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The official Shiny and Corona Pastebin has been deleted. Long live the King!

This pastebin contains most of the story, up to the last few updates.
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***5/30/18***
New Trip: !!tRkPoNNs+V2
Story continues.
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>none of the ponies lined up for auction really stuck out to you
>they all just sit there with the same bored, disinterested looks on their faces
>sighing or rolling their eyes at you as you walked by their stalls
>a few show the slightest hint of fear, this being their first sale
>you stick your hands in your pockets and continue walking, not looking at any one pony for too long
>you stop suddenly as you come to the end of the aisle
>waving your hand to one of the staff, you beckon them over
"Hey, can you open this one's stall?"
>you're let in to get a closer look at the miserable stallion before you
>the filth in his coat is so thick you can barely even tell it's white
>his matted, tangled, dirty mane different hues of dull blue, months of neglect taking their toll on any vibrance the color may have once had
>his ribs and hips stick out, his skin stretched over his bony frame almost painfully
>his back and rump have some scarring, this pony clearly has taken more than his fair share of lashes since his initial capture
>he stares at the ground unflinchingly, his eyes lifeless, not betraying a single hint of emotion
>he doesn't even notice when you open the door and enter the stall with him
>his ears are flat against his head
>there's a huge pile of hay in the corner of his stall but he doesn't appear to have touched any of it
"Jesus..." you say as you cautiously approach the pony and place a hand on his withers, which come about to your belly button, "What happened to this poor fella?"
 
>"He's a repo. Owner was convicted of neglect and abuse, got thirty days in jail. Honestly he's probably not gonna do too well in the auction. You interested in him?"
>You hesitate for a few moments, the stallion still ignoring you completely, not even bothering to resist you or ask you for help, to take him away or leave him be
>the pitiful creature's sheer hopelessness tugs at your heartstrings in such a way that it doesn't take long for you to realize you're not leaving without him
>you sort of wanted to bring home a mare, but you don't really care that much about his gender
>he's a good sized unicorn, so he'll be able to do the work you want easily enough
>after probably a month or two of rehabilitation, of course
"What's his starting bid?"
>"They were gonna start at twenty five and go from there."
"Twenty five hundred?"
>"Twenty five dollars."
"Are you shitting me right now?"
>"Nope."
"Does he have a reserve price on him?"
>"He doesn't."
>You slowly run your hand over the stallion's back, very clearly able to feel each rib and vertebra, careful not to apply too much pressure for fear the bones will poke right through the skin
"You know, with such a low starting price just about anyone could afford to buy him... he might end up in the hands of someone even worse than his former master..."
>the man shrugs
>"Not really my problem."
>you sigh, annoyed by his indifference
>sure they're slaves, but they're still living creatures that deserve more consideration than that
"I'll give you a hundred bucks cash for him, right now."
>"I would have let him go for fifty, but okay," he shrugs, "a hundred it is."
>the stallion very slowly lifts his head to look at you as you pull the bill from your wallet and place it in the man's hand
>"Just need to make a copy of your driver's license for our records, too, and he's all yours."
>you hand your license over as well, before turning back to the stallion while he goes to make a copy
 
"Hey there, buddy, don't worry..." you say as gently as you can, placing a hand under his chin, "I'm not gonna hurt ya. Can you tell me your name?"
>his gaze slowly returns to the floor, and he lets out a forlorn sigh, not bothering to reply
>you brush a few strands of filthy, greasy, knotted mane out of his eyes and gently stroke his muzzle, causing him to tremble ever so slightly
"Shhh, shhh... easy boy... you're gonna be okay..."
>the man returns moments later with a receipt and registration papers, handing them over to you along with your license, reaching for a halter and lead rope hanging on the stall door
"Shining Armor," you say, looking over everything, eventually taking the halter and carefully securing it around the pony's head before snapping the lead rope to it
>you give it a slight tug and urge the pony to follow you out of the stall
>his head continues to droop, dead weight against the lead rope even as he complies and follows you
"Come on, let's get you home..."
>he spends the hour long ride home sprawled out in the back seat of your car, resting his head on his forehooves and barely making a sound
>you occasionally look into the back seat to check on him
 
>you unconsciously hold your breath each time you look at him, not releasing it until you see his chest rise and fall a couple times, making sure he's still with you
>in his shape you wouldn't be shocked if he didn't survive the trip
>when you arrive home, you lead him into the house, wasting no time seeing to his needs
>you offer him some fresh alfalfa hay, and some assorted fruits and veggies, but he simply turns his head away with a sigh, not wanting to eat
"Please eat for me..." you urge him in the same, soothing voice you've spoken to him with since you first saw him, "I can't imagine what you've been through but I really need you to eat something for me, okay?
>you pick up a handful of hay and bring it to his muzzle
>eventually his lips twitch ever so slightly, and his eyes give your face a cursory glance, before he takes the bite of hay into his mouth
"That's it, Shining, good boy," you say, taking another fistful of hay and offering it to him
>each time you try to get him to eat the rest of it on his own, he seems reluctant, so you end up having to feed the rest of his hay to him like this until it's all gone
>he doesn't seem at all interested in the fruits and veggies, save for taking a few bites of the apple you offer him before refusing any more
"Thank you, Shining. Good boy, good boy..." you say, petting his neck softly, making your entire demeanor as nonthreatening as possible
 
"I really don't think you need this on anymore," you say, unclipping the halter and removing it from his head. You let your hand rest behind his right ear and gently rub it.
"Listen Shiny - do you mind if I call you Shiny?"
>He doesn't respond
"Shiny, your life is going to get better from here on out, I promise you. You'll be safe here, okay?"
>He sighs, still not looking at you
>you remove your hand and start to head toward the bathroom
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up - you look like you haven't had a bath in ages. Would you like that?"
>he glances at you for a moment, giving a gentle swish of his tail, before his gaze returns to the floor and he takes a few steps toward you, beginning to follow you into the bathroom
>you plug the drain and begin to run some water in the bath tub, constantly checking the temperature of the running water with the back of your hand and adjusting as necessary, to make it nice and warm, enough to be relaxing but not so much it'll overwhelm him
>he stands there, simply staring at the water as you retrieve various brushes, soaps, shampoos and cleansers from different drawers under the sink, as well as a pair of scissors
"I'm sorry boy, but I really don't think that mane is going to be salvageable. I don't want to hurt you trying to tug and yank on it to get all the knots and tangles out, so I'm going to cut it short - is that okay?"
>he hesitates for several moments, not moving at all
>"You're the master," he mutters under his breath
>you're slightly startled when he speaks, that's the first thing you've ever heard him say
>you close the toilet lid and sit on top of it, spreading your legs slightly
 
>you motion for him to sit in front of you, and he complies, backing his rump up between your legs and dropping to his haunches, sitting up nice and tall to give you easy access to his mane
>you take the scissors in your hand, sliding them up the base of his mane at the bottom of his neck and working your way up in silence
>the only sound in the room for the next several minutes is the snipping of scissors, as lock after lock of filthy, tangled mane falls to the bathroom floor around him
"There we go," you say with one final snip, running your hand all the way up his neck over the somewhat irregular mohawk he's now sporting
>you rub and pat his side reassuringly
"Hey, that's not such a bad look for you, ya know? Besides, it'll grow back eventually, try not to miss it too much okay?"
>he nods and gives his head a gentle shake, a few more stray bits of mane falling off onto the floor
>"I'm sorry, Master," he mutters
"What? Why?"
>"For getting the floor all dirty."
>you look around at the filth beginning to accumulate on the floor from the combination of mane hair and the dirt and grime that's rubbed onto the tiles from his hooves and rump as he sat down for you
"Shhh, you don't have to apologize for that. I'd rather see that stuff on the floor than all over your body. Speaking of which, why don't you go ahead and hop into the tub so we can start your bath, hmm? Wouldn't want the water to cool down too much."
>he slowly climbs into the bathtub, but needs a little help from you to get his hind legs over the side
>the water is only a few inches deep, you don't want to take a chance on him collapsing in there and you not being able to lift his head out of the water
>he lays down in the water, his body taking up most of the space in the tub, and you grab a cup, scooping up water from beside him and gently pouring it over his back and neck
 
>You run his tail through your fingers a bit, examining it, it's tangled but nowhere near as bad as his mane was
"Hey, at least I think we can save your tail, big guy."
>you let his tail drop back into the water and reach for a bottle of shampoo
>you squeeze out a long line of it from the base of his mane all the way down his back to his croup, taking a soft sponge and slowly beginning to work it into his coat
>the water is already dark with grime, the soapy suds being worked up all over his body not staying white for more than a second or two
>he closes his eyes and his lower jaw starts to tremble, his ears laying flat
>you begin to wonder if you're rubbing him with the sponge too hard, until he lets out a soft nicker indicating he enjoys the sensation
>a mile-wide grin creeps over your face at the sound, as you notice the tension in his body slowly start to ease up as well
"You like that, boy?"
>he doesn't reply, but you already know the answer to that anyway
>you continue working the sponge over his back, up the sides of his neck, before reaching for the bottle of shampoo again, squeezing out a big gob into the palm of your hand
>you run it over what's left of his mane, eventually bringing both hands to his neck and digging your fingers in, working them in a massaging motion into the base of his mane, scrubbing as hard as you can with your fingernails while still being gentle
>he lets out a soft gasp and another nicker
>that must feel really nice
>when you eventually reach the top of his head and most of his neck and back are covered with a filthy lather, you scoop up some more water, sheilding his eyes and pouring it over the top of his head, working your way down his neck and back to rinse him off
 
>you pull the plug from the drain, allowing the dirty water to run away before turning the faucet back on, cupping fresh water over his head, neck, and back to give him a thorough rinse, before plugging the drain and allowing the tub to fill back up to its previous level
>you have him stand up in the tub, repeating this three more times, including his belly and the insides and outsides of his legs as well as his tail this time
>it's not until the fifth change of bath water that the water you run over his body comes off clear
>he continues emitting the occassional quiet sigh or nicker, though he still doesn't say anything as you groom him
>eventually you pat his head before putting on a pair of rubber gloves
"I'm gonna clean you 'down there' now, okay? Your bottom and your stud parts need a good scrub too, I just wanted to let you know what I'm about to do so you were prepared and don't get too uncomfortable. If you can drop from your sheath that'll help me clean you better, but if you're too anxious for that to happen it's okay, we can come back to that some other time. I'll try to make it quick."
>you start with his tail, working up a good lather and trying to get some of the bigger tangles out with your fingers, before moving down to his tail dock, reaching for a soapy sponge and gingerly cleaning the underside, working your way down over the inside of his hindquarters, over his privates and sheath, cringing at just how much nastiness has been allowed to accumulate on this part of his body as well
>he does manage to relax enough to drop out of his sheath, and you seize the opportunity to clean his stallionhood quickly and gently
>you keep a close eye on his facial expressions, watching for any signs of pain or discomfort, but he's surprisingly serene about it
>you keep to your word, going about your work mechanically and expediently, finishing as quickly as possible before rinsing him off once again
 
>you finish by giving his hooves a good scrub with a very stiff brush before washing his face and muzzle delicately, making sure you've gone over every last millimeter of his body before giving him a final thorough rinse from poll to hoof
>you help him out of the tub, vigorously rubbing him all over with some towels to dry him off
>when he's mostly dry you spritz some detangler into his tail and run a brush through it several times until the hairs are all nicely separated and it takes on a silky smooth appearance, not a single knot or tangle in sight
>you brush his coat with a soft bristled body brush, taking your time to really work a nice sheen into his coat
>his bottom lip dances and quivers, keeping his eyes closed in silence as you brush all over his body, his neck, back, sides, belly
>by the time you're finally finished, the bathroom looks like a mud bomb went off in it, but Shining Armor looks like a brand new stallion
>you hardly recognize him
>his pristine white coat
>his brilliant blue tail and mohawk
>he gives a long, drawn out sigh, the look of relief he has is a welcome sight
>you take great pleasure in the fact that he's already starting to feel a little better
>eventually he looks into your eyes and starts to tear up, struggling to resist the urge to sob
>"Thank you, Master," he says through a strained, creaky voice
>you kneel down and gently put your arms around him, pulling him into a loving hug, which is enough to send him into a sobbing fit as he weakly raises a forehoof and places it around your back, crying loudly into your shoulder
 
"Go on, let it all out..." you say, patting his back, "I'm right he--OOMF"
>he suddenly collapses against you, knocking you off balance as you fall to the floor from your kneeling position onto your rump with an unceremonious thud
>his whole body trembles, rocked by sobs which he doesn't even try to stifle as he squirms around on top of your lap, trying to pull you into a deeper hug
>he's a little too heavy for you to support, his body weight threatening to send you splayed out onto your back at any moment, but you don't have the heart to push him away
>you manage to scoot back some, and lean against a wall for support as he continues to cling to you, your shirt quickly becoming damp with tears and mucus
>he soon cries himself to sleep, his forehooves around your sides, head against your chest, as much of his body resting against yours as will fit
>you're pinned under his weight, there's no way you'll be able to wriggle out from under him
>you hold him in your arms for a half hour or so, stroking his neck and humming to him as he sleeps
"Hey, Shiny," you soon say to him softly with a gentle shake, "you gotta get up buddy, I can't sit here on this dirty floor forever. Let's get you to bed so I can get this mess cleaned up, okay?"
>he murmurs and shudders ever so slightly, his eyes slowly blinking open, wiping his muzzle with the back of a foreleg as he releases his deathgrip on you and backs off
>his eyes are fixed on you instead of looking down at the floor as usual
>"Master? When are you going to put me to work?" he asks hesitantly
"Don't even think about that right now, okay? In your state it's gonna be at least a couple of months before I feel comfortable asking you to help with any chores around this place. You definitely need to put on some weight and build your strength back up, it'd be cruel to expect you to work for me before then."
 
>"What kind of work will I do for you?"
"Shhh" you say, placing a finger over his lips as you stand up, "for now, bed. We can discuss that when the time comes."
>you exit the bathroom and pat your leg, calling him to you
"Come on, Shiny, let's go"
>you see him smile at you - for the first time ever - tears beginning to run down his cheeks once again, as he gives a silent sniffle, wiping them away before following you into your bedroom where you sit down on the foot of your bed
>he hesitates slightly in the doorway
>you pat the bed behind you as you speak to him
"I... uh... you'll get your own room eventually, but I actually just moved into this house, so I don't have any furniture for you quite yet. For now you can sleep on my bed until I can get you your own. I can sleep on the couch."
>he approaches the side of the bed and you pull the blankets back for him as he climbs up onto it, quickly collapsing into the mattress beneath him, resting his head on your pillows
>"My last master made me sleep out in a stall in his barn - in my own... my own..." he shudders. "He never cleaned it. I haven't slept in a bed since... since..."
>you pull the blankets up over him as he wriggles into the mattress some more
"I don't wanna hear any more about your last master, okay? You'll be respected and cared for here, not treated like an animal. I won't make you sleep or go to the bathroom outside or anything like that. My home is your home."
 
"Can I get you anything before I leave you to get some rest? Something to drink or another quick snack? You didn't really eat much earlier."
>he lets out a long, deep yawn as he rolls over and pulls the blankets up around him, snuggling his head into your pillows
>"No, thank you Master," he sleepily replies
>you reach over and give his ear a quick scritch before standing up and walking out of the room, gently closing the door and turning off the light behind yourself
>he's asleep within minutes, and you can hear him snoring from across the hall as you clean up the mess you made with him in the bathroom
>after wiping down the floors and walls in the bathroom and tub, you toss the towels into a laundry basket and take a shower yourself
>you walk into the kitchen in your bath robe and slippers and whip yourself up a light snack, settling into your favorite recliner, leaning it back as you crack open a book and begin reading
>you're not terribly tired, but reading always relaxes you so much it doesn't take long before you're asleep as well
 
>you're awoken a few hours later by a terrible sound
>"PLEASE..." a voice cries out, "please stop! You're hurting me!" followed by frantic cries for help
>you quickly stand up and head down the hallway, flinging you bedroom door open and turning the light on
>you find Shining Armor with the blankets thrown off of himself, damp with sweat but still asleep, thrashing around violently on top of the bed in the throes of a horrible nightmare
>"Master, NO! NO!"
>you close the space between the two of you quickly, sitting on the side of the bed and placing a hand on his side
"Shiny..."
>"NO!!!"
>before you can react you're kicked in the side hard by a pair of hind hooves, before Shining sits up in the bed, breathing rapidly and shaking like a leaf
>you groan as you hit the floor, already feeling the bruises forming on your side
>"N---wha.. huh... m...master?" He says, looking down at you on the floor as you pick yourself back up clutching your side
>he gasps and tucks his tail between his legs
>"Oh no... oh NO... I'm so sorry, Master, I..."
>you can tell he's on the verge of utter panic, so once again you sit on the side of the bed calmly, ignoring the pain in your ribs as you reach toward him cautiously and place a hand on his back
"That must have been a hell of a bad dream."
 
>"I kicked you," he mutters, still trembling
"I'll be fine," you say to him, stroking his neck slowly
>he sighs and looks away from you
"You gonna be okay or you want me to stick around for a while?"
>he thinks about it, hesitating to answer
>"I don't want to be an inconvenience..." his voice trails off
"Do you have nightmares like this often?"
>"Yeah," he sighs, "every night actually. I don't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep."
"That's terrible."
>you continue petting his neck in silence as his trembling slowly subsides, the slight dampness in his coat from his sweating starting to fade away
>eventually he relaxes into your touch, and even leans his neck into your hand
>"I don't know if I'll be able to get back to sleep any time soon," he says just barely above a whisper
>you scoot back a little further on the bed and pat your lap, and he immediately wriggles closer to you, lowering his ears sheepishly and resting his chin and front hooves on your thigh, glancing up at you occassionally, as though he's ready to leap away from you at any moment
"Do you believe me when I tell you I'm not going to hurt you?"
>he shudders as he replies to you
>"I want to believe you, but I've been lied to so many times before."
 
"I understand," you say before another long period of silence
>he's completely calm now, but his eyes are wide open, staring into space
>the quiet is soon too uncomfortable for you and you speak up
"So... Shiny..." you begin, "um... can you tell me a little about yourself? I mean, whatever you're comfortable sharing. I wanna get to know you."
>he tilts his head slightly, looking up at you
>"Why?"
>"Well, I'd like for us to be friends," you state simply
>the look of confusion on his face only intensifies
>"Friends? I'm your slave..."
"That doesn't mean I have to treat you badly or that you have to hate me."
>the slightest hint of disgust starts to show in his expression as he continues to stare off into space
>"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, go right ahead."
>"Don't think me unappreciative of what you've done for me so far but... if you were in my position, if you were a slave... would YOU want to be friends with your master?"
>you ponder your response before replying
"I think if I were in your position I'd do anything necessary to make my situation better."
>he backs up out of your lap and sits up on his haunches in the bed, his ears flattening as he glares at you
 
>"What do you mean *anything*?" he snorts
>you cock your head to the side at him in confusion
"What?"
>"Alright Master, just drop this charade already and tell me what you want from me..."
"Shiny," you say in a firm tone "it's no charade. Calm down."
>his tail is tucked firmly between his hind legs and his forelegs are crossed in front of him where he sits
>you reach a hand toward him and he nips at you angrily
"HEY!" you yell loudly, enough that he cringes slightly, but maintains a defiant demeanor even as he begins trembling again
>"Go on then, just hit me like I know you want to. Get it over with."
"Come on... you wouldn't really bite me would you?"
>you boldly reach a hand toward him again
>this time he makes contact, biting your hand hard enough that the teeth marks he leaves behind begin to bleed as a nasty bruise begins to form around them
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" you yell as you stand up, cradling your hand and staring at him half in anger and half in disbelief
>"I'm NOT your friend, I'm your slave. GO ON," he screams, tears beginning to form in his eyes as his voice wavers, "PUNISH ME! BEAT ME! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST DON'T PRETEND YOU CARE ABOUT ME!"
>"KILL ME!" he lets out in an anguished cry as he collapses onto the bed and hides his eyes with his front hooves, completely losing control "JUST KILL ME!"
>you stare at him with your jaw hanging open, completely dumbfounded
 
"You don't want to die," you state calmly, grabbing a shirt and wrapping it around your hand to stop the bleeding
>"YES I DO! JUST KILL ME!"
>you sit on the bed once more with a stoic look on your face
>he lunges at you, and you catch him in your arms
>you squeeze him tight as he squirms in your grasp, using your good hand to keep his neck and head pushed firmly away from you as he cranes his neck to try and bite you
"Shiny STOP!" you grunt
>even in his emaciated state, he can put up quite a fight and it takes all your strength to keep him in check
>"DO IT!"
"SHINY!"
>"BREAK MY NECK!"
>he flings his head around and manages to snap his jaws around your forearm
>that shit hurts
"OW!! DAMN IT SHINY, STOP THAT!" you grumble, managing to break your arm free of his grasp and hold him at bay once again
>it takes all of your willpower to keep from retaliating, instead focusing your effort on keeping him restrained so he can't bite you again
>"I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!" his voice cracks into a high-pitched, tortured tone "I WANT TO GO HOME! I WANT MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER BACK! I WANT ALL OF YOU TO JUST DIE!"
>he tries to wriggle backward to escape your grasp, but you lean into him with your full body weight to make it more difficult
>he proves too strong, and eventually breaks free from you, sitting up in the bed once again
>his cheeks are damp with tears, tiny little drops of blood smeared on his muzzle from where he bit you
 
>he shakes uncontrollably, upper lip turned up baring his teeth in a fierce snarl
"Damn it, I'm NOT your enemy here!"
>he doesn't respond
>you reach a hand toward him again
>he looks back and forth rapidly between your face and hand, flinching for a split second, expecting to be slapped across the face
>he looks shocked when you simply rest your hand between his eyes and begin slowly stroking his muzzle
>you let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding, relieved that he doesn't bite you yet again
>"Stop... please..." he mutters weakly, his snarl disappearing as his ears slowly raise from their lowered position
>his eyes close and he repeats his plea
>"Stop..."
>he lets out a long, drawn-out whimper as you continue to pet him
>"I don't want to like you... I don't want to be your friend... Please just hate me like all the rest did..."
"No."
>"I...I'll bite you again..."
"I don't think you will."
>you toss the shirt aside, the bleeding in your injured hand finally having subsided
"That hurt like hell, by the way."
>he slowly lowers himself back down to a laying position as you refuse to take your hand off of him
 
"You wanna tell me what that was all about?"
>he doesn't answer, instead simply shuddering every time you stroke his face
"Shiny, talk to me boy, please?"
>he sighs
>"Please... please go..."
"Not happening, especially not after that little display, sorry."
>he gives an aggravated flick of his tail and slowly raises his head to look into your eyes
>"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
>"Being nice to me..."
"Because you're hurting."
>"Huh? Those scars on my back are old."
"But the ones on your heart are clearly still fresh."
>you reach up to scratch behind his ear, and he winces seeing the condition of your hand
>"I didn't mean to hurt you, Master."
"Yeah you did, but it's fine," you reassure him. "That's probably been building up for a long time. I'm going to take a wild guess that's the first time you've ever bitten anyone."
>"Yeah... it's just..."
>he hesitates to continue
 
"Just what?"
>"I've always hated collaborators."
"Collaborators?"
>"Ponies that cooperate with humans to save their own hide."
"I'm not sure I understand..."
>"The whip marks on my back," he says, tipping his head toward this back and hindquarters, "not all of them came from my old masters."
>he shakes his head and gives an angry little snort
>"The overseer at the slave camp I was sent to back when I was first captured in Equestria was a pony. A unicorn, like me."
>your eyes go wide in surprise
"You were whipped by another pony?"
>"Yeah," he scoffs. "He even had full control over his magic. He could have freed the whole camp if he wanted to."
"Damn."
>"He wasn't the only one though. As I made my way through the system to my first auction, at every stop along the way there were at least one or two ponies that were more than happy to lend a helping hoof to their captors."
>he grits his teeth
>"Cowards... I swore I'd never be like them."
>he starts to shake with anger
>"Why do I deserve mercy? Why should I sit here and accept your charity when there are still ponies out there, right now, suffering?"
"There's nothing you can do for them, Shiny..."
 
>"I've failed them all. I couldn't keep them safe. I don't deserve to live."
"That's not your fault, you can't blame yourself fo-"
>"And why not? Mas- can I call you something besides Master?"
"Anon is fine when we're alone like this, but you should probably call me Master in public or when I have company over."
>"Fair enough. Anon, I used to be captain of the royal guard. I was a PRINCE. A leader. A leader keeps his subjects safe. A soldier protects the innocent. I couldn't do either. They took me while I slept, for Celestia's sake, I didn't even get to fight!"
>you raise an eyebrow as you continue petting him
"You? A prince?"
>"I don't care if you don't believe me."
"It's not that..."
>"Then what?"
"Just wondering how I, of all people, managed to snag a PRINCE for a measly hundred bucks when even common ponies usually go for a few thousand, minimum."
>"Probably because nobody wanted me. I've never been a good slave, Anon. When you picked me up, heck, that must have been my tenth time at auction. My last master... well, he bought me because he likes to break ponies. He thought I'd be a good challenge for him with my reputation. Everyone before that had surrendered me willingly when they couldn't get me to do what they wanted."
"I see. Hey, give me a minute, I'll be right back okay?"
>the throbbing in your hand becomes too much for you to ignore, and you excuse yourself to fetch an ice pack before returning to your bedroom
>Shining gives you a regretful, sympathetic glance as you sit back down next to him and ice your bruised hand
"You know, this is the most you've talked all day. What made you want to open up all of a sudden?"
 
>"You said you wanted to get to know me. After I bit you and you didn't beat me within an inch of my life, I figure the least I can do is talk to you. What else do you want to know about me?"
>you shrug
"Like I sai-" your words are abruptly cut short by an intense yawn and you stretch for several seconds before continuing, "Like I said, whatever you feel comfortable sharing."
>"I've kept you up for too long... maybe you should get some sleep, Mas--- Anon."
"I'd rather keep you company a little while longer, if that's alright with you."
>"I... sure, I guess."
>you're seized by another yawn, blinking sleepily and stretching out again
>you casually kick your slippers off and take off your robe as Shining raises an eyebrow at you curiously, before laying down on the bed and pulling the blankets over yourself, resting your hands and the ice pack on top of your chest and propping your head up with a couple of pillows so you can keep an eye on your little pony
"Hope you don't mind if I make myself comfortable."
>"It's your bed, I guess..."
"Sheets are still kinda damp," you mutter as you wriggle around, trying to find a dry spot, "you must have been sweating more than I realized."
>"Sorry."
>you sigh
"Not a big deal. Anyway, you were telling me about yourself?"
>Shining squirms around on top of the blankets, turning himself to more easily maintain eye contact with you
 
>"Yeah. Well, I mean... I guess you got the basics already. There's not much else to know about me. Well, probably at least nothing else you'd be terribly interested in."
"I don't mean to be insensitive, but I was kinda hoping you'd tell me more about... oh nevermind, probably not a good idea to ask."
>he tilts his head and gives a flop of an ear, waiting for you to continue
"I was going to ask you about your wife and daughter, but..."
>his ears immediately go flat and he squeezes his eyes shut tightly
"Damn it, I'm sorry..."
>his bottom lip begins to quiver
"That was stupid of me to even bring up...
>he's trying his best not to cry, and you can tell even the mere mention of his family might as well have been a red hot spike driven straight through his heart
>you set the ice pack aside, scolding yourself internally as you sit up slightly and reach toward him, grabbing his front hooves and pulling him over to you, resting them on your chest and placing a hand on the back of his head as your head returns to the pillow, gently pushing until his chin is resting on your chest between his hooves as well
>he doesn't sob, but he's definitely crying now
>you simply stroke his neck and the top of his head with one hand, slowly rubbing a thumb over the top of the hoof beneath your other hand, feeling him tremble occasionally as he lets out a sniffle here and there, the dampness of his tears soaking through the blanket after a few minutes
>you decide that's enough talking for tonight, instead opting to hum softly to him
>he continues crying for several more minutes, and eventually exhaustion overtakes him once more, the stallion falling asleep with his head and hooves resting on your chest
>he's close enough that you can feel his breath on the bottom of your chin every time he exhales
>you sigh and close your eyes, somewhat relieved that he's asleep again, and almost instantly sleep claims you as well, having been much more tired than you realized
 
 
 
 
 
"Yeah," you say into the phone in a hushed tone, "I'll bring him in around noon, Thanks."
>Shining blinks his eyes open slowly, letting out a loud yawn as he sits up in the bed, just catching the end of your conversation
>"Who were you talking to, Anon?"
"Hey there," you say to him with a warm smile as you reach over and give his ear a scritch, "didn't mean to wake you up. That was the vet's office."
>"It's fine," he says, yawning again and smacking his lips before tilting his head and looking at you curiously. "Vet?"
"Veterinarian. I scheduled a full health exam for you this morning. You're not afraid of the doctor, are you?"
>"Oh... well, not really. I haven't seen one in a long time though."
"Not even for your mandatory vaccinations?"
>"No, my masters usually gave those to me themselves to save money. If they did at all, that is."
"Oh. I didn't know that was legal" you say as you stand up. "Well, your appointment isn't for another couple hours. You wanna watch some tv or something?"
>"No," he replies simply.
"Breakfast, then?"
>he nods
"Apple cinnamon oatmeal sound good?"
>he licks his lips and for a brief moment you detect the slightest hint of a smile
>"Better than bland, boring old hay."
>he hops down from the bed and stretches before following you into the kitchen
>when you place the bowl in front of him, he immediately plunges his muzzle into it, not even bothering with a spoon, wolfing down the whole thing in just a few bites, in stark contrast to his reluctance to eat just yesterday
 
>you laugh at him as you pour yourself a bowl of cereal
"Good stuff, boy?"
>"Yeah."
>before you can take a single bite he picks the bowl up in his mouth and sits on his haunches, looking up at you expectantly
"I guess you want some more?"
>a simple flick of his tail and a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth make his answer obvious
>you take the bowl from him and prepare another serving of oatmeal, looking over at him as he cautiously sniffs at your cereal
"Don't get any ideas, Shiny, that's mine."
>"What is it?"
"Cheerios," you reply as the microwave beeps
>you stir the oatmeal and add the little packet of cinnamon and dehydrated apple bits, adding a dab of butter and splash of milk as well to smooth out the consistency before setting it in front of him
>before you've even taken your second bite of cereal, his oatmeal is gone again
"You should probably take it easy, pal, you eat too fast you're likely to get sick. I don't want you puking all over the vet, best to ease your stomach back into things."
>"But it's good. One more bowl?" he asks before sitting on his haunches in front of you with the bowl in his mouth once again, ears flat and a sheepish smile on his cheeks as his tail flicks about occasionally
"How can I say no to that face?" you laugh, patting the top of his head before taking the bowl from him. "Just promise me you'll take your time with this one, okay?"
>he nods
>"Yes Mas-- I mean, uh, sure Anon..."
 
>the two of you finish your breakfast in relative silence as you flip your laptop open, checking out the morning news between spoonfuls
"Did you sleep well last night?" you ask him casually as you scroll through the pages of your usual news sites. You pick up the bowl and drink the leftover milk before wiping your mouth with the back of your hand, taking both of your bowls to the sink. "You were still sound asleep on my chest when I woke up this morning, like you hadn't moved a muscle all night long."
>"I felt safe," he answers, looking away from you with a hint of shame in his voice. "It... it was a nice change," he mutters.
"No more nightmares after I came in?"
>"No."
"Good," you smile. "Guess that means you'll be sleeping with me for a while then, if we know that keeps them at bay."
>you wash the bowls, dry them and put them away
>"I really am sorry about biting you. You didn't deserve that."
"Water under the bridge, forget it even happened."
>Shining decides to curl up on a rug in the living room floor in front of your recliner as you sit and pick up your book from last night, opting to read in silence
>he falls asleep there once again, his face twitching here and there, a leg kicking slightly, an ear flopping, lip quivering as he dreams
>after an hour or so you sneak out of the room and get yourself dressed, coming back in and nudging the sleepy stallion gently to wake him up
>he opens his eyes and frowns when he sees the halter and lead rope in your hands
"Time to go to the vet, Shiny," you say. "Sorry about this but the law says it's either this or a collar and leash when you're out in public.
>he hangs his head with a sigh
>"I understand."
>you hold the halter up to his face and he slips his muzzle through the noseband while you buckle the strap that loops around behind his ears, as well as the snap that connects under his chin
 
>you clip the leadrope to the metal ring on the bottom of the halter and lead Shining out to your car where he hops up into the back seat and lays down
>Shining appears annoyed when you turn on the radio and flip through the stations, unable to find anything you want to listen to, so you just turn it right back off
>the 15 minute ride to the vet is silent, save for the ambient sounds of the car's engine and the traffic around you
>when you arrive he keeps his head down as you lead him inside
>it's clear he doesn't enjoy being seen like this
>you approach the receptionist's counter and he sits on his haunches, looking away and toward the floor
>"Mister Anonymous, I presume?"
"That's right. I'm here for my 10:00."
>"Of course, of course!" the jovial, plump, middle aged woman with thick glasses and thinning gray hair leans over the counter and looks down at the pony next to you
>"And you must be Shining Armor! I--" she gasps seeing his emaciated state, "oh my goodness, you poor thing!"
>she momentarily shoots you an accusatory look which you're quick to respond to
"Hey, I told you guys over the phone I just picked him up from auction yesterday. His condition isn't my fault, I rescued him."
>"I see," she says, giving a small sigh of relief. "Well," she hands you a clipboard with some paperwork and a pen, "if you just fill out these forms I'll take him over to the scale and weigh him."
>when you take the pen and clipboard from her she notices the bruising and teethmarks on your hand and arm
>"Did he do that?"
"Yes, but it's fine, it was just a misunderstanding," you say with a quick glance down at him as you hand the lead rope over, "he's not a violent pony, he'll be good, won't you Shiny?"
>"Yes, Master..." he grumbles under his breath
>you take a seat in the lobby and begin filling out the forms as he's led away briefly
>the receptionist makes some notes on his chart as he's returned to you, taking the clipboard with your completed paperwork as well
 
>"Alright, I'll let the doctor know you guys are here."
>she reaches down and pats Shining on the head before disappearing to a back room for a moment, then returning to her desk
>Shining hasn't made eye contact with you since you left the house, which bothers you
"Something on your mind?"
>"No, Master."
"You're being awful quiet and not looking at me, just thought I'd see if something's troubling you."
>"I'm fine, Anon."
>the receptionist and another client in the waiting room both look at you with a raised eyebrow when Shining calls you by name, especially in his current tone of voice
>you clear your throat to let them know you're aware of their staring before placing a hand on Shining's back and simply leaving it there
"Alright buddy, I'll take your word for it. Try to relax for me a little bit though, alright? We'll be done here and back home before you know it."
>before he can reply the doctor calls you back to an exam room
>Shining is too big for the exam table, so he simply stands on the floor next to it as the vet begins to examine him
>"Shining Armor, eh? My, my, you look like you've had it rough big guy."
>the vet looks up at you
>"I understand you've only had him a day?"
"That's right. Picked him up at auction yesterday. I couldn't just leave him there."
>he pokes and prods around Shining's face and neck with his hands and fingers, tilting his head one way and then the other, shining a light into his ears, then his eyes, looking into his nostrils, lifting a lip to look at his gums and teeth
 
>before Shining even realizes what's going on, he's stuck in the neck with a needle
>he winces slightly as vial after vial of blood is drawn
>"Easy there big guy, almost done."
>he draws 4 vials of blood total before removing the needle from his neck, holding a piece of gauze over it
>Shining is stuck in both sides of his neck as well as his rump with various vaccination cocktails as well, swishing his tail as he starts to become annoyed with all the poking and prodding
>"Has he eaten today?"
"Yeah. He had 3 bowls of oatmeal this morning, and some hay last night."
>"Hm. Normally I don't like to do blood work unless the patient has been fasting, but in his condition I wouldn't recommend that."
>he lifts Shining's tail to the side and inserts a thermometer into him, causing his eyes to widen in surprise and his upper lip to curl up angrily
"Uh, couldn't you use an oral thermometer?"
>the vet shakes his head and glances at Shining's face before replying
>"Sorry pal, this is the only way to get an accurate reading."
>he listens to various spots on Shining's side and abdomen while the thermometer takes its reading
>it beeps and he removes it before continuing
>he presses in different spots on his sides and belly, and you see Shining wince in pain a few times
>"I know this is making him uncomfortable, you might want to get a good hold of him for this next part. I can go get a muzzle instead if you're afraid he might bite you."
"What are you about to do?"
>"I need to do a rectal and genital exam," he states matter-of-factly before slipping on a latex glove and fetching a dispenser of veterinary lubricant from a drawer
>Shining's ears pin flat against his head and he sits on his haunches with a loud snort
>"Now now, if you relax this will only be uncomfortable for a minute or two."
 
>you offer a sympathetic glance at Shining as you kneel down in front of him and put your arms around his neck
>he sighs and very slowly stands back up, closing his eyes tight in anticipation
"Hey, don't think about it, Shiny. Focus on me, on the sound of my voice."
>you squeeze him tight as the vet begins the exam
>his entire body lurches forward and he whimpers loudly, and you tighten your grip
"Shhh, shhh, hang in there, I'm right here buddy, I'm right here. You're gonna be okay, shhhh..."
>he presses his chin against your shoulder hard as he lurches again, stomping a hind hoof on the floor but resisting the urge to kick
"You're doing great Shiny," you say before looking back at the vet, "are you almost finished?"
>the vet nods as he wipes the remaining lube from Shining's hindquarters before pulling the gloves off with a soft snap, putting a fresh pair on as he carries out the second portion of this part of the examination
>Shining gives a slight sigh of relief, but then emits a low growl as the vet examines his stallionhood
>as the vet finally stands up from his kneeling position and disposes of his gloves, he gives a sigh and shakes his head
>you don't like the look he's giving you
"What's wrong?"
>"His belly is very tender, and I didn't hear any gut sounds. There was no fecal matter present in the anal canal either. I'm deeply concerned about this apparent lack of intestinal motility. He might have been deprived of nutrition for too long. If he ate this morning and last night as well, that's even more concerning. I should hear SOMETHING when I listen to his belly, but there's just nothing there. I want to take some x-rays was well as perform an abdominal ultrasound, and we might need to keep him here for observation overnight."
>Shining looks up at you pleadingly, his heart starting to race
>"I don't want to stay here, Master, you said we could go home after this..."
 
"I promised him we'd be going home as soon as his examination was over," you say as you hug Shining once more and pet his neck "do you really think that's necessary?"
>"I'd strongly recommend against that, mister Anonymous. Honestly he's lucky to be alive right now, and if his digestive system isn't working he's far from out of the woods," the vet says, drawing up a solution of some kind into a needle. "This medicine will encourage peristalsis," he says before injecting it into Shining's hip without warning, causing him to flinch, "but I don't feel comfortable letting him leave until he has a bowel movement if there's food in his stomach. Realistically he should have been on intravenous nutrition for a week or so, then a liquid only diet with occassional soft foods after that for another couple weeks. When an animal is this badly starved you have to ease them back into things slowly."
>you wince, somewhat embarrassed that you might have unintentionally made things worse for Shining
>the doctor is quick to take notice
>"Don't feel bad, your heart was in the right place. The hay might have been too much for him but the oatmeal shouldn't be too hard on his system in comparison. We'll get your pony through this, he's in good hands here."
>he holds out his hand expectantly, waiting for you to hand over Shining's lead rope
>"Anon..." Shining whimpers, visibly shaking at this point
>you hesitate
"Could I uh... could I maybe stay here with him?"
>the vet rubs his chin and considers your request
>"I guess there's no harm in it. The large animal holding pens in the back are big enough you could pull one of the interns' cots in there with him to sleep on if you'd like."
>you nod
"I'd appreciate that very much. There's no issue with me being here after hours?"
>he simply shakes his head
>"We're a 24 hour clinic so there's always someone on staff here. I don't see it being a problem as long as you're not disruptive."
>he holds his hand out once again
 
>"Now if you'll hand him over to me, I'd really like to get him back there sooner rather than later so I can start an IV drip."
>Shining seems to relax a bit at the news that you'd be here with him and his trembling subsides as you hand the lead rope over to the vet and stand up
>you're led through a room with cages, the barking of excited dogs echoing off the walls with nearly deafening volume as you pass by, to another much quieter back room with three large square stalls that are lined with straw
>the vet flips the light on and you instantly hear the rustling of straw and the skittering of hooves across the floor of one of the stalls, peering in to see a small mare shaking violently in a corner with her eyes shut tight
>"Easy Corona," the vet calls over to her as he opens the stall door next to hers and coaxes Shining inside while you wait outside, "you're going to have company tonight, won't that be nice?"
>"y...yessir" she barely mutters above a whisper, not daring to open her eyes
>she's a dark navy blue earth pony mare with an ivory mane and tail, maybe half of Shining's size, a little on the scrawny side but nowhere near as underweight as your stallion
>you notice that most of her hind end is wrapped and bandaged, some of the bandaging soaked in blood, an IV tube leading out of her neck
>the vet takes Shining's halter and lead rope off, hanging them on the stall door
>you're surprised that Shining settles down fairly quickly, bunching up the straw into a deeper pile before curling up and laying on top of it with a sigh
>he seems to completely ignore the needle inserted into his neck for his own IV tube that is then taped into place
>the vet checks a few things and injects something into the saline bag connected to Shining's IV tube before speaking to him
 
>"This stuff will probably make you pretty drowsy, big guy" he says with a smile, "if you feel like you need to sleep, go right ahead. I just need your master to fill out a bit more paperwork and he'll be in to join you, okay?"
>"Can I have something to drink, please?" Shining asks, avoiding eye contact
>"Not yet. The fluids you're getting intravenously will keep you hydrated for now, I don't want to risk overfilling your stomach. Maybe later this evening if I'm satisfied your condition is improving."
>Shining sighs and turns his gaze toward you, his ears drooping
>you notice his lips look rather dry, his tongue not moistening them at all when he licks them
"He looks kinda parched, doctor, can he at least have some ice or something to nibble on to wet his mouth?"
>"Sure," he says, walking past you and opening the stall next to Shining's, "in a moment, I have another patient to tend to first."
>"Corona," he says softly, taking a collar and leash from the stall door as he enters slowly and cautiously, "it's time to change your bandages, sweetheart."
>he holds a hand out and hunches over slightly, beckoning the mare over to him
>"Come on, girl."
>the mare's tail is pressed firmly against her backside, doing her best to tuck it between her legs as she slinks over to him nervously
>he slips the collar around her neck and gives a slight tug on the leash, leading her away, presumably to a procedure room of some kind, attaching the IV bag to a wheeled post and pushing it alongside her
>you sit on the straw next to Shining and place a hand on his back, noticing his eyelids already starting to get heavy, his head wobbling as he tries to keep it held up
>he scoots closer to you, and without warning his chin hits your lap, his head dead weight on you as he starts to snore softly
 
"Ok, thanks, I owe you one," you say as you end the call and return the phone to your pocket, Shining still sound asleep on your lap as you idly stoke his bristly mohawk
>you were able to get a good friend to cover your shift at work today, and your boss agreed to let you have the rest of the week off to see to Shining Armor
>of course, that meant using vacation days, but where would you go on vacation anyway?
>the door opens, and Corona is led back in, this time without the IV bag, fresh bandages wrapped around her hindquarters and flanks
>you notice there seems to be quite a bit less bandaging on her than there was before
>her steps are a bit more lively, but her gaze doesn't leave the floor as she's returned to the stall
>"Just remember what we discussed, okay? You're here for at least another day, so you have that long come up with something."
>"yessir..." she mutters as the collar is slipped from around her neck and the stall door is shut and latched
>"Alright mister Anonymous," the vet says, stepping through the open stall door where you and Shining are, "I need to take your pony for his ultrasound and x-rays."
>you nudge Shining Armor and shake him gently
"Hey pal, rise and shine"
>he grumbles and wriggles around, his eyes squinting and nose scrunching as he squirms closer to you, putting a hoof on you and trying, but failing, to pull you closer as though you were a big teddy bear
>"No," he fusses, emitting a half-hearted whine along with it
>you cup a hand over each nostril to block his breath
>unable to inhale, he eventually shakes his head and snorts, pushing your hands away with his muzzle as he blinks sleepily
>"C'mon, I was just..." he lets out a disoriented yawn, his head still wobbling from the effects of his medication, "resting my eyes..."
>he rolls onto his side, stretching his legs out and arching his back and neck, pressing the back of his head into your chest as he does so
 
>you catch his head before he has a chance to let it fall back onto your lap, a hand on either side under his muzzle as you try to force eye contact
"Earth to Shining Armor," you whistle, holding up a hand in front of his face and snapping your fingers as his eyes start to close again, "hey, you gotta stay awake for at least a few minutes
>"It's alright, we can take him from here."
>as you struggled with the sleepy stud, you hadn't noticed that a couple of assistants had entered the room with a wheeled, padded cart in tow that sits low to the ground
>they don't even bother with the halter and lead rope, he's in no shape to try to run off anywhere, but it takes both of them as well as the doctor to get Shining safely onto the cart, where his head immediately plops back down, his snoring resuming almost before his head even touches it
>you shake your head silently with a smile on your face
>"I'm afraid you'll have to wait here," the doctor says when you try to follow them as they wheel him out, "we can't have you down in imaging. Radiation, you understand. We'll have him back in a half hour or so."
>you simply nod and take a seat in one of a few chairs that are in the room, pulling out your phone, about to play some stupid little game on it to pass the time while Shining is gone, but as the door opens and closes you faintly hear a voice on the other side down the hall
>"...th pony mare, reserve price three thou..."
>your head immediately perks up in curiousity, half tempted to crack the door back open to try to catch the rest of the conversation, but ultimately deciding against it
>you shrug it off and start tapping away at the screen on your phone, oblivious to the world around you for several minutes
>eventually a stifled sniffle reaches your ears
>you quit the game and stuff the phone back into your pocket as you hear a second, more pronounced sniffle
"Corona?" you say, standing up and taking a step toward her stall
 
>the mare is curled up in the corner, crying into her forelegs
>she doesn't even seem to notice you approach
>you gently rap on the stall door with the back of your hand
"Hey Corona?"
>she sits up on her haunches, her back to you as she stares at the floor, immediately forcing the sniffling to stop
>"yessir?"
"Are you crying?"
>she trembles a bit, hestiating to answer
>"y...yessir..." she mutters weakly
"You want someone to talk to?"
>no response
"Corona?"
>"I don't want to trouble you, sir, I'm sorry I disturbed you, I'll be quiet."
"Hey, it's no trouble. What's wrong? Are you in pain?"
>silence
"Come on, I don't bite. Talk to me," you urge gently
>when you're met with more silence you get frustrated, turning away with a sigh
>"Wait, sir..."
>you stop and turn back to her, seeing her slowly turn around, though she doesn't dare lift her eyes from the floor
>"You really want to talk to me?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't have said that if I didn't. Tell me why you're crying."
>"I... I'm leaving here tomorrow," she says, wiping a tear away with the back of a hoof
"That's good news, isn't it? Aren't you eager to get back to your mas-"
 
>"I don't have a master..." she says with an angry stomp, her ears flattening "at least... not any more..."
"How did you end up in here, then?" you ask, pulling the chair over next to the stall door as she walks toward it and sits on her haunches
>"It's a long story, sir..."
>you simply shrug
"I got nowhere to be, and I'd much rather have someone to talk to than sit here in silence waiting for my stallion to get back."
>"I ran away," she states bluntly
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
>"I ran away, sir."
"From where?"
>"I won't say, sir... I won't go back there."
"Well, surely your master will come looking for you..."
>"He can't take me back even if he comes."
>you see the slightest hint of a smile flash across her muzzle
>you shake your head
"Is this vet hiding you? Stashing you away? You know, the law says he has to give you back if-"
>"I know the law, sir. Even if he comes, I won't be going back with him, I promise you that much."
>you give her a confused stare, and eventually she shoots a brief sideways glance at you
>"I'm not from around here, sir."
 
>there's an awkward silence before your conversation continues
"How long have you been on the run?"
>"A little over a month, sir."
"So that makes you-"
>"A free mare. At least, according to your state's laws. That's why I came here, sir."
>you shake your head
"You've got it all wrong..."
>"Have I, sir?"
"Yeah," you state matter-of-factly. "The thirty day law only applies to ponies that aren't reported missing or can't be properly ident...i....f.."
>your words trail off as your jaw drops slightly, the mare turning and lifting the bandages away from her hind end, just enough for you to get a look
>a gnarled, jagged line of stitches that extends all the way across her hip, the skin pulled together tight, fluid still weeping from the wound in some spots as she releases the bandages and they snap back into place
"Your cutie mark?"
>"It was necessary, sir. I told you, I won't go back there. This was the only way."
>you squint your eyes in curiosity, resting your elbow on your knee and hand on your chin
"How in the world did you talk the vet into removing your cutie mark? He could get into serious trouble for that."
>"He... didn't, sir."
"OH," you stammer, the sudden realization of what she did hitting you like a truck "oh..."
>the thought of it turns your stomach
>how bad must things have been where she was at that she'd go that far?
 
"I can't imagine how bad that must have hurt,"
>"Small price to pay, sir"
>she sighs, her voice giving away that she's on the verge of tears once again
>"It might have been for nothing, though"
"What do you mean?"
>"I wasn't counting on losing so much blood, or getting an infection. I thought I could tough it out until I healed on my own, but I was wrong, sir. I could have died if I didn't come here. I don't have any money. I know they're within their right to do what they're going to do" she whimpers. "It just seems so unfair, I was so close to freedom."
>you see teardrops fall freely from the end of her muzzle
>you recall the snippet of conversation you heard just minutes earlier
>they must be making arrangements to auction her off to cover her medical costs
>it's not uncommon for a free pony to get saddled with a debt they struggle to repay
>the law allows a creditor to seize a free pony and sell them to recover debts they owe to them in excess of a thousand dollars
>there have been no shortage of predatory lenders taking advantage of free ponies in dire circumstances, charging them exorbitant interest rates they know they can't afford
>a two hundred dollar loan could explode on a pony and balloon into a balance of over a thousand dollars in just a couple of weeks
>and the bastards always get away with it too
>even a free pony can't legally sue a human
>the result is that these people would often have a tenfold or more return on their investment when they'd sell the debtor back into slavery
>you try to push your disgust at the thought to the back of your mind
"I'm sorry, Corona," you say softly, reaching through the bars of the stall door and offering her your hand
>she flinches and skitters away from you, her breaths becoming shallow and rapid
"I was just going to pet you," you reassure her
>"That's alright," she says, squeezing a pair of fresh tears from her eyes, "I mean no disrespect, but I'd rather not be touched by a hu-- by a stranger, sir."
 
>you shake your head
"I understand."
>no you don't
>that was a stupid thing to say, but it's too late to take it back
>she doesn't hold it against you though, instead changing the subject
>"Sir, may I ask you a question?" she asks, slowly raising her head and making eye contact with you for the first time
>you nod
>"Your slave, sir... how did he... how did he get to be in such bad shape?"
"It wasn't anything I did. I picked him up at the auction yesterday. I've barely had him a day. Brought him home and gave him a bath, food..."
>you start to wring your hands, feeling a bit of anxiety over Shining's condition
"I just hope I wasn't too late."
>her head tilts to the side
>"You... you care about him, sir?"
"Well yeah, when I saw him sitting in that stall, filthy from head to hoof, nothing but skin and bones... I couldn't leave him there."
>"But he's just a pony, why do you care if he dies, sir?"
>you're somewhat taken aback by her question
"No living creature, slave or not, should have to suffer the life he's lived," you say as though the answer should be obvious to anyone with half a neuron in their skull
>you can see gears turning in her mind as she takes her eyes off of you, her eyes darting around as she stares toward the floor, ruminating on your words several moments before her eyes finally meet yours again
>"Will you ever set him free?"
>you frown, giving a stern "No."
>the immediate and firm nature of your response comes as a surprise even to you
>truth is, it's the first time the thought of Shining Armor becoming a truly free stallion some day has ever crossed your mind
"I care about him but he still belongs to me, Corona. That means he's my responsibility now - for the rest of his life."
>she deflates a bit
>"I see, sir."
>the silence that follows is uncomfortable, so you break it up with more questions
"How much do you owe the vet, anyway?"
>"$3,300 is the last estimate I was given, sir."
>you grit your teeth
 
"They must have known when they took you in that a free mare wouldn't have that kind of money"
>she shrugs her shoulders in response
"So what are you going to do?"
>she gives a mournful sigh, her head drooping and ears laying flat against her head
>"Become a slave again, I guess, sir."
>she shakes her head before returning to the corner of the stall in silence
>further attempts to engage her in conversation are ignored
>you scoot the chair back to its former position with a sigh, pulling out your phone once more and doing some light internet browsing
>but you can't help dwelling on Corona's situation
>you find yourself searching for any kind of charity groups that might help a mare in her situation
>if they exist, they don't have any websites
>you sigh as you continue pondering the predicament, next checking your bank account balance
>paying her medical bills is out of the question
>you jump, slightly startled by the door suddenly opening, Shining being wheeled back in and returned to his stall, snoring softly
>Corona flips out, beginning to yell out in terror the moment the door is opened
>"NO! HOW DID YOU FIND ME? I WON'T GO BACK WITH YOU! NO!!! YOU'RE NOT MY MASTER ANY MORE!"
>wait what
"What!?" you shout, grabbing the bars of the stall door as you stand up
>"I WON'T GO BACK WITH YOU! I'D RATHER DIE! DOCTOR! DOCTOR!"
"Corona, what the hell has gotten into you!?"
>"GET HIM AWAY!"
>the doctor rushes in just as Shining's stall door is closed by the assistants, the commotion rousing him from his drug induced slumber
>"What's all this commotion?"
"She just started freaking out, I have no id-"
>"I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING, PLEASE JUST DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME BACK!"
>"Take you back?"
"Now wait just a damn-"
>the doctor raises a hand to silence you, opening Corona's stall and entering it
>"Calm down, girl. Tell me what's going on here."
>she stares at you in bewilderment as she replies
>"He'll punish me if I tell you..." she says, breaking down into desperate sobs
 
>Shining stands on wobbly legs and looks through the bars of his own stall door, too disoriented to say anything, falling to his haunches awkwardly
>"Mr. Anonymous, maybe you should wait in the waiting room until I can sort out what exactly has happened here."
"I'm not leaving my stallion."
>"He's not going anywhere."
>Corona lets out a frantic wail, the doctor having to raise his voice significantly to speak over her
>"JUST GO. Please. I'll be out to talk to in a few minutes."
>you grumble as you're escorted back out to the waiting room by the assistants
>sitting down right now would be impossible, so you find yourself pacing the floor like a madman, drawing curious looks from various pet owners sharing the waiting room with you
>you try to process what just happened but you don't even know where to begin
>what the hell could have made her spaz out like that?
>the thirty minutes that pass before anyone speaks to you might as well have been an eternity
>the receptionist finally tells you the doctor would like to see you in his office
>you waste no time, hurrying back to the office and taking a seat in front of his desk
>he doesn't even glance up from the clipboard he's looking at when you enter the room
>"Yes, Mr. Anonymous, please, please come in. We have much to discuss."
"Gee, you think? What was that mare going on abou-"
>"First things first, Mr. Anonymous. Your stallion is going to need to be transferred to a specialty care clinic. His road to recovery is going to be a bit bumpier than we expected. They need to do exploratory surgery."
>you feel the blood drain from your face as he hands you the clipboard
"I just need you to fill out the rest of this paperwork."
"What's this?" you ask, flipping through the sheets of paper
>"Authorization for the transfer - as well as a projected estimate of the expenses involved in his recovery"
>you shake your head
"No no no, this can't be right," you chuckle hesitantly, "there's been some kind of mixup in the paperwork..."
 
>you begin to leaf through the papers again, double checking the figures as your eyes go wide
>"I'm afraid not. However, there is another matter we need to discuss," he replies calmly as he slowly takes his glasses off, folding them and putting them in his pocket. "We don't take kindly to clients trying to skip out on their bill, Anonymous."
>you look up momentarily at him with a dumbfounded expression
"What are you talking about?"
>"Corona."
"She's not my problem," you say, your eyebrows furrowing in anger, "you're not going to pawn off that responsibility to me, what the hell kind of operation are you running here?
>"Not your responsibility, eh? That's not what she says."
"Please," you insist, "DO enlighten me about what she said, won't you?"
>"She told us she belongs to you. You're the master she ran away from, and you managed to track her down. She begged me not to let you leave with her."
"That's absurd..."
>"She also says you told her to keep quiet about it or you'd beat her - that you intended to try to pick her back up when we send her to auction for nonpayment so you can save a little money on her medical expenses."
"And you believe her!?"
>he shrugs
>"It wouldn't be the craziest thing I've ever dealt with."
>you let out a loud groan as you lean back in the chair, throwing your hands up and rolling your eyes at the ceiling
"Fuck me."
>"I'll pass. Look Anon, I don't really care if she's yours or not, in all honesty. Nor do I much care about what you do with your property outside these walls. I just want to ensure we're remunerated for the costs that have gone into her care, one way or another. All I need you to do is answer one question: Do you want the mare?"
 
>you let the door close behind you with a slam, simply crossing your arms as you stare daggers at the mare
>she feels your gaze upon her without even looking at you, sitting on her haunches in the corner
>"You're mad..."
"You're goddamn right I'm mad!" you say, rapidly advancing toward the stall and grabbing the bars on the door, shaking it, causing her to flinch and cringe. "Did you REALLY think that was going to work? Or that I'd play along!?"
>"I... hoped, sir..." she mutters
"Corona, LOOK at me when I'm talking to you," you order harshly as you fling the stall door open and enter it. "Do you know what ANY other human in my position would do to you right now!?"
>"Punish me..." she says as she continues to shrink away, her back still to you, "severely..."
>you place your arms around her midsection and lift up on her
"On your hooves, mare, I told you to look at me when I'm speaking to you."
>she tries to steady her shaky legs as she turns to look into your eyes
>hers are puffy and red, it's obvious she's been crying quite a bit since she last saw you
>her expression is desperate and pleading
>"I made a mistake, sir" she says, her lower jaw quivering
"Yes. You did. A BIG one. A BIG FUCKING MISTAKE, Corona."
>a loud snore in the stall next to you interrupts you
>what the hell kind of medication are they giving him to make him sleep so much anyway?
>she winces and looks away from you, but quickly finds your hand under her muzzle, forcing her to maintain eye contact
"And now you've put me in a very difficult fucking position. The vet has offered to let me buy you for 15% less than your total expenses, as the auctioneers will take a 20% cut if he sends you to auction, and he'd rather not deal with the hassle anyway."
>she looks away with a whimper and you give her a gentle shake
"LOOK at me."
>"y...yessir..."
>she says that with such brokenness that it's almost physically painful to hear
"Fuck... just... FUCK!"
>you spin around and throw up your hands
 
"I don't have that kind of money to spare, Corona. I really don't. But GOD DAMN my bleeding fucking heart, because I can't just walk away from this now, either."
>"I'll do anything you want, sir... I'll be a good girl, please give me a second chance, sir..."
"Shut up, just... shut up and let me think for a minute."
>after a couple minutes you turn back to her, and she makes eye contact without having to be told
"Give me one good reason I should accept his offer. ONE"
>"Because you're a good man, sir."
"Kissing my ass isn't going to save your hide here, girl. You're going to have to do better than that."
>"You can't be any worse than my last master, sir. I saw you with your stallion's head in your lap, petting him. You said you've only had him a day, but I can tell you love him, sir. I've never met a human that really loves ponies..."
"If you have a point to make you'd better make it, because right now you haven't convinced me not to turn around, walk out of this stall, and forget you even exist."
>"Would it make any difference to you if I begged for my life? I can't keep living like this, sir. I won't."
"So what, are you delivering an ultimatum now? Either I take you or you kill yourself?"
>she doesn't reply
"ANSWER ME!"
>she slinks away, back to the corner, and starts sobbing quietly
"Fine. We're done here," you say as you turn your back on her and leave her alone in the stall, slamming the door shut as hard as you can
>she doesn't even try to stifle her cries any more
>you enter the stall with Shining Armor and sit down next to him, crossing your arms over your knees and burying your face in them
>you don't need this shit right now
>after serveral minutes her mournful wailing gets to you, and you twist your torso around, slamming your fist against the stall wall as hard as you can
"SHUT UP ALREADY!"
>it's dead quiet immediately afterward, and you let out a sigh
 
 
 
 
 
>nearly an hour passes as you sit in contemplation, the only sound in the room that of the stallion laying next to you breathing steadily
>eventually you stand up with a long, drawn-out sigh and re-enter Corona's stall
>she looks surprised when you join her, but she doesn't move toward you, seeming resigned to her fate
"Have you calmed down a bit?"
>"yessir..." she mutters, her tears having stopped a while ago
>you bite your lip and hesitate to speak your next words
"If... IF... I take you home, Corona, what gurantee do I have that you won't do something stupid like run away again?"
>"where would I run to, sir?"
"Where were you running to before you ended up in this place?"
>"I... I don't know. I hadn't thought that far ahead. I just had to get away from where I was, sir. Anywhere is better than there."
>you sit down with your back against the stall wall and beckon her over
"Come here, girl."
>she sheepishly obeys, slowly approaching you and sitting on her haunches in front of you
"I honestly don't have the money to cover both your and my stallion's medical expenses," you state matter-of-factly
>she hangs her head and stares at the ground
"and I have to say I'm still pretty pissed about that stunt you tried to pull earlier," you chide.
>she shuts her eyes and winces
"This is your last, and only chance," you say. "I want the tru-"
>you're interrupted by a loud gurgling sound and a soft groan coming from the stall next to you
>instantly you're on your feet, in such a hurry to get to Shining Armor that you don't shut Corona's stall door behind you
>you hit your knees next to your stallion, who's stretched out on his side with a grimace on his face
>you see his tail flagging slightly and his side tense up as he emits another loud groan
"Hey pal, I'm right here," you say to him softly as you start to firmly massage his belly
>Shining's whole body tenses up and he thrashes trying to stand up, tearing the IV line from his neck in the process
 
"Easy, EASY boy," you say, leaning over him
>"Anooooooon...." he groans as the sedating effects of the drug he was on start to wear off "my belly hurts..."
"I know, Shiny, I know."
>"Shiny?"
>you turn your head to see Corona sitting on her haunches in the doorway of Shining's stall
>"Is that your stallion's name, sir?"
"Not now, Corona," you say, turning your attention back to him
>rubbing his belly seems to help with the pain a little, but it still comes in waves
>"It... it can't be..." she mutters just above a whisper
>when you glance at her again she's taken a few steps closer, holding a forehoof in the air cautiously and stretching her neck toward the two of you
>"Prince Shining Armor?"
>when you look back at her her jaw is hanging slightly agape and she has a stunned look on her face
>well, at least you know for sure he was telling the truth about being royalty now
"I need to go get the doctor. Corona, stay with him," you order as you stand up and walk past her
>"yessir," she replies
>"It's a normal reaction," the doctor says, setting aside the paperwork he had been working on moments before you entered his office and calmly standing up, grabbing his stethoscope, "sounds like the medication is starting to work, but I'll come check on him anyway."
>"By the way, have you made a decision about the mare yet, mister Anonymous?"
>your face contorts in anger as you reply
"I don't think this is really the time to be asking that."
>when you return to the stalls you find Corona rubbing Shining's side with a hoof, staring at him with that same look of awe and admiration on her face
>"Corona, what are you doing out of your stall?"
>she takes a few steps back and immediately looks at the floor
>"I'm sorry, sir, it won't ha-"
"It's my fault, I was talking to her and forgot to shut the door behind me."
>Corona shoots you a quick, unreadable glance before scurrying back to her stall
>she appears to be trembling
 
>you can't tell if she's anxious over Shining's condition or if that was fear
>or perhaps a bit of both
>the doctor listens to Shining Armor's abdomen for what feels like an eternity, occasionally moving the stethoscope a few inches right or left, up or down, letting out an "mmhmm," here and there under his breath
>eventually your patience runs out
"Well, what is it?" you urge
>"You want the good news or the bad news?"
>you always hate hearing that
"Just tell me what's happening to him..." you demand
>"Well, the good news is the shot he got earlier is finally kicking in. His digestive system is trying to start working again. Which means he can probably stay here instead of being transferred."
>a slight smile and look of relief washes over your face for a moment
>until you notice a slightly unpleasant odor that hadn't been there before
>"The bad news is I can't keep him sedated anymore. He's gonna have some pretty bad cramps come and go for the next few hours. He's going to be in a lot of pain for a while."
>it's not long before you see the source of the smell
"Uh... doc? Didn't you tell me he didn't have anything in him to pass?"
>you point to a fresh pile of droppings just behind Shining Armor
>"Oh! Well! That's... that's a good sign! It uh... maybe it was just deeper in than where I was probing him. He might have had an impaction too, that would explain a few things..."
>he stands up and leaves the stall, returning moments later with a pitchfork to scoop it up and dispose of it
"...can I see the x-rays you took?"
>there's an awkward hesitation before he replies
>"I don't see why not, I'll have someone bring them to you. Well, there's uh... not much else I can do right now, let me know if there are any other changes in his condition. I'll be in my office. I need an answer on Corona in the next hour, too."
>before you can respond the door has already closed behind him
 
>that was more than a little weird
>he didn't even bother to start a new IV on Shiny before he left
>or lock Corona back in her stall
>Shiny himself seems to be faring better now
>the groaning has stopped and his breathing has slowed
>you sit down next to him with a sigh
>but it's not long after that Corona is once again with you
>"I'll tell you anything you want to know if you take me with you."
>you're somewhat surprised by her bluntness
>"Hi," Shiny mutters to her in a still half-dazed state, trying to sit up on his haunches before you force him back into a laying position
>she bows to him in reverence
>"Your Highness..."
"Fine, Corona," you reply, "I'll hear what you have to say. I won't make any promises though. If you lie to me or pull any more funny business I'm done with you, you understand?"
>she perks up slightly
>"yessir"
"This whole situation just seems damned peculiar," you begin, shaking your head. "I won't bother asking where you really come from. It's probably better for both of us if I never know."
>she gives a slight nod
"I need to know though, did you really escape from somewhere or do you belong to the vet?"
>she starts to look around the room like a frightened animal, hesitating to reply
"Well? We doing this or not?" you say impatiently
>"I'm a runaway, sir. That much was the truth."
"...but?"
>her voice lowers to just barely above a whisper
>"Removing my cutie mark wasn't my idea. It was his, sir."
"The vet?"
>she simply nods
>"He was going to take me back to my master, I couldn't let him do that..."
>it starts to click in your mind just what's been going on around here
>you're being conned
 
>you start to simmer with rage, balling up a fist and starting to shake but maintaining a calm tone of voice
"I need proof."
>"I don't have any, sir... but it's the truth, I swear..."
>you can hear the desperation start to well up in her voice again
>"What's the truth?" Shining Armor asks, slowly becoming more coherent
>you shake your head
"That's not gonna cut it, Corona. If it came right down to it your word is inadmissable in court."
>"Please, sir, you have to get me out of here... if he finds out I told you..."
"A desperate mare might say anything to get what she wants."
>your eyes narrow at her for a moment, until she gets a genuinely hurt look on her face
>you sigh
"Tell me more about what exactly he made you do."
>"He's been waiting for someone like you to show up since I got here, sir... He said he wasn't going to let me go unless I made him some money. He planned this when he found out you were bringing a rescued stallion in for treatment. He was hoping you might take me out of the kindness of your heart and pay the money he's asking for, but then he made me put on that little show earlier. I didn't want to do it, sir, I really didn't..."
>you shake your head and try to relax your jaw
>you hadn't realized it but you were clenching your teeth so tight it was starting to give you a headache
>you rub your temples
"If what you're saying is true, that's a pretty serious allegation. Probably enough he could get some criminal charges slapped on him if there was enough evidence."
>"You have to believe me..."
"Even if I believe you, it's not like I'm in a position to confront him."
>there's a tense silence for several minutes as you try to think of what to do
"And I wasn't lying when I said I can't spare the money."
>she lets out a dejected little whimper
"There might be another way though."
>"Another way to what?" Shining asks through a half-yawn
"Shh, nothing Shiny. Go back to sleep until that stuff completely wears off."
 
>you don't have to tell him twice
>his stomach seemingly settled for now after having relieved himself, his head hits the soft straw beneath him and he closes his eyes
"I still don't know if I can trust you, Corona."
>"I understand, sir."
>something in the back of your head tells you not to go through with this, but you ignore it
"I'm willing to do it though."
>she immediately brightens up with a huge smile
"My offer has conditions, Corona."
>"Anything, sir!"
"You're not going to be a free mare. If you leave with me, I own you, understand?"
>she nods
"I just want to make this absolutely clear. You will be my slave" you place great emphasis on your next words, "FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. I will never set you free."
>once again she nods eagerly
"You will be treated fairly, but you WILL work. You will have to do things you might not like, but I won't tolerate disobedience. You're going to have to pull your weight around the house while Shiny is in the process of recovery. My effort needs to be focused on rehabilitating him, I don't have the time and energy to waste on an unruly mare."
>"I understand, sir."
"You're also to be branded and registered in the national runaway database."
>she sinks the moment the word "brand" escapes your lips
>"b...branded?"
"Yes. You don't have a cutie mark, and if you change your mind and decide to run away anyway, you better believe I'm coming after your ass after putting me through all this trouble. I need a way to identify you."
>"I... that... that sounds painful, sir..."
"I'm sorry, Corona, but that's the best I can do. You should have been upfront with me from the start and maybe things could have worked differently. However after the way you've behaved, if you want out of here, I have to insist on those terms."
>she thinks on if for a few minutes in complete silence, biting her lip as she sits on her haunches and stares at the floor, her ears pinned flat
>"Okay."
>she looks up
>"I'll do it, sir. What's your plan?"
 
 
 
 
 
>you stand up, brushing stray bits of straw off your pants and clear your throat when the vet returns
>"So, mister Anonymous, ha-"
"I can't afford two ponies right now," you cut him off abruptly
>Corona is immediately at her stall door, staring directly at you with silent tears streaming down her cheeks
>she rears up and places her hooves on the bars, her ears flat against her head and lip quivering, giving a soft whimper
>you look on her with pity for a moment before shutting your eyes and shaking your head
>"Please sir, don't leave me here..."
>"Are you sure, mister Anonymous?"
"YES!" you snap, gritting your teeth. "Now, can we change the subject please? Where are those x-rays? I want to see them for myself, nobody ever brought them to me."
>the doctor waves his hand dismissively
>"Yes, yes, one of my assistants will be along as soon as they can with your stallion's x-rays."
>his gaze falls upon Corona
"You mind telling me what's taking so long with that? I gotta say I'm starting to have some doubts here, doc."
>Shining stands up in his stall and gives a good shake before approaching the door and peering out at you silently
>"Doubts about what?"
"Oh, a lot of things. Mostly about your competency and if my Shiny is really as sick as you say he is."
>his eyes dart back and forth between you and the two ponies a few times
>his eyebrows crease and he frowns disapprovingly
>"Well, Mr. Anonymous, unless you've been hiding the fact you have a degree in veterinary medicine, perhaps it's best if you keep your doubts in check and let me do my job."
>you roll your eyes and cross your arms
"Awful defensive for someone who's just trying to do his job."
>you turn your head, glancing over at Corona
>"You know, you're welcome to take your stallion and leave. We'll send you a bill in the mail for services rendered. Don't call us crying when he dies from a twisted gut, though"
>you look over at Shining Armor, who tilts his head curiously as he sits on his haunches at the stall door
 
"How you feeling, Shiny?"
>"A lot better, Master."
"No more stomach aches?"
>he simply shakes his head
"No more drowsiness?"
>again
>your eyes meet the doctor's
"Can you explain to me why he suddenly seems to be feeling just fine now that whatever drugs you were giving him seem to be working their way out of his system?"
>"I don't like your tone, Mr. Anonymous."
>he stomps over to the stall door, puts Shining's halter and lead rope on and handing him over to you
>"I think you should leave, now."
>he glances over at Corona
>"I'll just euthanize that stupid rat if you don't want her."
>Corona's eyes go wide
>you shrug, starting toward the door with Shiny in tow
"Not my problem."
>"WAIT!" a loud, desperate, feminine voice cries out
>you stop in your tracks and let out a heavy sigh
>you spin around and look at her
"He's not going to kill you, mare. You're worth too much to him."
>"I'm not going to lose any more money on this mare. If she doesn't sell her first time at auction, I'm putting her down, simple as that. I won't pay for months upon months of boarding fees until the auctioneers can get rid of her."
>you turn to the doctor
"You know killing slaves is illegal."
>he shrugs
>"Humane euthanasia by a licensed professional of veterinary medicine for valid medical reasons isn't, though."
"Again, that's not really my problem."
>you approach the bars of the stall door and look Corona in the eye with a laugh as you kneel down in front of her, taking a bar in each hand as you let Shining's lead rope drop to the floor
"I don't think you have much to worry about, though. You're a very pretty mare. I'm sure there's some fat, greasy loser that will see you and just fall in love."
>you reach through the bars to pat her on the forehead
"You'll make some lonely nerd a wonderful fuck toy!"
 
>before you can laugh a second time, a pair of snarling teeth clamp down on your hand and pull
>you let out a surprised yell of pain as you're knocked to the ground and your arm is pulled through the bars all the way up to your shoulder
>when you try to pull back the mare just bites and pulls harder
"GAH! FUCK! LET GO!"
>the doctor frantically starts pulling on your arm
"STOP THAT, you're only making it worse!"
>he tries to open the door, but your arm is lodged in a location that makes it impossible
>he bangs on the stall with his fists
>"CORONA LET HIM GO, NOW!"
>she growls loudly and pulls even harder, eliciting a sharp yelp from you as blood becomes smeared on her muzzle
>Shining starts pacing back and forth frantically behind you, unsure what he should do
>he suddenly approaches the bars and looks straight into her eyes
>"Corona, I order you to release my master. At once."
>she closes her eyes and shakes her head
>Shining's tone softens and he sits on his haunches
>"Please, Corona... one pony to another. This isn't the way, you're only making things worse for yourself... for your own sake, let Anonymous go..."
>she hesitantly releases you and you immediately pull your arm back through the stall
>standing up, you fling the door of the stall open with one hand while unbuckling your belt with the other, taking the strap of leather in your good hand and doubling it over
>Corona scurries to the corner of her stall and curls up into a fetal position, her hooves shielding her face
>you raise the belt high above your head in preparation to swing until a hand catches your arm
>"Alright, Mr. Anonymous, that's quite enough of that."
"She bit me, she needs to be taught a fucking lesson!"
>"She doesn't belong to you. It's not your place to punish her. I won't have any creatures in my care being beaten."
>he escorts you out of the stall and you shoot Corona a death glare as it's shut and latched behind you
 
>he leads you to an exam room where he cleans and bandages your hand
>"That's going to need stitches, Anon, you might want to go to the emergency room."
"You better have a damn good fucking lawyer, this shit falls on you," you say, pressing an index finger into his chest angrily before calling out harshly to Shining Armor
"SHINY! Come. We're leaving."
>Shining is at your side, looking a bit annoyed at being beckoned to you like a pet, but offering no protest as you take his lead rope and begin leading him toward the exit
>"Lawyer? What do you mean?"
>you detect the slightest hint of panic in the man's voice as he begins to follow you
"I think my meaning is clear, doctor. I'll be seeing you in court."
>you elevate your voice as you stomp through the lobby, making sure all eyes fall on the two of you
>"Please, not in front of the other patients..."
"What, you don't want people to know that you can't keep the animals in your care under control and that one of them savagely attacked me?"
>you could hear a pin drop in the awkward silence that follows
>"Anon, please..." he says, placing a hand around your back and forcefully diverting you to his office "let's discuss this in my office like civilized men, there's no need to-"
>you pull away from him
"Don't fucking touch me! You're done. DONE!"
>you storm through the front door toward your car
>as expected, he follows you out and into the parking lot
>"Anonymous what will it take to make this go away!?"
>you open the back driver's side door of your vehicle and Shining hops inside, laying across the back seat, seeming to ignore the scene unfolding around him
>"I'll waive your bill!"
>you shake your head, slamming the door shut as you open the front door and sit behind the wheel of your car
>he grabs the door, preventing you from pulling it shut as you insert your key into the ignition
>"I'LL GIVE YOU THE MARE!"
 
>you hesitate, slowly looking up at him as you relax a bit, sitting back in the seat and taking your hand off the keys
"What makes you think I want a psychotic, vicious beast like that anywhere NEAR me and my stallion?"
>"She bit you. Don't you want to make her pay for that?"
"She's already going to pay for it, by being sold off at auction."
>"Wouldn't you rather punish her yourself? Hurt her the way she hurt you?"
>you hesitate further
>"I can't let you punish her here, but if you take her away from here then whatever you decide to do with her after that is none of my business..."
>you let out an angry sigh
"What if I decided to take her off somewhere and torture her? Would that bother you?"
>"If it'll keep you from taking me to court, I don't care WHAT you do with her once you take her away. You can punish your slave as you see fit, as long as I never have to see you again..."
>you start the car and turn the air conditioner on low before stepping out
"Shiny, I'll be back in a little bit. Wait here until I get back, okay?"
>he nods as you shut and lock the door
>it's over an hour before you return
>Shining looks out the back window of your car and gives a mile-wide smile seeing you with Corona's leash in one hand, and a manilla folder stuffed with paperwork in the other hand
>the mare's neck is shaved in a spot under her mane and she's wearing a muzzle, her ears folded flat and a fearful look on her face
>you open the passenger side door and she hops up into the seat with a little tug on the leash
>as soon as the veterinarian's office disappears from your rearview mirror, you reach over and remove the muzzle covering Corona's snout, smiling at her
>"It... it worked..."
>her lower jaw hangs slightly agape as she stares ahead at the dashboard in disbelief
"You did great, Corona."
>"Thank you, Master. I owe you my life..."
"I think that might be exaggerating a little, but you're welcome just the same."
 
>Shining's head pokes up between the two of you from the back seat, looking at Corona curiously
>"What happened to your neck?"
"That's where her brand is at, Shiny."
>he tilts his head
>"I don't see any brand."
"It's a freeze brand. Hard to see now, but her hair will grow back white there for the rest of her life."
>she looks away, staring out her window with a sigh
>"Yeah... the rest of my life."
"Don't sound so forlorn, mare. You knew the deal before I ever took you out of there."
>you reach over and pet her mane
>you're surprised that she doesn't flinch or pull away in disgust
>instead she trembles nervously
"Besides, you'll find I'm a fair master. And while I demand your respect, I don't want you to be afraid of me."
>the rest of the ride home is silent
>when you finally arrive you remove the halter and leadrope from Shiny as well as Corona's collar and leash as you open the front door
>she sits on her haunches and looks around the living room
>she looks confused when she sees Shining hop up on your couch and make himself comfortable as you head toward the kitchen
>"Your Highness, are you sure that's wise?" she asks under her breath, not taking her eyes off the doorway leading to the kitchen, anticipating your return at any moment
>"What do you mean?"
>"Ponies aren't allowed on their master's furniture... you're going to get us both whipped..."
>Shining instantly bursts out laughing
>"Anon isn't going to whip either of us, Corona. Especially over something like that. He's not like that."
>"Then... then how does he punish you?"
>Shining shrugs
>"He hasn't tried to yet. Not even once. Not even after I bit him last night."
>she immediately looks down at the floor when you re-enter the room, popping the tab on a can of soda as you take a seat in your recliner
>you smile warmly at Corona and call her over to you
"Corona, come here girl."
>she approaches you sheepishly and sits on her haunches in front of you
 
>you place your hand under her chin and gently tilt her head upward
"Rule number one, my dear, is that you are always to look into your master's eyes when being spoken to, okay?"
>she nods as she hesitantly makes eye contact and you brush a stray lock of mane from her face
>"yessir..."
"Good girl."
>you lean back in the chair and set the can on an end table next to you, patting your thigh
"Up, girl."
>she offers you a blank stare in response, prompting you to pat your leg again
"Come on, up girl."
>she looks over at Shining
>"I think he wants you to jump up on his lap, Corona."
>the mare awkwardly scrambles up onto your lap while you simultaneously let the recliner's footrest out, leaning it back slightly to get more comfortable
>her position is somewhat precarious, as there's not much room for her
>it's about as awkward as a giant saint bernard trying to be a lapdog
>you place your bandaged hand on her withers and gently push until she's resting on top of you at an angle, her chest against yours
"There we go."
>she squirms uncomfortably as you begin stroking her back, looking away from you and at the floor
>you can tell she already wants down
>you give her a little squeeze before continuing to pet her
"Hey, that's another thing. You're going to have to get used to me touching you, because I'm going to be doing it a lot."
>she swallows a lump in her throat, hesitantly resting her head on your chest with a soft, barely perceptible "yessir," laying her ears flat as she continues trembling
>you start to rock in the recliner slightly, letting your hands rest on Corona's back, occassionally reaching up to scratch an ear or rub her neck until she eventually settles down
"Now then, let's talk about work."
>Shining gets a noticable frown on his face, but you ignore it
"Shiny, you might wanna pay attention to what I have to say too, because once you get better you're going to be helping us."
>he snorts and rolls his eyes
 
"I inherited this place from my grandfather. We got a couple hundred acres here, but the whole property hasn't been properly tended to for almost 15 years."
>you continue petting Corona
"So I'm sure you can imagine just how much work needs to be done around here. There's brush to be cleared, fences to be mended, debris to be hauled away, stuff like that."
>you take a sip of your drink, wiping your lips with the back of your hand before continuing
"Some of the terrain is too rugged for a tractor or four wheeler. That's why I wanted a pony. I figured if I can find a cart the right size, it'll be easier for you to haul supplies around for me as well as haul brush away."
>"Y...you mean you're going to help us with the work, Master?"
>you look down at Corona and raise an eyebrow
"Well sure, yeah. This is my property. What kind of man doesn't tend to his own property? You and Shiny are here to help, that's all."
>you have Shining Armor's attention now as well
>"And what happens once we clear the land and make whatever repairs need to be made?"
>you shrug
"I honestly haven't thought that far ahead, Shiny, but I can't make use of the land in its current state, that much is certain. I thought about planting some crops, but the two of you don't seem much like farm ponies to me."
>"With all due respect, Anon, if all you wanted was for us to haul stuff, why didn't you just buy a couple of horses?"
"Shiny, I could have, but I didn't. For one thing, you and Corona can work on your own around here while I'm gone at my job during the day. Horses can't do that. For another thing, I have nowhere on the property to keep horses at the moment, whereas you two can just sleep in my house."
>Corona lifts her head in surprise
>"We're staying in YOUR house, Master?"
"You have a problem with that?"
>"nosir... it's just..."
>she blinks and shakes her head
 
>"that just seems like the type of privilege that a pony must earn through hard work and loyalty to her master... a reward to work toward rather than something given freely like that"
>you shrug
"It's practical, Corona. I don't have anywhere else for you two to stay. I'm not going to throw you out in the cold or make you sleep in tents outside or something like that. I want you to be comfortable here."
>you smile down at her
"Besides. Truth be told, I could use the companionship."
>"You say that like we're your pets or something."
>your smile fades
"Shiny, look. Yes, you two are my slaves. And yeah, I get that kinda sucks for you, but come on. Do I really seem like such a bad guy to you?"
>he looks away from you
"Have I disrespected you or treated you unfairly even once since I brought you home?"
>he simply shakes his head
>"A gilded cage is still a cage. A comfortable prison is still a prison. A loved and well-treated slave is still a slave."
>you groan, leaning your head back against the headrest of the recliner
"Do we have to do this right now, Shiny?"
>he hops down from the couch and disappears down the hallway without another word
>you silently hope he's not always going to be this mercurial
>sure you like the stallion, but he's not easy to get along with when he gets like this
>it's well within your rights to punish him for mouthing off like that, but you know that will only further drive a wedge between the two of you
>you just have to be patient with him, it's going to take time before he trusts you
>Corona too, for that matter
>oh well
>when the time comes for work, if they see you working alongside them just as hard, sweating just as much, getting just as dirty and tired, it should go a long way toward earning their respect
>they'll come to think of this place as home, too, eventually
>you hope so, at least
 
 
 
 
 
>you snort loudly and shake your head, bolting up in your seat
>huh, that's weird, you don't remember falling asleep
>your two ponies are nowhere to be found
>you sit up, pushing in the footrest of the recliner as you stretch and yawn, calling out sleepily
"Shiny? Co-" *yawn* "Corona?"
>no response
>you head for the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee
>sure it means you'll probably be up all night from drinking caffeine this late in the afternoon, but you're off work the next few days anyway
>you lazily walk down the hallway and push open your bedroom door
>Shiny is curled up on your bed looking out the window, his chin resting on his forehooves
>he raises his head briefly, his left ear spinning around in your direction and muzzle soon following, looking over at you with a pouty face, before returning his gaze out the window
"You haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, big guy. You hungry?"
>"No, Master," he mutters.
>you're pretty sure that's a lie, but you can tell he wants to be alone right now so you gently close the door and turn back down the hallway
>it's not long before you notice the bathroom door is shut
>you press your ear against it and can here the gentle sloshing and splashing of water
>placing your hand on the door handle, you turn it slowly and push the door open as quietly as possible
>you see Corona leaning back in the bathtub with her eyes closed, slowly lowering herself into the water until her head is submerged, then coming back up and shaking her head, running a hoof over her mane to push it back out of her eyes, spitting out a tiny mouthful of water
>careful not to startle her you push the door the rest of the way open and speak gently
"Hey Corona."
>she instantly sits up in the tub in a panic, splashing water over the edge as she begins to scramble to get out
>"I'm sorry Master! Please don't be angr-"
 
"Shh, shh, hey, easy girl. You're fine," you say with a smile, holding up a hand as you step inside and sit on the closed lid of the toilet. "You don't need my permission to take a bath."
>you notice she's disposed of her bandages in the bathroom garbage can
>leaning over, you peer into the tub to get a good look at her rear end
"Just be careful not to tear your stitches, okay girl?"
>she nods
>"yessir..."
>you reach over to pat the top of her head, and once again she instinctually leans away from you
>seeming to suddenly remember your words from earlier, she catches herself, but winces slightly as she allows your hand to make contact
"You really don't like being touched, do you?"
>she shakes her head
>"nosir..."
>a sudden realization strikes you
>is she in the bathtub because you were touching her earlier?
>does she find the touch of a human - even one that means her no harm - so revolting that it makes her feel dirty?
"So... did you come in here to get clean, or did you just want to relax for a bit?"
>"just wanted to relax for a bit before you woke up, Master... I'm sorry..."
>you shake your head
"Stop apologizing to me, Corona."
>"yessir.. sor--... yessir"
>you sigh and remove your hand from the top of her head, and instantly notice a release of tension in her body
"Anyway. I just wanted to ask if you're hungry."
>her head tilts ever so slightly and her ears twerk around in different directions
>"Is it time to dispense our rations, master?"
"'Rations?' No, it's just getting close to dinner time. I've got plenty of hay, fruits, and vegetables stocked up, but I figured I'd ask and see if there's a meal you'd like prepared."
>her head tilts even further, her left eye squinting slightly
>"You want to cook for us, Master?"
>you nod your head
"Well, I'm not really much of a cook honestly. I can whip up a mean grilled cheese sandwich though," you say with an awkward laugh.
>she licks her lips subtly
"Sound appetizing?"
>she nods hesitantly
 
"Grilled cheese and tomato soup, then?"
>"I'd like that, Master. I'd like that a lot..."
>you stand up
"Well then, I'll get on that. Towels are on the second shelf under the sink. Take your time though, there's no rush."
>"Thank you, Master..." she mutters, slowly relaxing back into the water
>when you turn to exit the bathroom you jump, startled to find Shining Armor standing behind you
>"I want some, too," he says begrudgingly, sitting on his haunches. "Also, I need to pee. Are you almost done, Corona?"
>you reach up and pull the shower curtain closed around the edge of the bathtub
"There. Open it back up for her when you're done, okay?"
>"I'd rather have some privacy..."
"Then hold it. I'm not going to make her get out of the tub for you."
>he lets out an agitated snort, swishing his tail
"Actually, you're going to have to hold it for now."
>you reach back up and pull the curtain back open
"Come with me, Shiny."
>you start to walk out of the bathroom and he just sits there
>you look back over your shoulder, your tone becoming harsher, causing Corona to cringe
"NOW," you order, snapping your fingers and pointing down the hallway
>he rolls his eyes at you once more, walking down the hallway toward the living room as you shut the bathroom door
>he starts to climb up on the couch, but you're quick to stop him
"Ah!" you grunt sternly, snapping your fingers one more and pointing at the floor in front of you
>he sits on his haunches in front of you and looks past you in disinterest
"We need to have a little chat about your attitude."
>"What about it?"
"Shiny, I like you buddy, really I do, but you're starting to tread thin ice here with your disrespect. I won't have you undermining my authority, especially not in front of Corona."
>he reaches up and pulls your belt from your pants with surprising dexterity, holding it in his teeth and attempting to place it in your hand
>it falls to the floor when you refuse to take it
>"So then why don't you do something about it?"
 
"I've already told you I'm not going to whip you. That doesn't mean you can't be punished at all, though. I don't want to have to do that though."
>"What, you're going to make me sleep alone tonight or something if I don't shape up and lick your boot like a good little slave? That breaks my heart, 'Master.'"
>you place the palm of your hand against your forehead, slowly running it backward through your hair as you take a deep breath
>truth be told, you actually hadn't given much thought about how you were going to discipline them
"What do you want from me, Shiny?"
>"Freedom would be a nice start."
>you shake your head
"Not going to happen."
>"Ever?"
>You gently place your hand on either side of his face and stare into his eyes, speaking very calmly
"I own you."
>he tries to look away, but you force him to maintain eye contact
"Say it."
>he snorts and tries to pull away, so you grab his halter and force it over his head, pulling on the lead rope to once again force eye contact
"I own you, Shiny. I will always own you. The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be."
>"Never," he says with an angry flick of his tail
>you give a frustrated grunt
"We were just starting to get along, too... I don't get you, stallion. Why are you fighting me so hard?"
>you lead him over to the couch, sitting down in front of him, maintaining a firm grip on the lead rope, not letting his gaze wander for even a moment
"I'm a patient man. We're going to sit here until you say it."
 
>nearly an hour passes and he still hasn't broken down and said it
>Corona skittishly approaches the two of you, a towel wrapped around her mane
>she quietly sits on her haunches far away and simply observes, not daring to speak up
>you glance over at her momentarily before looking back at the stallion in front of you
"I'm sure Corona is getting hungry, Shiny. You wanna explain to her why you're delaying her dinner?"
>"That's not my fault, Anon, it's yours. You say you respect me - respect US - but this sure doesn't feel like respect to me."
"Hey, respect is a two way street, pal. You'll be well-cared for here but you're not going to walk all over me and take my kindness for granted. I'll tell you what. I'll settle for an apology at this point."
>he snorts
>"No."
 
>you give a sharp little tug on the lead rope
>not to hurt him or anything, just to show him you mean business
"Ah ah, bad boy. Now you apologize to your master for that attitude so I can go and start dinner. That's all I'm asking fo-"
>his brow furrows
>"I'll show you a 'bad boy'"
>soon the sound of dripping fluid spattering onto wet carpet meets your ears
>a quick glance downward confirms your suspicion
>he's peeing on the carpet
>his eyes lock onto yours with a satisfied smirk as the last few drops dribble out and he lets out a long, exaggerated sigh of relief
>your jaw hangs slightly agape, your expression unreadable as you simply stare into his eyes in disbelief
>Corona is now hiding under the kitchen table, her front hooves covering her eyes and ears laid flat
>probably half expecting Shining's life to end before her eyes for what he just did
>you shake your head and clench your fist around the leadrope
"GOD DAMN IT, SHINY!"
>"I told you I had to go, but you didn't listen."
>you stand up and drop the lead rope, fetching a handful of towels that you drop on the wet spot on the floor and step on repeatedly, trying to soak up the mess
"I SHOULD WHIP YOUR ASS RAW, YOU KNOW THAT?" you shout, your voice trembling with anger
>you resist the almost overwhelming urge to force his muzzle to the floor to rub his nose in it
>that would only make things worse
>besides, it's not like he doesn't know what he did already
"But I'm not going to," you say after taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it with your eyes closed, allowing your anger to subside even if only slightly
>his smile slowly fades
>"What's wrong, 'Master,' discplining your slaves is part of ownership! Don't let my condition keep you from doing what you have to do - what you know you WANT to do."
>he picks up the belt again and flings it toward you
>"Go on, show me who's boss!"
 
>you pick up the towel and bunch it up into a ball, holding it inches from his muzzle and shaking it as you scold him
"You should be ashamed of yourself for this. You're acting like a spoiled little baby, you know that?"
>you storm off toward the laundry room, tossing the dirty towel in the washer and running water into it before grabbing a container of carpet powder from under the kitchen sink, sprinkling it over the wet spot when you return
>you approach the front door, flinging it open so hard it slams against the wall, knocking several pictures off of it
"You want your freedom so bad, go on. Fucking take it," you say, pointing out the door
>he looks stunned
>"You can't be serious..."
"DO I LOOK LIKE I'M PLAYING? GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
>he stands up and slowly walks toward the door, but hesitates in the doorway
>he looks back at you over his shoulder, lead rope still dangling from the halter strapped to his head
>you simply place a foot on his hindquarters and push hard, slamming the door shut behind him as he stumbles outside, nearly losing his footing
>stomping back over to the couch, you sit down and place your elbows on your knees, your entire body shaking with adrenaline as you place your palms over your face
>after only a minute or so you realize what you just did, and in a panic you stand back up, looking out the front window
>you're relieved to see Shining sitting on his haunches in front of the door, looking down
>he raises a hoof as though he's about to knock, but hesitates for several moments before letting out a sigh, standing up and turning around, walking down the stairs of your front porch
>you watch him like a hawk, not even noticing that Corona has joined you in the living room and is sitting on the floor by your recliner
>every fiber in your being is screaming out for you to fling the door open and go running after him, but you resist, hoping your bluff pays off
 
>he eventually reaches the end of the driveway, laying down by the rear driver's side wheel of your car
>for the next 30 minutes it feels like you don't blink or take a single breath as you stare out the window at him
>you'll chase him down if he goes any further, but you want to give him a chance to come back on his own first
>you see him clumsily try to remove the halter and lead rope with his hooves a few times
>naturally, he fails to do so
>every time he tries you see his tail swishing in angry frustration
>even accidentally bops himself on the muzzle one time, drawing a brief, stifled snicker from you
>Corona is now looking out the window as well
>she still hasn't said a word to you
>you let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding when he finally stands up and turns back toward the house, hanging his head in defeat as he walks
>you are quick to scramble away from the window so he doesn't see you as he approaches, and moments later you hear a gentle knock at the front door
>opening the door just a crack, you see him sitting on his haunches in front of you, eyes locked on the ground, ears flattened in shame
"What part of 'go away' do you not understand? You got what you wanted, you got your freedom. Why are you here?"
>he mutters something incomprehensible as his tail starts flicking wildly
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
>he clears his throat
>"I said... I have nowhere else to go..."
"Sounds like you've got a problem, then. Goodbye, Shiny," you say as you start to close the door
>"WAIT!"
>you hesitate briefly
"What now?"
>"I'm..."
"You're what?"
>"I'm sorry."
>you slowly open the door a bit more, standing in the doorway with a stern look on your face and your arms crossed over your chest
"'I'm sorry' what?"
>he blinks a few times, but doesn't even bother looking up at you
>"I'm sorry... Master."
"Again."
>"I'm sorry, Master."
"Last chance, say it like you fucking mean it!"
 
>"I'M SORRY, MASTER!" he blurts out, finally looking up at you with tears threatening to form in his eyes
>"There, I said it."
"I don't think I understand just what you're trying to say here, Shiny. Are you telling me you don't want to be a free stallion anymore all of a sudden?"
>he grits his teeth, grinding them together loudly enough that you can hear it
"Well then, if you're not a free stallion what are you?"
>he forces the words from his lips through a clenched jaw, his tone dripping with venom.
>"I'm a slave."
"Who's slave?"
>his eye twitches and he stomps a hoof
"YOUR slave. I'm your slave, Anon."
>he looks away from you in humiliation
>"Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted?"
>you open the door all the way, calmly picking up the lead rope and giving it a gentle tug as you step aside, leading him back into the house
"Yes. That was all I wanted, Shiny. Was that really so hard?"
>"Harder than you can ever imagine, Anon..." he says, staring at the floor as you remove the halter and calmly close the door
 
>he's completely taken aback when you kneel in front of him and wrap him in a hug
>he doesn't hug you back, but he doesn't pull away either
>eventually you release him
>as you stand up, you flick the end of his muzzle as hard as you can, prompting his eyes to cross and his ears to flop as he tries to look at the end of his own snout
"Don't you ever make me have to do something like that again, you knucklehead."
>"I didn't do it for you, Anon. I did it for that mare over there," he says, tilting his head toward Corona. "I can't just leave her here alone with no other ponies to talk to or comfort her."
"I don't care why you came back, Shiny. What's important is that you came back, that's all that matters to me."
>you stand up and begin walking toward the kitchen
"Now if you're done with your little tantrum, I'll get started with the cooking. I think you owe Corona an apology, too."
>he shoots her a sideways glance, muttering a half-hearted "Sorry" in her direction
>"That was really stupid of you..." she snaps at him under her breath, hoping you don't notice
>he does his best to pretend not to be offended, but you can tell by the look on his face he takes issue with her tone
"You two play nice and watch TV or something until I'm done."
>"yessir..." Corona replies
 
"Hey horses, food's ready," you call from the kitchen
>Shining still looks rather annoyed as he wanders into the room, the mare following closely behind him tweaking her ears every which way rapidly, subconsciously evaluating the scene for safety
>Shining sits on his haunches at the table, able to reach it without needing a chair, as you pull one out for Corona
"Have a seat, little mare"
>you place a bowl of soup in front of Shining, and another in front of Corona
>Shining gives it a tentative sniff, poking his tongue out ever so slightly to get a taste
>Corona sits perfectly still as you set a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches out in the middle of the table
>you grab one and tear off a strip, dunking it in your tomato soup before enjoying it
>another one you toss on a plate in front of Corona
"Well, what are you two waiting for? Help yourselves"
>Shining snaps up one of the sandwiches in his mouth, eating the whole thing in no more than three bites before Corona even finishes sniffing the food in front of her
>she takes a small bite off the corner, carefully sipping from the soup bowl in front of her as well
>before she can stop herself she emits a tiny nicker, immediately bringing a hoof to her muzzle in embarassment
>Shining has already slurped down the last of his soup, licking the remnants off his lips
>"I've never had a human cook for me before," she says, taking another bite and closing her eyes
>she clears her throat as another nicker nearly escapes
>"This is delicious, Master"
"It's just grilled cheese, nothing special," you shrug, finishing what's left of your soup
>Corona is definitely taking her time to savor her meal, her bowl is still almost full and barely half of her sandwich is gone
 
>Shining steps over to the sink, rearing up on his hind legs and fumbling with the faucet handle before finally managing to turn it on
>once back on all fours, he leans his head over the sink and starts drinking straight from the tap, taking huge, loud gulps of water showing little concern for politeness
>you notice that the mare has suddenly stopped eating, and is staring off into space
"Problem, Corona?"
>she shakes her head
>"nosir... I think I'll save the rest for later though..."
>you hear her stomach grumble
"Why? Aren't you still hungry?"
>she sheepishly taps her hooves together, laying her ears flat as she looks at the floor
>"yessir... but I'm... I'm used to making food stretch out and last for a while, I might get hungry again later and-"
"Corona, you don't have to stash food away in case you get hungry. Eat as much as you want, if you get hungry later the kitchen isn't going anywhere."
>she smiles and her ears slowly perk back up, looking at you with gratitude before going right back to eating
>you hear the tap shut off, and moments later feel something nudging your arm
>by the time you look down, you find the stallion nuzzling your hand before disappearing from the kitchen without saying so much as a word
"Wish he'd make up his mind..." you mutter
>Corona tilts her head slightly, swallowing the bite in her mouth
>"Master?"
"Nothing, girl. Go on, eat some more," you say, reaching over the table and placing another sandwich on her plate. "You want some more soup, too?"
>she simply nods, taking a bite of the new sandwich as you pick her bowl up and carry it over to the stove, ladling another helping into it before returning it to her
>you place the two empty bowls from yourself and Shining into the sink and run water in them before excusing yourself from the room
"You can have the last sandwich too, if you want it, and there's still a little soup left in the pot on the stove. Eat until you're not hungry any more, and I mean that as a command."
 
>she nods her head
>"yes Master, thank you Master"
>you start to reach toward her to give her a pat on the head, but stop yourself remembering how uncomfortable it makes her, deciding to let her enjoy the rest of her meal in peace
>you find Shining sulking in your bedroom once again, laying on your bed and staring out the window
>this time, however, you sit on the bed next to him
"Your life here is only going to be as difficult as you make it for yourself, you know."
>an ear rotates toward you, but his head doesn't move, a simple swish of his tail acknowledging your presence
"If you're trying to put on an act for Corona, I get it. You don't want to appear weak in front of another pony. But I honestly wouldn't be too worried about that if I were you. She's more preoccupied with making the best of the hand she's been dealt in life."
>he sighs
"Notice how quick she is to obey me? She knows tha-"
>"Just because you 'saved' her doesn't mean she's not afraid of you."
>you pause for a moment
"Perhaps. That will go away with time though."
>you reach over and place a hand on his back
"I know YOU'RE not afraid of me. I don't want you to be either."
>he doesn't protest when you begin stroking his back gently
"I still stand by what I said last night too, Shiny. I want to be your friend."
>"I was so sure you'd hit me earlier... why couldn't you just hit me? That would have made it so much easier to leave..."
>you run a hand over his mohawk a few times before letting your hand rest on his withers
>"You keep doing that a lot."
"Doing what?"
>"Petting me."
"Can't help it. I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time. Are you asking me to stop?"
>"It's degrading... even if it does feel kinda nice."
"It's not meant to be. I'm just trying to show you some affection is all."
>he turns his head to look at you
"Believe it or not, I care about you a lot. Corona, too."
>"You barely know us."
 
>you shake your head
"That doesn't matter. You're my responsibility now, and I have a duty to see to it the two of you are cared for properly and treated fairly."
>you stroke his forehead, all the way down over his muzzle a few times
"I wouldn't have thought twice about paying that vet bill for you earlier today if it came right down to it. I was worried about you, Shiny. I want to see you get better. That would have wiped out all of my savings, but money isn't that important to me."
>"I don't like being reminded I'm your slave... you humiliated me earlier."
"That's just the reality of the situation, big guy. I'm not going to tiptoe around it or pretend like it's not something you need to be aware of. If that means your pride has to take a hit every now and then, I'm sorry, but in my view it's neccessary. I want to be your friend, but I'm your Master first, and you needed to be disciplined earlier. I don't want to whip you, so that was really my only other option. Surely you can see why I talked to you that way, you're not a dumb pony."
>he looks back out the window again, letting out a barely perceptible snort
"Is your loyalty and obedience really such a steep price to pay for what I'm offering you in return?"
>you lean over the bed and place your arm around him in a half-hug, placing the side of your face against his neck and giving him a good squeeze for a full minute before standing back up
"Just think about it, okay? You're making things harder for everyone involved by fighting me like this."
>you look back at him as you stand in the doorway
"Now if you want to sit in here and sulk some more, that's up to you. I'd appreciate it very much if you'd come out and join me and Corona, though."
 
 
 
 
 
>when you return, you find that Corona has not only finished her meal, but has managed to wash, dry, and put away all the dirty dishes without you ever having asked her to
>she's now laying on the floor next to your recliner
>her head perks up when she sees you, and she sits up on her haunches
"Hey girl," you say with a sigh, flopping down into the chair next to her and turning on the Tv
>you idly reach over and start scritching her ear as you flip through all the channels
"I appreciate you cleaning up. Thank you."
>you're somewhat shocked to feel the mare leaning into your hand as you scratch
>her front hooves leave the ground as her head tries to follow your hand when you eventually pull it away, causing her to nearly lose her balance
>you turn off the TV with an aggravated grunt, eventually giving up your search for entertainment for the evening
>instead, you turn your attention to Corona
"I thought you didn't like being touched by humans, mare?"
>"nosir... I usually don't" she says. "You told me I was going to have to get used to it though, Master, so I'm trying..."
>you look down at her with a warm smile
"Good girl, Corona."
>she returns your smile with a faint one of her own
"I like seeing that."
>she tilts her head
>"Seeing what, Master?"
"Seeing you smile like that. Makes me feel like maybe all of this isn't a complete waste of time after all."
>you let out a forlorn sigh, reaching down and stroking her mane and neck
>she trembles ever so slightly for a few moments as you touch her, but eventually relaxes into your ministrations  
>"f...forgive me if I'm out of line Master, but... is... is there something you'd like to talk about? You seem kind of sad..."
>you shake your head
"Nothing that won't work itself out over time, Corona. Don't worry about it. Hey, how are your hindquarters feeling?"
>"I'm not in pain, Master, if that's what you're asking. I'm pretty close to being completely healed, I think."
"I'm glad."
 
>"h...how is your hand feeling, Master? I'm sorry I bit you so hard..."
"It'll be fine. I'm not gonna bother seeing a doctor about it unless it feels like it's getting infected or something. And you don't have anything to be sorry about, you did exactly what I asked you to."
>you pat your lap, and without a word she climbs up onto you as you kick out the foot rest once more
"I want to ask you something."
>"yessir"
"Answer me honestly, too."
>"...yessir"
"Can you ever be happy as a slave?"
>she hesitates and you feel her begin to tremble
"Shh, shh," you say, wrapping your arms around her in a gentle hug. "I'm not going to be mad if you say no."
>she shakes her head
>"n...nosir. I want to be free..."
>her words are spoken barely above a whisper
>somehow you expected that answer
>"but..."
>she sighs, looking away from you
"Go on, Corona, speak freely."
>"Being free here isn't the same as being free back in Equestria... it's dangerous. Very dangerous. At least, for a pony on the run it is."
>she rests her head on your chest
>"I'm not going to run away from you, sir, if that's what you're wondering."
"Ever?"
>she shakes her head slightly
>"nosir... I might be a slave but at least I'm safe here. I'm starting to realize that. I don't think prince Shining Armor understands how bad it can get out there on your own... he never would have behaved that way if he'd experienced some of the things I have."
>she shifts her position so that she can look into your eyes
>"You... you don't seem like the other humans I've met in my life. None of them have ever cared how I felt or if I was in pain... if I was hungry..."
>she starts to tear up
>"the others... all they ever cared about was how they could use me to make money."
"You're not here to earn me a profit, Corona. You and Shiny are here to help me turn this place into a home I can be proud of."
>"I know, Master."
"I want you to think of it as your home, too."
>she falls silent, squirming a bit in your arms
 
>"B...but it's not, sir... Equestria is my home... I'll never forget that as long as I live."
>you sigh, pulling her tight against your chest, feeling a slight dampness begin to soak through your shirt, suddenly realizing there are silent tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto you
>"I'll never stop wanting to go home..."
>a gasp catches in her throat, and she bites her lip, closing her eyes tight
>her best efforts to suppress her emotions fail, and soon her whole body is quaking
>you gently run a hand up and down her back
"It's okay. Let it out," you softly whisper to her
>and with those words, the mental and emotional dam breaks, the mare collapsing into you, pressing her face into your chest and letting out deep, agonized, heaving sobs
>"I w..w..w..wanna g..go..o..o.. HOOOOOOOOOO-HOO-HOOOOMMMMEEE"
>her wailing doubles in intensity, her voice increasing in pitch at least an octave as she coughs and sputters, choking on her words
>"I WANNA GO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!" she screams into your chest, writhing around as though someone is dripping molten lead all over her body and she can't escape it
>you begin rocking in the chair, tightening your grip on her, placing your chin on top of her head
>there's nothing you can say to her
>she's probably never been allowed to express her pain so freely before
>and it shows in the intensity of her cries
>her muzzle is pressed into you so tightly that you can't make out anything else she says
>she doesn't stop muttering incoherently for several minutes though
>amidst the muttering, stammering, hyperventilating, and high pitched squeals you're able to make out a few words here and there
 
>"Home" is one that's repeated several times
>"Mommy"
>"Daddy"
>she's far from a young filly, but you suppose it's not really that uncommon for even a grown person - or pony for that matter - to call out for their parents in such an extreme state of disorientation and distress
>your shirt is completely soaked in tears and mucus, and her face and muzzle are smeared with it, her eyes red and bloodshot
>this continues for what feels like an eternity, her voice going hoarse, coughing fits nearly making her throw up
>eventually though, every last spare iota of energy in her body has been spent, and the mare lets out one final desperate groan before falling asleep in your arms
 
 
 
 
 
>hard to believe it's been over a week since you brought your little ponies home
>you've managed to find a much better veterinarian to tend to them
>Shiny's condition is gradually improving
>and your suspicions that you had been previously lied to are soon confirmed
>he never needed surgery, and his diet doesn't need restricted nearly as much as had been implied by the good for nothing scamming sorry excuse for a man you got Corona from
>speaking of Corona, her stitches finally came out this morning too
>her coat has filled in around the scars on either side of her hindquarters, making them almost imperceptible without close inspection
>the white hairs on her neck marking her as a registered former runaway have grown in too
>a series of inch-tall symbols and pictograms stretching down nearly a foot-long length of her neck right at the root of her mane
>you're not sure why they don't just use regular letters and numbers for these things
>maybe so the brand is a bit more pleasing to the eye
>her long, luxurious ivory mane which you've been seeing to dutifully with a brush each night to prevent it from tangling, often cascades over it and obscures it, though all it takes is a casual toss of her head to heave it over the other side of her neck for it to come into plain view
>you've noticed the mare wince ever so slightly, sometimes accompanied by a brief droop of her ears, whenever she notices the mark in the mirror
>a constant, and likely unwelcome, reminder that she's yours forever
>that as kind as you are to her, she still belongs to you
>your efforts to get to know her better have, for the most part, been in vain
>any mention of her previous life as a free mare back in Equestria sends her into a crushing depression that lasts the rest of the day, so you've learned to avoid that topic
>and she downright refuses to give any details about her former master, and the circumstances surrounding her enslavement and escape
 
>though you've noticed she sometimes gives Shining Armor an intensely awkward glance or stare whenever the subject is mentioned in passing
>it's almost as if she's terrified he's going to find out something devastating about her past
>that glance is almost always followed by a quick look of relief and gratitude in your direction for not prying any further
>thankfully, Shining himself hasn't seemed to notice
>otherwise, you're sure he'd probably try to drag it out of her somehow
>you're sure he feels that ponies in this situation shouldn't keep secrets from each other, after all
>he's often too busy grumbling about his circumstances or replying to simple commands or inquiries with smart-mouthed remarks or quips
>he doesn't let you forget he's not happy about being a slave, but overall he's calmed down a bit
>other than that little bit of attitude there's very little open defiance or disobedience
>nothing necessitating further discipline against him
>you've even managed to get an occassional smile out of him
>even if he's quick to wipe it off of his face as soon as you notice
>right now he's resting on the couch watching TV
>you're sitting there on the recliner, staring blankly at the screen
>some stupid little cartoon show that he catches on at the same time every day
>you don't pay it much attention, but he seems to really like whatever it is, so you let him be
>Corona is soaking in the bathtub
>taking long baths seems to be her favorite thing to do in her down time
>you cringe momentarily thinking about your water bill for the month, but ultimately decide it's no big deal
>bathing relaxes her and always seems to take the edge off of her generally nervous demeanor
>if that's something she can take comfort in, you don't want to take it away from her
>especially given that her behavior has been absolutely exemplary
>she helps you keep the house clean, does dishes, dusts, sweeps, or whatever else you asked her to do without hesitation or complaint
 
>you've avoided anything more intense than light house work until she's had a chance to heal from having her cutie mark removed
>it still amazes you that she's able to handle some of the tools she uses with such dexterity, given the lack of hands or fingers
>she's also starting to reach a point where being touched by you doesn't seem to bother her
>or if it does, she's gotten very good at hiding it
>you could even swear that she almost relishes feeling your fingers run through her mane or over her back sometimes though
>a genuine, heart-felt utterance of "Good girl" always makes a smile tug at the corners of her mouth as well, drawing rolled eyes or a frustrated grunt from Shiny if he's in the room and hears you
>that's something she DEFINITELY tries not to let you see
>these ponies might not love you, and probably never will, but in their own way they're both slowly beginning to form a bond with you
>even if it's still mostly one-sided for now
>you cast a casual glance at the watch on your wrist, standing up and peering out the window before sitting back down with a sigh
>that delivery truck should have been here by now
>you've made a few purchases that you're eager to receive
>among other things, you're expecting a pair of pony-sized beds
>it's not that you haven't enjoyed cozying up to the two of them at night
>you just promised them both they'd have their own beds
>and so they shall
>Corona's first night here was more than a little awkward
>she didn't want to be left alone on the couch
>and neither did Shiny, even though it took a lot for him to break down and admit it
>the prospect of the married stallion sharing a bed with a mare other than his wife was cause for great consternation
>after a great deal of arguing, grunting, eye rolling, tail flicking, and frustration from both ponies, you ultimately got them to go along with it
 
>after all, it's not like there'd be a chance for anything to happen with you sleeping in between them
>and disobeying a direct order from their Master would be unwise
>that "excuse" hardly seems to make Shiny feel any better about it though
>and so your nights have been spent holding one pony or the other in your embrace, the other sleeping with their back to yours
>much of the awkwardness had slowly subsided, and you thoroughly enjoyed feeling the two warm fuzzy bodies on either side of you each night
>you're almost disappointed by the thought you'll be sleeping alone tonight
>a loud yawn and sneeze breaks your train of thought
>"Show's over, Anon," Shining says with a slight sniffle
>turns out he has some slight seasonal allergies
>vet told you to just give him a couple benadryl whenever they act up
>he doesn't always comply with that though
>you pick up the remote and shut the TV off, opting to turn on the radio
>your favorite station, playing a wide variety of 70's, 80's, and 90's music
>Shining covers his eyes with his hooves with a slight groan any time you sing along with the lyrics, almost as though he's embarassed for you
>sometimes you throw in some corny dance moves or air guitar as the icing on the cake
>really for no other reason than to make him cringe
>he's so uptight
>hopefully one day he'll start to relax and let himself have a little fun every now and then
>Corona finally emerges from the bathroom, steam billowing out the door and into the hallway, tossing her towel into the dirty laundry basket before sitting in front of you on her haunches, looking up at you expectantly with the mane and tail brush you bought for her in her mouth
>you take the brush from her, and she turns around as you scoot forward in the recliner, backing herself up so that she's sitting between your legs on the floor
>she looks down with a sigh, her ears drooping
 
>something's clearly bothering her, but you don't want to press her on what it is for fear it'll put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day
>it's probably not anything you can help her with, anyway
>leaning forward you wordlessly go to work on her mane, taking your time to enjoy the luxurious feeling of her silky smooth hair running between your fingers
>that conditioner you got for her to use is good shit, you think to yourself
>you're careful to work out any tangles or knots without pulling on her head and neck
>after several minutes she stands up, giving her head and neck a gentle shake, and you start on her tail
>she keeps her tail dock clamped pretty tightly against her backside to hide her... well, her mare parts... but you're still able to brush most of her tail without issue
>your mind begins to wander again as you settle into a rhythm working on her tail, teasing the hairs apart until her tail has fluffed out quite nicely, any trace of tangles gone
>that is, until you notice a familiar drumbeat and base guitar lick come over the radio [spoiler]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2JtsVumFA[/spoiler]
>a huge grin creeps over your face as you stand up, momentarily straddling over the little mare, whose back comes just past your knees, swinging your hips and beginning to dance as you step over and in front of her
>holding the brush up to your mouth like a microphone, snapping your fingers with your other hand you start to sing along with the radio to her
>the mare is already tilting her head at an extreme angle and sitting back on her haunches, nose scrunched slightly, ears twitching as she watches you, confused as all hell
"Oh my little pretty one, pretty one, when you gonna give me some time, CORONA?"
>her head just tilts the other way
"Oh you make my motor run, motor run, gun it comin offa the line, CORONA!"
 
>her jaw opens slightly as you continue singing and approach her, tossing the brush aside as you take each of her forehooves in your hands, prompting her to stand on her hind legs as you alternately lift each hoof in the air in time with the beat in long exaggerated strokes, mock-dancing with her the way one might do with their dog when nobody's watching
"my my myyyyyy wooH!"
"m-m-m-myyy Corona!"
>the swinging of your hips and flailing of your limbs only intensifies as you start leading the mare around the room on her hind hooves in what has to be the most awkward, uncoordinated pony-human dance in recorded history
>Shining is trying his absolute best to dig a hole in the couch to presumably crawl into and die from embarassment, shoving his face down in between the cushions with a pillow over his head, loud groans coming from underneath
>you end up knocking a lamp over in the silliness and breaking it, but you don't even notice or care
>half way through the song when you release the mare and jump up onto the coffee table, hitting your knees in the most intense air-guitar solo of your life, you finally get the desired response
>the mare bursts out in uncontrollable giggling, holding a hoof over her muzzle and blushing so intensely it's evident even through her dark coat
>you jump back down and redouble your efforts, once again dancing with Corona, this time almost as if your very life depends on it, and she does her best to move her body along with yours, now openly laughing with a huge grin plastered across her muzzle
>as the song finishes you hold her front hooves apart and lean forward to give her a lightning quick peck on the forehead before releasing her, laughing a bit yourself
>as you turn from her to sit back on your recliner, you don't notice how soon the smile vanishes from her face
 
>you do, however, notice the sudden lack of laughter
>breathing heavily and even starting to sweat from exertion, you glance over at the mare, who's sitting on her haunches on the other side of the room and staring at you with an unreadable expression
>without explanation she starts crying softly, running past you into your bedroom, jumping up on your bed and weeping into your pillows
>you place a hand over your forehead and give a long, drawn-out sigh, shutting off the radio
>"Oh thank CELESTIA," Shining mutters, slowly emerging from under the couch cushion, apparently unaware that Corona had taken off crying
>and you don't even know why
>you were just trying to cheer her up a little
>shit, you were sure you'd succeeded until just a few seconds ago
>what the hell did you do to set her off now?
>you slowly stand up and start down the hallway toward the sounds of stifled cries
 
 
 
 
 
>when you reach your bedroom you find she's closed the door behind her
>you gently knock on it a few times
"Corona? You okay?"
>that was a stupid question
>she's obviously not
"Can I come in?"
>no response
>the crying is somewhat less audible than before
>she's probably intentionally suppressing it trying to make you leave
>you knock once more
"Corona, come on girl, talk to me..."
>"Please, Master..." you hear a faint feminine voice call out weakly from the other side
>you're not sure if it's a plea to come in or stay out
>you place your hand on the door handle and turn it slowly
 
--------------------------------
 
>there's a flash of light that quickly pans throughout the trees in front of you, briefly illuminating a tiny section of the vast forest before you
>voices are drawing near
>you can't tell what they're saying
>but you know they're not friendly
>and they're definitely not ponies
>a loud, gruff voice is barking orders
>the baying of loud, vicious, angry dogs fills your ears, steadily growing in volume as you and your friend run as fast as your tired hooves can carry you
>your lungs are burning
>your muscles screaming
>but you can't slow down
>you can't rest
>you have to run as hard and fast as you can
>have to get away...
 
--------------------------------
 
>"Corona?"
>you shake your head, briefly lifting it from the pillow after wiping your tears on it
>Master won't mind too much
>"It's just a pillowcase," he told you last time, "I can always wash it. I won't forbid you to cry when you need to."
>you feel the palm of his hand rest against your withers
>it causes you to shudder
>you want to apologize for your body's instinctual reaction, but the words don't find their way to your muzzle
>it's hard for you to understand why Master is treating you with such care
>you thought it was some sort of deception at first
>but if it is, you're not sure what the payoff is
>and he's been maintaining it from the moment your brand was applied, making you his
>still, you don't like it when a human touches you
>it reminds you too much of...
>you let out an intense shudder
 
--------------------------------
 
>one of the men chasing you has stopped
>the dogs have gotten a bit quieter
>he's issuing orders to the others to fan out
>maybe they lost your scent
>could you be that lucky?
>you occasionally see the lights from several flashlights bounce off more of the trees around you
>you and Merribelle are hiding under a pile of branches and leaves next to several fallen dead trees
>your body is screaming for oxygen, but you take soft, short, shallow, quiet breaths, terrified that breathing even just a little too hard will make enough noise to bring them down on you
>you hear the crunching of leaves rapidly advancing on your position
>you and the older mare stare fearfully into each other's eyes, no words needing to be spoken between the two of you
>if they find you...
>the crunching is very close now
>and suddenly stops
>you can hear the rapid inhaling of the dog as it sniffs excitedly, as though on the very edge of finally picking up your scent trail once again
>in the pale moonlight, you see a huge black spider crawl over Merribelle's muzzle, between her eyes, toward her horn
>oh no
>she's TERRIFIED of spiders...
>please don't scream... please don't scream... PLEASE don't scream...
 
--------------------------------
 
>the hand on your withers shakes you gently
>"Hey..."
>you let out a brief, truncated, shrill whinny as you snap back to reality for a moment
>tears are still finding their way from your eyes to the pillow beneath you completely against your will
>the hand begins to move, softly stroking you
>"Tell me what's wrong, girl..."
"Please, Master..."
>it's all you can mutter
>your tremors intensify
>they're going to find you
>you just know it
 
--------------------------------
 
>Merribelle's pupils constrict and her eyes widen
>she begins to shake, her eyes crossing, trying to follow the arachnid as it tickles her face
>you see her bite her lip extremely hard
>but despite her best efforts
>she lets out the slightest whimper
>and almost immediately you hear a nearly deafening sound, the baying hound so close that it's practically got its jaws around your neck already, causing a ringing in your ears from the sheer volume
>instantly the two of you leap from your hiding position, sprinting as fast as you can, no idea where you're going, the sound of your own rapid, pounding heart so loud in your ears that it almost overpowers even the sound of the dogs as more of them join in
>Merribelle just barely outpaces you as you flee
>she takes her eyes off the path between the trees in front of her for a mere fraction of a second
>but that's all it takes
>her front right fetlock hits the root of a tree that's sticking out of the ground and sends her muzzle-first into the dirt
 
--------------------------------
 
>"Anon, I have no idea what's wrong with her..."
>you recognize the voice of that stallion anywhere
>"Could she be having a seizure?"
>you see your Master shake his head at the prince
>"No, Shiny, I don't think that's what this is..."
>he seems to notice your eyes moving once again
>you feel a hoof join the hand on your back
>"Corona," Shining Armor says in a sturdy, authoritative tone of voice, "we're here for you, Corona. Tell us what's wrong..."
>your mouth opens, but no words come out
 
--------------------------------
 
>the dog is on Merribelle almost instantaneously as you run slightly past her, unable to stop in time and nearly tripping over her yourself, and you immediately double back
>she cries out in terror, rolling over onto her back as the dog pounces, shielding her face and neck with her forelegs as best as she can and closing her eyes tight
>you jump in front of her and spin around, putting every bit of your strength into bucking your hindquarters, kicking out with all of your might
>a sharp, sudden, agonized yelp cuts through the night air, a dull thud against the leaves, and then silence
>a quick glance seeing the dog's head twisted at an unnatural angle tells you the beast's neck is broken from your kick
>its handler is still quite a long way behind it, struggling to catch up to the two of you
>you hurriedly help Merribelle to her hooves, and the two of you manage to finally put a small amount of distance between yourselves and your pursuers
 
--------------------------------
 
>"Hi, is this doctor Franz's Office? Yeah, I'm calling about a patient... my pony mare, Corona... we were in this morning to remove some sutures..."
>you see Master standing by the door with his hand on his forehead
>"...yeah...unresponsive, pupils constricted, rapid heart rate, shallow breathing..."
>Shining Armor shakes you a bit
>"Corona, hey, it's me... Shining Armor... can you look at me? Blink if you can hear me..."
>you try to comply, but your eyelids resist
>Master's voice is shaking
>is that fear?
>"...emergency clinic? I don't know where that- ...third street? Three lights down from the exit? Okay, I'll get her there as soon as I can... thanks..."
>he puts his phone down and approaches you
 
--------------------------------
 
>you're allowed a brief respite, both of you hyperventilating so hard you fear one of you may pass out at any moment
>"We need to split up..."
>you shake your head wildly in protest
"I won't leave you, Merribelle"
>"LISTEN... splitting up is our best chance of losing them... with any luck the dogs will get confused with two scent trails to follow, and that'll throw them off long enough for us to get away..."
>hot tears sting your eyes and flow freely down your cheeks
"I can't abandon you... please, Merribelle, you're my best friend... you're all I've got in this world..."
>she sits on her haunches, placing her hooves around you in a hug
>"Don't be scared now. Remember how I told you to find the North Star?"
>you nod hesitantly
>"Only travel at night, do your best to stay hidden during the day. Always keep that star to your left, and cover as much ground as you can. You'll reach the river eventually. It's still at least three days away on hoof. Our freedom is just on the other side of that river, Corona."
"But Merribelle, I-"
>you're cut off by a hoof over your mouth
>"There's no time, sweetie."
>she gently wipes a tear from your cheek with the back of a hoof
>"No matter what happens, I  promise you we will see each other again - whether in this world or the next."
>your heart leaps into your throat, a sick feeling overwhelming your stomach
>she offers a weak, affectionate smile
>"Go now. Run. I'll see you soon my dear friend... my sister..."
>the mare leans forward and gently kisses your forehead
>"My Corona..."
 
--------------------------------
 
 
 
 
 
>"Master?"
>Corona slowly blinks her eyes, looking up at you in confusion as you try to lift her off the bed
>though she's smaller than Shining Armor, she's still a bit too much for you to lift on your own
>she seems disoriented, unsure of where she's at for several moments
>you cease your efforts momentarily when you notice her finally starting to come around
"Hey Corona... you back with us now?"
>she glances at Shining Armor, who is on his haunches by the bed right next to you
>"yessir..." she replies with a slight nod
>her ears are flat against her head and she's still crying
"You had me scared there for a minute, I thought I was going to have to take you to the emergency clinic."
>"Emergency cli--? Oh no, no... I don't need... Just some bad memories... I... I'm okay now, Master"
>sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh of relief, you take the bottom of your shirt and bunch it up in your hand, leaning in and dabbing the dampness away from her cheeks as the tears gradually stop flowing
"I didn't mean to upset you, Corona."
>"I know, Master."
"You wanna talk about it?"
>she shakes her head
>"nosir..."
>releasing your shirt, you take a couple of fingers and brush some stray strands of mane away from her face before taking her chin and tilting her head toward you to look into her eyes
"Alright, girl. I'll let it be for now, but eventually I want to talk about this when you're feeling up to it, okay? I don't want you to--"
>you're interrupted by loud knocking at the front door, reflexively turning your head toward the sound
>you stand up, giving Corona a gentle pat on the head
"Stay here with her for a minute, Shiny. I'll be right back."
>when you reach the front door, it's as you suspected
>your delivery is here
>the pony beds are being unloaded from a big brown van, and you hold the door open as the delivery men ask you where you want them
 
"The room at the end of the hallway," you say, pointing them in the general direction
>Shining peeks his head out of your bedroom for a moment, ears twitching as he stares down the hall, watching curiously as the two beds are brought in and set up in the room next to yours
>you follow the men back outside and watch as the next item is carefully wheeled down a ramp at the back of the van
>you can't help but notice that it's bigger than it looked in the photos online
>a quite sturdy looking four wheeled wooden cart
>it has a single seat for a human passenger directly behind the pony hitch and a cargo area with removable sides
>wrapped in plastic laying in the back, a number of black leather straps with bits of brass here and there catch your eye
>you double check that everything is there, going over the inventory list in the small manual included with it
>A line across the top reads "EquiTek EP-750 Basic Pony Cart. Medium Earth Pony Mare Size. Workhorse edition."
>you're not intimately familiar with tack, but thankfully along with the inventory list are pictures of the included items
>a driving harness, bridle with removable bit and long set of reins, protective leg wraps, blinders, a few other bits of gear with leather straps that you're not familiar with, and a driving whip
>you wince a bit
>you won't be needing that, but it comes with the package, there wasn't an option to not include it when you made the order
>satisfied that you've got everything, you sign the receipt, wheeling the cart up your driveway as the delivery van pulls away
>the cart itself is actually surprisingly light, you can pull it single-handedly with minimal effort
>you park it in front of your car and start reading through the manual
>included are detailed, illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to strap a pony into the harness and hitch her to the cart
>the pony they got to pose for the pictures seems well-cared for
 
>she's a healthy weight, mane, tail, and coat are immaculate, and she's smiling, even with the bit in her mouth and blinders restricting her vision
>seems simple enough
>as you continue reading, there's a warning that causes you to raise an eyebrow
>"WARNING: NOT INTENDED FOR LOADS IN EXCESS OF 2500 LBS"
>are there people out there that seriously expect their ponies to be able to pull that much at a time?
>you're startled by a sudden soft, feminine voice
>you look down to see Corona sitting on her haunches next to you, ears lowered and head hanging slightly as she stares at the cart
>"I guess that's for me, huh Master?"
>you reach down and scratch her ear lovingly for a few moments
"Yes, Corona. I wanted us to get started on some work around here this week."
>you glance over at Shining Armor, who is sitting on the porch looking absolutely furious when he sees the cart
>Corona shivers slightly as you touch her
"If you wanted another day or two to-"
>"nosir..." she shakes her head
>you're a little taken aback by her sudden interruption, as well as the next words out of her mouth
>"sorry Master... I just... I've been cooped up in the house since you brought me here. I'm kind of curious to see the rest of your property, sir... to get an idea of how much work needs done..."
>without a word, Shining Armor strides past you, rearing up and leaning into the back of the cart
>he comes up with the whip in his teeth, glancing up at you with an angry snort, before disappearing into the house with it
"Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"
>she nods hesitantly
>"it... it'll help me keep my mind off of things, too..."
>you smile down at her
"Alright, girl. We'll get to work first thing in the morning, then."
>it's your last day off before you have to return to the office
>it'll be nice to get a head start on things around here
>there's definitely no shortage of things to be done
 
>you take a step toward the cart with the intent of wheeling it around to the back of the house to your storage shed until the morning
>"a...actually..."
>Corona takes a step toward you, biting her lip
>she looks away from you, sitting back on her haunches
"What is it?"
>she winces, staying silent
"Come on Corona, you were about to say something. What was it?"
>"May I take you for a ride right now, Master?"
>you stare at her, dumbfounded
>you're sure you didn't hear that right
"Huh?"
>"If you don't want to I understand, but... it's a lovely day, sir..."
>she swallows a lump in her throat
>"I want to do something nice for you, Master... and... and I would appreciate the exercise... and a chance to spend some time outdoors."
>Shining comes storming toward the two of you
>"You can NOT be serious, Corona..." he deadpans. "After the way you were just acting you wanna get out in the hot sun and pull a cart!?"
>"I'll be fine."
"Maybe he's right, Corona, may-"
>Shining cuts you off abruptly
>"That's right you'll be fine, because you're going to go back into the house and rest while 'Master' puts that thing away."
"Shiny," you say firmly.
>he nudges Corona with his muzzle, pointing her toward the house, and she reluctantly takes a step toward it
>"No, Anon, you're not driving her today."
>you frown at him
"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard that correctly. It sounded to me like you were just trying to give your Master an order..."
>"She needs rest, Anon."
"Master," you correct him sharply.
>"Oh come off it already. Like you're going to do anything."
"Corona takes her orders from me, Shiny. Not you."
>he ignores you, pushing her up the stairs of the porch
>you step in front of the two ponies, cutting them off, staring into Shining's eyes angrily, your patience having run out
"Get your ass in the house. Now."
>he swishes his tail with a smug grin
>"I was heading that way, anyway."
>Corona takes a step back, beginning to tremble as she notices your escalating anger
 
"Fine, Shiny. You wanna play it that way? You can have hay and water for dinner while I cook something nice for myself and Corona."
>"Oh no, woe is me," he says, rolling his eyes as he walks past you.
>without warning, Corona steps in front of him, staring him down, bristling with anger
>"STOP IT! Just STOP IT!"
>she stomps a hoof and snorts
>"I DON'T need you to protect me."
>he simply tilts his head at her as you stare with your jaw slightly agape at her outburst
>"I don't need ANYPONY else to pretend they care about me..."
>there's a rage in her eyes that is completely foreign to you
>"I DON'T NEED YOU! YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GET ME HURT AGAIN!"
>Shining tilts his head
>"Corona what are you talking abo-"
>"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
>her tail flicks wildly
>"STUPID ROYALS! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SMART! YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERYPONY BUT YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF! YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS! SCREW THE REST OF YOUR SUBJECTS!"
>Shining's look of abject confusion has been steadily intensifying
>"WHY SHOULD YOU CARE WHAT MASTER DOES TO ME AS LONG AS YOU GET YOUR WAY!?"
"Corona, calm down," you speak softly to her.
>for a split second her angry gaze shifts to you, and she looks as though she's about to snap at you, but she instantly backs down, seeming to snap out of it, lowering her head submissively as she steps aside and sits on her haunches
>"yessir..."
>you point toward the door
"Shiny, go. I'll deal with you later."
>you're relieved when he decides not to push his luck any further and simply obeys, entering the house and briefly looking back over his shoulder at Corona before shutting the door behind himself
>the little mare's breaths are quick and shallow, her heart racing as she trembles
>she stares at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with you
"Calm down, girl."
>you kneel down in front of her and start stroking her mane
"You didn't do anything wrong... you don't need to be scared."
 
>she opens her mouth briefly, but catches herself, thinking twice before correcting you
>she's not scared, she's angry
>instead she gives you a quick nod, taking a slow, deep breath to calm herself
>"yessir..."
"I hate to say it but maybe Shiny is right. I think you could use one more day..."
>"Please, Master... I just want to get away from him for a few hours..."
>she looks at you pleadingly
"Oh."
>you scratch your head
"Are you two not getting along for some reason? I've never seen you behave like that toward him."
>"He's... he's too stubborn for his own good, Master. I... not only that, he... I..."
>she hesitates for several moments before shaking her head
>"I just... I need some time away from him, sir."
>you shrug and stand up
"Okay then."
>Corona follows you back to the cart, and you reach toward the harnesses and various leather straps in the back, unwrapping them from the thin plastic they're secured in while simultaneously going over the instructions once again
>you fumble with every strap, buckle, and clasp as you slowly fit the harness around Corona's body
>she stands perfectly still as you work
>you're surprised by the number of sections that seem to criss-cross endlessly over her back, under her belly, around the front of her chest, behind her rump...
>when you're finally finished, she looks just like the pony in the picture
>except she's not the same color
>and she's not smiling
>you double check the harness before having her back into the front of the cart and securing it to the cart's hitch
>being careful not to pinch her skin or pull her mane, you slowly slip the bridle over her head and ears
>you leave the blinders and bit off of it, there's absolutely no need for them
>there's a strap to secure under her jaw near her throat, and one up closer to her muzzle
>you buckle both of them so they're snug, but not tight
 
>the reins clip onto a pair of small brass loops on either side of the front of the bridle around her muzzle, in the same location where the bit would go if you decided to use it
>you toss the reins up over her back, letting the excess length rest in the seat as you take a step back to get a good look at her
>your little pony, hitched to her cart for the first time, standing perfectly still and obedient, waiting for her Master
>you smile at her before hesitantly climbing up onto the seat, the cart gently rocking as your weight is added to it and you sit down, taking the reins
>it's only now you realize that there's no way to avoid looking directly at her hindquarters
>you wish the seat was a few inches higher
>she paws at the ground with a forehoof impatiently, looking back over her shoulder at you
"You uh... you ready to go then?"
>"yessir..."
"Okay. Well... um..."
>you hold the reins out in front of you awkwardly, snapping them gently against her rump like you've seen in the movies
"Giddyup?"
>Corona starts off at a brisk walk, and you're temporarily knocked off balance, unprepared for the sudden movement as the cart begins to glide along
>for several minutes the only sounds you hear are the clopping of her hooves against the hard gravel road leading around the side of your house, out into the run-down and wildly overgrown pastures that sprawl out over rolling hills nearly as far as the eye can see behind it, an occassional snort or sigh from Corona, and the rhythmic squeaking and creaking of harness leather as her body tenses and relaxes against it with each stride
>she doesn't seem interested in talking, she'd much rather bask in the sunshine and sights and sounds of nature around her as the house slowly disappears from view while you make your way down into a little valley, the path abruptly transitioning from gravel to dirt, dense weeds quickly surrounding you on either side
 
>this is surprisingly relaxing, and the initial awkardness you feel soon fades as you take in your surroundings
>you can't help but admire Corona's surprising strength and the seeming ease with which she pulls you
>granted, she doesn't really have much of a load to pull, but you still didn't expect it to come so easy or naturally to her
>it's pretty clear she's probably done this before a few times
>you guide her to the left when the path splits in two, deciding to take her around the whole perimeter of the property
>occassionally you pass a pile of discarded building materials here and there
>busted, rotting wooden fences, sometimes with sections several yards in length missing
>a battered, weather-damaged old barn leaning precariously, threatening to collapse at the slightest touch
>man, you knew the place needed work, but there's so much more here than you initially realized...
>you might have to put more time, work, and money into sprucing this place up than you thought
>Corona hesitates when she reaches the edge of a creek, but you reassure her that it's not too deep, so she continues forward
>she trudges through shallow water that comes just past her fetlocks, ever so slightly struggling to pull the cart up a steep, muddy embankment on the other side, but eventually managing to scramble up to a point where the path evens out again
>she holds her head high, almost seeming proud of herself for that as she continues pulling at a steady pace
>you quickly notice the mud that's covering her hooves and spattered on her sides and belly
"You're going to need another bath when we get back, you know that?"
>"yessir!" she chirps
>right, she does enjoy her baths...
>you reach a long stretch of path that's pretty clear and open, no visible obstacles, and Corona sees it coming
>"May I speed up, Master?"
>you shrug
"I don't see why not. Indulge yourself."
>before you finish your sentence she's picked up the pace to a trot, then a canter
 
>the cart begins to shake as you feel the wind whipping through your hair
>it's not built for speed
>Corona lets out a whinny as she reaches her top speed, nostrils flaring as her breathing intensifies
>you'd almost say she was enjoying herself
>it doesn't take long to reach the end of the section of path before it curves off into a wooded area and she's forced to slow back down to a trot, then a walk
>you pull back on the reins as she slows
"Whoa, Corona... hey girl... why don't we rest here for a few minutes?"
>her body has become lathered with sweat, and it drips from her belly as she stands in the shade of the trees at the edge of the woods, catching her breath
"You feeling okay?"
>"yessir..." she pants, "felt good to stretch my legs, Master... thank you..."
"Alright. Well, I'll let you decide when you want to keep going. We're about half way around the perimeter of the property right now."
>she looks back over her shoulder at you
>"Only half way, Master?"
>you nod
"The terrain only gets rougher from here, so pace yourself, okay?"
>"yessir"
>after a few more minutes, Corona continues
>as you proceed down the wooded path, you come across several downed branches that you have to step down from the cart to clear out of the way before you can continue
>eventually, it becomes nearly impassable, the overgrown brush on either side so thick that it brushes against both you and Corona quite heavily as you make your way through it
>you curse loudly as a spiderweb hanging between the branches of the trees around you makes contact with your face, flailing your hands wildly and spitting, shaking your head
>damn it, there are few things as irritating as walking through a spider web
>you come across a large tree blocking the path that there's no way you're going to be able to get around
>Corona sighs in frustration
 
"We're going to have to go back the way we came. There's another path we can take around the outside edge of the woods that meets up with this one on the other side."
>turning the cart around proves to be no easy feat, as the dense foliage surrounding you gives Corona very little room to maneuver
>there are also some thorny bushes here that neither one of you see until you've both gotten a few nasty scrapes from them
>with a great deal of effort, you finally manage to get turned around, and Corona starts back in the direction she came from
>the path along the edge of the woods is difficult to navigate, but easier to manage than the one THROUGH the woods, and eventually you reach the point where the two paths meet, once again allowing Corona to take a break, the cart having gotten stuck three or four different times in places where the terrain beneath her hooves shifts abruptly, requiring significant effort on her part to dislodge it and keep going
>"I understand why you wanted ponies out here now, Master," she huffs and puffs, dislodging the cart from a deep rut in the ground for a fifth time, "any machines you brought out here would definitely get stuck..."
"You're doing great, Corona. Just a little further and we've made it through the roughest patch."
>after quite a bit more struggling, getting stuck a few more times - one time so badly you have to get off the cart and push it from behind to help her move it - you finally recognize the final stretch of trail that should be smooth sailing as you make your way around the last section of the loop that skirts the perimeter of your property and back up to the house
>you breathe a sigh of relief, reaching forward and patting Corona on the back
"Good girl, Corona. Good girl."
>she takes her time as the house slowly comes into view, the weeds and tall grass becoming shorter and less dense as you reach the edge of the pasture
>for the last several minutes, something else entirely has been on your mind
>Shining Armor
 
>you're really starting to think that maybe you need to have a firmer hand with him
>the way he acted earlier was entirely unacceptable
>and you had, for the most part, let him get away with it
>he disrespected, disobeyed, and openly challenged you
>you care for the stud, but you know you can't let that kind of behavior stand
>you tug hard on the reins, signalling Corona to stop before you get any closer to the house, placing a hand on your forehead with a troubled sigh
"Can I ask you something, Corona?"
>she slowly turns to look at you
>"yessir"
"Do you think it would be fair of me to... punish Shiny?"
>she shudders for a moment
>"y...yessir.. but.. but you already said you were going to make him eat bland boring old hay for dinner instead of-"
"I'm not talking about that, Corona."
>"...Master?"
"I know I promised him I'd never whip him... but, I mean... I need to do something about his behavior. I hate to admit it... but my approach just hasn't been working. I give him an inch, he takes a mile."
>Corona doesn't say anything or move, instead continuing to look at you over her shoulder as you speak
"I just wish he were more like you."
>"How so?"
"Well, Corona... you've been a good girl since I brought you home. Truthfully, you're a joy for me to be around. I know you hate being a slave, but... you seem to be really trying to meet me half way here and make the best of the situation."
>you take a long, deep breath, releasing it slowly as you play with the reins in your hands
"Shiny, on the other hand..."
>you shake your head
"The stallion hates me. He doesn't just hate being a slave, he hates ME."
>Corona tilts her head at you
>"Nosir... he doesn't hate you..."
"You think so?"
>she nods her head confidently
>"Yessir. He's told me several times how grateful he is that you saved his life..."
"He's got a funny way of showing it."
 
>"He... he misses his wife and daughter, Master... he's frustrated... and it's breaking his heart knowing he'll probably never see them again..."
>you raise an eyebrow
"He's told you this himself?"
>she shakes her head
>"Nosir... but it's obvious to me what his problem is."
>she shifts uneasily in her harness, beginning to shake, biting her lip as she squirms
>"M...Master... if I tell you something... can you promise me you won't tell Shining Armor?"
>your interest is immediately piqued
"Yeah, sure. I can keep a secret if it's one you're sure you want to trust me with."
>"You deserve to know, Master... I... I know where they're at."
"Who?"
>"Princess Cadance... his wife. And their daughter. They... they belong to my former Master."
>your eyes go wide in shock
>"I'm not even sure if they know he's alive, Master. And I didn't want him to be nearby when I told you. I didn't want him to hear. That's also part of the reason I wanted to go out for a ride."
>she instantly looks remorseful
>whether it's for keeping a secret from you for so long, or the fact that she let it out at all, you can't tell
>but the look on her face makes it painfully obvious she wishes she could take it back
>"Please, Master... if he finds out... he'll hate me for not telling him... and he'll want to go after them. He'll get himself killed... please..."
 
>you have no idea what to do about this sudden revelation, but you quickly reassure Corona that you'll keep this a secret for now
>she's visibly relieved as she pulls the cart the remaining distance to the house
>there still must be a little bit of energy in reserve she wants to burn off, as she asks your permission to allow her to run the rest of the way back once again
>you let her do ask she asks, and she takes off with a burst of speed, rapidly closing the remaining distance
>when you arrive, you unhitch her and begin removing the harness
>her gear is going to have to be cleaned
>it's covered in dirt and sweat, as is the mare standing patiently before you
>bit by bit, you unbuckle and remove the various leather straps
>there's a tiny bit of blood smudged in her coat on her belly where some of the sticker bushes got her earlier, but upon closer inspection you see that it's nothing more serious than a scrape
>she's still sweating quite profusely, and it continues to slowly and steadily drip from her belly and run down her legs
>her nostrils flare slightly with each breath, but other than that her breathing has nearly returned to normal
>she gives a relieved sigh as the harness finally drops from her body and you remove the bridle from her head
>her eyes meet yours as you slip the crown piece of the bridle over her ears
>she offers you a faint smile, appearing very calm and relaxed
>as you begin to pull away you're frozen in place when she suddenly leans forward, placing the top of her muzzle against the palm of your hand with a soft nicker
>the unexpected display of affection gives you goosebumps
>you smile at her warmly, stroking her muzzle gently a couple times as she closes her eyes
"Good girl, Corona..."
>"Thank you for letting me outside, Master."
"You're welcome, Corona."
>"Did... did you enjoy your ride?"
>you nod
"I've never done that before. It was nice."
>her smile tugs at her cheeks a bit more hearing you say this
 
>you give her a quick ear scritch as you gather up the bridle and harness for cleaning
"Why don't you go on inside now and take a bath? I'll be in to fix dinner after I get done cleaning this stuff and putting it away."
>she gives a nod
>"yessir"
>with what you presume is a happy or content swish of her tail, she walks past you and into the house through the back door, gently closing it behind her
>you let out a sigh before wheeling the cart away into storage, taking a seat on a stool out in the shed nearby to begin cleaning up the tack
>you can't help but think how nice it is that she's starting to warm up to you
>as you continue working each strap of leather until it shines, you're suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat
>"ahem..."
>you turn your head to see Shining Armor sitting on his haunches next to you
>he's looking directly at you, his expression unreadable
"Oh. Hey."
>"Hi Anon."
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the house and that I'd be in to deal with you later?" you scold him
>his ears flick backward for a fraction of a second and he looks away
>"I know. But this couldn't wait."
"What cou-"
>Shining aggressively rears up on his hind legs
>you flinch, thinking he's about to strike out at you with his front hooves, but you're baffled by his next action
>his front legs wrap around you as he lurches forward, nearly knocking you off the stool as part of his body weight rests against you, his horn nearly glancing off your chin as he presses the side of his face against your chest and closes his eyes
>you hold your arms out in surprise, having dropped the piece you were cleaning, before slowly returning the hug
>you feel his grip tighten around you, and feel his chest heave a couple times ever so slightly as he lets out a brief, silent sob, trying his best not to let you hear it
>you stroke his back a couple times before he eventually releases you, sitting back down on his haunches
 
>he doesn't look back at you until he's wiped the tears from his eyes
>the tone of his voice is genuinely earnest as he speaks
>"I'm sorry, Anon... I'm so sorry for how I've been acting..."
>you can tell he actually means it, too
"Hey now... apology accepted, big guy."
>this is a radical change of attitude from only a couple hours earlier
>you're curious what brought on his sudden change of heart
>there's a few moments of awkward silence before he speaks up again
>"I like the bed you bought me... it's super comfortable. Thank you for that."
>he gives a half-hearted somber smile
>"I can't believe I have my own bed now..."
>you sigh
"You know I still have to punish you, right Shiny?"
>his smile vanishes, his ears slowly laying flat
>"Yeah... I understand."
"Nothing too serious though. Same as I said earlier, you just get hay and water for dinner tonight. It means a lot to me that you came to me on your own to apologize."
>you reach toward him, offering him your hand, making it his choice to have contact with you or not
>he inches closer to you and nuzzles it
"I need you to know something though, Shiny."
>he tilts his head up to look at you, your palm resting on his forehead
>your voice becomes a bit more stern
"This is your last free pass. I want you to know right now that I was strongly considering taking my belt to your hindquarters when Corona and I got home after your behavior earlier this afternoon - promise or no promise."
>he winces, then nods hesitantly
>"I probably deserved it."
>you let out a long, drawn-out sigh, not wanting to say the words that are about to come out of your mouth
 
"I really hate that you've put me in this position, Shiny. It pains me like you would not believe to have to go back on any promise I make, even if only partially. I want to make it clear: I won't ever use a WHIP on you. And I won't EVER beat you in a cruel or excessive manner. From today, we'll start over as far as discipline is concerned. You've got a clean slate, your past behavior and attitude I forgive completely. This is your only second chance to start fresh with me. If you're a good boy for me, I'll treat you like you've always been a good boy for me. However, from now on, Shiny, if you disrespect me like that again you WILL get a few licks on your rump from my belt."
>he nods once again
"It's like I said before. I WANT to be your friend, I really and truly do, but I will always be your MASTER first. I don't want you to hate me for that, Shiny."
>he shakes his head vigorously
>"Corona told me you were worried that I hated you when she came in earlier. I don't, Anon. I hate this situation... and I hate being a slave... I hate being separated from my family... my home... but I don't hate you. You're a good man, the only decent human I've ever met. I know I've pushed you too far. I'm sorry."
>you find yourself petting his head idly as he speaks
>he looks directly into your eyes and raises a hoof, gently pushing your hand away
>firmly maintaining eye contact, he takes a slow, deep breath before making a request
>"Anon, I want you to do it."
>you give him a questioning glance, prompting him to clarify
>"I want you to do what you have to do."
"I'm not sure what you mean by that, Shiny."
>"I want you to go ahead and use your belt on me for how I acted earlier."
"I just told you I would restrict your punishment to what's on the menu for you dinner tonight."
>he shakes his head
>"That's not good enough... We both know that just making me eat hay for dinner isn't going to accomplish anything. I'm... I'm asking this as a personal favor..."
 
>he hesitates for several moments
>"...sir."
>he bows his head slightly
>the grimace on his face makes it look as though this is the most painful thing he's ever done in his life, but his tone is firm, calm, and resolute
>"Master. You've shown me such kindness and generosity, and you ask for so little in return. I haven't been fair to you. You want me to submit to you, this is me submitting to you. There's no anger or fear in my request, just respect. I know that I have done wrong. I'm asking you... sir... to give me the punishment we both know I've earned. I promise I won't be angry with you."
>there's a painful silence, but Shining maintains his respectful posture, giving you a slight bow as he awaits your response
>you stand up slowly and scoot the stool you were sitting on away
"You're absolutely sure about this?"
>he nods
>"You said you wanted to start over with a clean slate. I do too. It doesn't sit right with me that I've escaped serious consequences for my behavior for this long. I've always believed in the rule of law... and... well, it's taken me this long to realize that as my Master, your word IS law now. It was stupid of me to try to fight that or think I could change it. This is what it will take to clear my conscience."
>you nod solemnly to him
"Go wait in my bedroom. I'll meet you in a few minutes after I put Corona's tack away."
>he gives a short, curt nod before turning and walking to the house
>you hear him breathe a sigh of relief as he walks away
>you shake your head, hanging the harness and bridle on a nearby hook on the wall after buffing out the last bit of grime and trudging toward the house
>as you walk down the hallway toward your bedroom, you hear Corona splashing around a bit in the bathtub
>you're glad she won't see this
 
>entering the bedroom, you quickly shut the door behind yourself
>Shining is sitting on his haunches waiting
>you unbuckle your belt and remove it, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible
>as one hand takes the buckle and pulls the strip of leather through the loops on your jeans, you point toward your bed with the other
"Lean over the bed and stick your rump out, Shiny. Keep that tail out of the way too."
>he immediately obeys, leaning his torso over the bed and stretching his front legs out in front of himself
>his hind hooves still touch the floor even as he lays down, and he lifts his tail out of the way to give you a clean shot
>you double the belt up in your hand and take up a position behind him
"I want you to count them out too, Shiny."
>he nods
>you close your eyes and steel your nerves, raising the belt behind your head
>Shining doesn't tremble or flinch nor give any indication of changing his mind
>he seems completely resigned to this
>you have several false starts, finding following through with the swing nearly impossible
>you don't want to do this, even if he's asking for it
>you're about to open your mouth to tell him so, when he speaks first
>"Please, Anon. Just do it."
 
>*CRACK!*
>you deliver the first firm, forceful blow to his hindquarters
>you suspect if you hold back too much he won't accept it
>the sudden impact causes Shining Armor's head to raise up off the bed reflexively
>he seems more startled by the sudden loud noise than in pain
>"One."
>you feel your hand begin to shake and a slight sick feeling in the pit of your stomach
>there's no turning back now
>you wait several seconds before swinging your arm again
>again, his head bobs up off the bed as the strip of leather sails through the air and makes contact
>*CRACK!*
>"Two."
>the tone of his voice as he speaks is initially almost one of disinterest or boredom
>you continue, making sure to pay close attention to his reactions, not wanting to give him more than he can take
>ten seems like a fair number
>you give him 20-30 seconds between each swing
>you don't want to overwhelm him
>if he whimpers or cries out, you're done
>though you suspect his pride won't allow that to happen
>with the fourth stroke you see him bite his lip
>with the sixth he stomps a hind hoof and flicks his tail
>by the eighth he's trembling, his eyes are shut tight and his ears are pinned tightly against his head, which gives you pause
>he refuses to vocalize any kind of pain response, but as he speaks each number out loud his voice wavers a bit more
>the weight on his hind hooves is shifting back and forth rapidly and his whole back end is bouncing up and down slightly as a result
>he's also got a front hoof over his eyes and is biting down on the blanket in front of him
>*CRACK!*
>"NINE, MASTER!"
>his voice this time cracks and breaks into a higher pitch as the words catch in his throat
>the addition of "Master" almost seems like a subtle plea
>you wince and your jaw quivers as you bite your lip
>this is breaking your heart
>you don't want to hurt him any more
>it'll be over soon enough though, one more and you're done
>*CRACK!*
>"TEN, MASTER!" he cries out one final time
 
>he's shaking much worse than he was initially
>he once again tenses up, preparing for you to deliver another stroke, certain that his punishment has only just begun
>his chest heaves softly and you see a pair of tears squeeze out of his eyes and roll down off the end of his muzzle into the blanket below him
>he flinches when you place a hand on his back, speaking to him in a soothing tone
"Shhh... it's over, Shiny."
>you sit down on the bed next to him and stroke him affectionately
>no more tears come, but it takes him several moments to stop trembling and regain his composure
>he refuses to look up at you in the mean time
"Good boy, Shiny. Good boy."
>he lets out a deep sigh of relief, his whole body relaxing as you pet him
>he slowly turns his head, looking up at you with a smile, his ears still laying flat
>"That... that wasn't so bad. Heh..."
>he squirms and fidgets, lifting one hind leg up onto the bed, then the other, maintaining the most submissive posture you've ever seen him in as he worms closer to you and rests his chin and forehooves on your lap, closing his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath, and releasing a soft snort
>his demeanor seems almost apologetic
>maybe even a little grateful...
>definitely not behavior you were expecting after what you just did
>when you were a kid, the LAST thing you wanted to do after your parents disciplined you was snuggle up to them
>you begin to open your mouth to apologize, but decide against it
>you don't want him to know how much that got to you
>after several minutes there's a gentle knock at the door
"Come in."
>the handle turns, and Corona steps in with a towel wrapped around her mane
>"Sorry, Master, I don't want to disturb you but there's no more shampoo and..."
>she sees you petting Shining Armor
>the belt still doubled up and held limply in your other hand
>she'd heard a few of the harder strokes even from the next room, but wasn't sure what it was at the time
>she definitely knows now though
 
>immediately dropping to her haunches, her gaze instantly hits the floor like a ten ton weight
>"I didn't mean to intrude, sir. Sorry, sir..." she mutters
>your eyes quickly dart back and forth between the belt in your hand and the mare in the doorway, and you quickly toss it aside
"It's okay Corona... you're fine," you say to her calmly. "There's another bottle of shampoo under the sink."
>"yessir... thank you, sir..."
>she doesn't move or say anything else
"Corona, look up at me."
>she slowly tilts her head up and toward you, but doesn't make eye contact
"I meant actually LOOK at me, Corona," you correct her.
>she complies hesitantly
"You have nothing to be afraid of from me, okay? Shining Armor took a belt to the rump as punishment for his behavior earlier. He's accepted responsibility for his actions."
>"yessir..."
>Shining opens an eye, his head raising off your lap slightly as he glances over at her, his ears finally lifting from his head as they rotate toward her
>"I'm fine, Corona. Don't worry about it."
>she simply nods
>"Master... if I ever misbehave... you'll punish me the same way?" she asks
"I don't think that's going to be an issue, Corona," you reassure her
>"yessir... I know sir... b...but if I do?"
>you sigh
"I don't know. Maybe. You'd have to mess up pretty damned badly though. You saw how patient I've been with Shiny."
>she nods
>"yessir."
>you offer her a gentle smile
"Corona, go finish your bath okay girl? And don't worry about this."
>"yessir," she says as she nods and stands up, relaxing a bit as she turns and walks back out
 
>For the rest of the day, Shining Armor and Corona are both unusually quiet
>they don't act afraid of you, but neither of them go out of their way to interact with you either
>after wrestling with thoughts of the day's events in your mind for a while, you convince yourself you did the right thing with Shiny
>hopefully this new attitude of his sticks and you'll find yourself butting heads with him less often now
>you spend a little time fixing up their new beds with clean sheets, blankets, and pillows before taking some time to ponder what tasks you're going to assign Corona tomorrow while you're away at work
>it doesn't take long to realize that she's going to be a bit limited in the tasks she can perform
>her harness is too complex to allow her to hitch herself to the cart without human assistance
>you also don't really have any tools or equipment modified to allow for an earth pony to use easily
>you speak with Corona herself for a little bit, trying to find out if there's anything she's particularly good at or any chores she'd prefer to do in your absence
>it's a bit disappointing when the discussion ends up being fruitless
>another phone call to your new vet's office confirms that Shining Armor will need at least 3 more weeks to put on enough weight to safely be put to work at light tasks, and another one to two months after that before he'll have recovered enough to take on heavier work involving carrying or pulling significant loads
>you look forward to when that time comes, sure that two ponies will make the work go much more quickly than one
>hopefully he'll appreciate having something to do besides lay around the house watching cartoons all day as well
>he doesn't exactly strike you as the lazy type
>after a great deal of consideration, you finally settle on a plan of action
 
>for this week, you'll have Corona circle the property's perimeter fence while you're away at work during the day, taking down broken, rotting boards as well as any nearby loose brush and gathering them up into piles to be retrieved later
>she can simply kick them down with her hooves, no tools or equipment needed
>in the evenings after work you'll spend some time on the tractor to get some mowing done in the pastures, beginning to combat the rampant overgrowth while Corona accompanies you and clears any debris you come across out of the way so that you don't have to stop and get down to do it yourself
>when the weekend comes you'll hitch her up and gather up the loose and broken boards and other debris she removed from the fence line
>you inform her of your decision, and she simply acknowledges it with her typical affirmative "yessir."
 
 
 
 
 
>when it comes time to settle down for the night, you find it unusually difficult to fall asleep
>you'd grown quite accustomed to having a pony on either side of you as you drifted off to dreamland, and find yourself missing their warmth more than you realized
>you lay awake for what feels like hours, straining intensely to listen for any signs of disturbance from the other room
>they never come though
>you get up to gently crack the door open and peer in at them, and they're both sleeping soundly
>eventually you find yourself plodding into the kitchen, where you down a couple sleeping pills before returning to your own empty bed in disappointment
>they're probably relieved not to have to sleep with you any more
>the sleeping pills eventually kick in, and you drift off to sleep yourself
>you toss and turn a bit, sleeping through the whole night, but waking up without feeling very rested
>your ponies, on the other hand, seem unusually chipper and refreshed in the morning
>Shining even manages to make it through the whole night without any nightmares
>amazing what something as simple as having your own bed can apparently do
 
>after a quick shower and once again going over the plan for the day with Corona, the two ponies see you off to work
>your first day back to the office, you find it nearly impossible to concentrate
>discussing the situation at home with some of your coworkers, some of them seem concerned
>turns out many of them in your situation would see Corona as a liability and definitely wouldn't have taken her in the way you did
>almost everyone you talk to also seems taken aback that you're allowing her out of the house on her own while you're not there
>after all, who in their right mind would want to keep a runaway slave, or even if they did, who in their right mind would trust her not to make a break for it the second they're out of sight?
>you casually dismiss their concerns though
>trust and loyalty are two way streets, after all, and you're confident the faith you've placed in Corona isn't misguided
 
>the day seems to drag on forever, and every time you look at the clock you swear the second hand ticks backwards a few times
>thousands of years later, your shift finally ends, and you eagerly make your way back home, though as usual rush hour traffic makes that a stressful endeavor
>when you open the front door to your home and step inside with a relieved sigh, neither pony is anywhere to be found
>all the lights in the house are out as well
>you venture out through the back door, out onto your back deck, and glance out over the rolling fields of your property
>you're sure they're both out there somewhere
>Shining probably just didn't want to sit in the house all day, and though he can't work maybe he decided to keep Corona company while she does
>you go back inside and sit down with a sigh, kicking off your shoes and flipping through a few tv channels
>after a few minutes of rest, you change into a pair of jeans and t-shirt, pulling on a pair of boots as well before making your way out to the storage shed holding Corona's cart
 
>parked next to it is an old tractor that, after quite a bit of work, you'd finally managed to get running again
>it's already hitched up to a mowing attachment
>you pull the choke, depress the clutch, and turn the key in the slightly rusted ignition, and it roars to life
>you back it out cautiously, making sure not to hit anything, and make your way to the end of the gravel path toward the nearest field in need of work
>unsurprisingly, you see both Shining and Corona making their way over a hill in the distance, approaching your position at a casual walk
>they're talking to each other idly, and seem rather relaxed
>Corona's ears and head perk up when she notices you, and you see her pick up her pace to a trot
>Shining lags behind her at a walk, but also heads in your direction
>when she reaches you, you cut off the engine and hop down to greet her
>"Hello, Master!" she chirps happily as she sits on her haunches in front of you
>you've never seen her in such a good mood
>she's sweating profusely, filthy from head to hoof, and her mane is disheveled
>her legs have a couple of barely noticeable scrapes on them
>it's obvious she's been diligently hard at work all day
>you greet her with a pat on the head and are rewarded with a soft nicker
>you flash a brief smile in response, it really feels great that she's starting to warm up to the idea of you touching and petting her so much
>a brief discussion with her confirms your suspicion that Shining wasn't content to sit around all day by himself, and that around lunchtime he'd brought her some hay and decided to join her for the rest of the day, talking to her and watching her work
>when Shining finally catches up, he simply offers you a respectful nod before asking if he may be excused to return to the house
>as he departs, Corona seems eager to assist you
 
>there's plenty of work to be done, so without further delay you hop back on the tractor and start it back up
>you send her ahead of the tractor, where she begins clearing large branches, boards, trash, and other debris from your path, stacking it all into a neat pile nearby for later disposal
>you burn the rest of what little bit of daylight is left, and manage to get quite a bit more done than you were hoping before you call it a day
>the little mare lets out a happy sigh when you let her know the two of you are done for the day, and trots alongside the tractor, easily keeping pace with you as you make your way back home
>after a quick shower for you, bath for her, and a quick dinner, the three of you enjoy some quiet time together before bed
>Shining rests on the couch looking bored, and Corona sits on her haunches next to your recliner as your hand rests on top of her head, gently stroking her
>you can tell she's exhausted, but she doesn't complain, instead seeming rather content with the satisfaction of a day's work and the feeling of her master's hand caressing her
 
>the rest of the week passes in much the same manner
>little by little, sections of your land are looking slightly more presentable
>you're deeply impressed by what a hard worker Corona is, too
>she doesn't complain or hesitate even once the whole time
>you also find Shining Armor accompanying the two of you more often than not, content to sit on his haunches or lie in the grass while he watches you
>he and Corona seem to be getting along a lot better now as well, now that he's not actively challenging your authority or disrespecting you
>he still doesn't fall all over himself to be openly subservient to you, but at the very least the truce that's fallen between the two of you is quite welcome
>when Saturday finally comes, the three of you sleep in for a change
 
>it's almost noon before you get out of bed and get ready for the day's work
>as you begin strapping Corona's harness to her, Shining Armor calmly approaches you and sits on his haunches, patiently waiting for you to finish hitching her to the cart
>you climb up into the seat with reins in hand, he stands next to her, and the two of them walk side by side as you gently signal her forward
>you peek over your shoulder as the house disappears from view with a soft yawn, stretching slowly as you make your way to the first pile of junk to be collected
>careful to avoid nails and splinters, you collect pile after pile of wood and other debris and dump them into the back of the cart until it's full, finding a spot in a clearing a hundred or so yards away from the back of the house to start dumping it
>you decide the best way to dispose of it all will be to burn it later on tonight
>every time you approach the house, you're careful to take an approach that will obscure Corona's view from the back deck
>she should have a surprise waiting there for her when you get done for the day, and you don't want to spoil it
>you'd mentioned the little mare's affinity for baths to a buddy of yours at work
>turns out he was getting rid of a hot tub, as he'd purchased a new one, and he let you have it for a steal
>you'd paid him a little extra to deliver it and set it up on your back deck while you were away from the house for today
>you can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees it and you tell her it's for her
>the thought alone brings a huge smile to your face as you dump the last load and head back toward the house
 
>"Y'know, I could help Corona with some of the work around here if I had my magic back."
>Corona freezes in place and her eyes go wide, the cart jerking to a halt as her head and ears spin around to look at Shining Armor, then back over her shoulder at you
>it takes the stallion a few steps to notice her no longer keeping pace with him
>he turns and sits on his haunches, looking at the two of you with a curious expression, tilting his head slightly
>"What? I could."
>you stare at him with a puzzled look for a moment before shaking your head with a slight chuckle
"After the way you've acted?"
>he shrugs
>"Just thought it might make things go a little faster is all. You wouldn't have to wait any longer for me to get back to a healthy weight either. Honestly it's starting to bother me a bit not feeling useful."
"That may be so, but I'm not really in a huge hurry. It's not like we're on a tight schedule here. Besides, there will be plenty of work for you to do once you're up to it, trust me big guy - you're going to miss the days when all you had to do was laze around the house."
>you give the reins in your hands a casual toss and they snap against Corona's rump just enough to move her forward once again
>she lets out a soft snort, dismissing Shining's suggestion with a roll of her eyes as she resumes pulling
>Shining quickly takes up a position a little further back than before and walks alongside the cart next to where you're sitting
"I didn't even know your magic could be restored. I was under the impression you'd lost it permanently, given this is the first time you've even mentioned it."
>he nods
>"Yeah. I was lucky enough that they gave me the implant instead of severing the nerves, or even flat out removing my horn. I've known other unicorns that weren't as lucky. They always have this... this haunted look about them when they come back from the surgery."
>he shudders intensely and pauses for a moment before he keeps walking
 
>"It... it changes them - in more ways than just not being able to use magic anymore. Guess that's one small mercy I should be grateful for, eh?"
>he forces a smile, but you can see the pain in his eyes
>you shake your head and direct your attention forward again, watching Corona's hips gently sway with each stride she takes and her tail give an occasional swish, trying not to dwell too much on what Shining just said
"That's pretty barbaric. I can't imagine what it must be like for them."
>you sigh
"Poor ponies..."
>he snorts in such a way you half expect some snide remark about him being surprised you care, but it never comes
>"You have no idea, Anon. I mean, it was a pretty big shock to my system just feeling the effects of the implant when they activated it. Was kinda like... having the wind knocked out of you, but way WAY worse. But at least I can still FEEL the magic there, even if it is buried pretty deep and inaccessible. To lose it altogether..."
>he shudders once again
>you give a shrug, your eyes still on Corona
"Earth ponies seem to get along just fine without magic."
>he immediately frowns and you bite your tongue, wondering why you thought for even a second that was an okay thing to say to him
"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by that."
>there's an angry snort followed by a frustrated sigh
>"Well, just imagine you suddenly went blind and deaf. Now amplify that feeling of loss and helplessness a hundredfold. That still doesn't even come close to describing what that kind of... VIOLATION... means to a unicorn."
>you nod solemnly, followed by a tense, awkward silence that feels like it stretches out forever, your voice taking on a more gentle tone when you speak again
"I don't know. Maybe one of these days we can see about having that implant adjusted or even removed once you've proven your loyalty to me. But for right now, I can't trust you with that kind of power, Shiny. I really am sorry..."
 
>Corona comes to a halt as you reach the storage shed, tilting her head and her ears twitching as she stares at a large blue tarp covering something on your back deck
>"That wasn't there when we left," she says curiously
>you smile
>Shining clears his throat, not bothering to even look up at you and seeming to completely ignore the object that caught Corona's eye
>"May I be excused to the house - MASTER?"
>you cringe ever so slightly at the hint of venom in that last word before nodding
"Of course, Shiny."
>"Thanks."
>he wastes no time, his hooves clattering loudly against the wood of the deck as he bounds up the stairs, ascending them in two strides before disappearing into the house and shutting the door behind himself harder than usual, making sure you and Corona both hear it
>you climb down from your seat and begin untacking Corona with a sigh as she waits patiently
>her coat is damp with perspiration, but she hasn't worked up enough of a sweat for it to drip from her body
>you were careful to take it easy on her today
>as you unbuckle and remove the last leather strap holding the harness to her body and pull the bridle over her ears, bunching it up in your hand along with the harness for storage, she tosses her head and shakes her whole body with a relieved sigh, giving a wide, sharp swish of her tail as her head lowers slightly
>she starts toward the house as you move to back the cart into the storage shed, just leaving the harness and bridle laying in the back for now with the intent to clean it later
>you hadn't given her permission to leave yet
>any other time you'd have let it slip, but you want her to stay with you for now, eager to reveal her surprise to her
"Corona," you correct her in a firm but gentle tone
>she instantly freezes and returns to your side, immediately realizing her slip up, her ears flattening against her head as she bows it to you submissively
>"I'm sorry Master... I didn't ask to be excused..."
 
"We'll forego the whipping just this once," you say jokingly, placing a hand on her head and gently rustling her mane
>you wince as the mare whimpers softly, trembling under your touch
>another poor choice of words
"Shit... I didn't mean..."
>you mentally slap yourself
>what the fuck is wrong with you today?
>you place a hand under her muzzle and direct her eyes to yours
"I wouldn't whip you over something like that. It was a stupid and insensitive joke and I didn't mean it, okay girl? I'm sorry..."
>she nods hesitantly as you slowly pull your hand away
>"yessir..."
>maybe you should just keep your mouth shut for the rest of the day
>you'd managed to put them both in a bad mood in record time
>hopefully the hot tub will earn you some forgiveness, at least from Corona
>you pat your side a couple times and start toward the house
"C'mon, girl. I've got a surprise for you."
>she obeys and is at your side in a heartbeat, matching your steps perfectly as you make your way up the stairs and stop in front of the tarp
>"A surprise? For me, Master?"
>you nod as she sits on her haunches
"Yep, and it's right here. Close your eyes."
>her eyes close so tight it causes a little wrinkle in her muzzle as you pull back the tarp, her ears flicking wildly at the sound of the crumpling plastic as you set it aside
"Alright girl, open them!"
>her head tilts and her jaw hangs open ever so slightly
>you place a hand on the back of your neck and take a step back
"It's a hottub! I know how much you like your baths... I mean, it's not for cleaning yourself in, but I figure soaking in that hot water is probably pretty relaxing for you. And this has all kinds of jets that shoot pressurized water all over your body while you rest in it, kind of like a massage, so it'll feel even better!"
>you point toward some buttons and a dial on the side
 
"This controls the temperature, and this one turns the jets on. You can come out here and use it any time you want, girl! I'm so proud of you for what a good girl you've been for me, I wanted to do something to thank you for all your hard work."
>her head slowly rotates toward you, her jaw quivering violently, eyes glazed over and flooded with tears that threaten to come crashing down her cheeks at any moment, her ears pinned firmly against her head
>she closes her mouth and swallows harshly, letting out a long, deep, high-pitched whine through her closed muzzle as she blinks, the tears skipping her cheeks completely and splattering onto the deck beneath her as her whole body starts to shake
>the huge grin on your face starts to fade as you stare into her eyes, tears flowing freely from them now and splashing onto the wood beneath her front hooves almost nonstop
"What's wrong girl? You... don't you like it? I thought you'd be pleased. I can have him take it back and get you something else if-OOMF!"
>you're not prepared for the sudden weight that hits you like a freight train, knocking you flat on your back and taking the wind out of you as the mare tackles you hard, sobbing loudly into your chest as she wraps her front hooves around you and squeezes tightly
>"I never thought... I've never... nobody's ever... You didn't have t... I don't deserve..." she stammers out
>you stroke her back gently until she takes a deep breath and finally forces out a complete sentence, looking up into your eyes with a heartfelt smile oozing with joy and gratitude
>"I love it, Master! Thank you, thank you so so SO much! All... all for me and... and... Oh I just... I don't even know what to say!"
 
>she lets out a loud nicker followed by an excited whinny as she climbs off of you just as suddenly as she'd knocked you over, trotting over to the hot tub and rearing up onto her hind legs on the side, looking into it and dipping her hoof into the water
>your friend had been nice enough to fill it and turn the heater on before he left so it'd be ready by the time you got back
>you stand up, finally catching your breath and press the button on the side, starting up the jets
>it startles her slightly and she stares at the bubbling water for nearly a full minute before glancing up at you
>all it takes is a simple nod before she scrambles into the water in such a hurry that she splashes you, causing you to give a hearty laugh at her enthusiasm
>you briefly see Shining's face in the window looking out at the two of you before disappearing suddenly
>after squirming and splashing around in the water for a few moments, she settles down, leaning back against the side of the tub when she finds an intersection of jets that hit all her sore muscles just the right way, dunking her head beneath the water momentarily before coming back up, her wet mane clinging to her neck as she lets out a long, drawn-out sigh, slowly turning her head toward you with a look of sheer adoration
>you reach over and give her a quick scritch behind the ear, deeply satisfied and relieved that she seems to have already forgotten or forgiven your bad joke
"I'm glad you like it, Corona. You linger in there as long as you want, okay? Just don't fall asleep. I'm going to head inside for a bit."
>she nods, her eyes rolling back in her head as she closes her eyes, practically melting as you walk into the house, gently closing the door behind yourself to leave the little mare to enjoy her new gift
 
 
 
 
 
---------------------
 
>you didn't even feel yourself beginning to nod off in the soothing water
>by the time you open your eyes again, it's quickly becoming dusk
>you're somewhat startled when you look across from you and see your Master relaxing in the hot tub with you, a drink in one hand and cell phone in the other
>he doesn't seem to have noticed you opening your eyes, completely engrossed with whatever's on the small screen in front of him
>the water splashes and sloshes just enough to get his attention as you sit up
>he looks up at you with a friendly smile
>"Hey girl, hope you don't mind if I join you for a little bit. It looked too inviting to resist a little dip myself."
>you shake your head
"N..no, of course not Master. How long have I been in here?"
>you casually stretch and twist your body, noticing that the intensity of the jets has been turned down some, and the temperature increased ever so slightly
>"Oh not long. Maybe a half hour or so?"
>he shrugs, tapping at the screen in his hand a few more times before setting the phone aside next to his drink on a small table he'd set up next to the hottub
"Oh... well sir, if you'd rather have some time alone I suppose I've been in here long enough to-" you say, slowly starting to climb over the side, flinching when he reaches over and places a hand on your front left fetlock
>"Please, Corona. You don't have to go on my account. I told you to linger as long as you want, remember?"
>you give a nervous chuckle before settling back down into the water
"yessir..."
>"So I've been thinking," he says, removing his hand and leaning back
>"Those trees along the southwestern rim of the property, what do you think about getting rid of them?"
>you blink a few times
>why does he care what you think?
>it's his land...
"Sir?"
>"I just want your opinion. I mean, that'd clear up some more land for other uses and make traversing that part of the property a little easier."
>he hesitates
 
>"Though I also do enjoy the thought of having some nice wooded trails to go for hikes - or cart rides."
>he reaches over and takes another drink of the beverage in the tall glass next to him
"That...um... that's a lot of work for just you and me, Master... wouldn't it take a long time?"
>he shakes his head
>"Nah. I found a company that will come and clear the land and even mill the lumber for us on-site. All they want in return is to keep half. That'd also provide us with plenty of boards to start repairing the fence with."
>he points to his phone
>"I already sent 'em an e-mail with some aerial photographs of the property to see if they'd be interested."
>you nod
"That seems like a good idea, Master."
>"You really think so? You're not just saying that to appease me?"
>you quickly shake your head
"Nosir. That seems like a good way to save some money and uh... free us up for other work?"
>the uncertainty of your tone gives him pause
>"You don't sound convinced..."
>truth is you're not sure what to think
>you've never had a Master ask your opinion about something like this
"I suppose it's really up to you, Master. I mean... I'll go along with whatever you think is best."
>he sighs
>"Right. Of course you will."
>he looks down at the water, his head hanging ever so slightly, seeming disappointed with your response for a few moments before looking back up at you
>"Tell me something, Corona. How do you feel about the work I've been asking you to do so far?"
>you freeze, your ears flattening against your head
>is he not satisfied with your performance?
>or the rate at which things are getting done?
>is he going to increase your hours or workload?
>maybe... maybe even start bringing a whip along with him in the cart to make sure you keep up a satisfactory pace?
>a million things rush through your mind all at once until you hear your name again
 
>"Corona?"
>you shake your head, snapping back to your senses
>"If it's too much for you, you don't have to be afraid to say so. You can ease up a bit if you need to, we can take things a little more slowly. I don't want you overexerting yourself."
>your jaw hangs open slightly for a moment and you give him a blank stare
"Nosir... it's been fine. I mean... I'm not having trouble keeping up. It's nice to have something to do while you're gone, Master."
>he seems to perk up slightly hearing that
>"And the cart?"
>you tilt your head slightly
"Sir?"
>"You don't mind the cart?"
>your eyes look away for a moment, darting around a bit before meeting his again
"Nosir."
>"Really?"
>you shake your head
"In a strange way, pulling is kind of... satisfying for me, sir. I don't know how to explain it."
>he raises an eyebrow at you
"I... I mean, I've always enjoyed staying active, even before I was a sla..." your voice begins to trail off for a moment before you continue
"I've... always liked to stay active, Master."
>you bite your lip and look down and away from him, trying to fight back memories of home that are starting to surface
>when you look back over at him, he's holding his arms out, gesturing toward himself with his fingers, closing them toward his palms a few times
>seeing you hesitate, he finally speaks up in a gentle tone barely above a whisper, giving a nod
>"c'mere, girl. It's okay..."
 
>you close your eyes and shake your head with a slight whimper
>when you open them again, his arms have returned to his sides and he's staring off into space
>he has an expression on his face that can only be described as hurt
>"Sorry. Just looked like you could really use a hug there for a minute..."
>he gives a somber smile as he climbs out of the hottub and starts to dry himself off with a towel he'd brought out
>"Well hey... I don't wanna disturb you any more. I can-"
>BZZZZTPOP!
>BZZZTZZTZTPOP!
>he turns his head toward a faintly humming purplish light hanging over the doorway
>"Heh... that was a big one. Might want to start thinking about going inside soon, the bug zapper only keeps the mosquitoes away for so long."
>your pupils constrict nearly to the size of pinpricks and your muscles lock up
>BZZZTZZTZTPOP! BZZTPOP!
>the harsh crackling of the electricity sends tremors through your body as it reaches your ears
>and all of a sudden you're right back in that room
>that dreaded, horrible, dark slice of Tartarus you had desperately hoped you'd never see again in your life
>not even in your memories
>but you're there, the feelings of terror, anger, and pain welling up inside you just as fresh as the very day you'd been tortured
>you can feel yourself being shocked
>your muscles screaming in fatigue from being tied up in stress positions far too long
>searing skin on fire from the tormenting blows of the prod in your master's hand
>you try to cry out, but find it nearly impossible, your voice catching in your throat, all you're able to manage is a sharp, forceful, soundless exhale
>BZZZZZZZZTTZTZTZT POP!POP!
>you feel hands around your body, pulling hard, your limp, wet body slumping over the side of the hottub, and crashing down next to it as you're pulled out
"NO!! NO, STOP!!!" you finally scream out desperately "YOU'RE HURTING ME!"
>BZZZT!
"PLEASE MASTER... NO MORE... NO MORE!!! I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRYYYY!"
 
>you feel sick to your stomach, your shallow breaths coming at a nearly impossibly rapid rate as you begin to hyperventilate, numb to the real world as you relive your worst horror
>Anon falls over as he finally manages you remove you from the hottub completely, and you collapse in a heap on top of him
>BZZZZT!
>you can't breathe
>this is it
>this is the end
>Master is going to kill you
>to torture you to death for running away
>and for refusing to give up your friend
>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTPOP!
>your bladder involuntarily empties as you shake uncontrollably
>"Corona what the hell is wrong with you!?"
>Anon struggles beneath your weight, but without at least a little voluntary movement of your own finds it nearly impossible to push you off of himself
>"Everything's okay! You're safe! Calm down girl, please!"
>mercifully, the humming finally cuts off
>as the sounds of electric death finally cease, you find yourself slowly snapping back to reality
>all you're able to do is cling to your Master, squeezing your forelegs around his bare chest tightly as you cry into it
 
>you briefly see Shining Armor sitting on his haunches, dropping the end of an extension cord from his teeth before turning to go back inside without a word
>finally catching your breath, you let out a deep, mournful wail
>you feel Master's arms wrap around you and squeeze you tightly as he begins rocking you, for the time being completely ignoring the fact that you're now both covered in your urine, though the stench is hard to miss
>you don't see him grimace, trying to push the feeling of revulsion out of his mind temporarily, knowing you need him right now
>your chest heaves with each sob, which only serves to tighten his grip
>you feel his chin press against the top of your head
>slowly, gradually, the dread and terror are replaced by a feeling of warmth and safety, as well as sheer exhaustion
>the sobs cease
>as do the tears
>Master hasn't said anything to you, giving you plenty of time to work whatever it is out on your own
>eventually you pull away from him, sitting up on your haunches on the soaked wood of the deck, staring down at the ground and still trembling
>"You wanna tell me what that was all about?"
 
 
 
 
 
>your eyes slowly blink open
>you're dry and clean
>your mane and tail have been carefully brushed
>there's a faint floral aroma emanating from your coat
>you look across the room and see the lumpy outline of a body under the blankets in the other bed
>as it shifts and rolls over you can make out a horn dimly illuminated by moonlight poking from underneath, and hear a brief, faint snore
>you don't remember how you got here
>last thing you remember was soaking in the hot tub with Master, and then...
>everything's a blur
>you push the blankets off of yourself and sit up in the bed with a slight groan
"Shining Armor?" you whisper, hopping down from the bed and rearing up at the side of his, poking him with a hoof and giving him a gentle shake
>he mutters and moans, rolling back over to face away from you, still completely unconscious
>you give a frustrated little sigh and flick of your tail before leaving the room
>having noticed the smell of smoke as well as the dim light of a fire bouncing off the window pane, you make your way outside
>off in the distance, you see Master with a bundle of brush in his arms that you'd helped him gather up earlier in the day, heaping it onto an already raging bonfire that's at least as tall as he is
>brushing his hands together with a sigh, he turns away and collapses haphazardly into a nearby chair, not seeming to notice you approaching
>maybe it's just too dark to see you
>other than the fire and moonlight, it's pitch black out here
>a far too familiar feeling of gloominess and loneliness wells up in your stomach
>this brings up too many bad memories of your time on the run
>hiding in dark, scary woods, never knowing what kind of dangerous creature you might stumble across in the darkness, or what kind of trap might ensnare you at any moment
>you stop for a moment and nip at your side instinctively
>stupid mosquitoes
>thankfully the smoke seems to be driving them away for the most part
 
>the sound of crickets and other nighttime creatures is nearly deafening and you shiver a bit, picking up your pace, eager for the safety of the fire
>...and your Master
>you almost hate to admit it, even to yourself, but he has this way of calming your nerves...
>you shake your head, stumbling on an uneven spot in the ground
>the distant, lonesome cry of a coyote, though not close enough to pose any threat, is enough to make your heart race and make you take off at a brisk trot
>through either the slight sense of panic, the fact that your night vision isn't quite as good as it used to be, or some combination of both, you plow right into the back of Master's chair
>not enough to knock him over, but more than enough to startle him, causing him to jump up from his seat and knock it over
>you whimper and drop to your haunches, rubbing your snout and blinking away the wetness in your eyes, reflexive tears caused by the pain of the collision
>"Damn it, Corona, you scared me half to death... don't ever sneak up on me like that!" Master says in a stern tone
"Sorry sir..." you mutter
>his expression softens immediately and he uprights his chair, sitting back down in it
>"It's alright, girl. I just thought you were asleep is all. What brings you out here? It's after midnight."
>you hesitate
>you weren't sure what made you come outside, to be honest
>you just say the first thing that comes to your mind
"I woke up, and... and I didn't want to be alone, Master," you say just above a whisper, taking up a position in front of him, enjoying the radiant heat of the fire on your backside as you sit, looking into his eyes
>"Shining Armor isn't in his bed?"
>you shake your head
"He is, but I didn't want to disturb him."
>he nods
>"I see."
>you bite your lip and look away from him
 
"Also... I was wondering what happened earlier, Master. I... I don't remember the last few hours. I remember being in the hot tub with you and then... waking up in bed. I... I hope I didn't cause any trouble."
>he raises an eyebrow
>"You don't remember any of it?"
>you simply shake your head
>"You don't remember flipping out, peeing on me, me cleaning you up, or the long talk we had afterward? None of it?"
>you wince slightly
"I'm sorry, Master..."
>he sighs
>"Let's just say I have a pretty good idea why you're so traumatized now."
>he balls up his fist, anger flashing in his eyes for a brief moment before he relaxes once again
>your jaw opens slightly, eyes darting around in the darkness
>you wonder just how much you told him
>after a few minutes he stands up, picks up a big stick, and starts idly poking at the fire, seeming troubled
>"You've been through a lot. I knew that much already, but I never imagined..."
>his voice trails off momentarily before he turns his head to look back at you
>"You're right to hate us."
>you tilt your head
"I don't ha-"
>he cuts you off
>"It's okay, Corona."
>he tosses a few more branches and broken boards into the fire
>"I won't pet you or touch you anymore. I'll give you your space from now on."
>your ears flatten
>why does he sound so guilty?
>he's not the one who hurt you
>what had you said to him earlier?
>...and why do YOU feel slightly guilty all of a sudden?
"Master..."
>he smiles warmly at you, speaking softly
>"Go back to bed, okay girl? We'll talk tomorrow. I... well, I'd honestly rather be alone for a little while right now. If you really need company that badly you have my permission to wake Shiny up and tell him it was my fault his rest was disturbed."
>you hesitate to comply
>it's obvious he's lying about wanting to be alone
 
>"Corona..."
>his voice gets a little more strict and he points toward the house
>"Bed."
>you swallow a lump in your throat, planting your rump firmly in the dirt and staring into his eyes defiantly
"Nosir..."
>he snaps his fingers and shakes his arm emphatically, his tone hardening even more as the smile disappears from his lips
>"I said BED, Corona."
>you shake your head, not taking your eyes off of his for a second
"Nosir..."
>he unbuckles his belt, and you feel your heart leap into your throat as he pulls it through the loops in his jeans and doubles it up in his hand
>"I thought you knew better than to disobey me, girl. I'm going to count to three."
>he snaps the belt in his hand
>"One..."
>you take a deep breath, fighting back the instinctual fear and urge to tremble
>"TWO..."
>his expression turns from angry to pleading
>"Don't make me do this, Corona... please just go to bed..."
>you stand up, taking a cautious step toward him
>before he can react, you catch the strip of leather between your teeth, giving it a gentle tug
>it slips from his grasp effortlessly, and you toss it aside
>an empty threat, as you suspected
>"What do you want, mare?" he says, taking a step back from you
"What do YOU want, Master?"
>his face contorts in bewildered confusion
>"I told you already, I want you to go to bed and leave me alone..."
>you advance on him further, causing him to take another step back
>"We... we can discuss your punishment for disobeying me tomorrow."
>you shake your head and snort angrily
"That's a lie. You don't want to be alone at all... In fact, I think that's why you took me and Shining Armor in."
>he falls onto his rump, tripping over a stray branch as he tries to take another step back
"You're a sad, lonely little man, aren't you?"
>"Shut up and go to bed, Corona, I'm not in the mood for games..."
"You're not going to be happy until we love you back, are you Master?"
>his eyes go wide
 
>"I don't need you to love me, just to obey me. Y...you're my slave. I... I'll do with you as I please..."
>you stand over him, pressing a hoof against his chest, and he falls back, leaning against his elbows in the dirt as the fire crackles loudly nearby
"Liar! Just admit it! You never wanted slaves, did you? You wanted companions."
>"I... I'm gonna... I'm gonna..."
"You're gonna WHAT?"
>you push your forehead against his
"You'd never hit me and you know it."
>you laugh in his face
"Just say it already! You love me! You love BOTH of us!"
>he lets out a furious snort through his muzzle
>"I... I don't need you!" he squeals loudly, ears flicking in rage
>you feel his hoof on your chest, trying to push you off of him
>instead of backing away, you double down
"Stop lying to me already!"
>his withers are now flat against the dirt, his long, flowing black mane scattered haphazardly around him as he cranes his neck to maintain his angry gaze into your eyes, his tail flicking angrily against your hind legs
>without warning, a hoof wraps around your neck, another around your withers as you're pulled down on top of him
>his muzzle pressing firmly into yours, you feel his tongue snaking into your mouth, first with an angry squeal, followed shortly by a contented nicker when you relent, closing your eyes and melting into the kiss, luxuriating in his embrace
>you can't remember the last time a stallion held you like this
>the last time you were WANTED this badly
>his hot, steamy breath pours through his flared nostrils and onto your cheeks as he continues kissing you, wrapping a hind leg over your hindquarters and forcing your belly against his
>all too soon you find yourself lost in the heat of passion, your entire body shuddering with desire
>you've needed this for so long...
"Oh Master..." you moan between kisses
>your lips part, and he presses his forehead against yours, both of you panting heavily as you stare into each other's eyes
 
>"Corona... I love you so much... this... this is all I've ever wanted... from the moment I brought you home, I couldn't stop thinking about you... about what this would be like..."
>he kisses you again
>you feel a mixture of smug satisfaction and overwhelming desire as you allow your body to settle over his, feeling him begin to emerge from his sheath
>his... his sheath?
>you pull away from the kiss
>something's not right
>"What's wrong, Corona? Don't you want this?"
>your eyes begin to dart around, even as your now-moist marehood quivers in anticipation of being bred
>he tries to pull you into another kiss, but you push his muzzle aside
>your master doesn't have a sheath
>at least as far as you know
>...or a muzzle
>mane
>tail
>hooves...
>what the...
>who is this stallion you're about to rut!?
>AND WHY DO YOU WANT IT SO BADLY!?
>you burst up in bed with a shrill whinny, pulling the blankets over yourself tightly, your heart racing, coat damp with a light sweat
>you hear soft snoring, looking over to see Shining Armor sound asleep
>apparently even that little outburst isn't enough to wake him
>there's no smell of smoke
>no fire
>just darkness and the sound of crickets chirping outside the window
>you bite your lip, your lips curling up in a snarl as you grumble angrily at yourself
"What the HAY was that all about!?"
 
 
 
--------------------------------
 
>you gently knock on your ponies' bedroom door
>Corona must have had a bad dream or something, she whinnied so loud it woke you up
>you kept your bedroom door open to listen for her just in case something like this were to happen
>hell, after that episode in the hot tub earlier you were pretty much expecting it
>she'd been almost catatonic immediately afterward, and kept mostly quiet as you bathed her, staring at the surface of the bathwater with a blank, emotionless expression
>as you dried her and brushed out her mane and tail she started to talk to you
>and once she got going, she didn't stop for what felt like hours
>told you some pretty terrible things, and opened up to you in a way that was more than a little surprising
>you knew she'd been through a lot, but hearing some of the details of her past in her own words was unsettling, to say the least
>you wait for a minute or so, and when there's no response you knock again
>"Corona? Shiny? You two awake?"
>you open the door and flip the light switch, and are immediately greeted by a frustrated groan from the bed nearest to you as Shining Armor pulls his blankets over his head in protest
>you see Corona sitting up with her back against the wall, blankets clutched tight against her
>she's trembling and sweating, her eyes locking onto you and widening as you walk toward her and sit on the side of her bed, ears swiveling downward from their upright position
>"Shhh, easy girl," you say softly, "I heard you cry out. Bad dream?"
>Shining throws his blankets off with a grunt, hopping down from the bed and starting toward the door, when he suddenly freezes in place
>he sniffs at the air, his head slowly rotating toward you
>he lets out a somewhat stifled, half-angry, half-surprised squeal after sniffing at the air a second time, a thousand different emotions flashing across his face before it finally settles on contorting in disgust
>Corona's eyes briefly meet his and she whimpers, pulling her blankets up to her muzzle and shrinking away from you
>you momentarily rest your hand on the bed to shift your weight, and that's when you feel it
>a faint damp spot
>had she wet the bed or...
>oh shit
>loud whinny
>hesitation to open the door
>sweaty mare
>wet spot on the bed
>the sudden realization dawns on you and you leap up off the bed, beating Shiny to the door as your face turns bright red
"I didn't mean to interrupt you guys, sorry for barging in like that"
>you're so flustered you miss the door handle the first two times you reach for it, barely able to stammer out the next sentence before awkwardly closing the door behind yourself before they even have a chance to respond
"Just... uh... I'll get a lock for your door so next time you can... erm... just be careful okay? I uh... I don't... I can't afford a third mouth to feed."
 
 
--------------------------------
 
>"You talk in your sleep, you know."
>you simply stare dumbfounded at the stallion, unsure of how to reply, frozen in place as you lean against the wall
"How much did... did you hear?"
>he shrugs
>"Enough," he finally manages with a sigh. "Took me a minute to put two and two together, but once I caught your scent..."
>you give a short, indignant squeal
"HEY!"
>he simply shrugs
>"Just stating a fact, it's not like I was TRYING to get a whiff of you. It's just that it's pretty heavy in the air, even now. Kiiinda hard for a stallion not to notice."
>you grit your teeth, angrily flicking your tail under the blankets with a sharp snort as he walks over and opens the window
"I don't... I didn't... that wasn't..." you stammer
"What EXACTLY did you hear?"
>"Like I said, enough."
"It's not what you think it is..."
>"And what do I think it is?"
"SHUT UP!"
>he gets an amused grin
>"Wow. Somepony's touchy."
>you give an angry little growl and sink back into the bed, pulling the blankets up over your head
>"Aw, what's wrong, not in the mood to talk?"
>you really want to hoof him in the muzzle right now
>SO HARD
>the last thing you need is him rubbing this in your face when you haven't even had a chance to properly sort out your own feelings about it yet
"Just shut up already, PLEASE. Whatever you think you heard, UNHEAR it. I don't need this."
>"Boy mares sure do get moody when they're in heat. Maybe Anon can give you something for that," he teases
>you take your pillow in your teeth and whip it at him as hard as you can
>it instantly becomes impaled on his horn with a soft "floof" noise, down scattering from the newly formed hole and flying through the air as he shakes his head and flings it off
>you snatch Shining's pillow from his bed before laying back down in your own and turning your back to him
>"Hey, that's mine!"
"Not anymore. I warned you to shut up."
>"Come on, don't be like that."
"...can't believe he seriously thinks I'd let YOU mate with me," you mutter, "...not even if you were the last stallion in the world."
>"Why do you care so much about what he thinks?"
"Good NIGHT, Shining Armor," you snap at him, placing the pillow over your head and covering your ears
 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------
 
>breakfast is quiet and awkward
>both ponies barely touched their food until you encouraged them a few times
>the tv drones on in the background
>coincidentally it happens to be on one of those national news stations, with pundits discussing the ethics and morality of modern slavery over the news that the most recent Equestrian slave rights bill has once again stalled in the legislature
>you'd think such a topic would have garnered more attention from your ponies, but the only other sound in the room is an occasional crunch as one of you takes a bite of your food
>after finishing his meal, Shining Armor finally speaks up
>"I need a new pillow."
"What happened to yours?"
>"My horn happened," he replies with a quick glance in Corona's direction
"Oh," you say with a soft chuckle. "There are a few spares in the closet in the hall, just grab one."
>he nods and stares at his empty bowl in silence
>Corona does much the same
>she's avoided eye contact with you since she got up this morning
>"We weren't mating, Master," she eventually says softly
>you cough and grab a napkin, holding it over your mouth
"You weren't?"
>"Nosir, I just..."
>her voice trails off
"Well, that's kind of a relief, I guess. You uh, you know you can if you WANT to though, right? You have my permission. I'm sure you're both uh... y'know... y'know? I mean, I just don't want you getting pregnant is all. So if you decide to, just consider it a standing order to be careful. Maybe there are pills we can put you on to prevent it? Heh... I'll look into it, I know you probably..." you ramble awkwardly
>"m...master, please..." Corona groans, hiding behind her forelegs. "I don't... we don't look at each other that way."
>"Nope," Shining snorts, "I'm not the stallion for her. Besides, I'm married, remember?"
 
"Right," you nod, pausing briefly before bringing your hands together with a soft clap, eager to change the subject. "ANYWAY! No work today, Corona, you've earned a break, and I feel like taking a lazy day anyway."
>her ears perk up
"Some friends of mine from work are having a cookout this afternoon, so I'll probably be gone for a while later."
>and then they droop again
>it doesn't escape your attention
"What's wrong?"
>"Nothing, Master," she sighs
"Oh. Well, you guys don't have to stay stuck in the house all day. You can go outside and enjoy the nice weather if you want."
>she still doesn't seem satisfied
>Shining Armor has already made his way to the living room and changed the channel to watch his show, legs tucked underneath him as best as he can manage and head resting lazily on the armrest of your sofa
>Corona clears the dishes from the table before sitting on her haunches next to you
>"Can we go with you, Master?"
>your head tilts toward her
 
"Uh... I guess if you want to?" you reply curiously. "You wouldn't be uncomfortable around so many people?"
>"Not with you there, sir" she says with a smile
>her gaze lingers on you just a little bit too long before she shakes her head and looks away
>"If it's a bad idea I'll stay here, Master" she mutters. "I didn't mean t-"
"I'll call ahead and make sure it's okay with them," you interrupt her warmly, reaching down and scratching her ear
>"I'd rather stay here if it's all the same to you, Anon," Shining calls from the next room
>you shrug
"Actually I think you should come too, Shiny. It'll do you some good to get out and socialize."
>he predictably grumps over your response, ears down and nose creased with a frown on his muzzle as you enter the living room and take a seat in your recliner, Corona excusing herself to bed to get in a little more sleep
>it's still pretty early in the morning, after all, and you consider doing the same yourself
>instead, after a few minutes of silence, you stand up and motion for him to scoot over, joining him on the sofa and resting a hand on his mane, idly stroking him
>while it's not quite at its former length, it's no longer the same jagged mohawk he had been sporting for so long
>there's enough length to it that it starts to fall to the side of his neck again
>his grumpiness eventually subsides as you pet him, and he caves in to your affection, resting his head in your lap and staring at the TV in silence
 
 
 
 
 
"So hey listen, do you mind if I bring my ponies? They're kind of itching to get out of the house and do something."
"Yeah"
"Nah, they're good"
"Yep! Just the two of them"
"Stallion and a mare"
"Definitely"
"Shit, really?"
"Alright"
"Mm-hmm"
"Oh that would be awesome, I'm sure they'd appreciate that"
"Alright man, we'll see you at 3:00 then?"
"Perfect"
"Yep, you too"
"Bye"
>you set your phone on the end table next to you, raising your arms as you stretch and yawn
>Shining just snorts and rolls his eyes when your hand returns to his neck and you continue to pet him
"So hey, Shiny"
>an ear rotates toward you but he doesn't turn his head
"Turns out my boss is coming to this little get together, so I'm gonna need you to be on your best behavior, okay?"
>"Aww. And here I was, planning on having a good old time biting and kicking everyone there and burning the place down."
"Sarcasm doesn't really suit you, you know" you deadpan
 
>"Who's being sarcastic?"
>you give a frustrated sigh
>"Well it's not like I was going to do anything to make you look bad anyway, Anon, sheesh..." he says with a gentle flick of his tail. "Can't even take a joke..." he mutters
"Mmhm. Just don't forget to call me Master while we're there, okay?"
>he grunts
>"Maybe I just won't talk at all, good little slaves are seen, not heard, right?"
"Oh come off it"
>"Yes, Master! Of course, Master! Anything you say, Master!"
>you take an ear between your index finger and thumb and begin rubbing gently
>"I'll be a good litt-- ...I hate it when you do that," he says with a shudder
"No you don't."
>"Alrightalright, you win... just... a little higher?"
>he closes his eyes and leans into your hand, stretching his front legs across your lap and arching his back slightly downward with a yawn of his own
"Awww, does Shiny-winy like his ear scritchies? Who's a good boy? Who's Master's little good boy?" you tease
>"Ugh, don't push it, Anon"
"Or what, you won't let me keep petting you?"
>"I hate you," he says with a groan
"You go right on believing that"
 
--------------------------------
 
>"Corooooonaaaaa," a voice calls out softly as you feel yourself being gently shaken
>you murmur and squirm under the blanket, trying hard to cling to these last few moments of sleep
>"Cooorooooooonnnaaaaa," you're shaken a bit harder this time. "Come on girl, time to wake up!"
>finally you relent, blinking your heavy eyelids with a long, drawn out yawn as you roll over and look at your Master
"What time is it, Master?" you ask sleepily
>"A little after two" he says
>your eyes shoot open
>you can't remember the last time you slept into the afternoon like that
>sure it felt nice, but it also feels like such a waste
>you'd rather be awake to enjoy your free time
>after all, you're not used to having much of it
>you sit up on your haunches and shake your head, running a hoof over your mane
>it doesn't take long to notice your brush in Master's hand
>you hop down with a quiet nicker, settling on the floor between his knees as he sits on the edge of the bed and begins brushing out your mane
>even if you're still not entirely comfortable with him touching you, this always feels nice
>Merribelle used to do this for you every morning before work
>of course, your mane was usually a mess again by the end of the day anyway, but you still always found it comforting
>you could sit here perfectly content to let Master brush you for hours
>it's so calming you nearly doze off again, until you feel a quick pat on your rump
>"Alright girl, let's get that tail now"
>you stand up with a sigh, your mind continuing to wander as he works
>the lack of tension in your body along with the fact you're not keeping your tail clamped tightly against your backside like usual doesn't escape his notice
>"You seem pretty relaxed," he says with a soft chuckle, "that nap must have done you a lot of good"
>you simply nod quietly
 
>a few more strokes and he finishes, standing up and setting the brush on the nightstand between the two beds
>"Such a pretty girl with your mane and tail all brushed out," he says before giving your ear a scratch
>you blush and smile sheepishly, looking at the floor and your ears flattening
>"You ready to go meet some new people?"
>actually no
>no you're not
>you're incredibly nervous and uneasy at the prospect of being introduced to even more humans
>you just didn't want to be left home
>alone
>without anything to do
>and without anyone else to really talk to
>Shining Armor isn't usually very chatty unless you're out working, and while he might be content to sit around watching TV all day in silence, you're not
>and honestly, you kind of WANT to spend a little time with Master
>but he doesn't need to know that
>besides, if these are Master's friends you're about to meet, how bad can they be?
>right?
"yessir..." you reply with a swish of your tail
 
>the three of you are greeted at the door by a rotund, balding man with thick framed glasses
>he's a lot shorter than Master, and you can't help but think his clothing looks a little ridiculous
>khaki shorts, something called a "Hawaiian" shirt and sandals
>his booming, jovial voice startles you
>"ANON! Good to see ya, buddy!" he says as he slaps your Master on the back and guides him through the door,
>Master nods at him with a friendly smile
>"Steve, these are my ponies," he steps through the door and turns back in your direction, open palm pointing toward you, "Shining Armor and Corona"
>"Man, you weren't kidding! Stallion's definitely on the skinny side. Well we'll have to fix that, big fella. Come on in, all three of ya! Steaks and corn on the cob are already on the grill, plenty of food to go around!"
>he pauses as you and Shining Armor hesitate to follow
>"Well c'mon already, food's out back! You ponies like corn on the cob, right? There's salad too, if not."
>you nod and follow behind Shining Armor, doing your best not to let the new man see you trembling
>Shining just seems uninterested and mildly irritated
>you make your way through the house, to a sliding glass door leading to the back patio, and freeze in place after Master and Shining step through
>there's so many of them...
>you press your tail firmly against your rear and pin your ears flat as you take a few steps back, your heart leaping into your throat
>oh...
>oh this was a bad idea
>SUCH a bad idea
 
>"Corona, come girl" your Master calls for you
>him calling your name only draws more attention toward you
>you lay down on the floor, every muscle in your body locking up
>you whimper loudly feeling a hand on your back, turning your head to see a tall, slender woman kneeling next to you
>she's so heavily perfumed it almost chokes you, and she speaks with a thick, almost fancy sounding accent
>"Oh bless your petit cour," she says as she strokes you, "there's no need to be afraid, we're all friends here, my sweet."
>her reassurance does little to soothe you, as your anxiety continues to mount to near critical levels and your eyes lock back on your Master
>the smell of searing flesh certainly doesn't help matters
>sure, Master has eaten meat around you before, but...
>the scent of blood and smoke has never been so intense
>human olfaction must not be as keen as ponies'
>you're not sure how they can tolerate it, otherwise
>it's more than a little nauseating, and you soon feel dizzy
>"She's had it pretty rough, Camille," your Master says as he mercifully steps back inside, closing the sliding door behind him and muffling the sounds of light conversation as the chubby man tends to the food on the grill. "I kinda expected this. Maybe my ponies can stay inside and keep Grace company for a bit until Corona has had a chance to settle down enough to join us out back, hmm?"
>the woman practically squeals with delight, as if being struck by a sudden epiphany, striding over to the bottom of a stairwell as fast as her awkwardly high-heeled shoes will allow and calling out in a sing-song voice
>"Grace, Grace come downstairs my dear! Monsieur Anonymous is here!"
>when there's no reply, she calls out again
 
>"Grace mon cheri, he brought his ponies with him, don't you want to meet them?"
>you turn your head slowly and see a tiny human appear at the top of the stairs, walking down them slowly, wearing an awestruck expression as she stares directly at you and Shining Armor
>she's REALLY small
>come to think of it...
>"Hi Mister Anonymous," her tiny voice says as she reaches the bottom and approaches you
>yep, she's a human filly
>you've never met a human foal before...
>your ears perk up in curiousity as you stare at her
>"Corona, this is Steve and Camille's little girl Grace. She absolutely adores ponies, don't you Gracie?"
>the filly nods excitedly
>"Can I play with them?"
>Master nods at her
>"Just don't be too rough with them, okay?" Master says
>she giggles with glee as she runs over and throws her arms around Shining Armor's foreleg, snuggling her face into his chest
>"Mommy he's so soft!" she squeaks
>Shining stares at you with a blank expression, and you just tilt your head
>"Shiny, Corona, be on your best behavior. We'll be just outside if you need anything, okay? We'll be keeping an eye on you. Feel free to join us out back whenever you're up to it"
>before you know it, you and Shining Armor are left alone with the filly
>and she's still clinging to him as though her life depends on it
>you can't help but give a little smile as he continues staring straight ahead, looking dumbfounded
>the sight is enough to make you forget your nervousness for the moment
>this should be interesting
 
>the little filly lets Shining Armor go and takes a step back
>"Why are you so skinny, pony?"
>"I... uh..." he stammers, glancing over at you
"Shining Armor was sick, but he's getting better now," you say
>she hugs him again
>"Awwww poor pony! I'm glad you're getting better. I still think you're pretty, mister unicorn!"
>you stifle a snicker, holding a hoof up to your muzzle
>"Thanks..."
>without a word she disappears into the kitchen
>for a few brief moments you hear a little bit of clattering, followed by the scraping of chair legs across linoleum
>when she returns, she's holding a little yellow and white box
>"Mommy says ponies like sugar cubes. Do you?"
>Shining gives a half-hearted nod
>you do as well, taking a step toward her
>she shakes the box against her hand, and a dozen or so sugar cubes go scattering across the hardwood floor
>"whoops..." she says, picking them up one by one and sticking them into her pocket
>she takes the last one and holds it flat in the palm of her hand, inches from Shining Armor's muzzle
>he leans forward, as if about to lap it up, before she closes her fingers around it and pulls it away
>"Ah ah ah," she says, "first you have to do a trick!"
>he snorts
>"I don't do tricks..." he mutters under his breath, but not loud enough for her to hear
>"Lay down, pony!" she says with a huge grin on her face
>Shining rolls his eyes with a soft grunt and complies, plopping onto the floor with a light thud, shaking his head and neck with a sigh as he does so
>the little girl then turns to you
>"You too, pony, lay down and you can have a sugar cube, too!"
>you give her a gentle nicker and lay down next to Shining
 
>she titters with delight as she offers each of you a sugar cube, patting you on the head after you take it
>"Good ponies!" she chirps "Good good ponies!"
>her arms are soon around your neck and she runs her fingers through your mane
>"You have pretty hair, pony" she says adoringly
"My Master brushes my mane and tail for me every day," you say with a smile. "And you can call me Corona, little one, it's my name."
>"Okay, pony- I mean Corona! You can call me Gracie! I mean my name is just Grace but all my friends call me Gracie. And since you ponies are my friends now, you can call me Gracie too!"
>she gives you each another sugar cube before disappearing once again
>Shining Armor looks over at you briefly
>"Let's make a break for it" he whispers out of the corner of his mouth
>you shake your head and laugh silently
>she returns once again with a pillow under one arm, and a pink plastic box filled with an assortment of brushes, ribbons, and miscellaneous other items in the other
>Shining's ears spin toward the little girl as she throws the pillow over his back
>"What are you-"
>she takes a hairbrush in one hand, and a fistful of his mane in the other, throwing a leg up over the pillow, wriggling and squirming, pulling herself up onto his back
>once she's astride him and has herself balanced, she lets out a satisfied sigh and pats his neck
>even with Shining laying down, her feet don't quite touch the ground
>"You know just because you're a boy pony doesn't mean nobody should ever brush your hair! Look at it, it's a mess! All tangly and stuff. Don't worry though, I'll take care of that," she says, beginning to run the brush through his short mane
>she's surprisingly careful not to pull too hard whenever she hits a snag
>the stallion remains perfectly still, his face unreadable as the little girl starts to whistle and hum
>Shining's expression eventually softens, and he just stares at the floor in front of himself quietly
 
>his mane starts to take a bit of a fluffed up, wispy appearance as she teases the hairs apart, giving it the illusion of volume
>Master pokes his head through the door for a moment, smiling in your direction before returning to the gathering
>this isn't so bad...
>satisfied with her handiwork, she leans over and reaches toward the pink box, the handle just out of her reach
>"Corona will you help me please?"
>you tilt your head at her and she points at the box
>"I can't reach it"
>Shining just has his eyes closed at this point
>you're not sure if he's enjoying this or merely tolerating it
>standing up, you step around the stallion's hindquarters and pick up the box in your teeth, sitting on your haunches and stretching your neck slightly forward so she can reach
>"Thank you!" she says, petting your muzzle before shoving the brush into the box, coming back out with a fistful of pink ribbons
>Shining sees this out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes shoot open, though he resists the urge to jump up, not wanting Grace to accidentally fall
>"I... uh... pink isn't really my color..." he insists, somewhat firmly
>the hurt in the little girl's voice is quite obvious as she hesitates to reply
>"I was just trying to make you pretty..." she says. "I... I'm sorry if I made you mad..."
>he closes his eyes again, gritting his teeth and taking a long, slow, deep breath before releasing it in surrender
>"I'm not mad at you, I just... ugh... fine, fine... go ahead. Do whatever you wanna do," he says, suppressing a groan
>her cheerfulness returns almost immediately and she leans forward, wrapping her arms around Shining's neck and kissing his mane several times
>"I love you, pony!" she practically squeals, tying the ribbons into his mane one by one in astonishingly elaborate little knots and bows
>Shining swishes his tail several times, silently signalling his protest to you in a way that Grace won't notice
>you can't even remember the last time you've felt this amused

>his tail gets the same treatment
>he gives the closest noise to a whimper you've ever heard him make when she breaks out the purple glitter nail polish
>but he doesn't make any attempt to resist the impromptu makeover
>there's only enough in the tiny bottle for his front hooves, so his hind hooves get hot pink
>mercifully, her father comes in to interrupt just as she finishes
>"Having a good time with the ponies, sweetheart?"
>Shining just gives the man a pouty half-glare when he sees the smirk on his face
>the little girl's curly brown locks bounce up and down as she throws her arms around Shining's neck and hugs him with all her might, burying her face against him and showering 

him with kisses
>"I love them so much, daddy!" she squeals, "They're so nice, especially the unicorn!"
>the man looks over at you
>"Heh. I hope she hasn't given you two too much of a hard time. Little Gracie here can get a little enthusiastic sometimes," he says with a chuckle
>you instinctually avert your eyes as you reply
"nosir... Grace has been very polite."
>Shining gives a little snort
>"Glad to hear it. Well, Gracie, it's time to eat honey. And ponies, your Master said he would really like for you two to join us outside if you're feeling up to it now," he 

says.
"I... I..." you stammer
>"It's okay Corona, I'll stay with you if you feel scared, and you can eat at my table with me if you want! But daddy's friends are really really nice, so I think they'll love 

you just as much as I do!" Grace says to you, softly stroking your muzzle
>how can you say no to that face?
>you feel a little of the tension leave your body as your lips curl up in a smile, even as your ears remain flat against your head
"Okay, I'll come outside with you," you say

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[Continued in https://ponepaste.org/3346]