//------------------------------// // The Special Prisoner // Story: Rainbow Dash Around the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// Dotty didn’t like it when things were quiet. Silence bothered her and she couldn’t stand it for long. Whether she started up some inane chatter, cracked a joke, or just talked about something that had happened to her earlier in the day, she always sought to break any string of silence. But she didn’t dare speak up now. She was frozen and helpless. A spectator to the world around her right now after Wish had made her request to Master Dreamweaver. At the moment, Dotty really wished she could just be somewhere else. She didn’t think she needed to be here anyways, but Wish had asked her to come along. Now she was stuck. Father and daughter were still looking at each other—the warm smile gone from Dreamweaver’s face as a look just as unreadable as Wish’s took its place. A bead of sweat rolled down Dotty’s face. The door leading back to the stairs was right behind her but it might as well have been a continent away. “You want to see the pegasus that attacked the castle?” Dreamweaver’s voice cut across the entire room. “Yes,” Wish said and nodded in response. Dreamweaver paused for another second before speaking again. “May I ask why?” “I… I need to see her. I’m still… I-” Wish was having trouble answering. “You’re still having nightmares, aren’t you?” Dreamweaver said for her. “Y-Yes...” Wish hesitantly nodded. Dotty was worried and upset when she heard that. Wish hadn’t been saying anything about nightmares. Part of her hoped the filly was okay, the other part hoped she wouldn’t be punished for not doing more to comfort her. Wish looked fine this morning but what if she had woken up long before Dotty thought she did? She could’ve been dealing with it in secrecy, although Dotty didn’t know why Wish wouldn’t just talk to her about it. She would’ve helped her as best she could. Dreamweaver sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He lifted his head and stared at the ceiling as if in deep thought before peering down at Wish again. “You really think this will help with your nightmares? That it will… make you happier to see that pegasus?” “My nightmares started when she came here. I-I don’t know why, but they did. I just feel like it’s something I need to do,” Wish answered. “I see her in my nightmares sometimes, in some way, if I could just see and talk to her for real then maybe the nightmares will finally go away. Nothing else has worked so far...” As Dotty watched, Dreamweaver tapped his hoof on the ground a few times, mulling things over and thinking about the best course of action. It seemed to Dotty that he didn’t want Wish to go and see the pegasus, but she could hardly claim to know what really went through his mind. She wasn’t even very good at knowing what went through Wish’s mind most of the time. Finally, Dreamweaver smiled and patted his daughter lightly on the head. “Very well. I want to do anything for you that could make these nightmares go away so you can have a perfectly happy life again. It’s not like the pegasus can harm you either.” “Thanks, dad!” Wish smiled and hugged him, seeming much more full of energy now. Dreamweaver chuckled and returned the hug. “However, you won’t be alone. I have to insist that you have supervision when visiting the dungeon and especially that prisoner. It’s not a place you should go to on your own.” He then looked over directly at Dotty. “Go and fetch the Head Inquisitor.” Wish was feeling a little worried as she waited in her father’s lab for Vox to come out. Worried and a little guilty honestly. She had made it sound like the rainbow pegasus was what was scaring her in her nightmares when if anything it was the exact opposite. And now she was being allowed to visit her but obviously her father had reservations and she had to do it under Vox’s watch. Hopefully Dotty would come back with the Head Inquisitor soon so Wish could just get on her way and stop being a nervous wreck. The waiting was more difficult than anything. She looked around her father’s lab again, it looked pretty much the same as the last time she was here. The large curtain still obstructed whatever it was at the back and a few more books had been tossed around. Her father’s cleanliness hadn’t improved one bit. Honestly it kind of made her smile. At the moment he was standing over one of his tables, looking at some kind of chemistry experiment while Wish patiently waited. She was a little worried that she had upset him. It seemed he wanted to just clear his mind while the two of them waited for Vox. That’s why things were a little too silent in here again. That silence was broken as the door to the lab was thrown open without warning and a white pony strode in with a happy grin on her face. “Hello!” Vox loudly announced herself to the lab. Dotty was nowhere in sight anymore, probably sent away. Wish flinched and Dreamweaver frowned, looking over at her from his table. “Hello, Vox,” he said to her. Vox’s eyes zeroed in on Wish and she raised an eyebrow in surprised amusement, it seemed like Dotty hadn’t told her that Wish would be here. “So what’s the occasion? How’s the happy family?” “We’re well. But not well enough unfortunately, which is the reason for your summons,” Dreamweaver said as he walked towards Wish and put a protective hoof over her shoulders. “My daughter here is unfortunately still having nightmares even after the pleasant vacation you took her on. And the two of us have… come to an agreement so to speak about what is causing these nightmares and what needs to be done to put a stop to them.” For a very brief moment, a look of fear passed across Vox’s face. Her father didn’t seem to see it, or react to it at the very least, but Wish did. What was the reason for that fear? Was it because she thought her father was talking about Vox? Was she worried that something would be done to her to help Wish’s nightmares? It wasn’t the case at all, but Wish had to admit to feeling a sort of smug catharsis at knowing that Vox was briefly afraid of something. Even for just a moment. “And so what would that be then?” Vox asked, evenly. “Your favorite prisoner in the dungeon. Wish would like to see them,” Dreamweaver said. Vox’s eyes widened considerably before a grin spread back onto her face and she looked down at Wish. “Really now? Your nightmares have something to do with that pegasus I caught?” “They started shortly after she attacked the castle. I think Wish seeing the cause of the nightmares could aid her. If she saw the pegasus was just a normal prisoner, and she was no threat, perhaps those nightmares would go away for good. Taking away the mystery, fear, and unknown aspect to the prisoner. But the dungeon is a scary place, and I didn’t want her to go there alone. And since you like to visit the pegasus so much...” Dreamweaver said. “Say no more!” Vox puffed out her chest. “I’d be happy to do this.” Dreamweaver smiled and patted Wish’s head, glancing down at her. “Well? I think this will help you out considerably. With any luck your nightmares will be a thing of the past. You truly have nothing to worry about with Vox and I in the castle, and now you’ll be able to see that for yourself once you meet the pegasus.” “Y-Yeah,” Wish said to him. “I think I’ll finally be able to move on after this.” It wasn’t a complete lie but it didn’t really get to the truth of things either. “That’s the spirit!” Dreamweaver said. “You go along with Vox now, I’m sorry that I can’t come with you but I still have something else to work on...” He trailed off, looking at the table he was just working at and then at the big curtain. “Hm. That reminds me that there’s another good reason for Vox to go with you.” Wish cocked her head at him while Vox also seemed intrigued. “Oh? What reason?” Vox asked. “I want you to do the usual with the pegasus. Perform your Inquisitor duty,” Dreamweaver said to Vox. “I’d like Wish to watch, I think it will be good for her. It’s the best way to show the pegasus is only at our mercy and what is done to those who would threaten her happiness. It will be proof of how much I care for my daughter.” He smiled over at her, but truthfully, Wish didn’t like the sound of that. A cold pit started forming in her stomach. What exactly was this sort of usual Inquisitor duty? Vox on the other hoof started giggling happily. “Now you’ve really made my day. I’m sure your daughter will have a blast.” Her eyes then darted over to the curtain. “So the usual? With the device and everything? It’s not going to get you what you really need right now-” “It doesn’t matter. I’m working on that too. And perhaps we’ll get lucky. But yes, use the device on the pegasus again and see if she’s more… agreeable. No sense in wasting opportunities or giving up on something just because it didn’t work the first few times,” Dreamweaver said. “Um...” Wish interrupted, looking between the two adults in confusion. Dreamweaver blinked, and quickly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, my darling. You know how I can get caught up in my work and lose sight of things. You’ll see what we’re talking about very shortly when you’re down in the dungeon with Vox. The two of you should run along now, I want those nightmares gone as quick as possible. Your happiness is my happiness, Wish.” “Thanks dad… I know,” Wish gulped and put on the best smile she could for him. “I’m sure this will fix things.” “I’ll never stop working to make sure you’re the happiest pony in the world,” he said to her. The two of them waved goodbye to each other and Head Inquisitor Vox led Wish out of the lab. A long walk down to the dungeons was ahead of them. As Wish glanced up at her companion, she noticed the maniacal grin that seemed to be etched on her face. “It’ll be your first time actually in the dungeons, won’t it?” Vox asked Wish as they passed the two guards at the dark maw leading beneath the castle. “Y-Yes,” Wish answered with a nod. Vox obviously knew about her first attempt to reach the dungeons. “There’s nothing to really be afraid of down here,” Vox snickered. “Since you’re the daughter of Master Dreamweaver it’s not like you have to worry about being thrown in a cell or anything like that. You’ll just get to happily walk on by every other imprisoned pony. Give some waves if you feel like it.” Wish grimaced. “I don’t think I will.” Vox just cackled some more. “Right, right, you’re not like me.” She smirked down at Wish. “So what was that baloney about the pegasus causing your nightmares and you being afraid of her? That’s certainly not the case, is it?” “It’s… she’s connected to them,” Wish said. Naturally Vox knew she was tiptoeing around the question but she only rolled her eyes in amusement. “Right~” They eventually made their way down to the same long hallway that Wish had made it to before she lost consciousness and woke up a day later. Her eyes couldn’t help but dart up to the culprit briefly before she started walking down the hallway as if everything was normal. There was just the one door at the end anyways and it wasn’t too far away. Vox was even humming the whole time they walked. She was even more excited than Wish was, and Wish’s heart was pounding in her chest. It was finally happening. She was here to see the pegasus that had, in one form or another, infested her dreams. The pony she had seen taken to the dungeon—and was the harbinger of her world turning insane. The pegasus that might… might what? Help her? To be honest even Wish wasn’t entirely sure. She could feel it in her chest though, something tugging at her. There was something inside her heart and soul that told her she needed to meet the rainbow pegasus. Instinct or her subconscious or maybe even something else. There were so many things she didn’t know and she wasn’t sure she believed what her father said about the pegasus. Wish needed to uncover everything or she’d never be at ease. That at least was something she knew for a fact. Finally they reached the door to the actual dungeon and Vox opened it up with her red magic. It wasn’t even locked. Inside was a narrow staircase leading down, at the bottom Wish saw the light of a torch, or two, providing the only illumination she could see so far. Wish swallowed nervously as she felt sweat start to drip down her face. The dungeon. There it was. “Feels good to be home,” Vox smiled as she started walking down the stairs. Wish took a deep breath and followed right behind her. As they hit the bottom of the stairs they emerged into a rectangular “room” that directly led to the dungeon cells right ahead of them. There was no door, just a hallway in the middle that went far into darkness, bordered on both sides by cells blocked off by stone walls and metal bars. This room they were standing in now had a desk to the left of the stairs they had just walked down, and two hooks on the wall above it. A ring of keys was hung around one of the hooks while the other just had a single key hanging from it. To the right was a door built into the wall that looked like it was for storage. Wish hadn’t noticed at first, because they hadn’t said anything, but there was an Inquisitor sitting at the desk. “The keys,” Vox sharply said without looking at him. “And get the device and have it brought to her cell.” The other Inquisitor reached up and pulled the ring of keys off the hook, hoofing them to Vox. She swiftly grabbed them and started to happily whistle as she walked towards the cells. The corridor that ran between them was fairly wide so you weren’t in “danger” of any pony trying to reach through the bars at you as long as you stood in the middle. Before walking down them, Vox also pulled a torch off the wall with her magic so they had a light to see with as they traveled down the cells. She looked back at Wish and raised an eyebrow. Wish gulped and followed her. Behind them both, she heard the chair the other Inquisitor was using scrape against the floor as he stood up. She looked over her shoulder at him and saw him walking towards the storage room. “How are you liking the dungeons so far?” Vox asked. Wish could hear the smile on her face. Wish bit her lip as she looked at Vox’s back and the glowing torch she held over her head. “It’s...” “Don’t mind the prisoners. They can’t hurt you,” Vox chuckled. “The prisoners?” Wish looked into the cells they were walking by, the light of the torch just barely showing shapes huddled up in the darkness. Wish had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t noticed, hadn’t been thinking about anypony else down here besides the pegasus. She could hear some of the imprisoned ponies they walked past moaning in despair and fear, the ones that were close enough to the light for Wish to see were thin and shrunk away the moment Wish’s eyes fell upon them. A few startled gasps came from the dark cells as Vox walked by them, the prisoners obviously worried the Head Inquisitor was coming from them. She heard muttered pleas for mercy and help from the darkness. All of which Vox ignored and Wish was too afraid or ashamed to answer. It made her feel sick. “That pegasus you want to see is at the very end, we’re almost there,” Vox said again. “O-Okay...” Wish said. Her heart was pounding the further they went. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting but it was almost time, she was about to finally see the rainbow pegasus for real. They passed an intersecting path in the cells that from what Wish could see led only to another area of cells in both directions along with maybe some more doors and storage. After that it was a straight shot to the back of the dungeon. The farthest place from the door and stairs they had used to come down here. The cell they were walking towards wasn’t to the sides of the corridor but directly at its end. A large, dark cell that sat forebodingly in front of Wish. Her heart threatened to jump right out of her chest at this point. Wish almost wanted to turn tail and run away, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to take any of this back after today. Hesitation. Anxiety. Fear. Regret. Guilt. All sorts of things were bubbling inside her. But so was wonder. And curiosity. And a burning desire to know. Vox stopped in front of the cell and held the torch up, a smug grin on her face, the faint light from it only beating back the darkness a little bit. Only the edge of the cell was visible and if there was anypony inside it they weren’t sitting up right by the bars. Wish stood beside Vox and- “Back so soon? Guess you really aren’t ever going to learn your lesson,” a raspy voice said from inside the cell. Wish froze up while a snide chuckle escaped Vox’s throat and she levitated the torch through the bars to fully illuminate its interior and the pony imprisoned inside it. The eyes of the young filly widened as she finally saw the rainbow pegasus—and not just in her blurry dreams. Just as she had known, her mane and tail were an extravaganza of color the likes of which she had never seen on another pony. Her coat was a pretty sky blue, and her Cutie Mark was an exciting cloud and rainbow thunderbolt. The pegasus’s eyes were an impressively sharp ruby that pierced out from the darkness, almost making Wish flinch when she looked directly at them. And like Wish and most everypony else in the kingdom, she had the black band tattooed around her neck. To Wish’s dismay, the more she looked the more she noticed how thin and emaciated the pegasus was. As if she hadn’t been fed properly in ages. And she probably hadn’t been. She was also chained down on top of a wooden table, with shackles binding her hooves, wings, and midsection and making her practically immobile. And yet her voice and eyes were still full of strength. Wish could feel it. “Oh, as full of sass and spirit as ever,” Vox giggled. Her magic then carried the torch over to the side of the cell and placed it in a receptacle for it, keeping a steady light inside of the pegasus’s cell. The rainbow pegasus frowned—and then her eyes glanced down and she seemed to notice Wish for the first time. “Who’s the kid?” “This kid?” Vox smiled and before Wish could respond she leaned down and put her hooves on Wish’s shoulders. “This kid is the reason for my visit today! She’s the daughter of Master Dreamweaver.” The rainbow pony’s jaw dropped in shock. “His daughter?” She gawked. “What are you doing down here, kid?” “Why it’s because of you, of course!” Vox again answered for Wish. “You see, this silly filly has been having some rather scary nightmares recently. Nightmares that she sees you in. Nightmares caused by you. She came down here to see the one causing all her torment in an attempt to get over it.” She finished with a laugh. “So, allow me to formally introduce the two of you~” She patted Wish’s head patronizingly and scooted her as close to the bars as possible. “This charming little filly, daughter of Master Dreamwaver, is named Wish!” She then pointed at the rainbow pony. “And that sorry prisoner in our dungeon—is Rainbow Dash! Say hi to each other!” “Hi,” Rainbow Dash snorted in annoyance, rolling her eyes at Vox’s behavior. “Um… hi,” Wish muttered, much more quietly. Another frown passed across Rainbow’s face and she actually looked at Wish with some concern. “You’ve been… having nightmares because of me? For real? Sorry… but uh, at the same time I don’t remember ever seeing you before. How come you’re having nightmares about me?” “They’re not… it’s not...” She caught Vox grinning her out of the corner of her eye and stopped. “N-Never mind. But um, I saw you. The day you came to attack the castle. And got thrown in the dungeon. I was watching you. I’m not surprised you didn’t notice me at all though… you were… um… occupied.” “Occupied with getting chased down and chained up,” Vox snickered. Rainbow Dash glared at her before she looked back at Wish with a softer expression. “Well I hope now you can see that I’m not so scary. Or dangerous, heh.” “Yeah,” Wish actually smiled slightly. “Oh anypony can see that,” Vox interrupted. “But it’s not enough, is it? So now we get to the other reason the two of us are here.” “What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked her. Vox brought a hoof up to her mouth and giggled through it. “Why, Rainbow Dash, we’re just going to be doing something you’re very familiar with. And the silly filly here is going to watch.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious, you’re going to have this kid watch while you do that? You’re sick.” Vox rolled her eyes. “Oh it’s not like I’m physically torturing you. Besides, it’s all a-okay according to her father. Nothing to worry about.” “She’s...” Rainbow Dash bit her lip and looked at Wish. “You’re really his daughter?” “Y-Yes,” Wish nodded. She was looking between Rainbow Dash and Vox. “W-What do you mean, torture? What’s the Inquisitor duty father asked you to do?” “You’ll see. It should be coming now,” Vox said, giggling and looking back down the corridor. Wish looked too, but she heard it first. The sound of a cart being pushed through the darkness. “Why’d he let her come down here? Why does he want her to see this?” Rainbow Dash asked Vox. “Her father believed it would be helpful for Wish that she sees you totally helpless. That she gets to see what’s done to any pony that would try and take her happiness away. Or something like that—I don’t really care so long as I get to have fun,” Vox shrugged. Rainbow Dash sighed and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths before looking at Wish again. “Kid, you seem like a nice filly, I don’t know what your relationship with your father and this nutjob here are like, but this isn’t something you’re going to want to watch. Go back up those stairs and forget about me. I’m sure you can get over your nightmares.” She then glared at Vox. “You know you’re not going to get what you want, right? It’s going to be the same as every other time.” “I know~” Vox giggled. From the darkness, the other Inquisitor emerged pushing a cart with a familiar box on top of it. Wish felt herself start to shake and Rainbow Dash growled at it. He came to a stop behind the two mares and stood there quietly until Vox ordered him to leave. While humming a tune to herself, she brought her ring of keys to the lock on Rainbow Dash’s cell and unlocked it. The door swung open and Vox stepped inside, holding it open for Wish to walk in as well. She did so, and now all three of them were inside the cell, her and the Head Inquisitor standing right beside the chained up prisoner. Vox hung the keys up on the door and then ran a hoof through Rainbow Dash’s mane. “I wonder how long you’ll be down here until your hair starts falling out and your coat loses its luster?” Vox said. “Heh, I didn’t even want to keep you here anymore.” Vox then grabbed the box with her red magic and levitated it into the cell. She placed it down right in front of Rainbow Dash’s face. “Time for an Inquisition,” Vox smiled and opened up the box, sliding the lid off. Rainbow Dash was glaring fiercely at Vox and Wish had gone silent. The filly’s breathing was coming out in short gasps and her heart was pounding as Vox levitated something out of the box. It looked like a cross between a metal cage and a helmet. There was a cap on the top, with large screws inside it going through other beams of metal to hold them in place. A leather strap was bound around the bottom of it and around eye-level another beam of metal protruded out from the cap that tiny clamps attached to wires were fastened on. Directly below that, another beam welded to the one above it had a few more clamps attached to it. More random strips of metal came out of the back of it that were all held together by screws and tight wires. On the right side of the cap was an empty glass test-tube attached to a metal loop, the top of it was screwed into another piece of metal coming out the side like a faucet. And all across every last inch of metal, not leaving a single blank spot, were inscriptions of some sort. Wish thought they were just random scratches at first but the harder she looked the more they looked like math equations or some kind of weird foreign language. “W-What is that?” Wish asked. She felt fear just looking at it. “This-” Vox said, holding it up to show it off better. “It’s what’s used in my true Inquisitor duty. It’s a device that amplifies and harvests the primary emotion of the one wearing it. Your father told me he received it from some other pony, but he didn’t tell me anything else. Aside from how it works.” With a grin, Vox placed the device on Rainbow Dash’s head even as the pegasus struggled and glared at her. Vox just found that amusing and quickly got the cap on right and tightened the strap right below Rainbow Dash’s jaw to keep it steady. As Wish looked on in horror and disgust, the tiny clamps were affixed to Rainbow Dash’s eyelids, forcing them open, and the screws on top of the cap were tightened so much that Wish was worried they would start drilling into her skull if Vox turned them one more time. “There we go. You look as wonderful as always with that on,” Vox laughed and got down right in front of Rainbow Dash’s face. The pegasus was forced to look at her and Wish could see her clenching her jaw in anger and frustration. Her eyes were watering thanks to the clamps keeping them open. “Still just angry though. We want despair from you, Rainbow Dash. That’s what needs to be harvested, not anger.” “Go jump off a bridge,” Rainbow Dash bit out. “Heh. Well, I figured this is how it would go. You’re really something else,” Vox’s eyes flickered to Wish. “Come stand here with me. Watch her face.” “I-I don’t-” “Come here,” Vox sharply commanded. Wish was shaking as she walked over, her legs felt weak, but she couldn’t stop herself. In the end she stood right by Vox’s side and looked up at Rainbow Dash’s face while the device was affixed to her head. The prisoner looked enraged as she just glared at Vox. It was frightening, she had seemed concerned, even kind of nice just a minute ago, and now she had a visage of frothing anger. She was practically snarling at this point. “See? She’s just a helpless beast trapped in our dungeon now. Totally at our mercy. I’m sure those nightmares will be a thing of the past after today,” Vox said. She chuckled a bit and leaned in closer to Rainbow Dash, staring directly into her eyes. Her horn lit up and a red glow briefly covered the device and all the little inscriptions on it before fading away. “Tell me—how angry are you? Be honest.” “Very. Enough to rip your throat out,” Rainbow Dash growled. “Ooh, that’s pretty good,” Vox nodded. “Even saying something like that in front of an innocent little filly, the device is certainly working.” “If I wasn’t chained down you wouldn’t have such a dumb smirk on your face. I’m going to get you back for all of this and everything else you’ve done!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Vox laughed and started clapping. “More, please~” “I’ll tear your head off! I’ll bring this whole castle and everypony in it down! I don’t care if you beg for mercy!” Rainbow Dash pulled against her restraints with all her might, she was yelling and her eyes were red from more than just being pulled open, she wasn’t acting like a normal pony anymore. Vox was right, she had become a beast. “You want to know how I feel you psycho?! I’m furious! I hate you! I’m angry!” “So angry you can’t even think straight, it’s wonderful. And it should be just about time...” Vox said. Wish meanwhile was trembling at the unnatural rage of the pegasus. She wasn’t even paying any attention to Vox or what they were saying anymore. Terror and confusion had completely gripped her heart and mind. Vox lit up her horn and tightened the screws on the cap again, making Rainbow wince. “Let it all out, Rainbow Dash,” Vox said. “Rrrrnnnghh!” Rainbow Dash stopped speaking with words entirely and just growled and barked at Vox. Wish was sure that if she wasn’t chained down that all of those threats wouldn’t have just been empty words. And as she watched the now manic pegasus, the faucet at the side of her head that the test-tube was attached to started to leak something. Wish almost thought it was blood at first, it was red, but bright red, and it dripped down into the test-tube, coming from the faucet. Which in turn must’ve come from the cap or… perhaps it really was coming from inside Rainbow Dash. She was practically mesmerized as she watched that viscous red liquid fill up the test-tube while Rainbow Dash roared and foamed at the mouth. Finally the tube filled up and Vox lit up her horn with magic again. The device glowed for a second and then came to a stop, Rainbow Dash seemed to lose most of the energy she had and her whole body pretty much collapsed. She was already chained down but now it was like she had fallen asleep, her head hung limply with the device still on and her eyes still clamped open. Only a few faint breaths escaped from her throat. Wish felt like throwing up. “Always takes a lot out of everypony...” Vox muttered and reached forward to start taking off the clamps and loosening the screws. Lastly she undid the strap and took the device off of Rainbow Dash’s head, but the pegasus only continued to lie there in exhaustion. The Head Inquisitor laughed at the state she was in. “How do you feel, Rainbow Dash?” The pegasus’s eyes rolled up and shot a weak glare at Vox. “Oh please, I’m the one who should be upset right now. Red again. Nothing but pure, honest, anger. Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s not what we need at all,” Vox shook her head. She pulled the test-tube off the device and corked it with a stopper from the box. “Well it’s no big deal. Today was about Wish. I’m sure she got to see all she needed to see.” The Head Inquisitor’s red eyes drifted down to the shivering filly. Wish couldn’t even look back up at her. What had she just seen? What was going on? “Wish?” Vox said and tilted the filly’s chin up with her magic, forcing their eyes to meet. “Tell me, please, how happy are you right now? Your father will want to know.” There was only one answer to give. Wish forced a trembling smile onto her face, the rainbow pegasus lying there and staring at her. “T-Ten out of ten.”