The two guards stood in the middle of the scene, downcast on the weird human with some unique looking cloth. Jets was brushing the young girl hair waiting for the human to fall asleep. Cherry look at me and ask what the hell happened but I wasn’t quite sure I knew where to start so I said the obvious “She help Ace”

“I know that part but most humans recognized guard uniform and run”

“Maybe she come from a good home”

“Or maybe she belong to a rich stallion” Cherry got a twinkle on his eyes “Jets, You know what this means for us”

“Promotion”

“No, well yes but more importantly we can get a sweet paycheck” he look exited from the mere though I never actually seen him this exited since. well never actually. Back in the base we run a shelter specifically for human pet. We register them under the name of the guard that was found, and we get a profit from the bit it generates. Jets turn the girl on her back and my partner was right on one thing. This was no ordinary girl. Her cloth, her smooth skin, her hair, everything about this person spoke high class.

“I already know what I’m spending my half on” He said with a big smile plaster on his face. He was starting to scare me “Wait!” pausing on the spot while he pointed at the girl arm “Don’t tell me she infected”. Upon investigating the unconscious girl her right arm was indeed biting and cover with blood. Realizing the girl was infected he use some colorful language I will not repeat. Quickly returning to his old ways when his dreams of being rich were crush. I was more comfortable with stony Cherry than happy go lucky Fizzy.

“She still on her early stages of the disease. We can give her some treatment” I said.

His mood quickly lifted again making me jump when he raises his voice “Yeah that true! We should get her into an infirmary” Jets hesitated to response to his partner in crime “What wrong?”

“Nothing, I just don’t like that her”

“Who?”

“Dr. Fauna. Don’t you think she likes humans just a bit too much”

“Jets, she a human doctor” Cherry deadpan.

“Nooo, never mind” Fizzy saw her friend being conflicted and gave her reassuring “Don’t worry we will be with her every step of the way, if that make you feel better” I was skeptical but I felt like I could trust him and agree to go. Ace was waiting by the side line for an order “Ace Come here boy” the human obey with no hesitation and I gave the gave him the instruction and he with the help of my partner where able to store all the humans on board.

____________________

It was Fizzy turn to drive back to the base. he was better a better driving through the forest that I was. While he was driving, I made sure to put the restricted device on all the humans. the metal bracelet that would insert in their mouth and would go around the back of her head. That way it prevents them from biting or removing the device. Next came the restricted glove but I like to call them mittens because that name sound cute and because that what they look like.

While on the ride I was getting more excited to have caught four humans on our first mission. Yeah maybe there all infected but is still a job well done but that strange young-looking girl, I want to know more about her like her background, owner or why was she in the middle of nowhere with cloths on. Hopefully we get to spend time with her before she sold. When we switch turn my partner when to check on the humans but never came back and eventually hearing his loud snoring bouncing around the truck. At least I know that he’s safe back there. None of the humans haven’t woke up yet making the ride a peaceful one.

When we reach the base, I found the lazy stallion asleep on Ace lap. When I told Ace to stand up, he did. Making my partner fall on the floor and I hear him calling our human guard a mut again. “Good job boy” petting Ace “And that should teach you not to sleep on the job”

“Fine, fine”

“Good, now help me get the humans down”. Right then and there the door from the back of the truck busted open and the boss, Steel Hooves. A Brown coat and Black main stallion. “Boss” I said sheepishly “I mean. Boss!” giving a formal salute. Bumping my sleepy partner for him to realize the boss was watching us. We both gave a formal greeting, but he was unimpressed by our lack of preparation. “At ease” he said getting inside the truck and inspecting the three sleepy humans lock in one cage.

“Err… boss if you don’t mind me asking, why are you here?” I ask.

“I always like to inspect the newcomer”

“Well I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Come over here sir” laying his attention into the new girl “Ta-dah” I made jazz hoofs. Again, he didn’t show any humor. Steel was a very serious stallion and that’s ok and all, but he was making me very nervous, so much that I started to sweat.

He gave a mysterious expression “Why is she wearing cloth”

My partner step in with a chipper attitude “Sir we believe this human belong to a rich citizen”

“is she sick?”

“She was bit by one of them, but the incident happened less than an hour go. If we patch her up, we can get a large profit”

He seen to agree giving this girl analytic look “Well guard. I was starting to regret some of my chooses for recent recruit” giving us a hard look “But I’m impress with what you done, good job” giving us a salute “Get this girl to the infirmary and then register. I’ll leave you two in charge of her” before the boss left the truck he turns and warn us “You better make sure she doesn’t screw up, it’s your neck on the line. Good luck”

____________________

We were on our way to visit the doctor carrying the new girl around. she was lay on the bed and was strap for safety reason. I had to push the heavy bed all the way because Cherry told me his back hurt, supposedly. But I couldn’t stop thinking of Steel words, putting us in charge of her. I was worry but really, how much trouble could one young girl cause. Finally reaching the small infirmary.

Dr. Fauna is an earth pony, light yellow coat with blue main and a varies animal including humans as a cutie mark while wearing a doctor coat. All she did was smile with big wide eyes. Her eye where glue to the young girl ever since we enter, ignoring us completely. Cherry step in front of the doctor “Hello ma’am” he uses a deep voice.

“Hello, umm Berry Fizz”

“Cherry Fizzy” I corrected her. She laughs and said sorry but didn’t look very apologetic. Cherry just ogle the doctor while she looks for her equipment. I kick him when she wasn’t looking. “Oww, Stop hitting me”

“Then start doing your job”

When she finishes gathering her stuff, Fauna attempted to move the girl, but the it wouldn’t budge. Cherry quickly offer to move the heavy décor “Thank you, why Jetstream I didn’t know you had such a gentleman with you”

“I’m just doing my job ma’am”

At that moment all I could see was red and decided that it was best for me to march out of the room. That stupid egghead, what does he even see on her, she always has that stupid grin and creepy wide eye. I swear I never seen her blink. All she as to do is show some curve and stallion forget about everything.

____________________

“Is she ok” Dr. Fauna ask.

“yeah… no… I think I’m going to check out if she fine, Will you be ok if I leave you alone with the human” Fauna beam when I mention that she would be alone.

“Sure, this little thing is sound asleep” caressing the young girl slowly.

“Ok then, I’ll be right back” He Leave me with the young girl, all alone. I walk to the door and peak outside and saw that ‘we’ were all by our lonesome. When the coast was clear the door was close and I lock the door with the keys, leaving them attach. “Let take care of your need first” giving her a three-individual shot for her fever, pain, etc. I move for her arm and inspected it but there was nothing broken, it looks much worst from what it is. It seems to be strain, it was a good hit you receive little girl. I apply a shot on the arm just in case, but the body could do the rest.

“Now I is my turn” she said standing next to the unconscious girl. “I didn’t want it to say in front of the intruder, but you look absolutely beautiful. Look at you, your skin, your hair, your eye” Opening the eyelid a little “I usually prefer male, but I can’t let and opportunity like this pass by” Lifting the shirt a little bit just to play with her stomach, the young girl move but was ignore by the lusty pony.

For a while the girl has been waking up and falling right back to sleep. Hearing broken sentences that I can’t quite make out, but right now I been hearing one consisting voice. Feeling a touch from my stomach slowly going up and passing my breasts all the way to my face. My eyes where still heavy to open but I was starting to get a feeling of where I stood. I was in a comfortable and warm bed, I miss this feeling the sheets provided but there was someone else with me. The feeling of someone steeping on top of my bed.

“Let take this out of the way” the girl was untied from the bed, set free by the doctor “I don’t get to do this very often so my heart is racing” something slimy and wet was rubbing my face. I didn’t react until I feel someone going inside my pants, like a defense mechanism I shoving whoever was on top of me. When my eyes, I try to scream but there was something preventing my mouth to fully open. My body jump back, and I fell to the floor. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you” the doctor fell back on the bed and got down to the grown.

I wasn’t listening to what she was saying I was to distract with the fact that a horse was talking to me. She took a needle out of her pocket “I didn’t mean to scare you. Now come her you little mut”. The creepy mare was weird looking with a big smile and wide eyes, no thanks. When she was close enough, I gave her my best glare and the doctor stop on the spot while making a strange face, I took this opportunity to lift my foot and kick her in nose. She when down like a sack of potato and I ran to the door. There was a key attach, but I couldn’t turn it very well. I had some thick glove on preventing me from moving my finger freely. I use both my leather gloves to hold the key and turn it. “Wait!” By the time she finishes talking I was already in the hallway running down the white walls of a facility. I was panicking with every step I took. I saw more and more horses walking or flying about. When I reach the end of the hall, there were two of them having an argument again.

“Jets, she a human doctor of course she wei-“ He abruptly stop “Jets look”

“I don’t want to see your soda caps collection again”

“Noo, the girl is awake” Jets turn to me and they both stare like I was some stranger. I want it to run but the female looking horse started to fly “Don’t worry girl. You’re safe here”. I don’t believe that for a minute and I try to punch her, but I miss. She was too fast.

“Come here boy” Cherry call the human guard. Jets didn’t want to put Ace in a fight without his protective gear but let the human guard do his job.

A person appears wearing the same cloth as the policeman who stun me back in the forest, but he wasn’t wearing his helmet, he looks off but had no time to think about it. Cherry made some weird and the office swiftly grab me, moving so fast I didn’t have time to react. He grabs me by the waist and lifting me up giving me a bear hug. I try to punch him, but my soft glove wouldn’t give me a solid hit. I raise my elbow, drop it on his expose face and he finally let go his grasp and I aimlessly ran. Everywhere I look there were more colorful horses, but I saw a parking lot with a door of the outside world. That where I need to go, while running I was hit with needle shots on my back multiple time. My adrenaline didn’t let up, but my body was starting to feel stiff. The door was so close yet so far. While on my kneed I keep throwing punches, but with no avail I was back on ground and still conscious this time.

____________________

“Jets and Berry, where are you!” the boss yells angrily.

We were already in front of him “Actually sir his name is Cherry…”

Giving us a hard look “Didn’t I say, she was your responsibility” none of us answer. “What in Celestias name happen”

Fauna show up with a bloody nose “That monstrosity attack me when I was left alone” she angrily said “Does two irresponsible solder left me to fend off for myself!”

Steel gave the solder a hard look and spoke with a raspy voice “It seen that you two are still green. Putting you two back to basic training will do you some good”

“What! But sir“ Cherry shut up when Steel raise his hoof.

“You will be attending the shelter and that’s an order, is that understood”

“Yes sir” we both murmur.

“Congrats, starting today you will be running the store” other ponies whistle and made some mean comment in our embarrassing display. “Show over, everyone back to work”

____________________

When I was finally able to move around, I was lock in a small room with a metal door with three walls and a metal bar door. door was big enough to stick my arm out but not for my body to pass. No matter how much I try to talk, I couldn’t with this metal contraption in my mouth and I can’t do hand sign with this glove on me, so I just scream and kick the metal. Making the rest of the people around me do the same. Yeah, their other people here but there strange looking, they never talk, and they don’t look quite right. Like were the same but some feature are out of place like there forehead are bigger but almost unnoticeable and there hunch a little, just small detail to make then look weird.

Well that is, yeah this is it, I die. I really drown back in the river and now I’m in hell where colorful horses torture human as some twisted joke or I lose my mind and finally snap. I don’t know which one is worst, but I felt normal so I’m assuming I’m alive somewhere in limbo.

I’ll just try to figure out my environment. They gave me food like some animal and I would awkwardly pick it up with my glove and throw it back at them. Is not like I can eat properly with this thing in my mouth but most of the time I was left alone. I would stare at the rest of the human inside this prison. They have scratches and they play with some toys they had in the cages. They gave me one, but I keep kicking the thing out and they told me that I could have it back when I behave. They keep coming back and forth walking to a small office located in the end of the hallway. I stand tall over then while they walk and they would make comments of how creepy I am compared to the ‘other’.

Eventually the female horse stops by my cell, the other horse calls her Jets. “You hurt Ace” was the first thing she said, and I presume that Ace is the officer name. “But I’ll forgive you but don’t tell Cherry I said that. If it wasn’t for you, Ace would probably be dead. so, I can’t really be mad at you. Sometimes I find it hard to justify my job.” I was confused with her speech, but I thought this was my best chance to communicate again and desperately launch myself to the door grunting and waving my hands to the thing on my mouth. She was scare by my sudden actions and jump back misinterpreting my reaction for a violent one.

She would avoid walking close to my cell unless a was far from the door and they would not open my door for safety reason, I call bull but is not like I have say in the matter. They food they serve me liquid mushy food that would easily go through my restrictive, but I wouldn’t touch that thing they call food with a seven-foot pole. It would really piss me of that I was being treated like a dog and I would kick the bowl over and see the food be wasted. They got mad at me that I would deny food and toys like a good human but I’m not going to be treated like those things. Secretly when I was alone, I would pick up from the ground and debated eating what they serve. I don’t exactly have many chooses and I was starving so I force swallow whatever I could savage from the floor.

Cherry had said I should look like the ‘other’ humans, naked. I dare him to try and waited for him to open the door, but he was stop by Jets who told him not to enter and that they should leave me alone. I don’t know if my dangerous appearance or my attitude, but I wouldn’t let them push me around. Once they finish moving the boxes, they hang around by the other room. If I remember correctly the boss told them to take care of the store. Are we just pet? to be sold for money? hell no. One of my arm still hurt but I’ll go berserk on who ever try to lay their hands… I mean hoofs on me.

The ‘store’ was quiet, only hearing the other people occasionally grunting, jumping, howling or throwing toy or bowl around. But if I pay close attention to the sound of the voices coming from the room, I could hear Jets and Cherry the employee talk. With nothing better to do I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Sooo, to you like your new office?”

“Our new office It’s the same size of a small bathroom”

“Aww come on. You have to look at the positive side. Like, we didn’t have an office before and now we do” and I hear a fake cry from Fizzy. If memory serves right, they got demote. I won’t lie I kind of felt bad for then or maybe I’m develop stockholm syndrome. Ignoring my own feeling for now I got back to analyzing the walls.

____________________

For Jetstream this was a step down for sure, but I won’t let that hold me back. I’ll climb up the ranks even if I have to dig and claw my way out. Turning back to my loyal… turning back to my partner with a smile full of teeth. “Turn that frown upside down Cherry. We got a store to run” he was using his hoof as pillow trying to sleep.

“Leave me alone” I felt a little bit bad for him. He was back to his old self which I like but more gloomy than usual.

“Aww come on, I bet if our first customer is right around the corner“ and the bell ring to prove my point. I gasp when a pony enters the store “See our first custo-“ the pegasus when silence when she saw the doctor with a satisfied smile enter the store. Nether of the employee look trill to see Fauna so soon after the incident.

She had a tissue up her nose with a bid of red stain on it “Hi!” she greeted but no one responded “Oh my. How rude are the new recruit”

“Hi” I said.

“Hello I came to check up on the interesting girl”

“I though you already did”

“Mr. Steel ask me to do a follow-up” we were against the idea of taking the doctor inside the store but we still took her in. Fauna ask Fizzy how many human where they, but he was ignoring her, so I answer instead “There only six at the moment”

When we reach the new girl, she was doing some weird stuff with walls. She had her back turn from us and keep doing some movement I never seen a human do. “Here she is” I must of scare the girl because she jumps when I spoke and went eerily still when she saw the doctor.

“Good, good. I want to do my job in private if that all right with you”

“Where sorry but we are authorized to be in the company of any member inside the shelter”

“No, you don’t seem to understand your position here. I out rank you and your dimwit friend, or would you rather me have a chat with the boss and have you fire”

I was never good under pressure but Cherry gently drag me out “Come on, it not worth getting fire” he had a point but I didn’t like backing down from a bully. Pick your battle, that’s what mom always said. Fizzy was frustrated and rightly so. All we did when we first got to the store was talk of how unfair we were treated and all thanks to Dr. Fauna. I wish she would get her just deserts.

When the doctor was left alone, she steps closer to the cage and spoke with excitement “You truly are magnificent beast”. it was her first sentence she spoke and already the girl was creep out “Those eyes, I seen them before. Your aggressive behaver and strange characteristic, there something interesting about you. I talk to Steel and try to make you a solder, but he had a point wild beast like you can’t be turn into and obedient upstanding officer” She took a harsh breath “That better for me honestly. I want you all to myself anyway” she said while ogling me up and down “You seem calm now, maybe you want to play. Stupid mut like you like that stuff right” whistling for the girl to get close.

She did what she was asks for but when the girl got close, she swiftly sticks her arm out and almost hit her on the nose again, but she misses. “You insolent human. Thinking you could outsmart me” she had a cocky smile to go along with her ego. Fauna was out of my reach, but I still had a little soup left from earlier and girl kick it toward the doctor. The the food splatter on her face and she curse on the spot. The employee shows up when they hear the ruckus.

Jetstream didn’t see what happened but when she saw the new girl bowl out of the cage again and Fauna face cover in human food, I couldn’t help but smile. She was walking bumbling sometime too low for either of the worker to hear. Shoving Jets out of the way.

“Hey, watch it” Fizzy said steps up to defend me. She ignores us but the fact that he even tries at all was enough for me.

“Thanks Cherry”

“No problem, partner” he said with a sincere tone.

The first day was spend cleaning and feeding the pets making sure all them are register and up to date. Overall not a bad day and quickly the night fell. It was time to close the shop but there was something strange. The store was silent no banging or screaming from the new girl. Deciding to check up on her one last time before we go and finding on the floor hiding her face with her knee. The new girl has been like that for a couple hour now. I stare at the young girl trying to figure out if she needs something before, we go and notice that she would occasionally shiver. I thought it was strange, their naked humans sleeping just fine while on the other hand she had cloth and that wasn’t enough.

I when to pick up something special for the new girl and came to pass a couple clean sheet under the door but she ignore them. “Hey, I got you a couple sheet if your cold” there was no sign of her moving from the spot “I just want it to say, thanks you again for saving Ace. I don’t think you’re a bad human for acting strange. I believe your just scare and confuse and that why you do things differently from other but that not a bad thing is it” noticing the girl finally moving her head.

“Jets are you talking to the humans again?” Cherry shouts from the other room.

“Maybe”

“Well, could you maybe hurry up. I want to go home”

Jets laugh “I’ll be out in a second” turning my attention to the new girl, but that name keeps bothering me. ”I keep calling you the new girl, but I don’t like that nickname. I’m not allowed to name the humans, but I still do it. If you can keep a secret how about I call you… Bree that a cute name right?” Bree moves her head again but that was it. Deciding to not bother her further I walk away when I notice the human taking the sheets and covering herself up “Good night” I said on my way out. We close the shop and started to walk back to Canterlot.

“About time, what were you doing?” Cherry asks.

“Saying goodnight to Bree” he just looks confuse with the name “It my new friend”

Author's Note

(updated)