Nikki’s Story

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

the Usual Suspects Copyright Mr. Simon Barber

Two midnight black furred equines were slowly approaching the gates of a brand new school, one intended for women only. On the right was a tall, well formed mare wearing a typical Fillypino day dress. One that had to have cost over two hundred shells. To her left walked a barely shorter, slightly grey tinged male walked with a cane. It was obvious to any observer that his cane was for fashion reasons, not to aid in his walking. Behind them trudged a smaller feline female, a very large, very fashionable travel bag carried over her back.

“You realize my child” the male was saying as they walked. “That this.. Obsession of yours. It has created a great deal of difficulty at home.”

“Yes My Father” the female answered. “I do very much apologize for the discomfort that I have given.”

“Apologize or not, you have done exactly as you desire. Refusing five carefully selected suitors in three years. You have left me with no other choice. If your sisters were to have any hope of marriage before they were too old to be desirable. As you refuse also the Convent, I grant you these three years. Still when you return home, you will marry. Whom, where and when I decide. Or it is the Convent for you, no matter your desires.”

“I fully understand your desires. My Father.”

“Very good. Know this also Nikki Ibarra Lily Benevedo. You were permitted this choice only because it is a female only school. Though I will grant you a stipend each month, should you require more do not ask. It will not be forthcoming. Also this. That no Benevedo has failed in that which their heart truly desired. I will not allow you to be the first. Fail and be disowned.”

“Yes My Father. I do much understand your desires in this, and all things regarding myself.”

They stopped at the gate, and earlier visit had assured the male that not even a parent could enter these gates, should they be male. Unless, he had been carefully informed, it was an emergency. “Nikki. When you return home, I do expect that your demons regarding your own kind will be excised. If not, I will instruct Bishop Ortega to preform an Exorcism. Wither you agree or not. Wither you assist or fight, it shall be done. I will have no filthy lesbiana in my family. This is fully clear to you?”

“Yes My Father. I do very much understand this” the mare demurred.

“Very well.” Reaching into his well tailored and very expensive coat the stallion removed a small black booklet. “As you understand and agree to all conditions, I return to you your passport. Along with it a letter allowing the local bank to release those funds I have made available to you. You will also find a bank draft to cover your first half year, and your return ticket. Have you any words for your mother?”

“Yes My Father. Please tell her. Please tell my mother that I shall make my family most proud of my success here.”

Placing the booklet into Nikki’s paw the stallion nodded in agreement. “She will be most proud to hear that. Until the three years are done. I will have a mate chosen for you upon your return.” He turned around, noting the waiting feline who had followed them as dutifully as any dog would. Saw her as though for the very first time in his life. “Leave the bag. We return home on the next boat.”

Nikki watch the two leave, then very carefully bent her knees that she could pick up her luggage, such as it was. To her though the bag was only of middling weight, while the feline had struggled those last twenty yards. Turning her back of her father, and the woman who had been her servant for well over ten years, Nikki walked to the gate where a young pantheress awaited her.

“Name, letter” the barely older woman snapped almost instantly. Nikki started, she was unused to such abruptness. In her entire life only her father had ever shown anger at her, and the stallion she had put in hospital for sliding his paw up her dress two months ago.

“Nikki Ibarra Lily Benevedo” she answered, setting her bag down again. Opening the frilly purse hanging from her right wrist she removed a folded envelope, presenting it to the guard.

Tasha Umbridge opened the offered letter, quickly reading its contents while checking a name on her book. “Yer supposed tah arrive in uniform” she noted as she returned the letter.

“I have such, within my luggage” Nikki replied. “My father. He would not see me in mens clothing. An insult to him and his family name. Since he would not allow me to come here alone, I was without any choice.”

Tasha sucked in her upper lip as she thought, then made a decision. “Behind tha gate, change there. No-on but I can see yah there. You show up at tha office in that dress, its ten demerits. Always.”

“Change, in the open” Nikki asked. Her black fur hid most of the deep blush that came, but Tasha was close enough to see it through the mares tight neck fur.

“Yer call Nikki. Out there, in here or ten demerits. Seven girls got ‘em last year, one already this year.”

Nikki made a decision then that nearly stunned her. Stepping behind the open gate she started undressing. Her blush reaching the tops of her hooves when she realized that the corset she wore could not be taken off by her alone. That, and there were people walking around separated from her only by the inches thick wood. “Please” she asked. “I cannot.”

Her answer was a metallic snick, followed by the sudden release of the compressive pressure upon her body. Pulling the corset in front of her she gasped at its destruction, for the pantheress had sliced its bindings cleanly. “My best corset” she gasped.

Tasha laughed. “Won’t need it here, won’t fit in three years. People commin. Bertter get inta that uniform.”

Working as quickly as she could, for Nikki had never dressed without help in her life, the mare managed to get into the Songmark uniform her mother had provided. Only to discover two horrifying things. One, it was made of silk, and two it was tailored to fit exactly. Exactly should she be wearing that now ruined corset. “Oh... my” she gasped, staring at the blouse she held in her paws.

“That’ll last about a week” Tasha admitted. “No rules on what its made of. Oh, I’m Tasha. Second year. Now get that shirt on and get tha that office. I’ll make sure your gear is safe, this one time.”

“Thank you Tasha” Nikki managed to stammer as she fought to button the blouse closed. Oh yes she realized, it was quite form fitting, and her mother had added.. Things. Female touches. “I will be in trouble.”

“Yep, not as bad as tha dress though. Nice body yah got, soft and curvy. Won’t be after six months, soft that is. Ah promise. Curvey yeah, an watch it. Couple tha girls like soft ahn curvy. Now get.”

Miss Pelton looked up from her reading as a firm, yet soft knock on her office door. “Enter and don’t forget to shut the door” she ordered. It had to be one of the new first years she knew, last years class knew how to knock on a door by now. A clear click-clop of hooves raised her eyes from the letter in her paws. It was the walk of one who had been through serious and very abusive social training. A delicate, yet firm landing of back hoof followed by the softer clop as her hoof-tip touched the wooden floor. It was the kind of walk one would expect in very high society, or an embassy. What she found standing before her stressed the felines control near to the bursting point.

“Yellow silk” she asked softly.

“Yes, my mothers decision I am afraid. I was unaware until just moments ago” the black furred mare answered. Again, that voice. It had taken years of voice training (and probably many severe beatings) to learn that.

“When you changed behind the gate” Miss Pelton added. “Good choice. Shows moxy. Two points to your dorm. Another two for the accepted humiliation. Now, step back outside, knock firmly and when you enter, stand in the center of the room. The correct form of announcement is “Nikki Benevedo reports Miss Pelton. Got that?”

“Very much Mam. I wish to...”

“THEN DO IT” the feline snapped. Miss Pelton watched in carefully suppressed amusement as the well groomed mare almost staggered from the room. ‘Keep them off balance. Make them find a balance that will last forever’ she thought. It was one of Songmark’s first rules, and so far it had worked perfectly. Moments latter there was a soft knock on her door. She ignored it, then a slightly harder knock. That she ignored as well. Almost three minutes past before there was a firm knock, as though someone just might be on the other side. “Enter” the feline snapped. This girl was going to take a lot of work she realized. In fact, she just might not be worth the effort. Still, everyone received one chance.

Nikki walked into the room, having carefully closed the door behind her first. Stopping at the rooms center, a place on the floor that would in years to come show more wear than normal, she came to a fairly acceptable state of military attention. “Nikki Benevedo reports Miss Pelton” she announced, staring at some place on the wall behind Miss Pelton.

‘So’ the instructor thought. ‘She has at least seen a military formation once.’ “Better, not good. I will assign a second year to help you understand protocol” she snapped, as though very angry. “Your uniform is completely unacceptable. For one thing is has no pockets. For another. It only barely follows the design sent in your information packet. Didn’t you read it?”

“I fear that was not allowed Miss Pelton” Nikki answered, still staring at that invisible spot somewhere behind the feline.

“Not... Who kept your mail from you? A Dictator, Priest or Prison Guard.”

“My father Miss Pelton. He was not in the least happy with ...”

“No explanation. Only answers. Truthful ones. Very well. Who really filled out your application, your mother?”

“I filled out the papers Miss Pelton. Only mother knew of them.”

“Or they would never have been mailed, correct?”

“Yes Miss Pelton.”

‘Well’ the feline thought. ‘Guts she has, to a point. There just might be fertile ground here after all. But an over bearing...’

“Roman Catholic?”

“Yes Miss Pelton.”

“And you are of Spanish blood, by your name?”

“Pure Miss Pelton. To as far back as we are able to search.”

A thought came to the feline, causing her tail to react. Picking up Nikki’s application form she turned to the particulars page. “Here you state that you are not purebred” she remarked. “Yet you have just informed me that you are. How many other lies in here.”

“I am only just eighteen. Today” Nikki admitted. “Not nineteen. All else is the truth.”

“You are certain?”

“Yes Miss Pelton.”

“Why the lies?”

Nikki swallowed, but her gaze never faltered. “Mother thought that you would never accept a purebred, and I feared you would not accept one so young as I.”

“Wrong in the first case, maybe right in the second. Have you any personal funds?”

“Yes Miss Pelton.”

“Very well. I am going to assign a second year to you for the day. Maybe the weekend. She will take you to Casino Island, where a proper uniform can be made for you. Though she will pay the water taxi fees today, you are responsible to repay her. And all other costs. Of course you can return home today, though your school fees will of course be forfeit. I can have another girl here in four days, or less. Your decision?”

“I will do as instructed Miss Pelton.”

“Very well. Now, will you be so kind as to explain why you know how to hold that position, and what this ‘Military interpreter for six months’ comment on your form means.” She paused a moment. “At ease.”

Nikki moved to a military ‘at ease’ position. ‘American Military’ Miss Pelton decided after seeing both positions. ‘Makes sense, America is holding the Fillyppines as a colony at the moment.’

“Father noted that the American military required Interpreter’s for a period of six months. He regarded such a position as an excellent, and safe way for his most errant daughter to obtain the ‘adventure’ she seemed to desire. Had he bothered to read the further, he would have noted that this was not a position in some comfortable office, but in the field. When he did eventually discover his error, I had been in the field three weeks already.”

“Three weeks? It took three weeks for you father to discover this?”

Nikki blinked in surprise. “But Miss Pelton. It is normal in upper society, that a father not have contact with his daughters more than once a month. He has his business dealing to consider, his social position. This is why he does hire others to watch over his daughters.”

“And the nanny thought that he had sent you away?”

“Yes Miss Pelton. I fear that such as the mistake made.”

“I see. Had you any problems during your deployment?”

“Other than the men at first believing that I was to pleasure them? No Miss Pelton. I do admit that the first weeks were very hard, yet I learned. Those males who approached me soon learned that I was not some low placed woman who would open her skirts for a few American dollars. Though in truth, I had to break ones leg.”

“A pure blooded mare of high birth. High strung, he is lucky you didn’t geld him.”

Nikki blushed, looking down a moment. “It was Miss Pelton. I fear. What I was trying to do. When the officers realized what was going on, they made quite certain that their men no longer approached my tent. After all, there were many other women in the encampment. All more than willing.”

“Though none as pretty” the feline asked gently.

“None Miss Pelton.”

Miss Pelton read through the application further. “This essay is yours?”

“Yes Mam.”

“To open a charter business. Delivering persons and supplies to far reaching points of view difficult to achieve by other means. This reads like a High School essay.”

Nikki took a deep breath, held it a few moments then released a long sigh. “It was part of my English essay Miss Pelton.”

‘Amazing tracts of land. If we keep her she is going to be very popular’ the feline decided. ‘Happily not by her tutors.’ “So. Then you were aware even at that young age what you wanted. Not that many girls are. They are still chasing boys, planning to pass their M.R.S. test as quickly as possible.”

“There were no boys in my school Miss Pelton. May I also ask, what is a M.R.S. test?”

“Mrs. As in Mrs Jones, Mrs Carlton. Mrs. Mommy. But you are not interested in an M.R.S. are you.”

Nikki fidgeted, looked down, away, anywhere but at her future instructor. Still she did not answer.

“How long have you known you want a woman in your life, not a man?”

“Th.. Th.. Three years Miss Pelton. May I go now? If I hurry, I may be able to return with father.”

Standing again the feline walked around her desk, studying the girl. Yes girl was the word she decided, who still stood in her office. “Why? We have you now. Why, with proper training you might even become an acceptable scullery maid. Though I am unaware of any other Sapphic student in this year, yet, there are one or two in the second year that would be delighted to have the company of such a beautiful woman. That is what you want Nikki. To be cared for. To be owned, like some piece of meat. Traded from woman to woman for the rest of your life?”

“NO!” Nikki barked, her head snapping up to stare directly into the felines eyes. “Freedom yes. To stand upon my own two hooves yes. To learn to fly yes. To be owned. No Miss Pelton. I have been owned all my life. I will not be owned further. Now I am leaving. I will find my own way home. Without anyone’s help.” She turned to leave, taking one step before finding herself flat on her back, one arm twisted painfully behind her while a very hard knee tried its best to drill through a very delicate part of her body. Unbelievable pain flashed through her when she tried to move, and in real fear she stared at the smaller feline who had just proven that brute strength meant absolutely nothing to her.

“You” Miss Pelton hissed. “Will take your bag to room three, first years dorm. You will then bring your bank book with you. I will assign, oh Tasha to guide you to Casino Island. There you will activate your account. If there is sufficient funds you will be taken to a tailor. One who will create for you the correct Songmark uniform. Of the correct material. Neither of you will return until your uniforms are ready and fit. You will repay her every centavo she has to spend on you. Nikki Ibarra Lily Benevedo. You are a Songmark girl. Songmark girls do not give up. Ever. Even when they are bleeding their last drop of blood into the swamps murky waters they keep trying. Do you understand me?  

“I... I am not. Expelled?”

“Do you want to be?”

“No Miss Pelton. I wish very much to be a Songmark Girl. I will make you proud of me, my word upon that.”

“Then you understand me?”

“Yes Miss Pelton. I very much do understand you.”

Lifting herself from the prone mares body the feline looked down at her. “Then get yer fat bloody tail off my floor and out that door. MARCH!”