May 23rd 1:30 AM
From the Diary of Twilight Sparkle:
I honestly don't know what to say at this point. I honestly don't know. I never thought the mare I looked up to like a second mother could betray me like this. Everything I learned about the conversion plans has been warped into a horrible scenario. This goes against everything she ever taught me about love and acceptance. Perhaps I should start with what I learned tonight.
I snuck into the clinic at midnight it seemed normal at first. At least it was until I dug deeper. I didn't want to risk awaking or alerting anyone so I decided to go into the research labs. I saw samples of the conversion potions as well as their prototypes. I then peaked into the files and what I saw would scar me for life.
The first thing I found was the revised formula for the potion. My original concoction just allowed physical transformation, disease cure and nothing more, but this revised formula by the princess involved warping the human personality through some sort of mind altering spell or potion. This is by far bizarre. Why would Celestia Brainwash people?
While this wasn't the worst thing I saw in that clinic, the worst thing I saw in the lab was another file labeled "Experiment 97." I'll spare the horrific details if anyone dares reads this but the word grotesques would be the understatement of the century. I had to explore further.
As I wandered the hallway I heard screaming. I quickly ran and stopped outside a room that had a lot of padding inside. It looked like an asylum’s patient cell. I saw a mare I didn’t recognize and she was throwing herself against the walls yelling things. I entered the room, using a keycard I got from the front desk, and placed a spell on her. It was meant to help calm her down and relieve any pain. Princess Luna taught me it. Fortunately she stopped exhausted but still conscious.
When I managed to calm her down she told me her name was Jessica Kindly. She told me she was ambushed when the dome came and was placed in this room right after a doctor injected her with the potion. She said she started hearing voices in her head. They were telling her to worship, smile, and reject humanity. I asked her about Celestia and she said she only saw her once during her transformation. The princess only said one thing to her. “Soon you will be perfect.”
I questioned her a while longer until she froze and started to giggle and smile widely. Her laughing became so loud and disturbing I immediately ran out, not caring if the security cameras caught me. I just took my notes and the experiment files and ran.
I went to Princess Luna in her hotel apartment while Celestia was out reading reports somewhere else. When I told her she agreed with me that what her sister is doing is wrong. She wants me to rally my friends and leave.
Fortunately Rainbow came back and I told her and the other’s everything. We’re leaving and looking for our friends ourselves and we are not coming back.
Luna made a small hole in the dome near the edge of town. She told us while we help the humans she'll keep her sister distracted. We snuck out and are wandering the tracks under cover of darkness. If we see an engine let’s hope it’s friendly. I need to sleep now. AJ agreed to keep watch.
May 23rd 6:45 AM
From the Diary of Twilight Sparkle:
We awoke to the sound of a diesel horn. At first I was hoping it be Paxton, Derek, Sidney, or even Norman because I was told they were the most trusting diesels. But I immediately felt my blood run cold when I saw it was the most feared engine. That engine being Diesel 10.
He spotted us and was preparing to use his claw to slash us. I immediately reacted by emitting a force field around us. The claw pounded the shield so hard I thought it would shatter on the first strike. He was soon pounding at the shield yelling things. He called us aliens, monster, terrorist amongst other things. The shield was getting weaker and weaker. But just as he was about to shatter this shield like glass I heard a voice yell stop. I looked and immediately smiled to see two familiar faces leave the diesel's cab. Those faces being Starlight Glimmer and Lyra Heartstrings.
I wasted no time explaining my side of things. They soon explained how this whole time they suspected Celestia was up to no good with this bureau. On the day of the domes being created they actually formed an alliance with a few engines and humans; Diesel 10 being one of them. They would've stopped him sooner but they fell asleep in his cab while they were patrolling the lines for anyone in need of assistance.
We asked if they seen our other friends. Starlight explained how most of the missing ponies are at their secret hideout. When I asked about Fluttershy she only gave me a confused look and assumed she was with us the whole time. Looks like she's either hiding somewhere else or she is captured. Lyra insists we should go to the hideout to plan our next move. I'm writing this while we head towards this hideout near some place called the Skarloey Railway.
May 23rd 9:46 AM
From the Journal of Peregrine Percival, Controller of the Skarloey Railway:
For a railway as small as mine we've been helping this conflict in big ways I couldn't imagine. When the conflict began I had a choice evacuate my Railway's fleet or see how long my engines can hold out. To my surprise they all wanted to help win this, even Duncan.
During the time of rising tensions, a pony by the name of Lyra Heartstrings would still often come and volunteer for my railway as a mechanic. She actually had a vast interest in humans and would sometimes bombard everyone with questions. She was a joy to have but when the domes started appearing she was actually hiding in one of the carriages along with a few other ponies and, to my surprise, a zebra.
She explained they are against the idea of a forced conversion plan and was willing to help protect my railway and it's fleet. I was hesitant for many reasons. I doubt the military would let them wander freely. So I agreed to let them stay under the condition they hide somewhere further away from the yards and be under the watch of one of my engines. Fortunately my engine Rheneas found the perfect spot and agreed to watch over them and to blow his whistle if he sees anything wrong.
Amongst the more help recently from the standard gauge line, Diesel 10 joined this rebellion because he overheard ponies saying he would be scrapped the moment the princess sees him. No surprise considering he's more menacing than a U-boat. No wonder his class were dubbed warships. He no longer cares about being better than steam engines. He just wants things to go back to what they were.
Speaking of Diesel 10 he along with two ponies left late last night to find any stragglers. They should be back any minute now.