Strangely enough, it had taken a while for me to realize that my mind was harboring a fugitive from the beyond. In my dreams I occasionally would hear a voice hinting at some secret or telling me of my importance in the coming fight against the Endless Dark, but never did I believe I was speaking with the deceased spirit of the princess of the moon while I slept. She was there quietly watching me through my own eyes, ready to give me council when I needed it most and there to protect me when I was at the brink of death. Despite the fact that I had never been able to feel Luna's presence, I could tell that something was missing from my mind. There were so many questions I still had for her, so many things we could have accomplished with her otherworldly knowledge, but now I was unsure if those questions would ever be answered. While being entirely possible, I refused to acknowledge that she might be dead.

For the first time in what seemed like months, I didn't wake up with debilitating injuries or covered in blood soaked bandages. Thanks to Luna my body felt better than it had since before this whole debacle began. I felt so light, yet so powerful. If you slapped a horn onto my head right now I bet I could turn this place into a crater and be on my way without a scratch on me. And it was that same power that I had used to murder Braeburn the night before.

Though most would argue that one pony was just a drop in the bucket compared to the millions I'd killed previously, this one was different. I hadn't killed Braeburn while under the influence of the Endless Dark, I wasn't ignorant of the fact that all those ponies were dead because of me, but this time I had been in full control. Not only had it been my body drowning him, but it had been my intention to finish the job. That was the sickening truth I would have to live with for the rest of my life, but for now I owed it to my friends, and most of all to Luna, to make it out of here and make sure that their deaths weren't in vain.

To my surprise, when I opened my eyes I found my rations lying next to me. Full rations, Lucky hadn't even taken his share. I looked around and found him on his blanket close by waiting for me to get up, munching on his own food. Three slices of bread and some orange juice. Lovely.

As I looked at my food I grew curious about why we were fed in the first place. Ugh, I was never so concerned with how things worked until I became friends with the egghead.

"Why do they feed us at all, Lucky? Isn't this supposed to be death row?"

He gave a derisive harrumph. "I would say that living in here slowly freezing to death is worse than simply dying, maybe they just want to make it slow. I don't really know."

Well that was an uplifting thought, but no matter the reason they decided to keep us alive down here, I'd make sure they regretted it.

After I devoured the small bit of food I had been given I stood, and he immediately turned to me. "So I'm your new number two then?" Lucky asked with a slight look of uncertainty in his eyes.

I glanced at him. "'Of course, Lucky. You helped me, as little as it was."

He scoffed. "No appreciation around here. Well, best to go see either Gorge or Scoring. Or even Doc. One of 'em would be best for number three."

I frowned and sat back down. "No. It has to be a pegasus. I need them on my side."

"We're still going down in that damn hole? Wasn't once enough for you?"

"I didn't have a waterproof suit."

"Still... nuts. Well if you're gonna pick one pick the leader, Glider. He's a religious nut though, so try not to listen to his ramblings too much, you'll lose what few brain cells you've still got."

"Yeah, whatever. Can I tell you something Lucky?"

He looked up from his last piece of bread. "What?

I spoke slowly with a lot of uncertainty. I was sure that Lucky could see me nervously glancing side to side as I spoke. "There's this mare... She did something bad, and instead of confronting her about it I got angry and ran off. This other mare told me it wasn't all her fault, that there was something wrong with her. She was afraid of something. But I saw her do some awful things Lucky. I have no idea what I am supposed to do."

He looked concerned. "I can't pretend to know what you're talking about. But I'd say that sometimes ponies fuck up. We all do. If this mare is important to you - friend, lover, I don't care - then you just have to believe in 'em, eh?"

I almost rolled my eyes in frustration. He noticed my mood shift and left me alone for a few minutes. Typical. Wonder how I ever got the element in the first place.

How indeed.

"What?"

Lucky looked over at me from a few hooves away. "I didn't say anything."

My brow furrowed. "I could've sworn... never mind."

He finished off his drink and watched me finish eating. "Say, what's the plan when you get out of here?"

"I need to find a bomb maker who works for the black market. Apparently I can find him in Stalliongrad. I have to find him, get a large bomb, and then find Twilight and Lyra."

He grinned sheepishly. "Well I have no idea where your friends are, but as for the bomb maker..."

"Yes?" I said excitedly.

"You're looking at him. Caught fresh out of Stalliongrad, which is only a mile from wherever the entrance to this place is. I've organized a breakout or two in my day. Then again, I had my explosives to work with."

"Really? I need your help."

"I can hook you up free of charge, just as soon as we get out of here. Alive presumably."

"Hey, no problem. This plan is gonna work for sure. I just gotta go appoint the leader of the pegasi as my number three and talk him into helping us. Then I'll be back for the blankets."

I started to get up but he held a hoof if front of me. "Whoa whoa whoa. The last pegasus I knew who said they were just going over to that maniac to talk ended up dead. If you're not careful you could end up the same."

I leveled with him. "They know more about that hole and the water than anyone else here. I need that information."

He relented. "Ugh... fine. Just know that if you don't talk to me in the next hour, I'm going to go smack some sense back into you."

"Fair enough."

I took a few steps, looking for Glider. It was only a moment before I located him and started trotting in his direction. Maybe he will be sensible. Maybe he will tell me what I need to know, no problem. Maybe I should snap his neck and one of the others will tell me what I need to know.

I stopped in front of him and looked at his neck pointedly.

He glared. His bronze hide and iron mane in immaculate condition. He spoke with a gravelly tone.

"What do you want, usurper?"

I looked up into his black eyes. They were so deep, like a dark void. He stomped a hoof.

"Usurper, speak!"

I finally snapped to my senses. That was strange.

"I want to know everything you know about that hole, and then I will appoint you my number three but I'm gonna need your blanket." I spat out rapidly.

He didn't respond, just looked at me. Eventually he turned and spoke to another pegasus. Then he returned.

"I will tell you, but we require someone to brave the depths of our most sacred hope of escape, for in the darkness we will find the light that will lead us unto Stalliongrad, where we may complete our mission."

"Uh." Well this is gonna get weird. I'd never spoken to a religious nut before, but here one was. "Sure...?"

He turned and beckoned me to stand next to him. The stallion gestured towards some markings in the wall I hadn't seen before. It was an incomplete map.

"I record my findings here. Every soul that ventures into the depths is connected to Scoring's mind. He sees what they see. Then we trace the tunnels under the ice. We believe that the exit is here." He pointed to one incomplete marking. "But we are not positive. All we need is someone to swim the depths and find the exit. Then we will all be able to leave."

I stood there astounded.

“Thats incredible! To think you've been working on an escape plan this whole time! It looks like we may be able to help each other. With my position as number one around here and your map I think we've got a chance. All we need to do is get Doc to make a wetsuit out of the blankets and I could go down there to find that exit. But I uh... heard from others that you guys did something like sacrifices or something? I'm sure that that was just rumors or..."

Luckily he cut off my rambling by looking down sadly and stating, "Those that go down seeking the exit do not return, but without their help, we will never leave."

He seemed genuine with his concern. "Why don't you associate with the others?"

His eyes grew cold. "We did once. They called us traitors for trying to change the system. They thought we were going to leave without them. They scratched the wall and ruined the map. They don't understand. Even now, their animosity towards us builds, and they seek to keep us imprisoned here with them because they have lost hope of escape. You mustn't tell anyone, or we will be forced to take drastic action."

I nodded quickly, lest he think upon it more. "I swear."

What good is your oath?

"Who are you? Get the hell out of my head!"

Gliding looked at me concerned. "Who are you talking to?"

I looked at him. "Heh, nobody. Just myself, you know how it is."

He shook his head.

"Well, I have to go get a suit ready for Lucky and myself. I'll be over around last rations okay?"

He frowned."The green one?"

"Yeah. Why?"

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"Tell him that I am sorry. I made a rash decision by ordering his friend to death. I deeply regret it. But mention nothing else."

I smiled a little. "You guys aren't all that bad. Maybe under better circumstances we could've been friends. Provided you aren't all mass murderers or something. Heh heh..."

He didn't flinch. "See you after last rations." Then he turned and walked away, his bushy tail swinging like a silver spring behind him.

I trotted with my thoughts over to where the Doc was laying down. Lucky caught up to me holding three blankets.

"We good?"

"He gave me the green light."

Lucky smirked. "What info did ya get outta him?"

My brow furrowed. I hesitated and my eyes shifted side to side. My body slouched back slightly.

"Uh, not much. Said its cold and wet in the water. Very nice to give me the blanket. Nothing else at all, nope."

I flashed a huge grin to try and sell the lie, but Lucky was no fool.

"You might be the worst liar in all of Equestria, lass. Come on now. You gotta give me something here."

Time seemed to slow down. I was immediately caught between a promise and a friend. I could almost feel an invisible tether pull at my heart and mind. My brain was screaming out logic but my heart was pouring out loyalty.

You never knew the meaning of the word loyalty to begin with.

Shut up! I can't hear you!

They're right to hate you, all you do is lie to them and stab them in the back.

You're wrong!

I smashed my hoof into the ice, cracking it. Tears, cold tears, ran down my face before freezing on my cheeks. Doc looked startled and Lucky seemed scared.

“Hey I'm sorry. I just..."

I gave him a glare of such unplaced emotion that he shut up. I turned slowly to Doc, gesturing Lucky to put the blankets down.

"Make me a waterproof suit. A mask too if you can."

He nodded very quickly and began pulling a sewing needle and knife out to manipulate the pieces. I turned back to Lucky, whom was looked at me in something bordering on fear.

"Hey..." He began tentatively.

I cut him off. "I'm sorry. I have some issues I'm working with right now, but I'm cool."

"If you say so." He responded. Then muttered as he turned away, "Fucking mares and their weird shit."

Well, he certainly isn't going to be as friendly for a bit. Hell, I'm not very friendly right now. I just stood there and waited a few minutes. When I turned around to check on Doc's progress...

I was back in the chamber in my mind, uncertain of how I had lost consciousness. Baubles full of my memories were floating through the air, but far more frantically than normal. There was black on the horizon, the same darkness that had tried to take me the night before, but it stayed at a distance for now. I couldn't see Luna anywhere despite my frantic looking. I looked at the memories, but they seemed to all scatter randomly, buzzing around the large room. I looked at the closest and...

I flailed helplessly on the surface of the water trying to cough as much of the water out of my lungs as I could. It took me a few moments to regain control before I could take notice of the situation. I looked around and saw that the floor of the Icy Cellar had been shattered, and that there was a gaping hole in the ceiling. I looked for Lucky and saw him frantically trying to get the suit, which was floating next to a bloody corpse I recognized as Doc. Around the room I saw the remaining ponies having difficulty swimming in the bitter cold water. The cellar shook, and some ice fell...

Right into me. The sudden shock of being knocked back into my mind was jarring. The memories were rolling around on the floor after falling on my head. I stood up and looked around for something important, maybe something about what was going on right now, and one of the memories rolled towards me. I ignored it and looked for an explanation but...

The bitter cold shifted me back to reality where giant sheets of ice fell from the ceiling and sides of the chamber. I was next to Lucky and Gliding. I was holding the suit while Lucky looked at me expectantly.

"Well? What are we doing?" He yelled over the cacophony of splashes and rumbling that occurred around us. Another chunk of ice fell and a pegasus went under. The unicorns were no where to be seen, and only one other earth pony was paddling for dear life. Then a sheet of ice fell from the wall next to him and sliced neatly through his back. With a visceral spray of blood, a hindquarters and a chest floated away from each other. The organs trailing into the water as a pool of red formed around his lifeless body. I almost vomited right then and there. Then I remembered Lucky asking me a question. I opened my mouth but then a large chuck of ice fell into the water and the corresponding wave hit me...

Soft tears dripped off a purple mares face. "Because I need you."

I sat down, holding her in my hooves.

"It's going to be okay Twilight. We can do this."

She looked at me with such certainty and said, "It's not going to be okay. Not for me."

Her voice cracked with emotion while -

A voice yelled into the hole of turbulent water we struggled in. I couldn't hear it but Lucky looked like he was about to lose his shit, so I grabbed him - mostly to knock some sense into him but partly to hold something solid that was grounded in reality.

"Give the suit to Gliding and tell him to get out of here! I'm going to the center! I think I know who did this!" I practically screamed. "Follow after me!"

He yelled back something I couldn't hear, presumably an expletive. But I saw him fling the suit out of the corner of my eye as I started for the center of the room, right under the hole in the ceiling. The walls and ceiling had stopped cracking apart too late as the water was now full of sharp ice in both sheets and shards. The waves hadn't yet died down and the ice shifted and bumped around threateningly. I swam just barely in front of a particularly large sheet of ice that tapered down to a razor edge on my side when I heard a yell from behind. I looked and saw Lucky dive below the water to avoid decapitation.

"Lucky!"

Leave him. He is worthless.

Shut the hell up you annoying prick.

I dove under the water. If anything, this made the chill pierce through my adrenalin rush all the faster, but I needed Lucky. I looked quickly through the water, my eyes burning in the seemingly subzero liquid. I saw that flash of green and bit into his scrawny tail as I swam up with all my strength.

I broke the surface with a huge gasp as the large sheets of ice gradually moved closer to the center, surrounding me. I attempted to flare my wings out but ice had frozen some of the primary feathers. Grounded, at least metaphorically, because there certainly wasn't any ground to be found here.

Then a light shone from above, a purple glimmer that enveloped both Lucky and I and pulled us slowly upwards. I looked down at the ice shattering against each other mere moments after our levitation. As we were pulled up out of the hole in what seemed a mixture of solid ice, dirt, and then concrete, I could see bodies strewn around the obvious blast zone that had caused the hole. But there were two mares standing, one with her face scrunched up in concentration, the other smiling to see me. Lucky and I were set down on the edge of the hole while Twilight breathed heavily. Lucky looked unconscious, but he was breathing. Good enough.

I looked at Lyra as the adrenalin left my body and the tiring struggle and strain on my body took effect.

"That might have been the worst prison break ever. Of all time."

I was pretty sure I heard a chuckle from Lyra and some defensive comments from Twilight, but I didn't understand much of what they had said. My vision slowly faded, everything became muffled, and I took a well-deserved, though involuntarily, nap.

Author's Note

Revised as of December 11, 2014.