996 CE

(The day before Twilight returns to Ponyville.)

(Gwen)

(Warning: drugging)

It had been six months. Six months since I came into this new world of unicorns, pegasi, ponies, and griffins. Six months since I lost all bodily and social autonomy. Six months of crying, diapers, and flailing.

I have learned a lot over that time, mainly because there was not much else to do. I had a more or less solid understanding of the pony language now; I even learned some names. My adopted mother's name is Fluttershy; literally a combination of the pony word for the motion a butterfly makes well flying and the word for being socially anxious. My new name is Gwen, although it doesn't translate easily. I think it is a foreign word, which makes some sense considering I am not a pony. Most humorously, my guess for that rainbow-haired mare was extremely close, her name translates to Rainbow Dash.

There are some disturbing trends in their language though. The most apparent example is the speciated nature of their language. Instead of saying 'everyone', they say things like 'everypony'. The discrimination is baked right into their language! That is like if, in English, we said 'somewhite' instead of 'someone'! As a non-pony, I have a feeling I am going to have a tough time with the boys in blue or equivalent when I grow up.

Speaking of boys, the pony language is gendered too, just like French or Spanish. Interestingly though, it seems like the roles are largely reversed. Words like 'leadership', 'intelligence, and 'kindness' are coded feminine while words like 'obedience, 'stupidity', and 'murder' are coded masculine. That leads me to believe pony society is a matriarchy. That will certainly take some adjusting to if true, but I haven't seen a stallion more than in passing since I got here.

On a less depressing note, I have also made a lot of progress learning to speak the language as well. I think I have 'mama' and a few other baby words down, but I have been careful not to say anything in front of Fluttershy. I figured I should save my 'first' words for a special occasion. Plus I have no idea when griffins are supposed to start talking and don't want any undue suspicion on me. My Patron was quite clear; if the ponies know I am an outsider, our contract is void and I will lose everything.

Speaking of my Patron, the shadowy devil hasn't shown up again since the first night in Fluttershy's house. The longer I go without seeing them, the better. Considering what they made me do that first night, I don't want to imagine what they will have me doing closer to our contract's deadline. I haven't lost all hope yet though. Performing a demonstration of power like that seemed like an attempt to intimidate me into staying in line. While it was certainly intimidating, it does mean they have a reason to want me to be intimidated.

Overall, I had settled into my new life. I still had a long way to go to get back the freedom I had as an adult. Until then, I will just have to roll with the punches, or bucks as it were.

Today, in particular, I was playing with some of Fluttershy's animals. Never in my old life had I been so close with such a wide array of animals, not even in a zoo. And one of the few benefits of being a baby is I got to chase, pet, and play with them without it being weird. They were much more entertaining than the simple blocks and noisemakers my new mother bought me. The dolls were kinda nice though, I used them to recreate what I imagine my sister's wedding would have looked like. Too bad everything went wrong before I could see the real thing.

My play, I was using the bear as a climbing wall, was interrupted by the sound of knocking at the door. That was extremely unusual. Most ponies would announce themselves by yelling for Fluttershy well before they reached the house. They wanted to make sure they didn't frighten the craven mare. The sole exception to this rule was Rainbow, who would almost always enter the building at high velocity through a window, even if said window was closed, locked, or newly created by her entrance.

Needless to say, whoever knocked was not from around here.

Fluttershy was warming up some milk for a newly fond kitten at the time and nearly spilled the hot beverage in surprise.

"Oh no. Who could that be? I hope it isn't a traveling sales pony. It is probably just some pony with the wrong address. Maybe they will just go away." Fluttershy talked to herself. She did that a lot. I am not sure if she forgets I am a baby, or if she is trying to talk so I can learn faster, or if she is just trying to calm herself down. It does make me worry sometimes.

By this point, most of the animals had cleared out, not wanting to crowd out the potential newcomer. I detached myself from Harry as he moves to the kitchen doorway, ready to provide protection if necessary. As for me, I glided over to some of my toys laying on the couch, preparing myself to play the cute innocent baby.

After a few minutes and more knocking and it was clear whoever was at the door wasn't going away. "Maybe it is somepony from out of town who found a sick animal and was told to come here? I suppose I can't leave them waiting any longer. Okay, let's do this, there is nothing to be afraid of." Fluttershy hyped herself up to open the top half of her door.

The now open door reviled not a pony but a griffin. Like me, they were part cat and part bird, lion and hawk in this case; with brown feathers melding perfectly into dark gold fur. They appeared to be male, with broad shoulders, a sharp jawline, and an even sharper-looking beak. Unlike most ponies, this griffin was wearing clothes, a well-fitting and handsome military uniform with a dark black and dull gold color scheme. Equestrian colors tended towards gold and sky blue, so I would guess this guy is foreign. That is a bit of a red flag, why would another nation's military be here in Ponyville?

"Ah. So you are home. I was beginning to lose faith. Are you the brilliant veterinarian Fluttershy that I have heard so much about? You must be, you are as lovely as the rumors said. My name is Gosef the Griffin, I am a pharmacist from Griffinstone. I was hoping to discuss business with you. Do you mind if I come in? I heard from your dear friend Pinkie Pie that you tend to be rather uncomfortable around strangers. Perhaps if we could sit down for a spot of tea as friends everygif would be more relaxed. Sorry, everycreature."

Gosef said all of that confidently without missing a beat or allowing Fluttershy to respond. His voice was as deep as an ocean and as smooth as silk, with just a hint of an accent to provide an exotic flair without making him hard to understand. This guy could give Morgen Freeman a run for his money. This was another red flag. If this was a bar, that would be one thing, but a handsome (for a griffin... I think), confident, smooth-talker coming to the front door out of the blue? That smells like a conman.

"Yes, of course, it is no problem. I... um... am not offended by that type of thing." Fluttershy stammered in reply as the griffin let himself in. Observing the living room, for a second it looked like he was disturbed by the smell of the animals, but he quickly returned to his charming deminer. A slight smile, not enough to be disconcerting, open body langue, and a confident gaze. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes though.

The well-dressed bird made his way to the center of the foyer; right to the coffee table across the room, right to the couch where I was sitting. He spotted me almost instantly, his grin finally reaching his eyes. I swallowed nervously as he stared at me like a piece of filet mignon. The way things were going, I had sinking feeling that I might have to bite out somegif's eye. I had already sold my soul to the devil, don't think I wouldn't resort to cannibalism in self-defense.

Neither adult seemed to notice my tension as Gosef broke eye contact and addressed Fluttershy again. "This is quite a captivating little hen! Are you chicksitting for somegrif? What is her name? Oh, and do you mind if I take a seat? Perhaps you could pour yourself some tea for our discussion."

The gregarious golden griffin guest in my guardian's gorgeous green garden grotto greedily gained ground in gradually guiding the graceless gathering. He sat down next to me on the couch next to the coffee table; not waiting for Fluttershy's response. This positioning conveniently placing himself between me and where Fluttershy would inevitably sit. Fluttershy, looking completely overwhelmed and like she would rather be anywhere else, mumbled an apology and then made a hasty retreat to the kitten. Now I was all alone with the stranger. Great. Almost as soon as Fluttershy left, Gosef begin examining me. Even without touching me, I felt like my skin was crawling.

"Wonderful, simply wonderful." The griffin whispered as if examing modern art. "My masterpiece turned out more beautiful than I could have imagined."

Okay, why was I his masterpiece? I am getting more red flags here.

"It is a disgrace though. No doubt that whore of a pony has already started to fill your head with degenerate notions of 'equality and 'friendship'. Bah!"

Ya... I am thinking this guy might be more of a cult leader than a conman.

"All is not lost. Once I return you to your rightful people, I will teach you the truth of the world. That griffins are preditors and ponies are prey. I will be sure to undo all the propaganda the white witch has tarnished your mind with."

"Um... What type of tea would you like? If you don't mind telling me. We have black, ginseng, and chamomile. I hope one of those is okay with you. I should have stocked more options..."

Fluttershy popped her head in from the kitchen, the sound of the water beginning to boil coming in from behind her. Instantly, the intrusive griffin's demeanor returned to that of a salesman, smiling gently at Fluttershy.

"Black would be just fine. That reminds me, you didn't answer my earlier question, who is this wonderful griffiness I have been getting to know?"

"Mep! Sorry about that! I must have missed your question. I can be so rude sometimes. Her name is Gwen. We found her egg abandoned and I volunteered to look after her until we could find her parents. I didn't want the poor thing to have to go to an orphanage."

"What a wonderful gesture! I am sure this little princess will find her rightful place in the world soon."

"Oh yes. She has been nothing but a..." Fluttershy was interrupted by the sound of the tea kettle whistling. She quickly ducked back into the kitchen to prepare the drinks.

"What a disgusting mare." Without breaking out of his persona, the smooth-talking griffin whispered to me after Fluttershy had left. "She is a paragon of the weakness of ponies. So docile, submissive, and naive. It is a miracle that her kind ever survived the crucible of evolution. But worry not. With your help, soon all ponies will be but beasts of burden for the true masters of the earth and sky. They should be thankful that they can be part of our greatness."

Okay. I think this guy might be a Nazi because he is throwing up red flags like it was the Nuringburg rally.

Two cups of steaming tea and a cool glass of water rested on the serving tray that Fluttershy carried with her from the kitten. The fragrant scents of the teas mixed beautifully in the air. I had no idea where the mare got her tea from, but you could tell it was orders of magnitude better than the bulk stuff I used to buy just at the grocery store just from the smell alone.

Fluttershy barely had a chance to put the cups onto the table before Gosef interrupted again, this time asking for some sugar. I was beginning to wonder why this clearly mad griffin was so intent on keeping Fluttershy out of the room. It wasn't long until he reviled his plan. As soon as Fluttershy was distracted again, he withdrew a crystal vile from his uniform's pocket. In the few moments that Fluttershy was back in the kitchen, the murderous stranger deposited a few drops of the clear liquid contained within the vile into my caretaker's defenseless cup.

"By the end of the day, you will be with me on the way to your destiny and this pathetic pony will be on the way to her grave. Isn't it just wonderful!"

(Carrot Cake)

(Warning: Implied gore)

"Ugg..."

I woke up with a roaring headache. I don't think my head has hurt this much since the day after I met Cup. It was during an absolute rager at the start of freshman year of culinary school. She still won't let me forget that I vomited in her saddlebags. Good times.

The piercing pain in my cranium distracted me from my reminiscing. I brought my forehoof up to message my head. I should go get some asp... I just realized my hoof was interrupted on its mission. Something was pressing against it, preventing it from moving. What? Now that I got some adrenaline to wake me up, I was aware of similar bindings on my other limbs and two across my barrel. In fact, there was something on my head too, and my cottonmouth was a little more literal than I had anticipated. What in Tartarus? I thought Cups agreed that bondage just wasn't our thing?

Opening my eyes, I found myself looking at a familiar ceiling, just not the ceiling I was expecting. Rather than being in my comfortable bedroom, snuggling with my wife, I was on top of a table in the storeroom under the bakery, looking up at the floorboards of the display room above.

A feeling of dread overwhelmed my headache as I begin to remember what happened. It was early in the morning, just before opening time, Pinkie had just gotten back from some Pinkie thing. I could hear her talking with somepony in the kitchen, and then there was a loud thump. I ran down quickly to see what had happened. I stumbled on griffin cradling a groggy Pinkie in his lap. I remember thinking that it had finally happened, Pinkie had finally gotten diabetes. Rushing over, I took Pinkie from the stranger with no effort. We needed to get to a hospital! Nurse Redheart would know what to do! I begin to try and prop Pinkie up when I feel a sharp pain in my flank. It is not my wife, but a syringe held by the griffin! I could hardly believe it as he smiled and waved at me and I suddenly felt like I had run the Running of the Leaves twice in a row.

That dirty feather duster hurt Pinkie! He foalnapped me! I tried my best to get out of the straps holding me down, but it was useless. The best I could do is turn my head. At least with that, I was able to see the other two occupants of the bakery. Pinkie was to my left and Cups was to my right, both were strapped to tables, neither looked hurt. That was a bit of a relief, but I needed to get us all out of here before that sicko does something horrible.

If getting out of the restraints wouldn't work, I would have to remove the gag. Sugarcube Corner was in the middle of Ponyville and half the village got their breakfast here. If I could just yell for help, we would be rescued for sure! I was chewing my way through the straps of the gag when I heard the distinct sound of the back door opening upstairs. There was only one pony who wasn't currently strapped to a table who used the back door. Bon Bon! Of course! She came just about every day and had a key to the back! She wouldn't be turned away by a closed sign and would notice when we weren't upstairs! There was a good chance she would come down here to get supplies anyways! Thank Celestia we are saved!

Her hoofsteps sounded kind of strange, but that didn't matter. I tried to make as much noise as possible so she would notice us. It appeared to be working! I could hear her approaching the basement door, then open it. This nightmare would soon be over! Pinkie and Cups would be safe and that feathery monster would be in jail! Maybe Spolied was right after all and griffins were just trouble makers.

The creature that walked through the door was not the cream-colored mare but the golden griffin that would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. He looked frustrated as he was coming down, a truly ugly expression on his otherwise handsome face. I redoubled my efforts to escape. I had to get out now or who knows what would that abomination would do!

My struggle attracted his attention and a sicking smile spread across his face. NO! No No No! This couldn't be happening! I just waited to bake with my wife, maybe have a few foals. It wasn't supposed to happen like this!

"My, my, you are awake earlier than anticipated. I will have to make note of that for the future." The sociopath scientist spoke like a slithering snake. "That is just wonderful! I could use some stress release after my recent failure, and nothing relieves stress like advancing science."

He gracefully moved across the room towards his prisoners and an assortment of kitchen tools arrayed before us. Suddenly knives I used every day to cut cakes and forks I used to serve customers took on a sinister meaning.

"But what to do, what to do. It is so rare that I get fresh, wild specimens to experiment on. It simply wouldn't do to waste this opportunity." He seemed to ponder this for a while. I had stopped struggling at this point, all my muscles feeling like toffy and my blood like molasses.

"Ah! I have a wonderful idea! I will perform two experiments at once! Two pegasi with one stone! Although I suppose it would be two earth ponies." The mad grif turned to me. "Won't that be wonderful! You will get to contribute to science twice! I am sure you will be grateful; rather than wasting your life doing something as mundane as baking or rearing more parasites, you will get to make a real mark on history! It is more than most of your worthless species can achieve."

The griffin moved above my head to the point I couldn't see him. Leaning down close, he whispered in my ear.

"The experiment is quite simple, I have plans for both your wife and the pink one. You will choose which one gets the honor of going first. Now, it is only fair I tell you that whoever you choose will be making quite the sacrifice for science, so think it over carefully. When you decide, simply look at the mare you would like to spare."

I could hardly hear him laughing at his own rhyme. This couldn't be happening. This was the type of thing that happened in Daring Do novels, not real life! Celestia, S.M.I.L.E., the guards, they were supposed to protect us. This didn't happen in Equestria! My wife or the closest thing I had to a daughter? How could anypony make that choice! Memories danced through my mind; Pinkie's interview when she first came to Ponyville, eating frosting off of Cups' muzzle in college, Pinkie making her first cake at the bakery, Cups and me standing in front of Sugarcube Corner a 'grand opening' banner hanging off the front, Pinkie bring more life and fun to the bakery then I could imagine, us laying in bed talking about how many foals we wanted to have.

Tears in my eyes, sobs absorbed by the gag in my mouth, I knew there was only one choice. I turned to look at my wife, sparing her from the griffin's wrath.

I am sorry Pinkie. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I still love you, but I can't let anything happen to Cups, to our future foals! Forgive me, I am so sorry.

"Interesting, although not unexpected. Well, let's get started then."

I felt a jerk as the strap on my head was tightened, preventing me from looking away from Cups. Why did he do that? The griffin soon entered my vision as he approached the love of my life. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a syringe, jamming it into Cups' neck. I begin to struggle more. That wasn't the deal! He said he would leave Cups alone!

Cup Cake woke up with a start and a scream, muffled by her gag. Her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of what was happening to her. Eventually, her eyes locked with mine. Not being able to speak, I tried my best to comfort her with my look. To tell her that everything was going to be okay. But that was a lie. Nothing was okay. The demon Nightmare Moon had come down and given us the worst nightmare that could be imagined. A true nightmare night.

"Aw... you two must be so happy for each other. Remember this day, both of you. This is the day I gave your lives meaning."

The mad surgeon reached for his tools, a paring knife my now deceased father gave to me on my graduation day. He activated a recording crystal, and begin explaining the experiment in a calm and cold voice.

We could do nothing but mutely scream as the doctor made the first of many cuts.

Author's Note

Hi. So I split what I had planed this chapter in half. This is one of the longest chapters I have done and I only really got to the half way point. Now we will just have to see who makes it out of this ordeal alive!