Sabie Cottonball

Chapters

Chapter 1: Sorrows and Complications
Chapter 2: Company and Capture
Chapter 3: Stay Strong
Chapter 4: Defiance
Chapter 5: Death Or Victory
Chapter 6: Recovery

Chapter 1: Sorrows and Complications

“A new day brings forth fresh beginnings,” or so they say. For some, it brings fresh sorrows.

– Reverend Casey Horseshoe

***

I exhaled a hopeless sigh, awaking from my slumber. I grimaced upon noticing patches of tear-stains and wrinkled spots on the blue bed.

Had I really wept that much?

The memory came back. I shut my eyes, begging for it to stop. I heard the thunderstorm. The haunting phone call at midnight. The crackling voice at the other end. The thunder that clapped as I collapsed onto the floor, screaming. I couldn’t even remember how I got into the bed. I must’ve been in tatters when I fell asleep.

Gasping a fragile breath, I tore open my eyes, vision blurred with tears. Anxious, I gazed around the bedroom, trying to connect back to reality. Like a rude call, the clock on the nightstand jingled merrily, reading 06:45. Oh, yes, I’d set that as my alarm. Well, time to get up.

Like a sloth, I alighted from the bed and made my way towards the bathroom sink, briefly wondering why I even bothered to continue the routine. Splashing water would wake me up, but it would never wash away the wreck that disgraced the mirror’s reflection – swollen cheeks, tightened eyes, frazzled verdant mane.

But never mind about that. I didn’t want to go out today.

The apartment was silent. The gloomy skies outside illuminated my surroundings in tones of gray and white. I stepped into the kitchen with a pang of… hopelessness. It was dark. Icy. Devoid of the warmth that Hank always radiated. He was gone. And gone for good.

I stumbled, fighting back tears. The scene from last night replayed without mercy.

“Is this, uh… *crack* Sabie? Mrs. Sabie?”

“Y-yes, who’s speaking?”

“I’m from the *crack* police department. It’s about your husban–”

“Hank? Why, what’s wrong, o-officer?”

“We, uh… *sigh* *crack* We’ve found his body…”

It finished as quickly as it came. I collapsed onto the hard floor and curled into a ball, bawling like a foal.

“Damn you, Hank…” I choked. “Why… why?!”

Of course, there would be no answer. That stallion was gone. I was now left to survive this wretched world by myself. Alone.

Alone. How I hated that.

I don’t know how long I laid on the cold, marble floor. I only remembered that I rose up, rubbed my eyes, and went to the house phone. I imputed a familiar number, and waited.

“Hello?” asked the other end.

“M-Mina? I-it’s me, S-Sabie,” I answered.

“Ah, Sabie! Sorry, I couldn’t recognize the number,” she offered.

“O-oh…”

“Um… you ok? You don’t sound so good there,” she inquired.

I paused, swallowing a lump. “Hank… h-he’s…”

“Why, what’s wrong? Is he alright?”

I choked, heart sinking. “He… d-died.”

The gasp was immediate. “D-Died?! But… but how?”

The lump expanded. “T-they found his body… in a drain.”

Mina was silent for a long while. Perhaps she, too, was trying to process the accursed news freshly delivered to her.

“I’m sorry… Sabie,” she offered, after a long silence.

“T-thanks. You… don’t know how much it m-means to me,” I mumbled.

“Take all the time you need. Are you… gonna see the body?”

She asked that question with a blatant pause and restraint. I understood why, of course. It was sensitive, and I really wasn’t the best at emotional control.

“I-I have to,” I answered shakily. “B-but first, I’ll be going down to the police dep to receive the report.”

“What time?”

“About 10-ish.”

“Alright, I’ll… I’ll take you for lunch. Meet me at Cafe Nervosa. Eleven sounds good?”

Despite my grief, I managed to crack a shadow of a smile at her kindness. No wonder she was Hank’s and my friend for so many years.

“S-sure. Thanks… Mina,” I offered.

“Anything for a friend,” she responded softly. I could hear the smile cracking on her own face at the other end. She was truly a friend.

I ended the call with a trembling nod. There was plenty of time till 10:00, but my appetite had gone somewhere else, so I opted to skip breakfast. With nothing else to do, I nestled into a soft couch and sucked in a deep, deep breath.

It would take a long time to overcome this sorrow.

***

I’d always wondered what police stations looked like inside. It turned out that I hadn’t missed much. Harsh whites, bland grays, and a garish assortment of potted plants offered themselves as I trotted to meet a Mr. Simony in Room 4.

With a depressed gait, I entered. Greeting me was a rather lean stallion, with sunken cheeks and a long snout. He resembled a chemistry professor more than a police officer, but I was not in the mood to further such musings.

“Good day… Mrs. Sabie Cottonball?” Mr. Simony addressed.

I nodded slowly. “Good day. And please, Sabie is fine, I’m not a grandmare,” I dumped dejectedly as I took my seat. The officer, however, took no offense, and he offered me a polite, if not sad smile.

“I understand. First of all, please accept my condolences,” he offered with a bow.

“T-thanks,” I stuttered.

“Now, about your husband,” he began. A familiar lump formed in my throat, and I braced myself for what I was to receive. With a nod, he continued.

“Some sewage workers found his body in a drain, behind Gin and Rum’s Mill – I’m sure you know the place.”

Hank’s workplace. I nodded. “Y-yes.”

“We determined that he had fallen in and drowned, and–”

“It was an a-accident, wasn’t it?” I cut in. He was a good stallion; nothing foul should’ve occurred to him, right?

Ominously, his countenance blackened. “No, Sabie. It wasn’t.”

I squinted, confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Listen carefully, Mrs– sorry, Sabie.” He breathed. “The autopsy report states that there was poison in his bloodstre–”

“Poison?!” I shot, slamming my hoofs onto the desk.

“Digitalis, forcefully injected by two assailants,” finished Simony. He shook his head as I stared into his iron face. “Hank was murdered, Sabie. The poison triggered a heart attack, causing him to fall into the drain and…”

My throat jerked shut. Breathing became difficult. I lost focus. My sight dimmed. Simony’s voice diminished into distant echoes. My legs crumbled. The last thing I remembered before darkness invaded my vision was screaming.

***

The darkness gave way to light. Silence crescendoed into noise. I slowly returned to the conscious world as my feeble brain registered murmuring, beeping, and a rumbling drone.

How long was I out for..?

A sharp tinge of disinfectant assaulted my nose. With a jerk, I opened my eyes. White colors of all shades presented themselves neatly before my vision – a little too neatly.

“Mrs. Sabie?” softly called a voice.

“Y-yes..?” I drawled. The voice loudly exhaled with a relieved glissando: Mr. Simony.

“Thank heavens, you’re ok,” he exclaimed.

“W-what happened?” I inquired hazily.

“You broke down, quite literally. After a minute of screaming, you… passed out.” He paused for a little while, then added, almost reverently, “I understand.”

Did he really?

“Hank’s been… murdered,” I recounted softly. Tears escaped as I shut my eyes. My love, a good stallion, murdered?

I never knew how much it stung. A broken heart was a real thing. And heartbreak gives way to anger sometimes.

“And you think you really understand, huh?” I raised, shaking with sobs.

A long, rigid silence played, interrupted only by the beeps of the heart monitor.

“Yes,” answered Simony, frank and direct.

I attempted to sit up, but was too feeble to accomplish it alone. Despite my foul mood, Simony graciously assisted me, and ensured my back was comfortably cushioned with pillows. He exhaled an elderly sigh, and grimaced.

“I lost my wife two years ago.”

I did not turn to look at him. But I would lie if I said that, at that moment, a small spark of sympathy did not ignite within.

“She was caught in a crossfire.”

This time, I turned to look at him. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or a figment of my imagination. But I saw, lodged within that chemistry prof’s sullen face, two burning, young, and passionate eyes – a reflection, perhaps, of his younger self.

“In the force, we’re always surrounded by death,” he quipped wistfully. “So yes, I do understand.” He offered me a sad smile.

“Why?” I questioned. “Why him?”

He sighed and shook his head. “I can’t give a proper answer yet. My team is still investigating the motives.”

A small fire kindled within my young heart. “Then… then do everything in your power to catch the scum who k-killed Hank, ok?”

He frowned, gaze hardening with determination. “On my word, Sabie. You can count on the Force. However” – his gaze literally petrified here – “there are a few things you need to know. It concerns life and death.”

I gulped. “What?”

He breathed. “Hank’s murderers aren’t just some filthy crooks. They’re the Failed Company gang, and they effectively control his workplace area.”

“Then all the more reason to shank them up,” I pressed.

“Sabie, these aren’t normal criminals,” he emphasized. “I’m talking about five murderers, two rapists, and a bomb-maker chumming like one family – and they killed your husband.”

“So? They’ve already done him good, what could they want from me?” I grumbled, irritated.

“You’re not safe,” he augured intensely, but then calmed down and sighed. “Your life is in danger, Sabie. And I won’t risk leaving you by yourself – not while the Company is still around.”

I brayed, throaty and frustrated. Even then, Simony was right, dammit. Hank was gone; who would protect me?

“What is your suggestion, then?” I cranked, giving up my own way.

“Consider this an order,” he started. “Move to Oort Apartments, in the East District, as soon as possible – the P.D will cover rent. Sort out Hank’s funeral, attend it, and after that… ‘disappear’, so to speak.”

“Till?”

After a short meditation, he spoke, “Till we’ve got them.”

“Fine…” I huffed. All these complications…

“Officer Marble Domes will be patrolling your area, effective by the time you move there.” He finished, stood up, and bowed. “Take care, Sabie. We will solve this case, and Hank can rest in peace, alright?”

I nodded, silent and resigned, as the officer left the hospital room.

Chapter 2: Company and Capture

I entered Cafe Nervosa with a modest gait, four weeks late for my lunch date with Mina. She’d hardly blamed me, and I was grateful for that, as I spent one dealing with the funeral, and the other three to settle in my new house. Today signaled the end of my labors, and the chance to take up Mina’s offer.

“Sabie, here!” called my companion, a bright smile set against her mud-colored beak. I nodded and trotted over to a round table, over which hung a nice, vintage lamp.

“Hi Mina,” I greeted with a hollow politeness. The griffon stood up and crushed me with a hug, patting my back as I leaned into her embrace.

“I’m sooo glad you came,” she cheered.

“Yeah… I’m so sorry. Things have been hectic as of late,” I offered timidly.

“It’s alright, Sabie, there’s no need to apologize,” she returned. “I’m just glad that you finally made it.” She then mellowed down, diffusing an aura of care and concern. “I know things have been hard, but… I’m here for you, ok?”

“R-really?” I hesitated, afraid of that thought. I mean, how could anypony really help me?

Instead of speaking, Mina chose to prolong the hug as her final answer. I could do nothing but allow my aching heart to be soothed by her remedial comforts, unashamed as the cafe was devoid of souls, save for us and the staff.

“You must be hungry,” she augured as we parted and sat down. Right on cue, my stomach issued a loud cry.

“Eh, y-yeah, looks like it,” I admitted with something of a bashful tone. “To be honest, I did have some oats this morning…”

“Not enough, isn’t it?” provoked Mina, a coy smile on her beak. “Why don’t you order something first? And don’t worry about the prices – I promised to treat you, after all.”

Giving a hesitant side-eye, I scrutinized the menu, finding completely alien titles like “Breaded fish with Seaquestrian cucumber” or “Rising Sun salad” – or perhaps I was the alien? I wasn’t a big fan of outside food, simply because I believed my cooking was superior.

But I wondered if that mattered anymore nowadays. After all, what’s the point of cooking at home if your significant other wasn’t there to enjoy it with you?

Pushing unpleasant thoughts aside, I settled for a bowl of egg-drop noodle soup. Mina chose a croissant stuffed with lettuce, tomatoes, and a carnivorous amount of ham.

“Yes, carnivorous, Sabie. I eat meat, remember?” chuckled Sabie. I winced, surprised, then frowned.

“Did… I say that out loud?”

She smirked. “Yes, very rude of you.”

I rolled my eyes with a pout. “You eat like a timberwolf. How rude is that?”

At this, Mina’s face performed a kaleidoscope of faux surprise, hurt, then anger, before bursting into a fit of subdued giggles. “Good one, Sabie. Good one.”

“I can roast, you know,” I remarked darkly.

“I’m now roasted chicken, thank you very much.”

Despite myself, I broke into a soft and reticent chuckle. Her efforts to cheer me up were certainly making their way into my fragile heart and mind.

“Hey, thanks…” I dragged, attempting a smile of my own.

“Anything for a friend,” she declared with a soft smile, squeezing my hoof with her claw. “If you ever, ever need anything… I’ll always be around, ok?”

A warm, comforting solace caressed me, just as a tall, lanky waiter arrived with our food in tow.

***

The elevator chimed, and a velvety alto voice announced: “Fifth floor.”

With a full belly and a bag of groceries, I exited the cramped steel box, pausing a little to exhale a tired sigh. Lunch was good, and Mina’s company better, but a good rest really was the best right now. I’d sort out my apples and sugar, take a good shower, and then plop onto the bed until dinner…

“Hey there, Sabie!” greeted a cheery voice. I snapped from my musings to meet a grinning bulky stallion currently operating a hardy mop.

“Soap Wash, hello there,” I returned, a little lazily. “Sorry if I sound like this, I’m quite tired.”

“Ah, it’s ok, I understand,” he offered with an unabashed smile. “Had your lunch?”

“Yeah. And you?” I stood up and picked up my apples and sugar.

“Yeah, I’ve eaten, thanks.” He stuffed his mop into a pail and folded up a wet-floor sign. As I began to move, he grabbed a fresh tissue roll and offered it to me with a cryptic gaze.

“Take care, Sabie. The janitor is on the lookout for trash and dirt, yeah?”

I halted mid-way, immediately getting his intended message. Anxiety began to simmer inside me, but I decided to push it away and put some confidence in Soap Wash – or, rather, Officer Marble Domes. “Thank you very much, Soap,” I whispered, taking the tissue.

He grinned again, and retreated back to his cleaning wagon while I made my way through the wide corridor.

I stopped at a door labeled A-5-8. Fishing out a keycard from my purse, I swiped it against the digital lock and entered my house. Following my earlier plans, I put the apples into the kitchen fridge and the sugar into a cupboard, then marched into the bathroom for a nice, warm shower…

Oh, the tissue had just run out. Great timing, I have one given to me by the janitor in disguise. I removed the finished roll and slotted the new one in.

But I still needed a few more . Eh, it wouldn’t hurt to go ask for a few more.

I exited the house and made for the lobby. “Soap? Soap Wash?” I called.

Nopony answered. Nevermind, I’ll just have to find him and get a few more rolls of soft, two-ply paper… fit for a princess’ rump.

Snickering at my own musings, I entered the lobby, expecting to meet him and his cleaning wagon.

All I met was a lifeless stallion lying in a pool of blood. A knife sheathed into his bare back. Wagon and tools scattered all over the floor.

It happened in a flash. A grunt, a punch, then pain erupted all over my head. My vision darkened, eyes shutting. I couldn’t scream. Something went really wrong.

I caught three words before sinking into an unconscious abyss:

“We got her.”

Chapter 3: Stay Strong

Dark. Cold. Numb. As if I was trapped in a dreamless sleep from which I could never awake. Was this death? A place devoid of feeling?

Then where was… Hank?

A small blur of light invaded my vision. Pain gradually throbbed all over my head. Ever so slowly, I registered a slow and ragged breathing – my own.

I finally woke up.

I was in a chair, unable to move or speak. I looked up, but snapped back down at the glare of a bright spotlight above; everywhere else was dark. As my sight cleared, I made out some crates, metal tools, and maybe a machine or two.

A warehouse of some sort?

Something clanged. Ears flickering, I glanced around. Anxiety began to swim inside me. Where was I? Who brought me here? What would they do to me?

Panicked, I pulled and stretched, hoping the ropes would break. But burning pain erupted all over me, and I stopped with a gasp upon realizing it was hemp. Thick hemp.

My heart sank. It was impossible to break it. I would never get out at this rate. There were no other options. I was doomed. Whoever was my captor…

“I see that you’ve awoken, my dear.”

I screamed, rocking the chair. “W-who’s there?!”

The voice chuckled, its timbre deep and greasy. Loud clops rang from in front of me. I trembled as a dark shadow slithered into the light, taking on the form of a stallion. His body was built like a mountain, veins bulging like wires across his leathery skin. I shrunk upon meeting his gaze, one burning with a kind of lust.

I froze. He… h-he wouldn’t do anything, right…?

“Scared, are we?” he mocked, then snickered. “You should be.”

Despite myself, I scraped together a small bit of courage to stutter, “W-who are you?”

“Who am I?” he parroted in an offended tone. “Huh, of all the questions you could’ve dared to ask, you ask who I am?”

I whimpered when he closed in on me. His gargantuan build shielded the light, casting his visage into that of an ugly gargoyle. I bowed my head to hide from his demonic gaze.

“You can call me Old Rufus,” he replied, inciting shivers from all over me. “Or you can call me Mister Demon-heart, or Bloody Gary, or even… the 'Deflowerer',” he listed selfishly, adding a sultry overtone at the last one. “I am known by quite a few illustrious names – such as is fit for the boss of the Failed Company.”

My heart hitched. I snapped up with a gasp. “F-failed Com… C-company?”

He flashed a pleased grin. “So I see that you’re familiar, hmm?”

Familiar? Oh, more than familiar. With horror, I realized that I was within a den of vipers. Yet, with ragged breaths, my anxiety slowly simmered into fury.

“You… killed H-hank.”

“Ah, of course – Hank!” Rufus exclaimed, sporting a smirk that stoked my rising ire. “He was a good fellow, well-spoken in the area – everypony loved the guy. He was so nice that even I couldn’t help but respect him!”

I seethed as he giggled. How dare this murderous filth give a mock eulogy?

But the giggles faded, replaced with an annoyed, careless sigh. “What a shame that he ended up on my do-away list. I liked him, you know? But he just couldn’t stop poking his nose into things he shouldn’t be knowing.”

“Hank would never do t-that,” I mustered. He raised a brow. “He’d never s-steal, cheat, or do whatever r-rubbish criminals do. He has nothing to do with filth like you–”

Pain exploded all over my right cheek. Iron and salt filled my mouth. Tears burst from my dazed eyes as Rufus drew a hard, vengeful slap. Two grimy hoofs latched onto my throat and pulled me upwards.

“Watch your words, whore,” he growled. I kicked around, hanging like prey from a lion’s maw. Still strapped to the chair, the rough ropes scraped and skinned my flesh, extracting agonied moans and choked breaths.

“I don’t play around, so you’d better listen closely.” With a sneer, he let go, eliciting another groan of pain as the chair and I landed with a crash. He trotted behind me. “Because of your damn husband's tall tales to the police , they took away my sweetheart Julia. Hank paid the price for it, but I still want her back. So…”

I whimpered, hot pain swelling around my mouth, when a gleaming knife rested on my throat.

“You, my dear, are my winning piece,” he revealed, speaking straight into my ear. “Be a good mare, and follow what I say, hmm?”

Lust oozed from his hot breath, arousing some strong revulsion from within my bowels. “N… N-never,” I replied shakily, gasping when the blade dug a little deeper.

“You will, whore.”

“I am n-no whore!” I raised, sobbing.

“Then I’ll make you one.”

“NO!”

“Then do as I SAY!”

I bowed my head, shaking, weeping. “W-what… d-do you… w-want?”

Rufus huffed. “I’ll be streaming a video for the police to see. And when they see, oh, they’ll give my Julia back. So stay still, keep quiet, and speak only what I tell you to speak. Understand?”

I gave a reluctant nod.

“Now, I believe you are hungry, so I’ll send in some warm food for you. I’m being extra nice this time, so you’d better not try your luck, Sabie.”

He sauntered off into the darkness. “And don’t even think of escaping,” he suddenly added. “There is no exit door from the world of crime.” And with that, he departed, with the loud slam of a metal door.

I was left alone. Tears stung my tired eyes. Limbs were sore and inflamed from my coarse bindings. My stomach groaned. Pain still rippled around my face, cheek swollen and smarting from his savage hit.

How did it all come… to this? Since when did Hank get involved with this ruthless gang? What was going to become of me now?

A thousand questions assaulted my feeble mind. Whatever bravado I had now vanished as anxiety gripped me. Could life be this cruel to me? Was this where I would end up? Trapped in a world of violence?

What if I bore somepony’s foa–

Shut that thought up. I gasped, pushing it away with wide eyes and low ears. How… How could I ever face Hank if my dignity was… stripped from me? How could I ever live on with such a stain on my conscience? It wouldn’t happen, I mentally chanted. It just wouldn’t happen.

But not even that could quell my distress. What if… I really ended up bearing an illicit foal?

Stay strong.

I paused. What was that?

Stay strong, Sabie.

No. No, it couldn’t be.

“H-Hank…?” I whispered, cautiously scanning my prison for any strange apparition.

Rest, Sabie. I’ll always be with you.

“B-but… but how? I c-can’t see you.”

I’m inside here. In your heart.

I looked down, staring at my sweaty chest.

“Then you… y-you know w-what’s gonna happen to me.”

Do not fret. Whatever happens, I’ll always love you.

“N-no… No, you w-won’t ever love me if they do it to m-me.”

I’ll always love you. Nothing will ever change that.

“Hank, p-please…”

Stay strong for me, honey. I know you can do this. I’ll be with you always, even till the end…

I closed my heavy eyes, feeling rather strangely tired. The light didn’t seem so bright anymore, and neither did the darkness bother me. Even my hunger seemed to have vanished, for all I wanted right now was sleep.

With a sigh, I settled into my seat, slipping into a quiet slumber as the last of Hank’s words echoed in my mind.

Author's Note

Updates will come slow, as I will be going on a trip in which I am unable to work on this story.

Thank you for your patience!

Chapter 4: Defiance

Author's Note

CW: Rape is heavily implied in this scene. Proceed with caution.

Chapter 4: Defiance

I awoke to punching, clanging, groans, and gruff yells – a distorted symphony of violence that crescendoed as sleep departed my eyes. I remained in the same place as last night: tied to a chair, limbs sore and burning fiercely, underneath the hot glare of the lamp. I hated that light; it made as if I were a trophy, one imprisoned atop a victor’s shelf, one that Old Rufus would no doubt glory himself with.

The noise hit a low chord, and with horror I snapped towards its source – a small, lean stallion, chained to a steel pillar, red blotches oozing from every possible square inch of skin. Old Rufus cackled like an imp, thrusting his ironish hoofs into his victim’s face, smashing it left, right, up, and down. Crimson splattered everywhere, the tormented’s visage multiplying in shades of purple and blue.

I couldn't take it. Lurching suddenly, a stream of pungent brown and foul mint spewed out of my mouth, splattering into a grungy puddle in front of me. The torture halted, and with a growl, Old Rufus barked something; he must’ve seen the mess I made.

Good, let him see it. While I reeled with heavy breaths and groans, an underling came and cleared it off in one swipe. And needless to say, he sent me a complimentary death-glare, but I was too dizzy to care.

“Rise and shine, sweetheart,” spat Rufus. I merely grunted, nausea crawling all over my belly.

“Tch, such a rude mare. Didn’t your momma ever teach you manners?”

I made no move to look at him, instead staring at a worn pothole in the cement floor. Damn you, I hurled mentally. I couldn’t give a–

A growl shook the ceiling. Then, heavy hoofsteps – each clanging like iron. Anxiety shot through my nerves. I’d gone too far. A hundred warnings blared inside my mind. But it was too late.

A hoof catapulted across my face, solid iron smashing into my lumpy cheek. I screamed. For the first time, I knew what pain really was. It had scarcely left when he grabbed my head and yanked it upwards.

“See that over there?”

I couldn’t; my vision was marred with hot tears. But I knew he was pointing at that pitiful lump of bruised flesh who was chained up to the pillar.

“That is what happens to those who defy me. Am. I. Clear?”

A whimper escaped my parched, twisted lips. I bowed, disgust welling up like a bitter gall. Defiance was pointless. I was his toy now.

There was no hope for me.

“Now, I believe it’s time to livestream, don’t we?”

It was no question, but an order. Immediately, a hubbub emanated from among his cronies. A tripod was set up, while Old Rufus chatted with a few about what he would say. At some point, they burst into laughter, one that crawled and grated my torrid skin.

“All set up, boss,” cried one.

“Wonderful! Now, my dear” – he trotted over and gently lifted my head to face him – “be ready in five minutes, ya?”

I coughed. “W… W-what do you want… m-me to say?”

He grinned. “Oh, very simple. I’ll be When I turn to you and ask, ‘Isn’t that right, Sabie?’ you, my dear, will tell them just how nice and hospitable I’ve been. I'm sure you can do that, eh?”

Damn right I can.

I nodded very cautiously, trying not to aggravate the stinging pain still swelling on my cheek.

“Excellent! I knew you’d be a good mare.” He chuckled, before adding: “Hank was lucky to have somepony like you.”

I trembled. That hurt. And he knew it.

He flashed a satisfied smirk, and turned towards the camera. I looked down, searching for that errant pothole to stare at – a little nook in which I could process my thoughts and decisions.

Should I obey? No, that wasn’t a good question. Rather, should I rebel?

It’s dangerous. Yes, I knew it was. If ever a contrary word came out of my lips…

The image of that tortured stallion flashed in my eyes. I shuddered. Would Rufus do the same to me, or worse?

He’d begun to speak already, his voice in harsh overtones and sadistic cheekiness. Time was running out. I had to choose, quickly.

Just tell them how nice he is, pleaded a voice. That’s it. You’ll live.

What would Hank do? retorted another.

Forget about Hank, hurled the first voice. He’s dead and gone. But you have a chance to live. Wouldn’t Hank want you to take that chance?

No. Not if it means doing the wrong thing, argued the second.

It’s just a little lie, who cares?

But it will drag you into a world from which you’ll never escape! If you agree to his demands now, what are the chances of him making another on you?

There was no response from the first voice.

But I didn’t need an answer.

I closed my eyes, Hank’s words echoing in my mind:

Stay strong.

“...nd trust me, I’ve been extremely accommodating of my guest here,” returned Rufus’ voice. I suddenly remembered my cue, and I tore open my eyes just in time to see Rufus turning to me.

“Isn’t that right, Sabie?”

The moment of truth had arrived. This was it. I could not back down now.

I sucked in a trembling breath, and exhaled it quickly.

“Damn you, Rufus,” I spat, then to the camera: “Don’t listen to him! Just arrest him and punis– mmff!!”

Chaos erupted. Cries rang all about. A grimy hoof was plunged into my mouth. Another grasped and yanked my mane violently. Another kicked the chair, thrusting me into the concrete ground. Hoofs stomped on every square inch of skin. A club found its mark on my muzzle. Iron and salt flooded my mouth. Shades of crimson tainted my vision.

Amidst the havoc, a rabid chant began to emerge: “Rape her! Rape her! Rape her!”

I shut my eyes. I knew what they were going to do. I was powerless to stop it.

A hoof latched onto my hind limbs and forced them apart. With a tear falling from my bruised eyes, I whispered:

I’m so sorry, Hank…

Chapter 5: Death Or Victory

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Chapter 6: Recovery

Roughly two weeks had passed, and this particular morning brought some joys to lighten my sorrows.

“Sabie, I’m so glad you’re ok!” bawled Mina. The griffon had burst into the room, strangled me in a hug, and was now drenching me with tears and mucus.

“M-mina, Mina!” I choked. “I’m g-glad you came, and I l-love you because you’re my friend, but *cough* c-could you pleeeaaasestop smearing mucus all over me?”

“O-oh, oh, I’m so sorry!” she swiftly offered.

I smirked softly. “It’s alright. I know I was… gone for some time, but I’m alright now, can’t you see?”

“Y-yes, I know,” sobbed Mina. “But I’m really scared something like this will happen again!”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh please, it won’t. I’ve got a few hunky officers as my friends. They’ll make sure I’m safe, right?”

I nodded knowingly towards Simony and Officer Marble, who snorted and chuckled in kind – especially at the “hunky” part.

“I’m glad you made it, Sabie,” commented Marble with a witty smile.

“I’m glad you made it too, Marble.” I gestured at the white bandages wrapped tightly around his barrel.

“Ah, this?” He chuckled. “It was worth it.”

Everypony present chuckled. I managed a small smile.

Suddenly, I hissed and brought a hoof up to my right ear. A sharp pain attacked my right ear, followed by a ringing sound. Simony and Marble exchanged worried glances while Mina hastily laid a claw on my shoulder.

“It’s phantom pain,” she uttered quietly. “Your brain still remembers where your ear has been.”

“How long will it last..?” I whispered, trying my hardest to hold the pain in.

She wrapped a wing over me. “I’m not so sure. It really depends on you. It will be a struggle, Sabie, but I'll be with you all the way.”

I took her claw in my hoof and squeezed it, grateful for her assurance.

“Uh, Sabie?” called Simony. I turned to him, wondering why he fidgeted slightly at the doorway.

“You have a visitor,” Marble finished for him. Upon my nod, he called out, “Come in.”

I watched with saucer-wide eyes as a cream-coated mare with a rather matted chestnut mane trotted in with a quiet, almost terrified gait.

“J-julia? What are you… doing here?”

She initiated a bow that nearly touched the floor. “It's my fault you got into this, Sabie. I… I’d like to offer my deepest apologies.”

I shuddered at the level of deference she was offering. “J-julia, please, you don’t have to do this… I’m merely a mare.”

She glanced up. “But–”

I put a hoof up. “It’s alright, really, I don’t blame you. Nopony could have known. Besides, if it wasn’t for you trying to reason with him… it might’ve ended worse.”

It hurt me to say this, no matter how true it was.

“You’re right. I did take every precaution…” She paused and observed me with uncanny eyes. I squinted, confused.

“Miss Julia, are you–”

“I’m fine, Miss Sabie,” she hastily interjected. “I… To tell you the truth, I never really loved him.”

The room fell silent.

“...What?”

I’d hardly blinked before a verdant flame swept around and engulfed Julia. I watched, eyes wide and jaw hanging as a black-shelled insectoid creature arose from the fire.

“A c-ch-changeling..?”

“Any problem with that?” she inquired with some edge.

“N-no, of course not! I’m just curious…”

The changeling snorted. “Never seen one up close before, eh?”

With that, she flashed an identity card. “Officer Berry, Undercover Department.”

“Undercov–” I halted and turned to Simony. “You never told me about undercover!”

Simony twisted his lips into some funny shape. “Well, we wanted to keep the element of surprise…”

“This operation was set up to bust Rufus and his gang,” stated the changeling. “Believe it or not, Hank’s informal participation provided the crucial evidence we needed to finally take it down.”

I sunk back into my pillow, heaving and huffing. So that’s what Hank was doing…

Berry cleared her throat. “It wasn’t easy. But then, undercover is never easy anyway. I… apologize for admitting it so late.”

I shook my head. “It was your duty, Berry. You don’t have to apologize.”

She regarded me with stiff eyes, before relaxing with a warm smile. “Thank you. I just wanted to see how you were.”

“I’m alright, thanks. Knowing what Hank did…” – I closed my eyes and offered a quick prayer – “I feel relieved. Perhaps, satisfied.”

She nodded.

“Well, I believe we’ve disturbed Sabie enough,” declared Simony. With his dark-circled eyes and sunken mien, I wondered if he was the one who’d been disturbed enough.

“Take care, Sabie,” he bade. “I wish you all the best.”

“Yeah, take care!”

“Get well soon!”

“Don’t give up!”

My eyes began to glisten as I received their well-wishes. I shuddered within the warm embrace of the bed, heart slowly beating to a hopeful rhythm.

For the first time, I did not feel alone.

I went to sleep again, but this time with a rather large smile.

***

I breathed a tired, but satisfied sigh. The bed had been tidied up, and the hospital gown was folded neatly and placed on the pillow where I’d slept for the past three weeks. After a few minor checkups, the doctor had allowed me to go home.

“Miss Sabie?” called a mare’s voice.

I turned to see a white unicorn nurse trotting in, sporting a pink mane with pretty little white stripes. She had a bottle in her thaumic grasp, to which she offered with a smile.

“Doctor Orb says to take this. It’s a medicinal cream that’ll help your injuries recover faster. Scars might remain, though.”

“I see. That’s alright, thank you.” I took the bottle and placed it in my little saddlebag. “Well, I best be off. Thanks for everything, Nurse..?”

“Candy, Nurse Candy,” she replied. “And it’s my pleasure to help you! Especially…” A look of sympathy passed upon her eyes. “Especially considering what you went through.”

I paused, then nodded solemnly. “I'm just glad that it’s all over. You don’t know how… scared I was.”

Her gaze faltered.

“I think I do, Miss Sabie.”

She paused and collected herself.

“I’ve been through the same thing.”

I stared at her, dumb. “You… y-you have?

She stiffly nodded. “Abducted. By a group of traffickers. They intended to sell me as… as a sex slave.”

I put a hoof on her wither. “You were..?”

“Nearly,” she revealed, looking up with a painful stare. “It was close. A… brave stallion came just in time to rescue me.” Her gaze softened upon mentioning this stallion.

I whispered a sigh. “He must be quite noble.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s the… most noble in everything, but I do love him,” admitted the mare. I placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“I hope your love goes well, Candy.”

She offered a small smile. “Thank you. I hope… your life goes well too.”

I trembled as those words echoed in my fragile mind. Hank’s murder, my abduction, the torture and abuse I suffered at that monster’s hoofs…

How could it ever go well?

A jerk brought me back to reality. Candy had locked me in a really tight embrace.

I couldn’t help but respond in kind, sobbing as I did so.

“Shhh, it’s alright…” she cooed, like a mother hen caressing its chicks. Her voice was so soft and gentle that I nearly thought she was some angel.

“T-thanks, Candy,” I stammered as we broke the hug.

“No worries, Sabie. If you ever need to talk, I’ll be here for you, alright?”

“A-alright.”

We said our goodbyes and left. There was still a long way to go. But I did sense that my whole body felt lighter – as if all my troubles had decided to lift off and go away. I even felt a slight bounce in my steps as I descended the stairs.

Perhaps I could move on. I just hoped that it would stay that wa–

Pain burst around my shoulders, and I fell to the ground. Dazed, I hissed. Those wounds did not like that at all.

“Oww…” groaned a decidedly male voice.

I quickly opened my eyes. It was a stallion.

“Oh, my sincere apologies, missus…”

“No, no, it was my fault! I’m sorry.”

In the midst of my apologizing, I took a rather good look at him – not in that sense of the word. There wasn't much to see anyway – black fedora, an oversized (and rather musty) duster coat, and just a shadow of a chiseled muzzle poking out from beneath his concealed face.

Whoever he was, he certainly didn't want to be exposed...

"You're too kind, missus," he chuckled. His voice was colored with some sort of accent – I imagined it was rather Eastern to my ears. I offered a small bow.

"Well then, I best be on my way. Take care, missus."

"Thank you..."

He continued on, leaving me mystified and, maybe, curious. Just who was this stallion?

I heard a cute giggle, followed by a hearty laugh.

"T-tybalt!"

"Hey there, Candy..."

Ah... so it was somepony related to Candy. Perhaps they knew each other in more ways than one. Perhaps... it could even be that unnamed, noble lover she'd mentioned earlier.

Well, that's something I'll leave alone.

As I exited the hospital, I felt my stomach lurching with an unpleasant ache. But it left after a while, so I took no notice of it and started back home.

Author's Note

One more chapter to go, and I'm done :twilightsmile: