Endurance

Metal Fyre, an orphan of Stable 113, shouldered his pack and checked his pipbuck. It was near time for him to leave. It was his time to leave the stable, as he turned 27 recently and at nearly the same time, two new foals were born to a young couple. As it was law within the stable, when a new foal is born, somepony has to leave the stable, and as he was an orphan, it was easy for him to volunteer, having nothing and nopony to hold him down, nothing and nopony to make him want to stay in Stable 113.

“Well, time to say goodbye to those who cared for me” he says, looking at the jacket, that he was found wrapped up in, when he was found at the door to the stable, it said S.T.A.L.K.E.R on the arm patches and had an odd Ankh symbol on it. He didn't know what either meant, only that, he was found wrapped in it.

He goes to the couple who had the foals and smiles as he hugs them both. Out of everypony in the stable, they were the only ones who truly cared for him, having given him clothes to wear, food to eat, toys to play with when he was younger, home education, and his pipbuck when he had turned ten.

“You be safe out there Metal” Crystal Heart, the mare who was like a big sister and guardian to him, says, hugging him tightly and wiping her tears away. He hugs her back and smiles at the mare's husband.

“Here Metal, take my sniper, I know it isn't much, but she's been faithful to me, and will be to you as well. She'll protect you and keep you from dying” Seris Night-Hunter, the stallion who was like his brother in law, gives him his rifle with a few clips of ammunition in it.

Metal smiles and shoulders the strap of the rifle onto his shoulder and hugs Seris “Thanks bro, you take good care of your beautiful wife and your two beautiful little ones” he says, leaning down, to gently hug the foals and to kiss their foreheads. “Uncle Metal will be back, I promise” he says, as the little filly latches onto his muzzle and looks up at him with big loving eyes.

He wipes his own tears away “I'm sorry little ones, but uncle needs to go now.” He looks at Crystal and Seris, “Crystal, you and Seris are the only 'family' I've ever had, but you two have your own foals now, a real family. You treat them well, treat them just as you and Seris treated me, they can have all my old clothes and toys, I am sure they will enjoy them” he says, hugging her again.

It was then, that the Stable Master trots in, she looks at him and sighs “It is time Metal Fyre, we will miss you, but you know the law” she says, giving him a few supplies and a couple of pistols and holster with ammunition on the belt. “Be safe” she says, as she leads him the way out to the stable door and lightly hugging him before he waves goodbye one last time to Crystal and Seris and trotting out of the stable.

Half an hour later, Stella returns with a tray that had two plates of fresh salad and a hayburgers. She knocks on the door to Metal's room “Guess whooo” she calls out in a sing song voice. Metal smiles and leans up a bit.

“Come in Stella, the door is still unlocked” Metal says, as he sits up a bit more and moves his pack and jacket from the bed, so as to make room for Stella and the tray of food she carried with her. She nudges the door open with her elbow and trots in, using her magic to carefully levitate the tray. She then places the tray down on the bed and sits opposite Metal.

Metal smiles “mmm hayburgers, smells delicious” he says, licking his muzzle and picks it up to take a bite. He moans slightly as he feels the sensation of fresh food and the tastes swelling up his taste buds as he chewed and then the warmth of it as the food slid down his throat. “Oh my stars, this is delicious!” he exclaims with enthusiasm, taking another bite, slowly chewing his food, so as to savor all of the flavors.

Stella giggles a little as she watches him eat and as she nibbles on her own hayburger. “He's so cute,” she thinks to herself, “and he isn't afraid to show his true self, Stella girl, take it easy, but not too easy” she smiles as she begins to scoot closer to Metal. This time he noticed a bit quicker than before, he wraps his arm and wing around again and gently pulls her in closer to him, he was glad for her company.

Suddenly his pipbuck blipped with a message for him, he checks it and smiles. “It's a message from Crystal, Seris and their two little ones. They've decided to name their colt after me and their little filly Seraphima.” he tells her as he shows her a group photo of the young couple and their newborn foals.

Stella smiles “They look like a lovely couple, you must have been special to them for them to name their son after you, and their foals both look so adorable” she says to Metal, having finished her hayburger while Metal checked his message, she rests her head on his shoulder again.

Metal smiles and hugs her close “It is true, they are a very lovely young couple and they are as special to me as I was to them. I feel very honored that they named their son after me.” he says, as he finishes his hayburger and swallows his last bite of it and starts on his salad. He then lays down, gently pulling Stella down with him.

She giggles, and kisses him as she falls on top of him, “Hey now, we need to turn the lights out first, silly” she says as she gets up and turns and trots over to the light switch, switching it off with a wink to Metal, then using her magic to light the way back to the bed. She then crawls up to Metal and kisses him right on the muzzle before she lays down next to him and snuggles into his embrace, resting her head on his chest, as they cuddled together and both fell asleep in unison.

During the night, Stella could feel Metal slightly shiver and occasionally toss and turn in his sleep. She was worried about him, he must have had bad memories of the stable flashing in his sleep and that was what was causing him to have nightmares. She told herself she would ask him what was troubling him in the morning and was content with snuggling up to him and gently stroking his mane to calm him down for the time being.

It was then, during the time that they were snuggling at night, that she let it slip out of her mouth as she was asleep. “I think I'm falling in love with you Metal Fyre”, she says, smiling as she drifts into a pleasant dream of the two of them spending the rest of their lives together.