The first thing I felt was…nothing, my senses were intact but they felt as if they were far away. I felt completely weightless, like a ghost. Maybe I was one, stuck between this world and the next. The second thing I felt was that I was not alone. Raw fear permeated what was left of me but it was quick to vanish. He was gone and I was with friends.

“I wasn’t expecting to see anypony.” I turned around to face them. “Am I something like you now?” I asked with a chuckle.

I took this opportunity to look around my immediate surroundings. I was indeed floating, suspended with a view of the massive black void. The others spoke to me the first voice kind, the second almost motherly. Then out of the corner of my eye, a small flash of light illuminated the void for several seconds and I found myself smiling again. The flash was soon followed by several more, which caused my smile to fade. My ears fell back against my head.

“No one ever really wins do they?” I said more for myself than present company. They already knew that hard truth. I hung my head and sighed heavily and turned to face the ghosts of the past. Some of them looked shocked, others looked on with grim acceptance and one with a weary smile.

“I never thought I’d be able to talk to you like this.” I said, a tinge of disbelief that I was even talking at all. “You’ve seen me at my lowest and still stood by me, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you for that.” I struggled to maintain eye contact. I was so tired. “I know some of your stories and now it’s time to tell mine. Maybe decide if it was worth it.” I sighed one last time. “It all started in Stable 63…”

Another low rumble shook the halls of the Stable’s maintenance department. To anypony else that may seem strange but to us stable dwellers it was something that everypony just got used to. Occasionally the Overmares would hijack the stables radio station to remind us all of the 'regular tectonic activity.' How it was harmless to the stable as a whole. Just like the rumbles themselves, we ignored them. On the bright side the ‘harmless’ tremors often shook important wires and other bits loose causing no shortage of demand in us, the general repair staff. The best part about this job was that you never knew where the repairs would send you. One day you could be sent to do really important things like make sure the water talisman was aligned properly, or incredibly mundane things like fix old Mr. Fern’s door because he’s locked himself in his quarters. Again.

Even with the unpredictability of the daily tasks though, it got dull, and fast. After a while you will have done everything multiple times. So while you may do something different every day the pool of tasks was finite. Stable-Tec just built some things too well. If it isn’t obvious yet, I was a repairpony or “maintenance technician” as was my official designation. Couldn’t be much else with a cutie mark of a lightning bolt striking a cluster of cogs. Unfortunately, neither my tasks nor the tremor were on my mind but rather the yelling that suddenly erupted in the hall outside my stall. I set my work aside and looked up from my desk towards the commotion. I got up to investigate when my partner Crescent Wrench at his desk opposite mine spoke up. He put his hoof up to his forehead and sighed.

“Sparks please just let it go this time.” I hesitated for a second but quickly rationalized my intention to him. I pointed an accusatory hoof at him.

“Do you want to listen to this all day? What if it gets worse? Not in my wing.” I stated matter-of-factly. Ignoring any further protests from him I opened the door to the hall to get a look. It was worse than I thought. While there were two main participants in the shouting match one unicorn mare and an earth pony mare, each one had a crowd gathering behind them calling for blood. Things were going to get violent. I ducked my head back in the stall and called to Crescent.

“Call security things are getting ugly out here.” Without waiting for his response I dashed back out into the hall. Things escalated quickly.

“If you ever come near my daughter again Forceps I will kill you!” The Earth pony mare was furious, beyond furious in fact yelling at the unicorn Doctor.

“I’m telling you Miss Ginger, It was just a checkup. I did nothing to young Miss Butterscotch.” The Doctor spoke slowly and calmly, touching her hoof to her chest in a gesture of sincerity. The pony known as Ginger didn’t acknowledge the gesture and continued to yell.

“Bullshit!” she stomped her hooves angrily on the floor, anger and fear etched on her face. “Ever since her ‘checkup’ my little girl hasn’t slept and keeps having strong headaches. You drugged her didn’t you? You slippery fucking unicorn snake!” I wanted to slink away from the crowd, go back to my stall and let security handle it but something kept me there, kept me from turning away.

I couldn’t stand to see such hate and if I could do anything at all to alleviate the hate I would gladly step between them. I flared my horn and pushed them back away from each other to get some room to make my stand.

“Ponies please!” I stepped between them and now all eyes were on me.

“Oh great, the blue bleedin’ heart is here to preach at us.” Somepony from behind Ginger said.

“Get out of the way technician this doesn’t concern you.” Somepony else behind Doc Forceps said. I continued my stand undaunted.

“Let’s all just calm down a bit okay? No matter what our differences are, we’re all ponies. Nopony needs to get hurt.” Ginger took a couple steps forward and stared me down.

“Fuck you! This is about my daughter and she is already hurt.” Doc Forceps said nothing in her defense this time. This was not the first time I found myself in this situation. Trying to talk down angry ponies with few and often no supporters. I tried my best to stand up tall and puff out my chest but I’m certain I just looked silly.

“Let’s address the buffalo in the room. Why did you let Doc Forceps look at your daughter instead of your Doctor?” I asked making a move that might have gotten me kicked by poking her in the chest. Ginger’s ears drooped back and she let out a big sigh.

“Butterscotch asked to be taken to Forceps.” Now that was curious. I gave a confused stare back at Forceps hoping she’d have an explanation for everypony. It was difficult to read her expression being the serious caretaker she was but behind her glasses I thought I saw a glint of affection in her eyes. She cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses before she spoke.

“Butterscotch means a great deal to me Ginger.” Doc forceps stepped her way around me and laid a gentle hoof on Ginger’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this but she has been coming to see me in secret. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up, she told me so. I’ve been mentoring her for a few months now. Please believe me when I say that I would never do anything to harm that girl.” Ginger lifted her head to meet Forcep’s gaze. I could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. I can’t be certain but I could swear I heard her whisper I’m sorry.

Before anything else could be said stable security arrived on the scene. “All right everypony, clear out, back to business as usual!” bellowed the voice of Security Chief Summer Blaze. She was flanked by four other guards. Slowly the crowds broke apart and went on their way back to wherever they belonged. Some mumbled to themselves as the passed me.

“Damn corns better watch themselves." I heard one say.

And another “Leave it to those hornless to get all worked up over nothing.” It’s an unfortunate truth but scenes like this were common amongst the stable. As far back as anypony can remember it has always been this way. The Stable was divided, Unicorns and Earth ponies in their own separate sections with their own Overmares, sharing only the cafeteria, atrium and hallways. That created mutual mistrust, rumors and the like. When something went wrong it was always the other groups fault. There were exceptions like with the Doc just now but they seldom came to make a difference on the whole.

Then you get ponies like me, the mediators who try their damnedest to keep confrontation like this from escalating. I let out a big sigh of relief and went to return to my stall. My reception was mixed. Sarcastically clopping his hooves together was Crescent Wrench still sitting at his desk.

“Congratulations to the big damn hero of Stable 63!” he spoke with mock reverence. “Seriously Sparks, why do you bother? You still tryin’ to impress that school teacher?” he wiggled his eyebrows on that last part which made me stop and think. Why do I do it? I don’t really know myself but it was just a conviction I’ve always had. My mother used to tell me stories of way back before the war, when every pony got along with one another. Maybe that was my secret longing, the source of my conviction. I was roused from my thoughts by the maintenance officer who came out from her office and snapped me back to reality.

“Sparks! Did ya hear what I said?” She sounded annoyed.

“Umm… no ma’am, is everything okay?” She facehoofed and sighed.

“No it isn’t, a tremor just passed and I’m gonna be down one worker. The Overmare sent for you, get goin’ before she gets impatient.” The Overmare? What did she want with me? I’m just a maintenance worker. I felt fear creep on me as terrifying possibilities multiplied in my head. I couldn’t find any words on my tongue, so I nodded my acknowledgement and backed out to the hall with just a wave to my co-workers.

I turned to head down the hall and bumped headfirst into a burgundy colored muzzle surrounded by light brown mane. “Ack!” I cried, falling back against the maintenance door. I rubbed the back of my head and sucked in a breath through my teeth. “Owww, Summer? What the hell? You still here?” She placed a hoof on her chest and nodded.

“That’s right Sparky, I am to be your escort to the Overmare.” Escort? Now I was really terrified. What had I done? Was she going to reassign me? Banish me? Make me clean the Stable door again!? The possibilities were many and frightening. I don’t know how long I sat contemplating what was going to happen but eventually Summer must have lost her patience and gave me a tap on the shoulder.

“Hellooo? Sparks? C’mon we don’t want to keep the Overmare waiting.” I jumped up faster than I thought the situation would allow and motioned for her to lead on. It was all I could do to keep my mind from wandering any farther.

By the time we got up to the living quarter’s section I found myself contemplating possibilities that were less emotionally debilitating. Maybe she wants to promote me? Or reward me in some way? But that again begged the question. Why? Either way, good or bad, I wasn’t somepony exemplary. Both scenarios were equally confusing in my mind. I tried to pump more brain power into the building mystery before Summer freed me from my fortress of thought.

“So, how are you and Winter doing Sparks?”

My thought process came to a screeching halt. “Wha- huh?” I blurted, caught off guard by the sudden derailing. I coughed into my hoof to try and regain some composure and wrap my head around the question before addressing her.

“We are doing okay, I guess. Not exactly too many romantic places to take a date.” Summer smiled and turned to face me as we walked.

“You know she thinks the world of you and so do I. Even though you are always making work for me and my team by playing hero. I’m really glad you were able to pull my little sister’s head out of those old books.”

I rubbed the back of my head again sheepishly. “She’s really come into her own hasn’t she?”

Summer chuckled. “She really has. The kids at the schoolhouse love her, she’s making friends and she’s dating a unicorn. You're really the best thing that’s happened to her in years.”

I never thought of our getting together as anything more special than anypony else and changing her certainly wasn’t my intention. I didn’t care that she was an earth pony and I was a unicorn but maybe I have a biased opinion since I was the product of such a union.

“Heh, yeah.” I agreed.

We climbed the stairs up to the unicorn Overmare’s office in silence until Summer’s PipBuck made a little noise. She lifted her foreleg to look at the little computer like device and sighed.

“Shit, another incident, I trust you can find your way there from here?” She winked before trotting back down the stairs with a wave. “See ya later Sparks!” I waved back even though she was out of sight.

“Yeah, see ya later.” I whispered to myself as I found myself staring down the Overmare’s door. I suddenly felt fear form in the pit in my stomach. Even though I entertained the idea that this encounter could go either way, I couldn’t have prepared for the level of fear I was feeling at that moment. I inhaled a large breath to ease my nerves to no avail. Suddenly I was a colt again, playing the counting game. I’ll knock on three I thought over and over again. I counted to two once, twice, three times, extending and pulling back my hoof each time. I bet I could have stood there forever, that is until the door fwooshed open revealing Overmare Rose Thorn’s face.

“Eep.” I managed to squeak from my surely ridiculous looking pose.

“Ah Mr. Sparks, there you are. Please, come have a seat.” I flinched when she said my name but I had no choice but to obey now that I was in her sights. I did as instructed, taking my seat opposite her desk as she sauntered back to her seat. She slowly folded her hooves together over her desk.

“I bet you’re wondering why I called you here.” She said softly. Truthfully, I was desperately wanting and fearing an answer simultaneously. Yet I couldn’t find my voice. I sat in front of the pony who could either be my savior or executioner. Every feeling I was having sunk so far down my body I almost fell out of my chair. I swallowed hard and managed enough strength for a nod.

“I’ve been watching you Mr. Sparks. Watching you talk down aggressors whenever one of our own butts heads with a hornless. I’m also not the only one watching.” She motioned to the circular window overlooking our atrium.

“Some of those ponies look up to you, even if you don’t know it. It may not seem like such an accomplishment given our environment but the way I see it, if they look up to you that should be reflected in your position.”

Curiosity helped me find my courage and thus my voice. “What are you saying Overmare?” my voice low, just above a whisper.

“I’m saying that I’m giving you a new, more important role in the Stable. You are a model of how a pony should treat others. Those ponies out there have put a measure of trust in you and I’m returning the favor so to speak.”

I was stunned. Of all the things I expected, a promotion for essentially being a ‘good’ pony was not one of them. I quickly felt the fear and dread drain away to be replaced by joy and relief. I cracked a big goofy grin. I just couldn’t help it. I had built up this idea in my mind that nothing good could come of our meeting but I was wrong. Dead wrong. The Overmare grinned with me.

“Since you are currently in maintenance, I thought it fitting to bump you up to chief engineer. That means you’ll be supervising the day to day operations of the spark generator, electrical grid and power distribution. Congratulations Chief Engineer Sparks.”

I was dumbstruck. I just went from general repairpony to chief engineer. I was happy sure but I was also just a bit skeptical.

“Are you sure I’m qualified Ma’am?” I half scoffed, half laughed. “I don’t know the first thing about running a whole department.” She just nodded.

“Don’t worry we’ll ease you into it and train you as you go.” I had more questions that I wanted answered but before I could vocalize them the Overmare beat me to it. “Report to the generator room tomorrow and we’ll get you broken in. Dismissed.”

“Yes Ma’am” I replied swiftly and let myself out of the office.

The first logical step was obviously to brag, so after a quick trot back down to the living area I found my old quarters and knocked. A few seconds later the door opened and I saw her. White Lily, my mother. Her white coat and blonde, slightly greying mane looked as regal and dignified as ever.

“Hey Mom.” I smiled warmly. “May I come in?” she shared my smile.

“Of course sweetie, you don’t need to ask.” The old apartment looked as decorative as ever. Mom was a natural artist in every sense of the word. From paintings to sewing to sculptures and music, she cornered the market. She says it runs in the family but I certainly missed out. Being the stable’s best artist her work was in high demand. It was no surprise to see more than one apartment that was just as colorful as hers. Though she did lose some of her passion after dad died in an accident with the spark generator and was incinerated.

I found a seat and Mom followed suit.

“So what brings you by sweetie?”

Without hesitating I just blurted it out. “Mom, I got promoted. The Overmare just made me chief engineer!”

A puzzled expression found its way to her face. “Really? You must have been working very hard then.”

“That’s just the thing, I haven’t, not really. She said it was essentially for standing up for earth ponies.”

“That’s wonderful dear.” Excitement had beaten away the confusion. “It’s good to see such a noble belief like yours rewarded so highly. Your father would be so proud of you.” I smiled in embarrassment.

“Thanks Mom that means a lot.” She reached across to me and took my hoof in hers.

“You absolutely must let me plan a celebration for you.” In that instant I saw some of her old passion flash in her eyes. That alone made me happier than any party could.

“Yes please, that’d be great.”

“Wonderful! I’ll get to work immediately. Come by tomorrow after work and we can discuss some ideas and see if we can’t persuade our way into the atrium.” And with that she practically leapt of her seat, grabbing this and that in her levitation in a whirlwind of creativity.

“Sounds great Mom, I’m gonna go tell Winter so I’ll leave you to it.” She heard me but I don’t think she was listening but I didn’t mind. It was just so great to see her like that again.

Another quick trot around the hallways led me to my next destination. Home. I stepped in through the doorway, removing my utility barding and hanging it up near the bed. I spun around looking all over the room.

“Winter? You home?” A hiss from the bathroom door behind me drew my gaze in its direction for me to see Winter Gleam emerge from the room with some steam following her out, a towel wrapped around her mane.

“You’re home early Sparky.” She reached up to continue toweling off her mane.

“Yeah I am and you’ll never guess why.” I said with exaggerated smugness.

“Oh?” she cocked her head to the side, throwing her towel back into the bathroom. “You sound excited, so what is it?” She asked as she walked back into the bathroom. “Come in here and tell me about it.” She stopped in front of the mirror and grabbed her brush and began pulling it through her mane. I followed her inside and also faced the mirror getting a look at us.

I was about a head taller than Winter allowing us to talk into the mirror without losing the simple act of eye contact. Winter’s coat was as white as her namesake with a dark blue short feathered mane and tail with little pink streaks in them. She wore a flower shaped pendant on a chain around her neck, a gift I had given her long ago. Her cutie mark was of a pink flower. As for myself, I too had a coat color that matched my namesake. Sort of. I had an electric blue coat with a neck length dull silver mane and tail.

“I got a promotion.” I stated flatly. Hoping to elicit some kind of reaction out of her. She turned to face me directly lifting an eyebrow.

“Why?” caution was evident in her tone. But not for much longer.

“That’s the best part. Nothing! I got a promotion for nothing.” I smiled my biggest smile. Winter poked me in the chest.

“Sparky that doesn’t make any sense. That’s not how a promotion works.” I chuckled and booped her nose.

“I know. The Overmare said it was for being a good pony. She said some of the other residents have started looking up to me for trying to mediate conflict between our two groups. And because of that she wants me to have a more active role in the stable.” I struck my most heroic pose “Say hello to the new chief engineer!” Winter looked puzzled.

“Your Overmare promoted you just for being you?” She wrapped me in a tight hug. “That’s so great Sparky! I can hardly believe it. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m happy for us. Who’d have thought that my heroics would not only net me an awesome marefriend but a better job too?” I broke the hug to prance around the room like a little colt on Hearth’s Warming Eve.

A sudden kiss planted on my lips broke me out of my silly dance. Winter wrapped her hooves around my neck and as our lips separated she looked up at me with half-lidded eyes.

“I think we should do a little ‘celebrating’ of our own.” I saw a delicate blush form on her cheeks. A blush that soon found its way to mine. She gingerly stepped out the door, brushed her tail under my chin and motioned me towards the bed with her hoof. I could feel my blush threatening to singe my fur. When we reached the bed she slowly crawled over the blankets and pillows, giving me her best come hither look. That desire in her eyes caught me off guard, forcing a little excitement spark to shoot out of my horn. Then… well… a gentlecolt never kisses and tells.

A rather surprising ending to a surprising day. Yet they paled in comparison to the surprise that would await me the following day.

Next Chapter: Chapter One: Reality Lost Estimated time remaining: 32 Hours, 29 Minutes