I fell against a door, shuffled about by a pair of bat ponies. "Here, room." One pushed the door open, revealing a softly lit room. It felt like a hotel room from hell, dim, boring, dull. "They'll be somepony else to stay with you while you're here," The lead pony said, backing out of the door and leaving me laying across the cold wood floor. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't think, I could only lay on the floor and wait until I had my chance to slit my own throat.

Time lost meaning as I laid across that floor. I just waited, and waited, letting the cold settle down upon me. It was pleasing, the cold meant I was alone, the cold meant I wasn't being tossed about like the princesses' living sex toy. That's all I was now, no longer a photographer, no longer a journalist, I was dead. I was an object, and I couldn't bring myself to pulling the trigger and ending my gutted life.

I couldn't go back. I couldn't see Cold again. All I could do is wait and try to rid my mind of the wandering abuse, the train, Luna's body. My skin creeped as I thought back to the train, I couldn't escape it, and now I was in the lion's den.

"Oh Da'dara human?" A strange chilling voice echoed around the room. "You, no speak, Thestrali?" It asked, taking shape into a dark grey mare with a deep royal blue mane. "Suppose not." I stared at the mare, her hardy frame unfamiliar, unusual compared to any other bat ponies I'd seen. "Hello?"

I couldn't move, but I could watch the mare pace about me. "Hmm, strange creatures."

"Speak...English." I hissed, trying to push myself up. I pulled myself along the ground, my legs refusing to respond as I grew angry. "Well? You gonna speak?"

The mare turned to me, showing off a strange metal piece wrapped around her torso, a deep blue cape hanging off her flanks like a skirt. "I try, hard. You, learn Thestrali."

I felt my face twist as the mare walked past me, looking over the two twin beds in the room. "I should learn? I should- you're from fucking Transylmania, aren't you?" I grabbed hold of a dresser and slowly pulled myself upright. "One of the freaks from the mountains."

The mare turned to me with a twirl. "Freak? I live a life in Equestria. You, you live different life. You tell me, I freak?"

"Shut, up--"

"Perhaps you are the freak!" She shouted, her words clunky but sharp. "The outsiders, I know of you. Count is you, Count is decent one. You, you reek of sweat."

I felt something snap inside of me. Her reminder of my scent, it tore out a piece of my chest, breaking a rib and leaving me with the aching pain of death in my body. "I know...." I slowly slid back down the dresser, "Oh god...I know...." My eyes blurred as I flopped back against the ground. I could hear strange noises leave my mouth, I couldn't control them, I could only lay there and whimper.

The mare's hooves tapped loudly against the ground, her iron clad form eventually popping into my view. "Crying. Why crying?"

I splayed out, resting myself against the cold ground. "Don't."

The mare cocked her head, her long mane hanging just above my face. "Help?"

"Shut up!" I shouted, trying to roll onto my front. "Just leave me be!"

"I help." The mare reached down and bit my shirt. "Come, I help." The mare pulled me along the ground, surprisingly strong. I just let her, I couldn't fight back. I watched the ceiling pass by, a strange lantern swinging back and forth before disappearing out of view. "Bathe?" The mare asked, still half chewing on my sleeve. "Bathe?"

I felt the wood transfer to tile, the ceiling change from beige to white with a vent instead of a lantern. The clopping of hooves grew sharper, more peircing as the mare let me down and looked back towards my face. "Bathe?" She asked again, wearing a soft frown. "You bathe, yes?"

I looked up at the mare. "...I bathe, yes."

The mare smiled at me. "Good, yes?" She brushed her metal chest-piece. "Good. I, Feros, power mare. You?"

I felt my breathing slowly come back down. "Clark."

The mare smiled wider, closing her eyes and nodding. "Yes, good. I go now. You bathe, we speak."

I watched the mare slowly walk over me, her weight causing me to wince as she stepped onto my groin. But her steps were heavy, mean, not falsely trying to comfort me. It felt real, and I felt it. I could feel a warmth in my stomach, resonating out from her steps. "...Thank you." Next Chapter: Happy Estimated time remaining: 14 Minutes