72

To break, to kneel, to END. . . . .

She remembered the metal hallways. She traveled through them time and time again, until she could figure out in a second where she could get out of the horrid building. There was a scraping sound her chains caused on the floor. A bright green stallion with a light scar over his eye followed her from behind. His steps were steady and rhythmic.

Her eyes ran over to the right, and then there was a quick shortness of breath. The pony known as Subject 072 bolted. As the clopping of her hooves hit harder on the concrete, indistinct shouts rang out from all directions. The mare's chains were swinging wildly in the air, a clink sound singing out like rusty bells. Bells.

A sudden sound interrupted her thoughts. Bells. It was a sweet sound, filled with a joyful ring, with some unicorn magic you can. . . . . .

She paused. You can, what? a voice in her head pressed. Can what?

With more than a tinge of sadness she realized that it was another memory that was repressed. It was almost forgotten, and because those dumb scientists keep using her for a "good" purpose, there was little hope she could retain them back.

"Dumb scientists," 072 muttered under her breath.

Her hooves skidded to the side as the corridor turned sharply to the side. Two menacing-looking ponies: an earth pony stallion and a young unicorn mare crouched, moving to further block her path. The mare smirked. They may have locked her memories, but she didn't forget her special talent.

A low voice, amplified by magic, clawed through the halls like a desperate cry.

"Experiment Capture INITIATE! Third Unit not sealed. . . . Third Unit NOT . . . ."

She was running faster now, the occasional chain-lash stinging her underside. The two ponies grew larger; she soaked in the sight of her cutie mark: a dotted line ending in a small flea leaping from a tree. She stared at the two ponies one more time, and she leaped.

The amplified voice screeched through her ears. "Subject 0-7-2 escaped. GUARDS! REPORT IMMEDIATELY!"

She shifted her weight off a wall, and she felt weightless. It's not something slow; it all happened in a second. 072's hooves brushed past the tops of their manes. Her body was like an arrow, pinpointed to the ground. Before she knew it, she was back on the floor, her legs moving like machines.

"Where. Is. THE EXIT?" she breathed. Her eyes fell on a door to the far end. "They're are NOT gonna call me that all over again!"

"Then what should we call you, my little pony?"

A slender pink unicorn emerged from behind. The green, scarred stallion from before crept from behind, slightly hung low but nevertheless, still looking disdainfully  at the mare.

"My name. I HAVE A NAME. I'm not your prisoner!"

"A name you don't identify with anymore."

"WHAT?"

"How can you not see your purpose? Our leader needs you, and YOU, alone can help her." Her tone was deceptively alluring.

She merely rolled her eyes. "Because, I don't WANT to help. I just wanted my friend back! And now you dragged me into, whatever this is?" She gestured at her chains. "I'm just a darn tool for you ponies! A tool for whatever the hey you plan for in your deluded, dumb, misguided-"

WHUMP. Her words spewed out as a groan as her chin hit first on the floor. She looked back to see her chain tugged by a red aura of magic.

"Enough of this, get 072 back into her unit, and give her back to us as usual. I have more than a feeling that I need to work on this a bit longer."

"I won't fail you anymore, Miss I. . . ."

072 rolled back on her side, cradling at her hurt muzzle. She saw as the two ponies glanced occasionally at her, treating her no more as some thing. Some experiment. A subject. She was determined to escape, to succeed, ever since she failed to find her friend. She never thought it would end like this.

To fight, to stand, to STRIKE!

There was a whisper that brushed at her thoughts. She heard it sometimes before, but the voice in her head never talked this much. She listened as the voice got angrier and louder; even a slight mumble jumbled her thoughts too much. The mare didn't notice her vision darkening as she was almost overwhelmingly flooded with powerfully moving words. They made her feel angry at what the words contained.

The sight of the hallways slipped from her mind as her emotions were concentrated into one simple mindset: pure rage.

But it was too quick. It already fell from her hold the moment she clung to her emotions. She felt like she was flying; her mind hung onto nothing. The mare wanted to stop. She needed to stop, so she opened her eyes.

Her body was aching, as if she used them too much, but it was strange, because she was only sleeping. She tried to get up, but her legs shook at the mere thought of it.

Enough of this, thought 072, echoing the unicorn mare's voice. She grit her teeth as her aching muscles forced her to focus entirely on standing up. Her ears gave no thought at the sound of the voices murmuring in her midst. She only took notice when she saw the four great alicorn princesses gazing at her with a horrified awe. The glum moment of realization prompted her voice to shrink to almost a tearful squeak.

"Did. . . . I. . .do this?"

The princess she encountered earlier walked towards her with a face that's unreadable. With every step, 072 took notice of the messy mane and her baggy eyes. She was convinced they were going to harshly rebuke her. Instead, she felt a hoof gently lift her face up to meet Princess Luna's eyes. They shone with a sense of kind understanding.

"I saw. . . experienced your dreams. Pony, where did you come from?"

Maybe if this was a different circumstance, she may have reacted differently, but as her mind flooded with memories of her imprisonment, her face was pouring with tears.

She bowed her head in shame.

"I'm-they. . . " She took a breath, letting her thoughts settle before cracking apart, wiping a tear before continuing. "I was imprisoned by them. The Flames or whatever dumb name they call themselves. They kept on doing weird tests and experiments with some virus or something that they put in me." She sniffed. "I wasn't safe to other ponies anymore. It made me do all of this to you ponies. I just want to be cured."

"Do you remember how you got there?" Princess Twilight inquired.

072 shook her head, angry for her repressed memories. "I really wish I do, but I don't."

"But we can know how, now that you're here," said Princess Luna.

"Yeah, I guess," she murmured.

"Then it's settled! We will all do what it takes to find this group, and stop them once and for all!"

072 felt the stirrings of a familiar feeling, full of awe at the princesses. Part of her mind was secretly leaping for joy when she was at the company all four princesses, but it aware that that side can never really come out. She was mildly startled when a different voice broke.

"Uh, Twilight?" asked Princess Cadance.

"Yes?" said Twilight.

Cadance went closer to Twilight and started to whisper. She gestured to everyone in this room, followed by a nod by Twilight as if she realized something.

"Oh right. Then we will stop The Flames, after a good sleep."

072 slightly nodded as she felt her legs being replaced by lead. As the princesses walked away talking to some sleeping quarters, 072 ignored the brief stares as she stretched to make herself comfy on the floor. With the pictures of all four princesses in mind, she fell asleep, caught on the familiar feeling of her hidden joy that was unearthed inside of her.