Jade sat with her friends Tea Leaf and Cherry Pie in the living watching a new episode of The Great Adventures of Harmony on her family's new TV. Her family was the only one with a TV in their neighborhood. Daddy said they were new and that they were very expensive, so she was not allowed to touch it, but Mommy and Daddy let her watch Harmony go on adventures on it. Harmony taught her it was better to talk out problems rather than be violent, and that Magic of Friendship could be found in everypony, just like the Ministries Mares Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy said. Harmony was AWESOME!

It was a nice day outside and Jade didn’t have to go to school, so she was really happy about that. It was because it meant she didn’t have to deal with Print Stamp and Dreary Day, a colt and filly that bullied her for being the only one left without a Cutie Mark in her class. She didn’t really have many friends,Tea Leaf didn’t like fighting, and Cherry wasn’t much help with how sick she was most of the time. Jade hoped Cherry would get well soon. But for now she just enjoyed the TV and a good company. Jade heard her Mommy talking about going to the park as Mister Hoofsy made lunch. She liked Wiggles(that’s how she called robot) because of all his wiggly arms. Wiggles said she was a smart filly because she was in the same grade as Tea Leaf and Cherry even though she was supposed to two grades behind them. And Jade… Jade just happy to find some friends.

Daddy had been gone on a trip last week and had gotten back this morning telling her and Mommy about how they got tickets into something called a Stable. Jade didn’t know what that was but she didn’t care. Her birthday was coming up and that meant presents and cake, and visit from Pinkie Pie. Even if most ponies were scared of the Ministry Mare, Jade found her funny.

Jade hoped Daddy could stay for the trip to the Park as he left often to meet with ponies from MWT on some projects. He was a smart pony, like Jade, and made things like she did. The little filly didn’t understand what her Daddy was working on but she hoped it could help Pinkie at her party like the time he helped make Mister Hoofsy

Jade frowned as an image with PLEASE STAND BY appeared on it and not Harmony teaching the griffons to not be mean to pony just because they were not alike. Why did the screen change?

“DADDY! The T.V. is broken!” she yelled as pointed at the source of the problem. Just as Wiggles moved over to help, a pony that was not Harmony started to talk.

“To all Citizen of Equestria, this is the Emergency Broadcast System, and with accordance to…”

“Honey, what’s going on?” Mommy asked Daddy as Jade started to pout.

“I’m sure it’s just a drill. It’s not like they’re going to tell us to take shelter from a Zebra raid.” Daddy said calmly.

“I repeat this is NOT a drill. You must take shelter immediately, whether in a shelter you’ve build up to code yourself, or a Stable if you’ve registered. Cloudsdale has been hit, I REPEAT, CLOUDSDALE has been hit. This is NOT a drill….”

Jade and her friends were picked up by her Mommy as she started telling her Daddy to grab their IDs.

“We should head for the Stable. It’s not far from here, just up the hills behind the house.” Daddy yelled as they got out of the house just as sounds Jade didn’t like started blaring from all over and ponies were screaming or yelling. Almost immediately she started to cry. She could see them passing a stallion trying to pick some bags while yelling at a mare to help him.

“Shush, it’s alright girls, we’ll be okay soon.” Her Mommy said as the started to run for the forest Jade was told not to go in. Eventually they were getting to big gear shaped platform, just like gears in the clock she was fixing for Mommy. And there were two ponies in armor like she had seen on TV but their armor looked different from the TV. Still, they were wearing Power Armor, at least that’s what her Daddy called it. There were lots of other ponies too. All looked scared like she was during thunderstorms, except a stallion in front of them.

“Hold it! We can’t just let anyone in here, just those on the list.” One of the armored ponies said.

“But, I’m Stable Tech, You have to let me…” The stallion stopped talking after a loud bang. Then he laid down while red stuff pooled around him.

“Sir, what in the pony hell ARE you doing?!” One armored pony said to the other. “We’re supposed to keep them away, NOT shooting them!”

“If you’ve missed the news, missy, hell is at our doorstep. It’s either we keep the order or it’s gonna be another stampede. You heard me?”

“Yes.”

“What did you say?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Shooter, her tube still emitting a trail a smoke, turned to the crowd, her voice booming.

“I REPEAT, YOU ARE NOT GETTING INTO STABLE 092 WITHOUT BEING ON THE LIST! ORDERS ARE DIRECTLY FROM THE MINISTRIES OF KINDNESS AND ARCANE TECHNOLOGY! DID I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” She looked to Jade’s Daddy and yelled “You! Are you on the list?”

“Yes, my name is Tinker Charger, and this is my wife, Amnesty Frost, and our daughter, Jade Charge.” Daddy said, visibly shaken.

“Girls, don’t look at the napping pony.” Mommy whispered looking worriedly at Daddy.

“You’re on the list, go ahead.” The pony in green armor holding a folder said waving them through. “Mam, you’re have to leave the other two foals, there just isn’t enough room.”

“But they’re just foals, I can’t just…” Mommy started to say before the shooter mare pointed a tube at her.

“I will not repeat myself, leave the other two, take your daughter and get into the Stable.” The pony said just as Mommy put down Tea Leaf and Cherry.

“Mommy, but what about Tea and Cherry?!” Jade asked not understanding what was going on. Mommy didn’t answer her as she rushed inside with her Daddy. Jade hesitated. It was Mommy and Daddy, sure, but those… those were her friends!

“Don’t worry.” Tea Leaf smiled. “I will take care of Cherry and meet you when this is over, okay?”

“But… but…” Jade stammered.

“No buts! Go on! Your parents are waiting for you!”

“You should go, Jade.” Cherry hugged her as Jade was ready to cry again. “We will be okay. Just… promise you will find us, okay? You promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly…”

“JADE! Move faster!” Daddy yelled.

“I’M GOING!” Jade yelled back and turned to her friends. “Goodbye.”

“Nah.” Tea Leaf winked. “Catch you later!”

Jade followed Mommy and Daddy. Big gear they’ve been standing on shuddered and went down. There they were told to put on some funny blue and yellow clothes, then to follow a doctor.

“Thank you” Daddy said as they walked inside, through the gear shaped door into lively painted rooms that went by in a blur as the doctor rushed them to a big box he call a Stasis pod.

“Now, those are the latest joint work by MAS, MOP and Stable Tech, the Stasis Pod! We only have three hundred, so we can only let the registered ponies in here. This state-of-the-art models will keep you asleep and preserved until automated systems determine the outside is safe. Now just step inside, and breath, the Stasis Pod will do the rest.” The doctor said as she took Jade and put into a pod and walked her through the breathing process until she fell asleep and everything went dark.

To be continued