"Auction 6,523. Female. Age 20. Desire willingly giving heart. Bid starts at 1000 gems." The man with the gavel said.
The auction house was suddenly silent as a skin and bones dragon girl stepped onto the stage. Unlike the man before, she wasn't blindfolded and had lovely sad purple eyes. She wore rags, and her fluffy pale pink hair showed to small white horns. The longer Satin looked, the more she could see. The girl had man heartstrings hanging off her body, but none seemed to go anywhere and hung to her sides. Her heart was unlike anything Satin had let to see.
The ordinarily beautiful heart was crackled and spluttered to near bits. As if it would fall apart at the first touch.
There were muttered in the crowd.
"Ew, a willing one, disgusting."
"Who you ever want that thing?"
"1000 gems," Chanty called out, spooking Satin. Suddenly they became the center of the room, and Satin pressed into Chanty's side.
"Oh course, the machine, she could never live up to being heartless." More mutters ran around the room.
Satin bites her lip. She knew this wasn't for Chanty. She had refined herself to what she had become. This person, this lovely girl, was meant to be Satin's dinner.
Just as Satin opened the mouth to protest, the gavel banged, and the auction was won. Chanty stepped onto the stage and took the girl down with her. She was silent as she was walked to Satin. The girl didn't look up at all. She had excepted her fate.
"Chanty I-"
"Not. Here." Chanty warned, giving her a look that meant to shut up.
Satin did just that and quickly followed the other two through the crowd, still looking at them. Satin felt the eyes on them the whole way out into the dark city. Even people who had been busy seemed to follow them. Chanty moved quickly, and soon they had left the horrible place behind. Satin didn't feel too much safer on the ship, but once the ramp when back in, Chanty pressed the girl's hands into Satin's
"Here." That was all she said as she fired up the ship's strange engine.
Satin felt the none existent tears stick in her throat. Her face twisted as if she was sobbing. She squeezed the girl's hands tightly but still wasn't looked at.
"W-What is your name?" Satin muttered.
"Violet, miss." The girl replayed in a quiet voice. "Thank you for buying me. The money will help my family." She seemed to show a flicker of a smile on her lips before it was gone.
Satin finally tore away and ran. She leaped down the stairs to the bridge. Satin stumbled grabbed hold of the door handle to the galley as the centaur felt the ship rock backways to go skyward. She heard Violet above scream. Satin turned to find the poor girl falling down the stairs into the bridge. In seconds her hand had been caught by Chanty's, and she was pulled upright.
Volite stumbled and pressed into Chanty, making the Kirin for stiff. The ship rocketed off and quickly leveled out.
Volite had locked eyes with Chanty. They were big, wide, and a vivid sunset purple. Satin perked up. She could see Chanty's little machine heart working in overdrive like she was flustered.
"I would have been easier to eat if you had let me fall." Violet looked away, quickly hiding in her heart.
"We are not going to eat you!" Satin suddenly broke the tension. Making them both perked up.
"What?" Violet gasped. "Oh, no, no, no, please. I …. It hurts so much. Just kill me. Please, it would be so much better. I won't be missed in my family really the money is better than I am." She begged. Chanty faltered a moment looking at Satin's stern face. There was a tiny flicker of light in her ordinarily dark eyes just for a moment.
"Satin. A word, please." She muttered and slipped down the stairs carefully. Chanty grabbed Satin by the arm and yanked her down the hall to the galley. Satin felt like digging her hooves in but followed willingly.
"What are you doing! I just dropped 1k gems on your stupid ass!" Chanty hissed as soon as the door was closed.
Satin stood steadfast.
"I won't do it. Go get your money back if you want. I will not eat that girl's heart. I won't eat a heart ever!" She snorted.
Chanty stomped her foot and paced around the kitchen.
"Satin, she wants to give you her heart. Do you have ANY idea how rare this is! Most of the people who come to white hollow are against their own will, just to feed its population! I am doing this for you! So you don't have to become horrible and heartless like I am!"
Satin wasn't swayed.
"Then if your so "heartless," why did your heartbeat speed up when she touched you?" Satin smiled, watching Chanty's face devolve from rage to shock.
"What are you implying!" Chanty screamed as Satin watched the friend's heart start to race again.
"I think you don't give the heart you have enough credit, that's all." Satin cooed and touched the scar along Chanty's chest.
Chanty slapped her hand away with a growl.
"Don't touch me!"
Satin pressed her lips together.
"You know, I knew you fell in love before you became heartless. Whatever happened to that girl?" Satin asked, watching as Chanty got even more flustered.
"I became heartless because I fell in love! If you don't eat her, then you are working on my ship till you pay off your debt!" Chanty snorted and stomped past her down into the hall again.
Violet was sitting patiently on the bottom step as Chanty stormed past her and disappeared up the stairs.
Satin stepped over to her and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Violet, um I am sorry if you wanted to be eaten, but your heart isn't gone, just broken. Maybe I can help. You see, I use to be a healer. All unicorns are." She knelt down in front of the timed dragon girl.