Shortly after passing the border into zebra territory, the wagon came to a stop. They had pulled off to the side of the road. It was nearly sunset, and that meant that it was time to stop for the night. They set up a small encampment and put together a fire from the nearby collection of dead fall. Three tarpaulins went up to serve as coverings. Two were left open on the side facing the fire pit, the third stayed closed. As the fire settled from a roar to a cackle, the two Equestrian girls were pulled from their prison. Their clothing was soaked with urine, as they had been unable to move for a day and a half. They were set near the fire, next to the closed tent.

The tape covering the mouth of the larger mare came off first. "Untie us at once!" she shouted, struggling against her ropes. "You can't keep us tied up like this! We have rights!"

Jax smacked her hard across the face, knocking her to the ground. "Shut your mouth, don't be so loud. You'll find that behaviour disallowed. By order of our dear physician," he gestured toward Kayson. "We've deigned for you a more comfortable position. Now, if your body you wish to save, you'll sit quietly as we fix your binding, slave."

"I ain't nobody's slave, you stripey-ass bastard! Come over here and fight me like a man!"

"I see our words fall on deaf ears. Very well, make real your fears." Jax struck her again and once more sealed her mouth shut with tape. A difficult task, considering that she wouldn't stop screaming and biting. Alas, the zebras outnumbered her, and she was left tied in a more space-saving position and tied to stakes in the ground that would keep her from falling over and rolling away.

Once they were done with her, Malak pulled the tape from the smaller mare's mouth. "I assure you, this is not a dream. But things are not what they may seem. We know that terror's what you feel. Can you put that aside for the sake of a meal?"

Fluttershy's stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten for two days. She'd seen Applejack be struck down, and didn't want to suffer the same fate. Without a word, she nodded. Malak smiled and unbound her wrists. slowly, she stretched her arms out, not wanting to seem aggressive or flighty. Her joints ached from being in such a compromising position for so long. While she was flexing her sore muscles, she was made to remove her wet shirt, as well as her pink, lacy bra. After a few minutes, her wrists were bound once more, but this time they were in front of her, rather than behind. Next came her legs. she was allowed to stand as they came unbound. She thought about running, but a cursory look around confirmed that there was nobody around for miles. They would catch her.

"Off with the pants, they need to dry, too," said Malak, hanging her clothes on a line near the fire. "We can't have you in wet clothes, you'll catch the flu."

Fluttershy nodded. Her hands shook as she undid the fastener for her jeans and slid them down her hips. she could go no further, as her wrists were bound, and she looked up at Malak, not knowing how to proceed. He came over to her and knelt down. After tousling her mane, his hands went to her hips. His fingers slipped inside the waistband of her panties, and in one smooth motion, he ran his hands down her legs, gently caressing her curves, until her pants were around her ankles. As she stepped out of her wet clothes, her face glowing with embarrassment, her friend was fuming. She had seen it all, as her position had been made specifically so that she would be watching.

After Malak hung up her clothing to dry, he bound her ankles loosely. Her wings had not come unbound at all. She could neither walk nor fly, but she could choose her sitting position. While most of her zebra captors would have enjoyed her sitting cross-legged with her knees open, she decided that she would prefer her knees together, hiding her more sensitive areas. As the kettle over the fire came to a boil, Kayson removed it and tossed in a sachet of herbs. He was in the mood for some tea. Fluttershy was given a small wooden cup, and before long, she was nervously sipping tea with the zebras.

"Can I ask a question?" she asked, turning all eyes towards her. Malak nodded and gestured for her to go ahead. "Why are you doing this to us? What'd we do to deserve this?"

"It was 'wrong place, wrong time' in your case," chuckled Zylah. "You were a mistake, and brought us disgrace. We had to dispose of you, of that there's no doubt. But killing you? That we could do without. On the other hand, we have your friend because she rained rocks down on us without end. She chased us down leapt aboard, so we decided we'd add her to our horde."

Malak finished his drink. "That said, there's no need to be rough. You'll bring down our wrath by acting tough. If you do just as we say, you'll be treated in a gentle way. But if you choose the defiant path," He flicked open his knife and pointed the tip at her. "You will feel your master's wrath." Fluttershy swallowed hard. She looked over at Applejack, who was struggling to escape her bonds.

Jax smiled sadistically as he stood up. "It seems she thinks are words are trash." He walked over to the wagon and pulled out a leather whip. He gave it a few cracks in the air before he came up behind her. "Let us see how she finds the lash." With a loud crack, a sharp pain shot through the bound mare's body as the whip slid across her shoulders and wrists. Another ran across her lower back, and a third one exclusively across her shoulders. She screamed out through the gag, as tears welled up behind her eyelids, which were sealed tightly. As her writhing came to a stop, her only movement was that of heavy breathing.

"That doesn't have to be your fate," smiled Malak. "Please us, and your hunger we'll sate. Speaking of, come and sit with me. I'll keep my promise of feeding you, see?" He produced an apple from a crate of food that he's pulled from the wagon while setting up camp. Fluttershy knelt down on her elbows and knees, crawling her way over to Malak. Though they all seemed cruel, Malak seemed to be the nicest one thus far. If she could trust any of them, it would be him. Using the knife he had pulled out earlier, Malak cut off chunks of the apple, feeding them to her one at a time. She would have told him that she could eat the apple herself, but she didn't like the idea of being whipped. If it could bring Applejack to tears, it must have hurt a lot.

She had eaten two apples and a banana before she spoke again. "Can I go feed Applejack? She hasn't eaten or had anything to drink this whole time. I don't mean to complain, but I'm worried about her health."

Malak opened his mouth, but it was Jax who responded. "Your dear friend hasn't earned her food. However, I'm in a giving mood. Open her shirt and expose her chest, and with a drink she will be blessed." Fluttershy was shocked by this order, but not as much as Applejack was.

"You... You want me to show you her boobs?"

Jax nodded. "Also, if she will stay quiet, I would then resume her diet. Be warned, though, my gift may yet turn sour. The choice is yours, my little flower."

Fluttershy sat for a moment. She didn't want to expose Applejack's breasts, but she didn't want her to starve, either. She nodded, and held out her open hands to Malak. He dropped a single apple into it, and she crawled her way over to where Applejack was. As she began loosening the buttons on her friend's shirt, Applejack shook her head and mumbled through the gag. "I'm sorry, Applejack. But I can't let you starve." Pulling open Applejack's shirt, she slid her soft hands into her bra and lifted out the mammaries for all to see. She looked back to Jax, who gave an approving nod. With that, Fluttershy slowly pulled the gag off of Applejack's mouth. "Please don't shout," she whispered. "I need you, AJ."

Applejack was too embarrassed to speak. Tears washed down her face as Fluttershy fed her. When the first apple was gone, she brought back another, and then another. She was also allowed a canteen to bring over water to keep her hydrated. After the third apple, Malak refused to give her more. Instead, he just bound her limbs together once more so that she couldn't crawl anymore.

"You've been rather well-behaved. I think you'll be a respectable slave. But now the hour grows dark and late, so your mobility I must confiscate. Your friend will go into her tent, but for you, I think the rules can be bent. So I have to be sure you're bound up tight, as you'll be sleeping in my bed tonight."

This reignited Applejack's rage. "That's sick! You can't sleep with her! She didn't give her consent!" She was once again silenced by Jax slapping her with the back of his hand, though her bindings kept her from falling over this time.

"I daresay, you are rather spoiled," he said, gagging her once more. "Worry not, she won't be soiled. But listen. As you grow more heated, the worse she'll see that you are treated. Can you not just shut your hole, and spare her from a damaged soul?" Applejack looked to Fluttershy. In the dying light of the fire, she could see the fear in her eyes, a sight that caused her more pain than the lashings had. "Keep your tongue from coming loose, or else I'll give it a different use."

Author's Note

Writing for zebras was so taxing at first. But now I think that I'm through the worst. It takes less time to fint the text that I would be composing next. Four days in, and I'm in the groove. That'll help the story go smooth.