Author's Note

This chapter took a lot out of me to write. Originally I had intended to channel my inner Somber and attempt to write every detail into this chapter but my heart simply couldn't take it. I do hope you can enjoy the chapter as it is.

Thanks again for your patience and understanding in this matter. Enjoy the newest chapter of Forgotten Days. See you in the next chapter friends!

Chapter 11: New Life?

Shimmer gazed down towards the small makeshift camp. As the wind snapped her mane about she inhaled deeply. They had arrived with little incident and now that she could see the camp, the original plan seemed a thousand worlds away. With Rocket's help they identified several different guard posts. Many of them were not only covered by Unicorn ponies but also by sentry turrets. They had even managed to identify several Pegasi patrols, simply due to the fact that they were nearly caught by one.

Rocket frowned hard at the camp stepping up next to Shimmer. "This is overkill...he knows we're here...he can hear every move we make."

Shimmer smirked, "He's toying with us, he could've sent somepony up here already." A chuckle followed, "It's that or he decided to sleep in today." Turning on her hooves she began to move towards the small path leading down the hill. She had barely taken three steps when Rocket came up before her.

"How can you be making jokes at a time like this?" She asked with a frown, "You're throwing your life away and you're cracking jokes."

Shimmer smiled as she nodded, "I have quite a few years left in me Rocket and we've already gone over this." She sighed softly, "And it's a coping mechanism, I'm using humor to make a possibly bad situation better." She paused and placed a hoof on her shoulder once again. "As much as you want to try, you aren't going to succeed in making me decide not to do this Rocket. You must accept my decision."

Rocket looked down as she avoided eye contact once again, "It doesn't mean I have to like it." Shimmer replied simply by patting her hoof gently on her shoulder. Then moved to her side and continued down the hill. Despite her outward appearance and reassuring words, Shimmer was terrified. Part of her doubted whether or not she should follow through but her heart told her otherwise. But she couldn't let Rocket or this slaver know that she was.

As she moved around some debris she found herself standing before a guard post. Just as promised, two colts stood before her, clad in what used to be military combat armor, and a lone machine gun turret whirred and buzzed as it scanned its surroundings looking for a target. Ultimately no amount of technology could be a trained eye. The two guards immediately raised their weapons.

"Take one more fuckin' step and I'll blast ya." The crimson colored colt called out. "Who are ya and what do ya want?"

Rocket stepped forward immediately stepping into her role, "Lay off Rainer, it's just me and my next target."

The colt lowered his weapon, "Ah shoot Rocket, I didn't know it was you, should've called out."

Rocket scoffed, "Last time I did that i spent a week in the infirmary, I'm not going to make a repeat of that mistake." She marched up to him, "Itchy trigger happy pony is what you are. Now let us by, the Boss is expecting us."

"You know the rules Rocket, check them weapons of yours. I ain't so stupid as to let you and the new mare carry 'em into the camp." He said motioning to the assault rifles and sidearms. Rocket rolled her eyes and tossed him both of her sidearms and Shimmer did the same with her rifles. The Colt nodded and moved off to the side, idly flipping a switch on the turret, instantly powering it off. Shimmer followed closely on Rocket's hooves. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being looked at, in all forms of the word.

Her feeling proved true as she looked over her shoulder. The colt identified as Rainer licked his lips with a toothy grin as he stared at her flank. Leaning to the side whispering to his fellow guard and nodding in her direction. Immediately she began to feel filthy and her doubts began to climb. Every fiber in her body told her to run and never look back but as she looked forward once again, her heart overrode any other decision as she watched her friend in front of her. This was a mare who had survived against all odds, stolen as a filly, and rescued her when all others had forgotten she had existed.

She inhaled deeply as she pressed forward thinking to herself. "I can do this. If I don't my friend will be ... no, can't think like that. You have more friends on the outside that are going to help get you out of this mess." She exhaled slowly as she moved up next to Rocket. Passing her a glance which briefly returned with sympathy. It wasn't until a lone colt wolf-whistled at them that Shimmer began to feel sick to her stomach. Her ears drooped as she lowered her head down, unconsciously attempting to hide herself from the praying letcherous eyes.

"Don't do that." Rocket whispered having caught the motion, "These assholes pray on fear and intimidation, don't give them the satisfaction." She warned as they rounded a corner where multiple colts stood around a tent, all armed and alert. Shimmer raised her head up immediately and saw that there were multiple tents and guard set ups just like the first. "Those are the slave tents, where you'll be under lock when they decide to transport you." Rocket explained somlemnly.

"You act as if I'm not going to get out of this." Shimmer commented quietly as the guards too began to eyeball her.

"You aren't getting out of this Shimmer. Once we do this, there's no leaving, not unless you do what I do." Rocket hissed in annoyance, "And you don't have the heart to do that."

Shimmer sighed at Rockets response. She had given up already. Shimmer watched as ahead of them two guards stood before a large red tent. Adorned with gold trim and many different patterns woven into the fabric. "This has to be HIS tent. All the others were white or black. This is the only red tent."

Rocket stopped and Shimmer did the same. The tent parted and out stepped a large colt, his orange coat contrasted against his black mane and tail. But it was the cutie mark that surprised Shimmer. The familiar collar with a large red light in the front surrounded by chains. The colt was destined to be a slaver from day one.

He peered down at them both and a massive grin covered his face. "Well! If it isn't my favorite hunter Rocket!" He said raising onto his rear legs and extending his forelegs outwards. "Welcome home! We've all missed you dearly!

"I bet you did, Boss." Rocket replied taking a few small steps towards him, "We're here, let's get this over with." As she frowned at him she turned around and sat down.

Boss chuckled as he fell back down on all four hooves. Completely ignoring Rocket he moved forward, bypassing her directly and approaching Shimmer directly. Shimmer tensed as the colt stood face to face with her, his breath smelling of whiskey and tobacco. She fought the compulsion to gag as he began to slowly move around her.

"She much more thin than I pictured. Certainly much more pink." He commented as he moved around to her flank. "Though I certainly cannot complain about this view." Rocket glared at him deeply, giving one of those looks that would kill if it could. He lowered his head opting to ignore the look, "My name Is Chattel Whip, though everyone around here calls me 'Boss.' I prefer the second when being spoken to, which is very often."

Shimmer remained silent as Chattel spoke, his nasally voice she had heard before was now gruff. And it sent a shiver down her spine. If she hadn't already gotten an impression from Rocket's tales, she probably would have screamed. The way he carried himself, the tone he spoke in, every fiber screamed "Run!" but as she watched Rocket, she knew that she had to hold out. She swallowed deeply as Chattel moved in front of her once again, his face turned in Rocket's direction.

"Don't let it be said that I don't hold up to my end of deals." He nodded at the guard next to his tent who responded back by using his Magic to levitate a few tools towards Rocket's collar. As the tools did their work Rocket craned her neck to the side. With a small click the collar came undone and Chattel caught it in his magic. "You're free Rocket. And it only cost the freedom of...oh, I believe at this point, thirty others." Rocket hung her head immediately, the cost weighing heavily on her mind.

Shimmer watched her friend for a moment before she realized that this whole time, the three of them had become surrounded by multiple members of the slaver gang. All holding various weapons from rifles to blunt objects for melee combat. Chattel turned to face Shimmer, the collar drifting closer towards her.

"Your friend is free and as soon as this goes on, you are not. You become mine, from now until I say you can go free or you die." He said moving closer towards her, "You will do EXACTLY what you are told, when you are told, how you are told. You're a wild card, but we'll break you of that. You ignore an order or unable to satisfy the command of the person you are assigned to, it'll mean a strike on your record. You're allowed a total of ten. At three, we cut your rations, at five we suspend your water for two days. Seven strikes and you're locked in the slave quarters for a week under isolation with no water or food for half of that. At ten strikes, I detonate your collar."

As he spoke each line, Rocket began to shed tears. The small lines of salty water rushed down her face and splashed gently against the ground. She so desperately wished that Shimmer had decided against this. She slowly raised her head and watched as Chattel began placing the collar around Shimmer's neck.

"Attempt to escape, I detonate the collar. Attempt to cause harm to a client or any of my guards, I detonate the collar." The collar clicked and the red light came on. "As you know the collar acts as a radio, which means I can hear, everything you say and do. So don't test me. Is this clear?"

Shimmer only shifted her eyes to meet his own, "Crystal."

Chattel smiled and tapped her cheek with a hoof, "There's a good girl." He then turned to face Rocket, "Now that that is done, it's time for you to leave Rocket. I can't very well allow you to stay here anymore." Rocket pushed to her hooves and scowled once again. He in turn grinned, "Oh now don't be like that, you just got what you always wanted. You're free. Surely you can't be upset about this."

"You know nothing about me Chattel...never have." She muttered under her breath as she slowly moved past him. As she neared Shimmer she paused and quickly wrapped her hooves around her neck. "We'll get you out, I promise."

"Awwwwww, now isn't that cute! Little Rocket's got herself a marefriend!" Chattel called out loudly and began to laugh. The crowd joined in with the laughter as Shimmer returned the hug. Rocket squeezed her eyes shut, desperately attempting to hold back her tears. Chattel however interrupted, "Alright you've said your goodbyes, now git. Don't make me force you out Rocket."

Rocket opened her eyes slowly and looked into Shimmers for a moment. Shimmer smiled back and simply nodded. Reluctantly Rocket began to move away from the group and towards the exit. Her ears drooped the whole time as she began collecting the gear from the guard. Shimmer's smiled only faded once Rocket had moved out of sight. Her gaze turned towards Chattel who smiled briefly which then turned into a grin.

"Fast Track, once Rocket is far enough away, put a bullet in her back." He said off to the side.

Which prompted Shimmer to quickly shudder. "What?! She did what you asked?! I'm here! You don't have to kill her!"

Chattel chuckled, "Shimmer my dear, you'll soon find out, that in the end, no one goes free. Not from me." Shimmer scowled and attempted to gallop towards him. Hell bent on striking him for going back on his word. He continued to grin as she got closer and closer. However before she could do anything, she screamed in pain as the collars shock feature engaged. Sending pure painful waves of electrical energy throughout her body.

Chattel slowly leaned forward, "I'll give you that one for free." His voice turned from his original tone of condescending to cold, "But be warned, try anything that fucking stupid again...well you get the idea."

Shimmer felt tears filling up her eyes as her body eventually stopped convulsing. She shifted her neck and spotted the pony Chattel spoke to. In his magic he held a high caliber sniper rifle whose scope was nearest to his right eye. The barrel of the rifle slowly tracked it's target. The colt's neutral expression turned to a grin as his magic pulled the trigger back. A resounding boom filled the air as the rifle fired, ejecting it's .50 caliber shell from the chamber and flew through the air. The case rolling down the hill to stop right before Shimmer's nose.

Chattel returned to the front of his tent and called loudly, "Alright boys! Now that the unpleasantness is over, who wants to break in the new girl?" The shout was met with a unified shout of approval. Several colts began making their way forward and Chattel held his hooves up, motioning for them to stop. "Now hold on now, we all want a turn but I'll allow...six to break her in. Just don't actually break her you hear?" The question was met with rueful chuckles.

She knew what was coming and that she was powerless to stop it. But even as the six were chosen, she closed her eyes and pictured a time before the Wasteland. To a bright new morning in the spring, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the incessant pestering of a Stable-Tec Rep. Even as the cold magic of one of the slavers wrapped around her she continued to think of the past. Attempting to ignore the goings on of the present. She knew on a subconscious level she was now in one of the tents. But it it wasn't until she felt the intrusive and unwelcome advance on her flank that she was brought back and the tears began to flow freely.

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Nearly an hour later the six had finally had their fill and Shimmer remained motionless on the rug. If it wasn't for the slow up and down motion of her sides she could have been mistaken for a corpse. She had spent the entire time with streaming eyes as the six used her. Her entire body felt alien to her as she lay there. Despite the abuse she had suffered she wept not for herself, but for Rocket. Finally understanding her desire for freedom and her willingness to do anything to do so.

She sighed softly as she slowly began to slowly push herself from the rug. Her flank and hind legs were wobbly but she slowly managed to get on her hooves. The tent had a few different places to sit or lie down but all she wanted to do was stand and regain the function of her legs. She took a few tentative steps and decided to instead collapse on top of one of the pillows. As she did a creme colored mare wearing a collar similar to hers entered.

The mare smiled sympathetically, "First day?"

Shimmer nodded quietly as she placed her head down on her forelegs, "First hour."

"I hate to say it honey but it doesn't get much worse than the first day. You'll get used to it." The Mare said placing a small dish in front of Shimmer. Inside was a small portion of water, dirty but water none the less. Forgetting the fact that her Pip-Buck was chirping a warning about Rads she stuck her muzzle in the water and lapped at it. The mare however didn't mind as she instead moved towards Shimmers flank. "They really did a number on you..." She commented softly as she examined Shimmer closely. "Lift your tail honey."

Shimmer complied slowly and painfully as she manipulated her muscles to lift her tail a bit. The hiss as a reaction wasn't a she wanted to hear but suspected it wasn't all that good. Shimmer looked back and saw the mare manipulating a small case and pulling a few small vials from it. "It's that bad?" Shimmer asked of her quietly as she starred down into her reflection in the water. She could see that her right eye was rapidly beginning to sport a bruise and her lip was split in multiple places.

"I've seen worse. But it's not good either." The Mare replied as she opened the first vial. A sweet aroma filled the air almost immediately as the contents were exposed to the air.

"Aloe Vera? I wasn't even sure that any still existed..." Shimmer muttered quietly as the Mare gently began applying the ointment to her flank. Immediately the cool ointment began providing pain relief.

The Mare sighed, "The Boss insists on keeping good stocks of medical supplies like this." Her hoof slowly circled Shimmers flank, covering all over her visible bruises and cuts as best she could. "We...'entertainers' get the worst kind of treatment sometimes...I know a few other Mares and even Colts who have come back with serious injuries..." She continued to apply more of the ointment until satisfied she got all of the spots she could see. She picked up the cover to the vial and closed it, promptly placing the vial back into the bag. "Consider yourself lucky Honey, at least you didn't lose an ear or your tail completely..."

Shimmer's pupils went wide eyed for a moment as she took in the words. Her only reply was a very loud sigh and her head slamming into the ground with another thud. "Does it happen every day?"

"No...not every day...we do get a day or two to recover before we're selected again for a client or one of The Bosses guards." The Mare replied as she moved around to Shimmers front, examining her face. "I need to take care of those cuts Honey, so please don't move. You don't want to get this in your eyes."

Shimmer smiled softly, "I used to work with Aloe Vera when I was a Nurse. Don't worry I'm not going to make a fuss."

The Mare nodded and she opened the vial once again and began applying the ointment again. "By the way, what you did for Rocket? I'm surprised and thankful. Nopony would do what you did willingly. Rocket is lucky to have a friend like you."

"Didn't matter to much...Chattel had her shot..."

"Well I do guess that makes a bit of sense..." The Mare began as she slowly put the vial back into the bag, "What you did was very kind. Not everypony would do that...especially in this world. So thank you." The Mare gently gave Shimmer a brief hug, "It means a lot to the rest of us that somepony looks out for others instead of just herself. We're just sorry you had to trade your freedom to do it." Shimmer froze for the briefest of moments as the hug came. She closed her eyes and began to cry once again, the stress of the situation finally breaking her. The torrent of emotions exploding outward against this Mare who she hadn't met before. Who in turn gently stroked Shimmers mane as she cried without so much as a complaint.