How the Tables Turn

Phoenix was taken in by Ashes’ family without hesitation. Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to keep him. They gave him to their neighbors. It was close enough that they could still make sure he was treated right. Ashes’ neighbors were also ponies who could be trusted. They would never hurt a foal, and they never went back on their word.

Even though Phoenix was accepted into Ashes’ neighbors’ family, he spent as much time as he could with Ashes. They made each other happy, and they were close friends from the start. No one knew what it would become. All everyone knew was that Phoenix didn’t believe in cooties, so he wasn’t afraid of hugs. They were heartwarming together, really.

When Phoenix got older, however, even Ashes’ neighbors couldn’t afford to keep him. No one could. Mistress saw to that. So when Phoenix was eight, he was returned to the corridors to fend for himself.

Phoenix was a fast learner. He already knew most of the ponies around the neighborhood, and those he didn’t he became acquainted with quickly. He knew where to go if he needed a meal, he knew where his best friends could be found…

It only took him four years to find the Dark Corridor.

The Dark Corridor is one that no one ever goes down unless they are forced to. There are twenty rooms that branch off, each one housing a torture session. Until he wandered down the Dark Corridor, Phoenix was unaware of what happened if your number was drawn. But now he knew. He knew, and he would never forget the screams that issued from behind the unforgiving metal doors.

Not that it would be the only time he heard them.

Everypony in the Underground had worked to keep Phoenix away from the Dark Corridor. It wasn’t something that he needed to see. They did everything they had to to keep it secret. The only reason he found it was a fluke, really. He had decided to sleep somewhat near it. He was tired, and he had slept in hallways before. It was in the dead of night when he began hearing the screams.

After that, he generally kept away from the Dark Corridor, and the area that surrounded it. He already knew, without having to ask, that when he grew up, he would get a number. Everypony does. He could wait a million years for that day to come. He was scared and helpless.

When Ashes saw him next, she brought him to her house after seeing the look on his face. Ashes would never forget that day.

They walked into Ashes’ house. Phoenix was scared and helpless. Anyone could see it; it was written all over his face. It was written into the tears falling from his muzzle. They walked right past the living room and into Ashes’ bedroom, and Ashes shut the door.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I found this h-hallway. It d-didn’t look like the r-rest of the U-Underground-“

“Calm down, Phoenix.” Ashes’ voice was laced with sugar as she spoke. “You’re safe here. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

Phoenix sniffled as her words sunk in. He was safe. He felt even safer a moment later, when he was locked in Ashes’ embrace.

“Okay. I believe you.”

“Was it the Dark Corridor?” Ashes knew what was wrong as soon as Phoenix had talked about a hallway.

Phoenix slowly nodded, digging his muzzle into Ashes’ shoulder. He knew that his tears were staining her coat, but he didn’t care at the moment. He needed her comfort, and she didn’t seem to mind anyway.

Eventually Pheonix pulled away, stopping still within her arms, and looked at her face, stared into her eyes as he spoke.

“Why?”

“Mistress is a terrible pony. She doesn’t care about us. She keeps us in line with the rooms in the Dark Corridor. It’s not like we have to do anything to deserve it, though. Every adult gets a number, and twenty are pulled randomly every week. When your number is pulled…”

Phoenix nodded and shifted his gaze to his hooves. So every week twenty innocent ponies have to go through whatever happened behind those doors…

No wonder all the adults have scars.

Ashes pulled Phoenix into another embrace, hugging him tightly, bringing his mind back into the room and keeping it from wandering. Nothing mattered as long as he was here with her. Nothing could hurt him when he was locked in Ashes’ embrace.

“How old do you have to be?”

Ashes hadn’t been expecting the question. She answered it on instinct, without even thinking about what results it could bring.

“Twelve.”

Ashes’ eyes flew open. Her eyes were pinpricks as she realized what she had done.

“TWELVE??? YOU MEAN TO TELL ME WE ONLY HAVE TWO MONTHS???”

“Phoenix-“

“W-when was anyone p-planning on t-telling me???” He resumed his frantic hyperventilating and sobs as his fears enveloped him in full force. His wild imagination sent him down the Dark Corridor and through a door as he wondered what instruments of pain could possibly be kept in these rooms that could make somepony scream as he had heard before.

“Phoenix, calm down. Please? You’re safe here. No one in this house is going to hurt you.” She spoke softly but firmly, in a voice that she knew was guaranteed to bring him to the present, as she was sure that Phoenix was imagining terrible things.

Phoenix's gaze found his hooves again as he regretted his outburst. “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout. It’s just… We really only have two months?” His eyes returned to hers. Tears welled in his as he spoke. They prepared to spill over upon confirmation of his new-found fear.

“It’s hard to say. It’s a lottery. No one really knows when their next time will be. But yes, in two months, we will both have numbers. I’m sorry you had to find out this way. We wanted you to be as carefree as possible for as long as possible.”

“It’s not your fault. You were trying to help. And it worked, really. I didn’t know until I really had to.”

Phoenix found himself in Ashes’ arms once more as she hugged him tight. Phoenix knew she wouldn’t let go until he was ready to face the world head-on. And face it they would, together. He knew what they had was love, and so did she. They didn’t need to trade any words to make it official, they just were.

They were in love. They had been for years. Ever since the day they had met, they had been destined for each other. Nothing was ever going to change that.

Phoenix spent the night with Ashes that night, as well as the next couple of nights. They felt their worries fade away, replaced by the love that they felt for one another. They knew they were ready to face the guards, no matter what awful sights were behind those doors. As long as they had each other at the end of the day, all was well.

Even to this day, that statement held true. Phoenix was returning from a session, a rather brutal one, too, but he just didn’t care, because he had Ashes. He had those beautiful golden eyes he found himself so easily lost in. After all the stories he had heard from Ashes about a beautiful golden sun that gave light to the Surface, when he imagined Celestia’s sun, he saw her eyes, glowing bright for anyone caring to see them. They were a beacon of hope, and they would never escape his memory. Not by life or by death. Her eyes belonged to him, and his heart to her.

He looked into her face, remembering their conversation as she began speaking.

“You’d know what I’ve told you. They’re fun little get-togethers where everypony does nothing but have a good time.”

“You know, when we get out of this Celestia-forsaken place, and we will someday, I swear it, we’re gonna have to have a party, just so everyone who escapes with us gets to truly understand what fun is.”

Ashes giggled again. “Who says I wasn’t planning on it anyway?”

Phoenix gave a soft smile. The prospect of having all his friends together, talking and laughing and having a great time, made him wriggle in anticipation of escape. His giddiness was increased tenfold when he realized he would no longer have to keep his marefriend a secret.

But he masked his antsiness, because he knew escape wasn’t as simple as walking out the door when nopony was looking. The only way out was through Mistress’s office. Escape would take careful planning, and perhaps another pony who shared Phoenix’s hopes and dreams, but that was hopeless. Phoenix and Ashes were the only two.

‘It would just take time.’ Phoenix gave a tired sigh.

In the meantime, Phoenix was drained after a day in the Dark Corridor, so he decided it was time for bed. And when it was time for bed for him, it was time for bed for both of them, in case he woke up screaming from what had gone on today. It was a rare occasion, but then again, the guards were rarely this brutal.

“You ready for bed?”

Ashes raised an eyebrow at the possible suggestion, lowering it quickly when she reminded herself of Phoenix’s condition.

“Yes. Let’s go. I’ll run a hot bath so we can clean your wounds. Get the gauze from the medicine cabinet in the bedroom, from the looks of it, we’ll need plenty.”

Phoenix smiled. Between the two of them, Ashes was the medical expert. She had stopped many of his wounds from getting infected, even when they squirted lemon juice in them. His eyes began to water just thinking of how much that stung.

But he knew he would be fine as long as Ashes took care of him.