The Stable

”Hello; let me present myself, I’m Breach!” I giggle.

Of course, I am the goddess of Hidey-holes. Thus my name is Breach. I can easily breach any wall, even if it is solid rock.

I have come to realize, that I am the only pony who can handle the breach. While it was convenient in foals games, from time to time, I have learned just how useful it can be in my daily life. Others are requiring my services in critical situation, where I can save time and lives,in a pinch

Even if you could track down a pony with the pip-buck, and talk to them at any and all times; when it’s urgent, you just can’t get there in time. Since we do have proficient Unicorns in the stable,, I am fortunately not requested all that often.

That said, I mostly have a very easy-going life. I have little strain on my time, and am rarely requested to step up.

I am left, with very much free time on my hooves. As a filly, I was never bothered with this; since I could play with the other fillies and colts. Though they excluded me from certain games, due to the way they thought I was cheating.

Of course, you should always close the rift, after yourself; not because I have a limited amolut of rifts, but it can cause a few problems if too many rifts are open in a small place.

I wake up early, eager for a new adventure.

“If nothing happens today, I could as well make a new excursion!” I ponder.

“Oh, too early for a proper breakfast? Typical!” I point out, to no-one in particular.

My room is empty, I am alone. Of course, I do have all the common items found in a stable home. Starlight Glimmer never permitted any of us to feel poor or lack anything.

“I love Starlight, our Over-Mare!” I ponder.

I slip out of bed, then make the bed neatly; leaving it ready, for the coming night. I trot out to my kitchen, pick up an apple and chew it down.

“Not a proper breakfast, but at least I have eaten something!” I ponder, as I trot over to the door.

I open the door, step out and close it behind me.

The hall is empty, the others are most likely sleeping this time of day. We have no dedicated security, under Starlight’s rule. Why bother? The stable is secure, behind the stable-tech door they delivered to us before we sealed the stable.

When I said sealed up the stable, I mean it. The door is not just locked, it’s literally sealed.

I trot along the hall, pondering where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to do. I need this excursion, of course. I can be a bit restless, you know. It is in my blood, my very nature.

While I could have opened up a breach, skipping ahead; I choose to trot all the way, through the hallways. I need to move, and think on my hooves as it were.

Nothing like a cool breeze through the mane, and a brisk trot, to clear the mind, putting a pony at ease.

Being alone, at this time of day rarely bothers me. Only the baker, and a few of the farmers may be awake, at this hour. Like that mare named Peachy; her coat the hue of a deliciously ripe Peach.

“Why does this moment, always bring her to mind?” I ponder, giggling at myself.

If she likes me that much, maybe she could let me have a bite? I am sure, she will be just as juicy; as the namesake fruit she would be tending, right now. Her mane is the green of peach leaves; and rustle, just like peach leaves too. Now she is making me all hot, just thinking of her.

Sometimes, the trotting has strange effects on me; just trotting up and down the next hall, particularly with no pony around. I know these caverns; like the back of my hoof, as it were. I like these caves, they are my home; just as they are the homes, of all my friends too. I like my home; it is a good home and it is good to me.

I have been trotting around, along the caves; ending up at the entry hall. The gate is closed and sealed, just as I had been expecting. Had it not; I would have been surprised, and utterly shocked. It would not fit in within the world Starlight founded for us down here.

For a moment, I stop and study the gate of our stable; the smooth and hard metal gleaming as much as the day they had been installed. There is the one special mark, on these doors; the double Diamonds of the Stallion known as Double Diamond. How and why, I do not know, but his mark seals the gate and keeps us safe; all I know, and all I need to know.

While I can watch the gate and even prod it with my hooves; but not even I can actually tough it, not with the mark of Double Diamond. I have been here before, but I still do not go close to the gate; not even I approach it. Why? I do not have to.

This room is close to the world outside, technically; but only to me, is that actually true, they can’t open the gate, and they can’t control the breach. I can, and I do. The breach is my specialty. I know; because it is the mark my buck down loaded, for me. Ever since then; I can reach it, control it and open that special door. The next room, is neither here, nor there.

“Maybe I should step out, and have myself some fresh air; sampling life, in the open and free?” I ponder; knowing full well, that the air is not fresh.

“While she had never directly appointed me onto the post, she never actually told me that I could not go out; as if it had even been possible to go out, for as long as the gate is sealed tight!” I ponder.

I reach out, and sense the wall before me. I prod it with my right and left hoof, sensing the solid rock. If I tried this, too close to the gate, I would feel a burning sensation and a splitting headache. I do not make the mistake, twice. I know how far I have to go, to stay safe.

Actually, I can even see the field around the gate on the HUD. Kind of curious. The blue tinge, to the air before me. While I can trot through the air, safely as if nothing had been there; I can’t reach out, quite as safely. Though nothing is stopping me, but when I try to probe the wall, or make the door manifest; I have a splitting headache.

Of course, I am the only pony in the stable; who does see the blue tinge, to the air. Maybe, because they do not need to know. I never really bothered to ask, if any pony see this anywhere. Maybe they see it, in a different situation, for a different reason.

I reach out, feeling the wall before me. I feel the cold, dead rock under my hooves. The coarse stone, making no actual resistance.

“There!” I exclaim, under my breath.

A moment later, the surface representing where the door is about to appear; starts glowing, just before the door finally does materialize. I watch the door, for just a moment; step forwards and pull the door up before me. I am fairly certain, I am alone; none saw me, and thus does not know where I am or where I am going.

I observe the dark room before me, the breach. As I had opened the door, the light is off. When I step inside, the light slowly tunes in, so I can see the room. It’s voice; no colour, no structure and no nothing. Just a small room.

“Should I close the door, behind myself; closing out the world at large, so that none can find my breach?” I ponder, but thinks better of it and leave it in place.

Not that I fear the breach would or even could collapse around me, without the support of at least one door. Maybe, if I am distracted or died? But them, I imagine I could still rely on the pip-buck to maintain it for me.

The room is not exactly square or cubical, it just is. Without guidance, there is no reason for the form to hold. It could as well have been a sphere or just exist.

After a moment, I am opening up a door to the cave outside; pushing the door up and the strange world. There are some very strange creatures, outside in this cave. I do not know if they will be seen, when I step out; but I do know, they are here.

These Chimera are half Pony and half Zebra; but with a few oddities to make them stand out. Giraffe horns, as I recall. Oh, wait; they also have the hooves of a Deer, quite graceful and beautiful.

Maybe my opinion is coloured, by my upbringing? I live in a stable, where I am safe from the monsters in the outside world above. Just as I know; there are no monsters under my bed, I have to fear each night. I can afford to appreciate the beauty and grace in others; where I would otherwise have seen strangeness, and cause to fear.

They always look upon me with puzzlement and curiosity. Why fear once such as they? Maybe the strangest thing about them, is how they give no reason to fear them?

As I scan the room, and look around; I notice the telltale glow of the breach, a door about to faze into existence. The wall is glowing, while the breach is opening. I hear a strange noise, as the door opens and the mare Chimera spils out into the desolate cave.

“Hello!” she says; with her strange chimera voice, not quite Pony, not quite Zebra and not quite a clear blend of the two either.

If it is her special state as a Chimera, or the parts of her that are neither Pony, nor Zebra; I could not say, but I do not know her well enough to chance a guess.

“Hello!” I respond.

“Such a fortunate moment, for a chance meeting, in the cave not quite in the outside, not the inside!” she puts forth, musing the situation.

I had noticed, that she has no pip-buck. Neither had the stallion, or their foal. Yet, it is apparent; they can handle the breach just as well as I can, almost as if they had literally been born to it. Then again, I guess they do live in the breach.

“Maybe they use their odd, curious horns; when they access the breach?” I ponder.

Just as before, I do not ask.

“Always nice to see you, Miss Che!” I offer, “Though I guess, I could have chosen to avoid her if I had wanted to!” I ponder.

Of course, I do not wish to avoid her; in a sense she is the reason why I am so eager, to venture out of the stable in the first place. Not to say; that the others are anything, but nice.

Such a nice day, to go out and see more.

Starlight must be a strange Pony, for creating a stable such as the one I live in. With all the strangeness trotting about, both inside and outside. What other strange creatures may live in the vicinity of my home?