Orange eyes held heavy on the email on her terminal, rereading the simple line of text repeatedly in an effort to fully understand. It was an impossible order. There was no real need for the stables, they were just the most extreme contingency weren’t they? The email before Starburst said otherwise. An alarm ran through the office building, startling Starburst backward from her desk. It was really happening.
The world was ending.
Coworkers dashed down the main corridor with frantic words that soon overwhelmed the repeating alarm. Red light flashed at the corner of each hallway, and the elevators were quickly overwhelmed. Starburst took to the stairs and shoved her way past other ponies. She no longer cared that they once joined each other for office luncheons or Hearth’s Warming parties. None of that mattered anymore. Somepony was crying, others were shouting in anger, and a pair of pegasi started a fight for airspace that Starburst ducked beneath.
Eventually, the stairs opened up to the lobby where a crowd had gathered. Security ponies and sentry bots lined the glass doors of the Ministry of Arcane Sciences office. Outside Starburst could just glimpse what appeared to be an average sunny day. The bombing hadn’t started at least. Shouts bounced off the walls until all the noise was incomprehensible, feral pleas for being let out mixing into nothingness. They were animals trapped for the slaughter.
A terrible ache formed in Starburst's chest, a chasm of grief opening up as she processed what was happening. The Zebras were really bombing Equestria, they were really doing it. The world was truly ending. Starburst could only hope she would survive to see what came out through the fallout.
“Starburst Aura,” a voice came from behind the mare, startling her. She spun around and took in a stallion in a black suit. Sunglasses hid his eyes but she could feel them burning into her. “That is you, correct?”
She gave a nod and stepped closer, following him into a surprisingly vacant hallway. “Yes… Who are you?”
“That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you’ve been activated as an Overmare,” he replied as he led her down into an increasingly tightening corridor. They passed through a security screen that made her red hide tingle. “You are aware of what this entails, yes?”
Starburst gulped and then found her voice. “Yes. I have read every issued manual since I was identified.”
“Good. Stable 36 needs you now, MAS does not.” He keyed them through another security measure, and Starburst gasped as she found herself in a miniature metro tunnel. A singular metro awaited her, with a few other ponies already on it. “Thank you for your service.”
“Is that… my team?” She inquired as she walked closer. Half-familiar coworkers gave her attempts at hopeful smiles, but she could see the same dread within them as she felt.
“Except the pegasi,” he grumbled, “when Cloudsdale got hit they all went up to the sky. You’ll have to find a Head of Engineering and Security Chief from those selected to enter the stable.”
“Wait- as in all the pegasi?” Starburst questioned as she stepped into the metro. It felt a bit crowded with the hooffull of ponies joining her on the voyage. Fear drenched the air. “Stable 36 is supposed to have all three races, it’s a fundamental part of our mission.”
“I guess you’ll have to adjust,” he deadpanned, “because I doubt any will report for shelter. Once you arrive at your destination you’ll have a few blocks to travel west to get to the stable. We don’t know when Baltimare will be hit, so don’t tarry. Any questions, the rest of you?”
Silence met him, one mare whimpering in the corner but otherwise the MAS employees were focused on all that mattered now. They had to survive, and they had to be there for the ponies of Stable 36. The stallion gave a nod, and backed up to a control console. He pushed a few buttons, and the metro lurched with energy, Starburst nearly falling over. As the metro sped away, she watched the dark tunnels consume the lights of the station, and they screamed away into pitch black.
“Starburst Aura,” an older-looking stallion spoke up. Even though he was trying not to show, Starburst could see him shaking where he stood. “Overmare… What are we to do?”
The mare sucked in a breath of air and looked over those who would now be her closest allies, some she did not even know the names of. She’d never been the most social, but now she would have to lead hundreds of ponies as the world they knew ended. If they even made it in time. Finding all the courage she possessed, Starburst gave them as confident a look as she could manage. “We endure. We are now guardians of the remnants of Ponykind. We will get as many ponies inside the stable as we can before total annihilation, but we will not risk the integrity of our overall mission for a few lives. I hope you can understand this, and agree.”
“What about children?” Asked the whimpering mare.
“As many lives as we can save, no matter their age. We will uphold the tenets entrusted to us by Stable-Tec and MAS. We will create an efficient, healthy, lasting stable that will one day reclaim Equestria. It will take sacrifice, and we may not always agree, but our mission needs to come first. The fate of Ponykind could very well rest on our hooves. Yes, there are other stables, but from henceforth we must only consider Stable 36. After today… the world changes, and we’re all that matters. Am I understood?”
The specially picked ponies who would safeguard this refuge of Ponykind exchanged looks, already facing hard decisions but one of them was made for them. Starburst would lead them, and they need only follow. They each nodded in their own time and turned to the red mare. “Understood, Overmare.”
The Geiger counter clicked rhythmically, announcing the dangers of where the expedition team had found themselves. Approximately twenty miles from the hills Stable 36 was buried beneath, a former town was cropped up between debris and burned trees. Most of the buildings were rubble, brick, and mortar reduced to loose piles and ash. There were no signs of those who once lived here, an unnamed town almost missed amongst the rolling hills of outer Baltimare. At one point it was most likely a suburb of the metropolitan powerhouse, but now none knew its name. The paint had long since weathered away, leaving dull concrete and color-stripped bricks that waned in the cold wind. The place was forgotten by the whole world.
A group of seven ponies carefully approached the ruins, armed with battle saddles or telekinetically gripped rifles. They were an uneven mix of earth ponies and unicorns, with a stallion at the lead. His black mane stuck to his horn beneath his hazmat suit, only his Pip-Buck exposed to the surface’s dangerous elements. The green glow that emitted from it bathed the ruins in more color than would otherwise be found. Despite it being noon, the world was bathed in grey hues thanks to the thick cloud over that extended from horizon to horizon. Ratchet scanned the desolate town for any signs of danger, his attention split between what his own eyes saw, and the HUD the Pip-Buck projected. Nothing showed on his EFS, only the green blips of his allies, and he slowly advanced into the ruins.
Bugs skittered somewhere in the ruins, wings fluttering and arthropod legs tapping over rock and concrete. They showed as yellow on his EFS, neither hostile nor friendly, and dipped in and out of the magical radar’s range rapidly. Ratchet grimaced and barked a few orders of caution to his expedition team. Clipped acknowledgments filled the ear bloom Ratchet wore, and he grunted as he continued his approach. A bakery was on his left, rotten cakes displayed in a shattered window. Across the way was a clothing shop, potential materials catching Ratchet’s eye. He ordered a trio to investigate while another two went into the bakery for any non-perishables that could still exist.
Ratchet and a guard waited on the street for reports, tension creeping down his spine the longer it took. Eventually, the bakery team returned with a few pre-war MREs found tucked away in a cupboard, but everything else was spoiled or gone. The clothing shop turned up better results, an earth pony dragging a crate of leather and cloth on a sleigh. The two unicorns that had gone with them wore saddlebags that were overflowing with crafting materials and Ratchet sighed in relief at such a find. The stable only had so many textiles and every clumsy dweller cost them more and more material.
They continued down the pot-hole-riddled street where the small commercial district immediately shifted into residential buildings. A two-story was reduced to rubble with a chariot poking out from beneath the debris. Nearby more insects skittered, avoiding the explorers’ view. A mare twitched at the noises, ready to fire the moment one of the overgrown bugs crossed their path. The earth ponies had a modified battle saddle given they couldn’t use their mouth to operate the grip, and rather a latch that could be pushed with their snout. Ratchet knickered at her to calm down, and she huffed but obeyed. Their searches of the ruined homes proved fruitless, only skeletons long since picked clean and burned furniture all that remained. Ratchet suspected somepony had scavenged the nameless town between the hundred and seventy years since its destruction and now.
Reaching the end of the main street, Ratchet ordered the group to halt. There were red dots on the radar, fading in and out of the edges of its reach. Gun barrels twitched nervously around him, the expedition team greatly unnerved. Ratchet cautiously approached the community hall that was half-sunken into the dirt, only the upper windows viable entrances. He hadn’t gone more than ten paces when the ground beneath him gave way, spider-webbing out at such a rapid pace Ratchet didn’t have time to retreat. A scream ripped through his mask as he tumbled downward, a pit of black gaping wide to swallow him whole.
Ratchet descended only a few moments before the lurch of telekinesis stopped him, multiple auras surrounding him as the unicorns of the expedition desperately pulled him back from certain death. He inhaled briskly as concrete once more was underhoof, legs shaking as doubt of its integrity rocketed through him. His saviors were all doubled over catching their breath, while the earth ponies hesitantly tested the edges of the unexpected sinkhole. Ratchet thanked his rescuers individually, getting a mix of ‘of course’ and ‘you owe me’.
When he peered over the gaping edge into the blackness below his stomach churned with fear. He couldn’t smell thanks to his hazmat suit, but his mind churned up scents of dust and stale air. The Geiger counter was screaming on his right hoof. To his sheer horror, something moved in the pitch, green and sickly. Eyes stared up at the expedition team, coming open slowly with a lethargy like a creature awoken from a deep slumber. They shuffled like wounded equines, shattered hooves stomped and scrapped over the rubble. Dozens of eyes looked up at them now, twisted frames barely visible in the din. They were waiting, patient, lurking.
Ratchet didn’t wait to see if the creatures were feral, all he saw were red targets in his EFS. “Open fire!” The expedition team obeyed with great vigor.
“For the last time Draftystorm, we’re a family of soldiers. She’ll fit right in,” Irontail commented quietly, glancing up from the paper he was reading to me.
“I… Shining Arrow and Lightingbreeze fit in because they have leadership qualities, they rallied their classmates by the second week. Lightingbreeze practically had a gang beating up a colt when he made fun of her name,” I murmured back, nibbling on my mane.
The chair screeched back, and before I could look up Irontail had his hooves around me, giving me a rare hug of affection. I caught a glance of purple eyes as soft as the smile on his face. “She’s got Lumia blood in her, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Now it’s about time to go get her and take her to class. I’ll make sure Lightningbreeze and Shining Arrow go to their studies… also if you’re late tell them General Irontail wanted to make sure his daughter made it to work.” He smiled and pushed my cap over my blue mane, brushing it out of my face like he liked to.
Squirming softly at the affection, I stole a quick kiss from him. Irontail let out a soft squeak, always unprepared for the return of love. Leaving him, I found our youngest little filly playing with some gears and a screwdriver, making them spin. Little Skyfire.
“Skyfire dear,” I started, suppressing a smile as she stopped instantly and looked up with a cheerful smile, holding the gear up to me.
“Momma! Looky what I can do!” She’d giggle out, twisting the first gear, causing the rest to start spinning. “Isn’t that cool how this can make the others spin!” She asked, her eyes wide with glee as she turned to put them back into the toy she had been taking apart.
“Ooh, sweetie that’s quite amazing, just wait till the rest of the things you’ll get to see at school!” I laughed as she gasped and jumped up into my hooves.
Skyfire grinned widely before adjusting to move her mane out of her face. It was just under the regulation limit, and she was quite adamant about how she liked her mane long and flowing, just like the princesses in our pictures and statues showed. “Will I get to play with more toys and take them apart?” She asked, giving the best smile she could.
“Ooh one day, but for now you’re going to learn the basics, some of the stuff I’ve taught you already like reading and writing. You’re going to learn a lot of wonderful things that’ll help you for the rest of your life.”
“But Moooommmma! I want to take things apart-” Skyfire started with a whine before I booped her mouth shut with a hoof, the little filly squeaking.
“One day my sweet little Skyfire you will be able to.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, my sweetie.”
Skyfire calmed down at that, gave a soft smile, leaned up to kiss my nose, and giggled before whispering, “Can I walk to class, Mom? I don’t want others to think I’m weird.”
I let her down and smiled, brushing out her mane with a nod. “I think that’s just fine, though I can carry you around still when we’re home. Good job on keeping your uniform nice and presentable. We always want to try and make the best first impression. Remember that, you only get a first impression once.”
“But what if we have a bad first impression?” Skyfire asked. She looked rather nervous at the thought.
“Well hard work and honest talking can help correct a bad first impression, but it’s always best to try and make your best first impression, " I remarked with a smile as we left our quaint little home.
The trip into the education district was fairly quiet, and I think I found myself the more nervous of the two as we walked into the school. I knew my two older children had done well in class, but I was a nervous wreck walking them both to school, and some things never changed. Skyfire was smiling, her eyes wandering around before she squeaked out as a ball of teal feathers and blue mane bowled her over, hugging her tightly.
“Jolts! Where are your manners? Skyfire may be your friend, but it’s the first day of school!” Came the melodious voice of Sweetpea, a longtime friend, and the mother of Skyfire’s filly-friend Jolts.
I leaned down and helped both of them up, dusting off their uniforms quietly, and giggling. “She’s right you know, you can do that… after school, as a celebration for making it through your first day!” I winked and Jolts looked up at me with a knowing smile.
“That sounds great! Thanks, Mrs. Lumia!” Jolts shouted up at me, mimicking a very sloppy salute with a wing. He fell over backward at that point, much to his mother’s scoffing as she steered both Jolts and Skyfire toward the door.
“Make sure you two do your best salute, you’ll get a freebie the first few days, but they’ll help you with that,” I called out, following both of them to the door. I leaned in to see Quick Gale, the same teacher who had taught my other children. She looked up and smiled, walking over to offer a hoof to shake.
“Another one of yours joins my flock?” She asked with a laugh, “Don’t look so pale, the first two were wonderful! And I see she has Irontail’s mane, such a deep red.” Quick Gale quickly hugged me and nodded to Sweetpea. “Why don’t you take her to the lounge Sweetpea, I’m sure Command would understand her needing a moment, and maybe a drink to calm her nerves. Maybe she should take the day off.”
“Like she did when she dropped off Lightningbreeze?” SweetPea winked before tugging at my hooves, hooves that I realized had been gripping the door tightly. I didn't know why the first day was so hard. It just felt hard to let go, to let them go off into the world. Before I knew it she would have a cutie mark like Lightningbreeze and Shining Arrow….. And before I knew it they’ll be off raising their own families. My little foals, all grown up.
“Come now DraftyStorms, you’ve got the day off apparently,” Sweetpea smirked a little, tugging gently on my shoulder. I’d let go of the door and nodded rigidly.
“Did Irontail schedule that?” I asked quietly.
“Well of course," she lied, "He knows how much these days rattle you, so… let’s go see what is going on in the lounge!” Sweetpea beamed at me, squeezing my cheek and causing me to let out a sigh before I shook my head.
“Hey now, not the face!” I protested, a small smile forming on my face as I started following her. I glanced back one last time to see Skyfire through the open door. She was leaning up against the board, writing her name in chalk the best she could. She glanced over in my direction and paused to wave, beaming out that lovely smile of hers that I loved so much before a student would walk over to shut the door, giving me a parting view of her smile as she kept waving till we couldn’t see each other. With a sigh, I looked back and yelped as I nearly walked into a wall.
“Okay, you definitely need something in you to relax.” Sweetpea giggled, tugging me away to help my thoughts fade from anxiety.
Flare found herself chuckling in the living room, an excited filly running around the apartment. “Mom! Does my mane look nice?” Misty Sparks asked, fretting over her blonde mane. “I want to look my best!”
Flare brushed some stray locks out of the filly’s eyes and gave her a tender smile. “You’re perfect darling. I am certain Mr. Blueberry will think you’re an excellent student. Now come over here so I can get a photo.”
Little hooves carried the filly to Flare, who floated a camera over. Misty Sparks grinned massively, scrunching her dark freckles up and squinting lime eyes. The bright flash made her blink rapidly, and Flare grabbed the polaroid with magic and started waving it to help it develop. “Good girl. Now, go grab your saddlebag so we can go. We don’t want to be late now do we?”
Misty Sparks shook her head and ran back to her room. As she ran out, she nearly collided with her father. “Careful there racer!” Joked Silver Shock, then played with her blonde mane. Misty Sparks wailed and immediately started smoothing it back out around her horn. “Whoops.”
Flare tutted softly as she came over to reassure the filly. “Hun, you know she hates that.”
“I couldn’t resist!” He defended, “she’s just too cute!” Flare rolled blue eyes and nuzzled his cheek, the silver stallion beaming instantly.
“You are right about that. Did you bring what I asked?”
“Of course!” Silver Shock replied, and he reached into his own saddlebags. Green magic revealed a notepad with pristine paper and an elegant pen. “You know what this is, right Misty?”
The filly scrunched her nose with thought. “Uhm… Wait- that’s your pen!”
Silver Shock nodded. “Yes, it is! I think you’re ready to use it now, so it’s all yours. Make sure you write down what Mr. Blueberry teaches you in this notebook, okay?”
Misty Sparks cheered and took the gifts eagerly. She tucked them away in her saddlebag then hugged her father. He resisted ruffling her mane once more. “Thank you, Dad!”
“You’re welcome, honey. Now, let’s get to school!” He lifted her onto his back with magic and the parents departed their apartment. The one detriment of being the Overmare’s family meant their dwelling was up in the admin wing, furthest away from the school on the Unicorn level five levels down. They strode through admin with friendly greetings to those working and made quick to the elevator in the main hallway. Misty Sparks could barely contain her excitement as the elevator started down.
“Mom, will you and Dad be waiting for me when school is over?” She asked.
“Of course darling! We’ll pick you up first thing!”
Silver Shock chuckled. “When you’re a bit older we’ll trust Blaze to walk you home, would you like that?”
Ears swiveled forward at the thought of her older cousin escorting her. “That’d be fun! I like seeing her!”
“Good!” Silver Shock said, “I think she likes you too. Aunt Ember asked if you’d like another playdate this weekend.”
“Oh! Yes please!” She bounced on his back. Flare gave a good-humored laugh and scratched the filly behind the ear.
On the third level, a few ponies joined them in the elevator, giving pleasant greetings to the family. Among them was the Chief of Medical, Healing Drops. The matured mare examined Misty Sparks before giving a slow smile. “I can’t quite believe she’s going to school now,” she remarked.
Flare nodded. “It’s crazy to me too. It still feels like last week I was changing diapers and trying to keep her magic flares under control.”
“Remember when she teleported onto the ceiling fan?” Snickered Silver Shock.
“I remember your panicked visit thinking she’d hurt herself because she started crying, but she was just scared!” Healing Drops chortled. Misty Sparks’ ears fell back and she pressed herself closer to her father. “Oh don’t be scared now, little filly. Everything is going to be alright.”
“You promise?” Came her small voice.
“I promise!”
The filly smiled wide and gave a nod. Soon enough they were on the sixth floor, and most of the elevator emptied out including the family. Healing Drops waved them goodbye as she started towards the library. Misty Sparks jumped down from her father’s back and straightened her stable suit. Once she was confident she looked her best, she smiled up at her parents who led the way to the schoolhouse.
Several families were chatting with their foals outside, while a few children were already inside. One such foal was Blaze, who was in her third year of school while this was Misty Sparks’ first. Her cousin caught her staring, and gave a smug grin. “Come on Sparky, class is gonna start soon!”
Misty Sparks looked at her parents who gave an encouraging nod, then darted to a seat next to her cousin. Once her saddlebags were situated, she ran back to her parents who frowned in confusion. Without a word, Misty Sparks hugged their legs, and they fawned with admiration and returned the gesture. “Have a good day at school,” Flare said.
“Make sure you pay attention,” ordered Silver Shock.
“I will!” She promised. Turning quick as she’d come, the filly returned to her seat next to Blaze.
Blaze stuck out her tongue. “You’re still a baby!”
“Am not! I’m in school now!”
“Are too!”
“Am not!”
The parents chuckled to themselves, watching for a few moments longer. They could hardly believe she was growing up. With hearts full of love, they departed, leaning into one another in a gentle stroll.
“Are you kidding me? I don’t need to be recertified for three months?”
There was something simply pleasant about having a morning routine that started at 0600. The way it helped start the day, the way it made so laziness didn’t sink in and cause issues of sleeping in late, missing meetings, and having to skip breakfast. If only the rest of his unit could get used to discipline in the way this sort of routine helped afford.
Shining Arrow’s mind hung up mid-way through his morning workout, the pegasus pausing mid-push-up to dwell on a thought. ‘What the hell happened, Skyfire?’ It had been lingering in his mind the last four days since the ‘Incident’. Dad and the higher-ups were being vague about what had exactly happened. A couple of unicorns had been interrogated and released, and apparently, one of the other special units had been used to question them.
0647, you’re late.
Right, the issue with a routine was little things that could interrupt and throw off the schedule. The pegasus put down his training equipment with a light pant at that point and dashed into the shower unit, no time to delay. He had time he could make up by eating breakfast quickly. Cloud-sewn oats and a morning blend of veggies were enough to get Shining Arrow’s day going, and through that, his system kept him accountable and on time when it came time to report in to the barracks for duty and goals for the day.
At 0709 there was a knock at the door, followed by the call out, “Second Lieutenant Lumia, I am here with orders for you today.” He wouldn’t have to trot the three-minute journey to the barracks today.
“Coming, coming.” He called out, opening the door seconds later to see a bright-eyed private with a sealed letter under his left-wing, the right snapped up in a salute. “At ease Private, thank you for the letter.” Shining Arrow said back, snapping a quick salute before taking the letter, “Good luck with the letter running today.”
“Sir, It’s an honor to help deliver orders to the special ponies who keep Neighvarro safe, sir!” The private snapped back, an eager smile slipping through the professional calm demeanor as he turned to fly off towards the next soldier that needed hoof-given orders.
The orders had come half an hour early, that was odd. Shining Arrow walked over to his desk and opened up the letter, eyes widening.
Second Lieutenant Shining Arrow is to report to the main hangar bay at 0830 for annual recertification of general usage of Vertibuck Transport Systems.
“It’s going to be one of those days then, isn’t it?” The pegasus muttered, barely suppressing a groan as he looked around for his flight equipment. Being the squad leader he was the pony responsible for flying in the event the pilots were incapacitated. Extra responsibilities seemed to be the norm nowadays. Green eyes narrowed into a focused look at the writing. Here he wanted to go test some of the new weapons R&D had available for his team.
Oh well.
It was 0822 when the commando stepped through the swinging doors into the hanger bay, the din instantly rising as a dozen different sounds attacked his ears. Welding, hammering, riveting, were the loudest, along with a distant engine being turned over.
Looking around the pegasus sighed and started looking for an empty vertibuck. Command wasn’t always the best with saying who exactly to look for when it came to these sort of tedious things. Frustration was common but had to be kept down. To anyone observing him, Shining Arrow looked rather calm, but he was dreading this.
A covered wing patted his left shoulder. Shining Arrow resisted the urge to jump as he looked over to see a suited-up pony nodding. Relieved they had grabbed whomever to get this recertification done, he turned to them. He snapped a salute, the pilots always were higher ranked than grunts like him, even if he was a special grunt. “How long do you think this’ll take?”
Silence.
The pilot really didn’t seem to like this either, or perhaps they were in a hurry, and simply turned to the aircraft. Shining Arrow followed the pilot, failing to suppress a soft sigh as he stepped up behind onto the vertibuck at 0833. It had taken over ten minutes for them to get started. The silence was definitely not normal at this point, there’d be a talk of what was to be checked over, things to qualify for. Is this pilot trying to go rogue?
The engine whirred up as the pilot tapped away at the controls, pausing to look over Shining who had strapped into the co-pilot’s seat as was the norm, his hoof gently hovering over the duty laser pistol he kept on at all times.
“You’re always so punctual and orderly, Shining.”
The stallion blinked, hoof falling away from his weapon. “Mom?”
“That’s Captain Draftystorm to you right now… Second Lieutenant Shining Arrow,” Draftystorm replied before pulling up her helmet enough to murmur just louder than the din. “At least till we’re out of radio range. Don’t worry, we’re not abandoning home.”
“I wouldn’t suspect you of doing anything like that.” Shining Arrow bristled for a moment, glancing over to see the time 0835. “But let’s get going before anyone questions things.”
The vertibuck lifted off the bay with precision as his mother’s skills took them out into the windswept cloudscapes, trails visibly sweeping through the massive cloud forms that surrounded home. It was always surreal to the stallion that the entire landscape of home was nothing but clouds, the sun, and the moon. None of the ground or landscapes were so much a part of the life of yesteryear. He often wondered what it was like below the clouds.
At 0844 Draftystorm eased the throttle back on the vertibuck, taking off her helmet as she hit the autopilot switch. Her two toned blue mane was held up in a bun, precise and well groomed, while green eyes focused on him. “Right, well you’re probably curious.”
“Curious about why my mom would be the pony certifying me on equipment I’m not due for another three months and two weeks? Yes,” Shining Arrow said, tilting his head.
Draftystorm frowned for a moment, sighing as she shook her head. “Well it was a good excuse to get somewhere hidden ears can’t hear. You know we’re all under a watch right now for what happened to Skyfire and Jolts. Mercurydrops and a few others have all been questioned intensively for being part of it, and your father and I have been asked more than a few times if we knew anything about it.”
“I’ve been asked and passed more than a few tests, I don’t know anything, and hell Lightningbreeze would have snitched if she knew something. I imagine Sweetpea isn’t doing very well right now.” He couldn’t help but note that his mother had chosen a very particular way to speak with him. She always was a bit dramatic.
“No, she isn’t, I’ve had to keep her company on the off times since Jolts… left.” Draftystorm frowned quietly, sighing as she glanced out the window. Wispy cirrus clouds wafted by the aircraft as they continued talking, the gentle clouds parting ways slowly. “She’s not taking it well, though she didn’t know anything. She told me heart to heart.”
“Mom, do you think Skyfire wanted to leave, at least like this?”
“Sweetie...” Draftystorm started, her eyes widening at the question. “I…” She’d continue, looking away nervously. “I am not sure. And I want to trust you about my thoughts. The real ones.”
Shining Arrow gave a concerned look, reaching over to offer a hoof. “Mom you can trust me, nothing said here is being repeated anywhere. I want to know where sis is too. And I want to know why Jolts and Skyfire wanted to leave badly enough to risk it all like this.”
“You don’t have a clue either? Sweetpea merely murmured indirectly that Jolts was getting fed up with how Skyfire was being treated.” Draftystorm said quietly as she adjusted enough to fiddle with the vertibuck. The clicking of buttons and switches filled the silence for a moment before she continued. “I think she was doing alright for the moment, but something seemed to spook Jolts into doing this.”
Shining Arrow blinked a few times before rubbing his chin, sighing away. “Can’t say much to that, I hardly interacted with the engineering corps, especially with Skyfire’s friends. You know how the brass tries to avoid families interacting with each other on duty..”
Draftystorm’s eyes fell as she sighed and thumped the side of the panel. “Right… I can’t expect you to know everything, you’re in the special forces which while great, isn’t the same as someone in Intelligence.” The pegasus paused for a moment, bright green eyes searching in the clouds. Suddenly, she murmured, “Aurora.”
“What’d you say?”
“Outpost Aurora, apparently Jolts didn’t like what was going on at Aurora. Sweetpea told me he was often rambling about it.”
Shining Arrow started quietly, rubbing his chin. “Aurora. I’ve heard about it, not many ponies get to go there, let alone hear about it. I know Zipzap mentioned something about them always needing the best engineers, and he got out of it by being a dependable fieldworker.”
“Well that’s not good news. I’ve never heard about it, and I don’t think I could ask Irontail, he might ask questions if I talk about it after… after all this,” Draftystorm fretted, her ears pinning back. “I suppose this was selfish of me to think you could help alleviate my fears entirely in our first talk since our Skyfire was taken.”
Lightning Breeze adjusted to lean over and hug his mother, patting her back gently and giving a warm smile. “It’s still alright to wish you could have. If I had the answers I would share them, but I can do some digging around into Outpost Aurora at least. We’re not Intelligence, but we have our reach…”
His demeanor changed, worry creeping into his visage as Draftystorm nodded, tears falling down her muzzle. The older mare quickly flipped her visor up to wipe them away. “Thank you, Shining, I know Skyfire’s a fair bit younger than you, and she isn’t well… like the rest of us. She’s no soldier. I love her for having the courage to stand up for herself, to be herself. But it pains me to see this all happening.”
“I understand, I don’t think that she’d have left, at least without a reason,” Shining Arrow sighed quietly, looking over to the mission clock. “How much more time would my recertification take, by the way, we can’t stay out here all day sadly. It’s already 0955.”
“Another thirteen minutes,” Draftystorm commented with a sniffle, shaking her head. “You always are so punctual, thank you for looking out for the time.”
“I’ll do my best, though, we’ll need something more low-key next time if you want privacy to this level. I suspect we’ll find something though. You’re quite creative Mom.”
“Isn’t your apartment swept for bugs and things? I could swing by with lunch on our days off to chat with my son, nothing wrong with that,” Draftystorm offered with a smile. “You still love that bean soup I used to make for you as a colt, right?”
Before Shining Arrow could respond, a series of lights started blinking on the dashboard, the intensity too much for both ponies to ignore, leaving Draftystorm sighing as she adjusted and nudged her son. The flight helmet was perfectly in place once more. “Looks like a patrol wants to talk to us, you know enough to play ball with what I’d be going over normally? You’ll be flying for a bit.” With a nod, he took the lead, acting as if they had only ever been recertifying him. The secretive ways of the Enclave were best followed, lest one get cut down.
Rain was still such a strange sensation to the expeditioners. It battered into the surface with thunderous applause, echoing throughout the ruins they sheltered in. It felt as if the whole world was shaking, getting washed away one raindrop after another until only the colorless rubble remained. Ratchet stuck his covered hoof out from beneath their shelter and closed his eyes. Running off from the slanted roof turned the already heavy rain into a waterfall. For a few moments, Ratchet could pretend he was back in the stable, showering in the safety of his quarters. Then a rumble of thunder split the peaceful daydream and grounded the unicorn in reality.
“How much longer are we going to be out here?” Grumbled a small stallion as he squinted into the rain, keeping watch for any threats.
“I don’t imagine this rain will be clearing up anytime soon,” Ratchet replied, not bothering to look at the scout. “At least we found cover this time.”
“This time,” muttered the younger unicorn. He fiddled with his rifle, taking care it remained dry. “What do you think this place once was?”
Ratchet examined the burned wood shelves and tattered remains of books that encircled them. Some had been propped up to cover blasted away sections of walls, while ratty couches sat in one corner. If he squinted hard enough he could just make out a portrait of a purple unicorn encouraging foals to read. “A library.”
“Shit, really?” The young stallion balked, “this is nothing like the stable’s.”
“Ours is intact.” Ratchet shook his head and ran a hoof through his black mane. It was far dirtier than he liked, and the thought of showering in the downpour would have been tempting if not for the clicking on his pip-buck that increased with every lightning strike. He tugged his hazard suit a bit closer, checking for any holes or tears but the barding was solid. The only thing he wasn’t wearing was the helmet, as between the scans he was eating an MRE. He frowned at the taste of dehydrated refried beans, but it was at least full of necessary nutrition.
Scattered throughout the ruined library was the rest of his team. Five ponies tucked into the rotting pillars and destroyed shelves, concealing them from prying eyes. The clink of utensils on tin cans was barely audible over the downpour. A small campfire was in the deepest part of the former library, where the roof was fully intact and the debris arranged so as to obscure the warm glow. They had already been attacked more than once thanks to their fires, and they learned quickly to hide them. Ratchet looked to the horizon, hopeful no threats were encroaching but his EFS reassured them of their relative safety.
The radstorm burned around them, crackling like an angry creature. He couldn’t help but wonder just how much the world’s elements had been distorted, all those years ago. The surface had been better than he’d imagined, and yet more horrific than possible. The land was somewhat recovered, certain areas ripe for farming and plant growth returning. However, thanks to the radiation and constant cloud cover, what came back was startlingly different from the controlled environments of the stable’s orchards and hydroponics. It was grey, sickly, and weak, with only the most determined of plants yielding harvest. They would need to install solar arrays to substitute the lack of sunlight if they were to survive off surface food.
Ratchet remembered his refried beans and grimaced, how much of it was from the surface? How many rads was he injecting right then through his own food? He hated how everything was trying to kill the living, even the ground, and air. For once he wanted to find something genuinely peaceful, or at least indifferent.
“Boss,” the young stallion said, Firesnap if Ratchet remembered correctly. “Do you think… we’re going to be okay?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll purge the rads out when we get home and Medical will patch up any damage.”
“No, I mean the stable. I know the Overmare wants to explore what’s around us and that makes sense, but that daughter of yours is suggesting settling up here. A farm makes some sense but living on the surface?”
Ratchet leveled his gaze on Firesnap, frowning. “Are you questioning my daughter, your future Overmare?”
“I mean- a little-”
“Good.”
Firesnap blinked, mouth agape for a few moments before he shook himself and looked around. The others weren’t reacting to their conversation, but they very well could have been listening. “Good?”
“We should always question authority, especially when our lives are in the balance. Feel free to tell me any doubts you have.”
“I… okay. Well, she’s a bit awkward don’t you think? I don’t know if she’s as personable as Clear Falls. Half the time she feels emotionless when she talks to ponies, at least when she’s giving orders. Which, how can she, she’s not overmare yet. It feels weird to me that this kid is acting like my boss when she’s not.”
Nickering, Ratchet gave a subtle shrug. “It’s what Stable-Tec dictated.”
“What, a bunch of pre-war politicians who undermined the princesses to build shelters because that meant losing the war was a real risk?”
“Surely they knew better than us,” Ratchet replied, “after all, they’re the ones who made all the rules that have kept us alive. We’re just a bunch of scared foals hiding behind their protective shield.”
Firesnap growled and spat into the dirt. “Stable-Tec is dead. They did their best, sure, but they don't know what we really face. They couldn’t have. So, I think we should adapt, change things up.” Then, as if remembering who he was speaking with, he cleared his throat. “Within reason, of course.”
“Of course.” Ratchet gave a dry smile. “I’ll keep in mind what you said.”
Warily, Firesnap nodded. “Sure… Sure.”
Ratchet gestured towards the campfire. “Get some rest while the storm is still raging. We’ll move out once it’s cleared.”
Three hours had passed waiting for the storm to clear but it hadn’t shown any hint of weakening. Ratchet frowned as he watched the downpour, once more fully protected by his hazmat suit. He didn’t like the way his horn pressed against the clear, rounded visor, but it was better than the alternative. According to his pip-buck, he hadn’t been exposed to too much radiation, nothing a simple dose of radaway couldn’t solve. His mouth still tasted of chalk from when he’d taken his rad-x, and he did his best to ignore it. “You should take a break,” came the rumbly voice of Shadow Shy, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Eh, I can keep watching longer. Doesn’t look like it’ll break anytime soon.”
Shadow Shy sat next to him and adjusted her helmet. “So, time to rest. You haven’t yet.”
“Is that your expert opinion?” Ratchet smirked at her.
“As the medic? Yes. As your friend? Even more so.”
Ratchet arched a brow at her. “We’re friends now, are we?”
“This our tenth expedition together, so I’d say as much.”
“I don’t really make friends, it gets messy. Plus, I don’t want to make Clear Falls jealous,” he replied with a laugh. It sounded positively fake.
The dark earth pony snickered and shook her head. “I don’t think she can get jealous of anything. The Overmare is a wonderful mare, you’re lucky to have her.”
Ratchet’s mirth faded and he looked back out to the storm. “Yeah.”
“Don’t sound too sure of that,” nickered Shadow Shy.
Shrugging, he kept his gaze locked away. “It’s hard to remember that when she sends me away so much,” he replied carefully. “I don’t remember the last time we shared a bed.”
Shadow Shy gave an understanding nod. “Well, I understand that some. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my husband.”
“Is that the only reason why?”
“What are you getting at?” Shadow Shy asked coldly.
Ratchet shrugged as if he meant nothing by it beyond simple conversation. “We’ve seen some twisted things out here, fought even stranger ones. It’s hard to forget it all. I’ll admit, it makes it hard to smile sometimes.”
“I just focus on what I have back home to protect,” Shadow Shy said firmly.
A long moment passed between them, only the downpour making any noise. Finally, he grunted. “I suppose that works. Now, go back to bed, I’ll keep watch still, you haven’t talked me out of it.”
“Old bastard,” grumbled Shadow Shy, “just rest for once in-” Her words were cut short suddenly, and she went rigid.
Ratchet blinked as his vision was obscured, something covering the left side of his visor. His heart stopped. Blood. “Shadow Shy!” He shouted as he turned to her, the mare trembling as her neck sprayed crimson. Leaping forward, he pulled her to the ground as a series of shots buried themselves in the wall they’d been against. She gulped and wheezed, fumbling with the medkit on her hip. Ratchet threw it open with his magic and ripped her helmet off in a singular motion. A healing potion was pressed to her shivering lips at the same moment her leg exploded from another bullet. She screamed and choked on the healing drink.
“I need cover! Dust Sweets, shield!” A unicorn mare came running at his call, an arcane bubble encasing them. It rippled under a barrage of gunfire, violet magic threatening to give out at an alarming speed.
“Boss!” Firesnap shouted, “I don’t see anything on EFS! Where are these guys?”
“West, they must be too far out for our sensors!”
“They can see us through the rain?”
“Assume they can! Help me get Shadow Shy out of here!” The small stallion rushed forward and grabbed the mare with his telekinesis. Together they hauled her back behind the library's more solid walls, Dust Sweets retreating alongside them.
A scream ripped out of the mare as her shield broke and a trio of shots penetrated her suit. The sound of bones cracking was terrifying. She collapsed a few feet out and a burly stallion darted forward to pull her into cover. Basket Fall grunted as he recovered his teammate, and then pulled on his battle saddle. “That’s two of us down, boss,” he stated as Firesnap helped secure his straps. He’d been one of the ponies sleeping, and it showed in the bleariness of his red eyes. A unicorn, Dingo, rushed over to where Dust Sweets lay, wounded but not killed.
“They caught us completely unawares, but they’ve got enough firepower to keep us pinned down,” Ratchet replied with an eerily calm tone. If the others hadn’t been used to it they might have become concerned. Their leader was planning, and they trusted him to get them out of this mess.
“They’re too far for our sensors, but what if they’ve got us surrounded?” Carrot Delight, a cream earth pony, asked in a frantic voice. “We can’t run if it means going into a firing line.”
“Calm down,” ordered Ratchet. “You’re our stealthiest so I need you to focus if we’re making it out of this.”
She gave a frantic nod, gulping down filtered air. “What’s the plan?”
Squinting around the cover, Ratchet tried to see where they were getting attacked from. In the flashes of lightning, he could just make out forms running through the rain, water dripping off unseen hides. “They’re invisible,” he gaped, genuine fear creeping within him. “It’s not as effective in the rain but our EFS isn’t picking them up. I can barely see them as it is.”
“Could they know?” Asked Firesnap as he rapidly applied bandages to Shadow Sky’s throat. She gurgled and choked on her own blood.
“Act as if they do and we’ll stay alive!” Ordered Ratchet as he observed Shadow Shy. She wouldn’t survive without proper treatment soon. Dingo had Dust Sweets back on her hooves, shaky but standing. Her hazmat suit was torn, revealing the leather armor beneath that had absorbed most of the damage. “Getting Shadow Sky out is our priority, am I understood?”
“Roger!” They called back in unison.
A hail of bullets chewed away at their cover. Ratchet flinched and gritted his teeth. They were relentless. “They’re not firing at us from the east, so either they haven’t encircled us or they’re waiting for us to run that way. Carrot, go find out which.”
“What if they see me?” She squealed, orange eyes wide.
“You’re our best chance. Take a quick look and report back.” There was no reassurance in his words, only hard facts. Gulping, the mare dashed away. “Firesnap, keep tending to Shadow Sky. Dingo, help Dust Sweets. Basket Fall, give us covering fire.”
Grunting an affirmative, the burly stallion stepped around the pillar and his battle saddle came to life. It barked out an angry retort as he held his snout to the trigger, yellow blooms illuminating the library’s ruinous remains. It was then, in the cracks of gunfire, that Ratchet caught sight of something that made his heart stop. Water dripped off an equine shape, but nothing could be seen beneath it. One of them had made it inside.
Acting on pure instinct, Ratchet slipped into SATS and targeted his unseen foe. They were still immune to EFS, but he was able to vaguely point his weapon in their direction. His shotgun blasted them away before his enemy could blink. An explosion of blood coated Firesnap and the walls. A heavy thunk signaled the enemy had collapsed, and a moment later a zebra materialized before them, wearing a strange suit. Runes had been carved into patchwork leather somewhat crudely, and they flickered twice before dying out.
“Zebras?” Gaped Dust Sweets. “I don’t know anything to counter their magic.”
“That’s not just zebra magic,” Ratchet murmured, taking a few moments to understand his enemy. The shotgun had destroyed a mask they’d been wearing, revealing wide eyes, a mohawk of black and white dyed red with blood. A horn protruded between the soiled strands of hair. A trio of strange metal collars hung on their hip, blinking now that they’d been revealed. “It’s a zony. A slaver zony.”
Carrot Delight’s scream ripped through the ruined library, followed by hateful cackles. She limped back into their cover with shame, dragging a bleeding leg. “They saw me… they’re surrounding us. They’ll be here any second!”
“We surrender!” Ratchet screamed, pulling Basket Fall just enough to stop him from firing again. The burly brown stallion blinked in confusion but obeyed. “We surrender!”
Confusion and fear spilled over the expedition team’s faces, only Shadow Sky too disorientated to listen as she struggled to breathe. A shuffling of hooves over debris revealed an approaching slaver, Ratchet grimacing as he knew well they could only hear the slaver approach because they wanted them to know. As the radstorm rumbled, a bulky equine came striding in from the east. They wore the same patchwork leather suit as the dead zony did, their mask still well in place. Just behind sewn-in goggles, golden eyes glared at them.
Ratchet threw his shotgun down and stood upright. “We surrender.” Slowly his team followed suit, disarming themselves at their leader’s behest.
“How unusual, most of your folk fight until the bitter end,” replied the equine in a thick voice. He was more refined in tone than Ratchet expected. “Do you understand your situation?”
“You’re slavers,” Ratchet replied. “So if we surrender, you’ll take us alive. That right?”
A chuckle came from the stranger, who removed his helmet. A gasp shot through the stable ponies as he revealed himself as a zebra. “Correct. You do realize we could inflict unspeakable horrors upon you once you’re our slaves, don’t you?”
“Better than being dead.”
A grin spread across the zebra’s face and he stepped closer to them. Basket Fall moved protectively in front of his team, and Ratchet maintained the harsh glare of the zebra. “Few would agree.”
“I’ve always been an outsider of herd mentality. Now are you going to take us, or not?”
“A unicorn is never fully disarmed,” replied the zebra as he gestured to Ratchet. “But we can take care of that. However, I see one of you is struggling to stay in this mortal realm. What use is she to me?”
“Leverage. We couldn’t possibly escape with her in such a condition, so we have to obey.”
“You stating that doesn’t inspire much confidence that is true.”
“If you stabilize her, the other unicorns and I will obey.”
“I’m not particularly fond of the word of others,” he replied. There was a hint of caution to his eyes, cunning Ratchet recognized.
“Then we are of the same mind. However, that poses an impasse. You don’t want to waste any horsepower on moving a gravely injured slave. Have your other new slave do it.” Ratchet gestured to Basket Fall and gave the most winning smile he could. The bulky earth pony blinked at his leader, red eyes burning with anger.
“If I expend the resources to save her,” replied the slaver, “she ought to be worth it.”
Ratchet nodded rapidly, trying to portray himself as more desperate than he felt but the truth was he was utterly afraid. An unknown number of enemies surrounded them that could turn invisible and it terrified him to his core. “Our compliance and reassurance that you won’t have to waste resources or time will prove to be worthwhile, and she herself is a medic. Save her and you can save dozens more.”
“What is your name?” The zebra asked. From the shadows four more dressed like him emerged. Two of them had horns that were covered by modified helmets, but Ratchet was no longer sure if he was dealing with ponies or zonies.
“Ratchet. Yours?”
“Zuberi, son of Hodari.”
“…Ratchet Aura,” he replied, trying to match such formality. This zebra was unlike any other hostile wastelanders he’d encountered. It made his brown hide itch beneath his armor all the more.
Zuberi gave a slow nod, as if pleased. “Well then, Ratchet Aura, as you were able to kill one of my own, I shall let you go. Such skill should be commended. Go, now. Your team shall make fine slaves.”
Ratchet squinted in blatant distrust but said nothing. He took a step away from the others, shocked gasps and accusatory glares were cast his way. Firesnap seemed the most wounded by his silent agreement. “Boss-”
“Shut up and obey your new master,” interrupted Ratchet. Firesnap recoiled and lowered his head. “We both know I’ll never make it home alone. Keep yourselves alive.”
A squeak came from Carrot Delight as a slaver prodded her with their gun. Magic gathered around Dust Sweets’ horn and before anypony could blink, a loud crack split the air. The mare was on the ground, twitching beneath the heavy hoof of Zuberi. Her horn was being ground into the dirt. “No magic,” Zuberi purred.
Heart clenching, Ratchet watched on. He had never seen such speed. “Listen to him!” Screamed Carrot Delight. “Don’t get us killed!” Dingo pressed against the mare, holding her back from rushing to their friend’s aid. “Please!”
“You have such caring friends,” chuckled Zuberi, “worried about their fragile lives. There’s a spirit in you, wounded as you are you still try to fight. Yes, we’ll take you all back.” He pointed a hoof at Ratchet. “You, however, best start running.”
On pure instinct, the stallion obeyed.
An hour had passed since Ratchet had begun his desperate flight from the ruined library. During that time the downpour of radioactive rain had only increased, fully masking what was visible to the terrified stallion. Mud soiled his boots, sweat sticking to his hide while his breath fogged up his visor. The ground shifted beneath him and he tripped. A splash of mud barely softened the impact, and Ratchet groaned in frustration.
With a bit of effort, he was able to look over his shoulder.
His EFS showed him the enemies he could not see. Perhaps their invisibility was temporary, or they wanted him to know he was being followed. Either way, he didn’t like it and knew he couldn’t return to the stable with such unwanted company. He struggled to his hooves and shook himself. Lightning illuminated the puddles around him, giving Ratchet a clear view of his surroundings. A half-smile slipped across his face at the sight of a hole several yards away. He’d scouted it just the day before.
Making his steady but careful way over, Ratchet began to crawl through the tight passageway of rock and mud. Water streamed inside, echoing through the corridor. Wiggling and grunting, Ratchet progressed further underground. The rumble of thunder turned into rushing water the further down Ratchet got. He squinted against the darkness, afraid of using his pip-buck’s light and giving away where he’d gone. Eventually, he’d wormed his way down into an opening expanse. There were a few cracks in the ceiling of dirt and stone, water, and faint light pouring through. What little he could discern revealed exactly what he had hoped for.
Shifting noises from behind mixed between the water, telling Ratchet he’d been followed. His EFS confirmed as much, as well as dozens of red dots further into the cave. The first time Ratchet had discovered one of these sinkholes he’d nearly died. Only his team saved him from certain death. For a moment he felt a tug in his heart, a desire foreign to him swelling up. Grimacing, he shook it off and trotted into the sunken cabin. Long since rotten floorboards creaked beneath the unicorn as he shuffled through it. Something deep within grumbled a rasping growl that demanded answers. Ratchet held his breath and found the darkest spot he could hide in. His pip-buck ticked in warning of radiation but he only covered the tool up to mute the noise.
Three minutes passed before the door to the cabin came flying open, his pursuers making themselves known. Something spherical came rolling in, thumping on the slanted, rotten floor. Ratchet pressed himself against the old desk he was hiding behind and closed his eyes. A bang of light brought with it a sharp whining noise that echoed in his ears, but otherwise, Ratchet remained unharmed from the flashbang. The noise had, however, drawn others. With a howl of fury, the cabin shook. The slavers balked, cursing at their luck.
A wave of red filled the corner of Ratchet’s vision. Twisted bodies came crashing through broken windows and rotting holes. A trio stumbled down a slanted stairwell and collapsed into a pile of irradiated flesh. Shattered hooves stomped over the floorboards as the feral ghouls encircled their prey. The pair of slavers let loose a torrent of gunfire as the slobbering husks of former ponies attacked. Five fell dead to bullets before a ghoul had gotten close enough to attack. One slaver screamed as his armor tore, revealing striped fur beneath. There was a flash of blood followed by the snarls of ghouls. Like a living tide, they rose and fell as one, pieces of the zebra intermixed.
Ghouls acted on a level of instinct that frightened Ratchet to his very core. It wasn’t clear if ferals still needed to eat or not, but they assuredly acted as if they did. They snapped and snarled at one another for getting in their way, feeding like beasts upon a carcass. The remaining slaver kept shooting, desperately trying to back up but he was surrounded. There was no escaping his fate.
Ratchet crept towards one of the broken windows, taking care to be as quiet as possible. By the time he’d reached the shattered frames, the second slaver had fallen. Tearing flesh and hungry maws became a horrifying concerto, the screams fallen silent. Nine of the ghouls lay dead from bullets, and a dozen more devoured the zebras. His enemies were so distracted Ratchet was able to slip out without being noticed. He snuck along the cavern’s flooding floor with sloshing steps, and not soon enough reached the slope’s entrance.
A dozen roars came from the cabin.
Running from death, Ratchet rushed up the flooded passage. He squirmed and crawled through the muck, splattering his hazmat suit along the way. His EFS told him of the encroaching death, but his body did even more so. His hair stood on end, his legs shook and his heart raced. Undoubtedly he would meet the same fate as the slavers if he was caught. A faint bit of light rushed along the water, he was drawing near the entrance. Ghouls fought one another in an attempt to pursue him, scrambling over one another and wriggling like worms. The downpour had turned the tunnel into more mud than anything else, what rocks were present smooth and easily slipped upon.
It felt as if he was drowning. His visor was awash in rain, barely able to see what was ahead. Mud caked his body, sticking to his hazmat suit and weighing him down. Fog from his heavy breathing made it all the harder to see, and sweat trickled along his brown hide. Focusing his magic into a shield, he tried to protect his visor only to get the same result. The tunnel was collapsing around him, closing up like a wound. The light was fading fast. Ratchet screamed, a primal urge filling him from the hooves up. He refused to die here, trapped in mud and eaten by ghouls. Pride burned hot within him.
He emerged into the surface with a pained gasp. The slurping of mud tried to pull him back under, and he struggled out. As if pulling himself from quicksand, the stallion fought for every inch he could out of the tunnel. By the time he’d dragged himself to the edges of hard rock, the rain had reduced the passageway into the sinkhole into nothingness. Ratchet looked back at his near-death, barely able to see it in the downpour. Huffing, he collapsed against rocks far too sturdy to slip beneath the ground. Exhausted hooves ripped his helmet off, letting the cold rain wash over him. He ignored the ticking on his hoof.
“Fuck,” Ratchet muttered to himself. Black hair stuck to his face and horn, plastered in place by the torrential rains. His head swooned as he recovered, feeling as if he was falling back into the dirt. “Shit.” A painful realization settled upon him. If he was going to have any chance of making it home, he would need allies. He had to save at least one of his team. They surely wouldn’t forgive him for giving them up as he did, however. He mulled over his options, but it didn’t take long for him to settle on his best hope. Grunting, he rose to his worn hooves and pulled his helmet back on.
“You better still be alive Firesnap…”
Shadow Shy’s critical condition had proven to Ratchet’s benefit. It had taken him only two hours to catch back up with the slavers. They were camped out of an old town hall, a sniper in the bell tower though the rain now concealed Ratchet from his enemies. He smirked to himself that the wasteland was equally unforgiving, and could be taken advantage of by the clever. Having ditched his yellow hazmat suit to sneak his way closer, Ratchet was hunched beneath a window with a rock in his hoof. Rain chilled him, soaking through his stable suit at an exponential rate. Its dark blues and the patches of reinforced brown leather were worth the risk of the yellow stripes giving him away.
From the other side of the window, he could hear soft conversations, the kind amongst desperate ponies. He wrapped a cloth around his hoof and a rock to soften the noise, and punched through. Glass fragments skittered across a dirty floor and a few gasps rose above the noise. Ratchet poked his head through and scowled. “You’re not my team,” he accused.
Several ponies in clear agony blinked at him, collars that blinked red around their throats. They were emaciated, ribs showing through mangy fur and eyes sunken. “N-no,” replied a pegasus. Most of their feathers had been plucked, leaving grotesque limbs that hung sadly. Ratchet stared for a few moments. He’d never seen a pegasus before. However, he refused to allow himself to get caught up in the disturbing sight and shook his head.
“Have you seen a group of ponies in hazmat suits? One of them was severely injured.”
The pegasus nodded. “They took her to the medic. On the second floor.”
“Good, then they’re here. Where are the others?” Hesitance crossed the slaves’ faces, and they muttered to one another. Ratchet growled and pulled a knife from his belt. “Tell me or I’ll kill you.”
“Please!” The pegasus yelped, rushing forward with a burst of speed that startled Ratchet. He stumbled back from the window into the mud. The backlighting of the room only further terrified Ratchet as he watched the pegasus. “They already killed my son, I don’t want to live as their slave.”
“It can’t be worse than death,” countered Ratchet as he gathered himself.
“I want to die.”
“Then go running off like all the others!” Snarled one of the other slaves. “The collar will take your head off for you.”
The pegasus, a new slave Ratchet presumed, looked at the other slaves. “It will?”
“Yes. Now go if you’re serious or shut up. You, stranger, are you here to free your friends?” The slave rasped. Ratchet blinked as he realized she was a unicorn, her horn sawn off at the base of the skull. A chill ran down his body.
“Yes- hey!” Ratchet snarled as the pegasus pushed past him, forcing their way through the shattered glass of the window. Blood left trails as they fled, starved enough to fit through the relatively small segment. The pegasus laughed, joyful as they raced to their death. The red light on their collar beeped in increasing fervor until it was constant. A moment later there was an explosion, small enough to not cause too much concern but large enough to do its intended purpose. The pegasus’ head was gone in a fine mist and their body collapsed into the mud.
Several shouts came from around the encampment. “Dammit!” Cursed Ratchet as the town hall came to life. He had done so well sneaking in, and now that slave had ruined it for him. He stomped a hoof and glared at the slaves. “Where is my team? I have to go- now!”
“Most of your team is being educated out back. They’re in a pen, with the refuse. Two of them tried fighting back and Zuberi doesn’t take kindly to unicorn magic.” The slave pointed to the south. “Go, hurry!”
Without a word of thanks, Ratchet took off into a gallop. It was clear this encampment was somewhat permanent from the reinforcements. A palisade encircled the former town hall with warning skulls just visible in the downpour. The hoofsteps of alert slavers sounded all around Ratchet, mixing with the rumbling thunder. He heard a pair arrive at the window he’d just been at, and he was glad he had taken a crude approach at opening the window.
Drawing near to the back of the town hall, he grimaced at the foul stench that permeated the air. It was perhaps made lighter by the deluge, damp fur and rot only slightly washed away. His stomach roiled and he hated to think what it smelled like on a clear day. Just faintly visible through the rain was a chain-link fence long since rusted. Shivering inside it were three ponies, one of which was notably large while the other two pressed against them.
Bracing himself, Ratchet crossed over. “Basket Fall,” he whispered just loud enough over the rain.
“You,” came a glowering response.
“Yes, me. Who all is here?”
“Dust Sweets and Dingo,” he replied. Their faces were just visible thanks to the blinking red lights. Dust Sweets’ strawberry mane was sticking to her body with mud caked on top. They’d been stripped of all but their pip-bucks. Dingo shivered and tugged her black tail close to her body, blood and refuse splattered across her. “They broke their horns, Ratchet.”
He gulped. “What?”
“You fucking heard me.”
Ratchet took a small step back. “Where’s Firesnap?”
“What, you don’t care about Carrot Delight or Shadow Shy?” Accused Basket Falls. The unicorn mares whimpered and pressed against Basket Falls.
Ratchet sneered. “Of course I do. But I’m worried most of all about Firesnap! Have they taken his horn too?”
“No,” Dingo replied, “he didn’t… resist as we did.”
“He listened to your orders,” added Dust Sweets in a whimper. “Unlike us.”
“Never were very good at that,” muttered Ratchet.
Basket Falls snarled. “Oh? And you’re the good guy here? You sold us out!”
“I meant to sell all of us out, remember? I didn’t think they were going to let me go,” Ratchet replied evenly, keeping his rage in check. “And they didn’t either, two of his zebras hunted me down.”
Dingo blinked between the rain and reached for Ratchet. He pulled back from the rusted chain-link fence. “You killed them?”
“Got ghouls to do it for me.”
She blinked and gave a small nod and smile. She was still in shock from her horn’s removal. Her silver eyes were completely blank, devoid of hope entirely. “Always were smart. We aren’t. They tried to force themselves on us and we panicked. It was instinct really, using magic. Zuberi said if we were going to behave that way we couldn’t be trusted with our horns.”
“I should stab him with what I have left right in the throat,” muttered Dust Sweets. She was a traditionally kind mare, but the wasteland had long since started hardening her.
“I’m sorry,” Ratchet replied.
“Liar,” Basket Fall said. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re only thinking about yourself. You always have been. I knew you were rotten, just didn’t know you were a coward too.”
“I’m here now aren’t I?”
“For yourself.”
Ratchet pressed his horn through the gaps of the fence and a small bit of magic encompassed his horn. The warning was clear. “Where is Firesnap?”
“Zuberi took him to his quarters on the third floor. He was asking us about our pip-bucks and supplies. Carrot Delight and he broke. They’re telling them all about Stable 36 right now to save their own lives.”
“Fuckers,” hissed Ratchet. “Dammit, I’ll-”
“Kill them?” Interrupted Dust Sweets. “We should’ve all died instead of being captured.”
“There was a chance for escape!” Ratchet retorted. “We were surrounded by an unknown number of enemies who could turn invisible! What the fuck else was I supposed to do?”
“Protect the stable,” said Dingo flatly. “You of all ponies should be doing whatever it takes to protect the stable. Your family has for over a century.”
“My wife’s family,” growled Ratchet, “and not for much longer. I wouldn’t wish this fate upon you, but them, I would.”
The trio paled. They were already haggard and wounded and frightened but Ratchet’s words stabbed at their hearts. “You bastard!” Basket Fall surged forward into the fence. His collar beeped and he stumbled back from a jolt. Ratchet sneered, and without another word left them to rot. Their shouts were lost to the rain.
It had proven a challenge to reach Zuberi’s quarters, but with a tremendous amount of patience, Ratchet had been successful. He skulked slowly alongside tattered sheets that acted as curtains, many of them strung up across the room giving it a peculiarly cramped feel. In the center was Zuberi, sitting on a throne of cushions and engulfed in incense. The peculiar smell made Ratchet’s nose tingle but he managed not to sneeze. Laid out on the floor were Firesnap and Carrot Delight, a ring on the unicorn’s horn. Ratchet had seen magic neutralizing rings before, mostly reserved for the brig back home, and he found it a surprise these slavers had them. It made sense, however, as much as he hated it.
Firesnap was unbloodied, confusing Ratchet as to just what was going on. Was the young scout giving freely the information he knew? Ratchet clenched his teeth and crept closer to the center, holding his pistol in his teeth to avoid giving himself away. Carrot Delight was bruised but otherwise unharmed, green eyes wide as she stared at Zuberi. “You can’t,” she whimpered out.
Ratchet froze, wondering if she’d spotted him. “Why not?” Zuberi laughed. “I’ve got all of you at my disposal now. Your leader ought to be captured by now, hunted down by my crew. No one is coming to save you.”
“Ratchet can’t be dead, he just can’t,” Firesnap replied, trembling. “He’s the strongest of us.”
“Would a pony so strong give up his entire team so swiftly?”
“He’s smart! You had us surrounded and outnumbered by Celestia knows how much.”
Zuberi chortled and descended his soft throne, striped hide on full display. He seemed to have more scar tissue than fur. Ratchet squinted at the glyph on his flank, unable to discern its meaning. “I told him he could run, but it was a test. A noble leader would have insisted on staying with you, but instead, he took the chance to run and left you behind. He has forsaken you. So now, I can do whatever I want with you. Starting with taking your pip-buck.”
“Nopony can get a pip-buck off without the proper tools,” replied Firesnap with a shake of his head. Orange hair clung to his horn, weary and exhausted. Even if Ratchet killed Zuberi and made a run for it, the pair wouldn’t make it far in their current condition.
“Then I’ll take your leg.”
“No!” Screamed Carrot Delight, stumbling away as Zuberi reached for her hoof. She kicked out and shouted. Zuberi caught her flailing legs and moved with that terrifying swiftness he had displayed earlier. The frantic noises pitched into agony as something broke.
Before Zuberi could follow up on his attack, the barrel of a pistol pressed into the back of his head. He froze in place without a hint of fear, eyes more amused than anything as he stared at Carrot Delight’s agonized face. “What a pleasant surprise, you survived. Most come back with a collar or in pieces when I send those two after them.”
“You’re not hurting them further,” Ratchet growled.
“Why not? Even if you kill me here and now my crew will overwhelm you. You still don’t know how many of us there are, don’t you?”
“Fifty-seven.”
“…Well done. Now can you fend off that many with an injured team and critically wounded medic?”
“Maybe we’ll just take those fancy stealth suits and sneak our way out?” Suggested Ratchet, transferring his grip of the gun to his magic to free his mouth.
Zuberi turned slightly but Ratchet hissed for him to remain still. Unable to look the unicorn in the eye, Zuberi replied, “Just like your pip-bucks, it requires a special knowledge to use them. You could not simply don them and escape.”
“Then how about I blow your brains out and make a run for it with these two?” Ratchet pressed the pistol harder against the zebra’s skull. Firesnap and Carrot Delight stared in utter horror at the scene before them.
“You’d leave most of your team behind?”
“Something is better than nothing.”
“You are not a pony of honor,” Zuberi proclaimed. “I like that. I could make use of that, and you could make use of me.”
Confusion tugged at Ratchet’s lips but he kept his face stonewalled. “What are you talking about?”
“I let you go for real this time and give you a token that will allow you to pass through my territory unimpeded. We shall become allies.”
“What could I possibly want with slavers?”
“I know you are the husband of your people’s leader. I know you desire power and want to protect your stable. I know you want to lead it. I have an army and stealth suits, you have pip-bucks, and clear skill. If I assist you in becoming your people’s leader, then you will give me a portion of your stock, your supplies, and your caps. You are growing food now, aren’t you? We could always use more of that.”
Ratchet glared at the pair who cowered. They had talked. Carrot Delight couldn’t meet his harsh gaze, holding her broken rear leg with streaming tears. Firesnap met his leader’s rage, shame in yellow eyes. “A protection racket. Not exactly a great deal for me.”
“It is preferable to dying, is it not? If you were willing to live as my slave, this surely seems a better situation.”
The stallion frowned and mulled over his options. “What of my team?”
“I keep them, for now. Prove yourself trustworthy and they will all be returned but the medic. We have need of her skills, and I hear you have many doctors back home.”
“Her husband won’t be pleased,” replied Ratchet slowly.
“That’s your problem. I am offering you a way out that will benefit the both of us. After all, Firesnap here believes you should lead the stable more than your up-and-coming daughter. Surely there are others who think like him. Perhaps you could achieve this plan in due time yourself, but I will hasten that victory tremendously.”
Ratchet didn’t remove the gun but he genuinely considered the offer. It was true that he desired to be the overstallion, and he was willing to do almost anything to achieve it. Firesnap gave a small nod. “How will you help me become the leader? An army arriving to lay siege would be fruitless.”
“We have many methods of attack, pony. Poison from our native plants in Stockade will kill silently, and you will be left in charge. I believe your daughter is too young to lead just yet, correct? The years until she can challenge you would give you plenty of time to lay the groundwork, so long as you’re as skilled as your fellows say.”
“Ratchet, please, you can’t-”
“Shut up,” snarled Ratchet, cutting the pleading mare off. She recoiled with fresh horror. “You can keep Carrot Delight, give me Firesnap.”
“Why not her?”
“She’ll talk.”
Zuberi chuckled thickly. The mare languished on the floor, the young unicorn awash in horror as he sat to the side. Ratchet knew that look well, he could make use of it. “I do believe she would yes. I’ll give Firesnap a token as well then.”
“Poison and safe passage in exchange for a portion of my stable’s population, supplies, and caps? Is that the deal?” Ratchet lowered the gun.
“I trust you could provide those without losing your station,” Zuberi replied, daring to turn around to face Ratchet. His eyes were cold and calculating, the same kind of heartless decision-making Ratchet did. He saw himself in the zebra. “Historically, political rivals and dissidents make great prisoners.”
A smile crossed his face. “I was already thinking the same thing.”
“We are of the same mind then.”
“Then you know exactly what I’ll do if you try to trick me.”
“It is mutually agreeable for us to keep our word.”
“I don’t trust the word of strangers,” reminded Ratchet.
Zuberi offered a hoof. “Neither do I.”
With a lack of hesitance surprising to even himself, Ratchet shook Zuberi’s hoof. “Then we have a deal.”
“I swear. You’re just really pretty. I would never stoop to such a dirty trick.”
One week had passed since the world as Ponykind knew it had ended, burned in balefire and megaspells. The beautiful Equestria Starburst had known now only a ghost, haunting her waking moments with palpable grief. Now, all she knew was Stable 36. Its metal walls were her horizon, and its harsh fluorescent lights were her stars. The world began and ended with a cog-shaped door that would not open for some time.
Eventually, potentially, the surface would be safe to venture to. It was the only thread of hope that persisted in the grief-stricken populace. They knew it wouldn't be within their lifetime, and likely not their children's either. One day though, centuries later, a pony would stand on the surface again and breathe in fresh air. It was a goal that they could work towards, and strive to achieve. The stables were only a temporary home. Starburst knew well, however, that in the grand scheme of existence, a few centuries was a short time. For the ponies who would be living that temporary, it was likely to be their entire lives.
Only one word could describe the mood of the stable’s citizens: mourning. They mourned what they had lost, an entire civilization and potentially the rest of their species wiped from existence. The family members who could not make it to the stable numbered surprisingly high to Starburst, as if Stable-Tec had almost intended on splitting family units. Perhaps it was a means of preventing inbreeding, but the horror and anguish her charges displayed niggled at her heart. They mourned the very world that had been ripped away. Already many were complaining about the staleness of the recycled air. No amount of air fresheners could replicate the delight of flowers carried on the wind. The solar lights and spell in the orchard paled in comparison to Celestia’s magnificence. Starburst yearned to feel the warmth of true sunlight on her red hide, or the way Luna’s soft radiance enveloped her at night.
Beneath the ground, it was sterile, disconnected, and suffocating. The corridors were too tight yet empty. A third of Stable 36’s population had failed to show up. Specifically, the pegasi. To cover the workforce deficit, most were already working double shifts or extended ones. Starburst worried greatly about overworking her citizens, but critical systems couldn’t be neglected. Their existence, potentially the existence of their entire species, rested on the stable’s survival. Starburst knew it was unlikely that no other stable was active, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t risk assuming such possibilities. All she would ever know now was Stable 36, and the hundreds of ponies that depended on her.
The responsibility was daunting.
Everypony was looking to her to make the decisions that would ensure their survival or doom. Already she was faced with choices nopony ever should. The door had stayed open almost too long, letting in many, saving them from obliteration. There were still ponies outside when she ordered them closed. She’d stood there, watching the fear shift into utter panic. Dozens had rushed the door, as if sheer volume would let them wriggle inside. With no Security Chief, as the pegasus assigned hadn’t reported in, Starburst herself had to make the call. She had ordered the deaths of ponies only trying to survive.
She had shot one herself. It didn't matter that she was protecting those already under her charge. It didn't matter that the pony had only been trying to reach the safety of her stable. It was completely irrelevant that the pony had been a coworker of hers at MAS. She had seen them only an hour prior, working a few cubicles down from her own. She remembered their name. She wanted to forget it now. Yet she refused to let herself. It was only the beginning of the horrors she would commit to protect Ponykind. She didn't want anypony to say she denied the truth.
Starburst had killed to protect her stable, and she doubted she would never have to do it again. Before, when she considered it as a possibility it was chilling but palatable. Now with somepony's life ended by her hooves and orders, she felt absolutely unraveled. Stress, guilt, panic; it wore heavy upon the Overmare. They were only ever supposed to war with Equestria's enemies, not each other. Yet, she reminded herself, Equestria was gone. There was only Stable 36.
There would only ever be Stable 36.
A hoof knocked on the office door, startling Starburst from her ruminations. She blinked, the light had gone off in the Atrium, signaling it was well past the normal day shift. She, just like all the others, was adjusting to the lack of true sunlight and becoming more reliant on her Pip-Buck to tell her the time. Glancing at it, a fresh wave of discomfort filled her. It was nearly 2100. The knock repeated itself. Starburst shuffled the scattered paperwork on her desk into a somewhat orderly pile, and then called, “Come in.”
The sound of somepony fiddling with the controls came, and then an awkward voice half-muffled by the door. “It’s locked.”
“Horseapples,” muttered Starburst as she got up from her desk. She’d forgotten about the after-hours auto-lock feature. Her office suite was right next to her living quarters, the door into it on the other side. She paused by a mirror to check herself. Ignoring the heavy bags beneath orange eyes, fetlock hooves quickly tucked blonde locks back into place before she reached the double-wide entrance. A deep blue unicorn stallion with a white mane and beard adorned with scars stood there, dressed in security armor.
“Hello?” She said, squinting.
He tilted his head. “Hello.”
She blinked at him, unable to remember his name and why he might be here before it surged forward with an embarrassed yelp. “Your interview!”
The stallion chuckled, a calmness in his eyes Starburst immediately felt jealous of. He flicked an ear, the tip of it torn away from some battle wound. “It seems you forgot,” he said disarmingly.
Starburst backed up and waved him in. “I am so sorry! It’s just been… well a lot. A lot needs to happen and I had the interviews for the Chief of Engineering over lunch-” She cut herself off before she descended into excusing rambles. Inhaling briskly, the Overmare gathered herself. “I apologize for forgetting. Do you want to go ahead, or reschedule?”
The stallion gave another chuckle. Starburst squinted but managed to keep her ears from pulling back. “I think you could use all the help you can get,” he said calmingly. She sighed and gave a nod. Together they crossed to her desk, a chair available for him. He stood nearly a whole head taller than her, making the average-height mare feel like a foal. His green eyes ran over the hastily tidied papers, mostly interview notes and resumes. She shuffled through them, trying to find his, only to realize she had forgotten his name as well.
Her embarrassment grew as the stallion only seemed amused. “What?” She asked briskly.
“Cobalt Wisp,” he introduced himself.
Red cheeks flushed all the deeper crimson, Starburst picked out his resume. She had passed it over twice. “Starburst Aura,” she replied. “It’s good to meet you.”
“Good to meet you too, ma’am. I know things have been stressful.”
“That’s barely even the half of it.” Starburst rubbed her eyes with a quick muttering before straightening up. “I apologize for the lack of decorum. Stress isn’t an excuse.”
His eyes softened and Cobalt shook his head. A hoof that tapered white covered his resume, and for a moment Starburst startled. “The world ended,” he soothed, “you’re allowed to be upset about it. Yes, we must carry on, but you can’t pretend it doesn’t hurt. Did you lose anypony?”
Swallowing, Starburst gave an awkward laugh. “No. I… was alone.”
Cobalt gave a small nod. “I lost a brother. We hadn’t spoken in years. He never approved of me joining up with the army.”
Starburst arched a brow. “Really? Most everypony was for the war effort. Patriotism is… was… compulsory.”
“Maybe to those of you in the Ministries,” he replied, “especially with MoM. Most of us out in the countryside were a little less excited about our kids shipping off to fight the Zebras over coal to power some cities we didn’t even live near.”
“Yet you did?” She countered, relieved to see a natural way to begin the interview process.
Cobalt snickered and gestured to the scars on his coat. Starburst lingered on them and then frowned. “I went specifically so he wouldn’t. Loved the young fool. But he didn’t forgive me for stealing his chance to be a hero. He wanted glory, and if we both served then he couldn’t stand out, especially compared to me.”
Starburst tilted her head. “Something special about you?”
The smile the stallion wore would’ve come across as arrogant from most, but something about it was entirely honest. “I listen to orders.”
A flash of recognition sparked across her brain as memory consumed her. A blue unicorn in an army uniform helped evacuate ponies into the stable on the Last Day. He had drawn his gun at her command and fired without hesitation. He was the first to listen. “You… Helped me that day,” she whispered.
He nodded. “I didn’t get a chance to speak with you after, but yes.”
“Your help was invaluable,” she praised, “If you hadn’t taken to my command, panic threatened to take hold.”
Cobalt shrugged. “You’d have gotten there without me,” he said, “but I helped, yes. I couldn’t just stand by while the world ended.”
“Thank you,” Starburst said firmly. Cobalt’s smile softened, making his eyes shimmer. She cleared her throat and reviewed his resume. “So you want to serve as the Chief of Security now?”
He nodded. “Well… This is my world now, and you need help. It only seems natural for me to step up.”
“Plenty of ponies are only thinking about themselves right now,” countered Starburst, “and I don’t blame them. The grief we are enduring is… Almost unimaginable. Are you sure you’re mentally prepared to take on a leadership position at this time?”
A stiffness took hold in the stallion, a rigidity she recognized entirely. A military instinct that she had seen for years in the ponies around her, even if she herself had never served. “Yes ma’am,” he replied, “the survival of the stable is more important. I will be sure to take time to process my own grief, but it will not impair my ability to protect the citizens of Stable 36.”
While she did not say it, she was impressed with his response. Starburst scanned over the way he held himself. She lingered on his strong jaw, muscles notable even beneath the stable barding. “I cannot pretend it will be an easy job.”
“I know ma’am. I don’t expect it to be. Things are chaotic despite your best effort, and while I am not keen on the idea of hurting ponies, if it is necessary then I will. I would like to avoid such a situation arising in the first place.”
“Why did you shoot?” She asked, staring into his eyes.
Greens swirled with a hint of emotion, but he swiftly buried it beneath the mask of discipline. “Because it was necessary. Because you gave the command.”
“I don’t want somepony who only follows orders,” Starburst informed him. “That is the way of tyrants.”
A flash of a smile pulled at his lips, and he dropped his bearings. “You’re ordering me to not only listen to orders?” Cobalt purred, leaning forward over the desk. He was still taller than her sitting down. She blushed at his sudden closeness, ears falling back. “I promise you, ma’am, I will tell you if I think something is a bad idea, or wrong. I listen to orders, I will hear you. I will not follow blindly. I will make the hard choices when needed.”
Starburst tried to find her composure, but the quirk of his lips made her heart flutter despite all the stress weighing down on her. “You can’t flirt your way into this position,” she warned.
He blinked and pulled back. “Oh. I… wasn’t meaning to.”
She deadpanned. “Really?”
“I swear. You’re just really pretty. I would never stoop to such a dirty trick.”
Tips of her ears burning, Starburst cleared her throat again. Cobalt sat further back in his chair, polite and proper now. She couldn’t help but believe him. Chewing her cheek for a moment, she reviewed his resume in comparison to the others so far. He was sincerely the most promising, just based on experience. The fact that he had been so helpful on the Last Day was another strong point for him. Everything swirled in her head, knowing it wasn’t a choice to make lightly. Yet, it was easy. He was perfect.
Starburst held out her hoof, and he smiled softly. “Let’s keep things professional, alright, Chief?”
He took her hoof firmly, and they shook. “Yes ma’am. Sorry about that ma’am.”
The Overmare hesitated for a moment. “It wasn’t… unwelcome, to be clear.”
His torn ear perked and he tilted his head. The smile grew into a full grin, and she blushed deeply. “I can stay professional when on duty, ma’am. If you think maybe… there’s some interest when off the clock.”
Surprising even herself, Starburst smiled. “I think there just might be. But first… I think we both should head to bed, it’s rather late. Your shift starts early tomorrow.”
Their hooves lingered. Cobalt glanced down. He gave a low chuckle. “I think neither of us are on the clock, ma’am,” he suggested.
“Careful,” warned Starburst, withdrawing her hoof. “I’m not some summer mare to be swept off her hooves.”
The flirtatious edge dropped. “Of course. I just…” He chewed on the word before finally saying, “I look forward to getting to know you, Starburst. You might be the only positive thing in my life right now.”
A familiar ache filled her chest, and she gave a heavy nod. “To which I would hate to rush anything. We’re here for the rest of our life, Cobalt. We can take our time. I don’t want anypony to think I elected you to your position because of your handsome face either.”
“Handsome huh?” He chuckled, taking her meaning clearly though. Standing now, he turned to leave. “Goodnight, Overmare. I’ll make you proud, I promise.”
She watched him depart with a fresh blush and a hint of optimism. “I trust you will.”
