Prologue
Twelve years after Princess Twilight's Incarnation, a new controversial surgical process has emerged. If a mare becomes pregnant, but can't care for a foal at the time, she can choose to "abort" the pregnancy, ending the life of the foal she is carrying. Immediately after this became commonly known throughout the public, outrage swept though Equestria and many other countries throughout the world. Petitions arose demanding the act be forbidden, but, as in any dispute, there are two sides. The disagreement soon grew into a war that tore the once-unified land of Equestria in two. It was not long before small militias formed and escalated into what would be known as "The Heartland War". A bloody war ravaged the land for 15 years. It was not until "The Bill of Life" was created and signed by both sides that the worst war Equestria had seen, ended. It stated that pony life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a foal reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a foal on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end. The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called "unwinding." In the unwinding process, the subject's body parts are removed and saved for future use to aid amputees and in any situation in which something must be removed and replaced. According to the government, the subject is still "living", but in a more separated state. It is now a common practice is pony society.
Chapter 1: Bound
Spring Spark
I gallop through the boiler room, weaving between the pipes and around the huge steal boilers to get to my station in the electrical area, 30 feet below the streets of Fillydelphia. I'm 15 minutes late and I just know Mag is fully aware. She is technically my boss, but she sure can be a pain in the plot when anypony's late. I skid to a stop in front of the outdated terminal with a piece of tape with the name "Spring Spark" written on it crudely placed across the top of the monitor. I slam a button on the side with my hoof and the screen flashes white before returning to black, but with a small green line in the center. I enter my name and my Pony Security number, and after a short period of beeps and buzzes, it comes to life and displays a map of Fillydelphia. I frantically begin working, hoping to compensate for the time I lost. My job was to route the energy that kept this city alive. The suburban area usually didn't require much attention, but in the downtown and industrial areas required much more. Some buildings still ran off steam power and required only a fraction of power compared to others. It seems complicated, but all I really have to do is push a button when a red light flashes on the display.
Other ponies around me were doing much more work. Three stallions passed behind me carrying a half foot thick cable. To my left was a mare was adjusting the valves on the boilers. With so much going on, you'd think this would be a thrilling experience, but I would honestly rather work in a call center. I would, but if I'm going to succeed at what my cutie mark says I'm good at, I need to stay here and hopefully move up the ladder and get out of this hell hole. To think somepony would want to work here baffles me.
A foreign hoof tapped on my shoulder and I almost jumped out of my fur.
"Sorry tah interupt yer day-dreamin', but Mag is 'bout to blow a casket lookin' for ya." I turned around to see a familiar brown stallion with ash and grime painted on his face.
"Oh, um, thanks. Is she still in her office?"
"She's right there," he said as he gestured toward the mare on the other side of the room. As soon as we made eye contact, my heart sunk strait into the concrete and rebar floor. She makes a beeline to me, almost knocking down everypony in her path. I turn back to the screen, making a last effort to make it appear that I'm being productive. When the sounds of her hooves ceases, I cringe, expecting either yelling or dragging, but when neither comes, I loosen up and raise my head.
"My office. Now," she says, her fur lightly brushing my ear. Her voice sounded sweet and sincere, but if you had ever gotten even the slightest glance of her, you'd know that she's hiding metric tons of bottled fury beneath that calm exterior. This was not going to be fun.
After a short walk filled with stares and whispers, we finally reached Mag's office, which was mainly just a storage closet with a desk in it. I sat in the small chair in front of the desk which Mag had already gotten comfortable behind. On the monitor in front of her was the log of attendance, which listed who was here and what time they arrived. I was at the bottom of list.
"Do you know why you're in here, miss Spark?" She said, braking the silence. Her tone wasn't harsh, It wasn't nice either. I looked at her, unsure what to think.
"I know, I was late again, bu-"
"But nothing. This is the fifth time this week. I've gone easy on you while you've been here, and I understand that you're just trying to get by," was that pity in her voice? "but I've notified the state of your misconduct."
Nope.
"What do you mean? I'm sure you don't mean-"
"They've found you too much trouble to be kept in the home."
"Please, is there anything you can do? Anything at all? I don't have enough bits to buy an apartment, and I can't afford to pay rent either! I'll be stuck on the streets!" I exclaimed, panicking.
"Sometimes, the hardest option is the best."
"You mean-"
"The papers have been signed and the bus will be by at twelve to pick you up and take you to Happy Hooves."
"You're having me unwound?! All I was was a bit tardy! How could you have me unwound?!" I was yelling now. I was sure everyone outside the door could hear me, but all I could think about was the horrible things I would do to the mare in front of me.
"It's out of my control, now. I'm sorry, miss Spark. I never meant to do anything like this, I only meant the best for you," a tear rolled down her face, leaving behind a trail of regret and sorrow.
My anger boiled over as I Stood up and flipped the desk to the right, slamming it into the wall. She fell backward off of her chair onto the floor as the monitor smashed in two, glass spraying onto Mag and the floor. We didn't move and silence enveloped the room.She Stood up and walked over to the desk, tears flowing freely. She picked up a pink paper from the pile of paper on the floor and handed it to me.
"I'm supposed to give this to you. you don't have to keep it, you just need to have seen it," I looked down at the tear stained paper. It was completely official. Something in my chest shattered. I felt helpless. I looked at Mag. Her face was filled with pity and pain. It only made me remember how angry I was. I struck her across the face with the paper, leaving it to fall to her hooves as I left. When I opened the door, I found a small crowd that had gathered outside the door. I pushed past their greasy, gawking faces. I wasn't being unwound. Not if I could help it.
...
I walked down the street, letting the other ponies bump into me as I wondered what I was going to do. The cliche thing to do would be to change my identity and move far away, but they would be expecting that. After thinking long and hard, I kept coming back to my first idea. I couldn't go home. I'd have to start over completely.
Ugh! Why do I have to live in such a cramped city? I thought, I need to get out. Perhaps move to that small town in the South-East: Ponyville. I've never been there and nothing big happens much other than the occasional dragon or the inversion of the entire town. Yeah, that could definitely work, but I need to stay here tonight. It's starting to get dark.
I made my way to a rundown motel. I could stay the night without many questions asked and it'll be much cheaper than a Ritz. I walked up to the stallion at the register. He gave me a resentful look, gestured to the paper I assumed was the sign in sheet, grunted, and went back to his PlayPony. I trotted over to the paper and prepared to sign in when a grey stallion walked in, music from his earbuds filling the once quiet room. The stallion behind the desk gave him the same treatment as me. He came and stood next to me, hovering over the paper.
"Pardon me, would you kindly turn off your music?" I looked up at him to see that he didn't hear a word I had said.
Once he noticed my annoyance, he popped one bud out, "Huh?"
"Can you please turn off your music? I can't hear myself think." Hearing myself, I noticed that I sounded like some old lady. He clicked the device strapped to his foreleg and pulled his other bud out and placed them in his saddlebag.
"Sorry, I like to listen while I walk. Sometimes I forget how loud it is." He looked back at me, "You wouldn't happen to have a map to Ponyville, would you?"
"You're not from here?" I asked.
"Nope."
"And you need to get to Ponyville, correct?"
"That's right. Why do you care, exactly?"
"Well, as it turns out, that's where I'm headed. Mind if I tag along?"
"As long as you don't shank me in my sleep and steal my bits, I don't see why not. I'd much rather travel in a group, anyway," he said.
"Well, the sun's set now. We'd better wait 'till morning."
"What's your name?"
Crap, I thought. I looked around the room.
"Mint... Bowl...?" I answered before facehoofing.
"Whew, you must hate your parents."
"Uh... yeah, yeah. They're just terrible." I gave a sheepish smile.
Buy it, buy it, buy it...
"Well mine's Melodic Bass, most ponies just call me 'Bass', though."
I signed myself into room 6 and he took room 7. I went to my room and dumped all of my possessions on the bed. The only thing I has was a worker's uniform and a name badge. I sighed as I lay down upon the bare mattress, thinking about how this was going to be my life.
