> The Wishmaker
>  by Phase88
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Ticket to Fame (1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How much longer do you think she'll be?" Nano asked, leaning forward in his chair to get a better look at the door.

It was a boring white, much like the rest of the room they were seated in. There was plenty of space for ponies to pass through and get to their work, leaving them with absolutely nothing to do.

"Surely not too long, feels like she's been in there forever," Wish assured. "Have you spotted a clock around here?" Her eyes wandered the room, looking for something interesting.

Nano turned back to look at her curiously. "To keep track of how long she's been gone? Nope," he replied plainly. "Maybe one of us should invest in a watch," he suggested, pondering where to start with such a plan.

Before Wish could respond, the door opened, revealing a navy blue pegasus politely backing out to take her leave. The moment the door closed, she impulsively slammed her eyes shut as a powerfully bright grin took over her face.

Running towards her friends, she struggled to keep her voice down from her excitement. "Guys! We got it!"

"No way! You rock, Night! How'd you do it?" Wish said energetically.

"Yeah, what's our contract?" Nano added, half jokingly.

Midnight walked around to sit with them in the lobby chairs. "He's giving us full access to the staff room, up to half an hour of showtime-- just about anything we could need!"

"That's awesome!" Nano chimed.

"But, of course, there's a catch," Midnight sighed. "We only get one performance to prove ourselves. The crowd has to love it on the first try," she waved her hooves to put emphasis on her concerns.

Wish chuckled. "Ye of little faith. Crowds love me by default, there's no way we could lose," she declared, puffing up her chest subconsciously.

Night deadpanned. “Maybe the crowds you’re used to. These ponies are different, they’re higher class and harder to please.” she countered. “We really need to give it our all if we want to make an impression here.”

“That’s a good point,” Nano admitted. “We’ll need to give our best if we want any chance of really winning ‘em over.”

Wish thought for a moment, maintaining her confidence. “Alright, yeah…” she pouted. “Guess we should start planning out our act, then. Anyone got any ideas?” she asked, looking at both of them expectantly.

“Oh! That’s another thing,” Night exclaimed. “You can’t get dirty with ponies on stage, he saw way too many risks with that.”

Wish’s eyes went wide with shock. “But-- That’s half of my act! That’s what I specialize in!” she stood up, aggressively pointing a hoof at herself.

“Not on this stage,” Night restated. “That’s another challenge we’ll have to work with…” she groaned.

As the weight of the situation began to dawn on them, another businesspony walked past, reminding them of where they were holding their meeting. They quietly stared at him as he wandered out of sight, then turning back to look awkwardly at each other.

“I’m gonna start heading back to our place,” Nano decided, already back on his hooves. “We can organize our plans better there anyway.”

Midnight nodded. “Good idea, probably should’ve done that before going over all this,” she admitted, preparing to leave her seat.

Wish fell back into her chair, putting a hoof to her face. “How… how am I supposed to work like this?” she complained. “I’m the Wishmaker! That’s where the title comes from!” she lamented, throwing her hooves out in disbelief.

“We’ll figure something out at home, c’mon,” Night assured, smiling back at her comfortingly.

Wish let out a frustrated sigh and stood up, following the line they had created. “I guess I’m not just about fulfilling wishes, I do other stuff too,” she mumbled to herself as she trotted down the stairs. “Do crowds like my pole dancing?” she asked genuinely.

“I think so, but maybe keep quiet about that in public?” Night advised.

“They do, I can vouch,” Nano declared shamelessly.

Wish snickered. "Thank you, Nano."

Night rolled her eyes. “I can go over my data from past customers to see if we can find some trends, as a starting point,” she reasoned.

“Alright, that sounds good,” Wish smiled.

They stepped off of the stairs and entered the room at ground level, preparing to leave. Wish, however, subconsciously slowed to a halt as something caught her eye outside the glass walls. Several shops were lined up next to the road with bold, almost aggressive advertisements as they fought for customers.

Wish was unsettled at the sight of them, worrying about the fierceness of the competition she'd have to go up against herself.

"You good?" Nano asked bluntly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just thinking," she feigned.

Nano raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let's hurry up then."

Wish nodded, following closely behind as they made their way to the main road.

With Midnight at the front of the line, they started the trek back to home base. Though she herself stayed focused with a homemade map of the city in hoof, Wish studied every sign and storefront in sight. Around every corner there were countless restaurants and stores, like one huge mall. Some had lines going out to the sidewalk as ponies waited to get new gadgets early, while others saw seats painfully empty.

Again, worry crept over Wish's face. She shot a quick glance at Nano, but decided not to say anything.

"Still worried?" Nano asked, ever-smirking.

"Yeah…" she lowered her head.

"I get that," he assured calmly. "But do you know how many nightclubs and strip clubs there really are around here?"

"Hm? No, I hadn't thought about that-" 

"Hardly any. I've been around here once or twice for… my own reasons, and they've got no variety," he answered with a hint of disgust in his voice. "I think the place you landed is the best by far."

"You really think that?" Wish beamed, her tail wagging like a dog.

"Yeah, it'll be perfect for you. It's all about weird girls brimming with personality and community. All the best stuff," A genuine smile grew on Nano's face.

Wish grinned with all her might. "Thank you! That makes me feel so much better about this!" she exclaimed, eagerly hopping along.

"Alright, slow down," Nano chuckled. "We still gotta get a plan and everything. Can't afford to mess up an opportunity like this," he reminded her casually, making eye contact to show seriousness.

Wish let out a big breath. "Right. This is important to all of us, we gotta take it seriously."

She prepared to say more, but found herself lost at the first step of coming up with an actual game plan. Midnight soon took the chance to butt in her own comments.

"If you two would kindly look forward instead of everywhere else, we've been at the door for a while now," Night proclaimed, only slightly annoyed.

Without saying a word, Nano put back on his default smug expression and went to hold the door open for the two mares. Midnight stared him down briefly, suspecting him of trying to get under her skin. Reluctantly, she proceeded, with Wish following closely behind. Nano allowed the door to shut without any further antics and followed the others up the stairs.





Midnight emerged from her room with a few binders full of paperwork and laid them on the table. One was labeled "formal" and contained the forms filled out by Wish's past customers. Those forms contained requests for what they wanted from the pretty mare alongside the price they were willing to pay. The actual formality of the requests was extremely varied to say the least, but all of them were approved by Midnight herself.

The other folder was labeled "informal" and contained every note, tip, and review left by those customers. A few were very nice, a few were unbelievably depraved, and some left only money. 

"Ooh, we're gonna dig through everyone's secret desires?" Wish smiled impishly. 

“More or less, yup,” Night nodded. “You should already have a good idea given that these are your customers, but this way we have over a year of honest data to work with.”

Upon opening the “formal” binder, she glanced at the information on the first page and immediately gagged at seeing the customer’s request. “Egh, I forgot this guy was at the top,” she recoiled, trying to keep her composure.

“Come on Night, it’s rude to kinkshame,” Nano taunted from the comfort of the couch. “What does it say?”

As Wish looked over the documents, her eyes went wide for a brief second, causing her to back away as well. “Oh, yea, I remember that guy,” she spouted in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment.

Nano looked genuinely worried at the fact that not even Wish wanted to confront that customer’s request again. “It can’t possibly be that bad. Let me see it,” he said sternly, levitating the binder to his face.

He scoffed. “Are you guys really that turned off by this?”

“Are you not?” Night protested, turning to face him.

“If you want a gross fetish I could tell you plenty. This hardly scores high on that list,” he explained, lowering his eyebrows in confusion.

“Well, yea, I can agree with that,” Wish replied, filling in for Night while she desperately tried to think of a comeback. “I still can’t say I’m too fond of… watersports.”

“That’s fair. I’m just surprised you’re not desensitized to it, being in the wish granting business and all,” Nano admitted with a shrug.

“Eeh, I’m pretty good about it. Just not something I want to boast about, exactly.”

“Okay, moving on,” Midnight snatched the binder back from Nano’s levitation spell and returned it to the table. “The average tip left by a private client is… zero… but this guy was generous enough to leave ten bits on top of his initial payments. No review card or anything, but this either tells us that you did well with that job, or he was just appreciative. We can’t really generalize that to everyone with kinks like that, but it’s a start.”

She removed the paper and placed it on the table next to the binder, beginning a stack. “Next up, something a little more reasonable--”

“Ooh, I think I remember the next one!” Wish interrupted. “That’s the one that booked three whole hours with me, right?”

“Right, and he left us lots of helpful comments,” Night confirmed. “‘Thank you so much for giving me the chance-’ blah blah blah… ‘I especially loved it when you-’ uhm, paraphrasing to spare his dignity, he likes your changeling abilities,” she recited parts of the review, starting to blush upon reading the details.

“I think he likes stallion parts more than mare parts,” Wish giggled, covering her mouth playfully.

Night couldn’t keep her face from turning red. “Yes, he was quite descriptive there,” she managed. “We still need more than a single case to do anything with this data.”

After a brief pause, Nano commented, "Why don't you just divvy out the papers between the three of us? We'll get through it way faster that way."

"Hm? Oh, yea. Probably should've been doing that from the start," she realized, slightly surprised at herself. "I'll divide up this stack first, then the informal ones should go much faster."

She raised the pages from the binder and placed them in a short tower on the table. Carefully, she used her wings to divide it into roughly three sections. 

"Nano, could you distribute these? I'll take the top, you'll take the middle, and Wish can take the bottom," she requested.

"Hmm…" he pondered, tapping his chin with a hoof. "I dunno if I wanna be in the middle, feeling more like a bottom right now," he taunted, his smirk turning into a prideful smile.

"As you wish, you horny colt. Get to distributing," Night teased back, pointing at him impatiently.

Nano giggled, raising the papers with his magic and sending them out as he was told. Not quite willing to give up his seat on the couch, he switched to laying on his back and attempted to balance the stack on his stomach.

Wish mostly kept quiet, but seeing the chaos that could easily unfold, she morphed her changeling horn into a functional unicorn one so that she'd be able to catch anything that might go flying.

"Ah, so these are in chronological order?" she inquired. "I haven't thought about this guy in ages!"

"That's right," Night confirmed. "Who's that you've got? Aqua Shade? Jeez, feels like forever ago."

"I know, that's back when I was willing to go to a customer's house to do the job rather than meeting in the middle or near the wagon," she rambled. "Can you believe we were working out of a glorified wagon home for nearly two years? Feels like we've been in Manehattan forever, but it hasn't even been a month!"

"I know, it's crazy!" Night grinned. "And now look where we are!" she pointed toward the window, accidentally drawing attention to Nano, who laid just below it.

He bore a face of mild disgust, covering one eye with a hoof as if to say "I can't watch" but doing so anyway.

"Nano? What's up? What'd you find?" Wish asked politely.

He sighed. "My first customer form…"

Midnight couldn't suppress her laughter. "Oh Celestia, I nearly forgot you were in there. You blend right in with the rest of the degenerates," she teased, only a little seriously.

"Oh 'ha-ha', very funny," he scoffed. "I can't read this, this data's staying out of the stack-"

"Nonono, every file counts. Give it to me if you can't be bothered to sort it," Night commanded with a smirk.

Nano grunted his displeasure. "Ugh, fine, but it'll be face down." He reluctantly levitated the file over to one of the stacks, keeping his eyes on Night to ensure she wouldn't try anything.

Midnight smugly watched the file fall into place. "Thank you for cooperating," she chirped.





The team looked over the results of their work, wonderfully organized by Night's standards. They were ordered by level of kinkiness with vanilla stuff being on the left, really deviant stuff on the right, and a few that walked the line in the middle stack. Midnight sketched up some numbers and statistics as they read through everything, giving them solid trends to work with.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of clients just liked her with standard mare bits. Body type preference varied quite a bit, but most were more than happy with the body she chose by default. Lots of kinks and requests had to be ignored because they were exclusive to sex, and if anyone liked a certain accessory, it was probably a boring old lingerie.

"Alright, the numbers have been thoroughly crunched. Looks like these are our trends," Night announced, showing her work to the others.

"Bah, why do ponies have to be so boring?" Wish complained. "I wanna show off some crazy stuff on that stage! Like… audience controlled vibrators, or something. Anything!"

"Hey, it's all fine, this is just our basis to start with. When we learn what these crowds really like, we can start to diversify."

"I know, I know, this just seems all so… vanilla," Wish justified, putting emphasis on her dislike of such concepts.

Nano butted in supportively. "Oh, come on, Wish. I know you can sneak your special charm in there. Besides, everyone can tell if your heart's not in it."

"That's true…" she grumbled. "What do you think I should do for my show? What would win over the most ponies?" she cocked her head curiously.

Nano smiled. "If you want to win over the most ponies, listen to Night. She's the one with actual data here," he looked over at Night and nodded.

She smiled back, raising her chin to indicate how much a compliment from him could raise her self esteem.

"However, if you want to have fun doing it-" Nano began, glancing over at Night to see her smile immediately crumple into an annoyed scrunch.

"Picture this: You're up on that big stage, dancing to your heart's content for a crowd of adoring fans, when suddenly, you lay on your stomach, playfully kicking your legs like you'd do relaxing in bed. Then, after a flash of green magic, you sit up all sexily and, ta-da! Marecock!" Nano smiled, blushing slightly.

"That's nice, Nano, but not everyone's turned on by that," Midnight advised, once again annoyed. "Shouldn't she focus on the dances? Or customer interaction?"

"Exactly," he held his grin. "Swinging around a pole with a big, semi-erect cock probably looks like dancing with streamers, or something…" his blush grew deeper as his voice trailed off.

"Probably!? This is too important to be taking shots in the dark like that!" she exclaimed. "Alright, listen up, here's what I think," she clapped her hooves together to get their attention.

She motioned for Wish to stand in the middle of the room, to which she obliged. Night immediately began walking circles around her while scanning her body for inspiration. Wish just smiled, very comfortable with posing for things like this.

"Compared to a normal pony, you're pretty out there. Changeling-esque eyes and horn, some fairly unusual colors, a fine set of accessories… can you morph holes through your legs like a changeling?"

Wish shook her head. "Nope, that'd break 'em. I can put holes in my tongue though," she smiled, her face flashing green for an instant before sticking her tongue out, now with a big hole near the front.

"Dang, does that feel good to pleasure someone with?" Nano commented, only half teasing.

"Hm, never tried it. Wanna find out?" Wish suggested happily.

Nano’s face went red again as he got to his hooves. "Alright, hold on-"

"No. No the hay you are not. Get back on the couch, perv," Midnight demanded. "Wish, please put your tongue back to how it was. I think I've got some ideas."

"Awh, okay." Wish said, zapping her tongue back to normal. "Run 'em by me."

"So, there isn't one definitive trend for what a pony in your career should do to maximize profits. I think we can take advantage of this and give you a little breathing room to do what you want. Keep our limits of course, but there might be enough leniency with the audience to put in some exotic spice, too," she explained, content with herself.

"... Isn't that basically what I said?" Nano protested.

"No, you suggested that she wave her cock around like a flag. I said we should know our limits," Night grumbled.

"Same thing," he teased.

Wish stepped between them to put out the conflict. "That sounds good, Nightie. I do think we should start planning out the actual routine, though."

"Right, sorry," she straightened her shirt to clear her head a little. "What if we… went… down to the club to look for ideas? It's one of the things we need to do anyway, and having actual knowledge of what goes on in there would help a ton."

"Ooh, sounds fun. What about you, Nano?" Wish asked hastily.

"Same here. I think I've got a couple of bits to burn," he replied casually, going to his stash to check.

"Awesome. I know I've got plenty for now, so we can get something to eat and spend a couple hours there," Wish assured them.

A faint gasp could be heard from Nano as he opened his bag. He quickly closed it back and took a moment to calm himself before facing the others.

"It would appear that I will not be paying for anything tonight, but, Wish, if you would be so kind as to cover my costs for food, I'll repay in favors," he winked, smiling weakly.

"And you'll repay me with actual money soon after?" she pushed.

"...yes," Nano agreed, defeated.

"Good. Alright gang, let's head out!" Wish immediately headed for the door, escorting Nano with her own levitation spell.

Midnight lingered inside for a moment, going over things in her head. She quickly threw some pencils and paper in a saddlebag and made her way out in a hurry, nodding her thanks to Wish, who was still holding the door open.

With her friends out of the room, she let out a stress-filled sigh. "One shot. We get just one chance at this place. We gotta make it count."








> Ticket to Fame (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun set on the horizon and the lights of the city began to illuminate the darkening sky, a small band of ponies approached the entrance of the brightest place around. The Crimson Club, as it was called, had fantastical red lights strewn all across its outer walls. Its sign shone against the darkness of encompassing night, acting as a beacon to customers of all walks of life. It appeared to be managing its customers quite well, though the worst had yet to come.

"Identification, please," the stoic pony guarding the door commanded.

"Of course, mister bouncer," Nano replied, presenting the ID cards of his friends in a levitation spell. "This isn't our first time."

The bouncer looked over the cards for a few seconds, subtly nodding his head. "You're good to go."

Nano lifted his chin in pride. "Thank you. Come on guys, we've got data to collect," he winked.

Wish and Midnight followed closely behind, eager to get to the main event.

The sound of ponies partying was audible even from outside, accompanied by colorful flashing lights. When they entered, the moody lighting caused these things to be amplified even further. It could almost be described as an attack on the senses. The loud music, the hazy visuals caused by smoke machines, interrupted by colorful spotlights directing all focus to the strippers on stage.

Wish's eyes went wide as she tried to take in everything at once. "Woah! This is way better than anything I've ever hosted!"

"That's one way to put it," Night mumbled, staying behind Wish for comfort.

Scanning the room from their spot near the door, they were able to identify where the stages, bathrooms, a bar, and several little sheltered seating areas a comfortable distance from any performance were.

“So, where do you guys wanna go first? The bar? Straight to a stage? Straight to lap dances?” Nano asked energetically, trailing off into thought at the end.

“Uhh, well…” Wish mumbled, looking back and forth at her friends. “Seats should come first. If anyone gets lost, we need a place to come back to.”

“Alright, that’s fine,” Nano nodded. “C’mon!”

Without a moment to spare, they started towards the seating area across the room. While there were seats next to them, talking could be heard from all directions, and none of them were bold enough to bump into strangers in this environment. A sheltered area directly across from a stage was somehow completely empty, luring them forward despite the distance.

Nano found it difficult to look in the direction they were walking due to his proximity to the stage, being especially lured in by one mare in particular. Bearing the appearance of a bat pony, one of the dancers ruthlessly teased audience members with close-ups. The fire in her eyes spoke to him, hypnotizing his already horny mind into falling for her entirely.

Midnight quickly made it to the shelter, leaving Wish to deal with Nano’s unprofessional behavior.

“Hey! Equestria to Nano!” Wish half-shouted, waving a hoof in his face.

"Huh? I'm listening. I'm here," he defended hastily.

"Well then hurry up! I don't want to have to put you on a leash to keep you in line!" Wish commanded, stomping a hoof as she headed for their seats.

Nano silently obliged, sneaking a glance back toward the fervent dancer. In that moment, it surely looked as if she noticed him, even shooting a flirty wink his way. Before his body could get any more aroused than a blush, Wish pulled him back by the ear with a levitation spell. Midnight had gotten quite comfortable on the couch, lying in such a way that she could still write down her findings without needing to reposition entirely. 

Upon finally making it to the seats, Nano hesitantly got on the couch alongside Night, awaiting Wish’s orders. Wish stayed standing, tapping a hoof on the ground as she tried to come up with a proper game plan for the night. She found herself walking towards Night and her sketchbook, which had been filled with a few templates to make her research easier. Wish gave a small appreciative nod towards her ability to actually have a plan, as always.

"What're your plans for tonight, Wish?" Midnight asked innocently.

Wish smiled. "I'd like to try and have a conversation with all of the dancers here, but I don't know if I'll get the opportunity,” she said, rolling her eyes in frustration. “There’s way more ponies here than I thought there’d be, and by the looks of it, those dancers are never going to get a break.”

"Yea, they've gotta be understaffed," Nano agreed. "Normal strip clubs have upwards of ten dancers to call in for work. Yet, I only see like… three."

Once again, upon saying this, he began to trail off as his thoughts drifted toward that same dancer. Only, this time, it appeared that she was wrapping up her show. She collected the money that had been scattered around her stage into a saddlebag and casually hopped off. Nano bore a look of confusion, though he assumed that it was common practice to end shows whenever.

“Are you still eyeing them?” Night asked, mildly annoyed.

Nano paused for a moment before countering. “Yes. Yes I am,” he smirked, chin raised. “I’ve decided that I will be conducting most of my research on her tonight.”

Midnight stifled a laugh. “Whatever you say. Just make sure you get some actual info, too.”

Again, Nano nearly managed to speak his epic rebuttal, but something stopped him. Physically. A set of leathery bat wings had been flown over his eyes, gently pressing down on them.

“Guess who?” the batpony asked, pressing her chest into his back affectionately.

“W-wha? Are you--” Nano fussed, inspecting the wings on his face with his hooves. “You’re here? For me!?”

The pony sat directly behind him on the couch, releasing her wings and gently running one through his mane. “I could be, if you’ve got the bits,” she grinned, her eyes lit with devious intent.

Nano, nearly subdued by her tricks playing to his horniness, stood his ground. “Alright, name your price.”

“How much you got?” she stared into his soul, still rubbing his head.

He smiled. “200 bits, but you don’t seem to be worth all that,” he feigned without missing a beat. “How about we start with a lap dance for 20, then we’ll see about going further.”

The batpony smiled just as hard, her expression unwavering. “You really just lied to my face, didn’t you? Okay, tough guy. Let me let you in on a little secret. If you couldn’t tell, we’re a little short on staff right now, meaning I make a barrel of bits just by putting my junk in ponies’ faces on stage, ‘cause they’ve hardly got any other option. By leaving the stage, I’m missing out on big money. Pay me something that can match that, then we’ll talk.”

Nano’s pupils shrank, shattering his facade despite his best efforts. The batpony left behind the ruffled unicorn and strutted off to another group of potential customers. Meanwhile, her slot on stage was overtaken by a gray earth pony mare who had previously been wandering in search of customers. 

Nano just sat there, jaw hanging open.

Wish’s eyes went wide in surprise at what just happened. "Uh, alright then. Good luck with her," she commented. "If you wanna follow me, I'll be checking out the rest of the place."

As she headed off, Midnight pushed his jaw closed and patted him on the back. She smiled quietly, unable to think of the right words to comfort him. Nano stayed put on the safety of the couch to collect himself before trying to talk to anyone anytime soon.





The fog generated by the fog machines continued to impair Wish’s vision. It was a fun effect for most customers that were just there to let loose, but for being on a search, it was a little annoying. Thankfully the flashy stage lights removed much of that burden by drawing attention to the important part of the room, the stages. Three medium-sized stages meant for only one or two performers took up the center of the room, with a much larger stage at the back. The dancers cycled between shifts to give each other a break and allow the customers looking to get into a VIP room more than one option. If there were more employees they’d have significantly more freedom in choosing when to be on stage and when to roam.

For now, the bat pony from earlier went around picking out customers, while three others kept to the stage. A strong earth pony with a beanstalk green coat and stylish choker kept the most viewers at the time. A slim-looking, deep blue unicorn wearing some sort of tutu trailed just behind with an equal amount of tips. The basque, or skirt-like part of her outfit, frilled out into a large circle, drawing all attention into her exposed marehood. The third mare was mostly gray with a few greenish highlights in her eyeshadow, skirt, and big boots. She especially seemed to show her age compared to the rest of the cast, explaining her smaller audience.

She continued her walk around the area, finding herself paused in front of the very first stage. Something odd stuck out to her about the blue unicorn’s performance. Somehow she had the most money scattered on the floor of the stage despite having the most clothes on. Her dance didn’t seem to be especially unique compared to the other options, and yet…

Wish took one of the few empty seats set directly next to the mare’s stage to improve her focus, and immediately saw the reason. While her outfit was able to draw a lot of attention to her most favorable areas, something inside made it even more alluring. A string of sky blue lights surrounded the innermost part of the outfit, where it collided with her rump. This highlighted her marehood even further, making it look as appealing as possible.

She went for an exaggerated stretch, pointing her flashy rump directly in the face of her highest paying fan and gave a wink, prompting more bits to fly onto the stage. She ignored their offerings for the moment, taking the time to ascend the pole and majestically spin downwards. Slow and steady, the lights in her dress had a chance to capture the minds of everyone watching, milking even more bits from a few watchers.

When she finally reached the ground and took a moment to collect some of her earnings, she noticed that one pony hadn’t given a cent. With only a curious glance, the dancer resumed her routine, paying her respects by giving the higher paying customers a bit more time. After circling the entire stage again with teasing and seductive tail swishes, she ended up back at Wish. Up to this point, she hadn’t even realized how much she stood out among the crowd.

The dancer once again stared at her expectantly, slowly moving her display over to the next crowd member to not draw too much attention. The last thing she wanted was for customers to think that giving less money meant getting more attention. Wish continued staring blankly, perhaps even smiling in admiration, though looking creepy to an outsider. It was only after the performer moved her focus elsewhere that she finally realized her mistake. 

She quickly opened her saddlebag and took out a few bits, tossing them onto the stage in front of her casually. Upon hearing the metal hit the floor, she briefly interrupted her routine to do another pole trick. This time, she jumped a considerable distance, grabbing onto the pole with a combination of her forelegs and hind hooves. By twisting around in a certain way, she was able to point her marehood towards the roof while gracefully sliding down the length of the pole.

The light from her outfit instead lit up the ceiling, now managing to catch the attention of a few stray customers that weren’t even attending her show. Her basque fell down to cover her body as she descended, looking a little silly, but still helping to direct attention to her sexual goods. When she landed, she did so in a headstand, allowing herself to fall seamlessly back into a standing position in which she leaned down to smile directly at Wish and collect her donation.

The dancer took a short bow and made her way off the stage. The audience showed their gratitude with applause, some even trying to throw a few more bits her way to get another show out of her. She simply ignored it, going on her way to find her replacement and give the signal. Before she could travel more than a few feet from the stage, Wish walked beside her and tried to start a conversation.

“Hey, I loved your performance just now! You got a minute to talk?” she asked, full of optimism. “My name’s Wish, by the way.”

The mare took a moment to respond, visibly tired from working. “Wish, huh? Alright, sure,” she replied, using a quick spell to detach the lower part of her outfit and attract less attention. “You can call me Typha, just keep it short, or I’m gonna have to start chargin’ ya,” she joked.

Wish just kept smiling. “Awesome! Okay, first off, I’m going to be working here soon, and I’d like to know if you have any advice for me,” she explained, gradually getting calmer as she continued.

“Ah, I see,” Typha nodded with a hint of excitement. “Well, I can only say so much, but there’s a lot to look forward to and a lot to worry about. That premier is not easy, for one. Only auditions with lots of creativity tend to make it around here.” 

“Alrighty, I’ll keep that in mind! Anything else you’re willing to share?” she asked, repeating the advice in her head.

Typha thought for a moment, pausing her smile. “If you’re getting into this business I’m sure you already know to expect all sorts of touching and intimate situations…” she thought aloud. “Still, make sure you’re prepared to handle all kinds of customers. I remember one especially crazy time in which I spent time with married ponies, magazine writers, criminals, and political figures, all in the same night.”

Typha glanced to her side and noticed that they had ended up next to an empty seat, quickly deciding to lie down as their conversation drew to a close. As Wish prepared to reply, she noticed that they had ended up right back at the seat with Midnight, although Nano was nowhere to be found.

Midnight waved. “Hey! How’d it go so far?”

“Oh, hey!” Wish replied, still a little shocked by Typha’s words. “Pretty good, I think.”

“Mm-hmm,” Night hummed, smiling lightly. “Who’s that?”

Wish glanced back for a moment, as if to invite her to the conversation. “This is Typha, one of the performers here.”

Typha waved, grinning. “Hi, nice to meet you!”

Night nodded, still just smiling.

After a brief period of silence causing the blaring music of the club to come back into their senses, the performer started to get up. “Alright, well, if that’s all the questions you have, I’ll be on my way.”

“Go ahead, I’ve got a few more ponies to talk to anyhow,” she justified.

Typha nodded, making her way towards the next shelter. “Good luck with that!”

As she trotted off across the room, something caught Midnight’s eye. She continued to carry the bottom half of her outfit around on her back, folded up neatly. This wouldn’t be too odd, if it weren’t for the fact that it was clearly giving off light. It was hardly noticeable, especially from her distance, but it was bright enough to stir interest.

“Wish, do you see that? On her back,” Night inquired, blatantly staring as the mare walked away.

“Her outfit? Yea, what about it?” Wish looked back at her curiously.

Night kept staring, trying to concentrate and prove if it was real or her imagination. She was able to tell that the light seemed to come out in a sort of S shape in the same way it was folded, but possibly from inside. It was only after a minute of total staring that it occurred to her how lewd it may have looked to an outsider, but her intrigue would not be stopped.

“Does that… cloth thing… does it look like it’s giving off light?” She asked, still determined to get an answer.

“It’s her basque. And yeah, she put some kind of light on the inside to make her look extra attractive during her dances. I’m surprised you can tell from all the way back here,” Wish answered supportively.

“Weird, but cool,” Night admitted.

Wish looked out into the rest of the club once more, seeking her next target. There were two earth ponies and a bat pony, all with varying levels of interest from the customers. The green earth pony still seemed to garner the most attention, planting the idea that she might be the best out of her options. However, something stuck out even more. Although the bat pony had a slightly smaller crowd, her fans seemed to give a bit more in tips. Not only that, but there was even a familiar face among the rest that might be able to give her some insight.

“Did you know Nano was over there giving her money?” Wish asked, mildly worried.

“I did not,” Night answered calmly. “I told him to be nicer and that she was probably just playing it safe, to which he agreed and went off out of view. She wasn’t back on the stage at that time.”

“Joy,” Wish remarked sarcastically. “I’ll go check on him, just to be safe. Maybe I can catch the next dancer that comes down while I’m up close.”

Night nodded her approval, prompting Wish to make her way toward Nano through the terribly dense crowd of ponies. By sheer coincidence, something happened to glimmer for a moment in his peripheral vison, grabbing his attention just enough to make him turn toward Wish. Seeing her approach, he immediately decided to be friendly and help her over.

“Hey Wish! Walk around this way!” he shouted, waving a hoof at his side to signal at the smaller concentration of ponies near the edge of the stage.

"Hey!" She shouted back in return, awkwardly weaving through the crowd. "How long have you been here?"

Suddenly, the crowd burst into a chorus of cheers, overpowering their voices. The bat which Nano had been watching suddenly joined the earth pony mare on her stage! Although distancing herself from half of her viewers, this may have been part of the goal.

The pair of ponies locked eyes with each other and nodded, before the bat stepped back and allowed the mare to lower her forehooves in such a way that the bat could place her hind legs on them. In a single spectacular motion, the batpony was hoisted into the air, standing atop the mare’s legs and doubling her height.

The crowd cheered. Nano’s jaw dropped, and Wish was thoroughly impressed.

Now standing leagues above everyone else, the bat spread her wings and jumped from her friend’s hold, the mare below somehow holding her ground without a hint of fatigue from the impact of her friend’s takeoff. The bat flapped her wings to ascend to the very top of the pole, showing off all sorts of poses and tricks on her slow descent. On the ground, the earth mare did a quick, suggestive stretch, much more to tease than actually stretch.

The crowd continued to eat it up, bits beginning to fly onto stage from all sides.

As the dancers neared closer, the earth pony mare got back into position and prepared to catch her friend with her forehooves, standing on two legs. The bat saw her cue and immediately leapt off the pole, angling her path so that she would fall directly into her friend’s grasp with her hind legs. The impact nearly caused the mare to fall over, but they held together. To put the cherry on top, the bat impulsively decided to backflip off of her friend’s hooves, catching her off guard and very nearly causing her to fall into the crowd. The bat, however, managed to land perfectly on all fours, appearing very surprised and proud of herself. The earth mare not quite so much, but her mood was quickly lightened by the sheer number of bits they’d earned.

The earth mare took a slight bow, maintaining her humility and trying to collect the scattered money before it became too much to manage. The bat, on the other hand, moved to the other side of the stage to claim her chunk of earnings. She opted for the unusual decision of lying on her back, on stage, and making gold-angels with her legs, piling up bits between her limbs as a very showy way of claiming her share. The audience, of course, threw even more money at her, those positioned behind her receiving a serious feast for the eyes.

The earth mare looked over at her and contemplated for a moment, looked down at the gold covered stage, and made her own irrational decision of shoveling as much money into her bag as she could before getting back to her own, actual routine.

“Did-- did you see what they just did!?” Wish asked, full of energy. “How can that pony withstand that!?”

“Yeah,” Nano, in the midst of a battle with himself in deciding whether or not it was worth it to climb onto the empty stage in order to get a better look at the batpony due to guests filling every other route, replied. “Is it a bad idea to throw bits from all the way over here? Do you think she’d know it was me?”

Wish recoiled slightly and turned to look at him, blinking in confusion.

“I thought I could… no… no definitely not,” Nano admitted, losing confidence with every word.

Wish giggled. “We can find a better way to get over there, ideally one that draws a little less attention.”





The earth pony mare, now doing a perfect split on her mostly coin-free side of the stage, glanced back at the batpony. She still appeared to be relishing in her ability to draw in money by doing next to nothing, shaking her rump in front of a customer that she assumed to be giving the biggest tip.

“Okay Drupe, if that’s all you’re going to do, you can go back to your stage,” the mare declared politely.

“Huh? Oh, oops.” The bat, in the middle of tending to her dragon’s hoard of bits piling up on the stage, looked back. “Alright, but you gotta help me get all these bits over there in one trip, Guiana. I don’t think my bag can hold all of this!” she exclaimed, slutty pride seeping through her words.

Guiana sighed. “Well mine’s already basically full, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to dump it on the floor to make room. Are there any other bags?”

“I think everyone just brought one tonight,” she replied.

Suddenly struck with the realization that her horny crowd was suddenly going without entertainment, she ascended halfway up the pole and performed another round of poses. 





Upon hearing their problem, a lightbulb lit up in Nano’s head. Without hesitation, his horn lit up, quickly encompassing his entire body in his magical aura. In the short moment that Wish was looking the other way, he disappeared from view.

“I’m not sure if there’s any good way we can-- Nano?” she questioned calmly. “Oh no... please don’t be stupid--”

Nano playfully blew a raspberry at her remark. “I won’t!”

His comment, however, was heard by no one as he began to gallop past his friend’s hind hooves. Then her front hooves. Countless ponies standing around in a massive cluster still couldn’t get in the way of his goals, not at this size. With the power of his single most advanced spell, for better or for worse, he shrunk in size down to that of a small grape. Dodging and weaving through the crowd, he kept moving until he finally landed on a spot with ample room to begin returning to normal size. Amazingly, no one was hurt in this maneuver due to the space between ponies allowing them to get out of the way.

Now at normal size, and right next to the stage, he shouted. “Drupe! You can use this!” and immediately began to levitate his shirt off of his body.

Drupe looked over at the most likely crazy pony, very caught off guard. “Are you that same pony from before? I thought I made it clear that I don’t want anything to do with you.”

Before her words could reach his ears through the thick wall of pride in his head, his shirt had already landed neatly on stage before the two dancers.

Guiana looked down, inspecting the garment for any immediate red flags. “I mean, it looks clean. I think we can use this?”

Drupe inspected the shirt as well, refusing to take chances. She glanced back at the red unicorn in the audience, who was smiling awkwardly.

“M-my friends can vouch?” he pleaded.

Before Drupe could intervene, Guiana picked it up and began trying to tie up the sleeves and body hole with her hooves. “Yeah, we can totally use this. Thanks dude, we’ll give it back after.”

Nano beamed with pride. "It's no problem. I've got a million just like it at home," he boasted.

Without his noticing, the dancers completely tuned him out, collecting the last of the cash and preparing to continue their shows. Drupe jumped back to her stage, now with a satchel made of Nano's clothes on the far side.

"Hey wait, you gotta pay me back!" He complained. Wouldn't a… fine mare like yourself want to repay my kindness?" He taunted, not-so-secretly desperate for her attention.

"I thought you said it was no problem?" Drupe replied casually, before immediately ascending to the top of her pole and performing a slow and deliberate round of showy poses.

Nano grunted, briefly weighing his options before making his way through the crowd to get back to Wish.





“Well, that was a bust,” he sighed.

Wish stared at him emptily for a moment, deep in thought.

He shot her a suspicious glance, which Wish read as her cue to start talking.

“Hey Nano,” she began, emotionless.

He saw no reason for there to be a problem, not even looking her way. “Yeah?”

“I saw you help that mare on stage,” she continued, still neutral.

His eyes widened a bit, but he held his casual demeanor. “Y-yeah?”

“That was very selfless of you, I never imagined you doing something so nice for someone you barely know,” she smiled impishly, knowing her choice of words would get under his skin.

He recoiled slightly. “O-oh, well… I can be pretty nice, sometimes.”

“Just sayin’, that was very generous,” she replied, becoming calm again.








> Ticket to Fame (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guiana, back on her own stage, began to slow down her routine due to the first signs of fatigue. Thankfully Typha, the unicorn dancer, had finally run out of free time and was encouraged to switch places with one of her friends.

“Oh thank goodness,” Guiana muttered. “Cattail, can you take my place?”

“Of course! I think my break’s more than over by now,” Typha grinned.

Guiana grinned back, before hoisting her saddlebag over her back and descending from the stage. Typha walked by her happily, not allowing the crowds to go a moment longer without something to marvel at. The lights from her outfit cast onto the wall behind her, assuring Guiana that she was excited to put on her show.

Before anything could get in her way, the mare set her sights on the backstage area so that she could store her bits and get on with something slightly more relaxing. Of course, something had to find a way to block her path.

“Guiana? Is that your name? Do you have a minute?” Wish asked eagerly, still trying to navigate her way through the end of the crowd.

The mare groaned under her breath. “I’m on break as of right now.”

“Oh, okay. I can wait!” Wish declared, still following behind, but now scanning the area for a place to sit.

Guiana bit her lip, deciding that the strange blue pony probably had good intentions based on her compliance. She jumped onto the stage and vanished behind the curtains, before emerging again after a few minutes, appearing slightly less stressed.

“What did you need?” Guiana asked, still sounding slightly tired.

“I just wanted to ask you a few questions, but if you aren’t feeling up to it, I can leave you be,” Wish responded politely.

Guiana thought for a moment. “What kind of questions?”

Wish’s face suddenly lit up, happy that things were going as planned. “I’ll be working here soon, and I was wondering if you had any advice for me.”

The mare breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, well, I’m sure you’ve already heard about the opening act thing. They look for creativity and stuff that’ll bring in new customers,” 

Wish nodded, “I’ve heard, still working on the plan for my act,” she giggled, worry starting to creep in. “Anything else? Like, an audience’s favorite techniques? Or things to avoid?”

She thought for a moment, bringing a hoof to her chin. “If you have a good body, it’s easy to pull in a crowd. To earn an audience, you need skill, dedication… that stuff. The ones with working brains are usually the ones that can see how much effort you put into performances, and those same ponies happen to be the ones with the most money. So, try your best.”

“Ooh, I like that!” Wish grinned. “Every detail counts, even if it seems invisible compared to everything else, ponies will see it.”

“Right!” Guiana smiled, standing proudly. “It’s rare that anyone points out the effort that goes on behind the scenes, or the little changes made to a routine to make it more appealing. And when they do, it’s probably just because they want special treatment.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Wish added. “Although, I tend not to question ponies too much. As long as they’re nice, of course.”

Guiana hummed her disapproval. “I’d be careful with that, it’s easy to slip into the wrong crowd and get into trouble.”

Wish nodded, avoiding eye contact as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. “Right, I’ve had my fair share of encounters,” she giggled to lighten the mood.

She nodded back, reasoning that she was speaking the truth.

“...Alright, I need to get going, but thank you for talking with me, I feel like I needed that,” Guiana grinned, picking a direction to wander in.

“No problem!” Wish exclaimed. “I’m sure we’ll talk again soon!”





Midnight lay still on the couch, looking over her notes. So far she’d written some observations about the effectiveness of Typha’s dress, the unfortunate success of the bat pony’s intrusive strategies, and a few notes on each dancer’s apparent routine. She had some data, but she felt like it wasn’t nearly enough.

“Hopefully Wish is having better luck,” she thought. “Being direct with ponies that’re this social is probably the way to go.”

She stared off at the stages, too concentrated on her thoughts to pay attention to anything. But, slowly, something began to catch her eye. The dancer with the smallest crowd appeared to have the smallest pool of money, and yet, she continued working. She shifted her focus towards the oddity, hoping that something might come out of it. And, on closer inspection, something became very apparent. This pony might actually be making the most money!

Although most guests tend to pay in coins (bits), some prefer to pay with paper money. It seemed like the particular crowd that this mare garnered mostly used that instead, and those varied in value from being equal to a bit, to five hundred bits! Midnight was unable to spot any of those legendary bills, and that was probably a good thing, but there was still a staggering number of tens and twenties, probably enough to beat out the bat! 

Night sat up in her seat, daring to consider approaching the stage herself to prove if what she saw was true. Seeing the size of the crowd just beside her destination, she hesitated. The club’s blaring music began to fill her ears, quieting her wild ideas.

“Fog machines, dim lights… ugh!” She thought, frustrated. “I’ll just write down all these thoughts, then…” Anxiety forced her train of thoughts to go silent. 

She sighed, disappointed but not fighting it. She quietly reached for her pen, preparing to get thoughts out of her head and write down what she could about her findings.

A few sentences in, she felt some kind of presence beside her. Cautiously, she turned to the side, and immediately jumped in her seat.

“Hey Night,” Nano said, two inches from her face and just out of sight.

“Sweet Celestia!” she exclaimed, her heart rate still recovering. “Hello Nano,” she managed.

Nano’s eyes widened briefly. “Oops, didn’t think I’d scare you that badly,” he added, slightly worried for her. “You okay?”

Night took a moment to steady her breathing. “I’m fine, yeah. I was just-- wait, where's your shirt?” she asked, only mildly concerned.

Nano appeared even more confused for a moment, having shifted to his serious mindset after shocking his friend. "Huh? Oh! I'm… letting someone borrow it," he said, smiling guiltily. "Whatcha up to?"

Night rolled her eyes. “I’ve been writing down any patterns I noticed with the dancers, like the techniques they use compared to how much of a crowd they tend to generate,” she stated.

Nano nodded. “Like your version of the research Wish has been doing?”

“Yea, exactly,” she smiled lightly. “Actually, I think I might’ve found something really cool.”

“Like what?” Nano encouraged, curious again.

Her smile grew stronger. “So, I noticed that you and Wish tended to stay near the most popular dancers, but have you thought about looking at the low end?”

Nano furrowed his brow. “No, we… I mean, she figured it’d be smart to look at what successful ponies had done right,” he admitted.

“That’s not bad,” Night snickered. “But this other dancer seems to have an advantage that the others lack. Do you see what’s covering her stage?”

“The tips?” he questioned.

She looked him in the eye, her smile turning into a proud grin. “Paper money! Can you see the numbers on those bills? I think she might be making more than anyone else here!”

He recoiled back in surprise. “No way! How much!?”

“I, uh, haven’t been able to tell from back here,” she stuttered. “But I swear I saw several twenties!”

“Oh?” Nano remarked, half taunting. “Then let’s run up there and check!”

“Uhm, well, I…” she stammered, anxiety and curiosity battling in her mind. “I guess-- I can go,” she fought to keep her confidence.

Nano smirked. “Come on, I’ll be there with you.”

Midnight hesitated, sitting in a way so that she could easily get up. “Alright, but I need to be able to see our seats at all times. I can’t risk having anything stolen.”

He nodded proudly. “I promise nothing will happen to our things. Besides, it doesn’t even take ten seconds to get back here from the stage!”

Nano moved to the side, indicating that she should now leave the couch and follow along. Night took a deep breath and stepped down, taking a minute to adjust herself before going anywhere.

“Ready?” Nano asked patiently.

“Yup,” she nodded firmly.

At her word, they headed out towards the stage, the blinding lights and never-ending music punctuating their desires to reach the goal. Nano trotted casually, as if going to meet a friend, though he stayed within leg’s reach of Night. She continued with her head held high in an attempt to assure herself that nothing was going to go wrong, but if anything caught her by surprise, she felt as if she’d jump to the ceiling like a cat.

The stage itself seemed to shine with its own allure, as the light coming from the ceiling reflected off of the coins on the ground. Their temptation hardly affected Night, who had her sights set on the bill nearest to her at the edge of the stage. But just before she could make out the numbers imprinted on the paper, a dark green boot stamped itself directly on top of it. The dancer, who transitioned to lying down on her stomach, tucked the bill into the unreasonably low collar of her outfit and blew Nano a kiss, before pulling herself back up by her hind legs and twirling around the pole.

Night stared at her in a brief moment of confusion before turning to look at Nano. He kept looking at the dancer, giving an amused huff as if to say, “That’s sweet, but it’s not gonna work.”

The duo closed the last few steps before making contact with the stage. Night, trying not to attract too much attention, craned her neck around trying to look at the money just out of reach.

“Oh! I see fives, tens, twenties…” she exclaimed, trailing into thought as she counted what she could see. “I can’t even see the numbers on all of them, but there’s got to be more than twenty twenties!”

“I’m getting the same thing,” Nano added. “But, how can we be sure she’s making the most?”

“We just gotta, uh…” she trailed again. “Count them all? No… and I don’t think we could just ask her, could we?”

“Might as well try. There’s no way we can count all of that,” he replied, still a little shocked at how much money actually lay before him.

Midnight squeaked her worries of the idea. “That is technically an option.”

"Might be our only option," Nano trailed, slowly turning his attention back to the dancer.

She silently followed his lead, in desperate need of some kind of direction.

The mare on stage danced with a certain crass nature, keeping her forehooves on the pole while shaking her rump from side to side somewhat forcefully. She showed no fear of contorting her body in odd and uncomfortable ways just to see what she was capable of. In one instance, she performed a headstand while supporting herself by her hind legs, which she wrapped around the pole. She would expertly manage to kick one leg forward without losing balance, following a rhythm that encompassed her entire body. 

In another instance while lying on the stage, she raised her legs to clamp onto the pole and attempted to hoist her entire body up so that she could enter a standing position. Instead, she nearly fell face first onto the stage. Her forehooves instinctively came in to stop the collision, resulting in a slightly more boring version of the pose she was going for, with barely extended forelegs and barely raised hind legs. In response, she began hopping backwards towards the pole, driving her body upwards until she ended up in another headstand. With a repeat of her previous headstand move, she concluded in a flip back to normal standing position.

Night watched with wide eyes, amazed at the dancer’s abilities. Nano snickered, exaggerating his reaction to distract from the hint of arousal he felt from watching the display.

“I’m surprised, that was really good!” Night exclaimed, facing Nano.

He blushed a little harder, preparing to say something before being interrupted.

“I’m glad you both enjoyed my show,” the dancer commented, eavesdropping from the edge of the stage. “It’s not often that young adult ponies like yourselves take interest in it. What drew you in?”

“Oh, well, we--” Night stuttered, not wanting to lie.

Nano gently tapped a hoof on his friend’s shoulder, smirking confidently. “We were both captivated by your incredible talent, and out of all the dancers here, we think you might be the best.”

The dancer blushed in turn, coming down from the stage to allow the green earth pony dancer, Guiana, to take her place.

“That’s quite the compliment,” she flirted. 

Nano couldn’t help but feel a bit aroused at her notion. “Heh, well, we were mostly concerned with one part of your performance,” he trailed, confidence slipping as his plan lost all direction.

The mare giggled. “And which part was that?” she cooed, moving closer to him.

Night stuck a wing out in front of Nano’s chest to return the favor. “My friend, Wish, is hoping to become a performer here soon, and we’ve been researching the other acts here to see what we could learn. Yours especially stuck out due to… what we assume to be… making the most money,” she spoke with confidence, trailing into embarrassment at the end despite her best efforts.

The mare took a step back, turning down her flirtiness. “I see. Is Wish the filly running around with the crazy colors in her mane?” 

They both nodded, trying to regain their footing.

She stopped to think for a moment, glancing around before pointing towards Midnight’s seat. “Let’s talk over there, I think I have some things I can share.”





Midnight repositioned herself on the couch, subconsciously guarding her notepad fiercely. Nano was able to cool down since the mare laid off her efforts, any remaining blush being solely of embarrassment. The dancer herself ended up in the middle, sitting up in a casual way that looked as if she didn’t plan to stay for long.

“So, tell me about your friend, we can start there,” she began with a friendly tone.

Night attempted a smile, still somewhat anxious. “Well, she’s got a lot of energy, she’s creative and passionate…”

“There’s never a moment in which she isn’t horny,” Nano teased.

Night rolled her eyes. “Not like that! She’s very… passive about it. She frequently brings it up, but she’s not ‘destructive’ with it.”

The dancer thought over what she’d been told. “So, we’ve got an aspiring stripper who’s creative, passionate, energetic, and horny in a good way…?”

Night’s pupils shrank in fear of misrepresenting her friend, but nodded regardless.

“I think I can relate to that,” she chuckled. “Tell your friend that she doesn’t have to change any part of herself to be successful. Stay creative, put away your fears, you know. How does the one saying go? ‘If you love your job you’ll never work a day in your life,’ that! Have fun doing it!”

Night smiled brightly, her fears totally subdued. “That’s really good advice, thank you!”

The mare grinned. “Happy to help! Tell her that we all wish her good luck!” she proclaimed, hopping down from the couch and preparing to head off.

Nano’s head shot up as she left the couch. “Thank you, but you never told us, do you make the most money?” he asked, genuinely curious.

She huffed. “That is not something you need to worry about, but if it’ll make you feel better, none of us have fallen short in quite a while,” she smirked.

She waited only a moment for his response before heading out, quickly out of earshot.

Nano smiled, surprised but impressed.

As they watched the mare leave, the sound of another pony hastily trotting towards them came up from behind. They turned to look, and saw none other than Wish herself, just barely too late to catch sight of the dancer. Nano prepared to speak, but was stricken with the idea to get Night to do the talking. He tapped her shoulder, grabbing her attention, and nodded his head toward Wish. Night was confused as to why he felt the need to do that, but followed his lead.

"Hey Wish!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

Wish grinned. "You wouldn't believe how efficient it is to interview customers instead of directly going to the dancers! I feel like I've learned all there is to know about--"

"Yes, that does sound wonderful, but Night here wanted to share what she's accomplished tonight!" He interrupted, motioning towards her with a hoof.

Night looked even more confused, anxiety threatening to cloud her thoughts from being put in the spotlight. She stuttered too quietly to be heard, attempting to straighten her thoughts and subdue dumb fears.

"Oh, go ahead Nightie!" Wish smiled.

With that, the fog in her mind was cleared in an instant, smile returning even brighter. "Nano and I went down to do some research of our own. We thought we might've found the secret to making a ton of money, but that idea died out pretty fast."

Wish kept smiling, listening intently. 

Night blushed just barely enough to be visible. "We got to conduct our own interview on one of the dancers, the gray one with the green boots, and she had some advice for you."

"Oh? What was it?" she inquired.

As Night felt her own marehood dare to open up along with the gentle blush on her face, she took an invisible moment to steady her breathing. "She, essentially, just wanted you to believe in yourself. Keep doing things the way you always have so that you can keep having fun doing it."

"That sounds like great advice, I'll be sure to keep it in mind!" She upheld her smile.

"Pff, you give me too much credit, Night," Nano butted in, smirking. "You were the one with the idea and the one that got us to the interview!"

Despite the fact that it was Nano egging her on, her blush didn't fade. "Thank you, guys. I do my best," she smiled strongly.





After a brief pause to allow everyone to settle their emotions, Wish began. "So, about that dancer, did either of you ever catch her name?"

"I don't think we did," Night replied, somewhat disappointed.

"Her name is Jade, and apparently she's the oldest one here. Honestly, I think she looks pretty good for someone who's nearly--" Wish answered, once again interrupted.

"Hey! Red unicorn!"

From seemingly out of nowhere, Drupe the batpony glided in with Nano's shirt tied around her neck by the sleeves. She landed perfectly before him, quickly untying it and throwing it at him.

"Enjoy," she stated bluntly, with the slightest hint of embarrassment. 

Before anyone could react, she took off again, flying back to the top of her dancing pole to conclude whatever extremely unconventional move she came up with in order to justify flying out to a random guest in the middle of an act with a shirt tied around her neck.

The trio of friends looked between each other, having no idea what they were supposed to say to that. Nano lifted his shirt up and inspected it, just to be sure it wasn't tampered with. He quickly noticed that the bottom hole was still tied up, as it was being used as a bag before. Inside it sat a small index card with a bit of text written on it.

"IOU: one favor"

Nano appeared very surprised.

"Something wrong with it?" Wish asked.

"I'm not sure how I did it, but I think I won her over," he proclaimed, showing the card to the others.

They both seemed equally surprised. Drupe hardly seemed the type to do something like this. Was it out of pity? Guilt?

"However you did it, props to you!" Night cheered.

"I think that would be perfect to use on our next visit, next time you see her," Wish added. "It's getting awfully late at this point, and I think we've collectively talked to every stripper."

Nano nodded reluctantly. "Yea, now that I think about it, I'm definitely getting tired. What time is it anyway?"

"Let's head outside and find out," Wish replied, suddenly feeling the same fatigue he did, but making an effort to keep her energy high.

At once, the trio left the couch, finally beginning their trek home. The powerful music and flashy lights began to seep back into their senses for a final time as they walked parallel to one of the stages. Every dancer continued to do their absolute best to keep up the pace and earn a good tip, but everyone seemed a bit tired as they neared the end of the shift. The number of guests had steadily decreased, though it still remained quite a bit higher than when they first arrived.

Upon opening the doors to the outside, Nano rubbed his eyes to help them adjust. The sky was completely black, too cloudy to boast even a single star. Although the lack of music and fog helped to differentiate the scene, the bright lights of the city were surprisingly similar to those inside the club.

"Tch. It's barely any different from when we left. Maybe I really should look into getting a watch," Nano commented to no one in particular.

Midnight grinned mischievously. "Do it, you won't," she teased.

Nano giggled. "Bet."








> Demonic Talent (1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At home, Nano lay on the bed, smirking shamelessly with his forehooves resting behind his head and his legs spread apart as he allowed the cool air to flow around his uncovered body. Amid the apparent peacefulness stood Wish, who sought to turn this moment into a work of art. She approached his side of the bed with a slightly relaxed, but clearly excited smile and bright eyes that spoke of some off-the-wall plan she would soon share with the world.

Nano opened an eye to look over at her, immediately recognizing the familiar expression and letting out a defeated sigh. Knowing the kind of antics he was likely about to get wrapped up in, his stallionhood preemptively began to slowly grow out of its sheath, prompting him to quickly sit up and rub the sleepiness out of his eyes to conceal it. Wish’s expression turned a little more smug as she recognized that same behavior from him, knowing that meant he was subconsciously on board even if he hesitated at first.

“Hey!” she chirped. “I thought of a little something I’d like to try on you, it’ll be quick and easy!”

“Oh, what’s that?” he replied, returning to his usual cool demeanor.

Wish’s smugness went away as she tried to appear calm and professional, still unable to hold back a smile. “Just lie back down and go along with what I say.”

“Can do.” He dropped back into his initial position, prepared to go along with anything.

"So, if I touch your foreleg…" she began, softly placing one of her front hooves onto Nano's foreleg, which still laid beside his head. "You can probably feel a little pressure, but not much else."

Nano nodded, his eyes closed once again.

Wish’s professionalism began to slip away as her smile grew. "But as soon as I start to rub it…"

A very slight feeling of tension crept in at those words, causing his eyes to open and shift to look at the placement of her hoof.

Without delay, she began to rub it around in circles, pushing a bit of his skin around with it. "You might start to feel the slightest bit of pleasure," she cooed.

Nano nodded, consciously taking deeper breaths to keep himself from getting completely aroused so quickly. "A little, yeah."

Wish's confidence kept up. "Now, without even changing my tone, when I lick your shoulder, you should feel much stronger sensations."

Nano's eyes widened a bit in surprise as he watched his friend lower her body slightly, bringing her head close to his shoulder on the same foreleg.

She paused briefly to look up at his ever-so-slightly tense pupils, locking eyes with him for a few seconds. In that time, she extended her tongue just barely enough to be visible, causing him to preemptively grit his teeth in preparation for the sensation. Wish caught this immediately, grinning brightly in triumph.

"Look at you! I haven't even made contact yet and you already look like you're about to cum!"

Nano huffed, his stallionhood retreating as his feelings turned from arousal to alertness. “What? No! We’ve barely done anything, how would you guess that!?”

Wish grinned, giggling behind her teeth. "I mean, look at you. After that tease, you’re an itty bit shaky, your pupils dilated as you stared at me, I think I even caught you gritting your teeth! I don’t even need to look at your cock to tell how horny you are."

He struggled to regain composure. "Well I… I mean, you… you are very good at what you do, so it wouldn't surprise me if--"

Wish gave his shoulder a quick, cute lick.

Nano, previously looking straight ahead due to being afraid of making eye contact in his state, looked down at his friend in confusion.

"What?" She asked innocently.

He couldn't think of a response.

Wish smiled again. "I thought you were turned on by me licking your shoulder? Or could it be that you were really turned on by the anticipation?"

Nano stared emptily, furrowing his brow. "That… sounds about right…"

Moments later, Midnight emerged from around the corner, presented with a scene of Nano lying on the bed fully exposed. Wish bore a proud expression, surprisingly standing closer to his head than his pelvis. Nano himself had his smug look shocked right off of him, indicating to Night that Wish was being ‘artsy’ again.

Her eyebrows raised for a moment, but after assessing the scene, she quickly calmed back down. “Ah! Am I… interrupting something?”

“Nono, you’re fine. I was just practicing some stuff on Nano,” Wish assured. “And by the looks of it, I’ve still got it!” she declared, puffing up her chest proudly.

Nano sat up in his spot, his eternal smirk returning to his face. “I’ll say. You almost had me there! Any more of that technique, and I would’ve had a horny itch all day!”

Wish’s eyes narrowed a bit in confusion. “Well, I wouldn’t call it a technique as much as I’d call it a rule. Teasing and tempting is how you make someone crave sexual pleasure. That’s what it really means to be horny,” she grinned, speaking her final sentence with extra confidence.

Midnight performed a fake cough to remind her friends that she existed. “If I may, I’d like to remind everyone that The Wishmaker has a performance in six days, but no plan and minimal experience,” she said sternly.

Nano and Wish looked between each other nervously, like foals who’d been caught skipping class.

“Thankfully, I’ve already taken the first steps,” she resumed with a more casual tone. “The club is closed today, but the owner has given us permission to use this time to practice inside. How fast can you guys be ready to head down there?"

After a moment of silent debate between each other, Nano and Wish both nodded.

“This is really the only thing we’ve done this morning, and neither of us have plans, so we can be ready now,” Wish declared cheerfully.

Night grinned. “Come on, then! No time to waste!” Without missing a beat, she hoisted her saddlebag over her back and headed outside.

Wish followed suit, grabbing her own bag and dashing down the stairs.

Nano, who sat on the other side of the bed managing the items in his bag, looked up upon hearing the door slam shut. “Hey, wait for me!” he exclaimed, picking up his bag with his magic and rushing out the door.





Inside the Crimson Club, things had changed dramatically since last night. The fog, dim lights, multicolor waving spotlights, and overwhelming music had all been turned off. For once, it was possible to see the interior under normal lighting conditions. Everything appeared to be somewhat worn out, almost like an arcade with janitors that put in the least amount of effort required. The sofas seemed clean and shiny, the stages were finely cleaned, yet the floors and disorganized seats made it evident that whoever cleaned up was terribly underpaid. Past those stylish red walls, the team of rising stars walked past the entrance with varying levels of excitement.

"Wow! So, do we really have this whole place to ourselves?" Wish exclaimed.

Night held her chin high with pride. "At least until later tonight, yup."

Wish didn’t waste a single second, her entire past as a stage performer flashing through her mind at the sight of the vacant stages. They seemed to yearn for some passionate pony like herself to take up the call and dance her heart out. She galloped towards the small stage, leaping up and spinning around the pole with one forehoof, her hind legs planted into the ground. All those months of being without an audience would soon finally come to an end, and her sense of passion would return stronger than ever, bringing the warmth and fulfillment of a feast.

“Oh, how I missed this!” Wish exclaimed. “It’s all coming back to me!”

She quickly became captured by the rhythm welling up in her mind, tapping a hoof on the ground and allowing her body to synchronize with the beat. Wrapping her other forehoof around the pole, she slowly slithered up into a tall standing position, proudly displaying her entire body. She couldn’t restrain showing a bright grin as she did this, stretching herself up a bit, before slowly sinking down until she ended up in a sitting position.

In this brief pause, she suddenly became a little more aware of her surroundings. Both of her friends had taken a seat in front of the stage, silently cheering her on. Midnight paid full attention similarly to how she had done with the other dancers from the night before, but it seemed Nano had only just come around after letting his curiosity guide him around the empty club.

Wish allowed her forehooves to drop to her sides, thinking of what move to do next. Immediately, a strange feeling she hadn’t felt since the last time she performed for a crowd began to fill her thoughts. The distant echo of a mind-consuming craving. Her changeling instincts wormed their way into her mind, causing her breath to become a little shallower, and her logic a little weaker.

Wish transitioned from a sitting position to lying on her stomach, followed shortly by rolling onto her back. She stretched out her limbs again to enjoy the feeling of freedom, appreciating the feeling of the cool air exploring the entire surface of her body while she prepared herself for the next logical course of action. Without warning, she raised up her back legs and somehow managed to plant them on either side of her head. Despite her spine being bent in an unbelievable C shape, she winced a slightly pained smirk, and winked her marehood twice towards the crowd.

Night recoiled in shock, her eyes going wide with confusion and worry. Nano felt similarly, but instead of recoiling, his pupils dilated as they had at her previous tease, causing his face to turn slightly redder than usual. After a few more seconds of the admittedly painful pose, Wish moved her legs back into a reasonable position, lying on her side as her eyes gazed eagerly back at the crowd. Not sensing much love in the air, her first instinct was to present her body again, perhaps even begin touching herself in order to hear their praises. Instead, she laid still in the restful pose for a few more moments, becoming conscious of her shallow breathing and making an effort to correct herself. Her smile quickly faded as she put a hoof to her face in regret.

“Sweet Celestia…” she mumbled. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me! It’s just, when I got on that stage, it’s like my brain went on autopilot!” she lamented with her hooves over her eyes.

Still recovering from the surprise, Night tried to comfort her friend. “It’s okay, Wish. I trust you, but I’m a bit worried.” She approached the stage, reaching out a hoof to comfort her. “I know how you can be, but that wasn’t your usual playfulness.”

Wish lowered a hoof to face her, and a smile quickly began to fight its way onto her face in turn. “Yeah…” she replied quietly, holding her hoof as she made her way down from the stage.

Nano stood up from his seat in the row behind the front, making his way towards them with a hint of nervousness in his walk. “Yea, I have to agree with Night, I could tell that was a very different kind of performance than the stuff you do for me. You only ever act like that when you get hungry,” he emphasized. “...Are you?”

Wish grunted her frustration. “I certainly wasn’t when we got here, that I know for sure. It’s just… being on the stage. Even though my audience was only two ponies, and my best friends no less. It’s as if my brain remembers how much love there was when I used to perform in front of big crowds, and expected the same result here.” She sighed heavily.

“You analyzed that pretty quickly,” Night nodded. “Yea, I suppose that would make sense.”

“Problem identified,” Nano chimed. “Wanna give it another go and see if you can handle it better? I’ll be doing the same,” he encouraged, snickering and blushing slightly.

Wish let out a little giggle as her mood began to lift again. “I’ll take your offer, horny colt,” she teased. “I need to master this if I want to be able to survive that debut performance.”





As Wish ascended the stage once more, the front entrance to the club could be heard opening, grabbing the attention of the trio who’d been enjoying the privacy. Nano was the one to take initiative, leaving his friends in their places as he trotted towards the door confidently.

“Excuse me, but this club is closed. Come back in a few hours when the proper rave lights are visible through the windows,” he stated, somewhat jokingly as to not seem too harsh.

Before him was a mature-looking mare who stood noticeably higher than most. With a light red coat, and a mane and tail bearing the colors of sunrise, she held her chin high and suppressed a giggle. “I’ve heard about you, yet somehow, it seems you haven’t heard of me. My name is Searne Caco, and I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to this club,” she declared, and pushed him aside.

Nano immediately put up his guard, unsure of how to process such an introduction, but cautious that someone like that could easily spell danger. Behind her, a single companion followed. A fairly short stallion with a permanent, slightly uncanny smile that kept his eyes focused on Searne as he walked, hardly aware of his surroundings. He had a similarly red coat, but with a mane and tail of stone-gray, striped with dull purple.

Midnight stared at the scene, once again finding herself stunned to silence. Her sights quickly shifted over to Wish, who appeared similarly shocked. They quickly regained their bearings, feeling slightly defensive as the intimidating mare trotted directly towards them.

She pointed a hoof to the changepony on stage. “You must be Wish,” she reckoned. “I’ve heard quite some stories about you from the other dancers.”

With only a trace of stressful smog in the back of her mind, Wish welcomed the pony with a smile. “That’s me! What brings you here during downtime, Miss Caco?”

She couldn’t help but giggle at her remark. The thought that someone wouldn’t treat her with the utmost respect was just absurd. “Ah, it’s… nothing that would concern the likes of you,” she stuttered, looking to the side for only a moment before raising her chin in pride once more.

“Alrighty then!” Wish cheered. “I’m working on my dance routine for my debut, if you’re interested.” Midnight turned to face Wish with wide, alert eyes. She shook her head frantically to disagree, not yet having an ounce of trust for this pony.

Searne scoffed impulsively at Wish’s comment, her thoughts suddenly grinding to a halt as she was struck with a realization. She was well aware of her status as an upcoming performer, and that she had built a very positive reputation among everyone she’d interacted with the previous night. The idea of a challenger to her position at the top was not one she enjoyed contemplating.

“Show me.”

Wish backpedaled slightly, remembering how badly she’d messed up in her earlier performance. “Oh, well, it’s still a work in progress, so-”

“Show me what you have so far,” Searne interrupted bluntly.

Wish gulped. “Please take a seat.”

Searne obliged, placing herself directly next to Midnight, who was still more than prepared to act if anything went awry. The red earth pony that followed Searne around took up the seat next to her, maintaining the same expression while focusing on the stage.

Nano, who had stood stoic beside the rows of seats, approached the front row with a certain unbroken focus. He stood in front of the seat beside Night, putting his forehooves up on the stage and motioning for Wish to come closer. She reluctantly followed, leaning down to hear what he had to say.

Searne huffed quietly, deciding to be patient.

“Wish, you don’t have to do this. Just say the word and I’ll make sure she never bothers you again,” Nano whispered comfortingly.

She hesitated. “No, it’s fine, Nano. I’ve done this a million times before, this time is no different.”

Nano held eye contact to force her to take this seriously, but in seeing her smile, he couldn’t help but smile too. “Alright, but if I see you start to struggle, I’m making a move,” he whispered reassuringly.

She nodded, her nervousness subsiding slightly. They broke apart and Nano took a seat with Night, smiling towards the stage.

Wish smiled in turn, standing beside the pole once more and beginning to replicate the moves she’d done before. With deep breaths and a desperate desire to suffocate her changeling instincts, she used her forehooves to pull her body up the pole so that it appeared she was standing on her hind legs. She kept her eyes closed and only focused on smiling, stretching her legs out forward and to the side in rhythm.

After a minute of this, she settled down and began to allow her body to slide down the pole, ending up awkwardly lying on her back with her head raised at a sharp angle instead of sitting as she’d done before. As if under a curse, something in her mind called to her to spread her legs. She remained vigilant, and consciously decided to roll over to her side. This act of defiance put a smile on her face. So much so, in fact, that she decided to keep rolling around on the stage.

Night and Nano began to lighten up, giggling at her unique method of overcoming the awful cravings. This time it was Searne who recoiled, feeling as though she should join them in laughter for how ridiculous her performance was, but ultimately remained too confused to think of a proper response.

Wish sat back up with a single forehoof planted on the stage, facing the audience. Something about her pose with her legs out to the side seemed sexy to her, feeling those instincts creep back in again. With a noticeable amount of horny hesitation, she stood back up, trotting backwards toward the pole in the center of the stage. As she felt her rump hit the pole, she winced again, hesitating as a blush began to fill her face, but forcing herself to proceed.

She lifted up both of her hind legs at once, attempting to use the pole as a balance as she slowly inched her way towards it in the beginnings of a hoof-stand. When she reached the point that she no longer needed the pole for support, she looked forward at the upside-down crowd and smiled once again, concentrating on the image as her body redirected focus to staying balanced instead of aroused.

Sitting beside Wish’s supportive friends, Searne seemed to be suppressing a smile. She rolled her eyes, as a way to both assert herself as better, and to refocus her mind. “You got anything unique? Something you can do that the other dancers can’t?” she inquired firmly.

Wish allowed herself to come down from the hoof-stand, facing the crowd normally. She pondered for a moment, the only thought sticking out in her cluttered mind was, of course, the intrusive desire to leech love. She began to shake a little, in a mix of nervousness and her body’s anticipation. She forced herself to trot back towards the pole while still facing the crowd, closing her eyes as she wrapped her forehooves around the pole again. Her mind was nothing but fuzz as she oscillated quietly from side to side on the pole, doing everything in her power to not touch herself. “Come on, what can I do from here!?” she thought frantically.

Seeing his friend in this state, Nano’s mind immediately sharpened, calling him to stand up and act. “That was a fantastic performance Wish! You did way better than you did in practice!” he exclaimed cheerfully.

Wish opened her eyes to look at him and immediately felt some tension leave her body. “You think so?” she managed, too quietly to be heard clearly.

“Absolutely!” he replied. “Now come down here, you’ve been up there long enough.”

Wish’s smile grew much stronger as she fought to regain composure. “Thank you.”

Searne watched the scene unfold, once again at a loss for words. After a moment, she decided it was best to rise from her seat as well to properly confront her. In doing so, her companion stood in-turn as his focus shifted back to her. Chin held high once more, she looked down at the changepony with a small smile. “Wish, I’d like to wish you well on your debut. You seem capable enough,” she complimented. “But not too capable,” she remarked under her breath, feeling triumphant.

Wish’s smile grew stronger still, almost restoring herself to normality. “Thank you, I appreciate it,” she replied sincerely.

Searne closed her eyes and sighed quietly, thereby squashing the grain of stress that had been gnawing at her mind since she learned of this new competitor. “That being said, I need to practice for my own upcoming performance. You’re all welcome to return to your seats and enjoy the show,” she declared confidently, moving to ascend the vacant stage from the side.

Midnight and Nano returned to their original positions, leaving Wish to sit next to Nano instead of Searne’s previous seat. The mysterious red pony, who had previously silently watched the action unfold without moving an inch, saw the opportunity and moved to Searne’s previous seat, smiling a little brighter.

Searne trotted toward the pole with a certain determination not unlike that which Nano bore upon his initial reaction to Searne’s entrance. All distractions evaporated from her mind as she honed down on her performance, seemingly going through every individual step in her head with absolute accuracy. In this state, she grinned with great confidence.








> Demonic Talent (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standing beside the pole, Searne hunched down slightly, before jumping directly upwards. In a miraculous feat of strength, she wrapped one of her forehooves around the pole and allowed the other to hang freely. She kept herself up by digging a hind hoof into the pole, but allowing the other to hang as the free forehoof did. Having entered her rhythm, the lack of music or stylish effects lost all weight. With her senses dialed down to make room for her mind, she continued.

In this bipedal-looking state, she extended her free limbs gracefully, before beginning to rotate her torso until she became nearly horizontal again, posing similarly to a swimmer midair. Now, her free hind leg had moved close enough to the pole so that she could grab on with it. In a move that should’ve been completely impossible, she held herself onto the pole by her crossed hind legs and released her forehoof.

Night, Nano, and Wish were all stunned to silence by her skill. Her assistant continued grinning brightly, clapping his hooves together to cheer her on. Searne's senses seemed to reactivate upon hearing the sound, causing her to look toward the pony and put on an extremely forced smile.

Holding onto the pole with nothing but her hind hooves, she straightened her body upwards and moved her forelegs back towards the pole overhead in a stance similar to Wish's nervous pose from moments earlier. However, she managed it all midair, flaunting her incredible ability to keep herself steady in spite of gravity.

Afterwards, she began to make a descent, keeping intimate eye contact the entire time. She repositioned her legs so that she held onto the pole entirely with her thighs rather than her hooves, causing her to sit upright almost as though she were in a chair. She kept her forehooves on the pole, releasing one to stretch out and flamboyantly allow her entire body to hang and her torso to relax.

In this especially sexy pose, she winked at the stallion in the crowd. Much like an angler, she used this act as her bait to see what she could reel in. Nano's face suddenly became very flushed, breaking him out of his facade of restrained intrigue. He instinctively moved his legs tightly together to conceal his rapidly growing stallionhood, blushing harder as he realized his symptoms were all too visible.

Searne deliberately held eye contact with him, sticking out her tongue and hissing playfully in hopes of reeling him in further. Wish and Night were slightly alarmed by this, but Wish remained totally calm, giggling at his obvious signs of arousal. She put a hoof to his nose and held eye contact as well, hoping to distract him from his emotions. He appeared very confused at first, but soon giggled alongside her, letting out a sigh of relief as his body began to let off some tension.

With a bit of effort, she switched back into her bipedal position, placing her hind legs on either side of the pole rather than wrapping around it. With a single hoof above her head attached to the pole, she rotated herself so that she was now facing the pole rather than the crowd. In a feat of strength, she folded her body into one similar to the "loaf" form that one would take while lying down, yet suspended in midair by holding onto the pole with all four hooves.

She flagged her tail to the side, giving the entire audience an indiscriminate view of her perfect pussy. It glistened softly in the filtered sunlight, putting her elegant arousal on full display. Although her actions were slow and deliberate, a quiet wink of her clit shouted the truth. She flexed it again and again, allowing herself a moment of playfulness as she basked in the delight of their attention. A soft moan escaped her lips, blended with a short giggle before her body's openings closed quietly once more.

Nano blushed hard, pressing his thighs together in an effort to conceal his rapidly growing erection once more, but to no avail. Due to the fact that he was sitting upright, and he was already mostly erect, it stood tall enough to poke its head out from between the crevasse of his thighs. Wish glanced over at him, expecting the worst after witnessing Searne's masterful attack. Before he could get any of his own wild ideas to cover it up, Wish confidently stood up in her seat in order to reposition and lie across his lap. Nano breathed a sigh of relief, ashamed of his inability to have self control while stakes remained high.

Seeing them, Midnight let out half a chuckle and sighed, smiling.

Searne held her position for only a moment longer before deciding she needed to give her limbs a break. She wrapped her thighs back around the pole and positioned her hooves overhead again. Now facing the crowd, she saw the pathetic state of the stallion and stifled a laugh. With a grin, she descended the pole and took a bow for the sake of formality.

Wish, still lying across his friend's lap, gave her a round of applause. "Wow, that was incredible! You've got some serious talent!"

Searne produced a genuine smile. "Why, thank you." She giggled silently again, knowing that if her rival had even the slightest bit of skill, she'd know how trivial those tricks truly were.

Wish stared blankly for a moment, before visibly perking up. "Oh hey, wait a minute! Yesterday at the club we were trying to interview every dancer, but clearly we missed one! Miss Caco, if you would be so kind, do you have any advice for someone like myself, seeking to become a pole dancer someday soon?"

Searne bore a slight look of surprise. "Hm. You're attentive. Even though I only mentioned my last name briefly earlier, you remembered." She paused for a moment, as though reassessing her rival's value.

She continued. "You said you want advice? I'll tell you something that truly matters. In a career where your income is determined by how many ponies you entice to the point of pulling money out of them, your sex appeal is your strongest weapon. Not only that, but your greatest point of pride to put on a resumé? Body count. Do you know how many ponies I've taken to bed, Wishmaker?"

Wish shook her head.

"Ninety five. And do you know how I did it? By catering to the audience and maximizing my appeal. I sought out opportunities. I tweaked my appearance. I built a stage personality. To succeed in this world, you must cater to, and live for others."

Wish stared again, slightly wide eyed. "Wow, that's some seriously deep advice. Thank you. But, can we step back for a sec? How many ponies did you say you've taken to bed?"

Searne smirked, anticipating praise. "Ninety five individuals, many multiple times afterward."

"Ooh, alright. That's really cool!" She giggled innocently. "I think I've only done like... Two hundred and ten? Night, does that sound accurate?"

Before Midnight could craft her own estimate, the weight of something much more important engulfed the mare's anxiety-ridden self. Up on stage, the sunset-colored mare's confidence collapsed, staring blankly as she tried to comprehend what she just heard.

"Two hundred and ten? Two hundred and ten?" Searne mumbled. "How... How in Equestria... You? Some pathetic little startup like you has surpassed me with such ease?" She slowly grew louder as her temper began to ignite.

"Honestly, I might be low balling it. We were travelling Equestria for over a year, and I banged at least one pony a week, usually more." Wish tapped a hoof to her chin. "It helps when sex is more integral to your career than the actual dancing part." She giggled again, proud of her past accomplishments.

Nano bonked her on the head. "Wish!"

She looked up at her friend, who had subtly but undoubtedly lost his erection. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

Searne tensed up. "No, I refuse to believe this. You've got to be hiding something from me, Wishmaker. How could you possibly take anyone to bed?"

Night aggressively went through options in her head, trying to figure out the right thing to say to avoid a disaster. Nano took initiative, not trusting Wish to say the right thing. "She hasn't actually 'done' that many ponies, Miss Caco. I'm sure you know how-"

Searne interrupted him. "I don't care what you think. I want to know the truth, and I want to hear it from her."

Nano quietly whimpered, looking to the side, then placing a hoof on his friend's back.

With her allies being forced to the sidelines, something finally clicked in her head. Wish glanced up at Nano, took a deep breath, and faced her opponent. "It's true, I've definitely taken at least that many ponies to bed, but I have the skills to back it up. I do it for fun, and to encourage others to act on their horniness in healthy ways." She smiled confidently.

Searne paused, quietly regaining her proud posture. After a prolonged silence, she spoke.

"Show me."

Wish impulsively scanned the room for something to make sense of what she just heard. "...Huh?"

"Show me some techniques that could possibly warrant a triple digit body count, Wishmaker!" She exclaimed, puffing her chest up and looking down upon her rival from the stage.

"Are you asking me to have sex with you?" Wish stuttered, stifling a laugh through fear and confusion.

"Yes! I- No! Wait! Uhm..." Searne tripped over her words in her blaze of passion, blushing as she realized her mistake. "I want to see your skills in the field that you are most proficient in. It doesn't matter to me what that field is. I want to see you at your strongest."

Wish once again glanced at her friends for advice on how to respond. Nano's hoof remained softly on her back, petting her as he tried to keep his composure while his cock campaigned for the opposite. Midnight blushed lightly, keeping a firm grip on her shirt with one of her wings to manage her stress as she continued to try to keep herself prepared for anything rather than helplessly anxious.

Wish took a deep breath. "Alright, but only on one condition. If we want to have a level playing field, shouldn't we both show off our skills?"

Searne paused to think for a moment, gritting her teeth before letting out a sigh to symbolically relieve some stress. “Very well, I suppose that's fair. Shrapnel, head to the VIP room. That's a much more fitting environment for such a game."

The stallion rose, sporting an erection despite his quiet obedience. His usual smile seemed a bit brighter as well, putting a skip in his step as he made his way across the room to a decorated door. Searne followed behind, consciously flicking her tail and giving an unintentional peek at her cooch, which had concealed its clit out of anxiousness.

Wish faced Nano once more. "You down to show 'em our stuff?"

He stopped petting her and forced himself to giggle softly, keeping his mind clear of stressful fog as best as he could. "Sure, why not? I'm clearly not gonna need any prep time."

She smiled, before growing concerned for her anxious friend. "What about you Nightie? Are you gonna be okay?"

Midnight took a deep breath but held her nervous expression. “I have to be honest, I don’t know how well I’d fare in a situation like that.” She giggled, clearly more embarrassed thinking about the sex than physical threats. “I think I’ll just wait right outside the door. If anything goes wrong, I promise I’ll be there for you.”

Wish let out a gentle sigh and donned her smile again. “If that’s what you want, I have no problem with that.” She turned back to Nano. “Come on, this is gonna be fun!”





The room’s crimson carpet welcomed them in with a gentle softness on their hooves, a radical change from the otherwise uncaring and dull floor used in the rest of the club. The wallpaper in this room also seemed more intricate, bearing spiral patterns with a simple but appealing repetition. A large plush couch sat against the entirety of one wall, built to hold three ponies, but not quite two lying hoof-to-hoof. In a corner sat an equally plush chair, made for just one.

Shrapnel had made his way to the chair, politely awaiting directions. Wish trotted in with a smile, secretly somewhat forced as a means to keep her spirits high. Nano hopped on the couch without hesitation, pushing himself to relax as much as possible in a collaborative effort with Wish to keep things casual. He spread out his limbs as though he were in bed at home, despite the fact that the couch was nowhere near wide enough for that to be a good idea. He maintained a partial erection, as his body couldn’t quite convince his mind to completely relax. Wish followed his lead, joining him on the couch, sitting in the remaining space and inadvertently leaving everyone else to the floor. 

“...is that everyone?” Searne asked sarcastically, standing next to her seated companion.

Wish stared at the door for a moment, taking a mental note of Night’s presence just beyond the wall. “Yup! We’re ready when you are!”

“Well then, go ahead and grant my wish, why don’t you?” Searne smirked

Nano smirked back, playfully flexing his erect cock to invite Wish over. She moved forward without hesitation, lying her head on his belly to provide easy access to what mattered most. She kept it light, giving his tip a cute little kiss before pulling away to glance up at him. His gaze was reassuring, but more so was the hoof he planted on her head, encouraging her to show off and take in his entire member. Wish rolled her eyes, subtly transforming something near her neck with a flicker of green light before thrusting her head down to his pelvis.

Searne recoiled in shock, physically stepping back as her eyes went wide. “How- how did you-”

Wish let out a muffled giggle before raising her head seductively, leaving Nano’s dampened member to waggle itself back into place. “I’m part changeling. Just had to toggle off my gag reflex and it was nothing,” she said with a wink.

An uncountable number of thoughts rampaged around Searne’s head, knocking into each other and making no progress towards coherence. She opened her mouth to spew a comeback, but couldn’t wrangle a single word to present.

Seeing her struggle, Shrapnel quietly hopped out of his seat and rubbed up against her side. “That reminds me of someone I know! Searne’s no changeling, but she’s special in her own right.”

“Shrapnel! You can’t tell them that, I need to keep what advantage I have left!” she blurted.

He ignored her. “A few years ago, she got lost in the woods and ran into me, by some miracle. I said I’d grant her one wish, like a bargain bin genie or something. But she didn’t ask to be saved, she was too proud for that. She asked to be irresistible to stallions, so I made her squishy.”

Searne scowled, blushing hotly. “Shrapnel! Again!”

He smiled guiltily. “Sorry, Wish said we should have a level playing field, and I agree. No secrets.”

“You grant wishes?” Wish asked eagerly. “Me too! How do you do it?”

Searne put a hoof on his mouth before he could answer. “Your partner’s gone soft, Wishmaker,” she said bluntly.

Nano blushed, partially regaining his erection while the mares continued bickering between themselves.

“Your partner hasn’t been hard since we got here,” Wish teased back.

Searne scoffed. “I could please both of our partners at the same time without effort!” She turned to face Shrapnel. “Get in the chair. It’s our turn.”

He obliged without missing a beat, politely moving back to his previous position with a certain pep in his step that could’ve been from fear just as easily as it could’ve been from excitement.

She turned around so that her flank faced him directly, before hoisting her hind legs up on the chair. One rested upon each armrest, effectively filling his vision with the most delicious carnal treasure he'd ever seen in his life. He blushed deeply as his member quickly sprang up, just barely short enough to avoid prodding his companion's underside. "Wow Searne, you're really going all out today. You haven't let me get this close in a while."

She felt her bits flex involuntarily at the compliment, turning her face red with a cheeky grin. "Go on, treat yourself. We're not going anywhere 'til you cum so hard you can't walk straight."

His pupils shrank, but his smile grew. Without a second thought, he dug his muzzle into her cooch and soaked in the aroma. Her scent was absolutely intoxicating, causing him to grow even harder as he unleashed his tongue into the petite flesh. She gasped softly, regulating her breathing to keep herself stable and in her greatest state of mind. As long as the stallion got free reign in a buffet of pleasure, it didn't matter if she came or not. No one can resist having such a beautiful mare all to themselves.

"Top this, Wishmaker!" Searne exclaimed, triumphant despite her body growing hotter.

While playing with her own partner's half limp member between her hooves, she replied. "Uh, no? I'm topping this! Looks like you're doing great though!" Searne rolled her eyes in frustration.

Wish giggled, slipping Nano's cock back into her mouth and teasing him with her tongue. He grunted softly, very quickly achieving a full erection again. Although doing things the traditional way was fun, Wish's veins flowed with creativity. Another flash of green light indicated that Nano was in for a ride, as her tongue instantly tripled in length and dexterity, wrapping around his dick like a snake with nothing but good intentions.

Nano's eyes went wide. "Uhh, are you sure that's-" he began to protest, before being cut off by a sharp gasp and a shaky breath. It felt incredible. Every inch of his shaft was cuddled by the embrace of warm, damp flesh, even dotted with taste buds that sent ripples of pleasure over his entire body. Precum flowed down from his exposed tip, giving Wish the hint to advance toward the head of his dick. Loosening her grip, she brought the end of her own tongue up to it, gently wrapping around and sending endless electric shivers through his body. After a few moments of relative stillness, she rapidly retracted the tongue, sending a spike of pleasure coursing through his entire being.

He bucked his hips impulsively, causing Wish to recoil a bit. With that subconscious signal from her partner, she knew it was time to switch things up again. She loosened her grip on his shaft, slowly retracting her tongue before zapping it back to normal. "Looks like you were really enjoying that!"

Nano struggled to regain his composure while his breath still wavered. "A little, yeah," he managed with a giggle.

Wish turned to face her self-proclaimed rival, prepared to make small talk, but instead gave an amused sigh. Searne had been watching them intently the entire time, barely holding herself together as Shrapnel went to town on her flank. They both remained in the exact same positions as before, Shrapnel struggling to pleasure himself with just his hooves as he continued eating out his companion.

"Searne, what are you doing?" Wish managed, on the verge of laughter.

"Warming him up, much like you have been." Her sentence was interrupted by a gasp as she bit her lip. "Except, I offer him a buffet of pleasure. He's got so many choices across my perfect body, but his instincts will guide him. If he crosses a line, he'll get what's coming."

Searne squinted and gritted her teeth, her labored breathing making it impossible to keep her composure. "Shrapnel, maybe we should-"

With his unrelenting tongue and utter free reign, her companion drove her all the way to climax, drinking her up as her flesh spasmed in his muzzle. He finally let off, pulling his head out to face her for the first time in several minutes. "Sorry, did you say something?" His smile quickly reduced to guilt as he processed the situation. "Was I not supposed to do that?"

Searne grunted, still catching her breath. "It's fine, I needed that." She glared at Wish despite the whirlpool of chemicals in her brain causing her to feel slightly tipsy. Seeing her cheerful expression, she managed a scowl, trying to hoist herself off the chair before coming to grips with her shaky legs. "Shrapnel, help me down?" 

He nodded firmly, hopping out of his seat to butt his head into her chest, silently praying that her hind legs would be more stable than her fronts. She managed to regain her ground without much issue, repositioning so that she stood beside Shrapnel once again. Motivated by determination to defend her reputation, she made an impromptu plan to keep his lustful blaze burning. She laid down beside the chair with her belly facing up, sticking her hind legs in the air and waving them at him.

"Get over here, cutie. Let's keep this moving." She smirked, briefly turning to raise an eyebrow at Wish as if to silently challenge her.

Wish raised an eyebrow back at her, teasing the idea that she had a plan to counter her technique. In reality, she kept her simple intentions between herself and Nano. Still lying next to him and his excited member, she sat up to try a new position. In order to keep him on the edge without completely throwing him off into climax, she had to meet in the middle. She returned to standing on all fours, partially hovering over his exposed body. She looked back at her partner with a friendly gaze and smiled, holding her enthusiasm as she lifted her butt in the air to stretch, knowing how much of a tease it'd be. Both ponies felt their bits flex in anticipation before Wish continued the performance. 

She casually maneuvered her flank down towards his cock, barely missing the mark and causing it to bend against her body. She stuck her tongue out and smiled at him again before wiggling around until it slipped inside her cooch. It felt warm and tight like a hug, but with a gentle wetness and subtle pulsing that constantly stirred his libido. He felt an intense pressure building within his body, creating a craving that would bring it to climax very quickly if he had any control. But Wish had him all locked up, teasing him more and more as she gyrated gently on his pelvis. After a few moments, Wish redirected her attention to Searne, leaving Nano to writhe in that craving with subconscious grunts and flexes, trying not to go crazy from temptation.

Holding her hind legs by her head, Searne seemed to be holding out perfectly fine. The cock thrusting itself between her thighs also appeared to be doing quite well for itself, keeping a steady and healthy pace. Shrapnel's expression was cool and collected despite the sensations washing over his mind, a clear indicator to Wish that things were progressing awfully slowly for them both. Seeing as she wasn't doing much herself, she spoke up.

"Why don't you just stick it in? It'll feel so much better!"

Searne replied in place of her busy companion. "As long as the stallion gets his way, he'll get all the pleasure he needs. My desires are irrelevant."

Shrapnel paused mid-thrust. "But it brings me pleasure to see you happy, so I kept myself away from your sensitive bits. I thought your body would appreciate the break."

Searne's eyes shifted to face him, before quickly wandering off to somewhere unimportant. "Thank you, but it's your pleasure that matters. We won't win if you don't disregard me and go for it!" She subverted her blush by allowing herself some enthusiasm, before quietly smirking and closing her eyes. "Stick it in, Shrapnel."

His pupils went wide alongside his grin, taking a moment to breathe before obeying orders. He threw himself into her, sending a jolt through the mare like a small earthquake. She gripped her legs and squinted, once again throwing her breathing off balance. Shrapnel continued thrusting into her divine warmth, pillaging her temple of flesh with every excited throb. It was an experience he'd been blessed with many times before, but he couldn't help but feel a hint of guilt at disturbing her body's natural beauty. The pressure building in his body kept him moving forward despite such feelings, cultivating that craving for pure carnal satisfaction.

Wish grinned at their display of passion, before feeling a slight grunt force its way out of her lungs. She instinctively went to move a forehoof to her bits, but paused as she spotted Nano. He was squinting hard, struggling even harder to keep his breathing steady. His member had been throbbing uncontrollably within her tight insides, finally forcing him to buck his hips up into her body to harvest the pleasure he needed to climax. Wish felt a guilty blush invade her face upon realizing she'd teased him much more harshly than intended.

"Woah, hey! Calm down, we've got plenty of time to finish," she calmly assured him, consciously pausing her gyrations. "Breathe with me, nobody's cumming just yet. Except Searne."

Nano tried to giggle, but still found himself gripping the couch desperately, making it rather hard to do anything on purpose. He focused his attention on her chest to the best of his ability, watching it gradually rise and fall as she drew out her breaths. He closed his eyes and followed the pattern, inhaling in for several seconds and taking the same amount of time to exhale. A few repetitions later, he could form sentences again, but his body refused to move his pelvis from the jackpot it found itself pressed up against.

"I don't know how much longer I can take this," he stuttered. His member flexed within Wish's body again, reaffirming any doubts in her mind.

She planted a forehoof into the side of the couch to keep herself from idly shifting around and driving him crazy. "Sorry, but you're just gonna have to hang in there. All the movement from me lifting off could easily be enough to push you over, or worse, it could only barely be enough and you'd end up with a ruined orgasm."

He grunted again, his pleasure slowly on the decline as he kept his breathing in check. "How much longer are you gonna make me stay like this?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be too long. Shrapnel's bound to cave in any minute now." She moved a forehoof to her face and grinned, watching them intently once more.

"Wish! Please!" Nano spouted, bucking his hips again impulsively. When she took her hoof away from the couch, she immediately began to idly gyrate on his dick again, erasing the progress he'd made in the past couple minutes to calm down.

"Sorry!" She giggled guiltily, returning one hoof to the couch.

Still lying on the floor getting plowed by her companion, Searne watched with amusement as Wish kept toying with her partner. She was confident that the bind they found themselves in could only result in failure. Wish easily could've taken her prize now and sent him into orgasm, but instead she attempted to share Searne's etiquette and wait for the other to give in first. Her diligence proved her to be a respectable opponent despite her childish habits which had reared their ugly heads countless times. As much as Searne hated it, she made for a worthy rival.

A long, crude grunt escaped from Shrapnel's muzzle as he lost control of his body. He arched his back and thrusted repeatedly into her velvety soft pussy, keeping his body close to hers and his cock as deep inside as he could manage. Searne released a moan in response, her face growing red from his aggressive advancements. "Focus, Shrapnel! Don't be an animal about it!" She gritted her teeth, reeling in the visceral pleasure as her temple walls began to crumble again.

He responded only with another suppressed grunt as he kept pace, thrusting hard and fast until the pressure building deep in his body gave way for a pressurized shot of cum to fire out from his member. The motions continued as several mores shot out, the throbbing gradually slowing as their bits became utterly drenched in an enchanting mixture of slick bodily fluids. He gave her body a final embrace before hesitantly breaking away, allowing his exhausted body a period of relief.

Searne cursed under her breath, feeling her own climax threaten to take hold. She was upset not with his performance, but by the fact that she was unable to maintain her composure through to the end. She dropped her hind legs to the ground on either side of her partner and took a moment to collect herself before closing her eyes and intensely concentrating. She scanned down her body and located her reproductive organs, making an effort to act despite her lack of strength. Her insides appeared to subtly shift around, twisting and bending before settling into some kind of pretzel shape she'd memorized like the answer to the hardest question on a life-altering exam.

She let out a sigh of relief as the weight vanished from her chest. "Good job Shrapnel, you held up well."

He gave a weak smile, struggling to stand straight. "Couldn't have done it without you." He giggled drunkenly.

Her gaze drifted off to the corner of the room again. "I would've appreciated it if you let me finish, but I suppose we can't all be winners," she teased, smirking back at him.

He blushed, sending his attention away to the corner that Searne seemed so fascinated by.

She rolled over onto her side, feeling very content despite the pressure still lurking inside her body. "Well, Wishmaker? How much longer do you plan to torture that poor colt for?"

Wish felt a guilty smile creep up her face once more, knowing that despite the overload of pleasure, he'd ultimately be just fine. She attempted to assert her expertise by taking a moment to concentrate on her insides and gauge the state of his cock. Thankfully, it seemed that enough time had passed for him to go at least partially soft. She could sense it pulsating within her body, though it was nowhere near as urgent as before.

"I think he's served his sentence." Wish turned back to face Nano, just to be certain that he was still hanging in there. Seeing him actively try to keep his arousal down by looking uninterested, she decided it was time to to get things moving.

"My sentence? is that where you're going with-" he joked in response, before being cut off by a startled gasp. He turned his attention back to his friend, of which he had previously only been able to see her tail and back. Now, alongside a wave of suffocating pleasure, her adorably wet pussy took up nearly half of his field of view. His senses were absolutely overloaded with horny desires once again, only this time, they would actually be fulfilled.

His mind rushed like a busy plaza full of ponies with goals of their own, all with equal critical importance. No single desire or prediction took priority over the other, they made sense only when seen from within the dust they kicked up from the paths they galloped across. A carnal craving was all he felt, and Wish was the only pony in the world that could cure him. She knew this well, as was the same with so many in the past, and many in the future. Without giving him a moment to doubt if his craving would be satiated, she pushed her flank back down onto his needy member.

He gasped audibly, feeling a wave of bliss rush through his body. Her pussy was smooth and slippery against his cock, warm and inviting. The feelings of pleasure were unbelievably strong, but he'd been given enough rest to not explode the moment she enveloped him. Still, his hips bucked slightly in response to the sensation, trying to push himself deeper into her. Wish's insides flexed around him subconsciously, trying their hardest to squeeze him dry as efficiently as possible. Despite his lustful haze, he noticed a distinct lack of desperation in her movements. He decided to level the playing field.

Whilst Wish bounced playfully up and down on his pelvis, causing him to buck his hips constantly, he bit his lip and attempted to speak. "Wish, take a look, you've got a bit of an audience, don't you?"

She was genuinely surprised that he managed to talk to her despite his intense state of arousal, and turned her focus to the others. Searne and Shrapnel were both watching intently from below, lying on the carpet politely without much else to do. Searne still seemed to be studying her techniques with a hint of spite, while Shrapnel was still quite dizzy from his own orgasm, but paid attention regardless. Seeing them below her, staring with a certain degree of interest, she felt herself grow a little horny.

She paused her bouncing to face her friend. "You sneaky little colt! If you wanted me to get more intimate with you, you could've just said!" She giggled, before standing up again to turn around.

Nano's mischievous grin immediately collapsed into a crude grunt as Wish lifted herself off of him yet again, leaving him alone with his cravings for a few moments. The idea of throwing out a comeback surfaced in his mind, but was suffocated again by a tidal wave of arousal. Wish had rearranged to have her positioned directly over him, with a forehoof on either side of is shoulders. She slowly descended her butt a final time onto his cock, positioning her hind legs in such a way that she could thrust his cock into her however she pleased.

Grinning down at his cute face with sultry eyes, she pounded him senseless. Although he had made her horny by teasing her with the idea of having an audience,  she managed to focus herself on the physical motions and remain professional. She smiled genuinely at him as his eyelids fluttered and he grit his teeth, shifting through silly expressions as he tried not to make a scene. Wish felt him throbbing inside her and began to count down in her head. Right on cue, he exploded inside her, shooting deep into her body and spasming uncontrollably for several seconds. She consciously slowed her pace of thrusting, shortly deciding to keep him tucked inside for the duration of his helplessness. 

Seeing the clear signs of Nano's climax, Searne made a comment. "Bravo, Wishmaker. You've put him out of his misery,"  she teased, with a little more bitterness than Wish could ignore.

Wish rolled her eyes, her head still turned away from them. "You know, if you're still grumpy from not getting to cum a second time, I'll gladly help out." She smiled in knowing how frustrated that'd make her, allowing her to peacefully dismount her partner and transform her insides to be able to absorb the semen without undesirable results.

Searne stood up, blushing hotly. "Excuse me?" 

Wish smiled, hopping down from the couch. "Don't be ashamed!"

Before anything could escalate further, Nano let out a tired, quiet groan. He giggled, before attempting to make his way off the couch as well. His front left hoof reached the floor, from which he slid himself down until his back left did the same. When his back right hoof made contact, he felt his legs become shaky under the weight of his body. Hesitantly, he brought down his remaining hoof, causing him to quickly collapse into a woozy pile of stallion.

Searne cocked her head to get a better look at him. After a minute of tense pause, she looked back at Shrapnel, who smiled back at her innocently. She didn't smile in return, but turned away once more, and sighed. "Very well. I don't like it, but if this is the way that things must be, so be it." 

Wish looked confused for a moment, then smiled. "Wait, really? Alright, I don't mind!" Before she even finished her sentence, her body flashed with a brief green light as her sex morphed into a stallion's package.

"Wish! What the-" Searne began, her face growing red for the millionth time in the past hour. "No, I was trying to say that I have some respect for you."

"Oh!" Wish exclaimed, flashing her bits back to normalcy. "Right. Thank you!"

Searne grunted in annoyance. "You make it rather difficult, but regardless, I must respect my competition. You've proven to be a formidable opponent. I look forward to seeing you in the club again soon." She quietly motioned for Shrapnel to follow her towards the door.

Wish paused to process what she'd just heard, before turning again to face her. "You had some awesome skills as well! I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone give an experience like you did with the chair. Would you call that a lap dance?"

Searne stopped in her tracks and bit her lip before facing her a final time. "Thank you. We'll be on our way now."

"Don't you want to stick around? We can discuss techniques, or you can tell us more about that weird squishy power-"

"Don't fly too close to the sun, Wishmaker."

Searne and Shrapnel filed out of the room, leaving Wish's heart to sink as her entire being froze with the feeling that she'd done something horribly wrong. Her pupils shrank and her sense of balance wavered, challenging her ability to break from the cold shoulder. When Shrapnel turned to close the door with a wing, he briefly came face to face with Wish, and smiled genuinely. Her eyes subtly broke from the curse to meet his, and she smiled softly in return. The door clicked shut, leaving her in silence as she attempted to regain her composure. Nano, still on the floor, picked his head up to check on his friend. Wish put a hoof to her face and squinted as if she was developing a headache.

Nano managed to pick himself up and made his way over to her, pressing his side up against hers. "You okay?"

Wish let out a labored sigh. "I think so. I just... didn't expect that."

He paused to think of a good response, but still being drenched in the intoxicating feeling of afterglow, struggled to come up with anything. After a moment, he spoke. "Ah! Ponyfeathers! Night's still out there waiting on us!"

She giggled softly. "Ponyfeathers? Such strong language," she teased.

He chuckled, before approaching the door with shaky legs in order to hold it open for her. She saw him struggling and went to support him, putting a hoof in front of the door to keep it open as they exited together, side by side.

They returned to the remarkably larger main area of the club, seeing clear sunlight radiate through distant windows. The stages which Wish and Searne had performed on were situated nearby, with only one pony in all the rows of seats. Midnight remained alone on a cushioned seat nearest to the door. The fuzzy material that made up the cushion had clearly been ruffled, perhaps even stained. The mare's face was deeply red while she sat upright, holding one of her forehooves up with the other.

Wish's eyes went wide as a smile took over her own face. "Night, have you been...?"

Nano laughed so hard he nearly fell over. "I didn't know you were a voyeur!"

Night brought both of her forehooves down to conceal her bits. "It's not what it looks like! I- Uh- I was- Umm..."

Wish moved to sit next to her and nuzzle her face. "We're cool, don't worry about it."

Night's blush persisted despite the comfort, in large part due to Nano rolling on the floor. Wish rested her head on Night's shoulder, with a certain calmness that told her something serious had taken place. Night focused on her breathing to calm herself down and hesitantly brought a forehoof up to rest on Wish's shoulder, leaning her head against hers. The sunlight glistening through the window invisibly attacked Nano when he opened his eyes just as he rolled into direct line of sight with it, slowing him down and bringing him to his senses. Midnight opened an eye and stuck her tongue out at him, before inviting him to join the afterglow huddle.