I was running, running for my life, dodging the trees as they came to me as I ran. The dark forest slowing me down unforgivably. I could hear the battle cries of many other men behind me as we committed ourselves to another charge. I could barely see ten feet in front of me. They were screaming obscenities in modern Latin.
I jumped down from a small hill. The gentle snow was already beginning to form down here. I continued onward. My steel suit of armor should have slowed me down more, but thanks to the Empire's revolutionary designs the weight was distributed evenly. It looked much like the old roman era armor from the times of antiquity. We hoped adopting their ways may give humanity a new breathe of light. To a degree we were right. That and our Italian heritage from the old times pushed the idea through into nationalistic futility.
Steel boots, body plate, gauntlets, and a helmet with a face plate. The design from the outside mimicked the human form, etched into the armor were the appropriate muscle patterns that laid underneath. On my body plate were abs and pecks, on my boots were sculpted calve muscles.
Sometimes the inferior races of this world would think that a creature of metal was coming after them. It instilled fear sometimes. My faceplate was designed to look like Caesar's face.
I burst out of the clearing and began running up the hill above me. The tiny eye holes of my faceplate didn't restrict any of my vision, more due to enchantment than perfect design. Now visible in the sunlight the black powder from the earlier battle still clung onto my suit.
I was the first to climb to the top of the hill.
Below was a quaint valley, and a whole lot of armed griffin. Strangely, they were all in camp, huddled around fires, trying not to let the gentle snowfall kill off their source of heat.
The closest griffin was getting water from the stream between us. The creature looked up and was taken aback by the strange human on top, wearing the most intricate armor he'd ever seen in his life. He watched the human point the strangest spear he'd even seen at him. The spear was hollow, the end was pointing at him. More legionnaires began to reach the top of the hill.
I fired, and everything froze.
“Subject: IY54-FT4-U027 wake up.”
I jerked up from my bed roll in my tent. 'Oh... it was a dream. Thank the gods.' I could hear the other legionaries outside talking and preparing for the morning march. I let myself sigh, and my head fell into my hands. 'I thought that I had-'
“Subject: IY54-FT4-U027 wake up.”
Everything flashed away again. The next place I was thrust into was a place of horrors. Bandages were wrapped around my hands and legs, restraining me into the chair. While the unicorns battered deeper and deeper into my psyche, trying to erase what it meant to be human. Attempting to make me docile. Like the vast majority they did this on.
The slave master was there, smiling his perverted smile, but their were others. Another one, a female of their species was mainly responsible for my current mental state. Their magic illuminated the dark room.
“Subject: IY54-FT4-U027 wake up!”
I jerked up, but instead of my tent with the morning light seeping in I found my master's quarters. The purple mare's bedroom. As soon as I regained some consciousness the ministry entered my mind in a more thorough manner. Asking me hundreds of questions that could not be heard.
'They found me already,' I realized.
The ministry of loyalty found my mind amongst the million of other minds filling the network of the psychic net of this world. First and foremost they checked for treacherous thoughts and memories, attempting to find out why I hadn't reported for duty in so long. Why I was in the middle of Equine land, and what information I had uncovered about the species.
I relaxed my mind and went into a meditative trance, allowing them to take what they needed. It wasn't hard, I was still half asleep, the room was still dark, and Twilight's faint breathing was hardly a distraction. Although the reptile's snoring was a little annoying.
I was surprised to find that they let me sleep with them tonight. Considering the stunt I pulled two days ago. A jolt of pain echoed in my head, I released all thoughts and emptied my mind. The ministry had it's way with me. If I was lucky, they would not kill me for being captured. Perhaps I was of more valuable alive than dead. They were already extracting my memories to Constantinople. Not deleting mine, simply making a copy.
This is the reality of human existence. It was complete control to Caesar, or death. The resistance movement made some headway this year, but they are fighting a hopeless war. You followed Caesar's will, or you died. The ministry of loyalty made sure of that.
The back of my neck burned terribly as my mark began to shine. My mark: IY54-FT4-U027, the identification code given to me on my sixteenth birthday, the day I joined the legion.
The pain subsided as they finished up taking what they wanted. 'They must have realized I'm here against my will.' I snickered as the pain faded to nothing.
“Subject IY54-FT4-U027 as a prisoner of war and a slave no less, you have forfeited your right to become a citizen. You may not marry, you may not hold land, you are hereby banished from the Empire. Is this understood?”
I felt as though I had been shot, I knelt over, slowly, careful not to wake my sleeping master. “Yes,” I muttered out loud. ‘I should have seen this coming. How could I have been so blind!?’ The ministry did not respond to this, despite being able to read my mind.
Now that they had their information on the Equines from me, now after they already received seven years going on eight of dutiful service from me, they cut me off. I felt my psychic connection to the empire flicker out.
I sat down. The Empire gave up on me. 'They rejected me. Cast me aside. All but told me I was too weak to procreate. After all how else could the equine have caught me unless I was weak! It's not like they could leave magical traps that a non-magic user couldn’t see!'
I laid back down on my covers. Wanting to put it all away for later. I tried to sleep. I was tired. But I don't think I completely fell asleep that night. I couldn't, I had too much on my mind. My cheeks burned red with shame for the rest of the night.
Hours ticked by.
---
As the sunlight began to illuminate the bedroom, Twilight stretched. 'What a wonderful night's sleep,' she told herself. She decided she would allow herself to lay in bed for one minute, no longer, there was too much to do today.
'Allowing the human to sleep with me was a good idea, he seemed to have gotten over his depression. Still can't believe he tried to kill himself though. I can still remember his shocked face as I teleported to him and lifted him to safety.'
Twilight turned to the human. He was laying in his bed, well, his layers of covers. Something seemed off about him. Twilight lifted her head up to look at him. The new slave owner had taken to her human as though he was a scared puppy ever since the incident two days ago. She cared for him, looked after him even more diligently, and now even allowed him to sleep in her room. Unrestrained. But what she saw next freaked her out.
He laid, eyes wide awake, bloodshot red, staring straight ahead at the ceiling.
Her thoughts scrambled. 'D-Did he fall asleep with his eyes awake? Do h-humans do that?'
“Uhh...” She mumbled to gain his attention. His eyes didn't shift, his whole head creaked over to look at her.
'Nope. Wide awake.' With that theory dead Twilight decided now was a good time to get ready.
After a moment Twilight was at her dresser brushing her bedmane away. The mirror was luckily placed in a perfect place to keep an eye on the human. “Spike wake up...” The human's eyes were still transfixed on the spot Twilight had occupied when she was on her bed looking down at him.
Spike grumbled, rolled over and went back to sleep. Spike's bed was at the foot of Twilight's, it was a real bed, his basket was proven to be too small for him several months ago. “Spike get up.” The little guy gave the same response. Her mane was done. She went on to go brush her teeth in the bathroom. She called out to him again. “Come on. Get up Spike, we're all going to have breakfast this morning remember? Pancakes and waffles.”
Finally she heard Spike get up from his bed. “Waffles?”
Twilight would have laughed if she didn't have a toothbrush in her mouth.
“Whoa,” Twilight heard Spike say, she had a good idea of what caught his attention in the bedroom. “That's just creepy.” After a few seconds her assistant came to the basin next to her and began applying toothpaste to his toothbrush. “You know the human is just staring at where you've been sleeping. Was he doing that all night?”
“No,” she gurgled out from her toothpaste filled mouth, “he fell asleep last night faster than me. When I woke up he was staring at the ceiling like that. Don't know what's bothering him.”'
Spike grunted. “Doesn't really matter I guess. You're going to lock him up now right?”
Levitating the cup of water to her mouth Twilight wished it about a little then spat it out. She exhaled, feeling the freshness in her mouth. “Nope, he's going to be joining us.”
Spike flinched at this realization.
“Come on, let's not keep my brother and Cadence waiting.”
After finishing their morning hygiene ritual, the three of them began their way to the castle's breakfast room. Yesterday Twilight had woken up at the correct time but was late to breakfast because she went to the wrong room, the dining room. A servant had to be sent and fetch Twilight and Spike to inform them that they were being served in the breakfast room not the dining room, Celestia forbid.
Today, Twilight was bringing another annoyance to her brother, although this time she was heading towards the correct part of the castle, she was bringing her human this time. His stunt two days ago did not improve his opinion of the human at all. Especially when Twilight risked her life to save him. That and her human was in a... strange mood today. With vacant far off eyes.
A maid pushed herself against the wall of the hallway in order to stay as far away from the unchained human as possible. Twilight paid her no mind. The guards usually were good enough with him, although they always kept a watchful eye on him when he was around them.
They entered the breakfast room. It was a smaller, relaxed room with only a dozen seats.
Spike and the human stumbled forward. The human was only dressed in his loincloth, Twilight was worried the human would make a mess of the cloak. Perhaps even use it as a napkin in his human ignorance.
They sat down on one end of the table. They were the first there this time. A minute went by waiting. Spike was cradling his head, almost falling back asleep. “Should we just order now? I want my waffles.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “They waited for us when we were late Spike. We can do the same. I'm sure they'll be here any-”
The sight of the human's devastated expression and a tear streaming down his face stopped her mid sentence. She always felt that her human had very pony-like expressions, but this time it was different. This time, she knew he was feeling emotional distraught.
“Any what?” Spike asked lifting his head, then taking a look at the human.
The slave sniffled. Then with a single finger, he wiped up his shame and looked at it. As if to make sure that he cried that very tear. He sighed and let his forehead rest on the table.
Twilight got up and walked over to him. He didn't move. She had no idea what to do, the books didn't say anything about this, but her human needed her. Her hoof felt compelled to lift itself up and be placed upon his shoulder. To let him know he wasn’t alone. He didn't move but seemed to come down from his little episode a bit.
Slowly, he turned his head toward her. Eyes that had seen their world utterly ripped apart looked back at her, unknown to Twilight, he literally had been cut off from his world, the psychic web that connected all humans, that gave them the hope of a new birth of human dominance was taken from him. He had been captured. Abused. And once they realized that he was no threat to them, or use to them, the empire cut him off. The human never felt so alone before.
When the human turned to face her she got on her hind legs and hugged him. He recoiled from the pony wrapping her forelegs around him, unaccustomed to physical contact outside the battlefield.
“Be careful, Twilight,” Spike warned, seeing any reaction as aggressive from the human. More from warinesses than anything else.
Twilight broke herself away from her slave and took a few steps back. He was watching her, and thinking, she could tell. It was the eyes, she couldn't shake the feeling that those eyes held no small amount of intelligence.
The echo of hoofsteps came from the hallway, and following that was Shining and Cadence. Twilight gave them a smile. “Hey you two! We're here on time this morning.”
“Wonderful,” Cadence replied. “You're getting better at making your way around the castle.”
Shining was stumbling beside his wife, never a morning pony. He tried to give the human a cruel glare as soon as he saw him, but it ended up looking more like a drunk's stupid snarl. “And why is that thing in my breakfast room!?” His voice never rose above a conversational tone, and while he pointed at the human his hoof was aimed more at Twilight then the slave, but all present knew what he was getting at.
“Shining,” Twilight remarked, “I was the one that put myself in harms way after he jumped. That's not his fault. And I need to get him out of his cage more and more if I want to socialize my human correctly. The books were clear on that issue.”
Shining snorted. Then got in his seat across from his sister. “I still don't like it.”
Cadence put her hoof on Shining's shoulder. “Honey, we talked about this. Remember?”
Shining, half delirious, went blank faced for several long seconds. “No, but I'll take your word on it.” The stallion leaned over and rested his head on the table, remarkably he fell asleep in an instant.
Cadence rolled her eyes. The waiters came with their little fancy suits and took their orders, when they left Twilight began talking to her sister in law.
“Did Shining get any sleep last night?”
Cadence jerked involuntarily. “Ummmm,” the recalled as a small blush formed on her cheeks and a barely hidden smile crossed her features. “Not really, no.”
'I don't get it. What's with her-' A grossly inappropriate scene crossed into her mind involving Cadence and her... 'Nope! That's something that a sister shouldn't... NOPE!'
Spike chuckled, having a decent idea of what happened the previous night between Cadence and her husband.
Twilight was trying to think of a reply to that, her mind kept thinking of things to say or do to salvage her sanity and this conversation, but the simulations always failed in her mind. Her mind would blank, restart, and attempt to form a new response, and ultimately failed. The cycle continued.
Then finally their order was ready in record time. Cadence woke her husband by gently rocking him. 'I need a castle of my own. I don't feel comfortable here...' Twilight wined internally.
When the waiters came they put her slave’s meal by her instead, giving the human a wide birth. They wanted to be as far away from him as possible. When Twilight pushed her slave’s plate of pancakes to her human he spoke to her. She wasn't surprised but the waiters were. “Thank you, Twilight.”
“He's was getting better at speaking Equestrian,” beamed Cadence. The waiters gave each other worried looks as they hurried out of the room.
“Thanks Cadence.” Twilight was giving her a crooked smile. “If my human keeps this up he can break the world record for most known words for a human.”
Shining, awake again, was giving the human another angry look. He dropped it for now in favor of eating his breakfast with his family without having a fight.
The human shivered noticeably. “Why didn't you let him bring his cloak,” asked Spike.
Twilight began getting out her silverware. “Because he would get syrup on it and ruin it, besides I'm sure-”
They all stopped when they heard the clatter of the human's silverware as he took them out of his folded napkin. As he put his fork in his left hand and knife in his right they grew silent. Even Spike stopped helping himself to his food, as he was reasonably sure Twilight didn't teach him this.
The human began to make a cut into his food, making a perfect one-fourth slice. After making his cut he separated the piece, taking a long wary look at the fluffy piece. Then with his strange human hands he poked the pancake with perfect precision. Then slowly lifted it up, watching as the a tear of syrup formed and dropped back onto the plate. Then the human took a tiny bite.
“OH!” Cried Cadence. “You taught your human to eat with a fork and knife?! Twilight that's amazing!”
Meanwhile Twilight was staring slack jawed at the creature. Knowing she didn't teach him that. She had hoped that she could teach him the basic concept of silverware so that he wouldn't make his hands messy. That was the whole reason of only letting him take a loincloth to breakfast. But the way he held his fork and knife, he had an obvious advantage to ponies on that regard. She knew that Humans loved tools, but to this extent? Perhaps they weren't even that far behind ponies.
The human chewed. Any reaction was delayed, he continued chewing, then swallowed. A smile formed as he looked back at the piece he had bitten from, then put the rest in his mouth.
“You've managed to teach him so much Twilight, and in such a short amount of time too.” Cadence was still praising the work that Twilight never did. The others meanwhile were looking at the slave with mixed feelings, knowing that something wasn't right.
“I, uhh, yeah. Big improvements alright.” Twilight gave her sister in law a fake smile.
The rest went back to their own food. They continued eating in silence for a short while as they took glances at the human's oddly proper table manners.
“Oh I almost forgot,” said Cadence as she brought her napkin up to hide the food in her mouth as she talked. “Will you be joining us for the jousting tournament later this evening?”
“What?” She looked back and forth between her and her suddenly stiffening brother. “What... jousting tournament?”
“Shining!” Cadence chided.
Shining straightened out. “Okay look... I can explain this honey,” he informed his wife with his hooves up. “...I forgot.” Shining winced when he saw his wife's glare. “I hardly even saw Twilight yesterday! She's in her room all day with that thing! That or at the library and I hate interrupting her when she's reading...”
Cadence rolled her eyes then looked at Twilight. “There's been a jousting tournament planned weeks in advance here. We'd love it if you would accompany us to the royal stand. There will be lovely food, music, a mock battle, a romantic play, some sword duels, and of course jousting.” Twilight couldn't resist the big, interested smile that she was making. “We've been meaning to tell you about it, but we're trying to keep it low key sense Celestia was here during the last tournament and in the last match the last reigning champion lost an eye to the new one.”
They all grimaced –except for the slave. “Oh,” Twilight let out, “I'll- hmmm.”
“We were just happy that Celestia managed to make sure that the incident stayed out of the Equestria daily.” Cadence gave a sheepish smile. “It’s an archaic culture so we try to turn a blind eye when we can.”
Twilight brought her hoof to her chin. “My friends are supposed to visit today.”
Cadence understood immediately. “Oh that was today! Right. Well they’re welcome to come. We can even bring them in with us to the royal stand as special guest.”
“Just one thing,” Shining interrupted, “we’re expecting that the griffin kingdom will send someone along to try to get cozy with us. Just wanted to give you a heads up.”
Cadence gave her husband an unsure glance. “I’m expecting your best behavior, Shining. Even if the griffin are causing trouble we don’t want bad blood between us.”
“I know, I know.”
Cadence gave Twilight a wink. “I know I don’t have to worry about you, Twilight. Or your friends, as long as Shining can hold his tongue everything will turn out fine.”
Completely happy Twilight's smile grew even more. “Awesome! I can't wait for my friends to experience it.” They all went back to their only slightly less hot food. After their meal Twilight went back to her library and with Spike's help she managed to train the human on how to greet others in under an hour, with even a bow. They were both impressed, though Spike began to grow wary around the slave, he just accepted the human's strange quickly growing vocabulary as something that was to be expected when working with one of the smartest unicorn in the world.
After that Twilight got an extra hour worth of studying done when she completed her human training early. She then looked up at the time. “Alright Spike, they should be here soon. Let's go greet them at the station.”
“YES!” Spike cheered, putting down his quill and parchment.
Twilight then began getting ready to go down to the train station. Her friends would be coming in just a couple more minutes.