Fairlight - Blood of the Foal

by Bluespectre

Chapter Two - Master and servant

Now this was living. Sitting on the porch of the Wyvern’s Tail, a rescued chocolate beside me, a mug of tea and a sneaky pipe of tobacco – what more could a pony ask for. This time of the morning the village was wonderfully quiet, the air around me fresh and still. I held a flame to my pipe, puffin on it until it was properly lit. Ah… a little taste of the Wither World! There wasn’t much of Star Beard’s tobacco left now, but that wouldn’t be a problem for much longer. To my delight, the first shoots from the seeds he’d provided me with were starting to poke their head through the soil. I had to thank our local gardening expert, Bodhran, for that. What that talented griffin couldn’t do with a trowel wasn’t worth knowing. Mind you, I’d had to let her in on what the plants actually were of course, as well as to make sure she didn’t inadvertently blurt the details to Tingles either. After all, what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her, right? I’d cut down at least, so I could salve my feelings of guilt by assuring myself that I was halfway there. Roughly, anyway. I peered into the pouch, angling it so I can better see the contents. There was probably enough of Star Beard’s tobacco left to last me until the end of the week if I was frugal. What I’d do when it ran out was something I didn’t want to think about. When I smoked it I felt somehow a little nearer to him, and our friends in the Withers. There were times, usually when the sky was crystal clear and the stars and moon high above, that I thought back to my days there. As strange and as dangerous as they had been, I missed them, and I would never forget the fact that if it hadn’t been for the selfless help of the curious denizens of that dark world I would never have been able to return home. Worse still, I would never have seen my family again. Now, with my new home, my mares and my son around me as well as a village full of loyal friends, I was felt like a contented dragon atop an impossible hoard of the most precious gems and coins of glittering gold. Best of all, at this time of the morning, with the family still in bed, I could enjoy the peace and cool air of the sunrise. I closed my eyes and took in a mouthful of the pipe smoke, remembering. I wonder what they were up to now? Ember, Short Stride, Thorn… It would-

The world ended in a loud ringing, light and sound disappearing into a black void of absolute nothingness. I never even felt myself hit the ground. Slowly, painfully, my thoughts came back to me in incoherent broken fragments. Memories cried out to me from the depths - images of castles, dragons, wars, it was all there like a giant jigsaw puzzle somepony had completed then thrown on the floor, scattering thousands of little pieces of pictures that had once made up a whole. I was one of those pieces, as was Maroc, Arathea… all of us, all one tribe… broken and forgotten. What was once whole was gone, buried in time… but maybe, maybe not completely lost. In amongst the shattered pieces of memory, Maroc’s image broke through in a blaze of white and blue, sending sparkling ice fragments into the darkness.

“Fairlight.”

I tried to speak, but it was so hard to concentrate.

“Fairlight, you’re in danger. You have to wake up.”

I tried to shake my head, but nothing was working the way it should. “Maroc?” I whispered helplessly. “What’s happening? Where… where am I?”

He stepped closer, fixing me with his deep blue gaze. “Inside your memories. Inside your subconscious. You have been hurt, Fairlight. You must awake…”

Awake? Was I asleep? No… No, something else was wrong here. Something very, very wrong. Fighting my way back to consciousness was no easy feat either. Smell, taste, sound - all my senses had been shut down and were only just now coming back to me inch by agonising inch. With them came a dull aching sensation that was being constantly aggravated by a thumping and jarring motion which made my stomach churn and my joints cry out in protest. Some things were immediately apparent: my legs were tied, damned painfully too, my magic had been locked away and I was gagged and blindfolded. Judging by the terrible ache in the back of my skull, some bastard had given me one hell of a crack over the old noggin. I was, for all intents and purposes, completely helpless, tied up once again like a carnivore’s Sunday roast. This was starting to become a habit, and not one I enjoyed either. One of these days I’d have to get myself fitted with wing mirrors. Having ponies sneaking up on me all the time had become a major problem in my life, and some day would probably get me killed. Hmm, perhaps I shouldn’t be thinking about that sort of thing right now? Where the buck was I anyway? For that matter, where was my family? I strained my hearing to try and pick up any sounds, anything at all that might give me a clue as to what was going on around me, but all I heard was the jostling of what was quite clearly a cart of some kind. The smell of hay was absolutely overpowering too, and my bones grated painfully with the overly tight bonds I’d been trussed up with. I’m sure some ponies paid good money for this sort of treatment. As for me though I just wanted out of here, and the first chance I got somepony was going to find out the hard way that I wasn’t a stallion to buck with. No sooner had I thought that though, the cart stopped, rocking back slightly before the brakes were applied. I could hear voices, what sounded like the tailgate being unlatched and then the rustle of hay being moved away from me. A tiny amount of daylight peaked through pinprick holes in my blindfold, but I kept still. Let them think I was still out cold…

“This him?” a rough voice asked.

A slightly scratchy, avian sounding voice replied, “Yeah, it’s him. Now, where’s my money?”

“Wait while we check him out.”

A rough pair of claws pulled at me and I heard a piece of paper being rustled. “That’s him alright, look at the cutie mark and the scar. You sure he’s hornlocked and bound properly?”

A third voice, heavily accented, answered, “He’s helpless, look at the state of him.”

“You’re not kidding,” the gruff voice snorted. “Look at the mess you made of the back of his head! You stupid cunt, you nearly killed him! He’s no good to the mistress if he’s bucking dead.”

“You haven’t seen this guy in action, he’s a bucking killing machine,” the wheedling avian voice replied. “Beats me why you wanted him alive at all. I think we should cut his throat and have done with it. Cut his horn off at least, that way he won’t cause you any trouble if he gets loose.”

“You’re not paid to think, Shrill, so shut the buck up,” the first voice snapped.

There was a clink of coins. “Here’s your money, now sod off. Remember, you say anything to anypony…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill.”

The sound of somepony walking away was replaced by others, heavier sounding this time, moving closer to where I was lying. Moments later I was being hoisted up with all the care you’d give to a sack of coal before being carried over to another carriage where I was dumped unceremoniously on the rough wooden floor. My head, already beaten and bloody, thumped painfully against something hard. And there was me thinking the newcomers would show a little more care than first one. My addled mind drifted back to my far from comfortable ride I’d been subjected to by the royal guard when I was being transported into exile. As much as I appreciated not being shot, half drowned, raped and left for dead this time round, this kind of situation I kept finding myself in was definitely becoming a habit. Perhaps so much so that I wasn’t freaking out the way I probably should have been, particularly as the prospect of having my ‘horn cut off’ was far from something I would have welcomed to say the least. Thankfully, whoever the ‘mistress’ was, she wanted me in one piece. Somehow I guessed the mysterious female wasn’t Luna’s alter ego in Equus. Gods above, with all the ‘mistresses’ knocking about, I was beginning to feel like I had a lifetime membership to some kind of S&M club. Kinky things had their place I suppose, but this was taking bondage fetishes just a tad too far. My train of thought was derailed once more by the sound of somepony climbing in beside me. A moment later, and to my surprise, what felt like a cushion of some description was placed under my head. Miracles will never cease! So, keeping me alive was their goal after all was it? I don’t know what they had in store for me yet, but whatever it was it was a damned sight better than what that rat ‘Shrill’ had intended for me. Shrill, eh? I didn’t recognise the name, but I’d remember it. Oh yes, I’d remember it all right…

With a shout we lurched into the air, accompanied by the heavy beat of wings. With no idea of what direction we were heading in, all I could do was lie still and keep my ears open for anything that may be of use later. If there was a later. I listened closely to my captors as we flew, but they kept uncomfortably silent for the whole journey, which by my reckoning was at least two hours or so. It was hard to say for sure, but I determined we had at least one pegasus up front doing the piloting, and one other in the carriage with me. I don’t think there were any other carriages or chariots accompanying us, and by the quiet whisper of my captors clothing it didn’t seem likely they were military types either. There was no wind noise, which indicated we were in a covered carriage, nor was it a fancy one either, as I can attest that there was most definitely no carpet. It was also pitch black inside. There were no windows that I could detect, and I spent the whole achingly uncomfortable trip in absolute darkness with a silent guard. Eventually though we touched down, the carriage landing rather awkwardly on hard cobbles, if the jostling and loud rattling sound of the wheels hitting the uneven surface were any judge. Moments later the door opened and a pair of hooves pulled me by my bindings out and onto what I could only describe as some sort of stretcher. Next, a blanket thrown over me. The background sounds of voices, horns, and the cart wheels reminded me of the city. Where the hell were we? My mind was working overtime, taking in as much information about my environment as I could. There was always the chance I could get out of this somehow, and knowing where I was could prove to be crucial later. All I needed was that chance, that small break, and I would grab it the second it appeared. So far though, I was completely at the mercy of whoever had snatched me. As the stretcher, trolley, or whatever it was, was pushed along I caught glimpses of lights passing overhead. Was I in a hospital? There were noises I would certainly associate with one, but none of this made sense - why would they bring me here? Finally, we moved through a set of double doors and into a lift that took us down to a quieter level. Quiet except for the hum of machinery and the smell of the warm and muggy air.

Pinpricks of light appeared through the blindfold and a gruff voice spoke into my ear, “I know you’re awake, freak. Any sign of trouble from you and you’re dead, but not before your family die, slowly. One. By. One.”

I couldn’t have said anything for the gag in any case, but I tried to remember the voice. This bastard was one who sounded like he wouldn’t think twice about carrying out his threat, and probably enjoy it too. If I got loose he’d be at the top of my list to be ‘Neutralised’. Still incapacitated however, all I could do was remain still whilst my captors began to remove my bindings, carefully but quickly replacing them with metal cuffs and chains. And then came the most ‘interesting’ part of my morning’s adventure thus far. With a grunt of effort, two of pairs of hooves heaved me up onto my hind legs, dragging me from the stretcher. There was a rattle of chains, like that of one slipping through a pulley, and I was hauled agonisingly upwards, leaving me suspended painfully from my already tortured forelegs. My hind legs, barely touching the ground already, were splayed out and similarly chained. Aching from my journey and head trauma, my spine and muscles felt like they were on fire. And there was nothing I could do about it. With no way to access my magic, at least not without Maroc’s help, I was all but helpless. There had to be some way to get this damned hornlock off. If I could do that then I could release the wendigo magic and freeze my bonds, shattering them apart. I’d heard of a unicorn breaking free of a hornlock once when they’d been in custody, but exactly how they’d done it was something I never found out. Anyway, hadn’t I been hornlocked in the bay when they’d thrown me over the side of the boat? Gods, I couldn’t remember! The whole saga was a muddled mess of disjointed images and sounds, and in truth I think it was more Maroc than myself who’d saved me that day. Damn it all! There had to be something I could-

“You done?”

“Yeah. You got t’kettle on?”

“Aye. What about this guy tho’, he looks like shit. Shouldn’t we clean him up a bit afore the mistress sees him?”

“Nah, leave ‘im. He aint goin’ nowheres anyway. If ‘e shits ‘imself we’ll give ‘im an ‘ose off later.”

The stallions moved away from me, their hoofsteps echoing hollowly in the large, and very empty sounding room. A heavy door slammed shut behind them, plunging me into the twin sensory delights of both total darkness and utter silence. It was cold in here too, not that it particularly bothered me of course, but the air was so dry… bone dry. I tried to lick my parched lips the best I could, trying to work up some moisture in my mouth to ease my miserable state. It was hopeless - that vile gag they’d shoved in there soaked up everything I threw at it. If anything it made matters worse, especially as the musty taste suggested it had been used for something far from sanitary prior to being shoved in there. Damn it all, why the hell did they have to go and mention tea for Celestia’s sake?! Bastards… I hoped they bloody choked on it. Unfortunately whatever these scum had in store for me next I doubted it was going to be pleasant, but at least I had a chance to come up with some sort of plan to get myself out of here in the meantime. But what? My legs were well shackled, a blindfold over my eyes, and that damned hornlock numbed me better than all the alcohol in the Wyvern’s Tail ever could. Try as I might there was no way in the goddess’s world I was going to break loose by flailing around in a blind panic, as much I was beginning to lean towards that course of action right then. In the complete darkness of that cold empty room I hung there helpless, and completely powerless to do anything about it. There was no sound, no light, just nagging pain and that constant discomfort that I could never quite relieve. Frustratingly I knew that somewhere inside myself my magic waited for me, yet so long as that damned hornlock remained affixed to my head, it was as if I were looking at it through a pane of impenetrable glass. It was there the way it always had been - so near, so tantalisingly near, and yet no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t get to it no matter how hard I tried. And of Maroc? Nothing. Not a damned thing. He had a talent for popping up when I was in mortal danger, a regular problem these days it seemed, and yet right now, hanging here awaiting an unknown fate, my magical ancestor was conspicuous by his absence. Gods above, couldn’t he be a bit more prompt at times like these? Damn it all, this hurt! I tried to move, if for no other reason than to relieve the pain in my muscles, though only succeeding in doing nothing more than making the chains rattle and the bonds dig even further into my flesh. Any time now, Maroc! Gods bugger me sideways, this really hurt! I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. It didn’t help. Minutes, hours… I began to lose track of time completely. Here, wherever here was, such notions simply didn’t exist. There was no sun, no moon, no day, no night… only pain. Eventually I gave up fighting against it and simply hung there, enveloped in misery and hopelessness. Maybe… Maybe somepony would come barrelling in at the last minute and cut me loose? Mitre, Brandy and Luna had a remarkable way of locating ponies, but would they even know I had gone missing yet? It had been early morning when they’d snatched me, and- Wait… What was that? My ears twitched as they locked onto the sound of a metal bolt being drawn back, the metallic creak of a door being opened. Hoofsteps. There were two of them: one heavy, one lighter on their hooves. The lighter one walked up to me, so close I could feel their breath upon my muzzle and detect the faint scent of… camomile? Ah, that must have been the tea they had left to drink earlier. Come to torture me some more had they? A hoof touched my chin and I instinctively flinched back as a feminine voice laughed quietly beside me with a lilting musical quality I’d heard once before. It had only been that once, true, but it had been enough. I’d never forget it as long as I lived. Which, by looks of things, may not be that long. My blood ran as cold as ice...

“My, my, my… Dear Watch Captain Fairlight.” The voice was soft, alluring, and bore a sense of breeding and nobility that felt completely at odds to the horror of my predicament. “I have you at last, my fine stallion.” She laughed so gently I felt my skin shiver from my muzzle to my tail. In any other circumstances it would have been quite exotic I suppose. As I was now, I could feel my heart hammering in my ears. It was her. It had to be. “I expect you must be wondering where you are,” she said softly. “Perhaps, why you’re here?” She walked around me slowly, occasionally trailing a hoof over my chest. “Such a fine specimen. Well muscled, good tone, strong back… what a fine legacy you would leave.” What the hell was she talking about? The mare stood before me. Even in the darkness I could sense her presence, her scent wafting through the air like wild lavender. “You know who I am, don’t you, Captain?” she asked. “Yes… Yes, of course you do.” I heard the sound of a drink being poured. “Such a wonderful thing, magic, wouldn’t you agree? There’s nothing quite like it on my world.” She drew closer again. “Thirsty?” The mare held up the glass to my lips in her magic, teasing me with it before taking it away and clucking her tongue. “No. Not yet. You need a little more... ‘training’ first I think.” Training? The mare turned around and put the glass down. “You see, Captain, on my world, ponies… that is to say, ‘horses’, aren’t quite so ‘eloquent’ as you and I. In truth they’re nothing more than mere animals - beautiful animals to be sure, but animals nonetheless. I’ll confess I find their natural energy and wild untamed grace to be particularly appealing to me - an appeal that has never waned nor faded no matter how many difficulties I may have faced. Ever since I was a little girl I have worked with these creatures, endlessly striving to hone my skills, perfecting my craft. They are a challenge you see, a test of ones determination, skill, and perseverance. It is the triumph of one will over another, the complete and utter domination over nature itself. You see, they really are quite wilful creatures, even when tamed - strong in spirit, body, and in mind.” She moved closer again, leaning up to my ear. “Do you have a strong spirit, Captain? A strong body… and mind?” The mare giggled. “We ride ponies in our world. Did you know that? Saddles aren’t just for decoration there like they are here. Back home I had many horses: champion racers, kings and queens of dressage, and the finest studs anybody could ever dream of owning. I could ride them all too, even the wildest of stallions.” She chuckled under her breath. “Some humans used to ‘break’ their horses, break their spirits, using pain to train and reprogram their minds to obey through fear.” A rod of some kind was dragged up my stomach and chest until it was under my chin. “I don’t like those methods,” she said in a seductive voice. “I find it best to leave something of the wilder spirit behind. Keeps them keen, makes them alert and energetic, yet still ensures the correct amount of obedience to their master. You see, Captain, all a horse needs, all it truly needs, is the right kind of… motivation.” The rod slid back down to my haunches and tapped me firmly on my cutie mark. “Naturally, one must be sure a mount is safe and obedient before they can be ridden.” I didn’t know what to think, my mind was a blur of possible scenarios, each one more fantastical and terrifying than the last. One thing was for sure though, she wanted something from me, but what it was I had no idea. “I’m going to give you a little treat now, ‘stallion’,” she purred, “a taste of what you could have if you… behave yourself. Are you ready?”

The mare pulled off my blindfold and a dim light assailed my eyes. It took a little while to regain my focus, but there, lying in front of me on a red velvet lounger was one of the most beautiful, graceful unicorns I had ever seen. The first time we’d met she’d ordered the killing of my friends. The second, she was in the company of that bastard Velvet Cream. This was the human bitch who had the blood of dozens, if not hundreds of ponies on her hooves. It didn’t stop her being a feast for the eyes though, and she knew it. With her pure white alabaster coat, her long slender horn, that lustrous golden mane and tail, all combined it made her look like the lost sister of Celestia herself. Tall and elegant, and hating myself for it, it was hard to take my eyes off her despite my current predicament.

She giggled behind a gold shod hoof, speaking in her sultry voice, “Like what you see?” The white mare eyed me with those deep azure eyes from under long flowing lashes. “I know you do…” The mare looked me up and down, from nose to tail, taking in every single detail. “I’m not averse to partaking of ponies in a more, shall we say… intimate manner, Captain. After all, we share a common physiology now do we not? And who knows, If you’re a good boy, maybe you’ll get to have a little sample yourself - a taste of something… forbidden?” I was desperately trying to think of something else. Anything else. Unfortunately, my body had a mind of its own. “Nothing to say, Captain? Oh!” She held a hoof to her mouth in mock surprise. “Silly me. You can’t speak can you? Not with that horrible thing in you mouth.” She waved a hoof and one of the males trotted over to untie the gag. I nearly choked when the damned thing was viciously pulled out, nearly taking half my damned teeth with it. “Well?” she said questioningly, “Still nothing to say?”

“Go buck yourself,” I spat, glaring at her.

“Hah!” To my surprise she clopped her hooves together in apparent delight. “Such spirit! Oh, Captain, I’m going to enjoy breaking you… I’m going to enjoy every moment.” My goddesses, she was drooling. She was actually bloody well drooling! The ‘mistress’ walked up to me, swaying her hips. “I know all about you, you know… That’s right, ‘Lord of the four winds’. I know everything there is about your magic, your mares, and your foals. You can’t keep secrets from me, Captain. Can you imagine my surprise when I found out that you’re one of these… what was it now… wendigo?” She glanced at one of the stallions as if for confirmation. “Yes… Yes, that’s right. Mmm… So much more than just a unicorn, am I right?” She laughed quietly. “Of course I am. The mistress, is always right.” Suddenly she span round, fixing me with her large eyes. “But don’t worry, Captain, you’ll come to understand that in time. All it takes is a little patience, and the right application of… correction training. I stared my hatred at her. This bitch had it coming alright. Threatening me was one thing, but my family was all I had. I wouldn’t risk them again, not after everything we’d been through. The mare levitated over the rod from earlier. “Do you know what this is?” she asked. I said nothing. “It’s a riding crop,” she continued. “In my world we use it to ‘encourage’ our mounts to obey us. You, my fine piece of horse flesh, will find that before long you’ll begin to enjoy its sting. You may not think so now, but you will. Sooner or later you won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll find yourself wanting it, needing it, craving the feel of its bitter taste across your hide. Do you like the thought of that?”

“What do you want from me?” I growled.

The mare looked back me from over her shoulder. “Oh dear! What a way to speak to a lady!” Her magic flared and the crop lashed out like lightning, thwacking me across my haunches making me jump. The sudden movement pulled on the chain that in turn hauled on my joints, adding an additional flare of burning pain to my increasingly desperate situation.

“I’ll tell you what I want from you in due time, my stallion.” She whacked me hard across the legs and back, grinning menacingly, those beautiful eyes filling my vision as she did so. “By the time I’m done with you I’ll be able to ride you wherever I want, make you do whatever I want and, do you know what, Captain Fairlight of the Equestrian Watch? You’ll be begging me to do it.”

“Buck off.”

The mare turned away, her laughter echoing around the room. “I thought you’d say that! Such a dirty mouth too!” She nodded to the male in the room. “He stinks. Give him a wash.”

“With pleasure, Mistress.” The stallion’s low growl was accompanied by a scraping sound I would soon come to dread. I watched him lift the bronze nozzle, the length of hose trailing behind it like a huge flat snake, out towards where the rest of its body was curled up beside the stop-cock. It was then I noticed the drain below me, and finally realised what was coming next. I grit my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut… but nothing could prepare you for something like that. The water hit me with all the subtlety of a runaway freight train, the ice cold blast chilling my body and half drowning me simultaneously. I tried to breath, to fight back, but I was completely in their power. From head to hind hoof they pounded me with the barrage of water. I was frozen to the marrow, battered and bruised from the merciless assault, and eventually, mercifully… it stopped. Licking the drips of from my muzzle to slake my thirst, I slumped in my bonds, panting for breath. They weren’t just going to leave me like this, where they? What were- The door slammed shut. The lights went out.

I was alone.

What the hell could I do now?

I hung there for a day, maybe two, I don’t know. I… I just don’t know. Shaking and hungry I was desperate for water and some sort of relief, any relief, from the endless pain. I’d hoped Maroc would rush in to save the day, but of my elusive saviour from my trip to the bottom of the ocean, there was no sign. In my mind I fought against my situation, desperately trying to reach the magic, and to keep what little strength I had left by sleeping. But how? Dear goddesses, how could I? Here, time meant nothing. There was no respite, no sleep to found, nor any escape to had from the constant, all encompassing misery that was prolonged with every torturous breath I took. All there was, was pain – pain, and the misery of knowing… there was nothing I could do about it. Nopony would be coming to help me. Nopony even knew where I was. Death held no fear for me, but to die here, to linger on like this, suffering from moment to moment, gloated over by that evil monster… Surely even Tartarus would balk at such cruelty. Now, all I could look forward to was the mercy of passing out. At least then I could have some rest.

However long I dangled like that I’d ceased to know, nor care. Occasionally they come in, rub me down with something or wash my mess away with that cursed hose. And then one day, whenever it may have been, the faint scent of camomile began to tickle at the edge of my senses. The loud clang of the bolt, the creak of the door, and the mistress walked back into the room. My eyes snapped open. From the complete darkness of empty nothingness, to see even her was at least something different - a break from the cold, the hunger, and the endless misery.

“Hello, Captain, how are you this morning?”

I kept quiet, hanging from those accursed chains. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of- My ears pricked up immediately. Was that.. was that water? I glanced up at her. She was pouring out a glass of water from a glass pitcher – sparkling, fresh, and so deliciously cool. I could see the ice in it, hear it cracking and moving in that magnificent liquid. Oh, Luna, I was so thirsty…

“Water,” she said holding the glass up. “Something so simple, so necessary for life, so… delicious.” She took a sip and moved up to me slowly, waving the glass in front of my muzzle. “I know you want this, my stallion. Why don’t you tell me… tell me how much you want this…”

I nodded slowly and she held the glass to my lips, It was only a little, but I managed to take a single mouthful of the blissfully cold fluid in my mouth. Before spitting it in her face. “I said, ‘go buck yourself’, you sick bitch.”

The mare’s cheeks flushed red, dripping with water. I kept my head high as she raised the crop to strike. “You..!” Her furious expression, brim full of rage and indignation, abruptly changed. To my astonishment, she laughed. She actually laughed. Slowly, deliberately, she returned the crop to the table. “No… No, I don’t think so.” The white unicorn chuckled as she wiped the water off her face with a towel. “I thought you may do something like that, and so… I thought I’d explain a few things to you.” Suddenly she reached out, grabbing my head in her forehooves. Her muzzle closed with mine, her breath fragrant and sweet. “Don’t think your friends will come charging in here to your rescue, Captain,” she breathed. “This room is shielded, both physically and magically. I know about your ‘bond’ with your followers, you see. I also know where your family live. Did you know one of our ‘other friends’ lives there? Oh, yes… not everyone of you delightfully eclectic group of followers is quite as loyal as you may expect. Gold, you see, can overcome many things: love, anger, inhibitions, even loyalty built up over a thousand year. All it would take is one call, one simple sentence, and your family would… well, let’s just leave it at that shall we?”

Anger grabbed me in its iron grasp, pushing all other considerations aside as I glared unadulterated hatred at the heartless monster before me. “You bucking rat!” I snarled, “You touch my family and I’ll kill you! I’ll kill every single last bucking one of you!”

“Yes…” The mare nodded. “Yes, I’m sure you would if you could.” She shook her long golden mane. The way it shimmered, even in the dim light of the concrete lined room, was like a golden waterfall. “I know what you did to Gates, and poor Melon Patch too. Not that I cared for those murdering bastards of course. I know very well what they did to your wife, and believe it or not, I can sympathise. After all, I’m still a woman you know, Captain. Well, a mare now I suppose.” The tall unicorn walked slowly around me, her scent tickling my nose. “See for yourself. My fur is as soft as down, my skin is supple like a yearling, and this,” she murmured, brushing her flank up against me. “…could all be yours.”

I coughed, looking away. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Oh, Captain, your words say no, but your body…” She looked down at my nethers, grabbing me with a forehoof as a feeling of shock ran through me. “…your body is a lot more honest than your mouth.”

My head dropped. I was so tired of this. I had no energy left to play these twisted little games of hers. What did she want from me? Gods, if she’d just do something… anything! “Damn it all, mare, kill me if you have to, just… just get on with it will you?” I looked up at her, making sure I had her undivided attention. “But leave my family alone, they haven’t done anything to you.” For a moment she paused, her eyes remaining locked with mine. I felt my heart jump in my chest. Had I struck a chord with this cold creature? Had she-

“You’re not in a position to ask me for anything really, are you now,” the mare said in a dismissive tone. She turned, walking away slowly. “That will do for today. In the meantime I shall leave you to think on your behaviour, stallion.” She placed the glass of water back on the table before me, running her hoof down the accumulated condensation, watching the drip slowly form, trickling down to pool on the table top. “Think about how much you want that water, and how much you want…” With a flick of her tail the snow white mare left the room, leaving the sentence unfinished as the door slammed shut behind her with its now familiar heavy finality. Total silence once more engulfed me, the lamp on the table highlighting the glass of water sitting tantalisingly just out of reach. I tried to look away, I really did, but all I could think about was how desperately thirsty I was, and what it would take to have the mare offer me a sip of that delicious nectar of the gods. All I wanted was just one. Little. Sip.

Did time truly pass here? I wasn’t sure. The constant pain, sleep deprivation, starvation and dehydration were taking their toll me on both physically and mentally. One day simply swirled into the next, on and on without end. With no light to go by and the seemingly random visits from the ‘mistress’, I could feel myself drawing closer towards death with every breath I took. I was dying, I knew that. My body was gradually shutting down, passing from this world inch by torturous inch. The mistress however, would never quite let me pass on. Whenever she felt I was drawing close she’d have me fed a small amount of a tasteless gruel that her thugs all but threw at me, washed down of course, with hose water. It was something, but such meagre offerings were nowhere near enough to sustain a full grown pony. One day, earlier on, I don’t recall when exactly, I’d spat the food back in the face of the mare and she’d gone absolutely wild, whipping me with her crop until my coat was soaked through with blood. I’d been so weak I hadn’t even been able to cry out, however my lack of reaction had only served to infuriate her all the more. She’d been steaming and panting with the effort until, in a final fit of rage, she’d thrown the crop at me and stormed out, ordering the male to ‘clean me up’. He’d done as she’d ordered, with a bucket of stinging liquid and yet more hose water. After that, I’d blacked out. Goddesses, I wanted to see my family again. It was all I could think of to focus on now anyway. Every day I thought of Meadow, Sparrow, Shadow, Tingles, Lumin, and even little Tarragon, trying everything I could to keep my mind together, to cling on to whatever vestiges of my sanity remained. Even if it was just a tiny piece, if I could somehow lock it away inside myself, protect it from this world of madness, then maybe I could remain… me. But the pain… the torture... continued.

The door opened

Humming a merry tune to herself, the mare trotted in happily. “I have a special treat for you, Captain!” she cooed. “Look! I had it specially made for you too, and it’s even got your name embroidered on it. Beautiful, no?” She floated the saddle and reins in front of my muzzle, a beaming smile spread across her flawless features. Wearily I looked up, trying to force my dry eyes to focus on the object of the mare’s delight. It was indeed a saddle, expertly crafted in purple and white velvet with neat silver trim around the edges. A small ship’s wheel was embroidered into each of the corners and, sure enough, on the harness was the name ‘Captain’ in a swirling, old world script. I could have laughed out loud at such a crazed notion as this once. Once upon a time… I smiled bitterly to myself, but there was no humour left in me now. Now I was a husk, an empty vessel of utter nothingness. Everything I was, everything I had ever been, was no more - no joy, no sadness, no fear, nor even hope remained within the shell that once been a proud stallion of the Equestrian watch. Only emptiness lived here now. I stared at the script. Captain. Not a title, not a rank, it was just… who I was. That was my name now. ‘Captain’.

The mistress walked over to me. “Come on, I want you to try it on!” She lifted my head and looked into my eyes. “You poor love, you’ve really been through it haven’t you? Are you thirsty?”

My resolve quavered, my body screaming for relief. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

I tried to clear my throat. “Yes... Mistress.”

“Good boy!” She clopped her hooves together in delight, then trotted over to the table where she collected the glass of water. “And good boys,” she smiled, “get rewarded.” The mistress moved closer, tilting my head up. “Open your mouth now.” I did as she commanded and she tipped some of the liquid in. At first I choked; my mouth was so dry I could barely swallow. The mistress clucked her tongue and shook that beautiful golden mane. “No. That won’t do, that won’t do at all! Here…” She took a mouthful of the water, lifted her mouth to mine, and slowly began to dribble the water into me. Goddess forgive me, I let her too. I was starving, beaten, and broken, my body crying out for water, even just the tiniest sip. I opened my mouth and she leaned in, the water slowly entering mine, slipping over my teeth and tongue. It was like the gift of the gods themselves, bringing life where once there had only been barren desert. And along with that most magical of sensation came another tantalising taste… the taste of a mare. The mistress stroked my chest slowly, smelling my coat and reached up, whispering in my ear, “Do you want more?”

My body was on fire, demanding more of the cooling fluid. “Yes…”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

She leaned closer still. “Ask me again.”

“Mistress,” I pleaded. “Please… water...”

“Good boy. Very good boy.” The mistress lifted the glass. “Good boys get rewards.” She lifted my muzzle and gave me another mouthful of the amazing drink. It was good. It was so good! I could feel life filling me again, drop by insistent drop.

“That’s enough for today I think.”

My eyes opened wide. She was going already? But she’d only just got here!

She gave me a wicked smile. “Don’t worry, Captain, I’ll be back tomorrow, and then you can try on your saddle. If you’re a good boy that is.”

What?! No! She was leaving me! She was going to abandon me again in the cold and dark once more. I couldn’t stand it, I had to have water, I need light… I… I had to have her touch! I needed it… Oh goddesses, what was happening to me? WHAT?! “Meadow, Tingles, Shadow,” I murmured. “Forgive me… I love you so much, I want… I want to go home…” For the first time in I don’t know how long, I felt tears well in my eyes, pouring down my cheeks. “I want to go home…”

I was a foal again, lost in the crowd at the local supermarket, calling for her, needing her to be there. The place was so big, full of giants walking around me and tutting at me to keep out of their way. The shelves seemed to go up to the sky, the aisles to the very horizon. I was so scared! I wanted my mum, I wanted to go home! In a panic I ran up one aisle and down the next, but I didn’t recognise any of the ponies there. There were no familiar smiling faces, nor any help to be offered for the little grey unicorn foal. I fell against a pile of cereal boxes, stumbling over the colour packages as disapproved adults glowered down at me.

One foal in a trolley rumbled past, pushed by his mother. “Look mummy!” he cried, pointing down at me.

“Come away, Lime, don’t stare, it’ll follow us.” The mother walked on, barely sparing me a second glance.

I’d been reduced to an object. An ‘it’. The world was quickly becoming a terrifying and cold place, freezing me out from my familiar warmth of a mothers love. I looked around frantically for help, calling for her. “Mummy! Mummy!” But no answer came. Colours, shapes and bright lights pressed in on me, forcing me into a tight ball of trembling grey fur, too frightened to even open my eyes.

“There you are! Where did you wander off to, Silly? Don’t you ever do that again!” The familiar voice of my mother snapped me out of the black hole I was falling ever deeper into. She was here! Oh, thank Celestia! I smiled up at her through a haze of tears. Big azure eyes in a face of the purest snowy white gazed back at me with such love, such boundless tenderness, that it made my heart sing once more. Mum had always had such a gorgeous golden mane and tail she stood out from the crowd like a goddess of old. The other mares were jealous of how good she looked, and the foals were envious of me for have such a wonderful mother! “Come on you!” she chuckled. “Up you come.” Mum picked me up in her magic and plopped me onto her back where I rode along like a king, smirking at the other foals. My mum truly was the best pony in the whole of Equestria, and I was her best foal too!

“I love you, mum,” I said in my squeaky voice.

“I love you too, Captain.”

Freezing water hit my body, washing away the sweat and waste produced by bodily functions I no longer had any control over. The shock of it brought me round, though not as much as the male who was roughly towelling me off afterwards. He never spoke, never made eye contact either. It wouldn’t have mattered if he had anyway, all my attention was fixed on the door behind him… waiting for her.

“Good morning, Captain!” she chirped, trotting in and looking me over with a critical eye. “Hmm, you’re too thin by half. I think we need to put a little weight on those bones, don’t you?”

I closed my eyes and tried a weak nod. “Yes, Mistress.”

She clopped her hooves together. “Excellent, Captain! You’re making your mistress very happy lately, and when I’m happy, you get rewards.” My heart beat faster in anticipation. She had something for me? “Today, I’m going to… aw, wait and see!” She trotted back over to the door and knocked, speaking to the male beyond it who entered, following her to my side.

“Are you sure, Mistress?” he asked her. “He could still be-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. The alabaster unicorn span in an eye watering blur of speed, the crop slashing across his face. “How DARE you question me! I know my horses better than anyone, and certainly a lot more than some mangy, worthless worm like YOU!”

The stallion was all but crying now, prostrating himself before her. “I’m sorry, Mistress! Please, please forgive me… please!” He was a gibbering wreck of a pony, gasping and sobbing before the tall white unicorn.

The mare picked up her crop and pushed it under his chin, tilting his head up. “I know, Pickles, I know. It’s alright now…shhhhh, just do as I say and you’ll get a treat too. If you’re a good boy. Are you a good boy?”

“Yes, Mistress!”

I hated Pickles. By the gods, I hated him! How dare he upset the mistress?! I glared at him furiously, straining against my chains. If he so much as touched her, I’d-

The mistress watched me with a bemused look in her eye and tapped me on the nose with her hoof. “Now, now, I won’t have any of that, my stallion. All the boys in my stable must behave themselves, and you’re no exception. Mind you…” She frowned slightly, raising an eyebrow towards me. “It depends on just how ‘good’ you are.” The mistress smiled, a smile that made my loins burn and my heart ache/ “You are a ‘good boy’ aren’t you, Captain?”

“Yes, Mistress!” I replied excitedly. Oh thank the gods! Thank them one and all! She was pleased with me!

The tall mare nodded to the male who disappeared off into the darkness, and after some clanking and metallic creaking noises, I suddenly dropped bodily to the floor. The shock and pain made me cry out horribly. Muscles, skin, tendons and bones, long held in that unnatural position, burned like fire when I hit the ground. The mistress walked over to my crumpled form, picking my muzzle up in her hooves.

“Oh, Captain!” she cooed. “My dear, dear Captain… What have they done to you? Please don’t worry, it’s alright now, I’m here for you, I’ll protect you. Nopony will hurt you while I’m here...” She stroked my untidy mane, taking my muzzle to her soft chest. “Shhh… quiet now my stallion, mummy’s here for you. You’re safe now…”

I felt tears of joy burning in my eyes. I was safe, safe at last, the mistress would make all the pain go away as though it had simply never been. I was so happy I didn’t know what to say or do, but it didn’t matter so long as I could see the smile on her face. As I lay there the chains were re-adjusted. I was still secured of course, stallions were wild and unpredictable creatures after all, but at least now I had enough room to stand on all fours and would be able move a little - if only I could get off the floor first. Panting with the effort, using as much willpower as I could muster, I was able to force my legs to move, albeit not much more than an uncoordinated tremble. As poor a condition as I was in right then, they were nowhere near strong enough to support my already painfully depleted weight. Days, if not weeks of hanging from the ceiling had caused damage that was preventing me from reaching the mistress as I should, and worse, preventing me from making her happy. I was so angry with myself! I tried to rise to my hooves once again, struggled... and fell. She reached out and stopped me.

“Don’t struggle now,” the mistress murmured kindly, “it’s alright, you’ll get your strength back soon enough. Here…”

She waved a hoof and one of the males brought over a sack which he carried in on his back. It was a long open ended bag of sorts, with straps which the mistress took from him and placed over my head, tying it off behind my ears. Immediately a sweet, yet malty smell hit me from the depths of the bag… food? FOOD! I stretched out my tongue and tasted it… it was food, and good too! I looked up to her, unsure of what she wanted me to do.

The mistress nodded, her bright smile as warm as the touch of the sun on a summer’s day. “It’s alright, Captain, go ahead. I made it just for you… it’s mummy’s secret recipe.”

Not wasting another moment, I took a mouthful of the mixture. The taste hit me so hard I could scarce believe it… But, dear gods, the taste! Nothing should taste this good! How was this even possible?! One after another, mouthful after mouthful, I attacked the crunchy, sweet goodness, greedily taking it all in. Tears streamed down my face as I ate, filling the emptiness in both my stomach and my soul. It was so good! So, so good…

Afterwards, the mistress removed the nose bag and walked around me before shaking her head in disappointment. “It’s no good,” she sighed, running her hoof over my bony hide, “your muscle tone’s lacking and your coat and mane are an absolute mess.”

A mess? No! I was distraught. “I’m sorry, Mistress!” I cried desperately. “Please… forgive me. Please...” How could I be a disappointment for her now, after everything she’d done for me? She’d given me this wonderful gift, and yet here I was looking like this, this stinking, reeking bag of bones. How could I be so selfish? How could I be so… so ungrateful?

She tapped the riding crop against her side in thought. “You need a bath, Captain. And tomorrow… well, we’ll see.” The mistress smiled. “Do you miss me when I’m not here?”

“Yes!” I nearly shouted. How could she think I didn’t? The mistress was everything to me. Everything!

She smiled and ran her hoof down my spine, sending shivers along it despite my pains. “Until tomorrow then… my Captain”

The door banged shut with a terrible finality. I so desperately wanted to go after her, to be by her side. To see her smile was all I desired in this dark world. To gaze into those azure eyes, so big and bright, was like looking upon the very aspect of heaven! And yet, I couldn’t disappoint her. Not now. But what could I do? Yes… Yes, that was it! I lay back on the cold hard floor, trying to get my legs to work, forcing my muscles to function. I squeezed my eye shut against the pain, as muscles unused to working protested at what I was trying to make them do. But I didn’t care, I had to do this! I worked on one leg at a time: stretching, flexing, stretching again. It was difficult though, so, so difficult. I began to sweat profusely with the effort, nothing seemed to be working the way it should, but I had to do it. Tomorrow she’d be back, and I had to better. I had to be! Oh, if only tomorrow would come sooner. Huffing to myself, I focussed my mind on the task at hoof. Somehow, I would make this work. Hours, maybe days passed before the mistress returned. By then I was thirsty, hungry, and every second she’d been away had been like an eternity of suffering. If there was a hell, then being without the wondrous presence of the white unicorn mare was surely it. The door stayed open as she walked in, the two males following close behind carrying a large porcelain bath tub which they placed next to me. Soon after they began bringing in buckets of hot water, bottles of heavily scented oils, soaps, and towels. I couldn’t believe it… was this all for me? I had to show what I had achieved, as pathetic and small as it was. And so, slowly, stiffly, I pulled my hind legs under my body, stretching my forelegs out before me. Closing my eyes, I began to rock. Back and forth, back and forth I went, until with a grunt and a heave, I was able to shove myself up and off the concrete floor. I stumbled a little, but at last, at long last, I was able to stand on my own hooves. I could show her, that most incredible goddess of the light, how hard I had worked for her. The mistress stood there quietly, smiled at me as I did my best to keep my balance. My knees went weak at here mere gaze, but I managed to remain standing as a respectful stallion should. Would she be happy with me?

The mare tapped my neck with the crop, tilting her head on one side as she inspected me. “You’ve done well… I didn’t think you’d be able to stand so soon.” She let out a faint sigh. “Oh, Captain… they’ve been so cruel to you, but don’t worry, mummy’s here to make you all better.”

Her horn glowed and the locks on my chains popped off. The sudden release made me gasp as blood flowed back around the areas the tight fitting shackles had held. The other two males remained in the room with us though, watching me closely, but I didn’t care. My mistress was here, and her happiness was all that mattered. At her instruction I climbed into the bath and sank into the hot water. The heat and steam seemed to melt the pain away, and I could feel myself becoming more… ‘pony’ again - clean and... alive. The mistress’s delicate hooves picked up the sponge and she began working the lather into my coat, scrubbing at my mane, combing through the tangles, wiping and rubbing. It was the most unbelievable, and decidedly heavenly experience I could have ever had imagined. Her hooves were the touch of an angel, her eyes, looking so deeply into mine… I wanted to be with her forever - that beautiful, precious unicorn. The mistress smiled at me in that motherly way of hers, washing and lathering, washing and lathering… it was heaven, simply heaven! Eventually however, she finished her work, instructing me to stand as the males brought over more buckets which were used to rinse me off. I had to chuckle at their jealous gazes; the mistress was paying attention to me, not them, me! I smirked at them, and one of them glared back at me. He knew, he knew I was the best pony here. Soon, with all the soap washed away, a hot air blower was brought in and switched on. Towelled down and standing on my own hooves, the mistress began to turn me with firm prods of her hooves, brushing and curry-combing me until I was to her satisfaction.

She nodded her approval and stood back, admiring her work. “Good. Not excellent, but good. I think we need to do something about your eyes however. The colouring and the cutie mark too. Then… then you’ll be absolutely perfect.” I nearly hopped in anticipation. ‘Perfect’? Yes! She said perfect! Mistress suddenly clopped her hooves together in excitement. “I nearly forgot! Your present!” She wandered over to the table and picked up the saddle and reigns which she checked over and brought to me. “Have you ever worn a saddle, Captain?”

I blinked in surprise. “I… I don’t know mistress,” I answered honestly.

She shook her flowing mane. “No matter,” she shrugged, “there’s a first time for everything as they say.”

The saddle floated over to me and landed gently on my back, but just then, right at the moment she looked the happiest, my world crashed in around me. The unexpected sensation making me buck slightly in surprise. I couldn’t help it! It was instinctive, a reflex action that I couldn’t control! My heart fell like it was made of lead as I received a disapproving look that made me drop my head and ears flop. “I’m sorry, Mistress,” I whispered piteously. And then… a miracle happened. She smiled.

“Don’t worry, Captain, I’m not upset with you, not at all!” The mistress closed her eyes, tossing her beautiful golden mane. You look so wonderful, I just want you to look your best. You… you do want to look your best… don’t you? For me?” She looked away shyly, unsure.

My heart leaped and my eyes went wide/ “Of course, Mistress!”

“Good,” she said suddenly, turning a beaming smile on me. “Come then, let’s get that settled on you and we’ll have you spick and span in no time.”

I grit my teeth, focussing my mind away from the strange sensation and instead on the one and only thing that mattered now- the mistress. It was from this most glorious of heaven sent creatures that all the good in this world poured fourth as though she were a physical embodiment of their purity amongst the tainted, a manifestation of their divine love for those who were unworthy to even walk in her blessed shadow. She was, in truth, the very wellspring of the gods. Straps and belts in place, halter and tack set and secure, the mistress tapped a hoof in approval.

“Something’s missing,” she muttered. “Ah! Here it is...” She clopped her hooves and opened a bag one of the males brought over. Held in the glow of her magic she withdrew a curious linked metal device that caught the light as it floated before me. It was several inches long, with a ring set in each end and a long leather strap slung between them. Smiling serenely the mistress brought her muzzle close to mine. I could feel my heart rate accelerating already. “This is called a ‘bit’,” she explained. “It’s quite a simple design compared to others really. We call this particular one a ‘snaffle’ bit in my world. This one I have here I’ve brought especially for you though… Captain. Do you like it?”

“I…” I looked at the thing. Something about it was causing alarm in my mind, although why such a thing could be, I had no idea. As I watched it turning slowly, gleaming and glistening like silver in the mistress’s magic, somewhere deep down in the recesses of my tortured brain a voice cried out in warning, yelling out at me in a soundless scream that held no words I could hear. It was like the buzzing of a fly in your ear – irritating certainly, even distracting to a degree, though ultimately unimportant. To my shame I hesitated, my cursed male brain fighting my desire to please her. But the mistress’s eyes… they filled my vision, my heart, and my soul alike. How could I doubt her?

“You… you don’t want my gift?” she whispered, surprised by my delay. Her eyes glistened in the faint light, the beginnings of tears catching at the corners.

I stepped forward eagerly, “No!” I shook my head, trying to dislodge those damnable doubts. “I mean yes! Yes, please, mistress, I want your gift! Please!”

She turned her head back to me and spoke softly. “I though you did, it’s why I brought it for you. And only for you.” I felt like my heart was going to explode as her eyes gazed into mine. “It goes behind your teeth, my stallion,” the mistress breathed. “Here, let me show you… Open your mouth now, nice and wide.”

I did as she ordered and she magicked up the bit into her own mouth. Slowly, bringing her mouth up to mine, using her lips and tongue she pushed the bit into my mouth. The mistress’ tongue brushed against mine nearly making me cry out in pleasure and excitement, her scent and taste washing through me in an exotic wave of sensation far beyond my simple imagining. She positioned the bit in place behind my teeth and withdrew, tossing the reins up and over my head and onto my back. The smiling mare stood back, nodding. She was pleased. She was pleased with me!

“Excellent. You are a good boy, Captain. Did you enjoy your treat?”

“Yes mistress!” I said excitedly. I wanted more, I had to have more! But I couldn’t be impulsive and disobey her - I was a good pony after all.

One of the males brought over a large cushioned blanket. “You’ll sleep on this tonight, my stallion,” the mistress said gently, “and I want you to keep the bit in and the saddle on, understand?”

I nodded eagerly. “Yes, Mistress. Thank you!”

She leaned forward and to my ecstatic delight, nibbled my ear, causing me to nearly pass out in pleasure. “You’re welcome,” she teased. “We’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, Captain, so I want you well rested. Will you dream of me tonight? Please?”

The mistress’s plea made my heart nearly burst. “Yes! Mistress, I will!” I stood erect, my ears pert and my tail straight. I wanted her to see how willing I was, how I would make her so proud of me. She kissed me on the cheek, barely a brush, but it was electrifying.

“Sleep well, my stallion,” she whispered. “Sweet dreams.”

********************

I awoke with the clang of the bolts on the door opening and the mistress trotting in with my breakfast. She was virtually glowing with energy.

“You’ve kept it on!” she cried in delight. “And all night too! Well done, Captain! I’m so proud of you.”

I shuddered with pride, standing tall and straight for her. The saddle had been a little uncomfortable during the night, and the bit made my mouth a bit sore too, but for her… for her I’d do anything, endure anything. Unusually she didn’t bother with the nose bag this time, rather placing the food in a bowl and holding it in her magic whilst I at. The glow from her horn made my nose tingle. It was distracting, but a most wonderful accompaniment that made the simple far more delicious that the sweetest of fruits. After I had finished, the mistress moved around me, brushing my coat and mane, taking out the tangles from my tail. I risked a glimpse at her flank. She had no cutie mark, instead of which she was simply a pure unmarked white… like cake frosting. I like cake frosting. I wanted to-

A tap on the nose stopped those thoughts dead in their tracks. “Naughty! And so early in the morning too,” she chuckled. “You’re quite eager today, Captain, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

She laughed, giving me a drink of cool, refreshing water with a hint of something minty in it. I smacked my lips and she smiled, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve given you a little extra for your breakfast today. I need you to be a little... ‘fizzy’. Now then, are you ready to play a game with me?”

A game? Of course I was! “Yes, Mistress.”

The white mare clopped her hooves together. “Good! Then we’ll begin...”

The two males entered, and the chair, table and other accoutrements were swifty taken away. The mistress clopped her hooves and the room was suddenly bathed in a bright blinding light. I took in a sharp breath as the unfamiliar light hit my eyes, making flinch back in surprise, but soon, after a few blinks, I was able to make out the sheer scale of the room we were in. It was... massive. A gigantic square concrete line room, with me at its centre. The white mare trotted over to me, carrying a long rod with a sort of streamer attached to the end. With a glow of magic from her horn, she connected a longer reign to my existing one.

“This is how I train my horses at home, Captain. I don’t think we need to try too hard with you however, so we’ll take things…” Her voice dropped to near pur. “…nice and slow.” My mane bristled in anticipation as the mistress took up the long rein and rod. “Now, I want you to start walking in a circle around me. Not too fast, but not too slow either. I want you to listen to my voice, and only my voice. You understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

She grinned, then with a bob of her head she clucked her tongue, tapping me with the long rod. Obediently I began to walk. My stiff muscles, unused to such activity, ached like they were on fire, burning and making me stumble a little.

“You’re doing well, Captain, keep going”. I nodded my head and, determined to keep the tempo, kept my eyes forward, concentrating on maintaining the tension on the rein and the rhythmic tap of the rod. I circled her and she turned with me, when a light touch against my hind legs made me kick a little in surprise. She tutted at me, “No bucking now, Captain. Be a good boy.”

I couldn’t disappoint her. “Yes, Mistress.”

Round and round I went, feeling my muscles gradually warming up, the ache starting to leave me little by little. She must have sensed it and clucked her tongue again, giving a firmer tap with the rod and adding a shake of the rein. I picked up my speed to a trot. Round and round, another tap, into a canter now, round and round, round and round. I was enjoying this! I was warming up quickly, my muscles straining, my blood pumping. I felt good! I felt really good!

The mistress laughed happily. “Now, Captain! Let’s see how fast you can really go!”

She wacked me on the rump and I increased speed to a full gallop, lowering my head, racing round and round, faster and faster as my mane and tail flew out behind me. The artificially lit world became a blur, with the focus of it my mistress, watching me with that smile of hers, the one she gave me and me alone. I was her stallion now, not those other males. I was the best pony. Abruptly the mistress pulled on the reins, making a different noise now, but I knew what she wanted. I slowed, bringing down my speed in a gradual decline until she pulled me up to a halt. Walking over to me she eyed my steaming coat, the slight foaming at my muzzle. I watched her respectfully, whilst she checked me over.

“Good,” she nodded to herself, pleased with my progress. “You’re doing well, Captain. Keep this up and I may have another treat for you. Would you like that?”

I nodded eagerly. “Yes, Mistress!”

“Good boy!” She held up something to my mouth and popped it inside. It was... it was… delicious! A sweet fresh minty taste enveloped my taste buds, sending a shockwave of pleasure throughout my entire body. I’d never tasted anything like it. I felt as though I were floating, my body literally alive with boundless energy and excitement beyond the mere physical. “There’s more where that came from,” she laughed. “For now, let’s get you unsaddled and brushed down. There’s much more we need to do yet, my Captain. But one step at a time, yes?”

“Yes, Mistress!”

Days more like today were to come, and I relished them, revelling in every single second I could spend with my wonderful mistress. Sometimes I would stumble of course, but she didn’t mind. She’d simply correct me and we’d carry on. I was determined to please her, and gave her my all. I would do anything to see her smile, all I needed to do was obey her. It was all so, so simple! How come I had never realised this before?

I’d been working hard one day and she’d had me washed down and even had my hooves trimmed and oiled until they shone. I had to admit, I looked fantastic as I admired myself in the mirror she held up for me. Sadly, the mistress was called out on business but returned a little later, smelling faintly of elderberry wine.

“Captain,” she began, “you’re to be… ‘changed’ tomorrow.”

“Changed, Mistress?” I asked. Whatever could she mean?

“Yes.” The white mare walked around me, drawing a hoof across my coat, along my spine, flank and- “Tomorrow,” she said suddenly, “we’ll have to have you looking like a different pony.” What was this? She sounded hurt! She didn’t want this, I could tell!

Alarmed, I asked her, “Does this make you sad, Mistress?”

She looked up at me through those long lashes of hers, pausing in her stroking. “Yes. But you’re still my stallion, Captain. And so, tonight, because you’ve been so good, I’m going to give you a really special treat.”

“Thank you, Mistress!” I replied. A special treat? Now this was something I really couldn’t wait for!

“Yes…” She shook her mane. “Follow me, Captain. Don’t lag behind now.”

I didn’t. Unlike the disgusting creature I had been before she had breathed new life into my rotten carcase, I was fit, clean, and able to obey her every command. I trotted after her, full of vigour and energy. My mistress was going to give me something special, and I couldn’t wait to see what it was! The door opened, and for the first time we left the room. I was almost reluctant at first; what lay beyond here? It was like leaving my world behind and stepping blindly into the unknown, but so long as she was with me, the future held no real terrors. I trusted her. I trusted her completely. We walked down corridor after corridor where strange metal pipes ran along the walls and ceiling, the smell of steam and damp running through the complex despite it appearing to be immaculately clean and well kept. Baskets of items sat here and there awaiting collection or delivery. Rows of large blue bins were lined up along the walls that had something written on them. Whatever it was, I didn’t care. I paid them little heed, my mistress was my only concern now. She turned a corner and I was hot on her heels, still keeping a respectful distance though. Gods above, I was so happy! I didn’t even need reins any more! Eventually she stopped in front of a nondescript wooden door and opened it, beckoning me in after her. Inside, the room was a respectable size, with a scattering of chairs, tables, a bar area, and a large bed with deep red covers. It was all stunningly feminine. The walls were covered with paintings of… ponies? No… not ponies, they were... Saddle Arabians? I wasn’t sure, but there quite like the ones I’d seen before. These were… ‘different’, somehowm and all looked a bit... dull witted?

The mistress saw me looking. “Horses,” she explained casually, “from my world. Not the same as Equestrians of course, Captain. And certainly,” she stroked a hoof through my mane making me gasp, “…not like you.”

I turned to face her, rather impetuously I feared, but she didn’t seem to mind. Her horn glowed and she took a glass of wine from the bar, passing it to me as she took one for herself. I took the glass in my forehooves, balancing instinctively on my hind legs. That was odd… I was very good at holding things in my hooves. I wonder why? The mistress didn’t seem to mind though, and laughed at my puzzled expression before poured some of her wine into her mouth. Carefully, slowly, she moved up to me smiling. Taking my muzzle in her hooves she placed her lips against mine and closed her eyes. Dutifully I opened my mouth to the influx of sweet elderberry wine mixed with her breath, and her tongue. Automatically I reached up and touched her neck, gingerly at first, not wanting to cause offence. After all, my hooves, no matter how polished, weren’t worthy of touching that pristine white coat of my mistress. To my relief she didn’t object as I’d feared, in fact she gave a deliciously soft moan and moved into me instead, nibbling my neck and sending little bursts of excitement through my body. Carefully she began to work her way down, each movement increasingly urgent, nibbling becoming biting, her moans now loud gasps as I stroked, nibbled, and caressed her in return. Suddenly she pushed me away and climbed onto the bed, holding her forelegs out to me in invitation.

“Do you love your mistress, Captain?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

“Show her,” she breathed. “Show her how much you love her.”

Eyes half closed, the mistress drew my muzzle down her body, brushing my mouth gently against her pristine fur inch by wondrous inch until finally, and to my amazement, I was between her haunches. The smell of exposed femininity hit me like a sledgehammer. Before me the mare lay completely exposed, her warmth and fragrance washing over my heightened senses, beckoning me, calling to some primal instinct buried deep inside my very being. Something stirred within me, rumbling quietly, yet insistently. Even so, I wasn’t sure what to do; had I done this before? I stopped my self doubt with a firm huff. It was of no importance, all that mattered was that I had to do something to please my mistress, and so... I let my instincts have full rein. My tongue snaked out, running up and down her, eliciting stifled moans and a little cry of pleasure. I was ecstatic! My mistress was happy with me… so I gave her more. She pulled me further into her as I worked, hind legs gripping me and her forehooves pushing me down. It was a little hard to breath, but all my attention was focussed on satisfying her. I knew for certain now that those other stallions weren’t as good as me. I was the best one here. I was the mistress’s favourite, and I would give her my best performance. Her cries echoing around the room she began to shake, shuddering beneath me once, twice, three times before letting out a cry of passion and then suddenly, she pushed me away from her. Had I done something wrong?

“Mistress?” I asked in concern.

“Oh, Captain,” the mistress smiled, brushing her forehead, “you’re such a good boy. And now… now it’s time for your special treat.”

Another treat? I thought that had been it! I stood there waiting, but she just looked at me. “You don’t know, do you?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, Mistress.” I hung my head, ashamed of myself.

She clucked her tongue and leaned forward on the bed, reaching out to me. “You want to do something with this thing don’t you?”

A surge of emotion and desire ran through me, my whole body burning. Surely she didn’t mean...? I looked at her shyly. “Mistress, I… yes. Yes, I do.”

She nodded. “Good boy. Now, just do what comes naturally, Captain. I’m certain you will be able to perform… perfectly.”

I gave in to my instincts completely. Lost in the passion of our joining, I cared nothing about the world around me. All that mattered, all that held any value to me, was her. It was all about her. I would do as the mistress commanded, giving myself fully to her in every way I could. And more. So much more. To be with such a magnificent being was beyond expectation, and in such an intimate way, was a testament to how much progress I had made. I felt something I hadn’t felt for as long as I could remember – pride. I was proud of myself. Her kindness, her love and her dedicated training, had moulded me into what I was, although that didn’t mean I could become complacent of course. To remain as her prime stallion I had give one hundred percent, every day, and in every possible way that I could. I was all too aware of how those other two would be wallowing in bitterness and jealousy. They would be waiting for me, waiting for even the slightest misstep or failure, to usurp my position. I grit my teeth, channelling my energy in my duty, giving the mistress all I had. I would not let anypony take me from her graces, no matter how hard they tried. It would never happen. Never! I gazed down at her. Below me the mistress’s chest rose and fell in heavy pants, her breathing laboured as our bodies slowly cooled in the still air of the room. She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes; was she… crying?

“Mistress? Have I been bad?” I was suddenly panicked. Had I done something wrong? I’d let my mind wander, letting foolishness distract me from my duty! How could I-

“No…” She shook her head, leaning back against the pillow as she took a deep breath. “You’ve made your mistress very, very happy, Captain.” Carefully, she reached up and brushed a stray hair from her muzzle. “Now, lie next to me and hold me. I want to feel you against me.”

I did as she commanded, and the two of us lay there side by side on the crumpled bed sheets, utterly exhausted. Perhaps a little presumptuous of me, I ran my foreleg over her neck, breathing in the fragrance of her mane as I took in her wondrous perfume. She didn’t object, instead letting me indulge myself to my heart’s content. Closing my eyes I let the delicate scent of lavender caress my senses. It was beyond anything I had ever experienced, although truthfully I couldn’t recall the last time I’d seen a flower, let smelled one. Was lavender a flower? Or was it a herb? I… I wasn’t sure. I had loved gardening once, hadn’t I? Now I couldn’t recall much of anything. When was the last time I had seen the sunrise on summers day, or the tasted the air after a thunderstorm? The mistress shifted beside me, mumbling something faintly. I took a deep breath and push my selfish concerns aside. Lying here, next to my mistress, none of that mattered anyway. Right now such trivialities faded into nothingness; I could live in the moment and revel in this most delicious of scents that drew me as surely as a magnet draws iron. It was so inexplicably wonderful… and yet somehow, vaguely familiar too. My mind began to reel slightly before I was drawn back to myself by a stifled sniffle. My mistress was crying.

Before I could say anything, she whispered, “I’m sorry…” The white unicorn dabbed at her eye with her foreleg. “Don’t pay me any heed, Captain, just… just stay with me tonight… please? I don’t want to be alone.”

Was this still part of my treat? I must have been! “Yes, Mistress,” I said happily. I reached across, holding her in my forelegs and snuggled closer. The smell of wild lavender filled my nostrils once more - feminine and strong. For some reason it felt so right to be here with her, and yet… I don’t know… something was making my heart thump in my chest. I looked up at the ceiling, staring at the magically powered light hanging there. Magic… There was something about… magic, the mistress… A yawn escaped my mouth and I found the intrusive thoughts fading away as sleep quickly took me. Curled up beside me, the mistress looked so beautiful, and also strangely… vulnerable. To my eyes, she looked almost like a lost and frightened foal.

The morning came with little ceremony, other than for the faint buzzing of small brass communicator on the table beside us. With no windows, the only light was from the ever present magical lights on ceiling, filling the room with their pale fluorescence. Beside me the mistress yawned, and groggily reached across to answer the device. I didn’t hear what was said, nor did I attempt to listen in either. Mistress knew best. She always did. Speaking in hushed tones, she nodded quietly to whoever was on the other end before closing the lid with a faint ‘snap’. Still, I noticed how she hung her head a moment before letting out a long, deep sigh. I was concerned for her, although I didn’t wish to appear insolent and dare to ask her what was troubling her. If she wanted to speak to me I would answer then, and only then. Until that time, if indeed it ever came, I would remain quiet and obedient as was my duty. We washed and breakfasted in silence too, without so much as a single word passed between us. The mistress fitted me with my reins and head collar, then lead me out and down the muggy corridor to a small room where two mares and a tall male in a white coat I had never seen before stood waiting for us. None of them smiled when we entered, and I immediately picked up on the hesitation from the mistress.

“Here he is,” she said levelly. “Treat him properly, won’t you?”

“We will, Ma’am,” the male said coldly.

My hackles went up immediately. Whoever this male was he was clearly bothering my mistress, and the look on her face said all I needed to know. I felt my muscles tense, my heart rate increasing. If he was a threat to her, if he so much as-

“I’ve got to leave now, Captain,” the mistress said suddenly, interrupting my chain of thought. “Be a good boy and do what they tell you, yes?”

I was distraught, my heart pounding in my chest. She was leaving me here? I looked up at her, my eyes full of confusion. “Mistress?”

As I watched her, I saw the beginnings of tears starting to well in her eyes. “It’ll all be alright, I promise.” She looked up at the white coated pony. “I’ll be back in an hour as we agreed. If you harm him in any way…”

The sentence went unfinished although the menace in her tone was loud and clear, especially to me. She cared for me, she was concerned about my safety, as I always knew she was. I closed my eyes and nodded to myself. I was in no danger, so long as my beloved mistress were near. I could endure this, whatever it was. I would be with her again soon enough. Whether her words had any effect on the male or not, his stoic expression gave nothing away. He merely nodded, motioning to his assistants as the mistress left in a flurry of gold and white, all but slamming the door shut behind her. The male turned back to me, looking me up and down while his assistants wheeled over trolleys full of a bewildering array of bottles and brushes.

“Right then,” the male began, “Tops, Tails, I want this coat prepped properly before we apply the coating. Don’t miss a spot, otherwise the top coat won’t take. While you’re doing that I’ll get him measured up for the lenses.”

I stood there staring at the door like it would open at any moment and the mistress come back for me. It had only been seconds, and yet I was nearly in tears already. Had I always been such an emotional wreck as this? My mind was in a disjointed haze as the mares wiped me down thoroughly, the acrid stink of chemicals burning my nostrils with every breath. A kind of paper of some sort was placed over my muzzle and stuck in place, my ears plugged, and my eyes duly measured. I had no idea what was going on of course, but true to his word, the stallion didn’t injure me in any way. In fact the only discomfort I felt was a faint tingling sensation across my fur which I put down to the effects of the chemicals. While the mares worked the male brought over two transparent lenses, into which he plopped a couple of drops of some clear liquid.

He spoke to me in his monotone voice. “Hold still. This may feel a little strange, but it won’t hurt. Do you understand?”

I nodded. Holding my head to one side the male held my eye open and promptly dropped in one of the lenses. Sure enough it didn’t hurt at all, however I found myself struggling slightly with the strangeness of the odd sensation. Whatever he’d done to me my eye, it suddenly felt cold and uncomfortable. My vision swam slightly, as though opening it underwater. The process was repeated for the other eye a few moments later. His work complete he stood back, nodding to himself as he inspected me, apparently satisfied with the results.

The male spoke more to himself than to me, “They cover his eyes well. You can barely see the colour underneath at all now.” Looking away, he lifted his head up to address the mares. “How’s the coat coming along?”

“Nearly done, doctor.”

“Excellent.”

The process continued apace until I was finally given a damp wipe over and the ‘doctor’ moved to my flank. “Strange…never seen one like this,” he muttered. “The dye doesn’t seem to affect it much. What about the alteration magic?”

“We tried that first, doctor,” one of the mares replied. “It’s resistant.”

“Resistant?” He shook his head. “Very curious indeed. Unfortunately we can’t burn it off or we could maim him permanently.” The doctor tapped his chin with a hoof before finally announcing, “Shave him.”

“Doctor?”

“Do it.” The male’s voice was clear and authoritative. “Shave the cutie mark off and we’ll apply fake fur. Once we’ve done that, we can spray on a new cutie mark et voilà.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“Good.” He tutted at me, frowning. “We don’t have time to be dallying with this any longer, so it will have to do.”

Despite his apparent frustration he returned to supervising the work that was going on down my flank. I could feel the buzz of the razor and the sting of cold air as my bare skin was exposed. The artificial fur was applied next, and some even to my face for some reason. After all this though, and as unpleasant an experience as it had been, I was intrigued to see what I looked like. I could only hope my mistress would be pleased, but just when I thought we were finished, there was more to come. My mane and tail were worked on next, both of them being clipped a lot shorter than I’d have liked. My mane was normally mid-length, and this made me look like… I wasn’t sure actually, what did I look like? Unfortunately all I could do was stand there whilst the time dragged on and on. Eventually however, and much to my relief, there was a knock at the door. The doctor opened it to a familiar, and decidedly worried looking, white unicorn.

“Mistress!” I said excitedly, looking to see if she approved of my new look.

She didn’t.

“Is… is that him?” she gasped. “My god, he looks completely different!”

“As requested ma’am, we’ve done our best,” the doctor answered simply. “No magic, just cosmetics and ingenuity. He won’t get picked up by any magic detectors now.”

As positive at the doctor sounded, the mistress didn’t look happy at all. Her eyes were pink and puffy from tears and her ears drooped slightly. Why was she so upset? What had they done to me?! I took a step towards her, hoping to receive some approval. “Mistress?”

She shook her head, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Come along, Captain. We need to go and see somebody else next, so let me see those hooves lift neatly now. No slacking!” The mistress was trying to sound upbeat, but her voice was cracking with emotion. As much as I tried to obey her, I was more interested in her and impetuously spoke out of turn.

“Mistress, you seem unhappy,” I offered. “Aren’t you pleased with me? Have I been a bad pony?”

It didn’t do to question the mistress. I knew this, and yet like a fool I still did it. She stopped suddenly, turning to me, her eyes flashing angrily. “Captain! Don’t you dare…! Don’t…” Her voice fell to a murmur. “No… no, you haven’t done anything wrong, Captain, nothing at all.”

I felt a familiar tug as she pulled my reins and clucked her tongue. Like a dutiful pony, I followed my mistress into the lift, along a corridor, and into what appeared to be a rather well lit office. Inside, three ponies stood watching me. One was a dumpy, ginger unicorn mare with a greying black mane and a thin pair of spectacles behind which a pair of slate grey eyes peered out. Beside her, a white earth pony, more cream coloured than my mistress and wearing a wide brimmed red hat and coat. His eyes were a maroon colour which stood out against his pale colouration. His mane and tail, strawberry coloured, were quite long for a male and spilled out from under the brim of his hat. The third occupant of the office was a cloaked and veiled pony - a female judging by the body shape. Yellow legs peeked out from under the hem of her cloak, shod in what appeared to be green jade. I took it all in, every last detail: eyes, hair, colouring… this was... unusual for me wasn’t it? Why was I so interested in these three? I’d never met them, and yet here I was examining every detail. Mind you, if the mistress needed me to be observant, then I needed to be alert to everything around me, even if it was only the appearance of strangers. Besides, the mistress liked me to be alert. Beside me, the mistress shook my reins and I stood still, standing tall and looking straight ahead. I’d show them what a real pony looked like, even if my colour was different now. Actually, not having seen a mirror I still didn’t have much of a clue as to what they’d done to me. My coat was certainly a darker shade from before, that much I could see, but I was still a uniform grey. Bland, I thought to myself bitterly. I’d also noticed my tail had dyed a deep blue, which probably matched my mane. No wonder the mistress didn’t like it! They were two shades which I’d never been overly keen on to say the least.

The short dumpy female spoke first, readjusting her spectacles and staring at me with her mean looking eyes. “Are you sure he’s safe, Annabelle? He’s a killer this one, I can smell death on him from here.”

The male nodded. “I agree, he’s already taken out two of my best stallions and cost me a bloody fortune in repairs to the business. Bringing him here was lunacy, Annie, we should have just had him put to sleep when we had the chance.” He shook his head. “No, I don’t like this at all. A wolf by any other name is still a wolf, even if you change his colour.”

My mistress stomped a hoof in irritation, silencing the dissent in an instant. “I understand your concerns, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s horseflesh.” The three of them quailed visibly at her words as she continued, “This pony is everything you wanted and more. Just look at him. He’s quiet, obedient, and will do anything I ask him, won’t you, Captain?”

I nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

The cloaked mare took a step forward, the unusual hoof shoes clinking slightly on the hard floor. Her voice sounded off, a strange inflection to her words unlike any accent I’d ever encountered before. “I do not like this plan either,” she said plainly. “He has caused us many problems. Many setbacks. I agree with my stallion friend, he should be… ‘disposed of’, before he becomes a liability.”

The mistress stomped her hoof again before lifting her head to stare down her muzzle at the cloaked mare. To my surprise she bared her teeth too. “And where did that get you exactly?” she asked cuttingly. “Your last cock-hoofed effort nearly unravelled everything, thanks to your lack of planning and careless bungling. The agency have placed magical detectors everywhere now - they’re popping up in every damned town and city in Equestria like a rash. You have the audacity to talk to me about liabilities? They already know something’s going on, can’t you see that?” She flicked her golden mane with a forehoof. “We have one chance at this, one, and the solution is standing here before you. Pass this up and you could be on the scaffold before you know it.”

The three ponies looked to one another nervously, speaking amongst themselves in low voices. I couldn’t make out the words, but I could smell the fear in the air. The older mare stared at me before addressing the mistress. “Bending his will is one thing, Annabelle, making him perform the task at hoof is quite another. How do we know he won’t panic and run, or worse still, break out of his training at the last moment?”

The white unicorn mare shook her mane, the light catching the golden strands and making my heart soar. “He won’t,” she smiled. “I’ve left just enough of him in there to do what needs to be done. But as for loyalty… Let me give you a little demonstration.” Her horn glowed, and out from under her cloak she levitated over to me a wickedly long knife which she held up to my muzzle. “Take the knife, Captain.” I reached out and took the hilt in my mouth. “Kill me.”

What?! I… I didn’t know what to do! I couldn’t disobey her, and I couldn’t hurt her! Not her! I stood there motionless, unable to move. My mind reeled, nearly flooring me as my need to obey warred with my desire to protect.

“What does this prove?” the male asked, watching me. “He won’t stab you, so what? Lots of ponies would refuse to do that.”

The mistress barked out a derisive laugh. “After what we’ve done to him? Are you so sure? If he had his own mind still, Velvet, you’d be a puddle of blood and entrails on the floor already. You’ve seen what he’s capable of.”

The male snorted bitterly. “I have that! He’s cost me a shit load of money that I’ll never see again! Damned near burned down my best establishment and frightened off most of my clientele as he did it too. No, I say again, Annie, get rid of him before this comes back to bite us. Or worse.”

“You really think so?” she asked.

The male nodded. “I do”

“Captain?”

I stood up straight, relieved to be free of the conflicting dilemma of her last command. “Yes, Mistress?”

“Kill him.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

I advanced on the male, keeping low and ready to manoeuvre against any counter attack or defence. Mistress had ordered, and I obeyed. He was a bad pony and I would remove him from her sight. All it would take would be a single thrust, up into the chest and into the the heart. I shifted my weight, hefting the blade… The male saw what was coming and shrieked in fright as he backed up against the wall, fumbling for something from under his coat.

“ANNIE!” The ginger mare shouted. “For Celestia’s sake, stop this!”

The mistress smiled slyly. “What makes you think I can? He’s a liability remember?”

There was a crash of furniture as the male tripped over a chair in his desperation to escape. “Annie! Please!”

“Captain. Stop.” The mistress clopped her forehooves together. “Come back here and give me the knife.” Obediently I backed away from the male and immediately gave the mistress the knife which she levitated from me. “Do you have any doubts still, Velvet?”

Apparently he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to answer. “Damn it, Annie!” he gasped, his legs still trembling. “I just bucking pissed myself!”

True enough, a wet patch was pooling around the male’s hooves, making the others step hurriedly away from him with looks of disgust. The mistress laughed out loud, turning to the ginger coated mare in triumph. “Convinced, Palm? Or do you have a better plan?”

The mare nodded and levitated over a file. “All you need is in here, Annabelle. We will leave the rest to you. Once the task is complete, our ‘friends’ will take care of the rest and the promise will finally be fulfilled.”

My mistress smiled. “Good. When all this is over, I shall hold you to your word.”

The one name Palm nodded. “Of course, you can trust me, Annabelle. We are friends after all, aren’t we?” She smiled, but if anypony ever needed a visual definition of the word ‘insincere’, it was stood before me now.

The mistress simply nodded and smiled back with a grin that held nothing of the warmth she’d shown me. “Friends…”

Back in the mistress’ rooms she took off my head collar and bit before letting me sit beside her once more. She seemed a little sad for some reason. “Mistress?” I asked.

“Hmm?”

I hung my head submissively, hoping she wouldn’t think I was being rude. “Are you sad? Can I do something to make you happy?”

“Can you-?” She looked at me in surprise. “No… No, Captain, I...” She paused then shook her head. “Actually… yes, yes you can. Bring the brush over here and brush my mane.”

“Yes, Mistress!”

Now here was a treat indeed! Happily I trotted over to the dresser and brought the brush back with me, held firmly yet respectfully in my teeth. At my approach she lay down on the rug before the heater, and poured herself a drink whilst I went to work on her luxurious mane. With each stroke the warming heady scent of lavender in her hair made me feel as light as a feather. She was so beautiful, so serene and elegant. Her hair was like a waterfall of molten gold, with barely a knot to be found, and full of the light of the heavens. My heart soared, flying away in the joyful certainty that I was doing my duty.

“Captain,” she began, “I have a job for you. It’s difficult, and dangerous too, but I know you can do it. I believe in you.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. She believed in me! “Thank you, Mistress,” I said around the brush.

“Yes…” She sighed. “Captain, I know you can do this, but I need to know, will you do what I ask? Even if you don’t want to do it?”

Don’t want to do it? Why in Equestria would she think I wouldn’t?! I paused in my work, nodding my head so she could see my resolve. “Of course, Mistress.”

“‘Of course’,” she murmured, looking away for a moment before looking back over her shoulder at me. “Captain, I want you to kill somepony. They’er a bad pony… very bad. Will you do it? For me?”

She didn’t need to ask. “Yes, Mistress”

“Good boy, Captain. You’re a very good boy.”

The mistress took the brush from me and passed me some photographs she had beside the bed. “This is who you are going to ‘put down’, Captain. And this…” she tapped a hoof on another picture, “…this building is where she lives”.

I looked at the photograph of a mare who, to my astonishment, looked very much like a winged version of the mistress, but with a rainbow coloured mane and tail. A cutie mark of a sunburst was prominent on her flank too. She was undeniably beautiful, elegant in a way that only the finest breeding can achieve, and even in a photograph, she exuded a nobility of bearing that was quite breathtaking. As I looked at the mare in the picture, something inside me stirred unexpectedly. For some reason, a reason I couldn’t quite understand, I felt a cold anger towards this creature, something deeper and more bitter than I’d ever felt before. This strength of emotion surprised me. Whatever this was about, regardless of who she was, the mistress had ordered me to kill her, and kill her I would. I’d noticed my mistress was saddened of late; whatever this mare had done to her, she had to be removed before she could hurt her any more. Nopony hurt the mistress. As long as I lived, nopony ever would.

“We’ll talk more in the morning,” the mistress said quietly. “There’s maps to study, along with times and schedules you’ll need to memorise. The carriage will be here to take you to your target when you’re ready, and then you’ll be on your own until the task it done.”

“My own, Mistress?” I asked.

“Yes.” She looked away, wiping her face with a foreleg. “But, I want you to come home again, Captain.” The mistress turned to me, her lip quivering and her eyes shining. “Come home… please?”

“Of course, mistress,” I replied softly. “I will come home.”

She leaned over and put her forelegs around me, hugged me to her chest. She was trembling, her whole body shaking with emotion as tears leaked from her eyes and soaked into my coat. I didn’t know what to say, so instead I sat there and stroked her mane as gently as I could. She like me stroking her mane. No matter what the future may hold, she was my mistress and I her stallion. For her I would enter the jaws of death itself if she so ordered. This other mare was a bad pony, she was making my mistress cry, and for that alone… she had to die. I spent the next day studying maps and photographs of places, ponies, and the target’s schedules. Somepony had provided my mistress with a lot of information on the palace, and my target, the pony called ‘Celestia’. I didn’t know who she was, but I knew the anger inside me responded everytime I saw her picture. As peculiar as it was, it felt strangely calming, almost like an old friend. It made me feel strong, confident, and powerful enough to be able to bring down the entire world if I so desired. And all of this, everything I would do and had learned, was for my beloved mistress. That evening a strange pony appeared who was covered in a cloak and veil like the jade shoe wearing one, only this one was male. He spoke with a disturbing clicking and hissing sound, and was a lot smaller than the other ponies I’d seen so far. The mistress looked at the visitor with distaste, clearly unhappy with his presence.

“He’s not ready yet,” she announced. “He needs at least another day or two.”

“There isss no time, pony”, the cloaked figure rattled. “The wedding isss sssooon”

The mistress snorted angrily. “I don’t give a damn! If he’s not ready, he’s not ready! I am the mistress here, and my decision is final.”

“My missstresss will not wait any longerrr,” the stallion said, a slight buzzing noise coming from under his cloak.

The white unicorn looked back at me and gave me a strange look, one I hadn’t seen before. What did it mean? “Fine!” she snapped back at the figure. “Give me two days.”

“Onnnne dayyyy.”

“Damn you, fine. One day. Tell your mistress we’ll have him in place in one day.”

The male nodded and backed out of the room, a green glow from beneath his cloak enveloping the door and pulling it shut as he left.

The mistress turned to me and surprised me by giving me a tight hug. “Are you ready, Captain? You’ve got a big day ahead of you. Can you do it?”

“Yes, Mistress,” I smiled. “I can do it.”

“Good boy.” There was something in her tone of voice that gave me pause. She was definitely far from her normal self today. She was usually such a self confident and supremely self assured mare who I’d rarely noticed have any doubts or uncertainties. It was… unsettling. The mistress trotted over to the book shelf and retrieved a bottle of wine and a glass, pouring herself a large measure before downing it in one gulp. Suddenly she spat angrily. “Fuck them! Those vile fucking damned… THINGS!” Tossing her mane she stamped around the room, whirling around in a rising fury. “I’d wipe them off the face of this cursed shit hole of a planet if I had my way. I don’t trust them, not at all! What the bloody hell was that dumb bitch playing at when she agreed to use them?! Christ all fucking mighty!”

“Mistress, is there something I can do?” I didn’t know who she was talking about, but she was angry and upset to a degree I had never seen before. That was the issue at hoof now, and my sole focus.

The alabaster mare shook her flowing golden mane and threw herself onto the bed. “Yes, there is something you can do… get up here, now!”

I trotted up to the bed as she levitated over the riding crop. “Take it,” she said angrily.

Instinctively I flinched away from the thing and she angrily thrust the handle into my mouth. “I said ‘take it’!”

I stood there waiting for her to instruct me, when she unexpectedly placed her front half across the bed and presented her rear to me. I wasn’t certain about what she wanted, but surely she didn’t-

“Hit me…” she whispered.

“Mistress?”

“Don’t damned well question me, Captain! Hold it in your hooves and hit me as hard as you can. DO IT!”

I spat the crop into my forehooves and stood on my hind legs. I didn’t like this position, but I could certainly get a better swing at her. But… But why? I didn’t want to do this! To hurt my mistress? No! My mind reeled, my brain screaming at me to stop, but I had to follow orders. What should I do?!

“Captain,” she breathed, “your mistress wants you to do this. You won’t hurt me I promise, you’ll be making me happy. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

She closed her eyes. “Now… please…”

I dutifully obeyed and brought the crop across her pristine white backside with a sharp ‘thwack’. Immediately she shrieked and shoved her head into the quilt. “Again!” she cried. “Don’t stop until I say!”

I brought the crop around again, this time across the other buttock making her whimper and bite down on the bed covers, her eyes shut tight. Despite her quivering and moaning, she didn’t order me to stop what I was doing, and so, obediently, I continued. Swing after swing, with the noise filling the room, red stripes began to appear across the pure white of her coat. This was what she wanted, yet it hurt me to do it even so. To mark that beautiful creature’s coat… This was so wrong. So, very, very wrong!

“Harder!” she commanded, staring straight ahead. Drool poured from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto the bed. “God damn it, Captain, harder!” I obeyed, putting my full strength into the swing, and with a resounding ‘crack’, brought the crop across her behind. The mistress shrieked, spittle flying across the bed as her knees began to shake. “Yes! Again!” Once more the crop slashed down, creating a streak of red across her that made her cry out. Again and again I swung, my muscles beginning to ache with effort and my heart pounding fit to burst until, finally, her knees gave way and she sank to the floor in a sweating, crying and drool covered heap. The white mare gave me a look which melted my heart. “You’re a good pony, Captain… so good...”

I trotted over to the cupboard where she kept her first aid and began to moisten a flannel with warm water to apply to her injuries. Without instruction I went to work, gently cleaning her up the best I could and applying a healing lotion to the angry red welts. I could feel my eyes sting as tears started to form. How could I have hurt her like this? My heart felt like it was breaking.

The mistress looked back at me, taking a mouthful of wine straight from the bottle. “That’s enough, Captain. You’ve been a very good pony. And now… now its time for your treat.” A treat? After I’d done that to her? I helped her to her hooves, the white unicorn’s knees still trembling slightly. Gingerly she returned to the bed and lay across it as she had before. “Mount me.”

It took a moment for me to realise what she wanted, but I did as she asked and pulled myself onto her. She gasped in shock as my underside rubbed up against her fresh wounds. The gods know I tried to be gentle, but I could sense the pain she felt as we made love. She didn’t tell me to stop though, instead she just lay there, whimpering and groaning, pushing herself back up to me meet, until at last, it was over. The mistress lay on the bed, panting and crying, drool and snot covering her muzzle, a damp patch visible on the covers where she’d been biting them. She was utterly exhausted. I helped her up onto the bed properly and she lay there whilst I pulled the covers over her tired body. I turned to face the rug. I would sleep there tonight so I could let her rest.

“No…” Her voice called to me, gently stopping me. “Sleep with me tonight, Captain.”

Obediently I climbed up next to her and, careful of her wounds, snuggled under the covers. “Hold me,” she murmured, looking back at me with a large azure eye. “Please.”

I nodded and wrapped my legs around her protectively. “Yes, Mistress.”

She smiled. “Do you love your mistress, Captain?”

“Yes, Mistress,” I whispered into her ear. “I love you.”