//------------------------------// // The Opening Night: 4 // Story: Queen Chrysalis takes Manehattan // by Ponyess //------------------------------// Our pink mare friend had returned in good time with a large supply of ingredients sorely missed. Not that the coking is my department, I'm just the first girl to scratch customers here. With all the food stashed away just in time, Flames can prepare any and every order from our menu they may wish for, thankfully. Just remains to see if her cooking is up to the taste of the common Manehattanite too. This is the big quandary on Ruby's mind, but I'm thankfully spared this end of the matter. As a Changeling, I could basically become any Pony I had been in close proximity, but these girls would be just as easy on my part. She had been more than close enough and for more than enough time for me. She hadn't even realised who I am, but from what I felt, she hadn't been bothered by me anyway. Anxiety is bothering me slightly, though I'm curious as to how this will go. Would any Pony pick up on who we really are, or just enjoy the show? How many had even heard of what a Scratcher was, or what we're supposed to do? I hope they'll enjoy the treat just as much as I had, even if they're bound to miss a part of it. There is the one small detail of a problem, we can only serve three Scratches at any one time. I can only scratch one Pony at the time. As much as one may which to be capable of splitting up into more than one, just in order to further the business, but that's well out of my range of capabilities. Maybe it is just as good, I can't take the load from more than so many Ponies Love in a single night anyway. Minutes are ticking by, as slow as if it had been days, for all I could say. There is no point in prolonging the inevitable. Either they enjoy it, or they never would. They could pick up on who we are right now, or never realise it in a million years. I can as well take the verdict right now and be done with it. If they didn't pick up on it, and enjoy the treat, no point in worrying. I had seen Flames slipping in, into her kitchen, preparing everything she could in advance. Making sure she knew where everything lay, familiarising herself with what is there. I just sit by a corner table behind the kitchen, slowly sipping on a glass of Orange Juice. Flames herself served it, just a while ago. It's cooled just right. Chihiro and Riku sit with me by the table, sipping on their own juice. We don't have much anything to do, but wait. Nothing to say, so I just keep quiet. Besides, since the girls scratching us in Ponyville was quiet, I'm practising acting mute. I slowly become aware of a change, I feel the Ponies closing in on the door. It's the presence of their Love firstly. This is the first good news for a good while now. “They're coming, I think!” I stated, even though I knew they both knew of it, just as surely as I felt it. Several minutes later three Ponies came in through the door, slowly moving into the room. I feel the Love from them, just as I feel excitement, anxiety and nervousness, knowing my friends felt the same way. The result here would affect us all pretty much the same way. If we made it right today, we'd make it. If we failed, we'd letting Pinkie Pie down, after all she had done for us. We just couldn't allow ourself doing that, even if it may be more of a selfish wish for what she had promised us in the first place. What she had promised sounded only too alluring to me. “Wonder how it feels to scratch an ear of a Pony? I never had a chance to actually stand beside one before!” Riku whispered. “If I get Love, I'll enjoy it!” Chihiro replied quietly. “They're bound to enjoy it. Then we're feeding them the salad of their choice. Riku mused under her breath. “They're here!” I merely stated, before Ruby had the time to say a single word. The first of the three is a white mare with green mane and tail, neatly braided. Her Emerald green eyes shine warmly at Ruby as she is leading her to the table reserved for her. “Miss Emeralds, I presume. You have a table reserved!” Ruby addressed her. “Yes Ruby, that's me. Yes, a table was reserved for me here tonight. I hope it will be as pleasant as I was given the expression it would!” Emerald responded stately as she sat down before the table, looking at the menu on the table. “These would be the Scratchers I heard about lately? I never had the opportunity to try it for myself, though I've heard it is a treat to actually have a scratch. I'll try Hitomi!” she pointed out, pointing at the first image, with a blue frame. “Oups, that's me!” I thought, giving my two friends a quick ink before I left the table for the first customer. I gave my nails a quick look over, noting them to be a metallic electric blue, just as shiny as before and matching the colour of my hair. A slight glance and I knew my hooves are the same blue as my nails. My tail apparently the same hairless as the girl who scratched me in Ponyville. This was just starting out to be very interesting. My first time to try this out for myself. “I'll have a glass of cool Orange Juice and the light Daisy Salad!” she then finished. “Coming right up!” Ruby responded with a chick nod on her head, before she left for the kitchen. I see Ruby moving to the kitchen and the door slipping up before she entered the small space. Scents of fresh foods flooding my unaccustomed small nose, until the door slipped closing tight behind her. “A glass of Orange Juice and a light Daisy Salad!” Ruby stated. “Will do!” Flames responded before she poured a large glass of cool juices and mixed up a light Daisy Salad with practised haste and deliberate care of an experienced and skilled cook. I hear the door open before Ruby excited the kitchen, slowly moving towards the table, placing the glass before the VIP Mare, then slipping the bowl of salad down, which is the sign for me to approach the table, sneaking up behind her. “Your cool Orange Juice and light Daisy Salad. I hope you'll enjoy it, and the scratch!” Ruby stated. “The Salad sure looks fresh enough to me. Remains to enjoy the presentation promised to give a final score on the meal!” the VIP mare responded with a smile on her face, apparently looking forwards to the treat promised. “I wouldn't bother serving it, if it didn't at least look fresh to the eye. The best part is still in enjoying it. Just lean back!” Ruby suggested. “I've seen a few Establishments in my day in Manehattan. Some of them looked good, even when they couldn't live up to the class and style they promised. Others didn't look much to the eye, but the presented meal was still Divine. I'm still impressed!” she merely commented, leaning back. I picked up the fork with my right hand, placing my left just right, slowly stating to scratch her ear as I demonstratively stabbed the vegetables in a light but elegantly efficient manner. The girls had certainly demonstrated how to handle the fork. As I slowly moved the fork towards her muzzle, I started to feel something. There is clearly an emotion behind her curt demeanour. She would be a grand demonstration of how this should be done, and how well Pinkie Pie's proposition could work out for us and our currently small hive. Feeling her ear under my long nailed fingers excited me more than I had dared dream of. Just scratching her ear as I slowly slipped a forkful of stylish vegetables into her mouth. I allowed her time to bite down on the fork, before pulling it clean out, now devoid of vegetables. Listening to her chewing. I had never been so filled with anticipation, from just listening to the sounds of chewing. Following the expressed demonstration, I slowly scrat6ched her ear in the manner I felt would give her the most joy and pleasure. Figuring this was the most efficient way to extract what we were here for in the first place. I feel her closing her eyes as she sampled the vegetables. Picking out the individual tastes, scents, textures, from each and every peace of vegetables I slipped into her mouth. Maybe I shouldn't be shocked, but it still came as a surprise as I felt myself used to my new form, almost as if I had lived with it for years. Just for scratching her ears with my long nails, feeding her salad with the purposefully made fork. Yet I think it is just as much in how I felt her love flow into me through the nails as I scratched her ears. I didn't have to bite her or hurt her in the least. As I realised what was happening, I started to feel much better about myself. I know others may have been disgusted by this effect, whereas I am feeling most pride in how I could extract what I most desired, without hurting her. Knowing she would never be the wiser of what really happened didn't hurt my self-image, why should it? From time to time, I had lifted the glass in my hand, holding it securely in a firm and secure grip. Just as I could have done as the Changeling hidden under my new and secure form. She never once opened her eyes. I could both see and feel the grin on her face. Knowing she would express it as having the 'Royal Treat', once she got back to write the review on the service. I only hope my two friends will feel and manage as well as I'm feeling right now. Somewhere along, I noticed Chihiro had been picked. I had not quite seen it at the time, but her nails are a crisp leafy spring green, as are her hooves. I did not need to see her perform, I could feel the effect as clearly, just by the effect it had on the air in the room. To a Changeling like me, Love can be felt as clearly as if it had been a physical object. She was doing well. Maybe I could blame or accredit some of the effect on the magic in the menu, helping them choose the girl attuned most closely to them. It didn't really do much difference to me right now. Though I guess it would help us in the long run. I noticed Riku had been picked, before I had finished. I guess it did please me. She is after all a nice girl too. Besides, it is for the better if we split the burden as evenly as possible. In the end, the one who got most would falter, if the pressure got too high. I can only enjoy so much Love in a single day. If I got more than I should, I wouldn't be very good a Scratcher. Just as my VIP had her last sip of the juice, I had started to feel slightly lightheaded. I knew what it means, even if I had rarely felt like this before, it wasn't common in the Hive, back then. I had been taught about what it was, and why it happened. It had been compared with a drunk Pony. It isn't a decent manner for a proper changing to act in public. Not just because it could ruin the entire operation, now it would ruin our entire existence such as we're trying to build it up for ourselves. They had told me it was a rare gift, to stop just short of slipping. I guess I could say that's about where I'm right now. Maybe I should be happy and proud, but I felt too spent to make anything out of it. I simply walked back to my seat. I could but hope I had performed, to the standard expected out of me. Just as I hope Chihiro and Riku would do the same. I could see more of them now, as I no longer needed to focus on a Pony before me, as pleasant as it had been. After a moment, I realised I had to excuse myself, I wouldn't be up to service another pony in the state I had already reached. Even if I could proudly explain the result to Ruby, when I felt I could walk straight again. I just needed to get out and have a pinch of fresh air, as the expression went. Then I recalled, we had no fourth reservation for at least an hour. Aside from feeling lightheaded and stuffed, I'm proud of how I had handled myself and how I had made it. “We really need more Scratchers!” I told Chihiro, as I returned, a mere ten minutes before the next Customer was due to arrive. “I'm still enjoying myself, but I can't perform another scratch any time soon!” Chihiro explained. “Then we need a means of relieving the situation, or we'll be incapable of performing before this day is up!” I responded. “I'll see if Flames still have the equipment and ingredients to make the soup, 'Kikoro' for us, that could be an idea!” Riku suggested. “If I know her right, she is bound to have everything to prepare the soup, and it should stay fresh long enough too!” Chihiro pointed out. “I'll see if she still does have it, I only have a few minutes, in case I am chosen first?” I pointed out, soon finding myself inside of the kitchen alone with Flames. “If I could prepare a few portions of my Kikoro Soup? I think you require extraction right away. You can't perform another scratch in your condition, Hitomi!” Flames stated with concern on her voice. “That is why I'm asking. We're not used to this much Love. I hope we can get used to it, adapt to this rich a feeding ground. It felt good at first, but the longer it lasts, the harder it is on me!” I responded. “Good thing I have all I need to help you out. You're looking more and more intoxicated. I'll have you fixed up in a few minutes!” Flames assured me. I pondered her words as she pulled out the tool used to extract the precious Love out of Ponies. I could feel the sting as she placed it just under my hairline, behind my head. I knew better then complain, I need help now, and I need to be able to handle the next scratch for Ruby. Seconds ticked by, as if pulled by a Snail. Then I soon noticed the effect of my intoxicated sensations to lessen, until she had managed to drain enough for me to perform. I had just enough to walk out, but I could always have a bowl of Soup later, if I was to need it. Once she had extracted the Love from my body, she started to prepare soup. I could clearly sense the scent of her lovely Kikokoro Soup. I knew I have a few more minutes, but at least I know I could perform my end of our deal now. Just walking up to Chihiro and Riku. “Thanks for reminding me, now we can last the rest of the day. I will have to explain to Ruby that Flames is preparing the Soup. She's bound to love the news!” I stated. “I see you're once more fit for your duties, Hitomi. I'll need to see Flames too!” Riku stated as she and Chihiro hasted out into the kitchen. “I'm certain Ruby will love the news. Flames is bound to have soup for days, before the day is over!” I responded as I walked over to Ruby, where she stood, waiting for the next Customer to arrive in a few minutes. “I hope you're able to perform your duties, Hitomi!” Ruby suggested as I approached her. “Yes, now I will be, thanks to Flames having what I needed to keep going. You see, I was overwhelmed by the richness of Love I received from the Pony. I think I got more intoxicated than we had anticipated. We're not used to being this close to Ponies!” I explained. “Is that Kikoro Soup? You can't mean you got that much out of just one hour with the first Customer? You must be joking?” Ruby stated, not quite able to believe the facts before her. “That's exactly what it is, and it should be enough for you too. I was doing fine with the scratch in Ponyville, as were we all. I'm sure we could all have lived well, just going there every day. I wish I was joking, in a way. Thankfully, this will be a joy for us all now!” I responded. “Now as you mentioned it, we could go back there and have a scratch every now and them. I didn't realise, just how good that could feel!” Ruby said. Yes, that certainly did feel great. I didn't know anything could feel as good as it did!” I pointed out, just before I returned to my seat, by the side of Chihiro and Riku. “I told Ruby the good news, and she is more than happy!” I stated. “Flames is ecstatic over the opportunity to prepare Kikokoro Soup. She said this should keep us happy for days. Just the one hour of scratching we pulled off. I can't blame her. We all enjoyed the Scratchers in Ponyville. Now she will be able to prepare something extra special for the entire Hive!” Riku said, grinning from ear to ear.