> Lucky number Thirteen > by SkyShrieker > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Sold at Auction (Edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (A/N: Edited by Stormscorpion) Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic nor any of its characters. Nor do I profit in any way shape or form from this story. It was dark, and I was moving. I was laying on my back on a hard surface, it felt like wood, and I was moving through the darkness. At first I thought I was dead, but that thought passed when wherever I was jolted to a stop. Oh, hello headache, it’s nice to meet you. A groan escaped me as I slowly moved up to a sitting position, and I cupped my head in my hands. “Hhhhhmmmm… What the hell happened?” Muffled voices reached my ears from behind me and slowly moved to my left. I raised my head and turned it to where a very small line of light cut through the darkness. A shadow passed over it that was soon followed by another. Light rushed into the darkened place I was sitting in, blinding me and causing me to hiss in pain. My hand shot up to my eye’s in an attempt to block the offending brightness and succeeded, if only a little. “Hey, come on, we haven’t got all day you know?” An annoyed feminine voice spoke up from the light. I slowly lowered my hand to see a female silhouette standing with her hands on her hips. “What?”, I stupidly asked. This apparently annoyed the person even more, as the next thing I know. I’m being dragged out by an invisible force that clamped down on my legs. I land on the hard ground with a loud thump and grunt of pain, and once again, I was unable to see. ‘Seriously, I may love you for giving me life, but Fuck you Sun.’, I angrily thought while shakily standing up. A hand was placed on my back and the next thing I know I’m stumbling up a set of stairs and being pushed through what felt like thick curtains and onto a stage. The buzz of conversation that I had only subconsciously noticed fell into silence, an uncomfortable silence I might add, that was quickly broken by the voice from before. “GOOD AFTERNOON PONYVILLE! My name is Fast Cash, and welcome to my travelling auction!” Fast Cash’s voice echoed over the crowd and incited an air of curiosity and excitement. “For those of you who don’t know me, I like to offer up my best finds first, so number one on the list will be this creature I have discovered. Muscled, possibly intelligent, able to speak, and best of all! … It’s male.” ‘What the heck does that have to do with anything…wait, am I being sold?!’ I rubbed my eye’s furiously and blinked a few times to clear out the spots and finally got a look at my surroundings. I stood on a makeshift stage about eight feet in width and jutted out a good six feet. In front of me stood a crowd of what looked like women. The problems with that though were immediately noticed. First, every one of them was covered in fur of every color imaginable, secondly, each female had a tail, some were short, some long but a tail nonetheless, third was that their tails matched the same color of the hair that grew from their heads, and lastly (And by my thought process, most importantly) everyone shared equine qualities in their faces from their ears to their snouts. ‘Holy shit, are those wings?! AND Horns?! What the hell is going on, and more importantly where am-.’ “SOLD,TO THE SIX MARES IN BACK!!” “Wait,What?” Hands roughly grabbed me by the back of my shirt and I was dragged off stage, being replaced by a statue that seemed expensive, down the stairs and into a shed. I was pushed and stumbled inside with the door slamming shut and locking behind me. After catching myself on the opposite wall I slowly looked around. The shed was barren with the exception of a single chair that I quickly sat on with a sigh. My hands gently ran through my hair, a sure sign that I was nervous, before falling limply at my sides. I sat there for what seemed like hours before the sound of approaching voices met my ears. I looked up at the same time as the door opened and was once again blinded. “Oh my, I’m terribly sorry, are you okay?”, asked a soft and gentle voice from in front of me. “Yeah, I think I’m okay, just unable to see…again.” “Oh you poor dear, hang on for just a second and I’ll have you all better.” A clopping sound echoed throughout the shed and two soft hands were placed on either side of my head next to my eyes. A warm tingly sensation washed over my face and my vision quickly returned, bringing with it two of the most beautiful aquamarine eye’s I had ever seen. I stared into the two orbs before me for what seemed like an eternity before the one they belonged to spoke up. “Umm is that better…?”, she asked quietly while her pink hair fell over one eye. “Umm…yes, th-thank you.” “Hey Fluttershy are you okay in there?!” Fluttershy, as I now came to know her, turned around and walked to the door, giving me a better look at her physique. Her body was small, only about five four in height and covered in butter yellow fur. Her hair and tail were both a light shade of pink and on either side of her…um flank… was what looked like a tattoo of three butterflies. Lastly but certainly not least, were a pair of folded wings that covered her back. After shaking my head to stop my young male mind from going where it shouldn’t, I looked back to the doorway where two more of the pony-like beings had joined Fluttershy. The first was a beautiful lavender color with a dark purple mane and tail that had a single pink stripe running down both. A horn poked out from her forehead that split her hair. Her eye’s, like Fluttershy’s were stunningly gorgeous, though were a deep purple instead of light blue. Standing to her right was an orange coated beauty with a long straw colored mane and tail. She wore a Stetson upon her head with holes cut into it so her ears could poke out. The thing that stood out about her, besides her emerald green eyes, were the developed, well toned muscles in both her arms and legs. ‘Must do a lot of manual labour to get those.’, I thought off-handed while the three spoke to each other. My eyes wandered farther down and stopped at the cylindrical “hoof” that each of the females had. It was like whatever being that created this universe decided to say “Fuck it, They are pretty much done so I’ll be lazy”. The hoof was pretty much nothing more than a cylinder where a foot should be, leading me to wonder how they stayed balanced when walking. ‘Tails dumbass, used to help one keep balance remember-wait why is everything purple?’ I let out a yelp of surprise and fell, ass over elbow, to the ground in shock. The purple mare, who had made her way over to me when I wasn’t paying attention, she has had been trying to speak to me and ended up scaring the crap out of me. “Oh,I’m terribly sorry!!”, she frantically apologized while attempting to help me to my feet. “Gee Twilight, next time wait till he answers yuh before getting in his face.” ,the orange mare in the Stetson lectured in a southern accent. ‘huh, sounds like she’s from… huh, I don’t remember.’ Grasping the now identified Twilight’s hand, I hauled myself up to a standing position and took a step back. “You’re all good, I just wasn’t paying attention is all.” I said while dusting myself off. “Oh wow, he speaks perfect Equish, ooooh this is so fascinating! The princesses will love to hear this!”, Twilight all but squealed while hopping up and down in excitement. “Twi, if’n yer gonna write to the princess, at least wait till figure out what he is.”, the southern sounding mare spoke up while shaking her head. ‘Twilight ceased her bouncing and seemed to change instantly. “Right, thank you Applejack, Fluttershy would you be so kind as to make sure our friend here does not get snatched up on our way to the library?” Fluttershy stepped closer to me and wrapped her arms around my left one firmly and gave a nod. “Good, Applejack I hope you have your lasso ready just in case.” Applejack pushed her hat back and pulled out a coiled rope from…I haven’t a clue actually. “Got it right here Twi, no need to worry, we won’t be losing him with me around.” Satisfied, Twilight took my free arm and,together with Aj and Fluttershy, marched me out into the sunlight. The trek across town to the library Twilight spoke of was both interesting and dull at the same time. All of my senses were assaulted by the brighter than usual world around me. Colors were more vibrant than what I could (Vaguely) remember them being. Smells floated in from all around me, causing my nose to twitch as it worked through all of the new data it had just been handed. Further up my head my ears were doing much the same. Every new sound was instantly filed away to be sifted through and identified at a later time. To make sure I absorbed every possible detail I could, my head had begun to swivel around every few seconds in an attempt to aid in gathering more sensory data. The sound of light giggling came from my left and I looked down at Fluttershy who had been watching me with amusement written all over her face. I gave her a small smile which was returned before going back to learning about the world around me. “Sure is a curious feller ain't he”, Applejack chuckled while watching me look at my surroundings. “Yes, it’s so fascinating. I wonder how intelligent he is, or if he can use magic, or what he is for that matter.”, Twilight stated while watching me. “Calm down Twi, you can do yer experiments later, for now let’s try to get him back to the others safely.” Thankfully we arrived without a single disturbance and I was ushered into a giant tree that looked like it had been turned into a house. Applejack stepped in front of Twilight, Fluttershy and myself to open the front door. Pink, my world had just become pink, and blue oh wait that’s a face. I blinked once, then twice before the pink mare who had her nose pressed to mine came into focus. Her blue eyes shimmered with barely contained joy and happiness that seemed to just radiate off of her. Then came the words. “HIIMPINKIEPIEITSNICETOMEETWHOWHATEVERYOUARE!ILIKEPARTIESANDSWEETSANDHANGINGOUTWITHMYFRIENDSWHOAREYOUANDDOYOULIKEPARTIES?!?!” The pink bundle of energy was yanked off of my chest where she had been sitting and I was helped to my feet by an alabaster unicorn with a curly purple mane and tail. “I’m dreadfully sorry dear, Pinkie can get…rather excited when it comes to meeting new ponies.”, she said in a cultured and sophisticated voice. “No no it’s okay, I love being around energetic people.” ‘I think…’ The unicorn cocked her head to one side in confusion. “Ummm, I’m not sure I understand…People was it?” I nod in confirmation. “People, it means a group of humans…” My eyebrows knit together in thought as the word echoes throughout my skull. I quickly shrug it off, saving the word for pondering later. “Human? I’ve never heard of a human before, where are you from? Are their more humans there?”, Twilght asked while taking notes down on a piece of parchment she had grabbed from…somewhere. I scratched my head and tried to remember where I was from or even who I was but the most that came to me were hazy memories at best and only the echoing of far off voices. “I’m…not sure. I can’t really seem to remember anything except…” ‘Leua.’ (Lay-ooh-uh) “Leua, my name is Leua.” The sound of Twilights quill scratching over the parchment stopped and I looked up to see the five mares staring at me with different expressions. Twilight was the first to break the silence. “Are you sure? Think what is the last thing you can remember?” I took a seat on the floor and held my head before sifting through the most recent of memories before waking up. Hazy images floated through my mind once again before stopping on one vivid one. I was looking down at a massive pyramid in a desert somewhere that I could not name. I slowly descended until I was at ground level, then the memory jumped forward to what looked like a stone box in a room that was lit only by a single white candle. I crawled into the box and slid the lid shut and everything went black. Shaking my head once again I looked up and shrugged. “Not much, just a giant pyramid and a box in a dark room, other than that it’s all fuzzy.” Twilight returned to scribbling down notes before laying down the parchment and quill. “Well, that’s okay I’m sure Princess Celestia has a spell that can help you to remember.”, she stated matter of factly. “But for now I think it’s time that everypony went home, We can all learn about each other tomorrow but at the moment I need to run some tests on you, for science.” A shiver raced up my spine at the last part of the sentence and a faint memory returned. ‘Hello and welcome to Aperture Labs,I’m Cave Johnson…’ The fear must have showed on my face because the next thing I know I’m being crushed against a very…endowed yellow chest. “Twilight Sparkle, He hasn’t even been here for twenty minutes and already you’re trying to experiment on him like he is a thing”, Fluttershy scolded. “I will not allow any such thing until he has at least had some decent rest,Celestia only knows what he’s been through.” ‘Whatever it was I think I can die happily now.’ I thought. Twilight had the decency to look embarrassed and mumbled out an apology while rubbing the back of her head. I managed to extricate myself from Fluttershy’s bosom and sucked in a lungful of air before releasing it all at once. “Yeah, sleep sounds nice.” I grunted while rubbing the spot on my neck where Fluttershy had been holding. “I suppose it is getting. Well, it was lovely to meet you Leuma, You may call me Rarity. I shall see you girls tomorrow, ta ta.”, Rarity spoke up before leaving with a wave. “I reckon I ought to get home too, Big Mac’s watchin Apple Bloom so I better go rescue him. Come on Pinkie.” Pinkie, who had been hog tied by Applejack let out a muffled goodbye before being dragged out by AJ. “I have to go home too and feed Angel Bunny, be good Twilight, and welcome to Ponyville Leua”, Fluttershy said with a stern look to Twilight and a smile to me. She too left for home, leaving me alone With Twilight. The tow of us looked at one another for the longest time before Twilight Seemed to realize something. “Oh, pardon me I never told you my name. I am Twilight Sparkle, and it is Nice to meet you Leua.”, she said while extending a hand and smiling. I stood up and slowly reached out to grasp the appendage. We shook hands briefly before letting go and falling back into silence. “So, where will I be sleeping?”, I asked to both break the silence and ascertain as to where I would be resting at night. “Oh, well, for now you can take the basement, I’ll have to bring down a few blankets and pillows but you should be fine there. As for the rest of the week, we’ll have to talk to everypony else tomorrow.” I squinted in thought before asking “What do you mean?” Twilight nervously poked her index fingers together and looked down. “Well,we all agreed to have you stay with one of us for two days when we…bought you.” Oh right the auction… “Oh,okay then.” Twilight’s head shot up with a look of surprise plastered to her face. “What?”, she asked. “I said okay. I may detest slavery of any form…but So far I don’t think this qualifies. Also, you and your friends seem to be extremely nice, and you are not beating me so it’s whatever.” It took a moment, but Twilight recovered from her shock and smiled. “Thank goodness, I had thought that you wouldn’t take that well. Now, I have to send a letter to the Princess, then I’ll show you to where you will be staying.” > Say ahh (Edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (A/N: Edited by Stormscropion) Early morning sunlight filtered in through the library windows, and illuminated the room with a soft glow. I was seated across from my host and apparent co-owner, who was furiously writing up a list of things that would have to be done today. From what I could see when I looked over at it, the list varied from medical check ups to a dental appointment and various other tests that would determine...well, a lot of things I guess I wasn't really in a state of mind to try and figure them out. Earlier that morning I had been awakened by a yelp of fear and a pile of books falling on top of my head. It was through this event that I met Twilight's number one assistant, Spica. Picking myself up and rubbing my aching head I looked up to spot a female dragon pressed against the wall of the basement I had been sleeping in. The purple and green dragoness trembled in fear at the sight of me and her emerald green eyes. "OH um...hey.",I said lamely while offering up a wave. "SPICA? Are you okay down there?!" Twilights voiced carried down through the open basement door and broke Spica out of her stupor. She turned tail and rushed up the stairs, slamming the door behind her. "Well, that's one way to wake up." I grunted while standing up and stretching out the kinks in my muscles. Satisfied, I picked up the dropped books and placed them on a nearby table before making my way upstairs. As I reached the top, the door opened revealing Twilight wearing a semi amused look on her face. "I see you met Spica, I apologize if she hurt you at all, she's very young and very excitable." I gave her a smile and rubbed my head gently while chuckling. "Nah, I'm all good, she just startled me is all. By the way, where is the restroom at? I could really use a shower and a mirror at the moment." Twilight smiled and led the way to the second story of her tree house and showed me to the restroom. I walked in and shut the door. Sunlight entered in through a window that was set high up on the wall opposite me. To my left was the sink and toilet while a wooden shower occupied almost the entire right wall. Taking a deep breath I slowly turned left and got my first look at myself. Two golden orbs with flakes of blue returned my gaze and caused me to let out a small gasp of surprise. I blinked my gold and blue orbs a few times to make sure I was actually seeing it. Letting the shock fade away I raised my hands up and ran them over my face and through my short dark brown hair. Next I turned to check on my outfit, making sure I was dressed properly. I was dressed in a pair of thick black pants and a forest green robe top that had obviously, to myself anyways, been home made. I removed my top and took a moment to examine my upper half. My body was muscular though I did not look like I had been carved from granite. I had a visible six pack and both of my arms bulged slightly whenever they moved. After a few poses I smiled and finished undressing before hopping in the shower. A few quick turns of the handles and the warm spray descended upon me, bringing with it a small moan of pleasure. A quick scrub down and I shut off the water, grabbed a towel from the towel rack which I quickly used, and redressed. Leaving the bathroom I made my way downstairs to find Twilight seated at a table with stacks of parchment laying neatly to her left. Her right hand held a quill that quickly moved across a scroll that lay open before her. Finishing it, she rolled it up and handed it to Spica who had been hidden from my vision by the stack of parchment. I cocked my eyebrow when the little dragoness blew an emerald green flame on the scroll, turning it to ash that floated out an open window. "Seems counter productive to burn what you just wrote down.",I spoke up. Without looking up, Twilight pulled a piece of parchment from the stack and motioned for me to sit while ignoring my comment. So I sat and waited. I must have zoned out at some point because I was snapped into attention by the sound of Twilight clearing her throat. "Well, today is going to be an exceptionally busy day. Seeing as how we know next to nothing and you are a male, we need to go out and make sure you have a clean bill of health. It would be disasterous if you had some kind of disease in you that could potentially wipe out all of pony kind. So, I'll prepare us some breakfast and then we will be on our way." I was given no time to think as a meal of apple slices and pancakes was practically shoved down my throat before being dragged out of the library and towards a day that, I felt anyways, would not end very well. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ponyville General Hospital was a two story building with a red cross mounted on above the front entrance. The outer walls were painted an eggshell white with windows lining most of the first story and all of the second. The two of us made our way inside and away from the group of whispering mares that had slowly come together over the course of our walk through town. I was pushed inside and up to the front desk where a pale blue unicorn with a forest green mane sat. "Hello, I would like to have my friend here put through a full examination please." The unicorn looked up from her paperwork and let out a gasp of surprise at the sight of me. "J-j-just a m-moment Ms. Sparkle, Dr. Redheart is with another patient. If you will follow me,I shall lead you to a... more private room." The nurse clumsily shot up out of her chair, grabbed a few forms and led the two of us down a series of hallways and up a flight of stairs to a secluded room. We were quickly ushered in and I was told to have a seat on the bed. I quietly obeyed and sat down as the nurse left. "So Twilight, I've noticed that...well I seem to be the only male around,what's with that?" The purple unicorn sighed deeply and took a seat in a nearby chair. She took a moment to organize her thoughts before she began to speak. "Well, a long time ago, before the rule of the princess', who I will have to teach you about, the country of Equestria was ruled by two very powerful beings. The two were known as Queen Umbra and King Solaris." "The two were said to have come from beyond the stars and discovered our world shrouded in darkness. At the time, pony kind was nothing more than a group of unintelligent beasts that cowered in their caves in fear of everything. Taking pity, King Solaris used his mastery of magic to create the sun and teach those of us that could how to unlock and use our latent magic. Queen Umbra, in her infinite wisdom gave to us the moon so that it's soft light would keep us from falling into a state of ignorance once more. The pair were worshipped and praised from bringing these gifts and for thousands of years they ruled over us, keeping us safe and guiding us." Here Twilight grew pensive before continuing with her story. "One day though, Equestria was visited by something...evil. King Solaris and Queen Umbra engaged the being in battle in the heavens where all were able to see. It is said to have been both the most beautiful and also the most terrifying thing ever witnessed by pony kind. Even with their combined power though, the two were unable to defeat the being and were forced to use their very life forces to banish it to a plane unknown to us. Knowing they were going to pass on, King Solaris and Queen Umbra used the last of their energy to create two beings that all pony kind has come to know of as Alicorns. Since then the two Alicorn sisters have ruled over us in their parents stead which they continue to do till this very day." "One day though, about thirteen hundred years ago, the being returned. It was, however, severely weakend and both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna managed to send it back to where their parents had banished it. Before they managed to finish, though, the being placed a curse upon all of the planet. Things returned to normal after that until five hundred years ago when the stallion population began to slowly die out. Nopony is sure as to the cause of the male extinction though some speculated it had to do with the enemy of the King and Queen. Regardless of what caused it,the amount of males on the planet has dwindled to but twelve. These twelve males are the last of their kind and are only able to sire female offspring. Regardless, they are protected fiercely by those that have them and most anypony would go to great lengths to get them." Throughout her story Twilight had been growing more and more depressed looking until she looked up at me with a bright and hopeful smile. "Now though, we have you. The thirteenth male that is neither pony, griffon, zebra, or dragon. With you there may be a chance of siring males which could potentially save us." 'I knew something was going to happen today.' I wailed in my head while keeping a straight face. "So basically, I'm breeding stock?" My answer was interrupted by the door opening and a white earth pony wearing a doctor coat and with her mane in a bun walking in. "Good afternoon", she spoke in a chipper voice while looking me over like I was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. "My name is doctor Redheart and I will be conducting your examinations today." She pulled a packaged tongue depressor from one of her coat pockets and unwrapped it. "Now open up and say ahhh!" ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The next six hours were filled with my being subjected to possibly every conceivable legal torture known to the universe. Needle after needle entered my body to draw out various fluids and,in the case of the allergy test, insert various fluids into me. After these were finished I was escorted to a physical therapy room and, once there, participated in numerous amounts of exhausting physical tasks to give the good Dr. Redheart a sense of my physical well being. When I was finally allowed to rest I flopped onto the ground and sucked in lungful after lungful of precious air. After taking a few moments to recover I slowly sat up to find Twilight offering me a glass of water which I gratefully took and emptied. "Thanks Twilight.", I yawned while unsteadily getting to my feet. A purple hand took hold of my upper arm to steady me while at the same time leading me out the door and to another room. I was guided to a plain metal chair and made to sit down while Dr. Redheart and one of the hospitals nurses fiddled with a large machine in the corner of the room. "Hey doc, what is that thing?":, I asked in a voice laced with nervousness. Redheart picked up what looked like a blue vest with that zipped up in the front and had wires running out of the back that connected it to the strange machine. "This,", she said while holding the vest up, "Is used to measure a pony's magical level. Since we know next to nothing about what you are,it has been decided that we should test to see if you are magical in nature. What I need you to do is remove your shirt for me and put this on so that it can measure the amount of magic you may have and put you into a tier class." At my confused look,Dr. Redheart elaborated on the subject. "All ponies that can actively use magic, namely the unicorns and alicorns, are apart of a tier number based upon how much magic they have and how strong It is. Most every unicorn you will meet in life is at tier one, meaning they can only use the most basic of spells and have low magical reserves. On the other hand you have unicorns like Ms. Sparkle here who is a tier six in magical prowess, meaning her magic can be used to cast and hold expert magic for a very long time." While listening to her explain I stripped my robe top off and placed the cold vest onto my torso and zipped it up. "Well, lets see where I stand in comparison to the Great and Powerful Twilight.", I chuckled, missing the flash of annoyance that crossed Twilights face. Dr. Redheart suppressed a giggle and, with a series of switch flipping, activated the machine with a dull hum. I was unaware of my body hitting the floor, I did not notice the shouts coming from the two mares, nor did I notice the pain that came with head butting the floor. All I knew from the moment the machine turned on was the sun that had just been turned on in my body. Literally every single part of my body from my DNA to my amino acids radiated with the energy of a small sun that was hanging around in a lightning storm. The magic reader let out a loud warning wail as the lights on it's face flickered on and off at an unbelievably rapid pace before exploding in a shower of glass and energy. The machine began to violently vibrate and shake dangerously before making a loud bang and shutting down. Seconds later a small "Ting" announced the machine had it's results and printed out a slip of paper from a small slot on it's side. Dr. Redheart and Twilight tentatively stepped out from behind the bed they had upturned and sought shelter behind. Seeing me on the floor with my hair standing on end, Twilight rushed to my side and began attempting to get a response from me. The last thing I registered before passing out was the nurses that practically blew the examination rooms door open was Dr. Redheart disbelieving voice saying. "Fifteen...by the King and Queen he's a tier fifteen." ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Princess Celestia and Luna sat on Luna's balcony admiring the night sky and drinking tea when,in a burst of green flame, a thick scroll landed on the table they had been seated at. "It seems awfully late to be sending a friendship report don't you think?", Princess Luna asked while her sister unraveled and read the her students neat and flowing script. As the minutes trudged by Celestia's eyes grew wider and wider while her jaw descended at the information she was taking in. Without a word she dropped the scroll and raced out of the room, leaving her sister in a state of confusion. Deciding to figure out what was going on she picked up and read through it before mimicking her sister and rushing out of the room. None of the guards ponies on duty that night noticed the winged figure landing on Luna's balcony for just a moment before taking off with the scroll clutched tightly in it's talons. > Canterlot Castle, a most luxurious prison > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Edited by Stormscorpion) Wake up...Wake up and grow stronger, love like you never have before....Make bonds that will last forever with those that will care for you...so it will be all the sweeter when I erase your existence and revel in their pain.... ______________________________________________________________________________________ My eyes snapped open abruptly and breath expelled forth in quick panicked gasps. Fear tore through my body like a twisted dark beast tearing through me with wickedly curved claws. My eyes darted around the room I was occupying while the sound of my blood thundered in my ears. That voice in the darkness, it grabbed a part of my memory and rattled it to the point that the memory of it almost surfaced... but the door to my room opened, chasing away the mental stirring. My eyes automatically locked onto the newcomer, a bright green earth pony with an auburn tail and mane wearing a doctors coat and carrying a clipboard. At the sight of her, the panic and terror that had been coursing through me vanished, leaving me visibly shaken and covered in a light sheen of sweat. "Well Mr. Leuma how are you fee-, Oh my you are actually awake, wait here for a moment!" The doctor, who had been looking at her clipboard, looked up to see that I was indeed awake and quickly left the room. A short time passed before she returned with two of the most beautiful beings I had ever laid eyes upon. The first, and taller of the two, was pure white in color with a multi colored ethereal mane and tail. The second was a dark blue with an ethereal mane and tail like that of the night sky complete with tiny white pinpricks I assumed to be stars. Most notably about these two pony that was different from the rest was the fact that the two before me had both wings AND a horn. I must have been staring because the taller one let slip a small laugh that sounded akin to tinkling crystal. "I must say that I am surprised that of the three of us, you would be the one staring.", she said with a smile. I quickly struggled to sit only to yelp in pain and grab at my chest. My fingers tightened over the spot my heart occupied while it beat out a rhythm of fiery pain. So absorbed in the intense feeling I did not notice the two mares approach me with their horns glowing until I was enveloped in a mix of gold and midnight blue. A warm tingling sensation quickly replaced the pain and, with a sigh of relief, I lay back against the bed. "Please, do not over exert yourself, you are suffering from what is known as a "burn out". This comes about when the heart tries to filter too much magic before it is properly able to, resulting in your heart nearly burning up with the excess energy.", the dark blue mare stated in a powerful, authoritative, and yet concerned voice. "That...that does not sound good.", I weakly muttered. With a dismissing wave from the taller of the two, the doctor quietly left the three of us alone, probably to discuss both myself and what happened at...wait... "Where am I, Who are you both, and what happened?" "Let us start by introducing ourselves. I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria and goddess of the sun.", Celestia Started. "And I am Princess Luna, also co-ruler of Equestria and goddess of the moon and stars.", finished Luna. "Currently", Celestia continued, "you are taking residence in room 3002 of the Accidental Magical Injury ward at Canterlot Unicorn Hospital. You were brought in four days ago by an emergency pegasus transport after being stabilized at Ponyville General Hospital. From the report sent to me by my student Twilight Sparkle, whom I know you are familiar with, you accidentally overloaded the device used to read a unicorns magical level and destroyed said machine, injuring yourself in the process. Luckily though, nopony else was injured and you should be fine within a few days." I took a second to absorb what I had just been told while organizing my mind. "So, Twilight and the doctor are okay?" Celestia nodded in response. "Good, good... So, I was having my magical tier calculated...what did it say?" Celestia and Luna shared a look before Celestia answered. "That is actually one of the reasons we came to see you. I don't know how else to say this, but the device has read you as a Tier 15. From the letter's I received from Twilight I am to assume that you haven't a clue as to what this means?" I gently shook my head. "I thought as much. Leuma, what I am about to tell you will add to the burden that it seems fate has decide to saddle you with." Celestia took a moment to organize her thoughts before looking me in the eye and beginning her explanation. "The day of your accident, I received a size-able letter from Twilight. It was the medical file compiled by Ponyville General and the results were shocking to say the least. According to the results from the tests performed on you, you are what is being called a genetically perfect being in terms of compatibility. It would also appear that your DNA has the ability to sire male offspring as well as female, though why this is we don't know. What I mean to say is, you have the ability to successfully breed with every known sentient species on the planet, and produce male children." "Let me guess, you want to use my DNA to father children and hopefully keep the species from dying." I watched both sisters nod and turned to look up at the ceiling in thought. 'They need me to keep their people from going extinct but... I'd have to do something very intimate...but not doing so could condemn them...besides, they'll probably force me if I say no...' "I'll give you what you need. What kind of monster would I be if I allowed an entire race to die out?" Celestia's face creased slightly at the hollow sound of my voice but dismissed it for now. "Thank you Leuma, You have no idea what this means to us.", Luna said with a smile. "Come Celestia, let us leave him to recover. We shall see you soon Leuma, get better soon." With that the said their goodbyes and left me alone with my thoughts. "Tick Tock....Tick Tock... Tick Tock...." I slowly turned my head to stare at the clock that sat on the wall opposite side of the room. I stared at it a moment longer before sighing and closing my eyes to take a nap. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ "My queen, one of our spy's in Canterlot has returned bearing important news! She has enacted Orius Corutla and will only speak with you!" "Send her in and all of you, leave me." The guards filed out of the throne room one by one until only a single stood before the large stone throne. The figure descended to one knee to bow before her queen before rising. "My Queen, on the third of Falls Gate I witnessed Princess Celestia and Luna receive an unusually large scroll. After reading it Celestia dropped the scroll and took off with Princess Luna. I cautiously flew to the balcony and retrieved the scroll before finding a secluded spot to read it." The spy produced a thick parchment scroll from behind her back and held it up to her Queen who snatched it up and unfurled it. "Have you verified this for yourself?", the queen asked in a trembling voice. "Yes your majesty, before I left he was checked into the hospital and had a heavy guard placed over him." The queen rolled the scroll up and held it over one of the many candles that jutted out of the thrones side. As she watched the parchment burn she spoke up, giving a single order. "Inform the Rocs to meet me in my chambers, our salvation has arrived and we will not allow the ponies to partake in it. I shall take such joy in watching their last die out... What are you still doing here? LEAVE!" The spy made a hasty exit, leaving her queen to plot and plan Equestria's downfall. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Now Mr. Leuma, you may feel fine but that does not actually mean you are. Take it easy for at least a week just to be safe. Try not to do anything to stressful, and under no circumstances are you to use magic as you could accidentally burn out your heart." I pulled my head through the hole in my shirt and put my arms through their designated holes after. Having finished dressing I turned back to the doctor, Dr. Healthy Heart I think, and nodded to let her know I had been paying attention. "Thanks doctor, I promise to take it easy, I have no desire to end up here again, or worse." The doctor, a white earth pony, lead me out of my room and into lobby empty of anypony save two. "Hello again Leuma, you are feeling better I hope?" I smiled at the royal sisters and walked up to the duo, stopping to offer a small bow to the two. "Yes Princess Luna, I feel much better now. My chest twinges a bit every now and again, but it's to be expected I guess." "You are correct and were you of any lesser magical tier I would be shocked by the speed at which you are healing. However, that is a conversation best saved for later.", Celestia said. "For now, allow us to escort you to where you shall be staying for the time being." The two sisters escorted me out of the hospital and into the busy streets of Canterlot. Ponies of all species milled about the wide cobble stone streets at various shops or sitting out in front of the occasional café. All activity ceased though when the three of us set foot on the street. Silence descended, bringing with it the distant sounds of the rest of the city. I shifted nervously while moving closer to my guardians, trying to avoid the stares that were now directed at my person. Besides the eyes assaulting my person, the three of us were left alone on our trek through the city; mostly, it seemed, out of respect or even fear of my two escorts. Thirty minutes of walking later we arrived at the open portcullis of the Canterlot Castle. I stopped and stared in awe at the massive wall that encircled the castle in a white ring of stone and wood. "Leuma, come". My head snapped down to stare at Celestia. Giving the portcullis one last look I jogged forward to rejoin my companions. I was lead up away from the wall and into the castle courtyard where groups of guards in golden armor trained while commanding officers barked out various exercises. 'Hmph, I should have known this would happen. Don't worry Princess, I get the message.' Past the courtyard and through a set of massive golden double doors and we entered the entrance hall, the doors closing with a resounding bang. "Welcome to Canterlot Castle Leuma." Celestia said, stopping and turning to face me. "For the time being you shall remain inside the castle. Anywhere within the walls you are allowed to go, with the exception of our rooms and the second floor of the western wing. At all times you will be accompanied by a guard whom I have hand picked. This is for your own safety as you are the most valuable male in the world. Ah, here she is now." The sound of hooves on marble pulled my attention to a hall to my right. Dressed in a blue spandex suit with lightning bolts around the area where her ankles would be. Her fiery orange mane went perfectly with her yellow wings and what I could see of her coat. What grabbed my attention like a lioness catching her prey, was her stunning burnt orange eyes. My breathing and heart rate increased while a light blush rose up across my cheeks. A smirk slowly spread across her face when she saw the pink twinge. 'Jack pot, this is going to be a fun assignment...probably in more ways than one.' She shivered lightly while letting her eyes roam over my figure. Spitfire stopped and bowed before the Royal sisters. "Good afternoon Princes Celestia, Princess Luna." Celestia inclined her head while Luna shot her sister a look. "Good day Spitfire, this is Leuma your new charge. I would like for you to help teach him every thing you can about our culture and society. You are to accompany him at all times of the day and make sure he stays out of trouble. Now, we must bid the two of you farewell as my sister and I have important matters to discuss." With a nod the two princesses left myself and spitfire alone. "Well, first things first. Names Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts and Second Lieutenant in the Solar guard.", Spitfire introduced herself with an extended hand. Collecting myself I took the soft appendage in my own and shook it. "My name is Leuma..that's all I guess." Spitfire cocked an eyebrow in disbelief but shrugged it off. "Well Leuma now that we have introduced ourselves let me show you to where you will be staying, then we can get to know each other better." She ended her sentence with a wink then turned and started walking back down the hall she had come from. Not wanting to be left alone I jogged after her, oblivious of the leers I had been receiving from some of the guards standing in the entrance hall. The two of us walked in an awkward silence down the white halls of Canterlot Castle, passing various tapestries and other decorations as well as the occasional guard. We stopped outside an oak door with a heavy Iron door handle and one serious lock. 'Don't want me running away it seems...unless...no I don't want to think about it. "Here we are, this is your room. I'm sorry that I have to say this, but I've got an important meeting that I have to attend to. It shouldn't take too long and I'll be back before you know it. Until then though, I'm going to need you to wait in your room." The feeling that caused my chest to constrict was unfamiliar to me and to be honest, I could go the rest of my life without experiencing it, was new and very unpleasant. Regardless though, I said "Ok", and entered the room, closing the door behind me which was soon followed by a loud click. I sighed softly then scanned my new surroundings. The room was fairly large with a giant four poster bed resting against the wall opposite me. To my left there was a round table where four chairs had been stet next to two bookshelves that covered the wall they rested against. Finally to my right there was a large wardrobe where I assumed I would be storing whatever clothing I would soon be gaining. Slowly, I shuffled over to the bed and quietly sat on the end of it with my legs hanging off of the edge. Silence permeated the air around me for a short time before being broken by an odd sound. I looked around to try and ascertain the location it came from, only to realize I had made it. A second sob escaped my throat as hot tears welled up in my eyes. Here I was, in a castle surrounded by female pony people who wanted to use my body to revive their dying species with no memory of where I had come from. No idea if I had a family somewhere that was worried about me; all the while being subtly threatened by royalty that new enough about magic that my apparently huge reserved would give me no edge in a fight against her. So I did the only thing I could. I caved under all the conflicting feelings inside of me, and cried silently to myself. > Soarin through the days > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Edited by the ever awesome Stormscorpion!) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Princess. I have some concerns about Leuma." Princess Celestia stared down at Spitfire from atop her throne with an expressionless face. "Explain." Spitfire stood up from where she had been kneeling to voice her concerns. "Shortly after leaving Leuma in his room I heard what sounded like sobbing. I have a feeling that the position we are forcing him into is starting to cause both mental and emotional trauma that may hinder our goal." Celestia leaned back into her throne and gripped the arm rests tightly in her hands. "What do you suggest we do about this Captain?" Spitfire shuffled around before speaking up. "I know that it goes against the rules...but I think it would be good for him to meet another male, namely Soarin." Princess Celestia closed her eyes and thought about the proposal. Years ago when the stallion gender was getting down to it's last leg the problem of homosexuality sprouted up among the remaining males. It seemed that, rather than doing their duty to the ponies around them hundreds of stallions turned to loving each other and secluding themselves from the mare population. To counter this problem there had been...an event that lasted for three months and had been struck from the Royal Records and it was written that no longer were stallions allowed to congregate together. In that time every stallion that did not flee the country was captured and forced into servitude in hopes of bolstering the population. Unfortunately this method failed miserably and ended with the self inflicted deaths by over half of the stallions. Now though, it seemed that the law would have to be...bent in the name of survival. "What did you have in mind Captain?" "Ma'am, I would like to volunteer Soarin. His personality and nature make it easy to like him, and he has a calming effect on all those around him. Additionally, he can teach Leuma what it means to be a breeder and can help him adjust." Celestia took a moment to weigh the pros and cons of the decision before answering. On the one hand there was the possibility of not only losing one of the best breeders Equestria had, but also the only hope of ever seeing the pony race flourish. On the other hand though, the threat of losing Leuma to the darkness of ones mind would be beyond tragic for both him and her ponies. "Done, bring Soarin by tomorrow morning and we shall introduce the two, dismissed." (A/N: Just to make it perfectly clear, I do not have a single problem with homosexuality. Love who you love. That is all.) (Editor:me neither) ____________________________________________________________________________________________ "GOOOOOOOD MOOOOORNING!!!" -Whump- Sptifire cocked her head to the side while giving me an inquisitive look. "Leuma, why are you on the floor?" A muffled grunt was her response as I untangled myself from the blankets I had been using. Upon successfully freeing myself I gave the grinning mare standing over me a contemptuous look. "Oh you know just checking to see how well the flooring was done. From what I can tell they succeeded in making it extra hard if that is possible." Spitfire snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes. "Well if your finished I have someone for you to meet. Come on, let's get you into a shower and changed into something clean before we meet them." After she helped me to my feet the two of us exited the room and headed down the hallway. "So...Leuma...tell me about yourself." "Well... There isn't much to tell. The only thing I remember was waking up in the back of a wagon and being sold back in Ponyville." "Nothing else? What about a family or friends?" I shook my head and kept my gaze straight ahead. "I don't know." Silence fell between us again until we arrived at our destination. "I'll have your new clothes brought by, and if you need anything I'll be just outside the door. I nodded in understanding and pushed through the door, closing it behind me with a loud click. The room I found myself in must have been a communal bath for the guards. The walls on my left and right were lined with blue painted lockers and in front of those were benches that could seat four. With a shrug I undressed and headed through an entrance way directly opposite the bathroom door that lead me to the showers. The shower room was a circular and made of white stone with a circular grated drain set into the center of the floor. Evenly spaced around the walls were eight shower heads that poked out about six and a half feet above the ground. Beneath them were a round knob made of some whit material and to the right of it was a tray that held a bar of soap. I made my way to one of the shower heads and twisted the knob, first to the right and then the left. A blast of cold water sent me scurrying back with a yelp to press myself against the opposite wall. I placed a hand over my heaving chest and rubbed it, an attempt to warm myself up. I shuddered and pushed off the wall to sidle around the icy spray and reach out to the handle. One quick twist later and I was soon scrubbing myself clean with the soap provided me. While I scrubbed I pondered over exactly who it was that Spitfire wanted to introduce me to. "Maybe one of the teachers that Celestia spoke about yesterday?' I thought with a grimace. I shook my head and crossed that thought out. If that were the case Spitfire would have said something about schooling. Instead it was just to meet someone and she seemed excited. I gave a shrug, dismissing the thoughts as I turned off the water and headed back to the locker room. I found that my clothing had been replaced by a white fluffy towel and a package wrapped in brown paper. 'Someone was in here while I showered, can I not have any privacy.' I shivered in revulsion at the thought of someone watching me at my most vulnerable while I didn't know they were there. I quickly snatched up the towel and dried myself off before wrapping it around my waist and taking a seat on one of the benches. 'This is my life now. I could try to run but...even if I escaped I would be fair game for the rest of the planet, and who knows how they would treat me.' "Hmph." 'I guess I just gotta go with it. Nothing else I can do really...not yet anyways.' With that I nodded and grabbed the package off the floor to open it. Inside was a pair of plain dark blue pants and a basic white shirt with both Celestia's and Luna's mark, one on each shoulder(Pretty much just like a t-shirt.). I stood and let the towel fall to the floor and quickly got dressed. Once I was properly clothed, I exited the shower room to find Spitfire sitting against the opposite wall with a bored look on her face. "Took you long enough." She stood up and stretched before taking my hand and leading me back towards the main entrance of the castle. The two of us came to a stop in front of the main entrance where someone was indeed waiting for us. I blinked in surprise then allowed a small smile to grace my lips. Standing before the two of us was an ice blue stallion with a dark blue mane. He was dressed in the same spandex suit as Spifire. 'They must work together.' "Hey Spits, you weren't kidding when you said he was different. The rumors going around town said as much too, but I didn't expect this." He spoke with a voice full of confidence and laughter. "Name's Soarin, member of the Wonderbolts and royal breeder for the kingdom of Equestria." He extended a hand which I quickly took and firmly shook. "Leuma, royal breeder for Equestria. Well, not yet but soon." Soarin didn't miss the look of resignation that passed over my face but didn't comment on it. "Yeah, I kinda figured. Especially with those cutie marks on your shoulders." I raised an eybrow at that and looked down at the moon and sun. "What is a cutie mark?" "It's a mark ponies get when you find your special talent." Spitfire explained from my right. I made an o shape with my mouth at this tidbit of information. Soarin rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and spoke up. "Yeah, not really interesting, anywhoodle Spits hear tells me that you haven't started your "duty" yet. She also told me no one has exactly explained what all this entails. So, I'm here to teach you the basics." Soarin quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me through the front entrance with Spitfire close behind. We were led through the grounds and around the left side of the castle. Soon the three of us found ourselves in a garden filled with statues of white marble. We passed by dragons and ponies in various poses with bronze plaques at the base of each one. Our trio stopped at a fountain and took a seat on the lush green grass. "All right, calm setting, check. That's all we need. So Leuma, Basically what it means to be a breeder is just that. You are expected to copulate with at least six mares every two weeks. At the start of each second week you will be presented with a list of twelve mares to choose from and the dates of when they are available. Then at the time chosen they will be brought to you and from there you have your wicked way with em." Here he waggled his eyebrows at Spitfire who rolled her eyes. "In your dreams only Soarin." . "And what beautiful dreams they are." He sighed with a far off look in his eyes. I snorted in amusement and let a small smile cross my face. "Sex isn't the only activity you will be engaging in though. Sometimes mares will come to you for company. This usually means taking them out on a date or staying with them through the night. Basically you'll be playing escort and coltfriend to all the mares her in Equestria. Those however are just your basic duties." Soarin grew a bit more serious and I gave him my full and undivided attention. "Every year we have an event known as the Grand Galloping Gala. This event is held in the castle by the princess' and it's used as a way to assess the 'power each of the major nations hold. And I'm guessing you don't know about the great nations do you?" I glumly shook my head. "That's alright, better it come from me than one of those stuffy old professors who'll just drone on until you pass out. Now, our world is broken up into three major land masse; Equestria, Zebrica, and Titernia. Zebrica, which is far to the west, is home to a race of ponies known as zebras." "Zebras, unlike the ponies here at home, only come in one variety. They are like earth ponies with the exception being that they are able to make potions and brews rather than grow food. Next we have Titernia which is a mountainous and very inhospitable land, is home to both the griffons and the dragons. Griffins are a hybrid looking creature with the top half of an eagle and the lower half of a lion, which is kinda like a really big cat. Dragons are great winged lizard like creatures that can breathe fire and are able to use magic without a focus point. The reason I'm telling you about this is because once a year, they all travel to attend the Gala. Each nation brings with them their breeders and a type of...exchange happens that night. Under heavy guard, each male is selected by the highest paying, or most important female of each species and they have sex. Sometimes all night." My eyes widened in shock and I leaned back on my hands. "Like, literally all night?" I asked meekly. Soarin nodded. "Yep, sorry to say but I've been taken for a solid five hours without rest. Dragons have ALOT of energy I'm afraid and they also LOVE exotic things; and you my friend count as exotic." The blood quickly drained from my face, leaving it an interesting ashen color. "Cheer up Leuma," Soarin attempted to bring my mood back up, "The Gala isn't for another year so you'll have time to work on your endurance." I slowly nodded while my mind ran crazy with thoughts of sex hungry, powerful females that could take what they wanted. Let me tell you it wasn't pleasant. "W-what happens if I do get a mare, or in the case of the gala some other species, pregnant?" Soarin cringed internally at my question and had to take a moment to keep his emotions in check. "That's the best part, you don't have to worry about it at all. The mare in question receives a stipend from the princess' to raise the foal until it's able to contribute to society. Foreign offspring works pretty much the same, so once again no worries. Also, it is, encouraged by Celestia that you don't try to contact them". It felt like my heart had split in half at his words. It seemed that in this world that I would be father to an uncountable amount of children, but I wouldn't be a part of their life. Whether it be because the mare didn't want me too, or because my duties would get in the way though remained to be seen. I reached up and wiped my eyes of the growing wetness. "So, used against my will and not even allowed to see my kids, great. This is turning out to be fantastic." I growled out. "It's a lot better than if you were among the zebras or dragons. At least this way you can choose who you wish to be with. If you had been found by them, you would have been forced into breeding the same day. This world may not be perfect, but we do the best we can." I turned to Spitfire who had spoken up and thought about it. In comparison, not being able to see the children I would sire seemed to make up for the amount of freedoms it seemed I was being allowed. "I don't like it...but I think you're right and if it means that in the future this never has to happen again, I'll gladly do my part." I said, my voice hardening with resolve. The two pegasi gave me an encouraging smile and Soarin continued his explanation on what it meant to be a breeder. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ An inconspicuous wagon being pulled by a single ox that made it's way up the winding path through the mountains of Canterlot. The wagon was being guided by a lone Griffon wrapped in a thick brown traveling cloak. Her yellow beak poked out from underneath her hood and, if one were trained to spot it, was moving ever so slightly. The massive gates that lead to Canterlot slowly came into view and a group of four Solar guards came to meet the lone traveler. The griffon pulled back on the reins to bring her cart to a stop. "Please present your traveling papers and remove your hood." The lead guard, a white Pegasus stated in a bored tone. The griffon reached into her cloak and withdrew her papers and handed them over. She next removed her hood and let the guards take note of her before replacing it. The lead guard, after verifying that the documents were real, handed them back. "Reasons for visiting?", She asked ion a bored drawl. "Merchant, I've come to purchase a trade license and peddle my wares." "Do you mind if we search for any contrabands?" The griffon shook her head. "Go ahead, I have nothing to hide." The four guards moved forward and removed the brown tarp that covered the back of the wagon. Laying parallel to with the sides of the wagon were twelve life sized griffon statues. Each one was beautifully carved to mimic the creatures themselves in all their glory. Satisfied, the guards replaced the tarp and waved the griffon through. With a snap of the reigns she was moving into the city. The city of Canterlot was divided into different districts and were sectioned off by great ring like walls with the castle in the very center. The outermost ring, also know as the Earthen district, was where most of the cities food was grown as well as where most travelers were able to find lodgings. The second ring, or the Cloud district, was where the majority of trade happened. The cloud district was packed with both stores and houses and was a constant hotspot for activity. Here, ponies went about their day to day lives shopping, working and just enjoying what life had to offer. Further in was the last ring, or the Platinum district. This was home to both Canterlot castle and the richest of ponies. The griffon, though, ignored the last two rings in favor of a small inn in the Earth district. She pulled the wagon into the stables and hopped off. She took a moment to look around before whispering into the back of the wagon and making her way into the Inn. The statues wiggled slightly then went still and waited. > Danger! Under Construction! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nothin To see here folks, just a renovation job! > Danger! Under Construction! > --------------------------------------------------------------------------