The silence of the foals

Luster Dawn, commissar of the Stable Oversight, was walking inside the caves connected to the Canterlot's dungeons. The path she followed was dimly illuminated by torches on the rocky walls. Her shadows spinned around her as she paced.

In front of her there was a pony wearing a white shirt. He was leading the way. The unicorn had a cinch-belt around his barrel with a cantie-rantie, a communication device, hanging on one side.

"How're you holding up? Over", a male voice spoke from the cantie-rantie.

"We are almost there. Over", the pony in white answered , pressing the device's button with his magic. He briefly turned his head to see Luster walking behind him.

"Copy that. Over".

They kept moving until they reached an intersection of tunnels. They stood in the middle of it. On their right and in front of them were two pathways that had torches illuminating them. On their left there was a black hole. Not even the torches nearby could dissipate the darkness that emanated from there.

The dungeon guard turned his body towards Luster. He looked at the dark entrance. His horn lit, grabbing the cantie-rantie with his telekinesis and holding it close to his muzzle. "We are at the entrance to the objective. Unlock the em-ess please". His voice echoed.

"Copy that. Unlocking of the magic shield in three, two, one..."

Faster than a blink, the darkness in front of Luster and the guard turned ivory white. There was a long hallway with ghostly white walls and a floor of chess tiles.

Luster and the guard started to walk again, heading to the new path. Luster's eyes then percieved the figure of a pony at the end of the hallway.

Behind a thick crystal was an all gray being.

As Luster and her companion got closer to the end of the way, the figure became clear. They stopped walking and found themselves in front of the prisoner held there.

It was the doctor Habel Canterlin. An ex-surgeon and a PhD in meta-psychiatry. A unicorn who was charged for many crimes: foalnapping, intentional ponicide and hideous ponybalism. His coat, eyes, mane and tail were all of grey color.

Canterlin was standing on his hinds there, very close to the glass. He smirked, locking his eyes with Luster's, who was only a few legs away.

The guard in white, who was standing next to Luster, looked at her. "This is him, comissar. Inmate Habel Canterlin".

Luster turned her head at the guard. "Thanks for bringing me here, good sire. You may leave now".

The guard nodded and bowed before her. "In Goddesses we trust", he said, turned around and started to walk. He left through where they had entered.

Canterlin cleared his throat, calling for Luster's attention. "May I know why I have been interrupted from my after breakfast reading of Hippograffes?"

Luster approached the crystal cage. Her eyes scanned Canterlin from head to hoof. "So beasts can speak. And do so sweetly".

Canterlin chuckled. "Hey, now. Let's start over! Hello, uhm, miss...?"

"It's commissar for you. That's all you need to know about me", she said. She didn't want to spend her whole maneday morning there. Her round glasses just wouldn't stop blurrying. It wasn't the first time she had entered the dungeons, but she couldn't help to hate the place.

The caves were all humid and smelly. The only exception was the sector in which Canterlin was held: all white and clean, with vents on the ceiling.

"All right, commissar, no need to rear up about it". He took a brief pause, and smiled. "Let me say, I can feel the magical honey that flows from your alicorn body. It's exciting!"

"Doctor Canterlin, if you say that you can feel my magic through this magic-proof crystal, you should also be charged as a serial scammer". She looked at Canterlin's horn. "Oh, and let's not forget you have a restrictor ring up there".

"Oh, this?" Canterlin tapped his horn twice with a hoof. "I don't need it when I have a degree in meta-psychiatry", he said. He started to walk in circles around his crystal prison. He had a bed, a painting of a beautiful castle hanging on one of the three rocky walls, a bale of hay, a toilet, a water tap, and a table with books.

Luster simply watched him pacing. She would have sat on the floor of white and black tiles, but she didn't need to, thanks to her resilient alicorn muscles. "Hey!"

Canterlin stopped his pace right when he was close to Luster. "Yes, dear?" He grinned. He had twice the canine teeth than a normal stallion. For his old age, his mane and eyes shone against the white lights coming from the ceiling.

"Look, doctor Canterlin, I totally respect your profession". She inhaled. "But, what you have done to the ponykind, your own species! I don't even dare to describe it". She had her eyes closed while speaking, and when she opened them, she found herself standing in her hindlegs, and her forehooves where against the crystal wall that contained Canterlin. She was just a few hooves away from his face.

"May I ask, hypothetically speaking: was there a need to say own species? Does that mean pony lives are more worth than the ones of other species?" Canterlin said. His face was so close to the glass that his breath blurried it.

Luster backed off and stood on all fours. "Well, let's just say you were not executed for all your grisly crimes thanks to the decision of ponies". She emphasized the last word. "Why do you think that was? Well because ponies must treat ponies as ponylized as possible. Does that answer your question?"

Canterlin put a hoof on his jaw. "Commissar, are you a pony supremacist?"

"Enough of roundabouts, doctor Canterlin. I just need answers from you"

"But, commissar! I have so much fun getting to know you better. Is that wrong?"

Luster Dawn sighed. "I'm on a mission. You better just listen". And she was on a mission. One given by the ruler Twilight Sparkle. She told Luster not to worry about the management of the Stablo. That she would take her place while she was investigating. It's not like Luster could say no. On the bright side, she didn't dislike solo missions at all.

"Alright, I'm all ears." Canterlin said and his ears indeed perked up.

"Doctor Canterlin, I need you to help me with a criminal prof...

"Excuse me!" Canterlin interrupted "I can't help, commissar, but to ask: what's with the reading glasses?"

"What the hay are you talking about?" Luster answered.

Canterlin laughed. "Why would an all-mighty alicorn need glasses? It doesn't make sense to me".

Luster snorted "Oh yeah? Well, I see you still shave your moustache even though you never receive visitors" She batted her eyes twice "Wait, how do you shave?!" She started to look with her eyes around Canterlin's cubicle for any sharp tools.

Canterlin's eyes looked at the floor. "Well, don't panic, commissar! I do not have a razor blade or similar here. I get it done on me. The shaving".

"How?" Luster inquired.

"Once a week, a team of brawny guards open this crystal, make sure I wear my magic restrictor ring, and then they sedate me. That's how they do it."

Luster sat on the cold floor and started to softly paw it with a hoof. "I understand". She sighed. "So you asked why I wear glasses, well, it's not that I need them, ; not since I became an alicorn; but I feel like they are part of my essense. My identity".