Chapter 3

"No"

Fluttershy almost couldn't believe the single, unexpected response from the human in front of her. "W-What?" She gasped, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

"I said, no!" The human spoke assertively, raising his voice,like and causing her to reflexively hunch down a little. "I refuse to be somepony else's-Agggh!" All of a sudden, the human dropped down onto the ground, grasping tightly at the metal collar strapped around his neck. Touching it only worsened the effect though, the electricity within only spreading to his body faster. He rolled and flopped around in his cage in a vain effort to wrestle the collar off, shouting in pain the entire time. Then, he stopped and laid still on the ground, huffing and puffing harshly as he looked back up at them.

"Now, now, is that any way to talk to a lady?" The auctioneer tisked, his horn emanating a soft glow. "This pretty young miss says she's willing to buy you and if I were you, well, I'd show some respect.

The human grinned. "Fuck yo-" The auctioneer didn't even let him finish his sentence. With a tip of his head, his horn lit up, magic responding to the with the space collar. Again, the human was forced down to his knees as he fought against the urge to grab at it, kicking and screaming violently as the auctioneer revved up the voltage.

"W-Wait! P-Please stop!" Fluttershy found herself screeching, surprising both her and the auctioneer present. He shrugged and killed the magic in his horn, allowing the human to once again slump down to the floor, gasping for air. She knelt down to his level, wanting nothing more than to comfort the tortured soul in front of her, but the bars that separated them would not allow it.

"Are you sure you want this one miss?" The auctioneer asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure with the price you'd be paying, we could find you some more," He snorted, "Obedient company."

"N-No, that's alright." She said hastily, opening her bag and taking out a brown bag full of gold bits. "This should cover IT?!" She yelled, feeling the human's hand grip tightly on one of her hooves.

"N-No…" He grunted, this time his voice took on a more pleading tone. "If you want to help someone, there's women, children, families here that you could buy with that. Please, leave me be-aaggh!" He was cut off by a third jolt of electricity. This one must have been much more powerful than the previous two, because he only cried out once before his head snapped back and he hit the cage floor. He remained there, motionless, face half buried in a pile of hay. Fluttershy stared in bewilderment, then terror at the possibility that she had just gotten him killed. She was speechless.

"Hmm, slave's a lot tougher than most of the other's I've had to use these collars on." The auctioneer chuckled. "He might be of use to you yet." He used his horn to take control of the bag with the payment and gave it a little jiggle before tucking it away safely in his own satchel. It was only afterwards that he noticed her shocked expression. "Don't worry miss, he's only unconscious. We'll have him completely healed before you go. Free of charge of course and…"

She hardly heard him, her eyes still locked on the human's frozen figure. His chest rose and fell, but just barely. His breathes came out quick and shallow with lengthy pause in between each gulp. He was in pain, even if he couldn't register it. His last words rang out in her head in a never-ending loop and she couldn't help but feel guilty at what she was doing. It was true, she could have bought a small family, maybe, for what she had paid for him. But as she looked around at the surrounding slave's, most of them purposefully avoiding her wandering gaze, she could tell none of them were in as bad a shape as the one lying down in front of her. And if what he said was true and he really was going to be sentenced to death if he wasn't bought, she would feel even more racked with guilt and shame for not helping him. Especially after he'd risked his own life to steal back her gemstone. No, this was the right thing to do, she could feel it in her gut. No matter what, she was going to repay this young human's kindness.

Suddenly, she felt a hooveland on her shoulder and she let out a startled eek before she realized it was just the auctioneer again. "Are you alright miss?" He asked, showing a little concern over his normal business-like attitude.

"Y-Yes. I'm fine, thank you. I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to ignore you. What was it you were you saying?" She said, turning her back on the human and giving her full attention back to the auctioneer.

"I was just saying we should go ahead and fill out the proper paperwork." He said with a small smile, gesturing over to a nearby office. Fluttershy nodded, but couldn't help but look back one more time at her soon to be slave. She shivered at the thought of calling him that. "Don't worry miss, we'll fix him up right as rain before we hand him over to you. Now, if you'll just follow me, we can link your magical energy with a new collar and get the business part of this all sorted out."

The whole process took longer than she initially expected, but they did finally leave Ponyville's market and she eventually made it to the edge of Evergreen forest. She instantly spotted the worn dirt pathway, made by her many trips to and from town and began traveling it. It was one of the few safe roads that would lead her home. Dusk had come and gone, the moon once again taking up its prolonged residence in the sky. Most ponies would probably be worried about roaming the forest at night, but she didn't really mind. Timber wolves and other predators of the forest tended to dwell deeper inside and she lived on the outskirts. She rarely ever saw one and even if she did, the animals of the forest were always watching. They'd surely warn her of any coming danger.

Even at night, Fluttershy could not deny the beauty of her natural surroundings. It had just rained recently, her sensitive wings picking up on the increased humidity in the air. Moonlight peeked through the cracks in the treetops like curtains, their spotlights shining down on the flowers and greenery below. The pale spotlights reflected brilliantly off their rain pellets, making them sparkle like stars. The sight was enough to send a small flutter through her stomach and she marveled at the forest's theatrical presentation. She only wished that the human lying across her back was awake to see it too.

He'd been out cold for two whole hours now without so much as a stir and even after being healed by the pony nurses, he still remained like this. The nurses themselves even found it a bit odd. His vitals were normal for a human's and a shock from the collar was never intended to put someone out like that in the first place. Well, at least not at the average dose. That would be counterproductive to the purpose of disciplining a…slave.

They'd summed it up to the assumption that, based on his numerous injuries he'd had inflicted on him before treatment, his body was likely weak before he absorbed the first shock, let alone the other two higher doses. The nurses assured her that he would likely recover before the night was through, so she wouldn't have to worry about a 'loss on her investment'. Hearing that had made her cringe a little. How could they say something like that about another living, breathing being? So nonchalantly, like it was completely normal to address them like a piece of equipment or property, it was enough to make her fume with frustration. Yet, she had said nothing. Too afraid of what they might think, too afraid to be labeled as an Abo. And she knew all too well the dangers that came with such a label.

She shook her head, repressing those haunting memories before they could surface, choosing instead to focus on her attention back on the path ahead. She watched the surrounding brush and tree lines for any evidence of movement, making sure that if something lurked beyond their green canopies, she'd be ready to bolt. She was a very fast runner, much better at that than fighting. So long as nothing got the drop on her, she could get away.

It seemed almost ironic that a pony like her would end up living in one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. Her friends often expressed their concerns with her living in such a place, especially now since the prolonged nights and absence of daylight acted as a catalyst for the nocturnal predators. But she wasn't worried about animals. She'd always had a way with them. The unnatural beasts always posed a threat, but even so, she loved her cozy cottage too much to leave it.

Suddenly, the human on her back stirred, groaning and causing her to jump slightly after traveling in relative silence. Unfortunately for him, that movement caused him wake in the worst way possible. Before she could prepare herself or try to help her poor companion, she felt his weight shift quickly to her right. Much too quickly for her to correct. She felt the human slip away from her bare back and she shut her eyes in mute apprehension, awaiting the hard thump that was to come.

Thud!

"Hnnh…Agh…" She heard the surprised human grunt and she opened her eyes to see him sprawled on his side, rubbing the back of his head, teeth clenched. "Wha…?" He muttered, tilting his head up and moving it around ever so slightly. Fluttershy remained silent for a moment while the human's face scrunched up in concentration and he listened to his surroundings. "A forest? How did I-" Without another word, his head shot over to her. "Right," He sighed, rising up to his feet and dusting himself briefly before refocusing his blindfolded gaze on her. "You."

She didn't know what to be startled about first. The fact that the human in front of her was standing with his arms crossed and staring at her with an uncomfortable looking frown on his face or the fact that he was actually staring right at her. Through his blindfold! "U-Um…yes?" She stuttered uncertainly, feeling the societal hierarchy between ponies and humans being flipped on her in no time at all.

He broke his gaze, instead choosing to look at the grass floor, though she noticed his hands tighten on his arms. "I thought I told you not to buy me." He stated, his low voice and frustrated undertone betraying any notion that it was ever meant as a question.

"B-But, you were going to d-die…!" She stammered, trying to raise her voice in an attempt to defend her decision she thought was right. But, it barely came out any louder than it normally did. She turned her head, annoyed with herself at her botched attempt at being assertive. "And…y-you helped me get my gem back. I-I just couldn't sit b-by and let that happen…" Her voice lowered even more as she finished that last sentence. She was certain it probably didn't get across to him and again, she wanted to kick herself for her lack of confidence.

He didn't say anything, in fact, he hadn't even seemed to acknowledge her comments at all. Maybe he hadn't heard her? She took a chance, turning back to face him. He was in the same position as before, except she'd noticed his left hand was gripping his right arm much harder than before. He muttered something to himself, but it was too quiet for her to make out. Then, he let out a long sigh, his arms relaxing down by hips. "I guess it doesn't matter now anyway. What's done is done." He said, the corner of his mouth curling up ever so slightly. "Heh, at least this will really piss of Bardus."

She took the risk of relaxing a little, then an even bigger one by slowly approaching the human. His head never left hers. If she could see his eyes, she might have even wagered that his eyes were lined up with hers too. She was now suddenly very grateful for the ash colored blindfold that covered his face. "I-I really am sorry…" She tried once more, her voice possible breaking the audible spectrum. "I only wanted to help…"

The human in front of her maintained head contact for another moment, inadvertently tilting his head down a little as she spoke as if he had tried to hear her. Then, he let out another long sigh. "It's like I said, it doesn't matter now. Pointless to keep talking about it." He replied, crossing his arms again, his voice hard as he turned away with a deep frown. "Anyway, I assume you were taking me to your home?"

"O-Oh! Y-Yes, its this way. P-Please stay close…" She said, slowly walking and taking the lead. It was only after the first few steps that she stopped, realizing the human wouldn't be able to check for loose rocks or roots as he walked, which were plentiful along the path. "U-Um, there's a lot of roots and foiliage here. D-Do y-you need a…" She trailed off, embarrassed at having to mention his obvious disability.

"I'm fine." He replied, his tone still hard, maybe even a little bit more so. "I can follow the sound of your steps."

And so they continued on, a thick silence dropping over their travels. The tension between them was plenty palpable, the human following few feet behind her. Every so often, she'd look over her shoulder, trying to use the utmost of her peripheral vision to glance over without turning her head fully. He never tripped, never stumbled, and he always looked straight ahead. He never uncrossed his arms and she hadn't seen that frown inch away at all.

She supposed she couldn't really judge him. She'd witnessed firsthand just how he had been treated by the slave drivers alone, let alone countless other times she likely didn't know about. Even so, she found herself wishing that he had maybe been a little happier about her saving him from death row. Not because she felt she wanted gratitude or praise. No, she wasn't a great recipient of that as it was. What bothered her the most about his reaction was that it seemed to express even the tiniest sliver of joy at still being alive. And the implications that could follow that was more of a worrying concern than a desire for thanks.

The rest of their journey was uneventful, something Fluttershy thanked Celestia for as the bushy green canopy of her house came into view. Almost immediately a rush of forest animals came out from the treeline to greet her. Birds swooped down, tweeting happily at her return. Rabbits and squirrels skittered around her legs as she walked, causing her to chuckle and even the butterflies had come out today to send their greetings. She made sure to offer her thanks and return the generous welcome she'd received from her woodland friends.

However, she stopped in her tracks as she realized all this noise would be alarming to someone who couldn't see and turned back to the human behind her, ready to explain. That was when she saw yet another surprising occurrence. The human behind her was knelt down onto the ground, a gentle hand outstretched to a small bunny that was only a foot or so away. What's more…he was smiling. A genuine, comforting smile, flashing just the faintest glimpse of white teeth made the previous image the young human had presented fade away as if he never existed. Slowly, with a little hesitation, the bunny moved over towards his hand, but stopped and looked over in her direction as if asking if this new creature was ok to approach. She smiled back at him and gave an encouraging nod. The bunny moved closer and bopped his forehead against the human's waiting palm. In response, he gave it a gentle pet, using three of his fingers to send a few gentle caresses off the top of his head. In that moment, he looked content and showcased the first sign of happiness she had seen from him all day.

But just as quick as it had come, it vanished as he rose to his feet and assumed his previously held frown. He looked towards her expectantly and nodded his head in the direction of her house expectantly. Any indication of that moment of content delight disappeared as if they'd never existed.

With a soft sigh, Fluttershy led him the rest of the way to her house.