Containment Is Magic

S

Jitterbug's mind froze as the orange unicorn asked her the question. She stared fearfully at him as she scrambled onto her hooves, intent on backpedaling from the room as quickly as possible.

    Her eyes warily set on the two ponies looking interestedly at her, she slowly retreated back the way she came.

    "Rainbow Daaaaaash!"

    She tossed her head behind her, where the voice had echoed from, then squealed in fright and dashed forward, between the other two ponies, and toward the door on the opposite end, wrenching it open.

    "Hey, wait--" called out the orange unicorn.

    Jitterbug was no longer listening, bolting through the door and trying to keep as much distance between herself and the pink mare as possible.

    Behind her, she heard the unicorns she'd left behind running after her. The terrified earth pony screamed, "Stop attacking me!"

    She heard a small chuckle from the stallion behind her. A quick glance showed him with an amused smile on his face, and the taciturn mare trying to hide a look of amusement. They didn't seem like scary ponies to her, and they weren't doing anything creepy--not yet, at least.

    Gradually, Jitterbug felt her lungs begin to burn, and her legs to ache. She slowed her pace, the two unicorns catching up in response, and eventually, she slowed to a canter.

    She paused to catch her breath, and the ponies she'd been trying to outrun stood near her. The unicorn mare said, "What is your class, subject?"

    There was silence for several moments as Jitterbug looked about in confusion. She finally managed to whisper, "I don't know."

    The purple official-looking pony glared menacingly. "Don't know? Then why are you at the LTF?"

    Jitterbug blinked, afraid that she’d offended somepony. “What’s an LTF?”

    The mare seemed taken aback for a moment, then quizzically asked, “Do you know where you are?”

    “... No.”

    The unicorn sighed exasperatedly. “All right... guess we got another one, Follower.”

    The orange unicorn nodded. “Since she’s so hesitant to provide her own name in the introduction... the purple donk--I mean, unicorn’s name is Warden Sue. She’s on O5 command, one of the big bosses around here.”

    Warden Sue shifted her suspicious glare to Follower. “I don’t even know you well enough to give a description, D-class.” She once again set her eyes on Jitterbug, her expression softening slightly. “And what name do you go by, other D-class?”

    Jitterbug looked at herself demurely. “I’m... Jitterbug. My friends used to call me Jitters. What’s a D-class?”

    Warden Sue chuckled lightly to herself. Follower replied, simply stating, “A test subject. That’s all you and I are.”

    The purple unicorn looked pointedly at her counterpart. “Most of you are convicts, suited to little more than being cannon fodder. Her... I can’t imagine why she’d be a D-class here. She looks harmless as a fly.”

    Jitterbug tried her best to put on a brave face. “I don’t wanna be here. If you two are escaping, I’m going too.”

    Warden Sue nodded, seemingly amused. “That’s the plan. You’re welcome to join us, Jitterbug.”

    Jitterbug gave a small smile, adjusting her large glasses on her face. “Thanks. I’ll try my best not to be scared.”

    The trio of desperately surviving ponies trotted along the corridor, the doorway to Fluttershy’s cell and the calls of Pinkie Pie far in the distance. Follower had been conversing with Jitterbug, explaining the purpose of the LTF as he knew it and being corrected on several occasions by Warden Sue, who was in the lead. He floated the handful of documents describing LTF subjects that he’d found to Jitterbug, who read them, shivering involuntarily as she remembered the ponies she’d seen so far.

    She also shared her knowledge of Scootaloo, the pony she’d read the document on, and stuck her head into her saddlepurse to display the information she’d gotten on the filly that they could only ever catch glimpses of. Neither of the unicorns could recall seeing Scootaloo, though Jitterbug remembered her exploration of Scootaloo’s chamber fondly, and was fairly certain she’d seen her.

    The formalities done and all pertinent information shared, the three of them continued in silence. Jitterbug kept catching glances of Follower looking at her from the corner of his eye, so she dropped behind slightly to prevent him from doing so.

    Eventually, Warden stopped and opened a random door to their right, looking inside, then backing away a few steps in surprise. “That’s a big machine.”

    Follower and Jitterbug trotted forward, the orange unicorn boldly entering the room. Jitterbug timidly asked, “What is it?”