//------------------------------// // Stains of Iron // Story: Battlefield: Equestria // by Capanna925 //------------------------------// Shots fired far in the distance, and the sky lit up with fire. Nopony said anything. We just kept riding along on an old transport cart, on the narrow path toward a large warehouse somewhere a few miles away. Pinkie was a traitor. And that's all I knew. This is just a taste of what Celestia does to her prisoners to get them on her side. I glance up at Twilight, her eyes not their usual angry or spiteful look, but more clouded and confused, gazing off to nowhere in the distance. I wanted to talk to her about what happened last night in the bunker, but I figured it would just bring up tension and uneasy feelings for her. The old cart just continued to tumble slowly down the dirt road, rocking us back and forth and making our skulls rattle atop every bump. To my right there was a complex of brick buildings, connected by hardened dirt roads; the weapon and suplies building and storage unit, where Sweetie Belle and the other younger fillies worked and lived. I turned to see Rainbow staring bleakly at Pinkie's dog tags.. was she.. smirking? Was she actually happy about all of this? "Sumthin' funny, R.D.?" Applejack seemed to have picked up on her smile too. Rainbow Dash snapped her glance to Applejack, then softly put the tags back in her saddle bag. She sighed, "Oh.. guess I was just thinking about the old days.." Oh, I'm sure. "What about them?" Said Twilight, with a gleam in her eyes. Rainbow started to chuckle "Do you remember the time when Pinkie was asked to bring that huge chocolate cake to Twilight's party?" Twilight smiled, "She just couldn't resist the urge to strap the box on her head as she bounced along." "There was cake absolutely everywhere!" I chimed in. We were all silent for a moment, thinking about times past. "I'm glad you're with us again, Rainbow." Applejack broke the silence. "I know.. I'm so sorry things have to be this way.." Rainbow Dash replied quietly. Maybe I was just overthinking it. Maybe I just had some sort of grudge against Rainbow. But to me, everything she said just sounded chock full of lies. I looked back up to her, she smiled sweetly at me. Oh, stop it, Rarity. Just because she’s a captain doesn’t mean she thinks she’s better than you. At least, I don’t think she does... I shook the uneasy thoughts out of my head and piped up again, trying to shut my concious up. "I just... don't see why. Why things have to be like this.." I said. Every pony turned their gaze on me. Twilight put her hoof on my arched back, "Rarity, you know why.." "Twilight.." I began, "I'm.. I'm actually not sure I do." I said truthfully. "You mean no pony ever told you?" Rainbow Dash said. "I- I mean I know that Celestia went crazy and tried to kill Princess Luna but.. why? Why now?" Twilight breathed in deep, "See, when Celestia went mad, no pony could do anything to stop her. She thought that ever since Princess Luna returned, she was trying to overtake the throne. And since she couldn't banish her to the moon again without every pony in the kingdom hate her and possibly overthrow her, she tried to murder Luna under the radar-" "But when ponies started to discover her plan, Luna knew she had to get out." Rainbow interrupted. "So that's when Princess Luna started her own kingdom, the New Lunar Republic." Applejack said as she tapped her arm cuff. I looked down at mine: a crescent moon that faced upwards, harboring a star inside, with blue wings on both sides of the moon; Luna's Republic symbol. "Weh here." The rusty voice said unexpectedly from the front of the cart. We each exchanged a glance. "Are you ready?" Rainbow Dash began, yet half of us were out of the cart already. I could see the anxiousness on everypony's face. Anxious and afraid. Afraid to see what exactly Pinkie had become; what Celestia had done to her. As we started to stalk towards the wide stretch of 1 story buildings, we could already hear screams. Not just from a few ponies, yet choir of tortured moans and enraged, crazed ponies trying to struggle free of their straight jackets and out of their cells. Applejack took my hoof in hers and looked me in the eye. “Whatever it is we see in there.. Well, jus’ know that Pinkie was brainwashed inta thinking what Celestia wanted her to think. She had no choice.” I was a bit taken aback by her intensity, but I knew her words were the truth. Pinkie might even still be somewhere inside that pink pony’s head. The real Pinkie, I mean. We stepped inside the grey brick building, a burst of cold, musty air filtered it’s way through our manes, finally being freed to the outdoors. The screams echoed up the walls and sent a whole new wave of shivers up my spine with it. Rainbow Dash trotted up to a rather scrawny looking guard, who stood guarding the door to the prison. “So much for keeping the crazies in..” I thought as Rainbow whispered something to the malnourished scrap of a pony. The guard gave her a quick nod and opened the door, unleashing countless blood curdling screeches. I realised I had been shying behind Twilight as he led us down the hall. Twilight gave me a look and a small smile as I hesitantly stepped out from behind her, only to have full view of the cell covered walls. “Hey thah, soldja..” Said a perversely shaped colt with rows of scars covering him from head to toe, as he inspected my being from behind rusted bars. I tried to shake off his prying eyes as I picked up my pace. Maybe I should have stayed behind Twilight. We continued down the hallway in silence, trying not to glance over at the gawking ponies. It was just my luck the flickering lights provided us with minimal vision of the blood stained cells. At the end of the hall we reached another door, yellowed and locked shut with numerous bolts and latches with a sign reading, ASYLUM ENTRANCE HIGH SECURITY I took a deep breath as he began to unlock the first latch.