Odds and Ends. Life in Restoring Hope: Slaves and Slavers.
Break time! Helping to run a town was busy work. Thank goodness we had a great team of cooperative mares to help us. I guess the Stable Four experiment had inadvertently contributed to the improvement of ponies in the post-apocalypse world, despite the interference of those with less wholesome intentions. I yawned, stretched, and abandoned my desk. Anne trotted past, also intent on escaping from the office.
Exiting the office, we headed towards the conveniently located bar and lounge, Masters for a drink and light refreshments. By drink, I meant the sparkling water they served there. It was quite invigorating. Somepony in town had made a carbonating machine, and sodas were once again in production. Masters was just around the corner from the office Anne and I shared on the surface, not far from the entrance of Stable Four. That would be the unofficial way in that we had created into it, not the stable door, which was rather inconveniently connected to an underground railway tunnel. I briefly thought back to when this area had been barren, with nothing more than a deep hole where the shaft to the service elevator had been exposed. We had come a lot further in the last few years than I had ever expected. After all, the cloud covered wasteland had hung on for two centuries.
No sooner than I was through the door to Masters when I was addressed by a reserved looking young earth pony mare, dressed in a frilly uniform reminiscent of that of a maid. Her pale green coat was brushed until it shone, and her golden-yellow mane and tail had been styled to be wavey.
"Welcome to Masters. Booth three is available. Would you care to sit there, Mistress Demi?" the green and gold waitress asked me, bowing a little.
"Thank you, Lacy Daisy," I responded.
"This way please, Mistress Demi," she requested. Immediately the mare guided me the few paces to my selected table, where I sat, facing across the table to booth four. Another waitress moved to the entrance to greet the next customer.
"Would you care for your usual fare, Mistress Demi?" Lacy Daisy asked me, bowing a little again.
"I would, indeed," I replied with a smile, "Thank you."
Lacy Daisy had been working here now for a few months, and was improving. Her interpony skills were much better, and her confidence had grown. With a bow, she excused herself, retreating to the kitchen.
The interior of Masters was clean and tidy, lacking the shabbiness that the usual wasteland buildings displayed. Reclaimed wooden paneling covered the walls and had been fashioned into table tops. The seats were a tidy patchwork made from scraps of red and black upholstery that had been salvaged. The building itself was new, even though it was built largely of salvaged material. It would take some time before Equestria, and indeed ponykind had healed enough to be able manufacture all of these things anew, although progress had been made. The lighting was dim, helping to promote a relaxed atmosphere.
Not long after, while I was waiting for my order, a mare walked past, led by another of the waitresses. The mare's coat was dark grey, highlighted by her orange-blonde mane and tail. She wasn't somepony I recognized. Her cutie mark was a magnifying glass. Hmm.... somepony that specialized in being nosy, I expected. An investigative reporter perhaps? Then again, maybe not, as she was old enough to have gained her cutie mark before the fall of the Enclave. Back before the fall, the only reporter of note was DJ Pon-3.
"I've heard that the Overmare comes to this establishment to allow ponies to talk with her casually," the mare stated to the waitress guiding her.
"You'll want stable four," somepony nearby chuckled.
"Huh?" the mare responded, looking around for the speaker.
"Old joke. She uses table four, or more correctly, booth four when she's down here. She chose it deliberately," another patron replied.
"In that case, would you please sit here, Mistress," the waitress directed. "This is booth four. The Overmare is not here at the moment, but I do expect she will be along shortly." As I was already here, the waitress could be pretty sure of that, as Anne and I usually came here together. She glanced at me, and I made no move to correct her; Anne was off in the little fillies room at the moment.
Indeed, Anne had chosen table four as her casual meeting place, calling it stable four herself. It had been too funny not to. The reason I was sitting in booth three rather than booth four was to give any that wanted to speak to Anne the freedom to do so. The system worked well, allowing ordinary people from Restoring Hope to approach her over matters that were beneath the attention of official channels. Likewise, they were free to approach me, if that suited them, although I generally sat in whichever booth was next available, or on occasion at the bar.
The mare took her seat, and after briefly perusing the menu, placed an order. Bowing, her waitress retreated to the kitchen. Left alone, the mare intently watched the other waitresses, nodding to herself as she mentally noted their behavior. I think I had her pegged all right - she was a nosy trouble maker.
That was when Anne arrived. She paused at the threshold, waiting to be directed to her seat, as was expected at Masters. The waitress that was currently waiting at the door stepped aside, pressing the button of the intercom on the wall, and speaking into it. After receiving a reply, the mare turned back to Anne. "Your waitress will be here momentarily, Mistress Anne," she informed her.
Not long after that, the door to kitchen opened, and two mares emerged. One was Lacy Daisy with my order. The other was a new mare I had only seen the last couple of times I had visited. She moved awkwardly, both physically and socially, as if unsure what exactly was expected of her. Unlike the other waitresses, she wasn't dressed in a uniform. Instead she wore four loosely fitting pink and blue striped socks held up by suspenders clipped to a leotard in matching pink. Her coat was a slightly paler blue than the stripes in her socks, and her mane and tail matched the color of the leotard.
"M-Mistress A-Anne, welcome to M-Masters," the shy unicorn mare stammered, lowering her head.
"Thank you, Sunset Symphony," Anne responded, then leaning closer, she said something quietly to the mare that I couldn't hear. The mare relaxed a little, then slowly led Anne past my booth, to the empty seat opposite the nosy mare in booth four.
"D-do you wish to order your usual fare, Mistress Anne?" the unicorn asked.
"Yes, please," Anne affirmed.
"I will g-get your order now, Mistress Anne," Sunset Symphony said, again bowing before retreating, still moving as if every step she took hurt her.
Lacy Daisy placed my drink and salad before me. "Mistress Demi, do you required anything else?"
"No, thank you, Lacy Daisy," I dismissed her. With a bow, Lacy Daisy retreated.
The dark grey mare harrumphed as she looked across the table at Anne. "I was expecting the Overmare would be sitting there," she stated, looking critically at the miniature mare seated across the table from her. "I hoped to meet her today."
Anne shrugged. "Make an appointment if it's that important. The Overmare only discusses minor issues with ordinary ponies while here. It's her way of making it easy for them to approach her. So as we are both here, perhaps you could talk with me."
I chuckled to myself. Anne had chosen not to identify herself to the stranger.
"So who are you, and why should I talk to you?" the mare asked.
"I'm Annie, just another pony who lives in this wonderful town. I do know the Overmare's daughter though."
I nearly choked! Of course my mother knew me! Anne was having fun at the expense of this overbearing newcomer. Introducing herself as Annie made it clear to all in ear-shot that she wished to remain incognito.
"Wonderful town?" the mare queried. "I am Truth Seeker, and I am with the Followers of the Apocalypse. I am here regarding rumors of slavery being practiced in this town."
"Did Velvet Remedy send you?" Anne asked.
"You know our leader, too? No, Velvet Remedy did not send me. She told me the rumors had to be unfounded as she personally knows the Overmare here. I, however, do not share her faith or optimism. Nonetheless, I am here in an unofficial capacity, thus why I wished to speak to the Overmare casually, lest I be wrong," Truth Seeker stated, "however, looking at the very lounge in which she chooses to meet ponies, I can see I am right. Perhaps it is just as well I am speaking to you instead of her."
"We are sitting in a lounge in which ponies treat us as if we were honored guests. How could that be proof of slavery?" Anne prompted.
"Their behavior is clearly that of slaves, particularly that one who is serving you. She is scared stiff, clearly waiting for the inevitable beating she will receive for her poor performance," Truth Seeker stated. "And the others... all this 'Mistress this, Master that' routine is clear evidence of brainwashing and conditioning by some particularly nasty slaver."
"Really? So that proves this town approves of slavery?" Anne asked. Hearing uncertain hoofsteps approach then stop, she looked away from Truth Seeker, and saw Sunset Symphony had paused several paces away, a tray held in her magic. Evidently she had heard what Truth Seeker had said. "Approach please, Sunset Symphony," Anne requested.
"Yes, Mistress," the colorful mare answered, cautiously taking a couple more cautious steps before lowering the tray in front of Anne.
"Thank you, Sunset Symphony," Anne thanked the mare, and she nervously smiled in return.
"You, waitress, Sunset Symphony, are you a slave?" Truth Seeker demanded.
If it wasn't for her awkward movements, Sunset Symphony would have bolted. I nodded to Lacy Daisy, who was looking our way, concerned at what was playing out, and she immediately vanished into the staff-only area.
"It is okay. I, and the organization I represent will protect you from those who have enslaved you," Truth Seeker offered.
"I... I..." Sunset Symphony managed.
"Come on, Sunset," Anne gently encouraged her. "Speak your mind."
The shy mare nodded. "I... am not a slave. I am safe with these... lovely ponies."
"Then why do you work at this sort of degrading place?" Truth Seeker demanded.
"Because... because it is what I know. It is... also easier to work with others who understand," Sunset Symphony offered.
"And the beatings? You can hardly walk? How do you explain that?"
"These ponies have not beaten me. They only try to help," Sunset Symphony almost whispered.
From the staff-only area, Misty Haze emerged, followed by Lacy Daisy. Misty Haze was co-owner and manager of Masters. The two ponies approached booth four, flanking Sunset Symphony, lending her solidarity. By the expression on Misty Haze's face, it was clear Lacy Daisy had briefed her on what was happening out here.
Appreciating the support, Sunset Symphony took a timid step forward and using her magic, unfastened the suspenders that held up her socks. They slid to the floor, revealing the horrors of the torture to which she had been subjected to prior to coming to Restoring Hope. On each of her legs, several studs protruded from her flesh, their other ends firmly anchored in the bones below. Her flesh had healed up around the studs, but was bruised and puffy.
Truth Seeker gasped, her eyes fixed on the horror that had been inflicted on Sunset Symphony's legs.
"This was the truth until very recently," Sunset Symphony said quietly. "I was rescued from this sort of torture by these kind ponies only weeks ago."
Anne slipped from her seat, bending closer to examine the studs. I knew she had seen them before because she had told me about them though I hadn't realized that this was the affected pony until now.
"As I've offered before, any time you want those removed from your legs, we can do so," Anne said. "With my magic, I can even get them out without breaking the bone. It would be almost painless. With an anaesthetic spell, and some healing immediately afterwards, you'd be able to walk pain-free again."
Sunset Symphony shook her head, and instinctively backed away a step.
"You are still too afraid to let anypony touch them?" Anne asked.
Sunset Symphony nodded. "I think I am ready to trust, but my body does not share my sentiments yet."
"Let me know when you are ready then," Anne said.
"I will, thank you, Mistress Anne."
Sunset Symphony levitated her socks back into place, fastening them, then accompanied by Lacy Daisy, left for the staff area.
"So what the hell is going on here?" Truth Seeker demanded.
"I co-own this place," Anne stated. "Misty Haze is the other co-owner, and is responsible for running it. Sunset Symphony is our most recent rescue, and at the moment, until she gains more confidence, I am the only pony she waits on because it does not matter how badly she performs, I will only give her encouragement."
"Please allow me, Anne," Misty Haze interjected. "After I was rescued from slavery, I was at a loss as what to do with myself, as I was still deeply effected by the conditioning the slavers put me through. My wounds had been healed, and I was receiving therapy, but it wasn't enough. As sad as it may be, I was most comfortable when behaving according to my conditioning. I approached Anne with my idea for this place. She has supported me ever since, even putting forward the money needed to set it up. Since then we have helped many ponies to work through their conditioning, and truly free themselves. Some choose to move on to new endeavors. Some remain and help the newcomers. Masters isn't a bar and lounge. It's a rehabilitation center."
"Oh..." Truth Seeker said. "Now I feel like an idiot."
"Slavery is not tolerated in Restoring Hope," Anne stated, "and the only slavers here are either reformed, or are serving time for their crimes. They are the ponies you will find wearing collars. They are monitored, and their punishment involves spending their days helping others around Restoring Hope."
"Explosive collars?" Truth Seeker gasped.
"Hell, no," Anne responded. "They are enchanted collars. They prevent the wearer from any antisocial action, or from leaving his or her assigned area. The wearers are incarcerated after all. We chose this method over locking them behind bars."
"Oh, I see. Well, I guess this visit has been... educational," Truth Seeker admitted. "It is too bad the Overmare herself didn't show up. It would have been interesting to hear what she would have said about it."
Anne laughed, pointing a hoof behind her at me. "By the way, Truth Seeker, let me introduce you to Demi, the Overmare's daughter," she said, giving me a wink.
"Hello, Truth Seeker. Hi Mum," I responded, leaving my seat, and walking up beside Anne.
"Mum? You are joking, aren't you? How could this youngster be your mother?" Truth Seeker asked, practically boggling.
"I'm not joking. She may be small, but she is my mother. Anne is a lot older than she looks," I insisted, wrapping my wing around Anne as I did, giving her a hug.
"So if you are the Overmare's daughter, and she is your mother..."
Anne and I nodded.
Truth Seeker facehoofed.