Melody of The Wasteland
Episode 1
Its HUGE... I thought, staring at the giant door in front of me. The door to Stable 27 stood there ominously. My parents were next me. I could hear the sounds of my mother sobbing but I couldn’t find the strength to look at her. I turned to the Overmare, she looked at me as if I was a dead pony. Which, soon, I was going to be.
Hi, I’m Melody Flight. As of recently, a former resident of Stable 27.
Stable 27 prides itself in its outstanding inhabitants, preparing them for the journey into the Outside so that they may better society. That is, when the outside is ready to sustain life. Which is why the Overmare keeps everypony inside. Everypony who's normal, at least.
Some ponies might say I'm a bit odd. Thats why I was being kicked out. How odd? Well for one, I'm a pegasus. Most stable dwellers are unicorns or earth ponies. Pegasi were Equestria's noble soldiers during the war. Then they all disappeared. We were never taught what happened to them, though. Anyway, both my parents were unicorns but it turns out that one of my ancestors got a little frisky with a pegasus right before she came to the Stable and ended up pregnant. So, my family has been carrying secret pegasi genes until they decided to come out when I was born. Lucky me.
Also, there are some other odd things about me that MIGHT need to be addressed later...
The “real” reason I was kicked out (or at least what the Overmare said the reason was) was because of my cutie mark. Stable 27 will only provide for ponies who they deem will build up the Outside world. I have a singing mark. In fact the day I got my cutie mark another filly had gotten her singing mark about fifteen minutes before me. The rules state only one of us will be allowed to live a happy life in the stable (for morale purposes) while the other would be disposed of once they reached adulthood. Lucky for that filly the rule worked on a first-come-first-serve basis, rather than talent. So since then I have been living my life in preparation to die once I was an adult. Neither of my parents took it well. My mother was devastated and my father..... well lets say if I wasn’t forced to leave he would have killed me first.
“Your time is up, Melody.” the Ovemare informed me. As she said this the pony behind the controls opened the door. Well, this is it.... I thought then sighed, I slowly walked through the door into a tunnel, not even bothering to look back. As soon as I was out the door shut behind me, leaving the tunnel almost completely black except for some light peaking through the cracks of an amateurly made door at the end of my path. I made my way towards it not realizing the cracks I was hearing under my hooves were the bones of long dead ponies until later. The light from outside was blinding but my eyes eventually adjusted, I looked around then checked my PipBuck for signs of radiation.
“Nothing here....” I told myself, then groaned. “What so they want me to die out here from dehydration? I’m not sure what’s worse!” I had to admit I was furious. At the Overmare, at Stable 27, but mostly at myself. “Why couldn’t I have been a doctor or a scientist or repair pony or something useful like that?” I hung my head and started to walk aimlessly, singing to myself as I went.
The landscape was flat and seemed to be never ending in all directions. The ground itself was uneven and uncomfortable to step on, it was nowhere near as smooth as the steel floors of my old home. I looked up at the clouds. They blanketed the sky with the exception of a few patches of bright blue. As I looked at the spots of visible sky I felt an indescribable itch on my wings. I lifted them as the breeze blew. I smiled, feeling happier than I ever had. That realization made me frown. Had my life really been SO miserable that some wind through my feathers has filled me with purest joy I’ve ever experienced? I decided to contemplate this. Life wasn’t TOO hard... well at least it wasn't before my cutie mark. That was when my mother was happy and my father still loved me. I closed my eyes and tried to remember that time in my life. It felt so far away, the memories were blurred except for a few.
Mom attempting to brush my curly mane. My first day of school. When I got my BB gun.
I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of the last thing. I had been teased at school the day before by a few colts. I came home crying and my dad noticed, he asked me what was wrong and I told him. He woke me up the next morning and said he had a surprise to cheer me up. I ran back into the main room and there was his old BB gun from when he was a colt. He stayed up all night repairing it for me.
What happened to him....? I thought. Well that was an easy question. I disappointed him. He was one of our greatest scientists who married the mare in charge of the entire Stable’s food supply and had the single strangest and useless daughter in the history of forever. Ok, maybe not forever. In the history of Stable 27, at least. After we learned my fate he changed for the worse. He couldn't stand being in the same room with me. Every time I looked into his eyes all I could see was regret. As if he hated himself for creating me. I always had my mother, though.
She had changed too, but differently. She didn’t reject me; she mourned me. She spent less time doing her job at first. The Overmare threatened to get rid of her as well, which she considered until Dad convinced her otherwise. She had several mental breakdowns over the past years. Perhaps my leaving would help. The knowledge that she was in safe hooves and on her way to healing was a comforting idea for me. That comfort was quickly demolished when I realised wrecked her life. Not to mention I was being exiled because I was destined to fail society.
“Life SUCKS.” I couldn’t help but say out loud.
I was lying. Life didn’t suck, I did. Sometimes I felt like I should have killed myself long ago, but I was too much of a wimp to carry anything out. I deserved this, and everything I went through. Including my mental torture, that isn’t to say I didn’t indulge myself every once and awhile.
I hated to admit it, but I loved my talent. I loved music. I used to sneak in on the other filly’s private voice lessons and give her little mental pointers. When my parents were elsewhere in the Stable I would sit on my bed and play music on my Pipbuck. As I sang along I imagined performing in front of everypony. I knew that would never happen. Even so, I could still dream. In school they had several books on the old cities that were going to be rebuilt once everypony was let out. My favorite was Manehatten, which was home to Bridleway. The birthplace of the Equestrian Musical some say. One day our class was discussing what these future cities were going to be like. I raised my hoof asked if Bridleway was going to be rebuilt (I figured if I couldn’t live out my dream, maybe other ponies could.) My teacher looked at me like I was an idiot and gave me a simple. “No.”
I let out a sigh and proceeded to sing my heart out whilst walking forward.After what felt like hours I finally collapsed, blacking out after mere seconds.
“--thing has got to be worth a fortune! If I could only get it the fuck off!” Exclaimed a voice near me, a mare. I was awake but kept my eyes closed, listening in on the conversation. I could feel a pair of hooves banging on the side of my PipBuck.
What’s going on.....? …wait a second….I’M BEING ROBBED!
“Silver, Caps can’t buy happiness.” Said another voice, also a mare.
The first voice, Silver apparently, snorted. “Thats not what your customers say, Shimmer.”
The second voice gasped, obviously offended. “SILVEEEEER! Thats horrible!”
Silver laughed. “I’m not the one who sleeps with anything as long as its remotely ponylike.”
“Well at least--” Shimmer cut herself off and let out a blood curdling scream. I had opened my eyes and she had seen me. “It’s not dead!” Above me were two of the tallest ponies I have ever seen in my life. My eyes widened and I jumped up to my hooves.
“T-t-t-TALL! Is everypony out here so...TALL!?” I shouted, backing up a bit. The two mares in front of me looked at each other, one of them smiled slightly while the other scowled. The slightly shorter one, an earth pony with a golden coat and a lighter, slightly curled blonde mane, turned to me.
“We’re sorry, we thought you were dead.” The other, also an earth pony with a dark grey coat and an almost pure white, straight, shiny mane, simply rolled her eyes. She muttered something then glanced back at my pipbuck. The golden pony smiled at me. “My name is Gold Shimmer, and this is my older sister Quick Silver.”
“I’m Melody Flight....” I told them, a bit confused as to what was going on. I looked at the grey pony, realizing she was the one trying to steal my PipBuck.
“YOU tried to rob me!” I shouted, pointing my hoof at her.
“I thought you were dead!” She shot back, obviously not afraid of me. Then again, who would be?
“So you decided to ROB a dead body? Thats disrespectful!” I said icily, narrowing my eyes.
Quick Silver laughed a little. “Welcome to the Equestrian Wasteland, Sweetheart. Where the fuck’ve you been for the past two hundred years?”
My glare intensified but it didn’t seem to faze her. “I’ve lived in Stable 27 for my entire life until now.” Gold Shimmer tilted her head when she heard this.
“You’re from a Stable?”
I ignored her question, still aiming my anger towards her sister. “I ought to report you to whoever’s in charge!” The sisters looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
Gold shimmer stopped when she saw my still, clearly upset expression. “Nopony’s ‘in charge’ of the Wasteland, Melody.”
I frowned at that. If nopony was in charge how do they get anything done...? I asked myself. Assuming there are other ponies here.... My frown deepened, but, considering the conversation I overheard, there MUST be other ponies somewhere.
“If I can’t get you arrested..... could you at least tell me what you were talking about when you were trying to steal my PipBuck?”
Silver smirked. “We were talking ‘bout how my sister is a slut.”
“PROSTITUTE.” Gold Shimmer corrected, shockingly not ashamed at all. “I get Caps for what I do. A slut doesn’t.”
I glanced at her, suddenly realizing she was wearing a corset. How did I not notice that before...?
“We were also talking about how MY sister is a greedy bitch who can’t keep her hooves off of shiny things, even if it means taking them without asking.” Shimmer turned to Quick Silver, glaring. I had a feeling this conversation happened a lot. In an effort to change the subject before things got bloody, Quick Silver decided to ask me some questions.
“You said you were from a Stable right? Why’d you leave?”
I told them everything. How Stable life was, why I had to leave and everything in between. By the end, Silver was frowning and Gold Shimmer looked as if she were on the verge of tears.
“Silver, can we keep her? Please? PLEASE? PLEASE!?” She begged, bringing her hooves together. Silver looked at me, then back at the golden mare.
“Oh, alright....” She said with a sigh. “As long as she wants to.”
I weighed my options. I could either team up with these two ponies who at least somewhat looked like they knew what they were doing, or I could wander around aimlessly again and probably end up dead. Difficult decision. I thought, rolling my eyes.
“I’d love to join you.”
Quick Silver and Gold Shimmer lead the way to their shack outside the city. The shack itself appeared constructed with several uncorrespondent pieces of metal and some pieces of what looked like driftwood. Shimmer, practically leaping with joy, opened the door and went inside. I walked in with Silver. Inside there were two beds, and a shelf holding prewar food and a few firearms. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a trap door in the corner.
“Who built this place?” I asked Silver. I could see her smile faintly.
"Our dad..."
"So you lived here with your parents?" Silver's smile faded.
"Well, parent." She corrected.
"What happened to your mother?" I pried, even though I shouldn't have. Stupid lack of social skills. The grey mare turned to look at her sister who was changing. I could clearly see Shimmer's cutie mark now which looked like a leather high-heeled boot. Quick Silver brought her attention back to me. She cleared her throat then began to mimic and lower, more gruff, buck voice. If I didn't know any better I wouldn't have been able guess it was her.
"'Yer mother was a two-bit whore who left me fer the first colt she could get 'er hooves on--" The mare began, then started to smile. "--but Ah'm lucky she left yew two here with me.'" I couldn't help but look back at Gold Shimmer, apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"What happened to him?"
"Raiders took him a few years ago." Silver told me, speaking normally again. I could sense the subject was touchy because she changed the subject once again. “Melody you take my bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Awww, I was gonna give her MY bed.” Shimmer complained.
“No.” Silver replied sternly. The mare simply rolled her eyes, opened the trapdoor ,and when inside.
“Giving up your bed was very nice of you but.... I mean, I can sleep on the floor...”
“No.” She said in the same stern tone. She made her way to the space in between the two beds and curled up. I walked over to her.
“Well, why not?” I demanded.
She snorted. “The last thing I need is for you to go to bed on the ground then wake up sore, so when we end up being attacked by something you’ll move slower and DIE.” She looked at me dead on. “You’re with me now, and that means I will do my best to keep you safe.”
“Wow... that was..... grim...”
She laughed bitterly. “Like I said, Sweetheart, welcome to the Equestrian Wasteland.”