Belle
 
>You lie inert in the pitch darkness
>Your mind still fairly numb from the punch you’d taken earlier
>It was no soft punch either
>That fucker laid into you
>Which might explain the relentless throbbing that’s lingered in your head for the past couple hours
>And the dazed “half-asleep”, fuzzy brain feeling as well
>You have no idea where you ended up afterwards, as you’d blacked out for a moment soon thereafter
>But given the rough, inconsistent surface beneath you
>And the… smell.
>You can assume they tossed you in the dumpster
>This cold, silent, eerie dumpster…
>Maybe a more reasonable fellow would try to find his way out
>Make an attempt to adequately pursue their will to live
>But you were most definitely not that fellow
>Your body has tossed in the towel at this point
>After the events that played out tonight, you were quite content with being in this dumpster
>What you saw
>What they did to you
>What they tried to do to you…
>What they WERE doing to the others
>Your stomach starts to feel nauseous again at the memories of what was seen
>You knew the things people were capable of, but you never expected…
>Never mind, don’t think about it
>The guilt of knowing what little you did to help the others is too much
>All you can do now is… well… die in this dumpster you suppose
>A few more hours slowly pass, or what you assume to be hours
>You can’t really tell in the dark
>Your physical state hasn’t really improved much
>You found yourself groaning here and there just to cope with the endless waves of pain
>Though the groans seemed broken and scratchy, almost as if your vocals were shot
>They did hold you by the neck pretty tight at one point…
>You guess it doesn’t matter much now though
>You won’t be needing vocals when the garbage truck comes to pick you up and squish you into a tiny trash cube
>Which, if time continues to move as slowly as it has been, you assume to happen in about a decade
>You couldn’t have been in here for more than 4 – 5 hours but it seemed like years
>Not having anything but your thoughts makes time drag painfully slow
>And slow is the worst kind of torture…
>But, just as all hope seemed to be fading
>The lid to the dumpster flew open to reveal a peaceful night sky above
>The light so tame your eyes are hardly fazed by its presence
>But before you could fully adjust your vision to the world being let in, you see a large, round, silhouette of a trash bag being tossed in above you
>And with a moment’s notice, the bag lands directly on your face
“Eep!”
>O-ouch…
>Was that your eep?
>Goodness, that’s a noise you’ve never heard come from your vocals before
>You take a second to regain yourself, the throbbing of your head now even more intense courtesy of the trash bag
>A few long blinks and heavy breaths later, you redirect your gaze upward again to find the dumpster is still open
>Not only that, but there’s a silhouette of a person staring down at you
>Wait…
>Oh no…
>You reflexively curl yourself up in defense, your body entering an instant “fight or flight” at the sight of them
>They came back for you
>They aren’t done with you
>You quiver helplessly and hide your eyes with your… forelegs?
>Either way, it would hurt less if you didn’t see it
>Or at least that’s what you made yourself believe
>”Oh… my god.”
>You hear it speak
>Which only scares you even more
>There was no will to retain your composure, you lost that long ago
>So you freely allow pitiful squeaks and whimpers to escape your lips at the sound of its voice
>You know it won’t deter them, but what else were you to do?
>You were utterly helpless
>You knew it, and so did they
>And at this point you could care less
>Just make it quick…
>With your eyes still shut, you hear movement
> Assuming they’re meant to hurt you, you embrace for impact, all the muscles in your body tensing as if to prepare for a final blow
>But… it never comes
>There is no pain
>Instead, the feeling of two, warm arms slowly wrapping themselves around your body registers in your mind
>Wait… W-wha..?
>”ShhhhhhhShhhh, it’s okay, sweetheart.”
>The arms then carefully begin to lift you from your spot in the dumpster
>Like they were handling the most fragile artifact in the world
>Who was this?
>She was obviously female, but was she not here to hurt you?
>Her voice was so... soft
>Mesmerizing almost
>You feel a hand rest itself atop your head, digging into your new lengthy hair and giving it a few gentle scratches
>You can’t tell if this is a sick tease, or if this person is really here to help you
>Either way, you can’t stop shaking, and your lips still can’t seem to conceal the whimpering
>On top of all it, you feel a new wave of unwarranted tears running down your face
>She seems to note your escalated distress, and pulls you closer to her, positioning you into a cradle
>”It’s going to be alright little one, you’re okay.”
>Her words of reassurance still not convincing you
>As much as your body begs for you to calm, you just can’t
>You’ve nowhere near enough energy to resist anything, so instead you weep like a child
>You want her to put you back
>You’d already accepted your fate in the dumpster
>You were committed
>But along comes her
>Your worry is completely futile though, as she begins to walk away from the dumpster with you held securely in her arms
>She’s taking you somewhere
>God no, please
>You’ve had enough for one night
>Can’t they just let you die?
>You watch fearfully as she walks only a few steps from the dumpster to sit down on a box
>Her motherly cooing and calming strokes persist as she makes herself comfortable
>”Poor girl, you must be exhausted. It’s been a long night for you, hasn’t it?”
>That would be an understatement
>And you’re certain she’s here to make it even worse
>But before you’ve time to conjure more panic-inducing thoughts, she begins to hum a soft, motherly, tune
>Much like a lullaby a mother would sing to her child
>The melody so entrancing, you almost immediately find yourself succumbing to it
 >You thought you’d been putting up a good fight, but before long your quivering had almost completely ceased and your tears nearly dried
>Keeping your eyelids open soon becomes an impossible task
>And without much thought, your body begins curls itself up as its lack of energy finally calls for you to rest
>Your instinct screams resistance, but your body begs for sleep
>”Get some rest, little one. You’ll be safe, I promise.”
>And with that very little bit of assurance, you gradually lower your eyelids
>”That’s it, good girl.” She coos
>Good girl?
>You guess you can’t really expect her to know any better
>Maybe if you were more conscious you’d care about correcting her
>Or rather, telling her what happened to the “real” you
>But all that matters now is closing your eyes an—
>ZZZzzz
 
------
 
 
>”Anon, hold still you fuckin… agh!”
>They try to keep you pinned, but your squirming seemed to be doing the trick
>Though you weren’t sure how much longer you could keep this up
>”Guys, a little help!?” One of them pleads
>Two other figures move toward you
>You had the strength to hold off a couple, but any more would be challenge
>Your energy was already running pretty thin
>”Put him the fuck down!”
>The reinforcements wrap their arms around you and shove you to the floor with brute force
>Your head rings as it bashes against the concrete, stars flooding your vision
>”Thank you… Jesus.” One says trying to catch his breath.
>”What do we do with him?” Asks another
>”Fuckin’ knock him out or something.”
>”No.” A third voice responds from across the room, “I want this one to feel it.”
>You’re too dazed to comprehend what he’s referring to
>Instead, you try to roll to your stomach in an attempt to stand yourself
>But as soon as you make the slightest movement, a foot is pressed against your chest, pinning you to the floor
>The pressure squeezes the air from your lungs, rendering any potential efforts completely useless
>Through your hazy vision you can see a figure approach your position on the ground, wielding what seems to be a large syringe
>”Don’t move Anon, it’ll only make it hurt more…”
>The figure then kneels down by your side
>He grips one of your arms and lifts it up
“I…”
>You struggle to speak through your loss of breath
“I… I thought we were cool!”
>He then primes the needle, setting the tip lightly atop the skin
>”I’m sorry Anon…”
>And just before you could witness the needle being lunged into your skin, your eyelids dart open to reveal a world not conjured by your imagination
>Deep breathes rapidly being taken to help satisfy your sudden, desperate heartrate
>You look about worriedly, trying to scan the environment around you
>But the light you’re met with is too much to focus on anything
>You squint to try and make out your surroundings through the light
>But before you have any time to focus on anything, you’re hoisted into the air by two alien appendages
>”Goodness! Was someone having another bad dream?”
>You seize up in mild shock
>She really needs to stop grabbing you so suddenly after waking up from nightmares…
>Familiar fingers brush themselves through your mane as she coos to calm you from your ritualistic panic attack
>It works though, every time
>Your heartbeat slows to a steady pace as your urge to breathe rapidly is soothed alongside it
>It’s been a little under a week since the dumpster event
>And you’d taken refuge in the female’s house
>Somewhat against your own will, but you figured it was better than dying in the dumpster
>She carts you over to the kitchen where, for the past few mornings, she’s fed you a nice breakfast and assisted you with drinking
>Holding a glass with hooves wasn’t something easily done
>But rather than sitting you on the counter-top as per usual, you’re gently plopped to the floor in the dining area, just outside the kitchen
>Odd…
>She walks out of sight for a moment before returning with a bowl and resting it in front of you
>”Soooooo, I know you’ve had a little trouble with drinking, so I figured I’d leave a bowl of water out just in case you get thirsty while I’m gone!” She chirps with a nervous smile
>You give her an unamused look in retort
>Her smile collapses and she gives a defeated sigh
>”Whaaaat?”
“I told you, I’m not a pet.” You respond with a flat tone
>”You know that’s not the message I’m trying to send, sweetheart.”
“You want me to drink water from a bowl for christ sake!”
>You direct your gaze slightly to the side to avoid eye contact with her, releasing a small sigh
>A brief silence consumes the room as you look away
>”Well that’s new.”
“W-what?”
>”You didn’t protest me calling you ‘sweetheart’ this time.”
“O-oh yeah. I don’t know… I guess it’s kind of… comforting.”
>You can see a warm smile grow on her face from the edge of your peripherals
>”Well, don’t expect it to stop anytime soon, little miss.”
>You squish your eyes in a wince at hearing “miss”
>You’d protest that one too, but it wouldn’t make her stop anytime soon
>It’s probably one of those things where your unintentional cuteness rivals how you really wish to be treated
>She then moves into the kitchen once more, exiting your field of view as you continue to look away
>”So are you okay with the water bowl, at least just for now?” She asks from the other room
“I… I guess.” You answer, unsure of what toll this new tier of degradation might actually take on you
>”Good!”
>She then strolls back into view with another, larger bowl
>”Then I hope you don’t mind me doing the same with your food.”
“Oh come on!”
 
------
 
>”Are you sure you’ll be okay holding down the fort while I’m gone?”
“Yes, Claire, I’m mo—“
>”Ahem…”
”Err… yes MA’AM. I’m more than capable of doing literally nothing all day.”
>”What’s with the tood, miss?”
>You roll your eyes and turn around to walk off
“Just leave, you’re going to be late.”
>She gives a little huff before promptly shutting the door behind her as she scurries off
>Today was her first day back to work since you’d woken up in this house
>Which, if you’d been counting correctly, was a little short of 2 weeks ago
>And as much as you wish you could say you were enjoying it, you were miserable
>You can’t thank her enough for rescuing you from the dumpster and providing care until a solution was found
>But that didn’t warrant absolute content on your end
>You missed your old self
>You missed your old life
>Your friends
>Your family
>Your apartment
>Fingers
>Toes
>Male… genitals
>The only way to cope was to just not think about it
>And in addition to your longing for your old life, the way she treated you was starting to drive you insane
>Everyday it seemed there was some new test
>Something more she could do to take another jab at your dignity
>You weren’t sure if it was intentional or not, but either way it was getting old real fast
>She’d always say things like “sweetheart, miss, good girl” despite knowing you weren’t actually a girl
>And she had also started calling you “Belle” because for some weird reason you reminded her of her favorite Disney princess
>You hated it so much but you figured fighting it would be useless
>For all the help she’s given you, the least you could do was let her call you a few names
>And they weren’t THAT bad… were they?
>They were meant to be warm and comforting
>She knows you’ve been through a lot…
>And every time she called you a good girl…
>You lightly knock yourself on the head with a hoof
>No they definitely WERE that bad, you aren’t a sweetheart, you’re Anon, not some stupid mare
>The same Anon that likes to waste away on video games with his stupid, edgy, neckbeard friends
>The same Anon that likes fart jokes and getting wasted before blowing things up with fireworks
>The same Anon that was… gaining weight from severe depression
>Wait a minute…
>You’re alone, right?
>You haven’t really had much of a chance to fully see yourself yet
>I mean, you’ve had glimpses here and there
>But nothing beyond that
>Mostly to keep yourself from freaking out
>But it’s almost been 2 weeks...
>Hmmm…
>Without much thought, you trot yourself to the bedroom of your temporary female ‘roommate’
>Upon entering, you raise a hindleg to gently kick the door shut behind you, revealing a full body mirror
>With a deep breath, you mentally prepare yourself before turning around to face the mirror
>….
>D-damn
>No wonder Claire couldn’t stop calling you sweetheart
>You were… adorable
>Turning your body to the side, you give yourself a full view of the length of your figure
>And you were a skinny girl too
>You’d expected ponies to have a little more padding
>But then again you’ve not eaten much these past couple weeks
>And you can’t say you really missed your beer-belly all that much either
>You fall back to your haunches
>It was so hard to believe you now looked almost identical to something you’d find yourself jacking off to 3 weeks ago
>You had been terrified of seeing yourself in fear of losing your shit
>But right now you were actually kind of…. Proud
>I mean, if you’re going to be stuck as a mare, might as well be a cute one, right?
>You felt a giant weight being lifted off your shoulders
>A worry you couldn’t pinpoint was now suddenly gone
>A sense of liberation
>You turn back around to face the mirror one more time
>And the pony staring back at you had a little smile on her face
>Hehe
>What a cutie~
 
--------
 
>”Belle! Did you use my computer?” Claire calls from across the house
“Uhm, N-no! You told me not to!”
>”Then why am I signed in to Anon’s twitter?”
>O-oh shit
>You forgot to sign out of your twitter!?
>You fucking dumbass!
>You’re fucked
>You’re so fucked
>You hear a few heavy footsteps before Claire rounds the corner, promptly stopping in the doorway to stare down at you
>Naturally, you sink a little bit under her shadow, your ears falling to hide themselves
>”What exactly were you doing on twitter, hm?”
>Your mindless lounging suddenly became an interrogation
>An interrogation you were sure to lose
“I-I… uhm… f-funny pictures and… stuff…”
>She lowers herself down to kneel at your height, placing a finger under your chin
>”You’re lying, sweetie.”
“S-so? Why does it matter? I-I’m not a pet, I have freedoms.”
>”But you’re in my house.”
“B-but tha—“
>”Unless you’d like to sleep out in the cold, I’d start talking.”
>You purse your lips as you’re given an ultimatum
>Knowing she’ll be mad either way, you decide to go the route that likely ends in you not sleeping outside
“I-I uh…”
>”Yes?”
“I sent your address t-to my friend. H-he said he could help change me back.”
>”You what!?”
>You wince as she raises her voice
“I-I thought it would help! I don’t want to be like this forever!”
>”How do you know he’s not lying? He could just be leading you on to lure into a kidnapping or something!”
“B-but he won’t! I Prom—“
>”Do you remember how beat-up you were the night I found you?”
“I-I know but—“
>”You were a mess! It’s a wonder you’re even alive right now!”
“LET ME TALK.” You snap, stomping a hoof to the ground with a little ‘clop’
>Her entire being ceases
>The size of her eyes rivaling those of a tarsier
>You hated confrontation
>And for that reason you’d always been a rather quiet gir—p... pony…. Guy…
>But this wasn’t an argument you were about to hand over
>With the adrenaline of what you’d just done pumping through your bloodstream, you decide to roll with the momentum
“Y-you don’t know what I w-went through!”
>She raises a brow
 “Th-they were abusing the others, taking advantage of them! I-I threatened to rat them out for what they were doing, s-so they did it to me!”
>Your body starts to quiver as your composure begins to lose its stability
>Meanwhile Claire’s expression grows more worrisome with each word you speak
”Th-they beat me up! Choked me! Th-they turned me into this!”
>You motion toward your body
“And they made me feel EVERYTHING!”
>Winded, you take a few seconds to breathe, your aggressive stance weakening
“A-and… it… it was the most painful thing… I’ve ever felt in my entire life…”
>”B-Belle… I—“
“And STOP calling me Belle! You know that’s not my name!”
>Claire is jolted a bit by the blow
“I-I’m not this… stupid mare house pet you want me to be! I’m a human being!”
>Claire doesn’t respond this time, but rather stares silently
>A distressed look of unimaginable guilt on her face
“I-I messaged my friend because he was THERE. H-he knows what happened, a-and knows how to fix it! So instead of trying to keep me cooped up for your own amusement, w-why don’t you actually think about someone else for once!?”
>You take another brief pause to catch your breath
>Still no verbal response from her
>She just sat there, emotionless
“J-just… leave.”
>And with that conclusion, Claire abides, slowly standing herself and quietly exiting the room
>A heartbreaking silence lingering soon thereafter
>A silence that made you feel more alone than you ever had
>You grip your now trembling lower lip tightly with your teeth, trying to hold back hysterics
>You wanted to feel like what you did was right
>But it wasn’t
>A totally unwarranted outburst
>Claire never did anything to ever harm you
>But you kicked her down while she was vulnerable
>You didn’t prove a point or win any argument
>You were just being a bully
>A bully that sought to cope by making others feel just as bad as they did
>Completely undeserving of the care you’ve thought yourself entitled to
>A large knot of guilt started building in your chest
>Poor Claire
>Feeling instantaneous regret for what you’d just done, you take a large sniff to force the tears back
>You didn’t deserve to cry
>Not right now
>Someone else needed the tender loving care
>And it sure as hell wasn’t naughty pony that were right now
>With no hesitation, you trot to Claire’s nightstand and grab her hairbrush with your teeth
>It takes a little bit of searching, but you eventually find her sitting on the floor in the living room
>Trotting to her side, you gently rest the hairbrush down by her thigh
>She raises her head, looking at you, then the brush, then back at you
>You knew Claire had obsession with wanting to brush your mane
>But you never let her because you were too afraid of the embarrassment it would entail
>Fortunately, none of that mattered right now
“Ahem… I-I think a certain pony’s mane is looking a little messy…” You quietly break the silence
>A small grin grows on her face
“I-I was hoping maybe someone could help her out...”
>With a small chuckle, she gently ushers you into her lap, placing a hand on your side possessively while the other wields the brush
>”I’m sorry for how I’ve been treating you, Anon.”
“That’s Belle to you.”
>She gives another sincere smile before running the bristles through your bangs
>”You’re a very brave girl, Belle. You’ve been through more than I can imagine.”
“Eh, things happen.”
>The brush stops for a second as she gazes down at you
>A finger finds itself under your chin and gives a soft little scritch
>”Such a sweetheart…”
 
-------
 
>”Belle, you’re not getting out of this.”
>You’ve got your rear planted against the door of the bathroom
>Fearfully pushing yourself back with your forelegs, hoping the locked door might somehow magically open itself and let you out
>”You haven’t had a bath since the night I brought you home. You, miss, are a stinky pony.”
>Claire has been trying to lure you into taking a bath for the past week, but the thought of soaking your fur in water scared life out of you
>You weren’t sure why
>It was almost instinctive
>Unfortunately for you though, today was the day she managed to capture you
>She tempted you with mane brushies and asked that you follow her to the bathroom
>Little did you know she’d conjured a more… devious plan
>Being the mane-brushy addict you now were, you mindlessly waddled yourself into the bathroom before
>SWOOSH
>The door was swiftly shut and locked behind you
>And now… here you were
>A helpless little horse at the mercy of she who wished to lather you in the devil’s saliva
>There was no escape
>Her strength was easily superior to yours by almost 5 times as much
>And opening the door with hooves would simply be an exercise of futility.
>Do you submit?
>Belle never submits!
>”Belle, don’t make me come and get you…”
>Hold your ground
>She’s bluffing
>”I’ll start counting.”
>O-okay, maybe Belle sometimes submits…
>”One...”
>No no, you’ve got this, show her who the real boss is
>”Two…”
>Hold tight, she won’t do anything
>She’s too weak!
>”Three.”
>Claire then promptly stands herself up and starts walking toward you
>SHE WASN’T BLUFFING
>You push yourself more vigorously against the door, sinking as she draws nearer
>She’s too close now
>Just as she begins leaning down to grab you, you notice an opening between her legs
>Seizing the moment, you quickly attempt to dart yourself through them
>But she seems to be quicker, squeezing her legs together and catching you halfway through
>”Nice try, girly.”
>She then wraps her hands around what would be your ‘armpits’ and hoists you up, keeping a firm grip as you courageously squirm about
>Condescending chuckles escape her lips as you try to fight your restraints
>”Maybe if you ate more often, you’d have more strength to escape the big bad Claire.”
>You huff from your snout, grunting as you continue to writhe in her grip
>”Now this won’t take long, love. I promise.”
“L-let me go! I don’t want to!”
>”That doesn’t matter, silly. You have to.”
>Kneeling beside the tub already full of water , she slowwwwly begins your descent into the lake of death below
>Your squirming becomes less sporadic as your climbing heartrate only causes you to freeze up
>The water below practically taunting you with its victory
>You retract your dangling hindlegs as high as you could, delaying what you knew was now the inevitable
>But before you’d any more time to worry, the tip of your tail is met with a lukewarm sensation
>You naturally convulse a bit, your squirming still halfhearted from your internal panic
>”Calm down Belle, you’re fine.”
>The only response you can manage is a pitiful whimper
>”You’re such a drama queen.” She snickers
>And with little notice, your entire body is then hurriedly submerged into the tub below
>The only part of you above the waterline being your head
>You take a sharp gasp as you feel the liquid penetrate your outer fur, soaking deep into your coat as you can physically feel yourself become heavier
>The warmth of the water calms your nerves a bit
>Your squirming having completely stopped and your muscles now fairly limp
>Okay… maybe you exaggerated a few things
>”Attagirl.” She praises
>Claire then grabs a little cup and dunks it into the tub to fill it with water
>”Close your eyes.”
>You obey, clenching them shut
>She then pours the contents of said cup atop your head, drenching your mane and face
>Her fingers find their way to your eyes before brushing your wet bangs away
>”See, we’re almost done.”
>With the shampoo bottle now in hand, she squirts an ounce or so into her palm, rubbing it around to cover either hand in the substance
>”Will you sit super still for me?”
>You nod
>”Good girl.”
>She then ferociously scrubs her fingertips into your scalp, producing a big bubbly blanket all across your mane
>With how rough she was being, you’d think that it would cause some sort of distress
>But you were actually enjoying it
>It was like a real thorough head massage
>You’d experienced something similar a salon before, but your old short hair never gave you sensations like these in the past
>Taking note of your dazed expression, Claire giggles
>”Enjoying ourselves?”
>You nod weakly, still absorbed by the euphoria of her kneading
>She continues to glaze your head in shampoo for a few more seconds before moving on to do the same with your body and tail
>All the while you’re completely hypnotized
>Your eyes drooping in relaxation
>It seems like only milliseconds have passed before she suddenly stops
>W-what?
>You open your half-lidded eyes and look around
>Spotting Claire rinsing the shampoo from her hands, you whine at her
>”I’m all done ya dork. Now we just have to rinse you off.”
>Puffing your lips in a pout, she grabs the cup again, dunks it, and pours it along your body
>Repeat about 4 – 5 more times before she tosses the cup into the tub and gives you a victorious smile
>”And done! Was that so bad?”
>Grabbing a towel, she lifts you from your spot in the tub and wraps it around you
>You’re then gently lowered to the ground before the towel is forcefully brushed all along your body, super-scrubbing to dry you off with haste
>You were hoping this would extend your prior massage
>But you couldn’t help yourself from bursting out into giggles
>The towel is more ticklish than anything
>And before long you’ve rolled to your back in uncontrollable laughter
>Claire stares with little amusement at first, but soon falls victim to your laughing, watching as you wiggle about hysterically beneath her
>She then leans in to playfully pin you against the floor, using a stray finger to apply even more tickles to the cute pony before ceasing it all with a small kiss to your nose
>”Alrighty Belle, go get yourself ready. Tonight you’re helping me make dinner.”
“Y-yes ma’am!” You chirp
>You roll back over and raise yourself to all fours
>Your head held a little higher than usual as you felt extra-confident for being a good girl for Claire
>You then set course for the kitchen before suddenly stopping yourself
>Your ears droop
>What the hell is happening to you Anon..?
 
---------
 
>You stare down at your food, emotionless
>Sitting on the floor next to your bowl while Claire rests in her usual spot at the table
>Your mind was completely consumed right now, and eating was last on your “priority list”
>”Belle, honey. Are you alright? You’ve been awfully quiet since your bath.”
>Her voice pulls you from your daze, your ears perking up as you reflexively look toward her
“O-oh yeah, I’m fine.”
>You nonchalantly divert your gaze from her following your reply, zoning off again
>”I’m not convinced. Here...”
>Claire leans down to scoop you up from your spot next to your bowl and plops you to your haunches atop the table
>You look about, the unexpected contact startling you a bit
>”Now, tell me, what’s on your mind?”
“W-well it’s just…”
>She rests her chin in her palm, listening intently
“A-are you, you know, t-trying to make me stay?”
>Claire looks a little surprised
>”Pardon?”
“Are you trying to make me want to stay here… like, brainwash me?”
>”What prompted this?”
“I just… I…”
>You find it hard to formulate the words
>The feelings are there but the means to convey them… not so much
>”You just..?”
>Spit it out Belle
“I-I’m starting to… like being here.”
>Claire’s look of surprise deepens
“B-but I don’t like that I like being here… if that makes sense?”
>She gives a little nod, but motions for you to continue
“I feel like the way you’re treating me i-is to convince me to stay.”
>”Belle, I know you have a life away from here, I would never try to keep you from that. I’m only treating you this way to make you comfortable until you can return home.”
“B-but it seems like we’re not making in progress in finding a solution. It’s been a little over a month now…”
>This one stumps her, and audible “Hmm” coming from her lips as she looks down in thought
>”I suppose I’ve just fallen short on my hunt. Maybe we could set aside some time to do a little investigating, hm?”
>You know this should reassure you
>But instead you feel even worse
>The thought of going back to your old life gave you a heart-wrenching knot in your chest
>Jumping right back into all your responsibilities
>Rewiring yourself to cope with the human world
>Repairing your masculinity
>...Being away from Claire
>You knew it wasn’t right to feel this way
>There was a life to be lived and as far as you’re concerned you’ve been given a surprise holiday
>One you’ve had a lot of fun with, but the adult in you knows holiday can’t last forever
>You needed to go home sooner or later
>But what if…
>What if you asked her if you could stay?
>No…
>No that would never work
>You’d be a total leech
>Asking for someone to completely take care of you would be such a burden
>And you weren’t about to do that to someone you cared about
>At that point you wouldn’t be any different from a pet
>...H-her pet
>You give Claire a small nod in response to her prior proposal
>”Okie dokes, I’ll put it in the books.”
>The words make your stomach ache
>But you knew it was for the best
>You were an adult
>Acting like one has been long overdue
>”Anything else on your mind?”
>Yes
>Ask her
>For the love of fuck Belle ask her!
“N-no, that’s all.”
>You finish with a listless smile
>”Good. I know it’s hard being like this, but just remember I’ll do anything I can to keep you happy until you’re back to your old self.”
>And with that, any ounce of appetite you even somewhat possessed was completely gone
>You’d not felt this depressed since you WERE your old self
>Was that the life you really wanted to return to?
>It didn’t matter anyway, you had no choice
“I-I uhm… I’m going to head to bed now.”
>”Are you sure? You still haven’t even touched your food.”
“Y-yeah…”
>She sighs, but acknowledges
>Picking you up from the table, she gives you an empathetic look before gently resting you to the floor
>You hang your head, tightly tucking your tail between your hindlegs as you slowly trot off to your bed
>Or rather, the big dog pillow-bed you’d been sleeping on in Claire’s room
>You can’t seem to shake the morbid aching in your stomach
>Maybe some sleep would do you some good
>And if you were lucky… maybe you wouldn’t wake up
 
------
 
 
>A little over a day has passed since your dinner conversation with Claire
>And you’ve not been very lively since
>Your heart wept at the somber thoughts that had hadn’t stopped occupying your mind
>It was one of those situations where you knew you shouldn’t let it get to you, but you let it get to you
>Think a breakup
>Something like that
>You were currently snuggled up on the living room sofa
>Silently staring at a TV that lacked power
>Lost in your mind
>Wallowing in the depression you refused to fight
>Claire had obviously taken notice of your change in character
>But despite her persistence, you refused to tell her about the thoughts that had you acting so lifeless
>A little part of you hoped she’d pick up on it, without you having to verbally tell her
>But the guilt you’d feel from that sort of selfishness would be too grand for you to feel welcome here anymore
>You can’t imagine her saying no to a cute pony companion
>But would it be out of reciprocated emotion or obligation?
>Ugggh…
>You drape your forelegs over your eyes
>Why
>Why did this all have to happen
>Stupid dumpster...
>No more than a few minutes pass before you hear Claire walk into the living room and plop herself onto the sofa beside you
>She sits wordlessly, making the silence less of a luxury or more of an awkward torment
>Was she going to turn the TV on, or..?
>More time passes, still no sound
>Is she expecting you to talk?
>You couldn’t see her as your eyes were still concealed by your hooves
>So there was no visual aid to help deduce her intent either
>Do you just wait or..?
>....
>....
>Screw it just talk
“U-uhm… Claire?”
>”Yes, dear?”
>Do you… ask her?
>Maybe you could just pick her mind a bit
>Yeah, do that
>Be subtle
>Don’t give yourself away too fast
“H-have you uhm… ever thought of like, renting your guest room out to a roommate before..?”
>”Oh goodness no. I can’t bear the thought of having roommates again.”
>Your ears fall
>Well you tried...
>”Though, I’ve always wanted to have a… small companion around the house. But cats were always too dependent for me, and dogs… too obnoxious.”
>Your ears perk back up, your head tilting a bit
>Claire faintly wears a knowing grin
>”But... I’ve yet to find a happy medium.”
>Wait
>W-what’s she getting at?
>Before you can muster any sort of reply, she ruffles your mane and stands herself
>”So I figured since I had today off, we could carve some pumpkins for Halloween~? Are you game? Or does the pouty pony want to pout some more?”
>Sure you had valid reason to mope
>But why were you spending what potentially little time you had left here being sad?
>Might as well make the best of your time with Claire
>You nod
>Pumpkins it is
>The process is a lot more difficult than you’d anticipated
>Not having any appendages to adequately handle cutlery, Claire let you choose the designs and she’d carve them instead
>But to keep you from just spectating, she assigned you the duty of cleaning the seeds from the pumpkin’s innards
>The task was quite messy
>You clumsily held a spoon with your teeth and shoved your muzzle through the hole Claire cut at the top
>Which naturally caused your entire snout to be covered in orange pumpkin guts
>It was tedious, but you managed to clear the majority out, Claire helping by picking a few away with her fingers here and there
>It felt more like work than recreation, but you were happy
>Just being in Claire’s vicinity was fulfilling
>The feelings weren’t romantic or anything
>You just felt… drawn to her
>Like your world would be incomplete were she not there
>A… dependency
>Yes you’d been physically dependent on her for quite some time now
>But now you were... emotionally too
>When she’d left for work you’d noticed a drop in your mood
>And upon her return home, though you didn’t show it to preserve some dignity, you wanted to jump and down in excitement
>You hate hearing the word
>Even in your own head
>You’ve tried to avoid it
>But everyday here you’re becoming less of a guest and more of a...
>A pet
>But you weren’t a pet
>You were NOT a pet
>You’ve never been a pet
>And as far as you’re concerned, you’re never going to be a pet
>Despite what your emotions tell you
>You knew logically you’d have to leave someday
>Whether it be sooner than later
>It didn’t matter
>You had to stop letting your feelings tease you like this
>”Belle..?”
>You shake your head to escape your thoughts
“U-uhh.. y-yes?”
>”You all there? You keep zoning off.”
“J-just lost in thoughts again, sorry.”
>”No worries, love. Can you finish up the last pumpkin so I can carve it?”
“Yes ma’am.”
>Just keep it from your mind Belle
>You’ll survive
 
------
 
 
>It’s the day before Halloween
>And Claire has desperately been trying to convince you to dress as Belle from beauty and the beast
>Obviously it would be fitting as your name derived from the character in the first place
>O-or rather, your ‘nickname’
>But there was a lingering obligation to retain at least some of your masculinity
>At this point though, you’re not sure if it would make much of a difference
>Being the “cute little pony” had progressively become second nature
>You were comfortable like this, and the love and attention you received just for being this way made you happy
>You were a very happy girl
>You couldn’t say the same about human you
>Any and all pros that came with being your old male self were quickly being outweighed by the life you were living now
>Being a guy was starting to feel… alien
>You could be cute without worry
>Just your face would often make Claire audibly “d’awww”
>And behaving dainty and fragile just felt natural
>You never were much a tough guy
>You always sort of just followed the crowd to fit in
>Falling under the radar to get by without hassle
>But in this environment, it almost felt like you had more potential to be yourself than you ever had in the past
>Something you won’t have upon returning to your old life
>.........
>You really need to stop giving yourself reasons to dread going back home
>”Belle! What about this?” Claire asks, strolling back into the room with her phone in hand
>She lowers the phone in front of your eyes to show you a drawing of a pony with your colors wearing Disney Belle’s dress
>”It would look just like this, minus the horn.”
>It… It did look really cute...
>But you couldn’t
>Getting all dressed up for Claire would make you feel awful
>There’s no way you could ever have this sort of fun as a guy
>No, Belle, stop
>Stop thinking about it
>”So, what’dya think?”
“I love it, but I shouldn’t…”
>Claire gives a large defeated sigh before falling to her back on the bed
>”You’re killing me Belle. You would look so adorable it hurts.”
“I-it’s not that I don’t want to! I just, y’know… couldn’t ever do it again once I turn back.”
>Claire raises a brow before perking up to look at you
>”What do you mean?”
“W-well, what if I love it so much that when time comes for me to go back home, I could never be that happy again?”
>”Belle, happiness isn’t dresses and makeup.”
“No, but being content plays a role…”
>There’s a brief pause after your reply
>”Are you... saying you’d never be content again?”
>A figurative nail in your mind was just struck squarely on its head
>Without any prepared response, you direct your eyes to the floor and remain silent
>It seemed Claire didn’t know what to say either as life in the room quickly succumbed to an eerie stillness
>Whoops...
>Before another word could be spoken, the doorbell rang from outside the room
>Claire furrows her brows
>”Odd… I’m not expecting anyone.”
>She raises herself from the bed and makes her way toward the source
>Curious as well, you fumble yourself to the floor and follow suit
>You hide yourself behind one of Claire’s decorative bushes to keep out of sight
>Claire opens a door only about a 4th of the way, unintentionally keeping the visitor from your vision
>”Hi, can I help you?”
>”Yes, hi. I’m a friend of Anon’s, I was wondering if this was the correct residence?”
>What?
>He’s looking for Anon?
>Wait...
>Max?
>MAX!
>You dart from your hidey-spot and nudge through Claire’s legs to greet your friend at the door
“M-Max!”
>Your sudden appearance jars him a bit as he jolts back in shock
>”Holy shit, haha! Anon, is that really you? Damn dude, they really fucked you up.”
>Your smile dims a bit
>Y-you didn’t feel fucked up...
>”O-oh so you’re Anon’s friend?” Claire asks, her demeanor slightly off-put by this sudden arrival
>”Yes ma’am, he messaged me on twitter a couple weeks back with your address and told me to come by if I ever found a solution.”
>”O… Oh! H-how exciting! Please, come in.”
>Claire moves aside to allow Max entry
>She offers him a beverage and goes through the binary formalities before you’re all ushered into the living room
>Max makes himself comfortable on the sofa while you sit next to Claire’s feet as she continues to stand
>”So, Max, what brings you here?” She asks
>”Well, I just so happened to get a hold of the stuff needed to turn Anon back to his good ol’ self. Which by the way, I’m sorry it took so long dude.”
>Max’s turns his attention to you
>”It was hard to get this shit. Especially since I had to haggle with the dickheads that did this to you.”
“I-It’s fine.”
>”No it’s not dude, this is fucked up. You were only supposed to be like this for one night, but you really ticked them off so they fuckin tossed you. I would have beat the shit out of them if I weren’t outnumbered.”
>”Sounds… violent.” Claire contributes
>”Oh you have no idea, these guys are total freaks. I can’t imagine how much it sucks being stuck as some cartoon mare.”
>Max looks back at you
>”You’re more of a man than I’ll ever be, that’s for sure.” He finishes with a gravelly chuckle
>You return a halfhearted grin
>Th-there wasn’t anything wrong with being a mare
>”So like, how does it even feel? Walking on four legs? The high pitched voice? Oh! Are your senses more intense?”
“W-well it’s uhm… not… awful. My hearing and smelling are definitely amplified. And four legs was easy after about a day.”
>”Can you eat meats?”
“I-I have no idea, they haven’t sounded appealing at all.”
>”That’s so crazy! You’ll have to tell me and the guys all about it when you’re back home. We’ll take you out for a beer or something.”
>He then leans down to grab his backpack, bringing it up to set it on his lap
>”So buddy, you ready to go home?”
>You freeze
>You weren’t sure how to answer
>No, you weren’t ready
>In fact, you don’t think you’d ever be ready
>You knew you had to do the right thing
>But you weren’t sure what that was...
>Max stares, awaiting a reply
>But you still can’t seem to conjure one
>”Anon...?”
>No
>No you weren’t
>You dreaded the thought of going back
>You weren’t ready
>And there’s no way you could cope with just leaving Claire
“I…”
>You weren’t sure what to say exactly
>You couldn’t just not go home
>Nor could you remain a fictional creature
>But you couldn’t think of anything else you’ve ever wanted more
“I… uhm…”
>You look up at Claire who’s intently looking down at you
>You then look back at Max, then back at Claire, then back at Max
“I…”
>Emotion and logic were at war in your head
>Every outcome seeming to be the end of the world no matter which route you chose
>A decision had to be made
>But how?
>Flip a coin?
>Or...
>How’s about you try something you haven’t ever really done before?
>Just follow your damn heart
“I… c-cant.”
>The both of them raise their brows
>Max’s eyes widening a bit
>”P-pardon?” Max inquires
“I can’t do it. I can’t turn back.”
>He looks side to side in question before looking back at you
>”Annnnd, why not?”
“Because I… I’m Belle.”
 
--------
 
>Your head shook a bit as you limply rested it against the door
>Lying lifeless in the passenger seat of Max’s car as he begun the 5 hour trek home
>No muscle in your body had the heart to move
>This is the position you would remain in for as long as you were conscious
>Because consciousness was the last thing you wanted right now
>You just felt… broken
>”Uhm… Anon… y’okay?” Max asks in concern, taking a couple quick glances away from the road to look at you
>You don’t answer, there was no reason to
>”Look, buddy. I know it’s tough, but she has a life too, y’know? Maybe this was for the best. Just being home could give you the drive you need to be human again. A month away from the real world can really mess with your head.”
“I was happy…”
>”Yeah, but…”
>He stutters as he tries to retort but instead hushes himself, releasing a sigh
>The car quickly succumbs to the white-noise of tires on the road
>You can tell the silence has got him a bit finicky, but you could care less
>It’s not long before he tries to ease it with small talk
>”Soooo… being a mare. That’s gotta be…. fun? Since you don’t wanna change back and all.”
“It’s… good I guess.”
>”Do you like, do girl things now? Like, bows and hair brushing and makeup?”
>You feel a sharp stabbing in your heart as he mentions hair brushing
>Y-you absolutely adored mane brushies....
>There’s an unintentional sniffle as you strain to keep yourself  from sobbing
>”H-hey whoa, what’s wrong? Did I say something bad?”
>You turn your face from him to hide your eyes, weakly shaking your head “no” in response
>”Listen, Anon, things are gonna be just fine, alright?”
>You wince at being addressed as Anon
>For all this time, you tried so hard to cling to your humanity
>To keep it within safe reach should this day ever come
>But the moment you needed it the most, it was all gone
>You weren’t Anon anymore
>Every part of you knew it
>You were Belle
>You loved being Belle
>And you would rather die than be anyone else
>Be it a month or a week, the moment you allowed yourself to accept this body was the moment you fell in love with it
>You fell in love with being you
>But a portion of your complacency now lied within presence of someone else as well
>Like you had unintentionally extended that aspect of yourself into a 3rd party
>You… gave yourself to her
>And the entire time you had no idea you were doing it
>Knowing she was no longer within trotting distance made you sick to your stomach
>Another few sniffles escape your snout as you take quickened inhales
>”Anon..?”
“Belle, p-please.” You beg
>”Sorry… Uhhh… Belle. You need me to pull over for a moment?”
“N-no…”
>You raise a fetlock to wipe the the tears from your dampened face
>Usually you would put more effort into retaining your composure
>But what else do you expect to happen when you take a little mare away from her...
>Her uhm...
>O...
>O-Owner…
>To hell with it, you belonged to her
>You were her “little companion” whether you liked it or not
>Maybe it was just your pony mind doing this to you
>But you were Claire’s pony
>No amount of logic could keep you from the fact
>And though you may have been coaxed into returning home, you will never accept being your own ‘free-willed’ self again
>You were someone’s possession
>They just didn’t know it yet
“I… I want to go back…”
>”Ano-- Belle… You know we can’t do that.”
“I NEED to go back.” You shakily mutter through your weakened sobs
>”Why?”
“B-because I’m her pony.”
>His expression displays disbelief as the words register in his mind
>”W… What?”
“I-I’m her pony. I… I need her.”
>Max then slowly presses on the brakes and pulls off to the side of the road before stopping to glare down at you
>”How fucked in the mind are you, dude?”
“I…”
>”Did she brainwash you or something?”
“N-no! She would never!”
>”Then what is it? Why are you so obsessed with her?”
“B-because she loved me and cared for me and I b-became hers… I-I’m loyal to her…”
>”Sooo… her pet?”
>You look down
>”Am I right? You’re her pet now?”
“N… Not officially.”
>”So you’re her pet... and only you know it?”
>You nod at him shamefully, realizing how stupid you sound
>Max releases a drawn-out groan as he rubs his temples
>”An-- Belle, I don’t know what to do man. Your mind is totally messed up.”
“N-no it’s not…”
>”Yes, it is. Would you have asked to be someone’s little cartoon mare pet 6 weeks ago? No, no you wouldn’t have.”
“That’s because I d-didn’t know yet.”
>”Anon! Listen to yourself! You’re a FICTIONAL CREATURE that’s suffering from an extreme case of Stockholm's Syndrome. You’re not anyone’s pet!”
>Your ears fold back in unintentional submission
>His sudden aggression bringing a feeling of vulnerability you haven’t felt since the night you were transformed
>A tear finding its way down your face as you were, simply put, scared…
>He notes your abrupt fear and calms himself with a sigh
>”Look, I’m sorry. But you have to see where I’m coming from.”
“Th-then why not do the same for me?”
>”Because you…”
>He stops
>His eyes trailing off for a moment
>”Here, how about this. She gave me her number, so when we’re home I’ll give her a call to let her know what’s up, okay? Will that ease your mind?”
>You nod
“M-maybe a little…”
>”Now if I do that, do you promise to not be a mopey pony the entire ride home?”
“I-I’ll try…”
>”Good, the silence was really wiggin me out.”
 
 
----------
 
 
>Your arrival home was just about as monotonous as you figured it would be
>With all the time you spent away you expected to maybe feel at least some comfort upon returning
>But the mere sight of your apartment building made you want to throw up
>The last thing you wanted was another thing to solidify your life away from Claire
>Or rather… a life away from Claire in general
>Since you had no belongings, the only cargo Max had to haul up to your third floor sanctum was a little pony wrapped in a coat to keep her hidden
>With a few knocks to the door, he attempts to summon your roommate
>You both wait quietly in the hall for him to appear grant you access
“C… Can you stay the night tonight?”
>”I would, but I can’t tonight. Since Ali and I broke up I’ve been trying to get my shit outta her place as fast as possible.”
“B-but I don’t want to be here alone…”
>”You won’t be alone. You have Ty, right? We’re all horsefuckers, it’s not like he would just shun you from your own apartment.”
“Y-yeah b-but…”
>”You’ll be fine. If you need anything, just give me a call and I’ll be right over. Whether it be an hour from now or 3 in the morning. Okay?”
>You give him a little nod
>It definitely eased your nerves a bit
>But this constant feeling of defenselessness and vulnerability made having to fend for yourself torture
>Your dependency on other people was pathetic really
>But by this point, you really just couldn’t help yourself
>It was already programmed into that pony brain of yours
>With little notice, the door swings open and you’re eyes are met with your roommate Ty, staring down at you with an amazed grin
>”No… Fucking… Way.”
>”Save it Ty.” Max interrupts, nudging past him as he walks toward your bedroom with you in tow
>”Is that really Anon though?”
>”Yes, living and breathing.”
>”Oh my god! I thought you were fucking with me at first! This is insane!”
>”I’m sure she’ll want to tell you all about it when she’s had some time to sleep.”
>”...’She’?”
>”Yes, she.”
>”But I thought…”
>”Things can change.” Max finishes as he rounds the corner into your room, shutting the door behind him
>This impetuous protection from Max was… nice
>Your heart warmed a bit as he seemed to almost instinctively fend off your roommate to keep you safe
>Y-you were a little thing, after all...
>You feel the warm embrace  of your bed consume your slender horse butt as Max sets you down
>He takes a few moments to fluff up your pillows and prep your sleeping area for the night
>”Alright, you all good?”
“W-well…”
>”Nevermind, don’t answer that. Remember, if you need me, call me. Got it?”
>You nod at him
>”Good. Now get some sleep. It’s late.”
>You nod again, crawling back to your pillows and slithering yourself under the covers
>A big pony lump forming as you hide the entirety of your body beneath the bedspread
>There’s a small, muffled chuckle from outside your covert sleeping haven
>”You really are a pet now, aren’t you?”
>This should feel like an insult
>But you couldn’t help yourself from smiling as your mind most definitely perceived it as a compliment
>You were a pet
>The best pet
>”Sleep tight Belle. I’ll be back in the morning.”
>You hear the rustling of Max making his way out of your sleeping quarters before the door opens and shuts once more
>A comforting silence follows shortly thereafter
>This one didn’t feel lonely and heart wrenching like the many you’d experienced in the past
>But rather, reassuring
>Max would be back for the sole purpose of making sure you were okay
>Despite disagreeing with your decision to stay this way, he was doing what he could to keep you happy
>And the thought alone was enough to keep you sane amidst the chaos that was your life right now
>With these warm thoughts swimming about your mind, it isn’t long before you succumb to your longing for sleep
>The blissful void of black slowly consuming your consciousness as the words “good girl” echo throughout your head
>You were a good girl~
>But even good girls needed their beauty sleep
>And with that, your body retires for the night
>.....
>.....
>Your eyes dart open
>Your slumber being interrupted by the creaking of an opening door
>Footsteps following suit as you hear the door bump against its stopper
>Your ears perk up at the noise
>Max?
>You shake your head to rid yourself of sleepy-haze before trying to crawl yourself from the covers to see what’s up
>But before you’re able to, they’re abruptly yanked from above you, exposing you to the cold, night air
>You wince from the aggression, your body naturally tensing into a defensive “ball” as your heart rate jumps
>A silhouette of a man towers over you
“M-Max…?” You call out tentatively
>”Good god, you look absolutely spot on…” The figure vocalizes
“T… Ty?” Your voice shakes with fear
>”Shhh, you’re fine.” He tries to reassure, his breath reeking of alcohol
>Your mind simply couldn’t believe it
>The voice was undoubtedly Ty’s
>But you never expected something like this from him
>He was just some chill guy that spent his free time playing video games and drinking beer
>Never once did he ever give you any indication that he could be so… violent
>You make a meager attempt to crawl yourself further from him but a hand presses down on you, pinning you to the bed
>You release an involuntary squeak as the air is squeezed from your lungs
“S-stop!” You beg
>Your body sounding the alarms as it enters instantaneous fight or flight
>But you were unable to do either as your lack in strength rendered you useless
>Your size did you no favors
>”Did I hear Max call you a pet earlier?” He inquires
>You don’t respond, but instead squirm with vigor
>Small, helpless pants escaping your muzzle as you gave everything you had to try and slip from his grasp
>He attempts to cease your efforts by clamping down even harder
>”Answer me.”
“N-no, he didn't!” You whimper
>You continue to writhe about under his strength before you freeze as a ringing stuns your senses
>A tingling on your face slowly making itself known
>Its progressive transformation into a throbbing burn confirming that you’d just been...
>He just… struck you
>Instead of continuing your struggle, you sit frozen
>Your lower lip quivering as you feel tears work themselves to your eyes
>W-why did he hit you?
>”Don’t, lie to me.” He demands
>To avoid another strike, you obey
“M-m-maybe as a j-joke…”
>”Mmm, that’s what I thought. Pets like to be good, right?”
>It’s hard to speak past the barrier of uncontrollable sobs, but you manage
“S-s-sometimes… I-I think….”
>”Then be good for me, and don’t move.” He asserts before gripping the base of your tail
>Your body quivers from his cold grasp
>Submitting to his superiority as you lie dormant
>Fighting would be useless
>And Max isn’t here to help you
>Leaving you with literally no other alternative
>You were just a pathetic little toy to the world around you
>Your stupid tiny body unable to fend for itself in any scenario you faced
>An aesthetic for people to “ooh” and “awe” at
>You feel a finger press itself into your flank
>Rolling in small circles around the area a cutie mark would reside before trailing further south
>”We’re both horsefuckers, right?”
>You remain still, the instability of your rapid, shaky breaths being your only means of response
>His finger glides beneath your tail as his other hand raises its base, exposing the area of your body you still had yet to fully acknowledge
>”Surely you’d do the same…”
>You wanted to buck him right in the face
>But doing so would only earn you another bruise
>The helplessness of the situation only further emphasizing how fucking worthless you were
>You were just letting him have you, because you knew that was all you could do
>Your conscience screamed... BEGGED for you to fight
>But this was a battle already lost
>Help wouldn’t arrive until morning
>And by that time he will have already had his way with you
>The only thing you could freely achieve without repercussion was cry
>And so you did
>Tears falling briskly down your face as your fur was almost completely soaked
>You jolt a bit, a distressed gasp escaping your muzzle as the tip of his rugged finger slid along the outer ends of your entrance
>Your breaths increasing in pace as the reality of his intentions settled in your mind
>Y-you didn’t want him to do this
>You didn’t want anyone to do this!
>Th-this was your body
>And he was making it his...
>S-stop...
>You convulse again as he tests you by inching closer
>He notes your sudden movements and attempts to conceal them by applying more weight to his pin on you
>S…. stop….
>You try to seize up as he prods at the edges of your slit
>But his handle on you keeps you still
>Stop...
>He then maneuvers the filthy appendage to sit just within your folds
>Leaning down to next to the side of your head to speak, the warmth of his breath caressing your ear
>”You like it?”
>You refuse to grant him the luxury of an answer
>”Because you will…”
>In one swift motion, he attempts to slip his finger within you, but the sudden feeling caused an unintentional tensing you couldn’t control
>Your hindleg shot out from under you in some sort of miracle strength as you reacted to the stabbing sensation elicited by your innards, decking him right in the head
>You could her a crunch as his face was mashed under your hoof
>Wincing as your leg vibrated from the force
>You clench your eyes shut as you embrace for another disciplinary blow
>But… it never comes
>Instead, a few tense seconds silently pass before you hear a body tumble to the floor below
>You open your eyes and turn around to catch a glimpse
>H… holy shit
>You...
>You knocked him out
>You stare in amazement
>A brief, victorious confidence boils in your chest as his body lies there, motionless
>Th-that’s right
>You stupid... fucker
>Stupid… dumb… dumby fucker
>You wanted to kick him again
>And again
>And again
>Until he stopped breathing
>But you elected to hold off on your bestial urges
>A fetlock raises to wipe the tears from your face with a few sniffles
>You knew that right now you needed to call Max...
 
---------
 
Max’s POV
 
>It’s been a good 45 minutes of waiting, and the bastard is still sprawled out on the floor like a fucking rock
>The punt delivered by Belle had him snoring like a baby
>Only thing missing was his thumb in his mouth
>But the little red marking of a hoof spread across his face was a good substitute
>You chuckle at the sight, taking another sip of the beer you’d stolen from the fridge
>Hopefully this fuckwit wakes up soon
>Kicking his ass while he’s asleep wouldn’t be much of a punishment, now would it?
>He’s probably still too drunk to tell the difference anyway
>But there’s satisfaction in knowing he’ll be conscious while you have your way with him
>So you elected to wait
>It couldn’t have been more than another 5 minutes before you began to hear broken groans as the body slowly started to writhe about on the carpet below you
>Finally
>Let’s get this over with
>You set your beer down and saunter over to the half-conscious beast moving about like a sloth pinned to the ground
>Grabbing him with two firm fists, you lift him up by his arms only to set him down on a chair
>It takes a few lazy blinks before he’s conscious enough to note your presence
>He jumps a little in surprise as he makes out your face
>”M-Max?” He inquires “What are you doing her--”
“What the fuck is your problem, Ty?”
>Your instantaneous aggression jars him a bit
>”P-pardon?”
“What business did you have touching her?”
>He blankly stares at you in legitimate confusion for a few seconds before it clicks in his mind
>”H-her? Oh, you mean Anon?”
>You nod
>”Dude, it’s fuckin’ Anon. He would have done the same.”
>His arrogance reflexively causes your fists to tense
“You know that’s fucking bullshit.”
>”Speaking of which, where is he anyway?” He disregards your response, looking about the room
“Far from you.”
>”Huh, well that’s a shame.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you dude? I’ve never seen you like this.”
>”I dunno. I was drunk and horny... and there was a living pony in the other room. I did what any rational person would have.”
>You sigh in disbelief at how unfathomably stupid this fat pig really is
“You’re fucking deluded, aren’t you?”
>He burps, chuckling at himself
>”And still drunk too.”
“Listen to me. If you ever so much as look at hi-- her again, you’ll lose an arm, got it?”
>Ty widens his eyes and raises his hands in a sarcastic “don’t shoot” pose
>”Whoahoho. White knight Max, gettin’ all protective over Anon. You two love birds now or somethin’?”
“What? No.”
>”Can’t cope with Ali breaking up with you so you resort to a horse?”
“Shut your fucking mouth.”
>”Like, you couldn’t handle real women so you needed an animal that wouldn’t bitch at you all the time like your cunt girlfriend?”
>And with that, any will you’d made to retain your composure had been torn
>You raise a tightened fist and thrust with an ungodly force toward his head
>Your knuckles meshing with the bones in his face, the fat of his cheeks consuming the space between your fingers
>The momentum throws him from his position on the chair
>Helplessly toppling to the floor on his side
>You forcefully lift him up and set him back down on the chair again
>The adrenaline running through you causing your lungs to quiver
>Shaky breaths being taken through your nose as you can hardly believe what you’d just done
>”A-aaagh! What the fuck was that Max!?”
>Before sanity could be reached to muster a reply, you find yourself swinging once again, drilling another powerful blow right into his skull
>This one knocks him cold, sending him to the floor for the third time tonight
>You heave heavy breaths to calm yourself
>A glance down at your hands revealing some blood on your knuckles
>You weakly rub it off on your jeans as your hands tremble
>The numbness sustained from your punches making them tingle
>The fucker had it coming
>But you never thought you had THAT in you
>You were intimidated… by yourself
>What the fuck caused you to lose it that bad?
>Sure you expected to beat him around a bit
>But you hadn’t planned on sending him to another fuckin dimension
>It’s whatever now
>Just let it go
>You need to go take Belle somewhere safe
 
 
---------
 
 
Belle’s POV
 
“S-so… what exactly did you do to him?” You ask tentatively
>”I don’t think you want to know.” Max answers flatly
>His attention was completely fixated on the dark road ahead of him
>A mild hint of annoyance written in his expression
>Whether it was directed at you or the man you assume he just beat the life out of… you’re not sure
>He was currently driving back to his place to keep you away from your apartment
>The clock had hardly passed 2am by this point
>So you figure his lack of sleep only furthered his agitation
>Summoning him so late at night to come and save you... again...
>After calling him in a panic about the, incident...
>He raced over to your place before Ty had woken up and hid you in his car
>You spent a good 15 minutes drenching his shirt with your tears before he told you to wait patiently while he went back up to “have a word with Ty” once he came to
>You can only imagine what type of conversation they had
>Especially given the… ‘blood’ on his knuckles…
>But give or take an hour or so, he returned and now here you are
>Riding in the passenger seat
>Helpless yet again, relying on someone to cart you somewhere safe as per usual
>Maybe…
>Maybe being a mare wasn’t worth the hassle
>Sure you felt at home with yourself
>But the people around you were burdened by your inability to literally do anything
>You legit felt like a toddler-esque liability
>Entitled to endless help because you always seemed to be a “damsel in distress”
>Sigh…
>To keep from loathing yourself any further, you attempt disrupt your thoughts via some more conversation
“A-are you… mad at me?”
>He raises a brow in confusion, looking away from the road for a moment to glance at you
>”What? No. Why would I be mad?”
“Because I woke you up and all…”
>”It’s not your fault that drunken ape put his hands on you.”
“B-but it’s my fault for staying this way…”
>”So you wanting to be yourself warrants you being raped?”
>His words resonate in your mind
>Huh.
>That was… heartwarming
>He’s standing up for you even against your own self-doubt
>”I didn’t agree with the decision at first, but if you’re happy then that’s all that matters. I’m your best friend, I’ll support you through whatever.” He asserts reassuringly
>You subtly shift your head to conceal any potential blushing
>Not that it could be easily seen in the dark, but… precautions. Right?
“Do you uhm, see me differently?”
>”I guess it depends. Do you want me to?”
“W-well… I am a girl now.”
>”I figured that much.”
“B-but do you still see… Anon?”
>”I see who Anon needed to be, yes, and her name is Belle.”
>Your heart skips a beat or two
>The airflow to your lungs being ceased as a flame consumes your chest
>Did he…
>Did he really just say that to you?
>There’s absolutely no way this is the same Max you once knew
>The Max that initiated countless arguments to give you shit about your stalemate of a life
>All the rants about your gaining weight and how being a fatass would only kill you in the end
>The times he’d yell at you for not following through with opportunities
>He always seemed like some hardass that hated having you around
>But… now that you thought about it
>In the past it may have seemed like mindless bullying
>But thinking back… he was really just looking out for you
>Almost in the way a big brother would look out for his fuck-up of a sibling
>He was just being a bro
>And now that you’d taken a more delicate turn in life, maybe he’d done the same?
>Might not do you any good questioning it
>You enjoyed this new lighthearted Max
>In fact you even sort of…
>Nah
>No
>Nope
>He’s your best friend
>Get those thoughts out of here
>”So uhm…” He starts up, drawing your attention again “Since I’m in the middle of moving out of Ali’s place, things have been a little... tense.”
>You reflexively tilt your head in question
“Y-yeah?”
>”So naturally, she hates having me around, and I’m certain she won’t be too thrilled about some mythical, talking, crayola horse being there either. But I don’t really have anywhere else to sleep yet.”
“O-oh…”
>”So if you wouldn’t mind putting on the puppy eyes when she sees you? It might make both of our lives easier.”
>You stifle a small giggle
“I-I’ll do my best.”
 
 
---------
 
 
>It’s the morning of Halloween
>You and Max are perched at Ali’s dining room table munching on some Saturday morning cereal while the white-noise of forgotten television persists in the background
>It was an odd feeling sitting AT the table again
>For the past month you’d grown fond of being on the floor below
>It almost didn’t feel right…
>But then again, neither did being in someone’s ex-girlfriend’s house
>Luckily when the two of you arrived last night Ali was still sleeping
>So you both set up camp in the living room
>Max taking the sofa while you constructed a little mare nest out of pillows and blankets on the floor
>Your new size made sleeping a lot more… tolerable
>You could easily make any situation nice and cozy~
>Your old, lengthy human self never had this luxury
>It used to be impossible to rest comfortably for more than 40 minutes
>But now you could just curl up into a little fluffy ball of warmth and lie motionless for hours
>A faint yawn is made known from Max’s end of the table
>”So Belle” He starts up “It’s Halloween, you wanna do anything?”
>He lazily scratches the newly grown stubble on his chin while he waits for your reply
>To be honest, you hadn’t planned on anything
>Considering you didn’t necessarily WANT to do anything
>Knowing Claire had originally planned to dress you up like a pretty Disney princess pony made all other potential options seem... mundane…
>Being away from Claire made life seem mundane in general
>Good god your bond to her is just pitiful
>You legitimately are at half capacity when you’re not with her
>Sure you’ve already accepted the fact
>But your sheer dependency on a single person still kind of freaks you out
“W-well, I uhm, I don’t know.”
>”We could just watch movies and get drunk or something.”
>Drunk?
>Huh…
>Alcohol hadn’t been something you’d thought of since changing
>Mainly because all that time spent at Claire’s was spent sober
>Could your little body even handle it?
>Maybe you were just a super lightweight now
>You figure if you kept your intake proportional to the size of your body you would probably be just fine
>Hell, it might take away some of the edge from all your “dependency issues”
“U-uhm… sure. I’d like that actually.”
>”Getting fuckin’ shithoused?” He snorts sarcastically
>You snicker
“Always~”
>The both of you return to mindlessly snacking on your breakfast
>A few quiet minutes passing before a gasp is heard from behind you
>”M-MAX!” A voice screeches
>Max idly draws his attention from the phone in his hands to look up at the source
>”Oh, hey Ali.” He mutters halfheartedly
>”Wha- What is that!?”
>You assume she’s referring to you as she still remains from your vision
>”It’s just a pony, jesus Ali.”
>”A what!? Like.. a dog in a costume or something!?”
>”No, a real pony. Belle turn around.” He commands
>You naturally abide and adjust yourself in the chair to face toward Ali
>”See? A pony.”
>”A.. I… Y-you know those don’t actually exist! Is this a prank Max!?”  The frustration in her voice growing more frantic
>”Not at all. Belle, speak.”
>Speak?
>What are you a pe--?
>Oh yeah right
“H-hello~” You murmur innocently
>Her eyes widen to rival the china being showcased on the shelves behind her
>”MAX. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?”
>She’s practically screaming by this point
>”Remember Anon?” Max asks
>Ali raises a brow in confusion, but nods
>”Well Anon became a cute little mare and now her name is Belle.”
>Cute~?
>Th-thank you Max~
>”Isn’t that right Belle?”
>You raise your snout to the air and nod confidently
>”That’s… that’s impossible.” Ali voices in disbelief
>”And so were the Wright brothers and their silly flying machine. Now sit down and have some breakfast.”
>Ali stands idle for a few moments lost in  thought before cautiously moving to sit herself at the table between you two
>”I… I still want you out by Tuesday Max…”
>”Aww, I thought my cute pony would persuade you.” He teases
>A small, butchered snort escapes your muzzle as you attempted to suppress a giggle
>You may not be with Claire, but you could tell today was going to be entertaining
 
------
 
>A couple days have passed since your mildly entertaining Halloween experience
>You were tempted to take Max up on his offer to get wasted that night
>But you decided to pass and instead wasted away on the iPad Ali let you borrow
>She said she was going sell it but figured the poor little pony with nothing to do might enjoy having it around, so she loaned it to you
>It was fairly easy to use, the screen was receptive to your nose so you just used that to navigate
>And you can confidently say that it’s served its purposely fairly well so far
>The only thing you’ve done for the past couple of days to pass the time is play around with the collection of apps she had installed
>Normally you wouldn’t have paid any mind to gimmicky little mobile games
>But now for some reason they had you completely immersed
>Which was ironic because you always used to make fun of how obsolete tablets were
>Maybe it was just a way of coping?
>Who knows
>Max has been in and out moving stuff from Ali’s house to his parent’s, so you haven’t had much chill time with him since Halloween
>He was actually supposed to be out of here by today
>But that fell through fast
>Given that he had nowhere else to take you
>He didn’t want to risk letting you stay at his parent’s
>Said they were kind of “psycho” and that he didn’t want you in that environment
>So… with Ali it was
>You look up from your very engaging game of Candy Crush to glance at the clock near the TV
>1:36
>Uuuuuuuugh
>You roll over with an annoyed groan and lie inert on your side
>The days have been so agonizingly slow
>And the only thing you had to look forward to was...
>Well nothing
>Aside from Max returning to provide some meager entertainment
>A-and… maybe call you cute
>But since his absences became more frequent
>Your agenda was iPad and quiet time
>Luckily it isn’t much longer before you catch the sound of Max’s car pulling up the driveway again
>Hopefully meaning some brief conversation to help alleviate your boredom
>Or maybe you could watch a quick episode of something on neflix with him before he went back to packing
>Either way, it was better than being alone
>The lock to Ali’s front door starts to clatter as he unlocks it and grants himself entry
>Your ears flip up as you reflexively raise yourself to a “polite pony” sitting position for him
>Though you’re caught a little off guard as he enters a lot more hurriedly than usual, slightly out of breath
>You tilt your head
>This is strange
>”A-am I too late?” He asks in desperation
“Too uhm… too late for what?” You question
>”Like, is she here? Did I miss it?”
“Who? Ali?”
>”No I… No one.” He hushes himself with a guilty smirk
>That’s… odd...
>”So uhhh, Belle. Have you been… doing okay?”
>What’s with all of this?
>You raise a brow in suspicion
“Yeeaaaah. Everything's good. I haven’t died yet.”
>”Sweet. Good. Yes. Very… awesome…”
>His attention drifts as he peeks through the window overlooking Ali’s driveway
“Max, what is even going on?”
>”She should've been here like 10 minutes ago…” He mutters to himself, completely disregarding your question
>Who is he talking about?
>You’d be a little more persistent on seeking an answer but you were naturally quiet
>Prying just wasn’t in your nature
>Plus, no one likes a nosy pony
>So instead you sit quietly and observe Max’s s fishy behavior from where you reside
>It’s kind of cute in a way
>He didn’t seem distraught or anything
>It was almost like a kid waiting for a package to arrive
>Maybe that’s---
>”Oh! Oh! She’s here!” Max chirps
>You resist the temptation to hop over to the window to peek and instead continue to sit firmly in your spot
“W-who’s here?”
>”Just uhm… just stay right there.” He demands
>Being the good pony you were, you nod and sit still
>You and Max rest wordlessly for a brief period before knocks at the door are heard
>Max strolls himself over to the house's entry and grips the handle, keeping himself from view of the doorway
>Flashing you a knowing smile, he opens the door to reveal the mysterious visitor
>It’s kind of hard to make out any features as the light from behind them has rendered them a silhouette
>But with some formal beckoning from Max, they take a few steps inward to reveal...
>T-to… reveal...
>Your heart suddenly feels as if someone just lathered it in gasoline and lit a spark
>Your stomach sinking as you can feel your entire chest numb from the burning
>...C-Claire?
>”Belle, honey?” She inquires
>C-Claire!
>Without a spoken word, you fumble yourself clumsily across the wood floor to meet your face with her lower leg, burrowing it vigorously
>All the while pitiful little whimpers escape your muzzle uncontrollably
>You know those videos of dogs that see their military owners for the first time since they’ve been deployed?
>Yeah, basically you right now
>There was a part of you that felt embarrassed as Max witnessed you clamber up to Claire’s feet in submission
>But the better portion of your conscience didn’t care, you were her pony, and her pony was happy right now
>”O-oh my goodness!” Claire squeaks in an innocently surprised tone “Someone really missed me!”
>You feel two familiar hands wrap around your barrel and hoist you into the air above
>They flip you around and pull you snuggly against her stomach to position you into a little cradle
>She then runs a palm gently up and down your belly to calm your wiggly excitement while her other arm holds you in place
>”It couldn’t have been more than 5 days, sweetheart. Surely that sort of welcome would require more time apart?”
>You ignore her
>Mindlessly nuzzling your muzzle into her tummy to take in her scent
>Every nerve in your body easing for the first time since leaving her
>”Yeah Belle, that was... quite a sight.” You hear Max snark sarcastically from behind
>Claire giggles in response before you’re gently rested back to the floor
>There’s a small ounce of discontent as you’re forced from her arms, but you figure there’ll be more to come
>”Alright” Claire starts up “I have a surprise for you Belle.”
>Your head tilts
>A surprise?
>”Can you be a good girl and sit right there for me while I grab it?”
>Uhm, duh
>As if you were anything but
>You nod
>Claire then maneuvers her purse around to her stomach allowing herself to dig about
>She eventually finds the object of interest, but before pulling it out she moves forward to kneel in front of you
>”Are you ready?”
>You nod with a little more vigor
>Without another word, she teasingly begins to raise her arm at a painfully slow rate
>The anticipation of what could possibly emerge making you tremble restlessly
>That or the adrenaline from your warm welcome was still coursing your bloodstream
>Either way, you can only assume you looked like a timid chihuahua or something
>It isn’t but a few more painful seconds before the artifact begins to loom over the side of her purse
>At initial glance the appearance was very vague, but its shape resembled a circle
>You were able make out some stitching and possibly a purple tint?
>Soon enough the item is raised to expose its entirety
>It… was a collar
>A gorgeous purple collar
>With a tag already attached that read “Belle”
>And beside it a small ‘bell’
>One you might find on a cat’s collar
>The reflection of the light leaking through the windows glistened off the metal of the tag
>Your tag
>After giving you some time to examine it, she unlatches its hinges and silently asks you for permission
>Were you… really about to do this?
>Sacrifice every ounce of free will you had to become someone’s possession?
>Give up any future you’d any potential of freely achieving to be nothing more than mere property?
>Allow someone to own you on the same tier as a dog?
>Your entire being no longer being ‘yours’, but hers...
>No longer able to call your own shots as every ounce of the way you lived would be dictated by a third party
>You would be someone’s
>You would be owned
>And the moment this collar were to latch itself around your neck
>Belle’s neck
>You would be… a pet
>Claire’s smile dims a bit as she assumes your prolonged silence was a subtle declination
>But before her arms had the chance to retreat
>You take a large inhale and raise your snout to the sky to expose your neck
>Your heart racing as you knew this was the last thing you’d freely do before becoming the equivalent to someone’s housecat
>Claire releases a relieved little giggle as she brings the collar up to you
>You feel the fabric slowly brush against the fur on your neck as she works it around
>The ears atop your head folding themselves back as you’re met with the bliss of committing to a rightfully made decision
>Finally, you hear the “click” of the collar being latched together
>And that was it
>You were officially hers
>A pet
>Her pet
>And the only thought you were able to wield was not one that worried about your loss of freedom
>Nor ones of sacrificed dreams and forgotten aspirations
>It was one of excitement
>You were finally Claire’s pony
>And the happiness that brewed within from the fact was almost enough to render you unconscious
>All you were tasked with now was being the best little mare you could for Claire
>And in return you’d receive something you can’t say you’ve ever had the liberty of experiencing before
>Purpose
>.... and maybe some more mane brushies
>Before your mind could frolic in the wonderful thoughts of your life as Claire’s pony, you’re whisked into a big hug as the life is squeezed out of you
>”I’m so sorry I let you leave Belle” Claire continues “I knew almost instantly I’d regret it…”
“I-It’s alright.”
>”I was just doing what I thought would be best for you.”
“B-but the best thing for me is being with you…” You murmur
>She wears a warm smile and gives you another loving squeeze
>”What do you say we go home?”
>You feel giddy as she says it
>Home
>You give her an anxious nod
>She acknowledges and snatches you back into her embrace, raising herself again in preparation for her departure
>But amidst the blind excitement of your reunion
>You catch sight of Max watching with a halfhearted smile from across the room
>Your smile fades a bit
>Feeling slightly guilty at having completely forgotten his presence
>You weren’t too keen on never seeing Max again
>But not living with Claire was out of the question
>”Alright little miss, let’s get a move on.”
“W-wait!”
>She freezes
“M-Max… I uhm...”
>”Ahhh don’t worry about it” He interrupts “It’ll all be fine. Do what your heart tells you.”
“I just uhm… Will I ever see you again?”
>”Surely someday.”
“Would uh…”
>You look up at Claire then look back at Max, both staring back intently
“Would it be alright we chatted.. like… online maybe?”
>There’s a brief pause
>”I don’t see a problem with it.” Claire chimes in
>”I’d love to. Actually, wait…”
>Max halts for a moment as he looks about for something in the room
>”Here” He states as he lifts the iPad from the floor “Take this with you.”
“O-oh, isn’t this Ali’s?”
>”Yeah, but who cares. She hardly knows it exists.”
“I-I don’t want you to get in trouble…”
>”Worst case, I’ll pay her for it.”
>He tucks the iPad into Claire’s purse in respect to her restricted arms and your inability to hold things
>”Take care Belle…”
>Max retreats a bit, creating some distance before giving you a timid wave goodbye
>”Thank you so much Max for keeping good care of her. You feel free to visit any time.”
>And with that, Claire turns to face the door
>”Let’s get you home~”
 
 
 
The story continues as prose in the second part that can be found here: http://pastebin.com/zE7uBj92
 
 
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