I woke up again. Though my body still ached, the pain had faded a good amount. I managed to stand up, then walked over the the bone bars. Weird... But I've seen weirder. I noticed that there was no door or any way to get out. Oh well, time to see if bones can melt. I char- Shit! My magic's cut off! I sighed. I'm gonna have to get out without it.

After stepping away from the bars, I took a closer look at the cell itself. The walls were made from a rough rough coloured a deep red. It was warm to the touch. Huh. Almost looks like this cell is built into the wall of a cave... The floor, though still a rough surface, was much smoother. Out of curiosity, I knocked my hoof against the wall. Hmm... Slightly soft. If I'm desperate enough, I might be able to dig my way out. I licked the wall before spitting. Yep, that's a wall.

I noticed a bed in a corner of the cell. I got a little closer and saw that, just like the bars, it was made from bone. It had a shittily made mattress, a straw pillow and a towel to act as a blanket. Oh well, there's plenty of heat from the walls anyway. In the other corner of the room was a bucket. I could guess what it was for.

Still by the bed, I dropped onto my knees and had a look underneath. Ah ha! I reached under and pulled out a briefcase. Damn, locked. Ooh, what if...? I pulled the bed apart with little effort and grabbed a bone with a thin end. I stuck the thin end into a small gap in the case and used it as a lever to force it open. Yes! The cheap lock on the case broke, letting it spring open.

The only thing inside the case was a trowel. What is this, one of those shitty room escape games? I sighed. Well, whatever. If it gets me out of here. I took the trowel to the bone bars and, with a bit of effort, started digging around the base of one.

Eventually, I dug deep enough to find the end of the bar. Okay, halfway there. But how do I get to the top? I thought about it for a few seconds. Right, the bucket. I grabbed the bucket, flipped it over, stood on top of it and began digging at the red rock around the top of the bone bar. I jumped off of the bucket, grabbed the bone bar with both hooves and pulled it away entirely, creating a gap big enough for me to squeeze through. ...And that's that. Now I should try to-

My train of thought was cut off by the sound of applause. I looked in the direction the sound was coming from to see a hairless Diamond Dog with red skin wearing a black dressing gown.

"Ms. Overcast Vesper," he said in the most nasally voice I've ever heard, "you have... Passed my... Expec... Tations..." He stopped clapping and stood frozen, staring at me with a stupid grin plastered on his face. A minute or so passed.

"Uh, are ya gonna...?" I started to ask.

"It is..." He suddenly continued, "my great... Ho... N... O... R to w... Elco... Me... You t... O... Ta... Rtaru... S..." There was an awkward silence.

"Is tha' some kinda speech impedimen', or...?"

"I have... An il... Lnes... S c... All... Ed... The co... Mmon fu... Ckin... G cold, w... Hy els... E Woul... D my... Voice b... E this... Nas... Ally...?"

"Uh..."

"I'm s... Ure you'r... E wond... Ering why we b... Rought you her... E." I didn't answer. "W... E ar... E th-"

"Barry, for Celestia's sake, I told you I'm gonna explain it to her," interrupted a very different, very clear male voice. Another bald, red Diamond Dog rounded the corner of the hallway. This one was considerably more handsome and was wearing a proper cloak rather than a dressing gown.

"B... Ut I wa... Nted to-"

"No, nobody can even understand you, piss off." 'Barry' left, looking disappointed. The new Dog smiled at me. "Greetings, Ms. Overcast Vesper. My name is Prick, and I-."

"Your name is 'Prick'?" I asked. He sighed.

"My real name is a Brussian word that includes 'prik' as a part of it. I took the name 'Prick' in placement of my real name when I learned Equestrian so people wouldn't butcher it with pronunciation."

"Oh, okay. So your real name isn't stupid and childish?" There was a short silence.

"...If I said 'no' would you check anyway?"

"Probably." He groaned.

"Nevermind..." He sighed. "As I was saying," he straitened his posture and went back to talking formally, "I would like you to join our cause." He wants me to... Join them?

"...Which is why she's been after your DNA for a while," Watcher continued to explain, "but now she doesn't care how she takes it!" There was a long silence. ...That explains the time she asked me straight out. It's a good thing Vesper stopped me from giving her any... I closed my eyes and sighed. Damn you, Celestia... Well, I was right for calling her the Princonspiricess. Is now really the time?

"Cloud?" Asked Twilight. I sighed once more before opening my eyes again.

"This changes things," I said, keeping my voice calm, "if Giraffe-Bitch finds out about my plan, she'll probably take me as soon as possible in case I get killed during it. Luna, do what I asked except getting the normal guards, you should be able to do the rest of it secretly but there's too much risk of the guards informing her. The stupidly named guards should still be alright, but more backup would be nice. Any ideas for that?"

"Actually," Luna replied, "after hearing of my sister's experiment, I do have one idea..." Luna told us her idea. Holy shit...

"That idea," I breathed, barely believing my ears, "is so awful! Why the buck would you even suggest that?! Do you know how unethical that is?!"

"Face it, Cloud!" Shouted Psycho-Dick. "You need back up and this is exactly what you need!"

"Don't do it, Cloud!" Pinkie shouted suddenly. "It-!" Luna cast a muting spell on her.

"It is your only option!"

"No!" I shouted back. "I may as well give myself to Celestia if I do that! It's just as unethical!"

"It is not! It would only be one!"

"I don't care! I refuse to do that!" Luna clicked her tongue before sighing.

"Fine, what if..." She expanded on the idea. I sighed.

"I don't know... It just seems so cruel..."

"What else can you do?" There was a long silence as I thought about what it would mean for my future. I eventually came to a decision.

"Okay... I'll do it..."

"No!" Exclaimed Twilight. "Doing that would just be... Evil!" I took a deep breath, already preparing myself for the depraved thing I was going to do.

"If it saves Vesper," I said, slightly more determined, "then I don't care." Am I really going through with this? Doesn't this go against what I stand for? If sacrifices have to be made, then... So be it. At least this way, it's less cruel. "Okay, Luna, let's get this over with." Luna nodded.

"Very well," she replied. She teleported the two of us to where we needed to be.

Author's Notes:

What is the experiment?
What is Luna's idea based on the experiment?
Why was there a Dog in a dressing gown?
Find out at some point in The Quest For The Past!

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I'm probably gonna have to change how I show a perspective change soon since only Ponies have c-marks. When I do, I might go back and change the old version to the new way since the images seem to keep breaking in old chapters. I fix them when I find them, but the new way couldn't break like that anyway. I might keep the old way just as a memento, let me know if you feel strongly about me keeping the old chapters the old way if you feel strongly about it for whatever reason.