(Don't let the name dissuade you. Again, if you find an error, inform me.)
You rolled around in bed, sleep having long since released its tenuous hold on your conscious mind. It was only six in the morning, and you knew that Sunburst would likely still be asleep. You didn’t want to do a run, since you didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks while in Manehattan. It wasn’t that you couldn’t handle yourself, it was just that if you did have to take matters into your own hooves, it could get messy, and that wouldn’t be a desired outcome. Instead, you spent another half hour desperately trying to bid the merciful release of sleep to return.
Finally, enough was enough, and you crawled out of bed, and to the bathroom. You quickly took a shower, and after finishing up in the bathroom, you went to the kitchen. You stopped dead in your tracks as soon as you entered the kitchen, though, as you saw, and remembered, what the kitchen looked like. You gingerly picked your way through the kitchen, and the living room, and you exited the apartment. It had been a while since you went up to the roof, but you desired the tranquility provided by the view, and the remarkable lack of noise from the city below.
The entire building was quite tall, and so it took you almost fifteen minutes to make it all the way to the roof. The sun had long since risen, so you didn’t get to enjoy the sunrise, but you still got to enjoy the beauty offered by the impressive cityscape sprawling before you. Your apartment was far from the tallest building in Manehattan, but for the area, it was the tallest, and so that afforded you an uninterrupted view for quite some distance in nearly every direction.
And, yet, even with the tranquility provided by the view, you couldn’t get your mind off of Applejack, and the entire situation that you’ve put her in. And to make matters worse, this probably could have been avoided, had you simply taken the initiative to deal with Scootaloo before she found the letter. Hay, if you hadn’t hid the letter outside your home this could’ve been avoided. Better still, your sister could have simply not written the letter!
No. I can only control what I do. No matter how much I want to, I can’t change what others do, only how I react to it. You approached the edge of the building, and you looked over the edge. There were already ponies making their way along the street, and the road was beginning to fill with some carriages heading to work, or taking their cargo to some new warehouse. You pulled your head back from the edge, and you took a seat, staring once more up into the vast blue infinity of the sky.
You were lying in that position when some pony made their way up to the roof. It wasn’t that strange, so you didn’t divert your gaze. What was strange, though, was the fact that the pony hadn’t said anything to you yet. It used to be that when you came up here anypony that came up would offer a greeting of some sort. Whether it was a polite ‘hello,’ or a simple grunt to acknowledge your existence, there was always something.
“I figured I’d find you up here.” Sunburst’s voice confirms your suspicions, but you don’t make any moves to look at her.
“Yeah. I woke up early, and so I came up here.” The sound of hoofsteps grew louder, gradually, as Sunburst came closer to where you were lying down. “We should get going soon. Our first stop isn’t very far, but I want to hit as many places as we can today.”
She spoke your name, and so you rolled over to look at her, but instead of a smile on her face, as she used to have whenever she used your name, she was serious. You adjusted your position until you were seated, and you motioned for her to start.
“Why are you doing this? I understand that you like her, hell, maybe you love her. But what you’re planning is just stupid. They have more goons than you could ever hope to beat, they’ve got more hiding holes than you could ever hope to find. What you’re trying to do is noble, brave, and undeniably adorable, but it’s a stupid, stupid, thing to do.” She moved a step closer, and she placed a hoof on your chest. “You’re one stallion. One stallion against the greater part of Manehattan’s criminal underground. What chance do you have?”
You brushed aside Sunburst’s hoof, and you stood. It only just struck you that you were taller than your sister, and for just a moment she had the tiniest spark of fear in her eyes. “I may just be one stallion, but I’m not going to just give up because it’s going to be hard. If I die, at least I’ll know that I tried.” You allow a small smile to grace your lips as you remember a small running joke that had run between you and your sister for years. “But, what are the chances of me dying? Just like that old doll of yours, I’m indestructible.”
“I still hate you for what you did to it.”
The moment of family bonding persists for a moment, and then you move past your sister, and towards the stairwell. “Come on, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”
You walked out of the warehouse, a slight limp plaguing your every step. Sunburst followed behind you, but she kept a good distance between you and her. After walking just a few feet you finally just sat down, and you raised your left front hoof to your face, so you could get a better look at it. There didn’t seem to be anything visibly wrong with it, so you just shook it out, hoping for the throbbing to stop.
“Jeez, bro, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“That creep was asking for it. And it was a good way to vent some frustration. Besides, it’s not like he’ll remember what happened.”
“Still, just one punch to take that stallion down? He was a full head taller than you are.”
“Size isn’t everything.” You gingerly placed your hoof back on the ground, and it seemed to be less painful, but it still tingled uncomfortably. “Let’s go get some dinner, and then we’ll hit that last place… Where was it again? Some porn shop?”
“Yeah, Madame Carnal’s Shop of Wondrous Desire. It’s one of the most successful shops in the area, although I don’t know whether it’s for the shop, or the prostitution ring in the back.”
“Either way, it’s next on our hit parade. Now let’s go, I’m famished.” And so you both made your way to a little diner on the corner, tastefully named Diner 69. The two of you quickly got a table, and you began looking at the menu. It all seemed palatable enough, so when the waitress came over you and your sister both placed your orders.
Your drinks came quickly enough, and so you let your mind wander just a bit. Before you could dive into a topic for mental exercise, though, you caught a tiny snippet of some conversation that perked your interest. Sunburst began to speak, but you waved her down, and she fell silent.
“… And so this guy tried to take on Lock Jaw. One tiny guy, against Lock Jaw.”
“Heh. Poor kid never stood a chance. So, why’d he attack Lock Jaw anyway? No one’s dumb enough to do that.”
“You’re telling me. Anyway, Red took this kid’s mare, and he tried to attack Lock Jaw, hoping to get her back. I can understand why, though. Mare’s a feisty one. A real looker too.”
“Is she now? She up for public use, or…”
“Nah, Red’s got her in ‘training’ for a special client.”
“Damn. Ah, well. There’s still plenty of tail to chase.”
“Yeah, this one mare I found, she had this thing stuffed up her…”
You quickly tuned out the conversation, no longer interested in where things were headed. You looked back at your sister, and she had a curious look on her face. You shook your head, and she just nodded. You let out a sigh, and then you glanced at the clock over the entrance. You’d been checking out the city for the past eleven hours, and you were no closer to finding Applejack than you were this morning.
The waiter came over before too long, and placed your food in front of you. You looked down at it, suddenly feeling less hungry than you were a minute ago. Still, you managed to eat most of it, knowing that you’d need the energy. Sunburst finishes before you, but she still keeps her silence, knowing that you’d talk about what you’d overheard when you were done.
You finish, and pay, and soon enough you and Sunburst are walking down the street, heading for the porn shop. You quickly explained what you heard, and Sunburst just shook her head.
“Not many mares are able to hold up under the special training. From what I’ve heard it’s a terrible mixture of pleasure, pain, and mental stimulation. It just breaks down the mind, and then rebuilds it for pure pleasure. If we don’t find her soon…”
“Don’t say it. We’ll make it in time. We have to.” Silence fell upon the two of you as you continued making your way down the sidewalk. You looked up at the sky, and you could see that it was nearly the same color as the day you had given AJ her massage. And when you had tucked her in, and given her that quick kiss.
The memories spur you on, and your pace picks up just a tiny bit. Soon you arrive in front of Madame Carnal’s Shop of Wondrous Desire. There’s just a single neon sign to indicate its presence, but it’s enough to attract a fairly steady flow of customers going in, and coming out. You manage to get yourself in line, and you realize just how quickly the line is moving. You move along quickly, and then you enter the door, and you head down several flights of steps before you start to hear the thumping sound of a bass system.
When you finally reach the main store you just stand still for a moment, the images you see searing their way into your mind. There were ‘toys’ everywhere, and even some mares, and stallions, demonstrating their use on themselves, and each other. You made your way through the shelves, looking to see if you could find someone who works here. You pass by a shelf, and despite your focus you can’t help but stop for a minute to stare.
It was a strange pink colored appendage. It had a single large flat area, with four thin extrusions sticking out on one side, and then another thicker, but shorter, appendage sticking out on the side. A mare approached, and picked it up, before looking at you.
“Hey there, my name’s Bucking Wild, welcome to Madame Carnal’s Shop of Wondrous Desire! Are you interested in this hand?”
“This what?”
“It’s a hand. Based on some ancient mythological creatures, or something. All I know is that they’re great for some serious foreplay. Want a demonstration?”
“Sweet Celestia, no! I’m not here for toys, I’m here to see the living merchandise.” Her eyes quickly narrowed, and her tone changed from teasing to serious.
“Oh. Well then follow me. And say nothing till we reach the back.” You nod, and Sunburst follows you, her face red from the strain of holding back her laughter. The mare you followed led you through the back door of the place, past two mares doing unspeakable things to each other, and then you were going down a new hallway. There were dozens of doors leading off the hallway, and from behind some of them you could hear some groaning, or shouting. You even heard the word human shouted from behind another door, and you marveled at the absurdity of the situation.
After several more doorways you were ushered into a small room with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling by a wire. There was a table in the middle of the room, with a chair on either side. You took one seat, and then you waited. Your patience was rewarded soon enough, as an earth pony eventually entered, and took a seat opposite you.
”So, kid, you looking for something quick and dirty, or you looking to get involved?”
“I’m looking for a pimp, actually. He’s stolen something of mine, and I aim to get it back.”
“Look, kid.” His tone quickly grew agitated, and you knew you needed to wrap this up before he found out why you were really here. “We ain’t in the business of being honest. If he’s got something of yours, just accept it, and move on. I mean, what, did he take one of yer girls?”
“Yeah, that’s what he did. And I aim to get her back.”
The stallion heaved a sigh, and then he put his hooves down on the table. “You ain’t a pimp, are you? You ain’t even interested in a quickie, or nothing. You just want your mare, and that’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Fuckin’ white knights… Fine, what’s her name, cutie mark, and coat color?”
“Wait, are you serious?”
A small smile grew on the face of the stallion, and he nodded. “Yeah, kid. I am. I see a tiny bit of myself in you, and I wonder what would’ve become of me if I’d done what you’re doing. I mean, do you know what could happen to you if you said the wrong thing? Or if you pissed off the wrong stallion?”
“Yeah, I do. And the stallion I pissed off is Red.”
“Shit. Kid, your mare’s screwed. Short of a miracle, you ain’t getting her back.” The stallion turned to look into the shadows behind him, and then he looked back at you. “If she hasn’t been shipped off already, you’ll find her at Dock seventeen. It’s a warehouse along the river. You’ll need to hit it around midnight if you want the best chance.” The stallion leaned close, and you leaned in as well. “Kid, don’t be like me. Not all the mares and stallions in this business chose it. I know I didn’t. Save her. Save her, or die trying, because if you’re going through all this for her, then you won’t be able to live without her.”