Survival Through Resignation

The wagon ride slowly became more stable and less bumpy. When it finally stopped, the ride had been smooth for a few minutes, and a wave of dread had crashed over the passengers. For a few minutes, they just sat there. The sounds of voices were muffled by the walls and door, but one voice stood out, squawking orders as it grew louder and louder, closer and closer.

The door swung open, and a gryphon hen scowled in. "You're next," she cawed, "one by one, single file. I need your name, place of origin, and age."

The guards began unbinding ponies from the walls, pushing them out the door. A good many of them collapsed to the ground, without their arms to stop them. They were promptly picked up by the large number of guards outside the wagon and placed before the gryphon.

There was silence for a moment as the gryphon just stared at the first mare to come out. Then, all of a sudden, she swiped a claw across the pony's ear. "Are you deaf?!" she demanded. "Name, age, place of origin! If I have to ask again, I'll start cutting off toes!"

"F-fig Leaf," the mare stammered. "My name's Fig Leaf. I'm twenty-eight, and I'm from P-ponyville..."

The gryphon scribbled something on her clipboard and moved to the next mare. As soon as she looked at her, the mare winced. "Mutual Benefit, thirty-four of Ponyville."

So on went the line, with the mares stating their names, ages and the place that was their home. Most of them were from Ponyville, others had been visiting at the time of the attack. All of them had to be catalogued for auction.

As the ponies disembarked the wagon, most of them shifted their feet so as not to step on Applejack. She took up a lot of space on the floor, but they managed to step around her. The zebras were not so kind, trouncing across her as they shuffled about.

When it was Rumble's turn, all that remained were the Apples. He wasn't a fighter, like them. He complied immediately, stepping off the wagon before he could be pushed. He still had to wait for the gryphon to come to him, but when he could see her feet in front of him, he didn't even look up. "Rumble," he said, shifting on his feet. "Age twelve, raised in Cloudsdale, moved to Ponyville two years ago."

The gryphon's feet moved aside, and he was sure he'd made it out okay. For now, at any rate. He wasn't being directed away yet, so he listened as the exchange next to him took place.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" demanded the gryphon. "Is she even alive?"

"I assure you, she deserves this fate," answered the zebra. "Some time to heal, and she'll work great."

"I can't catalogue her without her name," squawked the gryphon. "Unless you happen to have that information."

The zebra kicked Rumble, drawing his attention. He had Apple Bloom by the tail and waved her in his face.

Rumble shrunk down. "Her name's Apple Bloom. She's thirteen and was born in Ponyville." It almost felt like a betrayal, as if he had just sealed her fate, but what could he do? If he'd said he'd never met her, he'd be called out immediately. He knew he would be, having been seen trying to comfort her in the wagon. The guards knew he had the information, and he didn't want to suffer a gut punch like she had.

The gryphon jotted down the information, and the two were carted off by the same guard, with Rumble walking and Apple Bloom draped over his shoulder.

Applejack came out next, kicking and punching as far as her bonds would allow. It took two zebras to move her, as even bound as she was, she was still fighting back. It took a full minute to bring her out, and another to bring her to her knees in front of the gryphon.

"Pull that gag off," commanded the gryphon.

One of the zebra guards stepped forward and removed the gag. The second her jaw was free, Applejack clamped her teeth down on the flesh of his thumb, tearing it open as she ripped her head from side to side.

As the zebra fell to his knees, howling in agony and missing part of his hand, the gryphon smacked a riding crop across Applejack's face hard enough to leave a mark. "Eyes up here, bitch." Applejack spat the bloody chunk up at her face. "Charming. What's your name?"

"Fuck you!"

The gryphon groaned. "I hate it when they do this. Takes so much time out of my day. Well, if that's the way you want it, I'll not argue." she scribbled on her notepad. "Your name is Fuck You, you're freshly eighteen and looking to have your pussy wrecked, and you were born in a constant need to be filled. Is that information correct?"

"Fuck you!" repeated Applejack.

"Lovely," smiled the gryphon. "Put her in the pillory for a few days before selling her. And put the gag back in, too."

It took four zebras this time to gag her again. Previously, they'd promised to let Apple Bloom go if she put it in, and she had, but that lie wasn't going to work a second time. Once it was securely in place, she was carted off in a separate direction, where she was secured to a pillory with a lot of effort. She'd now injured two zebras here and killed one back in Ponyville. She clearly wasn't going to be treated well, no matter what she did now. Fighting until she couldn't anymore was all she had left.

As one of the guards walked off to tend to his freshly broken nose, Applejack had little choice but to watch as her entire town was purchased, one by one being paid for and given to those with money. Even fillies and colts were bought and sold. Seeing Rumble crying his eyes out as a well-dressed zebra mare directed him off the stage by the shoulder, she knew she had to do something.

Putting her days of dragging the plow to use, she secured her feet in the shackles that held them apart and pushed against the panels. Unfortunately, the wood was fresh and thick, and would take more than twelve hundred newtons of force to break. The nails, on the other hoof, were simple shanks, pulling out smoothly. After a few more seconds of struggling, she had enough freedom to pull loose the stakes that secured her legs to the ground.

The pillory was still locked, but it provided enough room for her to swing her fists around, as long as she kept everything in alignment. She jumped up on the stage, driving the loose nails into the throat of the auctioneer, bashing in the nose of yet another guard, and driving a stake into the groin of a mare. She'd managed to kill two more zebras by the time she was pinned.

"She's too dangerous to be left alive," huffed one of the guards. "She's now killed three and injured five."

"I second that motion," agreed another. "She can't be trusted. That's a brand-new rack she's busted."

"I'll summon the headsman," concurred a third. "He'll know what to do. The swings of his axe are numbered too few."

In the next moment, a pegasus mare in veils flew up to them. "Take her to the castle," she panted, having flown over as fast as she could. She pushed a note forward to one of the guards. "The emperor commands it."

The guard inspected the note and nodded. "Okay, boys. You heard the young miss. She's to go join our ruler in wedded bliss."