>You head has been wracked with pain for what seems like hours.
>Initially you had awoken in a small pile of your own vomit, a headache piercing through your skull like lightning.
>Of course it seemed like an average morning for you.
>But what wasn't average was what you saw when you opened your eyes.
>Instead of a shitty apartment covered in the marks of age and disrepair you awoke in a terrible darkness.
>From what you could see in this horrible blackness you were trapped in a small room with a large metal door barring you from leaving.
>You tried shouting for quite a while but your voice quickly became hoarse and naught but the wind echoed back.
>So you just sat back down and waited while your body filled with a primal terror.
>Perhaps you had wronged a few people, perhaps you had done some people dirty. 
>But it wasn't your fault you were born an asshole, right?
>Suddenly a sharp scraping sound comes from the door and you quickly rise to your feet, your balance thrown off slightly in the darkness.
>A shard of light comes from the newly created opening in the door and momentarily you're blinded.
>"So you're awake then? Very well, we shall begin." you hear a almost sombre female voice speak calmly through the blazing light.
>Begin what?
>Oh god this isn't how you wanted to die.
>You swear you'll repent for your ways. You'll change! You'll donate every penny you have to those ungrateful brats at the orphanage and all!
>As the door slowly creaks open with a screech that excites your terror in ways you had never thought to be possible.
>The door parts to reveal...
>Two ponies in thick golden robes, their faces obscured by pale white masks with slight variations in their markings.
>Hell they even placed small tacky horns on the poor animals.
>For a moment you think about all of the animal rights violations that these people are committing.
>That is until they begin to speak.
>"Are the tools prepared Apprentice Dusk?" the mare with a vibrant blue coat and fierce mane of gold says as she slowly approaches you.
>"Yes, Inquisitor Hex." the other mare replies, her soot coloured coat and her ashen mane seem to devour the little light that enters the room through the now closing doorway.
>After a moment a feint light flickers to life above you and the room is engulfed in a pale light.
>You part your lips in a motion to speak but nothing comes from it but a meek croak but they seem to ignore your actions almost entirely.
>The one apparently named Hex trots over to the side of the room and her horn begins to glow.
>For a moment you merely look on dumbfounded but as the wall itself seems to slide out and reveal a small cabinet lined with horrible instruments that were built to inflict pain.
"Oh God, please don't hurt me! You've got th-" you're cut off by a quick gasp from both the Inquisitor and the Apprentice.
>"Dear Lord, that's a colt." Inquisitor Hex says with a hint of shock and anger in her voice as she glances off towards her apprentice.
>Oh thank you Lord above.
>"It seems you still have much to learn Apprentice Dusk." she says with a hint of anger lining her otherwise cold voice but she quickly turns back to you and continues. "I apologize for the fright sir, we won't be needing such tools today. In fact, you shouldn't even be down here."
>You let loose a heavy sigh, tears almost falling from your eyes.
>"Get Warden Spark and quickly, this is an important matter." she speaks calmly towards her apprentice as her horn glows once more and the wall shifts back to its original position.
"Oh thank you, thank you so much. I thought you were going to hurt me."
>"Oh dear, it was quite the mistake on my apprentices' part. Harming a colt is strictly against our doctrine. But if you don't answer my questions with a hundred percent sincerity I will have no choice but to extract the truth from you myself."
>You shudder for a moment the menacing shine of the torturous tools searing your memory.
"Anything you want, please just don't hurt me!" you say barely attempting to keep the last of your dignity nearly dropping to your knees to beg.
>Her horn glows once more and with a pop and a flash, a metal seat appears in the middle of the room.
>"Take a seat, I'm quite sure you've been scared witless by our antics and for that I must apologize once more." she says her horn continuing to glow while her mask floats off and gently sets itself into a strap on her robe.
>The small pony had a deep scar covering the majority of her face that seemed to come from a desperate battle.
>You hesitate at first, fear wracking your mind and body freezing it but after a moment you gently set yourself into the chair.
>"Good, good. Fear not, Warden Spark shall arrive soon. Until then if I may ask a few questions?"
>The deathly calmness in her voice unnerved you and as you shakily nodded her face became host to a small thin lipped smile.
>"Do you deem yourself a threat in any way to the lands of Equestria or it's denizens?"
>Equestria? Where in the world?
"N-no miss."
>"I see, you know we had a colt just admit to that when we asked him. He was sent away for rehabilitation of course, but now he's helping cook for the local church members."
>She shakes her head and her smile grows wider.
>"All you silly colt's pretending to be a villain when all you need is a good mare to keep you in line. And the holy truth of course mustn't forget about that."
>Wait. What.
"I don't mean to step out of line but-" you leave a moments pause to check the mare's reaction but she just looks at you with slight curiosity. "You don't think he could, I don't know poison the Warden?"
>This elicits a shocked gasp and a troubled gaze from the mare.
>"Why would any stallion do that? Such villainous deeds are left for the mares to commit and stallions to be left unaware of."
>As you are about to reply with even more questions the door creaks open, the shuddering door groaning in response.
>"Inquisitor Hex, what matter concerns you so much that you must call upon me." a gruff and rather husky voice comes from the opening door.
>You look towards the direction of the new voice and see a tall mare donning the same attire as the other two mares aside from the crimson red bands strapped to her mask.
>Her crimson mane barely peaking through her cowl and her silvery coat barely visible through the tightly done up coat.
>"Ah Warden Sparks, my apprentice has made quite the error in analysing our prisoner here. He is a colt and yet he was sent to the interrogation wing. I leave it to you to decide the appropriate punishment." Hex says with a slight bow.
>Warden Sparks sends a look towards the apprentice beside her and she cowers away from her glare slightly and lets loose a heavy sigh.
>"We shall speak of this later you two."
>Slowly, gracefully the Warden trots towards you, the hoof steps resounding and echoing throughout the small room.
>Your fear was back now in full force, sweat began to run down your brow and stung your eyes.
>"If you are to tell me a single lie I will show you no mercy. Is this understood?" she speaks with a powerful venom lining her voice and you quickly nod in response.
>"Are you a mare or a colt?"
"I am a male, we're called men, but colt works fine too as long as you keep those torture devices away from me."
>Silence is left hanging in the air while the Warden's horn glows brightly and a sharp pain pierces your skull causing you to let out a sharp cry.
>"Hm. I apologize for that, I cast a spell to determine whether you were lying or not. But it seems you are telling the truth." she pauses for a moment before continuing. "Let us get you out of here, it's no place for a stallion to stay for long, can you walk?"
>Once again you're caught by the nonchalant nature of the entire situation.
>Weren't you just about to be tortured for information just a moment ago?
>After a few moments you manage to nod your head and stand shakily.
>The Warden's horn glows and you can feel a sudden weight to your hands causing you to panic.
>"Settle down please, it's only precaution, we'll take them off soon enough. You have my word."
>Those words hardly settle you down but you don't have much of a choice in the matter so you simply follow the Warden.
>As you pass the precipice of the door that had once blocked your passage to freedom you felt an air of elation mixed with an even deeper fear.
>Were they just trying to fool you into a false sense of security?
>Were they going to bring you somewhere worse to torture you?
>"You aren't a regular stallion, I can see that much. Where did you come from, if you will allow me to be so bold as to ask?"
>You were about to respond but a sharp cry of pain rung out from down the hall and the mare simply tutted as though she was disappointed with something.
>Once again your mind flashes back towards the terrible contraptions that lined that awful cell but you force yourself to focus.
"I-I'm from Earth, normally we don't have colourful talking ponies though so I assume I'm far away from home."
>She seems to nod in response to your answer as the both of your footsteps ring out through the dimly lit halls.
>"I must admit I do find it hard to believe your words, but our stallions know no lies. Truly if it is a lie then only an outsider could lie with such flagrance."
>The Warden leaves the air thick with silence for but a moment before speaking again.
>"Either way it seems you must be kept under close watch. Especially considering what you were doing when we apprehended you." her voice resounding with a thin grimness.
>Your blood froze as the words rested on your mind.
>What could you possibly have done to land yourself here?
"I don't remember anything before waking up in the cell to be honest." you speak attempting to keep your nerves for long enough to get the words out.
>"I see." she pauses for a moment, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. "Let us not speak of it here, even alien as you are, a stallion should not stay long in places such as this."
>The two of you walk for a while longer, the occasional scream resounding throughout the halls and echoing in your mind until the two of you reach a long winding staircase, at the top a warm soft light which contrasted so jarringly with the dungeons below.
>Accompanying the light above were the sounds of the clinking of armour and orders being given, your heart almost raced in anticipation to see the light once more and be done with that horrible darkness.
>But you wished not to startle or perhaps worse agitate the Warden so you kept your pace when walking up the stairs and held onto that flickering flame of hope that grew with each step.
>Once you did reach the top of the staircase you saw a large yard of ponies all clad in thick ivory armour with dark abyssal masks hiding their faces in a cobble courtyard.
>At the head of their group they were led by a taller mare with a golden cross embedded into her ivory chest plate, her face mask the same dark stain but now marked by fantastic white swirls.
>"Quite impressed with our recruits I see. I must admit I do swell with pride when I see my sisters training like this." the warden says with a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
"I must admit, it's unlike any other prison I've been in before." you say quickly your mouth running quicker then your mind.
>She looks at you for a moment and you can see her feint amber eyes flash a deathly suspicion and your heart stopped for but a moment before they returned to their normal cold gaze.
>"You've been to prison before? Interesting. I shall have questions about that too, when we get somewhere more private."
>You force yourself to swallow a thick lump in your throat and wipe away another brow of sweat.
>As the two of you walk further away from the staircase and deeper into the main courtyard you attempt to take in the sights as you do.
>Magnificent pillars of ivory stretch out and tower over you at matched only by the thick giant walls stealing any feeble thought of escape you may have had.
>Aside from the orders that are given from the commander and the subtle clink of armour the place was etched with a deadly silence, not even the birds that lined the walls dare make a sound.
"If I may Warden Sparks? Why do you trust stallions so much, or do you believe they're incapable of committing crimes?"
>She stops a moment as though surprised by your question but quickly recovers.
>"It is merely how we have always been, colts are made to tend the house stead and mares were made to protect them from the evils of the world, us mares carry the sins that colts cannot and we protect them from those sins as much as we can. Rare it is to see a colt lie much less commit a grand sin."
>The two of you continue walking down through the side of the courtyard and sometimes pass ponies with ornate masks with slightly different runes etched into them then the last.
>"You however, are not a colt born of this world and we must obviously employ different techniques."
>You look down towards your tightly locked arms covered in small almost silk like strands of metal wrapping your arms restricting their movement.
"I see. What sort of metal is this that's wrapped around my arms?" you say raising your still locked arms.
>The warden looks at your arms and then back towards your eyes but says nothing for a few seconds, just analysing you with her amber eyes.
>"You can see the bands? Interesting, interesting indeed. No matter, it is merely one of our holy spells. Only those tainted by regrets and sin can see them."
>Oh fuck.
>You've just doomed yourself back to that torture chamber haven't you.
>"I can see the fear in your eyes, do not worry too much, for if you are tainted by sins surely you can come to regret them. Those regrets often lead to one seeking absolution and we shall be here to assist you with that absolution." she says with a almost frigid tone in her voice causing you to shiver slightly.
>"We're almost there, it shall not be much of a longer walk."
>Your throat suddenly became dry and you struggled to continue walking forward your legs becoming shaky and unstable.
>If this was a test you've surely already failed.
>What did they have in store for you?
>Screw just donating to the orphanage you'd turn yourself into a holy man, no more sinning for you, just as long as you get out of this place in one piece.
>As the thought rings out through your mind you swear you can hear a soft chuckle from the Warden but when you look over her eyes are steely focused on the doorway ahead.
>The two of you stop in front of a dark wooden door and the Warden's horn glows, the doors slowly creaking open by themselves.
>When the door parts you are left with a view of the almost spartan like room, bare aside for the many tomes lining the walls and the desk and two chairs in the middle of the room.
>All the light from the room came from the small candle on the desk it's flame small and wispy.
>"Come then, have a seat. It is not the most pleasant environment but it shall do for the moment." she says as she rounds the large desk and takes a seat in the chair.
>You force yourself forward towards the chair opposite and wipe your sweaty palms against your pant legs.
>"Don't be so afraid, you're beginning to look guilty." she lets out a soft chuckle which you supposed to be in response to her humorous remark however it merely struck you with a renewed dose of terror.
>The warden looks down towards one of the small draws and with a glow from her horn it slides open.
>"Would you like some Kirin Blossom tea? It's quite rare around these parts of Equestria, it is said to taste of the flames of fury yet settle the taster into a deep peace." she says while a small bag of herbs levitates beside her.
>Your parched throat grows more prominent as the thought of some soothing tea enters your mind.
"Yes please."
>The Warden nods and she walks over to the small cupboard that you could hardly see in the dim light. She pulls out a small iron kettle and two cups and places them onto the desk.
>"Luckily I had set the kettle on before I got you. You don't seem magically inclined, is that normal for your kind?"
>The small tea leaves look like feint embers even in the dim light as they fall into the cups and once the water is added a small puff of steam runs from the cup.
"Yeah, we don't have any of that crazy magic that you have. We're just what you see on the surface." you say while reaching out to grab your cup and find the outside of it warm to the touch.
>"I must admit I do find that hard to believe, surely you must have a way to channel your mana?" she says her eyes filled with the feintest suspicion.
>You pause before you answer to take a sip of your tea and find it raging with heat, the spices burning your mouth and leaving you with a smouldering pain though it doesn't last long before it has eased into a soothing mint.
"Not that I know of, we don't really have any magic at all in my world."
>She pauses for a moment before a small notebook and quill floats towards the desk and she writes a few notes down.
>"I see. Now let us talk about your memory, you say you don't remember the crime that you committed before we apprehended you?" you reply with a cautious nod and she continues. "Hm interesting, I'll be honest with you and say it outright. You were booping and- Lord forgive me for even mentioning it. Hoofholding outside of marriage."
>Wait.
>That's it.
>That's what you got sent to this place for.
>"The officers that arrested you said you passed out after a few moments of their arrival, they couldn't determine your gender without resorting to 'unprofessional' methods."
>Your rage boiled to the forefront and you stood up shaking your head but the Warden merely looks up at you curiously.
"You ponies sent me down there to be tortured, maimed, cut and scarred all because I was holding a ponies hoof? What is wr-"
>Her eyes gleamed with rage and her horn lit up once more.
>It took but a moment for you to realise that you couldn't speak anymore, your mouth wired shut with metal not unlike the thin strands coating your arms.
>"Do not think to question our ways Prisoner, you have committed a heinous act of indecency, stallion or no and you will be treated in accordance to OUR laws."
>She fumes for a moment her amber eyes resembling the a roaring fire and she gets up to stand by the bookshelf.
>Your rage doesn't falter but the fear you had felt before creeps back into your mind, the two emotions conflicting and intertwining.
>"If you are to be forgiven you must understand your sin, perversity of body and mind is quite a hefty sin in itself  but to damn yourself by not seeking absolution? It goes against everything good in the world, what I've been taught my whole life. I would watch your next words prisoner, heretics aren't looked upon fondly here."
>Her horn lights up once again and a hefty looking book levitates it's way towards the table and she sets it down with a heavy thump.
>You breathed a heavy sigh through your nose and attempted to settle your self down as the Warden attempted to do the same.
"Many mares have renounced our teachings that we know to be the holy truth but never before has a stallion stooped so low as to spout such heretical nonsense. I will give you but one more chance, look upon the book yourself and see."
>Slowly you sit back down in your chair and pull the book over to your side so that you may read it.
>The book had weight to it for sure.
>It's golden pages seemed to flicker and sparkle amongst the dim light, the words themselves etched into the pages in a inky darkness.
>A feint thrumming sound began to boil at the back of your mind, slowly creeping its way into your conscience as you continued to look at the pages.
>It grew and grew until it was a rapturous cacophony of trumpets, instead of seeming discordant and chaotic the sounds were magnificent and moved you almost to tears.
>Then you felt a terribly powerful visage pass over your mind, a daunting shadow who towered above your mind.
>Yet in its overwhelming might you felt no fear instead you felt a cool warmth bleed into your soul.
>Your heart wept with the beautiful music it's tantalizing song and the all-powerful shade became almost too much to bear causing you force yourself to close the book once more.
>"What did you feel? Do you understand now?" she says looking at you with barely a glimmer of hope.
>You hadn't even realised the thin strands of metal had fallen away from your mouth allowing you to move it once more.
>But try as you might you could not get the words out, you attempted to speak again and again but your voice failed you.
>All you could do was babble like a madman, your words jumbling as you spoke them.
>In response the Warden merely nodded and closed her eyes.
>Still you tried to give the mare the existence altering knowledge that you had found but to no avail and so you merely sat there looking a fool.
>"I have not seen quite a visceral reaction to the Holy book in quite some time, perhaps you may find a home here one day. But for now it is getting quite late and I must escort you to your quarters, you will be sleeping alongside the other stallions in rehabilitation."
>Slowly and almost trance like you followed the mare still hearing soft whispers of that glorious music.