Deep within the bowels of Stable 6, there sat a vending machine, its magical components whirring and groaning as they had for over two hundred years. Leaned against this machine was a young unicorn named Fizzy Pop. The mare pressed a button on the machine and licked her lips, awaiting the sweet sight of Sparkle-Cola. After a short pause, the machine sputtered and dispensed nothing. Fizzy groaned in frustration.

"Damn it, the machine's busted again," she muttered. Not that it was much of a problem for her; after all, it was her job to fix this thing. With expert precision, the pony did something she'd done hundreds of times before and would do hundreds of times after: she banged on the side of the machine with her hoof and shook it side to side. It was a trick Fizzy had learned as a young filly back when the old repairpony wasn't very good at his job. When she had finished shaking the dispenser, she pressed the button again. Out popped an ice-cold beverage, the same that appeared on her cutie mark.

The reason that Fizzy's special talent was fixing soda machines is because the Stable used them so often; as far as the residents knew, theirs was the only Stable that had been stocked with hundreds of cases of soda. They had decided to put them to good use, which meant frequent use. Whenever a dispenser wouldn't dispense or a machine wouldn't run, it was Fizzy Pop's duty to get it working again. Thanks to that trick, she hardly ever needed tools, either!

She popped the Sparkle-Cola bottle open, drinking the contents in ten seconds flat (and flat it was; those things didn't stay fresh after two centuries). When it was empty, she threw the bottle into the nearest recycler and slipped the bottle cap into her saddlebag. She had a habit of collecting them. At her last count, she was at 346.

At that moment, the Stable's intercom crackled to life. "Attention, all Stable residents. Please assemble in front of the entrance. We will begin leaving in five minutes. Thank you." The intercom shut off.

Fizzy blinked. How could she have forgotten? They were about to open the Stable doors! With the expert knowledge that only a Stable dweller could have, she navigated through the bunker until she reached the entrance. Waiting there were almost a thousand of her fellow neighbors, all itching to see the outside world. Her parents spotted her and trotted through the crowd to reach her.

"There you are, honey!" cooed her mother. "Can you believe it's finally happening? This is what your great-great-great-grandparents waited for when the door first closed. Now, we can finally get out there and rebuild!"

Fizzy nodded. "I hope they have Sparkle-Cola there."

The crowd's indistinguishable murmurs were quieted when the Overmare, the leader of the Stable, stood atop a pedestal to get their attention. "Fellow residents of Stable 6," she said, her commanding voice surging through the room. "We are gathered here today because one chapter of our lives is ending and another is beginning. In a moment, we will be opening the door for the first time in generations." The crowd began cheering, but the Overmare silenced them with a hoof. "No matter what lies outside, we will face it with hope and dignity. Now..." She flipped the hydraulics lever. "...let's face our destiny!"

As the metallic gear-shaped door rolled aside, Fizzy thought of what awaited her. A new beginning. A chance to explore an entirely new world beyond the Stable. But when she and her fellow residents saw what was waiting for them just outside the door, her hopes gave way to fear.

A band of crazed ponies, all armed with guns, were standing there. Without hesitation, they opened fire.

Author's Note

Revised 6/7/14.