The silence of the foals

Luster was sitting on her haunches on the chess pattern tile floor, before the door to the male showers in the Fillydelphia Ponice Department. Next to her, also on the floor, were her saddlebags. She was staring at the white ceiling. Her breathing was slow and steady. Ten minutes had passed since she let Anon enter the shower room.

The doorknob was turned. Luster looked forward. The door was pulled from the inside. Anon stepped out of the room; he was in front of Luster. His lower legs were of a clear brown, just like the rest of his coat. Also, the smell that stalked him around was gone. Even the chains, that were still attached to his forelegs and hindlegs, shone against the light coming from the windows on the east wall.

Luster smiled at him. “Alright”. She stood up. With her magic, she lifted her saddlebags and put them on her back. Anon was looking her in the eyes. Luster raised her left forehoof and pointed west. “Let’s go and get the key for those shackles”. She looked down at Anon’s lower legs. Anon nodded energetically. “After you”, Luster said. They turned south and started to walk. When they reached the intersection of hallways, they turned west.

Luster and Anon were walking down a corridor of the building. They had crossed the main corridor of the building that led either to the exit or the stairs. When they reached the west wall and windows of the building they turned south. They walked forward and stopped before the desk of the sergeant.

The sergeant had immediately gotten up from his seat when he saw them. He exchanged glances with Luster and Anon. “Good afternoon, commissar”. He raised his right forehoof and pointed at the metal door to his right. “Do you wish to return the prisoner?” He asked and lowered his hoof. Luster shook her head. She raised a forehoof and put it on Anon’s shoulder. The sergeant narrowed his eyes.

“I actually wish to free him from the shackles”, Luster said and lowered her hoof. The sergeant opened his eyes wide. He looked at Anon, who was looking down, and then back at Luster. “Are you sure, commissar? He’s not charged with any crimes, but I was told he is a suspect”. He raised a forehoof and put it on his desk. Luster nodded twice. She turned her head towards Anon, who was by her side. “I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt”. She turned her head forward and looked at the sergeant. “Would you mind to unlock his fetters, please?”

The sergeant closed his eyes and nodded. Then he opened them and looked down at his desk. He lowered his hoof from it. With his magic, he opened one of its drawers and took a big iron key out of it. Holding the magic with his telekinesis, the sergeant circled his desk and approached Anon. He brought the old rusty key close to the shackles. Anon stood still, breathing slowly and looking at the object surrounded by the sergeant’s magic aura. Luster watched.

The key, floating, got inside the hole of one of the forehoof shackles. The sergeant turned the metallic object and there was a click sound. The shackle opened and fell to the floor with a clang. There were three left to be opened. Anon slightly shook his free hoof for a second; a contracted pastern was heard.

After a minute, the last fetter; which was on one of the hindlegs; was dropped to the floor.

The sergeant backed off; his eyes wide open looking at Anon’s. He also exchanged glances with Luster too, who was next to Anon. The sergeant hit the edge of the desktop with his rump and softly jumpscared. Holding the key with his telekinesis, he left it on the desk. He looked at Luster. “Commissar, do you wish me to escort him outside?” He pointed south-east and, by extension, at the beige metal door that was the jail for males.

Luster shook her head. She was standing next to Anon. “I’ll make sure he goes the right way”. She emphasized the last two words. Anon gulped. “Understood, commissar”. The sergeant nodded and circled his desk. He was before the table, with Luster and Anon in front of him. He sat down on the pillow. Luster smiled at him and at Anon. “Let’s go”, she said.

Luster and Anon turned around and walked north down the black and white tiles. When they reached the intersection they turned east. They passed by the doors of the observation and interrogation room. They got to the main intersection of the building; the same that could lead them upfloors or outside. They turned south. From fifteen legs away, they could see the brown doors of the exit. Luster walked with her head held high while Anon was crestfallen. On their way down the corridor, they moved past stablo agents that stared at the duo, especially at Anon. They reached the door, and Luster, with her telekinesis, pulled them both open.

Once outside, on the upper steps of the Fillydelphia Ponice Department, Luster could see the tallest trees of the Brayed forest. That forest was behind of the block that was in front of the Ponice station. On the street, there were a few ponies either doing courier jobs or draught ponies pulling carts. Luster turned her head to the side and looked at Anon, which was looking at her. “Alright, mister Anon, time to equip you”. She raised a hoof and pointed east. “After you”. She smiled at him. Anon nodded shyly and started to walk down the few steps of the building. Luster imitated him. They got to the side walk and turned east.

Luster and Anon were walking down Fairsteed Avenue. After walking for three minutes they reached the intersection of that avenue and Brayed street. They crossed Brayed street and got to a corner on the street. They were before the doors of Manedy’s Hardware Store. Luster, who was next to Anon, put a hoof on his shoulder. She looked him in the eyes. “My friend, if you prove to be useful for me, you’ll be fairly rewarded”, she said. Anon nodded once. Luster looked forward, at the glass doors of the store. “Let’s go”, she commanded.

Luster and Anon walked forward towards the doors. With her telekinesis, Luster pushed the transparent doors. They both got inside the building and she closed the doors behind them.