Fallout: Equestria - A Good Teacher

Two days ago

My true hope dissolved into silence, heavy and empty.

"For Goddeses's sake, what have I done?!"

My gaze rushed in panic to the huge armored door of Stable Two and drowned in darkness. But I knew she was there. Locked, a line between me and all life. Madness, but it seemed that with her whole appearance she was speaking to me:

"It's not too late to go back. You can give up on this idea."

Somewhere in the depths, a carefully wiped blackboard gleamed clean in the silver-metallic light. In the middle of my classroom, there was still a row of small desks, populated by light-colored foals who waited and hoped that I would support their curiosity, restlessness, and thirst for new discoveries.

It was gratifying to mentally examine familiar faces, but it all seemed so unreal that even my own imagination rebelled, beginning to change, acquiring completely different features, much more in line with reality.

"Boring, is she really not coming today?"

"Isn't it great? Now you can do whatever you want!"

My perfect sense of time could not lie, a minute ago a signal should have sounded above the low lifting door - the electronic clock showed nine thirty in the morning. I should have been there half an hour ago.

Watching the children from behind my desk, only occasionally looking out, I saw one of the students timidly rise, take the first book he came across from the shelf and go to the teacher's desk. Right here! I moved away from the edge, not knowing where else to run, pressed myself against the inner wall and froze. Little hooves quietly clicked on the floor.

"She's not there."

"Can you imagine that? The teacher hiding under the table. What a laugh!"

Someone snorted uncontrollably.

"We still need to check."

I desperately wanted to ask him to stop. To shout, "Just don't look under the table! There's no one here, really, no one at all!"

Actually, it wouldn't be a lie.

"Hello!"

A toothy smile appeared on the silvery face of the colt. The violet eyes, shining with joy, immediately drooped.

"Nobody is there."

The foal sat down at my table and began to read importantly.

"A long, long time ago, in the magical land of Eque-estria..."

I knew these words like the back of my head.

"Boring. Where is our teacher? It was much more interesting with her."

I took a step forward, another cautious step into the alien darkness, and my hoof brushed against something soft and cold and damp. A dim green light seeped from the device on my left foot, trying to illuminate the scrap of steel floor next to me. It was barely enough for me to recognize the blanket beneath my feet, worn thin by time.

I stopped and felt a light push on my shoulder.

A voice sounded in my head: "Take this, I'm unlikely to need it, but it could save your life."

The helmet attached to my neck swung, reminding me of itself, of the guard who had allowed me to leave.

I remembered why.

"Are you seriously going outside? Velvet Remedy? That psychopath, Littlepip, also promised to bring her back, and where is she?"

"I'll go after her, now. If you want, you can come with me, but I'm not forcing you and please don't interfere. I already have enough problems."

"So, that's it! There are clear instructions from the Overmare regarding such a situation."

"I'm not going to wait for the search party to come out! We could lose track of her completely!"

"To tell the truth, I've always liked Velvet Remedy's songs too... but going outside?.. Seriously? Is she worth it?"

"Yes."

"I wonder how many more crazy fans will throw themselves into Discord's mouth to return our nimble bird? Or do you think this is all a fun ride?"

"Not exactly. For me, everything is different... If Velvet listens to anyone, it will only be me."

The cozy semi-darkness of my room hid me from the bustle of everyday thoughts, not allowing the particles of other people's opinions that lived in them to discuss every second of my actions, and I didn't want to hear anyone but myself, considering what I was about to do.

On the island of light in front of me lay a worn, tattered notebook.

Prohibition. Law. Crime. Harsh and menacing words.

I couldn't even imagine what truth awaited me on these pages. The anticipation of something unknown inspired a slight delight, and drew me further, without even needing an explanation of why, Discord-damn it, I was taking such a risk. No one would come in here. The door was password-protected, no one would disturb me.

The cover of the book was skillfully decorated, as if it was already beginning to tell a story. A world flourishing under the hard-working hooves of ponies, embraced by the wisdom of goddesses - Princess Celestia, keeper of the daylight, and Princess Luna, guardian peace of the night... but what kind of a title is that? What does this "Fallout Equestria" even mean?..

Suddenly, an unpleasant signal was heard, meaning that someone was unsuccessfully trying to open the door to my room. I almost jumped up from the spot in fear. Blood rushed to my head, my legs pressed together. I looked at the closed door. It could be anyone! From cleaners to Stable loyalty inspectors, and the latter had an electronic card that allowed them to open any door without resistance...

I quickly hid the book under the blanket and, trembling all over, went to the door.

"I know you're there. Please open the door quickly."

Now I was flying, starting to type the password as I ran. That voice could only belong to one pony. The pneumatic door opened with a soft hiss, and Velvet Remedy darted past into the darkness of my room.

"Quickly, hide me!"

Without thinking, I opened my wardrobe for her, and closed it when the unicorn squeezed herself behind the door. The sound of running ponies' hooves came from the hallway.

"I see her!"

I froze. The last thing I wanted to do was let her down, after so many days of separation. I was ready to lie with any words, just to scare off the unwanted company, but, fortunately, the ponies rushed past, not paying any attention to the unlocked door, and soon fell silent somewhere in the labyrinth of corridors.

"They're gone," I said, opening the closet and stepping back to let Velvet out. "Towards the dining room, I think."

"Wonderful! Thank you, my gold."

"If you need to go..."

"They’ll be looking for me for at least an hour, and I’ll have to go through the entire Stable to get to my room... Can I spend the night at your place?"

"Ah?"

"If it won't cause any inconvenience, of course. I know you're busy preparing as usual."

"Inconvenience? You disappear for a whole week, then appear out of nowhere, and are going to disappear again? Ah! What's the rush?! I want to spend at least a little time with you," she smiled in response and securely closed the door with one click of the button, which returned the default password lock. With slight fatigue, I sank onto the bed. "What a joy that we won't have to go out."

She leaned over and suddenly hugged me, lightly touching my nape with her nose, and pressed her neck against me. Her graceful, smooth black throat was very close to my cheek. I imagined a song being created in it.

"How about reading? Tell me a story."

A book floated to me. That very one! Velvet sat down next to me.

“To tell the truth, I haven’t even opened this one yet...” If we're going to break the law, do it together! Excellent...

“Come on, let’s begin,” the black unicorn said furtively, understanding my excitement. I listened to her whisper, repeating it in my mind over and over again, enjoying that charming side of her voice that no one else knew.

I touched the book with magic and froze for a moment, stunned. The clouds of our magic touched! I saw, understood her soul. She was like water, warm and pleasant. The deeper I went, the warmer it became, and there was no resistance, only understanding and kindness. From the feeling of such closeness, I lost my composure. A small tremor passed through my entire body, tears of joy came from my eyes.

"I love you, sister."

With these words, I opened the book, and ancient symbols flashed before my eyes, carrying us somewhere into the darkness, in which only by holding on to each other could we stand...

"A long time ago, in the magical land of Equestria... …there came an era when the ideals of friendship gave way to envy, selfishness, paranoia and the greedy division of territory and natural resources. Countries took up arms against their neighbors. The end of the world came much as we imagined it. No one cares about the details, the reasons – as always, are only in ourselves. The Great Purge took place: dark magic, a nuclear spark struck by a pony’s hoof, easily escaped control. A rain of flame from mega-spells poured from the sky. Entire lands writhed in agony, sinking to the bottom of boiling oceans. Ponies were almost wiped off the face of the Earth as a species. Their souls became part of the radiation background that enveloped the world with its blanket. Darkness and silence reigned on Earth…
Not long before, huge underground shelters, also known as "Stables", were built, where thousands of specially selected ponies were able to take refuge from the horrors of Armageddon... "

We have forgotten that day for the sake of the common good, but the heart remembers. We lost the sky that day, and the earth that night when we fell asleep in the stables, under her blanket.

“They knew. They knew everything,” I said.

"My room... My life here in the stable, in this cage we built to lock ourselves in, could be summed up on a single piece of paper. I don't know whether to be happy or angry that I was lucky enough to get here. I'm alive, but is that really life? What happened to my family that there was no room for? I feel like a doormat. The goddesses have turned their backs on us... Or died. It's too late to do anything about it. Dead, like everyone else in this abandoned world. And you, if you keep filling your pretty little head with these lousy thoughts, will go straight to the Overmare! I'm talking to you, writer. We don't need all these details."

The next page was torn out, and I had to flip through more than a dozen more torn, crumpled pages.

“Nobody wanted to listen to the reproaches of conscience,” Velvet exhaled.

I leafed through the damaged part of the book, turned over a whole page, it was blank, and the next one was also blank, and more, and more blank pages. Finally, the text appeared:

"I'm looking at the ceiling now, and I can't figure out who I am? What good have I ever done? My whole life in the Stable, as far as I can remember, I kept track of the equipment that was sent in for repairs, written off from the warehouse. I feel used. Useless. As if everything I did was worthless.

Is that all we can do? Sit here and hide?

Something strange is happening to me. At night I often see lights in the darkness, thousands and thousands of lights, all together they look at me with pity. And inside there is a fire, my own. It warms, but it seems to slowly fade, as if I am no longer a pony.

Before the bombs fell, I lived one day at a time, in fear, not imagining or afraid to imagine what surprise fate would prepare for me, but I lived, and here, locked up, my life is no longer a life at all. Most of all, I dream of seeing the Sun again.

I hear voices. Sometimes angry or pitiful, less often calm, but all doomed. They are alive, there, on the surface, we must help. I can't do this. Someone could have stayed, I feel it. I'm going to the surface."

We looked at each other anxiously.

Next were the marked entries:

" The first day:

Horror. Dead ponies everywhere. Especially at the entrance to the Stable.

By the river, a lame foal was running away from a huge lizard, I shot the lizard. The kid`s back legs were badly damaged. The left one was completely torn off, and the other one was badly wounded! Blood was pouring out like a stream. I used my healing potion. Although he will not be able to walk normally without one leg, it helped, now he will survive.

I have no bullets left.

Begi...

It burns! The rain burns like boiling water. I found shelter under the ruins of a bakery.

I still remember how my mother bought me pies here. I had to wait in line for a long time, but in return, I could play with other foals, and there was such a wonderful aroma everywhere... now there is none of that. I will leave my new friend next to me, I can't leave him alone.

This damned acid rain has been falling for five hours already.

Second day:

I brought the foal to the Stable, but the door is tightly closed! No one responds to my knocking and shouts, and I can't open it from the terminal either.

Why did they abandon everyone? Why can't they let just one more pony in? I'd happily share my room with him, and... there would fit at least a dozen more!!!

What should I do now?

We returned to the ruins of Ponyville and met a group of travelers.

I'm already fed up with the crackling sound of this stupid gadget on my leg.

I overheard something: it seems that my "friends" managed to find a good supply of canned goods under the rubble of the dining house, but since they don't say it, it means they are not very happy to share.

They demand that I let them into the Stable! But I can't, in Celestia's name, I can't, no matter how much I want to!..

Nobody trusts me anymore. Except the foal, of course, where else would he go?

They seem to have figured out that I stole a pack of dried cabbage. We better get out of here and fast.

We got off somehow and fell behind, now there are only two of us. Me and the foal.

We went to the mountains, towards the swamps, but it was almost empty. The hooves sank into the wet ash.

There is no food anywhere! My apple supply is running low and the grassy meadows are dead. Occasionally there are bushes that are more or less edible, but the taste is terrible. I doubt they will be of any use. I have tried gnawing on the dry bark of the surviving trees, but that is also nothing.

Hurray! Managed to get some canned goods. How do we open them...

The taste is disgusting. Is this fish or something?! It's all rotten. If I eat another piece, I'll definitely throw up.

Everything inside me is on fire.

Some flying creatures attacked. I ran for two hours, carrying the foal on my back, until they finally left me behind. We were very tired, resting right on the ground, under an overhanging rock. What if that acid starts pouring from the sky again?

It would be better if we continued to walk with those marauders.

I've been watching the sky, the clouds for a long time, and it... they never change. It's scary, but I had to agree. It hurts me to write about it. I can't, Celestia, I just can't. This is not my world. It couldn't change like that! I don't believe it.

Day three:

I woke up with my stomach trying to get out of me.

Tried to eat my saddle bags. Oddly enough, it was delicious. Natural material, but they were too tough to chew.

The screen of my fashionable watch says that I am sick, but in my opinion it is much worse that we have run out of drinking water. In these reservoirs it is like pure mud. We need to go back to the river"

The last two pages were smeared with a generous amount of spit, which soaked into the paper and dried.

i feel like im dying.the whole world is spinning.what a joy that i dont have a mirror.wouldnt want to see what my mane has turned into.

are you happy now?did you get whats yours?

the door to stable two is closed.

ill leave my diary on the threshold of the door.maybe someday these ignorants will open it and understand that there are those who need help"

Returning to my thoughts, feeling the softness of the bed, I did not know what to push off from. Everything immediately appeared before me in a different light. Stable Two is our home. Here we were born, here, in safety, we will spend our lives. Like cowards and traitors, abandoning their world to destruction.

I could almost feel the egoism in the air. Whatever I tried to grasp with my thoughts, everything led to a desire to satisfy my own interests that instantly became disgusting to the point of nausea.

With Velvet, I felt stronger, above it all. When we were together, nothing was scary, and we were going to do this together - get back to our world.

Then, having expressed all our enthusiastic ideas to each other, having roughly discussed the list of what might be needed and what could be obtained secretly, we went to bed in silence, words were no longer needed. But now, alone, cautiously stepping toward the bright side of the cave, I could hardly agree with this, or justify my naivety. Now that everything had turned out so strangely.

Gradually getting used to the darkness, I was able to make out the collapsed walls around me.

Something caught on my hoof. A stick. A wooden block with a sign covered in rocks. "These are bones!" Skeletons lay scattered everywhere!.. everywhere I looked. Why did they die? Starvation and radiation, I suppose. Did they just stay here and die... hoping for help from the Stable?

"I'm sorry"

I said a short prayer for their souls to Celestia and hurried towards the light.

If the story is true... what's out there? Velvet saw it and didn't back down. Maybe everyone was dead, no one was left? Then she'd come back, realize we were wrong, and come back. But that hardly seemed like a strong argument to her.

"Stop! I need to talk to you. Everything we know is not true, that is, not the whole truth."

"What are you talking about?"

"The world outside is dead! You know that very well. We can't go there. It's dangerous."

"It died. Because. We. Allowed it. You kept it to yourself and kept quiet?"

I felt so much pain in Velvet's quiet voice. It seemed like she was screaming. I had to convince her, everything depended on it.

"We're needed here. I didn't think about the school foals that night. I can't. I'm sorry, I just... we really should get back before we..."

She looked at me sadly.

She just looked! That already made me shut up. Her turquoise eyes seemed to ask: "Are you really the one telling me this?" In response, I stood my ground, asserting my position. Looking at her again, I was forced to shamefully lower my gaze to the floor, unable to look into those eyes for a second.

"For the first time in our lives we have a chance to do something really good, and... oh, Mary, for goddesses's sake, are you really..."

"Please, listen to me. We could die there!"

"We will all die someday."

"I'm scared. I didn't want to say this, but I'm afraid of dying. Everything there is burnt out and radioactive! Do you even understand? How could anyone?.. There are enough people here who care about us."

There was a long pause. I didn't like this silence and I continued:

"I'm not going anywhere. Understand me correctly, what about my students, my school?"

She looked down and said barely audibly:

"Stay in the Stable, don't do anything. I can understand, it will be better for everyone. But you, please, understand, I can't live like this anymore, I'm going outside."

"Wait!.. I need you.." but she left, not hearing or maybe not wanting to hear. "I really need you."

I couldn't stay in the stable any longer. Not now.

Moving forward alone, I cast aside any thoughts or feelings that would persuade me to return to a quiet life. I was determined to find Her, to ask for forgiveness for my stupidity, and it didn't matter much whether we returned home or stayed, pursuing the original goal. The main thing was that we would be together. Then and only then would everything be right again.

My only sister, I swear I will find you! I will find you and never let go of your trust again.

In front of me was a staircase leading outside. I approached it. My eyes were squinting from the bright light. My heart, like a tiny butterfly, was anxious, fluttering in my chest.

I am going with you!