Consciousness came slowly, as if Rosa was afraid of what she'd find when she woke up. At first she was only dimly aware of being in a room and lying on a bed. There were some indistinct noises in the background. It almost felt like any other morning, when she'd woken up in her dorm at the Pony School. For the first few minutes everything felt fine and she desperately tried to cling to that feeling.
Rosa became aware of a dull pain in her temple and reached up a groggy foreleg to feel her head. There was a noticeable bump on the side. On its way down her hoof encountered another anomaly and she brought both legs up to touch it. There was a collar around her neck. It was quite snug, but not really choking her.
Memory came rushing back and Rosa sat bolt upright with a gasp. They got her!
She was in the government facility and she was a captive! Now that she could focus her eyes, Rosa took a fearful look around, expecting either medical-torture horrors, or an outright execution cell.
Instead, she was sitting on a rudimentary bed in a mostly empty, concrete room. There weren't any windows, but there was a fluorescent light above, which shone too brightly and harshly for comfort. The walls were off-white and there were beige tiles on the floor. Turning around, Rosa saw a toilet affixed to the wall next to a sink, but there was no mirror. Her gaze slid further along the room until she spotted the door to her... cell. That was the best word for it, really. A prison cell. The opening was just metal bars looking into an equally brightly lit corridor. It looked like a section of the bars could swing open, which made for a simple door.
Overall her situation was better than she'd feared, but it was still a secret government prison in a facility apparently dealing with problematic ponies. Her foreleg itched and Rosa reached to scratch it, but her hoof encountered hard plastic. She lifted the trembling limb up and looked at it in horror. It was wrapped in a bit of bandage which held a weird plastic shape affixed to the inner side of her leg. It didn't take a genius to realize it was an IV.
Had they already injected her with chemicals? Rosa almost felt like her skin was writhing as she imagined horrible, unpleasant poison-death. She realized she was panting and forced her mouth shut. If they had wanted to kill her, even with chemicals, they wouldn't have put an IV in her leg. They'd just inject her and get it over with.
A fresh fear rose up. Were they going to experiment on her?! The IV would allow them easier access to put things in her blood.
"Please no!" Rosa moaned in stark terror. For a moment she contemplated simply ripping the bandage and the little plastic thing out of her leg, but she couldn't bring herself to touch it. Visions of spraying blood flickered through her imagination and Rosa hurriedly hid the IV from her sight. Instead, she jumped from the bed and cautiously approached the barred opening. The hallway beyond seemed deserted, but she heard some indistinct, echoing conversation. The wall opposite her room was just blank and white. The floor was made from slightly dirty beige tiles - the same ones as inside the cell. Easier to clean, she guessed. Her head slumped forward and hit the metal bars.
Until now Rosa had tried not to think about it, but she couldn't keep it away any longer. Sky Light was no longer with her. The realization made her whimper and stick her muzzle right between the bars, trying to see more of the corridor. Maybe Sky was in a different cell.
"Sky Light! Are you out there?" There was no answer, except for her own echo. "Please, someone! I'm sorry!" Rosa ventured. She listened for a moment, but the human voices were gone. Maybe they'd heard her and were coming to investigate. Maybe they would tell her what happened to Sky! "Hello! Please, I just have to know! Tell me where Sky Light is! PLEASE!"
Yes! Footsteps were approaching from the side. Rosa pressed her face harder against the bars and tried to see. The person quickly came into view. She looked quite young and very slim, although it was hard to tell under her plain white lab coat. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she was wearing glasses. Startlingly blue eyes almost pierced Rosa and she couldn't help but shrink away in fear. "I'm sorry," the mare mumbled, hoping the woman wouldn't be too mad about the noise Rosa had been making.
"Rose-ah," she said, voice strangely melodious.
Rosa had been imagining it would be something clipped and harsh and she swallowed a lump at the unexpected tone. "A-Actually it- it's um, pronounced... Rosa."
"Ah," the woman nodded to herself, "it did seem a bit funny written down."
Not knowing what to say to that, Rosa stayed silent for the moment. The woman kept looking at her and Rosa felt her ears fold down under her scrutiny.
At long last she spoke again: "You can call me Dr. Mason." She reached in her pocket and produced a metal key.
Rosa was suddenly very afraid and took a few involuntary steps back while the visitor was unlocking her cell.
"No sudden moves, okay?" the woman warned. She put the key back and took out a small, black box which fit neatly in the palm of her hand. "This is the remote for your collar, understand?"
Her hoof went back to her neck and it took Rosa a few moments to fully understand. "A s-shock col-collar?!"
"Just a precaution. If you promise you'll behave we'll never need it."
The mare gulped, acutely aware of the band around her neck. She was not going to fight them anymore, so she quickly nodded. "I p-promise!"
This time the lady smiled. Rosa noted she still kept the fob in her hand as she opened the door and stepped into her cell. The mare shrank away from her, but Dr. Mason just walked past her and sat on her bed. "The pegasus that was with you, who is she? We don't have records of her."
"Sky Light! Is she okay?! What have you done with her?!"
Without even realizing it, Rosa had advanced on the woman, who now she held the remote up as if to remind her. Rosa took a step back.
Dr. Mason thought for a few moments, as if unsure how much to tell her. "Sky Light," she repeated, mostly to herself. "She's fine. For now."
"Please, I'll do anything. She doesn't have to be mixed in this, just let her go!"
After all, it was Rosa's own stupid idea that got them both into this mess. Dr. Mason didn't answer, which worried Rosa a little. "I'm sorry," she said and sighed. "I'm really sorry!" The full magnitude of her situation was starting to weigh down on her. This was the place they would have sent her when she got her cutie mark, the place she was most afraid of going. They tested on ponies in this facility and then killed them. Whatever life Rosa had left, it wouldn't be pleasant.
Dr. Mason was no longer important as tears filled Rosa's vision and she started weeping uncontrollably. She hardly even felt the doctor put a hand in her mane.
Rosa didn't know how much later it was. Her fear had run away with her and all she could think for a while was that she didn't want to die yet. Right then, there was something pressing against her muzzle, so she opened her eyes. Dr. Mason was holding a glass of water. She must have left and fetched it while Rosa was unaware, curled around her fear on the floor.
"Drink this. You'll feel better," the doctor said and her voice was full of concern.
Rosa wanted to trust this woman. She wanted to throw herself on her mercy. "Please, we didn't mean anything bad. I just wanted to see my friend again!" Maybe if she was pathetic enough, Mason would take pity, so Rosa turned her wet eyes on the woman and slightly lifted her ears. "Just let us go - please? We'll go away and we'll never bother you again!"
The woman really looked as if she felt Rosa's pain. She wiped away some snot from her muzzle with a hand. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry but I can't do that. Don't worry, you'll be safe here, okay?"
Rosa almost believed her and lowered her eyes to the floor, but she spotted the bit of plastic sticking from her leg. "No I won't," she muttered darkly. "You experiment on ponies here."
This time Mason laughed pleasantly. "Oh, whatever gave you that idea?!"
In lieu of an answer Rosa just lifted her leg wordlessly to show the IV.
"Oh, that's just so we can take blood samples without sticking you with needles all the time."
"Why do you need so many blood samples?" Rosa was starting to get angry and defensive, and a tiny part of her brain was sounding a warning not to anger the doctor.
Luckily, Dr. Mason just shrugged a little. "You do want to know what's wrong with you, don't you?" she asked innocently.
"Wrong with me?! What's wrong with me?!"
For some reason that question made the doctor sad and she put her hand in Rosa's mane again to scratch an ear. "Don't worry, we'll find out what happened. I'll tell you everything after you rest a little. Here, drink."
She pushed the glass of water against Rosa's muzzle again and the mare couldn't help smelling something strange. Her eyes narrowed. "What's in it?"
"Clever girl," Mason praised. "It's just a little something to help you relax. I promise I'll answer your questions tomorrow."
Rosa looked around her cell, but there were no clocks. "What time is it?"
There was a wristwatch on Dr. Mason's arm, but the face was too tiny for Rosa to catch a glimpse as the woman lifted it to her face. "Almost five in the afternoon, sweetie. They hit you pretty hard when they caught you."
She looked and sounded amenable enough, and she hadn't yelled or hit Rosa once. Maybe she could be nice to the doctor, if she remained this pleasant. Rosa couldn't trust anyone in this place, that much she knew, but she could try and get along with them. She took the glass with her hooves and drank it. It tasted a bit chemical, but she forced it down despite that.
This made the woman smile broadly and she plucked the empty glass from Rosa and set it on the floor. "Very good. We're going to get along nicely, you and I."
Maybe she could push her luck a little more. "Where is Sky Light. I want to speak with her," Rosa begged.
"Soon, sweetie. Your friend will be fine. We're not monsters here, despite what you might have heard."
It looked like that would be it for now. Whatever drug Dr. Mason had given her was already taking effect and Rosa felt a bit drowsy. She blinked her eyes slowly and Mason patted the bed. "Lie down, relax," she commanded and Rosa reluctantly obeyed. She relaxed her muscles and her body almost automatically curled up on the sheets.
A low growl reminded her how empty her stomach was. "I'm... hungry," Rosa admitted.
Dr. Mason smiled some more. She seemed incredibly friendly, despite how wary Rosa was of her. "I'll bring you a little something if you promise to cooperate and answer my questions." Was there even any choice? Rosa gave a single, defeated nod and was rewarded by a friendly pat on her head. "Good girl!"
About ten minutes later Mason was back with a tray. There was nothing special on it, but it was still a welcome sight and Rosa's ears perked up when she smelled food. There was a simple bowl of oatmeal, an apple and a banana. The doctor put the tray on her bed. There was no spoon, but Rosa didn't really mind and just dunked her muzzle into the bowl. It was pleasantly warm and she detected just a hint of sugar.
"Now, can you tell me again why you were trying to break in here?" the doctor asked.
Rosa lifted her head and swallowed her current mouthful. A bit of the oatmeal dripped from her chin back into the bowl. "I w-wanted to, um-"
She paused and considered whether it was a good idea to tell her they were about to break one of their friends out? "-see my friend who was taken here."
"Oh? What is your friend's name?"
"M-Maribelle. She's from the s-same school as me."
There was no recognition and Rosa's ears lowered. Had she been stupid for even trying to come here? Maybe there were more facilities and Maribelle wasn't even at this one?
Then why would the dream-voice have told her to come here? Rosa decided to keep the dream-voice a secret at all costs.
"Hmm, Maribelle. I will check if she's here. If you're good, maybe you'll be allowed to see her."
Rosa just nodded and went back to the oatmeal. Now that she'd gotten a taste, her stomach was demanding more. She hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day, because she'd been too nervous in the evening and there hadn't really been an opportunity.
After a few moments of thoughtful silence, the doctor asked: "Have you gone into heat since you were out of the School?"
This question almost made Rosa choke on her meal. "W-W" she spluttered, then coughed as some oatmeal almost went down the wrong way. "What?!"
"Heat. Do you know what heat is? Estrus?" the woman clarified.
Blushing heavily, Rosa shook her head. "I know. I h-haven't! Why are you asking me this?"
"Hmm," was all the reply she got, despite Rosa's worried stare. "Curious."
"Why?!"
It was as if Dr. Mason was not listening to her. Rosa almost put her hoof on her, but changed her mind. Instead she went back to slurp up some more oatmeal while it was still warm.
"We'll do some tests. When did you get your cutie mark?"
"Um," Rosa swallowed quickly again, "At the Boone's house, before I- before..." She considered lying, but Mason must already know, right? She seemed to be very well informed about Rosa, considering that heat question. She knew Rosa had had it once in the School. Maybe they tracked her down and got sent her records when they caught the mare?
"-before I ran away," Rosa finished. "I don't know the date."
"I see. Well, that should not have happened. We'll try and find out why it did, okay?" the woman told her. "How are you feeling otherwise? Headaches, nausea, muscle cramps?"
"N-N-None of that."
"Good, that's good. Hopefully we can learn why this happens-" Mason said and patted Rosa's cutie mark, "so we can help other ponies."
She stared at the woman in shock. "You're making it so ponies don't get cutie marks?! Why?"
There was no real answer, but the doctor smiled a little. "All in good time, Rosa. Finish your fruit."
For a second she considered refusing. The things Dr. Mason was telling Rosa were bewildering and scary, and she didn't really want to be a part of it. Then again, what would she really achieve by that? With an inward sigh Rosa bit into the apple. The fact that Dr. Mason was patting her back wasn't helping her self esteem, but it was a bit calming nonetheless.
With how hungry she was, the apple was gone in seconds and Rosa started peeling the banana. It was a knack with hooves, but she'd learned how to do it in the School's mess hall. She left the empty peel on the tray while she swallowed the last of the soft, yellow flesh. Her belly still wasn't too happy, but it felt a lot better already.
The doctor picked up the tray and stood up. Rosa was almost sad to see her go, because then she'd be alone in this scary place again. "W-What should I do?" she asked Dr. Mason.
She chuckled pleasantly and leaned down to pat Rosa on the head. "Aw, you really are helpful, just like your instructor noted in your file. Just rest, sweetheart. We'll talk more tomorrow."
Before she could stop herself Rosa beamed, but then was immediately disgusted at the little pang of pride she'd felt at those words.
"Okay, Doc-Doctor Mason."
"Since you're such a good girl, you can call me Eliza when we're alone, okay?"
"Okay... thank you."
She tousled Rosa's mane quickly and then went to the door. While she was locking it with one hand, Dr. Mason looked back in and smiled at the mare. "Remember, Rosa - you're helping all ponies by helping us. Take pride in that."
Rosa just gave her a nod at her and the woman left. Her footsteps receded for a while, then a door closed and all was quiet. Strange how Rosa hadn't heard any other sounds. Was she alone in this place? She thought about going to the bars and calling out. Maybe some other ponies would answer her. There had to be more cells in this hallway, hadn't there? The building wasn't all that big to let them have a single pony per corridor.
She shook her head. Rosa was not going to shout out, at least not yet. If it was only five in the afternoon she should wait until night before trying anything. Maybe that was why the other ponies were silent - they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Her gaze was pulled back to the IV on her foreleg. The woman did seem friendly enough, but Rosa was determined she would never forget where she was. This was the place ponies went when they get their cutie marks, and no one ever heard from them after. With a sinking feeling Rosa started thinking again that she was not getting out of there alive. There was no way for her to open the door, and even if there was, no way to get out of the building undetected. The reason she hadn't simply been shot the last night was because the scientist guy had told the guards to keep her and Sky alive. Next time she might not be so lucky.
Rosa desperately wanted to see her friend. The mere thought was enough to make her sob miserably. It didn't help that she would have to pee soon. Rosa picked up the sheet from the bed and pulled it over her head. Maybe she could pretend everything was fine, at least for a few minutes. If she believed hard enough, maybe Rosa could convince herself that she was just sleeping in the bed at the Basilius house, and Sky Light was right there next to her. If she moved, the other mare would grumble at her for waking her up, so Rosa had to stay perfectly still. The world would feel a lot nicer if she could bring herself to believe that fantasy.
Maybe she could dream about that, rather than what horrors might wait for her in this place. Her medicine-induced weariness was starting to come back, now that the sharp edge of her hunger had been dulled somewhat. Rosa reminded herself that she would have to pee before falling asleep, but the bed was just so comfortable.
She decided she would lie for a few minutes, then get up to do her business, then sleep. It was her last coherent thought before she sank into dreamless stupor.