Diary of a Young Griff

by Isuvyw

XX: Fiery News Articles

ROYAL CANTERLOT TIMES

5^th day of July, A.N.M 3

***

ATROX REVELATIO!

SIX INDIVIDUALS DISCOVERED IN ABANDONED SECTION OF CANTERLOT PALACE!

Investigation reveals years of physical abuse, overwork, and emotional trauma before being mercilessly buried alive.

***

It has been a month since an ambitious plan to replace every coal-powered boiler room with mana-infused electric ones was successfully put into place. However, the 5 million-bit project may soon crash and burn with the discovery of six individuals left behind in Canterlot Palace’s old boiler room, abandoned and shut down during its phase-out.

3 ponies and 3 griffons, one of them a newly-hatched baby, were discovered amidst the collapsed remains of Canterlot Palace's Boiler Room B2 during renovations, which had been abandoned a month prior as part of the new boiler replacement plan. All were found starving, malnourished, and severely dehydrated. One had already succumbed and died, while the rest slowly wasted away. As of now, the survivors are under intensive medical care at Canterlot General Hospital, while an autopsy is being performed to identify the remains of the single casualty.

Princess Celestia was shocked and reportedly mortified at such a discovery, leading her to form an investigative committee that aims to uncover any abuse or corruption occuring within Equestria's leading factories and facilities. Statistics as of now have found that more than 30% of work areas were found bypassing standard regulations, and over 50% of employees were found to have been physically abused and denied salaries. The entire project has been temporarily suspended and its owners, many of them Canterlot elites, subject to interrogation. Stock prices have begun rapidly falling, causing a great amount of concern among investors and actuarists.

Personal items recovered from the site are story books, a bracelet, a quill, and a journal. The boiler room is sealed off and the surrounding area is under investigation to find out the cause of such a tragedy.

---

VOX EQUESTRIA

13^th of July, A.N.M 3

***

“I WAS WHIPPED, ABUSED, AND RAPED,” SAYS SURVIVOR FROM RECENT TERRIBLE DISCOVERY AT CANTERLOT

***

An investigation into the recent discovery of six individuals in an abandoned boiler room has uncovered some shocking details.

After a journal detailing the conditions in the boiler room was discovered by the Royal Guard, an investigation was launched into the status of the boiler room and its workers prior to its closing. Inquiries of the 5 survivors revealed shocking tales of physical and sexual abuse, as well as emotional trauma brought on by harsh conditions and overwork under the auspices of Miss Beryl Hawkrose, a former headmare of the laborer’s department in the palace, who a month prior shut down had dismissed all workers in her department except the boiler workers, locked them in, resigned from her job, and disappeared, practically burying the six individuals alive. As of today, she and 50 other individuals have been arrested and are awaiting prosecution.

Matilda Snowfeather, one of the survivors, testified to the harsh working conditions of the boiler room. “I was whipped by the headmare if I made a mistake,” she recounted. “I was always tired from working so long, and was also depressed.” She also said that she was bullied by other workforces in the department, particularly the waste force. “They jeered on me, called me names, and tried to blame me for any problem that occurred.” She testified to being molested a few times by members of said group, eventually being gang-raped one fateful night. Miss Snowfeather has declined to say anymore about that event, and we respect her decision in doing so.

Sadly, of the initial six creatures in the boiler room, one had succumbed to starvation and dehydration and died. Miss Snowfeather gave his details as Sven, an earth pony roughly aged 7 – 11, who hailed from Snoryord. He had been Miss Snowfeather’s best friend, and his loss has brought a great blow on her and her friends. As per his last request, he will be buried atop a hill overlooking the South Luna Ocean.

All details regarding the boiler room and the conditions within are found within a diary written by Miss Snowfeather and her friends, affectionately named “Eva.” It is currently under review by the Equestrian Judiciary to be potentially used as evidence.

Miss Hawkrose’s trial, set to occur on the 17^th of this month, is to be held at the Royal Supreme Court, the highest judicial institution of our nation. Princess Celestia herself is expected to sit as judge for the first time since the Cleartai-Silvanus Trials in the aftermath of the most recent Equestrio-Griffish War.

We sincerely hope for justice to be served and wish well for the survivors’ physical and emotional recovery.

Author's Note:

Tried to format it as if it was a newspaper, because hard facts, and I mean hard, are being presented here.

"Atrox Revelatio" means Atrocious/Terrible Revelation, according to Google Translate.

Comments

[Compass The Pegasus]

Yeah I had guessed the boilers were being replaced by better tech but damn didn't expect them to be basically buried alive.

[Reviewfilly]

I really like the way you formatted this chapter. The calendar date is especially a nice touch. Well done.

There is only one thing that makes me scratch my head:

It has been a month since an ambitious plan to replace every coal-powered boiler room with mana-infused electric ones was successfully put into place. [...] Princess Celestia was shocked and reportedly mortified at such a discovery, and has suspended the entire project.

Wouldn't she actually instead be convinced to redouble her efforts after such conditions were revealed? I would assume these electric furnaces require far less hard labor and so suspending the project after the harsh conditions came to light seems counter-intuitive.

[J-90]

YES! Sweet KARMA! Hoping to see the Trial or at least a summary of it later on.

Also nice of you to do many small updates on a same day.

[Isuvyw]

11203720
Thanks for pointing that out. I have changed the first article according to what I had in mind.

Celestia knew that many Canterlot nobles owned these factories, and invested heavily into the new project. She formed a committee to investigate work conditions in their factories, and discovered that many of them were as bad as the one in Canterlot. So by suspending the project, she rendered the nobles' investments worthless while exposing them for their abuse.

Again, thanks for pointing it out!

[Elsaack]

I was thinking this was a bit inspired by The Jungle with the horrible working conditions and abuse. Then it got so much worse.
As for them getting locked in, wow that was petty. I do wonder if there was another motive for the attempt. Maybe Tristan's sire wasn't just a nobody from another work crew and Hawknose was covering it up. Spitballing, but it seems like all the little details they related happening around them were more than just gossip.
Also, with that author's note, do we know have a time period for the story? The first century or two of Celestia's solo rule after Luna's fall? (Edit: After Nightmare Moon (ANM), just noticed. So first few years)
Thanks for not leaving us on a cliffhanger waiting for what happens. Don't know if I could have taken the stress

[Isuvyw]

11203735

(Edit: After Nightmare Moon (ANM), just noticed. So first few years)

After Nightmare Moon actually refers to when Luna came back, which means that this fic is set around the beginning of what we know as Season 1. Which is why I put it as an AU because the premise of this story doesn't neatly fit into an innocent kids world.

Also, very interesting theory about Hawkrose covering up

[StarzGecko]

I thought they would have been taken to be sold or could had they try to escape?

Man, this is a sad ending but at least someone found them.

I guess the story is almost over

[Teraunce]

Congrats. You now get ±4 stars out of 5. I hate you. This makes me want to write an alt version where Sven barely survives.

[Rawislon03]

Hmm, I’d wonder if figures like Marshal Silvanus would’ve overseen an early form of what’s obviously become a secret slave trade within the industrial sector of Equestria.
It does mention earlier that Mathilda was a prisoner taken from their home after the war, I’ve interpreted that as meaning she was born to a notable household. So I’d wonder if this means they’d diverted legitimate political hostages into their slave markets, or if she’s been captured entirely on false pretences and they deceived her family in surrendering her into slavery.

[NightFlame389]

SIX INDIVIDUALS DISCOVERED IN ABANDONED SECTION OF CANTERLOT PALACE!

wait, six?

[Scyphi]

Princess Celestia was shocked and reportedly mortified at such a discovery, leading her to form an investigative committee that aims to uncover any abuse or corruption occuring within Equestria's leading factories and facilities.

Knew she was unaware! But that just makes those who were aware all the more despicable in my eyes.

Miss Beryl Hawkrose, a former headmare of the laborer’s department in the palace, who a month prior shut down had dismissed all workers in her department except the boiler workers, locked them in, resigned from her job, and disappeared, practically burying the six individuals alive.

Well then. Personally, I think Hawkrose snapped, perhaps from the stress, perhaps from other reasons. Sounded like she was probably going to be out of a job regardless, so maybe it was her idea of petty revenge? Bah, not that it really matters now.

As of today, she and 50 other individuals have been arrested and are awaiting prosecution.

Well, at least we have that. Much too late, but there it is regardless.

Princess Celestia herself is expected to sit as judge for the first time since the Cleartai-Silvanus Trials in the aftermath of the most recent Equestrio-Griffish War.

I expect she insisted upon it, in fact. No way she was going to let herself be excluded from the matter now.

Normally, this would all absolutely be a much overdue and much deserved vindication for us readers...but it feels so bittersweet considering what we lost before it happened. None of those six deserved this...but Sven probably deserved this the least.

I do hope we get a chapter or two about how the survivors move on from this, hopefully heading into better lives, to directly show at least good will eventually come to them now. To not to will just leave us at this heavily bittersweet spot, and I feel like that won't be a satisfactory enough of an ending.

[Scyphi]

11203815
Just goes to show I can't count because I didn't realize the discrepancy until you pointed it out, but yeah--who's the unaccounted sixth creature?

[Isuvyw]

11203828
To be revealed in the next chapter or so. Actually, you've met him before.

Hint: Sven's friend and crush rival.

[StarzGecko]

Wait a minute… what about that weird pipe issue the story has been hinting at? I wonder what’s going on with that

[Isuvyw]

11203835
The pipe issue was hinting at the eventual phase-out and shutting down of the boiler room. Matilda constantly says that less water has been used and cold water has been flowing the pipes, obviously because you can now easily heat up water with new tech.

[StarzGecko]

11203837
Oh I see! That makes sense

[Isuvyw]

11203788
Interesting proposition.

[Ebony Gryphon]

I strongly suspected of folks simply not knowing what was happening was the case. Neither sister seems like the sort to let these sorts of things happen under there watch.

Celestia's directly interceding in this?

Somepony is fucked Seriously, out of all thing, I'd imagine the hurting of any child would not be taken with much thought towards mercy.

One court case later

"Um... your highness? Was the axe really the best answer for them?

"... Luna was ready to bring out her rusty anchor and Cadence was ready have to split them like an over done gas station hot dog before chucking their still living remains into the event horizon so she's essentially time locked in agony for all eternity."

"... Okay. I can't decide if this was a good or bad thing now, and I don't know what that makes me."

And in your unfamilar with Luna's method...

[KatieBreeze]

Personal items recovered from the site are story books, a bracelet, a quill, and a journal. The boiler room is sealed off and the surrounding area is under investigation to find out the cause of such a tragedy.

I'm crying so hard right now, why would you do this. I've been crying for at least a chapter or two ;-; my heart is broken, I am big sad. If this was your intent then very good work

I do appreciate it though, I've been needing a good cry ;~;

💜❤️💜