Prologue
A white pony was thrown into a stone cell. A harsh clank of the cell doors closing behind her; and the retreating guards hoof-steps echoed through the hallway. Sprawled out on her stomach, the makeup on her sides and face wiped off onto the stone floor.
She picked herself up, trying to stand straight, but her back hit the ceiling even before she fully extend her knees. She stared at the ground, the soft white powder from her makeup diluting into the water pools on the floor, the reflection of her red mane swaying over the new concoction, the bruises and scratches that they covered now seeping through their malicious coverings. She looks towards the side of her stone cell where, scratched into the stone with a rock, read; 'Freedom'.
“Back from the photo shoot I reckon Freedom?” A soft defeated voice said, her southern accent desperately making its way through the pain and misery from the cell beside hers.
“Yes. Another poster photo.” She said, slowly walking to the back corner of her cell; the warmest corner. She laid down, and curl up into a ball.. The cold winter air blew frigidly through the iron barred window.
“It's been eight hundred, seventeen days since we were put in here. It's Minuette's birthday tomorrow,” a high pitched female voice states from another cell outside of her vision. Despite the high pitch, this voice sounded no more excited than the last.
“I saw her in the crowd last week when we went out for the parade; I tried to whisper hi to her but... I was pushed forward before I could do anything...” Said a more mature voice. From her cell, soft purple glows shone diagonal across the corridor.
“You ain't said much Rainbow... what's on y'er mind?” The southern accented pony said, her blond hair sticking through the iron bars; visible from where Freedom was lying.
Freedom picked up her head and looked across to the other cell that was directly across from hers. A name tag set in iron sat above the top of the entrance to the cell. The sign read, 'Loyalty'. A blue pony walked forward to the bars of her cell, resting her head against them and looking towards where the southern accented pony's cell.
“Absolutely nothing Applejack. What can I think about? Not much more than Freedom over there is doing.” She said, looking across from her cell, to Freedom's.
“I'm actually thinking about Bluestreak. I saw him a couple weeks ago at one of the shows, but I haven't seen him in any crowds since.” She claimed.
“Ah'm sure he's alright pumpkin. You might just not have saw him.”
“Thanks Applejack.” Freedom said blankly to the floor, letting her red mane droop towards the floor.
“I... I just still can't believe that Celestia would do this to us. Her, of all ponies. I trusted her!” The more mature pony said, walking towards the bars of her own cell. Her purple body was covered in just as many bruises and cuts as Freedom's, her untidy mane was pointing in all directions; a tiara wrapped around the base of her horn shimmers in what light seeped through into the cells.
“Ah'm pretty sure that this is not the princess's work Twilight. It can't be. I won't believe it.” Applejack said, trying to rationalize.
“Applejack. Does anything around you even give the slight impression that this couldn't be her? We saw her give the order! Does it not seem real enough for you?!” Rainbow Dash said, pointing around her cell in the dull light. “Do you think that the princess would do this to anypony?”
Rainbow Dash stutters with her last sentence, turning her body to the side, exposing the side of her body in the light. Among the cuts and bruises is something even more heart shattering. There, on her side where her wings should be, remains only a prominent and exaggerated scar. Tears appeared in Rainbow Dash's eyes, before flowing down her cheeks faster than her already ruined dignity.
“There is nothing more real than this Applejack.”
