The barely audible hum of the accent lighting in the walls coming up to daytime levels brought me out of the last wisps of sleep I was stubbornly clinging to, back to another day in Stable 111, Shift 3. Most ponies wouldn't even notice that slight hum as the automated lights went through their cycle of day and night. They kept all us Stable dwellers sane and on a 24 hour schedule and most would get another hour or two of sleep. But their maintenance was part of my duties so I heard them, every day...at 5:35 in the morning to the second. Assured yet again the ones in my room were working anyway, I stared at the ceiling and let the rest of my faculties get up to speed.

I was muddily going over what was on the to do list for today when the realization hit me, like a foal on Hearth's Warming day. It was Shift Change Day, that brought a small smile and sense of anticipation. Shift Change Day was always pleasant with the party and all the once a year extra work and change in routine. It was a small window to talk with different ponies from the incoming shift, a bit like the last day of school back before the war.

My good mood was momentarily soured at that. Remembering the world above before all the stupid fighting, before burying ourselves in this hole in the ground, before the war. The sad reminder aside, Shift Change day really was quite a lot like what I remembered of that sweet, final day of classes of Ms. Patience's' 1st grade, the last I attended above ground. The excitement in the air was present just the same.

Reminded of the world above I wondered idly what it was like now. Was my house still there? my room? my Shrouded Stallion action figure? (it still killed me it got left behind when the alarms went off). Were there ponies up there at all anymore, or had the balefire wiped the map clean? If there were other ponies up there, what were they like? All pointless questions really, it had been 12 years since the bombs fell and the world ended. Well 12 years for me anyway, 120 or so for whatever was still up there.

Being one of the maintenance ponies who helped keep it all running and growing up safe behind the great, gear door of Stable 111, I had to give it to Stable-Tec. This place had kept more than a thousand of us alive and even comfortable more than 120 years since the end. The methods were unorthodox and some annoyed me personally, but it had basically worked. Our "social experiment" goal in this stable had kept us in good shape.

Keeping one hundred or so ponies safe, supplied and secure, while the other 90% slept down in the Icebox, was a lot easier than trying to cram us all together down here awake and using resources. After today I'd be down in the fridge myself for the 13th time. When I woke up again, it would be 130 years since that desperate run from our beautiful old home, to our dingy grey current one.

Finally I stretched and groaned, rolled over and put my hooves down on the cold steel floor, dashing for the bathroom to get ready for the day. Usually I'd be lazy for awhile, or get up slowly and use my free time before work on the rec room terminals while nopony was there, but Shift Change day was special. As I stood in the shower letting the water rush over my charcoal black fur, using my magic to scrub the winged clock over a sword and shield cutie mark, I went over my revised to do list for the day.

I could get most of my actual work out of the way while everypony else was still waking up, so I should be able to enjoy most of the day. I quickly finished up getting dried and groomed, shrugging into my light blue Stable barding, eyeing the yellow trim and 111 across the back. Still fairly bright yellow, not yellow green, more than clean enough. I spared a short glance at the red eyes in the mirror, one partially hidden by straight, grey mane.

"Good enough," I grunted and left my room, heading for the atrium and the diner beyond.

When I reached the heart of the Stable, the out of the ordinary activity even this early reinforced that today was special. Usually I'd only see a pony or two from the night crew, or the rare early riser other than myself and the earth pony mare smiling behind the counter of the Stable's diner.

"Fast Times, g'mornin kiddo, Happy Shift Change! The usual, or going to be adventurous for the occasion?" the light green mare chuckled under her frizzy, graying dark-green mane, barely restrained by her mane-net.

"Happy Shift Change Mrs. Ladle" I replied, levitating a still cooling muffin from the tray behind her and a coffee mug from the counter, "Just the usual please, don't think my heart can take switching from apple muffin to oat on top of everything else today."

The kindly mare who had served me basically every meal for the last 12 years nickered and rolled her eyes, "Off to play on yer computers again this mornin Fast?" she asked as I trotted down the counter. I filled my mug from the still gleaming coffee maker, a little proud it had been operating here for more than a century.

I nodded toward the door leading down to the maintenance levels and the Icebox below. "Not today Mrs. Ladle, I'll mix things up a little and actually get some work done, before things get busy, see how adventurous I am? Good luck handing the diner over to Mr. Forks this year!" I called as took a bite from my delicious floating muffin and headed for the door.

"That crabby old goat ain't ever happy Fast, you know that! We'll stay off each others hooves well enough for a fine party for lunch though, see you then hon!" she called over her shoulder before returning to her day, grabbing another tray of muffin-y goodness and sliding them in the oven.

Part of Shift Change was turning your job in the Stable over to your replacement from the next shift, bringing them up to speed after they came up from the Icebox. The exchanges of control over the diner, between Heaping Ladle and Hearty Forks, had become legendary and a show of their own, part of the activities of the day I looked forward to.

Some time later, I started crawling out of service duct 23, wiggling my way hindlegs first, towards the open panel of my last stop on my route for the morning with some satisfaction. Occasionally being a smaller buck came in handy, of course this had been a lot easier when I started doing this job the year I got my cutie mark, but I still had it easier than others on the maintenance crew like...

"Hey Fast! Lemme give ya a hoof!" I heard a friendly shout as my rear legs were grabbed just as they were exiting the duct, a strong grip yanking out into the hall to stare up at the green eyes of the culprit.

"Good morning Grizz, thanks. Happy Shift Change." I smirked, getting back to my hooves and pulling my barding back down from the quick exit.

The brown earth pony stallion blanched a moment, shaking his shaggy dark purple mane briskly and widening his eyes. "Oh yeah! That's why everything was so busy on the way here.. I thought something seemed different. Well that's great! Another year down huh?" he smiled happily at the realization.

"Another year down" I agreed with a sigh and started gathering up my tools.

Grizzly Sands worked with me and was only a couple years older than me, so we grew up together, part of Shift 3. He was also pretty much my best friend, and of course he probably had a good reason for showing up late. In such a good mood thanks to his marefriend celebrating their last night before the freezer, whether he realized it or not.

"You should keep track of time a little better Grizz, I expect you to just be showing up by the time I'm almost done, but you should know what day of the year it is anyway" I snickered.

"Ah got a little distracted is all, overslept..." he shuffled and blushed, bingo on the marefriend then. I was happy for Grizz and.. Crystal Shine I thought it was currently, their happiness just reminded me of one of my complaints with how the Stable was set up though.

"I'm sure you did, and how is Crystal this morning?" I chuckled as I levitated the panel back in place and closed it with my screwdriver, stowing the trusty tool in my saddle bags.

Grizz gave a friendly noogie before shoving me gently, "Aw come on, gimme a break! You gonna bust my flanks all day, or help me out so we can celebrate?" he smiled and tried to look pathetic.

I hung my head in defeat and gestured for him to lead the way, "Why do I always end up helping you out on your rounds, after already finishing mine first?" I asked, playing my part of an old joke.

Grizz grinned over his shoulder and gave his part, "Duh! Because you're Fast!" he laughed.

Stupid as it was, that exchange was how we became friends near the end of my first year on the job. I had gotten my cutie mark and been assigned the previous shift, spending nearly the entire first year on the job trying to learn and not having any friends. I was a quick study and even though he was my senior, I often ended up helping Grizz finish his work. Simply because we worked near each other and I noticed he lagged behind.

Plus I try to make friends dammit, I'm just awkward at it, helping out was the best I could manage. After enough time together, I asked that question one day and got that response, both of us cracking up. I'm Fast, get it... 'har har har', it was so stupid it was funny and I managed to make a friend.

Finding a marefriend was proving much more challenging, and awkward, and embarrassing, and disastrous... When you live with the same 100 or so ponies and no one else, everypony knows everypony and there are limited options within your age group. I hadn't really considered it much growing up here in the Stable since I was just a colt.

Now it had started being a point of some concern though, since I was older and all my peers were all pairing off. I had managed to horrifically burn a lot of bridges and had now mostly given up. There were population controls in place in the Stable as part of our experiment anyway, according to the holotape the Overmare played us from Vice-President Scootaloo when we entered the stable 12 years ago, er 120 years ago rather.

I worked out most of the implications myself last shift, when I was getting desperate and figured those that don't naturally pair off might be moved around eventually, to expose them to other stallions and mares from other shifts. Births were carefully controlled in the Stable to maintain our population limit. At this point I just assumed the Overmares would do something if it came to it eventually, or I may stumble into something at random like my friendship with Grizz. I didn't share my friend's optimism though.

Grizz bounced on his hooves excitedly ahead of me as we approached the first of his rounds, "Oh bro, we gotta do the thing again this year! After we stop in at the party during lunch, I'll run to my room and grab the ol' Red Ryder and you find Sunset!"

I nodded and checked my pip-buck for Grizz's next stop, since I loaded his work order along with mine every week. "Alright, that sounds fun, but... we're not getting too old for our marksman competition, are we? I mean we're not foals anymore.."

Grizz waved my grumbling away with an expansive gesture of his forehooves. "Bah, of course not! Ah have to win back the Shift Change Cup don't ah? Besides, it's valuable practice, we can't be too soft when we go back to the surface, who knows what it'll be like!"

I couldn't help snorting at that, we weren't going to the surface anytime soon. Even only being awake one tenth of the time, this place was still designed for the long haul. If there were population controls, they expected us to have to be down here long enough it was an issue. Still, I liked our silly shooting tournament with the BB gun down in the Icebox, and I was defending champion after all..

"Right, practice doesn't hurt and the cup does look lovely on my shelf, I think I'll keep it next shift too." I snickered.

With a nudge to the shoulder, Grizz pushed me towards the junction box across the hall that was next on his list and grumbled, "It'll look even better on mah shelf next shift, mark mah words, now lets get this done so ah can collect!"

With a shared laugh, we got to work together for the last time that shift, knocking out the rest of the day's work before lunch, leaving us with plenty of time to celebrate. We rushed back out through the service tunnels, Grizz shouting greetings with our co workers as we passed them and me giving a wave or nod from behind. Charismatic speech masters like Grizz were fascinating ponies, but I could never figure out how he did it.

We scrambled into our locker room, getting cleaned up in record time and scrambling over each other to leave. 'Please let the show still be going on.' I thought as we rounded the corner and galloped down the hall towards the atrium when I could hear the shouts. 'Yes! Not too late' I cheered to myself as we came into view of the Stable diner.

"Look at ze condition of my kitchen! Do you see this filth and wear you common slop slinger!" cook Hearty Forks screeched as he paced around the Stable diner's kitchen, pointing from offense to offense as he spotted them. A ding in a counter, some grime under the sink, a piece of apple core that hadn't quite made it to the recycler bin, etc. The middle aged, orange unicorn stallion was some kind of fancy chef from the city before the war, being a daily cook for the ponies of his shift had been "an insult to his finely polished skills" as he often put it.

To her credit, Heaping Ladle had her forehooves flat on the counter in front of her, head bowed and teeth gritted fiercely. Her pinprick golden eyes bored into the metal surface and pointedly did not look at all at the knives in front of her. "I tell you every year Forks, we are not the only two using this kitchen! Eight other cooks use this kitchen, quite frankly Shift 2's cook is a bit of a slob, but I don't treat him like this when I wake up! It has been more than 120 years you pompous ass!" she fumed, never looking up.

Forks rounded on her across the room, a few strands of his slicked back green mane flying loose, pencil thin mustache quivering. He tossed a loose Fancy Buck snack cake at Ladle, splatting against the cabinets before falling to the pink and green checkerboard floor, dirtying his precious kitchen in the process. "Exactly! 120 years and we still serve these, these... these carrot flavored! (splat) sugar frosted (splat), balls of preservatives!" he wailed, tossing more and more of the delicious cakes around randomly. Ladle was slowly turning red... Finally near the end of his part of the performance, Forks tossed his forelegs to the air and announced, "I cannot create here!" before turning to head into the walk in freezer.

Mrs. Ladle had hung in there like a champ, it didn't always get this far, but that last line always tore it. With a yell she swept her forehooves across the table, dumping its contents on the tiled floor, notably the knife rack. Then with a sudden jump and a spin, she bucked the two heavy pots hanging from the rack on the ceiling, sending them on a perfect arc. The first knocked Forks square in the rump and encouraged him into the freezer, the second slammed the heavy door closed behind him. When she landed from the surprisingly spry move from one of her years, she shook her head, still gritting her teeth. "That Stallion grates on my nerves more and more every shift change," she grumbled.

With the show over, the gathered crowd gave an appreciative cheer before dispersing around the atrium to mingle with the ponies of the next shift. Grizz gave a nudge and nodded across the room, before pelting off to the living quarters wing to grab our mighty weapon. I turned to follow where he had nodded, spotting the fiery yellow and orange maned unicorn mare with a sun setting over the ocean cutie mark he had indicated before rushing off.

Sunset Mist giggled and chatted up a decent sized group of mares and a couple stallions from Shift 4, great... I waited and watched for a few minutes, hoping they'd eventually break up and go talk to others, but of course they were enraptured with my fellow Shift 3 pony and wouldn't be going anywhere. So I'd have to go there, wonderful...

Sunset actually lived in my neighborhood not far from the Stable before we came here. We played together on the green grass of our very own yards as foals. She was a year older than me, so she had unfortunately decided on viewing me as a little brother, but I couldn't see her as an older sister, she was just too beautiful and kind for that.

I had decided I could at least not push the issue, we had been friends practically since birth and I had precious few of those. When I met Grizz she had even insisted on approving of him before allowing it, hitting it off so well we quickly became a trio of friends. She bridged the two year age gap between Grizz and I nicely.

She worked in the Overmare's office now, addressing the concerns of the Stable ponies, talking with them and making sure morale was high. The once a year addition of new ponies gave her a chance to chat and catch up, build bridges, all that jazz. Thus she was surrounded by strange ponies and I had to get her attention. I peeked from around a sickly potted plant and stared, trying to figure out some kind of clever way to get her attention, while avoiding theirs.

My surveillance was not as subtle as I hoped either, one of the mares from Shift 4 spotted me and turned to whisper to her friend, who promptly turned to look. My brain desperately engaged and I ducked behind the plant, cursing. There was a burst of giggling, while the white unicorn mare with the short yellow mane who was whispered to tittered, "Sunset dear, I do believe you have a stalker over behind the shrubbery," Ugh...

The large blue stallion with the brown mane turned and started heading my way with a gruff look "Stalker? Hey you! get out from behind there! You botherin' Miss Sunset?!" He stamped the ground for effect, trying to impress the golden mare looking curiously around him. Totally defeated, I rose up and waved feebly, "Hi Sunset..." I squeaked, looking at her hooves.

In a yellow flash she was past the blue stallion and tackled me in a hug, "Fast, there you are! I was just talking with these ladies from Shift 4 and wanted to introduce you!" I could hear a fresh but at least muffled spate of giggles, along with whispers among the mares. The peek I got wasn't encouraging.

Sunset shifted her deathgrip hug to hold my head against her chest, while she turned to glare at the imposing blue stallion who had frozen when his attempt at bravado had fallen apart. 'Oh well, at least he's going down with me' I thought as she opened up both barrels.

"Fast isn't a stalker! He's my very best foalhood friend from back home, so you just leave him alone Cobalt! He's like a little brother, he's just shy!" she squeed as her hug tightened and she planted a sloppy kiss on my head, oh this was just torture.

The stallion walked back sheepishly, muttering apologies while I struggled for air, finally distracting Sunset from her "sisterly affection" enough to slip free. She laughed happily, nuzzling me before trotting back and starting to push me toward the group she had left, while I leaned against her and dug my hooves into the floor.

"Come on Fast, just come over and talk with everyone! They're really nice ponies, Emerald there is in Hydroponics and Satin works on the generators, she loves computer stuff too! Oh, and Violet works in the medical ward, she's so nice I know you'll just love her!" Sunset prattled on, inch by inch pushing me to the gaggle of ponies watching the tug of war with amusement.

The unicorn mare kept my magic busy pushing against hers, so I couldn't get out that way and while I was occupied she just kept brute-forcing me along. I was getting dangerously close to social interaction and had to do something before this whole situation somehow became more embarrassing than it already was.

"I just came to let you know Grizz and I were going down to the Icebox to do our thing together if you wanted to come!" I shouted and made a speedy fake, then dodged around Sunset and back towards safety when she paused a moment.

"Oh! Of course I'm going, I do every year don't I? Just wait one second and come here before we..." she replied, but I bolted as soon as she started trying to rope me in again.

Despite her good intentions, I was just not a social butterfly. Maybe talking to one of those pretty fillies would be ok, but they always traveled in miniature herds and I completely lacked the skills to deal with numbers. Sunset was the only one I wanted to talk to, I'd see her soon when it was just the three of us, that was much better.

I was the first one down to the Icebox, so I stood in front of the large entryway and leaned against the railings of the catwalks overlooking the massive room. Here was a crowd I could tolerate. Hundreds of ponies all around me, just safely frozen in stasis, sleeping in towering white boxes covered in tubes, tanks and blinking arcano-tech controls.

Each box was numbered in red, showing the shift and number of the occupant. I could feel the gentle hum of the generators powering the devices through the rail at my hooves and watched my breath fog in front of my muzzle with each exhale. 800 some odd ponies down there, soon to be 900 when I joined their slumber.

12 times I had gone into my box and come back out again as the years rolled by, Fast Times indeed. I could see the necessity of the system and I couldn't complain, it had kept me alive after all and I trusted the giant refrigerators to do their job, I worked on them after all. Doing what we were instructed to do worked just as Vice President Scootaloo had said, Stable 111 was essentially a small, old world town where everypony knew everypony, just like her home of Ponyville.

Still I hated it.

Pretty soon I'd be back in my box with the rest, waiting another 10 years to be back in the world. When I was here I was alone, while my somepony special could be in one of those boxes waiting for me, but maybe I'd never find her. I could be standing over her now, but I'd never know because I'm Shift 3 and now it was time for me to sleep again. At least in real small towns back out in the world, visitors might come or you could leave, explore the world and meet new ponies. I never told Sunset or Grizz, but I mainly liked the shooting tournament and usually won because I liked shooting to work out my frustration and anxiety about going back in.

The sound of my friends chatting as they trotted down the chilly hall shook me out of my thoughts, I grabbed the box of targets I had carried down and waited. When they arrived and greetings were exchanged, we walked somberly down the nearest stairs off the catwalks, down to the foggy floor of the Icebox, towards our waiting coffins.

They were standing out of the thin mist like tombstones before us in no time. The hatches already standing open and a Shift 4 tech was further up the row, going over system checks before they were put back into service. SHIFT 3- #42 the short epitaph read on my hatch. I caressed the side of my coffin and felt the series of notches I had left in the vertical support, 12 little scratches carved in the backside, where I knew where to check, but no one else could see.

Sunset trotted over to her own booth and cheerfully pulled out a marker, humming a catchy tune while she started doodling. Sunset's coffin was unique at least, each year she had added to her doodles on the casing. The crude drawings at the bottom were from when she was just a foal, while the talented works towards the top were quite professional.

They were all pictures of the outside, of our neighborhood, of home. Sunset said she wanted happy, bright dreams of the world waiting for us when it was safe, so she made her pod happy and bright. I simply wanted to mark the years and be able to make sure it was the same pod every year. But I had to admit looking at the colorful pod marked SHIFT 3- #44 made me feel better, and I made sure I did all the maintenance on it so the pictures weren't damaged.

Grizz simply gave the booth marked SHIFT 3- #53 a loving pat and murmured to it, "Ready for another ride old girl? Of course you are, smooth sailin' on calm seas." He nodded, satisfied with himself before trotting over to the box of bottles and cans I had brought, taking out the oddly dented can spray painted gold.

All 3 of our names were printed in rough letters below the words "Shift Change Cup" that were covered in glitter. A variety of stickers and rhinestones were sloppily glued on the surface and a series of scratches were under each name. My name had 5 scratches below it, the same as below Grizz's scrawled signature, while the Sunset signature claimed the last 2 scratch marks. This year was the tie breaker, unless Sunset pulled an upset, which was always possible.

Once the targets were set up in the aisle between our 3 pods, we walked down the aisle towards the lone pony servicing the last of our Shift 3 pods. The old dark purple stallion with the fading yellow mane gave us an eye before grumbling, "Every year you kids do this and every year I tells ya to be careful, this is sensitive equipment."

I nodded to the old buck and tried to look respectful, "I know Sprockets, but it's just a BB gun and the cans are all in the aisle, nowhere near the pods. It'll be fine just like every year, c'mon it's tradition now sir."

Sprockets grunted and went back beneath the pod he was currently working on, "So you say Fast, but don't come crying ta me when something goes wrong"

"Duly noted sir," I answered as I watched Grizz pull our blue-steeled beauty from his saddlebags avidly.

The Red Ryder BB gun was our treasured weapon, well, Grizz's since he actually grabbed it before running to the Stable, unlike my poor Shrouded Stallion figure. There was a real shortage of toys in the Stable, they thought of survival first and foremost, so the foals who made it inside just had what they brought with them. The BB gun was the greatest of these few toys in 111 and we guarded it jealously, only using some of the remaining shots once a shift, before we went back under.

Sunset pranced toward Grizz and danced in circles around him, holding her hooves out in a 'gimme' gesture and fluttering her eyelashes over her big green eyes. Yup, just the little brother over here...nothing to see. I knew she had had a crush on Grizz and I actually did hope once he was done 'sowing his oats' he would notice her, they would be good together. But Grizz saw her the way she saw me, so I guessed turnabout was fair play. Still, I'd have to do something to break the stalemate someday, maybe next shift. For now she simply smiled sweetly and waited for her turn.

"It's mah gun you know, don't see why you always get ta go first girl" he muttered while loading the weapon and inspecting it, before inevitably giving it to her.

"Because I always get to go first silly!" she lilted as she booped his nose, "Besides, it usually ends up between you and Fast these days, why would I go last AND come in last. Now c'mon, gimme!" she jumped and bounced on her hooves waiting. Finally Grizz grumbled and held the BB gun out, enveloped in her golden magic as she crouched and started taking aim.

"And no S.A.T.S. Sunset, you know it's against the rules now" I reminded her gently as she rolled her eyes and huffed.

The Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting System was a great convenience, we allowed use of it in the early tournaments to help learn to use it. But in the later tournaments we had focused on skill, so no more S.A.T.S.. Sunset had argued to keep it as the equalizer, but Grizz and I kept wanting to compete without any cheats, skill against skill.

"Who says I....need it!" she exclaimed, her words punctuated by the puff of air from the gun and the rattle of a can falling. She raised her forehooves in a little snort of victory before moving on to the next target. pfft-ding, pfft-ding, pfft-ding.. The shots came fairly quickly and her accuracy had improved, she ended up with 8 out of 10, with the last 2 being close. Sunset leapt up from her crouch and whooped, happy with her performance before swinging the Red Ryder over to Grizz. "Beat that!" she exclaimed happily before bounding over to reset the targets, coming back towards me to watch his turn.

"Fine, ah will little lady" Grizz snorted, laying flat on the ground to brace the BB gun in his forelegs in a firing stance. How he managed to be as good as me without magic was beyond me, but he did. Grizz's shots came in rapid succession, a flurry of movement and precision as the cans came tumbling down, 6, 7, 8, 9... and nothing. "Grrr! Damn! Was goin' for a perfect score and a speed record! Guess you got a chance there Fast, long as you get 10 outta 10" he chuckled as he hoofed the gun over and went to reset the targets.

This would be a challenge, a perfect score to win, nothing else would do. Not that I hadn't done it before, but the pressure was on now. Grizz sauntered back smugly and waved a hoof toward the waiting targets. "You may fire when ready, Gridley" he snickered.

I crouched into a firing stance, holding the gun in my blue magic, focusing on the first target intensely, carefully controlling my breathing, waiting for the right moment, almost..

"Wait!" Sunset shouted suddenly, making me jump and nearly misfire. "Extra prize this year!" she exclaimed, hugging herself and dancing about with glee.

"Sunset!" you nearly made me miss! I yelped up at her.

The golden mare waved a hoof dismissively and smiled with lidded eyes. "Oh hush! it wouldn't have counted anyway, besides this is good! Since I'm out already I volunteer to add to the prize this year," she smirked with a slight blush and giggled "A kiss for the champion! How's that?!" She stretched up on her hind legs and posed majestically, looking from me to Grizz and back demurely.

Both of us blanked out for a moment and turned red, my poor brain tried to process this turn of events but couldn't work it out well. Perfect score = kiss... then it would all break apart in my head again.

Grizz regained his senses first, smiling while keeping some fairly rosy cheeks himself. "Well that's fine by me, looks like ah win, no way Fast pulls it off now. You done broke his brain darlin'! If'n you wanted a kiss you coulda just asked and let 'im have a chance," he chuckled and rubbed his hooves together, already celebrating his victory.

Ok, that actually annoyed me a little, she wouldn't have done this as an excuse to kiss Grizz would she? I didn't think so, but the joke was bothersome. Plus it's not like I couldn't win, I wasn't that rattled, really I wasn't... I swear... matter of fact I could still pull this off. I could do it, couldn't I? I...

"Don't count your chickens big shot. He'll get it back together again fast enough, he always does. Maybe it'll make him nervous..." She smiled and sat down, looking to me with wide eyes of patience and caring, letting her fiery orange mane spill down her shoulder and frame her face. "...and maaaybe it'll make him motivated," at that she winked and turned from us both to watch the targets.

Grizz shrugged and turned as well, waiting to see what happened, not needing to get in my head anymore. I closed my eyes, focused on my breathing and cleared my mind of everything not important. Sunset wanted to see if I was motivated? No tin can would survive... The first shot rang out as a strong hit, flying off the floor as the BB hit right where I wanted. I moved on to the next in no hurry and it fell, then the next, and the next. Eight cans went down perfectly, but the ninth sounded off and wobbled before dropping. I stopped and took a breath, staring at the last target.

"All tied up now smarty!" Sunset stuck her tongue out at Grizz and wiggled on her seat. "I suppose if he doesn't make this one I could give the prize to you both, since you can't split the trophy... or I could give it to neither of you too, hmmm..." she chattered to herself, looking up to the catwalks above.

Oh no, I'm wasn't losing this and I wasn't sharing it, I was winning this, now. I was sorely tempted to sneak in a quick use S.A.T.S., but that wouldn't be right, I wanted to win this yes but win it fair. I closed my eyes, whispering a quick prayer to the goddesses; "Celestia calm my heart, Luna guide my hoof.."

Everything fell away, like I had entered S.A.T.S. anyway, but I hadn't activated the waiting spell. I was just calm, in the zone. The barrel rose toward my target and I could see it clearly, I had this. This shot was perfection I may never attain again and I had to enjoy it. With a soft hiss of compressed air, my arrow was loosed and all I could do was watch. I could actually see the tiny BB as it arced through its flight, shining with its own light as time crept forward.

Ting! it hit! I could see it make contact on the side of the can and for an instant time seemed to completely freeze. The world held its breath, countless possibilities seemed to fold out in front of me, all branching from the path of that lone BB pellet.

Finally everything jerked into motion for me again, the pellet I could see so clearly disappeared in a blur. It ricocheted off the can, which started to wobble in a circle on its' edge, and apparently streaked right for old Sprockets' flanks judging by the yelp I vaguely heard that didn't matter..

The can kept wobbling, almost... I caught a blur of motion from where I heard the yelp, but it still didn't matter. Grizz was chewing his hooves, watching as it slowly spun and wobbled, Sunset followed it with wide eyes, biting her lip and prancing in place. I held my breath, while getting the distant message from my peripheral vision that the blur I saw was following an arc, just as I heard the crash and everything went white.

When my vision started to clear, the first thing I looked for was that blasted can, where... where... it was gone! I did it, the target was down! Actually all the cans were gone, and come to think of it there was a decent puff of smoke and sparks from one of the pods... oh shit...

Sunset and Grizz were shaking their heads and clearing their vision as Sprockets came limping out from the next aisle, rubbing his flank and sputtering. "I told you kids to be careful! Look at this, pod's fried! This'll take weeks to fix! Aw and it's leaking Flux! Great now we gotta do the hazardous materials cleanup, then replace the damn stuff! Are you happy Fast Times!

I looked up sheepishly, holding the sagging gun loosely in my magic and looking up at the old stallion from my bowed head. "You didn't happen to see if that last can fell before the blast, did you Sprockets?"

The old technician sputtered and fumed a moment, while Sunset smiled sweetly with a hoof to her mouth and Grizz kept staring where the last target had been. "Yeah, you see it gramps? C'mon this is important, did it fall or not?!" he shouted.

Sprockets looked like he was about to blow a gasket, "No I didn't see an' I don't care! You foals have wrecked this machine! This is a Shift 3 pod no less! Whoever belongs in #42 is in for a rough surprise thanks to you!" wait what? #42?

I dropped the Red Ryder and galloped up to the steaming pony and the smoking remains of my coffin. I didn't even realize when I was looking at it, my pod was trashed. The back panel was off, the wrench Sprocket had been using when that magic BB shot him in the flank was sticking out of the ruined remains of its' innards, which dripped rainbow colored goop onto the floor. Sprockets was right, this would take weeks to fix, and I was due to use this pod today.

"Well sir... at least it's my pod I wrecked, so I guess I'm the one in for a surprise, what do I do now? I groaned, staring at it.

Sprockets stopped and visibly calmed a bit, looking at me seriously with stern orange eyes. "Yours huh? Well I guess that's justice for ya. Alright young buck, we'll get you sorted out, you'll stay with your Shift, no worries. Just have to put you in one of the extras, you'll be back in your normal one after next shift I guess".

"In a spare? Not in #42?" I knew there were extra pods for each shift, a bit of leeway in population control, but one had never been needed before. My breathing started quickening and my pulse pounded in my temples, ten years in some strange pod? Grizz kept staring at where the target had been with a frustrated look, while Sunset looked apologetic and caring as she trotted over and put a hoof on my shoulder.

"It'll be alright Fast, it was just a freak accident, any other pod will be just as good. You can use mine and I'll use the spare if you want, since I.." she consoled soothingly, but I shook my head to clear the thought of ten years in Sunsets pod... that smelled like her... No! Bad!

"It's ok Sunset, I did it, it was my pod. I knew Sprockets was there, but I was just too focused on winning... the spare is fine, really" I shrugged, I still wished I knew if that can fell or not though.

Sprockets came up and ruffled my gray mane above my horn, "There you go lad, it's no big deal at all, I'll show it to you if you like. Have to get it serviced and ready, shes over in storeroom 3 if you wanna help out".

"It's the least I can do sir" I replied apologetically, " Besides, I'd want to anyway, you guys go ahead back up and I'll clean up here ok?" I looked over to my friends and nodded.

"But what about the dang tournament?!" Grizz shouted, picking up the Red Ryder and stowing it in his saddlebags, "Who won?!" he stamped the floor and snorted.

"I guess it's a tie then, you take the cup for the first half of next shift Grizz, I'll take it for the second half" I shrugged, waving to my poor cold steel coffin.

"A tie! Then I get to choose what to do! Yay!" Sunset squeed and pulled a small tube from her barding pockets, popping the top of the tube of ruby lipstick and applying it seductively as she swayed forward.

My heart started hammering and I broke out in a sweat as she sauntered towards us, then my spirits fell as she turned towards Grizz with a smile on her now painted lips. Just as she closed in though, she made a dramatic turn and lunge towards Grizz's pod, planting a huge, wet sounding kiss on the metal casing, stepping back to admire her handiwork. A perfect, puckered red lip-print now adorned the front panel of the machine, right under #53, the red of the print even matched the red letters.

"There's your kiss Grizz! To tuck you in and stay with you!" she smiled widely and rubbed her lips clean with her hoof, tittering and trotting back to me to boop my nose. "Yours will have to wait for your replacement pod I guess Fast, but a tie means you both get one! Good job!"

I blushed and shuffled my forelegs in front of me until she laughed and trotted off. Grizz was left scratching his mane and looking from his new pod decoration to where the last target had stood, he finally raised his hooves in agitation and gave it up. "Guess a tie's not so bad then, huh buddy!" he said as he cuffed me on the shoulder and trotted after her. He picked up the Shift Change Cup on his way out, shouting over his shoulder, "See you up there later ok? Say hi to your folks for me!" With that they were gone, leaving just me, the old technician and a big mess.

Sprockets had taken up grousing to himself again as we walked down the long aisle of empty Shift 3 pods, to the storeroom on the far wall. When we reached the secure door, Sprockets raised his pip-buck and started tapping, a moment later the terminal by the door beeped and the door slid open.

"Password's 'Winter Wrapup' case you were wonderin'. You'll need it to get to it this evenin. Now come on, right this way," he explained as the lights in the room hummed to life, illuminating two more rows of stasis pods, four in the row closest to the door and 5 in the other. Sprockets turned and led me down the row and to the side, where a service and test bay was built into a recess.

The tall white box was hooked up and humming, everything looked green and good to go. Stenciled across the face of the machine below the small porthole was SHIFT 3 - #101.

"Will I be here the whole time?" I asked dubiously. Not that it mattered really, but I liked being close to my friends and family, seeing them when I woke up. Sleeping alone in the corner of this small, dark room seemed... scary.

Sprockets shook his head and patted me on the back consolingly. "Course not boy, I'll be up and about, have you moved to your regular spot before long once I get a handle on things this shift. You'll wake up just like normal, surrounded by the same ponies you always are in the same space, just the number on the pod is different s'all. You know how these things work, independent power supply could manage a century or so, and we've got the equipment to move these things around where we want. Won't be a thing to put you back in place."

The old stallion was pleasant and comforting, especially considering the extra work I had made for him, so I smiled and nodded thankfully. With a grin, he leaned into the pod while I looked at the open lid with trepidation, staring at that red #101.

"Here, s'pose I should clean 'er out first, I know where Shift 3's maintenance head hides his stash y'see." Sprockets laughed as he came back out of pod holding a couple of beers in his mouth. With a flick of his head he tossed one over, which I scrambled to catch with my magic in time.

The older earth pony trotted to a nearby workbench and popped the top on the edge of the counter, while I paused and looked at the beverage and back to Sprockets. He sighed and waved his hoof while taking a pull on the bottle, gasping with satisfaction when he finished.

"Well go on if you want, I'm not your momma boy. You're a young buck but still not a colt anymore." Ceding his point, I twisted the cap in my magic and took a drink. I was technically still underage for drinking but not by much and this was not so bad, plus it was only polite. I took a drink of the foamy beverage and fought with the taste in my mouth a moment. It was a struggle but I was winning when Sprockets opened his mouth.

"'Sides, gal like that, I'd suggest taking up drinking out of principle. That filly's a firecracker, you and your friend's next shift should be interestin' " he chuckled wryly as I ejected a spray of foam in a fit of coughing.

"W-what? don't be..." I choked to reply, but he just rolled his eyes and took another pull on his beer while I sputtered and tried to deny the obvious.

"Don't even bother kid, I'm an old stallion not a dumb one, 'sides I'm not even on your shift so no worries about the gossip. I just been keepin' an eye on you three and your little tournament all these years. That girly is nothin' but heartache for somepony, totally worth it too." he cocked an eyebrow as I flushed and looked away.

I took a long drink of the beer despite the taste, just to have something to do, it wasn't quite as bad the second try. With a belch he polished off his own and bucked it into the trash bin behind him, "Well, let's get to it, this'll be the most recently serviced spare so she should be tip top, but we both know the routine, no chances right?"

I nodded and started floating my tools out of my saddlebags, getting to work beside the old tech. Work to occupy our minds and mouths was welcome now, and I really didn't want to take any chances with this strange pod with my old #42 down.

With a slow, only slightly weaving gait and a pleasant buzz in my head, I walked back up to the atrium after an hour or so with Sprockets. No matter how I tried, I couldn't find anything wrong with #101. I didn't like it, but it was in perfect condition and had been calibrated just like my own #42.

The atrium was even more full of ponies now, everyone in Shift 4 must be awake and about by now. The party was already winding down, but there were still a few pieces of cake and some dregs of punch. I grabbed a slice of cake and munched on it as I walked to the living quarters wing.

I passed my own door, reminding myself to give the place one more once over before I went under. I lost a pretty good holotape game one year during Shift Change and never forgot it. Right now though I went to the next door, down from my own small room I had been given once I got my cutie mark and back to the quarters of my family, walking through the door as it slid up at my touch of the button.

The rustle of paper waited as my father Olden Times looked up from the book floating in his magic, while my baby brother Better crawled around his playpen in the middle of the living room, burbling as he saw me come in. My parents were one of few so far in Shift 3 to be allowed to have a child born in the Stable.

Mom and Dad got an extra shift out of the icebox while waiting for the little blue grey foal with his black shock of a mane, letting him get old enough to go to sleep safely in Mom's pod with her. I didn't get to see him as a newborn, since I already had my cutie mark and had moved next door, but I loved the little guy when I first saw him last shift. I walked over and ruffled that little bit of mane standing straight up, listening to him giggle and roll around.

"You've been gone awhile son, usually you have extra time on Shift Change day and spend some with us after all." Dad raised an eyebrow sardonically, looking up over his book hiding his slight smile.

"Yeah... I got a little held up down in the Icebox with Sprockets, sorry dad." I shuffled under his gaze, even joking, the white stallion could be intimidating, his purple eyes stared up in mock seriousness beneath his black mane.

"Yes, Sunset came by to let us know, fine friend that one," he nodded, setting his book aside as he sniffed the air a moment. Leaning off the couch, he grabbed a piece of hard candy from the bowl on the living room table.

"I take it Sprockets tried to make you feel better about the accident eh? Don't let your mother smell that, it can't have been more than one, but she'll be displeased nonetheless".

I could feel myself wince and took the candy without looking up, stuffing it in my mouth and nodding before he tousled my mane, pushing my chin up to look back at him.

"You're old enough to make decisions like this on your own, so I won't say anything, I do still expect you to make the right ones for yourself though. The consequences for bad ones are going to start getting more severe now that you're older, so keep that in mind huh?"

I nodded and bucked up, looking him back in the eye without reservation. "Right dad, I'll remember, thanks for the advice and... you know, being cool about it".

Dad laughed, picking Better up in his magic and setting him down on his back, giving him a gentle bounce now and again as he squealed.

"Cool? Oh no, I just remember is all" he said pointing to his grandfather clock cutie mark as proof, "What it's like to be your age for one, and being the one to clean up after some of your more memorable mistakes as a foal for another. I can't help that way as much now, so it's up to you to deal with it yourself right? Finally, it's self interest too, your mother..."

"Olden, did someone come in? I hear you talking in there, is it Fast?" The mare in question called from my old bedroom, now the nursery she must be clearing out at the moment.

My father and I shared a look of panic as our eyes shrank to pinpricks, before we both began looking about in terror. In desperation I stuck my muzzle in the candy dish and started furiously crunching the sweets, trying to disguise the smell of most of one beer. Dad suddenly gave a decent buck and baby Better was airborne, landing on my back followed by an eye watering smell.

"Sorry boy, this will work better, just happened." he whispered, turning back to the short hallway as my mother peeked around the corner.

Mom's crimson eyes got wide as she smiled warmly, flying across the room to tackle me in a hug. She was slightly less like a guided missile than usual with baby Better on my back anyway. She wrapped her light blue-lavender wings around us both and cooed happily. "There you are! I was worried we wouldn't get much time together at all before we went under! Since you seem to be so busy my boy..." The Pegasus mare slowly tightened her hold on my neck during that last sentence, expressing her displeasure with a hug that was cutting off my oxygen.

"Gah... m-mom... air..." I gurgled, Better liked the noises I was making and laughed happily, while mom tickled him with her feathers, yet was somehow simultaneously choking the life out of me.

Finally, as I prepared to meet Celestia and Luna, she let go and planted a kiss on my cheek, giving a little frown and staring at me with her face pressed up to mine, her red eyes boring into me, framed by her long violet mane.

"You've been a naughty little colt haven't you Fast?" she purred menacingly as her nose wrinkled, "Sprockets is a bad influence, I'll deal with him later though." she intoned as I prepared for the worst.

With an aerial maneuver I was still amazed could be accomplished inside a small living room inside a Stable, former Lt. Bright Skies-Times spun 3 loops around me, grabbing Better and tossing him up playfully towards the ceiling before breaking off. She bounced off the wall and returned with a flip, putting her hind hooves out to slam me, sending me sailing across the living room to land on the couch.

What little wind I had recovered was instantly knocked out again. With a fancy pirouette she caught Better as he came down and hovered over me. "Drinking beer is for grown up ponies and cranky old stallions who are going to pay soon my darling son, think of the example you're setting for Better!" she gasped in mock horror.

I would think I wasn't the worst influence in the room here after that, but I knew better than using logic. Mom was a bonafide pegasus soldier in the Equestrian army and the only pegasus in Stable 111. Needless to say, her areas of expertise were not diplomacy or military planning. She had retired when she got pregnant with me and we all lived together back in our little house for 5 good years. Her service guaranteed our family a place in the nearby Stable, so when the bombs fell she was in the Stable with us and was now Shift 3's head of security.

Groaning, I sat up and rubbed my chest idly, it didn't hurt really, mom would never hurt any of us. She just had no qualms letting us know all the ways she could do so if she wanted. Being taught all the ways to use lethal force against a zebra when your 8, tends skew your perspective a bit in foal school, but she was a soldier at heart and wanted her foals to be able to protect themselves.

She didn't trust the Stable or like it much, too confining she said, so she handled parts of my education herself. All this should have been enough to teach me trying to fool her was doomed from the start, but trying was like a bit of a game for dad and I. Occasionally I think she even let us get away with it.

"Sorry mom.." I wheezed and tried to look pitiful, hardened warrior that she was, she was weak to puppy eyes at least. Her expression softened and she fluttered down, nuzzling me as she bounced Better in her hooves.

"There's my good boy! Isn't that right Better? Yes, yes it is! Fast is silly thinking he's smarter than mama isn't he? Lucky he's such a sweetie isn't that right? He is still a sweetie isn't he? That nasty-wasty beer didn't change how he tastes did it? Let's find out Better!" She cooed to my brother before tackling me on the couch and planting sloppy kisses all over my face, holding Better up to join in, who mostly laughed and drooled on me.

I rolled on my back and tried to fend off the assault, but it was hopeless. Finally she floated above the couch and held Better up to her face, sniffing. "Uh-oh looks like my other boy isn't so sweet right now either, can't have you go downstairs like that can we? A frozen poopy diaper doesn't sound good at all does it? Come on my precious!" She smiled, tossing him up and catching him before gliding down the hall to the nursery.

Slowly, I caught my breath lying there on the couch and wiped my face off with my sleeves, while my father chuckled, patting my leg and returning to his book. I felt truly happy at that moment, It might be ten years before I saw my family again, but it wouldn't feel like it. It would be tomorrow for us and we'd all be together in 111. It wasn't the life we left behind in our little house (along with my toys...) but it was a life and it was not that bad at all.

100 ponies filed into the icebox and stood in front of their waiting pods, waiting patiently, looking up to the smaller group assembled on the catwalks above. I stood in front of #42, which at least looked intact now for the Shift Change, but was of course ruined. I looked behind me to see mom, dad and Better standing in front of pods #40 and #41. Dad nodded silently while mom fluttered above the ground, letting Better sit on her extended hind legs, while she grabbed one of his forelegs with her own and waved to me. I silently waved back and glanced back up at the little ceremony on the catwalks above.

Shift 3 Overmare Surefoot, an older pink unicorn with a red and pink mane styled carefully, stood beside Shift 4 Overstallion Rocky shores, a no nonsense tan earth pony with a close cropped, greying purple mane. Shift Change day was the only time we ever saw more than one Overpony, they'd end the day up there in front of everyone and Shift 3 would officially turn over the Stable to Shift 4.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! Thank you for another shift completed!" Overmare Surefoot's voice rang out in the cavernous room. "Another year for us with everyone safe and sound, the Stable in the shape we had it turned over to us in or better, and sadly another ten years for the surface to return to something like the Equestria we left, so we may someday go home!"

She got a decent cheer out of that, the hope of going home kept us going down here, as much as the water talismans, air purifiers, food recyclers, hydroponics gardens and of course stasis pods in the Stable.

I casually stretched out to look around pod #43 to see the swishing orange tail in front of the brightly colored pod #44. Sunset was focusing on her boss' speech and I couldn't get her attention, which left me with staring at her rear, hoping for that 'I'm being watched' feeling. That fiery orange tail flicking around was distracting though, along with the flanks it was attached to and swishing around...

I caught myself blanking out and glanced back up to the back of her head, or her green eyes rather, as she had apparently gotten that 'watched' feeling quite accurately and was smirking back at me. I flushed and waved innocently before retreating back out of the aisle.

I could hear Grizz nickering ahead and to my left across the aisle at #53 but refused to give him the satisfaction of looking. Well just a quick peek, yup..., just as smug as I thought. The Overmare was wrapping up, hitting the highlights of the year; who got their cutie marks and assigned a job, major unexpected repairs a few of which were a real pain at the time, the holiday and birthday parties, etc. Life during this shift basically, a recap before we went in. I read somewhere they handled Shift Change day as a holiday to make the whole process less jarring for us.

I mean really as far as I was concerned, I'd wake up tomorrow and it would be the same as today to me, just in reverse as we took over from Shift 2. But having the special work, turning over our areas of responsibility, having a party and a ceremony, all helped instill a sense of time passing. It was designed to reinforce that while it felt like just another day when we woke up, it was actually ten years later and we had to remember it.

Overstallion Shores stepped up while our Overmare gracefully left the railing and walked towards the nearby stairs, off the catwalk and down here with the rest of us, regally trotting towards pod #1. I sometimes resented the lavish care the guidelines required be spent on that pod. But she was our Overmare and she was important, we'd be in trouble without her no doubt.

Still, she wasn't more important than any other pony, if the guides said that level of care on these machines was required for the #1 pod, then it was required for pods #2 to #100. Er.. #101 this time I guess, yeah that one was important. I woke early, worked fast and didn't have much else to do, so each of these one hundred stasis pods was at their absolute peak.

I might not get along that well with a great many of these ponies, but they were all important to me so I had done my best by them, and prayed to Luna before our big sleep that they would all come through the next ten years unscathed again.

The Shift 4 Overstallion was brief and brusque as always, a former Steel Ranger I had heard once. He went through this ceremony because the orders said to, but he wasn't as personable as Surefoot. Of course maybe I was wrong, he could get up there and fondly recount the past year when Shift 5 took over and it was just that he had work to get to starting his shift when he dealt with us.

"Excellent work Shift 3, the numbers I've seen look outstanding and Shift 4 appreciates your service! You may consider yourselves relieved of your duty, Celestia and Luna guide you through your slumber and back to us again. Dismissed!" he belted out curtly before saluting and doing a quick about face and heading back upstairs.

Most of the Shift 4 ponies followed their Overstallions' lead and started filing out. Some exchanged goodbyes and well wishes to their one day a year friends, several shouted down to Sunset before wandering out and she exuberantly answered each one. Down on the Icebox floor ponies were stepping into the pods, helping each other in, waving through the porthole above their face as they were activated, saying goodnight to each other.

I walked up to mom's pod as dad took Better, allowing her to grudgingly force herself into the pod. She had a pout on her face and dragged out the process of getting settled in and the monitors attached, whinnying and muttering. "The only good room for flying in this place and I have to cram myself into this tin can in here every year.."

"Mom, we go through this every year, you fly down here all the time, to you this is only five minutes and you're out again. Watch it with the tin can comments too, I put a lot of work into this thing you know," I told her soothingly as I helped get her hooked up and pulled out the auxiliary harness for Better.

She did relax a bit and reluctantly laid back, drawing me in for a non-life threatening hug, nuzzling me gently. "I know dear, I know. This whole Stable is too confining though, these tin... er 'marvels of technology' are just salt in the wound. It's worth it to be with you all though," She sniffed and released me as dad passed Better to her waiting hooves, letting me get to work hooking him up.

Dad stepped up into her pod and embraced her, nuzzling and kissing her. He could wait until I didn't have my muzzle in here too trying to attach medical monitors to a fussy foal who took it all as a game...

"It's alright dear heart, as Fast said it'll be over in a blink, you're my fearless warrior filly right? I love you so much, locking yourself down here with us, someday you'll be back in the open skies love," Dad could be a real smooth talker when he wanted... still able to turn mom's face rosy and make her giggle like a schoolfilly. They nuzzled and whispered to each other happily for a few minutes, thankfully I finally finished up and could step away before they really got going.

Dad and I both stepped back and waved excitedly, making goofy faces for Better as the hatch slid closed and locked with a hiss. We both looked in the porthole and waved some more, as mom put her hoof to the glass and mouthed "I love you" over and over. I knew she hated being in there, so as soon as I made my goodbyes through the glass I rushed to start the device and get her through it as quickly as possible.

The spell matrix was up and optimal, spell talismans were in perfect condition, flux levels were topped off, I keyed the sequence and hoofed the big red button, listening intently as the arcano-tech circuits hummed to life and powered up the stasis spell. I jumped back up to the porthole, keeping an eye on the readouts with one eye while barely catching one last "I love y..." before she and Better froze in place.

Dad and I nudged and shoved each other playfully as we walked up the aisle to pod #40. Dr. Olden Times knew more than enough about the process to not be as anxious as mom. Actually he probably understood it better than I did, at least what it did to the ponies inside. I held the lead on the machine that made it work though. Sighing, he pulled himself into the pod and started attaching his own leads with no trouble, running his own checks on the medical interface as he did.

"I checked those yesterday dad" I sighed up at him, he just nodded with a grunt and continued his inspection.

"Better safe than sorry son, you know that. I trust you with the machine, I just like checking the parts I know. Ok, good to go my boy?" he asked pulling me into his own hug. "I'm proud of you son, you're a fine young buck and I'm sorry you had to grow up here instead of home, but I'm glad you're here and you're you, understand?" he asked in his deep, soft voice, patting my head.

"Yeah dad, I'm glad we're here too. Well maybe not here but... together. See you on the other side ok?" I mumbled back wiping my eyes, dusty down here... I stepped down quickly when he nodded and started his pod with the same care as mom's, jumping back to wave through the window before he froze as well, mid wink, odd.

I got the feeling the wink wasn't for me when I got tackle-hugged from behind by Sunset and pinned to the pod."Now that you have the family squared away, time to get you taken care of!" she yelled boisterously, letting me go and bouncing back into the aisle.

Most of the other ponies were taken care of now, and there were Shift 4 techs to help out so I guessed she was right. Normally I'd just handle my own pod from the backup controls inside my pip-buck could access, wave at whoever happened to see me off if anyone did. It was my job to see everyone safely off to sleep, so I usually didn't have someone taking care of me.

This time I was ok with the idea though, walking away from everyone else on Shift 3 as they were sealed up and going to pod #101 in storage alone was an unpleasant thought.

Sunset trotted up to my side and we started walking towards storage room 3 at the far end of the aisle, her humming a merry tune and me feeling anxious. I nodded and waved to Sunset's father, the red stallion smiled at his daughter as she waved and pranced, then shifted to a suspicious look when he turned to me. Well, he was a single father and he had always been friendly to me, so I supposed he just didn't like his daughter trotting off alone with any buck.

He did sigh and shake his head slowly, his light brown mane shifting as he managed a smile and wave for a send off. "I'll be waiting for you to get Fast settled honey, don't take long. I hope you appreciate my daughter Fast, taking time out to make sure you're not alone in that storeroom." he grumbled as we passed on.

"Oh yes sir!" I called back, "Thanks for letting her come, I appreciate it" Autumn Mist was a nice pony, he had always been a good parent and encouraged my friendship with Sunset when we were foals. I couldn't blame him for his change in attitude now that we were older and he still did care, he just had to act gruff.

"I'll be back in two shakes daddy!" Sunset shouted back as we moved away, "You're lucky you're getting my personal care Fast, any other buck and I don't think he'd go for it" she snickered. Fabulous, I was considered safe, or safe-ish apparently.

We both waved and smirked to embarrass Grizz as he was helped in his pod by his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Sands were loving and doting parents, so there was a lot of hugging, nuzzling, kisses and crying. They were good humble earth pony folk and I gave them their privacy, after making sure Grizz was at least partially embarrassed anyway. He managed to nod at Sunset and reached up to give the hatch of his pod a gentle tap, right on the other side of her kiss mark prize, giving a sheepish smile and wink.

Sunset nickered and sauntered along with me, swishing her tail in farewell, flicking me with it occasionally. Yup, next shift would be interesting alright, I was already mentally preparing for the high wire act of having two friends dating each other next year. Finally we reached the door to storage room 3, my blue tinted magic reached out to the console by the door and tapped in the password "Winter Wrapup" and the door slid aside.

Now that I knew where it was, I could see the dim lights of pod #101 in the darkness before the lights warmed up and flickered to life. Sunset hadn't been here before so she trotted forward inspecting everything while I headed for the pod.

"Wow... I'm glad I came to see you off now, shutting yourself up in that thing all alone in here.." Sunset shivered a bit at the last and I was glad she was my friend, she was right and I gave a little shiver myself. I shrugged off my saddlebags and opened the storage bin on the pod, stashing them with my other meager belongings.

Sunset shook off the heebie-jeebies and smiled as she pulled out her lipstick, preparing to apply her "prize" to the hatch of the pod before I opened it. With a loud smack my pod now had a perfect kiss print under SHIFT 3- #101, which made me suddenly feel better about it. Now that I thought about it, this would be Betters' pod one day when he was old enough to need his own. If no one died before then that is, he was the 101st pony on Shift 3 after all. That made me feel even better as I looked over the bright red 101 and kiss mark beneath it, before triggering the release and opening the hatch.

Sunset watched intently as I crawled in and hooked myself up, I told her I could manage the pod myself but she insisted on getting to push the big red button. I could monitor and take over the process if I needed through my pip-buck, so I ceded her the honors and she squealed with joy, hovering over the tempting, shiny, red button.

"Alright, ready to seal this thing up Sunset?" I asked as she rubbed her hooves together over the button.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry, button... No, not yet hang on, I need to tell you something!" she yelped before tearing herself away from the button and stepped up on the steps leading to the pod, leaning in and nearly touching horns as her green eyes stared into mine and she gave a sweet smile.

"Um.. Sun..l-little close there.." I squeaked as she giggled and shifted, so her forehooves were on either side of my head and her muzzle stretched up to tickle my ear with her breath. This was getting uncomfortable, or too comfortable, either way. "S-Sunset? what are you.."

She cooed in my ear and I shut up with a shudder, "Well, I just wanted you to know...I saw at the end... you won Fast," and with that she turned and gave me a forceful kiss on the cheek and pushed off, jumping back to the floor and hitting the hatch control as she landed. I sat dumbfounded as she appeared in the small window in front of me, smiling and waving before making a dive towards the big red button, then there was nothing.

Emergency Protocol I-3902
Pod #101 Status:
External Power Supply: Disconnected
Internal Power Reserves: 3%
Spell Matrix: Operational
Spell Talismans: 57% efficiency
Flux Reserves: 12%
External Integrity: 97%
Stasis Integrity: 100%
Outside Environment: Stable
.............................
.............................
Initiate Automated Purge of Subject: Fast Times- Male-Unicorn
Subject Status: Nominal
...........................
Beginning Automated Release Procedure...
Duration of Stasis: 83.7 years
Thank you for using Stable-Tec!

...........................

Please Stand By...

Fast Times- Level 1

Strength- 4
Perception- 7
Endurance- 4
Charisma- 4
Intelligence- 7
Agility- 9
Luck- 7

Tag Skills-

Science +15
Repair +15
Guns +15

Traits-

Good Natured-
You studied less-combative skills as you were growing up and are a pony of pre-war Equestria. Your combat skills start at a lower level, but other skills are substantially improved. +5 Medicine, Barter, Science, Repair and Speech but -5 to Guns, Magic Energy Weapons, Explosives, Melee and Unarmed!

Small Framed-
You are not quite as big as other ponies, but that never slowed you down. You can't carry as much, but you are more agile. +1 to Agility but -25 carry weight!

Quest Perk Added!-----------------------

Shift Change Tournament Champion- You are the winner! You knew you got that last can, as the reigning champeen you receive +5% chance for critical hit using guns and can sometimes pray for a critical when you need it, be careful what you wish for though! Your definition of luck might be different than the universes'.

Author's Notes:

Ok so there's generally an authors' note here so here goes. First thanks to Kkat for creating this bizarre and enchanting combination, I only recently discovered it and have voraciously devoured it, Horizons, Pink Eyes, Traders of Hope and several other excellent works. Now I come more from the Fallout side rather than the MLP side of the equation, I like it obviously and watch basically any good cartoon but I've missed good chunks of the show and have been trying to catch up so apologies if I'm weak there, I'm leaning heavily on what I've read so far right now so forgive any faux pas please. I do know Fallout though and after absorbing enough of the great FOE stories I've found so far I actually felt like writing again which has quite been awhile, I'm rusty and I don't know if anyone will ever read this or enjoy it but I did feel compelled to add something back after absorbing a couple million words of great stories for free. Went for FO4 for the first time out, thought I'd rewrite bits of the game side I didn't care for and try to make something interesting, I'm totally new to the community and ignorant so putting myself at your mercy here, hope I pay back a little of the enjoyment I've gotten thus far to someone else.