Fallout Equestria: Stable 36

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.