In a secluded part of Equestria, convicts are working to wash away their crimes. Dragging ship parts together for the royal army while singing a song of salvation, a song that eased no pain. “Ha - Ha -Ha - Ha - Ha - Ha -Ha - Ha,” all stallions sang together while pulling a ship in to its port. “Look down, look down. Don’t look them in the eye. Look down, look down. You’re here until you die!” The guards of these dangerous colts paced the walls and kept a close eye on each pony.
A stallion with a matted navy blue coat pulled and screamed “No Celeste above, and Hell alone below!”
The rest of the convicted ponies replied by singing “Look down, look down. There’s twenty years to go!”
“I’ve done no wrong! Sweet C’lesta, hear my prayer,” Came from an older colt with gashes across his grey hooves and forelegs.
Again the rest of the convicts sang “Look down, look down. Sweet C’lesta doesn’t care.”
A newly imprisoned brown stallion with tears in his eyes pulled while he said “I know she’ll wait, I know that she’ll be true!”
Once more, the convicts replied “Look down, look down. They’ve all forgotten you.”
There were still a few ponies that had spirit; this one had an orange-red coat and untamed fury as he said “When I get free, you won’t see me, Here for dust!”
The ponies sang again “Look down, look down. Don’t look’em in the eye.”
An old stallion collapsed and cried “How long, Celestia. Before you let me die?” He was dragged away by two guards who then beat him for his rest.
The convicted did not look at this act, they knew it too well, and that was why so many had gashed hooves. They only pulled and sang “Look down, look down. You’ll always be a slave. Look down, look down. You’re standing in your grave.”
Just then, one of the masts fell down from the ship the ponies were pulling in, making it impossible for them to pull. Many of the guard ponies could have easily lifted the mast with their magic, but refused to do so. Criminals’ magic and wings were too weak and worn from their overworking to do anything and so they could only pull with their bodies, only one was strong enough to lift it. The leader of the guards motioned to the pony that was, but the criminal lifted his head and protested with his face. The guard stared him down and this was one of the many power plays that would take place between the two.
The colt then jumped into the water and a few moments later, immerged with the mast in his hooves and on his back, lifting farther from the ground. He started to walk with it on his back and dragged the mast to the shore. He was then summoned by the lead guard who was in a uniform of very high standing and called “Now Pony 24601, your time is up. And your parole’s begun. You know what that means?”
He was interrupted by the Stallion who said “Yes. It means I’m free!” He could not believe what he was saying, after all these years, he was free!
The guard was enraged by being interrupted by a pony of such little standing and so shot back “No! It means you get your yellow ticket-of-leave. This mark of shame, you’ll show it everywhere. It warns you’re a dangerous colt.” He levitated a folded off-yellow piece of paper to the stallion’s old saddle bag for the road.
“I stole a loaf of bread! My sister’s colt was close to death, and we were starving,” he tried to redeem himself of this man’s accusations but failed when the guard started again.
In was now the convict’s turn to be cut off and so the guard said “You will starve again, unless you learn the meaning of the law.”
The stallions head flipped up to meet the guard eye for eye, being about 6 inches taller, he rose above the heartless guard and shook his head while he said “I know the meaning of those nineteen years, a slave of the law!”
Again the guard jumped in his reply “Five years for what you did, the rest because you tried to run. Yes, 24601!”
The stallion had had enough and snapped “My name is Bon Valbon!”
The guard gave a short snicker and said just to show he didn’t care “And I’m Twavert! Do not forget my name. Do not forget me… -24601!” He said this right as Bon Valbon had picked up his saddlebag and started to walk toward his freedom, just as a last dig before he left. Twavert then turned back to his post, his clean purple coat and mane matched the uniform he wore proudly. Bon Valbon walked with great speed as his matted, dirty cream coat followed where a tail and mane used to be.
For the final time in his life, the convicted sang their song “Look down, look down. You’ll always be a slave. Look down, look down. You’re standing in your grave!”
Freedom was his.
Valbon walked for miles away from that place and climbed up a short hill to watch the first sunrise of his freedom. It finally came to him there, he was free, free! “Freedom at last -How strange the taste!” His hooves hit dirt with each step as he remembered those guards whom he loathed “Never forget the years - the waste, nor forgive them for what they’ve done. They are the guilty - Every pony!” He again walked a few steps closer to the sunrise as he cried “The day begins and now let’s see, what Equestria will do for me!”
He made his way back down the hill and down into the valley as he tried to start his new life. He came across a pony hearding his sheep across a field in the valley and asked him hopefully “Stallion can I help? A day’s work?”
The stallion saw his head was scared under his hat and so requested “Take your hat off.” He saw the scars that Valbon bore. He then said “Passport.” Valbon handed it to him, the worker read it and upon finishing, said “No work here.”
After 30 days, Valbon was at the guards office, as the pony read his paper, he told him “Valbon, return here in thirty days” and stamped his paper.
That night, Valbon was weary and at each inn he came to asked for a room. Each innkeeper, after seeing his paper, replied “My inn is full.”
Valbon wondered if there was any kindness in the world. Soon, he would find the answer.