The days following the protest for Trixie went back to the events that she had become accustom to. Group support meetings, defense classes, and training in her free time to help get her magic working properly again. The routine was becoming normal, in which to say it was starting to make the blue unicorn feel more like herself again. It wasn’t easy, as the Fall was still a burden she couldn’t quite shake, but more frequently she was able to find distractions to keep the thoughts of that horrible time at bay.
“Hey Trixie,” Lyra said, catching Trixie as she was about to leave the group home, “Are you busy?”
“Oh, hey Lyra,” Trixie replied in a casual greeting, “Just a little, I was about to go out to get my weekly medication for my breasts.”
Since her first time taking the breast reduction potions from the zebra alchemist Amale, Trixie had been diligently getting her prescribed doses each time the zebra would give it to her. She would always come to visit Trixie personally, since the mare was more comfortable staying at the group home than venturing out into the city. Today was different though, as Trixie finally worked up enough self esteem to go out into the public on her own. Having built up the courage to go out wasn’t in itself her only reason for doing so, but she had been told that if she ever felt like she could get to the train station early enough, then she could get her treatment that much quicker, and that was something worth doing now that she had enough confidence to leave on her own.
“Oh neat,” Lyra said, noting this unusual, yet positive change in her fellow unicorn’s behavior, “You usually wait for the zebra to deliver it to you, but going out to get it yourself is a great step towards taking back your life.”
“Maybe, but this is more for Amale’s sake than my own. If I can catch her at the station, then she doesn’t have to walk all the way here for me.”
The reason Trixie gave was only partially true, as she was well aware that any little bit of effort she put into getting her medication was that much less of a burden on the zebra who delivered it. Her motives were not so purely altruistic, and was more a response to what Carrot Top had said to her in Fillydelphia. That she was relying too much on the group and its facilities, and not being more proactive. In a way, this was the unicorn’s first attempt to show the earth mare she was wrong, though it was more a reaction to how right she was.
“Mind if I tag along?” Lyra asked, “I understand if you want to go alone, but-.”
“No, you can come along,” Trixie said, happy to have someone she trusted accompanying her, “Sunset always says we shouldn’t go alone if possible.”
“Speaking of…” Lyra said, “Why isn’t Sunset or Starlight going with you? I’d think they’d be the first to want to help you first hand.”
“They aren’t around,” Trixie answered, “Said they would be busy doing some other matters for Mares for a Better Equestria, and that they’d be gone for the day.”
“That’s funny,” said Lyra, “They didn’t mention anything like that in yesterday’s meeting.”
“They probably didn’t want to bother anypony,” Trixie replied as she headed for the exit, “They only told me and Star Bright cause we live here.”
“Oh right, Star Bright is here now.” Lyra said, remembering the unicorn male, “Should we bring him along too?”
“I’d… rather we didn’t,” Trixie said, a little ashamed with her answer, but sticking to it, adding “I’m still a bit uncomfortable around stallions” as the reasoning to leave him behind.
“I get it,” Lyra said, the reason being too common among mares to question, “Then let’s head out.”
The two unicorns left the building, and made their way through town, hoping to make the train station before the train carrying the zebra arrived. It really wasn’t a difficult task, since their chapter of ‘Mares for a Better Equestria’ resided in a small town, but for most mares, the act of leaving the house could be a daunting task, as something that should have been as common in everyday life as taking a walk outside was had become so defied by the caribou that many chose to avoid it when possible. Every aspect of previously normal pony life had been ruined, as the vile deer took leaps and bounds to turn each waking moment into another sexual nightmare.
There was very little that existed in Equestria that wouldn’t remind a mare of the year prior, where a trip to the store required you be hobbled and leashed, lead around in a mortifying display of humiliation by your master, while everyone, mare and stallion, traitor and slave, would gawked and stared at your misfortune. That was even if you were lucky, as the trip could easily turn into a public display of punishment for no reason, or a spontaneous gang bang if enough stallions wanted to have a turn with you. It was hard walking down any street in Equestria without some ghost of past events coming to mind, as every road, avenue, and alleyway had, at some point, been the location of an insidious rape orcustrated by the caribou.
“How you holding up?” asked Lyra, catching a few twitches in Trixie’s expression.
“Fine,” Trixie replied, “I can deal with this. It’s all just a reflex at this point.”
“If you need to take a break, just let me know.” Lyra said, having an easier time dealing with the excursion, the knowledge that these street use to be rampant with activities of rape barely a blip in her thoughts.
Trixie assumed it was Lyra’s nature that helped her get past the trauma, as she had always been one of the more extroverted members of the group, where-in Trixie had been the most extreme kind of introvert for the longest time. Memories often reminded Trixie that she used to be the complete opposite, seeking attention and admiration from any pony that crossed her path, but those days felt long passed.
Those memories of her pre-Fall life gave her a certain appreciation for Lyra’s personality, as while her fellow unicorn was absolutely more considerate than Trixie had once been, the outgoing aspect of her demeanor was nostalgic, and likewise comforting for that reason. As the two kept heading to their destination, Trixie realized she was glad Lyra came along, as she really didn’t need to. It might have been thinking too deeply on the matter, but Trixie started to believe that Lyra was her first real friend since being freed, not counting Starlight and Sunset, who were more mentors and caretakers for her. The blue mare didn’t inquire if this belief was true, though, as the belief in its validity was enough for her. A friendship formed in a silent agreement, Lyra’s secret about her friend in the hospital being the thing that established it.
The walk to the train station was overall uneventful, with the town being quiet. The streets were not devoid of ponies, but those there were just taking up space for the most part. This was not the fault of some nationwide state of fear, but caused by the lack of things to do in general. With stores and other such facilities still shut down, it was hard to find anything to do aside from sit around or help support some building’s wall. It looked like activities outside of helping with the restoration efforts had all but ceased entirely, and that left Equestria on the whole lifeless.
When the two unicorn mares got to the station, they were very relieved to discover that they had arrived a little early, so the zebra they were hoping to catch couldn’t have possibly left yet. All it took was a little waiting, and soon the train carrying Amale arrived. Trixie and Lyra made sure to be waiting at the platform when she got off, and once the striped mare stepped out, they called her name to get her attention.
The zebra, surprised to hear her name being yelled at her the second she stepped hoof on the platform, was even more surprised to see it was Trixie doing the calling.
“Well isn’t this sweet, it’s Trixie Lunamoon,” Amale said, approaching her patient, “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“I was hoping to save you some time today,” Trixie explained, though it might have been more honest had she said she wanted to get her potion as quickly as possible.
“I appreciate your consideration, but did it trouble you to come to the station?” the zebra rhymed, as she opened a pouch at her side.
“I’m getting better at going outdoors,” Trixie answered, “But it helps that I have supporting ponies like Lyra here to help me when I need it.”
Lyra gave Trixie a pleasant smile, happy to be of help, but not wanting to interrupt what was happening with words. She was certain that Trixie wanted to get what the zebra had for her as soon as possible, and starting up a conversation was likely to distract from the apothecary's task.
“Such a display of your bravery,” Amale complemented, “You recovered so quickly from your slavery. “
“You give me too much credit,” Trixie said, being more honest than modest, “A walk through town isn’t exactly hard, and I still have problems I have to deal with.”
“Problems, right, that’s why we meet,” Amale said, the reason why she was there in the first place being recalled, “I’ll fix them up, so let’s find a seat.”
“That’s not exac-” Trixie tried to correct the zebra, and explain she meant more psychological issues, but the striped mare was already making her way to a table set up for those waiting on their train arrival.
The blue mare let out a sigh, but remembered that this was the reason she had come. She really didn’t need to share her troubles with Amale, whose job wasn’t to be her psychiatric, but to deliver to her a medical potion. So Trixie, along with Lyra, joined with the zebra at her table.
It took but a second for Amale to find the potion intended for Trixie, and once handed over, the blue unicorn drank it without hesitation. The effect was predictable, as her breast deflated down just a bit more. Now they were looking very close to what they used to be, Trixie feeling very light as her caribou made double Ds were now somewhere between a C and a B. While she had always consider herself an extraordinary mare in her past, some might have said that her breasts back then were fairly average. While she really wouldn’t mind going a size smaller than she previously was, it was great to almost be back to her old B-cup, which she’d be happy to take.
“From your pleasant reaction, I can surmise,” Amale said, starting a new rhyme, “That your bust is almost back to normal size.”
“Yes,” Trixie confirmed, taking a moment to cup them to see how they matched up to her memory, “They are just a little big now, but you wouldn’t believe how this has helped take the pressure off my spine.”
“As a mare who hasn’t gone through what you endured, that I can’t relate is something I’m sure. It shames me that we zebra were safe in our lands, sitting in wait, beyond caribou hands.”
“Didn’t you have to abide by the caribou’s rules?” Lyra questioned, having heard that the zebra had been, to some degree, conquered as well.
“They did make a try to invade,” Amale explained, taking back her vial from Trixie, “But the heat of our lands had their plans unmade. The climate was fine on equestrian terra, but an arctic deer can’t survive the sahara.”
While no caribou during the time of Dainn’s reign would admit it, the dry, sweltering temperatures of the zebra lands was far too much for them to handle. They had workarounds for this problem in mind, such as wearing armor enchanted to keep them cool, but they couldn’t wear that with their standard anti-magic armor. To use it would have created a vulnerability that they couldn’t accept, so they ended up sending their converted pony guard to attack zebra cities, which was not as effective as the caribou had hoped.
“In the heat, we were able to hide, but we could tell the invaders would not be denied.” Amale continued her story, “So our leaders devised a terrible plan, but one that was needed if we were to stand. A few would surrender to caribou ways, noble sacrifices that kept them at bay. For so long as Dainn thought we followed his rule, he never questioned our motives, the arrogant fool.”
It was a little difficult for the mares to understand what Amale was trying to say, but they had heard the officially given explanation for the zebra’s involvement in the Fall. As far as it was known, the zebra had to give the caribou tribute in both slaves and gold, as well as forbid the females in their lands from holding any positon of leadership or wearing any clothing that concealed their feminine parts, in order to not meet the same fate as Equestria did. For whatever reason, they complied, and because of that there was a small amount of zebra women transferred to Equestria to serve as sex slaves along side the pony mares, who usually became the property of caribou and stallions of high status.
Dainn had clearly wanted this to become an annual offering to his kingdom, if not more frequent, but his untimely death at the hands of Big Macintosh brought that plan to an abrupt end. The way Amale was putting it, their obedience to Dainn’s demands was all a ruse, and they had no intention of following along with them for long. The zebra were working on a plan to get rid of the caribou themselves, which was made unnecessary by the caribou empire crumbling from within.
“But that is the past, and while plans didn’t come to fruition, we zebra knew we had a different mission.” Amale continued, “To remake Equestria as a beacon of hope. That is the vow that we each spoke.”
“How very noble,” Lyra said with absolute sincerity, “It’s nice having zebra like yourself working to get things back to normal.”
“So where are you going after this?” Trixie asked, as she wondered how much time she saved the zebra by coming.
“I have three mares to visit still,” Amale explained, “Each having similarly themed ills. One with incredibly heightened senses, and another who’s groin muscles randomly clenches. The last one so bad, they’re stuck in bed, but after all that, it’s to the town of red.
“Town of red?” Trixie asked, not having a clue what the zebra meant.
“She probably means ‘Red Town’,” Lyra answered, “It’s a city just on the outskirts of Equestria, up in the mountains, and its where they’ve detained lots of the red collars and traitor stallions awaiting trial.”
“You mean like a prison?” Trixie asked, never having heard of this place.
“Not quite a prison,” Lrya replied, “More a city with a fence around it where they keep reds and stallions they are pretty sure joined the caribou on their own, that haven’t been convicted of treason yet. The Committee of Ponies are giving each red a day in court to plead their case, but they need a place to stay until then.”
“But so many are clearly guilty,” Trixie declared, “Siding with the caribou to let the mares of Equestria be enslaved. The red collars don't even have an excuse for what they have done.”
“Some Reds say they never caused harm,” said Amale, “Merely succumbing to the caribou’s charm.”
“Right,” Lyra agreed, “Reds often give excuses like ‘I was only a sex slave, and never hurt other mares’, or ‘I only became a red cause I was afraid and didn’t want hurt’. Even more take up the ‘I was brainwashed’ defense that was used on the Alicorns, since it’s been proven to be a valid defense. I think most mares who spent the Fall as black collars, being raped and tortured by the caribou and the stallions they mind controlled, would agree that there was no excuse for becoming a red.”
“So they just live up there, unrestricted?” Trixie asked, curious, and a little upset, over what she was hearing.
“For the most part, yes,” answered Lyra, “They aren’t allowed to leave, the stallions and mares are kept in separate sections of the town, and guards are stationed there to enforce that, but they are given ample supplies to keep them comfortable, since none of the mares living there have been convicted of their crimes yet, and thus can’t be punished yet.”
“So what are you doing going to a place like that,” Trixie asked Amale, though she believed the answer she’d receive wouldn’t be a good one.
“I do what I do in any other village,” Amale explained, “And help ponies who lived through a deerish pillage. I know it sounds like a terrible notion, but I go there to deliver my vials of potions.”
“So you’re telling me that the reason my breasts aren’t the right size by now is because I’m sharing my cure with some traitors living up in the mountains?” Trixie asked, her anger starting to simmer at this news.
“If you’re asking me to confess, I can only say the answer is ‘yes’.” the zebra replied.
Trixie gritted her teeth and scowled at this news, as she couldn’t believe that the kingdom’s resources were being given to ponies who helped cause the kingdom’s problems in the first place. One’s who were probably happy with the bodies their former masters gave them, at least they must have at the time.
“Red Town is unfortunately something we have to have,” Lyra went on to say, “Not only to treat the ponies who could be considered innocent fairly as they wait for trial, but because Tartarus has been nearly filled with caribou and actual traitor stallions already. We really don’t have anywhere to put all the possible traitors, which has led some ponies to believe that the trials exist to filter out those whose offenses were the least egregious, and release them to save room for the big offenders.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Trixie said, though she didn’t like the necessity of such a system, if it were true. After what she had seen during her time enslaved, any traitor should have some form of punishment given to them.
“If it’s any consolation, the use of the village was your leader’s recommendation.” said Amale.
“Sunset Shimmer came up with the idea?” Trixie said, confused that Sunset would approve of something to help reds.
“Yeah, back when she was part of the Committee.” Lyra confirmed, “She and Starlight used the city as a base of operations for their rebel activities, as it was so deep in the mountains and far away from the rest of Equestria that no one even knew the town existed.”
“That’s amazing.” Trixie said, thinking back to her own hideout, “I wish I would have known about it when everything went down. Might not have been captured then…”
“There is no point dwelling on the past,” Amale said, taking note of a sudden mood shift Trixie was showing, “Those days are gone, that die is cast.”
“I know, but there was…” Trixie hesitated, wanting to say something, but changing her mind at the last second, “There were some things back then that I wish I could have done differently.”
“That’s understandable,” Lyra said, believing she knew why the other unicorn would have wanted to be with Sunset’s rebels, “We all wish we could have done more to stop the caribou. Unfortunately, if they were good at anything, it was making sure we were under lock and key.”
“Right…” Trixie replied, slipping a bit into her own head, as there were other reasons she wished she knew about the hidden village.
Amale departed from the train station shortly after the three mare’s conversation, still having to make her rounds before the train to Red Town arrived, with their small discussion pretty much eating up any time Trixie had saved her by coming early, not that the zebra minded.
Now that the trip has been completed though, there really wasn’t much more to do for Trixie except return to her room at the group building. Once she got there, she would spend the day practicing her levitation magic as she had been, and otherwise do nothing else. That was fine for Trixie, who had no other ambitions, but it wasn’t acceptable for the pony who had accompanied her.
“Hey Trixie,” said Lyra, “Do you mind coming with me for a while?”
Trixie, already heading off in the direction of the group building, paused when she heard the request. “Me? What for?”
“Oh, I just have a few errands to run, and I could use another set of arms.” Lyra said, coming up with something on the fly.
“Why did you come with me if you had things to do?” Trixie asked, wondering why anyone would put off something important for her.
“Well, you know,” Lyra said, a slight embarrassment leaking out in her words as she realized she really didn’t have an answer for that, “I… uh… thought it was a nice day, and it would be nice to share it with you. Besides, it wasn’t like I had to get them done as soon as possible. Just that I got them done some time today.”
Lyra ended her improvised explanation with a small, nervous laugh, which had Trixie very suspicious of her motives. After thinking it over though, the blue unicorn had no reason not to go with Lyra, since she could practice her magic at any time. “Ummm… sure,” she said, accepting Lyra’s invitation, “You did help me first, so I can spare some time with you.”
“Excellent!” Lyra said, wrapping an arm around the back of Trixie’s neck, “But first, let’s go grab us a quick lunch. I’m starving.”
Trixie could hardly object as Lyra started guiding the way, keeping her arm where it was as she turned her fellow unicorn down a road, and started walking. Lyra, again, was a more extroverted member of the group, so Trixie just accepted that this was her way of taking someone to a location.
Before long, Trixie found herself lined up a good distance from a set up food stand, manned by volunteers who passed out meals to anyone who wanted one. Unlike the rest of town, this was the one place that ponies were occupying in mass, as it was the only way that some could get any meals at all. The stand would start passing out breakfasts shortly after the sunrise, hand out lunches near noon, and dinners before it became dark. This was usually done without break, as so many ponies would take advantage of this that there was hardly a quiet moment between the meals.
It was a necessary function, since most ponies either hadn’t returned to working for personal reasons, or had no means to return to work because the Committee was still figuring things out like resource redistribution, and even if ponies had money, there were few places to spend it. Until those two issues were sorted with, the Committee used the reclaimed farmlands of Equestria, along with some quick growth potions provided by the zebra, in order to make sure everypony was at least fed.
“So, how has Bon Bon been doing?” Trixie asked, trying to find something to pass the time as they waited, and that being the only thing the two unicorns had in common.
“She’s been doing well,” Lyra said, happy to talk on the topic, “She might even be getting out soon. Like next week even.”
“Well that’s good,” said Trixie, glad that Bon Bon had seemingly made a full recovery from her prior purpled state. “Is it going to be ok for her to leave the hospital though? Will you two be able to stay in the same place?”
“Oh yeah, we’re fine.” Lyra said, “We both live in Ponyville still, and when the caribou took over, they didn’t burn down either of our homes. They did take everything we owned, though, so we’re thinking about moving in with one another, and giving the other house to another mare.”
Just as she said that, a thought came to the light green mare that she hadn’t considered prior.
“Why don’t you move into our empty house?” she said with full sincerity, “We were going to wait until Bon Bon left the hospital before we let ponies know it was open, so we don’t have anypony inquiring about it yet.”
“I… don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Trixie replied, as both she and Lyra took a few steps forward to move along with the line, “You said it’s in Ponyville, and I bet the ponies will still be mad about that one time I took over the town. Carrot Top sure was.”
“It will be fine,” Lyra assured, “I’ll just talk to everypony ahead of time, and let them know that you’ve changed since the last time they saw you. Ponies in Ponyville are actually pretty forgiving.”
“I’m still not really sure,” Trixie said, “I’ve got a place to stay already. Sunset Shimmer has pretty much told me I can be there as long as I want.”
“But Star Bright lives there too now,” Lyra reminded Trixie, “And you said you’re not really comfortable around him.”
“I meant not enough to want to spend the day with him,” Trixie said, looking to reason a way out of a move, “He’s ok if I don’t have to be around him a lot.”
“Just consider it,” Lyra said, making it to the front of the line, taking a meal of hamburgers and french fries, with a piece of apple pie for dessert, from the pony handing them out in paper bags, “You’ll have your own place, you won’t have to worry about anypony but yourself, and if you want Bon Bon and I can come and visit you.”
Trixie took the food offered to her, and followed after Lyra, “That does sound nice, but I wouldn’t have any way to pay rent or anything.”
“Trixie, we’re friends,” Lyra said, “And I wouldn’t charge you a bit you didn’t have. We can wait until Equestria settles and things get back to normal before we start talking about something as irrelevant as ‘rent’.”
Trixie had to admit, Lyra was selling this idea very well. The only concern was that she’d be putting a burden on the other two mares, as they didn’t have the same kind of funding that Sunset and her group had.
“I’ll give it some thought,” Trixie relented, “Like you said, you don’t have anypony applying for it, so I have some time to come to a decision.”
“Then I’ll just put you on the top of the list,” Lyra replied, “That way we can get you in as soon as you want it.”
“You’re acting like it’s already decided.” said Trixie, as she took a bite of her sandwich.
“I’d just really like for you to be my neighbor, is all,” Lyra said, slipping some fries in her mouth, “You’re really pretty cool when you’re not worrying about things. At least you’re not angry all the time like Carrot Top is.”
“Oh that’s right,” said Trixie, after gulping down the bit of food in their mouth, “Carrot Top lives in Ponyville too, doesn’t she.”
“Not really,” Lyra replied, “They own some farmland there, but she has pretty much left it empty. Carrot has brought it up in a meeting before, too many bad memories caused by what the caribou did to the place. She’s only been there recently to have more and more of their equipment removed from her property.”
Now that Trixie was reminded of it, she did recall vaguely that Carrot Top had said something like that. She just didn’t think that someone with an actual place that they own, especially something as grand like a farm, would want to stay away from it.
“But enough about Carrot,” Lyra said, taking a bite of her burger, “How about we find a place to eat this stuff in peace?”
“Shouldn’t we head to where your errands are?” Trixie asked.
“Those can wait,” Lyra said as she grinned, with her cheek stuffed with the food she was chewing, “I know, why don’t we go to the park?”
“This town has a park?” Trixie didn’t get out a lot, so she still didn’t know of all the landmarks in the area.
“Yeah, it’s not far from here. Let’s go!”
With that said, Lyra jogged off ahead, with Trixie left behind to follow. The blue unicorn took a moment to shake her head in disbelief, and chomp down on her sandwich one more time. She might have developed slightly anti-social tendencies, but she wasn’t so oblivious that she couldn’t see what was going on. As troublesome as it would be, Trixie made the choice to follow the other unicorn, and spend a day outside of the safety of her room.
The two mares made their way to the park, and much like the rural parts of the city, this area was very sparse of all life, save for the small critters that had taken up residence in it. That made it really easy for the two mares to find a nice bench to sit at, and take their time finishing what food they had left.
The two sat next to each other in silence, taking bite after bite, and taking in the scenery.
“You know, they really did make this place look nice,” said Lyra, being the first one to break the silence, “It looks like a normal park. Trimmed grass, no garbage anywhere, all the equipment has been cleaned.”
Trixie sighed, and swallowed what she had in her mouth, “Yeah, I suppose so.”
Trixie had never been here during the Fall, but those under the caribou’s control had a habit of leaving messes wherever they went, mostly in the form of cum puddles, condoms, and discarded containers of lubricant and stimulants. Most of Equestria looked trashed at most times, with some areas being reduced to literal dumps. The only times things got cleaned was when mares were made to do it, and usually in some degrading way like having to move everything with their mouths, or clean up the jism piles by drinking them. If there were any dildos left behind, the mare was expected to shove it into a hole. If there were more than a few, that wasn’t the problem of the male overseeing the cleanup.
“What’s wrong, Trixie?” Lyra asked, “It’s a beautiful day, and things are nice and quiet. Aren’t you glad to be out of that stuffy room for a while?”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Trixie said as she touched her forehead with the tips of her fingers, using her palm to block Lyra from her sight, “I’m really glad you came along today, and that you want to spend time with me…”
“But?” Lyra asked, knowing one was coming.
“But it’s really hard to be outside and not think of all the terrible things that must have taken place here.” Trixie looked around the park, and could just picture what the caribou must have set up in it.
It probably had signs up that instructed that all mares be leashed and on all fours at all times, accompanied by stockades that were set up to allow any passing stallion to make use of them while they were held in place. If the park bench they were sitting on had gone unmoved since that time, then it undoubtedly had a large phallus stationed next to it for a mare to kneel down on, embedding it so deep into their nethers that the head would touch their cervix. If the park had a playground, it was absolutely modified to have each piece of equipment be some sort of sexual torture device, like having a tetter-totters that instead of seats were wooden wedges that two poor mares would be bound to as males forced them up and down so hard the ends would make their prisoners bounce, or a tether pole that with cuffed grafted at its center, in which a mare would be placed, so the cord holding the ball could be clipped to her nipples, pulling them painfully in all directions as said ball was knocked around in all directions, for the sadistic enjoyment of those who had shackled her to the metal rod.
“Do you really think we’ll ever be able to get back to the way things were before?” Trixie asked, feeling very dejected all of a sudden. “We’ve all been through so much, that I really don’t know how anypony can look past it.”
“I don’t see why not,” Lyra answered, not taking a split second to show her optimism, “Do you have any idea how many times Ponyville was destroyed by some plague of bugs, or natural disaster? Even before you came around, it felt like it was happening every other week, but we always rebuilt things and bounced right back. Sure, the caribou made it a bit more personal, but there’s no reason to let what they did hold you down.”
Trixie wanted to have the same hopeful disposition as Lyra about that, but it really wasn’t easy for her. Lyra, being an mare of little notoriety, had most likely been handed to some random stallion, who would have raped her frequently, humiliated her daily, and perhaps added in the occasional session of sexually based physical abuse. That didn’t compare to the amount of torment Trixie had received though, being one of the caribou’s favorite ponies to punish, for what she had done while avoiding capture.
Lyra never felt what it was like to be trapped in the caribou controlled Canterlot dungeons, a place in the palace reserved for rebels and untamed alicorn princesses, left in the cruel hands of the Equestrian Royal Guard. Day in and out, being dragged out of a cramped cage she had spent the cold night in, after getting next to no sleep in those conditions, to be taken to a room where she’d endure the attentions of any guards assigned to her, who would beat, berate, and brutally fucked her with no restraint. Her body was near constantly covered in lash marks and bruises, and her pussy, ass, and mouth always ached from use.
If she ever passed out, they would use stimulants to force the unicorn back awake. If she cried, and she did a lot, the guards would laugh at her misery, if they didn’t smack her across the face to get her to stop. If she so much as said no, they go at her doubly hard, while making it clear that she had earned every punishment they did to her. On a rare occasion would Trixie be taken from the castle, shipped off to some other location, she’d be forced to participate in an arranged event where she would spend the day appeasing any stallion who approached her, with her body and misery. Once that was over, she’d be sent right back to the dungeons, never truly getting a moments’ peace, as her will was all but broken, up until the day the caribou were stopped.
The stress of that situation, caused by constant fear, violation, and exhaustion, was too much for any pony to have to go through, let alone a mare like Trixie, who was a mere stage performer before the Fall. In many ways, the mark they left on her psyche was something she might never get over, as phantom pains of shock prods still frequented her, and the visions of dicks forcing their way into her body still haunted her dreams. Lyra could never understand the intensity of her misery, nor could any other mare, for as far as she knew, those others who could ended up purpled or blanked.
“How about we go back,” Lyra said, sensing a drastic change in the mood, “But before we go, just let me throw away my trash and use the restroom.”
“Ok,” Trixie said, feeling too dejected to disagree with what Lyra wanted to do before they left, “I’ll be right here.”
“It will only take a few minutes,” Lyra promised, running over to a small building not too far from the bench, which had to be the bathroom she was talking about.
The moment Lyra was out of sight, Trixie inhaled and exhaled deeply. The caribou, despite being defeated, imprisoned, and rendered not a threat, were still getting to her. It was as if a part of the unicorn still believed she was still their slave, and that no matter how beaten they were, she was still held firmly in the chains she thought were removed so long ago now. Her hand lifted up to touch her neck, as if to check to make sure there wasn’t a collar around it, only to feel the touch of fabric around it instead.
The black neckerchief, the symbol of Mares for a Better Equestria, worn by all its members. She had been putting it on by routine lately, and often forgot she was wearing it. That was something that told her she really was away from the nightmare of the caribou, as the black collars were so restrictive and painful to wear that they never let you forget they were there.
Trixie, realizing this simple, comforting truth, put that hand on her forehead, her horn slipping through her fingers, and leaned her head back. “You have to let it go,” She said quietly to herself, “It’s done. They are all gone. You’re never going to be in that position ever again. The caribou can’t hurt you. The stallions won’t rape you. You need to live your life.”
Trixie sat there for a while, consoling herself as she waited for Lyra’s return. She knew that for as much as she couldn’t get past the hurtle the caribou represented, getting over what they did was the only way that she would ever be able to be ‘normal’ again. As impossible as it might seem, she had to push past it. Perhaps not that day, or the next, but sometime soon. She had to stop living in the shadow of what they did, if she was ever to be truly ‘free’.
More time passed, and by the time Trixie finished her own bag of food, she started to wonder what was holding Lyra up. No matter what she was doing, it couldn’t possibly take this long. Getting up from the bench, Trixie made her way over to the restrooms, placing her hand on the door to open it slightly. She was about to call in to see if Lyra was having any trouble, but before she could, she heard somepony else speak.
“Hold still you little...” The voice said in a hushed tone. Another word was said after, but it was too soft for Trixie to hear.
As quiet as it was, Trixie could tell it was a male’s voice, which had her looking at the sign on the door she was pushing open, just to see that it was indeed the mare’s restroom. For a second she thought it might have just been that there was a vent connecting the two restrooms, and she was hearing somepony on the other side, but then more noises came to her ears.
“HMP! MMM! MMMMMMMPPH!”
The sounds were muffled, but Trixie could tell that they were coming from the mare’s side, and they sounded like moans coming from someone who was trying to keep their mouth shut… or was unable to open in.
Without thinking, Trixie opened the door wider, stepping inside, which allowed her to hear more sounds. That of huffing, as someone rapidly took short breaths, accompanied by the wet sounds of two things slapping into one another. Trixie’s heart immediately started racing, as these sounds, while much quieter than she was used to, were ones that any pony in Equestria would recognize by now. It was the sounds of sex.
Her eyes darted around the restroom, seeing that there were several sinks, and several stalls, which she could only get partial look of the doors of each from her angle. All except the last stall, which was left open.
Trixie moved over to get a better look, the sounds she was hearing clearly coming from that last stall, as her heart beat so fast that she could feel the rhythm in her throat. The small, unobstructed grunts, the long, muffled moans, and those wet sounds brought back all the memories of the Fall. She didn’t know why, but instead of running for help, she kept going forward, drawn in by the sounds, and hoping she was mistaken about what was causing them.
She got past the second stall of four, and then she saw the first bit of movement aside from her own, as the flicking of a pony tail slipped out from beyond the doorway. It disappeared back inside, only to come right out again, and continued this pattern again and again, making a quick back and forth motion that only confirmed what Trixie was fearing further. She was finding it difficult to stay quiet, as her whole body trembled, causing her breathing to stutter.
Luckily, the blue mare was still being quieter than the ones in the final stall, and so she was able to sneak right up to the door. Unluckily, when she peeked inside, what she saw was exactly what she had expected, and worse. There was a stallion in the stall, a mask over his head, pants down to his ankles, trusting his hips back and forth, his arms reaching out in front of him, trying his best to hold Lyra into place, her dress shirt pulled up to expose her breasts, while her frilled shorts were removed completely, discarded to the ground.
The mint green unicorn had been restrained, her arms connected together by a looped belt behind tank of the stall’s toilet, as the upper part of her back laid across the seat, her hooves tied to a set of arm bars on either wall of the stall meant to help the pony using the stall to get up once finished, but now were severing the purpose of holding Lyra’s legs spread apart.
The stallion was already inside her, penetrating her unguarded pussy with is cock, pushing it in and pulling it out in a hastened pace, the fluids from within her covering the sex organ in a slick film, as the excess flowed from the lower lips onto her suspended flank.
“I said hold still, bitch!” the rapist stallion yelled in whisper, smacking Lyra across the face.
The yelp she made in response to it stifled by a strap harness latched onto her head, which wrapped around her muzzle and kept it clamped tight. From the sound of it, there was something inside her mouth helping to obstruct her cries, and while her shorts were clumped up on the floor, her panties were nowhere to be seen in or around them.
The stallion then, without stopping his thrusts for a moment, gripped Lyra’s muzzle firmly in the same hand, to force her face forward, and tilt it down. That’s when his other hand came into view, as well as an object he was holding within it.
In the stallion’s hand was a set of garden shears, or at least something of the same nature, big enough that it looked like it could cut an iron pipe in half. With Lyra held firm, despite her struggles, he put the tool up to her forehead, around the base of her horn.
“Sluts like you don’t need horns, or magic.” he said, stating his intent as he started to squeeze the shears slowly.
Lyra screamed, eyes clenched, tears pouring out them from their corners, as the blades started to bite into her horn, understanding that her rapist intended to strip her of her it as the caribou had done once before, and that she could do nothing to stop him, as a unique pain she felt long ago was being inflicted upon her once again.
Trixie was frozen at the sight of all this, at a loss of any words as this all took place right before her eyes. She had never expected something like this to happen in Equestria ever again. Her mind tried to grasp for the reason this could be taking place at all. Had a traitor slipped through the legal system, and was now raping mares in secret? That was the immediate thought she had, but then for some reason, her thoughts recalled something Sunset Shimmer had said.
Something about how Equestria was operated before the Fall instilled this in a large majority of the stallions who live here. Something seeded in their hearts, put there by our established social norms, that grew out till they believed in what the caribou did before the caribou even arrived.
Could it be… that this was a stallion that was giving into some temptation buried deep in his heart? Enacting some dark fantasy that, through the caribou, he was able to fulfill, and now wanted more.
The horror of that possibility, along with everything else, forced a gasp from Trixie’s throat, one loud enough that the stallion could hear it. His head quickly turned in her direction, an anger in his eyes, the interruption both unexpected and unpleasant for one trying to keep his activities a secret.
“Another fucking whore.” the rapist said as he placed his shears in a pocket at the front of his shirt, his voice now at a medium volume, there being no reason to keep quiet now that he was discovered. He turned to face Trixie, stepping out of the legs of his dropped pants, his cock flopping out of Lyra’s pussy, and flicking a spattering of her juices into the air as the erection pointed right at the unbound mare. “Like to watch, huh? Well sorry, but if you want to see the show, you got to pay admission.”
There was only one thing that could possibly be, and Trixie wasn’t about to let herself be at the mercy of a male again. As cowardly as it was, she followed her first instinct, and made a break for the door. All she could think about was getting away, possibly getting help, even if she had to leave Lyra with the stallion. While it was possible he’d flee the moment she got away, that wasn’t exactly the thing the blue unicorn was thinking of, as her own self preservation was, shamefully, top priority.
Trixie reached the door, but as she tried to pull it slightly open, the stallion’s hand slammed down on it, holding it closed. Right after, the other hand of the stallion gripped her mane, using it as leverage to tilt her backwards, forcing the back of her head to the tip of his nose, so he could take a deep sniff of her scent through the hair he now had a firm grip of.
“You smell nice,” he said, “But you’ll smell even better after I fuck your brains out.”
With Trixie now in his grasp, the attacker took his hand off the door, placed it around her muzzle to prevent her from screaming, and pulled her back into the room, with nothing but ill intent on his mind.