So many rules to remember, so many damned rules! It was my seventh week being a security mare, and it sucked ass! I was hoping to be able to explore the stable being in security, you know take a look around the lower levels and stuff; but I’ve been in training, learning about the rules and stuff. There are over what two-hundred rules? Nah don’t think about it Ink Heart, soon I’ll be out of this class room.
In Security training you learn how track ponies using your security pipbuck, how to use fire arms, and of course, rules… I don’t even know how to fight. Seeing that the other security mares know how to fight, I thought I would learn in training, but they say it’s just in the experience; but if you looked at some of the security mares, you could tell that they had learned from an expert how to fight.
Looking down at my textbook I looked at the diagram of a security shotgun; all the parts I needed to know about. The great thing about Stable 97 is that we have semiautomatic shotguns; which meant you didn’t need to be a unicorn to use one, so a pegasus like myself can use one!
“Ink Heart pay attention or else you’re going to have to take another week of training.” Apple Crunch scolded me. She was a bitch to me, and just because I hated being in class. A few weeks ago I made a paper air plane out of my ten-millimeter pistol notes, and she made me take an extra four days of class to re-do the lesson! Can’t I just pass this stupid class and become a full security mare; I mean my mother was one of the best; she was always loyal to the overseer.
“Ms. Ink Heart please finish your notes on the Security shotgun.” She scolded at me slamming a hoof into her desk, sending a pencil rolling off her desk and onto the floor.
“Yes ma’am,” I said picking up my pencil in my mouth and flipped the page in the textbook. I wrote in my note book for another half hour I felt a hoof tap on my shoulder. Looking over I saw my friend Berry Splat, a new security mare just like me; I think she is a few weeks after me, but after all the lessons I have had to re-do, I think were at the same level now.
“Ink Heart whatcha going to do tonight?” She whispered to me keeping her eyes on her notepad, and still levitating her pencil.
I looked at her Pale Mulberry colored coat, and looked back at my paper. “I was going to sleep, why?” I asked her whispering, and keeping my eyes on Apple Crunch.
“Just wanted to know if you were going to wright more of your stories.” She whispered back to me wiping a lock of cerise colored mane out of her eye. “I love reading them.” She smiled looking at me.
I looked back for a second or two and returned the smile; it always made me feel good when other ponies liked my stories. I wrote them about how it was like before the Great War, before stables, and before the mega spells fell. Mostly I loved writing stories about true love and stuff like that; my most recent story was about a zebra and unicorn who fell in love, and there was no war to tell them they couldn’t. Sometimes I wrote stories just for Berry Splat, the last one I wrote for her was about two ponies, one a unicorn and one an earth pony, who fell in love, and moved to Canterlot to live a life of their own.
Around an hour later I turned in my shotgun notes to Apple Crunch, and walked out of the class room, and into the hallway. The Security classroom was right next to the security HQ and the armory; which was protected by Snow Puff at all during the day, and Snow Ball at night. They were twins, both had a white coat, light blue eyes, and a black mane, the only way to tell them apart was to look at their cutie marks. Snow Puff had had a brown shield surrounded by three smaller brown shields as a cutie mark, and Snow Ball had a riot shield as a cutie mark.
I was walking back to my room when Berry Punch came up from behind me. “Hey want to eat lunch with me?” She asked playfully punching me in my shoulder, like she always did when talking to me.
“Sure,” I shrugged as we both made our way to the stable’s diner. Having a friend was great, she was always there for me, and I would be there for her if she needed help; I just wish we could have met earlier, like when we were small foals. I still remember my teacher Ms. Crayons, she always cared for me when I was a foal, and it was a good thing too; because sometimes my mom would work late, and she would be the only one to care for me.
School was never easy for me, I was placed in a class room full of unicorns, so I was the only one that couldn’t use magic; which did I say sucked? They could have placed me in Ms. Textbook’s room, with the other Pegasus, right? Oh well, anyway I spent years in Ms. Crayons room, learning history, math, reading, and some science. Once I got my pipbuck I went into survival training; which was easy for me, I loved to learn about how to survive if the outside world wasn’t radiated. That class was the best two years of my life, we had a saying water first, food second, shelter, and then fire. Wait, or was fire before food? Maybe shelter was before food, no it can’t be, Dear Celestia I am confused.
As we walked into the diner I shook my head to clear away my thoughts, I just needed to stay away from thinking about school. Let’s see what’s being served here. Looking at the food behind placed on my plate. The food looked good today; we had hay chips, apple bites, and a snack cake. I wondered what flavor the snack cake was; I loved raspberry, but they were usually blue berry, or was it lemon? Oh well, I’ll find out soon enough.
Berry Slat sat down on a table next to the door, and I followed behind her. Sitting my rump on the benches’ cushion I started to eat my hay chips, delicious! Even if this food was recycled from watery pony poo, it was still good, and tasted nothing like what it was before it had been eaten over two hundred years ago by one of the first ponies in the stable.
“Good stuff, makes you think about what food was two hundred years ago.” Berry Splat said after swallowing her first mouth full of food. Everypony thought about what it must had been like before the Great War; but only Berry Splat could wonder about every single thing before the world. Like normal ponies think about green grass, and fresh apples falling from a tree, or maybe they would think about huge cities, and families. Berry Slat thinks about how they built the buildings, or maybe how deferent the water might have been.
After a few more mouth fulls of food I looked across the room where I saw two ponies talking, and keeping an eye on us. What? I had seen the two ponies before; one was the Oversee, Green Pen, and the other one was head of security Hot Pepper. Wired names I know, but they suit them, Green Pen got her name because her coat is a light green, her long mane is a dark green, and she loves to wright in green ink. Hot Pepper got her name because she has a bright orange coat, and a dark red mane, and she loves hot foods; which the stable didn’t really have.
My eyes shot back to my tray as I noticed that they stopped when I looked at them. Well shit. Just don’t do it again Ink Heart, nothing will happen. I continued eating my food keeping my eyes on the grey tray in front of me. Just stay calm, don’t look over, are they still watching me? Wait don’t look over, they will leave once they are done looking. Is there something in my mane? I lifted a hoof and searched my purple and black stripped mane. Nope nothing there. What about my coat, am I dirty? I looked down at my light blue mane. Nothing there. Wait my feathers, there not preened! Oh Celestia I’m a filthy Pegasus, I must look horrible. My eyes shot over to where the two were standing to try to explain why my feathers weren’t preened; but then I ended up staring at a grey wall. They were gone. I felt a little bit out raged that I just took the time to worry about looking good when they were already gone. But I may as well finish my food before preening my feathers.
“Are you okay Ink Heart?” Berry Splat asked me with a smile. It was like she didn’t even notice the two ponies of authority.
“Green Pen and Hot Pepper were talking about me over there; but know there gone.” I said feeling stress building up inside me. My life is over!
“Oh yah I saw them, it sure looks like you’re in deep shit.” I shot a worrisome look at her, I felt like I was going to cry. Then I saw her smile. Why the hell was she smiling at a time like this? I was on the chopping block here; I was going to be killed soon, or recycled, or whatever else they do to bad ponies. I felt the tears swelling up in my eyes, when she started laughing… She was teasing me, wasn’t she?
“Dude I’m kidding, they were just talking.” She banged her hoof into the table laughing. That’s one thing that I didn’t like her doing, teasing me. The ass. But she was my friend, so I won’t beat her ass when I get my baton for the first time.
“Not funny,” I said, my emotions returning to normal. She did this all the time; whenever I was acting like my life was over, she would push me to the edge of breaking down. I never reached that point luckily, but I’ve been close before.
“It was funny,” She said levitating a few chips in her mouth. She chewed, and swallowed them within a few seconds. “They were just talking about something to do with the stable.” She ate more of her chips.
“What with the stable?” I asked starting to sound nervous again. So help me if the stable is crashing down on us again, yes again, then I’m going to rip open that damned stable door, and go out and breathe in the radiation levels until I die. Last time it happened we almost… don’t think about it… its over know… and that’s that.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t lessening.” She admitted taking a bite out of her snack cake.
We both finished eating our food without words, and then we both walked down the hallway to out room talking about our parents, when they were alive that is. I dropped her off in her room, and then I started to go to my room, just a few hallways away from hers.
I unlocked my door using my pipbuck, and then I walked into my very unclean room. I never had time to pick up my jump suits. Well I could pick them up know; but I need to relax because I had stuff to do tonight. Wait no I don’t. What am I talking about I have the whole night off, and that when ill clean my room, later, not now, later.
I flopped onto the couch and looked at my scrap covered coffee table. Yah out of my entire room my coffee table was the messiest. I had everything you could think of on that table; bobby pins, cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles, notepads, pencils, pins, and all the other stuff I find laying the stable. Oh, once I found a screw driver too! I was walking to Survival class a few years ago, and I found this red handled screw driver just lying in the hallway, I picked it up, and took it back to my room. From that day forth I’ve been practicing on picking locks. But I never stole! I would never steal something from a fellow pony. Sure the screw driver belonged to somepony, but they lost it, and I found it. Anyways the handle was kind of cracked at the end, and if somepony found it, it would have been recycled into a new one.
********************************
I woke up to the sound of knocking on my door. Looking at my pipbuck I looked at the time on my pipbuck and saw that it was eight at night. Wait no its ‘am’ Its morning! Shit my backs going to hurt after sleeping on this couch.
Getting up I trotted as fast as I could to the door, and opened it. “Yes?” I asked franticly before the door was open all the way. Once it was open all the way I saw Hot Pepper standing in the door frame.
“Ink Heart,” She said raising her chin. “Can you meet me in security?” Shit I was in trouble wasn’t I? She turned not waiting for repose from me.
I sat there for a second asking myself ‘what the hell just happened’ when I remembered that I had to be at security! Running back into my room leaving the door open; I grabbed my saddle bags, for some odd reason, and then I was back out the door, basically sprinting out down the hall. I had to get to security fast; I hope I still have a job.
Once I reached the security room I looked in, seeing a whole group of ponies, including Berry Splat, I felt a little more relived. I trotted in trying to stay as quite as possible; but right as I took my first six steps in everypony looked at me, and I mean everypony. I wanted to his myself from the ten plus ponies staring at me; but instead I just trotted up to Berry Splat.
“So glad you could join us Ink Heart.” Green Pen said at a desk with a terminal on it; she was using her telekinesis to type on it.
Berry Splat gently punched me in my shoulder, and gave me a friendly smile. She was happy to be here; maybe it’s not as bad as I thought.
“Okay, I know I already told you mares about what the plane it and you probably don’t want to hear it again, so I’ll just give Ink Heart the memo we got from Stable-Tec.” Green Pen said plugging in a cord to the terminal. Memo form who?
I walked over to her, feeling everypony looking at me, and she plugged the cord into my pipbuck. Damn it why is everypony staring at me! I wanted to scream at them to look away; but that would make it worse.
“Okay you can go read this.” She said unplugging my pipbuck, and giving me a little shove. Trotting back to Berry Punch I checked to see if everpony was still looking at me. They weren’t, luckily; because I was blushing I think.
I picked up my leg and turned to my notes, and there it was, in bright yellow letters read ‘Memo to Stable 97, from Stable-Tec.’ I clicked on it and began reading it.
Stable97, as of right know it is safe to leave your stable, and walk the surface once again. It has been two hundred years since the Great War ended with the Megaspells falling on Equstria, and now it is safe once again to live on the surface, and to restore the old pony ways form before.
What! The radiation levels have cleared! This is great, wonderful, this will change my life! I mean sure we will have to restore the wasteland; but come on I’m going to get to see the surface, well we will get to see the surface. No more being cramped up in here anymore! I’m going to be free, of course I’m hoping ill still get to sleep in here, but I’ll go outside every day! Okay focus, just keep reading the memo.
The world outside your stable has been ravaged by war, and nuclear warfare; but stay calm because over the past two-hundred years radiation levels on the outside surface have declined! So Stable-Tec is asking you (the overseer) to send out a group of ponies to study the surface, so later you can move out forever! This group should be made up of security mares, scientists, and a Ponitron. The Ponitron needs to be programed with the file I sent you. Every security mare should be carrying a tent, food, water, and will carry science equipment. Thank you.
Wow, this is really happening. I’m going outside! But wait, why me? I need to go talk to Hot Pepper about this. As I started to stand up some mare that I could not identify dropped a duffle bag in front of me.
“Hi there, my name is Microscope, and you’re going to be my security guard when were outside.” The earth pony told me smiling, and making sure her glasses weren’t falling off of her face.
I was stunned at first at this mare that just commanded me to be here ‘security guard.’ What the hell? Well I guess this is the overmare’s idea, not hers. No its Stable-Tec’s idea, and I’m in a good mood that they sent that memo to us, so I won’t bitch about this. “Well good to meet you Microscope, my name is-”
“Ink Heart, I already know your name.” She said in what I think as a bratty tone, but I never understood these medical ponies. “So here is my bag, you can pack to how ever you want; but be careful because some of the stuff will break.” She unzipped the bag with her teeth revealing the silver objects in the inside of the bag. I stepped forward and moved my hoof trough the bag; all sorts of gadgets laid in the bag, glass and metal.
I packed the items, and looked back up to her ready for another order; but she just gave me a dead look, and then I looked over to Berry Slat. She was dealing with her own egg head and her equipment. I wanted to talk to somepony, somepony that I knew; but looking around the room I saw ponies that I have never talked to, and I never knew their names.
“Ink Heart,” a strong voice came from my right, looking over I saw Hot Pepper. Reaching into her saddle bags with her mouth she pulled a large light green bag out of it. She tossed it to my hooves, and smiled. I couldn’t tell if that was a good smile, or one that I should be nervous about. She must have noticed my face, and her smile turned friendlier. “Easy, it’s just some supplies for the trip. You’re lucky that the overmare wanted you for this mission.” Saying that she walked over to the next group of ponies, and gave them a sack too.
Okay, so not screwed yet, let’s keep it that way. I bent over to the sack, and opened it; inside of it sat the supplies that it said in the memo to have, water bottles, little silver pouches of food, and a very small tent, and I mean a very small tent. Flipping the tent roll in my hands I looked at the small piece of fabric, could the two of us really fit in this thing? Tossing the test to the side I looked inside the empty bag. Wait it’s not empty! I reached my hoof inside, and pulled out a black holster. I moved it around in my hooves until I found that it had a pistol inside; I pulled it out and checked it out, it was a nine-millimeter pistol with a small flash light attached to the end.
I had a gun, a real gun, does this mean I’m in security now? Nah I haven’t past security training yet; this can count as a, well a training mission, right? Well I’ll get to see the outside! Putting the gun back in its holster I wondered where to strap it on. Looking around the room I saw other security mares with the guns strapped to there for leg up by their shoulder. That looked about right; it would make it easier to reach, and it looked pretty cool too.
It was kind of difficult strapping it on using my one hoof, and my teeth; but after thirty seconds or so I finally got it on my right shoulder. I looked like a badass with this gun on. Trotting over to the only mirror in the room I flipped down my helmet’s visor, and looked into the mirror. Yep I looked badass. My black and purple striped mane stuck out of the one side of my helmet, and went over my pistol. It kind of sucked that my pistol was being covered; I wanted everypony to know that I was armed.
“Whoa look who is looking snazzy.” Berry Splat teased me sending a hoof into my shoulder. Looking over I saw that she had a sweet riot shotgun holstered to her back, and a first aid kit strapped to her left side.
“Hey I like having a gun, it makes me feel… cooler.” I said looking back into the small mirror.
“Well I think where about to leave; you better get your supplies.” Saying that she trotted back to her partner.
Time to go outside, now since I think about it I am kind of nervous; I mean what if it’s still radiated outside, and we all die? Nah its safe, Stable-Tec said it was, and I think they know what they’re talking about.
“Let’s move ponies!” Somepony shouted from somewhere inside the room, and then a few seconds later the small crowd started to move outside the room. I hurried and made sure my saddle bags were tight on my body, and then I ran out the doorway.
*****************************
There it is the Stable door. It was way bigger than I thought, and it alone protected Stable97 from the Mega Spells that fell over two-hundred years ago. What’s past this door? Death maybe? I hope it’s not death, I really hope it’s not death; maybe a new life?
“Okay mares; when we get outside stay together, and don’t wander off! If you do you may never see the stable again.” Hot peppers shouted from a large control table across the room. No body spoke as she turned switches and tapped on gauges. Then it happened; the stable door squeaked an awful metal on metal sound, and it slowly slid out of its socket. Rolling off to one side a blast of warm air rushed into the stable, I thought I was going to fall back, it felt so good!
I was pushed a little by a larger mare from my left that had a golden coat; looking up to her she mouthed ‘go.’ I wanted to slug her in her jaw; but then I saw that all the other mares had already started to walk up the narrow tunnel that led to the surface.
“Thanks,” I said to the mare before trotting to catch up to the heard of ponies. The rocky hallway seemed to shrink a little before it reached a small wooden door. Light beamed through the tunnel as somepony pushed open the door.
Dear Celestia I thought I would go blind when I stepped outside. My world filled with bright white light, and I think I shrieked a little; but nobody seemed to notice because they were busy being blinded themselves.
Once my eyes adjusted to the light after what; ten, thirty seconds? Wait? I’m outside! Looking around where I stood in front of the wooden door; just staring up, at the sky. It felt amazing to look up at the sky, even if it was overcast out here, it still felt amazing.
Damn my wings ach! Flexing my wings I tried to whip the aching feeling away; but it just came back, shit. My eyes went from the overcast sky, to the vast horizon. Yellow and grey covered the land scape; until my eyes hit a building not too far away from where we were. But then my eyes went from me, down the steep, rocky mountain side, then across the open filed beyond. It was kind of far. Damn I wanted to check it out.
Being shoved a little from the yellow unicorn again, I started to make my way down the steep hill. I slipped a little in some mud; but after a few slips and skids I started to maneuver around the mud and small streams of water that flowed down the hill.
I think we walked for an hour or so until we came to a stop; I could still see the mountain that we just walked down, but the stable was out of sight at this point in the journey.
“Look, other ponies!” A young blue mare shouted excitedly from my left side. I nudged to her side to see ‘who’ she was looking at.
What the hell? There was a dozen or so ponies running towards us, and a… what was it? A griffin, yah a griffin; it was flying a few feet above the unicorns, and earth ponies. Outsiders, no not outsiders; just ponies from another stable.
“Wait a second,” I said to myself taking a step forward. These ponies looked hurt; they were covered with blood, and had their weapons drawn. Shit they must have been attacked by something! I wanted to trot up to them and offer my help; but then a volley of gunfire started. I don’t know who shot first; but once it started it was hell. Blood flew onto my security barding as I grabbed my pistol in my teeth, and fired a blind shot at the other group. I missed of course; but that didn’t stop me from shooting four more shots in their direction, all misses.
I started to sprint through the crowd of Stable97 ponies; when I felt my back leg buckle, and waves of pain shot up my body. Screaming in pain, and dropping my gun, I fell to the ground in a heap. “Medic!” I screamed flipping onto my back, and grabbing my leg with my hooves. Shit my leg was gushing blood all over my security armor. It barely missed my barding on my leg; if the bullet would have hit me a few inches higher, I wouldn’t be on the ground right now, what luck I have.
After a few seconds of trying to get the bleeding to slow down, I looked to my right. Dear Celestia it was a mess, dead medical and security mares lay dead in the dirt; their bodies full of holes, and there cloths were covered with gore.
“Medic!” I screamed again turning to my left, and seeing a mare running towards me. Thanks the goddess I was going to be saved!
“Ink Heart get off the ground!” It was Hot Pepper, and she looked like she had been shot a few times; because her one side was covered with blood.
“My leg, I’m-” I started as a bullet zipped past my ear.
“Get off the ground an-” She started to scream at me when a bullet went right through her head; sending her to the ground, and sending blood, and brain mater onto my face.
I had to get up, and go get help from the stable; but my leg, I couldn’t run… Wait I’m a Pegasus, I could fly!
Pulling my self half way up, I flapped my wings as hard as I could. A wave of pain hit my spine as I pushed off of the ground using my hind legs. I picked up speed quickly thinking about how I could die any second.
I had only been flying for twenty seconds when something hit me hard on my back. Screaming in pain I kicked as I free fell through the sky. Holy hell I’m high off the ground!
“Take this you slut!” There was somepony on top of me; somepony was attacking me, and I couldn’t see them! More pain surged through my body as something sharp slashed at my neck.
“Ffuuck!” I screamed reaching a hoof up to my neck; but my hoof was welcomed by a slash. Tears poured from my eyes as I watched the ground speed towards me. This is how I was going to die, crushed into the ground?
“See yah later bitch.” The pony yelled gripping my wing with something, and twisting it farther than it could naturally; once my wing snapped, she pushing off my back. Many thoughts went through my mind before I hit the ground; a few about the stable, a few about the attackers. But the biggest thought that past my mind in the few seconds that I had left to live, was if Berry Splat would live to see another day. That was my biggest hope, for her to live.
*************************
I knew death was a bitch; but nobody told me it was so dark in the afterlife. My body felt cold; but I couldn’t see my body. I felt gentle hooves touching my body, but couldn’t see the kind ponies. Life ended for me, but yet, I felt alive; I could feel my heart beating, and my lugs inhaling and exhaling. Every once in a while I felt pain, but it left almost right as it started.
Wait, a light, its coming to me. NO IM OPENING MY EYES! Dear Celestia my eyes are opening! I can see light, yellow light! Am I back in the stable? No I’m not, this room is stone not metal. Wait who is that?
Opening my mouth I tried to speak to the blurry pony sitting at the terminal across the room; but nothing came out, no words. Trying over and over again, I tried to get the pony’s attention.
As my vision started to clean, I looked around the small room; cracks covered the walls, and small metal tables surrounded the room. One of the metal tables had a small foal laying on it; bandages covered her one foreleg, and she sobbed slightly.
My vision was almost clean; looking over to the pony at the terminal I noticed that the ‘pony’ wasn’t a pony, it was a griffin. His talons taped at the terminal, as his eyes stared into the glowing green screen.
I tried to roll off the bed, but instead I just hit a tray on a small table with my hoof, sending medical instruments falling to the ground.
“Look whose back from the dead.” Looking up I saw that the griffin was walking towards me. I stuck my hoof out in front of my face, making sure that I didn’t get attacked by this griffin.
“Get away from me.” I croaked weakly sitting up on my metal table. Tilting to my left I started to fall off the table. Shit!
“Whoa there,” The griffin said catching me with one arm, and setting me back on the table. This guy is strong for a griffin… well I’ve never seen a griffin before; that’s not true I saw one yesterday when I was fighting, was it yesterday?
“Get the fuck off of me!” I tried yelling at him slapping my hoof at his talon, but my yell came out as a whisper. I didn’t want to be touched by this bastard; I left the stable with excitement, my group met another group who attacked us, and now here I am in some building with some dumb ass griffin?
“Easy, I won’t hurt you.” He said slowly reaching a talon for my foreleg. He set his talon on my arm, and smiled at me. For some reason I felt a little relived at his smile, and warm touch; this was the ‘pony’ who I had felt when I was, well ‘dead.’
Patting my arm, he bent over and started picking up the instruments I had knocked over. After he had picked them all off the ground, and set them in neat rows on the tray, he sat his talon back on my arm. “You’re safe here.”
Okay, so this griffin won’t eat me, that’s a plus. Clearing my throat I spoke in a dry throated tone, “Where am I?” This seemed important to know.
“Feather city,” he said picking up a small tin from the tray I had knocked down. Opening the small tin, he picked out two small pills with the tips of his talons, and let them fall into his palm. “Take these, for your wing and ribs.” He said holding out the pills.
Turning my head to see my wing, I saw that it was wrapped in bandages; looking down at my chest I saw that it was also wrapped in bandages. Damn I had a broken wing, and broken ribs, I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I Think I surprised him when I ate the pills right out of his talons. The look on his face was quite funny; but I don’t see why it shocked him, how did he want me to eat them, I’m not a unicorn.
I chewed the pill, and then sat my head back on the metal table. “Who are you?” I asked letting his talon set on my arm again.
“I’m Dr. Syringe, I’m the best, and only Doctor in town.” His smile frowned as he looked over to the small filly across the room. Extreme sadness flooded over me looking at the small foal in pain; I wish I could help her. “I found her by the riverside like this two days ago, and she hasn’t spoken since. She took a few radroach bites, and I think she is diseased.” He said picking up a clip board from the tray. “I don’t know if she’ll make it.”
Tears would have fallen from my eyes; but I don’t think I was too dehydrated to cry. How long have I been here?” I asked not taking my eyes off of the crying foal.
“Six weeks,” He said picking up a pencil in his talon, and writhing on the clip board. Six weeks? There is no way I have been out for that long. “You were in a small coma; I didn’t know if you were going to make it.” He said setting down the clip board and pencil on the tray. “But look at you now; you could probably leave in a day or two.”
“Leave?” I asked thinking back to the fight over six weeks ago. For all I know I could be hundreds of miles away from Stable97, and the stable might be locked down. I may never reach Stable97 again. A cold shiver flew through my body as I thought about living out of the stable; where I would have to fend for myself. Wait, I’m in a city, Feather city, I could live in a city just like before the war.
“Of course, I can’t take care of you forever; you’ve cost me more caps keeping you alive, then any other griffin that has walked into this office.” Caps? What in the name of Celestia are caps, and why have keeping alive cost him ‘caps’? What if these ‘caps’ are important, and I took them all away from him? Hey I know, I’ll make up for the ‘caps’ he has spent on me; that way he won’t think of me as a burden.
“I’ll work for you until I pay you back, then you can get more caps.” I said feeling my voice retuning slightly.
Syringe gave me a confused look, and then he gave out a little chuckle. “Ah, I forgot your one of those stable dwellers.” He laughed ‘face taloning’ and giving me a smile. “A cap is what we use for currency now in days; like the bottle caps, that’s what we use instead of bits.”
My face turned red as I blushed. How could I be so stupid? Well it’s really not my fault; I was born under grown, and raised there until six weeks ago, and during those six weeks I haven’t really learned much because I was in a coma. “So bits are worthless?” I asked with a little anger in my tone.
“Well no not really, you can still use them; but there mostly for melting down, and using them for wiring and stuff; after all there solid gold.”
“Where’s my security barding?” I asked remembering that I had a stack of bits in the one pocket of it. Maybe I could trade my bits, for caps, and then I wouldn’t have to do so much work for Syringe.
Turning around Syringe pointed a talon at a small foot locker by the terminal. “All your stuff is in that foot locker over there.” He turned back to me. “The Griffin that took you down took a few things off of you; but for the most part you should have most of your stuff, oh and yes your bits are still in there, in case you were wondering.”
I close my eye; breathing in the warm air in the room, it felt so great. Re-opening my eyes I smiled at Syringe. “Hey I’ll talk to you later; but for now can I go to sleep I feel kind of tired?” I asked feeling embarrassed; only because I had been sleeping for the past six weeks.
“Of course; just rest, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He said patting my shoulder, and walking away to the little foal.
I liked this griffin; something told me he was alright. Closing my eyes, I slowly drifted asleep.
*********************
Foot note: Level up!
New perk, Security Mare: Being a security mare you have a 10+ chance with all melee weapons; form the small baton, to the super sledge.
