//------------------------------// // Shattered // Story: Fallout Equestria: WNC - Fallen Star DLC // by Alamut //------------------------------// In the face of pain there are no heroes. oooOooo The mare watched the door of the interrogation room with fearful eyes. The clock above it was once again doing something with her time perception. Has it only been fifteen minutes? It felt more like an hour and the random ticking was gnawing on her tattered nerves. Moreover all the waiting was making her remember. She didn’t want to remember... With ears strained the whole time Ruby hasn’t been able to sleep in the night, the fear of the possible return of her assailants keeping her awake. Nevertheless they have left her alone, huddled and hurt in the dark cell. Her only companions were the demons lurking inside the shadows and her own thoughts. The guards came back in the morning and greeted her with a water hose. They had to clean up their little toy before the captain came to see her, almost drowning her with the cold water stream in the process. Ruby hasn’t eaten her breakfast – the white, slimy oatmeal reminding her of things that made her want to puke. The stallions didn’t touch her, but watched the young pegasus the whole time, not sparing her the humiliating questions and comments. Wasn’t the cell too cold after they’ve left? No appetite? Still stuffed after the night? Maybe she would like a piece of meat instead of the oatmeal? Terrified and powerless, the mare could only cry out of the overwhelming shame. She tried to make herself as small as possible but their glares kept drilling into her. The way they looked at her, how their eyes run her over, was making her sick. She felt dirty. Humiliated. Helpless. Every time one of them came closer, the pink flier would start to tremble against her will, expecting the worst, her heart gripped with cold fear. But the abhorrent touch never came. Only a wicked grin or an outburst of mocking laughter. Ruby wanted to scream. Why her? What has she done? Her only wish was to give the sky back to her parents! Why had they done those things to her and why wouldn’t they still leave her alone!? Finally, after an eternity of mind blanking fear they brought her into the same interrogation room as yesterday. Or was it another, identical one? She couldn't tell them apart. Every of the twisting corridors seemed the same. Each made of dark, nearly black clouds, crossing with other identical ones on regular intervals. They could have leaded her in circles just as well; she surely wouldn’t have been able to notice. And now she was waiting. Seconds. Minutes. Ticking and gnawing on her nerves. Waiting for what? Were they playing with her? Was this some sort of a sick game? Would they come back and if yes, would they hurt her again? Ruby shook her head. She shouldn’t think about that. That was what they wanted. To see her fear, to tear her mind apart, to... The mare’s ears perked up at the sound of the disengaging lock, and she looked in terror at the opening door. “Good morning Miss Star.” Captain Scourge Cloud entered the interrogation room with the same charming smile as the day before. He sat down in the chair opposite to her and took the recorder and some notes out of his ever present file. Finally he looked towards her, tilting his head. “How are we feeling today?” The mare eyed him frightened. What’s with that casual question? Was he playing with her? Maybe even making fun of her? How could he ask her something like that in such a tone, after what the guards have done to her? Was he... “Miss Star, is something wrong?” The cobalt coloured stallion was looking at her, the expression on his face changed to a more serious one. Ruby didn’t answer. She sat there, feeling uncomfortable under the inquiring glare of those golden orbs, trying to make herself as small as possible. The mare was afraid. Although he didn’t do anything to her, he was still scaring her, because he was a stallion. Because he could harm her... “Why do you keep hiding your face Miss Star?” Ruby suddenly realised, that she was subconsciously averting from him the side, swollen from the buck one of the guards has given to her last night. She tried to cover it with her mane and wing after the stallion’s comment but he kept staring at her in an anticipating way. His expression softened a little bit, it seemed almost comforting. “Show me your face Miss Star, please.” The mare lowered her wing and slowly turned her head. She wouldn’t dare to look at him, awaiting his reaction with a fear that caused her to almost forget to breathe. He would laugh at her. He would judge her. He would... “How did this happen?” The voice struck her as cold, almost emotionless. Ruby turned her head and looked Scourge Cloud in the face. His expression was a blank mask but the mare could feel a tension, a strain from hidden emotions. Anger maybe? She felt insecure. Should she tell him the truth? The stallion in front of her was the guards superior. Could she trust him? Wasn’t he the same as them? “Miss Star please tell me what had happened to you since our talk yesterday.” His voice was concerned, warm and reassuring. “T-the...” She started but wasn’t able to look him in the face. The mare turned her gaze away and started looking at the table in front of her. “T-the guards... They came in the middle of the night... T-they have b-beaten me and t-they... a-a-afterwards... t-t-they...“ Her voice broke and she clenched her eyes shut. She was unable to talk about it. She didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t want to remember. She felt tears wailing up but she wouldn’t cry, she had cried enough. She... A movement to her right startled her and she jerked up. Ruby looked beside her and saw Scourge Cloud standing at her side. The proximity of a stallion made her shrink together, especially as he placed a hoof on the legrest of her chair. There was a pained expression on his face, as always unmirrored in his emotionless eyes. “You poor thing...” He said, seemingly saddened by her sudden reaction. Ruby looked away once again. “I’m so sorry. The things those stallions have done to you were unprofessional and they can’t be forgiven. Please believe me. I didn’t know about any of this and I’ll do everything possible to punish them.” Was he honest? The mare couldn’t say that for sure but he showed her sympathy and wasn’t threatening her. Furthermore and most importantly – he wasn’t hurting her. “Nevertheless you have to understand that I have supervisors and it’s only your word against theirs.” Her ears perked up and she looked toward him. “I’ll need a sign of good will on your part. You have to understand Miss Star one hoof washes the other.” He smiled at her apologetically. “Will you cooperate with me and answer my questions about the surface? I promise that I shall protect you from those guards.” Ruby stayed silent for a while, lost in her thoughts. Was he using her? Should she accept his offer? He wanted information and answering a few questions wouldn’t harm anypony, right? Scourge Cloud seemed the only pony willing to help her right now. He would protect her if she cooperated. He would keep the guards away from her and wouldn’t allow them to harm her. It was the most important right now. She needed to be safe. The cobalt coated pegasus smiled as the mare slowly nodded and he retracted his hoof from the legrest. He returned to the opposite side of the table and Ruby sighed in relief. She felt ashamed of herself. He showed her concern and she was still afraid of him. The mare couldn’t help it, the others have hurt her too much. Scourge Cloud apparently didn’t hear it or simply ignored it. The stallion sat down with the same smile and started to search in his notes. He looked towards Ruby. “Good let’s start so we can finish this as fast as possible.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Miss Star would you kindly tell me how many ponies does this Collective count?” The mare reminded silent. Scourge Cloud tilted his head. “Miss Star?” She sighed. “We don’t have a constant number...” Her voice seemed resigned. “Ponies tend to come and go. Maybe around four dozen? Fifty something, at best.” The stallion nodded, while making some notes. “How does its racial makeup look like?” The mare sighed once again, she could feel that this was going to take some time... oooOooo “Come on! How much longer are we supposed to wait for those two?” Buzzsaw fell on his back, utterly bored but his words fell on deaf ears. He looked towards Sonic and Hellfire. The green stallion was sitting patiently on the monuments top step, eying the ponies passing by and the mare was leaning against the pedestal with closed eyes, her head wobbling slightly to the music of her headphones. “Hellfireeeeee...” He whined loudly. The yellow pegasus sighed irritated and took out one of her earplugs. “Yes Buzzsaw?” “We’ve been waiting for over an hour!” The purple stallion continued to complain, while waving with his hooves. “When will Milky and Dancer finally come?” The wing commander shrugged. “They are two mares on leave, probably on a shopping trip, how am I supposed to know when they show up?” Buzzsaw sat up and pointed towards the great clock on the other side of the plaza. “We all were supposed to meet at an agreed place and time, weren’t we? And look! More than an hour has already passed! An hour Hellfire! An H-O-U-R! An hour!” The mare rolled her eyes. It was one of those arguments. She could already see that some of the flier- and passerby’s were turning their heads towards them. “Can you even imagine what I could have done during the time that I’ve spent sitting here with you two?” “Sure like, I don’t know, maybe making a fool of you in front of somepony else?” Hellfire gave him a bored look and shut him off before he could respond. “You could follow Sonic’s example. Have you seen him complain?” The green pegasus turned his attention away from the ponies on the plaza towards his two squad mates. The blank expression on his muzzle turned towards a pained What have I done to you Hellfire? moment Buzzsaw flung a foreleg around his neck. The mare smiled apologetically at him before the purple stallion started his monologue. “Like Sonic my dear Hellfire? You are certainly jesting!” He pulled his friend towards himself, almost strangling the poor buck. “Our dear Sonic here is more like a robot or a statue, the perfect soldier deprived of any kind of emotions...” “Fuck you Buzzsaw.” “... just like an automaton. Besides that he’s in a relationship with a cute mare with a sweet flank that loves from the depth of analytical heart.” “Your contradicting yourself Buzz.” Hellfire snorted at the sight of the death glare Sonic was giving Buzzsaw. “AU CONTRAIRE, MON CAPITAINE! I’m not contradicting myself...” “You can’t talk Fancy.” Muttered Sonic still glaring at him. “... as love makes you dumb.” He patted his chest for emphasis. “Our Sonic here is like a dog waiting for his owner to return so he can bump her leg or whatever other part... “Enough of this!” The green stallion pushed his leg away and attempted to land a punch on his muzzle which Buzzsaw artfully averted. “Just like colts...” Hellfire sighed and averted her eyes from her two squad mates and looked upwards towards the statue giving her shade. His wings wide outstretched, commander Hurricane, the last archon of Pegasopolis, was looking over the plaza with a stern expression on his face. The mare looked over his muscular yet slim body and the richly decorated armour, her eyes lingering on the ornate helmet bearing a bladed ridge with a sharp hook on the front. She knew its purpose – it was a weapon for fighting winged opponents, designed to cut their tendons or ram it into the enemy’s chest. The magical energy weapons strapped to their battle saddles seemed easier to use, at least in training... Her thoughts were interrupted as somepony heaved her from the ground suddenly. “For fucks sake!” Hellfire looked down on the purple forelegs holding her. ”Put me down Buzzsaw! Has Luna fucked your brain with her horn or something?” The mare stared at him angrily over her shoulder. “Sonic wants to kill me!” The stallion was using her as meat shield against their squad mate. “He insulted my fillyfriend!” The green pegasus was glaring at them, or at Buzzsaw to be more precise, with a murderous intent. “By Celestia’s flaming clit are you two retarded or what?!” Many pegasi turned their heads at the scolding that followed from the direction of the Hurricane Monument, some mothers covering the ears of their foals. Two mares with shopping bags on the other side of the plaza, one black with a distinctive lilac mane, the other one with a dust blue hide and a white mane with blue streaks in it, halted in their tracks. “Is that...” Wind Dancer looked to her companion with an insecure look on her face. “Hellfire...” Milky Way facehoofed as her cheeks were turning red. oooOooo Scourge Cloud stretched his limbs with a few cracks in his joints. He looked towards the pink mare, still sitting gloomy on her chair. The interview has gone on for a few hours and in that time he has gotten many interesting answers out of the young flier. Some of the information, like the rumours about alicorns or the dangers of certain areas of the Wasteland, wasn’t anything new to the Enclave and yet a few facts seemed pretty interesting. Especially this Red Eye figure. According to the intelligence gathered in the past decades the city of Fillydelphia was supposed to be a desolated hellhole or a warzone between gangs of slave traders. As of nowadays this has changed apparently and a new economic force was rising in the west of Equestria’s burnt out corpse. This information could certainly prove useful in the future. “I have to admit, these are some really intriguing facts Miss Star. We’re almost at the end.” The stallion gave Ruby a charming smile but she avoiding his gaze. Scourge Cloud shrugged and pooled something out of his file. “Would you possibly recognize this young stallion?” The mare looked towards him and saw that he was holding up a picture. A brown coated stallion with a orange-yellow mane was looking at her from it with intelligent brown eyes. He was wearing a military uniform and couldn’t be much older than Hellfire and her friends. With his face turned towards the viewer Ruby guessed that it had to be an identification photo of sorts, maybe taken for a pass or some other official document. The mare shook her head, she didn’t know him. The cobalt blue stallion sighed disappointed and held up another picture. “She should be a few years older than you can see here. Take a good look.” The second photo showed a pegasus mare with a pale grey hide and a purple-lavender mane with pink highlights. It had to been taken at an official occasion as she was wearing a blue jacket that went together with her coat, while standing at a lectern in front of a crowd of pegasi. Ruby couldn’t see her eyes but she had very pleasant features. Nevertheless the mare was a stranger to her. “I’m sorry but I don’t know this mare.” She said with a week voice. “Are you sure Miss Star?” The stallion in front of her has tilted his head but put down the picture as the young mare shook her head once again. “It seems you can’t get everything that you want. But nevertheless there is only one more thing that we have to record before you’ll be free to go Miss Star.” He reached into his file and took out a document that he shoved towards her. Ruby took it into her hooves and flipped through it. It didn’t count more than ten pages but her eyes widened as she read though its contents. “W-what... is this?” She asked in a weak voice. “Just a short statement, regarding your family.” Scourge Cloud answered in a nonchalant tone while waving with one of his hooves. “I would be very obliged if you could read it loud and clear into the recorder.” “B-but I’ve told you already that I don’t want to stay in Ravenclaw.” The young mare was eyeing the stallion with shock. What was going on? She didn’t agree to this. The pegasus with the cobalt blue hide chuckled slightly. “Please excuse me for the misunderstanding Miss Star. The Enclave citizenship was an offer valid only yesterday. Today we’re talking about your freedom.” His smile broadened. “Read the document in front of you and you’ll be free to go.” “No...” “Miss Star please be reasonable.” The officer sighed and tilted his head. “Those are nothing but words.” “No Captain.” Ruby shook her head and looked him in the eyes. ”I’ve already told you yesterday that I’m not going to betray my family.” Scourge Cloud sighed and took of his glasses. He looked at the mare in front of him for a moment before rubbing his eyes and putting his glasses back on. The stallion started to pack his notes into the file. “Miss Star I think a break in the interview will do us both well, don’t you agree?” The pink flier kept eyeing him but didn’t answer. “What would you say about an hour?” He turned his head towards the roof. “Lieutenant Hard Buck?” Ruby folded back her ears as he heard the name and her heart skipped a beat at the sound of the voice that came from the hidden speakers. “Yes captain?” The stallion in front of her gave her another charming smile. “Would you and your subordinates mind keeping Miss Star a little bit of company?” “With pleasure captain.” The mares eyes went wide in terror as he looked towards Scourge Cloud. “N-n-no... p-please...” “Miss Star I’ve already told you that we’re having a break now. I’m off...” “Y-you... p-promis-sed...” Her mind was going blank out of sheer terror. They were coming. They would hurt her again. They would... He shook her head and looked at him with tears wailing in her eyes. “You promised!” He smiled at her. “Only if you’d cooperate.” He forced herself to smile and nodded with enthusiasm. “I-I’ll cooperate! I’ll read everything you want! I...” “Miss Star we will talk about this in an hour, after my break.” He turned his back on her and opened the door. “N-no...” The smile faded from her face as they entered the room. Hard Buck saluted Scourge Cloud with his wing and gave the pink mare a wicked grin as the entrance closed behind the Blitzwing captain. “No...” She slowly shook her head as she stood up. They were saying something but she was too terrified to comprehend their words. She eyed them with terror. “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Scourge Cloud could hear screaming from inside the examination room. He folded back his ears as something impacted against the wall with a crack of breaking furniture. The screams have gotten louder and he could make out the sounds of a fierce struggle as he began walking down the corridor. He took a little holotape player from one of the pockets of his uniform and pushed the play button. The music started the moment as the passageway echoed with the mares wailing. He made it louder and sighed with relief as it muted out the unpleasant sounds. “The last triplet between Heartstrings, Fiddlesticks and Octavia in the Canterlot Royal Hall...” He smiled to himself. “A true blessing for the mind.” oooOooo Scourge Cloud looked at the watch on his left fetlock while walking down the corridor towards the interrogation room. He still had around ten minutes to spare but he could already hear the voices of the guards ahead. “I think I’ve almost ripped her asshole apart !” “Wich wroke m’ hose...” “But it was still worth it wasn’t it?” The cobalt blue stallion frowned at the laughter that echoed down the hallway. This kind of brutish behaviour always filled him with disgust and contempt. It was unprofessional. The captain preferred a more refined way of interrogating ponies. He enjoyed the slow game of undeck their secrets and using their desires and fears against them. Sometimes he even managed to turn them into valuable pawns. But there were also cases like this one... Scourge Cloud saw that one of the guards remained by the door. The gray buck noticed his superior just as he ended tiding up his uniform. He slicked back his reddish brown mane and saluted with a wing. “Captain Scourge Cloud.” “Lieutenant Hard Buck.” The Blitzwing captain returned the gesture and looked towards the door. “Is the suspect conscious?” “A little bit bruised but conscious. The boys went a little bit rough on her; nevertheless I think that she’ll be a lot more cooperative than earlier sir.” Scourge Cloud cocked his head. “What do you mean by rough?” “I’m afraid that in the initial struggle wingman Windbreaker has broken her left foreleg, not that the rest of the squad has minded the additional moaning afterwards.” Hard Bucked smiled wickedly while mentioning the little detail. The cobalt blue stallion has seemingly ignored the last remark. “Windbreaker. Isn’t that the same guard that almost fractured her jaw the night before?” “So I’ve stated in my report.” “He seems too aggressive for this kind of work.” Scourge Cloud put a hoof to his chin. “Even when inflicting pain you have to be precise to not overdo it. Put him in solitary confinement for now.” “Solitary confinement sir?” The lieutenant was taken aback by the order. “He certainly...” “Lieutenant.” The gray coated buck was interrupted. “Who are we?” “We’re the Blitzwing, sir” “And what does that make us?” “Soldiers, sir.” “In some aspects, yes.” The cobalt blue pegasus nodded but he didn’t take his golden eyes of Hard Buck.”Yet foremost we are professionals lieutenant. We have our goals and we have a certain modus operandi for achieving them. Won’t you agree?” “Certainly, sir.” “Although this case required a certain dose of, as you mentioned earlier, roughness” The dark hided buck almost spat the last word.” I wouldn’t like to see our stallions showing off their primitive instincts on a daily basis.” “I... understand sir.” Hard Buck nodded slowly. “Good. I hope Miss Star will be truly cooperative after this... session. “Molding things into the desired form is my special talent sir.” The gray stallion nodded towards his flank and the chisel cutie mark adorning it. “And I love to work with my tools.” “How fitting...” Scourge Cloud’s eyes narrowed slightly and he continued coldly. “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you lieutenant?” “Yes sir, captain sir!” Hard Buck saluted enthusiastically with a cheeky smile. “I consider my work... Invigorating.” “How old are you again?” “Twenty five sir.” The cobalt blue stallion sighed and shook his head. “Lieutenant, it fills me with terror to even imagine what kind of actions you’ll perform to fill invigorated in a decade or two.” “Nevertheless I can only recommend it, sir.” Hard Buck grinned at his superior. “You say you recommend it?” The lieutenant’s smile started to fade the moment he noticed the blank, expressionless mask Scourge Cloud’s face has become. His ears dropped while the cobalt blue pegasus continued with a cold voice. “I asked you a question lieutenant Hard Buck.” “Yes.” “Yes what lieutenant?” Hard Buck gulped slightly. ”Yes sir, I said I recommend it sir.” “Oh, so you recommend the raping of juveniles as a pastime fitting a married stallion with two foals in a position of authority in the organisation you belong to?” Scourge Cloud inquired further, while taking a step towards the grey stallion. Hard Buck fought back the notion to take a step back while looking into the two emotionless, golden orbs. “I have a daughter lieutenant. Do you think that it would be truly appropriate for me to violate a mare only slightly older than her?” Hard Buck shook his head but the stallion in front of him continued to stare into his eyes. “N-no sir.” He gulped. “It was a slip of the tongue.” “I thought so.” The captain nodded slowly. ”You should pay a better attention to what you say lieutenant. You can return to your duties now.” “Yes sir.” The gray pegasus saluted once again and hurried down the corridor. Scourge Cloud eyed after him until he turned on one of the intersections. The Blitzwing captain pressed a button on the wall beside the door, opening it, and re-entered the interrogation room. He looked down as his hoof stepped on something. The floor around the door frame was covered by the remains of a chair, seemingly the source of the impact he heard earlier. He could hear a silent sobbing coming from the opposite side of the room. As he walked around the table in the middle he saw a shaking pile of legs and wings, curled up with one limb bent at an unnatural angle. The drops of blood on the walls and floor around her and the bruises covering her soiled coat were the silent evidence of the fight that she put up against her assailants. Sadly she was only a young mare, barely a filly, pitted against trained soldiers. Scourge Cloud halted a few steps away from her, his ears perking up as he heard her whispering under her breath in between the sobs. “Mommy, D-Daddy... I-I’m sorry... I w-want to go home...” “The break is over Miss Star.” The stallion stated with a levelled voice. He could see her body stiffen at the sound of his words, but the mare didn’t react in any other way. “I would appreciate it, if you would look at me when I address you.” The mare turned her head and looked up at him with bloodshot, terrified eyes, still crying; the tears making the pain slightly more bearable. She couldn’t feel her rear over the numbing pain, only slightly aware of the blood coating her hind legs and underbelly, and wasn’t sure if she could stand or even sit up. Moreover Ruby was terrified. Terrified by the sheer presence of the stallion standing in front of her. “You don’t have to believe me Miss Star, but I’m truly saddened by this kind o development.” Scourge Cloud continued with the same calm voice, unfazed by neither the mare’s condition nor expression. He sat down with a sigh. “Sadly the Ravenclaw council considers you a nuisance, an unknown if not even a dangerous element in their equation. They demand certain results.” The officer frowned. “And that means they want them quick, very quick. If it weren’t for the pressure of my superiors I would have taken a different approach on you. It would have taken longer but it would have been far more enjoyable for the both of us. You can’t believe how difficult it is to find anypony capable of conversing about ancient history and philosophy nowadays.“ He smiled at the mare, who continued to stare at him with terror in her eyes. The stallion shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe you would have become an ally? The talk about you possibly joining the Blitzwing was honest, I assure you. I foalishly hoped to convince you during our first talk but sadly it didn’t work. Nevertheless I had to revert to way more direct and brutish interrogation methods to keep my deadline.” Scourge Cloud almost spat the last word. “I still believe in you being an intelligent mare and I hope that you’ve already learned the simple lesson: cooperation keeps the harm away. You have to understand Miss Star that at the moment you are not considered a pony anymore. For the council you’re just a foreign element. The guards consider you their, eh, fuck toy.” The stallions seemed disgusted while Ruby shuddered. “Furthermore even I, although sympathizing with your predicament, see you only as an asset. An asset worth to protect, but only as long it keeps being useful. Do you understand your alternatives Miss Star?” The mare continued to look at him, she didn’t dare to look away or even blink. His words filled her with fear. Ruby felt an emptiness inside of her. She was nothing for these ponies, they could even kill her if they only wanted. Her parents, her friends... Nopony would ever know what happened to her. In addition she was aware that it wouldn’t be a fast death. They would once again... “Miss Star. I asked you a question.” “I-I-I...” Stuttering was the only respond she could give. Scourge Cloud sighed. “Miss Star I hope you’re aware, and I will be painfully direct on this, that I’m still the only one keeping those brutes from rutting you to death.” The blue stallion arched an eyebrow. “Or actually to near death as I would have to find an even less pleasant way to gain your cooperation.” “C-cooperate... I-I will cooperate...” The mare answered while breathing heavily, too terrified to even think clear. The stallion in front of her gave her a smile. “I’m happy to see that mine opinion about your intellect wasn’t misguided.” He laid the recorder and document in front of her. “You don’t have to stand up, we wouldn’t like to make you feel any more uncomfortable than it’s necessary, wouldn’t we?” The pink pegasus swallowed hard while eying the papers in front of her. ”I-if I read all of this... Will I be allowed to go back home?” Scourge Cloud clasped his hooves together and smiled jovially. “My dear child of course you will be allowed to go back.” He eyed her from behind his glasses. “And now READ. From the start please.” The mares lower lip shivered as she began to read. “M-my name is Ruby Star. I’m the daughter of Nova Star and Dawn Star. Niece of Firebird. They were the leaders of the terrorist group responsible for the bombing and initial destruction of the Clean Winds settlement and the death of twenty seven enclave functionaries and their families.“ Ruby stopped, tears running down her face once again. The cobalt coated stallion looked at her patiently, his glasses reflecting the light of the lamps in a menacing way. “Continue.” Ruby swallowed hard. “The total body count: sixty seven. Twenty five stallions, twenty three mares, eleven fillies and eight colts. After cowardly fleeing from the righteous wrath of the Enclave they founded a new organization which they called the Collective which associates over three dozen dashites or their offspring and slaves from the lesser, nowadays degenerated races. Their intentions are...” Scourge Cloud thought about the mare’s question. The council would certainly let her go, especially as an example for the traitors below the clouds, but first there would be judgment. How did it go...She punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation ? oooOooo “...were the reasons for which my parents sent me to the Ravenclaw Enclave.” Ruby laid down the paper on the table. She looked at all the lies about her family that she was forced to read. The sheet was wet from her tears, some words now unreadable, but each of them was carved deep in her heart. Letter by letter. There was emptiness in her soul. She felt dead inside... Scourge Cloud clapped his hooves together. “Wonderful Miss Star. I’m truly happy that you were willing to cooperate.” The pink mare felt her cheeks getting red as she silently cried out of shame. “I-is it over? Am I free to go?” She asked silently. “Oh one more thing.” Ruby dared to look at him and saw that the cobalt blue stallion in the black uniform was grinning at her sheepishly. ”I’ve almost forgotten to ask the most important question.” He gave her a sympathetic smile, but one would search in vain if he would try to spot the same look in his cold eyes. “Would the acronym PCDM ring any bells with you?” She slowly shook her head in response, but her expression changed to sheer terror as she saw him standing up again. Scourge Cloud tucked the casebook with his notes under one of his wings. ”No? Then maybe Portable Cloud Dispersal Machine?” He cocked his head and walked towards her. She shook her head once again shrinking slightly together. He stopped in front of her, lowering his head while lifting hers with a hoof, so they were now on the same eyes level. ”You wouldn’t lie to me wouldn’t you?” “N-no...” Her voice trembling in fear, she clenched her eyes shut. “I understand Miss Star.” The stallion let go of her and turned towards the door. “Nevertheless I would appreciate if you could try to control your bladder during future conversations.” The mare started trembling in a growing yellow puddle. Ruby felt ashamed. A slight touch was enough to make her lose control over her body... “Don’t bother about it and stay where you are.” He opened the door. “I will send for a physician to take care of you.” He mused for a moment. ”And for somepony to get rid of this mess afterwards. Have a nice day Miss Star.” After closing the door Scourge Cloud could hear the mare bailing in the room behind his back. He reached to the little holotape player and started one of the tracks. “Hm... Frederick Hoofin’s nocturne f-moll? How fitting.” He said to himself while walking down the empty corridor. oooOooo