Chapter One: Death Do Us Part
Ponies.
Ponies never change. At least not anymore, after the megaspells dropped, obliterating our once peaceful land. That was the day our kind lost its ability to forgive, to be kind, and generous. Loyalty and honesty were lost in the radioactive winds of the rolling wasted landscape. Now, we thrive off of, not virtues, but vices. Greed, lust and absolute dishonesty. This is now what reigns supreme in this horrid land, that we call our home. The magic that used to keep us close, used to keep all pony kind connected, died alongside Equestria itself. This is all that’s left. A bleak husk of a once peaceful and beautiful land. Nothing can bring the land back to its former glory. And all of us must deal with that.
Q U I L L
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I groaned, tossed over and threw the blanket over my head. Hiding under the covers did nothing to stop the thuds. You have got to be shitting me… Can’t a pony get some sleep?
“What!” I yelled from the bed. I'm not working today! I’m not leaving this spot for anypony.
“Quill!” Shouted a voice from the other side of the door, “Get your lazy ass up! You have clients to serve!” Yelled Rubeline the Old Mare of the Giddy Stallion, her voice laced with annoyance.
“Fuck off, Rubeline! It’s my day off! I’m not doing shit.”
BANG! The door cracked. “You get the day off when I tell you. And I’m telling you, you’ve got work to do.”
“I have literally worked every single fucking day this week. I think I deserve a little peace and quiet.” I know I’m a popular host, but even I need a break sometimes.
Rubeline walked into my room with a look on her face saying that her patience was wearing thin. She snorted, sounding like a cat hacking up a hairball.
“This client has specifically requested you and he has paid handsomely for a solid hour.”
“A whole hour? Seriously? Fuck that, I’m not doing this for a whole Celestia damned hour.” Recoiling from the sheer thought. “Just paint one of the new mares to look like me. That should do the trick.”
I sighed. Of course, I knew that it would take way too long to pull something like that off, but a pony could dream, right? I am charcoal grey unicorn with a mane of crimson, maroon, dull gold and ash colored stripes. Fuck me for having something exceedingly intricate for an appearance. I should honestly dye my mane grey and get it over with.
“You know it doesn’t work like that. I would happily do that for you, but this stallion has had you before.” Her voice was now a kinder tone, as if she was trying to smooth out the situation.
“Well, sorry Rube, I guess you’re shit out of luck because I’m not moving from this spot.” I gestured my hoof to the bed I am lying on.
“Quill, I’d think long and hard about this if I were you. He’s not a pony that takes no for an answer. You should know this…” Rubeline said, with a glacial tone. “You had him only a couple months ago.”
“You’re shitting me, right? You’ve got to be kidding me… Its… It’s not that cuntfucker, is it?” I said, as a dark wave of pure hatred and borderline depression swept over me. Maybe it wasn’t him… Maybe it’s not the same stallion and it’s just a big burly one who has an attitude problem… Anypony but-
“I’m sorry, but yes. Its Cutthroat.” Rube said, as she tensed up waiting for the explosion. I’ll give her one thing. She knows me damn well.
“YOU TOLD ME PERSONALLY THAT WE DON’T SERVE RAIDERS ANYMORE!” I shouted, so loud, that my voice felt raw afterward. Rubeline recoiled, despite her attempt to prepare herself. Satisfied with the reaction I had caused, I brought down my temper to a low simmer.
“Well… You know we don’t get many high paying customers. We need every cap we can get.” She said, defensively.
“Fuck you.” My voice was like a hellhound claw, temper rising again. She promised me that we would stop serving raiders yet here we are again taking their blood money!
The Old Mare took a small, faltering, step backwards, clearly shocked by my response. I guess I don’t blame her. I haven’t kept a temper up like this in probably a year. “Quill… don-”
I was so pissed, I couldn’t even let her finish. I didn’t care what she had to say at this point, Cutthroat was in the building and had already paid for me? “No. Just no. Stop trying to fix this with your words Rube. I’ve put up with so much shit around here. And I’m fine with that. But this? Hell no. Last time Cutthroat had me, I couldn’t walk for a whole Celestia damned month. Can you imagine that?” I was fuming, and I hoped Rube could see that. Judging by the look in the old earth ponies eyes, she could see it clear as day.
“Quill, it wasn’t that bad-”
“He broke my fucking leg, you old cunt bag,” My voice filled with fire. I had calmed down a bit, the raging balefire now just a bonfire. Rube must have seen this anger simmer away because she regained some of her usual composure.
“It wasn’t that broken...” She said with a smartass look on her face. This old hag really knew how to push my buttons.
“Rubeline…” I warned, trying to put on a sort of stern and don’t-fuck-with-me typeface. But, honestly, I didn’t have any fight left. What was the point of arguing with her.
“Alright, alright, just call for me if he gets too rough, or throw open your door. I'll kick his ass out myself.”
“I better get a bigger commission for this, Rube. You owe me. Big time.”
“Deal.”
“Alright, now can you give me, like, five minutes. I need to prepare for this. If you get what I mean.” I said, praying to the princesses that she would give me the time.
“Whatever floats your boat, kid.” She muttered, before trotting out of my room, closing the door behind her.
Well, shit. Looks like I actually have to go through with this. Looks like I’m going to need a heavy dose of Med-X. I thought to myself, before rummaging through my nightstand to find where I kept my drugs.
Fuck… fuck fuck fuckity fuck. I’m out. The time I need the shit the most. I don’t have it. Luna fuck me with the dark side of the moon… I glanced to the bottle of Wild Pegasus in the nightstand drawer, and sighed, levitating the bottle, unscrewing the cap and taking a swig that would put other ponies my size right to shame.
“Hurry up, you little slut!” Rube shouted through the door. “Your five minutes is up!” She clearly had forgotten about the argument that had just had, because she was acting like a twat muffin again.
“Damn it, Rube! I was literally just about to walk out.” I said, opening the door, and trotting out. “Was the slut comment really necessar-” All of a sudden, a sharp pain erupted in my shoulder. It lasted for no more than a second, disappearing just as quickly as it came. “What the hell?” I looked over at Rube, who was holding what looked to be a Med-X syringe.
“I figured a good dose of this would help you out, darling.” Rube shrugged, discarding the syringe into the trash can in the hall.
“Thanks, I guess?” I said, unsure how to react. She was kind enough to give me the drug, but still randomly jabbed me with a needle without my consent. I guess it was probably safe to play it off neutral. I mean, I couldn’t get too angry. That does will probably help me out tremendously, knowing how Cutthroat is.
“Also, have some Buck to keep your spirits up.” She said with the shittiest grin the mare could give.
“Fuck you, Rube. I’m not a pill popper. An alcoholic, maybe.” I said, looking at her, shaking my head slightly in dismay. We started on our way to the room where I was supposed to meet the shitface of a pony.
“You sure about that, sweetheart?”
“I hate you.” I said, not even sparing the old mare a glance.
“See? That’s the spirit!” She said, laughing a tad, which… sounded more like a wracking cough than anything.
I said nothing, and just glared at her with the hatred worthy of Tartarus. Like I said… This old bitch really knew how to push my buttons.
“C’mon Quill, he won’t pay well if you keep that face up. Give me a good seductive smile. You know, you got to warm up before going in with him.”
Alright, make that worthy of Tartarus and a small bonfire burning in the center of the wretched place. I hate this building… I want to burn it to the ground… Or at least break a table or two… Maybe throw a chair…
My boss frowned, as if trying to decipher what I was thinking or something. “You going to be okay, sweetie?”
I sighed, feeling like an emotional train wreck. “Yeah… I guess. I just… I just don’t get it.” I muttered, feeling like total shit. I hadn’t felt this low since the day I arrived at this fucking brothel.
“Don’t get what?” The old mare asked, actually looking as if she were going to genuinely hear me out. That was rare.
“I don’t get why you keep letting that… that piece of shit in here.” I said, a twinge of… fuck… did I sound like I was about to cry?
“It’s not like I had the choice… I would like to keep my head on my shoulders.”
I didn’t argue. In fact, I kind of agreed with her decision. If I was in her position, I would have done the same. We continued our way down the seemingly endless hallway, before rounding a corner into the main lobby, which was full of raiders having their fair share of fun with my co-workers.
I instantly felt like I was going to throw up. Not because of what I was seeing, I mean, I’ve seen ponies go at it hard every now and again. I work at a literal whore house. It was more or less the fact on how… how they were going about it. A couple mares looked towards us, their faces contorted in a mixture of pained pleasure and fear. I guessed they were the newbies as some of the others, whom I recognized, were staring at nothing, their expressions a drugged out blank, emotionless haze.
I felt kind of bad. The new mares were obviously hating every second of what was happening to them. At the same time, I knew they felt they had no choice. This was a sort of last stop shop type brothel. The kind you go to when you’re low on caps. It wasn’t the best place in the world, but it was better than being outside. Hell… I guess I’d even consider it home.
Rubeline left my side to go work the bar. Yes, we had a bar. Where else did you think I got my liquor? Looks like I’m all alone now… Should probably deal with this cunt waffle. I thought to myself, before making my way to the room he was supposed to be located at.
I used my magic to open the door, the blue aura enveloping the knob and turning it. I cracked the door, seeing a stream of dull light flood onto the floor. Shit… He’s actually in there… It’s okay Quill… Just take a deep breath and do this. I did exactly that… I took a deep breath and trotted through the door. I barely had enough time to see the dirty glint of what looked to be a whiskey bottle, before crumpling to the floor. Did that cuntbucket just smash a bottle over my head? I thought to myself, silently thanking Rube for the painkillers.
“It took you too long, bitch!” Cutthroat shrieked, spit flying in every direction. The unicorn’s silver coat was caked in blood as usual.
His cutie mark, a serrated hunting knife, was barely visible as it was covered in the aforementioned blood of ponies he and his gang mutilated for pleasure. His jet black, spiky mane the same way… Did he literally bathe in blood? You know what… Forget I asked... He probably did.
I rubbed my head, trying to feel for an open wound. I guess I was lucky, because I didn't feel one. “Good to see you too, Cutthroat.” I muttered. He seems to be in a better mood this time… Maybe this won’t be as bad as I thought it was going to be.
As if on cue, I was back on the ground again, with the unicorn’s hooves beating into me. Great… I jinxed it… I thought, feeling a little disoriented. It was odd watching your body being pummeled, but not being able to feel it happening. This was going to hurt like a bitch in a couple hours.
The torrent of beating hooves mercifully stopped, leaving the stallion panting. He sat up beside me, looking over me as if he were a scientist examining an unusual specimen. After a couple grueling seconds of silence, Cutthroat woke up to the world again, with a wicked grin.
“How’s my favorite little cock sock today?” He said, his voice suddenly deep and smooth like dark chocolate.
How he did that, I had no idea. If he wasn’t such a dick or a murdering pile of cat shit, he would actually come across as an attractive stallion, but who was I to say anything. I was getting my brains fucked out by stallions who couldn’t pick up a mare in the wastes, because they weren’t good looking enough. Or they really enjoyed the thought of abusing ponies. You know what? It was probably both.
I gritted my teeth over how annoying this all was.
“As charming as ever, aren’t you?” I asked, hoping to throw him off a bit.
I hated this pony with a burning passion, and I wanted to dig at him with every word. Although, at the same time, I regretted saying that as soon as I said it.
Cutthroat flipped me onto my stomach with absolute carelessness, treating me as if I were a bag of sand. I landed on the ground with a loud thud, attempting to curl into a ball to avoid the inevitable. Please no, please no… please please please don’t do this… The silver unicorn used his forehooves to press into my back to prevent me from reverting to the fetal position.
Without a word he mounted and started pounding away like it was his birthday or something. Again, the painkillers helped me out tremendously, but I could still feel it happening. The unicorn was relentless. I had no idea what he was doing, I couldn’t turn my body see behind me because of where the douchebag was pressing down. I knew he thought it was fun to see how badly he could hurt me from the inside out or vice versa. I felt shifts in weight and impacts on my body several times over as Cutthroat continued on, his breathing seeming more forced.
Then came a sharp crack. A sound I was sure came from my body. Fuck! Did he just break something again? My ribs shift unnaturally. Shit… Sweet Celestia… I should thank Rube for that Med-X again… I was mentally freaking out. When this drug wore off, I was going to want to die in a hole… more than I did already.
Cutthroat let out a groan and my body shivered with a sensation I knew all too well. The feeling sickened me… I hated when stallions did that… They couldn’t pull out and release off to the side or something? Cutthroat got off my back and moved to sit in front of me. He had a look on his face I didn’t like… Almost like the dumbass was thinking…
“So…” He started, looking me over quick, as if his hunger was not satisfied. “I’ve got a job for you.”
I said nothing in response. I just stared at him coldly, waiting for the request. I already knew what I was going to say to anything he asked before he told me.
“Me and my boys found a nice little Stable, not too far from here.”
I tilted my head, slightly confused where was he going with this. “Okay, and you need me fo-” He slammed a hoof into my jaw, causing my head to jerk to the right.
“Did I give you permission to speak, slut?” He asked, a dangerous tone lacing his voice.
I didn’t want to test him. I knew I couldn’t feel much at the moment, but anything that he did now, could hurt me internally, despite not being able to feel pain. I shook my head, and he leaned back, staring down at me again with a shark like grin.
“I need you to use that silver tongue of yours. Get those Stable ponies to open up their doors.”
I nodded slightly, kind of understanding what he was getting at. Although, one thing didn’t make sense. “Why would the Stable open the-” My head swung right again as he made another solid connection.
“Remember what I said about talking?” The unicorn growled, before continuing on. “This Stable trades with the outside. They exchange goods with passing caravans and have contracts with a few. So, our plan is to dress your sweet little ass up like a caravanner and send you in to open those doors.” He said, seemingly proud of this plan he and his gang had conjured up. I mean, I wasn’t going to lie. It was a damn good one. Although he was missing one point…
“So... what are you going to do when I open the do-”
“You want me to break your other damn leg too? If no, I’d stop talking.” That Celestia damned raping bastard! I knew it… Fuck… It’s going to cost my three weeks pay to get my hooves on a good enough healing potion. “As I was saying… once you open the doors, we go in, take control, and kill anything that can’t be sold. You got the plan?” He said, with a stern look on his face, like a father educating his child on how to behave in public.
“I’m not helping you kill innocent Stable ponies!” I shrieked.
The unicorn snorted, “As if you had the fucking choice, babe.” He said, pulling out a bottle and jamming it down my throat. Huh… A healing potion… dumbass! That’s only going to make it easi..The world suddenly started to fade to a distant black. Fuck… I thought before falling into an endless oblivion.
S A P P H I R E
“Hey, wake up.” A voice, soft like velvet, said to me.
I groaned, burrowing deeper in the soft, warm blankets. “I don’t wanna…” I said, sleepily. I was so comfy! I’m not getting up…
“Come on, little one. You need to get up.” The voice said again, hooves suddenly prodding at my back. I already told the voice… I don’t want to get up… why does it want me to wake?! I thought to myself, trying to figure out why… Hmmmm, maybe it’s the monsters… they’re trying to trick me into waking up. I will not be fooled!
“No! I’m not getting up…” I said, matter of factly. Heroes don’t have others boss them around. Heroes do what they want!
“Oh really? If you are not going to get up, then I have no choice but to unleash the tickle monster.” The voice said, suddenly full of menace.
My eyes shot open, staring at a blue barrier. I was trapped… The dreaded tickle monster was about to be released. No… this was it. The end of the line. I couldn’t face it… Anything else, but this!
The monster was suddenly released from its cage, horrifying as ever. It ripped the barrier away, and unleashed an unholy barrage onto my body. I attempted to block, and parry the beast’s attacks, but my attempts were pointless against such a monster. Its claws were too fast, and too agile for me to even come close to blocking them. How can I stand up against such a monster with no weapons? Not even a shield. I was losing… I could not win, and the monster and its master knew it.
The witch who let the beast loose, let out a cackle of victory. She knew she had power over me, and she knew that I couldn’t stop the monster’s brutal attacks.
“I will not stop this, until I see you move from your bed, little one.” She was evil! She was horrible.
This witch would do anything to make me do her bidding… I must do all I can to hold out… The mad mare chuckled, which soon turned into a howl of evil laughter. I must withstand this. I can’t give in now… Not today! I will not give in to the evils of this world. I am the chosen mare! I will bring order to this Stable, and this beast will not break me!
The beast continued its torrent of tickling, the attacks getting faster and faster, making it impossible to do anything. I kicked and squirmed, using every bit of training I had to fight this beast off. My attempts were futile… This was it… I could not stop it… No... please no! You gotta keep pushing. You can do this! Don’t… Give… IN! I let out a grunt of effort, to make it stop, to push back the claws that were putting this torment onto me. It failed… I had to surrender… I couldn't take much more.
“Mom! Stop! I’m going to pee!” I whined, pouting a little.
“I’ll stop as soon as you get out of bed, Sapph.” She said, continuing on with her hooves.
“Okay! Okay… fine… I’ll get out of bed.” I said, grudgingly. You have won this time, vile beast of tickling, but I shall have my revenge... I thought to myself, vowing that the next battle will be a triumph under the Great and Powerful Sapphire.
I slowly got up, and stretched, before getting off the bed. The Caregiver always commands me to do such things… like waking up early. One day… One day I will not give in to the beasts she unleashes… And I will sleep in. A voice shook me from my thoughts. “Huh?” I said, silently willing the voice’s owner to repeat itself, as I trotted over to the living area.
“I asked if you did your homework.” The beast known as my mother, or the Caregiver, repeated. No… The dreaded homework! I didn’t do it! I have to think of something fast…
“Umm… We weren’t given any homework, mom.” I said, as convincingly as I could.
“Really now,” She said, putting her hoof under her chin, in a thoughtful gesture. “I could have sworn I got a note from your teacher that you had math homework.” I gasped inwardly, feeling betrayed. How dare that.. That evil witch notify the Caregiver of such a thing!
“No… That note was for yesterday! She probably just gave it to you late! Teachers have lots of papers, you know.” I said, putting on my biggest, most innocent grin I could, hoping I could get out of this one.
“Sapphire…” The Caregiver said, irritation filling her voice. Oh no… She doesn’t sound too happy. An unhappy Caregiver is not good for the Chosen One.
“Okay, Okay… I didn’t do my homework, but it’s fine! I can do it in class, no problem! Speaking of class… it starts in thirty minutes. So I should probably get ready and head off.” I said, urgently, trying to get out of this pickle as quickly as possible. I don’t need a lecture from the Caregiver… not now.
“Don’t worry, Sapph. I woke you up two hours early so we could work on your homework together.” The mare said with an evil, smug look on her face. The Caregiver is truly an evil beast.
“How could you do such a thing! I could be sleeping right now! Do you understand what you have done?” I shouted, feeling like I had been robbed. Actually.. I had been robbed! Of precious sleep…
“Yes, Sapph. I do. Although, little adventurers like yourself should be able to wake up early.” She said, putting a kind smile on her face. No! Don’t be right for once!
“How could you… I trusted you… Now I will only have four hours of sleep…” I said, pouting. This was unacceptable! How will I stay alert, and defend myself against the horrors of this Stable if I cannot stay awake!
“Sapphire! You stayed up past your bedtime?!” She scolded, her eyes full of fire. Horseapples… How could I have been so careless to say such a thing. “You were supposed to be in bed by eight last night, but what you’re telling me is that you went to bed at one in the morning?” The Caregiver said, the fire not fading.
“No…” I started, trying to find another route to take that might help me get out of this. “If you have any further questions, speak to my lawyer.” I grabbed my teddy bear off the floor and set him on the ground, between us.
“Don’t make me get your dad…” She warned. No! Not that beast… The monster forged in the darkest pits of Tartarus, the punisher of good ponies who just want to have fun. I shivered a little, at the thought of having to face such a monstrosity. She was going to bring out the big guns… I have to be prepared…
A loud, unmistakable voice rang through the quarters. The beast. Oh no… Sweet Celestia no… He is awake. I have to get out of here! I need a place to hide. I glanced around the room, only to see a small cave in the distance. If I can get there fast enough… This might just work.
I booked it, galloping through the canyon that was connected to the living room, toward the cave. Just as I heard the heavy hoofsteps of the beast, I dove into the cave, praying to the princesses that my plan worked.
“Sapphy, get out from under the bed.” He said, his voice full of menace. How… How did he see me! My plan was perfect. Never mind that, time for plan B! Stay under here as long as possible and hope he gives up.
“No! Go away, foul creature!” I shouted, attempting to burrow deeper into the cave. I heard a growl that shook the cave walls. I gulped, suddenly fearful. If he catches me… I can’t win. The beast is too powerful for me. It is something I cannot vanquish.
I felt a tug on my tail, a feeling I knew all too well. No! He can reach me… Too late… I thought as I was dragged out from the safety of my cave. Soon I was face to face with a large, horrific, meaty mass of the demon. The beast glared at me, an expression that would kill most ponies on the spot.
“Sapphire,” The impossibly deep and guttural voice said, “We told you to go to bed at eight. That’s your bedtime, honey.” The beast put his hoof on my head, and ruffled my mane a bit, before grinning wickedly. They try to show a sort of kindness to control me… I will not be controlled by them, for my heart beats with the rhythm of freedom! Freedom never bows down to evil.
The witch turned to the demonic beast, anger burning through her like a wildfire. “She’s been trouble all morning, hun.” She said, her voice filled with absolute hate.
The demon grunted in response, before shrugging his big meaty, deformed shoulders. “Well, she didn’t sleep much. I can understand that. I mean, I’m pretty out of it when I’m on four hours of sleep.” His response earned a glare from the witch, diverting the hateful stare from me, to him. Yes! The monsters are turning on each other! This might work in my favor! I sat back and watched the exchange intently.
“We could just give her the day off. Let her rest.” The horrific beast said, giving a suggestion that I liked very much. That sounds good. A full day to sleep! My charm seems to be working on the demon.
“No. Not going to happen. This would be the third time this week that she hasn’t gone to class.” The Caregiver clearly not happy about it. Uh oh…
“Wait. This week? She’s been skipping class again?” The demonic creature looked at me, a snarl contorting his features.
“Yeah, she has.” The Caregiver said, a glow of triumph emanating from her. The awful beast dwelled on this for a second before speaking.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but your grounded.” The massive monster growled.
Time seemed to slow, like it was made of molasses. Grounded?! No! I will not go back to that cell. I will not have the beasts become my guards! It will not happen… I sighed, immediately knowing all hope was lost. There’s nothing I can do though… It’s over… My life is over.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and the feeling of absolute hopelessness left. The demon got up and answered the door. There was a unicorn wearing stable security barding. “Security Chief Heart, you’re needed at the main entrance.” The unicorn said with a gruff voice.
“What for?” My dad asked, tilting his head slightly.
“There is report of a new caravanner at the stable entrance, and we need you to go through the master security protocols and give the authority to either turn away or accept. You know, the usual stuff.” The stallion said, in a sort of monotonous tone.
The demented being sighed heavily, “Alright then. I’ll be up there.” He turned back to me, a small smile played across his grotesque feature. “Well, Sapph, looks like I gotta head out. Stay out of trouble okay? And actually go to school…” He said, adding a bit of a sternness at the end.
My demon of a caretaker, now also my prison guard leaned down to kiss my forehead, causing me to flutter my wings a bit. I loved when he did that, no matter how much of a horrific monster he was. “Okay daddy, have fun at work.” I said, trying to sound as nice as I possibly could.
“You’re still grounded…” He said, causing the unicorn in the doorway to chuckle a little. Rats… how did that not work! My dad approached the witch, and kissed her, causing me to gag out loud. “Bye, hon. Bye Sapph, see you guys later on tonight, love you.” he said, before trotting out the door with the unicorn.
“Why do you guys do that thing…” I asked the Caregiver, after my dad left, the image of the two-kissing burnt into my brain. It’s so gross… Why do grownups do that…
“You’ll figure out when you’re older, Sapph. Now, about your homework.” No! Why! I thought as she lead me over to the table. The evil mare set a paper and a pen on the table, before sitting down herself. “Alright. Math.” How could you, you wicked mare.
“Okay mom…” I said, grudgingly, feeling a deep hatred towards the paper in front of me. All of those numbers… They can go rot in Tartarus.
“If you actually listen and go through with this… I’ll let you have some Sugar Bombs for breakfast.” She suggested. No! My weakness! How could she… she knows I can’t resist.
“Yay!” I proclaimed enthusiastically, before leaping over to hug the witch. “Thanks mom!”
“You can’t have them yet. You actually have to get your work done, sweetheart.” I must wait to get them?! WHAT?!
I whimpered in response before looking at the equations on the paper. These are so difficult and complex… they could be used to solve the answer to life… I thought as I looked at them.
“Okay, we are going to work on number three, because it looks like you did the others in class yesterday.” She tapped the problem for number three with her hoof. The most difficult one?! How could you… This is like… taking apart a PipBuck then putting it back together blindfolded. “So, what’s three times one.”
I stared at the problem, feeling as if hours had passed. I’ve been pushing my mind to its peak trying to solve this. These problems are the work of geniuses… evil geniuses who want to torture little fillies and colts by making them solve this.
“Sapph?” My mother started, causing me to look up from the problem. “Are you stuck, sweetie?” She seemed genuinely concerned. She’s trying to get to me. Evil beasts are not kind.
“Um. No.” I stated, firmly, trying to seem as if I was fully sure of myself.
“You sure? You have been staring at the same problem for the last ten minutes.” It’s only been ten minutes?! What?! How. That’s not possible.
“Yes mom. I am sure I'm not suck, because the right answer is four.” I said, proudly. The ponies who wrote this tried to trick me by making the plus sign tilted! I will not be fooled.
My mother sighed before laughing a little. “The answer is three.” Not possible. That’s a lie! They are trying to deceive me again.
“How can it be three? The plus sign is tilted to make it look like an ‘x’. The teacher tried to trick us by doing that, so we would get it wrong. It has to be four! One times three is four! Just like one plus three is four.” I explained my case, feeling smart for doing so. I just proved the witch wrong!
The Caregiver opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud boom that shook the room. It was followed by a torrent of other noises that sounded like muffled, tiny jack hammers drilling into concrete. This was soon joined by screams. Not the type of screams you hear from fillies and colts in the play room area of our Stable, but screams that sounded… scared, and in pain.
“W-What’s going on mom.” I looked around frantically, scared out of my mind. It’s okay, Sapph. It’s just ponies working… and a party…. Both going on at the same time… I thought trying to convince myself that everything was perfectly fine.
My mother looked scared too, which usually was not a good sign. Something was really wrong. “Get to your room, Sapphire.” She nudged me towards the doorway that marked the entrance to my room.
My heart was racing, the noises continuing to emanate from outside our door. “What? Why? What’s going on, Mommy…” I said, suddenly feeling my chest constrict with fear. Heroes don’t feel fear… it’s okay Sapphy… you’ll be fine… It’s… It’s a drill? Maybe?
“Do as I say, hon. Please.” I nodded in response, doing as I was told, and galloped back to my room. I saw a glint of metal as my mother pulled something from the drawer in the living room. She held it in her mouth, her eyes wild with fear and something that looked strangely like determination.
I slid under my bed, burrowing as far back as I could, before positioning myself so I could see out of my doorway. “What’s going on, Mommy…”
“Stay quiet Sapph…”
Q U I L L
I woke up, having no clue where the hell I was, or why I was here. For a couple seconds, everything seemed to be a blurry haze of nothing. Then came dull pain, the heavy throbbing that seemed to fill my whole body was almost unbearable… It was hard to even think… Sweet Celestia, I feel like a piñata at a Cuteceañera. My memory of what happened came back to me in a flash, making me shiver. A piñata definitely not filled with candy...
I need a drink, or something to take my mind off of what happened. More importantly, I needed to figure out where I was… maybe I would be able to make it back to the brothel before cuntbucket had me open the Stable doors. I got up, slowly, and stretched, hoping it would soothe the relentless aches all over my body. I wonder what I would be feeling like right now if it wasn’t for that healing potion… And why does my neck feel so damn tight…
I reached up and tried to massage my neck, only to come in contact with something hard and… metallic? I felt around my neck, fear rising in my chest as I did so. A collar… a thick metal band is wrapped around my neck… they have me collared like some dog… It’s probably a shock collar too… I thought miserably. This was it, the purest form of humiliation. So much for an escape attempt…
I sat in the corner of the tent, aimlessly rubbing the collar at my neck, when Cutthroat barged in. “Good morning sleeping beauty! How’d you sleep, hon?” He asked, as if we were dating or something.
“Go fuck yourself with a cactus.” I muttered, tensing up as he got up and approached me. He put his hoof under my chin and gave me a soft smile.
“I’m going to need you to be on your best behavior today, sweetheart. Can you do that for me, babe?” He said, his voice sweet like sugar.
I bit his hoof in response, feeling it was the more proper thing to do in the situation rather than give him a smart-ass remark. The bastard just smiled wider. What kind of sick fuck are you…
“Today’s your big day, kiddo,” The unicorn grinned, before backing off me and pacing in the tent. “The Stable we are targeting is just over the hill. So, you better be ready to put on a show. I just hope you are good at acting, because your life kind of depends on it.” He had a twinge of warning at the end of his sentence. That didn’t seem like the psychopath I came to know so well. What are you playing at, you little fucker… What haven’t you told me...
“Alright. Let’s say I’m not good at acting, or I really am not feeling like doing this.” I retorted, feeling rather annoyed. This is dumb. They drag me here and shock collar me to do their stupid dirty work… Fucking pieces of Brahmin shit.
“Well, then you go boom.” He said gesturing to the collar around my neck, his voice sounding almost apologetic… Almost. H-Hold on… You’ve got to be shitting me… He didn’t… They didn’t…
“You bomb collared me?!” I gasped, suddenly feeling the urge to try and rip the metal strap around my neck off.
I didn’t actually attempt to, despite the itching feeling to do so. I knew my attempts would be futile. The unicorn looked me up and down, before nodding, a shadow of a grin plastered on his muzzle.
“You had to do it… Didn’t you…” I muttered, my heart pounding. I was going to die today. These are raiders… when they’re done, they’re going to blow me to paste, and probably molest whatever is left of me.
The silver pony nodded again. “I had to. If I didn’t you wouldn’t actually do it.” Amen to that… I guess he kind of has a point. Fuck, I hate when these douchebitches are right.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t go through with it.” I thought for a second. Maybe I don’t actually have to do this. If they’re just going to kill me anyway… maybe they won’t kill me? Who knows anymore. I guess it won’t hurt to ask. Right? “Alright, how do I know you won’t just kill me when you get in?”
The unicorn scoffed, before smiling. “Please, sweet cheeks, I wouldn’t kill my favorite cock sheath for nothing.” I gagged, before shaking my head slightly. Why the hell does he say shit like that. “Besides, I’m throwing in some caps for your cooperation. So just do what we say, and you get paid… and you don’t die.”
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t give up the offer of caps. Like I had a choice in the matter, though. “You better keep your word, Cutthroat. You better actually let me go.” The unicorn approached me and just simply patted me on the head.
“Of course, I will, cutie.” I glared at him, red hot anger burning deep inside of my chest. I hate this stallion so much… just do what he says, put up with him, and get paid. That’s all that matters.
“If you keep doing that, your face is going to get stuck like that. It would be a shame if it did.” Cutthroat teased, causing the anger to boil over a little.
“I hate you so fucking much, you fuck rag.”
“Now, now. Don’t keep that attitude, hon. You know it only will get me excited.” He purred.
Fuck… I need to just keep my mouth shut from now on. I don’t think I can survive another round. At least not now. I thought frantically, before breaking down visibly, forcing myself to lose my usual fire.
“There you go, now let’s get you on your way. We only have so much daylight.”
He enveloped my forehooves in an aura of magic that had an oddly beautiful crimson hue to it and pulled me to my hooves rather gently. Wow! He actually didn’t yank them out of their sockets! Kudos to you, Cutthroat.
He lead me out of the tent, the makeshift camp unveiling itself before me. It looked like a Pre-War military hospital. You know, the kind you read about in history books where ponies were dressing the wounded on the battlefield. There was a plethora of crude firearms scattered around the camp. Dusted combat shotguns, damaged assault rifles, rusted 9mm and 10mm’s there was also a couple of crates filled with explosives nearby. They have a full fucking arsenal. I’m looking at the preparation for a mass genocide.
Ponies milled around, most of them in leather armor, a few had hastily welded metal slabs as protection. I would assume that the ones in metal were the veterans or maybe, if they had an organized system, a higher rank than the others.
I was lead to a caravan trolley, which was filled to the brim with junk that could be salvaged for parts. It looked convincing enough. This must be me.
A set of trader clothing was tossed at my hooves. “Put this on, and we’ll strap you up to that cart.” Cutthroat ordered, his voice stern. I nodded in response and did as I was told, hoping that my compliance would possibly earn me a few more caps.
I was soon dressed in the old barding that covered most of my body and hid my collar nicely. Then I got strapped up to the cart, ready to go on my way to help kickoff the genocide of Stable ponies. Great… I can’t fucking wait. I so enjoy being the reason hundreds of ponies are going to die. Absolutely fucking fantastic. A hoof swung and smacked me right in the ass. I grimaced, before taking a deep breath.
Keep calm, Quill. Just deal with their shit.
“You better get going, hon. You’re holding us all up.” The silver unicorn grinned, obviously relishing the fact he could do anything he wanted with me, and there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.
“Alright, alright.” I muttered, before starting to make my way down the hill towards where the massive steel door was.
This is going to be an interesting experience. Never dealt with a Stable Dweller before. I was wondering if they’re nice, trying to take my mind off of the true fact of why I was here.
“Oh! Quill! By the way, don’t forget to hit the ground when the doors open. Don’t want you to get caught by a bullet.” The cunt rag of a stallion yelled at me.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” I responded, giving a small eye roll, before continuing my way down the hill.
After about two minutes of walking, I reached the bottom of the hill, and took the time to look behind me and, to my dismay, admire the little set up the raiders had thrown up. The camp itself was, in a way, impressive for being put up in such a short period of time. Looks like they have a shit load of cages too. Huh. Looks like not everypony in that Stable is going to die today. That’s a good thing, I guess.
I turned back around and made my way across the flat toward the door. It resembled a battered gear buried in the side of the mountain. Crazy to think that this slab of metal withstood the megaspells and two hundred years of abuse. A voice crackled to life, rousing me from my thoughts.
“State your business.” The disembodied voice said, sounding rather bored. I looked around and tried to find the source of the voice. Where the hell is that coming from?
The voice sighed audibly, seeming somewhat irritated now. “Do I need to use more simple terms for you?” The voice spoke again, seeming to come from everywhere at once. “Who are you and what are you doing on Stable-Tec property.”
Wow… He turned really rude, really fast. Whatever… Here goes nothing. I took a deep breath and tried to sound as sincere as possible.
“Uh, sorry… My name is Dusk. I’m a cCaravanner from New Appaloosa. I’m just looking to trade supplies, food, weapons, and other things.”
My heart was racing, as I was half expecting a nearby rock to turn into a turret or something crazy. Instead I was greeted by another question.
“How did you find out about this Stable?” The voice inquired. I thought for a second, before responding.
“A few of my colleagues talked about Stable 45 being a place open to outsider trading. So, I decided to go out and find this Stable, and well, here I am.”
I was sweating now, hoping that my spiel had worked. Shit, shit, shit. If this doesn’t work, say goodbye to your life.
After a few long, grueling seconds of waiting, the disembodied voice spoke again. “Alright, you are good to go. Don’t make any sudden moves.” The voice suddenly crackled, and I was left in the eerie silence of the wasteland.
A few minutes later there was a loud hiss and a series of heavy clanks that sounded of locks disengaging signaled the opening of the Stable door. I did it… Holy fuck, I actually did it. I thought to myself, a mix of emotions bursting through me. I wasn’t sure whether or not I should feel guilty or proud of myself.
Before I had the opportunity to make the decision and whether or not I felt bad about tricking them, the door fully opened, revealing six heavily armed guard ponies. Damn, these guys are armed to the teeth. Those are… are those heavy assault rifles?! Damn these stable dwellers don't mess around.
I took a deep breath, giving the raiders some time to get a clear shot. The guard ponies approached me, probably to do some sort of search routine, to make sure I didn’t have a bomb on me or something crazy. Little did they know it was already around my neck.
They were soon within four feet of me, and I had already unstrapped myself from the cart and dropped to the ground, and put my forehooves over my head, waiting for the distinct cracks of gunshots. Instead there was nothing. I peeked my head up to look at the guards, who were all looking at me rather confused.
“Uh, what are you doing?” One of the ponies asked, tilting his head rather confused.
“Oh… Uh. Heh. I’m just… you know… stretching! Yeah. Stretching. I found it’s good to do stretches before trading because it…” I thought for a minute, my mind frantically working to find something that made some sort of sense. “It gets your blood pumping.” I finally came up with. Stretches? Blood pumping?! Sweet Celestia, they probably think you are a straight fruit loop.
The guard glared at me in response, as if I was wasting his time or something. In all honesty though, I probably was. “Whatever. So wha-” I would never get to find out the next words to come out of his mouth. His visor shatterd and blood rushed out of his head, splattering the ground with gore.
“Shit!” I screamed, dropping to the ground as bullets started to fly.
Author's Note
Hey guys it's Kpon here. Xericide and I would like to thank you for reading our story we have been working on. We would also like to thank our buddies Lol_Dash and SynthetaCrete for going through the story and giving ideas. Also a big thanks goes out to all are editors Chayn, Krdragon, Blake and Coffee_Creme without them the story would be trash. If you have any questions or feedback on the story please send Xericide or I a message, any and all feedback is appreciated. We would like to thank you all again for reading our story and we will have the next chapter out as soon as possible, until then.
-Kpon
