Girls And Bridle Ch 08

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"..."

"SERIOUSLY!? WHAT WAS THAT!?"

An infuriated Sophie screamed her lungs out at her two terrorized ponies who had never seen her this angry. With their backs against the wall, still fully geared up in their racing attire, Morning Star and Moonlight trembled so much the scolding directed at them was intense. With their hands fastened to the waist and their bit well secured between their teeth, there was nothing they could do or say to dodge the storm. They had to endure it.

"THAT WAS PATHETIC! PATHETIC!"

"..."

"ARE YOU PONIES OR TURTLES?"

Sophie was angry. Very angry. And that was not the worst. No, the worst was that she had valid reasons to be. The team has just completed its first exhibition race on a real 3000 meters track and finished last. But even that was not the problem. On top of losing the race, they have lost their reputation because they didn't even come close to being a threat to any of the other teams.

"I can't believe this! You didn't even come close to your worst training lap. You looked like amateurs out there! It was HUMILIATING!"

"..."

Coming from their trainer, this was not a fun thing to hear. And considering Morning Star was supposed to be the fastest ponygirl in the world made it even harder to digest. But, as if they had not heard enough already, this enraged version of Sophie still had more venom to spit at them.

"Do you know where I'm coming from? The Triple Crown discipline board! They convened Penny and me to an emergency meeting. They said that they believed that we had falsified our training results to get accepted on the circuit. So, they said that to preserve the organization's reputation, they had to eject us from the competition. Do you know how often this happened in the history of the Triple Crown? NEVER! SO, I HOPE YOU ARE PROUD OF YOURSELVES!"

Was that true? Were they now considered the worst team in the history of the Triple Crown? Was that it? Was their dream over, and Penny's stable would go bankrupt? Having a hard time believing what she had just heard, Morning Star made one step forward but was quickly pushed back against the wall.

"BACK OFF, Morning Star! If it hadn't been for Penny and her carefully chosen words, that would have been the end of it. You'd have made history in a terrible way. But, instead, they gave us ONE more race to prove we belong here, and if we can't at least follow the pack, we will be ejected with no appeal possible."

"..."

"Now, I'm going to remove your bridle. I don't want to hear apologies, and I don't want to hear excuses. I just want you to tell me what you think went wrong. Is that clear?"

Morning Star and Moonlight nodded. It sure felt like the wrong time to disobey. Sophie detached their wrist cuffs and unbuckled their bridles before tossing them on the ground, which was almost a crime for a trainer to do that. She then stepped back and crossed her arms.

"Go ahead, Star... I'm all ears."

"... We... we didn't... listen."

"Yeah... I kind of notice that. What else?"

"... I... I don't know..."

"You don't know? Do you want me to tell you?"

That was a rhetorical question.

"You kept looking at Moonlight because you were angry at her."

"I... wasn't angry... I..."

"Yes, you were! You even pushed her after the race."

"But... she ran all wrong... and..."

"STOP! She isn't YOU! You are the lead pony! Your job is to run as perfectly as you can to make her life easier!"

"I... I know... but..."

"No buts! I know what I saw! If you can't admit it yourself, we have a major problem."

Morning Star lowered her head and looked aside. She knew Sophie was right, but running with someone else was hard.

Her trainer wasn't done, though. She still had to get Moonlight's point of view.

"And you, Moon? What do you think went wrong?"

"Oooh... I don't know..."

"What do you mean, you don't know!? It didn't feel like you were on the track with us today, but you were!"

"Yeah... but..."

"So? You must have seen something?"

"..."

Something different appeared in Moonlight's face. Something Sophie had not seen since that time when Tiantang Zhi Ma had lent her to Penny's stable for a year. A face of reluctance and anger.

"Moonlight? I'm talking to you!"

"That's it... I'm done! Being a pony is stupid."

"WHAT?"

"I'm going home! I don't want to play anymore."

"Moonlight! Seriously? This is not a game! This is your future! This is OUR future! Don't you care about Penny's stable?"

"I DO! BUT YOU HAVE TO LET ME RUN!"

"..."

Moonlight, not caring anymore, started to undo her harness. She had done all she could to obey Sophie, but this last scolding was too much for her. Being a ponygirl wasn't something she had ever considered to do as a career, and all of this was based on a request from Tiantang Zhi Ma, not a personal desire.

"Heeey! You can't take your harness off!"

"Whatever, Sophie. I'm not your pony and never will be. I'm not like you guys. You showed me that I could trust you... I did... I tried everything you asked me to, but now it is you that don't trust me."

"What do you mean? I trust you, Moon. You are amazing!"

"Ah yeah? Moonlight, listen to me. Moonlight, don't sprint so soon. Moonlight, do this, do that. You spend all your time holding me back."

"I'm not holding your back! I'm managing your race. I've done this all my life and won my fair share of races. That's my job!"

"See, you are not even listening to what I say! What I can do doesn't matter because you won't allow it."

"... That's not true, Moon... I'm gradually turning you into a champion, but I do it the right way."

"I'M NOT A CHAMPION! I DON'T WANT TO BE ONE! I JUST WANT YOU TO LET ME RUN!"

The angry pony kicked her harness in the corner and stormed out of the stall, frustrated. It was her old life all over again. Since she was a kid, everybody had pushed her down. Her parents, her teachers, everybody! Trust was not something she was willing to give lightly anymore, and just when she had finally accepted to give it to Sophie, the same thing happened. Moonlight, you can't do this. Moonlight, you do it wrong. It was the same nightmare she had never managed to escape. Nobody trusted her, and she would be better off on her own.

Moonlight jogged all the way back to the race track in the middle of the now-empty stadium, jumped over the fence, and started running, even though the staff grooming the track yelled at her to stop.

Back in the stall, Sophie grumbled. There was nothing else to say. This day was a disaster, and their road to the Triple Crown had died at this very moment.

***

"Ooooh! That felt soooo good! I'm having a mental orgasm right now!"

Neigh!

As Brittany loaded up her two pink ponies in the trailer, she was jubilating. Not only they finished in third place during their first exhibition race, but Sophie the bitch and her two retarded ponies had humiliated themselves in front of the whole world. The latter was so much more satisfying. On top of that, the rumor saying that Penny's stable faced ejection was just icing on the cake.

"I'm so proud of you two. I'll let you play with Cassy to your heart content all week as a reward. I also spoke to Stardust, and she was beyond thrilled to hear about your good result. And you know what? More than ever, I think we can win the three main Triple Crown races. I learned tons today, and I will have the perfect strategy for next time. I think you two are stronger than anybody else who was on that track today."

Hemlock and Nightshade were still feeling fresh like roses even after this long tough race. This one had been more than three times longer than the Super Cup ones they used to win before the NRPA league suspended them. The two ponies tried to nose each other while Brittany secured the trailer chains to their harness.

"Oooh! It was such a good day. I haven't felt good like this since... forever!"

***

During the three hours trip back home, Sophie and Moonlight didn't say a single word to each other. It was over. Nothing else needed to be said. Morning Star was alone in her trailer because Moonlight had refused to travel like a pony. Instead, she just laid down on the rear seat of the pickup truck, and Sophie sat in front by herself.

The truck and trailer pulled in the driveway of the stable that was now doomed to go bankrupt. In a few weeks, this dream would be nothing more than a bad memory.

Sophie struggled. As much as she wanted to hate Moonlight for her harsh decision to abandon everything, a lot of truth had come out of her mouth. The young girl never had the profile of a ponygirl, but she had tried really hard. She had attempted to be part of this crazy racing world, but it hadn't worked in the end.

Finally, the reality had caught up to Moonlight, and she didn't have an ounce of obedience left in her heart. Winning or losing was just an irrelevant concept in her eyes, one reserved to people who had given in a system of fame.

The sad trainer parked the truck in front of the house and let her head fall back on the headrest. After turning the engine off, a heavy silence that was both calming and disappointing overwhelmed her. Sophie had run out of options. The fragile connection linking her to Moonlight had been severed, and the two girls had already started to drift away, physically and emotionally.

"So, I'm going to call Tiantang. She will come to pick you up. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to pick up your stuff in the house?"

"I have nothing in the house. I will stay in the car until Tiantang shows up."

"It might take a while..."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Sophie exited the car and closed the door behind her. For a moment, she stared at the orange sunset. It was curiously beautiful, clashing with her dramatic day. Nature never cared too much about what its inhabitants decided to do. It was only there to provide them with a scenery they could use to live their lives, whatever they decided to do.

A faint smile grew on the lips of the small trainer. It was indeed a beautiful evening.

The few steps separating her from the trailer was all she had to cross to find happiness again. When she opened the door, she saw her relaxed pony, waiting patiently to be freed, fully trusting her trainer to do the right thing at the most appropriate time.

Sophie climbed into the metallic trailer and unhooked the chains restraining her beloved ponygirl. Then, with a finger around one of the bridle's straps, she led Morning Star outside and walked a few steps away from the vehicle before stopping and hugging her friend.

"Can't win them all, uh? So it looks like it's just the two of us again, at least for a little while longer."

Morning Star nodded.

"Do you want to go for a little run while I'm putting the trailer away? Yes? Don't go too far, okay. Let me take that bridle off for you. I'll call you when the dinner is ready."

It was extremely rare that Sophie allowed Morning Star to run freely without her bridle and waist cuffs, but it seemed the right thing to do after what happened. Without a word, the elite pony started trotting toward the arid land where she would zig-zag between the rocks and kick some cacti with her pony boots. It would be a moment she would use to reconnect with herself and the land beneath her horseshoes.

As she exited the property limit, Morning Star stopped for an instant and looked at Ivory's words written on the palm of her hand.

"You are not alone."

And then, she playfully bolted toward a big rock that was about a hundred meters away. Perhaps she would run around it a few times while enjoying her freedom.

Everything would be okay because she wasn't alone. That was what Ivory had promised her, so it must have been the truth. Therefore, there was nothing to worry about.

***

About two hours later, a red car parked next to Sophie's truck. A well-tanned hand knocked in the window of the latest. It was already nighttime when Moonlight exited from her hiding spot for the first time since she arrived at the stable.

In front of her was Xiuying, alone, who had come to take her away from this place.

"How are you, Moonlight?"

"That's not my name anymore."

"I see. Do you want to say goodbye to Morning Star and Sophie before we leave?"

"No. There is nothing else to say. I am nothing to them."

"I see. Follow me, then. Tiantang is waiting for you at home."

"She won't convince me, Xiu."

"I'm sorry?"

"She won't change my mind. I won't race again. I'm not a ponygirl."

"I see. Well, that's good. Because she has no intention to make you change your mind."

"She doesn't?"

"No. This is your choice and yours alone. She just needs your help with something before you leave us. If that's okay."

"Is it pony-related? Because I'm done with that."

"No, no. I promise it's nothing like that. Alright, let's go. I will let her ask you herself."

"Okay."

It felt good to be around Xiu again. Even if Moonlight had abandoned her equine side, Xiuying and Tiantang had always treated her fairly. They had given her an opportunity of a lifetime but never forced her to do something she didn't want to. The way Xiu had graciously accepted her choice was another display of how understanding she was. It felt good.

They climbed in the car, made a noisy u-turn in the gravel driveway, and slowly headed back to the road, which was another desired step toward her ponyless life.

***

"CASSY! WE WON! Well... almost. We finished THIRD!"

"Ooooh! Is that true? That's amazing, Nightshade!"

"Yes! And Brittany said we could play with you as much as we want all week!"

"... That's... a... generous offer... I guess."

Playing cards with Stardust on the kitchen table, Cassy stayed home with her boss as it was not worth going to a meaningless race. It would just have been distracting if a legend had been sitting in the stands. All the cameras would have been on her. Also, Hemlock would have been way too anxious and would have tried to impress her childhood idol.

But now that the ponies and Brittany were back, they quickly understood that everything went very well, better than expected, and it was not the right time to damper the mood by doing anything that could have been perceived negatively.

That said, Cassy was still not sure to know how to react when Brittany used her as pony food at her convenience. It also didn't help that Stardust didn't interject the slightest when this offer happened. It was hard to tell if she let it happen because it was funny or because it helped her new ponies perform better. The only thing Cassy knew was that it was better not to argue with her not-so-unpleasant faith.

At least Cassy was a former racer and had kept herself in relatively good shape, which allowed her to survive this ordeal. She would have never imagined the extent of Hemlock and Nightshade's libido and sexual endurance. It was ridiculous and unusual. When they were not racing, they were having sex, and since they had started to include Cassy into their games, they were even more motivated to have fun.

It was all good, though. That day when Brittany hung her to a tree branch for hours and then unleashed her ponies on her, Cassy understood something; she was happy. Even though it had been an energy-draining adventure, the ponies had not gone any softer on her afterward. Instead, they had used her limp and exhausted carcass the same way they would have done with a fresh one. Even after several licking-induced orgasms while she was their prisoner, they had untied her to take advantage of her exhausted body and had even forced her to return the favor. Following that, they gave her some water and dragged her back into the house for more intense lesbian sex, where her main role was to endure.

Hemlock and Nightshade liked to play with Cassy a lot, and that was the end of it.

Tonight, once more, Brittany offered her to the ponies as a reward for their excellent performance... and it was okay.

Cassy couldn't deny it...

Since the ponies had adopted her, since the first time Nightshade sat on her in the stall to prevent her from moving, she had fun. She didn't mind being pushed way beyond her physical limits until she reached her breaking point. It was enjoyable for an ex-competitor like her. In the past, nobody had been this demanding, and perhaps they should have.

As an ex-ponygirl who had never won anything, only now she began to understand that if she had had a good trainer, maybe she would have performed better on the track. Her former trainer had been way too friendly and too empathic, leading to an average career without exciting results.

Hemlock and Nightshade were the first ones to push her beyond what she thought she was capable of. It was not a race, it was sex, but still... The feeling of having given every ounce of energy during a physical activity had been exhilarating. The feeling of not being able to move a toe anymore but still being pushed regardless had shown her that there were, in fact, no limits to what she could accomplish. Being done was no longer an option.

Cassy wanted more of this feeling without making it known publicly, which was why she acted so willing around the ponies. That way, they would drag her to the bedroom, and she would feel alive again; they would find a way to make her perform better.

Nightshade grabbed her reward's wrist and pulled off the chair as if she had been given a material gift. Cassy was her favorite toy, and she had been granted the right to play with it.

"Hemlock! I have Cassy! Where are we going to fuck her?"

"Oh, let's go to our stall on the haystack. That way, we won't disturb Stardust and Brittany. Cassy can be noisy."

"Right. Maybe we should gag her?"

"No, I want her to lick us."

"Oh, right... Let's go then. Come, Cassy."

Before they even exited the door, Nightshade was already pinching Cassy's nipple through her shirt, making her squirm. It was going to be another long night.

***

"Where are we going, Tiang? It's very dark now."

"It's called nighttime, Moonlight."

"It's not my name anymore! And I know that. I'm just wondering what you needed my help with. Why are we walking in the middle of the desert when it's night? It's getting cold."

"One more reason to keep walking."

"We've been walking for over an hour. Do you even know where you are going?"

"Don't you worry about that."

Moonlight definitely had regrets. As soon as Xiu had parked the car in the driveway, Tiantang Zhi Ma asked her to follow because she needed her help with "something." There was no reason to refuse, but now, after more than an hour walking aimlessly in the desert, it became a source of worry. Tiang's refusal to give her any detail about their destination more and more looked like she had fallen into a trap.

She was near the point where she would turn back and abandon Tiang to herself. If Tiantang wanted to take a stroll in the desert at night, it was her business. That said, there was a little problem that lingered on her mind for the past few minutes. If she were to return to the stable, she wasn't sure she would be able to. It was nighttime, and she couldn't see any light in the distance anymore. Tiantang's stable was located in the middle of nowhere, so there wasn't even any village aura glowing on the horizon. Simply put, Moonlight was lost with no points of reference.

"Tiantang! It's not funny anymore! Let's go back!"

"You can if you want. You are the one following me. I'm not holding you on a leash."

"But... I don't know where to go. I'll get lost."

"Aren't you already lost? You would not be in a worse situation than now. Right?"

"..."

"If you are following me, it's because you are in need of guidance, no?"

"Is that a punishment for having left Penny's stable?"

"That's not the word I would use, no."