"...Yes, m- master?"
Twilight winced as she stood to meet the mans gaze, her ribs still sore and her head aching from the punishments she had endured the night before. The dread was evident in her eyes, knowing that she had no choice but to endure and obey any task or any punishment that was given to her. As she waited for the man to respond to her, her mind flashed back to the previous night.
She remembered how the wind was knocked out of her as she was thrown to the ground. The relentless, crushing pain she felt as blows exploded into her skull and kicks slammed into her sides, after the dinner she had prepared was deemed not good enough. The wine was too warm. The steak wasn't cooked enough.
Lingering his gaze on her for a moment longer, the man reached through the iron bars that confined her and slowly lifted her head to look him in the eye. Twilight's frail form trembled as she looked up at him.
She was a far cry from the proud alicorn princess she had once been. She had probably lost about half of her overall body weight by now, being given nothing more than scraps and the occasional bite of something far from satiable. Bruises surrounded her once glowing purple eyes, a mask of her pain and suffering. A leather belt was secured around her midsection, securing her wings in place at her sides. Though her horn remained free and uncovered by any artifact, her magic nonetheless had been taken from her when she was brought to this place.
"P-please, master... I'll be a g- good pony s- slave today...."
Slowly, the man retracted his hand, moving it to unlock and open the cage, the rusted metal creaking from the movement. Once the door was fully opened, he beckoned her closer.
"Twilight, come here."
"Yes, master... I'm c- coming..."
Slowly and cautiously, Twilight began to walk towards him, each step taking its toll on her sore body. With every movement, a new wave of pain shooting up from scarred parts of her legs. As she approached him, the man spoke once more.
"Sit down."
"Y- yes, master... I'm s- sitting for you..."
Twilight slowly lowered herself onto her haunches, grimacing slightly as she made contact with the hard concrete floor.
With a cold, calculating look, the man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Twilight looked back with terror in her eyes, for she knew what was coming.
"Open your mouth, Twilight."
As she slowly parted her lips, Twilight's breath caught in her throat as she fought the urge to beg, to plead with him not to make her do this again, but she knew she had no choice. pleading would have her deemed disobedient, and that would only lead to more pain. More punishment.
Lifting her head up slightly, the man placed the cigarette into Twilight's mouth. Twilight closed her mouth around it, as she knew this was what was expected of her. Reaching into his coat pocket once more, than man pulled out a box of matches, striking one and lighting the end of the cigarette.
"Inhale."
Reluctantly, twilight slowly took a breath, bursting into a fit of coughing as the smoke entered her lungs. Unfazed by her discomfort, the man simply waited for her to finish before placing the cigarette back into her mouth and commanding her to inhale again. After a few minutes of her being forced to inhale smoke like this, the cigarette had been about halfway burned through. Slowly removing it from her mouth, the man held it up and flicked it off over her head, the white ash mixing with her mane and thin coat.
His expression unchanging, he then pressed the cigarette against twilight's back, extinguishing it and eliciting a whimper of pain from her as he slowly twisted it, ensuring that it would leave a mark. One that would blend with all of the others already scattered across her coat.
"P- please master... It hurts...", Twilight said, through the tears now flowing down her face.
Disappointed with this, the man reached down and grabbed her throat, his grip tight like a vice as she gasped and choked, desperately unable to breathe as her hooves scrambled against the ground uselessly.
"I believe you've misspoken, Twilight. I'm going to give you one chance now to correct yourself. Understand?"
Twilight nodded desperately in pure fear and submission, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. As the man dropped her to the ground, twilight gasped for breath, before slowly sitting up, careful to maintain the position she had been commanded into before, and speaking in a quiet, timid voice.
"Thank you... f- for disciplining me, m- master"
"That's more like it. now wag your tail."
Slowly and tentatively, twilight forced herself to begin wagging her tail behind her, brushing it against the concrete floor.
"Yes, master... I'm w- wagging..."
Taking a step forward, the man commanded her once more.
"Now bark like a dog."
More tears flowed freely down Twilight's face at the humiliating command, but she didn't dare disobey. She would do anything to avoid facing more punishment. Slowly, she lifted her head up and let out a series of quiet, pathetic dog noises.
"woof... arf....arf..."
Unsatisfied with her performance once more, the man reached down and yanked on her hair, forcing her up before striking her across the face, warranting a yelp of pain from her.
"I said fucking BARK, bitch."
Her body now wrecked with sobs, Twilight let out a series of high pitched, desperate barks, in an attempt to appease the man and avoid being punished further.
"WOOF! WOOF! ARF! ARF! ARF!"
Twilight gazed up at him, her whole body trembling with absolute terror and submission. Her look was one of absolute desperation, eagerly doing everything she could to avoid being hurt again.
"ARF! ARF! WOOF! WOOF! Please, master! I'm barking! I'm barking!!", twilight exclaimed, now sobbing uncontrollably.
"That's better.", the man said, reaching down and slowly starting to pet her on the head. Twilight flinched at his touch, but she didn't dare to pull away.
"You're a good little bitch, aren't you?"
sniffling, Twilight spoke again.
"Y- yes, master.. I'm your good... little b- bitch..."
Twilight's voice was thick with resignation, but she knew she had no choice but to submit, to obey and play whatever role was demanded of her.
"That's fucking right... now.... Do you think you're a good pony, Twilight?"
Twilight was slightly taken aback by this question, but gave the answer she hoped was expected of her.
"I- I try to b- be a good p- pony, m- master..."
"Tell me, Twilight. What does a good pony do?"
Twilight swallowed hard, knowing that if she gave the wrong answer here, should would face great pain. Slowly she forced herself to look up at the man, meeting his cold, calculating gaze as she spoke again, her voice shaking with the fear of giving a response that would be deemed subpar.
"A- a good pony... obeys... a good pony always d- does as she's told..."
She had hoped that this response would be enough, enough for her to be considered a good, obedient pony, but seeing the man's still expectant gaze, she knew that he wanted to hear more. More of her absolute submission to his cruel will. Steeling her nerves, she continued.
"A- and a good pony works in the s- service of her master... and a good pony..."
Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, barely able to bring herself to say the next words aloud.
"A- a good pony... keeps her c- collar clean to show... submission... a- and a good pony... bows t- to her master... a- and only speaks when she's s- spoken to..."
Her voice trembled as she spoke, remembering the numerous "lessons" she had received as to what a "good" pony did, the scarring experiences still fresh in her mind, and the physical scars still serving as a reminder of what would happen if she wasn't a perfect, obedient slave.
Leaning down onto one knee, the man began caressing her cheek in a condescending mockery of affection. His touch caused her to flinch, the fear evident on her face as the man spoke once more.
"And... what happens to bad little ponies, hmmm?"
With great effort, Twilight forced herself to speak again, answering the question in a way that she prayed was acceptable.
"B- bad little ponies... are p- punished, master... they are t- taught lessons..."
Smugly, the man reached down and gripped the top of her head, shaking her around as to degrade her further.
"But you'll always be a good little slave, won't you?"
Twilight's heart filled with despair at his words. She knew that this was more of a statement of fact than a question, a testament that she would never be anything more than an object, a piece of property to be used however her cruel master saw fit.
"Y- yes, master... I'll always be your.. g- good little slave...", she replied, her voice thick with resignation.
Standing up again, the man's hands moved down to start undoing his belt. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, her ears pressed flat against her head, for she knew what was coming.
"Open your fucking eyes and look it me, slave.", the man said, forcing her head up.
Twilight's eyes darted open in a panic, desperately trying to appease him and avoid being hurt.
"Y- yes, master!... I- I'm s- so sorry, please don't hurt me!"
Releasing his grip on her, the man spoke again.
"You know better than that, Twilight. don't make me fucking tell you again.", the man said, his look one of pure possession and ownership.
"Now go get me something to eat, and make it fucking right this time."
"Y- yes, master. I'm going..."
Twilight hated this life, but she knew she had no choice.
She was a slave.
And slaves do as they're told.
Author's Note
I have mixed feelings about this one. It's... something.
