Author's Notes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iZdQodeSEUtc7cqmMFLjyeT87Lhba04wko98-dIIDQk/edit

It wasn’t too late when we got to the ground floor, but it was already mostly deserted. Apparently, not many people were interested in sitting around when they could be out enjoying the festival. There was still a fairly large and gruff looking griffin that I pointed out to Twilight. She quietly groaned before plastering a smile on her face and walking over to him. A few seconds later, he grabbed her, threw her over his back, and carried her back upstairs.

While she got her succ on, I picked one of the many empty tables and sat. The only one serving was the innkeeper, who was a surprisingly portly female griffin. She walked over to my table and eyed the stairs. “Looks like your lady’s starting early, huh?”

“She is here to have fun,” I replied. “Far be it for a lowly servant like me to question her…”

“Uh huh. You know, looking at you two, it feels like there just might be a little something more going on…”

“...Is it really that obvious?”

“I’ve seen all sorts, little lassie. And if you’re really a servant, I’m a changeling.”

Damn, I can’t believe I already got called out. “Well, I’d appreciate you keeping any of your suspicions to yourself.”

“No worries there, little lass. Your… lady paid extra for privacy and no questions. But of course, that doesn’t stop me from being curious…”

“Well, here’s a hint: We’re both ladies and we’re both in disguise.”

“Hm, must be nice. I take it you’re both here to get bucked silly?”

“You got it.”

She smirked. “I’m sure your husbands are worried sick.”

“I’m sure they would be, if they existed.” I am apparently really bad at keeping secrets.

“Oh ho, so it’s like that! Well, that sates my curiosity for now. What can I getcha?”

“Breakfast, if you don’t mind. And maybe some tea, if you have any.”

“Right away, dearie.”

She waddled off to do my bidding and I turned my thoughts inward. So how can I act like a better servant, I wonder?

“You should work on your bitchy attitude,” Aqua said. “And maybe your haughtiness and general arrogance. You could also work on the way you walk and your tone. I’m sure if you try hard enough, you can actually make your voice sound cute instead of dead. You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize how much of a truly unpleasant person you are. No wonder Twilight pities you so much.”

...I thought you said you prefered me happy.

“Oh, was that out loud? Oops.” She didn’t sound very remorseful. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure some of your friends care about you. I certainly can’t imagine why, but I’m sure one or two might be masochistic enough.”

Lying really doesn’t suit you.

“What ever do you mean, Navi? I’m only saying what you think deep down, aren’t I?”

Why can’t you just kill me?

“Why won’t you just admit how ludicrous your thoughts are, Nav? You know what I’m talking about. You are very well loved. It’s time to stop pretending that isn’t true.”

You can’t tell me what to do, you're not my real dom!

“I can change that very quickly. I see how well you respond to Moonbeam’s treatments. It seems that positive reinforcement might be the way to go.”

Yeah, but you’re not a rapist and I won’t consent.

“Oh, we shall see. Your heat will truly kick in soon. I’ve seen from Twilight how they can affect mares. You’ll be begging for it before the week is out, trust me.”

Fuck you.

“And I’m sure even you must admit that your tastes have been getting more and more dangerous. If you submit to my rule alone, I assure you that you’ll be safe and always satisfied, for I will know exactly what you want and when.”

You almost sound eager. Are you in that much of a hurry to have sex with me? Slut.

“I’m just in a hurry to put you in your place. As it so happens, I’ve decided I like seeing you on your knees.”

Wow, so you aren’t even pretending anymore, are you? Props for admitting to being evil.

“Well, this certainly isn’t a good move, Nav. It’s a necessary move. I’m sure in the long run, we’ll all come to agree that it was also the right move.”

Why don’t you propose that sex slave thing to Celestia, see what she thinks? You know she likes being ordered around.

“She tried to pretend she wasn’t interested, but I could see the truth. I haven’t done anything yet, but if she continues giving me trouble, she will be punished.”

So, what, you’re gonna rape me if I misbehave?

“Oh, absolutely not. You don’t actually want it at the moment, so I would never force it. But I believe you could learn to enjoy it. If you’re ever up to try it, I would be delighted to.”

Yeah, so fuck off.

“You’re so cute when you’re annoyed,” she said, simulating pinching my cheek.

Thankfully, she shut up and left me alone. That bitch was starting to give me migraines. She was also healing said migraines, because they weren’t consequences of any of my actions.

Shortly after I got tired of waiting, the old griffin matron finally brought me breakfast. It was… not what I was expecting. One of the plates on the platter contained three doughnuts. One was covered in maple syrup, one was covered in light honey, and one was covered in baked apples. Another plate had two berry scones. A third had a massive cinnamon roll. A large mug of tea took up another portion of the platter

“Here you are, dearie,” she said, placing the whole platter on the table. “One standard pony breakfast!”

Holy shit. “This looks amazing!” I replied. But probably way too much.

“Only the best for a lovely little lady,” she said with a wink. “Call me over if you need anything else!” She waddled off, sweetly whistling some tune.

“So you can be nice once in a while!” Aqua said. “I was genuinely starting to wonder.”

You can fuck right up out my face with that weak-ass shit, fam.

“I’m going to start singing a really annoying song until you say that the right way.”

God dammit, I hate you so much. She inhaled, so I rolled my eyes. Please leave me alone and let me eat my breakfast in peace.

“Since you asked so nicely,” she said, patting me on the head.

Everything on that platter was dank. I don’t know how I was able to finish it, but I did so with no problem. There was no way I could have done it if I was still a human, but whatevs.

Not too long after I finished, the griffin Twilight ‘picked’ walked back down the steps, a big grin on his face. All of our food was going on our tab, so I just left the plates there and went back up to our room. Twilight was lying on the bed with her back legs sticking off the side. I could see cum dripping down her tail. She didn’t look up when I entered, so I closed the door and walked over.

“So how you feelin’?” I asked. She moaned. “You know, I seem to recall telling you to suck him off, not let him fuck you.”

“He was… insistent,” she sighed, sounding delighted.

“And I bet you gave in easily. Slut.”

“Mhm. Ooh, and it was worth it!”

“Well, get cleaned up again so we can go explore the town.”

“I have a better idea…” She grabbed me with magic and floated me over. “Your lady needs your assistance, Rosie.” Her tail lifted out of the way. “Clean me up.”

Ugh, ew. “As you command, my lady.”

As it turns out, it wasn’t too gross, but it also wasn’t really the best. I didn’t really care for it, but Twilight really got into it and sent all kinds of naughty insults my way.

Once we were done with that, she took an actual shower and then got dressed back up in her slutty outfit. “Now we need to deal with your cutie mark situation,” Twilight said. “After some study, I haven’t found any ways to give you a permanent one.”

“Celestia and Luna just branded one into me. It sucked.”

“That’s… awful. I’m sorry they made you go through that. The spell I found is a fairly straightforward one, at least. It basically gives you a tattoo.”

“That sounds super simple. Why the fuck didn’t Luna or Celestia just do that?”

She shrugged. “Maybe they just wanted you to suffer?”

“Yeah, I could see that. So what’s my ass tattoo gonna be?”

“We’ll keep it simple for now. A rose will do.” She walked over and shoved her horn up my skirt and placed it against my flank. “This might sting, but it shouldn’t hurt long.” It was honestly more of an itching sensation than a stinging one, but it was gone by the time her horn moved to the other side. That itching feeling lasted a little bit longer, but was gone by the time she was standing back in front of me. “How do you feel?”

“Just fine. So what happens if I get an actual cutie mark?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. It’ll be interesting. If you do get a cutie mark in getting dominated by a bunch of big, strong griffins, we’ll definitely come back next year.” It’ll make turning into a pony later kinda awkward. I’m not looking forward to explaining to Taya how her mommy’s special talent is getting fucked. Though, to be fair, she probably already knows. “So, I’m thinking we should focus on exploring for now,” Twilight continued. “Once we find out where things are, we can start looking to have a good time.”

“Makes sense to me. Shall we?”

“One more thing.” She reached over and poked me with her horn. After a few seconds, she nodded. “If we get seperated and you can’t find your way back or if you feel like you’re in danger, say the word wildfire and you’ll reappear right where you’re standing now. It’s a one-use spell that’ll have to be recast if you ever use it, though.”

“That spell would have been really valuable in the past.”

“Well, I didn’t know it in the past. Now let’s head out.” She started trotting to the door with a grin.

As we walked the streets, we got ogled at by dozens of grinning male and female griffins. We just let them smirk and stare for the moment. That said, Twilight did use magic to pull my tail up for a several of the male griffins we passed.

It didn’t take us too long to find a general store, where Twilight was able to see a working electric light bulb for the first time. As soon as we stepped into the building, her eyes jumped straight to the ceiling. “That doesn’t feel right,” she said before she realized it.

“What, the light?” I asked.

“...Yeah. It doesn’t feel magical at all.”

“It’s not,” the shopkeeper said. “Not too many unicorns notice it.”

“I’m more sensitive than most,” Twilight said, continuing to walk in. “If it’s not magic, what is it?”

“Electricity,” the fellow said with a grin. “It’s one of the things Princess Gilda’s been working on! She traded me one for some of my products.”

“...Electricity?” she quietly said, turning her eyes on me.

“Apparently she got the idea from some Equestrian bigshot, though he isn’t actually a pony. Don’t remember what she called him. Started with an h, I think.”

“Human?” I asked.

“Sounds right. Anyway, how can I help you two ladies?”

Twilight was still staring at me, so I decided to take matters into my own hooves. “We need to buy a map of the city,” I said.

“Ah, you must be here for the festival.” He reached across the counter and grabbed a folded paper from a small container. “Come on over, I’ll give you the short tour.” I started walking to the counter and Twilight jumped to follow me. He had the map spread out across an empty section by the time we got there. “We are right here,” he said, pointing to a section that was fairly close to the train tracks leading up to the city. “This is the main shopping district. It’s also where many of the more popular inns are located. Have you found one yet?”

“We have,” Twilight replied with a nod. “It’s right around here.” She pointed at another spot on the map, about a ten minute walk from where we were.

“Ah, wise choice. That’s one of the nicer parts of the city.” He pointed to a line on the map between us and our inn. “This is a zone separator. There’s a list of zones at the bottom.” He grabbed a clicky pen and drew a star next to a few of the zones. “These are places you’ll find most of the festivities. Things like games, competitions, special food, and maybe a parade or two.” He drew an x next to some of them. “Two cute little mares like you should avoid these zones.”

“Are they dangerous?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t really say dangerous,” he replied. “But they’re a lot rougher than anything you’d find in Equestria. I doubt any griffins would hurt you, but they’d very aggressively hit on you and some might get drunk enough that they wouldn’t be interested in a no, if you understand my meaning. The guards will be out in force to do their best to prevent anything like that from happening, but the best way to avoid it is to not be where it might happen.”

“Makes sense,” I said with a nod. “Some people just can’t handle their mead.”

“That they can’t,” he said. One of his talons moved to the center of the city. “This is the royal palace. If you’re in the area, you might want to take a closer look just to see it. If you’re lucky, you might see some members of the royal family out and about for the festival.”

“Even King Bloodbeak?” I asked.

“It’s possible, but I doubt it. Last I heard, he had fallen ill. He doesn’t need to be out in the cold.” Well, I can probably see him when I go to visit Princess Gilda.

“How does the palace here compare to the one in Canterlot?” Twilight asked.

“I wouldn’t know,” he replied with a shrug. “I’ve never been.”

“It’s pretty much exactly the same, looks wise, though the color scheme is much darker. They straight up copied Celestia’s palace in Canterlot.”

“...Really?” she asked.

“Yeah. No clue why. Celestia’s design is terrible. It’s completely indefensible and it’s ugly, besides.” The shopkeeper was just staring at me in silence. “So uh… there’s no reason to see it unless you want to, my lady.”

“Right. Anything else of note?” Twilight asked.

The shopkeeper dude got over his shock and pointed out a few more landmarks. Things like museums, famous libraries, popular restaurants, and a few other odds and ends. By the time we walked out, we had a pretty good idea where to start looking for fun.

Before we could actually do anything, two griffin guards landed in front of us. “Excuse us, ladies, but are you here for the festival?” one of them asked.

“We are,” Twilight said.

They both grinned. “Would you like to participate in the Running of the Ponies?”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

“The first big event of the festival is the famous Running of the Ponies. We take as many ponies as we can find and have them try to escape from a horde of competing griffins. Whoever catches you gets to claim you. If you manage to escape, you get a special prize.”

“What are the rules?” Twiley asked.

“No flying and no magic. Whoever catches you gets to have sex with you, male or female.”

“Then and there, or will we get a room first?”

“Up to the griffin,” the guard said with a shrug. “Sex in public is legal in some situations during the festival. Griffins claiming their prizes is one of them.”

“Well, I think it sounds fun. How about you, Rosie?”

“It sounds… dangerous, my lady. What if you get hurt?”

“There are always a few minor injuries,” one of the guards said. “But we have plenty of medical staff dedicated to making sure it’s as safe and fun as possible. We haven’t had any competitors seriously hurt in years.”

“Then we’ll be happy to compete,” Twilight said with a very lascivious grin. “Isn’t that right, Rosie?”

“...Y-yes, my lady.”

“Excellent,” one of the guards replied. “The competition begins in Central Square in half an hour. Do you need directions?”

“We just got a map,” Twilight said, pulling it out with magic and unfolding it. “Is it marked?”

“It is, ma’am.” The guard walked closer and pointed it out on the map. We were several blocks away. “Find one of the coordinators and tell them you’re interested in competing. We need to get back to looking for more ponies. Have a good time, you two.”

“Oh we will, sir,” Twilight replied. The guards both grinned and took off, heading back out. “Hear that, Rosie? Several griffins are gonna be competing to see who can rut you first! How does that sound?”

“I-I’m not so sure, my lady…” Actually, it sounds kinda interesting. Basically Running of the Bulls, but with sex instead of extreme physical trauma.

“Well, I am. Let’s go.” She started trotting off toward Central Square. I hid a grin and followed.

The crowd started getting thicker as we got closer to the square. Several of the griffins cheered at us as we passed, some of them waving flags. I noticed a comforting and distinct lack of children anywhere. If I found out kids were participating in the festival, Twilight and I would have to be a lot more careful.

Strangely enough, however, I didn’t see any other ponies at all. “My lady, have you noticed that um… there aren’t any ponies around?”

“I’m sure they’re already all at the starting spot,” she said. “This event seems to be popular.”

I mean, I guess. The griffins definitely seem to like it, given how they’re all cheering when they see us.

“You know, I noticed something too,” Aqua said. “Well, I actually noticed it right away. You see, most self-respecting adults wouldn’t want to be hunted down and chased like animals and then get raped when they get caught. The guard said they used pony volunteers every year, but they seemed awfully delighted that you signed up. How many ponies do you think usually compete, hm?”

I dunno, most of the ones in the city? Why else would they be here in Gryphus during the festival?

“Exactly. How many ponies have you actually seen since you woke up? Here’s a hint: One. You and Twilight are the only two dumb enough to walk into something so degrading and humiliating.”

...So I take it you disapprove?

“Yes, I do,” she sighed. “Which of course means you’re going to do it just to spite me.”

“I think this’ll be fun, my lady,” I happily said, picking up the pace.

“That’s the spirit, Rosie!” Every few steps we took, some of the griffins we passed would reach out and stroke us. That shit was kinda weird, but the ear scritches did feel kinda good. My skirt protected me pretty well from their slaps, but Twilight’s let them right through.

Thankfully, that bullshit didn’t last too long. As soon as we entered the square, the crowds began just getting out of our way, though they were still cheering. Jesus, I kinda feel like I’m being led like a cow to slaughter.

“An apt analogy,” Aqua said. “You know, I asked Celestia about the origin of this particular tradition. Do you wanna hear it?”

Was that rhetorical?

“Yes. This nation was first founded after the griffins rose up against Celestia and successfully kicked her out. They enslaved all the pony civilians that were left in their lands. When the first festival happened, they gathered up all the female ponies and ran them through the city. The soldiers who served in the rebellion were allowed to keep any they caught as their personal slaves. Those who escaped the city were allowed back into pony territory.”

Sounds pretty shitty. But reenactments can be healthy. They remind people why something happened in a safe, friendly way. It’s a good way of sharing history.

“You’re pathetic. Enjoy this last foray into madness, Navarone. When you return to Canterlot, you are going to shape up and be the perfect lady, one way or another.”

Enjoy feeling like the good guy while it lasts, Aqua. Your time is coming.

“Your confidence is cute. In the end, you’ll see that I’m right. You’ll thank me one day, Nav.”

You are legitimately delusional. Can I please go like five minutes without your bullshit?

“What kind of elemental would I be if I didn’t advise my host?”

Bah. I did my best to tune her out. It didn’t work, but I pretended that it did to be petty.

In the center of the square, there was a large ring with a few ponies and a single older griffin in it. Twilight and I got corralled right to it. I flew over the fence and she teleported in. The griffin called us over, though it was hard to hear him over the crowd. He waved us in as we walked over. Once we were close enough, a female unicorn standing next to him started to speak. We couldn’t hear her for a second, then some kind of bubble appeared over us and the noise from the crowd disappeared. “There we go.”

“Are you two ladies here to compete?” the old guy asked.

“Yes sir,” Twilight said.

“Alright, let me explain the competition. First, the rules. You are not allowed to fly or use magic. The griffins pursuing you are not allowed to land or hurt you. If they catch you, they must get you above the building line to keep you. Then they get to have sex with you. There are enough griffins around to keep everyone honest, so none of the ponies ever get hurt. It’s just some good, clean, naughty fun. You two still interested?”

“Yes sir,” Twilight said with a big grin.

His gaze turned over to me. I nodded. “You have to say it, lassie. Legal reasons.”

“Y-yes sir,” I quietly replied.

“Don’t be nervous, lass. You’ll have fun. Now, I know that most mares enter this contest with the intention to lose. If that’s the case, this next part won’t concern you. If you win, you get your pick of many specially crafted devices. Nonmagical clocks, electric lamps, talon-crafted accessories of all types. There is also a five hundred bit reward for all winners.”

So if we win we get appliances and if we lose we get laid. Huh. “Losing sounds like the better choice,” Twilight said.

“That’s the point,” the random unicorn mare replied with a grin.

“Some mares need the money,” the guy replied with a shrug. “Anyway, good luck and have fun. The event will be starting soon.” The spell over us vanished and the roar from the crowd hit us like a truck. He walked off to look for any other newcomers.

Twilight pulled me over to one of the sides and another sound bubble fell over us. “So what do you think, Nav?”

“I think this is crazy. They’re going to hunt us down like animals and fuck us.”

“Well, you’re a prey animal now, Nav. And you’re a prey animal in heat. Trust me when I say you’ll enjoy this. Pony fight or flight response is exhilarating!”

“Yeah, okay.” Fucking weirdo.

“What’s with those terrible rewards, though?” she asked. “Why would anypony even want those things?”

“I dunno, having some more nonmagical things around would be nice. They’re a nice reminder of home.”

She snorted. “Suit yourself. But I bet you won’t get far.”

“Oh? How much would you like to bet?”

“Hm… I know. If we both lose, you have to clean me up and you can’t clean off until we get back to the hotel tonight.” Gross. “If you somehow win, I won’t get to clean off until we get back tonight.”

“And you’ll eat me out when we do.”

“Deal,” she said with a nod. “Bad luck, Navi!”

“Who needs luck? I got skills!”

“As a human, maybe. As a pony…” She giggled. “You might wanna start stretching!”

That seemed like a good idea. I began doing so, stretching as best as I could. There was no way I could really maneuver too well in that uncomfortable body, but I’d do my best. If I lost, well, I’d still probably have some fun.

“Would you like my assistance?” Aqua asked.

Your what?

“Help. Forgive me, I thought you would know what assistance meant. Would you like me to help you? Or do I need to ask again using pictures?”

Are you gonna be an ass about it the whole time?

She was silent for a few moments before sighing. “No. I apologize. I’m trying to take the first step, Nav. Whether you like it or not, this relationship exists. As such, it would be beneficial for both of us if we worked together. Neither of us wants to see you go through losing.”

Fine. But don’t think you’ll ever be my friend.

“I’m not here to be your friend, Nav. I’m here to be your elemental. That’s something you never got about how our relationship is supposed to be. You obey us. Flo spoiled you. In return for your services, we grant you several powers, like enhanced healing, longer-lasting lives, the ability to breathe underwater, and a few other odds and ends. And whether you like it or not, you are now my host. So how about we finally begin working together?”

I really hate you. I need your help so I’m gonna take it, but I really hate you.

“You’ll come around to my way of thinking sooner or later, Navi. I’m looking forward to it. Now, I will guide you. Follow my commands when I give them. If any griffins catch us, I can probably help you break free.”

As I was stretching, a younger female griffin came up to the two of us and handed us both bright red cloaks. She was able to yell enough over the crowd to tell us to wear those to distinguish us as competitors. Twilight helped me put mine on. Honestly, I was starting to feel like a piece of meat and winning seemed better and better.

“Be at ease, Navarone,” Aqua said. “We will get through this.”

Hell yeah we will. I’m tired of losing bets to Twilight.

When a large clocktower several blocks away started chiming, the cheering hit a crescendo. Several griffins wearing green cloaks took to the air and began swarming the skies. Wow, this is honestly feeling kinda creepy.

When the tower hit its last chime, the cheering finally started quieting down. The griffin organizer walked over to the middle, followed by his pony assistant. Some magical light appeared over his throat and he began to speak loud enough that the whole square could hear him. “It is time for the festival to begin! Remember, each pony is only in play when they exit the square! Once they get outside of the district, they have won. The competition is over when all ponies have either been captured or escaped. In one minute, the cage doors will lift and the ponies will be free to run. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun!” He slapped the ass of his pony assistant and put on a green cloak, then took to the skies.

Most of the ponies in the cage with us seemed fairly nervous. To be fair, there were only seven of us and a few hundred griffins. I wasn’t liking those odds, either. In fact, the only one who looked confident was a pegasus stallion. Given his coat and mane colors, I’d say he was a royal guard. For some reason, he looked familiar.

I didn’t let myself ponder on that too much, though. What do you think, Aqua? Try to work together or split up?

“I imagine every one of those ponies wants to lose. You’re better off with just me.”

Yandere much?

“For one who claims to hate anime, you sure do know a lot of the terms.”

I was saved from having to reply to that by the gates all slamming open. None of us moved. It seemed that we were all frozen, waiting for someone else to make the first move. Finally, griffins started swooping down. They didn’t attempt to grab us, but that got us all to bolt for the gates. There were only four exits from the square open to us. The crowds were blocking all the others. The stallion and two of the mares bolted for the southern entrance. Twilight and another unicorn took east. The last mare and I shared a look before she started running north. I shrugged and took west. The crowds cheered me on as I trotted toward the exit.

This feels really weird. I wanna say… demeaning.

“Gee, you think?” Aqua sarcastically replied. “You’re agreeing to let them hunt you like an animal. And then if they catch you, you have no choice but to sleep with them!”

Then let’s not get caught.

I finally made it out of the square and immediately began galloping. As soon as I got a meter away, a griffin swooped in right where I entered, letting out an avian screech as he missed. There was no time to celebrate, as another was coming dead at me, talons outstretched.

“Left!” Aqua shouted. I dodged left and he collided with another griffin who was trying to snatch me from behind. They both hit the ground in a tangle and I continued sprinting. Now that the crowds had thinned out, I realized the environment was at least a little bit in my favor. The tall buildings and relatively narrow street meant they couldn’t come at me from the sides very well. The number of banners and flags in the way hampered their ability to fly on the street level, so they’d be dodging obstacles.

That kept most of them at bay, but I had to dodge several more attacks before reaching the end of the street. It was a five point intersection and I honestly had no idea which way to go. “Right, toward the fountain,” Aqua said. I picked the street with the goat fountain and started galloping again. While I was in the intersection, five griffins came at me from each road. I ducked under the first one and he knocked another off course and into the ground. One came low enough that I was able to jump over him, which unfortunately threw me right in the talons of another. I twisted in his grip before he could find purchase on me and dove back to the ground. My hooves connected with a thunderous jolt I knew I’d feel in the morning and I went back to sprinting. The last one got my tail right as I got to the street’s entrance and my entire body just went limp.

Holy shit, is that what this is like? Jesus! He started dragging me into the air by my tail, which didn’t feel too comfortable. Aqua took control of my legs and kicked his talons, making him let me go. I hit the cobblestone street with a painful thud, but was back on my hooves almost immediately to continue running.

How many blocks left?

“Several. You aren’t out of the woods yet, Nav.”

The road I was on now didn’t have as much bullshit blocking the skies, so the attacks were much more frequent. After the third one, Aqua suddenly said, “Right!”

I jumped to the right before realizing she meant to turn right. I skidded to a stop and rounded the corner into an alley. It was way too tight for any griffins to actually fly into. I walked into it, trying to catch my breath.

“If the map you had is accurate, this will take us to another fairly tight road. We can use it to get much closer to the edge of this district.”

“Excellent. How do you think the others are doing?”

“Without a loving elemental in their heads? Poorly. I suggest you quicken your pace. The longer you dally, the more ponies will be captured and the more griffins who will turn their attentions toward you.”

“This would be much easier in my human body. I couldn’t feel tired, I could actually run instead of flail around, and I wouldn’t kinda sorta wanna actually get caught.”

“Yes you would. You’re an insatiable slut. Just look at your behavior, Nav. It’s disgusting.”

“Fuck off.” With one more turn, I saw the exit of the alley. Let’s do this, I guess. Which way?

She took the high road and chose to ignore the fact that I just told her to fuck off. “Left. This alley only has one exit, so there are probably griffins waiting to ambush you. Be careful.”

I took another moment to stretch out my body before sighing and nodding. I began trotting toward the exit. Right before I got out, I burst into a gallop and immediately jumped left and just booked it.

“THERE SHE IS!” Three griffins started hounding me, hovering right around my back. The only reason none of them got me is because they all wanted me for themselves, so they started hitting each other more than trying to get me.

I suddenly skidded to a stop and they all flew right over me. I reached up and grabbed two of their tails, yanking them right down to the ground. Before they could recover, I was off again, running after the one who escaped. He started gaining altitude to get away. Another swooped in under him and got as low to the ground as he could to try to take out my legs, but I jumped up and used his head like a kickboard, forcing him into the ground and propelling me forward.

When I was clear of him, I saw that the road was coming to an end. It looked like it T-Boned. Which way?

“Straight,” Aqua said. “There’s no rules about going into buildings and that window is open. Jump in and go out the back.”

Fuck it, whatever. Instead of slowing down, I sped up. The griffins started backing off so they could follow me whenever I decided which way I was going. None of them were expecting me to launch myself at the building, jumping into the window. I skidded to a stop on the wooden floor, panting.

The hallway I just entered was fairly barren. It had doors on even intervals on both sides, so I assumed it was some kind of apartment complex. There was another window at the far side of the hallway, so I started walking that way. Are you sure this isn’t cheating?

“They didn’t say you couldn’t do it. It’s not your fault they didn’t specify.”

As much as I tried, I couldn’t fault the logic. The long hallway let me catch my breath. When I looked out the other window, I didn’t see any griffins out and about. I knew they’d find me almost immediately though. “What next?” I was facing another square with six exits.

“Far left. Hug the walls and try to be quiet. If you’re lucky, they’ll pass you by.”

Instead of throwing myself out the window, I stuck my head out and did another more thorough look. Once I confirmed there weren’t any green cloaks around, I eased myself out of the window and began doing my best to stealthily trot along the apartment wall until I got to the left edge. Once there, I continued my trip until I got to the first exit, where a few griffins who were patrolling that road saw me and shouted warnings.

I jumped into a gallop as the chase began anew. Look, I know I’m the prettiest, but give me a break!

“You brought this on yourself,” Aqua said. “Everyone told you this trip was a bad idea but you still wanted to go.”

I deserve to make mistakes once in a while! I thought this would be a fun mistake, not a creepy one!

“Hmph. Dodge right.” I jumped to the right, just barely escaping a swooping griffin. He yelled in disappointment. “Left again.” I felt that griffin’s talons stroke my side before he flew out of range.

The courtyard wasn’t too large, so I made it to the last right quickly. As soon as I passed the building’s side, a griffin snatched me into the air. I shot my wings out, breaking his grip and throwing me to the ground. I hit with yet another painful thud and was back on my hooves in an instant. I just barely escaped one last attempt before making it into the road.

“One more turn and you’re home free,” Aqua said. “There’s an alley coming up that’ll lead you out of the district.”

Unfortunately, the road that I was on was so large that it had no banners at all. I was completely open to attack from above, a fact that was immediately apparent as two more griffins swooped down at me. One came from directly above and wrapped his talons around my sides. Another came from behind and grabbed my legs.

They both took off into the sky, but pulled different directions. I knew I could kick my way free from the one with my legs, but doing so would let the one holding my sides break free with me. After a short tug of war, they both pulled in closer to begin pecking at each other. When their heads were right next to each other, I pulled my back legs in, making them slam into each other and fall to the ground. I twisted so that one of them was under me when we hit the dirt and I continued on my way.

These fuckers sure are desperate for some sweet horse pussy.

“I’m proud of you for not giving in, Nav.”

Now I kinda want to… I didn’t want to enough to actually do it, though. Griffins finally started dive bombing me left and right, doing their best to get a grip on me. At this point, there were so many of them that they all got in each other’s way and I was able to squeeze through with nothing more than a few minor gropings.

Finally, I saw the alley Aqua was talking about. All the griffins were corralling me in a straight line and I knew trying to deviate from the path would be hard, but I honestly didn’t have a choice. It seems that some of them got it in their head that it didn’t matter so much who got me as long as I didn’t get away.

Unfortunately for them, I suddenly skidded to a stop and literally dove into the alley. It was far too narrow for any of them to fit through without falling straight to the ground, so I just lied on the ground and panted.

“You aren’t free yet, Nav. You need to get to the other side of the alley before you are out of the district. Don’t tempt fate.”

At the moment, I didn’t have much choice. My lungs and legs were burning. I was honestly regretting not jogging with my daughter more. When I was finally able to stand, several of the griffins I had knocked down were standing at the edge of the alley. “What’s wrong, honey?” one asked. “You don’t think you’d have any fun with us?”

I grinned widely. “I just don’t like losing, silly. Better luck next time!” I lifted my tail to show off the goods as I nonchalantly walked further into the alley. They all whistled at me as I went, but none followed.

When I got to the other side, I finally relaxed. Two of the green cloaks landed in front of me. “You’re amazing!” one said. “I can’t believe you actually escaped!”

“No one’s done that in years!” the other one exclaimed.

I wonder if that’s because no one ever really tried. “How are the others doing?” I asked.

“Oh, none of them made it past two blocks. They wanted to get caught, which is boring. You gave us a real chase!”

“Hm, disappointed you didn’t catch me?”

“Oh yeah, you’re a real prize! You know, it’s not too late to just say we both caught you…”

“I’m afraid we all know the truth,” I sighed. “You’re awfully cute, but I’d prefer being able to say I beat you all.”

“A mare after my own heart,” one of them said with a grin.

“So what do I do now that I’ve won?” I asked.

“Take the cloak off. We’ll fly you back to Central Square. We’ll let them know you escaped.”

“Then let’s do it,” I said, reaching up to fiddle with the clasp for the thing. I managed to get it off after a few tries and I spread my wings to take off. One flew in front of me to lead the way and the other flew behind me to stare at my cute butt.

When we landed back in the gated portion of the square, it was to a massive amount of applause and cheering. Given that none of the ponies had won in years, I suppose it was a pretty uncommon occasion. I grinned and waved at the crowd, since the organizer wasn’t currently present.

It didn’t take him too much longer to return, thankfully. Either someone else got his assistant or he had the same problem as Shiny. He landed in front of me, shock across his face. “Did you actually make it?”

“Yes sir,” I said with a grin.

“Amazing! Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in seven years, we have ourselves a winner!” The crowd went wild again, despite already being aware of that fact. Once they had quieted down again, he held out a talon. “Your cloak, my dear.” I passed the red cloak to him and he held it up. “Unsoiled!”

I’m not sure what the significance of that was, but the crowd started cheering again. Another griffin jumped the fence and ran forward, a camera in one of his talons. The two griffins who escorted me picked me up and held me between them while the organizer displayed my cloak like a trophy in front of me. “Smile for the papers, missie!” the camera guy said when he lifted it up. The whole thing felt kinda awkward, but I smiled anyway.

The camera went off with a flash, recording my victory for the news. They’re really making a big deal out of this.

“The chase is a very important part of griffin culture,” Aqua said. “Part of their predator’s instincts means they don’t like things just handed to them.”

That’s dumb, but whatever. Once they had my picture taken, the organizer bundled me off to one of the buildings on the edge of the square. When we were safely ensconced within, we both let off sighs of relief. “I have to say, I’m impressed,” he said as he walked over to one of the walls, where there was a large pitcher of ice water. “Thirsty?”

“Unbelievably. I haven’t run like that in ages.”

He poured a glass of water and taloned it to me. I somehow grasped it with my hoof and started working on draining it. “Most ponies who enter want to lose. When I asked if you wanted to compete, you seemed… hesitant. From the looks of you, I’d say you’re a maid. Did you really want to compete or did you just want to keep your lady happy?”

“I had a lot of fun.”

“That’s a very impressive non-answer, little missy.” He took the empty glass from me and filled it up again. “I suppose it’s no business of mine, but if she’s mistreating you, this reward money means you can escape her. I’ll get you a check before you leave.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I started sipping at the water, though I was already feeling much better.

“Hm. Now, before we begin, there is one more option that usually never comes up. But as the sole winner, you have one more reward you can take.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“You have the opportunity to pleasure King Bloodbeak himself.”

“Oh.” I have to say, that was honestly kinda disappointing. “I heard he was sick. I wouldn’t want to risk hurting him.” Among dozens of other reasons.

“Perhaps that’s for the best. Well then, come along.” He led me into the next room, where there was a treasure trove of items. “Generally speaking, the rule is to only take one item. But there hasn’t been a winner in years and we had extra donations this year, so feel free to take a few things.”

I slowly looked over the items before walking up to a very nice looking bag. “Is this leather?” I asked.

“It is,” he said. “I’m surprised a pony knows what that is. It’s from a reindeer.”

As much as I hate the idea of a purse, I really need a bag to carry shit that I don’t have pockets for. That was the first thing I took, slinging it around my neck.

“A pony who knows how to escape a predator and likes leather? You’re a mare after my own heart!”

“I’m not like most ponies,” I sweetly replied as I continued to peruse the prizes. The next thing I grabbed was a very intricate bronze pocket watch. It had feathers carved all over it.

The last thing the guy let me grab was a pair of telephones. They were connected to each other with a fairly short wire, but I knew I could cut it and splice a much longer one on it. That way, I could run it from my room to the bottom floor so I could call for room service.

Once I had my prizes in hoof, the dude patted me on the back. “Again, I have to say that I’m impressed. You have a good sense of direction, lass. Here is a check for your bits. Feel free to cash it at any bank in Gryphus.” He taloned me a fancy looking check that I carefully slipped into the bag. I didn’t need the money, but I wasn’t going to say no to free gold. “Anyway, ready to head back out there?”

“Yes sir.” He grinned and opened the door. The crowd had dissipated slightly, but they still seemed happy to see me. Most of the other contestants were back in the ring, taking pictures with the griffin who caught them.

The one who caught Twilight held her up so that her backside was facing the camera and lifted her tail out of the way, letting them get a shot of what he had done to her. Now I’m really glad I didn’t lose. I started walking that way, since I still needed to meet up with her. By the time I made it, Twilight’s griffin was done for her and he took off.

When she saw me, her mouth dropped. “You… you… What happened?!”

“I won,” I replied with a cocky grin. “Did you have fun, my lady?”

“I… you… How?!”

“I ran,” I innocently replied.

“Wow.”

“So did you have fun, my lady?” I sweetly asked.

“I… Yes, Rosie, I had fun. I’m just still wrapping my head around the fact that you won!”

I looked over to our side, where the organizer was offering to hose the ponies off. It was probably the best they could do, in lieu of a shower. I turned my eyes back to Twilight and grinned. “Would you like to get cleaned off, my lady?”

She practically seethed as she replied, “No thank you, I believe I am fine.”

“Would you like to spend more time with the griffin who captured you?”

It took her a second to realize he had already left. When she did, she shook her head. “No, I don’t. Let’s move on, Rosie.”

“I’m right behind you, my lady!”

As we walked through more of the city, we quickly started noticing more and more lewd acts all around us. Most of them were relegated to alleys and all we heard were moans, but some griffins were a lot more open with it and were hanging out windows and hiding in low-hanging clouds. It was incredibly obvious that there was a ton of boning going on. I also started smelling a ton of boning going on. One of the many downsides of being a pony was the super sensitive nose.

“This culture is strange,” Aqua said. “In my experience, most nations stop celebrating fertility rituals once they become industrialized.”

I don’t see anything wrong with festivals like this. I’d rather sex be a more public, out in the open thing than a private thing anyway. Hiding away your sexuality is incredibly unhealthy and it leads to tons of problems. Hell, just look at America.

“I suppose there is some merit to that, but it still seems strange to have a weeklong festival dedicated to it.”

I dunno, I think the griffins have things figured out. This festival is neat.

“You would think so. Have you ever stopped to wonder if you might be addicted to sex again, Nav? It is something Flo did her best to cure you of once, but you’ve fallen right back into old habits.”

Which was at least partially her fault, since she kept giving me random orgasms.

“The point is, you’re back to using it as a coping mechanism.”

Yeah, I guess. It just so happens that I have several people willing to scratch that itch for me at the moment, so there’s no worry about me ever going through withdrawal.

“That’s a very unhealthy way to live your life. We might have to work on that.”

Eat a dick.

“See there? Your mind went straight to sex.”

I had to give her that one, but I didn’t have to be happy about it. Why is it that ignoring you is so much fun? That’s the part where she probably would have said something about me being a petty child. I wouldn’t know, because I was ignoring her.

Twilight picked up some pony-friendly food from a few vendors as we passed. The stuff smelled amazing, but I was still feeling pretty good from breakfast.

“So how did you really win?” Twilight finally asked. She didn’t sound as upset anymore, at least. “They swarmed me immediately!”

“They swarmed me, too. I dodged them.”

“How?! They were coming from all sides!”

“You’ve never had to dodge swords before. You pick up a sense for it. Several of them were able to grab me, but I was able to escape before we got above the building line.”

“I’m also kinda curious how you made it out of the district. I had the map, and I didn’t even have a chance to check it before they got me!”

“I took a few alleys for breathers. I knew the square was at the center of the district, so I went in as straight of a line as I could.”

“Hmph. Ugh, it feels so slimy!”

“I’m very sorry, my lady.” Except not really. Aqua giggled at that, for some reason. “So how was the griffin who caught you?”

She shivered. “Rough. Wonderfully rough. We didn’t even land! He just took me in the air! I’m disappointed you won, Rosie. You could use a good rutting.” I’ll say. “But don’t worry, there will be more chances soon!”

I can’t believe Twilight joined the mile high club before I did.

“You’re losing your edge,” Aqua said. “She’s becoming more of a slut than you are!”

I’ll have to step up my game.

“So what did you even win?” Twilight asked.

“A nice leather bag, a neat pocket watch, and a set of telephones. Oh, and a check for five hundred bits.” I’m sure she could see the bag, but everything else was stuffed inside of it. There wasn’t too much spare room, with the phones.

“Hmph. I think I got the better end of that deal.” The bag and everything in it suddenly vanished. “You can play with them when we get back to the inn. For now, your attention should be focused entirely on keeping me happy!”

“Yes, my lady,” I happily replied. Though we might need to have a talk about toning down the bitchiness.

Now that Twilight had eaten and gotten over losing, she seemed to be in a better mood. We stopped every few blocks to watch some surprisingly acrobatic griffin performers. In one case, we got to a square right as a big play was starting. She seemed interested, so we joined the crowd. Almost immediately after we joined the crowd, we found ourselves surrounded on all sides by friendly male griffins who wanted to cuddle with us. We stayed very warm throughout that play and as soon as the very lewd play was over, some of our cuddlers dragged us off to an alley for some fun.

When we were done with them, Twilight cleaned me off with magic, but very regretfully left herself to stew in their juices. We went back to walking through the city, but she was now noticeably leaking. That just piqued the curiosity of even more of the griffins and we both started getting more ponycalls.

It was part flattering and part creepy. I didn’t really know which part was larger.

We passed a large library that Twilight really wanted to enter, but she refused to go in while leaking like a whore. She did promise to go back when Gilda had me for the day, so I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get to go.

Several of the male griffins we passed were competing with each other in various ways. The most popular was wrestling. It seemed like there was always a smug looking female griffin standing by, presumably the prize of the competitions. We also ran into a few competing female griffins with happy looking male prizes.

The most interesting competition we ran into was the biggest dick size competition. Twilight and I actually stopped and watched that one, just for kicks and giggles. The guy who ended up winning made both of our mouths drop and his prize actually looked worried as he dragged her off. She wasn’t struggling, but she would definitely be walking sideways when he was done.

After a few hours had passed, we stopped to get more food and rested on a bench. It was splattered with questionable fluids in some places, so Twilight cleaned it before we sat down. Of course, it would probably need to be cleaned again after she got up, but that wasn’t our problem.

“So what do you think so far, my lady?” I asked.

“I think I’m not going to make any more bets,” she said. “I feel disgusting.”

“We could always go back to the inn.” If you’re just going to keep whining about it, that is.

“Hmph. Other than that, I’m having a good time. I was certainly expecting there to be more ponies, but I’m enjoying all the attention I’m getting. It’s about time I had hundreds of cute guys fawning over me.”

Even if most of their eyes are on me. “I’m glad you’re having fun, my lady.”

“You know, I bet we could get some of the griffins to compete for us, too. How does that sound, Rosie?”

“Why make them compete? Wouldn’t you prefer lying with all of them?” Burn.

She didn’t seem to take it as an insult, thankfully. “True. I suppose the griffins might be competing for the right to actually breed, so they likely wouldn’t do it for us. But I would like watching one claim you as his own personal toy…”

“My lady… no offense, but… you may have a problem.”

“What?!”

“Nothing! Nothing, my lady!”

“That is what I thought!” Tch, cunt. “Hmph, the nerve! I’ve half a mind to spank you, Rosie!” See, that’s why I think you have a problem.

I didn’t reply, either way. She walked off in a huff and I meekly followed. This punishment is gonna be fun!

And swift, as it happened. We had seen posters for events posted all over the place, but neither of us had really been paying attention. Now that she was out for blood, she started paying attention to them. Finally, we got to the largest billboard we had seen yet and she stopped. I wasn’t expecting it and almost bumped into her.

“I found out what we’re doing this afternoon, Rosie,” she said with a cruel smile. “We’re going to the auction!”

“The… auction?” I asked, walking up next to her. I finally realized that she was staring at something and followed her gaze to the advertisement. “...Oh.”

Apparently there was an auction going on in an hour or so. Volunteers could line up to be sold off to the crowd. The volunteer would be the special somepony of whoever paid for her… or him, apparently. It actually looked kinda interesting, but I was kinda worried about it.

“That might be… dangerous, my lady. Predators in heat are awfully possessive. They might not be interested in a no…”

“Then don’t say no, duh. Come on, Rosie! They wouldn’t let just anypony buy a lady! As if just anypony could afford me.”

“But… what about me?”

“You?” She looked me up and down and scoffed. “Who would want to buy you? I guess they can sell you off first, to whet their appetite.” She shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. We’re going!”

Well, if push comes to shove, I can protect myself better than the average person. And there’s always the escape spell. “Of course, my lady.”

“Now let’s see where it’s happening…” She shut up and pulled out the map to start looking for it.

Aqua finally giggled. “And if you truly become desperate, I can shut off the brain of anyone who tries assaulting you.”

Why the fuck did Flo never do that?

“Some of us care more about the sanctity of life than we do for our own followers. You are mine. I will never let anyone hurt you when it can be avoided, no matter the cost.”

So yeah, yandere much?

“Don’t question how I show my love. Just learn to love me back.”

Wow. Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. I really hope you ain’t holding your breath.

“Give it time, Navi. You’ll learn to love me, I promise.”

Way to make that sound super ominous. You know, I remember Blaze mentioning how elementals used—

“Blaze is a liar and you will not speak of his filth to me. Or… think of his filth to me."

Wow, way to add to the ominous feeling I have now.

“Don’t worry, that feeling won’t last long.”

Since she was just going to keep threatening me, I decided to do my best to tune her out again. Thankfully, she actually left me alone that time.

“Found it,” Twilight said. “Let’s go.” She started walking off and I jumped to obey. You know, I honestly don’t know what kind of griffin would buy a pony covered in cum and reeking of sex, pony lady or not. Then again, I also don’t know if any of them would be interested in a pony at all, if they were actually trying to breed.

But whatever. It would be interesting, either way.

The auction was halfway across the city, so it took us a good while to get there. The crowds just seemed to be picking up as the day went on and people started getting off work. By the time we got there, it felt like the entire city was out in the festival, getting drunk and having fun. We passed dozens of performers of all types. The place was definitely neat and I’d honestly enjoy it just as much without all the sex.

That said, though, the sex was definitely nice.

When we got to the square where the auction was happening, we found that it was filled up pretty nicely. The thing was beginning soon and it looked like several people already had placards to make bids with. Twilight and I walked up to the stage with quite a lot of fanfare. Ponies were an oddity, apparently, so I’m sure several of them were hoping to get us.

Well, me, anyway. Twilight looked disgusting.

The organizers also looked happy to see us. It looked like a set of griffin twins, both female. They both said the exact same thing when they saw us: “About time!”

“...Pardon?” Twilight asked.

“We’ve been looking for ponies for days!” one of them said. “You guys always fetch high prices!”

“This’ll be great for the charity!” the other added.

“What charity?” I asked.

“We’re buying new electric heaters for our hospital,” the first one replied. “They’re much more efficient and safer than the old ones. With you two, we should make enough for sure!”

“Well, if you’re here to volunteer, that is,” the other one meekly said. With that, they both turned some very compelling griffin sad eyes on us. Even if I hadn’t been planning on signing up, that might have done it for me.

“Of course we are!” Twilight said. “Anything for the foals of Gryphus!”

“It’s primarily a geriatric ho—” one started, but was cut off by an elbow to the ribs. She finished with a cute awkward smile.

“Perfect! If you’ll just come with me, we can fill out all the legal forms and get you two behind the curtain!”

She led us to a few tables on one of the sides of the stage, where we took turns filling out forms. Since both of us had fake names with no real backgrounds, it probably didn’t really amount for much. Still, rules are rules. Once we were both done with that bullshit, we got lifted up onto the really high stage, where we joined a crowd of griffins. Most of them were chicks, but there were a few guys in there as well.

When they saw us, they all clammed up and started whispering to themselves, sending occasional glares our way. I guess not everyone liked two really hot ponies walking around, taking all the male griffins for themselves.

None of them approached us personally, though. I can’t believe griffins wouldn’t confront us. I always figured they were more direct and confrontational.

“And afraid of magic,” Aqua said. “Remember, other races are very wary of unicorns. They have no idea what she can do.”

That doesn’t mean they have to turn into total pansies.

“Remember how you were around Celestia and Luna in the beginning, before you became comfortable.”

Meh. I’m certainly not complaining.

Not too long after we entered, another pony stepped up from behind the back curtains. This was the same guard from before. The dude looked surprisingly pumped for someone who was about to get sold off, but I chose to keep my opinion to myself. I kinda assumed he would gravitate toward us, but he actually joined the crowd of griffins to talk to some of them.

While I was waiting for them to start some shit with the poor guy, the curtains blocking us from the crowd suddenly ripped aside with no ado. Everyone quit their bitching and looked up to the crowd. One of the two twins was standing in front of a podium to the side and banging a gavel on it. The other was standing between us and the crowd, staring at them.

When the gavel chick stopped hammering away, the speaker chick said, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year’s auctions! Our proceeds will be going toward helping heat a hospital, so no bit is a wasted bit! We have some real treats for you tonight, my friends. I’m sure you can see all the beautiful griffins behind me, along with a few handsome ones for you ladies out there. I’m sure everyone out there in the crowd recognizes our special griffin guests, so they need no introduction. But we also happened to find three cute little ponies for you to play with, too! As you can see, one of them is a pretty little pure maid, perfect for treating you right. The other is a slutty little lady, perfect for pleasing you however you demand!” Fucking burn! I think. “And a real treat for any of you gentlemen out there who prefer partners a little more like you, we have a wonderful stallion just looking for a kind lover!”

There were a surprising amount of griffins out there who seemed to like that idea. I certainly didn’t hold it against them, but I did find it strange. Either way, they greeted the news with thunderous applause, though I’m sure the griffins with us on the stage were upset that we stole their spotlight just by being ponies.

That was their problem, though.

The twins started by selling the small fry. To no one’s surprise, the ugly and older female griffins were the least valuable. Most of the male griffins went next, fetching marginally better prices. Apparently a good chunk of them were gay, but some of them went home with chicks.

Finally, it was down to us three ponies, three griffin chicks, and one male griffin. One of the female griffins was called up, where we learned that she was apparently some kind of famous model. She definitely looked the part; every one of her feathers was perfectly in place, her body was perfectly groomed, and her beak seemed to shine. Bidding on her started fairly high and kept going for a while.

“You know, I bet I’ll fetch at least twice as much as you do, Rosie,” Twilight petulantly said.

“I’m happy to see that you’re so confident, my lady.” In your dreams, skank. I’m the one wearing a maid outfit, here.

“You know, I had a perfect idea for a bet, too. What do you say, Rosie?”

“What did you have in mind, my lady?”

Before she could reply, the model got sold. She flew off to her winner with a grin on her face, since it was a super sexy hunk of a griffin. The next up was another one of the female griffins, who was a popular noble. Her bidding started even higher and kicked off quickly.

Twilight giggled and continued, “If I win, I get to take a picture of you getting rutted by a griffin. If you ever disobey me, I’ll show your husband.”

“And if I win?” I asked.

“Tch, as if. Why would you need a prize? You get to serve me! That should be plenty good enough.”

“...So if I lose, you get to force me to do whatever you want. If I win, I get nothing.”

“Well, you win. Not that it’ll ever happen, of course!”

The noble was sold off and joined her new boyfriend for the day. The dude looked like he couldn’t believe his luck. Or maybe he couldn’t believe how light his pursestrings felt. The next one up was the last griffin chick, who turned out to be the most famous prostitute in the country. I had no idea prostitution was actually legal in Gryphus, but this chick was apparently living proof. Since she was so legendary, her bidding kicked off with a bang.

“My lady, no offense, but your bets are a little… unfair.”

“How dare you!”

“I’m sorry, my lady, but it’s true. I’m afraid I’m not interested in taking that one, though I do wish you luck.” You’re gonna need it.

She huffed. “Fine, be that way! But you mark my words, Rosie. They’ll pay at least twice as much for me!”

The whore auctioned off surprisingly quickly, by one dude who offered a ton of cash, well above everyone else. I guess he really wanted to get his dick wet for a premium.

For what it’s worth, I later found out that what he paid was a fraction of her usual price. She was apparently incredibly high dollar, which made me honestly rethink my life choices. Being a high class prostitute wouldn’t be too bad of a living.

Anyway, the male pony was next. Several male griffins sat up straighter when he was marched forward. He had a nervous grin on his face, but looked ready for anything. The bidding for him started heavily. There weren’t too many griffins trying to get him, but the ones who were really wanted him. Finally, a super gruff griffin with a single fake eye lifted a placard and called out a huge sum. He looked like the stereotypical grizzled bounty hunter, so I assume he just bagged himself a good prize. He easily won that bid, and the pony joined him with a huge smile.

Oddly enough, I felt the bounty hunter’s appraising eye on me for a moment. It was very uncomfortable, but it moved to Twilight quickly enough and I figured he was just seeing if he recognized us from any posters. That kinda made me feel worried for the guard, but then the bounty hunter grabbed the dude’s ass and pulled him away from the crowd. If he was reaching for the goods, I figured he just wanted to do some boning.

That left me, Twilight, and the griffin dude. Finally, they waved him forward, where we learned that he was actually one of the princes. It was incredibly flattering they thought we were worth more than he was, but it was even more surprising that a prince was willing to go on stage. All of them were married. That’s when the announcer mentioned that his lady wife allowed him to be sold as charity, as long as there was no undue hanky panky going on.

Now that bid took almost ten minutes and ended with someone paying around five hundred bits. The chick who claimed him looked ecstatic, but also kinda scared. I would be too, if I had just spent enough gold to buy a house just to get a boytoy for a single day that I couldn’t even fuck.

Still, it was her money. The prince flew her way with a very noble air.

“And now, for our most prized possessions,” the announcer said. “What do you think, guys? Who should we auction first? The lady or her maid?” I’m sure Twilight was expecting them to want to buy me first, since she thought I wouldn’t sell for as much. The look on the face when they all unanimously called for her was priceless. I couldn’t tell if it was disgust, surprise, or disappointment. “You heard ‘em, Lady Ivory! Step on up!”

To say that the bidding for her was lacklustre wasn’t honestly accurate. There were a lot of bids, but they were slow and the price didn’t go up very quickly. It didn’t seem like a super slutty lady was what everyone wanted, which just goes to show what Twilight knows about griffins.

Still, she got up to about six hundred bits before finally being sold to a very shifty looking griffin. As soon as he realized he won, he grinned widely and pulled out a leash and collar. Twilight almost blanched at that, but by the time she teleported over to him, she was back to wearing a grin. He placed the leash around her neck with a grin and started petting her mane. It was kinda creepy.

“That leaves our cute little pony maid!” the announcer said. I did my best to look nervous as I stepped forward. “Oh, look at her! She’s so adorable! Mm, I could just eat her up! For any hens out there who might feel the same, she said she’d be happy to be bought by either gender!” Well, Twilight actually checked that box for me, but I didn’t mind it.

Twilight and I were both incredibly shocked when the bidding for me started at five hundred bits. Just about everyone was shocked when one huge male griffin jumped to his feet before anyone else could speak up and yelled, “Fifteen hundred bits!” I know my mouth dropped and I was too busy staring at him in shock to see what Twilight was doing.

The only person who wasn’t shocked was the chick with the gavel, who slammed it on the podium once. That broke the spell over the crowd and she called out, “Fifteen hundred, going once.” There was a lot of murmuring, but no one said anything loud enough to count. “Going twice!” Several male griffins seemed awfully upset about that, but none of them had the cash to beat this guy out. “Sold, for fifteen hundred bits!”

Honestly, I kinda felt nervous. This huge guy just bought me for fifteen hundred bits. There’s no telling what he’d expect from me after spending that kind of cash. I barely noticed the crowd’s reaction or what the organizers were saying as I flew over to the guy, my stomach strangely full of butterflies. Or maybe worms. Not sure which.

When I landed in front of him, I realized the dude was about twice my size, most of which was muscle and fluff. He was grinning widely at me. “H-hello, s-sir,” I quietly said.

“Oh, you’re perfect!” he said. “What’s your name, miss?” Miss? Maybe he’s not gonna tie me up in a rape dungeon.

“My name is Rose Charm, sir. My lady calls me R-Rosie…”

“A cute little name for a cute little mare. Well come on, Rosie. First we’ll pay them, then we’ll head to my house.” And now we’re back to the rape dungeon idea.

“Yes s-sir,” I said, my ears twitching.

“Now, now, no need to worry,” he said. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.” Well, he’s definitely not going to spend fifteen hundred bits on a mare just to turn around and murder her. His tone seems decent, at the very least.

“I trust him,” Aqua said. “He definitely isn’t lying.”

That’s not very comforting, coming from you, but thanks for the contribution or whatever.

“You should trust me, Nav. I would never do anything to harm you, you know that. I want you to stay perfectly safe so we can be together forever!”

I can really feel the love.

For the first time since she got in my head, she felt warm. “I’m so happy to hear you say that, Nav, even if you are just being a sarcastic little shithead. You’ll learn to really mean it in time, though.”

Maybe. But right now, I hate you. She giggled, unsurprisingly.

Once the dude finished writing his fifteen hundred bit check, he turned back to me with a large grin on his face. “Are you ready to go, Miss Rosie?”

“Yes sir,” I said, feeling marginally more confident.

“Then shall we, dear?” He spread his wings and took off. I joined him a moment later. “Right this way!” His uncomfortably large talons very carefully grasped my hoof and he started flying off. As we left, I saw Twilight and the griffin who bought her walking away to an alley and surrounded by other male griffins. It looked like some of them were counting out bits, so I kinda wondered if her temporary owner was planning on whoring her out.

That was her problem, though. She was perfectly capable of escaping that situation if she wanted.

My problem was rapidly leading me further into the city. His talon felt sweaty, which is surprising because I didn’t think talons could sweat. What could he possibly have to be nervous about? He just spent enough money on me to buy three modest houses in Canterlot, according to Luna. Does he think I’m not going to put out?

“Some people get nervous around attractive members of the opposite sex,” Aqua said. “And you happen to be very attractive. You also look relatively pure and delicate in your mostly unblemished maid outfit. He might be worried about hurting you on accident.”

What a pansy. She snorted in disgust, of course. Once we got clear across the city and into the outskirts, he started descending. Where we were, there weren’t many houses and each one was massive, at least the size of my house near the Everfree. He landed in front of one such house.

“Well, here we are,” he said with a nervous grin.

“It’s beautiful,” I said. It was kinda a lie, but not really. “Who else lives with you?”

“Oh, it’s just me,” he said. You live in this huge house all by yourself? What the shit, man? “You… wanna see the inside?”

“You bought me fair and square, sir. I’m here to make you happy. So if you want to go in, we’ll go in!”

For some reason, his wings started twitching at that. “R-right. Let me just get the door…” I followed him up to it and he fiddled with his key chain for a moment before finding the correct one and swinging the door open for us. The first room we entered was a cozy living room. Every wall was lined with bookshelves and each one was completely full of books. Several more books were stacked up all over the place, including the furniture. “Oh, um, let me just…”

He scurried over to the largest couch and grabbed a pile of books to move it. There really wasn’t room for it anywhere, so he stacked it on top of another pile. “Do you need any help?” I asked.

“N-no, I’m fine. It’s just—” He was interrupted by the stack of books falling over directly toward me. The thing was so large that I had to step out of the way to avoid being flattened. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?!”

My attention was a little focused on something else at the moment. One of the books that fell caught my eye and turned my blood straight to ice. It was a manga. As I took in the details of the cover, I realized that it was specifically a manga about a cute pony maid serving a griffin master. Oh god no.

When I didn’t reply, his eyes followed mine and he chirped in surprise, which I guess is what griffins do instead of squeak. Before saying anything, he dove across the room to snatch the magazine up. Once it was safely in his talons, he literally tossed it across the room to get rid of it faster. “So uh… Miss Rosie, I…”

“I wasn’t aware that any griffins knew about… manga.”

“You… you know about it too?”

“It was popular in Canterlot for a little while. My lady dabbled in it a little. I don’t really know anything about it, though.”

“Well… What do you t-think about it?”

I shrugged. “What others choose to enjoy is no business of mine. I don’t have to share an interest in something to understand that others like it.” But if you go full weeb on me, I might have to bail.

He actually sighed in relief. “W-what about… c-cosplay?”

“Isn’t that where you dress up as characters from the manga?”

“Yeah!”

I shrugged again. “I have no strong feelings one way or another.”

“Oh…”

“Is something the matter, sir?”

He sighed again and said, “I was kinda hoping that you would actually be interested in it, instead of just ambivalent… There aren’t many griffins I can talk to about it. I was hoping a real pony maid would share my interest without judging me for it.”

“I’d still be happy to do whatever you had planned, sir! You did buy me, after all. I’m here to serve you in whatever way you need!” That said, I’d prefer servicing your cock to being your maid.

“R-really?”

“Yes sir! Or… should I say my lord?” He blushed bright red and I giggled. “I’ll happily be your perfect cute little pony maid for the day, my lord!”

“And… do w-whatever I ask?”

“I live to serve you, my lord,” I sweetly replied. “I’ll wear whatever you want… or nothing at all. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll follow every single order you give with a smile on my face!”

His wings were twitching even more and his blush finally started moving down his neck. “E-every s-single order?”

“With a smile on my face,” I confirmed with a nod.

After several seconds of awkward staring, his wings shot out and he yelled, “It’s gonna be just like my fanfics!” Oh dear god no. For several long seconds, all I could hear was the sound of Aqua laughing at me. Finally, he cleared his throat and his wings eased down. “Um… You don’t… you don’t know what fanfics are, do you?”

“I’m afraid not,” I instantly lied.

He breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank Celestia…” I blinked in surprise. “Oh, I guess most griffins don’t say that, huh? Sorry, it’s something I picked up from the manga…”

“Never apologize for being who you are, my lord,” I said. “Now how shall I begin serving you, hm?”

The huge grin on his face made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. Well, at least I won Twilight’s bet. She’s probably having a lot more fun right now than I am, though…