“Ma! Pa! Look at what Ah can do!” says Applejack, her ecstatic voice echoing over the army of healthy apple trees.

Applejack is only eight years old and has barely received her cutie mark, so she is still small and bubbly. Some might even think she has too much energy and not enough attention since she is always running around and doing something other than working on the farm like she is supposed to. A good example will be today, where she has drawn a good sized circle in the dirt using a stick, and inside the circle is a triangle that has smaller circles meeting at its points, and another one underneath its base. Every extra circle has an archaic symbol in it, and next to the rune is an open book with yellow, crinkly pages covered in faded ink that displays diagrams and gives specific instructions of how to practice the craft portrayed.

Her parents, an orange stallion with a rough, blonde mane, and a mare with a red coat and a honey colored mane, approach, talking and giggling quietly with each other. However, when they see the interesting symbol on the ground, the stop their conversation and stare at it with wide eyes and locked jaws.

“Um, Jackie, what did you make here?” asks the stallion, Orin Apple, as he extends his hoof to poke at the line.

“No, Pa! Don't touch it, you'll ruin!” cries Applejack as she zips around the circle's edge, leaving a cloud of kicked up soil in her wake. When she is by her father, she pushes his hoof away and the stallion steps back, exaggerating his apologetic smile. “It took a long time to make this thur-ma-turkey circle really good.”

“A... what?” says the mare, Honeycrisp Apple, with an arched brow.

She looks to her husband, but rather than getting an answer, she gets a shrug, which makes her ears droop in sync with her half lidded eyes and frown. The parents look back at Applejack when she speaks with a sigh.

“A thur-ma-turkey circle,” says Applejack impatiently. “It helps me make stuff out of dirt.”

“Like a fancy way of making a sandcastle?” asks Orin.

Applejack shakes her head. “Nu-huh, somethin' way better than a sand castle! See, watch!”

The parents look at each other and then back at Applejack, and when the filly is certain that she has their attention, she trots to the other side of the circle. Once in position, she takes a deep breath, sits on the ground, claps her front hooves together as hard as she can and then slams inside the circle's edge.

After the filly's hooves impact the ground, bright blue bolts surge through her hooves and zip towards the ground. When the energy touches the ground, the edges of the circle light up the same color with more bolts shooting up a good five feet before the group. Her parents raise their hooves to shield their eyes from a blinding flash of light, but Applejack watches with a proud grin and not using as much as a blink to waste the precious seconds of the spectacle. When the light clears, her parents lower their hooves and their jaws drop from the sight of a prancing pony jutting from the ground. It is standing in the center of a small crater that marks the amount of dirt used to accomplish this feat, and Applejack laughs proudly of her accomplishment as she bounces up and down. She is also laughing because the shocked expressions of her parents is priceless.

“Isn't that neat!? Huh! Huh! Tell me how cool that was!” says Applejack eagerly.

Orin closes his mouth and blinks with a blank stare. “Yeah... That's somethin', alright.”

“Applejack, that was amazing!” says Honeycrisp. Her shocked expression switches to curiosity as she extends her hoof to poke at the book Applejack used for her feat. “Where'd ya get that book, though? That ain't somethin' I've seen around the house?”

Applejack giggles. “Uncle Orange gave it to me before Ah left Manehatten. He said Ah might like it, and Ah do like it. Ah like it a lot! It lets me do cool things!”

Honeycrisp smiles and pats Applejack's head, making the filly giggle once more.

“It sure does,” she says. “What else can you do with it?”

Applejack thinks for a moment. “Well...”

She is interrupted, though, when the door to their farm house bangs against the wall from being pushed open so hard. This makes Applejack jump and turn with her parents, and the little filly backpedals with wide, terrified eyes as Granny Smith storms towards the three.

“Jackie Susan Apple, what did you do!?” screeches Granny Smith with hellish rage in her eyes and voice.

Applejack's ears drooped as a whine escapes her throat, and she averts her eyes to the ground when the old, green mare stands in front of the group, still fuming. Her anger only gets worse when she sees the sculpture Applejack made.

“Did you make that!?” says Granny Smith viciously. Applejack nods and she stomps her hoof, making the little filly backup again. “Dang nabbit, Applejack! What're ya doin' messin' around with dark magic for!?”

“It's not dark magic!” snaps Honeycrisp as she puts her hoof over the filly's shoulder protectively and pulls her in for a hug. “Applejack has just done something amazing and you're acting like she's gone and done something horrible!”

Granny Smith's eyes narrow. “She ain't a unicorn, Honey. She shouldn't have these kinds of abilities. It ain't natural, and heaven forbid if somepony finds out about little Applejack's curse. We'd have the whole town goin' against us and the farm quicker than an apple falling from a tree!”

Granny Smith spots the open book lying on the ground, and Applejack can see clearly what her grandma intends to do.

Applejack extends her hoof as tears of desperation fill her eyes. “Granny, no!”

Granny Smith ignores Applejack and crushes the book under her hoof, making its fragile cover and spine snap. Little Applejack cringes and retreats behind her mother with tears rolling down her cheeks and watches as her grandma lifts up the flimsy book with her mouth. Applejack is too afraid to move or show defiance, and her parents remain silent as well, with Honeycrisp staring hatefully at the old mare and Orin lowering his head in submission.

“I'm gonna destroy this thing before ya do somethin' stupid with it,” grumbles Granny Smith.

Granny Smith trots away and Applejack lowers her eyes while Honeycrisp moves to embrace her. The red mare scoops up Applejack and sits on the dirt, hugging her tightly an nuzzling her lovingly as she rubs the filly's mane.

“It's okay, Applejack,” says Honeycrisp softly over Applejack's sniffles. “You have a gift. Don't ever be afraid to use it.”

“Apple, are you paying attention?” sneers an old, shaky voice.

Applejack glances up at a gray unicorn judge sitting behind his raised bench; she is now in her thirties, has a faint scar above her left eye and is wearing an orange jumpsuit with no stetson. The unicorn, however, is much older as seen by his sagging faded, yellow skin and the thin, gray strands of mane that twist in the air like tiny vines on invisible poles. His blue eyes stare down at Applejack with unrelenting harshness and she meets his look in kind. When the judge, known simply as Judge Docket, raises a brow, Applejack shifts in her spot to alleviate the discomfort of the gem studded, heavy chains holding her hooves to the ground.

“I am now,” says Applejack, intentionally leaving out “Your Honor”.

Judge Docket's jaw sets as he waits without patience for her to add the formalities, but after the five second mark passes, he gets the hint and continues.

“Do you have a defense for Agent McGee's accusation of promoting violent disharmony in Ponyville and conspiring with the Lunar Society to overthrow the Royal Government?” says the judge, his voice bouncing off the empty walls of the room.

Applejack looks to her side at the earth pony stallion that led the arresting agents on her farm. His name is Agent Hush-Hush McGee, also in his thirties and has had an insufferable grin fueled by pride every time she has seen him. He has a light brown coat and a curly black mane and tail with a magnifying glass over a notebook for a cutie mark.

Applejack looks back at the judge, groaning impatiently. “For the hundredth time, I was leadin' a peaceful protest ta keep Canterlot suits from takin' our farms! There was nothin' violent 'bout it!”

“So, blocking roads and threatening to set fire to the EIB and CDA hub construction sites is not violent?” comments Hush-Hush with that same smile that Applejack despises with every bone in her body, and she lets him know her hate when she shoots a glare at him.

“Maybe iffin' ya gone and done yer homework like yer s'possed ta do then ya would know that I did not want anypony settin' fire ta anything. Road blocking, I admit ta that, but the pyromaniac stuff ain't my doin'. And road blocking ain't violent.”

“But it is still illegal,” says Judge Docket sternly. “And what is your defense regarding the Lunar Society?”

“That's just a fairy tale y'all made up,” accuses Applejack, snapping her narrowed eyes to Judge Docket's condemning gaze.

Judge Docket sniffs. “I doubt it. The evidence is overwhelming in the prosecution's favor.”

Applejack snorts and turns her glare to one of the many armed guards in the bare courtroom. All of them are unicorn stallions wearing a simple armored vest and are equipped with slender battle saddles. They remain silent and at full alert, watching her movements and the heavy, wood and metal double doors on the other end of the room carefully.

Applejack brings her focus back to the judge. “Ya do realize that what we talked about was the legality of nationalization of the farms and the Special Talent Act, right?”

“Wow, those are are some big words for you, Applejack. Have you been reading?” teases Hush-Hush.

Applejack snaps her head to the stallion, snorting hot air and grinding her teeth. “Ya wanna run that by me again, smart ass?”

Judge Docket slams his hoof against his desk multiple times, creating the loud wooden knock to gain everyone's attention. Applejack still glances at Hush-Hush out of the corner of her eye, though, even though she is facing the judge, and she puts all of her attention back on the old unicorn when he speaks.

“Be mature, both of you. Now, Apple, do you or do you not have a proper defense against the claims presented by Agent McGee?” says Judge Docket, his voice loud and impatient.

“Why don'tcha present tha evidence and let me rip 'em apart like the flimsy things they are?” retorts Applejack. “Unless we are still going with the whole rigged trial where ya don't listen to a single word I say. Which, if that is the case ya might as well just send me back ta prison.”

“I'm actually glad you brought that up,” says Hush-Hush excitedly as he hops out of his cushion and trots towards the judge's bench. “Your Honor, let's be honest, here, Applejack is doomed and this whole secret trial is a waste of our time, so lets just cut to it as to why she can't go to a regular prison.”

Applejack's heart skips a beat and a lump forms in her throat with those words. Being in a prison was bad enough, sitting in a cell for twenty two hours a day, worrying constantly about Big Mac and Apple Bloom and all of her friends while Celestia's betrayal ate away at her soul. Them refusing to allow so much as a letter really did a number on her, too, and now they want to send her someplace special and without a doubt more secured?

She can feel the suffocating bulge growing in her throat and despite her blinks, her eyes still glaze over as the growing panic shakes her body and leaves her nauseous. Applejack lowers her head so no one can see her swallow or the tears forming in her eyes, and after taking a breath and blinking madly to get the mist out, she looks back up. Judge Docket is staring at Hush-Hush, displaying his intrigue by stroking his chin and the CDA Agent is remaining quiet, but still smiling.

“What do you mean she cannot go to a regular prison?” says the old judge.

Hush-Hush begins with a singsong-y tone. “Oh, it is just a little something we found under her hooves when we were doing a physical on her at Unicorn Ridge Penitentiary. But, in order for this situation to be better explained, I'd like to call a witness to the stand. He is a specialist from Canterlot and has been very helpful in our findings on Applejack.”

“Can I get a witness, too, since we're calling folks up?” asks Applejack, trying to hide her uneasiness with a poorly made snide tone.

Judge Docket ignores her. “And who might this witness be, Agent McGee?”

Hush-Hush smiles broadly. “Professor Nebulous Dust. The Lead Professor of the Arcane Arts at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and President of the Starswirl Society.”

“I'll allow. Bring him in.”

“With my witnesses, too! Time Turner Whooves and Macintosh Apple!” hollers Applejack to the guards as they open the chamber's heavy doors, but, again, she is ignored.

A miserable groan bounces off of the courtroom walls as the heavyset doors are pulled apart with magic to reveal a stallion unicorn in his late fifties wearing a sharp suit, a dark purple tie and big glasses. His coat is powder purple, his ponytail tied mane has grayed, but not to the point where all of his black hair has gone, and he has a moon shrouded in a cloud as a cutie mark.

Applejack watches him curiously as he nearly skips his way to the front of the courtroom. When he is by Applejack she spots a gold chain around his neck that disappears under his white dress shirt and faint scarring all over his body. She also feels invisible tendrils come out from him that poke and prod at her body, with some even digging under her skin and freezing her blood. Applejack gasps quietly and shudders as the tendrils are tugged out of her from his passing and she stares at him with growing eyes and jaw locked tight. When the unicorn bows in front of the judge, Applejack swallows and looks down at her hooves, realizing how much she is shaking again and how her lungs feel like they are flooded with water.

“Good afternoon, Judge Docket,” chirps Nebulous.

Judge Docket looks at Hush-Hush, unimpressed. “This is your witness?”

“Yes, Your Honor, he is,” answers Hush-Hush, unfazed by the unkind expression directed towards him.

“Ya forgot my witnesses,” comments Applejack, swallowing for air instantly after while trying to raise her shaky hoof without much luck thanks to the chains. The swallowing breaks about the flooding sensation in her lungs and she sighs softly with relief as her shoulders sag.

Meanwhile, Judge Docket's face scrunches and he slams his hoof against his bench to create a BANG, and he snaps his hoof at Applejack. “Be silent!” He then looks at Nebulous. “Are you seriously Nebulous Dust? President of the Starswirl Society and Lead Professor of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?”

Nebulous nods with a grin and straightens himself out. “Yes, that would be me, Your Honor. I know I don't look like the 'leader type', but if you'd like I could show you all of my credentials. I do have copies after all.”

To make his point, Nebulous lights up his horn and pulls out a thick envelope from his blazer's inside pocket and lifts them up for the judge to see. The much older unicorn uses his magic to take the said envelope, and after reading its contents, he sighs exasperatedly with a shake of his head and returns everything to the witness.

“Professor Dust,” begins Judge Docket loudly, barely getting a glance from the subject as he puts his envelope away, “you have been called here as a witness in Applejack Apple versus the Solar Empire of Equestria, with the defense being accused of promoting disharmony and conspiracy to overthrow the royal government.”

“Yes, that sounds right,” says Nebulous as he eases himself into the witness stand.

After sitting, he releases a breath and uses his magic to straighten out his suit while looking at Applejack, smile having yet to fade. Applejack shifts in her spot, not liking the vibe he gave off from earlier, and not liking how he is looking at her right now. What she sees is someone who has way too much interest in her for it to be a casual observation or a flirty move. The combined menace in his emerald eyes and his toothless smile looks like that of a predator who is watching its defenseless pray attempting to escape a trap that it feel into. The longer the two remain staring, the more Applejack gets the feeling that he is trying to pick his way into her skull and violate her brain. To avoid looking at the predator, Applejack lowers her eyes and tries lifting her hooves yet again. The chains clank and she drops her hoof in submission.

“Now, I assume I have been called here for reasons about archaic magic,” says the powder purple unicorn casually, refusing to break eye contact from the Element of Honesty.

“You are correct,” says Hush-Hush.

The Agent whistles and waves his hoof, and another door on the side opens up to allow a pair of mares in. One is pulling a projector on a rolling table while the other is levitating a folder. Applejack and the judge watch with interest while Nebulous raises a rag to clean his glasses without taking them off of his face. Once the projector is in place and plugged in, Hush-Hush gets permission to dim the lights and flicks on the projector to bathe the wall in tan light. He then slides a gray-scale photo in place and Applejack shrinks slightly, eyes shifting side to side with drooped ears, while Judge Docket cocks a brow and some of the guards shift to get a better look.

On the wall, displayed for all to see, is a shot of the bowls of Applejack's fore-hooves, and on them are strange markings. Under the bottom of each hoof is a symbol consisting of a six point star inside a large circle surrounded by four triangles, with a smaller circle in the center of the star.

“Ah, yes, I remember seeing this photo,” says Nebulous lightly.

“And what do those symbols mean, Professor?” asks Hush-Hush like a failing thespian student.

“Those markings are similar to what Thaumaturgists used to bend matter to their will in the space of their circle. It was not uncommon of them to paint such symbols on their hooves or armor for easier use. Judging from these markings, I'd say this one falls under the standard terra-manipulation school.”

“But those are skin discolorations. Not paint or scars. How could a skin discoloration form something like that?”

Nebulous smirks smugly. “You asked the right pony. It is only through magical influence that something as special as what we have with Applejack can happen, and the bloodwork you sent to me of her to examine shows an unusual amount of mana in her bloodstream.”

The judge shifts in his spot with piqued interest, and Applejack's throat clogs and her heart's thumping intensifies tenfold in her ears. By instinct she tries backing away, but the chains stop her and clank loudly to alert the guards, who are quick to take a step closer to the disgraced Element. Applejack winces and looks back at the witness, swallowing a sickly feeling in her throat while Hush-Hush speaks.

“Unusual how, Professor?” says the Agent, head tilted slightly with an obnoxious amount of enthusiasm in his question.

Nebulous sighs casually. “It has been theorized by the late Dr. Strongwind that every creature -griffin, pony, ibex, caribou, et cetera- has a natural flow of mana in them. However, unicorns have a naturally high level of mana, thus enabling them to have a direct connection to the energy around them and giving them the ability to perform magical feats. Then we move on to pegasi and griffins, which are restricted to weather, and lastly earth ponies, ibexes and caribou, who have just enough influence of the earth under their hooves for remarkable farming. That being said, Applejack's bloodwork shows a level of mana that easily makes up two full grown unicorns, which is impossible for an earth pony. This brings me to my second point. Normally when the body is faced with too much mana -no matter the race- there would be noticeable side effects. The most common is balding around the hooves or horn, but rapid aging has been reported as well as severe mental degradation, but nothing of the sort has been reported in any of the three categories in regards to Applejack.”

“So, in your diagnosis, what is Applejack?”

Nebulous looks at Applejack, his smile fading to a grim expression that sends a shiver up Applejack's spine and limbs with the unseen tendrils returning to examine her body. They barely touch her orange fur as they rub along her limbs and neck. Applejack swallows nervously when the invisible tendrils snake along her ribs and stop on top of her stomach, and when they squeeze and dig into her midsection she flinches quickly, causing the chains to clank and the guards to stare at her. The intrusion does not hurt, but it is still a strange feeling that Applejack does not take kindly to, and despite her uneasiness, she still gives Nebulous an angry stare. She knows without a doubt that he is the one violating her in the strangest way imaginable and even with her furrowed brows and clenched jaws, the professor remains unaffected.

“What is your diagnosis, Professor?” repeats Hush-Hush.

“Simple. She is a Thaumaturgist,” answers Nebulous, his tone as dark as his expression. “And the markings under her hooves show that she has been into the Void, making her all the more dangerous to herself and everypony around her.”

The air immediately goes heavy and the lights are turned on by Judge Docket's orders, and with the room lit once again, Applejack sees everypony looking down at her. She swallows nervously as an unpleasant pain grows in her insides and terrified tears glaze her eyes while her heart picks up speed. Her lungs feel stuffed, too, and for that, she opens her mouth to swallow air. As this happens, her mind races in remembrance of the bright flash of light and the pain of having her muscles ripped from her very bones and burned to ash in front of her. She remembers reappearing in the Void and how she returned home physically and mentally broken. She vowed to never return or use such a craft again and tried to keep it buried, but now it seems as if her sins are coming back, unforgiven and forever there to haunt her.

“I-I haven't done Thaumaturgy since I was a filly,” stammers Applejack hoarsely, hoping with minuscule faith that they will accept her words and forgive her of her trespassing many years back.

The unpleasant memory continues to claw its way to the front of Applejack's thoughts and Hush-Hush approaches her side, smirking with pride fueled by his latest victory in the war to preserve Harmony. The earth pony stallion is so close to Applejack that she can feel his breath brushing the hairs in her ears and tickle her nose with his minty mouthwash.

“Not since a filly, eh? But why? You could have done more than just simple protests. With all that power you could have easily overwhelmed us and do severe damage,” says Hush-Huh as he now paces around Applejack, looking over her body as if his answer is hidden somewhere on her coat. When he is standing directly in front of her, he tilts his head slightly and asks: “So why didn't you use your power?”

Applejack inhales and slowly exhales through her nose, keeping her eyes locked on the agent as her jaw sets with a returning frown, answering seconds later with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Because I know how dangerous Thaumaturgy is and I swore on mah parents' graves that I would never use it.”

Hush-Hush nods with puckered lips and turns to Judge Docket. “Your Honor, she admits to being a Thaumaturgist, and if she can get into the Void as a filly there's no telling what kind of damage she is capable of doing now.”

Applejack's jaw drops. “But I haven't done Thaumaturgy since I was a kid! I swore on mah parents' grave that I would never use it again!” she shouts desperately to the judge.

Hush-Hush trots over to the bench and places his fore-hooves on it to look at Judge Docket with bulging eyes. “Your Honor, you know as well as I do that she cannot be trusted. The damage that she could have caused with her dark magic is too great to simply brush aside. She is a threat to the stability of this nation and is a complete disgrace to her Element! She must be isolated for the safety of everypony!”

“Get your hooves off of my bench,” growls Judge Docket.

Hush-Hush complies without hesitation and the old judge releases an explosive sigh and looks at Applejack hatefully. Nebulous, on the other hand, stares at her with a tiny smile tugging at his lips while Hush-Hush looks at her with the expectations of another counter. Applejack's eyes dart between the three of them, heart threatening to explode and the taste of blood surging in her throat as her insides contract. She swallows the copper tasting fluid and stumbles over her words with suffocation and tears plaguing her.

“But-But I haven't done any kind o' Thaumaurgy since I was just a filly! Doesn't that mean anything to any of ya!?” cries Applejack, her lips trembling and her lungs feeling stuffed as they burn with her eyes.

“Under Royal Decree Thirteen, Thaumatugy is considered dark magic, hence intolerable, no matter the age!” says Judge Docket, his harsh voice booming in the chamber. “And Agent Hush-Hush McGee is correct. With you being a Thaumaturgist, you pose too great of a threat to our society, and for that, as well as your anarchic intentions, I hereby sentence you, Jackie Susan Apple, to a life's sentence in the Snowflake Gulag.”

Docket slams his hoof on his bench and Applejack slumps to the floor, jaw slack and tears rolling down her cheeks. Hush-Hush's words of her being a disgrace to her Element have ripped a chunk of her heart out, leaving her to bleed to death in her shame.

From a humble, respected member of Ponyville, to a national icon and hero, to a prosecuted anarchist with her deepest secret revealed and her family and friends gone. A lot can happen in twelve years, and now that she is revealed to be something that Celestia herself has condemned as unholy, she knows it is only a matter of time before the inevitable happens. Her countdown has begun, and it will end in the Hell that lies in the Gulag.

Applejack lowers her head in defeat and put up no resistance when one of the guards clamps a thick, metal collar around her neck and forces her up while the rest rework the cuffs around her hooves. She lifts her eyes, sniffling and fighting the urge to vomit, and sees the guard holding her collar by the chain is staring at her sympathetically. He has a white coat with a golden mane, tail and eyes, and a rounded shield with a spear that has a heart shaped blade behind it for a cutie mark. His vest tag says Shield.

“Cuffs are good, Parma. Let's go,” says one of the guards from behind.

The guard holding Applejack, Parma Shield, nods and gently tugs at her. She puts up no fuss and starts walking with all four of her hooves cuffed and the gem studded chains clanking with every step. Applejack swallows the bile that wants to come up and looks over her shoulder one last time to see Judge Docket leaving his bench, Hush-Hush directing the mares to put the projector away, and Nebulous watching her, still looking at her with the vicious smile. She lowers her eyes and stares at the floor, squeezing her eyes shut when a short, painful cough leaves a scratchy feeling in her throat.

Applejack looks up again and sees Parma Shield open up a metal door with his magic and lead her to a long, narrow hallway, painted white and bathed in bright light that reflects off of the polished tile. Applejack stops for a moment, takes a deep breath, and then makes the first step into the Hell that awaits her.

Fifteen minutes after the trial has ended, Nebulous opens up the door to a lounge that is furnished with old furniture, plastic plants and a shaking ceiling fan. Sitting on one of the old chairs is a pegasus stallion in his mid thirties with a brown coat, a dark brown mane and an hourglass for a cutie mark. He is wearing a white suit and fedora with a red band on his hat and a red tie, and in his hooves is a newspaper with the front page reading: Brisk Wind's EIB & CDA: The Protectors Of Harmony!

Nebulous approaches the pegasus, prompting the stallion in the suit to flick his ears and look at the unicorn in response to his hoof steps. When he sees that it is Nebulous, he lowers his newspaper and gives the aged unicorn a sour look.

“About time,” says the pegasus, his voice carrying a heavy Trottingham accent. “What took you so long?”

“I wasn't gone that long,” says Nebulous lightly. The pegasus rolls his eyes, and in response, Nebulous flashes an amused smile and motions his companion up with a ave of his hoof. “Come on, let's go grab some lunch. I hear they are serving hay bacon flower-burgers down at the cafeteria, today.”

The pegasus snorts, throws his newspaper carelessly on the floor and trots towards the unicorn. “What's got you so cheerful?”

“I'm always cheerful,” says Nebulous, now walking down the hall with the pegasus by his side.

“Yeah, but you never eat flower-burgers, much less hay bacon, unless you are celebrating. So spill it.”

Nebulous' glasses shimmer in the light and his broad grin exposes his pearly white teeth with a pressure in his throat that makes him want to laugh and cry for joy at his amazing luck. “Meriaclock, my friend, I think we might have found our Invoker.”