The New Foal Institutionby PenguifyerChaptersPrologue, Monday, and TuesdayWednesday and ThursdayFriday and SaturdayEpiloguePrologue, Monday, and TuesdayThe New Foal Institution By Penguifyer “I just wanted to write a little story about people going to Equestria and back; and their connection with humans. It was to show how our world was compared to the heavenly paradise of Equestria; you can see why bronies would want to go there,” — Blaze, author of The Conversion Bureau “Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy… But when I turned to all the works that my hands had wrought, and the fruit of the toil for which I had toiled so much, see! all was vanity and a chase after wind,” — Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 “You’ve been to Haiti before. Just treat it like another mission trip that’s only thirty minutes away and you sleep in your own bed at night. It’ll only be for a week, too,” his youth minister assured. “I hear you. What exactly is it, though?” Job asked. The youth minister scratched his head. “I guess you are that young. You know those mindless human-turned-ponies that you occasionally see in the cities or woods? The ones from the war, like, eight-ish years ago?” “Yeah?” Job saw less and less of them around town in recent years. He vaguely remembered one of his cousins fighting in the war and turning into one. “Well, this is where a lot of them end up. Don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.” Job nodded, trusting his youth minister. “I don’t see why not.” — — — After a couple of weeks, the first day came. At the suggestion of his youth minister, he woke up at six am and followed his GPS 30 miles north.. Pulling into a long driveway, the forested landscape cleared and revealed a large school-like building surrounded by a field. Despite the large parking lot, only a dozen cars sat in it. Joe parked his car along with the dozen, stepped outside, and gazed at the building. Its vine-littered brick walls showed its age, yet its windows shined without blemish. Walking inside, Job froze when he looked at the counter. Behind the desk sat a light blue pony with a dark blue mane and magenta eyes. She leaned her head against her hoof, flipping through the pages of a book. “Need something?” “Uh…” He closed the door and walked to the counter. He’d never seen a pony talk in front of him before, at least in person. “I’m here to volunteer. My youth minister knows the guy who runs this place.” The pony glared at him with drooping eyes, twitching her wings. “You mean Sam?” “Yeah, him.” She pushed her book aside and glanced at a clipboard. “Job?” He nodded. “Yes.” She tapped the keyboard beside her before sliding her book back in place. “Give him a sec.” Job stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. After the pony glared at him, he stepped back and found a seat. He sat silent for five minutes. Every page flip from the pony stung his ears. The door opened with a bang, causing both Job and the pony to jump, as a tall and slim man burst through. “Job?” Job popped up. “Yes?” “God, give me a heads-up for once,” the pony scoffed. “Sorry about that,” the man smiled before turning to Job. “I’m Sam. I heard about you from your youth minister.” “Yeah, he brags about me a bit.” “No worries. Let me give you a tour of the place.” He turned back to the pony. “I’ll be quieter next time.” “Yeah right,” she brooded. Job followed along as Sam guided him through the halls. “Don’t worry about her. She’s a bit sassy but will warm to you after a bit.” “Sure about that? I mean, I try not to judge…” “You two will probably have to work together at some point. Just don’t push her buttons and you’ll be okay.” “I guess.” Sam stopped as they entered a large room full of couches, tables, and TVs with large glass windows lining the back wall. Dozens of ponies littered the seats playing games or watching TV. “Here’s the common room. Through the windows, you can see the east and west residential wings and the courtyard. The door to the left leads to the cafeteria while the door to the right leads to some reservable conference rooms, a gaming room, and the cuddle room.” Job paused. “The cuddle room?” “Yeah, let me just show you.” Sam led through the door and down a short hall before opening the door to a dimly lit room. Inside, ponies lounged around on an assortment of pillows and cushions, cuddling in pairs, piles, or even alone under mountains of cushions. Ambient music played in the background while warm lights accented the calming atmosphere. Sam whispered, “It’s pretty self-explanatory.” Job stared in confusion. “Why?” “The serum used to convert humans was imperfect, which means new foals never feel they’re fully inside their own bodies. Because of this, they love physical affection more than anything. It helps ground them in the real world. We based ours off sensory rooms used in treating autism.” “So, does that mean they’re technically…” “Not exactly, they share some similarities with autism and other disorders, but whatever is going on with them is completely different. We got…” He paused. “…someone here working on it, but we figured most of this out through trial and error.” “Huh,” Job muttered. Sam guided him out and up the stairs, leading him to a hallway lined with small rooms with hospital beds. “Here’s the clinic. We can’t send new foals to the hospital, so we have to do it ourselves. There’s also a lounge right to the side if you ever need a break.” As they passed the rooms, Job couldn’t help but notice the ponies laying on the beds. Their eyes stayed still, giving no notice toJob and Sam walking by. “And here…” Sam led him into a small room with a strange metallic bed covered in wheels, wires, and coils. “…is our crown jewel. There are two types of new foals here: Awares and Unawares. Unawares are what you’d expect, ‘mindless creatures—’” he made air quotes with his fingers “—robbed of their former selves. Awares, however, retain their human memories and nature thanks to this device.” He kicked the bed. A clang reverberated around the room. “It doesn’t come without its own costs, though.” Sam walked out of the room, Job following suit, and stopped outside the door. “And that’s it, apart from a few things here and there. Today, all we got planned is some painting and maybe miscellaneous things afterward. You can go home early tonight if you want. One more thing, room 301 is open if you ever need to stay overnight.” He handed Job a key before walking away, leaving Job alone with several cans of paint and a paintbrush. The work dragged on and on for the whole morning with him finishing just before noon. Since he brought his own lunch, he didn’t bother leaving the room. After he ate and rested for a few minutes, he heard a voice outside the door. “Uh, hey…” He jumped and stood up, recognizing the voice of the pony from the front desk. “Yeah?” She held a hoof to her chin, dodging her eyes from Job. “I need some help and Sam said I should ask you.” “With what?” “I’ll show you.” “Okay . . . um, I never caught your name.” “My name?” “Yeah, you got one right?” She paused. “Just call me Blue Wing.” “Blue Wing?” “Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Job nodded, thinking the name was odd. She led him to the cuddle room and pointed to a couch. “Sit over there; I’ll be back in a bit.” Job did as she asked, unsure what the point was. Once he sat down, he heard a faint snicker through the doorway. Within a minute, a female pony, presumably a new foal, hopped onto the couch with him. She crawled next to him, stuck her muzzle next to his face, and sniffed. Smiling from the smell, she stepped in place before laying down and resting her head on his lap. Job’s muscles tensed, uncomfortable as the pony relaxed and drifted to sleep. Another snicker came from the doorway. Five minutes later, Job had a male pony snuggled up to his side and another female pony curled up around his legs. The urge to squirm permeated every bone of his body. A snicker grew to a giggle and Job realized he’d been pranked. He nudged the ponies off of him, stood up, and stomped to the door. By the time he turned the corner, Blue Wing darted out of the hallway and out of sight. He turned around and found Sam chuckling. “Are you serious?” blurted Job. “What? Are you too pure to hug someone?” Job paused, nearly enraged. “That’s beside the point!” “Don’t take it too seriously. She does that to everyone on their first day.” Job nearly shouted. “How the hell am I supposed to work with her?” Sam raised his hands. “I swear she’s not a dick. She’s just a little… well… she takes some getting used to.” Job lowered his voice, coming to his senses. “And you let her get away with it?” “To be fair, everyone here is used to it already.” “Used to what?” “Petting and cuddling new foals. It’s something you kinda just have to do, especially when it’s really important.” “I don’t get it. How? How can petting be that important?” Sam paused and let out a deep breath. “Believe it or not, but petting can be the difference between a new foal being an Aware versus an Unaware. It’ll make more sense once you see it, if you see it.” Job leaned against the wall. This was gonna be a long week. — — — Tuesday went by relatively smoothly. Job spent the whole day power-washing the exterior of the west wing of the building. He didn’t mind it though since few new foals left the building. As sunset came, he noticed Blue Wing slip out of the building and trot around to the other side of the building. Curiosity drove him to follow her, but she was gone when he did. Job did notice her come inside again as he packed up for the day. Watching her through the windows, she walked into a room with two other ponies. One was a female with pink fur, purple hair, and a horn on her head. The other was also a female, but with yellow fur and pink hair; she also had wings like Blue. Blue walked up to the yellow one who laid curled up on her bed, poked her, and sighed. Blue then turned to the purple one who also didn’t acknowledge her. She then stumbled to a chair, sat down, and cried. Job peeked through the window confused. How was this the same Blue Wing that pranked him earlier? Stepping away from the window, he decided it was best to not get involved. Wednesday and ThursdayWednesday, Sam asked Job to sweep a whole floor of residential rooms in the west wing. “Also, if you see an empty water glass or bowl, fill it.” Job paused. “Bowl?” “Some new foals don’t have enough coordination to pour themselves a glass of water, let alone hold one. We give them bowls instead. They’ll be on their nightstand.” Job shrugged. He shouldn’t be surprised anymore. Doing as he was told, Job swept each room, making sure to reach every nook and cranny he could. Wherever he found an empty glass, he filled it. Where there was an empty bowl, he also filled it. Most of the ponies stayed in bed, not acknowledging his presence. A couple of them waited in bed and nuzzled him when he stepped a bit too close. Three-quarters of the way through, he stepped into the room of a female pony with dark purple fur and a light blue mane and began to sweep. “Hey there, cutie,” giggled a soft voice behind him. Job jumped and turned around, staring at the pony. “W-what?“ The pony laughed. “I’m just fucking with you. It’s not like I get many visitors here, anyway.” “Oh, okay…” Job replied, scratching his head. “I’ll keep doing what I’m doing then.” “Wait.” She sat up, sliding the covers off of her back. “Can I ask a favor?” Job raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” “Come over here.” Job walked to the bed. “Sit down.” He sat on the bed. She stood up, her legs trembling, and laid her head down on his lap. “Rub my neck and back.” “You sure?” “Absolutely.” Job took his hand and stroked her back. She nodded. He felt her barrel rise and fall with her breathing as she smiled and her ears relaxed. Her disheveled fur glided across his hands, soft to the touch. Something about it all felt off. He was treating her like a pet, but he knew she was human, at least mentally. “Can I ask you something?” Job said, looking out the window. “Shoot.” “What’s so good about petting and cuddling, especially for you guys?” “If your crush was in this room and asked to cuddle, I guarantee you’d do it.” “Well, um…” “Told you,” she laughed. “Physical affection is normal and everyone likes it, but there’s another side to it with us.” She rolled over on her side as Job shifted his hands to her barrel and belly. “I’ve heard that the serum used to make new foals was designed to heighten their anxiety while simultaneously increasing the response to physical affection. I guess it was some failsafe to stop them from being independent, even if they got their minds back.” “Sam said it’s because new foals don’t feel like they’re in their own bodies.” She shifted on to her back as Job rubbed her belly. “It’s more like being in a completely foreign body you don’t understand. The petting does help with making it more familiar over time. It could be worse, though.” She squirmed for a second before relaxing again. “If I remember correctly, new foals were more ‘preachy’ prior to Equestria getting bombed. Once it got bombed, they kinda dumbed down to what they are now. I’m just glad I’m still me.” Job ran his hands up to her neck signaling her to stretch it out. “You’re surprisingly content with this.” “Who doesn’t like getting loved on?” “That’s not what I meant.” “Hey, if it makes you feel better, this body is so foreign to me that I haven’t thought about sex in months.” Her smile faded. “I don’t really know how I feel. For one, I’ve lost my body and can barely get out of bed.” “Barely get out of bed?” She sighed. “My brain was wired to use a human body, not this one. It’ll take years of physical therapy before I can move like I used to. Regardless, I miss my old body, even though all I used to do is sell it.” Job stopped rubbing for a second, taken back from her comment. She squirmed. “Don’t stop. I need it.” “Sorry,” Job complied, stroking her back as she turned onto her stomach. She squirmed for a second before relaxing again. “I hit rock bottom back then. I was addicted to a bunch of shit and completely out of touch from my responsibilities. Then one night, some guy slipped something into my drink and this happened.” She stayed silent for a minute as Job continued to rub her. Soreness grew in Job’s hands. “Whenever I think about it, I remember what Sam told me when I woke up like this: ‘I can’t say shit happens for a reason, but I do think good can come out of shit.’” She paused for a second, resisting a tear as her ears drooped. “When I was young, I used to wanna be a singer. Now, I guess that’s the only thing I have left.” Job’s arms burned from the rubbing. “You good? My hands are a bit tired.” She smiled. “Sure.” Job slipped out from under her and hopped off the bed. Finishing his sweeping duty, he stepped to the door. “Um, can I ask you something?” she asked. Job stopped. “Yeah?” “You’re only gonna be here for a week, right?” “Yup.” She raised her head. “Can you visit me before you leave? It gets a little lonely here.” “Sure, name’s Job, by the way.” She smiled. “Madalene.” Job waved as he stepped out the door. Once through, he leaned against a wall and stared at his hands. Something about petting her bothered him. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it wasn’t the act itself that disturbed him. He just couldn’t pinpoint what it was that did. — — — Upon arriving on Thursday, Sam told Job to wait in the lobby with Blue Wing while he answered a call. Stepping into the lobby, Sam called out to Blue, his normally cheerful voice now stern. “Get the gear, we gotta move.” “On it,” she nodded and darted out of the room. Sam turned to Job. “One of our guys is sick today. We’ll need your help too.” He then marched outside as Job followed suit. Blue stood next to the car, pushing a duffle bag into the back seat with her forelegs. Once in, she climbed into the front seat along with Sam, forcing Job into the back. Throughout the ride, no one uttered a word. Sam remained focussed on the road as Blue tapped her hoof on the door. Job watched Blue’s ears shift and adjust to the sounds of passing cars, as if she was alert. They arrived at a construction site on the outskirts of a small town. Dozens of workers stood around a large depression in the ground, presumably, none of them within twenty feet of it. They parked next to an ambulance and police. As Sam, Blue, and Job got out of the car, Blue opened up the bag and handed Job a gas mask. “Just in case,” she noted, grabbing two for herself and Sam. Job’s hands shook when he held his. A police officer approached them. Job met called to him. “What’s the situation?” “Gas canister. They say they evacuated immediately after it ruptured, but lost a man in the process.” A scream echoed out of the depression, catching everyone’s ear. Blue tossed a gas mask to Sam as he turned and assessed the situation. “How long ago did it go off?” “Thirty-ish minutes ago. Paramedics arrived within twenty and are currently still in there.” “It should’ve dissipated by now, but give it another thirty minutes for good measure. Contact poison control and the DNR and EPA, too. The clean up shouldn’t be too bad, but they know what they’re doing with this. Be glad it’s not raw serum. That shit’s hard to get out of the ground.” Sam strapped the gas mask onto his face and nodded to Blue, who already had her mask on. She extended her wings and thrust them toward the ground, shooting up into the sky. Dancing around the sky, she swooped over and around the depression. Job gazed up, both confused and amazed. “Never seen a pegasus fly before?” Sam teased. “Not really.” “Not surprised. It’s one of those details they don’t mention when they talk about Equestria these days. Get your mask on, by the way.” Job nodded, strapping the mask to his face. Blue swooped down and hovered above Sam and Job. “He’s in the middle of the hole with a couple paramedics. I can’t make out any lingering gas from up there.” “We’ll keep our masks on just in case,” commanded Sam. He waved for Job to follow him and the two of them approached the depression. A male pony with grey fur and white hair squirmed in the center, a construction outfit still draped over him. Two paramedics with gas masks stood beside him, trying to restrain him. Beside them rested a metal canister with a small rupture in its side, a pink biohazard symbol shining in the sunlight. “Get… out… my head,” the pony grunted, squirming around while bashing his head into the ground. A paramedic tried to grab his head, but the pony swung a hoof at him. Sam and Job crawled in the depression and walked up to the pony, yelling at the paramedics. “Back up!” The paramedics stepped back. “He keeps lashing at us,” one of them responded. “We’re about to sedate him.” Sam stopped next to them with Job behind him. “That’s the worst thing you could do.” “How come?” “If he falls asleep, he’ll lose his mind.” He pointed in a circle around the pony. “Get around him, I’ll need your help Sam knelt down and placed his hand on the pony’s head. “Don’t touch me!” the pony screamed, flailing his legs around with little coordination. Sam turned to the Paramedics. “Take your arms and place your weight on his back. Trust me on this.” He turned to Job. “You too.” Job did as he asked, placing his forearms on the pony and pressing in with his weight along with the paramedics. Sam restrained the head and forelegs of the pony. “Shh…” The pony kicked for a moment before settling down. His breathing remained quick as tears streamed down his eyes. “Stop… just…” Sam turned to Job, his muffled voice cutting through the mask. “I’m gonna pick him up and throw him over my shoulder. If he starts kicking, squeeze the back of his head and neck. Just don’t hurt him, though.” “We can grab a stretcher,” a paramedic noted. “That won’t help, he needs to feel something.” Sam threw the pony over his shoulder and the four of them climbed out of the depression. Twenty feet away, Sam pulled off his mask along with Job. The pony squirmed every twenty or so seconds but calmed as soon as Job squeezed him. Blue already opened the door to the backseat, her mask also off. Job climbed into the backseat as Sam passed the pony to him. “Keep squeezing him till we get back.Whatever you do, don’t stop.” Job nodded, wrapping his arms around the pony. As they took off for the institution, the pony nuzzled into his chest and cried. “Make it stop… just make it stop…” “Sh-sh-shhh…” Job rubbed the pony’s neck and back, his shirt wet from the pony’s tears. “Get him out…” the pony sniffled. “…out of my head.” “Shh, it’s okay.” Job squeezed as tight as he could. The pony’s breathing slowed. “Do you have a name?” “P-pau…” The pony flinched, clenching his muscles and grunted. Job squeezed him, restraining and calming him down. Sam interjected from the front. “Keep squeezing him. It won’t get any better till we get back.” Every couple of minutes, the pony would flare up in a fit forcing Job to squeeze him till he calmed down. As the minutes waned on, the time between each fit shortened. Job arms strained and burned from the squeezing. He couldn’t keep this up forever. “Guys,” Job called. “I might…” The pony flared up again. “…need some help.” “We’re almost there,” Sam assured him. Just as Job’s burned out, they pulled into the parking lot of the institution. Two staff members—presumably nurses from the clinic due to their scrubs—stood in the lot. Once the car stopped, Job handed the pony to the nurses, who rushed him into the institution. Sam followed after them, leaving Job behind. “You did good, kid.” Job turned around, seeing Blue stuffing the masks back into the duffle bag before throwing it over her back. “Th-thanks… I-I…” Job stuttered. “Spit it out.” He turned back to the institution. “I-I never knew what happened.” She walked out in front of him. “I think you should see what they do next. It’s worth it to see the point of all of this.” Job paused for a second before running inside the institution. Dashing up the stairs, he slowed to a jog in the clinic. Shouting echoed through the hallway. “Stop it! Get off of me!” “Hold him down! We’re almost there.” “I’m a go. Ready?” “Yeah, whenever you’re… hold on a sec!” Thumps and clangs reverberated through the walls as Job approached the doorway. He leaned against the wall and peeked inside. “Get away! Let me go!” The pony wailed as Sam and the nurses strapped him onto the table, restraining him the best they could. “Go for it,” commanded Sam as the nurse pressed a button on the side of the bed. “Give us a hand.” The three of them pressed their weight on the pony. A low hum filled the room as wheels on the machine started to rotate. Blue light emanated from the coils, causing the pony to flail and fidget. The pitch of the hum raised; the blue light intensified. A loud release and a wave of something blasted out of the bed and through Sam. His balance faltered for a second before he shifted his feet and looked back up. The pony laid on the bed panting while one nurse leaned against the wall and the other sat down. Sam knelt in front of the pony, grabbing his head. “Shh, it’s over now.” “It’s… over?” the pony whimpered. Sam stroked the pony’s mane. “Yes, yes it is. You can rest now.” “Over…” the pony muttered, easing his breathing. “Can you tell me your name?” Sam whispered. “Name… Paul,” the pony whispered back, nearly passing out. “Thank God, let's get you to a bed.” Sam picked up the pony and carried him out of the room. Job slumped onto the floor as Sam passed him. His legs jittered while he sat, trying to process the events from the day. “He’ll be okay.” Blue assured, walking next to him and sitting down. “What do you mean by ‘okay?’ Just look at him.” Job squeezed his own legs trying to calm himself. “He’ll wake up tomorrow angry and upset. Then Sam will walk into the room and explain what happened. Over the next couple of months, he’ll mellow out. A couple of years of physical therapy and training later, he’ll go home to his family, or whoever is willing to take him in.” “What if we were too late? Why not do that to every new foal here?” “You know what happens when we’re too late.” She turned her head away from Job. “As for the other question, they become comatose and die.” Job stayed quiet, in shock from her comment. She took a swig from a water bottle and swallowed. “You can go home if you want, I’ll tell Sam. I’d want to if I were you.” After a minute or two, Blue stood up and walked to the lounge. Job sat alone for another minute. He had seen poverty worse than this. He had seen malnourished kids living by the dozen at orphanages. So why did this bother him so much? Weary, he stood up, stumbled down the stairs, and trudged to his car. Friday and SaturdaySam jumped when he saw Job show up on Friday. “Didn’t expect to see you again after yesterday.” “I've got two days left,”. “Honestly, we’ve been on top of things this week. There won’t be much to do on Saturday. This might be your last day.” Job’s body relaxed after Sam’s statement. Despite this hope, the work for the day never stopped. Painting a whole wall of the common room filled the morning. Sam needed help assembling new bed frames during the afternoon, which turned into a frustrating mess of wrong tools and terrible directions. Moreover, the work carried over into the evening. Job brought his frustration to Sam. “Hey, our previous bed frames dated back 50 years ago and weren’t good,” Sam argued. They finished at nine o’clock, just the sunset turned to twilight. Throwing the last of the boxes away, Job noticed Blue walking down the hallway toward the west wing. “Sam, where’s Blue’s room?” Job asked. “Room E201. Why do you ask?” “No reason in particular.” Once Sam stepped out of the room, Job followed after Blue. Entering the wing, he saw her step into a room, the same room she did a few days ago. He walked down the hallway and stood outside the door, peeking inside. “I got you the coffee you wanted,” Blue said, placing a mug on the desk. The pink pony sat at the desk, her horn glowing with a turquoise aura. “Thanks, I almost ran out of steam.” The aura enveloped the mug as it floated to her mouth and took a sip. Placing the mug on the table, another aura covered a pencil which then levitated and wrote in a notebook. Blue sat on a chair next to the window and stared outside. “How much longer?” “A week, if I’m fast. The original enchantment they attached to the serum took a whole team of unicorns to create it. I’m very far along, but I still need time.” “You don’t have time.” “What do you mean, Rainbow? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” “You don’t know this. Your last good day was a week ago.” The pink pony froze. “It’s getting worse, Starlight. I don’t know if you’ll have seven more good days,” Blue (Rainbow?) sniffled. “You know when Fluttershy’s last good day was?” Starlight’s pencil shivered. Tears ran down Blue’s face. “Three weeks ago. I don’t even know if she’s coming back again.” “Stop it,” Starlight muttered. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do when you’re gone…” “Stop it!” Starlight shouted, causing Blue to jump. She panted for a second. “Either be quiet and let me work or leave. If I don’t get this done… I’m not even gonna think about that.” Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Job flinched and turned around. Sam held a finger to his mouth and shushed. “I think it’s best we leave them be. Come.” Job nodded following Sam out of the wing and into the lounge. Once there, Sam sat down at a table and motioned for Job to do likewise. Job complied, sitting across from him. Silence followed. “She’s not a new foal, is she?” Job asked. “Which one?” “Blue… all three of them, now that I think about it.” Sam rested his head on his hands. “Six years ago, after we started this institution, she showed up at my front door and begged me to let her stay. After a day or two, I gave in not knowing whether it was illegal. Local authorities eventually found out, but they didn’t take much interest after some explaining. “Over the next couple of years, she found and brought in the other two. That was when I learned about the flaw in serum.” He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. “What flaw?” Job prodded. “Equestrian ponies may be resistant, but are not immune to it. Instead of running its course in a matter of hours, it slowly takes over their mind, taking anywhere from months to years to work. To make matters worse, the two times I used the bed on ponies I knew that weren’t new foals, they died the next day. Starlight says she knows why but trusting her means hoping she doesn’t fade away in time.” He leaned forward over the table. “It’s like Agent Orange; it’s safe in the short term but brutal in the long term.” Job sat silently and stared at the table. “You look disturbed,” Sam noted. “I’ve been on other mission trips; I’ve seen terrible poverty. But this bothers me on a whole new level.” “Is it because you feel that no matter how much money or time you have, you can’t fix their problems?” Job stared at the table. “I guess.” “Do you know why we have mission trips?” “To do God’s work?” “Maybe. Are you a missionary?” Job paused. “No, I guess.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “To make a difference?” “I’ve run this place for six years and I feel like I’ve barely accomplished anything. Do you think you can really make a difference in a week?” Job stared at the table in defeat. “I don’t know.” “We do them to see a Haitian who’s somehow happier than you are with a tenth of your belongings. To see how joyful a homeless man can be as he explains how he felt God’s love keep his hand warm through the sock you gave him the day before. To watch a pony hold on to her deteriorating friends and to realize how important your own friends are.” He paused. “Most of all, it’s to be humbled.” He stood up and passed Job. “You still have that room key if you don’t want to drive home tonight. I’m gonna lock the place up.” As Sam left, Job sat alone, unsure of what to do. His mind, dull from the day, refused to think anything beyond his next task. Heaviness pulled on his eyelids causing him to yawn. He didn’t have much left in him either. A shuffle echoed from the hallway as Blue peeked around the corner. “What’re you still doing here?” “It’s been a long day.” Job answered back. “Don’t know if I’ll go home tonight.” “Whatever,” she scoffed, walking up to the table and placing a clear bottle on the table. “What’s that?” “Coping juice.” She unscrewed the cap with her mouth, set it on the table, and poured a clear liquid into it. “I really need it today.” With both of her hooves, she grabbed the cap and drank its contents, scrunching her face from the taste. After a couple of deep breaths, she repeated the process. “Uh, you okay?” She took another swig before letting out another breath. “Does it look like I’m okay?” Job didn’t answer as she poured her fourth cap and downed it. On the fifth cap, the bottle ran out, only filling the cap halfway. “Dammit, just when I need it most.” She nudged the bottle toward Job. “There’s more in my room—can you get some?” Job grabbed the empty bottle and walked away. Remembering her room number, he turned the corner of the hallway and entered the first room on his right. Flipping the light on revealed an unmade bed along with dozens of blue hair dye boxes on the floor. Job searched through the cabinets and found one with two unopened bottles of vanilla vodka. Seeing 120 proof on the label, he decided to fill the bottle with water instead. Returning to the lounge, he found Blue face down on the table, muttering to herself “‘It’s okay, Dash. They just need a bit of help.’” Job sat down next to her, poured water into the cap, and nudged it towards her. She raised her head, grabbed the cap with her hooves, and downed the water like a shot. Her head flopped back down on the table as she continued to mutter. “‘It’s okay, Dash. They just need some friendship.’” Tears fell from her eyes. “‘It’s okay, Dash. We did the best we could.’” Job put his hand on her head, giving it a gentle rub. She didn’t react and kept muttering. “‘It’s okay, Dash. The serum won’t hurt them.’” She sniffled, a few tears running down her cheek. “‘It’s okay, Dash. The serum can’t hurt us.” She slammed the table with her hoof causing Job to jump. “It’s okay, Dash. They deserve it.” Tears puddled on the table. “We deserve it. We fucking deserve it.” She collapsed onto Job’s lap, tears streaming onto his pants. He squeezed her as she nuzzled into his chest. “Am I new foal enough? Is this what it’s like?” “Sh-sh-shhh,” Job interrupted, rubbing her back. Her bawling reduced to sniffles. “I’m so alone…” “It’s okay,” he reassured. “Let’s get you to bed.” Job picked her up and cradled her in his arms. Balancing out the weight, he carried her to her room and laid her on her bed. Standing up to leave and pulling out the key to his own room, he heard her squirm in bed. Her speech slurred. “Don’t leave me. I’m so alone.” Job sat back down. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered, contemplating whether he should actually stay. “Please don’t leave me,” she begged, tearing up again. Realizing she might break down again, Job laid down next to her on the bed. She crawled on top of him and pressed her muzzle against his chin, easing her breathing. Warmth enveloped him as she fell asleep within minutes. Job laid awake for thirty minutes wanting to squirm. At some point, his exhaustion caught up to him and he stopped caring. Yawning, he embraced her and drifted off to sleep. — — — He woke up the next morning at eleven, but with no pony on top of him. Sitting up, he saw a picture of six ponies, one of whom resembled Blue, but with rainbow hair. Another one looked like the yellow pony he saw in the other room. Sam caught him ten minutes later as he packed up to go. “You did end up staying the night.” “Kinda,” Job teased. After stopping by Madelene and giving her a quick rub, he met Blue at the front desk. She rested her head on the desk with a steaming cup of coffee next to her. “I’m heading off,” he waved. “Um, can I pull you aside real quick?” She kept her eyes down, studying the desk. “Sure.” She pulled him into the nearest conference room and pointed her hoof at him. “I will kill you if you even think about what happened last night! It dies here and now!” “Talk about goodbye. We didn’t even do anything last night.” She glared at him with murder in her eyes. “My lips are sealed.” “They better be!” she scoffed before nuzzling his leg. “Thank you, though.” He patted her head before leaving the room and waving as he walked through the door. His home life felt dull compared to the rest of the week. That night, he laid in bed contemplating a crazy idea. Maybe there was something he could do. — — — “What the hell are you doing back here?” Sam asked from behind the desk. “I-uh…” Job collected his thoughts. “I give you a day off, and you still come back the next day. Saturday was yesterday.” “I want an application.” Sam froze. “What?” “I wanna work part-time, two days a week, three max.” He handed Job a piece of paper without breaking eye contact. “Boy, you had one hell of a week compared to most people. I don’t know what I did to make you wanna come back.” Job grabbed the paper and darted to the east wing. He found Blue sitting on her bed, staring out of the window. She turned toward him, pupils narrowed and surprised. “Job? What are you…” “I had a crazy idea last night. I can’t bring back Equestria, I can’t undo the serum, I can’t give new foals their humanity back, I can’t bring back your friends, and I can’t fix the world.” Job panted from running up the stairs and forgetting to breathe. Taking in a deep breath, he continued. “However, I can be your friend. And maybe over time, we can inspire others to be better too.” After a brief pause, Blue slid off of her bed and trotted in Job, grabbing him and squeezing him tight. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou…” “I can’t undo what has happened to you, but I hope I can be here for you,” he assured, embracing her in his arms.” She cried. “Thank you. That’s all I wanted.” EpilogueJob peeked into the room at Blue’s suggestion. Starlight sat at her desk, scribbling on a notebook. He looked at a calendar on the door and drew a large “6” on the current date. The rest of the current month and the last were filled with Xs. He walked into the room and stood next to Starlight. “How long have you been up?” “Since nine this morning. I couldn’t fall back asleep.” She glanced outside, noticing the green grass and budding trees. “Yesterday, I remember seeing snow on the ground.” “‘Yesterday’ was almost two months ago.” Her pencil stopped. “Has it really been that long?” “Unfortunately. May I ask you something?” “Sure,” she mumbled. “Who is this spell gonna help exactly?” “Well…” She levitated a glass of water to her mouth and took a sip. “For sure me. Maybe even Fluttershy here.” “She hasn’t had a good day in four months.” Starlight set her water down. “But there’s always a chance any new foal might come back for a day. It’s one of the reasons they don’t just euthanize all of them.” “Euthanize? That sounds a tad harsh.” “Or outright inhumane, as Sam would say. Then again, the fact they can act like animals gives people ideas.” She flipped her pencil over and erased a section of work. “I suspect the spell might make Awares more in touch with their bodies, too. But I’ll figure that out later.” Job nodded and walked to the door. “I’ll tell Blu… Dash about you.” “Why do you do that?’ “Hey, it’s what everyone calls her around here. By the way, need anything?” She smiled. “Coffee, lots of coffee.” — — — Job brought Starlight coffee and snacks on an hourly basis. As the day turned to night, she pulled out a large poster board and carefully etched out a circle full of lines and letters. Blue (Job couldn’t break his habit and call her Dash around Starlight) visited Starlight a couple of times but stayed mostly silent, having learned her lesson from Starlight’s previous good days. Afterward, she walked up to Job. “I just… I can’t take it anymore,” she cried, squeezing Job’s leg. “Watch her for me, okay?” Job nodded. “I got it.” Job placed a chair outside of Starlight and Fluttershy’s room and waited the day out, peeking in on Starlight every now and then. He made sure no one entered the room or disturbed her, keeping the door cracked. By 1:00 am, she completed the circle on the poster board and began to cross-check it with her notes. By 4:00 am, Job could barely keep his eyes open as he heard a loud thump on the desk. “It’s now or never,” Starlight conceded, letting out a deep sigh. Job stood up and rubbed his eyes, stepping into the room. Her ear twitched at the sound, turning toward him. “You’re still up?” “I’ve been waiting for you to go to bed.” She pointed to the poster board. “Actually, tonight I’m gonna do it.” Job looked at the design on the board, in awe at its complexity. “The spell? I thought you said you’d need another day.” “Don’t underestimate the power of crunch time,” she winked. “Although I would usually proofread a spell like this over the course of a week. Dash it right, though. I don’t know if I’ll have another good day.” Job turned toward her. “You sure about this?” “As I said, it’s now or never.” Job backed up as she levitated the poster board to the floor. Sliding off the chair, she sat in the center of the circle and steadied her breathing. Her horn glowed with a turquoise aura, causing the lines of the circle to glow as a similar aura enveloped her whole body. The sound intensified as the aura agitated and burst in front of him, forcing him to block his face. A few seconds later and he lowered his arms, seeing Starlight panting on the board. “Did it work?” “I don’t know.” She looked around the room confused. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.” She brushed the poster board aside with her hoof and crawled in bed. Before pulling the covers over herself, she sat up and looked at Job. “By the way, even if the spell doesn’t work, thanks for helping. You don’t know how helpful it is to have someone take care of all of the little things when you’re preoccupied with a project like that.” He waved back. “It’s what I’m here for.” “I’m just letting you know, it mattered. It mattered a lot.” Job nodded as he walked out of the room. Walking down the hallway and opening the door to his own room, he saw Dash sprawled out on his bed and asleep. She probably wanted to cuddle up with him prior to going to bed but fell asleep while waiting. Realizing he didn’t have the key to her room, he nudged her to the other side of the bed and laid down. “Guess you joining me tonight,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. — — — Job woke up alone at 11:00 am, still tired from the night before. Remembering the night prior, a burst of adrenaline shot through his body and helped him jump out of bed. Jogging down the hall, he stopped at Starlight and Fluttershy’s room and creaked the door open. Fluttershy was gone while Starlight laid sprawled out on her bed. Job sighed, walking into the room and to the window. He opened up the blinds causing light to pour onto Starlight and make her squirm. “Why do you do this to me?” she mumbled. Job, not knowing if that was the new foal speaking, responded as neutral as he could. “Because it’s my job.” “You know…” she said, lifting her head up and speaking more clearly. Job turned in surprised. “I haven’t slept like that in years.” “St-starlight?” he mumbled. She smiled back. “I could really use some coffee right now.”
Prologue, Monday, and TuesdayThe New Foal Institution By Penguifyer “I just wanted to write a little story about people going to Equestria and back; and their connection with humans. It was to show how our world was compared to the heavenly paradise of Equestria; you can see why bronies would want to go there,” — Blaze, author of The Conversion Bureau “Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy… But when I turned to all the works that my hands had wrought, and the fruit of the toil for which I had toiled so much, see! all was vanity and a chase after wind,” — Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 “You’ve been to Haiti before. Just treat it like another mission trip that’s only thirty minutes away and you sleep in your own bed at night. It’ll only be for a week, too,” his youth minister assured. “I hear you. What exactly is it, though?” Job asked. The youth minister scratched his head. “I guess you are that young. You know those mindless human-turned-ponies that you occasionally see in the cities or woods? The ones from the war, like, eight-ish years ago?” “Yeah?” Job saw less and less of them around town in recent years. He vaguely remembered one of his cousins fighting in the war and turning into one. “Well, this is where a lot of them end up. Don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.” Job nodded, trusting his youth minister. “I don’t see why not.” — — — After a couple of weeks, the first day came. At the suggestion of his youth minister, he woke up at six am and followed his GPS 30 miles north.. Pulling into a long driveway, the forested landscape cleared and revealed a large school-like building surrounded by a field. Despite the large parking lot, only a dozen cars sat in it. Joe parked his car along with the dozen, stepped outside, and gazed at the building. Its vine-littered brick walls showed its age, yet its windows shined without blemish. Walking inside, Job froze when he looked at the counter. Behind the desk sat a light blue pony with a dark blue mane and magenta eyes. She leaned her head against her hoof, flipping through the pages of a book. “Need something?” “Uh…” He closed the door and walked to the counter. He’d never seen a pony talk in front of him before, at least in person. “I’m here to volunteer. My youth minister knows the guy who runs this place.” The pony glared at him with drooping eyes, twitching her wings. “You mean Sam?” “Yeah, him.” She pushed her book aside and glanced at a clipboard. “Job?” He nodded. “Yes.” She tapped the keyboard beside her before sliding her book back in place. “Give him a sec.” Job stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. After the pony glared at him, he stepped back and found a seat. He sat silent for five minutes. Every page flip from the pony stung his ears. The door opened with a bang, causing both Job and the pony to jump, as a tall and slim man burst through. “Job?” Job popped up. “Yes?” “God, give me a heads-up for once,” the pony scoffed. “Sorry about that,” the man smiled before turning to Job. “I’m Sam. I heard about you from your youth minister.” “Yeah, he brags about me a bit.” “No worries. Let me give you a tour of the place.” He turned back to the pony. “I’ll be quieter next time.” “Yeah right,” she brooded. Job followed along as Sam guided him through the halls. “Don’t worry about her. She’s a bit sassy but will warm to you after a bit.” “Sure about that? I mean, I try not to judge…” “You two will probably have to work together at some point. Just don’t push her buttons and you’ll be okay.” “I guess.” Sam stopped as they entered a large room full of couches, tables, and TVs with large glass windows lining the back wall. Dozens of ponies littered the seats playing games or watching TV. “Here’s the common room. Through the windows, you can see the east and west residential wings and the courtyard. The door to the left leads to the cafeteria while the door to the right leads to some reservable conference rooms, a gaming room, and the cuddle room.” Job paused. “The cuddle room?” “Yeah, let me just show you.” Sam led through the door and down a short hall before opening the door to a dimly lit room. Inside, ponies lounged around on an assortment of pillows and cushions, cuddling in pairs, piles, or even alone under mountains of cushions. Ambient music played in the background while warm lights accented the calming atmosphere. Sam whispered, “It’s pretty self-explanatory.” Job stared in confusion. “Why?” “The serum used to convert humans was imperfect, which means new foals never feel they’re fully inside their own bodies. Because of this, they love physical affection more than anything. It helps ground them in the real world. We based ours off sensory rooms used in treating autism.” “So, does that mean they’re technically…” “Not exactly, they share some similarities with autism and other disorders, but whatever is going on with them is completely different. We got…” He paused. “…someone here working on it, but we figured most of this out through trial and error.” “Huh,” Job muttered. Sam guided him out and up the stairs, leading him to a hallway lined with small rooms with hospital beds. “Here’s the clinic. We can’t send new foals to the hospital, so we have to do it ourselves. There’s also a lounge right to the side if you ever need a break.” As they passed the rooms, Job couldn’t help but notice the ponies laying on the beds. Their eyes stayed still, giving no notice toJob and Sam walking by. “And here…” Sam led him into a small room with a strange metallic bed covered in wheels, wires, and coils. “…is our crown jewel. There are two types of new foals here: Awares and Unawares. Unawares are what you’d expect, ‘mindless creatures—’” he made air quotes with his fingers “—robbed of their former selves. Awares, however, retain their human memories and nature thanks to this device.” He kicked the bed. A clang reverberated around the room. “It doesn’t come without its own costs, though.” Sam walked out of the room, Job following suit, and stopped outside the door. “And that’s it, apart from a few things here and there. Today, all we got planned is some painting and maybe miscellaneous things afterward. You can go home early tonight if you want. One more thing, room 301 is open if you ever need to stay overnight.” He handed Job a key before walking away, leaving Job alone with several cans of paint and a paintbrush. The work dragged on and on for the whole morning with him finishing just before noon. Since he brought his own lunch, he didn’t bother leaving the room. After he ate and rested for a few minutes, he heard a voice outside the door. “Uh, hey…” He jumped and stood up, recognizing the voice of the pony from the front desk. “Yeah?” She held a hoof to her chin, dodging her eyes from Job. “I need some help and Sam said I should ask you.” “With what?” “I’ll show you.” “Okay . . . um, I never caught your name.” “My name?” “Yeah, you got one right?” She paused. “Just call me Blue Wing.” “Blue Wing?” “Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Job nodded, thinking the name was odd. She led him to the cuddle room and pointed to a couch. “Sit over there; I’ll be back in a bit.” Job did as she asked, unsure what the point was. Once he sat down, he heard a faint snicker through the doorway. Within a minute, a female pony, presumably a new foal, hopped onto the couch with him. She crawled next to him, stuck her muzzle next to his face, and sniffed. Smiling from the smell, she stepped in place before laying down and resting her head on his lap. Job’s muscles tensed, uncomfortable as the pony relaxed and drifted to sleep. Another snicker came from the doorway. Five minutes later, Job had a male pony snuggled up to his side and another female pony curled up around his legs. The urge to squirm permeated every bone of his body. A snicker grew to a giggle and Job realized he’d been pranked. He nudged the ponies off of him, stood up, and stomped to the door. By the time he turned the corner, Blue Wing darted out of the hallway and out of sight. He turned around and found Sam chuckling. “Are you serious?” blurted Job. “What? Are you too pure to hug someone?” Job paused, nearly enraged. “That’s beside the point!” “Don’t take it too seriously. She does that to everyone on their first day.” Job nearly shouted. “How the hell am I supposed to work with her?” Sam raised his hands. “I swear she’s not a dick. She’s just a little… well… she takes some getting used to.” Job lowered his voice, coming to his senses. “And you let her get away with it?” “To be fair, everyone here is used to it already.” “Used to what?” “Petting and cuddling new foals. It’s something you kinda just have to do, especially when it’s really important.” “I don’t get it. How? How can petting be that important?” Sam paused and let out a deep breath. “Believe it or not, but petting can be the difference between a new foal being an Aware versus an Unaware. It’ll make more sense once you see it, if you see it.” Job leaned against the wall. This was gonna be a long week. — — — Tuesday went by relatively smoothly. Job spent the whole day power-washing the exterior of the west wing of the building. He didn’t mind it though since few new foals left the building. As sunset came, he noticed Blue Wing slip out of the building and trot around to the other side of the building. Curiosity drove him to follow her, but she was gone when he did. Job did notice her come inside again as he packed up for the day. Watching her through the windows, she walked into a room with two other ponies. One was a female with pink fur, purple hair, and a horn on her head. The other was also a female, but with yellow fur and pink hair; she also had wings like Blue. Blue walked up to the yellow one who laid curled up on her bed, poked her, and sighed. Blue then turned to the purple one who also didn’t acknowledge her. She then stumbled to a chair, sat down, and cried. Job peeked through the window confused. How was this the same Blue Wing that pranked him earlier? Stepping away from the window, he decided it was best to not get involved.
Wednesday and ThursdayWednesday, Sam asked Job to sweep a whole floor of residential rooms in the west wing. “Also, if you see an empty water glass or bowl, fill it.” Job paused. “Bowl?” “Some new foals don’t have enough coordination to pour themselves a glass of water, let alone hold one. We give them bowls instead. They’ll be on their nightstand.” Job shrugged. He shouldn’t be surprised anymore. Doing as he was told, Job swept each room, making sure to reach every nook and cranny he could. Wherever he found an empty glass, he filled it. Where there was an empty bowl, he also filled it. Most of the ponies stayed in bed, not acknowledging his presence. A couple of them waited in bed and nuzzled him when he stepped a bit too close. Three-quarters of the way through, he stepped into the room of a female pony with dark purple fur and a light blue mane and began to sweep. “Hey there, cutie,” giggled a soft voice behind him. Job jumped and turned around, staring at the pony. “W-what?“ The pony laughed. “I’m just fucking with you. It’s not like I get many visitors here, anyway.” “Oh, okay…” Job replied, scratching his head. “I’ll keep doing what I’m doing then.” “Wait.” She sat up, sliding the covers off of her back. “Can I ask a favor?” Job raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” “Come over here.” Job walked to the bed. “Sit down.” He sat on the bed. She stood up, her legs trembling, and laid her head down on his lap. “Rub my neck and back.” “You sure?” “Absolutely.” Job took his hand and stroked her back. She nodded. He felt her barrel rise and fall with her breathing as she smiled and her ears relaxed. Her disheveled fur glided across his hands, soft to the touch. Something about it all felt off. He was treating her like a pet, but he knew she was human, at least mentally. “Can I ask you something?” Job said, looking out the window. “Shoot.” “What’s so good about petting and cuddling, especially for you guys?” “If your crush was in this room and asked to cuddle, I guarantee you’d do it.” “Well, um…” “Told you,” she laughed. “Physical affection is normal and everyone likes it, but there’s another side to it with us.” She rolled over on her side as Job shifted his hands to her barrel and belly. “I’ve heard that the serum used to make new foals was designed to heighten their anxiety while simultaneously increasing the response to physical affection. I guess it was some failsafe to stop them from being independent, even if they got their minds back.” “Sam said it’s because new foals don’t feel like they’re in their own bodies.” She shifted on to her back as Job rubbed her belly. “It’s more like being in a completely foreign body you don’t understand. The petting does help with making it more familiar over time. It could be worse, though.” She squirmed for a second before relaxing again. “If I remember correctly, new foals were more ‘preachy’ prior to Equestria getting bombed. Once it got bombed, they kinda dumbed down to what they are now. I’m just glad I’m still me.” Job ran his hands up to her neck signaling her to stretch it out. “You’re surprisingly content with this.” “Who doesn’t like getting loved on?” “That’s not what I meant.” “Hey, if it makes you feel better, this body is so foreign to me that I haven’t thought about sex in months.” Her smile faded. “I don’t really know how I feel. For one, I’ve lost my body and can barely get out of bed.” “Barely get out of bed?” She sighed. “My brain was wired to use a human body, not this one. It’ll take years of physical therapy before I can move like I used to. Regardless, I miss my old body, even though all I used to do is sell it.” Job stopped rubbing for a second, taken back from her comment. She squirmed. “Don’t stop. I need it.” “Sorry,” Job complied, stroking her back as she turned onto her stomach. She squirmed for a second before relaxing again. “I hit rock bottom back then. I was addicted to a bunch of shit and completely out of touch from my responsibilities. Then one night, some guy slipped something into my drink and this happened.” She stayed silent for a minute as Job continued to rub her. Soreness grew in Job’s hands. “Whenever I think about it, I remember what Sam told me when I woke up like this: ‘I can’t say shit happens for a reason, but I do think good can come out of shit.’” She paused for a second, resisting a tear as her ears drooped. “When I was young, I used to wanna be a singer. Now, I guess that’s the only thing I have left.” Job’s arms burned from the rubbing. “You good? My hands are a bit tired.” She smiled. “Sure.” Job slipped out from under her and hopped off the bed. Finishing his sweeping duty, he stepped to the door. “Um, can I ask you something?” she asked. Job stopped. “Yeah?” “You’re only gonna be here for a week, right?” “Yup.” She raised her head. “Can you visit me before you leave? It gets a little lonely here.” “Sure, name’s Job, by the way.” She smiled. “Madalene.” Job waved as he stepped out the door. Once through, he leaned against a wall and stared at his hands. Something about petting her bothered him. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it wasn’t the act itself that disturbed him. He just couldn’t pinpoint what it was that did. — — — Upon arriving on Thursday, Sam told Job to wait in the lobby with Blue Wing while he answered a call. Stepping into the lobby, Sam called out to Blue, his normally cheerful voice now stern. “Get the gear, we gotta move.” “On it,” she nodded and darted out of the room. Sam turned to Job. “One of our guys is sick today. We’ll need your help too.” He then marched outside as Job followed suit. Blue stood next to the car, pushing a duffle bag into the back seat with her forelegs. Once in, she climbed into the front seat along with Sam, forcing Job into the back. Throughout the ride, no one uttered a word. Sam remained focussed on the road as Blue tapped her hoof on the door. Job watched Blue’s ears shift and adjust to the sounds of passing cars, as if she was alert. They arrived at a construction site on the outskirts of a small town. Dozens of workers stood around a large depression in the ground, presumably, none of them within twenty feet of it. They parked next to an ambulance and police. As Sam, Blue, and Job got out of the car, Blue opened up the bag and handed Job a gas mask. “Just in case,” she noted, grabbing two for herself and Sam. Job’s hands shook when he held his. A police officer approached them. Job met called to him. “What’s the situation?” “Gas canister. They say they evacuated immediately after it ruptured, but lost a man in the process.” A scream echoed out of the depression, catching everyone’s ear. Blue tossed a gas mask to Sam as he turned and assessed the situation. “How long ago did it go off?” “Thirty-ish minutes ago. Paramedics arrived within twenty and are currently still in there.” “It should’ve dissipated by now, but give it another thirty minutes for good measure. Contact poison control and the DNR and EPA, too. The clean up shouldn’t be too bad, but they know what they’re doing with this. Be glad it’s not raw serum. That shit’s hard to get out of the ground.” Sam strapped the gas mask onto his face and nodded to Blue, who already had her mask on. She extended her wings and thrust them toward the ground, shooting up into the sky. Dancing around the sky, she swooped over and around the depression. Job gazed up, both confused and amazed. “Never seen a pegasus fly before?” Sam teased. “Not really.” “Not surprised. It’s one of those details they don’t mention when they talk about Equestria these days. Get your mask on, by the way.” Job nodded, strapping the mask to his face. Blue swooped down and hovered above Sam and Job. “He’s in the middle of the hole with a couple paramedics. I can’t make out any lingering gas from up there.” “We’ll keep our masks on just in case,” commanded Sam. He waved for Job to follow him and the two of them approached the depression. A male pony with grey fur and white hair squirmed in the center, a construction outfit still draped over him. Two paramedics with gas masks stood beside him, trying to restrain him. Beside them rested a metal canister with a small rupture in its side, a pink biohazard symbol shining in the sunlight. “Get… out… my head,” the pony grunted, squirming around while bashing his head into the ground. A paramedic tried to grab his head, but the pony swung a hoof at him. Sam and Job crawled in the depression and walked up to the pony, yelling at the paramedics. “Back up!” The paramedics stepped back. “He keeps lashing at us,” one of them responded. “We’re about to sedate him.” Sam stopped next to them with Job behind him. “That’s the worst thing you could do.” “How come?” “If he falls asleep, he’ll lose his mind.” He pointed in a circle around the pony. “Get around him, I’ll need your help Sam knelt down and placed his hand on the pony’s head. “Don’t touch me!” the pony screamed, flailing his legs around with little coordination. Sam turned to the Paramedics. “Take your arms and place your weight on his back. Trust me on this.” He turned to Job. “You too.” Job did as he asked, placing his forearms on the pony and pressing in with his weight along with the paramedics. Sam restrained the head and forelegs of the pony. “Shh…” The pony kicked for a moment before settling down. His breathing remained quick as tears streamed down his eyes. “Stop… just…” Sam turned to Job, his muffled voice cutting through the mask. “I’m gonna pick him up and throw him over my shoulder. If he starts kicking, squeeze the back of his head and neck. Just don’t hurt him, though.” “We can grab a stretcher,” a paramedic noted. “That won’t help, he needs to feel something.” Sam threw the pony over his shoulder and the four of them climbed out of the depression. Twenty feet away, Sam pulled off his mask along with Job. The pony squirmed every twenty or so seconds but calmed as soon as Job squeezed him. Blue already opened the door to the backseat, her mask also off. Job climbed into the backseat as Sam passed the pony to him. “Keep squeezing him till we get back.Whatever you do, don’t stop.” Job nodded, wrapping his arms around the pony. As they took off for the institution, the pony nuzzled into his chest and cried. “Make it stop… just make it stop…” “Sh-sh-shhh…” Job rubbed the pony’s neck and back, his shirt wet from the pony’s tears. “Get him out…” the pony sniffled. “…out of my head.” “Shh, it’s okay.” Job squeezed as tight as he could. The pony’s breathing slowed. “Do you have a name?” “P-pau…” The pony flinched, clenching his muscles and grunted. Job squeezed him, restraining and calming him down. Sam interjected from the front. “Keep squeezing him. It won’t get any better till we get back.” Every couple of minutes, the pony would flare up in a fit forcing Job to squeeze him till he calmed down. As the minutes waned on, the time between each fit shortened. Job arms strained and burned from the squeezing. He couldn’t keep this up forever. “Guys,” Job called. “I might…” The pony flared up again. “…need some help.” “We’re almost there,” Sam assured him. Just as Job’s burned out, they pulled into the parking lot of the institution. Two staff members—presumably nurses from the clinic due to their scrubs—stood in the lot. Once the car stopped, Job handed the pony to the nurses, who rushed him into the institution. Sam followed after them, leaving Job behind. “You did good, kid.” Job turned around, seeing Blue stuffing the masks back into the duffle bag before throwing it over her back. “Th-thanks… I-I…” Job stuttered. “Spit it out.” He turned back to the institution. “I-I never knew what happened.” She walked out in front of him. “I think you should see what they do next. It’s worth it to see the point of all of this.” Job paused for a second before running inside the institution. Dashing up the stairs, he slowed to a jog in the clinic. Shouting echoed through the hallway. “Stop it! Get off of me!” “Hold him down! We’re almost there.” “I’m a go. Ready?” “Yeah, whenever you’re… hold on a sec!” Thumps and clangs reverberated through the walls as Job approached the doorway. He leaned against the wall and peeked inside. “Get away! Let me go!” The pony wailed as Sam and the nurses strapped him onto the table, restraining him the best they could. “Go for it,” commanded Sam as the nurse pressed a button on the side of the bed. “Give us a hand.” The three of them pressed their weight on the pony. A low hum filled the room as wheels on the machine started to rotate. Blue light emanated from the coils, causing the pony to flail and fidget. The pitch of the hum raised; the blue light intensified. A loud release and a wave of something blasted out of the bed and through Sam. His balance faltered for a second before he shifted his feet and looked back up. The pony laid on the bed panting while one nurse leaned against the wall and the other sat down. Sam knelt in front of the pony, grabbing his head. “Shh, it’s over now.” “It’s… over?” the pony whimpered. Sam stroked the pony’s mane. “Yes, yes it is. You can rest now.” “Over…” the pony muttered, easing his breathing. “Can you tell me your name?” Sam whispered. “Name… Paul,” the pony whispered back, nearly passing out. “Thank God, let's get you to a bed.” Sam picked up the pony and carried him out of the room. Job slumped onto the floor as Sam passed him. His legs jittered while he sat, trying to process the events from the day. “He’ll be okay.” Blue assured, walking next to him and sitting down. “What do you mean by ‘okay?’ Just look at him.” Job squeezed his own legs trying to calm himself. “He’ll wake up tomorrow angry and upset. Then Sam will walk into the room and explain what happened. Over the next couple of months, he’ll mellow out. A couple of years of physical therapy and training later, he’ll go home to his family, or whoever is willing to take him in.” “What if we were too late? Why not do that to every new foal here?” “You know what happens when we’re too late.” She turned her head away from Job. “As for the other question, they become comatose and die.” Job stayed quiet, in shock from her comment. She took a swig from a water bottle and swallowed. “You can go home if you want, I’ll tell Sam. I’d want to if I were you.” After a minute or two, Blue stood up and walked to the lounge. Job sat alone for another minute. He had seen poverty worse than this. He had seen malnourished kids living by the dozen at orphanages. So why did this bother him so much? Weary, he stood up, stumbled down the stairs, and trudged to his car.
Friday and SaturdaySam jumped when he saw Job show up on Friday. “Didn’t expect to see you again after yesterday.” “I've got two days left,”. “Honestly, we’ve been on top of things this week. There won’t be much to do on Saturday. This might be your last day.” Job’s body relaxed after Sam’s statement. Despite this hope, the work for the day never stopped. Painting a whole wall of the common room filled the morning. Sam needed help assembling new bed frames during the afternoon, which turned into a frustrating mess of wrong tools and terrible directions. Moreover, the work carried over into the evening. Job brought his frustration to Sam. “Hey, our previous bed frames dated back 50 years ago and weren’t good,” Sam argued. They finished at nine o’clock, just the sunset turned to twilight. Throwing the last of the boxes away, Job noticed Blue walking down the hallway toward the west wing. “Sam, where’s Blue’s room?” Job asked. “Room E201. Why do you ask?” “No reason in particular.” Once Sam stepped out of the room, Job followed after Blue. Entering the wing, he saw her step into a room, the same room she did a few days ago. He walked down the hallway and stood outside the door, peeking inside. “I got you the coffee you wanted,” Blue said, placing a mug on the desk. The pink pony sat at the desk, her horn glowing with a turquoise aura. “Thanks, I almost ran out of steam.” The aura enveloped the mug as it floated to her mouth and took a sip. Placing the mug on the table, another aura covered a pencil which then levitated and wrote in a notebook. Blue sat on a chair next to the window and stared outside. “How much longer?” “A week, if I’m fast. The original enchantment they attached to the serum took a whole team of unicorns to create it. I’m very far along, but I still need time.” “You don’t have time.” “What do you mean, Rainbow? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” “You don’t know this. Your last good day was a week ago.” The pink pony froze. “It’s getting worse, Starlight. I don’t know if you’ll have seven more good days,” Blue (Rainbow?) sniffled. “You know when Fluttershy’s last good day was?” Starlight’s pencil shivered. Tears ran down Blue’s face. “Three weeks ago. I don’t even know if she’s coming back again.” “Stop it,” Starlight muttered. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do when you’re gone…” “Stop it!” Starlight shouted, causing Blue to jump. She panted for a second. “Either be quiet and let me work or leave. If I don’t get this done… I’m not even gonna think about that.” Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Job flinched and turned around. Sam held a finger to his mouth and shushed. “I think it’s best we leave them be. Come.” Job nodded following Sam out of the wing and into the lounge. Once there, Sam sat down at a table and motioned for Job to do likewise. Job complied, sitting across from him. Silence followed. “She’s not a new foal, is she?” Job asked. “Which one?” “Blue… all three of them, now that I think about it.” Sam rested his head on his hands. “Six years ago, after we started this institution, she showed up at my front door and begged me to let her stay. After a day or two, I gave in not knowing whether it was illegal. Local authorities eventually found out, but they didn’t take much interest after some explaining. “Over the next couple of years, she found and brought in the other two. That was when I learned about the flaw in serum.” He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. “What flaw?” Job prodded. “Equestrian ponies may be resistant, but are not immune to it. Instead of running its course in a matter of hours, it slowly takes over their mind, taking anywhere from months to years to work. To make matters worse, the two times I used the bed on ponies I knew that weren’t new foals, they died the next day. Starlight says she knows why but trusting her means hoping she doesn’t fade away in time.” He leaned forward over the table. “It’s like Agent Orange; it’s safe in the short term but brutal in the long term.” Job sat silently and stared at the table. “You look disturbed,” Sam noted. “I’ve been on other mission trips; I’ve seen terrible poverty. But this bothers me on a whole new level.” “Is it because you feel that no matter how much money or time you have, you can’t fix their problems?” Job stared at the table. “I guess.” “Do you know why we have mission trips?” “To do God’s work?” “Maybe. Are you a missionary?” Job paused. “No, I guess.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “To make a difference?” “I’ve run this place for six years and I feel like I’ve barely accomplished anything. Do you think you can really make a difference in a week?” Job stared at the table in defeat. “I don’t know.” “We do them to see a Haitian who’s somehow happier than you are with a tenth of your belongings. To see how joyful a homeless man can be as he explains how he felt God’s love keep his hand warm through the sock you gave him the day before. To watch a pony hold on to her deteriorating friends and to realize how important your own friends are.” He paused. “Most of all, it’s to be humbled.” He stood up and passed Job. “You still have that room key if you don’t want to drive home tonight. I’m gonna lock the place up.” As Sam left, Job sat alone, unsure of what to do. His mind, dull from the day, refused to think anything beyond his next task. Heaviness pulled on his eyelids causing him to yawn. He didn’t have much left in him either. A shuffle echoed from the hallway as Blue peeked around the corner. “What’re you still doing here?” “It’s been a long day.” Job answered back. “Don’t know if I’ll go home tonight.” “Whatever,” she scoffed, walking up to the table and placing a clear bottle on the table. “What’s that?” “Coping juice.” She unscrewed the cap with her mouth, set it on the table, and poured a clear liquid into it. “I really need it today.” With both of her hooves, she grabbed the cap and drank its contents, scrunching her face from the taste. After a couple of deep breaths, she repeated the process. “Uh, you okay?” She took another swig before letting out another breath. “Does it look like I’m okay?” Job didn’t answer as she poured her fourth cap and downed it. On the fifth cap, the bottle ran out, only filling the cap halfway. “Dammit, just when I need it most.” She nudged the bottle toward Job. “There’s more in my room—can you get some?” Job grabbed the empty bottle and walked away. Remembering her room number, he turned the corner of the hallway and entered the first room on his right. Flipping the light on revealed an unmade bed along with dozens of blue hair dye boxes on the floor. Job searched through the cabinets and found one with two unopened bottles of vanilla vodka. Seeing 120 proof on the label, he decided to fill the bottle with water instead. Returning to the lounge, he found Blue face down on the table, muttering to herself “‘It’s okay, Dash. They just need a bit of help.’” Job sat down next to her, poured water into the cap, and nudged it towards her. She raised her head, grabbed the cap with her hooves, and downed the water like a shot. Her head flopped back down on the table as she continued to mutter. “‘It’s okay, Dash. They just need some friendship.’” Tears fell from her eyes. “‘It’s okay, Dash. We did the best we could.’” Job put his hand on her head, giving it a gentle rub. She didn’t react and kept muttering. “‘It’s okay, Dash. The serum won’t hurt them.’” She sniffled, a few tears running down her cheek. “‘It’s okay, Dash. The serum can’t hurt us.” She slammed the table with her hoof causing Job to jump. “It’s okay, Dash. They deserve it.” Tears puddled on the table. “We deserve it. We fucking deserve it.” She collapsed onto Job’s lap, tears streaming onto his pants. He squeezed her as she nuzzled into his chest. “Am I new foal enough? Is this what it’s like?” “Sh-sh-shhh,” Job interrupted, rubbing her back. Her bawling reduced to sniffles. “I’m so alone…” “It’s okay,” he reassured. “Let’s get you to bed.” Job picked her up and cradled her in his arms. Balancing out the weight, he carried her to her room and laid her on her bed. Standing up to leave and pulling out the key to his own room, he heard her squirm in bed. Her speech slurred. “Don’t leave me. I’m so alone.” Job sat back down. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered, contemplating whether he should actually stay. “Please don’t leave me,” she begged, tearing up again. Realizing she might break down again, Job laid down next to her on the bed. She crawled on top of him and pressed her muzzle against his chin, easing her breathing. Warmth enveloped him as she fell asleep within minutes. Job laid awake for thirty minutes wanting to squirm. At some point, his exhaustion caught up to him and he stopped caring. Yawning, he embraced her and drifted off to sleep. — — — He woke up the next morning at eleven, but with no pony on top of him. Sitting up, he saw a picture of six ponies, one of whom resembled Blue, but with rainbow hair. Another one looked like the yellow pony he saw in the other room. Sam caught him ten minutes later as he packed up to go. “You did end up staying the night.” “Kinda,” Job teased. After stopping by Madelene and giving her a quick rub, he met Blue at the front desk. She rested her head on the desk with a steaming cup of coffee next to her. “I’m heading off,” he waved. “Um, can I pull you aside real quick?” She kept her eyes down, studying the desk. “Sure.” She pulled him into the nearest conference room and pointed her hoof at him. “I will kill you if you even think about what happened last night! It dies here and now!” “Talk about goodbye. We didn’t even do anything last night.” She glared at him with murder in her eyes. “My lips are sealed.” “They better be!” she scoffed before nuzzling his leg. “Thank you, though.” He patted her head before leaving the room and waving as he walked through the door. His home life felt dull compared to the rest of the week. That night, he laid in bed contemplating a crazy idea. Maybe there was something he could do. — — — “What the hell are you doing back here?” Sam asked from behind the desk. “I-uh…” Job collected his thoughts. “I give you a day off, and you still come back the next day. Saturday was yesterday.” “I want an application.” Sam froze. “What?” “I wanna work part-time, two days a week, three max.” He handed Job a piece of paper without breaking eye contact. “Boy, you had one hell of a week compared to most people. I don’t know what I did to make you wanna come back.” Job grabbed the paper and darted to the east wing. He found Blue sitting on her bed, staring out of the window. She turned toward him, pupils narrowed and surprised. “Job? What are you…” “I had a crazy idea last night. I can’t bring back Equestria, I can’t undo the serum, I can’t give new foals their humanity back, I can’t bring back your friends, and I can’t fix the world.” Job panted from running up the stairs and forgetting to breathe. Taking in a deep breath, he continued. “However, I can be your friend. And maybe over time, we can inspire others to be better too.” After a brief pause, Blue slid off of her bed and trotted in Job, grabbing him and squeezing him tight. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou…” “I can’t undo what has happened to you, but I hope I can be here for you,” he assured, embracing her in his arms.” She cried. “Thank you. That’s all I wanted.”
EpilogueJob peeked into the room at Blue’s suggestion. Starlight sat at her desk, scribbling on a notebook. He looked at a calendar on the door and drew a large “6” on the current date. The rest of the current month and the last were filled with Xs. He walked into the room and stood next to Starlight. “How long have you been up?” “Since nine this morning. I couldn’t fall back asleep.” She glanced outside, noticing the green grass and budding trees. “Yesterday, I remember seeing snow on the ground.” “‘Yesterday’ was almost two months ago.” Her pencil stopped. “Has it really been that long?” “Unfortunately. May I ask you something?” “Sure,” she mumbled. “Who is this spell gonna help exactly?” “Well…” She levitated a glass of water to her mouth and took a sip. “For sure me. Maybe even Fluttershy here.” “She hasn’t had a good day in four months.” Starlight set her water down. “But there’s always a chance any new foal might come back for a day. It’s one of the reasons they don’t just euthanize all of them.” “Euthanize? That sounds a tad harsh.” “Or outright inhumane, as Sam would say. Then again, the fact they can act like animals gives people ideas.” She flipped her pencil over and erased a section of work. “I suspect the spell might make Awares more in touch with their bodies, too. But I’ll figure that out later.” Job nodded and walked to the door. “I’ll tell Blu… Dash about you.” “Why do you do that?’ “Hey, it’s what everyone calls her around here. By the way, need anything?” She smiled. “Coffee, lots of coffee.” — — — Job brought Starlight coffee and snacks on an hourly basis. As the day turned to night, she pulled out a large poster board and carefully etched out a circle full of lines and letters. Blue (Job couldn’t break his habit and call her Dash around Starlight) visited Starlight a couple of times but stayed mostly silent, having learned her lesson from Starlight’s previous good days. Afterward, she walked up to Job. “I just… I can’t take it anymore,” she cried, squeezing Job’s leg. “Watch her for me, okay?” Job nodded. “I got it.” Job placed a chair outside of Starlight and Fluttershy’s room and waited the day out, peeking in on Starlight every now and then. He made sure no one entered the room or disturbed her, keeping the door cracked. By 1:00 am, she completed the circle on the poster board and began to cross-check it with her notes. By 4:00 am, Job could barely keep his eyes open as he heard a loud thump on the desk. “It’s now or never,” Starlight conceded, letting out a deep sigh. Job stood up and rubbed his eyes, stepping into the room. Her ear twitched at the sound, turning toward him. “You’re still up?” “I’ve been waiting for you to go to bed.” She pointed to the poster board. “Actually, tonight I’m gonna do it.” Job looked at the design on the board, in awe at its complexity. “The spell? I thought you said you’d need another day.” “Don’t underestimate the power of crunch time,” she winked. “Although I would usually proofread a spell like this over the course of a week. Dash it right, though. I don’t know if I’ll have another good day.” Job turned toward her. “You sure about this?” “As I said, it’s now or never.” Job backed up as she levitated the poster board to the floor. Sliding off the chair, she sat in the center of the circle and steadied her breathing. Her horn glowed with a turquoise aura, causing the lines of the circle to glow as a similar aura enveloped her whole body. The sound intensified as the aura agitated and burst in front of him, forcing him to block his face. A few seconds later and he lowered his arms, seeing Starlight panting on the board. “Did it work?” “I don’t know.” She looked around the room confused. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.” She brushed the poster board aside with her hoof and crawled in bed. Before pulling the covers over herself, she sat up and looked at Job. “By the way, even if the spell doesn’t work, thanks for helping. You don’t know how helpful it is to have someone take care of all of the little things when you’re preoccupied with a project like that.” He waved back. “It’s what I’m here for.” “I’m just letting you know, it mattered. It mattered a lot.” Job nodded as he walked out of the room. Walking down the hallway and opening the door to his own room, he saw Dash sprawled out on his bed and asleep. She probably wanted to cuddle up with him prior to going to bed but fell asleep while waiting. Realizing he didn’t have the key to her room, he nudged her to the other side of the bed and laid down. “Guess you joining me tonight,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. — — — Job woke up alone at 11:00 am, still tired from the night before. Remembering the night prior, a burst of adrenaline shot through his body and helped him jump out of bed. Jogging down the hall, he stopped at Starlight and Fluttershy’s room and creaked the door open. Fluttershy was gone while Starlight laid sprawled out on her bed. Job sighed, walking into the room and to the window. He opened up the blinds causing light to pour onto Starlight and make her squirm. “Why do you do this to me?” she mumbled. Job, not knowing if that was the new foal speaking, responded as neutral as he could. “Because it’s my job.” “You know…” she said, lifting her head up and speaking more clearly. Job turned in surprised. “I haven’t slept like that in years.” “St-starlight?” he mumbled. She smiled back. “I could really use some coffee right now.”
