//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Captured Conversations // Story: Out of the Old, Into the New // by SentientHydra //------------------------------// New dawn, Medical Centre. The still white room was new and fresh; the reinforced bed only recently bolted to the floor, as was a steel table and matching chairs, the 'toilet' (a bevelled hole with a thick curtain around it) was stainless steel, its edges flush with the toughened tile surface of the floor. The metal walls were smooth and featureless aside from a gigantic mirror that stretched floor to ceiling across half of one wall. The cell held only one occupant behind its heavy door. A black coated alicorn, half covered with the thick blanket, her visible body shrouded in tight white bandages, the velvet coat marred here and there by a few long rows of neatly stitched incisions. The chest of the winged unicorn rose and fell in gentle rhythm, hitching here and there the lips on her muzzle moved constantly, mumbling nonsensical phrases in a language that was long dead. Long hooves twitched and pawed at the air as some phantasmal dream drove through the mare's mind. The horned horse fell silent after long minutes of motion, her breathing steadying and her mumbling lips falling still. Silence reigned over the white room once again. Eventually one eye cracked open slightly, a blue rimmed pupil contracting into a pinprick in the bright light that filled the room, then the lids closed again and a groan escaped from dry lips. The blanket covering Luna's prone form slid away as the mare struggled to get shaking legs under herself, using wings to help the forelimbs push. The protracted groan turned into a yelp of surprise as her left side faltered and the mare tumbled from the mattress to fall heavily on the tiled floor, her long limbs tangled in the blanket. Unshod hooves found little purchase on the polished ceramics, skittering and scraping as the now silent goddess struggled to her feet. Finally finding her balance, Luna inspected herself with tired eyes, her frown deepening a the sight of bandages and the stitches. "So t'was no dream of mine, I am captured. At least they saw fit to keep me healthy" Her voice was resigned, but a sigh escaped when she looked back towards her rump and up towards where her mane should be; instead of long flowing hair resplendent with the shimmer of stars, black with the mysteries of night, there was instead little to see, her tail had been shaven down to the dock, her mane had been roached from forelock to withers "Mine dignity however, seems unimportant" But then her eyes travelled upwards once more, towards her horn, her long, thin and tightly bandaged horn "Surely tis but a jest..." Her intact, undamaged, and wholly unrestrained, horn. She giggled inwardly, then laughed out loud. Luna smiled and then smirked "Mine captors hath signed thine own death warrants." The Alicorn Goddess stood up tall as she could and flared her wings. She locked eyes at the wall, raised her horn high into the air, and shut her eyes in concentration... ...Minutes passed in near silence, the only sound being Luna's gentle breathing.... ...Slowly, the smirk began to fade into a neutral line that became a grim frown of frustration. Her eye cracked open, glaring at her un-glowing horn before closing once again.... ...Minutes more went by, the Lunar Princess's expression becoming ever more frustrated and yet more angry... Eventually her rage bubbled to the surface in a shout that shook the mirrored wall "DAMNABLE HORN!" Her eyes snapped open and she began to paw at the ground in anger "THOU SHALT OBEY ME!" her hooves wheeled, punching at the air as she reared and bucked, back-hooves pounding twin kinks in the bed's steel frame. Muscles rippled under her scarred hide while Luna bucked, again and again lashing out with both hooves at the bed. The goddess slowed after many minutes to a stop, a single leg of the bed was nearly ripped from the floor and the side nearest the alicorn bent sharply where it had been kicked. Her fur was slick with sweat and shiny with trickles of blood, half a dozen exposed stitches had ripped open from the exertion, and spreading silver stains on her bandages told of a few more hidden by the gauze, her wings drooped to her side. "All done?" the question was asked in a sing-song happy voice. Luna's eyes snapped towards the sound, her wings flaring once again and her entire body shifting back into a defensive posture. Her burning eyes found the source, a pink-suited woman, flanked by a trio of armoured marines with assault rifles gripped in their gauntlets. The woman smiled back at the growling princess, her manner and voice bright and happy "We've been been informed by our scouts that your kind speak this language. Can you understand me?" Luna chose to respond in an angry roar "WHAT HAST THOU DONE TO MINE HORN!" She slammed a hoof into the ground and scraped it back, her posture shifting from defense to attack, heedless of the marine guard. The woman's smile neither faltered nor faded, she ignored the imminent charge to talk brightly "I'll take that as a definite yes, wonderful. Would you like to take a seat?" A wave of her hand motioned to the table. An angry snort escaped the enraged mare's nose, but nothing more save a roar as she surged upwards and forwards with horn lowered... ...Only to slam into the ground two steps later, her legs buckling and her body crashing to the floor as if struck by a gigantic hammer, her thunderous roar faded to frustrated grunts as the godly alicorn strained to move. A gentle thrum coming from the floor. The woman inspected her nails, tutting through her smile as if at a small child "Now now, none of that. It's lucky that I've had the gravity generators rigged to stop you, someone might have been hurt if you had gotten much further, and then where would we be hmm?" Luna snarled back, a few more stitches popping open as she struggled to lift herself off the floor "HAPPY!" she managed to push herself further off the ground, almost standing fully up... ....Only to be slammed back down, the thrumming under the floor getting louder. The woman shook her head "Well if you're going to be like that dear, I'll be doing something a bit more drastic. I'd much prefer you calm down so we can talk." her voice remained cheerful, her eyebrow raised but smile in place. Luna strained and struggled again, ignorant of her wounds. The pink-suited woman tutted again "You'll do yourself nothing good if you don't stop fighting dear." She nodded to one of the marines next to her, the armoured giant gave a small nod of acknowledgment and walked forward. The thrum beneath the floor stopped suddenly, The growling alicorn surged to her hooves with a bellow on her lips, but her resurgence was cut short when the marines strode in, armoured gauntlets grabbing hold of Luna and their combined weight forcing her down again; her wings beat uselessly for a moment before they were pinned to her side and her horn failed to find purchase before a heavy hand grabbed hold, forcing a scream of pain from the struggling Princess. Eventually the trio of marines had the alicorn held down with her mouth covered and muzzle held to face the woman, who walked over and lowered herself down to look her captive in the eye. "If you won't listen to reason dear, this is what you can expect." receiving nothing but a death glare in return, she reached into her suit pocket and pulled out a small black object "Do you recognize this? This is a grenade." She waved the psych-out grenade in-front of Luna, tilting it to give her a good view. All the fight left he princess, her eyes filled with fear and the echoes of agony while her limbs went limp, whimpering into the Marine's gauntlet. The woman waved a hand and the Marine released his grip on the alicorn's mouth. Luna pleaded in hoarse whisper "No.. Not again.. Please." she struggled weakly as the grenade was brought marginally closer before taken away. The woman maintained her happy smile as she tucked the grenade back into her pocket "Much better dear." she patted the princesses muzzle affectionately, pulling away as Luna tried to shrink back. "Now if you're a good little 'filly' as I think your species might say, you'll never see one of those again." She waved her hand at the Marines as she stood. The marines released their captive and stood well back, hands flying to grip their assault rifles again. The black alicorn stood up slowly, limbs trembling and her posture shrunken. Her gaze flickered over the pocket where the grenade hid, and she suppressed a shiver The pink-suited woman watched Luna rise carefully, her eyebrow shooting up when she noted a suppressed wince cross the mare's face “Are you in pain?” The woman asked, her own ice-blue eyes scanning over the rivulets of silver blood that streaked the black furred hide. When the alicorn nodded with eyes downcast there came the tutting again, before the woman spoke up in a mix of motherly concern and hard-edged annoyance, all curling from her omnipresent smile. “Well of course you are, the emitters must be stopping your regeneration. Chief McConnell's going to be very annoyed with you ruining all her hard work.” Luna mumbled an apology, stepping towards the table at the woman's gesture, she couldn't help but hiss in pain as her back legs finally decided that they were injured, one of them buckling outright under the alicorn's weight while the other shook violently in a sudden spasm. Her fall was arrested by the intervention of a nearby marine, the giant supporting the princess with surprising gentleness despite his large frame. Luna stammered her thanks, but the marine didn't respond. The woman laughed a little “They don't speak the language I'm afraid. I'm one of a few that do” she watched Luna struggle into the short legged chair, still smiling brightly while the captive alicorn struggled to find a position that didn't press on her numerous wounds or trap her injured legs, failing miserably. Luna finally settled into place, though her wings twitched in discomfort. She was still downcast and sad as the Pink-Suited woman settled into her own chair with ease, apparently comfortable despite the cold steel and straight backed chair. The woman let the silence hang for a moment before speaking “Well now dear, introductions first before anything else.” she motioned to herself and then each of the marines in turn “My name's Sergeant Jenny Mako, from the Recreation and Leisure division of the Logistics Corps. The Marine behind me is Corporal Chao Chen, 5th Company, 3rd Platoon. To your left is Private Jeanne Zithers, 2nd Company, 1st Platoon. Last but not least we have Private Ethan Blue, 4th Company, 8th Platoon.” The marines saluted, their armour clattering, before returning to ready positions as Jenny went on “You might recognise two of them dear, Corporal Chen and Private Blue were both on the mission to capture you.” Private blue spoke up when Luna looked back at him “Yeah, I was first through the door. Still have the shoulder wound where you stabbed me.” he couldn't help a growl tingeing his voice with anger for the last few words. The princess shrank back a little, a spark of fear back in her eyes “S-sorry” she stammered out, turning away to look at Sgt. Mako “My name's Luna. Princess Luna of Canterlot, I co-rule alongside my sister.” Jenny smiled all the brighter “No need to be scared Luna, just behave and we'll all be best of friends.” she leaned forward onto her elbows “You say you're a princess dear? How exciting to finally meet some royalty. What's your sister's name? Is she a princess too?” Luna looked a little hesitant, but she attempted a half-smile “Yes, Princess Celestia is my older sister. She is the sun, I am the moon. Together we rule over our kingdom.” Sgt. Mako nodded “That's lovely Luna dear” she waggle her finger with a sudden smirk “Though technically you don't have a kingdom if it's two princesses ruling, that's a Diarchal Principality” Noting Luna's miffed expression, Mako moved swiftly on with her warm smile back in place “Moving on dear. Do you know why you're here?” Luna scuffed her hoof on the chair, a little downtrodden “No..” Mako smiled and waved a hand “Oh well, it's no trouble dear. You'll find out soon enough. Do you know where you are?” Luna answered without hesitation “22,336 miles above Zebrica, orbital trajectory will take us above Canterlot in 5 hours” she blinked, glancing around at her captors and shrinking back from the shocked expression on the Sergeant's face “A-am I wrong? Sorry.” Sgt. Mako blinked away her shock and resumed her smile, speaking comfortingly “Nothing to be sorry for dear. You're not wrong, I think, but that's... that's an impressively accurate approximation.” Luna smiled fully, confidence restored a bit by the implied complement “Tis no approximation Sergeant, I am a goddess, I do not guess, I know. If I cannot know where I am at all times, then what hope do I have of guiding the moon across the sky?” Jenny raised an eyebrow, though her smile didn't fade “You guide the moon?” Luna nodded “As my sister moves the sun across the sky to create day, I do with the moon at night” Mako's smile didn't falter, pressing on regardless “That's... Interesting my dear, very interesting. How can you do that?” Again Luna answered without hesitation “Magic” Jenny once again struggled to keep her face locked in its smile “Magic?” It was Luna's turn to snort in mild annoyance, her confidence boosted by familiar waters “Yes Magic, what other explanation is required? We float thousands of miles above the planet, and thou dares to imply that magic is insufficient as an explanation?” Sgt. Mako thought for a moment, then her smile lit up again “I think I know what you mean Luna, but not everything is 'Magic' dear. We humans don't have any magic, just technology.” Luna's confident stance faltered “Technology? Thee floats above the planet without magic, using technology?” The smile widened “Ridiculously advanced technology my dear, by the apparent technological level of your species society. Don't you wonder why this 'magic' of yours aren't working? Why your muscles seem less powerful” Luna was not confident now and more nervous than anything, she glanced around the room “Mayhaps I do wonder...” realisation dawning, she put on a tone of incredulity, and glared at the woman “Art thou suggesting that thine technology is the reason mine horn no longer obeys me? That it is sufficient to contain a goddess?” Mako leaned in, her smile a toothy grin “I'm not suggesting anything, I'm telling. Our tech was good enough to catch you, it's good enough to hold you.” she saw the disbelief in Luna's eyes and went on “I'll prove it too. “ The princess narrowed her eyes and turned her nose up at Jenny“Thine tongue speaks naught but lies, perhaps your surgeon bumbled their work and mine horn was damaged. But no mere technology, no matter how advanced, can contain the magical might of an alicorn” Mako shook her head “Your little horn is perfectly fine dear. You'll learn eventually that I'm no liar” She smiled again “Now, shall we move on? Are you Hungry? Thirsty?” The alicorn smacked her dry lips and fidgeted uncomfortably, hesitating to admit any weakness “...Yes..” Mako smiled warmly “Well we'll soon solve that. I'll send word to the galley to get you some food and drink, and a medic will be along soon to see to your injuries, though I suspect CMO McConnell will be coming herself. Can I get a promise that you won't try to attack anyone else? They'll all be carrying those nasty grenades, and not all of them will be as nice as me.” Luna shook at the memory, but kept her expression neutral “I promise.” Mako stood “Wonderful. Well I must be going dear, make yourself at home” she snapped her fingers at the waiting marines, there was a cacophony of clinks and clanks as they filed out of the room, going out through a door that opened seamlessly in the mirror-wall. Luna watched them go with old eyes; old, nervous eyes, unsure and unknowing. As the last of the armoured men left, she shuddered and laid her head on the table, her whole being sagging down. It began as a whimper, descending slowly into sobs. Unheeding or unknowing of the watching cameras, Luna broke down and cried in frustration, sobbed in fear, wept in pain and cried just for the sake of getting her emotions out into the cold white room.