//------------------------------// // 1 - Time For a Change // Story: Fallout Equestria: An Honest Soul // by _STELLAR //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Time for a Change *THUD* My rear hooves struck the tree trunk with no conviction. A couple of pale, lumpy, 'Apples' tumbled down into my baskets but the rest only shook slightly. The artificial sunlight up above, the Overmare's gift to the Stable, seemed dimmer and colder than usual. "Applebuck." I gave another half-hearted kick to the gnarled thing that passed for an apple tree down here in Stable Two's subterranean Orchard. "Applebuck!" A half mushy glob of fruit struck my head, knocking me from my ruminations. "Wha, what?" I turned to look at the mare beside me. Loveberry was floating up another mushy looking apple in her magic. "You've barely filled half your quota for the day. Just because you're sad your boyfriend got transferred doesn't mean I'm gonna let you slack off." "Brandy is not my boyfriend!" I sputtered. "H-he's just my friend." My head lowered, my face burning slightly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just pick up the pace, okay? We're down a bucker and we still have quotas to meet." She tossed the mushy thing into my basket. Nothing could go to waste in Stable Two. I pulled my old, worn cowpony hat, the only thing I had left of my mother, down over my eyes, and grabbed the handle of a full basket in my teeth. Heading towards one of the processors lining one wall of the vast Orchard space. I kept my head down, not feeling like looking at the cheerful blue sky with white clouds painted over the ceiling and halfway down the walls, which is why I ended up with my face in someone's tail. "Hey, watch it!" The mare flicked her tail and stomped in annoyance at my sudden stop in her flank. "Sorry Sheerkick," I mumbled and stepped over to a different processor beside the one Sheerkick was emptying her baskets into. Usually Sheer got into a rhythm and couldn't be bothered with conversation, but today she surprised me with a bit of small talk. "No radio today?" she asked. I looked down at my hoof where my Pip-Buck, that wonder of Stable-Tec arcana, would normally be chirping out Stable Two's daily broadcast. "No, Velvet isn't on today; Overmare mentioned a day of silence or something, and I just don't feel like music today." I mumbled through the handle of my basket as I dumped it in the hopper of the machine that would turn the 'apples' into paste the kitchens could make into more varied foods. As Sheer was about to answer I heard something that lifted my spirits considerably. Not Velvet Remedy's dulcet tones from my Pip-Buck, no, even better. It was the end-of-shift chime from the Orchard PA system. That meant Brandybuck! With a wave to Sheerkick I tossed my basket on a pile of empties and galloped for the main doors of the Orchard. Not as big and heavy as the main Stable Door, they were still the largest and strongest interior doors in the Stable, a set at each end of the Orchard, meant to be used in times of emergency, but nothing could happen to us down here right? I raced through the open doors and through increasingly narrow corridors towards the main Atrium. Brandy would be getting off his shift too and even though we were separated now, we still kept up our traditional late lunch/early dinner - 'Linner' if you will - date after our shifts ended. Wait, no, not a date… a meeting… appointment… something. He's just a friend okay? I skidded to a halt on the steel grating of the Atrium floor and looked toward our usual table. There he was! I pranced, er, walked in a dignified manner, over and plopped down on the bench next to him. I leaned against him. I didn't mind the rough texture of his worn security barding, but I missed seeing his plum purple coat and jet black mane in the yellow light of the Orchard sun as we worked. After old Cufflink passed away, leaving an opening in the Security Crew, someone had to fill it, and since Orchard Tree Buckers were lowest on the candy cane as far as skilled labour goes in a Stable, we ended up being the Pony Power Pool that other departments pulled from to fill empty slots, which was why my best friend was now wearing armoured barding and a baton instead of bucking me… I MEAN TREES, BUCKING TREES! "What are you so flushed for? Did you gallop all the way here?" Brandy Asked. "I, no, I mean yes, I-I mean I'm fine. H-how are you?" Sweet Celestia peg me with the sun. I buried my face in my hooves and tried not to glow like a spark lamp under my hat. "Riiiiight" Brandy drawled. As I cooled my face down, Brandy asked me a question. "D'you hear about what happened earlier today? With Velvet Remedy?" I stared in thought for a moment. I shook my head. As he opened his mouth to speak again, it turned to an awkward smile as he looked across the Atrium and waved. I followed his gaze, then sighed. “Boys!” My Dad cheered as he approached our table with a tray of three apple juice glasses balanced on his back. He placed the glaces on the table and sat opposite us. I loved my Dad. Honestly, I did. But he always managed to show up at the wrong moments. "Daaad…" I faux cheered as he sat and gave Brandy a brohoof. I was glad Brandy and Dad got along. There weren't many ponies that that green idiot didn't get along with. But it was a relief to know that the two most important ponies to me were important to each other too. "Ahem. Applegreen?" Brandy asked. "You shouldn't be here; I know for a fact that you're still on duty,” he smirked. My Dad just leaned back in his chair with his hooves behind his hot pink mane. “Yeeaah, but I was walking past the Atrium on patrol and saw my two favourite ponies and thought ‘Eh. What the hell?’" Damnit. I wanted to be alone with Brandy! The two worked together in Security; I only got to spend so much time with Brandy these days! “Anywho,” my Dad was always quick to avoid a silence. “Did you hear that Velvet Remedy escaped the Stable earlier today?” I nearly spat out my apple juice. “She did what?!” Velvet was… out? But, where even was out? Was she okay? Why would she leave? Would she ever come back? What was she thinking! "Why would she do that?" I asked. "We don't know what's out there! She could be dead right now!" "How is the answer I want to know," said my Dad. "I was on my way to Security when I heard the rumour. I know as much as you, Bucko. But if she got out, what's been stopping ponies for the last 200 years, I wonder?" Fear, I thought. Who'd be crazy enough to want to leave for whatever empty void may be out there? "It's our Pip-Bucks," said Brandy. "Pip-Bucks can be tracked. If someone decided they wanted to leave, we could just track them down and bring them back, wherever they were. Assuming anyone was stupid enough to actually follow them that is. Cuff told me that Velvet wasn't wearing her's when she left. When Security thought to track it, apparently it said it was in the Technician Stall. We knew she wasn't there, because we saw her leave on the Friendly-Pie security cameras. So she must have had someone from the Tech Stall like Mister Buck remove it." "But how did she leave in the first place?" Dad asked. "Surely if it were possible, someone would've tried to leave before, even with their Pip-Buck? If someone escaped before, everyone would know about it, right? So why hasn't anyone?" "Beats the hell outta me. I'm just an intern, AG. No one tells me anything," he chuckled. I was being very quiet. Even I could tell. Change scared me. I couldn't stop thinking. What would I listen to at work from now on? Sure, they'd still play Velvet on the radio, but who would replace her when her music got mundane? It was only a matter of time before someone came along. I hoped Velvet was alright. "Hey, it’s okay, Buck,” Brandy must have noticed my forlorn expression. He looked cute when he cared. “This was her choice. Her call. Maybe Outside isn't what we think it is? Maybe she's happier out there?" “Brands' probably right Bucko. I like to think he is, at least,” said Dad. “I mean, I’m more worried about Mister Buck. He's probably gotta file a crap-ton of paper work because of her. Velvet, at least, we know can look after herself.” The Technician. I hadn't even thought of that. Imagine being responsible for Velvet Remedy disappearing suddenly. I wondered what was on the Outside. Some ponies imagined a void of nothingness. Others just imagined a floor leading on forever. Some thought it was heaven, while others thought it was hell. And me? Well, isn't it obvious? I liked to think it was an orchard. One that would put ours to shame. With beautiful and healthy trees, baring apples, cherries, oranges and other tasty looking fruits I'd only ever seen in picture books, like plums, which reminded me of Brandy. And I could buck with him in the orchard! I-I mean… we could buck trees! Of course! Just the trees! Not each other, nope! Two bucks, bucking in an orchard. Not bucking each other 'cause they're just friends! “Ground control to Major Buck!” “Ga-ah!” I'd zoned out. I smiled nervously at my Dad who had spoken. He knew me well enough to not question my weirdness. He probably knew what was going through my head anyway. That was the difference between a father and a Dad. "We were saying, if the whole Stable goes through a load of changes after Velvet’s little stunt, you may want to consider joining the Security Crew.” Ugh. Not this again. Dad had been trying to get me into Security for years. He thought that when Brandy joined, it would be the perfect moment. But I was happy as an apple bucker. It was my calling. And my flank said as much. I reminded my Dad for what seemed like the millionth time that, no, I didn't want to do what he and Brandy did. I didn't want to be a Security Buck like him, I didn't want to be a Medical Buck like my friend Ellabelle, and I didn't want to be any place other than that Orchard. Apart from maybe Brandy's bedroom… Oop! I was glad I didn't say that last part out loud. A-and I didn't mean it, anyway! I supposed Brandy noticed my blush. He decided to help by leaning in and holding my hoof. It felt warm. Warm enough to melt me. It definitely heated my face even more. I looked him in the eyes. They were a beautiful magenta, like my own. A beautiful contrast to his plum purple coat. I felt myself leaning in too, my face getting closer and my breathing seeming quicker. His face blushed slightly as I saw his lips pout slightly. I felt mine doing the same. “Guards! I want every guard pony at Stable Two door! Stop that filly!” The Overmare’s voice boomed through the Atrium's speakers and snapped us out of… whatever it was we were doing. We were blushing profusely. Looking at my Dad in mortification, I noticed even he was having a hard time processing what the speakers had said through his rosy face. Quickly, the gears in his head started to turn, and his eyes widened milliseconds before he bolted off. I looked to Brandy. I wanted to hug him. Maybe continue what we were about to do. But after half a second of us staring at each other, he smacked his face a couple times and bolted in the same direction. Me? I somehow blushed a little more as I looked down and realised I had to give myself a minute to… um… calm myself down… *** By the time I had located it on a map and ran to the main entrance - or for Velvet Remedy, the exit - the fun was already over. Dad and Brandy were talking to a Security Mare when I approached. I felt slightly awkward after what had been interrupted. "Sir, this area is off limits. Please return to-" "Eh eh eh, it's okay, Chief. This is my boy Applebuck. I've trained him well." He ruffled my hair, much to my annoyance. "Anything you can say to me, you can say to him." The Chief looked me up suspiciously. She looked back to Dad, and nodded. "You have the gist of it, Applegreen. Keep an eye on your boy." The mare walked off. I asked Dad what had happened. Brandy spoke first. "Remember we talked about how Mister Buck's probably gonna have a lot of paperwork?" I nodded. "Well. It just got worse." Dad chimed in. "His apprentice was the one who removed Remedy's Pip-Buck. Turns out Velvet only got out because she typed an override code she found into the door's terminal, which is why no one's ever escaped before. When she found it, she downloaded the code to her Pip-Buck, then when the Technician with her Pip-Buck learned Remedy escaped, she followed her. The two guards she knocked out were just taken to sick-bay." She knocked them out? I would expect that kind of behaviour from Brandy, not a technician who sits on her ass all day doing nothing. "Where did she get the code from in the first place," I asked. "Was it the only one?" A new voice replied. New, but very familiar. “No. And no one will be leaving here. Ever. Again." Every face in the room turned to the entrance and found the sight of the usually happy and fair Overmare looking sort of… ashamed? "Overmare?” the Chief questioned. The Overmare turned to her, stating, “Velvet escaped using the Stable door override code, which I didn’t realise I had gifted her. And if I knew it was on her Pip-Buck, I would have taken it from Littlepip before she knew what she had. I was a fool!” The Overmare was never like this. This was serious. And it really was, I realised, as something occurred to me. That Technician. If we were closing the doors, we'd be condemning her. Banishing her. It didn't matter why she left. If she could return, she should. I wouldn't stand by and let her come back with Velvet only to be turned away because we refused to reopen the door. "Um, Overmare?" I asked. Very quickly, I had every pair of eyes in the room on me. "Hm. What's an Orchard Worker doing here?" She asked. My Dad stayed silent. If my Dad was intimated, this was really serious. "Um. Her name was Littlepip, right? She escaped with her Pip-Buck on her. So, we can track her right? So, maybe we could send a team to get her? We might even find Velvet along the way." The Overmare stood still. Her expression didn't change, but I knew she was thinking about it. After a few seconds of silence, she faced a pony standing near the terminal. "Keep that door shut!" she commanded - something she rarely had to do. “I want a new set of guards by the door. And I want them armed. This door is never opening again.” Her commanding expression reverted back to her sad face as she walked to a group of ponies by the door. “I can only afford to lose two ponies today.” That should have been the end of it. The Overmare's word was final. But she was wrong. Dead wrong! We were killing two innocent ponies! She was! I wouldn't let her! “Overmare,” I called as she walked away. “We’re down a vital member of our community,” I always liked to talk proper like that when trying to take charge. “For every master, there must be a student, and the Senior Pip-Buck Technician is without an apprentice. We need to get Littlepip back! We can send a team out to track her Pip-Buck tag; there’s still hope!” She looked at me over her shoulder as I spoke. She looked at me like I was something she stepped in. She never acted like this. She was fair, and kind to her people. As a leader should be. “You’re an Apple Bucker, correct, Applebuck?” She even remembered my name! There’s hundreds of us and she even knew my name! I nodded. “Then you’re more expendable than a technician. You’re our new Littlepip, Mister Applebuck. I’ll inform the Senior Technician of the change in employment. Congratulations on your new job.” Wait. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut. *** Apple bucking is… well… it’s not an unfulfilling job, but generally you wind up working in the Orchard because you’re not that bothered with where you end up career-wise in the Stable. You’ve got a slightly apple related cutie mark and don’t really care what job you get? Ah, just toss ‘em in the Orchard. The crew could always use another set of hooves. And likewise, when a job suddenly becomes… available… rather than waiting for a kid to get their cutie mark and take up the job, which could take years, management usually just took an Orchard Worker and assigned them the missing role. Hence why my best friend went from a full-time Bucker, to a full-time Security Buck. Of course, some Orchard Workers are genuinely destined to be there. Sheer Kick may not be as strong as some of our colleagues, but she's stubborn as hell, and would work through even her lunch hour to meet her quota. I sometimes wondered if I was destined to be elsewhere anyway. The two ponies I loved most worked in Security, so maybe I should follow? That’s when the Orchard calls me away from that train of thought. I was an Orchard Worker. And I wouldn’t trade that. Except, now I had no choice. We all respected the Overmare, and rarely questioned her leadership. I’d feel pretty guilty about filing her a complaint after the way she reacted to losing two residents in one day. And like I said, technically, I was supposed to be a Pip-Buck Technician now. Whether I liked it or not. Which I sure as hell didn't. I didn't go home after the situation at the Stable door. Instead, I went to the Technician Stall where Littlepip supposedly worked. When I opened the door, I found it was a decently sized room. Big enough for two ponies to get to work on… technicianising stuff. I only then realised that I was completely unqualified as what was basically the Stable-Tec equivalent of I.T.. How did a Pip-Buck even work, anyway? I looked around the room, looking for my new teacher, and saw what I would typically be seeing likely for the rest of my career. A stallion in a hammock with a magazine on his face as he snored. It was the early evening by then, so I figured he was only having a snooze - sleeping on the job, rather than just sleeping. He'd likely wake up long after his shift ended, I thought. So I didn't feel guilty about waking the lazy buck up. I knocked on the open door. Then again. “Excu- oh forget it…” I trotted to the hammock, removed the magazine (notably a naughty magazine) and held his ear. “Hey, Mister! Wakey wakey! No sleepin' on the job!” He awoke frenzied. After regaining his senses, he looked to me with his eyes squinted. The Stallion had a dark greyish coat and a Pip-Buck lime mane, with a few silver streaks in it - he looked quite grumpy to have been woken up to do his job. Lazy. He lay back in his hammock and shut his eyes “Anything you need me to do, Littlepip will be right on it. If she’s not here, then we’re both on break” Oh. Right. I completely forgot that I was the bearer of bad news. “Uh Littlepip? I take it she’s the Junior Technician?” I realised then that my father must have felt not too dissimilar when he was about to tell me my mother was dead. This was not the ideal first impression. “Pip is my apprentice, yes. She’s perfectly capable of performing any maintenance on your Pip-Buck, probably better than I can, actually. You want to leave it with me?" I looked at my Pip-Buck. "No no, my Pip-Buck's fine, it's just…" I struggled to find the words. He opened an eye and peered at me. "Spit it out, bud. Ain't got all night." “W-what’s your name, sir?” I asked as I removed my hat - something my Dad said I should do if informing someone of bad news. “Just call me sir or Mister Buck. That's what she always calls me,” He waved me away. Heh, Pip and Buck. These two were made for each other. This was gonna sting. “Littlepip is gone, sir.” His other eye opened slowly, then he turned his head to me, an eyebrow raised. I told him everything. About Velvet Remedy, the override code, how Pip intended to save her. He looked perplexed once I was done. As though he wasn’t sure how he should feel. “And now, I’m your new… apprentice.” I looked at the floor as I said it, as though ashamed of replacing her. My confidence went out the window; he’d just lost a friend. He leaned back again, rubbing his face with his hooves. “She’s gone…” he whispered after a moment. "She's... actually gone..." What could I say? The Overmare wouldn't send anyone out to get her. Maybe we could still locate her, though. "Do you have her Pip-Buck tag?" After a minute of fiddling with his Pip-Buck, he said she was out of range. Was there nothing I could do for him? Of course not. “Look, sir, I’m here to help you as a Technician. If you ever need me as a friend, I’m all ears,” I replaced my mother’s hat and gifted him the most sincere smile I could. He sighed. A somber, lost sigh. Then he looked to me, smiled and said: “Buck. And your name is?” “Hah. Applebuck, sir.” We both smiled - his widening - at the coincidence. Or maybe it was fate. “But my friends call me AB or Buck. Guess you can call me AB,” I said. “Apple,” I hated it when people called me Apple. “go home for today. We'll start fresh tomorrow. You’ll start your shift at 0600,” “0600!?” No way! Oh, he was smiling. Yeah, didn’t take him for the 0600 type. “Get back here at 10 o’clock tomorrow. I might teach you a thing or two. If you’re lucky.” He winked, but I could see it in his eyes. That look like you’ve lost something you know you won’t get back. I smiled, bowed in salutation, and left my new workplace. A master, and a new apprentice. Two. As there should be. *** I was walking down the hallway to my Dad and I’s quarters. The second I walked through the door, I slumped to our couch and breathed a heavy sigh, venting all of today’s emotions into it. What a day. I wanted to sleep. To finally rest easy. But my mind was too focused on other things. I wished I hadn't opened my mouth. I was stupid! The Overmare gave an order, and I dared to question it. Now I was stuck with a job I didn't want. And it wasn't even in Security. I wanted to see Brandy. I hadn't spoken to him since the situation with the door. Actually, I hadn't spoken to him since… I blushed violently. The Atrium! What were we doing!? Were we gonna…? No. Of course not… But I wanted to. No! He was my friend! Nothing more! I didn't want to lose that! I didn't want what we had to change! As though he read my thoughts, I heard a knock on the door. Brandy! We could talk it out, and see how each other felt about it, and me changing careers and… I was pretty disappointed when my Dad walked in. “Bucko.” He smiled at me from the door. “I take it you met Mister Buck? Yeah, he’s quite a lazy individual, isn’t he?” I sure thought so, but he was probably grieving right now, so I didn't think he deserved to have his lifestyle judged. Dad trotted over and moved my rear hooves so he could sit next to me. He looked at me quizzically - I didn't really feel like talking. And I was pretty embarrassed with him having seen Brandy and I as we were. “Bit for your thoughts?” I stared at him from my lying position. I knew what I needed to say, but Goddesses did I not want to ask. After some hesitation, I sat up, and the words left my mouth: “Do you still grieve over Mom?” That was it. That moment when you want to say something, but you’re not sure if you should, then you say the first word and know you’ve made the decision and must finish it. And then the relief of having gotten it out. The relief was short lived as I saw that my question had saddened my Dad. He loved her. More than anyone. No. We both loved her. And the pair of us would give anything just to see her one more time. After a moment, he finally spoke. “I think about her all the time." “Not a day goes by where I don’t think of her either,” I said. “But we can’t stay sad forever.” “But it seems to hurt forever.” He didn’t hesitate. “Just because it hurts, doesn’t mean we should waste our day being hurt. If we do that, then we’re not living. And if we’re not living, then, what did she die for?” I didn’t really know what to think, let alone say. She died painlessly. Quickly. Over the course of a few years, yes, but the actual death was, dare I say, easy compared to some other unfortunate residents over the past 200 years. Truly a peaceful demise that I wish I could share one day. Just way later in life than her. “I just hope we can spend countless more years with each other, Dad.” Oh Goddesses. And just like that, he was hugging me. I groaned, but the kind of groan that he knew still permitted him. I wished Brandy were here. A hug from him would've been completely welcomed. Not that he was anymore the hugging type than I was. “Why do you ask?” He said as we retracted from the hug. I simply gave him a quizzical look of my own. “About your mother?” “Oh. Well…” confidence, Buck! Confidence! “I sometimes feel guilty about Misses Cufflink. I remember when I heard she died and how Brandy was gonna replace her, I was sad because I’d be seeing less of Brandy. Even though someone just died.” He nodded. “go on?” he asked. “Now my new boss is grieving over LittlePip. They were friends, as far as I can tell, and not only did I waltz out of nowhere ‘hey, I’m your new apprentice!’, but I also had to break the news to him. Which is why I’m back here. He wanted to be alone.” “Know the feeling.” That cracked my heart a little. “If there was ever a time for him not to be alone. It’s now, Buck. He’s grieving. And he shouldn’t do it alone.” “Doesn’t he have kids? Or a partner?” “Not as far as I’m aware. Buck's one of my drinking buddies. Never mentioned anything about a family. Though he generally keeps his business to himself." “Then I best help him wherever I can.” We sat there in silence for a while. Between friends, it would be awkward. Between family? I was just happy he was there. “C’mon,” he smiled at me and patted my hat. “Let’s get some ice cream.” I was a grown-ass stallion with, I think, a serious career now. But there’s no point in being 22 if you can’t be 11 with your dad sometimes.