Breaking the Bars

Chapters

Locked Up
Learning the Ropes
Conflict
An Unfair Resolution
Evolution
Without a Hitch

Locked Up

Twilight’s eyes moved all around the gravel that lined the floor. She didn’t dare look up at her escorts. The air was heavy with the smell of gas and the sound of engines rung through the air.

Soon, Twilight was forced to look up at the car she was taken to. It was a green Jeep with large black tires. It seemed to be a bit larger than normal, with a few extra seats. As Twilight looked, a few guards pushed her forwards towards it.

“Keep moving, inmate,” said the guard behind Twilight. She picked up her pace, making for the door of the car. The guard opened the door and allowed Twilight to step in. The car was full of other people, all dressed in orange. Like the door opening in a classroom, all eyes were locked on her. Her eyes darted around the heated interior of the van, locking in on an empty seat between two other inmates. Twilight gulped and pushed herself past the small aisle on the side, plopping down next to the two.

“This it?” called the driver, presumably talking to the officer who escorted Twilight. Twilight couldn’t see or hear the officer’s response, but as the door closed and the car sputtered to life, Twilight assumed that she was the last one. The car was full.

Twilight kept her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs to keep herself occupied. The seat was quite tightly packed with other people. She had no room to stretch herself out, which continued to make her uncomfortable. The question of how long the ride would take was stuck on her mind.

“Lighten up,” said the woman directly next to Twilight. As she looked to her right, she came near face to face with a woman with short, rainbow-colored hair. Her eyes were a dull ruby. “What’s your name? What’re you in for?”

“Uh… I’m Twilight.” She extended her hand. “And I’m… I was convicted of murder.” The inmate took her hand but raised an eyebrow at the end of her sentence. “B-But I didn’t do it, I swear.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all innocent,” said the inmate. “Name’s Dash. Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash let go of Twilight’s hand

“What are you in for?” asked Twilight. Rainbow Dash laughed, which made Twilight a little confused.

“First rule of prison, kid,” said Rainbow. “Don’t ask what someone is in for.” Twilight frowned a bit at Rainbow’s teasing but did smile after a few seconds. “Look, you’re looking a bit on the nervous side, so lemme give you a few pointers.”

“Uh, okay,” said Twilight, returning to her normal composure.

“First, sleep with your back towards the wall. It’s a must.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide, her jaw dropping to the floor. Rainbow apparently had no problem poking fun at Twilight even more. “Just kidding man, don’t do that.”

“Are you ever going to be serious?” asked Twilight quietly.

“Yeah, okay. You just seem too green to be true.” Rainbow’s smile seemed to put her at ease, which Twilight assumed was her goal the whole time. “Okay, the first rule of prison, don’t start shit. Don’t instigate shit, don’t be around shit, don’t even look at shit, okay?”

“Er, sure,” said Twilight.

“Second, don’t get friendly with the guards, or any kind of gang,” said Dash. “Seriously, people take that as a declaration of war. It’s basically rule number one.”

“Okay…” Twilight made mental notes of what Rainbow Dash was saying.

“Last rule,” said Rainbow, who seemed to be enjoying herself. “Don’t be a bitch. Be a little bit of a bitch, but don’t be a bitch.”

“Uh…” Twilight raised an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash noticed her confusion and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t stand out,” said Dash. “If people see that you’re weak, people are gonna exploit it like hell. Don’t let people know you’re weak.” Twilight pondered the last one. Everyone had some kind of weakness, right? She looked around the van, looking among the female prisoners there. A few other conversations sprung up, but none were audible.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight quietly so those around her couldn’t hear. “Does everyone have a weakness?”

“Well, I suppose,” said Rainbow Dash. “Oh, yeah. Drop the curious attitude. You’re instigating.”

“Sorry.” Twilight became silent, using the remaining time to think. While Rainbow cracked jokes, Twilight thought of Rainbow’s rules. While the first two raised no questions, but the third elicited some more thought.

Weaknesses were like True Names. Of course, knowing weaknesses anywhere gave you the leg up, but Twilight could only imagine the power they held here. Here, with no escape from people who knew your weakness. Where a whole world was confined in four walls. Twilight could only shudder at what awaited her within the prison.

“I shouldn’t be here,” whispered Twilight, all of the comfort Rainbow Dash gave her quickly fading. After thinking about the events of the past few weeks, Twilight couldn’t help but let her emotions get the better of her. Tears started flowing down her cheeks, and she hid her face in her hands. Before she could even let out a single sob, Twilight felt a sharp pain in her side. She sat upright quickly and flashed a look towards Rainbow Dash.

“You don’t listen, do you?” said Rainbow Dash, whispering and shaking her head. “There are mad people here. You sure you wanna cry right now?” Twilight quickly wiped her face and looked at her lap.

“Sorry,” she said. “And... thank you.”

“Hey, don’t thank me,” said Rainbow Dash. “I only do things for things. To me, joking around with you is what I want.” All too suddenly, the car came to a halt, sending Twilight’s head into the seat ahead of her. Rainbow stayed where she was and broke into laughter.

“Why are we stopped?” asked Twilight, though she already knew the answer.

“Whaddya think?” said Rainbow Dash, coming down from her hysterics. “Time to go through boring ass processing. Then, say hello to prison.” Twilight felt chills go up her spine. She knew that the car ride couldn’t last forever, but she knew she had to arrive sometime.

“Get ‘em out here,” said a faded voice. It sounded like it came from outside of the van. Twilight was too far back to see anything out of the front window, but she did hear the van became silent, for the most part.

The van’s doors opened and the inmate closest to the door slid out of her seat and got out. Slowly, one by one, more prisoners filed out of the van. When the flow got to Twilight’s row, Dash stood and tapped her on the shoulder a few times.

“Let’s go, kid,” said Dash, walking to the door. Twilight followed her to the door and stepped out into the bright light. All of the warmth that the car had provided was ripped apart by the cold, dagger-like wind. It pierced right past her orange jumpsuit. Nevertheless, she kept moving forward like the rest of the prisoners.

She was in a large courtyard, paved with concrete with little tufts of grass here and there. There was a few basketball hoops—none of them with nets— around the courtyard, and about 5 guards in a triangle pattern. The one in the middle and closest to the prisoners wore a hat that covered most of her face as she looked down. Her fiery orange hair was tied up in a way Twilight couldn’t exactly see. The rest looked straight ahead at us as we approached.

“This all of ‘em?” asked the woman in the middle. Another officer, probably our driver, walked up to her and nodded.

“Yes, Ma’am.” He said. The woman finally looked up and finally showed us her face. It was soft and she looked young. Her eyes were covered with sunglasses and she was smirking somewhat, which made Twilight a bit confused. Twilight didn’t know why, but the guard seemed to put her at ease. She glanced over at Rainbow Dash to see how she was faring.

All of the amusement Rainbow Dash had on her face vanished, replaced with and emotionless glare. As Dash looked at her, the guard looked back . Dash averted her gaze and the guard's smile fell. Twilight wanted to ask what was wrong, but she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to say anything. As if on cue, the guard addressed them.

“Welcome to Canterlot State Pen, ladies.” She spoke with a crispness in her voice, as if she had no tolerance for any kind of backtalk. Twilight gulped. “I’m the warden, and I expect nothing but goodness from you. My name is Spitfire, but don’t call me anything but ma’am.” Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She dropped her glare from earlier, now looking bored. “The guards here will give you your schedules and put you in the system. Other than that, there’s nothing to say.”

“Okay, girls, let’s go,” said one of the guards. “Single file inside those double doors over there.” The crowd was led towards a set of double doors which led into the prison. Twilight tapped Dash on the shoulder.

“Are you okay?” asked Twilight. “That warden back there kept looking at you like she—”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Rainbow Dash firmly. Twilight shrunk back behind her, keeping all of her questions to herself.

The inside of the prison that Twilight entered didn’t really feel like it was a prison at all. The room they filed into resembled a photo shooting room with white walls and clean floor tiles. Also, the room was heated, returning the feeling to Twilight’s frigid fingers. The guards that led them inside took certain positions in the room. One was at the camera, two stood at the door they entered in, one sat behind a desk with a computer. Spitfire was nowhere to be seen, probably entering from somewhere else. The one at the computer called the first inmate who walked over and spoke with him. Twilight could pick out the basic information like name and date of birth. Then, she was given a slip of paper and sent to get her picture taken. Once she sat down, Twilight heard the cameraman speak.

“Face the camera, eyes forward,” he said. The woman did as she was told and had her picture taken.

“Huh,” said Rainbow Dash, apparently back to normal. “They changed it up. It used to be a lot longer process.” Twilight watched as the first person went through another set of double doors into a room she couldn’t see into.

“So this is all processing is?” asked Twilight. “What’s after this?”

“That paper they give you has your schedule and the number of your room,” explained Rainbow. “But these guys are assholes and don’t tell you how to find your room, so you spend a bunch of your first day looking for it.” Rainbow Dash said the last part quietly as not to upset anyone. Twilight found it kinda funny.

“You know how to find it, right?” asked Twilight, watching as the next person went up. Rainbow nodded. “Will you teach me?”

“Sure, but I can’t hold your hand all the time, ” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m not your mom. And this is a prison. Shit just doesn’t work like that down here.” Twilight watched as the next person went up and the line got smaller. Of course, she knew Rainbow couldn’t baby her. Still, she felt that it would be nice of Rainbow Dash to do.

“I understand,” said Twilight. “This is seriously prison…”

“What did you expect?” asked Dash. “A time-out on crack?” Twilight chuckled at Rainbow and almost missed the guard's signal over. When she walked over, Twilight tried to keep her face flat and emotionless.

“Name?” asked the guard, a small smile on his face. Twilight cleared her throat.

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight. The guard looked through the files that sat on his desk and pulled one from it. He looked at the paper and back at Twilight.

“Ah, I see,” said the guard with a dark chuckle. “We don’t see many people like you.” The guard handed her a paper and pointed to the cameraman. “After you get your picture taken, go through the double doors. Then, follow your schedule.”

“Uh… I have a question,” said Twilight. The guard’s gaze lingered over Twilight for a few seconds before dropping to the papers on his desk.

“Make it quick, inmate,” he said. Twilight glanced at the paper she was given. There were different points of the day that coordinated with certain times. In the top right, there was a letter and number next to the words “ASSIGNED CELL”.

“What do this letter and number mean?” asked Twilight, showing the guard the paper and what she was talking about. “This B7.”

“Your cell is in Block B, the seventh cell on your left,” said the guard. “Figures. The person who used to be in that cell is just like you.”

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight, vying for information. The guard shook his head.

“You’re holding up the line,” said the guard. “Go get your picture taken.” His voice was forceful, which made Twilight want to keep her mouth shut. Against her curiosity, she turned away and walked toward the cameraman. She sat down and looked up into the lens.

“Face forward, eyes center,” said the guard. Twilight did as she was told, looking into the lens. The guard looked into the camera and snapped a photo. Twilight blinked a few times after the flash. “Okay, you’re all good. Go on through the double doors.” Twilight got up and flashed Rainbow Dash a look. Rainbow returned a reassuring thumbs up. She sighed, turned, and walked towards the door. With a slight heave, she pushed them open, revealing the large open space beyond.

It looked like a small theater, except there was no elevation in the seats. Everyone turned to Twilight for a few seconds before returning their attention back to the small TV that hung from the wall. Twilight felt as though she didn’t know what to do. The air in here had dropped in temperature from the last room, making Twilight shiver in place. After a few seconds of awkward standing around, Twilight walked toward one of the seats and sat down where no one else was close.

The TV was showing a newscast. It was the normal tale of harsh winds and near freezing temperatures. Since Canterlot was at such a high altitude, this kind of weather was normal. As Twilight watched, she felt herself sinking into the torn seat. It still smelled of fresh leather and brought her a lot of comfort. Twilight didn’t even know if this was what she was supposed to be doing. She glanced at her schedule but realized that she couldn’t tell what time it was. She looked around, searching for any type of clock.

“It’s 1:30,” said a voice next to her. Twilight looked over to find a tall figure standing to her left. She looked down at Twilight with a neutral look on her slightly tanned face. Her eyes were a bright turquoise, and her hair was a mix of yellow and red. “You were looking around for a clock, right?”

“Yes,” said Twilight. “Thank you.” The girl sat down right next to Twilight, which made her uncomfortable. She sat away from everyone so that a situation like this would not happen.

“What’s your name, newbie?” asked the prisoner. She placed her arms behind her head and crossed her legs. “What are you in for?

“I’m Twilight,” answered Twilight. “And uh… I heard you weren’t supposed to tell people that.” The woman laughed, loud enough to draw the attention of a few other prisoners. To Twilight’s surprise, though, no one complained or even turned around completely. They just glanced.

“Sunset,” said the woman, extending her hand. Twilight took it, shook it, and let go. “You’re pretty sharp, newbie. You’re better than a lot of other prisoners just starting out.”

“Um… thanks?” asked Twilight. She looked at the TV screen again, noticing that the tie was displayed in the bottom right corner. The small clock displayed “1:34”. She looked down and read that at 1:45, she would have to report for lunch. Right now, she was using her afternoon free time. In fact, Twilight found that the prison schedule was very lenient. During the entire day, Twilight had 3 hours of free time, one for the morning, the afternoon, and the evening.

“What’s wrong?” asked Sunset.

“I just find it weird that we have so much free time,” said Twilight. “I thought it would be unforgiving.”

“It’s alright. It’s nice to have a few moments to myself, you know?” she asked. Twilight also felt safe around this woman. She didn’t know why Dash told her all of those things about being careful. Twilight thought it had to be some kind of hazing. “Plus, the guards are always here. It’s not like our free time means we can do whatever we want.”

“I suppose,” said Twilight. At the most opportune moment, Rainbow Dash walked up to the two and a shared a big smile.

“Holy shit, you’re still here?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Thought you would’ve fucked off or something already. And you already got your hands on the new girl.”

“Dash? Good to see you back after so long,” said Sunset. “Kinda baffling that you ended up in shit again. What, once wasn’t enough?”

“You know how hard it is out there,” said Dash. “Especially for me. I’m memorable as hell.”

“I know, I know,” said Sunset. “Me and Twilight here were just talking about the schedule. It’s new to you too, isn’t it?” Dash sat down in the seat next to Twilight, on her right.

“Yeah, I see it. We get three free periods?” she asked. “If it was Soarin, we’d be lucky if we got one.”

“It’s the new warden,” said Sunset. Twilight looked at Dash to see how she would react, but she still had the same goofy grin on. “Spitfire is more lenient than Soarin, and she’s hotter.”

“You don’t say,” said Rainbow Dash. “How’s the others? Still fuckin’ around with that little bitch in E3?” Sunset laughed. Twilight didn’t think to keep up with the conversation. Just seeing how buddy-buddy Rainbow Dash and Sunset were made her confused. They seemed to be cut from two different cloths. Thier friendship was weird to Twilight.

Then, the bell rung, shocking Twilight out of her daze. Rainbow and Sunset stood, Twilight following soon after.

“Time for lunch,” said Sunset. “Wonder what Pinks has on the menu today.”

“Eh, Big P is still in the kitchen?” asked Rainbow. “I knew today was gonna be a good day!”

Sunset filed out of the row and let Twilight and Rainbow pass. The three started walking to the cafeteria. Then, Rainbow sucked her teeth and hit her forehead.

“Damn, I forgot,” said Rainbow. “I got to show this newbie the bunk.”

“It’s okay,” said Twilight. “The guard—”

“I bet you won’t be sayin’ that when you’re lost,” said Dash, pulling Twilight away from Sunset. “We’ll catch up in a bit, Sunny.” Sunset nodded and continued walking. Twilight was released after Sunset left earshot.

“What’s wrong?” said Twilight. “You sounded like you wanted to get away from her.”

“You’ve got some of the worst luck I’ve ever seen,” said Rainbow, barely higher than a whisper. “How is it that on your first day, you manage to get together with Sunset of all people?”

“I don’t get it,” said Twilight. “She seems like a nice enough person.”

“She’s a leader of a gang. Of a gang I belong to,” said Rainbow Dash. “She’s probably the most dangerous person in this prison, guards not included.” Twilight looked at Dash. From her slight frown to her boldly staring eyes, everything about her said that she was serious. “All I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t go and make friends with her.”

“Okay,” said Twilight. “I’ll try.”

“Great,” said Rainbow. “Now come on. If we’re too late for lunch, the guards might kick us out before we finish. There’s no eating ‘till dinner, either.” Twilight followed Rainbow to the cafeteria, wondering all the way what her prolonged time in prison would bring.

Author's Note

I've never really been good with Multi-chaps, but practice makes perfect, I suppose. If you found it interesting and want to read more, remember to give it a track and maybe a favorite if you liked it a lot.

Chapter 2 will come whenever I can get away from doing all the summer homework I've left piled up... :twilightsheepish:

Learning the Ropes

“New here?”

Twilight looked up at the person who’d addressed her rather than her aluminum tray. It was a short stubby woman whose hair was pink, large, and almost unscientifically curly. Her blue eyes were full of excitement, which Twilight found odd.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “How did you know?”

“I know everyone,” said the woman, reaching her hand out. “When you cook for a lot of people, you tend to see a lot of faces.” Twilight handed her her plate and watched as the woman loaded it with meat, vegetables, fruit, and a carton of milk. “What’re you in for?”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Twilight. “The cook looked up and shook her head. “S-Sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” said the cook, still as cheery as she was before. “I’ll find out sooner or later anyways.” The cook handed back the tray, looking behind me to deal with the next inmate. Twilight wondered if she was bluffing or not as she picked up her tableware and headed to the table area.

Aside from the line at the door, the cafeteria was packed with long tables. The ceiling for this room was higher than the corridor that led here. Twilight’s eyes scanned the crowd, focusing on Rainbow’s colorful locks from a mile away. She started heading in that direction, avoiding the other inmates. She reached the table and put her tray down next to Rainbows. She picked up her fork and poked it into the meat.

“What’s up?” said Sunset, shoveling some vegetables in her mouth. “You and Rainbow found the cell you were looking for?”

“Kid’s actually pretty smart,” said Rainbow. “Figured it out herself.”

“I was asking her,” said Sunset, annoyedly. Rainbow Dash didn’t retort. Twilight looked between them, then took a bite out of the meat she was given, chewing slowly. “Is this your first time here?”

“Yes,” said Twilight before swallowing.

“You liking it so far?” asked Sunset.

“Not particularly,” answered Twilight. She liked the small talk. I helped her forget she was in prison. She shoveled a bit of vegetables into her mouth. “Am I supposed to?” Sunset chuckled.

“Nah, not really,” said Sunset. The table became quiet for a few minutes. Then, Rainbow started up another conversation.

“You got any friends on the outside?” asked Rainbow, finishing her apple slices. Twilight gulped down some of the milk before answering.

“Yeah,” said Twilight, excitedly. “I have a bunch of friends. Like Moonie, Lyra… Celestia.” What Twilight took as a small listing of her friends, the two at the table took as a sucker punch to the gut.

“Celestia?” asked Rainbow in bewilderment. “Like, the Chief Justice Celestia?” Twilight nodded her head slightly, and Sunset shared a glance with Rainbow. “Jesus.”

“You’ve got friends in high places,” said Sunset, seemingly unfazed.

“We’re probably not friends anymore,” said Twilight. “I think I crossed the line of what she was willing to accept when I was sent to jail.” Twilight chuckled darkly.

The table went quiet once again. Twilight’s appetite vanished, and she pushed her tray away. Her mind was filled with the woman who she called her best friend. Before it could become too awkward, the loud clatter of a tray hitting the table echoed next to Twilight. Quickly, someone slid into the seat next to her.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked the cook, sitting down to eat. She sifted through the meat on her plate. “Eat up or you’re gonna regret it.”

“I’m not that hungry right now,” said Twilight, politely and quietly. “Maybe later.” The cook took Twilight’s plate and shoved it back at her, much to Twilight’s confusion. “I said I—”

“I’m trying to be nice, here,” said the cook, her voice still kind of bubbly. “Either you eat now and stop wasting my time, or you don’t eat for a week. It’s your choice.” Twilight wasn’t sure if she could do that, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

“Lay off her, Pinkie,” said Sunset, pushing her tray away. “You shouldn’t get so riled up over nothing.” They locked eyes for a second before Pinkie ceded, returning her eyes to her plate. As the table became silent once again, Twilight pulled her plate closer and ate.

Twilight’s eyes scanned her surroundings to pass the time. The cafeteria looked like your normal school cafeteria, albeit a bit larger. As her eyes moved all around, they locked onto a corner of the cafeteria. She saw someone walk up to what was seemingly a wall. She stood there for a while, probably talking to something other than a wall, then got handed something. She nodded a few times, then turned and left. Twilight stopped eating for a second to raise a question.

All too soon, though, the loud bell sound returned from earlier. Twilight was only halfway through her meal when she saw the others get up from the table. She followed suit, bringing her half finished meal with her to the trash. As she turned around, she collided with someone much larger than herself. She bumped into the trash can, tipping it over.

“Oh, uh,” Twilight had no words as everyone in the immediate vicinity turned to see her blunder. She figured she might as well apologize to the person she’d collided with and faced them. The woman was large, at least a few heads taller than Twilight and wider as well. Her face was twisted in an annoyed grimace, a large splotch on her chest. Her tray was on the floor. “I’m—”

“Watch where you’re going, newbie,” The woman shoved Twilight back, knocking her down into the trash. Needless to say, everyone in the cafeteria’s attention was captured by now, even the guards. Twilight could feel the bits of food and spilled milk get on the back of her clothes and hair. She pulled herself up off the ground slowly. The guards swiftly moved in keeping the watching prisoners moving. One of the guards came to Twilight and jerked his head towards the door.

“Shift, inmate,” he said. Twilight turned and left the cafeteria last without another word. She could feel herself inching closer to tears, but threw her head back to avoid letting them fall down her face. As she walked down the hallway that the door to the cafeteria connected to, she realized she didn’t know where she was going. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a wet, useless schedule. She stopped moving, looking over the paper as she tried to remember what exactly where she supposed to go. She took a deep breath and stuck the piece of paper back in her pocket.

“Lucky I memorized it,” she whispered, looking around. No other prisoners were around her, so she did not know where exactly she was supposed to go. She felt kind of scared, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. After a few seconds, she realized that being scared wasn’t going to get her anywhere. So, she took off down the hall looking for anyone who could help her find her place in this large unknown place.

Twilight slowly walked along a narrow path, rows of cells on either side of her. She was mostly looking to the left at the top of the cell where a bronze number was placed. She slowed herself and eventually came to a stop in front of the seventh cell on her left.

As far as she could tell, it was identical to the six that preceded it. To the left of the room, there was the bed, lightly adorned with white sheets and a small pillow. Behind the top of the bed was the toilet: small, metallic and probably unbelievably dirty. Directly across from the cell’s entrance was a small window. It had a bar going down the middle but was otherwise a direct link to the outside. Right now, light poured in.

To her left, there was a desk, only a few feet long. It came accompanied by a plastic chair and a trash can on the floor next to it. Twilight twisted the handle on the door, noticed that the door was unlocked, then walked in, closing the door behind her. Her eyes couldn’t focus on much else, considering the white paint on the walls was rather bland. Twilight contemplated taking a seat on the bed before remembering her situation with the back of her uniform.

An idea popped into Twilight’s mind, drawing her attention. She walked out of her cell and to the next one; number 8. Sure enough, there was someone inside. Twilight retreated to cell number 6, finding someone else engrossed in a book, turning the pages slowly. Her schedule said she had to report for an exercise period, but these people weren’t following her schedule.

“Of course,” she said to herself. “They have different schedules...” Twilight walked down the small aisle, leaving B-Block. The large space beyond was mostly empty, save for a few other prisoners caught in conversation. The other block entrances were also here. Twilight, however, headed straight for the large hallway that led to the showers.

She slowed down her hurried pace as the two guards at the doors of the showers came into view. She came to a stop, but couldn’t help but attract the attention of the guard at the door. This was the first female guard Twilight had seen so far. They kept eye contact for a few seconds before Twilight croaked out a few words.

“Uh… my outfit is, uh, a little dirty, so I thought that I should t-take a shower to wash some of the stuff off.” Twilight cursed her nervousness. She was breaking schedule. She didn’t know what the guards would do if they found out she wasn’t following their protocol.

“That’s fine,” said the guard. “But where are your things?” Twilight put on a confused face, making the guard sigh and roll her eyes. “Your towel, soap, and rag? You don’t have any of that?”

“She’s probably new,” said the other guard, a man like the others she’d seen. “You want to head down to the commissary and get those before doing anything else.” Twilight nodded slowly before turning around and heading off, glad that she wasn’t found out to be skipping her exercise period.

“Hold up,” said the female guard. “How’d you manage to get your uniform so dirty?” Twilight turned back to the guards.

“I, er…” Twilight took a deep breath. “I was pushed into some discarded food on the floor.”

“Damn. That sucks,” said the guard, much to Twilight’s surprise. She expected them to be especially nasty about it, for some reason. “Well, I was just curious. Hurry on.” Twilight continued her trip to the cafeteria, quickly walking past other inmates. As she walked, she realized that she had no money. How would she get the things she needed? Were they free?

Twilight’s thoughts persisted until she reached the door to the cafeteria. It was noisy from out here, and she knew that there would be another two guards. She took a deep breath once again, then entered the cafeteria. It was the same as before, except the mess she made was cleaned up. The two guards said nothing as she walked in deeper. To her right, in the corner, there was a large, shack-like booth. A woman stood behind the rectangular hole in the wall that separated the shop from the rest of the cafeteria. Twilight cautiously walked up to her, stopping just in front of the hole.

“Well?” asked the woman, her voice a little gravelly and deep. She seemed to be a prisoner herself. “What’re ya buyin’?”

“U-Uh…” Twilight stumbled over her words before calming herself. She took a few slow breaths before continuing. “I need some stuff to take a shower with. Just like soap, and the like.”

“Sure thing. Account number?” Twilight looked away with a coy smile on her face. “You don’t remember it, do you?”

“Sorry,” said Twilight. The woman rolled her eyes and went over to her computer.

“Name?”

“T-Twilight Sparkle.” The woman tapped a few keys on the keyboard—most likely Twilight’s name—then turned back to Twilight. “Sorry, I’m new, a-and my schedule got ruined, so—”

“Your account number is 2947,” said the woman. “You can probably get a few hygienic supplies, but nothing too flashy until you pick up work. Oh, and don’t worry too much about the schedule. Nobody follows that to a T anyway.”

“Really?” asked Twilight. “Then why even print them out and give them to us?”

“They’re more like healthy suggestions,” said the woman, rolling away from her computer in her chair and turning to face a row of towels. “As long as you’re not breaking any rules, or disobeying the guards, you can go wherever the hell you want.” After picking out a towel for her, she gravitated over to the rack that held the soap, grabbing a bar at random. She picked a pair of plastic slippers off of the hook and put them with the rest of my things. “It’s ‘cause the new warden wouldn’t know strict if it slapped her across the face. Er… blue or red toothbrush?”

“Blue, please,” said Twilight, taking in this information. From Rainbow’s reaction to her, to her apparently amazing leniency, Spitfire was certainly an interesting person to Twilight. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind when the woman reached her computer once again and started typing. “Um… what does all of this come up to?”

“Don’t worry about it, newbie,” said the woman. “I like you. You’re kind curious/mysterious aura is pretty cool.” Twilight wondered what about her was mysterious. “You don’t find people like you often.”

“T-Thanks, uh…”

“Chrysanthemum,” said the woman. “But you can just call me Chrys. Everyone else does.” Twilight nodded, gathered her goods, and gave Chrys a smile.

“Well, I’ll see you around then,” said Twilight, turning away from the window. She exited the cafeteria and made her way back towards the shower area. Twilight looked down at the things she’d gotten for free, a small thought rising in her mind.

“Why was she so nice to me?”

Twilight had never felt so weird being bare.

She clutched her towel as it was wrapped around her with one hand while grasping soap in her other. She remembered to deposit her toothbrush back at her cell. She watched as the other woman walked by without any trouble. She took a deep breath then walked up to one of the booths. She opened it, walked in and immediately took note of its size. She could stretch out her arms for space on all sides. Twilight found a small metal hook on the back of the door and placed her towel there. She put the soap on the floor and twisted the knob until water came down.

“Eep!” screamed Twilight loudly. She covered her mouth quickly, hoping no one would care. Unfortunately, a large mess of pink hair poked up from the left booth. Pinkie’s eyes soon followed. “I-I’m sorry,” she whispered, covering her body from Pinkie’s eyes.

“What, you didn’t expect water to come when you turned the knob?” teased Pinkie with a chuckle.

“N-No, it’s just…” Twilight was still flustered from her earlier screech. “I just didn’t expect it to be this hot. Can I turn it down somehow?”

“Nope,” said Pinkie, retreating to her own booth again. “I’m just happy I got hot water at all. You’ve got to think on the bright side more often, Twilight.” Twilight raised her eyebrow before testing the water to see if she could handle it.

“N-not to be rude, but,” Twilight slowly entered the water, letting the pellets drop against her smooth skin. “How do you know my name?”

“Rainbow told me,” said Pinkie. “In exchange for some of my own information.”

“What did you tell her?” Pinkie started giggling. Twilight picked her her soap and rolled it around in her hands before rubbing it on her skin. “W-what’s so funny?”

“Oh, oh my,” panted Pinkie, recovering from her laugh. “Sorry, Twilight, but you don’t just get things. If you get a penny, you need to give a penny.”

“Then why are you being so nice to me?” asked Twilight. “You and Sunset and Rainbow Dash… If that’s true, why do you all keep treating me nicely?”

“Dash probably already told you,” said Pinkie. “She’s always bored and just likes to have fun. I just didn’t want you to waste the food I worked so hard on. And Sunset…” Pinkie paused for a few seconds, letting the sound of the showers take over.

“And Sunset…?” asked Twilight.

“You’ll find out when the time is right,” said Pinkie out of her normal bubbly demeanor. “When she wants to tell you, that is.”

“Y-Yes, of course.” Twilight’s attention returned to her shower. She lathered herself, then washed clean all of the stuff that was on her before. Finally, the silence was broken.

“Though I guess I did cheat you,” said Pinkie, her normal voice back. “I learned a lot about you from Rainbow and Sunset. I even know what you’re in for now!” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, a low groan escaping her lips. Pinkie’s head popped up again.

“I-I didn’t do it,” Twilight said nervously. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, “I’m not… a liar or a murderer.”

“Hm…” said Pinkie. Twilight could feel Pinkie’s eyes boring into the top of her head as she looked down at her feet. “I actually didn’t ask them. I didn’t expect you to believe me.” Twilight looked up to find that Pinkie was basically hanging over the divider from the belly up. She was still beaming. “Don’t worry. I won’t judge.”

“W-What are you doing?” asked Twilight, turning off the water and grabbing her towel. “Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Nah,” said Pinkie with a chuckle. “So, I’ll give you a hint to what I told Rainbow Dash since you had a little slip of the tongue.”

“Really?” Twilight asked excitedly. She kept her eyes locked on Pinkie’s. “What is it?” Pinkie’s smile turned to one that was a little devious. The upper corners of her mouth becoming sharp and her eyes narrowing.

“Things are certainly going to change around here,” said Pinkie. “And it’s going to be awesome.”

Conflict

Whatever change Pinkie was talking about, it wasn’t happening soon.

Since that fateful time in the shower, an entire week had already passed. It was now once again Tuesday. The winter temperatures continued to rage outside as Twilight sat down in her bed, looking down at a book. Soon after discovering the prison’s library, she met the enigmatic librarian—a woman who was especially quiet and reserved (and also a prisoner)—and had asked to borrow a book. It was taken down that she had a book and she was to return it anytime before 2 weeks were up.

Most of the books there wouldn’t be found in your average library. They had no tales of exasperating adventure and exploits, or deep love plots with surprising twists. Instead, the books there would make any other prisoner melt from the normalcy and nonuniqueness of them — especially the “How-to” book section. Twilight chuckled, not as she turned the book, but thinking about Rainbow Dash’s reaction if she saw her huddled in her room, seeking nothing but warmth and a distraction as she cracked down on her mopping skills.

“Wow,” said Rainbow. She was wearing her normal uniform, except it was littered with crumbs. Her mouth was in a similar state, but her teeth still shone bright and strong. “What are you doing in here, Egghead?”

“E-Egghead?” Twilight asked, rolling the insult around on her tongue. She decided to let it go and continue. “I’m just reading a book. Finding out how to clean a space effectively isn’t so boring. Besides, it’ll teach me good habits for the—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure,” she said, cutting me off. “Come play cards with me.” Twilight sighed in disappointment, but set a marker on her current page anyways. She slid the book across her mattress before slowly getting off of the bed. She opened the cell and stood a few feet away from Rainbow.

“I didn’t see you this morning for breakfast or lunch,” Twilight commented. “It was kind of awkward with just me and Sunset.” Rainbow Dash chuckled apologetically before regaining her stony expression. She didn’t give an explanation, and Twilight didn’t find it right to pry.

Rainbow led her to the right after leaving the B-Block, which led to a smaller, quieter hallway. Like almost every other place in the prison, the air had the same stale smell to it that would make your headache if you weren’t accustomed to it. Every now and again, a guard would pass, but it was relatively uneventful. Twilight wanted to ask where Rainbow was going, but she came to a near instant stop, bumping into Twilight as she backed up. She had to put her hands on Rainbow’s back to stop her from falling. The muscles were so tense. Twilight moved to Rainbow’s side to see what had happened.

“Rainbow Dash,” said Spitfire, the warden. Her eyes turned to Twilight, imposing her tired and annoyed expression on her. “And I’m not sure I caught your name?”

“Twilight, ma’am,” said Twilight barely higher than a peep. The warden nodded and returned to Rainbow.

“I see,” said Spitfire, returning her gaze to Rainbow. “Just checking up on a few things, and saw you. Well, you two are dismissed.” Rainbow grabbed Twilight’s wrist without a word and began pulling her away. Twilight didn’t resist Rainbow pulling, but almost stumbled a few times because of her speed. After a few seconds and turns, Rainbow slowed herself, still gripping Twilight tightly. She hadn’t even noticed until Twilight tried to physically pry her hands from her wrist. Rainbow let go and sighed.

“Sorry about that,” she said, walking on. “Come on, it’s just up here.” Twilight tried to resist, but the words slipped out before she could think of the consequences.

“Why do you keep acting like that?” she asked. As if Twilight had physically turned her, Rainbow whirled around violently.

“What are you talking about?”

“Every time the warden comes up, you act like you two know each other,” said Twilight, words, spilling from her mouth now. “When we first came here, you seemed… angry to see her. Over the past week, you’ve been scowling at her whenever you see her, and just now you ran away from her like you were scared!” Rainbow got close to Twilight, close enough for Twilight to feel her agitated breaths on her nose.

“I. Didn’t. Run.” With each word, Rainbow jabbed a finger into Twilight, pushing her against the wall behind her. “Now I suggest you do two things. One,mind your own goddamn business. And two, get out of my face before I break yours.” A guard’s hand touched Rainbow’s stomach and pushed her back towards the other wall. Twilight was frozen in fear, her eyes naturally looking everywhere but Rainbow’s.

“Okay, okay, calm down,” said the guard. Twilight was very, very thankful. Her breaths came in rapid pants. “We don’t need trouble from you two, understand?”

“Nothing was gonna happen anyway,” said Dash, seemingly walking away. Her steps echoed for a bit as she traveled down the halls, but faded quickly. Once she was sure that Rainbow had gone, she moved her eyes to where she’d been standing. The guard looked at Twilight before carrying on his business. Twilight took a deep breath before she spoke.

“Sorry…” said Twilight, all too late.

“Hm…” That small hum was all Sunset had to contribute after Twilight told her what had happened between Rainbow and her. Twilight felt bad about making Rainbow so upset, and wanted to apologize, but hadn’t seen her at all since.

“S-So what should I do?” asked Twilight, poking at the food before her. “If I leave things the way they are now… I’m not even sure what will happen.”

“Give her some time,” said Sunset,eating as normal. Twilight had lost her appetite. The grayish meat was nowhere near Pinkie’s food. She was off duty at dinner. “Rainbow is just a little hotheaded.”

“I guess.” Twilight put her chin on her overlapped arms on the table, scanning the large amount of prisoners that occupied that lunchroom. Her eyes finally settled on Chrys’ radiant pink ones. She gave Twilight a tired smile and a wave which she returned.

A thought crossed Twilight’s mind. Sunset was around the most dangerous prisoner here, according to Rainbow Dash, but Twilight had never really seen her do anything particularly dangerous. Maybe Rainbow was just exaggerating; blowing Sunset out of proportion for respect, or something like that — but it still picked at Twilight. She’d been dully staring at Sunset for so long, she barely noticed when Sunset turned towards her.

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer,” said Sunset. Twilight put her face into her arms.

“Sorry,” said Twilight. Sunset didn’t respond, and Twilight was too lost in her own thoughts to ask why.

Dinner moved along slowly from then on. Twilight didn’t eat much more than a bite every few minutes, and Sunset was apparently doing some thinking of her own. Around the time when the bell would ring, there was a click-clacking — a sound that symbolized the loudspeakers sputtering to life. Usually, it’d be a guard reporting small changes like new equipment so that the prisoners (who it usually affected) would know, or calling a prisoner down to the main offices. This time, however, it was the warden herself that spoke.

“Important announcement.” A tap on Twilight’s shoulder brought her attention to Chrys as she sat down next to her. They exchanged a silent hello before Twilight returned her attention to the loudspeaker. “A new assistant warden is being appointed. Most of you know him as Warden Soarin. I expect you all to treat him with the same amount of respect that you treat me with. That is all.”

There was a small blip signalling the end of the broadcast. One look at Sunset’s face revealed that she was not pleased with the news. Before Twilight could say or ask anything, she got up from her position and stalked over to the door. The guards looked as if they were going to stop her, but the buzzing of the bell rang out. Even Sunset seemed a bit surprised, but stopped only for a second to react. She pushed through the guards right after, leaving Twilight’s line of sight.

“Guess Soarin’s back,” said Chrys. “I’m not really surprised.”

“Soarin…” said Twilight, getting a feel for the name. She swore that’d she’d heard it before now — even before Rainbow — it’d had been bugging her. “Why is he back?”

“Dunno,” answered Chrys. “But I was just starting to like the peace. This must be one of those trials that God throws at us to keep us on our toes.” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“You’re religious?” asked Twilight, getting up. Chrys soon followed. “I-I don’t mean to pry. I was just curious.”

“Yeah,” said Chrys simply. “As much as a gal like me can be, anyways.”

They returned to the large blocks in silence. Twilight’s head was filled with absent thought while Chrys seemed to be striding calmly. She seemed to be taking the news a lot better than Sunset.

Twilight breathed a quiet goodbye as they parted into their cell blocks. She made her way straight to her own room, closing the door behind her. Nearly instantly after she did, a guard came by, looked at her for a second, then clicked something in his hand. Twilight had no time to react. Then, another guard — a woman this time — passed by and repeated the process. This time, though, she pushed Twilight’s cell in, locking her inside. She’d gotten used to the bi-daily prisoner count in the morning and evening, so she didn’t ask any questions.

Twilight sat on her bed, silently contemplating the events that occurred that day. She’d managed to peeve off the one she probably needed the most. And with this whole fiasco about a new assistant warden, Twilight didn’t know exactly how the next week would be.

“Things are certainly going to change around here. And it’s going to be awesome.”

Twilight recalled her time in the shower with the bouncy girl. If the signs of the approaching conflict were true, then she was sure she couldn’t agree with her definition of the word awesome.

Usually, the mornings were a dull blur for Twilight.

She’d get up at 7 or so and wait for the count at 7:15. After being released from her cell, she’d make her way to the cafeteria and meet up with Rainbow and Sunset.

Neither were here to greet her today, though. They’d both been absent from their normal table. In fact, as far as she could see, they weren’t in the cafeteria at all. She sighed in sadness and sat down to eat by herself.

It stayed like this until Chrys walked up to the table, a silent wave the only interaction she offered. Twilight took it graciously.

“Sitting by yourself today?” asked Chrys, taking a place right next to Twilight. “Weird. Something got you down?” Twilight shared her story once more with Chrys, who slowly chewed her toast in response.

“I have a weird, sorta uneasy feeling,” said Twilight, poking some scrambled eggs with a fork. “I’ve seen so much of Rainbow when she’s cheery that her hostile side feels wrong.”

“Maybe she was on her period?” said Chrys. Twilight pushed her lips into a line, then put her fork down. “Weak stomach? My bad.” Chrys watched as Twilight’s already sunken face got worse. She sighed and smiled. “You ever have a boyfriend?”

“Um, one,” said Twilight. “Why?”

“Just making friendly banter.” said Chrys. There was a small pause before Chrys started up again. “You ever fucked?”

“U-uh...” said Twilight in embarrassment. “We weren’t really like that.” Twilight looked up at Chrys, revealing her slight blush. “What about you?”

“Oh, I’ve had plenty,” she gleefully bragged. “Before I got locked up, I was like a very crowded bus.” Twilight stared back blankly and Chrys rolled her eyes. “I mean, I’m really… skilled in certain moves, if you know what I mean.”

“I… I don’t,” said Twilight.

“Er, nevermind.” Chrys smiled and changed the subject. “So, you send out any letters to your friends? Family?” Twilight cringed for a moment before returning to her natural posture.

“N-No,” said Twilight sadly. “I don’t think they’d write back—”

Unjustly, the bell rang, cutting the two’s conversation short. Once the sound stopped ringing out, Chrys picked the conversation up.

“Well, you never know,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe you should try.”

After breakfast was work. Chrys had to stay behind, which she called a drag. Twilight left to travel to her own workplace, which seemed to take her mind off of things. It was only for a single period and only as a library assistant, but just being around books made her feel at ease.

It was on her way back after her work period — her job consisted of delivering and collecting books — when the morning started to go wrong. The loudspeakers coughed to life, and a disgruntled guard spoke in a clear voice.

“Uhm, the following prisoners report to the visiting rooms.” Twilight had never been visited before. She continued pushing the cart uninterested. If they didn't write, why would they visit? She was sure that they'd hate her by now. Lyra, Moondancer and… her mother… She’d put them all down on the list they provided to know who could visit, but she didn't expect much.

“Sparkle.” Twilight stopped in her tracks. She had heard her name on the list. Her heart pounded like it was large boulder in a larger cave. Every beat hit her chest and sent nervous goosebumps all over her skin. She rushed the cart she was pushing back to the library and inside quickly. She didn’t even get in the “Have a good day” to the librarian like she always managed to.

So many things rushed through her. Fear, excitement, curiosity, caution; everything! Her mesh of emotions coupled with her legs led her straight to the visiting room. Other prisoners were already there, and funneling into a small room. It was brightly lit and looked more like a corner than a room, but the prisoners continued walking through a small metal detector. Afterwards, they were patted down. Twilight went through the same process, nervously bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Who would she meet? That was the question that surged through her mind, rattling every part of it to find an answer. She was not going to hold herself back. She went through the open doorway and into the visiting room.

The first thing she noticed was her winning smile.

Her flowing, light pink hair, gorgeous magenta eyes and straightened posture came afterwards.

The way she made the room seem small was incredible. Her radiance and excellence took everything -- significant or no -- and condensed it into her very being, only making herself glow brighter. Twilight felt her mind go numb just staring at her.

Twilight couldn’t help but stand there, mouth agape and mind completely blown. If anything, she was most definitely not expecting her.

“Good morning, Twilight,” said Celestia. “How are things?”

Author's Note

Whew. It's definitely been a while.

Some of this was written on a phone, so please excuse the cancerous mistakes that may or may not exist.

Thanks for reading!

An Unfair Resolution

Twilight stood there for what seemed like an eternity. Her body became stiff, every small movement creaking and taxing her bones as if they were made of rusty metal. Really, the only things that she could and preferred to move were her eyes. Never meeting Celestia’s, and constantly hungry for any type of distraction. She only moved from her statue-like position when Celestia beckoned her, calling her to join at the table. All of the nervousness and fear and excitement had diluted out of Twilight and was replaced with the unbearable stench of guilt. It made her squirm all over. She didn't like it.

“Have you become shy in the little time you've been here?” asked Celestia as if she came to visit her at the hospital. “Come now. I won't bite.”

Twilight awkwardly stumbled forward and gripped the back of the chair. She slid into it and kept her eyes down. Once she was firmly in her chair, she forced herself to look up and instantly regretted it. Celestia’s eyes burned into her like a hot iron through the eye.

“How are you holding up?” asked Celestia. Twilight gripped her pants legs and looked to her left.

“Fine,” she said abruptly. Celestia sighed.

“You… must hate me, right?” said Celestia suddenly. All the guilt that had festered in her lower stomach riled up, pushing from the back of her skull now. “I couldn’t help you. I tried. I really did, you know? I’m a justice of the supreme court, and yet I couldn’t help a friend.”

“No, I—” Her voice died in her throat as she saw her friend’s dejected face. She knew she was about to cry, and people both visiting and prisoners were staring now. Twilight reached over and put her palm on Celestia’s cheek. “Don’t worry about me. I mean, how bad can 27 years be, right?” Fortunately, Celestia calmed down and wiped whatever tears were about to fall away.

Unfortunately, a guard came around and slapped Twilight’s hand away. She pointed to a sign that said “No Physical Contact”. The two shared a glance and giggled. It was the best Twilight had felt since she’d gotten to this place. A genuine laugh from her belly.

“Ooh, Twilight,” said Celestia playfully. “Such a rule breaker.”

“Shut up,” said Twilight with a smile.

The two continued their chat, exchanging small talk and what happened outside of the walls. Twilight was happy to find out that her other friends were still missing her in their daily lives. Moondancer, the baby of the group, had become devoted to her final year of high school and changed her study interest to law. Lyra was apparently working harder at work, trying to make more of herself. Her absence had caused a change in her friends, and she wasn’t sure whether to be proud or upset.

“And…” Celestia stopped in the middle of her rant, coming to an uncomfortable pause. Twilight was still riding on the momentum, a big smile on her face.

“And…?” she asked. “Don’t leave me hanging!”

“Your mother is still… shaken…” Twilight’s smile faded slowly and died.

“Oh...I-I understand,” said Twilight, still saddened. “When I think about it, I still can’t believe dad’s gone. It’s a little jarring for me to just blot him out. Mom’s strong, though, so I have faith that she’ll—”

“She still says it was you,” said Celestia smashing the jovial mood they had earlier into pieces. “I can’t believe her. To want to indict her own daughter for murder—”

“S-She's just shaken, probably,” said Twilight, trying to cover for her mom. True, the last time they met face to face was in the courtroom where they’d exchanged harsh words, but Twilight didn’t mean any of them. They were just spurred from anger. “She’s still my mom and even though we’re not on the best of terms right now, we’ll get over it.” That seemed to be enough for Celestia who sighed and smiled again.

“You’re right. That was stupid of me.” A large buzz rang out — the end of the period. Twilight’s heart sank. She wanted to leave with Celestia into the open world, but she knew that was a lifetime away. “Looks like our time’s is up. It was nice talking to you.”

“Visit more often,” said Twilight. “It gets lonely in here, sometimes.”

“Of course.” Celestia nodded to a pair of people in suits from across the room. They spoke into a small radio and left with the rest. “Have a good day, Twilight.”

“You as well.” Twilight watched as she walked to the door with the rest. The prisoners were also returning, so she followed them. She stole one last glance at Celestia before turning around and entering the prison once more.

She bumped shoulders with someone and looked over to apologize. Sunset looked down at Twilight.

“Oh, Sunset,” said Twilight. “How is everything?”

“Fine, I guess.”

“Was someone visiting you?” Sunset nodded. ‘Who?”

“Family,” was all she offered. “You?”

“Remember Celestia?” asked Twilight. Then swiped at the air. “Stupid question. Of course you do. She came to visit me today!” Sunset looked stunned for a few seconds, then smiled herself.

“Is that so?”

The fights started happening just a few weeks after Twilight’s meeting with the judge. They were small things, normal in prison, thought Twilight. Twilight decided to eat snacks instead of going to the cafeteria. She was concerned for Sunset and Chrys, but Sunset only smiled and said not to worry.

“I know a thing or two about fist fighting,” said Chrys as she handed Twilight a bag of cookies. “I’m fine. What you should worry about is your weight. Cookies aren’t exactly the most healthy food.”

Twilight munched on cookies and thought about what Chrys said. She wasn’t always the slimmest girl, but she wouldn’t call herself fat. She pinched at her belly awkwardly.

“I guess I’m just being a girl,” she said. She popped another cookie into her mouth and continued walking.

“This is bigger than just you and me, Dash,” said a hushed voice. Twilight froze in her tracks. The hushed voice belonged to Sunset, but it was different. Aggravated and strained. “If you insist on this petty bullshit, I’ll make sure that you won’t see sunlight again.” Twilight covered her mouth. She sounded threatening. She didn’t dare poke her head out, so she slid her shoulder against the wall and listened.

“There isn’t anything I can do, and you know that,” said Dash. She was weak, and her normal happiness was gone. “Spitfire doesn’t give a damn about me. He ain’t gonna let me up in her shit anymore.”

“That sounds like your problem,” said Sunset.“Listen to me Dash, I like you. You’ve been loyal and all that shit, but you know what happens when you step outta line. So just do this for me and we both walk free.” Sunset started walking away, her footsteps getting quieter and quieter.

“Yeah,” said Dash quieter and fiercer. “I fuckin’ get it.” She started walking too, but this time, she walked right at me. I didn’t know what to too, so I just stood still as she rounded the corner. She stopped and we met eyes for a second. Then she walked away.

“W-Wait,” called Twilight. She didn’t stop, so Twilight called louder. “Wait a second, Dash! What just happened?”

“Still sticking your nose in other people’s shit, huh?” asked Dash, shaking her head. She turned and showed her face. “What?”

“I-I’m sorry for what happened,” said Twilight. “But I’ll help. Anything I can do to help, I can. You helped me out when I first came here, but I never repaid you, so…” Rainbow Dash was silent for a minute, then she smiled, then broke into laughter.

“You want to help me?” She continued laughing like she’d just been told the funniest joke she’d ever heard. “You want to help? Fine then. Go die.”

“What?”

“Cause that’s what I’m being told to do,” she said. “Just throwing away my own freedom just for some fucked plan. Some stupid shit I’ve been told to go along with! I hate it, I really fucking do! And I got no say, alright? I don’t have a voice!” Rainbow breathed in heavily.

“I’m sorry,” was all Twilight could offer.

“Here’s my last piece of advice,” said Rainbow. “Rule of prison number four: Don’t ever fuck with Sunset Shimmer. She eats goody-two-shoes’ like you for lunch. She’ll shred you to bits.” She turned away shaking her head and walked off. Twilight wanted to call her back and do something to make her feel better. As she walked away, Twilight felt wrong. Like with every step Rainbow took away from her, she was getting further and further away from being the old Rainbow.

Twilight realized she was gripping the bag in her hand intensely. Her heartbeat was fast and uneven, and her face and hands were covered in icy sweat. She felt nauseous. It was as if she was just hit with a realization strike to the face.

This was a prison. There was no silver lining, no single ray of hope. Just infinitely crushing despair.

And it was only the next day that all manners of hell broke loose.

It started with a little arguing in the corner of the cafeteria. Twilight had been calmly enjoying her solitude in the morning when shouts from a far side of the room echoed around. Twilight couldn’t properly make out the words they were saying, but it was obvious they were agitated. Twilight, having a spot by the door, heard the guard’s conversation perfectly.

“Go check it out,” the woman guard said to the male. He nodded and started jogging over to the table. He was a bit too late, though, as the fight had broken out before he could get close. There were hollers and whooping noises that filled the cafeteria space. Even people on the breakfast line abandoned their spots. Twilight watched as the male officer, who was taller than the rest, waded through the crowd.

“This is getting out of hand,” said Chrys as she put her plate down on the table. “These girls are taking offense at shadows crossing each other. I wonder what’s gotten'm so antsy.” Twilight didn’t answer but remembered the conversation between Sunset and Dash.

In her thoughts, there was quiet, but Twilight couldn’t help but notice that it was also quiet outside again. She looked over at the people who were fighting and saw a crowd. They were all silent as if something speech rendering had happened. Then, she realized something weird.

The guard. She couldn’t see him anymore. There was something like a primal roar, and the noise kicked up to a dangerous eleven.

“Holy shit,” said Chrys getting out of her chair. “We need to get out.” Twilight was about to ask why when a sickening crack echoed through the air. Even above the screaming, the noise was clear. Twilight’s blood turned to ice. She abandoned the tray on the table and looked to make for the door. Twilight followed Chrys outside to the small hallway leading to the blocks. Twilight expected the sounds of fighting to die out, but it seemed all around her. It swallowed her and refused to let her out.

When she burst into the blocks, the fighting only got worse. People were fighting here and there, with different things as weapons. Blunt and sharp objects both legal and illegal were being used. Twilight couldn’t think. Why was this happening? She glanced over at B-Block and saw the entrance cluttered with her neighbors all in a heated conflict. Chrys had to shove her to get Twilight to listen.

“Come on girl,” said Chrys. “I’m leavin’ your ass in about five seconds if you don’t come the hell on!” Twilight blinked twice and looked at Chrys. She was beckoning to go back the way they’d come. Twilight ran after her. “We can hide in the rec room. Nobody should be in there.” Twilight was too hopped up on adrenaline to ask any questions. The two ran through a maze of halls that all seemed the same. Everything was bland and empty, and Twilight felt that the only thing keeping her sane was the constant sounds of terror and fighting within herself and around the prison. She was almost happy as she ran around. She was smiling like a madman.

But when she turned a corner and ran into it, she saw something different. A pale blue figure in the gray hallway. She trudged along almost mechanically through the halls. Chrys spared her a glance but kept running. Twilight didn’t think to stop and barrelled on. Rainbow Dash looked up at the two and showed them her face.

“Rainbow…?” Her face was dry and devoid of any emotion but surprise. She looked like she’d just been hit with an uppercut. Time seemed to slow down when Twilight passed ran past. She turned her head to her friend's face and took a good, hard look.

She could’ve sworn that she was crying right then.

Twilight ran right along, right on Chrys heels into the game room. It wasn’t locked and was deserted just like she said. They both sat down to catch their breath, and to realize the gravity of the situation around them.

“What the hell?” said Chrys. She seemed actually scared. She looked pale, just like Rainbow Dash. Twilight looked out of the window, but she was already gone. She wondered what she was doing all the way out here, and why she looked like that.

“You paying attention?” asked Chrys. Twilight snapped out of it and paid Chrys attention. “Ever since this morning you’ve been in some kind of daze. Like you’ve seen some kinda ghost. What happened?” Twilight sighed.

“It’s nothing.” Chrys looked at her in disbelief but gave up when Twilight didn’t talk. She got up and headed to the door.

“We’re probably not moving anywhere till noon,” said Chrys, looking out of the window. “So it’s probably best that you get comfortable. There’s nothing to eat or drink, but you needed a diet anyway, right?” Chrys chuckled, but Twilight stayed quiet. “Not up for convo? That’s cool.”

“I’m just a little disoriented is all,” said Twilight. “I just need a nap or something.”

“Oh,” said Chrys. “Well, there ain’t really a bed in here, but you can make yourself comfortable on the couch.” Twilight nodded and sat down on the couch. She got comfortable and laid her head back. “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything sexual. Probably.” Twilight didn’t think about what she’d said before slowly dozing off into an uncomfortable sleep.

It felt appropriate to Twilight that the loudspeaker was the thing to wake her up. She blinked her eyes for a few seconds before remembering her situation. She yawned and looked around. Chrys was nowhere to be seen. She looked frantically around but it was true that she’d gone. Probably left due to the announcement that played.

“Attention all prisoners and staff.” It was the warden’s voice. “Once again, all prisoners are to report to their cells immediately for counting. This is your final warning. All staff members are to report to the Block Hub. That is all.” She sounded aggravated, which Twilight expected. A riot was no laughing matter.

Twilight got up and stretched. She walked across the room to the windowed door and looked out. The hallway was empty and she couldn’t hear anything like before. She breathed easy and walked outside.

“Hey, you!” yelled a guard. Twilight looked to her left where another hallway stretched out. She’d come out at a bad time. “Get to your cell. Now!”

“Y-Yes sir,” said Twilight. She jogged along and let the guards pass her. She was just glad that the whole thing was over. No more problems to face. Everything would go back to normal. She didn’t have to feel sad after this. Today was pretty bad, and Twilight was happy she’d experienced it, to some degree. Nothing could get much worse than this.

Twilight walked into the Block Hub and immediately became as white as the walls.

The guards gave it away. If they weren’t swarming around her body, maybe Twilight wouldn’t have noticed it. Maybe she would have gone and never thought about here again. Maybe…

But she did notice it. The bloody tufts of rainbow colored hair, the ugly purple clots all over her body showing that she was beaten to death. Her face was no more than a pile of reddish flesh by now, caved in by something. Her arms were straight out like they were accepting a hug.

“You want to help me? You want to help? Fine then. Go die.”

No.

“Cause that’s what I’m being told to do. Just throwing away my own freedom just for some fucked plan.”

It’s not fair.

The Warden couldn’t help but look at the woman who was gawking at the corpse and shake her head.

“Poor girl.” She wasn't sure if she was talking about Rainbow, Twilight, or herself. “A real fucking shame.”

And on that day, Rainbow Dash, prisoner number 13229919, was added to the list of deceased prisoners.

Author's Note

Ah, the first one has bit the dust.

I wrote this around 6 AM, so if you could point out how ~~retarded I am~~ many mistakes I made in my sleep-deprived stupor, that would be greatly appreciated.

Evolution

“What do you do when you’re depressed in here?”

The cafeteria was abnormally warm this morning, and the sun spilled in bathing most of the chatty prisoners in light. Twilight buried her head in her arms lazily, sending a question Chrys’ way. She hummed in thought for a bit before answering.

“Play with something small,” she said. Twilight looked up to see her demonstrating. She fiddled with her hands as if something small was in them. “If that doesn’t work, maybe get a bite to eat, or read from a bible.” She put her hands down.

“Oh,” replied Twilight, plopping her head back down in her arms. She sighed quietly, delving back into her own thoughts. Chrys watched on in slight concern. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was a dull smack. Twilight rocketed upwards.

“Why the long face?” asked Pinkie as she put her tray down next to Twilight. She looked at her and realized that she was still grimacing in pain, but only smiled. “You’re too soft. You need to hit the gym more often.”

“Hey Pinkie,” said Chrys. She put her chin in her palms. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” she answered with a peppy voice. Twilight rested her face on her right palm and leaned onto it. Pinkie stared at Twilight’s uninterested eyes and her smile gave way to a confusing glare. “What’s wrong? You look like you haven’t slept a day in forever.”

“More like a few days,” answered Twilight with a lazy smile. “But… for the most part, yes.”

“What’s got you so shaken up?” Twilight’s smile dropped, and her eyes flicked over to Chrys, who did the same. Then she returned her gaze to Pinkie. She looked taken aback. “Are you two keeping secrets? Lemme hear, lemme hear!”

“”She’s uh…” Chrys started. Twilight looked away, a faraway expression painting her face. “Kinda hung up on Dash.” Pinkie stopped for a moment, considering what Chrys had said. She grabbed her plastic fork in her hand and threw it down, making everyone else’s platters shake against the table. Twilight turned toward her, startled by the sudden noise.

Oddly enough, she was still smiling. Though it was more of an infuriated grimace. She was clutching her fork so hard, the edges of her palms were turning white. Everyone at the table was watching now, keeping an eye on her as if she was a rabid beast. She turned her eyes to Twilight.

“You miss Dashie, huh?” she said, never dropping her ravenous smile. Twilight was taken aback by its ferocity but nodded slowly. “Well then? What are you gonna do about it?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused. Pinkie put the fork up to Twilight’s face like she was showing it off.

“Dashie was a tough tough SOB,” said Pinkie, inspecting the fork herself. “She knows how to take care of herself in a fight. But the way she died is weird.”

“What do you mean?” repeated Twilight. “It was weird?”

“There was fighting in the halls,” started Pinkie, with a grand gesture towards the door. “There was fighting in the gym, the rec rooms, hell in people’s cells.” Pinkie pushed her face into Twilight’s, close enough that if she moved a bit forward, their noses would touch. “But there was no fighting in the Block Hub.”

“T-There wasn’t?” Twilight asked, looking into Pinkie’s large blue eyes. “How do you know?” Pinkie backed off, twirling the fork between her fingers.

“Sunset is a tricky girl, I’ll tell you that,” she said, grabbing the fork again while jabbing it into the table. “She makes her plans ironclad. Something she wants to be done? There’s a plan to do it. She didn’t plan for there to be a commotion in the Block Hub.”

“Why are you telling me this?” asked Twilight in exasperation. “I mean… what does this mean, anyway? I already know who killed—” she choked up, thinking about the horrible state of her friend’s body.

“You already know who killed her?” asked Pinkie, taunting Twilight with a condescending tone. “Well, maybe you’d like to enlighten us.”

“It was Sunset!” said Twilight, a little louder than she intended. Chrys looked bewildered but stayed silent. Still, Twilight continued. “She killed Rainbow. She said she would!”

“”Oh, really?” asked Pinkie. “Answer me this, Twilight. You’re a smart girl, so you should know the answer. Why would Sunset waste Rainbow?”

“Huh?” asked Twilight. She thought about it before answering. “She didn’t do what she was told, right? Sunset got fed up and… she killed her.” Pinkie shook her head and put the fork down.

“Not waste waste,” she said. “Talent waste. Rainbow, for all intents and purposes, is Sunset's right-hand man.”

“So… Rainbow Dash wasn't offed by Sunset?” asked Chrys. “So who could've done it? You seem to know.” Pinkie’s face, which looked insane a few seconds ago switched to one of deep confusion and embarrassment.

“Actually… uh, how do I say this…” she said, rubbing her hand through her messy hair. “Sunset was hoping you two could help me out. Haha.”

Twilight and Chrys looked at each other, both with the same look. Chrys looked back first.

“Why do you need our help?” she asked quietly. Pinkie smiled as if her earlier episode didn't happen.

“I can find value in any person. You’re like me! Familiar. That’s good.” Pinkie turned her head to Twilight, and their eyes met for a second. Twilight could see Pinkie’s glare pierce her own. She felt inclined to look away, but Pinkie seemed to be keeping them focused on her. “And you, Twilight. You’re smart. Very smart.”

“I… thank you,” said Twilight.

“But you’re too fresh. Too clean.” This time, it was a new voice. She walked slowly towards the table. Twilight’s chest tightened up, and her stomach lurched. She couldn’t stop staring at Sunset’s eyes, which seemed to burn into her own, like a more captivating version of Pinkie’s Twilight didn’t notice that she was close until she was right above her.

“W-What?” she asked, still staring.

“Your version of thinking about the future is parole, maybe what your little friends are doing outside.” Sunset leaned forward, and her eyes took on a dark tinge. Like the fire in her eyes was burning her insides to ash, making her feel cruelly cold inside. “What should you be thinking about, hm? What do you think?”

“What I should be thinking about?” repeated Twilight. She opened her mouth to answer, but she blanked. Looking away didn’t occur in her mind. “Rainbow Dash… and who killed her.”

The world snapped back into focus. Sunset’s smiled. It was small but present. She squatted down, face to face with Twilight, and they studied each other. Sunset’s was meticulous but still warm, like the day they met.

“So what do you say?” she asked. “I’m the fish to know in this pond if you want to look at it that way. Help me find who killed Rainbow, and I’ll make sure you get everything you could want.”

For a few seconds, Twilight stared past everything. Only focusing on the thoughts in her head. Rainbow’s warning repeated in her head, heeding her not to get involved. Her ears must have been raw, with all the times she heard it.

Can I join her if it’s for you?

“I want to know who killed Rainbow Dash.”

Sunset simply nodded her head.

Twilight was resting on her back, leaning up against a cold wall in the E-Block. She was looking down, but her eyes were turned upward. She was watching the guards go past. One, then two. Then none. Every few minutes. She only had a few minutes to do this, but that’s all she would need.

Sunset was next to her, arms crossed. She wasn’t being careful at all. She stared down the person in the cell, never taking her eyes off of her until Twilight tapped her shoulder.

“You have about three minutes,” she said. “Maybe less, if the guards get alerted.”

“Well then,” said Sunset, watching the next patrol coming down and passing them. “Make sure they take their time then.” Twilight was silent as she walked to the cell of Sweetie Drops and walked in. Twilight saw her get up from her bed to look Sunset in the eyes. She was not appreciative of being walked in on.

“I don’t have much time, so I’ll keep this brief,” she said, walking deeper into Sweetie Drops’ cell. “You and your boss were in the crowd when the big fight started. Did you see anyone leave the fighting?”

“Fuck you,” said Sweetie Drops. “You think I’m scared of you or you lapdog out there?” she turned and look at Twilight before looking back up at Sunset. “I don’t give a fuck about you or that fuck up, Dash.”

Sunset grabbed Sweetie Drops collar, and pulled her close, headbutting her in the nose as she did. Twilight could hear the crack and feel the pain herself. She winced as Sunset brought her in for another one. She let her go, onto the bed.

“What the hell, man?!” exclaimed Sweetie Drops clutching her nose and groaning in agony.

“I’m going to ask you again—”

“I didn’t see anything, asshole!” she yelled. “I should fuck you up for that!” Sunset smiled as she looked down on the helpless woman.

“But you won’t.” Sunset reared her fist back and sunk it into Sweetie Drops’ face, causing her neck to snap back. She grabbed her by the collar and delivered two more punches, each as devastating as the last. By now, Sweetie’s face looked like it was going to swell soon. “Who. The. Hell. Did. You. See?”

“I-I didn’t see—” Sunset brought her knee to her face, causing Twilight to gasp in pain. She tried to run, but Sunset’s continued assault to her head made everything hard to process.

“This is probably what you saw, hm?” Sunset hit her with a final knee before pushing her up against her wall with force. “What you saw happening to Dash? Spill the fucking beans before I spill your guts on the floor.”

Twilight walked into the cell, checking for guards before she did. She put my hand on Sunset’s shoulder, which caused her to turn around. Her eyes were wild, and her smile was devious.

“Let her be,” said Twilight, looking at the sniveling, whimpering mess before her. “You’ll kill her at this rate, and the guards will definitely find you.” Sunset looked down at Sweetie Drops, then back at Twilight. She let Sweetie out of her grip then motioned towards the door.

“Let’s go then.”

She left the cell, motioning for Twilight to follow her. They headed towards the exit to the block, running into guards as they left.

“Just on time,” mumbled Twilight. Sunset nodded, putting her bloody hands in her pockets and acting naturally. The guards looked at the blood on her pants but didn’t say anything. The two walked out of the E-Block together. “Did you really have to do that? Be that brutal, I mean.”

“Probably not,” said Sunset with a shrug. “But I don’t really care.” Twilight shuddered, wondering what the woman next to her could do when she was actually angry. “Anyone else seems suspicious?”

“No one under her,” reported Twilight. “She’s being pretty suspicious on her own, though,” Sunset grunted and kept walking.

“She’ll get her comeuppance soon,” she said, shaking her head. “Let me think about Rarity. You just think about the people who could’ve taken part in the actual fight. Don’t rule out anyone.”

“Okay…” Twilight stopped in front of B-Block, watching as Sunset walked off just as she’d been doing for the past few weeks. Twilight watched her enter her own cell block, A-Block, and disappear from view. Twilight sighed, and turned back into her own block, making her way to her cell.

“Long day?” asked Chrys. Twilight didn’t know how long she’d been standing there. She smiled at her.

“Kinda,” she said, opening the door to her cell. She invited Chrys in, both of them sitting down on the bed. Twilight closed her eyes in fatigue. “I know this is gonna sound stupid… but hear me out.” Chrys turned to Twilight with an eyebrow raised.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I signed up for this,” said Twilight, looking over to Chrys. “But I don’t think I signed up for all the violence and the fighting. I just wanted to find out who did this to Rainbow.”

“Yeah, you’re not really up for bashing heads in.” Chrys looked over to Twilight’s pained face and winced. “Sorry. Tender subject.” Twilight looked back up to the top of her cell. It was nearing the end of the day, and she’d need to get some shuteye soon.

“Hopefully this is all worth it,” said Twilight with a heavy sigh. “I don’t want to hurt people to no end.”

“Everything has an end,” said Chrys, getting up from the bed. “Good or bad, everything has a reason. You just have to keep working at it to find out what it is.” Twilight watched as Chrys walked out, closing the door behind her as she went outside into the Block Hub. Chrys was a good friend.

And Twilight really didn’t want to see her head bashed in.

She shivered, before laying down, head on her pillow, and slowly drifting to sleep.

Author's Note

It's been a while, but here it is. The next chapter of Breaking the Bars.

Please excuse the relative lack of length when compared to my other chapters. Ending it here just seemed right. Also. excuse my wonky schedule which probably throws you out of the loop.

If you can overlook those two things, I hope that you enjoyed.

Without a Hitch

Twilight found her job to be relatively simple. All she had to do was point the finger. It was relatively low-risk compared to the other jobs Sunset had her lackeys run.

The only thing that complicated Twilight’s job was herself. She’d been a librarian, so acts of extreme violence were still only fairy tales to her. On the occasions where Sunset told her to tag along for someone’s beating, she’d wince in fear of what she was about to see.

But she tagged along every time. Each and every time thinking that what she was doing was wrong, inhumane. Wasn’t much she could do, anyway.

Twilight wandered through the halls of the prison, with no particular destination in mind. She found it fascinating that a place meant to confine could be so large. Some days, even after the months that she’d been here, she felt as if she could simply walk out of the door. If only she could find it.

A small spark clicked in her mind, sending a few quick thoughts through her brain. She started thinking about the outside world. How badly did she want to feel fresh air in her lungs, be surrounded by the people and things that she loved, rather than the bleak gray walls of the prison? She felt like sobbing, screaming, something that would get this feeling out, but clenched her teeth and gripped the palms of her hand violently. Rainbow would suck it up. Twilight would have to learn to as well.

“That’s a scary face you have on you.” Twilight looked up at a man. Not a normal guard, he was dressed in a suit. She almost immediately fixed her face back to looking just troubled. Then she smiled.

“Sorry,” she put her hand on her stomach and rubbed it around for effect. “I’m just… a little off today. I’ll be fine.” The man still looked skeptical. His green eyes pierced Twilight’s and seemed to be asking her stomach directly whether or not it was alright. Twilight looked at his chest and found a name tag on his suit. After a few seconds, though, he turned away and waved his hand.

“Take yourself to the infirmary, then.” He walked down the hallway and turned a bend. She took a shaky breath. Having come face to face with the new Assistant Warden wasn’t something she was very pleased about doing. Soarin hadn’t done anything to hinder Sunset and Twilight’s investigations so far, and Sunset had been careful enough to make sure nothing would lead back to her, but Twilight still felt as though he knew what was going on in her head.

She shook her head and kept walking.

She was scheduled for an exercise period that she seldom attended. Strength wasn’t really her strong suit. She walked over to the gym anyway. Upon opening the door, she was blasted with the smell of sweat and determination. For a few seconds, people focused on her but returned to their workouts after seeing that it was nothing to be worried about.

Twilight scanned the room, looking for anyone she knew. Her eyes locked onto a certain woman. Tall, muscular, and slightly agitated, it seemed, was the girl that Twilight collided with on her first day. The blood ran from her face, and her eyes were making it exceedingly difficult to look away.

“If you’re interested, I could introduce you to her,” Twilight snapped out of her daze, turning to her face to the person who spoke to her.

“Uh, no,” stuttered Twilight. She’d been here long enough to know how to act around most, but there was something about the calm, beautiful smile Rarity was giving her that told her entire body to get out of the vicinity right now. Twilight tried to walk away, but Rarity was already ahead of her, still with the same smile.

“What’s wrong? Where are you going in such a hurry?” Twilight backed up, running into the wall and allowing the woman to stand over her. She chuckled deviously, backing off of her captured prey. “I didn’t mean to startle you much. I just want to talk.”

“I don’t have anything to talk about,” said Twilight.

“Oh please, Darling,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “We have plenty to talk about. Most definitely.” She took Twilight’s hands and led her over to a certain machine. It had a bar, and pulling down on it would pull up the weight. Rarity didn’t seem too interested in that, though. She led Twilight behind it, where fewer eyes were about.

“W-why are we over here?” asked Twilight. The only exit from this enclosed space was through Rarity, which Twilight didn’t like. Either that or jumping over the machine and causing a ruckus.

“I just wanted to talk to you in private,” she said, letting go of Twilight’s hand. “I wanted to see Sunset’s new right-hand man up close.”

If Twilight’s blood didn’t decide to hit the floor, it sure did now. Her hands got clammy, and she could feel every bead of sweat.

“Oh, calm yourself, darling,” said Rarity, waving her hand dismissively again. “I’m not here to kill you. If I wanted to do it, you’d be dead already.”

“Yeah…” said Twilight with a shaky breath. “I figured…”

“So, why pull you over?” Rarity leaned back on the machine. “I need you to work for me.”

“What?” asked Twilight. “Why would I help you?”

“Because I can help you as well. Because I’m very powerful within these walls.” For the first time since she’d seen her, her smile dropped, replaced with a cold stare. “Or simply because I can make your life living hell, even worse than death.” To prove her point, the large woman from before got up from her position and looked down on Twilight from over the machine before going about her business.

“I-I can’t help you,” said Twilight, with a shaky breath. “Nothing I do can help you.”

“I think you can. You whisper into Sunset’s ear,” Rarity returned her smile to her face. “So all I’m asking is that you whisper into my ear as well.” Twilights heart was beating as if trying to jump out of her chest. She couldn't mess this up.

“T-Tell me something first,” said Twilight, daring to step up to Rarity. “If you tell me, I will help you.”

“You have no power here,” said Rarity. “But sure. As a gift. What is your question?”

“Who killed Rainbow?” Rarity paused for a moment and looked at Twilight with eyes of pity. She shook her head slowly before turning away from her.

“Come now,” said Rarity. “You already know the answer.”

“Are you feeling alright?” Twilight rubbed her eyes, trying to remove all the thoughts that clouded her mind right then. Twilight was starting to realize how difficult it was talking to a friend about problems you couldn’t tell them. “You look like you wrestled with a bear in your bed.”

“Well, that’s not too far off,” said Twilight. “If you could characterize stress as an animal, I think a bear would be perfect.”

“You’re stressed out,” repeated Celestia, her smile fading. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? Seriously?”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Twilight, waving her worry away. Celestia didn’t believe her for a second, as it showed all over her face. “What am I going to do? I was dealt a bad hand. It’s just something I have to work through.” Celestia sighed sadly, then put her hands on the table. “Celestia… remember that time I went ‘missing’ for a week?” Celestia rubbed her thumbs together.

“Yes, I do remember…” she said. “But—”

“And all that happened was that you accidentally deleted the message I sent you?” Celestia sighed again, this time in defeat. “You worry too much Celestia. You’ll end up stressing yourself out if you continue on like this.”

“Okay. Okay, I understand.” Celestia grabbed Twilight’s hands in her own and met Twilight’s eyes. “But, if you ever need me, or need a shoulder to cry on, you won’t hesitate to tell me, right?” Twilight laughed and brought her and Celestia’s hands together.

“Always.”

She knew that she couldn’t keep that promise. And somewhere in her heart, Celestia knew as well.

Twilight walked up to Sunset, who was sitting down at her table eating her breakfast. Sunset said hello with a glance and stirred when Twilight sat down with her. She continued eating her breakfast while Twilight began to dig into hers.

“How is everything?” asked Sunset, attempting to make simple conversation.

“Rarity approached me yesterday,” blurted out Twilight. Sunset stopped eating. “She asked me to join her, and I told her I would.” Sunset looked up at her fully. The two shared a glance for a bit before Sunset put her fork down and laced her fingers together.

“I can’t believe that worked,” said Sunset, a smile creeping on her face. “So Rarity is really that weak, huh? A few of her guys get fucked up, and now she’s clamoring to get even.”

“I-It’s not that she’s weak,” said Twilight. “I made myself too appealing to give up.”

“Yeah,” said Sunset, getting back to her meal. “Good job, Sparkle. Now we know what information she knows, and when she knows it.” Twilight sighed, trying to relieve the stress she was feeling. She’d be squeezing herself between these two very powerful women and that wasn’t something she was really looking forward to. If Rarity even for a second suspected that Twilight was lying or double-crossing her, she could be killed off.

But something was bugging her and it had been for a while. She didn't feel like she was a proper right-hand to Sunset unless she got her questions answered.

“Hey, Sunset?” Twilight called. Sunset looked up from her meal. She was happy. Now was as good of a time to ask as any.

“Hmm?” she hummed, food still in her mouth.

“How did you meet Rainbow Dash?” Sunset swallowed her food, her shoulders slumped, and she angled her head downwards. She sighed heavily, shaking her head as if she was remorseful.

“It’s a long story,” said Sunset, looking up at Twilight again. “And not a happy one either.”

“That’s fine,” said Twilight, forcing her sadness down into the deepest part of her heart. “I have all morning.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the lack of content in this chapter and also for the lack of content I've been putting out. I've just been in a slump recently, and Dark Souls 3 has been taking over my mind.

I have been thinking about writing a crossover piece between Dark Souls and MLP. That should be fun to write.