Prologue

“I’m sorry Scootaloo, but what you have done is the last straw.” Miss Cheerilee scolded.

Scootaloo was sat in Miss Cheerilee’s office after getting into a fight with her arch nemesis, Diamond Tiara.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to say something but Cheerilee cut across, saying “You know full well that fighting is not tolerated at this school, despite this I still kept you on as a student. This time however, enough is enough, I can see that your hatred for Diamond Tiara is not going to go away despite your own friend’s willingness to forgive her. You have given me no choice but to expel you.”

Scootaloo’s eyes went wide, “You can't do that, what about all the times when Diamond Tiara bullied me and my friends, why did you not expel them!” she shouted.

“Scootaloo, they never got physical unlike you who leaps at the chance to have a fight.”

“This isn’t fair!” She shouted, slamming her hooves onto the table that sat in between them, causing the stapler and pencils to rattle.

Cheerilee sighed, her patience beginning to wane thin, “Scootaloo, you will soon learn that life isn't fair. I have informed your mother.”

Scootaloo’s eyes diluted in fear, “NO! She will kill me.” Scootaloo asserted.

“I am sorry but it has already been done,” Cheerilee said her voice filled with finality.

Scootaloo started to hyperventilate, she knew that her mother was going to lock her in the basement and hurt her again. Her mother terrified her, she was like a storm and that was on her normal days, when she was angry she was like a hurricane, ready to lash out at any moment for the tiniest of reasons and Scootaloo being the only other pony that lived with her was usually the one to take the brunt of her rage.

Scootaloo felt the room go cold as she heard the distant sound of thunderous hooves growing louder as they came closer. Scootaloo instinctively looked around for somewhere to hide but couldn't find one all the while Miss Cheerilee merely looked at her with her eyebrow raised, believing that the terrified filly was being overdramatic.

The door to the room slammed open. Scootaloo looked over towards the door in fear, to see her mother standing there, glaring at her. She looked like she was going to throttle her there and there.

Instead, she looked towards her teacher in a fake happy voice, “What has my darling Scootaloo done this time?”

Cheerily sighed as she explained the situation, “I’m sorry to say that Scootaloo has gotten into a fight with a fellow student.”

Scootaloo’s mother stared at her daughter coldly, “Has she now.” she whispered gritting her teeth.

“Yes but unfortunately as this is her third fight and as you are aware of the schools strict no tolerance policy towards fights. I am left with no choice but to expel, Scootaloo.” Cheerily said with a heavy heart, she had always hated having to have conversations like this one, truth be told Scootaloo would be the first ever student to be expelled and this saddened the kind-hearted teacher.

This time her mother directed her steely gaze towards Cheerilee, sending a shiver down her spine. “Is there not another punishment for her to have?” she asked, dropping the chirpy voice.

“No, I am truly sorry.” She said.

“I’m sure you are Miss Cheerilee,” she muttered, her voice laced with sarcasm. She then grabbed Scootaloo by the arm and stormed out if the office, dragging her all the way home, both of them ignoring the concerned glances that were sent her way.

Scootaloo knew that calling for help was hopeless as every time she would do this, her mother would always think of some sob story and twisted it in such a way that made her seem like the victim.

***

When they arrived back home, her mother instantly turned around and slapped her across the face, making her cheek sting. “Do you know what happens to little bullies that beat up helpless little fillies!” she snarled at her fearful daughter.

Shaking she tried to tell her that Diamond Tiara had provoked her but she was having none of it.

She cut her of saying, “Little Bullies get sent to the basement where they rot their miserable lives away.”

She then grabbed her by her mane and dragged her to the basement door all the while Scootaloo was pleading, “PLEASE MOTHER, I’m sorry, Please don't lock me in the basement, it's scary down there.”

Her mother got into her face and sneered, “You should’ve thought about that before you beat an innocent filly up.” she then shoved the pegasus filly down the stairs, causing her to tumble into the hard concrete below, bruising her face.

She pulled herself towards a corner and began to cry herself to sleep.

Suddenly Scootaloo woke up to the sound of her mother shouting “Get up you miserable piece of shit!”

She then dragged, Scootaloo back up the stairs into the living room, where Scootaloo laid eyes on a tall, imposing griffon. The griffon had a black moustache and was wearing a black top hat as well as holding a menacing black staff topped with a miniature silver skull.

The Griffon spoke in a business-like voice, “So this is the item.” he used his staff to lift her wings, Scootaloo felt uncomfortable as she got the impression that she was being examined by a hungry predator.

“It's wings are weak and ruffled. Blank flank too,” he said slapping her flank making her eep. He then stuck his sharp claws into her ears and nose, he tuttered at the mixture of ear wax and bogies that covered his claw, he then whipped it onto Scootaloo.

He smelt her mane before pulling back in disgust, “Smells horrid and it is covered in fleas.”

“Talk.” he commanded.

Scootaloo obliged by asking, “Who are you?”

The griffon ignored the question, instead saying, “Such a proud and confident voice, that will be gone.”

Her mother asked, “Are you taking her?”

“Yes, I'll give you 200 bits.”

She bristled in anger, “Hang on, you said 800!”

“That was before I found out that she is filthy and covered in bruises, I would accept my offer it will be the best one that you will find,” he advised menacingly.

Scootaloo couldn't believe her ears, it was sounding like she was being sold like she was some common farm animal.

Her mother begrudgingly said, “Fine.”

The Griffon smiled and handed over a hefty sack of gold coins that rattled when they landed before the pegasus and the griffon shook hooves and talons.

He then turned to Scootaloo and said “Say goodbye to your mother, slave, You will never see her again.”

“WHAT!” Scootaloo shouted, before running to her mother, grabbing her leg.

“Get off me, you pest!” she said, attempting to shake the filly of.

“Please don't let him take me. I'm sorry, I'll be good.” Scootaloo pleaded, however it was no use as the griffon pulled her off her mother.

He slapped her causing her to stumble to the floor, he then held out a blindfold and a muzzle. “Put them on.” he commanded, however Scootaloo, shook her head in protest.

The griffon then whacked her on her legs with the staff causing her to cry out in pain, “You will do as you are told, slave.”

Scootaloo looked up at the griffon with pleading eyes, “Please don't do this.”

The griffon merely punched her in the eye, “Keep talking slave and I'll cut your tongue out.” he threatened.

Her eyes slowly turning purple, she finally relented, grabbing the muzzle as she looked at her mother, searching for any sign of remorse or love but finding none she gagged herself with the muzzle.

“The muzzle will stay on permanently unless you need your mouth while you are working. The blindfold will only stay on you while we are travelling.” the griffon said, holding the blindfold out.

Taking it Scootaloo gave them one last glare before covering her eyes with the blindfold enshrouding her vision in total darkness. Scootaloo could only rely on her other senses to figure out what was happening in the room.

She was then shoved, roughly to the floor unable to see, she ultimately slammed her head off the floor causing her to release a muffled, scream of pain as stars exploded in her vision.

They then started, tying her wings with chains before pulling Scootaloo’s hooves behind her back and securing them in some form of shackles she then placed a second pair of shackles around her hindhooves.

She felt herself be lifted onto, what felt like carpet before being rolled over and over again. She quickly realised that they were stuffing her into a rolled up carpet, effectively disguising her.

They then picked her up and placed her onto the back of a wooden cart.

During the entire ride, her body ached in pain after each time, the cart hit a rock or pothole. To make matters worse, it was incredibly hard to breathe through the muzzle and the carpet was making her hot causing her to sweat.

After what seemed like hours Scootaloo heard the rusted sound of a large gate being opened before being slammed shut. She then felt herself be picked up again and carried off somewhere before being unrolled and released from the carpet prison.

***

The blindfold was pulled off and Scootaloo blinked away the bright light that invaded her vision. Looking around, she noticed that she was in a small room that greatly resembled a torture chamber.

There were chains hanging from the ceilings and various devices that were meant to cause a great deal of pain. She gulped at seeing these. In the centre of the room was a fire with pieces of hot metal sticking out. The griffon pulled out one of the metal stick, he pointed the glowing end towards her flank as Scootaloo realised in horror that it was a brand.

Shaking her head erratically she released muffled screams however the griffon ignored her and stuck the brand into her flank, making her skin sizzle and her fur to be burnt as the smell of burning flesh filled the room, “MMMMMMMMMMPH!” Scootaloo screamed, tears of pain streaming down her face.

The demented griffon finally removed the stick to reveal the blackened outline of a a griffon's claw. However, it was not over yet as he then pulled out a second brand, all Scootaloo could do was weakly shake her head. “MMMMMMMMPH!” She screamed again. He pulled the brand away tk reveal the number 48.

The griffin then spoke, “You are no longer Scootaloo instead you are slave 48…”

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