"Rural towns aren't always idyllic. It's easy to feel trapped and be aware of social hypocrisy." ~Bill Pullman

"Bertram! Get your ass over here!" a loud, overly pudgy woman yelled.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth a young man came sprinting into the door way wishing not to anger his boss further than she already was. The person standing in the doorway was tall, around the mid-twenties, with long black hair that covered most of what face he had left since he had grown some stubble since the last time he shaved.

"Jesus Bertram, get a hair cut you look like a hippie." His boss said with a much calmer tone than a couple seconds ago.

Bertram smiled at his bosses jab towards his haircut, he always had.

"Do you know what this is Bertram?" She said holding up a folder with his name on the side.

A look of dread shoved the smile off his face, this was the day he had abhorred, the day he was let go from his job, he looked at his boss, then back to the folder, then back to his boss with questioning eyes. His boss sighed.

"You knew this day was coming Bertram, you knew, even though you might be the best at your job that we've got, you're somehow unable to teach the recruits how to do theirs."

Bertram shrugged, if they needed to be taught how to do their jobs by him, than they shouldn't have the job in the first place, either way Bertram was never good with words

Bertram was heart broken, he loved his job, it was his life, but ever since they started receiving influxes of new recruits, he has been having trouble keeping up with work. As he made his way back to his desk he thought how they were going to replace him.

He stopped when he had reached the foot of his desk, looking over what he had, he reached for a box underneath his desk, a box of souvenirs from his business meetings and started to shuffle his stuff down into the depths of the box where the items would not be disturbed or broken.

As he reached the door to the front of the building he remembered one thing that he got to keep, the company car. Whenever someone got let of due to natural causes be it death or the inability to do your work, you got to keep your mode of transportation in the company, his vehicle was a flat-black jeep with bullet proof panels in between the car and the passengers. The windows and tires also bullet proof, basically, a rolling tank without the guns. If he had died, the company would have sent the car to his relatives living over in Germany, but he didn't. So he got to keep it...

Bertram smiled as he reached the foot of the car, he always loved his job, some people might have thought that his job was dangerous having the need for armored cars, but in all actuality it really wasn't. He worked as the planner for his company, he was the one who decided what the people who do field work would need, although being taught self defense didn't hurt.

Bertram reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key and his phone, his phone was the one with the number to deactivate the electric skin on the car, and the key was just for opening and starting the car. He gets into his brand new car and activates the ignition, wondering what else could go wrong...

Ponyville

Derpy always lived a simple life, two story house, a white picket fence, and a green lush yard, Derpy herself wasn't so simple. Derpy had a peculiar set of eyes that would attract the attention of anyone trying to hold a conversation with her, making it an awkward conversation.

But Derpy always had somepony she could always look forwards to seeing, her daughter Dinky. Dinky was always there for her when other ponies had called her names on account of her being... derpy.

Today was like any other day for Derpy, an insult or two there, botching a delivery, but she never let that get her down. Derpy was off from work today, so she took the time off to go shopping in the market, today was a special day, it was Dinky's birthday, and Derpy wanted to make her favorite treat, Banana Nut Muffins.

"Good morning Derpy, hope you're doing alright." A yellow stallion said from behind the vendor. "Can I help you with anything?"

Banana was always nice to Derpy, and she always liked him for that.

"Oh I'm alright Mr. Barrel, how are the wife and kids?"

Small talk was a common thing in Ponyville, everypony was always looking for something to talk about when they got back to their families.

"They are just peachy keen, just yesterday we got a human so the foals could have someone to play with at home, a little feisty but we had him neutered and he cleared up his act." The stallion said with a wide smile.

Buying humans was also a common thing here in Ponyville, although the fact that they were against the thought of slavery, humans were a must have when it came to work, the demand for it became to much to handle for the working ponies who had business' to run.

Derpy was one who had no problems with the hardships of running a business, she was a mailmare for Ponyville express. But humans were at her workplace also, most had to be light weight and fast to deliver packages, some humans would stray, they were corrected by a shock collar that was synced up with a unicorn back at HQ who detected whenever the humans would go off course.

"Derpy hello? Derpy you there?" Banana asked waving a hoof in front of Derpy.

"What, what? What happened?"

"You spaced out on me there, you sure you're okay?"

"Must be the heat getting to me... oh well, I need some bananas for today Mr. Barrel, how much for a bunch of them?"

"Well, for you I have to say... how 'bout you just take 'em? think it as a gift from me eh? oh yeah can you tell Dinky I said hello?

"Oh thank you, I'll tell Dinky, don't you worry"

Derpy, the mare loved by all, resented by few.

Edge of Seattle

"I could go anywhere, do anything, since I basically lived at work, the small fortune I made is probably going to hold me off for a while, once it starts to run dry I'll get another job to fill the gap, perhaps a position as a body guard? or maybe a cop... have to find something to do for work, but not right now, I have my whole life ahead of me, and I am not going to waste it thinking about more work" Bertram thought.

Bertram was always a person who had to keep busy, he couldn't stop working or doing something that might take up his time.

As Bertram rounded the corner to a local airport he thought to him self,

"This is it, this is where I start my life over."

As Bertram watched as the ground below came into view he wondered what he would do here, he always needed something to do. Just as he was about turn his head back towards the front an alarm went off and the intercom came to life.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the pilot speaking we are having some slight issues with the engine of the plane, it seems like it has begun to fail, no need to panic here, we have everything under control."

As soon as the intercom died down, the whole cabin of people started to panic, screaming, crying, praying to what ever god they might believe in. Bertram looked around as everybody had a look of fear in their eyes. For Bertram, this was something he saw everyday, while he was afraid of Death itself, he was not afraid of dying, it came with the job.

"What was it my grandma used to say? What was it now?" Bertram thought before his eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah! Now I remember..." Bertram thought as his mind got lost in the lyrics. His Grandma always loved that song.

Death was something he saw everyday, this changed nothing, he was human, death is something as natural as breathing. Be it, people, animals, something dies everyday, it doesn't change anything.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the pilot speaking, it looks like we aren't going to make it today, pray to whatever god you might have and hope for the best, I'm sorry" The intercom cuts off as the screaming intensifies. The ground coming closer and closer, people crying and praying to what ever god they might have, to ask for forgiveness or repentance.

"In death there is only peace, in death, I find judgement to be passed, my life here has been great, it had its ups and downs, now, in the face of death do I laugh." Bertram thought as he watched the ground get closer and closer.

"Goodbye Mother, Goodbye Father, I hope to join you in the ethereal planes beyond our own world." Bertram thought, whilst watching the engine on the wing burst into flames, sending the plane dipping down even further towards the ground.

"Come on Death! Just do it!" Bertram thought as the smile of a madman came over his face as a wave of calmness came over him.

"Dinky can you come down here? I have a surprise for you." Derpy said.

Dinky called back from her room upstairs, "Coming mom, just... just give me a second I'm working on something... And done! Okay, I'm coming."

The moment Dinky came down the stairs a smell wafted over to her and began to pull at her, drawing her to the kitchen.

"Surprise! I made your favorite muffin, I hope you like it." Derpy said while squeezing Dinky with one of her famous hugs.

"Banana Nut, oh mom, you always know what I like..." Dinky gave a pleasure sigh through her nose as she bit down on the muffin.

"I've also been thinking about something, since I just got that pay raise and we won't be able to spend as much time together I was thinking we could go out into the market and get you a friend to protect you... how does that sound? Your very own pet human?"

"But aren't most humans dangerous mom?"

"Yes, but I have a feeling we might find the right one, we'll go next week okay, for now I need to work on some stuff."

"Okay, thank you mom, I love you." Dinky said nuzzling her mothers leg

" I love you too, my little muffin, now go play with your friends while I work some things out, okay?

"Okay, bye mom"

The door shut behind Dinky and Derpy wondered if there were such things as tamed humans for sale, she knew you had to train most into being tame, but she didn't know if you could buy them like that... a thought for next week, not now.

Bertram Wolfgang was a simple man, about as simple as a mercenary is going to get but still simple.

"Damnit, I feel like shit, where the fuck am I?"

Bertram look around and all he saw were cages, cages and other people, said people were in said cages and they did not look happy, but they didn't look angry either. No, there was a different word for what they looked like, they looked like rabid dogs, drooling waterfalls from the mouth and snarling at each other. They looked like they had lost a few marbles.

Bertram heard a door opening and looked over towards the location of the noise and what he saw made him do a double take, he saw a tiny horse, a pony.

"Alright everypony, feeding time." The grayish pony said.

Not a moment later, the humans started to hiss like mad cats at the pony, as he was handing out chunks of bread to the humans, who ate greedily.

"Okay new comer, here you go." The stallion said.

Bertram looked at the tiny horse, and then to the bread, and back to the pony, Bertram was giving the horse a look of confusion as if asking, why?

Bertram reached for the bread and took it into his hands, the stallion just stood there looking at him with a puzzled looks.

"Hm, you're the first one who hasn't tried to bite me, you must have been tamed."

"Whoever buys you, they are going to be one lucky pony, the fact that they don't have to tame you makes you worth even more."

"Tiny horse slave traders, they are so adorable, but yet so evil, which makes it even more adorable." Bertram thought as he nibbled the bread.

"So, what are we going to call you? We have to call you something..." Not a moment passed before the humans in the cages started howling, barking, and snarling.

"Shut up! You all sound like a gang of rabid wolves circling their prey... why must you all be so noisy?"

"Why must they be so stupid?"

"You know what? Wolfgang, I think it's a suitable name for now."

"Huh, that's weird, that's my last name... What ever invisible force is out there, thank you."

"Red Hoof we're here, get the humans out of here, we need to set up in the market before sundown."

"Okay boss." Red Hoof shouted.

"Come on you first Wolfgang, since you are the one who is going to give me the least trouble."

"Why must I stay in the cage? can't I be tied to a post to show how good I am?"

Bertram watched as ponies passed by him, watching him and the other humans out of the corner of their eyes.

He huffed in boredom and thought.

"I honestly hope I get a good owner. From what I saw on the train, the humans here are picked out for their strength at manual labor... why did I have to be a pencil pusher?"

Bertram sighed.

"What ever, I might not be the strongest of the bunch, but I can hold my own."

One Week Later

"That's the last of them..."

"What about Wolfgang over there? He was the only one who hasn't been bought... poor guy, he looks a little down" Red Hoof said.

"Whatever, we'll give him another day, either way, it's going to take a day for another train to come by that would allow humans, or in this case human."

"How come no one bought me? I was behaved well enough, this whole week, I just watched as ponies bought my brethren, the ones who did come my way were put down when the traders said I acted weirdly when compared to the other humans."

"Mommy, quick they're this way, we have to get there before the market closes." Dinky said pulling her mother by both hooves ushering her to hurry up.

"Hold on Dinky, the market won't close for another couple hours, we have time."

"I know, but I want to get him so we have time to hang out." the filly said still pulling her mother by the hoof.

"Okay okay, just promise me you will behave with him or her."

"Pinkie Promise, now let's go!"

As Dinky and Derpy rounded the corner to the market, the cages were in view immediately. As they got closer and closer, they had realized that all the cages they could see were empty. A look of disappointment washed over Dinky's face.

"Oh there there, they'll have humans next week, we'll come back then, okay?"

"Little filly, Ma'mm? How can I help?" Red Hoof said trotting up to the two ponies.

"Oh we were wondering if you had more humans on the way next week."

"Yes we do, but we have a human left, if you want to take a look at him...?"

The look of disappointment in Dinky's face had disappeared.

"Oh we thought you had run out, I guess we can go see him"

"Right this way."

"Well it could be worse... I could have been bought by a pony who abuses humans..."

A moment of silence had passed before it was broken by faint talking.

"Customers? I might have a chance of getting out of this cage yet."

"He might act weirder than the others but it's in a good way, when we found him he was the most behaved out of all the humans I have seen." Red Hoof said as the rounded the corner to Bertrams cage.

"Well that's good, I was hoping to buy one that was already trained so it would save me the time."

"Well you're in luck, we never really get ones that are already trained, but Wolfgang over here is the first exception."

"How does he act around the foals?" Derpy asked nuzzling Dinky.

"Just fine honestly, I even think he prefers them over older ponies." Red Hoof said looking over towards Bertram

"Well why not? They are just the cutest things I have ever seen." Bertram thought as the ponies got closer and closer to his cage.

"Here he is, a little thin but nothing that can't be fixed with some food and loving care."

"How about it Dinky, what do you think?" Derpy asked as she watched her foal get closer to the cage, a thought of panic shot through her brain, but quickly silenced it.

"Hmmmm, mommy, his eyes are the same color as mine!" Dinky said as her smile got wider and wider.

"That seems about right, I always had golden eyes and her eyes are the same color."

"Huh, never noticed that, usually it's the exotic details about a human that make them popular, wonder why no one bought him earlier." Red Hoof said rubbing his chin with a hoof squinting at Wolfgang.

"I guess that settles it then, we'll take him. So, how much for him?" Derpy asked as she had one eye on the cage that held Bertram.

"Usually, with something as strange as his eye color, it would run him up a few more hundred bits, but seeing how no one bought him and he is our last human until the next shipment, I would say around only 300 bits."

"I guess it's a deal then."

Author's Note

This Chapter might be rough around the edges, but don't worry, I'll make sure this story get's better.