“To say that we are limited in what we can do is absurd. We are only limited by the chains we allow to hold us in place. These chains take the form of many things. The most common examples of such things actually manifest from our own fears and guilt. Why, even our very own cutie marks can act as an inhibitor rather than an amplifier because we have it set in our minds that we are only good for one thing when the exact opposite is true. We are not meant to be stagnant as an individual, a species or as a society. We are meant to branch out. We are meant to take our fears and use them as fuel for the future so you can look everypony in the eye and say that you defeated your fears and grew into somepony who broke free from the prison that you called home. We are meant to turn our guilt into pride because what we are initially ashamed of is a stepping stone towards our future. I conquered my fears. I used my guilt. I broke out of the prison I lived in. Will you do the same?”

-Professor Nebulous Dust- Introduction to Archaic Magic Ceremony at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns

Screeching metal and a deafening whistle echo over the frozen landscape as the prison train grinds to a halt, throwing sparks into the snow and polluting the air with its black exhaust. These noises wake Applejack from her sleep, which she managed to get thanks to a heavy dose of medication.

She sits up, groaning through her breathing mask just in time to see Nurse Care and Parma Shield enter the medical room. The nurse works quickly in removing the breathing equipment and do some tests that determine that she well enough to walk without any aide of machines. After her testing proves that Applejack is good for the moment, Parma Shield puts a thick, metal collar laced with glowing gems around her neck while simultaneously unchaining her special cuffs from the cot. Once she is no longer bound to the bed, he gently tugs her off and she complies with her only act of defiance being a harsh glare. The guard quickly averts his eyes from her and leads her out into the walking area.

Waiting for them is the nurse as well as a group of five more unicorn guards wearing the same outfit as Parma Shield. Applejack looks at all of them with a tight jaw and narrowed eyes, but it does nothing to faze them. The biggest of the unicorns, a stallion with a crimson coat and a gray mane steps forward, and at first she thinks he is going to confront her in some fashion. To her relief, all he does is use his magic to wrap a scarf around her neck and cover her back with a heavy cloak. Once that is said and done, he orders his team and Applejack out, leaving Nurse Care behind.

Once the farmer's hooves leave the train, the freezing cold gravel pokes at her with hundreds of tiny, chilled blades. She shudders, sending puffs of thin, gray clouds floating from her mouth and nostrils. From the dozens of protests not too far from her, she figures that the other prisoners are suffering the same as she.

Applejack glances to her right and sees that through the snow falling in black clumps the prisoners are dressed in scarves and cloaks as well while armed guards overlook them diligently. She turns her attention to the three turrets attached to the dirty wall surrounding the rest of the compound. She squints her eyes to see the pegasi guards stationed there and the Gatling guns that are mounted on the railings. That sight tightens her throat and her heartbeat quickens to rapid thumps in her chest. She does not realize that the guards escorting her are moving until she feels a tug on her collar. After that tug, she stumbles forward, then, after a few awkward steps, she trudges forward, eyeing the massive gate topped with barbwire in front of them.

The prisoners clamor nervously as the gates part with metallic groans and screeches, revealing a courtyard that is also walled off and guarded by towers. They are herded inside by armed unicorn guards with pegasi flying overhead or landing on perches, with Applejack being the last one in and forced to walk along the edges.

When the crowd is inside, the gates seal shut with a thud, scaring some of the prisoners to jump in their spots and look at the blocked exit with drooped ears and big, watery eyes. Voices are raised in a panic and some sobs can be heard as prisoners huddle closer together to stay warm and to find comfort in the ring of Tartarus they have been banished to.

Applejack looks over the crowd, feeling a lump in her throat and a resurgence of fear shaking her bones. Never in all of her life would she believe to see such a scene, nor would she even suspect that such a place could exist within Equestria, much less be fully endorsed by Celestia. Thinking about the Sun Goddess, Applejack glances up at the sky, seeing nothing but a faint ball of white bleeding through the thick gay canvas.

She sighs and looks towards the stage in the back of the courtyard, being guarded by a line of shielded unicorn guards. Their expressions are all stoic, like the guards at the Royal Palace, but despite their ratty appearance, Applejack finds them to be more intimidating. They are not in polished gold, rather in thick, wool coats that are stained with mud, their outgrown fur gives them a grizzled appearance and their weapons are all aimed at the prisoners, ready to fire at the first sign of trouble. In fact, their very appearance shows them more ready to wage a guerrilla war in the snow rather than contain prisoners.

Applejack's gaze moves from the line of guards to a unicorn stallion with a chrome coat and a white mane that approaches the stage's podium with heavy, disciplined steps. Once he reaches the podium, his remorseless, teal eyes stare down at the prisoners, watching them with disgust as they continue talking in more hushed voices. Some of the prisoners look up at the unicorn with fear while others avert their eyes to the dirty snow beneath them.

Applejack stares at the stallion, trying to give off a defiant impression in the midst of all the frightened ponies beside her. However, the stallion on the stage does not seem to notice her look, either that or he is ignoring her, and continues inspecting the crowd with growing disgust. A couple of minutes pass before he looks over his shoulder, then he snaps to attention, lights up his horn and yells viciously at the crowd.

“PRISONERS, SILENCE!” booms his voice.

The prisoners fall quiet instantly, allowing only the howling wind to speak, and Applejack watches a pegasus mare step towards the podium. She appears to be in her mid forties, has a blue coat that is so pale it is almost white and her thick mane is white as snow. She is wearing a heavy, white jacket that covers almost her entire body, save for her ankles and wings, which are allowed through with slits, and underneath is a blue shirt with a gold collar and buttons.

Applejack stares at the mare, noting the resolve in the dark blue eyes that scan the crowd. She does not know what the pegasus is looking for, but when her eyes stop on her, she gets the feeling that she is going to be getting more unwanted attention.

The pegasus and Applejack stare at each other for a few seconds before the former adjusts the microphone on her podium. Once it is adjusted, she taps it a couple of times, sending echoing thumps over the crowd. Then she licks her lips and leans forward.

“Ladies and gentlecolts, I will make this quick. I am Warden Frost Flower, head of the Snowflake Social Rehabilitation Penitentiary,” begins the mare, her voice carrying the tone of an stern mother rather than a hardened wretch that she appears to be. “Many of you are here for reasons that I do not care about. A portion of you, however, are here because you thought you could get away with promoting disharmony. And that is something I care about.”

Warden Frost glances at Applejack again, then she looks at the crowd and continues with an exhale that is marked by the puff of frozen air in front of her muzzle.

“But now that you arrived, there are a few things you should know,” she says. “First, Celestia's word is law and I follow Her. To defy me would be to defy your goddess, and I will have none of that here. Secondly, it is my duty to feed you and ensure your health. However, I can only do as much as you put out, so the harder you work, the better I can take care of you. Lastly, this place, this Gulag as most of you will come to call it, will only be your end if you allow it. We have parole hearings here, and no matter your sins against the state or your fellow ponies, all are entitled to it. However, entitlements are earned, not given freely, and only when you earn them will you see them. That is all. Guards, take them for processing.”

The chrome unicorn uses his magically amplified voice to bark out orders, and in turn the guards move forward and start separating the prisoners with great speed and effectiveness. They are separated by age, weight and race and escorted through different doors along the wall. However, while all this is going on, Applejack is led away from the chaos and taken through a spiked door that has the Equestrian Sun printed above it.

The door opens from the other side and Applejack is taken into a warm hallway lined with heaters, bright lamps and intercom boxes. She is taken to a concrete room with a shower head hanging from the ceiling, and in the room is a group of six unicorn mares, all wearing the prison guard uniform, and all but one have bronze O's on their collars. The different one has a silver bar on her collar.

The crimson unicorn approaches the mare with the silver bar and has a quick conversation with her. Applejack cannot understand what they are saying since they are speaking so low, but she gets a good idea of what's going on, give the room and the Warden's order minutes ago.

Parma Shield is ordered to give Applejack to the mare guards, and after he does that, the escorts leave the room, slamming the door shut on their way out. Her muscles flinch from the metallic thud, but she keeps her eyes locked on the mares in front of her, who look back at her with practiced stern expressions.

The lead mare steps forward, using her magic to remove the scarf and cloak covering Applejack while simultaneously levitating a roll of measuring tape, a clipboard and a pen.

“Alright, lets get this over with,” she says.

Thirty minutes later, Applejack is back in the custody of the same team that brought her to the Snowflake Gulag and is now being led down the hall to yet another destination. She has been cleaned with cheap powder soap and scolding hot water, then blow dried, leaving her mane and tail hanging in frazzled clumps past her eyes and shoulders and dragging on the ground. She has also been dressed in a padded, thick, gray jumpsuit that covers her front, but leaves her lower half exposed. Above her heart is her new prison number, T-1984, made from stencil style numbers and letter that has been ironed on. They have also given her a saddle which contains spare clothing and have returned the cloak and scarf to her.

The whole processing event has left an uneasy feeling in Applejack. Primarily with the quick wash. She feels violated and being dragged around by a collar by a group of stallions does not make her feel any better about this. But now that the processing part is over, she is dreading what comes next. It is inevitable and she can only hope that that where they put her will not be too small.

The whole time Applejack has thought about how miserable the past few hours have been, she watches the tiles on the floor pass underneath her, hardly listening to the steps around her. Though, because she is not really paying attention, she does not notice that the crimson stallion has stopped, so she ends up getting a nose full of stallion tail.

Applejack retreats quickly, flushing in embarrassment and trying to snort away his scent as he and his team look at her, all with various levels of amusement, save for the one she bumped into. He is looking at her, bemused by what just happened. He shakes his head seconds later and looks ahead at a pair of approaching guards. One is the unicorn stallion that told everyone to shut up when the Warden arrived and the other is a faded, grayish-purple earth pony mare with dirty gold eyes and a straight, very light, gray-blue mane who appears slightly younger than Applejack. Both guards are wearing blue uniforms under their heavy, white coats, but the unicorn has gold bars showing on his collar whereas the mare has a bronze O.

The chrome coated stallion approaches the team leader with the mare following remaining stationary just a couple of paces back. Out of the corner of her eye, Applejack sees Parma Shield's burning ears perk and his eyes grow with a stiffening body. Ogling at its finest.

“Nice to see you again, Billy,” says the crimson unicorn when the prison guard is standing in front of him.

“Likewise, Cosh,” says the guard. “Officer Pie and I have been ordered by Warden Frost Flower to escort Prisoner T-one-nine-eight-four to her holding cell.”

Applejack looks at the stallion with an arched brow before putting her attention to the mare, not seeing any resemblance between her and Pinkie Pie, aside from both being earth ponies. When her mind goes to her fellow Element, though, she can only think about finding Big Mac nearly beaten to death and Fluttershy almost getting executed by the group of fanatics that attacked Ponyville.

Applejack lowers her eyes, growling slightly and muscles twitching from the rage bubbling up inside her. She stares at the snow covered concrete, trying not to think about it, but it refuses to leave. She can remember every bit of it. From Derpy flying to her farm, shaking and eyes wet as she gives her the message from the hospital alerting her of what has happened. To her running all the way to the hospital to find Pinkie Pie and a bandaged Fluttershy sitting next to Big Mac, who had been nearly beaten to death. She still remembers the beeps, hisses and clicks of the machines attached to him, the bloody bandages covering him, and the stitches and grotesque bruises tattooing his body. His eyes would not open and his heart was weak, and just that sight alone brought her to the ground in tears.

“Prisoner, move it!” orders Cosh, his rough voice snapping Applejack out of her thoughts.

Applejack glares at Cosh, but moves anyway.

They walk through the muddy paths of the Gulag, with Applejack surrounded by the appointed guards and the two liaisons leading the way. The path they are on is surrounded by a chain link fence with rolls of barbwire on top, and on the other side, coned tipped turrets made of concrete and surrounded by their own walls stand guard over the miserable, muddy workers.

Applejack watches the workers closely as they shuffle on by. They are all wearing similar suits to Applejack, scarves and cloaks included, but none of them are in prime condition. They are all discolored, restitched and, in the cases of the pads, scratched and dented. Most of the mud caked prisoners' eyes are devoid of emotion while the rest have an odd mix of anger and relief. All but one, anyway. Applejack has to do a double take to make sure that her eyes are not playing tricks on her when she sees a gray and blonde mare skipping through the mud, smiling. Broadly. And greeting other prisoners with a hug as though she has absolutely no care in the world that she is imprisoned in a labor camp.

There is a loud crackle and Applejack looks up at a zeppelin flying overhead, leaving a thick trail of exhaust from its four turbine engines.

“Workers of the Snowflake Penitentiary, do not be disheartened. Your work has been noticed,” says a stallion over the intercom, his voice traveling with the zeppelin. “Warden Frost Flower and the citizens of Equestria thank you for your services, and for your hard work and dedication to the state, dragon fire soup with corn bread is tonight's dinner.”

“Yay! I love soup!” says the blonde mare in a very familiar voice, and when the mare turns to look at Applejack and her group, their eyes widen and the Element's heart sinks while the pegasus' grin broadens while her other golden eye drifts up to the zeppelin. “Applejack!”

Applejack pulls against the leash to press her cuffed hooves against the fence and strains to keep herself in place in spite of Parma Shield's tugging and the shouting guards. “Derpy, what'r ya doin' here!?”

Derpy presses her hooves against the fence as well, still grinning. “I'm in prison!”

“Derpy, that ain't somethin' you should be smilin' about!”

“Keep moving!” barks Cosh, using his magic to help Parma Shield pull Applejack away from the fence.

Applejack grits her teeth and digs her hooves in the ground while the tingling of magical hands grip her body. Tears build in her eyes and her heart tightens with guilt, and she tries yet again to get against the fence, but a combined tug from leash and magic sends her flopping on her back, covering her back and splashing everyone in freezing mud.

Derpy cringes, unaware of a pair of mare guards on her side approaching her, and Applejack rolls on her hooves and is forced to continue walking, but she still looks over her shoulder with wet, bloodshot eyes.

“Derpy, I'm sorry I got ya in this mess!” cries Applejack.

“Don't worry, it's only temporary,” says Derpy calmly. One of the guards puts her hoof on Derpy's shoulder, which prompts the pegasus to turn and smile at the guard. “Oh, hello.”

“Derpy, you know you can't talk with the prisoners in this part,” says the guard firmly as she turns the pegasus away.

Derpy's expression falls. “I just wanted to say hi to my friend.” The guards say nothing and keep her walking, but she still looks back at Applejack and offers a sad smile and wave. “Bye, Applejack! Maybe we'll see each other again!”

Applejack awkwardly waves with tears clearing off trails of mud from her face, and she continues watching Derpy until she can no longer see her in the miserable crowd. Once Derpy is out of sight, Applejack looks away, dipping her head and whining quietly, soon falling completely silent as she is led to her a walled off mountain. The barrier surrounding the mountain has rolls of barbwire on the top and evenly spaced towers, and the entrance is a mirror copy of the front gate of the Gulag.

The gate grinds against the gravel as it opens, and group proceeds towards a covered walkway that is made of concrete and metal, surrounded by razor wire, and guarded by an armored booth.

Billy and Officer Pie speed up and give the required credentials to the unicorn guard inside the booth. Just like with the conversation in the washroom, Applejack cannot understand what is being said, but when she cranes her neck, she spots an earth pony guard manning a Gatling gun that is facing inside the walkway.

The unexpected screeching metal brings Applejack to look at the gate with a start, and after it is all the way open, she is escorted inside. The tunnel is lined with wires and pipes that snake along the walls and ceiling and disappear into the ground. Each bright light is placed in even intervals, just like the gem and steam powered space heaters, giving the tunnel a warm contrast to the outside that thaws Applejack quickly. Though, with the way the concrete walls suck up the light, the tunnel still has a dim, never ending feel to it.

After leaving the tunnel, there is more of the design inside the mountain. There are tunnels carved into it with the wires, lights, pipes and heaters lacing its edges, only this time there are tiles, emergency lights and speaker boxes added in. There are also guards wandering around, looking bored in their patrols.

For the next ten minutes Applejack is led through a maze of halls, gates and stairs, with each level taking her higher and revealing more and more cells. She really has not been paying much attention since her mind has gone blank from the repetitiveness of it all, and every time she gets a flicker of thought, she can only think about Derpy.

How Derpy got arrested is beyond her. As far as she knows, the Whooves are completely harmless. Derpy does not know how to get angry and Time Turner is too timid for his own good, much like Fluttershy, and if the Derpy is here, it is safe to say that Time Turner is in prison, as well. Just like her and Big Mac.

With her and Time Turner gone, that means that Dinky has been brought into state custody, like what she knows happened to Apple Bloom when they came after them in the dead of night.

Thinking about how the door was kicked down and the swarm of masked agents storming her home sends a shiver of rage through Applejack's spine and down her front hooves, outlining her marking. Their brutality had been uncalled for, but what makes her more upset about it all is that she had the power to stop them. She could have saved Big Mac and Apple Bloom from being taken. She had the power to fight back, but was not only too afraid to use her gift, but also dared not break her promise to her parents.

Applejack's vision clouds with tears and she dips her head, sniffling and blinking the mist away. No one seems to notice or care, though. Not that she is actively looking for signs of sympathy. She is too busy in beating herself up for failing to protect her injured brother and baby sister, and because of her failure, they are separated and imprisoned.

Speaking of prisons, when the next gate is opened with the same ear grating grind and screech, Applejack looks up and sees more lines of steel doors. The hallway's eerie silence makes Applejack's mane crawl and her heart thump loudly in her chest. Her steps become heavy and more reluctant as they travel further down the hall, and the flickering light at the end does not help her nerves any.

There is not a voice heard, only the clip-clop of hooves and the humming of heat and electricity. It is like the whole floor is completely abandoned and ripe for restless spirits to torment her when she is trying to sleep. Applejack gulps and watches the numbers above the steel doors go by as she forces her shaky legs to follow her captors just so she does not get tugged around.

T-1900... T-1901... T-1902...

On and on these numbers go, all bland and all waiting to suck up their next prisoner. However, when they pass cell T-1918, Applejack notices a unicorn mare standing guard outside the cell in the standard uniform. She has a light brown coat, a stiff, light brown mane and brown eyes, giving her the appearance of a chocolate and peanut butter brownie bar reincarnated as a pony.

The brownie pony stiffens and her hoof snaps up to a salute, which is returned by Billy when he passes her, and she and Applejack lock eyes for only a moment before the farmer looks away. They keep walking for another couple of minutes until they come to a stop in front of a solid steel door with a viewing slot near the end of the holding block.

Applejack takes a step back, tensing her muscles and swallowing her spit in a vain attempt to keep her heart steady as Officer Pie opens up the door. The scraping of metal against stone grates Applejack's ears, and they fold down instinctively to ease the pain and she winces and takes another step back when it bangs against the stone wall.

Officer Pie steps back, giving Applejack and Parma Shield just enough room to move inside.

“This is your cell,” says Officer Pie, her hoof gesturing towards the small space inside that appears to have been scooped out with an enormous ice scream scooper, sprayed with bleach white paint and had a single bright light bulb installed.

Applejack looks above the door and sees T-1984 stamped in bold, black paint, then she peers inside the cell, growing more uncomfortable by the second as the space seems to shrink before her very eyes. It barely has enough room for a cot and bathroom as it is, and with her in there, she knows she won't be able to move. She will be stuck inside a bland, white room with no escape, forever at the mercy of those who decide to let her out.

Applejack's heart starts racing and sweat trickles down the back of her neck as her eyes dilate and her hooves move her away from the death trap. She stops when she bumps into the heartless unicorn behind her.

“Uh... Is there anyway you folks can finagle somethin' a little bigger?” asks Applejack uneasily.

“No,” replies Billy sharply.

Parma Shield steps inside and tugs on Applejack's leash, and she quickly sits on the floor and locks her hooves in the concrete floor, eyes widening and ears drooping as her heart thumps roughly in her chest. The farmer's hooves scrape just a little bit on the floor and she realizes with a missed beat and loss of air that she is loosing ground!

Applejack grunts and tries pulling away, and it works for a little bit because she can hear Parma Shield struggling and see the sweat forming on his brow, but then Officer Pie gets involved. She gallops behind Applejack and starts pushing against her.

“Get in your cell!” barks Officer Pie.

“No! I can't fit in there!” counters Applejack, her voice shaking and big eyes moistening as her body trembles violently. Her chest tightens, too, and despite her best attempts to keep it from happening, a small whimper escapes her throat.

Officer Pie squeezes her eyes shut and grunts loudly as she strains her muscles to push the Element while Parma Shield continues pulling. The others guards exchange some chuckles and quietly poke fun at the two for their troubles, which only serves to make the situation worse rather than better.

“Yes you can!” yells the earth pony guard, getting another round of laughter and a comment about her having some trouble. With the trouble comment, she looks at Billy with one eye open, teeth gritted and sweat wetting her forehead. “Lieutenant, can you please help!”

Billy sighs, strolls over, and with a quick flash of his horn, Applejack sails through the air and lands in the middle of the tiny cell, right on top of Parma Shield with her chest pressed against his and their muzzles nearly touching. Before Parma Shield can react, though, Applejack pushes her hooves against his chest, squeezing the air out of his lungs, and then she steps on his groin as she turns around to make a dash for the door.

Parma Shield yelps and spasms on the floor when the mare's hooves dig into his gonads, and right as she leaps for the exit, Cosh and the other unicorns light up their horns and stop her in midair. This gives Parma Shield the chance to roll on his hooves and gallop out at full speed while Applejack remains suspended in midair, writhing and swearing. She kicks Parma Shield's butt on his way out, making him yelp and run faster, but as soon as he is in the clear, Officer Pie slams the steel door shut and the guards release Applejack from their magical grip.

The farmer belly flops the concrete floor, but pushes aside the pain in her chest and runs straight to the door. Applejack's throat clogs and tears pour down her cheeks as her lungs burn themselves out to get air out of the death trap, and she slams herself against the door as hard as she can. There is a resounding thud and a pain in her shoulder, but that doesn't stop her from turning to buck at it until her back hooves feel like they are going to shatter. The abuse on her hind legs only encourages her to attack the door with her front hooves.

“Hey, don't leave me here! Get me outta here!” cries Applejack.

Applejack bangs on the door again and again, but time quickly dissolves for her in her quest to break herself out of her prison, but the steel doors prove to be too strong for her hooves. No matter how hard she bangs or how loud she screams, she cannot escape. Her eyes burn and cloud with tears, and with each passing slam and resounding bang, her hooves become sloppy and her body weaker. Eventually Applejack collapses in a heap in front of the door, trembling and sobbing in her hooves.

“Please, somepony get me outta her,” whimpers Applejack. She squeezes her eyes shut and curls up tight on the floor, tears pouring down her cheeks and teeth gritted from the tearing pain inside. “Please... Get me out.”

“She was a hoof full,” grumbles Officer Limestone Pie, glancing over her shoulder with Parma Shield in the Element's direction while simultaneously wanting to thank the others for their great help by socking each of them in the mouth. She restrains herself, though, and picks up her pace so she is in step with Billy, catching what she thinks is a lost puppy look from Parma Shield along the way.

“Are you kidding? She was deluded!” says Cosh, getting an absolute look of shock from Limestone. “In fact, a couple of trips ago she socked one of our guys so hard that she shattered his jaw when she tried escaping. Then we got that guy to replace him.”

To make his point clearer, Cosh nods to Parma Shield, and when Limestone looks at him, he offers a sheepish smile and wave. She looks away, staring straight ahead at the depressing corridor with bulging eyes, having an extremely difficult time wrapping her head around the deluded claim.

“She really was easy this time, wasn't she?” comments another guard in Applejack's escorting party.

Cosh nods. “Yeah, and I hope it keeps up. Anyway, Billy!”

Billy grunts.

“Take us to the mess hall. My boys need to eat,” says Cosh, getting an assortment of cheers and playful begs to be shown the food.

Parma Shield and Limestone keep quiet, but they do exchange amused smiles when Billy deflates with a loud sigh.

Sitting in cell T-1918 is an earth pony stallion well into his fifties. The cell he is in is identical to Applejack's and he is reading an old book that has yellowed with age, titled The Furnace of Nezzar. His once light gold orange coat and pistachio colored mane have faded, leaving a pale yellow and green, and his cyan eyes scan the lines of his book, trying to lose himself in an alternate world. His front hooves are also bound with thick, gem studded cuffs, and underneath his right front hoof is a circle that holds an upside down triangle with a sideways "T" resting on its top.

While his eyes are on the wrinkled pages, his mind is somewhere else. He is seeing the words describing how a group of three friends are trying to escape a sandstorm and Saddle Arabian soldiers, but he does not hear or see any of that. What he can only hear and visualize are the sounds of multiple hooves marching and chains clanking against each other past his cell and the faceless bodies that go with them. He has never heard anyone come by his area ever since he was imprisoned shortly after Blueblood's assassination. However, just because it is going on the eleven year mark, it does not mean that he has forgotten the sounds that surrounded him when he was brought to this slice of Hell.

In his thoughts, he barely hears the scraping of metal, but the scent of spicy soup catches his attention. With perked ears he glances out of his peripheral vision to see a tray of food being levitated in by a unicorn guard standing outside. The tray stops besides him and is gently lowered on the bed.

“Dinner time, Mosley,” says the guard outside with a heavy Stalliongrad accent. Most of her features are hidden behind the door, but there is an eye-leveled slot that is open, which reveals her brown eyes. “I gave you some extra food and a little treat.”

The earth pony smiles thinly at the cornbread, milk, water, and blood red soup and the bits of green that float in it. His smile widens when he moves the cornbread and finds a bar of chocolate underneath.

Despite being in a frozen Tartarus on the outskirts of Equestria, he can always count on the brown-eyed mare to brighten his day, even if it is only just a moment. There is just something about her voice that gives him comfort. Maybe her voice has latched on to him, or maybe it is because she is the only female guard that has not tried to be a stallion and treats him like a pony. An imprisoned pony declared unholy by Celestia, herself, but still a pony, nonetheless.

Mosley lifts his soup bowl to his muzzle, wanting to thank the guard, but all he can do is offer a toothless smile, which gives her a twinkle in her eyes.

“Just knock when you are done, okay?” says the guard lightly.

Mosley nods, and when she slides the latch shut, he gingerly sips the meal, loving the spices of the soup pouring down his throat and warming his chilled body. The burst of warmth gives him a burst of energy that causes his muscles to twitch obnoxiously, but he manages to keep a good grip on his bowl. He takes another sip with greater control of the twitches and stares straight ahead at his bleached white wall, silently wondering which unfortunate Thaumaturgist was captured this time.