The sun was sinking low as a deep night was beginning to settle in. With the golden rays shining across the scene, a few individual rays peered into the windows of an old, large building, cutting light in stripes across a female pony’s face and body. Her magenta eyes blinked tiredly, examining the trees of a forest outside. Beyond, dots of a far city shone in the horizon; the mare's eyes hovered over the little dots of the city, named Manehattan.

This mare, known as Summerlight, had been working in this building -- an asylum, for over two years now. As a filly, she had a great fascination with mental health and especially hypnosis; it was a strange thing for the common foal to have such an advanced interest and many foals often teased her. She had studied for a reasonably long time: since she was young, through her teenage years and now as an adult. Something within Summerlight craved to know the great depths of the pony mind and she was gradually succeeding - but she knew the mind was deeper than an abyss - the further down, the darker it was. The darker it was, the more could be discovered and analysed.

As for the asylum, known as Fernside, it was old and externally looked almost completely abandoned. Its windows were barred or boarded, the bricks looked rusted and out of place, the roof top was missing some tiles... This was all because the government had cancelled funding and thus, the place looked abandoned. So, why was the funding cut? What had caused the place to be shut of all business?

A century ago, murder was committed in the asylum; not by a patient, but by a therapist. Through a series of months another murder was committed, and another - eventually the murders were becoming a frequent disgusting practice. What was strange however was that the asylum itself seemed to have no interest with the strange murders. The horrendous acts eventually got media involved and newspaper presses were shocked at the disturbing events. As time went on, the asylum was shut down however not discontinued. Ponies who worked there began a series of crimes to get money… and years afterwards, the facility began underground businesses. As they learned ways of combat in preparation, the workers would spy as agents, kidnapping criminals and hauling them into the asylum in secret.

Today, a newcomer was to be brought into the facility and Summerlight was excited as to just when the patient would be brought in. With a smile, she read on her clipboard:

Subject #0865, “Light Weaver”

Sex: Female.
Age: 23.
Home Address: 27/Aurora Ln/Manehattan

Disorders/Mental Illnesses:
/ Yet to be discovered /

Criminal Record -
- Homicide - 2 kills
- Store theft
- Child Kidnapping
- Drug Abuse (cocaine)

Danger Value - Medium

Putting it down onto her desk, she heaved a sigh. ‘What terrible things could bring a pony to commit crimes?’ She thought to herself, ‘An advanced question brings many different answers from many different ponies.’

As she was thinking, she heard the sound of hoof-steps near closer to her office. The angry statements and voices silencing the feminine-sounding pony, Summerlight knew that the new patient must have finally been found. Rushing to open her door and check, she saw the very two ponies dragging the bloodied white mare around with binding ropes. Light Weaver was clenching her teeth in anger as she struggled with the bindings.

Summerlight’s ear perked as she heard a door open and close near her - turning in the direction of sound, she spotted her boss: a dark grey unicorn who was casually approaching the group, dressed in high attire and wearing diamond earrings. This mare, known as Cloudy Gem was the leader of the facility and highly known for her grumpy attitude; her mean statements and overall general bitterness proven as she whipped Summerlight with her tail.

“Miss Light Weaver,” she stared angrily at the white mare, “killer of two foals, thief of stores and child kidnapper, I sentence you to room 20.”

Light Weaver flinched angrily and kicked around her legs; one of the bucks hit Summerlight in the stomach, who tripped slightly. “Fool,” Summer growled under her breath.

“Why am I here?” Light Weaver demanded, and as her anger controlled her, she tried to break the cuffs around her wrists with her unicorn magic but failed as no magic would show. “What have you done to my horn!?”

Cloudy Gem looked down at her, “We nullified your magic, dear… so you'll be an obedient mare.”

Growling at the manager, she spat and shouted at her, “Just you wait until I get out of here! I'll kill you and shut down this fucking place!”

A chuckle and smirk came from Cloudy Gem, and Summerlight looked at the mare mockingly. “Well, that's just it, you see," Cloudy Gem told Light Weaver, "The government had us shut down years ago…”

“What?”

Gem laughed then ordered, “Obsidian Fire, Stormwave, take her to her room.”

Fear suddenly stuck Light Weaver and she struggled in her bounds, attempting to kick and thrash the stallions. As the two walked away with her, the sounds of her anger blurred further into the building.

When all was silent, Cloudy Gem looked at Summer with a smile, “Good work on getting the reports sorted. In an hour you’ll begin your therapies for Subject #0865.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she responded, “I'll gather my equipment for the hypnosis.”

“Also, send her to the Underground… She needs to be punished.”

Bowing in obedience, Summerlight trotted to her office.

*

Obsidian Fire and Stormwave tugged on the rope restraining Light Weaver, dragging her to a barred room. When the two stallions removed Light Weaver from her bounds, they hauled her into the barred room, made with a grey-padded wall and carpet flooring. In the corner of the room standing against a small window, she spotted a wood-frame bed. With instinct, Light Weaver moved herself to it, facing her back to the barred wall; she let the angry grimace fade from her face. Correcting the blankets with her magic, the white mare closed her eyes, hoping she'd wake up in a more peaceful land.

"...What is going on?" she muttered quietly.

Quickly brought out of her contemplation, she snarled when she heard hoof-steps edge closer. Glancing up to see who it was, Light Weaver felt the hate run back in her veins and shouted to the familiar unicorn, "What do you want?! Here to torment me more?"

Unresponsive, it was Summerlight, wearing a saddle-bag; she had a somewhat glum look upon her face as she opened the door, immediately wincing when Light Weaver lunged right to her neck with her horn. As adrenaline rushed, she teleported herself to the opposite side of the cell, then ordered in a strong tone: "Stop."

Light Weaver wouldn't have it - she lunged again, screaming out, "Get me out of here now!"

The two struggled and Summerlight, once again, teleported once more to the other side of the cell; "I said stop. Listen to me, I'll explain what's going on."

Light Weaver glared at Summerlight, "What makes you think I'll listen?"

"Even if you have not a single moment to stop and try to, that's fine," Summerlight relaxed a bit when she had realised that Light Weaver was no longer attempting to attack her, but just-in-case she didn't let her guard down. "I just want to tell you, that if you want to stay alive, these are your options."

Before she could list them, Light Weaver's fur stuck up and her eyes widened, "...stay alive? As in... they are planning to kill me?"

"Not particularly... but this place is dangerous," Summer told her with deep warning, "I want to get out of this place just as much as you do. The manager, Cloudy Gem, holds even the workers captive here --myself included-- and thanks to her we don't have any 'home' to return to. All we do every day in the waking moments to the time we fall asleep, we're working busy."

Light Weaver had now no intentions of hurting her now as trust was beginning to build. She said, "What do we have to do to escape?"

"Well," Summerlight sighed, "Escaping isn't really an option, I'm afraid. Not yet anyway; we will find a way out, but you have to trust me first."

Light looked down at her hooves, frightened. "Well, I've only just met you. Can't really say I trust you... but over time I might, if you damn well prove your loyalty."

"I promise we'll get out of here... eventually," Summerlight looked at her, smiling very gently. With that, she turned to leave, and from her saddle-bag she hovered a drink bottle near to Light Weaver, then a few pills, and lastly, a curious gemstone made of crystal quartz. Hovering it at Light's hooves, she told her, "Shine that up to the light; remember there is still light, and perhaps you can weave it into beautiful patterns to keep you happy and entertained."

As she left, she heard her ask, "Wait! Your name; what's your name?"

With a small chuckle, she told her, "It's Summerlight."

The mare smiled at her in some sort of reassurance and watched as Summerlight gradually left her view, walking down the hallway. 'Nice mare,'she thought, 'But I'd better keep my guard up.' Flicking her tail the young mare wandered down the long maze-like hallways, lights on the ceiling shining above her dimly, one after the other as she trotted further into the asylum. Eventually, as she wandered Summerlight had come to a stop, peering at a large set of metal doors, rusty in appearance and on one, a sign read:

• Entrance to the Underground; show ID for access and place all items in the safe here. Be sure to retrieve them after you leave. -

Above the doors a light shone red and unblinking. With no hesitation, Summerlight gathered her ID from around her neck and hovered it near the scanner and as she did so, the doors unlocked. The light, now green, allowed access. Heaving the doors open a large, wide room cloaked in darkness appeared on the other side, its ceiling becoming higher and higher when Summer paced down the stairs. As she moved down into the dark room beneath the building, she recollected the horrible memories of ripped flesh, blood-spill and ear-splitting cries. Relief flooded through her as it was clear the Underground had nothing but silence tonight, however it didn't seem that much of a difference. It was the Underground, the place where the tests, the experiments, the torture and strange rituals of the worker ponies occurred. A cold shiver run down her spine as Summerlight shone her horn for the light switch and she reached for it, flicking it on. As she had, hanging lamps on the ceiling stuttered first, then beamed a pale light in the massive room.

Noticing that a majority of the ponies were gone, likely upstairs and not being worked on; however one of them, a young earth filly, blinked her eyes drearily and her sobbing echoed in the Underground. The filly lay on her side, her breaths heavy and slow but as Summerlight approached however, the young filly's eyes shone with hope, sodden with tears.

"Miss Summer," she exclaimed in happiness, "...you're back!"

"What did the therapists do this time?" Summerlight dared to ask as she felt her jaw stutter slightly in grief. "Did they--"

"They made me sit by one of the fillies I've met here, and forced me to watch her get attacked and yelled at. Oh, Summer, the sounds of her cries, it was terrible... I just wanted to cry all the way through it. She kept calling for her daddy... I was so scared."

"Silver," she looked at the young filly through the bars, "Why are you still in there though? After the experiment's over, they're supposed to send you back upstairs to your room."

With a deep snivel, Silver lay her head down on the concrete floor, "They said I was a bad little filly for not fighting to protect her... all I did was sit in shock and fear. I couldn't help it, though! I just wanted to get out of there and I still want to. I just wanna go home."

Summerlight's heart beat fast in her chest; she knew if they had kept her down here, they would make her retake the test tomorrow. Feeling a few tears drip out, she wiped them away. "I can't give you a gift that will last tonight, but here: I brought some chocolate candies for you. Eat them up fast, make sure no-pony knows I gave them to you."

"Don't, Summerlight..." she cried, "I'm a worthless friend, a bad pony... I don't deserve gifts. Not even in secret."

"But--"

"You can help me and reward me when I've taken the test... and succeeded... tomorrow, when I'm back upstairs..." Silver wept heavily. "...but I'm going to fail again, aren't I? They'll make me fight, they'll hurt me!"

"Don't be scared," she told her, "J-just take the test, fight back... you can do it, Silver."

"I can't, Miss Summer," Silver's blue eyes shone in fear, "I just can't. I just want to go home."

Summerlight saw the hope fading in the filly's eyes and wished she could help her. "I'm sorry, Silver... I'm so so sorry."

Author's Note

Annnd that's it for the chapter so far. Mainly just introducing a few characters and getting prepared for the next one which will be about Silver. So yeah, it shall be sad but it'll be interesting :)

Character Summary -

Summerlight - unicorn, main character wanting to close down the place for good, wanting to help them all.

Cloudy Gem - unicorn, boss of the asylum, mean-spirited, believes in Summerlight that she's a good counsellor doing the 'right' thing.

Obsidian Fire - earth pony, background (for now)

Stormwave - earth pony, background (for now)

Light Weaver - first subject pony to appear, is curious about her fate.

Silver - young earth pony, first Underground pony we see.