a cure." Fluttershy sighed and dug out one of the botanist books from earlier. She started to turn through the pages, looking for any herb or seed that could cause the effects Sadis mentioned. As she turned the pages, she noticed that her fur was still ruffled and on end in certain points. "Right, I'm still...a bat I guess?" Fluttershy stood up and walked toward the window, staring at her reflection in the glass. Her pointed ears, her coat ruffled in some spots. Her front fangs extended just a little bit past the top part of her jaw. Her eyes kind of bothered her though, the blood red color made her feel very uncomfortable, like she was one of the villains she and her friends have dealt with in the past. Then there were her wings, sure they didn't require preening, but she felt exposed without her feathers. Then there was the feeling of overwhelming raw power she got. It was almost intoxicating how strong, fast and capable she felt. As if she could even take down Saw-tooth in this form. However, it's probably also part of the reason that Tree didn't recognize her. "How do I turn it off?" Fluttershy asked herself, staring down at her hooves. You will be this way for a half day at most...unless you want to be this way all the time. Fluttershy heard a voice in the back of her head. A very strong, feminine voice. A voice that sounded like one of those old B movie mistresses. So...what are you exactly? I thought Twilight mostly fixed me. This is the first time you have spoken to me. Fluttershy thought. I am you. I am the primal version of you, the part of you that gets things done when time get tough. I am the assertive part of your personality that you try so hard to suppress. the voice replied. I understand and I thank you for that, had you not come out when you did; me and Tree would have both been killed. So...do you have a name? Fluttershy thought back. You can call me Flutterbat, though I am still you so that distinction is pointless. Flutterbat replied. Fluttershy stared into the glass once more. "Flutterbat, huh? I guess I can get used to this form, at least when it's needed." ***One Hour Later*** "Graahhh! Hnmnn! , Nah, ha ...ha!" Tree moaned loudly as she tried desperately to relieve herself. A pained expression on her face as she gritted her teeth, her sex winking rapidly. Fluttershy turned to her friend, a worried expression all over her face. She had seen this earlier before Sadis raped her. She couldn't imagine being in such agony herself, but from how Tree Hugger described it, it was noting short of torture. Your body going into painful convulsions, especially in the nether regions, the shortness of breath, the feeling of your insides grinding up against itself seeking relief; all the symptoms Tree mentioned seemed to be occurring again. She had been looking through a couple of Tree's books in an effort to find a cure for Tree's affliction. She had come across a few plants that could potentially cause the problem and the cures, but none of them were exact matches. Sadis had mentioned it was the seeds of a plant and some other unmentioned process, sadly none of the plants she had read about came close to doing the kind of effects Tree was experiencing. Multiple times she wished Tree was of sane mind, to help along the process since botany was not exactly her best skill. Sure, she knew enough to get by, but nothing compared to the years of knowledge Tree had accumulated. What was worse is she was on a time limit, if she didn't find a cure soon Tree was at risk of heart failure. She could go ahead and just cure her the way Sadis did, but that option didn't sit right with her in the slightest. "Maybe there's another book somewhere I haven't checked yet." Fluttershy stood up, closing the book she had open on the floor and rummaged though the saddle bags. She felt a smaller book at the bottom of the bag and pulled it out. However, she dropped it immediately when she noticed something pink and worm like was stuck to the side of it. "What is that thing?" Fluttershy stared at the object. From what she could tell it was some kind of double sided dildo. Why would Tree have such a thing on her, unless she was planning on... the thought that Tree was planning on their date possibly going that far on the first day made her blush furiously. Then again, merely two days into their travels they could barely keep each others hooves off one another. She wasn't sure if this was true love or just the seasonal hormones getting in the way, in either case Tree predicted they would get along well enough to possibly go that far. She knew deep down she wasn't wrong, just he idea Tree predicted her so well was telling to how close she knew they were. The dildo on the other hoof was kind of scary to look at. It roughly measured forty or so inches in length with what looked like some kind of wide rubber washer in the middle section dividing it into two twenty inch sections. It seemed to be bigger in girth than what an average stallion would have, but not by enough to to be overly uncomfortable. Up and down the entire shaft on both sides were little stud like protrusions in the shape of domes. She had seen something similar before in a few shops in Ponyville, though it was usually outside of her budget to get one for herself. Her focus turned from the dildo to the book she had dropped. "Oh, this is..." On the cover of the book were two mares, one was near the others sex performing what looked like cunnilingus on the other. The other mare had her head thrown back and was visibly blushing, her mouth open in what she could only assume was a depiction of a moan. If the gold picture on the front of the book wasn't an obvious give away to what the book was about, the title on the cover was a plain as day. "Beginners guide to filly fooling, mastering the lesbian arts?" It hadn't occurred to her that Tree might be new to the whole filly fooling thing. Then again, she was new to it as well; as well as sex in general. She knew some of the basics, though rubbing herself off wasn't something she did too often; at least not with as many animals in her home coming and going. She opened the book past the index to the first page, where it gave a brief introduction to filly fooling. Fluttershy began to read aloud."The first step to both parties getting off is mutual trust and a knowledge of each others like and dislikes. Speak with your partner to find out what they will and will not accept and make sure to always have a safe word." Fluttershy stared over at Tree in the bed whom still seemed in great discomfort. May as well ask... "Tree, is there any thing you don't want me to do to you?Ummm...sexually I mean?" Fluttershy asked apprehensively. Tree replied with her typical groans of discomfort and a few light moans, still not noticing that Fluttershy was there. "Well, that went about as well as expected." Fluttershy continued to read. "Once this is established remember that no means no. Consent is very important, sexual conduct or contact without consent can damage a relationship or in extreme cases be classified as rape." "I know that much." Fluttershy thought about the situation she was in for a moment. If Tree Hugger's mind was addled, there was no way she could consent to her performing any kind of sexual acts. She knew that she was running out of options and time, but just taking her friend while she was unable to realize it just felt wrong on so many levels. I would be no better than Sadis if I took her the way she is right now... Fluttershy thought. There's a key difference. Sadis's entire point was to dominate, hurt and eventually kill. You on the other hoof are there to help her out of a possibly fatal situation. Flutterbat's voice said. I still don't feel very good about it. It just feels wrong on so many levels, especially since I was so worthless and let her get raped twice. Fluttershy thought. I'll put it another way; would you rather her be angry at you and eventually patch things up or have her die? Flutterbat said in a definitive, yet stern tone. "Oh...oh no." Fluttershy glanced over at Tree and watcher her for a few moments. She was still very much in pain, her efforts to relieve herself not doing her much; if any good. If she couldn't find a cure for her then the only other option left to her was to commit to intercourse. The thought of Tree dying was far worse than just the thought of Tree being angry at her. Being angry is a temporary problem after all, death is a very permanent and irreversible problem. "I guess that's it then. I have to stabilize her that way. I'm not very experienced though..." Fluttershy looked down at the book and realized she didn't need to be experienced; she had a guide to another mares body right in front of her. Fluttershy picked the book up and set it at the base of the bed and turned the page. "Huh, Spoon & Slam?" Fluttershy looked at the picture of one mare laying spread legged on top another. "Start by laying on top of your partner's back and slowly reaching one or booth hooves down her belly slowly moving toward her sex. Once you are in position slowly rub her outer labia, slowly moving inwards in circles. Use one foreleg to caress her body up her side and front all the way up to the neck." Fluttershy continued to read, noting that for a sex position this one seemed fairly straight forward. Though another quick glance at her face in the mirror cast doubts on herself once more. She was incredibly strong in this form so she would have to be extra careful not to go too far with Tree, especially in her injured condition. Stop worrying so much. She's a strong mare, we have enough self control not to take it too far. Flutterbat said. "Well, I guess it's now or never." Fluttershy grabbed Tree Hugger by the flanks, making her moan in excitement and rolled her onto her belly. She then lowered her self onto Tree's back, making sure their hips collided softly and they Tree was properly pinned down for the next part. "I hope you can forgive me for this..." Fluttershy kissed up the back of Tree's neck softly and slowly. As she moved up her neck, occasionally sucking on it she wrapped one foreleg around her waist and the other around her inner thigh on her left side. She slowly caressed up the middle of Tree's body, occasionally getting her hoof close to Tree's sex, but then stopping just short of it and moving back up. Tree moaned and gyrated her hips, hoping for the moment of contact. Fluttershy obliged and began to lick her neck, sucking on some spots occasionally, all the while moving her hoof ever closer to Tree's sex. Then it happened, Fluttershy's hoof had found the proverbial home plate and Tree gasped for air to let her know she hit the right spot. She slowly began to rub Tree's outer labia, alternating between large wide circles and short small ones; occasionally switching from clockwise to counter-clockwise. "Finally!" Tree yelled, her tongue flopping out as she panted heavily. "R-right there, hnnn , yeah! Wh-who ever you are, keep going!" Fluttershy had the sudden urge to stop, the outburst that Tree had no idea who was touching her was a tad jarring. However, she was enjoying herself as well. Far more than she expected. The taste of Tree's fur as she sucked on her neck, the warm feeling of Tree's body pressed up against her own, the back and flank muscles contracting and relaxing as she gyrated her hips; everything about this was turning her on. So much so that her wings had begun to stand up on end and she could feel a sudden rush of heat to her face. She continued to rub Tree's sex in circles, occasionally going up and down and bumping the clitoris whenever she winked, much to Tree's satisfaction. She even began to gyrate her hips into Tree's flanks, effectively phantom humping her. The moment she started to do this, Tree moaned loudly, her breathing increasing and both of her ears folding back. her entire body seemed to relax in an instant, a moment indicating complete submission. "I hope you're ready Tree." Fluttershy whispered. Fluttershy leaned in and bit softly into Tree's left ear, being careful not to be too rough or puncture her with her fangs. The reaction from Tree was just as the book described. She leaned her head back to allow Fluttershy all the leverage she required, her entire body was limp and ripe for the taking.Fluttershy moved both forelegs around Tree's chest and squeezed softly, but firmly. Tree opened up one eyes, holding her breath in anticipation of Fluttershy's next move. Fluttershy smiled and lifted her flanks up just a few inches. She then waited for a few moment before slamming her entire backside into Tree's , hard. "Ahhnnnn~" Tree moaned loudly as her flanks jiggled from the impact, the shock-wave traveling all the way down to her sex, vibrating it. Fluttershy couldn't believe herself how good this felt, though since her sex didn't have the benefit of padding from her flanks, it was little bit painful, but nothing she couldn't handle. She lifted her rear end up again and slammed down again, getting the same loud and heated reaction from Tree. This feels pretty good. She's getting more out of it than me, but that's fine. Fluttershy thought. Fluttershy pulled lightly on Tree's ear, making the mare raise her rump submissively. She then began to lift her own rear into the air over and over again, each time slapping it down on Tree's backside. "Ahnnn~!" Tree cried out with each slap on the rear, her body quivering uncontrollably every other impact. I see now, the grabbing of the ear and weight are mimicking a male mounting her and the impacts the act of penetration. Fluttershy thought, though she did feel the slightest tinge of regret that Tree thought a male was mounting her; instead of her. Fluttershy closed her eyes, doing her best to control herself. The heat and motion from Tree was turning her on far more than she initially thought. It felt so good though, she originally thought it wouldn't be this much more pleasurable, but the act of just her body being in contact with another turned her on more than she wanted to admit. She could feel that Tree was getting closer to climax. Her breathing, the way her body shook with each impact and way she kept raising her rear with each slap gave her away. Fluttershy knew she wasn't exactly close herself, but this wasn't about her; this was all for Trees well being. "Unff, ah, nyaaa, Ahnnn~" Tree moaned loudly, the fluids from her sex soaking the sheets below her. Each and every slap on her rear brought her closer and closer to climax. Tree closed her eyes and her back legs spread across the bed, the muscles had seized up entirely. One one more hump Tree screamed out in ecstasy; her sex squirting fluids onto the bed and her tail. Her sex winked rapidly from the sensation as the euphoric sensation from her rear continued; being extended by Fluttershy's hips humping into her. Fluttershy smiled as she rubbed her hips into Tree's rear end. She could feel her climax shoot throughout Tree's entire body, the shaking and involuntary muscle convulsions turning her on as well. Fluttershy gently let go one Tree's ear, lowering her head gently onto the pillow. She lifted herself off of Tree, though to some protest from both Tree and her own body. She turned to the book to continue reading. "Continue gyrating and slapping hips into your partner until you feel the unmistakable shake of her body course through you." Fluttershy read aloud. There was something written on the side of the page in the margins, it looked very much like Tree Hugger's writing style. *Effectively keep going until you hear a lot of lesbian horse noises and feel shaking* "Huh, that's actually exactly what happened. Looks like she was keeping notes." Fluttershy turned to the next page and read the title aloud "The split-grind?" on the page was a depiction of two mares, one on her back and the other over her. The one on top had both of her back legs locking over the inner thighs of the mare on her back. The next picture depicted the mare on top with her clitoris and labia just left of the other mares clitoris and outer labia. "Suck your partners neck, caress her coat and flanks while rubbing your privates together. Make sure to explore her likes and dislike slowly. Pull her into a deep breath stealing kiss to keep the attention off her private area while mounting." Fluttershy turned around and stared at Tree for a minute or two. Her body seemed content, but she noticed her breathing had started to pick up again as well as more red color in her cheeks; Indicating that she still had some time to go before the effects of the toxin would let up. Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around Tree's waist and flipped her onto her back, slowly. Best keep going, the more I get her to climax the faster the toxin will work its way out of her. At least, that's my theory Fluttershy thought. Fluttershy leaned in to perform a deep kiss when Tree Hugger opened her eyes. "F-Fluttershy?" Tree said. "Tree? You recognize me?" Fluttershy was taken aback a bit as she moved her head back. "I...I kinda do. You look a bit different. Was that...you that made me feel so good just a minute or two ago?" Tree asked, her voice a little more than a whisper. "Tree!" Fluttershy leaned in with both forelegs, pulling Tree into a hug. "I-I'm so glad you're back! That raptor did stuff to you, you didn't recognize me and then I was worried you would die and..." Tree leaned in and gave a light peck on the cheek. "Calm down hun, one thing at a time ya know?" Fluttershy blushed furiously, pulling away from Tree as tears rolled down her eyes. "I-I failed you. I'm worthless and let that monster take you from me!T-then I couldn't find a cure for you and-" "That's not what I remember, at least for some of it." Tree sat up, reaching out with one hoof under Fluttershy's chin. "I remember Sadis attacking me and then forcing himself on me. I couldn't fight back and couldn't even control myself, like my mind was trapped in a cage as a spectator. Then I saw a brilliant light as this gorgeous and powerful mare I knew broke out of her impossibly strong cage and beat Sadis to a pulp. I watched her kill to protect me and then punch a tree down like it was made of tissue paper." "R-really?" Fluttershy asked, sobbing. Tree smiled. "It's all coming back to me now. This delicate and fragile mare leaped into action at her own peril, bringing out the gorgeous , powerful form in front of me. She then lifted me into the sky with the greatest of ease and carried me away to a cabin in the Trees. I then watched as she patched up my wounds and began to search for a cure to my affliction, despite not even knowing where to start looking." Tree leaned in, her head nuzzling underneath Fluttershy's neck. "Then I watched as she fought and blamed herself for what happened to me. She even thought taking me as I was as rape when the opposite was true; I wanted you, I realized over the last few days that you meant so much more to me than I could have imagined." Tree, leaned into Fluttershy's chest, sobbing. "You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for *sniff* I don't know how you could ever consider me your equal." Tree began to cry uncontrollably. "Please, stop blaming yourself. You're all I ever wanted in a mate and more!" Tree wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy's neck, I-I'm so sorry for putting you through so much. I'm not worthy of you, I'm worthless!" Worthless... Fluttershy thought back, every time she managed to just barely do something, barely get them through a tough situation...that's what she was feeling; worthless. Even in the moments before she killed Sadis, that's all she could think of, how worthless she was. She couldn't even fathom how Tree could see herself that way though, maybe both of them had some kind of self hating complex; she didn't know, but she knew one thing; neither of them was worthless. Both of them deserved the other, with their whole hearts. "Tree...I felt the same way for the longest time. Years before I even met you, all my friends were much stronger, faster and smarter than me. All I really had to work with was the ability to talk with animals, the only thing I could call my own. Even then, mares and stallions looked over me like I either wasn't worth their time or just a hot piece of flank. However, you saw me for who I really was, you defended me when needed and never once took advantage of my kind nature. You brought out a part of me that could be brave, could be strong, for the both of us." Fluttershy petted Tree's mane. "You're a strong mare Tree Hugger. You saved my life, helped me when I could no longer walk and never once acted selfish or petty. You were even ready to fight to the death for me against insurmountable odds. I love you Tree, more than anything in this world and I would gladly lay my life down to protect you, as I know you would for me." Fluttershy moved away Tree, the mare still trying to control her sobbing. "We deserve each other, remember that." Tree Hugger smiled, wiping tears from her eyes. "I-I don't know what to say Fluttershy. You put it better than I ever could. I guess in the end, actions do speak louder than words." Tree, ran her hoof across the side of Fluttershy's face and down her leg, then up again across her body. "Who knew such a beautiful and powerful mare was under there all along." Tree continued to explore Fluttershy's new form, running her legs over her mane, ears, wings and eventually her flanks. "It's like...you're a body builder, but not bulky as all. I can feel all that muscle under that wild coat of yours. I don't think I have ever...felt so turned on by anypony physically like this. And those fangs...what exactly happened to you to do this? I mean, you're nothing like the other bat ponies I have ever seen." "A long time ago, one of Twilight's spells backfired pretty badly. For awhile I thought she had cured me of it, but every full moon I transform into this...creature and go out to hunt" Fluttershy said apprehensively, not making eye contact with Tree for the fear of her reaction. "You're... a vampony?" Tree asked. "No, at least I think I'm not. I go out and hunt fruit. Apples, Pears, Oranges and even the occasional Pineapple, though those are tough to get through. This is actually the first time I have ever had complete control of this form. Usually I only kinda have control. I can keep myself from hurting other ponies, but the drive to consume fruit is... intoxicating." Fluttershy raised her head to make eye contact with Tree. "I hope this form doesn't bother you. I don't know how to turn it off yet." Tree, smiled. "You ever hear of the lovers paradox Fluttershy?" "No" Fluttershy replied. "When you fall in love with another there's always some kind of part they keep hidden away, skeletons in the closet, fears, emotions. All bottled up. What do you think happens when the other lover finds out about these things?" Tree asked, smiling. Fluttershy paused for a moment. "They...get angry?" Tree laughed. "No silly, well some do, but only if they are petty about it. You see, it only adds a layer of complexity, something else to fall in love with all over again." Tree's body shivered as she ran her foreleg through Fluttershy's messy mane. "You bared your all for me and I found even more to love about you. Your powerful , sexy body just..." Tree's face flushed red and her breathing increased. "The toxin right?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah, I think my hormones are flaring up again. I've never wanted somepony in my entire life as I want you right now though, toxin or not. I meant everything I said from the heart, I love everything about you Fluttershy. I wonder though, you are a virgin if I'm not mistaken. Where did you learn to-" Tree spotted the open filly fooler book she packed, the double sided dildo still taped to the spine of the book. "Oh...you found that did you?" Tree laughed nervously. " I umm...didn't know how far our first date would go, so I kinda packed for that contingency." "I didn't know I was your first mare. You seemed so well traveled that it never occurred to me that you would be a beginner. To be honest with myself though, I actually enjoyed it; though I'm still kinda nervous about continuing." Fluttershy nuzzled Tree. "I mean, what is there not to like about you? You're smart, well traveled and always so calm and collected; yet never afraid to do what is needed in times of crisis. You're also gorgeous in your own way, the way your curly mane sways in the breeze, how the smell of your soft fur reminds me of a warm spring day..." "F-Fluttershy I..." Tree whispered. Tree Hugger and Fluttershy locked eyes, each of them knowing what they must do next. They both stared into each others eyes, seemingly getting lost in them. They both seemed to make false starts, each of them moving on the other, but stopping short; not exactly sure how to move forward. They could both feel the sexual tension in the air, tension so thick that a knife would shatter if you were to try and cut it. Fluttershy would lean in, then lean back. Tree would lean in, then turn her head, blushing. This went on for a few minutes, each thinking why initiating was so difficult when just that morning they could barely keep their hooves off one another. For Celestia's sake, just fuck already! Flutterbat yelled angrily at the back of Fluttershy's mind. Fluttershy swallowed, reached in with her right foreleg and pulled Tree Hugger close. She opened her mouth and kissed her deeply, pushing Tree backwards onto her back. For a brief moment she thought Tree resisted, but the feeling quickly subsided as Tree also wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy's neck in acceptance, pulling her in as well. Fluttershy took care to make sure her fangs didn't get in the way as she played with Tree's tongue. It was substantially smaller than her own, something she did not expect seeing as they were roughly the same body size...in her regular form anyhow. Her own tongue batted Tree's around as if it were the size of a mouse, though Tree didn't seemed to mind in the slightest, moaning lightly as she inhaled short breaths through her nostrils. This feels so...overpowering Tree Hugger thought to herself. Fluttershy's tongue was so much more massive and stronger than she expected. It also seemed to have very small soft bristles covering the surface, much like what some fruit bats would have. The taste inside Fluttershy's mouth was much like that of mangoes and strawberries, a flavor she quite enjoyed. Fluttershy's powerful tongue easily overpowered her own, It batted her own tongue around as if it were a mere cart in a hurricane, occasionally wrapping entirely around it and holding it prisoner briefly. She could feel the warmth of their bodies meld together as Fluttershy's rugged chest fur rubbed up against her own. She ran a hoof down the back of Fluttershy's wing making her squeak in approval. Fluttershy moved her back leg in past her thigh, pushing it down with the greatest of ease and placing her sex slightly to the left of her own. This is so much more different... Tree thought to herself. She was expecting Fluttershy to be so soft and demure, her personality practically screamed submissive, but here she was; Fluttershy being the dominate one. She didn't much mind though, usually she had to be the dominate one in her former relationships. So many stallions that she dated before were always so apprehensive in bed, to the point of sucking all the joy out of the act. This was a perfect change of pace though and she wanted to squeeze it for all it was worth. Not only was she easily overpowered, but she could feel exactly how powerful Fluttershy was in this form now that their bodies were in full heated contact. She could feel layers upon layers of muscle all over Fluttershy's body, enough that if Fluttershy wanted, she could easily tear her apart in the throes of lust. Despite this, she was confident Fluttershy was in full control. She was powerful, but doing her very best to be gentle. Fluttershy finally broke the kiss, much to her dismay. They both laid there for a brief moment, panting heavily as they stared into each others eyes. Fluttershy then leaned forward, booping Tree on the nose with her own before running her tongue up tree's neck. "Ahhhh~" now that she got a good look at it, Fluttershy's tongue was long, flexible and massive compared to her body size. The tip was about as wide as a normal mare's but it grew wider as the base came out, making her wonder how exactly such a thing fit in her mouth. If Fluttershy wanted she could easily wrap the entire thing around her neck with room to spare. She didn't much mind it though, maybe later she could figure out a way to utilize such a odd feature. "Mmmnnnppff~" Fluttershy began to grind her hips into Tree, their privates rubbing together at a mild and increasing pace. T-This is so much better than solo... Fluttershy thought. The way she could feel bits of Tree's insides with her outer labia while at the same time pleasuring herself was just a completely different experience. The way their fluids lubricated each other, the heat and moaning from one another; all of it was just so much more then she expected. She watched Tree's face flush red in the cheeks as her breathing staggered with each thrust of her hips. However...things were a bit different this time around. She could tell that while enjoying it, Tree was nowhere near her climax; unlike her whom was already at her limit. "It's fine Shy, let it go. We are both supposed to enjoy this, remember?" Tree reached up reassuringly wrapping both forelegs around Fluttershy's neck. "O-okay!" Fluttershy replied, her body on the razors edge of climax. "Nnmmmppff, aahh, nya! Ahhhhnnnnn!" A brief thought crossed her mind...what if in this form her climax was too strong? She could very easily hurt Tree in the throes of orgasm. Before she could slow down, maybe re-evaluate her options, it happened. She collapsed into Tree's chest, moaning loudly, her entire body quaking in orgasm. Tree, realizing Fluttershy might have a hard time controlling herself, wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy's chest and her back legs around her waist. She squeezed as tightly as she could to keep Fluttershy from hurting anypony. Fluttershy couldn't believe how different this was to going solo. It was almost as if the experience was entirely alien to her. Her legs felt week and shaking, not even so much as resisting Tree's pull. Her body seemed to be sweating nearly everywhere despite her panting heavily like a dog to cool down. Her initial thought that she might hurt herself or Tree with her body seemed completely unfounded; she barely had the strength in her to move, let hurt a fly. "So...how was it Fluttershy?" Tree asked, beaming at her. "I...I think I tried to stop it. I was scared I might hurt you" Fluttershy said. "I saw that, that thought ran across me too when I saw how worried you look. Seems I didn't need to grip you so hard though." Tree Hugger loosened her grip around Fluttershy's body. Fluttershy smiled at Tree. "I was scared, but you were there to help." Fluttershy stared into Tree's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, noting how the red in her face started to grow a darker shade. Oh...oh right.That toxin is still going through her body... "Sorry Tree, I'll get back to fixing your problem. Just let me see what else this book recommends." Fluttershy slowly lifted herself up, turning in place; her head between Tree's back legs. "Well, that's a nice view. So clean and supple" Tree said, licking her lips in a flirty fashion. Fluttershy's face flushed red. She suddenly realized she was openly exposing herself to Tree; completely forgetting to cover her sex with her tail as she turned in place. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to-" *Gasp* Fluttershy inhaled sharply as Tree reached up and spread her sex open with both hooves. "I have an idea. You pick the next position and I get to choose the one after? I kinda want to explore what you can handle a little bit more." Tree stared into Fluttershy's sex, taking note how deep she was. "I-I guess that's fine. I kinda want to explore you a little bit more, if you're still up to it that is." Fluttershy knew she was on a time limit, but her body was already heavy and tired. She wasn't sure she could keep up Tree's enhanced sex drive, but she knew she had to try. "Hmmpfff!" Tree grunted, her back legs twitching. Fluttershy turned her head. "Are you okay?" "I-I think I'll be fine. Just keeping this...drive in check takes a lot out of me" Tree replied, panting heavily. Fluttershy nodded and turned her attention back to the book at the foot of the bed, turning to the next page. " Mares Buffet?" Fluttershy leaned closer to read. "This position can be done one of two ways, lift your partners backside into the air and...oh my." Fluttershy blushed as she read on, the pictures depicting a mare performing cunnilingus on the other while elevating her backside. The next picture depicted both mares eating each other out in what she recognized as a classic sixty-nine position. "I guess I can try this, but I don't know the first thing about doing that eating out stuff" Fluttershy said. Tree giggled. "It's not that hard, just move your tongue in circles around the outer edge and every few times move inward just a bit. When you reach the middle...well, I have confidence you will know what to do then; especially with that big tongue of yours." Fluttershy read the page once more before lowering her backside onto Tree's chest. She leaned forward, grabbing both of Tree's back legs around the base and slowly moved them apart. She could feel Tree panting heavily in anticipation, the small gusts of air from her mouth blowing up against her sex. She reached around with one of her hooves and pulled one of Tree's lips to the side to get a better view, Tree moaning in approval. She seems...really tight down here now that I got a better look at it Fluttershy examined Tree's sex closely, noting that the opening to her vagina. The hymen was broken, but aside from that the vaginal hole seemed smaller than she expected. She didn't exactly know what to make of it. For a pony that wasn't a virgin , she seemed tighter than she expected. Here I am...a virgin myself and I'm trying to make sense of another ponies privates. Twilight must be rubbing off on me. There was something else as well. A smell that made her salivate a little. Tree's sex smelled like...green apples. She could feel her own breathing increase and the more primal side of her try and take over, but she kept her composure; this was no time to go on a fruit hunt. Still, the smell made her salivate a bit. Fluttershy leaned over Tree's sex and began to lick around the outer edge. It, It even tastes like apples!? Fluttershy closed her eyes, trying her best to keep herself under control. Tree gasped for air as Fluttershy massaged the lips of her sex. Her tongue pressed in a bit harder than expected and had the lightest sensation of fine paint brush bristles. She tried multiple times to reach her forelegs around Fluttershy's flanks, giving her leverage to return the favor. However, each time Fluttershy passed over her clitoris it effectively paralyzed her from the neck down as he body flexed to make sense of the sensation. "Ahhnn , na, hnnn~" It was no use, her body was completely unprepared for Fluttershy's strong licks. All she could do now was wait for her to finish. Fluttershy slowly moved her tongue inward, circling clockwise, then counter clockwise as she began to lick Tree''s inner labia. The flavor of apples intensified as she moved inward and it was starting to take a toll on her mental state. I-i know I shouldn't let my urges control me...but I haven't eaten anything all day. She tastes so good... She could barely keep her composure, not helped by the moaning and occasionally scream of pleasure coming from Tree. She continued to circle Tree's vaginal opening, the taste getting ever stronger. She pondered for a brief moment, would she lose herself if she penetrated her? Would her more primal side hurt Tree...or would it be the most amazing thing Tree has ever experienced? Jeeze, I won't bite her or anything! Stick it in already, I need that apple flavor! Fluttershy closed her eyes and thrust the entire length of her tongue in all at once, the tip bottoming out inside Tree. *gasp* Tree felt both of her walls spread wide as Fluttershy's tongue quickly made it all the way to her cervix. She couldn't breathe , the sudden shock of her inside being filled up was just too much. She even thought she had climaxed for a brief moment, though the lack of uncontrolled shaking answered that question for her quickly. The entire moment was even hard to comprehend in her head; the way it muscled its way through her, the way the soft bristles massaged every square inch of her insides...It was like nothing she had ever experienced. She waited with baited breath for Fluttershy to start moving it around, though a whisper in the back of her mind was hoping she didn't. T-this is amazing! Fluttershy began to move her tongue around, lashing it about inside Tree to let the taste of her touch every available taste bud. She tasted like a combination of green apples and slightly tart apple cider, a flavor that reminded her of Applejack's early spring cider; a reserve she sold in very limited quantities. She tried her best to control herself, but she needed more and judging from Tree's moans, she wasn't exactly complaining. She began to move her tongue from side to side, rolling it occasionally over the entire circumference of Tree's insides. Every so often she would pull her tongue all the way to the entrance in a quick lapping motion as if she was drinking like a cat. Tree' s muscles would try and contract to resist her next thrust, but her tongue spread the walls wide as if there was no resistance at all. Tree wrapped her back legs around Fluttershy's head, muffling the loud moaning and screams of ecstasy coming from her. This made her walls contract tighter, but it was still nothing she could not handle; her tongue still glided through her insides as if it were covered in butter. "F-flutt- Ahhnnn...m-more! So good!" Tree tossed her head from side to side, her body in complete sensation overload. Her walls tightened only to be pushed aside powerfully, rubbing every square inch of her insides in the process. She tossed her head left to right and back again, screaming obscenities as Fluttershy ravaged her insides like a blender. She arched her back to allow Fluttershy more leverage, allowing her to slap into her cervix with more vigor. She could even see the smallest of bulges on her belly as Fluttershy pushed deeper and deeper into her. Her eyes rolled into the back of their sockets, this was it; so many males in her life failed to even come close to what this timid little mare could do. Her stamina, force and size filled every crease and crevice inside her. Sure, there was a little to be desired in technique, but the way she ravished her body with such authority and gusto turned her on even more than she could have believed possible. Harder and deeper Fluttershy pushed, until she could just barely breathe; this was it. She suddenly felt as if she was floating on a bed of clouds, her entire being not caring where or when it was. Her body, shook ever so slightly, her vaginal walls flexed in and out, trying to grab and squeezed a tongue that overpowered them with the greatest of ease. She thought she was screaming Fluttershy's name, but nothing came out of her mouth; there was only a sense of absolute euphoria. Fluttershy felt Trees body seize up. She could feel a rush of fluids run around her tongue. The taste of apples was incredibly intense. She quickly pulled her tongue out and covered Tree's entire sex with her mouth. She could feel the fluids pour out her opening and she sucked them in with all her might.The apple taste was one of the most intense things she had ever sampled, like one of Sweet Apple Acres golden apples, but far more intense. She could even feel Tree's body orgasm a second time; though judging from what she heard it was a little bit more pained than pleasurable. "S-Stop Shy...I need to rest" Tree cried. Fluttershy had the urge to keep going or at least her other side did, but she knew that doing so would hurt more than help. She pulled away from Tree's sex, fighting the urge to continue the entire way. She turned to Tree Hugger, noting the pained expression on her face. "Oh, oh no! Are you okay? Did I go to far?" Fluttershy cried. Tree inhaled deeply for a few moments, trying her best to calm her still quivering body down. "That last part, you kinda sucked me a bit dry there. Otherwise though, I don't think I have ever climaxed harder in my entire life. It was amazing, like floating on a bed of clouds." Fluttershy blushed "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Do you still feel that heat from the toxin coming back?" Fluttershy asked. "No. I think it's gone entirely. I do feel like I haven't slept in days though." Tree stared into Fluttershy's eyes, a tinge of guilt washing over her. I couldn't return the favor. She made me feel so good, yet I was so paralyzed with how intense it was. I couldn't give her any pleasure in return. She thought hard, trying to figure out what she could do for Fluttershy in return; something that was within her stamina reserves. Oh, yeah. We still have that. Tree thought. "Fluttershy, could you move to the side?" Tree asked, politely. "Oh, sure" Fluttershy replied, standing up and stepping to the side. Tree struggled to sit up, her entire backside still a little bit on the sore side. She had an idea how to give Fluttershy a proper orgasm, but not entirely sure if she had the strength left to do so. She reached over and pulled the double sided dildo off the side of the book, holding it up to the light to inspect it. Can she handle a member this big? Tree thought to herself. Sure it was only a little bit bigger than the average stallion's, but Fluttershy was a virgin; at least in the sense that she's probably never been penetrated by another or with any kind of gusto behind it. Then again, her entire backside was sore; doing what she was planning would hurt her a little, but in the end it would be worth it. "Well, only one way to find out." Tree pushed the dildo into her sex, grunting in pain as it slid inward. The girth of it wasn't so much the problem, the little nubs up and down the shaft were something else entirely though. She was already a bit sensitive from all the orgasms, but the little nubs hurt far more than she expected them to. "Tree, please stop, you look like you're in pain" Fluttershy said, the expression of shock and fear on her face. "I know what you're up to; it's fine, really." Fluttershy put her hoof on the end of he dildo and looked Tree in the eyes. Tree smiled. Here she was all guilty that she couldn't do as much and Fluttershy wasn't even remotely bothered by it. The fact remained though; Fluttershy had done so much for her that she wanted, no, needed to make this a night she would never forget. "Shy, you're amazing you know that, but don't worry about my well being. I can handle myself just fine." Tree Hugger pushed the dildo deeper into her, until the washer stopped it from going any deeper; not that she could anyhow as she bottomed out roughly at the same time. It still sort of hurt, but it she would manage. She would bear any pain for Fluttershy and a little extra morning soreness was well worth it. "Shy, I need you to well, I guess assume the position?" Fluttershy tilted her head quizzically for a brief moment. "Oh right, mare mating position." Fluttershy lowered the front of her body, leaving her rear end up in the air. She then moved her tail out of the way and folded both ears back; allowing Tree to use them for leverage if need be. "I'm ready, but are you absolutely sure you're up for this? You're still injured and probably exhausted by now." Tree merely smiled while mounting Fluttershy. "Try to relax, just close your eyes and enjoy yourself." Her belly brushed up against Fluttershy's back and it became instantly apparent she was nervous. Her wings were tensed up, her back muscles were tightened and she seemed to be defensive. She can't enjoy herself like this, maybe she had performance anxiety? I don't get how though, she's quite good at this... Tree thought of a way to test the waters, to see exactly what Fluttershy was thinking. She lined up the dildo with Fluttershy's sex, running the shaft up and down her lips. The reaction was instant and powerful; she could feel Fluttershy's sex clench hard, making any kind of penetration difficult if not impossible. She could feel Fluttershy's labored and staggered breathing and it suddenly made sense; she was actually afraid. "Fluttershy...are you afraid of me?" Tree asked. "I...I" Fluttershy remembered her dream, the way three separate creatures violently violated her. The memory of her sex and anus being penetrated was still very much fresh in her mind or at least it was the moment Tree's faux member slapped up against her . She knew there was nothing to fear from Tree as it was just not in her personality to hurt others, but the lingering sense of dread as she mounted her was petrifying. "Fluttershy, if you don't want to do this then we don't have to. I can feel how afraid you are, we can do something else or just call it a night." Tree leaned over Fluttershy's back, nuzzling her on the left side of her neck reassuringly. "I...I" Fluttershy thought for a moment. This was nothing like what happened to her. What happened was little more than an attack in her dream. The fear was still there, but she knew attributing what they did with what Tree was doing was both wrong and unfair; to both of them. If she was ever to go all the way, she would need to trust that Tree would never hurt her. "J-just start out slowly, you know, a warm up." Tree nuzzled her neck reassuringly. "Okay then, but if you need me to stop at any time just say so." Fluttershy nodded, bracing herself for penetration, but after a few moments she realized that wasn't going to happen; at least not so soon. Instead Tree kissed down her neck, occasionally stopping to give her a hickey or two. It actually felt quite good though, she was a little bit forward with her technique, but not to the point where it felt forced. She slowly kissed down her neck, each peck making her want the next one even more. She noticed Tree was cradling her body with one foreleg, massaging her chest while slowly moving down to her thighs. "Nnnmmppphhh~" She let out the tiniest of whimpers as Tree licked from the shoulder blade to the forward section of her wing. She would occasionally stop every so often to give the lightest nibble on her wing, a sensation that she very much liked. Tree began moving her hoof closer and closer to her sex, massaging as she drew ever closer. "Could you hold me up for a minute or two Shy?" Tree whispered. Fluttershy nodded, letting out another whimper as Tree reached the tip of her left wing and began to lick and nibble at the underside. Tree lifted her other foreleg up, putting her entire weight on her backside. The warmth and weight of Tree's hips grinding on her own was something she didn't expect would feel so...natural. Her legs spread apart slightly to disperse the weight better, her rear moved up into the air a little more and her ears tingled; waiting for the inevitable leverage bite. "Don't worry Shy, all of that is completely natural. Mares in heat automatically take this kind of pose when being stimulated. Kind of a built in behavior to allow stallions an easier time when mounting. I know it seems weird, you being as strong as you are." Tree reached both hooves between Fluttershy's inner thighs, rubbing then sensually; teasing her. "Don't fret though, I know when enough foreplay is enough." Fluttershy inhaled deeply, but in short ragged bursts. The blood rushing to her face causing it to flush with warmth and her mouth salivate. The sensation of Tree rubbing her between the thighs made her tail twitch and her sex feel as if it was swelling up. A flood of juices was running down her back legs as Tree moved closer and closer to her sex. She getting all worked up over just this? Tree thought to herself. She had to remind herself that Fluttershy was a virgin, that the feeling of another pony turning her on was completely foreign to her up until tonight. The once terrified mare below her was beginning to open up to her, the walls she put up when she stuck the dildo inside herself were coming down. It wouldn't be long now before her apprehensiveness and fear would melt away; being replaced by lust and desire. W-why does this feel so good!? Fluttershy remembered back to her dream, how she was forced against her will to submit. This situation was entirely alien to her, like Tree was slowly easing her into the right mood; a mood where she would want to submit instead of being forced to. Tree moved her hooves to just above her sex, rubbing the area above it vigorously. She also felt Tree's hips rocking slowly into her own; a tactic she herself used to get Tree warmed up earlier. She even could feel the shaft and it's many small bumps grinding up against her inner labia. "Nhyyaaa!" Fluttershy moaned out loud, her body quivering for more of Tree's touch. The way she licked her wings, massaged her groin area with her hooves, both actions made her body sing in desire. The fear that this would be no better than the rape in her dream melted away entirely. This must be what consensual sex was really like, being embraced by the one you love and enjoying every minute of it. Her sex throbbed as it begged for more, her clitoris winked in and out rapidly. She wanted the foreplay to go on forever, but Tree's humping and running the girth of the dildo down her sex was too much. She needed Tree inside her and she needed it now. "P-please, put it in, gently" Fluttershy asked. Tree nodded, leaning over and gently grabbing Fluttershy's ear in her mouth and pressed the smooth domed tip up against Fluttershy's sex, prodding it before finally penetrating her. She gasped for air as the tip of the dildo expanded her vaginal entrance, barely slipping in. The pain was far less than she expected though, there was a little bit of it, but nothing like how books described first time intercourse. She moaned as the girth of the dildo slowly spread her insides, every single stud along the length tickling her. The pain began to rise, then suddenly plummet with every inch deeper it went. She had the urge to tell Tree to stop, but it felt so good; the pleasure and pain together were not too overwhelming. "Are you okay Shy?" Tree asked, noting that Fluttershy had been gritting her teeth a little. "K-keep going, it's nothing I can't handle" Fluttershy replied. Inch after inch the dildo pushed in, each inch feeling better than the one before it. She began to realize what she had been missing out on all these years. Her friends already told her their experiences. Well, by friends she meant mainly Rarity and Rainbow Dash, both of which had tried to set her up with a call stallion before. Though thinking back she wished she had not flat out refused the offer; this new intense surge of feelings was every bit as good as they described it. The way the girth pushed her insides apart as her body clamped down in it tightly to try and fill the void. How it went all the way deep down inside her, rubbing every inch of the way. Maybe I can talk Tree into using an attachable one on me when we get back. I wonder if she would be into feeling this as a stallion... the thought crossed her mind briefly, but was interrupted by the sensation of the tip bottoming out inside her. She could barely contain herself, the brief moment of Tree's stopping was as if time stood still. She gasped for air as Tree began to pull out of her. It was strange, the sensation of Tree pulling out was almost as good as going in. Her insides closed up the gap, almost snapping back to where they started instantly. By the time Tree had gotten about two thirds the way out she suddenly stopped. She stared back at Tree gazing into her eyes, trying her best to convey without words how she felt. Tree only nodded and smiled seemingly knowing what she was thinking. She began to push the member in again, this time both of them moaning together in a symphony of lust. This must be tiring for her. To hold it in place like that without it slipping out... Fluttershy thought to herself as Tree set into a slow rhythm of thrusts. "Ahhnnn~ Nmmmppp~" Fluttershy bit down on her hoof in an attempt to muffle her own moans of desire, but quickly found it a pointless endeavor. Tree was intently listening to how she reacted and adjusted her thrust accordingly, settling into a pattern of two short thrusts followed by one long deep one. After a few cycles her legs began to shake, no longer being able to support her own weight. She collapsed on the bed suddenly, Tree's entire member plunging into her sex with all her weight. "Nyaaaahhh!~" Her wings stood straight up as the sudden shock of heavy penetration sent ripples through her flanks and spine. Her hips quivered as every muscle inside her clamped down on the member, unwilling to let it go. She wasn't entirely sure if she had just climaxed, but the feeling wasn't all that bad even if she didn't. "S-shy...I'm at my limit. I'm gonna have to make this last part quick and dirty" Tree said, grunting in pain. Fluttershy looked back at Tree. She was unmistakably exhausted; her face had a pained expression all over it, she seemed weak in the back legs and her entire coat was covered in sweat. "Sorry, I'm just hurting too much to do this the proper way" Tree apologized, wrapping her forelegs firmly around Fluttershy's neck. "Ah, ha, nya...hnnnmmmpppf~!" Fluttershy moaned and whimpered; her body in a combination of pain and bliss. Tree had gone from a slow and enjoyable pace to one much more in line with what a rabbit might do. The thrusts kept coming faster and faster, her body unable to cope with the sudden influx of sensations. Short, heavy thrusts ravaged her insides; each moment getting her closer to climax. "Tree~!" Fluttershy shouted as her body finally reached climax. Her wings, back legs and ears twitched wildly as a rush of fluids stained the sheets below her. Her insides had a vice grip on the dildo, feeling as if she would crush it like a twig at any given moment. Her breath escaped her as if somepony just punched her right in the gut. However, the most intense part was the rush of blood to her face followed by one of the most intense feel good sensations she had ever experienced. "This...wow, I can't imagine...so good" Fluttershy said as a sudden shock traveled up her spine as Tree pulled the Dildo out and tossed it to the floor. Fluttershy laid flat for a few minutes, her body still having the occasionally tingling sensation followed by a few twitches and contractions from her sex. She watched as Tree laid beside her, her entire face covered in red from blushing. "So, how was it? Pretty intense I would think, I could feel your entire body trembling below me; I almost climaxed myself from it." Tree ran her foreleg through Fluttershy's mane all the while smiling at her. Fluttershy tried to speak, but her body keep gasping for air. It took a few more minutes before she could properly talk and even then her body was still coming down from its earlier high. "I-it was amazing, Tree. I never expected the real thing to be so...strong. I have done it solo many times, but I wasn't expecting anything like this." Fluttershy tried to sit up, but her body was just so...heavy. Like she had just run a marathon. "I feel really tired though." Tree hugged Fluttershy; nuzzling her below the neck. "That's natural to feel so tired, I don't suggest fighting it. As for the other thing; you're very much welcome hun. I'm just sad that I couldn't let your body take it all in slowly." Fluttershy stared into Tree's eyes. "So...now that we went this far, what's next for us?" Tree mused for a moment racking her brain for an answer, but couldn't find a satisfactory answer. This was about as far in a relationship as she gotten in the past before differences in work, personality and values got in the way. The next logical step should be more dating followed by marriage, but she was pretty sure the latter was too far too fast; there were things her and Fluttershy were still possibly keeping from each other. "I don't know Shy, this is about as far as I've gotten. Maybe I can give you an answer in the morning?" Tree said. Fluttershy smiled and closed her eyes as she laid her head on Tree's chest. "That would be nice." Before she could say anything else, Fluttershy was dead asleep. Tree ran her hooves through Fluttershy's mane, watching Fluttershy's expression change into a smile. This is the happiest I have ever seen her... she thought to herself. After a few more minutes, she laid her chin on top of Fluttershy's mane and began to doze off. "I love you Fluttershy" Tree said, before slipping quickly into a deep sleep. > Chapter VI: Scars of the Past > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter VI: Scars of the Past "Son of a wet goat, another small fry!" Elana held the end of her fishing line up to her face, scowling at the small sardine at the end of the line. "I guess I can just head home without any fish this time." Elana shook the end of the line, dislodging the small fish from the hook, but just as it began to fall into the water a much larger saber toothed salmon jumped from the river, eating the sardine whole in a single bite. Elana quickly dunked her head into the water, biting randomly at the salmon in an attempt to catch it. However, the salmon quickly slapped her in the face with it's tail and made off downstream like a speedboat. She dragged her head from the water, rubbing her cheek as she cursed under her breath. "Great, just perfect. I spend half of last night going for nocturnal bass and all I end up doing is feeding some out of season jerk..." Elana snorted angrily while staring at her reflection in the water. Her mane was a little bit frazzled , her Mohawk style almost falling apart in the middle, making her look like she had a very badly done bowl cut. She sighed to herself, doing her best to wring the extra water from her mane with her front leg. "I really miss styling jel, keeping this style is such a pain without it." Elana stared at her surroundings, eyeing them with an almost dejected feeling. In the distance she could see a few duck-billed dinos foraging water weeds upstream as well as a couple very frightened micro-raptors drinking from river near them. It wasn't like she couldn't appreciate the scenery, the lush jungles and ample supply of potable water was a welcome relief from the barren Savannah that was her homeland. It's been what, two years now to the day since I arrived here? She looked at her reflection in the water, her scars on her face a constant reminder of why she couldn't just go home. Elana picked up her fishing pole and began to fold it into halves until it fit neatly in her hoof. She turned in place and set it down inside a large basket. In the basket were various leafy greens, lots of wild fruits and vegetables and a single cage trap that contained a dozen or so crawdads and one very crowded dungeon crab. " I can't wait to eat you. I never expected to find a sea faring crab in a river; let alone one the size of a beach ball." Elana licked her lips, imagining the stew she was going to make with the dungeon crab. Boiled wild carrots, a broth made from it's legs, some pepper and sea salt, a few potatoes and greens; just the thought of a hearty meal made her mouth water. She leaned over and picked the basket up in her mouth, smiling from ear to ear as the images of her next dinner flooded her mind. I guess I ought to see the bright side; that salmon may have gotten away, but I got a weeks worth of seafood still. Pretty good haul for a three day trip if I do say so myself. Elana began to walk alongside the river when she heard a very loud shouting coming from maybe a couple dozen or so yards ahead of her. "What do you mean you can't find them?! One's bright green and red and the other yellow and pink, it's not like they don't stick out!" A gravely, but loud voice said. "B-but we lost their scent! The yellow one must have flown far away by now, we risk barging in on another tribes territory if we track them much further." Another one said, his voice trembling. "That sounds like a hunting party." Elana moved near a set of bushes and set her basket down. She lifted her head just barely above the bushes, tilting her head slightly to the right as to keep her mane hidden. In the meadow ahead was a group of about five or so raptors; not just any raptors, mortal enemies that she had fought before. "They are a bit outside their normal range." Elana whispered to himself. "But, by what they said it sounds like they are hunting flying dinos." The thought felt odd though, there was no reason for raptors to attempt attacking and killing such high energy cost prey. "S-sir, what if we meet...her out here? Last time a hunting pack was out this far she killed one and crippled two others" one of the raptors said. "They were weak! They deserved death and more for getting their tails handed to them by an inferior life form" one of the raptors in a feathered headdress replied angrily. Yeah, I remember that encounter, snapped the lookouts neck before the other two even knew what was wrong. Too bad Sadis wasn't one of them though...Elana thought to herself. She watched as the group fanned out to search the area. However, one of the larger ones was heading toward her hiding spot. Well, I wasn't pinning for a fight today, hopefully I can kill him before he makes any sound to alert the others... The raptor slowly moved toward her position, bobbing his head up and down and looking from side to side. He got within a few feet of the bush and his eyes narrowed. "I can smell you behind that bush, either come out and surrender or become my prey" The raptor demanded. Suddenly a head of cabbage flew from the bush, striking the raptor square on the nose and exploding into dozens of leafs, blocking his view. Before the raptor could react a blur of black and white leaped from the brush and landed a blow on his neck, followed an uppercut right to the chin. The raptor fell over, clutching his neck in agony, gasping for air. Before he knew it, he had a hoof had on his head pinning him to the ground. He stared up into deep red , terrifying eyes and muttered "Y-you..." "Yeah, what about me?" Elana said, smiling. Elana twisted with her back leg on the raptors head with all her weight. She felt the raptors neck snap with a satisfying crunch followed by it taking its last breath before going entirely still. "Well, that's one less adult out of the way...well, him and one of my cabbages." Elana surveyed the surrounding terrain for the raptors tribe mates. She didn't spot any of the smaller juveniles nearby so she leaned over and picked up what little of the cabbage was still reasonably edible and tossed it behind her into her basket. "S-stand down!" Elana heard from a few feet behind him. She slowly turned her head, glaring at the raptor with one eye. "D-don't move!" The raptor demanded, holding out a spear as he stood there, shaking uncontrollably. Elana kinda felt sorry for the poor thing, though only briefly. He was barely her size, maybe two or three years old at the most, effectively little more than a child. He watched as the poor juveniles teeth clattered as he used all his energy to keep the spear he was holding stable in his hands; barely stable. Poor thing doesn't even have any hunting feathers to his name yet. The tribe must be really short clawed if they are sending out all the green young-lings. I guess I'll just scare him off, the young ones screech too loud to kill at his age. Elana thought to herself. "Listen closely child, I just dropped a raptor four times your size and skill level in a matter of seconds and he was far from the first I have escorted from this mortal coil." Elana turned in place, putting her hoof on the tip of the spear. "Now, the way I see it is you have two options. You can move along and act like you didn't see anything or..." Elana pushed the tip of the spear quickly and forcefully to the ground, snapping off the stone tip. The raptor jumped back, staring as what used to be the end of his spear. His face went flush with the cold sweat of fear as Elana took a step toward him, the Zebra grinning ear to ear. "I can snap your spine like I did that spear and toss you in a tar pit." Elana cracked a sinister grin at the raptor. "The choice is yours, either you didn't see anything or you slowly burn to death for days." The raptor froze in place, swayed from side to side before fainting and falling to the ground. "I guess that counts as a choice." Elana reached behind the bush and picked up her basket in her mouth before trotting off at a brisk pace. I guess the adults don't explain how I operate to the kiddies. They should know by now I kill them indiscriminately, though maybe that one will grow up to be... Elana almost wanted to laugh out loud. The mere thought these raptors ever being more than filth was humorous to her. "How silly of me, they will never be more than monsters." Elana stared into her basket at her haul. "I can't wait to celebrate another dead raptor." *** Elana ducked behind another tree as a group of raptors ran by her, each of them shouting to catch the yellow and green ones, that they were to be sacrificed to their lord. She had hoped to not run into any more patrols on the way home, but they seemed incredibly intent on catching whatever these creatures were that bested them. She even had one flat out ignore her as ran by, something that normally would have resulted in a confrontation. This doesn't make sense, even if prey got away from them they are way too far outside their territory. I get that they worship that old battered Rex, but to risk getting into a war with other territories over a meal or a sacrifice is crazy. Elana thought to herself. Just then another squad of raptors ran by, this time shouting about how if they didn't find them soon that Saw-tooth would eat their leader. Pfft I could only hope. Elana waited for a few more minutes, sneaking from tree to tree along the jungle path, making sure she wasn't spotted. After a few tedious minutes she managed to reach a tree with a small set of rocks arranged into a sundial at the base. She surveyed the surrounding bushes to make sure she wasn't being watched and reached around at the base of the tree, looking for something the grab onto. "Ahh there it is." Elana felt a single piece of smooth wood followed the rough feel of heavy rope. She took one more scanning look around her before climbing the tree. I'll never get used to this, it's just so strange. Elana thought to herself. Being able to climb up a invisible rope did have its advantages. No creature could find her hideout from the ground and even if they saw her it would look like she was climbing on air; making the creature watching second guess its own sanity. Still, the feeling of not being able to see what she was climbing on made occasional slip ups all the more terrifying. She made her way quickly up the side of the tree until he saw a large clump of branches. She reached forward and her foreleg passed through them without so much as a rustle. Ahead of her were entirely visible rungs on her rope ladder and the balcony leading to her home. She quickly pulled herself up the rope ladder and onto her balcony. However, as she set her basket down, she had a sudden sinking feeling something was off. What is that smell?Is that what I think it is? Elana raised her nose to the air and began to smell something that was kinda like a combination of sweet and gym funk. She knew he had smelled this scent before, but couldn't exactly put her hoof as to where. Oddly enough it seemed to be emanating from her home. "Did my fridge give out while I was away?" The thought crossed her mind, but she had no idea what limited leftovers she did have in reserve could possibly make such a scent. "Maybe I accidentally unplugged it as left..." Elana opened the door to her home, only for the scent to hit her like a truck; followed with her staring at the source. Sitting across from her, looking out the window was a mare; a pegasus mare. It appears I have guests... She was slightly smaller than her in size, though quite a bit less in terms of muscle tone. She had a bright yellow coat with a light pink mane and tail. She seemed completely mesmerized by whatever she was staring at out the window and hadn't even noticed she was standing a mere dozen feet from her. Elana looked over her, taking note that she was probably in her late teens to early twenties. She seemed a bit less sporty than the pegasus from her homeland , Then again she had heard of Pegasus that were not weather ponies; a thought which still struck her as odd. Well...it has been a year since I last had company. I wonder what brings them here? Elana could still smell the strong smell of mare musk about her home. I hope for their sake that they didn't... Suddenly Fluttershy turned her head and let out a little gasp of surprise. Standing no more than five feet from her was a Zebra mare staring at her. This must be the owner of this tree house. I figured it was too well kept to be vacant. Fluttershy thought to herself. The mare in front of her seemed to be waiting for her to say the first word, but she just couldn't get the words out. This mare, this Zebra had a commanding presence about her. Her mane was a poorly kept Mohawk , her stripes ran both directions down her body, much unlike Zecora's and her body seemed to be covered in small scars, especially around her ears and a large deep one through her cutie mark, which seemed to be a barely visible bonfire; and her eyes, her deep red blazing eyes; accentuated by a red scarf she had around her neck sent shivers down her spine. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither one being able to speak to the other as if they were both sizing the other up. Calm down girl, if she wanted to hurt you she could have done so already. "It seems that I have guests. I cannot say that I am happy about this intrusion, but at the same time I am curious as to how you found this place." Elana stepped forward, closing the door behind her. "You can start by telling me what and where that smell is coming from." "Oh, I'm very sorry about all of this. We were told that this tree house had been abandoned for years. Though...when we got here we noticed it was well, very well kept." Fluttershy bowed her head respectfully. "Please forgive us for this intrusion!" "Wait, us?" Elana asked, though her question was quickly answered by a quick glance at her bed. Laying in her bed was another mare. This one was an earth pony, about the same size as the pegasus bowing in front of her. Her coat was a bright green , though covered in bandages in some spots. Her mane was a light amaranth with little light vermilion highlights interspersed throughout. Her back leg was covered in bandages, obscuring her cutie mark and there were bloodied bandages on the floor by the bed. She was still sound asleep, but her breathing seemed a tad more labored than normal. "I will take a stab in the dark, though it seems quite obvious. You were attacked and captured by raptors?" Elana asked. "Yes. We escaped from them just yesterday." Fluttershy responded. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Fluttershy and the mare in the bed is Tree Hugger." "My name is Elana Von Garrim, you may call me Elana for short. So..." Elana stared at Tree Hugger, still sound asleep in her bed. The bite wound on her leg was a dead giveaway as to how she was disabled and by whom. However, she had a sinking suspicion that another kind of crime had befell this poor mare; one she hoped her suspicions were incorrect about. "I have a suspicion that she was...injected with a green liquid and by raptor named Sadis, am I correct?" "How do you-" "Never mind how, I need to know how long ago and the dosage." Elana said, cutting Fluttershy off. "About sundown yesterday, give or take" Fluttershy said, tapping her hoof against her chin. "Also, that Sadis raptor injected the whole syringe into her from what I remember." Elana sighed. "Filthy monster, yet another victim. "Elana growled, though she composed herself when she noticed how scared Fluttershy looked. "We are in for a very long few days then. That's quite a lot of poison for a mare of her size." "B-but he said it would only last six hours!?" Fluttershy shot a panic glance at Tree and then back to Elana. "Is there a cure? Any treatments?" "Sadis is a pathological lair, he will say anything to stir fear up in his victims. However, there is a salve I have in reserve that will lessen the intensity, but I have yet to find a viable treatment for his poison. Then again he doesn't exactly make a lot of it; ponies in this land are rare." Elana tapped her chin with her hoof. "I would say we could capture him, but you look like not much of a warrior. No offense." "None taken...but I don't think we can capture him anyhow. I ...kinda sorta...killed him during the escape." Fluttershy kicked the floor, seemingly embarrassed. Elana was taken aback, staring at this small pony in front of her. A pony that seemed more at home arranging flowers than combat. "I do not believe you. I have tried for months to kill that mongrel and every time I am foiled by his subordinates or Sadis himself." "She did though." Tree Hugger said as she sat up in bed, stifling a yawn. "I don't remember most of it, but I do recollect Fluttershy snapping his neck and spinning it like a top." Tree, blinked for a moment before putting her foreleg across her forehead. "I think I'm getting a fever though; least the heat part is gone." Elana just stood there, staring at Fluttershy in both shock and disbelief, her mouth agape. "I..I.." Tears welled up in Elana's eyes. No, don't do it. Do not look weak in front of them... She tried her best to keep her emotions in check, but her knees gave out and she collapsed on the floor, crying uncontrollably. "I don't get what's going on" Tree said scratching her mane. "Do you know what you have done child?" Elana sobbed as she wiped away tears from her face. "I ummm..." before Fluttershy could answer she was pulled into a warm embrace by Elana. "You have made me cry for the first time in a long time. He's dead... so many avenged." Elana sobbed, pulling Fluttershy into her embrace harder. Fluttershy didn't know exactly what was going on, until she noticed the scars visible under Elana coat at close range. Multiple straight shallow bands ran across her back, visible claw shaped gouges in her flanks and the unmistakable pattern of teeth marks over her Cutie Mark, or ...what was left of it. Oh, I get it...she was one of his victims... "I...well" she was at a loss for words. Her mane was soaked not with tears of sadness, but those of joy. She barely knew anything about this mare, but she could empathize with her. All those bottled up feelings were coming out. Fluttershy put her foreleg behind Elana's neck and patted her mane. "There, there. Let it all out." She stood there, with a middle aged mare bawling her eyes out into her shoulder for what seemed like an eternity, though it was probably only a few minutes at most. Fluttershy slowly pushed Elana away, making sure to keep eye contact and speak softly. "I guess we both have a lot to talk about..." Elana inhaled, her breath ragged and short from the crying. "Yes, yes we do." *** "So, let me get this in order. Saw-tooth picked Tree here as a target for a meal. Then you haphazardly glided over one of the most dangerous crossings in this entire jungle only to be captured by raptors and well..." "Sexually assaulted?" Tree added, cutting Elana off. "I was going to try and use words that were a little less on the nose, but yes, that and seriously injured. Then you...transformed into some kind of batpony and killed Sadis as if he were and insect, punched a tree down as a show of might and then carried yourself, Tree Hugger here and all your equipment away for miles as if they weighed nothing?" "I mean, that's what happened" Fluttershy said nervously. "I know it sounds like something out of a superhero comic bo- "I believe you" Elana said, curtly. "Really?" Tree asked. "I mean, they way Fluttershy put it, it kinda does seem farfetched." Elana smiled. " I have seen many a strange thing in this jungle and during my life. You story doesn't even make my top ten in the strange wonders I have witnessed. By chance, can you actually bring out that form whenever you please?" "I well...I can try, but she is a bit fickle" Fluttershy said. "She?" Elana asked. "Well, I guess we, err...I " Fluttershy put her hoof up to her chest tapping it. "I guess we would be correct. We are one in the same, but different parts of the same personality. When we are in discord with one another we are little more than just a ravenous fruit bat, but last night she let me have full control. I still don't know all the details though, this is only the first time it has happened, having full control I mean." Wouldn't be any fun if I let you have control all the time. I wouldn't be able to sneak cheesecake at night if that was the case. voice in Fluttershy's head said. "Wait, seriously? I blamed that on Angel!" Fluttershy said to herself. "Ummm, shy; you're talking to yourself hun" Tree said calmly. "Oh, sorry. As for bringing her out...I can try." Fluttershy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could briefly see a room filled with fruit, with herself lounging in a pile of it. She reached out and touched her the batpony reflection of herself, only to have her hoof deflected away at the last moment. Not now. I'm still tired from yesterday. Fluttershy opened her eyes, gasping for air. Droplets of sweat rolled down her brow and off her nose. She could feel fangs forming in her mouth and sticking out, but only briefly. "S-sorry, she doesn't really want to come out right-" Fluttershy noticed Elana was looking at her strangely. A turn of her head made her quickly realize Tree was as well. "You transformed there for a second. You wings were all like, leathery, you had fangs" Tree said. "Your ears were larger and pointed and when you opened your eyes they were red for a couple seconds." Elana sat up. "I guess I have no reason to doubt you, but it is a very strange thing to watch such a transformation first-hoof." "It feels strange too. I can hear things from far away, my sense of smell is greater and I can close my eyes and see every detail in my mind for miles around." Fluttershy lifted her foreleg up to eye level. "The feeling of being stronger is the most intoxicating feeling though. I can lift a little bit more than my own weight in flight, but in that form I feel light as a feather; like I could toss a boulder the size of a house if I wanted to." "I can vouch for that. When we were...well, doing things on your bed last night I could feel how strong she was under her coat." Tree blushed briefly before continuing. "I don't think I have ever experienced anything like it. Layers of muscle upon layers, but she didn't bulk up in the slightest. Oh and that tongue ..." Tree blushed furiously "S-sorry, didn't mean to go into that much detail." A few moments of awkward silenced passed before Fluttershy broke the silence. "So...I'm not sure if I should pry, but how did you end up here?" Fluttershy asked. Elana lowered her head and said nothing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" "No, it is okay. It's best I get it off my chest, it been far too long without anypony to socialize with." Elana inhaled deeply "You see, before ended up in this place I was a nature warden in the Elshimo expanse. Me and my mate would deal with the occasional poacher, companies illegally dumping and the like. We would also take count of the animals living in the expanse and make sure there wasn't any imbalance between predator and prey." "That place is clear on the other side of the world. It would takes months by boat to get there" Tree added. "Warden? So you work with animals as well?" Fluttershy asked with exuberance. "Not in the same way somepony from Equestria would, no. While talk can sometimes get the job done we...had to occasionally kill to keep the balance in check" Elana said. "T-that sounds horrible!" Fluttershy said. "I know it does. Things are different in my country. The shortage of weather patrols to keep the plant-life healthy leads to food shortages and eventually famine. It's a dirty, ugly job, but wardens keep the balance so others can survive. The sacrifice of few saves the many as to say." Elana sighed, noting the distraught look she was getting from Fluttershy. "I wish it was all sunshine and rainbows like it is in Equestria, but it is what it is." Fluttershy pondered for a moment, before sitting down, clearly distraught. "Sorry, it's just ...I take care of animals, lots of them in fact. We talk with one another, eat together and I help them out with their problems. The thought of killing them it just, feels terrible." Elana nodded. "It is terrible. Before I ended up here we had to move a pride of lions to another section of the expanse to keep the balance in check. The lead male refused and we were forced to confront him. We tried to tranquilize him, but he kept coming, forcing me to put a spear through his neck." Fluttershy winced at Elana's words. "However, the pride was moved and is doing much better now that the lands they now occupy are not as over-hunted as before. Let me ask you this Fluttershy; say you were a miner and you saw a runaway cart filled with ore rush by you and towards a group of eight other miners and an alternate track with just one miner on his lunch break. In front of you is a switch that will ensure that the cart will change tracks to the one with the single pony on it. Do you flip this switch?" Fluttershy mused for a few minutes. "I...I would stop the cart myself, with my own body if need be." Elana smiled. "Self sacrifice, that is a rare answer, not exactly the right one, but close. You understand the concept at least; the moral thing is to do the least amount of harm as possible. Not every situation you will run across has a win for every creature involved; you can make all the right choices and still end up with a bad outcome." Tree put her foreleg around Fluttershy trying to comfort her. "We had that happen more than a couple times during this trip." Fluttershy sighed. "I get it, sorry for interrupting you." "It is fine. Ponies from Equestria struggle with how ...unforgiving many other parts of the world are. As I was saying me and my mate Jenna were to be married the following winter. We were short on funds for the expanse as well as the ceremony so we took on a couple; a pair of earth ponies on safari as a way to help sure up our fiances." Elana stood up and walked to the window and gazed out it, a frown forming on her face. "We had done safaris for all kinds of ponies, almost a hundred for me and fifty or more for my mate, Jenna." "Jenna? That's a mares name isn't it? I thought that part of the world had some...pretty nasty laws about filly fooling" Tree interrupted. "It does, however the expanse lies outside the reach of those laws and we had the blessing of a few local tribes. The Elders in the nearby city would not dare start a fight so outside their borders; not when we have backing from the elders. We had planned the safari for a single weekend and had packed accordingly. Jenna had a bad feeling about a storm to the south, but the weather patrol assured us that it would stay south. She however packed extra rations, a few power crystals-" Elana turned around and pointed at the ceiling, stopping Tree before she could ask the question. "And spare medical supplies. Her philosophy of too much is better than not enough proved to be accurate." "Can I grab a drink real fast? My face feels a bit warm" Tree asked. Elana laughed. "By all means, my home is your home." Tree stood up, her face still wincing in paid as she hobbled over to the makeshift fridge and pull out a tall wooden pitcher of water. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy said, standing up in an attempt to help Tree along. "It still hurts where I was bitten. I mean, it's magically healed up for the most part, but it sure smarts to put much weight on it." Tree said, hobbling over to Fluttershy and nearly dropping her water as she sat down. "It will most likely be that way for at least a few days. There is most likely some residual muscle tearing." Elana stared at where her cutie mark was. "They... do not hold back when disabling prey." Tree sat down and began to chug the water from the pitcher, nearly downing the entire thing in just a few gulps. Elana's eyes narrowed. She walked over to the cabinet near the cooking pot and opened it. She pushed a few wooden and plaster pots out of the way and grabbed what looked like the bottom half of a dried out coconut with her mouth. She closed the cabinet and walked back over to Tree, setting the coconut down in front of her. "What's this? I never seen anything like it." Inside the coconut bowl was a a bunch of mashed up herbs, but the herbs kept changing color as if they were a rainbow. "It is a breed of plant that is very rare back in my homeland, but can be found near swamps all over here. It is called Vira's Bane" Elana explained. "I think I have heard of it. Doesn't that herb go for about twenty thousand bits per pound?" Tree asked. Elana raised one eyebrow. "Had no idea it was that expensive. Even so, eat it. Your excessive thirst may be a symptom of infection." "Infection? A-are you sure?" Fluttershy asked worryingly. "No, but better safe than sorry. Raptors are not exactly know for having exceptional dental hygiene, so there's no knowing how much disgusting filth was injected into her during the bite." Elana stated curtly. Tree nodded in agreement and picked up the bowl in her hooves. She slowly began to lap up the crushed herbs into her mouth, though she paused briefly to wince as she swallowed them. "Bit on the spicy and bitter side. Like , ultra five day old used tea leaves bitter." "Well the best medicine usually tastes pretty bad" Fluttershy added. "That it does. Anyways, we headed out early in the morning just before sunrise. The two mares we were guiding were most likely from Equestria, roughly collage aged and both extremely energetic and excited. Jenna had to yell at them a couple times to get them to calm down; she needed their full attention to explain how emergencies work and what to do and not do on safari." Elana leaned her head back, closing her eyes. "Shortly after noon was stopped for lunch. The two mares brought along extra food for the trip and shared with us some mushroom stew one of their grandparents had made. However, as we were packing up I noticed a storm coming in from the horizon. The clouds were very low the the ground and dark." Elana opened her eyes. "Jenna told me she had an odd feeling about it and it wasn't too long before she was proven to be right. A streak of green lightning struck the ground no more than a few feet from camp. I yelled at the others to pack their things quickly, we were going to move to small oasis with large amounts of tree cover." "Isn't it dangerous to move to tree cover during a storm?" Fluttershy asked. "Not as dangerous as being the only tall object in an open savanna" Tree added. Elana nodded and continued her story. "After some fidgeting with backpacks we made it to cover just as the storm came in over us. I'll never forget how strange it felt, the air was thin and the sky above us changing colors randomly. Everyone suddenly got dizzy, the two mares were on the brink of panic, but before they could utter a word, everypony collapsed on the spot." "We came to no more than a few minutes later, but found ourselves in a dense jungle. Jenna was trying to calm the two mares down as I got out my map and compass to get our bearings." Elana got up and walked to a small cabinet by the makeshift sink. She reached in with her hoof and pulled out a silver chain with what looked like a silver locket at the end. She walked back over to Fluttershy and Tree and set in on the floor between them. Fluttershy leaned forward, just as the locket opened. Inside was what looked like a magical compass, though the needle in the middle was spinning in all directions. Above the compass portion was a black bar that has some green numbers appearing randomly then switching to another set of numbers. "Okay, so I get the compass is funky, but what's the numbers for?" Fluttershy asked. Tree moved forward to inspect the device. "I think that's one of those estimators for latitude and longitude, I seen them sold in Canterlot." "Correct. However, we found that using this device was mostly worthless. It would occasionally point the correct direction, but most of the time it was useless." Elana touched a small green gem at the base of the compass to reveal a picture where the compass used to be. "Oh, its a picture of you and ...is that Jenna?" Fluttershy asked. In front of a backdrop of Trees standing to the right of Elana was mare that was bright white with no stripes to speak of, though judging from her jewelry was quite obvious that she was still a Zebra. She seemed to be slightly shorter than Elana with light blue eyes and a barely visible cutie mark in the shape of a wave on her flank. "This was taken a week before the trip that led us here. She had just been upgraded to a first class ranger." Elana closed the lid of the compass somberly. "We spent a good ten or so minutes trying to calm down the other two while trying to get our bearings. That is when we spotted one of the raptors for the first time. Jenna quickly notified me and we both ducked behind some plants before we were spotted. However the other two..." "Screamed like idiots?" Tree interrupted. "No, they noticed the raptor was wearing a headdress with a few feathers in it and actually waved the creature down for directions. Here we are in an unknown land with creatures that are so removed from our time as to be unknown and one of those ditzy..." Elana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "So flagged it down and it just laughed at them. It unsheathed a machete made of bone and gave an ultimatum; surrender to become slaves or become food." "I'm guessing they have no redeeming qualities in the slightest" Tree said. "Not this particular tribe, no. I have come across other tribes that while they will hunt you if you run, will trade with you if you give them a deal that is heavily one sided in their favor. Needless to say the two didn't know what to say and the raptor was approaching our position. When it got within a few yards of them I nodded to Jenna and we ambushed it." "D-did you kill him?" Fluttershy asked. Elana rose one eyebrow at Fluttershy curiously."Of course we did. I knocked him down with a cut to the leg and Jenna stabbed her hunting knife through his skull before he could get up. You don't try and barter with an apex predator, not when it gives you an ultimatum like that." "I don't really condone violence, but after what me and Fluttershy went through, I totally get your reasons" Tree stated. "As my papa once said, corpses don't get to take the luxury of the moral high ground. I am glad you get where I am going. " Elana took a deep breath. "Sorry, I did not mean to soapbox. Anyways, the two mares we were with, were both petrified with fear. Jenna had to smack some sense into each of them to get them moving and explain we are in a very dangerous survival situation." "I have a feeling that wasn't the only raptor out there..." Fluttershy said. "No, no more than five minutes after we slew that one we heard a horn sound, they were coming for us and we need to either kill the rest or hide. I proposed we kill them all, but Jenna pushed a different plan. She told me we cannot fight an entire hunting party, not while trying to protect the dead weight that was the tourists we were guiding. She dug her back legs into the dirt very hard to give a false direction lead and then set an obvious snare trap. We knew there would be no way they would ever fall for it, but it would slow them down." "Did it?" Fluttershy asked. Elana nodded. "A few more hours of running and setting dumb traps actually bought us time. Time enough to get out of their territory. Thankfully we stumbled upon this old shack, though when we found it it was hard to see and overgrown with vegetation...and leaky, very very leaky." "Wait, you didn't build this home?" Tree asked. "No, it had apparently been the home of a doctor that had died some time ago. We spent the night in the old decaying shack. In the morning me and Jenna decided to head out and told the other two to be quiet and stay put. Thankfully we were not gone long, we found a good source of water and food in a nearby river." Elana stared up at the ceiling at he power crystal in the middle. "It turns out the two that we thought were useless had some skills after all. The denser of the two had a degree in construction while the excitable one was actually a transfer to my country and was already well versed in shamanism. When we came back they had managed to hide some of the structure with an illusion spell." "I see, so what were these two's names?" Fluttershy asked as she eyes the crystal above her in awe. "Blitz and Fritz. Some of the most annoying mares you will ever meet, but..." Elana lowered her head as she tried to choke back a tear. "For the year we lived together in this home...they were like family." Fluttershy had the sudden urge to give Elana a reassuring hug, but was beaten to the punch by Tree Hugger. "I know this hard hun" Tree said as she loosened her embrace "You can stop whenever you want." Elana nodded. "It is okay, It is best to get this out in the open." Tree nodded and stepped back, sitting back on the floor next to Fluttershy. "Jenna and I were quite shocked when we got back. Here we thought we were in a survival situation with dead weight at our backs and it turns out they had some fairly remarkable talents." Elana stared up at the crystal above . "Well, I guess workable would have been a better word, but it was more than nothing." "Everypony is special in their own way" Fluttershy said. "In any case Jenna and I told them the bad news, that we had no landmarks to work with at all and were completely lost. Worse yet, Jenna notified me that were were in an overlap between two factions on less than friendly terms, one on one side of the river bank and the other on our side. The raptor we had killed was part of a patrol party and the only reason we still lived is we were just outside their patrol range." "Stuck between a rock and a hard place" Fluttershy added. Elana nodded. "Exactly so. That said, they were much more active during the night than the day; a fact we exploited many a time." Elana's stomach grumbled briefly breaking her chain of thought. "We had a meeting and came to the conclusion that trying to find civilization immediately would be a death sentence to all of us. Trying to signal for help would get us found out by local tribes of raptors, which would lead to being eaten. This compounded with the fact that the Blitz & Fritz were both entirely useless in a combat situation led us to only one solution; train them to be rangers." Elana stood up, stretched out and headed over to the fridge, pulling out the basket with veggies and the large crab she had caught earlier. She then walked over to the pot and set them down. "And then what happened?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh, well...I" *grumble* "Can I finish the story after we eat? I don't really eat much when I'm out during foraging trips" Elana said as she opened a cabinet above the pot, rummaging through some spices." "Oh, I can help!" Fluttershy said enthusiastically. "I can do some stuff too. Not much, but I can like, stir and stuff" Tree added. "You just rest Tree, the more you push yourself the slower you will heal. Fluttershy, can you fetch some water from the tank upstairs?" Elana asked. "Upstairs?" Fluttershy scanned the room, but could not seem to find anything resembling stairs. "Oh, right...first day here." Elana laughed and walked to the side of the bed. She tapped three times on a notch on her wall and the floorboards that were once the ceiling began to slowly descend as she moved out of their path; forming a set of wooden stairs as they reached the floor. "Blitz worked tirelessly the first month she was here. Within the first week we had the structure in good shape and at the end of the month she completed this safe room." "Wait, on her own?" Tree asked, clearly surprised. "No, well...it may as well have been. We tried to help, but none of us had any experience in building. We did however cut wood and deliver it to her as needed." Elana walked past Fluttershy back to the pot. "The hot water tank is at the end of the room." Fluttershy nodded in affirmation and began to climb the stairs. As she reached the second floor she could hardly believe her eyes. The room was around the same size as the one she just came from, but much more ergonomic with it's space. Cabinets were built into the walls as well as the dressers. Even the hot water tank was built into the structure as its top had a fold down bench that went across it. "T-this is amazing. Tree, you gotta see this!" Fluttershy said. Tree groaned and began to limp up the stairs. She started to mumble a complaint when she stopped just short; in complete awe of the room in front of her. "Holy cheese biscuits..." Tree said to herself. "There are first class hotel rooms in Canterlot that are not as well built as this." "I am glad you like it. If Blitz were still around I am sure she would be ecstatic with how much praise you are giving her work" Elana yelled. "I'm flabbergasted at how you got all the materials for this. The logistics must have been a nightmare." Tree said. "Fritz was a shaman, one that was nearly a master when we reached here. She can transmute one element to another with some limitations and loss of quantity. Some of the more exotic elements such as the cotton for the beds was easy, the copper for the pipes...not so much. Bit too many explosions for my tastes." Fluttershy stared at the room for a few minutes until she realized why she came up here to begin with."Oh right, water." Fluttershy walked across the room, noting how solid the cedar floor was beneath her hooves felt. Tree had followed behind her, though still with a limp. "Is that what I think it is?" Tree pointed at a door that seemed to blend in with most of the wall if not for a small opening at the top where one could easily make out a shower head. "Yeah, looks like it" Fluttershy said, opening the door next to the water heater. Inside was a stall roughly five feet long by three feet wide; just enough for a couple mares. The entire interior seemed to made of finely finished oak and coated with what looked like tree resin. Just to the left of the shower head, a few inches below it was a small tray that jutted out. Sitting on it was a coconut with a hole bored into the top and a bar of brown soap. Fluttershy stepped out of the shower and opened one of the cabinets. Inside were rows and rows of makeshift glass jars filled with herbs, dried spices and even something that looked like dried, salted fish. She opened one cabinet after another searching for something to carry water in. There's enough food up here to last a single pony months if they need to. Fluttershy thought to herself. "There is a bucket in the cabinet above the bed. Use that!" Elana yelled. Fluttershy stood on the bed, her hooves sinking into the soft cotton that was the mattress and opened the cabinet. Inside was a box of tools, mostly stone with a few brass ones and a wooden bucket with a dried vine rope for a handle. "So, can I possibly take a shower?" Tree yelled downstairs. "Did I not say my home is your home earlier? Just try and keep it short, the outside feeding tank is only thirty gallons and the inside only fifteen" Elana yelled up the stairs. Tree motioned for Fluttershy to pass her the bucket. Fluttershy nodded and Tree slowly turned the copper faucet handle. The pipes shuddered for a few seconds and cold water started to flow into the bucket. It seemed to have a faint smell of cut grass to it, though Tree figured that was because it was rainwater. She handed off the bucket to Fluttershy and dashed to the shower as fast as her limp would allow. "Sorry, I really REALLY feel funky and not in the good way" Tree said as she peered over the slit in the shower stall. "It's fine. You need to clean up your fur and the wounds that have scabs on them anyhow. Infection is not fun." Fluttershy said. "Yeah...I know. You think she...I mean Elana..." Tree paused for a moment. "Nah, forget it. Ill ask you later." "Is something wrong?" Tree asked. "Nah, not wrong, just bad timing. Now shoo along, and no peeking!" Tree said. "How is it peeking if we are all technically naked all the time anyhow?" Fluttershy asked. Tree laughed, harder than Fluttershy had heard her laugh in a while. "That's actually a good point." Tree turned her attention to the faucet and turned on the hot water, pulling up a small tab next to it to have the water rain down on her. "You help Elana with the food, I'll be down in a jiffy to help...well, help best I can." *** "T-that was fantastic" Fluttershy said as she laid back in the bed, rubbing her belly. "It's been awhile since we had anything more than the bare minimum rations to eat." "Yeah, that top notch. The way the spices worked well with the crab and the root vegetables; I didn't peg you for such a good cook." Tree said, taking a drink of her tea. "Also, this teas interesting, did you say it was made from some kinda wild peach?" "It is made from a kind of mutant peach that grows spikes, you can find them floating or more accurately, stuck to you if you spend any amount of time fishing in the river." Elana took a sip of her tea. "Also, I am no cook; that recipe belongs to Jenna." "You didn't have to go out of your way for us, but thanks all the same" Fluttershy said, smiling. "It is no bother. It has been very long since I have had guests, that an I owe you a debt for the killing of Sadis." Elana took a sip of her tea and set it down beside her. "As for the story before dinner, where was I exactly?" "You decided to stay put and train Blitz and Fritz as ...rangers was it?" Fluttershy mused. "Ah, yes. During the day I would have Jenna keep watch for any patrols that got too close. For a few hours I would have them come at me with wooden sticks in an attempt to hit me, then knock them on their behind and teach them what they did wrong." Elana giggled. "I remember how clumsy they were when they first started. Blitz could throw a nasty swing, but lacked any control while Fritz had the opposite problem; plenty of control and finesse , but no power." "So, how long did it take them to get ready?" Fluttershy asked. "At the end of the second month they were both starting to get the better of me two versus one. Slow learners, but Fritz had started to work in shaman magic into her fighting style. She would use wind magic to push me with gusts of air and to increase her own speed. Blitz had formed a kind of deliberate disarming tactic, she lacked the coordination of fine strikes, but she was getting exceptional at using her weight and balance to disarm and knock opponents down." Fluttershy looked down at her own hooves; if she hadn't been such a pushover, she could have spared Tree Hugger a great deal of suffering. "I wish I had that kind of ability..." If I wasn't such a doormat... "Do not do that" Elana said, staring at Fluttershy. "D-do what?" Fluttershy said, quickly taking the gaze off her own hooves. "Doubting yourself like that. You both did what you could with what limited skill sets you had. You were also up against full grown raptors that have only known the hunt their entire lives; even if you both had been skilled at combat and at full strength, there was not much you could have done." Elana watched Fluttershy for a moment, the mare lowering her head shamefully. "Flutters, what matters is we got out of there alive. If you hadn't used that power when you did, we would both be well done right now" Tree said, patting Fluttershy on the back to reassure her. That's the problem, I didn't so much use it as it used me Fluttershy thought to herself. "You are alive; many creatures, my friends and family included cannot say the same thing." Elana watched Fluttershy for a few moments, waiting for her to stop staring at her hooves before continuing her story. "Around that time Fritz had developed a totem warning system that she carved into the trees around our home, soon Jenna was able to join in on their training. By the time the third month ended, they were both our equals." "That's actually kind of impressive. They built all of this and managed to be on par with rangers of all things. Kinda puts the royal army of Canterlot to shame really" Tree said. "To be fair, most of the bad guys that invade or attack Equestria kind of outgun them by a lot" Fluttershy added. "Soon we started to map out the region around us, but this is where we ran into a nasty hitch; we were discovered that no matter what direction we went, we would always end up looping around." Fluttershy and Tree stared at one another, then back at Elana. "Looping around?" They both asked together. "Yes. Imagine that we headed due west with no serious obstacles in our way, and I mean a straight line dead west, no deviation. After about a week or so, you would end up right where you started, so roughly two hundred or so miles." Elana noticed the confused looks on Fluttershy's and Tree's faces. "I know, it was hard for me to wrap my head around it at first as well, but this...I guess alternate world warps the very physics we know and comes back on itself like two domes stuck together that mirror one another." "Wait, you don't know about the exit not to far from here?" Fluttershy asked. "We...I know of three possible portal based exits. One is due north of here, about another days or so travel. Its sitting by some kind of large plant that kills anything that comes near it. Another is located at the bottom of a lake, about two hundred or so feet under the water and the last one is inside a volcano, just above the lava line." Elana sighed. "Sadly two of the three options were entirely bunk. You lungs would explode inside your chest before you even got remotely close to the one in the volcano and the one at the bottom of that lake leads to the bottom of shark gully in the equestrian sea; close to three miles under the water." "We were headed to the only one we knew, one we were told was a bit north of here." Fluttershy put her hoof to her chin "Now that you mention it, there was some kind of lethal plant near it; at least that's what were were told." Elana shook her head. "You would have never made it..." Elana stood up and walked over to her bed. She reached underneath it and grabbed a rolled up bit of parchment. She walked back to her spot where she was sitting previously and set the scroll on the floor, opening it up to reveal a crudely drawn map. Tree leaned forward, she noticed a badly drawn rendition of the house they were currently in and differently colored sections of the map. "I see we are currently in the house; what do all the colors mean?" "Spheres of influence, hunting grounds and patrols of multiple different raptor clans. The one past the river is called the Rock clan. I am on somewhat stable relations with them as I have traded food with them on occasion." Elana pointed to a brown circle that was colored in which territory ended just short of a volcano. "They also pay me in herbs and the like for each high ranking Blood clan head I bring them." Elana moved her hoof to the east where a large section of the map was covered in a blood red blob. "This is the clan of Sadis and their chieftain Breem. They are the largest power in the region by a long shot, they are also the most brutal as you are well aware." Elana moved her hoof north until it was over a colored purple circle. "This clan is the biggest enigma of the three. They do not trade and they kill on sight. However, they are all capable of some kind of magic, so the other two clans avoid them like a plague. "Wait, so there's no safe way to reach the way out of this jungle?" Fluttershy asked. Elana shook her head. "There is. Our original plan was going to take about nine months of prepwork; but we kept running into a snag. The crystals we needed to brute force our way or sneak to the exit are all controlled inside Blood clan territory. We tried on a couple occasions to trade with them, but it always ended in a battle." Elana rolled up the map. "We later found out that they hate all pony kind and will enslave or use them as little more than concubines. The area you escaped from is most likely their sacrificial altar to Saw-Tooth, whom they worship as a deity." Fluttershy put her hoof to her mouth and let out a whimper. "T-they are keeping sex slaves?" "From what I heard, the ones that they fail to break in the same way they attempted to break Tree here are killed and eaten...or more accurately, bred to death and then eaten. My information is less than accurate, but we think they have at least a dozen, if my source in the Rock clan is to be trusted." Fluttershy hugged Tree tightly, terrified for her friends safety. "T-they were going to feed her to that Saw-Tooth guy..." "Yes I remember you mentioning that. In any case our original plan was cancelled then and there. Going back home was a near impossible feat without removing the Blood clan from power." Elana sighed "It took days of deliberation. Blitz and Fritz were against it, but after we heard they were keeping prisoners we decided then an there that their leader had to go." "So...you have killed a lot of them, haven't you?" Tree asked. "We have, well over a hundred by last count" Elana said. Fluttershy knew how Tree felt about violence, but at the same time the horrible thing she went through could have changed her opinion. "Tree are you okay?" "I really don't like killing. I get doing it for food and in self defense in extreme circumstances. I never thought I would actually want to do so for vengeance. These Blood guys just...rape, kill and whatever for kicks; it just seems like pure evil." Tree stared at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I want to rescue those mares they captured, I don't care how." Fluttershy watched as Tree's expression changed back an fourth between one of conflict and determination. "I-I don't know how we could even, I mean..." Elana shook her head. "Let me finish my story before you make any rash decisions." Fluttershy watched as Tree continued to stare at the floor. I knew I would have to deal with the fallout of what happened to her eventually. The only reason she's been fine so far is because she could barely remember what happened... "So, after a few months of picking off spares we decided we had reduced their numbers enough to create a hole in their main village. Jenna and me would distract them from the south, going for a false push while Blitz and Fritz used an invisibility spell powered by one of our scavenged crystals to get in and kill the chieftain." Elana sighed deeply. "Only, that plan went south rather fast." "They were captured?" Tree asked. "I don't know what happened. All I know is they were captured and we were suddenly surrounded. We killed a few more before the sleep darts we were hit with took us both down. When I awoke I was in a iron cage across from Jenna, like you Tree, she was chained down. I could heard screams on the other side of a building." Elana took a deep ragged breath, doing her best to not cry. "Please, if it hurts that much-" "No, you must know." Elana said, cutting off Fluttershy. "I could hear Blitz and Fritz screaming as they were being ...broken in as they called it. For hours I tried to break my cage and for hours they continued to use them as playthings. Then the screaming suddenly stopped...then, Sadis appeared." Elana growled, her eyes full of anger, though it quickly subsided. "He laughed and said they were most likely dead. He then injected Jenna with his foul concoction. He...did horrible things to her for hours as I tried desperately to break free. She never gave in once, never gave him the satisfaction; she was a true ranger till the bitter end. He then tossed her in a cage, barely conscious and ...started on me." Fluttershy leaned forward, reaching out to pat Elana, but Tree stopped her, shaking her head. "She has to let this out hun, she will stop if it hurts too much." Elana nodded. "It hurts going back over it, but it needs to be said." Elana composed herself, inhaling deeply before continuing. "For three days her brutalized our bodies and for three days neither of us would give. He...he did so much damage to Jenna, we both knew she had next to no chance of surviving another session. She managed to pilfer a key off a adolescent that used her as a way to relieve himself earlier in the day. She managed to get out, but broke the key in doing so." Elana did her best to keep herself composed, trying hard to choke back the tears, but at this point they were flowing freely. "She told me, to be strong, to live for the both of them.She started to cry, took off her favorite scarf and wrapped it around my neck. She then reared up with the last bit of strength she had and kicked my metal cage down the side of a hill, freeing me. The last I heard as I was tumbling down the side of that hill was the sound of twisting iron and the sound of fighting. She had resigned herself to a warriors death." Tree and Fluttershy both moved to Elana's side, both patting her and nuzzling up against her in effort to comfort her. "T-thank you. I managed to drag my beaten body back to our home and heal up. The toxin, pain and torture were horrible, but nothing compared to losing my entire family." Elana nuzzled Tree then Fluttershy, returning the affection. "That took a lot of bravery to get that out and to strangers no less" Tree said. "You must have had that bottled up for a long time now" Fluttershy added. Elana wiped the teared from her eyes and took another sip of her tea. "Thank you both. I feel a bit better getting that off my chest. However, now you know what you are up against." Fluttershy looked at Tree and Tree did the same back, both will stares of determination. "We will figure a way out of here, we both promise."