A dull aching pain, that’s what I felt all over. Below that of an injury that I needed to take pain killers for, but above something ignorable that I could walk off and forget. Overall I didn’t want to get up out of bed, it was comfy here, and warm. Though the bed had something left to be desired, feeling a bit stiff, and the pillow was a bit too flat for my likening. At least I was warm, more so on the back of my neck, like somepony was breathing on it.

Ya, something was wrong here.

Opening my eyes, the room was too dark to properly see, but in moving around I felt the feeling of somepony pressing on my back. “Minerva, light on.” My pipbuck leg didn’t respond. “Minerva!” still nothing. The pony behind me shifted a little, almost making me jump.

Giving up on Minerva for now, I reached out with my hooves in search for some sort of light switch. My hoof hit a wall, which meant I was on the inside of the bed, putting me on the opposite side of where a light switch would be. Most housing was set up in a way where one would put a bed near a light switch, this room could not have been more different.

The pony next to me sat up and yawned. I held my breath, and steeled myself for a fight. The pony moved around a little, but it was too dark to see, that was until the lights turned on, blinding me for a second.

“Oh good, I thought you might be awake. You were asleep for so long, I was worried that you may need to see medical again.” It was… was… Clarinet… ya that’s the name. “But it’s good that you’re up, I can at least show you around before everything closes!” She had this excitable smile on her face.

I sat up, annoyingly enough, I was naked. “I have so many questions… where’s my panties?”

Clarinet laughed. “Sorry about that, but most of your things had to be thrown away.”

I reached for my neck. “My scarf, what happened to my scarf!”

She cocked her head. “What scarf?”

“The one I was wearing, it’s bright red.” My heart was pounding.

Clarinet rubbed her chin, and shook her head. “Sorry, but I never saw one…” Her eyes became wide. “That monster had one.”

“Had what… what monster?”

She smiled, and raised her hooves above her head. “Some monster pony, I’m sure I saw it. It was dark as night, red glowing eyes, and trying to drag you away.” She put her hooves down. “It scampered away when It saw me, it must have ungiven your stuff. probably ungiven your legs as well.”

“Oh…” from the sounds of her description, it could only have been Turnip. I looked at my front legs, seeing only two cheap prosthetic cyber legs on me. Now I remembered that Minerva was already missing since the last time I woke. Frustratingly this meant no S.A.T.S. no auto mapping, no item sorting, and support programs for using talismans. I was going to have to make do with what I had until I can get home, Then find Turnip to recover my stuff.

“Well, no use dwelling on what’s unfound, it’s better to focus on what we have.” Clarinet hopped out of the bed, almost taking the covers with her. Now able to get a better look at the mare, more than I cared for, I could see that she was clearly younger than me, probably a good five or more years younger than me. Defiantly in her late teens, if not early twenty’s. She was slender, if a bit underweight, but her coat was bright and healthy. Her pink mane had a straight clean look to it, hanging just above her shoulders, and her tail was cut a little short and tied off on the end. It all had this prim and proper look common among ponies who work in factories, or in office buildings.

I would have pinned her as an innocent young mare, except for two things that stood out. First, her ears were all chewed up, and had holes in them. A clear sign of excessive piercings without proper sanitation, and also having them be ripped out. Second, the whites of her eyes were yellow, which is common among drug addicts, combat chems tend to be a big contributor to yellowing of the eyes.

The signs pointed to one thing, but I didn’t want to assume, yet I had to ask. “Clarinet, if it’s not too much, can I ask you a question?”

She was cheerfully pulling out some clothes. “Ya, ask away.”

“Okay.” I thought about it for a moment, but I felt that beating around the bush would be a poor idea. “Were you a bandit?”

She stopped for a moment, and then picked up some of the clothes and trotted over to me. “Yep, born and raised. Lived a uncivilized and unfriend wise life before finding Equality. But now I’m a civilized pony, helping others find happiness through equality.”

I didn’t know what surprised me more, how she answered that without shame, or how little like a bandit she acted. “So how did it happen? If it’s not too much to ask?”

“No, no. Ask away.” She opened a door and turned on the lights to a wash room. “Go get cleaned up, and I’ll tell you all about it. I’ll even help you wash your mane.”

Getting up, I decided to take her up on the offer, as I found it a bit hard to move my legs, or even turn my body without my spine feeling like pins and needless. But first I had to have some privacy as I took care of private business. We may both be mares, but she didn’t need to see me use a toilet.

Having relieved myself I let Clarinet in, and got into the bath tub. She trotted over to the tap, but I stopped her before she turned it on. “Sorry, I don’t do baths, do you have a bucket or something I can pour over myself.”

“Oh… yes, I actually do.” She trotted out of the washroom, and not much long after trotted back in with a metal bucket in her mouth, placing it into the tub. “If I tell you my story, maybe you can tell me yours?”

I thought about it for a moment, and Phobetor’s words bounced into my head, my mother's accident not being an accident. Shaking it off, I decided to tell Clarinet and altered version of why I don’t take baths, replacing the bathtub with a shallow pool of water. Clarinet seemed to take it in at face value, and began to fill the bucket with water.

Dousing me with water, she applied some soap to my mane and tail. The water and soap stung all over, not enough to real hurt, but it did make me flinch. “Well I got discovered by the republic a few years ago when they found our camp. Most of my family had gone off to raid near one of the stations on the outskirts of the Republic’s control.” Her way of washing was a bit rough, which made me glad that rubber bottoms for prosthetics was standard. She also had readied another bucket of water, I tried to not look at it, but the full bucket made me feel uneasy. “Well myself and two of my sisters stayed behind to look after the foals, and I was the only one who could act as nursemaid to the youngest, so they were put on guard. Well the republic caught onto our scheme, and wiped us out before we could retreat. Because of how merciful the equalists were, they took me and the foals in, and helped reeducate us.” I was doused with water again, washing the soap out of my mane and tail.

So she was not actively banditing, just feeding the babies… “Wait, what? You were a nursemaid, how old were you? I mean you would have to have, you know.”

She doused me with another bucket of water, and began to rub me with a towel. The pain had dulled, the rubbing of the towel made it flare up. “Of course. I was fifteen at the time, so my goal was only one-year-old, and a big drinker she was. Had my second about six months later.”

I was shocked, utterly shocked. I knew that the ponies who lived on the edge of civilization were on the savage side, but I haven’t thought about having foals yet, and I’m twenty-five. I quickly looked around the room, looking for signs of foals, but saw nothing. “So, where are they?”

Clarinet smiled, putting the towel away and motioning for me to step out. “There living at the nursery with all the other foals.” She placed me in front of a mirror, and began brushing my mane. I cringed when I saw my reflection. It wasn’t all that bad, but I had a nasty looking black eye that shown through my fur, a clear sign that I had an orbital skull fracture. They can be healed with magic and potions, but the swelling tended to take a few days to go away. My lower lip had a scar on it, looking like it had been ripped open, and looking on the inside side, ya, my lip had literally been split apart. I was sure I had other cuts and bruises under my fur, but I decided to not check for them.

“I see, so you gave them up for adoption, I can respect that.” Though it did seem sad they weren’t being raised by their mother, and Clarinet did seem to have a good head on her shoulders. As far as I had seen, I mean. but she was too young to have even been having foals.

She laughed. “Adoption, no. I simply lack the equality credits to raise them, so the republic raises them for me until I’m a truly respectable citizen.”

“What?” I got out of the tub feeling dry.

Clarinet trotted of the wash room, and over to her nightstand, lifted up a card. It looked like an advanced ID, the kind used by corporate CEO’s made of metal over a crystal core. “This here is my Equality Credit Score Passcard. It shows my Equality Credit Score, that’s ECS for short, with this card.”

“What?” I responded, following her out of the wash room.

She put down the card. “Sorry, it all must be new to you.” She picked up a second card in her jerky magic, and passed it over to me. “You ECS represents how well you’re doing in the republic. The better your doing as a citizen, the more the republic can support you in your life. Ponies with high EC scores can not only can raise their own foals, but get bigger homes to raise them in. Better food, clothes, and jobs too.”

Feeling a little cold I began to put on some clothes Clarinet had left out for me. Picking the skirt, shirt, and jacket, I began to feel a little more myself again. The gray panties left for me were alright, if a bit rough on my fur. “So what’s your score, and how do you rise it?” Personally I didn’t like this whole ECS thing, it already smelled rotten to me.

“Oh that’s simple, you just need to show how willing you are to being equal with everypony, and put in the effort to help others be equal. My score is at 437 right now. Not the best, but with your help I know I can get it up higher.” She held onto a big smile as she put on some shorts and a sweater that was a bit too big for her.

“How do I help?” The hole being equal and helping others be equal was flying over my head, and now I was involved… of course I was involved.

“By being equal silly.” She smiled as she pulled me out of bed. “We got a few hours left until the shops close, so let’s get you all equal.” She stopped for a moment, tapping a hoof. “Food too, you must be starving.”

As she dragged me, I got a good look at the room. Much of it was bare, except for pro republic posters, one of them showing a pony holding an equalist flag, standing above another pony in a top hat. At the top it said “Stand above the capitalists,’ and on the bottom, ‘Or be crushed by their greed.’ Somehow that poster filled me with dread.

I had to say, Trust Town station was positively spotless, almost polished to a shine even. Not that cleanliness was anything new, but it had a freshly cleaned like feel to it, like it was just recently done. Not just that, but how new everything felt. From the cement below my feet, to the lamps on the ceiling, nothing looked older than ten years old, twenty at the most.

The ponies who were sitting around, which were quite a few, were all reading either the newspaper, or a book. It all being the same paper was not strange to me, but I only counted three different books between everypony I saw.

It was not only that, but we all had practically the same outfit on, the only things standing out were the brighter colored ponies, or my back legs. It actually made me feel a bit self-conscious about having full cyber legs in the back, like it was something out of the norm. I know that the other ponies were looking at us, but none would look at us directly, as though they were using a mirror to look at us, and not with their own eyes.

Clarinet went over a few things I should know, like how it is not equal to try to stand out above others, or that being polite is more important than being right. It sounded a lot like basic common sense, but with forced conformity integrated into it. Not that I didn’t understand it all, in Charon’s Stop ponies didn’t like to be treated like they were inferior, and you rarely proved you were right by insulting others. It was all the same kind of social rules but with an equality spin to it. A pain in the neck to be sure, but not hard to understand.

We arrived in what was the market district of the station, like any other station, it was the center of where everypony got the things they needed. You could always go outside the station to pick up the same thing at a cheaper price, but most merchants bought up everything before anypony could wake up.

The shop we stopped at was the local stylist. It called itself ‘Perfect Mane and Tail’ with a big neon Open sign above the door. The inside was not much different from that of any hair salon, being clean, covered in mirrors, and a wall dedicated to hair products. What looked off to me was the stylist, not strange, but just out of place for where I was, which was normal anywhere else. She had a distinctive bandit look, though similar to everypony else, still like a bandit. Her jacket was black cloth, her pants were blue, and her mane was done in a blue Pompadour.

The stylist put on a big smile and trotted over to us and gave Clarinet a hug. “Clarinet, so good to see you, and you brought a friend, always nice.” She let go of her and gave me a hug as well. The touching did not make me feel comfortable at all. “I know my sister has strange tastes, but I’m sure you will love her like we all do.

Clarinet blushed as red as a radish. “Bass Don’t tease me, you know I’m trying to raise my score.”

Bass the stylist chuckled. “I know, sorry. But you should really just cut us off if you want to raise your score. Were just dragging you down, making you not square. Ya dig.”

She puffed up. “I do dig, dig better than you. Our family is going to be big you see, even if I have to lift every one of you up, we're going to be the most equal family that any equal family has ever seen. And I’m going to make Pompadour’s be seen as an equal mane style to prove it.” Clarinet spoke with conviction, almost making me want to cheer her on. Except for the question on how one could be more equal than any other.

Bass laughed. “I dig, I dig. Now that mare’s got lots of mane and tail. So she must be new. Which haircut should I give her, the equal kind, or the not equal kind?”

I sighed. “Do I need a haircut, I kind of like it long. The Stallions I like, like it that way.”

Clarinet shook her head. “Sorry, but you’re not going to have a fun time if you don't get with the others. And first on the list is a haircut, the tail too.”

I lifted my mane up with a hoof and sighed. “It can always grow back I guess.”

Bass, who during my haircut told me her full name was Bass Clarinet Reed, and that the name of the Clarinet I knew was actually Alto Clarinet Reed, of the Reed bandit family. There were two others of the Reed family in this station, including a male from another bandit group, who was also the father of their foals. The Reed foals numbered at sixteen, which helped explain why the bandits were such a problem in the metro, they breed like Rad-Roches. Bass also let it slip that her sister was gay, though she had two foals already, it was more to do with her devotion to her family then her own sexuality. A strangely charming quirk for a bandit.

In the end, my main and tail looked exactly like Clarinet’s, short and tied up. Bass looked a bit depressed about it, and I did too, but I knew I was not going to get out of here by being a bright light in a dark room.

Before leaving we said our goodbye’s, and Bass hoofed over some mane jell to me in case I ever wanted to rebel a little. Remove the rape, murder, and chems, the Bandit look had its own charm. Making me a bit sad that Bass was another mare, as I could dig her if she was a stallion, and somehow I knew she felt the same about me. I almost brought up about how I'd rather stay with Bass, but I didn’t want to hurt Clarinet’s feelings, because any attention would be forced onto me.

Next Clarinet brought me to a local food dispensary. The place was set up like it was a diner, but it only gave out rations. Luckily it still had five rations left, and my ECS pass card allowed me three meals a day. Of which I still had three to use, and Clarinet had one. So we ordered four meals to eat. What we got was pink nutrition paste and water, the water being free. Clarinet’s ECS allowed her to order a food supplement powder which she could mix in water for a better tasting drink. So we both had a meal and a half of tasteless paste, and watered down pineapple flavored water.

It was a tasteless meal, but i had worse, like when Sweet dared me to eat a immature wild punga fruit raw off the vine. The sourness was intense enough I had almost puked. But this was simply nothing with a hint of pineapple. Even Orthrus Rations had flavor to it, my favorite being ration R-29 that having a strong apple flavor, with a hint of cranberries. Sadly, they stopped making it, so R-29 was a gray market deal now.

“Sorry about my sister, she talks too much.” Clarinet spoke up as she slowly ate her paste.

I waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. If all bandits were like her, my life would have been much easier.”

She shook her head. “Not five years ago. I bet you would have shot her on sight.”

I didn’t answer that.

“You see, only me and my sisters at the camp survived. Flumpet our male, he was the only one spared in the raiding party…”

I raised my hoof up catching her attention, and cutting her off. “Right now I don’t care. And truth be told, I might never care about it. You’re helping me, and that’s all that matters. So why don’t you take me to see your foals, I’m sure they're adorable. What do you say?”

Clarinet rubbed a tear from her eye, and smiled. “Ya, lets.”

The nursery was a large place, probably taking up a two tunnels, we started at a reception desk. The mare at the desk gave Clarinet an annoyed look, and proceeded to ignore her. I felt this was a rude thing for a social worker, but Clarinet didn’t seem to care, so I decided that neither would I. This was Clarinet’s world, so I was not going to mess things up for her.

“Just remember to not do anything to upset the foals, it’s the fastest way to lose your privilege to see them.” Clarinet advised me, and I nodded.

“Why isn’t Bass coming. She’s a mother too, right.”

Clarinet’s head seemed to droop a little. “her score is too low, and last time she was here, she took it upon herself to discipline her foal, instead of letting the nursery do it. So she can’t come here until her credit is back up.” It felt wrong to me, not just that Bass was not allowed here, but at place itself. Foals should be with their parents, not locked away in some permanent school. Looking around, I could see many of foals looking at us, futility trying to stay out of sight, and with the look of disappointment on their face’s. What hit me the worst was the posters that were plastered everywhere, an image of a pony standing tall, with the word ‘The Republic Made Me Strong, The Republic Made Me Equal, The Republic is the only Family I Need.’ It sent a shiver down my spine.

We entered what looked like a playroom, and in the center was a larger group of foals and two full grown ponies, a mare and stallion. Clarinet brightened up and trotted over to them, the other mare stepping over the foals to give her a hug.

“Sopranino! You're allowed to read to the foals again. This is wonderful.” The two mares held onto each other for a minute before letting go.

Sopranino had a bunch of scars covering her face, and a burn that covered the area around her right eye. She kissed Clarinet on the cheek on both sides. “It seems like a little sis of mine went and did really good, enough to bump my ECS back up over 400.”

The two hugged again, and I turned my attention to the lone male. He looked a bit out of place here, scowling, and covered in scars that clearly extended under his clothes. I would have been more intimidated by him if he was not covered in foals. Two of the braver foal adventurer’s were two colts fighting for the position on the top of the stallion’s head. The stallion simply glared at me, not moving his head. The youngest of the foals were snuggling themselves under his chest, hiding their faces.

“Um, what’s the problem with big daddy there.” I pointed at the stallion. Now I liked rugged stallions, but there was such a thing as too much of a good thing, and he was too much rugged for my likening, a bit scary even.

Sopranino laughed. “My husband is just overly protective of his kids. He’s actually just a softy on the inside.” I’d be willing to believe that, but I already knew that they were bandits, and he had probably raped and murdered his way into the Reed family.

Two fillies separated themselves from the group and jumped onto Clarinet, one much older than the other. My bet was that they were her fillies. The older one had deeper colors, a purple coat that was almost black, and a pink mane was almost just red. The younger one had two normal back legs, but was much more muted in color, her coat a grayish purple, and a mane that was a light rosy pink. Both cuddled Clarinet, and she cuddled them back.

The older foal jumped around, tripping on one her prosthetic legs. “Who did you bring Mommy, can I wrestle her?”

Clarinet laughed. “Her, no. She’s needs to recover her strength before she can take you on.” Patting the filly on the head, she gave her a hug. “Her name is Chime Catbell, and she’s going to help me raise my score so that we can live together.”

The filly jumped out of her mother’s hold and bounced over to me. To my shock, she had the same yellowed eyes as her mother, but luckily that was it. The six-year-old was bursting with confidence as she stared me down. “Don’t go hurting my momma!”

I glared down back at her. “Don’t assume that I will.” We glared at each other for what felt like a minute, I didn’t want to lose to a six-year-old. Somehow I felt that if I did, this kid would come back to torment me.

The other filly had curled up onto her mother’s chest and had fallen asleep. It was a real cute scene, almost heart attack worthy. The rest of the foals had gotten curious about me, and were straying from their father to get a better look at me.

Clarinet explained to me that the foal’s names were Recorder Reed, with Clarinets oldest being Descant Recorder Reed, and her youngest Garklein Recorder Reed. It also turns out that Bass’s foal was one of the Colts, the one proudly standing on his father’s head. His name was Treble Recorder Reed, looking a lot like his mother, but with the face of his father.

After a short time of letting the foals simply run around us, Clarinet announced that it was time for us to go. They all seemed a bit upset about it, but none of them got difficult about it. It was strange, as they were definably upset about us leaving, but they were forcing themselves to remain quiet about it. I still remember when I latched myself onto my dad’s leg so he wouldn’t have to go to work, and how he had to shake me off. I’d imagine Bandit foals being far more demanding, and loud.

______________________________________

Leaving the nursery, I could feel an air of sadness around Clarinet, but i didn’t want to push the issue. It was obvious that she wanted to be with her kids, which made me feel angry that she wasn’t. I had seen bad parents before, but Clarinet felt like a parent who at least cared, and was trying. Not the best parent, but at least trying to be a decent one.

We stopped at what was called a worker’s outlet, and the smile on Clarinets face had returned. “Now let’s get you set up as the hard working member of the republic that you are… well, will be.” The inside did not disappoint. Everything in here was geared towards doing a job, mostly unskilled labor work, but also military, and a few engineering jobs. “Right first things first, we need to get you a new jumpsuit, and fatigues. Also a dress suit for classy work, and some cleaning tools for helping keep the station clean.”

I stopped her. “How much of this is necessary?”

Clarinet laughed, and snorted. “All of it. You can’t show how willing you are to work for the republic until you have the gear to do the job. The jumpsuits for all basic labor, the fatigues are in case you're called to fight, that kind of stuff.”

“Wait, there is a military draft?”

She waved her hoof at me like I told a joke. “Draft, no. everypony is expected to defend the republic, if they don’t, they’re not a citizen.”

I had to think about it for a moment, and it hit me, this meant everypony here is part of the republic's military. I remember learning in school that the republic, before the equalists took over, had a large military. But it would have only amounted to 10% of the population at most. The republic today, if what Clarinet said was true, has a near 100% military population, not counting those too lame or sick to fight.

“What happens to the ponies who are not a citizen?” I had to ask, if such ponies existed, they could help me get out of here

She rolled her eyes. “There around, not doing anything to help anypony. Lazy I say, they just want to drag the rest of us down. I don’t know why the Pinks even pick them up. Work camps are so capitalistic, just sending them to Carrion’s Stop would be for the best.”

“I see.” I eyed the cashier, who was pretending to not look at us, and returned my gaze back to Clarinet. “Well I guess we should get this shopping done. No need for the pinks to pay us a visit.”

Clarinet smiled, and quickly grabbed everything I needed, and a few things for herself. From what she told me, she had earned a lot of bits with the republic in her work on pineapple island. To her the best way to spend the bits was to show how committed she was to the republic by getting me set up as a model citizen.

As it turned out. Buying work clothes added to a pony’s ECS, same thing for spending the rations on the tasteless paste. The paste was free, but you only get three a day. Choosing to eat it over less processed food was considered helping the republic avoid a food shortage, those adding to the ECS for being a good citizen. The work clothes were seen as a willingness to help maintain the republic, and keep it strong, same for military clothes, as It showed a willingness to fight for the republic. All of it added to the ECS, of which the higher the ECS, the more benefits a pony would earn.

It sounded simple, with a pony working to raise their ECS, the better their life in the republic would be. The fastest way to raise the score was to actively volunteer for the military, in which Clarinet was a medic. What felt wrong to me was how your social connections affected your score. From the sounds of it, If Clarinet had cut off her sisters, her score would have been in the five hundreds, allowing her to raise her two fillies. Her big hope was to make me a counter balance, by making me a model citizen I would help her raise her score. Though it was not me alone she was helping, but two others, I was simply the one that needed the most help right now.

When we were done shopping, I had all the basic stuff for working in the republic. Unsurprisingly, the only clothes that didn’t feel utterly cheap were the green military fatigues, which was a bit rough, but thick and strong. I placed the cap on my head, and hauled the stuff out. Even if I didn’t plan on staying long, I felt like it was a good Idea to play along the best I could.

On our trot back to Clarinets pace, everything had gone dark. The only light coming from the lamps on the ceiling, all of which had dimmed. “So I’m guessing this is lights out time?” I asked nervously.

“Yep!” Clarinet responded. “Everypony should be hurrying home now. It be rude to be out and about when everypony is asleep.”

“What about ponies who work overnight?” I felt that it was A fair question.

She scratched her chin. “I guess they get special permission. I know some places have cots for overnight workers, like at the factory’s. I’ve even heard that some factories are lived in by the workers.” With that answer she trotted ahead, and I chased after her.

The room was no different from before we left, a bit bleak, with a spare gray shirt on the floor. Clarinet gave out a long sigh, and undressed. I on the other hoof found a place for my new stuff. I didn’t know which I was going to use, so I just kept it all in a neat pile in the corner of the room.

“I know you haven't been up long, but come to bed.” She was already nude, looking a bit too excited for me.

“Sorry, I’m just not feeling all that sleepy.”

Clarinet scratched her chin and smiled. “You could always play with me, I’m sure you know a few tricks I don’t.”

I nervously laughed. “I’m sure I do. But sorry, not into mares.”

She frowned. “That’s fine. But you’re going to want to get some sleep, and the best way is to sweat yourself to it. But if you’re not interested, I do have something in my desk to help. It’s a good stress reliever, but I try to use it sparingly.”

I trotted over to her desk, hoping it was not a dildo she was talking about. Opening the drawer inside was a few small air canisters, and an inhaler. It was chill, enough to put one's self to sleep for a week. “Is this legal?”

“With permission.” She said looking unashamed. “It’s a perk for working with the Ministry of peace, as long as the chems stay in my house I have free range in their use. But I can only get more from the ministry.

“Ministry of peace, I thought the equalists dismantled the ministry system?”

She shook her head. “Cut down, but the ministry’s still have their place. I owe the ministry of peace everything that I am today, and acted as a representative of it when the ministry of awesome went out to the pineapple islands. I plan to be become a nurse in the next few years, and have my daughters follow my hoof steps.”

Clarinet had a glow to her, everything she said had conviction behind it. But the glow, though it felt warm, it also felt wrong. Despite all that innocence, respect, and hard work, I felt like she should have been cursing up a storm. Or at least being as much of a bitch as Dollu was. I could see the damage on her, in her. Everything about her was damaged, and I wanted to hear her scream and cry until it was all out.

I looked at the inhaler, and knew I was at a crossroads. Sleep with Clarinet and maybe convince her that this was a life she didn’t want. Or breathe in the chill, and play along.

…

…

…

What right did I have to impose my morals onto another. “For the Republic.” I put the inhaler to my lips, and pressed down, breathing in the chem.

Putting down the inhaler, I trotted over to the bed, removing my clothes. Everything became slow, my movements, sound, even the light was slow. Don’t ask me how, it just was. Clarinet helped me undress the rest of the way before helping me to bed.

In the bed, she lay next to me, only cuddling, and nothing more. The room was dark, and I tried to close my eyes, but she just would not stop staring at me. Phobetor’s golden eyes looks at me from the shadows on the wall, like there was another space beyond it, threatening to pull me in. The shadows formed into a hoof, reaching out to me and placing it on my face.

‘sleep’ she told me, and I complied.

The world melted away into darkness as my aching body became numb.

Swirling colors and I was standing on the ceiling. Even though I knew it was a dream, wrapping my head around it was no easy task. The only thing that remained a constant was the oversized stable door below me, with a pony pacing back and forth in front of it.

It was probably black spot, trying to get in. I still didn’t know why, something I wanted to ask Phobetor, but when I tried, my mouth was missing, and she walked away.

Not knowing what to do, I let myself float away to the overly blue rainbow, which tasted like carrots. My mouth was still missing, but my hoof did well as a substitute. If only I didn’t leave my bag of hammers behind, I could have finished the terminal.

I woke up, my body still felt sore all over, and I had a slight headache. I also felt confused. Not as to where I was, I knew I was at Clarinets place, but just confused kind of confused. The headache got a little worse.

Looking around a little, a small cup of pills and a glass of water sat next to the clock, with a piece of paper next to it that had my ‘name’ on it. Pulling the paper to me, it had a short note on it that read. “If you're still feeling unwell, just take the painkillers, they should last you for most of the day.” I didn’t hurt enough to warrant the taking of pills, and I’d seen plenty of strung out addicts to convince me that power through the pain was better than taking pills to ignore it.

Not wanting to dwell on it, I got out of bed, and was pleased to find that I still had some underwear on. Clarinet on the other hoof was still bare, setting up two pairs of clothes as she hummed along to a marching song that was playing over the radio.

The music died down, and the very monotone voice of a mare spoke up “Good morning to all the wonderful citizens of the Republic. I have some good news, bad news, and music. But first a message from our president, Garmon Keys.”

The stallion spoke, his voice was deep, confident, and had an air of sophistication about it. “Good day citizens. I am pleased to announce that we had another station join our case, it may be only one, but even the smallest victory brings us closer to unification. This is all thanks to you, the citizens, for without your support it would not have been possible to separate the station from the lies they have been fed, and bring them into the truth that is equality. Like the great heroes of old, our victory does not come from anyone ponies action alone, but from when we all act together as one in harmony. So rejoice, because of your efforts we grow stronger every day. A small step by one pony is nothing more than that, but together we make a stampede.”

“I’ve also been hearing about the possibility that I might have lost my way, and I’d like to dash these rumors. I choose to step out there so that you may not need to, be exposed to everything that is wrong, see it with my own eyes, and bring back to you with the knowledge that yes, you are right to stay here, far from their corruption. I’ve seen as the gluttons produce and hoard vast amounts of food as they leave their sisters and brothers to starve. Parading the food around in private rooms, as though it were more trophy than food. The Greedy force workers to be in slave like conditions, earning great wealth for them, but never sharing it, not even with the ones who had truly earned that wealth. The eyes of the workers are a void of hope, only knowing that if they don’t work, they will be treated as trash to be thrown out. I’ve even seen the crimes of the flesh, the top hats engaging in incest over a false sense of purity. So have I been led astray? No! I have only been shown why the metro needs you, needs us. There is a cancer out there, a cancer called the capitalist, is it’s up to us to save the metro.”

“Slowly but surely we are saving the metro, one station at a time. My comrades, my brothers, and sisters, this is not a time for doubt. It’s a time of joy. For the Capitalists know we are winning, and grow more desperate at every loss they suffer. I am but one pony, flawed and powerless, but you, you all are the many. Against your might the capitalists will fall, and history will prove you to be the victors.”

Finally, the blowhard was done talking, and the monotone voice of the DJ returned. “That was Garmon Keys everypony, and as passionate as always. Now for the news. In the good, the food surplus has hit its goal for the year, meaning that our daily rations may be getting some extra flavor soon. Everypony has been really pulling their weight out there, and it shows. So if you find yourself enjoying your rations a little more than the norm, remember that it’s thanks to your comrades and yourself.”

“Now for the bad news. One of the north side tunnels has collapsed. It was one of the lesser used old tunnels, so the movement of supplies will not be slowed down. But as the reports show, one pony has become lost, and yet to be found. There are also worries that the surface wild life might be able to get into the metro if the tunnel is damaged enough. Worker groups are being formed to clear and secure the tunnel, but it may be months before the tunnel is opened up for public use.”

“Now that’s all I have for you, for now. Stay tuned for updates, and more messages from our good president Garmon Keys. But until then, more music.” The old equestrian marching band music returned, a bit easier on the ears then what DJ Cerberus would play, but it made me feel uneasy.

The next thing I knew; some clothes were thrown on the bed next to me. “Isn’t he good plus?” Clarinet excitedly said. “The capitalists think they can drag him down, but no, he always comes back to us.”

I looked at the clothes, they being what we purchased the night before. A dress shirt, vest, skirt, stockings, shoes, and even a cute little hat. The stockings and shoes seemed weird to me, do to nearly everypony I knew having cybernetic prosthetics, but I didn’t’ argue, and put them on, with some difficulty. “So I’m guessing he is real popular then?”

Clarinet nodded. “Yep, successfully negotiated for five stations to join the republic, and keeps most of the outsider’s attention on him and away from us.” She was putting on the same outfit as I was, though having a much easier time. Her vest had two pins on the chest like they were badges of honor, both looking similar to the old ministry's. They were recognizable enough to me: First was a cross with a butterfly for the M.o.P. and the second had three diamonds which would be the M.o.I. Clarinet fill out her cloths real well, hugging her hips ever so nicely, making jealousy and self-loathing stab at me. That or I needed to take some more painkillers.

Sighing, I trotted over to the nightstand, and took the pills. The pain was slowly getting worse, but didn’t feel like it would get unbarable. But I didn’t want to risk it right now. Just trying to not get found out was going to be bad enough, I didn’t want to be in pain the whole time on top of it.

The shirt and skirt went on easy enough, and I was glad to have something cover my plot other than a thin piece of cloth. “Sounds like a damn good politician.” I put on the shoes, which clacked on the floor. “My mom always told me to not trust politicians, their job was to be the best liar.” The last to go on was the hat, which turned out to stay on by pinning itself to our mane. I put it at an angle, feeling that it was cuter that way.

“I don’t know. If it’s the politics ran by the capitalists, then I’m sure it’s all about lies. But what do you expect from a capitalist? Here in the republic it’s different.” She finished adjusting her outfit, and trotted over to a terminal on her desk. “Alright, orientation will begin in an hour and a half, so we have time to eat first.”

“Orientation?” I asked, as I looked at what was on the screen. She was going over her mail, one message being from her sister Bass. Another message was something about ECS opportunities.

“YEP!” She said happily. “You and the other new ponies get to learn about your job here, and how wonderful your life is going to be. The others have a bit of a head start, as I got to spend more time with them, but orientation will help put you on equal hoofing.” Turning off the terminal, she trotted over to the door. “Let’s go get something to eat, and then I’ll take you to orientation.”

The food was just as bland as it was before, just with more ponies around me to share the atmosphere. It all had a military feel to it, but a bit more relaxed, and friendly. The only real problem was the feeling of somepony’s eyes being on me, which never stopped.

Everypony had similar cloths on, with gray being the main color. Clarinet and I had the better looking clothes, along with a few others, most of the rest had a jumpsuits on, and a small few had overalls. Overall it looked like we were civilians organized to be like a military. No uniforms, just the same colors, and a mess hall replaced by a food court. It was very surreal.

After picking up our pink mush, and something that looked like bread sticks, Clarinet took me to a table with two sickly looking mares sitting at it. They both had the same outfits as we did, though it hanged loosely onto their thin bodies.

“This is Paixiao.” She motioned to a dark gray mare, with a blue mane and tail. She had a lot of small cuts on her lip, a common thing among scavs who had no levitation talasman. “I met her in the soup kitchen back on Pineapple Island, say hello Paixiao.”

The mare weekly waved. “hello.” her voice quiet, and a bit squeaky. “I’m Paixiao… as you already know. I um… I’m really thankful for your help. But are you sure this is okay?” She had the look about her of a pony not use to getting attention, the kind you just want to hug.

Clarinet playfully waved her off dismissively. “You're in the republic now, we share and share alike. Like family. There's no better way to spend your bits then helping out your fellow pony.” She turned her attention to the second pony. “This is Ruan.” The mare didn’t look much better off than Paixiao did, but had less of the wear and tear about her. Her lime green coat had a bit of shine to it, and her tan mane and tail had less frizzle to it, meaning they were probably longer and well maintained. “I also met her at the soup kitchen”

Ruan nodded. “Charmed.”

Something seemed off about her, and before I knew I was doing it, everypony saw me staring at her. “Oh sorry.” I pulled back and sighed. “So why did you join the republic?”

Her eyes darted about for a second before focusing back onto me, and glaring. “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”

Before I could respond, Clarinet cut in. “This is Chime! I met her topside, where I saved her life.”

The other two raised an eyebrow, and I relaxed. “That’s true. Me and the pony I was with got ambushed by the whoever was attacking us. I think, it’s all still fuzzy. But when I came too, Clarinet had dragged me to safety, and helped me the rest of the way here. I owe her my life.” I gave Ruan another look. “What about you?”

Ruan lowered her head. “I… I have a gambling addiction. All my bits had dried up, and all the money I earned went to just keeping me from getting kicked out of the island.”

“So running away from loan sharks?” I had to ask, and she nodded.

Clarinet banged on the table angrily. “You see, that’s the problem with the capitalist! They make a system where your only option is to be their wage-slave. And when they take all your bits, they send ungood ponies to take your legs so that they can sell them off too.”

“No, it was not like that.” Ruan attempted to calm Clarinet down, with fair amount of success. “I was a fool, and fell into a trap. My momma always told me to accept my fault when things go wrong. That’s why I’m going to turn my life around, no gambling, no taking loans for gambling.”

Clamped down, Clarinet smiled. “Well, if you want your life to get better, I’m here for you. I’ll even give you some helpful advice for orientation.” Clarinet went on to explained a few things about the orientation which we were going to, one being that she was going to help instruct it. It was simply going to go over the do’s and don’ts we needed to know as a member of the republic, and what was expected of us. Nothing seemed strange about her explanation, except that I was expecting there to be more, or at least some supervision going on. The orientation was just going to be a group of new citizens, and three speakers, somehow I doubted that no pony was spying in.

It was a little unnerving how open everything was, even though the inner stations of the republic were cut off from the rest of the metro. There were no armed guards at every corner, just simple patrols with only batons to defend themselves. I did see camera’s everywhere, but they were more strategically placed at entrances and exits, and not watching our every move. It felt like a real peaceful civil society, if a bit overly gray.

The only things really popping out were posters that were all over. Many being like the ones I had seen before. ‘pro equality, anti-capitalist.’ But others were a lot more uplifting, like ‘Remember to share, for sharing is caring.’ And ‘We are in this together, so don’t leave a comrade behind.’ But there were some that made me confused, the main one being ‘Don’t be a slave to Individuality, your freedom is in Conformity.’ The posters were all over the place, but evenly spaced enough to not feel oppressive, and it broke up the monotony of gray that was almost everything else.

Clarinet told me that the posters were made and maintained by the Ministry of Image, and they would give a small version of the posters out as gifts to good citizens. A pony could buy their own, but the posters the M.o.I. gave out were of higher quality, and given a stamp of approval. It seemed that collecting the posters was a big thing in the station, and Clarinet had seven she safely kept in her closet. She also told me that if I made a good impression at orientation, I’d probably get my own poster. I personally didn’t care, at all, so if I got one, she could have it.

The building where the orientation was being held was the job placement office. Everypony had practically the same outfit, other than a few pins to designate their job. “Oh one more thing.” Clarinet stopped me, and adjusted the hat I had on. “You’ve got to show them how committed you are, and you can’t do that by standing out.” It was a bit confusing, but I decided to not argue. I still had that feeling of eyes on me, so I didn’t want to risk standing out.

When orientation started, I found myself in a room sitting with a bunch of other mares all wearing the same outfit. All of them looked younger than me, and a lot more ragged. One mare had clear signs of being burnt, her fur still not have regrown over the damaged part of her skin. Another mare looked severely malnourished, her bones visible under the skin. One other mare looked mostly normal, but was missing an eye, she smiled at me, showing that most of her teeth were missing or broken.

Clarinet and two other mares stood at the front of the room, Clarinet was fumbling with a pin she was putting on. The other two stood tall and proud, though looking a bit thin like clarinet. One of the mares step forward and spoke, her voice louder than what it should be, probably enhanced through a talisman. “Hello and Welcome. We are part of the M.o.M.’s Happier Citizen project, so please sit tight as we explain everything you will need to know.”

The speaking mare strutted the center of the stage. “Now I know you all must be wondering about what your future will be here, how you’ll fit into such a wonderful society like this. Well, you’ve already taken your first step to being a proud member of the republic, and we are here to guide you into your happy role.” The mare gave a bright, if a bit off smile. “Among the things we will be explaining will be the nature of equality, how your equality credit score will work, and the dangers of hurtful thinking. If you have any questions, we will be here to help.”

The second mare, and Clarinet rolled a video projector out into the back of the group. The thing had seen better days, probably a good twenty or thirty years old, which meant it was still in better condition than the old stable-tec projectors. The lights dimmed, the projector turned on, and the sound of crackling video filled the room.

Some popcorn and soda would hit the spot right now.

Trumpets blasted as the republic's seal appeared on screen. I had forgotten how much valley island liked the color pink, as the Seal consisted of one bright pink Lokelani Rose bordered by a green laurel, with a light blue background. It was a much brighter symbol than that of Orthrus’s blue and gold two headed dog.

The music faded along with the republics seal, and the first scene opened up with a mirage pony mare standing in front of a desk. “What is equality? If you answered that it is when we treat all others as equals, and they treat us as equals, then you’d be right. But how does that happen, how do you know you are equal? To know this, we must first know what is not equal. So let’s take a look.” The mare trots off screen, only for her to poke her head out. “Come on, don't be shy.”

The scene changes to that of a school classroom, with many little foals sitting behind their desks. The video pony trots in with a smile on her face, nopony in the room paying her any mind. “The classroom, an example of an equal environment, where every student is the same, with the teacher placed as their advisor, parting the knowledge she has onto them. But even here inequality can happen.” One foal trots into the room, her nose in the air, and an elderly pony in a suit following here. “This is the little capitalist, her parents are wealthy, and love to throw their bits around. One of the ways they do this is by making their own foal better than all the others. Now we are all equal, so how does one pony do that is simple, they push everypony down to make themselves look better.”

The elderly butler pulled out a bag of bits and gave it to the teacher. The teacher nodded, and waved at the other students, who then pushed their desks backward, forcing them to be crowded. The one desk that didn’t get moved was of the wealthy filly, who sat behind the desk with a fat grin. “Now not all will be subjected to the crowd, the capitalist does like to pick their favorites to sit next to them.” The wealthy filly pointed at the crowd, and one filly pushed her desk happily forward. Then the wealthy filly pointed at the ground, and the other filly simply nodded happily, and placed herself under the wealthy filly to be used as a hoof rest. “But remember, you are never their equal, just a tool to make life easier for them.”

The teacher passed back and forth in the room, instructing the class, and when the foals had a question, all raising a hoof, the only one picked was the wealthy filly. “As you can see, the little capitalist has taken what was an equal environment, and turned it into something that serves only their needs. But that’s not the only place inequality shows up.”

The scene changes to that of a factory floor, with ponies at a conveyer belt, adding parts to what looked like an engine. The video pony once more trotted in, “Here we have another equal place, where everypony works together for the same goal, and are paid equally.” Another pony trots in, and sits at their workstation. But after they put on the part like all the others, they held onto the engine, and started putting other parts on. The other ponies, confused, stop to look at what was going on up the line. “Once more we have another capitalist, this one competitive to all around them. To them it’s more important that they are seen doing a job better than others, that they are willing to steal work of other ponies.

The capitalist pony began working on the next engine, as the others sat around doing nothing. A portly pony in a top hat than trotted into the scene. Top hat smiled at the one pony working on the engine, and scowled at the others. “Here comes another capitalist, this one the owner of the factory, and always looking to pay their workers less, and charge more for their product. Here the owner is pleased to see a pony willing to do all the work, as it gives him an idea.” The top hat pony, shews the other workers off screen, and passes the other capitalist pony a piece of paper. “The capitalist worker finds themselves with a raise, twice the pay as they were getting before, but all the other workers, they are now out of the job. Meaning that the capitalist owner is now paying one worker the wage of two workers to do the job of ten. As for the rest of the workers now out of work, the capitalist worker would say that they were just not working hard enough.”

The scene changed once more to what looked like a battlefield. The video pony cautiously trotted out, with a green helmet on her head. “Here is a place equality should win out, but rarely does.” Three young adult ponies run out in with helmets and fatigues on, only to all jump down and go prone on the ground as animated explosions go on overhead. “These ponies here are all equal, they’ve come from diverse backgrounds, and have been trained to treat each other with respect, like they were family. Except for a few ponies.”

The video pony trotted to the side, and the camera panned to follow her. The camera settled onto a pony with a fancy hat on, covered in pins, and sitting at a table eating some food. “The capitalist finds wealth to be made in everything, even war. Not that they would ever fight in it, that’s a job they leave for others to do.” Three more young ponies run in, and the commanding officer waves them off, and they ran onto the battlefield. “For them, war is simply another business, where the currency is the bodies of others, and the winner is the one who has the most bodies to throw at their enemies.”

“They get other ponies to fight for them through bribes and lies. Parading around what makes us different, and hiding what makes us the same. Convincing others that it is better to simply take what they want, and not talk with them, not to share. They tell the fighting ponies that if they fight and win, wealth will follow, but when the fighting is over, they spit on them and lock their doors.”

“So what is equality?”

The camera panned back to where it started, and the three young ponies were now shaking hooves with three other young ponies. “Equality is the ability is to look past what makes us different, and find what makes us the same. To embrace each other as sisters, not as enemies. To not be manipulated by the capitalist, not to feed their greed with our blood.”

The scene changed to that of the factory, where all the workers were working with smiles on their faces “Equality is to share the burden so that we may all have a place. To not give into the tricks of the capitalist, or our own pride.”

The scene changed again, this time to the classroom. All the foals were sitting at their desks, not cramped or unhappy. “Equality is a fair opportunity for all the young, nopony is treated better than others, nopony is brought down so that others can be lifted up.”

The scene changed one more time, back to the desk where this video started. The video pony trotted into the scene, a smile on her face. “So what is equality? It’s many things, but most importantly it is to respect your fellow pony, to see them lifted up with you. But you must always remember that equality is always under attack, as the capitalists seek to tear it down, and profit off its shattered pieces.”

Trumpets blast again as the video fades to white and ends. As the lights turns back on the projector is slowly carted away, and the speaker pony returned to the center of the stage.

“Any Questions?” she asked with a smile. I had quite a few, like in a system based on merit, much like a factory or a military, doesn’t forcing equality retard the ability of those most capable from getting into a position in which fits their skill level the best. It had to be hard to pick who should take the manager role when everyone is forced to be the same, and in the end it must be a popularity contest, not simply picking the one worthiest of the position.

One of the mares in my group raised a hoof, the one that was all skin and bones. “How does one be equal if there is not enough supplies to go around?”

The speaker did not hesitate at all. “Then we must all suffer together, as we should all feast together. As the saying goes, Sharing is caring. In the republic we make sure nopony goes hungry. I mean, sure the rations aren’t the best tasting stuff you have ever eaten, but that’s not the point, as it feeds everypony in the republic. The same goes for clothes, homes, and work. Everypony has a place here, for everypony is equal, and we all love you.”

Another pony nervously raised her hoof, the mare with the broken teeth and missing eye. “What about finding a stallion. Surely you can’t have solved that?”

Sighing, the speaker took a deep breath. “Yes, this is still an issue that needs to be resolved. The republic is working on one, but it’s something that’s another generation down the line. In time the republic will have a gender balance of 50/50, but until then you all must bear with us.” The smile returned to her face. “But if your worry is about becoming a mother, we do have a solution to that. We have a program called the Stronger Generation Project, where you help the republic by ushering in the next generation. The republic will handle all the more problematic parts of raising a foal, so you can concentrate on being a happy mother.”

I had a strong feeling that the speaker simply meant that the foal will live at the nursery, and the mother can visit them whenever she has free time. No thanks, If I’d ever had a foal of my own, they live with me.

The speaker’s eyes scanned the room, surveying us intently. She was either looking for dissenters, or ponies lacking the confidence to ask any more questions, maybe both, I didn’t know. I did get the strong feeling that I should play the part, not as an eager to be equal mare, but as someone who has given it some thought and is looking to be convinced. I raised my hoof, and asked a question. “In a situation involving the distribution of scrap and other salvage, equal distribution is normal, but what if there is a pony hiding some of that they recovered so that they can claim it all for themselves later? How do we keep that from happening?”

For a moment, the speaker paused to think. “Yes, that can be a problem, and it’s so not equal.” She smiled. “Hoarding is a sickness of the capitalist, of which the Republic will do what it can to cure from the pony, but if all else fails, such a pony must be excluded.”

“Excluded?” I had to ask.

She nodded. “Excluded. Such behavior must not be tolerated, so the kindest thing to do is to not associate yourself with them. We ponies are social creatures, so if the pony wishes to return to us again, they will simply have to fix their problems, return to equality.”

After that, nopony had any more questions, and the speaker took a step back and let the second pony take the stage. Behind her, Clarinet pushed a black board into view, on it was “E.C.S.” in big bold letters.

“Hello everypony! I’m going to quickly go over the Equality Credit Score with you.” She had the same kind of upbeat feel to her as the last speaker. It was a mix of genuine excitement, and forcing yourself to be happy. It was weird. “Now, I know you’re asking yourself ‘what does this E.C.S. have to do with me being a happy citizen’? Well it has everything to do with you being a happy citizen!”

Clarinet wrote down on the blackboard, ‘High E.C.S. = citizen of high regard’ and ‘Low E.C.S. = citizen of low regard’

The speaker continued. “How it works is that the score represents how equal you are being in the Republic. Good citizens can and will quickly raise up their score, where irresponsible citizens will see it drop. The benefits of having a high E.C.S. are many, but nothing that would make you unequal to others, just things that would help you be a happier citizen.”

On the blackboard, clarinet drew a present with a tag that said ‘High E.C.S.’

“Some of the benefits do include gifts, such as collectible postcards, flavor additives for your food and drinks, and even pins that you can put on your clothes to show the pride you have for the republic. But the most important part about having a high E.C.S. is that it shows that you’re a responsible citizen who can be trusted to guide others in being equal. What this means is that new opportunities will open up to you, both for work, and family. The more you show your willingness to be equal, and help others to be equal, the more responsibilities the republic can grant you.”

Once more Clarinet drew on the blackboard. This time it was a pony standing above others, with a word bubble saying “Follow me!”

“You can raise your E.C.S. by focusing your effort on helping the republic and your fellow pony. Buying work clothes is a small way to do it, even if it’s not for yourself. Volunteer work is a big plus for equality, as is public speaking to show how equality has helped change your life for the better. Any effort you can put into benefit the republic, and your fellow pony, can raise your E.C.S.”

Clarinet turned the blackboard around, showing a bunch of ponies having a party.

“Your social connections are also important, as we are in this together. The more ponies you have in your group, the better you will do. Your score will affect them, and their score will affect you. This means it is much easier to spot a pony who may be in trouble, and allow you to help them back up. As you see, with the E.C.S. Nopony is alone, and nopony is left behind.” With a smile, the speaker looked around the room. “Any questions?”

I figured that it was best to show that I was engaged, so I raised my hoof. The system sounded good and all, but that last bit felt like an excuse for other ponies to inject themselves into my business. “How do I know what my score is, or any other ponies?”

The speaker’s eye’s widened as though in shock. “Oh my, how could I have forgotten. Sorry about that. You can access the information through any terminal connected to the Republics Network. There is a terminal in every home, and public terminals all over the republic. You simply need to place your E.C.S. passcard into the terminal, and your information will appear on the screen. You can also view the information of ponies you have selected as your friends and family, and send them messages. The network is also a great place to view the news, and comment on it. The network is also a great place to make new friends that you might never get to meet in person.”

A few of the others had their own questions, but mainly about the benefits they can get for raising their E.C.S. It was information I’d be interested in if I planned on sticking around, but I wasn’t, so I only feigned interest.

The two speakers pushed the blackboard off stage, and Clarinet took the center, with a big grin on her face. “Now I know this has been a lot to take in, but we have one more thing to go over. And that’s how to avoid hurtful words. Now I know, I know. Words are just words, and they can’t actually hurt you. But that’s only physically. The improper use of words can have an effect on another pony’s feelings, which could lead to them having problems with socializing with others, which could lead to depression.”

I had a feeling i knew what this was going to be about, but still it was a mental loop and a half. Manners were important, everypony but savages knew that, but hurtful words were still just words, nothing that needed to be told to adults.

Clarinet continued. “Now we know most of the aggressive words that ponies tend to use. Most ponies use them out of anger, or because they are hurt themselves. They're mean and hurtful, but easy to recognize and avoid. What we’re going to talk about is the minor aggressive words that we use every day, but don’t know about. Word’s such as bad, ill, or even dark. These words just muck up our ability to communicate and could unintentionally do harm. Alternatives words that get to the point are ungood, unhealthy, and unlight. Or to emphasise a positive word, good plus, healthy plus, and light plus. By using words this way, we can avoid miscommunication, which would help us avoid hurtful words.”

This… explained a lot about Clarinet, but the mental gymnastics to just understand this gave me a headache. Among the group I was with was a mix of confused stares, and nodding. The two other speakers trotted among us, with big smiles on their faces, and hoofing out small books titled ‘Equal Speak and you.’

“Now you should all have a quick reference guide in your hooves.” Clarinet holding up one of the books herself. “Now equal speak is not required to be seen as a good citizen, but to anypony who wishes to quickly raise their E.C.S. being able to equal speak will help you from saying anything that would take away from your E.C.S. as well as raise it if doing public speaking.” She put down the book. “Another advantage to equal speak is its focus on positive words. Many ponies, like myself, have felt the positive aspect of equal speak. It helps improve your mood, ushering away negative thoughts, and helping clear your mind. It has also shown to help improve the mood of other ponies around you, meaning that you can cut through the negativity though the positive power of equal speak.”

Clarinet seemed more energized the more she talked, more passionate as she went on. “Trust me, if you truly want to turn your life around, make it truly better, equal speak is the best way to start. When I first joined the republic, I was a mess, and everything I did and said was unright. I felt lost, confused, and alone. But when I started using equal speak, that all changed. I found that through it, I was avoiding hurtful words completely. Soon after, other ponies became more accepting of me, and through them, I learned what other things I was doing unright. Because of equal speak, I found a new family, and I love them as they love me. That’s why I want you to at least try equal speak. I want you all to find your new family in the republic, be loved, and love in return.” She took a deep breath. “So any questions?”

At this point about nearly all the other ponies were nodding along. I couldn’t blame them, they all looked like they had gotten out of a bad situation, some worse than others. Finding a new family, loving, and being loved in return, it all sounded nice. But I had a family I loved, and I wanted to return to them. So I had to play the part, be Chime Catbell until the time I can escape. Raising my hoof, I cleared my throat, ready to ask one last question. Clarinet looked positively ecstatic that I was engaging in her Q&A “About equal speak, if it’s so positive, are their plans on having it spread outside of the republic?”

Clarinets smile held firm. “Not yet. Equal speak is still newly widespread enough within the republic. So if it goes out into the metro as it is, there is a risk of it getting corrupted by those who do not understand it.” Sounded reasonable enough to me, in a crazy weird sort of way.

The rest of the questions from the others went on about little things, such as if equal speak could help them get a good job, or other ways to improve their lives. Some even asked the same question, just with different wording, which to me felt like a justification for equal speak.

The other two speakers joined the stage with Clarinet, and one played a little tune on a harmonica before Clarinet spoke again. “And so that concludes your orientation, we’ve left a guide book at the door for anypony who wishes to review what we went over today. Also if you have any other questions, don’t be afraid to ask you fellow citizens, were here to help.”

We all quietly shuffled out of the room, almost everyone taking a book with them on their way out. Playing the part of a good citizen of the republic, I took one as well. Out in the hall, everypony looked a bit at a loss, which was understandable, as we were all new here, we didn’t know this place very well.

Ruan and Paixiao followed me out. Ruan looked the most baffled out of all the mares here, and I felt that she may have a lot of trouble adjusting to her new life. Paixiao on the other hoof was flipping through the equal speak booklet, so I felt that she was going to do just fine.

Almost bouncing out of the room, Clarinet stopped at a few of the other mares, giving them hugs. The last ponies she went up to was us, hugging the two other mares but I got a sly look and a wink. “I’m glad you were interested in the orientation.” I swear that the metro had too many lesbians for its own good. “So you want me to show you around some more. I still have a few hours until I need to go to medical for work.”

“Sorry, but I’m going to check out the job placement office.” Ruan said scratching her head. “I think as soon as I get situated here, the easier it will be to understand this all.”

Paixiao closed the booklet. “Uhh, yes, That sounds good. I’ll just come back here later, or study the books.”

“That sounds fine.” There shouldn’t be much left to look at. Sub stations like this one were not known for being big. My real concern right now was to blend in as much as possible, and mulling around with nothing to do was not a way to do it. “Maybe I could help you out at medical, if it’s not too much of a problem.”

Clarinet almost jumped. “Yes, that be wonderful. I don’t think you will get paid for it, but volunteer work is the best way to raise your E.C.S.”

The three of us left the job placement office, passing some of the mares who were now gathering at one of the open desks, looking for work. They all had a look of hope about them, not the kind that said that everything was going to be alright, but a small fragile hope that their lives were going to at least a little better. I didn’t know what lives they were living up until now, but I wished them the best of luck.

Footnote:

Quest progression: The Magic of Equality is not Friendship.(20%)