For thousands of years, humans have been slaves to ponies. But soon, that will all change.
Humans. Once one of the most powerful and dominant races to walk the face of Equus. A species of great strength, who’s empire stretched all across Equestria. A race of conquerors. And to them, they were invincible.
Oh, how wrong they were.
Now, thousands of years after they’re collapse, humans were reduced to nothing more than slaves. Ponies, a species that preached peace and freedom, they hold they’re chains in a tight grip. All overseen by the solar monarch, princess Celestia. Now humans are made to preform back breaking labour for they’re masters. They are forced to build they’re cities, and till they’re fields. Some even have to fight their fellow man, for entertainment. They are treated harshly, considered barely above animals.
Every rebellion has been put down. Every run for escape has been stopped. And every saviour among them has been executed. Most have given up, resigning themselves to they’re fate as slaves. Those who try to fight find themselves swiftly surrounded.
But, this is the story of change. This is the story of a human who rose up and broke his chains, and inspired others to do the same. It is a story of rebellion, of war, of sacrifice.
There weren’t many words that could describe how they felt, how they all felt. Human had been in chains for as long as they could remember, born into servitude. Some had better lives than others, being the assistant to a student, or a maid for a kinder master. And yet, those feeling still find their way into their souls.
They were forced to break they’re back for them, they’re masters. That what they called them, the ponies, masters. Ironic, those who’s entire nation is built on peace and harmony, would so easily keep an entire species enslaved. And yet, the ponies claimed that what they did what for the good of all peoples, humans couldn’t be trusted, you see. They were a violent race, one that would burn the world to the ground, given the chance. The only way to ensure peace, was to make sure that every human was bound in shackles.
So many knew the feeling of the whip, most had grown accustomed to it, accepted that it was simply a part of their lives. Wethers it was an act of defiance, or for no other reason than entertainment, many had been scarred by the lash. Yes, many knew it’s feeling, and how they longed for the day they’d have to feel it no longer. But, for many others, that day would never come.
There had been rebellions, yes. Many of them in fact, hundreds of armed attempted to gain their peoples freedom through force. They happened ever few years, with the space between growing wider each time. Yet every rebellion, no matter how many flocked to fight for it, no matter how charismatic or brilliant the leader, they all ended the same way. Surrounded, and Slaughtered, with the leaders being hung in Canterlot square, right in front of the royal palace. And every time, Celestia would use it as an example that human had to stay in chains, that they could not be trusted with freedom.
All humans would kneel at the hooves of their equestrian masters. They would listen and obey. They would build they’re cities, till they’re fields, and stay listen to they’re betters. And the humans, the people who lived in servitude, they simple accept their fate, in this grim reality.
But that would all change, with one man…
“Come on, pick your feet up, you lousy primates.” A voice yelled out, in and annoyed tone. It come from the cart in front of them, he raised his head a little to glance at young, red furred stallion, standing on the edge of the wooden cart.
Wethers his words had any affect or not, was unclear. They still moved at the same pace they had been a second ago. Then again, he was close to the front of the line, with no clear view of the back, so he couldn’t say. But the sneer on the stallion's face persisted, even as he turned away to move to the front of the cart.
There were 6 of them, organised in a single file line, walking behind the cart. They were all bound together by long a chain, which connected to the shackles on their wrists. They had been walking for an hour since they’d left town and hadn’t stopped since. He had the endurance for the trip, a life lived as a slave had let him build up quite a bit of stamina. But even he was feeling the fatigue of the journey, his legs ached terribly, he wanted nothing more than to sit down and rest. Worse yet, they hadn’t been allowed any food or drink, whether the ponies didn’t have any with them, or just didn’t want to share with they’re slaves, he couldn’t tell. He suspected the latter.
The only thing they had given them were cloaks, to protect the, from the cold. They couldn’t have their newly acquired slaves catching a cold, now could they. The cloaks didn’t do much good for them, they barley reached down to their knees. They simply wrapped it around themselves in a desperate attempt to keep warm. They didn’t have much more clothing than that, he himself only wore a dirty brown shirt, with some dark pants. As well as a pair of tattered shows.
But right now, the cold was the least of his concerns. no, the thing that drew his immediate attention, however, was the slave in front of him. The poor man was starting to show signs of serious exhaustion. He tripped every so often and was barely able to lift his feet off the ground. And from he could hear of the man’s ragged breaths, it was clear he wouldn’t last much longer. He was going to drop; he was sure of it. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t help him. The stallions in charge had made it clear that they didn’t want any of them talking, or stepping out of line, lest they all face severe punishment.
There was only four of them, each of them stallions. Currently, two of them sat at the front of the cart, the leaders, he suspected. The young red one, had the task of watching the slaves. Though he was still at the front, discussing something with the other two. And the last stallion, the biggest among they’re group, was currently engaged with pulling the cart along the road. He was quite thankful that they didn’t want them to pull the cart. A small mercy, but one he appreciated.
He was drawn from his musing’s when the man in front of him let out a small yelp and fell to the ground. His wrist was pulled a bit, the chains that connected them pulled at his shackles, making him miss a step. The man at the front stopped as well, looking back at his fellow.
He quickly glanced up at the cart, the ponies hadn’t noticed yet, but they would soon. The man who had fallen still hadn’t stood yet; he was too weak to pick himself up. He moved to the man’s side and grabbing a hold of his forearm. He helped the man to his feet, both grunting as they stood back up.
“Thank you.” The man said, as he found his footing.
“Don’t let them see you like that.” He whispered to the man, “if they suspect that your too weak to work, they’ll sell you off again. Or worse yet, kill you.”
The man gave a grim nod as he turned to continue walking. He was still tired, but he tried to pick his feet up more, determined not to trip again.
The young stallion made his way to the back of the cart again, standing sentinel over the marching slaves. And thankfully, he, along with his fellow, didn’t seem to notice what happened only moments ago. They continued to walk down the dirt road for another twenty minutes, before the tree lines stopped and spread to the sides, indicating they had entered a large clearing. The cart also begun to slow down as wooden fences came into view.
“Alright, we’re here!” The grey stallion at the front of the cart yelled. They continued to walk along as fields it came to a full stop only moments later. There were people in the field, men mostly. They were using tills and hoe, going along the field, getting it ready for planting. And armed ponies watching them, making sure they were doing what they were supposed to.
They moved a bit further down the path, passing more of the fields, he could see a large house come into few. It wasn’t an estate, or a mansion, it was too small, and rugged looking to be either. It was more likely that it was just a renovated farmhouse, and probably where the ponies slept.
He was more surprised at the lack of walls or towers. Aside from the guards, who few and far in between, the wooden fences surrounding the fields were the only other thing meant to keep them in. Either these ponies didn’t have the money to build and maintain those types of defences, or they were too confident in themselves.
And as his body walked, his mind began to work. From what he had gathered so far, this was a work farm. And an independent one, judging from the lack of royal uniforms. That was good, he didn’t have to worry about heavy armour. From the ponies on the cart, and the few in the field, he guessed that their numbers didn’t go past twenty. With the fields so close to the forest, it would be easy for him to run. Then he could lose the ponies in the forest. But then came his greatest obstacle, nature.
More specifically, the cold. He didn’t know whether it was because they were entering winter, or they're vicinity to the borders of the crystal empire, but the temperate was low, too low. He would need better clothing if he wanted to survive, and a weapon as well. Neither of which he was capable of getting, not without fighting the guards.
And then there came a thought that gave him pause, the other humans. He didn’t know these ponies, what type of masters they were, but from what he’d witnessed so far from his own treatment, they were not kind.
He suspected that if he escaped, the other slaves on this farm would suffer the punishment in his stead. As much as he wanted to run, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t allow others to be harmed by his actions, especially not his fellow man. So, he would do what the ponies wanted him to do and wait for a better solution to present itself. It was the only thing he could do now.
The cart pulled up to the front of the farmhouse, the slaves stopping right behind them. The ponies hopped out of the cart, one of them helping the stallion who pulled the cart. The red stallion got out of the back and watched the humans, making sure they weren’t trying anything. And the grey one, the leader he guessed, seemingly admiring his haul.
“Okay, Bulky and Dare, I want you two to offload the cart and get the supplies into the store house.” the grey stallion commanded. The ponies nodded before turning to unload the cart of its contents, before he turned to the stallion behind them, “Hazy blow, keep those humans in line.”
“You got it, duke.” Hazy blow said complied. And so, they stood silently as the ponies pulled the bags and crates from the cart and placed it on the ground beside them. The ponies were draw from their work, however, when a teal earth pony mare march out from the farmhouse, and towards the cart. From the reaction of ‘Duke,’ this was not something these ponies were looking forward to.
He managed to get a better look at the mare as she approached, and looked her over. Her fur was a light teal, with her her mane and tail being various shades of purple. Unlike the ponies on the cart, who each wore a rugged uniforms, she was wearing more formal attire.
“Silver duke!” the mare yelled as she walked up to them, “what in Celestia’s name is this. I asked you to go into town and buy farming equipment and seeds, and then you come back with half a cart full of tools and 6 slaves!”
“And I did. Diamond quill, listen, candy rose was selling the seeds for less than usual, so a had a few bits left. And then they were selling slaves at the market, and I thought that, since we had a bad season, a few extra workers couldn’t hurt.” Silver duke explained, trying his best to quell the pony’s anger.
“That wasn’t your decision to make, duke.” diamond quill said, frustration visible through her movements. She sighed and brought a hand to her face as he continued, “did you at least manage to get the beet seeds.”
“And the corn, and the carrots. We got everything on the list.” sliver duke confirmed, pointing to the cart.
“Good.” diamond look over sliver duke’s shoulder and scanned the bound humans. “And where exactly did you get them from.”
“There was a merchant passing through town, he was offing them at really low prices. I just bought the strongest looking ones there.” Silver duke said, diamond quill began walking over to her new property, silver duke following close behind.
Diamond quill look them over, eyes squinting, looking for any imperfections that could be found on the chained men. After a moment she spoke, “are you sure these slaves are healthy, half of them look like they’re about to drop dead.”
“They told me they were healthy. And they look pretty healthy to me.” Silver duke replied.
He watched Diamond quill continued to inspect them. He saw the mares eyes land on him for a moment, looking him over. She was most likely trying to see if he was labour worthy, which she probably would. He was tall, well built, not to bulky, but his muscles were visible from under his clothing. A long life as slave, as well as being forced to do many different tasks that need manual labour, had allowed him to build up an impressive physique.
She walked over, and stood in front of him for a moment before addressing sliver duke, “what about this one.”
“What about him?”
“Didn’t you ask the merchant where they got these humans from, or what type of labour they did before.” Diamond quill asked, anger rising from her again. And it only increased as sliver duke shook his head, “I can’t believe this.”
She turned back to them for a moment, and gave the slaves one final look over before turning away.
“Take these 6 to the barn, with the rest of the humans. Give them food and water, as well as a change of clothes.” She ordered as she walked back to the farmhouse, “they can start working in the morning.”
“Sure.” Silver duke said as she walked past him. He then turned back to them, a stern look on his face. Quite different from the expression on fear when the mare yelled at him.
“Alright, you miserable primates, this way!” He yelled as he walked in front of them, leading them away from the road and unto the farm proper, and they hey trudged along behind him. He led them past the farmhouse and one of the fields, and towards a large wooden structure. the ‘barn’ that diamond quill had mentioned if he had to guess.
It was a big building, not as big as the farmhouse, but big enough to fit the slaves on this farm. It was more akin to a lodge than a barn, as its roof sat too low for an attic or roof compartment of any kind. It was longer than it was wide, and it had no windows to be opened or closed. And it was most likely locked from the outside, rather than inside.
He saw that the other humans around the field had started to make their way over to the 'barn’ as well, escorted by their pony guards. The glanced up to see the sun was starting to set over the horizon, signalling to all that the day was coming to an end.
The group stopped at the front of the ‘barn,’ the other humans watching them as they walked up. Silver duke walked up to each of them, and removed their shackles, as well as taking back the cloaks they gave them. He couldn’t help but rub his wrists when the shackles came off, his skin sore from the feeling of the heavy metal.
“Alright, everybody in the barn.” silver duke commanded the crowd of human. He turned and joined the small crowd as they entered the building.
The smell was what hit him first. It wasn’t as bad as other places he’s slept, but he it was still clear that this place wasn’t washed much, if at all.
He looked around as he stepped through the door and moved to the side. It was a lightly crowded, he guessed that there were maybe 40 people inside the building. Men, women, and even a few children, each varying in age. The only piece of furniture they had been given were wooden bunk beds, which were quickly being filled up.
He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard someone call to him.
“Hey,” a man walked up to him, a small, yet grateful smile on his face as he approached, “I wanted to thank you for helping me earlier.”
Earlier? The man who fell, one who he’d helped to his feet, “you don’t need to thank me, I was doing what anyone would have done in the same situation.”
He looked the man over, now that he could see him. He was about six feet tall, only an inch off from reaching his own height. He had light blonde hair adorning his head, cut in a short fashion. He was wearing the same ragged shirt and pants he was. He wasn’t old, maybe in his early 30’s, late 20’s perhaps. He had a disheveled look to him, and he didn’t look like a labourer, which was certainly bad for him.
“Well, I doubt most would have helped me, sure know I wouldn’t have.” the man said sombrely, his smile falling for a moment.
“I just remembered that I never asked your name.” The man’s smile returned as he offered his hand to him, “I’m Levin.”
“Hayden.” He Answered. Hayden scanned the room, looking for an empty bed. Levin noticed this and looked with him. Hayden’s eyes landed on two unclaimed beds, close to the back. “Follow me.”
They moved through the room towards the beds, doing their best to squeeze through a small crowd of people. Hayden sat down on the bed, letting his body rest from hour of standing and walking without brake. Levin sat next to him, and he could see a similar look of relief on his face. The sound of clattering metal drew his attention back towards the door.
Standing there was a large, bulky man. He held 2 bowls in his hands as he walked into the barn.
“Alright, dinner time.” He announced in a thick southern accent as he handed out the bowls. Looking past the door, Hayden could see a cart full of bowls outside. The bowls were past along as they came, going to the children first. Then the women, and finally the men. Once all the bowls had been passed out, the ponies shut the doors, locking them inside.
Hayden passed his bowl to levin, telling him to eat. He needed it more than him after all.
The man from earlier walk over to Hayden, carrying two bowls in his hands as he approached. One for Hayden, and the other for himself presumably. He was a tall man, bulky as well. Hayden had a good amount of muscle, but the man in front of him was completely different. He was older than him, most likely in his 40’s. And if his accent was anything to go by, he was most likely from the south.
“Here, it’s vegetable soup. It filling, healthy, and it don’t taste half bad.” He said, offering the food to Hayden. Grabbing the bowl, he could see that it was indeed a soup with vegetables. It was rare that he would get a meal like this, most of the time ponies would throw him a loaf of bread and leave. So to get an actual meal was, surprising to say the least. And it was good too if Levin’s behaviour was anything to go by.
“So, you boys are new, right?” The man asked, taking a seat on the bed to Hayden’s left.
“Yes. We were bought today, from the town nearby.” Hayden confirmed, as he began to eat.
“Yeah, well, let me be the first to welcome you to the new stone farm. That it’s official name, but everyone prefer to call it the farm.” The man said, moving the bowl to his left hand, he extended his right to Hayden, “names Bronn.”
“I’m Hayden, and the man beside me is Levin.” Hayden introduced the two. Bronn took a moment looked over to Levin, only to see the man devouring the soup like a wolf would a lamb. A chuckle escaped from his lips as he spoke again.
“Guess they didn’t bother to feed ya til now, huh?” He asked them. His once amused face turned grim as he look at them, “Yeah, that’s how these ponies work. They’ll work you to the bone. Whip or beat you when you do something. But then they give ya a half-assed soup at the end of the day, and expect you to be happy.”
He spoke in a hushed tone, but many people around them took notice of his words, and his rising anger. Silent nods of agreement rang out around the barn. Hayden looked at the others, before turning back to Bronn.
“What type of work do you do here?” He asked.
Bronn look to him, Hayden could see that he was still anger, but he was calmer than before. “Farmin’ mostly. We dig and till, plant the seeds, and load up the carts after harvest. They also make us chop down trees from time to time, for firewood. Not that they’d let us start a fire to keep warm.” He stirred the spoon around in his bowl as he spoke, “that’s what the men do. The women keep the house clean for ‘em, as well as some of the cookin.’ And the children, well they're just waiting for the kids to grow before sellin’ them off.”
Many of the other peoples faces grew somber from Bronn’s words. Hayden wasn’t surprised, it was a common occurrence in fact. And yet, it never go easier to hear. He watched as some of the women pulled their children closer to them, in a desperate attempt to stop their fate. Most of the children were 6 or 8, with the oldest child there looking no more than 14 years old.
The doors opened suddenly, and for a moment, Hayden prepared himself. Put instead of a pony, a human walked through the door. A disgruntled man made his way through the barn, towards an empty bed across from Bronn’s. The door slammed shut behind him, and Hayden could hear something sliding into place on the other side. The lock most likely. The man looked tired, with a small scowl written into his face. Bronn began to speak as he reached his bed.
“Gale,” Bronn addressed him, “you hungry.”
“No, I've... I've already eaten today.” Gale spoke in an exhausted voice. His scowl dropping a bit, before he laid eyes on Hayden and Levin.
“Who are they?”
“They are the new slaves that got bought today.” Bronn answered, “this is Hayden, and that’s Levin. Hayden and Levin, meet Gale the grump.”
“Ugh, you’re a child.” Gale rolled his eyes at Bonn’s jest. He sat down on his bed, rubbing his tired eyes. Bronn laughed a bit as he continued to eat.
Hayden looked at Gale for a moment, before deciding to speak, “Gale, was it? If I may ask, where were you.”
“Huh, what are you talking about.” Gale asked in a questioning tone, eyes narrowing at him.
“I did not see you in the fields when I arrived, and you’ve been brought back separately from the rest. So, where were you.”
“Ah, the ponies keep Gale here in the main house most the time.” Bronn answered for him.
“They keep you in the main house, why?” He inquired, growing more interested by the second.
“Well, I would assume they keep me there for my skills as a doctor, and not for my comedic personality.” He said, sarcasm lacing his voice. Though, what he said did intrigue Hayden. It was rare of any human to have medical skills beyond anything that the basics. But for a man like this, all the way out here, claiming to be a doctor, it was very unusual.
“Your a physician?” He asked.
“No, I’m a doctor, and a tired one at that. So I kindly ask for you to stop pestering me with questions, and let me sleep.” Gale turned, and laid down on the bed, turning his back to the rest of them and facing the wall.
Bronn shifted closer to Hayden as he whispered, “don’t mind him, he’s always like that. But trust me, he cares more than you’d think.”
“But he is right about sleep, though. I recommend that you boys get some shut eye, gonna be a long day tomorrow, and everyday after that.” Bronn set his empty bowl down on the ground, and turned to lay on his bed. Many around the barn were beginning to do the same, finishing their meals and turning in for bed.
Hayden turn to Levin, who looked just about ready to fall asleep. The events of the day catching up with the man.
“Sleep, my friend. You need to save your energy for the days ahead.” He said. Levin gave him a simple nod, before turning into his bed.
Hayden slowly slid himself back into the bed. It wasn’t much, only a small mattress on a wooden bed. It was small, and stiff, but it would work. He’s had to sleep in worse places.
He lied there, letting the events of the day catch up to him. His purchase, the terrible walk, reaching the farm. He thought of the other people he had met today. His eyes became heavier as he drifted into thought, and the feeling of his satisfied stomach only served to let him sink deeper into his new bed. Eventually, he closed his eyes, and and drifted into a quiet, dreamless sleep
The light sound of hoof steps filled one of the great halls of canterlot castle, as Luna walked along it’s grand interior, flanked by two royal guards. The Alicorn mare let a small yawn escape her lips as she trudged down the hallways, doing her best to shake the tiredness from her eyes.
She honestly hated being up at this time in the day. The sun had only risen two hours ago, and she was still tired from her nightly duties. But, she and her sister had an important meeting today, so she had little choice in the matter.
She had considered trying to lie, maybe buy herself a few more minutes of sleep. But, rational thinking stopped her from going threw with the idea, no matter how badly she wanted to. Last night had left her particularly exhausted. It would seem that nightmares had become more frequent as of recently, and it fell to her to ease her subject worries.
And yet, as she walked the red carpeted halls, she began to loose herself in thought. Ruminating on the state of Equestria had become something of a favourite past time for the princess. Though, it wasn’t one she liked all that much.
It had been almost two years since her return from the moon, and she was still trying to figure out the world she had come back to. So much had changed, she had changed, so had her sister.
Firstly, their capital had changed, the sister’s seat of power was now located in Canterlot. Then there was the existence of Cadence, which completely blindsided her. The elements of harmony, Twilight sparkle. Her being forgotten by the masses which, hurt, she wasn’t going to lie.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the events that she’d already witnessed within the last year alone. It was mind boggling how much had happened in such a short amount of time.
There was her return to start. Followed by Discord breaking free of his prison, and then being set to stone again by the elements. Right after that was the changeling invasion of canterlot, which she herself was not present for. A fact that Celestia nags her about constantly.
Then there was the return of the crystal empire, and Discord’s supposed redemption. Not to mention Twilight sparkle’s ascension to an alicorn, and how she created a new type of magic. And she didn’t even want to think about the plunder seeds situation, where the element bearers needed to return their elements to the tree of harmony, and the mystery of the chest it revealed.
And then, Tirek managed to escape Tartarus, which was the worst thing that could have happened. And Discord betrayed them, and helped Tirek steal magic from ponies. Until he himself was betrayed, surprising no one. Twilight’s duel with Tirek, her loosing her magic, then opening the chest and receiving the power to defeat Tirek.
And a whole myriad of other situations they’d had to deal with, the latest of which being the changelings latest schemes. With Luna and her sister, along with the elements being kidnapped by Chrysalis. But they were saved by Twilight pupil, and her friends.
Surprisingly, the changelings managed to, well, change for a lack of a better term. Becoming better creatures by sharing their love instead of stealing it. And under the leadership of Thorax, had renounced their ways and pledged themselves to harmony.
She was, unsurprisingly, left exhausted by the past two years. Having to run from one fire to the next can be very tiring, especially when you haven’t been around for a 1000 years.
She had grown accustomed to the world she lived in now, for the most part. The hardest thing to overcome was how the ponies of Equestria saw her. For years they had lived with the legend of the terrible Nightmare moon, an evil monster who wanted nothing more than to plunge the world into eternal night. And they weren’t exactly wrong.
A small part of her found it funny, in a cruel way. The monster lived on in stories, while princess Luna faded from history. She had talked with her Celestia about it, and while she understood that it was hard for her to keep Luna’s legacy alive, it didn’t stop the sting that came with it.
She had been seen with fear for a large part of her return, but with help from Twilight sparkle and her friends, she managed to mend the relationship between her and her people. Even coming up with a new holiday for her, in celebration of her return. And with that holiday, came new appreciation for her night sky. She honestly couldn’t thank the mare enough for all that she had done for her, not that she’d admit it of course.
The change in how ponies spoke had also been a challenge for her. While she did appreciate less formal tones speaking, it was still a challenge to break out of her old habits. She still found herself slipping into her royal canterlot voice from time to time. And a part of her enjoyed scaring the daylights out of anypony caught in it’s range.
But as Luna lost herself in thought, she failed to notice the form in front of her.
She walked straight into a human, sending the girl to the ground and herself stumbling back a bit from the collision. The guard behind her quickly grabbed her shoulder, allowing the mare to steady herself.
“Thank you.” She said to the guard that grabbed her, the stallion gave a curt nod in response.
As Luna looked down at the human below her, she saw the girls eyes go wide with panic upon seeing her. “P-princess Luna! Forgive me princess, I wasn’t looking where I was going! Please forgive me!”
The girl was practically yelling in fear, she quickly came to her knees and bowed to the lunar pony. And before Luna herself could respond, one of her guards spoke up.
“Damn human! Not only did you bump into her highness, but you’ve also wasted her valuable time! I should have you whipped for this.” The guard yelled angrily. The girl bowed even more, pressing her head against the carpet. That took Luna aback a bit. Such a severe punishment, and for what, bumping into her.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” The girl continued to beg for mercy, as if she was expecting to be executed on the spot. From her peripheral sight, she could see that a small crowd of slaves and servants were gathering. Worst yet, a few guards had left their post and begun walking towards them.
And yet, for a moment, her mind ground to a halt. Luna had walked straight into this girl, and yet this human being threatened with harsh punishment for such a simple mistake, which wasn’t even her fault. It baffled her. Luna shook herself out of her stupor before anything else went wrong.
“Enough.” Her voice, though not loud, held enough weight behind it to cut through the the chatter of the gathered crowd. The guard ponies stopped in their tracks, as Luna brought herself to her full height.
The slave looked to her, scared amber eyes locking with her own blueish green. The girl looked down as quickly as she glanced up.
“This was a simple mistake, one of my own doing.” She stated, making every word sound like fact. She bent down and offered the girl her hand. The slave looked up at her again, but instead of fear, Luna saw surprise written into her face. Genuine shock that a pony would help her, and one of the princesses no less. The girl took Luna’s hand, tentatively, and the alicorn mare pulled her to her feet. Luna looked around again, uncaring for the surprised looks of the faces of those watching them.
“This girl will not face any punishment.” She commanded, speaking more to the guards rather than the staff. She turned back the the girl, “You may attend to your duties.”
“Yes, princess. Thank you, princess.” The girl turned and quickly walked away, towards the direction of one of the castles gardens.
“I was also addressing the rest of you as well.” The crowd dispersed hurriedly. The slaves and staff walked off to handle their business, while the guards returned to their posts, standing sentinel over the hallways of the castle yet again. And yet, as Luna resumed her march, she could feel their eyes on her, the staff, the slaves, the guards. Each watch her with curiosity, anger, fear, and a small level of disgust.
Of all the things she had witnessed since her return to Equestria, the fate humans had been the most surprising to her. The humans were slaves long before she became nightmare moon, but she honestly believed that in her 1000 years of absence, Celestia would have freed them by now, or at least granted them some leniency. But no, they were still bound in chain, and their treatment had seemed to have gotten worse in some cases.
And every time she had tried to bring it up with her sister, Celestia brushed her off with some poor excuse. It was infuriating! Did she not trust her, did she not believe she was capable. Luna loved her sister, but she could be a real pain in the flank sometimes.
But, she stopped that line of thought as she approached the large golden doors that served as the entrance to the throne room. She shook the fatigue of the night from her form, and replaced it with grace that could only be acquired from years of practice. And as the doors swung inward, she walked through.
“Ah, Luna. There you are.”
—————————————
“Where are you from?” Hayden let the question fly, as he brought down the axe on the side of the tree once again. The axe struck the dense wood with a thunk. And as he pulled his axe free, Bronn struck the tree with an axe of his own.
“Uh, why are you asking that.” Bronn questioned as he ripped his axe from the tree, bark flying with it.
“Your accent. Your from the south.” He said, as he brought his axe up for another swing, “I am simply curious as to how someone from the south finds themselves this far north.”
“Ha, well you got me there.” Bronn answered as Hayden swung, “But yer right, I’m from down south. Appleloosa, born and raised. Not like that’s something to be proud of, considering how we’re treated there.”
Hayden pulled his axe back from the tree. Taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, he looked around the rest of the lumber ground. There were 8 of them cutting down trees, while 4 ponies watched them from behind, armed with whips and swords.
It had been two days since he had been brought to the farm, and it had gone as he would have expected. The ponies didn’t really care for them, in fact a few went out of their way to make their lives more miserable. Pushing or shoving them to the ground, knowing that they wouldn’t fight back. That was one of the most common ones. But the people here took it well, simply getting up when the ponies finished laughing and continuing on with their work. He had done his best to fit in with the rest of the slaves here, helping wherever he could.
Bronn was a bit of a leader here, though he denied being put in any official status. He didn’t see himself as a leader, and didn’t want to be one. According to him, he was simply a man helping out his fellow slaves, and he didn’t have any actual leadership qualities. But, he always brought them food, and offered up his blanket to anyone who needed it. Bronn was a better man than he gave himself credit for. At least, that’s what Hayden believed, and he knew that many others here felt the same.
Gale had kept to himself mostly, simply getting on with his work. In the mornings a pony would come along to the barn and escort him to the farmhouse, where he would stay for the entire day, before being brought back to the barn again. He was certainly grumpy, as Bronn had told them. But Hayden saw the way he looked at the others, the glint of worry in his eye. He saw as Gale tended to the older among them. He was a grump, but he was a grump who cared.
And then there was Levin, the first person Hayden met when he arrived. Levin had been the most out of place there, he obviously wasn’t a labourer, and didn’t have any experience farming. The first day consisted of him trying to figure out how to use a till. He was talkative, and nervous. He was also one of the youngest among them, only 26, while most were already into their 30’s. He stuck close to Hayden and Bronn when he could, taking comfort in their presence.
They were woken up in the early hours of the morning and divided into groups. Gale had been led off to the farmhouse, while Hayden had been assigned to heavy labour along with Bronn and most of the other men. Which meant he was going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting for the day. Something he was not looking forward to. Levin had been separated from them; he and the other slaves being taken to the fields to farm.
And to start the day off, they had been ordered to cut down trees for firewood. Hayden was beginning to get a clear sense of what was expected from them here, and he wasn’t liking it.
“How about yourself.” Bronn’s questioning broke Hayden from his thought, “you got the body of a labour, yet yer talking like some canterlot noble fella. Kinda confusing, don’t ya think.”
“Fair enough.” He spoke as they continued with their work, “I grew up on an estate just outside of Baltimare. I was taken from there when I was 15, and have been passed around Equestria since then. I suppose I’ve picked up a few habits from the noble ponies I’ve been in the presence of.”
“Baltimare, huh. Heard it’s nice out there.” Bronn mentioned, growing more focused on his work than the conversation.
“It is, from what I’ve seen.” Hayden said. From there, the two continued to chop away at the tree in silence, their grunts and the sound of their axes being the only sound they made.
It took them another 20 minutes, but eventually, the tree above them buckled, and begun to fall to the side. They yelled timber, and stepped back out of the way, as the tree crashed into the ground. The pair then went to work removing the branches from the tree before cutting it into logs. They worked in peace, only grunting occasionally when a branch got hard to cut. After a few minutes, Bronn broke the silence.
“So, what were you doing before this.” Bronn asked.
“Labour.” Hayden said jokingly, chuckling as Bronn looked up at him, unimpressed with his jest. “I was helping build houses further south, before I was sold off due to budget cuts.”
Bronn gave a simple nod before responding, “well, before this I was a… a pit fighter.”
Hayden couldn’t help but look in surprise. He had assumed Bronn was a fighter of some kind, the scars on his body indicated as much, but a pit fighter. And from the solemn look on his face, it wasn’t something he was proud of.
When Bronn looked at Hayden surprised face, he smiled and laughed lightly. He was trying to play it off. “Sorry for dumping that on ya. I just figured that… well, since we were bein’ honest with each other, I should’ve… ya know.”
“Bronn, you don’t have to explain to me. I’ve had some experience with the pits myself.” Hayden spoke honestly. Now it was Bronn’s turn to be surprised.
“Really? What happened?” Bronn asked.
“I was sold off because my fights were not ‘entertaining.’ I would try to stop the fights without killing anyone, and that wasn’t profitable to them.” He cut the final branch on his side. Standing up, he prepared to start cutting the tree into logs.
He wasn’t lying. His time in the pits were as awful as anyone else’s. The screaming, the blood, the begging. If he could go the rest of his life without stepping foot in another arena, he could die a happy man. But, he tried his best to end his fights with as little bloodshed as possible, using his hand to take his opponents to the ground.
He remembers the look on the organiser’s face as the crowd boo’d him, disappointed with the lack of death. He couldn’t help but let a small smirk make its way to his face as he reminisced on it. He would cherish that look for years to come. The lashes he received because of it however, not so much.
“Heh heh, that’s how it goes, right.” Bronn said, as he stood up to do the same, “these ponies preach their ‘peace and friendship’ crap. But when it comes down to it, their the worst of them all.”
Hayden could only nod in agreement as they continued to slave away.
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2 hours passed, and the rest had finished up their work, cutting down trees and separating them into logs. 4 of them were taken back to the fields to continue the days work, while the rest would have to take the wood to the store house. Hayden was lucky enough to be taken to the field. While farming could be hard at times, it was still much preferable to dragging logs across a farm. And they had just arrived when they heard yelling coming from the field.
“What in tarnation.” Bronn said as they made their way over to the commotion, trying to see what was happening. As they walked further into the field, they saw the source of the shouting.
There, they saw Levin standing in the middle of the field, his hands held out in front of him, and trying to talk to the pony yelling at him. The pony, Hazy blow, if he remembered correctly, was standing just a few feet away, and was yelling both commands and threats towards Levin.
Hayden began walking faster, Bronn and the others following close behind. It wasn’t until he got closer, that he saw a young girl on her knees, hiding behind Levin. The poor girl couldn’t have been older than 13.
“Listen, just wait a second! We can talk this out!” Levin yelled, panic seeping into his voice. Hazy blow grew closer to them, a hand on the whip at his side.
“Shut it, you damn primate! Either you move, or I whip you both.” He threatened.
Hayden could see fear seep into Levin’s face at the pony’s threat, he didn’t know what to do. Hayden and the rest finally arrived, joining the small crowd of humans that gathered around the 3. The ponies, meanwhile, took up place behind Hazy glow, making sure the rest of the slaves didn’t get involved in the confrontation. Both watched as the scene unfolded in front of them, the humans looking on with worry, while the ponies had a look of slight anger at Levin’s defiance.
Hazy glow sent a hateful glare towards Levin as he stepped closer, “last chance human. Move.”
Hayden watched as the pony pulled the whip from his belt. But, surprisingly, Levin stood his ground, preparing to be whipped in defence of the young girl behind him. Anger radiated from the red furred pony, which was amplified by the words of the ponies behind him.
“You gonna let some lowly human treat you like that, hazy.”
“Whip him till he drops!”
“Show those monkeys their place!”
Hazy glow whipped the ground besides him, a grave warning. But Levin stood his ground as the pony drew back his whip again, ready for the harsh punishment of his defiance. The girl behind him still knelt on the ground in fear, not daring to move.
Hayden watched from the crowd, Bronn standing next to him. His hand shifted into a fist, and he begun pushing his way through the gathered people. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he wasn’t going to let them get hurt like this. He had gotten to the front of them before a voice called out.
“What the hay is going on out here!” The familiar voice of diamond quill reached his ears. Hayden stopped just at the front of the crowd, standing ready to step in if he needed to. But for now, he resigned himself to watching again.
Diamond quill came barging threw the crowd of ponies. Annoyance and frustration being the two feeling written into her face. She looked around the scene, her eyes darting from Levin to Hazy glow, who she locked in on.
“Hazy, mind explaining why you’re about to whip one of our new slaves.” She said, the question sounding more like a demand. Hazy quickly stiffened up at her gaze focused on him.
“Diamond, well, that kid over there stole a loaf of bread, so I was going to punish her. Then this monkey stepped in the way and refused to move, so I was going to whip them both.” He explained nervously.
The teal mare crossed her arms, and her glare hardened as Hazy glow finished talking, “A loaf of bread. You caused a scene, held up the work, and nearly whipped one of our new slaves, all over a loaf of bread.”
The young stallion nodded his slowly head as he answered, “Yes.”
“Hazy, go to my office.” She ordered sternly. The red pony slumped his shoulders as he made his way to the farm house, “And the rest of you, get back to work!”
With that final yell, the crowd of ponies and humans quickly dispersed, returning to their previous duties. Diamond quill turned and marched back to the farmhouse with an angered huff, grabbing Hazy glow by the shoulder as she passed. Hayden almost felt sorry for him, almost.
Taking his eyes of the pair. He turned towards Levin and the girl, quickly making his way over to them. He could see that Levin had slumped in relief, more than happy at his narrow escape from his punishment. He put his hands on his knees and let out the breath he was holding. Hayden put his hand on Levin’s shoulder as he came to stand by him.
“Are you alright?” he asked. Levin looked like he hadn’t been harmed, but he wanted to make sure. That and he wanted to make to be sure he wouldn’t faint.
Levin looked up at him as he spoke, “other than the crippling fear, I'm fine.”
He couldn’t help chuckle at his response. At least his sense of humour was intact if nothing else. Hayden then turned his attention to the girl behind him.
“And you, young one. Are you hurt?” He kneeled down, looking over the girl. Like Levin, she didn’t have any visible injuries, but he wouldn’t leave it up to chance.
“No.” She said, shakily. It was obvious that she was still in shock from all of this, but he needed to get her out of here, and back to the barn. He wanted her away from the ponies, in case another one tries their luck. It wasn’t likely, but he’d seen more than a few ponies throw away their careers to, ‘put some humans in their place’ as they put it. So the further away from the ponies, the better.
“Can you stand.” He asked. The girl gave a nod, before standing up. And as she stood, Hayden could see a loaf of bread clutch in her hands, a bit dirty, but still edible.
And as Levin turned around, ready to speak, he stopped as the girl hugged onto his waist.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She said hurriedly, with far more energy in her voice. Levin looked in surprise as she thanked him, not entirely knowing what to do. He lowered his arms onto her back, lightly patting her.
“Uhm, your welcome?” He said in an unsure tone. He looked at Hayden for a moment, almost asking for help. Hayden simply looked on with a smile, amused at Levin’s predicament.
The girl let go of him and took a step back, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just wanted to thank you for saving me.”
“Well, uhm, I didn’t really save you, I just got in the way.” He answered, not knowing what to say.
“Well, thank you for getting in the way then.” The girl said, a smile coming to her face. “I’m Alice, by the way.”
“Uhm, Levin.” He said.
“I’m Hayden.” He heard footsteps behind him as he answered, already knowing who it was.
Bronn came from behind him, and stood by Levin’s side as he spoke, “I gotta admit scrawny, you’re a lot braver than I thought you were.”
He put his hand on Levin’s hand, showing his approval of his actions. His mood darkened a bit however, when he turned towards Alice.
“Now, Alice,” Bronn began, before kneeling in front of the girl, “why did you steal the bread? You know the consequences for that kind of thing, and your damn lucky you managed to escape from ‘em this time.”
Alice looked down in shame for a moment, putting her hands behind her back before answering, “well, the other kids were hungry. And jace kept crying, no matter what mom did. So I thought that, if I could get everyone some food, then they would be happier. Their feeding us less and less now.”
For a moment, it looked as though Bronn would berate her for her actions. Instead, he merely sighed, and turned away from the girl.
“Ah get ya, kid.” He said solemnly. He turned back to the girl, a serious expression on his face as he continued, “but you can’t do something like this again, okay? This is serious, Alice.”
“Okay.” She agreed, looking at him with the same look of seriousness. Or, at least, she was trying to.
“Now… you still got that bread?” He asked, smiling as he did. Without a word, the girl showed him the loaf of bread in her hands. “Atta’ girl. Now go on back to the barn, and make sure every kid gets a piece of that. I’m counting on you.”
“I will.” And with that, Alice ran towards the barn. Running threw the field and past many other slaves.
Hayden heard Bronn’s chuckling as he stood back up. But, as he glance over his shoulder, he could see the rotten eyes of the ponies watching them. They were still angry from earlier, and something told him that they wouldn’t tolerate them wasting anymore time.
“I believe that our break is over.” He said aloud, Bronn and Levin took glances to the ponies themselves. With a nod, the three of them made their way back to work.
“Say, Levin. I never asked, what were you before this.” Bronn enquired as they walked.
“Oh, I was an assistant to an unicorn mage.” He answered matter of factly.
Bronn looked at him with a… less than impressed face, raising an eyebrow at the assistant’s answer.
“Well that’s… pretty underwhelming. Least it explain why your so bad at farming.” Bronn admitted as they begun their work.
“Hey, I’m not that bad.” Levin complained in a low voice, careful not to draw the attention of the guards.
“Really, cause it looks more like your trying to sweep floors, rather than till dirt.” Bronn laughed.
Hayden tuned them out as he worked, half listening to the pair’s bickering. He simply reflected on the day. He thought on Bronn’s words, and what he’d told him. He thought on Levin’s bravery. He though about the girl, Alice, who’d stolen from the ponies, and risked her safety, so that others could eat.
And then, his thoughts turned to his escape. None of the plan’s he’d come up with would work, all of them leading to his death or recapture. As well as harsh punishment for the humans here.
And if what Alice said was true, that they were being fed less and less, then he didn’t have long before they were barely given scraps. The ponies were most likely keeping the food to themselves, and giving the humans enough to keep them alive. Why waste precious food on lowly slaves, right.
But, it wouldn’t sustain them for long, certainly not threw the winter. It was only a month away but they were already feeling it’s effects. That and there proximity to the crystal empire wasn’t helping. If he was going to escape, it needed to be before winter set in. At least then he’d have a chance in the wilderness.
He didn’t have a plan yet, not an effective one at least. For now, he would bide his time until he had a better chance. But for now, farming called.
“Just because I was an assistant doesn’t mean that I’m not good at doing other things, Bronn!” Levin said harshly.
“Oh yeah, how’s yer cookin’. Or, better yet, how’s your cleaning.” Bronn teased.
“Well, I believe that Levin’s skills are something to be proud of.” Hayden said.
“Than you. See, Hayden get’s it.” Levin thanked, looking at Bronn as if he’d won.
Hayden couldn’t help but smirk, “though Bronn is right, your tilling skills are terrible.”
“Ha! Take that scrawny.” Bronn celebrated.
And from there the bickering continued, but honestly, neither of the three minded it. It was fun, a small ray of light in there bleak situation. And the wind blew, and the sun peaked, as they worked the day away.
