Fallout: Equestria - CLASSIFIED

”I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be.
Oh, you’re gonna give your love to me...”

oooOOOooo

BANG!

I ducked my head under my forehooves, the bullet just barely grazing my mane. The .44 caliber sized hole impacted right where my face used to be not a half second before. “You gaddamn maniac!” I yelled back, while making sure to keep my head covered. “What the hell was that, Rail!?”

"Enough is enough, Sparkhorn."

I gulped, risking a peek back at the stallion through my hooves. I had to give the old bastard one thing: He had a killer left hook to knock you to the floor, and a quick draw to keep you there. Wiping the blood from my muzzle, I lifted myself back up to glare uneasily at him. My ear twitched at the sound of the second ace of spades fluttering to the floor, no longer concealed up the sleeve of my stable jacket. My gaze, however, drifted back up to his IF-18 magnum, still pointed at my forehead in his magic, the barrel smoldering from its last shot. “You uh...” I gave an awkward chuckle, “...you weren't really aiming for me... right?”

"Hmmm..." He blew the smoke from his cigar into my face. "You'd better hope you'll win big soon, pal-y. Schemes or no schemes. Because next time I'm taking whatever you have left in your life as payment. You dig?”

I searched my mind for something, anything to help me get out of this. “Luna’s sake Rail, c’mon I can’t just--”

“YOU DIG!?” I suddenly felt his magic grip my collar and lift me up about a foot higher than any of my legs could reach the floor.

I desperately tried to kick and reach for solid ground, but all my legs could do was swing and dangle below me as I tried to gesture to be lowered. “Yes! Yeah yeah! I dig, I dig!”

He threw me to the floor, landing me back on my side. I hissed through my teeth, smacking my head against the concrete. Okay, the son of a bitch needs to realize that I can’t win him shit if he gives me a goddamn concussion! Slowly, I began to hoist myself back up with my hooves, but not before he plucked his cigar from his lips and tossed it down on my head. I grunted from the burning tip striking the side of my face.

“Gettin’ outta maintenance ain’t free, Sparks.” He stated, the words rolling over his silver tongue, “Remember, you owe me! Don't think the Overmare can forgive what you owe just ‘cause you’re on security's payroll now! Don’t forget that I introduced you’s! In fact... she can make sure that you pay...” He stepped over me, blowing the rest of his smoke into my face, before casually trotting away. “See you around, gambler.”

oooOOOooo

“Yeah...” I groaned, slowly opening my eyes to the dull colors around me. My head felt like it’d been thrown through one of the generators on the reactor level, the light above blinding my vision with a silent, flickering buzz. “...see you around, assclown.” A laugh attempted to escape my throat, but the soreness from my lungs turned it into a coughing fit.

Something felt... odd. I was in pain, but... This sure as hell didn’t feel like dying on the cold floor of storage.

Rolling my head to the side, I realized I was resting on a white bed and some pillows. The comfort from the soft sheets pulled me into hesitation, but eventually I took a deep breath and looked around the room.

Shiny steel countertops? Pink and yellow medical boxes? Clean grey atmosphere? Yeah... either Tartarus looks just like Stable 17’s clinics in the medbay, or I’m still alive.

I slowly sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes. “D-Diamond?” My voice sounded raspy and dry. “H-hello?” I groaned as I tried to roll over, seeing a blood pack hanging above my bed with medical tubes leading to different positions on my body. I felt an unnatural presence of plastic stretching up my nose and down my esophagus. Ack! Yuck! Stupid emergency room... here because of Stupid riots...

And... Stupid Platinum! This is all your fault! You’ve gone too far this time! Putting me in the medbay… I oughta break your legs for this if you hadn’t--

...exploded in the elevator.

Shit... Platinum... what the hell was that? Why!? I... I can’t believe she’s gone... She must have... I don't even know! Overloaded her aura? Everypony always warned that could happen as foals... But, we knew they just said that to scare us... right? The pain alone would have been too much to bear before she could pull that off. Not to mention how strong her magic had to be... Platinum was only descent at spell casting. It's not like she could have become a goddamn sorceress over night! And that... thing that came out of her! I-- Alright, WHY THE HELL AM I HERE!?

As I tried to bend my abdomen upward to get off the bed, I felt a sharp spike of pain surge up through my body. I gasped from the sudden soreness, uncovering my body from the sheets, revealing a large blood-soaked bandage taped across my right side under my foreleg. I gawked at my apparent bodily trauma and shuddered, straining my mind to remember more of what had happened. Right... I was the only one in the crash that got stabbed by serrated steel. Of course I was the only one... Just my amazing natural luck I guess.

I couldn’t remember if I passed out from blood loss or smoke inhalation. Maybe a little mix of both. One of the doctors could probably explain why I wasn’t a bloated carcass rotting on the storage level. So, where the hell are they?

“Hello? Hello!?” I winced as I slid off the comfort of the bed and slowly shifted my weight to my hooves...

Wait... Why couldn’t I feel my hooves?

“W-woah, no no!” I lost my balance and slammed into the adjacent wall next to my bed. The medical tubes all popped out of every attachment around my chest and legs, as well as the ones up my nostrils, when my body jerked them away from the life support system. Not working! Why aren’t my legs working!? I reached my forehooves out to latch onto one of the countertops so I wouldn’t hit the floor. Unfortunately, my forelegs still didn't feel like supporting my weight, and my muzzle slammed into the edge of a sink.

--!!!! ...ffffffFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUU--!!!!

I grabbed my muzzle and gave a muffled wail of pain through my hooves. My breath shook as I looked up at a mirror hanging over the sink. Aside from the blood gushing out of my nostrils, the stitches on my rear leg, and my abdomen wrapped in bandages, the only other wound I could see was a stitched laceration above my right eye. My mane was messy and greasy from hours, if not days of lying in bed, and my scruffy, un-groomed face showed a day or two’s growth of fur.

Okay... That means I was laying in bed for the same amount of time... Great...

I would have opened the clock function on my Pip-Buck to check the time before I realized... There was no Pip-Buck. It was gone! Ah crap, why the hell would they take my Pip-Buck off!? There wasn't anything around the chafed patch of fur that looked or felt hurt other than a few bruises. I almost felt alien, seeing my bare left foreleg void of the instrument that had been strapped to me since I’d gotten my cutiemark. I was hesitant to shake my head out of it’s reactionary panic, and back to the strange situation at hoof. On the likely chance that this isn’t some sick joke, I’ve got a feeling I’ll be needing my Pip-Buck back. So, I’d better find it and fast.

I looked back at the mirror. I had nothing on at all. No Stable 17 jacket. But, I had the same blue coat, foggy dark mane, red eyes... even the same love bite on my neck from an unknown mare -which had regretfully ruined my chances with Melody Charm- was still faintly there. He may look like a pile of rotten horse apples, but it's the same stallion that stared back at me from before all this happened. I watched, more blood beginning to drain from my muzzle, over my hoof, and into the sink. Sacrificing some spare dignity, I quickly unraveled a roll of toilet paper between the sink and my bed, wadding it up in my magic to make small nose plugs for my nostrils. I looked back into the mirror and sighed.

And here I thought I couldn't look any more like a jackass...

I stared regretfully at my pitiful state, watching my lips smack dryly, my tongue moving around in my mouth like it was a desert. It felt as if all the moisture had been sucked out of my mouth. What the hell did they feed me here, chalk? The growling in my stomach only answered me with a resounding, ‘No’. I guess a little meal was too much to ask for when I woke up.

Without another thought, I turned on the faucet, and quickly stuck my muzzle underneath it to catch the anticipated cool and refreshing tap water... but not a drop of water came.

Figures...

I gave a dissatisfied grunt, looking around for anything else to drink. Irritated, I turned towards the door, still holding on to the countertop. "Hey! Anypony out there!? I'm stuck in a room; I need some help!" No response... just silence.

What the hell is going on? And why the hell is there no water flow? The only thing that could be causing that would be our water talisman malfunctioning. Those maintenance bastards must have done something to it. I swear, I’m going to--! I cut all thoughts of rampaging short as I noticed my reflection’s horn begin to glow red with rage. With a forceful groan, I pulled my magic back through my skull and winced. Whew... Okay... I’m not going to get mad... I’m just going to get payback for what they did to us in the--! CRAP! I hope Aqua and Kahn are okay! Alright, I’ve got to... I’ve got to get to my office, brief Diamond on the situation and... “GODDAMNIT!” I snarled, “STEM ROOT!? NURSE!? SOMEPONY..! IS GETTING CITED..! A CODE VIOLATION..! FOR DERELICTION OF DUTY..! FOR FAILURE..! TO ASSIST..! STABLE LOYALTY INSPECTORS!!!"

My words only accomplished shredding my vocal cords, pushing me to a fit of coughing.

After a couple minutes of staring helplessly at the cold and hard floor, I risked another stumble, and slowly lowered my hooves to step forward.

Okay... Welcome back to the land of standing on four hooves.

Slowly and carefully, I limped over to the power mechanism and opened the door.

*** *** ***

I fell against the wall, trying to keep my balance, as I looked around. The walls were spinning over my head while the floors felt like they were going to swallow me up. I shook my head, trying to focus. The whole world around me felt out of joint.

I have to get out of here. Okay, think Spark! Think!

The medbay made up the entire level above the living quarters and atrium, but for some reason I was drawing a blank on where to go. I looked around again, trying to ignore the dizziness clouding my head. Looted medical closets, burnt out lights, empty healing boxes, patient stretchers, and useless statistical papers littered the hallway beyond. “Hello? Anypony there?” My voice was so weak and dry, it nearly sounded like a whisper. I leaned against the wall, wobbling on my hooves through the dark hallway. There was still nothing, not so much as a squeak to answer me.

Okay, come on! There’s got to be somepony around here somewhere! Where are all the doctors, nurses, and medbay staff!? Where are all the supplies!? I stumbled through another room, my hooves just barely holding me up as I tripped over the door frame. I clumsily began scavenging through locker after locker for some kind of aid. But there was still nothing. I risked a plummet to the floor after angrily slamming the last locker shut with my hooves, the door simply bouncing back open with a whiny creak.

Empty.

It wasn't until entering the next hallway that I finally spotted something of promise. I squinted, just able to make out the flickering sign next to the door.

Stable 17 Office of Executive Physician: Dr. Stem Root

On the off chance that Stem is actually in here, I might just forgive the fact that he’d left me to die in an elevator, so long as he could tell me what the hell is going on. On the likely chance that he’s not, I’ll bet there’s at least some rations he’s been saving up. I flipped the switch on the door's power mechanism and... nothing. My eyes narrowed at the flashing message on the terminal above the panel.

Access Denied

My ears fell flat in annoyance as the automated feminine voice of Stable 17's operational systems flooded the hallway.

"White Level Badge ID Clearance is Required"

"Son of a bitch..." I groaned, giving up on the door with an angry toss of my hooves. I'm going to need to find the right ID Badge if I want in there. Well, I guess it's about time I got my medical license. The thought of me wearing some stupid lab coat all day almost forced a laugh from my lungs, if the sudden reminder of pain from my side didn't produce another groan instead.

Everypony in Stable 17 had a Badge ID card designated to them shortly after they received their cutiemarks and Pip-Bucks. Their clearance depended on what department they were stationed to. Maintenance had the lowest clearance, level Brown, which could only access certain maintenance departments and their living quarters. Diners, kitchen staff, or anypony to do with food growth or processing had Orange level clearance. Teachers and religious leaders had level Grey. I.T. or Data keepers had level Green. Pit bosses, media, and other entertainment ponies, like Melody Charm, had level Pink. Doctors and medical staff had level White. Scientists, researchers, and other lab staff had level Purple. Security had Blue level clearance. Administrators and Stable Loyalty Inspectors, like myself, had level Red. Execs had Black level clearance, which could theoretically access every part of the Stable, except for one thing, the Stable door, which required Gold level clearance, and that belonged to one pony, and one pony only: The Overmare. Which made the events of the night before all the more confusing. Somehow, Platinum Braid opened the Stable door without the Overmare's authority. Only a few ponies have managed to do that in the past. Some of whom, I’ve even had to deal with personally. Usually, nopony cared too much about what parts of the Stable they were able to access or not. The real value of our access cards was in our Stable-Tec units and Aptitude Credits which we could use to purchase a Cutiemark Aptitude Test, and... well, that's how you promote.

I sighed, only now realizing that my own Badge ID was missing.

I think I had left it somewhere in my room. Maybe instead of looking up and down the Stable floors for other ponies' access cards, I could just use my own clearance. But first, I've got to find my way out of the medbay.

I headed down the opposite end of the hallway, trying to remember my way around. "Hey! Come on! I know somepony’s out there! Help me out!" I hollered, hoping I could at least catch somepony’s attention. Anypony’s... Hell, I'd take divine intervention at this point. Though, I probably should have known better than to petition the goddesses who’d likely smite me down to Tartarus the first chance they got.

I almost fell on my face, my forelegs abruptly losing their strength, dropping me to my knees from a searing migraine deciding to pulse through my skull. "Hrrrg! Ow! What the ...ffffrrrk!?" There was something in my head... or, something missing. I couldn't even tell. It made me want to cut open my head and pull out what I needed to see. What I needed to--

Static“...B-b-be sure to remember these ba-basic RULES, brought to you by Stable-stable-stable T-t-tec. Rule number [REDACTED]: When accused of treason, be sure to line up against the wall for an easier sh-...”Static

--Ow! Celestia, my head!

Shaking my mind back to reality, my hooves latched on to the counter of the medbay’s reception desk, slowly pulling myself back up to balance on my rear hooves. A terminal buzzed silently on the other side. Narrowing my eyes, I just barely noticed its flashing light, indicating that a new message had been received. Not risking another stumble, I shuffled my way around the inside of the desk, curious to find that the terminal was indeed unlocked. My mouth clicked in disappointment after seeing that Nurse Carrot Stitch had forgotten to log out. Damnit, that’s a code violation! C’mon everypony! Is it so hard to keep things secure around here!? I sighed, reluctantly entering the mare’s messages. Alright, so they must have left in a hurry. The question is... why? Eventually, after finding difficulty tapping the right keys with my hooves, I opened the new message.

This is Dr. Silver Lining from clinic room 10. Sorry to ask this, but can you keep holding the bed for me? We’re not going to be able to move the patient. That Loyalty Inspector we were working on isn't going to make it. We’re preparing transportation to the morgue, but Platinum Braid’s damn maintenance crews are blocking the way through. We’re working on it right now.

I remained silent, just reading the message over and over. Call it paranoia, but I guessed that Loyalty Inspector patient was me.

The morgue? I looked down at my still alive self and shrugged. Well, I ain't dead. They couldn't tell that? I think we might be paying our doctors too much.

I looked around the empty hallways again. I gave a shallow sigh, easily hearing my breath echo off the walls around me. I could almost feel the life being sucked out of the place. As abandoned as it looked, it’s no wonder they thought to leave me behind. Still can't believe they thought I was dead. But... eh well, maybe it’s what I would have done. I guess this means that a few ponies will be pretty surprised to see me once I get out of here.

It was then I noticed that only a minimal amount of the medbay's lights were actually working, some of them just flickering from a lack of power.

Oh, that's perfect... Looks like the stable's power supply is on its last legs. Maintenance must have either tried shutting it off, or just decided to let it rot. Either way, if the power is dying, then trotting around in the dark will be the least of my worries. The ventilation system will start malfunctioning, which means goodbye recycled air. And with over 300 ponies in Stable 17, that's not going to last long.

Well... that's assuming everypony is still here... and alive. I grimaced, trying not to remind myself of the strangely empty halls. I shook the thought out of my head. Damnit Spark, keep it together! C'mon! My eyes widened in remembrance, catching a glimpse of a sign with an arrow pointing down the direction I was headed.

Elevator

To the living quarters! It's at the end of the hall! Ha! The one that Platinum never fixed! That’s it, keep coming back to me! I opened the next door through the hallway, finally finding enough confidence and amateur balance to gallop.

Okay... so maybe that might not have been the smartest thing to try in my current condition.

I grunted as I collided with a medical cart just in front of the elevator's doors. I flew head over hooves, hitting the hard floor in a pathetic heap. As if it were an insult to injury, I heard the cart tip over and crash behind me from the impact, filling the soundless void around me with its ear shattering racket.

Nice moves dipshit. 10 out of 10.

I clenched my eyes shut, halfway expecting one of the medbay nurses to come galloping to my side to scold me for not watching where I was going... but once the rattling of the cart's spilled contents subsided, all that remained was silence. I gave another painful moan, hesitantly opening my eyes to see the elevator's control panel. Right... Overmare now. Clean up later. Pulling myself to my hooves, I hit the button, and...

...nothing happened.

No ding, no automated voice, not even a mechanical click. My face fell limp, along with whatever excitement for finding a way out, pressing the button over and over with no result. I restrained my rage enough to prevent me from just ripping the entire panel off the wall. I just slammed my head against the steel doors instead, before turning and falling back on my haunches.

Stupid! Power is dying. Elevators are down. I should get a gold star for wishful thinking after a participation trophy in gymnastics.

I was short to call myself a complete idiot however, glancing back at the cart I'd thoroughly tackled, and its contents that had spilled out across the floor. They looked like some sort of syringes. I levitated one of them over and read the label out loud. "Stable-Tec Painkiller... Warning: Do not use under-...” Okay, I... I can’t read this without my glasses. But I at least got the important part: Painkiller.

Well, it's no healing potion, and it's not going to alleviate my thirst, but it'll do.

Without a second thought, I jabbed the needle into my chest, and pushed the plunger down. There was a reason I stayed clear of this kind of stuff, but needless to say, I was willing to risk an exception for today. I hissed through my teeth as I pulled the needle back out. I sat there for a moment, waiting for it to-- ...Whew! Oh-hoookay... That's a familiar feeling. Much better. I shivered, not from the cold or fear, but from... relief. Actual relief, as the pain numbing injection worked its way through to my wounds, cuts, and bruises. I felt good... numb... tired...

"...SON OF A BITCH!!!" Anger took control of my hoof as I heaved the syringe to the floor, shaking myself awake. "Every time! See!? What did I tell you people!? I swear! Every time I take these things, they screw with my head!" I blinked, feeling as if confusion had just run me down with a train before skeptically checking my surroundings. "Damnit, who am I talking to!?"

This is NOT the feeling I want in this situation! Dumb-shit medicine...

While the effects did their best to make me as groggy as possible, I had to admit, the aching and stinging pain in my... a lot of things, had all but evaporated. After just a few more lingering moments of swimming in angered relief -wait, why was I angry again?- I sighed, finally finding enough strength to stand back up.

"Well, what do you know? Sparky's back, everypony!" ...alright, quit screwing around! Time to find me some real first-aid.

Now at least able to trot straight, I headed down the next hallway, finally spotting another sign and arrow.

Stairwell

It pointed to another doorway that expanded into a bigger room. I squinted at the sign above the door.

Waiting Room

I hit the control switch, and like the other low powered doors, it slid open with a mechanical, albeit dying, hiss. I trotted inside, remembering more and more trips to the medbay from when I was a colt, to just days ago, after Sugar Spade greeted me with a knife to the leg.

It took me a minute to freeze upon reaching the middle of the floor, trying to contemplate what was wrong with the room beyond. That’s when I was absorbed into the horrific scene that laid in front of me. Bullet holes riddled in the walls, blood was splattered over the chairs and tables, and a body that was slumped over near the exit, his security armor torn apart by gun shots.

A dead pony... Now, we may not be the most sensitive of ponies in Stable 17, but body bags were still body bags. It traumatized a lot of the stable to find a death that was unnatural, and believe me, we’ve seen our fair share of unnatural death. You can thank the riots for that. ...and maybe myself. Though most ponies found missing less tragic than murdered. We tried our best to chalk that up as, ‘war is hell’. This though... this didn’t look like war...

My heart beat like a drum as I saw the rest of his body. His hide had been completely torn away from his legs, revealing nothing but bone and red meat, with chunks of flesh missing from the rest of his body. I gagged, swallowing whatever it was that was left in my stomach as it tried to escape back up my throat. Slowly, I started moving towards him.

Well... not somepony I was familiar with. Maybe I saw him on the shooting range a couple times, and I'm sure I saw his face on the security roster in my files, but nothing more than that. Poor bastard.

I avoided stepping in the pond of red, as I slowly rolled him over in my magic. I held my breath to evade the stench of decay, accompanied by the thin crusted ropes of dark red tar that strung between his battered carcass and the long since halted radius of his dry and flaky ichor, now staining the once grey and clean floor. Yet, I was forced to gag again, this time a bit more violently. "AHCK! Gross, shit!” I covered my mouth with a hoof and quickly let go of my magic. I fell back on my haunches in shock, my eye twitching uncontrollably as I watched his intestines coil out onto the floor, slipping through a hole eaten out of his stomach.

Celestia, I was not expecting-- Eugh! Groaning in disgust, I pushed him the rest of the way on his back, revealing several bullet holes in his chest... as well as several teeth marks surrounded by torn flesh. The same pattern of bites went down his legs, up his flanks, and all the way up to his neck. By the way his limbs were as stiff as boards, his blood dry and dark, and his pupils frozen and blown, I could tell he’d been dead for maybe a day. What I couldn't tell though, was why.

This is... new. At least, not something the Maintenance department has done before. Sure, they were dumb and aggressive, but not really psychotic or cruel like this. Somepony shot him and then... Something ripped him to shreds? With its teeth, it looks like. I guess those vests don't stop bullets after all... or apparently bites. Yeesh! What a way to go.

I suddenly spotted an all too familiar object of interest underneath him. Levitating it out of his puddle, I gave it a shake, causing dried blood to flake off onto the floor. Getting a grip of myself, I sighed with a small smile, pleased to see the 10mm had a full mag inside of it. As I put a round in the chamber however, the dried blood caused the slide to stick, making me retract that smile as quickly as it formed.

Ah, geez... I guess beggars can't be choosers...

Before I could make any effort to scrub away his obstructive blood, my ears perked at the intrusive sound of voices coming up the stairwell.

"Why the hell is she sending us all the way up here to kill him!?” Her eerie complaint echoed off the walls as I reacted in panic, quickly taking cover behind the corner, slapping a hoof over my mouth to silence my breath. “The docs said he's as good as dead anyway. We should be helping fight off the zekes! Not wasting our time on a goddessdamn corpse!" The greasy looking unicorn casually trotted into the room with a shotgun floating beside her.

I clenched by jaw tight, my horn glowing in a fury of red, before pivoting around the corner, hastily raising my newly acquired, albeit crude, gun at the maintenance mare. "Stop, in the name of the Overmare!" I nearly cringed at my dry and dehydrated voice, not to mention more nasally than usual from the TP up my nose. "Drop the gun!"

The mare's eyes practically popped out of her head in shock, her magic imploding from fear. With a sputtering pop, her horn cut out, the gun slipping through her grasp and landing with a clattering thud. "Oh Crap! HERITIC!!!" She cried, quickly darting back through the door and vanishing just as fast as she appeared.

Holy shit, that actually worked! I mean, I knew everypony used to joke about how scary I was, but... those were just jokes, right?

I thought back to my pathetic and beat-up reflection in the mirror. Okay... maybe they're just mistaking me for a zombie pony.

Before I had a chance to taunt her back down the stairs, another Unicorn replaced her, this one with a midnight blue coat and pink and magenta mane. She galloped through the doorway with a 10mm suspended tightly in her magic. "I-I can't believe it..." She back pedaled, as though confused at seeing me here. "It's him!"

I raised my gun again. "Alright, drop the gun! I don't wanna hurt yo--"

BANG!

She fired off a shot before I was able to finish.

"Gyaaah!"I let out a scream of pain, feeling a 10mm ball of fire blast right through my left foreleg. THE LEFT AGAIN!!!

Guess that painkiller can only do so much...

"Ack! You've gotta be--! Same goddamn leg!" I shouted in annoyance as my limb collapsed out from under me, making me fall to my side.

I was at an unusual disadvantage. No Pip-Buck, no SATS, and a really... REALLY hazy mind from the painkiller.

With a growl, I tried to recover my aim, quickly squeezing the trigger before she was able to get another round off. My aim could not have been sloppier. For a Unicorn like me, my magic fluctuates based on my focus... and right now my focus was halfway between my gun and the new 10mm sized hole in my leg.

The bullet flew high and right, but found a home in the mare's left ear, tearing it right off the top of her skull. She froze, blinking at me for a moment, as if not believing what had just disappeared from her head, before cold hard shock finally spilled over her. Screaming in pain, she fell back on her haunches, frantically patting the top of her head with her hoof as though to search for it. The action only proved useful in smearing blood around her mane from the open wound.

I quickly let out a breath and focused more of my magic on my weapon, ready to finish her off while she was distracted. I squeezed the trigger.

Clink!

My eyes widened as the slide of my 10mm slid back but jammed on the security guard’s dry blood. “Shit!” I looked up, just in time to see the maintenance unicorn regain her own magical focus. While still holding the side of her head, her magic fired three more rounds at me. I could only scream as I scrambled off my wounded leg and around the corner, trying to avoid the shots of burning lead. I winced, feeling at least one of them graze the back of my neck. Great! Now their aim is even better than I remember!? This is turning into a loyalty inspector’s nightmare...

“He shot my fucking ear off!” I heard the mare curse as she yelled back down the stairwell. “Get back up here and help me!” She began to trot towards my location, shooting more rounds into the wall that I hid behind.

Shit! Shit! Shit! C’mon Sparks, think! I clopped my hoof against my head a few times before finally remembering what the first pony had dropped in her haste. The riot shotgun was still laying on the floor. I shut my eyes, held my breath, and focused my magic on the object's location behind the wall, waiting to hear the mare move in front of its path. I had no time to consider what I was about to do or what would happen when I did it.

BLAM!

I heard her scream again, this time in utter agony, as her body collapsed to the floor. I opened my eyes to see a shredded and bloody detached foreleg roll around the corner where I sat. The buckshot tore it off with a destructive force, her bone and flesh left in chunks, right above where her Pip-Buck was attached, which still flickered the pony's name below her crippling status image.

Glossy Spring

I winced as she continued to scream and cry like a hysterical filly.

Okay, I can’t take much more of this... Just... please stop! Please! Just shut up! Shut up, Glossy Spring!

She kept crying, kicking the other side of the wall. She wouldn't stop.

Please... I finally stood up and grabbed the shotgun in my magic. I limped around the corner to see the mare trying to crawl toward the stairwell with only three legs and a gory stub where her fourth should be. A narrow trail of blood led from the corner to her position, halfway to the exit.

“S-stop...” I was barely able to speak, my voice cracking over her grisly state.

She didn't listen, likely not able to hear my hushed voice over her own crying and panic.

With an angry glare, I aimed her friend’s weapon at her head, and pumped a round into the chamber, ejecting the empty spent shell before it clinked against the floor in a smoldering heap. "I SAID STOP!" This time, I screamed.

Her voice choked up, as she did as she was told, lying still on the cold floor. She sniffled and shuddered, letting a pool of blood form from under her leg stump.

I had no time to feel sorry for her... AS IF SHE DESERVED IT ANYWAY AFTER SHOOTING ME!!! I took a deep breath and sighed. Okay Spark, calm down! Stay in control... You need answers, remember? Desperate to agree with my own logic, I looked up to the exit stairwell, and shouted down to whoever might still be waiting next in line to attack. “Alright listen up! Glossy here is gonna die, if you don’t come up here and surrender right now!”

She whimpered as I poked the back of her head with the barrel.

With a groan, I leaned up against the wall to keep weight off of my wounded foreleg, all while aiming the shotgun at Glossy’s head. “Alright I’m gonna count to three! If no pony comes up here to talk, I’m gonna splatter her brains all over the floor!”

Oh, fuck my horseshoes! That was something I did not feel like doing. These bastards better buy this.

“One!” I gulped, perking my ears for some kind of reaction from her conspirators. “Two!” My magic grew tense around the trigger. Crap, they're not buying this! Damnit! Why me!? "Three!"

“Okay! Okay! Don't shoot her!” My heart could have burst from relief, having to cut my magic for a moment to keep it from tightening any further against the trigger. Sheesh! I don't know if I've ever come that close to blowing somepony's head off... "We're... we're coming up!" The feminine voice was followed by four pairs of hooves trotting up the stairs.

I felt every primal muscle in my body stiffen as a red Earth Pony stallion, holding another riot shotgun in his teeth, appeared through the door, emulated by a blonde Unicorn, the first mare from before, now unarmed. They both adorned maintenance gear and Stable 17 coveralls. Their eyes widened in shock as they stared down at their disfigured ally whimpering below.

The stallion quickly shifted his gaze to narrow at me, as did the mare, only the former looked more determined and ready to blast me with buckshot at any moment, while blondie looked more cautious and worried. "W-what do you want?" She demanded through her shuddering voice.

"No no no! You first, cupcake!" I snarled. "Why are you here to kill me? Where is everypony!? What in the goddamn happened to that security buck back there!?” I narrowed my eyes at another coming thought, feeling a sudden flicker of energized rage threatening to burst through my horn. It was controllable though... for now. “...and I swear on the name of the Overmare, if I find out you’ve done anything to Aqua Wave...”

“Rrrt rrs hrrrrp hrrr, frrrsht.” The stallion’s jaw began to move around the gun in his mouth, starting to mumble some kind of response to answer or at least acknowledging my questions. I couldn’t tell for sure because... well, his mouth was filled with the grip of his shotgun, leading me to tense up further, fearing he might accidentally pull the trigger if his sentence was too complex.

“Woah!” I flinched, “Do NOT talk to me with your mouth full of... that please!”

He arched his brow with a huff, before pointing his hoof down at the sniveling mare on the floor. Glossy proceeded to shake and shiver, glaring up between us with tears in her eyes. The blonde mare gulped before considering me with pleading desperation. "He said to let us help Glossy first." She gave the mare a pitiful look. “She’s our friend...”

I kept my eyes locked on them. "I wouldn’t let you piss on her head if her mane was on fire! Now answer me!" I winced at the sound of the stallion’s voice beginning to mumble again. I quickly pointed my blood soaked hoof at him with an angry glare. “NOT YOU!” I growled. Fucking earth ponies...

Blondie sighed as she looked back up at me. "You don't need to harm us. You can join our cause and follow Folly into the wastes. Help us fight off the intruders!"

I deadpanned, so much so, that I lowered the shotgun from the weight of her ridiculous sincerity. "You've got to be kidding..."

Again with this Folly crap.

"Do not scoff at Folly's name!" She yelled back as if offended by my doubt. "You've witnessed her power! She will save us from the evils of the powerful and bring peace to Equestria! Why would you stand against her!?"

I narrowed my eyes solely on her, risking a spiteful sneer. Damn painkiller is making me feel loose! "And uh... what exactly is your plain if I do stand against her?"

The smile that crept across her muzzle made my mane itch so bad that I could almost hear each strand demanding me to pull the trigger. "Then you will help us one way or another. You will give us power to break through the intruders. You will feed us..."

...Feed them. Oh, I'll feed’em alright.

The stallion cackled around his gun. “Wree wrrr deffowrrr yrrr frrr Frrry!”

The stallion’s muffled voice made my eye twitch in anger. What did I say? What did I tell him? And yet... He STILL does it! I ground my teeth as I turned to glare daggers into him. “I told you... NOT TO DO THAT!” I seethed, feeling the last bit of patience for these nut-jobs flee with my voice. Why can’t these ponies ever follow the most SIMPLEST of instructions!? EVER!?

Their eyes widened from my sudden snap, taking a cautious step away from my booming voice. An urge swelled inside me. An urge demanding me to rid the itch of having a gun pointed at me. An urge that I no longer wished to fight. Could I still reverse? Talk to them? Get more answers? Calm down? No... I’m done being calm! Screw answers! The stallion’s eyes turned to pinpricks, my lips curling into an uncontrollable scowl that I had little doubt could petrify any so-called goddess they threw at me, finally giving him what they’ve been telling me I’d do for them. I fed him...

Time came to a crawl. Obviously it wasn't SATS... but maybe... maybe it was an instant second of regret, forcing me to recognize the pony just seconds away from taking a fatal shot to the head. I knew him... not just from my files, but I had met him. A maintenance stallion from the reactor level. He was in my office just two months ago, signing a marriage certificate with his... with his--

...Oh.

"... You... you... YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!" Blondie screamed, her husband collapsing with one less side of his face, the other side tearing apart before it splattered against her grey coat in red gory chunks. The mare even had to flinch from what I could only assume used to be part of his brain, landing in her mane like a wet blob of meat.

That scowl had faded even before the shotgun's barrel flashed, shortly replaced by a feeling of shock. Celestia... that was a bigger blast than I-- Godamnit, I didn't mean for the bastard's head to... do that. My whole body shook, my magic flickering, losing my aim and balance of the shotgun, honestly making an effort to point it away from anypony else, before I killed them too.

"I-I... I just-- I told him to-- He wouldn't--" I blinked, not able to look away from the stallion, now reduced to a twitching quivering heap on the grey-- -Eh, make that red- floor. "...You..." I stifled vomit from coming up my throat, trying to regain my composure. "...you ponies are under arrest... for treason... against Stable-Te--"

I barely got the sentence out, looking up to see Blondie's horn flash into its golden glow. My lungs just about collapsed, eyes widening at the sight of the stallion's shotgun being raised by the same aura. Thick streams of muddy tears ran down her cheeks as the gun roared between us, blasting me with the same buckshot that had just blown her lover's face off.

WHY ME!?

Maybe it was the tears clouding her vision, or her emotions making her aim impulsive, but whatever it was probably saved my life, the gun going off rather sloppily in my direction. I moved my own gun in the way of my face and chest, leaping to the floor. I shrieked in pain the whole way down, feeling the pellets dig and burn their way through my hide around the outline of my impromptu shield, the rest ricocheting off of the wall behind me. I landed next to Glossy's severed foreleg, just beyond her pistol, the same one that had left another hole in my leg. My shotgun was toast, catching the majority of the blast. Before her Pip-Buck's targeting spell could regenerate, my horn glowed again, picking up the 10mm. She'd turned back toward me with murderous intent in the meantime. I had no choice left. I frantically squeezed the trigger over and over, firing a barrage of burning lead in her direction until I heard the sudden climactic end of loud bangs replaced by metallic clicks.

Only a few bullets found their home in the mare’s chest before she fell to the floor with one last shallow gasp for air. She clenched her eyes shut from the pain, only for a second, before widening them in cold hard shock, never closing again. The last sound she ever made was a short gurgled cry, her body finally stopping it’s spasms, falling still. Dead.

I sighed, standing back up, still wobbling on my once again wounded leg. Thankfully the painkiller was still working its effects on my body, if only to allow me enough tolerance to stand. But I had no idea how much longer that would last.

I looked down at the three new bodies that now joined the security guard's. Damnit, the bastards couldn't expect me to just stand there and-- ARGH! He was gonna shoot me! And she was gonna do... whatever in hell she was really suggesting. And he wouldn't stop talking with that thing in his mouth, even after I TOLD him--! sigh... These ponies had it coming... I just wish I knew why!

My eyes narrowed onto Glossy Spring, who was still squirming to try and get away from me to the best of her ability... which was very limited at the moment.

Well... At least I still have options available...

"Alright Glossy..." I gave another click out the side of my mouth. "You’re up..." My horn glowed, wrapping my magic around her tail and pulling her back toward me.

“No! NO!” She cried, kicking and screaming while her remaining forehoof desperately clawed at the floor. I dragged her through the waiting room, passed the half eaten stallion, through the doorway and into the hall, all the way back to the elevator. She looked back at me, her struggle beginning to weaken along with her initial panic. “Y-you won’t get away with this, Charger! Folly will make you suffer for this!”

I shook my head and forced a chuckle. “Yeah... still don’t know what that is.” I pushed her against the wall and sat her up on her haunches. She let out another agonizing scream as she looked down to see her gory stub squirt another round of blood from her severed veins. She was losing blood too fast. That might be a problem if I still want answers. “Damnit... I’ll be back...” I muttered tiredly, before painfully hopping on three legs into clinic room two, only to return with a leather surgical belt levitated beside me. Glossy’s scream rang through the entire medbay as I buckled it around the base of her stub, biting down on the strap and pulling it tighter with my teeth to cut off the blood flow, prompting her to cry and wail even louder. “Hold still!” I snarled, making sure to pull the belt extra tight.

I brought her back to the elevator for a reason... I just hope this is worth my time, dealing with this wreck of a pony.

“Alright, that’ll do it...” I said, satisfied with the significantly less amount of blood draining from her body. Looks like I might have bought myself enough time. I picked one of the syringes off the floor and levitated it in front of her face. “Glossy... You ever hear of a game called sticks and carrots?”

*** *** ***

I groaned, shaking my head to stay focused again as I slowly stepped down every step of the stairwell. The painkiller was starting to ware off, while the pain in my side, not to mention my crippled foreleg, quickly began to resurge. My head ached from anxiety.

Those ponies... I’ve come across their files once or twice, not to mention the conversations I’ve had to endure with them during inspections. They weren't the type to join Platinum's nonsense. I would have known if they were like that! They were just... ponies. Emphasis on 'were' though. Whatever Platinum did... Celestia, she turned them into a bunch of psychopaths! They shot me! They threatened to-- sigh I had to give'em what was coming to'em.

Regardless, I still had blood on my hooves... literally. A pony could track my movements from the medbay waiting room to the upper levels of the Atrium, just by following the trail of blood splattered hoofprints.

Glossy Spring told me what I needed to know, at least enough before she finally passed out from blood loss. She'll be dead before she wakes up. Her end will be a little more peaceful than squirming on the floor for the rest of what remained of her life. Thankfully, she chose more ‘carrots’ than ‘sticks’, and the doses of the painkillers persuaded her. Looking back, I probably should have let her squirm a little longer and saved one more for myself. It's not like I owed her any favors. She did fill me in on what's been happening though. This Folly that Platinum mentioned... that... thing that came out of her... they think she’s some kind of goddess.

Damnit, it’ll take a field day to get all these crazies back on the wagon.

Apparently, they’ve left the stable to head to her... ‘sanctuary’. I could only guess what that meant. According to Glossy, they've been going around the Stable threatening to sacrifice anypony who didn't follow them. Anypony they sacrificed, they... cannibalized. I guess that explained the half-eaten security stallion. Eventually, somepony from outside the Stable showed up and took everypony who was left with them outside... like outside, outside.

Aqua and Kahn... I guess it was wishful thinking to expect Glossy to know anything about what happened to them. If these bastards took them, if they weren't... Celestia, if they were cooperative enough... then they’re out there somewhere. Somewhere... who knows where this ‘sanctuary’ is. But... FUCK! It doesn’t matter, does it? We don’t do search parties outside of the stable. Stable-Tec, the Execs, not even Diamond would ever approve of one. We’ll have to save whoever is left and close the stable door again. This time for good... While my best friend could be out there, and I can’t do a fucking thing about it! ...she might as well be dead.

Goddamn it, I swear... I’ll make them pay... Some were able to escape or hide from them. That was three days ago. A group of the bastards stayed behind to finish whoever might have been left when they were attacked by something else... a group of intruders. What did the one mare call them? Zekes? There was only one thing we used that term for and... No, there's no way that could be possible.

"Sparky..."

"H-huh?" My ears perked at my name as I looked around. It sounded like... a mare. A very familiar mare... Yet, all that was there were the narrow grey walls of the hallway to the living quarters. I sighed, shaking my head into focus again.

...I must be imagining things.

"Spark, you're still a doubter. That's your problem."

I heard it again. That voice... I'd recognize it anywhere. But it couldn't be...

"Oh, sorry I woke you Sparks."

"Platinum?" I asked to the dull, thin air.

"What are you afraid of Sparky?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I must have spun around several times now, expecting to see the steel colored Unicorn standing right behind me. Every time she spoke was as if she were nibbling at my ear. "Platinum!?"

"What do you want from me?"

I lost my balance and fell against the wall again. Just like in the medbay, everything was spinning. Still no sign of Platinum. I wanted to vomit, but I had nothing to throw-up. I clenched my eyes shut and groaned, the pain blistering my head. "You're... you're not really there! Shut up!"

“Do you not... believe me Sparky?”

Reality returned to me like molasses. I re-opened my eyes to find that I was face down on the floor. I picked myself back up with a painful groan, trying my best to ignore the rope of drool extending from my mouth. Oh, crap... how long was I out? I looked around again, thankful to find that the world around me was back in its place... for the most part anyway. I sighed, as I stared silently at the wall across from me. Yet another pony was slumped lifelessly against it, bullet holes surrounding her, all painted with the now all too frequent color of dark red. Just like the security stallion in the medbay, her hide had been torn and eaten by the other ponies. As my eyes adjusted, I’d noticed something else just above her. What I saw then, almost forced a chuckle from my lungs.

Courtesy of FUCK Stable-Tec and FUCK The Overmare of Stable 17. No need to thank JOIN us.

Now this screamed maintenance riots. So much for my vandalism theory... If that filly hadn't disproved it already. ’Memorialized vandalism with painted flowers’, what the hell was I thinking?

*** *** ***

Amazingly, I found my room, the door still wide open from when I left it last. I think that was to get a clean Stable jacket. I was happy to see that all of my belongings were still here. Well... most of them. I desperately grabbed one of my cans of water I'd kept on the shelf above my terminal. I poured it down my gullet faster than Kahn could pick a lock. I gasped for air after the entire can was empty, before moving on to my closet. After I zipped up my Stablesuit, I scanned the room one more time, hoping that the two crucial things that I still lacked would somehow have made their way to my room. More wishful thinking on my part...

No Pip-Buck... and no badge ID card. I won’t be able to move through the stable without them. At least not very efficiently... I usually left my ID hanging on my terminal. My Pip-Buck... Well, I usually left that on my foreleg. Who knows where that could have ended up...

A flashing light next to the terminal's screen suddenly caught my eye. A new message? Huh... must have been while we were arresting Platinum. Sucking in an anxious breath, I opened it.

Hey Spark, you left your Badge ID on the bar in the Atrium during the Cards Tournament the other night. You forgot to grab it after you paid for all those drinks. Don't worry, nopony used it. I brought it back down to the game room with me, and it's nice and safe in the cupboard. Stop by when you've got the time to grab it. And before you ask, the answer is still NO. Stop asking me.
-Cider Twist.

A sinful smirk threatened to tug at my lips as I read the pony’s name... before realizing the particular thought should be about the furthest thing from my mind right now. What was more important... was that... I WAS THE ONE WHO BOUGHT ALL THOSE DRINKS!!?? Ration slips don’t grow on our artificial trees you know!

Cider Twist was the bar mare in the game room. A beautiful white coat, apple red mane... and, unfortunately for me, has a suspected fondness for... let's see, how should I put this... fondness for other sources of femininity... which is an obvious violation of Stable 17 codes. But, I couldn’t really prove anything to security unless I caught her, and ponies like her don't exactly have an incentive to show off her... 'preferences' to the public. Eh... but, we went a ways back when we were in school, so I figured if she owed me a favor here or there, I could look the other way.

I like to think my deal with Aqua is more beneficial to her as a friend than my deal with Cider Twist. Her prescription costs come out of my end after all, cause that's what friends do, right?

Eh... but, I digress...

I guess the game room is my next best bet. I shut off my terminal and prepared to head back out. If Glossy was right, I can expect a whole lot more trouble my way. I’d better grab what I can. I hastily levitated my old saddlebag out from under my bed, brushing aside some just as old -and just as dirty- magazines, and draped it across my back. Quickly turning back to my desk, I opened its drawers and levitated out some other useful trinkets of mine: A Pip-Buck glove -without a Pip-Buck- to fit around my left forehoof, and a fitted horseshoe -molded with a brass bumper in front- to hide underneath it.

Haven’t used this since my Pink Clearance days. I guess it’s one thing I can thank Rail Shot for... Let’s see, what else?

I sighed with relief as I spotted my cigarette lighter atop my desk, quickly wrapping my magic around it.

*Clink-Flick*

Check...

After sliding the leather glove over my brass-hoof, I began checking what ammo I had left. Let’s see... one empty mag for the 10mm, and four rounds of buckshot versus an army of armed and angry nut-jobs... Yeah, I’d fold this hand if I wasn’t already all-in... I gave a regretful sigh as I kept the pistol in my jacket, while I slung the shotgun over my back. It's not much, but since Aqua confiscated my firearms, it's all the protection I can take right now. I'm going to need to keep confrontations with these asshats to a minimum. Well... guess it’s a good thing the power's out. Sneaking around will be a lot easier in the dark.

My stomach suddenly grumbled, reminded of the diner next to the game room. I'd forgotten I hadn't eaten anything for who knows how long. The water helped, but I'm still pretty far from healthy. Maybe stopping by the diner wouldn't be such a bad idea. Hopefully it wasn't already looted dry like the medbay.

With one last anxious sigh of mental preparation, I opened the door and limped back out into the hallway, trying to crouch low to stick to the shadows. Something that was well rehearsed after snooping around in places I wasn’t exactly welcomed in my whole life. I guess that’s every place now...

Well... might as well go try my luck. Time to go gambling...

*** *** ***

"It's bad. She ambushed her, and now she's dead!"

Well, that could have gone better.

As soon as I rounded the corner of the hallway, at least four more greaseball rioters spotted me. I was barely able to lose them before they could pump my hide full of lead. One thing was for sure, those weapons weren’t just Stable Security weapons. Some were even automatic. Sure, maybe sometimes an assault rifle would pop up here or there, usually only by Execs, and I’ll admit, even I got my hooves on one once or twice, but now almost every other maintenance pony was carrying one.

I remembered what Glossy Spring had told me. Those outsiders she was talking about must have been the ones slipping arms through maintenance somehow. What I wouldn’t give to wrap my magic around one of their guns...

Outsiders... I swear, every time we have contact it represents the erosion of what we’ve always believed the world to be: A desolate wasteland of nothing outside the stable. The intel department, headed by Kahn, has always given that depiction, using the data collected from nearby outside terminals and other stables, accessed via underground connection. Yet here we are again. I’m not so sure if we’ll be able to cover it up this time around...

I had trotted back to the stairwell and descended two more floors, all the while listening to them shouting after me, still trying to figure out where I’d gone. I could hear them everywhere, breaking down doors, looting rooms, and calling out for any survivors that might still be holding out. I thought I might have been the only one. That is, until I came across a stallion and a dead maintenance mare. Slowly, I tried creeping passed him as he shouted to more maintenance ponies in the next room behind his.

“Shit! The zekes aren't down here already, are they!”

“No, no. It’s her again!”

“We need to find that heretic! She could be anywhere!”

“She couldn’t have gone far!”

I contemplated galloping in there and knocking him out with a loose pipe or something, take his ammo and gun for good measure... which would bring the entire maintenance department down on me. No, play it safe, Spark. There’ll be time for that later. One step at a time.

I thought back to what they said as I continued to sneak through the shadowed dark corridors of the stable hallways. They said another mare attacked them. Well, thank Celestia for small favors! That means there’s somepony down here who still has their damn sanity! But, as much as I wanted to find somepony else on my side, I didn’t have the time to check every nook and cranny for survivors. At least it didn’t feel like I had time. I’d feel a whole lot better if I had the ability to bring up my clock on my Pip-Buck... or you know... THE MAP MAYBE!?

I could only really make things up as I went along.

I passed yet another assembly of maintenance ponies, searching room by room at the end of the hallway as I entered the game room. I didn’t have much time. I watched them slowly conquer each room, door by door, down the hall. I needed to get out fast before they get to this door. I shut it behind me and turned on the light switch. They all flickered on with hesitation, only half of them actually working, but at least it was enough light for me to work with.

I made my way to the bar, passing the empty card tables, slot machines, and billiards tables. It was strange not to see anypony in here. Usually, the place was packed no matter what time of day you showed up, unless one of the Execs reserved it. Even then, the game room was very lively. Now, the only thing that held the crushing silence back was the haunted sputtering music playing from the jukebox.

*Static*” ...how it’s gonna be.” *Static* “…-ou’re gonna gi-...” *Static* “...love to me. I wanna love you night and day.” *Static* “…-ou know my love’ll never fade away.” *Static*

I froze, glaring down at yet another lifeless pony slumped over a card table, surrounded by scattered cards and the dealer’s bank of ration slips and aptitude credits. What was surprising, was that he was wearing Stable coveralls. He was a maintenance pony.

Well, what the hell killed this guy?

Shaking my head back into focus, I returned to my goal of finding my Badge ID. Contemplating a pony’s death wasn’t going to get me anywhere, especially with the sound of incoming hoofsteps getting closer to the room.

Finally, I made it around the bar and began searching through every cupboard and liquor cabinet in sight. “Come on, where the hell is it?” I was able to open most of them, although some I had to break off their hinges due to them being locked. Nothing a little brute magic couldn’t fix. Yet, still no ID card. Damnit Cider! Where’d you put it!? It was when I spotted the very last thing I hadn’t opened -the thing I had been trying to avoid out of the corner of my eye- that I deadpanned and slammed my head against the countertop, groaning in disappointment.

NOT a cupboard... Of course it couldn’t have been as simple as that! No, it had to be a wall safe... A locked wall safe. Fan-freakin’-tastic...

I thought back to what Cider Twist had said in her message about her keeping it ‘safe’ for me.

I know what you’re thinking, ‘a rebellious pony like me in my youth, never learned how to pick a lock?’ Well, it’s not that! I knew my way around a padlocked drawer or a personal liquor cabinet, no problem! But... sometimes picking a pocket for a key or hacking a terminal was better than wasting your time with bobby pins and a screwdriver. I never bothered to carry anything like that around with me very often. As a Stable Loyalty Inspector, I was expected to know my way in and out of other residents’ quarters, offices, and departments, not to mention to access any goodies they might have stashed away somewhere. And sure, I got the job done by stealing room cards or hacking terminals. But, lock-picking the real tight stuff like safes or doors was more of Diamond’s or Kahn’s thing.... and Platinum’s... and I’m pretty sure Glitter was pretty skilled with a bobby pin in her teeth, and then Aqua... OKAY! So, everypony was good at it but me, you happy!?

The only pony who’d have the key was Cider Twist, and unless she’s hiding or dead somewhere in this room, I’m pretty screwed.

I looked around one last time before hearing the hoofsteps from the hall grow even louder. They sounded like they were just outside the door now. Damnit! My EFS would be useful right about now! My eyes narrowed on another door near the back of the room. Without seeing any other options, I quickly moved over and opened it.

Fuck! I’ll have to come back for my badge later. Maybe I could find a key in Cider’s Pink level cle-- “GYAAH!” I was suddenly met by a strong pair of hind legs apple-bucking me to the floor. I wheezed, my lungs going flat from the force of the impact. Growling from the pain of both the kick AND the pressure surging through my wounds, I tried to recover, only for the pony to wrap their forehooves around my neck.

Goddamnit! Could this morning get any worse?

"You're not gonna eat me, you son of a bitch!" I heard her scream, as I attempted to struggle back with her.

Wait a minute, I knew that voice...

I peered into her angry ruby eyes as my own forelegs held her body back. "Glitter!? Stop, damnit! It's me!"

I felt her body freeze as if she were ordered to do so by the Overmare herself. Her eyes widened, looking down at me, half shocked, as her body remained on top of mine. "S-Sparky?" Her voice whimpered through her trembling lips and frantic breaths. “Is... Is it really you?”

"No, it’s Moonbeam McFuckyourself- OF COURSE IT'S ME, DUMBASS!" I growled. "Now get the hay off of me!" I pushed her body off of mine, with a little help from my telekinesis. She let out a feminine squeak as she fell to the floor beside me. But, before I could even stand back up, I found myself suddenly wrapped in her forelegs again, though this time it was a much more welcoming embrace. Oh, Celestia, has Tartarus frozen over? I can’t even remember the last time she hugged me... I tensed, feeling her head find a rather tender crevice in my neck.

Was she... cuddling me!? Ah geez... hugging the Chief of Security usually isn’t on my list of things I like to do, no matter who it is. I wanted to push her away, until her breath began to shudder, and my ears drooped at the sound of her crying.

"Oh Celestia, Spark..." She whimpered between emotional breaths. "I thought you were dead! I-I... I left you and everypony in the elevator and-... Oh fuck! I'm so sorry! I was scared! When they found you, they said you were all alone, and-... They said you were dead! I-I'm so sorry! Everypony... they're gone! Aqua and Kahn, they... These sons of bitches! I thought I was the only one left!"

I coughed as her pink mane obstructed my breathing, which I was currently only able to do through my mouth thanks to my nostril tissues. I blew her mane out of the way and patted her head, rather awkwardly. Oh, you can't blame me! It’s been years since I’ve seen tough and strong-willed Glitter Punch act this way.

"Shhh!" I hushed her, more out of fear that somepony would hear her, than to actually comfort her. I didn’t need my EFS to know that those ponies were right behind that wall. They'll hear her sniffling and pouting if she doesn’t suck it up. "U-um... well... I'm here now... uh... it's okay, I guess... just uh..."

Oh for fuck sakes Glitter, stop crying! Please...

I sighed, prying her away from the emotional hug as I looked her over. Blood, presumably not her own, was splattered across her body and security uniform, as if some aggravated painter had flicked a paintbrush at her, after swabbing it in a red puddle. Her eyes were still filled with tears, as I glared at her and...

Oh Celestia, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that face. The face of that charcoal-coated and pink-maned traumatized filly. Glitter Punch would never back down from a fight... a very different mare from the one quivering in my hooves at this very moment. The helpless stare she was giving me right now, was one of fear, worry, and desperation. Whatever she’d experienced since down here has practically broken her. So... I probably shouldn't blame her for wanting to cling to anything that could remind her of a time before all tartarus broke loose. And right now, that apparently was the raggedy colt she knew from her foalhood.

She sighed, finally calming herself down a bit, wiping her tears and nose with a small gloomy giggle. “You look like shit...”

“Oh I’m super.” I forced a smirk, lasting an impressive few seconds before a concern rose from the depths of my mind. "Glitter, do you know what the hay is going on? Why the fuck is Maintenance--? Luna! They're EATING other ponies! They threatened to eat ME! I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen the bodies..."

She maneuvered her forehoof to cover her mouth in disgust, having to swallow whatever it was that almost came up her throat. "I... I know... did the same to me... I've been hiding out here, just... trying to keep them away. Sometimes going out there to try and get information, but... There's always more of them... And I... I don't think it's only the maintenance department..."

I sat down next to her and sighed. "Yeah... I got a little bit of info from one that I ran into... Remember Glossy Spring? Old friend in Maintenance... and when I say 'old'..." I raised my bloody bullet pierced foreleg in front of her to show exactly what I meant by the word. "...The stuff they've been following these passed months... seems whatever is outside the stable has similar beliefs. That has to be where they got all these weapons. Damnit, I can't believe we didn't catch this before! They've had secret contact with the outside all this time!"

"It... it's Platinum..." She said quietly as she glared down between her hooves. "She's the one who's been telling them to do this... our friend..." She stomped her hoof, a bubble of anger bursting through her sorrowful expression. "What the FUCK was she thinking!!? And just... just WHY!?"

The mention of 'friends' pushed another concern to the forefront of my mind. “You see what happened to anypony else? Aqua? Kahn? ...Diamond?”

She clenched her eyes shut, looking as if she were about to break down again, before shaking her head. “I don’t know...”

I gave a solemn nod, trying to keep the thought of the ponies I’ve known all my life out of my head. “I saw Kahn and Aqua get dragged off. Whatever happened to them after that... I... I don’t think I’d want to know.”

“Oh, Celestia…” She shuddered, wiping another tear from her cheek.

C’mon, Glitter... No time for mourning.

I sighed, shutting out the rest of the fates of my friends... for now. “Well, I guess it's just us then..." I gave her a skeptical glare. "That is... unless you've got better places to be..." After giving me a puzzled look, I rolled my eyes. "...elevator." I said, flatly.

The mare couldn't look anymore crushed as I said that. "Spark! I--! I said I was sorry! I... I wouldn't ever leave you behind, I was just thinking so fast, and I was--!"

"...scared. I get it." I shook my head with a shrug. "Look, just focus on what to do right now..." My brow suddenly arched at the unfamiliar darkness around us. "Hey, where the hell are we anyway?”

She sniffled before trotting over to a light switch and hitting it, illuminating the entire room. The floor was a pattern of black and white tiles, while shiny red booths contrasted with the grey walls and shiny steel stools along the bar. “Uh... the diner. Geez, did you hit your head in the crash?”

“Oh... right...” My eyes locked with a familiar looking jukebox in the corner.

Something was really off. I knew the diner was next to the game room. I’ve always known that. Hell, I just told myself that, not twenty minutes ago! What’s wrong with me? I swear, it felt as if my mind was slipping away from me...

Glitter gave me a look when I did nothing but shrug her off, but she seemed to care enough as she continued to look over my bodily trauma with concern. It wasn’t until I noticed her concerned look turn to fear that I figured she finally saw some red dots on her EFS closing in on our position. “Alright...” I sighed, “...please tell me you have a way out of here.” I kept my voice hushed as I limped over to her.

She attempted to calm herself down some more as I finally began to recognize the mare I knew once again. “Yeah. I’ve... I’ve got a plan. C’mon...” She only took a few steps forward before stopping and turning back to me with another worried look. “Did they feed you anything while you were under?”

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk: Grey Morality - You do not hesitate to cross professional and ethical boundaries in pursuit of your own vision of justice. 15% attack damage increase when engaged with enemies who have a different Karma level than yourself.