Fallout: Equestria - A Robot’s Lament

Chapter 1: Megaspells

"Don't you know Magical Fallout is bad for your Battery?"

….Systems Active….

Date: 10th Year of Luna’s Reign

Objective: Serve Masters Without Question

….Loading Operating System….

It began as any normal day.

My inner alarm rang at the scheduled time; 6 PM.

As per my normal operating procedures; the dual head cams turned on, giving me a clear view of the large room around me. But that wasn’t important right now; what was important was getting everything ready.

….Unlock Recharge Cords….

The two large cords that were plugged into my back unhooked and shot back into their holsters. The orange light on the wall next to me turned green; giving me the all clear.

….Open Recharge Bay Door….

The large piece of glass that made up the door of my bay swung forward, giving off a faint hiss of steam. When it has swung to full length, I slowly stepped out of the bay and into the room.

It was fairly large; around the size of a small courtyard. A wide variety of furniture was plastered around it; all colored dark red with wooden finishings. A small carpet separated them from the wooden floor, which had the slightest hint of fresh dust on it.

Through the window, I could see the faint glow of the morning sun approaching from over the horizon. Houses ran along the main road of the complex, each painted in bright colors that matched their owners personalities.

I smiled; thinking about all the other ponies that must still be asleep at this point. The only things that got up this early were work junkies, and of course the ever faithful robots like me.

….Robot….

Whenever that word pops into my head, I always give myself a good look over. I see my green pelt and black mane. I see the image of tea being poured into a cup that was my “cutie mark”. I saw the nice white shirt and black vest that I wore every day. And when I raised my hoof, I felt the spike in my forehead that was my “horn”.

I don’t look like a robot….not even in the slightest. If somepony were to look at me right now, they’d think I was a normal unicorn stallion.

But I am….and I have to keep remembering that. Not for the sake of being happy or sad; I was happy either way.

The problem lied in the fact that….If I get too comfortable in my life….I might go against my programing.

But talking about myself wasn’t going to make it any better.

I deleted the thought from my processor and turned towards the kitchen. The time was now 6:15, so I had to hurry if I was to have everything prepared on time.

I quickly walked into the kitchen, which was filled with the most up-to-date appliances anypony could buy. Stainless Steel fridge with a matching stove and dishwasher. The countertop had the same grey coloring to it, and the wooden supports matched it well.

As normal, I used my “magic” to open the cabinets and pull out the ingredients for breakfast. Since it was the third saturday of the month, that meant pancakes with a side of eggs and toast. It was a special treat that my masters had insisted on having at this time every month.

Once I’d gotten the ingredients I’d need, I set the stove to the right temperature for baking. As the flames slowly began to heat up, I took a bowl from the counter and began to pour in flour, eggs, and a few specks of cinnamon. The whisk made quick work of turning the ingredients into a runny glop, just waiting to be made into pancakes.

When the stove was fully heated, I got out two pans and placed them over the flames. I added the mixture to the pan, before cracking two eggs over the other one. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sound and smells of cooking food.

I made sure the eggs came up sunny side up for Master Smithson and Mistress Daisy. After which, I set to work on scrambling the rest for Master Ruger and Mistress Acorn.

The pancakes came along perfectly; crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I placed them in large stacks on four large plates; one for each of my Masters. Once the eggs were fully cooked, I placed them on the plates as well.

Next, I went over to the small coffee maker sitting next to the fridge. While cooking, I’d added more coffee beans to the machine and started it up. Now, fresh hot coffee sat in the clear pot.

I levitated it up and over to a small cup I’d taken from the cabinet. I slowly poured the liquid into the cup before placing the pot back into the machine. As I did, my internal clock informed me that it was now 7:00.

“Right on time,” I said to myself. And not a second later, I heard the sound of hooves coming down the stairs. I turned my attention to the kitchen door as a unicorn stallion walked through. He had a purple mane with a ruffled orange pelt. His cutie mark consisted of a large shotgun.

“Ah, good morning Master Smithson,” I said as I approached the stallion with the coffee floating next to me. His eyes were bloodshot and barely open, and his face was formed in a frown. “Your coffee and breakfast are ready for your consumption.”

Smithson yawned before taking the cup in his magic. “Thanks Garcon.” He took a seat at the island and slowly sipped the dark brew.

“Of course sir,” I replied before heading back to the stove. “The paper should arrive in 30 minutes, at which time I shall deliver it onto you.”

Smithson, now having had a few sips of coffee, let a small smile escape his lips. “It’s alright Garcon; I can get it myself. If you do everything for me, I’ll get lazy and gain some weight.”

I levitated a plate of pancakes and eggs over to him. “Don’t be silly sir; It’s in my programing to do the simple tasks for my Masters so that they may spend more time relaxing.”

Smithson munched on his breakfast, letting out a small hum of enjoyment. “I guess I can’t deny that; after all, that’s why we bought you.”

I smiled as I turned back to the stove and began to clean the remnants of baking. The pans floated from the stove to the sink, which was promptly filled with soap and water. I left them to soak as I enveloped the three remaining plates with magic; helping them to keep the heat in.

Master Smithson finished his breakfast and coffee; now looking fully awake and happy. “Once you’ve cleaned the kitchen Garcon, come to my study. There are some things that need to be discussed.”

“Of course sir,” I replied as I took the empty plate and put it in the sink.

Master Smithson walked out of the kitchen, but he’d hadn’t gone far before a voice spoke out.

“Morning dear,” said a bright pink pegasus mare as she floated down next to Master Smithson. Her blond mane was in tangles, and bags of sleep hung under her eyes.

“Morning Daisy,” said Master Smithson before giving the mare a kiss on the check. The mare giggled before returning the gesture.

If there were ever two ponies who truly loved each other, it was these two. Master Smithson and Mistress Daisy had always gotten along, and the few times they did fight had soon disappeared when I was purchased. After me, they had more time to spend together; which only strengthened their relationship.

“BREAKFAST!”

And from that relationship came more than just love between them.

“PANCAKE DAY!”

I levitated two of the plates onto the counter. Not a second later, two small foals rushed into the kitchen. A red unicorn mare with a yellow mane jumped onto the stool and took the utensil with her magic.

A blue pegasus colt with a white mane floated onto the stool, not even bothering with utensils as he dug into his plate. I smiled as the two chomped away at their through their food.

“Good morning Master Ruger, and the same to you Mistress Acorn.”

Master Ruger raised his head from his plate, showing off the many bits that had attached to his face. I used my horn to clean his face, which he replied to by trying to rub the magic away.

“Ugh, Garcon, that feels weird. Why couldn’t you just use a napkin?” he asked as I finished my cleaning.

I chuckled. “Because this way is both faster and more efficient.”

Mistress Acorn chuckled through a mouthful of food, which he politely swallowed before speaking. “It’s the way of the stallions to hate not being dirty and gross.”

“I’d rather be dirty than smell like flowers and wear dresses,” retorted Ruger.

Mistress Daisy walked into the kitchen and took a seat between the two foals. “Enough arguing you two; it’s too early.” She looked to me and smiled warmly. “No coffee today Garcon. Just breakfast and some orange juice will work for me.”

“Oh, me to,” cried Mistress Acorn and Master Ruger, “I want juice too.”

I float three cups down from the cupboard before pouring fresh orange juice into them. I set them in front of the three ponies, as well as a plate of food for Mistress Daisy.

As the three continued eating, I heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Master Smithson soon came in, levitating the morning’s paper in front of him.

“....Damn, stupid Zebras sent another one of their recon teams to the outer zones.” He sat down next to Master Ruger, still reading. “Equestrian Army just lost another 50 soldiers.”

Master Ruger looked at his father with a look of determination plastered on his face. “Don’t worry dad; we’ll get them back. Those zebras won’t see us coming.”

He jumped off his seat and began sneaking around the kitchen. He hid behind the waste basket, and crawled under the stools. “We’ll sneak right into their homeland. And when they least suspect it….BAM!”

Master Ruger jumped out from the stool and latched himself onto my leg. “We get the jump on them; take them out in their weak spot. We’ll have soldiers cheering; DIE ZEBRAS, DIE!”

The rest of the family burst out laughing….and I couldn’t help but join in the amusement.

After breakfast had been cleaned up, I set to work on my daily chores. First I had to talk to Master Smithson as he’d requested. But it wasn’t about chores or expenses; it was our weekly talk about sports.

I’d started watching the games on the T.V. with Master Smithson when he’d needed somepony to talk to about them. So whenever a game is on, the two of us take a seat and watch our favorite teams collide with each other.

“The Manehattan Blue Tails don’t stand a chance this season. They’re down two games; and it’s clear they don’t have the skills to beat Canterlot.”

I chuckled. “But the rules say they have to win two games in a row to be able to advance. So even if they lose next week, they still have a chance to continue.”

Master Smithson rolled his eyes, and soon began another rant about The Blue Tails and The Canterlot Alicorns. I continued with the discussion until 8:00, when I began my first real task of the day.

I went upstairs and began to straighten the bedrooms and hallway. A few toys lay scattered on the floor, which I promptly placed back in the respected owner’s room. I found Master Ruger’s to be a little dirtier than normal, but I had a feeling that’s how he likes it.

Once that was completed, it was already 8:30. I looked in the closet for a set of gardening tools before heading into the backyard.

By now the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the clear blue sky and bright world below it. Some ponies were also in their yards; splashing in sprinklers or mowing the grass. I smiled at the sight, but then turned my attention to the small patch of flowers near the shed.

Mistress Daisy was already there, placing new flowers into freshly made holes. As I approached, she turned around and smiled. “Hello Garcon; did you bring the tools?”

“Right here mam,” I said as I deposited the tools by the mare’s hooves. “What will you be requiring me to do today?”

“There’s some weeds finding their way into the rows of petunias. Could you use your magic to pull them out?”

I smiled and lit up my horn. “Certainly ma'am; they shall be out in no time.”

“Thanks Garcon,” she replied. “After that, would you like to help me plant these new flowers?”

“Whatever you require mam,” I said before I began pulling the weeds out of the ground. Once they were all gone, I began helping Mistress Daisy with her flowers.

During that time, we had lovely chats about flowers, the war, friends and family, as well as my own interests. Of course, my only interest was to serve her and the family without question. She accepted the answer, but I had a feeling she wasn’t fully satisfied.

After the flowers had been planted, I excused myself to begin my second chore. It was already 9:00, so I hurried into the house to gather the feather duster.

After finding it, I set to work dusting and sweeping the whole house. That included the pictures, stairs, tables, lamps, even the T.V. and radio. Magic helped in gathering it all up and dumping it into a waste bucket.

When I checked the time again, it was 9:20. I gave myself a quick clean up before heading into the kitchen. I found a tea kettle and quickly filled it with water, before running up the stairs to Mistress Acorn’s room.

I found her sitting at a small table near the window. She had on a nice blue hat and fluffy scarf. A trio of stuffed animals sat around her, each sitting in front of a empty tea cup.

Mistress Acorn smiled as I walked in, “Sir Garcon, you are just in time for my prestigious tea party. I’m so overjoyed that you could make it.”

I placed the teapot on the table and took a seat next to Mistress Acorn. The seat was much to small for me, but lucky I’d done this before and found a way to balance on it. “I wouldn’t miss this for the Princess’ crown, or all the jewels in the royal treasury.”

Mistress Acorn smiled before taking the tea pot with her own magic. “Would you all care for some lovely tea? It was made by my dear friend Garcon just this morning.”

To me, it was all but silence in the room. But Mistress Acorn simply nodded and floated the tea pot across the table. “Why yes, you may have some Miss Smarty Pants,” she said as she poured water into the cup in front of a small doll.

“And I couldn’t forget about you Mister Bear,” she said to the teddy bear next to the doll. “Would you care for some Garcon?”

“Oh, I would Miss Acorn,” I replied shyly, “but since I’m a robot, I feel it would mess with my circuits.”

Mistress Acorn looked surprised, “oh, I’m sorry Garcon. I should have remembered that….please forgive my forgetfulness.”

I waved a hoof at her, “don’t fret ma’am; you could never offend me. It would go against my programing.”

Mistress Acorn smiled, then proceeded to pour water into her own teacup. She placed the teapot down and picked up her cup of water. “Cheers everypony.”

I raised my cup and took a sip from nothing...not bad really. The other cups of tea remained untouched, but I could see the joy in Mistress Acorn’s eyes.

Just then, I felt something whir in my hardrive housing. I placed a hoof on my chest, trying to make sure it wasn’t overheating. It didn’t feel out, and my sensors didn’t detect anything wrong. But I did feel something….I just couldn’t understand what.

After that moment of wonder, I brought my processor back to the party at hoof. Mistress Acorn and me had a lovely time talking to each other and to the inanimate stuffed animals. The things we both made them say were ridiculous, but it made the filly smile with joy.

Soon my internal clock showed it was 9:50; meaning I was ahead of schedule. I excused myself from the party and made my way downstairs to the living room. Making quick work of it, I moved any furniture off the hardwood floor and onto the carpet.

I grabbed the mop and bucket from the closet, and soon set to work mopping the floors. Dust and dirt that had accumulated over the last few days was soon wiped away into a bucket of water. Once everything had been moped, I accelerated the drying time using a spell I’d downloaded into my memory core.

After that, I replaced all the furniture and checked the time again. “10:15,” I said, “I could start the laundry now, which would give me enough time to fold it and put it away before it’s time to make lunch.”

“Garcon!”

I looked up towards the top of the stairs, and saw Master Ruger standing at the top. He wore a toy military hard hat and carried a small toy gun; both painted in authentic Equestrian Military colors.

“Want to play battlefield with me? Nopony in the neighborhood wants to, and I’ve been practicing my battle tactics all week.” He fluttered his wings and floated down to the bottom of the stairs.

“Well Master Ruger, if you require a playmate I’m sure that Mistress Acorn would make a much better companion than myself,” I replied.

Master Ruger frowned and stomped a hoof on the ground. “No, all she cares about is tea parties and dolls. I need a colt to play with; dad said he was busy so that leaves you the only one.”

I contemplated the situation. It was my job to serve my Masters, but it was also my job to take care of the household tasks. This request was somewhere in between; I could follow the young master’s orders, but that would distract me from my other tasks.

“Please,” said Master Ruger, looking up at me with his big blue eyes.

Just then, the feeling from before came back. It was much larger this time; spreading from the center of my hard drive to the top of my central processor. It made me….it made me feel like I was being pulled to an answer.

“....oh, very well then….” I said, not quite sure why I said that.

“YEAH,” screamed Master Ruger as he took off from the ground. He flew to the door and pushed it open. “Come on Garcon; there’s no time to waste.”

I still had the feeling that something was wrong, but my processor kept telling me otherwise. “I’ll need to have Master Smithson give my systems a once over,” I said before following Maser Ruger out the door.

It was quiet….almost too quiet. I sat silently behind the family cart, which was parked in front of the house on the driveway. The sun beat down on my body, but I felt none of it.

I was listening, which was easy given my advanced sound system. I listened for anything moving my way, but the only thing I could hear was birds flying by and shouts of other ponies in the neighborhood.

Seeing as I couldn’t hear anything, I slowly made my way around the cart. Poking my head around the side, I scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary. Besides grass and bushes, the only other thing on the lawn was a small Equestrian flag halfway from where I was standing.

“Target acquired,” I said as I slowly made my way to the flag. I kept my senses up so that nothing would be able to sneak up on me. I was halfway to the flag….when I heard the sound of flapping wings.

I turned to look upward, and was surprised to see Master Ruger flying towards me at alarming speed. I tried to wrap him in my magic, but he was moving too fast for me to focus in on him.

He smashed right into my back, sending me smashing into the soft grass. Master Ruger fluttered up quickly before landing on my “stomach”; his toy gun pointed right at my face.

“Say your prayers zebra! The nation of Equestria will never fall to your lying and demonic ways!”

I smiled at the colt; he was clearly putting a lot of effort into this act. So, since I was trying to be a good playmate, I decided to play along.

“Oh no,” I said with a fake tone of worriedness. “I’ve been defeated by the strong and much smarter Equestrian army. My nation is doomed!”

“That’s right,” said Master Ruger, “so say goodbye.” He pulled the trigger of his gun, and a soft foam dart flew out of the barrel and stuck to my face. “Bam, you’re dead!”

“Ugh,” I said, wiggling around like a wounded animal. “I can see the light….it’s getting closer….goodbye cruel world….” And with that, I played dead.

I expected Master Ruger to cry out with joy, maybe even make a speech about how strong and powerful the Equestrian Military was. But instead, his smile grew even bigger as he started to laugh.

The sight of the young master laughing brought enjoyment to my system. Normally, Robronco Butler’s weren’t programed to experience joy, but I must have been the one exception. Because soon, I too began to laugh.

The two of us laughed so hard and for so long that we didn’t notice a large blue cart pull to the driveway. A pony in a dark blue jumpsuit was pulling it, looking as interested as a rockstar in a book club.

The cart was painted dark blue with a semi-circle with three lines on either side painted on it. The words STABLE-TEC were printed below it, along with the face of a winking stallion.

The door of the cart opened, and out stepped a very well dressed pony. He wore a brown trench coat and rimmed it, and had a clipboard hanging from his neck like a necklace. He wore a very big smile, which almost seemed too big to be real.

He spotted the two ponies laughing on the ground, as if nothing else mattered. With a spring in his step, he walked over to the two and cleared his throat.

“Good morning gentlecolts,” he said happy. “Is it possible that I might have a moment of your time?”

Master Ruger and me stopped laughing and looked up at the stallion. I quickly used my magic to lift Master Ruger off me as I got to my hooves.

“Yes, of course you can,” I said quickly. “Though may I ask who wishes to have a word?”

The stallion smiled even more and waved a hoof at the cart behind him. “Why Stable-Tec of course! The foremost builder of state of the art underground fallout shelters, or “Stables” if you will.”

Master Ruger looked up at the stallion with a gleam in his eyes, clearly interested in what he was saying. “Oh,” he said, “what are those?”

The stallion lowered himself so that he was at eye level with the young master. As the primary caretaker at this point, I made sure to keep my eye on him.

“Well I’m glad you asked little fella. Stables are meant to shelter ponies in the event of a megaspell attack on our great nation.” He said it with such enthusiasm that it was like there was nothing to worry about. “That way, the ponies of Equestria can one day come out and rebuild from the ground up!”

Master Ruger let out a sound of wonder, which made the stallion look even happier. He raised himself up and looked over at me. “Am I to assume that you are the stallion of the house?”

I let out a small chuckle, which also seemed to go against my programing. “No, I am simply their butler. Though I can go and inform Master Smithson of your arrival if need be.”

“Splendid! I’ll wait right here until he arrives; no matter how long that is.”

“Very well then,” I said before turning towards the house. “I shall return momentarily.”

I walked into the house and headed towards Master Smithsons office. However, while I didn’t know at the time, the two colts outside were having a conversation.

“Your family must be pretty rich if you can afford to hire a butler,” said the Stable-Tec stallion.

Master Ruger laughed. “We don’t pay Garcon; he works for us because he’s our personal robot butler!”

The stallion’s eyes widened in shock. He’d heard of robotic butlers before, but none that looked and acted like a real pony. He hadn’t even acted like a robot servant; he’d been outside playing with this colt!

He continued to think about this until I arrived back outside. Master Smithson followed close behind me; curious as to what this stallion wanted.

“Ah, good morning sir,” said the stallion. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you; I’ve been trying for days. This meeting is of the utmost urgency.”

Master Smithson raised an eyebrow questionably. “And why would that be?”

The stallion stood up straight, keeping his head high and chest puffed out. “Well sir, the Stable-Tec corporation has been accepting ponies into the stable program for some time now, and we get thousand of applicants every day.”

“Right,” said Master Smithson. “But what does that have to do with me?”

“Well sir,” he continued, “your work as a the manager of Blackshot Weapons has allowed the Equestrian Military to always have a fresh supply of guns. Therefore, since you’ve done so much to serve our nation, your family has been preselected for entry into the local Stable: STABLE 32,” he said with a slight hoof wave.

Master Smithson looked at the stallion, but not with confusion….with interest. “That sounds like a promising proposal.” His face soon turned serious, “but is there room for my entire family?”

“Of course, of course,” said the Stallion. “There’ll be room to spare for every single inhabitant. Everyone of your family will be easily admitted into the stable.”

That reassurance made me very happy. It wasn’t my job to worry about the world, unless it involved my masters. If this “stable” could keep them safe from a Zebra attack, then it would be a good place for them.

“Well, minus your robot naturally.”

My hearing sensor kicked in, as if it hadn’t heard the stallion clearly. But I had….yet for some reason I felt something was wrong. It was just like before; when I felt wrong but nothing was wrong.

So….if there was nothing wrong….why did that statement make me feel this way.

Master Smithson raised another questionable eyebrow at the stallion. “I thought you just said there’d be room for my entire family?”

“I did,” replied the stallion. “For you, your wife, and your….” he paused as he read a paper on his clipboard. “....ah, two foals.”

Master Ruger walked forward, looking just as confused at his father did. “What about Garcon?”

The stallion soon had on a confused face as well. “Well, the stables are meant to house ponies because they can’t survive the fallout.” He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and….resentment? “Robots on the other hoof can survive; they don’t have organs that can be damaged.”

Master Smithson walked over and put a hoof hover my shoulder. “Garcon’s part of our family; were we go, he goes.”

Master Ruger floated over and wrapped his hooves protectively around my leg. “Yeah, he’s family!”

My processor was at a lose for computing words. While very unlikely to happen, my masters wished for me to be with them if Equestria is attacked! But it wasn’t just because they wanted service….they thought of me as family!

The stallion was silent for a moment, looking quite perplexed at the whole situation. Eventually he sighed and held out his clipboard to Master Smithson.

“Very well then; just sign here and you’ll ALL be admitted to Stable 32.”

Master Smithson took out a pen and signed his name on the papers. He also wrote down the names of everypony in the family….including me.

“Wonderful, that’s everything,” said the stallion before trotting over to the cart. “Just gonna take this over to the Stable. Congratulations on being prepared for the future!”

The stallion jumped into the cart, and soon it was speeding down the road towards the hills outside of the neighborhood.

I turned to look at Master Smithson. “You didn’t have to do that sir. He was right; I could survive out here if anything happened.”

Master Smithson looked sternly at me, which he should have. Speaking against my Masters was against my programing.

“I don’t care Garcon; you’re a member of our family. We stick together, no matter what.”

“Yeah,” said Master Ruger, giving my leg a big hug.

I wasn’t completely certain about this; but my programing was final. If my master's wanted me to do something, I had to do it. But for some reason, it didn’t feel like my programing was making me think that. It felt more like it was coming naturally; like I made that decision.

Noting it as another thing to have looked over in the future, I began to review the list of task that I still needed to complete.

It was now 11:00 AM.

I had completed the remainder of the chores on my list, and was now taking a break.

Breaks weren’t something that I needed, but Master Smithson and the rest of the family felt that I deserved them. Since I didn’t need to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom, I instead used this time to recharge myself and read.

I could have downloaded the entire book into my system and have the entire plot all ready to go. But I found the reading it let me see the transition of the characters and story as they moved forward. It made the surprises jump out, and the sadness sink it.

I was just starting a new page….when my internal alarm rang. But it wasn’t from the clock; it was from the internal message system. A bright red box appeared in my vision, with the words URGENT! OPEN IMMEDIATELY written on it.

I opened the box, which folded outward until I could make out a few lines of text.

ATTENTION,

WORD HAS COME IN ABOUT POSSIBLE INCOMING PROJECTILES FROM ZEBRICA! PLEASE BE PREPARED FOR EVACUATION IF MATTERS BECOME DEADLY! KEEP UP TO DATE ON INFORMATION WITH RADIO OR AUTOMATIC NEWS SYSTEMS!

MINISTRY OF WARTIME TECHNOLOGY

My processor was unresponsive; it was like a wave of….fear….had washed over me. Something like this couldn’t be possible….the Zebras wouldn’t dare do something like that!

But this came from the Ministry; and they are very rarely wrong.

Taking the advice given, I ran to the home radio and turned it to the local radio station. It was currently playing music, which I hopped was a sign that everything was alright.

Soon the music ended, and the voice of a pony replaced it.

“Hello Everypony, this is Ponytunes Network! The only station that brings you non stop music and news!”

“So fillies, I just got a notice from my producers that something’s going down in Equestria. I’m not sure what, but they say you should all be ready. Ready for what though? What could possibly go….”

The pony fell silent, and the sound of rushed voices and ruffling papers could be heard.

“....okay fillies….were….were just getting some new information. Please stand by while we try to confirm it….”

“Oh no,” I thought. The ministry was right; there was something going on. And if that was true, my masters….no, my Family….could be in trouble.

“SIR, MA’AM, YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS!”

Not a moment later, Master Smithson and Mistress Daisy walked into the room. Each one looked at me, both with a look of confusion.

“Garcon, what’s wrong?” asked Master Smithson.

Thankfully for me, I didn’t have to say anything. The pony on the radio soon came back on. But she didn’t sound okay….she sounded scared.

“....Everypony….we have bad news. We now have confirmed reports of a megaspell detonation in the city of Cloudsdale.”

The three of us gasped.

“....And we do have coming in...confirmed reports of more detonations in Trottingham and Manehattan….oh Celestia help us…”

The radio cut off, only broadcasting static. For now, it was the only sound in the room. Master Smithson and Mistress Acorn looked at each other; not saying a word.

As for me….my protocols kicked in. “In the event of an emergency, it’s imperative that I get my masters to a safe location,” I said to myself, already knowing where to go.

“We need to get to the Stable,” I said to the two. “It’s the only place that will survive the megaspells.”

Master Smithson looked at me, now with a determined face on. “You’re right Garcon. Grab the kids and meet us outside!”

I nodded before running up the stairs and down the hall. Bursting into Mistress Acorn’s room, I found her still having a tea party. She smiled when she saw me walk in.

“Hello Garcon; want to join us again?”

“Not now Ma’am,” I said before wrapping the filly in my magic and placing her on my back. “We need to leave, and fast.”

I ran out of the room and across the hall to Master Ruger’s room. He was lying on his bed reading a Captain Andromeda comic book, but looked at me when I ran in.

“What’s wrong Garcon,” he asked, looking at the face of concern I had on.

Instead of answering, I wrapped him in my magic and placed him on my back as well. Quickly, I ran down the hallway and down the stairs. The front door was open, so I quickly ran out and onto the lawn.

The whole neighborhood was in a panic.

Ponies were either running around crazy, crying, loading their families into carts, or running towards the hills outside of the neighborhood.

Master Smithson and Mistress Acorn were waiting on the sidewalk when I ran up to them. “I’ve got the children.”

“Okay, let’s go,” said Master Smithson.

The three of us ran down the street, following the crowd of ponies who were running towards the hills. It did require some effort to dodge the carts in the road, but we managed to keep up with everypony else.

Soon we left the neighborhood and were running along a small dirt path. A few ponies were trying to force their way past us, but Master Smithson and I used magic to keep them back.

The three of us turned a corner, and found a group of ponies standing in front of a large cave. It was blocked off by a fence; with two ponies in suits of power armor on either side of it. Two gates were open; each with a pony in a blue jumpsuit standing in front of them with clipboards.

“IF YOU’RE IN THE STABLE PROGRAM, PLEASE STEP FORWARD. EVERYPONY ELSE MUST RETURN TO YOUR HOMES IMMEDIATELY!” shouted a guard.

“For fuck sake,” screamed a mare, “the world is ending! Just let us in; there’s plenty of room!”

“For Stable Ponies only! If you're not than we can’t let you in!” said another guard.

“Fuck that,” screamed a stallion, and he made a break for the gate. But he’d hadn’t gotten far before there was a BANG and he fell to the ground with a hole in his leg.

“Intruders will be met with lethal force,” said one of the ponies in power armor. He loaded another round into his pistol, before aiming it at group of ponies. “If you’re not on the list, LEAVE NOW!”

A majority of the ponies looked at the bleeding stallion, before turning around and running back down the pathway. The ones that remained ran up to the two gates and began checking their names.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and looked back to see Master Ruger looking at me. His eyes were wide, and a few teardrops hung below his eyes.

“Garcon….are we going to be okay?”

“Oh, of course we are young master,” I said as I gently patted his mane. “Once we get into the stable, everything will be fine.”

Master Ruger wiped the tears from his eyes, and tried putting on a tough face. I smiled at him, before looking back at Mistress Acron. She to was looking quite sad; and I had the solution for it.

“Master Ruger, I have an assignment for you. Are you willing to serve your nation and take it up?”

The young master smiled and raised his hoof in solute. “Absolutely!”

“Good. I need you to comfort your sister; make sure she too knows that everything will be alright.”

“Yes sir,” he replied. He turned back to his sister and put a hoof around her shoulder. The young mistress leaned into the comforting hug and let out a few small tears. But slowly, I saw a smile begin to form on her face.

“Garcon, let’s go!”

I turned back around to find Master Smithson and Mistress Daisy standing in front of the gate. I quickly ran up to them, making sure the young masters were still on my back.

“Names,” said the stallion at the gate.

“Smithson, Daisy, Ruger, Acorn, and Garcon,” said Master Smithson.

The stallion looked at his clipboard, going down the names of ponies selected for entry. Eventually he stepped out of the way, waving a hoof at the direction of the cave.

“Step inside the area behind me. You’ll get your identification codes before entering the Stable.”

Master Smithson nodded a reply. The five of us walked through the gate and stopped before the cave entrance. Another pony, dressed in a blue jumpsuit to, stood at a small terminal station near the entrance.

“Please wait while your identification codes are printed,” she said.

“This was it,” I thought, “the family will be safe. They can live out their lives underground until the surface is safe again. Plus, I can still serve them! I just hope that these Stables have adequate kitchens and washing machines.”

“NO, HER NAME HAS TO BE ON THERE!”

I was shaken from my thoughts by a loud screaming; coming from behind me. I looked back, and saw two ponies standing beside one of the guards. A mare stood outside the gates, looking just as scared and confused at the other two.

“I’m telling you sir; her name isn’t on here. She’s not registered for the Stable Program,” said the guard.

“I signed my entire family up yesterday! She HAS to be on there!”

The guard sighed. “I’m sorry sir, but she’s not. Maybe there was a mistake with the paperwork, but she’s not allowed to enter the Stable.”

The stallion looked at his wife, then at the small colt, before looking back at the guard. “Then let her take my place.”

“What, NO!” said the mare, now looking much more angry.

“I’ll feel much better knowing that you and Crescent are safe.” A few tear formed in his eyes. “Please, just take Crescent and go!”

The mare began to tear up, before grabbing her husband and pulling him into a big hug. She cried into his shoulder; which he responded to by rubbing her mane.

The sight was….sad….very sad indeed. I’d seen ponies say goodbye before, but this one was permanent. Staying outside was a death sentence for anypony; the radiation would fry their brains and melt their organs.

….organs….

I placed a hoof on my “chest”, feeling the bolts and rods below it that made up my main reactor. “I don’t have organs….I have parts.”

My programming wasn’t kicking it; telling me that I should only be concerned for my masters. I knew they would be safe….and I would too, no matter where I was. Radiation didn’t effect me; I could stay out here for as long as I wanted!

Quickly, I levitated the young masters off my back and placed them next to their parents. Without waiting for a response, I quickly ran over to the guard and family.

“Sir,” I said to the guard, “I’d like to give up my place in the Stable to this mare!”

The family looked at me with shock, as did the guard.

“Are you crazy! You’ll die out here!”

“No I won’t,” I replied. I raised a hoof and knocked on my chest, which produced a loud ringing noise. “I’m a robot. I can survive out here just fine. This mare can’t, so she should take my place.”

The ponies remained silent, looking at each other with confusion. Finally, the guard sighed and looked at me.

“Alright, if you leave now, this mare can have your spot.”

I nodded in reply. The stallion walked over to me and took my hoof; looking deep into my “eyes”.

“Thank You….Thank You SO MUCH!”

“Think Nothing of it.” I took my hoof back and pointed to the cave entrance. “Now go, before it’s too late!”

The stallion nodded, before he and his family ran past the gate and up to the cave entrance. I watched them run….but then I looked over and saw Master Smithson and his family running towards me.

“Garcon, what are you doing? We got our passes, so they’ll let us in the Stable!”

Before I could say anything, the guard spoke up. “This….stallion….gave up his spot so that a mare could get in. He’s no longer allowed in the Stable.”

The family gasped, which is what I expected to happen.

“Garcon, what were you thinking!” screamed Master Smithson.

I sighed. “I was thinking that I couldn’t let a mare be killed just because of a mix up in paperwork. She had a husband, and a colt. I couldn’t allow her to be separated from her family.”

I looked down at myself, “moreover, I can survive out here. The radiation won’t effect me, so I gave up my spot to someone who would be affected.”

Master Ruger and Mistress Acorn ran over to me, each latching onto my front legs. “You can’t stay Garcon! You said we’d all be safe together!” said Master Ruger.

“Yeah! We don’t want you to go!” said Mistress Acorn.

I looked down at the foals, then up to Master Smithson. “Please sir, let me do this. I’ll see you all again; I promise you that. When you leave the Stable, I’ll come find you.”

Master Smithson was silent for a moment; his eyes looking at me, then his wife and children. He sighed, then lit his horn and pulled the children off me.

“....Stay safe Garcon.” He looked me in the eyes, “but I want you to keep that promise. You’ll find us once we leave, that’s an order!”

I nodded. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

The guard cleared his throat, getting all of our attention. “You four are the last ones left to enter. If you don’t enter in the next five minutes, we’re sealing the door without you.”

“Go Master,” I said, “before it’s too late.”

Master Smithson nodded, before placing the young masters on his back. “Goodbye Garcon.” He and Mistress Daisy turned around and ran towards the cave entrance.

I watched them until they passed through and were out of sight.

Screams.

The endless screams from ponies could be heard from miles around. I knew I could have blocked the sound out, but I wanted a reminder. A reminder that ponies were still alive out there, even if they were suffering.

The once clear sky was now becoming clouded; but it wasn’t from the effects of the megaspells. From the living room window, I saw pegasus’ frantically pushing a thick cloud cover over the sky. Soon, everything was covered by dark grey clouds.

Trying to keep myself busy, I began to do the rest of the chores I’d failed to do before the evacuation. I cleaned the sheets, washed the clothes, mopped the kitchen, and cleaned all the pictures in the house.

Eventually, I’d finished all my chores for the day. I checked the clock, finding it to be only 12: 30 PM.

“Oh….I have a feeling I’m going to have a lot of spare time in the future.” I walked into the living room and grabbed a book from the nearby bookshelf. I took a seat on one of the chairs and began to read.

“So, this is my life now,” I said to myself. “Doing a few chores, then doing whatever I feel like after that?”

Really, when I thought about it, this wasn’t really anything. My masters are probably going to have to adjust to life without a butler….which could take some time. Or maybe, they had robots in the Stables that did everything.

Pushing that thought away for now, I tried to concentrate on my book. I hadn’t gotten very though, when I heard a sound. It was a deep, whistling sound, coming from outside.

I marked my page and went to look out the window. A few ponies were still running around, but besides that nothing looked different.

That is, until I looked up at the sky.

A large object broke through the cloud cover; heading towards the ground very fast. It was some distance away, so I couldn’t tell how big it was. But what I could see was that it looked like a large rocket, but with no combustion coming out the back.

Soon, it fell enough that it was blocked out by the trees and houses. “Maybe it’s an Equestrian Supply Cart. I wouldn’t be surprised if….”

BOOM!

A quick flash of light preceded the largest explosion I’d ever witnessed. A large mushroom cloud rose from the spot where the rocket had fallen; but it had all the colors of the rainbow.

That’s when I knew what it was. “A Megaspell,” I whispered.

Soon, I felt the ground begin to shake. Pictures hanging on the wall fell to the ground. A few vases on tables fell over the side before smashing to pieces on the hardwood floor.

But I didn’t run over to clean them. I didn’t do anything.

Instead, I was simply watched as a large shockwave moved from the impact zone. Windows shattered, and dust was blown up from the ground. And then, the shock wave reached the house.

The front window shattered, blowing pieces of glass right at me. A few pieced my exoskin, but that didn’t affect me. But then the force found it’s way into the house.

I felt it run through me; through every piece of machinery that I used to work and live. Alarms rang it my head; parts were breaking, or beginning to shut down. The shockwave still blew through the house.

Warnings continued to flash across my “eyes”.....but then they suddenly went dark. I felt the glass inside them shatter a second later, leaving me blind to what was happening.

I didn’t even try to move; there was nowhere I could go! I thought I’d have to wander the house blind until the family got back.

But then, I felt something much more important break.

There was a shock right in the center of my chest, sending sparks of “feeling” through every crevice of my body. My servos began to lock up, leaving me even more immobile. The weight from my head pulled me over, and I found myself laying on the floor.

“....what….is….happen….” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence as my voice box turned off.

And then, just before I could think about anything, my body gave up and I turned off completely.