"While you were out, I spent SIX HOURS trying to reach a coffee cup up on a shelf.
When I finally got it down I was so happy, I cried. I HATE MY LIFE!"
* * *
Message 0114B Welcome to the Alpine Peninsula Division!
[In]
To: Doctor Shimmer
From: Doctor Fall
Welcome to the research team, Doctor Shimmer. I really do hope the transfer from Manehattan was as stress free as possible. While it may not be as glamorous or prestigious as working HQ, I think you will feel right at home with our Alpine Peninsula branch.
Before you get working, you should know which team you’ve been assigned to work on- you’re on Stable 65. I’m assuming you already know what project Stable 65 has been assigned, as your former department reviewed the project proposal.
Per your previous department’s feedback, the team has taken numerous precautions to prevent the introduction of unauthorised ponies into the stable population. We have verified pure lineage of every stable applicant for 65 going back three generations.
Despite this, it is still entirely possible for unauthorised ponies to be birthed from anypony with relatives past the fourth generation, of which at least one hundred residents have been confirmed to have. You must understand- it is too late to resign their admissions to the stable. The only thing we can do now is make final adjustments to the stable policies before we submit our work to corporate.
You MUST figure out a way for the stable to deal with the birth of unauthorised ponies that doesn't interfere with the stable’s primary experiment, or involve terminating the ponies in question.
You have six weeks until we have to submit the stable policies.
Doctor Fall, Division 5 Head Researcher
Stable-Tec
* * *
According to everything I've found on the terminals, databases, and the hoofful of books in Stable 65, the average stable is supposed to house about 2000 ponies. Stables all have slight variations in design, but overall they have a few common traits:
a security wing, usually including a police-grade armory and a holding cell, was included to keep order and protect the residents in crisis. This usually connected to the overstallion/mare's office, where the head of the stable made their important decisions;
a clinic, with a fully stocked storage and surgical center, provides emergency care for those who get injured while working. Close by is the atrium, the social and literal center of the stable. The atrium connected all of the different sections of the stable, while also housing the common room and the cafeteria;
a maintenance wing, where all the water, sanitation, power, and hydroponics systems are located. That is where all the food, water, and power is created to sustain the stable.
Stable 65 had all of these, and yet we were doomed to fail from the start. We could have had the best hospital equipment, straight from Bridge City School of Arcane Medicines, the strongest power armor, straight from the Ministry of Technology. There could have been magical utilities that required absolutely no maintenance- no reactor coolant, water filters, or fertiliser- and we still would be cursed to perish in horrible, painful deaths.
For that, we have Stable-Tec to thank. It turns out that those bastards had an ulterior motive for every single stable in Equestria. None of us knew it while inside, but the way every stable was run was slightly different.
Stable 29 was entirely run by a computer, which Stable-Tec told residents was controlled by them (HINT: IT WASN'T). This computer had no morality, and solved problems without considering the ethical consequences. When the water tasmanian started to fail, it began killing off "weak" residents to "preserve the stable". Eventually the entire population of the stable fell into chaos, with ponies being slaughtered in "accidents" left and right.
Stable 1 was designed to trap all of the leading members of the ministries, only set to open after two generations of dwellers had perished. That door never let anypony out, however, as the pink cloud from the balefire bomb that struck Canterlot seeped into the stable and killed everypony inside.
Stable 89 was over stocked with mass amounts of highly addictive and destructive chems, leading to the stable becoming a hub for addicts and criminals across the wasteland. A shantytown called flank grew around the stable out of the need for places to dump wasted addicts.
Stable 83- well you get the idea. Every stable had some kind of strange experiment to it. Something that could only be done to a contained populace in a controlled location. On paper, the stable's main goal may have been to preserve ponykind, but in reality it seemed to focus heavily on twisted social experiments.
* * *
WELCOME TO ROBRONCO INDUSTRIES (TM) TERMLINK
Auto-dictation software (TM) PegasusSoft
Welcome, DOCTOR MOONLIGHT SHIMMER
1 Available record(s) in system:
Stable 65 Project Research [Log ⅞]
//coughing// Hello? //unintelligible// Is this thing working? //unintelligible// Well, //coughing// this is doctor Moonlight Shimmer. //unintelligible// As the assistant researcher for stable nineteen, it is my monthly duty to document the team’s progress in refining the stable’s procedures and policies. //coughing// This month has been a critical time for our team, as we are now only one month away from //door// //unintelligible// deadline //impact sound// //deep breathing// doctor Shimmer! You’re needed in project development immediately! //paper crumple// Now? //unintelligible// I’m in the middle of something! //impact sound// Snowfall just made a huge breakthrough on the unauthorised problem, she has a way to prevent //unintelligible// genetics! She said you had some contacts at a college in Bridge City who could help? Fine. Fine. Let me just grab //door// //unintelligible// How //impact sound// I //unintelligible// turn this thing off?
* * *
Stable 65 was no exception. We had our own twisted social experiment, one inspired by an old story ponies used to tell celebrating Hearth's Warming.
It was a touching story, about the roots of the three races, back when they were just three squabbling tribes fighting over resources. They all realise one winter they're fucked without each other and join together to survive, live happy ever after, bla bla. The moral is, teamwork can be good. Whoop de do.
Well, some sick fucker from Stable-Tec took inspiration from that and crafted up the experiment for Stable 65. The ponies in the Hearth's Warming tale fought in the start because they didn't trust each other, right? The only reason they started trusting each other was because they had no other choice; they were going to freeze or starve to death if they didn't work together. So, what if a bunch of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies were all put in a hole together, segregated by race into different parts of the hole, and given everything they needed to survive. Would they be able to trust each other?
* * *
RE: Message 0125C Request from Stable-Tec
[In]
To: Doctor Shimmer
From: Doctor Stitch
I’m not surprised you contacted me, considering your company’s announcement of a faculty in Bridge City in conjunction with scientists from our school. What I’m surprised about is the request you made.
While I agree, this level of genetic modification is well within my capabilities, I must question why you would need this in the form of a megaspell? And why you don’t want me to use it in person? Do I really have to point out how foalish it would be for me to give you this kind of power without knowing what you are going to do with it?
No way in hell am I going to help. Consider your request officially denied. You will have to find some other way to complete your task, whatever that really is.
P.S. Childus Deformus, seriously? I’m not a fucking idiot, I work for MoP for a reason.
Doctor Stitch
Professor of Pony Biology, Bridge City School of Arcane Medicines
* * *
There was just one issue with this experiment- the pegasi. Stable-Tec wasn't completely incompetent, they knew that packing a bunch of pegasi in a box underground would be incredibly unhealthy for them. Pegasi are used to living free, flying around in vast, open spaces. The only stables with Pegasi in them are in the mountains, with much of the stable being open flying space.
Stable 65 is situated just south of the kelp packing town of Maneterey, dug into a hillside. The Stable's barely 100 feet above sea level. There was simply no way for the stable to accommodate pegasi (in any way that didn't suck for them). However, rather than scrapping the whole idea, Stable-Tec decided to modify the experiment. Rather than having earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, the stable would just have earth ponies and unicorns.
It seemed like a perfect plan- if you can call purposely stirring up hatred between two groups stuck in a confined area, with enough munitions to slaughter each other many times over, following them witnessing the rest of their county burn to death in a horrifying balefire attack: perfect.
There was one issue. Two actually. They didn't fully consider the repercussions of two things; distant relatives and the ability for ponies to try and destroy what they don't understand.
* * *
RE: RE: Message 0126A Stitch Won’t Help
[Out]
To: Doctor Fall
From: Doctor Shimmer
There is, one last thing we could try.
The projections estimate anywhere from 1-3 unauthorised born in the stable over a period of 40 years. There is a very high chance any kind of hazards from a megaspell event will clear within 40 years of containment. 40 years is plenty of time to run the stable’s project as well.
We could spun this to corporate as an additional situation for the experiment? You said it yourself- we have no idea how the residents would react to a unauthorised pony. Our experiment’s potential flaw could be a potential learning experience.
The essential stable systems are already protected and the necessary protection-of-life procedures and policies could easily be added. With these in place, there is little chance either residents or unauthorised could come to harm.
We could also remove all references to unauthorised ponies in the stable’s included media and literature, to further add to the surprise of the residents at the inevitable birth.
What do you think?
Doctor Shimmer, Division 5 Assistant Researcher
Stable-Tec
* * *
My name is PG-13. That stands for pegasus thirteen. I was technically the 14th pegasus to be born in Stable 65, but I'll explain that later. As the location of my birth suggests, neither of my parents were pegasi. Nor were their parents. Or their parents-parents. Somewhere, deep in their lineage they both must have had somepony who was a pegasi.
I'm not sure why I was the one to get just the right ratio of mother's and father's genes to get wings, but I'll never regret having been blessed with this gift- for without it I would have never gotten the opportunity to escape Stable 65.
* * *
WELCOME TO ROBRONCO INDUSTRIES (TM) TERMLINK
Auto-dictation software (TM) PegasusSoft
RADIO CONNECTION ACTIVE…
RECORDING INPUT...
//unintelligible// is a message from the Alpine Peninsula Area Emergency Alert System //unintelligible// authorities detected that a nuclear attack had commenced against Equestria //unintelligible// following cities affected include, but are not limited to: Canterlot; Manehattan; Fillydelphia; Hoofington //unintelligible// Bridge City; Cloudsdale; Las Pegasus //unintelligible// If you are receiving this emergency alert message, immediately seek //unintelligible// provide protection from radioactive balefire. This //unintelligible// emergency action notification //unintelligible//
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Author's Note
WAHOO
This was fun to finally start! Thanks to Kkat for creating such an captivating universe that I just had to write a story in it. Note this is my first Fic so there's probably so many mistakes and it probably sounds like a ~~five year old~~ IDIOT wrote this. You know what you could do about that?
Leave a comment. Not just autistic internet hate. Constructive criticism would be prefered.
PEACE
Chapter 1 - Cue Elevator Music
"Where will you be when the atomic bombs fall?"
* * *
WELCOME TO ROBRONCO INDUSTRIES (TM) TERMLINK
STABLE 65 CLINIC RECORDS
1 Uncompleted record(s) in system:
Resident Name: [required]
Gender: F
Race: [required]
Parents: [required]
Coat: Green
Mane: Greener
Eyes: Blue
Dist. Features: Monster
* * *
My last day in Stable 65 started just like every other day in the life leading up to it; with a sudden blast of artificial light from the storage room's swinging fluorescent bulb, causing me to lapse into a hysterical fit of sneezes.
AHCHOO
Oh how I hate the stable's lighting systems. Since the sorry excuse for a living quarters I reside in isn't a residential sector, the lights just immediately flash on at six.
Every.
Single.
Day.
Without fail.
AHCHOO
In the atrium the lights slowly turn from a dim, night time-like blue, to a bright fluorescent yellow. Was it too much to ask for that in the maintenance wing?
AHCHOO
I flopped by hooves out of the bed, waiting for the next sneeze.
AHCHOO
Carefully, I swung my head out from under the bunk.
AHCHOO
I stood up, fumbling towards the shelf we keep tissues on.
AHCHOO
I reached out, grabbing a mass of tissues between my hooves.
AHCHOO
...
BRCCH
...
BRRRCCCHHHH
...
BRRRCHHH
Ah, much better.
Fuck allergies
I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, tossing today's bundle of sticky tissues into the garbage bin by the door. The bin was overflowing with pointy used tissues from past mornings. I'd have to remember to clear that out sometime soon. I turned back to the bunks. Now that I was awake, I had to start getting ready for my day. The stable always had something needing to be repaired, maintained, or replaced. Whatever the stable didn't have a specific pony assigned to, it was the responsibility of us 'sick' ponies to take care of.
First things first, I needed to find some clothes and eat some breakfast. I trotted over to the bunks and pulled my trunk out from under the bed. Lucky Wings was still laying in bed, munching on a "carrot". His hazel mane matched the color of his breakfast. PG-12 was up too, pulling a shriveled brown excuse for an apple out of the fridge. She also filled the three canteens by the fridge using the hose we used to drink from.
"Wonder what we'll be working on today," I asked nopony in particular, as I shimmied into my tight stable jumpsuit.
"Probably on stable mechanics," Lucky Wings responded between bites of "carrot", "Officer Seer mentioned something like that last night while we were fixing that water filter,"
I nodded, tugging the suit over my wing brace. All 'sick' ponies in the stable are given wing braces to keep them from getting in the way of our work, as well as hide their existence from the other stable dwellers.
"I sure hope that isn't the case," PG-12 complained, "Cause' last time we were assigned 'stable mechanics' we had to work on that rusty old elevator,"
The elevator? Oh great. If there was one place I hated the most in this stable it had to be the elevator. I've only been there once, but it's scarred me enough to avoid that contraption at all costs. Even if I had to go all the way from the reactor to the entrance, I would take the stairs in a heartbeat. Just the thought of being in such an enclosed space where any second one wire could snap and I would fall-
I stumbled, almost knocking over PG-12. Water splashed all over the table and fridge.
"Oh shoot- sorry 12," I stammered, "I was thinking... well... distracted."
Lucky Wings gave me a strange look.
What? Distracted... wait no I didn't mean that!
I blushed, "I was thinking about the elevators,"
"Not a fan of elevators?" Asked PG-12. She pulled out a rag to clean the mess.
"Yeah," I mumbled sheepishly. My face felt like it was burning.
"Don't feel bad," PG-12 consoled, "Everypony scared of something. Claustrophobia is pretty common anyways,"
Oh thank Celestia!
The implications of my earlier response were lost on her.
13!
Stop worrying.
You're a grown ass pony.
Put your damn head down.
Just keep working.
Drown it in work.
Yeah... drown it in work.
I headed over to the door, pulling an "apple" out of the fridge on the way there. Taking a bite, I slapped the lever to release the door.
Ugh.
If you closed your eyes, you could almost imagine it didn't taste like sawdust.
The metal door creaked, as the circle label on the door switched from "open" to "stand back". I forced down three more bites, finishing the apple in a satisfying CRUNCH. Right before I stepped out, I had to grab one last thing. I trotted over to the lockers, pulling mine open. I dug through my small stash of possessions, looking for the telltale shape of the gas mask.
Harmonica, flask, torch-
ahah! There it is!
Right where you left it dumbass.
I pulled the mask out of the locker, giving it a quick dust-off. We weren't allowed to leave the storage room without the masks, to protect the other residents from our illness. If we didn't wear our masks, just breathing on anypony could infect them. We had to take our quarantine very seriously.
"You coming, 13?" called the muffled voice of Lucky Wings.
They had already gotten to the stairs. I raced to the door, then stopped in my tracks as I remembered my pennant. I popped open my trunk again, pulling the pennant out by the chain. It was a simple design, a silver chain attached to a plain obsidian-colored stone. Lucky Wings' father, PG-10, had given it to me before he died. He said it had been owned by the original stable pegasus, PG-1. I kept it as a good luck charm.
Stuffing the pennant into my utility vest, I slammed the trunk closed and bucked it under the bunk. I sprang to my hooves and raced out to the stairs.
* * *
Message From Your Overstallion
[In]
To: Officer Bale
From: Red Overstallion
Officer Bale- I have an important task for you to undertake. I need you to keep everything I’m about to tell you to do off the books and away from your peers, got it?
There is a disease in this stable. One of genetic origin. You may have remembered the commotion yesterday when Greenlake’s filly died in birth. Her death was due to this disease. I need you to do some deep record-diving, and find all the relatives of both Greenlake and Nero who are in the stable. Bring me this list as soon as possible.
The lives of countless ponies are in your hoofs.
Red Overstallion, Stable 65
* * *
Cold steel brushed up against my fur as I slowly inched towards the maintenance panel, the tight space doing wonders for my claustrophobia. Being the smallest pony out of both the 'sick' ponies and the maintenance team, I was always dragged into jobs requiring somepony to drag themselves through tight spaces, such as air ducts or drainage pipes.
Dragging my head along the top of the duct, I suddenly noticed there was a space above me. I shined my PipBuck light up the shaft. A spinning fan returned by gaze, along with a blast of freezing air. A chill rattled up my spine.
If this is what I get for being the smallest pony on the repair team, I want a raise.
That nagging voice in my head complained.
Shove a hoof in it. Now is not the time for self loathing.
Put your damn head down.
Just keep working.
I slid a screwdriver out of my utility vest. Gripping it tightly in my mouth, I got to work on the maintenance panel. Pushing the metal cover aside with a hoof, I studied the breaker I had been sent to fix.
Each switch on the breaker had a slip of tape on it labeling what parts of hydroponics it powers. They all were labeled using terms like "HP-B2" or "HP-A3". Not very helpful information. Nothing looked wrong with the breaker. I let out a sigh. What in Tartarus did they expect me to do here?
Shrugging, I closed the panel back up. If I couldn't find the issue, then this problem probably requires one of those electricians from Blue sector. I'd have to let Myrtle know. Then started the long task of shimmying my way out in reverse.
This was the kind of work I hated the most. It's the kind that doesn't require your full attention to complete the task. It lets your thoughts wander- something I try to avoid doing often. I always end up dreaming about things. Things I can never get. Things I could get, if only I hadn't been born with a pair of wings.
To have parents. I mean- to have been actually raised by them. We were seperated from birth; I'm fairly certain they've been told I died in the hospital. They can't have anypony with the illness raised by pure pones. The illness would spread so fast...
Anypony with the illness aren't supposed to talk to anyone other than Officer Seer and each other. Nopony is supposed to know we exist. Whenever we're out working, we're supposed to look and act like any other maintenance pony. Nopony notices that our Stable Jumpsuits are slightly longer to cover our wing braces. Or that our gas masks have shaded goggles to further conceal our identity.
Another thing I want is to find some real friends. Or at least, as close to that as you can get trapped with only so many ponies in a lead box underground. Lucky Wings and PG-12 are nice, but they're really just work partners. Lucky Wings has trouble understanding how his actions can affect others and PG-12 is way too serious all the time. Officer Seer is just a cold authoritative robot. He just tells us what to do and then chats with the other officers.
I dream of just living the life of a normal stable dweller. None of this 'illness' and wings horsecrap. To get a job other than maintenance. Maybe I could work in stable security? Maybe in the kitchen? The laboratory? Fuck. I would have to learn what my cutie mark means first, wouldn't I?
I look down at my flank, barely visible in the tight space. The dark silhouette of a lantern, bathed in a circle of light. What kind of cutie mark is that? Nopony even uses lanterns anymore. What's it supposed to mean? Am I supposed to be a fucking light repairpony? Should I be bringing the stable back to the dark ages?
My thoughts were shattered as my hind legs suddenly gave way to the brightly lit hallway of the hydroponics lab. I slid out of the air vent, flopping down on the floor in a heap.
"Well?" an impatient voice demanded.
I turned over, finding an annoyed looking unicorn staring back at me. I shrugged to her. I couldn't just answer her question, even if I cared enough. She might know the voices of all the repair ponies and figure me out.
"Ugh! Why do you earth ponies have to insist on being so Celestia-damned useless!" the magenta unicorn fumed, "I'll have some of the unicorns help later. Get the fuck out of my sight,"
I nodded, turning towards the exit. The unicorns are always the worst. At least the earth ponies think I'm one of them. Sometimes I wish I could belt out back at them.
Go uh... break your horn!
Yeah. Something like that.
"And tell your dirt-pony friend over there to do the same," she called over my shoulder.
Horned Bitch.
I tapped PG-12 on the shoulder. She had been working on a damaged door control panel. Looks like she had about as much luck as I did with the breaker.
"Common, we should move on to the next location, " I said, hoping the elevator job wasn't next up.
"Wait, wait," she stalled, "I think I've almost got it," She fumbled around with some wires, and then plugged them all back in. Holding the cover in place with her mouth, I gave it a quick tap with my hoof to attach it.
"Here it goes," PG-12 started, flipping the control lever. Nothing happened.
"For Celestia's sake!" She cursed, "fine."
She slid her pliers back into her utility vest.
"What's next?" I asked, crossing my hooves.
"Um," she poked around in her PipBuck, looking for the list Seer had given us.
"Oh."
"What?"
"Sorry."
"Is it..."
"Yep. Elevator."
Celestia set me on fire
Just keep working.
Drown it in work.
* * *
WELCOME TO ROBRONCO INDUSTRIES (TM) TERMLINK
STABLE 65 PERSONAL JOURNAL
RESIDENT R2043
Working in maintenance just got a whole lot worse. Now they're keeping a filly down here with us in one of the community storage sections. They had her wrapped up in a blanket, so I'm not sure if she's a Red or a Blue. I hope she's a Red. They want us to clear out the storage room and turn it into a residential area. It's interesting, they had us get full-size bunk beds for this little filly. It's almost like they expect this filly to live her whole life in that closet...
* * *
Just step inside, pussy.
The voice taunted.
Oh, sweet merciful Celestia.
I stood in front of the elevator entrance for the hydroponics lab. PG-12 was assigned with Lucky Wings to the reactor level, leaving me to do this entirely on my own. Oh boy. Deep breaths. I can do this. It's not going to move. I'm not going to fall. In the 200 years this stable has operated the elevator has never fallen. Why would it fall with me in there for only ten minutes?
Because you just jinxed it.
Stop worrying.
You're a grown ass pony.
I slowly trotted into the elevator. The door was similar to the residential doors, except there was two sections that pulled away from the sides, rather than from the ceiling. The sleek, yet rather plain metal walls gave the car a rather dreary feeling. A panel covered in glowing buttons was attached to the right wall.
More deep breaths. I was inside. The elevator. Panic started to well up in my chest. I can't do this. Shit. Fuck. Cunt. Celestia damn me to Tartarus I can't do this.
"Ya gonna keep staring or 'couldja start helping?" a distinctly country accent asked from the doorway, breaking me away from my silent breakdown. Standing there was one of the Blues from hydroponics. It was the amber pony who always wore that stupid old-world army cap and hummed those annoyingly catchy tunes from the stable radio.
I nodded, pulling my screwdriver out of my vest.
"Right then," the mare turned around.
"Yer goin' t' start taking apart that panel o're there," she pointed to the panel of glowing buttons.
"Somepony complained the buttons were all outta wack, takin' em to wrong floors n' such. It's my job t' try'n set this thing right,"
I responded with a nod, and started getting to work on the panel. Looks like the screws are hidden under a second cover. I'm going to have to find out how to open that one first...
"You 'aint much for talking, are ya?" the amber pony observed.
I nodded again, more focused on this second panel that her talking.
"Ah reckon yer one'a the folks living out in the the east living quarters, judgin' by yer unique coat color n' lack of a magical carrot sticking out of yer forehead."
I looked over at her, hoping my glare could be seen through the darkened goggles of my gas mask.
Shut the fuck up mudpony bitch before you learn too much.
"Sorry," She apologised.
Wait did I say that out lou-
"But Ah have t' ask," She continued, "Ah you'se ah mare or ah stallion. Ah ain't really able t' tell."
I've never wanted to buck somepony so hard in my life. I stopped working and gave her another glare.
I will gut you from snout to tailhole.
Reel it in. Calm down. She would probably beat my ass if I tried. Those earth ponies are strong.
Put your damn head down.
Just keep working.
Turning, I kept working on the second panel. The plate was bent to cover the bottom part of the button panel. Perhaps the screws were down there? I felt around with my hooves. Bingo. Two holes.
"Look... friend," tiptoed the earth pony, carefully avoiding 'fella' or 'bud',
"We got off on the wrong hoof," she apologised.
"Les' try this again: Howdy. My name is Blooming Aster," the mare enunciated rather annoyingly, "Nopony calls me that though. Just Aster will be fine. What's your name?"
I shook my head.
I can't talk- how hard is it to realise that?
"Aight, fine. Be that way," she pouted, "Jus' get that thing open so we can be out of each other's hair,"
I couldn't agree more. The last screw came off the exterior panel, and I pulled it off to reveal four more screws for the panel we needed open.
Well, at least this ones aren't upside down, I reasoned.
"Everypony out of the way!" a voice jolted me from my work, "We have a problem! I need to get to the clinic now,"
I looked up to see a unicorn in a lab coat panting at the door to the elevator. Judging his proximity to hydroponics, I assumed he was a scientist, and not a doctor. He was panicking about something on his...
hoof...
The end of his leg was a mess of blood-soaked fur, ending at a nub. His entire hoof was missing.
Aster asked for me, pointing, "How in Equestria did you manage that!"
"Look I don't have time to explain, alright?" the unicorn snapped back, "I need to get to a doctor now."
He trotted over to me.
"You. Fix this panel."
"Go buck yer self," Aster answered for me, "Ah don't trust ya one bit. Ah reckon yer just trying to distract us with that thing," she waved a hoof at his crippled appendage, "to stop us from puttin' this together,"
"Oh do not be ridiculous," the unicorn retorted, "I would never do such a thing. But you earth ponies? Why I would be surprised if you didn't try and mug me right now,"
"Scuse me?" Aster got up, fuming, "motherfucker you better take that back,"
Oh great, here I am. Now trapped between a snob and a egomaniac. The unicorn stood by the doorway, blocking the only exit. Celestia have mercy.
"Comon, back me up here, mute," the earth pony dragged me in, "Unicorns suck, right?"
Yep. And so do Earth ponies.
I nodded my head.
'Well of course she would agree with you," the unicorn started, but never got to finish.
It all happened in a flash. I raced towards the asshole and jumped to the side, attempting to bodyslide him. My vision was all red. I landed on him with a loud CRUNCH. My head turned, following the rebounding from the fall, just in time to see a earth pony flying towards me to join in the fight. She didn't realise, however, that I wasn't able to move from there- I couldn't feel my left leg. I didn't get a chance to panic as the mare landed on top of me flopping over to her side. I felt a burning heat coming from one of the pockets in my utility vest. There was a bright flash, like the storage room light.
It was in that moment, I would later realise, all three of us had a cutie mark touching another's cutie mark.
The glowing lantern.
The head of a shovel.
The purple potion.
Then the world faded around me. Everything became black.
* * *
WELCOME TO ROBRONCO INDUSTRIES (TM) TERMLINK
LOADING HOLOTAPE...
1 Available record(s) in system:
Blue, we need to talk.
Yeah yeah, you don't trust me. I get it. That's for the best. But we're going to have to set aside our differences if we want to keep our positions right now.
Not a threat from me. I'm just the messenger. We've had a... interesting birth in the stable last week. We're not sure if it's from the radiation, or balefire, or simply something lost to time from living underground for almost 2 generations now.
We're not killing it. Thats final. It's still just a filly. This... creature seems harmless enough, but we can't keep it with us. She has no horn. She stands out in the Reds like a sore thumb. Ponies over here are already so judgemental, there is no way she would last a week living in the Red sector.
I want you to take it with you to the Blue sector.
But think about it! We have no idea how our stable would react if word of this birth got out. I'm worried they'll blame us somehow and overthrow us.
At a minimum, the filly will not be safe over here. With you, her defect is able to be hidden easily enough to pass as a normal Blue.
Please- for her sake- put your differences with me aside and take her in.
Celestia above, she's a filly! How in Equestria is this little clump of meat and fur in a diaper going to steal your "stable secrets" when it can't even walk or talk?
Fine. If you won't willingly take her in, I'll have to force her out. Then she'll have nowhere else to go.
You'll just have to take her in then.
Right back at you, you mud-stomping brute. Fuck. Off.
Maybe I'd understand you if you didn't speak like an inbred farmer. Oh wait, that's what you are isn't it.
END OF HOLOTAPE. PRESS PLAY TO RESTART.
* * *
I felt... nothing.
I tried breathing. Nothing.
I tried moving my hooves. Nothing.
I tried turning my head. Surprisingly, it worked.
I turned to my right, and was shocked to find a familiar earth pony standing next to me. Her flank was still pushed up to mine. I turned to the right to find the asshole unicorn. He too had his flank pushed up against mine. Both of their eyes were closed, like they were asleep.
I blinked.
Well, I'm not asleep... ?
Wait- I could see the stallion's coat. The light grey fur had been covered when he was wearing the lab coat. I looked over at the earth pony, er Aster, and noticed she wasn't wearing her old cap nor her Stable-Tec suit. Sure enough, when I looked down I found myself without my vest, or my jumpsuit, or my... wing braces...
Fuck.
Judging by the clarity with which I could see the two, I could guess my gas mask was gone too. I was scared. Not only can I not feel enough of my body to tell if I have a gas mask or a brace on, but as soon as these two wake up they'll know about my wings.
Then I heard it. A faint whisper. At first I worried one of the two had woken up, but both of their mouths were closed. I listened, the murmuring growing louder and louder.
"What n' tarnation is goin' on!" Aster choked, finally waking up.
"Shove a hoof in it earth scum!" The unicorn sneered, "What in Equestria did you..."
They both stopped, staring at the monster between them. I stared back at each of them, turning my head.
"Uh... Mute?" Aster sputtered, "Where did... How-"
"What the fuck are those?" The unicorn spat.
Suddenly I heard it again. The whispering sound. I needed to hear this.
"Shove a hoof in it!" I hissed at them.
...Loyalty binds us and makes us strong
Honesty shows that we belong
And kindness shared will unite us through each day
The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart
Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through...
As soon as the song ended a figure of mist appeared five feet from us. We all joined together in staring at it. The mist moved until it resembled a pony, the 'mouth' opening as a voice began speaking:
"You three. The Earth pony. The Unicorn. The Pegasus,"
"Pegasus... ?" mumbled Aster, still getting over her shock.
"Pegasus," The figure walked towards me. "I have been watching you for awhile now," it started, but then suddenly froze in place. "Wait a minute," the figure stood still, "Your name is PG-Thirteen?"
What? "Uh... Yeah" I mumbled. Why in Tartarus did it care about my name?
"What in Equestria happened to good, quality names?" the figure grumbled, raising a hoof in the air.
"No matter" the figure continued, "The point is, I have been with you since the hazel one gave me to you."
The hazel one? Was she talking about PG-10? But what did Ten ever give me...
The pennant.
"Yes." the figure poked through my thoughts. "You guessed correctly. My essence is tied to that pennant of yours."
"You've been watching me this whole time?" I stared at the figure. "Why haven't you said anything to me until now? And why did you finally say something to me along with these two?"
"I couldn't." the figure replied. "I'm held to a strict set of ancient laws. I cannot do certain things unless they abide by the ancient rules."
"Is that why we're here then?" Spat Aster, "You need me and the 'corn here so you two can chat?"
"No. As a matter of fact, that is not why you are here," The figure turned to the earth pony. "I have brought you all here because of one of those ancient laws,"
"What kind of law-" I started.
"One that requires me to whisk away trios comprised of each race. "
"Wisk away? What's that supposed t' mean?" Aster asked uneasily.
"Blooming Aster, do not fear me. I do not intend to hurt you"
"I ain't scared of you" Aster responded, a little too quickly.
"Really? From what I can read you're not only worried about me hurting you, but you don't trust either PG-13 or Jaded Hooves to stab you in the back."
"Thats... that's a lie." Aster stammered.
"There's a lot more fears in here too. You're scared that your fellow earth ponies will judge you for being a star follower. You're scared of trusting anypony like you did with-"
"Aight, aight," Aster glared, "You've proved yer point,"
"If you aren't here to hurt us," questioned Jaded Hooves, "what are you going to do to us?"
"Why Jaded Hooves, I have to teach you three a lesson. Like I said before, each of you are one of the three races-"
"Yeah yeah, unicorns, dirt ponies and pegus sigh," interrupted the unicorn. Celestia above he was starting to really get on my nerves.
"Jaded Hooves," The figure stepped towards him, "Would you rather I killed you and found another unicorn?" threatened the figure.
The unicorn paled. He shook his head.
"As I was saying, because of my ancient laws, I'm going to have to give you three a curse-"
"Why the fuck... no!" I reeled. No way am I about to get cursed along with these two tailholes.
"Fine, I'll only curse you two."
Suddenly I felt a cold sensation on the side of my right flank. At the same time, the unicorn flopped to the ground. A stream of crimson poured from his mouth.
"Shit..." Aster stuttered. The earth pony was a pale as a ghost, "y-ya didn't k k-kill him, did... ?"
"What?" The figure shrugged. "You two didn't seem to like him. He already angered me once. He also had some incredibly insulting things to think about you two. It will probably be easier for you two to find another unicorn to befriend outside the stable anyways."
"Ya didn't need t' kill him... didja?" Aster's gaze was fixed on the red pool forming around the stallion's corpse.
"He'd heard too much. Besides, like I said, it will probably be easier for you two to find another unicorn to befriend if they're not from your stable"
"Wait Wait Wait" I wished I could wave my hooves, "Why do we have to befriend a unicorn?"
"Well?" The figure pointed a hoof. "If you two want to be cured of the darkness I just cursed you two with then you're going to have to fulfill the requirements of the ancient laws."
"Ya keep talking about these ancient laws" Aster pointed out, "Couldja at least tell us which one we're being subjected t'?"
"Actually, you're not being subjected to any ancient laws. The only one here who has taken the oath to follow those laws was me."
"Well then why the stars are we the ones gettin' cursed and forced t' go befriend unicorns?" Aster questioned.
"Well, the ancient law I'm following requires me to pull into the ather any trios of the three races I come across. I find out if they all trust each other. If they don't, I'm supposed to curse them. Only when they finally trust each other does the curse get removed."
"Didn't you just break the law by killing mr Hooves over here?" I pointed out.
"There is no law against me removing one or two of the original receivers of the curse. Just as long as one of them ends up trusting two members of the other two races,"
"So wait-" Aster begin.
"No more questions." The figure interrupted, "I can see that PG-13 understands what you have to do enough. Blooming Aster, you'll have to trust PG-13 enough to answer any of your questions."
"What!" Aster gave me an annoyed look, "Ah don't understand! Why-"
"I cannot hold you in this state more much longer." The figure began to fade, "I can talk to you later. For now you must leave this stable as soon as possible."
Luna geld me with your horn.
"Leave the stable!" I exclaimed, "How in Celestia are we supposed to even get the door open? Nevertheless get past the entire stable's security?"
"I have faith in you" The voice was just a whisper.
Then the figure dissolved into mist.
So did the corpse of the unicorn.
Everything slowly faded into black.
* * *
RE: I have an idea
[In]
To: Blue Overstallion
From: Red Overstallion
I think that might just work.
As long as they are kept in that storage area, whenever new ones are born we can just send them there. There already is water, lavatories, and we can supply them with food from hydroponics.
I even have an idea for how we could get them to contribute to the vault. We could send them out to do repair work in maintenance. Since everypony wears gas masks in maintenance, nopony would recognise they don't live in the stable. We can have a security staff-member direct them to their tasks and escort them back when they finish.
Red Overstallion, Stable 65
* * *
My eyes flew open. I looked at my surroundings, blinded by so much light after the time in that empty void. I was still laying over the unicorn in the elevator doorway. Aster groaned, flopping off of me. I noticed my mask was back on, as was my brace, suit, and vest. Seeing me, Aster's eyes narrowed.
"Was that real?" She asked, eyeing me with suspicion.
I looked over at the unicorn. His maw was open, blood dripping out. Lifting his lab coat, my worries were confirmed with the black cloud censoring his right cutie mark. Aster's jaw dropped.
"Well..." She started, "We're-"
"Absolutely screwed." I finished.
PG-13's stats:
SPECIAL:
S - 2
P - 9
E - 7
C - 3
I - 4
A - 9
L - 6
Tagged skills:
Lockpick
Despite lacking magic, your determination and hoof-mouth coordination makes lockpicking easy.
Repair
18 years of taping leaky pipes and unscrewing panels actually taught you something.
Sneak
Stealth is quite easy when you're a short, scrawny, maroon wallflower.
Traits:
Claustrophobia
How in Celestia have you lived your whole life underground?
(+) +1 to SPECIAL attributes while outdoors.
(-) -1 to SPECIAL attributes while indoors.
Small Frame
One of the many benefits of being anorexic.
(+) +1 Agility
(-) +25% extra limb damage
Author's Note
As always, thanks to Kkat for creating the world of Fallout: Equestria. Dear god this is ~~dogshit~~ mediocre. Rewrites are acoming, I promise. Still fun to write tho... so who cares.
Leave me comments so I can try and improve bla bla yeah
PEACE
