"It's going to be another boring day…"
>The man heaved a small sigh and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror.
"Just smile, you've got a bunch of customers who come just for you nonny."
>Despite what he said, Anon kept the look of misery and grunted in frustration. He couldn't help but dread another day at the coffee shop he managed.
>The ring of his phone distracted him from his miserable state, and he rushed out the door to get on the road.
"Just remember that you are needed. They can barely make it through two days without you Anon."
>It was the only way he got through his day at all. The one thing that trapped him in that place was the same thing he hated about it. That he was vital to its ability to function.
>As he stepped out of his house the light blinded him. Odd since it was supposed to be dark out at three in the morning.
>By the time he had focused his eyes he was standing in a field of white. The warm feel of his home now replaced by the cold bite of snowy winds.
"Wh-what the fuck?!" Anon hugged himself in an effort to warm up and began to look around.
>The only thing in sight that could offer him some respite from the winds was a small cave on the side of a rock formation.
>He ran to the cave and stopped just inside the entrance to look out at the new land before him.
"Ok, ok, maybe… maybe you're just dreaming? Y-yeah that's gotta be it, there's no way you just walked out your door into"
>THWACK
>Anon felt a dull pain in the back of his head, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
> "Hey boss, I got something!"
>Anon's eyes slowly closed as a large hoofed figure stepped closer to his face.
>Slowly he came in and out of consciousness, the images of mythical creatures flashing before his eyes and when he finally awoke he found himself chained in a dark room.
"Wh-where am I?!" Panic had set in, and he pulled against the manacles which dug into his wrists painfully.
>Anon pulled and pulled to no avail. It felt like an eternity before the wall opened up in front of him.
> "Awake at last. Good, good. I hope my…guards weren't too rough on you."
>The shadowy figure lit a match and used it to light a couple of torches on either side of the room.
"Wh-where? No, what… what are you?" He squinted his eyes as the features of the figure became more and more clear.
> "Don't tell me you've never seen a griffon before. Besides, I think that question more appropriate for you. I've never seen anything quite like you in all of Equestria!"
>The griffon traced his claw along the human's shirt, lifting it in the process.
> "Yes, this will work quite nicely." He smiled and studied the features of the human in front of him.
>By no means was he muscular, but he was toned enough from all the heavy lifting he would do at work.
"Uhh, Wh-what are you…" The grin the griffin gave had caused anon to shiver and back away from the claw as best he could.
> "I'm simply examining my goods. Starting today, I now own you." He let the shirt fall back into place and grabbed the human to turn his head. "You have features much like a Minotaur; hopefully you're just as strong."
>Anon shook his head to break the grip which only caused the griffin to grip his throat instead.
> "I see I wasn't clear enough. Let me rephrase; Starting today, your life is mine, and I can end it anytime I wish."
>The fire danced in the griffin's eye as he moved closer to the human, giving him a fierce and frightful look.
>Anon sat stock still, his eyes fearfully locked on the griffin's own.
> "That's a nice look on you. I do hope I get to see many, many more like it." The Griffin broke out into laughter and turned for the door.
"W-wait, where am I? How did I get here?!"
>The griffin grinned and walked out only to be replaced by two minotaurs. Quickly the two undid the chains holding him to the wall, and they used them to pull Anon to his feet.
>They gave a surprised look when they realized he was a bit taller than they were.
"Get the fuck off me!" Anon tackled the one to his right only to receive a quick blow to the kidney from the other.
>One minotaur held him in place while the other took repeated body shots at him with a smile. Only once Anon had gone completely limp did they stop.
> "That'll teach you to pick a fight with us." Using the chains connecting to his wrists they dragged him along to another room and tossed him in.
>Anon laid in the middle of the dimly lit room limply. Had it not been for a flicker of movement from the corner he might have drifted off.
> "What are you?" The figure moved just out of his sight, and he could hear the clopping of something hard against stone.
> "You look like a minotaur, but not quite…" The feminine voice was somewhere behind him and gasped as anon tried to move to see her.
>The human crawled slowly towards the torchlit wall and propped himself upright against it. His eyes wandering around the room until a Magenta colored pony stepped into view.
"I've finally gone crazy… I knew all those extra shifts were gonna be the end of me." Anon shut his eyes and held his frown. "Never thought I'd see ponies talk though."
> "They must have hit you really hard because ponies could always talk."
>She took a few tentative stepped towards him and studied him carefully.
>His broad shoulders and height gave her quite a lot to be afraid of, yet she felt something so alluring about him.
"Where am I?" He spoke quietly since he noticed she seemed somewhat afraid of him.
> "I wish I could say. I don't think we're in Equestria, but we might be on one of the borders."
"Equestria? Where on earth is that?" Anon shifted slightly causing the pony to jump back.
> "E-e-earth? Is that where you're from?" She stopped at the edge of the light and stared at him wide-eyed.
>He sat quietly for a moment to contemplate her words and work on the random events he had been through.
‘Ok, walked through the door to head to work. Blinding light and then my house and town were just gone, then I get hit by something and wake up to talking animals.'
>Anon groaned and rubbed his temples in frustration. Nothing made sense to him; it was almost as if he stepped through the portal to Narnia.
"You asked me what I was; I'm guessing it's safe to say there aren't any humans in this ‘Equestria' place."
>She shook her head "No, can't say I've heard of a hyu-min. The closest I've seen to you is a minotaur."
"Can you at least tell me what this place is?"
>The pony shuffled uncomfortably and looked around the room. "It's… well… it's a-a black market. One that deals in-in slaves."
>Anon's eyes widened, and he sat up straight.
"Wait, no, hold on. Slaves? You're telling me yesterday I was in my bed, I walked out my door found myself in this strange place, and now I'm a slave?"
>She nodded slowly. "I-I don't know about all that, but yes."
>Fear started to sink in, and he stood up to pace around the room.
"Not real, can't be, no, all a dream, yes, that's it, a bad nightmare." Anon kept repeating his words almost like a mantra as he paced in his little circle.
> "It is real. You are here in this Celestia forsaken pit." The pony stood resolutely and watched the human with sad eyes.
>He flipped around on his heels and stared at her for long seconds. Every part of his mind wanted to just scream at her, but her pitiable expression gave him pause.
> "I didn't want to believe it when I found myself here either, but the sooner you accept it, the better."
>He shook his head and continued pacing for a few moments before sighing and sitting back down near her.
"How do we get out of here?" His eyes searched her face for an answer, but he already knew based on the sudden droop of her ears and shoulders.
> "You don't. Some of the slaves have been here for years, but hey… at… at least we're alive…"
>Anon looked at her, pitying her for whatever she went through to feel that way.
"I uhh, never introduced myself. My name is Anonymous, but people call me Anon."
> "O-oh, right. Where are my manners? I'm Jasmine Leaf." She extended a hoof out towards him which he fist bumped in turn.
“Your name kinda reminds me of work. Like Jasmine tea.” He smiled at the thought of having a cup of hot tea.
>She turned to show her flank to the human. “That’s actually what I got my cutie mark for. I used to sell tea leaves in ponyville.”
>Anon mouthed the word ponyville and shook his head to stay on track
“I ran a coffee and tea shop back home, and I love tea but… I dunno. I kinda hated that place. Course this isn’t a better alternative, being a slave.”
>A shiver ran down Anon’s spine as he thought about what the griffin had said.
“Hey uhh, I won’t…. I won’t be a sex slave or anything right? That Griffin seemed to be a little…”
>Jasmine sat on her haunches and tilted her head. “Griffin? Oh! You must mean Giancarlo. If you’re his slave, I wouldn’t put it past him. He’ll sell to anypony as long as the bits flow.”
“All the more reason I’m gonna find a way out then.”
>Anon groaned as he lay on his side against the smooth stone floor. It didn’t take long before a pleasant warmth replaced the pain, and he realized Jasmine and cuddled up to his chest.
“What are you doing?” He didn’t try to push her away, mostly because he didn’t have the energy, but partly because he enjoyed the sensation.
> “It’s a little chilly, and none of the others are back yet. You don’t mind do you?”
>Her pale cyan eyes glimmered in the low light of the fire and Anon couldn’t help staring into them.
“Uhh, n-no, it’s fine, I guess.” He stammered out the words and wrapped an arm around his new companion.
>What seemed like hours had passed before more slaves were brought into the cell, and the minotaur guards were trying to get Anon to his feet.
> “Get up! It’s time for your training.” The gruff voice of the beast was all that could be heard in the room.
“Training?” The human rose to his feet, and despite not wanting to show his pain, he winced at some of the bruises from the previous day.
>With a grunt he pulled the chains to guide the human along. “You are to be trained and then sold; if you’re lucky you might be sold as an exotic pet!”
>Anon paid him no mind and instead used this time to examine his surroundings now that he was in a state to do so.
>The walls of the hallways were intricately carved, and though it didn’t look old, it was certainly done in an old-fashioned way.
>The tunnel led out into a larger dome-shaped room that held multiple pathways, each marked with what Anon assumed was a secret code.
>He barely had time to make out the code of the hall he was led down, and in a few short minutes, he arrived at another large room.
> “Ah! I was just talking about you. How’s my newest slave feeling?” Giancarlo stood with a bug looking pony.
>After remaining silent for a few moments the griffin shrugged. “I guess I shouldn’t expect too much out of you yet. I know it will change with time.”
>The Griffin gave a subtle nod to the bug-creature and began heading for the exit of the cavern room.
> “Oh, by the way, make sure you get information before you put him in the device, hmm? I wouldn’t want anything important being lot due to the difference in hi physiology.”
>The creature huffed and rolled his eyes. “I know. Just leave it to me, you pompous ass.”
>Its horn lit up, and the shackles around Anon’s wrists fell to the floor, and he reveled in having his hands free for a moment after the griffin had finally left the room.
> “Now, state the name of your race, your typical diet, notable skills, and where you are from.”
>Anon stared at the creature for a few seconds, trying to discern if it would be worth it to take his chances and run now.
> “Ah, that’s a look I’ve not seen in a few months. We haven’t had as many slaves as of late, and the ones we do have already understand the futility of trying to fight back.”
>The man was a little shocked at the bug’s ability to read him, though he always wore his heart on his sleeve.
> “Why don’t we try it this way then. I am what is known as a changeling, a shape-shifting creature that can fly and use magic. My name is Calcar. Now, would you answer my questions?”
>As he studied the insect before him it he decided that going against these creatures would only hurt any chances of escape. For now, he needed to keep a low profile and wait for a good moment.
“I’m a human from America; I normally eat meat, fruit, nuts, and vegetables; I have managing, tech repair, and food-based skills.”
> “A-mare-ica? Where on the map is that? Can you point to it?”
>A large map floated his way, causing the human to watch in wonder. Even as the green aura dissipated, he couldn’t shake the feeling of awe he had at seeing something that looked like real magic.
> “What, you’ve never seen magic before?”
“No,” anon stated with a shake of his head. “Magic doesn’t exist where I’m from. I wonder then…”
>When he finally scanned it over, he noticed none of the landmasses shown even looked a bit like anything he had seen on earth.
“This… doesn’t have any of the continents of my home. That…” His head turned, and he looked Calcar in the eyes. “How did I get here, not just to this place, but here in general?”
> “Allow me to try something.” He stepped forward and placed the end of his horn against the human’s forehead. For a moment it continued to glow brighter and brighter, till it flickered out and the bug let out a snort of irritation.
“Err… what was that supposed to do? I don’t… feel any different or anything.”
>While he was taking stock of himself, the bug had begun to write something down and recompose himself.
> “It doesn’t matter now, it didn’t work. From what I understand of what you said, you come from a different world. That’s not unheard of, as there are summoning spells that have been used in the past.”
>He neglected to tell the human that such things had been so ancient they were forgotten. They were all but lost to time, or so the bug thought.
> “Let’s move on, shall we? That… Griffin,” he began, trying his best to avoid speaking insults, “wants me to put you in a device that will scan you. It will tell us a bit more about your strengths, weaknesses, etc.”
>It troubled Anon a little, knowing that it would show the others how worthless a human was when compared to a being with magic, but he let Calcar lead him without a struggle.
>The room he was brought into was smaller than the previous room, with a door that led into what looked like a small viewing room. The “device” as they referred to it, was almost reminiscent of a CT scanner. It was only once he got closer that he noticed the accompanying table had leather straps, meant to hold whoever was going into the device down.
>Catching the human’s unease, the bug smiled and stepped to one side of the little table.
> “The straps make it look a bit scary, but that’s just a precautionary measure, I assure you. Some creatures have had an… adverse reaction to the scan.”
>It didn’t exactly inspire confidence in the human since he figured that anything could happen as far as magical devices go.