Snow Flurry - 7, 8 & 9- [Archived, not my work]

 

You blink. It wouldn't be the first time you started hearing things since you've been alone, and it probably won't be the last. You close your eyes again.

 

Suddenly, you feel a hand brush over your mane, gently enough for you to barely register it. You lift your head up and open your eyes fully.

 

“Master? Master!” You waste not a fraction of a second jumping into his arms. He stumbles backwards but maintains his balance and catches you, lifting you up in his arms. You reach out and nuzzle his face, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

 

“You're,” he pauses, “You're still here. After all this.”

 

“Where else would I be?” you giggle, pressing your body up against his. “I missed you so much you wouldn't even believe it!” He chuckles, but almost immediately his face returns to a more somber look.

 

“Really, Snowy, I meant what I said. You don't have to stay here.” He sets you back down in your bed.

 

It's now or never. You pick up your collar in your mouth, showing it off proudly to him and trying to communicate in a single gesture everything you learned about yourself yesterday. He pauses, blinking in shock. You can't read his face at all until, suddenly, a wide grin comes across it.

 

“I'm not even going to ask how you got that, but I can assume it wasn't easy. Is that really what you want, Snowy?” You nod frantically, your mane bouncing up and down in front of your eyes. He sighs, deeply and heavily, as though all of his concerns were leaving with his breath. He reaches down and takes the collar from your mouth, placing it around your neck and fastening it. He makes it look so easy.

 

“I don't know what you see in me, knowing everything that you know; but, if its what you want, I'm glad to oblige. I can't say I was looking forward to coming back to an empty house.”

 

You think of perhaps a million things to say but decide instead to just cherish the moment. He doesn't need you to tell him the conclusions you came to yesterday. You nuzzle his hand before letting your head fall limp in it as he gently scratches your chin.

 

“You're such a good girl.” He chuckles, genuinely this time. You melt completely into his hand, your worries absolved by those words alone.

 

Master stands back up as Dan enters, throwing you out of your trance just in time to run over and hug Dan's leg as he enters. He gives his usual hearty laugh and tousles your mane.

 

“Seems like you've got a friend for life, there.”

 

Master laughs back. “Couldn't shake her if I wanted to by this point.” He kneels down in front of you and looks you in the eye, scratching behind your ears as he does. “Not that I'd ever actually want to do something like that.” You throw your entire body on to him, wrapping it around his in a tight embrace.

 

“Hang on!” He stands up slowly, supporting your weight with his hands.

 

“Where are we going, Master?” You ask, excited about the prospect of spending more time with Master.

 

“The warehouse was abandoned when we got there.” You take a second to process what he's saying. You'd almost entirely forgotten that he ever left as soon as you jumped into his arms. “We got a pretty good lead on where they might have another operation set up, though. It's pretty far away but we've got nothing to lose by making the trip. Dan rented an RV in town. We're gonna stock it up and head out tonight.”

 

You start to cry into Master's shoulder. “You're le-leaving? A-again?”

 

He leans over and kisses the top of your head. “Not without you. Not ever again. First, though, you're going to take a bath. It looks like you've been out rolling in the dirt the whole time we were gone.”

 

You cheer up immediately, giggling as Master finishes speaking. You look over at your hooves and realize they're still covered with dirt from earlier, as is Master's shirt now. You look at him apologetically.

 

“Sorry!”

 

He chuckles. “No worries, you had to do something while we were gone I suppose.”

 

He steps outside, carrying you around to the backyard where Dan has already filled up a tub of water for you. Master gently lowers you in. The water isn't exactly warm, but it still does wonders to relax your muscles.

 

“I'll give you two some privacy,” you hear Dan call out from somewhere else in the yard as he walks back around to the front of the house.

 

Master looks down at you, getting to work scrubbing you with a sponge. You relax and let him work his magic, perfectly content to let him take care of you like this. He pulls the sponge above your head, wringing it out on your mane before going to work washing it. You squeak involuntarily as the water hits your back, getting a chuckle out of Master. You blush slightly but are far too engrossed in the experience to protest with anything short of a few moans of pleasure.

 

He lifts you out of the water and sets you down on the grass before taking a towel to your wet coat. You giggle and squirm as he runs it over you, prompting yet another burst of laughter from him as well. He picks you up, still wrapped in the towel, and holds you against his chest.

 

“Feel better?”

 

“Much! Thank you, Master!” You nuzzle his cheek. “Love you, Master.”

 

He runs his hand over your back, the sensation traveling through the towel and sending a tingling sensation throughout your body.

 

“Love you too, Snowy.”

 

Your heart skips a beat. You reach up and plant a kiss on his cheek, smiling. You've won him over it seems. Whatever happens from this point forward you can deal with, as long as you get to go through it with him. You reach up and give him another quick kiss, earning you a smile back from him.

 

When you get back inside the house, Master sets you down and makes one last pass over your coat with the towel. You squeak with surprise again, twitching in the towel as he does. Satisfied with his work, he heads into the back room, leaving you with Dan. You can see him stacking boxes and coolers full of supplies in the middle of the room. He sets down a heavy-looking crate with a groan and takes notice of you for the first time.

 

“Well, you're just the prettiest little thing I've ever seen!”

 

You blush, hiding your face in your mane. You're certainly not used to compliments like that. He looks you over again, smiling.

 

“Well, you might as well make yourself comfy. We aren't leavin' for another hour yet. Got plenty left to do before we head out.”

 

You eye the couch but opt instead to head into the back room and keep Master company. You wouldn't want to mess up the couch anyway unless he let you. You trot down to the back room and take a seat in your bed while Master occupies himself with something in the far corner of the room. He turns around and chuckles when he sees you, heading over to the mattress and dropping a box on it before leaning down and petting you.

 

“Excited about our little trip?” he asks.

 

“As long as I get to be with you on it!”

 

His expression turns serious again. “I don't know what we'll find out there, Snowy. I don't have a god damn clue to be honest. I'm glad that I'll be finding it with you at my side, though. You've been a better friend to me than anyone I've ever known. Whatever happens, nothing will change that.”

 

“Promise?” You look up to him with pleading eyes.

 

“Promise.” His hand moves down your mane and tugs your collar gently. “Whatever happens, I'm never leaving you behind again.” He picks you up and holds you up to eye level with him. “You are my pet, after all.”

 

You squirm out of his grasp just long enough to throw your entire body at him, wrapping all four of your limbs around his chest in a tight embrace. After a few minutes of snuggling he finally manages to separate the two of you, setting you back down in your bed.

 

“Who's my good girl?”

 

“I am!” You burst into a fit of giggling and roll over in your bed, looking up at Master with a giant grin.

 

“I just can't resist a face like that, you know. It isn't fair.” He bursts out laughing, running his hand across your exposed belly. You squeak and moan with delight as he starts to intensify his belly rub, planting a kiss on your nose as he does. By the time he's finished you've been reduced into a twitching pile of giggles, rolling around aimlessly on your bed in ecstasy.

 

“You about ready in there?” Dan's voice breaks you out of your reverie.

 

“Yeah, sure, just another minute!” Master laughs quietly to himself as he responds, looking down at you. He picks up the boxes laid out on his mattress and carries them out towards the front door. You follow along behind him.

 

“'Bout time we started loadin' up if we plan on leavin' tonight.”

 

Master nods, and the two of them start carrying supplies out the front door and into the RV parked on the dirt road. You sit and watch the two of them work until, some time later, the room is finally barren.

 

“I think that's about it.” Master looks over at Dan for confirmation.

 

“Think so.”

 

“No sense in letting you get dirty after we just cleaned you off.” Master walks over to you and lifts you into his arms, laughing. He carries you out the front door, turning to face it as Dan exits and locks it behind himself. He carries you down the road with Dan in toe, carrying your bed. Master steps up into the vehicle and sets you down inside, giving you a chance to look around. You busy yourself poking about your new living space. It's not exactly spacious, but for an RV it's not bad either. Dan enters shortly after and shuts the door, stepping up into the cab and tossing your bed over to Master. He opens up a small door in the side of the vehicle, revealing a spacious cabinet at floor level, and slides your bed inside.

 

“Don't worry, you're sleeping with me in here.” He laughs. “Just in case something should happen, though, just go to your bed and stay there until we take care of it. We can't exactly have people find out about you.

 

You nod in agreement.

 

“Well, time to get movin'.” Dan takes a seat at the steering wheel and leans back, waiting for confirmation from Master before starting the vehicle and starting back down the road to civilization. You jump up on Master's lap to get another look out the window at the place you've come to know as home. You don't know when you'll see it next, but you know you will. As long as Master's with you there's nothing to worry about.

 

Part VIII – No, the RV is not a meth lab, but it can see why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch; unfortunately, it has no idea why this title is so long or why this chapter is so mediocre.

 

You can feel yourself lurch forward against Master's arms as the RV comes to an abrupt halt in a gravel parking lot somewhere off the side of a highway through the countryside that you don't think anyone else alive has ever bothered to travel. You're grateful that you've spent most of the trip curled up on his lap; with the way Dan drives, you're fairly certain he could have found a way to eject you through the windshield from the back of the RV if he was given the chance. That, of course, isn't even mentioning the fringe benefits of getting to spend all day cuddling with Master.

 

“I dunno 'bout you two, but I could use some fresh air,” Dan calls from the driver's seat as he removes the key from the ignition. You sigh, disappointed that your marathon cuddle session is going to have to suffer a brief interruption. Just then you begin to feel Master lift you off his lap. He cradles you in his arms and carries you to the door, leaning over enough to poke his head out around the door.

 

“How's it look out there?”

 

“No other people for miles. Far as I can tell.” Dan holds his hand above his eyes, shielding them from the bright sun directly overhead and scours the landscape.

 

Master steps cautiously out of the RV, walking around the vehicle once before he sets you down on the ground, seemingly satisfied with Dan's assessment of the situation. You stretch your legs and trot around Master's feet awkwardly, having forgotten exactly how you're supposed to move your legs at some point during the past several hours. Maybe you really did need this break more than you thought. You lift your head up and close your eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun as a light breeze ruffles your mane. You have to admit that the fresh air is a welcome change from the inside of the RV.

 

Master leans down and pets you, straightening your mane back out as he does only to have his work immediately swept away by the wind. “Go ahead and enjoy yourself. Stretch your legs a bit. Just stay close to me, okay Snowy?”

 

You nod eagerly back at him and trot over to the corner of the gravel lot, poking around the edges with your nose, sniffing at the breeze curiously. You follow it aimlessly around the parking lot, taking long strides to stretch your legs and fluttering your wings as you go.

 

“Snowy!” Master's voice cuts through your peace and quiet from across the lot. You spin around frantically. You can see Master waving to you frantically from just outside the door of the RV. The sound of tires traversing gravel and an engine register begin to register in your ears. Without a thought you dive into the woods behind a rock. A blue sedan parks in the spot where you stood moments ago. Your heart is pounding. You try to convince yourself that there's no way they could have seen you, but you can't find any evidence to help convince yourself.

 

You hear car doors open and shut, causing you to flinch. You hear voices; Master's is among them. You strain your ears but can't pick out any words from your vantage point, and you don't dare to leave it for a better chance at hearing their conversation.

 

The conversation continues for what was, in reality, perhaps a matter of less than a minute, despite the fact it seemed to take longer than anything you've ever experienced. The slam of car doors echoes out again across the emptiness of the desolate lot. You breathe an audible sigh of relief. When the sound of tires meeting gravel hits your ears again, you peek you head out slightly to get a look at the departing car. You smile weakly, glad to have dodged that bullet by such a narrow margin.

 

You suddenly feel yourself pulled backwards by the scruff of your neck.

 

“Snowy.” Master's tone of voice takes you by surprise. You hardly ever hear him use his serious tone; now he sounds almost angry. You spin around and look up at him almost without thinking, spurred on by the enmity in his tone. He meets your gaze with a disappointed yet stern look on his face. You smile up at him to try to lighten the mood. His expression remains stoic.

 

“What the hell were you thinking?” You sink down to the ground and hide your face under your hooves. Now he sounds downright angry. You feel yourself picked up and squeezed tight against his chest.

 

“Do you have any idea how easily you could have been seen? One little slip up, and that's it. Everything we've done is wasted.”

 

You start to cry quietly into his shirt as he carries you back towards the RV. He steps up into the vehicle; Dan follows immediately behind shutting the door as he enters. Master sets you down on the floor and takes a seat on the bed. You know that he's waiting for you but you can't bring yourself to meet his eyes just yet. Instead, you curl up on the floor and keep crying, your body quivering with every tear. You disappointed him. Not just that, but you made him angry.

 

“Snowy...” His voice trails off, sounding calmer now. You raise your head to look at him, still shaken but soothed by his tone. He sighs heavily. You knew he couldn't stay mad at you for long.

 

“Look at me.” You obey his command, and look straight into his eyes. “I'm not angry, but I am disappointed in you. You should know better.”

 

You let your head droop shamefully again. “I'm sorry, Master.”

 

“You see, Snowy, that's just it.” He pauses for a moment, seemingly debating with himself on whether or not to continue. He leans down and grabs your collar, pulling it gently up towards him, just enough to make the pressure on the back of your neck noticeable.

 

“You keep calling me that, but you don't really seem to be taking into account what it means.”

 

“What do you mean, Mas-, uh...” You trail off, not knowing how to address him in light of his last statement.

 

“If I'm your master, what are you?” He tugs your collar again.

 

“Your pet, of course!”

 

“And pets should obey their masters, right, Snow?”

 

“Of course, Master.” You slump down further, laying your head on the ground.

 

“When I say 'stay close' I mean it, Snow.” You fold your ears back against your head. You're still not used to that authoritative tone of voice. “It's for your own safety. I don't say things like that for my own health; I say them for yours, because I care about you. All it takes is one mistake and then who knows what could happen. We can't afford to have anyone else knowing about you.”

 

“I'm sorry, Master. I wasn't thinking about any of that.”

 

“You're damn right you weren't thinking!” He gets off the bed, kneeling down in front of you. He picks up your head and holds it up. You try and fail to shy away from his unblinking gaze. “You're lucky that it was just a family on a road trip looking for directions that pulled in. Imagine if it was someone else who was looking for us.”

 

“I'm sorry...” You close your eyes to avoid looking into his.

 

“I know you are, Snowy. That doesn't excuse your disobedience.” He sighs, leaning over your body to slide open the cabinet door beside you. He motions towards it. “You'll be spending the rest of the trip in your bed. If you're going to misbehave I can't trust you out here in the open.”

 

“Wait, what?” You look up at him with pleading eyes. He can't be serious, right?

 

“Go on, get in. Now.” He motions again, more aggressively this time. “If you're going to be a pet you're going to learn to behave like one. First lesson: obedience.”

 

You sheepishly turn around and crawl up into your bed, looking out the door at him. He leans down to give you a stern look before sliding the door shut, engulfing your confines in darkness.

 

“Master?” You tap on the wood in front of your face to no effect.

 

“Master? Are you there?” You tap again, more forcefully this time, still eliciting no response. You lay down, crying. You can't believe he did this to you. You hit your hooves on the door angrily.

 

- - -

 

You've been staring off blankly into the darkness for several hours now, at least, although it feels far longer than that. The bumps in the road lost your interest quite awhile ago, and since then your only company has been your own thoughts. You get to thinking about Master, wishing you were with him right now. Even if you were only separated by a thin, wooden door in reality, you suspect that earning his trust back once he lets you out will be a much lengthier task. You suddenly break down completely, sobbing into the side of your bed. You can't believe that completely ignored Master, after he's kept you safe and comfortable through all of this. All he wanted was to protect you, after all.

 

Suddenly the door slides open and you close your eyes tightly, blinded by the sudden intrusion of the light. You do your best to wipe your tears off on the bed and put on a respectable face before spinning around and slowly opening your eyes. You find yourself looking up at Master as he pulls you out of the cabinet and into a hug.

 

“I'm sorry I had to do that, but I hope you've learned your lesson. I don't want to have to do it again.”

You shudder briefly at the thought before nuzzling his shoulder. He sets you down gently and looks you in the eyes. “Are you ready?”

 

“Ready for what?”

 

“We're here. At least, we're as close as we're going to take the RV. Dan's already scouting out the area.”

 

You breathe deeply and nod. “Then I'm ready to go.”

 

“Oh, and there's one other thing.” He reaches into his pocket, fishing around in it for a few moments before pulling out a leash and clipping it to your collar. “It's going to be dangerous in there, and I can't you running off again. If you're coming along, you're staying with me.” He ties the other end around his belt as he speaks.

 

“Is that really necessary? What if things go badly?” You look up at him indignantly, your expression now much less of an act that it was previously.

 

“Yes, it is, Snowy. More so in a situation like this than ever. Now let's go.” He stands up and heads towards the door.

 

You give an exasperated sigh, planting yourself on the ground for a few moments before realizing that the leash isn't giving you much room to pout and follow behind him. You step out into a grassy field alongside an old, long neglected two-lane road. The roar of traffic can be heard, although too faintly to pinpoint its origin. High voltage power lines section off the sky above into tiny fragments.

 

“According to Dan they've set up shop at an old farmhouse a little ways away. Looks like a big deal too based on what he's seen.” He looks down at you. “I don't know what we're gonna find in there. Just know that whatever happens, you're still my pet right up until the end.” He tugs the leash gently.

 

You look up at him, the indignant look still stuck on your face. “And you're my Master.”

 

Part IX – Wow? This story was actually going somewhere? I completely forgot.

 

You fold back your ears, clutching your hooves over them tightly to cover your eyes as another quick gunshot shatters what could have been described as a very tranquil silence if you didn't know what was happening somewhere on the property. You peek out from under your hoof in time to see Dan dragging another limp body out of sight. That makes three.

 

You tug lightly at the leash with your neck, checking to make sure some miracle hadn't snapped it in the fighting to allow you to escape from this place. You know that Master and Dan know what they're doing. It's obvious from the way they've moved around the area, slowly closing in on the farmhouse and the nearby barn, both of which look perfectly ordinary from the outside. Even so, you don't want to be here in the middle of it. Especially not on a leash where you've got nowhere to escape if the need were to arise. What exactly is Master expecting you to do here? Nuzzle them into submission?

 

You look up at Dan as he leans against the back door of the house, giving a quick signal to Master before he kicks it, sending it flying off its hinges into the interior of the house. You cower on the ground, covering your ears again, expecting another hail of bullets to emerge from the open doorway, but it fails to come as predicted. Dan checks around the corner and advances slowly into the building. You follow alongside Master behind him.

 

Your eyes scan the room you've entered carefully. Strangely, just as with the exterior, nothing looks particularly out of place. The house isn't in the best of repair, and there are perhaps a few too many empty beer bottles laying about for the average farmer's family, but there aren't any immediate red flags like you were expecting. Dan lowers his pistol and holsters it in his belt.

 

“Looks clear. The rest of 'em must be out there lookin' for us after they heard the shots. No way in hell there's just three people watchin' this whole goddamn place.”

 

Master nods in agreement, letting his finger wander off the trigger of his gun but keeping it in his hand as Dan heads further into the house, peering into each of the adjacent rooms.

 

“Nothin' here by the looks of it. Looks like we just got ourselves a safe house here. Plenty of signs of life but no trace of horses. Certainly nothin' that could make 'em.”

 

Master saunters up to the doorway into the rest of the house, leaning around the corner to hunt for the source of the voice. “Well, shit. Bad info maybe?”

 

You look up at Dan towering over you as he walks out, stroking his straggly beard. “Guess we still got that barn out back to check. Might not be a lost cause just yet.”

 

Master nods in agreement. “Not much to lose by checking it out.”

 

Dan pulls his pistol from his belt, clicking off the safety and holding it out with his arms extended as he exits. “Still clear.”

 

Master follows out with you at his heels, the leash keeping you close beside him. You advance cautiously up to the barn door as Dan leans down, seemingly investigating the door itself. The building itself looks, much like the house, to be in considerable disrepair with nearly all the paint chipped off and a few sizable holes dotting the roof. In other words, it looks perfectly normal next to the decrepit farmhouse next to it and definitely wouldn't arouse any suspicions for an uninformed observer.

 

Dan crouches down further to peer inside a crack in the frame. “Can't really see shit in there. Doesn't look like anybody's home at least.” He laughs heartily. “Way I see it, I should be missin' an eye right now if there was. Either it ain't guarded or there's one dumb son of a bitch in there waitin' for us, but I don't see a problem either way.”

 

You look up at Master, expecting a response from him but instead are greeted by a monstrous crash as Dan kicks in one side of the wide, wooden door, sending splinters flying in all directions as the rotting wood gives way without almost no resistance to brute force, sending Dan stumbling inside and onto his face. He gets up unsteadily and dusts himself off.

 

“Well, least we're sure ain't nobody in here now.”

 

Master sighs and follows him in, his eyes darting rapidly around the interior. After recovering from your momentary panic you follow his gaze. Everything seems fine, minus the lack of farm animals. Bales of hay are stacked somewhat haphazardly against the side walls; the loft seems to mostly have collapsed and left its remains occupying the opposite half of the interior.

 

“Well, fuck me, that was hardly worth makin' a dramatic entry for.” Dan shakes a few remaining bits of hay and wood chips off his jacket as he turns towards the exit.

 

Master holds his hand up, signaling Dan to stop. “Wait a second. Why exactly are a bunch of professional criminals actually tending to the farm?”

 

Dan looks back at Master, clearly not understanding his point. You suspect you're making a fairly similar expression but are too transfixed on Master to care.

 

“The hay. It's pretty fresh looking. I doubt those guards were out here sleeping on it. So, why's it here?”

 

Dan raises his eyebrow, kicking idly at some stray bits of straw underneath his feet. “Maybe you got a point.”

 

Master heads over to the wall nearest him and begins tearing apart the bales with his hands as you watch. You trot up to his side, wishing you could be of some help but figure that you'd just get in the way if you tried. It was his idea to keep you here on a leash after all. It's not like its your responsibility to find out what to do while you're here. You poke at the straw beneath you, arranging it into a tiny clump and lying down on it.

 

Master grunts, wiping swear off his forehead as he continues tearing through the stack at an impressive pace. He finally hits the bottom, pulling his hand back and shaking it after it impacts the floor. He leans down, searching underneath the remnants of the pile with an outstretched arm. His brow furrows as he taps at the floor in one area. He crawls over to it, brushing the hay away from a small region underneath him. You lazily stand up and inch up behind him, trying to get a look at whatever has captured his attention.

 

“Got something!”

 

You feel your mane blow in the breeze and Dan sprints past you and kneels down next to Master. As you arrive between the two of them you notice a padlocked metal door built into the floor. Dan wastes no time in pulling his pistol and firing a round into the lock at point-blank range, sending it flying off the latch and earning him a sardonic glance from Master.

 

Master moves to a kneeling position and gingerly pulls upwards on the metal plate, dislodging it and revealing a small underground passageway. Dan promptly jumps down into the hole, barely gripping the ladder on the way down to slow his fall. Master looks down into the pit incredulously and taps his back.

 

“Hold on tight Snowy, we're going down.”

 

You move up and wrap yourself around his torso, hanging on tightly as you bounce against his back with each rung of the ladder until you reach the bottom. He kneels down, allowing you to climb off, and looks around the room with Dan. The walls as adorned by a number of complex-looking machines. Wiring leading between them crosses the floor, wrapping itself up into a tangled mess in several locations.

 

You jump up and hide behind Master's legs as the sound of metal hitting metal rings out through the tiny subterranean bunker. You look around frantically, trying to pinpoint the origin of the noise as it echoes off every wall of the room.

 

“I thought I told you lot not to come busting in here while I'm working!”

 

You look up to Master and follow his gaze across the room, your eyes meeting those of a scrawny man dressed in a collared shirt and khaki pants. His thin white hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail that reaches his shoulders and a sparse beard that seems to exist in a questionable limbo between fashion statement and result of poor grooming habits covers his face.

 

In an instant you feel your neck yanked forward, sending you stumbling towards the stranger. You look up to see Master strike him quickly with a fist to the jaw, sending him reeling back against the wall. You cower on the ground next to him, completely powerless to stop the violence and try to force it out of your mind to little avail. You continue quivering on the ground, expecting to hear a second punch connect with the strange old man but none seems to come. As your curiosity slowly overwhelms your fear you look up to see Dan restraining Master, his fists only meeting the air in front of the other man who seems to have slumped to the ground, unconscious.

 

“Calm the fuck down, Ryan! He's out cold!” You can see Master straining against Dan in every possible way, and perhaps some that aren't for a normal man, but thankfully making little headway. You look up at him, working up the courage to speak as the leash flails about between the two you.

 

“Please … Master … calm down. Look at him. He's not going to hurt anyone like that. Why are you so angry?”

 

“Not hurt anyone?!” Master finally breaks free of Dan, hurling himself out of his grip and up against the wall, breathing heavily. You stumble forward at the tug of the leash and fall onto your face. “Are you fucking kidding me? What about you? You look pretty goddamn hurt.”

 

“I'm alright, Master. What are you talking about?” You slowly make your way back to your hooves and look up at him.

 

“Oh, really, so I guess you've always looked like a blue pony then?” He glares back at you with hostile, burning eyes which quickly shift down to the other man as he speaks. You stare back at him, unsure how to respond or even what to think. “He did that to you. That's him.”

 

You look between the two of them, Master's eyes still fiery with rage. A part of your mind can't comprehend how someone so, for lack of a better word, harmless looking could inspire that degree of hatred. Even knowing what he did for you, the man in front of you now, crumpled against the wall with a bleeding lip, breathing weakly, doesn't seem the sinister villain you'd imagined. You almost feel sorry for him, even knowing what he did to you, but you do your best to remind yourself of how dangerous he must really be underneath that meek appearance.

 

You trot past him over towards Master, looking into his closed eyes as his unconscious body fights for breath as you pass. You nuzzle Master's feet gently, shaking slightly as you do, before looking up at him. “W-What do we do now? Now that w-we found your da-.”

 

“Don't ever call him that!” Master interrupts you suddenly and violently.

 

“I-I'm sorry, Master.” You pause, looking up into his eyes. “What do we do … now that we found Dr. Collins?”