Solitary Confinement.

[Plush Ramen]

For those who need a little more discipline in their life in the eyes of the new rulers, ponies are sent here. Padded on all sides, the room itself is magic proof and virtually indestructible. Smaller then the average cells, those with claustrophobia are in for a grand surprise.

[Plush Ramen]

Death. To many it felt like a fear they couldn't escape from. For others, death was simply the termination of all biological functions that sustain a living organism, it was something that could hardly never be avoided. But for Plush Ramen, death was like a tease. Never coming when she wanted it most, its peaceful slumber wronged her in more ways then she could count. Waking up as she normally had, blue sapphire orbs stared unwelcomingly at the padded ceiling above. Having lost track of how many years she had been here, the bare cold reminder of her life time fate caused her more pain that any physical wound could.

Stretching in her still mattress and flipping to sit upwards, the once bright and youthful color on her face was now that of a pale sickly expression. Opening up her wings in remembrance to the outside world and the winds within the beautiful sky, flying was something she desperately missed. Preening herself as the clock ticked by, a feather loosened or hanging off was pulled to the floor as another soon would fall in its place. Once finished, the orange coated pegasus would pace from wall to wall as she re-awoken her under used joints for fear of blood clots within. Doing this daily to ensure she wasn't a fragile disaster when she eventually served her life sentence and passed away, the majority of it was deeply and mentally inside her head.

Glancing to the open letter shoot at her door and sighing, it had been days since the mare received food. Hearing odd things from old employees years ago about a battle outside of these walls, the mare's stomach growled in submission as her hunger snapped her back into reality. Gripping it and stopping her pacing, the mare just didn't care enough anymore to exercise. Flopping on the hard bed and returning to staring at the walls, her days were filled with mental visions. With life as she created it, her dream world was in fact perfect. Living back with her parents and simply enjoying their warm embrace, none of the disasters in real time mattered as her fantasy world surrounded her in bliss. Sniffling however and letting a few tears fall to her sheets, the raven maned mare had grabbed her pillow before silently weeping as the hours passed on.

What her mind tried to fantasize and what was actually real had always hit her rather hard. After the vanishing of Swift Gale's soul in year one, and the empty blacked non existent dreams that shrouded her at night, not even Maia could or would speak to her anymore. The mare was alone, hurting, and above all, broken. The truth was, as much as she deserved this, and as much as she needed to keep others safe by staying here, her heart ached for company. She wanted to see him again.. She wanted to see her old friends again.. But sadly, nothing she wished for had ever come true. Crying herself back to sleep, it seemed like the best option, losing track of time and care as her emotional state went on to having another blank and empty dream.

[Joxer]

[Enter Joxer from the hallway]

Quietly walking into the padded room, Joxer looks around the room sadly before his eyes stop on the mare asleep in bed. He closes the door, holding the handle so it doesn't make a sound as he does so before walking to stand beside her bed. Sighing softly he frowns, his face a mix of emotions as he watches her sleep, not sure of what to do in this case.

She looks so much the same, but so different... faded, smaller, longer mane... This place does not do you any kindness does it? Still look as beautiful as ever... he sighs slightly, his thoughts changing as he closes his eyes. You... you did so much to me, and yet you're set apart from everyone. You don't get to be in the rabble off the common prisoners, no risk of injury, or death... UGH He turns and kicks the padded wall once angrily, not sure of what to do or think as he sits beside her bed, occasionally glancing up at her. I have no idea if I should wake you, or what. I don't even know what to say when you do...

[Plush Ramen]

Stirring in her slumber, it was always the same. The color black would cover everything, and the visions she once had of her friends would vanish, leaving nothing but her empty mental state for company. No, this wasn't what she wanted.. but it was what she needed. Used to sleeping through uninterrupted, the last few hungry days has left the orange mare reentering this world into the reality of what it was. With the grumbling from within her stomach, blue sapphire orbs had begun to flutter open as the white familiar ceiling came into view. Opening them fully and shifting her pupils to the right, Plush Ramen's eyes widened immensely as the first thing out of her mouth became a scream.

"Ahh!"

Leaping backwards and falling through the crawl space between the bed and the wall, a heavy breathing chest signals to Plush that this was in fact not a dream. Trying to recollect herself and keeping the bed between her and her old friend, the raven maned pegasus tried to speak actual words. Catching her breath first, her scared and shocked demeanor was not like the old Plush at all. She was fragile, not put together, and above all, she was broken. A part of her wasn't sure where she was, nor how he got there, the worst part was, she wasn't sure if she was happy to see him.

"J-oxer? No.. You're dead.. Oh goodness am I dead?.."

[Joxer]

Joxer watches her slowly wake up from her sleep, tilting his head slightly as he watches her eyes slowly open. When she yells he winces slightly at the pitch, and then winces again as she falls through the crawlspace between her bed and the wall.

Man... that's gotta be a rude, and hard, awakening. He coughs slightly and scratches his head, watching her reaction, but most of all her eyes. The moment she stops flailing about and actually looks at him he stares into those deep blue orbs. They were so full of light once, so bright and wanting to take on the world, but now he could tell from the way she had no other expression on her face besides shock, fear, and... well, not an expression, but he could feel it.

Sighing he sees her condition for what it is, underfed, broken, alone... like he was. Taking out a small bottle of water he always carries, he hold it out to her. "Hey, Plush. No, niether of us are dead."

[Plush Ramen]

Confused greatly by his words, the.orange mare remains in her position. Shaking her head and recalling past events, the timid pegasus couldn't get further back against the wall if she wanted too. Hesitation left her frightened and lost as the stallion she once knew so well stood across from her, now nothing more then a stranger. Her blue eyes never once left his own as her scanning of his features tried to find an explanation of changeling or other form of cruel illusions. Istead, all she could find was his same familar scent. He looked more secure, perhaps stronger as his stance showed power within. Looking further through his eyes however, his pain was well hidden, reserved as she tried to focus on what he was thinking.

"No.. you.. died.. I saw you. Back when we ..fought that group for the princess.. you died!"

[Joxer]

He watches her reaction from where he sits on the floor, still holding out the water bottle for her. Wow... she even sounds frightened, I guess she really is broken... Guess you can't help it being locked back in a dungeon.

Sighing softly as she says the last statement he shakes his head and pats the bed above him. "Sit will you? You look like you're going to faint. I will only explain if you sit and drink this water, i'm seriously going to have a talk with that desk bird..." he mutters the last part so she can't hear it.

[Plush Ramen]

"But! I just.. o-kay"

Moving slowly, Plush sits down as far away from Joxer as possible. Not as far as she would like, the mare reaches over and takes the bottled water. Pretending not to be parched and dry mouthed did not work out so well as she opened the lid. Drinking the bottle for all it was worth, the contents inside had not lasted long as she guzzled the liquid fully. Quenched and slightly embarrassed, Plush looks to him calmer then before. Still seemingly uncertain on this whole mess, the mare's ears droop in realization.

"I..thank you. Please Ex-plain.."

[Joxer]

He hums softly and waits for her to finish drinking, nodding as she prompts him to being. "Well... Tell me, when was the last time you remember me dying?"

(blurp )

[Plush Ramen]

Thinking to herself, Plush resorts to her memories and those drastic events that took place. Trembling slightly at having to go far that back into the past, the orange mare looks away from him for a split second. hating to think of such things let alone say them out loud, the pegasus could already feel the small lump forming in her throat from the horrid memories.

"We were.. I was.. fighting. And It was a blur.. You turned into ash? No.. something else. Joxer.. I don't understand. You were brought back from me... and now your back again? How can this be?"

[Joxer]

He nods slightly, sighing. "That last time was when you were overtaken by Maya... I betrayed her and she killed me. I turned into... ash? And i was summoned to the evil one's throne room. He um... gave me as a gift to Queen Chrysalis, and well... I've been her servant and assassin for five years."

He averts his eyes slightly, not looking at her as he talks.

[Plush Ramen]

Looking down now and trying to control the obvious upset expression over her lost and hurt face, Plush Ramen said nothing. It hurt her deeply to hear these memories start to come back to her in a flash. Hating life and all that they had done, to imagine hurting him that badly.. and to have him still come to visit her now.. it must have taken him those five years to even consider such a thing. Unable to handle these emotions after not having to deal with them for five and a half years, Plush turned away as silent tears streamed down her once dry cheeks. Through her speech, it was obvious upon her broken voice that she was not put together nor fine.

"It must..have been so hard for.. y-ou."

[Joxer]

Not looking at her as her face becomes her different emotions, he frowns as she talks. Looking up sharply he frowns, slightly annoyed.

"Excuse me? Hard? No, that was easy. Because I knew it wasn't you. What was hard for me, was having the need to be brought back to life the first time!" In a flash he stands and looks down at her, "What was hard for me, has been hard for me all this time, was you. You killed me. You stabbed me in the heart!" He spits that into her face and growls, turning and kicking and punching the wall as he yells. "We were almost done!! We could'v left and gone the buck home, we could have had our own lives!!! But you decided to stay for some stupid reason, even after killing me!" He ends his rant with collapsing on the floor, laying his head on the wall, crying quietly.

[Plush Ramen]

Completely ripped apart from his stabbing words to the heart, it was almost ironic as the mare took each sentence with a bite to her lip. Trying to calm down was beyond their needs as her tear soaked blue orbs turned to face him in every direction. As the stallion punched the wall, Plush had actually jumped slightly, fear somewhat returning to her form as she lowers herself to the bed frame. In the old days, if this were to happen, the mare would have ran. She would have ran and flew until her heart gave out, just to get away from these emotions. But here, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, she was trapped. Uncertain if this was planned or not, the mare had to face her crimes. Five years she had been thinking about it, but never truthfully knowing he was still alive. With a heavy heart, Plush stayed in her corner on the bed, the lump growing strong in her throat as she tried to push in a single sentence to his ears. She did this, she caused this much pain in a pony.. and more.

"J-oxer.. I..cant- words cannot describe how sorr-. I made a mist-. I bucked up.. I don't know what to s-ay. If I could take it all back.. Y-ou, me, Swift.. I would."

The mare could only cry from that point on, she wanted so much to fall into his embrace right now, just to be forgiven. The truth was, she missed him. Her reasons for murder were never right, even when she tried to save him from a worse fate, it turns out, hes not allowed to die either. Trying to come up with something to tell him that was more the truth than her babbling and split words, the mare lifted her head from her arms to speak once more.

"I chose.. the wrong pony. I thought.. I was saving you from the mafia higher up. I wanted a free life Joxer.. I never meant to harm y-ou. But I did.. And now, the pony I chose aban-doned me too. So as you c-an see, I got what I .. deserved."

[Joxer]

He leans his head against the wall and continues to cry silently now, biting his lip and trying hard not to curl over. "Swift is gone... she sided with me when we tried to protect the princess... and Maya killed her, i dont know where she went..." He lets out a sob, wanting the same as her, to just hold her and cry... but he had no idea how he felt about her anymore...

He winces as she mentions him... "I knew you were going to choose him... I guess I never had a chance did I..? You were just going to kill me and run away..." He laughs slightly, very sadly though as he starts crying again, this time actually collapsing, head falling to the floor. "And to think, i actuallly took over the mafia... and then i killed them all.."

[Plush Ramen]

"K-illed?"


Looking back up at him in a different lighting, Plush Ramen tried to collect herself for the words that were about to come. If they were going to do this, she was going to get it all out or die trying. Calming the tears were never easy as his own poured from his eyes, making it harder for her to be brave let alone talk to him like this. Getting up the courage at the mention of Night in his speech, her voice was still hesitant as ever. With a slight change in tone, the orange pegasus stepped down from the bed. Legs shaking and hooves heavier then rocks, Plush stood near him as she spoke with the truth.

"I chose him, because I felt free when I was with him. I felt like I didn't have to constantly be on the run. I L-OVED him. And yes, you had a chance.. Joxer.. what do you want me to say? I'm sorry? I stabbed you, and you still tried to come back to me. Can't you see how damn happy I was to see you again? I can't stop thinking about you, after all these years! But you know what? None of that matters now! I waited, FIVE years for someone, ANYone to come through that door to see me. Even a letter. But what I got, was bucking nothing. Serves me right, I cant keep friends, I cant keep boyfriends, why bother living!"

Getting so worked up to the point where she had literally been shaking, the orange mare continued to cry through it all. Knowing that letting this all out wouldn't make her or him feel any better, the mare just couldnt stop herself as the words continued to run through her mental state to her muzzle.

"If You remember correctly, you and Swift POISONED ME. Yes, I know now that it was only because you thought it would save my life. Who knows, maybe it did. But you know what? WE will never find out now! How do you think I feel? Know-ing.. the ponies I loved were all hurt.. because of me.. Because I cannot control myself.. Because I'm.. nothing more then a m-onster."

Losing all mental power towards the end, the mare slumped down to the floor as well. Continuing to cry and just wanting her life to end, all the room needed now was spikes and a lowering roof. Trying not to hyperventilate due to her chest pounding from the drive of emotions running through her system, Plush Ramen had no idea who she was anymore, the pony she sees, is not who she set out to be.

"P-lease.. Kill me.."

[Joxer]

Joxer looks up at her, eyes widening as she comes close and starts to speak her mind, wincing at each yell and looking down. He takes the assault because what he said was rightfully wrong, even though it hurt... but then he pauses, looking up at her.

"Excuse me? Poisoned you? What in the hellfire are you talking about?" He looks at her with a confused expression, looking hurt for being accused of something he didn't even know about. "I would never do anything to hurt you... If you're referring to that black crap Maya was, I only found out about that when she told me, to prevent me from trying to rip her out of you. I had no idea that was in you at all, AT ALL." He stands and sits beside her, doing something that surprised him in his emotionally broken soul... he hugged her.

"You are not a monster..."

[Plush Ramen]

Trembling the closer the stallion got to her, Plush's head was spinning as her chest refused to give up its endless pounding. Knowing they talked about the experiment but never fully remembering the conversation, his words rung truth. He had no idea about the harms it could do to her in the future, and only now were they in the right process towards taping the wounds up. Completely in shock by his arms around her, the orange mare broke in that instant. Sobbing uncontrollably and gripping him tighter then ever before, the embrace was more then she had ever hoped for. Crying into his chest and more curled into him then anything at this point on the floor, his last words had her at the beginning.

"I-m so sorry.. I'll nev-er doubt you again.. I d-dont deserve you."

[Joxer]

Joxer nods and burries his muzzle into her neck, sobbing quietly as he holds her close. "I-t's okay.. we're here. To-gether now.."

(wow i, um... yes. short)

[Plush Ramen]

"To-gether"

Overwhelmed from the.emotions, Plush Ramen had been waiting for a warm embrace for so long, she almost forgotten what it felt like. The fur, the body temperature, and above all, the care and love that went into it. He wasn't the pony she ever expected, but maybe that was a good thing. Trying to take her mind off of Night Whisper, deep down, she knew he would never return. Heart broken by this fact, Plush could only try to move on the best way she knew how, through time. Returning back to the situation at hoof, the orange mare sniffled.

"T-hank you for visiting me. How long..will you stay?"

[Joxer]

Humming softly and reveling in the warmth that was the orange mare he had missed and longed for so much. He had been full of anger and longing for so long... it felt too good to finally just have this, now, a slight peace. Ears tilting slightly as she talks he hums softly, thinking to himself before answering her question.

"Well... I don't know really... I can stay for an hour or two? Then I need to go before someone finds me..." he nuzzles into her slightly. "Are you hungry?"

[Plush Ramen]

Pleased to hear he wasn't leaving any time soon, Plush had actually begun to feel at peace herself. After all of these years, who knew that one visit from an old friend would allow such warm emotions to stream through. For the first time in forever, Plush Ramen felt her life chapter was complete. If she were to die right now, her emotions to this day would be the key to making life worth it. Never expecting Joxer to show up let alone turning out to hugging him, the mare never wanted this to end. Looking up at him at even the mention of food, she smiled sheepishly.

"Oh..food..that would be lovely..but aren't you locked in here now too?"

[Joxer]

(*sings softly* for the first time in forever... nothings in my way)

He hums softly and looks at the door, then back at her. "Well, I mean, I guess? I brought the key with me... did they really not put a keyhole on this side of the door?" he grumbles quietly and studies the door, his sadness melting away slightly as he thinks.

(and sorry for short post, I realized I have work. derp derp)

[Plush Ramen]

The mare shrugs, her conflicted emotions not allowing her the satisfaction of getting excited for things that probably weren't going to happen. Still, pleased to see him, her mental state was in a better place already, content with staying here if it meant he would continue to visit. Turning her attention to the door, it would appear that although there was no hole on this end, she was sure guards would hear him knocking.

"Its fine Joxer.. I dont need to eat. I was just over thinking. Its not a big deal.."

(Bleh short and taking forever. Im sorry.)

[Joxer]

Joxer sighs as he knocks a few more times, loud and heavy on the door, hoping a guard would come soon. Sitting down beside her again, he wraps a hoof around her and frowns. "No, it is not fine. Not with-" he pauses a moment before continuing, not saying what was going to happen just yet. "Not with you being as weak as this. You need strength, so it is a big deal." As he talks he rubs her back gently.

(sorry for being short too)

[Plush Ramen]

Feeling the soothing motion of his hoof, the lethargic and starving mare could only nod in response. He was being so nice to her.. even after everything she said and done to him.. Sure they yelled it out, and she got what was coming to her, but even this was too much. Hearing him knock, his determination to help was more then she could have ever asked for.

Joxer.. thank you."

[Correctional Forces]

Hearing the knock, a soldier had came to the door in a hurry. Assuming the worst, a weapon was pulled before opening up the door and aiming it head on for the beast inside. "Speak! Are you hurt, do you need to leave? Come with me sir." The stallion was obviously fearful, yet doing his job as he looked over the situation. Seeing noone hurt, he blinked in surprise. "Well, you have two seconds."

[Joxer]

He nod's and rests his head on her shoulder. "You don't deserve to be here..." With a twitch of his head he stares at the guard, frowning at the command. Letting Plush go, he frowns and stands talking in a strong voice. "I'm fine, guard. And what you need to do is listen to me. First off, you need to get this mare some food. I will leave when I am good and ready, and after I have seen her eat."

[Correctional Forces]

The guard seemed.incredibly confused on why this stallion was protecting such a villain when he shifted his attention to her. "Food? But we're running low on food and the Queen specifically said-" Looking back to Joxer and seeing his serious expression, the guard nodded. Turning to the door, he left almost immediately. "Food. At once."

[Plush Ramen]

His words echoed through to her mind. Deserve to be here? He's wrong, she does deserve to be here, more then anyone. Looking away, his words to the guard had begun to make her feel a little uncomfortable. He was ordering ponies around like...like he was in charge? Confused by this, the orange mare tried to wave it off for the moments passing. It wasn't important nor was it needed at this moment, but Plush looked back to him in a different way. Instead, she decided to remain quiet for the time being.