Twilight's pacing footsteps gave empty-sounding echoes across the library wing. Her arms were crossed, her hands were gripping each shoulder, and her lips were grimaced.

“My faithful student, you really must stop worrying.” Celestia told her, magically pulling up two chairs for the both of them to sit in.

Twilight stopped pacing and turned to the Princess. “How can I stop worrying? How can you NOT be worrying? Right now, there's a horrible person out there with a horrible book about to unleash a horrible creature that will turn my friend Rarity into a manipulative psychopath sex-fiend all over again! Just like before …”

“True. But panicking about it will accomplish nothing. We Princesses must remain calm in times or crises.”

Twilight used a trick Cadence taught her and held her hand out, breathing a deep breath. “You're right. I'm sorry.” Twilight stopped, staring down at the open cut in Celestia's dress. Down at her … truly impressive cleavage.

“Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia asked. “Are you staring?” She didn't sounded offended, just curious.

“Wha? Oh, um, yes.” Twilight bashfully admitted. “Sorry. It's just … I had this awkward dream once, um, about you. Moving on!” Twilight tapped her chin. “Who would do such a thing? Who would be terrible, so unpleasant as to try to summon another Pipe Slime?”

Twilight noticed that saying this made Celestia give an uncomfortable jostle. “Princess?”

“I'm not sure how to tell you this, but ...” Celestia nervously intertwined her fingers. “There are more creatures in the book than just the Pipe Slime. It's possible that whoever stole it wishes to use one of them instead.”

Twilight stammered before shaking her head. “Still, though … what kind of awful person -”

“I taught you better than that, my faithful student. The question we should is answer is not “who,” but ...” Celestia gestured for Twilight to finish the sentence.

“Why?” Twilight answered. “Why would they steal the book? Do they want to use it to take over Equestria? Do they want to use the monsters inside to … have fun?”

Celestia held her finger out. “Wait. There is a more pressing question. How? Counting you, the amount of still-living people who know about the book can be counted on less than one hand.”

“Wouldn't more people know about the royal library, though?”

“Yes, my student, but the vast majority of them merely know that the library has books. They don't necessarily know what any of them are.”

“So that would mean ...”

Celestia put thought to action and starting counting on her fingers. “Myself, you … Luna, and … Discord.” Celestia grimaced. “Discord. Who I gave to Fluttershy and you to reform and who is living in at her cottage.”

“You don't suppose he told someone about it, do you? I thought he had reformed.”

“I wouldn't put it past him to have told someone on purpose, just to spite me.”

Twilight turned around and marched towards the exit, intending to give Discord a piece of her mind.

“However ...” Celestia said, stopping Twilight in her tracks. “I would also not put it past him that he told someone by accident. A slip of the forked tongue, if you will.”

Twilight nodded. “Don't worry, Princess. I'll go back to Ponyville and get his side of the story.” She continued her march. “I'll get to the bottom of this.”

On the gilded streets of Canterlot, renowned millionaire Fancypants and his girlfriend, Fleur-de-lis, were walking down the street, their arms wrapped around each other.

“It's a beautiful day.” Fleur-de-lis commented.

Fancypants surveyed the area around him. “It is, isn't it?” He refocused his attention on the road in front of him. He was surprised to see royalty out at this hour by themselves.

Princess Celestia was sitting on an umbrella-shaded table, despite having been in the castle with Twilight just a few minutes ago. Her majestic white dress seemed to have a lower-cut top than usual as well.

“Hello!” Celestia greeted them. “Beautiful day, isn't it?”

“Er, yes.” Fancypants said. “My dear Fleur-de-lis and I were just discussing that.

“Were you? How serendipitous that we're all talking about the same subject.”

“Yes.” Fancypants bowed. “Forgive my impudence, Your Majesty, but what are you doing outside of the castle? By yourself, with no guards or politicians or friends to be found?”

Celestia waved her hand. “Oh, you know me. I just can't stand to sit in the castle all the day when my beautiful sun is shining so brightly.” Celestia turned to the sound of footsteps as a silver-haired woman came running from the other side of the street. She was wearing blue clothes with a purple star-printed cape and wizard hat.

“Mi-” the silver-haired woman stopped at the sight of Fancypants, skidding to a half by the side of Celestia's chair. “Er, Princess Celestia, Trixie has acquired the book that you asked for.”

“Excellent.” Celestia said, getting up and taking the book from Trixie.

Fancypants looked to Fleur for affirmation that this situation was as strange as it appeared to be. A blank, confused stare from her confirmed that it wasn't just him.

“Er, Princess? Who's this and what's this book I'm hearing about?” Fancypants asked.

“I am the great and powerful Trixie!” The woman introduced herself, throwing her purple cape out to the wind. “I am known the world over for my show-stopping displays of magical grandeur!”

“Never heard of you.” Fleur said.

Trixie visibly deflated. “Well, you uneducated trophy wife, I'll have you know-”

“Excuse me?” Fancypant said, advancing on Trixie. “Uneducated trophy wife?” It appeared he took more offense himself than Fleur did at the comment. “I will have you know that Fleur is much more dear to me than a trophy wife.” Fancypants started rolling his sleeves up, ready to give Trixie a good-old fashioned whupping, by gum. “And I am prepared to defend her honor.”

“What a noble sentiment!” Celestia said quickly, wrapping her arm around Trixie and pulling her back. “If only every woman could find a strapping man like you. Oh well, too bad, we must be off. Ta-ta!” Celestia pushed Trixie in front of her and turned onto the adjacent street, hurrying Trixie along as she walked like someone who was desperately trying to be somewhere else.

“Something is going on.” Fancypants said.

“So it seems.” Fleur said. She looked at Fancypants. “I take it you're feeling adventurous and we're going to follow them?”

“You know me so well, my dear. You're right, of course.” Fancypants took Fluer's hand and started walking down the street. “Slowly, though. Subtly, so they don't realize we're onto them.” Fancypants took her in front of a store and made to look like they were window shopping, occasionally taking peeks to see where Celestia and Trixie were heading.

“Go, go.” Fancypants said, taking Fluer along as Celestia and Trixie rounded a corner. He didn't want to lose sight of them. They made their way around, catching sight of them going straight.

Celestia came to an abrupt stop. Fearing Celestia had somehow sensed them, Fancypants and Fluer ducked behind the wall of another store.

Confirming their fears, Celestia looked her shoulder, frowning. She pursed her lips, glared, then pushed Trixie along to keep moving, now walking at an even more urgent pace. Fancypants and Fluer realized the time for stealth was over, so they dashed after the suspicious duo. Celestia and Trixie turned, swerved, changed course, and doubled-back to lose their pursuers, but Fancypants and Fluer maintained their pursuit with steadiness.

Eventually, Celestia and Trixie went outside the city limits.

“Oh. Maybe we should stop.” Fleur-de-lis suggested.

“And wait for the Royal Guard? They could be long gone by the time they get here!” Fancypants said. “Besides, I'm rather having fun. After them!”

They continued running after the duo, tracking them down into a wide open clearing with some trees and bushes. But Celestia and Trixie had escaped, slipping into the trees and disappearing.

“Darn.” Fancypants said. They might as well have called the Guards if they were just going to lose them anyway. “Let's head back, then ...” He turned around.

“Wait.” Fleur said, grabbing Fancypants' arm. “I hear something.” Fancypants looked around at the bushes, which had started rustling.

“I believe we should go back, like you said.” Fancypants suggested. “Before ...”

There was a loud, thunderous gurgle, like a large lake had been unplugged and drained. Oozing out from the foliage like a monstrous snail came a bulbous mound of orange goop. It had tendrils writing from it that ended in round bulbs. The creature gurgled and bubbled, aiming for them.

“Something like that happens.” Fancypants said. He and Fluer made a sprint to get back to Canterlot, but the creature whipped its tendril, catching Fleur-de-lis inside like a butterfly net made of pudding.

“FLEUR-DE-LIS!”

Fleur-de-lis understandably screamed as the creature used its tendril to pull her towards it. It lifted another one of its tendrils and splashed its bulb against her chest.

“Fleur!” Fancypants screamed and ran towards her, reaching his hand out to do … something! Anything!

“Fancypants, save yourself! Go back to Canterlot! Tell the Guard!”

“I ...” Fancypant stuttered as the creature began to tear Fleur-de-lis's dress down, ripping apart the clothing to expose her breasts. “I can't leave you here ...”

“Fancypants ...” Fluer-de-lis whined, a tear escaping from her eye as the tip of the tendril began to envelope her breast. “I know it doesn't seem like it, but the best thing you can do is save yourself. Say you stay here. Then what? What can you do? Then this … thing will devour both of us and nobody will know what happened. But if you leave, if you tell someone … they can at least know what happened to me. Do the right thing. Don't be a hero, Fancypants.”

Fancypants sniffed. He nodded. It hurt to nod. It hurt to say yes. It hurt to know he was saying “yes” to his love's request of leaving her here to die, alone. But he sniffed, he shed a tear, and he turned around and headed for safety of the city.

Fleur cried in silence. She closed her eyes and waited for the thing to be done with whatever it was doing. It did nothing but rub at her breast for awhile. So she opened her eyes to see if was doing anything else. One of its tendrils was raising up. It aimed at her like it about to fire something. The bulb at the end began to change in shape and size, rounding itself down, shaving itself, redistribution its mass along the stem of the tendril until it was a perfectly sculpted match for Fleur's own breast.

Fleur's jaw dropped.

“I … don't even know what to say.”

She shouldn't have said anything, as the breast-tendril shoved its way into her open mouth and began to squirt liquid into her throat, forcing her to swallow. It tasted like orange juice. Fluer supposed that there were worse things to be force-fed than orange juice.

The tendrils that had been caressing her breasts stopped and lifted up. Their bulbs also began to shift, changing into thin stick-like forms. They shot up through the tips of Fleur-de-lis' breasts, piercing through her and entering the insides of her breasts like needles. Fluer grunted at the uncomfortable intrusion. The sticks rummaged around inside her spheres, fiddling with the biology of the female organ until they found what they were looking for. They started to hum and vibrate against her mammary glands.

The goo-breast continued to pump orange juice into her. As it went on, the taste of the juice started to change, like a new element was being introduced. Disliking the new drink of juice and whatever the creature had mixed with it, Fluer-de-lis tried to to punch the tendril. But it was no use. Her hand only became lodged inside the stem like she had tried to punch through pudding. The slime seemed to forgive her, wiggling its stem until her hand was shook free.

“Mmph!” Fluer grunted and moaned. She could her stomach beginning to fill up with the “orange juice” which was starting to taste less and less like juice. A heat began to emanate from her stomach, tickling at her throat, encouraging her to swallow more of the citric fluid.

“Oooh ...” Fluer purred, her head tilting to the side. She looked down to see the string-like tendrils inside her breasts were beginning to pull out a fluid from her chest.

Milk, she realized. They were pulling out milk. Milk. From her breasts, that had been triggered by the thrumming against her glands. It felt good. Good to have the little tendrils pull out her milk.

She shook her head. Her mind was clouding. She knew she was being drugged, probably the citric fluid. But still, that milk suckling did feel good …

She shook her head again, trying to keep resisting, even though the tendril was still spurting more citrus into her. She could feel her stomach being absolutely full. She could see that her petite breasts were growing. Fluer was never really that concerned about her breasts. She was a model, but she preferred to rely on her natural slender body and elegant grace to appear attractive. To that end, she had never thought about implants. But they were growing now. They were getting so big … so big and full. Much bigger than any implant could manage.

The rapid generation of milk in them was pushing out her insides, expanding her breasts. She looked down at her chest again and was pleased to see the tendrils suctioning out even more milk than before. She was producing more, as evidenced by her breasts increasing more and more size. Her stomach was also beginning to jut out, so full it was.

“Mmm … mmm … mmmm!” She moaned lustfully and groaned resentfully. She was feeling so good, too drugged up to resist the pleasure any more. The creature itself seemed to know this. She undulated her body, shaking her hips and wiggling her legs as she felt an orgasm approaching.

“Mmm, mmm ...” Fluer continued to moan, as if begging for release. The creature obliged her, raising another tendril up and sliding under her dress and up her skirt where it could get at her entrance, pulsing pleasantly against it.

Fluer let out a muffled screech, doubling as the goopy intrusion accelerated her powerful, mind wracking orgasm. The goop absorbed it and exited her orifices and breasts, gently lowering her to the ground before moving back into the forest.

“Oooh ...” Fluer groaned. She rolled over and surveyed herself. Her dress had been tattered by the ordeal. Her breasts had swollen from the size of golf balls to the size of footballs and were still pouring out aromatic milk. Her stomach was swollen, sloshing around with bubbly citrus inside. And she kept feeling jolts inside her as her body, for some reason, tried to make her already-finished orgasm last longer.

Fleur groaned, trying to get to her feet. She knew she had to get back to Fancypants. She also knew she was drugged with aphrodisiac. But simply knowing she was drugged hardly helped her to fight it, and she gave it to the urge to squeeeeeze her engorged breasts, spraying her milk all over the ground.

“Gah ha ha ha … that's good stuff.” Fleur giggled like a child, running her fingers over her breasts to squirt more milk out.

“Ugh! No! What am I doing? I need ...” Fluer limped forward. “I need to get back to Fancypants.” She bundled up what she could of her dress's remains and stuffed it towards her chest to cover herself. Then, she started limping towards Canterlot.

Meanwhile in Ponyville, Fleur-de-lis was not the only struggling with the issue of lactation.

Fluttershy was rolling around in her bed, hands on her breasts without any shame. “Oh yes, that's it, kids … drink from Mama.” she was dreaming about a tag-team sibling pair of Applejack and her brother Big Macintosh suckling on both her breasts, teasing milk out.

She rolled around, enjoying herself, kneading her breasts. Until she rolled one too many times and bumped her head against the headrest, bringing her to her senses.

“Oh.” Fluttershy muttered, opening her eyes. She looked down at her hands and blushed. She made sure to take her hands off before standing up. She exhaled sharply.

This usually happened, just around the time of their annual check-up with Silver Lens. They would get to talking about the Pipe Slime infection, where they were all lactating. Fluttershy would mention that it made her feel motherly. Fluttershy liked feeling motherly. After they talked about it, Fluttershy would dream or fantasize for a few days after about nursing again. It happened every time. The normal routine would be that she would deal with it for a few days, then forgot about it as the conversation faded from her mind.

Not this time. Fluttershy had decided that this time, she was going to do something about it.

What that “something” was had yet to be determined. Rest assured, it was going to be something, and she was going to do it.

Getting out of bed and adjusting her yellow bathrobe, Fluttershy walked into the other room. There was Discord, Spirit of Chaos-turned-antagonistic friend. He was floating the air and snickering to himself about something. Whatever it was, it was causing mice to evict the premises and her pet bunny to laugh.

“Discord?” Fluttershy spoke with a soft tone.

Discord scrambled to use his magic to make it look as though he wasn't up to anything. “I wasn't doing anything!” He hid his hands behind his back.

“It's okay.” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Um, actually, I was wondering if you would me doing me a favor?”

“But of course!” Discord moved next to her, tracing his finger along her cheek. “Anything for my favorite person in the whole world!”

“Uum … well, it's um, rather … personal.”

“Mh-hm?”

“Like, intimate personal.” Fluttershy elaborated.

“Oh, I see.” Discord swam through the air away from her. “What is it?”

“Um, would you, um … well, this isn't easy for me to say. Lately, I've been fantasizing a lot about having someone … suckle me. Nurse me, for my, um. Milk. ” Fluttershy put her hands together and attempted to appeal to his ego. "Someone big and strong. Like you."

Discord cocked his bushy eyebrow. “Let me see if I have this correct. You, Fluttershy, want me, Discord, to suckle your breast?”

“Um, if it's not too much trouble?” Fluttershy leaned forward, her voice carrying apologetic and hopeful notes.

Discord raised his hand and snapped his fingers. There were sparkles of light in Fluttershy's hands that materialized into bathroom plungers.

“Knock yourself out.” Discord said. A wisp of green flame appeared next to him, turning into a paper with a star seal on it. “Oh! I do believe dear Princess Twilight wants to see me!” He grabbed the letter and snapped his fingers. There was another sparkle, and he was gone.

Fluttershy threw the plungers down, not at all pleased how that conversation went. After a minute of huffing and puffing, she looked down at the plungers.

“Well … he was nice enough to give them to me, so I guess I should use them.” She bent down and began scooping the plungers up to carry them to her bathroom.

The door to her house swung open, startling Fluttershy. She held one leg up like a flamingo in a lake, wincing before she was it was just Applejack who had charged in.

“Fluttershy!” Applejack said. “I need your help – why are y'all carryin' plungers?”

“Oh, um. Long story.” Fluttershy dropped the plungers to the ground. “I'd be happy to help. What is it?”

“I think Rarity is breastfeedin' Rainbow Dash again.”

Fluttershy stared, not certain what this meant. Her heart went to Rarity – it must have been nice to have a partner as loyal as Rainbow Dash for that gentle, pleasant nursing … “Um, okay. Why is this a bad thing?”

“Land's sakes, girl!” Applejack held her hands out. “Don't y'all remember wut happened the last time Rarity was nursin' Rainbow Dash?”

“Um, yes. But that wasn't her fault. The Slime had got to her! What's so wrong about her breastfeeding now?” Fluttershy crossed her arms.

Applejack's eye twitched. Fluttershy's questions was making her doubt her self-assured judgment. “Look, we all know Rarity is hurting Rainbow Dash and it's up to us to put a stop to it.”

“How do you know?” Fluttershy asked. “What if Rarity's just feeding Rainbow Dash natural milk? What if she's developed something? What if's a side-effect of being infected for as long as she was?”

Applejack sighed and rubbed her temples. “Look, Fluttershy, it's not healthy, all right? It ain't natural for a woman to drink another woman's milk like that. We have to stop them because Celestia knows they won't stop themselves.” With that, Applejack turned around and stepped out the door.

Fluttershy looked at her breasts. She cupped them gently.

“It's perfectly natural to want to feel motherly ...”

Knowing she wouldn't be able to convince Applejack, Fluttershy went outside after her. Once Applejack had made up her mind on something, it was hard to convince her otherwise.

“Do you have a plan?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah. We're gonna find Rainbow Dash, invite her over ...” They didn't have to go far into town to find Rainbow Dash, who was chatting with Scootaloo while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stood away some distance. Sweetie Belle was particularly focused.

“Hey, R.D!” Applejack waved. “Want to come over for a few drinks?”

Rainbow Dash looked towards them. She put a hand on Scootaloo's shoulder, reassuring her that Dash would return. After that, Rainbow Dash came near them. “Hey, guys. What's up? Heard something about drinks?”

“Yeah.” Applejack said, grabbing Fluttershy's hand. “Fluttershy and I were just about to head on over to Sweet Apple Acres for a few drinks. Maybe some tea, talk a bit, catch up ...”

“Sounds good.” Rainbow Dash waved at Scootaloo. “Ooh, do you have some stored cider?”

Applejack's grimace was all Rainbow Dash needed to know.

“It's fine.” Dash waved her hand. “No big deal.”

The trio made their way back to Applejack's house, where Applejack was hospitable. Too hospitable. She pulled out chairs for both of them and got out cups for all three of them. She patted the seat for Fluttershy to sit in, then went to the fridge.

“So wut can I get y'all?” Applejack offered, throwing her fridge open. “Some apple juice? Orange juice? Maybe a nice glass of milk?”

“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow Dash said. She noticed Applejack smirking like she had just caught a criminal red-handed.

“Actually ...” Rainbow Dash said. “You have any sports drinks? I need to catch up on my electrolytes.”

“Hmm.” Applejack was unhappy about being denied her easy victory. “Let me look around in here ...”

“Aren't you gonna serve Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack halted, glared, then turned back to Fluttershy.

“I wouldn't mind milk.” Fluttershy offered. Applejack took the milk carton out.

What neither Applejack or Fluttershy realized was that Rainbow Dash was onto them. Applejack's intents were transparent. Rainbow Dash had been living with Rarity for some time. As a result, Rarity had schooled Rainbow Dash in various methods of double-talk and deflection. The trick Rainbow Dash had just exercised was something Rarity taught her for when someone – this case, Applejack – was trying to lay a trap. Simply poke holes in their story. Namely, why not serve Fluttershy first if they weren't sure they had what Rainbow wanted?

“Y'all sure you don't any of this stuff?” Applejack asked, holding the carton up. “It's all natural!”

Rainbow Dash wanted to laugh and spit in Applejack face about how she saw right through her ploy. But she remembered something Rarity had stressed when tricking people into thinking their plans were still going smoothly – there was nothing quite like overconfidence to cause someone to tip their hand early and ruin their own game.

Never let them know you're onto them.

“I'm good.” Rainbow Dash said. “Anything else you need?”

Applejack scowled. She was about to say something when Rainbow Dash got up from her chair.

“Well, since you don't have anything for me to drink, I should really get back to hanging out with Scootaloo.” That was another lesson Rarity had taught – always have a good excuse for leaving.

Applejack shoved the carton back into the fridge. “Darn it! I thought we could get her ...”

Fluttershy didn't show it, but she knew Applejack was wrong. Fluttershy didn't know Rainbow Dash was onto them, but she did know Applejack's unsubtle methods would never get Rainbow Dash (or anyone else, really) to confess to anything.

Applejack sighed and took a seat, pouring herself a glass of apple juice. “I don't git it.”

Fluttershy kept it to herself, but she couldn't help but think …

No. You really don't.

Fluttershy privately entertained the thought of taking her clothes off right there and seducing Applejack into nursing her. She could do it. She had the bust size for it. Out of the six of them, only Rarity was bustier. The kind of generous, well-curved breasts that could seduce anyone, regardless of sexuality as long as it was flaunted the right way.

“Fluttershy?” Applejack asked. “Y'all got this real funny look on your face. What are ya thinkin' about?”

“Oh, nothing.” Fluttershy fibbed. She took a drink, imagining Applejack nursing her while on her knees. She expanded on her fantasy, thinking about how the conversation would go. Oh, Fluttershy! I've seen the light. Please forgive me and allow me to nurse you!

Fluttershy giggled at her over-the-top scenario. Still, she thought better of actually trying it. Rivaling Rarity's bust wasn't an issue, but the reason Rarity was so successful at her seductions was, well, that she was seductive. An expertise that Fluttershy lacked.

"I still don't see what's wrong with breastfeeding." Fluttershy said with calmness.

"Well, it is!" Applejack's grip tightened around her glass.

"Applejack, let's assume just for a minute that Rarity's feeding isn't because of any slimes or infections or anything. Then what's the harm in letting someone close to her nurse her?"

"Cause it means she's hurting Rainbow Dash!"

"You don't know that. Rainbow Dash could be fine. Rarity could be feeding someone else, even. They could not be feeding at all. "

Applejack bit her lip, unable to argue with Fluttershy's reasoning. Really, what proof did she have beyond a water bottle and her own suspicions? But it still didn't sit right. It was still wrong.

"Fluttershy ..." Applejack's tone was one of worry and concern, like she was trying to spare Fluttershy's feelings. "If Rarity's feeding again, that means she's been lying to us."

"Well, given how rude and intrusive you're being, I can see why she would!"

Applejack backed up against her chair. Fluttershy covered her mouth as she realized she had raised her voice.

"Fluttershy ... I think it's time for you to go."

"Hmph!" Fluttershy pushed her chair out and got up. She went to the door and stopped, turning to Applejack with a silent fury in her eyes.

"All those years ago, after all she did under the Slime's influence ... you never really forgave her, did you?"

Applejack pointed at the door. "Git out."

Fluttershy turned her nose to the air and shut the door behind her in a less than gentle fashion. Not quite slamming the door, but also not a calm way of shutting it. It was only after the door was closed and the room was silent that Applejack considered that perhaps the fact she had just told sweet, soft-mannered Fluttershy to git out should hint to Applejack maybe she was in the wrong.

After a long day spent playing with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle went back inside Carousel Boutique. She would not like to admit a large portion of that time was spent gawking at Scootaloo … the way she used her little wings. Her sporty, can-do attitude, her athletic build …

“Ah! Sweetie Belle. Perfect.” Rarity said, strolling into the room. In her hands was a water bottle, again filled with white liquid that sloshed and splashed seductively. “Sweetie Belle, do you know what you did?”

In all honesty, Sweetie Belle had forgotten all about doing what she did with the bottle until now. “Y-yeah? Why?”

“Well ...” Rarity drawled. “I know you took the bottle of poison to Applejack. Applejack brought it back and she had crushed it! Which wasn't very nice of her.” Rarity growled.

Sweetie Belle gulped. “No, it wasn't.”

“Now, I'd be willing to forgive you ...” Rarity held the bottle up, balancing it on her hand. She tossed into the air and caught. “But I - … my friend was none too pleased to find out her poison was being messed with. That it was being handled by parties other than those to whom she had given permission. Now, do I have your word you won't mess with the poison bottles again?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Of course!” She was just glad to get out of this conversation without a spanking or worse. Sweetie Belle moved for her room, but Rarity sidestepped in front of her and blocked her. “Uh, can I go to my room now?”

“Your word, Sweetie Belle.” Even Sweetie Belle, with all her inexperience, could tell Rarity was using a false happy tone.

Sweetie Belle sighed. She raised one hand up while placing the other across her chest. “You have my word that I will not mess with your bottles of white poison.”

“Excellent.” Rarity stepped out of the way. She watched as Sweetie Belle went up the stairs, feigning happiness. Sweetie Belle ignored her and carried on her way. Once she was gone, Rarity skipped back to put the bottle in the fridge.

“Darlings, I'm going out!” Rarity called throughout the house, letting everyone know of her intent to be absent.

Ah, the bar. Few other establishments were as adaptable as a bar. The results of a visit could be anything. A good time, a good night, fresh love, a mugging, a terrible hang-over the next day … was there any other service-based building with such a wide variety of outcomes?

After the day she'd been having, Rarity would have looked forward to any of them. First, that wholly unnecessary meeting with Silver Lens. Sweetie Belle had gotten into her “poisons.” Applejack had gotten into her poisons. Not to mention that Harshwhinny brute interrogating her and Dash while they were trying to enjoy a soak.

After all of that, Rarity wouldn't mind waking up shirtless in an alleyway, so long as she no longer had to deal with their suspicions, their accusations, their glares. They didn't trust her. They didn't trust her word and they did not trust that she wasn't feeding Rainbow Dash. And she certainly did not trust them. Why should she? If they weren't going to believe her, why should she believe them?

Rarity made her way to the table of the bar. She moved fluidly through the crowd like she was a splash of water instead of a person. She would have blended in and appeared inconspicuous if not for her groomed hairstyle. Her curled hair was fine for the town, or the catwalk, but was much too fancy for a bar. She caught looks and stares from the crowd.”

She ignored them, sitting at the table. “Bartender, a simple martini. With a pitted olive, if you would.” The bartender nodded. His service was excellent, as he slid the tiny glass to her within seconds.

“Superb, darling. Thank you.” Rarity lifted the glass up and took a small sip. She held the glass by its bowl, idly swirling it around while she listened to the white noise. People whispering, murmuring. At least one group of people were shouting, doing some pointless frat boy activity.

Rarity made a survey of the room. There was little of note, at least that interested her. Until she picked up a conversation that she knew was about her.

“Ooh, you see that one, boys? I hear she's a real feisty sheila.”

Rarity took another sip of drink, using to mask her face as she turned towards the people. There was a trio of men at a table, all dress in brown and gray suits and hats like 1950's gangsters.

“Infected the whole town with this crazy goop, you know?” One of them said.

“I hear she got the Crystal Princess and her husband in bed with her … at the same time!”

Rarity stood up. She knew what she had done under the influence of that creature, and she would not stand for rumors and speculation. She had, at no point, entered into the bedroom with Cadence and Shining Armor. She wasn't proud of much she had done in that time, but not becoming intimate with a married couple was at least thing she could be proud of.

The three men continued to chat and giggle amongst themselves. They stopped when they saw Rarity appear in front of their table like a ghost from the wall.

“Hello, boys.” Rarity swished her drink around before taking a sip. “I heard you were talking about me?”

“Oh, um … maybe a little?” One of them said, making a pinch gesture.

“Well, I will have you know that as many things as I did, as much as I did, I did not bed with Princess Cadence and his husband.” Rarity swirled her drink around again before taking another sip.

The men were unnerved. It was just taking a sip of a drink – that was all it was. But somehow Rarity found a way to make so damn creepy.

“Well?” Rarity harshly snapped at them. She put her fingers on the table and began walking them. “Aren't one of you gentlemen going to invite me home? After all, since my sexual prowess is so well known ...”

“I, uh ...” One of them stammered. “I need to get home to my wife.” He downed the last of his drink and sped out of the bar.

Boys and their excuses. Rarity would bet he didn't even have a wife.

“I think I hear my laundry calling me.” The second one of the trio said before joining in leaving. That left Rarity and the last man alone.

Rarity bent over, giving him a view down her top at her breasts. “Well?”

The man shivered a bit. Most of the times, males would be awed to have a chance to view Rarity's bust, but somehow Rarity made it seem less like she was flaunting her body at him and more like she was pulling out and aiming a dagger at his throat. He fellow his friends' example and made for the exit without even finishing his drink.

Rarity huffed.

“Miss?” The bartender hailed her. Rarity found that interesting. She hadn't been hailed by a bartender anymore.

“Yes?” Rarity asked him, walking to his table.

“Look ...” The bartender said. “I know those guys were probably talking some smack about you, but I can't have you scaring off my paying customers. It's bad for business!”

“Are you asking me to leave?”

“Well, I was gonna try to be tactful about it, but … yeah!”

“Very well.” Rarity swallowed her martini and threw the cup down onto his table. It rolled on its side before the bartender used his hand to stop it. Rarity pulled out some money and tossed onto the table before leaving.

As a business owner herself, Rarity understood why she had been asked to leave. But as she did, she couldn't help but feel a hint of bitterness.

This was what she had to deal with.

“Did you find her? Any news? Progress? A status update?”

Fancypants had his hands together in prayer that Fleur-de-lis would be all right. He was starting to get on the guard's nerves.

“For the last time, Fancypants, no. There has not been a status update. We will find her when we find her.”

Fancypants sighed. He knew the first forty-eight hours were the most important in a missing persons case, and the longer the Royal Guards searched, the less it seemed like they going to find Fluer-de-lis or even just her body. That creature may have digested her whole!

“Sir, why don't you go home for the night?” The guard suggested. “If we have any status updates at all, we will call you.”

Fancypants groaned. He realized the guard was right to suggest he went home, but that hardly made him feel better. Constantly asking the guard for updates wasn't going to accomplish anything either, so he resigned himself to returning home.

To his mansion … alone. By himself.

It was funny, Fancypants thought as he entered his house. The mansion was so big – one of the largest in Canterlot. But without Fleur-de-lis, it felt smaller than a fly.

Fancypants sighed again, taking off his monocle and resting it on the windowsill. He supposed he should go to bed for the night and hope for results in the morning.

A knock prevented Fancypants from doing that.

“What is so important it can wait until morning and for me to mope?” Fancypants cussed as he walked back to the door, pulling it open to reveal-

“Fleur-de-lis!” Fancypants exclaimed. It was Fluer-de-lis. Her dress was in tatters, her body exposed, and her breasts and belly were unnaturally, unhealthily swollen. But she was alive. “Is it really you?”

“Y-yes, Fancypants.” Fluer answered, shivering in the night cold without the protection of clothes. “It's me.”

Fancypants engaged her in a tight hug, not even caring about his body pressing in to her enlarged breasts. “I'd thought I'd never see you again!”

“T-that's nice … c-can I come in? I'm so cold ...”

“Yes, yes, of course!” Fancypants said, bringing her inside and shutting the down. “I'll start a fire, perhaps a warm bath.”

“Fancypants ...” Fluer-de-lis said. “Look at me. Look at me.” Fluer-de-lis let go of her hold on her ruined dress, revealing the rest of her body. “That thing did something to me!”

Fancypants nodded. He pulled her into another hug. “I know, dear, I know. We''ll fix it. We'll get through it together. We'll go to the hospital right away … we'll find a way through.”

Author's Notes:

Because the connection between "Treatment" and "Dripping" isn't as obvious as it is between "Treatment" and "Nausea" (this chapter's initial name) I will go ahead and explain that the naming scheme for this story is based on poison and poison-related terms. Treatment, Nausea ... and Dripping. As in dripping poison.

One of my main motivations in doing a sequel to A Poison Most Intimate was that most of the action was centered in Ponyville, meaning we never got to enjoy the wonder of a lactating Fleur-de-lis. This injustice of not featuring Fluer could not stand.

One thing I wanted to do was have Fluer-de-lis suggested the creature had impregnated her, which would lead to Fancypants saying a well-meaning but poorly-worded statement about how he'd let Fluer-de-lis get impregnated by a thousand creatures as long as she came back to him in the end. Fluer would have called him out on it, but saw his intended meaning and let it slide.

I feel like that scene where Applejack attempts to have Rainbow Dash confess probably needed to be longer.