The Asylum

The air was cold in the Underground and the room was awake with light. A few ponies were now gathered outside the cage Silver lay in, all carrying clipboards under their arms. One in particular, a stallion who eyed the little filly in a cruel, mocking glance. "So, this is the young Silver, I see?"

Silver huddled up near the back of the bars, afraid. Laying her head into her hooves she quickly hiccuped and sobbed; she knew what was coming. She's have to do it again, the horrible test. At the staircase leading above ground, Silver noticed the young filly they brought in the day before by large stallions with scowling maws and eyes that looked over at the stallion standing near Silver. The two muscular stallions approached him, eyes glaring hatred.

"Professor Needler," one of them grunted, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's that filly you requested."

With that, they both pushed the young filly from their grasp, who fell onto the cement with a scream. The little filly, a pale blue in colour, sat now, staring at the ground and her breathing came in slow pants. Feeling sweat drip from her forehead, she now looked up and immediately locked gazes with Silver, who was sobbing deeply now. With a short glance, she looked up to Professor Needler as he spoke, "I understand from yesterday's report, Silver has failed her test and will have another chase to prove herself worthy of leaving the Underground. Skyhigh will be her subject, same as yesterday."

The filly, Skyhigh, immediately struggled in her bounds at Needler's request. Panicking, she flew as high as she could and eventually reached the rafters in the ceiling. They all looked up at her, eyes fixated on Skyhigh now, as she moved along the rafters and grasped onto a pole that connected vertically with the ceiling. Panting she called out down to them, "I... won't let you... do this again," she panted in tears, and called loud, bordering on anger and fear, "You won't... hurt me again...!"

But with their eyes still glancing at her as though mocking her somehow, she cried and looked away, "Don't look at me! Stop... looking at me..."

The gazes wouldn't stop, and when Needler uttered a small, simple request, the room suddenly was alive with movement as one of the stallions flew up to get her. Screaming as she was being taken off the metal rafters, Skyhigh held on tight to the pole, refusing to let go. As the stallion leaped on to the rafter, he turned and squared a kick that hit her heavy. As she lost grip of the pole and fell, her wings caught the air before the impact of the ground could hurt her. The scared filly had fallen softly on the floor when she landed herself clumsily. A deep glare was washing into her gaze... something inside her, a fiery hatred for the therapists. Staring weakly at a bleeding wound, she looked down and pressed against it without noticing Needler who had trotted to her and grinned. Skyhigh hid behind her arms.

"Now, little Skyhigh will be a good girl, hmm?" Needler teased, "Little Skyhigh will do the test now, won't she?"

Needler edged near to her face, waiting for her answer; when she held her silence however, he growled and kicked her to the ground, demanding authority, "...won't she!?"

After the heavy beatings and still, Skyhigh kept quiet aside from her gritted teeth and stifling breath. She had tried to endure the hits, small tears forming in her eyes until at last, she dared confront him, her voice shaky, "I will not obey a stallion as evil as you, you can't... you... you can't make me!"

Grunting in anger, Needler raised a hoof and whacked her over the head and with the hit, a scream of pain uttered out from Skyhigh. "Do it, filly!" he growled, and hit her again; Silver watched from the cage, tears filling her eyes, "Just do it, Sky! It'll be over soon, I promise!"

One hit after the other until at last, Skyhigh screamed, "All right! I'll do it!"

At this, Needler stopped and examined the fresh bruises beginning to form and the blood from the kick-wound one of the pegasi stallions gave her. "You two," Needler commanded, "Get Skyhigh into the cage at once. The experiment must begin."

With eyes burning in tears, her throat dry and her voice almost thrashed, Silver begged softly as Sky was being led into the cage, "Just look at me, okay? Keep looking, don't look away."

The cage next to Silver was bigger and taller and completely covered in rust. The only things inside were a chair, a rope and a large whip, still specked in dry blood. The two stallions had tied Skyhigh to a few bars of the cage.

"That's one," Professor Needler examined, "Now the other."

One of the stallions went to get Silver now and lead her onto the chair. Silver didn't struggle at all and on Professor Needler's face was a smile, "Starting to succumb to our rules, little Silver? You're a good girl."

Silver didn't look at Professor Needler at all when she was being tied to the chair, she just continued to look at her hooves in some sense of sadness, though her tears were drying. Looking over at Skyhigh, she saw the filly's eyes wide in fear but she refused to be scared this time. Today was another chance; she could not fail the test.

"I, Professor Needler have declared the beginning of the next Trial for Freedom for these two fillies," he said seemingly to nobody, until a sound of rattling caught their attention. Step by step, the pale gold fur of Summerlight paced into the room, her expression blank and meaningless.

"Summerlight?" Needler called, his voice echoing in the large room. "I thought you were busy with Light Weaver. It's what Cloudy Gem wanted, fool! Get back to your duties, this doesn't concern you!"

Summerlight said nothing and approached the cage, placing her hoof upon it and then she turned to the Professor, her eyes seething in anger as she spoke, "What do you think you are doing?"

Silver squeaked, "It's okay, Summerlight! They can do it if they want."

"No," the therapist hissed, and her horn began to spark, "I won't let you!"

The two stallions neared her, "Madam, go to your office. There is nothing to see here."

Leaping at the Professor, she fired her horn in the air and cast an attack. However, Professor Needler had cast a spell first; with a screech of pain, Summerlight fell to his hooves, a loud thump on the cement sounded out through the Underground. Pulling herself up, she dared cast another spell to stun him but her magic hushed out. Needler laid a hoof onto her and spat, "Get out of here, your precious fillies will be fine."

The cold ending of his sentence struck her heart, "Can I at least stay with them?"

"No, Miss. Summerlight," the Professor removed his hoof from her chest and then gestured to the door. "Out. No more of this violence between the asylum, hmm?"

She forced herself to hush and getting to her hooves, she walked away, up the stairs and out of the Underground. Professor Needler watched her go and sighed; "Now that that's over with, where was I? Oh yes - I, Professor Needler have declared the beginning of the next Trial for Freedom for these two fillies," he chuckled, "Now Silver..."

He looked at her file with a interested glance -

Subject #0859, “Silver Sight”

Sex: Female.
Age: 10.
Home Address: 103/Rose Crescent/Manehattan

Disorders/Mental Illnesses:
- Anxiety.

Status -
- Yet to be tested -

Danger Value - Low

"Alright, and you Skyhigh..." he muttered as he switched to her file.

Subject #0860, “Skyhigh”

Sex: Female.
Age: 13.
Home Address: 13/Crystal Fog Patch/Cloudsdale

Disorders/Mental Illnesses:
- Anxiety Disorder.

Status -
- yet to be tested -

Danger Value - Low

"Mmhmm," he observed the files and then placed them aside, "Now, the Trial shall begin. Jet, Cloud Rush, positions."

The two stallions walked into the large cage - Jet neared Skyhigh and Cloud Rush sat by Silver.

"Begin!" the Professor called out.

In that instance, Jet, the unicorn, began hitting vicious strikes at Skyhigh, who was being ever so silent. 'I can't scream. I won't show pain!' she thought. The strikes became tougher and Silver who watched, didn't turn away, though her eyes were showing traces of tears. It was what they had wanted but it had to continue; until Professor Needler was satisfied.

"Hit her harder!" Needler commanded, "Don't forget about the spells, Mr. Unicorn! Stun her!"

Silver eyed the stallion who hit her, over and over. "I promise we'll be out of this soon!" Silver cried, "I promise, just keep looking at me! You'll be home soon, it'll be okay!"

"Shut up!" Professor Needler yelled and watched as Jet had begun to cast a spell, stunning her. Her body wouldn't move, but her eyes showed hope and faith. 'I'll be home soon, I'll be home soon.'

Jet continued his cruel act; now possessing the whip, he held it up high and hit her once, her body convulsing in pain. "It doesn't hurt," she dared to say. Again, another whip cracked through the air and Silver watched as blood began to soak the floor. It was getting harder and harder to stay silent... she wanted to help her, to free her... but she knew she had to keep still.

Blood ran further and Skyhigh's vision began to blur... the pain was like a burn stinging into her body like fire. But she did not cry, she did not whine... another hit and another. 'Celestia, take me home,' her mind began to reel, 'Take me there... back to mother and father... please!'

Three more whips and then it was over. Crimson hatred splattered around the cage. Silver was almost about to sob, but didn't. The silence held the area until the Professor neared the cage and walked inside.

"Congratulations, foal." Professor Needler smirked at Silver, "...you have passed the test." A small smile formed on her mouth and when she was untied, she instantly hugged Skyhigh, relief finally coming to her.

"Skyhigh, you did it! I'm so happy! You didn't cry once!"

As she hugged her friend, blood seeped over her hooves and she looked at the filly. A sickening feeling burned her gut and she took a step back. "Skyhigh...?"

Skyhigh's body wasn't moving... she was still stunned, but an ominous silence filled the air. Something wasn't right.

"Skyhigh, answer me!" she shoved her, but with empty response. Blood wandered into many paths down her back and met the floor. No breathing... not a single breath.

"Skyhigh, please! Wake up, you did it, Skyhigh! Please!" Silver called out mournfully.

It was no use... the filly was dead. All life drained from her face, she stared at Silver with the slight courage that was left.

Professor Needler looked at Silver now, his gaze heavy and direct, "Yes; little foal. This is how you pass the test. Watch a filly be killed in front of you and don't stutter... though you are mourning her pathetic existence, that doesn't matter. I'm letting you pass. Now, you return to the surface and go back into your room, Silver. You are worthy and will see death in life, especially here in the Asylum but you have shown courage! Jet, Cloud Rush, take this filly to her room."

As Silver listened her heart beat in her chest and her mouth began to open in shock, she watched Skyhigh and began to whimper ever so slightly. 'Skyhigh, I'm sorry... but for you, I'll be strong... I'm going to escape the place, no matter what!'

When the two stallions, Jet and Cloud Rush led her back to her room, she glanced at the bloodied body of Skyhigh and then, back to her front. Up the stairs, through the Asylum she was eventually returned. The room was like Light Weaver's, padded with a carpet floor and a barred wall with a gate. The only outside light that shone in the room was from two vents near the bottom of the padded walls. Seeing a photo of her parents on her bedside table, she made herself comfortable. Grasping the photo frame in her hooves, she looked at the familiar faces, the blue glinting eyes of her mother and the smirking face of her father, always so bright and happy. Curling up into a ball in her bed, she fell into a long sleep.