Fallout: Equestria - Shadow of the Day

by Kaciekk

Prologue

Within the impenetrable walls of Stable 47, two ponies conversed inside the head-of-security office. A brown Earth Pony stallion sat behind a large wooden desk, eyes glued to paper on a clipboard. Across from him, a young lime green Pegasus mare stood, looking at him intently. She bounced impatiently on her hooves.

“You’ve passed your combat assessment with flying colors,” the brown stallion had been telling her.

“Well, I am a Pegasus,” the mare said with a sly smirk.

“SwiftHaze, would you let me finish?” the stallion muttered, raising a brow.

“Yes. Sorry, Buffer,” SwiftHaze replied sheepishly, but never lost her grin.

“As I was saying… you aced your combat assessment. You’ve gone through your confrontation training. And while you did pass it, I’d say you have some things to work on. You’ll need to refrain from using your attitude with the civilians.”

“Heh, yeah. Sorry, bad habit.” SwiftHaze shrugged.

“You have excellent agility, both on hooves and by flight. You have great endurance; sometimes I think you don’t know when to stop,” Buffer noted with a fond smirk. “That can be good, but not since you are such a klutz.”

“I can’t help it!” Haze defended.

Buffer shook his head. “Anyway, you passed your written exam as well. I think it’s time you officially became a security guard.”

“Yes!” Haze excitedly bounced on her hooves. She swirled around with halfway extended wings, then stopped to face Buffer again, only just catching herself before she tipped over.

“You can pick up your uniform later today. I’ll see you at graduation tomorrow,” Buffer announced happily.

“Thank you so much! You’ve been such a great mentor, Buffer!” Haze trotted around the desk and hugged the stallion in his chair.

“Alright, alright.” He patted her wing a few times with a hoof.

SwiftHaze dashed out of the office and down the hall. As a pony passed by, she slowed her pace as if not to make a scene. She never lost her grin, and gave a friendly nod to the passing resident.

Graduation is just the next step, Haze hoped internally. I’m so close to getting the hell out of here! She dreamed of flying past the Stable walls. Far away, where her life would truly begin.

As the doors to her living quarters slid open, all her positive spirits were drained instantly. Inside, a deep green mare stared intently at her, as if she’d been waiting all day for Haze to return. The doors closed behind Haze’s drooping tail.

“I thought you would be back by 5pm,” the older mare stated, eyes narrowed.

“Mom,” SwiftHaze groaned. She looked at the time on her PipBuck. “It’s 5:07.” She kept walking forward past her mother.

“So you’re not going to tell me how it went?” Haze’s mom questioned.

“I passed,” Haze spat. “I told you I would.”

“You’re going to be on time for your graduation?”

“Of course I am!”

“And what are you going to do after graduation?” Her mom turned and faced her. She spoke as if she meant her career, not just the night after the ceremony.

“Be a security guard,” Haze lied. She had bigger plans.

“Is that what you really want?”

“If it wasn’t, why would I go through all this training?” Haze pointed out, waving a hoof in front of her. The training was something she genuinely wanted to go through with, even if she intended to use it for other purposes.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else you’d rather do?” the mare continued to inquire. Haze knew what she was getting at.

“Mom, I don’t even know what my talent is! I got my cutie mark randomly, and I don’t know what it means! I want to help ponies, and I think this is the best way to do it!” Haze quipped, her patience running thin.

“Following your father’s example.” Her mother shook her head disapproving.

There it is, Haze moaned silently. She swiveled around, flicking her tail. “More than you realize,” she muttered and stomped off to her room.

She entered the small corner that was her room and closed the door. It was cramped, which she absolutely hated. She couldn’t even stretch her wings out completely in her room. Desperately she wished she could have her own living quarters, but knew due to the Stable’s large population, families were kept together to save space. Even if she could have her own living space, she couldn’t completely escape her mother in the Stable.

It was always like this. Her mother always harped her for every little thing she did or did not do. But not for long, SwiftHaze thought. I’m finding my way out of this Stable, no matter what it takes.