CSP: Princess' Vacation: The Intake
For the first time in One Thousand Years, the Royal Canterlot courthouse was bursting with animals of all stripes. Unicorns, Earth Ponies, and Pegasi all jockeyed with Draconian ambassadors, Zebrican diplomats, and Cervine attendants for spots close to the action. Ponies of all ages lined the streets down from the courthouse to glimpse the passing of a particular Royal Carriage that hadn’t been seen in 1000 years.
The carriage moseyed to a stop in front of the courthouse steps, shining intricate fittings glinted off the midday sun which beat down upon the square all were crowded in. The dainty silver bars covering the window bled down into an iridescent indigo paint which covered the rest of the vehicle. A guardspony was quickly dispatched from the roof of the carriage to open the door whilst the rest of the honour guard moved into a loose semi-circle as a second line of defence to the pony inside the carriage. A wing gripped and lowered the silver handle, the click and creak of the door loud in the central square. A dainty midnight blue foot clad in a matching blue flat shoe with silver markings appeared, followed by a star-filled gossamer cobalt gown with a split leg, flowing sleeves and a plunging neckline which hung off the shoulders of the regal pony. A small tiara of silver was nestled in that night sky of a mane like a moon hung in the heavens and a necklace inscribed with a crescent symbol which lay in the valley of her bosom completed the current ensemble. All looked on in fearful awe as they saw for the first time in a long time the Princess of the Moon, She who was trapped a millennia ago, Princess Luna.
A hand of white fur came to help her down the step, gripping her arm and the surrounding citizens got a further look at her. Her imperious gaze met each inquisitive and fearful eye, her star-studded mane flowing behind her slightly in the breeze. A gust lifted her bangs up and revealed the star-metal nullification band used to keep unicorns split from their magic. Their eyes roved down and caught the glint of steel chains wrapped around her folded wings anchoring her to the ground. Cuffs held her wrists in front of her belly and her gown was kept tight at the waist by the metallic belt her wrist chains were padlocked to. Her chains continued from this point running down to her feet where they split towards her ankle shackles, hobbling her step greatly. The shackles clinked as she tried to step as daintily as she could to the cobbled streets from her conveyance.
The guards slid into formation on the Princess as the cavalcade made its halting and stuttered way up the stairs of the courthouse, all the while the crowd watched the Princess take each stair gingerly, testing the full limit of her ankle shackles. Suddenly, a shout, followed by a low whistling noise, cut the silence in the crowd. A large wrinkled off-red tomato sailed in from the left side of the pressing herd, arcing over the heads of those in front to hit the chained princess in the face. At the last moment, a quick swipe of an armoured wing sliced the rotten fruit out of the air, but a small portion of it sailed through and the foul smelling liquid and spoiled brown insides spattered across the left side of her face, hair, and chest. Her beautiful dress was dirtied from the putrid droplets and her hair hung matted against her face with the stench and sticky mess of the innards. Two guards ran into the crowd to apprehend the culprit. Onlookers saw the Moon Princess freeze and slowly attempt to raise her hands to her own face where a dribble of the sour smelling fluid ran down the spirals of her horn and dripped off the horn ring, and then close her welling eyes as her movements were brought up short with a sharp jangle of the cuffs. Her face bowed, the crowd could see her shoulders shake softly as gentle tears dotted the marble steps. The guards took her arms and tightened their radius as the sounds of a subdued scuffle from the assailant being arrested echoed. There was more silence, this time shocked as Luna was hoisted up the rest of the stairs and speedily shuffled inside by the guards, lest more attacks come. The imposing doors of the courthouse slammed solidly, and each citizen outside was left to their thoughts, a quiet susurration of discussion beginning on the events that had just unfolded.
Metal jangled as Luna fell to her knees in the empty foyer of the main hall and wept, the doors afforded her a semi-sense of privacy not given since her initial arrest. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, and she looked up into the face of a slightly apologetic golden armoured guard helmet.
“Please Ms. Celeste, we need to clean you up before the hearing starts and we do not have much time for it at all.” The blue glow of magic surrounded a set of wet wipes whilst another glow attempted to lift as much liquid and detritus off of the outfit and alicorn as could be done in the precious few minutes they had. Luna nodded at the guard gratefully, and tilted her head to one side, revealing the midnight fur on her neck for them to clean up where the slowly drying juice was beginning to stick. The magically held wipes were scrubbed a little more vigorously than necessary in a fervent attempt to not be held up longer than needed by the transparent orange-red goo. Luna stood in front of the large ornate double doors to the courtroom, the carved words above the doors reading ‘Iustitiae nemo fugit’... Justice Escapes None. She closed her cyan eyes and breathed out, opening them after a beat and lifting her head, nodding to the guards to open the doors.
The doors opened and Luna’s head rose almost imperceptibly, she was royalty after all, and every royal worth their salt knew the power of a good impression and a strong face for the public. She stepped forward, jingling in metal as she spoke to the judge, “My apologies, Your Honor for my slight tardiness. There was an… ‘incident’ on the courthouse steps and I need to take a small re-freshening moment. I do hope we were not overlong?” Walking forward down the centre aisle and turning left, the Royal Princess noted the audience in the public gallery watching her intensely and raised her chin a touch higher as if to deflect those stares back with pure willpower. The door into the glass walled dock was opened and she regally stepped inside, settling down into a chair. A wry smile stole its way onto her face as she heard the hissing crackle of the speaker system.
“There is no need to worry, we are still waiting on one another to join us and then we can begin” As if summoned, the door behind the Lunar princess opened. She turned and her jaw dropped, coming through the door, escorted by two more guardsmen and wrapped in steel shackles similar to Luna’s own was her sister, Celestia. The solar princess’ ethereal mane had been cut shorter to reign in the flowing locks and tied in a loose ponytail, with her normal regal golden and white dresses replaced with a shockingly bright orange one-piece jumpsuit. The black-grey lettering down her left leg read ‘CSP’ and a clear box with a number on her left breast were the only identifiers. She was forcibly sat down next to her Royal Sister and they stared at each other in silence for a moment. Cyan eyes in deep shock and fear, pale magenta in a resigned acceptance of the situation to come. Neither spoke, for breaking the silence would break the moment, but Luna’s fingers jerked towards her sister’s as if in an expression of aborted comfort or perhaps anger, the rattling chains notifying her that it would be a futile gesture either way.
“I’m sorry, Sister.” were the whispered words from the lips of her former imprisoner. “I’m so, so sorry.”
The gavel banged down, “This is the… much delayed, sentencing hearing of Luna Celeste, formerly titled Princess of the Night.” The judge was a rather elderly unicorn, with a greyed mane and a trimmed moustache and beard. His aquamarine eyes were alert however, passing over all in his courtroom. Those sharp eyes caught and stared deep into the Former Moon Majesty’s own as she stood abruptly, her chains clattered even as guards followed her in rising to try and push her back into her seat.
“A sentencing hearing? Is the law of the land not followed in this time and place? Are the rights of ponies we so desperately fought for in the Culling War trampled upon like so much hay on the floor of a tavern? I was given no chance to defend myself and now I am to be sentenced?!” The voice of the Lunar Ex-Noble crackled through the speakers in the Court, pitching higher and shriller as she grew slightly hysterical at the perceived denial of her rights. The judge gave a long low sigh, and motioned for calm with his hands, hoping to head her off at the pass. His eyes darted up to the slightly sparkling metallic ring, unsure of how much power it could effectively hold.
“Pris-Ms. Luna Celeste, The law of this land was followed a Millennia ago when we held a Trial In Absentia for you. It was not This Court that threw away your rights but your own sister in an Effort to circumvent This Court’s Just Punishment. It is not within this court’s purview to act upon that. If you wish, you may nod at me once to allow me to add kidnapping to the final total as the Jury of the time notes that whilst they found her guilty of it, it may have been a conspiracy for one of you to evade punishment and later enact vengeance and so left it to the court to ask at earliest convenience. So, am I adding the kidnapping charge to Ms. Celestia Solara’s rap sheet?” He spoke in a gentle, reasonable tone of voice, the kind that had had much practice at putting ponies and other creatures under the Larger Equestrian Banner of Law at ease and allowing them to think logically.
Luna sat back heavily in her chair, staring at the wood grain in the defendant’s box. It was cheap, flimsy, one could easily call it a fake. A thin veneer of respectability which lay under it a tale of falsehoods and lies. Much like, she mused, her and her sister. In the end, they were no different to those who they had put down in the Cullings. The veneer of respectability had worn away leaving the dusty clumped together hodgepodge all that remained. She knew she would go away for a long time. Her last memories of the fight at Canterlot where her sister sealed her in the moon was of a blasted township; crumbling turrets falling on burning buildings and broken ponies all around. She felt another millennial sentence wasn’t far off the books.
Luna stewed in her thoughts, her sister had taken the ability to be immediately set right for it from her. 1000 years worth of a kidnapping charge would be a lengthy stretch, enough perhaps to be equal to her own term? She couldn’t say. Raising her eyes again, meeting the judge’s kind and sympathetic orbs, she nodded once, not turning her head when the soft gasp and choke of a sob came from her right. They had both made their own beds in this matter, and delayed or not, she would not be denied both her right to punish her tormentor and her right to meet the sentencing head on.
The judge cleared his throat and banged his gavel once upon the wooden block, “The sentencing shall go ahead. Ms. Luna Celeste, formerly Princess Luna Celeste of Canterlot, This Court is handing down a sentence of 1000 years inside Canterlot State Penitentiary V-Wing, whilst This Court took your Moon imprisonment into consideration at the time and at this latest revisiting of the charges we found from medical professionals that as you had been rendered comatose for the period of time whilst trapped you have not yet come to terms with paying your due and so the original sentence will stand.” Another bang of the gavel sent shivers through the former Princess. Another 1000 years… At least, she thought with some wryness leaking through her face, this time she would get to watch the seasons pass.
The judge banged a third time and began again, “Ms. Celestia Solara, formerly Princess Celestia Solara of Canterlot, This Court is handing down a sentence of 1000 years alongside an additional 500 years inside Canterlot State Penitentiary V-Wing to you as well. Whilst This Court has taken into account your Good behaviour during the intervening years and your willingness to train the Special Tactics Response Unit in all manner of taking down powered enemies your kidnapping and vigilante imprisonment of your sister must still be taken into account and so your imprisonment for the vigilante fighting and destruction of property shall be 500 years on a reduced sentence and 1000 years for the kidnap and imprisonment of your sister. This court is now adjourned.” A final bang of the gavel and the judge rose, leading everyone to stand also apart from the princesses who turned to stare at each other in an accepting sadness and minor shock.
A guard helped Luna stand whilst her mind slowly filtered the sentence and abrupt ending. She and her sister were led to an old looking carriage, undirtied by age, with many runes inscribed and scratched into its surface for null magic fields and strength and other containment sittings. The pair were placed on opposite facing benches and the door was slammed shut, a brief glow let them know the box was sealed and soundproofed both inside and out.
Luna let herself relax into a slump, breathing out shakily and lifting a hand partway to her face to try and wipe at her tears. When the chain stymied her movements she cried out in defiant rage and helpless anger, jerking at the chain harshly, tugging her body this way and that as her sister grabbed a hold of her other hand, grasping onto it tightly and gently stroking the fingers.
“Sister! Sister please! Luna. Lulu!” Celestia called to her sobbing sibling, letting the emotion run its course as she looked on helplessly in her own binds. Eventually, and with great lungfuls of air, the Lunar Ex-Monarch calmed herself, tear tracks already drying on her face. Her reddened eyes looked up at her older sister and her fingers interlocked harder as she tried to let her emotions speak through the crushing embrace the pair shared through that minimal amount of touch.
“I suppose”, Celestia spoke aloud, “you’re wondering what has happened in the last millennia. Well, diplomatic ties with the other races is at an all-time high, due to the strong bonds we forged post-Culling War were kept up well and flourished under mutual trade and rebuilding efforts… especially once the tally of our battle reached our allies. It’s why the West Wing is now Obsidian and Ironwood. The Draconic and Cervine races gave materials. Zebrican magicks are applied to water features and fountains to ensure clean water is kept running and pony mages are employed to keep the streets as clean and pristine as we have ever seen them. It’s been an unprecedented period of mostly peace, with minor skirmishes.” She breathed out, leaning in a little to get a bit more touch to their hands, “Those six you fought were the 30th incarnation of Intervention. That’s the Council’s Special Tactics squad for if someone like us goes bad or if the Stone spells fail on those we sealed before. They all trained on me at power hence why they were able to take you down so… effectively. A good team, I wish I could have been around to see them more.” Luna saw the Solar Monarch smile gently, “A way to atone before my true atonement, one might say.” Luna looked away, and caught sight of a spire in the distance. Her heart rate soared as she thought of the place that was to be home.
The Canterlot State Penitentiary had started as a project Post-Culling between the sisters to imprison those that hadn’t been petrified or killed outright. As their conversations continued they realised it would take an inordinate amount of power and skill to make their ideas reality and so had approached the craftspeoples of the four allied races. What ended up being created was possibly the most ambitious and dangerous prison on the face of the planet. Four spires twisted in each corner of the site, upwards and downwards for hundreds of feet. The swirling wrapped triple helix of Magical Heartwood, Obsidic Sandstones and Volcanic Glass Ore all set with spells and rituals to nullify magic and syphon it from ponies in a safe manner, all of which fed to the central spire, a gargantuan twisting steeple of charged magic which had been forced down onto a leyline to power the initial warding. Between these five twisting monstrosities, walls of Obsidic Sandstone peppered with Volcanic Glass Dust worked with watchtowers that ponies watched and patrolled, cutting the prison into quarters. Heartwood Doors made from the oldest trees in the Cervine Forests barred path into the entry section of the prison before one is led inside to the cells and sundry. Even without access to magic, one feels the weight of the Divine Rituals laid down here with magics weaved to keep those imprisoned inside. Paralysing wards stopped ponies flying over or out, magical syphoning wards kept unicorns teleporting away, and weakening wards limited all Inmates’ base strength out to a line just below someone who did basic exercise.
The imposing doors came into view and Luna involuntarily gulped, hearing her sister do the same as they beheld the pinnacle of imprisonment on the mortal realm. The doors groaned as they opened and the steel cell on wheels passed through, the heavy slam of the gates echoed behind them as the world of freedom was lost to them for the next millennia. The door at the back of the carriage became visible again and was unsealed. Led by a guard waiting for her outside the cold-iron cage Luna was swiftly separated from her sister, the guard muttering about how she would meet up with her again soon. Luna mused that despite the years apart and the hurt of the separation, it hadn’t taken long for her to get used to the presence at her side and she felt the steady presence of her sister keenly once more. Ushered through glittering speckled gray walls with silvery gray metallic lines striking up through the walls, the only splash of colour being the multitude of stripes leading to other spaces in the prison. Intake, Cell Blocks, Guard Platforms; all were marked. Currently, she was being herded along the green line towards ‘Intake’ and passed through multiple security spaces, scanned with magic and technology by surly guardspony.
Another doorway, opened by the guard holding her upper arm, and another room; this one more expansive. Gray concrete spanned the floor and walls, the green stripe circuiting the room and out past the door she had entered through. Opposite where she came in was a height chart that reached to the full height of the wall, some 6’5” or 200cm by the boards own measurements. She had missed an entire changeover to a different mathematical system, and felt her heart hurt for the past. The right sidehoused a set of lockers that stood flush to the wall about three-quarters of the way up, on two of the lockers was a taped sign she couldn’t read. However, an arrow assumed that up until the second tape was the item or items inside. On the left side was a set of tubs and a chute that led to who knows where. The guards stopped at the desk that was sat to the right of the doorway, a thick mahogany sectioning with papers upon it. Her eyes swept across the documentation, taking in the form. It was a simple form, with her name, her Inmate number as well as a space for a photo not yet taken and her crimes and sentence. Underneath all of this was a set of five spaces, thick boxes. Her hands were guided down clumsily in her chains to a pad of ink and it twigged. Her fingerprints. She was booked with all the efficiency of a job well done often and was led over, midnight blue fingertips still darkly stained with the black ink. Her chains were removed and she was left to stretch from her confines with two more guards that she noticed coming closer. Whilst she could feel the leeching properties of whatever was in those sparkling walls and the cold iron spikes driving a null magic field her strength in this form was nothing to be sneezed at and the officers were taking no chances.
“Inmate 586 will strip and then place her hands against the wall for Wing Dimensioning.” was the whip-crack barked order and she bristled at being treated so basely. Her wings flared and the guards stepped slightly back and raised batons. Her indignance at the tone and fear of losing her wings causing her horn to flare with the indigo light of her magic, right before it sputtered and was taken by the walls of the prison. She stumbled in stunned amazement and a guard was right on her with the baton, the whack on her forearm accompanied by a clearly magical enhanced shock spell. Crying out, her arm was quickly whipped in and cradled with her other against her chest as she fell to her knees fully. Standing over her the guard pointed the baton, still crackling with the energy of the spell and spoke further, “You. Are Inmate 586. Princess no longer. Get it through your head. There will be no kowtowing here, ‘Princess’, save what you get by being respectful and reasonable. Now, collect yourself and undress, then hands against the wall so we can de-wing you.”
The guard withdrew back to let her stand, a sullen look on her face. Cowed slightly by the easy way one of her subjects took her out in this place, the Lunar Ex-Monarch did as was requested and divested herself of the finery of her sentencing. Rings clattered noisily into the buckets, along with her metal raiment and shimmering robe of office revealing her Aphrodite-like form to the surrounding officers. She stretched her hands, feeling the cool wall and scratchy dusts against her palms as she extended her wings for the guards to get under at her wing joints. Willingly giving up her power of flight, much like her sister, as she had seen feather nor quill of her sister’s pinkish-white wings during the entire sentencing. She heard the small clips buzz gently and then a small pinch at her wing joints at the shoulder blades. Behind her, the guards watched as the stretched wingspan of her feathered appendages were slowly dissipated, fading out into the other dimension by the magic in the 'Wing Rings'. Soon, Luna was like any other unicorn, save the two glowing discs at her shoulder blades.
A guard was at her side not long after with a folded orange mass and as she took it the fold was perfectly displayed ‘CSP INMATE’ right up at her. Shaking off the shiver that went unpleasantly up her spine silently, she took the undergarments first and dressed herself, the bright colour standing out starkly against her deep coat. Next was the unfurled jumpsuit, and with a little difficulty from unfamiliarity she was in and buttoning up, finally dressed again. On her breast, 586 stood out. Her name now, was her slightly shamed and sullen note to herself mentally. Once more was she grasped by the officers of the prison at the wrist, and this time subjected to the normal prisoner cuffs. Whilst she was being shackled hand and foot once more, with her hands once again behind her back, a second guardspony came with what might be the prison’s magnum opus of Magical Artefacts. The Divine Null Rings were a matched set of rings created at the end of the ritual process to consecrate and seal this land as an impregnable fortress none can escape from, each ring was attuned via the opposite sister’s magical powers to syphon all but the tiniest amount of magic from the currently imprisoned sister and dump the raw Mana into the wards via the main tower. The Steel-and-silver with inset topaz construction was plain, as designed, but quite unbreakable. As it slid down her horn to nestle in place, Luna felt the magical drain immediately and sagged down into herself lightly knowing now she was trapped fully.
The intake door opened once more and in was led her sister, similarly held in cuffs, though in front of her rather than behind as Luna was currently. A guardspony pulled the pair’s flyaway manes into high ponytails and mugshots were taken, front and back before 3 sets of uniforms were shoved into her sister’s arms, two Black and White stripes and one more Orange. The pair were led by two guards down an orange striped pathway, an obvious colour for the cellblock they were heading for. The steel barred door rattled open and Luna beheld the double tiered cells inset to the walls with all manner of animal milling within and without. Their cuffs were unlocked and her sister offloaded the uniforms to her quite quickly. As the rattling door slammed shut, locking them in this space with those they had placed before, Luna felt herself taking a deep bracing breath. Breathing out she took a confident step forward, head held high. Imprisoned though she was, she would show those who share these halls why the sisters won in the end. She would learn, she would watch and she would keep them in check. Her chin raised further. They would learn to fear her, as they did in the dim past.
Author's Note
Hello there. I figured i'd get this piece that's been languishing a bit off my chest. Pleaase try to stay courteous in the comments, i'd hate to have to report anyone. This story is my own Alternate universe piece and if more is written about it by me when I get the motivation there may be more of the story in my head explained as to how we got here fully.
'Til then, I hope you enjoyed the piece and I am,
Davian.
