Captive

That morning you're waking up a lot less confused than yesterday.

It’s your third day with your mistress and you already got somewhat accustomed to your “new home”. ...But opening your eyes to her face so close to yours that you can feel her warm breath on your lips and her hooves wrapped around your arm as if you were her lover,.. it’s still a shock to you.

Can’t remember falling asleep this way but it seems that she hugs anything in range once she's asleep, just like on that train back then.

Wonder if she even knows about it…

The mare isn’t yet awake though, so you softly attempt to free yourself from her in hopes of avoiding the future awkward moments. ...But after a few seconds of trying you deem her grip is too tight to slip out of, unnoticed. You could do it forcefully but you’re a little afraid of waking her up. Instead you close your eyes again, waiting.

Shortly after, you’re feeling that she’s coming to her senses.

The initial second when her grip softens, you lowkey want to pull yourself away but suddenly she hugs your arm even tighter, pulling herself closer and nuzzling your shoulder with her nose. You freeze, pretending to be asleep.

"Hey Ta-..." the mare starts but doesn’t finish her sentence.

You can feel her eyes on you, watching, but she doesn’t move. Only after a while she lets go of you, slowly getting out of the bed while you’re still laying there, completely motionless.

When you hear her yawning on the other side of the room and then a sound of the door to the other room getting opened, you finally open your eyes.

Relieved she’s gone, you’re staying in bed a few minutes longer to enjoy the comfy morning without the smug pegasus around. If you’re lucky, she might as well be gone by the time you’ll be getting up…

...

After a while, you finally feel like it might be safe to go so you pick yourself up, walk up to the door and glance at both sides to know if the coast is clear. The left looks empty, the right too. You think it might be a chance to sneak past her when suddenly:

"Goodmorning!" she's suddenly right next to you.

Shit...

"Yeah, goodmorning..." you mutter.

"Well come on, sleepyhead! Brush your teeth, wash your face, whatever you do in the morning cause we gotta hurry."

"Hurry where?"

"To get you that enchantment of course! You might fall through the clouds any time now."

"WHAT?!!"

"You heard what I said." the rainbow pegasus chuckles "The spell is gonna wear off soon, we must visit my friend Twilight for something permanent."

"JESUS!" you immediately jump on a nearby cabinet, holding onto it like a cat.

"Relax, the floor is permanently enchanted here." she laughs in a visible amusement "The spell could have even worn off already but you're still here, aren't you?"

"That's not encouraging at all! How am I gonna get to the basket?!"

"I'll carry you, no biggie."

For some reason you’re doubting she can do that. But you silently climb down from the cabinet nonetheless, walking to the bathroom. Once there, you quickly do some morning hygiene and you’re looking for your mistress again. This time you don’t wanna lose her, this thing needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.

"...Miss-... Miss Dash?.. I'm ready to go!"

"Already? That was really fast, I like that." she chuckles from another room "Let's go then!"

And in the next minute you're leashed and led outside. But before stepping the first step outside, you stop in hesitation. She said only the floors in her house are enchanted.

Your mistress goes forward as if nothing though. If it wasn’t for your leash tugging her back, she wouldn't even realize.

"...Oh right, I forgot... Well come on, don't worry, I'll catch you if you really fall through."

"I kinda doubt that...."

"Well don't. These wings are no ordinary." she springs them open, proudly flashing with them in front of you.

It's kinda true that the morning sun right behind her is making her otherwise small and not exactly frightening silhouette look pretty majestic now. You’ve even seen how strong and fast she can get. ...But you can't possibly trust her with your life in this.

“No.” you were about to say.

But in her impatience, the mare pulls on the leash so hard it makes you stumble a step forward. “Come on...!”

OH FUCK.

This is where you die Anon.

...Except you don’t. After seeing yourself in slow motion as you step on the cloud, knowing you’re going to fall through,.. you’re standing on it. Safe and sound.

"Hey... it's still working..." you awkwardly scratch your head.

"See?" the pegasus grins "Now let's hurry to the balloon."

It's not far but she doesn't need to tell you twice to hurry. The spell can still fade away any second so it's pretty much a sprint for you. As for your mistress, she's flying by your side, looking pretty entertained.

"...You aren't the fastest kind huh?" she pokes you once you're in the basket

"...What do you mean?"

"Well, you run pretty slow for your size."

"Well you should try using only two of your legs. I'm not saying I'm the fastest human there is, but I'm not slow either."

"I'm not saying that I mind." your mistress grins "Tank wasn't-,.. I uh,. nevermind."

"Oh yeah, tortoises aren't too fast aren't they?.."

"Yeah, but don't..."

"Don't, what?"

"Don't bring him up."

...This time she isn't grinning or donning any of her pretended smug expressions. She looks dead serious

"...Okay." you lower your head.

...

For the rest of the ride, you’re remaining pretty much quiet. It's not like you were looking to strike another “meaningful conversation” with your mistress.

But it’s usually her who won't shut up, now she's just staring into the sky. After a minute or two, she even flies out of the basket, without saying a single word. She isn't far though, merely sitting alone on top of the balloon.

What a strange, sudden behavior,..

But it's not as if you'd really care.

Once your balloon touches the ground, she's back, acting as if nothing. Only her eyes look a little red, probably from the wind.

"Hey let's go, it's this way." you're pulled out of the basket, in the direction of a crystal castle/tree thingy in the middle of the village. One object that looked pretty off to you, right from the start. As if it didn't exactly belong there. You don't like it but it seems you'll be actually heading straight inside.

"...What is that thing?" you ask eventually.

"Aww, that’s just a Twilight's castle. She lives there."

"Okay,.. that's not strange at all."

"She's a princess, you know?"

"THE Princess? One that's responsible for what happened to Earth?"

"No.. she's just a princess of friendship. And a good friend of mine. You'll see."

...You could ask a million more questions, since you're still confused and somewhat angry too. But you decide to leave it be. You might get some answers inside.

And then the big crystal door open...

"Hey Twilight!! You're home?" your mistress walks inside as if the whole thing belonged to her.

Not long after, from around the corner pokes a head of a purple mare, with an equally purple disheveled mane "Rainbow? Hi, what's happened? Is it the map again or..-"

The so called "Twilight" goes silent for a second when she notices you next to the pegasus.

"...So it's true..." she chuckles, walking into the room.

Only now it’s visible that she really has both the horn and wings. An alicorn, just like on the TV screen back then. Way back, before all the negotiations went wrong. Though, this particular one is smaller than Celestia. Pretty much a regular sized pony.

"...You really did bring a human from your trip. Sorry I didn't visit earlier, I was a little busy studying." Twilight continues.

"Why doesn't that surprise me..?" your mistress laughs, walking towards her in a friendly manner "How's it going..?"

"Oh, you know, as usual... books." the alicorn grins "But I guess you're here for some spells."

"Yeeah... I mean, I don't know anypony who could do that better than you." you're being pulled in front of her "This is Anon, I need something permanent for him to walk on clouds."

"Um, hello..."

"So you need to enchant the collar, do you?" she pretty much ignores your greeting.

"Not the collar. I was wondering whether you've got any old horn rings or something else to slip on his hand."

".....Why not the collar?"

"Well,.. he isn't gonna be wearing that all of the time."

"Well he should. They are savages you know..?! I've heard from Celestia about the horrible things they were doing before we came and I even saw photos from their slaughterhouses all over their planet. ...I'm not even really sure he'll be a good pet for you Dash."

"He's a little rough sometimes,.. but I still like him." grins your mistress, somehow possessively wrapping her hoof around your leg "And don't worry, I can handle his temper even without it. ...We’ve tried that already, haven't we?"

It took a short while for you to realize that the question was targeted at you.

"...Yeah..."

"He already attempted to attack you?!" the purple mare gives you an angry look.

"I told him to.~ And I might do that again, it was fun." the pegasus chuckles.

"Oh you're playing with fire Rainbow,... but I'll leave that judgement up to you."

"Yeah... So, do you think you have something to enchant here or should I check the market first?"

"Well I think I have some unenchanted horn rings stashed around here from when I was studying magic suppression. I'm sure some of them will fit.."

"Awesome! Should I help you look?"

"No, that's fine you can wait somewhere around. I'll be right back." the alicorn hastily trots away.

"Alright, I'll be in the map room!" yells your mistress before leading you into a big hall with a round table, surrounded by 6 chairs.

There are different emblems on each of the chairs, one of them even looks exactly as the cloud with a rainbow bolt on her flank. She sits there.

"So... princess of friendship... doesn't seem to be that friendly." you sit on the table next to her, within the range of your leash.

"She's just a big nerd but she's got her heart in the place."

"Hmpf..." you sigh.

"What?"

"Nothing..."

She was about to say something but she's interrupted by her friend barging into the room. The alicorn gives you a visibly angry look, just as her eyes land onto you.

"...Anon you probably shouldn't sit on the table." your mistress informatively tugs on your leash so you quickly jump down and squat on the floor next to it.

"So,.. these are all I have left." Twilight coughs and levitates closer a stash of metal rings to spread them onto the table, in front of Rainbow Dash.

"Yo Anon, gimme your hand, let's try these on..."

….

After a few minutes of trying, there are only about three that fit your ring finger pretty well.

"Hmm,. which one do you like?" the pegasus asks eventually.

"....Me?" you're kind of surprised she's asking you.

But her nod is confirming it.

"So I can choose huh?"

"Suuure."

"Then,.... this one." you point at the sturdy looking one in simple silver-y/metallic colour, without any jewelry on it "It looks practical."

"That's my man." your mistress soars around your head to friendlily punch your shoulder.

"Okay, I'm gonna need the human to come with me now." Twilight joins in, seeing it’s decided.

"I'll go too."

"It would be better if you didn't. I'll be uh-..... let's say, the less distractions there will be in the room, the better."

"Uhh, okay then... I'll just wait here." the blue butt of the pegasus sits back down into its special chair.

For some reason, you're having a bad feeling about this…

...

"Now listen, if you ever hurt my friend, you're gonna regret it. Deeply. Understand?" the purple mare turns at you as soon as the door to her workshop close behind the two of you.

"I think you've got it a little mixed up. -Your friend is the scary one here."

"What the hay are you talking about?"

"Don't you know she's like a freaking dominatrix?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about but she needs support right now. Not even more problems. She’s going through a tough time and-”

"-Yeah, I know, she lost her tortoise." you scoff.

"You better not take this lightly!” the visibly offended alicorn frowns “They were inseparable.... She hasn't even finished her mourning and suddenly you're here."

"Look I didn't ASK to be bought as a pet-"

"I don't know what she's seeing in you but you should not abuse her kindness.” this time it’s her, interrupting you “If you will, there will be consequences."

There are hundreds of arguments you could say about how hypocritical it is of her to expect you to care about feelings of someone who bought you as a mere thing. In a fucking discount that is. But there’s no point in arguing when you have no rights here, so you just swallow all those words back and reluctantly nod.

"Good, now let's get to work." Twilight takes the ring from you with her magic and levitates some crystal next to it.

After a few seconds of charging her horn and mumbling something to herself, a magical aura joins around the two objects, shining a brief flash of light before it settles. Then she slips the ring back on your finger.

"What was that?"

"The magical enchantment cannot last on living beings, since animate bodies constantly grow and renew. For a long term spell enchantment, it is recommended to use an inanimate object to hold the spell and wear it as an accessory..." she annoyedly cites a paragraph of some book.

"No, I meant what was the crystal for?"

"Where do you think I get the energy from? Myself? As if I wanted to drain my own lifeforce for spells like these... You're way too curious. There's a good reason why magic isn't for humans.... Let's return you back now. And remember what I told you. This is a threat."

When she finally opens the door, your mistress is already eagerly waiting right behind them.

"Sooooo? Was it successful?" she's standing on the tips of her hooves in excitement. Almost like a kid, about to get a christmas present.

"Of course, these are basics for me." smiles Twilight kindly.

"...And what will it cost?"

"Nothing, that's fine." the alicorn drags Rainbow Dash closer "But promise to stay safe okay? And be mindful around him, you don't know what he's capable of."

"Oh, suure." the pegasus smiles back, completely carefree "And thanks a big lot for the enchantment, I owe you."

"Don't mention it... Anyway, I'd love to invite you for a tea or something but-"

"You're busy, as always, I know. No biggie." laughs your mistress "So guess we'll go then. Say, bye Anon."

"Yeah, bye..."

"See you Rainbow."

"Bye bye!"

And you're finally outside again.

...

"How cool of Twilight to do it for free, isn't it?" mentions Rainbow Dash on the way.

"Sure, she's such a sweetheart...."

"She doesn't like you huh? ...She doesn't trust you..!" your mistress nudges your leg, grinning in amusement.

"Not a bit... But why would you trust that I won't do anything,.. reckless? Aren't you scared I might kill you in your sleep or something, when you won't expect it?"

"Nope. You're not the killer kind, I know it."

"How can you be so sure..?"

"Fluttershy told me before I bought you. She can read creatures like that."

"And you trust her with your life in this?"

"Yes. Because she's right... Isn't she? I can tell it as well now. You would never do that, even if you wanted."

"Think I don't have a stomach for it?"

"It's the other way around... Unlike humans, ponies don’t regard a killer mindset as a virtue. Or anything else to be proud about."

"Funny you were so quick to use the deadly forces on us."

"The Humans attacked us first! ...I wasn't there, but the Princess would never send troops without a good reason."

"Nonetheless, she's more of a killer than me then, isn't she? The white shiny mare that pretends to be an angel but she only brings death and-"

"Hey, stop, okay?!" her hoof suddenly covers your mouth to make you shut up.

To emphasize on that, she raises her wing, letting you see the button she can always press.

"...I'm not saying everything that happened is okay." her hoof eventually lets go and her whole poise softens again.

"Then why don't you set me free?" you ask hesitantly.

"I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because I want you here. You might see it's not that bad here,.. with me." she smiles with a smile that looks completely genuine this time.

But you just quietly turn away your head.

"You'll see in time...." the mare softly touches your thigh before she continues forward again.

From then on, you’re both remaining pretty much silent… You’re walking two steps behind the mare, looking around the strange new world. Except for some reason your eyes always seem to land back on her. Whether it's the leash or some unconscious need to study the visual look of your “owner”, you can’t tell. But it’s making you feel like you still can't escape her in your head for some reason. Your mind is a mess and it’s hard to control your own thoughts. Almost as if the more you were trying to avoid thinking about her, the more your mind keeps circling around the pegasus.

Anyway, your pondering is interrupted by a realization that you're not exactly heading back to the balloon or the Rarity's boutique to pick up your new clothes.

"....Where are we going right now?"

"Out of Ponyville, for you to have a little walk. ...I can even unleash you there."

"Just like that?"

"You can't outrun me Anon." your mistress laughs "..We're almost there."

It’s painful to admit but she’s right. Can’t outrun a living jet.

…

And really, once you pass around the last house, there's an open field of grass with only an occasional tree or two. Then there’s a big forest in the far back. But most importantly, pretty much no ponies are around.

Just like promised, she's letting you go here.

"....So, do you play fetch or anything like that? How do you humans get entertained?"

"Well, certainly not the same way as dogs."

"Well what do you play? Oh wait, I know! We can wrestle like we did before! That's your kinda game, isn't it?"

"Trying to pin each other on the ground?"

"Yup, and it was fun for me as well... You wanna give it another try?" she's already taking a stance of a playful cat, in the shade of the big tree growing nearby.

Hmm...

"Actually,.. why not?" you step closer and take a fighting stance as well.

...At least you'll learn how to fight these creatures better.

"Cool. How rough?"

"Uhh,.. normal, just like before."

"Just like before? Oh, so you want it rough, do you~?" the mare grins like a coquette.

"I meant, the way it started. Not ended." you frown over the memory of getting your ass handed.

"I know, I'm just playing with you." she chuckles "Now come at me!"

When she's on all four like that, it's actually a lot harder to start an attack. It would be best if she made a first move.

It doesn't look like she will though. You might have a chance if you managed to get to her from the side. She’s more vulnerable there.

Without further due, you make a quick sidestep, springing your hands towards her… but she's quick to dodge, slipping through your legs. Before you know it, she's already behind you.

Naturally, you turn around to face her as soon as you're noticing what she's gonna do. Yet, it only helped you to get pushed into your chest instead of your back.

In the last second though, you reach towards her hoof to drag her down with you,.. actually managing to grab onto the appendage and regain your balance!

Gripping her limb, you might even have an upperhand. As you’re pulling her down with you, using all your weight, the pegasus is desperately flapping her wings to keep herself above you. She can’t do that forever though, this you’re going to-

“Fuuuck!” her hoof just slipped out of your hand.

And you’re falling down instead of her, straight onto a tree behind you.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, before you hit the ground, your cheek gets scratched with a bark of the tree. The next second you’re getting pinned by the blue hooves again.

The pegasus automatically gives you a smug grin to emphasize on the obviousness of her victory. But only before she notices the slightly bleeding scratch on your cheek.

"...Hey, you're hurt.." the mare suddenly reaches out her big, orange tongue to drag it over the whole right side of your face, licking those few drops of blood away and covering you in her saliva.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Disinfecting your wound, silly." she chuckles, letting you go and even offering you her hoof to help you up "....That was a good fight there Anon. Not many could come even this close to out wrestle me.~"

"...So you're like a part time soldier or something?"

"Nah,.. but I've always been a trouble maker. ....What about you?"

"What do you mean?" you lean your back on the tree and sit down.

"Well,.. where did you learn to fight like that, or-... -Or just basically say anything about yourself,...I want to know you better."

You could almost swear she was blushing for a second.

"Well I-..." you start but don’t finish.

It caught you a little off guard that she even would care. So much you can't think of anything right now. ...What if she's gonna use it against you..?

"....Gosh, you barely speak, considering the griffon had you silenced to make you shut up. I was looking forward to some conversations."

"I-I'm sorry Miss Dash, but I-" you stutter.

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" she grins at you from uncomfortably close distance, literally bumping nose to nose.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are! That's so cute!" the mare giggles, sitting next to you and affectionately leaning her head onto your shoulder "But you don't have to be, Nonny. As long as you stay cool, we're gonna be best friends.~"

And with a content exhale, she closes her eyes… Only to open them once again a few seconds later, glancing at you:

"So, wanna try it again?"

Fuck.

"Humpf, alright then..."

…

The upcoming half an hour is pretty much just nonstop fight practice, through which you're losing over and over again.

Can't say you're enjoying it but each time it feels like you're reading her movements a little better.

And then, after like 12th try… you're finding yourself on top of her, keeping her on her back. She probably couldn't even press the shock button right now...

"Oh wow! You did it!" she grins as smug as always as you’re panting in exhaustion above her face "...What are you going to do with your mistress now, huh?~"

Her frisky giggles and tail flickering between your thighs is enough to know what you are going to do. You're surely as hell gonna let her go because it feels like she’s actually enjoying this.

Your muscles are already softening on your grip when your body stops listening to you out of sudden.

There's some magical aura around you that's restraining your movements while lifting you up

"Oh for fucks-"

The next second you're being thrown against the tree, again.

"Ow!"

...It wasn't a big crash, since you were flying less than a meter but it definitely left you stunned for a second.

When your vision finally clears, you’re seeing some stallion unicorn, rushing towards your mistress.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Did I ASK you to intervene?" she barks at him, quickly helping you up from the ground.

"Well,.. No. I thought..."

"I can handle myself, no damsel in distress here!.. colt... Come on Anon, let's go." you're getting leashed again and led away from the confused stallion.

....

"That was kinda my fault... Did that hurt?" she asks once you’re out of sight.

At first you thought she's just angry because he interrupted her kinky moment. But she seems genuinely sorry.

"Nah, I'm just a little bruised…” you crack a little smile “And it was a fault of that nosy unicorn… They’re the worst."

What you said makes the concerned frown of your mistress turn into a relieved, amused smile.

“You know, magic can get into a pony’s head…” she softly brushes herself over your leg she's now walking next to.

...

...The pegasus probably wasn't lying when she said she likes you.

You're just not sure you want it in the first place. Most of all you want to GTFO of here.

She's pretty creepy sometimes or straight up lewd. And possessive. But other times she’s so nice… all of this is too confusing. Too much even.

You shouldn't get too accustomed anyway, because this isn't your final destination in life. You're going to find your way out of this sugar coated nightmare eventually.

...

"-Hey Anon, we could visit Rarity for that clothing from yesterday. I almost forgot about it."

"I didn't..."

"Then why didn't you remind me?" your mistress laughs lightheartedly, changing the direction back to Ponyville "We've almost left without it."

"I thought I don't have to."

"Oh, you have to.~ It's you who cares so much about fashion."

"It's not about fashion, I-"

"Yeah, yeah, the fear of being n-a-k-e-d!" she giggles "..You're a weirdo, you know that?"

"The feeling's mutual..." you grumble unintelligibly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"But I heard it." the mare's grinning "Thanks."

"...For thinking you're weird?"

"Well I like you for all the weird stuff." she slaps your butt with her wing, right before soaring up to you neck to unleash you "...Enjoy some freedom while we're still outside the village. I probably should have done that a few minutes ago."

...

Now you're free to roam around wherever you want while slowly making your way towards Ponyville. It's not like you're exactly running from tree to tree though, inspecting everything like some kind of mutt. You’re just absorbing the sun's warmth and walking leisurely a few steps away from your owner to feel like you don't belong to her.

Then, when you're seeing first houses and meeting more than an occasional pony figure to give you the looks, you're being leashed again.

Pretty much without a word, your mistress soars in a circle around you, clipping it to your collar and then lands back on your right side. Can't say you're too happy about it.

It's true she left you pretty a long time without it before but now she's keeping you short and closer than before.

The whole way to Rarity's boutique… One of the nicer mares.

...

"Rainbow Dash! And Anon! Come in, I was SO eager to see how my work will fit on an actual human body." the white unicorn is levitating six pieces of clothing at once while pulling even more from the closet.

"Rarity!... That's a big lot of clothes right there..."

"I know! When I made the first one, I got so excited I simply had to make more! Come on, try them all on!"

"Alright Anon, you know the drill." your mistress pulls down your toga before you react, leaving you standing there naked. ...Again.

Except this time it's not hurting your pride as much as before, merely annoying you. You must have gotten numb to some degree. Can't say whether it's for the good or bad, that you got so used to being manipulated by her. ...But there's already an unbuttoned shirt flying your way to put on.

The white mare made you three of them, each with a different pattern. All of them have an identical rainbow stripe on their right sleeve though.

Same goes for the three kinds of pants: one shorts, one jeans-y looking ones and one saggy, yoga pants.

"I was inspired by the toga you came in here! Do you like them?"

...It actually took you a second to realize the question was not towards your mistress, but you.

"They're really comfy. Thank you." you crack a smile towards the marshmallow mare.

"You’re very welcome.~” she smiles back “...And these are the last two pieces."

You’re being handed a jacket that looks like it’s made of leather but it's probably some imitation. Nonetheless, it looks rad. It just doesn't really fit with the saggy pants, - but it would suit a lot better to the jeans you had on before.

But there's already the very last piece flying your way. You caught it right before it hit your face. It's... a brown poncho with some magenta pattern around the sides and a bright rainbow stripe along it's right side. The material looks purposely rugged while remaining soft to touch.

It's giving you visage of some kind of pilgrim with the shirt in a similar style, bare feet and the loose yoga pants. As strange as it is, you can’t deny liking the style. Plus, it's incredibly comfy, almost as if you wore nothing at all, just the poncho's tassels softly brushing over your skin.

"So what do you think?" the designer winks.

"I really li-"

"Oh the jacket before was sooo COOL, Rarity! He looked pretty dangerous in it, like a real bad boy. Totally rad." your mistress interrupts you.

"..I dig the poncho." you finish.

"Oh, I'm really glad to hear all that.” the flattered designer blushes over both of your compliments. ”...I know Dashie, how you're obsessed with rainbow things, so I added the rainbow stripes so that you two would fit together! This way will everypony recognize he isn't a stray or anything like that. And I've been using accent colors that fit your eyes too!"

Okay, now you're noticing there's a lot of magenta on these clothes, mostly used in patterns or small details. ...But it's definitely been used often. Can’t say you like that.

"That is so thoughtful of you Rarity! I mean, I don't really care too much about fashion but I really like the rainbow stripes! ...Plus we already had a few incidents with ponies, so I'm glad to have him marked like that."

"Oh my, what happened?"

"Today there was a misunderstanding from some wannabe white knight. And yesterday some punks attacked him, even though he was on the leash! Poor guy.. but he fought fiercely. ..Didn't you Anon?"

"Yea..." you frown that you have to agree with her about something for once.

"Oh well, hopefully there will be no more of that in the future."

"Certainly not from the same ones." Rainbow Dash chuckles "But how much do I owe you? It's a few more pieces than I expected."

"Rainbow, please, don't bother yourself. I was happy to try this and I even got an idea! Since I learned some basics about the human body and clothing, I could start exporting to areas where they're more common by now. I'm sure there will be plenty of new opportunities for me and my sense of fashion!"

"Hey, that sounds like a good idea. Still, I'd feel pretty bad if I didn't give you anything. ....You'd be the second one today."

"How could I bear the element of generosity if I wanted money from you for something so trivial? That's nothing, really." smiles Rarity "especially if it might help you get over your loss..."

"Y-yeah..." your mistress smiles nervously "Anyway, I- we should probably go. So thanks again for all this Rarity. I really, really appreciate it, but I guess Anon here does even more."

"I do. Thanks miss Rarity." you even very gently bow her way.

"A chivalrous one." the white mare giggles "I heard humans were brutes but you were really lucky to pick this one, Rainbow."

For some reason that makes your mistress give you an evil eye before she starts pulling you outside in an even bigger hurry.

"Okay Rarity, really gotta go now, bye!"

"Bye bye!"

...

...You've only managed to wave before the blue hoof pushed you outside the door.

"Hey, what gives?"

"What gives?.. Nothing."

"Are you like, jealous or something?"

"No... But it was me who bought you, not Rarity."

"I merely said thanks."

"Yes, but the way you said it. Ugh, nevermind, let's go."

For a while, the rainbow pegasus seems to be lost in her thoughts. No witty remarks or trademark grins. But she's soon back to her usual self.

...

After leaving the boutique, you went to the market to buy some food for the lunch you were supposed to make as soon as you get back “home”. This time she decided it'll be spaghetti, because you mentioned that you know how to make a homemade pesto.

Literally couldn't have had it easier… so you made the lunch, just as she instructed. Just like yesterday, you were under her supervision the whole time.

Once you were both sated, she had another little nap before flying away again, leaving you in her house all alone. Almost like a routine.

...

Before the evening came, she's back again:

"Hey Anon!!"

“Woah!!” you almost fall out of the window you were gazing out of, mere seconds ago.

How does she always sneak up on you like that...?

"Easy there.." your mistress chuckles, pulling you inside "How you've been buddy?"

"Fine I guess." you eye on your new sketches on the table behind her "....You?"

"Real good, because I'm awesome.~ Visited my little sister and she's eager to meet you tomorrow."

"...You have a sister?"

"Not a biological one,.. but I do consider her a family. ...Anyway, there are probably no leftovers today are there?"

"Reheated spaghetti would be disgusting. There's still some pesto left though."

"Hmm,.. well but I think I'll have a peanut butter sandwich today. Can have pesto tomorrow,.. or day after it. Cause today, I have a sweet tooth!"

"....Alright. I'm on it." you're about to head to the kitchen

"I didn't say you have to. I can make those myself... But you can help me! Since you're so eager to serve.~" she grins, brushing herself over your leg as she walks past you.

You still can't get over all this smug aura emanating from her but you follow her to the kitchen nonetheless. Soon you're stocked with enough sandwiches, even for tomorrow's snack. And after you're both filled, you're being invited to her bed again.

"...So, this is how's it gonna go every day?"

"Well I'm not gonna be reading you every single day, especially when I learned you can do that yourself." your mistress smirks "But I guess you won't need a separate bed after all. Just like T-.., I mean, you're clean enough for mine and it's pretty big for both of us."

You cringe internally as your hopes for privacy in sleep just shattered. But on the outside, you merely obediently lower your head:

"Uhh, okay then."

...The mare probably noticed that you aren't too happy about it anyway. Maybe it's even the reason why she so amusedly waved her tail around you before heading into the bathroom.

She must think she can break you to like her over time...

We'll see about that ...

... Hating her less is what she might achieve at best.

...

That night you fell asleep in a similar manner as yesterday, except it was your mistress who dozed off first this time. You used that advantage to make a little more distance between the two of you to avoid her hugging you again in her sleep.

Can’t hug what you can’t reach.

Then you closed your eyes, merely blinking one last time to see her face on the other side of the bed, softly illuminated by a moonlight.

The image got engraved in your mind a few seconds before your thoughts wandered away.

“Goodnight Anon” you wished yourself like every other day.

…

….

In the morning, you're getting awakened by your mistress, softly caressing your head with her hooves. Upon squinting your eyes her way to see what's going on, you're given a soft smile. One that’s a bit unfitting to her personality.

But then she smirks and quietly leaves the bed as if nothing ever happened.

...You're still slowly coming back to your senses the upcoming few seconds, wondering whether it really happened or not.

And once you're ready to get up, you join her in the kitchen for a small breakfast.

Just some apples and carrots, what else would you expect from horses. On the other hand, it’s the best carrot and the sweetest apple you ever had.

After breakfast, you’re supposed to be introduced to Rainbow Dash’s so called sister

…

"So Scoots, that's him. What do ya say?" you're standing in front of the small filly, on the outskirts of Ponyville

...You initially thought the juvenile pegasus would come for a visit into the cloud house but you had to fly down via balloon instead.

"He's so cool, Rainbow Dash!!! ...” Scootaloo squeaks with little stars in her eyes “What kinda stuff can he do?"

"All kinds of things! You wouldn't believe it. ...But for the starters, he could say ‘Hello’." the blue mare nudges your thigh.

"Hey kid.." you grumble annoyedly.

"AWESOME!!" the ‘kid's’ jaw drops as she sits down in amazement "I had no idea they could talk!"

"They can do so much more! They're not like the pets Fluttershy has here. And he's certainly wayyyy more rad. Maybe even more rad than the eagle. He's just a little slow but-"

"Tank was slow too!"

"Yeah,.. I know." your mistress frowns for a second, then dons a smirk at her sister "...Anyway, he keeps surprising me all the time. Everypony says humans are too savage to be kept as close pets but Anon here is not just docile, he’s even pretty well behaved too."

"Are they carnivorous?! I heard they are!!"

"Nah, the griffon who sold him to me said they can survive on pretty much anything we eat. But I heard they used to eat meat, back then before our troops came to Earth. Twilight even saw the massive slaughter houses! It was supposedly so filled with blood there wasn't anywhere to drain it anymore so the whole building had to be brought down and buried underground!" the blue mare spookily gestures with her hooves to emphasize on the scariness of her story.

It doesn’t sound too believable to you though. Not only there must be some way to drain it, but they couldn't just bury a whole complex. ...Or could they?

"Oh gosh! And what did they eat there?"

"Ponies!"

"Hwaaaaah!" the filly hides behind your mistress when you glance at her.

"...You realize that half of that is made up,.. right?" you eye on both of them.

"Maybe, but that means the other half is still true. Plus, it's a cool story... Come on out Scoots, Anon wouldn't hurt a fly." your mistress chuckles, then sneakily raises her wing to reveal the remote control to your collar "...Isn't that right Anon?"

"Sure is..."

"See? He's just this big teddy bear. Sometimes he gets grumpy and rebellious, but he's completely harmless. And he can be sweet too sometimes. ...Wanna play with him for a while? I’ll get a few things from the market in the meanwhile."

...The filly first scans you up and down as if she was deciding whether she should trust you or not. And then...

"Of course! Yay! Anon, can you lift me up as if I was flying?!"

Huh...

"...Sure, I guess." you scratch your head.

It was a real quick decision,.. these ponies must have some kind of sixth sense for character judging or she just really trusts her big sister.

"Alright Scoots, I'll be right back. Then I'll show you how he can wrestle too!" your mistress soars up to your ear before dashing off "Seriously Anon, be nice. If you were to hurt her in any way, you're dead, understand?"

And she's off before you even open your mouth to answer, leaving you alone with the smoll pegasus.

It means you have to carry her on your shoulders, play some silly games,.. pretty much as babysitting any other kid... But you don’t actually mind doing that. She's even calling you "Mr. Anon", probably because you're three times bigger than her. It still feels nice though.

It’s kinda taking you back to times when some of your relatives occasionally brought their kids to family events and you were that “cool uncle” who was willing to lift them and spin them in circles like a merry-go-round. You’d never refuse because you used to love that shit too when you were little.

Come to think,.. you'd probably be a great dad one day... but there's only a very slight chance of such a thing ever happening now. Can’t help but wonder whatever happened to all the human children… but you're trying not to think about it right now.

The threat of your mistress felt a little surprising though, you haven’t seen her this protective about anything ever before. Maybe only when you were attacked,.. she was pretty scary back then.

...Just to be sure, you’re extra careful with this child.

...

"Hey kid, how come you don't fly by now?" you ask at some point.

It didn’t take long for you to realize she can’t really fly, that’s why she wanted you to lift her up. But you could swear you saw even smaller pegasi up in the air.

"I uhh, well I should be,.. but I guess I'm a little behind others..." Scootaloo nervously bites her lip. It feels you might have accidentally hit a soft spot.

"Hey,.. I'm sure you'll get there eventually. Those who bloom late often get way further than the ‘naturals’. You’re gonna be a champ kid, better than the rainbow tomboy..."

“You really think so..?”

“Sure do.”

“Thank you mister Anon!” the filly smiles as wide as it gets.

...Guess you've earned some extra points with her.

…

Not long after that, your mistress is back:

"Heyy, had fun you two?"

“I did! Anon is great and he's so strong!"

"Oh yeah, he might be, but strength isn't everything. Wanna see me defeat him in a wrestle?"

"No way!" Scootaloo exhales in awe.

"We'll see... Think you can repeat your last victory Anon?" Rainbow Dash smirks at you.

‘The.hell.I.can.’

...At least that's what you were thinking.

But after two minutes, you're finding yourself on the ground once again. It almost feels like she let you win that time before.

"Whoa! Can I try as well?"

"I don't think you have what it takes Scoots,..yet." grins your mistress and tousles the filly's mane after letting you go.

...

The two mares chat and occasionally interact with you for a while longer until they finally say bye to each other and you're left alone with your mistress again.

When she's alone, she at least doesn't have a need to show you off and she's back to her usual. Never thought you'd ever be glad about it but it’s better than her bragging.

...Now she's taking you for a leashless walk again, just like yesterday. It might have even become an everyday event already. You wouldn't really mind.

On the way, you randomly bump into another friend of hers:

Somewhat mentally damaged but surprisingly likeable pink mare that gives you a cupcake. A very short but kinda pleasant encounter. The cupcake is fucking yummy.

And on the way to the balloon, you meet Fluttershy again. She’s eager to know how you’re acclimating.

"I'm... getting by..." you answer shamefully because you’re slowly getting used to your life as a pet.

"Oh I'm so glad to hear! I knew from the start you were such a good boy, you'll just need a little time to get used to all these strange new surroundings. Is Dashie treating you right?"

"He's getting the best treatment in town!" the rainbow mare proudly grins instead of letting you talk for yourself "I bet those two humans on apple farm aren't getting all this luxury Anon has."

"But those two are from completely different dough than Anon here. I heard one of them tried to attack poor old Granny Smith so he could run away. If it wasn't for Applejack nearby, who knows what would happen. You wouldn't do that Anon, would you?" the yellow pegasus soars closer to stroke the beard on your chin and nuzzle your nose.

"Well I,.. definitely wouldn't punch an elderly I guess."

"Of course he wouldn't. He's rebellious sometimes, but he's a softie.~" your mistress joins her friend, both soaring in front of your face "Aren't you, Anon?"

"I'm not a softie, would you mind..!"

"See? Exactly." she giggles, tousling your hair and stroking it a few times

"Well, I'm glad to see my guess was right. You two are adorable!..." the yellow pegasus softly giggles under her hoof as well.

That’s when a white bunny, that was uptill now hidden in her mane, emerges to pull on her ear and he's pointing towards the market.

"Oh! I promised Angel to buy him some carrots and he simply cannot wait... Would you mind if I go now?"

"Sure, get the little rodent something to snack on." laughs Rainbow Dash "I already bought something for our lunch, so I won't be joining you though."

And after saying your goodbyes, you're on your way home again… to make the mentioned lunch out of the new ingredients.

This time it's a little more complicated than spaghetti, but nothing too hard. While cooking, you're being closely watched again, occasionally even asked questions about what and why you're doing certain things... The more you cook here, the more it feels like she's really just extremely curious about your culinary work and isn't exactly looking for something to criticize.

Also, she's constantly tasting everything in the process. Aou kinda hate that but,... whatever. Can't exactly tell her to fuck off.

Each day you're realizing it's making things a lot easier to just let her have her way in most, if not all things. Because she always has her way in the end...

Whether you like it or not.

Other times she's being sweet and caring.

...You can’t say you actually like her though, she’s still treating you with little to respect at all. But you're getting used to her, being around most of the time.

To all the commands, to all the forced intimacy, to all the embarrassing comments, to all the kinky gestures... it's as if she thought that if she's gonna constantly weave herself around you, you might start longing for her body.

Except it's not happening… Or is it her, that's holding herself back around you...?

Can’t tell, but you know already she's like a dog that barks but doesn't ever bite so it's not weirding you out as much as it used to.

In your free time, you're still hoping to devise some kind of plan to escape of course, yet you're just a little stuck at where to even begin. So far you’re only finding more obstacles.

...It would be great if you had someone, anyone you can trust here, that would help you. But as nice and friendly some of the locals seem to be, none of them would actually want to set you free. Their allegiance lies to their kind and their friends.

Though, it’s this "loneliness" that's driving you to never give up and still believe you'll find a way of escaping one day. To actually belong somewhere once again.

This place might not be as bad as you thought but it can’t possibly be your "final destination", to admit your place is at your mistresses side, like a loyal dog. Apart from what she thinks, she can never truly "tame" and break you into liking her.

That's the last thing that’s filling you with at least a little sense of freedom....

She'll see...