Fallout Equestria: An Eternity to Rebuild

by Fillyosopher

SS5: Introduction of Plume

mmmmm stood with his head pressed agianst the metal door to the infermary. His wife, mmmmm, was inside. So to, he hoped, was his first son or daughter. The sound had died down... that was good right? But no crying. Was the baby ok? It should be crying, right? He struggled for a moment, considering breaking down the door. It would be difficult, but that wasn't the point. He needed to know!

“Mister mmmmm! Please take a seat!” The nurse shouldered him off the door and into a seat. Then she went inside, shut the door in his face before he could glimpse inside.

“I want to see my wife. I should be allowed in. Maybe if I go find somepony... no. What If they come out while I'm gone! Oh goodness, something must be wrong.”

The worried stallion gnawed at his hooves. Finally the door opened again. The nurse nodded to him as she walked out, gesturing to him with a hoof.

“well? Go see!”

The mare's oddly disapproving tone bounced right off the potential father he bounded in, tripping over his questions.

“Is she, everything, alive, happy, good, yes?”

Doctor Twoheart raised an eyebrow and nodded to the already sleeping baby and smiling mother.

“Congratulations,” he said. “You are the father of Stable 56's first pegasus.”

Growing up as a pegasus in a world designed for only earth ponies and unicorns was awkward, in a blaring obvious, trumpet blast to the face sort of way. Everyone had heard about me, of course. The Chosen 500 radio channel took care of that before I'd eaten my first meal. My rather public flight around the atrium my second year kept everyone well aware. I don't even remember the darn think; my first memory is my mother tying my wings down before sending me to class, years later. It wasn't until my eighth year that they finally quit doing that, more because I'd outgrown even the atrium than because they trusted me. By that point, I was used to checking earth pony on forms.

As nice, kind, and goodhearted as my parents were, they never quite came to terms with my wings. They were Stableborn. for them, average was the only safe place to be. They constantly worried about me being picked on or treated unequally, but I think they were more worried for themselves. I never had problems with teachers or friends; I was smart enough not to show off. It was only when my parents intervened that I really had problems. They pushed their worries onto others, forced them to assume the role. By my thirteenth year I was ready to get out.

The fastest path to get out of school was security. Not because they wanted dumb ponies, rather the opposite. The security ponies were some of the best trained, often working both as security and in another position, and they had additional schooling which kept me out of the house. Even more important, students were given first priority on new rooms. I worked hard to start at the top of my class and was awarded with my own room my fifteenth year.

Security had another benefit to it, one I hadn't anticipated. Security ponies had a respect from the Stable crowd. Ponies started looking at my barding rather than my wings. It was specially modified to minimize their profile of course.

It was at the end of my Security training that I first aspired to something greater. My teacher, good old One Eye, shook my hoof at the graduation cerimony. He nodded to my wings and said kindly, “so, you have any plans to use those?” I was pushed off the stage by the next graduate, and thus had two days to think of a response before I could talk to him again.

“Yes. Can you teach me how?”

The veterine laughed. “You're still thinking like a student, Plume. Think like an Officer. Where inside this Stable can you put your wings to work?”

“Well... I can't really think of a place, sir. Maybe if somepony tried to pull something in the atrium, but otherwise...”

“Good, you've got the point then. Nowhere inside will do. So, what are your other options.”

“Um, I suppose there is the outside, sir. But nopony volunteers to go outside! Beside, what would my parents think.”

“Well, I don't know what they'd think. And in the case of your future, I don't really care. They've done their best to protect you from imagined threats, but it was you who got yourself into Security. It was your determination and skill that got you the recognition you wear. So you'll forgive an old stallion for beleiveing it's you who will find yourself a place to be fully you.”

“It was you who brought this up,” I noted rhyly.

“Why, so it was. I'm known to have good ideas from time to time.” One Eye winked. “If you're interested, meet me in my office this afternoon. We can call it post-graduate study if you like.”

I began studying directly under One Eye. I read every book we had on Equestria and Phoenix, the nearest town. Many were simple filly's books, others were detailed archiological maps and technical diagram. I read them and more, strange texts of the world after the war. The Wastelands, as it was called now. I've no idea how One Eye had obtained them and I didn't ask. They never left his study.

One Eye taught me other things as well. He made mockups of animals out of protein bars and carpet so that I could learn to skin and cook. He brought out samples of plants, talked at length about their properties. He took me to the training room for sparing, where he taught me styles totally outside the normal for a Security officer. Techniques meant to maim and kill, do deal with armed opponents when unarmed, to deal with multiple attacks at once.

I had trouble with it all. I wasn't all that smart, despite my grades; it was dedication that had earned me my place then and it was with dedication that I pulled through now. Slowly, I read, learned, and understood.

Two years later, at the age of twenty, I volunteered for the Exploration Party. It was held once yearly. The extra population of the Stable was kicked out into the Wasteland under the pretense of scouting. None had come back, which scared me until One Eye explained. The Overmare had received plenty of messages that it was livable outside, but none to convince her it was safe. Our refuge relied on keeping the doors closed, and so we did. But I would not die the second I hit wasteland soil. One Eye, of course, laughed when I admitted the fear to him.

“You really think I would have spent the last two years training you in all that if thought you'd die? I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place!”

“And here all this time I thought I was the one who came up with going outside.” He's constantly reminded me of that 'fact' when I struggled with a form or thick text.

“Well, I suppose you are right of course. My memory must be going.” He gave me another conspiritorial wink.

The party was standard, as far as such things went. Few ponies besides the chosen seven were present. Of them, only myself and an earth pony named Recall had an family to say goodbye to. The Overmare chose smartly in that way. My Parents were both bawling, of course. Something about how their one child was leaving them. I tuned it out. If they'd wanted another child, they could have had one, but the two of them were to scared to 'have to play favorites'. Not that I didn't love them, but five year out of the house had not been enough time to entirely quell my dissatistfaction.

One Eye, on the other hoof, was determined to spend the party quizing me and cramming any fact he might have forgotten into my head. I answered idly, getting darn near most of the questions correct. Reallizing my preoccupation, he gave up.

“Worried about it.”

“Nothing so concrete. Apprehensive, more like. I know I'm probably the best prepared pony to leave Stable 56 since its creation, but that doesn't alleviate my fear of something extraordinary happening.”

“Oh, something will.” One Eye asserted certainly. “It all ways does. But you've go a brain about you and plenty of spunk. You'll see yourself through.”

“You sound like I'm going to take a walk in your backyard. So, you've been there?” I'd never asked before, though he knew I suspected. I mean, where else do you get that much Wasteland related material?

“Well know, that would be telling. I will say this. Don't be so sure you're the best prepared pony to leave Stable 56.” He gave me another wink, but before I could respond the Overmare to the stage and began proceedings. Even that wouldn't have stopped me, had I not been the first pony called up and congratulated. By the time I'd returned to my seat, One Eye had left. In his seat sat a note, and stack of books, and my barding.

'I bargained the Overmare into letting you take these out with you. Took quite plenty of pulled strings, lots of applied leverage, and a not insignificant quantity of Wonderglue. It's not the weaponry I was hoping for, but it will give you a definite advantage. As best you can, protect the others. Even if they won't travel with you, having companions living in the Waste can be a big help.

And quit worrying! You're going to find your wings and I'd better hear about it when you do.'

The note was unsigned, of course.

The Exploration Day banquet was massive, as always. Explorers were given first choice of food and tradition dictated that they stuff themselves. Last meal of the dead and all. I ate until I was full, but no more. One Eye would have shot me himself if I'd done otherwise.

The banquet ended and we were sent back to sleep one last night. Strange to have us eat so much, we'd just be hungry again in the morning. I had stolen enough scraps to fill myself in the morning too.

I dreamed of flying that night.