Treasured Moon and Stars: Vol. 1 Luna's Treasured Moon

by TigerSwirl448


Chapter 5: Reality Check

Chapter 5

Reality Check

Octavia somehow found a way to sleep in the scratchy cot that was offered to her by that strange pegasus. All her life, Octavia was told to look down at inferiors like Derpy. It was said that if there was a condition, or a problem like crossed eyes, that pony would either be killed or sent to exile. It’s usually execution nowadays. Octavia had seen these executions all the time in the streets of Manehattan when her family took a tour around the city once every three years. Of course, her parents were against the awful rule. Her mother’s sister had a brain condition and she had to watch her sister being beaten by the guards, because of her condition.

When Octavia was ten, there was a new law that was passed that all ponies in all ages show signs of these “diseases” must be killed or destroyed. Octavia remembered seeing protestors of this, but same as those they want to protect, they suffered from the lasers and beatings from the guards who enjoy hearing the weak and defenseless suffer and cry. This was one of the things Octavia was destined to change. At least that was her plan, until now.

Once she got a little more comfortable in her scratchy bed and bed sheets. She had just closed her eyes when she heard a strange sound. She swiveled her ears around trying to find the source of the strange sound she had just heard. She sat up, hearing a melody from a whistle of some kind. It was a beautiful song. This fife or whistle, since it’s not really a flute, it might be but the strange sound didn't sound like one. It’s hard to tell in her position. She soon found herself lying back down with a growing smile on her face. What was this beautiful melody and who was playing it? She closed her eyes and sighed letting the beautiful music sooth her to sleep.

The next morning, Octavia woke to a tremor in the ship, causing her to fall out of the cot. Moaning and rubbing her sore back she looked around, confused. Suddenly it all came rushing back to her. She was inside the room of another vessel. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, curious about what the ship was called. She never really got an answer. Well she never asked really.

She could see the sunlight through the porthole at the far wall. She walked over to it to peak outside to see the birds and space rays flying past her window. She peeked over to see the port.

“Hmm, so this is Fillydelphia Station? I imagined this place to be more radiant.”

Fillydelphia was a big port, one of the largest space ports in the Equestrian Galaxy. She read that Fillydelphia was a powerhouse for industrialized factories. Fillydelphia was where the laser weapons were crafted and made. Engine parts for space vessels were manufactured here, even the ships were built here as well. She turned to a small desk to find a simple comb, shrugged, then started to comb out her hair. Once done with that she walked out of her room. She followed the hazy path that she took with Derpy down the short hall.

She found the exit and she could hear yelling outside as she neared the door. She opened the large door and was blinded by the fierce Celestial sun. Once her vision was cleared, she could see Derpy in front of her by some controls at the helm, Derpy’s face was scrunched up in concentration as she played with something on the control pad looking up. Octavia looked up to watch a lift being lowered over the rail to the harbor dock below. The yelling intensified as she walked to the rail at the starboard side to see Vinyl, Scootaloo, and Spike on the dock. Spike was writing on a tablet looking at the crates and boxes as several diamond dogs roll the barrels onto the lift. Scootaloo was standing next to Vinyl carrying three heavy satchels on her small scrawny shoulders. Octavia figured out that the yelling was coming from Vinyl.

Vinyl was talking to a harbor master, yelling at him as if arguing. The stallion shook his head handing her something from his tablet clipboard. Vinyl snatched the paper away reading it as the stallion tipped his hat and left to another dock.

“Why those little,” Octavia blinked, watching as Vinyl ripped up the paper, steaming with anger. Vinyl let out a sigh as she tried hard to not blow up again.

“Nice job in being professional, Vinyl,” Spike snorted with a shake of his head.

“Shut up, Spike!” Vinyl snapped tapping her boot on the deck. Scootaloo gulped.

“So now what,” she asked with worry. Vinyl sighed looking up at the sky thinking.

“Good morning,” Octavia said walking down the gangplank with ease. Vinyl watched her as if stunned then she shook her head then spat to the side.

“Damn pier! Damn Royals!”

“What is it?” Octavia asked with concern. Vinyl glared at her.

“Like you don’t know,” Vinyl snapped. Octavia shrugged shaking her head confused by what Vinyl meant. Vinyl exasperated loudly, she’s on the verge of pulling her blue hair out of her head. Spike walked over.

“It seems that Queen Celestia passed another boat law.”

“Meaning?” Octavia asked still confused.

“Meaning,” Spike said carefully, “that no ship that flies in the galaxy now has hardly any rights to dock at any Canterlotian port without a license or a contract.”

Octavia shrugged. “Well yes, so as to keep everypony safe from pillaging pirates.”

Spike made a wince, shaking his head. “No, that means that spacers like us that do special jobs as a living, won’t be able to dock at any port. We’ll have to fly all the way to Canterlot; that’s a bad idea considering what we are. We won’t be able to get a license. And if we don’t get a license, we would be taken to prison or worse!”

“What’s worse than prison?” Octavia asked.

“You don’t wanna know.” Spike said with a shiver.

“Alright, change of plans,” Vinyl yelled out, getting everyone’s attention. “Spike, I want you to pack as much cargo as you can. Derpy will help you.”

“Alright,” Spike said, marking again on his tablet which glowed to his touch. Vinyl pointed to Scootaloo.

“Scoots, we’ll need to meet our client soon and get rid of some of this stuff.” Scootaloo nodded. “And we’ll check at Pony Joes’ bar and see if we got any takers for a job. Hopefully, we’ll get some good moola with this doe.”

“And what about me,” Octavia asked with a raised brow. Vinyl blinked, pointing at her trying to think.

“Oh right, I was going to lead you to the Royal Guard station. Just follow me and Scootaloo. The way to the station is the way to our rendezvous with our client. Come this way.” Vinyl stated walking ahead with Scootaloo at her heels.

Octavia smiled at them as they walked by. “Thank you,” she stopped to wave farewell to Spike. Spike only gave her a worried look.

“Good luck, Princess,” he said with fear as he turned away. Octavia found this strange and looked over to see Derpy with the same sad expression as Spike as she gave her a slow finger wave.

The streets were crowded as the three went through the market place. Everywhere Octavia stepped in there were puddles, dead animals, or dead ponies. Many stared at her with pleading eyes, while others gave her a hard glare with knifes or pistols pointing at her as if threatening her.

“Isn’t there any other way to the station?” She asked as she leapt over a dead pig. Vinyl took in a deep breath as she reached in the back of her trousers. She pulled out some kind of newsies cap fitting it on her head. The color was a black color but it was so dirty and dusty it looked gray. She let out the air in her lungs, smiling.

“Ahh, can’t you smell that horrible stench of life?” She asked, getting a giggle from Scootaloo. Octavia glared at her. She opened her mouth to complain as a little colt came running to Vinyl and tugged at her trousers. Octavia was ready to shoo him away when she gasped watching Vinyl pull out a silver bit from her pocket and flipped it to him and saluting him with her finger. The colt grinned and waved at her then ran back to an alley. Octavia took a peek inside to see a very sick looking Earth mare hugging the colt as she coughed away from him.

Octavia followed Vinyl and Scootaloo to a street corner where a huge building stood on the corner. Compared to most of the buildings here, the large building looked more regal than the other dirty, soiled buildings in the area. Vinyl sighed and pointed at the building.

“There’s your building. Just walk on in and talk to the captain and he or she will give you what you need. Satisfied?” Octavia beamed a smile at Vinyl.

“You know, I was thinking last night.” Octavia said softly. Vinyl stuck her hands in her pockets with a raised brow at the Princess.

“Yeah, what?” Vinyl snapped sourly. Octavia bowed to Vinyl with a small smile. Vinyl blushed looking around to see if anypony was watching.

“I want to say that I’m sorry for yelling at you. I was scared and confused. I shouldn’t have been so nasty to you and... I want to say thank you for saving my life yesterday. You were very brave facing that evil witch.” Vinyl blushed. She coughed into her fist turning away acting all aloof.

“Yeah well, I am a spacer after all, and fighting pirates is part of my job.” Octavia nodded and turned to Scootaloo.

“I hope I get to see you all, again,” Octavia stated. Scootaloo blushed, scuffing her foot on the ground. “I’ll tell my Aunt Celestia about how brave you were and maybe she can help you. Give you a new ship and coin for helping me.” She said smiling genuinely at Vinyl.

Vinyl blinked in surprise. But a thought in her mind made her look more scornful. “Look, that Queen can keep her ships and pretty coins to herself. I don’t need anything from anypony.” Octavia blinked at the harshness of her voice. She sighed and nodded.

“I understand. But I do mean what I said, Captain Scratch. I really do thank you and your crew for saving me. If there is anything you need, you let me know.”

Vinyl stuck her hands back in her pockets blowing a raspberry. “Yeah, whatever Sweet Cheeks, see you,” Vinyl turned and walked off with Scootaloo, waving to the princess as she followed close behind Vinyl. Octavia waved back to Scootaloo as she took the steps to the station. Scootaloo turned away with a frown looking up at Vinyl’s serious face.

“We’re never seeing her again, are we?”

Vinyl smirked as they walked past an apple stand. She reached out and swiped an apple without being caught by the yellow Earth pony mare with green pigtails and took a bite.

“Yep,” Vinyl said passing the apple to Scootaloo. She took a second bite out of the apple as Vinyl took the third bite.

“She seems so nice,” Scootaloo said softly with worry. Vinyl swallowed hard, glaring at her protégé.

“Hey! Royals aren’t nice got it?” Vinyl snapped harshly, glaring at Scootaloo. She looked up in time to pull her hat lower over her eyes as they marched past a couple of guards.

“They could sit their polished asses on our backs with no howdy do to us. They care more about themselves than us spacers and slaves and pirates.”

Scootaloo took the last bite as Vinyl tossed the apple to an orphan. The orphan, a unicorn colt, beamed a smile at her as he started chowing on the half eaten apple.

“Besides, she’ll learn the hard way what her precious Aunty Celestia did to us,” Vinyl whispered harshly, glaring as she stuffed her sticky hands into her pockets again. Scootaloo shook her head feeling terrible.

“Yeah, you might be right.”

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Octavia entered the very small station. It looked bigger outside than it was in the inside. By the look of the large line of poor ponies, it seemed busy. She looked ahead to see how far the line was to notice the Royal Guards just sitting at their desks, answering to nopony. This irked Octavia. These ponies needed the guards' help, and all they did was sit there, doing nothing.

Octavia felt bad for doing this but decided to go ahead of everypony. She never really used her royal status for anything, because she was taught to wait like everypony else, but seeing this line and the lazy guards, she will have to do it to get attention. The ponies watched her walk by them, many with fear, others with malice. Octavia passed the painted line towards the desk, clearing her throat getting the soldiers’ attention. The Royal Guard sitting at the desk looked up from her paper work with a raised brow. Octavia can tell she was a pegasus soldier. Her uniform was dirty and the old color red was dimmed to a dirty salmon color. The pegasus looked younger than Captain Rainbow Dash, but had the look of the top leader of this station.

“Stand in line like everypony else.” She said scornfully with a forced smile. Octavia sniffed.

“I’m afraid I cannot.” Octavia stated firmly.

“Oh really,” the pegasus said a little too loudly. Octavia can hear chairs screech on the floor as several royal guards stood up from their desks with glares. “And why not?” The pegasus continued.

“Because, I am Princess Octavia, daughter to Prince Tick Tock, and sixth in line for the throne of the Equestrian Galaxy and I am here to ask if you can escort me to Canterlot.”

The pegasus blinked as if in shock. The soldiers behind her started whispering to one another and shaking heads.

“Princess, but you’re an Earth pony!” The pegasus commander said flabbergasted.

“I’m more Unicorn than Earth pony, thank you.” This made the pegasus stare harder at her.

"Um....." The pegasus noticed a tear in Octavia’s dress. Under the fabric, she could see her cutie mark, she gasped, ''I know who you are now." The pegasus said smiling, standing up. Octavia grinned back and nodded.

“Yes, so you have heard of me?”

The pegasus walked around the large desk then stood close to Octavia with her hands behind her back. “Oh yes, I have. We all have. Now answer me this question Princess, how did you end up here?” Octavia sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank you, Luna, you won’t believe what happened. I was on the ERS Cadenza and we were attacked by pirates. I was able to escape with help from a spacer. She told me to come here and request your help.”

The pegasus nodded, grinning. Too bad for Octavia that the ponies in line knew that evil grin all too well and started to whisper and murmur. The pegasus sighed, looking as if disappointed.

“Well I’m afraid I have to disagree with you.”

Octavia blinked at her. “Huh?”

“You see Princess, here in Fillydelphia we are at an area that doesn’t really pay much respect to... Earth ponies. Not to mention... Hybrids.” Octavia jumped at the harsh tone from the word.

“But you don’t understand, I’m royalty.”

The pegasus sighed, shaking her head. “You can’t take a hint can you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Octavia asked getting scared. The pegasus glared and grabbed the princess by her arms and shoved her against the wall. Octavia gasped looking at the pegasus with confusion and fear.

“What are you-?”

“Listen here Hybrid bitch-” The guard yelled out.

“What did you just call me?”

Suddenly a baton smashed Octavia in the head causing her to fall on the ground moaning. She opened her eyes to see the commander and a second pony a unicorn with a baton grinning at her.

“What are you doing?” Octavia whispered trying to get up when she felt a kick from a boot to her side causing her to scream. The Commander grinned.

“Putting you in your rightful place, Princess Hybrid, in a cage.” Octavia felt two sets of hands grab her and lift her up. She was about to yell out when she felt the commander slap her across the face.

“Take her to the Pits. Tell my Lord that we have her in custody.”

Octavia was dragged away through a back door. The pegasus Commander grinned, turning to the ponies in line and slapped a mare in the front. All the ponies gasped and back away from the angry cruel Commander.

“Anything else I should know about, Hybrid?”

The poor mare shook her head. “No ma’am.”

“What was that?” The Commander hissed, glaring at her.

“I mean no, High Commander, no. Nothing more, ma’am,” the poor mare whispered as the Commander pushed her away before turning back to her desk.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Past the door, Octavia was confused as they dragged her through the dirty hallway.

“Where are you taking me?” She begged. Octavia was slapped in the back of the head causing her to yelp.

“Shut up! And no talking! You have no right to talk here Hybrid!” Octavia felt tears pouring from her eyes. ”What is going on here?”

Soon they reached another door but this one was made of steel. The guards stopped and knocked on the door. A panel at the top slid open to reveal a pair of bloodshot eyes.

“What?”

“We got a new Hybrid slave.”

The eyes behind the door, looked down at Octavia to see her crying. He blinked then closed the panel. There were a series of locks unlatching, then the door was opened. Filling the hallway with a small blast of heat and with it scents of blood and sewage and perspiration. Octavia gagged at the smell as the guards started laughing at her expense. Octavia turned to see a huge unicorn with a face mask. She gulped at the smile he shown, seeing her. He closed the door to block out the only light in the place. There was light though, from torches.

Once Octavia’s eyes got adjusted, she can see giant cages filled with ponies that were skinny, malnourished, sickly, scarred, and bloody. Most of them were earth ponies. A good second were unicorns. Then the lowest of them were pegasi, but it was hard to tell they were pegasi until Octavia gasped, seeing a pegasus with one wing and a stub for his second. They turned the corner to hear two stallions laughing in a high annoying laugh. There was a second unicorn with the same head mask clearing her throat.

“Sirs, we have a new slave.” The two stallions were unicorns. They were both dressed in blue and white striped vests with long puffy white sleeves. Their hats looked like they were from those space circuses. They each had red manes and tails, but one had a mustache.

“Ah well, well, well what have we here, brother of mine?” The first one asked. The second one with the mustache nodded with his hand on his chin.

“My, ain’t she a beauty. Where did you find her?” He asked.

The guards chuckled. “She’s the Hybrid Princess we have been hearing about. Remember my lord... You know who?” The three ponies started laughing. Octavia was so confused.

“Please, tell me what is going on here?” She felt a whack in the head with the baton.

“Oi what did I say about being quiet!” Octavia flinched when the guard was ready to whack her again. But a green magical aura stopped the guard’s hand.

“Now, now, gentlecolts,” The mustache brother said grinning. “We’ll take care of her in no time. A good long month in the Pit will teach her some manners.”

“The Pit?” Octavia asked in a whisper of shock. She had heard the tales about The Pit by her mother. Sapphire Melody claimed that she would have been in The Pit if it weren’t for her invisibility spell she conjured. No guard or slave pony ever found her. But The Pit was where Slave sports ran for years since the war.

“Take off that dress, she won’t need that anymore.” The hooded mare ordered. Octavia felt the guards hold on to her as her dress was ripped off of her revealing herself naked. The guards laughed at her as she cried for mercy. The hooded unicorn saw her pendent then snorted.

“Bah, let her keep the trinket. It’s made of that cheap crystal nopony wants anymore.” She reached into a container at the side and threw Octavia a shift.

“Here! Clothe yourself Hybrid.”

Octavia caught the shift and feebly did what she was told. Sadly and to her discomfort the hem of the shirt only reached to her mid-thighs. She can see her cutie mark on both sides clearly, which was an embarrassment.

“Ain’t she cute?” One of the guards asked patting her rump making her yelp. The guards laughed again.

“Alright boyos, you had your fun!” The mustached brother said giggling himself.

The guards saluted and left the underground to return to the front desks. Octavia felt magic on her wrists and gasped as her wrists were forced together then a set of shackles were placed over her wrists. Then her ankles were treated the same way.

“Why are you doing this to me? I didn’t do anything wrong!” She cried. The brothers started chuckling. The clean faced one smiled placing his finger under her chin.

“My dear, you are now property of Flim, Flam Brothers Slaver Company.” The mustached one said grinning.

“I am your boss Flam and this is my twin brother Flim. You are now ours and everything we do to you is... well what should I say, brother of mine?”

Flim grinned stroking his thumb over Octavia’s cheek causing her to shiver with fear trying to pull away from him.

“As ours you will do anything that is required to you. Since you are for the Pit-”

“Flim! Flam!” the brothers turned hearing the call. An old raggedy griffon came running to them panting.

“What is it Stork?” Flam asked with a scowl. The griffon stood straighter, pointing behind him.

“That slave bitch Daisy is dead. She killed herself,” Stork exclaimed with panic.

“How did she kill herself?” The brothers asked together in shock. Stork sighed rubbing his gray dirty head.

“She somehow got a knife from The Pit. She slit her own throat, we were lucky to find the knife before more of them buggers killed themselves.” Stork said disdainfully

The brothers shown anger and annoyance at once.

“Well that’s perfect; Daisy was our best toy to the audience.” Flam said grinding his teeth

“Who can replace her?” Flim asked. Suddenly the boys turned to Octavia. Octavia gulped feeling horrible now.

“She is beautiful,” Flam said thinking.

“Yes, but she’s too new.” Flim intoned thinking with his brother.

“Well she does look like a virgin,” Flam mentioned smiling a touch.

“And that will get the crowd roaring for more.”

Octavia gulped feeling sick. “I don’t like the sound of this.” She whispered to herself, watching them staring at her with a grin.

“Well, Flam,”

“Yes, Flim,”

“I think I just found our replacement.”

“When sirs?” Stork asked grinning, too.

Flam and Flim both shook hands, winking at one another. Flim pointed to Octavia. “Take Princess Hybrid to the female cells by The Pit gate. She’ll be our new Sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice!?” Octavia cried.

Stork nodded grabbing the chain that was between the two shackles on her wrists and dragged her forward. The Flim, Flam Brothers started laughing again. Octavia couldn’t believe it! First she was treated as royalty and now she’s being treated as a slave? Why? What did she do?

As she tried to think this through, she heard a blood curling scream and a crowd roaring nearby. She turned seeing a light and saw diamond dogs in heavy chained collars dragging a dead pegasus mare through the gates. Octavia can see that she was all bloody and her wings were snapped off her back. Octavia covered her mouth in shock seeing the pegasus being dragged away. She felt her chain being jerked. She feebly followed Stork to what looked to be a giant cage filled with mares.

The smell was horrible as she neared the cage. Stork unlocked the cell door and pushed Octavia in, then locked it tight, chuckling and smooching in the air at her. He walked away laughing at the horrified look on Octavia’s face. She turned back to the mares in the cell. For her estimated count there were at the most, thirty mares. The youngest looked twelve while the oldest looked twenty. The mares looked at her then turned away or continued what they were doing.

“Hello,” a calming voice said. Octavia turned to see a magenta pink Earth mare walking up to her. Her mane looked so spiky and messy it was a wonder what she looked like when she was younger and well groomed. Octavia can tell her tail was cut very close to her rump. The mare smiled kindly to Octavia.

“My name is Cheerilee. May I ask for your name, dear?”

Octavia blinked. She had never met such a formal mare that was not a Royal in her life. She grinned slightly.

“Octavia,” Octavia answered smiling a touch.

“Octavia, what a pretty name,” Cheerilee said smiling.

“Shut your trap, Cheerilee!” The two mares turned to see a blue unicorn mare with a two toned blue and white mane. She looked horrible as she started coughing. “Some of us are trying to-” she started hacking again. Another mare a pink pegasus was sitting next to her patted her on the back.

“Forgive Colgate; she can be a bad egg sometimes.” Cheerilee said chuckling, taking Octavia by her hand and leading her away from the cell door. “So what was it like before they took you in? Were you in peace?” Cheerilee asked taking a seat on a stone bench. Octavia sat down watching where she sat.

“Peace?”

“She means if you had a peaceful life until now.” A green earth mare asked. When Octavia turned to see her face she yelped in fright seeing the mare with only one eye, her other eye was sewn shut.

“P-p-peace, why would you ask such a thing?”

Cheerilee shrugged. “Well, since most of us will die by the end of the year, it’s good to know that what we did before being here was peaceful. Like for me, I was a teacher that taught the orphan children in the streets.”

Octavia found this shocking. “But... what’s so bad about that? That’s wonderful.”

Cheerilee shrugged again with a sigh. “It’s against the law to teach to the... mixed children.” Octavia can see the hurt in the former teacher’s eyes. “They were learning so much until the Royal Guard found me and arrested me and killed all of the children in the alley.” Octavia blinked in surprise, turning to the green one-eyed mare to see her nod. Cheerilee sighed.

“At least I know that I made their lives brighter before their untimely deaths. And soon I’ll be joining them with Princess Luna in the stars.”

Octavia can see Cheerilee beginning to cry and turned away feeling horrible, looking at her chains.

“What about you?” The green mare asked. The pink pegasus patted Colgate on the back. Octavia blushed.

“Well uh . . . I’m actually a Princess.”

Those that were overhearing nearby started laughing and laughing hard as if Octavia just told a joke.

“Oh that’s a good one kid!” Pink pegasus yelled out laughing on the ground.

“No, I’m being serious.” Octavia countered with a glare. More laughter ensued after that. Cheerilee was chuckling then she noticed the serious look in Octavia’s eyes.

“You are being serious?” Cheerilee asked in shock.

“Yes, I am!” Octavia yelled out getting more of the mares to stop laughing.

“You’re joking right?” The green mare said. “I mean there is no way for you to be a Princess. It’s just not possible.”

“It is and I am the daughter of Prince Tick Tock. He is a unicorn and the Prince of Manehattan with his brother Prince Blueblood. My mother actually came from Manehattan Space Station, she’s a unicorn hybrid mare.”

Colgate looked up from her position. “But how can your dad marry a Hybrid mare?”

“My father found her one day sick and took her in, ignoring all that opposed his wishes. I was born several years after. I’m more unicorn than earth pony, actually.”

“Hmmph, nice history, but how did you get here?” Pink pegasus asked sitting up.

Octavia cleared her throat and retold her story again to the mares. Once finished they were sad about the commander. Cheerilee nodded.

“The Commander is a horrible brute. She beats up any earth or mixed pony she comes across, showing them that this is her city.” Cheerilee said scornfully. “Because Canterlot can’t send more money to these far sectors anyways, she got into the slave business and built these dark tunnels to the Slave Pit over there.”

Cheerilee pointed to what looked to be gigantic metal doors that open and close to let in ponies or drag them out. “Once you’re there... you can either live or perish. Mostly perish.”

Octavia gulped. “What happens in there... I mean I heard stories from my mother about the Slave Pit in Manehattan, but my father destroyed the slave claim there,” Octavia said with worry.

Colgate blew a raspberry. “Whoop-di-do for him, but the slave trade goes on and on as long as those bastards get money for it. The Pit is all but a game to them but a death sentence for us.” Colgate sighed sadly, shaking her head as she laid back down on her bench. “I wish I could have gotten that knife when I had the chance.”

“Knife,” Octavia asked.

The green mare nodded. “Yeah, Daisy, this sweet little Earth mare, killed herself earlier today. She somehow got a knife from The Pits during the fight and killed herself. Two others went with her, but of course Stork found out and took it away.”

Octavia gulped with worry, remembering what the brothers said.

“Those two stallions . . . they were talking about that knife and this Daisy. They said something that she’s in this popular show?”

Pink pegasus stomped hard on the ground. “Yeah... they have this show where the most beautiful of us gets fucked every show by three drugged stallions.” Octavia blinked in shock.

“Wait you mean... forcing her?”

“Wasn’t that what I just said?” Pink pegasus asked, thinking.

Octavia started to sweat and shake. Cheerilee noticed. “What’s wrong, dear?”

“They told me that... I would be her replacement!”

All four mares and those that were listening gave her sad gazes.

“Let me guess,” Pink pegasus asked walking to Octavia. “You never had a fuck with a stallion before, huh?” Octavia shook her head.

“I’m sixteen, I’m not supposed to do any of that unit I meet my husband.” Pink pegasus sighed, took Octavia’s hand and shook it.

“It was nice knowing you, Princess.”

“What?”

“She’s right you know.” Colgate said shaking her head. “Sometimes the males they pick will kill you without knowing their strength. It happened before.”

Octavia started shaking. This can’t be happening to her. Then something hit her like a ton of bricks, although she never really thought about unit now.

Vinyl and her crew!

The crew looked sad seeing her leave, but Octavia mistook the type of sadness they were showing for sadness for seeing her leave them. Was it possible that they knew Octavia was going to be in this situation?

But Vinyl was nice to her, she would never do... the looks she got from Vinyl were completely those of hate. Vinyl wanted to get rid of her. That smile Vinyl gave her on the ship mentioning Fillydelphia Space Port, Vinyl knew! Vinyl knew she would be here and she was too naïve to see it through. Octavia groaned covering her face with her hands.

“What’s wrong?” The green mare asked.

“The pony I trusted in the last twenty-four hours dumped me here!”

“Oh? And who is this pony again?” Pink pegasus asked.

“Her name is Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch.” She asked seeing confused expressions.

“That name does sound familiar.” Colgate said scratching her chin. She started coughing again.

“Hey,” Cheerilee exclaimed. “It took me a while but after hearing that name I get goose bumps.”

“Huh?” Pink pegasus asked in confusion. “You know that name, Cheers?”

“Yes, I was still a teacher at the time and at fault I would come to the Slave Pits to get money. It’s the only place to get money sadly. And I remember the slave riot and it was led by a character called Vinyl Scratch. It was horrible, I almost didn’t make it out alive as forty slaves escaped The Pits. The name was around for so long. It’s the name that Flim and Flam dream of ruining forever. Of course, that’s all I know of the name. I heard that all of the slaves, that didn’t leave or were recaptured after the riot, were killed. So if any pony knows that name, it would be those that watched the riot.” Cheerilee stated with a shrug.

Octavia nodded thinking. “It could have been a different Vinyl Scratch then.”