Crash Landing

by TheUnknownPerson

Week #1

Nova's pod opened with a hiss of air. He fell forward, catching himself on his forehooves as his body slammed against the ground. His back had turned red from the constant shocks. He turned back onto his back, sighing with a relieved, breathless laugh.

It's over... It's finally over. Nova took a deep breath. Thank Celestia.

"All right subjects, good first day. We got a lot accomplished today. Eat, rest, get some sleep, do whatever the hay you need to do to recharge. We're done for the night, thank Luna. I'll see you all tomorrow morning for the dream session." The stallion's steps could be heard trotting away before the audio cut out.

"Microphone disconnected. Experiment #1 status: Complete. Logging questions and answers. Entering hibernation mode..."

The lights dimmed slightly, just enough to ease the strain on Nova’s eyes. He was exhausted; he could barely hold his eyes open. Unfortunately, before he could get a chance to rest, a growling in his stomach reminded him that eating was a rather important thing. He groaned, turning onto his side. I'll just grab something tomorrow...

Nova slipped a forehoof under his head, resting the other on his chest. He shut his eyes as he eagerly awaiting sleep to come and take his consciousness away. However, before he could, a slight noise quietly echoed throughout the room, just loud enough to make him open his eyes. He focused on the wall in front of him, the sound intensifying and becoming clear as he cautiously crawled towards it. The sound wasn't mechanical; it wasn't clicking or clacking with bits and pieces of moving or colliding metal. It almost sounded like...

Who's crying?

Eclipse sat in the pod. The door had been opened, ready and waiting for her to move out. She just... couldn't force herself out. It had been a token of her life recently, and the irony of it was too good.

I wasted all that time running away from my problems, and when I wake up and actually want to fix them, I get trapped in another one. It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad. She giggled, the situation suddenly hilarious. Her giggles turned into laughing. It was almost hysterical when she forced herself up out of the pod. She landed with a thud before the laughter suddenly ceased. Her wings had gone numb and her hind hooves were tingling, her nerves still on edge from the experiment's shocks.

A... And now I'm going to have to pick up the pieces of what's left of me after this. All over again. I have to. Because they had to leave me... Her eyes stung as tears quickly began to fill them. She growled, angry at the ones who had so uncaringly left her to deal with the world by herself. Eclipse punched the tiled floor beneath her. She followed up with another. Then another. She beat against it as if it were the ponies who betrayed her, taking out all the rage and frustration she felt against them. Her muscles were already sore from the experiment, and eventually, her hooves fatigued.

"Mom... Dad..." Eclipse whimpered, before coughing hoarsely, choking on her own breath. "Why?" she asked as if the two could hear her calls. "Why would you leave me alone?" Her tears finally broke through as she wept. She laid there, crying as she tried to forget. Forget everything her parents had done for her or to her, good or bad. It only hurt to remember.

"H-Hello?" A quiet voice beckoned.

Eclipse froze. S-Somepony else?

"Hello?" She called.

"Over here!"

Eclipse looked over at her right wall. She quickly crawled over, unable to stand without feeling weakness in her hooves.

"Is anypony there?"

"It's the unicorn from before. Nova." Nova's voice was worried, his tone rushed. "I'm sorry-- are you alright? I heard you crying."

"I'm fine." She said immediately.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I know that experiment was bad."

"Tell me about it... I can barely feel my wings."

"My hooves are tingling. At least my horn's fine."

"Good, good." They remained silent for a few moments.

"Do-do you mind talking a little bit more before we go to sleep?"

"Sure, why not." She shrugged her shoulders. Anything to get them off her mind.

"Return."

Rarity gasped, returning to consciousness. Experiment, release, return, experiment, release, return, experiment, release, return... Even though she had only been here for a few days, she had already begun to tire of the constant cycle the Administrator was putting her through. She didn't care to try and look around with a blindfold still covering her eyes. The Administrator's horseshoes clicked as she passed by Rarity. Rarity jumped suddenly as a hoof brushed over her ear and mane.

"How is our favorite little lab rat?" The Administrator questioned before she grunted, something creaking under her voice. Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but only a dry wheeze escaped her.

"Oh... We guess you're starting to dry out, hm? Understandable. You haven't drunk anything since you've got here," the Administrator noted. A hoof held Rarity's right forehoof, causing her to jump. "Don't worry, we're not going to allow that to happen. Plus, we cannot waste a such a special subject."

Water splashed, then came to a slow trickle as it filled something. Rarity gasped as something bumped into her chin, causing her to jerk back and a cool liquid to splash on her chest.

"Go on. Drink."

"H... How do I know that the beverage isn't tainted?" Rarity questioned. Her voice was raspy, and her throat and vocal cords lacked so much moisture that the very simple, welcomed act of speaking pained her.

The Administrator paused, before sighing. The blindfold lifted high enough for her right eye to see. A glass of water was levitating in front of her, held up by a dark purple magic. Clear, pure water.

"See? Now drink."

Rarity leaped at the opportunity, greedily gulping down the water and forgetting any of her usual ladylike manners. She quickly gulped down the glass, only stopping every few seconds to breathe.

"There." The Administrator pulled the glass away as Rarity finished off the glass. "Better now?"

Rarity nodded. "Thank you." She breathed. A handkerchief enveloped in the Administrator's magic rose from her desk, quickly wiping the excess water that had accumulated around Rarity's lips. It slipped down her chin before coming to rest back on the Administrator's chest.

"Your supplements were mixed with it. Nothing to worry about, we assure you. You'll feel full and you'll have some of your strength back soon. Not enough to break those straps, of course, but just enough to have you feeling refreshed," the Administrator said, standing. She trotted up to Rarity, leaning down to her. Her surgical mask had been replaced with a blue, sterile one.

"We hope you’ll be fine too. We're about to start our next experiment." The Administrator giggled happily, patting Rarity on the head as she stood up straight.

"W... What do you mean?"

"We want to see how far we can push your generosity." The Administrator took a step forward, beginning to trot past Rarity. "From this day forward, your little 'friend,’ Nova, won't get a good night of sleep. Nor will you." She turned, going behind her. "Each time you get close to sleep, you'll get sudden..." A pair of hooves suddenly jumped on her. "Jolt. But we won't do it to both to you. Instead, you get to choose. Who'll go a night without sleep, you, or Nova?"

"I will--" "We weren't finished," the Administrator spat harshly. Rarity remained quiet.

"It'll continue like this until you say, 'I give' or 'I can't endure this anymore'. You won't get a single wink until you choose yourself over him. We've been wondering how long you'll last." She trotted back past her right side, returning in front of Rarity. "A day? Two? A week?" The Administrator pondered, bringing a hoof up to Rarity's chin. "That'll be up to you, darling." She released her, walking back to her desk and sitting down. "Oh, and it should be obvious, but we won't be using our spell to make you come and go, not until this is over." The Administrator's magic covered Rarity's eye back up. "So, what will it be?"

"I will." Rarity answered without hesitation. The Administrator smiled beneath her mask.

"Good. We're glad to see you're so... eager." Discontent was poorly hidden in her voice. Close to sadness.

Why is she upset? Rarity pondered. She hadn't seen her show any vulnerability, not yet at least. Perhaps she has retained some morality?

Regardless of why, the Administrator turned down to the paper in front of her, forcing a smile as the scribbling and tapping of a pen filled the room as Rarity dreadfully awaited her experiment to begin.

"You think that there's any way out?"

"Of course. There's always a weakness, small or big. Just gotta search for it." Eclipse nodded. Her time in officer training had been brief, but she still retained some of the knowledge she had been taught. Plus, she had always been an optimist before everything happened.

"But finding it is just going to be the problem..." Nova was doubtful, clearly. He was afraid they'd only get caught with their resistance.

"C'mon, chin up. This could be the weakness, we just haven't broken through it yet."

"And find what? Ourselves? And what about the earth pony-- uh..." "Alto?"

"Yeah, yeah. How'd we get him out?"

"We can find a way. One thing at a time. We can always come back for him if we need to." She spoke with confidence. .

"Really? Hm... A willingness to abandon her friends..." The stallion spoke over the intercom. Eclipse and Nova both gasped.

"You knew about this?!"

"Of course. You two were taking waaaaay too long when you were eating. So, I might've eavesdropped."

"And you let us talk?" Nova questioned. It didn't make sense.

"Of course. I think it's healthy to have somepony to talk to. Who knows, it might blossom into a bea-utiful friendship." The stallion sighed loudly, seeming excited. "Plus it keeps you sane longer. More time to experiment equals more results to work with, which equals more information for me."

Eclipse sighed, disgusted. There always was an ulterior motive to their methods. "Of course... Why didn't think of that first?"

"Anyways, I wouldn't worry about Subject #001 anymore. He's fine by himself. Plus he's still paying for breaking a window."

"He can handle himself." She affirmed.

"Ooo, bold claims. Let's see if you can back that talk up in our next experiment. It's still a few days away, don't worry." The stallion cleared his throat. "And just so you know, this facility is impenetrable. Even if you do somehow manage to escape, you won't make it very far."

"We'll see about that..." Eclipse muttered under her breath.

"Anyways, I have things to attend to. Ta-ta."

"Switching to all room frequency."

"Horseapples," Nova whispered as he sat back down beside the wall. "Should we stay quiet or anything?"

"No, no. They already know, no point in trying." Eclipse sighed. She slammed her hoof into the depression, sending a vibration through to Nova. "Horsefeathers!"

"It-it's gonna be fine. We just have to be more careful--"

"Current time: 8:00 AM. Preparing research equipment. Subjects #001, #002, #004, please enter your pods."

Nova sighed. "I'll see you after this is done."

"Yeah, same to you. Good luck." She called as she stood, trotting back over to her pod.

Rarity sat in her chair, feeling her eyelids get heavier and heavier with every passing minute.

"Please, I implore you to cease this nonsense." She called. "You must have had family--" "They abandoned us." There was a sharp, bitter tone in her voice. Rarity chewed her lip nervously. Her face relaxed into more of a frown. "They've forgotten us by now..." the previous bitterness had disappeared, replaced with heartbreak. "What does it matter? We never finished anything with them." the Administrator muttered to herself, almost trying to convince herself of that fact. shook her head slightly, returning back to Rarity.

"W-Well, you must have friends--" "Friends are useless. Their help is only temporary, and they distract you from your main objective."

"That's simply not true." Rarity proclaimed(against her better judgment). The Administrator stared at her as if she had just been insulted. "Er- I mean, what I was getting across was that friendship can help you in more ways than one. How do you think I've amassed as much as I have without it?"

"Because you're weak." She leaned up, empowered by her words. "You couldn't get to the top by yourself. No, you used each and every pony you knew to help you there, step by step until you didn't need them anymore."

"And who are you to make such unfounded accusations?"

"Something with the right to speak what we do more than anyone else." The Administrator hissed lowly. She breathed through her nose, straightening herself as she stood. The Administrator’s horseshoes clicked louder as she trotted towards Rarity. "How are you fairing right now?"

"I'm fine." Rarity answered quickly Too quickly.

"Oh, that was rather fast. You're sure you're not feeling the least bit tired?" She asked, although she already knew the answer to her question. "Bags under your eyes, speech beginning to slow... we suppose it's almost time."

Rarity gasped with a jump, feeling something cold and slimy stick to her right shoulder. Another stuck to the right side of her chest.

"Here's how it's going to work." The Administrator lifted Rarity's blindfold as she stood, the floorboards creaking she trotted towards Rarity. Rarity looked down at her chest, gasping as she noticed two dark tendrils stuck to her chest and shoulder, exactly where she felt them at. The clock behind her was frozen, and the room was unusually dark. They lead up to a black, powered monitor. "We put this right here to monitor your heart rate and the other to check your blood pressure. If it drops below this," She pointed to a red line near the bottom of the monitor. "you'll start to enter light sleep. It'll shock you automatically, waking you up."

"Please--" "And if you keep begging us to stop, we'll keep the shocks on for longer. Just for fun."

Rarity reluctantly capitulated to her demands. She sighed before a sudden jolt of electricity went through her. Her head shot up as her chest pushed itself forward.

"Oh, we forgot to mention; we can change the level in which it shocks you at any time." The Administrator laughed before the shock stopped. Rarity's muscles relaxed. Her once clean, styled mane had become unwashed and bedraggled. "We'd wish you good luck, but this isn't actually something you can avoid."

The rest of the night was filled with shocks of electricity, jolts, screams, shrieks, tears... torture. The torment of a defenseless mare echoed throughout the Administrator's office for the remainder of the night.

Nova awoke to a shriek. Albeit a quiet one, it was filled with fear and pain. He leaned forward, only to bump into the pod.

"Hey-- hey!" His hooves tried to force the pod open, but it refused to budge. "Hello? Doctor?" Nova called. "Who is that?"

"Switching to single room frequency. Casting to: Subject #004"

"Ugh...You're not supposed to be awake yet, subject." The stallion's speech was groggy as if he had just woken up.

"Who is that?"

"Your little mare friend managed to make the Administrator angry. Furious, in fact."

"Who? Rarity?"

"Who else, smart one." The stallion replied, clearly annoyed by the minor inconvenience that was Nova. "She's taking a bullet for you, y'know."

"What do you mean?"

"The Administrator gave her the choice of giving you a restless night of sleep or giving herself one. She chose the latter."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"Oh, for Celestia's sake." He slammed his hoof right beside the microphone. "She's getting shocked, bozo! Electrocuted, jolted-- whatever the hay you want to call it! Is that clear enough for you?!" The stallion suddenly hissed, speaking fastly.

"Why?"

"All I know is that she has the choice to give it to herself or to you, alright?" The stallion answered, calmer than before, his voice becoming groggy again. "I know about as much as you. She and the Administrator had some history, apparently."

"Shouldn't I get a choice in this? She shouldn't suffer the weight of that!"

"I personally agree, but she's the boss. She makes the rules, and gets to carry out any and all experiments she wants." The stallion yawned. "Welp, I need another cup of coffee. I'll open your pod, but don't wake the other subjects."

"I won't." Nova agreed. The pod door slowly opened.

"You've got about a half hour before I wake the other subjects. Use it wisely." The stallion advised. "Computer, enter silent mode."

"Yes, doctor."

Nova's pod slowly opened. He stepped out, noticing the lights were still dimmed from the previous night.

It is a half hour before the others wake up... What can I do? He pondered. Suddenly, he remembered the conversation he and Eclipse had yesterday. There's always a weakness, small or big. Just gotta search for it.

This is the perfect opportunity! He quickly galloped over to the side of the padded wall, feeling it down for any loose bolts or failing joints. You've got plenty of time. Take your time, feel for anything loose, then go on to the next one. Nova repeated to himself, giving himself a mental pep talk as he moved to the next panel.

Rarity's head fell, her mane following her as she tried to stay awake. Her chest and right shoulder burned from the constant shocks, the skin around the straps turning red from the contact. The Administrator sat at her desk in front of Rarity, smiling, almost giddy in seeing the pony in pain.

"Please... please. You must stop..." Rarity pled, looking up to her. "This is sullying whatever you worked for in your life... No matter how much you think that everypony has abandoned you, you've still got someone who'll care once they see what has happened to you. Cease--"

Another shot of electricity burst through her, sending her head back into the contracted position she almost had come to get familiarized with. Rarity screamed, trying to desperately rid herself of her pain somehow. However, it remained. For what seemed like an eternity before it suddenly came to a stop. Her muscles relaxed, exhausted from the night of torture. She felt something trickling down her snout, rolling over her lips. Blood, dripping down her chin and onto the floor below.

"Don't patronize us. You know you hate our guts for this. It's distasteful to lie to us, pretending to be our friend." The Administrator said before she sighed. "We've decided to give you somewhat of a reprieve." The Administrator stood, before the red line on the monitor lowered drastically. "You'll be allowed to get some rest, although it'll still shock you if you enter deep sleep." She leaned down, opening a desk. The Administrator pulled out a white surgical mask, her magic lifting it out of her hoof and tying it around the back of her head, covering her mouth and snout.

"Plea..."

"What was that?" She leaned down. "An admission of defeat? Or maybe you've cracked?"

"Please..."

"Speak louder. Stress on the lungs really impedes the vocal cords' ability."

Rarity snapped up to the Administrator, flinging small rivets of blood onto her cloak and fore legs. Her mane and coat were glazed in a coat of sweat, and her mane had fallen across her left eye.

"You are not going to make me surrender!" She proclaimed, leaning forward. The Administrator stared her down with a twitch in her eye. Rarity returned it post haste.

"You...!" She straightened her neck, inhaling sharply. "Fine. We were planning on going easier on you if you showed some restraint soon, but this puts a wedge in our previous plans..." Her magic surrounded the bits of her cloak stained with Rarity's blood, pulling the liquid out and wiping it on Rarity's chest, much to her disgust and dismay. "Fine then. No rest for the weary," she affirmed before trotting past her, exiting the office. Rarity glanced back, making sure she was gone and the door was shut, before allowing her head to fall.

I have to remain strong... Nopony else can get injured in this. She reminded herself, although a few unruly thoughts suggested otherwise. Rarity pushed those away immediately, before closing her eyes, trying to get what little rest she could.

Nova took whatever time he could to search the wall up and down. Before and after the dream session, during lunch, even interrupting his usual midday chat with Eclipse. He continued after the research period and right before dinner. Somehow, he had just made it to the end of the wall.

"Switching to single room frequency. Casting to: Subject #004."

The stallion opened with a sigh. "You're still looking for an exit? Who the hay lit a fire under you to get you working so much?"

"There's a way out-- I know it!" Nova refused to humor the stallion.

"Believe what you will, but it's a fact that there is no exit. Only until we've collected enough data or you've come into such a state to which we're unable to retract from you is when we'll release you. Not before, not after." He said firmly, confident of his facility's security.

"Then you're wrong! There's always a weakness!"

The stallion sighed, in a quicker manner this time, clearly losing his patience. "You know what? Fine. I'm tired of dealing with you. Instead, my boss is going to work with you instead. She's been dying to see you since your first dream session."

"Authorization card recognized. Welcome, - [REDACTED]"

The panel at the front opened, with a mysterious purple mare stepping through. Her mane was dark, and the only noise she made was the clacking of her horseshoes against the tiled floor. She looked up at him with one cat-like eye. Nova gasped, recognizing her.

"You!"

"Surprise." She turned, trotting towards him. Nova backed away, into the top right corner of the room. He felt his back touch the padded wall as he saw her coming ever closer.

"Stay back!" Nova warned, his horn brightened as he prepared to defend himself. The mare continued towards him. Nova pointed towards her, firing a violent bolt of magic at her. She simply pointed her horn at it and stood still. As it touched her horn, it turned dark purple, to her own magic, before returning it back to him. Nova ducked, narrowly missing the much more powerful magic. It burned a hole padding above him. By the time he had the chance and the courage to look back up, she was already in front of him. Nova ducked back down, tucking his head between his hind hooves as he covered his head with his forehooves.

"You have potential."

Nova cautiously looked back up to her. She looked down at him, a mixture of curiosity and intrigue spelled across her face. Her eye color lightened, becoming bright purple.

"Wh... What do you mean?"

"You may not be as powerful as most in magic." The mare admitted. "But perhaps there is something there. We're certain you could become more than a simple scholar."

"But I don't want to be more--" "Oh, don't lie. You'd love to put your sister in a better situation. We know you'd do anything to put her back on the straight and narrow."

Nova glanced away. He knew there was some truth to that.

"We can give you the skills necessary to get to there if you'll join us." She extended her left forehoof to him. "We can take you out of this cell and show you your full potential. But only of your choice."

Nova looked at her hoof, contemplating his choice. He extended his right forehoof to her before he noticed a small spec of blood on her horseshoe.

"That's blood..." Nova looked up at her, furious. "Who's blood is that?! Rarity's?!"

The mare looked down, noticing her mistake and quickly putting it down. Her eye darkened quickly.

"How could you possibly know--"

Nova spat on her left forehoof. "How dare you hurt somepony like that! How dare you hurt anypony like that!" His rage had been unleashed. The mare lifted her hoof, slapping him. "Fine! We'll tell her exactly who just made her life miserable!" She yelled before stomping away, the panel closing behind her.

Nova's fury disappeared, the words bringing him down to reality.

W... what did I just do?

Rarity's muscles ached with her nerves on edge. Yet, her mind was in a worse fashion than her body.

It... it's okay darling, you've given enough now, he can take a night... you may stop now.

No! The poor stallion cannot stay through a night of this! You must endure, even if it is just a brief bit longer!

But your... everything, is hurting... You cannot continue, your body cannot take any more.

You must!

You can't!

The door of the office creaked opened, pulling Rarity from her thoughts.

"Ah, good. You're awake." The Administrator noted as she trotted past Rarity, returning to her desk. "Good thing too. Now, let's see how many shocks you've been put through while I was gone..." She looked at the back of the monitor, examining over the back of it. "Thirty-three? Ouch. That's more than Rainbow Dash went through, that's for certain."

"S... She went through this?"

"Mmhm. Thought she could take the pain, but she gave in two days into it. Boring, but the action certainly picked up in her next experiment." The Administrator reminisced about her previous subject, fond of her work. "Regardless, thanks to disrespect I was shown thanks from a certain subject of mine, I'm increasing it." The red line rose up to half the screen. Rarity's eyes widen as the line dropped below it, sending a slight jolt through her. It only lasted half a second, but her chest was already burning. "One last chance before I start. Would you rather take this or give it to Nova?"

Rarity's head shot up as she recognized the chance to allow herself a night of refuge from the experiment. This is your chance! Take it!

What about Nova?! He'll be forced to endure this! Are you really going to put him through this?!

Rarity whimpered, her mind in turmoil. Could she really put another pony through this? Could she endure another night of this?

"Taking longer to decide this time. Perhaps you're finally coming to her senses? Seen the path that friendship leads you down?"

"No... no." Rarity sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.

You cannot put him through this. He's in mourning, what if this forces him off the edge?

But you're exhausted. Just one tiny word and this is over...

Rarity whined again quietly. I-I... I can't continue... I must... he cannot go through this.

She opened her eyes, looking up to the Administrator. "I-I... I will."

She stared at her momentarily, before her eye twitched along with her jaw. "Good." the Administrator's voice shook, although it seemed to have a degree of control. "It'd be boring if you didn't resist some." A click followed the Administrator as she exited, trailed by shocks and shrieks.

"Ugh... I hate this!" Nova slammed his hind hooves on the tile floor.

"You and me both. That mare is insane."

"She came to see you too?"

"No, but the doc told me about her. She looked kinda familiar from what I've seen of her, though..." Eclipse placed a forehoof to her chin, trying to recollect what she could from what she had seen of the mare.

"You know her?"

"I never said that. Just thought that she might've looked like somepony that I've seen before. Can't place a hoof on it, though." She paused again. "Maybe she was somepony from Canterlot?"

"I didn't recognize her. But she's had this surgical mask every time I've seen her, can ever get a good look at her.."

"Did she look like a doctor?"

"No. She looked younger than what I'd expect to be a doctor, really. But she only had one eye."

"Celestia..." Eclipse whispered. "My mom was a doctor. Worked in Fillydelphia." She grinned, a rush of memories flooding her. Good memories. "She would take me there every now and again to see what it was like. It was before I could fly myself, so she used to let me sit on her back and pretend I was flying."

"Oh... that must've been nice," Nova replied a touch of envy in his voice. "What did she look like?"

"Short, white mane, little curl over her left eye... purple coat, soft as a pillow." Eclipse turned away, sadness overwhelming her. No... You can do this, you can do this. She reminded herself before turning back to the wall. "She was an earth pony, my dad was a pegasus."

"What was he like?"

"He tried, but he couldn't really be there for me much. He was a higher-up in Celestia's day guard. The armor he was in looked so cool at the time, made me want to be like him. Ended up just being bulky." She chuckled. "What were yours like?"

"I..." Nova exhaled. "I've never known mine."

Eclipse's heart dropped, realizing the terrible mistake she had just made. "I'm so sorry-- I didn't realize--" "No, it's fine, trust me."

Nova moved onto his shoulder. "I'll talk about it tomorrow. It's about time for the research period." He stood up, trotting away from the wall.

"Oh... okay." Eclipse said, sitting against the wall for a moment. Horsefeathers... Stupid! She thumped herself in the head for her own incompetence before standing and walking away.

Rarity's head bobbed, trying to keep herself awake. Her half-lidded eyes had become bloodshot from her lack of sleep.

You imbecile! You had the chance to end this! Why didn't you take it?!

You did the right thing... even if- A shock ran through Rarity's chest and shoulder, causing her muscles to contract suddenly. Her head shot up as she clamped down on her bottom lip, holding in a pained yelp. It only persisted a few moments longer, but it seemed like an eternity to her. Even if it's killing me to do it...

The door behind Rarity slammed opened, the knob nearly crashing into the chair. The Administrator stomped in, settling in front of her.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous now." She sighed, annoyed. "We're sure you're tired of this too. Just say a single pony's name and this will all end." the Administrator turned to the right, stepping in front of Rarity. Rarity glanced away, turning to her head to the right as she refused to speak, not allowing her the satisfaction of hearing her break.

"You know what?" The Administrator's voice shook as if she was having a hard time speaking. The control she carried in her voice was gone. "Fine. We don't care anymore. We're going to break you tonight." her hoof shuddered as she hiked the red bar up to the middle of the screen. A sudden shock went through Rarity, causing her to sharply gasp. Her eye flashed to light purple for a moment before returning to the previous dark purple color.

"Don't make us do this. You won't like this."

This is your opportunity! Take it!

No! You can't!

Rarity silently wept, the decision weighing heavy on her shoulders. I... I-I can't.... I can't continue.

"Why... why are you crying?"

Rarity glanced upwards towards the Administrator, surprised by the hesitation in her voice. The clock had slowly begun ticking, the tendrils attached to her becoming slightly translucent. The darkness in the room suddenly flashed, revealing it only for a second before returning to darkness. Is... is this it? Have I truly gone insane?

"We're doing something good... I- I'm doing something good, so why are you crying?"

"I... I give up... you win... do what you will with me." Rarity whispered, the darkness continued to disappear and reappear.

"What?" The Administrator seemed genuinely shocked, her head reviling back in horror. "No, no! That's not what I wanted!" her head lowered. She put her right forehoof to her forehead, her head slowly shaking. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen." the tendrils disappeared as the room became brighter, the clock beginning to tick. Her eye had brightened, becoming light purple. The Administrator removed her hoof, the room brightening as she stepped closer to Rarity.

"Please, don't hurt-"

Before Rarity had the chance to finish, the Administrator knelt down, wrapping her hooves around Rarity as she hugged her tightly. She rested her head on Rarity's right shoulder. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." the Administrator whispered gently as not to assault Rarity's ears.

"W-who are you?" Rarity asked, genuinely curious as to who the pony currently inhabiting her torturer was. She was completely different, from being a cold-blooded, heartless mare to a compassionate, comforting one.

"I," The Administrator pulled her head back, frowning, her face straining as if she genuinely didn't know. "I don't remember. Everything is so fuzzy..."

"Fuzzy how?"

"I don't remember... anything." Her eye widened, before flashing dark purple. "No... they're coming back!" she brought a forehoof to her mane, tears in her eye and her voice shaking.

"W-Who?"

"Them! The N-!" The Administrator cried out in pain as she backed away, slipping on some fallen papers. She landed in her chair, rolling back. The room began to darken as the back of the chair came to rest against the wall. Her eye reappeared, dark purple.

"We..." She took a shaken breath before clearing her throat. "We apologize for pushing you so far." the Administrator grunted as she stood up. Her horn brightened, picking up the papers she had tripped over and resting them upon the edge of her desk. The dark cloud of magic motioned towards Rarity, surrounding the strap binding her right forehoof to the chair.

"Can you walk?" She asked as she walked out from behind her desk. Her magic pulled the strap from its velcro snare, releasing her hoof. The skin beneath had reddened, raw from Rarity's constant struggling and shaking.

"I-I am not entirely sure-" "Yes or no, can you walk?" The Administrator asked again, firmer, yet keeping a gentle voice. The second strap released, allowing Rarity to move her forehooves. She pushed up out of the chair, only for her hooves to collapse as she reached the ground, too weak and tired to catch her.

"We suppose not." She knelt down, slipping a hoof under Rarity's chest and lifting her, high enough to where she could stand.

"I don't think I can..."

"That is... acceptable. We have a spell that may help." Her horn brightened, a thin trail of magic slithering through the air, before slipping around Rarity's hooves. Rarity felt a new-found strength come about her, returning some energy to her fatigued hooves. The Administrator removed her hoof, allowing Rarity to stand on her own.

"It'll last long enough for you to get back to your room." Her horn brightened, something behind her clicking. "He'll be here in approximately two minutes. Try to stay awake, you only have to endure a little bit longer."

Rarity nodded, although barely. Her mind was tired, all she wanted was to sleep.

Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, there was a knock at her door.

"Ma'am? You ringed me?" The doctor asked from behind the door.

"Enter."

He opened the door, walking through wearing his usual white lab coat. HIs eyes cast a glance on Rarity for a moment, before returning to the Administrator. "Yes, ma'am?"

"We need you to take Rari- Subject #003 back to Subject #004's room. She's to be given a two-day respite from any research or experiments."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, ma'am?"

"That's not your concern. Your concern should be that she gets back to her room, safely and unharmed. Now."

"Yes, ma'am." The doctor spoke quickly, taking Rarity by her right forehoof and gently pulling her away. "Don't worry sweetheart, you can count on me." he said quietly as they stepped out into the hall. Rarity could honestly care less about the stallion's remarks, she was just glad she would be able to rest. She blindly followed the stallion, unable to keep her eyes open any longer. Her head lowered, only her hooves remained energized.

"You feelin' alright, darling? You don't look so hot..."

All Rarity could manage was exhausted moan.

"That good, huh?" The stallion chuckled. "Watch your step, we're heading down some stairs." he tightened his grip around her hoof. Rarity managed to open an eye, keeping it planted on her hooves as she took a step. The staircase wrapped around its supporting beam, with ventilation tubes and small, metal tubes holding the ventilation in place. Even while fatigued, Rarity had a keen eye, noting that the doctor had a small cart sticking out. The stallion's last name was visible. Hm... Legacy. I need to remember that.

"I'll make sure these heathens don't get their hooves on you, don't worry." Legacy whispered. Rarity glanced to the right, seeing two doors, both leading to a locker room. The first was empty, however, the second was filled with stallions, clad in black, slick armor. So many, Rarity couldn't tell them apart. The only difference between the stallions was a lone, brown stetson hat sticking up, the top barely poking above the group. Is that...? Rarity blinked, squinting. Yet, when she looked a second time, the hat had disappeared. Before she had another chance to look back, they passed by the door, stealing the sight away from her. You're tired... it's just your imagination. she told herself as she looked forward, down the dimly-lit hall.

"Just a few more steps honey and you'll be home free." Legacy said, quickening his pace. They turned into a large, white door. An intercom stood overhead, in the middle of the wall above the door frame

"Please state your authorization card code, clearance level, and identification card."

He sighed. "I always thought this was too complex. A moment, if you will." Legacy stepped forward. "Authorization code: 24690142B. Clearance level: A. Aaaand..." he poked his mouth into his coat pocket, pulling out his ID. "Hwere!" Legacy looked back up to the door with his card pinched between his teeth.

The door remained closed and silent for a moment before a light beep sounded through the intercom above. "Twere." he turned back to his pocket, resting his card back inside. "Now. we're almost there." the pair stepped forward, trotting into the open room. There were four doors, two at the two opposing sides of the room, and two at the wall in front of them, stood in the middle of the wall with a foot or so separating them. "I believe your room is right... here." Legacy trotted up to the door on the left wall.

"Please repeat your authorization code."

"Ugh... I'm so updating your software for making this nice lady wait." He brought a hoof to the bridge of his snout before he sighed. "24690142B."

The door beeped, pushing out, beginning to shutter upwards.

"Authorization card recognized. Welcome, Dr. Lost Legacy."

"Ah, here we are. Just a few more steps."

Alas, Rarity didn't have didn't have a few more steps in her. The first step she took into her room, her hoof collapsed, her eye shutting as she fell forward.

"Whoa, there," Legacy(thankfully) caught her. "Alright, c'mon. We can make it..." he grunted, his voice waning as Rarity began to finally sleep.

Alto grunted as he sat up. A small ball of sweat rolled down the side of his forehead. He wiped it away with a huff.

"Switching to single room frequency. Casting to: Subject #001."

"Still gnawing away at training, huh?"

"Nah." Alto, turned onto his stomach, planting his forehooves down as he began to do a few pushups. "Just my daily routine."

"I don't guess you're doing this on your own volition. Have someone you're trying to impress, hmm?"

"No." He huffed, going back down. "I don't need anybody but myself. You can join in if you think it'll do you any good."

"Oh-- haha! Very funny." The doctor spoke sarcastically. "Eclipse said the same about you. And I've got a mare of my own, thank you." He muttered under his breath.

Alto suddenly stumbled, his hooves suddenly giving out on him. He bumped snout first into the tile. With a groan, he turned onto his back.

"She said what?"

"Oh, yeah. She said she couldn't care what we did to you. Whatever the hay happened musta been bad."

"I didn't-- she needs to--" Alto stumbled over his words, before exhaling a loud sigh. "Could you leave me alone, please? I need to concentrate on getting this done."

"Fine then. Just thought you should know." The doctor said happily.

"Switching to all room frequency."

"Bucking mare... like I need her." Alto whispered, before turning back onto his stomach and returning to his exercise regime.

Rarity awoke with a quiet yawn. Her mane had been washed, cut, and freshly styled, her coat was freshly cleaned, her hooves had been recently pedicured, and the device that had been around her horn was placed on the table in front of her. My hooves-- She glanced down, seeing the leather hanging at the sides of the chair. This is my opportune moment! I can escape this Tartarus! Rarity quickly stood. The sore, stiff feeling that had plagued her was gone. She quickly galloped past the chair, grabbing the door handle. The handle jiggled, moving, but locked.

Oh no! There must be a key somewhere! Rarity quickly galloped behind the desk. Her magic pulled open each drawer open, looking through them. She inspected each element of each door until she finally spotted one. Rarity took a surgical mask as well before she closed the drawers, tying it over her mouth as her magic guided the key into the lock. She jiggled the key, before it managed to turn, unlocking the door. It slowly swung open, revealing the empty facility's gray concrete floor and drywall panels. Cords and different electronic utility devices were visible, clearly built in a rushed and hurried manner.

This is it! She rushed down the hall. Her hoof traced over the glass panel, seeing the now empty room, one of which she had been held in. But... Where is everypony else?

Thunk

Rarity looked forward. The hallway in front of her had suddenly been carved out, replaced by her bedroom at the Carousel Boutique. She took a step forward before she heard another loud thump from the other side of the room. There was a window, clouded by black, dark clouds. A dark mare stood in the mirror, facing the opposite direction. Her purple coat was almost instantly recognizable, and her purple and pink-striped mane told volumes about who she was to Rarity. She gasped. "Twilight!" Rarity galloped towards. The figure disappeared as soon as she came close to the window.

"What...?" She turned back to her bedroom, now replaced by the same window. This time, the mare was faced towards her. Rarity gasped, noticing the mare's face. Or rather, the lack thereof.

"Why?" They both asked. "Why did you all leave me?"

"No..." Rarity turned back to the glass panel, replaced by a window. Another identical mare without a face was facing towards her. She turned to the first one, realizing it had turned towards her too.

"Why?" The trio questioned again. "Why did you leave me behind?"

"W-we didn't! We couldn't go after you!" Rarity called.

"You left her." They repeated one after the other, their coat colors changing from purple to azure, from azure to orange, from orange to sky blue. Rarity backed away, only to bump into something, causing it to crack. She turned back. The same figure was staring at her through a cracked window. Her coat shifted from purple to butterscotch.

"You left her." They repeated at the same time. Rarity crouched down, covering her ears.

"I-I didn't! I'm sorry!"

"Betrayer," "Traitor," "Backstabber," The voices whispered into her ears. Her guilt was beginning to become too much to bear.

"I didn't mean to!" Rarity called out in desperation. "Stop!" She ordered. The voices, as if they followed her command, suddenly stopped. Rarity looked back up, finding that the mirrors had disappeared. She was back in the facility. Nothing was out of place. Everything had been just as she left it.

W-What just... What just occurred? Rarity looked around, confirming everything was normal. She cautiously stood.

"You betrayed her."

Rarity gasped, turning around. The Administrator was standing behind her. Three jagged, black tendrils of magic pointed towards Rarity, leading back to her stomach and chest.

"And justice will be served." The tendrils rushed towards her.

Nova grunted as he sat down. He had dreaded this all day, but there was no avoiding it-- Eclipse would pester him endlessly if he missed a chance to speak with her, especially after yesterday.

"You there Eclipse?"

"Yeah." She sighed, unable to contain her remorse anymore. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to bring up that-- I mean, I did, but--" Eclipse groaned. "Why does this have to be so hard..."

"It's okay, trust me. It's ancient history, I don't mind talking about it." Nova chuckled. It was a rarity that Eclipse was ever so flustered, or at least in the short time he had known her.

"All right, just as long as I'm not freaking you out." She exhaled, relieved that she hadn't hurt him. "Just-- whenever you want."

Nova nodded, as if he could see her, and took a breath. "My mom... She never really wanted another baby. I never actually found out why. Maybe they were too poor, maybe she was too sickly or too weak, or perhaps she just didn't want me..." He glanced down at himself. I guess she was right if she didn't want me...

"I never really met my father either. He wasn't around for my birth, and my sister never really speaks about him. I guess it's for the best- don't want to get my hopes too high on meeting him." He chuckled, though it was definitely not a laughing matter.

Eclipse had already begun to regret this. She could tell from the strain in his voice that he still wasn't fully over it. "Y-you have a sister?" She figured that a chance of topics, even if it were temporary, would help.

Nova smiled. "Mmhm, her name is Static. She took care of me for a while until we found someplace else to stay. Worked two jobs and she was barely a fully grown mare." He loved his sister, and most importantly, he respected her, more than anything in the world. "But, I'm getting ahead of myself." Nova straightened his posture.

"My mom died giving birth me." He paused. Even though they had never met, it still stung talking about her passing. "Long story short, my sis and me were left alone. They made us leave the hospital eventually because we didn't have any reason to be there. She was out on the streets for weeks, weeks with me. Father hadn't even told my grandpa that Mom had died. He had to find out himself when the Canterlot guard found Static trying to steal some food. He took us in, and, thankfully, he had some money left in his retirement fund, so we lived relatively comfortably, even though my sis worked two jobs when the time came that she could legally work." Nova’s voice sounded strained. He tried so hard to hide that he was angry and hurt, but even he could tell it was obvious.

"He sounds like a good pony."

"Mmhm, he was." Nova frowned. "He passed away six months ago."

"O-oh..."

Why am I so stupid?! Eclipse questioned herself. She had taken every wrong turn since yesterday.

"He was the closest thing I've ever had to a dad... no, he was my dad." A tear came to his eyes. "And now... now I'm a idiot, Static is depressed, and I'm gonna lose it all before I can even get out of this fucking hellhole." He cursed, his voice shaking. "She's all that I have left in this world... a-and I'm gonna lose her."

"W... Why do you think that?"

"Why not, Eclipse?!" He slammed his hoof against the ground. "I've searched this cell as much as I can. There's nothing I can pull off or break off so we can at least try to escape!" His emotions were too much for him to contain. Eclipse was a similar state, her rage bubbling up.

"You can't just give up on your sister like that! How dare you!"

"Buck you! How could you know anything I'm going through?! How could you know what it's like to be me?!"

"Because I've lost my parents too!"

Nova's world came to a screeching halt. In all his sadness and anger, he hadn't considered that possibility. He had missed that variable in his calculation.

"Eclipse--"

"I watched the home I grew up in burn to the ground with my parents trapped inside!" Her voice cracked and broke as she stumbled through the sentence. "I-I wasn't like you, I had it easy! But you got off not knowing what happened! I remember every cry for help, I-I remember my hooves and back being singed from trying to lift a burning beam off the door, I remember my baby brother asking 'where are mommy and daddy'!" She managed to finish before her despair overwhelmed her anger.

"Eclipse..." Nova's voice was weak, taking a rest from the strain it had just been put on. "I-I had no idea..."

Eclipse managed a choked sob, her tears flowing down her cheeks as she pulled her hind hooves to her chest, hugging them closer with her forehooves. Nova could hear her through the wall, worsening his already tremendous guilt. He put a gentle hoof to the depression in the wall. Eclipse felt it bump against her side, causing her to freeze.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. Eclipse cautiously put a hoof to the bump, squeezing it. She needed something else to focus on.

"H... How recent was it?"

"T-Three months." She whispered, wiping her eyes with her free hoof.

"Where?"

"I don't wanna talk about it..." Eclipse muttered quietly. "please."

"Okay." Nova squeezed her hoof tightly. "I understand. Just let me know when you do."

"I... I'm sorry." Eclipse quietly said. "It's just- I've had nightmares about it since it happened. It-It replays in my head every few nights a week. It's happened every night this week... it-it must be the stress." She sighed.

"It's fine. I understand, trust me." Nova smiled from behind the wall.

"Thank you--"

Pshh

The wall suddenly straightened, tightening and forcing the two hooves away from each other. Another piston hissed as the wall slowly dropped.

"What?" Nova questioned. There was another hiss as the pad beside it suddenly lifted, moving to take the place of the one beside it as it retracted into the wall. A small control panel had been hidden, with one large, red button.

"Do you...?"

"Yeah, my wall moved too." Eclipse said quietly. Nova slowly, cautiously moved his hoof towards the opening. He crossed into Eclipse's cell.

"I think it's okay--" Nova jerked as a sudden shock went through his hoof. "Horseapples!" He fell back onto his back.

"You okay?

"Yeah, just-- Celestia, I wasn't expecting that." Nova rubbed his forehoof as he straightening himself, sitting back on his knees.

"I should go. We'll have to sleep soon." Eclipse's voice was a whisper, frail and tired. She stood, her hooves visible now thanks to the hole in the wall. Nova stood, trotting away. He figured he'd go for the same reason.

Rarity awoke, coming to consciousness. She opened her eyes, looking around the room she was in. The same white padded walls, she felt the same tiles underneath her. She was back in the rooms.

"You're awake."

Rarity jumped at the voice, looking around the room. Thankfully, it had not been the Administrator, Nurse Cura, or the doctor. It was just Nova. She smiled.

"Oh, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Rarity sighed, standing as Nova trotted up to her.

"I was afraid you'd be out of it for good. The doctor told me what that mare was doing to you..." Nova glanced away, clearly uncomfortable as he took a step back. "I'm really sorry you had to go through that. You could've given me a night or two. I could've helped."

"Don't fret, darling. I selected to do that myself."

"I know... but I can't help but feel like I could've done something."

Rarity put a hoof on his right shoulder. He glanced up at her with a rose blush on his face.

"Trust me, it was perfectly fine." She said with a smile. Nova took a breath before nodding.

"Sorry to interrupt this lovely moment," the doctor said through the intercom, a twinge of jealousy in his voice. "Subject #003, the Administrator has decided to give you a two-day break. If I were you, I'd rest up." He advised her.

"Switching to all room frequency."

"Well, on that note, I suppose I shall retire to my room. I should get my rest before she summons me back to her." Rarity turned, trotting towards the door to the left.

"Wrong door." Nova noted. Rarity quietly gasped, before giggling.

"Oh, sorry. My room is the opposite." She turned back, trotting towards the door to the right. Rarity went through into the small area where she and Nova had first met. She pushed through to her room, greeted by a stainless steel cart, with tons of different perfumes, makeup, hairspray, and even scissors and a brush to style her mane properly. Another cart sat behind it, with a plate of fruit salad in the middle of it. All of them were brand-name, and all were some of Rarity's favorites.

What is all this? How did they know which I preferred? Rarity questioned as she stepped forward. She walked up to the second cart before noticing that a small note had been left beside the plate. Her horn brightened with her magic as she lifted the note up eye-level and began to read.

Dearest Rarity,

I'm We're sorry for pushing you so far with that experiment, especially considering it was one of your first. We hope this will be enough to portray that we're remorseful. We've ordered the doctor to leave you out of the research period for the next two days, to give you some time to recover. You probably hate me You're likely to show some... resentment towards us, which is perfectly fine. We're not here to become friends, we're here to experiment, you of all ponies should know that.

You're likely to be tired, even with the extended amount of sleep you've had. Thankfully, we did not have it at such a high voltage to cause any permanent damage, so you will be back on your hooves soon.

S The Administrator

There were a few more lines, but they all had been scribbled out. Rarity smiled as she lowered the note. I knew she wasn't all bad. she trotted up to her pod, resting it on the inside of the metal bars, before returning to the first cart, using her magic to lift the hairspray and comb, beginning to restyle her mane.