Author's Note

I would like to thank NCN, Twipet, and all the other contributors of FoE for helping get this far with this story. Without their support, I could have never gotten this far. I hope you all enjoy the final parts of this Bruised Apples, and thank you for reading.

The Worst Night Ever: Part 1

Applejack sat as still as possible, her posture rigid with her spine pressed flat against the back of a wooden chair. She fidgeted every so often when the brush going through her tail caught a knot in her hair, near silent sounds of discomfort as her work-worn hair was tugged, but otherwise she allowed the two ponies behind her do their work without much of a fuss.

It was the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, and tensions were high. Daisy was feverishly brushing every hair on the farm pony’s body till there wasn’t so much as a single one out of place. She had long since finished with AJ’s mane, and Lily was there forming the strands into a long braid. Applejack was considered such a “honored guest” of the occasion, which translated to open access sex slave, and thus was expected to show up looking her best for the pleasure of those who would fuck her.

Ever since Roseluck’s attempted betrayal two months before, everyone on the farm knew Applejack and Mac’s secret, and how close it was to being blown wide open. With that in mind, they had all been doing everything they could to help AJ strengthen her red collar image. Daisy had joined AJ a few times in front of Sweet Apple Acres when stallions were passing by to give them a quick suck, expressing that she greatly enjoyed the taste of cock and that it was the farm mare to thank for showing her how good it could be. Lily, on the other hand, took the opposite approach, bad mouthing Applejack whenever she was in town on a delivery run. The rumors she spread about the mare in falsified loathing could have made her a legend amongst reds in a more populated area where word of mouth would have spread much faster.

“You don’t have to do this.” said Carrot Top, watching the girls as they readied Applejack’s hair.

“Now ya know the caribou will throw a fit if Ah didn’t show up at their daggone Gala.” AJ replied, “They’d have someone here by the end of the night and I’d be goin’ there in a cage instead of a cart.”

“I’m talking about this whole red collar business,” Carrot Top said back, “You shouldn’t be hiding the fact that you’re really a black collar at heart. Those bastards need to know that there are those who object to what they do to us, and I don’t like that you have to pretend you’re a slut for the sake of the rest of us.”

Applejack didn’t disagree, but she had her own reasons for what she did. The image of her two cousins, Apple Cider and Apple Dumpling, entered her mind. She had to hold back her emotions as she thought of how they had been blanked, changed into things nowhere resembling the mares they used to be. Gunne had said they acted out because they were following her example, and thus her red collar prevented others from doing the same. It protected Mac as well, as it showed that he accepted how things had become and that he was willing to do what the caribou wanted, even if he hated it. As long as the caribou believed that, she would never have to see him get switched and forced into the life that she had to live.

Her motivations were known only to herself, and she had no intention of sharing them in fear that Macintosh might learn of the horrible fate that befell their two cousins. If one thing was to be learned from the Roseluck incident it was that the most important secrets could spread like wildfire if let slip. The only other person that knew was Fiddly Faddle, as she had been at the same farm as Dumpling and Cider. She was considering joining their resistance group, but it was caught before she could, and after seeing what happened to them she decided it was better not to try butting heads with the caribou. She agreed it was best not to tell Mac of what happened, as while they had no idea of how he’d react upon hearing the news, they knew it couldn’t lead to anything good.

Since AJ wouldn’t explain her reasoning to Carrot Top, she stayed quiet, allowing the others to finish grooming her. This didn’t satisfy Carrot Top at all, but she had little to say beyond what she already did. If AJ wasn’t even going to say anything to defend her position, she couldn’t do anything to convince her further. “Fine, just let them walk all over you. You’ll regret it sooner or later, if you don’t already.”

AJ did regret what she had done, but not the reasons she had done it. The times she spread her legs for some strange stallion, the cum that she drank from their fully erect cocks, the half-hearted lies that went against her very nature, the humiliation was worth it to make sure that nothing bad happened to her friends and family. It was hard, sometimes unbearable, but because of it the farm had become a haven of sorts for those who lived on it. She made her mistakes, tripped up from the character she was supposed to be every now and then, her own self worth and pride refusing to let her submit, but she would endure much more in order to keep those she cherished safe from what Gunne had said was her rebellious acts.

A knock on the doorframe jolted her out of her thoughts, and she spun her head around in response to the sound, which accidently pulled her mane out of Lily’s hands. It was her brother standing there in his attire for this evening, a tuxedo he rented that might have been a size too small, with Fiddly standing at his side. He gave a nervous grin as the girls made him the center of their attention.

“So… how do Ah look?” Mac asked, the silence creating too much tension for him to find tolerable.

Applejack was the first to speak up, “It looks good on ya. Bit overdressed for what’s going on tonight though.”

Mac wasn’t sure if AJ was trying to make a joke about what would be happening at the Gala, but he gave a laugh to calm his own nerves. “Ah guess so, but I’d look silly if I was the only one in a pair of worn out blue jeans.”

“It took us an hour to slip ‘em into all these fancy duds,” Fiddly said, as she gave Mac a spin to let everyone get a good look at the whole ensemble, “But Ah think it was worth it. It’s like he’s ready to go to prom with his school sweetheart.”

“Fiddly, please...” said Mac, his face becoming flush, “But thanks.”

“It looks nice Mac.” said Daisy.

“You’ll be the most handsome stallion there.” Lily added.

“At a party full of rapists.” Carrot Top finished.

“Carrot Top!” yelled all the other girls at once. They all knew she was right, but there was no point in stating the obvious.

“It’s okay,” Mac said as he straightened out the few wrinkles his suit had, “We all know I’m not going there to enjoy mahself.”

“But you’re going to be miserable all night,” said Daisy, approaching him from the side to sneak in a hug, “Maybe you should take one of us along to keep you company.”

“No way, no how,” Mac said, putting his hoof down on the spot, “It’s bad enough that AJ has to go, but if any of the rest of you come along then Ah might as well put a sign on ya that says ‘open access’. If this goes the way Ah think it will then any mare in that castle tonight isn’t coming out untouched.”

“I’m with him,” Applejack joined in, her hair draped over her shoulder while she finished the end of her braid, “Best if all ya stay home, get some early shut eye and prepare to cover mah shift tomorrow.”

“We’ll all get plenty of rest,” said Lily, “And if you don’t come back by morning for any reason I’ll manage everything.”

“Then there is only one other thing Ah have to take care of before we go...” said Mac, his previous nervousness giving way to a glum mood, “Roseluck! Come here please!”

The others went quiet, amazed and almost frightened that Macintosh wanted to be in the same room with the traitorous mare. He had hardly wanted to look at her up until then, letting Applejack handle the morning chore assignments so he wouldn’t have to. Roseluck herself wanted to remain off his radar as much as she could as well, the girls often caught her as she ducked out of his sight and worked harder than anyone else to make sure her chores were finished so she wouldn’t have to be punished again. Now she was being called by him directly, and none of them knew if she’d even respond to it out of fear that Mac wanted to work out more of his aggressions on her.

The seconds ticked by as they waited for the mare’s arrival, time feeling like it had come to an unbearable crawl. “I’ll go get her.” Lily volunteered, the discomfort getting to her. As she tried to walk out the room though, Mac lifted his hand.

“She’s coming…” The stallion watched as Roseluck came slowly out of the communal mare bedroom, looking sullen and downtrodden as if she was walking to her own execution. The spike of guilt in his heart drove deeper with each step she took towards him, her head hung low and ears drooped lower than he believe he had seen any pony’s before. She was beyond pitiable, but at the same time Mac didn’t want to appear soft in front of her. If he was too sympathetic, he risked a repeat of her attempt to undermine him, and even if she failed again his soul couldn’t take it if his anger got the best of him again. So he showed no compassion towards her and stayed unflinching no matter how much it crushed him internally.

Roseluck halted once she got in front of her master, lifting her head up only to see if he looked upset. His face was stern and uncaring to the terrified mare, and she dropped down to her knees in an attempt to look so pathetic that she wouldn’t be worth his effort to discipline her further. The one time was enough to scare her straight and never want to do anything like that ever again, but she had learned in her time as a black collar that being corrected never stopped a male from beating you if they felt you hadn’t learned the lesson properly.

“You called for me master?” Roseluck said meekly.

Mac didn’t know if she was mocking him, since she knew that he didn’t enjoy this sort of display, or if his lashes in the barn made her see him as just another male who had no trouble whipping a woman into submission. He just knew he didn’t like it. “Please… stand up.” The mare did as she was told, jolting back to her standing position as if his calm voice was instead a demanding yell. Her response to his well-meaning request didn’t make him feel any better, and he could tell that he had to end this quickly before self-loathing consumed him. “Look…. ya see… Ah just wanted to tell ya that… well ya have been doing such a good job around here lately and Ah thought that maybe ya deserved a bit of a reward. So after tonight… I’m going to make sure ya can have sex in Ponyville at least once a week. That should let ya work out your urges and give ya enough time to do your fair share of work around here. Does that sound okay?”

Roseluck didn’t say anything to the stallion, either positively or negatively. For all she knew this was a test to see if she was acting more red than he preferred. If she showed any signs of wanting this her only reward might have been the back of a hand, and with her sluttier disposition now associated with pain she wasn’t even sure if she wanted it anymore.

“Umm…” Mac started, clueless of what else to say, but understanding that he would have to be the one to say something, “That was all Ah really wanted to tell ya. If ya want you can go back and rest for the rest of the night.”

“Thank you master,” said Roseluck, turning around to do just that. Lily and Daisy poked their heads out to chance a glimpse of their fellow flower mare as she slipped into the bedroom and out of sight.

“Oooohhh, is it bad that I actually feel sorry for her?” Daisy said, biting her lower lip to keep out her unwanted emotions.

“She should feel bad for what she did, but I’ve never seen her this upset. She hardly touched any of her food last night and…” Lily stopped herself as she saw Mac walk away and head downstairs without a word, and she realized that she had said far too much.

AJ got up from her seat, following after her brother, “Don’t worry, Ah got this.” She said as she passed by Lily. Applejack easily relieved the mare of her worries with that quick sentence, but she might not be able to do the same with Mac even if she had an entire night.

Everyone was on edge after the recent events. No one on the farm could say for certain if what Mac did in the barn was wrong. Each pony had an opinion, and it usually leaned more to one side than the other, but no one wanted to outright say that Roseluck got what she deserved or that Mac went too far. To condemn Mac would be to condemn themselves, as they had conspired against Roseluck in the dire moment that led to her being in the barn with him in the first place, and while everyone could agree that Roseluck was in the wrong, the punishment she received was far greater than any of them expected Mac to be capable of.

Mac's own opinion swayed more than any other pony's on the farm. If anyone mentioned to him that he had been in the right, he would immediately object, saying that it was out of nothing but anger, and that he had lost control of himself. Yet, if anyone told him that he had gone too far, he would become defensive and say that Roseluck had been trying to undo everything he had done.

AJ had never seen him as rattled as he had been in the last few months, the moral conflict almost too much for a stallion who preferred to keep things simple. If and when Mac came to terms with it would be up to him alone, as it was a hard topic that the mare assumed had no definitive answer. All she could do was be there for him during those tough times and hope that in the end things would turn out okay.

The day went on with no further incident, Applejack and Mac keeping each other company in the downstairs living room as the others went about their business. It was only when a knock came to the door that things picked up again, with both Applejack and Macintosh knowing who would be on the other side.

Applejack got to her hooves first, answering the door before her brother could remove himself from his seat. As expected, she was greeting a particular caribou magistrate and his sibling slave. “Hello Gunne,” she said begrudgingly as she stepped aside, “Would ya like to come inside?”

Gunne stepped in past the threshold, Ginna walking in closely behind with a bag in hand. “You clean up nicely Applejack, but you're gonna need to sound more enthusiastic for the party.”

“Well golly Gunne!” AJ said, wide-eyed and wearing a bright smile that was as obviously forced as the excitement in her voice, “Ah just have a nest of butterflies in my stomach from the thoughts of all the stallions and stags that will be rubbing their dicks over every inch of mah body! Ah bet that I’ll get over it by the time Ah get the tenth cum shot in mah eyes! Might even whittle away the last remaining bits of dignity Ah have piece by piece as they-”

“AJ...” Mac said loudly, able to hear her from the living room. Gunne gave her a look as if he had gained some sort of victory from her getting scolded, and tracked Mac’s voice into the living room. Ginna went along right behind her brother, a spring in her step as she gave AJ a wave of acknowledgement while running past her.

AJ couldn’t help but be peeved that the caribou’s provoking got her corrected by Mac, but she had become accustomed to getting the short end of the stick when Gunne was around. Both Mac and AJ had to defer to his expertise when it came to interacting with those outside the boundaries of the farm, the results he had gotten earning him a bit of respect, but to her that was easily overmatched by his daily acts of oppression and his overall demeanor. AJ accepted that these were things she would have deal with, but she still needed to be occasionally reminded to not reciprocate the caribou’s poor behavior.

Gunne found Mac in the living room, adjusting his suit to brush out the wrinkles that were caused by him sitting. “Well look at that, so there is a proper gentleman under all that dirt you usually wear.”

Mac finished his adjustments by straightening out his bowtie. “Ya wouldn’t believe how hard it was to find a suit that didn’t have some sort of removable crotch.” he stated, the inconvenience being the first thing on his mind when it came to the tuxedo. Then he realized that Gunne had given him a compliment and he had been impolite by not giving him one back. “You look good too though, but Ah suppose ya always do in that getup.” said Mac, noting that Gunne was in his usual Caribou officer uniform.

“Ah, yes…” Gunne said giving himself a once over, “It is tradition for caribou soldiers to wear their armor to special occasions. Most don’t wear it on a day-to-day basis like myself, but I find every day in service of the king is a special occasion.”

“That is… actually kinda corny.” Mac said, finding Gunne’s quirk silly. The chestplate had to be at least slightly cumbersome, and Mac could see him having to clean it often, or at the very least have Ginna give it a good polishing.

“I know, but let’s get back to what I was saying about you,” Gunne started circling around Mac, taking in every detail, “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were an upstanding member of society. Combed tail, shined up your hooves, the tux isn’t spectacular, but it should let you blend in with the other ponies at the castle. If you combed back your mane I’d be afraid of one of the guys taking you home with them.”

Mac wasn’t quite sure what the caribou was talking about at first, but then remembered that there were some like Braeburn who were into other things than women. “Ah guess there would be some gay stallions here as well.” he said, partially joking, but also aware that he might actually receive a few passes.

“I would believe that there would be more bisexual men there than those that are purely gay, and not just stallions either. My people don’t quite have the same views on male relationships as yours. Many of the friendships among us are cemented by more than ale and war stories. Though given that you’re likely to be the smaller of the pair, I suspect they’d have certain expectations.”

Mac found that bit of information a little ass clenching. Bad enough that AJ had to take it from the caribou, he didn’t want to end up on the end of one’s cock as well, “Yeah... Ah think that I’m gonna be avoiding the wine tonight, if ya don’t mind.”

“Thinking about it, that might actually be a good idea,” Gunne said in agreement, “And with that we should get going. Ginna, here, now.”

The caribou girl came front and center, bag in hand, standing in attention and ready to take any order given to her by her master. “Yes master?”

“Do you remember what I told you on the way here?”

Ginna thought hard. “You told me I was staying here again like when you left last time.” She said, a finger pressed against cheek as she put effort into remembering what she had been told. “You said that I should keep myself busy with my toys and the mares if they told me to do anything.”

“Except for..?” Gunne added to remind his sister of something she had forgotten.

Ginna had to think again, “Except for… the… red collar…?”

“Right, and why is that?”

“Because she’s bad. She disobeyed her master and had to be punished.”

Gunne gave a firm nod, “Good, I don’t want you anywhere near her. She’s a bad influence.”

“Yes master,” said the cow, a bit confused. She was hardly ever told to listen to black collars, and it was very odd that she had to stay away from a red collar.

Gunne gave his sister a rub on the head and a kiss on the cheek, “Good girl, just don’t cause trouble and if you can’t find anything to do then focus on breaking your record.”

“Ok master, I’ll do my best to do forty three orgasms before you get back.” With that the girl scurried off with her bag of toys, almost tripping over a large, knotted piece of rubber that fell out of the leather pouch on her way upstairs, the caribou girl heading to where she thought the mares that would be watching over her were.

“Now that that’s settled, we should be off,” said Gunne. The two Apple ponies agreed, and with no reason to postpone their trip to Canterlot any further, the three headed for the door. The two males exited, and as Applejack closed the door behind her she saw her hat on a rack next to the entrance.

AJ felt tempted to grab it on the way out, to have something that would remind her of who she really was during a night that would do its best to make her something she wasn’t. As the earth mare reached for it, she stopped, second guessing herself on whether it would be a good idea. She wasn’t worried that wearing it would get her in trouble, the party guests would probably get a kick out of seeing a mare dressed only in a collar and a hat, see her as some sort of stereotypical representation of a country bumpkin and focus on that the whole night. In the end she pulled her arm away from it, deciding it was best to not let the last symbol of her long since removed freedom get soiled, and left it there to wait for her return as she ran after Mac and Gunne.

Gunne guided the two ponies down the dirt path of the farm, to a carriage sitting in front of the entrance arch. It had a warbeast at its front attached to its reins, which made Mac glad Gunne hadn’t gone for the option of having mares pull it instead. The cart itself was elaborately decorated, almost fit for royalty and far more extravagant than Mac assumed that they would be riding. There was a driver waiting upfront, some caribou that Mac didn’t know. Something was attached to the back of it, a wagon or cart of some type, but at this distance the clydesdale couldn’t make out if it had anything inside. The outside was covered in decor that was made of cheap material unsuitable for a foal’s float for the Summer Harvest Parade, with tin cans tied to the back end, banners of tissue paper, and crayon written obscenities announcing the contents of the cart as ‘cock-hungry sluts of Ponyville’.

“Ah right, almost forgot,” Gunne said as he reached into a side pouch on his belt, “There are a few things that I need to tell you both before we go, since we are away from prying ears.”

The ponies assumed that he meant Roseluck; Gunne was not too pleased when he had heard that she had tried to tattle on him and Mac. The earth stallion couldn’t blame him, as he stood to be in trouble too if their secret ever got out. “So what is it?” Mac asked.

“King Dainn wants Applejack to give a speech when tonight’s events come to a close.”

“Wait, what?” AJ cut in, not welcoming this sudden news.

“Because you were once known as the most stubborn mare in Equestria, your recent conversion to red collar, and your status as a former ‘Element of Harmony’, the King wishes that you tell everyone how much better you life has become since submitting. It will be very pleasing for the guests there to see that there is no such thing as an ‘unbreakable mare’, and it might convince some of the black collars there to convert as well.”

“Ah ain’t givin’ no speech in front of no caribou,” AJ said, he face contorting in disgust at the very thought of it, “Ah wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“I felt that might be the case, so I took the liberty of writing out something myself.” Gunne pulled a folded piece of paper from his pouch.

AJ took the paper and opened it, scrutinizing every part of it with extreme prejudice. The speech was more than the normal caribou fare of having a woman verbally degrade herself in the image of a insatiable whore; it went into the reasons why a mare would find the new order preferable to the way things use to be. The ‘liberty’ brought about by someone constantly rubbing your face in the dirt whenever you got out of line, the ‘pleasure’ of being in their service and giving them everything while getting nothing in return, the ‘appreciation’ of knowing that being born with a dick made a male in every way better than you could ever hope to be. It was the most eloquently crafted example of female disparagement that she had ever read, worthy of being quoted in some caribou textbook as a perfect representation of how a female should see herself.

“You can’t be serious…” AJ said in disgust, “Ya can’t expect me to actually say all this. Ah don’t even know how to pronounce some of these bigger words.”

“I assumed you might not,” said Gunne, never missing a chance to send an insult the farm mare’s way, “But don’t worry about that. No one expects you to have come up with something like this, and they’ll assume your master was the one who wrote it for you. In fact Mac should hold onto that until the time is right. However, you can take this.”

The caribou handed off another item to the mare; a small jewelry case, already opened to reveal a pair of rings. They had small chains attached to them, with an apple shaped ruby at the end of each one. She wished that they were earrings, but the size of the clasp on the first loop told her it was intended for a thicker area of flesh. Compared to the speech she was now required to give, this was a simple request. She reluctantly handed the paper to Mac for safe keeping before she slid the rings into her pierced breasts. The weight of the small gemstones pulling on her nipples would be the least of her problems that night.

“I do have some good news for you Applejack,” Gunne said, pleased to see the farm mare comply without complaint.

“Oh boy, Ah can hardly wait.”

“You should actually enjoy this. You see, King Dainn…”

“Already lost me.”

“AJ, please. Not tonight.” Mac reminded.

“Anyways,” Gunne continued, “When King Dainn learned that I was going to come to the party tonight he felt that I could save time by bringing some important government property along with me. You’ll be riding along with them tonight.”

“Them?” Applejack asked, the word escaping her mouth just before a familiar voice hit her ears.

“APPLEJACK! OOOVVVEEERRR HHHEEERRREEE!” yelled a pink figure leaning out of the wagon behind the carriage, its call accompanied by the sound of a ringing cowbell.

“Pinkie Pie?” Applejack said aloud, having thought that she was going to be alone with Mac and Gunne for the ride. With the pink mare waving bringing attention to the cart though she could now see that it not only held her, but two others as well. A yellow head with a long pink mane poked its head up from the bed of the wagon. Fluttershy must’ve been picked up moments before Gunne arrived.

There was one other mare in that cart with those two though, a pony that made AJ’s heart beat harder. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were one thing, as even as red collars the farm mare could make up reasons in her head to not see them as traitors. AJ, however, had never managed to come up with a reason for why the last occupant of the wagon would submit so easily to the caribou.

Twilight Sparkle, a mare who so easily caved in during the invasion of Equestria that she handed over the entirety of the Ponyville’s mares upon the caribou’s arrival to the town. Or at least that was the rumor that was spread around by those who were there. Applejack had no reason to doubt the validity of those rumors either, as each encounter with the mare after her enslavement only served to prove it further. She was never around Twilight long enough to speak with her directly, and in many ways she didn’t want to if it meant that a mare she was once proud to call friend had had both willingly surrendered herself and aided in the enslavement, torture and humiliation of every mare in Equestria. Twilight always seemed enthusiastic about her life as a red collar from what she could see, but as long as she could stay away from the alicorn, Applejack could always pretend like there was a reason behind it that she just didn’t understand.

AJ’s muscles tightened, becoming rigid and stiff. She contemplated asking, perhaps even begging Gunne to let her sit in the carriage to avoid confronting the former heroine of Equestria face to face. Pinkie’s excitement prevented her from doing so though, as it would hurt her feelings if she did. “Ah suppose Ah should get in back then… with your permission of course, Master.”

Sensing AJ’s switch into her publicly displayed persona, Mac gave her a nod, “If ya feel like it becomes too hard…”

“Come to ya, Ah know. Ah can handle this, Ah just need to try an’ enjoy mahself.” The farm mare separated from her brother, and headed to the back of the wagon to use the stepping platform.

She hardly got halfway there before a pair of arms embraced her around the neck and a large lump of firm flesh obstructed her view. “I’m so happy you could make it! This is going to be the greatest party ever!” said Pinkie as she pressed the side of her friend’s face into her breasts.

AJ allowed Pinkie a moment to work out her well meaning hug, noticing that her wrists had shackles on them that attached to her collar by chains, before gently pushing away. “Well of course Ah made it. Can’t refuse an order from the king, now can Ah?” she said in the most polite tone she could. Even if Ah want to.

“Oh right, hehe, but I hope that’s not the only reason you’re cumming tonight. We are going to have so much fun, I just know it!”

AJ hoisted herself into the cart, taking a seat next to Pinkie. She then looked to the other two passengers that she would be spending the next hour or so with. “Fluttershy,” she greeted with a nod, “Twilight.”

“Hello Applejack, long time no see.” Twilight said, wearing a smile one would expect to see from a friend they hadn’t talked to in a while. But that smile was being worn by a mare whose wings were in red wing binders that prevented them from stretching out fully, and with what was once her horn reduced to a mere stump atop her head. With the red collar clamped tightly around her neck, she was like an embodiment of every wretched thing the caribou had ever done, and that welcoming smile was just a sad reminder to AJ of the mare she used to be. “I can’t believe it’s been so long since the last time we’ve talked, but I suppose we’ve both been really busy in the past year.”

“Ya know me, always staying busy on the farm,” said AJ in attempt to divert the conversation from where she felt it was heading.

“Well let me finally congratulate you on earning your red collar. I know it’s not always easy to accept change, but I always had faith in my friends to eventually come to see reason.”

“Reason… right…” It felt weird hearing Twilight talk accepting slavery like it was just common sense. AJ wondered if the alicorn even knew about Pinkie’s other side, the part that hated the idea of her conforming to the caribou’s wants, if acting a bit unhinged while showing it. It was why she had chosen to sit next to the pink pony; on some level they both were just acting out a role instead of really agreeing with how things were.

“Now we just need to hope Rainbow follows our example and becomes a red soon too. Then we can all be best friends again, working together to do what’s best for Equestria.”

The night was already starting off on the wrong hoof, AJ had to turn away from Twilight just to keep from showing a frown. She gave Sweet Apple Acres one last look before the cart took off, and hoped that before the night was over that she would be able to still look at it the same way.

Mac and Gunne stepped inside the passenger compartment of the carriage so they could depart, the inside being comprised of two seats set on opposite walls from each other. Mac took the seat furthest from the front, as did Gunne as he sat aside the clydesdale. Mac paid this no mind, as his paranoia made him prefer they both be further from the driver in case they needed to talk about private matters. Something did seem off though, as while there were four mares sitting in the back, only he and Gunne were sitting up front.

“Aren’t we missing someone?” Mac asked, all of the mares’ masters and handlers accounted for save for one.

“Missing?” Gunne questioned, having to think about who Mac could have meant. “Do you mean the dragon?”

“Yeah, Ah thought Spike would be waiting in here with Twilight sitting in the back.”

The stallion’s words gave the caribou a light chuckle, just as the carriage started to move. “Do you think that he’d be able to control himself long enough for a ride to Canterlot?”

“Well… Ah..”

“Mac, one of my duties is to make sure that he doesn’t run amok in the town. I’ve dealt with him enough to assure you that he is little more than a beast fixated on fucking as many females as he can get a hold of. I’ve had to distract him away from Ginna on several occasions in fear that he might hurt her with his aggressive tendencies, and he tried to fight you for bumping into him that one time. Such unrestrained and unpredictable behavior isn’t something the king would appreciate on a night as important as this one.”

Mac saw Gunne’s point, and was happy to hear that he went out of his way to protect his sister from potential danger, “So how did ya get Twilight away from him?”

“The way one gets anything away from an animal,” Gunne said smugly, “Toss it another piece of meat.”

Mac caught the implication, and was close to asking who he had sacrificed to the dragon’s brutal lust to steal away his treasure for the night, but then figured putting a specific face on the image wouldn’t do him any favors. Best he didn’t know, that way no one else would be troubling his thoughts that evening.

“So what about me,” Mac said, changing the topic, “The king expects AJ to give a speech along with doing her red collar stuff, do Ah have to do anything? Join her on stage? Explain how Ah tamed her when others couldn’t?”

“Not at all,“ Gunne say as he leaned back to settle in for the long ride, “You are a guest tonight, and the only thing expected of you is to have as much fun as possible. No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to.”

“No, they’ll just try to convince me to do things Ah don’t wanna.”

“Perhaps, but you apparently haven't learned yet that you are your own man.” Mac gave the caribou an odd remark, but Gunne was more than happy to clarify what he meant, “This passive aggressive demeanor doesn’t befit you. I understand where it comes from, your life as a farmhand and living in your sister’s shadow before we came and set things straight, quietly complying to the demands of the females that shaped you into what fulfilled their needs.”

“Are ya trying to insult me? Cause if that’s it then it’s working.”

“My apologies then, I’m only trying to say that I see a much stronger man in you than that. You’re not spineless, like some of the other incurable stallions I’ve seen. You are able to take charge, argue your view on things, if clumsily, and you’ve done what you had to in order to keep what you care for. I’ve always said that you were misguided, but as I’ve said before, you are the only person aside for the King that I respect for more than rank.”

That was a bit of a switch, Mac thought. Mac didn’t know what to say, but settled on the first thing that came to mind and went on from there. “Thank you, Ah really respect ya too. Ya didn’t have to do what ya did for me an’ mah family, but ya did and Ah can never really tell ya how much Ah appreciate that.”

“You’re right, I could have shipped you off to Canterlot the day I met you and saved myself a lot of trouble,” Gunne said jokingly, “But I think that would have been a mistake. You might have a head full of bad ideas, but you’re no more a threat to this kingdom than I am.”

Mac knew the caribou was just kidding around, but the joke fell on a bad chord with him. Before meeting Gunne, the stallions of Ponyville were just as unnerved around him as he was with them. Everyone knew his stance on how mares were treated, and even thought him to be part of the rebels that lived day by day in a losing battle against the oppression the caribou brought. Now a year had passed and he had done so many things he never thought he would’ve, things that made him view himself as grimier than the lowliest caribou bastards simply because he felt that the options he took often went against what he stood for. These choices might have made things easier, but they were never easy, and they took from him the pride he had back when he was treated as a “threat”.

“Is that that another disheartened look I see creeping on your face?” Gunne asked. He’d been around him long enough to be able to tell when Mac’s deep thinking was about to make him become angsty, “That’s it, when we get to Canterlot, I'm taking you on a tour around the castle, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Ah thought the reason Ah was going to this thing was to keep an eye on AJ.”

“We will, I promise,” Gunne reassured, “but a stroll around the castle will take your mind off things.” Mac didn’t believe this would be the case, but he also felt that this might be something that Gunne would pursue until he won the debate. “One quick tour and then you can spend the rest of the night blending in with the decor.”

“Alright… but just a small one.”

“Fair enough, but I promise you won’t regret it.”

It was funny how often Gunne said he wouldn’t regret things, and even more so how often he was wrong.

While Mac and Gunne discussed what they would be doing when they got to the Gala, Applejack found herself sitting in the middle of a similar discussion. The three other mares in the cart with her were abuzz with speculations of how the night would turn out, each of them tossing out their high expectations. It was strangely nostalgic, reminiscent of the last gala and how they talked about all the wonderful things they thought would happen that night. The only difference being that their sex-fueled fantasies were much more likely to come true than the ones they had before.

“Is something wrong Applejack?” Fluttershy asked, breaking away from her musings about how the animals in the garden would possibly be more welcoming this year, “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

Leave it to Fluttershy to pick up on someone else being more reserved than she was. Then again, out of four red collars she was the only one not joining the group’s discussion. It was likely somebody was going to catch on eventually.

Now that it was brought up, everypony’s eyes were on her, each one curious about the Applejack’s distant behavior. “Ya see… well it’s hard to say really...” she floundered for words, not sure what she could say to get them to back off. She could tell them that she wasn’t feeling well. That was honest enough an answer, her friends all happily talking about how they were open to any violating act the three could think of, along with the looming Gala itself, turning her stomach in ways she didn’t think possible. However, her sheepishness prompted Fluttershy to speak up for her.

“I think I see what’s going on,” the pegasus said with understanding, “Applejack is still in her transitional phase. It took me a while to fully accept my place when I got my red collar too. I was so scared when the masters claimed me, but over time I was shown that it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought and that I actually liked it better being a pet.”

Fluttershy had been the first to be a red collar out of their small group, and thus had more experience with it that any of the others. AJ watched as something she assumed was supposed to be a comforting smile grew on Twilight’s face, as even the alicorn had to accept Fluttershy’s expertise in the matter, having gone through something like a transitional phase herself. “AJ, it’s OK to be nervous. You’ve been a black collar for so long, and this is all new to you. You don’t have to hide it from us.”

Twilight’s words hurt, sounding all too close to what she might have said in the past to help one of her friends work through their emotions. “Ah didn’t want to make ya’ll worry ‘bout me or think that Ah was having second thoughts is all.”

“Well don’t you worry AJ, we are here to help you through this. A case of the jitters is fine, just as long as you keep obeying and don’t let it lead you into a relapse.”

“You know what helped me out?” Fluttershy said. “Talking about everything that happened after my collaring to my master. Once I got all my fears out in the open things became much easier.”

“Does that mean we’re going to have story time?” Pinkie said happily, practically quivering with elation.

“If Applejack doesn’t mind telling us what she’s been doing all this time,” answered Twilight, “I’ll admit, I’m curious to hear what’s been going on with you myself. So what do you say?”

AJ thought it over, it would keep the other from putting more disturbing imagery into her head. “Well, ah suppose Ah could tell ya’ll… but… if Ah say something that sounds funny try not to judge me too much.”

“We would never,” said Fluttershy.

“Why would we ever do anything like that?” said Pinkie.

“We promise to listen to everything you want to tell us and won’t say anything to make you feel bad.” said Twilight.

“Well… Okay… here it goes…” AJ started her story right where it began, in Canterlot with black collar around her neck. It wasn’t easy to talk about how she was raped, how Ivangir made her his personal fuck toy and tried to break her, and even harder admitting that in an attempted escape she caused a unicorn girl to be injured. She explained it all with blunt description, keeping to simple terms and not going into detail about the torment Ivangir put her through.

When she got to the point where she was given over to Mac she was a bit more forthcoming. How at first she had feared that the caribou were handing her off to her brother because he too had changed, that being beaten and raped by him might remove what spirit she had remaining was their plan, and how relieved she was when Mac sat her down and told her this was not the case. Pinkie and Fluttershy even cried a little when she said how she flew into her brother’s arms for comfort after the ordeals she went through, the stallion’s kind and loving embrace feeling like shelter in a turbulent storm.

From there the two siblings agreed to do what they had to in order to stay together, and started their new lives under the caribou’s rule. They accepted their roles as food providers for Ponyville, answered every request for her use, and obeyed the rules that were set for them while doing everything they could to keep what little they had left. That all changed when Gunne entered their lives.

Applejack figured that the part would need a bit of a discreet touch, and she resorted to a clever bit of wordplay and the omittance of anything that alluded to her collar being obtained by less than legitimate means. The encounter with Gunne alone at Sweet Apple Acre went from him guilting her into pursuing a red collar to him explaining that her actions had consequences beyond herself. Her first visit to Pinkie’s bordello changed from its original intent to spread the word that AJ was going to be willing from that point on, to Mac wanting to help ease her into sex by having her begin her new lifestyle with the aid of a friend. Pinkie joined in at that part by adding her own vivid rendition of how the two mares played with each others' bodies. The training Gunne had given her and Mac remained mostly the same, as it was easy for anyone to interpret what he did as teaching AJ to be a better slave while showing Mac how to become a better master. All of this was true, if looked at from a certain perspective, so Applejack had few qualms with her small alterations.

She ended the story at the competition after Dainn gave Gunne permission to have her collar swapped, completely skipping Braeburn's farm to keep herself from saying too much about her cousin’s activities. “Ah couldn’t believe that Ah actually earned a red collar. Ever since then things have been less stressful for Mac, mahself, for everyone on the farm Ah reckon.” Applejack finished, not sure where to go from there. She could have brought up Roseluck, but there was no need to make Mac look like a monster in the eyes of her friends. Though as far gone as they were, they might not interpret what she said that way.

Fluttershy got close, taking AJ’s hands in her own, “Did getting all that out make you feel better?”

In a way, it did. Not because she had been bottling her emotions all this time. There were countless times she had voiced her opinion of the caribou in the past, and with ponies like Mac, Braeburn, and the mares on the farm she had no short supply of people to talk to. This bit of storytelling with her friends was different however. It almost felt like how it used to be, where she and her friends would come together to catch up on things with each other that they might have missed in between time. If Rainbow Dash and Rarity were there and the topic was on a lighter subject then there would have been little difference. “Yes, it did Fluttershy. Thank you.”

“It was a wonderful story Applejack,” said Twilight, “And it shows that you really worked hard to change yourself. You might want to focus a little bit more on the sexy parts next time you tell it though.”

“What are ya gettin’ at?” Applejack asked, a dark feeling rising up inside her.

“Stallions and red collars like hearing stories that have graphic sex to them, and making it sound enjoyable can help black collars to see the pleasures of serving their masters. With a few alterations the story you told us could make for a good read, even the parts at the beginning, since it makes a great contrast of how you used to think to how you think now.” The farm mare hoped that the alicorn was only joking, but then she said, “I bet I could write out a version that would be better, in case you want to tell it again. If your master doesn’t mind, I could even give it to my mother and she could use it for one of her books.”

Just like that, all the bad feelings she had within her at the start of her tale rushed back. She had only shared the story with the mares in the cart because she hoped their bond with one another still meant something, that maybe they were still friends regardless if the others willingly wore their wretched red collars and could see that this was a personal and private matter. Now Twilight was talking like she intended to have the story spread all across Equestria and modified to become books that stallions and mares would masturbate to. Mac would never allow it, but Applejack’s imagination was getting the best of her in this case.

Luckily for Applejack, Pinkie was there to pull her away from such thought, in a literal sense as she drew the farm mare into a big hug, the pink pony this time pressing her ample breasts into Applejack’s own. “Don’t you let all that bad stuff get you down. Just think of the great time we’ll have tonight at the Gala.”

Applejack was about to follow Pinkie’s advice and focus on what awaited her at the party, but then a twitching ear came into her peripheral vision. “Umm… Pinkie, are ya feeling okay?”

Pinkie followed Applejack’s line of vision, placing her hand on her ear when she saw the problem. “Don’t worry about that, just a few twitches. My Pinkie Sense has been going off all day.”

“Pinkie sense?” said Applejack, “What’s it telling you?”

“I’m not sure.” Pinkie replied, “Whatever it is though, it’s gonna be a doozy. My ears have been wiggling, knees pinching, and I’ve been quivering like crazy. Mister Gunne gave me these shiny chains to make it stop, but whatever it is, it’s huge. I can hardly contain it!” Pinkie gave a wide grin as she gave a powerful tremble, one strong enough that Applejack could feel it throughout her being while the pink pony held her tightly.

“Well this is the biggest party of the year,” Twilight reasoned, “Something big is bound to happen.”

This didn’t bode well at all. AJ recalled the last time Pinkie’s senses went off like this. It was the day of the Canterlot invasion, right before things took a turn for the worse and never turned back. If that was what happened back then, she dreaded to think what these twitches could mean.