Let Freedom Ring

“You two apples. Time to get up.”

Applejack faintly opened her eyes to look up at Legerity. She found herself and Apple Fritter cramped and chained together in the corner of a dimly lit room, with only daylight coming from small crevices in the walls.

Neither of them had any specific recollection of arriving wherever they were other than the ill-fated encounter they had the day before. From that point on, the two mares had to endure the scorching heat of the sun and unforgiving thirst and starvation.

“You should know, we’re all only a fifth a ways down to the Gristle Brothers’ plantation. We’re at an outpost just a few miles from the end of Ghastly Gorge.”

Legerity continued glooming down on the two, until a hint of sympathy turned up on his face.

“Look here,” he started as he closed the door behind him. “You both are already lucky enough that I had to wake you fillies up. Celerity woulda probably just kicked you until you were forced back into the nightmare you slept into, but he’s by the river getting water. Now this time, I’m afraid you’ll have to travel with us - on your hooves. One other thing to that, is that Celerity has a whip that he carries in his little purse, and if you don’t listen to him, he will beat your asses to death with it. And this will seems queer coming from me, but even I can’t stand him doing that to a mare. So just do whatever he commands and I swear to Celestia he won’t completely kill you.”

“They are awake and certainly well, Celerity.” He called as he dragged the mares from the small log house. “About time to hit the trail.”

“A-Applejack...” whispered Apple Fritter. She had spoken for the first time since the train ride. “W-what’re we gon’ do?”

Applejack didn’t have to be a genius to know that she couldn’t answer any question thrown at her.

“I don’t know.”

Legerity quickly turned back with a raised eyebrow.

“Well fuck me, you two do have a voice.”

For constantly being berated by the two stallions, most importantly having to march across the hot desert against her will, Applejack finally decided to speak up.

“Ya know? Yeas, we do.” she sassed back, staring dead-on towards the unicorn’s direction. “Bevil me all ya want, I ain’t gonna have it no more.”

She had finished her miniature rant when Celerity just came back with two jugs water carried on his back.

“Oh what, are ya trying to heckle Legerity, now? Think you can just speak out like that?”

“Celerity, simmer down.” He ordered, holding him back with his front leg while keeping eye contact with Applejack. “She was just talking to me.”

“Pff, you and your soft-ass nagga boo boo pants. It’s still an excuse for me to pummel her.”

Celerity tried to shove his brother aside, but unsuccessfully missed by a few inches, giving Legerity an opportunity to throw a punch on his eye, sending him into the dirt. The two jugs of water he carried landed along with him without a splash.

“I said, simmer down, for shit’s sakes. Now get the hell up, we probably woke up the folks back inside with it being this early.”

“Hoorawed by a little filly...” he muttered, picking the water back up and leading the way south of the river.

…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..

Three days later, about a day away from the Gristle Brothers’ plantation

Pitch-black darkness spread in every visible direction as the moonlight shined past the clouds. The only glow seen for miles through the thin mist was that of a lantern revealing the four ponies. For Applejack, she has already conformed to the rough conditions to the point where she stayed just as alert as the stallions who kidnapped them, unlike Apple Fritter, who seemed overworked beyond recovery.

“Shhh...” Legerity signaled, holding his hoof up. “You all hear that?”

“The only shit I hear is the river flowing and our hooves kicking the dirt.” replied his confused brother.

“No, no...” He slowly turned his head 180 degrees, with Celerity following suit. “You see that? That’s a light being held by somepony. We’re being followed.”

Celerity quickly grabbed Apple Fritter and covered her mouth, while he held his revolver against Applejack’s face. “Cry for help, you worthless wench, and I will put a bullet through her eyes.”

Without a second guess, Legerity dropped the lantern and fired his gun towards the pursuer’s direction.

“Stay quiet again...”

Unexpectedly, a bullet whizzed by, striking the dirt just beside Celerity’s hooves.

“AARRGH, FUCK ME!” He shouted in shock, falling on his back.

“Well - we would’ve stayed quiet, but he might have thought he hit us. We’re going to sit here and wait for whoever it is. And make sure they don’t make a sound, too.”

Everyone except Legerity sat down as the distant light hovered closer. Less than half an hour passed by until Applejack broke the silence.

“Y’all want to sing a song?” The mare suddenly said.

“Nah, it’s oka- wha-, who’s that speaking?! Whoever it is, shut the hell up!”

“Dang it, Celerity.” She taunted, moving to a different spot.

“Ok, whoever’s talking’s obviously one of you fillies, ‘cause I know to fuck that isn’t a stallion speaking.”

“How about you just shut it yourself?” Legerity ordered.

“Hey, you just asked for it this time, you dumb bitch!

“Ow! Gah dammit, Celerity, that was me who was talking!”

“That’s what happens when you say somethin’ and you don’t say it’s you! Just made me look like a moron.”

Without warning, a lantern, not belonging to either of the brothers, shined upon them.

“Ah, good cold evening, gentlecolts.” greeted a green unicorn covered in a gray cape.

The two clumsily turned to the stalker as they flashed their weapons.

“Hold it!” Legerity warned, holding his rifle towards the stranger. “Who are you and why were you following us?”

“Oh... I expected you’d know who I am.” The unicorn said rather disappointed as he took another step closer.

“Wait, you’re one of the bounty hunters. Horn Siringo, is it?”

“That’s a bingo.”

“But, why were you following us?”

“I never intended following you ponies or anything like that. I’m on my way from Appaloosa because of some clusterfuck I got myself into.”

“I see... Celerity put your shotgun away.” He placed his rifle on his sling.

Celerity didn’t stop pointing his weapon, however, as Siringo walked over to to Applejack and Apple Fritter.

“What’re your names?” he barely whispered to them.

“Applejack... she’s Apple Fritter.” Applejack answered.

“You’re all heading to the Gristles’ Plantation, yes?” he asked the stallions as he noticed the chains holding the mares together.

“What does it look like? Step away and stop talking to them, no sale.” Celerity threatened.

“Come now, I am not making a transaction. If I was, I’d be waving a large bag of bits in your face.”

The Earth pony pulled the hammer on his double-barreled shotgun. “Last chance, fancy pants...”

“Oh, very well...” He sighed. Using his magic, Horn simultaneously dropped his lantern and flipped out his revolver.

Within one second, he shot the faces off the so-called quickfire brothers. Remnants of skin flew everywhere as blood sprayed from face to face, causing Applejack to shut her eyes. She thought everything occurred so fast that she was hallucinating.

“So the plantation is where you’re heading? You can travel with us as you wish.” Legerity offered.

Applejack opened her eyes to discover that it, indeed, was a figment of her imagination.

“Yes, it’s where I’ll be hiding for the meantime. And I guess I’d like some company along the way.”

“Swell...” Celerity muttered sluggishly. “Leg, I feel as slow and boring as a snail, and I hate snails, it’s your turn to drag me.”

“No, I am not going to do that no more. That’s why I always said we could use a wagon.”

“Aw, do it you sonuva-”

“What have I told you about calling me that? Fine, dammit, I’ll do it. Lead the way, Mr. Siringo.”

………………………………………………………………………

“Applejack, is it?” questioned a stallion’s voice. AJ’s heart skipped a beat as she awoke from her sleepwalking. She looked up to see Siringo glancing at her as he was dragging Apple Fritter. Legerity also appeared to be in deep slumber as he continued to carry his brother on his hooves.

“If you wouldn’t mind me asking, would you like to sit on my back?”

AJ glimpsed down at Apple Fritter as she was hauled through the dirt face up.

“Well, you want to be a little charmin’, don’t ya?”

“Well for her, I forgot her name, she just dropped to the ground like an anvil and she would’ve been behind us by a mile if I didn’t take it upon my responsibility to tow her. I’m not tryin’ to flirt here, miss, and I’ll ask again, would you like to sit on my back? I won’t kick ya off.”

“I bet you’re just as immoral as those other two, why’re you trying to be Mr. Nicey? It ain’t gonna help us before we go to... to wherever nightmare we’re going.”

“I’m a bounty hunter - they’re slave traders. Other than the fact that I kill, it’s against people who truly, more or less, have it coming to them. Slave traders do not intend to kill, but they torture those who don’t have it coming to them.”

“These deviants have it ‘coming to them’.” She nearly shouted. “Why didn’t you rid of them when you had the chance earlier?”

“Because they don’t have a bounty on their heads which is, you know, the job I mentioned a few seconds ago.”

“Then why don’t the law do anything about these kinds of ponies?”

“It is not like they’re ignorant of it. But as sadistic as you have to be to be a slaver, you can’t just accuse someone of being so.”

“Or stopping the nonsense as a whole?”

“The law definitely can’t do that, there’s only less than ten officers for each Appaloosa and Dodge Junction, and Celestia-knows-what for what backup the Gristle Brothers have. Easily outnumbered, putting those simple numbers together. Look, are you going to get on or not, you’re making the offer more difficult than it needs to be, this chit-chat about morals isn’t something I’d want to have just about now, ‘specially with some filly soon-to-be serf.”

“Fine.” she mumbled grudgingly as she slowly climbed on top of the bounty hunter’s back.

“See? All you had to do was nod and say ‘yes’.”

“Whatever, how long until we’re all there?”

“By sunrise, don’t even anticipate it.”

………………………………………………………………………

“How long were you carrying those two?”

“Since just about midnight.”

“Alright, we’ll take them from here, Horn. Go on now.”

Applejack unsealed her eyes as she was gently let down on the dirt floor. She saw Horn reluctantly walking past a large, dignified-looking, metal gate that boasted a far higher reputation than what it truly had. They have finally made their destination at the Gristle Brothers’ plantation. Legerity chained them up again and led them past the gates.

The vegetation seen throughout the fields beyond made it an oasis in the midst of the one-dimensional desert. Ponies simply wearing rags lined up across crops as they were supervised by a more distinguished stallion sitting atop a pony of his own. A crude path leading from the gate guided to a building straight from Cloudsdale, excluding the clouds. It was clear this was the residence of the owners of the plantation, Top, Cap and Fox Gristle.

The quartet drifted across the trail to meet a weathered Earth pony sitting on a rocking chair at the feet of the plantation house.

“Overseer Oats,” Legerity addressed. “Where can we find Fox?”

The old pony simply gestured his hoof in a clockwise motion. “You’ll also find the slaver named err... Sharps with him, too.”

“Duly noted.” He lead the way around the plantation house.

“Who’s this other slave trader?” Celerity asked. “I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”

“I have, he’s one of the two feather dusters responsible for taking ponies from Los Pegasus, a long ways north-west of here. He comes around only twice a month.”

The backyard of the mansion was more dense with trees than the front, at last providing shield from the daylight. A pegasus stallion wearing a similar outfit to the Swift brothers sat alone on a bench, accompanied by a mare serving him beverages with a silver platter.

“Oh, if it isn’t Leggy.” The pegasus said with a smirk. “I see you have your brother with ya, as well as some fillies you’re about to sell, if I’m right?”

“Correct, I was told Fox Gristle’s here?”

“He’ll be coming out the door behind me in a moment.”

And on cue, a gray Earth pony wearing a red, highly-esteemed suit strut through the back door of the plantation house. His mane was brown and slicked back neatly, supporting the confident look on his face.

“Ah, gentlecolts, the Swift brothers! Why don’t you two have seat with us, maybe have a cup of honey? We were just talking about - about the various abilities of a slave as an apple bucker. To give an example, did you know one could be capable of even kicking a tree off it’s roots? It’s probably not, what you call, feasible but hell, it sounds like a hell of a strength.”

“I gotta say,” Sharps joined in. “It’s tough looking for capable ponies from Los Pegasus. Most I plan to kidnap are usually fruitbowl pieces of crap. That’s why I’m looking into trying to find zebras, obviously the same stature of a pony, but maybe more hard-working, considering where they’re all from.”

“We’re lucky to be here then, because we’ve got two mares who are just that.” Celerity stepped back, revealing Applejack and Apple Fritter.

“Fruitbowl pieces of erm... crap?” Fox repeated.

“Of course not, these are apple farmers. My brother and I found them on a hike to Appaloosa.”

“I’ll be damned, good brother. Sharps, examine the orange one.”

“Will do.” The pegasus walked up close to Applejack. He focused on her hind legs, feeling her hooves. “I wonder how hard she bucks then.”

She then proceeded to give a fine example of how she could buck the strongest tree she could find, sending Sharps back into the trunk of a tree.

“You whore-of-a-cunt-fucking-bitch!” He sped towards Applejack. He was only a couple feet from tackling her until he was stopped by Legerity in a clothesline.

“No, don’t you think about doing that. Hurt her, and we wouldn’t be able to see anything else, would we?” He implored as he held him down on the ground.

Fox sat on the bench cackling and clapping his hooves. “Legerity, I’ve seen enough. She’s certainly the fine specimen, I’d gladly pay a price named by you.”

“You don’t want to see what the other mare could do?” Celerity asked.

“Please, I would assume she’s just as proficient as the other. Do you have their names?”

Legerity confusedly looked at the two mares back to back. “That, I do not know.”

“Well, you haven’t gone as so straightforward as asking them?”

“They don’t answer me.”

“Some ‘convincing’ would make it otherwise. In fact, no, causing any harm to this fine ponies would be an act of crime to even the lowest of those with no morals. Now please, name the price.”

“Four thousand.”

“Outrageo-” Fox cleared his throat. “I apologize, maybe a considerably lower price would suffice?”

“You said, ‘name the price’.”

“There’s only two of them, such a price would be ample if there were to be four!”

“Thirty-five hundred. Making it - a thousand and seven hundred fifty each.”

“I did not realize you were so much of the intellectual-type. Thirty-five hundred it is!”

Celerity snickered as he walked to Applejack. “I have to say, it’s been a pleasure traveling with you two fillies!” He spanked her on the flank as his brother passed them over to Fox Gristle.

Applejack was now a proud “employee” of the Gristle Brothers’ plantation.