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Celestia's Maiden Voyage by IHLAOY

By SlavePonyGeneral
Created: 2020-12-21 19:05:22
Expiry: Never
rainbow dash/spg/

  1. [Copied from https://pastebin.com/GeEg7ELu]
  2.  
  3. “So, let’s get one thing straight here. I’m in charge.”
  4. >”Got it.”
  5. “See this hat? That means I’m the boss. When you’ve earned a hat as fine as this, then you can be the boss.”
  6. >”It’s a stupid looking hat.”
  7. “You will not disrespect the hat on this boat! This hat is more valuable than you at the moment, understand?”
  8. >”Whatever.”
  9. “Say it. Say the hat is cool.”
  10. >”Fine, that hat is cool, whatever. Are we there yet?”
  11. “What do you mean? We are there.”
  12. >The pony looked around.
  13. >”But…this is a boat.”
  14. “Yes.”
  15. >”You live on a boat?”
  16. “Yes.”
  17. >”Oh, great.”
  18. “What’s wrong with a boat?”
  19. >”I dunno. I guess I was expecting, you know, a real house. With windows and a door?”
  20. “Celestia has windows.”
  21. >The pony perked up at the name of the ship, before her ears flipped back down against her head.
  22. >Her eyes quickly fell back to the floor as well.
  23. >She seemed to have trouble keeping eye contact.
  24. >Slowly, she forced herself to look up at you.
  25. >”Are you…going to kill me?”
  26. >You furrowed your brow.
  27. “What? Of course not. After all I paid for you, why would I waste that?”
  28. >She’s taken aback.
  29. >”It’s just…I’ve heard stories of people eating ponies and I thought…you’re not going to use me as fish bait?”
  30. “Boy, you really assume the worst, don’t you?”
  31. >”Only because it happens so often.”
  32. >You shoot her a smile, but you don’t think it calmed her.
  33. >”So what is it then? Are you going to fuck me, is that it? Tie me up in the boat and use me like a timid little sex slave? Just get it over with then! Bring out the rope! Let’s go!”
  34. >You go to put your hand on her head, but she flinches away.
  35. “Relax, I’m not going to rape you. Seriously, you’re a horse. How would I even get low enough, there’s no momentum there.”
  36. >”So you’re gonna sell me then? What is this, some sort of taming operation?”
  37. “No no, I have a far better idea.”
  38.  
  39. >You retreat into the interior of the ship for a moment, leaving her there, confused.
  40. >A moment later, you return, a fresh hat in your hands.
  41. “From this point on, you’re the second mate of the Celestia, and together, we’re going to catch more fish than ever before!”
  42. >”Oh Celestia.”
  43. “That’s right baby! She’s all yours!”
  44. >”But, but, I don’t know the first thing about fishing! I was a weather mare. How am I supposed to DO anything?”
  45. “I’ll teach you. It’s easy once you get the hang of it.”
  46. >”But why me?”
  47. “Why not you? I needed another person out on the boat after I nearly sunk it last time. I figure I get a slave, I don’t need to pay them and eventually, you’ll pay for yourself. Plus…you know…”
  48. >”I know what?”
  49. “Wings… Could be useful out at sea.”
  50. >”I haven’t flown in three years.”
  51. “Oh, that fucking auctioneer scammed me!”
  52. >”So…are you going to send me back now?”
  53. >You shrug.
  54. “We’ll see. Maybe I will. I was really hoping on wings. Anyway, for now, you should rest up. We’ve got a big day ahead. We don’t do well, we don’t eat.”
  55. >”Fine, fine, where’s my cage?”
  56. >You stare at her.
  57. “I can’t have my first mate sleeping in a cage. There’s plenty of room below deck for you.”
  58. >”And if I kill you in my sleep?”
  59. “You can’t even look me in the eyes. I don’t think I need to worry about that. Besides, ponies that kill actually DO get used as fish bait. Just a reminder…”
  60. >You pause.
  61. “You know, I never got your name.”
  62. >”Rainbow Dash. And no, I’m not going to respond to whatever name you give me. I’m Rainbow Dash, end of discussion.”
  63. “Can I call you ‘First Mate Rains?’”
  64. >”No.”
  65. “Worth a shot.”
  66. >You spin around, leaving her with her hat.
  67. >Which she removed immediately when you stopped looking.
  68. >Ah well. She’ll get used to it.
  69. >You did.
  70. “I’m off to bed than. Night.”
  71. >She tries to smile.
  72. >”Night, slaver. Sleep well.”
  73.  
  74. >You woke up early.
  75. >You always did.
  76. >It was habit, at this point.
  77. >The early bird catches the worm, after all.
  78. >And you can’t catch fish without worms, after all.
  79. >And you can’t eat without fish, after all.
  80. >But you were getting off track at that point.
  81. >Standing up, you looked over to Rainbow, who was sleeping on the spare bed next to yours.
  82. >If you stood close enough, you could hear her talking in her sleep.
  83. >Nothing good.
  84. >But you had a ritual to follow.
  85. >The boat rocked slightly as you stood on the bow, staring out at the open seas.
  86. >The sun was just starting to crest, sending the water a deep gold.
  87. >You ran a hand along the rail in front of you.
  88. “Alright Celestia, let’s get to work.”
  89. >Turning around, you dove back into the darkness provided by the interior of the ship.
  90. >Finding Dash, you gave her a light push to wake her up.
  91. >She flinches, leaping to her feet quickly.
  92. >”I’ll do it, don’t hurt me!”
  93. >You shrug.
  94. “You don’t even know what ‘it’ is yet.”
  95. >Rainbow stares at you for a minute, before her memories rush back to her.
  96. >”Oh…right.”
  97. “That’s right, Rainbow. Time to work.”
  98. >Dash looked out the exit, shielding her eyes from the sun.
  99. >”What time is it?”
  100. ”Four o clock.”
  101. >”People work at four o clock? I mean, I know ponies are expected to work all the time, but really? Four? I’ve never woken up at four, nobody normal does that. Who wakes up at four in the morning?”
  102. “I do. And from now on, you do as well. Now put on your hat and let’s set sail.”
  103.  
  104. >You look up from your sounder to find your first mate staring longingly into the sea.
  105. >Predictably, she’s not wearing the hat you gave her.
  106. >You’re not sure if it’s possible for ponies to get sunburnt, but four hours of straight sailing will test even the toughest of hides.
  107. >It had been a tense four hours anyway.
  108. >Turning off the device for a moment, you walk over to her.
  109. >Gently, you place your hand on her head.
  110. >She doesn’t react this time.
  111. “I’d really appreciate it if you wore the hat.”
  112. >”I’d really appreciate not being a slave and not being stuck on a boat in the middle of nowhere with a weirdo, but we can’t always get what we want.”
  113. “Come on, it’s a cute hat. And it’s important to stay safe out here.”
  114. >She leans her head on her front hooves; pushing her cheeks together as she does so.
  115. >”I don’t like the hat.” She says quietly.
  116. “Why?”
  117. >She pulls away from you.
  118. “I just don’t okay? I don’t like it and I’m not going to wear it, so you may as well start beating me already!”
  119. “Why would I beat you? I’m not going to force you to wear the hat if you don’t want to.”
  120. >“Just do it! Just get it over with! I can’t…handle this. Is this a game to you? Do you enjoy making me wait? I just…”
  121. >She brings her hooves back to her head.
  122. >”I’ve already done so many things wrong and you don’t seem to have even noticed. Are you keeping a tally, is that it? You’re waiting to release it all at once? Just get it over with! I need to know where I stand, I need to be put down! Please!”
  123.  
  124. >You wait a moment, thinking.
  125. >The sea is awfully calm today.
  126. >Slowly, you face her, crouching down so that she can easily look into your eye.
  127. >She doesn’t, but that’s beside the point.
  128. “Listen, Rainbow. I don’t know where you stand. Do you want me to start beating you whenever you fuck up?”
  129. >Rainbow doesn’t respond.
  130. “Well?”
  131. >She slowly shakes her head.
  132. “Of course you don’t. Nobody should want that, no matter how much they’ve been through. So listen here; I’m not going to beat you. Too much work. I’m not going to rape you, or choke you or any other thing like that. I need my first mate in prime condition.”
  133. >A smile tries to plant itself on Rainbow’s face, but the soil there has long since died.
  134. “That said, I’m not going to just let you off easy. This work is hard, and you’re going to need to work hard to match it. If you can’t, then I won’t hesitate to send you back and get a pony that can. And I doubt whoever buys you next is going to offer you the same deal. I’m not your enemy here, Rainbow.”
  135. >She tried to move away, but you stop her.
  136. “That’s why I don’t know where you stand. Yes, you’re a slave, but you’re also my partner now. If we both pull our own weight, we can both sleep happily, okay? Do you understand?”
  137. >She nods.
  138. “Good. Now get ready, all the good fish are getting eaten while we sit here talking.”
  139. >Grabbing her hat, you stand back up and walk back to the sounder.
  140. >Which was good, because the machine was telling you it was go time.
  141.  
  142. “Alright, Rainbow, here’s what I need you to do.”
  143. >Perking up at the sound of her name, Rainbow slowly wandered over to where you were standing.
  144. >She’s slightly taken aback by the gigantic mess of net, metal, rope and plastic; half of which is hidden below deck near the engine that powers it, but does her best to act like she’s listening.
  145. “Since it’s your first day, I’m going to be doing all the hard work. I’ll get around to teaching you the ins and outs of all this, but for now, you have a very simple, very important job.”
  146. >Scanning over everything, she tries to look at you.
  147. >”Which is?”
  148. >You remove your hand from the thick metal lever you were resting on.
  149. “All I need you to do, is make sure this lever doesn’t go down until I say so.”
  150. >”Is that it?”
  151. “Yes.”
  152. >Carefully, she approaches you, and places her hooves on the lever.
  153. >You move to the other side of the ship to get out of her way.
  154. >It’s solid, but moves easily under her strength.
  155. >”Ha, this is easy! What are you, a wimp?”
  156. “Oh good, I can release the other clamp then.”
  157. >”The other what?”
  158. >With one swift movement, you pull a similar lever on your side of the ship.
  159. >Almost immediately, Rainbow is nearly pulled off her hooves as the bar she’s holding on to pulls towards the deck.
  160. >You can see her muscles straining as she struggles to keep it up.
  161. >Her face is going red through her coat.
  162. “Hey, you alright with that? Don’t release it just yet.”
  163. >Her teeth begin to grind against each other.
  164. >”Just…hurry…”
  165. >You work quickly, stepping around the large net on deck.
  166. >Connecting buoys, untangling knots, important work.
  167. >Eventually, after what must seem like ages to Rainbow, you finish, standing very clear of the net.
  168. “Alright, you can let go now, Dash.”
  169. >There’s a loud thud as the lever impacts the deck.
  170. >Then nothing happens.
  171.  
  172. >Rainbow looks confused, so you try to explain.
  173. “The net doesn’t move when both of the brakes are down, so I needed you to hold one open so I could unravel it at my own pace and check for tears and breaks. Sure, it’s a little dangerous, but if you’d let go too early, the worst that could have happened is me being unable to pull the net out any further.”
  174. >”Oh.”
  175. “Now come on, we’re all ready to catch some fish.”
  176. >It was a small haul, considering all the work you put in for it.
  177. >It still looked impressive to Dash, who had no idea just how few fish it was.
  178. >Rainbow was mostly useless, but you weren’t expecting much from her anyway.
  179. >She’d learn, in time. Hopefully.
  180. >She had heart, at least.
  181. >The smell of dying fish was beginning to attract birds when Rainbow came up to you.
  182. >”So…uh, what now?”
  183. “Well, now we need to gut them.”
  184. >She takes a step back.
  185. >”G-Gut?”
  186. “Yea, you know. Take a knife, remove their insides. Gut. I think I have a knife for you somewhere, give me a moment.”
  187. >Pulling it out of your pocket, you turn to Rainbow Dash.
  188. >Who’s noticeably several shades paler.
  189. “Alright, before I continue, I need to know, are you scared of the knife, or the thought of gutting a fish?”
  190. >”Both.”
  191. “Okay, well, that needs to end right now. Here, take the knife.”
  192. >She doesn’t take it.
  193. “Rainbow, take the knife.”
  194. >She still doesn’t take it.
  195. “Take the knife, Rainbow!”
  196. >Hastily, she lunges forward and takes the knife in her mouth, holding it steady.
  197.  
  198. “Oh right, I suppose you can’t really use hooves for something like this.”
  199. >She shakes her head.
  200. “Let’s just go ahead then, here, take this fish.”
  201. >Reaching down, you pluck a fish from the net and toss it to Rainbow, who catches it with both hooves.
  202. >You then move behind her so you can easily guide her.
  203. >Using your superior human fingers, you mark out where she needs to insert the knife, lifting the fish up and closer to you to do so.
  204. >Rainbow hesitates.
  205. “Come on Rainbow, you need to learn this eventually.”
  206. >”I don’ wan’ ‘o.”
  207. “Come on, it’s one simple movement.”
  208. >She waits a moment, before taking a deep breath and stabbing forward.
  209. >She then hastily pulls the knife sideways, dissecting the fish.
  210. >Its guts fall out into the open air.
  211. >Directly into Rainbow’s face.
  212. >Before you can stop her, she drops the fish completely.
  213. >Also on her face.
  214. >You’re knocked to the ground as she barrels past you, gagging and retching.
  215. >Luckily, she makes it to the side of the ship before throwing up.
  216.  
  217. >Pulling yourself back to your feet, you walk over and stand next to her.
  218. >She’s still throwing up.
  219. >And crying, apparently.
  220. >The smell of vomit, dead fish and salt water is disgusting.
  221. >You rub her back, which always seemed to help when you were younger.
  222. >Even with all that’s happening, she still flinches on reflex.
  223. >She’s choking between retches, but still forces herself to speak.
  224. >But you don’t think she’s speaking to you.
  225. >”I want to…go home.”
  226. >You don’t say anything.
  227. >”I don’t want to gut fish or get beaten or sleep in a cage.”
  228. >”I miss flying.”
  229. >”I miss my friends.”
  230. >”I miss my pet.”
  231. >”I miss home.”
  232. >”But…but it’s all fine.”
  233. >”I just need to wait. Just a little longer. Just a little longer.”
  234. >She just keeps repeating that between outbursts.
  235. >You wait until she calms down enough to stop crying, still petting her back.
  236. >She still hangs over the edge for several more minutes, and you worry she might try to jump over.
  237. >Slowly, she pulls herself back and sits down.
  238.  
  239. >”You’re not gonna beat me now, are you? I screwed up pretty bad. Are you hurt, please don’t be.”
  240. “Of course not.”
  241. >She groans.
  242. >”Just fucking do it! I can’t keep waiting like this.”
  243. >You stand up.
  244. “Get some rest, Rainbow. Maybe head into the bathroom and get cleaned up as well. I’ll handle everything up here today.”
  245. >There’s a moment of silence.
  246. >“Are you gonna send me back for a better pony?”
  247. “As far as first days go, you could have done worse, let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
  248. >Getting back to her hooves, Rainbow shivers as she disappears below decks.
  249. >You’re not sure, but you think you heard her say,
  250. >”Thank you.”
  251. >Not that it really matters.
  252. >Getting back to the net, you shooed the several hungry sea birds away.
  253. >God damn leeches kept cutting into your profits.
  254. >Pulling out your own knife, you paused as you realized the ice you’d brought out had melted and went to get more.
  255. >You noticed Rainbow had already fallen asleep as you went below deck.
  256. >Getting back to work, you had plenty of time to reflect on your decisions.
  257. >And one thought reigned supreme.
  258. >This was going to be a lot more difficult than you’d originally thought.
  259. >”Boy, it feels good to be back on solid ground. So, where we going?”
  260. >Shifting the weight of the large box in your hands, you turn to Rainbow, who is balancing a similarly sized box on her back.
  261. >When you weren’t looking, you swore she would use her wings to keep it steady, but she always lowered them when you looked.
  262. >The cool surface chills your hands, but not enough to actually cause any pain.
  263. “Nah, wait until your sea legs come in. Before you know it, you’ll be more comfortable at sea than on land.”
  264. >”Then I’ll be the master of all three places, right?”
  265. >You furrow your brow.
  266. >”Sky, sea and land.”
  267. >You nod in comprehension.
  268. “Ah. Right, I forgot you can actually fly. That must be crazy, huh? You ever worry that you’ll forget how mid-flight?”
  269. >”Do you ever worry that you’ll forget how to walk mid step?”
  270. “Good point.”
  271. >”It’s like riding a bicycle anyway; I just need a couple of weeks to get the hang of it again.”
  272. “Can ponies ride bikes?”
  273. >”So where are we going anyway?”
  274. >You snap back to reality and begin walking down the pier.
  275. “Usually we’d put these fish on ice in storage and ship them off with the rest of the fisher’s here. Today though, well, today I’m repaying a favour to a friend, so we’re gonna have to head a little deeper into town.”
  276. >”That’s cool. You know, if you wanted, I could probably carry both the boxes. I’m used to this kind of work.”
  277. “Nah, we’re partners. We both pull our own weight.”
  278. >”I’m just saying.”
  279. “Nah, it’s fine.”
  280. >You go to pet her, but she quickly lowers her head away from your hand.
  281. >You don’t try again as you hit the streets.
  282.  
  283. >You stop when you get the fish and chips shop.
  284. >A real local place.
  285. >Too many places were pushing to be modern these days, not enough choose to wait around and stick to tradition.
  286. >Maybe that’s why you liked the place so much.
  287. >Tradition always had a place in your heart as well.
  288. >Hence the slave.
  289. >Anyway, you and Rainbow slip around the back to where the employee entrance to the kitchen is.
  290. >You knock a couple of times, before the owner opens the door.
  291. >”Ah, Anon, you’re late. Something hold you up today?”
  292. “Yea, first mate decided to sleep in. Didn’t have the heart to wake her. Had to spend some extra time assuring her I wouldn’t punish her for sleeping in. Not like we had anything important planned.”
  293. >”Bring it all in then, I’ve got the freezer ready for you. Just place it down wherever.”
  294. “Cool.”
  295. >You take a few steps into the door, before you hear the owner gasp.
  296. >Spinning around, you see Rainbow staring at him angrily.
  297. >”What? Never seen a pony with wings before? No, it’s fine, you guys only enslaved me, it’s not like I was expecting it to be a big deal.”
  298. >The owner quickly looks down.
  299. >”No no, it’s just…”
  300. >He looks back to you.
  301. >”I didn’t think you were going to get another pony. Not after what happened to the last one.”
  302.  
  303. >”THE LAST ONE?”
  304. >Rainbow drops her box spreading her wings.
  305. >”What last one? You had a pony before me? Who was it? What happened to them?”
  306. >You rub the back of your head.
  307. “I…uh, hadn’t actually gotten around to telling that story to Rainbow yet.”
  308. >”You beat them to death, didn’t you? Or they drowned! You’re a murderer, aren’t you? I’m just…I’m just the Celestia damned replacement mare, aren’t I?”
  309. >Placing your box on the ground, you sigh.
  310. “Look, Rainbow, it’s not important. Don’t disrespect the ship like that.”
  311. >”Like hell it’s not important. You had another pony! You are a slaver driver!”
  312. “I’m not a…Look, Rainbow, she’s fine, alright? It’s a sensitive subject. Don’t worry about it too much.”
  313. >”How many other ponies have you had, huh? Sell them off when they’re not useful, right?”
  314. “Dash, it’s not like that. It was one pony. She came of her own volition and she left of her own volition. She had a big impact on me and I’d rather we didn’t have a conversation like this in the back of my friend’s shop, wet and smelling of fish. Understand?”
  315. >”Who was she?”
  316. “It’s not important.”
  317. >”What happened to her?”
  318. “Also not important. Look, if we leave this fish out for too long, it’s gonna go bad, so please pick up your box and let’s get this over with.”
  319. >Rainbow stood still for a moment, before bending down and lifting the box back onto her back.
  320. >”Fine. But I’m not letting this go.”
  321. “Fine.”
  322.  
  323. >Stepping back into the open alley, you waited a moment for Rainbow to follow behind you.
  324. >She was still mad about you hiding the identity of your last first mate from her, but it can’t really be helped.
  325. >Besides, she’d calm down eventually.
  326. >Eventually, she shows up, giving you a slight nod as she passes through the doorframe.
  327. >”We done here?”
  328. “Just got to get some shopping done and we can head back to the Celestia. Good work so far.”
  329. >You reach down to pet her.
  330. >She moves away.
  331. >You stand back up awkwardly.
  332. “Uh, right, let’s get going then, shall we?”
  333. >She nods.
  334. >”Yea, we better.”
  335. >The rough ground crunches beneath your feet as you walk.
  336. >You only take a few steps before stopping though.
  337. >A sigh escapes your lips.
  338. >This has to happen sooner or later.
  339. >Turning around, Rainbow nearly bumps into you.
  340. “Rainbow, listen, we need to talk about something.”
  341. >”What’s up, bro? You ready to spill the beans?”
  342. “I noticed you don’t really like to be…touched.”
  343. >”Well, that’s understandable, ain’t it?”
  344. “I know, but…if you want me to stop trying to like, pet you or wake you up or stuff like that, you just need to say so. We’re partners; we gotta make each other comfortable.”
  345. >”Oh. I mean, it’s not like I’m intentionally…”
  346. >She looks down at your feet.
  347. “Now I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I imagine it’s nothing good. But if you ever want to just let it all out and rant at someone for a while, you have my ear. You know where to find me.”
  348. >She doesn’t say anything.
  349. “Just give it some thought, okay?”
  350. >”It’s…it’s fine, okay dude? Just don’t…actually turn around and hurt me though, because I don’t think I could handle that. Everything’s fine.”
  351. “Everything’s fine?”
  352. >”When things are this bad, all you have left is your imagination.”
  353. “And your delusions?”
  354. >”Exactly. Now you’re getting it. Now go! The sooner we leave the sooner I can get back to sleep.”
  355.  
  356. >There was some sort of commotion on the way back to the docks.
  357. >A crowd of people had gathered on the streets.
  358. >At first, you were confused, but as you got closer…
  359. >You moved your hand to stop Rainbow.
  360. “Hey Dash, lets…not take this route home. It’ll be better for you.”
  361. >”What, why? What’s going on over there?”
  362. >You’re not sure what to say, but considering what Dash has been through, you figure nothing will shock her.
  363. “Local slavedriver just got some new ponies in stock. Has a habit of parading them around before sales.”
  364. >”Oh.”
  365. >Rainbow looks ahead at the crowd.
  366. >”Is that it? Look, how bad can it be? I ain’t walking around the whole block just because I might know one or two people, okay? That ain’t my way.”
  367. “You alright with this then?”
  368. >”No, but I’ll walk past it.”
  369. >The crowd parted to let you through as you came closer.
  370. >A couple of the people ogled Rainbow’s ass, but seeing that she didn’t have a price tag, swiftly lost interest.
  371. >The ponies that did were lined up in the window, some stuck in provocative poses, others in poses that were intended to show their strength.
  372. >Their eyes disturbed you, so you tried not to look.
  373. >Too much pain there for such a small creature.
  374. >Luckily, getting through the crowd was easy.
  375. >It was looking around and realizing that Rainbow wasn’t with you that was the hard part.
  376. >Heading back into the crowd, you find her glued to one of the windows.
  377. >”F…Fluttershy?”
  378.  
  379. >You stopped next to her.
  380. >The pony on the other side of the glass, a yellow pegasi with a pink mane, was clearly in distress.
  381. >You seem to remember she’d just curled into a ball when you first passed by.
  382. >Now, she was actively beating on the glass and shouting through tears.
  383. >You couldn’t hear her, of course.
  384. >They’d installed sound proof glass after people kept complaining about the screaming.
  385. >You jumped slightly as Rainbow threw herself at the glass as well.
  386. >”Fluttershy! Don’t worry! I’m here, I’m going to get you out of there. Don’t panic, I’m here!”
  387. >A couple of the people in the crowd begin to notice your hysterical pony.
  388. >”Just calm down, ‘Shy. Calm down. I’ll…I’ll solve this, okay? Everything is going to work out.”
  389. >You reach a hand out, not sure what to do.
  390. >People are still looking.
  391. “Rainbow, calm down.”
  392. >She ignores you.
  393. >”Just…just sit still and wait for me, okay? Do you understand? Nod or something, I’m coming. Don’t panic.”
  394. >Taking initiative, you reach forward and grab Rainbow, pulling her away from the window.
  395. “Rainbow, calm down. You’re freaking out.”
  396. >She immediately tries to move past you.
  397. >”That’s Fluttershy! How did they get Fluttershy, Twilight said it was impossible! She was protecting her!”
  398. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
  399.  
  400. >She grabs you tightly.
  401. >”Anon, we need to buy that pony! Right now!”
  402. “I don’t need another pony though.”
  403. >Rainbow headbutts your leg.
  404. >”You don’t understand! Fluttershy’s not like me! She won’t survive the kind of shit they’re gonna do to her! They’ll kill her. We need to get her out of here now! Please.”
  405. >You look over at the window.
  406. >Fluttershy is still trying to grab Rainbow’s attention.
  407. “Dash, I don’t have that kind of money.”
  408. >Rainbow started to shake you.
  409. >”I’ll do anything! Anything you want! Just name it, I don’t care. Fucking sell me to a glue factory if you have to, we need to save Fluttershy.”
  410. >You look behind yourself one last time.
  411. >Fluttershy is gone.
  412. “Okay, okay, I’ll do what I can. Who knows, maybe they’ll trade.”
  413. >”Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
  414. >You push through the crowd, who at this point is fully aware of everything Rainbow said and is most likely wondering why you haven’t beaten her into silence yet.
  415. >You think a few are laughing at you.
  416. >You get to the door, turning the knob only to find that store is closed.
  417. “Huh.”
  418. >”Closed? Closed? Why is it closed!”
  419. “I guess they only open on the weekends. The rest of the week is spent in…training. They must just be showing the stock to get people interested.”
  420. >At least, that’s what the sign says.
  421.  
  422. >”No no no no.”
  423. >Rainbow runs back to Fluttershy’s window.
  424. >Obviously, she’s not back.
  425. >”Anon…Anon, what do we do? She’s in there, we need to help her! She needs us now! They’re gonna…”
  426. >Rainbow runs back to the door.
  427. >It’s still locked.
  428. >”Anon!”
  429. >You grab her before she can run back to the window again.
  430. “Rainbow, calm down and listen. There’s nothing we can do. We’ll come back later, when she’s being sold, and then we can help her. Until then, you need to calm down, and be patient. Okay?”
  431. >”But she’s…she’s not gonna make it until the weekend.”
  432. “She will be fine.”
  433. >”Is that another delusion?”
  434. “It’s one you need. Now come on, I think we’ve made enough of a scene already. You just need to hope that your friend will make it through this more or less intact.”
  435. >It took some more sweet words, but eventually, you managed to pull Rainbow away from the store.
  436. >Leaving the other pony to her fate.
  437. >You should have just avoided the store like you’d planned to in the first place.
  438. >Now everything was going to be even more difficult than you thought.
  439.  
  440. >You awoke to find Rainbow pushing against you roughly.
  441. >The sun hadn’t yet risen yet, leaving the moon to take vigil in its stead.
  442. >Slowly, you push her away and turn over.
  443. >She just continues to push you.
  444. >With a sigh, you push her down again and sit up.
  445. “Dash, what time is it? Go to bed.”
  446. >Her eyes are watering, and the lines on her face suggest they’ve been doing so for a while.
  447. >Her back legs keep tapping against the floor, restlessly.
  448. >When she speaks, it’s fast and worried.
  449. >”Can’t sleep. Can’t sleep. Can’t stop thinking about Fluttershy and Twilight. We need to help her. We need…we need to break in or something. We gotta help her.”
  450. >You rub the sleep from your eyes.
  451. “Wait, who’s Twilight again?”
  452. >”Not important, forget I said her. We gotta focus on Fluttershy.”
  453. “Are you still on about this?”
  454. >”She’s my friend, Anon. I can’t just abandon her. I didn’t come here…I mean, we need to stick together. I need to protect her, that’s what I’ve always done in times like these.”
  455. “She’s pretty important to you, I take it?”
  456. >”All my friends are important to me. Now get up, we have places to be.”
  457. “Excuse me?”
  458. >”I’ve got this plan, listen…”
  459. >You cut her off.
  460. “Rainbow, I’m not breaking the law to save your friend.”
  461. >”Who mentioned breaking the law? Listen, we just enter the store, find Fluttershy…”
  462. >You rub your temples.
  463.  
  464. “Rainbow, listen. I’ll look into it, but that’s it. You need to be patient until then. I don’t ‘need’ to do anything else. Let me set the record straight here. You work for me. Not the other way around. You don’t get to make plans. You don’t get to tell me what I need to do. You don’t get to wake me up in the middle of the night. I brought you to man the boat, and gut fish. If I feel you’re too much of a hassle to do that, I’ll find someone else. I’m in charge. We established this when I first bought you. Understand?”
  465. >Rainbow Dash just stares at you.
  466. >”Oh, I see how it is. When I do what you want, it’s all ‘oh, we’re partners in this, Rainbow. Don’t worry, we’ll work together.’ When I don’t, suddenly it’s ‘I’m in charge here, you must do whatever I say, no exceptions. I can replace you.’ You’re no different than anyone else.”
  467. “You’re my partner when you pull your share of the weight. This…this is not that. I’m all for giving you space, but this is illegal, unnecessary, and I’m not risking this whole business because you can’t wait a week. Now go back to bed.”
  468. >”Fluttershy can’t wait a week! She needs my help now!”
  469. >You rub the bridge of your nose.
  470. >And get up.
  471.  
  472. “How bad is it going to be?”
  473. >Seeing that you’re seemingly on board, Rainbow leaps backwards and starts tapping her feet faster, hopping in place.
  474. >Until she remembers what’s at stake.
  475. >”Those people are monsters, Anon. She’s gonna get raped, and beaten, and burned and…and…see this?”
  476. >Rainbow lifts one of her wings up, showing a large burn scar.
  477. >”They threw acid at me, Anon. Acid! Fluttershy’s the kindest, sweetest pony that ever lived, she’s not prepared for something like that. They’ll…they’ll break her so bad she’ll forget who she is. We need to help her.”
  478. >Arms crossing, you crouch down.
  479. “We will do what we can reasonably do. But we can’t rush something like this. Let’s say this plan works, what then? The police show up, both of you get taken away and never see each other again. Is that that you want?”
  480. >”Well, no, but…”
  481. >You try to slide your arm under Rainbow to pick her up, but she pushes against you.
  482. “Come with me, Dash.”
  483. >Wasting little time, you slip out onto the deck of the boat.
  484. >A cold night’s wind blows across the ocean, carrying the scent of salt.
  485. >The moon is awfully bright tonight.
  486. >Rainbow comes out a moment later.
  487. >You try to run a hand through her mane.
  488. >Try.
  489. “You see this ocean, Rainbow?”
  490. >She stares across the waves.
  491. >”Where is this going?”
  492.  
  493. “If we set sail right now, and went in a straight line, it would take the Celestia nearly a month to reach land.”
  494. >”And?”
  495. “And no matter how much you might wish otherwise, there’s no way to go faster. We must go at the pace Celestia decides, and no other. There’s no way around it; nothing you can do to force time to go faster. But…if you wait, the shore always comes. Patience is the only virtue that matters out there.”
  496. >She doesn’t say anything.
  497. “And yes, the ship could sink. We could be waylaid. The shore may never come. But these are the exception, not the rule. Patience wins in the end.”
  498. >You lock eyes with her.
  499. “Everyone’s waiting for something, Rainbow. Me. You. Fluttershy. We do what we can in the present to avoid it, but waiting is inevitable. And when we’ve done all we can, we hope our patience is rewarded. That we reach the shore.”
  500. >You begin to head back inside.
  501. “Which we will. Patience wins in the end.”
  502. >”I just…don’t want anyone to hurt her.”
  503. “And yet there is nothing that can be done but wait and hope she is stronger than you think. Now come back to bed. We’ve got work in the morning, and hopefully it’ll take your mind of the waiting.”
  504. >Pointing a finger at her, you pause.
  505. “You sure that burn doesn’t need a salve or something? Looks real bad.”
  506. >Dash snaps her attention away from the ocean.
  507. >”Huh? Oh, it always looks like that. My coat has trouble growing there.”
  508. “If you say so. Now I’m getting back to sleep…”
  509. >”Wait, Anon, before you do…can you promise me that we will help her? That she’ll come under our care? I mean, I don’t think you have much money, but…”
  510. >You don’t know what to say.
  511. “I’ll do what I can.”
  512.  
  513. >The water was orange today when you set off again.
  514. >The low hanging orb had awoken nearly as early as you did.
  515. >The sounds, the smell, the sights.
  516. >It’s all so exhilarating.
  517. >It reminds you exactly of why you chose this job every morning.
  518. >Rainbow is next to you, but still refuses to wear the hat.
  519. >Which is a shame, because you spent so long cutting holes for a pony’s ears in it.
  520. >Anyway, none of that mattered in the end.
  521. “Alright, Rainbow!”
  522. >She snaps out of her trance and faces you.
  523. >Quick to remove the tears from her eyes, quick to throw on a confident smile.
  524. >You could see right through it.
  525. >She’s not used to waiting.
  526. “Alright, Rainbow, today you learn how to use the Sounder.”
  527. >”The what?”
  528. >Tapping your hand on the top of the very large, very battered machine, you smile.
  529. “This thing. It finds fish.”
  530. >”Oh really? Yea…yea, I can do this, super simple.”
  531. >Sitting down in front of it, Rainbow scrunches her nose as a myriad of pixelated rainbow colours fill her vision.
  532. >”Um…this thing’s broken.
  533. “No it isn’t. Now, the first thing you need to know…”
  534. >”Listen Anon, I’ve broken a T.V before, I know what it looks like when the screen breaks. Thing’s busted.”
  535. “It’s supposed to look like that.”
  536. >”Really? This might be a bit more complicated than I thought. I thought you said it found fish, where are they?”
  537. >You point at one of the purple lines on the screen.
  538. “That arc right there is a fish.”
  539. >Rainbow’s jaw drops.
  540. >”It is? We gotta get the net down dude, that thing looks as big as the boat! We’re gonna catch a damn Kraken over here.”
  541. “It seems bigger because we’re moving.”
  542. >”Oh. So we’re not catching a Kraken?”
  543. “We don’t even have those on Earth.”
  544. >She giggles.
  545. >”Heh, that’s what we thought as well.”
  546. >That was the first time you’ve heard her laugh.
  547. >Ever.
  548. >It makes you smile in return.
  549.  
  550. >You’ve been explaining these concepts for several hours, and Rainbow just doesn’t seem to understand any of them.
  551. “It’s perfectly simple. If the fish are too low, you adjust the contrast to get you a clearer picture.”
  552. >”Which knob is that again?”
  553. >You sigh.
  554. “You know what? Let’s just take a break and try this again later. Maybe it’ll stick then.”
  555. >”Hey, I know I’m not the smartest pony, but I’m trying my best.”
  556. >Leaning against the railing, you simply take in the fresh sea air and try to clear your mind.
  557. >You can see Dash trying to do the same.
  558. >Whenever she’s working, you can tell she’s fine, but when she’s not…
  559. >You know her thoughts are drifting back to that pegasi in the window.
  560. >Leaning back further, you try to distract her a little.
  561. “Hey Rainbow, can I ask you a question?”
  562. >”I…I guess. You already know everything you need to about me though.”
  563. “How does being a weatherman in Equestria even work? Don’t you guys control the weather?”
  564. >”We don’t ‘control’ the weather. We ‘make’ the weather. Every cloud, every gust of wind, every lightning bolt, was specifically crafted by hoof. Then we bring it where it needs to be.”
  565. “Huh.”
  566. >You look a little disappointed.
  567. “Can you still control the weather though? Like…move clouds and things?”
  568. >”Maybe? I’ve never had the chance to try on these kinds of clouds.”
  569. “Could you try? Like, right now?”
  570. >She freezes.
  571. >”Ri…right now?”
  572. “Yea, like, fly up there and move the clouds around.”
  573. >Her eyes dart between you and the sky.
  574. >She looks nervous.
  575. >You...you want me to fly?”
  576.  
  577. >She takes a few steps forward.
  578. >A couple of cyan feathers fall to the deck as she spreads her wings, wincing when one rubs against her burn.
  579. >You’re no professional when it comes to ponies, or birds, but those wings clearly don’t look strong or thick enough to pull her into the air.
  580. >The closest description you can think of is ‘frayed.’
  581. >All twisted and breaking.
  582. >Rainbow gives them an experimental flap, clearing the ground around her.
  583. >You watch her take a deep breath, close her eyes and…
  584. >Sit there.
  585. >She doesn’t even try flapping them.
  586. >”You know what? It’s…it’s silly. You know we shouldn’t be wasting time like this; gotta get back to work. Money doesn’t grow on trees. We don’t have time to answer questions like this.”
  587. >Giving you a forced smile, she walks back to the Sounder.
  588. >”So how does this work again? We better start at the top, cause I don’t remember any of it.”
  589. >Shrugging, you take a couple steps forward and point at the screen.
  590. “See, this arc here is the fish, and when you can’t see it, why are you afraid of flying, Rainbow?”
  591. >She freezes again.
  592. >”What was that last part again?”
  593. “Why don’t you fly? Don’t you want to?”
  594. >For a moment, it looks like she won’t respond, until…
  595. >”I…can’t. Please don’t send me back.”
  596. >Leaning back, you look at her wings again.
  597. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
  598. >She notices, and hurries to correct herself.
  599. >”No no, you don’t understand. I can fly and there’s nothing I’d love more, I’m just…I’m not allowed to.”
  600.  
  601. “Not allowed to? Says who?”
  602. >She snaps at you, spinning in her chair quickly.
  603. >”Oh, I don’t know; everyone? All of humanity? Every time I try to fly, someone is there to pull me back to the ground. And then I get punished because of it! Every time. I can’t fly because nobody ever lets me!”
  604. >You try to comfort her, but she bats your hand away.
  605. “If you want to fly, Rainbow, you have my permission.”
  606. >Her hooves go to her head as she tries her best to keep eye contact.
  607. >”I know I’m allowed but…”
  608. >She pauses.
  609. >The words are hard to fit together, and she doesn’t know the majority she needs to express her thoughts.
  610. >”When I’m about to fly, I look over at you, and you’re… you. You’re a human! You’re just like them! And I know that if I try to fly, you’re just gonna catch and beat me. And my body doesn’t want that. My mind wants me to soar but it knows that nothing good is going to come of it so it keeps me grounded.”
  611. >You’re hurt.
  612. >Maybe this is to be expected though.
  613. >You only bought her a couple of days ago.
  614. “You don’t trust me.”
  615. >”It’s not my fault! I can’t control it. It’s like touching me. My body does it by itself. I look over at you watching and suddenly there’s lead in my stomach and I can’t breathe and my wings clamp up because they know how easily they break and I just can’t stop it. I can’t stop it.”
  616. >You look out at the wide, endless ocean around you.
  617. “If I bother you that much, I could go inside. Nobody out here to bring you down.”
  618. >”Thanks but if you know I’ve been flying, you’ll just wait until I get back to punish me. I mean, sorry. Sorry.”
  619. “No offense taken.”
  620. >”Besides, it’s no big deal right? Fluttershy can still fly. If there’s a job you need doing, Fluttershy’s the pegasi for you. Trust me, she’ll do anything you ask.”
  621. >You pursed your lips.
  622. “Let’s just get back to work, okay? We’ll discuss this back in port.”
  623.  
  624. >”Alright Anon, my turn to ask a question.”
  625. >You look at her.
  626. >Now that you think about it, neither of you actually knows that much about each other.
  627. >It was intentional, but you suppose sooner or later she’ll need to know.
  628. >Unless you get a new pony.
  629. “Sure, what’s up?”
  630. >”So it’s about the boat. I can’t help but notice it has a very…unique name.”
  631. >You smile.
  632. “Ah, so that’s what this is about. You think you’ve got it all figured out in your clever little pony head, eh?”
  633. >”Pony heads can’t be clever.”
  634. “You don’t believe that.”
  635. >”It’s what I’m supposed to say.”
  636. “According to who?”
  637. >”Everyone except you.”
  638. >Clearing her mind, Rainbow gets back to the question.
  639. >”Why’s the ship called Celestia?”
  640. >You shrug.
  641. “You’ll never believe this, but it’s actually a pony name. I’m not certain, but I’m sure it’s at least a little obscure. You guys usually have names like ‘Twinkle Bright,’ and ‘Blast Hardcheese,’ right?”
  642. >Dash just looks at you blankly.
  643. >After a moment, she opens her mouth.
  644. >”Obscure? You think the name ‘Celestia’ is obscure?”
  645. “Is it not?”
  646. >For some reason, Rainbow looks at you like you’re an idiot.
  647. >”You know who Celestia is, right? Like…WHO she IS?”
  648. “She’s a teacher? Or maybe a diplomat. You know, before everything went to shit for you guys after the whole...genocide thing.”
  649. >Even you have to admit that didn’t sound very confident.
  650. >”Anon, Celestia is royalty. She’s, like, the most important pony in the world. She raises the sun every morning and has done so for thousands of years.”
  651. >You chuckle.
  652. “Are we thinking of the same Celestia?”
  653. >”White coat, flowing mane, sun cutie mark?”
  654. “Yea, that’s her.”
  655. >You chuckle again.
  656. “Royalty? Nah. Nah, we’re thinking of different ponies here.”
  657. >”I’m being serious, Anon. Celestia is a princess.”
  658. “No, you’re joshing me.”
  659. >”Anon!”
  660.  
  661. >You reach forward to pet her head unsuccessfully.
  662. “Rainbow, of course she’s a princess. She’s been on international television. Everyone knows who she is.”
  663. >”But…but then why…”
  664. “Because you look cute when you’re confused.”
  665. >She scrunches her nose.
  666. >You think it’s supposed to make her look mad, but it only reinforces your point.
  667. >Seeing that her indignant anger only makes you smile, she head-butts your leg.
  668. >”Anon! Be serious!”
  669. >You chuckle.
  670. ”Alright, alright, serious.”
  671. >“So what’s the deal?”
  672. “People name ships after deities all the time. Why’s Celestia different?”
  673. >”Celestia is NOT a…whatever that is. She is a perfect and respected pony and you won’t call her such things.”
  674. “Deity means goddess.”
  675. >”Celestia is not a goddess.”
  676. “We clearly have very different opinions then.”
  677. >Rainbow is quiet for a moment.
  678. >”She’s not. Cause if she was, I mean, I wouldn’t be here, right? She would have…stopped all this already.”
  679. >You don’t even wait.
  680. “I’m sure she has her reasons. Someone like her always does. You just gotta be patient.”
  681. >”Yea, I’m sure that’s easy for you. You’re not the one actually waiting.”
  682. >You shrug.
  683.  
  684. >“So there is no story?”
  685. “I work as a fisherman on a boat, Rainbow. Why would there be a story? In what universe does a guy like me get to meet a literal princess? I can barely get a meeting with the mayor and you’re expecting me to have some grand story involving the goddess of the sun? Get real.”
  686. >”Oh.”
  687. >She looks disappointed.
  688. “I saw her on T.V. and decided the name was perfect for my new boat. End of story. Plus…I mean, you know…”
  689. >She cocks her head sideways, nearly hitting it on the Sounder.
  690. >”I know what?”
  691. >You gesture with your hands.
  692. “You know…she’s kind of…hot, you know?”
  693. >Rainbow stares at you for a moment.
  694. >Before her face recoils in disgust.
  695. >”Ew. Ew, ew, ew. No. You can’t say something like that about Celestia! That’s not…she’s like a mother to us! You don’t call your friend’s mom hot!”
  696. “Really? I thought you’d agree.”
  697. >”Ew. Why?”
  698. “Because you’re into that, right? Mares?”
  699. >She starts to shout, but you swear you can see her cheeks flush under her fur.
  700. >”I’M NOT GAY! I WAS JUST BORN WITH RAINBOW HAIR!”
  701. “It’s destiny then, don’t fight it.”
  702. >”I’M NOT INTERESTED IN MARES!”
  703. “Why not? I am.”
  704. >”I’M STRAIGHT!”
  705. “Whatever you say.”
  706. >”I AM, I’M…you’re doing this on purpose.”
  707. >Obviously. Your smile gave it away.
  708. >Rainbow blushes harder and swings back to face the screen.
  709. >”Let’s just…forget this entire conversation.”
  710. “Fine. Fine. So back to the Sounder.”
  711. >You didn’t catch many fish that day, but you had fun, which was nearly as important.
  712.  
  713. >The sea was calm and golden as the sun rose in front of you.
  714. >Rituals and stuff. Gotta see the sun rise. Bad luck not to.
  715. >Felt like you needed a lot of luck today.
  716. >There was a noise behind you, which was fine, because you were finished anyway.
  717. >Rainbow Dash looked…anxious.
  718. >But she was glad to see you awake already.
  719. >”Oh, you’re already up. Come on, we gotta get our flanks in gear. We can’t wait, you gotta get there first. ‘Shy’s waiting for us.”
  720. >You look back at the sea.
  721. >There was still plenty of time before the auction.
  722. >No need to rush things.
  723. >Besides, you still had a lot to think about.
  724. >You…really couldn’t afford this.
  725. >Rainbow herself was stretching it, and you got her cheap.
  726. >You just didn’t have the money or the income or the need or the time for a second pony.
  727. >You liked to think you were a generous, kind person but…
  728. >Throwing away all that money for a slave?
  729. >One that, to be honest, wasn’t that fantastic anyway?
  730. >And probably wouldn’t ever truly even feel comfortable around you?
  731. >And that you knew nothing about?
  732. >She wouldn’t even wear the hat, for fucks sake.
  733. >There were limits to everything.
  734. >And on top of that, you weren’t sure you even wanted to bother.
  735. >Just replace Rainbow with someone who’d be easier, more complacent.
  736. >It was the obvious thing to do.
  737. >It was the easy thing to do.
  738. >It’s what every normal person would have done.
  739. >Then again, you weren’t exactly normal.
  740. >Sighing, you slipped your hands into your pocket.
  741. “Alright, Rainbow. Let’s go save your friend. Just…”
  742. >You’re not sure what to say.
  743. “Don’t get your hopes too high.”
  744.  
  745. >You arrived early.
  746. >Of course you did.
  747. >Rainbow was restless.
  748. >To your surprise, a crowd had already gathered, and the owner was funnelling people in.
  749. >Making sure to keep an eye on Rainbow, you joined the line.
  750. >She had refused to wear a leash, but had conceded under pressure.
  751. >The building swallowed the two of you quickly.
  752. >Truth be told, you hated places like this.
  753. >Even if it wasn’t full of cages, whips, and saddles.
  754. >The smells, the sticky floors, the stale air.
  755. >Like sitting in a submarine.
  756. >You much preferred the outside.
  757. >A man nearly twice your size and strength gives you a nod as you walk deeper into the store.
  758. >No points for guessing what his job was.
  759. >Rainbow hasn’t stopped looking around since you entered.
  760. >You can tell she hates this place nearly as much as you do, but forces herself to take everything in.
  761. >Just in case.
  762. >A pair of doors swing open somewhere, and the crowd moves.
  763. >This next room is…nicer.
  764. >Cleaner, at least.
  765. >Chairs fill the centre, facing towards a small wooden stage against the back wall.
  766. >Doors leading deeper into the store line the back of the room.
  767. >Rainbow makes you sit at the front.
  768. >Can’t risk not being seen.
  769. >Other people begin to take their seats as well.
  770. >You can’t help but notice that everyone else looks, well, richer than you.
  771. >A man in the corner even has two ponies with him.
  772. >But of course, you weren’t really here to impress anyone.
  773.  
  774. >You got the swing of things quickly.
  775. >Well, you had seen this before.
  776. >Done this before.
  777. >You’d forgotten to get one of those paddles with the numbers on them, but you didn’t think it mattered.
  778. >Wasn’t like you weren’t noticeable enough.
  779. >Besides, crowd wasn’t as big as you’d seen.
  780. >No reason to panic.
  781. >Procedure was fairly simple.
  782. >Someone would drag a pony out from the back, place them in the open, and another man would list off anything an owner would need to know.
  783. >Age, health, talents, training.
  784. >Sometimes the ponies came out willingly, but those ones creeped you out the most.
  785. >At least Rainbow hadn’t given up completely.
  786. >Speaking of, she’s handling this surprisingly well.
  787. >Very determined.
  788. “See anyone else you recognize, maybe we should buy them too.”
  789. >Rainbow just looked at you.
  790. >”Can you please not be a fucking dickhead until Fluttershy is safe?”
  791. >Dickhead?
  792. >You furrow your brow.
  793. >Maybe you sounded sarcastic?
  794. >You were on edge.
  795. >That was probably it.
  796. >And then, finally, they brought her out.
  797.  
  798. >Rainbow nearly jumped out of her seat and onto the stage, but your swift hand kept in place.
  799. >Fluttershy looked…awful.
  800. >Her mane was much shorter than you remember.
  801. >You think they also tried to shave her cutie mark off, but all that accomplished was a bunch of sickeningly red lines across her flank.
  802. >She walked slowly, only hurried along whenever someone pulled the chain around her neck.
  803. >Her wings…
  804. >Rainbow swallowed nervously and changed the subject.
  805. >”Does…does she have a black eye? I can’t tell from here.”
  806. >You look.
  807. “Yes. On her left.”
  808. >”You mean right.”
  809. >You double check.
  810. >You had a sinking feeling you were both right.
  811. >Confined to her seat, Rainbow instead tried to flag down her attention.
  812. >Loudly.
  813. >”Fluttershy! It’s me! Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. We’re here for you.”
  814. >The eyes of the crowd quickly settle on you.
  815. >Unhappily, you rap Rainbow’s side with your hand.
  816. “Quiet down there, okay, Dash? Keep everything under control.”
  817. >She doesn’t stop talking, but she does drop to a whisper.
  818. >You’re not sure if Fluttershy can still hear her, but to be fair, Fluttershy hadn’t reacted the first time either.
  819. >”’Shy. Don’t worry. We’re here now. You just need to wait a little longer.”
  820.  
  821. >The man on stage shuffled through some papers, eventually coming to the ones he was looking for.
  822. >He shoots Rainbow a dirty look before beginning.
  823. >”Next pony: Fluttershy.”
  824. >He begins to list through the needed details.
  825. >Age, training, health. Important things a person should know about their slave.
  826. >You raise an eyebrow when he mentions that she used to be a national hero back in Equestria, but otherwise, everything was as you had expected.
  827. >She really didn’t look like a hero.
  828. >It was also no surprise she was considered ‘completely subservient.’
  829. >Rainbow had made it clear she wasn’t the kind of pony to put up a fight.
  830. >There was a call from a man behind you, and the seller paused for a moment to let him speak.
  831. >”Can she still fly?”
  832. >”Lamely. I assure you, attempted escapes won’t be a concern. We offer free clippings if you want to be sure.”
  833. >Rainbow shivered.
  834. >Seemingly content, the man on stage continued, eventually reaching the end.
  835. >Tapping a gavel on his podium, the man pointed at Fluttershy.
  836. >”Let’s start the bidding at a low twenty thousand. I’d be prepared to shill out big money for this one, folks. It looks like someone’s already got their eye on her. Must have a pegasi fetish, eh?”
  837. >Shit.
  838. >That was already more than half of what you were willing to part with.
  839. >The average price was around thirty.
  840. >You were hoping Fluttershy’s lack of strength, skills and general use would make her cheaper.
  841. >Rainbow poked you on the shoulder.
  842. >”Come on, place the bid already. We gotta get out of here.”
  843. >You sigh.
  844. >No point in trying to not look desperate now.
  845. >Rainbow fucked that up.
  846. >You raise your hand.
  847.  
  848. >The man takes your bid.
  849. >For a moment, it looks like no one is going to match you.
  850. >Maybe you could actually buy Fluttershy right here, right now. That would take care of the hard part, at least.
  851. >A bit of good luck, perhaps?
  852. >It passes quickly.
  853. >The auctioneer points at a man somewhere behind you, and the price rises.
  854. >It does so again, and again.
  855. >Higher and higher.
  856. >Rainbow Dash won’t sit still in her seat.
  857. >She keeps trying to look at everyone, keep an eye on Fluttershy and coerce you into raising your hand all at the same time.
  858. >She’s so agitated her wings have opened up and won’t stop poking you in the side.
  859. >Another man places a bid.
  860. >”Thirty thousand. Can we get any higher, what about you, sir? Anything to add?”
  861. >He points at you.
  862. >You decide to go all in. Maybe scare the others off.
  863. ”Thirty-Five.”
  864. >It was the most you had.
  865. >Hell, it was already more than the most you had.
  866. >You’d find a way.
  867. >The man accepts it and moves on.
  868. >There is a period of silence.
  869. >You look through the musky room.
  870. >Most of the other people seem to have given up.
  871. >That was good.
  872. >Maybe everything was going to work…
  873. >”Forty thousand.”
  874.  
  875. >The man in the corner lowers his paddle.
  876. >His two ponies look up at him in surprise.
  877. >The seller is quiet for a moment, before springing back into action.
  878. >”Forty Thousand. Can we get any higher, are you willing to beat him, sir?”
  879. >You can feel the eyes of the crowd burning into your back.
  880. >Rainbow Dash has placed both hooves against your side, throwing her weight onto you.
  881. >She looks at you with the same large, tired, scared eyes you’d seen on many a pony.
  882. >”A…Anon. You gotta. We…we need to.”
  883. >You…really can’t.
  884. >Twisting around, you try to get a better look at the man bidding against you.
  885. >His ponies certainly don’t look terrible.
  886. >One even looked pregnant, so that was a good sign, right?
  887. >At least he wasn’t forcing her to…get rid of it.
  888. >They were smiling, they didn’t have any noticeable bruises or cuts.
  889. >Fluttershy might, well, she could, it was possible she would be safe with him.
  890. >It wasn’t as bad as it could be.
  891. >Then you looked back at Fluttershy.
  892. >She was looking at you for probably the first time since you’d seen her.
  893. >You look away.
  894. >And slowly raise your hand.
  895.  
  896. “Forty-One.”
  897. >The call comes out before the auctioneer can even credit you.
  898. >”Forty-Five.”
  899. >Well, that settles it, you suppose.
  900. >Rainbow Dash looks at you expectantly.
  901. >You cross your hands.
  902. >With a shake of your head, you signal your feelings to the auctioneer.
  903. >To her credit, Rainbow waits a moment, perhaps believing you’re just waiting for the right moment, before giving you another shove.
  904. >”C’mon, man. You’re gonna let a guy like that beat you? Place the bid.”
  905. >You shake your head again.
  906. >The auctioneer begins to scan the crowd to see if there are any other takers.
  907. “No. No, I’m done, Rainbow.”
  908. >”What do you mean you’re done? Anon, we need to save Fluttershy, c’mon.”
  909. “I’m done, Rainbow.”
  910. >There’s another brief moment where her head refuses to listen to you.
  911. >”No you’re not, we need to save Fluttershy!”
  912. >The auctioneer bangs his gavel.
  913. >”Going once.”
  914. >Rainbow begins to shake you harder.
  915. >”No, seriously Anon, this isn’t funny. Buy my friend.”
  916. “No.”
  917. >”You promised me you would! You promised me!”
  918. “I said I would do everything I could.”
  919. >”You can do more! Trust me!”
  920. >There’s another bang.
  921. >”Going twice.”
  922. >Tears are beginning to spring into Rainbow’s eyes.
  923. >”Please. Please, I’ll do anything. Just save her, please.”
  924. >You stop looking at her, so she tries harder to grab your attention.
  925. >”Look at me Anon, I’m begging. Please, I’ll do anything you want, no questions. I’ll wear the hat, I’ll do anything, but please! Please! She’ll die! Please.”
  926. >You offer no comment as the hammer falls again.
  927. >”Sold.”
  928.  
  929. >Rainbow freezes.
  930. >She’s still pressing against your side, but she’s not moving.
  931. >Her breath visually rises and falls in her chest.
  932. >Obviously, her mind is trying to comprehend and comes to terms with what just happened.
  933. >The tears on her face become bigger, but she’s a strong girl, and her pride still won’t let her openly cry in front of you.
  934. >Especially not in a place like this.
  935. >You watch as Fluttershy is lead down from the stage.
  936. >She looks at you, but her face is blank.
  937. >You don’t think she was expecting much from you anyway.
  938. >After all, why would a human try to help her?
  939. >There’s a shift to your side as Rainbow finally comes to.
  940. >Hurt, indignant anger is apparent on her face.
  941. >If you look closely, she might be shaking.
  942. >”Fu—“
  943. >She pauses, swallowing back tears.
  944. >”Fuck you.”
  945. “Rainbow…”
  946. >”Don’t give me that! You promised!”
  947. “Dash, stop shouting, we can discuss this at home.”
  948. >Rainbow shakes her head.
  949. >”You think I give a shit what these assholes think? I care what you think, and you promised me, you liar! You promised that we’d save ‘Shy!”
  950. “I didn’t promise shit, if you can even remember. I said I’d try. I failed, and that’s the end of that. If you really have such a problem with that, well, guess where we are, Rainbow. I could buy a new pony right now.”
  951. >”Fuck you. You won’t get rid of me; you’re just a giant pussy.”
  952. “Don’t push it. Now get up, we’re leaving.”
  953. >Rainbow stays in her seat.
  954. “Come on.”
  955. >”Fuck you.”
  956. “Rainbow, forget about Fluttershy and let’s go.”
  957. >”Fuck you!”
  958. >Before you can react, Rainbow makes a swing at your head.
  959. >It connects solidly, sending a ringing through your ears.
  960. >You can still feel it burning as you stand up and grit your teeth.
  961. >A look of shock passes over Rainbow’s face.
  962. >At least Rainbow is smart enough to know when she’s fucked up.
  963. >She wants to play this game, fine, you can play this game.
  964. >It’ll be just like the old days.
  965.  
  966. >Reaching down, Rainbow tries to recoil away from your hand, burrowing into the back of her seat.
  967. >You’re not having any of that.
  968. >She moves to dodge, but you counter, grabbing a large section of her mane.
  969. >You might have gotten her ear as well.
  970. >With a powerful pull, you force her to her feet.
  971. >She gasps from the sudden pain, and stumbles, but you don’t wait for her to recover.
  972. >This is what happens when you try to help people.
  973. >Things get difficult.
  974. >Shoulda just gotten a nice, broken slave.
  975. >Much less stress, much less work.
  976. >But noooo, you got impatient, had to go looking for something that wasn’t there.
  977. >That couldn’t be there.
  978. >Waiting, that’s all it really came down to. You just had to wait a little longer.
  979. >Pulling her along, you and Rainbow make your way to the door.
  980. >Rainbow is already stammering out excuses, but you’re not listening.
  981. >”Ow, ow, alright, I’m coming, I’m coming. Stop pulling, please. Ow.”
  982. “Shut up.”
  983. >She stops talking.
  984. >Leaving the room, you take a few more steps to be safe, and drop Rainbow to the floor.
  985. >She falls like a slab of meat.
  986. >She cowers as you turn around.
  987. >And yet she’s…smiling?
  988. >Obviously she still looks sad, and scared, and just a touch angry, but there’s definitely the hint of a smile on her lips.
  989. >You take a step closer, and she flinches, tucking her wings into her sides.
  990. >”Fi-finally. Just get it over with. Just beat me already. Please, finally. I deserve this.”
  991. >Her comment causes you to pause.
  992. >”Just don’t hurt my wings. I know I can’t use them, but… just do it already. Beat me! Whip me! Anything!”
  993. >Your face still hurts, but it seems duller now.
  994. >Less fiery.
  995. >She chances a glance at you.
  996. >”Do it! What are you waiting for? C’mon! Go for the burn, it hurts more there!”
  997. >Taking a deep breath to calm down, you crouch down next to her.
  998. “Now Dash, do you remember what I said, back when we first met?”
  999.  
  1000. >”That you’d sell me if I didn’t do a good job?”
  1001. >You reach out to her.
  1002. >Slowly, and carefully.
  1003. >She flinches as your hand rests on her coat, but compared to what she was expecting, it’s bliss.
  1004. >Gently, you begin to move it.
  1005. >Rainbow is shaking.
  1006. “Not that. The other thing.”
  1007. >”That you sometimes use ponies as fish bait?”
  1008. “No. I said, no one should want to be beaten. Now, I think we can both agree on that now, yes?”
  1009. >Rainbow doesn’t respond.
  1010. “Yes?”
  1011. >Her reply is muffled.
  1012. >”Yes.”
  1013. “Good. Now get back up. You’re a strong pony and you shouldn’t be cowering on the floor.”
  1014. >Twisting her head back, Rainbow looks at you.
  1015. >She’s hurt.
  1016. >”Why don’t you just pull me up, huh?”
  1017. >You stand back up.
  1018. “Don’t act like you’re completely innocent here. I’ll get to your punishment later. Just not here.”
  1019. >”Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize my kidnapping and enslavement didn’t count as excuses. And now Fluttershy is…”
  1020. >She stops.
  1021. >”She’s gonna die.”
  1022. “It’s not that bad.”
  1023. >”She’s gonna die, Anon, and I have to sit still and watch it happen.”
  1024. >You offer a hand up.
  1025. >She rejects it, pushing herself back to her feet.
  1026. “No. No one is going to die. You know why?”
  1027. >”Why?”
  1028. “Because you’re right. I lied. We haven’t done everything we can yet. Now sit still, and very carefully consider this question. How much are you willing to give up to save your friend?”
  1029. >Rainbow didn’t even hesitate.
  1030. >”Everything.”
  1031. “Good. Keep that in mind.”
  1032.  
  1033. >You find a comfortable wall to lean against while you wait.
  1034. >One that wasn’t covered in whips, saddles, gags, blindfolds and what you really hoped weren’t tools for artificial insemination, but were most likely tools for artificial insemination.
  1035. >Maybe you should buy a whip.
  1036. >You know, as a joke.
  1037. >It would probably be in bad taste though, considering Rainbow can barely look at you without flinching.
  1038. >Speaking of, you still needed to think of a punishment for her.
  1039. >You didn’t really have anything planned, but you were smart enough to know you couldn’t just let something like this go.
  1040. >Sure, she over-reacted, but you were still in charge here.
  1041. >Needed to rein her in.
  1042. >Eh, it didn’t matter. You’d think of something.
  1043. >Assuming your plan failed.
  1044. >As you wait, the auction ends.
  1045. >A couple of the bidders give you dirty looks as they leave, sad faces trailing behind them.
  1046. >A couple others give you the opposite.
  1047. >An understanding smile.
  1048. >A gentle touch.
  1049. >But you didn’t care.
  1050. >You hadn’t found the person you were looking for yet.
  1051. >Rainbow is looking anxious, but, like you said, you only need to wait.
  1052. >Until…
  1053. >He appears.
  1054.  
  1055. >If his clothing didn’t give him away, his harem of ponies sure did.
  1056. >More so now that it included a small ball of yellow fur.
  1057. >You weren’t sure what you were going to say.
  1058. >You weren’t sure if it was going to be enough.
  1059. >But more unlikely things had happened.
  1060. >It was worth a shot.
  1061. >Signalling Rainbow to stand up, you push off the wall and get walking.
  1062. >His ponies notice you before he does.
  1063. >Now that you’re closer, you can see that his ponies are actually very well kept.
  1064. >Clean, happy, healthy.
  1065. >At least things won’t be awful if you fail.
  1066. >Or awful if you succeed.
  1067. “Hey friend, do you have a moment? I’m Anonymous.”
  1068. >The man stares at you, looking you over.
  1069. >After a moment, he smiles, and extends his hand.
  1070. >”Ah yes. You’re the one who owns Rainbow Dash. I can’t express how jealous I am. I bet you’re sitting on cloud nine, eh? Just…not right now, obviously.”
  1071. >You grab his hand.
  1072. “Excuse me?”
  1073. >”Stroke of great luck, I heard. Can you believe the one time I’m out of town, they bring in Rainbow fucking Dash? Incredible. You’re a very fortunate man, even if she can be a little…emotional.”
  1074. >You?
  1075. >Fortunate?
  1076. >Rainbow’s been nothing but a pain in your side since you bought her.
  1077. “Excuse me?”
  1078. >”Well, she’s the fastest Pegasus ever, isn’t she? Sometimes I wonder if the others see the true value in her. She’s probably going to make you a millionare. Very envious.”
  1079. >You open your mouth to continue, but the man cuts you off.
  1080. >”Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Jacob.”
  1081. >You steel yourself again.
  1082. “Nice to meet you. Listen, this is about Fluttershy. I know you spent a lot of money on her, but listen; you don’t really want a pony like her. She’s not good at labour, she can’t create anything, and she’s probably terrible in bed. What can she even do?”
  1083. >Jacob just continuing smile, glancing down at Fluttershy’s prone form.
  1084. >”I wouldn’t worry. My job doesn’t require much.”
  1085. “What…what is it you do again?”
  1086. >Running a hand along the head of one of his ponies, Jacob answers.
  1087. >”I’m a breeder.”
  1088. >Out of the corner of your eye, Rainbow tenses up.
  1089. >Fluttershy even reacts, a shiver visibly running down her spine.
  1090. >You’re not sure what to say.
  1091. >Obviously breeders existed, that was a given.
  1092. >Ponies sold for a lot, it was a lucrative market.
  1093. >You just didn’t expect them to look like Jacob.
  1094. “You’re a breeder?”
  1095. >”Yes. I admit, I don’t have much yet, it has only been four years, but the sooner you get into a market like that, the better.”
  1096. “Isn’t that a bit…morally wrong? I mean, who even says this whole slave thing is going to last long enough for something like that?”
  1097. >”The American slave trade lasted nearly three hundred years.”
  1098. >You struggle to put the words together.
  1099. “Yea but…isn’t it wrong?”
  1100. >At this, Jacob’s smile faded.
  1101. >Shit. You needed to stop beating around the bush. Needed to get on his good side for what you wanted to ask next.
  1102. >”Is it any more ‘wrong’ than what they did to us? Maybe they shouldn’t have picked a fight they couldn’t win. I had friends in Equestria; frankly, they deserve everything that happens to them.”
  1103. >You couldn’t argue with that.
  1104.  
  1105. >Glancing over at Rainbow, you see she’s got a guilty look on her face.
  1106. >Still…
  1107. >”Though, I do understand your point. It is a bit wrong, isn’t it?”
  1108. >Seeing things get back on track makes you perk up.
  1109. “Of course.”
  1110. >”That’s why I make sure never to force them into it. If they don’t want to have children, that’s entirely their decision. They just have to say no. Isn’t that right, Coffee? It’s all consensual.”
  1111. >The pony at his side looks up at him.
  1112. >”Yes, Master.”
  1113. “Wait, so all they have to do is say no? And you’re not gonna beat them or force them to fuck or anything?”
  1114. >”Unlike them, I’m not a barbarian. Besides, it doesn’t matter, they’re not going to say no.”
  1115. >That causes you to furrow your brow.
  1116. >You knew you should just get to the point, but the question still imprinted itself in your mind.
  1117. “Why won’t they say no?”
  1118. >”Because of the implication, obviously.”
  1119. “Implication?”
  1120.  
  1121. >There’s a sinking feeling in your stomach that you already know what he’s going to say.
  1122. >It’s far heavier, and personal, than you’d like.
  1123. >You can’t see it, but Dash is shooting him the dirtiest look she can.
  1124. >Evidently, she’s figured it out as well.
  1125. >”Well, think of it from their perspective.”
  1126. >He begins.
  1127. >”You’ve just spent the last two weeks in the bottom of a boat with twenty other ponies, all of you starving, thirsty and tired. Far, far more different than the idyllic life you were living. They surface, and you’re pulled into a world where the air smells different and no one will treat you kindly. You’re pulled by the ear into yet another dark room where strange men take turns trying to remodel your mind to make you more submissive while simultaneously beating you for the smallest infractions. You’re there for weeks.”
  1128. >You nod, slightly disgusted.
  1129. >”After all that, they still don’t feed you, you’ve lost several pounds and probably more than a few teeth, and you’re dragged out onto a stage full of blinding lights in front of a group of scary looking humans. You’ve heard stories about what they do to ponies on Earth. You’re terrified.”
  1130. “Understandably.”
  1131. >”Someone (me) finally buys you, and then everything changes. You get three meals a day again, you’re allowed out into the sun, you get your own room. Maybe you even meet a friend or two. Everything is normal again. And if that someone asks you kindly to put out, are you going to say no?”
  1132. >Rainbow is still staring at him.
  1133. >”After all, what if you do and he gets rid of you? He’s already done so much. What if he gets a pony that WILL put out, and you get sent back to that dark room? It’s a small price.”
  1134. >Rainbow makes a weird face.
  1135. >”Yea, all you want is their firstborn foal, what’s the big deal?”
  1136.  
  1137. “That’s…one way of looking at it, I guess.”
  1138. >Jacob scoffs.
  1139. >”Oh, and you’re so perfect? Do you expect me to believe you’ve never threatened to sell your ponies if they don’t do well enough? It’s an implication; we both know we’re not going to do it. Probably. They don’t know that though, hence the implication.”
  1140. >You remained silent.
  1141. >It was different when you did it.
  1142. >You actually meant it.
  1143. >You think.
  1144. >Honestly, you weren’t sure.
  1145. >It didn’t matter though.
  1146. >It was different, you weren’t raping ponies.
  1147. >Weren’t planning to rape…
  1148. >Well, getting back on subject.
  1149. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Fluttershy for a moment.”
  1150. >”Right. I noticed you were kind of itching on buying her. Is this a blackmail thing for Rainbow or do you actually just have a fetish for ponies with wings?”
  1151. >Neither.
  1152. “I know you paid a lot for her, but I want to make a trade.”
  1153. >Jacob scoffs.
  1154. >”I don’t think you have…”
  1155. “I’ll give you Rainbow Dash and twenty thousand, right now.”
  1156. >You could hear a pin drop.
  1157. >Not literally, because the room was still noisy, but metaphorically, because neither of you were speaking.
  1158. >Rainbow looked shocked, but was otherwise nodding.
  1159. >She’d go along with anything to save Fluttershy, as you were expecting.
  1160. >Putting his hands in his pocket, Jacob leans back.
  1161. >”That is tempting, I’ll give you that. What’s the catch?”
  1162. “There is none. I just want that pony.”
  1163. >Pointing at Rainbow, Jacob takes a step towards her.
  1164. >”You mind if a take a look at her then?”
  1165. >Rainbow flinches as he comes closer and you silently ask her to stay calm.
  1166. “Not at all.”
  1167. >He passes Fluttershy’s leash to one of his other ponies, and crouches down.
  1168.  
  1169. >Starting with her wings, Jacob pulls on them roughly, forcing Rainbow to spread them.
  1170. >She takes a deep breath and focuses on Fluttershy as he does.
  1171. >His fingers run along the base of the feathers, occasionally stopping whenever he finds one of the many gaps in them.
  1172. >Experimentally, he tries to pull one out.
  1173. >It doesn’t work, but Dash clearly felt the effort.
  1174. >Closing them, Jacob focuses on Rainbow’s ruined coat.
  1175. >”Pretty bad burn here. You do this?”
  1176. >He pokes it, causing Rainbow to gasp.
  1177. >You can see she’s barely keeping it together.
  1178. “No, no, that wasn’t me.”
  1179. >”Shame.”
  1180. >He moves around until he’s behind Rainbow and crouches down again.
  1181. >”Move the tail, please.”
  1182. >Rainbow hesitates.
  1183. >She’s doing her best to hide the shaking in her legs, and is just barely restraining herself enough to not kick Jacob in the face.
  1184. >”Well?”
  1185. >Slowly, Rainbow does, blushing.
  1186. >”She a virgin?”
  1187. “I don’t kno—“
  1188. >”No.”
  1189. >Rainbow answers, through grit teeth.
  1190. >Well, that’s that.
  1191. >”Well, can’t all be winners.”
  1192. >Jacob says, standing back up.
  1193.  
  1194. >”I’ve got some concerns about how well trained she is. I like to give my ponies certain…freedoms, and I need to know she’s responsible enough not to abuse them. And considering what happened in there, I don’t think she’s up for it.”
  1195. >Rainbow curses under her breath.
  1196. “She’ll, uh, do anything you tell her to.”
  1197. >Crouching down in front of Rainbow, Jacob continued.
  1198. >Roughly, he grabbed her mouth, pulling it open to inspect her teeth.
  1199. >”Well, that’s not really the issue, is it? Someone can be obedient in action, but always plot differently. I need to know if she can restrain herself even if I’m not around.”
  1200. “She’ll behave, trust me.”
  1201. >”I’ll take your word for it. How well do you think she—“
  1202. >Jacob lets out a loud scream, pulling his hand back sharply.
  1203. >There’s a clear bite mark on it.
  1204. >Rainbow is frozen for a moment, before the dam she was holding back finally breaks.
  1205. >Legs giving out, she falls to the ground and crumbles into a small ball.
  1206. >Her breaths are short and light, struggling through clenched teeth.
  1207. >She’s shaking.
  1208. >Looking back to Jacob; he’s nursing his hand.
  1209. >The wound is mostly superficial.
  1210. >You suspect it hurts less than it looks.
  1211. >He takes a few deep breaths before turning back to Rainbow Dash.
  1212. >Before you can react, he’s pulling her back to her feet.
  1213. >”I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It was an accident, I couldn’t help it, please don’t!”
  1214. >He raises his arm, but before he can bring it down, you stop him.
  1215. >He’s confused for a second, before coming to his senses.
  1216. >His muscles relax, and you release his arm.
  1217. >Rainbow is giving you a relieved smile.
  1218. >Which is quickly wiped off her face when Jacob strikes her anyway.
  1219.  
  1220. >She hits the ground hard.
  1221. >Jacob takes Fluttershy’s leash back from his ponies, and silently rubs his injured hand.
  1222. >”Sorry about that. We can both agree she needed it. I’ll leave the rest to you, alright?”
  1223. >Right.
  1224. >’The rest.’
  1225. >Now you had another thing to punish Rainbow for.
  1226. >Though you suspect the implications of what she just did might be enough.
  1227. >But first…
  1228. “Don’t touch my partner.”
  1229. >Turning to leave, Jacob pauses for a moment and pulls a small notebook out of his clothes.
  1230. >You’re pretty sure he ignored you.
  1231. >He writes something on it, before turning back to you.
  1232. >”I am interested in Rainbow Dash, but not as she is now. Make her obey, and we’d have a deal.”
  1233. >Slowly, Rainbow rises back to her unsteady hooves.
  1234. >”When you think she’s ready, just give me a call, alright? I’ll try to keep Fluttershy safe but, well, if she consents, there’s not really anything I can do to say ‘no,’ now is there?”
  1235. >He passes you the number, and turns to leave for good.
  1236. >The paper makes you feel dirty.
  1237. >As you stare down at it, Rainbow takes a few uncertain steps forward; quickly cutting Jacob off.
  1238. >”Wait, please. I…I need to talk to her.”
  1239. >Jacob pauses, if only for a moment, so Dash continues.
  1240. >”Please, it’s been so long. I can’t…I need to talk to her again. Just a minute, please.”
  1241. >Contemplating it, Jacob shrugs.
  1242. >You can tell he doesn’t want to, especially considering his injured hand, but in the end…
  1243. >”I don’t see the harm. Just make it quick.”
  1244. >Pulling on the leash in his hand, he coaxed Fluttershy closer.
  1245.  
  1246. >She unravelled like a present in front of Rainbow Dash.
  1247. >Legs forced themselves to stick to the ground, wings pressed against her side.
  1248. >It looked like she was still trying to hide behind her none existent mane.
  1249. >She seemed scared to move, but gives Rainbow a forced smile anyway.
  1250. >Wasting no time, Rainbow near tackles her, pulling her into one of the tightest hugs you’ve ever seen.
  1251. >A second later, Fluttershy began squeezing back.
  1252. >Tears crop into Rainbow’s eyes, but she fights them back.
  1253. >”Don’t worry, Shy. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine. Just keep saying ‘no,’ okay? Don’t let anyone here push you around. Everything is going to fine.”
  1254. >Now Fluttershy is crying.
  1255. >”What happened to everyone else? Are they okay? What are you doing here? Twilight was supposed to be keeping you safe! It’s okay to cry, I’m here now. Don’t worry.”
  1256. >Fluttershy can’t form words.
  1257. >”We just need to keep waiting. Just a little longer. Twilight said she was coming for me, and she’ll be coming for you too now. Everything’s going to be fine. We just need to keep waiting.”
  1258. >Fluttershy just cries harder.
  1259. >Jacob is beginning to look impatient.
  1260. >”’Shy, ‘Shy, don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”
  1261. >Swallowing back her tears and clearing her throat, Fluttershy leans in closer to Rainbow.
  1262. >When she speaks, it’s rough and sharp.
  1263. >Like a broken mirror.
  1264. >”Ra…Rainbow. They…They took her horn. She can’t…no one’s coming for us. No one’s coming.”
  1265. >You can physically see Rainbow process this, but all she does is hold Fluttershy tighter.
  1266. >”Wh…what?”
  1267. >”No one’s coming. They got…they got Twilight. And Applejack. And everyone. No one’s coming to save us.”
  1268. >Fluttershy breaks down harder; Rainbow providing little comfort.
  1269. >They sit in wordless silence, until finally, Jacob runs out of patience.
  1270. >They cling to each other just a little longer, and then Fluttershy is pulled away.
  1271. >Leaving Dash alone.
  1272.  
  1273. >She doesn’t react as you walk closer to her.
  1274. >She doesn’t even react when you run a hand through her mane.
  1275. >You’d say something, but really, you’re not sure what.
  1276. >Apparently, she doesn’t know either.
  1277. >Jacob and his harem disappear out the door, while all you can do is watch.
  1278. >Looking up at you, Rainbow’s eyes are full of tears.
  1279. >”Anon?”
  1280. “Yes?”
  1281. >”My face hurts.”
  1282. >You give her what you imagine is a comforting smile.
  1283. “Mine too.”
  1284. >”I really fucked up, didn’t I?”
  1285. >No point lying to her.
  1286. “Yep.”
  1287. >”I couldn’t help it. I just…he kept touching me. I couldn’t…”
  1288. “I understand.”
  1289. >”I’m a terrible partner. After all your help, I still fucked it up.”
  1290. >You shrug.
  1291. “Second best I’ve had.”
  1292. >There’s nothing more to say.
  1293. “Who’s Twilight? Celestia’s student, right?”
  1294. >Dash nodded.
  1295. >”Yea, she was a…friend. When I was first caught, she swore that she was going to save me. Going to bring me home, she wouldn’t rest until I was free. All I had to do was wait for her.”
  1296. >She shivers.
  1297. >”At first I thought it would just be a couple of days. But she didn’t show up, so I waited a little longer. And then it was a couple of weeks, so I waited longer. And then months. And then years. But…”
  1298. >She breaths in deep.
  1299. >”But it was fine, because I knew she was coming. No matter what happened to me, I just needed to wait.”
  1300. >”And now she’s… Now she can’t help me. I’m going to be stuck here, gutting fish, until I die.”
  1301. “Things’ll get better. You just need to keep waiting.”
  1302. >”Wait for what, huh? All my friends are fucking enslaved! Jacob said this slave thing is gonna last three hundred years! Who can wait that long?”
  1303. “Patience always wins in the end.”
  1304. >”Oh, fuck off.”
  1305. >A bit of time passes.
  1306. “You wanna head home?”
  1307. >”…yeah.”
  1308. >Rainbow moves out of your hand.
  1309. >”Yeah. I could use a rest.”
  1310. >And so the two of you went back to the Celestia, away from the horrid store.
  1311. >And things became just a little bit more difficult.
  1312.  
  1313. >The deck of the Celestia was wet.
  1314. >Strong winds today.
  1315. >Storm was coming.
  1316. >The sun was smothered under its dark clouds, a mere dulled circle in the sky.
  1317. >Maybe it would become brighter later in the day, but now, at sunrise?
  1318. >It wasn’t anything special.
  1319. >Rainbow was still asleep.
  1320. >You’d decided to let her sleep in, though you’d debated if it was more humane to wake her up.
  1321. >Her nightmares last night were worse than any you’d seen before.
  1322. >They’d caused her to fall out of her bed and just writhe helpless on the ground.
  1323. >You weren’t sure what to do, so you simply carried her back onto her bed.
  1324. >She still twitched away from your touch, even while asleep.
  1325. >You were cold, but content to wait until Rainbow was ready to leave.
  1326. >Sure, the early bird got the worm, but sometimes there were more important things than wealth.
  1327. >To pass the time, you go over your options in your head.
  1328. >There are a lot of things you need to do if you want to help Fluttershy.
  1329. >Though you weren’t really sure why you were bothering.
  1330. >It was over and done.
  1331. >You’d tried your best.
  1332. >And you didn’t look forward to training another pony.
  1333. >The one you had was enough.
  1334. >Sighing, you go over the number again.
  1335. >Eventually, Rainbow comes out from below deck.
  1336. >She’s done her best to wash her face to make sure you don’t notice she’s been crying, and to her credit, you don’t.
  1337. >There’s something bigger to focus on.
  1338. >She’s wearing the hat.
  1339. >She shoots you a pained smile as she walks closer.
  1340. >You smile back.
  1341. “The hat?”
  1342. >”You wanted me to wear it.”
  1343. “Yea, but you never have before.”
  1344. >”Look, it’s not important.”
  1345. “Is this about yesterday?”
  1346. >”No, shut up! Can’t a girl just wear a stupid hat without getting asked any stupid questions? Maybe I wanted to keep the sun out of my eyes; maybe that’s why I’m wearing the hat.”
  1347. >You shrug.
  1348. >”I mean, I need to get used to it anyway. Not like I’m leaving any time soon. Not like anyone is…”
  1349. >She stops.
  1350. >You shrug again.
  1351. “Time to head off, you ready?”
  1352. >”I guess.”
  1353.  
  1354. “Focus on me, Dash. This is important, I can’t have you slacking off and not remembering any of this. Unlike everything else I’ve been teaching you, this is actually dangerous. You don’t pay attention, and one of us is probably going into the drink.”
  1355. >”Huh?”
  1356. >Rainbow snaps back to attention.
  1357. >She focuses on the controls in front of her.
  1358. >There are a lot of them, but the centrepiece of definitely the wheel in the middle.
  1359. >She yawns.
  1360. >”It’s just the thing that makes the ship move; I don’t see what’s so dangerous.”
  1361. >You grab the wheel, and pull it sideways.
  1362. >The entire ship lurches to the side, throwing Rainbow off balance.
  1363. >She stumbles backwards, throwing her wings out to stabilize herself, before hastily gluing them back to her chest.
  1364. “Now imagine one of us was leaning against the railings when that happened.”
  1365. >”Alright, alright, I get it.”
  1366. >You begin your explanation again, only to stop as Rainbow zones out again.
  1367. “Rainbow!”
  1368. >She snaps back to attention.
  1369. “Something wrong?”
  1370. >She sighs.
  1371. >”What’s even the point, Anon?”
  1372.  
  1373. “Excuse me?”
  1374. >”What’s even the point in going on? I didn’t want this. The only thing I had to cling to was the vague chance of someday going home, and now that’s never happening. The pony I was trusting has been chopped up, the friend I sacrificed myself for is a slave and I’m stuck in a world that hates me just because I’m a pony. I can’t…live like this.”
  1375. >You smirk.
  1376. >Well, that’s not the only reason the world hates her, but you don’t mention ‘that’ around her if you can avoid it.
  1377. >It would just be in bad taste.
  1378. “You just gotta be patient. Patience wins in the end.”
  1379. >At this, Rainbow stomps her hoof angrily.
  1380. >”Stop saying that! Stop it! You keep saying that, but it doesn’t! It doesn’t win! What am I supposed to be waiting for? What, huh? A miracle?”
  1381. >Tears spring into her eyes.
  1382. >”Why…who even told you that? They’re an idiot, alright! They’re just…stu-stupid. I’m stuck here on a boat while some creep is raping Fluttershy, how does waiting help stop that? Huh?”
  1383. >You consider the question.
  1384. “It’s something my last partner said, before she left.”
  1385.  
  1386. >Rainbow stops.
  1387. >”Oh. I…uh, sorry. Do you mean left as in ‘left’ or left as in ‘died?’”
  1388. “Left as in left. Last time I checked, she was still alive. After…it happened, she had to know if her family back home was okay.”
  1389. >”Last time you checked? You keep in contact?”
  1390. “Not really, no. I’m just waiting for her to come back.”
  1391. >Rainbow is silent for a moment, and the only sounds are the whistling of the wind and the crashing of waves against the boat.
  1392. >Finally, she seems to summon courage from somewhere.
  1393. >”Who was she?”
  1394. “Does it matter?”
  1395. >”It certainly seems to matter to fucking you. Who is she? Do…do I know her? Is that why you bought me? Is that why you won’t tell me?”
  1396. “It’s really not important. She’s not important.”
  1397. >”Then why won’t you tell me?”
  1398. “Because it’s…a long story. And frankly there are some things about me that you just don’t need to know.”
  1399. >”We’re gonna be together for a long time, Anon.”
  1400. >You shake your head.
  1401. “No, we’re not. We’re going to save Fluttershy. We just need to wait.”
  1402.  
  1403. >You approach Dash while she’s on her break, leaning on the railing next to her.
  1404. >She doesn’t even bother greeting you.
  1405. >The storm clouds are gathering, but you don’t think they’re going to arrive today.
  1406. >Tomorrow will be a challenge though.
  1407. >But you’ll tackle that when it comes.
  1408. >Looking over at Rainbow, you take a step closer.
  1409. “I wanna run something by you, Rainbow.”
  1410. >She doesn’t look up.
  1411. “I know you don’t like being touched, but I think that is something we’re going to need to work on. Jacob’s never going agree to a swap unless you can control yourself. Now, I know there’s no ‘quick fix’ to something like this, but we need to start trying. We need to start slow. Understand?”
  1412. >She gives a sad nod.
  1413. “I’m going to run a hand through your mane. Just tell me if you want to stop, okay?”
  1414. >She nods.
  1415. >Carefully, you lower your hand down from the railing onto the top of her head.
  1416. >She visibly shivers.
  1417. >Her mane is dirty, and you can feel the grime, sweat and grease stick to your fingers as you push down.
  1418. >You hadn’t really noticed it before.
  1419. >You wonder how long it’s been since she’s actually had a proper shower.
  1420. >It never really occurred to you that she might need one; you just assumed she did it herself.
  1421. >You keep your hand moving.
  1422. >Just before you reach her scalp, she lets out a breath she was holding, and shakes her head.
  1423. >”Stop, stop, that’s enough.”
  1424. >You pull your hand away.
  1425. >She takes several short breaths.
  1426. >Her wings flap once, before she stops them herself.
  1427. >”I’m sorry, I need to last longer, I know. But you’re going to hit me, I just know it. You’re just waiting for me to lower my guard.”
  1428. >It hurt that she still doesn’t trust you, but that’s to be expected.
  1429. >You are keeping secrets from her.
  1430. >But still.
  1431. “I understand. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
  1432.  
  1433. >You wake up to something shaking you.
  1434. >Or maybe it was just the ship shaking from side to side…
  1435. >Slowly, you open one eye, wincing from the light.
  1436. >No, someone was definitely shaking you.
  1437. >Rainbow Dash is looming above you, two of her hooves pressing against your side.
  1438. >You were surprised she was actually touching you.
  1439. >She’s clearly scared.
  1440. >She looks like she doesn’t want to bother you, but has no other choice.
  1441. >”Anon, Anon, I just had an idea.”
  1442. >You rub your eyes.
  1443. “Rainbow?”
  1444. >”No listen, this is a great idea, I just need you to take your pants off.”
  1445. “What?”
  1446. >Must have just heard that wrong. That’s all it was.
  1447. >”I need you to fuck me.”
  1448. >Or maybe you’re just dreaming.
  1449. >It’s too late to deal with something like this.
  1450. >Sitting up, you groan loudly.
  1451. “What?”
  1452. >”I know you said there was no quick fix, but there totally is! I know I can’t handle you touching me a little, but if you touch me a lot, I’ll get over it faster! If we just skip to the end, then we don’t have to waste time with all that smaller stuff and Fluttershy doesn’t need to wait any longer and everything will be fine again!”
  1453.  
  1454. >You pause.
  1455. “You think this is the end? The final test?”
  1456. >”Well, it is, isn’t it? I can’t exactly live with Jacob if I can’t have sex.”
  1457. >Huh.
  1458. >You hadn’t considered that, but you suppose she was right.
  1459. >Still…
  1460. “I’m not going to fuck you, Rainbow.”
  1461. >”It’s fine, I’ll do all the work, you just lay back.”
  1462. “No.”
  1463. >”Come on, man, I thought we were partners. Now take off your pants.”
  1464. “No.”
  1465. >”Dude, JUST…” Rainbow rubs her temples. “Do you want to help me or not?”
  1466. “This won’t help you.”
  1467. >”I think I know what I need, Anon.”
  1468. “You have a real problem with patience, you know that?”
  1469. >Dash shrugs.
  1470. >”Can you blame me? Night is so long here and without Luna, I get a ton of nightmares. I don’t have anything to do but wait, but I’m so sick of waiting! I want everything better now! I’ve done my waiting! It’s been three years, Anon! I can’t keep waiting for something that never changes! Now strip down already!”
  1471. >You sigh.
  1472. “I know you’re impatient. I know you want things to change. But there’s a time and a place. Things don’t change all at once, it takes small steps. Biting off more than you can chew will only hurt you in the long run. Sometimes, you need to sit down and let things change naturally. Maybe if more people had done that in the past, you wouldn’t even be here. Certainly would have prevented some serious issues a couple years ago.”
  1473. >Rainbow is silent.
  1474. “Go back to bed, Dash. It’s a big day tomorrow. Storm’s coming in.”
  1475.  
  1476. >Rainbow doesn’t move.
  1477. >Instead, she removes her hooves from your side, and just stands there.
  1478. >”Anon… do… do you remember the…the Equestrian Genocide?”
  1479. >You did.
  1480. >You remembered perfectly how your partner had locked herself in her room for a week trying to come to terms with it.
  1481. >Not eating. Barely drinking.
  1482. >Her face when the pictures started rolling in was burned into your memories.
  1483. >She couldn’t believe them.
  1484. >No one could.
  1485. >The sheer loss of life was unimaginable.
  1486. “Where’s this coming from, Rainbow?”
  1487. >”I just…dream about it a lot. I was there. I could have stopped it. I should have stopped it. And if I’d stopped it…”
  1488. “Come on, it wasn’t your fault. One of us was going to break eventually. It was inevitable.”
  1489. >She doesn’t say anything.
  1490. “I know it’s hard to see it from a pony point of view, but something like this was going to happen. My partner and I argued about it a lot; though, to be honest? I guess we were both right in the end.”
  1491. >“Did you…know any of them?”
  1492. >You shrug.
  1493. >You probably did, considering your last job.
  1494. “Did you?”
  1495. >It takes a moment, but she shakes her head.
  1496. >”No I…never took the time. Pinkie did. She knew every one of them.”
  1497. >Damn.
  1498. >That was actually kind of impressive.
  1499. >Considering how many…died.
  1500. >You look over at Rainbow, who looks back at you.
  1501. >You’re both tired.
  1502. >It’s too late for a talk like this.
  1503. >You really need to get back to bed.
  1504. “You know, if you want to sleep in my bed, I’d be okay with that. Just no sex. And try not to kick me in your sleep.”
  1505. >She thinks about it.
  1506. >”Nah. No, sorry. It’s just…baby steps right? I’d rather…I mean, you’re a great guy but…”
  1507. >You smile.
  1508. “I get it, Rainbow.”
  1509. >A look of relief passes over her face.
  1510. >”I’ll catch you tomorrow then, bro.”
  1511. “Yea. Tomorrow.”
  1512.  
  1513. >Dash approaches you on your daily routine.
  1514. >At this point, she doesn’t question it, and you don’t explain it.
  1515. >It just needs to happen, and you’ve both accepted that.
  1516. >The sun is bright today.
  1517. >It’s been nearly a week since you’d begun trying to ‘fix’ her.
  1518. >You’d forced her to take a bath since then.
  1519. >If you were going to do this often, the least she could do was stay clean.
  1520. >You bring a hand down to pet her, and while she still flinches, forces herself back into it.
  1521. “Ready for another day?”
  1522. >She smiles weakly.
  1523. >”As I’ll ever be. I’m starting to get the hang of…all this.”
  1524. >You move your hand down the back of her neck.
  1525. “That’s good. Good.”
  1526. >Run it along the back of her wings.
  1527. >She shivers, but endures.
  1528. “How’ve you been sleeping? I think I have some extra blankets if you need them.”
  1529. >”Nah, dude, I’m fine. Really. You don’t need to worry about me so much, I’m not some delicate flower like Fluttershy. I can handle it.”
  1530. >You shrug.
  1531. “Alright, if that’s what you want.”
  1532. >You tap her side, maybe a little too roughly.
  1533. >Dash lets out a loud, short scream, before gritting her teeth to prevent any more sound.
  1534. >There’s the noise of hooves clopping behind you.
  1535. >You pause.
  1536. “Shit, are you okay?”
  1537. >She nods. “Just my burn. Acting up again.”
  1538. “Huh.”
  1539. >You crouch down so that you’re at face level with her side, and take a look at it.
  1540. >It’s unusually red, standing out from her coat.
  1541. >You tap it.
  1542. >She exhales sharply and steps away.
  1543. >”Can you not?”
  1544. “Is it usually like this?”
  1545. >”What? No! Of course not! I’m fine, super fine, nothing’s wrong. It’s…certainly not like that normally, I don’t know what the deal is, haha.”
  1546. >You’re obviously not convinced.
  1547. >How much would a vet charge for a pony?
  1548. >You suppose she would actually need a doctor.
  1549. >A pony doctor.
  1550. >Really, you could figure this out later.
  1551. >Didn’t have the time right now.
  1552. “Well, if you say so. Ready to ship off?”
  1553. >Dash nods.
  1554.  
  1555. “Alright, First Mate Rains, reel ‘em in!”
  1556. >”Don’t call me that.”
  1557. >The whir of the powerful machine beneath your feet overpowers the crashing of the waves as it pulls the net up from the ocean.
  1558. >Dash is at the controls, you’ve been meaning to teach her this for a while now.
  1559. >You’re down near the net itself.
  1560. “Slow it down a little, Dash.”
  1561. >She doesn’t.
  1562. “Dash?”
  1563. >”Just…which button is that again?”
  1564. >The net begins to rise from the water, bringing in its cargo.
  1565. “The right one.”
  1566. >”They’re ALL right!”
  1567. >The fish begin to move closer to the ship, dangerously fast.
  1568. “The rightmost one.”
  1569. >”Oh, right, so this one?”
  1570. >The entire ship lurches forward as the net and the fish slam into the aft.
  1571. >You grab the railing in time, but the sound of the net ripping sends a sliver of fear into your heart.
  1572. >Those things weren’t cheap to replace.
  1573. >You look over to see the thrashing and the struggling of the fish slowly disappear.
  1574. >Fuck.
  1575. >Fucking ponies.
  1576. >Fucking Dash.
  1577. >How fucking hard was it to push a single damn button?
  1578. >The last pony never fucked it up
  1579. >Shoulda gotten a broken slave, a broken slave wouldn’t have fucked it up.
  1580. >You slam the brakes down as you walk past them, moving towards Rainbow.
  1581. >She’s doing her best to try and sink into the ground.
  1582. “Dash, what the hell?”
  1583. >”I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me.”
  1584. >You grit your teeth, before letting go.
  1585. “This is why I need you to pay attention instead of thinking about your fucking friends, okay?”
  1586. >”Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
  1587. “I mean…fuck, we went over this! How dumb are you that you can’t remember it?”
  1588. >”Sorry.”
  1589. “Stop saying that, it’s my fault. Clearly I put too much trust in you.”
  1590. >”So…so what happens now? Are you going to…”
  1591. “What happens now?”
  1592. >You take a deep breath.
  1593. >Needed to calm down.
  1594. “I go and get the spare net I keep under the ship, and you start praying to Celestia that Jacob forgets I offered him twenty thousand on top of yourself, because I don’t have THAT anymore.”
  1595.  
  1596. >You head inside, soaking in the cooler air for a moment.
  1597. >The net was down in storage.
  1598. >There wasn’t much room down there, only the equipment for the ship and any fish you’ve caught.
  1599. >So you’ll have to crawl.
  1600. >The space didn’t have much use other than storage anyway.
  1601. >Taking a few steps, you look down in confusion.
  1602. >The trapdoor’s already open.
  1603. “Hey Dash, have you been messing around in storage today?”
  1604. >The reply is swift.
  1605. >”What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
  1606. >Huh.
  1607. >You guess one of you just forgot to close it yesterday.
  1608. >Good thing you noticed, a large hole in the floor was dangerous no matter how you cut it.
  1609. >Crouching down, you disappear into the bowels of the ship.
  1610. >The net is all the way at the back, so you being moving, sliding things out of the way as you do.
  1611. >Like a box labelled ‘precious memories.’
  1612. >Or a box labelled ‘pornography.’
  1613. >Lotta feathers down her as well.
  1614. >A bird must have gotten stuck or something; so that’s another problem.
  1615. >Eventually, you do reach the net; giving it a powerful tug.
  1616. >It doesn’t move.
  1617. >Seems to be stuck on something.
  1618. >Great.
  1619. >Sighing, you make your way around the net to find the problem.
  1620. >Reaching forward, you move a piece of machinery that was blocking your view, and find it.
  1621. >Fluttershy just stares at you, holding the net close to her chest.
  1622. >You stare at her.
  1623. >It takes a moment to process this.
  1624. “Um…”
  1625. >Your word breaks the trance.
  1626. >”Eep.”
  1627. >Fluttershy says, before barrelling past you.
  1628. >You chase after her.
  1629. “Hey, Fluttershy, wait!”
  1630. >Damn pony is smaller than you, can run through the small space faster.
  1631. >She makes it to the exit first, leaping out.
  1632. >You arrive just in time to watch her spread her wings and sprint for the door.
  1633. >”No no no no no.”
  1634. “Flutter, wait!”
  1635. >Before you can stop her, she leaps into the sky, flying over the edge into the open sea.
  1636.  
  1637. >The sun is blinding as you chase after her, uselessly.
  1638. >Dash is just as surprised as you are.
  1639. >”Anon! Anon, that was Fluttershy! What’s going on, why’s she here?”
  1640. >You ignore her.
  1641. >Fluttershy is showing no signs of coming back.
  1642. >She’s not even looking behind her.
  1643. “Stupid ponies. Stupid damn ponies, as if this day wasn’t bad enough.”
  1644. >You leave Rainbow alone as you head for the wheel, changing the ship’s course and increasing speed.
  1645. >You don’t think you can catch her, but you gotta try.
  1646. >Dash chases after you.
  1647. >”Slow down, dude, what’s the problem? It’s just Fluttershy.”
  1648. “Yes, and she’s flying in the wrong direction. There’s nothing out there, it’s just open ocean.”
  1649. >”So?”
  1650. “So, where’s she gonna land when she gets tired? Pegasi can’t fly forever.”
  1651. >The thought passes through Dash’s head slowly.
  1652. >”She’ll drown…”
  1653. >Dash suddenly springs to attention.
  1654. >”Anon, she’ll drown! We gotta save her!”
  1655. “I know!”
  1656. >She’s already growing small in your vision.
  1657. >You don’t think your ship can keep up.
  1658. >Even if you could build the speed, she can change directions on a dime.
  1659. >Shit, shit.
  1660. >She didn’t seem to be slowing down, and once she gets out of sight, you doubt either of you will be able to find your way back together.
  1661. >There’s nothing you can do though.
  1662. >Unless…
  1663. >Dash is jumping from hoof to hoof anxiously.
  1664. “Dash, I don’t…I don’t think I can catch her. She’s too fast. Moving too erratically.”
  1665. >She stares out at the fleeing pony.
  1666. >”You can’t just give up! We need to catch her!”
  1667. “I know, I know. But…you need to do it.”
  1668. >”I…I don’t under—“
  1669. “You’re the fastest pony in Equestria, right?”
  1670. >Her eyes go wide as she understands.
  1671.  
  1672. >”What? No no no, Anon, I can’t fly!”
  1673. >You don’t have time to argue.
  1674. “Dash, we don’t have a choice. Yes, you can.”
  1675. >”No no, this is a trap. You’re trying to trick me into flying so you can punish me for it. I know how this works. You just want to hurt me.”
  1676. “Dash, I’m not…”
  1677. >You rub your temples.
  1678. >She’s just defensive, she doesn’t mean it.
  1679. >You keep telling yourself that.
  1680. “I want to help Fluttershy, Dash. No one here’s going to hurt you.”
  1681. >”Bullshit. You’re just…you’re…”
  1682. >You can see her start to simmer down.
  1683. “I’m not going to hurt you, Dash. We’re partners.”
  1684. >”Right, but you have no problems with getting me. That’s how it works, isn’t it? I step out of line and you get rid of me, that’s what you said.”
  1685. >Right.
  1686. >You guess it was time to settle that once and for all.
  1687. >She’d never trust you otherwise.
  1688. “I’m not going to get rid of you. We’re in this together now, okay? Sure, I’ll admit, I’ll give you to Jacob to save Fluttershy, but that’s your decision, not mine. We’re partners, and it’s time I started treating you like one.”
  1689. >She passes an awkward look.
  1690. >”Still I…can’t fly.”
  1691. >You crouch down.
  1692. “Look. I know you’re scared. I know you’re fucked up. And I know you don’t want to do this. I don’t want you to do it either. We need to take care of something like flight one step at a time. But, sometimes, you don’t have time to take things slow. Sometimes, you need to close your eyes, forget the future, and go for it.”
  1693. >She looks away.
  1694. “Fluttershy needs your help, Rainbow. And I figure you’ve always been there for her before. Don’t let your fear stop you now. It’s time to forget the baby steps, spread your wings, and fly. Because…”
  1695. >You look up.
  1696. “We don’t have long, Rainbow.”
  1697.  
  1698. >Rainbow is silent for a moment.
  1699. >It annoys you, because you really can’t wait any longer than you have.
  1700. >The crashing of the waves is overpowering.
  1701. >She takes a deep breath.
  1702. >”You’re right. No time to waste.”
  1703. >She spreads her wings.
  1704. >A couple of feathers fall to the ground.
  1705. >Her wings look mangy, but look slightly better since her bath.
  1706. >She takes another breath, and gives her wings a weak flap.
  1707. >Slowly, their rhythmic flapping increases in intensity.
  1708. >Her legs are shaking, but she rises from the ground.
  1709. >Her breaths are short and quick.
  1710. >You give her a friendly thumbs up.
  1711. >Immediately, her wings clamp up, sticking to her sides.
  1712. >She thumps to the ground heavily.
  1713. >”Don’t…DO that. I can’t…”
  1714. >You raise your hands.
  1715. “Sorry, sorry.”
  1716. >Rainbow covers her face.
  1717. >”Anon, I can’t do this.”
  1718. >You start to scowl.
  1719. “Rainbow, Fluttershy needs your help. Stop being a coward and spread your wings.”
  1720. >She taps her hooves.
  1721. >”For Flutters. For Flutters.”
  1722. >She swallows loudly.
  1723. >”Can you…please not watch this time?”
  1724. >You nod, and turn around.
  1725. >There’s the noise of flapping, and you can feel the wind pushing against you as Rainbow begins to fly.
  1726. >Between the fluttering, you think you can make out the sounds of Rainbow talking.
  1727. >”For Flutters. For ‘Shy.”
  1728. >You think she’s actually getting louder.
  1729. >”For Fluttershy.”
  1730. >There’s a change in the air.
  1731. >You’re not sure what it is, but it makes your hairs stand on end.
  1732. >The noise of Rainbow’s wings is faster, much more so.
  1733. >And then she’s off like a gun.
  1734. >The sound of her leaving is like one as well.
  1735. >The boat rocks dangerously as she vanishes, leaving nothing but a rainbow trail behind her as she speeds past you.
  1736. >By the time you step out onto the deck, she’s already made it to Fluttershy.
  1737.  
  1738. >Relief floods your veins as you watch them collide in mid-air.
  1739. >They’re pretty far away, so they only look like small blobs framed against the blue sky.
  1740. >They take a slight dip towards the ocean, but it appears that Rainbow grabs Fluttershy and pulls her back up.
  1741. >And then they begin making their way back.
  1742. >Rainbow in the lead, Fluttershy behind.
  1743. >You give them space to land, but instead, they don’t.
  1744. >Rainbow takes a sharp turn before flying over the deck, and speeds around the ship; circling it.
  1745. >She laps it once, twice; a giant smile on her face the entire time.
  1746. >You think she’s forgotten her circumstances; and is just letting her instincts take over.
  1747. >You can’t blame her. Flying does that to a person.
  1748. >You’d know.
  1749. >Giving her time to settle, you wait patiently for her to land.
  1750. >They touch down opposite you.
  1751. >You take a step towards them, but not before Rainbow throws herself between you.
  1752. >Her teeth are grit, and there’s such fire and hatred in her eyes.
  1753. >Her fur is standing on end, making her look larger than she is.
  1754. >She’s growling slightly.
  1755. >You’re not sure who she’s seeing when she looks at you.
  1756. >Maybe another slaver.
  1757. >Maybe this is just her natural instincts.
  1758. >Maybe she just doesn’t trust you that much.
  1759. >Either way, you raise your hands.
  1760. “Dash, it’s me. It’s Anon.”
  1761. >The fire vanishes.
  1762. >”Oh…oh right. Sorry. I got a little…carried away.”
  1763. >She hops on the tip of her hooves, hovering into the air.
  1764. >”But did you see me? I was incredible! I was…I was alive again!”
  1765. >And then she focuses on you.
  1766. >And her wings snap shut again.
  1767. >”And you…probably don’t want me to fly around. Sorry. Make it quick.”
  1768. “Are you crazy? You were amazing. You can fly as much as you want, Dash.”
  1769. >She smiles, but remains Earthbound.
  1770. “But right now though, I think there’s a more important issue to focus on.”
  1771. >You motion towards Fluttershy.
  1772. >Rainbow turns around and begins reassuring her that everything will be fine.
  1773.  
  1774. >Crouching down, you give her an encouraging smile.
  1775. >She still doesn’t look at you.
  1776. “Fluttershy, what are you doing here?”
  1777. >She doesn’t reply.
  1778. “Fluttershy, what are you…”
  1779. >”Get off her back, mate. She’ll reply when she’s ready.”
  1780. >Rainbow inches a bit closer, and drapes her wing over her.
  1781. >”Don’t worry, ‘Shy. Anon’s…alright, I guess. You’re gonna be fine.”
  1782. >Fearfully, Fluttershy pokes an eye out.
  1783. >”I’m…I’m staying here. With you and Rainbow. If…If I hide in the small space, then he can’t find me. And you treat Rainbow so well, I know you’ll treat me well too.”
  1784. >You let out a sigh.
  1785. >You were worried she was going to say something like that.
  1786. >”I promise I won’t get in the way. And…and I can help out as well! I can do anything you want.”
  1787. >You shake your head.
  1788. “Sorry, ‘Shy.”
  1789. >”No please, I swear, you won’t even notice me! I’m very, very good at being quiet.”
  1790. >”That’s right, she is. C’mon Anon, where’s the harm?”
  1791. “And what do you expect me to tell Jacob when he inevitably comes around looking for you? What am I supposed to tell the police? There’s just nothing I can do. I don’t…own you.”
  1792. >”Please?”
  1793. “No. What’s wrong with Jacob? I thought he treated you well.”
  1794. >Well, you knew what was wrong with Jacob, the question was, what specific thing was wrong with Jacob.
  1795. >”Oh, Jacob’s nice and he treats me really nice compared to…others. But, um, he doesn’t…he’s not the kind to…he doesn’t listen when…”
  1796. >Fluttershy’s voice lowers so much you can’t hear her.
  1797. “What was that?”
  1798. >”He doesn’t listen when I say…no.”
  1799. “No?”
  1800. >”You know, no to…”
  1801. >She shakes her tail.
  1802. >Oh.
  1803. >You feel your stomach turn.
  1804. >Rainbow just gives her a hug.
  1805. >As much as it hurts, you try to change the subject.
  1806. >You can’t talk about it, it’ll make returning her all the harder.
  1807.  
  1808. “How long have you been under the ship, Fluttershy?”
  1809. >”I ran…I flew away this morning. He didn’t think I could fly, but I could and then I got away! I was…going to tell you, but then you hurt Rainbow right in front of me. I panicked and had to find a place to hide.”
  1810. >The burn.
  1811. >You suppose to an outsider, it could have looked nasty.
  1812. >You shake your head again.
  1813. “That was just an accident, you know I would never hurt Dash intentionally. Right, Rainbow?”
  1814. >”Huh? Oh, right, right.”
  1815. >She’s not paying attention.
  1816. >Slowly, she moves in for another hug from Fluttershy, taking care to move her hooves away from her injury.
  1817. >”Fluttershy, baby, I missed you so bad. I’m so sorry this happened. I was…I was supposed to protect you and I failed. I did everything I could and I still failed. And now…”
  1818. >Tears spring into her eyes.
  1819. >”And now you’re stuck here as well, and Twilight’s stuck, and everyone’s stuck. I’m so sorry.”
  1820. >Stuck.
  1821. >That word stays in your mind, prompting a question that has been bouncing around in your head.
  1822. >You wouldn’t ask it in front of Rainbow though.
  1823.  
  1824. “Hey Dash, can I speak to Flutters alone for a moment?”
  1825. >She lets out a fake laugh.
  1826. >”Ha. No way. I’m not ever letting her out of my sight again.”
  1827. “It’s really important.”
  1828. >”Then you can tell me as well.”
  1829. >You shrug.
  1830. “Fine. But I gotta ask you something else first.”
  1831. >You focus on Fluttershy.
  1832. “Fluttershy, how did you come to Earth?”
  1833. >Rainbow cuts her off.
  1834. >”Isn’t it obvious? The fucking slavers got her. Probably…probably kicked down her door and dragged her off.”
  1835. >This causes you to smile, even though it shouldn’t.
  1836. >She doesn’t know.
  1837. “Rainbow…there are no slavers.”
  1838. >At this, she explodes with laughter.
  1839. >She tries to talk, but every time she does, she laughs harder.
  1840. >You try to explain.
  1841. “Okay, there are slavers, here on Earth, but in Equestria?”
  1842. >She calms down slightly.
  1843. “Travel to Equestria has been impossible for nearly two years now.”
  1844. >She’s not sure what to say.
  1845. >”You’re lying.”
  1846. “No see, dimensional travel is complicated. I mean, you understand the basics already, right?”
  1847. >Rainbow gives you a blank look.
  1848. >”Something to do with boats, right? Or a mirror, once.”
  1849. >You sigh.
  1850. “They’re called pods, they’re more like submarines, really. They allow one to phase out of reality and ‘navigate’ between dimensions.”
  1851. >She stares at you.
  1852. “Anyway, in order to travel to another world, you need a Beacon. You need something to lock onto to make sure you’re going in the right direction. Without one, it’s impossible to find the right place to surface. When we found Equestria by accident, we ‘gifted’ one to Celestia.”
  1853. >”So what does this..?”
  1854. ”Celestia turned off Equestria’s Beacon two years ago to try and save her remaining ponies. It’s impossible to go back. Trust me, I’ve…checked.”
  1855. >”I don’t understand.”
  1856. “So if you can only travel from Equestria to Earth, and not vice versa, how is Fluttershy here?”
  1857.  
  1858. >You can hear the gears turning in Rainbow’s head.
  1859. >She reaches the right conclusion.
  1860. >But before she can react, Fluttershy steals the words from her mouth.
  1861. >”We…Twilight and me and the others, we came back to save Rainbow.”
  1862. >”You…you came back for me.”
  1863. >Rainbow sounds like she can hardly believe the words coming out of her own mouth.
  1864. >Fluttershy swallows heavily, and wipes the tears sprouting into her eyes.
  1865. >”Twilight built a machine like the humans so we could come back, but it went wrong. We were…all of us were supposed to show up away from everyone so we could find Rainbow secretly and get her home.”
  1866. >She shudders as she breathes.
  1867. >”But…but they found us! Twilight tried to escape, but there was so many of them. I couldn’t…I didn’t know what to do.”
  1868. >You take a step closer, nodding to Rainbow Dash that you’re not going to hurt ‘Shy.
  1869. >She still looks shocked.
  1870. >Running a hand through her mane, you try to comfort her.
  1871. >Eventually, Rainbow snaps out of it.
  1872. >”It’s all my fault.”
  1873. “Rainbow…”
  1874. >”It’s all my fault this happened. All my fault that Fluttershy’s here.”
  1875. “Rainbow.”
  1876. >”I didn’t…this wasn’t supposed to happen.”
  1877. >She turns towards Fluttershy.
  1878. >”You were supposed to stay behind! That was our deal, ‘Shy! I went through all this so you didn’t have to, and you just threw it away! How could you be so…so stupid?”
  1879. >Fluttershy cowers behind your leg.
  1880. >”This is the great rescue I’ve been waiting for? This? Three years of rape and beatings and this is the best plan you could come up with?”
  1881. >Rainbow rubs her temples.
  1882. >There’s tears in her eyes
  1883. >”I mean, I can’t believe you’d risk all this…I mean, go through all that and…and do this…for me.”
  1884. >She stops talking.
  1885. “Dash?”
  1886. >”I’m sorry, ‘Shy. I’m so sorry. I can’t be mad at you. I should have stopped all this. I should have been better.”
  1887.  
  1888. >There’s a moment of silence.
  1889. >Until Fluttershy lunges at Dash, pulling her closer.
  1890. >”You don’t need to be.”
  1891. >”What?”
  1892. >Fluttershy takes a deep, quivering breath.
  1893. >”It’s not your fault. This is bigger than one pony alone. This…all that’s happened…Celestia said it was inevitable. Even she couldn’t stop it. You are you. And you’re as good as you can be. And as long as you keep looking out for others, and doing your best, everything will be fine. We just need to keep waiting.”
  1894. >She tries to smile.
  1895. >”You don’t need to worry about me. I’m not…as strong as you, but I’m still a hero. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
  1896. >Dash shakes.
  1897. >”But then why run away?”
  1898. >”Well, nopony said I had to sit there and take it. And when I go back, I’ll keep fighting, like you. But I’ll be fine.”
  1899. >Dash shakes her head.
  1900. >”But…I can’t just leave you alone!”
  1901. >”Nopony expects you to. Just be you. You be loyal, and I’ll be kind, and we’ll both get out of here eventually.”
  1902. >Rainbow has no response.
  1903. >They just embrace each other.
  1904. >You’re starting to feel a bit like a third wheel.
  1905. >Maybe it’s because you are.
  1906. >There are still questions on your mind, but you can let them simmer for a moment.
  1907. >Turning around, you head back into the ship, and leave them alone.
  1908. >The net still needed replacing anyway.
  1909. >Plus you could probably find more fish somewhere else.
  1910. >Still had a full days fishing to do.
  1911. >Jacob is just going to have to wait.
  1912. >If he thinks you’re gonna call the day short and pull into port just because a pony snuck onto your boat, he’s mistaken.
  1913. >Fuck him.
  1914. >Heading back into storage, you grab the net and pull it free.
  1915. >It takes you nearly twenty minutes, but you manage to remove the old net from the machinery.
  1916. >Now you just had to get the new one in.
  1917. >Standing back up, you head back outside.
  1918. >Rainbow and Fluttershy seem to have calmed down, if only a little.
  1919. >Dash is still trying to protect her from you, if only subconsciously.
  1920.  
  1921. “I was hoping to get some private time to chat with Fluttershy, but I guess that’s not going to happen.”
  1922. >Rainbow shakes her head.
  1923. “Alright, fine. You okay with some questions, Fluttershy?”
  1924. >”I…I guess.”
  1925. >You crouch down.
  1926. >Get to eye level.
  1927. “How’s Jacob been treating you?”
  1928. >Rainbow scoffs.
  1929. >”Really dude?”
  1930. “It’s important.”
  1931. >Fluttershy looks away.
  1932. >”He’s…nice. I mean, I have my own room and he doesn’t starve or beat me and he acts…he sort of acts like you. Like we’re just working together. Besides…besides, you know, he’s nice.”
  1933. >Alright.
  1934. >Maybe you could bring that up with him.
  1935. >Moving on.
  1936. “How were you planning to get home?”
  1937. >”Excuse me?”
  1938. “How were you planning on getting back to Equestria? You know travel is only one way right now.”
  1939. >”Twilight.”
  1940. “Hmm?”
  1941. >Fluttershy tries to explain.
  1942. >”Twilight had a…a book. If you wrote in it, than somepony else in Equestria could read it with a similar book. She gave it to Spike, who was going to give it to Celestia. When we found Rainbow, she was going to ask Celestia to bring us home.”
  1943. “What happened to the book?”
  1944. >”I…I don’t know. I think Twilight still had it when they…”
  1945. >You cut her off.
  1946. “I understand.”
  1947. >You shoot a glance at Rainbow.
  1948. >You considered picking your words carefully, but there wasn’t much point.
  1949. >It was too late for that.
  1950. “What’s Equestria like?”
  1951. >”What?”
  1952. >Both of them stare at you.
  1953. ”It’s been a while. Things weren’t…great, the last time I saw it. Has it changed much?”
  1954. >Fluttershy glances at Rainbow.
  1955. >You can see she’s curious as well, as much as she wants to hide it.
  1956.  
  1957. >”It’s…different.”
  1958. >She backpedals.
  1959. >”But…but maybe that’s not bad. Everypony is so much closer. You know everypony that you run into. Though maybe that’s because there’s…less of us now. There’s lots of work too. Luna is certain that you guys’ll come back, so she takes everything that isn’t essential; to prepare. Ponyville isn’t…or it hasn’t existed for a while now. Celestia moved everypony to Canterlot or Cloudsdale. A lot of ponies want us to fight back, but just as many are terrified of humans now. Too many have lost loved ones. A couple…mostly those who used to live with humans, think we can still fix this but I…”
  1960. >Fluttershy pauses.
  1961. >”I don’t think we can.”
  1962. “It’s fine?”
  1963. >”We’ve gotten over the whole…devastation part. Now we’re just rebuilding.”
  1964. >That’s good.
  1965. >It makes you feel slightly better knowing that the worst was over for them.
  1966. >Things had gotten really bad by the time your partner left.
  1967. >By the time she got home things must have been even worse.
  1968. >And if everything was beginning to heal, that meant…
  1969. >Maybe…
  1970. >She’ll be coming back soon.
  1971. >But that was a thought for later.
  1972.  
  1973. “What about Celestia?”
  1974. >Rainbow raises an eyebrow.
  1975. >”Celestia? She’s…doing her best. Not many ponies support her though. They like Luna more. Most blame her for what happened. For all the people who died and all the ponies who’re gone. They think if she’d stayed or cut us off earlier, everything could have been avoided.”
  1976. >You nod.
  1977. >That’s what you were expecting.
  1978. >Still…
  1979. “There any humans left in Equestria?”
  1980. >”Not…not since…”
  1981. >She mumbles away.
  1982. >Well, you had high hopes anyway.
  1983. >It wasn’t like you were expecting any.
  1984. >You were wasting enough time already.
  1985. “Hey, Dash?”
  1986. >”Yea?”
  1987. “I don’t want to separate you two, but we really should be getting back to work.”
  1988. >She lets out a small chuckle.
  1989. >”Really? You can’t let me have this one?”
  1990. >You shrug.
  1991. “I’ll give you an hour, but let’s not forget we just lost a full catch and a net. We’re gonna need to work to make up for it.”
  1992.  
  1993. >It took you an hour to set up the equipment anyway.
  1994. >Things never got rolling though.
  1995. >Try as you might, you just didn’t think you’d be able to make up for the loss.
  1996. >Rainbow kept letting herself get distracted, kept sneaking over to Fluttershy when you weren’t looking.
  1997. >When she wasn’t trying to show off for the poor girl.
  1998. >To Flutters credit, she did her best to stay out of the way.
  1999. >Just sat on the sidelines and watched.
  2000. >Which was good, because the last thing you needed as another Pegasus fucking things up.
  2001. >As the sun went down though, you looked over the meagre catch you’d pulled in.
  2002. >There was nothing you could do about it.
  2003. >Grabbing a knife, you got to work gutting and cleaning.
  2004. >Rainbow settled in next to you.
  2005. >Fluttershy sat down on your free side.
  2006. >She already had a knife in her mouth.
  2007. >Reacting quickly, you shake a finger at her.
  2008. “No.”
  2009. >She mumbles around the tool.
  2010. >”I ‘an hel’”
  2011. “No no, the last thing I want is Jacob thinking I stole you or something. You just go back against the side and sit quietly, okay?”
  2012. >”’lease, I ‘an. I’m useful.”
  2013. “No. You don’t even know how to…”
  2014. >Fluttershy stabs forward suddenly, cleanly and quickly splitting the fish in her hooves.
  2015. >A little bit of guts fly onto her coat, staining it red.
  2016. >”’ee?”
  2017. >Huh.
  2018. >You guess she did know how.
  2019. >Still.
  2020. “Fluttershy…you just can’t, okay? Please, just sit patiently until we get this all figured out, okay?”
  2021. >Slowly, sadly, she places the knife back on the ground.
  2022. >Gives you one final look.
  2023. >Before standing up and trotting away.
  2024. >You and Dash continue working.
  2025.  
  2026. >”You really are going to take her back, aren’t you?”
  2027. >Dash asks, putting the knife down for a second.
  2028. >The smell of the fish is powerful, and she sometimes can’t handle it, so you’ve allowed her short breaks whenever it gets too heavy.
  2029. >Seems she’s taking one now.
  2030. >Not bothering to look up, you reply.
  2031. “What other option do I have?”
  2032. >She shrugs, as well as a pony can.
  2033. >”I dunno. But this is fucked, man. You can’t just roll over and let Jacob win.”
  2034. “You think I don’t realize how fucked this is? I have to hand her over to a guy I know for a fact is going to rape her; you think I don’t realize that? You think I haven’t been sitting here for the last six hours trying to think of a way to prevent this?”
  2035. >”And?”
  2036. “And I have nothing. We can hide her on the ship. We get lucky, she stays for one day. Then the police come, I lose my license, I lose you, and if you’re lucky, you get bought by Jacob and spend the rest of your life as a broodmare, which we can agree is bad.”
  2037. >”Not exactly something I want, no.”
  2038. “I could simply not call into port, or sail up the coast a little, but then we run into the same problem except now I’m harbouring a fugitive, look guilty as fuck and we’re still going to get caught.”
  2039. >”What about, I dunno, international waters?”
  2040. “How long do you think we can survive away from port? We barely have enough fuel to get back; even less with Fluttershy throwing us off track.”
  2041. >Dash takes a deep breathe.
  2042. >”So what do we do?”
  2043. “Stick to the plan. Get you ‘obedient,’ trade you away for Fluttershy. I mean, if that’s still what you want.”
  2044. >Dash looks uncomfortable.
  2045. >”Yes. I’m still willing to take that bullet.”
  2046. “So that’s that.”
  2047. >”Yea. Nothing we can do.”
  2048. >The sun was setting by the time you got back to land.
  2049. >Even from a distance, you could see him waiting for you.
  2050. >What looked like police officers next to him.
  2051. >Jacob.
  2052. >You swallowed.
  2053. >Damn ponies. They always made things more difficult.
  2054.  
  2055. >You have Rainbow take the wheel.
  2056. >Half because she needs the practice, and half because you need to distract her from what you’re doing.
  2057. >She says she’ll be fine, but you can still see that fire in her eyes.
  2058. >She can tolerate you, but she hates Jacob.
  2059. >Taking a deep breath, you track down Fluttershy.
  2060. >It’s easy.
  2061. >She’s sitting next to Rainbow.
  2062. “Better say your goodbyes now.”
  2063. >They share a look.
  2064. >Rainbow is the first to speak.
  2065. >”Yea I…I guess we should. Not like we’re…gonna get another chance.”
  2066. >She turns to her companion.
  2067. >”Fluttershy, I…just don’t let him push you around, okay? Just…just keep saying no.”
  2068. >You can tell she doesn’t believe her own words.
  2069. >She’s a smart…well, not a smart pony, but smart enough to know that her advice probably won’t help.
  2070. >It’s a little late for something like ‘no.’
  2071. >”Look, just…stay strong, Flutters, okay? I’m coming. I’m gonna get through this training lightning fast and we’ll swap places. Anon…Anon’ll take good care of you, okay? And then…and then maybe a miracle will happen. I don’t…”
  2072. >She’s fighting back tears while Fluttershy moves in a final hug.
  2073. >Impossibly, it’s tighter than the last one.
  2074. >”Don’t worry. I will. I’m going to be fine. I’m…I’m gonna…be…”
  2075. >She chokes back a sob.
  2076. >”I’ll…I’ll give him my mind, and if he doesn’t listen I’ll…use The Stare at him. Even…even though he just blindfolded me last time! I’m sure it’ll work this time. I’ll be… I’m gonna…”
  2077. >Her tears fall heavier as she heaves.
  2078. >”I’m gonna get raped.”
  2079. >You’d tell her it’s not that bad.
  2080. >But you’d be lying.
  2081. >So you say nothing.
  2082. >”It’ll be fine, ‘Shy. Just stay strong.”
  2083.  
  2084. >The boat pulls into your park.
  2085. >Now comes the hard part.
  2086. “Fluttershy…”
  2087. >”It’s time to go.”
  2088. “If it helps, I’m sorry.”
  2089. >”It’s fine, you didn’t…cause this.”
  2090. >You nod.
  2091. >Nothing you could have done.
  2092. >Bending down, you sweep her off her hooves, supporting her fully as you stand back up.
  2093. “Dash?”
  2094. >You step out onto the deck.
  2095. “Stay put.”
  2096. >Jacob and the police watch as you disembark from Celestia.
  2097. >Usually you’d just jump the rail, but today you’ll take the time to find the gate, pull out the boarding plank, all that.
  2098. >You’re not sure what to say, so you wing it as you step back onto dry land.
  2099. “Look, Jacob; let me open by saying that I had no idea your pony was on my ship. She snuck aboard, if I had known about it, I would have called you right away. By the time I found her, I was already several hours away from shore; it would have taken too long to come back. I was going to bring her back as soon as possible. I’d really appreciate it if you went easy on her.”
  2100. >Jacob just gives you a friendly smile.
  2101. >Like he already knew what you were going to say.
  2102. >”No harm done, eh? She probably enjoyed the time to bond with her friend and all that. It’s my fault, really. I should have been keeping a closer eye on her. They tend to get a little…flighty after they get settled in. Then again, they are just ponies. I remember Coffee once disappeared for three days before I could find her again.”
  2103. “You’re not angry?”
  2104. >“Come on, I know a guy like you wouldn’t stoop so low as to steal someone’s property. It was just an accident.”
  2105. >You raise an eyebrow.
  2106. >Clearly he didn’t know you very well.
  2107. “Why the cops then?”
  2108. >”Well…just in case it wasn’t an accident.”
  2109.  
  2110. >You place Fluttershy on the ground.
  2111. >She immediately darts behind you and curls into a ball.
  2112. >Jacob just clicks his teeth.
  2113. >”Shy little girl, isn’t she?”
  2114. >Crouching down, Jacob extends a hand.
  2115. >”Come on, Flutters. It’s time to go home. You’ve had quite the adventure. Did you enjoy talking with your friend again? Maybe we can set up a play-date if you behave nicely. Now come along; Coffee’s cooked you a nice, big dinner back at the house.”
  2116. >Fluttershy doesn’t move.
  2117. >Reaching forward, Jacob clicks a leash around her neck, and stands back up.
  2118. >Facing you, he smiles again.
  2119. >”I hope we can just forget this whole embarrassing deal. I promise, it won’t happen again. I know a guy like you is busy, I’d hate to waste your time. She wasn’t too much trouble?”
  2120. >Fluttershy is still cowering behind your leg; even as Jacob tries to pull her forward.
  2121. >Taking a deep breath, you step out of the way, leaving her alone.
  2122. “No, not at all. She’s a…she’s a good pony.”
  2123. >Who deserves better than you.
  2124. >Better than this.
  2125. >But there wasn’t anything you could do.
  2126. >You just had to wait.
  2127. >There was always a plan.
  2128. >Still, if you didn’t tackle this now…
  2129. >You don’t think you’d be able to sleep with yourself.
  2130. “Listen, Jacob, before you go, do you have a moment? Fluttershy…”
  2131. >You consider not mentioning her, but Jacob would figure it out anyway.
  2132. “Told me a couple of things about how you treat her that concern me.”
  2133. >Jacob gives you a blank look, before clicking his fingers.
  2134. >”Don’t worry about it. We’re getting her clipped on the way home; it’s totally safe to give her a room of her own. I know the whole clipping is a little extreme, but boundaries need to be set. It’s not permanent anyway. She’s not gonna escape again.”
  2135. >You shake your head.
  2136. >God, Jacob made you sick.
  2137. >There’s no point beating around the bush with him.
  2138. “Jacob, she told me you raped her.”
  2139.  
  2140. >Jacob’s smile drops.
  2141. >”What?”
  2142. >He grabs Fluttershy’s leash harder.
  2143. “She says you don’t listen to her when she says no.”
  2144. >He glances down at Fluttershy.
  2145. >”Does she now?”
  2146. >Fluttershy does her best to look even smaller.
  2147. >Her leash lands across her back as Jacob puts it down and walks towards.
  2148. >”And you believe her?”
  2149. >You stare at him.
  2150. “I just want to be sure you’re not forcing her to do anything she doesn’t want. You told me this whole thing was consensual. We agreed that anything else was wrong.”
  2151. >He puts an arm over your shoulder.
  2152. >It makes your skin crawl.
  2153. >”Do you trust me, Anon? Would it even matter if I told you she never said no? Would you believe me? Is there even anything I could say that would change your mind, or have you already vilified me? We both have to do things we regret, our livelihoods depend on it, but we can always avoid sinking to their level.”
  2154. >You just keep staring at him.
  2155. >”Because I speak with complete honesty. She never said no.”
  2156. >You don’t reply.
  2157. >You just need a second to gather your thoughts.
  2158. >Of course you didn’t trust Jacob.
  2159. >The man was an abusive rapist.
  2160. >At least, you were pretty sure he was.
  2161. >Unless …
  2162. >No.
  2163. >You saw Fluttershy’s face. She wasn’t lying.
  2164. “She’s a shy pony, are you sure she wasn’t trying to say no some other way? I mean, they don’t have to explicitly say ‘no,’ right?”
  2165. >Jacob removes his arm.
  2166. >”You’re actually taking her word over mine.”
  2167. “Well, I mean…”
  2168. >”You’re going to believe a pony over your own race?”
  2169. “Why would she lie?”
  2170. >Jacob shrugs.
  2171. >”I don’t know? Maybe she’s trying to get sympathy so you treat her better.”
  2172. >He clicks his fingers.
  2173. >”Ah, I know, this is one of those regret things.”
  2174. “Regret?”
  2175. >”Yea, you know, where she regrets it the next night and cries rape. That sort of thing.”
  2176. >You…don’t think it’s that kind of deal.
  2177. “Jacob, just…make sure, okay?”
  2178.  
  2179. >Jacob doesn’t decide to let this slide.
  2180. >”Dude, why do you care so much, she’s just a pony.”
  2181. >Sometimes you felt like the only person in the world who saw a problem with what was happening.
  2182. “That doesn’t mean you can just rape her. Ponies are still intelligent, they still think. Most are as smart as you or I.”
  2183. >Jacob lets out a chuckle.
  2184. >”Can’t have been that smart if they got themselves enslaved.”
  2185. >You just glare at him.
  2186. >In response, he pulls himself back to his full height.
  2187. >”Look, let’s say I made a mistake and she’s actually said no. Who cares? What does it matter? After all they’ve done to us; after what she herself has done to us, you don’t think maybe she deserves it? Just a little? I mean, I’m not going out of my way to rape her, but if it happens by accident, it’s not like anyone is losing sleep.”
  2188. >At some point, you realize you clenched your fist.
  2189. >You quickly unclench it before Jacob realizes.
  2190. “Nobody deserves that.”
  2191. >”I lost my best friend these creatures. Frankly, trusting them at all was a mistake. They’re subhuman, Anon. Don’t forget it. It’s us vs them.”
  2192. >You’re not sure what to say.
  2193. >You’ve met his type before. You know he won’t change.
  2194. “It wasn’t always us vs them.”
  2195. >”And look what happened. We know better now. Ain’t nothing out there that wants to be our friend.”
  2196. >Jacob turns around to leave, stopping briefly to pick up Fluttershy’s leash.
  2197. >”I’ll catch you around, ‘aight? Just gimme a call when you think Dash is ready.”
  2198. >He chuckles to himself again.
  2199. >”Better make it quick though. You won’t believe how many people are interested in this little mare.”
  2200. >Fluttershy chances a glance at you as she’s pulled away.
  2201. >You can’t match her for long.
  2202. >You can’t even think of anything to say.
  2203. >And then, just like that, they’re gone.
  2204. >Officers and all.
  2205.  
  2206. >You take a deep breath.
  2207. “You can come out Dash, I know you’ve been watching.”
  2208. >There’s the flapping of wings, but by the time you turn around, she’s already landed.
  2209. >She’s angry.
  2210. >Angry enough to try and get right in your face.
  2211. >”Is that it? That’s all you’re gonna say?”
  2212. >You furrow your brow.
  2213. >You said everything you could.
  2214. >You think.
  2215. “Yes?”
  2216. >”I thought you were gonna fucking tear into him! Come on dude, at least call him a piece of shit! Tell ‘em you’ll beat his ass if he so much as touches Fluttershy without her permission. Stop being a fucking pussy and stand up to him.”
  2217. >You address this calmly.
  2218. “I think you’re really overestimating what I can do.”
  2219. >”At least hit him or something! Anything! I would.”
  2220. “Yes, that’s why I had you stay on the ship.”
  2221. >”Yea but…you could have…at least…”
  2222. >She stops herself.
  2223. >And lets out a sigh.
  2224. >”I hate this.”
  2225. “I know.”
  2226. >”I hate this world. I just want to go home.”
  2227. “I know.”
  2228. >”I hate feeling so powerless. I’m not…not some helpless little girl, I’m Rainbow fucking Dash! I should be leading a resistance or some shit. Not sitting still while my best friend is taken away to be raped.”
  2229. >You only nod.
  2230. >To her credit, she calms down quickly.
  2231. >Steels her resolve.
  2232. >”So what happens now?”
  2233. >You think.
  2234. “We load the fish off the ship, and then I’m going to go into town and drink until I think I’m a good person. After that, I think I’ll pet you a bit. Wanna come?”
  2235. >Dash shrugs.
  2236. >”Sure, why not? Maybe it’ll make me feel better.”
  2237. >Take a few steps before Rainbow mumbles something under her breath.
  2238. >”You are a good person.”
  2239. “What was that?”
  2240. >”I mean, human wise. A pony would be better, but for a human, you could be worse.”
  2241. “Geez, thanks.”
  2242. >”Hey, fuck you, that’s the best compliment I’ve ever given.”
  2243.  
  2244. >”Stay out, and don’t come back until that ANIMAL is in its proper place.”
  2245. >You flip him the finger as you walk away.
  2246. >Only lack of said fingers prevents Dash from doing the same.
  2247. >Turns out, most bars refuse to serve ponies.
  2248. >Or really, have ponies do anything other than menial service.
  2249. >This was the third one in a row.
  2250. >A couple of people came out with you the second time, outraged.
  2251. >So that was a thing.
  2252. >Dash throws her weight around.
  2253. >”Let’s just go home, dude. This sucks. I’m tired of walking.”
  2254. >You stop her.
  2255. “No. If I want a nice cold beer at whatever time it is, that’s my right.”
  2256. >”Go get one then. I’ll meet you back at Celestia.”
  2257. >Grabbing her, you step forward.
  2258. “One more place. I know a guy, he’ll definitely let you in. I just hope you don’t mind a lack of variety.”
  2259. >Dash relents.
  2260. >She wants to forget just as bad as you do.
  2261. >”Fine. One more place. But if we get tossed out, I’m leaving.”
  2262. “Fair enough.”
  2263. >You lead her down a familiar road as you head deeper into the city.
  2264. >The slave house passes by on your left, and you see Rainbow shudder slightly as she walks past.
  2265. >Obviously, there are no ponies in the windows at this hour.
  2266. >They only left them there overnight as punishment.
  2267. >Eventually, you arrived at your friend’s fish and chips shop.
  2268. >He had a liquor license. Technically.
  2269. >Dash just stares at you.
  2270. >You shrug.
  2271. “I told you, I hope you weren’t expecting variety.”
  2272. >”Whatever. As long as they have cider.”
  2273. >You hold the door open for her.
  2274.  
  2275. >You take a seat at one of the tables near the window.
  2276. >This place wasn’t a ‘restaurant’ in any sense, but it at least provided two tables for anyone who wanted to eat in.
  2277. >Dash takes a seat opposite you, glancing at the other people in the shop.
  2278. >”Who are those clowns?”
  2279. >You take a look at the group of heavy black robe wearing customers.
  2280. “Local book club. They gather on Wednesdays. I think they were reading something ocean based recently, but I can’t remember the title. I was thinking of joining them.”
  2281. >Dash shrugs.
  2282. >”It’s fine, it probably won’t lead to anything anyway.”
  2283. >Getting comfortable, you lean back.
  2284. >The owner shows up next to you a moment later.
  2285. >Usually he wouldn’t leave the register, but you were a special guest.
  2286. >”Hey, Anon; what’s up? You here to apply for the bookclub again?”
  2287. “Nah, I’m good. Just get me something to eat and something alcoholic to drink.”
  2288. >”We don’t serve alcohol here.”
  2289. “It’s beneath the counter.”
  2290. >The owner smiles.
  2291. >”Fine, you got me. What about you…”
  2292. >He points at Dash.
  2293. >”Never got your name, Rainbow.”
  2294. >”It’s Rainbow.”
  2295. >”Nice and easy then. Names Nick. What’ll you have?”
  2296. >Dash nods.
  2297. >”Same as Anon, I guess.”
  2298. >You relax again.
  2299. >Unlike Dash, who seems to have something on her mind.
  2300. >Well, obviously, that’s why you were here.
  2301. >To kill what’s bothering you.
  2302. >Your friend leaves for the kitchen, which is really just a few steps behind the counter, and Dash does her best to mimic your relaxed pose.
  2303. >It doesn’t work.
  2304. >Hey Anon?”
  2305. >She asks.
  2306. “Yea?”
  2307. >”I’m sorry.”
  2308. >You raise an eyebrow.
  2309. “Excuse me?”
  2310. >”For breaking the net. I tried, I really did, but all this…thinking stuff was Twilight’s job. I’m no good for it.”
  2311. >She leans forward, resting her head on her hooves.
  2312. >”I just don’t get why you bought me for all this. There’s plenty of better ponies for the job, I’m just a girl who was kicked out of the Wonderbolts. Why not pick someone who won’t fuck up?”
  2313.  
  2314. >You sigh.
  2315. >You’re not drunk enough for a talk like this.
  2316. >But if you were, you wouldn’t be in a condition to talk at all.
  2317. “I was looking for something.”
  2318. >She just stares at you.
  2319. >”What? Looking for me?”
  2320. “No, not you, exactly. Someone…like you.”
  2321. >”I don’t get it.”
  2322. >You adjusted your seating, leaning forward.
  2323. “I had a partner once. She was a big influence on who I am now. She was…funny, and kind, and smart and always knew exactly what to say or do…”
  2324. >”Yea, you’ve mentioned her.
  2325. “And she’s gone now. Back to Equestria.”
  2326. >”So?”
  2327. “The point is, Dash, she wasn’t a slave. I mean, that’s obvious, this was before the Genocide, but she wasn’t scared of calling me out on my bullshit. She laughed, she cried, she lived. She was a partner. And she told me, if I was patient enough, she’d be back.”
  2328. >You focus on Dash.
  2329. “But, well, I struggle with patience. I don’t want a slave, Dash. I never have. I wanted a partner. Any idiot could have brought an obedient pony and taught her to use the machines, but really, she’d just be another tool. I’m tired of tools. I want to feel that camaraderie I felt again.”
  2330. >You take a breath.
  2331. “But you don’t give that same feeling. You hate me; and the only reason you’re still here is because you can’t leave.”
  2332. >Dash scoffs.
  2333. >”C’mon dude, that’s not true.”
  2334. “If I gave you a portal to Equestria, right now, would you take it?”
  2335. >Her eyes dart downwards.
  2336. >”Yes, obviously, but I mean… Fluttershy would have to come and…you’re not…I’m not…”
  2337. >She gives up.
  2338. >Luckily, the arrival of your meals gives her an excuse to stop talking.
  2339.  
  2340. >The owner places them in front of you, before pulling himself a seat.
  2341. >”So what’s gotten you so down, friends?”
  2342. >Shit.
  2343. >He could tell?
  2344. >Sure, you knew each other well, but you didn’t think it was that obvious.
  2345. >You pick up a chip, one of the smaller ones, and pop it in your mouth.
  2346. “I had to do something I really didn’t want to do.”
  2347. >”What were the consequences if you didn’t?”
  2348. “Prison. Or at least a heavy fine.”
  2349. >”Yea, that’ll keep you in line.”
  2350. >You nod, while he turns to Dash.
  2351. >”What about you, Rains?”
  2352. >She’s surprised by the simple acknowledgment of her existence.
  2353. >”You’re actually asking?”
  2354. >The owner nods.
  2355. >”Well, where to start? Oh, I know, my entire race has been reduced to beasts of burden that are so reviled; we’re constantly abused and raped by people who believe we ‘deserve’ it. The only ponies that might be able change this are either slaves themselves, or preoccupied simply keeping things from getting worse. I myself am so fucked up I’m scared of flying and basic human contact. I’m certain that my best friend is being raped, as we speak, with no way out for her in the foreseeable future. My other friends are missing, probably in similar situations, and one has even lost the very purpose of her being. My princess is a traitor who abandoned us when we needed her and the other is trying to build an army against the people who kicked our ass last time. Oh, and I found out it’s impossible to go home even if I could escape.”
  2356. >”Yea, that’ll keep you in line.”
  2357. >He pauses.
  2358. >”Either of you want to talk about it?”
  2359. >You give it some thought.
  2360. “You know what? Yea.”
  2361. >So you tell him everything.
  2362. >Meeting Fluttershy.
  2363. >Meeting Jacob.
  2364. >The trade.
  2365. >Her escape.
  2366. >Giving Fluttershy back.
  2367. >Everything.
  2368. >It makes you feel a little better, but not much.
  2369. >You still feel like a piece of shit.
  2370.  
  2371.  
  2372. “I dunno, I guess I just feel totally helpless here. I mean, this is fucked up, right? Me and Dash aren’t the only ones that can see this?”
  2373. >Nick sits down.
  2374. >”Nah, I agree. I can see why you’d be upset.”
  2375. >You eat another chip.
  2376. “You were always the smart one, is there anything we can do legally? I mean, there’s gotta be abuse laws or something here, right?”
  2377. >Nick shakes his head.
  2378. >”See, the problem is, Jacob isn’t actually abusing his ponies. It’s not like he’s hitting them or starving them or anything. If he was you might have a case. As it stands now, it comes down to his word vs Fluttershy’s, and we both know which way the court will swing. She says she never consented, he says she did, they side with him, case dismissed.”
  2379. “You telling me rape ain’t abusive?”
  2380. >”I’m saying you’d never win.”
  2381. >”Well, what about her wings? He can’t just…clip them, can he?”
  2382. >”Perfectly legal, if you think it’s needed.”
  2383. >You take a drink.
  2384. “So we’re fucked?”
  2385. >”Pretty much.”
  2386. >The table’s silent.
  2387. >”Fucking Jacob, man.” Dash eventually comments.
  2388. “Fucking Jacob.”
  2389. >”So what’s the deal with Rainbow, Anon? I thought you promised…”
  2390. >Hastily, you shoot him a look.
  2391. >He catches on.
  2392. >”Promised ‘her,’ no more ponies.”
  2393. >You shrug.
  2394. “I need someone on the ship. It’s always been a two person job. Besides, she won’t mind. A pony under my care is better than one under anyone elses.”
  2395. >”How’s that whole fishing business working for ya, anyway?”
  2396. “Pays the bills. Never been happier. How’s this shop working out?”
  2397. >”Pretty good. Miss the money we used to make together.”
  2398. >You grin knowingly.
  2399. “Life ain’t about getting rich.”
  2400. >”Yet maybe if you were, you coulda bought Fluttershy.”
  2401. “If I was, I would never have had a reason to.”
  2402.  
  2403. >Dash perks up, swallowing a mouthful of drink as she does.
  2404. >”Wait, hang on, what?”
  2405. >You give her a quick glance.
  2406. “Me and Nick used to work together before I started fishing.”
  2407. >”Wait, before? I thought you’d always been a fisherman.”
  2408. “Well, you never asked.”
  2409. >Waving a hand dismissively, you discard her next comment.
  2410. “It doesn’t matter though. I fucking hated my old job. The hours were too long, there were too many people, the work was hard. The only plus was the money. What I’m doing now makes me much happier. And you gotta do what makes you happy.”
  2411. >”What’d you do?”
  2412. >Maybe it was the alcohol speaking, but you kind of wanted to tell her.
  2413. >Strange, you didn’t think you’d even had that much.
  2414. >Slowly, you take another sip.
  2415. >Eh, fuck it. Why not?
  2416. “I was a…”
  2417. >You pause.
  2418. >And catch yourself.
  2419. “No, it doesn’t matter. I really shouldn’t be telling you.”
  2420. >She practically climbs onto the table.
  2421. >”C’mon dude, tell me. How many secrets are you hiding from me, just give me this one.”
  2422. >She’s got a point.
  2423. >But still…
  2424. “No, no, I’m serious; I could go to jail, it’s best to just forget it.”
  2425. >”Jail? Seriously? What the fuck did you used to do?”
  2426. >Leaning over, you lock eyes with Nick.
  2427. “Dude, help me out here.”
  2428. >”This is your problem, solve it, mate.”
  2429. >Fine.
  2430. >Fine, fine, fine.
  2431. >Leaning forward, you push Rainbow back into her chair.
  2432. “I was a…let’s say I worked in immigration. It sounds better that way.”
  2433. >”What like…slavery?”
  2434. “Nothing that extreme, no. I…helped people into and out of countries.”
  2435. >”Oh.”
  2436. >Dash looks like she understands, but you elaborate anyway.
  2437. “I won’t say how it started; it’s not important. All that mattered was, we had a boat, they had money. Occasionally we’d ferry people from one country to the next.”
  2438.  
  2439. >You take a drink.
  2440. >Damn it felt odd to talk about this openly.
  2441. “And Equestria…oh man, Equestria was a gold mine for a guy like me. Can you even imagine how easy it was? Border security was a joke. I must have snuck three, four hundred people in, easily.”
  2442. >You shrug.
  2443. “But I hated how it all made me feel.”
  2444. >You try to explain.
  2445. “I mean, it’s hard to explain, but I always felt like I was betraying someone, regardless of what I did. Some of the guys I helped, they really didn’t deserve a place like Equestria. If I helped them, I was fucking you guys over, and if I took ponies out of Equestria, I was fucking my own race over. Eventually, I just…stopped thinking about it.
  2446. >”I understand, bro. Loyalty is a hard thing to balance. So what changed?”
  2447. “Well…I met my partner.”
  2448. >You take a drink.
  2449. “I don’t know how she did it. I don’t know how she knew. Whenever I landed in Equestria, I always made sure it was in the middle of nowhere. No civilization for miles. Less chance of getting found and caught. And yet she found me.”
  2450. >You chuckle.
  2451. “She was waiting for me.”
  2452. >Dash is clearly listening.
  2453. >Nick’s heard it all before.
  2454. “So I did what anyone would. Point the unlucky sap I brought with me towards town and confronted her. To my relief, she claimed she was just a teacher. Not a police officer, not a soldier. Regardless, she just wanted a lift to Earth. No questions asked.”
  2455. >You shrugged.
  2456. “She had money. So I did it. Wasn’t like I had any standards back then.”
  2457.  
  2458. “You probably already know this, but it takes about two weeks to get from Equestria to Earth. Lotta time to be locked in a small box with someone. Sure, things are a bit bigger now, to carry more people, but back then it was all we had. And she…she had a way with words.”
  2459. >”What’d she say?”
  2460. >You leaned back, putting the drink down.
  2461. >Shit, you were getting sentimental.
  2462. >You wave a hand dismissively.
  2463. “It’s…cheesy.”
  2464. >Rainbow urges you on, so you do.
  2465. “That it’s not us vs them. It’s just us.”
  2466. >You smile.
  2467. “She was a breath of fresh air. She just…got it. She understood everything. My betrayal, my situation, everything. And God, she knew the way to fix everything. By the time we got back to Earth, I was…well, dreading letting her go.”
  2468. >”So he didn’t.”
  2469. >You snap Nick a look.
  2470. “Hey, I’m telling this story. Why don’t you go get me another drink, eh, friend?”
  2471. >Nick leaves.
  2472. “So anyway, we get to Earth, and she asks me to stick around.”
  2473. >”Why?”
  2474. “She just wanted to see the world. Travel around, talk to people, check out humanity. Couldn’t go through the regular channels because… actually, that’s not important either. Told me she was suspicious of all the propaganda we were sending you guys, which was fair, because we really played up the whole ‘peaceful with a big stick’ angle. With an emphasis on ‘big stick.’ She’d been around long enough to know when someone was lying to her. She wanted to see what humanity really looked like.”
  2475. >You smile.
  2476. “So that’s what we did. We took the Celestia and toured the world. Went through the proper channels when we could, mostly kept our heads down. It was a good time.”
  2477. >”So how’d you get stuck with the crummy job you have now?”
  2478. “I happen to enjoy this crummy job, Rainbow. I’d always planned to settle into it once my partner went home. If she went home. Things were pretty great as they were. You gotta do what you love, even if it doesn’t seem like much.”
  2479. >You sigh.
  2480. “And then the Equestrian Genocide happened.”
  2481.  
  2482. >Dash looks down.
  2483. >”Right.”
  2484. >There’s an expression on her face, but you can’t read it.
  2485. >Fear? Guilt? Regret? Maybe even something positive.
  2486. >Some dark, evil, Earth-grown part of her that agrees with what happened.
  2487. >She looks like she wants to say something, but nothing comes.
  2488. >She’d lived through it, saw it all first hand.
  2489. >Felt the backlash more than anyone.
  2490. >She swallows nervously.
  2491. >”Right.”
  2492. >You’d always said that a war was inevitable. That someone was going to break. You weren’t an optimistic person, not by nature, and you knew your history.
  2493. >Someone was going to strike first.
  2494. >You just never expected it to be them.
  2495. >Nobody had.
  2496. >Sticking to the facts you’d learnt was the only way you could really think about it.
  2497. >It was terrorists.
  2498. >That’s the story Equestria has always claimed.
  2499. >It’s the one they still claim.
  2500. >Pony supremacists unhappy with humans living in Equestria.
  2501. >They had broken into the Canterlot Archives while the princesses were on Earth.
  2502. >Stole something powerful, something Celestia had tried to keep secret.
  2503. >And then they released a plague that killed every non pony living in Equestria.
  2504. >Between the deaths, the blaming, the paranoia, the lack of cooperation and the fear of what magic could do here on Earth…
  2505. >Things escalated.
  2506. >”Right.”
  2507. >It was much more bitter this time.
  2508.  
  2509. “Were the rumours about you true?”
  2510. >Rainbow looks up at the sudden question.
  2511. >She’s got a blank look on her face.
  2512. >”I’m going to say the same thing I’ve always said. I wasn’t involved. I didn’t kill anyone.”
  2513. “The rumours were never about if you were involved.”
  2514. >A crack appears in her mask.
  2515. >”What, you think I knew? You think I knew that all those people were going to die and that I sat in my little cloud house and closed my eyes and covered my ears and did nothing? You think any of us knew? You think Fluttershy could fucking sit still while people died?”
  2516. >Dash sighs.
  2517. >”Look, I know that I said some things before it happened. I’m not going to deny that I’ve always hated your kind. I’m not going to deny that I wanted you out of my world. But look at me, Anon. Do you honestly think I’m a monster?”
  2518. >You’ve stopped eating.
  2519. >You don’t feel very hungry.
  2520. “No.”
  2521. >Dash is silent.
  2522. >”That’s good. Shame so many people think differently.”
  2523. >She chuckles, falsely.
  2524. >”You know, looking back, it’s hard to believe that things got this bad.”
  2525. >You stare at her.
  2526. >”Things were…looking up, even if I couldn’t see it. You know there were talks about getting us a seat in the United Nations, whatever that was. If things had gone better, we’d…well, I don’t know what we’d be. Not this, at least. But anything is better than this.”
  2527.  
  2528. >Dash cradles her head.
  2529. >”I just wish I could stop thinking about it. Luna must not reach into this world because…well, you know. You’ve seen me sleep, I know you have. It’s just, like, I should have done something. I should have paid more attention. And now all those people are…”
  2530. “Dash, I understand.”
  2531. >Dash slams her hooves on the table.
  2532. >”No, you don’t! Can you stop doing that? Every time someone tries to face a difficult issue or come to terms with something, you always cut them off! Like you’re ‘saving’ them from having to admit the truth. You’ve done it to me, you’ve done it to Fluttershy, I bet you even did it with your oh so mysterious partner. Just once, let me face the facts, Anon.”
  2533. >She takes a deep breath.
  2534. >”All those people are dead, Anon. I saw it all and couldn’t do a thing to help them. And it’s all my fault for not noticing what was happening sooner. All those…I don’t even know how many millions.”
  2535. “Does it matter?”
  2536. >”No. It doesn’t.”
  2537. >Dash sighs.
  2538. >”At least the ponies responsible are dead as well, right? That gives you some happiness, right?”
  2539. “No. It doesn’t.”
  2540. >Cradling her head, Dash leans forward.
  2541. >It’s obvious that she’s not coping well.
  2542. >You reach over and pet her mane.
  2543. >She flinches, but lets it happen.
  2544. “You wanna go home?”
  2545. >”I wanna go to the boat.”
  2546. >You stand up and walk over to her.
  2547. >She doesn’t move, so you reach down and try to sweep her into your arms.
  2548. >She lets out a scream as you push against her burn.
  2549. >Which brings it to your attention.
  2550. >You really do need to get someone to look at it.
  2551. >This can’t be normal.
  2552. >But whatever, you don’t have the time to worry right now.
  2553. >Getting back to her hooves, Dash settles in next to you.
  2554. >”C’mon. We’ve got work tomorrow. Let’s just…get it over with.”
  2555.  
  2556. >The moon was centred in the sky as you climbed back aboard the Celestia.
  2557. >You stumble slightly as you go inside.
  2558. >It’s dark, so you grope around for where your bed usually is.
  2559. >Rainbow follows behind closely.
  2560. >Eventually, you find it, and practically fall into bed.
  2561. >You wait for the distinctive sound of Rainbow’s hooves walking away and, when it never comes, turn to face her.
  2562. >Only her mane is visible as your eyes adjust.
  2563. >You’re too tired and/or drunk for something like this.
  2564. “Rainbow, you wanted to go to bed?”
  2565. >She sits down.
  2566. >”Yea, it’s just…I don’t want to sleep.”
  2567. >Too tired/drunk.
  2568. “What do you want, Rainbow?”
  2569. >She’s a little taken aback by your bluntness.
  2570. >”Can I…lay with you tonight? If you want I’ll just go to my bed but…”
  2571. “Lay?”
  2572. >”I don’t want to dream. They’re really bad tonight. Don’t…don’t leave me alone with them.”
  2573. >You weigh your options.
  2574. >But in the end, you can’t deny her.
  2575. >She needs all the help you can give her.
  2576. “Fine, if you think you can handle it. Climb in.”
  2577. >The bed shakes as Rainbow jumps in.
  2578. >She quickly settles in next to you.
  2579. >Her body is warm.
  2580. >You rest an arm across her, and she inhales sharply.
  2581. “Shit, sorry.”
  2582. >She rolls over onto her other side, now facing you.
  2583. >”It’s…fine.”
  2584. >She smiles.
  2585. >Slowly, she pulls your arm back.
  2586. >”I’m going to miss you when everything is over.”
  2587. >She looks up into your face.
  2588. >”Just promise you’ll go easy on Fluttershy.”
  2589. “I will.”
  2590. >She nuzzles her muzzle against your chest before her brain reacts, snapping her backwards.
  2591. >”Thanks. I just…I wish there was another way. I just want both of us to be safe. I hate having to settle for one or the other.”
  2592. “Dash, it’s really late.”
  2593. >”Right, right, sorry. I’ll just…lay silently. Night, Anon.”
  2594. >You close your eyes and begin to drift away.
  2595. >And for a brief second, things weren’t so difficult anymore.
  2596.  
  2597. >You awake suddenly to a sharp pain in your lip.
  2598. >Your first instinct is protect your face, grabbing whatever is kicking against you tightly.
  2599. >Your second is to protect the small pony in front of you.
  2600. >It’s not until you’re more awake that you realize you’ve grabbed Rainbow’s hooves.
  2601. >Her two bottom ones are still kicking randomly; just a few inches from the rest of your body.
  2602. >The pain in your face has numbed to a slight stinging.
  2603. >She’s mumbling to herself in her sleep.
  2604. >”No…no more. I can’t run… ‘ny further. Please… ‘lease don’t…hit me.”
  2605. >Her hooves struggle against you.
  2606. >You debate for a moment if you should wake her up, before deciding it’s for the best.
  2607. “Rainbow. Rainbow Dash. C’mon, wakey wakey.”
  2608. >She mumbles something incomprehensible as her kicking slows.
  2609. >And stops completely.
  2610. >”Anon? What time is it? What’s wron…oh.”
  2611. >All traces of her lethargy are chased away as she looks at you.
  2612. >”Oh Celestia, did I kick..? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Does it hurt? Please don’t hurt me back, I didn’t mean it! It was an accident! I-I-I was asleep! It wasn’t my fault! Please!”
  2613. >Her distress only increases as she rolls out of the bed.
  2614. >”I’ll go get some water, yes? And you can just rest, no need to get up.”
  2615. >You stop her.
  2616. “Dash, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you, you know this.”
  2617. >She takes a quivering breath.
  2618. >”Right. Partners. It’s just…you’re bleeding!”
  2619. “What?”
  2620. >A finger runs along the point of pain.
  2621. >And comes back wet.
  2622. >Huh.
  2623. >You guess she must have cut you by accident or something.
  2624. >It’s fine though.
  2625. >She didn’t mean it.
  2626. >You wait patiently until she comes back with a wet rag.
  2627. >But quickly lose interest, and walk back onto the deck of the Celestia.
  2628.  
  2629. >After a moment, Rainbow follows out after you.
  2630. >It’s still much earlier than you’d usually wake up, but you might as well get an early start to the day.
  2631. >You could watch the sun rise later.
  2632. >Dash comes rushing out as soon as she realizes you’re not in bed.
  2633. >There’s a wet rag draped over her back.
  2634. >“So, uh…here it is! Feel free to…um, take it.”
  2635. >You look down at her.
  2636. “Actually, I think it might be better if you do it.”
  2637. >Her smile slowly shrinks.
  2638. >”What?”
  2639. “You’re getting better with contact, but mostly it’s just been me touching you. Time to switch it up a bit.”
  2640. >Dash backpeddles.
  2641. >”But…but I can’t reach that high.”
  2642. “You have wings, don’t you?”
  2643. >”But I don’t think I can use them!”
  2644. “Why not? Just remember, it’s for Fluttershy.”
  2645. >Rainbow takes a deep breath.
  2646. >You think, on some level, she’d been expecting something like this sooner or later.
  2647. >Her little lessons and trainings were always awkward, but she powered through them.
  2648. >Flight was still something she needed to work.
  2649. >Not that you expected James to let her fly, but it was a good indication of the progress she was making anyway.
  2650. >Carefully, she spread her wings, which looked slightly fuller than before.
  2651. >She swallows, gives you a timid look, and begins to rise.
  2652. >She hovers near your head.
  2653. >Her hoof is shaking as she pushes the rag against your face.
  2654. “Relax Dash. You’re doing fine.”
  2655. >”Please don’t talk.”
  2656. >It’s slow, but eventually Rainbow claps her wings back to her sides, dropping back to the ground.
  2657. >You give her a friendly smile.
  2658. >She flashes it back.
  2659. “Sometimes I wonder just what they did to you to instil such a fear of flight.”
  2660. >Dash looks around nervously.
  2661. >”Do you…do you want to know? It’s a not very long.”
  2662. >You give it some thought.
  2663. “Yes. May as well.”
  2664.  
  2665. >The sun finally managed to crest over the horizon as Dash finishes several hours later.
  2666. >’Not very long,’ my ass.
  2667. >You felt a little physically sick, but you’ve travelled with worse.
  2668. >How people could be so cruel to another intelligent being, you’ll never know.
  2669. >Anyway, you had more important things to focus on.
  2670. >Dash sat next to you, deep in thought, as you sail Celestia to deeper waters.
  2671. “Penny for your thoughts?”
  2672. >Dash snapped to attention.
  2673. >”What?”
  2674. “It’s an expression. It means ‘what are you thinking about?’”
  2675. >”Oh.”
  2676. >Dash settled back down.
  2677. >“Three hundred years.”
  2678. >Dash takes a deep breath.
  2679. >”Jacob said it’s going to take three hundred years for this whole slavery thing to end. I mean, that’s no Luna’s Exile, but three hundred years is a long fucking time, Anon. Is there even going to be anything left in Equestria for my foals to return to? Would they even want to at that point?”
  2680. >She twists her head up until she’s making eye contact.
  2681. >”And no pony’s even going to know who I was. Three hundred years, that’s my…what, great-great-great grandchild? I’m gonna have to give birth to a foal that I know is never gonna even SEE Equestria. And her foal’s gonna never see Equestria either. And then her foal is not even going to know anyone who’s seen Equestria.”
  2682. “I think you’re being a little dramatic. There’ll still be ponies in Equestria, no matter how long it’s been.”
  2683. >”Yea, but not here on Earth. Maybe she’ll have some vague idea that Equestria is a place that exists, but she’ll never know anyone who’s been there. At that point, we’ve already become a race of slaves, so what’s the point? Is that what I have to look forward to?”
  2684. >You shrug.
  2685.  
  2686. “You’re thinking too far ahead. Don’t worry what Jacob says. Sure, the black slave trade lasted three hundred years, but that was a different time. Things are better now. People are smarter, kinder; I don’t see this lasting nearly as long as that. Already, you can see people waking up to the truth. At the auction, at the bar, everywhere.”
  2687. >”I don’t see those people actually doing anything, though.”
  2688. “It’s not about the big changes, not about the protests or the laws. It’s about the little ones. Single good, honest souls changing opinions a mind at a time. And people are willing to listen, in this age more than ever. Truth and justice are stronger than they’ve ever been before.”
  2689. >You relax slightly.
  2690. “Things will get better, Rainbow. Believe me. It just takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a mind doesn’t change in that time either. But if you’re patient, and you keep believing, eventually you make it to the shore. Every day just brings you one day closer.”
  2691. >There’s a moment of silence between the two of you, before you decide to throw in the last two cents.
  2692. “We live in a time of great turmoil and injustice. But it won’t stay that way for long. We’re better than that now. We’re not gonna let ourselves make the mistakes of the past.”
  2693. >”Bit late for that though, ain’t it?”
  2694. >You didn’t have a retort prepared.
  2695. >Should have just ended at the silence.
  2696. ”Anyway, let’s get the net set up. Plenty of fish in the sea.”
  2697.  
  2698. “Alright, remember to bring it in slowly. We don’t want another repeat of last time. That’s the right button.”
  2699. >”Which butto…oh right, here it is. Let’s reel ‘em in!”
  2700. >You shoot Dash a concerned look.
  2701. >She can probably handle it; you don’t think you’d need to go up there and make sure.
  2702. >She knew how to use the net.
  2703. >Speaking of, the thing had been jamming all day.
  2704. >Which was why you were standing so close to it.
  2705. “Alright, slow it down about now, Rains.”
  2706. >”Right, got it.”
  2707. >She hasn’t got it.
  2708. “Rainbow!”
  2709. >”I’m pushing the button! It’s not working!”
  2710. >Not again.
  2711. “The one on the right, Rainbow.”
  2712. >”We went over this; they’re all right! I’m pushing the right one!”
  2713. >The net pulls through the water, quickly.
  2714. “Just cut it, Dash.”
  2715. >Guess you were wrong.
  2716. >You’d need to teach her a little more before you could leave her alone.
  2717. >”Alright, right, I’ve got it.”
  2718. >Your relief is short lived as, for a second time; the net slams into the back of the ship.
  2719. >This time though, you weren’t so lucky as to grab the railing.
  2720. >The world is thrown upside down as you tumble out of the boat; the cool air swiftly replaced by the cold sea.
  2721. >There’s a loud ‘thonk’ as you hit the side of the ship.
  2722. >Through muffled ears, you can hear Rainbow shout.
  2723. >For a brief moment, you’re not sure what happened, before the reality rapidly came to you.
  2724. >Air.
  2725. >It’s hard to move your limbs.
  2726. >You try to will them upwards, but they’re sluggish.
  2727. >Not moving right.
  2728. >The light from the surface dims as a pain in your head grows.
  2729. >It’s getting harder to focus as your body screams for air, but only sinks deeper.
  2730. >It’s getting darker.
  2731. >Celestia.
  2732. >You had to get back to Celestia.
  2733. >You had to get back to the boat.
  2734. >The last thing you see before the light disappears completely is something diving into the water.
  2735.  
  2736. >You wake up later in your bed.
  2737. >It hurts when you try to get up, so for now, you’re content to lie.
  2738. >Some flapping catches your attention, and you call out.
  2739. “Rainbow?”
  2740. >The flapping stops, and is replaced by hurried hoofsteps.
  2741. >Dash rushes over to you.
  2742. >Water from her body drips down onto the floor as she stands over you.
  2743. >”Anon! Are you okay? Please be okay, it was just an accident! You know I’d…I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. Do you need anything? Water? No, no, that was tasteless, sorry. Pills, or something like that?”
  2744. >You’re not sure if you are okay.
  2745. ”I’m fine, Rainbow.”
  2746. >But you can’t let her know that.
  2747. >”Oh, thank you Celestia!”
  2748. >Before you can stop her, Rainbow throws herself at you.
  2749. >She’s cold to touch; but presses herself against you tightly anyway.
  2750. >The slight movement causes a wave of pain throughout your body.
  2751. >”Don’t do that to me. I don’t want to be fish bait. Did…did you even think of me, you idiot? You can’t just die that easily, not when I’m around.”
  2752. >Dash is fighting back tears.
  2753. >”I’m so, so, so sorry. I’m just so useless. I’m trying my hardest but I keep making more mistakes than Derpy. I just want to be helpful.”
  2754. >She finally releases you, taking a few steps back.
  2755. >”Stay here. I’ll be back.”
  2756. >You don’t really have much of a choice as she vanishes from your vision.
  2757. >Luckily, it doesn’t take long for her to return.
  2758. >She’s holding a belt in her mouth.
  2759. >”I’m…ready to accept my punishment. I know you don’t have a whip, but I think this will hurt enough.”
  2760.  
  2761. >You stare at her for a moment.
  2762. >This again?
  2763. “Dash, I’m not going to punish you, we’re part…”
  2764. >”Please, Anon! I know I fucked up, you nearly died! Any normal person would punish me for this. You can’t let me just get away with it. I’m not saying you have to beat me half to death, but I need something! I deserve something! So just do it!”
  2765. >She drops the belt on your bed and turns around, sticking her flank into the air.
  2766. >Her tail is entirely focused on covering her sex.
  2767. >”I’ll count them for you, don’t worry.”
  2768. >You rub your temples.
  2769. “Dash, I’m not going to punish you for an accident. They happen, no one can help it.”
  2770. >”Do you think Jacob is going to think the same way?”
  2771. >You pause.
  2772. >”Because I know Jacob is going to punish me for much less. This is another thing I need to get used to, Anon; whether you admit it or not. So be a man, take the belt, and flog my ass already!”
  2773. >She’s got a point, unfortunately.
  2774. >But still…
  2775. >Your last partner wouldn’t want this.
  2776. >And you know your current one doesn’t really want it either.
  2777. “I’m not going to whip you, Rainbow. I told you this, remember?”
  2778. >There’s a moment of silence before Rainbow stands back up.
  2779. >Slowly, she turns around, and takes your belt back.
  2780. >”Fine.”
  2781. >You lay back down as she begins to walk away, muttering ‘stupid Dashie, stupid’ to herself.
  2782.  
  2783. >Your attention is captured again by a loud smacking sound and a barely supressed groan.
  2784. >Followed by another one.
  2785. >Hastily, you get to unsteady feet and head back onto the deck.
  2786. >Rainbow is craning her neck sideways, doing her best to self-flagellate her cutie mark with the belt.
  2787. >Despite the pain, you hurry over to her, grabbing the belt.
  2788. >She tries to fight you off.
  2789. >”I can’t screw up again! I won’t let myself! I keep doing it and people keep dying and I can’t let it happen again! Please, Anon!”
  2790. >You pull the belt out of her mouth and hold it above yourself.
  2791. >Unexpectedly, she tries to fly up to get it, forcing you to hold her down.
  2792. >There are tears in her eyes.
  2793. >After a moment, she collapses, defeated.
  2794. >”Please, Anon. I nearly lost you.”
  2795. >You’re not sure what to say.
  2796. >You crouch down and run a hand through her mane.
  2797. >She doesn’t flinch.
  2798. >An arm quickly wraps itself around her midsection, making sure not to press on her burn, and you pull her closer.
  2799. “It’s fine, Rainbow. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to die any time soon.”
  2800. >The two of you simply sit there, content, as the minutes drift by.
  2801. >It occurs to you that soon…moments like these will be gone forever.
  2802. >You’ll have to give her up soon, for a different pony.
  2803. >A different personality.
  2804. >You weren’t sure if you were ready for that.
  2805. >You…didn’t want to let her go.
  2806. >But it was her choice.
  2807. >For now, you were happy to just be in her presence.
  2808. >Slowly, but surely, she calms down.
  2809. “Now come on. How about we make some money for my retirement, eh? Plenty of fish in the sea.”
  2810.  
  2811. >You lean back and look over the menu again.
  2812. >You weren’t sure what you wanted.
  2813. >This wasn’t the kind of place you usually visited.
  2814. >Not high class, not by a stretch, but just far away in the part of town you never visited.
  2815. >Still, it was apparently one of Jacob’s favourite places, so you had little choice.
  2816. >He’d given you a call and said there were things you needed to discuss.
  2817. >Which was always bad.
  2818. >You’d left Rainbow back at the Celestia while you went out.
  2819. >It wasn’t like she was going to steal the boat, and if the news was as bad as it was in your head, you’d rather Rainbow didn’t hear it from Jacob.
  2820. >It had been nearly two weeks since the drowning incident, and the last time you saw Fluttershy.
  2821. >How much could change in that time?
  2822. >Fluttershy couldn’t be dead, that would be ridiculous.
  2823. >How long had Fluttershy been in Jacob’s care?
  2824. >Long enough that she’d be noticeably pregnant, right?
  2825. >Maybe Jacob just wanted to make it clear to you that you’d be getting two ponies.
  2826. >Taunt it in front of your face.
  2827. >Or maybe something worse had happened.
  2828. >You’re snapped out of your thoughts by a loud shout.
  2829. >”Anon! There you are!”
  2830. >Jacob approaches you, leading a pony on a leash behind him.
  2831. >”I hope you don’t mind Coffee, I try to bring her with me wherever I go. She gets anxious when left alone and I don’t like her mingling with the other ponies. Her previous owner forced her to stand in one spot for hours at a time. Can you believe some people? What a waste.”
  2832. “No, it’s fine.”
  2833. >You look over at the pony, but she breaks eye contact quickly.
  2834.  
  2835. >Jacob sits down on the other side of the table.
  2836. >”Have you ordered yet?”
  2837. “No. I’m not hungry. Look, Jacob, I’d rather we just get this over with quickly. Rainbow’s waiting for me.”
  2838. >Jacob waves a hand dismissively.
  2839. >”Eh, you need to stop being so serious all the time. There’s plenty of time left for this world, nobody is going to mind if you take a few minutes out of it to get something to eat.”
  2840. >You watch as Jacob runs a hand through Coffee’s mane.
  2841. >”C’mon baby, let’s go see if they have anything you like. Maybe some nice hay, would you like that?”
  2842. >Coffee nickers as she’s lead away, following Jacob to the counter.
  2843. >You’re not sure what to think of Coffee.
  2844. >Sure, she was there at the auction, and when you returned Fluttershy, but it wasn’t like you’d ever spoken.
  2845. >Jacob seemed to trust her.
  2846. >Or at least, treated her well.
  2847. >It could have been worse.
  2848. >After a few minutes, Jacob comes back with three plates.
  2849. >He places two on the table, and lowers the third down to the floor.
  2850. >The food on top of it looked like hay sandwiched between bread, so it was obviously for Coffee.
  2851. >”I got you something I thought you’d enjoy.”
  2852. >It’s the same thing he got.
  2853. >You can’t eat it anyway, not if you’re going to talk to Jacob.
  2854. “I’m not hungry.”
  2855. >”Fine, fine. More for us.”
  2856.  
  2857. >You wait patiently while Jacob takes a few bites from his food, before trying to press the issue.
  2858. >The sooner you were back on the Celestia with Rainbow the better.
  2859. “So…how’s Fluttershy?”
  2860. >There’s a second of silence as Jacob thinks, before he shrugs.
  2861. >”Difficult.”
  2862. >He elaborates.
  2863. >”I mean, I thought she was supposed to be the quiet one of the group. But you should hear her at night. I considered moving her to a bedroom further away from mine, but that would be mean to all the others. If I move her she’d just be keeping everyone up.”
  2864. >Your thoughts immediately shift to the timid pony, and imagined her crying herself to sleep.
  2865. >Or worse.
  2866. >You try to think of something else, but can’t drag the image from your mind.
  2867. >”Plus it’s made worse by the fact that only one of my stallions will breed her, and even then she’s not allowed to look at him or he pussies out. The rest entered this stupid pact thingy where none of them will fuck her, even if she asks.”
  2868. >Coffee pipes up from the side of the table.
  2869. >”You could always just force them. Show them their place.”
  2870. >Jacob lowers one hand to silence her.
  2871. >”Coffee, I’m better than that. Besides, as long as one of them is willing to do the job, there’s no reason to punish the group. She’ll be out of my hands soon anyway.”
  2872. >With that, Jacob looks back to you.
  2873. >”So how’s Rainbow Dash? Still wasting her genes out on the boat?”
  2874. “Rainbow? She’s…she’s doing great. I’ve made a lot of progress with getting her to submit. I can trust her enough to leave her alone with the ship.”
  2875. >Jacob takes another bite from his food.
  2876. >”You think she’s obedient enough to make the trade? Say…right now?”
  2877.  
  2878. >You freeze.
  2879. >No.
  2880. >No, she’s nowhere near obedient enough.
  2881. >She still has nightmares when she sleeps, she still hates flying, she’s not ready.
  2882. >You can’t give her up, not yet.
  2883. >Just a little longer.
  2884. “Maybe. What’s the rush though?”
  2885. >”I may have found a better deal. Someone else wants Fluttershy. Which kind of puts a limit on how long I can wait for Rainbow.”
  2886. >You’re almost afraid of what Jacob is going to say next, and you hate that you already know what he might be talking about.
  2887. >Still, you need to be sure.
  2888. “A better deal than the fastest Pegasus in the world?”
  2889. >Jacob grins.
  2890. >”How about an alicorn?”
  2891. >He leans back.
  2892. >”Yea, Rainbow would be nice, but she’s nothing compared to a princess. Plus, I’d be the only seller of alicorns in the world.”
  2893. >You see the flaw in his plan immediately.
  2894. “No wait, but…you can’t breed alicorns.”
  2895. >”Excuse me?”
  2896. >He doesn’t know.
  2897. “You can’t breed alicorns, they’re not born.”
  2898. >”Isn’t there a child alicorn though?”
  2899. >”Flurry.” Coffee chips in.
  2900. “Flurry is an exception.”
  2901. >Jacob leans forward.
  2902. >”Be honest, Anon. Are you lying? I know you want Fluttershy, but we wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to negotiate.”
  2903. “I’m not lying.”
  2904. >He settles back into his seat.
  2905. >”Coffee?”
  2906. >His pony perks up.
  2907. >”I don’t…know. There’s so few alicorns, maybe they are all infertile? But if it happened once, surely it can happen again?”
  2908. >No. No, it wouldn’t happen again.
  2909. >But you suspected that pushing the issue would accomplish nothing.
  2910. >You sigh.
  2911. “Which one?”
  2912. >It had to be one of the lesser ones.
  2913. >It couldn’t be Celestia.
  2914. >Cadence, or…
  2915. >”Twilight Sparkle.”
  2916. >Of course.
  2917.  
  2918. >No way Celestia or Luna would let themselves get caught.
  2919. >And you knew Twilight had been trapped here anyway, it was only a matter of time before someone got their hands on her.
  2920. >Though you couldn’t imagine why they would give her to Jacob.
  2921. “Why would someone who can afford an alicorn want a worthless pony like Fluttershy? Seems like they’re getting a raw deal here.”
  2922. >Jacob shrugs.
  2923. >”Who knows? Why do you want her so bad? From what I know, the guy’s just another breeder. Probably saw some potential in the little girl. I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
  2924. >”Plus there’s; you know…”
  2925. >Coffee began, before being cut off.
  2926. >Lowering a hand down the side of the table, Jacob gave Coffee a couple of soft strokes.
  2927. >”Quiet, Coffee, you’ve been spending too much time with the others. Twilight is perfectly fine. I’m just disappointed he didn’t want one of the more disposable ponies. Not my little bean here, obviously, but someone who wouldn’t cause so much trouble between us like Fluttershy does.”
  2928. >Disposable ponies.
  2929. >The phrase didn’t sit well with you.
  2930. “What do you mean by ‘disposable?’”
  2931. >”Oh, just the older ones that I got cheaply, or those with injuries I can’t fix. Easily replaced ones.”
  2932. >Of fucking course.
  2933. >Why do you keep letting your curiosity speak for you?
  2934. “How many ponies do you even own?”
  2935. >”Only around a dozen.”
  2936. >Coffee corrects him.
  2937. >”Fourteen. Five stallions and nine mares.”
  2938. “Counting yourself?”
  2939. >”…Fifteen.”
  2940. >Huh.
  2941. >Jacob was a lot more successful than you’d thought.
  2942. >You figured Fluttershy was one of his first, but if she wasn’t…
  2943. >That was a lot of money.
  2944.  
  2945. >Still, you needed to focus on what was important.
  2946. “So where does that leave us?”
  2947. >Jacob takes a bite of his food, forcing you to wait.
  2948. >”Pretty much the same, but on a much shorter time constraint.”
  2949. >You shoot him a confused look.
  2950. >He puts down his food.
  2951. >”Look, Anon, I’ll be straight with you. I don’t care what happens to Fluttershy. If she goes with you to your boat for the rest of her life, or off into some other breeders care, it doesn’t matter. All I want is a pony to replace her. If it’s Rainbow, great, I can breed some of the best race horses in the world; there’s money there.”
  2952. >He runs his hand through Coffee’s tail.
  2953. >”If it’s Twilight, that’s great too. She’s got great magical potential; I bet her foals will sell for a lot as well. Throw in royalty, I’d say they’re both worth the same amount. So either way, things work out for me.”
  2954. >He picks up his food.
  2955. >”From what I’ve seen though, Twilight seems to be the safer choice. It’s a miracle how quickly they broke her in; but I guess you’ve already heard about what they did to her horn.”
  2956. “Yea.”
  2957. >Poor girl.
  2958. >”But I want to give you a chance. Save me the trouble of having to travel all the way over to where she’s kept and shit like that. Save me the effort.”
  2959. >There was just no way.
  2960. >”So here’s how it works. In a week’s time I’m taking Fluttershy and trading her for Twilight. The papers are on my desk. Any time you want to pop in before then and prove Rainbow’s a submissive little bitch, that’s good for me. If she is, I’ll take her off your hands and you can take Fluttershy. I’ve got the same papers ready for you.”
  2961. >There was no way Rainbow was going to pass any sort of test Jacob set.
  2962. >”Sorry to put you on the spot like this, but it’s out of my control. I’m sure you and Rainbow will do great though. Don’t worry about it too much.”
  2963. >She wasn’t ready, she wasn’t ready!
  2964. >You just…needed more time.
  2965. >With her.
  2966.  
  2967. >You weren’t sure how long you stayed with Jacob afterwards.
  2968. >You knew you felt much better after you’d left.
  2969. >One week.
  2970. >Rainbow just wasn’t ready.
  2971. >Sure, she’d stopped flinching when you touched her, but that was just normal.
  2972. >It was normal not to flinch when someone touched you.
  2973. >If he asked her to fly, she was fucked.
  2974. >If he tried to fuck her, she was fucked.
  2975. >Rainbow was going to fail, you could just feel it.
  2976. >And when she did, Fluttershy…
  2977. >She’d be beyond help.
  2978. >The water lapped at the side of the Celestia as you climbed back aboard.
  2979. >You think you saw Rainbow land out of the corner of your eye, but when you look again, she’s trotting towards you.
  2980. >”So…bad news?”
  2981. >You consider holding back, trying to hide all of the truth, but decide against it.
  2982. >Rainbow needed to hear everything.
  2983. >So you told her everything.
  2984. >It took a minute to digest inside her mind.
  2985. >But when it does, the crushing reality weighs down on her features.
  2986. >”Jacob’s…getting rid of Fluttershy? He can’t do that! We had a deal! You’re not just going to let him go back on his deal, are you?”
  2987. “She’s his pony.”
  2988. >”So? You can’t let him get away with this!”
  2989. “What can I do?”
  2990. >”I don’t…I don’t know!”
  2991. >Rainbow didn’t usually cry in front of you, but she couldn’t hold them back this time.
  2992. >”It’s not fair.”
  2993. “I know.”
  2994. >”I can’t do this, Anon. I’m gonna fuck it up like I do everything and Fluttershy is going to get raped and I’ll never even see her again to comfort her.”
  2995. “Maybe her new owner would be willing to trade as well?”
  2996. >Dash scoffs.
  2997. >”Who are you kidding? We were lucky enough as it is. Anyone trading an alicorn for Fluttershy is never gonna settle for someone like me. And Jacob isn’t gonna trade Twilight for me either, so she’s stuck as well. We’re…we’re screwed.”
  2998. >You grab her and hold her close in response.
  2999. >You weren’t going to let her screw this up.
  3000. >Not when it matters.
  3001.  
  3002. “Alright, Rainbow. Sit.”
  3003. >Rainbow fell onto her haunches, staring up at you.
  3004. >”Easy.”
  3005. “Down.”
  3006. >Rainbow falls onto her stomach.
  3007. >”Easy.”
  3008. “Face down, Rainbow.”
  3009. >”Oh, right.”
  3010. >She breaks eye contact as she stares down at the floor.
  3011. >You decide to leave her like that for a moment, and run a hand down her back.
  3012. >It’s unexpected, and she jumps slightly as you trace along the scars under her coat.
  3013. “Relax, Rainbow.”
  3014. >”I know, I know, act normal.”
  3015. “Stand and turn.”
  3016. >Pushing herself back up, Rainbow spins around.
  3017. >Her tail is covering her sex.
  3018. “Rainbow…”
  3019. >You didn’t like it, but you knew Jacob would.
  3020. >She swallows as she moves her tail.
  3021. >Lifts it up so that everything is on display.
  3022. >”Anon, is this really necessary?”
  3023. “Jacob likes his ponies obedient. Which means if he asks you to do something, you need to do it without question. Which means no hiding, and no accidents.”
  3024. >Dash takes a deep breath.
  3025. >”Fine. Okay.”
  3026. “Now, hover.”
  3027. >Dash freezes.
  3028. >”Um, Anon…I don’t think I can. I mean, Jacob won’t let me…”
  3029. “Dash! What did I just say?”
  3030. >Slowly, her wings begin to move.
  3031. >Beating rhythmically in the air.
  3032. >Closing her eyes tight, Rainbow slowly lifts herself into the air.
  3033. >You’d done well, she didn’t ask you to look away that time.
  3034. >Anxiously, she hovers a few feet in front of you.
  3035. >You reach forward and give her a nice scratch behind her ear.
  3036. >The beating stops for a second, before Rainbow steels herself and forces herself to stay in place.
  3037. >”Anon…permission to speak honestly?”
  3038. “You don’t need permission for that, Rains.”
  3039. >”Oh, right.
  3040.  
  3041. >She keeps her position perfectly still as she flies.
  3042. >”If…if this actually works; if by some miracle this actually works and Jacob takes me home and Fluttershy comes back here…you’ll treat her right, right?”
  3043. >You’re a little confused.
  3044. “Of course I will, Rainbow. You know this.”
  3045. >”And that means no pushing her too hard, okay? She’s not as strong as me. And don’t make her fly too much. Give her space, as well; and maybe a pet. She likes animals. And don’t parade her around, she doesn’t like people or ponies.”
  3046. “Dash, I know. I’ll take good care of your friend.”
  3047. >She hides a smile.
  3048. >”Thanks. I don’t…humans don’t usually act as nice as you. I need to be sure. I’m still kind of amazed you’re even still trying.”
  3049. “I did promise.”
  3050. >”True. But listen, there’s something else. If this does work…I want you to cut off all contact with Jacob.”
  3051. >That caught your attention.
  3052. “Excuse me?”
  3053. >”Don’t let Fluttershy see what Jacob is going to do to me. Don’t let her see me pregnant and…and cowering. Don’t let her see me broken; more than I already am. I want her to remember me as Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolts recruit and national hero; not Rainbow Dash, broodmare number four.”
  3054. >You think it might be a little too late to preserve her reputation, but don’t tell her that.
  3055. >You suspect, as well, that part of the reason she wants to isolate herself is so that she isn’t reminded of what she gave up for her friend.
  3056. >The closest thing she has to a normal life on Earth.
  3057. “Fine. I promise.”
  3058. >”Thanks. And…if this is happening, I need you to know…”
  3059. >She mumbles something under her breath.
  3060. “What was that?”
  3061. >”I said…you’re a good guy and I’ll miss you, okay? Are we done yet, can we get back to work?”
  3062. “Yea let’s…get back to work.”
  3063.  
  3064. >The Celestia didn’t have much in the way of a bathroom.
  3065. >Of course, it was a boat, so that wasn’t much of a surprise.
  3066. >But there were the necessities.
  3067. >And there was enough to get Rainbow cleaned up.
  3068. >Today was the day.
  3069. >You’d pushed it back to the end of the week to get as much time as you could, but there was no pushing it back any further.
  3070. >You’d rang Jacob, gotten his address, everything important.
  3071. >All that was left was up to Rainbow.
  3072. >But first, you were going to make sure Rainbow Dash looked brand new.
  3073. >The water was warm as you ran your hand through it.
  3074. >Dash sat next to you silently, so you gave her a light push.
  3075. “Everything will be fine, Rainbow. You’ll do fine. Now how about you get in the bath?”
  3076. >Dash stared at you for a moment, before nodding and climbing into the water.
  3077. >Settling into it and resting on her knees, Rainbow gave an awkward smile.
  3078. >”You know, I can wash myself.”
  3079. “I know. I just want to make sure you’re really clean this time. Plus, fingers can fit in places your hooves can’t.”
  3080. >She doesn’t offer any response, but instead just nods sadly.
  3081. >You start at her hooves, working upwards.
  3082. >You didn’t have the proper tools, but Rainbow was different enough from a real pony that it didn’t matter.
  3083. >There’s muck and grime, and you take your time cleaning it out with a little brush you kept for cleaning fish.
  3084. >Dash takes short breaths as you rub over the bottom of her hooves.
  3085. >Maybe it tickles?
  3086. >From there, you rub down her coat.
  3087. >Using your fingers, you push deep into her fur, scrubbing the dirt out from the base of her hair.
  3088.  
  3089. >Rainbow lets out a moan, before catching herself.
  3090. >Her eyes snap open, focusing quickly on the wall in front of her.
  3091. >”I wasn’t…I didn’t mean that. It was an accident only.”
  3092. >Stroking her down, you smile.
  3093. “I know, Rains. I bet someone hasn’t touched you like this in a long time. It’s understandable.”
  3094. >She grits her teeth for a second, before shuffling her hooves.
  3095. >”Right, right, natural. It’s natural.”
  3096. >You go over her carefully, being certain that you haven’t missed a spot.
  3097. >You knew Jacob would inevitably find it if you did.
  3098. “Could you lift your wings, please, Rains?”
  3099. >She does.
  3100. >And then you see it clearly.
  3101. >Rainbow’s burn.
  3102. >How could you have forgotten about it?
  3103. >You don’t think you’d ever seen it this close before though.
  3104. >The patchy blue coat was barely hiding the red skin beneath.
  3105. >All swollen and rough.
  3106. >And was that…?
  3107. >Pus?
  3108. >You poke the burn, and Rainbow winces.
  3109. >How could you have let it get this bad?
  3110. >How could you not have noticed until right now?
  3111. >Dash needed help.
  3112. “Rainbow, I don’t know what’s wrong here, but it seems serious. Do you feel…”
  3113. >”I’m fine!”
  3114. “Dash, no, this seems really…”
  3115. >”I’m fine, Anon! Just clean it, okay? I know it looks bad, but it only looks bad, okay? I feel fine.”
  3116. >You poke it, and Rainbow fights down a gasp.
  3117. >”Okay, it hurts a little, but I’m fine! Don’t worry about it. Just get it clean, and try to make it look like it’s not there. Usually I do it myself, but…um, you’re here this time.”
  3118. >Grudgingly, you take the brush to Rainbow’s side.
  3119. “If Jacob doesn’t trade, I’m taking you to a doctor, Rainbow. I don’t care what you say. This isn’t right, and it’s not healing.”
  3120. >She grits her teeth and does her best to fight through the pain, and by the end of it, it at least looks…clean.
  3121. >Clean is probably the only thing you can say about it.
  3122. >If Dash kept her wings closed though, you could barely see it.
  3123. >You could only hope Jacob didn’t.
  3124.  
  3125. >Her mane and tail were easy enough.
  3126. >By the time you were done, the prismatic colours of her hair seemed to glow in the sunlight.
  3127. >Shuffling over, you sat closer to her flank.
  3128. >Ran a hand through her tail.
  3129. “Can you lift it up for me please, Rains?”
  3130. >There was a slight twitch, before Rainbow spun around; flicking water all over the room as she did.
  3131. >A red blush spread across her face.
  3132. >”Actually, I can do that part myself, no need to worry. You don’t need to stick your hand anywhere near there.”
  3133. >You sigh.
  3134. “Obedience, Rainbow. Jacob loves obedience.”
  3135. >Swallowing loudly, Rainbow closed her eyes.
  3136. >”Right. Right. Please, be gentle.”
  3137. >Lifting her tail, you carefully work the brush against her folds.
  3138. >She’s wet, and you don’t think it’s entirely from the water.
  3139. >Since she’s clearly uncomfortable, you finish quickly.
  3140. >Shuffling back to her front, you smile.
  3141. “Now Dash, this next part is going to sound odd, but do you trust me?”
  3142. >“Yes?”
  3143. “I’m going to push your head under the water, just for a second. I need to wash your face.”
  3144. >”Co…couldn’t you just find a cup or something and pour it over me?”
  3145. “I think this will be better for you. Just a second.”
  3146. >”Okay. Just a second though, no longer than that.”
  3147.  
  3148. >Dash closes her eyes as you grab the back of her head.
  3149. >Slowly, you push her downwards.
  3150. >The water covers her muzzle, then her eyes, then her entire head, submerging her.
  3151. >Then she freaks out.
  3152. >Bubbles blast out of her mouth as she screams, and you pull her back up immediately.
  3153. >She slaps your hand away quickly, shaking.
  3154. >”I’ll do it, just please, no more. I can’t breathe, no more. I’ll do anything you want, just don’t drown me.”
  3155. >She’s still shaking violently.
  3156. >You’re not sure that you’re seeing what she’s seeing.
  3157. >”No more.”
  3158. >Hastily, you grab her and pull her close.
  3159. “Rainbow, it’s me. Calm down. Just calm down.”
  3160. >She fights against you, trying her best to push you away.
  3161. >She’s really trying her best.
  3162. >Gradually, she stops quivering.
  3163. >”A…Anon?”
  3164. “I’m here, Rainbow, don’t worry.”
  3165. >She takes a deep breath, coughing as water drips into her mouth.
  3166. >”Don’t…don’t do that again.”
  3167. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
  3168. >You pull her closer; the water staining your clothes.
  3169. >You hadn’t noticed before, but Rainbow had a very distinct smell.
  3170. >Sugary, and sweet.
  3171. >You place your chin on her head, and breathe deeply.
  3172. >You were going to miss that smell.
  3173. >But you knew it couldn’t last.
  3174. >After several minutes, you stand up.
  3175. >Rainbow steps out of the bath as well, shaking herself dry like a dog before taking a towel, rubbing herself dry.
  3176. >You and Dash share a look.
  3177. “Are you ready?”
  3178. >”No. No, I’m not ready.”
  3179. “Let’s pray to Celestia that it all works out then. That at the end of the day, I’ll have a new pony on this ship.”
  3180. >”And I’ll be…doing what I have to. For Fluttershy.”
  3181. “For Fluttershy.”
  3182. >And with that, you disembarked the Celestia, and went out to make a deal with the devil.
  3183.  
  3184. >Jacob’s house wasn’t what you’d call a mansion.
  3185. >But it was still one of the most mansion-like places you’d seen in a long time.
  3186. >Lots of room, lots of empty space.
  3187. >Three fences, three gates
  3188. >White picket, brick, barbed wire.
  3189. >It was obvious he was either trying to keep people out or keep people in.
  3190. >Probably both.
  3191. >As you and Rainbow wandered closer, two shapes made themselves known near the first gate.
  3192. >You recognized one as Coffee, and the other as…
  3193. >”Fluttershy!”
  3194. >Rainbow shouts, sprinting forward.
  3195. >When you catch up, Rainbow is already embracing her friend.
  3196. >Coffee is just staring at them emotionlessly; holding Fluttershy’s leash.
  3197. >There’s two saddlebags draped over her midsection.
  3198. >Rainbow looks over to you.
  3199. >”Anon, Anon, let’s just take her and go. No one needs to know, it’ll be so easy.”
  3200. “Rainbow…”
  3201. >Her smile fades.
  3202. >”No, you’re right. You’re right, we have to do this.”
  3203. >Coffee steps toward you as Rainbow and Fluttershy hug.
  3204. >”Jacob sent me here to escort you.”
  3205. “Why’s Fluttershy here?”
  3206. >Coffee cocks her head sideways.
  3207. >”I do not like being alone. My Master let me bring her.”
  3208. >”What if she tries to run?” Rainbow asks.
  3209. >”Why would she run? Where would she go?”
  3210. >She’s got a point.
  3211. >”We should get moving. I don’t want to keep my Master waiting.”
  3212. >Coffee motions for you to follow her, trotting down the pathway.
  3213. >You may as well.
  3214. >Rainbow and Fluttershy follow behind you, like you already own the both of them.
  3215. >Coffee just keeps her eyes straight forward.
  3216. “You know, Coffee, I don’t think we’ve actually had a chance to talk before.”
  3217. >”That’s good. It means I haven’t accidently annoyed you or done something wrong. Jacob says I should talk more, but good ponies don’t talk, so he’s confusing like that. Don’t tell Master I called him confusing though. As a good pony I know he’s perfect.”
  3218.  
  3219. >You pass through the second gate, keeping an eye on the building in front of you.
  3220. “Can I ask you a personal question, Coffee?”
  3221. >”You can do whatever you want.”
  3222. “What is Jacob really like? What do you think of him?”
  3223. >”I don’t think, I’m a pony. I know my Master is the smartest, kindest person in the world though. He’s probably smarter than Celestia.”
  3224. >Rainbow rushes over to her.
  3225. >”You take that back!”
  3226. >”He is though. Celestia is only a pony, even if she is really old; and that means she’s inferior to Master.”
  3227. >Rainbow can’t let that one slide; leaping forward until she blocks Coffee from moving.
  3228. >”Celestia is the wisest, friendliest, purest pony in Equestria. She’s better than a thousand, no a million humans and she’s still your princess, even if you haven’t seen her in years. You’d better remember that for when she comes back, Coffee.”
  3229. >Coffee pushes her aside.
  3230. >”Master is better. Master didn’t abandon us here; like you and the princesses did.”
  3231. >Stopping for a moment, Dash takes several deep breaths, before you run a hand through her mane.
  3232. “Let it go, Rainbow. It’s not worth it.”
  3233. >She takes another deep breath, before continuing forward.
  3234. >Fluttershy cosies up to her a moment later.
  3235. >”Be kind to Coffee. She tries her best, but every pony in the house hates her. She just wants to make Jacob happy; it’s not her fault that she can’t say no.”
  3236. >Through grit teeth, Rainbow nods.
  3237. >”I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
  3238.  
  3239. “So what do you do here, Coffee? Does Jacob breed you as well?”
  3240. >Shaking her head, Coffee looks away.
  3241. >”Oh no, Master doesn’t breed me. My last owner…injured me badly. I don’t think it’s possible for me to have foals anymore. I only help tend to those who can get pregnant, and raise the foals until they are sold. It feels…nice. Like getting to be a mother for a while.”
  3242. >You shouldn’t have brought it up.
  3243. >But while you were here anyway.
  3244. “Do you want foals?”
  3245. >Coffee doesn’t answer.
  3246. >At first.
  3247. >”No. It’s not possible for me to have foals with the pony I want; even if I wasn’t crippled.”
  3248. >She refuses to say more.
  3249. >Passing through the last gate into Jacob’s property, Coffee begins to lead you away from the doors.
  3250. >”Just around the back.”
  3251. >She waits until all three of you pass her by, before continuing.
  3252. >”I just do what my Master asks. I’m a pony, it’s what I was made for.”
  3253. “Made for?”
  3254. >”Ponies are supposed to be slaves. You humans helped me understand this. We exist to make your lives easier. If Master asks me to do something and I say no, I’m denying my one reason for living. And then…then he might get rid of me! For…for good. What use is a broken pony? I have to keep trying to be the best pony I can. I can’t give him any reason to dispose of me.”
  3255. >There’s genuine fear in her voice.
  3256. >”Coffee, you…you have to know that’s not true, right? There’s more to life than being a slave. We were born to be free.”
  3257. >”Don’t worry, Rainbow, Jacob will explain it better. He’ll make you understand.”
  3258. >Rainbow opens her mouth to respond, before shutting it slowly and looking down.
  3259. >She knew that Coffee was probably right.
  3260. >Jacob would make her understand, whether she wanted to or not.
  3261.  
  3262. >Leading Coffee around the corner, you wander into Jacob’s backyard.
  3263. >It’s well maintained; with a garden-bed running along the side of the house; an assortment of flowers weaving their way between each other.
  3264. >The grass is kept cut to an acceptably small level.
  3265. >You suspect it’s all Coffee’s work.
  3266. >At the other end of the yard, you can see two ponies talking.
  3267. >One is flying a couple of feet off the ground.
  3268. >Your attention is then caught by Jacob, who greets you with an exaggerated smile and wave of his hands.
  3269. >”There you are, Anon. I was almost worried you were gonna let the week waste away without trying to come pick up Fluttershy.”
  3270. “Ah well, what can I say? I’ve always been a fan of waiting until the last minute.”
  3271. >Coffee steps between you, eventually taking a place at Jacob’s side; nuzzling him slightly as she does so.
  3272. >There’s another pony there with him, that you didn’t notice before.
  3273. >A stallion.
  3274. >Old, greying, but still stretched with a lean build that suggested he was once built for speed and agility.
  3275. >A smile stretches at the corner of his mouth once he sees Rainbow, but is quickly replaced by a guilty flinch.
  3276. >”Wind Rider?”
  3277. >Rainbow whispers under her breath.
  3278. >Huh, apparently they knew each other.
  3279. >That made everything much more awkward.
  3280. >”I see Coffee didn’t have any problems bringing you here. She’s such a helpful pony. Have you ever considered getting a maid pony, Anon?”
  3281. “It never occurred to me, no.”
  3282. >”Probably wouldn’t have much to do on your boat anyway.”
  3283. >Clicking his fingers, Jacob pointed at the ground next to him.
  3284. >”Fluttershy. Heel.”
  3285. >Slowly, Fluttershy unravels from behind your leg, inching away from Rainbow and towards Jacob’s side.
  3286.  
  3287. >Looking over the ponies gathered, you ask the million dollar question.
  3288. >You suspect you already know the answer, but you have to be sure.
  3289. >You have to hear Jacob say it.
  3290. “So…what’s the test? How’s this going to work?”
  3291. >Jacob waves a hand dismissively.
  3292. >”We’ll get to that later. Do you mind?”
  3293. >Jacob asks, pointing at Rainbow.
  3294. >You shake your head.
  3295. >”Rainbow, heel.”
  3296. >Rainbow shoots a look up at you, before creeping out from behind your legs.
  3297. >She’s breathing slowly, holding each breath deep before releasing it.
  3298. >With no fanfare, she sits down in front of Jacob.
  3299. >You walk forward and stand next to her.
  3300. >Crouching down, Jacob holds his hand in front of Rainbow’s face.
  3301. >There’s a faint scar across it.
  3302. >For a second, his smile creeps just a little too wide.
  3303. >”Do you see this, Dashie? No rewards for guessing who caused it. I don’t blame you though, it was my fault. It’s only natural for an untrained animal to lash out. But you’re not untrained anymore, are you?”
  3304. >He places his thumb on Rainbow’s bottom lip.
  3305. >She opens her mouth willingly.
  3306. >Without warning, Jacob shoves two fingers into the back of her throat, pushing her tongue down.
  3307. >The sound of Rainbow gagging fills the air.
  3308. >Her breathing quickens and you can see that she desperately wants to clamp down.
  3309. >But she stops herself.
  3310. >You push Jacob’s back, signalling for him to stop.
  3311. >He waves dismissively again and pulls back, tracing his fingers along Rainbow’s molars.
  3312. >After a lifetime, he pulls out completely, wiping his fingers on Coffee’s cheek.
  3313. >”Very nice, Anon. No broken or chipped teeth.”
  3314. >Pushing himself back up, Jacob walks over to Rainbow’s side.
  3315. >Roughly grabbing one of her wings, your heart leaps into your throat as he extends it.
  3316. >Her good side.
  3317. >He chose her good side.
  3318. >There was no chance he was going to see her burn.
  3319. >Relaxing, you watch as Jacob pulls on Rainbow’s feathers.
  3320. >They’re strong, much stronger than when he first tried it.
  3321.  
  3322. >”She’s in good condition, at least. I don’t like how her coat jumps away from me when I touch her, but that’s fine. I can work on that myself.”
  3323. “Trust me, it’s just you.”
  3324. >He shuffles over to Rainbow’s behind, crouching down again.
  3325. >There’s a moment of silence, before he coughs loudly.
  3326. >”Miss Dash?”
  3327. >Her tail flips out of the way a second later.
  3328. >”Thank you.”
  3329. >Rainbow jumps as something presses at her folds.
  3330. >Jacob’s finger.
  3331. >You sit down next to her, run a hand across her face.
  3332. “It’ll be fine, Rainbow. Just hang in there.”
  3333. >”Easy…easy for you to say.”
  3334. >Dash gasps as Jacob pushes his finger forward, penetrating her.
  3335. >Her breathing speeds up again, eyes going wide, but she shakes her head when you try to calm her.
  3336. >”Just…just move a little to the right please. Just a little.”
  3337. >You follow her eyes to what she’s focusing on, and nod when you realize it’s Fluttershy.
  3338. >As she asks, you stop blocking her view.
  3339. >Coffee is just watching silently, expressionless.
  3340. >This isn’t anything new to her.
  3341. >A breath escapes Rainbow’s lips as Jacob finally stands up again.
  3342. --
  3343. >”At least it doesn’t look like you damaged her back there. Good thing about ponies is that they stay tight no matter what you do. Let’s see how obedient she’s become, let’s get into the real meat of everything.”
  3344. >Let it end quickly, more like.
  3345. “Alright, so how does this work? Are you gonna ask her to follow your commands or something?”
  3346. >”Something like that.”
  3347. >Turning to Coffee, Jacob puts his hands in his pockets.
  3348. >”Coffee, if you could prepare Wind Rider.”
  3349. >”Yes sir.”
  3350. >Falling down onto her knees, Coffee pushes her head beneath the stallion.
  3351. >You’re confused at her actions for a second, before realizing what she’s doing.
  3352. >She’s fluffing him.
  3353. >Her tongue runs along his shaft quickly; like a machine.
  3354. >There’s no love there, or even thought.
  3355. >She doesn’t moan, she doesn’t make any noise.
  3356. >She just does her best doing what Jacob’s asked.
  3357. >Above her, Wind Rider is trying to remain dignified, but failing.
  3358. >Clapping his hands together, Jacob spins around.
  3359. >”Sorry for the wait. Usually I use drugs when he’s feeling limp, but I think Rainbow could use the show to understand what might be expected of her.”
  3360. >He was going to have Wind Rider fuck her.
  3361. >Rainbow seemed only slightly more panicked than you do.
  3362. “Wow, wow, Jacob, let’s slow down a little here. I mean, I know you’re a breeder, but this is…isn’t this a little…”
  3363. >You couldn’t think of a reason why he shouldn’t fuck Rainbow.
  3364. >You don’t know why you’re surprised.
  3365. >That’s what you fucking thought he was going to do, ever since you saw Wind Rider.
  3366. >You guess hearing it out loud just made it more real.
  3367. >”Risky?” Jacob asks.
  3368. >You nod.
  3369. >”Don’t worry. I know she’s not mine yet. There’s no chance I’ll accidently knock her up before then. You don’t need to worry about caring for a pregnant mare if I say no.”
  3370. >Coffee dove into her bag, pulling out a condom.
  3371.  
  3372. >Without any permission, she opens and fits it onto Wind Rider.
  3373. >A moment later, Coffee bobs her head back up, smiling.
  3374. >”All done, sir.”
  3375. >”Very good job, girl.”
  3376. >Coffee nickers happily.
  3377. >Clapping his hands together, Jacob took a few steps back.
  3378. >”Let’s begin, shall we?”
  3379. >Wind Rider looked uncomfortable as he inched towards Rainbow.
  3380. >Then again, you’d be uncomfortable too if you needed to rape someone while three other people watched.
  3381. >The two of them share a moment, eye to eye.
  3382. >”Listen, Dash…I know we don’t have a great history, but I don’t think it matters in a place like this. I know you don’t want to be here. No one does. But I just want to make sure you understand, this isn’t good for me either.”
  3383. >Dash is silent for a moment, before…
  3384. >”Just shut up and fuck me. I have a friend to rescue.”
  3385. >In a display of initiative, Dash spins around, baring everything she’s got.
  3386. >She’s not aroused, not even slightly.
  3387. >Dash falters as Rider climbs on top of her, his weight forcing her down to her knees.
  3388. >One of his hooves drives itself into her burn, but to Rainbow’s credit, she doesn’t react outside of a pained squeak.
  3389. >”If you could just…”
  3390. >She moves his hoof up a little, towards her neck.
  3391. >”Thank you.”
  3392. >Jacob might have noticed though, you can’t be sure.
  3393. >You can see his…length poking against Rainbow’s entrance; it’s visibly quivering with pent up drive.
  3394. >He doesn’t penetrate though, not yet.
  3395. >He’s waiting for something.
  3396. >Slowly, Jacob walks forward, crouching down in front of Rainbow.
  3397. >”Just so we’re clear for Anon here; you do consent, right, Rainbow?”
  3398. >She swallows.
  3399. >”Yes. I consent.”
  3400. >”Consent to what?”
  3401. >Dash can’t even look at him.
  3402. >”I…I consent to getting fucked by Wind Rider, okay? Is that what you want to hear?”
  3403. >Jacob stands up.
  3404. >”Wind Rider, you may begin.”
  3405.  
  3406. >At Jacob’s command, Wind Rider pushes forward.
  3407. >Only to be stopped entirely against Rainbow’s lips.
  3408. >She’s clenching hard, stopping anything from entering.
  3409. >Wind Rider tries again before leaning in close to her ear.
  3410. >”Rainbow, you need to loosen up for me.”
  3411. >With an awkward shuffle of her feet, Rainbow released a pent up breath.
  3412. >”Just…give me a moment. I can’t control it. I just gotta… It’s for Fluttershy. For Fluttershy.
  3413. >A second later, Rider entered Rainbow.
  3414. >Fluttershy looked away.
  3415. >You forced yourself to keep watching, just in case Rainbow glanced over for moral support.
  3416. >Wind Rider’s movements are like a machine as well.
  3417. >It’s just another job to do, and nothing more.
  3418. >He doesn’t care about Rainbow. He doesn’t care about getting off.
  3419. >He just wants to finish the job.
  3420. >The jolting of Rainbow’s body speeds up as Rider thrusts harder.
  3421. >His shaft penetrating into Rainbow’s dry depths must hurt, but she doesn’t make a sound.
  3422. >All her energy goes into fighting off tears.
  3423. >To your relief, Rainbow’s body reacts on its own to the stimulation.
  3424. >It’s not perfect lube, but it works.
  3425. >Rainbow finally begins to make noises as the minutes passed.
  3426. >Dirt clung to her face from the tears that overpower her will.
  3427. >This is bad.
  3428. >This is so much worse than what she was expecting, and it shows.
  3429. >Her head is pushed down as Rider speeds up again, his climax nearing.
  3430. >With a loud grunt, he releases his seed inside Rainbow.
  3431. >She lets out a wordless scream as the heat spreads through her, clenching and trapping Rider involuntarily.
  3432. >It’s not a scream of pleasure.
  3433. >It’s one of panic.
  3434. >Gradually, inch by inch, Rider pulls out.
  3435. >The laden condom remains pinned inside Rainbow, the end hanging out.
  3436. >Jacob continues to watch for another minute as Rainbow lies there with her face in the dirt, exhausted.
  3437. >He shakes his head.
  3438. >”It’s not enough.”
  3439.  
  3440. >A spike of panic goes through your chest.
  3441. “What do you mean it’s not enough? She did everything you asked.”
  3442. >”We’re not done here. You don’t mind waiting a little longer, do you, Anon?”
  3443. >He lifts his hand out of Coffee’s mane.
  3444. >”Clean her up; and flip her on her back. I need to see her face better.”
  3445. >You wanted to object.
  3446. >You wanted to say something, anything, to try and stop it.
  3447. >Dash could barely get fucked once, she couldn’t twice.
  3448. >And yet, as much as you wanted…
  3449. >Jacob held all the cards.
  3450. >And if he said you weren’t done, you couldn’t say no.
  3451. >The alternative was losing Fluttershy.
  3452. >Skipping forward, Coffee shoved past Rider; stopping when she realized her mistake.
  3453. >”Yes sir.”
  3454. >The saddlebag flung open again, and Coffee pulled out a fresh condom.
  3455. >Rider shuffled to the right as Coffee reached under him again, securing the rubber in place around his penis.
  3456. >Then she turned back to Rainbow.
  3457. >She didn’t even take a moment to see if Rainbow was ready.
  3458. >She simply grabbed the condom with her teeth, and pulled.
  3459. >There was a wet, squishing sound as it came loose; the white liquid within pulling down to the Earth and stretching the rubber across Coffee’s chin.
  3460. >She took a moment to tie the end off, trapping its contents.
  3461. >”Wait, Coffee…”
  3462. >Jacob began, eyeing Dash.
  3463. >”Make her hold it.”
  3464. >That’s the straw.
  3465. “What the hell, Jacob?”
  3466. >”Don’t question me. This will be an interesting test of her obedience.”
  3467. “This just unnecessary cruelty and you know it. Don’t give me that.”
  3468. >”Maybe it is. But she’s just a pony, and I’d like to see her reaction. Sometimes you need to be a little cruel. Unless, of course…you don’t want Fluttershy that badly?”
  3469. >You don’t say anything as Jacob turns back to the ponies.
  3470. >”Make her hold it, Coffee.”
  3471.  
  3472. >Dash snapped back to awareness at his words, pushing herself back to her hooves.
  3473. >Just as Coffee trotted over to her, condom in mouth.
  3474. >With surprising legibility, she said,
  3475. >”Open your mouth.”
  3476. >Dash’s face was covered in grime and dirt; and her teeth were clenched shut until she spoke.
  3477. >”Please, I can’t…I can’t do that, I can’t hold it. I’ll roll over, but I can’t…”
  3478. >”Master has given me an order. Open your mouth, or I will open it for you. I will not fail my Master.”
  3479. >Slowly, Rainbow opened her mouth.
  3480. >Leaning in close, Coffee pushed the condom into her mouth with her tongue.
  3481. >It made a wet squeak as Rainbow closed her teeth on it.
  3482. >She recoiled from the taste.
  3483. >”Keep it there. Do not remove it until Master gives permission. Now roll over.”
  3484. >Falling onto her side, Rainbow waited a second longer than she needed before completing the full loop.
  3485. >Grass and dirt smeared her freshly cleaned coat, staining it a horrible mess of green, brown and blue.
  3486. >Her magenta eyes stared up at the sky, and you have no doubt that Rainbow was wishing she was up there right now.
  3487. >Her legs kicked out weakly as she tried to cover herself.
  3488. >Rider’s cum pooled in the bottom of the rubber, which stretched down the side of Rainbow’s cheek to settle on the ground next to her.
  3489. >Despite her efforts, she couldn’t distance herself from what was happening.
  3490. >Not when Rider loomed over her, covered her in his shadow.
  3491. >He waited until Jacob towered over Rainbow; tall and imposing, before pushing his hips forward again.
  3492. >Dash did her best to smile.
  3493. >That’s what Jacob wanted, right?
  3494. >To see her raped, broken, abused; and smiling because of it.
  3495. >Their loveless fucking continued; Dash’s body becoming more and more unhinged.
  3496. >She couldn’t stop her back legs from shaking.
  3497. >She couldn’t do anything except lay there like a piece of meat, seizing.
  3498. >She didn’t even notice when Rider came inside her for a second time.
  3499. >Her mind was in a different place.
  3500.  
  3501. >A weight pulled on the back of your leg, and your attention was dragged away from Rainbow as Fluttershy buried her head behind you.
  3502. >Jacob showed no signs of slowing though.
  3503. >”Coffee. Clean them up. Same as before.”
  3504. >With a happy smile on her face, Coffee nodded.
  3505. >Despite how red and swollen it is, Dash’s pussy is more or less clean, so Coffee ignored it.
  3506. >She goes straight to the used condom on Rider’s length, pulling it off with her lips.
  3507. >They share a look together, Rider barely hiding his disgust at Coffee’s actions.
  3508. >Coffee doesn’t even notice it.
  3509. >Instead, she walks back over to Rainbow’s face.
  3510. >It’s much easier to slip the second condom into her mouth.
  3511. >Dash can only mumble a quiet protest.
  3512. >Jacob looks down at Rainbow with more disgust than Rider.
  3513. >”Stand up.”
  3514. >Dash doesn’t move.
  3515. >”I told you stand up, Rainbow.”
  3516. >Before you can stop him, he drives his foot into Rainbow’s side.
  3517. >You’re not going to give him a chance to do it again though.
  3518. >Shoving him back, you stand between the two.
  3519. >This was wrong, everything was all so, so wrong.
  3520. >The pain in your gut wouldn’t disappear.
  3521. >You need to remember to unclench your fist before talking to him.
  3522. >You wanted to tell him that if he ever touched Rainbow again, you’d knock him out.
  3523. >But you couldn’t.
  3524. “Calm down, Jacob. At least give her a moment to actually respond.”
  3525. >There’s a shuffling behind you.
  3526. >”’S fine. I can…can stand.”
  3527. >Unsteadily, Rainbow rises to her hooves.
  3528. >Her face is a web of tears, mud and snot; the condoms in her mouth threatening to pull her entire head back down.
  3529. >Her coat is dirtier than you’ve ever seen it; and she has to extend her wings just to stand.
  3530. >Her eyes are blank, pupil’s dilated.
  3531. >Suddenly there’s a bright flash from behind you, and you turn to see Jacob holding his phone towards Rainbow.
  3532. >He’s taken a picture.
  3533.  
  3534. >There’s a flash of disbelief, of anger, in you.
  3535. >Before you try to push it down for Rainbow’s sake.
  3536. >It doesn’t work as well as you’d like.
  3537. >Especially as he takes another one.
  3538. “What the fuck, Jacob?”
  3539. >He opens his mouth to explain, before shrugging.
  3540. >There’s a hint of guilt on his face.
  3541. >”No,no, you’re right. This is too far. I think I might be a little out of line here. She’s not my pony.”
  3542. >You’re relieved that he understands.
  3543. >It’s good to know that there was a limit.
  3544. >”Unless…you want ‘em?”
  3545. >He shows you the pictures, Rainbow’s misery on full display.
  3546. >”They’re not bad. Really showcase how submissive she could be. You could use them in advertisements if you want to sell her later.”
  3547. >Fucking Jacob.
  3548. “You mean if you want to sell her later.”
  3549. >Jacob nods suddenly.
  3550. >”Right, right, what did I say? You know what I meant anyway.”
  3551. >You’ve got a bad feeling in your stomach.
  3552. “Well Jacob? What do you think? Do we have a deal?”
  3553. >”Give me a minute.”
  3554. >Silently, she crouches down until he’s face to face with Dash.
  3555. >She recognizes that he’s there, but it’s not the thinking part of her brain that does it.
  3556. >She pulls her neck in like an injured animal.
  3557. >Jacob motions for Coffee to come closer.
  3558. >”Coffee, take these…”
  3559. >He points at the condoms, not wanting to dirty himself by touching them.
  3560. >”And dispose of them properly.
  3561. >”Yes, sir.”
  3562. >A part of Dash is happy as the rubber is removed from her mouth, a part that holds her head just a little higher.
  3563. >And then she locks eyes with Jacob, and it all vanishes.
  3564. >”I just want you to know, Rainbow; that if you hadn’t bitten me back at the auction, I might have accepted Anon’s offer. But I won’t pretend that’s the only reason.”
  3565. >Jacob stands back up, and turns to face you.
  3566. >You extend your hand, more hopeful than anything else.
  3567. “So, what do you think? Do we have a deal?”
  3568. >”Anon, I’m sorry, but…I can’t accept. No.”
  3569.  
  3570. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIscL-Bjsq4
  3571.  
  3572. >Rainbow freezes in place.
  3573. >She hasn’t done that since the auction, when Fluttershy slipped through your fingers the first time.
  3574. >Her brain just can’t comprehend it.
  3575. >Not again.
  3576. “C’mon Jacob, let’s not be hasty here. Rainbow’s a good pony, she’s everything you need. Much better than Fluttershy. She’s submissive, she’s fit, she’s young. She did everything you asked. You said it yourself, she’d make you a millionaire. You’re missing a prime opportunity here.”
  3577. >Jacob just sighs.
  3578. >”Look, Anon…who do you think you’re kidding?”
  3579. “Excuse me?”
  3580. >”This isn’t about Fluttershy anymore, you know that. Rainbow needed to be better than Twilight. That’s the big decision I need to make here. Do I accept Rainbow here and now, or do I take a risk and take Twilight to breed alicorns?”
  3581. >Jacob takes a step back.
  3582. >”And this just…hasn’t convinced me. Rainbow isn’t broken. She’s faking it. Why would I take such a large risk on an unbroken pony when Twilight is already submissive and more valuable to boot?”
  3583. “Look, just listen, I think you’re making a mistak…”
  3584. >”And I’m sure I’m not. Is that an issue?”
  3585.  
  3586. >There’s a sudden flash of movement as Rainbow snaps back to reality.
  3587. >She grabs Jacob’s leg tightly, tears streaming down her face.
  3588. >”No! No please! I can be submissive! I’ll do anything you ask! I’ll make Coffee look like a rebellious filly. Beat me, rape me, spit in my mouth, anything! I’ll even beat myself if you ask. Please, treat me like dirt. Less than dirt. I deserve it, right? I’ll do anything, Jacob, please!”
  3589. >She’s kissing his shoes between breaths.
  3590. >”Turn me into a fucking broodmare. I want it more than anything. I’ll beg you to rape me, I promise. I’ll consent to anything you want; branding, whipping, shocking, anything. You can lock me in a dark room and only let me out to give birth, I can handle it.”
  3591. >You look over to Fluttershy while Rainbow is begging.
  3592. >All you can see is a tiny bundle of fur.
  3593. >She can’t bring herself to watch Rainbow degrade herself like this.
  3594. >”Please, sir. Make…make me forget about my friends. About Equestria. I was born to be your slave. I don’t have any other purpose in life. Please, I’m begging you, just let Fluttershy go. I can be broken, just please, give me the chance.”
  3595. >Jacob looks over at you, and for a second, you see something on his face.
  3596. >Pity?
  3597. >No.
  3598. >No, it’s disgust.
  3599. >”Anon, please get your pony off my leg.”
  3600. >Dash just shakes her head and cries harder.
  3601. >”Please, no. It’s for Fluttershy. I need…she needs me. She needs…me.”
  3602. “Dash, please come to me.”
  3603. >Slowly, she lets go of Jacob, falling to the ground.
  3604. >”I trust you can find your own way out, Anon?”
  3605. >You just nod. It’s all you can do.
  3606. >”Good. Coffee, if you could escort ‘Shy and Rider back to their rooms; and prepare me some new pants. These ones are wet now.”
  3607.  
  3608. >”No!”
  3609. >Rainbow shouted as she unfurled her wings, dashing over to Fluttershy’s side faster than you could blink.
  3610. >She nearly tackled her to the ground, her hooves clinging to Fluttershy’s coat tightly.
  3611. >”Don’t take her! Please! I can’t lose her again; I can’t go through this alone again.”
  3612. >She buries her muzzles in Fluttershy’s neck, nuzzling as hard as she can.
  3613. >Tears are flowing from her eyes, dirtying Fluttershy as much as they are Rainbow.
  3614. >”I’m sorry. I’m sor—“
  3615. >She’s choking.
  3616. >”I’m sor-sor-sorry. Fluttershy!”
  3617. >Fluttershy doesn’t hug back though.
  3618. >You could see the hope dying in her eyes.
  3619. >Until it was all gone.
  3620. >Coffee steps in to remove her, but Rainbow lashes out at her, still crying.
  3621. >”Get away from me!”
  3622. >”I have to take Fluttershy back to her room.”
  3623. >”I’m not letting go, you can’t make…”
  3624. >Rainbow is thrown to the ground as Coffee uses her Earth Pony strength to separate them.
  3625. >She just curls into a small, shivering ball as Fluttershy is pulled back towards the house.
  3626. >Jacob doesn’t even bother to look at her as he follows behind them.
  3627. >You can faintly hear Dash mumble to herself when you step closer.
  3628. >Mostly gibberish.
  3629. >A lot of screaming Fluttershy’s name.
  3630. >A lot of self-hate as well.
  3631. >She doesn’t respond when you reach down and stroke her.
  3632. >”I-I used to won-wonder what frien-friendship could b-be…”
  3633. >You wait for her to calm down, but it quickly becomes apparent that she might never stop.
  3634. >Her tears never slowed down, her convulsions never lessened.
  3635. >She might just cry forever.
  3636. >”F-faithful and…and strong…”
  3637. >Bending down, you pick her up off the ground and hold her in your arms.
  3638. >And go home.
  3639. >There was nothing more you could do.
  3640.  
  3641. >By the time you got back to Celestia, Rainbow had somehow managed to wrangle enough of her mind back together that she could think again.
  3642. >It didn’t do much to stop the pain inside her, but it was something.
  3643. >Carefully, you boarded, and lowered her onto her bed.
  3644. >She immediately rolled back into a ball again.
  3645. >You leave her there for a moment, and come back with a bottle with alcohol.
  3646. >She just shakes her head at you.
  3647. >”I can’t…can’t just drink my problems away, Anon.”
  3648. “I know, that’s why you’re not getting any more tomorrow. So take it now.”
  3649. >Tentatively, Rainbow takes it.
  3650. >She just suckles on the end like a child, still crying.
  3651. “It’s not your fault, Rainbow.”
  3652. >She takes a deep, shuddering breath.
  3653. >”Isn’t it? Who’s fault is it then? Cause it certainly isn’t your fucking fault, and it’s not Fluttershy’s fault, and it’s not Jacob’s fault! It’s my fault! It’s entirely my fault that she’s even here, and it’s my fault that I wasn’t good enough to save her. She’s suffering because of me.”
  3654. “Dash…”
  3655. >”I’m sick of it! I just…I honestly think the world would be better if I was dead.”
  3656.  
  3657. “Rainbow!”
  3658. >”No, think about it. Every single thing I get attached to suffers because I exist. I nearly killed you, I got all my friends enslaved, I bet if you look deep enough you could find reasons to find me guilty for genocide as well! How long am I going to let my friends suffer before I pony up and stop burdening them?”
  3659. >Without a word, you reach down and embrace her.
  3660. >You don’t know what to say.
  3661. “Rainbow…I know things seem bad right now. I know you feel like a failure. But the shore is coming. Things will get better. If we just keep waiting, and stay patient, things will get better.”
  3662. >”You keep saying that but…I can’t believe it, Anon. How are things going to get better? I’ll never see Fluttershy again, she’s gonna get raped until she dies. Fluttershy, of all ponies. I just don’t…see how things are gonna change. Things aren’t gonna get better, we’re all gonna be slaves until we die.”
  3663. “You just have to have faith, Rainbow. Things are changing, even if you can’t see it.”
  3664. >You say the words, but even you have trouble believing them.
  3665. >With all that’s happened, it’s hard to believe things are changing for the better.
  3666. >She didn’t respond.
  3667. “Now I need you to do something for me, okay? When you’re feeling better, I need you to go take a shower, and get yourself all cleaned up.”
  3668. >She mumbles, but nods her head.
  3669. >She doesn’t move from the bed.
  3670. >You couldn’t blame her.
  3671. >It was just starting to hit you that it was over.
  3672. >You’d failed.
  3673. >Everything you’d done, all the promises you’d made.
  3674. >There was nothing you could do.
  3675. >Fluttershy was gone.
  3676. >Fuck it.
  3677. >Heading over to the fridge, you pull out another bottle.
  3678. >Dash may not want to drink her troubles away, but you sure as hell did.
  3679. >And so the two of you sat, and drank, and all the while, one thought stuck to your mind.
  3680. >Why did ponies have to make everything so difficult?
  3681.  
  3682. >You thought long and hard about what to do that night.
  3683. >The sun had long since set over the rolling ocean.
  3684. >You just stood at the railings, staring out at a night sky reflected onto the water.
  3685. >Fucking Jacob.
  3686. >Your thoughts kept drifting back to Fluttershy, and that dead look on her face.
  3687. >You’d seen it before.
  3688. >That sheer level of helplessness, that unmatchable level of despair, all that hope burning away into ashes.
  3689. >Your partner had that same look once.
  3690. >You hated that look.
  3691. >It was so tempting to take the easy option.
  3692. >To just give up.
  3693. >To return to the norm, return to your life.
  3694. >Try to live normally despite the craziness of the world around you.
  3695. >It’s what your partner would have wanted.
  3696. >She’d want you to stay safe, want you to keep your head down until she came back.
  3697. >And she’d promised she’d be back.
  3698. >As much as you liked to think you were the one always protecting her…
  3699. >You both knew she was the stronger one.
  3700. >God, you wished you could just talk her.
  3701. >Just for a minute.
  3702. >Just so you had another excuse not to try.
  3703. >But every time you closed your eyes, you saw Fluttershy.
  3704. >Things…were getting better.
  3705. >They had to be.
  3706. >They must be.
  3707. >You just had to keep waiting.
  3708. >And try to keep your thoughts from drifting to that dead look.
  3709. >Everyone is waiting for something.
  3710.  
  3711. >But you’d never been a patient man.
  3712. >You liked to think you were, but honestly?
  3713. >You’ve always hated waiting.
  3714. >Leaning over the railing, you stare down at the waters.
  3715. >You see a second Anon looking up at you.
  3716. >He looked like Fluttershy.
  3717. >All worn down by the world.
  3718. >Already given up.
  3719. >A man convincing himself that there’s nothing he can do, that it’s all out of his hands.
  3720. >But that’s a lie.
  3721. >There was still something you could do.
  3722. >Something you’d done before, something you’d sworn off since meeting your partner.
  3723. >One final option.
  3724. >But you had to make the call now.
  3725. >By the time the sun came up, it’d be too late.
  3726. >Fluttershy would be in someone else’s hands, and out of yours forever.
  3727. >You’d once asked Dash how much she was willing to give up to save her friend.
  3728. >You’d never stopped to wonder how much you’d be willing to give up.
  3729. >Time to find the answer, you suppose.
  3730. >You’d done enough baby steps, you’d waited long enough.
  3731. >Sometimes, you needed to leap into the blue.
  3732. >Standing back up, you wander into the bowels of the ship in search of Rainbow.
  3733. >She’s still sitting the bath, the water drained of warmth hours ago.
  3734. “Rainbow, you okay?”
  3735. >She’s nearly silent.
  3736. >In a week, she’d share the same look as Fluttershy.
  3737. >”Fine.”
  3738. “Can you do me a favour? I’ve got somewhere to be, but could you refuel the ship for me, like, in the next few hours? I figure we might head out early tomorrow.”
  3739. >”Fine.”
  3740. >And then you left her there, and disembarked the Celestia.
  3741.  
  3742. >You’d visited Nick first.
  3743. >Gotten some things out of storage.
  3744. >Plastic barrels of water, spare ship parts, borrowed an extra blanket from him.
  3745. >Everything else you’d need.
  3746. >You don’t think he approved of what you were doing.
  3747. >He, too, just wanted to wait.
  3748. >Just keep everything safe.
  3749. >He was still taking his baby steps.
  3750. >After that, it was straight to Jacob’s.
  3751. >Standing at his picket fence, you were struck with second thoughts.
  3752. >It wasn’t too late to turn around.
  3753. >To forget Fluttershy, to forget Twilight.
  3754. >To convince yourself that you’d done all you could.
  3755. >You nearly did.
  3756. >All you wanted from life was the simple things.
  3757. >A boat, a job, a lover.
  3758. >But damn ponies had to make everything to difficult.
  3759. >And now, regardless of what you wanted from life, you had to deal with what it gave you.
  3760. >Had to deal with what your heart said.
  3761. >Plant yourself next to the river of truth, and so forth.
  3762. >Taking a deep breath, you leapt over Jacob’s fence.
  3763. >The brick one was a bit harder, but anything is possible with a good run up.
  3764. >You cut your hand getting over the barbed wire one, but that was your fault.
  3765. >Should have brought a towel with you, you knew the wire was here.
  3766. >The cut wasn’t that bad anyway, it only bled a little.
  3767. >You stop to admire the house one last time.
  3768. >You had no idea where Jacob was keeping Fluttershy.
  3769. >But you were ready to find out.
  3770. >You tried the front door first, but it was locked.
  3771. >Of course it was locked.
  3772. >Couldn’t have ponies sneaking out, not after Fluttershy escaped.
  3773. >Back door didn’t open either.
  3774. >Still, there had to be a way.
  3775. >A window, maybe?
  3776. >You go through them systematically, searching for a flaw in Jacob’s system.
  3777. >There’s nothing.
  3778. >Okay, that’s fine, maybe you can…
  3779. >You freeze as you hear someone speaking, ducking down and staying out of sight.
  3780. >To your relief, they weren’t talking to you.
  3781. >There’s two, Coffee and…and Jacob.
  3782. >Well, at least you know where Jacob sleeps.
  3783. >In the room above you.
  3784.  
  3785. >You decide to eavesdrop as you search for a way in.
  3786. >”All the ponies are asleep, sir. Please accompany me next time. It was very dark tonight, and I had to restrain one.”
  3787. >”Sea Swirls?”
  3788. >There’s a moment of silence before Coffee responds.
  3789. >”Yes.”
  3790. >More silence.
  3791. >Then you see it.
  3792. >An open window, on the second floor.
  3793. >”You know, sir, if you wanted, I am trained to make you happy in any way. I’ve been told my oral skills are top notch, and it has the added benefit of denying me any pleasure.”
  3794. >”Coffee, if you ever think that I’d want to fuck you, I want you to take your whip and deliver twenty lashes directly between your legs. You’re disgusting.”
  3795. >”Sorry, sir. You just seemed stressed.”
  3796. >You’re not sure, but you think you hear Jacob sit down on the bed.
  3797. >”Fucking Anonymous. He thinks he’s better than me just because Rainbow Dash does what he says. It’s bullshit, I can make my ponies do what I say. It’s not hard. I could do it right now.”
  3798. >”You should, sir. They’ve been very independent ever since Fluttershy arrived. Ponies like me need frequent reminders of our place.”
  3799. >There’s a sigh.
  3800. >”I bet he’s fucking her as well; the degenerate.”
  3801. >There’s a brief moment of silence.
  3802. >”I should have taken the deal. I can’t stand the thought of Rainbow getting to be happy after what she’s done. I should have taken her and locked her in a slave box until she died, which, considering you’d keep her fed and healthy, would be a long time coming.”
  3803. >”At least you’ll have Twilight.”
  3804. >”Yea.”
  3805. >He sounds disappointed.
  3806. >”I’m going to have a lot of fun with her, at least. I wonder if horns grow back; she could start a collection. Imagine it, just a wall of her own severed horns.”
  3807. >You’ve heard enough.
  3808. >If there was any doubt about what you were doing, it was gone now.
  3809.  
  3810. >You needed a way up to the window.
  3811. >A ladder or a box or a…a…
  3812. >A cage.
  3813. >Of course Jacob had cages.
  3814. >Plural.
  3815. >Sneaking over to them, you wait a moment to make sure there’s not a pony actually in one.
  3816. >Surely Jacob wouldn’t keep a pony outside in one all night, right?
  3817. >Who were you kidding?
  3818. >To your relief, they were all empty.
  3819. >You pick the longest, and pull it over to the house.
  3820. >Sliding it against the wall vertically, it’s easy to get inside.
  3821. >The room you find yourself in is dark, but your eyes adjust quickly.
  3822. >It’s nearly devoid of furniture.
  3823. >A dresser, a rug, and a bed.
  3824. >And a pony, who was currently lying in said bed, looking at you with a terrified look.
  3825. >You freeze.
  3826. >The two of you just stare at each other for a moment.
  3827. >Slowly, you raise your hands.
  3828. >The pony lets out a panicked shout.
  3829. >Hastily, you rush over to her, covering her mouth.
  3830. >Unsurprisingly, this does very little to calm her down.
  3831. >Hooves lash out to try and push you away, but you hold her in place.
  3832. >Until she stops.
  3833. “I’m going to remove my hand now. Please don’t shout.”
  3834. >Slowly, you let go of the pony.
  3835. >She doesn’t make a sound.
  3836. >Until…
  3837. >”Are you…robbing Jacob?”
  3838. >You think.
  3839. “Something like that.”
  3840. >”I won’t…tell anyone. Don’t hurt me, I’m just a slave. I didn’t see you.”
  3841. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
  3842. >”Jacob keeps his valuables in a jewellery box on his nightstand.”
  3843. >Good to know.
  3844. >But not what you want.
  3845. “Where’s Fluttershy’s room?”
  3846. >”Fluttershy?”
  3847. “Yellow pony, really quie…”
  3848. >”I know who Fluttershy is!”
  3849. >You back down.
  3850. “Okay, I’m sorry, I just…need to know.”
  3851. >The pony is silent.
  3852. >”You’re gonna rescue her, aren’t you?”
  3853. “Yes.”
  3854. >”And you’re gonna leave the rest of us here?”
  3855. “…Yes.”
  3856. >”Figures she’d get special treatment.”
  3857. >She sighs.
  3858. >”Her room is at the end of the hall, near the stairs. On the left.”
  3859. “Thanks.”
  3860. >”Just get her out of here.”
  3861.  
  3862. >You exit out into a hallway.
  3863. >It’s…far nicer than you were expecting from Jacob.
  3864. >A nice, long carpet fills the entire floor.
  3865. >There are pictures hanging on the walls, all happy.
  3866. >Jacob and family.
  3867. >Jacob and ponies.
  3868. >Jacob and…his lover, apparently.
  3869. >You didn’t realize he was married, but fuck her regardless.
  3870. >She was probably just as cruel as he was.
  3871. >You take everything in as you walk down the hall.
  3872. >There’s plenty of doors, plenty of rooms.
  3873. >A pony behind each one.
  3874. >Fluttershy’s room is dark.
  3875. >She’s probably asleep.
  3876. >You reach for the knob, and twist.
  3877. >The door swings open quietly.
  3878. >Even this subtle noise is enough to rouse Fluttershy from her sleep.
  3879. >You guess she sleeps lightly now.
  3880. >Sneaking over to the bed, you give her a slight shake.
  3881. >Fluttershy goes full fetal.
  3882. “Fluttershy…Fluttershy, it’s me.”
  3883. >She just shakes her head.
  3884. >”No, no it’s not.”
  3885. “Excuse me?”
  3886. >”I’m…this is just another nightmare. You’re gonna save me and we’ll go back to Rainbow and we’ll escape and be happy and free and then I’ll wake up to Jacob again. I’m not moving.”
  3887. >You’re not sure what to say.
  3888. >So you just crouch down next to her.
  3889. “It’s not a dream, Shy.”
  3890. >She doesn’t move.
  3891. “Look at me. I’m here. Everything is going to be better now.”
  3892. >Slowly, Fluttershy looks up at you.
  3893. >Her eyes are like a child’s.
  3894. >”A…Anon?”
  3895. >You smile.
  3896. >”Anon!”
  3897. >She hug-tackles you.
  3898. >Tears are already springing into her eyes.
  3899. >”What are you doing here? Are you…saving me?” But…but what about Jacob?”
  3900. >She covers her mouth.
  3901. >”You didn’t kill him, did you?”
  3902. >She almost sounded hopeful.
  3903. “Jacob’s fine, we need to get out of here quickly.”
  3904. >”And we can just…leave? Nobody will stop us?”
  3905. “Yes.”
  3906. >”And what happens next?”
  3907. >You had no idea.
  3908. >You’d run, probably.
  3909. >But you couldn’t tell her that.
  3910. “I’ll tell you on the boat.”
  3911. >You stand back up.
  3912. “Now let’s go. You coming or not?”
  3913. >Fluttershy doesn’t move.
  3914. >”Anon, we…we can’t leave yet.”
  3915.  
  3916. >You pause.
  3917. “What are you talking about?”
  3918. >Fluttershy slowly unravels.
  3919. >”We can’t leave the others here.”
  3920. >Oh.
  3921. >That’s what she wanted.
  3922. “No. No no no, I came here for you and you alone.”
  3923. >”We can’t just leave them here with Jacob! It’s…it’s cruel, Anon. I can’t imagine anything crueller. He doesn’t even think we’re intelligent.”
  3924. “I don’t have room for twenty something ponies. I’m already giving up so much to save you.”
  3925. >Fluttershy stands her ground.
  3926. >”We have to take them as well. We have to at least try, Anon. There’s not that many, only fifteen.”
  3927. “Fifteen is a lot of ponies!”
  3928. >”I know but…I can’t leave them. I can’t just abandon the ponies that protected me and cared for me and suffered for me. I’m not… I can’t be that cruel.”
  3929. >No.
  3930. >No way, no.
  3931. “I’m putting my foot down, Fluttershy. You’re coming with me, alone. That’s final.”
  3932. >Fluttershy flares her nostrals, and stares at you.
  3933. >”And I am putting my fo—hoof down! I’m not leaving unless everypony else has the chance to.”
  3934. >Damn.
  3935. >She had to wait until now to grow a backbone.
  3936. >You could just pick her up.
  3937. >Carry her back to the ship against her will.
  3938. >But she’d probably just fly right back into Jacob’s arms when you let go.
  3939. >She had to come willingly.
  3940. >But you couldn’t take that many ponies, it was just…impossible.
  3941. >No.
  3942. >Not impossible.
  3943. >Just difficult.
  3944. >Fucking ponies.
  3945. “Fine.”
  3946. >Fluttershy lights up.
  3947. >”Fine?”
  3948. “I’ll get the ponies in the rooms on the left, you get the ponies in the rooms on the right.”
  3949. >Fluttershy rushes out of the room, barging through the door opposite hers.
  3950. >You just let out a sigh.
  3951. >This was never going to end well.
  3952. >But then again, you already knew that.
  3953.  
  3954. >You go through the rooms one at a time, as quickly as you can.
  3955. >Pulling ponies back into the realm of the awake.
  3956. >Trying to explain the situation as fast as you can.
  3957. >Ultimately, you give each of them a choice.
  3958. >Leave with you and probably get caught, or stay with Jacob.
  3959. >A couple made their decision instantly.
  3960. >A couple needed a moment or two to think.
  3961. >One or two stayed; lacking the bravery for anything else.
  3962. >Or lacking the will to do anything Jacob doesn’t approve of.
  3963. >Across the hall, Fluttershy did the same.
  3964. >And the whole time, you had your eye on the clock.
  3965. >Finally, you reach the last room, the same one you entered from.
  3966. >The pony is sitting on the edge of her bed.
  3967. >She looks at you sadly.
  3968. >”I don’t suppose I could just…talk to ‘Shy before she goes? Say my goodbyes? I mean, she’s probably going to end up back here anyway, but there’s always the chance, right?”
  3969. >You sigh.
  3970. “Right.”
  3971. >”Take good care of her, she’s stronger than she looks.”
  3972. >Well, you knew that now.
  3973. “Do you want to come with us?”
  3974. >The pony scoffs.
  3975. >”You said you were leaving the rest of us behind.”
  3976. “I had a change of mind.”
  3977. >The pony thinks for a moment, before shaking her head.
  3978. >”I’d only slow you two down. I can’t move as much when I’m…you know…”
  3979. >She taps her stomach.
  3980. >”Expecting.”
  3981. >You hadn’t even noticed.
  3982. “It wouldn’t be a problem, I’m not expecting you to move around a lot…”
  3983. >”No, I can’t…come. I mean, where are you even planning to go? This slavery is global, where on Earth are you planning to flee to? If I come, I’ll be caught, and Jacob will punish me. You all will.”
  3984. “I’ll find a place.”
  3985. >”There is no place.”
  3986. “There’s always a place. Always another shore.”
  3987. >”I want to but…I just can’t believe that.”
  3988. >You guess that’s the end of it.
  3989. “So you’re not coming?”
  3990. >”No.”
  3991. “I wish you luck then.”
  3992. >”You’ll need it more.”
  3993.  
  3994. >You step out into the hallway, into the crowd of ponies.
  3995. >Mostly mares, but there are stallions to break up the rounded faces.
  3996. >Fluttershy is leading the pack, looking surprisingly determined.
  3997. >”I’ve gotten every pony from my side, I think we’re ready to go.”
  3998. ”Let’s just get out of here. If we all go through the room at the back, we can sneak out the window and then…”
  3999. >The hallway darkens as someone stands in the light.
  4000. >”Anon?”
  4001. >That voice.
  4002. >The mere presence of that voice caused the ponies around you to flinch, and drove spikes through their hearts.
  4003. >The entrance frames Jacob perfectly.
  4004. >His eyes are quick to take in the scene.
  4005. >”What are you doing?”
  4006. >You raise your hands.
  4007. “Look, Jacob, I can explain…
  4008. >It was a good thing he cut you off, because you couldn’t explain.
  4009. >Not to someone like him.
  4010. >”You’re trying to steal Fluttershy. I’d taken you for a bit of a crook, Anon, but really? Breaking and entering, grand larceny, God knows what else. And why? Because Rainbow fucked up? Because she wasn’t the strong, unbreakable pony she thought she was?”
  4011. “You set Rainbow up to fail. You were never going to accept her and you know it.”
  4012. >”And that justifies this, does it? No one likes a sore loser.”
  4013. >Jacob chuckles to himself.
  4014.  
  4015. >”Look, Anon, we’re both good people here. Don’t do something you’re going to regret.”
  4016. “You’re not a good person.”
  4017. >”Aren’t I? I give these ponies a home. Keep them fed. Keep them safe and happy. I do everything I can for them; and all I ask is that they respect me. Same as you do. Is that too much? There are breeders out there far more cruel than I, you gonna rescue ponies from them as well?”
  4018. >Jacob takes a step closer.
  4019. >”You don’t care about these ponies. You just can’t stand losing. You hate that you couldn’t get the pony you want, and now you never can.”
  4020. “I’m here because I’m tired of just standing around and hoping things get better. I’m here because I can’t stand to watch you hurt these people anymore.”
  4021. >”I hurt these ‘people,’ do I? Go ahead then, point to a single scar, point to a single bruise, point to a single burn, on any of them. There’s none, and it’s more than you can say for your ponies.”
  4022. “At least I don’t rape my ponies.”
  4023. >Jacob looks disgusted.
  4024. >Though you suspect it’s more from the implication that he himself is doing the dirty work.
  4025. >”Is that what this is all about? You still believe Fluttershy? You believe a back stabbing pony more than your own race?”
  4026. “More than you.”
  4027. >Shaking his head, Jacob doubles down.
  4028. >”Leave my ponies alone, Anon.”
  4029. “No. Not anymore.”
  4030.  
  4031. >”They genocided us, Anon, by the millions. Never forget that.”
  4032. >Jacob raises his hands.
  4033. >”I mean, seriously? You’re going to defend them after that? You’re going to defend Rainbow Dash, a pony who was directly involved? Where’s your loyalty, you traitor? If she was bought by any other person on Earth, she’d be rotting in a cell.”
  4034. >You don’t have any words.
  4035. >You know nothing can convince Jacob.
  4036. “There’s more to it than that.”
  4037. >”Is there? Or maybe you just don’t want to see these creatures as they are.”
  4038. “You can’t blame the entire race for what happened.”
  4039. >Jacob steps closer again.
  4040. >”Go home, Anon. I’m giving you this one chance.”
  4041. “I’m taking these ponies, Jacob.”
  4042. >”Fine. Fine.”
  4043. >The ponies, even if they don’t realize it, gather behind you.
  4044. >”Not that it matters.”
  4045. >You don’t give him anything.
  4046. >”Coffee has already called the police, so I’d suggest all of you head back into your little rooms now and go to bed. The fun’s over.”
  4047. >A number of the ponies begin to move as Jacob walks forward.
  4048. >”We’ll discuss your punishments in the morning.”
  4049. >He stops.
  4050. >”If you behave, Anon, you might just get away with a large fine instead of jail time. They’d definitely be taking Rainbow Dash away though. I look forward to buying her myself. Who knew that I’d end up owning Twilight and Rainbow anyway?”
  4051. >There’s a moment of waiting.
  4052. >”I think I’ll clip her wings first, can’t have her flying back to you.”
  4053. >You don’t even hesitate.
  4054. >Your body just reacts on its own.
  4055. >In that instant, it all came back to you.
  4056. >The auction, the dock, the trial…
  4057. >That hopeless look.
  4058. >All of it.
  4059. >All those times you had to open your fist.
  4060. >But not this time.
  4061. >For once, you let your heart take over, consequences be damned.
  4062. >You punched Jacob in the jaw.
  4063.  
  4064. >The second you do, another shout fills the hall.
  4065. >”Don’t touch him!”
  4066. >You’re knocked to the ground as Coffee tackles you headfirst.
  4067. >She’s crying as she stands on your chest, hooves beating down on your face.
  4068. >If it wasn’t for the fact that you’d managed to twist your arms up over your head, you could have been seriously injured.
  4069. >Summoning up your strength, you throw her off.
  4070. >Bruises line your arms.
  4071. >Coffee panics as she gets back to her hooves.
  4072. >”Jacob! Please don’t be hurt, wake up, please!”
  4073. >She hurries over to his side.
  4074. >He still hasn’t gotten up from the ground.
  4075. >”Jacob? Please wake up, Jacob, please.”
  4076. >You consider helping him, but really?
  4077. >You didn’t knock him out just to wake him back up.
  4078. >Coffee stands back up to her full height, mumbling to herself.
  4079. >”Ambulance. I need to…call an ambulance, need to get help.”
  4080. >From somewhere in the group behind you, a hoof reaches out, holding her back.
  4081. >”Let go of me, you murderers! Jacob needs…I need to be a good slave! Let go of me.”
  4082. >More hooves reach out, until she’s pulled entirely into the group.
  4083. >You watch for a moment, confused, until a hoof stomps her face.
  4084. >That wakes you up.
  4085. >You can’t tell who was responsible.
  4086. >Or if it was an accident.
  4087. >Reaching down, you grab Coffee by the midsection and pull her into the air, where she’s safe.
  4088. >You place a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.
  4089. “Who did that?”
  4090. >There’s no response.
  4091. >”Anon…”
  4092. >You look over at Fluttershy.
  4093. >”We can find out later, we need to leave, Jacob said the police…”
  4094. “I know. It’s just…”
  4095. >You sigh.
  4096. >This won’t end well.
  4097. >You figure that with Jacob out of commission, you might as well take the front door.
  4098. >The crowd doesn’t follow you though.
  4099. >They look nervous.
  4100. >Second thoughts?
  4101. >One of the stallions steps forward, a question on his lips.
  4102. >”Is…is Coffee coming with us?”
  4103.  
  4104. >You and Fluttershy answer at the same time.
  4105. “No.”
  4106. >”Yes.”
  4107. >Unfortunately, you both have different answers.
  4108. >You rebalance the weight under your arm.
  4109. “Fluttershy, you can’t be serious.”
  4110. >”I said everyone, Anon. That includes Coffee.”
  4111. “She’s a race traitor!”
  4112. >”She’s a very damaged mare, and she needs our help. If she stays here with Jacob, she’ll never get better.”
  4113. “She’ll never get better anyway. She’s broken, Shy. If I bring her along, she’s just going to endanger everyone else. Better to leave her here where she belongs.”
  4114. >”No pony is too far gone.”
  4115. “She doesn’t even want to leave, watch.”
  4116. >You remove your hand from around Coffee’s mouth.
  4117. >”Help! Someone please, I’m being kidnapped! Jacob, please, wake up!”
  4118. >You cover her mouth again.
  4119. “I’m not going to force anyone to come who doesn’t want to.”
  4120. >”Coffee’s not sane, she can’t make that decision.”
  4121. >This is a bad idea.
  4122. >This is a really bad idea.
  4123. “I’m not bringing Coffee.”
  4124. >”Yes, you are.”
  4125. “No. Stop being so selfish for one second and open your eyes. Nobody wants her to come. I don’t want her to come, she doesn’t want to come, none of the ponies here want her to come. She deserves to stay here with the only person she cares about.”
  4126. >Fluttershy stamps her hoof.
  4127. >”You’re wrong! She’s coming, ponies want her to come.”
  4128. >She turns to the crowd.
  4129. >”…ri—right?”
  4130. >There’s an uncomfortable silence, until someone finally speaks.
  4131.  
  4132. >”If Coffee is coming, I’m staying behind.”
  4133. >”Yea! If she comes, I’m lynching her.”
  4134. >”Why wait? We could get it over with now!”
  4135. >For once, something breaks through Coffee’s emotionless mask.
  4136. >A hint of shock, before the mask slips back into place.
  4137. >Maybe she’s just realizing now how much the ponies hate her.
  4138. >Or maybe she’s just scared.
  4139. >Fluttershy slams her hoof down again.
  4140. >Angrily.
  4141. >”How dare you! All of you! Have you forgotten who you are? We are Equestrians! We stick together through thick and thin. I can’t believe you ponies: threatening someone who’s gone through the exact same troubles you have, just because their mind wasn’t strong enough to survive it. Coffee doesn’t exist in a vacuum, she’s a slave, a pony, like you! She’s suffered like us, she’s been in our horseshoes. It’s not us vs her. It’s just us.”
  4142. >The crowd begins to simmer down.
  4143. >”When someone is injured, we don’t declare them dead and leave them to rot. That’s not the Equestrian way. We help them, no matter the cost. Coffee is just like you, or me, or any other slave, she just…couldn’t hold out as long. She needs help, not to be shunned and degraded. If you won’t escape with Coffee, fine! I don’t want to escape with anyone who isn’t kind enough to help someone in need.”
  4144. >Fluttershy cowers a little as she finishes her speech, the weight of her words and the eyes of the crowd settling on her.
  4145. >”Or um…that’s just what I think.”
  4146. >There’s a moment of silence as the mares back down.
  4147. >You can tell they’re not happy, but at the very least, they’re guilty.
  4148. >Guilty enough to look the other way, for a moment.
  4149. >All except one.
  4150.  
  4151. >”Coffee took my child from me.”
  4152. >The sentence hangs in the air.
  4153. >Coffee does her best to look away from everyone else, but it’s difficult with your arm around her.
  4154. >”She doesn’t deserve a second chance. She’s not coming.”
  4155. >Fluttershy doesn’t say anything, she just moves forward and embraces her.
  4156. >”Are you really going to pick her, pick our abuser, over me? After everything she’s done? She’s worse than Jacob, at least Jacob isn’t one of us.”
  4157. >Fluttershy closes her eyes
  4158. >”I’m sorry.”
  4159. >”Celestia…you are. You’re helping her.”
  4160. >”I’m sorry.”
  4161. >”I knew the six of you were traitors, but I never thought you were this blatant.”
  4162. >”I’m sorry.”
  4163. >”You’re sick.”
  4164. >The mare doesn’t say anything else as she pushes Fluttershy away and goes back to her room.
  4165. >Two more follow behind her.
  4166. >”Any more questions?”
  4167. >Fluttershy asks.
  4168. >There aren’t any more.
  4169. >Turning around, Fluttershy nods at you.
  4170. >She doesn’t say anything, but you know what she means.
  4171. >You consider asking her if she’s going to be okay, or if she thinks she’s doing the right thing.
  4172. >But you know she doesn’t have the answer to either of those.
  4173. >Time to leave.
  4174. >And so you led the ponies those ponies out of that horrible place, as an incredible feeling of nostalgia filled you.
  4175. >Just like old times.
  4176.  
  4177. >Everyone is silent as you pass through Jacob’s gates.
  4178. >Everyone is silent as you walk through the streets.
  4179. >Everyone is silent as you arrive at Celestia.
  4180. >You had no doubt people had seen you.
  4181. >You had no doubt you were in some deep shit now.
  4182. >No going back.
  4183. >The walk had given you much needed time to think.
  4184. >You had a plan.
  4185. >Or at least, the beginning of one.
  4186. >It would be difficult to pull off, but if it worked…
  4187. >You’d all be free.
  4188. >Reaching forward, you pulled down the ramp to the ship deck.
  4189. >You didn’t say anything as the ponies began to climb aboard.
  4190. >Fluttershy pauses as she walks, staring at you.
  4191. >”Anon, I’m…not sure how to thank you.”
  4192. “Don’t thank me until it’s over. Odds are high we’re gonna get caught within a week, and everyone gets sent back.”
  4193. >You tub the back of your head.
  4194. >”Can we even escape? Do we even have a place to go?”
  4195. ”I’ll find a place.”
  4196. >You wait a moment.
  4197. “I mean, if it was just you…”
  4198. >”You could have hidden me better. Moved me around to avoid being caught.”
  4199. “Yea.”
  4200. >”And now I’ve…screwed everything up. We’re all gonna get caught and sent back. If I was just alone…”
  4201. “It’s not your fault. Whether it was one pony or twenty, you’d be caught eventually. I’m not sure I’ve actually…changed anything. I’m not sure I even can change anything. All I’ve done is fuck everyone over.”
  4202. >”Then why do it? Why… try to rescue us?”
  4203. “I can’t just sit around waiting anymore. I have to do something. Even if it’s the wrong thing. Even if it’s a bad idea. Something needs to change.”
  4204. >”It sounds like you’re just trying to justify this to yourself.”
  4205. “Maybe I am.”
  4206. >You look over the ponies.
  4207. “Besides, they can only send us back if they catch us. And I have a plan.”
  4208. >Climbing aboard, you smile at her.
  4209. “But you don’t need to worry about that.”
  4210. >Coffee struggles under your arms.
  4211. “Can someone come grab this pony for me? I need to talk to my first mate. Don’t let her escape.”
  4212.  
  4213. >You find Rainbow on her bed, crying and wailing Fluttershy’s name.
  4214. >There’s a collection of knives on the floor.
  4215. >Although you can see she’s not injured, clearly the thought had come to her multiple times.
  4216. >You give her a gentle poke, and she rolls over.
  4217. >Her eyes are bloodshot as she grabs your shirt.
  4218. >”Just kill me Anon! It…it hurts. It hurts so much. Everything hurts.”
  4219. >You take a deep breath.
  4220. ”Rainbow, pull it together, okay? Yes, it sucks, but I really need your help. I’ve got a surprise on the deck for you.”
  4221. >Rainbow scoffs.
  4222. >”Yea, unless you got a certain yellow and pink Pegasus out there, you’re just wasting your time.”
  4223. >”Rainbow Dash!”
  4224. >That was Fluttershy.
  4225. >Rainbow’s ears popped up immediately.
  4226. >”What…”
  4227. >She stumbles to her hooves.
  4228. >You let her pass you as he slowly trots to the deck, like she’s in a dream, staring out at the yellow pony in front of her.
  4229. >Her hooves are wrapped around her instantly.
  4230. >”Fluttershy?”
  4231. >She’s crying again.
  4232. >Fluttershy’s hoof his pressing into her burn and she’s crying tears of happiness that overwhelm the pain.
  4233. >”I don’t understand. I don’t understand.”
  4234. >”There there, Dashie. Everything will be fine now.”
  4235. >”You can’t be here, Jacob will…you’ll be…I need to…”
  4236. >”Shh…quiet, Dashie.”
  4237. >The two just embrace each other for a moment more.
  4238. >Until Rainbow breaks away.
  4239.  
  4240. >”Anon…how? What could you possibly have given Jacob?”
  4241. >Her pupils shrink.
  4242. >”You didn’t kill him, did you?”
  4243. “No. I just…took Fluttershy.”
  4244. >Rainbow’s smile crosses into a frown.
  4245. >”That’s what I’ve been saying we should do since day one, Anon! We should have just grabbed her and ran! It’s a great idea!”
  4246. >It’s not a great idea.
  4247. >You can only smile sadly.
  4248. “I know, and I’m sorry. I think it’s time I started listening to my current partner more, than worrying what my last one would say, don’t you think?”
  4249. >Pulling her hat off the hook, you pass it over to her.
  4250. “Now come on, we need to get out to sea before anyone shows up, no time to waste. You can embrace Fluttershy later.”
  4251. >Rainbow puts the hat on.
  4252. >”Right. Let’s get out of here.”
  4253. >And so, as the sunrise turned the ocean a brilliant gold, the Celestia set sail once again with a deck full of fugitives, just like she had on her maiden voyage.
  4254.  
  4255. >You woke up to a weight on your chest.
  4256. >You open one eye, and see Fluttershy resting on your chest, breathing softly.
  4257. >The rest of the ponies, or at least most of them, were sleeping on the floor; using each other’s stomachs as pillows in a giant pile of fluffy ponies.
  4258. >They’d probably be asleep for several hours more.
  4259. >From the doorway, you can see the sun setting, a day already swiftly gone.
  4260. >You’d let Rainbow sail the ship while you rested.
  4261. >She’d never sailed for so long alone, but without a dock to rest at, it was dangerous for someone to not be at the controls.
  4262. >She’d offered to work while you rested, since you clearly needed it after what you’d done.
  4263. >Rainbow never asked for details, but you had no doubt the other ponies were already filling her head with stories about how ‘heroic’ you were.
  4264. >Like you were a hero for punching a man and running away.
  4265. >For fucking up.
  4266. >Oh, this was a mistake.
  4267. >You’d ruined your life, it was all wrong.
  4268. >This was a bad idea.
  4269. >You should have just left the damn ponies.
  4270. >Regardless, you had a lot of work to do.
  4271. >Sliding your hands under Fluttershy, you try to lift her without waking her up.
  4272. >And fail.
  4273. >Her mouth opens in a wide yawn as her eyes pull open.
  4274. >She realizes quickly where she is, rolling herself back to her feet.
  4275. >”Oh, sorry. I’m sorry. Your bed just looked so comfortable and warm but there wasn’t enough room on it for both of us. It won’t happen again, I promise, please don’t hurt me.”
  4276. “’Shy, it’s fine, I’m not mad.”
  4277. >She smiles nervously.
  4278. >”Oh, of course. You wouldn’t…hurt us anyway, right? We’re all good ponies.”
  4279. “I won’t hurt you, ‘Shy.”
  4280. >You stand up.
  4281. >”Right.”
  4282. >She looks over the sleeping group, still smiling with her nervous grin.
  4283. >”So…what do we do now?”
  4284. >Hoisting her off the ground, you spin around and drop her on the bed.
  4285. “You go back to sleep. I’ll wake you if I need you, okay?”
  4286.  
  4287. >Fluttershy refuses to return to sleep.
  4288. >”Anon, I want to help, okay? You’re always talking about Rainbow pulling her own weight and I don’t want to be the exception just because I’m not as strong as her. I’ll do anything to help.”
  4289. >She bites her lip.
  4290. >”Anything.”
  4291. >You’re not sleeping with Fluttershy.
  4292. >Well, you just did, but not, like, sexually.
  4293. “Stop that.”
  4294. >She returns to normal.
  4295. >You can tell that she honestly wants to help in any way she can, but you’re just not sure how much she can actually take.
  4296. >At least not this early in the morning.
  4297. >A list of tasks runs through your head.
  4298. >There had to be something she could do for you, at least to get her off your back.
  4299. >You settle on one that seems easy enough.
  4300. “Okay, you want to help?”
  4301. >”Yes, Anon, sir.”
  4302. “I need you to inspect everyone on the ship.”
  4303. >”Inspect?”
  4304. “I need to know if anyone is injured, if anyone is pregnant, if anyone is…uh, I dunno, going to cause trouble. I don’t want any surprises, okay? Especially pregnancies. I know what Jacob…did, or tried to do to all of you and I…I don’t know how long, or…”
  4305. >”It’s fine, Anon. We understand. It’s not your fault.”
  4306. ”Thanks.”
  4307. >She jumps down from the bed.
  4308. “Don’t wake anyone up though. Let the poor girls sleep. Just start with those that rise early.”
  4309. >Fluttershy nods.
  4310. >”Got it. Can do, Anon, sir.”
  4311. >Slowly, Fluttershy trots away, stepping out from under the deck into the bright light.
  4312. >You can already see two ponies outside, one comforting another that’s vomiting over the side.
  4313. >You had to check on Dash though.
  4314. >If there was a problem at the wheel, you’d need to take control.
  4315. >She couldn’t do it alone.
  4316. >Besides, you couldn’t sleep too well without her beside you anyway.
  4317.  
  4318. >You pause for a moment before entering the control room.
  4319. >Rainbow is really doing a good job.
  4320. >She’s even donned the hat.
  4321. >All her training was paying off, even if she didn’t realize it.
  4322. >She hovers around the room, checking all the instruments, adjusting the course as needed, directing the one or two ponies too restless to sleep.
  4323. >Her coat is flawless, each strand of fur shining in the light.
  4324. >You wished you could stroke it.
  4325. >Stepping inside, Rainbow pauses slightly before smiling back at you.
  4326. >”Anon!”
  4327. “Rains.”
  4328. >”Thank Celestia you’re awake, these ponies don’t know a thing about sailing a ship.”
  4329. “I’d expect so, they’ve probably never even seen a boat before.”
  4330. >Neither of you say anything as the other ponies work, doing their best not to draw attention.
  4331. >One mumbles silently that they’ve totally, like, seen a boat once.
  4332. >Dash walks over and stands in front of you.
  4333. >”You know, I never…thanked you for all this. I guess I never actually expected a human to help us like you have. Honestly, I’m still in shock. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do. I just…if there’s anything else you need, I’m your mare. Anything.”
  4334. >She bites her lip.
  4335. “Stop that.”
  4336. >She returns to smiling.
  4337. “It’ll all be for nothing anyway. All we’re doing is running on stolen time. We will get caught eventually.”
  4338. >”And when we are?”
  4339. “That’s that. I lose everything.”
  4340. >There’s some more silence.
  4341. >Rainbow breaks eye contact.
  4342. >It’s starting to hit her just how bad everything is.
  4343. >”So…Anon, I think we need to ask the question.”
  4344. >She leans on the wheel.
  4345.  
  4346. >”Because, honestly? So far, all I’ve been doing is sailing us away from the shore. I don’t know where we’re supposed to be going. I don’t know where we even can go. I mean, I’m not a geo…carto…map-person; so maybe there is a place I just don’t know about? Are we going there?”
  4347. “There’s nowhere to run, Rainbow.”
  4348. >She coughs.
  4349. >”Right so…”
  4350. “We have enough water to last two months at sea. We eat fish, conserve fuel, we should be fine on those. I was just planning for Fluttershy, we were supposed to be out here longer.”
  4351. >”So what’s the plan?”
  4352. “I don’t suppose praying that this whole slavery thing blows over in the next two months is a plan?”
  4353. >”Anon!”
  4354. >She’s starting to get worried, for once.
  4355. >”I can’t lose Fluttershy again, please tell me there’s actually something we can do!”
  4356. “What were you expecting? That everything would turn out fine? That we’d get off scot-free?”
  4357. >”I expected you to know what you’re doing.”
  4358. “I do. Mostly.”
  4359. >You sigh.
  4360. “Look, there is a place. And I’m going to do everything I can to get there. It probably won’t work, but I’ll try, okay?”
  4361. >Dash looks a little relieved, but her nervousness still shines through her eyes.
  4362. >”Where are we going, Anon?”
  4363. “E…
  4364. >You pause.
  4365. >”Actually, I’ll tell everyone at once. They’re a part of the crew now, it’s only fair. When everyone’s awake, pull anchor and meet me on the deck.”
  4366. >Rainbow stands by your side proudly.
  4367. >You run a hand through her mane.
  4368. “Stay here, Rains. I gotta go check up on some of the ponies. Make sure they’re all right.”
  4369. >Rainbow is quiet for a second.
  4370. >”Coffee?”
  4371. >She sees right through you.
  4372. “Yea. She’s going to be trouble, I can feel it. I just hope it can be avoided if we at least try. It’s worth a shot.”
  4373.  
  4374. >Returning to the cuddle puddle, you count through the ponies, looking for one in particular.
  4375. >To your dismay, she’s not there.
  4376. >You count again to confirm, and turn around; singling out a random pony.
  4377. “Where’s Coffee? If you threw her overboard, I swear I will take every one of you back to Jacob.”
  4378. >”W…we put her in the brig, sir…captain.”
  4379. >You rub your temples.
  4380. “This is a fishing ship. It doesn’t have a brig.”
  4381. >The pony is quiet for a moment.
  4382. >”We put her in the bathroom. I just wanted to sound sailor-ey.”
  4383. “Well, don’t. Just sit quietly, and try not to break anything.”
  4384. >While the pony sits down, you sneak through the giant puddle towards the bathroom.
  4385. >They’ve propped a chair up against the door to keep it closed, so there’s no doubt that Coffee is still in there.
  4386. >You’re not sure how she’s going to react to all this.
  4387. >But like it or not, she had no choice.
  4388. >Removing the chair, you stepped inside.
  4389. >Coffee is sitting with her back to the door, a puddle of…something pooling around her flank.
  4390. >You aren’t sure if it’s tears or piss, and you’re not sure which would be worse.
  4391. >She doesn’t react as you close the door behind you.
  4392. >Scanning the room, your eyes quickly lock on to the other pony in the room.
  4393. >She’s light purple, with a two toned, darker purple mane.
  4394. >Two dolphins are printed on her butt.
  4395. >Finally, someone with ocean experience.
  4396. >She looks at you nervously.
  4397. >You point at her.
  4398. “What are you doing here?”
  4399. >The pony stammers.
  4400. >”Coff…Coffee panics when she’s alone. Everypony wanted to leave her here despite it, but I thought that was cruel, so they locked me in as well. It’s…not too bad. We’re all used to being locked in small places by now.”
  4401. “They locked you in here?”
  4402. >The pony shrugs, so you move on.
  4403. “How is she?”
  4404. >”Give it a moment.
  4405.  
  4406. >As if on cue, Coffee lets out a loud wail; throwing her head backwards and staring at the ceiling.
  4407. >You can clearly see that there are new bruises over her face, including a very noticeable black eye.
  4408. >”Ja…Jacob! Master! I want to go home! I want to go…”
  4409. >She chokes.
  4410. >”Ho-o-ome.”
  4411. >Her screams fade back into an incomprehensible slurry of noise.
  4412. >The other pony just looks at you.
  4413. >”She’s not taking her freedom well.”
  4414. >That was an understatement.
  4415. “You know, I can’t help but notice that she didn’t have a black eye before I asked one of you to take care of her.”
  4416. >”Don’t look at me! I didn’t touch her.”
  4417. “Do you know who did?”
  4418. >”It could be anypony. Really, she’s in here for her own protection, not the other way around. Without Jacob…a lot of the other mares have grudges against her, and a way to act on them. And it’s not like they’re in the wrong either. Coffee was…is…not a good pony, sir.”
  4419. “But you don’t believe that.”
  4420. >”Well…Fluttershy got me thinking, alright? Maybe we do need to just be a little kinder to her. I mean, I don’t even know what she did before being enslaved, I don’t know anything about her and we’re just gonna act like she’s this irredeemable bitch? That’s not right. Everyone deserves a friend.”
  4421. “What was your name again?”
  4422. >”Sea Swirl, sir.”
  4423. “You’re a good girl, Swirl. Get out of here, I bet you’re dying to stretch your legs.”
  4424. >Sea Swirl gives you a small bow, and turns around.
  4425. >”Yessir. Thank you, sir.”
  4426. >The door opens behind you for a moment, before closing again, trapping you with Coffee.
  4427. >Stepping forward, you come to rest in the puddle, and squat down.
  4428. >Reaching out, you run a hand through her mane.
  4429. >She flinches.
  4430.  
  4431. >Scrambling away from your hand, Coffee turns around, snapping to life.
  4432. >”Don’t touch me, you murderer! You killed him! You killed Jacob and now he’s fucking dead! Don’t come anywhere near me, I’ll bite your fingers off. Maybe it’ll get infected and you can burn in Tartarus like you belong. Leave me alone.”
  4433. >She’s practically shouting in your face, and you have no doubt that everyone outside can hear her as well.
  4434. >It’s probably not a good idea to try and stroke her again.
  4435. >You sigh.
  4436. “Will you please calm down? Jacob’s not dead. I only hit him once, at worst he was just knocked out. I have no doubt that he’s physically fine, which is probably more than he deserves.”
  4437. >Coffee lets out a fake laugh.
  4438. >”Calm down? Calm down? You killed my Master! You killed the only man who still loves me and you want me to calm down? I’m a pony without a master! I’m useless! Worthless. How about you go jump off the boat, you filthy pony-fucker.”
  4439. >She’s not listening to reason.
  4440.  
  4441. “Coffee, I want to help you. I don’t want anyone on this ship hurting you, no matter how much they think you deserve it. You’re here now, and that means you’re under my protection. But I can’t do that if you’re just going to keep pushing me away.”
  4442. >”You? Help me? You kidnapped me. You killed my master. You beat me. You broke me. You made my life pointless. And you think I’m going to forgive you? Fuck you.”
  4443. “Coffee, I didn’t…”
  4444. >”I don’t care. My only joy now is knowing that you, and every pony on this ship, is going back into slavery in chains. It’s only a matter of time. Then I can go home again. Then I can have worth. I can’t wait to see you cry when they pull Rainbow out of your arms.”
  4445. >There’s such spite in her voice, such malice.
  4446. >She truly hates you from the bottom of her heart.
  4447. >You don’t think…there’s anything you can say to change that.
  4448. >You stand back up.
  4449. “If you ever need help, you only need to ask.”
  4450. >”I don’t want your help.”
  4451. >Sighing again, you leave the room, the door open behind you.
  4452. >Coffee slips out a moment later.
  4453. >You guess her fear of being alone is stronger than her fear of being beaten.
  4454. >It didn’t matter anyway.
  4455. >You had to go over what you’d say to the large group of ponies when they woke up.
  4456.  
  4457. >The air was tense as you stepped out onto the deck.
  4458. >The assembly of ponies in front of you were nervous, scared, shocked.
  4459. >Some still thought they were dreaming, that they were going to wake up at any moment and have to face whatever punishment Jacob thought up for sleeping in.
  4460. >You knew it wasn’t a dream though.
  4461. >You were stuck with them now, no matter what happened.
  4462. >You glance behind you, catching a glimpse of Coffee staring out from behind the doorframe.
  4463. >Rainbow approaches you quickly, throwing a hoof over your shoulder.
  4464. >”I think this is everyone. You gonna lay down the plan now? You gonna tell us how to get out of this mess?”
  4465. >You don’t know how to get out of this mess.
  4466. “I’ll do my best.”
  4467. >Standing in front of everyone, you feel their eyes weigh on you heavily.
  4468. “So, I guess I should introduce myself first. I’m Anonymous.”
  4469. >The ponies are silent.
  4470. >One of them coughs awkwardly.
  4471. >Rainbow bumps your arm.
  4472. >”Good start. Real strong there.”
  4473. >You continue anyway.
  4474. “I assume you all already know Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. They’re…kinda important. I guess.”
  4475. >Rainbow leans closer.
  4476. >”Real strong.”
  4477. >Fuck it.
  4478.  
  4479. “Look, I’ll be honest with all of you. Things don’t look good. I wouldn’t get too comfortable. Odds are against us and it’s highly likely you’ll all be sent back to Jacob any day now.”
  4480. >A murmur goes through the crowd.
  4481. >Shock mostly, but a few flickers of rebellion.
  4482. >They’d rather go down swinging than return to Jacob under any circumstances.
  4483. “On top of this, there’s no free rides on the Celestia. I’m expecting all of you to pull your own weight. Rainbow or I will find something for you to do, you can trust us on that. There’s no end to labour here. If you thought it would be easy, you were mistaken.”
  4484. >Someone taps your leg, and you look down to see Fluttershy.
  4485. >”Um, Anon, I…don’t want to cause any trouble but…some of the ponies…”
  4486. >You motion for her to hurry up.
  4487. >”Sunshine and Moonlight are both…looking forward to being mothers. And Night Glider suffers from sea sickness. Do they have to…”
  4488. >Damn.
  4489. >You’d have to give the two of them the only beds on the ship, just to be safe.
  4490. >Rainbow was probably going to hate sleeping on the floor.
  4491. >You correct yourself.
  4492. “Unless, obviously, you have a reason for not being able to work. Sea sickness doesn’t count, get over it.”
  4493. >You’re not sure how to break this next part to them.
  4494. >It would be the clincher, the final flicker of hope you could give them.
  4495. “I know by now that you’re all wondering where we’re going. You’ve probably heard from others that there is nowhere to go. That this slavery is global. You might think it’s hopeless and that we should just give up now. Maybe they’re right. But there is a place. A place where ponies are completely free.”
  4496. >You smile a mad smile.
  4497. “We’re going to Equestria.”
  4498.  
  4499. >If there was a murmur in the crowd before, it was a full-fledged storm now.
  4500. >Just about every opinion you could think of flew through the air.
  4501. >Accusations that you were crazy, ponies ecstatic at going home, blind confusion.
  4502. >Everything.
  4503. >Finally, Dash takes command, embodying the questions that everyone wanted answered.
  4504. >”I’m seeing a couple of flaws in this plan right from the bat.”
  4505. “Such as?”
  4506. >Dash can’t believe it.
  4507. >”Oh, how about how travel to Equestria is impossible? You said nobody’s been there for two years, Celestia turned off that beacon thingy. You can’t go to Equestria without it.”
  4508. >She pushes against you, leaning into your face.
  4509. >”Oh, and how about the fact that even if the beacon was active, we don’t have the right machinery to actually travel to Equestria? What, you think the Celestia is just gonna sail there?”
  4510. >She smiles crazily.
  4511. >”Oh, and here’s a third one, you can’t travel to Equestria! It’s impossible! Anon, please tell me you’re joking, please tell me there’s an actual plan. I’m trusting you here, I need to know. If I lose either of you, I’ll die!”
  4512. >You take a deep breath.
  4513. “It’s not impossible. It’s just difficult. When Fluttershy came here from Equestria, she brought a way back as well. The book to Celestia, remember? If we can find Twilight, we can find her book. If we find her book, we can convince Celestia to activate her beacon. If she activates her beacon, we can go home.”
  4514.  
  4515. >”Oh, great. So how do we know that this book isn’t sitting on a desk in the fucking FBI or something? If it talks to Celestia, that’s a big deal. And even if we did have the book, and Celestia did turn her beacon on, how do we get to Equestria?”
  4516. “Celestia will come pick us up personally or something! I don’t know, okay? Equestria has the technology. They can travel here, pick us up and travel back. We have two national heroes and a dozen worried slaves, someone will help us. They have to.”
  4517.  
  4518. >Dash just shakes her head, slowly backing away.
  4519. >”We don’t even know where Twilight is! Look, Anon, let me look over the maps again, I’m sure I can find somewhere for us to hide. A…a deserted island or something. Does anyone know how to survive on a deserted island, maybe we can do that. There must be another option.”
  4520. “Fluttershy knows where Twilight is. It’s not that impossible. It’s just difficult.”
  4521. >There’s another bump against your leg.
  4522. >”Umm, Anon…I don’t want to be a bother and ruin the plan but um, I…I…”
  4523. >The next words rush out of her mouth like she’s afraid to say them.
  4524. >They send ice through your chest.
  4525. >”Idon’tknowwhereTwilightis!”
  4526. >You face her.
  4527. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
  4528. >”Jacob never told me. Her owner came to us!”
  4529. >Rainbow latches onto the words quickly.
  4530. >”See? What are we gonna do now, Anon?”
  4531. “Let me think.”
  4532. >The crowd shuffles around awkwardly.
  4533. >Sides have already begun to form between the hopeful and the cynical.
  4534. “Does anyone here know where Twilight is?”
  4535. >You know it sounds desperate, but you may as well try.
  4536. >No one does.
  4537. >Except,
  4538. >From the crowd, a smart, intelligent voice called out.
  4539. >”Actually, I think there is a pony on this ship who would know where Twilight is. If it helps.”
  4540. >A fresh wave of hope flows through the ship.
  4541. >Who?
  4542. >You follow the mare’s eyes, tracking behind you towards the interior.
  4543. >You make the connection.
  4544. >Turning around, you focus on Coffee’s face poking out from behind the door frame.
  4545. >Oh no.
  4546. >The wave quickly crashes against the shore.
  4547.  
  4548. >There’s an awkward silence as the herd comes to terms with this.
  4549. >Coffee could hear them as well, a twisted smile spreading on her face.
  4550. >She doesn’t know if she should feel happy or sad.
  4551. >A voice from the crowd finally voices the question.
  4552. >”So…the only way for us to go home, is for Coffee to tell us where Twilight is?”
  4553. >It starts out quietly, but slowly grows in noise.
  4554. >Coffee is laughing.
  4555. >Soft, sweet, smooth.
  4556. >”Slaves. You’re going to be slaves forever.”
  4557. >A couple of ponies creep forward from the corner of your vision, approaching Coffee slowly.
  4558. >Like she was an injured animal.
  4559. >”You think I’m ever going to tell you? You think any of you breeding whores are ever going to be anything more? Who’s fucked now? We’re all going back home, and you can’t do anything to stop it.”
  4560. >One of the ponies takes a deep breath.
  4561. >”Coffee, dearie… just think this through a little, okay? This is our chance! We could escape, we could go back to Equestria. Remember Equestria? The princesses, the open sky, the freedom. We could go home.”
  4562. >Another pony speaks up.
  4563. >”She doesn’t want to go to Equestria, stupid.”
  4564. >”It’s worth a try, okay? Have you got a better idea?”
  4565. >The mare turns back to Coffee.
  4566. >”This is your chance to redeem yourself! To wipe the slate clean! I’m…sorry? About hurting you earlier? How about we just put our pasts behind us, okay? That’s why it’s called the past! If you just tell us where Twilight is, we can forget everything we’ve done to each other. We can be friends.”
  4567. >A small tap pulls your attention down to your leg, over to Fluttershy.
  4568. >”Anon, Anon, we need to break this up now. We need to break it up before it gets bad. She won’t tell them, and when she doesn’t…”
  4569. >”We can move on, Coffee. Everyone here, they’ll forgive you as well. You just need to tell us.”
  4570. >Coffee shakes her head.
  4571. >”I don’t need forgiveness. I’m not the one in the wrong. We’re slaves, stop fighting it.”
  4572.  
  4573. >The hoof comes flying at her faster than you expect.
  4574. >But, then again, most ponies are just waiting for an excuse to attack Coffee.
  4575. >It hits her with a dull thud, the stallion staring at her with hate filled eyes.
  4576. >”You bitch. If you won’t help us, then as far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t even be allowed on this ship. This is our chance, and I won’t let a broken nag like you stop us.”
  4577. >Coffee tries to run, tries to back up deeper into the ship, but the stallions teeth are already grabbing her mane, and he throws her back into the open.
  4578. >Into the crowd.
  4579. >Fluttershy leaps into action, bolting away from your side.
  4580. >”Coffee!”
  4581. >Diving down, she tries to pull Coffee free, before a mare grabs her from below and pins her in place.
  4582. >Covering her eyes, of course.
  4583. >”Anon! Do something! They’re going to hurt her!”
  4584. >You’re not sure what to do.
  4585. >You need to know where Twilight is.
  4586. >And if this is what’s required…
  4587. >And it’s not like Coffee is an important pony.
  4588. >She was never going to help on the ship, never going to pull her weight.
  4589. >She was a ticking time bomb.
  4590. >After all the things she’s no doubt done as well, she probably deserves it.
  4591. >It was her fault anyway.
  4592. >If she just told you, then she’d be safe.
  4593. >She brought it on herself.
  4594. >Try as you might, you were struggling to find reasons to stop them.
  4595. >And then Dash headbutts your leg, throwing you off balance.
  4596. >”What are you waiting for? Stop them! This isn’t right!”
  4597. >And suddenly all those rationales washed away.
  4598. “Uh, right!”
  4599.  
  4600. >Steeping forward, you wade through the group.
  4601. >A few ponies try to stop you, but you let them know who’s in charge.
  4602. >Reaching down, you wrap a hand around Coffee’s midsection, pulling her into the air.
  4603. >She immediately tries to kick you in the stomach.
  4604. >”Don’t touch me! I don’t want your help!”
  4605. “Shut up.”
  4606. >That only causes her to struggle harder.
  4607. >You move back through the group, a couple of ponies following behind you.
  4608. >They clearly expect you to side with them in making Coffee talk.
  4609. >You turn around quickly.
  4610. “Stay here.”
  4611. >Spinning back around, you pick up Fluttershy and point at Rainbow.
  4612. “You, follow me.”
  4613. >You leave the ponies behind as the four of you head towards the bridge.
  4614. >Getting out of the sun for a while is nice, but you hardly notice it at the moment.
  4615. >The pegasi follow in behind you as you lower Coffee to the ground.
  4616. >She sits still.
  4617. “Lock the door.”
  4618. >Rainbow hurries to it.
  4619. >There’s silence as Rainbow settles back at your side.
  4620. >The three of you just stare at Coffee.
  4621. >Rainbow was never one for wasting time though.
  4622. >”So…what now?”
  4623.  
  4624. >You shrug.
  4625. ”Without Twilight, we’re dead in the water. Any hope we had of bringing everyone back to Equestria practically vanished. If Coffee doesn’t talk, we’re guaranteed to get caught.
  4626. >Standing up straighter, you clap your hands together to grab everyone’s attention.
  4627. “I can assume the two of you don’t want to try and force it out of her?”
  4628. >Rainbow flaps her wings, her burn clearly visible beneath.
  4629. >”I’m not torturing anyone. Not after being on the other end.”
  4630. >”I don’t…want to hurt her either.”
  4631. “Are you sure? Think of what’s at stake here.”
  4632. >Rainbow quickly changes the subject.
  4633. >It’s clear that any talk of torture makes her uncomfortable.
  4634. >Especially people trying to justify it.
  4635. >”Look, Anon, there’s no way this plan can work anyway. We’re grasping at straws.”
  4636. “Do you have a better idea?”
  4637. >Rainbow nods.
  4638. >”Okay, I’ve been thinking about this, what if we became pirates? That way, we could just steal the things we need to survive. Simple, problem solved.”
  4639. >To your left, Fluttershy nods in agreement.
  4640. “Have you ever been in an actual fight, Rainbow?”
  4641. >”What? Of course I hav…”
  4642. “A real one. With guns.”
  4643. >She looks away.
  4644. >”I’ve…been near one.”
  4645. “How many ponies out there have been in a fight? Half of them can barely walk on the deck! Piracy will only end with us getting caught faster.”
  4646. >”Okay, I get it.”
  4647. “No, I’m not done. Even if we could fight, that doesn’t change the fact that we’d still be screwed if the coast guard, or the navy, or any other law enforcement official found us.”
  4648. >Rainbow spreads her wings.
  4649. >”It’s a better idea than this, at least! There’s just no way it can work! It’s impossible!”
  4650. “Not impossible…”
  4651. >”Just difficult, I get it, but no! It’s impossible. Even before this bitch,”
  4652. >She points at Coffee,
  4653. >”decided to throw a wrench in the plans.”
  4654.  
  4655.  
  4656. >You shake your head.
  4657. “We don’t have any other option.”
  4658. >Backing up, Rainbow taps her hoof on the ground nervously.
  4659. “It’s not that far-fetched. We find Twilight, we find the book, everything else sorts itself out.”
  4660. >Speaking quietly, Fluttershy hovers between the two of you.
  4661. >”There’s got to be some place willing to take us in. I don’t want to, um, offend you, Anon. It’s just…have we checked? Maybe this can be the last resort?”
  4662. “There’s nowhere that we can get to that won’t immediately enslave every pony on this ship again. Or at least, nowhere safe. Trust me, this will work.
  4663. >Fluttershy is silent for a moment.
  4664. >”I really screwed things up, didn’t I?”
  4665. >Shaking your head, you run a hand through her mane.
  4666. “Don’t think too badly of yourself. It was an awful situation to begin with. Just remember that if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t even have Coffee. Then we’d really be screwed.”
  4667. >Trotting over to the mare in question, Rainbow cocks her head to the side.
  4668. >”Speaking of, what do we do with her?”
  4669. “We’ll need one of us to watch her, at least. I don’t think anyone here is stupid enough to try and kill her, but I’m certain they’ll try to force her to speak no matter what we say.”
  4670. >”And how do we actually, you know, make her spill the beans on where my friend is?”
  4671. >You don’t have an answer.
  4672. >You needed an in, you needed something to connect with her.
  4673. >A way to begin helping her.
  4674. >Otherwise, she was just going to hate you forever.
  4675. “I don’t know.”
  4676. >Coffee laughs again.
  4677. >”That’s right. I’ll never tell a couple of murderers like you. You killed my master, I’m worthless now and it’s all your fault! I’ll never forgive you.”
  4678. >Rainbow perks up.
  4679. >”Jacob’s dead? Sweet!”
  4680. “Jacob’s not dead, she’s exaggerating.”
  4681. >Still,
  4682. >That gave you an idea.
  4683. >At this point, anything was worth a shot.
  4684.  
  4685. “If you need a master, then maybe…you know, I could be your master?”
  4686. >You squat down.
  4687. “That’s what this is all about, right? You feel like you need to be a good little slave to your master or else you feel worthless. I know it’s not healthy, but if it’s the only way to begin the healing process, you could always become my little pony. And then we could begin actually helping you.”
  4688. >You reach forward, pushing a little tuft of mane out of her face.
  4689. >Her bruises shine out from underneath.
  4690. >Coffee is silent for a moment, in thought.
  4691. >The prospect of being an actual, honest slave again is enough to give her pause.
  4692. “I promise I can be kind. I can keep you safe, I can make you feel wanted. You could be a part of the crew. But you need to let me. I can’t help anyone if they keep pushing away. What do you say?”
  4693. >From behind, Rainbow pipes up.
  4694. >She catches on quick.
  4695. >”Jacob never cared about you anyway. Think about it, what did he ever do for you? Jacob was an awful master. This is a good deal, you should take it. Anon’s caring and kind and…uh, caring.”
  4696. >”Jacob…Jacob cared about me. I was his…little bean. I was his friend. That’s why he treated me better. That’s why he cared enough to discipline me when I made mistakes. He…he loved me.”
  4697. >She pauses.
  4698. >”At least, I think he…loved me.”
  4699. >She spits in your face.
  4700. >”I don’t want your help! Stop trying! I will never, never be your slave! After all you’ve done, you expect me to forgive you? To just forget Jacob? You’re disgusting.”
  4701. >She stomps her hoof.
  4702. >”I knew you’d try to hurt my master. I warned Jacob about dealing with you, and look what happened! Now he’s fucking dead, because of you. I’m never helping you! Never!”
  4703. >Coffee stomps towards the door, before realizing that she can’t actually make a dramatic exit.
  4704. >In the end, she settles for sitting the corner, her back to you.
  4705. >Despite it all though, it made you smile.
  4706. >You’d seen her drop her guard, even for a second.
  4707. >She wasn’t too far gone.
  4708.  
  4709. >You stand back up, turning to your two companions.
  4710. “We’ll need someone to watch Coffee just in case one of ponies tries to hurt her.”
  4711. >Fluttershy pipes up first, shaking her head.
  4712. >”I, um, don’t think I’d be a very good guard. All I can really do is, um, stare at them really hard.”
  4713. >A blue hoof wraps around her.
  4714. >”Don’t undersell yourself, ‘Shy. You’ll do a great job.”
  4715. >You consider this for a moment, before ultimately agreeing.
  4716. “Fine, Dash, can you keep an eye on her? If we keep her here in the bridge, it should be fairly easy.”
  4717. >”Aye aye.”
  4718. >Rainbow lands, face towards the door.
  4719. >”So…what do we tell the others?”
  4720. >You can only be honest.
  4721. “I don’t know. We’ll make it up as we go along.”
  4722. >Pushing the door open, Rainbow flutters out.
  4723. >The soft tapping of Fluttershy’s hooves follows behind her.
  4724. >As you turn to leave though, Coffee speaks up.
  4725. >”I’m sorry.”
  4726. >You pause.
  4727. “What was that?”
  4728. >”I’m sorry I spit on you.”
  4729. “Okay?”
  4730. >You turn to leave.
  4731. “Please don’t leave me in here. Alone. I’m sorry.”
  4732. >You consider closing the door on her.
  4733. >Leaving her to panic in her own irrational fears.
  4734. >It was far less than what she deserved.
  4735. >And yet…
  4736. >You couldn’t do it.
  4737. “Rainbow!”
  4738. >The mare pauses in the air.
  4739. “I thought I told you to keep an eye on Coffee.”
  4740. >”What, starting now?”
  4741. “Yes, starting now.”
  4742. >Dash fumbles as she hovers into the room.
  4743. >”Oh, okay. Sorry, I figured you might have…wanted me out there.”
  4744. “Fluttershy will do fine. They trust her more anyway.”
  4745. >Dash lands quietly.
  4746. >”Right. Right, I understand.”
  4747. >You sigh.
  4748. “Dash, you’re still a valuable friend of mine. This isn’t a punishment.”
  4749. >”No, no, of course. Who wouldn’t want to spend time with Coffee?”
  4750. >You close the door behind you as you head back towards the crowd.
  4751. >You can already guess that most of them won’t be happy.
  4752. >But nobody said it was going to be easy.
  4753.  
  4754. >The announcement hadn’t gone over quietly.
  4755. >Some ponies accused you of cowardice.
  4756. >Others collusion.
  4757. >You and ‘Shy had done your best to explain your reasoning.
  4758. >Just about everyone came away unsatisfied.
  4759. >A good night’s sleep had done much to calm their anger and fears, but you could still see it festering beneath the surface.
  4760. >Rainbow and Coffee still gathered many angry looks wandering around the ship, the few times she could be coaxed out of the bathroom.
  4761. >She didn’t like being in the bridge while you were there.
  4762. >Now that you think about it, it was probably a good time to go and check on them.
  4763. >It was emotionally draining being around Coffee for too long.
  4764. >She took a perverse joy in pushing Rainbow’s buttons; peeling away her patience little by little.
  4765. >The ship had been anchored for a while now, mostly so that the fish on deck could be sorted and gutted.
  4766. >No one gives you any looks as you exit the bridge.
  4767. >You pass through the ship mostly unnoticed, the other ponies too distracted with their day to day tasks to complain.
  4768. >To your surprise, Rainbow and Coffee aren’t in the bathroom.
  4769. >Must be wandering around the ship somewhere.
  4770. >Stepping back a little, you turn to the nearest ponies, listening in for a good moment to interrupt their conversation.
  4771.  
  4772. >”…one of us has too. Don’t you want to show him how much you appreciate him? You don’t want Anon to get rid of you, do you?”
  4773. >”Well, no, but…why can’t you do it?”
  4774. >”Everyone knows I give terrible head. You gotta take one for the team, girl.”
  4775. >”I’m not sure…”
  4776. >Hearing enough, you step into view.
  4777. >One of the ponies freezes as she sees you, blushing.
  4778. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, have either of you seen Rainbow or Coffee today? I can’t find them anywhere.”
  4779. >The ponies recover quickly, stuttering.
  4780. >”She…she went for a swim, didn’t she? Over the side?”
  4781. “Over the…?”
  4782. >You walk over to the edge, seeing nothing.
  4783. >”Other side.”
  4784. “Thanks.”
  4785. >Walking away, you give them a farewell wave.
  4786. “By the way, I’m not getting rid of anyone. You don’t need to do anything for me that you’re not already doing.”
  4787. >The pony blushes harder, hiding her face in her hooves.
  4788. >The other just looks confused.
  4789. >You look over the side of the ship.
  4790. >Sure enough, Rainbow was there.
  4791. >Floating on her back, wings spread for buoyancy, mane and tail drifting around her in multi-coloured strands.
  4792. >You weren’t an artistic person, but you’d say it was art regardless.
  4793. >You bend down to pick up a dead fish, and toss it at her.
  4794. >She snaps back to reality at the movement, floundering for a second before looking upwards.
  4795. >With a single flap of her wings, she rises back up to the ship.
  4796. >”Oh, hey dude, what’s up?”
  4797.  
  4798. “Having fun?”
  4799. >Dash looks down.
  4800. >”Not really. The water is really cool though, I just needed a place to relax that didn’t smell like fish.”
  4801. >You give her a gentle smile.
  4802. “What was it I asked you to do again?”
  4803. >Her flapping slows down slightly.
  4804. >”Look after Coffee.”
  4805. “I don’t suppose she’s down there with you?”
  4806. >Throwing her hooves up, Rainbow shakes her head.
  4807. >”Look, look, I know what you’re thinking. Sea Swirl offered to look after her for a little while for me. It’s all fine.”
  4808. >You sigh.
  4809. “Dash, the entire point of guarding someone is to prevent others from looking after them! Do you even know where she is?”
  4810. >”No but…”
  4811. >Dash swiftly flies past you, landing.
  4812. >”I think we can trust Sea Swirl. She…gets it, you know? She wants to help Coffee, not hurt her. And if she takes care of Coffee for us, that leaves me free for all the important stuff! And it’s not like she can’t defend herself. One of us would notice. And…and, I’m not an idiot! I wouldn’t leave her alone with Coffee if she wasn’t one of the good ones. And you don’t know what it’s like to watch Coffee! She’s infuriating.”
  4813. “Sounds like you’re making a lot of excuses.”
  4814. >”It’ll be fine. Look, you can go find her yourself if you want. I’m sure they’re both…well, at least Coffee is enjoying the company, for once.”
  4815. >Roughly, Dash pulls her front legs up onto the railing, wincing slightly.
  4816.  
  4817. “You okay, Dash?”
  4818. >She chuckles nervously.
  4819. >”Huh? Oh, it’s fine, I’m fine. I’ve just got this annoying headache recently.”
  4820. >You settle in next to her.
  4821. “You want me to go find some medication or something? I think we have some in the first aid kit.”
  4822. >She waves nonchalantly.
  4823. >”Nah, I’ll be fine. Let’s save that for an accident.”
  4824. >She’s silent for a moment.
  4825. >You can tell something’s bothering her, it’s probably Coffee, but you know Dash prefers to approach topics like that herself.
  4826. >Or try and ignore them completely.
  4827. >”I blame all this sun. On the headache. Sure, we had a lot of sun in Equestria, we could make the clouds, but it was never as hot as it is here on Earth.”
  4828. >Guess she was ignoring it.
  4829. “You know, we never did find out if you could control the weather here.”
  4830. >”Again, we didn’t control the weather, we made it.”
  4831. “Same thing.”
  4832. >”It’s not the same thing! There’s a world of difference between making something and controlling it.”
  4833. “Is there?”
  4834. >”Of course there is. Making something requires time, and hard work, and effort, and supplies. You think all those clouds just made themselves out of thin air? Crafting the weather in Equestria was an art.”
  4835. >You shrug.
  4836. “Eh, I still don’t see the difference. If you can move a cloud from one place to another and make it rain, you may as well control the weather.”
  4837. >”Whatever. I don’t expect a human to understand how hard it is to create a thunderstorm.”
  4838. >She’s quiet for a moment.
  4839. >”I don’t expect other humans, I mean. You’re…obviously different, of course. You still…care about me, right?”
  4840. “Of course I do. Everyone here seems to think I have a hidden agenda, but I’m…just trying to do what’s right.”
  4841. >There’s more silence.
  4842. >Slowly, Rainbow breaks eye contact, looking back over the ocean.
  4843.  
  4844. >”Look, Anon…do you really believe this plan can work? Do you expect us to believe it?”
  4845. “Yes.”
  4846. >”Oh.”
  4847. >There’s more silence.
  4848. >Slowly, Rainbow puts her hooves back up on the railing, staring out at the sea.
  4849. >Longing for home.
  4850. >Even she can’t deny the tiny ember of hope you were trying to flame.
  4851. >”Coffee’s never gonna tell us.”
  4852. “Yes she will. She’s not too far gone. I believe that. And I know you believe that. And Fluttershy believes it too. And if everyone on this boat believes it, it’s gonna be true.”
  4853. >You give her a smile and place your hand on her mane.
  4854. >She doesn’t flinch.
  4855. “That’s human magic.”
  4856. >Dash chuckles.
  4857. >”What? If enough idiots believe in something, it happens?”
  4858. “Yea. Pretty much. Maybe not instantly, it takes time. Takes patience. But it does happen.”
  4859. >You lean forward.
  4860. “That’s how I know this slavery thing won’t last. Not enough people believe in it. For every guy like Jacob, there’s three more like me that realize things need to change. Three more people making those crucial little steps. Jacob let his hate colour the world. There’s no way what he’s doing is going to last. Not in this day and age. We’re better now.”
  4861. >”Bullshit. Besides yourself, name even a single person who wants this to change.”
  4862. “How many people are on this ship again?”
  4863. >Dash growls.
  4864. >”Ponies don’t count.”
  4865. “Sure they do. It’s magic.”
  4866. >Stepping back, Dash stomps her hooves loudly.
  4867. >”No it’s not! Nothing is going to change, Anon! We’re never going to find Twilight and we’re never going home. I’m going to lose my friends again and it’ll be all my fault again and my fucking head won’t…”
  4868. >She clenches her eyes shut and takes a deep breath.
  4869. >You’re waiting for her when she opens them.
  4870. “You don’t believe that.”
  4871. >”Trust me.”
  4872. >She begins to walk away.
  4873. “Things are different, Rainbow.”
  4874. >”I’ll believe that when Jacob’s in jail.”
  4875.  
  4876. >You lingered around the side of the boat for a little longer.
  4877. >Good sense told you should probably head back towards the bridge and make sure everything was under control, but that could wait.
  4878. >You just needed a little time to yourself.
  4879. >Privacy was hard to come by now.
  4880. >It would be a lie to say you weren’t disappointed in Rainbow.
  4881. >You had a feeling that she’d refuse to see things your way, even if you did manage to escape to Equestria.
  4882. >Even then, she’d probably be constantly searching for a way back to Earth, to try and save her friends all over again.
  4883. >You couldn’t blame her though.
  4884. >Knowing everything she’d been through, it was easy to see why she’d think things would never change.
  4885. >She’d seen the darkest places.
  4886. >But still…
  4887. >You’d just hoped she’d come around a little.
  4888. >”Don’t worry too much about Rainbow. She’s…always had strong opinions. Even back in Ponyville, she hated to admit she might have been wrong.”
  4889. >You look down to see Fluttershy, smiling nervously.
  4890. “How long have you been listening?”
  4891. >She settles next to you.
  4892. >”It’s not a very big boat. You, um, stumble into other people’s conversations a lot. Especially considering there’s…not much else to do with your free time.”
  4893. >You rub the back of your head.
  4894. “Yea, I probably should have brought more than one board game.”
  4895. >”It’s fine. I’m just glad to be here at all.”
  4896. “I just wished Rainbow was a bit more optimistic about this. Things are getting better. Right? What do you think?”
  4897. >Fluttershy flinches at the attention.
  4898.  
  4899.  
  4900. >”Oh, me? Um…I haven’t…been here as long as Rainbow. Or…anyone else for that matter. I’m not sure I’m the best to ask. But…”
  4901. “But?”
  4902. >”Maybe it’s because I’m so new, but I still have hope. I met…many friendly, kind people while I was being…interrogated. Many who expressed their sympathy. Even at the auction, I saw people who were uncomfortable; people who only wanted to buy me to keep me safe. You weren’t the only one betting against Jacob.”
  4903. >She tries to hide behind her mane.
  4904. >”And yes, I met many people who hated me as well. Those who wanted revenge for what they thought I did. Those who simply liked to kick downwards at those weaker. People like Jacob. But I can’t let people like that distract me from the good. From people like you, Anon.”
  4905. >She shoots you a gentle smile.
  4906. >”Dash can’t see beyond her hate. Can’t focus on anything except for those that like to hurt her friends. But she’s always been like that, and there’s nothing wrong with it. It just means that she can’t see those who try to help unless they’re right in front of her.
  4907. >You consider this.
  4908. >Let it run through your head.
  4909. >You don’t like it, but you think she’s right.
  4910. >Sighing, you lean back, pulling yourself back to your full height.
  4911. “Thanks, ‘Shy. I needed this.”
  4912. >”Um…okay. If you ever need…more help. I’ll um…be around.”
  4913. >With that, you left, heading back towards more important things.
  4914. >Actually checking up on Coffee, for one.
  4915. >Swirl was trying to get her to open up to one of the mares instead of just swearing at her whenever she walked past.
  4916. >While simultaneously trying to get the mare to open up to Coffee instead of doing the same.
  4917. >It was going surprisingly well.
  4918. >Other than that, the rest of the day passed without incident.
  4919.  
  4920. >The sun was setting behind you as wandered into the ship.
  4921. >The majority of the ponies were still having dinner, eating a modest share of seaweed and fish.
  4922. >And some vitamin pills, as well, to stay healthy.
  4923. >You were tired.
  4924. >Rainbow had woken you up early when she thought she’d seen a boat on the horizon.
  4925. >You didn’t know who it belonged to, but you’d set sail again as soon as you could.
  4926. >The rest of the day had been hard.
  4927. >Ponies had been picking on Coffee again, but Fluttershy and Sea Swirl had mostly kept her safe.
  4928. >The threats against her got more sick and depraved every day.
  4929. >Another pony had nearly torn your only net, which would have put an end to your escape immediately.
  4930. >And the general air of despair had only grown.
  4931. >You just wanted to go to sleep.
  4932. >From your left though, a pony calls out, demanding more of your dwindling attention.
  4933. >”Anon! Anon, quickly, come over here!”
  4934. >You sigh, ready to face more problems.
  4935. >Sunshine is waiting for you on her bed, a hoof resting on her midsection.
  4936. >You pause for a moment.
  4937. >”Anon, come here, you can feel her kicking!”
  4938. >It quickly comes back to you that Sunshine is pregnant.
  4939. >Slowly, you walk over, Sunshine moving her hoof away from her baby bump.
  4940. >”See? Right here!”
  4941. >She taps her belly.
  4942. >You just hover awkwardly over her, not sure how to react.
  4943. >She gives you a patient smile.
  4944. >”Don’t be nervous, touch it. I don’t mind, silly.”
  4945. >Your hands rest against her lightly, your fingers digging into her fur.
  4946. >You don’t feel anything.
  4947. >Until…
  4948. >There’s a slight kick.
  4949. >Barely noticeable.
  4950. >”Isn’t this great, Anon?”
  4951.  
  4952. >You don’t know what to say.
  4953. >How old was this foal already?
  4954. >Would…would it be born soon?
  4955. >You didn’t have the proper knowledge to deliver a baby, you didn’t have the right things to keep it healthy.
  4956. >You didn’t have time…
  4957. >Sunshine forces you back to reality.
  4958. >”Don’t worry, Anon. Whatever happens, everything will be fine.”
  4959. >There’s a brief flash of worry on her face.
  4960. >”Of course, I…I hope we’re in Equestria when it happens. I’d prefer she wasn’t born…here. Not here on the Celestia, of course, no offense, but…here, here. You know what I mean?”
  4961. “Yes.”
  4962. >The clopping of hooves echoes through the room as another pony enters.
  4963. >Her voice is deadpan and simple as she climbs into the other bed.
  4964. >”Don’t get attached to her. I don’t have high hopes for ever seeing Equestria again.”
  4965. >Sunshine just frowns.
  4966. >”You gotta be more optimistic, Moonlight! I’m sure Anon is doing everything he can to bring us home.”
  4967. >”It’s not a matter of what he’s doing. It’s a simple fact of how impossible it is. He can try all he wants, it’s not happening.”
  4968. >You stand up from crouching.
  4969. “It’s not impossible. Once Coffee comes around, everything else will fall into place.”
  4970. >”Right, because it’s Coffee that’s the problem here. How are we even going to meet Twilight once we know where she is?”
  4971. “We’ll figure something out.”
  4972. >Moonlight rolls her eyes.
  4973. >”I have the highest of confidence in you.”
  4974. >”Be kind to him, he’s doing his best.”
  4975. >”And it doesn’t matter.”
  4976. >”It matters to me!”
  4977. >You raise your hands.
  4978. “Girls, calm down. There’s no need for arguing. We’re friends here, remember?”
  4979. >Sunshine goes quiet.
  4980. >So does Moonlight.
  4981. “Good. Look, I know things are stressful right now, but they’re getting better. You just have to believe me.”
  4982. >In unison:
  4983. >”Fine.”
  4984. >You let out a sigh of relief.
  4985. >With that solved, you head to the bathroom.
  4986. >For obvious reasons.
  4987.  
  4988. >The door opens easily, voices drifting out from within.
  4989. >Of course there was someone inside; the ship was crammed with ponies.
  4990. >”And then Jacob said that if I was a really good girl, we could go on a vacation to Equestria one day, and we could get my family photographs.”
  4991. >”Ah huh.”
  4992. >”And that was easy for me, because I was already a good girl. But I didn’t know how to be a ‘really’ good girl, and I didn’t want to ask, but apparently it involves holding a lot of ponies down, not talking and walking around alone.”
  4993. >”Ah huh.”
  4994. >”Which is probably why I was so bad at it.”
  4995. >”Hey Coffee?”
  4996. >”Yes?”
  4997. >”Can we talk about something other than Jacob for a moment?”
  4998. >There’s a moment of silence.
  4999. >”And then later Jacob said…”
  5000. >You stop eavesdropping and push the door open.
  5001. >Sea Swirl has a clump of Coffee’s hair in her hoof, and judging by the new look of her mane, is busy braiding it.
  5002. >They both look up as the door opens.
  5003. >For a split second, Coffee is smiling.
  5004. >Until she sees you.
  5005. >”Oh look, Swirl, it’s the cuck!”
  5006. >You can’t deal with this right now.
  5007. “Do you even know what a cuck is, Coffee? Do you?”
  5008. >”It means you liked it when Rider fucked Rainbow Dash!”
  5009. >Finishing up her braid, Swirl shushes Coffee.
  5010. >”Just…just sit here, Coffee. I’ll take care of this, okay?”
  5011. >Coffee looks up, tentatively nodding her head.
  5012. >”Remember to tell him how much it’ll hurt when Rainbow is taken away.”
  5013. >”Of course I will, don’t worry.”
  5014. >Standing up, Swirl trots over to the door, stepping outside.
  5015. >You attempt to close the door, but Swirl stops you.
  5016. >”Don’t close the door, don’t leave her alone. Just…just speak quietly, sir.”
  5017. >Right.
  5018.  
  5019. >”Sorry, are we in the way, sir? I just think everyone’s happier when they can forget Coffee exists. If you want, we’ll go out and start socializing again…”
  5020. “No, no, it’s fine.”
  5021. >You had just planned to use the bathroom, but while Swirl was here…
  5022. “So, uh, how is she?”
  5023. >Swirl sighs.
  5024. >”She’s getting better, but… most ponies don’t want anything to do with her and think we should just leave her alone until she talks. And when she actually makes an effort to befriend them, she usually screws it up somehow, sometimes intentionally. I think Rainbow, ‘Shy and myself are the only ponies she actually talks to for more than a few minutes.”
  5025. >So not good then.
  5026. >Shit.
  5027. >”She really does like to talk though. I think she always just kind of kept quiet because slaves aren’t supposed to talk without permission, and now she’s returning to normal. I just wish she’d talk about something other than how much she hates you, enslaving ponies or how kind Jacob was though.”
  5028. “Give it time. I’m sure she’ll change.”
  5029. >Swirl is silent for another moment.
  5030.  
  5031. >”You know, she talked about her life in Equestria once, sir.”
  5032. >You don’t say anything.
  5033. >”It was…mundane, sir.”
  5034. “Why are you telling me this?”
  5035. >”I don’t know. I always told myself that I’d stick around her long enough to find out her story. As a…you know, a way to prove to everypony that there’s more to Coffee than a sadistic house-pony, sir. That she’s still an Equestrian at heart, and that she still deserves a friend. Still deserves…me.”
  5036. >Swirl looks through the door frame.
  5037. >”And the more she tells me, the more I just…wish the others would give her a chance. I just want to explain to them that she’s just like you or me.”
  5038. >She pauses.
  5039. >”Well, not like you, but you understand. No offense, sir.”
  5040. “I understand.”
  5041. >Swirl sighs loudly, glancing into the bathroom.
  5042. >”She’s just…been through so much cruelty. Can you even imagine what someone would have to go through to be broken so badly? And then they just…fixed her wrongly. Turned a regular mare into…that.”
  5043. >You think back to some of the things Rainbow told you about herself.
  5044. >You hated that you could say yes to that question.
  5045. >”And that’s…that’s what’ll happen to all of us. What’ll happen to our race if we stay here. We have to escape, Anon. We’re not safe.”
  5046. >You run a hand through her mane.
  5047. >She doesn’t flinch.
  5048. “I’ll do everything I can, Swirl. Believe me, all of you will see Equestria again. I promise.”
  5049.  
  5050. >A strange noise roused you from your sleep.
  5051. >Something out of place, something that wasn’t snoring, muffled sleep panicking or quiet breathing.
  5052. >With your bed going to a pregnant mare, you’d been forced into the cuddle puddle.
  5053. >It was warm, at least.
  5054. >And the gentle, rhythmic breathing of the ponies would normally lull you to sleep quickly.
  5055. >Fluttershy had graciously let you use her as a pillow so you could fit in.
  5056. >Unfortunately, one of the stallions had let her sleep on his stomach, and with the angles coming together…
  5057. >Occasionally you woke up to morning wood in your face.
  5058. >The first night had been rough, so had the second, but after that you’d gotten used to it.
  5059. >It wasn’t like you could sleep well anyway.
  5060. >Coffee was still remaining difficult.
  5061. >She’d opened up to Rainbow more, being the pony that spent the second most time with her.
  5062. >But not as much as Sea Swirl.
  5063. >The two were rarely seen apart anymore.
  5064. >Coffee still hated you, but she was growing softer.
  5065. >Though she was perfectly content to let the days waste away, let the noose slowly tighten around your neck as time skipped past.
  5066. >Ponies were getting anxious.
  5067. >They knew just as well as you did that if Coffee didn’t spill the beans soon…
  5068. >No one was going home.
  5069. >It was very stressful.
  5070. >Too tired to fully wake up, you simply rest there with your eyes closed while you wait for the noise to come back.
  5071. >It sounded like talking.
  5072. >But muffled, quiet.
  5073. >”-elp, please! Someone!”
  5074. >Probably just someone talking in their sleep.
  5075. >It happened a lot.
  5076. >It wasn’t until the second voice that you realized something was wrong.
  5077. >”I told you to be quiet!”
  5078. >The first voice died down.
  5079. >”Good!”
  5080. >Something was wrong.
  5081.  
  5082. >You rose softly to avoid waking anyone else up.
  5083. >Not easy to do when two ponies were resting against you.
  5084. >At first glance, everything looked normal.
  5085. >Dash was still there, sleeping.
  5086. >Everything seemed in place.
  5087. >You count the ponies.
  5088. >You count again when you come up short, hoping it was just the darkness.
  5089. >There’s a pony missing.
  5090. >It drives a spike of fear into your chest when you quickly swing the bathroom door open.
  5091. >Coffee and Sea Swirl were gone as well.
  5092. >Stumbling forward, you walk over to Rainbow.
  5093. “Rainbow…Rains, wake up.”
  5094. >She rolls over, snoring loudly, before suddenly choking and waking up.
  5095. >”Anon?”
  5096. “Come with me. Something’s not right.”
  5097. >”What time is…”
  5098. “Just get up.”
  5099. >Hovering into the air, Dash yawns and follows you out into the cold night air.
  5100. >The moon is bright tonight.
  5101. >The deck is empty, so you turn around, following the noise towards the bridge.
  5102. >Maybe everything was fine.
  5103. >Maybe someone had just decided to give Coffee a chance.
  5104. >In the middle of the night.
  5105. >Alone.
  5106. >You pick up the pace when you hear someone crying.
  5107. >Or not.
  5108. >The whispers become clearer.
  5109. >”Now listen, you fucking whore. When Anon wakes up in the morning, you’re going to go to him, and you’re going to tell him exactly where our Twilight is, understand?”
  5110. >There’s no response except for a muffled scream.
  5111. >You motion for Dash to be quiet, and she lands.
  5112. >”And you won’t tell him anything about this, right traitor? Or else I’ll just wake you up again, and again, and again. Forever. You think Anon is going to help a bitch like you anyway? He’s glad I’m doing this.”
  5113. >There’s nothing but a pained neigh.
  5114. >Turning the corner, you take in the scene as quickly as you can.
  5115. >Oh god, there was blood.
  5116. >It covered Coffee, running down her front legs.
  5117. >To your left, Sea Swirl struggled in her magical bonds, a glowing aura pinning her to the ground and wrapping around her mouth.
  5118. “What the fuck?”
  5119.  
  5120. >Dash reacts before the unicorn can speak.
  5121. >You’re not sure if she understands the situation, or even if she recognizes the pony on the ground, but she sees someone in pain, and just attacks.
  5122. >Wings flapping, her body collides with the pony beating Coffee and pulls her across the boat, slamming into the railing.
  5123. >The knife clatters to the ground.
  5124. >She hesitates before coming to blows though, reluctant to swing first.
  5125. >The pony beneath her just cowers.
  5126. >Dash twists her head around as the pony begins to speak.
  5127. >”We have no choice, don’t you understand that?”
  5128. >”Anon, check on Coffee!”
  5129. >Snapping back to reality, you walk towards Coffee.
  5130. >She’s doing her best not to move.
  5131. >It must hurt when she tries.
  5132. >You try to pull her out of the ball she’s curled into, but she just shouts at you instead.
  5133. >”Don’t touch me! I don’t…want you to help me. Not you.”
  5134. >You ignore her protests.
  5135. >Maybe if she wasn’t injured, she might have been strong enough to stop you, but as she was, it’s easy to unravel and inspect her.
  5136. >There were cuts over the back of her front legs, where you wouldn’t see them, but even still she’s trying to keep a blank look on her face.
  5137. >Not letting you see how much it hurts.
  5138. >There’s a sound of hooves behind you, and you turn to see Sea Swirl, free from the unicorn’s magic.
  5139. >There are bruises on her as well.
  5140. “Go get the first aid kit, quickly.”
  5141. >Coffee would be fine, hopefully.
  5142. >The unicorn didn’t want her to die, but it was better to be safe.
  5143. >She squirms beneath you.
  5144. >”Let go of me.”
  5145. “Coffee, for once, can you please just sit still and let me help you?”
  5146. >”No.”
  5147.  
  5148. >Dash keeps the pony beneath her as she watches; indignation on her face.
  5149. >”I’m trying to help!”
  5150. >Dash snaps back at her.
  5151. >”Shut up!”
  5152. >”I’m not going back to Jacob, I don’t care what you two think. I’m not letting her take me back. Can’t you see I’m right?”
  5153. >”All I see is someone beating on my friend.”
  5154. >”Friend? Her?”
  5155. >Dash tightens her grip.
  5156. >”I’m friends with every pony on Anon’s ship. Even if they’re someone like Coffee. Even if we don’t get along. We’re all together in this, like it or not.”
  5157. >The unicorn scowls.
  5158. >”Really though? Her? After everything she’s done?”
  5159. >An out of place grin spreads on her face.
  5160. >”Wasn’t she there, Rainbow? Wasn’t she there when you were raped?”
  5161. >Dash doesn’t react, as far as you can see.
  5162. >She’s been through worse, and picking into that wound isn’t going to distract her.
  5163. >Not that it stops the unicorn.
  5164. >”She was, wasn’t she? She watched and smiled and laughed while you were getting fucked! She’s not your friend, Rainbow, she hates you. I bet she’d do the entire thing to you again if you let her, just out of spite.”
  5165. >Dash’s breathing picks up.
  5166. >”That wasn’t her fault.”
  5167. >The unicorn doesn’t let up.
  5168. >”No, it was Jacob’s. But she helped. And this! This is her fault. She wants to send you back there, Rainbow, unless we stop her, are you gonna…”
  5169.  
  5170. >”It wasn’t Jacob’s fault! It was mine! And this…this is my fault as well. And if you think I’m going to let a manipulative little shit like you rile me up and turn us against each other, you’re wrong.”
  5171. >Dash fluffs herself up, standing tall.
  5172. >”Element of loyalty, remember? I’ll stand by anyone on this ship, no matter how angry they make me. But I won’t stand by while someone tries to divide us when now more than ever we need to stay united.”
  5173. >”And she’s not dividing us, is she? She’s not for us, she’s as against us as she can possibly be.”
  5174. >”Because you’ve made her against us! You think she’s ever going to trust us now that you’ve kicked her teeth in? You think she’s ever going to tell us the truth when everyone here is waiting for an excuse to attack her?
  5175. >”She was against us long before I touched her and you know it. This is the only way.”
  5176. >”She was changing! She was growing to trust us! To trust me! All we needed to do was…”
  5177. >She pauses.
  5178. >”Be patient.”
  5179. >Her attention is pulled away as Swirl returns, the box in her mouth and a bucket of water on her back.
  5180. >She wastes little time pulling the box open, and taking some bandages out from within.
  5181. >You take them from her, and try to apply them to Coffee’s injuries.
  5182. >She fights you the entire time.
  5183. >Carefully, Swirl takes the bandages back.
  5184. >”Let…let me do it, sir.”
  5185. >You take a step back as Sea Swirl takes control.
  5186. >You watch for a while, but can easily see that Coffee struggles less when it’s not you.
  5187. >Leaving Swirl to her work, you turn to the unicorn.
  5188. “Get up.”
  5189. >Dash slowly lets go of her.
  5190. >It’s not like she can run anywhere.
  5191.  
  5192. >The pony stands defiantly as Rainbow swings around to your side.
  5193. >She likes it there. It makes her feel equal.
  5194. >Waiting patiently for you to begin, Rainbow simply stares at the assaulter.
  5195. >You do the same.
  5196. >”Well? Stop staring and get it over with! What are you gonna do? Starve me? Lock me up? Whip me? You don’t even own a whip, if you did I would have used it on Coffee.”
  5197. >You just stare at her some more.
  5198. >Behind you, Coffee is struggling back to her hooves, but falls every time.
  5199. “What’s your name? Primrose, right?”
  5200. >You had tried to, at least, learn everyone’s names.
  5201. >”Yes.”
  5202. >You waited for the anger to come.
  5203. >Waited for the right words to well up inside you, waited to chew her out for everything she’d done.
  5204. >The grievous mistakes she’d made.
  5205. >But it never did.
  5206. “I expected better from you.”
  5207. >There’s more silence.
  5208.  
  5209. >Primrose speaks up, clearly uncomfortable at having to wait.
  5210. >”I’m doing what I have to! Because the two of you are too weak to take command! We need to know where Twilight is, there’s no other way! We’re doomed otherwise!”
  5211. >You step closer and ignore her insult.
  5212. “And you think we don’t realize this?”
  5213. >She flinches.
  5214. “You think you’re the only person on this ship that realizes how fucked we are? If we get caught, Rainbow is going to lose her friend for the third time now; and if that happens, I don’t think I’m going to have a partner for much longer. Sunshine and Moonlight are going to lose their children and spend the rest of their lives making and losing more. Even I’m going to get punished and probably spend years in jail. You think me and Rainbow don’t realize this?”
  5215. >Primrose breaks eye contact.
  5216. “We know things are bad!”
  5217. >You sigh.
  5218. >Tried to rationalize everything you were saying.
  5219. >Even now, there was a sliver of yourself that agreed with Primrose.
  5220. >It was the smart thing to do.
  5221. >But you hadn’t saved these mares because it was the smart thing to do.
  5222. “But attacking Coffee is only going to make them worse.”
  5223. >Primrose speaks up.
  5224. >”We don’t have a choice!”
  5225. “Coffee is a broken mare, and you don’t fix a broken mare by breaking them more. She needs time to rest, time to become herself again. In time, she will change. Everything does. And there’s nothing we can do until she does. We only risk making things worse. You just need to wait, Primrose.”
  5226. >”If you think…”
  5227. >You cut her off.
  5228. “You hurt Coffee badly. Dash, ‘Shy, and myself will think of an appropriate punishment in the morning. Rainbow, if you could escort her back to the rest?”
  5229. >”Yea, okay, but what if she…attacks me?”
  5230. >You look over at Primrose.
  5231. “Then she’ll just need a bigger punishment, now won’t she?”
  5232. >Nodding, Dash lands next to Primrose, roughly shoving her forward.
  5233. >You watch the two of them leave, before focusing your attention back on Coffee and Swirl.
  5234.  
  5235. >Coffee tenses up as you approach, doing her best to turn away so that she doesn’t have to look at you.
  5236. >Swirl’s done a good job bandaging her, and the red-stained cloth makes it easier to see the extent of the damage.
  5237. >Sea Swirl moves behind you to give you more room.
  5238. >Most of the wounds are around her front legs, with the rest in places you wouldn’t even think to look.
  5239. >Her tail dock and the bottom of her hooves.
  5240. >All superficial, thankfully.
  5241. >But still…to think one of your ponies could do something so horrible.
  5242. >So monstrous.
  5243. >The smell of blood hits you, and you have to take a step back.
  5244. >You can’t even begin to think of an appropriate punishment.
  5245. >Swirl smiles awkwardly as you take it all in.
  5246. >Noticing her attention, you snap back to reality.
  5247. “Oh, sorry, I forgot. Are you…okay as well? Primrose didn’t hurt you too bad, right?”
  5248. >”Just bruises from struggling. Coffee got the worst of it, sir. She was already out here by the time I woke up.”
  5249. “I shouldn’t have let this happen, I’m so sorry. I should have noticed.”
  5250. >”It’s okay, Anon. You already do so much for us, I just thought…maybe I could have taken this off your hands. I thought, between me and Coffee, we could keep each other safe. Sir.”
  5251. “You should have woken me and Rainbow. We could have kept you safe, at least.”
  5252. >Swirl glances away guiltily.
  5253. >You take a deep breath.
  5254. “I just…can’t believe this happened. I’m sorry.”
  5255. >Coffee speaks up from in front of you.
  5256. >”Well it did! Maybe if you weren’t such a horse-fucking cuck you could take care of your own ponies. Jacob never had infighting, he kept his ponies happy!”
  5257. >You suspect he kept them scared, more than anything.
  5258. >But you don’t say it.
  5259. >”Ponies are scared, sir. They don’t act right when they’re scared. When she calms down, Primrose will apologize. We are not a violent race, not usually. Not in our hearts, sir.”
  5260.  
  5261. “Is she…going to be okay? The cuts…”
  5262. >Swirl is quiet for a moment.
  5263. >”I don’t know, sir. She won’t die from them but… there are a lot of important things in the back of your leg. I can’t say for sure that they’re all…uninjured. I’m not… I can’t be a doctor.”
  5264. >Swirl looks away for a moment; a hoof rising to her face.
  5265. >It wipes the beginnings of a tear out of her eye.
  5266. >She takes a deep, quivering breath, before regaining her composure.
  5267. >”Sorry, I’m still a little shaken, sir.”
  5268. >Wriggling away from you, Coffee speaks up.
  5269. >”Don’t worry, Swirls. Just remember, soon we’ll both be home again. That’s soothing, right?”
  5270. >You stare at her for a moment before focusing in Swirl.
  5271. “Do you need anything? Some water?”
  5272. >”No, no, I don’t want to bother you. I think it would be best if we just calmed down and went back to sleep. I’ve already done…everything I know how to do, sir. Only time will help her now. And maybe we can forget how Coffee and I were nearly…”
  5273. >She goes quiet.
  5274. “It’s okay to be scared.”
  5275. >”I know, I know. It’s just…I followed you, because I was tired of being scared. Of ponies hating one another. Of people hating me. Of Jacob. And I thought maybe, everything would work out. That we could escape all this. That we could give everyone a chance. And for a moment, we were safe. But now I just don’t…feel that safety anymore. We’re never gonna escape it. Slavery’s broken us in ways we haven’t even realized. We’ll never…be the ponies we were back in Equestria, nor can we ever return to them. We’ll always be scared.”
  5276. >You listen carefully.
  5277. “I’m sorry.”
  5278. >”It’s not your fault, sir.”
  5279. “Don’t worry, from now on, me and Dash are going to sleep with you and Coffee, okay? No one’s gonna get the chance to hurt you.”
  5280. >”Thanks. It…means a lot.”
  5281.  
  5282. >You sit in silence for a moment longer, before Coffee ruins it by coughing loudly.
  5283. >”Fuck off already, get away from me. Haven’t you done enough tonight?”
  5284. >You ignore her, looking over to Swirl.
  5285. >”I think we’ll be fine for tonight, Anon. You don’t need to stick around.”
  5286. “Are you sure?”
  5287. >”Coffee’ll sleep better if you’re gone, and tonight…she needs her sleep. You don’t need to worry, everything will be fine.”
  5288. >Reluctantly, you stand up.
  5289. >Swirl slips around you, bending down and helping Coffee to her hooves.
  5290. >She shakes uncertainly, leaning heavily on Swirl.
  5291. >”Relax, Coffee. Just…lean on me. Everything will be fine. I’m here for you.”
  5292. >Coffee gives a rare smile as Swirl carries her across the deck.
  5293. >Her words are slightly slurred from pain.
  5294. >”You’re…you’re the only good pony here, Swirl. You’re a good little pony slave. When…when we get home, I hope…I hope they make you like me.”
  5295. >To any rational person, Coffee’s words might have sounded like an insult, or even a threat.
  5296. >But she didn’t see it like that.
  5297. >She was smiling.
  5298. >She truly wanted Sea Swirl to be happy.
  5299. >To find the same kind of joy in submission that Coffee did.
  5300. >You could only watch as the two of them limped over to the bridge.
  5301. >”There there, let’s just get you fixed up, okay? You’re…getting blood all over my coat.”
  5302. >Just to be sure, you watched them for a couple hours more.
  5303. >You said you’d leave, but that was a lie.
  5304. >They sat down back to back; Coffee talking and Swirl merely listening.
  5305. >Eventually, the talking stopped, and they fell into a needed sleep.
  5306. >And you were left alone to figure out what to do next.
  5307. >How to punish the offender.
  5308. >Damn ponies.
  5309. >There was no way Coffee was going to help you now.
  5310. >Why did they have to make everything so difficult?
  5311.  
  5312. >You find Rainbow wide awake, back resting against the bathroom door.
  5313. >With how many ponies you kept locked in there, it really was turning into the brig of the ship.
  5314. >You settle in next to Rainbow, sitting down.
  5315. >In return, Rainbow wraps a wing around you.
  5316. >Can’t stay too long though, you were only checking up on her, and then back to Coffee and Swirl.
  5317. >You can tell Rainbow’s nervous, and that there’s something on her mind.
  5318. >Which is fine.
  5319. >There’s something on yours as well.
  5320. “What’s wrong?”
  5321. >Rainbow just frowns sadly.
  5322. >”I should have stayed with them. What was I thinking, sleeping with everyone else? I don’t get to relax. Of course something like this was going to happen, I knew it was going to happen, and I let it happen anyway! Again. It’s my fault that Coffee and Swirl are injured. Everything’s my fault.”
  5323. “It wasn’t your fault. We both screwed up.”
  5324. >”C’mon, Anon, seriously? I feel like I need to be punished for letting this happen. I’m supposed to be better now! I’m supposed to see this coming. I didn’t even notice it was happening; you had to wake me up. And what if we hadn’t noticed? What if Coffee never told us where Twilight was and this just kept happening and happening and happening?”
  5325. >You lock eyes with Rainbow.
  5326. “This wasn’t your fault, Dash. Say it with me. This wasn’t your fault.”
  5327. >She doesn’t repeat it.
  5328. “Rainbow!”
  5329. >She sighs.
  5330. >”It wasn’t my fault. There, happy?”
  5331. >You continue.
  5332. “I know we should have been better. But what’s done is done. We need to focus on supporting Coffee and Swirl now, okay?”
  5333. >”And punishing Primrose.”
  5334. >Right.
  5335. >You’d nearly forgotten.
  5336.  
  5337. “So what are we gonna do about Primrose?”
  5338. >”Alright, I have an idea.”
  5339. >You motion for her to continue.
  5340. >You’d be up for anything.
  5341. >”So you know how I thought you were gonna use me as fish bait?”
  5342. >Except that.
  5343. “We’re not killing her, Rainbow.”
  5344. >”Nobody said kill. Just…tie her to the net a little.”
  5345. “That would kill her.”
  5346. >Dash shakes her head.
  5347. >”No no, we’d bring her up for air. She’d be fine. She’d just wish she was dead. Big difference. Wishing you were dead won’t kill you, trust me.”
  5348. “No is no.”
  5349. >Dash slams her front hooves down.
  5350. >”And why not? Did you see what she did to Coffee? She hurt one of MY ponies. As far as I care, nothing is too extreme for her. Maybe we should cut her legs up, see how she likes it!”
  5351.  
  5352. >Dash takes a deep breath.
  5353. >”Are you sure we don’t have a whip here? She…we could whip her. Even a belt would work. Fifty lashes, that sounds fair, right? Or more!”
  5354. >You begin to agree, but Rainbow cuts you off.
  5355. >Her breathing gets heavier.
  5356. >”Or, or we could just beat her, screw the whip. Get everyone together and just kick her until she passes out. She wanted to do that to Coffee every night, over and over? We could do that. We could do that so easily.”
  5357. “Wait, Dash, let’s not go overboa…”
  5358. >Her eyes glaze over, staring up at nothing.
  5359. >She’s in a different place.
  5360. >”Pony hooves don’t bend upwards easily, tie her like that and she can’t sleep. We could just keep her up all night, every night. In a couple of days she’ll be begging for a chance to apologize.”
  5361. >She mumbles something you can’t understand.
  5362. >You push against her slightly, trying to get her attention, but it’s not working.
  5363. >”…just need to wait until just before the bubbles run out, it’s easy. That’s when the water rushes into their lungs.”
  5364. >Dash is completely out of it by now.
  5365. >She’s not responding when you call her name.
  5366. >”Acid! We could…we could burn her with acid. I bet she’d behave then. No more crying for her friends, I bet she’d be a submissive little bitch if we burnt her wings right off. That’ll make her obey.”
  5367. >You shove Rainbow roughly.
  5368. >She snaps back to reality as she falls over.
  5369.  
  5370. >She takes a deep breath of new air as she scrambles back to her hooves.
  5371. >Pain flashes across her face briefly, before she fights it down.
  5372. >She looks around confused, before focusing on you.
  5373. >Like an anchor, it secures her to where she is.
  5374. >Safe, on the Celestia.
  5375. >She’s quiet for a second, before sliding next to you again.
  5376. >”…thanks.”
  5377. “No problem.”
  5378. >The two of you sit in silence for a moment.
  5379. “Are you okay? Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this right now.”
  5380. >”I’m fine, Anon. I just…got a little carried away. That’s all.”
  5381. >She wasn’t fine.
  5382. >You’d been with Rainbow long enough to know when she was faking it. When she had her ‘strong mare’ façade on.
  5383. “Do you wanna go to sleep? We can talk about this with ‘Shy in the morning.”
  5384. >”No, I…I’ll just go through it again in my sleep. At least here, you know when to wake me up and stop it.”
  5385. >Dash nuzzles against you.
  5386. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
  5387. >”No, I don’t want to talk about. I don’t want to remember it, I don’t want anything to do with it. I just want to…to…”
  5388. >She stops.
  5389. >You don’t think she knows what she wants.
  5390. >You can hazard a few guesses though.
  5391. >To be ‘normal’ again.
  5392. >To protect her friends.
  5393. >To stay here, with you.
  5394. >She shakes her head quickly.
  5395. >”I just want to know what we’re doing with Primrose, okay? I’m fine.”
  5396.  
  5397. >You change the subject, maybe for the worst.
  5398. “I’m up for any more ideas you might have. I have nothing, I…didn’t think something like this would happen. I thought…”
  5399. >”That after you saved everyone, we’d all get along?”
  5400. “Yea.”
  5401. >”I know the feeling.”
  5402. >Neither of you says anything more on that.
  5403. >”What if we just abandoned her?”
  5404. >Dash says suddenly.
  5405. >”Like, when we go to save Twilight, we just leave her there. That’s a good idea, right? She’s proven that she can’t behave herself, so we’re kicking her out.”
  5406. >You give it some thought.
  5407. >It was tempting.
  5408. >Just ditching her was probably the best idea so far.
  5409. >You didn’t want ponies like her on your ship.
  5410. >The Celestia was a privilege.
  5411. >But you quickly realized it had one major flaw.
  5412. “You think Fluttershy is ever going to agree to that?”
  5413. >”What?”
  5414. “You think you can convince Fluttershy to abandon one of the ponies she’s trying so hard to save? If we leave Primrose on the shore, she’ll just go back to Jacob. And I don’t think Fluttershy would allow us to send someone back there. Even someone like Primrose.”
  5415. >”No, that’s good, cause, like, if she cares about Coffee, she’ll want to protect her, right?”
  5416. >You just stare at Dash until her brain kicks in.
  5417. >”No. No, you’re right. Fluttershy isn’t gonna let us get send someone back to Jacob, regardless of what they do.”
  5418. >She sighs.
  5419. >”Why does she have to be so damn kind all the time? Some ponies don’t deserve kindness. Not if they fuck up like this.”
  5420. >Dash thinks for another moment.
  5421. >”What if we had Coffee punish her? Like, we handed HER the belt? Then everything’s equal, right?”
  5422. >You chuckle morbidly.
  5423. “Yea, because the one thing these ponies need to see right now is Coffee whipping another pony and no doubt taunting her about it the entire time. That’ll make them trust her all the more.”
  5424. >”Good point. I think…I think you need to do this.”
  5425. “Yea.”
  5426.  
  5427. “We’ll need her to publically apologize. Need to show that what she did was wrong and that we won’t tolerate it.”
  5428. >”Finally, something we can agree on. She better have the best apology in the world for what she did though. I’m not accepting anything less than grovelling.”
  5429. “Her magic is an issue as well. If she can fight down two ponies at once with it, I don’t want to imagine what she could do if she really set her mind to it.”
  5430. >”Agreed.”
  5431. “Is there any way we can just prevent her from using it? I mean, besides taking a hacksaw to her head?”
  5432. >Dash shrugs.
  5433. >”Maybe we should take a hacksaw to her head.”
  5434. >You glare at her.
  5435. >”Alright, alright. I don’t know. Maybe one of the other unicorns on the boat would know, but I don’t. I’m a pegasi, magic isn’t what I do.”
  5436. >She thinks for a moment.
  5437. >”Twilight always had issues when someone touched her horn though, maybe we just need to tie it up with wire or put something over it.”
  5438. >So it was just another thing you’d need to look into.
  5439. >Maybe Swirl could help, she was a unicorn.
  5440. >Though it did raise the question of why she didn’t use her magic to stop Primrose.
  5441. >Maybe there was something wrong with her.
  5442. >Or maybe Primrose was just stronger, magically.
  5443. >Magic was like a muscle, right?
  5444. >You weren’t sure if there were any other unicorns on the boat.
  5445. “We might just have to belt her. The others won’t be happy if we starve her or mutilate her by removing her horn, we could give her more work but that doesn’t feel like enough, we can’t abandon her, we can’t isolate her. We just…have no choice.”
  5446. >”No, we have a lot of choices. You just won’t do most of them. I still think we should give her more work and a belting.”
  5447. “Right. Anyway, we’ll discuss it with Fluttershy, see what she thinks. Maybe she’s got a better idea.”
  5448.  
  5449. >You stand up, waiting a moment for Rainbow to do the same.
  5450. >She just sits there, watching.
  5451. “You coming?”
  5452. >Rainbow nods slowly.
  5453. >”Yea, just…gimme a minute. If I move too fast my headache flares up and I need to stop. Gotta stop spending so much time in the sun, gotta get more sleep. I’m fine.”
  5454. >You think for a second, before heading out onto the deck.
  5455. >You quickly find the first-aid box, and the bucket that Swirl was using.
  5456. >You made sure to empty and refill it.
  5457. >And then you walked back to Rainbow.
  5458. >”A…Anon?”
  5459. >Confusion is clear on her face.
  5460. >You dig through the box, before finding some generic pain relievers.
  5461. >Placing them in the palm of your hand, you crouch down.
  5462. “Eat these and spread your wings.”
  5463. >”What? Anon, I don’t think I need…”
  5464. “Eat the fucking pills, Rainbow.”
  5465. >She moves quickly to take them from you.
  5466. >They’re swallowed without chewing.
  5467. >Motioning for her to spread her wings, Rainbow quietly complies.
  5468. >She knows what you’re concerned about.
  5469. >Her burn isn’t looking any better.
  5470. >It’s red, and swollen, and hurts to even look at.
  5471. >Taking the rag out of the bucket, you press it against Rainbow’s side.
  5472. >And you begin to clean.
  5473. >She gasps painfully.
  5474. >You weren’t a doctor, you didn’t know how to treat something like this.
  5475. >Water and soap and pills didn’t seem to be helping.
  5476. >But…
  5477. >There was just nothing else you could do.
  5478. >You should have done more when you could.
  5479. >That foresight hurt your heart.
  5480. >You could only pray and wait.
  5481. >God, you hated waiting.
  5482.  
  5483. >Rainbow is silent while you help her.
  5484. >Most of her attention is going towards fighting off the pain.
  5485. >Clenching her teeth harder and breathing properly.
  5486. >After a few minutes though, she tries to lighten the mood.
  5487. >”I’m going to be fine, Anon.”
  5488. “I know. But I want to be certain.”
  5489. >Dash groans a little, before coughing.
  5490. >Slowly and carefully, you help Rainbow the best you can.
  5491. >The water in the bucket is dirty with pus and hair.
  5492. >Standing up, you extend a hand to Rainbow.
  5493. “I want you to wash that three times a day from now on, okay? And if you don’t, I’ll have someone hold you down, and I’ll do it, understand?”
  5494. >Rainbow looks away.
  5495. >Like you assumed, she was probably only cleaning it once.
  5496. >”I…understand.”
  5497. “Good. Now come on. We’re sleeping with Coffee and Swirl from now on.”
  5498. >Rainbow grabs your hand with her hoof, and pulls herself up.
  5499. >”Okay.”
  5500. >You turn to leave, but Rainbow stops you, grabbing your leg.
  5501. >”I don’t understand.”
  5502. “Fucks sake, what’s hard to get? Wash your burn three times a day; it’s not a confusing demand.”
  5503. >Dash flinches slightly.
  5504. >”No no, it’s not that, I mean…I don’t understand.”
  5505.  
  5506. >Dash sighs, and covers her face with one of her hooves.
  5507. >”I mean, I just can’t understand why you’re doing this for me. Me! I can’t understand trying so hard to make sure I’m okay, and set me free, and keep me safe. I can understand Fluttershy, or any of the other mares out there, they deserve it, but me? Rainbow Dash? The mare who probably kick-started this whole slavery thing with her fucking big mouth? I just…I just keep fucking things up and making them worse. I don’t deserve to be happy. I don’t deserve any of this!”
  5508. >You try and think of the right words to say.
  5509. >The correct tone, the correct feel.
  5510. >The magical sentence that would make everything better.
  5511. >But you can’t think of one.
  5512. >So you simply tell her:
  5513. “Rainbow, you didn’t deserve the things that happened to you either.”
  5514. >They’re not perfect, but they’re good enough.
  5515.  
  5516. >And then, it’s like a key finally unlocking a closed door.
  5517. >Rainbow struggles at first, takes a few steps back.
  5518. >”What? No, I mean, of course I…deserved it. I’d…back in Equestria I’d…I mean I…”
  5519. >She goes on the defensive.
  5520. >”I hated humans! And…and I’m a pony, we killed, like, millions. I…I hurt you! And Fluttershy! And all my friends. I KNEW and I…I do deserve it. I do! How dare you try and…try and lie to me. I…”
  5521. >She takes a shuddering breath.
  5522. “You didn’t deserve it.”
  5523. >”I did! I know I did.”
  5524. “Rainbow.”
  5525. >She fights back the tears, memories burning her mind.
  5526. >”I deserved all of it. I was an…awful slave. And an awful pony. I needed… NEED to be…”
  5527. >She goes silent.
  5528. >No one should want to be hurt.
  5529. >Dash is silent for a moment more, fighting back tears.
  5530. >With a raspy voice, she finally speaks.
  5531. >”I don’t…know what I deserve anymore. I just…see them. When I fall asleep. All the people I’ve hurt, they won’t leave me alone. I only want to say sorry because I…I couldn’t help them but they never accept it.”
  5532. “You don’t deserve to be hurt because of someone else’s mistake.”
  5533. >Dash shakes her head.
  5534. >”But I do deserve to be punished for my own mistakes.”
  5535. “Failing to help someone when you’ve done everything you can is not a mistake.”
  5536. >”But I should have done more. I should been more aware, been just a little bit smarter. I didn’t do all I could. If I was smarter, or stronger, no one would be hurt at all.”
  5537. >Dash takes a deep breath.
  5538. >”I don’t deserve to be here. I’m not…good enough. Not when there are other ponies who deserve it more.”
  5539. >You’re not sure if you can say anything to change to her mind.
  5540. >So you simply walk over to her, bend down, wrap a hand around her midsection and lift her up.
  5541. >Pulling her into a hug, you say,
  5542. “You’re good enough for me.”
  5543. >She doesn’t say anything in response.
  5544. >Her fur is warm against you as you walk back out into the cold night air.
  5545.  
  5546. >Fluttershy isn’t the first pony to wake up.
  5547. >That honour goes to Night Glider.
  5548. >Still tired, she attempts to stumble out into the rising sun, until Rainbow stops her.
  5549. >It was better they stay inside until everything was discussed.
  5550. >She looks at you, and instantly, you can see that she knows.
  5551. >That she knows exactly what happened.
  5552. >That she was expecting it.
  5553. >And that thought scares you.
  5554. >If she knew, if they all knew, if they were waiting…
  5555. >Then they’re also waiting to see how you’ll react.
  5556. >Waiting to see what you’ll do to the offender.
  5557. >And if you weren’t just in your punishment…
  5558. >Things were only going to get worse.
  5559. >To her credit, Glider doesn’t ask any questions.
  5560. >Simply returns to the pile, lays down, and waits.
  5561. >Eventually, as more ponies wake up, and the whispers begin to spread, Fluttershy rises as well.
  5562. >She takes one look at the two of you as well, hollow eyed and tired.
  5563. >And you can tell, she knows as well.
  5564. >Foresight is a bitch.
  5565. >Trotting onto the deck, Fluttershy’s eye contact breaks.
  5566. >All she says is ‘take me to Coffee.’
  5567. >You waste no time.
  5568.  
  5569. >Swirl and Coffee are awake as you enter the bridge.
  5570. >Coffee pulls herself behind Swirl as you come closer, her bandages bloody.
  5571. >Her anger is still present as she shouts at you, but it’s tempered by fear.
  5572. >”Stay away from me, Anon! You want to kill me too, is that it? Well try it, I’ll throw both of us off this shitty boat.”
  5573. >You nearly reprimand her for criticizing the Celestia.
  5574. >But catch your tongue.
  5575. >Fluttershy inches forward.
  5576. >Her voice is the softest you’ve ever heard it.
  5577. >”Don’t worry, Coffee. We’re not going to hurt you. I just want to take a look at your legs, is that okay?”
  5578. >Coffee scrambles backwards some more.
  5579. >”No! Stay away from me!”
  5580. >Spinning around, Swirl crouches down and locks eyes with the scared mare.
  5581. >”Don’t panic, Coffee. It’s just Fluttershy. You can trust Fluttershy. She’s a friend.”
  5582. >Coffee pouts.
  5583. >”But she tried to run away from Jacob. She’s not a good slave.”
  5584. >”So did you.” Swirl points out.
  5585. >Coffee processes this.
  5586. >”But I did it because…I mean, I was right to… I…
  5587. >Coffee sighs.
  5588. >“Okay. But Anon leaves. I don’t want him here.”
  5589. >The whole room pauses for a second as the attention falls to you.
  5590. “Fine. I’ll just…show myself out then.”
  5591. >With little flair, you turn and exit the bridge.
  5592. >You can hear the ponies talking inside.
  5593. >In nearly no time at all, Fluttershy comes out after you.
  5594. >”I’ve…I’ve seen all I can bear.”
  5595. “Well? What should we do? Rainbow and I had some ideas…”
  5596. >”Take me to Primrose.”
  5597. >Her stare could kill.
  5598. >It occurs to you that you don’t like it when Fluttershy is angry.
  5599. “Are you sure? I mean, maybe we should…”
  5600. >”Primrose! Now!”
  5601. >You lead her back towards the group.
  5602.  
  5603. >She stops outside the bathroom, taking a deep breath.
  5604. >”You can stay out here.”
  5605. >She says ‘can’ but it sounds more like ‘will.’
  5606. >The door swings open, and you see a glimpse of Primrose on the other side.
  5607. >She looks utterly remorseless.
  5608. >Smug and self-righteous.
  5609. >Then Fluttershy enters, and the door closes.
  5610. >Almost immediately, you hear muffled shouting.
  5611. >Fluttershy is, as Rainbow might say, tearing into her.
  5612. >You look around, and notice that the rest of the ponies are entirely focused on the bathroom door; each one trying to summon up an image of what’s going on inside.
  5613. >It goes on for far longer than you’d like to admit.
  5614. >Dash inches forward, hovering in front of the door.
  5615. >”Um…I’d better…just go and make sure everything’s okay. Ha…ha ha.”
  5616. >She quietly slips through the door.
  5617. >It doesn’t seem like she has any effect on Fluttershy’s mood.
  5618. >You lean against the wall while you wait.
  5619. >One of the mares cautiously approaches you while you do, worry clear on her face.
  5620. >”Um…Anon?”
  5621. “Yes?”
  5622. >”Is Sea Swirl…dead? And Coffee too? Cause some of the ponies are saying…”
  5623. >Rumours spread quickly, apparently.
  5624. “Coffee is not dead.”
  5625. >She looks a little more relieved.
  5626. >”Oh, that’s…good.”
  5627. >She still looks uncomfortable.
  5628. “Swirl is okay as well.”
  5629. >”Oh, thank Celestia. She’s not hurt too badly, is she?”
  5630. >For some reason, that annoys you.
  5631. “They’re BOTH fine. I’ll explain everything in detail when ‘Shy and Rainbow are finished, understand?”
  5632. >Slowly, the mare returns back to the pile.
  5633. >You take this opportunity to scan the crowd again.
  5634. >To your dismay, there are only two other unicorns, besides Primrose and Sea Swirl.
  5635. >And both of them are pregnant.
  5636. >Still, maybe they might know more about magic than Rainbow.
  5637. >They just wouldn’t be much help in restraining Primrose if she tried to attack someone again.
  5638. >You couldn’t…endanger them like that.
  5639. >Not with their condition.
  5640.  
  5641. >You’re almost surprised when the bathroom door opens, and Fluttershy slinks out.
  5642. >Glancing inside, you see that Primrose is noticeably less confident.
  5643. >Before Rainbow slams the door behind her.
  5644. >You crouch down.
  5645. “So…you understand what happened?”
  5646. >Fluttershy nods.
  5647. “So, what do we do?”
  5648. >Fluttershy picks her words carefully, maintaining a solid eye contact the entire time.
  5649. >“Well…Primrose is very, VERY sorry about what she’s done. She understands that she’s made a mistake, and she’s sorry, and she’s willing to apologize to Coffee and Swirl for hurting them. And I don’t think…she’s going to do anything like this again. She’s sorry, really!”
  5650. >Fluttershy takes a step back.
  5651. >”So with that in mind, I suppose…maybe she doesn’t need a punishment?”
  5652. >There’s a moment of silence.
  5653. >Luckily, Dash says what you’re already thinking.
  5654. >”Are you serious, ‘Shy? Seriously? She cut up Coffee! She beat Sea Swirl! She basically ruined your only chance of going home again! No amount of sorry is going to make up for that! She needs to be punished!”
  5655. >Fluttershy cowers slightly as Rainbow Dash pushes into her personal space, a protective wing snapping out to cover her face.
  5656. >”She…she’s very sorry…”
  5657. >”So what?”
  5658. >”And…and she thought she was doing the right thing. Just trying to help everyone. Haven’t we all made mistakes for a friend?”
  5659. >Dash hesitates for a moment, before pushing forward.
  5660. >”It doesn’t matter if she thought she was doing the right thing, she still hurt Anon’s ponies. She needs to pay!”
  5661. >Fluttershy takes a step back.
  5662. >”I…I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
  5663. >The aggressive look on Dash’s face melts away as she lands, shuffling closer to her friend.
  5664. >”I…I know you don’t, Shy. That’s not you. But sometimes, it just…has to be done. It’s for the best. Okay?”
  5665. >Fluttershy pauses.
  5666. >”Okay.”
  5667.  
  5668. >Fluttershy glances over to the door, and back to you.
  5669. >”So…what are we going to do to her? I mean, we’re not going to…to whip her or anything, right?”
  5670. >”Anon and I were thinking we’d just…you know, belt her.”
  5671. >”Belt?”
  5672. >”Spank her, but with a belt.”
  5673. >Fluttershy winces.
  5674. >”Can we not do something tamer? Maybe just isolate her or something?”
  5675. >Rainbow’s stare says it all.
  5676. >This boat isn’t big enough for us to start putting ponies in solitary confinement.
  5677. >”No, you’re right. I’m sure the two of you have thought this through. I’ll…trust you. Can we at least…do it in private? At least give her some dignity? Please.”
  5678. >You could see where she was coming from.
  5679. >And a part of yourself agreed.
  5680. >You could save a bit of her reputation, save her the humiliation.
  5681. >Just keep this between the three of you, Coffee, Swirl, and herself.
  5682. >But in the end, this wasn’t something you could just sweep under the rug.
  5683. >Everyone was in this together, and that meant privacy wasn’t something you could afford anymore.
  5684. >You shake your head.
  5685. “I’m not going to force anyone to watch, but it needs to be public. What Primrose did impacts them as much as it does us. They need to see that there are consequences for it.”
  5686. >Fluttershy doesn’t look happy, but she understands.
  5687. “Now I need to go and explain to a dozen ponies just why we’re probably never going to Equestria, and why Primrose is going to get a public beating.”
  5688. >That came out a lot meaner than you wanted.
  5689. >Fluttershy notices.
  5690. >”Oh, don’t say that. Just…just stick to the facts. Stick to what we know.”
  5691. >Right.
  5692. >The facts were the only way you could look at something like this unbiased.
  5693.  
  5694. >You stand at the exit, the sun behind you casting your shadow deep into the room.
  5695. >One or two ponies notice, their conversations cutting themselves short.
  5696. >Like a wave, the silence spreads quickly as more and more notice.
  5697. >You wait until you think they’re ready to listen.
  5698. >And begin.
  5699. “I think most of you already know what’s happened. There’s already some rumours going around, so I’m going to make everything as clear as I can, and stick to the facts. Just remember, everything is going to be fine. We’re all going to be okay.”
  5700. >You don’t think your words did much to reassure them.
  5701. >And so you tell them everything.
  5702. >About Primrose stealing a gutting knife and abducting Coffee.
  5703. >About how she tortured her.
  5704. >About how Sea Swirl went out alone to look for her friend.
  5705. >About how you and Dash found them all.
  5706. >About what was said, about what was done.
  5707. >You bared it all.
  5708. >And then you explained what was going to happen next.
  5709. >And about why it was going to happen.
  5710. >Some of them understood.
  5711. >Some of them disagreed.
  5712. >The numbers shifted when Coffee stumbled in, and they could see for themselves the damage that was done.
  5713. >It made everything real.
  5714. >With a quick glance at Rainbow and Fluttershy, you decided on a time.
  5715. >It would be soon.
  5716. >But not immediately.
  5717. >Give it a few hours to sink in, for everyone to discuss it.
  5718. >Then punish her.
  5719.  
  5720.  
  5721. >The belt was heavy in your hands.
  5722. >It was time.
  5723. >The hours had passed; the ponies had finished their conversations.
  5724. >Everyone was already settling into their routines.
  5725. >Once again, they stood out in the sun, soaking in their limited freedom.
  5726. >You’d talked to Moonlight.
  5727. >She had training in ‘dark magic,’ apparently.
  5728. >She didn’t elaborate, but apparently she’d be able to make something to limit Primrose’s magic.
  5729. >Still…
  5730. >The belt was heavy.
  5731. >Holding it tightly, you can’t help but think back to the last time it was used like this.
  5732. >On Rainbow.
  5733. >By Rainbow.
  5734. >That mare had some real problems.
  5735. >And you weren’t sure how to fix them.
  5736. >You were just tackling problems as they came up, doing your best to do the right thing.
  5737. >And ponies made that so hard.
  5738. >You just wanted her to be happy for once, she didn’t smile enough.
  5739. >Taking a deep breath, you push that to the back of your mind.
  5740. >You had more important things to worry about.
  5741. >The bathroom door looms in front of you.
  5742. >Rainbow hovers down to your side, serious.
  5743. >”You want me to go in and pull her out, or do you want to?”
  5744. “We’re partners. We do this together.”
  5745. >Taking a deep breath, you push the door open.
  5746. >Primrose does her best to look confident, but you can see, in the back of her eyes…
  5747. >A hint of fear.
  5748. >She wants to appear strong. Wants to make you think that no matter what you do, she won’t change.
  5749. >She wants to convince you that she was right.
  5750. >But you’d seen looks like that before.
  5751. >She locks on to you.
  5752. >”So then, is it…”
  5753. “Shut up.”
  5754. >She stops talking.
  5755. “I don’t want to hear your excuses.”
  5756. >You didn’t have a collar, but there was plenty of rope aboard the Celestia.
  5757. >The two of you lead her out from the room.
  5758.  
  5759. >You barely make it out of the bathroom before she begins to speak again.
  5760. >”You know, she’s blackmailing us.”
  5761. >Rainbow raises an eyebrow.
  5762. >”Who?”
  5763. >Primrose just smiles.
  5764. >”Coffee. So just because she has something we need, we’re supposed to forgive her? We’re expected to just forget all the horrible things she’s done to us? She’s as dirty as Jacob. They were partners in all this, she doesn’t get to turn around and claim to be one of us.”
  5765. >You motion for Dash to ignore her.
  5766. >She doesn’t.
  5767. >”Primrose, Coffee wasn’t thinking right, she…”
  5768. >”She’s never even had a foal of her own, she’s never even had sex with any of these stallions, she’s not been through what we have under her hoof. She’s not one of us. She’s a slaver, just like the humans. Even now, she’s trying to lock the chains around our hooves.”
  5769. >Primrose pauses for a moment.
  5770. >”You want to talk about what’s ‘right?’ Where’s her punishment for everything she’s done? Why does Coffee get a clean slate? Because she knows something we need? Oh, I bet if I knew where Twilight was, I’d get my own pillow to sleep on and a complimentary slave as well.”
  5771. >Rainbow exhales angrily.
  5772. >”Swirl’s not a slave.”
  5773. >”Oh right, what is the correct term for someone that follows you around and does whatever you sa-?”
  5774. >You cut her off.
  5775. “We’re not forgetting what Coffee’s done, but we are forgiving her. And it’s not because she knows where Twilight is. We’d treat her the same regardless of what she’s done.”
  5776.  
  5777. >Primrose scoffs.
  5778. “You’re not supposed to forget everything she’s done. You’re supposed to understand why she did them, and then forgive her. She’s been brainwashed, Primrose. She’s not thinking right. And even if she wasn’t, then she was coerced into them. It’s not her fault. None of it was her fault.”
  5779. >”And that excuses her, does it? That makes up for all my pain?”
  5780. >You’re silent.
  5781. >You don’t have an answer for that.
  5782. “I can’t make you forgive Coffee for the mistakes she’s made. That’s your choice. And in a way, you’re right. She should be punished for what she’s done. She’s hurt people; hurt you. Maybe she doesn’t deserve a blank slate. Maybe she doesn’t deserve to be here.”
  5783. >You stand up straighter.
  5784. “But she didn’t deserve to become…Coffee, either. She didn’t deserve to become that pony.”
  5785. >You shoot a glance down at Rainbow.
  5786. >Her eyes are locked to the floor, and everything about her posture is dreary.
  5787. >Primrose just shakes her head.
  5788. >”It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter why. She still hurt her.”
  5789. >She takes a deep breath.
  5790. >”She doesn’t deserve to be here, she doesn’t deserve a friend, she doesn’t deserve to have everything work out fine for her. Not after what she’s done. She deserves to stay here with the rest of you rotten humans, like the cock-sucking prostitute she is. I won’t let her crimes go unanswered.”
  5791. >You open your mouth to argue further, forgetting your own advice, before a much softer voice ends the conversation.
  5792. >But it’s not Fluttershy’s.
  5793.  
  5794. >”I’m sorry.”
  5795. >Coffee’s voice is quiet, but it rings louder than a crashing wave.
  5796. >Primrose looks at her with disgust as Coffee inches closer, eyes glued to the floor.
  5797. >Her fear won’t let her look at Primrose.
  5798. >”You’re…mad at me. You all are, I understand. I’ve done awful things. Some of them are my fault, not Jacob’s. Not any human’s. Mine.”
  5799. >She forces herself to look up, to make contact with the three of you.
  5800. >Her legs are shaking.
  5801. >”I’m just…trying to do the right thing. Trying to be a good slave. You’d understand if you were me, I’m just trying to make you all happy. Make you understand. Once you accept what you are, and stop trying to fight it…everything becomes easier. You can be happy again, like me. You can stop worrying and just smile. Things don’t need to be so difficult.”
  5802. >She focuses on Primrose.
  5803. >”But I’ve done horrible things, and I’m not sure they were right anymore, and for those…I’m sorry, Primrose. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
  5804. >Primrose stomps her hoof, scaring Coffee backwards.
  5805. >”Don’t give me that shit, you’re not sorry. You think you can trick me, you think a little sorry is going to make everything better? You just don’t want me coming after you again and think this will pacify me.”
  5806. >”I…I am sorry.”
  5807. >”You’re not sorry. You want me to believe you? Tell me, right now, where Twilight is.”
  5808. >Coffee doesn’t say anything.
  5809. >”See? You’re not sorry, you traitor.”
  5810. >”I…I can’t tell you. I can’t be a bad pony. I’m not allowed.”
  5811. >”Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, Coffee.”
  5812. >Primrose starts walking again, trotting past her towards the exit.
  5813. >”You already are.”
  5814.  
  5815. >Primrose is pulled back suddenly as the rope around her neck goes taut.
  5816. >No.
  5817. >She doesn’t get to do this.
  5818. >She doesn’t get to walk out there like she’s guiltless.
  5819. >She struggles against the rope, but you’re stronger than her.
  5820. >Step by step, you wind the rope and force her to come back.
  5821. >She stares angrily ahead as you pull her in front of Coffee.
  5822. “Apologize.”
  5823. >Primrose pulls at the rope.
  5824. >”Why? She doesn’t deserve it.”
  5825. >That just pisses you off.
  5826. “Fluttershy told me, that you were sorry. That you would be willing to apologize to Coffee. Were you lying to her, Primrose? Because I won’t have liars on my ship!”
  5827. >A flash of panic passes through her eyes before she controls it.
  5828. >”For hurting her. Not for telling her what a piece of fucking scum she is.”
  5829. >You begin to pull the rope more, but Coffee quickly speaks up, her hatred of you overpowering her fear.
  5830. >”Stop, you asshole. It’s fine, I understand. I don’t care what she says.”
  5831. >You ignore her.
  5832. >Primrose begins to be pulled onto her back legs.
  5833. >You’ve lost your patience with Prim.
  5834. “Apologize, Primrose.”
  5835. >Her hooves can’t squeeze between the rope and her neck, she can’t even move as long as you hold her.
  5836. >Through grit teeth, she growls.
  5837. >”Fine!”
  5838. >You release some tension.
  5839. >Primrose looks Coffee dead in the eyes.
  5840. >”I’m sorry that I told you what everyone thinks of y-”
  5841. >You cut her off by pulling the rope back.
  5842. >Rainbow just watches you silently.
  5843. >She hates Primrose enough that you don’t think she’d stop you even if you tried to kill her.
  5844. “Properly.”
  5845. >Primrose hisses at you.
  5846. >”I’m sorry…I called you a bad pony, Coffee.”
  5847. >She looks up at you.
  5848. >”There! Can we get this over with now?”
  5849. >Before you can respond, Coffee lets out a quiet ‘thank you.’
  5850. >But you can’t tell who it’s directed to.
  5851. >Grabbing both the belt and Primrose’s lead tighter, you nod.
  5852. >And this time, you’re in front as you walk out onto the deck.
  5853.  
  5854. >The attention of every pony on the ship falls on you immediately as you walk into view.
  5855. >They stop what they’re doing, gathering into groups, seeking out friends to talk with.
  5856. >They’re angry, but not at you.
  5857. >It seems talking about what Primrose did only made ponies angrier about it.
  5858. >As you walk across the deck, the first round of shouting begins.
  5859. >”Beat her ass, Anon!”
  5860. >”Teach her a lesson!”
  5861. >”Throw her overboard!”
  5862. >It all melts together in the end, really.
  5863. >Primrose seems to be handling it all very well.
  5864. >She hasn’t even lowered her head.
  5865. >Rainbow struggles to keep the ponies away from you, to clear out an area for everything to happen.
  5866. >Holding Primrose’s lead tight, you stand up straight.
  5867. >And you speak.
  5868. “You already know what’s happening. I expect a few of you are actually looking forward to it. I won’t judge. Before we do though,”
  5869. >The crowd lets out an annoyed groan.
  5870. “Primrose wants to apologize to all of you, and Coffee in particular.”
  5871. >One of the stallions lets out a shout, before Rainbow hurries to silence him.
  5872. >”Fat lot of good it’ll do now, won’t it?”
  5873. >Taking initiative, Primrose steps forward, facing the wrath of the crowd.
  5874. >”I’m sorry. You’re mad at me, I understand. I’ve done an awful thing. I let my impatience get the best of me and lashed out at someone who didn’t deserve it. I realize now I was wrong, and apologize for my actions from the bottom of my heart. Coffee is one of us, and it was wrong to hurt her. I’ll accept any punishment you think is fair.”
  5875. >She’s lying through her teeth.
  5876. >You can feel it; she doesn’t believe a single thing she’s saying.
  5877. >But it seems to be enough for Fluttershy.
  5878. >She’s far too trusting.
  5879. >Primrose locks eyes with Coffee.
  5880. >”I hope you won’t let my actions stop you from doing what is right, Coffee. I’m so sorry.”
  5881. >Looking down, you feel the weight of the belt in your hand.
  5882. >It’s time.
  5883.  
  5884. >You hadn’t put much thought into how exactly you’d beat a pony.
  5885. >It just wasn’t a thing you thought much about.
  5886. >Still, it couldn’t be that different from spanking a child.
  5887. >Reaching down, you wrap a hand around Primrose’s midsection, and pull her onto your knee.
  5888. >The crowd waits silently as you pull your hand back.
  5889. >The belt flies through the air, with all your strength behind it.
  5890. >A loud ‘thwack’ echoes over the ship as it collides with Primrose’s behind.
  5891. >You can feel the air physically leave her body as the shock hits her.
  5892. >She hastily tries to take a deep breath, to steal her resolve, but the second strike catches her before she can.
  5893. >The air catches in her throat and causes her to choke.
  5894. >There’s already an ugly red line beginning to spread across her butt, and you haven’t even started yet.
  5895. >The third strike causes her to kick her leg out involuntarily, thumping against the floor.
  5896. >Primrose is doing her best to remain silent.
  5897. >She doesn’t even want to give you a groan.
  5898. >Despite her best efforts though, her blank expression begins to twist down into a grimace.
  5899. >Every flog causes her to clench her muscles as she fights off tears.
  5900. >She takes quick, short breaths whenever she can.
  5901. >She squirms underneath you, her front hooves constantly trying to pull her away from the source of her pain.
  5902. >They clatter against the floor loudly, only overpowered by the collision of the belt.
  5903. >She shudders and blinks, fighting down her watery eyes.
  5904. >As you bring the belt down again, something suddenly stops your hand.
  5905. >You turn, expecting to see Rainbow or Fluttershy, but instead, there’s a magical glow around your arm.
  5906. >Primrose’s horn is glowing as she shakes her head, panting heavily.
  5907. >”Please…no more. I’m sorry.”
  5908. >Wordlessly, you reach over to her head with your free hand, and grab her horn roughly.
  5909. >Her magic fizzles around your fist.
  5910. >”No, please! I’m sorry!”
  5911. >Her eyes begin to water.
  5912. >You bring the belt down on her flank again.
  5913.  
  5914. >She finally lets out a squeak as it hits her.
  5915. >Just a small slip of the tongue, but enough to know her façade is breaking.
  5916. >Her eyes scan through the crowd in front of her, trying to find someone or something to latch onto to distract herself from the pain.
  5917. >Her back legs are shaking.
  5918. >All she finds is angry faces though.
  5919. >You bring the belt down again, and once again she flinches.
  5920. >No matter how many times, she’s not getting used to it.
  5921. >Her eyes finally lock onto someone, and she cries out again.
  5922. >”Fluttershy! Please,”
  5923. >The belt hits her again.
  5924. >The red marks cover her ass by this point.
  5925. >”Help me! It hurts.”
  5926. >You pause slightly to glance over at ‘Shy.
  5927. >She’s doing her best to hide behind the crowd and look small, but attention is drifting towards her.
  5928. >She starts shaking her head hastily, before slowly slinking backwards.
  5929. >Spreading her wings, you watch as she quickly retreats below the deck.
  5930. >She can’t watch any more.
  5931. >”No please! Fluttershy! Please!”
  5932. >The belt hits her again as she begs.
  5933. >A stallion slides into the place where ‘Shy was standing.
  5934. >”Beat her ass, Anon! Make her pay for stranding us here!”
  5935. >His comment catches Primrose off guard.
  5936. >”N…no, I didn’t…”
  5937. >Another mare speaks up quickly, before Rainbow can stop her.
  5938. >”How does it feel to be on the other end? How does it feel?”
  5939. >”I…I didn’t…”
  5940. >”I bet she wants to go back to Jacob. He always was giving her special privileges.”
  5941. >”That’s not true, he…I…”
  5942. >The belt hits her again, scattering her train of thought.
  5943. >She lets out a noise of hurt.
  5944.  
  5945. >Her thoughts come back with a fury.
  5946. >”You stupid breeders!”
  5947. >You hit her quickly, but she doesn’t stop.
  5948. >”Don’t you understand that I’m trying to help you?”
  5949. >Her comments only fan the fire.
  5950. >”Don’t you remember what she did to us? This is the only way to save ourselves!”
  5951. >Night Glider steps forward.
  5952. >”If that was your idea of helping, I think we should have left you behind!”
  5953. >Shouts of agreement come out from behind her.
  5954. >At long last, Primrose breaks down, her self-righteousness shattered as the crowd redoubles their efforts.
  5955. >She takes her few remaining lashes badly, crying heavily.
  5956. >She can’t even attempt to slow her tears any more.
  5957. >Her backside is a mess of purple and red which runs a fair distance down her back legs, and just looking at it makes you feel sore.
  5958. >You might have gotten a little carried away.
  5959. >Releasing her, Primrose doesn’t even attempt to stand, and just slumps to the ground.
  5960. >Her hooves immediately swing back to her butt.
  5961. >The crowd looks on for a moment, judging her.
  5962. >One of them finds the courage to ask if it’s over and if they can go back to work.
  5963. >Standing tall, you shake your head.
  5964. “Just one more thing. There’s still the matter of Primrose’s magic.”
  5965. >Even through the pain, Primrose’s body freezes in shock at your words.
  5966. >She tries to inch closer to your feet.
  5967. >”Plea…please don’t take my horn. I’m sorry, you…you can’t. You’re supposed to be better, please don’t remove my horn.”
  5968. >You shake her off your leg.
  5969. “I’m not going to mutilate you. But I am going to stop your magic.”
  5970.  
  5971. >Scanning the crowd, you don’t find the pony you’re looking for.
  5972. “Rainbow.”
  5973. >She pops to attention.
  5974. “Go get Moonlight for me.”
  5975. >Dash nods, and disappears below the deck.
  5976. >She returns a moment later with the unicorn in tow, and the crowd parts to let them pass.
  5977. >Moonlight looks up at you with indifference.
  5978. >You’re not sure how to do this.
  5979. “Okay, Moonlight, you said you could stop Primrose’s magic?”
  5980. >”Yes.”
  5981. >Her horn lights up, and she floats a strange object out from behind her.
  5982. >It looks like a mess of wire and zip ties.
  5983. >”Sorry it looks so…unfinished. I didn’t have a lot to work with on the Celestia. In theory, this should work though.”
  5984. >You look over it.
  5985. “How…um…”
  5986. >”Do you use it?”
  5987. >You nod.
  5988. >She sighs.
  5989. >”Secure the zip tie around the base of her horn, so she’ll need another unicorn or yourself to remove it, and then tighten the wires from the top so that they run into the natural grooves of her horn.”
  5990. “It’s that simple?”
  5991. >”Well, making it in the first place requires a magical touch, but yes. It’s that simple.”
  5992. >Good to know.
  5993. >Crouching down, you grab the base of Primrose’s horn.
  5994. >Her head twists in a weak attempt to stop you, but she’s far too out of it for it to work.
  5995. >As per Moonlight’s instructions, you secure the device around Primrose’s head, twisting it several times until you couldn’t do it anymore.
  5996. >Beneath you, Primrose’s hooves swing from her back to her head.
  5997. >Sparks of magic shoot out of her horn as she tries to do…something.
  5998. >Anything.
  5999. >It just causes her to cry harder.
  6000. >”Take…take it off. Take it off! It hurts. Please.”
  6001. >You stand up and look over at Moonlight.
  6002. “Does it really hurt?”
  6003. >She shakes her head.
  6004. >”She will get used to it. Don’t worry. It should only hurt if she attempts to use magic.”
  6005. >That was a…relief?
  6006. >Yes.
  6007. >Primrose’s punishment was done, you didn’t want to hurt her any more than necessary.
  6008.  
  6009. >Looking around, you scan over the crowd, before shouting loudly.
  6010. “That’s everything. You can go now.”
  6011. >Someone from the crowd calls out.
  6012. >”What about Primrose?”
  6013. “We’ll give her some time to recover, then she can join you.”
  6014. >There’s some angry grumbling.
  6015. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the bridge.”
  6016. >Yea.
  6017. >You needed to be alone for a moment.
  6018. >Looking over Primrose, you felt…dirty.
  6019. >Like you had made a mistake.
  6020. >But it was easy to feel like you’d done the wrong thing when someone was crying in pain from your actions.
  6021. >You just needed a moment to calm down.
  6022. >You didn’t even notice the belt slip from your hand.
  6023. >Why couldn’t everyone just play nice?
  6024. >If you had to do that again, feel like this again…
  6025. >You chase the thought out.
  6026. >Everything would be fine.
  6027. >Sometimes you needed to be tough.
  6028. >These ponies were changing you, man.
  6029. >Maybe they already had.
  6030. >As you turn to leave, you see Fluttershy creep out from inside the ship.
  6031. >She must have heard that it was finally over.
  6032. >Which was good. Fluttershy would take care of Primrose.
  6033. >And you caught a glimpse of Coffee, the mare who caused it all.
  6034. >And you thought about how much easier it would be if she just cooperated with you.
  6035. >No pony would get hurt, you wouldn’t be forced to beat anyone.
  6036. >Everything would be simple.
  6037. >Damn ponies.
  6038. >They always made things difficult.
  6039.  
  6040. >The sun blinded you as you sailed the Celestia towards the horizon.
  6041. >You had no destination, but that wasn’t a problem.
  6042. >You just needed to hear the waves beneath your feet, feel the ship buck.
  6043. >Like you’d just tamed a wild beast and forced it to ride forward.
  6044. >Unfortunately, your fantasy is torn short as Rainbow enters the bridge.
  6045. >She shoots a quick glance at Coffee, who sticks her tongue out at her.
  6046. >Before Rainbow trots over to your side.
  6047. >She doesn’t say anything, so you do.
  6048. “You should be asleep.”
  6049. >”It’s the middle of the day!”
  6050. “You’re supposed to be working nights, Rainbow. It’s just good sense to keep someone at the wheel, if we can.”
  6051. >She’s purposefully quiet.
  6052. >”I can’t sleep right now. My dreams are too real. Primrose is in them.”
  6053. >Ah.
  6054. >The punishment of Primrose was still fresh in everyone’s minds.
  6055. >Even if it was a couple days ago.
  6056. >Luckily, most agreed that she deserved it.
  6057. >The two of you just stand there silently, together.
  6058. >In time, Rainbow forgets her worries.
  6059. >Her memories melt away into the darker corners of her mind and let her focus on the now again.
  6060. >She nuzzles against your leg a little.
  6061. >In return, you reach down and run a hand through her mane.
  6062. >When it’s clean, it’s actually quite nice to the touch.
  6063. >Looking down, you see Rainbow has spread her wings slightly.
  6064. >They’re far from the ragged things they were when you first met her.
  6065. >She’s come far.
  6066. >Today, even her burn is looking better.
  6067. >You could almost not see it.
  6068. >Noticing your gaze, Rainbow looks up.
  6069. >”Anon, I…I think I’m—“
  6070. >Her thought is ripped from her tongue as Coffee speaks up.
  6071. >”Oh God, stop torturing me, you degenerates. It won’t work.”
  6072. >Rainbow snaps back to attention, facing forward.
  6073. >”Right. Sorry. Forget it, it was…stupid anyway.”
  6074.  
  6075. >You settle into, now awkward, silence.
  6076. >Eventually, Fluttershy trots through the door as well, completing the group.
  6077. >Her soft conversation with Coffee is short, but it does enough to soothe Fluttershy’s concerns for her wellbeing.
  6078. >Taking anything to break the ice, Rainbow hovers over to her.
  6079. >”Something wrong, ‘Shy? You look nervous.”
  6080. >You shoot a glance at her.
  6081. “How…how can you tell? She always looks like that.”
  6082. >Fluttershy ignores you, focusing on her friend.
  6083. >”I’m just…thinking about a question one of the ponies asked me.”
  6084. >Rainbow grins.
  6085. >”You can’t just say something like that without telling us what it is.”
  6086. >Fluttershy glances at Coffee, before lowering her voice.
  6087. >”A couple of the ponies are talking about…the first thing they’re going to do when they get back to Equestria.”
  6088. >Perking up instantly, Dash hovers a little closer.
  6089. >”They planning on hurting Coffee?”
  6090. >She says, maybe a little too loudly.
  6091. >Fluttershy backpeddles.
  6092. >”No no no, don’t be confused, no one wants to hurt her. It’s just…I don’t think Coffee likes it when people talk about Equestria near her.”
  6093. “Ah.”
  6094. >Elaborating, Fluttershy shrinks down a little.
  6095. >”So I was just wondering…what’ll be the first thing you do when you get back to Equestria?”
  6096. >Huh.
  6097. >That was a good question.
  6098. >With everything that had happened, you never really gave any thought to what you were going to do if you actually succeeded.
  6099. >The idea just seemed so far away at the moment.
  6100. >A quick look at Dash confirms that she doesn’t know either.
  6101. >Luckily for you, the answer is simple.
  6102.  
  6103. “Well, that’s easy. First thing I’m doing when we get to Equestria is tracking down my old partner. Shouldn’t be too hard, I know where she lives. Shame she probably won’t be too surprised to see me.”
  6104. >Rainbow cocks her head to the side.
  6105. “I assume people in Equestria are going to know we’re coming, when we contact Celestia.”
  6106. >You give Rainbow a little playful push.
  6107. “Hey, what about you, girl? Who are you gonna meet first?”
  6108. >Rainbow scurries backwards a little in surprise.
  6109. >”I don’t…I mean, all my friends are still gonna be here on Earth, right? Except you, Fluttershy. Oh, and…and you Anon, of course. The Wonderbolts are here too though. I mean, is there even anything worth going back to? I just…I just want to see that you’re safe, Fluttershy, and that won’t happen until we’re home.”
  6110. ”Come on, there must be someone waiting for you.”
  6111. >”I guess I could…look after Scootaloo. She must have been devastated when I surrendered. I gotta…say sorry for that as well, that’s my fault.”
  6112. >You speak up to correct her, but she continues anyway.
  6113. >”Scootaloo’s gotta be an adult now though, right? She’s not gonna need a guardian. I’m just…there’s nobody there. They’re all over here.”
  6114. >Fluttershy nuzzles her a little to try and calm her down, before taking a step back.
  6115. >Rainbow looks like she appreciated the gesture.
  6116. >”Don’t feel sad, Rainbow. You’re doing the best you can, and that’s all you need to worry about.”
  6117. >Stepping back to the wheel, you glance behind your shoulder at Fluttershy.
  6118. “So what about you then?”
  6119. >Fluttershy shrugs.
  6120. >Probably.
  6121. >”Oh, me? Umm…I want to make sure Angel is okay. Angel is my pet bunny, Anon, he’s the sweetest animal alive. And I’ll hug my parents as well. And then I’ll just go back to doing what I did before. Taking care of animals. Only now, umm, I’ll be hoping my friends will come home soon as well.”
  6122.  
  6123. >”A way home.”
  6124. >The sudden voice of Coffee cuts clearly through the room.
  6125. >Flying over to her, Rainbow raises an eyebrow.
  6126. >”Excuse me?”
  6127. >Coffee sighs.
  6128. >”The first thing I’m going to do when we land at Equestria, which we won’t, is find a way to get back home.”
  6129. >The gentle sound of Fluttershy’s wings flapping fills the air.
  6130. >”Oh, come on, Coffee, you must have somepony back in Equestria. Don’t you miss any of them? Don’t you just want to…to see them again, and wrap your hooves around them and never let go again?”
  6131. >”No.”
  6132. >Fluttershy lands.
  6133. >”I don’t believe that.”
  6134. >Coffee sighs again.
  6135. >”Every pony I loved died on Earth. The only thing left there for me is an old café no one visited anyway.”
  6136. >She pulls herself up straighter.
  6137. >”Equestria wasn’t even that great, ‘oh look, we have straw and gems, what more could you want?’ Forget having a purpose, forget having a meaning and someone to actually care about you, we have technology that humans figured out hundreds of years ago. It’s all a farce; I just want to go home. I want to go back to…”
  6138. >She pauses.
  6139. >”Jacob. But he’s dead now. It’s okay though. I’m…much happier here. I’d never have met Jacob or Swirl, if I wasn’t enslaved.”
  6140. >”Is someone talking about me?”
  6141. >Swirl pops her head into the bridge, smiling warmly when she sees Coffee.
  6142. >”There you are, silly. I really hope you’re not giving Anonymous a hard time.”
  6143. >Coffee rolls her eyes as Swirl comes closer.
  6144. >”He deserves it anyway. He’s a murderer.”
  6145. >She’s never going to let that go.
  6146. >Cooing over her, Swirl just keeps smiling.
  6147. >”He’s not that bad. You’re too hard on him.”
  6148. >”Whatever. Is it time for my friendship lessons already?”
  6149. >”Is that what we’re calling them now?”
  6150. >Coffee nods, and says,
  6151. >”Okay. Can…can we talk to Sunshine today? I…don’t dislike her much.”
  6152. >”Of course we can.”
  6153. >Standing up, Coffee begins to trot towards the door.
  6154. >You’re glad to see her go.
  6155.  
  6156. >Swirl stops her for a moment before she leaves.
  6157. >”Can you wait outside for a moment please, Coffee? I’ll be right out, I just need to talk to Anon alone for a second.”
  6158. >At this, Coffee shoots straight up to her full height.
  6159. >”You promised!”
  6160. >Swirl and Fluttershy do their best to calm her.
  6161. >”I’m not going to tell Anon anything. Don’t worry. Don’t you trust me?”
  6162. >A grimace passes over Coffee’s face.
  6163. >”…yes. I do.”
  6164. >”Then everything will be fine.”
  6165. >”You promised you wouldn’t tell…”
  6166. >Coffee mutters, before slipping out the door.
  6167. >Fluttershy follows behind her.
  6168. >She hates to be alone, after all.
  6169. >Leaving just the three of you in the bridge.
  6170. >Pointing at the exit, Rainbow asks,
  6171. >”So, should I leave as well or…”
  6172. >Swirl shakes her head.
  6173. >”No no, this…concerns you as well. I mean, I want your advice as well, is all.”
  6174. >Rainbow already says what you’re thinking.
  6175. >”So what’s the deal, Swirls? What’s bothering you? You want someone else to watch Coffee for a while?”
  6176. >She chuckles to herself.
  6177. >”She can be a bit of hoofful, can’t she?”
  6178. >Swirl shakes her head.
  6179. >”No, it’s nothing like that, I…I like Coffee. It’s just…”
  6180. >Her smile fades away and she sighs.
  6181. >”I’m not sure I should even be telling you this, but it’s…it’s something I need to get off my chest. It’s tearing me apart and I don’t know what to do and I just need some advice. I just need someone to talk to.”
  6182. “Talk about what?”
  6183. >Taking a deep breath, Swirl looks you in the eyes, complete honesty on her face.
  6184. >”I know where Twilight is.”
  6185.  
  6186. >It takes a moment for the revelation to hit Rainbow, but when it does.
  6187. >She nearly flies into the ceiling.
  6188. >There’s a gigantic smile on her face now.
  6189. >”Haha! Yes! Finally! Thank Celestia, we can stop floating around doing nothing and actually move! Yes!”
  6190. >Lightning fast, she gets right into Swirl’s face.
  6191. >”Alright, where are we going? Where’s my friend?”
  6192. >Swirl breaks eye contact quickly, staring at the floor.
  6193. >”I…I can’t tell you.”
  6194. >It takes a moment for Rainbow to process this as well.
  6195. >”What?”
  6196. >You’ve already figured it out.
  6197. “She promised Coffee that she wouldn’t tell us.”
  6198. >”I…I didn’t even mean to find out. Coffee accidently said it while she was rambling about Jacob, I didn’t even ask her! It was an accident! And when she realized what she’d said she…she made me promise that I’d keep it a secret. That I wouldn’t tell anyone! And she said she couldn’t be friends with someone who can’t keep secrets, and if I told you, we wouldn’t be friends anymore.”
  6199. >Swirl takes a step back.
  6200. >”But I can’t just…sit here and wait to be sent back. I don’t…I don’t know what to do.”
  6201. >Reacting before you can stop her, Rainbow grabs Swirl by the neck and throws her onto her side.
  6202. >”Are you kidding me? How long have we been out here, how much longer can we wait? Screw what Coffee wants, just tell us where Twilight is! We could end this so much sooner!”
  6203. >Swirl shakes her head.
  6204. >”But I…I can’t tell you. I want to be a good friend.”
  6205. >This doesn’t do much to calm Rainbow down.
  6206. >”Is being her friend worth dooming everyone? How can you choose her over everyone else? You sound exactly like Coffee right now, you’re supposed to be better than her!”
  6207. >Grabbing Swirl, Rainbow starts to shout.
  6208. >”Screw Coffee! This is our chance! This is exactly what we’ve been waiting for, we can go home! How selfish are you, just tell us!”
  6209. “Rainbow!”
  6210.  
  6211. >She freezes over Swirl as you shout at her.
  6212. >The sudden snap is enough to bring her senses back, and she quietly lets go of Swirl and lets her climb back to her hooves.
  6213. >A guilty look is on her face as she steps away from the unicorn.
  6214. “She said she doesn’t want to tell us, Rainbow. We need to respect that.”
  6215. >Swirl shoots you an awkward look.
  6216. >”Thank you, Anon.”
  6217. >You think over this for a moment.
  6218. “Have you told anyone else about this?”
  6219. >”N…no. Just you and Rainbow.”
  6220. “Let’s keep it that way. Coffee is expected to not tell us. You’re different. We don’t want another pony attacking you again, right?”
  6221. >Swirl nods.
  6222. >”It’s just… I don’t know what to do, I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. I don’t want to lose Coffee as a friend, we’ve bonded so well, we’ve made so much progress, and if I abandon her now…I don’t think she’ll ever be normal again.”
  6223. >Shuffling, Swirl continues.
  6224. >”But she’s asking so much of me. She’s asking me to throw myself, and every pony here, back into the blender. I just…I feel so guilty whenever someone talks about what’ll happen if we don’t succeed, I feel so bad inside when I think of Moonlight and Sunshine and their foals. If I could help so many ponies, am I bad pony for not doing it? I just don’t…understand how Coffee can feel like this all the time.”
  6225. >At least she’s put some thought into all this.
  6226. “Why is Coffee so important to you?”
  6227. >”Excuse me?”
  6228. “It’s a simple question, Swirl!”
  6229. >That was a bit louder than you wanted.
  6230. >This whole thing made you on edge.
  6231. >”I…I don’t know!”
  6232. >Swirl runs a hoof through her mane.
  6233.  
  6234. >”I thought it was pity at first, and that’s a big part of it, but it’s just…there’s something more. I want to keep her safe. I want to see her become better. I want to be her friend. I AM her friend. I haven’t had a purpose like this since I was abducted. And I just…don’t want to turn my back on my friend, on all my work, even if she is being unreasonable. I don’t want to lose her.”
  6235. >Rainbow chuckles.
  6236. >”Can you imagine if Coffee cared about your friendship as much as you do? We’d already be home by now.”
  6237. >”Coffee does care about our friendship.”
  6238. >Rainbow rolls her eyes.
  6239. >”She does!”
  6240. >Cutting in, you pull attention back to the issue at hand.
  6241. “Swirl, you want my advice?”
  6242. >She nods.
  6243. “Go back out there, and be the best friend you can. You’re already doing a great job at that. You’re not a bad pony. You’re a pony who’s been asked to make a hard choice, and there’s no right answer. Whatever you choose, that’ll be the right one. No one should have to give up their partners for the greater good.”
  6244. >You pause.
  6245. >”Friends for the greater good. Whatever. The point is, do what you feel is right and don’t worry about the consequences. If I stopped myself from doing what I felt was right, we wouldn’t even be here. And I mean, who says this plan is even going to work, even if we do find Twilight? We’ll deal with whatever hand you deal us.”
  6246. >Swirl takes all of this in slowly.
  6247. >And nods.
  6248. >”Th…thanks Anon.”
  6249. >She takes a few steps back, before trotting over to the door.
  6250. >It swings open, and you see Coffee waiting on the other side.
  6251. >”Not going anywhere, are we, Anon? Huh.”
  6252. >You shrug at her.
  6253. >”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
  6254. >”That’s right. Fuck you.”
  6255. >Swirl tries to calm her quickly, and closes the door behind herself.
  6256.  
  6257. >You just grip the wheel harder.
  6258. “When did I become such a liar?”
  6259. >Rainbow coughs loudly.
  6260. >”What?”
  6261. “She should have told us. That’s the right thing to do, saving as many ponies as she can.”
  6262. >”I think she shouldn’t have.”
  6263. >This catches your attention.
  6264. >You thought she was on your side.
  6265. “Really, Rainbow? That’s a bit of a turn around.”
  6266. >”It was the heat of the moment, I’ve thought about it a little.”
  6267. “And?”
  6268. >”And I can’t tell someone to abandon their friend. Espeically here, where most ponies don’t even have a single friend anymore. I just can’t do it. Not any more than Fluttershy could leave a pony behind. Standing by friends is my nature.”
  6269. >She gives you a smile.
  6270. >”I’m lucky I was able to find someone like you, who’s given all of us that gift again.
  6271. “Swirl is friends with everyone on the ship except Primrose. She can afford to lose one.”
  6272. >”That’s just one too many for me.”
  6273. >There’s a moment of silence before Rainbow changes the subject.
  6274. >”I guess all we can do is just keep on doing what we’re doing and hope Coffee changes her mind sooner rather than later.”
  6275. >Rainbow runs a wing along her side, wincing slightly, before hovering over to the door.
  6276. >”I gotta go wash my burn again. I’ll be right back, dude.”
  6277. >You wave goodbye at her, not bothering to vocalize anything.
  6278. >You hear the door close behind you, leaving you alone in the bridge.
  6279. >Which was kind of what you wanted in the first place.
  6280. >Time to get back to taming the wild beast.
  6281.  
  6282. >You went out onto the deck that night.
  6283. >You couldn’t sleep.
  6284. >Leaning over the railing, you just stared out over the sea.
  6285. >You had a week’s worth of water left.
  6286. >Just enough to get everyone back to shore
  6287. >You…hadn’t told them, yet.
  6288. >Still, if you got lucky, maybe you’d be able to sneak into port at night; buy some more and head back out before anyone realized.
  6289. >But you couldn’t do that forever.
  6290. >They’d catch you, eventually.
  6291. >It was a miracle that they hadn’t already.
  6292. >And that was just the start of things.
  6293. >Saving Twilight, convincing someone in Equestria to rescue you, lasting long enough for them to arrive.
  6294. >Any one of those alone seemed impossible.
  6295. >Well…maybe not the second one.
  6296. >You knew Equestria, you knew someone would pull through.
  6297. >You knew she would pull through.
  6298. >Your partner had told you that there was always a plan.
  6299. >Even if you couldn’t see it, things were changing, there was a plan and it was working.
  6300. >And you believed it.
  6301. >Just sit tight, and let everything pass, and everything would be fine.
  6302. >And one day, she would come back.
  6303. >But you weren’t following her plan anymore.
  6304. >You’d started your own path, and you weren’t sure it ended at safe shores.
  6305. >Just more endless ocean.
  6306. >The sound of hooves causes you to turn around, expecting to see Rainbow, but instead…
  6307. >You find Sunshine.
  6308. >There’s a short stare off before she looks away.
  6309. >”Oh, Anon! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t…I thought Rainbow was the only one awake.”
  6310. “Don’t let me stop you, Sunshine. You really should be putting that bed we gave you to good use though. It’s the middle of the night.”
  6311. >”I spend all day in that bed. I just want to spend a little time out here, alone.”
  6312. “Fair enough.”
  6313. >She takes a few steps away from you, and then a couple more.
  6314. >It’s not long until she’s far away.
  6315. >And then, slowly at first, you hear singing.
  6316. >A hopeful tune, with many long, drawn out notes.
  6317. >It’s…pleasant, to listen to.
  6318. >Before you can follow Sunshine and find out what’s going on, more hoofsteps stop you.
  6319.  
  6320. >”She likes to keep her singing voice strong. Comes out every now and then when everyone’s asleep to practice. It’s very relaxing to listen to in the bridge.”
  6321. >Rainbow trots over to you, a smile on her face.
  6322. >You guess she’s just happy to see you; to get a moment with you alone.
  6323. ”What’s she singing?”
  6324. >”Just an old unicorn song, you wouldn’t know it.”
  6325. >You shoot her a glance to continue anyway.
  6326. >”It’s ‘Ode to Fairer Shores.’ The unicorns sang it when they were sailing towards Equestria for the first time, before it was founded. I guess she…finds it appropriate.”
  6327. “I’m more of a Mollusk fan, myself.”
  6328. >”Mollusk?”
  6329. “You know, Ween?”
  6330. >”Is that a sex thing?”
  6331. “It can be.”
  6332. >Dash perks up.
  6333. >You chuckle and run a hand through her mane.
  6334. “I’m kidding, Rainbow. Ween is a band. They released an album about the ocean and old sailors.”
  6335. >”Oh.”
  6336. >She’s momentarily quiet, before letting out a forced laugh of her own.
  6337. >”I guess that’s why you like them. Considering, you know…everything.”
  6338. >She motions towards the open ocean.
  6339. “Well, they do some good work.”
  6340. >She’s quiet again.
  6341. >The two of you just stand there, looking over the water.
  6342. >The singing lessons, the notes fading into the vast nothingness around you.
  6343. >”Anon, can I…be honest?”
  6344. “Sure.”
  6345. >”I didn’t have a nightmare yesterday.”
  6346. >She stares at you like she’s expecting you to say something, and lets out another forced laugh.
  6347. >”I mean, is that not a big deal? For the first time since I came here, I’ve been able to sleep peacefully. I never thought I’d be able to do that on Earth. I’m so used to being on my guard, I just…it feels so odd to finally just sleep again.”
  6348. >She pauses, and then tacks on,
  6349. >”Near you.”
  6350. >You give her an honest smile.
  6351. “That’s wonderful, Rainbow. You’ve made such good progress. If anyone deserves a good night’s sleep, it’s you.”
  6352. >She smiles back.
  6353. >”Yea I…I do deserve it, huh? That is something…I should have.”
  6354.  
  6355. >”So what are you doing awake at this hour? With how much you get up me for not sleeping, I think now’s a good time to turn the tide. Get it? It’s an ocean pun.”
  6356. >You’re not sure what to say.
  6357. “Just…thinking about stuff.”
  6358. >She looks at you incredulously.
  6359. >”Ah huh. What kind of stuff?”
  6360. “We’re gonna have to go back to port soon. We just don’t have the water for anything else. And we’re probably going to run out of vitamins as well.”
  6361. >Dash shrugs. Kinda.
  6362. >”Ah, well, vitamins aren’t that important anyway.”
  6363. >Placing your hands on the rail, you lean forward.
  6364. “Plus I’ve been thinking about my partner. She wouldn’t have wanted me to do all this. She’d have been much happier if I’d just stayed on the ship and waited this whole slavery thing out. That was the plan.”
  6365.  
  6366. >You notice the mood drop in Rainbow immediately.
  6367. >Even if her wings didn’t make reading her body easy, you’d have been able to see the slight drop in her smile.
  6368. >You decide to bring it to attention.
  6369. “You okay, Rains?”
  6370. >She panics slightly, hopping into the air.
  6371. >”Fine! I’m…fine. It’s just…you know, you’ve been talking about your partner a lot lately. And that’s fine! We’re gonna go to Equestria and I can finally meet her, but it’s just…I’m here right now, you know? I’m…I’m your partner.”
  6372. >Crossing your arms, you focus on her.
  6373. “Are you getting jealous?”
  6374. >A blush spreads across her face.
  6375. >”What? No! Me, jealous? Forget about it, I’m not jealous, I don’t care. ‘The’ Rainbow Dash doesn’t care about your old partner. I’m much cooler anyway.”
  6376. >Reaching forward, you give her a little scratch around the ears.
  6377. “Don’t worry, Rainbow. I understand. You’ll always have a place on this ship, okay? I realized what I was committing to when I decided to buy a pony, I’m not going to replace you. You’ll always be my little partner.”
  6378. >Rainbow swallows loudly.
  6379. >”What if I wanted to be more?”
  6380.  
  6381. >This causes you to freeze.
  6382. >You knew it was something the two of you needed to talk about, but you guess you just…
  6383. >Wanted to keep putting it off.
  6384. >For her sake.
  6385. >”Anon, I’ve been…waiting for a proper moment to say this. You know, when everything was quiet, and maybe we could just sit together in silence, and everything could be perfect, but I think this…is the closest I’m going to get.”
  6386. >Rainbow takes a deep breath, and rises into the air in front of you.
  6387. >Hovering over the water, she smiles widely as she stares into your eyes.
  6388. >”Anon, I think I...”
  6389. >You cut her off.
  6390. “I know how you feel Rainbow.”
  6391. >She gasps
  6392. >”You…you do?”
  6393. >Shaking her head, her smile turns into an angry frown.
  6394. >”No, you’re doing that thing again! Where you cut people off because you don’t want them to face what they’re feeling! Anon, I love you! I’ve never felt this way before, I don’t know how to describe it, but when I look at you, I just stop thinking. I just want to stay by your side and be your loyal little partner and work together forever.”
  6395. >She struggles to find the words.
  6396. >”And…and I just…I don’t even care if I’m a slave, because I’m not, I’m your partner and I love that and I know you’ll always keep me safe and I just can’t handle these feelings anymore. I can’t keep ignoring this and pretending that there’s nothing between us. Anon, I love you!”
  6397. >She flies closer.
  6398. >”And…and you said, long ago, that you were looking for someone like that. Someone to stick by you and be a partner, not a slave. Someone who wouldn’t leave even if given the choice. And I realize now…I…I want to stay here, Anon. With you.”
  6399. >She hovers dangerously close to your face, her big smile returning quickly.
  6400. >Which just makes what you’re going to tell her all the harder.
  6401.  
  6402. >Carefully, slowly, you raise your arms and rub her neck gently, guiding her towards the deck; to land.
  6403. >There was no easy way to say this.
  6404. “Rainbow, you don’t love me.”
  6405. >She hesitates for a moment, unsure of how to respond.
  6406. >”Wh…what? Yes I do! I do!”
  6407. “You just said that you don’t know how to describe it.”
  6408. >”But I can feel it! It’s love, Anon! It has to be, it can’t be anything else.”
  6409. “What you’re feeling is a natural reaction to being rescued. It’s…it’s adrenaline, and relief, and hope all mixing together and making you confused. You think you love me because I rescued you from slavery and fought for your friend and sailed out into the sea. It’s a lot to take in, it’s natural to think that you’re falling for me. But once we’re back in Equestria, and things return to normal, it will subside.”
  6410. >She can’t find a response, so she defaults to what she knows.
  6411. >Rainbow lets out a forced laugh, and a nervous smile.
  6412. >”Stop…stop joking around, you asshole. I’m…I’m being serious. This is serious! I love you! And you love me!”
  6413. “Dash…”
  6414. >Her fur stands on end.
  6415. >”Fucking stop it! Stop playing around right now! I love you!”
  6416. “Dash, I’m not joking. You’re been through a lot of very traumatic experiences here on Earth, it’s not wrong to latch onto the things that make you feel normal or safe. It’s not wrong to think you’re falling in love.”
  6417. >Her face flashes with emotion.
  6418. >Confusion and anger and pride,
  6419. >Before settling on sadness.
  6420. >Oh God, she looks like she’s going to start crying.
  6421. >But she puts in the effort to fight off her tears.
  6422. >”I…I understand. You don’t…you don’t love me back.
  6423. “I didn’t say that, Dash.”
  6424. >There’s a flash of hope.
  6425. >”Ah ha! So you do love me! Admit it! Ad…admit it. Please.”
  6426. >You hesitate for a moment.
  6427. “Yes. I love you. Happy?”
  6428.  
  6429. >She nods sadly.
  6430. >”Then…then why can’t we…be together?”
  6431. >You do your best to make her understand.
  6432. “You’re not thinking right, Rainbow. I’m not some perfect human, I’m a guy who thinks that slavery is wrong and decided to do something about it. You’ve been through a lot, and you’re barely able to function, much less fall in love. It wasn’t even a few months ago that you flinched when people touched you. You don’t love me, you’re just confused. You’re not in the right state of mind.”
  6433. >Rainbow is quiet for a moment, in thought.
  6434. “Once we’re in Equestria, if you still love me, then we can talk. I promise.”
  6435. >Slowly, she rises into the air, so she can look you in the eyes.
  6436. >”You don’t…actually believe that bullshit, right? That I’m…that I’m just confused, that I don’t know what I want? What I feel? I’m in love, Anon! You love me!”
  6437. >You raise your arms.
  6438. “Yes, and it’s wrong.”
  6439. >Dash is getting increasingly angry, her sadness burning away.
  6440. >”Why? Because I’ve had a ‘traumatic experience?’ Because I don’t know what I’m ‘feeling?’ Because you don’t think I truly love you? Anon, look at me, please…”
  6441. >She stares into your eyes.
  6442. >”I love…”
  6443. >You look away, and suddenly she realizes.
  6444. >She saw it all.
  6445.  
  6446. >Slowly, she lands.
  6447. >”This isn’t about me, or what I’ve been through. This is about her, isn’t it? Your precious partner. You’re still waiting for her. You love her more than me! Some…some disloyal whore! Who ran away and left you alone! I’m better than her! I won’t leave, I’m loyal! I’m full of loyalty.”
  6448. >You feel the warm burn of anger.
  6449. “Hey! You take that back!”
  6450. >”How long have you been waiting? She’s not coming back, Anon! She left you! And now I’m pouring my heart out and you still can’t stop waiting! You love me! Just let her go!”
  6451. ”She’s coming back.”
  6452. >”No, she isn’t! She left you!”
  6453. >You knew you’d have to cross this bridge with Rainbow eventually.
  6454. “Patience always wins in the end. She will come back.”
  6455. >”But I’m here now, Anon! I’m your partner. Forget about that slut, love me instead! I won’t leave you, I won’t let you down.”
  6456. “Dash, you’re asking me to effectively cheat on my long distance girlfriend.”
  6457. >”Long distance? When was the last time you even spoke to her? When was the last time you even saw her? She’s probably moved on, and you need to as well.”
  6458. >You put your foot down.
  6459. “I’m not cheating on her.”
  6460. >”So break up with her then! Be with me!”
  6461. “I’m not breaking up with her! I’m taken, Dash! Get it through your head! Now drop this subject and stop calling my partner a whore, or I’ll…
  6462. >”Or what? What can you possibly do to me that worse than this?”
  6463. >Dash swings a hoof up to her face, covering her tears.
  6464. >”I was right, this was a stupid idea! I’m just a stupid idiot. I…I…”
  6465. >She can’t finish the thought, and before you can say anything else, she takes to the sky and zips away.
  6466. >Or at least, back below deck.
  6467.  
  6468. >You stand there alone for a moment, before letting out a deep sigh.
  6469. >She didn’t understand.
  6470. >You needed to be gentler.
  6471. >You wait a moment, listening to Sunshine, best thinking on how to do this.
  6472. >Before just deciding to wing it.
  6473. >All eyes fall on you as you walk through the door to the lower deck.
  6474. >Rainbow’s wailing woke everyone up.
  6475. >On the other side of the room, you can see a small ball of fur that could be Rainbow, being nuzzled and comforted by Fluttershy.
  6476. >Every now and then, she pulls herself together, just a little.
  6477. >”Am…am I a pretty pony, ‘Shy?”
  6478. >”Of course you are. The prettiest. Right, everyone?”
  6479. >There’s a general air of indifference.
  6480. >”I said, RIGHT, EVERYONE?”
  6481. >There’s a general air of agreement.
  6482. >Rainbow pulls herself into a tighter ball.
  6483. >”Then…then why won’t Anon give me a dozen foals?”
  6484. >This causes Fluttershy to pause for a moment, probably in surprise, before she returns to stroking Rainbow’s mane.
  6485. >”He’ll come around, Dashie. You just need to wait. He doesn’t know what he’ll be missing.”
  6486. >”But I don’t…don’t want him to miss it!”
  6487. >Taking a deep breath, you walk towards them.
  6488. >Dash flinches as you crouch down next to her.
  6489. “Fluttershy, I think we need a little privacy.”
  6490. >Snapping to attention, she nods.
  6491. >”Alright, everyone, we need to leave. Everyone onto the deck, come on, don’t dally.”
  6492. >Her wings pull her into the air, and she hastily directs everyone out the door.
  6493. >You…just wanted her to move back a bit. Everyone else could probably have stayed.
  6494. >Too late now, you suppose.
  6495. >Reaching forward, you run a hand down Rainbow’s neck.
  6496. “We need to talk, Rains.”
  6497. >She pulls her head out of her chest.
  6498. >”We…we already talked.”
  6499. “Then we need to talk again.”
  6500.  
  6501. >Rainbow stretches out a little more.
  6502. >”Did…did you change your mind? Can we be together?”
  6503. >It’s just as hard as it was the first time.
  6504. “No.”
  6505. >You give her a moment to process this, until she curls up again.
  6506. >”Then what’s there to talk about?”
  6507. >You sigh.
  6508. “Because you need to understand, Rains.”
  6509. >You keep petting her.
  6510. “This isn’t the time or place to fall in love. We’re on the run, effectively criminals. We’ve got a boat full of slaves and an uncertain future. We can’t let ourselves get distracted. That’s how things like Primrose’s attack happens. We need to stay focused until we’re safe.”
  6511. >Rainbow doesn’t respond, but you can feel her relax under your hand.
  6512. “You’re not in the right state of mind, either. You idolize me, perhaps more than I deserve. And with everything I’ve done for you, it’s easy to be confused. If I love you back, and you’re just confused, I’ll only be taking advantage of you. I don’t want to take advantage of you. I love you too much for that.”
  6513. >She pulls her head out.
  6514. >”I’m…’m not confused.”
  6515. “I have to be sure, Rainbow.”
  6516. >Slowly, she unravels herself.
  6517. “And there’s my partner.”
  6518. >You feel her go tense again.
  6519. “But there’s a simple solution to all these problems.”
  6520. >Dash perks up.
  6521.  
  6522. “Equestria. Once we get to Equestria, we’ll be safe. You’ll have a chance to calm down. I’ll be able to sort things out with my partner. Everything will be fine again.”
  6523. >Rainbow perks down.
  6524. “But I want you to understand, Dash. I do love you. I’d love to be with you. Just not here. Just not now.”
  6525. >”But…but if you love…”
  6526. “Can you be patient for me? Can you wait?”
  6527. >Dash tries to nod her head, but despite her best efforts, she can’t do it.
  6528. >”But…but what if we never make it? What if I want to love you now?”
  6529. >You don’t reply, because you don’t have an answer.
  6530. >But Rainbow understands.
  6531. >”Fine. I…I can wait. We’ll…”
  6532. >She chuckles, and tries to crack a joke.
  6533. >”We’ll keep the sexual tension going a little longer, eh?”
  6534. >You run your hand down the side of her face.
  6535. “I suppose we will.”
  6536. >Standing up, you walk towards the door.
  6537. >”Now how about you help me get all these ponies back to bed, since we woke them up?”
  6538. >Dash looks at the ground.
  6539. >”Yea. Let’s…do that instead.”
  6540.  
  6541. >”I spy, with my little eye, something that is b…”
  6542. “Is it the sea?”
  6543. >”…yes.”
  6544. “Okay, I spy with my little eye, something that is…blue.”
  6545. >”Is it also the sea?”
  6546. “…yes.”
  6547. >”Okay, best out of thirty-seven. I spy, with my little eye, something that is…blue.”
  6548. “Is it the sea?”
  6549. >”Nope.”
  6550. “Is it the sky?”
  6551. >”Ye…no!”
  6552. “What do you mean, ye…no? Was it the sky?”
  6553. >”No! I swear.”
  6554. “…is it you now?”
  6555. >”It’s me! It was always me!”
  6556. >She has a gigantic smile on her face as she throws herself into a hug against you.
  6557. >Despite your talk, Dash has started acting a lot more physical with you since then.
  6558. >You suppose that, in her mind, she knows that she loves you, and she knows that you love her, so there’s no problem with it.
  6559. >You didn’t really want to bring attention to it anyway.
  6560. >Because honestly?
  6561. >It felt pretty good to embrace her.
  6562. “Alright, my turn.”
  6563. >The sound of the door opening interrupts you, and Dash hurries to pull herself away from you, blushing.
  6564. >Sea Swirl walks into the room confidently, and behind her, Coffee enters quietly.
  6565. >”Coffee has something that she wants to say to you, Anon.”
  6566. >Swirl gives a sweet smile as she pushes Coffee closer, but the sheer contrast between her and her friend makes you sceptical.
  6567. >Her legs are shaking, and her eyes keep darting around the room; searching for something that clearly doesn’t exist.
  6568. >She swallows loudly.
  6569. >”Anon I’m…ready to tell you…where…”
  6570. >Her voice cracks
  6571. >”TWILight is!”
  6572. >You shoot a look at Swirl, who is gently nuzzling against Coffee’s neck.
  6573. >”You’re doing fine.”
  6574. >She says.
  6575.  
  6576. >Dash perks up instantly, the mere mention of Twilight enough to pep her up.
  6577. >She lands quickly, leaning forward on her front legs.
  6578. >”Really? You’re not…you’re not lying to give Anon false hope, are you? Because I won’t be happy if you’re lying.”
  6579. >Shaking her head, Coffee cowers slightly.
  6580. >”I’m…I’m not lying. I’m ready. I…am.”
  6581. >Rainbow leans in closer as Coffee takes a shallow breath and stares into your eyes.
  6582. >”She’s… Her owner lives at… at…”
  6583. >Suddenly, she shakes her head, backpeddling away from you.
  6584. >”No! No, I can’t do it! Please Swirl, I can’t.”
  6585. >Swirl stomps her hoof angrily.
  6586. >”Coffee, we agreed! This is the right thing to do!”
  6587. >At her words, Coffee seems to find a little bit of confidence again; standing just a little taller.
  6588. >”Anon I…just want ponies to be happy. I just want them to smile.”
  6589. >She pauses for a moment, before shaking her head again.
  6590. >”No. That’s not true. I wanted to be happy. And I was happy when my master was happy. I wanted ponies to feel the same way, have the same connection, but…it was always about me. I never cared about what happened to them. I was…selfish.”
  6591. >With a quivering hoof, she takes a step closer to you.
  6592. >”But then I met Swirl, truly met her, and now I don’t want to lose her. I want her to be as happy as I am serving my masters. I want her to see the world as I do.”
  6593. >Picking her words, Coffee continues.
  6594. >”And if I never tell you, I become so happy, Anon. I get to keep Swirl, and I get to serve Jacob. I’d never be happier.”
  6595.  
  6596. >She pauses.
  6597. >”But Swirl wouldn’t be happy. She’ll never be happy like I am. None of them will. And I hate it.”
  6598. >She sighs.
  6599. >“If…If I tell you where Twilight is, you have to promise me that we‘ll make it to Equestria. Because if I tell you and we don’t go to Equestria, then Jacob will find out I told you, and he’ll get rid of me. And I’ll lose both of them. I can’t…be alone again. I can’t be alone with myself. So you need to promise.”
  6600. >You don’t even think of hesitating, no matter how many doubts you have.
  6601. “I promise, I’ll get everyone home.”
  6602. >Coffee swallows loudly, before inching forward.
  6603. >”Okay. That’ll…do. Twilight…Princess Twilight, of Ponyville, she lives…well, her master lives at…at…”
  6604. >She stops.
  6605. >And slowly backpedals away.
  6606. >”I…I can’t do it. I can’t tell Anon, please, Swirl. Not him. I…I can’t be a bad girl.”
  6607. >There’s a brief beat, before Swirl nods slowly.
  6608. >”Fine. I understand then, Coffee.”
  6609. >She turns to leave, and Coffee latches onto her.
  6610. >”No please, I’m sorry! Rainbow! I’ll tell Rainbow, I promise, please! Don’t leave me! Just make Anon leave, I’ll tell Rainbow!”
  6611. >Out of the corner of your eye, you see Rainbow raise one of her eyebrows.
  6612. >But you can’t tell why.
  6613. >Sea Swirl pauses.
  6614. >”You promise?”
  6615. >Coffee nods frantically.
  6616. >There’s a little more silence.
  6617. >”Fine. Anon? Follow me.”
  6618. >Shrugging, you follow Sea Swirl out of the bridge.
  6619. >Peeking through the window, Coffee motions for you to continue, and the two of you walk all the way to the deck.
  6620. >You wait quietly, watching the other ponies work.
  6621.  
  6622. “How did you do it?”
  6623. >Swirl looks down.
  6624. >She knows what you’re talking about.
  6625. >Coffee would never tell you where Twilight was, not without some sort of prompt.
  6626. >”It’s…complicated.”
  6627. “We have the time.”
  6628. >She smiles awkwardly.
  6629. >”I’ve been thinking about what Dash said, back when I told you that I…you know.”
  6630. “Know where Twilight is?”
  6631. >”Shh!”
  6632. >She glances around to see if anyone heard you.
  6633. >”And she said, ‘can you imagine if Coffee cared about our friendship as much as I do?’ And I realized, if she truly cared about our friendship like I did, she’d want me to be as happy as I want her to be. And looking back, I think that’s why she tried so hard to make me love our chains. But I could never do it like she could.”
  6634. >Looking up at you, she tries to hide how nervous she looks.
  6635. >”So, me and her, we had a long talk last night about our future. Kinda like you and Dash did, only it…didn’t go as well. I’m never going to be happy enslaved, and she’s never going to be entirely happy free. And we knew that, sooner or later, it would tear us apart, and we wouldn’t be friends anymore. It was inevitable.”
  6636. >Something happens here, I guess.
  6637. >”So she had a choice. She could choose our friendship, stop being so selfish and self centered, and tell you where Twilight was, or she could choose Jacob, and continue as she was. And just like I said, Coffee cares about our friendship just as much as I do. And she chose to do the right thing, not the smart thing.”
  6638. “But she’s still not going to be happy.”
  6639. >”She’s not going to be AS happy, no. But I’ll be with her every step of the way, and we’ll both be equally happy. She’ll always have her friend. It’s not as bad as it could be.”
  6640. “Just…”
  6641. >You sigh.
  6642. >There’s not much more to say.
  6643. >As long as Coffee tells the truth, you’ll accept anything.
  6644.  
  6645. >Your conversation with quickly interrupted by a loud cheer, and in the time it takes for you to blink, Rainbow is already leaving rainbow trails around the boat.
  6646. >The rest of your…well, not really your slaves…well, not really slaves either,
  6647. >The rest of the ponies immediately drop what they’re doing to watch, confusion and optimistic joy spreading quickly.
  6648. >Turning around, you lean on the railing as Dash lands in front of you, sliding a good distance and leaving a trail of fire behind her.
  6649. >”Anon! Anon, I know where to go!”
  6650. >She grabs your shirt and begins to shake you.
  6651. >”We can get Fluttershy home! We can get back to Equestria! Everything is going to be fine!”
  6652. >She takes a deep breath and falls onto her haunches.
  6653. >”Oh, finally, we can stop sitting around and actually do something! I can’t wait! We’re…we’re gonna see Twilight again! And she’ll solve all our problems! We’re going home!”
  6654. >Dash hovers into the air, shouting,
  6655. >”We’re all going home, everyone!”
  6656. >There’s more loud cheering as everyone processes the news.
  6657. >One or two split off from the pack towards the bridge, but Fluttershy is already there to keep an eye on them.
  6658. >You don’t know if they were going to congratulate Coffee or…
  6659. >Something worse.
  6660. >Regardless, the news spreads like wildfire, lighting faces where it lands.
  6661. >Ponies are embracing each other, it’s cute.
  6662. >Slowly drifting down to Earth, Rainbow has the biggest smile on her face.
  6663. >”We’ll all be safe soon, Anon. It’s so close.”
  6664. “Look, Rainbow…let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? We still have a lot to do before we’re home free. But how about you start by actually telling me where we’re going? Your friend can’t wait forever.”
  6665. >”Huh? Oh, of course. Just one question first. Where’s Texas?”
  6666.  
  6667. >No one got much work done that day.
  6668. >They were all too distracted to really focus on what they were doing, and in the end, you figured it was too dangerous to let them continue.
  6669. >So you let them have the day off to celebrate.
  6670. >Naturally, Coffee was the focus of the day.
  6671. >Even those that were staunchly in the ‘fuck Coffee’ camp could agree that she’d finally done the right thing.
  6672. >And after she’d had her moment, the ponies spent the rest of their time revelling; searching for things to entertain themselves.
  6673. >Sunshine was singing a…strange song to an audience of three, one you couldn’t really understand.
  6674. >It was interactive, to an extent.
  6675. >She’d sing a verse about ‘what they should do to fix the home’ and then one of the ponies listening would respond with a short, two line rhyme, before she’d sing another verse.
  6676. >You’d have Rainbow explain it to you later.
  6677. >A couple of ponies had dug dice up from somewhere, and hobbled together a game not too dissimilar to Yahtzee.
  6678. >With Fluttershy embarrassingly winning.
  6679. >And, of course, you’d already had to pull two ponies apart that were making out in the bathroom.
  6680. >Sure, it was impressive that he’d found someone, considering Wind Rider’s age, but it wasn’t sincere.
  6681. >Just more ponies mistaking their feelings for something else.
  6682. >Just more adrenaline, hope and relief.
  6683. >And you?
  6684. >Well, you had more important things to worry about.
  6685. >You lower the phone from your ear as you once again hear nothing but tone.
  6686. >Still no reception.
  6687. >You had to get closer to land, had to make contact with someone that could help you out.
  6688. >There was no hope otherwise.
  6689. >Leaning back on the railing, you look up as you hear the sound of flapping wings come closer.
  6690. >”C’mon, Anon, give it a rest. Everyone’s having a good time, you need to relax.”
  6691.  
  6692. >Dash lands next to you, a big smile on her face.
  6693. >You’d already explained to her where Texas was, and why that might be a problem for a boat on the west coast.
  6694. >Most American fishing was done on the east coast, but you’d never wanted riches or anything like that.
  6695. >Just a simple life, doing what you loved, up in a place you could be alone.
  6696. >With someone you loved.
  6697. >If you’d chosen to sail the eastern seas, there’d be no problem.
  6698. >You could have arrived right at the guy’s front door.
  6699. >But then again, if you’d lived over there, you’d have never met Rainbow either.
  6700. >She took the news a lot more calmly then you were expecting.
  6701. >Almost as if she didn’t realize how much harder this made everything.
  6702. >Damn ponies always made things difficult.
  6703. “I can’t relax right now, Rains. I need to figure out how this is all going to work, how we’re gonna rescue Twilight.”
  6704. >Dash floats over to your other side.
  6705. >”Aw, c’mon. I want to save her as much as you do.”
  6706. >She lowers her voice,
  6707. >”Probably more,”
  6708. >Before returning to normal.
  6709. >”But we’re still far from shore. We still have plenty of time to plan and stress and worry about all that stuff. Just give it a rest.”
  6710. “I can’t, we need to make sure…”
  6711. >Dash puts her hoof against your lips.
  6712. >”Nah uh uh, none of that. This is a happy day. Everyone is celebrating. They know just what’s at stake, just as much as you do. Again, probably more. If they can take a moment, even a little, to rest, so can you.”
  6713. “Dash…”
  6714. >”No. You’re always telling me to rest. Now it’s your turn.”
  6715. >You shake your head.
  6716. “What am I supposed to do? Roll dice for an hour? I have more important things to do, you’re not going to force me into this.”
  6717. >Pursing her lips, Dash flew behind you.
  6718.  
  6719. >”Well, I can think of one thing you could do.”
  6720. >You’re thrown off balance as Rainbow roughly shoves you forward.
  6721. >Arms fly into the air as you stumble over the railing, narrowly avoiding falling off the boat.
  6722. >Before you can turn around to chastise Rainbow though, she shoves you again, physically lifting your feet off the floor.
  6723. >The world turns dark as you tumble into the sea, rising to the surface quickly.
  6724. >Wiping the water from your face, you stare upwards at the ship’s deck.
  6725. >The sun is getting in your eyes, but you can still see Rainbow’s smiling face poking over the edge.
  6726. “Rainbow, what the hell!”
  6727. >She pauses for a moment.
  6728. >”Is the water cold?”
  6729. “What?”
  6730. >”Is the water cold?”
  6731. >Yes.
  6732. >Before you can open your mouth though, Rainbow shrugs.
  6733. >”You know what, it doesn’t matter.”
  6734. >She vanishes for a moment, before suddenly appearing again.
  6735. >Diving into the water.
  6736. >”Cannonball!”
  6737. >You cover your face as water splashes up against you.
  6738. >You think you hear the beginning of a shout before it’s suddenly cut off.
  6739. >When you look down, Rainbow is already underwater.
  6740. >You know she’s going to try to come up right in your face and splash you.
  6741. >That’s such a Rainbow thing to do, you know she’s going to do it.
  6742. >Taking a deep breath and continuing to tread water, you prepare to counter splash her.
  6743. >Or you were, before you remembered that you had more important things to worry about.
  6744. >You couldn’t waste time on this, you couldn’t…
  6745. >Well, maybe just catching her off guard once wouldn’t be too bad.
  6746. >You just needed to wait for her to come back up for air.
  6747. >And…keep waiting.
  6748. >And…a little more.
  6749. >It’s after nearly a minute that you start to worry.
  6750. “Rainbow?”
  6751.  
  6752. >You look around quickly, but you see nothing but open ocean.
  6753. >She must have come up somewhere else, right?
  6754. >She can fly, she doesn’t need to be near the ship.
  6755. >She can’t still be…underwater.
  6756. >You look down, but don’t see anything out of place.
  6757. “Rainbow? You can come out now.”
  6758. >There’s a couple of ponies gathering along the Celestia’s railings.
  6759. “Rainbow!”
  6760. >She’s not coming up.
  6761. >You can feel your heart beating through your chest as you dive underwater, scanning around as best you can to try and find her.
  6762. >You don’t see anything though.
  6763. >Coming back up for air, you wipe the water from your eyes and look around again.
  6764. >She still can’t be found.
  6765. >It’s hard to fight down the rising panic.
  6766. “Rainbow! This isn’t funny!”
  6767. >You dive back under the waves.
  6768. >Trying to stay underwater as long as you can to try and find something, but the waters so deep, it’s just darkness.
  6769. >You don’t even understand what could have happened.
  6770. >Did she…hit her head or something?
  6771. >Rising for air again, you swim towards the boat.
  6772. >You need to get help, you need to get…
  6773. >There’s a sudden explosion in front of you, and water splashes up, covering all you can see.
  6774. >”Surprise!”
  6775. >Rainbow shouts, before kicking a spray of water into your face.
  6776. >You struggle to spit the salt water out of your mouth as you grab her, holding tightly.
  6777. >She just blushes.
  6778. >”Geeze, I wasn’t under for that long, was I?”
  6779. >She chuckles nervously as you hold her.
  6780. “Don’t…DO that to me.”
  6781. >Releasing her, Dash paddles backwards away from you.
  6782. >”Wow, you’re really worried, aren’t you?”
  6783. >You nod.
  6784. >Dash stops for a moment.
  6785. >”Alright look, I’m…sorry. That I scared you. You cry-baby.”
  6786. >Rainbow smiles at you.
  6787. >”Now come on. A nice, refreshing swim is just what you need to stop worrying so hard. Quick, I’ll race you around the Celestia.”
  6788. >And with that, Dash is off, slowly dog-paddling her way away from you, head bobbing side to side as she leaves.
  6789.  
  6790. >Shrugging, you begin to swim after her.
  6791. >It’s easy to catch up the first time, but Rainbow takes that as her cue to take it seriously.
  6792. >Diving slightly underwater again, Dash spreads her wings and glides through the water as if she were flying.
  6793. >You follow behind her, barely keeping up, until you notice something odd.
  6794. >Dash is holding a hoof to her side, doing her best to make sure that you’re always on the opposite side.
  6795. “You alright, Rains?”
  6796. >Her hoof moves from her side as she turns.
  6797. >”What? I’m fine. It’s fine.”
  6798. “Your burn giving you trouble?”
  6799. >Seeing as there’s no point in hiding it, Dash takes a deep breath and leans backwards
  6800. >”Yea, I just…landed on it badly. When diving in. It knocked the wind out of me and hasn’t settled down yet.”
  6801. >You swim over to her, and gently drift over to her bad side.
  6802. >Unfortunately, she notices, and flaps away from you.
  6803. >”It’s fine! You worry too much!”
  6804. “Have you been washing it?”
  6805. >”Yes!”
  6806. “And it still hurts?”
  6807. >”It always hurts! I’m more surprised on the days it doesn’t. Look, it’s fine. I just hit the water at a bad angle, most of my weight fell onto it, it’s natural. It’s supposed to hurt if that happens.”
  6808. >She crosses her hooves and stares you down.
  6809. >But you don’t give in.
  6810.  
  6811. “Are you still getting random headaches?”
  6812. >Dash shrugs.
  6813. >”It’s fine.”
  6814. “Dash!”
  6815. >”Only in the mornings. They fade later in the day.”
  6816. >You’d rub your temples if you weren’t treading water.
  6817. >Dash, luckily, notices your worry.
  6818. >And swims over, putting a hoof around you.
  6819. >”Anon, it’s fine. I feel fine. Everything is going to be okay.”
  6820. >You sigh.
  6821. “You’re not getting better.”
  6822. >Smirking, Dash gives you a shove.
  6823. >”Oh, now come on. After all that talk about being patient, you’re gonna expect things to change in a week? You’re our patient rock, buddy. If we just wait it out, everything will be okay. Give it some more time.”
  6824. >You’re not convinced.
  6825. >But Dash is right.
  6826. >There’s nothing else to do out here, on the sea, other than wait.
  6827. “Alright. I’ll wait a little longer before we make any calls about your health.”
  6828.  
  6829. >Relaxing, Rainbow floats on her back, eyes staring up at the sky.
  6830. >With nothing better to do, you join her.
  6831. >She doesn’t say anything at first; just lets her hair drift around her, lets her wings slowly stretch out.
  6832. >But she does eventually speak.
  6833. >”I really should fly up there one day and see if I can move those. I miss relaxing on a nice, soft cloud.”
  6834. >Her hoof points upwards at said clouds.
  6835. >”I guess I’ve just been too busy lately.”
  6836. “Or too lazy.”
  6837. >”Yea…that’s probably more true.”
  6838. >You both wait a moment.
  6839. “You could try it now.”
  6840. >She’s still quiet.
  6841. >”Nah. I don’t wanna ruin this. I like being close to you.”
  6842. “Fair enough. Remember what we talked about though.”
  6843. >You feel her mood drop.
  6844. >”Right. Not yet. So…”
  6845. >She struggles to change the subject.
  6846. >”So, what’s the plan with Twilight? She’s, what, on the other side of the country?”
  6847. “She’s in the middle of it. Texas isn’t landlocked, but it may as well be from our perspective.”
  6848. >”So what’s the plan?”
  6849. >You shrug.
  6850. “I’m going to sail as far south as I can without running out of fuel and stranding us. Assuming nobody sees us, I’ll make some calls and get a car so I can drive there. I’ll rent one if I really have to, don’t think too hard about it. Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long to actually get there.”
  6851. >”And then you’re gonna steal her and bring her back to the Celestia?”
  6852. “I’m going to…do something. I just…don’t know what. Worst comes to worst, I’ll be coming back with the book, at least.”
  6853. >”Well…worst come to worst, there’s a lot of things that could go wrong. You might not come back at all.”
  6854. >That was your primary concern, yes.
  6855. “I know. We just need to hope that everything will work out for us.”
  6856. >”Yea… let’s hope, eh?”
  6857. >There’s another moment of silence.
  6858. “I never thought that this would be my life.”
  6859. >”Tell me about it. I never thought I would…”
  6860. >She stops suddenly.
  6861.  
  6862. >”Do you hear that?”
  6863. >You ‘sit’ up, which is really more of just stop floating and return to treading.
  6864. >You listen carefully, trying to pick out what Rainbow is talking about.
  6865. >There’s definitely something there; something faint and quiet, but growing.
  6866. >Music.
  6867. “Is that music?”
  6868. >Dash floats for a little longer, before suddenly leaping into the air.
  6869. >Her wings quickly flap themselves dry as she hovers slightly above the water.
  6870. >Lost in thought for a moment, Dash suddenly smiles as it finally hits her.
  6871. >”Oh shit, it’s a musical number!”
  6872. “A…musical number?”
  6873. >The music gets louder.
  6874. >”I haven’t seen a musical number for years!”
  6875. “Wait, what’s a musical number?”
  6876. >You can start to hear singing as well, drifting over from the deck of the ship.
  6877. >Dash looks down at you.
  6878. >”You know, it’s a musical number. When people get happy enough, or need to teach a lesson, sometimes they break into song. But I’ve never seen it happen on Earth.”
  6879. “Wait, what?”
  6880. >”Hang on, I need to figure out my role. Am I on chorus? I think I’m on chorus.”
  6881. “What are you talking about?”
  6882. >”Can’t you feel it, under your skin? You just gotta…you gotta sing. But only at the right time.”
  6883. “Dash, people don’t just break into…”
  6884. >”Look, I’ll explain later, I gotta do this. I’ll be right back. My parts coming up.”
  6885. >Lifting herself out of the water, Dash kicks herself up and over the ship; a large spray of water following her.
  6886. >It forms a rainbow over the entire side of the Celestia.
  6887. >”You’ve gotta join our club~”
  6888. >The music continues to flow into the ocean, Rainbow’s voice now added to it.
  6889. >”Of optimistic ponies~”
  6890. >You float there for a couple minutes more, simply listening to it, before deciding to board the ship again.
  6891.  
  6892. >There’s a bit of a panic when you finally pull yourself out of the water.
  6893. >Whatever caused it had apparently cut the song short.
  6894. >Stepping onto the deck, you’re immediately assaulted by Sea Swirl rushing towards you.
  6895. >”Anon! Anon, you need to come quickly!”
  6896. >It’s one thing after another.
  6897. “Swirl, slow down, what’s wrong?”
  6898. >”It’s Rainbow! She just…just collapsed. We can’t wake her up.”
  6899. >That catches your attention real fast.
  6900. >Bending down, you grab Swirl.
  6901. “Where?”
  6902. >”Inside, we put her…”
  6903. >You were already gone.
  6904. >Towards the lower decks.
  6905. >Pushing past two confused ponies, you step inside.
  6906. >A wave of relief crashes into you when you see Rainbow standing up, perfectly fine.
  6907. >Sure, she’s surrounded by concerned ponies, but she’s not unconscious.
  6908. >”Look, guys, I’m fine, okay? I’m not hurt or anything.”
  6909. “Rainbow!”
  6910. >She spins towards as you hurry towards her; quickly wrapping her up in a right embrace.
  6911. “I thought I told you not to worry me like this.”
  6912. >An awkward smile spreads on her face.
  6913. >”Look, everyone is just over-reacting, as usual. I’m fine.”
  6914. “What happened?”
  6915. >She sighs.
  6916. >”So the song started when Sunshine got into an argument with Moonlight, right? And the entire point was to teach Moonlight to be more positive; so Sunshine’s starting a club of optimistic ponies to try and keep everyone focused. So far, it only has Sun, Moon, Fluttershy and surprisingly, Coffee.”
  6917. “Rains.”
  6918. >”Though, I suppose Coffee ‘knows’ that we’re going back to Equestria, since you told her we were, so maybe it’s not a big surprise. She does like Sunshine too, so maybe that’s it.”
  6919. >”Rains, you know that’s not what I mean.”
  6920. >She sighs again.
  6921.  
  6922. >”I just…blacked out for a moment, okay?”
  6923. >You nod slightly, and look over to Fluttershy.
  6924. “Shy?”
  6925. >Fluttershy inches backwards.
  6926. >”She…she just got a little exhausted from flying around above the deck so much. It was too much.”
  6927. >You continue staring at her.
  6928. >Shy moves back a little more.
  6929. >”Even though she…didn’t really fly that much.”
  6930. >”Fluttershy!”
  6931. >Rainbow turns her head back to look at her as well.
  6932. >”I wasn’t exhausted. I just…flew a little too fast and turned too hard; it all went to my head. It happens sometimes, don’t worry about it.”
  6933. “I’ve seen you fly faster than that before.”
  6934. >Dash looks down.
  6935. >While she’s distracted, you slip a hand onto her forehead.
  6936. >You’re not sure if it’s the same for ponies as it is for people, but it feels hot.
  6937. >She might even have a fever coming on.
  6938. >She wasn’t getting better, she wasn’t…
  6939. >Dash nuzzles against your hand.
  6940. >”It’s going to be okay, Anon.”
  6941. >Sighing, you remove your hand from Rainbow’s head.
  6942. >Her eyes are bright as she looks up at you.
  6943. >Bending down, you sweep her off her feet, lifting and cradling her in your arms.
  6944. >”Um…Anon, what are you…”
  6945. >Rainbow sits still, but is clearly confused.
  6946.  
  6947. >She understands a little more when you carefully place her on one of the beds.
  6948. >Silently, you make sure that she’s comfortable.
  6949. “I want you to take a nice long nap, okay, Rainbow? You’ll feel better afterwards.”
  6950. >Rainbow kicks the covers off herself quickly.
  6951. >”I can’t…this is Sunshine’s bed, she needs it more than me.”
  6952. “I’ll explain the situation to her.”
  6953. >”No, I’m not sick, I can still…”
  6954. >You ignore her.
  6955. “Fluttershy!”
  6956. >The yellow pony jumps to attention.
  6957. “I want you to make sure that Rainbow doesn’t leave this bed until she’s had some rest.”
  6958. >”Oh…okay.”
  6959. >”Anon, I’m fine, I don’t need to rest.”
  6960. >Rainbow tries to roll off the bed, but Fluttershy stares at her.
  6961. >”Rainbow!”
  6962. >She stops.
  6963. >And slowly rolls back into the bed.
  6964. >You just leave quietly.
  6965. >Enough relaxing.
  6966. >You needed to get back to the bridge.
  6967. >You needed to get back to shore faster.
  6968. >Before…before it was too late.
  6969. >If it wasn’t already.
  6970. >It had to be infection, right?
  6971. >You weren’t sure, but what else could it be?
  6972. >That was treatable though, Equestria could fix that, right?
  6973. >You just had to make sure that she made it there in time.

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