The entire time Twilight was sailing through the air, all she could think of was the sacrifice her friends had made. She knew that they wouldn't last long in that cave against Freeze Force, they never did. She couldn't even bring herself to cry, the shock of the situation was too much for her to handle. She wasn't even sure where she was going, but she could feel the ice clawing deep into her skin. Even if the ice melted, god knows if she would be able to move at all. She was launched out of her thoughts as her back hit solid rock, making her yell out.

Her yell was cut off as the ice coated her head, leaving her entirely frozen. She was alone with her thoughts as the ice continued to spread, her prison ever expanding. Even the lava at the bottom of the volcano wasn't hot enough to melt the ice. It only continued to grow in every direction, ensuring that she would be trapped here. Her expression was frozen with her scream of pain when her back collided with the rock, and she couldn't even move a muscle. It seemed as though even her thoughts were freezing, while her heart still burned and begged for her freedom...

Whinnyapolis, one week later...

Rainbow stay curled in the back of the cell she had been placed in, her expression crestfallen as it had been since she was put in here. She had long given up figuring out ways to escape. With her weaponry confiscated, there was no chance for her to escape. She wasn't a Burnish, she couldn't just blast through the door when she wanted, but she truly wanted to. Her ears flicked as she heard hoofsteps outside. She lifted her head and glared at the door when it opened, seeing a pony clad in a white coat walk in. The door shut behind them. Silver coat with a darker gray mane wrapped tight around her shoulders and hung limply over one side to cover her eye. The mare came forth with a plate on her back.

The mare didn't say a word as she picked up the tray with a hoof, and set it in front of Rainbow Dash. They locked eyes for a moment, her violet eyes cloudy. Something was there that was making her upset, but Rainbow couldn't tell what it was. She forced herself to sit up as the pony turned away from her and headed to the door.

"You're one of Pinkie's sisters, aren't you?" Rainbow asked. The mare stopped in her tracks as if she had turned to stone. "Marble, was it?"

Rainbow had remembered her only because she used to frequent Burning Rescue's station. Before Rainbow joined, it seemed like she was always there to visit her sister. Since she began working for Celestia, she was rarely even seen outside. It was as though she lived in her lab. All of her time was spent researching whatever Celestia made her.

"Mhm," Marble finally confirmed after some silence, turning her head to look at Rainbow. Now with the confirmation, Rainbow felt like she could navigate the fog in her eyes with ease. It was sadness, in its purest form.

"And you're fine with all of this?" Rainbow asked accusingly. "Do you know how your sister would feel about you doing this?"

Marble looked back at her, but still she said nothing. She was one of few Pie family members that knew when to keep her mouth shut, but she stayed quiet even more than the rest. Rainbow stared back at her, seeing Marble's expression shift. She didn't realize how hard she was holding the mare's gaze until that look in her eyes shifted. Rainbow sighed, sitting up more properly so she could face Marble head on.

"You do know how she's going to feel when she hears about this... right?" Rainbow said, her voice soft.

"Mhm," Marble stared at the floor, unable to hold Rainbow's tough stare any longer.

"And you're just going to hold off telling her?" Rainbow got to her hooves. Her back felt heavy from the weight of the metal boxes that held her wings down to her torso.

"...Mhm." Marble blinked and lifted her head to look at Rainbow again. Guilt clouded her vision. There was no shine, no light. Only pain reflected out of the deep violet.

"You have to say something, Marble," Rainbow said firmly. "You know this is wrong, I can tell! It's worth risking how Pinkie feels. If somepony outside knows, maybe they can do something!"

"Mh-m," Marble shook her head from side to side. Her eyes widened with what looked to be fear. She rubbed her leg with her hoof, and stared at the wall beside her.

"What?!" Rainbow's lips curled back in a snarl that exposed her teeth. "Why?! Ponies are dying out there, Marble! Why won't you say anything?"

"I-I'm scared for her," Marble said. Rainbow was shocked actually hearing her speak for a change. Her voice was so broken. She wasn't used to talking at all, and it showed.

"...So what?" Rainbow continued, her tail swishing the air behind her. "You're not the one being killed."

"I will be, P-Pinkie too," Marble tried to speak firmly. She held Rainbow's stare, trying to push the same hardness through her eyes. "C-Celestia, she..."

Rainbow waited for her to continue, but Marble didn't speak any further. Rainbow could imagine what she had planned to say. If word began to spread, Celestia would know it was her that spread it. She could be personally executed by the princess, and no pony would know. Her sister wouldn't either; she might die too. Maybe it would be passed off as an accident, and the project would continue as normal without a hitch. Rainbow felt sick thinking of the possibility.

"Fine," Rainbow said. She spun around, sitting back on the ground and resting her forehead on the wall. She couldn't bring herself to eat right now.

Marble uttered not another word as she opened the door, and exited the room. She stared back at the door, wondering if Rainbow was going to do anything. She heard no noise, no movement at all. She sighed, ears drooping at the sides of her head. She shook her head, forcing herself to walk on forward. She didn't bother lifting her hooves to greet the other scientists as she walked. She couldn't even bother to greet her other sister as she walked past. The other mare was stationed by one of the doors to the lab, fully suited up in Freeze Force grade armor. Catching the other mare's low mood, Limestone pulled her helmet off and set it down by the door.

"You, keep watch," She ordered the other guard. "I'm going to pay a visit to our... 'new friend.'"

She said the last word bitterly. The other guard didn't speak, only saluted to her. She adjusted her gun in the sash on her back, and walked the direction Marble had been coming from. She glanced through the windows of each of the cells as she walked past, before she found the one that was occupied. She gave a curt nod to the guard stationed outside before she scanned herself at the door, and let herself in.

"You're not eating?" She asked when she stepped inside.

"Why do you care?" Rainbow said, turning her head to glare back at Limestone.

"Cause this is all you're getting." Limestone tapped the floor, her brief motion to the tray situated behind the pegasus mare. "Celestia plans to have you taken care of by tomorrow, you know. This is the only thing you're getting, she's not going to prepare anything else for you tomorrow. You've already wasted two meals this week, it would be wiser if you just suck it up and quit being a little bitch."

"If I'm going to die anyways, what's the point in wasting food on me?" Rainbow snapped, getting to her hooves and spinning around. "You can take it for all I care!"

Limestone was surprised with the mare's outburst. Clearly whatever she had talked about with Marble had ticked her off. Limestone growled, lowering her gun from her back and pointing it towards Rainbow.

"You better watch your fucking mouth," She hissed. "I could kill you without Celestia's orders and deal with the punishment later. I don't care what plans she has for you, and I don't even know why she's let you live this long in full honesty, but it doesn't matter to me. You're just getting in our way, valuable time spent researching for Princess Celestia is being wasted on bringing you food and checking up on you. I should just get rid of you right here so we all can focus a little more."

"And you're not scared of dying, like your sister?" Rainbow snapped.

Limestone fell silent, her hoof shaking as she held the gun. She blinked, sensing familiarity in Rainbow's eyes. So, this is what they were talking about, she thought. She could understand; Marble was terrified of stepping out against Celestia. Celestia and the Freeze Force admired her 'talk shit get hit' attitude, but they wouldn't dare accept something like that from Marble. Marble wasn't in the same place as her, and she could easily be replaced if the situation arose. Limestone sighed, slipping her gun onto her back once more.

"...Marble is, I'm not," Limestone said after a minute of silence. "She's too busy thinking about family and friends to focus on her work. Since you got here, she's just been... all wrong. It's like everything is bothering her lately, even the smallest things. She almost cried when she dropped some of her paperwork the other day. She isn't a weak pony, but that's not saying she's the strongest one of us all by any means. She has the smarts and the kindness to back her up, but that's all there is. Even Pinkie has a bit of toughness to her... you know, every now and again."

Rainbow sat down, calming down enough to keep her mouth shut. Limestone could almost feel the anger radiating off of Rainbow, like the heat from an open fire. She took a breath, ensuring she could keep herself in check before she spoke again.

"Point is, Marble stopped being herself since you showed up," She said. "And judging by her reaction just now, you two didn't have the best conversation. Mind explaining?"

"It wasn't that bad," Rainbow said. She drew circles on the ground with her hoof. Her wings tried to flutter on her back, but were weighed down by the metal boxes holding them in place.

"Tell me," Limestone insisted. "It's not like I'm going to spill anything."

Rainbow lifted her gaze, staring Limestone in the eyes. Limestone caught onto the look in Rainbow Dash's eyes that meant she was suspicious. She could understand; she didn't need to pretend that she didn't. She was part of the Freeze Force, and Rainbow Dash was a prisoner who was for the other side. They weren't exactly good friends by any means. Finally, Rainbow lifted her head and chose to speak.

"...I asked her why she's letting this research happen," Rainbow said with a sigh. "It just seems weird to me that she's willingly letting other ponies have their lives sacrificed because of what Celestia wants. I asked her if she would tell Pinkie, and she said no. She said she's just scared that she and Pinkie could die if she openly mentioned what was going on in the lab here. She seemed more focused on saving her own life than every pony else's."

"Wouldn't you?" Limestone asked accusingly. "If it were me in her position, I'd rather keep myself and my sister alive over anything else. Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because," Rainbow growled. "Hundreds of ponies are dying right now because of the research Celestia is doing. I've seen it happen. I watched one of the Burnish turn to ashes in front of me because of what you are doing to them! Twilight Sparkle told me herself, and I couldn't deny it when I saw the effects in front of me. Ponies are being murdered by Celestia and no pony is saying anything about it! No pony outside knows, and no pony in here has the balls to speak out against it, not even you!"

"Excuse me?" Limestone hissed, her ears pinning to the sides of her head. She lifted a hoof, ready to grasp her gun.

"You heard what I said!" Rainbow slammed her hoof on the ground, making Limestone jolt. "You're keeping quiet about it too. You're part of the Freeze Force, and it seems like you don't see anything wrong with what's going on in here and outside. These ponies are just trying to live their lives, and you're killing them. You're using them until there's nothing left of them. You don't care what happens to them, just like Celestia you're all focused on your stupid space plans than trying to save lives! And for what?! Because they have to burn things to the ground just to stay alive? You're murdering people who just want to live, and you're scared of being unable to save your life."

Limestone opened her mouth to speak, but quickly clamped her teeth back together and kept quiet. She stared at the floor with narrowed and wide eyes. She knew deep down there was nothing she could say to convince Rainbow otherwise. She was right; Limestone was just as much of a coward as Marble was. She shut her eyes, feeling the weight of the guilt pulling her down to the Earth. She didn't know what would happen if she spoke out against Celestia, but she knew now that she really wanted to deep down. She opened her eyes, allowing them to soften up as she looked at Rainbow.

"You're... you're right," She said finally, watching Rainbow's face turn from anger to surprise. "I'm a coward too. Maybe I am scared of death, and maybe I'm letting this go by willingly... but as much as I'd love to put a stop to this, Celestia won't listen to a lower class pony like me. She doesn't care about my opinion, it's only hers that carries us to our future. Or, at least, the future she wants us to have. Without the Warp Project, there is no real future for any pony in Equestria, unless you count death as an option. Regardless of what happens here, ponies are going to die; Burnish, the royals, normal ponies like you and me, nothing is going to be left."

"We can do something about it," Rainbow said. "Celestia arrested me because she didn't want me to interfere, but I want to stop the magma in the Earth from spilling. If we can find a way to stop it, then we don't need to leave. We can stop the Burnish from dying, we can live in peace with them, and we don't need to find a new planet. We can stay here, and live out the rest of our lives."

"Celestia would never allow that," Limestone managed to chuckle. "I'm sure she told you that already. No pony can interfere with her plans. They'll be arrested, or they'll be killed. Either way, nothing can stop her."

"Where there's a will, there's a way. That's how the old saying goes, isn't it?" Rainbow tilted her head with a grin. "Maybe Celestia doesn't have to know."

"You're evil," Limestone snorted. "And how do you suppose you're going to stop this world-wide disaster, eh? You're just one pony, and no offense, but I don't think you've got the brains to invent a fixer-upper overnight. As much as I'd love to agree with your idea, it's stupid and impossible."

"Maybe so, but I'll find a way," Rainbow said. "I just need to get out of here, and then I'll have all the time in the world to think."

Limestone fell silent, trying to think on her own. She stared at the door behind her, before she trotted forth. She lowered her head and her voice so she could speak to Rainbow Dash.

"Listen, I might have an idea," She whispered. "But nobody else can know about it, not even Marbs."

"What is it?" Rainbow whispered back.

"I can break you out," Limestone said with a grin. "You can get out of here, and I'll come with you. If we're lucky, then we can find a way together to get to the root of this issue. Just maybe, we can stop this disaster before Celestia can go any further in her plans."

"And you'll seriously work with me?" Rainbow asked.

"If you let me, I just might," Limestone promised. "But I'm going to need you to keep this a secret. If you can do that, we're home free. And when we escape together, you've got to keep me out of the public eye so I can save my flank, got it?"

"I'll try," Rainbow affirmed with a curt nod. "But this is all just assuming I don't get out of here before we get our plan in motion..."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Limestone chuckled softly. "I'd hate for all this conversation to go to waste."

"But you'd still work with me even if I broke out early, wouldn't you?" Rainbow cocked her head to the side.

"Maybe," Limestone said, lifting her head and straightening her back. "For now, I'll see what I can do before Celestia decides to ice you tomorrow. You need to eat your food though, get your strength up so that you're prepared. I can only do so much; you'll have to do the rest for me."

"Got it," Rainbow sat down, lifting the tray up in her hooves.

"I'll get going now." Limestone turned around and headed for the door. "See ya, Dash."

"Later Limes," Rainbow waved to her with a chuckle as she began eating.

Limestone hummed. She was sure that nickname wasn't going to stick at all, but oh well. Whatever made her happy. She sighed, letting her expression fall back to its usual state as she exited the room. The door shut behind her, and she walked back to her post at the door. She nodded to the other guard that she was stationed with, and slid her helmet back onto her head so she could continue her shift.

Meanwhile, at Burning Rescue Station...

"Everypony," Applejack said, catching the attention of her fellow members. Pinkie drew her eyes away from her computer screen, and Fluttershy blinked her eyes to get sleep out of them. They both stared at Applejack, worry overcoming their features.

"I-is there news about Rainbow D-Dash?" Fluttershy asked nervously, her wings fluttering on her back as she sat up out of her hammock.

"Unfortunately," Applejack sighed, her ears drooping. "Ah got a call from Mayor Mare today. Told me Rainbow'd been arrested."

"What?!" Pinkie gasped in shock, her ears falling. "Why?!"

"She tried attackin' Celestia it seems," Applejack said.

"T-that's ridiculous!" Fluttershy exclaimed, covering her muzzle after. "R-Rainbow Dash would never... y-you don't believe that, d-do you Applejack?"

"It doesn't matter," Applejack shook her head. "It matters that Dash was arrested. Ain't nothin we can do about that."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Pinkie asked, feeling her mane beginning to flatten around her body. "Dashie doesn't deserve to be in prison... she'd never do something like this! I just know it! She's too good of a pony!"

"Mayor didn't tell me anythin' about a bail," Applejack said with a shrug of the shoulders. "There ain't nothin we can do but wait for em' to release her, or wait to hear the... bad news."

"D-don't say that, AJ..." Fluttershy whimpered, pulling her side mane over her muzzle to try and quiet herself before she could cry.

"This can't be happening..." Pinkie wasn't sure what else she could say...

She couldn't believe what she was hearing! First that Rainbow was arrested, and second that she tried to attack Celestia?! She wasn't sure what to believe, but Applejack was right; what was she supposed to do? She stared at the keyboard of her computer, her thoughts blank. She let tears roll down her face as her emotions overwhelmed her. She was broken out of her thoughts as she heard the sounds of wheels scraping the asphalt outside.

The ponies turned as Freeze Force vehicles covered the entrance to the garage. From one of them emerged Tempest Shadow. She lifted her helmet off her head, shaking out her mane as she walked into the station.

"You, pegasus," She pointed at Fluttershy with her hoof. "You need to come with us, immediately."

"W-what?" Fluttershy blinked, panic filling her eyes. "Why?"

"Don't ask questions," Tempest said firmly, stomping her hoof on the concrete. "Just get in the truck before we blast you."

"Fluttershy, what's going on?" Pinkie looked at Fluttershy with fear in her eyes. Fluttershy said nothing, her body reflecting that same fear. She was paralyzed, like a deer in headlights.

"Fluttershy?" Applejack said, putting her hoof on the mare's shoulder and bringing her out of her trance.

"I-I... I don't want to go," Fluttershy said finally, though fearfully. "W-we... we're busy. W-we just learned that R-Rainbow Dash was arrested. I-I have to stay here to help t-them save her."

"I didn't ask for your sob story, Snow White," Tempest said, brandishing her pistol from her belt. "Celestia wants you to be part of a little... 'project' that we're working on."

"Why can't we come?" Applejack asked. "Why just Fluttershy?"

"Because you're unimportant," Tempest said. "We need her. We need her flames."

"Flames?" Pinkie's eyes widened. She stared at Fluttershy and her body began to shake. "I-is she telling the truth? F-Fluttershy you're a..?"

Fluttershy's eyes flickered with light. She pressed her hooves into the ground, wings spreading behind her back. Pinkie had never seen her be so serious before. This was a side of Fluttershy she had never seen before.

"I-I said I'm not leaving," Fluttershy said firmly, though the stutter she always carried with her broke her appearance of being strong and held together. "M-my decision is final."

"Oh, fine then..." Tempest hummed dully. "I guess we'll just have to take you by force."

Without warning, Tempest fired a few blocks of ice from her gun in Fluttershy's direction. Fluttershy seemed to be one step ahead of her. She flapped her wings hard, dodging out of the way of the bullets. She brought her forehooves together in the air, expelling bright flames from them. The flames only grew in size as they dove for Tempest. Pinkie and Applejack shielded their eyes as the light of the flames filled the station and nearly blinded them. They heard Tempest cry out as she was flung backwards, her gun sliding on the ground beside her. When they looked back again, Fluttershy had disappeared.

"Follow that mare!!" Tempest shouted to the other soldiers.

Applejack and Pinkie ran outside, seeing Fluttershy propelling herself down the road. They shielded their eyes as the Freeze Force vehicles sped down the road, chasing after the fleeing pegasus. Pinkie and Applejack were left in shock at the events that just unfolded before them.

"T-this whole time, Fluttershy was..." Pinkie whispered.

"Fuck," Applejack hissed, hitting her hooves on the ground and bucking the wall beside her. They were down two members, and she was rightfully pissed about it. She and Pinkie were all that was left of the group, with Rainbow Dash being arrested and Fluttershy being on the run because she was a Burnish.

So many things had happened just today. Pinkie felt her head spinning. She held her head, feeling nausea pooling in her stomach. She blinked rapidly, her vision blurring and her legs becoming wobbly. She heard Applejack say her name before she collapsed on her side, fainting on the side walk.

Meanwhile, in Celestia's Inferno...

Twilight's burning desires never failed her now. Even amongst the ice, her flames emerged from the magma below. The snake like forms they took on cried out in fury and despair as they threw themselves against her icy prison. The solid walls of frozen water had continued to expand over the entire week she had been trapped within Celestia's Inferno. None of it wished to melt, and none of it wished to break. It was as if her flames were hitting against solid bedrock, but they pressed on. Twilight's desires fueled their energy, and their energy was endless. Twilight still remained, trapped in limbo inside the ice, her pained expression having softened as the ice overtook her. But deep within her, her flames still burned brighter than they ever had before...

And the very second her eyes finally snapped open, the ice around her shattered into millions of shards.

Author's Note

MAHARI YUWARE-- /ref

The scene, it approaches!! Are yall ready for the next chapter?? Cause I sure as hell am!!