//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: A Thorn in the Empire 
// by ShiverMay 
//------------------------------//

     Narrating: Dark Knight

As I walked down the narrow hallway a melodic voice echoed around the cramped space. It was a voice that should belong to a little filly. I immediately recognized it as ShiverMay. I continued to walk until I came up to another cell. This one was white and padded, but when you look at the mirror on the left wall and the completely exposed cell bars, it is clear that its only like that to insult her. Inside she was singing a song. "Cheesy the cheese guy, you're entirely made of cheese!" It was a tune I recognized but those were definitely not the words. "Frosty the Snowcolt" I think it was. The way she bobbed her head as she sang really did make her look like a filly, but she was almost a full grown mare. She already had her cutiemark, which was a pair of drama masks. The happy one was a light orange, the sad a darker. I gave a little laugh and caught her attention. "Fuzzy!" The cyan pegasus yelled scooting closer. "How was your day?" She always sounded happy. I guess that was part of her special talent. Staying happy so she can make others happy. And that's what she did. Every time I came to see her I left with a smile.

"It was fine," I replied. "I saw your sister."

"Ya did?" She whispered, her eyes lighting up like a foal at the sound of dessert. "What's she like? I haven't seen her in absolutely forever!"

"I didn't really get to talk to her much. The thing is May: she tried to escape, and I'm not sure how the king will react to that."

"Wow. It can't be long ago that she was just learning to sit up. Now she wants to run?"

"She does. And she was pretty close to the barrier too. I'm sure if she got a chance I'm sure she'd try again. But they're not going to let that happen. She's going to see King Sombra right now."

She almost barked at his name. "Sombra," she growled with a smile that belonged to a psychopath. It would have been scary if the rest of her wasn't so adorable. "If he harms her in anyway I swear." She jumped up and took a stance. Ready to pounce, even though the only thing she could pounce was her blond and turquoise tail. "Swear it to the sky! I will... I'll... I'll shred him like cheese! Yeah 'cause that's what he is: icky yucky floppy moldy cheese."

"I won't let anything happen to her, May." I tried not to laugh. She just looked so silly.

She sat back down and looked right at me. "You better not," she said slowly letting her voice trail off. "Or I'll shave your head. And Fuzzy won't be very fuzzy anymore." It was a ridiculous threat but somehow with the lack of her usual foal like tone in her voice she sounded a little scary