"Staying out of trouble" ~ A helpful guide by Twilight Sparkle

Act 2: Rarity's house of horrors.

You only hyperventilate for 20 minutes before relaxing to the point you only pace the room in a mild panic.

YOU SAID A MILD PANIC!

Ok ok, it's going to be ok. You look back at the element again.

Yep, it's still broken straight down the bucking center.

Without access to any of your old equipment, books, or advanced magics it's basically impossible to diagnose it's exact magical condition, but you can definitely tell the damage is far more than superficial. The mana flow, the pulse if you will, of the element is all wrong. It's not gone, but somehow instead twisted in on itself backwards, upside down, and inside out.

Problem is, that all this really tells you is it's wrong.

Back in equestria you'd have had data point to compare to, equipment to measure with, ect. But you aren't in equestria, you're in your room at Anon's house with absolutely nothing to help you at all.

Shame you don't have the power to pull the other elements out right now to at least make a point of comparison. Then again, that might just panic you even further if you find generosity isn't the only one with... 'issues'.

Would even magic be intact? So far your best friend is a colt you trade yourself to for a quick meal...

Ok none of this doomsaying, let's just take a step back.

You'd talked to Rarity. At first she had seemed normal, but things got weirder and weirder as the conversation went on. You know she's a free mare from the lack of any collar, and by her own admission you know she owns at least few other mares. You do not know why she owns them, what she does with them, how she treats them, or anything like that. Maybe she'd just been so eager to get you under her protective wing that she'd forgotten to fill you in on the plan. Maybe...

You sigh.

You want to believe that, but if it were the case the element probably wouldn't be a beacon of disharmony laying on your floor and giving you the chills. The things she'd said about discipline being for the best and watching her mares closely just added to the evidence piling up against her.

A knock on the door makes you jump in surprise!

"Twilight are you ok? You were acting kinda weird, did stuff not go well with your friend?" Of course he'd check on you, he probably thought you'd lost it.

Scooping the element up off the floor you hide it under your mattress for now. You lack the power to put it back in your pocket dimension at the moment, and to be honest you didn't know how Anon would react to the fact you kept a bunch of priceless magical artifacts from him.

You drag your hooves to the door and let him in.

"Hi. It was just... not what I expected..."

"Do you want to talk about it? You seemed really upset." Anon sits down on your bed and gestures for you to sit front of him. Maybe ear scratches will help a bit...

You've told him about friends, but kept the more fantastical details about your past to yourself. Even if the elements didn't exactly worked out when the humans invaded, they're still precious magical artifacts. The upside to this is no one knew exactly how important you girls are. That fact alone is probably the only reason you ended up with an average joe type instead of being dissected by the government.

"She's just changed I guess..."

Anon just gives you 'go on' motion with his hand.

"I don't know. She used to be so kind and generous, but she was just treating me like her next piece of property to buy. And then she was telling me about all the others mares she owns, and and how discipline is good for a slave, and she wasn't treating me like me, and she just wasn't Rarity and and and!"

Scooping you up in his arms anon sits back on the bed and holds you against his chest while you break down. "Woah woah shhh, it's ok. Maybe she changed a little, but maybe it's not as bad as you think. Look, I chatted with her a lot before you got here and she doesn't seem that bad."

Doesn't sound bad to someone who's morals let him own a living sapient creature...

"But... she's a pony and she's my friend how can she own anypony? How could she own me? it's just not like her."

"I'm sure she just wants to protect you Twilight. As soon as she found out you were here she immediately wanted to buy you off me. To be honest, I thought you'd be mad at me for turning her down. Especially after uh, the other day." Is that... remorse?

"I... I just don't know... The other day I might have been, but now I don't even know what she wants me for."

"Look she gave me her number. Why don't you just calm down a little and call her later to clear everything up ok?"

She gave number to him but not you...? Did she not want to upset Anon by giving it to you without permission, or was that just how her mind works now? Let Twilight's OWNER decide things for her...

Your collar feels heavier than usual as you nod your head in agreement.

"Good, and uh look, about the other day..."

Still held up against his chest you look down at the cutie mark he starts to rub them with a free hand. Back when he'd first got here that kind of physical contact would have you shaking like a leaf, but you guess you can get used to anything. That and it feels pretty good when he's not about to well you know... smack your rump into next week...

"Wow, you're still sore... I know I don't say this often but, I'm sorry. I went overboard. You were upset and were only a little out of line with your backtalk. You didn't deserve such a hard lesson." Talk about an understatement. Then again in your 3 years with him he'd never said he was sorry before. He'd tried to make things up to you by being nicer or buying you stuff, but never actually said the word sorry.

Burying your head deeper in his chest you purr a little as his other hand reaches up to scratch you under the chin.

Curse him and his cheating way of cheering you up!

"I'd had a really shitty day at work and then played a few frustrating games. I was mad and when you come to me with some attitude it just set me off. You needed to learn, but I went too far. I was hoping finding your friend was a stroke of good luck and you'd feel better, but now even that hasn't gone like I wanted..."

His fingers really dig into your backside as he massages it. You purr even louder. You hate to admit it but fingers really are something else! If any other pony ever saw you like this you'd have to remove their memories though.

"So, can you forgive me?"

You mull it over for a moment. He was an ass, but if he's actually going to actually apologize then... "Forgiven..." That earns you a few more minutes in hand paradise before he scoops you up and places you beside him on the bed. You may have groaned a little when he stopped.

The scratches somehow managed to melt your brain into forgetting your trouble for the duration. Even with them over you have to admit you feel a bit less stressed about the situation. You'll never admit it, but this is the best part about living with Anon. He may be essentially treating you like a giant purple cat, but when you and him are watching tv and he just runs his hands up and down your coat it's impossible to feel bad.

Normally that didn't involve a sore seat massage, but it wasn't totally unwelcome. Anyone else attempts that and you'll kick them in the face though. Cough cough Mrs. Angie cough. Anon's been back there enough that it's no big deal anymore though.

Repeating what you'd just thought in your head again your face blushes as red as said rump.

Wow let's never even think that again!

"Come on. Let's go eat and I'll give you Rarity's number to call whenever you're ready."

"Aye aye cap'n!" Newly energized, you hop up and take the lead out the door.

Walking a bit too slowly in front of him gets you a light pat to speed you towards the kitchen faster. Not nearly enough to hurt, especially after the massage, but enough to make you instinctively trot faster. The playful favor is returned with a swift tail whip as you easily outpace him with your superior number of limbs Quadruped master race.

Things aren't great, the broken element can't be removed from your mind so easily, but maybe for just a little things can be ok.