The night shimmered as he flew.

He cut across the sky enjoying his peaceful freedom. A freedom given light awareness but heavy chance. A freedom sought by many, yet owned by few... and it was all his to enjoy. His wings batted the skies as he stayed afloat, suspended in his own blissful seclusion. He flew down and close to the ocean he danced above, they mimicked his actions valiantly.

He gazed downwards upon his blessed figure reflected on the rough waters. His untainted white fur and mane with golden eyes, accented further by his glorious alabaster wings of pure light. A small grin graced his face, showing off his shining white teeth. The image of perfection. He stared for a little longer, still flying through his eternal happiness. He didn't even need to look where he was going, he was so secure, so safe, that he knew that nothing could hurt him.

The figure changed, but only by very little. The triumphant reflection he held shrunk faintly, the body became curved in favour of muscled, the legs extended out further and became slender, the tail lengthened, the neck lost it's accents and became daintier, the golden mane grew out and the head became even more beautiful. The eyes remained golden and sparkled with fascinated wonder, but the sharpness behind them softened. The eyelashes extended out of the eye lids complementing the alluring features of that which they stand guard. The snout added detail and shrunk slightly to fit the rest of the pony's head and it's mouth formed a little smirk. The added details perfected further the image of perfection he at once knew, he wanted her.

She gestured her hoof into the sky, back behind the pony, and the clouds above, Come to me my love, I am waiting for you... spoke the angel. He nodded, and flapped so he could change his direction away and upwards to the skies. He wanted to please this reflection, he wanted to find her, he wanted to fly. The clouds approached him, speeding towards him in ferocious fury in upturned elemental wrath. He was not afraid, he needed her. He put his hooves in front of him to meet the vaporous beast in valiant battle of determined intent. The beast was near enough that if it were to lash out or bite he'd surely be beaten, yet he continued. He let loose a guttural scream to aid in his assault of this beast that dare keep him from his love.

He was not afraid.

He flew straight into the gaping maw of lunacy. He dodged and expertly weaved between teeth the size of spears and as sharp as the horizon. A single feather clipped onto a tooth and was lacerated in half, this faulted him for naught but a second. He was not going to let this beast win. He managed passed the rows upon rows of teeth into the beast's mouth only to be met by giant snakes posing as the beast's tongues.

He was outnumbered.

He didn't count them, the adrenaline spiking through his veins keeping him from thinking of anything but the crystal eyes of his love. The snakes lashed out at him, darting to his position. He grinned... He never liked the first move. He dodged upwards to miss the first three heads coming at him from his sides and front. The two from his sides smashed together and dazed themselves. He doubled back and reached forward grasping hold of the free head still chasing him. He dropped down dragging it with him, the entire time it bit and spat at the air trying to snag a taste of this foolish mortal but he would never let it. Using it's determination against it the pony flew under and around the stunned heads to tie them together, binding them with their own flesh and blood. He looked up.

He was surrounded.

Knowing that his task with those heads was finished he spun quickly to face the rest. He was outnumbered, over a thousand to one. He dared not waste time counting the heads, and went straight at them with a challenge. He whispered to them and they hissed back in a resounding chorus of piercing hunger and lunged at their prey. The first one went low, he reared up and bucked the tongue with his hind hooves. He used it as a spring board to dodge the next two heads, which twisted around to follow him. He and four heads racing to him from below him. He saw his window and immediately dived for it. He flew down into the square of snakes and made them collide with one another. Both stunning them and providing him with a temporary cage-shelter to just block another five from reaching him.

He was cunning.

One head had it's jaw open in preparation for dinner but was served snake skin instead of the anticipated pony flesh. The valiant pony kicked one of the snake bars into the line of the attacking head. Green blood sprayed from the wound and the beast yelled out in pain. He didn't stop there. He kicked the snake further into its brother to make it unable to escape. He then rushed back to the tongue behind him and used it to propel himself over to the entrapped snake. He flipped so that his rear hooves made contact with the face of the snake. It was shot back, but its teeth remained stuck in its comrade. The snakes and the beast were overcome with pain unimaginable, notable to the warrior pony by the tremendous wail of unequaled pain. He glanced back to his cage, now falling with a great speed. The teeth seemed to shine with a tremendous gleam to him, that was his target.

He was quick.

He used the air tainted by the pain of his predator to launch himself deeper into the mouth, following the teeth which he sought. Other in pain but very much alive and angry snakes rushed at him in a determined act of revenge, but he was faster. He out-flew the most of the tongues and kicked away the rest that managed to get close to him. The teeth were within his grasp. He latched into the body of the wounded snake and bit into the flesh to get at the fang. The taste of blood and acid filled his mouth, but he cared not. His mouth found purchase around the fang and he pulled it out. The fang itself extended a couple of feet out from his mouth, but weighed as if it was made of air.

He was strong.

He heard the hissing of an attacking snake, so he spun and delivered a killing blow to it. With the sharpness of the fang he separated the lower jaw from the top, dead. The beast roared. One down. Many more to go. He slashed and sliced through the barrage of snakes until most of them fell, the giant beast wailed and roared at the pain that this pony was inflicting upon it. Is this the night that it will surely die? There was a path cleared up further into the beast, so he took it. The fang was covered tip to jaw in the foul inky green blood of his downed foes. The pony didn't fair any better, he was splashed from head to tail in the disgusting blood from the snakes.

He was vicious.

A loud beating made itself clear to the pony, letting him know where his target was. He flew through to the throat of this beast in search of it's heart. He almost made it, one of the surviving tongues latched onto his rear hoof with its fangs and halted his advance. Pain flooded up through the pony and he wailed in agony, causing him to drop his bloodied weapon. The snake seemed to grin at his misfortune, but the pony was as smart as he was daring. Knowing that further pain would come if he didn't act now, he used his injured hoof as a leverage and speed his free hoof to the jaw of this mighty beast. The snake opened its mouth and screamed in agony. He saw his opening, acting quickly he wrenched his injured hoof off of the fang and used his other hoof to kick the fang out of its socket. The fang ripped back and into the snake, tearing up its fragile insides and killing it. Before it fell however, the pony dived down and held onto one of the remaining fangs to dislodge it and replace his previous weapon.

He was cruel.

Rearming himself he flew to the source of the beating, the tunnel like throat of the beast twisted and turned until finally he found it. The heart. Wasting no time the pony flew up to the top of the heart and stabbed the fang into it. Releasing a fair amount of green blood in the process. The gladiator pony laughed manically and gripped the fang with his teeth. He then dived down and around the heart, tearing it asunder. The beast had little time to scream before it died.

He was victorious.

The beast fell motionless, the pony cut his way up and out of it. He emerged from the beast and stood atop his prey. He was covered head to tail in the blood of his victim. The adrenaline and rage he felt surging through his body reached a height unknown to him. He roared in victory over this slain beast, he vanquished the beast that dared try to devour him. He roared for a good while until he needed to resupply his lungs with his deserved oxygen. He then doubled over in mirth, insane maniacal mirth brought upon by his newly acquired status of apex predator. He regaled of the power and might he claimed over his prey until he heard a sound. It was but a whimper.

His joviality ceased as his searched for this sound. It was not long until he found it. It was a pegasus mare of pure white fur and gleaming golden eyes, that looked upon him in fear of what he has become. He jumped off the body of the downed beast and approached this mare. She took a step back as he took a step forward. With every step he took the blood on his body melted off of him and tainted the clouds beneath him. His fur reemerged as black as night and his wings were like that of a bat. The clouds corrupted in elemental fury, he didn't care, his focus was completely on this mare in front of him. He took another step and the blackness spread with him. He grinned madly at her showing off his newly acquired fangs. The mare stepped back, retreating from the advancing lunatic and the spreading darkness. He licked across his fangs, feeling them for the first time. He further approached her as he muttered two simple words.

Be mine... the words drifted out of his mouth in the form of a ghastly hiss. The demand did what wasn't intended, but still helped him with his goal. She tripped back in fear of this insane pony and fell into the clouds. He saw an opening, so he took it. He dived onto the frightened mare and crouched over her. He leaned in close to her ear as her head tried to move away. He hissed into her mind,

Be mine...

His head then dived into her neck and he bit his fangs into her. The mares neck cracked like glass under the force of the bite. Corruption seemed to spread throughout this mare from the center as her skin slowly turned from a glorious white to a hideous black. Her struggling seemed to dampen the longer he kept her in his hold, she began to realise that resisting is futile. He chuckled into her neck, his voice marred by the skin in his mouth. Her reddened eyes closed slowly as the process neared completion. Until a voice interrupted.

Get away from her!

The black clouds beneath the two began to shake with fury as a great stallion of the earth made of red marble stormed to the pair. He was at least twice as big as the dark pony, and twice as furious. The clouds under the charging hero cracked from black to white as they calmed beneath his hooves. When the pony reached the beast he landed on his fore hooves and spun, intent on smashing the beast with his mighty earth-shattering hooves. The beastly pony was fast and jumped above this intruding stallion's attack and ran across his back up to his head. He flipped forward so he can pile-drive this heathen through the clouds to the ocean below. His hooves met air, nothing. His flip over shot and he found himself face in the clouds.

You will never win.

The beast stood and spun around rapidly, finding his mare riding on the back of this looming giant. The beast, without hesitation, dashed forward to destroy this pony and recapture his mare, but as fast as the beast blinked the giant and his mare were gone. Disappeared as if turned into clouds themselves. The white clouds where the stallion once was started corrupting again with the absence of their saviour. This mattered not to him, he wanted to find this bastard stallion who dare take his mare. He flew up into the blackened night sky in search for the only source of white and light. He never found it. Although, he was not completely alone, he could feel it, a presence. A presence like no other, it was ominous, the slight in the wind, the chill down his back, the faint doubt in his mind. At once he had the overwhelming desire to escape, to fly, to run. He launched off the cloud layer and flew fast, faster then he has ever flown before. The feeling didn't go away, instead it felt like it grew heavier the longer he flew.

His legs seized up. He couldn't feel them, they froze in mid air. He couldn't worry about this for long, as his wings ceased to flap. His neck was forced up to the sky, he could do naught but be entrapped by the beauty of the night as he float, suspended in space. The stars filled his vision, encasing him in a white cocoon of magic. All at once the corruption that surged his body was violently ripped out of him, rendering him less then the oracle he used to be. Instead he was a normal pegasus. The magic did not stop there though; he felt it, a pain like no other. His newly purified feathers were plucked off one by one. Agonising feather after agonising feather. Pain flared up in his wings as more and more feathers were ripped out of their sockets.

Then he fell, descending into his own madness...

He fell far, he screamed to the heavens and reached out to them for that they might reach out and grab him back. They didn't, and he fell further. He fell face to the skies as the stars rearranged themselves to form a wicked fanged grin with red eyes that laughed at him, the laugh gradually dissolved from a deranged cackle to a sinister chuckle the further he fell away from the sky. He could see his feathers floating away from him as he fell faster and faster ever approaching the black cloud layer behind him.

He fell through. Lightning arced back and forward across his sight, a bolt struck his back and burnt off the remaining feathers. He screamed in agonising fury as the pain surged through his system. He fell until he breached the underside of the cloud layer.

The clouds did not shatter, they did not part, they didn't even shimmer. They floated still, mocking him and defying his body's right to land on them. He could no longer see the stars; they were hidden from him through the defiant clouds. It wasn't long before he hit the ocean below. Unlike the clouds the water's surface snapped under the intrusion of his body. The water clapped his ears, leaving him dazed.

He sank, losing sight of the cloudy sky as he sank deeper and deeper into the murky water. His thrashing forelegs did nothing to aid in his recovery, a vast stinging sensation filled his featherless wings. He looked back to see what was wrong and to his utter horror, he found his boney appendages were dissolving in the water. They hissed and bubbled as they cracked off his back. Pain shot all through him when they finally broke off. He screamed silently through the water. He sank faster, he watched as his wings floated above him, disintegrating and mixing with the water until there was nothing left. He sank until he hit the sea floor.

A muffled voice rang out in the darkness, he couldn't hear it correctly, through his thrashing and the water tearing through his ears all he could make out was, "rz nd shn frnd."

Instantly his arms and legs were wrenched out to his sides and bound by some form of coral. He then felt the coral snake its way around his throat, as his head was pressed firmly against the sea floor. He realised that he was at the bottom of the ocean. He struggled for breath as he felt the air be taken from his lungs. He gasped only for it to be filled with more water.

Screams filled his vision.

Proud Skies awoke to a light-hearted laugh. He coughed to get the water out of his lungs.

"I said 'Rise and shine, Friend'," laughed the voice as Proud heard the telltale sound of a bucket being placed onto the ground.

"W-who-?" Proud croaked inaudibly before coughing again. He wanted to rub the sand out of his eyes before he opened them, but his forelegs were bound in some way, and to his annoyance, his neck as well. He was flayed out in a very painful position, it should be more painful because he should be crushing his wings behind him… but for some reason he can't feel them. They just feel like they aren't even th-

He remembered.

A shadow overcame his broken and frozen heart, his position was taken from him, along with his city, his pride and above all… his wings. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream and writhe over his lost pride and limbs but he couldn't, as he hasn't a tear left to shed. Instead he made a raspy cough as he felt the water drip down his face. The sensation of water on his skin brought to light the fact that he was parched; he remembered not having a drink of water since the train ride to his demise. His internal grief was cut short as the voice from before returned.

"I 'ave to say, Friend, I 'ave never seen anypony in quite the pickle like yourself," the voice continued, it was female, Proud wanted to open his eyes and shout to whoever this is to leave as he couldn't bare the voice of this intruder. He just wanted to be alone, "Come to think of it… I 'ave never seen such an archaic 'oldin' bed… Better yet, I ain't never seen any 'oldin' beds in this dungen before in my life."

Dungeon?

Proud couldn't delay any longer, his eyes broke apart and he looked around. Well, looked around as far as his eyes could, his head was bound to the point where he couldn't move it. From where he was it looked and felt like he was glued to the wall. He saw what looked to be the inside of a jail cell, that much was obvious. The bars and lifeless stone brick walls were a dead give away. The smells of a dungeon filled his nostrils, naming that of rats, cockroaches and spiders that made their home in the dank halls of the prison block. Proud didn't know where he was exactly, but he hazard a guess at Canterlot Dungeon. He was locked up in Canterlot Dungeon, and this… peon was sitting and leaning onto an upturned bucket she had in front of her. She was looking up at him and smiling.

As if the idiot was completely oblivious to the fact that Proud Skies was in the dungeon.

"Op! You're awake now! Allooo!" called the beaming mare sitting in front of him as she waved to her new prison mate. She was a lightly built, slightly hungry looking Earth Pony, her coat was a dark shade of yellow and she had an unkempt short dark green mane and tail. Her cutie mark was hidden from view by the way she was sitting so her talent was a mystery to Proud at this point. She was smiling widely at Proud Skies, showing off her less than looked after teeth. She sat with one hoof resting on the bucket and the other gayly flailing about in the air. Proud couldn't bare the sight of it any longer.

"Who the buck are you?" He shouted at the audacity of this whorse who dare wake him. The gaudy mare in front of him recoiled slightly as her smile fell a bit. Her hoof paused in the air then proceeded to fall on to the bucket with a clank.

"No need for such 'ostility, Friend. You're in the same boat as me," the mysterious mare said as she lifted her other hoof and gestured at Proud, the action almost immediately reminding the mare that she was not bound and her conversation partner was. She paused as she put her hoof back, "Weelll, maybe not that bad. The name is Fastened Key, but folk 'round here call me Unloc-Key," Key joked with her smile and teeth returning, "Well, as much as I like calling ya 'friend', I'd much prefer to call ya by name, so what is it?"

"You need not know my name whelp! I don't need to give that information to the likes of you-!" Proud yelled defiantly to the impudent mare perched in front of him before his neck-bind choked him silent as a punishment for moving.

The mare's head cocked to the side in wonder, "Golley, I wonder what it was that made an Earth pony such as yourself so mad," she asked innocently.

"I am not a lowly Earth Pony, I am a Pegasus!"

"Ya sure? Cos the lack of wings sure tell me somthin' diffrent," Fastened Key pointed out his wings, or rather, lack of. Proud Skies sighed and fell silent, "Struck a nerve did I?"

"Well… I was a pegasus… until that, corrupt whorse of a princess, Luna stole my wings away fro-"

"I'll stop ya right there, Mister. Don't go insultin' our Night Mother like that. It's because o' her that poor souls like myself 'ave a livin'," Key defended before she looked around the cell they were in again, reminding herself that she is stuck in a cell "Well, its not much o' one, but et keeps the belly fed. Enuff about me, why are you in here?"

"I was…" Proud started before he shut his trap, he didn't need to give out information like that; especially to someone he just met who is a jailed crook.

"Oh come' on, Friend, it's not like we're goin' anywhere soon. I 'ave all night to listen, an' I'm a plenty patient pony."

He stayed silent.

"Tell ya what. Since ya look like the kind of pony that enjoys prizes, I'll give ya one gift for every bit of 'umility ya show"

"What do you mean 'prize'?" Proud asked, full of doubt.

"Why don't ya tell me your name and find out?" Key offered with a sweet smile and a wink.

…

"I'm waiten'…"

The locked up pony closed his eyes as he gave up trying to resist this incessant mare. He sighed before he muttered his name, "Proud, Proud Skies."

Click!

Suddenly he could move his head around, the device that bound it unlocked. Proud opened his eyes to catch the pony before him returning to her spot. He briefly got a look at her cutie mark, but it wasn't long enough to get a clear image, it looked like it had something to do with a lock. She turned and sat down next to the bucket to face her friend again, "H'excellent! Pleased to meetcha Mister Proud!" The yellow pony laughed as Proud looked down, bewildered by his sudden slight freedom. He found his forelegs and hind legs spread out and shackled to a crude wooden board, preventing his movement. He looked back towards his cellmate to find her grinning widely with a small thin stick of metal held between her hooves, a lock pick?

"What did you do?" Proud asked, bewildered at his compatriot's ability.

"Well, I unlocked it, simple!" She responded waving her lock pick around, "It'really isn't that 'ard."

"Why couldn't you have done that before?!" Proud yelled at Key, angrier at the fact that this miscreant didn't let him down in the first place then the fact that he was shackled to a wall, "Now I demand you unlock me completely!"

"Ahp pup pup!" Key waved her hooves and the lock pick smilingly disappeared into her forelegs, "Ya 'ave to be 'umble for me to let yedown." She chided the impatient former mayor, "Now, I'll unlock ya shackles if ya tell me how it is that ya found yourself 'ere."

A brief shot of stubborn silence and a glare only very slightly killed Fastened Key's mood.

"You know what? I'll go first. It began when I was just a little filly, fending for m'self in the streets of Trot'n'am-" Key was cut off by Proud's pained groan, he really really did not want to hear some sob story from a convict. Fastened's face and mood fell, "Golly, if you don't want to be let down, I'll just leave." She stood up and made her way to the cell door; to Proud's amazement she just opened it. She didn't even pick it. She just pushed it open. She turned at the door to face back at him with a regretful frown on her face, "Oh yes, by the way, you're goin' to spend a rather long time down 'ere, this section of the dungens 'ave been abandoned long ago. The guard that putcha 'ere didn't look like 'e was comin' back anytime soon, I'm fairly certain that 'e was just goin' to let ya rot down 'ere." She turned, flicked her tail, started walking away and disappeared from Proud's sight.

Proud hesitated, he was going to be left down here? Just to die of starvation shackled to a wooden board? Why would the guard do that? He had rights as an Equestrian cit-

Wait… Banished… he was no longer an Equestrian Citizen. Proud realised that the guards always wanted revenge on him but couldn't do anything because he had the right to be treated fairly 'as an Equestrian Citizen'. Since he was no longer that, the guards don't have to treat him fairly. He briefly wondered how many other ponies in general for that matter were out to get him now that they could touch him.

"Wait!" Proud called dreading the fact of being left alone, while simultaneously dreading the coming story. Key instantly popped her head into view from the hallway and looked at Proud as he sighed for what seems like the thousandth time since he woke, "If it will get me out of here, I'll bear your story."

"Oh goody!" Key all but bounced back into the jail cell, shutting the gate behind her with a clang, "Now, let's start on my childhood…

It was the dead of night.

A splash marked the escape of the fleeing dirty blank-flanked foal as she ran through the town with a bag full of bits in her mouth.

"GET BACK 'ERE YA FILTHY SWINE!"

She knew she had to speed up as the coin purse was heavy and the angry mare was gaining on her. There were a fair amount of coins in the bag, but her life weighed more. So she needed to think quickly to do what she could to lighten the load. She spied a few wooden crates and went for it. The foal jumped up on the smallest one with the intent to catapult off of the larger one, open the bag in mid air and dump some of the bits. However, to her utter discontent, she didn't jump high enough onto the taller one to take into account the size and weight of the bag. She fell forward and over the crate as the crate ripped the bag from her mouth.

Schlick- Click

Having hit her head on the box when she rolled over it she was dazed and didn't realise where she landed, however, she was out of sight, so for that matter she was grateful. She really didn't know why she needed what was in the bag; she was too young to know the importance of money. She did notice, however, some ponies during the daytime in the markets handing some of them over to another pony and they'd give them food. Food was nice, so she decided that she could use some. Of course, she couldn't just ask for some bits, she tried that before but she was ignored.

"Where is that thief? I should cut off its bloody tongue for that!" hissed the local jeweller as she searched for the thief that stole from her. The foal couldn't see why she was so mad, the local jeweller was the richest mare on the block, the amount she took from her wouldn't nearly be as expensive if she stole from somepony else.

She swore she only took a hoof full.

The foal didn't move. She hadn't opened her eyes out of fear that the bright yellow colour of them would give her away. She heard the sounds of bits being picked up and put back into the bag, along with the sounds of a grumbling mare, "I swear, if I catch that little runt in my sight again, I am handing her to the guards straight away." The sounds of the shinking coins and angry mare faded with her hoof falls as she traveled back down the street to her shop. Only after the sounds of the cold winds of the night rustling through the leaves of nearby trees could be heard did the filly dare open her eyes again.

She saw bars.

Small thin metallic bars, outfitted with a locked cage door. She had befallen a trap designed for catching small animals, and she was now stuck like one. The little foal wasn't exactly unknown in the streets of Trottingham, she has been known on several accounts to break into other ponies’ houses and steal money from them. Nopony understood that she needed to do that to survive, just so that she could eat for another day. Her already boney body couldn't take much more hunger. Her gurgling stomach reminded her that she hasn't eaten for a whole day now. So she did what a foal could do, lie down and sob.

She cried at the hopelessness of it all. She was caged like an animal and she had no way out. Several raps on the cage door served to prove that she was indeed stuck until somepony else fished her out. After which they'd most likely throw her to the guards for punishment… like having her tongue cut off…

She shuddered at the thought through her tears. She would prefer to have her mouth intact by the time she was old enough to ask for a job. Just as she was about to resign all of her hopes and aspirations a bright white light shone behind her eyes.

It's a unicorn! They've found me! They're gunna cut off my tongue!

Her body froze, she wanted to seem as lifeless as possible, maybe if they thought that she was already dead they might not bother about doing anything. So the filly awaited the inevitable.

…

The rustling of leaves.

Nothing but the rustling of leaves met her ears. She dared to open her eyes. She found out that what shone on her was in fact not that of a magic light, she glanced upwards to the source to find out what it was. It was the moon… The moon peaked out from in between the buildings and shone its radiant glow on the hapless little foal. The impression of the unicorn looking down on her, she stopped crying. It was as if the moon itself was telling her to be calm, cradling her in its motherly glow. It soothed her woes and beckoned her to stop crying. She listened.

Soon after the moon's light flashed on her, forcing her to look down. What she saw under her hooves was nothing special. It was just a pointy stick. She saw another glint in her eyes; she looked straight to find the moon's light reflecting off the lock's surface. She added point and lock together and she knew how she was going to get out. She wiped the tears from her eyes with a dirty hoof and picked up the stick.

Fumbling the stick in her hooves she jammed it into the lock. With all the finesse of a hungry foal she jiggled, twisted and turned the stick inside the lock. This seemingly frivolous pursuit lasted for a couple of agonising minutes. She was about to give up after a while, but she stuck to it regardless, she was going to keep her tongue that day.

Click~

Her eyes opened wide when she heard the telltale sounds of a lock being unlocked. She pushed the gate to the trap open. Her mind could barely comprehend that she was free. She just unlocked a trap door from the inside, she got out!

She gets to keep her tongue!

It was almost a call for a gleeful yell, but then she heard a flash and saw a bright light in the corners of her eyes, so she dashed out of the cage with her trusty stick in her mouth and she ran away. She ran to the central park where her 'home' was, about a few blocks away from the trap. Her 'home' was nothing more than a cardboard box perched covertly underneath a bench. It was the best place to hide; no pony suspects the cardboard box. She dived into it to catch her breath and hide for what felt like an hour, but when you are a foal time never flows evenly. Only after a few more hours did she dare to peak out from inside her box. Nopony was there, she was alone.

She decided to climb onto the seat tonight in order to gaze above. She collapsed onto her back on the bench and looked up into the sky. She gazed upon the Mare in the Moon, much lower than before, and she was overjoyed and thankful for its help. She knew that for the rest of her life, she would gladly offer her thanks to it.

She saved her that night, and many nights to come. She sighed blissfully as she looked up to what few stars she could see, the lights of the undying city making it hard to see anything bar the moon and a couple of the biggest stars. She was about to drift asleep to the gentle melody of leaves dancing in the wind, but the pain of hunger flared up in her stomach prevented her from achieving it.

Going to sleep with an empty stomach is not one of the youth's favourite things to do, so usually she did the only thing she could, which was to rummage through another's garbage. The scent and taste would be tremendously sub-par, as it was mixed in with that of rotting food, discarded materials and the rats that saw fit to make it their home. To be honest, she'd much rather go hungry.

Then she had an idea, she could break into a house. Somepony else's home that had food kept and ready in the cold boxes, ingredients that she could eat and savour on her delicate and uncut tongue. Might she finally have a decent meal before sleeping?

Usually her methods would include getting a sizeable rock, picking a low window and letting loose. That usually never ends well. The jeweler was exhibit ‘Too Many’. She awoke when she tried to get in the first time and caught her with her hoof in the bit jar. The window did slow the jeweller down though, for that she was thankful, but she'd much prefer to enter and leave unnoticed.

She chose the house closest to her park, so if she needed to run, her box was a just dash away. Lifting up her trusty stick, she got to work trying to break the lock. It took a great deal more jostling and shaking for her to open this door as compared to the little cage, but she eventually managed it. The lock clicked and the door was free to creak open, allowing the filly into the house. She made little sound, making sure to step quietly as to not wake up the owners of the store, that would only lead to wreck and ruin.

The interior didn’t look like all the other houses she had broken into before, though, this time she could take in her surroundings. There were many raised surfaces scattered around the room she entered and there were benches that sort of looked like the one she sleeps under positioned around them. The benches looked very different to her’s, they looked like they were made of red clouds; puffy, soft, tangible clouds. More detail could be made up on the spot, but she felt the breeze kiss her back so she thought that she should get inside.

She left the stick and closed the door quietly behind her so that no others could see her entry, and surveyed the area. The scent of baked goods filled her nostrils. This smell was so much better than the garbage that she'd usually rummage through. All other details of the bakery washed away into disinterest as she slowly and carefully made her way behind and around the counter. She followed her nose to the left and through a doorway where she found a room full of metallic items and large containers. Some containers had handles on the side, while others had them on the top with a see-through door. She looked through the doors he could, to see if she could find anything, but all she found was empty racks. Why anypony would keep empty containers was beyond her.

The tantalising scent caressed her nose once more as her entire world focused around it. She wanted to find this smell, she wanted to savour the taste on her uncut tongue and feel it slide down her throat and into her belly. To feel the weight of a good meal and the drowsiness that comes with it. She looked around, but couldn't find anything from where she was standing, but there were more raised surfaces, they could hold many secrets. So she jumped up onto it, and she immediately found her prize.

It was a tray of cookies.

She had cookies before, but they were in the trash and did not taste very nice, but this time was different, this time they were fresh. Her mouth began to water as she imagined the taste on her tongue, she didn't know exactly what they tasted like, but her nose is gave her a good idea. She didn't want to wait any longer so she picked up a cookie in her hoof, shoved it in her muzzle and chowed down on it. She paused. The flavour and taste of the confectionary invaded her sense of taste as her jaw closed down on the soft and supple confectionary. She didn't know what the taste was called, but it felt like she fell in love. It overpowered her sense of thought… and restraint. So she dived onto the tray and ate the remaining ones with viciousness like that of a lion to its prey, and she didn't stop until the tray was empty. All the cookies were gone and her belly was finally full, she liked this feeling. She regaled in her delight of a full stomach and pleased tongue as the growling lion that was her stomach calmed down.

She felt that she had time, so she lay on her back and enjoyed the feeling of fulfilment. She sighed in bliss as the feeling of a satisfied stomach outweighed her sense of urgency. She lay there for a while, just pleased with existing. There was no need to run. There was no need to hide. No pony knew that she was here, so she could stay for as long as she liked. She liked this new style of breaking in, it was silent, efficient, and consists of a substantially less amount of breaking. The filly drew a large breath and exhaled through her nose. After a while she slowly reemerged from the land of bliss and took in her surroundings. She noticed that she was lying next to a window; she looked out of it to find the last few hours of moon before it hid behind the horizon. She knew that she had to leave soon.

So, regretfully she rolled onto her hooves and jumped off the bench. She landed and walked out the door to the main room. She would have made it farther but she paused in the doorway as she looked over to the counter, the one she disregarded upon entry, and noticed something. Oddly nostalgic that it was a jar of bits. She thought for a second, no pony knew that she was here, not a single thing stops her from simply taking the whole jar. It would be that easy; she couldn't even count the amount in there. She knew without a doubt that that's what she needed.

Without a second thought she jumped up onto the counter and approached the jar, there was a note next to it but the filly couldn't read it. It did have a picture of what looked to be a sick little colt on it. She figured that she would be sick to if she didn't have this money so she found no reason not to take it. Her hooves inched closer to the jar; she was so close to taking it. She was so close, but… no matter how sound it seems in her mind, she just can't get any closer to it. Her forelegs paused in mid air; does she really need this money? Her hooves fell and hit the table she was on. Questions evaded her mind, did she? Did she really need it? She was fed tonight, and if she needed more food she could simply get it. She felt something slightly warm on her back so she turned around.

She looked out the window where she was before. The moon was sinking below the horizon; it was about halfway there. She could still see the face of the Mare in the Moon; she got the feeling that it was happy with her. She swore she saw it wink before it sank fully, but that could have just been a trick of the light. No matter, it was dawn and ponies would be waking up now. She had to get back to her box. She creeped to the door and gently opened it. She stepped once, looked around, twice, repeated, then thrice. After that she closed the door and dashed away. She ran back to her home, to her box, to sleep until dusk.

She dreamed of cookies… and it was nice.

"… Of course, back then I didn't notice I got my cutie mark. Boy, was I elated when I found this little thing on my flank the following night," she closed her story of old as she gestured to her cutie mark and looked towards Proud, who, surprisingly, stayed awake through the whole story. Though, he did have the stunning ability to stay awake during even the most boring of stories, feigning interest was another matter. The sun had long since sunk below the horizon and it was early night time. Even though it was darker than before he could still see... somewhat. He finally got a look at her cutie mark, it was a key and a lock, but the lock was closed through the hole in the key's head. "So that's how I f’ought of the name 'Fastened Key'," She nodded, impressed with her own storytelling ability.

"Fantastic, I listened to your story, now let me down," Proud drawled annoyed and tired.

"Sure thing!" She smiled with a clap of her hooves, she hit the ground and pointed a hoof towards Proud's hind leg shackles. Nothing happened.

"Are you deaf? I said 'let me down'!" he exclaimed impatiently, he glowered at her, "Do so now!"

Key's theatrics stopped as she put her hooves down and glared back at him with a pout. "Fine then!" she said after a while, annoyed at his prevention of her fun, "I was just having fun…" She whipped her tail over her head and reached her fore hooves out. The pick from earlier fell into her hooves, "Ok now, be amazed! At the wonder that is my unlocking skills!" She waved her lock pick at the locks but didn't touch them.

"I'm waiting."

"You know, you are a real spoil sport," she tossed the pick aside and immediately looked as though she had an idea. She looked at Proud and approached him slowly with a sensual look on her face, "I'm sure a…" she paused as she searched for a suitable word, "ah… strong… stallion such as yourself can simply break these locks…" she teased, pouted and blinked cutely twice.

He jerked out his hind hooves in an attempt to kick her away, she stepped back to avoid him, "What do you mean?! Nopony can brea-" his hind legs were free, he fell speechless.

"See?" She said simply and laughed, "Told ya."

"How?"

"Brute strength and a Proud determination?" she joked and chuckled at her pun, "Nothing to do with the fact that I unlocked them earlier without you knowing and just guessed that you were the type to not try something until he knows about it," she finalized with a wink and a smile.

"I'm still stuck to a wall." He hissed, breaking her playful demeanor.

"You sure are Mister Proud," she said before cocking her head to the side, "remember what I said about prizes?" she asked. She stepped forward, grabbed the bucket from her side to put it in front of her. "Let's 'ear your story, then I'll let ya down." She leaned on her bucket in wait for his story.

After a sigh of reigning depression Proud begrudgingly regaled his cellmate with his tale of woe, "I was a politician, the mayor of the great pegasus city of Cloudspire. Apparently, the princesses and general public frown upon fighting for equality, so Luna saw it fit to remove my wings and Celestia banished me from Equestria. She gave me three days to leave but Luna's spell knocked me out. I speculate that the guards found me and put me here for the rest of my life." Key stayed on the bucket, staring at Skies in wait for him to continue, "Now, will you let me down?"

Key's mood fell for what felt like the thousandth time today, "You really are a kill joy aren't you?" She chided him, before sighing, "Fine, a promise is a promise, I'll let you down." She turned to pick up her pick and the bucket in her hooves and approached where proud was shackled. She put the bucket down and climbed up on the board to get better access to the lock. Her face was close to Proud's and she was focused on the lock so she didn't notice Proud's wandering eyes. Her face was scrunched up in determination as her hooves worked their magic. To say it was adorable was an understatement, and to say that Proud could bare this close proximity was a gross overstatement.

She was skinny, that's for sure, but that only made her more appealing to Proud. He liked the ones that can't defend themselves. Proud knew that he could easily get away from her, she wasn't going to put up much of a fight. Since he was no longer an Equestrian citizen, being charged for assault had no real effect on him. He liked this plan. It was a good plan. He was very good at planning. First, Get down. Second, knock her out and escape. Third, get out of Equestria and scheme a revenge action against the princesses and that wretched family. And finally, rejoin society. It was that simple. There is no way anything of that plan can go wr-

"Whoa friend, put that away!" She interrupted Proud's scheming as she stepped back to get to his other hoof, but was blinded by the display, "Gees! I didn't know I was laying it on that thick!"

"What?" he asked before he looked down, one of his hooves were free which was convenient because he could use that to cover himself up, blood rushed to his face as he stammered a reply, "H-how dare you leer at me like that! Release me so I can leave this instant!" He noticed that she wasn't blushing as he hung there on his one foreleg, using his other to cover his pride.

"Oh don't be so 'aughty, there's not much there to look at anyway." She concluded with a laugh as she approached his other leg to release him. He stared at her, shocked, such audacity! He had half a mind to kick her right then. She did the same procedure as before, except Proud was too focused on his plan to notice any more risqué things about his cellmate. He heard a click and he knew at once that he was free. As soon as he felt gravity's pull take a hold of him he wrapped his now free hoof around Key's neck and coathangered her to the floor. She let out a gasp as she fell and hit her back on the ground.

"That's what you get for insulting me you whorse!" He yelled at her triumphantly as she laid on the ground still. He dashed towards the unlocked door to the cell with the intent to bash right through it and escape this tartarean pit. Well, it was a good plan, and it would have worked, if it weren’t for the fact that the unlocked door was actually locked. So his mighty charge was terminated painfully with a mighty bang as his head went straight into the bars. Obviously she locked it again, 'that whorse is going to pay for this,' Proud thought through his ringing head.

Fighting through his headache he turned to the mare on the ground, she rolled over sometime between her takedown and Proud's charge. "Prison cell doors like these buggers automatically lock after they're closed," she sang arrogantly, he huffed in response as he leered at her. She was propping her head up on her front hooves and smiling at him with a condescending smirk. He hated that smirk. He turned back to the door and shook it in defiance, "Open damn you!"

"Ya know, yelling at things won't get you anything in life, I 'ope you realize that," she said simply.

He had just about enough of mares for a lifetime, Flying Grace, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, that arrogant flight captain, the bucking Princesses and now this whorse. He just wished that these mares would leave him to live his life and make Storm's life a living hell. His rage came back full force, he remembered the scene with the delegates at the royal dinner, he remembered how Grace left him, he remembered how the Princess treated him and now this arrogant mare was furthering his list of 'to destroy' ponies. He whirled on her with the intent to yell her into oblivion and teach her a thing or two with a few swings of his hooves. He would have dived on her and pummeled her into the ground right then and there but... she was gone.

creeak, clank!

He paused in a moment of infuriated confusion as he heard that sound, it almost sounded like a cage door shutting. She tutted him, "The thing about being blinded by rage is that you can't see what's right there in fronna' ya," she smirked at him. He turned slowly, the rage evident on his face. He was going to give her what for.

"LET... ME... OUT!" he dashed to the door and shot his hooves through the bars trying to grab at her, she simply stepped away.

"Ap pup pup! Prizes and 'umili'y," she chided him in a singsongy voice, "and since ya insulted and assaulted me, that's two kinds of salt, ya need two 'umili'ies before I let ye out of the cell."

"LET ME GO THIS INSTANT!" he yelled at her through bars and barred teeth. She just sat there, smiled at him and waited for his rage to fall.

"Number one, calm down," she said with closed eyes and a serious face. She opened one of her eyes shortly after to look at him to see if it worked.

"DON'T YOU TELL ME T-!" She quickly brought one of her hooves up to her lips and shushed him. It stunned him to say the least, he was going to retort and reach out to grab her again but he realised that it wouldn't help at all. It was hopeless, Proud fell silent as tears edged on the sides of his eyes. It was pointless to be angry now; look how much being angry had gotten him, a smack on the head and a head-ache. He fell against the cell door and slid to the ground in defeat. He was tired, hungry and thirsty, he just wanted to be left to lie prone on the ground by himself.

She seemed surprised for a moment, likely due to the fact that her little plan worked, before she lowered her hoof back down to meet the other and shook her head, "Good, that's one, now two, apologise to me."

He sighed in annoyance, "…m srr…" he mumbled to the floor.

"What? I didn't hear you~!" she sang and held a hoof to her ear.

He groaned before trying again, the sarcasm not spared in his voice, "I'm sorry."

She looked pensive for a moment before humming and replying, "Mmmm. Nope, try again, this time without the sarcasm."

He got angry again and stood up, he made jerking and failing motions with his hooves to accent his apology, "Fine then, I, Proud Skies do formally and humbly apologise for what I did, what I said, what happened, and anything else that I have done to you, to that bucking family and to the rest of society! Now let me go!"

"Oooo… You are getting so close, but not there yet. I said apologise to me, not everypony," she pouted before adding, "Oh, and ah… drop the attitude, I want an apology from the 'eart," she smiled again.

"You're enjoying this aren't you," he mumbled, not wanting her to hear.

"Yep! And you need ta work on your mumbling skills!" she said cheerfully, waiting for him to start.

Skies sat down and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Right… from the heart…" He paused and put a hoof to his heart, "I'm sorry."

"Almost, not quite, what are you sorry for?" She used a hoof to hold up the other hoof as it stroked her chin in a faux wonder. She had this little pout on her face that reminded Proud of a different face, once he knew a long time ago. Despite all else, it brought a small broken feeling of merriment to his mind, this was quickly quashed however, joviality was something he didn’t need. He engaged what was left of his political mask in an attempt to fool this mare.

He sighed, this time with minor forced benevolence, "I'm sorry for hurting you…"

It seemed to work, she dropped to her hooves and looked at Proud in patient wait for him to finish, "Aaaand?"

"…Calling you a whorse."

She laughed and clapped her hooves together, "H'excelent!" She picked up her pick again and put it in the lock, she didn't turn it, "Oh yeah, one more thing…" she looked to Proud with a small frightened expression on her face, "Promise not to attack me again?"

He suppressed the urge to grin at his victory so that his ruse could be sustained, "I suppose…" He said, nothing more added.

"Okay then!" She got to work picking the lock, and Proud finally got to see her in action. He waited, albeit a little impatiently. To his relief, it wasn't long until he heard the telltale clicks of a lock unlocking. Key stepped back to admire her work and opened the door.

Proud said nothing as he left the jail cell and passed Key.

Key didn't move but looked at him as he passed her, "A simple thank you would be nice," she expressed her annoyance towards his actions.

"Don't push it," he deadpanned. Although he found this mare obnoxious and down right annoying, he believed that he can bare with her for the time he needs to. At this moment, she is an asset; a means that he can use to escape and find revenge. He needed to make a plan, a solid plan. He should make one that maps out every course of action from this point onwards. However, that can wait because right now, he just needs to get out of the castle...

...and a glass of water.

Step One: Escape the Dungeon Cell. ✓

Step Two: Get out of the Castle.

Step Three: …

Step ?: Revenge.

"Report."

"Sir, I have the prisoner locked up tight, there is no way he's getting out."

"I assume you used the bed as I asked?"

"Yes sir."

The Equestrian Royal Guard, a respectable outfit of strong, loyal and dedicated mares and stallions who give their lives and souls to help defend and protect Equestria and her many creeds of citizens. Although, whilst that fact still stands, situations arise when the Royal Guard just cannot stand to point. There are some things that a royal guard can do naught but let by or run from. Political corruption are among the top things that the guard cannot defend, it is difficult to do so especially when the guard are supposed to protect and serve the delegates and politicians that bring about corruption without question. It is the promise of the royal guard division to give your life to the other pony, no matter who he or she might be.

"Good, I'll see to it that you have the rest of the night off."

"Thank you sir. Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

However, one common misconception of the citizen is that the Royal Guard are thoughtless, emotionless robotic lifeforms that carry out orders, this is just simply not true. Guardsponies are still just that, ponies. Emotions still play a pivotal part in the guard's life and duty, no matter the conditioning, no matter the training, no matter the pony, emotions will still affect the pony's choices and paths.

"I heard that the prisoner had 72 hours to leave Equestria before action can be taken against him. Lieutenant Escutcheon, isn't he, by all accounts, immune until he either leaves or uses up his three days?"

"Correct."

"Then, why is he being held custody?"

There is one side effect to baring emotions, something so horrible that it can force otherwise reasonable ponies to do horrible things to others, it's the most sordid and ignoble means of levelling an umbrage one might hold towards someone, it can turn a bright and friendly soul dark and evil, it is one of the most foul and corruptive things on the planet, and yet... it is also one of the most satisfying and cathartic things that can be found on the world.

"Because, Private Halberd, that wretched beast we hold in the dungeons assassinated one of the greatest ponies who has ever lived. He is a common murderer, and he deserves harsher than what the princesses gave him."

"Harsher than banishment? Harsher than not being able to set hoof inside any pony town?"

The lieutenant looked to the private for a moment, "Yes," he left it at that.

It is called revenge. Sweet, untempered revenge.

Author's Note

~~Happy Boxing Day everyone!~~ Happy Day After Hearths Warming everypony! Have a chapter!

I think you should be aware, I write really, very slowly. I mean super slow. Mainly because I procrastinate and because of Steam. So yeah, I said to myself, "Bro, get this stuff done," and I set the target for Christmas to release it.

This story goes through an average of 0 editors per chapter, and that's at least five editors too less. So if any of this story seems weird or could use some improving then well... the comments section is there for a reason. So, I reiterate, I challenge YOU the pedantic reader, to point out all of my ~~buck ups~~ short comings, and help make this story better!

Fun fact: I originally was going to make Fastened Key a male. Of course his actions were loads different to her's, but I wanted there to be a strong female presence (also it got confusing with dialogue and actions if there were two males). So I used the patented 'Ray Gun 63' on Key to make him female. If you want to, for hilarity's sake, picture her as a male but doing the same things. Another thing, this is not going to be a romance story, it's mainly going to focus on the adventure side of things.

Also, I was going to make her Irish, but I don't know enough horse puns or irish cities to create a believable place for her to originate out of. So I changed her accent a little and put her in Trottingham.

Speaking of Key, you might find her past story thing a bit unnecessary, but this is a story mechanic that I will later expand on.