> Limit State's Foundation
>  by LoreLove
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Soft Soil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	After a couple of years upon first starting her engineering job, Limit State was finally going to have her first on-site inspection. The soon-to-be foremare was looking forward to seeing all the lovely plans coming to life. Of course, that wasn't the real reason she was going to be there. The light pink unicorn had to make sure everything was going smoothly and to check on safety procedures.
The honey and caramel colored mane of the mare stayed as motionless as she did in her chair. The papers before her had plenty of numbers to crunch and she was going to have a busy day tomorrow. Site inspection and more, yet she was sitting in her office trying to figure out the budget of another house. It seemed like such a refreshing idea to stretch her legs while working.
The mare let her mind drift for a moment, squirming in her seat. While she thought about the sights she would see and the other ponies she would meet, her blue eyes seemed to get lost in her daydream. If the foremare had any luck, maybe she could even meet a handsome stallion that she finally settle down with. It was a long shot, but she had hopes.
Her forelegs settled onto the desk, her head resting into her hooves as she sighed. Her stallion would be so sweet and loving to her, wouldn't he? He'd have a mane and tail that would flow in the breeze and a strong form from ears to hooves. Unicorn, like her? Maybe a more masculine earth pony. Oh! How about the lean pegasi all over Equestria?
“Ms. State?” a pony asked from her doorway.
The mare gave a startled gasp and shot up in posture. Her eyes were wide while she looked around and finally settled onto the stallion. He looked as confused as she did before walking inside and averting his gaze. Had she been sitting there too long?
“Uh, I just came to inform you that you'll need these for tomorrow,” the male mentioned, holding up a reflective vest and a hard hat with one hoof.
“Oh, yes! Thank you!” Limit said as she magically lifted the items and set them on her desk. “Was there anything else you needed?”
“No, ma'am,” he answered and turned around.
“You take care!” the unicorn said cheerfully, a hoof waving to the stallion's back.
Her eyes moved to the protective head wear and flashy vest as she frowned. It didn't look like it might go well with her teal pantsuit. Still, safety first. Her magic lifted the hat up and turned it around as she inspected it. It just looked to bland and boring. She knew it wasn't meant to look attractive, but it still could have been a little better.
Then an idea struck her. The mare opened one of the drawers of her desk and moved a book over to reveal a small stack of stickers. One peel with her orange colored magic and she pried the flower from the wax backing. It was a rare thing to do with such decorations but it put a smile on her muzzle.
The executive engineer pony leaned in and carefully brought the sticker to the smooth hat. Right or left? Her shoulders shrugged, bringing her shoulder pads with the movement, as she pasted the adhesive decoration on the rim. If they didn't like it, they could peel it off themselves.
Satisfied with her prettier hat, Limit State set it back down and closed her drawer. There was a bit of nervousness in her stomach about the next day. It was a new part of her job and she wasn't accustomed to some of the things she might have to encounter. Reading descriptions was one thing, then came abbreviations and all with them. Well, it just gave her more to learn!
That was the spirit! Look up! Her smile stayed bright as she picked up her quill and unrolled a few scrolls. A few more looks over the statements and other numbers and she could probably call it a day. No need to overwork herself with anxiety topped on. Her head gave a nod to that.
Yes, tomorrow was going to be such a busy and exciting day!

-

This was it! Her first day taking part in on-site inspections! She was so excited the she nearly forgot her hard hat and vest before leaving. The site was a simple carriage ride away which left her plenty of time to try and ease into her new role. This was such an important thing for the mare. Having to be careful that any and all hazards are dealt with and more might give the poor unicorn a headache.
She had a small giggle at that and waited patiently to be brought to her destination. A few other thoughts seemed to get tossed around in that cute head of hers as she sat there. What if she missed something? Or, what if somepony got hurt? Those weren't particularly happy thoughts.
Limit shook her head and sighed. If she was to do this job right then she would have to push all negativity from her mind. If a pony were to get hurt, they would be required to assess the situation and call upon medical help if it was bad. That was, if she let them get hurt. Not on her watch!
“Ma'am?” the stallion asked, looking back to her from his harness. He looked slightly puzzled.
Little had she known, she was attempting to strike a pose as a strong mare in the back of the carriage. A blush quickly formed over her cheeks and muzzle as she settled back down and looked away. That was quite embarrassing. The light pink foremare smiled a bit at herself. She was really dedicated to her job.
Well, she didn't get her cutie mark sitting by and watching ponies trip on cords or lick flames. Back in school when she was just a filly, most of the students called her Caution Mary. It didn't hurt her feelings in the slightest, just confused her. If anything, she felt proud for being able to know such things.
The carriage stopped and her thoughts were instantly brought back to the present. A glance around and she saw that she had finally reached her first site for inspection. This was going to be a big and very important day for her! She just had to not be overwhelmed from it.
The tall unicorn stepped out and finally began her first journey into the site. So many things were involved with making just a building. Beams and cranes, plenty of ladders, the whole area was kept busy. The mare was simply in awe over it all.
“Ms. State!” one of the workers called over to her, walking closer. “You arrived a bit earlier than expected.”
“I figured it would be in my best interest to be prompt!” she replied with a smile.
“Well, thank you for seeing us through this. You've got a lot on your plate as it is, but we appreciate you making it out here,” the stallion said before magically holding a pair of goggles before her. “Here. You may need these, but hopefully not.”
Limit took the offered eye wear and slipped them on quickly. Her blue eyes seemed to shine even through the protective shielding. The foremare gave a nod of approval while she continued on her way and followed along near the worker. It wasn't something she was used to but it was very thrilling to see so many things in action.
The two moved around the site as she let the other unicorn guide her. It was strange to actually see the rooms before any furnishings were set. In fact, most walls weren't even set up. Frames and support seemed to be the only thing in place for most of it.
During the time they took to go around the area, Limit had pointed out a few safety flaws. Some frayed ropes, rusted bolts, and a few rotten beams of wood were noted down quickly. She gave a warning about them and urged the rope to be thrown out while the bolts be replaced. The beams would need replacing as well, but they weren't supporting anything major.
The rest of her time there was spent getting to know the workers. She had heard it was always important to relate with the ponies on sites. Let them know that you're there to help and not bring their spirits down. It was interesting to hear so many other lives and ideas.
“Just remember to keep your tools in proper, working order,” Limit said, waving her hoof to a few of the workers a couple stories up.
“Will do, ma'am!” one hollered to her with a wave back.
It seemed like a very successful day. She found faults and addressed them and even managed to have the team on the site a bit more relaxed in their work. They must have been expecting a harsh mare to bring down the hammer instead of her. Lucky them!
The thing only left for her to do was to head back to the office and file the small notices. A check up on the next day or two would help determine if a new crew was needed or not. No improvements would always lead to a change in work schedules. It seemed they enjoyed their work and were willing to at least start changing some things.
Limit State smiled as she took off her hard hat and climbed into the carriage that was waiting for her. End of the day and she was ready to rest her little hoovsie woovsies. A small bump to her horn and forehead made her giggle as she ducked inside. Being tall had a few disadvantages.
On her ride home, her hooves moved the hat around as she looked it over and tilted her head. It wasn't exactly something she wanted to wear all the time, but it wasn't bad. The reflective vest was cute. Well, they had to be worn to keep her from getting any bumps on her head and all.
Once she got home, the light pink unicorn had to take a second glance in the mirror to realize she still had her goggles on. Whoops! Her horn lit up as she pried them off and set them aside with her other gear for her next departure in the morning. Wouldn't be good to wear those to bed, would it? She giggled at herself and rolled her eyes playfully.
The mare's bedroom was a cozy size with a large bed. The mattress could easily hold two ponies if there were more than just her. The thought lingered a bit longer than she had liked as she bit her lip and stood there a moment. It was a little bit of a sting that she felt before taking a deep breath and shaking her head.
It wasn't good to have such thoughts before bed. Nope! She was going to get ready to sleep and do so in such a comfy bed. The unicorn moved into the bathroom as she began brushing her teeth and getting settled down for the night. A quick gurgle of mouthwash and a shimmy out of her outfit, the mare was just about done.
Her cotton pajamas were lifted up with her magic as she stepped into the leggings and slipped the top over her head. A few questioning looks around and she finally popped her head out the neck of the comfy top. The long forelegs of the mare tugged and worked through the rest of the fabric until she managed to ease them along the sleeves.
Without waiting, the unicorn dove into the sheets as she rolled around on the mattress for a minute. Her back squirmed against it for a bit until she scooted herself down under the covers and sighed happily. All nice and cozy as a pony should be. The cool feeling of the covers had her relaxing swiftly while she flicked the lights off and closed her eyes.
Her first day at being on a construction site had her all excited to start the next one. Limit couldn't wait to start the next day.

-

The light pink unicorn was up and ready once again the second the sun rose. She had practically rushed through her breakfast and still seemed to be tugging on her reflective vest as she climbed into the carriage. A quick adjustment to her hat and the goggles and she was ready once more.
The ride to the site was almost as slow as molasses. Well, at least it felt that way. The mare was nearly bouncing in her seat as she kept checking ahead for the view to come up. She hardly remembered the last time she was this excited over something.
This was one of the biggest opportunities for Limit State and there was no way she could refuse it. Her tail gave an excited swish as she thought of all the ponies she could meet and witnessing buildings having their start in the world. Safety inspection was pretty fun when she finally got out from behind her desk.
Limit may have managed to stuff a few stickers in her pocket before leaving as well. No sense in having a gloomy day. The adhesive pictures were always cute to her. They even seemed to bring a smile to other ponies when they saw them. Seeing others happy brightened the mood more than anything else she could think of.
“Hello, Ms. State!” her guide from yesterday called to her.
“Oh! Hello!” she replied, a bit startled from getting lost in her own thoughts. She arrived quicker than she realized.
The stallion chuckled at her jump and helped the tall mare out of the carriage. He was such a gentlecolt. Without thinking, Limit pulled one of the stickers from her pocket and magically pressed it to the male's vest. He looked a bit confused at the action before he grinned wide and nodded.
“Why, thank you kindly, miss!” he said and left it in place.
“Have improvements started taking place?” Limit asked, lifting the clipboard from the table full of floor plans. “The bolts and rope?”
“Yes, ma'am,” he states, looking over the plans and tapping a hoof. “This is the only area we're concerned about. The rotten beams need replacing but that takes nearly everypony to be up there when it happens.”
“Please, just call me Limit,” the light pink unicorn stated with a smile. “Well, until those are done, can we keep the workers away from the area?”
“Already moved,” the worker said while he looked up to her. “Wanting to go around the area once more before your report?”
“Hm... I think that might be good,” Limit stated and gave a nod. “Shall we?”
The two began their route through the ground floor, noting small things here and there. Some exposed wires, a leaky or loose pipe, anything that needed to be taken into account. Soon, they had the area covered and were ready to move up the next floor. The whole thing repeated a few times before they began their way back down.
Even though they had just checked everything to the last detail, Limit couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about it all. It may have been the time they spent on a floor up above without any walls. Could be her nagging brain telling her that things weren't assessed the second they were pointed out. It could have been anything, but it didn't stop bothering her.
“I want to thank you for helping us out here, Mi-uh... Limit,” the stallion told her, looking back.
“Oh, it's no trouble! I've been looking for a reason to stretch my legs,” she replied and laughed softly.
“Heh, I can see reasons for that,” the worker said, still watching her.
“I probably have to wash my hooves a few times over from those dirty pipes,” Limit said, looking down at one of the pink hooves.
“Well, I think you look just fine,” the stallion commented with a smirk.
The words made the unicorn glance up with a small blush as she turned her head away. It was flattering for him to say so. He looked like a hard worker and seemed rather thoughtful about the work environment. He even had a cute smile from over his shoulder.
“Sorry. Couldn't help but at least mentio-” the male tried saying before his words got cut short.
He was there one second and gone the next. Like he just disappeared. Only he didn't do that. Limit saw him stagger and trip. She saw his eyes widen as he tilted forward and didn't stop. She watched him fall.
It all happened so fast that she could hardly register what just took place. The unicorn stood in place as the image replayed in her mind over and over. Her heart skipped several beats as her smile slowly faded. Then she heard it.
The audible and heavy collision of something against the ground several stories down was louder than she would have expected. The sudden rush of hooves moving around picked up quickly. Shouts were called out and tools were dropped as the storm of hooves moved to where the deafening hit had landed.
Limit felt her stomach twist and her face grow cold. The unicorn felt like she couldn't breathe or move. Slowly, one hoof moved after the other as she heard the sounds being drowned out. She wasn't sure by what, but she couldn't hear the shouting or anything else suddenly.
Inch by inch, Limit moved closer to the edge of the floor and drew in heavier breaths. Everything had to be okay. It was her job to make sure things were okay. It was just a trip and some tools fell. Nopony would be hurt. Nopony would be hurt.
Without putting off the inevitable, the tall mare leaned forward once she reached close enough to the edge. Her head and those blue eyes stayed forward for a moment longer. Slowly, she began to tilt her head down and drew in a deep breath. She had to make sure.
The foremare's eyes moved down and finally took in the sight. A crowd of ponies in matching hats and vests had formed a circle around one of their own. The one that was surrounded was laying down, the hat discarded to the side. He wasn't moving.
Some of the heads in the crowd looked up before looking back at the pony laying still. Limit felt her knees grow weak, her stomach twisting, and her head feeling lighter than normal. The world seemed to stand still as she tried telling herself that what happened was not actually happening. It couldn't have.
A few voices came from below, some hooves waving up to her and urging her down. The shaken mare gave a nod and slowly worked her way back down. Every step felt like it was going to bring her down as well, but more emotionally than physically. It was as if the closer she got, the more the realization set in.
Once she reached the bottom floor, Limit State slowly began walking around the building and pried her goggles up with a hoof. Despite being a unicorn, the mare's heart wasn't in it to use her magic at such a time. The thought made her wince as she stared to the ground in her walk. She did have magic and she could have stopped him. It just happened too fast for her to think.
The strap of the goggles hung around her neck as she moved up to the crowd. They all looked back with the same expression over their faces, sadness and pain stinging them as much as it did the foremare. Every step forward seemed to divide the group as a path was made to the center. She had to see.
Once her view was unobstructed, Limit finally saw the downed pony. The stallion laid still in the dirt, his mane a mess and his eyes closed. The vest had stayed on during his fall, yet the hat had made its own travel away its owner. It was hard to keep looking.
One thing kept drawing her eyes to him and began stinging in ways she never knew. The sticker on his vest was clear as day, smiling up at her as if it had not a care in the world. He seemed genuinely happy with it, too. What if he had been her special somepony?
“Miss State,” a soft voice said behind her. “Miss, come on. You don't need to see this.”
She was in shock and a type of pain no type of medical help could ease. There was a soft pull at her shoulder with a hoof before she let them guide her away. The entire time, her eyes never left the fallen stallion as she was moved from the scene of the accident. She hardly knew what to do.
He wasn't gone. He couldn't be. The stallion was just trying to keep from making his injuries any worse. The others just didn't want her to see him hurt. That was it. He would get up or be helped up soon and everything would to be okay.
When she sat down and stared at her hooves, time began to speed back up. It was as if it were trying to catch up with itself for what was lost. Limit's eyes stayed down as she heard the medical ponies arrive and rush out. The foremare's ears stayed low while she lightly moved a bit of dirt here and there.
“Ms. Limit State?” said a mare before her.
The safety inspector looked up at the white pony with the nurse cap and answered quietly with, “Yes?”
“I'm Nurse Redheart. What happened here? Take your time if you need to tell me, okay?” the nurse stated, looking worried.
“H-he... I was just l-looking for... things to...,” Limit tried saying, finding it harder for her to talk to more she used her voice.
“Sshh, you're alright. You're just in shock. Did you see what happened?” Redheart asked and placed a hoof to the distressed unicorn's shoulder.
“He... He f-fell a-and... and..,” Limit started before she finally felt those tears welling up in her eyes.
“Okay, okay. You saw him fall. That's all I needed to know. Let me get you a sugar cube,” the nurse stated and gave a small pat to the shocked mare's foreleg.
There was a moment where Limit watched the white pony turn and start to walk away before the pale pink unicorn reached out and tugged her back. Her forelegs wrapped around the white earth pony as she held on tightly and finally let her tears go. The foremare buried her muzzle to the nurse's neck as she felt the warm streams coarse down her cheeks once her eyes closed.
It was hard for her to concentrate on much more than just how bad she had messed up. Of all the items she had noted down, she didn't make mention of marking off ledges. It was her fault. She didn't do what was needed and now a pony had suffered from her error.
“M-miss? Calm down. You're okay,” Redheart tried reasoning with the sobbing mare.
“It's not! I... It's my fault! I sh-should have s-stopped him!” Limit cried out, her tears staining her cheeks and the nurse's neck.
“It wasn't your fault. You have to calm down,” the medical pony tried to explain and turned around in the hug. “A pony can't do everything. You did all you could.”
“I-I didn't! I c-could have used m-m-my magic and... and..,” the tall unicorn tried mentioning but she was becoming more unstable.
“It was just a quick moment. Nopony could have seen it coming. It's not your fault,” the white earth pony says, struggling a bit before eventually patting one of the legs around her.
It took a while before Limit State was calmed down enough to lessen her crying. The medical mare had offered her a sugar cube to help her get a little more at ease. The blood sugar in Limit's system being tended to helped her explain the accident a bit better, sniffing and wiping away her tears along the sleeve of her teal pantsuit. All the while, the foremare couldn't help but blame herself for it.
The pony that had fallen was taken back on a stretcher and carried off in an ambulance. The workers watched it go before telling their own stories. Limit hadn't left her spot the entire time, having such a hard time with keeping her vision from getting blurry. Nothing had ever hit her this hard before.
She was a safety inspector and it was her job to ensure things like this never happened. She had missed something so simple. The pony tried to keep her composure once in a while before nearly losing it each time. It wasn't until a few workers urged her to head on home that she finally moved from her spot. There wouldn't be a need for her to be at the site with no ponies working on it after such an incident.
The unicorn reluctantly agreed and ended up taking a carriage back home. The ride back was much more quiet than earlier that day. Her eyes stayed low while she kept thinking of how she could have prevented the accident and more. There was nothing she could do now and it pained her so much that she couldn't change the events of what took place.
When she got home, she hardly took time to take off her hard hat and vest. Her goggles were pried up and off as she sat down in her bed and hugged one of her pillows. It helped a little. It wasn't warm like a pony's body, but it was something she could hold onto.
She didn't even bother getting ready for bed as she laid down and held her pillow tightly. It was already a bit damp from her tears. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see him falling. Over and over like a horrible movie. The only problem was that she was so drained from the shock and all her emotions that it was hard to keep her eyes open.
Soon enough, the mare eventually quieted down and began getting some much needed rest.

-

The sudden drop from the bed startled the poor mare awake. Limit had kicked herself out of the bed and hit the floor a bit harshly. Her heart was beating quickly as she got up and started to looking around in the dark. By the light of the moon, she didn't see anything out of place other than herself.
With a heavy sigh, she crawled back into the bed and tugged her covers back up. It was a scary feeling to be falling such a long way in her dream. A second thought on the subject had her ears droop while she rest her head. It wasn't a dream but a nightmare. One where she remembered what had happened during the day.
The unicorn curled up legs to her body as she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. It wasn't something she could change and it had been neglectful of her to prevent it. She just didn't want to be awake and reminded of it all.
A look to her clock with a small glow from her horn showed it to be extremely early in the morning. Too early to get ready and too late to try and get any proper rest from it. The mare sighed and let her eyes drift shut anyway. She'll tell the higher-ups that she can't do it today. It's just not in her to work.
The enthusiasm she had before was gone entirely and her spirits were as low as they had ever been before. She witnessed something she didn't like and her mind couldn't stop thinking about it. Apparently, even when she slept.
What if the incident got her fired? She'd have no job to top it all off then. What about after that? What would she do if it came down to that?
The mare laid in bed in complete silence to try and gather her thoughts. She was lonely and having a hard time getting her mind off things. She would be utterly lost if everything just went on without her. There wouldn't be a way she could ever have high spirits at that point.
Limit grunted and turned over in bed, tugging the covers with her and shutting her eyes once again. The feeling of her warm tears was only warmth she had that night. The only company were her nightmares and the only comfort was the empty bed.

-

Upon waking up on the floor once more, Limit finally got up and noticed she had missed a portion of work for the day. For the first time in years, she hadn't made it to work. It seemed to phase her very little compared to everything else. There were more important matters on her mind anyway.
Making her bed was stalled several times between bouts of crying or just walking off to clear her head. When she would return, more of the sheets would be set in place or straightened out until she ended up repeating her actions. It took her a good half-hour to finish it until she finally went to go check her mail. Maybe some reading could help get her mind off everything.
At her front door, the small scatter of envelopes and a scroll were laying on the floor. The mail slot seemed just large enough for the scroll without bending or folding it down. Instead of magic, Limit sifted through each item with a hoof and noticed one from her work. That sinking feeling inside her seemed to amplify as she leaned down and took the envelope by mouth.
Her journey into the kitchen brought her a simple breakfast, despite it being time for lunch by now. Some milk and toast seemed to be the extent of what she wished to do. A few failed attempts with a knife trying to spread some jelly and Limit was done dealing with it. Too many moments she almost had it swing out and into her instead.
As she sat down at the table, the pale pink mare opened the mail and drew out the contents with her mouth. While her hooves held the paper flat on the table, her magic floated up a bit of slightly burnt toast to let her munch and read. It wasn't too bad, but she had made better many times before.
The letter from her job entailed an apology. It wasn't about her losing her place but to make mention of how they were upset she had to witness the events of what happened. As such, they recommended her to take a week off and just relax. The end of the letter also told her that she should consider attending the funeral of the worker in the coming days.
Nopony had told her that he died. It was something she wanted to avoid hearing and kept hoping wasn't the case. She wanted him to be okay, just hurt at the very worst. Now, she knew the truth and she didn't like it at all. There was nothing good about it.
Of course, she would go. There would be no reason not to. She just didn't like the fact that it was something bad. After all, it was her fault, wasn't it?
The toast dropped to her plate, only half-eaten, as she took a deep breaths to calm herself. Her emotions were starting to pick up again and she didn't want to resort to crying. The mare slowly moved away from the table and left her toast as she walked around. When her flank caught the corner of it, she made a small noise before sighing and shaking her head.
She might have to do something about that. It was a bad habit of her accidentally hitting the corners of her table at times. In fact, the unicorn had often bumped into a few other things around the house on occasion. Someday, she might actually care enough to move it or whatever felt best.
For now, Limit needed a bit of time to collect her thoughts and figure out what to do for the next couple of days. The funeral wasn't until the end of the week, so she had time to mentally prepare herself for such a thing. The tall mare understood it wasn't going to be easy, nor did she feel like she would be able to cope with it well. Still, she was determined to pay respects for the kind worker.
One her way back to her bedroom, the sight of her vest and the hard hat with the goggles around it caught her sight. Her walk almost carried on past it before she stared at her sticker on the small rim of the head wear. The flower appeared so calming and relaxing to look at. It was also as lonely looking as she felt.
A thought occurred to her as she went into the bedroom and came back with a small pack of stickers floating next to her. The unicorn knelt down and settled on the floor next to the hat before she used her hoof to peel a colorful sticker free and look it over. It was a cute smiley face and seemed to make her forget things for a bit as she looked at it.
Soon, she ended up placing it onto the hard hat on the side and sighed to herself. The small moment lasted longer than she had thought. Her mind seemed calm and her eyes took in the colors as she sat there, staring at the decorated protective wear. It was nice.
She shouldn't let herself get carried away. Personalized items may not be looked highly upon in the workplace. Limit drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. At least she had a small moment of reprieve from the troubles her mind kept making.
At the moment, she needed to work on keeping her mind in that small comfort zone while figuring out her days. It might be best to hold onto a pack of the brightly colored stickers in a pocket or something just to help ease any tension. While they may not be a special somepony, they did help it appeared. They were pleasing to the eye and that worker seemed to enjoy the one she gave him.
The coming days were going to be rough on her.

-

Each day that led to the next became just as stressful and hurt just as much when Limit remembered what had happened. She hadn't felt up for doing almost anything as she let the hours pass and slowly began pacing around the house. It was the worst feeling she ever had and it wouldn't go away. Very little helped, but there were a couple of things. The colorful stickers seemed to be just enough to keep her mind occupied a few minutes here and there at a glance.
Every night had her tumbling out of bed and onto the floor. The night terrors never seemed to ease up at all. On the third night, she eventually began placing pillows around the bed. At least landing would be a bit softer.
One after the next, the days drew closer to the funeral she would be attending. The unicorn's mane had become a bit unkempt and her eyes almost had tears on the verge of slipping free every second. Still, Limit did her best to prepare herself for the event. She could be strong for him, at least.
Keeping a small pack of the colorful and adhesive decorations nearby helped calm her more than she had thought. Just a tiny pack she could look at whenever she needed. It was strange how it didn't have such an effect earlier in her life. Then again, the mare had never encountered such a terrible sight before.
Limit's days were almost routine until the funeral. They all tended to mesh together with the same things being done. Wake up, pace around, stress, cry, and eventually proceed onto the nightmares. It didn't really get any easier to cope with and she felt lost, even in her own home. Just passing through until something else happened.
She would give anything just to have a stallion to cry onto. Somepony to hold her and tell her things would be okay or that she would be fine. In all the time she spent trying to do well at her job, it never dawned on her that she should have tried going out just a little more. It pained her to have her mind go to such places but it was hard to keep focus on anything uplifting.
Soon enough, the day had finally come. Limit had barely managed to brush her mane and tail without nearly sobbing. Her brush hovered in the air as she sniffed and did her best before smoothing out her honey and caramel colored hair. The sticker on her mirror helped keep her focused enough to continue.
Getting dressed into her black pantsuit was another ordeal. She had done laundry the night before just to make sure she appeared as good as could. Her magic seemed to become more unstable the more she got ready. As a result, her hooves made small tugs and clumsy shifts before she finally got dressed.
Before heading out the door, her magic slipped a small pack of her stickers in a pocket of the black pantsuit blazer. Just having them near would get her through the day, she hoped. Her emotions were already starting to get to her with the thoughts of where she was to be headed. It didn't sit right with her and she wasn't happy to keep getting reminded that it was real. She wished it was a dream more than anything.
Most the way there ended up being a blur for the unicorn. Her mind was stuck on what she might end up seeing or what might happen when she got there. It was likely she would run into the other workers that were present and possibly some of management. She wasn't prepared for any of it, but she wanted to be kind.
Upon arriving at the cemetery, the crowd of ponies in black were gathered near the back. Limit sighed and began making her way down the path. Her hooves nearly sounded like they were clacking louder than anything else on the stones. It made her even more uncomfortable, like she was even more of a focus and not just from her neglectfulness.
The tombstones she passed by looked newer the further she went along. It wasn't a pleasant detail she took notice in. The unicorn kept her eyes on the path as she took some deep breaths and tried keeping her eyes and cheeks dry for as long as possible. The poor girl could hardly see with the tears brimming a few times.
Once she made her way to the rest of the group, Limit stayed in the back and waited. The service started after a bit and the eulogy began. Everything that stallion was had now been taken away. He couldn't play his favorite instrument or enjoy calm nights anymore. Anything he wrote would end abruptly.
The pain in Limit State's chest was nearly crippling, even if it was emotionally. The mare lowered her head and sniffed, hearing many other do the same. She could tell a few of the stallions couldn't hold back the tears. Why did this have to happen?
The speech lasted for several minutes before the ponies were allowed to get up and pay their respects. The casket was closed, but Limit knew it didn't need to be. Her eyes only gave it a few glances while she stayed in the back and dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her black pantsuit blazer. Her foreleg stayed up to let her give a soft cry into the fabric before she gave a shuddered breath and tried to calm down.
A few of the ponies ahead of her moved away and went to rest a hoof on the casket. Some of them whispered, a few others stood quietly off to the side. More and more went to silently stand at the casket before moving on. Several nearly began crying on the spot.
Limit took a deep breath and looked over to the lone cellist sitting nearby. The gray mare had a white collar and black bow-tie around her neck as her violet eyes stayed downcast from the others. The cellist earth pony had yet to play anything but looked ready to start at any second. Limit knew it wouldn't be a tune of cheerfulness.
Almost as if on cue, Limit's hooves began carrying her towards the closed and wooden coffin as the slow and saddened notes began playing out from the cello. The stringed instrument carried its song through the air and to all the ponies around as Limit made her trip forward. It was a slow melody and one that was oddly soothing, yet it carried a very distinct tone with it.
The second the unicorn came to the casket, Limit's hoof lifted and froze inches away. This was because of her, wasn't it? It started to get hard to keep her composure as she stood there and tried swallowing down her rising emotions. Her hoof was shaking as she stared at the coffin until she finally touched the lid.
As if the physical touch were the trigger, Limit's eyes became harder to keep open before one blink set free the rivers down her cheeks. Her head lowered as she leaned towards the casket and sobbed as quietly as she could. The gentle hoof she had upon the top gave a small pat before she reached over to hug the wooden encasing.
“I'm so sorry,” Limit whispered through her tears. Her body shook as she sniffed and used her free forearm to wipe at her cheeks. “I-I'm so sorry.”
It hadn't dawned on her that most of the ponies were starting to notice her emotional breakdown at the casket. Limit stayed close by and did her best to keep from making too much of a scene. With the music being played and everything going on, it was hard for her to stay calm. Then she remembered what had helped the past few days.
“H-here... I brought you s-something,” she mumbled through a sob, her magic pulling the small assortment of stickers from her pocket.
Upon pulling out a bit, most of the colorful decorations scattered along the ground while she took one of the hovering ones with her teeth. Her hooves came up to peel at the backing, missing a few times from lack of focus, before she pulled it free and stuck it to the side of the coffin. The mare's hoof pressed against it, smoothing it out as she cried a bit more openly.
“Y-you like stickers, remember? You l-liked the one I gave you... Right?” Limit whispered, bending down to pick up one of the fallen stickers with her mouth.
Another routine of peeling off the wax back to the adhesive picture before placing it onto the casket again. Her hooves were gentle but sure despite her shaking and the sniffling. A few drops of warm tears landed on the ground as she leaned in and settled her forelegs on top of the wooden case. Her head dropped to her arms as fresh tears ran down the side of the casket freely.
“Please... Wake up,” she whispered in a barely audible voice. “I'm sorry..”
By now, most of the other ponies have taken notice to the taller unicorn's breakdown and her incoherent sobbing. The mare with the cello gave a pitiful look but kept on playing as she watched. A few other moved in slowly and gave Limit's back a soft pat to help calm her. At the moment, she seemed inconsolable.
“Wake up..,” Limit mumbled as she cried. “Please, wake up... I h-have more stickers!” she pleaded, starting to try and scramble for more of the fallen sticky pictures.
Before she could paste anymore onto the resting worker's coffin, the ponies gently pried her away. Her insistence didn't make them stop until they had guided her back a little. Limit could watch and cry as her stickers failed to stir the worker within from his final rest. It hit her hard as she went limp and slumped to the ground.
The hooves and arms trying to guide her ended up giving reassuring pats and pets while a mare or two hugged against her. Words of thanks for being there for them were uttered but Limit was too lost in her depression to do much more than cry. The ponies didn't stop, though. Their words and gentle hugs continued on as the taller unicorn let her tears run free.
Before she knew it, Limit State was hugging as many of the ponies in return and hardly letting go. A couple of the mares had ended up crying with her while they held each other and lamented the loss. The phrases and words almost tended to get drowned out by the music with how low they kept trying to speak.
Things like how he was in a better place or that he was guarding Celestia and the others were passed around various times. There were even a few gentle voices telling her that it wasn't her fault. That one seemed to have the most effect out of anything else she heard. It seemed to ease the pain some.
“He's going to be okay now,” one of the stallions nearby mentioned as he rubbed a hoof along her back. “He just won't be with us, okay? He'll be fine watching over our princesses and us. He wants you to be safe.”
“S-s-safe?” Limit asked, lifting one of the offered handkerchiefs to her eyes to try and slow the stream of tears.
“Yes, ma'am. He'll be watching over you, so just make him happy and keep yourself nice and safe,” the stallion said before giving her a tight hug and moving away. “Alright?”
Limit gave a nod, seemingly calmer at the moment, as she let those words sink in. It was hard to believe such a statement but it wasn't intended to harm her. The unicorn's eyes shifted back to the casket before her water works started up once again as she held onto the nearest pony. She wanted him back.
Soon enough, she was heading home, but not until after the coffin had been lowered into the ground. Instead of dirt being the first thing cast upon it, the ponies gathered up all the stickers on the ground and gingerly let them float down to it. They acted like petals from a flower, drifting down and resting one, final time over the casket. It was a gesture that Limit would never forget.

-

The next few days had passed a bit easier than before the funeral. They weren't, by any means, good but they were a little better. Limit had cried a tiny bit less with each passing day and her mind had managed to hook onto her bright and sticky pictures more often. It helped eased her pain and kept her preoccupied instead of focusing on what hurt her dear heart.
When she got a letter from work in the mail, she had thought it was all over. She might be fired now and really have nothing left. To her surprise, that was quite the contrary. It took her reading it several times over before it finally stuck.
Her company had informed her that none of what happened was her fault. In fact, they assured it a few times in the letter. They explained the situation in more detail for her while also giving her a small bit of peace of mind. It had stated that the accident was mostly unavoidable and she did all she could to prevent it.
Limit didn't seem to think she did too well, but it helped her calm down to read it. The rest of the letter told her of the next week she could also take off from work. Supposedly, seeing her react the way she did at the funeral had made them think she could use the time to calm down. She agreed.
Even though the nights still left her kicking herself out of bed, the mare had managed to place just a few more pillows around to keep her from being jolted awake entirely. It was a process she hated testing but one that needed to be done if she were to get any kind of good rest soon. Thankfully, it worked out and left her feeling a bit more rested. She was a little happy about the progress on it.
Another few bumps on her kitchen table and that was soon taken care of as well. The corners were padded with a soft foam and kept from doing any harm to her or it. A very welcomed change to her usual mornings. Now, she was able to bump off the corners with little more than a smile at how silly it was to hit it.
She had a whole week to fix things up around the house and keep her mind busy. Why not do just that? Limit was a safety inspector at work, but she had neglected to really do much around her own home about such things. Perhaps now was the time to change that.
As the days continued, the progress inside her home slowly began to change. The bed had been first, then the kitchen table. It all seemed to be mostly small items for the moment. There wasn't a need to begin remodeling the house. It even kept her busy enough to let her mind relax and help her sleep a bit better.
Of course, there were still plenty of bouts of crying and hugging a pillow in bed. It was going to take a while for her to overcome the emotional stress she had come in contact with. The safety unicorn would cling to the pillow tightly, almost as a lover would in the middle of the nights. Her dreams were still plagued of the incident, thought it was better rest than before.
During the extra time off, Limit had also taken to decorating her hard hat a bit more than necessary. It now had flowers, smiley faces, and even blank ones she had written on with 'safety' or 'Limit' in glitter pink lettering. Little did she know, it was also helping her ease into getting back to work. Focusing on something related with her job was subconsciously preparing her to do what she needed to at work.
In fact, everything she was doing seemed to lean in that direction. The bed, her personal items, the table, all of it. She was an emotional mare, but still had quite a strong spirit to keep moving forward. Of course, in her own ways. Not everypony is the same.
On one of her small outings to purchase more stacks of her adorable stickers, she had a moment in the store upon first seeing them. It had taken her a half hour to calm down with the owner offering her some water and letting her settle down on a chair. The memories when seeing them had come with a rush of feelings that took a bit to calm.
When all was said and done, the owner was nice enough to give her a discount for buying in bulk. He may have shaved off the price just a tad more for feeling sorry for the mare. The two bags full of her colorful and adhesive pictures made her day rather well, even if it caused that tiny scene in the store.
Before she knew it, her spare week was nearly over and she had managed to keep from crying more than five minutes a few times. She still partially blamed herself for the whole accident but it was slowly starting to be eased off her back. Either way, she would have to start working again soon. That also meant she would need to start doing on-site inspections again.
It was hard to believe that it was only the second day on her new change in the job for something so drastic to happen. Truth was, she was nervous more than ever on going back, but it had to be done. She wanted to be the one to do the inspections and not let another pony endure what she did. It would be for the best.
When the night finally came, Limit State took the time to situate herself and get her mind in a proper place before she laid down in bed. Her suit was cleaned and hanging nearby in all its teal glory. The pillows were set on the floor around the bed. She was as ready as she could be for the next day.
Only time would tell if she was going to make it through the day.

-

Waking up on the floor, as what seemed to be the routine, Limit got up and sighed a little. Her mane was a mess but that could be fixed. The night terrors were what took out a good deal of pep of her mornings. Still, she was determined for today to go well.
Some brushing to her mane with the magically held brush and it was back to normal in no time. Her heart was already starting to beat a bit heavier than the prior days. Even more than her first day at doing inspections. The foremare knew why but pushed it out of her mind.
Getting dressed was nearly a chore alone. She had refused to use much of her magic lately. The mare wanted to prove to herself that she could do hard work as well. Maybe it would have the workers respect her if she could get a little dirty from time to time. She could only hope.
A light breakfast to keep her stomach settled and the pale pink foremare was ready to head out. A little shuffle and struggle to get into her vest before slipping on her hard hat, and letting the goggles dangle around her neck, then she was done. She gave an approving nod down at herself while walking out her door and stuffing a few hoof-fulls of stickers into the pockets of her teal pantsuit jacket.
There happened to be little she remembered on her ride to the site. It had mostly been her with her thoughts until the carriage stopped. The only reason she even knew she had arrived was when the stallion asked her if she was feeling okay. Limit had to give a small smile and nod, figuring she may have looked a bit down from letting her mind roam.
A hop out and she was back to the original site she had failed to finish giving a report on. Many of the workers greeted her with warm smiles and a hoof waving in the air. She was thankful they enjoyed seeing her again. The greeting almost brought tears to her eyes before she had even started her work.
“It's good to see you again, Ms. State!” one of the stallions told her as he passed by.
“Thank you. It means a lot to me tha-Wait!” Limit called out. Her eyes were locked onto the floor as the worker held his place.
The mare moved forward and swiftly began using her forelegs to push a heavy tool out of the way. It could easily have been stepped around, but nopony made mention of it as they watched her. The foremare grunted and shoved the heavy item until it was several inches off the stallion's path before she gave an exhausted sigh. That was a close one.
“There you go,” she panted some, using her magic to slip a sticker out and stick it to the construction worker's chest. “Safety first.”
The stallion gave a small nod, looking a bit wary until he continued on his way with a small thanks. The appreciation left Limit feeling a bit elated from it. Her ears perked up as she pulled along a few clipboards with her magic and started the route she remembered being shown. Kitchen, dining area, and so on were all inspected down to the dirt and concrete.
A few loose or exposed wires were quickly taken care of. Some tangled rope was removed and put aside. Defunct tools were set away from work areas. She was on a roll! The best part of it all was that her mind seemed free of the past few weeks. Limit felt like a new mare.
She may not have noticed it, but the other worked did when one of the logs nearly dropped and caused another accident. It was caught with Limit's back turned as the crew quickly tugged it back up with the ropes before anything was out of the ordinary. Most of them were mostly worried about her seeing something like that happen again. The others were in fear of their own lives.
Another near-incident happened as she ducked to pick up a fallen sticker with her mouth. There was a metal beam that came by and could have easily swept the pony off her feet. Instead, she merely felt a gust of wind and thought nothing of it. When she looked around, most of the workers appeared to be upset at their crane operator for one reason or another.
Minus those misses, Limit wrote her report down and finished out her day feeling rather good about herself. With nothing more to take note of, the unicorn waved to the crew as they returned the gesture with their hooves. They looked quite out of it a little more than usual, she noticed. Must just be getting over everything as much as she was.
It helped to keep her mind busy during her work and to see her little stickers upon helping a construction worker out. The backs of her clipboards had a few here and there, but nothing like her hat did. Still, it all only helped for so long until she got home. The place where had little in the way of distracting herself minus her sticky pictures.
That was on her mind during the ride back. When she was let out of the carriage, her eyes wavered a bit before she shook her head and went inside. It just felt so alone and empty in her house. The unicorn only wanted to come home to a sweet, special somepony that was all for her.
While she began taking off her goggles and hat, she spied a corner of a doorway that had always stuck on warm days. The longer she stared at it the more she wanted to change it. Maybe one or two fixes in the house would wear her out better and give her a peaceful night's sleep. The idea sounded good enough to her.
That night was spent oiling creaking hinges, padding a corner or two of a hallway's entry, and even making notes on what else to change. Sadly, she only had enough time for the few items she came across at first. It was still more than she had moments prior of walking through her front door.
When she got ready for bed, a long shower had been in order from all her hard work. Even if it was only a pair of dirty hooves and a slight smudge on her neck. Limit had enjoyed the relaxing water and the way it seemed to temporarily wash away her worries. It was something she needed even if she wasn't dirty.
Then came the hard part. After her shower, it had become a very tough moment that conflicted inside of her. Her eyes stared at the empty bed as she stood on all fours, as she usually did. When would she find him? Her special somepony had to be out there, didn't he? The mare's ears lowered as she let her thoughts fester before looking back to the mirror and that little sticker on it.
Without another second to wait, the unicorn ran forward and stopped inches from the mattress. No need to be careless in her eager need to hit the hay. Her forelegs moved up as she climbed into the bed and crawled up to her usual spot while shuffling her hind legs down into the covers. It was comfy, at the very least.
The safe unicorn waited a bit, lying on her side in the dark, before reaching over and pulling one of the extra pillows against her. The mare nuzzled the top of it and hugged it tightly while she relaxed and let her stress drift away from her.
“You'll be my special somepony, right?” she whispered to the pillow, kissing the top. “I love you, too.”

-

As Limit State's days and weeks went on, she began getting better about her attitude at work and at home. The stickers she loved so much ended up being plastered along her clipboards and even her desk in the office. They never ceased to make her smile and remember just who that special pony was to make her appreciate them all the more. She cherished them so much, she even had a drawer in desk completely full of them instead of just a few stacks.
She stuck out more than any pony on any construction site. Her hard hat was bedazzled in the sticky images as well as a few on her vest. The higher-ups within the company saw it as an opportunity to give her peace of mind while also breathing a bit of fresh air into the working environment. It also helped that the stickers never hurt anybody.
Limit State ended up having a knack for finding the tiniest of details to fix while the major ones were corrected on the fly. She barely managed to see any of them with how fast most crews reacted. Her approval of hard work earned everypony a sticker that she applied herself.
Save for getting her tail caught in a fan, she hardly had incidents herself. Her home slowly, over time, became more and more protected. Rounded corners, padded frames, plastic windows, and even a change for her pool out back. Too much water could lead to problems, so she opted for a much better swimming alternative and converted her pool into a ball pit. The scuba tank was for effect.
Safety was what she lived by and she made it a point to ask about any and all sorts of issues or items she may not understand. Why was that faucet dripping? Did that wall need more support? What pony has been going around eating cupcakes and littering the ground? Anything and everything was questioned by her.
It still never changed a bit of how she felt inside. The night terrors only settled down some, but they still continued here and there. She was still lonely and yearned for a stallion to hold her at night. It was something she had grown a little used to, but it didn't mean she liked it. Perhaps someday, though.
With the attitude she presented outwardly, she was sure to find a good catch. Sure, her knives and forks were replaced with plastic utensils and her shower was remodeled to become a walk-in style, but she had her head and heart in the right places. It was always to help protect the ponies during their work. Every step of the way, no matter how far their hooves decided to go.
Limit would never forget the stallion that had changed her life and shaped her in such a way. If she could go back and change it, she doubted she would. Some stallion would love her for who she was eventually. No, she'd never forget the kind male that had brought her this far. For that stallion sat on her desk at the office, smiling at her at all times with a sticker on the frame.
The best part was, she could easily smile back and she was happy.