Chapter 1: Hush Now, Quiet Now

The hooves of the white unicorn knocked the floor of stone and marble in the hallway, as she walked down. Were it not for her sounds, she would have barely been noticeable in the darkness of what was, essentially, the dungeon of Canterlot Castle. In all the years that she had known the city, and the residence of the princesses, she never once expected she would ever have to walk through this, the part of the castle that was clearly most dreary of all. So dreary, she would probably need to have a bath once she got home.

She was already considering having far too long a soak, in the quiet, finally getting a chance to be away from the business of court, from Canterlot high society, even away from her truly beloved friends, the Empress, her High Priestess, and the Pegasui Guard captain.
The pony let out a sigh, which echoed all the way down the long obscure stuffy hall. Nothing else would ever give her reason to be here. And she really hated the reason that she was here.

No, she thought, she couldn't really hate that reason. In her heart of hearts that just wasn't something she could feel about the mare she was coming down here to see. She'd come as far as persuading the Empress of what would suit everyone best - getting to speak with this pair privately. But it wasn't something that the Royal Dressmaker was doing entirely selflessly. She had begun to feel much of a sense of justice fading within the whole Equestrian Empire.
Justice was something every pony in the kingdom had enjoyed for some years now, ever since the careless days of their youth back in Ponyville. Ever since she met that powerful unicorn, who became one of her best friends. Life had been simply splendid, for every pony she knew. That was until about the last year. Then the rumours started to get out.

Of course, all of her friends dismissed them as "ridiculous propaganda", "balderdash" and "pedestrian nonsense". "Pedestrian" being the operative word, of course. Most of the rumours came from the earth ponies, and the rest of the serf classes. Resentment among the earthers had been growing since more than a year ago. They had begun to see the reign of the Empress as a threat to their place in Equestrian society.

"But who could believe such a thing?", thought the unicorn on so many days, when the rumours fell on her ears time and again. After all, with the help of five friends, the Empress had gained her position by bringing a new found justice to the land, uniting the tribes, and returning Princess Luna from the nightmare that had possessed her for over a millennium. And all with the use of nothing but Kindness. Equestria was living out both its destiny, and its natural order. Surely the earthers had to be wearing blinkers to not realise that!

And yet, as she finally approached the custody chamber she was fully intent on visiting, the unicorn's loud clattering hoof-steps slowing down as she reached the gate, she knew there was more to this than just the earthers. After all, it wasn't an earth pony that she was visiting here. This unicorn would only visit a place like this for someone truly special.

"I really do hope that I haven't come down to this dreadful place for nothing...",

She paused, she could tell the younger unicorn could hear her through the bars. Her voice was as clear and eloquent as ever, of this she had no doubt. Yet no answer came from the little pony.

"... Well? Out with it, already! It won't help either of us, if you don't talk!"

The unicorn glared through the bars, her gaze trying to imitate that infamous stare that her friend, the Empress, used to use on any unruly creatures who wouldn't consider her requests. Obviously, she could not match its awesome dominative power.

The younger mare behind the bars sighed, her head still hanging, lifting no more than an inch,

"What's the point in telling you anything? It won't make any difference now!",

"Ergh! The one time I wish you WOULDN'T keep your trap shut, and you won't even breathe a single word to ME?! Why, of all belligerent n-..."

The older unicorn was interrupted by a shrill squeak, so familiar to her ears, unmistakably annoying since her youth, but this time around it only served to tug right at her heart strings, the weight of this whole scandal finally being dropped on her, and feeling even heavier than that rock she discovered, on the day that she got her cutie mark, as she heard the little unicorn yell out,

"I'M SCARED, OKAY?!!!"

As the little one began to weep, the Royal Dressmaker trotted two slow steps back from the bars. Blindsided by shock, she took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and brought her assertive self back into that dark dungeon, knowing that one way or another, this distraught filly wouldn't be staying here much longer.

"I'm scared too. But if you don't tell me anything, there's no way that I can make this better."

The young mare raised her head a little, mane flicking up to show her tearful, frightened little eyes,

"You wouldn't believe me anyway, no matter what I say..."

Frustrated, the unicorn slammed a hoof onto the hard stony floor, and slipped straight into her familiar diva-like tone of voice, shouting out through those prison bars like she hadn't had to do in so many years. And only ever with this volume, would she ever bark these words at this mare,

"I AM YOUR SISTER, SWEETIE BELLE!..."

A tear welled up in Rarity's eye. For a whole few minutes, she had actually forgotten that the prisoner she had come down here to question, was her own kid sister. She deftly huffed out a few more short breaths, trying to hold back more tears,

"... And right now, I am the one pony who has any chance of getting you out if this place..."

Seeing her little sis only more frightened and upset, only able to see her inevitable fate, Rarity moved a forehoof between the bars, and Sweetie Belle touched it with her own,

"... Now, please. I promise I will keep this between us, if I have to. Just... Start at the beginning..."

That soft charm her big sister once knew so well returned to Sweetie Belle, and with a little smile, she took her leap of faith into telling the events of the day before. After all, she already knew what was left to lose at this point. For herself. For her sister. And for Scootaloo.

"All right... Here's how it went down..."

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