Prison (ask about joining)

Nothing felt real. Everything was floating for her when she first woke. The rest was a haze. The doctor read off her condition to her when he was a little more coherent. Saying 'hepatic encephalopathy' or something to her, as well as liver failure. At least she knew what the latter was. The rest was about states of confusion, personality swings, emotions, disorientation, shaking, and amnesia. She could hardly care though, especially as she wound up forgetting most of it later.

Then came in the law ponies. Telling her about her crimes and that she would be put away forever. Tell her she was a terrible pony, as she laid there, half drooling through her mouth with a tube down her throat, laying limply, save the occasional twitch. They wanted to question her, to get physical and get her to talk, but any muttering she offered was mumbles and incoherent. Mostly intentional, but she did have trouble speaking clearly.

Then the doctor and law ponies argued about 'helping' her. One wanted to fix her liver, the other wanted to use it as leverage for her to talk. It all became ambiance to her. To Tickyclock. She could remember that at least through her hazy mind. The drugs they kept on her plus her condition made even the most boring moments a struggle to think clearly on.

Soon, it became hard to know what was happening now and what was her past memories being resurfaced to her imagination. Some, making her horn spark, and causing the doctor and law ponies to panic. Usually they just knocked her out when that happen.

Finally, she had a few hours where she was feeling a bit more clear minded then normal. It was oddly quiet, so much she thought she simply just didn't notice anypony, but maybe they were finally going to do something about her. She hardly could tell. Her mind and emotions were usually dull and could care less. Even dying now didn't seem to bother her. And it would be the first time she was never so terrified of the idea.

It was gettng dark, but her clarity was still lasting. Pain killers began to wear off as she began to feel again, both physical and emotional. Worst of all, that ticking was coming back...

She hid in her burning pain in her body, being more bearable than before. But her mind still wandered. Still dreamed of dreams.

Where did the little filly she was go? Why did things go so wrong for her? She never wanted any of this. Never wanted to be this kind of pony, yet here she was, a drunken criminal on the verge of death.

That little filly she was, Tickyclock, she could see her prancing about her fathers workshop, chasing after the rolling gears of broken clocks. Putting them together with ecstatic joy and showing the results to her parents.....Her parents....

The ticking became louder...

She remembered her last few days of school. How her teachers wanted to send her to the highest honors of magic school in Canterlot. Her magical talent just begining to bud. They said she was special. Like no other pony. That she would do great things. Her mother said so especially...

The ticking became unbearable...

Shala whimpered in her prison on the hospital bed, hoofcuffed to it. Tears flowed freely.

What more could be taken from her now?

"So. What happens next?"

The voice was kind, though it was a voice that was tired from witnessing countless years of pain and horror. The elderly pony dragged a chair over to the bed and sat down.

"After everything that has happened in your life, if the pen that writes down fate was now given to you to write freely, what would you put in your book? What now happens in your story? What do you think should happen?"

He had read her file. Knew what she had done, knew what she was capable of, knew what had happened to her, both of her own hoof or no. He had been doing this job for too long to be surprised. It was why he had retired. But nopony ever really retired from what he did.

"If you could be in charge of your destiny, how would you shape it, Tickyclock Woods?"

He wore no armour, nothing that told who he really was, who he really represented. It was better that way, for secrecy was one of his occupation's main watch words. All that mattered now is that he was, and was supposed to be, here. For the good of the crown and of ponykind.

For now, ponykind wanted the criminal known as Shala. For what? Even if Daylight Herald knew, he wouldn't say.

Like an animal threatened, Shala recoiled, bracing herself for the new voice. It was not a graceful effort. Just moving more caused more pain. Still, she fought through it and eyed the old pony through teary eyes she could not reach up to even dry. Eyes that were not cold and buried behind years of trauma and defenses.

The question was one that she would happily take if it could be true. She was sure anyone in her position would. But it was also a cruel question to ask as she knew that nothing would be granted for her. Not after all the things she had been accused of.

"I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of playing your game...." She said in a weak grave voice sapped of any hint of comfort. "You would be more familiar with a 'better' answer anyway."

She turned her head away, hiding her tears. She hated anypony that saw her in a state like this. Open wounds aplenty. No stranger would simply get a crack at her mind so easily.

"I was once told that there's only one game, and its rules are: You can't win; you can't draw; and you can't quit," the elderly pony said, "What we have here is a chance for you to resign. If you don't think you should live any longer, just say the word, and I'll arrange a quiet peaceful, painless death. If you can't do that, we have to talk about living. Actually living."

Herald looks straight into Shala's eyes. "In the end, the pony known as Tickyclock 'Shala' Woods, the Splitter, the pony wanted for so many crimes, dies in this hospital, having drunk herself to death. A grisly end to an equally grisly life. What you get to choose is whether you die with her. That's more freedom than most ponies will ever get in your lives, but nopony said freedom wasn't a terrible thing to have." He pauses. "Double negative. Freedom is a terrible thing to have, which is why so many choose against it."

"Of course, if you do choose life, it cannot be as Shala. It cannot be as you have been living all your life. It has to be completely new, with no bonds with your previous life. That's when you get your second choice." He grimaces. "This didn't use to be a choice but the Princesses think that it should be so it is so. You cn choose whether to cut the final thread from your previous life; your memory. If you do choose to cut it, all memories of you being Shala will be lost from you forever. If you don't...we'll have to watch you closely so that you don't return to being Shala. Again, freedom."

He paused, letting all of this sink into his captive audience.

It had to be a trick. A lie. No pony would offer anything like that after what she had done. Still, was it that great? Memories wiped? Or being under 'watch'? Death was not an option. Shala may have many regrets, but she wasn't going to give in.

Still facing away, she rubbed her eyes and considered what to say. She couldn't simply ignore this. She wanted to call him a liar and tell him to get out, but what more could happen to her other than her already expected demise? Already her liver was slowly killing her in the worst way possible. She couldn't tell if her dizzy disoriented mind was a result of her liver or the drugs she was on for her liver.

"...What do you want me to say? Let me go? Wipe my brain?" She sniffled and gathered some strength in her words to talk more sternly. "I have a bad liver. And you say I can choose to not die? What will you do? Put me on drugs forever? And then wipe my brain? If you did your homework, you would know this pony isn't going to change...."

She groaned and cringed as some pain creeped through her. "I'm...not a good pony." She said and was quiet for some time.

"....How much memory would go? Would i remember...my family? And if I don't opt for that, how will you 'keep watch' of me?"

"Correction, Tickyclock 'Shala' Woods, aka 'The Splitter', is not a good pony. Some would say she is an evil pony. That is why she will die along with her liver. All of her hopes, dreams and experiences will die with her. There is a new liver in storage, waiting for a body, and there is a new life planned, waiting for an opportunity."

Herald's voice went cold. "This is important. We are not going to change you. We are going to kill Shala Woods for crimes against Ponykind. The only difference between this and an execution is that this way, somepony lives, and that somepony has a life ahead of her. If you do choose to have all your memories erased, it will be a normal one after a brief period of rehabilitation. This pony will be so new, she will only have a passing resemblance to a pony that had been executed by the crown in the past. And she will live."

"If you do keep your memories, you will have to conciously repress the past. You will have to keep telling yourself that you are not that pony, rather, you are a different pony with some of that pony's memories. Of course, you can see how that might be a problem, for you might feel inclined to become your mask of Shala. So, you will be watched by what we jokingly like to call a 'parole officer', a pony that will make sure that you don't believe yourself to be a pony of the past. And you will work for us. This pony, with Shala's memories, will be have to be continually under observation and will have to do tasks that are...undesirable. If they do happen to fall to the tragic mistake of going against our interests...we have our ways of dealing with them."

"I'm not asking you to choose now. But I am going to tell you this. You have until your liver gives up."

Shala didn't like this pony. She wanted to take the bedpan next to her bed and smack him upside the head with it...if she had the energy. And wasn't in pain. Or feeling numb in her horn.

She considered the choices she had. She was not a pony to give up. She never wanted to give up. She would do what she could ensure her survival, mentally and physically.....Except drinking.

Death was off the list, but she considered the memory wipe. It sounded so pleasent. A clean slate. Could she have a chance to be the pony she was meant to be? The pony her mother told her she could be?....Her mother....

She could not forget her mother. She wouldn't allow it. That alone made that choice worse to her than death.

"So....Basically house arrest and run errands for you is what I'm hearing. And regular visits by a shrink? Your going to need a lot of shrinks cause I don't like shrinks." Shala tried to smile and grunt but it resulted in an obviously painful reaction instead.

"You're choices suck, you suck, and the crown sucks. I'll take door number.....Whatever the not dead or memory wiping one is. You're gonna need a fair bit of booze to keep me 'masked' though." Shala already began to let her imagination run with the idea of how a new liver could change her drinking experiences. Just imagining them helped drown out her pain and fear that she was keeping tucked away.

Breaking in a new liver may be fun...

"Capital!" Herald exclaimed, suddenly cheery, "Welcome to the first day of your life, Ms..." He looked down at a piece of paper. "Ms Time Table. Your liver, especially prepared for you, shall be placed into you shortly. You will take a few weeks to recover, so that you can get used to your new life and liver. Your doctors will go through the necessary reccomendations, but the treatment and medicine will be free of charge, provided by the crown. It is reccommended that you follow their medical advice, or else something bad might happen. Also, we have a new opening for government work, which the crown thinks is perfect for a mare of your talents! Don't worry, we have a pony that will accompany you to guide you into a life of government service and contributing your part to the Equestrian Community."

He beamed. "I'm not fully sure of the details, but from what I understand you will need to take special perscriptive medicine, for normal bodily functions to... Function. It is also noted that certain side effects of these pills may be noticed but are regrettably unavoidable. I seem to recall certain tastes of things are muted, but all in all, they prevent rather antisocial behaviour." He laughed.

"You are very lucky, Ms Time Table. Not many ponies get the chance to redeem themselves for all the mistakes they have done. Such an opportunity is like meeting a guardian angel. But with angels, you only ever get the one."

Shala nearly jumped at his sudden exclamation and cheery words. No pony ever got that happy suddenly unless they won the lottery or got a pony to do something less than pleasent. Already she knew she was in for some unwanted twists and turns. First things first though.

"Meds? Great. I friggin love meds. They always have some interesting fun side affect when doused in rum." She said less than pleased. "I can deal with a few 'muted tastes'." Already she wanted to curl up and make this pony go away, but the need to find out what she was in for mattered more.

"What kind of work could you crown types have for me that I'm so good at? Corking the royal wine? And Time Table? Really? My frie-....acquaintances are not going to think I'm just some other pony."

Her mind flashed back to her 'friends'. What few she had. Her mother came to mind, bringing her back to her previous depressed expression. She wished Grampy were here.

"...Do I get visitors?"

"Time Table," Herald said cheerfully, "Of course you get visitors! As Time Table, that is. You will have to adopt that name, and any visitors will have to address you as such. This is part of the new life and new opportunity thing, you understand. Shala Woods is dead."

He stood up. "I think I'm done here. Remember, you are a very lucky pony. Not all of us get to erase our regrets."

He left the room.