Fallout Equestria: Stable 36

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
The Weight of Time
Chapter Five

Prologue

The recording crackles to life, the tired voice of a pony long since dead reaching out from the past.

“Hello Spitfire! This recording is for your ears only. You have been selected as Overmare of Stable Thirty Six for your loyalty and integrity even in the face of opposition and incredible odds. My name is Scootaloo, you know me as one of the founders of Stable-Tec, and one of the few ponies who is doing something to save our home.”

There was a pause, the pony on the other end letting out a long sigh. Scootaloo continued, her voice now heavy with great sadness.

“Stable-Tec’s primary mission is to save ponies, but the stables provide a secondary purpose. We need to fix what went wrong. We can’t survive, only for this crap to happen again. When the doors open, we need to be ready to revive Equestria as it should be, not as those bastards made it. Your stable has been selected for a very special experiment. Every single pony in your stable has been chosen because their flight genes run strong and unbroken back at least five generations. There’s not one flightless pony amongst them.

“Heh. I spent so long trying to learn to fly. Even founded the Red Racer so flightless ponies could feel the breeze in their manes. Yet here I am, locking up a stable of only the best fliers in Equestria, except Rainbow Dash. She’d never agree to go in a stable, no matter how it was built.”

The recording went quiet for a time, a silence filled with contemplation.

“Sometimes I wonder what we did to deserve this. Why didn’t we work harder to stop this war? Why did it have to be this way? Damn them all!” A hoof thumped against a table, her anger barely restrained. The recording crackled slightly, but continued.

“Sorry. Got sidetracked. Equestria was founded upon the friendship of the three tribes, and maybe that’s where it went wrong. Maybe the three tribes weren’t meant to live as equals, but meant to work with one tribe as a head. After all Princesses Luna and Celestia were meant to be the embodiment of the three tribes and look where they got us! Your stable holds ponies with a long and unbroken flight lineage and the layout is especially designed for ponies who can fly. Ponies without wings cannot thrive here and that’s the real purpose of this stable. This stable is meant to keep the lineage of pegasi pure and strong, no matter what. Your Stable-Tec computer is equipped with a state of the art genome matcher with samples from the entire stable population. Use it to keep making the best fliers in Equestria, then when it is time, open the doors and Equestria will be filled with strong, uncontaminated pegasi ready to fill the skies, a genetic reset back to a time before the wendigoes came.

“If, at any point the experiment threatens to collapse the stable, then terminate it. But this is a worst case scenario situation, keep it going as long as possible, no matter what. We need to figure out what went wrong, we need to do better.

“I just wish I was going to be there to see it.”

Silence ran through the speakers, before ending with a gentle click.

Chapter One

The tiny leaves of the seedling fluttered weakly in the breeze of the stable’s wind system, the sad and wilted stem drooping down onto Sebright Silkie’s hoof. She prodded the dirt stuck to the roots, taking note of the dry, crumbling, pale soil that collapsed at the touch. Another one, another potential life wrecked by the lack of nutrients in the stable orchard dirt. This life could have grown into a strong and healthy orange tree, and yet it would join the ranks of the sickly plants recuperating in the greenhouse. She looked up and around, scanning the fields that stretched out under the false sunlight as far as the eye could see. There should be rows upon rows of beautiful, flourishing trees and bushes, laden with fragrant fruit ready to be harvested. Instead there were only a handful of ripe fruits upon the empty and waxy looking plants, the soil barren of the lush grass that should have grown freely. The stable was in crisis, desperately trying to find a way to grow food in the increasingly nutrient starved ground. The happy posters that plastered the walls depicting families joyfully picnicking under thriving shrubbery was a far cry from the empty and depressing expanse before her. A lie told generations ago to comfort those who abandoned the world outside to balefire and death. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she slipped the seedling into her saddlebag.

“So can yeh fix it? I got a dozen more jes’ like it.” The farmer stared forlornly out, barely glancing at her. He knew the answer as well as she did.

“I can keep it alive, Hayseed, but I can’t fix the soil. We need the science team to figure out a way to put the life back in.”

“I can’t stand seein’ t’ life leeched from muh crops, Sebright. It’s gettin’ worse every harvest.”

“How long do you think we have?”

“Three, mebbe four more harvests. Then t’ soil will be well n’ truly dead. Our waste is keepin’ it goin’, but jes’ barely.” The stable had resorted to using their own bodily waste as fertilizer once the Stable-Tec fertilizer talisman had broken. The water talisman was also on its last legs, patched together over and over with spare parts.

Sebright nodded, pressed her lips together. “I still have some good soil in my greenhouse, maybe I could-”

Hayseed shook his shaggy head, stamping at the dusty ground. “Naw, yeh keep that for these here lil’ babies, they need yer magic touch. It’s what yeh good at. I gotta keep workin’, or there ain’t no feed for my family t’night. Not since lil’ Mayflower was born, we don’ got it too easy no more.” The bulky pegasus flew off into the orchard, the ‘sunlight’ flickering as he passed by the reflectors.

Sebright shivered, hiding her sorrowful expression behind her fringe. She had forgotten that Hayseed’s wife had given birth to a unicorn, a sin in a stable that prized pegasus genetic purity. They were a wonderful couple, and it pained her heart to see them suffer. Those who failed to birth healthy and strong pegasi were delegated the worst jobs, their food rations cut, and their wingless “defective” foals sterilized and tagged as little better than cattle, given menial, dangerous jobs and housed in the least shielded, lowest part of the stable. They wouldn’t kill the non-pegasi outright, but they made it almost impossible for them to live happy lives. Families that had wingless offspring anywhere in their lines were forever tainted and slipped down the social hierarchy. This was a pegasi stable, built for pegasi, maintained for pegasi. Anyone without feathers was simply an intruder. Sebright counted herself fortunate, she had only pure pegasi foreparents. All she wanted to do was keep her head down, grow plants and one day be introduced to her fated partner to start a family.

Slipping down the corridor away from the orchard, she could hear bawdy laughter from up ahead. She paused, debating on going back and finding another way back up to the greenhouse, but this was the fastest way and the seedling desperately needed to be replanted before it’s roots dried out and broke. Their stock of orange trees were quickly dwindling, and the loss of a single seedling edged the crop ever closer to extinction. She just had to be brave and hope that they didn’t see her.

“Looookieeee here boys! It’s the little chicken!”

Fat chance. These stallions never failed to find a chance to harass her. Gritting her teeth, Sebright flattened her ears against her head and trotted quickly past them. She didn’t have to turn her head to look, it was always Jackdaw, his idiot friend Lucky Puff and whichever hanger’s on they had accumulated that week who were seeking favour from the most elite families.

“I think she’s ignoring us, fellas!” Lucky Puff. As Snaps would say, he was a troglodyte with wings. Sebright gripped her wings tighter to herself, closing her eyes and trotting faster. “That’s a bit rude, don’t ya think?”

Her nose bumped into a furry chest, and Sebright looked up into the cream striped face of Lucky Puff, smirking down at her. Her heart began to beat faster, but not for attraction. Fear. Lucky was volatile, unkind. Sometimes he went too far, especially because she didn’t speak.

“Did ya have fun grubbing around with the farmers, little chicken? You smell like dirt and featherless freaks!” Lucky made a show of holding his hoof over his nose, backing away from her.

“Careful, Lucky.” Jackdaw, the Overmare’s son, drawled from where he leaned against the storage door. “She might contaminate you with their flightless germs.” Laughter rang out, forced and loud at a joke that wasn’t even funny.

Sebright began to shake, her heart pounding loudly in her ears and her legs quivering with terror. She hated these stallions, all they did was torment her. She had never spoken up before, always endured the blows until they got bored, but today was different. Today she had a life to save. She may have had a pure bloodline, but her skill with plants meant she had to work closely with the lower caste of ponies. This put a target squarely on her back.

“P-please move. I have an-an emergency.” she stuttered, her voice barely a whisper.

“She spoke! How rare!” Lucky pushed his hoof against her, shoving her into a wall. “You finally speak to me and all you can do is be rude? You think you can tell me what to do? You dig around with so much the featherless, you are pretty much a flightless chicken yourself!”

A pain slipped its way into her chest, she was indeed a weak flier. Maybe her work down in the farms was affecting her more than she realised? She barely used her wings anymore, avoiding the flight chamber. Sebright shook her head clear, determination on her face. Plant first, worry later.

“N-no, but I really have to go.” she made to move past Lucky, who smoothly stepped to block her path again.

“Aww going so soon little chicken? I think you can stay and play a little longer.” he nudged her off balance again, and she fluttered her wings frantically, feeling the precious and fragile plant in her bag shifting around. She had to get it replanted as soon as she could. Curse these idiots for risking the life of their stable for some amusement.

Lucky leered at her, clearly enjoying peacocking himself in front of Jackdaw. “Whatcha say, chicken? You think you’re too important to hang with me and my buddies?” Sebright felt herself instinctively shrinking, her heart now roaring in her head with anxiety. The plant would dry out too much and a valuable life would be lost if she didn’t get past this! It could still be saved!

“I’m sorry but have to go now, you’re in my way.” her voice choked out, surprising both herself and Lucky. His falsely friendly expression turned to anger, and suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her side where he kicked out at her. She dropped to the ground, winded and in shock, instinctively curling into a ball, protecting her bag from any more blows he would dish out. He always had more.

“You think you can insult me? You?” His hoof raised again. This time it connected with her head, and she let out a sharp cry, curling around her bag even tighter, holding her wings over her head. Through the ringing in her ears she could hear Jackdaw saying something, but she had insulted Lucky’s ego in front of his friends. This wasn’t going to end peacefully just because Jackdaw intervened. “I don’t think so, you fucking bitch. You’re just a brood mare in waiting!” he reared up again and Sebright clenched her eyes shut. The beatings always ended eventually, faster if she begged them or screamed in a way they liked. She hoped today would be the former.

“And you, my good sir, are a puffed up, over stuffed, ridiculous mare beating asshat.” A new voice, genteel and light, joined them. Sebright looked up between her hooves, relief and surprise flooding her body. Snapdragon walked towards them, his beautiful blue curls bouncing with barely restrained rage.

“What did you just say to me, youtainted cocksucker?” Lucky turned to face the new intruder, only to be enveloped in a cloud of pepper spray. He went down, screaming and clutching at his face.

“I said, you are a puffed up, ridiculous, over stuff sad excuse for a stallion.” Snaps stared cooly down at the writhing stallion. “Neither myself nor Sebright have the time to deal with your nonsense.” Snapdragon turned to her, his beautifully feminine face creased in worry. “Did he hurt you badly?”

Sebright shook her head, standing shakily on her hooves. She peered into her bag, the plant’s roots were starting to look particularly withered but it was still salvageable. She breathed a sharp sigh in relief, leaning against the older blue stallion for support. “Thank you.” she whispered.

“Not a problem.” Snapdragon flipped his mane over his shoulder, fixing Jackdaw with a glare. “Let’s get away from these disgraceful fools.”

Jackdaw hadn’t moved from where he leaned against the wall, shrugging in response to the glare. He flicked his head, motioning for his other friends to pick up Lucky Puff from the floor.

Nudging her away from the group with his wing, Snapdragon and Sebright launched themselves back up the main flight shaft.

“Won’t you get in trouble for spraying him?” She asked softly, feeling the pain in her side pulse with each flap of her wings.

The blue pegasus didn’t turn to look at her. “Sebright, my sister is a flightless and I am the only gay in this Celestia-forsaken stable. My family is already the lowest that it can get. What more can they possibly do to me?”

Her heart throbbed again, this time with pity. Snaps had it rough, she knew that, and he still had to save her. She was truly useless.

“Is the seedling okay?” His voice was gentle.

“It needs love and my care but it will live. Hayseed said we would be lucky to get another four years from the farm though.”

Snapdragon cursed under his breath. “The Overmare had better hurry up figuring out how to open the door. ”

Sebright didn’t reply, she knew that if she got Snaps ranting about the future of the stable then he would be too angry to focus on his work later. Fear nibbled at her mind though, because he wasn’t wrong. Unless they brought in fresh dirt and a new water talisman from outside, everyone would die within ten years when the stores ran out. The Overmare was working on breaking through the door locks, but if the outside was too toxic to grow in they would die anyway. Their only hope was a stable that was said to be north of their own. Rubbing her aching head, she landed outside the greenhouse entry. Lucky had definitely given her a nasty bruise with that last kick.

“Do you need to see medical?” Snaps was frowning at her.

“No, I think I’ll just plant this seedling and have a rest. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone with the paperwork. Are you sure that you won’t get in trouble? Jackdaw saw you do it.”

“And I saw Jackdaw allow Lucky to smack a high class pegasus mare. They won’t do anything they haven’t already.” Snapdragon ruffled her mane before turning to the tomato plants that he had abandoned when she hadn’t returned on time, changing the subject. “Don’t worry about me, Sebright. Worry about you. Your Red String Day is coming up soon, what if you are matched with Lucky? What will you do? There aren’t that many eligible stallions in the stable, and most of them were just watching you get kicked in the head.”

The Red String Day. The day that she would find out who her fated match to be was, the one who the breeding program assigned as the most likely to produce the best foals. They would be wed for life under stable law. Matched with Lucky? That would be the cruellest fate of all. Anxiety knotted in her gut as Sebright gently lifted her tiny passenger out of the bag and into a small pot. She considered her next words, but she knew Snaps was right. There weren’t many options in the stable.

“I could deny it. I would, if it was him. They won’t force me, after all. We aren’t barbarians.”

Snapdragon looked at her pityingly. “Refuse? Your partner would be rematched with some other poor soul, you’d be sterilised and your parents would go down a class level for giving birth to a traitor. Is that what you want?”

Sebright lowered her ears, carefully spooning nutrient rich soil around the plant. She knew why he was pushing this, she knew Snap’s story, everypony did. It was the ultimate cautionary tale. He had always refused to obey the rules, openly flaunting his preference for males. When he had been matched on his Red String Day, he had defiantly refused to wed the assigned mare, choosing sterilization and getting a new foal approved for his parents. When his parents gave birth to their next foal, it has been an earth pony. The first in their line. They had been shunted down to the lowest class, forever punished for the crime of raising a gay son and bringing an earth pony into the stable. Obey the Overmare, breed with your match and keep the bloodline strong. They were the only surviving pegasus after all, they were the hope of Equestria.

“I don’t know. I suppose I will fly that gap when it comes to it.”

Sebright patted down the now moist and dark soil around the seedling, her mind full of jumbled, aching thoughts.

Chapter Two

Sebright awoke to the feeling of her fur drenched in an icy sweat, her sleep fogged mind wrenched from the safety of slumber. Her heart pounded in her chest with booming rapid thuds, bringing with it a disorienting nausea. Jumbled thoughts began to race around in circles, half formed thoughts and feelings of panic and fear turning her darkened room into a cave of shadowy monsters. Slowly her mind dusted off the cobwebs, taking in the rasp of the sheets against her wet fur, the damp feeling of her mane stuck to her face, the ever present thrum of the stable lights in the hallway. Her wings felt sticky and the feathers gummed together and the blanket was tangled around her hooves, only adding to the feeling of being trapped.

The adrenaline coursing through her left her limbs both weak and jittery, the need to run and hide wrapped in a slow immobility surrounded by a cloud of fear. Her heart drummed out an incoherent beat and her breathing was shallow. Pushing through the unpleasant sensations, she tapped her clock on the bed-stand. Four am, again. Like clockwork this past week she had woken up to a panic attack at precisely four am, every morning. Getting back to sleep was nigh on impossible, her mind too stimulated to drift off again.

She groaned, laying still in her own pool of sweat as she tried to calm her breathing and heart. She tried wiping her mind, focusing on the feelings in her body one by one, just as she was taught by the stable counsellor. Sebright knew if she allowed her mind to wander to her day’s plans, then she would end up being swallowed by her own dread and unable to move at all, sucked into a spiral of catastrophic thinking about everything that could go wrong, everything she dreaded doing. Then she would wind up late for work and that would just make everything worse. Pulling her mind back from that terrible thought, she tried focusing her breathing. She’d have to book in with the counsellor again, find out what in particular was causing these attacks.

She placed her hooves on her stomach, manually taking deep breaths while focusing on the trembling on her hooves. Feeling her tummy rise and fall, the fur soft, if damp, was a grounding comfort. Tensing the muscles in her legs, holding then relaxing. Again. And again. Finally her heart rate began to slow, and with it the rolling sickness began to abide. Breathe in, breathe out. Tense her body, then relax. It wasn’t ideal but it brought her panic attacks down to a level that she could manage, and abated the dizziness long enough that she could roll out of bed and start her day. Guilt pressed against her mind, reminding her the longer she stayed in bed, the less she would get done. Hot tears of frustrating burned at her eyes, and the panic began to gnaw at her mind once again. She was being lazy, rolling about in her bed while there was work to be done. What kind of pegasus was terrified at four am of nothing but her own shadow? A failure, that’s what. Maybe she was better as a flightless. At least they didn’t have the pressure of society pressing down upon them to be perfect. Sebright wished she could be like Snapdragon, cool and uncaring, but that just made her feel like a worse pony. She had to get up, had to start working, but instead she just lay in bed, feeling sorry for her useless self. And just like that, her mind was racing around again.

So much for the breathing exercises.

Chapter Three

Snapdragon sighed and glared at the plant in front of him, running his hoof through his messy tangle of blue curls.

‘Why wont you live?’ he thought angrily as he poked at the soil, checking his measurements once again.

“Soil mixture is fine, soil moisture is fine, you have the right amount of artificial sunlight with the optimal light balance for photosynthesis… and yet,” he muttered while another leaf crumbled to the ground, “Yet you decide none of that is worthy of you and you decide to expire anyway! Useless!”

“The plant isn’t useless, Snaps, it’s your shitty skill.” A warm and rich voice came from the air vent beside his desk. The vent cover rattled before popping off, and a grinning brown face appeared in his wall.

“You know flightless are forbidden up here, Eclair.” Snaps sighed, moving to close the door to the greenhouse regardless so his sister could pull herself through without being seen.

“Yeah but who cares about that, check this out!” Gleefully, Eclair pulled a small sack from the vent, the light aroma of chocolate wafting enticingly towards him.

“You made chocolate? How did you smuggle it out from the kitchens?”

“Coconut Rough was supervising today, he's dumb as a post remember?”

“Ah. Fair point.” Snapdragon found his mouth watering at the thought of the illicit treats, usually forbidden to the low caste ponies like them. “So what did you bring me?”

“I bought us Jaffa cakes, and I bought some malt balls for Sebright. Where is she anyway? She's normally here round this time.” Eclair looked around eagerly, and Snaps noticed the slight blush forming at the tip of her ears.

He couldn't resist teasing her. “Why? Did you miss her?”

Eclair's eyes snapped back to him and she scowled. “I could just eat these Jaffa cakes all on my own, you know.”

Snaps narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn't dare.”

“Fight me.”

“Oh, please don't fight, it would be dreadful if Security found you here!” Sebright had reappeared from the seed storage room, removing her earmuffs and scarf. They kept the seeds chilled to keep them in hibernation, but Sebright insisted that they got lonely and occasionally went in to count them and keep them company. Snapdragon thought it was ridiculous but, to her credit, any seed that was sprouted under the care of Sebright Silkie was stronger, healthier and bore the sweetest fruit. So there had to be something to her ridiculous fancies.

“Sebright!” Eclair was almost bouncing, and Snapdragon resisted the urge to chuckle while he dug out his share of the stolen sweets. “I know you like malt balls so I made some for you even though you can have chocolate anytime being a high class pony and all but these were made with extra cocoa the way you like it and I made them so i figured they’d taste extra-” her voice was muffled by Snaps gently shoving a cake into her mouth. Flushing, she glared at him but he knew she would appreciate it later when she realised she had just word vomited all over the shyest pony in the stable. Sebright smiled over at them, enjoying the siblings loving relationship.

“Thank you, Eclair. I rarely get chocolate as I always fail when competing in the Best Stable Flier Competition, so I appreciate your kindness.” Sebright Silkie slipped one of the treats into her mouth, savouring the rare flavour. “You are a wonderful cook.”

Eclair practically glowed under the praise.

Deciding to change the subject, Snap motioned to his decaying seedling. “Sebright, can you please check that out? I have everything balanced and yet it refuses to thrive. Ridiculous plant.”

“I’m sure it isn’t that bad..” the speckled pegasus shifted her wings, leaning close to his sad attempt at saving a particularly stubborn flower. “Oh dear.”

“Any ideas?” he bit down on another of the fresh cakes, the sticky orange chocolate filling bursting in his mouth.

“I think… I think the temperature in here is the issue. You have the balance right, but for chantilly snapdragons instead of dwarf. Dwarf snapdragons like the air nice and cool, it’s too warm and dry here for him. Maybe if we move mister seedling closer to the seed storage, he might like it better there.”

Snaps groaned at his own mistake, the seedling already looking brighter and more alert under the care of his speckled friend.

Eclair giggled through a mouthful of food. “Told ya it was your skill, dummy. Ain’t no one better than Sebright.”

“Can’t even grow my own namesake right.” Snaps grumbled, turning to tidy up his desk. His ear flicked, catching the sounds of ponies walking towards the door.

“Why is the greenhouse door closed?” A muffled mare’s voice. The Overmare? Here?

“Not sure. Maybe they are doing some experiments and don’t want to be disturbed.” The Overmare’s son! Why were they both here? Snaps looked back at his sister in panic, gesturing frantically for her to get back down the air vent.

“Do you smell chocolate?”

Oh Celestia, they were right outside and could smell the chocolate. The door handle turned slowly, and Eclair was still wiggling her ample rump back through the vent hole.

Snapdragon wrenched the door open, holding it so they couldn’t see fully inside.

“Overmare! And son! What can I do for you?” He spread his wings, taking up as much space as he could so they couldn’t see past him. The Overmare stared down at him with her usual haughty expression.

“We are not here to see you, failure. We are here for Sebright. Step aside.”

“Sebright?” Now he was suspicious. Jackdaw had little right to see his precious assistant after allowing Lucky to have at her the other day. He glared at the pair before him, avoiding looking directly at Jackdaw. “What do you want with her?”

Jackdaw stepped forward, forcing Snapdragon to look up at him. The handsome, dark furred stallion was close, too close. Despite his hatred for the idiotic pegasus, Snaps felt his traitorous heart beat a little faster.

“What’s it to you, failure? Move.”

Heart pounding doused like cold water. Gorgeous, but a total git.

“No.”

Worth it to see that angry vein stand out on both of their foreheads.

“Snaps, it’s okay.” Sebright’s soft voice came from above him as she hovered quietly in the air. “How can I help you, Madame Overmare?”

“I wanted to come and see how the preparations for the Best Young Fliers competition was coming.” The Overmare pushed past Snapdragon with a self important sniff. “I would also like to know why I can smell chocolate in here.”

“That would be the chocolate cosmos blooming, Madame Overmare.” Sebright fluttered over to a batch of fragrant flowers blooming in their pots, deep maroon petals releasing curls of chocolate scented heaven. “They bloomed early this year. We will have a bountiful feast for the competition.”

“Ahh lovely, they will make a fine gateau, truly.”

Snaps frowned, he could have sworn the chocolate cosmos was at least three weeks off from blooming, and definitely a month away from a full bloom that would result in the chocolate scent this strong. Knowing Sebright, it would be something ridiculous like ‘I asked them nicely to bloom early.’ Mentally shoving the confusing magic of the pony aside, he turned back to the conversation between the high caste ponies.

“You must be present at my table this year, dear. It is expected.”

“But Madame, I cannot fly well, and your table is reserved for ponies like Flitter Plume, worthy of your grace and attention.”

“Flitter Plume is indeed a wonderful mare, but you mustn’t discount yourself so. Your bloodline runs just as strong as she, why you’re even a potential match for my son here! An honour, surely!”

A hollow one, thought Snapdragon dryly. Everyone knew Flitter Plume was promised to Jackdaw, regardless of what the genetic matcher said. Bits and political promises had already changed hooves. The overmare was here just to remind them who was in control of the stable, nothing more.

Jackdaw, never one to miss his cue, gallantly leaning over the tiny mare and kissing her hoof. “Truly, you would be a wonderful match Miss Silkie. I count myself fortunate that a mare of your beauty is one of our stable.”

“I-I will consider it, Madame Overmare.” Sebright stammered out, hiding her bright red face behind her mane.

“Lovely! I have many more rounds to do before I retire for this evening, busy busy! Take care, Sebright. I shall see you at the competition!” The two ponies swept out of the greenhouse, Jackdaw almost imperceptibly glancing at Snapdragon as he left. Snaps caught the look, tightening his jaw and glaring right back before slamming the door behind them.

“The nerve of them! Coming in here like that, shouldn’t she be trying to fix the bloody stable door instead of worrying about who sits where at some ridiculous feast?” He stormed back to his flowers, knowing that his face was flushed from that tiny glance from that awful stallion.

Sebright petted his mane gently from above, earning a swipe with his hoof.

“I’m sure she’s trying her best. She has duties to fulfil too. I don’t like that they treat you so badly though.”

“Mm I’m used to it. They know they couldn’t run the stable properly without failures like me doing the grunt work. By the way, how did you get those cosmos to bloom? I could have sworn they weren’t ready for another month.”

“I asked them nicely.”

Called it.

Chapter Four

The stable machinery clunked and thrummed around her, thumping and whirring with the beat of its own mechanical heart. Copper Wire ignored a beat of sweat tickling its way down her cheek, focused instead on listening to the sounds around her. This was how she began her day, sitting in her office doing a roll call of her babies. Her ears flicked left, where she could hear the whooshing of the power generator, methodically releasing the magical radiation it generated into powering their enormous stable every second. She’d have to replace a part in the cooling system soon, the whoosh sounded a little slurred, and that meant heat was building up. It could wait though. She turned her ears right, the comforting sounds of the air purifying system hard at work. Turning her head upwards, she closed her eyes and strained to listen to the upper floors of the stable, each piece of equipment calling out to her in its own special voice, telling her what parts were wearing thin, what would need fixing, the harmonious song of her children pouring into her ears.

There was dissonance in the song. Someone was sick, and needed her help. Pressing her ear against the wall, she stilled her breath and slowed her own heart, seeking the cry for her tender care. Up. Upwards, towards the middle… Copper's eyes flew open. In the Cafe, someone was crying. The once tranquil room disappeared in a flurry of her movement, tools clanking as they attached to her belt. She paused for a second, her mind scanning her inventory, before snagging a bag of washers. Like her Momma always said, when in doubt, bring a change of washers. At least, that's what Copper liked to think her Momma would have said, but she died before Copper even got her cutie mark. But hey, a girl can imagine.

Her wings blurring at her sides, she flew through the stable like a tornado, shoving ponies out of her way. Her baby's calls got more urgent, and Copper bounced off the walls in a desperate flight to get through the corridors faster. Ignoring the cries of the cramps in her sides she landed outside the Cafe in a flurry of orange feathers, bucking the doors wide open.

“I am here! Don't worry!” she cried to the stunned room in triumph, taking in the shocked faces of the still room. Coffee Bean placed an espresso cup down, her eyebrows raised.

“May I ask why you have just kicked down my door, Copper?”

“Where's the emergency?” Jelly Bean stuck his head out from the kitchen doors.

Copper flew over the counter, roughly shoving Coffee out of the way. Coffee gave a squeak of protest, fumbling to catch herself.

“Don't worry, baby.” Copper crooned softly to the water dispenser mounted on the back wall of the coffee shop. “I am here to save you. Just tell me where it hurts.”

Coffee straightened herself, and was now angrily pushing at Copper. “Cop-”

“Shh! Can't you see she's suffering? Let her talk.” Copper glared the mare into submission before turning back to the dispenser, unscrewing the covering plate from the wall. No one stands in the way of the Chief Engineer. “Tell me why you called for me, baby, I'm here.” Murmuring comforts quietly to the machine, Copper looked closely at all the pipes, mentally comparing them all to her schematics. Everything seemed fine, but there was pain here. Pain and suffering. Her eyes caught on a pipe that was bigger than it ought to be. It was puffed up and swollen, pressure building within. Something had blocked it and was now causing the machine to slow. Another day or so and it would have exploded, turning the covering plate into a projectile that would have killed everyone in the Cafe. Copper nodded and patted the pipe softly before rounding on Coffee with fury in her eyes.

“Why didn't you alert me the moment this machine began to delay? It is off by a full second! Do you know what could have happened if I hadn't heard her cries? Do you know how much she has been suffering?”

Coffee looked guiltily away for a moment, before raising her chin in defiance. “Every time something goes wrong with my machinery, you close my shop for a day to fix it. That's a day that I can't make coffee. How would you feel if you couldn't touch any machinery for a whole day?”

“I wouldn't ever be able to have a day like that because you ponies keep ruining my precious babies!”

“You aren't touching that machine until I close, Copper Wire! I won't have it!”

“If I don't fix her, she will be in pain and eventually kill someone, you uneducated swine! If that pipe blows, you won't have a Cafe to run!”

“Machines don't feel p-”

Jelly Bean pulled his sister back, clamping his hoof over her mouth. “How long til ya can get it fixed, Cop?”

Copper looked back at the dispenser, her heart aching at the puffy pipe. It must be so uncomfortable in there for her baby, all swollen and painful. “A day to replace the pipe and refit her. I have to find the right parts, and I dunno if we have any on hand. I might need to cut some.”

“Can ya do it in half a day? Get us open for the dinner rush?” Jelly clamped down harder on his sister, almost pinning her to the floor as he looked up pleadingly.

Copper sucked on her bottom lip, squinting at him. She could take the pipe from the dispenser in the Overmare's office, that baby was hardly used any more and wouldn't mind lending a pipe. She could then cut and replace a new one later, after she fixed this one. The Overmare would just have to sit tight, it's not like she even used her that much. Mental calculations done, Copper nodded.

“Course I can. Who do you think I am? It all comes down to the wire.” She grinned at Jelly, before turning back to the crowded Cafe. “Get out! This place is closed until 5 o'clock! Leave now or I will personally throw you out!” Taking off over their heads, she flew away in a bustle of feathers.

Grumbling, the Cafe emptied and Jelly lifted his sister from the floor.

“Half a day ain't so bad, right?” He grinned weakly. Coffee wiped her mouth, staring very hard at her little brother.

“Jelly Bean, you should have been in the kitchen making scones with jam and cream for the morning tea parties. Tell me why I have just spent the last five minutes tasting mashed potato on your hoof.”

Jelly's grin faltered under the accusing gaze of his sister.

“How many customers did you serve mashed potato instead of clotted cream?”

Jelly began edging his way out the door. “Oh Copper might need help with that pipe, guess I'd better go help her now.” Taking flight, he soared out of the door, fleeing from his sister's enraged screeching.

The Weight of Time

Sebright opened her eyes, staring up at the dark stable wall. Her eyes shifted to her pipbuck, nearly blinding in the darkness of her room, and the digital clock stared back at her, mocking her with the numbers.

2:00 am.

She knew she had an alarm set for six in the morning. Four hours to go, and then it would rouse her with a loud beeping, ready to begin the day refreshed after a solid night sleep. Only, for Sebright, there had been no sleep. She had gone to bed at her perfectly reasonable time of ten o’clock, dutifully showered and relaxed. She had even meditated and stretched, her mind and body well prepared for a calm rest just like her therapist told her to. Instead, she lay awake, listening to the voices in her head howl and argue, pulling out memories better left forgotten and parading them in front of her eyes as a reminder of what a dreadful pony she was. The hollow pit in her stomach that came with gnawing guilt for long ago transgressions, a sickness that roiled and flung her attempts at a sleep out the door.

Over and over she pushed away the thoughts, tossing and turning in her bed. It always seemed she would just get comfortable before her body would be itching to turn again, always seeking out the exact position that would lull her frantic mind into sleep. She knew time was slipping away faster and faster, ever approaching the moment when her alarm would blare and announce the day to begin. Her wings began to ache and she shifted again, catching sight of her alarm clock.

2:32 am.

That meant it was less than three and a half hours before she would have to rise, put on the ever fake smile she wore and somehow try to convince everypony around her that she wasn't slowly losing her grip on her ability to function as a pony. She knew they knew, could feel the silent judgement as yet again she made novice mistakes that even a foal fresh from the classroom wouldn't make. She tried to convince herself it was all in her mind, that those around her loved and supported her, repeating the mantra she was given over and over, screaming it inside her brain if only to silence her inner voices for a second. She shifted her leg under her pillow, her neck aching from the tension in her shoulders. She knew she had to relax, find a way to sleep, to distract her mind.

3:10 am.

Reading an article she had stored on her pipbuck, a story saved earlier in the week. Nothing too interesting, but enough of a lure to hook the voices in her mind and drag them into silence. For the most part. They still rumbled, occasionally breaking through with a particularly traumatic memory that sent stabbing pains of panic and remorse through her chest. Her eyes itched, dry from being awake so long. Her head was well and truly aching now, but if she got up to take any painkillers she would be awake completely and have no chance for even a moment of sleep. Sebright rolled onto her back, trying to loosen the ache in her shoulders and neck. She stretched in the bed, kicking her blanket off one hoof. The movement of her hooves in the dark lit up her pipbuck again, displaying the time like an accusation.

4:01 am.

Two hours. Just two hours is all she would get if she slept now. Sebright could feel her already frayed nerves beginning to twitch, knowing she would be exhausted on the morrow. She had to focus, she couldn’t let anyone down. Couldn't show that she wasn't alright, she had to be strong. She rolled over again, finally finding a spot that was cool and comfortable. She tucked her hooves under her and wrapped her wings even tighter, turning her body into a cozy cocoon. At last the voices in her head began to fade, bickering and niggling into the back of her mind where they were more easily ignored. The fog of insomnia had fallen, numbing her mind and body to everything around her. She began to doze, sinking at long last into the sleep she so desperately needed, fitful and broken but resting nonetheless. Occasionally her eyes would snap open to stare at nothing, her heart hammering, before sheer exhaustion would overwhelm what was left of her consciousness and pull her back under. At last, she fell into true sleep.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Good morning, Sebright.

Chapter Five

Snapdragon dipped through the air as he dropped down the main shaft, enjoying the sensation of the cool air sinking with him. The warm updraft vent was pleasant, but he’d always preferred the colder downdraft vent. Somehow, he just liked the cold a lot more. It also didn't hurt that the high caste ponies rarely used the downdraft vent, since they'd have no reason to visit the dirty, flightless infested lower half of the stable. Not when they had the atrium to enjoy. Any moment that he was free of their bullshit was a moment he relished.

He banked, flying down a seemingly random hallway, feeling his wingtips brush against the cool, dusty metal walls. The stable machinery thrummed around him, almost deafening at this level. He felt the tension of the day leaving his shoulders as he glided, his hooves barely skimming the floor. The Overmare and her idiot son had no right to be in his greenhouse, especially not to harass his assistant. Why weren't they working round the clock to get the door open? Didn't they realise that everyone would die if they didn't? Or did they think their pure genetic line made them immortal? Angrily, Snaps landed heavily outside a door marked “Danger.” It was dusty and dirty down here, a rarely visited level of the stable. The door was usually locked, but he knew that tonight he would find it open. Slipping through the door, he stood in the dank, dark room.

“I know you're here.” Snapdragon whispered softly. “Get your ass out here.”

“Ooh, someone sounds unhappy.” The velvet form of a black pegasus could barely be made out in the darkness, moving quietly towards him. Jackdaw. The overstuffed, overgrown, peacock headed idiot son of the Overmare, heir to the stable and all round dipshit. Snaps hated him with every fibre of his being, and yet here he was, meeting him in secret.

“Of course I am. What were you playing at today?” Snaps glared in the general direction of the moving shadow, hoping his hatred would seethe through the air into something that could be felt.

Jackdaw sighed, a creak indicating he had sat down on the camp bed that was hidden down here. “She’s gotten suspicious that Sebright’s father is looking to overthrow her. I've told her it's nonsense but you know how she is. It was just her asserting her dominance.”

“That's ridiculous. Everyone knows Brightmark is too much of a gelding to overthrow her. What about the other day?” Snaps growled. “Lucky could have killed Sebright, and you were standing by doing nothing!” He’d walked in on Lucky beating Sebright to a pulp, with Jackdaw shouting at him to stop. He was still furious about that. The higher caste ponies could punish the flightless, but not a high class mare like her. Jackdaw should have used his incredible power to protect her.

“I know.” Jackdaw’s voice dropped, his worry showing through even in the dark. “He’s getting uncontrollable. If you hadn't shown up and maced him, I would have had to, and that would have been an even bigger issue. The Overmare’s son stopping a stallion having some fun with a pony who can barely fly? The tabloids would have a field day. I don't know what to do, Snaps.”

Snapdragon could feel his anger melting into the usual simmering rage, he knew that it wasn't easy for Jack. Every moment of every day was spent playing the political game that ruled their lives. He dropped onto the cot next to Jackdaw, not quite touching him. “I don't know either.” As the only son of the Overmare, Jackdaw was in a unique position. Any move that could be construed as a failure to uphold the status quo could result in open rebellion or war, and with the stable on the brink of starvation, that would mean the deaths of everyone they loved. Neither of them would risk that.

Snaps rolled over, the warmth of Jack’s body radiating towards him in the cool darkness. He hated that feeling, the desire to reach across the gap between them and hold the vulnerable pegasus close. “How’s the door coming?”

Jack groaned, rolling to face him. It was pitch blank in the room, they couldn't even risk a lantern giving away their presence. “It isn't. No one has any idea of how or why the door won't open. Best guess is that the mechanism was damaged somehow.” A feather traced its way up Snap’s leg. He had to force himself to keep still, closing his eyes against the sensation. It felt like a blaze of hot lava, and his fur tingled in the wake of the feather. “Honestly, it's going to come down to brute force. I hope your plants are ready for whatever’s out there, because once that door opens, there’s going to be no closing it.”

Snaps closed his eyes, the tickling sensation of Jack’s wing fluttering his heart all over again. This weakness that only Jackdaw could make him feel, reminding him that no matter what he said about the stable status quo, he was as much a prisoner of his own heart as the rules imprisoned their lives. “You do your job, peacock, I’ll do mine.” His voice came out low and husky. He could barely resist touching Jack, but held himself in check. He was still angry at the idiot stallion. He could smell his familiar scent in the room, and his cock began to harden in anticipation.

Jack groaned again, this time rolling on top of Snapdragon. It may have been dark, but they knew each other as intimately as they knew themselves. Snaps sighed, how he hated this man and everything he stood for. He was the pinnacle of high society, the representation of everything wrong with this stable. And yet, here he was hidden away in the darkness like the filthy secret he was, with his whole body already aching for his embrace. In these moments, Snaps hated himself more than anything. He always said he was proud of his sexuality, but he couldn't flaunt his own lover without causing a civil war..

Ignoring the thoughts in his mind, Snaps pulled Jack’s mouth down onto him, kissing him hungrily. They had no time to linger, no time to savour each touch. Even these meetings were a risk, but one that they couldn't do without. Jack’s mouth was hot on his own, his body heavily pressing down on him. A wing brushed between his legs and he felt himself responding in turn. A hoof pressed down, pushing into him, and Snaps answered with a moan.

“You already prepared?” Jack whispered in surprise before leaning down to nibble his neck. “I don't know if that's hot or disappointing.”

“I have to get back early. Seemed practical.” Snaps could feel himself blushing furiously. “Don't make me say that kind of stuff out loud!”

Jackdaw chuckled as his lips moved lower. “Or what?” Not low enough. Snaps pushed his hips forward in frustration, only to have Jackdaw move out of the way with another low laugh. He growled in frustration, his wings wrapping around Jackdaw and pulling him lower.

“Someone’s impatient.” He felt Jackdaw smile against him before taking him into his mouth, and Snaps almost cried out at the heat and wetness wrapping around him. He could feel himself wanting to thrust, but fought against it. They didn't have long and he knew that he wanted them to come together. Jackdaw worked his tongue up and down his length, all the while stroking at the base of his tail. Snaps arched his back, pushing deeper into Jackdaw’s mouth before pushing him off and rolling over.

“I meant it when I said I had to get back early.” Snaps said breathlessly, lifting his tail. He felt Jackdaw shift behind him, then suddenly his own hardness was pressing against him as a cool liquid dripped over his already prepared ass.

“Lift your hips a bit.” Snaps complied, his own body feeling like it was on fire as Jackdaw reached around to hold him. He could feel Jackdaw pushing into him, filling him entirely. It was all he could do not to squeal out loud. Biting the musty cot, he couldn't resist shaking his hips a little in impatience. Taking the hint, Jackdaw began to thrust into him while moving his hoof, the pleasure filled grunts echoing softly in the darkness. Snaps closed his eyes, feeling his climax quickly approaching. Jackdaw always fit him perfectly, always hitting the perfect spots. It was probably why he couldn't resist these meetings, and definitely had nothing to do with his feelings for Jack. Jack’s hoof felt so good as he stroked his cock, he knew he wouldn't last much longer. Jack picked up the pace, gently biting Snap’s neck as he moved within him. They never had enough time, but somehow the time they had seemed to stretch into an eternity.

“Jack, I'm gonna-” Snaps buried his head in his wings, trying to muffle his voice. Jackdaw suddenly pressed down hard on his back as he put his whole weight into each thrust, plunging deep and harder with each movement. Snaps could barely take the pressure, the sensation of fullness and Jack’s hoof being too much to bear and he bucked against the bed, his climax rippling through his whole body. Jackdaw pushed deep inside of him, his cock throbbing with each pulse of his own orgasm.

“I love you.” Jackdaw whispered hoarsely, kissing the back of Snap’s neck where he’d bitten him..

“A horrible idea, really.” Snaps curled his wings as far back as he could, embracing his lover as they lay joined on the bed. He loved this moment, the feeling of Jack’s relaxed weight on his back, their wings entangled and the scent of their mingled sweat filling the air. He felt warm, complete. The frustration and anger had fizzled away with each touch, reminding him that no matter how much he told himself he hated this stallion, he would always hunger for his embrace.

Jackdaw kissed his neck again before slipping off him onto the bed. “Just once, I'd like to take my time with you.”

“I know,” Snapdragon reached for the pile of rags that he kept down here and began cleaning himself up. “Once the door is open, we will have the rest of our lives to enjoy this.” He passed Jackdaw a cloth, then fumbled his way across the floor to the water canteens to slake his thirst.

Jackdaw wrapped his wings around him, nuzzling against his neck. “I hope you mean that, Snaps. Because once that door opens, I'm never ever letting you go.”

Turning his head, he kissed Jackdaw gently on the nose, then the mouth. “I'm already yours, idiot Peacock.”

Kissing Jackdaw again, Snaps slipped out of the door and closed it behind him, squinting in the hall light. He couldn't linger, and it ached in his chest. If anyone caught them, if anyone knew that the son of the Overmare was gay, and not only that, gay with a designated flightless, their lives would be over and the fragile peace within the stable shattered. This was their secret.

How he hated it.