A Silver Sky: Four Little Ponies

---Chapter 16: Voice---

At first, Silver Spoon didn’t recognize the sound which called her back to the world.

It was rhythmic and intense, like a heartbeat, and for a few moments, it was the only thing she perceived. It seemed to be getting louder, but remained consistent.

The next thing she noticed was the cold. She only felt it on her back. The sound was becoming more distinct. She tried to move her legs, but if they obeyed, she did not notice. Her eyes slowly opened when she asked them to, but that was little comfort. Her vision was one huge blur.

She closed her eyes again, ignoring the cold on her back. She focused on the sound. It seemed a bit more familiar now. Without consciously trying to, she matched her breathing with its rhythm.

Short, intense breaths, sometimes fast, sometimes slower. The tempo keeps changing, but the rhythm remains. Why do I know it so well?

“Yes!”

A word. It came from the same direction as the rhythmic sound. No…it was part of the sound. A girl’s voice. She recognized it. Happy Tune.

All at once, what she had thought was one sound collapsed into many.

Happy Tune whimpering, crying out encouragement.

Her partner moaning.

Two heartbeats.

Two ponies breathing together. Yes, the breathing above all. That was what had brought her back.

And yet what truly made it distinct, what made it unmistakable in her mind, was the lack of true unity. One voice was louder, one body larger, one set of breaths more distinct and powerful. So much so that it threatened to drown out the sounds made by the other pony.

Of course she knew these sounds, this rhythm. She knew it better than anything.

They were the sounds of an adult having sex with a foal. And it was happening right next to her.

She tried to move her legs again. This time, she succeeded in moving one straight up, then brought it down unto the hard marble floor, making a sharp noise. There, for the first time, was a sound separate from the coupling which was happening beside her.

And with that, suddenly she could perceive sounds all around her. The ambient noise of the Gallery. A foal was crying softly not far away. Another was screaming. She heard chains rattling in the same direction as the screaming foal. Then the screaming stopped, and she heard a female voice laughing.

The cold. I'm lying on my back.

“Yeth, sir. You can do whatever you want to me. I promith, I won’t resist.”

The voice was coming from far away, but somehow it cut through all the other chatter. It sounded sad, resigned, but unmistakable.

“Twist! Help me!”

Silver’s cry came out as a whisper. Had Happy Tune been paying attention, it would have been barely audible even to her, let alone to a pony halfway across the room. Silver felt something in her throat and began coughing.

With great difficulty, she managed to roll her body over on its side, just long enough to cough something up. She could easily tell what it was.

Well, well, well. Look at you. So accustomed to the taste of a stallion’s cum that you recognize it even when you’re half unconscious. Are you proud of your knowledge, Silver? Proud of what you’ve become?

“Not now,” Silver whispered. “Please, not now…”

There was no response. The voice had relented.

Silver opened her mouth to call out for Twist again.

“I’m gonna fill you up, whore,” said a male voice close beside Silver.

“Do it! Make me your cumrag!” replied Happy Tune.

“I…” Silver whispered. “I’ve…said that before…”

Silver couldn’t remember who she had said it to. It was entirely possible she had never learned his name.
She heard Twist’s voice again. But Silver did not try to call out to her.

I don’t want her to see me like this, she thought.

Next to her, she heard the stallion cry out in climax. Then, seconds later, she heard hoofsteps, which grew steadily fainter. He was done with Happy.

“Heeeeey,” said Happy’s voice. “You woke up! Can you see?”

Silver tried opening her eyes. Happy Tune’s face came into focus above her. She was grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh man, you should have seen it,” she said. “They raped you.”

“What?” Silver said, slowly sitting up. “Who?”

“I don’t know,” Happy said. “Some ponies. After you passed out, that old guy just kept fucking you. It was crazy, you were all limp, kept making random noises. After he was done, he just threw you here on the floor. Then a stallion came by and fucked you while you were out, then some more did too. I think a mare used you haaaaard one time. I don’t know for sure, cause I was having fun, toooo!”

Silver looked down and saw semen trickling from her cunt. She felt sick.

“This one stallion kept calling you ‘ragdoll’, cause you'd gone limp. Isn’t that funny? He left a biiiiig load in you, too. He made me taste it afterword. Stuck my face down there.”

“You…you touched me while I was out, too?”

“Uh huh!” Happy said. “No one was fucking me theeeeeen, so I got to watch him rape you! He’d slap your face and you’d just gargle and whimper!”

“You…got to…” Silver stammered. “Why didn’t you try and stop him?”

Happy Tuned returned a bewildered expression.

“What do you mean?” she said. “Didn’t you want this? Didn’t you want to feel good?”

Happy’s voice had changed. The strange sing-song tone and rapidly changing pitch were gone. She was speaking like a normal pony.

“You liked it, didn’t you? I heard you coming before. Don’t pretend you didn’t like it,” she said. “Don’t pretend you’re not like me.”

Silver tried to back away using her forelegs, as Happy Tune walked closer to her.

“You understand. I can tell. None of the others understand. Not even the other junkies. But you know it, don’t you? Nothing else feels good. Just getting fucked. Just getting used. It’s the only fun thing, because it’s what we’re for. And, and and, there’s something else.”

“Happy, I just want to go-“

“NO! You listen! I heard you whispering to yourself! I used to do that, too, but not anymore." Her voice's pitch shifted ever so slightly.

"That’s the best part of getting fucked, isn’t it?” she said. “It makes the thoughts go away.”

Silver Spoon remembered how she had behaved at the Gathering. The lengths she had gone to, all to shut the voice up.

“You know I’m right! Don't pretend!” said Happy. She sounded frightened. “When they abuse us, everything goes away. Even us. And then the world is perfect.”

“I…” Silver said. “I don’t want t-“

There was a flash of light, and Happy Tune was gone.

Silver found herself gazing up at the same servant who had sent her to the Gallery three hours earlier. The spell had completed its cycle.

“Well, well, aren’t you a mess,” the servant said with a smirk. “Eyes bigger than your stomach, eh?”

In Silver’s old home, such a comment from a servant would have led to an immediate dismissal. Even here, Silver had more than enough clout with Fancy to make the servant regret ever opening his mouth.

But Silver Spoon simply did not care at the moment. She turned and walked back to her room.

She locked the door behind her, then walked toward the bed. Despite having just woken up, she felt exhausted. Her every instinct told her to collapse on the bed, but she fought the urge.

No. Take a bath first. You’re disgusting right now.

The mirror facing the bed peered at her through the corner of her eye. Rather than avoid its gaze, she turned to confront it.

The patrons had not treated her kindly while she had slept. There were bruises on her chest and legs, her mane was a huge mess, and her fur was matted with dried semen.

Here you are again. So much for “I’m getting better,” huh? So much for making progress on your own.

“Why are you being so mean?” Silver said, still looking into the glass. “You’re supposed to be helping me…”

I’m not ‘supposed’ to do anything, you idiot. I’m just here because you can’t function without someone being mean to you.

"That's not..."

Oh, isn’t it? Then why do you hate Fancy so much? Yeah, he’s a bad pony, but is he any worse than Rarity? Do you really think Rarity wouldn’t do the same things he does if she had his money and resources?

“Stop talking about her like that!”

I’m just telling you what you know is true. The real reason you can’t stand Fancypants…

“Shut up!”

….is because he’s nice to you.

Silver looked over her shoulder. The dolls were still there, but they no longer seemed to stare at her with the same paralyzing gaze as before. Where before Silver could swear they had been looking at her, she now recognized their eyes for what they were: false, empty orbs which saw nothing. Imitations of an eye.

The dolls. Proof of his generosity toward you. His kindness. He might be a sick foal molester, but he loves you. And that’s more than Miss Rarity ever did.

But hey, at least you don’t look like one of those dolls anymore. So hey, way to make a mess of yourself. Kudos!

“Stop it!” Silver said. She was near tears now. “I know I screwed up, okay? I was so scared when he started choking me. And when I woke up, and Happy Tune was there, and she said I was just like her, and…”

Is she wrong?

“I DON’T KNOW, OKAY? Why do you keep insulting me lately? Why are you being so cruel?”

Because you need me! Because ever since Rarity broke out of jail, you keep hoping she’ll show up and take you back! But you don’t need to come back to her! You need to come back to me!

“What the hell are you talking abou…” Silver slapped her forehead with her hoof. “I told you, you’re not Diamond Tiara!”

No, I’m not. I’m just the part of you that knows that without her, you’ll never be healthy. You need her in your life, Silver Spoon. You need her to hold you back, to control you, to keep you from doing stupid things like this.

Silver was still looking at her reflection as the voice spoke. But this time she noticed something new.

Her lips were moving. She was mouthing the voice’s words.

“Oh, sun…” she said. “I think I’m...”

She turned around and collapsed on the bed.

“I think I’m getting sick of talking to mirrors.”

Moments later, she was asleep.

The hallway was dimly lit, creating a strange, otherworldly atmosphere. Fancy preferred it this way. On those evenings when he did not have company, he typically ordered the lights lit at half-glow in the dining and lounge areas. At the same time, all curtains and drapes in the house would be opened, allowing the natural caprices of the moonlight to determine the house’s brightness.

Silver walked through the hallway, still half-asleep. She silently cursed the maid who had banged on her door and woken her up, though she understood her urgency; if Silver didn’t show up for dinner, Fancy was liable to take his frustrations out on the help.

As she rounded the corner leading to the kitchen, she heard the voice of her patron. He was speaking in the tones he normally reserved for matters of financial import. That’s weird, Silver thought. He never discusses business at the dinner table.

“…a telegram sent to Indigo,” he was saying. “Tell her Twilight Sparkle has arrived in Canterlot.”

“Twilight Sparkle?” Silver said reflexively. She’d almost forgotten that name, and how important it was.

Fancy turned to look at Silver. His expression of pleasant surprise quickly dissolved. He looked at Silver with intense curiosity. Remembering herself, Silver blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Did you say Twilight Sparkle?” she asked.

“Never mind that,” Fancy said. “Silver, dear…where exactly have you been?”

“Oh…” Silver said. “Right…”

You really should have taken that bath.

“I went to the Gallery…” Silver said. “And I, um, lost my key. One of the patrons hurt me. I told him I wasn’t a Gallery foal, but he didn’t believe me.”

Fancy raised an eyebrow. He did not look convinced.

“You’ve been spending a great deal of time there,” Fancy said. “You know I don’t mind you indulging yourself, my dear, but a proper young lady does her best to avoid developing any bad habits. And she certainly does not show up for dinner looking like a used-up whore.”

Silver looked down at the ground. The act was a deliberate one; she was prostrating herself. She couldn’t afford to fall out of Fancy’s good graces. Not now.

“I’m sorry, Sir Fancypants,” she said. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“No, you will not,” Fancy said. “Because I’m barring your access to the Gallery, for at least the next week. We’re going to have a very important get-together in the next few days, and I need you to look your best. The entire Circle is going to be here.”

“No! I mean, um, can I go back just one more time? I, um…I forgot something. My favorite mane accessory.”

“Silver, dear, you’re speaking like an addict. All the more reason for me to restrict your Gallery visits from now on.”

“I’m telling the truth! Please, Sir Fancypants. That accessory was a gift from my mother. Just let me go back for ten minutes tonight to find it.”

Fancy sighed. “I will instruct the servants to cast a timed teleport spell on you. Are you familiar with those?”

“I’ve…heard of them.”

“You’ll have ten minutes. You will not be granted any more. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

Silver looked at Gaze. His expression remained unchanged, but something in his posture told Silver that Fancy’s leniency was bothering him.

“Honestly, child,” Fancy said. “Sometimes you can be so exasperating. Take a seat.”

Silver did as she was told, sitting down at the opposite end of the long table where she and fancy took their meals.

“So Twilight Sparkle is in town?” Silver said as she sat down, trying to make her tone sound as casual as possible.

“Oh, that’s right, she’s from the same village as you,” Fancy said. “Do you know her very well? Indigo dealt with her extensively, but she was lax in sending back reports.”

This is your chance!

“Oh, I know her very well!” Silver said, lying through her teeth. She had only spoken to Twilight a few times, and never at length. Still, everyone in Ponyville knew her by reputation if nothing else. “I visit her library all the time. She likes to talk to her guests.”

“I always found it remarkable that the personal student of the Princess would lower herself to working at a library in some tiny little blip of a town,” Fancy said. “I’m sure it’s to train her to be humble or whatnot. Some sort of feelgood rubbish anyway, knowing Celestia.”

“Um, yeah, she never talked about the Princess, though,” Silver said. “She talked about books and stuff. Books are pretty much her favorite thing in the world. That’s the thing about Twilight: she’s really, really booksmart, but when it comes to relating to other ponies, she’s awful. She has her five Element Bearer friends, and her assistant, but that’s about it.”

“Well, I imagine it’s down to four friends now,” Fancy said. “But that is quite interesting. I suppose it explains why Indigo was able to win her trust so quickly. Twilight must be the trusting sort. It only stands to reason that Celestia would pick a complete patsy to be her faithful student.”

Silver saw her chance. “Oh, yeah! I’ve talked my way out of overdue book fees plenty of times. She’ll believe anything, as long as you say it nicely enough. Why, are you worried she’s coming here?”

“I doubt it,” Fancy said. “More likely, she’s come to find Rarity. From what little Indigo told me, she despises her now. No doubt the news of her former friend running free led Twilight here.”

Fancy’s eyes widened.

“Although…Gaze, Prince Blueblood was given his ‘ambassadorship’ only yesterday, correct?”

Gaze nodded.

“I had assumed that she was punishing her nephew for some infraction, but…what if she was trying to keep him out of harm’s way? What if Twilight is some sort of advance scout?”

“Sir Fancypants!” Silver said. “You don’t think Celestia knows about the Circle!”

Fancy leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temple with his forelegs.

“No, no, I’m just being paranoid. If the Princess wanted to expose me, she wouldn’t send a single unicorn. She’d bring down the full extent of her heavenly wrath. Make a spectacle of it. She’d bring Luna, Cadence, and the elite guard, for starters,” Fancy said. “And since we’re not currently in the throes of Gotterdammerung, I can only surmise that things are fine. Still, if she’s going to be poking around Canterlot looking for Rarity, our dear Miss Sparkle might uncover some things which would best remain uncovered. We can’t allow that.”

Do something. He’s talking about having her-

“Let’s bring her here!” Silver blurted out.

“What?”

What?

“Twilight trusts Indigo, right? So what if Indigo introduces her to you, and you invited her to stay here while she’s in town? Then we could keep her distracted; make sure she doesn’t find anything out…”

“Hiding in plain sight?” Fancy said. “It’s a bold idea. What do you think, Gaze? Does little Silver’s plan have merit?”

Gaze nodded. Silver noticed that he had done so almost as soon as he had been asked, with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

“Very well,” Fancy said. “Silver, my dear, despite your occasional embarrassments, you never fail to remind me why I hold you in such high esteem. This way, we can keep tabs on Miss Sparkle and make sure she’s contained until Rarity arrives.”

Silver’s heart skipped a beat. She reflexively brought her hoof to her mouth.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Fancy said, grinning. “The little get-together I mentioned earlier is Rarity’s big farewell party. It seems I’ve finally broken her.”

“You…what?”

“She’s agreed to face the Circle’s justice in exchange for seeing Sweetie Belle again. So in seven day’s time, the Circle will gather here, and we’re going to have a lovely little show trial. And when it’s over, Rarity will become the perfect example of what happens to Circle members who try to challenge me.”

Just then, two servants entered the room, and silently began serving dinner.

“I’ll need you to keep Sparkle occupied during the festivities,” Fancy said. “Then we’ll concoct some wild tale about a break-in and let Sparkle have whatever’s left of her arrogant bitch of a friend. The Princess’ justice will be satisfied, and so will mine.”

“Oh..” Silver said. “Of course...”

“Splendid. I’ll send someone to track down Miss Sparkle and tell her they’re speaking on Indigo’s behalf. That should make it simple enough to get her to come here,” Fancy said. “Silver, dear, aren’t you going to eat your dinner?”

Silver looked down at the exquisite meal which had been prepared for her. Three days earlier, she had mentioned to Fancypants that her favorite food was yellow roses. Fancy had then begun speaking, at length, about a rare variety which grew only on a single mountain in Mustangia. Fancy claimed that only a dozen bloomed each year. And here, on her plate, were six of them, flawlessly prepared on a bed of wild rice.

Silver felt like throwing up.

*******

An hour later, Silver walked toward the Gallery entrance. She was silent. But her mind would not stop racing.

Miss Rarity’s coming, Silver thought. She’s coming here! And they’re going to kill her because of what I did.

It doesn’t matter, the voice replied. You have a chance to save everyone! Rarity deserves whatever they do to her! You’ll be alone with Twilight that night. That’s when you can save everyone! It’s your only chance!

But…Silver replied, arguing with her own mind. I can’t just let Miss Rarity die!

You just want to go back to her. You just want her to break you again! To make you like Happy Tune!

SHUT UP! I DON’T WAN’T TO BE LI-

“Back again, I see.”

Silver looked up. The same servant from before was still on duty.

“Sir Fancypants gave me clear instructions,” he said. “You get ten minutes.”

“Okay,” Silver said. The guard’s horn flashed with bright light, and she was in the outer chamber.

“It’s almost lights out time, Miss,” the guard said. “But feel free to take all the time you want.”

“I won’t need long,” Silver said, as the guard gave her a new key necklace and she stepped inside. “I want a private room, and bring me the filly named Twist.”

The guard grinned. “She’s your favorite, huh? Yeah, that little weirdo makes the best noises when you-“

“Now, please,” Silver said. The guard nodded, aware of his place, and walked Silver toward the room.

What are you going to tell Twist? To give up? That help isn’t coming after all because little Silver cares more about getting fucked by Rarity than about saving her friend?

“Shut up,” Silver whispered. “I know what I’m doing.”

She entered the private room and sat down on the bed. It had been four minutes. The guard left her alone while he went to find Twist.

So you are going to save them after all. Good girl. Rarity deserves to die anyway.

“Miss Rarity isn’t going to die,” Silver said.

So you’re not going to save Twist? Or Happy? Or any of them?

“It would take a lot more than me to save Happy Tune,” Silver said. “But I’m going to get Twist and her friends out of here.”

Don’t be stupid! You can’t save Rarity AND the foals! Your only chance to be alone with Twilight will be during Rarity's trial!

“Stop telling me what I can’t do!” Silver shouted, standing up. She had no qualms about yelling at herself in the soundproofed room.

“Before, at the Gathering, you helped me! You gave me the courage to save Sweetie! But now all you do is stand in my way! Insult me, push me to do what you want! Well, I’m sick of it!"

But you need me...without me, you-

"NO! No more, dammit! You’re a part of me! You don’t control me! I control you! And now I’m telling you to SHUT THE HELL UP!”

The voice did not respond.

“I’m going to save all of them,” she said. “Miss Rarity, Twist…all of them.”

It was another four minutes before the door opened, and Twist stepped inside. She waited until the guard closed the door to speak.

“Oh, good, I was hoping it would be you,” Twist said, smiling. “We’re making good progreth! Peregrine can’t fly yet but last night he-“

“I don’t have much time,” Silver said, cutting her off. “The door should unlock when I leave, but stay in here for twenty minutes or so after I’m gone. It’ll look suspicious otherwise.”

“Um, okay,” Twist said. “But what do you-“

“Twist, do you think you can break the spell by next Sunday?”

“I don’t…I don't really know what day of the week it is,” Twist said, rubbing the back of her neck with her right forehoof.

“Oh, right, sorry. It’s Sunday. And next Sunday, there’s going to be a little while—I'd guess one hour at most—when Fancy and all his friends are going to be distracted. That’s when I’m going to get you out. You have to be ready by then.”

“A week?” Twist said. “Oh, gee, Thilver, I don’t know. I mean, Aurora still doesn’t know the spell, but she’s pretty close. And Peregrine can’t even get off the ground, let alone fly all the way to the ceil-“

Silver suddenly felt a tiny surge of energy, like static all around her. The spell was kicking in.

“Just make it work!” she said. “This is our last chance! And this is the last time I can come down here, so it’s all up to you! You’ve got till Sunday evenin-“

Twist took a frightened step back as Silver Spoon vanished in a flash of bright light.

Silently, Twist walked over to the bed and unmade the sheets. It was better if the bed looked messy, she decided.

After she was done, she sat down on the bed.

“Seven days…” she said.

[NEXT: Seven Days]