Slaves in the End

Applebloom rummaged through her kitchen trying to find something for her new guest to eat, he must be starving after all, he looked so skinny and frail. The problem was that she didn’t know what he liked to eat, or what humans ate exactly. She decided to go with a safe bet of a few apples and a glass of cider. She found herself excited as she carried the tray of snacks to the guest room, she never spoke to a human before or even seen one up close, most she saw were the ones being loaded onto a few trains to who knows where. When she arrived at the door it opened and out walked Fluttershy, who looked down and smiled at her, moving herself out the way and joining Applejack and Big Mac in conversation. Applebloom took a deep breath and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her, startling the human in front of her.

“Well hi there, thought ya might wan’ sum snacks and a drink.” she chimed.

He quickly sat himself up, or tried to with difficulty, before answering.

“Thank you, Miss. I am a bit hungry.” he replied.

Applebloom picked up on a bit of hesitation in his answer, but nonetheless sat the tray on the nightstand and ushered him to start eating.

“The cider is amazin’, our own family recipe fer years, try it!”

Salem did as she said and took a sip of the cider, and nearly choked on it, going into a coughing fit.

“Wha-what’s wrong? Do ya not like it? Are ya okay?” Applebloom asked concerned.

“No..no Miss, it’s amazing. I’ve just never...tasted something so sweet, it took me by surprise.”

Applebloom smiled wide as he took another large gulp of the cider. The yellow filly laughed when he sighed heavily after completely finishing the glass. Salem even smiled as she laughed, but quickly covered his mouth, as if trying to wipe away the trace of his smile. Her own smile faded away as he resumed his apparently normal timid state. The others knew why he was like this, of course they left her out of the loop, but she could figure things out on her own. He had been hurt and on the run, that much was obvious, he was also a slave. She always felt uneasy about that, when the subject of humanity was taught in school, others like Diamond Tiara laughed at it like humans were jokes. No one should own someone, whether they be ponies or human.

“Ya goin’ ta try the apples?” Applebloom asked, “Jus’ as good as the cider, I promise.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an apple before, Master said they were too expensive.” Salem admitted,holding a Red Delicious in his hands, looking it over like a foreign object.

Applebloom audibly gasped, making Salem almost drop the fruit.

“Sorry, sorry! Jus’ the thought of never havin’ an apple is crazy. Try it, try it please!” She almost begged.

The small smile returned as the human bit into the apple. An audible, satisfying crunch was heard when he took the first literal bite of his first apple ever.

“Well?” Applebloom asked excitedly.

“Delicious, Miss.” he responded, still smiling.

“Ya don’t have ta call me Miss ya know, jus’ call me Applebloom.” she remarked.

“I’m sorry...it’s a habit.” He said quietly.

“No no, it’s okay, friends don’t call each other Miss or Mister, now do they?” She smirked.

“I don’t know Mis-Applebloom. I only know what I was taught.” He responded.

“What were you taught?” She curiously inquired.

He paused and looked to the ground, his head hung as if he had done something wrong. She was about to take back the question before he began speaking.

“Equestrians are our masters. Humans, one and all are here to serve, no matter the task. I am below them, and I must always know that to survive. Your job is to so as Master says, never disobey or you will be punished, harshly. Never expect to be lov-”

“Salem…” Applebloom whispered, catching his attention.

He realized he had said too much, running his hands over his watery eyes.

“I’m s-sorry, M-miss.” He stuttered.

“Don’t apologize, I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t really get why they would do this to ya, to any human.” She countered, trying to justify her innocence.

“It’s okay, neither do I.” Salem stated, his eyes drifted off to the side,not wanting to look directly at her.

“If it’ll make ya feel better, ya don’t have ta worry about that anymore, you’re not a slave here. Fluttershy will take really good care of ya, so will we, I promise!” Applebloom asserted.

“She does seem nice.” Salem added after a long silence.

“She’s the nicest pony I’ve ever met.” Applebloom stated immediately.

He didn’t respond to that, just a small shake of his head before looking towards the ground again.

Both heads turned as the bedroom door opened, revealing Fluttershy and Applejack who held a large blue, worn out shirt.

“Howdy pardner, thought you’d want a shirt, we don’t have any your size so Big Mac’s will have to do.” Applejack said, handing Salem the giant shirt.

“If I can, I’d like to check your bandage one more time, to make sure it’s on tight.” Fluttershy asked.

Salem nodded and turned around to let Fluttershy tend, but the gasp that came from Applebloom made everyone freeze. She stared at Salem’s back, or what his back was supposed to be. It was covered in vicious scars torn with old, faded lines, others still seemed fresh and new. She didn’t mean to make a scene, but was horrified by the sight.  The two older ponies didn’t know how to respond, they just stood there, looking back and forth.

“Wh- What happened to ya? Why would they do this to ya?” Applebloom stammered.

Salem quickly put the shirt on, covering his torn back, before turning around to face the filly. His eyes watery again, distant and lost in thought, or perhaps the past.

“I was bad.” Was all he said.

“Ya were bad? What cou-” Applebloom began to ask before a hand covered her mouth. Applejack looked down with glaring eyes.

“That’s enough, why don’t you go help Granny with dinner.” Applejack scowled.

The young filly didn’t say a word as she walked out of the room, looking back to see the newly met human staring at the ground, too ashamed to look at anyone.

__________________________

“I’m sorry about that Salem, she’s young. She doesn’t know about all this sorta stuff.” Applejack apologized.

I nodded in response, bringing back the awkward silence. It wasn’t the child’s fault however, I had forgotten about the torment on my back somehow, and I had scared her. I felt like an abomination when I heard her scream.

What a pity, you two seemed to be getting along so well too.

Must you mock me right now? She’s just a child, innocent, she was trying to be friendly.

None of them are innocent.

“Well...I think I’ll go help with dinner too, see ya’ll in a while.” Applejack mumbled out, breaking the stillness.

She walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my new mistress, who had said nothing since entering. She sat on the bed next to me, quietly listening and watching, maybe embarrassed of me.

“Okay, let me take a look at those bandages now, if that’s alright?” She requested softly.

“Yes, Miss.” I muttered, taking off the enormous shirt.

Soft hands examined the gauze that wrapped around my upper body, peeling and adjusting the bandage.

“Hmm...no good, I need to clean it again.” she stated, examining the wound on my chest, still a little bloodied.

“Alright, this is going to sting a bit, okay?” She reported,  looking at me with an apologetic face.

I nodded, closing my eyes in preparation as the disinfectant soaked cloth was padded on the wound. The sting brought forth a pathetic grunt, which made the padding stop. I opened my eyes to see her large teal eyes, staring at me gently. She smiled kindly before applying a fresh bandage and gauze, wrapping it around my chest and back again. There was a pause after I felt the wrap tighten, and I flinched as the soft hands touched the jagged lines on my bare back. I didn’t know what to do, or say, nor did I have a clue to what she was doing.

“Do any of them still hurt?” Fluttershy questioned.

I hesitated for just a second, “Some-Sometimes yes, Miss.”

“Hmm...probably nerve damage. I’m pretty sure there’s something we can do to fix that, Salem.” She chimed.

I was confused as to what she was talking about, you can’t fix scars.

Not the ones that we have anyway.

Shut up.

Hey now, don’t get hostile, it’s true isn’t it? I wouldn’t be here if we weren't screwed up.

I always hated how right he was about everything.

“Salem?” Fluttershy squeaked.

I shook my head in order to drag myself from my inner conversation.

“Ye-yes, Miss?” I whispered.

“Are you okay? You looked like you zoned out for a while.” She asked curiously.

“Yea-Yes, Miss. Sometimes that happens to me, I’ll try to not do it again.” I stammered.

“No no, it’s okay! It happens to us all, and umm, please Salem you can call me Fluttershy. It’s fine, really.” She insisted.

“I got hit for breaking etiquette, Mistress.” I said, nearly under my breath, pointing to areas on my back.

A shocked looked spread across the face in front of me, almost like she was hurt by my words...maybe she was.

“I-I’d never hit you Salem, I’ve never hurt anything in my life.” She quaked.

That’s what they all say at the beginning.

“As you say, Mistress.” I responded, bowing my head slightly.

“Alright…” She paused, letting out a defeated sigh. “Oh! If you’re feeling up to it, and if you can move, I thought maybe we could go to Town Hall tomorrow and get all the paperwork done?”

Why does she ask us so many questions? Is she daft? Does she not understand the title of ‘Slave Owner’?

I had actually been wondering the same thing, well obviously, but this pony did seem to be very timid.

“If that is what you want, then I will be able too.” I answered.

“Great! Then we can get you some clothes that will actually fit you, my friend Rarity works wonders, you’ll probably be the first human she’s fitted. She’ll love it!” She beamed.

I shook my head in response and smiled half heartedly, which she seemed to have worked as a smile spread across her face as well.

“Don’t worry Salem, I know it’ll take some time, but I’m sure we’ll be friends in no time. No matter the title.” She promised.

I didn’t know how to respond to that one, it honestly shocked me enough to make me flinch. Slaves don’t become friends with their masters or mistresses, it’s completely unheard of. The only thing close to that would be the...consort servitude, which this didn’t seem like, at least I hoped.

The title always matters my Equestrian ninny, the title always matter. Tell her that Salem. Tell her how it means we will hate her and her kind till the end our pitiful existence.

“Please stop...just go away.” Salem mumbled aloud.

“Excuse me?” Fluttershy asked, a bit taken aback.

The color drained from Salem’s face as he realized what had happened, confusing Fluttershy even more. She meant it as a question, not to scare him.

“Noth-nothing Mistress! I wasn’t speaking to you, I was just-” Salem trembled, barely getting his words out.

Fluttershy reached out with her hand to try and calm him but he flinched away quickly, like it was out of habit. She wasn’t surprised by his reaction, she’d seen many hurt animals try to run or hide from her when she’d be there to help, but Salem wasn’t an animal. Fluttershy persisted and calmly grabbed the humans hand and held it gently, until Salem opened his eyes again to look at her on his own will. He darted them to the floor and wrenched his hand from the pony before him.

“We’re not supposed to touch our masters.” Salem whispered.

Fluttershy was at a loss, no other creature had put up such a barrier before towards her. Maybe it was best to just leave him be for now.

“Alright Salem, well I will come bring your dinner when it’s all ready, okay?” She suggested.

“Thank you, Miss. You’re very kind.” he sighed, almost relieved it seemed.

She huffed quietly, he was stubborn, but she knew it wasn’t his fault. It would just take a bit of time for him to open up. Time was not an issue however after tomorrow was over. The only thing she saw as a challenge to fix was his mindset, his wounds were the easy parts to mend. She was pretty sure she could handle it, he just needed a lot of kindness, and she had plenty of that to spare.

_____________________________________

“Please...not again. No more…” I pleaded, blood spurting out of my mouth through breaths.

Another strike to the face left me reeling to the floor, on the verge of blacking out. They didn’t want that though, as a bucket of freezing water was thrown upon me, shocking my entire system. I could hardly get air to my frozen lungs before a hard kick connected to my stomach, sprawling me onto the floor.

“Mas-Master.” I begged to him, knowing the futility of it.

I heard him shout words I didn’t understand, and found myself being picked up by my legs and dragged off, my head spinning the entire time. I kept begging, just for a small amount of mercy, my terrified plea reaching deaf ears. The area around me grew dark, like the sun had burned completely out. I could barely make out the two people who held me, they looked more like phantoms than beings. Suddenly I felt a tug at my hand, which made the grey spirits in front of me come to a halt.

Now I was being drug back, away from the darkness ahead. Light’s began to shine behind me as I was picked up, hurriedly rushed away as more and more light filled the apparent void around me. Voices shouted and whispered in my ears, I didn’t understand any of it, but they made me feel safe. I finally turned to see my rescuer, and was shocked to see dozens and dozens of figures who shone like the brightest ray of light. They carried me, one by one, until I was on my feet in the middle of their group. Their faces were obscured by the brilliant light, but I felt like I recognized some of them. The crowd stood around me all of them mumbling something incoherent, until one side split from the middle, revealing a female figure who shone even brighter than the rest. The figure walked towards me, singing a children's song that soothed the soul. The song had me captivated, I stood still as if I were in a trance, embracing each and every word.

Before I knew it I was looking at the woman before me, she looked old and frail, but wore a smile that could warm you better than any fire. The sight of her nearly blew my heart out, my eyes suddenly bearing waterfalls. I embraced her without thought, I knew exactly who she was. The old woman chuckled and embraced me back, shushing my cries as I let go.

“Now now, dear. There’s no need to be upset.” She told me gently.

I didn’t have any words to say as shaky hands came to wipe away the tears that stained my face. She still hummed the song that calmed me so, every tone made the pain I felt disappear piece by piece. A smile burst from the depths of my body, making the old woman laugh with joy. We stood there for the next few moments laughing, happy.

That was until the shining crowd around us began to flash one person at a time. Each one that flashed soon snuffed out to nothing, a void where a light once was. Shouting and screams were heard in the distance, one sound that shook the area cracked like a whip, another like gunfire. Soon it was just me and the old woman, our guards were gone completely, just us and the encroaching darkness. An anxious, dreadful feeling began to rise within me.

The woman placed a hand to my cheek, bringing my eyes to her, she was still smiling in the midst of the dark.

“Don’t worry love, you’re free from this now.” She whispered.

Her light began to flicker.

“No, no don’t go please.” I began to cry out.

“Ssh, don’t you cry for me. I’ll always be here Salem, always.” She assured.

“Grandma no…” I cried.

There was a shout within feet of me, my ears were deafened like a cannon had gone off next to me, yet I remained still.

She was gone, her light now mixed with the darkness around. I started choking on breaths and sobs, I felt like I was going to vomit. There was a click next to my ear, like the arming of a gun. Something cold and metallic pressed against my temple, pressing into my skin like it was going to burst through my head.

BANG!

My eyes shot open from slumber as my body lurched forward in bed, my breathing heavy with anxious whimpers as I gazed my surroundings. I was in the same room as I had fallen asleep in, my breathing slowly returning to normal as I recovered from the dream

Sorry about that, better me to wake you than the dream, huh?

I guess.

I miss her too.

I know.

The voice went quiet after that, both of us suffered from the nightmares, he had more control over them though. I sat in the warm bed rubbing my tired eyes, until an annoying sensation began to build up, I had to go to the bathroom.

“Fantastic” I screeched, stretching my splinted leg off the bed.

Beside me leaned a crutch Applejack had given me, which would do me some good while I sat here half awake. I took it and propped it underneath my left arm, uncomfortably supporting myself. Now all I had to do was treck to the bathroom, wherever it was. Hobbling out of the room I looked both ways down the hallway, the way to my left led to a couple more doors and the end of the hall, on my right one door and stairs leading downwards. I made my choice and quickly limped to the doors on the left, hoping for the best, my bladder fighting me every step of the way.

I tried to ignore the closed doors, they were either bedrooms or closet, or at least I hoped. Wobbling down the end of the hall I had almost lost all hope before I reached the last door, which stood wide open, revealing my target. Relieving myself moments later I trudged back to my temporary room, stopping at the door for long moment, an idea caught my mind. My eyes peered to the stairway, where it led would be a front or back door. Looking at the clock in the room it was very early morning, I could leave before anyone ever got up.

This is our chance, are you gonna take it?

You made me think about it didn’t you.

Of course I did! Who else is going to look out for you?

I don’t...Miss Flut-

What about her? You don’t know her, she’s nothing to us, none of them are. I’m the only one who cares about you, I’m all you have left.

My mind waged a small war, the voices forces were steadily winning against mine. I tried to argue but his words hit home, and he was always right. No one would miss me, I’d just leave and hideout until I recovered.

That’s the spirit! Then we’d leave this entire place behind us, leave Equestria behind.

He made it sound so easy, but then again I had escaped once, this time wouldn’t be under a hail of gunfire.

Our decision was made, I turned from the doorway to the stairs, walking forward with a purpose. Down the stairs I went, not a second of thought, they were in good condition so not even a squeaky step was an issue. Something made me stop in my tracks about halfway down however, a creek of a wooden door opening. I froze, not breathing, I heard quiet footsteps walking in the other direction from me. Another door closed soon after, which signaled me to continue my descent.

After a few more steps, and nearly falling on my face, I had made it down the stairway into what looked like a foyer. In front of me waited my destination, the front door, which beckoned me out into the open world. I placed the crutch forward and hopped to it, unlocking the deadbolt and knob lock, then shutting it behind me.

The morning air was chilly as it touched my skin, the sky sparkled with luminescent stars, it was amazing. The Celestial Monarch had even yet to rise, the timing was perfect for my escape. I hobbled forward, meeting the sweet scent of fruit that grew in abundance around me, I smiled as I recalled biting into an apple for the first time yesterday.

Don’t just stand there, let’s get goi-

A loud creek behind us interrupted the voice, my body turned to stone.

“Salem?” a feminine voice shouted from the house.

I forced my body to turn towards the house as Applejack stared wide eyed from the doorway. My throat began choking up from fear, I stood there alone and helpless, unsure of what to do.

“What do you think you’re doing out here? Little early for a walk don’t you think?” she chuckled drowsily.

She approached me after a few moments of silence, I still stood unmoving, nervously shaking as she got closer. She came within arms reach, rubbing a tired eye with one hand, the other moved a strand of hair out of her face from her untied mane.

“So, what are ya doin’ out here Salem?”  She pondered, her tone neutral.

What could I say? What should I say!? I couldn’t tell the truth, but if she caught me lying.

“You aren't thinkin’ about runnin’ off are ya?” She accused suddenly.

My stomach turned as I looked the mare in the eyes, she saw right through me. No excuses ran through my mind, I simply let my head fall, ashamed.

“Hmm...well I think it’d be mighty hard with only one workin’ leg, don’t ya think?” Applejack remarked.

My head still hung low but I gave her an agreeable nod, I didn’t want to upset her. Even the voice was gone now, I was all alone. A silky hand touched my chin and brought my face to meet heres, eye to eye.

“How about you just let your leg rest up, and give us a chance? It’s a dangerous world out there for you right now, I’m sure the Emerald Star already put out papers for the wardens. You know what’ll happen if they catch you, Salem.” She reminded.

“Yes, I know that, Miss. I’m sorry.” I stammered.

She shook her head as I apologized, and ushered me gently back inside the house. I settled back in bed after Applejack escorted me into the room. I laid in bed thinking of nothing but the stars in the peaceful sky that I had dreamed of for so many nights. Wishing that maybe if I thought about it hard enough, my mind would take me there.