Chapter 4

-- History of Stable 100 --

After spending some time in the library reading some books on magical creatures, I made my way out into the hall turning in the direction of Auntie Text’s classroom. It wasn’t far, and I would get there in plenty of time. Auntie does not tolerate tardiness, trust me I learned that before the first day of class. She is very passionate about being a teacher, especially when it comes to history. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Equestria and the stable itself. If I wasn’t a Guardian, I wouldn’t mind learning under Auntie and becoming a record keeper here. Or becoming an alchemist like mom, she always said I had a talent for it.

Turning a corner, I spotted Silver making her way to class, and moved to catch up with her. Upon hearing me walking up to her, she turned, and gave me a warm smile.

“Hi, Shadow, ready for class?” Silver said as we both walked down the hall towards class.

“I sure am, it’s history day, my favorite day of the week,” I said with excitement in my voice.

Class usually had different subjects every day to give us a broad education in several topics. History has always been my favorite and best subject. Classes were all separated by age groups, all races including guardians had the same classes in the stable.

“Yeah it’s always interesting to hear about the past of Equestria and the stable,” Silver said, looking at me with a friendly smile.

“Remember when we were still kids, and we would sneak into the library just so we could read more about the history behind Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon?” I said, picturing the memory in my mind, making me smile.

“I do remember that, I also remember both our moms catching us and grounding us for a week for breaking curfew,” Silver said with a small laugh at the memory.

“So Shadow, read anything interesting in the library? I’m guessing that’s where you went during your free time,” Silver asked as we continued down the dull gray halls of the stable.

“Just went over some books about magical creatures that were native to Equestria. One in particular that caught my interest is the hydra. They can grow back their heads and restore limbs at an alarming rate. Very difficult to kill,” I said with a tone of fascination.

“Well, I’m sure one can’t get into the stable so no need to worry. I actually was in my room reading about the different tribes of zebras, at least the ones that we have records about.” Silver said with a hint of disappointment near the end.

As Silver and I made our way to the next corner in the hallway, I could hear two familiar voices chatting from around the corner. I put my hoof in front of Silver and made a gesture to tell her to wait. As I crept towards the corner, I peeked out and saw my prey. I positioned myself, and just as I was about to pounce.

“Don’t even think about it Shadow, or I will make you revisit the memories of the first time you tried this little plan of yours,” Keira said without even looking back to see it was me. She always had this sense, which told her when I was around, it was scary sometimes.

“Let’s not be too hasty about something like that Keira, it took me days before I could breathe properly again,” I said, then a shiver went down my spine remembering that night, I still had no idea where the hell she got that feather from. Silver came around the corner rolling her eyes at me but still had an amused smile.

“Hey Shadow, hey sis, ready for class? I have a feeling it’s going to be a long one,” Grindstone said looking over to us with a smile. He and Keira had most likely gotten here early and just waited for us.

“Yeah, question is, are you ready? Most of the time you two can’t stay awake for these lectures,” I said with a smirk, which earned me a glare from my two friends. After about a minute of silence, we all broke into laughter. Soon we passed the last turn into the hallway with Auntie Text’s classroom.

Walking into the classroom, Auntie saw us and waved, which we all returned. We then took our seats for today’s lecture. I was excited to hear what we had to learn today.

As the rest of the class took their seats, Auntie Text took to the podium and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. She then turned on the projector which showed the Stable-Tec logo.

“Alright class, today we are going to learn more about our home, Stable 100, and the powers that made this home possible,” Auntie Text said as she then moved to the next slide that showed a map of Equestria from the old days.

“Our story begins long before the Great War that devastated Equestria, in fact, our history goes back long ago before the Goddesses defeated Discord. Off in the far land of Zebrica, there lived a nomadic tribe called the Moon Drifters,” Auntie Text said before moving onto the next slide which depicted a group of zebras walking towards the full moon.

“The Moon Drifters got their name from their admiration of the stars, and the moon of course, unlike the other tribes who saw the stars as a great evil. The Drifters eventually left their homeland due to the constant fighting with other tribes over their beliefs,” Auntie continued onto the next slide depicting a map that had showed an area close to the borders of Equestria.

“It was here, that the Moon Drifter met a tribe of ponies that had lived in the area since the fall of Discord. The ponies were skeptical about them at first having never seen zebras before, but in time they grew to befriend one another and made their new home thrive,” Auntie paused as she saw a zebra mare raise her hoof for a question.

“Yes dear, what is your question?” Auntie asked with a gentle smile.

“Where did the Moon Drifters come from, in terms of a tribe? Which tribe did they originally belong to?” The mare asked with a curious tone.

“An excellent question, but I’m afraid our records do not have anything on where they originated. Our records only tell us that they split off from another tribe and came to Equestria,” Auntie said with a bit of disappointment. I was curious about that too, why didn’t we have records about that?

“Either way, let’s get back to the lecture,” She spoke while moving to the next slide showing fields of crops and a good sized village.

“As they grew and prospered, the tribes became one, and they lived in peace. And one day the tribe caught the attention of the royal sisters. Ponies had spoken of a group that lived in harmony with each despite the difference in race, and the sisters had to see it for themselves. One of the sisters saw great potential in this settlement, and journeyed to meet with her new subjects. And we all know which sister it was.” The next slide revealed our Goddess of the Moon looking upon the town and its inhabitants with a joyful smile.

“Princess Luna, the embodiment of the moon, descended on the valley that our ancestors had called home and graced them with her presence. Her arrival sparked a celebration that lasted days, the princess joining in the festivities as the guest of honor. She learned all about how the Moon Drifters had followed her moon to Equestria and made their home here. They worshipped her as their goddess, and she gave them her blessing in their new home.” Auntie paused to take a drink of water before she continued onto the next slide which turned to a saddened goddess.

Keira raised her hoof, “Yes Keira?” Auntie said after seeing her hoof.

“Was that the festival that started the Lunar Festival we hold in the stable every year?” Keira asked.

Auntie smiled and answered, “Yes Keira, The Lunar Festival we hold every year in honor of The Goddess Luna when she first visited our tribe all those centuries ago.”

Auntie moved to the next slide, which showed Princess Luna with a sad and tired expression.

“Sadly, every good thing must come to an end. The Festival of the Moon as our history tells us, ended as Princess Luna was called to deal with another problem left by Discord. As their goddess left them, they began to discuss how they could best serve their goddess. And after weeks of ideas and discussions, a plan was formed.” Moving onto the next slide, showing an alchemy lab.

“Using the alchemy skills of the zebras, combined with the magical talent of the ponies, a new procedure was made to create a new power that would allow the tribe to serve their goddess beyond the limits of normal ponies and zebras. This is the origins of the Trial of the Stars, and of course, the beginning of the Guardians.” Auntie paused again to allow students to take notes or ask questions.

I raised my hoof, and Auntie turned to me, “Yes Shadow?”

“How long did it take them to make the trial? It must have taken hundreds of different mixtures and experiments to get the right procedure,” I said with curiosity in my voice.

Auntie smiled and spoke, “Very good question Shadow, and one that I can answer. According to records we have here in the stable, it took the tribe nearly three years to perfect the Trial of the Stars. Through trial and error, mixtures were created, and the Trial was perfected.”

Auntie then moved to the next slide showing several ponies and zebras in old-fashioned armor, carrying several types of weapons.

“Several members of the tribe volunteered for the process, even when knowing the risks involved, but a chance to serve their goddess and free her of her burden was more than enough to satisfy them. The Guardians then went to assist the goddess Luna in her efforts to fight back the chaos left by Discord. Luna saw the Guardians as her personal warriors, dedicated to serving her in her time of need. Guardians then spread out across Equestria helping ponies in need, all in the name of their goddess.” Auntie spoke proudly, looking at me, and the other guardians in the room. I couldn’t help but smile myself. Then the next slide came and that smile went away.

“But again like all good things, it did not last. After the chaos had been cleansed from Equestria, the Guardians were feared for their strength, and ponies began to wonder if they could just be monsters waiting to take over. Luna tried to calm their fears but she was not successful. The shunning of her beloved Guardians broke the Princess’ heart and her jealousy and hatred towards her sister grew. In fact, some history books claimed that ponies blamed the Guardians for the appearance of Nightmare Moon.” Auntie said with a noticeable sadness in her voice. The next slide depicted the Mare in the Moon.

Silver raised her hoof and asked, “Why would ponies blame the Guardians for Princess Luna’s transformation? What evidence did they have?”

Auntie simply shook her head and spoke in a softer tone, “Silver, in times of crisis and panic, the citizens feel they have to place the blame on something. And, in this case, it was the ponies that were closer to Luna than her own guards.”

“But the Guardians wouldn’t gain anything from corrupting the princess. They respected her more than anyone,” Silver stated, trying to understand why the ponies would turn on the Guardians so easily.

Auntie sighed and then spoke, “Silver, under stress and fear, anyone would lose their rational thought. It is common instinct, and the Guardians were the unfortunate target of the ponies.” Auntie then moved to the next slide showing the Guardians with low heads and sad faces.

“Princess Luna’s banishment broke the hearts of the Guardians and their tribe, driving them into hiding, where they were not seen nor heard from for centuries. Even upon the return of Princess Luna, the tribe refused to revive the Guardians in the belief that they had failed their goddess. As time went on the Trial of the Stars was forgotten, and the Guardians were lost from history.” Auntie then stopped the changing of slides to address us directly.

“Alright class, let’s take a fifteen minute break and stretch our legs. Be back in your seats in fifteen minutes, and we can start on the beginnings of the stable.”

I got up from my seat and moved to a corner of the room where my friends and I could talk in private. I was quickly followed by Keira, Silver, and Grindstone.

Keira was the first who spoke up, “I can’t understand why everypony tried to blame the Guardians for Princess Luna’s transformation. They would not benefit from it, and it broke their hearts to see their Goddess fall victim to her inner darkness.”

I nodded and spoke, “I agree with you Keira, it doesn’t make any sense. But Auntie had a good point, fear and desperation will make ponies do strange things.”

Silver spoke next, “I have always been curious as to why Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon. Why did she fall into darkness? Surely it wasn’t just jealousy towards her sister.”

I had to admit, that was something I had been interested in as well. We had been taught that Princess Luna had always been a protector to her subjects, and that the Guardians were her personal force that protected all of Equestria. Why would ponies just turn to the conclusion that they were responsible for her transformation? And the biggest question of them all is, why did Princess Luna become Nightmare Moon?

“Those are questions only the Goddesses themselves can answer. We may never know the answers, but we can still believe that our Goddess of the Moon was a benevolent ruler who loved her subjects,” Grindstone said with a serious tone.

Keira raised her hoof and said, “Damn straight. We know our Goddess is with us and she loves us. We are her legacy, and we will do her will.”

I raised my hoof and spoke proudly, “I couldn’t agree more.”

After another five minutes of talking amongst ourselves, Auntie called for everyone to sit down.

“Alright students, I hope you enjoyed your break. Now we can move onto the beginnings of our stable,” Auntie said as she started up the projector once again.

“Now, we move to the time of the Great War and how our stable came into existence,” Auntie smiled and gave us time to prepare for the next lecture. I myself was eager to learn how our stable had started.

“Our tribe remained in their homeland, offering help to any who were in need, be they zebra or pony. But after the Massacre at Little Horn, they knew that they needed to do more. So they founded The EREC, The Equestrian Relief Effort Corporation. The new corporation worked independently to help ponies and zebras all over Equestria. They were not part of any of the Ministries, despite the efforts of the Ministry of Peace and the Ministry of Image,” Auntie paused to move to the next slide, which showed the symbol of the EREC, a full moon decorated with magic runes and zebra glyphs.

“The EREC used its knowledge and resources to help all who were affected by the war, and were ridiculed by the ponies of Equestria for helping zebras. It wasn’t until one fateful night that the directors of the EREC had been given the one thing that their tribe had wanted for centuries. Princess Luna visited the directors in secret and told them that she remembered their tribe fondly, and she needed their help once again,” Auntie paused and turned off the projector for a moment.

“It was in this meeting, my students, that the plan for Stable 100 came to life. The directors with the aid of Princess Luna commissioned Stable-Tec to build them a stable in a location that was away from the public, where they could conduct their research in peace. Stable-Tec took the bits offered and completed the stable in record time, supplying it with technology and equipment requested by the Princess. This stable would not be known to the public and would offer space for the employees of the EREC and their families. Close friends were also given space in the stable, but none knew what the purpose of the stable was for,” Auntie then turned the projector back on to reveal a slide that depicted Princess Luna giving a group of ponies and zebras what looked like ancient documents.

“Princess Luna had given the EREC a special mission to carry out within the stable, one that would affect the future of Equestria. In her great wisdom, she returned the original formula for the Trial of the Stars, and the process of creating the Guardians. She used her resources to supply the stable with everything they would need for the procedure. She had each of the directors promise her that they would come when she called for their aid. They accepted, and Stable 100 was complete. As the last of the residents came inside, the doors were sealed, and the experiment went underway,” The slideshow ended, and Auntie turned off the projector.

“And ever since that day, my students, we have remained here, recreating the Guardians and preparing for the day Equestria will need us. No one knows what goes on outside the stable, or when the call will come, but we remain here and continue our work,” Auntie moved from the center of the room to her desk and addressed the class for the last time today.

“That will be all students. I hope you all took notes cause there will be a test next week on this subject. Now I will take your assignments that are due today, after which, you are dismissed. Have a good day,” Auntie finished with a smile as we all rose from our seats to bring her our assignments.

I walked to Auntie Text’s desk and gave her my assignment, only to stay and stand at her side hoping to ask a few questions about the lesson before I left. Waiting for the other students to turn in their assignments gave me time to think about my questions. However, I noticed that Saber did not turn in his assignment, and saw him leave the room with an odd look on his face. Like he saw this as pointless, but there was something more in his expression, something similar to deceit. I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it, but it sent a chill down my spine, like this was the calm before the storm.

“Shadow, are you just going to stand there or do you have something to say?” Auntie asked with an amused expression. I spaced out again, great.

“Oh yes, Auntie, I had a few questions about the lesson. Is it true that the tribe members volunteered for the Trial? Did they know what they would go through during the trial or how it would change them?” I asked in a bit of a rush. Auntie just smiled at my desire for more knowledge.

“Ever the curious one aren’t you Shadow?” Auntie said while stacking the assignments on her desk.

“Yes, they did volunteer, though I suspect not all of them knew of the dangers of the Trial. Most were so willing to aid Princess Luna in her time of need that they did not care about the risks. But we do have records showing that not everything went smoothly, and some did suffer. You know the details better than I ever could my dear nephew,” Auntie finished with a sad smile to me before wrapping me in a comforting hug. The Trial was not easy for any Guardian to talk about, memories would flood back to a time we would want to forget.

“Now run along, I believe you and Keira were promised a sparring session with Cross. I need to go and start grading,” Auntie said as she let go of me and moved to the door. I followed, and we went our separate ways.

Walking through the dull gray halls of the Stable once again, I ran into Keira on our way to the unarmed training room where we would meet with Master Cross.

“So that was an interesting lesson, I wouldn’t have guessed that our history went that far back. I bet you we have the richest history of any of the stables that were built,” Keira said as we walked down the empty halls of the stable. She took to the lesson a lot better than normal, usually, these history lessons would bore her to sleep.

“I’m surprised you actually listened to that lecture. Are you joining me and Silver in the egghead club?” I said with a mischievous grin. That remark earned me a snort and a laugh from Keira.

“In your dreams, it’s just nice to know that our species have been at peace within our tribe for so long, makes you wonder why the war ever happened in the first place,” Keira said with a sad smile. I knew what she meant, why couldn’t everyone just get along like we did?. Granted, we still have some racism in the stable, and not everyone was descended from the original tribe.

We reached the door to the unarmed training room, and moved to open the door where we both got caught in a double headlock from behind. The old buck was silent as a ghost when he wanted to be.

“There’s my two favorite students, you two ready for your training?” Master Cross said with a happy and sober voice. He must have sobered up, at least for now.

“We are always ready for training Master Cross, come, let’s get in so we can start,” Keira said excitedly. I chuckled at her enthusiasm, and so did Cross.

After Cross let us go, we all walked inside and stood at separate ends of one of the training mats set up for unarmed combat training.

“Alright, kiddos let’s start off with some two on one combat. Both of you against me, remember, teamwork is key when you have someone you trust at your side. When faced with an opponent who is stronger or more experienced than you, rely on each other, and you can pull through,” Master Cross said as he sat waiting for us to make the first move.

It only took one look between us for us to know our plan of attack. I charged Cross from his left in an attempt to draw his attention. It somewhat worked as he dodged my kick and moved to use a hoof strike to send me flying away. He then ducked under Keira’s high kick that she attempted while she thought he was distracted. Keira fell onto her back, where we both laid in a daze.

“That was a good tactic kiddos, but it was predictable. You need to be crafty, and learn to throw your opponent off by using different tactics,” Master Cross said as he stood before us sitting on his rump.

I got up and moved to help Keira. After she recovered, we both moved together and came at him from both sides. He expected this and jumped up hoping to make us hit each other. But we had other plans, we both used our forelegs to help maneuver our hind legs to deliver twin kicks to his sides. He took the hit and grunted as we sent him back a few feet but he held his ground and did not fall.

Looking up at us with a grin, “Now that’s more like it, did not see that one coming, I might have a bruise,” Cross said almost gleefully.

Keira and I hoof bumped and stood ready for Master Cross’ counter-attack. He then moved faster than I could blink and before we knew what was happening, we hit the ground head first and were laid out on our backs. Master Cross had hit us so hard I lost my breath and judging from the sounds Keira was making, so did she. Master Cross was looking down at us from behind, so we quickly regained our composure and got up. We then charged Cross with all our might…

Two hours later….

I was sore all over, and I needed my bed. Keira wasn’t in any better shape as we left the training hall. Master Cross had given us a beating and a good work out. Cross walked past us and gave us a smile.

“Well, you two are definitely getting better, I’m actually a bit sore from that workout. Keep it up, and you two will probably be teaching this class once I kick the bucket,” Cross said before he started for his living quarters.

I looked at Keira, and she did the same to me. We both started laughing as we made our way towards our own living quarters. We lived not too far from one another, so we usually walked back together. I was ready for bed after that bit of training. Keira looked like she was about to collapse as well. I made sure to keep close, just in case she stumbled.

As we reached her quarters, we exchanged one last hug for the night, and she went inside. Then, I made my way a few doors down and found the quarters that I shared with Mom. Walking inside I found Mom on the couch looking over some papers, some assignments from her class no doubt.

I quickly jumped over the couch and landed to her right, opposite the stack of papers, nearly knocking them over. Mom looked at me with an amused smile and pulled me into a hug.

“How was training with Cross dear?” Mom said looking through her papers again.

“We held our own, but goddesses I feel like I fought off an Ursa,” I groaned as I rested my head on her shoulder, finding comfort in her.

“I’m sure you did sweetheart, Cross trained you himself, plus a little help from yours truly,” Mom said with a proud smirk.

“Well I’m going to shower then head to bed, I’ll see you in the morning, Mom,” I said getting up off the couch and giving her a peck on the cheek.

“Goodnight Shadow, may the goddess grant you pleasant dreams,” Mom said smiling at me as I left.

I quickly showered and made my way into bed. I was so tired and needed to rest.

Footnote: No status changes

Author's Note

Hey everyone, Hades here.

Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. School, work and a bit of writers block.

Here is a bit of history of Stable 100 and it's inhabitants. Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions or just want to share your thoughts.

As an apology for taking so long, here is the name of the next chapter.

Ch.5 "Nightmares"