Bootlegging

by L_Wolf

Chapter Twelve: Manehatten Business

Chapter Twelve:
Manehatten Business

The trip from Hollow Shades to Manehatten was uneventful for the most part. Apple Bloom kept to the speed limit through the small towns so the local authorities wouldn't pay any attention to her. Soon enough she was back on the major road leading towards Manehatten.

Once she was in the city she started following the directions towards the address on the piece of paper Mariponie gave her folding her ears back. The part of town she ended up in was far less reputable then the last place she delivered to.

The store front windows were boarded up, and the doors had iron gates blocking them closed. “Apple Bloom... what have ya gotten yourself into...” She asked herself as she looked glanced around quietly as she drove to the drop off location.

“On Saddle Avenue and Cropper Street turn down the first alley...” she mumbled to her self reading the directions as she followed them slowing down and pulling into the alley when she spotted it.

The streets in this part of the city was pretty empty since it was still very early in the morning. The only other vehicle she saw was one of the newer model trash collecting trucks. She wondered how anyone was still asleep when it went by.

She spotted the door noted on the directions, third one down on the right. She came to a stop and turned the car off getting out she went to the door and knocked, three times slowly and four times quickly before twice slowly.

Nothing happen, not at first anyways, it was long enough she wondered if she took a wrong turn and was at the wrong door. But the door opened and she saw a fat little unicorn pony with a gray mane, dusty green coat and beady purple eyes. “Apple Bloom.” was all he said with a gravelly voice, wasn't even stated as a question.

“Ya, I'm Apple Bloom.” She confirmed with a faint nod. She was starting to have second thoughts about this delivery. “I have the... product y'all ordered.” She added quickly.

The beady eyed pony looked her over, then looked over at her car before moving. “Enter.” He stated flatly.

Still unsure she hesitated causing the unicorn to snort impatiently so she quickly stepped inside. She caught a glimpse of the fat little unicorns cutie mark, a cigar. She wondered how he came by that as a cutie mark, but judging from the smell inside the room she found herself in she didn't wonder long.

The thick haze of smoke made her cough and fan at her muzzle with a hoof, which only made it worse. The unicorn lead her through narrow hallway into a large club full of ponies, and her eyes went wide.

She had never seen a gentle stallions club before, and she shocked at what she saw. A few mares were on a stage at the front dancing in a way that made her cheeks burn to music coming from a set of speakers on either side of the stage. Dozens of stallions and a few mares cheered, a few even tossed bits onto the stage.

The overpowering cigar scent was thicker from this room as more than one of the stallions and mares in the audience was smoking them.

The stubby unicorn cleared his throat, “20 bits if yer gonna just watch.” he grunted snapping her attention away from the stage causing her blush even more.

“N... no, I'm not...” she stammered waving a hoof indicating he should lead her on again, which he did. She followed him through the room trying to keep from choking on the thick cloud of tobacco smoking hanging in the air.

They passed through another door and up a stairway to a small office. To her relief the room was thankfully free of smoke, she was already feeling light headed. The office had a large bay window overlooking the club they just came from and there was a desk turned to overlook the crowd with a slender mare pegasus who turned to look at Apple Bloom and her escort.

“You can go Avo,” She stated moving to her hooves waving one towards the unicorn. “You must be Apple Bloom.” She asked turning her focus towards Apple Bloom.

“Yes ma'am, I'm Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom nodded in response watching the pegasus. She was taller than expected, with a pink coat, pale orange mane and tail that had a cornflower blue streak running through it. Her cutie mark was of a gold star.

“Please, you can just call me Rising Star. I own this fine club, and hopefully with your shipment it can get back to being more successful. Though I must admit... with your looks I was hoping you were a new dancer.”

Apple Bloom's cheeks turned red again and she shook her head, “Oh no, I couldn't... I have four left hooves...” She chuckled uncomfortably looking out the pay window, only one dancer was on stage now, singing while she danced a similar provocative dance. “Sides... I ain't nearly as attractive as those mares...”

“Nonsense you have that natural country charm goin for you, though you'd have to lose that old duster and the ribbon is a bit foalish… but cute,” Rising Star told her moving closer causing Apple Bloom to tense. “Then again, you do look pretty young, just get your license?”

Apple Bloom nodded at the pegasus softly. “Ya, I did a few days ago.”

“Pity,” Rising Star nods looking Apple Bloom over again causing her to shift under her bright green eyes. “Well if you're alive and want to stop running illegal liqueur in a year look me up.”

Apple Bloom shifts more under her gaze nodding slightly, “I'll keep that in mind.” She mumbled before taking a deep breath, “But down to why I am here, I have the shipment you wanted. I can start unloadin any time.”

“No need, Avo has already gotten some of the staff unloading your car,” Rising Star smiled at Apple Bloom, “Besides, an attractive young mare such as yourself shouldn't be doing such heavy lifting.”

Apple Bloom simply blushed again, “Well, alright thank ya.” Apple Bloom smiled politely at the pegasus though she was making her uncomfortable. She was unsure of what to say to Rising Star who kept staring at her.

“Your most welcome,” Rising Star smiled at her before folding her ears back looking out the window towards the club. Apple Bloom also looked out the window seeing a commotion going on.

Two large earth pony stallions had a hold of a smaller earth pony and were dragging him the way she had come. A few moments later the door opened and the earth pony stallions tossed the smaller one into the room before standing in front of the door blocking it.

“What's all this then?” Rising Star asked, not asking the larger stallions but the smaller one laying in front of them. Apple Bloom guessed the larger stallions were guards and the smaller was a patron. She listened quietly when the smaller of the three started to speak.

“I wasn't doing nuffin, I was just watching when these goons grabbed me.” He growled moving to his hooves snorting. He was a dark cyan coated stallion, with a green mane and tail, orange eyes and a cutie mark of a pair of dice.

“I see, you weren't trying to put your grubby hooves on my entertainers?” Rising Star asked in a smooth, yet sharp tone watching him.

“Of course not, I'm a gentle stallion of course.” He stated looking offended at the implication.

Rising Star looked over at Apple Bloom before giving her a sweet smile, “Be a sweetheart and turn out the light.” She requested turning back to the smaller stallion.

Apple Bloom was confused but went to where the switch was and turned out the lights for Rising Star. In the faint light coming from the club she could see Rising Star move to her desk and take out something, a few moments later an odd purple light light up the room.

“Well, look at that mister gentle stallion.” Rising Star snorted pointing the light at his hooves which had a yellowish green glow around them. “Didn't put your hooves on them my flank. Apple Bloom, you can turn the lights back on.”

Apple Bloom fumbled a bit turning the lights back on, confused about what just happen.

“That don't prove anything... what was that anyways?” The stallion asked, Apple Bloom wondering the same thing.

“That, proves you are a lying pony, a special dust put on the coats of my entertainers before they go on stage that glows under a special light.” Rising Star explained the ears of the stallion drooping, he knew he was caught. “Any pony who puts their filthy hooves on them gets it transferred to them as well... just like you.”

“What's gonna happen to him now?” Apple Bloom asked after a few moments of silence.

“Well, my dear Apple Bloom, we're going to teach him a lesson and you're going to help. You're in the business now.” Rising Star stated smiling at her.