Hi, I’m 7 years old, and my name is Junebug. My Mommy says a Junebug is some kind of insect in Equestria… but… I’ve never seen Equestria. You see, I was born in Stable 6 and nopony knows what Equestria looks like outside now. Mommy says it’s been almost 10 years since the big door thingy closed. I don’t know why the big door had to lock us in here, that was mean of it.

Mommy said she was from someplace called Manehattan before she entered the Stable. That place sounds really big, not like the Stable. Sometimes we talk about what Equestria was like before the big door closed in class. The teacher tells us that it was a beautiful place, with lots of peace. There are 14 of us in class when nopony is sick.

One of the older Colts in class said he thought it was a horrible place when he was 5. He was talking about some kind of big fight with the big ponies against stripey ponies called Zebras. What’s a Zebra, are they funny looking with all those stripes on them? He got taken to the naughty room for saying that, he never left his room after that.

I’m 10 now, I saw more of my friends get taken to the naughty room. We get told it’s because they were making up bad stories. But how come we never see anypony come out again? I miss my friends, we can’t play soccer with only 9 of us, somepony would be left out.

The teacher looked sad today, he looked like he lost someone he loved. When Marigold asked if he was ok he said his sister had to go to the naughty room. Why was he crying if she was just going to be gone for a day?

I’m 11, but I don’t think I’m happy about it. More of my friends were taken to the naughty room. My mommy was crying because my aunt was taken too. when I asked mommy why she was crying she just said to go play. There aren’t many games to play now, there are only 5 of us in class now, the stable feels really empty now too.

There are lots of places to hide where nopony will find us for hide and seek, but the game still goes by really fast with so few of us. The teacher seems distant since his sister went to the naughty room. He made jokes when I was littler, now he always looks like he’s trying to hide sadness.

There are no games to play anymore outside our room, only me and my best friend are left in class now, everypony else was taken to the naughty room. I don’t think they liked what I did either. The security guard said I had to go to the naughty room because I was encouraging my friend’s story. I’m scared now because I don’t know what’s in the naughty room…

I have to go now. the security pony is here for me, mommy is crying and when I said I would be back tomorrow she just cried harder. I don’t think I’m coming back…

L is for Loss.

"Stable 6 Experiment Documentation:

Your stable is to act as though the war never happened, any talk to the contrary is to be silenced. To this end a specially equipped room has been provided where threats to these conditions may be silenced for good. Should the Stable population drop below acceptable levels the Stable is forfeit and all remaining ponies are to report to this room, henceforth called the “one way door”.

The one way door is to be used on anypony who does not follow these guidelines. Should the Overmare choose to ignore these guidelines then they too shall be subject to the one way door and a new Overmare chosen.

Short Story by Silver Aura"