The Pink Mile

Chapter 23

Tuesday, June 24th, 1947. 07:30

I decided to come a little early to work this morning, I don't know particularly why but I felt a kind of youthful spirit in my stride. Yesterday was a hell of a day, meeting that weird Alicorn girl, getting outsmarted...by a mouse of all things, venting my frustrations out on the new girl, and I'm pretty sure I made a joke. Yeah, weird right?

I walked down the hall of Block A, and was greeted with cheerful smiles. "Morning Ms Brutal! Lovely day isn't it?" "Hey! It's our favourite E Block officer paying us a visit!" "Well gosh Howdy Ms Brutal!"

I chuckled a little, "Now settle on down boys, and mind your manners." The inmates chuckled in response, how...queer. Here I was making light talk with the very same folk that I was the living embodiment of a nightmare to for the past nine years. Seriously, I became a legend in The Abyss, 'The Brutal Goddess who swept in and punished evildoers with a mighty sense of justice.' Sounds catchy right? I never really fed into it, but now when I think about it, it feels...nice.

"Well Good Morning Lieutenant Dash!" I heard a perky voice cry out from Block A.

"And Good Morning to you Captain Muerelle Derpowitz!" I replied. Yup. That same grey eyed pegasus from nine years ago? She's the Commanding Officer of A Block.

"Well, this is a strange sight," she said as her eyes googigly bounced around in her head. "I swear I can almost see a smile on your face!"

"Nonsense Captain! Don't you know? I'm Brutal!"

"Yeah yeah, The stuff of Prisoners nightmares. I know." She cocked her head and stuck her tongue out at me.

"How goes everything?" I say stretching my wings with a mighty yawn. This time, it was no trick of the mind or the googly eyes. I actually was showing emotion, and even Derpowitz could see that.

"Well, alls wells that is well I suppose Brutal." She said patting my back.

"Hey Derpowitz?"

"Yeah Brutal?"

"Call me Dash."

Derpowitz drew back in a bit of shock, but then quickly smiled. "Okay, Ms Dash. I've got my rounds to do, but maybe if you want we can take lunch together?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Looking forward to it."

She giggled and flew off to do her rounds. Now I knew something was up with me, I haven't talked to Derpowitz since that day nine years ago, why now all of a sudden? Why is it that I'm breaking my facade, and having the ice melt from around my heart? Did I forget my promise to Vlad? Or maybe... maybe, I was just forgetting him as time went on. No. I won't let that happen.

I held the pocketwatch in my coat as I steeled my being with a fresh coat of ice, and made my way to The Mile.

Tuesday, June 24th, 1947. 07:45

Huh, that's weird. The Mile is completely empty, save of course for the two inmates. Ms Sparkle, and Ms, I dont know her name because she rarely speaks. Normally Rarity and Jacquiline are here to wrap up the events of the previous night, and hand it over to Pinkie and me. Strange.

I took off my hat and jacket and hung them on the coat rack. I made my way over to the chipped and worn bureau and pulled out a cigarette as I sat down. Oh well, might as well get started.

"Ms Dash?" I could hear a voice mewing through The Mile.

"Yes Ms Sparkle? How can I help you?" I replied, trying my best not to sound interested.

"Ms Dash, I need to tell you something. Please come here." Ms Sparkle quietly said as she invited me over.

"Roger Ms Sparkle, I'll be right there." I lit my cigarette, and made my way down The Mile towards her cell.

There she was, curled up like a kitten on her mattress, staring at me with those big dinnerplate eyes of hers.

"Yes, Ms Sparkle? How can I help you this morning?"

"There are ghosts here." She whispered quietly.

"Come again?" I said in bewilderment, she can't be serious right?

"You can't see them boss, but there's so many ghosts here... I'm afraid boss."

Sigh, really? I have to reassure that not only the lights are kept on at night, but now the boogeymen won't come and take her away?

"Don't you worry now Ms Sparkle. I'll chase 'em away. I am Rainbow Brutal Dash after all. I'll beat up any ghost who tries to take you away!"

"I ain't afraid for me Boss. I'm afraid for you." She said with a tearful look in her eye before curling up and falling asleep. Afraid for me? Pshaw. This girl is definately some sort of wacky, I chuckled and made my way back to the bureau, today was going to be a tough day for all of us at The Mile.

It was the day after prisoner intake day, meaning that Today was Prisoner Execution day. I took a deep drag from my cigarette and watched the smoke trail up toward the ceiling of The Mile.

I wish I had the kind of eyes that Ms Sparkle had. The kind of vision that allowed you to see right down to the very core of a pony, and see the things not meant for mortal eyes to be seen. Maybe if I did, I would've taken her warning more seriously, than just some kooky tale. I can tell you this now, the events that happened on Tuesday, June 24th, 1947 would solidify my belief in the afterworld, and of the denizens who reside there.

Lord knows, I should of listened.

DAY 2 BEGINNING OF MORNING SHIFT

Chapter 24:

Tuesday, June 24th, 1947. 08:00

Huh, it was unusual for the Captain to be late, I thought to myself as I puttered on the oak table, biding my time for some decent conversation. For whatever reason, I felt a little bit excited today, like if I was anticipating some sort of cheerful celebration in the small company of ourselves.

"Erggggggggggggg, I'm so bored!" I found myself blurting out, quickly holding my hooves to my mouth in sudden shock. Whats this all of a sudden? Me? Rainbow "Brutal" Dash, actually letting out whats on my mind? Agh, what in the flying blue hell is going on?

Tapping my hooves on the table even more rapidly I took out my pocketwatch and glared at it, as if hoping I had attained some sort of time warping capabilities within the nighttime. No such luck, the minute hand remained adamant at the single tick past Twelve, as if mocking my impaitence and unbeknowst enthusiam I had crawling underneath my skin.

"DAMN IT ALL." I snapped the pocketwatch firmly and shoved it back into my coatpocket, unknowingly scattering bits of foodstuffs unceremoniosly buried from within the entrails of my coat onto the cold pink tiles.

I sit down with a mighty sore attitude as I cross my forelegs. Shit.

As the proverbial thundercloud of an emotional metaphor began brewing above my head, I heard a familiar sound. A sort of pitter patter, reminiscent of a light drizzle on a hot tin roof. I pull away from the oak bureau and directed my glance downward.

"Well I'll be a sonofabitch." I whispered, hiding my childish awe quite terribly.

There he was again, nibbling away at my discarded pocket fillings. That damn disappearing wonder mouse.

I felt a small bit of a jump from within my belly, not unlike the same sensation when you happen across your favourite pony, or when you get the taste of your favourite ice cream on your taste buds during a simmering summer heat.

For austerity's sake, I would like to say that I definately sat back down at that bureau and acted in a manner of clear professionalism, as I let our uninvited guest partake in the given breakfast banquet, but I suppose that would be a great fib I would be telling. I walked over to the ravenous little stowaway gingerly, hoping that my thunderous hooves would not give chase to the only company I had at the time. It would seem that not a single shred of worry crossed his little mind, brass balls this tiny guest must have. In comparison to him, or her; not really good at determining the genders of lesser beings without the whole, well... inspection thing, I stood as a towering behemoth of anxiousness and quivering excitability.

I crouched down and drew my face close to the blissfully unaware mouse, as I drew a grin that I could feel stretch from one ear to another.

"Hey there little fella." I whispered, as if in fear that my sheer size would assault the tiny guy with a gale. I stretched out my hoof, and lowered it slowly to its head.

Now here you are thinking, given the situation of the previous day, that this was some sort of coup de grace for the sheer blase a blah demeanor of simply walking into The Mile on his own terms. I may be many things there lad, but heartless I am not.

I lowered my hoof down and began petting the wonder mouse as he continued to nibble away at the various moonpie crumbles scattered about. Now my ears haven't always been the best, sometimes I wouldn't be even be able to hear what the Captain has to say unless she spoke with a louder inclination to her voice, but I shit you not sonny, I heard two things at that time, and there was also one thing I should've heard.

I heard myself leak out the tiniest of girlish giggles, and I heard the faintest sound of something I would like to think was a coo, or maybe a purr of contentment from the mouse. Here I was, laying on my belly like a giddy filly, petting a mouse right on his pretty little head, as if he was some sort of family pet. Certainly, I was happy that I was alone, or I would lose any sort of creditibility to my namesake.

Now you may have noticed earlier that I said something along the lines of not hearing that I should've heard, well, sometimes when we focus on whats in front of us, we lose sight of the world around us. More often than not, those things around us are something that would see to break that focus, or even harm you, I honestly wish I had heard that damn door unlocking, and the patter of two ponies trotting into The Mile. I honestly wish I would've heard Ms Melacruex whisper "Oh non! Look out Boss!". I wish I would've heard Ms Trixie Yamaguchi stomping her way over to my side, but I suppose the events that followed would not have been as fantastic as they were if they hadn't. I was in my little world, and that little world was soon to crumble with the loud thunderclap and ground quaking.

*CRUNCH*

Chapter 25:

It happened before I could even realize what had just occurred. For one second I was happily petting the head of a happy glutton, and then the next I am staring at a blue stalk of a foreleg, grinding itself into a pile of blood and white fur.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed drawing back from the sight and getting to my hooves. Trixie remained stomping on the no longer living tenant of The Mile, her mane twirling as swear drenched down her sneering face.

At that moment, I felt something within my sinew that I had swore I haven't felt in nearly a decade. Simple, seething, squirming, slithering, steaming rage charging through my veins at the speed of a stampede.

Trixie finished pummelting the blood stained tile she was practicing her river dance on and slowly drew her hoof upward, sinew and flesh slowly ascending along with it, and she looked back at me with the biggest of shit eating grins on her face.

"God damn it I hate vermin, don't you Boss?" she slithered out of her vile mouth, as she began wiping her hoof on her uniform. Her hoof quickly flew behind her head as did her other, but that sort of thing happens when you tackle a pony. With a great slam, I tackled her right into the bars of a vacant cell, feeling my arteries throb with some sort of primal anger seething through my being.

"I'm going to wipe that shit eating grin off of your rich little face you heartless monster!" I hissed at her.

"Try me, you'll be sacked even before you get the first punch in." Trixie muttered, struggling to get out of the hold I had placed her in.

I drew my hoof toward my bullstick.

"Yeah yeah, been there, done that." as I drew back for a blow. Trixie's pupils dilated as she knew my current course of action, and tried desparelty to shield her visiage from my righteous strike. I drew down, and felt myself caught from delivering, someone was holding me back, Lord knows it wasn't some sort of second thought on my behalf, I was whole heartedily willing to accept a pink slip just to bash in a tooth or two on this punks face.

"Now Dashie, I am not clear on the situation whatsoever, however assaulting your fellow officer of The Mile is frowned upon, especially this early in the morning. Why don't you take a second, and breathe in this wonderful morning day?"

My grip was weakening on my bullstick of rightful vengence, as was my voice in between fits of emotions clashing within my soul. Rage, sadness, rage, sadness, it was a scenario that clearly made itself evident in my voice.

"SHE KILLED HIM. THAT DAMN MOUSE. SHE STOMPED THE LIFE OUTTA THAT CUTE LITTLE THING." I gasped in between cues of clashing emotion.

Keeping my tear filled glares of laser heated anger directed at Ms Trixie the entire time, if I couldn't assault her physicially, maybe if I thought it enough she would end up with some sort of damage.

I felt the grip on my hoof tighten as I let go of my bullstick in frustration. "FUCK!" I loosed my grip on Trixie's neck as she slid down to cold tiled floor of The Mile, trying to regain composure along with oxygen. I turned around and directed my weaponized glare at Pinkie, who in returned my gaze with a ludricrous smile on her face, and a handful of delicious smelling corn bread in her hoof. I couldn't help it, I smiled too, and I fell down to the pink coloured tiles laughing.

"Damn it Grandma, do you have any idea how stupid you look right now?" I chuckled as the raging torrent of emotional discord within my heart began colliding with an impervious tide of enjoyment.

"Well, I can't help it. It's how I was born Dashie." She said offering a hoof to help me up, to which I graciousally accepted. I raised myself and my smile quickly fell as I glanced toward the blood stained tile in the hall. The impervious wall of laughter had been substituted with a cacophony of despair and anger. Pinkie seemed to read my sudden change of air as she followed my gaze and her smile dimmed a little as well.

"Well, is this true Ms Yamaguchi? Did you indeed kill the wonder mouse?"

Trixie, slowly getting to her hooves, brushing her uniform off, and coughing. It seems I did a number on the gal, good.

"Damn right Captain, I sure did. Can't have vermin walking around The Mile, you know, it'll upset the inmates, and heavens know you don't want them to be upset or anything. RIGHT INMATE?" She hissed at Ms Melacruex, still shivering in the door, albeit obiedantly complying considering the situation before her, and even behind her, it seems the iron entrance of The Mile had been open the entire time.

"....Is just un petite mousey B-boss..."

"WHAT WAS THAT WHELP?" Trixie howled back at Ms Melacreux, who simply meeped in repose, limping slightly at her bandaged hoof.

Trixie returned her scowl back to Pinkie and I, as she flicked her hoof at her collar. "See? Even the inmates agree."

Pinkie stared at the blood soaked tile, and shook her head in disapproval. "Well, do you think you got him for sure? I'm not honestly sure you made enough an impact."

"That fucker is dead. Look, I got his smashed little brains on my hoof!" She said hissing at the idea of being insulted. I felt my intestines curl at the statement, but with a quick glance from Pinkie, my rage subsided.

"Well then Ms Yamaguchi, I believe a promotion is in order." Pinkie said as she trotted over to the bureau, setting down the basket of corn bread and began writing down on a piece of manuscript.

"I-is that right?" Trixie and I stammered, as if not expecting the response.

"Indeed." Pinkie looked up from her manuscript and lifted her glasses. "You are now The Head Mouse Executioner of The Mile. Now please go grab a mop, and finish what you started." A quick roar of laughter exploded out of my chest as Trixie's face quickly flushed with a shade of crimson. I don't care if it was embaressment or rage, it was a wonderful colour to my eyes.

"Surely you can't be serious." She began to state before being cut off quite quickly.

"Indeed I am, but my name is Pinkie. Now go. Now." Pinkie said with a serious tone to her voice.

Trixie huffed in frustration as she shot me a glare that I could feel right down to my gut. Luckily, it was only for a brief moment befor e she turned her snout upward, and trotted off to the cleaning closet, but not before stomping on Ms Melacruex's bad hoof once more.

"Oh merde! Mon hoof! Aiya!" she whimpered in pain, still akwardly standing in front of the open Mile door.

"TRIXIE!" I began dashing after her in fury.

"What? Just an accident." She scoffed as she threw a dangerous scowl at Ms Melacruex

"C'mon Ms Melacreux, let's get you back to your cell." I said, still glaring into the distance at Trixie.

"Oui oui...merci." She whimpered slightly as she limped alongside me to her cell. Poor girl, she's already been through so much with that damn heartless bitch, and now she's continuing to suffer because of my little tiff. Erg...what am I thinking? I could feel the spikes of doubt etch across my heart, why am I feeling sympathy for a woman who turned an entire city block into smoldering ash because her husband had cheated on her? Why am I feeling empathy for somepony who killed 37 ponies, 14 of them being orphans unfortuneant to be housed directly adjacent to the flash point of the blaze? The ebbs and flows of my inner self began crashing upon one another, I felt incredibly naeusos from the internal dueling of mental states. Oh god...yeah...I'm going to vomit.

"Here...take the keys, lock yourself up." I ripped the keyset from my belt and threw them on the tiles. "Throw the keys back out of the cell when you are done. I hurridly said as the growing catastrophe of internal fluid began crawling its way up my trachea.

"Umm....tres bon...?" Ms Melacruex confusingly, and with good reason, stated as she picked up the set of keys and proceeded into her cell. With growing panic and nausea growing within my gut I sprint over to the lavatory, and burst in, barely capable of holding anything back, I sputtered slightly as bile began falling from my lips.

"Wroaaaaaaaa......."

I threw back the lid and buried my muzzle right into the liquid. The tides and waves were cascaded into a violent torrent that splashed back into my own face. I whimpered slightly as the acidic bile burned away at my throat, and the every now and then occurance of splash into my eyes. All my raging emotions seemed to find themselves freed as the oceans of my internals settled, I panted heavily and drew my face away from my gushing shame and my heart sank

It was all stained red

Chapter 26:

I drew back and hit my flank on the door as my hoof quivered to my lips. It can't be...blood? Am I dying? I licked my lips and my pupils dilated as my fear was realized.

I just vomited a half gallon of blood.

Cold sweat poured off my brow as my heart beat out of control in panic. Okay...calm down... just, calm down.... every beat made my panic even worse. I've... okay. Just calm down Rainbow.

I slowly walked over to the sink, and turned on the facuet, slowly comtemplating my current health situation. So what, its only blood, maybe I had gotten an ulcer from all of this self internalization or maybe it was from dealing with Trixie's bullshit, either ways, it doesn't seem too good.

The sound of a slow trickle of water was like heaven's blessing unto my ears, I quickly splashed my hooves into the cold stream and bathed my face in its cleaning power. Haaaaaaa......nothing, and I mean nothing is like the feeling of cold water on your skin.

I pull my gaze toward the mirror seated above the glorious fountain of stress relief and I swear, for a moment, I could see something scitter across my eyes, as if I had some type of tenant scurrying within my own head. Urgh.....enough. I slammed on the sink, and I silenced the slow trickle that gave me temporary relief from my previous shock.

I wiped my muzzle, and stared intensilely into my own eyes, hoping to glance a peek at what I had thought to be a mirage brought on due to stress related incidences.

I stared for what seemed ages, but nothing but the racing movements of my own pupils were to be found. With a hefty sigh I exited the lavatory, and slammed the door shut behind me.

I looked toward Pinkie at the bureau but found no one in sight, I trotted forward and felt a slight squelch beneath me.

"Oh...." I lifted my hoof slightly, and saw the mangled mess of what used to be Mr Wonder Mouse beneath my hoof.

Now... here's the thing sonny. Nowadays, psychology has advanced to such a degree where a pony can diagnose, and cure you of whatever ailment you have with some perscriptions. In my old age, they've got a pill for just about anything, bad knees, bad eyes, bad libido...although the latter I really don't need. DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT LOOK YOUNG MAN! Ol' Rainbow Dash may be... well, a lady never tells her age, but you sure as sugar better bet that my oven is still good for cooking. Er....where was I? Oh right. A psychologist nowadays would call the situation as a "Psyche Shattering Trauma coupled with Dissociative Personality Disorder." Sounds complicated? Well let me simplify that for you kiddo, a doc would tell me that I was so shocked by what happened back on my first day, that I had grown a second personality to cope with my trauma. Sounds logical right? Oh can you pass me one of my cigarettes? Thank you. Well, I would agree with that sort of diagnosis, however there is something that we are neglecting to mention with the whole scenario, It was The Mile. Logic and rationality on The Mile doesn't really apply, I would say, and don't you laugh at me, because I don't even want to really believe it myself, but a sort of deep magic. A dark magic that had imbued itself in the pink walls of The Mile, something that haunted, stenched my soul in a sort of a cold grip of a reminder of loss, of anger and hatred.

You still don't believe me?

Well... I guess I'll continue on with my story, maybe it'll change your mind.

I lifted my hoof slightly, and saw the mangled mess of what used to be Mr Wonder Mouse beneath my hoof, and I felt nothing. There was no joy, there was no grief, just the emptiness of a calm ocean iced over in an arctic freeze.

I stared at the mess of bloody mouse at my hooves, and I felt nothing whatsoever, I honestly wanted to, even just a single tear. But there was no sadness to be felt, only icy emptiness running underneath my skin.

"Ms Brutal?" I could hear a mew of a soft voice call out from The Mile. Go figure, its Ms. Sparkle again, what in the world does this fraidy cat want now? Fluff her pillows and read her a bedtime story?"

"Yes Ms Sparkle?" I coldly replied.

"I needs to see you the mouse Boss. It's important." she meowed slightly.

"The mouse is gone Ms Sparkle. You don't really want to see that." I said feeling the prison of my icicle filled cavern closing around my heart once more.

"Not yet Boss. I can take it back, but we have to do it right now." She whimpered slightly, as her hoof emerged from her cell, and beckoned to me.

In that moment, I wasn't really thinking anything, nor was I feeling anything, but for whatever reason, I complied. I bent down and scooped the messy remains of Mr Wonder Mouse into my hooves, and trotted over to Ms Sparkle's cell.

She was standing right at the bars, with those eerie giant pupils staring right through and through my soul, as if I stood in the gaze of God himself.

"Give him to me Boss. I can take it back." She calmly whispered as she held both hooves out to receive Mr Wonder Mouse. As if directed by the angels in Heaven themselves, I carefully placed the mashed mouse into her hooves, and watched with a curious sense of dread growing.

Ms Sparkle looked down at the bloody mess in her hooves. Her giant eyes shimmered, as a soft smile grew on her face, "Don't look Boss, it ain't meant for your eyes to see." She said as she cupped her hooves together.

I complied and turned around, wondering what in God's green earth she was going to do with a pulpy mouse carcess. I began hearing a crackling sound, and felt a warm breeze blow through the halls of The Mile. The lights began dimming, not just one...but all of them, all at once. I dropped my bullstick as the lights began growing brighter and brighter, until they shone like miniature suns hanging from the ceiling.

Even Ms Melacreux, still leery from the events that had happened the day before and this morning had gotten to her cell bars and was in awe of the lightshow taking place.

"Ooooh! Oooh! C'est like Karnival Boss non?" She said excitedly through her cell bars, trotting in place excitedly.

"Ms Melacreux, please, sit back down, please don't look!" I yelled back, as the glowing suns grew brighter and brighter, before shattering one after one another.

"Pourque Ms...........................OH MON DIEUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ms Melacruex cried out before her eyes began glowing with the same intensity as the glowing suns, and her body began to convulse intensely.

"MELACRUEX! I screamed out in concern, I turned around and I began to direct my anger at Ms Sparkle.

"MS SPARKLE WHAT ARE YO..............."

and in that moment, my vision faded. What I could say I saw, well... it was like viewing the brilliance of the Lord's kingdom, in all of its magnificence. It was...magical.

In that moment of blindness and overwhelming wave of light, I could swear I saw my own shadow escaping from beneath my hooves, and trying to escape from the radiance of the almighty majesty of holiness emenanting from in front of me. I'm not sure what I saw... but I think it ran off in the direction of the execution chamber...but I may be wrong...

The light filled my heart as the oceans of ice melted away and grew into lush tropics, the iciness within my veins, bubbled and boiled, then cooled, and felt like tepid spring water cascading down a mountian side.

The ice behemoth stood adamant above my being roaring in anger at my escape from within its belly, and reached forward me once more. But that holy light, that radiant sun, turned the great prison keeper into nothingness by its magnificence. The mountain I had been built upon, winter on one side, and volcanic wasteland on the other crumbled beneath my hooves, crumbling into a lush land tropic, I had been freed.

Chapter 28:

I awoke to the soft pitter pattering of tiny feet scurrying across my face, my eyes sprung open and I was still chasing away the dazzling sparkles away from my eyesight.

"Wha....what in the hell just happened?" I asked stumbling to find my footing.

I felt a small tickle across my cheek, my eyes darted right to the spot where I felt the sensation, and my heart jumped out of its ribcage. Sure enough, it was Mr Wonder Mouse, in the flesh, rubbing his nose against my cheek as if welcoming me back from my unconsciousness.

"By...Celestia's...beard..." I had to make sure, I tore off a button on my coat and threw it down the hall, and sure as sugar, the Wonder Mouse ran to it, and returned the button right into my hoof. It really was him! He's alive! I can't believe it! My wings carried me up into the air as I hugged the little fellow gingerly. The amount of joy I had in my heart washed over the islands of contentess I had within me, it was an honest to God miracle.

I fluttered back toward the ground and placed the little fellow into my coat pocket right next to my pack of cigarettes, and my pocketwatch. I looked back to Ms Sparkle, who was panting heavily in her cell, her normally eerie eyes, back down to the size of a normal pony's, and she began stretching her wings.

"Ms Sparkle...thank you." I began to say before I was cut off.

"You peeked Boss. You weren't supposed to peek." She said with a minor tone of annoyance in her voice.

"I'm sorry... I was just concerned, because of Ms Melacruex.....OH GOD MS MELACRUEX!!" I just remembered in mid sentence, I went to rush over to her cell before I was held back against Ms Sparkle's cell.

"She's okay Boss. She gonna be okay, I'm worried bout you though."She said with a grim sounding concern.

"What do you mean Ms Sparkle?" I replied in minor confusion.

"I took it back Boss..." she motioned her head to my pocket where Mr Wonder Mouse was being kept. "but I took something else....something terrible Boss." She grabbed my hooves, and stared me deeply into my eyes, her eyes growing to those same eerie dinner plate size.

"I don't know if I can take it back Boss." she whimpered, clearly in great concern. I smiled at her and puffed my chest out. "Don't worry, I'm Rainbow Brutal Dash! If there is anything out there that wants a fight, I'm ready to take em on!" I proudly stated and I stuck my hoof into my chest.

"No....you ain't Boss." Ms Sparkle said as she sadly dropped her head, and walked over to her bed.

"Feeling real tired Boss. Feeling real tired. Give your regards to Brutal for me Boss." She said as she curled up, closing her wings around her body.

"But....I'm Brutal Ms Sparkle..." I said in confusion.

"Not no more Ms Dash. Not no more." she softly whispered as she dozed off into a slumber.

I stood there in a moment of awe, trying to really digest what in the world has been said, and what has been done in the past...wait, how long has it been? I reached into my coatpocket, trying not to injure Mr Wonder Mouse, and pulled out my pocketwatch.

The hour hand remained frozen on 8 o clock, the minute hand somewhere 38/39 minutes, and the second hand moving backwards, for whatever reason. This is queer, ever since I fixed the watch, it had never broken down, froze, or moved backward! Grunting in frustration, I shoved the pocketwatch back into my pocket and pulled out my pack of cigarettes. I drew a single one out and lit my terrible habit, to which Mr Wonder Mouse seemed to take an immediate disliking to as he jumped out of my pocket and ran down The Mile hall.

"Wait! Mr Wonder Mouse! Wait! Don't leave!" I said as I chased after my newly revived friend, but I couldn't catch him, Lord knows I could, but it felt like he was on a different plane than I was, as if he ran with the speed of angels.

Mr Wonder Mouse quickly side scurried into Ms Melacruex's cell, I sighed and prepped myself to handle the situation, however akward it were to be. I trotted over to Ms Melacruex's cell and I knocked on the bars.

"Ms Melacruex... you wouldn't happen to see a mouse run in here have you?"

My inquiry was met with a soft giggle and muttering along the lines of "Ohh... oui... tu est un bon mousey non monsieur Mortimer?"

"Ms Melacruex... did a mouse...." I began again before Ms Melacruex laid her back to the cell bars.

"Oui, there is un mousey here Boss, oh yes, look at him, he's so cute yes you are Mr Mortimer!"

I felt a tinge of jealously run through my skin, followed by a sobering sense of acceptance. This is the choice he made, I suppose its for the better.

"You aren't bothered by it?" I asked softly.

"Oh non non! He's my new best friend! Aren't you Mortimer? Yes you are! Yes you are mon petit chaffluer!" she said excitedly, raising her hoof, and dropping it repeatedly.

"Very well Ms Melacruex..." I turned away from the cell, trying to keep my tears within myself. I stopped mid walk and turned back around toward the cell

"Hey."

"Oui?"

"He seems to like Moon Pies. Treat him well okay Ms Melacreux?"

"Oui! Oui! I will!"

I reached into my coatpocket and pulled out some more Moon Pie crumbles and dropped it into Ms Melacruex's hooves.

"Oh, tu aime la gateau Luna? Oh look, you're such a hungry little guy!" She giggled excitedly, causing me to giggle as well.

"Yeah he is, he certainly is." We shared that brief moment of wonder and amazement as that mouse happily gorged himself on Moon Pie crumbles.

It would've lasted longer if we hadn't been interuppted by a familiar voice.

"I GODDAMN KNEW IT!" the shrill voice echoed throughout The Mile, as well did the stomping hoofsteps that followed immediately afterwards.

"YOU'RE BRINGING GODDAMN VERMIN INTO THIS PRISON YOU FUCKING FILTH!" Trixie shrieked as she violently reached into Ms Melacruex's cell trying to rip Mortimer from her trembling hooves. Ms Melacruex quickly darted back and held Mortimer close to her chest as she starting whipsering and petting him slowly.

"YOU GODDAMN FILTHY PUNK, I'LL FUCKING BEAT YOU INTO PASTE, YOU AND THAT FUCKING OTHER MOUSE."

She began rattling at the keyring on her belt, as Ms Melacruex sat trembling on her bed in fear of the thought.

"What other mouse Ms Yamaguchi?" I slowly said as I grabbed her keyring with my bullstick and held it away from her.

"What do you mean what other mouse Ms Yamaguchi" she replied with a mocking tone to her voice, "I done killed the other one, I smushed him right good."

"Yeah about that... take a good look at Mr Mortimer right there. Go ahead Ms Melacruex, show him your mousey."

She complied as she opened her hooves and showed Trixie and I the mouse inbetween them.

"Thats...no...there's no goddamn way..." Trixie began stuttering in disbelief.

"Turns out you can't even kill mice right Mouse Executioner." I cockily snorted in her face.

"I'll just kill him again, and make sure I do this time!" She said grabbing the keyring from my bullstick and slamming the key into the cell door.

I slammed my bullstick right into her fore hooves, hearing an evident cracking of bone while doing so.

"No you won't. You see Trixie, I know you, I know you come from a nice family, who has lots of eyes and ears... well I've got eyes and ears too. Don't you know me? My name is Rainbow Brutal Dash!"

Trixie shook her head in confusion as she grasped her hooves in pain, sobbing her eyes out.

"Well, let me tell you a story then." I went on for about two hours, detailing all the events that occurred on my first day at The Mile, making sure I kept slapping her broken hooves repeatedly.

"Now that you know who I am, you'll do as I say right?" I said finishing up my last cigarette.

"Y-y-yeah." She nodded silently, still grasping on her broken hooves.

"So no going near Mr Mortimer or Ms Melacruex, or you'll have a full set of hooves to be tended to. Is that understood?" I said threatenly. Trixie refused to say anything, and murmered something along the lines of "When my aunt hears of this..." "I said is that understood Ms Yamaguchi?" as I put out my smoldering cigarette on her left broken hoof.

"Y-YES! UNDERSTOOD!" She screamed in pain.

"Good. Now go to medical and get your hooves checked. Careful not to trip like you did the first time." I said kicking my legs on top of the bureau, as I glared daggers into her mind. She knew exactly what the message was, it was "You tripped and fell."

She nodded, and limped out the iron door, passing by Pinkie, who looked at her in some confusion. Trixie said nothing, and continued to limp off to medical.

Pinkie trotted in and sighed.

"What was all of that about?" she said raising her eyebrow. She heard Ms Melacreux giggling and the flash of white fur from her cell.

"What's that all about?"

A great smile erupted on my face as I began laughing and hugging my best friend in the world.

"And what's this all about?" She said in shock.

"I've got a story you won't believe Pinkie." I began to explain.

"Sparkle." She flatly stated, I drew back from my embrace and looked at her in disbelief. Her flat flat began to grow into a massive smile, as tears of joy ran down her face.

"You don't need to tell me. I understand." She drew me in closer and returned my embrace tenfold, and I in turn followed suit. Something was discovered on The Mile, I found freedom, of mind and soul and a magic to behold here, a wonderous magic. And also a terrible, dark magic we would discover that night.

Tuesday, June 24th, 1947.

END OF MORNING SHIFT