Day three. I had just woken up and was still going through boxes of food, metal, water, soft drinks, medical supplies, and other stuff that was beginning to just seem like garbage to me. It was about this time that I began to feel something that I had not felt since I had gotten away, but had felt daily for four long years. Boredom.

I gave up looking through the boxes and examined Harvest's pistol. It was a different caliber than the one I had stolen. It was much bigger and seemed like it would pack quite a punch. I noticed the markings on the barrel. I compared it to my stolen revolver. His was marked 10mm. Mine was marked .357. I was gun-smart enough to know that this probably meant that they shot different kinds of bullets.

Setting those aside, I laid back onto my makeshift metal bed. These two rooms originally had one shelving arrangement each. I took both of these apart the night before, reassembling one of them into reasonable sleeping arrangements.

My freedom had been restricted to the two rooms. I was beginning to feel it. One of the boxes had toys, for whatever reason. One of them was a rubber ball. I bounced it off of every wall. Eventually, I just threw it as hard as I could. I ducked to avoid it as it flew all around my room. Unfortunately I paid for my stupidity. I looked up just in time to see my precious plaything vanish behind my stacked storage containers.

I groaned and hit my head against the wall. I would deal with my boredom the same way I dealt with it in the cell block. I meditated on my magic. I allowed the energy to flow through my horn and into the objects around me. It's hard to put magic into words for those who can't use it, but it just kind of happens. I felt particularly powerful, as now I was able to allow my horn to glow. It's amazing how something so subtle can make such a change in capabilities.

I don't know how long I meditated. Minutes? Hours? It doesn't really matter. I was disturbed as my pip-buck made a noise. I looked at it. It was another note from Harvest that had just appeared. It must have been hidden in the coding and programmed to appear after a set time.

Overstallion,

I must congratulate you. For surviving this long, you have either been smart enough to avoid detection or stupid enough to sit on your flank for three days. Either way, You've managed to last this long in an environment where everypony has probably been looking to kill you. Now, I'm sure my shelter is beginning to get a little old, so I'm going to give you some choices to relieve some monotony.

"Getting old," that was an understatement.

The first choice is to leave. If you can make it to an elevator, there is a room on the topmost floor of the stable. It's the main entrance. There is a massive gear-shaped door that has been sealed for a very long time. Input the following password into the terminal up there and the door will open. I don't know what the world is like outside, but I can imagine you would be able to experience more freedom than even the Overmare has ever imagined. The password is: CMC-BFF-4EVR. You are the Overstallion and this is your decision to make. But if you want advice of an old Overstallion, the other option is to stay within the stable. Think of your brothers in whatever treatment they are receiving and you escaped from. You can make a real difference and help them re-achieve what I was born into. What you were meant to be born into. Once again though this is your decision. I hope you make the right choice.

Your predecessor,

Overstallion Harvest

Wow. I relaxed into deep though. You mean I can actually leave? There's an outside where the Overmare can't get to me? The bored feeling was gone. I had a lot to think about.

I looked at the next door, which I hadn't opened yet. Then again, if there's something good on the other side of that door, then maybe I won't ever need to risk getting to that main door. I got up and stared at the metal, airtight mechanism, which I remembered had been the one thing that I wanted to do today. If there was something good on the other side, then I would stay here for a while longer. If there was just more junk, then I would head for the upper levels of the stable as soon as possible.

With a deep breath I reached for the seal. There was a hiss and the door jammed as it hap barely opened. I sighed and reached down to open the door manually. My heart almost stopped as I saw what was on the other side.

The room was pink. Very pink. The walls, the ceiling, everything was pink. The dresser, closet door, and frame around a screen on the wall that showed a large city skyline were purple. I instantly knew where I was. This was a mare's personal quarters.

In the same moment I saw the room, I slammed the massive metal door shut again. That was not what was supposed to happen. "No no no no no," I told myself. "Please no."

The feeling of dread, having been so close to achieving my freedom, just to throw it away like this is unrivaled. I was trembling. I was on the verge of tears. I sat my sorry flank on my bed and waited for the door to open again.

Then I noticed that for a moment there wasn't a response. Maybe the mare had her back turned to my direction and didn't hear the door. Maybe she wasn't even in the room. Mares didn't spend a lot of time in their quarters, right?

Any hope vanished in an instant, as the door reopened to reveal a small pink earth pony standing in the doorway. I could have easily have overpowered her with a single spell, but what good would that have done? It might buy me a few hours, but it would eventually be found out.

"What in Celestia's name?" she said.

All I did was sniffle miserably. She examined my little hideout and instantly she knew what was going on.

"You're the runaway breeder!" she exclaimed. "I thought they'd caught you yesterday with all the drilling in the halls. I though it was funny the Overmare hadn't taken down the reward though. How long has all this been here?"

Great, the Overmare had offered an award for me.

"Please don't tell anypony," I begged. Look at me, great, big, powerful, Overstallion pleading for my life with a mare like this. Great.

Her smile faded. "You know I'm going to have to turn you in."

No, that could not happen. "No you don't," I blurted out. "I've been here for three days and you haven't noticed. We could just pretend you didn't find me." Okay, I knew how terrible my argument was the moment I gave it.

I noticed there was an intercom on the far side of her room.

She shook her head. "Sorry, we just can't do that. I do have to report you to security. If I do, I get the reward. If I don't, then I get marked. I do not want to get marked by security," she explained.

"Not if I don't get caught. I-I'll do anything for you not to tell them," I countered.

"If I don't call security, then I have to call maintenance. You have a doorway straight into my bedroom."

"So do you into mine! Please, I'll do anything. I-I'm trained. I can be you're own personal servant. Just please, please don't call anypony." Somehow I don't think that argument held much weight for her.

"The overmare protects," she muttered under her breath. "Look we don't have a choice."

I admit, I was crying now. Everything I had risked had just been taken away. Fortunately, she didn't see my pistol.

She turned and began to head towards the intercom. I grabbed my revolver and pointed it straight at her. She gasped as though I would actually shoot her. There was panic in her eyes.

"Why are you so against my doing this? Why don't you just go get your decommission. From what I've heard, it's just one shot and it's all over. They say it's a really peaceful way to go."

As she spoke she crept closer towards the panel.

"B-because. I'm not a stallion that's just going be put down. I'm not just going to give in and be slaughtered. You're all murderers. No stallion in those cells deserves to go that way. They're good ponies. All of them. And you and your Overmare are going to see that within a year, there's all new ponies in those cells. Ponies that deserve to see more than just a few years."

Tears were streaming down my face.

She turned and jumped towards the panel. Just before she pushed the button to call security, she paused. She probably wondered why I hadn't shot the gun. She turned and looked at me. My revolver was pressed under my chin.

She hesitated.

"Don't," I said with a sniffle.

"Why not? It's the way it is. The way it's always been."

"The moment you press that button. You strap me to that hospital bed. I'll pull this trigger before that happens. It makes no difference to me."

"Praise the Overmare," she said.

"Buck the Overmare," I replied.

Suddenly, there was a knock at her quarters door. She motioned for me to close my door. There was probably a shield that prevented it from being seen from her side, while it was closed. I slammed it shut.

I sat with my gun under my chin, staring at the door for over an hour. She never reopened it.

I had a hard time sleeping that night. Any minute I might be discovered by security. Before I fell asleep, I planned my escape. It didn't matter if I was detected, right? To get to the main doors I just needed to be quick. It was all set before I went to sleep. Day four and I would be out of the stable.

Security never came.


Thank you so much for reading my little blurb this far. I'm glad those of you who are reading like it. If you don't, why not? Leave a comment saying why.

Brohoof /)