All Too Real

Twilight and the girls follow the human and mare closely, unsure where to go from here. Their new host seemed nice enough, but it didn’t take away the fact that they were considered property.

As the group approaches the large gathering of foals, Anon pulls back his sleeve and checks a plain watch on his wrist. Afterward, he puts a finger in each corner of his mouth and lets out a long, sharp whistle.

Every ear out in the field perks up, but the colts and fillies let out groans and grumbles of disappointment.

“Alright everyone!” Anon bellows, his voice echoing against the large central building. “Recess is over! Let's head back inside and back to class! You know where you need to be!”

All the colts and fillies continue to grumble, but break up their games and slowly shuffle towards the waiting adult ponies who were monitoring them. They make three lines, one behind each adult, and are lead back inside.

“Recess?” Rarity questions with a raised eyebrow. “Are they educated here?”

Freyja glances back to white mare. “They are.”

Rarity waits for Freyja to elaborate, but when the collarless mare never does, Anon steps in.

“We do have some teachers, both human and pony in-house,” Anon says with a smile. “Like most children, the little ones aren’t happy about days in a classroom, but they understand why they need to be there, at least.”

‘But why bother educating a slave?’ Twilight wonders with a frown. ‘An uneducated one would be far easier to control and manipulate. What does he gain?’

One of the adult slaves, an earth pony mare coming into middle age, hangs back and falls into step with Anon.

Anon smiles ruefully and shakes his head. “Lemme guess. Sterling?”

The mare nods “Yes, Anon. Sterling hasn’t been focusing in class and seems troubled in general. His mother isn’t sure what the issue is either since he refuses to say.”

The human crosses his arms and nods. “He’s got a family prospecting him, that's whats bugging him. Freyja or I will talk to him when we can and try to clear it up. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.”

“Of course,” the un-named mare says with a smile and incline of her head before she briskly trots back inside. Anon leads the group after her at a slower pace

“The man wanting to buy Sterling, his background check has yet to come back,” Freyja tells Anon as they walk. “That could mean trouble.”

‘She sounds so callous about it…’ Fluttershy thinks with a shaky breath. ‘Like she’s talking about an expensive toy and not a child…’

“He seemed a little sketchy, but nothing overly bad,” Anon says back. “If anything does come back from the SCB, then he’s not getting Sterling. I’ll have you with me in that case.”

Freyja just nods.
Applejack clears her throat just as the group clears the door on the side of the building. “So Mister Anonymous? Where exactly are we gonna be stayin’?” She asks, making her friends perk up and listen close.

Anon frowns. “Just Anon, please, Applejack. That goes for the rest of you too, unless we have a guest over or something. You all will be staying with me and my ponies considering your… special circumstances,” he says, carefully testing the words before saying them. “This will keep you from the other ponies on the ranch, but once we get some trust built then I can let you wander more.”

“So you can keep us close and zap us if we don't act like good little pets,” Rainbow accuses, her face contorting into a scowl and her wings ruffling. “You’re sick.”

The other five all suck in sharp breaths.

Freyja snaps her murderous gaze to the lippy pegasus. At the same time. her horn lights up in a silver color and hums threateningly.

Rainbow snorts and spreads her wings…only for the green light on her collar to blink, sapping her strength yet again and making her wings shake. Rainbow, to her credit, only pales slightly and refuses to back down.

“Wait! She didn’t mean it!” Pinkie clamors in front of Rainbow, shielding the petite pegasus with her own body. “Please don’t hurt Rainbow!” the pink mare pleads with a gulp. She stares at Freyja with fright that is totally out of place on her face. “T-Take it out on me if you have to!”

“Pinkie no!”

“Pinkie…” Rainbow says, shocked.

A hand is put between the two parties. “I don't think we’ll be doling out any punishment today.”

The group of ponies look up at Anon, who has lost his smile for a more stony expression.

“Freyja,” he starts, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. “Please keep a lid on the temper. I know you wouldn’t have actually hurt them, but they don’t know that nor any of the rules. They need time and space to acclimate.”

The unicorn looks away and nods stiffly, obviously sore at being called out.

“Girls,”

The Six unsurely look at Anon.

He sighs. “I will admit I don't have a good grasp on your origins so this is all probably new and stressful. I can understand that, but I ask that Freyja and I be given at least a minimal amount of respect,” he cracks open an eye and locks onto Rainbow, who shrinks under the look. “You’re not going to be punished arbitrarily, there will ALWAYS be a legitimate reason given. We don't have to be friends, and I don't EXPECT us to be friends. I just ask for your cooperation, okay?”

The mares all look at each other, each one slowly nodding.

Anon’s smile returns. “Great. Now, like I was saying, you all will be staying with me and mine. I have a large communal room big enough for 10 ponies that never gets used that I think you’ll find comfortable. Thankfully, my remaining duties for today consists of mostly busy work that I can pawn off, so we can get you all settled in.”

“Pleeeease tell me there is a stocked bathroom,” Rarity pleads. “It’s been a full day since I’ve washed. I practically feel like the embodiment of grease.”

Anon throws his head back and laughs. “Don’t worry little miss. I won’t leave you to stew in filth. Let’s get going and I’ll show ya.”

The human leads the group further into the large building, showing the inside to be similar to a rustic style home, only on a much grander scale. He leads them past a long hallway dotted with doors leading to classrooms headed by either a human or an adult pony teaching a small class of colts and fillies. There were only three classrooms in use with about ten students to each. Twilight can’t help herself and stops to peer into one.

“Okay, everyone. Settle down and get the recess out,” the teacher, an older unicorn mare with narrow spectacles on her muzzle and her mane in a gray-speckled bun called out. “Let's start on our language arts for today.”

The class, a medley of older children, all fish notebooks and pencils out of their desks with only minimal noise and just a single paper ball launched across the room. If the teacher noticed it, she ignored it.

The teacher picks up a stack of paper from her desk in a magic aura-wait what!

Twilight zeros in on the teacher mare’s horn and the collar, which has the same stylized A as Freefall’s. This mare has a collar yet can do magic. How can that be? Yet more questions to boggle her mind.

The older mare passes out the papers as she talks. “We’ll be doing our advanced vocabulary today. Use each word in a proper and grammatically correct sentence. There are bonus words at the bottom, and if you need help, ask a peer then myself. And when I say ‘ask a peer’, I don't mean directly ask for answers, Miss Wintergreen!”

The class lets out a collective “Ooooooohhhhhh!” when a green and white filly in the back blushes and ducks her head.

Twilight blinks, unsure what to think. The whole scene is so… so… normal that it’s surreal. It’s as if they didn’t know what the collars around each of their tiny necks meant.

Like none of them knew that they’re just things to be owned.

“Get sidetracked?”

Twilight gasps and backs up into a pair of legs. Looking up, she sees Anon smiling down at her.

“Oh, Mister Anonymous!” The teacher takes notice immediately and stands as straight as she can. “Class, say hello to Mister Anonymous,” she orders, subtly tightening her mane bun.

“Hello Mister Anonymous,” they all say in the same disinterested drone as any classroom of children would.

He smiles and waves to the class. “Afternoon everyone. Not making Minnie pull her mane out I hope,” he says, earning a few giggles.

“They certainly try,” the now named Minnie says with a roll of her eyes. “What do we owe the pleasure?”

“Just collecting a wayward guest,” Anon says, poking Twilight on the top of her head. “Say ‘hi’ to Twilight everyone. You’ll see her around here.”

Twilight flushes and looks away when the class lets out another greeting, this time for her.

“You look like the real Twilight!” A young pegasus filly in the front row says excitedly.

“Hey yeah, she does…” A colt behind her mutters.

“I’ve never seen a real alicorn before!”

Twilight blinks. “I look like what..?” ‘I look like the real Twilight?’

“Minnie,” Anon cuts in suddenly, derailing the alicorn’s thoughts. “Send Sterling to me after class, okay? I’d like to talk to him.”

“Ooooooohhhhhhhhh!”

Twilight is immediately forgotten in the wake of the juicy new gossip. Near the back of the class, a colt with a white coat and brilliant silvery mane sinks in on himself.

“It’s nothing bad,” Anon dismisses with a wave of his hand. “In fact, it’s the opposite. I think I’ve got good news for mister Sterling. Anyways, sorry for interrupting. We’ll be off.”

A hand on Twilight’s wither leads her out of the doorway with the door being pulled closed behind them.

“It looked so normal.” the lavender mare blurts suddenly. When Anon just raises an eyebrow, she continues. “It looked just like a normal classroom. It worked like a normal classroom. But all of them had collars… They’re slaves... What…” She shakes her head, fighting a sudden bout of dizziness. “What is going on..?”

Anon blows out a breath. “It is how it is, Twilight. I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day. Freyja and your friends are waiting by my personal wing of the house. Let’s go.

Twilight, too mentally exhausted from the last day and a half, allows herself to be lead away.

The walk to the personal wing is nary a minute, but to the tired Twilight, it felt like a year. She still noticed how she was lead in through the right side of a rather grand foyer and to the left, down the center of the massive house. Down the hallway is a door emblazoned with the familiar stylized A, an impatient Freyja, and the concerned elements.

Anon smiles at the group. “Well, everyone. Home sweet home.”

The mares sans Freyja flinch, making Anon’s upturned lips falter. “Ah, right. Well, we’ll try to make feel like home at least. Freefall, Stratosphere, and Gadget should be along shortly,” he says before looking at Freyja. “You know, I think this will be the first time we've actually used the massive dining room table fully. Why did we get that thing?”

“Because the decorators wanted an excuse to use your money,” she replies simply.

The man chuckles. “Yeah, I guess. Let’s head on in so we can get dinner started. You mind texting Lisa and telling her that we’re closing shop a little early today?”

The unicorn raises a single delicate eyebrow. “And your paperwork for today?”

“Fuck it. I’ll get up early and do it tomorrow.”

She rolls her eyes and flicks her tail. “Very well. It’s done.”

The unspoken question rolls between the Six as they share the silent communication only best friends have. What is ‘texting’ and what exactly did the unicorn mare do? Her horn didn’t light up so it couldn’t be magic.

Anon fishes a set of keys from his pocket and opens the door for them, ushering them inside first.

With reluctant steps, they move forward.

“Ahhhh! Much better!”

Rarity steps out of the steamy bathroom with a smile, feeling equal parts satisfied and serene. The hot shower did wonders for her mood even if her lack of magic forced her to use a more mundane mane-style. She looks around the spacious bedroom where her friends are lounged around, just taking in the last few hours of quiet.

When Anon said it was fit for ten ponies, he wasn’t joking. The room was easily the size of a Princess suite, though less luxurious. A single huge, low-set bed dominates the corner, large enough to fit all Six comfortably. Both Fluttershy and Twilight lay across it with Fluttershy already drifting off into an exhaustion induced sleep.

The rest of the bedroom is sparse, with just a pony-sized desk pushed against the far wall, a ceiling fan and light, and a “Television” on a stand that Rainbow and Pinkie try to puzzle out. A bemused Applejack sits just behind them and watches.

“C’mon, it was working a just a minute ago!” Rainbow growls as she mashes buttons on a complex looking remote controller held in her wing. She has it aimed at the television, but each button pressed yields nothing but more frustration. Before she can get angry enough to smash the little device, a pink hoof swipes it.

“Lemme try it,” Pinkie says, looking over the remote with a critical eye and exaggerated rub of her chin. She holds the deep expression for only a few seconds before smiling and shrugging. “Okay, I dunno, but when in doubt, press ALL the buttons!”

Pinkie’s hoof moves like lighting and presses each little rubber button in sequence until she hits a large on near the top, then the television suddenly flares to life. The sudden light and noise startle her, Rainbow, and Applejack, who all jump back.

“-And temperatures are expected to remain at a pleasant sixty-five to seventy degrees for the remainder of the week,” a well dressed and smiling man on the screen says, dropping his arm from where he was pointing at an unfamiliar map behind him. “Back to you, Katrina.”

The screen transitions over to another smiling human, a woman this time. “Thanks, Ted. In local news, the beloved Big Iron Grill downtown has finally recovered from last year’s fire and will re-open on-”

Twilight perks up, pulled from her thoughts as the television demands her attention. “Is this the news? Like on a radio?”

“Seems like it, darling,” Rarity says as she settles next to Twilight on the bed. “Though it’s certainly flashier. Like somepony miniaturized a movie theatre.”

“-ck on the menu,” the woman on the screen finishes, glancing down at the paper on her desk for a split second. “In other news, several lost and frightened ponies were found in Ford park-”

All Six sans the asleep Fluttershy instantly zero in on the TV.

“-yesterday. The six ponies, all mares, were hysterical and subdued by animal control before being transported to the local pony shelter. The shelter has not released names or images of the mares in question, but due to their lack of electronic ID, request that any owner missing six mares step forward to claim them as early as possible.-”

Applejack snorts. “Good luck with that.”

“-At the moment, the mares are in protective custody. For developing news, local police are still puzzling out the motive for the grizzly murder of 9-year-old Tonya Coon at the hands of repeat felon Arnold Connor, who was out on parole for-!”

A pale-faced Pinkie smacks the power button on the remote and silences the TV, leaving the room silent. She gulps and looks at her equally spooked friends.

‘That lady looked waaaaay too comfortable reporting that, even if it was an act,’ Pinkie thinks, feeling cold sweat dot her. ‘I hope that was just some sorta outlier. Hymanes don’t actually do that to others, do they?’

“Uhh…” Rainbow tries to break the silence with limited success. “Too much info. I’m glad Flutters wasn’t awake for that.”

A slamming door from outside their room breaks the tension and rouses a groggily Fluttershy.

“Anon! I’m home!” a youthful, female voice calls.

“Welcome back, Strats!” Anon calls back deeper in the house. “We’ve got some guests and dinner is about done. Can you get them?”

“Kay! Guest room?”

“Yep!”

Light hoof falls tip-tap just down the hall to the bedroom get closer and stop just behind the door, which gets two light knocks before swinging open.

A smiling pegasus mare who looks like she just came into adulthood greets the sight of the Six. She’s petite similar to Rainbow, with a snowy white coat and sky blue mane and tail, both cut short. Her eyes are a darker cerulean, matching the collar around her neck. But none of that is watch catches the attention of the elements.

What looks like flat metal studs run down her neck in dual rows of five, starting on either side of her jaw and running down her throat to her chest. Two more rows of five run down the back of her neck onto her back, and two more are embedded in the base of her muzzle just diagonally from her eyes.

Her smile turns into a grin. “You’re all staring.”

Rarity is the first to recover. She blinks and wets her lips before replying. “We’re dreadfully sorry about that, dear. Your, well... interesting style caught us off guard.”

“I get that a lot,” the mare says, her grin growing. She winces when her jovial expression tugs at the skin around her muzzle studs. “Ech. I could do without that, though,” she grumbles, rubbing the bridge of her snout with a small hoof. “Anyway, the names Stratosphere. It sounds like Freyja is about done with dinner and you're with us tonight, so let’s get going before she starts bitching about it getting cold.”

She starts back down the hallway without waiting for an answer, forcing the Six to stand and hurry to follow.

Stratosphere leads them down the hallway, passing a handful of other doors and through a modern looking living room. “So you were the six they found in the park yesterday, right?” She asks over her shoulder.

“That’s us.” Pinkie replies with a smile. “Dunno how we got here, but that’s us.”

Stratosphere hums under her breath. “Mkay, whatever you say.”

“Do you not believe us?” Twilight asks with a frown.

The white pegasus folds her ears and looks back at them. “No no, I believe you…” she says, turning forward again a mumbling something.

Twilight sighs a few moments later. ‘The tone was a little uncalled for on a pony younger than us who probably doesn't know the details…’ Thinking it over, she starts the conversation again. “I’m sorry about snapping at you, Stratosphere. The last day and some change has been rough and we’re all a little frayed at the nerves.”

Their guide perks back up and grins. “Nah, I understand, Twilight, right? And call me Strats if you want, all my friends do.”

Warmth blooms in Twilight’s chest.

Friends.

The one thing that’s never failed her before is the presence of a good friend. Through thick and thin friends stick together no matter what. In this odd world, the offer of a new friend is a glittering ray of light in the inky dark.

The alicorn lets out a smile, the first genuine smile she’s had since she and her best friends were dropped into this backwards world. “Friends, huh? I think I can speak for all of us all when I say I’d enjoy that.”

Stratosphere looks back at the group, blinking at the true and friendly expressions sent her way. She turns forward again, her cheeks a bit pink. “Oh wow. I didn’t realize it meant that much to you all,” she says, stopping for a second to giggle and do a full body wiggle on the tips of her hooves. “I’m glad I made your day a little better!”

The last (and rather short) leg of the trip is spent in a comfortable silence to the kitchen.

Stratosphere speeds up to a swift trot once they pass the open doorway to a large, open, human-sized kitchen. “Anon!”

…Only to skid to a stop when the kitchen only has Freyja on a footstool carefully watching some sizzling pans on the stove and no human in sight.

“He’s getting a maid,” Freyja starts, stirring one of the pans without looking up. “Gadget is busy on some project and Freefall wants to spend time with his son. Anon granted both requests to be absent but wants to send food to them.” She taps the wooden spoon held her telekinesis in the pan, freeing it of any scraps and sets it down. A silvery aura then turns down two dials on the stove, letting the flames fizzle out. “Set the table, would you?”

“Nah,” the pegasus replies with a sniff and a grin. “Have one of the new gals do it. Top cabinet in the corner is the dinnerware. Chip-chop!”

“Um, hello?” Rainbow cuts in, deadpan. She raises her wings and her collar blinks green.

“I don’t think we’re in much-a position to help, sug,” Applejack says with a little smirk. “If you’d kindly?”

“Oh…” Stratosphere hoofs her own face. “Fiiiiiiine…”

“Who called me?”

Stratosphere’s eyes light up. “Anon!” she cries, racing across the room and past a certain annoyed unicorn.

The man grins and opens his arms, letting the white-furred missile crash into him so hard that he has to twirl around as to not be knocked over. He chuckles into a face full of blue mane and holds the mare in a hug, letting her back legs dangle. “Missed you, baby girl. You weren’t joking when you said you’d be back a full day early.”

Freyja seems wholly unbothered by the display, just rolling her eyes and pulling the dishes from the top corner cabinet with telekinesis.

The Six, however…

‘She’s got a collar like the rest of ‘em,’ Applejack thinks with a frown tugging at her face. ‘But she’s lovin on him something fierce. The youngin’s I can get not caring since they probably don't understand. This is too genuine to be faked, though…’

A sudden thought strikes the apple farmer like a hoof to the gut. ‘What if she ain’t faking it? What if the others ain’t faking it..?!’

She looks to her friends. Fluttershy and Pinkie are faintly smiling and grinning respectively at the display, Rainbow and Rarity seem indifferent, but Twilight’s expression is one of pondering that slowly morphs into disbelief.

She knows.

“Ugh,” Stratosphere grunts into Anon’s chest. “Escort duty sucks and I hate it,” she says, raising her head to nuzzle her cheek into the man. “Nothing even happened! You figure that people who buy a pony will put out some extra cash for rush shipping and not UPS ground of all things,” she says, muttering a few rude works under her breath. “I’m glad I’m home.”

“And we’re glad you’re home, Strats,” Anon says, giving the mare one last rub across the back before letting her slide down to the floor.

Stratosphere tries to stubbornly hold the embrace, but eventually gives up and falls to her hooves with a grumble.

Without an armful of mare occupying him, Anon turns his attention to the Six. “Hope you all like stir-fry. Simple stuff, but Freyja somehow makes it taste like gourmet each time,” he praises, sending a lopsided smile to the gold-coated unicorn.

As if on queue, the smell of the freshly cooked veggies wafts it’s way to the elements and elicits more than one stomach growl.

“Oh, my…” Rarity covers her belly and blushes red. “I suppose it has been some time since we’ve last had a substantial meal. And it does smell excellent…”

Freyja’s lips twitch upward just the smallest amount. “Having many a day of practice is all that is needed for skill. If not for me, my dear master would have already starved himself, silly man.”

Said man snorts. “Probably. I was never much of a cook unless cup noodles count as cooking.”

“Pfft!” Rainbow stifles a laugh. “What kind of adult can’t cook?”

Her friends throw her alarmed glares, but Anon just chuckles. “This one, I guess.”

“Like you’re one to talk, Rainbow,” Twilight quickly defects, raising her eyebrow as she speaks. “Didn’t you almost burn down your CLOUD house making soup?”

Anon, Freyja, and Stratosphere share confused looks at ‘cloud house’.

Rainbow flushes. “I did not!”

“You did though!”

“I remember that!” Pinkie says with a giggle. “The whole weather team showed up with rainclouds cuz they thought the town was next!”

“Perhaps we can finish bickering at the dinner table?” Freyja cuts in, levitating three plates to a mare in a maid dress who shuffles off as quick as she came. “I did not cook all of this just for it to get cold,” she says, the threat clear in her stern blue eyes.

Stratosphere snorts and readjusts her wings. “Told you she’d bitch.”
Anon didn’t defend her when a wooden spoon smacked her right on the muzzle.