* * *
“Yaay, Fluttershy! You’re doing it! Woohoo!”
She flapped her wings with growing confidence. Her head craned up as far as it would go, and her hooves dangled behind her. Trent swam lazily ahead, kicking his fins through the air as he pretended to backstroke across an invisible lake.
“Now I want you to try something real quick. I want you to kick your left legs backwards, and your right legs forward. Hard as you can. Okay?”
“Ooo.. Okay!”
She kicked forward and backwards simultaneously, and the world began to spin.
“Eeeeee!” she squealed, as she spiraled along.
“Now do it again, but exactly the opposite. Left legs forward, right legs back.”
Her eyes closed as she kicked again. She cautiously opened them again to see the whole world upside down, but more or less stationary again.
“Good job!” Trent clapped.
“Ohh. Thank you!”
“Now, do you see that wall we’re about to painfully crash into?”
She did. She gasped.
“Right... I’ll take your moment of silence as a cognizant response, pursuant to my previous comment...”
“TRENT!”
“Just follow my lead. All of your legs, kick them back at the same time, and then forward once you’ve spun around. Just like me. Watch!”
He curled his knees to his chest, flipping backwards through half of a somersault. His legs straightened again, and he came to rest staring back at Fluttershy.
“Your turn!”
She kicked and rolled, angling her neck downward to follow the new orientation. The wall was nearly upon them, and she began to flap her wings instinctively.
“Ahh, very good.”
“Trent!” her voice rose with a hint of panic.
“You’re doing fine, don’t worry!”
“No, no! Trent!”
“What is it?”
“Behind you!”
“What? Oh Shi...”
Trent smacked into the bulkhead with a resounding bang, and then fell to the walkway above, landing with all the grace of an anesthetized cat.
“Oooh! Trent!” Fluttershy cried, as she vectored in to land. She kicked the wall, rebounding up to the underside to the ledge, and settled next to the supine pile of askew limbs.
“Are you okay?”
A semi-lucid groan came as the only response.
“Will you be okay!” She asked again, gently nuzzling his shoulder.
“Eventually... Owwww... You don’t mind if I lay here for a few minutes, do you?”
“I don’t mind. Um... You don’t feel any broken bones, do you?”
“No. Don’t think so, anyways.”
“Can you feel this?” Her hooves pressed gently along his shins and thighs.
“Yes...”
“And what about... Ohh! Ohh no.”
“What?”
“Ohh! It’s horrible!”
“What is it?”
“Trent! You’re bleeding!”
“Huh?” He tried to lift his head to look, but a hoof to his chest gently pressed him back.
“No, stay there. Let me think for a second. I know it looks bad, but I need you to stay with me,” she commanded.
As she trotted nervously in a tight circle on the narrow catwalk, Trent looked down and prepared himself for the worst.
The non-skid polycrete of the catwalk had thoroughly lacerated his trousers around the knees. Beneath that, the flesh was bruised, and lightly perforated with thousand tiny pinpricks. Blood oozed forth as semi-coagulated droplets.
“Ooh, that does look serious,” he said.
“What can we do?”
“Well, there is a medical facility, about thirty decks down,” he gestured with his thumb hooked towards the dark abyss. “Centerline, near the first beam.”
Fluttershy crept to the edge of the catwalk, looking down. The light from above did not reach all the way below. Strange shapes sent sinister shadows as spotlights strobed silently.
“Down there?” she asked quietly.
“Mmm hmm.” He laid his head back and rolled his eyes. “Don’t know if I’ll make it without an aspirin and a band-aid.”
As he tried to sit up, Fluttershy pressed him down again.
“Trent. Hold still. I have an idea.”
“Whaaa?”
Fluttershy bit into Trent’s belt, and tugged him towards the edge of the catwalk. She trotted to the other side, and pushed in the small of his back until he slid under the handrail and fell off the ledge, floating freely in the bay.
“Oh.. Thanks...” he mumbled, slowly tumbling into the void.
Fluttershy dove from the catwalk, flapping her wings in tight controlled bursts until she was just underneath Trent.
“Now hold on tight!”
“Ahh...” He lay across her back with his arms around her neck. “You’re the best, Fluttershy.”
* * *
Twilight let out a surprised yelp as she dropped to the floor. The intruder towered before her, asymmetric and indistinct behind the patchwork camouflage. It let out a mirthful sigh in a feminine voice that sounded both vaguely familiar, and just slightly sultry.
The purple pony bolted. She headbutted the balcony door and burst outside, filling her lungs to scream for help. A glowing haze of magic gripped her hind legs firmly, and yanked them from beneath her. Her forehooves scratched frantically at the wooden planks, clutching a thick heavy object just before she slipped back into the bedroom.
The doors closed again, locking with an audible click.
She whirled to face the intruder, standing high on her hind legs. She hoisted the twenty pound cube of empirical observations - the bright red CRC Handbook of Alchemy and Magic - high overhead, tensing her body to throw it as hard as she could.
“Back off, lady! I’m a SCIENTIST!” An angry snort underscored her fierce narrowed gaze.
A light chuckle came from the hooded figure.
“Ohh, Twilight...”
She froze briefly, stunned at the sudden familiarity of the voice.
“I have been looking everywhere for that, actually.”
The CRC tome zipped away from Twilight’s hooves, hovering gently beside the intruder.
“Princess... Celestia?”
The hood withdrew, revealing her mentor. Her head bore no crown, and her face was streaked with thick black lines over a patchwork of dark green and earthy brown.
“Twilight, my most prized student. I trust that we are alone?”
Twilight gulped. Her head nodded involuntarily with shocked obedience.
“I have had much on my mind lately. Many thoughts that simply must be shared...” She strode resolutely towards the quivering young unicorn, rustling quietly within her patchwork suit. Her head dipped close to Twilight, as their horns nearly crossed.
“...In private.”
Twilight raised one hoof in meek objection, a placeholder for a lengthy rebuttal against...
She gasped suddenly. Her eyes went wide, her ears folded alongside her head, and a deep blush crept across her face.
“Hmm?” Celestia murmured. She looked up suddenly, casting her eyes about the wreckage of the bedroom. A long whistle escaped her lips as she turned slowly.
There was a short pause before she spoke.
“You know, Twilight,” she said evenly. “I have a book you may wish to borrow. It describes some very useful therapeutic exercises for relieving stress and tension.”
“Princess...”
She turned back suddenly, giving Twilight a sly wink.
“I should know. It’s saved me a small fortune on new furniture lately. Ha ha.”
“Um...”
“Ohh my...” Celestia exhaled with a deep woof. “I wish my bed could end up like... Ahh... Excuse me. Twilight, my faithful student. You have my apologies for this sudden intrusion, but we have much to discuss.”
“Ohh. Is that what you’re here for?” Twilight asked in confusion. The relief in her voice carried a faint tinge of disappointment.
Celestia eyed her strangely for a moment, before giving a slight shake of her head.
“Yes, I’m afraid.”
She unhooked the clasps holding the patchwork suit around her body, and let it shuffle off to the floor. The colors of each ragged cloth faded back to the dull yellow of unbleached cotton. Her wings stretched majestically within the confines of Twilight’s bedroom. Feathers ruffled, and drops of perspiration flew from her flanks and chest.
Twilight could scarcely recognize her. Where her face was swatched with simple black lines and earthy colors, her body was a bedazzling tapestry of stripes and swirls. A canvas of dark pitch and light shades, with brilliant jagged streaks of red and yellow. Where her mane and tail once undulated with a palette of pastel hues, a hot glow of crackling embers radiated in their place.
“Does it suit me, still?” she asked carefully.
Twilight stared, mouth agape. She was at a momentary loss for words, wrestling with the mental image of a phoenix mating with a zebra, and the logistical challenges that implied.
“Princess! I.. I’ve never seen you wearing anything like that!”
“Ahh. It has been some time. Nonetheless, I must remind myself on occasion... Lest I forget my true colors.”
“Your true colors?”
“A figure of speech, dear Twilight.”
“What about that suit you were wearing?”
“Oh... That,” she pushed the lumpy mound of torn fabric with her hind hoof. “It breaks the outline and deceives the eyes.”
She waggled her hips with a mischievous grin.
“And it can add an extra ten pounds where you’d least want it.”
“Huh?”
“It allows me to travel unseen, with only a slight enchantment imbued within it. No magic otherwise. The keen eyes of the Palace guard, and the ethereal senses of the court unicorns are left none the wiser.”
“But... I’ve never seen you wear that either!”
Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Exactly.”
“Why?” Twilight breathed.
“Because!” Celestia exclaimed hotly. She kicked the patchwork suit into a mound and collapsed onto it. “Because... Because.” Her voice grew soft and tailed off, as her head lay heavily across folded legs.
“Because what?” Twilight asked.
Celestia looked upward to her student. She blinked several times, her puffy eyelids wiping away the traces of tears from an unfocused stare. Eyes which bore weary witness to the march of time, yet steadfastly carried depths of wisdom, kindness, and comfort. Eyes which now simply stared back at Twilight, vulnerable and pleading.
The wild colorful patterns of her coat screamed with a predatorial ferocity. Yet, as she lay there in Twilight’s bedroom, atop a patchwork of rags, she looked frightened. Hiding behind the guise of war paint as a young colt might clutch a toy soldier for protection against the shadows lurking at the foot of the bed.
“Twilight... Have I been a fair leader?”
“Um... Of course! Princess, why would you even ask...”
Celestia raised one hoof.
“Have I been kind?”
“Yes.”
Twilight’s earnest words fell upon deaf ears.
“And where my hooves step, and my light warms... Has Equestria been better for it?”
“Princess!” Twilight shouted.
Celestia jerked back slightly, shocked at Twilight’s outburst. Two purple hooves firmly clasped the sides of her head, pulling her eye to eye with her protege.
“I don’t even know where to start with you! First you nearly scared the living oats out of me, flying in here like that. You’re dressed up like it’s Nightmare Night, and you’re set out to win the most terrifying costume category. And now you’re asking me how I think you’re doing as the Princess and ruler of Equestria! It’s crazy! It’s completely unlike you!”
“Twilight, I...”
“Who’s the nicest Princess in Equestria!”
Celestia stared into Twilight’s raving eyes, inching backwards ever so slightly.
“Saaay it!” Her hooves shook Celestia’s head into a forced nod.
“I... I am,” she stammered.
“Who’s the fairest Princess in all the land?” she raised her voice.
“I am,” she sighed.
“Who rules Equestria, and has given us a thousand years of peace and harmony!?”
Celestia stared distantly for a moment, before shaking her head and blinking hard.
“That would be me.”
“That’s right!” Twilight hissed. “That’s you. The Sun Goddess and Princess of Equestria! None other!”
“Yes, Twilight. Now...”
“Now buck up and start acting like it! Don’t ever forget that we always look up to you, and that... Well, and that we will always love you!”
Twilight pulled her close, and planted a kiss to underscore her declarative ultimatum. Celestia’s eyes bulged from the sudden affection, staring wildly in every direction as the seconds passed with glacial swiftness. She backed away suddenly, just as she felt the slightest hint of tongue crossing her lips.
“Ooh my... Thank you, Twilight. Ahem...” She stood quickly, blushing furiously beneath the mottled paint.
“Princess...” Twilight’s voice had raised several octaves until it resembled a high pitched squeak. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen you like... Like this, before.”
“I could easily say the same,” Celestia gasped.
The two stared intently in every possible direction except than at each other.
“So, how...” Celestia thought fervently for a moment. “...has Spike been?”
“He’s doing good! Ahh, ha ha. His usual fiery little self. Haven’t seen him since this morning, but I’m sure he’s, ah.. around here somewhere.”
“Ahh. Isn’t he starting his vacation today?”
“Yes! That too. You know how baby dragons can be sometimes.”
“Oh, of course!”
“Ahh... Has Princess Luna been doing well? I see she’s been busy writing a lot lately!”
“She has! It has really been.. pleasant to have her back!”
There was a long uncomfortable pause.
“Really?” asked Twilight.
Celestia sighed, rubbing one hoof against her head.
“Yes... I do love my sister. Even if she can be.. nevermind,” she shook her head lightly as she settled back down on the pile of fabric. “Twilight, we have something important to discuss, and I don’t have much time right now.”
“Why is that?” Twilight asked carefully.
Celestia held her head high this time. Despite Twilight’s boldly delivered words of encouragement, she still looked emotionally drained.
“Do you recall the letter that you sent last? Scarcely two days ago? You had very little information to go by, yet you felt that whatever was happening was important enough to warrant my immediate attention.”
“Yes...”
“And now, I come to you.”
“Huh? What’s going on?”
“I do not know. I wish I did, but alas, I have very little to go by.”
“Then why...”
“Why did I come to you? Because I trust you, Twilight. This matter must be treated with the utmost secrecy for now. That is why I made my way here unseen, and why I must return to Canterlot soon, before I am noticed to be missing.”
“Oh...”
“And for what I’ve gone through to come here in secret, I should expect that my words, and the knowledge of my presence shall remain equally guarded.”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, Princess.”
“It does involve you, as well as the other Elements of Harmony.”
Twilight’s eyes brightened.
“Well, you can count on us, Princess! There’s nothing that we can’t handle,” she tapped her hoof on the floor, flexing her foreleg with confidence.
“Twilight...”
"Has Discord, the god of chaos, been released from stone imprisonment?"
"No."
"Outbreak of cutie pox?"
"No..."
“Rampaging elemental apparitions that feed upon negative emotions and sow further dissent among once-peaceful societies?”
“Twilight, I said I don’t-”
“Has an elder god of cosmic evil arisen from its underwater tomb in an ancient sunken city?”
“Wait, what? I don’t even-”
“Has there been a national shortage of chocolate marshmallow swirl ice cream?”
Celestia’s eyes shot wide with panic. “Oh dear sweet Me, I hope not... Aughh... No!”
“Well,” Twilight scowled in confusion. “What could it be?”
“I do not know.”
“But... You said it involves the Elements of Harmony, right? The physical embodiment of a magical enchantment that will ensure the continued and peaceful existence of all Equestria?”
“Yes.”
“Then... What do we need to do?”
Celestia sighed, and opened the satchel strapped to her flank. She pulled out a plain polished wooden box, and set it before Twilight.
“Nothing, I’m afraid,” she said as she opened the lid.
Twilight gasped, fixated upon the contents. Nestled within the velvet interior lay a golden tiara, beset with sapphire gems, and crowned with a pink ruby carved in the shape of a twinkling star. One of the six Elements of Harmony. Her Element of Harmony. Where it had once gleamed and glowed, now laid tarnished and dull. She upended the box, and the tiara fell, clattering to the wooden floor.
She swiftly placed it atop her forehead. Where the powerful bond of potent magic had coursed through her, was now merely a faint tingling. Only a trace. No different from any number of museum artifacts that only held a faint whisper of the torrential magic they once wielded.
Twilight began to shake. She looked back to her mentor, scarcely concealing the fear within her eyes.
“Who? Who could have done this!”
Celestia rested one hoof upon Twilight’s shoulder, steadying her with comfort and assurance.
“It is not a matter of who. It is a matter of what. And that, I do not know yet.”
“Something did this to the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight exclaimed in alarm.
“The Elements did this themselves. I have seen it happen several times along the span of my life.”
“Disappear?”
“No. They change.”
“Change into what?”
“Exactly what Equestria needs to survive.”
Twilight sighed. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“A candle may be all but invisible during the day, but a shining beacon within the depths of night. The Elements will present themselves as they are needed, but only where and when.”
“But why would they change?”
"Only to provide safeguard against that which threatens us all."
"But what is it?"
"I do not know, and we may not find out until it is upon us. This is not our fight to wage, dear Twilight. We can only watch, and help... And hide."
Twilight laid her head down upon crossed forelegs.
“Does it have anything to do with Trent?”
Celestia shook her head.
“No. Not him. Not that. I can not say with any certainty as to what this may entail, but I feel that the very obscurity of this may hint as to what we must face.”
“What is it?” Twilight repeated.
“The unknown...” Celestia said softly. “The future.”
* * *
Fluttershy beat her wings gently as she sailed into the abyss. The cavernous space narrowed steadily as she drifted downwards. Latent feelings of claustrophobia gripped like an invisible vise, squeezing tight as the walls crept closer.
Jagged shapes jutted ahead in the gloomy distance, as teeth within the mouth of a serpent. Cranes on inlaid rails held their burnished brass claws aloft, patiently poised to snatch their proximal prey.
The walls closed in, and her heartbeat raced. A steady thump that beat through her veins and hammered loudly within her head.
“It’s okay,” cooed a voice from behind her. Trent’s hands pressed firmly against her chest, cupped over the frightened staccato of her heart. “You’re doing great.”
The whispering echoed and reverberated from within the still dark depths. She glanced around furtively as they threaded through the forest of articulated steel towers.
“We’re almost there.”
Fluttershy nodded sharply through forced quivering breaths. Tiny beads of tears shook loose from her shut eyelids as she resolutely pressed forward.
“Are you okay?”
Her head nodded as if to say yes. The telltale trembling of her body said otherwise.
“Are you afraid right now?”
The answer caught in her throat. She shook her head quickly.
“We didn’t have to come this way.”
“No!” she asserted. “We have to!” Her voice trailed off in a whimper.
“It’s okay,” he patted her shoulder. “Really, it is.”
“Trent... I have to.”
“I understand. And I think you’re very brave for coming all this way, just for my sake. But I have something I need to tell you.”
She nodded quietly.
“First off, I’m going to be fine. It’s just a little scrape. We didn’t need to come all the way down here, but I’m glad you did.”
“We didn’t?” she whispered incredulously.
“It’s just a few scratches. I’m pretty sure I’ll live. But that’s not what’s important. I want to talk about what you did just now.”
Fluttershy spread her wings and the two drifted to a stop.
“Is it because I over-reacted?” she asked quietly.
“Yes!” he cheered. His voice echoed many times over, resounding as a booming crack and a dull whisper from the near and far reaches of the bay.
“Ohhh... I’m sorry,” she wailed.
“No, don’t be. I’m really happy that you did that for me, just because you thought I was hurt. But there’s something else you did that was really important. About the decision you made.”
“Yes?”
“Well, that was it. You made a decision, and acted upon it.”
“But I made the wrong decision!”
“Who cares! You made the decision anyways, and that’s what counts.”
She couldn’t look back at Trent directly, but she wrinkled her brow in confusion regardless.
“What.. do you mean?”
“Come on. Lets keep going. I’ll tell you along the way.”
Fluttershy turned to look back at the steady glow from the far end of the bay. Ahead, through the forest of cranes lining the narrow trench, was nearly pitch black.
“Um, Trent?” she gestured at the inky abyss with one hoof. “Can you...”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. Of course.”
He pushed himself off from Fluttershy’s back, gesturing in the air for several moments with his free hand. He straightened out, posing with the martial concentration of a wizard preparing to summon the elemental forces of nature, arms outstretched as if commanding the heavens to rain fire upon an encroaching army that bore their weight upon the trodden land as far as the horizons.
“And the Lord spoke... LET THERE BE LIGHT!” His voice thundered throughout the empty cavern.
Nothing happened.
“Umm...” he tapped his fingers at empty air. “Light! Let there be some of it!”
Nothing but the echoes of a frustrated shout returned from the depths.
“Oh, come on!”
He tapped at the air with angry forceful strokes. The trench illuminated with a soft red glow, revealing a wide flat tunnel beneath them.
“And the Lord spoke... Close enough!”
Fluttershy looked strangely at him, shaking her head slightly.
“Um, Mr. Trent?”
“Yes?”
“You have, um... Its just that... Your jokes are really weird,” she pawed her hoof awkwardly at the empty air.
“Nothing wrong with being a little bit weird. Anyways, lets keep going.”
Trent kicked his legs, but the fins had snapped in the crash, flapping uselessly. The ragged fabric of his pants rubbed against his bruised, abraded skin, and he hissed in pain.
“Ow... Um, a little help?"
“Oh, okay.” She hooked her legs under Trent’s arms, clasping firmly around his chest. “Where do you want to go?”
“I take back what I said about the extent of my injuries. Let’s go through here. Medical is next to the embarkation platforms, which are next to the runway below us.”
“Ow.” Fluttershy winced.
“I’m sorry. A runway is a long flat area...”
“Where the airplanes land?”
“Yes, exactly. How did you know?”
“Oh, well, when you said that, it made my head hurt. But just a little. It made me think about airplanes, and how they take off, and land.”
“Interesting. I never mentioned that.”
“No. But it made sense when you said it. Just a little bit.” Fluttershy spread her wings in alarm, suddenly looking from side to side, peering down the long narrow passage that opened up along the bottom of the trench.
“What’s wrong?”
“Airplanes go really fast when they land!” she gasped. “And they’re really loud and scary sounding too! Ohh, we shouldn’t go down there. We might get in the way!”
She darted towards the lip of the hangar, quivering softly as she stared down at the twin tracks of red lights.
“Well... That’s a rather good observation. I never mentioned anything about that, but it seems that you have a grasp on what this is for. Interesting. I say what it is, and you understand what it does.”
“Just a little bit,” she squeaked.
“It’s a good start. Anyways, you don’t have to worry. There won’t be any planes landing. We can go down there, and cross the embarkation platform into the medical bay. Won’t that be fun?”
She nodded nervously.
“Is that where people get on and off the airplanes?”
“Yes. Very good.”
“And is the medical bay like a hospital?”
“Yes it is. You’re getting the hang of...”
“Why is the hospital next to the place where the airplanes land?”
Trent paused. The innocent curiosity of the question prompted for a somewhat unpleasant answer.
“Well, sometimes airplanes carry a lot of people. And sometimes, those people might be hurt.”
Fluttershy was silent for a moment as well.
“Is that what ‘inbound with casualty’ means?” she asked slowly.
“...Yes.”
She half stepped, half fluttered past the edge of the hangar into the landing raceway. Her head swivelled back and forth, cautiously peering for the signs of a hulking high-speed aircraft barreling down the tunnel, as one might look both ways before crossing a railroad track. Trent gestured towards the stack of platforms set into an offshoot from the main raceway.
“There,” he said.
She nodded, pushing off, and ascending towards the flat runway overhead.
“I’m going to close the door.”
“What door?”
“Watch this.”
Alarms blared, three blasts in quick succession. Fluttershy winced at the noise, but didn’t panic. Below them, a pair of steel doors slid slickly from their smooth recesses, coming together where they had passed through just moments before. The bright glow of the halide arc lights winked out of sight, and they were left floating upside down above the raceway. The tracks of small bright red lights trailed off in either direction, casting their dim illumination.
“Oh...”
“Was that scary?”
“Just a little bit,” she admitted. “But not really. Not anymore.”
She flapped one wing gently, flipping the world right-side up. The runway grew closer, and she angled into a swooping dive, arcing gracefully towards the stacked platforms.
“Is that where the airplanes.. dock?”
“Yes. Each one of those platforms can accommodate several.. airplanes.”
“And each one carries a lot of people, right?”
“Yes.”
Fluttershy furrowed her brow with a hint of confusion.
“Then where is everybody?”
Trent was quiet for several seconds.
“I’m not sure.”
* * *
Twilight paced erratically about her bedroom, glancing at the dull golden tiara, and back to the knowing eyes of her mentor.
“Princess? You once bore the Elements of Harmony. Back when Nightmare Moon was banished.”
“Yes, Twilight.”
“What happened after that? Did the Elements of Harmony.. change?”
“It is not that simple. As I said, they take their form as they are needed.”
Twilight sighed forlornly.
“Then.. what happens to me? To my friends? Are we no longer important?” she asked shakily, rubbing one foreleg across round moist eyes.
“Twilight...”
“What happens to us?!” she pleaded.
“Ask yourself, what has happened to me, dear Twilight. The Elements do not chose their avatars on a whim, nor simply cast them aside.” She leaned close to her student. “So long as you remember what has been asked of you, and cherish that which has been given.”
Twilight looked puzzled.
“What has been asked of me? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“There is a certain foregone finality when the Elements choose those who will bear them. They ask for unwavering commitment, and they know the answer long before you even realize the question.”
“What question?”
“That you are willing to give your life in their service. Without fear or hesitation.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in horror.
“My... My life?”
“Your life, for so long as you lead it.”
She stared for some time, mouth agape. Her head slowly shook from side to side.
“No. No... I couldn’t. I wouldn’t have... Why? Why?!”
Celestia laid one hoof over Twilight’s shoulder.
“Twilight...”
“Why? Why would it ask that of me? Why would the Elements even accept me if I would never have agreed to something like that?” she breathed heavily.
“Because, my dear student. Your actions speak louder than your words. The Elements do not choose incorrectly.”
“But... My life?”
“Shall be long and fruitful, I should hope. Just as mine. So long as you bear the Elements for the sake of Equestria, the Elements will help to bear the number of your days.”
It was Twilight’s turn to speak. However, she simply slumped forward, landing heavily upon Celestia’s shoulder, cradled within her firm embrace. She stayed that way for several moments, sobbing softly.
“It will be okay.”
“No. I’m not ready for all of this. I never was!”
“Ssshhh...” Celestia patted Twilight’s back. “You have a calling in life. It is only asked that you fulfill it.”
She stared long and hard, slowly drawing in a breath to ask one simple question. One simple demand. One thought that bore the weight of a galaxy within a swirling constellation of stars.
“Do I have to die?”
Celestia shook her head.
“No, no. Forgive me Twilight. I did not wish to give you cause for concern. It is the purpose to which you devote your life, rather than a blind sacrifice. It is a pact that will endure... Until the end of Equestria. Until the end of time.”
“But, what about this?” Twilight prodded the wooden box. “It’s gone. The Elements have changed into something else. How am I supposed to...”
“It is not gone, dear Twilight. It is sitting here before me.”
“What?” she turned to look at the dull tiara.
One white hoof, streaked with dark lines and vibrant colors, turned Twilight’s cheek back to face her mentor.
“You don’t need that. It has served its purpose.”
“But...”
“It is not an Element of Harmony. You are.” She tapped at the box. “This was no more than a crutch. An extension of yourself.”
“A crutch?”
“A candle to guide oneself through darkness. A match that ignites a bonfire. A spark. As I said, the Elements will present themselves as they are needed. When, where, and to whom. It dwells within everypony, but few ever realize it. Sometimes they just need to take that first step, and they will be met halfway.” Her mane and tail blazed brightly as she fervently spoke.
Twilight breathed deeply, still reeling from the sudden clarification.
“Will I live as long as you?”
Celestia swallowed hard, a lump in her throat that she stumbled over briefly, before finding her voice.
“Yes, I should think.”
“Oh...”
“So long as you do not forget. So long as your faith holds strong.”
Twilight averted her gaze for a moment, glancing at the floor. One smooth white hoof touched beneath her chin, and lifted it to meet the wise and knowing look of her mentor.
“Buck up, kiddo,” she said sweetly. “Don’t forget that you will always have my trust, my faith, and my love.”
Twilight nodded quietly.
“Princess...”
“You seem a bit apprehensive.”
“Yes,” she sighed.
“And you have good reason. Had you blindly accepted what I have said, I would wonder if you really understood it.”
“Sometimes,” Twilight spoke softly to the floor, “the most audacious thing you can do in life is to question it.”
She looked up nervously. Celestia’s smile did not waver.
“Those are wise words.”
“Trent told me that.”
“It sounds as if you’ve had much to talk about.”
Twilight wiped her eyes again, smiling as she sniffled.
“He’s given me a lot to think about.”
“I should hope to hear about it sometime,” Celestia smiled. “But I must be leaving soon. We will have to continue this later.”
“Okay”
“If you need me, or if there is anything I can do to help...”
They both stopped, glancing around the demolished bedroom.
“...such as providing a yearly stipend to pay for upkeep and replacement of Library furniture due to routine wear and tear...” She spoke evenly, crafting her words in the manner which a Palace accountant might use in casual conversation.
Twilight giggled deviously.
“Yes, that would be very helpful.”
“I daresay that’s another story I’ll need to hear about, but in good time.”
Celestia stood, looking down at the thick red CRC tome near her hooves, and back to the thin empty satchel that hung across her side.
“Can you send this by mail, when you get the chance?”
“Of course! Um... Do you mind if I finish reading it first?”
“Reading it?”
Twilight flashed an awkwardly sincere smile.
“Sort of...”
Celestia shook her head slightly in exasperated disbelief.
“Twilight.”
“Yes?”
“Go outside sometime.”
“Yes, Princess,” she blushed.
“I’ll leave you to this... But remember what I have said. Always remember what has been given, and never forget what is expected.”
“I will.”
Celestia smiled warmly. The flaming embers of her mane and tail faded into the familiar rainbow of pastel hues. She leaned down to nuzzle the top of Twilight’s head as she made ready to leave.
As she turned to pick up the patchwork suit, a broken steel spring from Twilight’s bed slipped and rolled beneath her hoof, swiping its jagged tip across her leg.
“Oww!” she cried, holding her hoof close to her chest.
Twilight gasped.
“Princess! Are you okay?”
Celestia stared at the tiny gash. It was only a scratch, but a thin line of tiny blood droplets had already started to seep out.
She stared for a moment longer, before rubbing it across her other leg. The hair quickly became slick and matted with a dull red.
“Twilight.”
“Yes Princess?”
“Your washroom. Allow me, please.” she spoke uneasily, still staring at the bloody stain.
“Of course,” she nodded. “It’s right there...”
Celestia darted into the bathroom, hurriedly opening the taps to the wash basin. She thrust her hoof under the hissing stream of water, scrubbing furiously at the tiny red tinged spot.
“Are you okay, Princess?”
Celestia’s head nodded silently, as if to say yes. The fervent washing of her foreleg said otherwise.
The torrent of tap water splashed loudly in the basin, drowning out the few words that Celestia quietly repeated to herself.
“I will not forget... I will not forget... I will not forget!”
“Did you say something?” Twilight asked.
The faucet handle twisted closed. The white hairs above her hoof were clean. She stood there for a moment, her foreleg held firmly before her, as she shivered slightly.
“No. Nothing of importance.”
“I’m pretty sure you’ll be okay,” Twilight offered helpfully. “I’ve had worse scrapes than that.”
“As have I,” Celestia murmured.
She turned quickly, leaving the washroom and striding swiftly back to the bedroom. She lifted the patchwork suit with her teeth, hurling it across her back, and shuffling her wings and limbs into its recesses.
“Will we be seeing each other again soon?” Twilight asked.
“Soon. But not like this, I should hope.”
Twilight watched quietly as Celestia finished donning the ragged patchwork suit. Each swatch seemed to be made of a different weave, imprinted faintly with patterns long since faded.
“Um...”
“I know you must have many questions for me.”
She did.
“Well, yes.”
“I may have time for but one,” she stopped to turn and smile.
Twilight nodded.
“Princess? What is that suit supposed to be?”
Celestia’s smile did not waver, though her eyes briefly lost their focus - staring far into the distance. She shook her head softly and turned to look back at Twilight.
“Penance.”
“Pennants? You mean, like flags and banners?”
She swallowed hard, as she nodded.
“Yes.”
“Oh... Well, that’s kind of interesting. I guess. Sounds like a fun craft project, or an interesting way to recycle older flags...”
“Twilight.”
“Ohh, yes, Princess?”
“I must go now.”
The purple pony nodded, opening the balcony door with a slight flickering of magic from her horn.
Celestia crept forward, shuffling softly within her suit. Her head swivelled slowly as she stepped back into the afternoon sun. She turned, one last time. Her face barely visible through the veil of the suit.
“Be strong, my little pony.”
And with that, she leapt from the balcony, landing below with all the noise of a falling leaf.
Twilight ran out to look, but she was already gone.
* * *
CH13. Always on schedule.
Some stuff has been shuffled off to the next chapter. Had to post tonight. Nearly falling asleep on my keyboard here.
Enjoy!
I was ABOUT to go to sleep. Then this came up... Sleep can wait. Confound these ponies!
Yet another awesome chapter. I need more!
"oh I'll just check fimfiction and got to be-"
"An update of The End? No sleep for me!"
Spoilers peoples!!
So Twilight is gaining immortality (And possibly the rest of her friends), and Celestia is possibly losing hers?
Is she no longer following So long as you bear the Elements for the sake of Equestria, the Elements will help to bear the number of your days.”
Ouch.
You're language seems to get a little loftier than necessary. It happens in most of your writing and it get kind of grating.
"Jagged shapes jutted ahead in the gloomy distance, as teeth within the mouth of a serpent. Cranes on inlaid rails held their burnished brass claws aloft, patiently poised to snatch their proximal prey" The sense of immersion died at 'proximal prey'. Not only was it unnecessarily fancy, my spell checker also tells me it's not a real word. You may want to work on it in future chapters.
Ohhh snap. So the elements gave her her immortality, and she fears that now that they've been properly passed on, she's no longer immortal? Heavy dude.
I am extreme confused.
So many emotions all at once during this chapter! I love your work!
What Celestia has to say (to say nothing of how she's acting), has a lot to do with a fleshed out backstory I put together regarding the lead up to Luna's banishment. Recent events have her a bit anxious, which has her acting a bit uncharacteristic - though still familiar to herself. She is over a millenia old, after all.
Just her way of coping.
.
Some memories are a bit too familiar to her though. Even if they're part of her commitment to the Elements. Remembering is bad. Forgetting is worse.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy is gaining confidence, and unwittingly demonstrating that her "actions speak louder than her words"
Twilight and Celestia's conversation is a bit guarded, as both have things they want to say, that can't be said directly. Sort of why twilight isn't bringing up the bit about moving the sun right now, and Celestia isn't mentioning that there have been bearers of Elements that did give their lives in a more literal manner.
Ah, the mentioning of Cthulhu I'A I'A I'A was a great reference CTHULHU R'LYEH WGAH'NAGL FHTAGN and gave me a good chuckle.
~Jack
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Proximal is a real world, even though I notice the spell checker here is telling me it is not.
I agree though that it is kind of unnecessary
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This is from Fluttershy's perspective, so naturally, she's assuming the worst.
It doesn't bother Trent, since he knows those cranes are meant to pick up spacecraft from the runway and deliver them to the individual containers that make up the walls of the hangar bay. She doesn't quite know that yet, so she's a bit wary of something that looks like it could dart forward and snatch her out of the air at any moment. Nevermind the fact that it's 10 times spookier in the dark, and she can't even see past the end of the hangar.
But she is being a brave little pony.
As for the choice of writing, I didn't want to get sidetracked into describing what the cranes were in minute detail - so I simply described them in a more poetic fashion, based on the feelings they inspired in her.
Also, what's spellcheck?
Beautiful chapter!
I, for one, love the fancy-talk. As I am mostly used to reading scientific papers and stuff this gives me a very familiar feel. I can only assume you do this because Trent tends to get all scientific too, and while it suits his character, it seems weird in your normal writing.
Celestia is, understandably, scared of a sudden reminder that she, too, is merely a living being (albeit a non-ageing one) and therefore very much CAN die. Twilight on the other hand is slowly losing faith in her mentor, or at least in the public claims that she is all-powerful. The immaculate sun goddess having a freakout over a tiny scratch just serves to hammer the point home.
One thing about Trent, though: He is really, really, REALLY hell bent on "fixing" everyone. He stimulates Twilight's scientific mind and forces her to question the dogmas she has learned since her childhood, he works hard on making Fluttershy braver and will propably also get to work on the rest of the Mane 6 soon. Here, I have to wonder: is it really for the best if they change? It may, as was hinted at with this chapter, alter their nature so much that they might have trouble wielding the elements of harmony. Even if they still are tied to them, the shaken faith of Twilight might very well undermine their efforts to fight whatever is coming for them.
You are a fantastic writer, every time I finish one of your chapters, my mind is abuzz with the endless possibilities. Magnificent.
This is an amazing fic.
This makes me happy
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She's not afraid of dying from a little scratch.
But you are right. She can very well die.
The Elements ask that one may give their life to their service, whether that through devotion, or sacrifice. Time does not matter. Only the decision to follow through, when it counts the most.
Her obligations may be postponed, but they will catch up to her some day. It is not pleasant for her to think about, but she has made a living out of not forgetting.
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"One thing about Trent, though: He is really, really, REALLY hell bent on "fixing" everyone. He stimulates Twilight's scientific mind and forces her to question the dogmas she has learned since her childhood, he works hard on making Fluttershy braver and will propably also get to work on the rest of the Mane 6 soon. Here, I have to wonder: is it really for the best if they change? It may, as was hinted at with this chapter, alter their nature so much that they might have trouble wielding the elements of harmony. Even if they still are tied to them, the shaken faith of Twilight might very well undermine their efforts to fight whatever is coming for them."
He's not really trying. It's the Mane 6 that are looking to change. He's just there to meet them halfway.
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Don't worry. Some of the events that take place (or took place) on this ship (ships) have me a bit confused too.
Anything in particular that seems out of place?
Oh my god. This is amazing. I can't wait to see this shit through.
Hmm, so is something coming or is this slice-of-life?
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Quite a bit more is coming.
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Oh, sorry. I think I have not been clear on this one: I do understand that the scratch itself does not scare her, but that her freakout happened because she was, again, reminded of her "destiny" if you want to call it that. Twilight's changes are, as far as I can see, being pushed by her mentor appearing more and more unstable.
This is a classic conflict: Do you stick to your believes and reassure those who you deemed infallible, or do you face the realization that you, ultimately, only have yourself to answer to and make use of this freedom. Twilight's love for Celestia serves as the major mental block to that realization, she can obviously not really get over this and talk it out with Celestia.
I am very much looking forward to whatever you have planned for us!
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tease
324380
Pretty close to the mark - although it reminded her of some things as well. Some things that she never wants to experience again.
---
“Oh, of course,” he smiled. “I try not to take myself too seriously, and that goes for you too...” His voice trailed off again. “But, since you asked, I feel it’s only right that I tell you. With all sincerity. I have faced terrors that I would wish upon no other, and I would not change it for the world. And yet, I have known moments of glory and victory that will give me nightmares until the day I die.”
---
Trent and Celestia have a bit in common.
Also - any thoughts on the penance / pennants wordplay?
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Should've known with the Discord tag and the fact that everyone's favorite draconniquis has yet to show up.
I find your lack of foreshadowing disturbing. Literally; in the sense it broke story flow. Up till now Celestia has acted mostly like Celestia, and yet now she's suddenly jumped into a great big pit full of crazy? (I'm confused. How does that work again?) You didn't post the wrong chapter by mistake did you? It kinda looks that way.
The Fluttershy parts worked much better. And it's interesting that the ponies are getting more knowledge out of Trent than he or they realise. THat's going to bite someone in the flank sooner or later.
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While Celly might seem a bit off her meds in this chapter, there are plenty of good reasons to say why she acted the way she did. The loss of the Elements of Harmony, the implication that something altogether new might be threatening Equestria, and the sudden urgency to fill in Twilight on the fine print of potential immortality certainly played a part in her rushing off to the Ponyville Library.
If this all seems like an over-reaction on her part, then that may be the simplest and most correct explanation. She's a person too. (wow, didn't even see that parallel between her and Fluttershy till just now)
It is funny that you mention the possibility of this chapter being out of order. There are several events that prompt her decision to seek out Twilight. Revealing them in order would make more sense, but wouldn't have the same drama/mystery/tension.
Her reaction to the bloodstain on her leg, and the questioning about the suit seem to set her off pretty easily. Without that, this might have been a normal boring visit.
Also interesting that she feels more comfortable discussing this with Twilight rather than Luna.
As for killing foreshadowing by revealing too much - there's a good possibility that this is revealing too little. (Or, just enough perhaps. There's plenty more material waiting to be written)
CH:14
Twilight has more visitors
Trent/Fluttershy will get some more time to talk and learn about things, rather than just exploring a big empty ship.
Fluttershy meets the TexRAP 4300
Greenhopper.
Hope everybody is liking this so far.
Whenever this updates I want to jump up, fists in the air screaming "YES!".
This chapter felt like it was jumping around a bit. Still really good, can't wait for moar
*pinkie jumps out behind Twilight*
"Four Ever!"
*Pinkie sits on the moon nudging a peble*
Dat Cthulhu reference
The Blood of the Princess- So even the gods are mortal in their own way.
So, is it war? Though war seems to have not touched these ponies for centuries, if not millenia, ease and peace do not necessarily create weakness. As shown in the numerous mishaps of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's falls and occasional injuries, not to mention Twilight's extreme injuries (enduring an anvil and a piano, the force of which would have crushed humans) ponies are difficult to daunt or to kill. Perhaps, and I speak in reference to ponies, although the description has been used to describe other similar creatures, these ponies are so unwearyingly fond of good things not least because they could, when put to it, do without them, and could survive rough handling by grief, foe, or weather in a way that would astonish those who did not know them well and looked no further than their soft pastel colors and cheery demeanor. Though often slow to quarrel, and for sport killing nothing that lived, they are, I suspect, doughty at bay, and at need have been shown to be capable of handling arms.
The world of advanced technology at first glance seems mind-boggling to the layman. Gravity manipulation devices that can crush solar systems, spacecraft larger than worlds, machines that can harness entire stars, control over the manipulation of space-time, guns, computers, airplanes, all this and more may seem insurmountable. Even nanotechnology and cryogenics may allow some semblance of immortality. However, to think this is beyond the capabilities of ponies is to underestimate the power of True Magic.
For all the power of humans, they are ultimately bound to the laws of physics which govern the universe. Magic is in part its counterpart; although bound by its own laws, it can violate the laws of physics to a degree which would dismay even the most staunch believers in Clarke's Third Law and its addendum.
Magic can create matter and energy, and destroy it as well. Magic builds upon itself. Magic can negate the four fundamental forces- the strong and weak nuclear forces, gravity, and the electromagnetic force. Magic can transmute materials from one form to another instantaneously without need for excess energy.
Let us analyze ways in which Magic can surpass the greatest feats of Science thus far shown. A single spell and a chant can easily crush entire galaxies, if the practitioner is a dedicated mage. A wave and several marks on a piece of paper can create entire pocket dimensions encompassing entire universes without the need for taking into account such petty things as gravity, force, stresses and tension. A single alicorn, or a group of unicorns, can command the power of both a star and a satellite. Pegasi can not only touch, but control and shape CLOUDS. Earth ponies can cause entire orchards to spring out of the ground in the blink of an eye. A simple brew can mend broken bones instantaneously, or grant your deepest Heart's Desire. Levitation spells can cause flight without wings or engines; Golems have all the strength of a construction crane in the body of a four-foot statue; a wave and a word can kill instantly from miles away; a spell of enchantment can unlock any number of man's most complex cyphers; telepathy allows direct, thought-to-thought instant communication without so much as an earpiece; a drop of blood and a flake of horn allows instant assimilation of language; a simple ring allows comprehension of centuries of disparate memories.
War is terrifying. The vastness of space seems even more so. The achievements of science are certainly nothing to scoff at, but they do not hold even a candle to spiritual and supernatural entities. A Sun and Moon Goddess may seem weak, but opens the possibility of greater Stewards and Wardens high above the level of mortal comprehension. The realms of Dream, Destruction, Despair and Death certainly rise far above Science's best efforts to replicate magic. Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth would cause even the destroyer of worlds to soil himself. YHVH and Allah praised be His name could blink the universe out of existence without even a thought, and Ares and Mars laugh at the wars of Man. The Shinigami merely smile at Science's best attempts to stave off death, and the Mother Goddess only shakes Her head in disappointment at the stupidity of mortals.
"I am become death!" cries Man. "I cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, the mute to speak and the deaf to hear! My empires stretch beyond the farthest stars and my forces number beyond count!" cries Man as he shakes his fist at the cosmos. Yet his challenges meet only the maddening Infinity of the Universe and Multiverse, the unthinkable movements of Creatures not bound by Science's petty, insignificant laws.
Science may crown itself king, but Magic merely smiles. Trent believes he is teaching lesser creatures of his superiority. Celestia believes her world is at an end. Nothing can be farther from the truth, if these factors are taken into consideration.
For those that dislike the story, I will try to clean things up at some point, soon enough. Please bear with me.
It appears that the most egregious offenses are some ambiguity as to who's talking, and where. That can be fixed easily enough. I try to give the characters a distinct enough voice so that it's quickly clear as to who's talking, but there are some spots where it would be helpful to outright say who, what, and where things are taking place. Not everywhere though - because that could get repetitive fast.
Some areas appear to be inconsistent in terms of the level of background scenery to the flow of the action. Admittedly, this should be tailored depending on whether it's two characters talking, a bunch of characters talking, or one character carrying on a thought process. I'll see what can be done to clean that up. (Ie, the spiderpede / gardener plant descriptions just seem like an encyclopedia article cut n pasted into the story)
Other parts seem to be written out of chronological order, or jumping back and forth between two different locations/times with the same characters. This may be cleaned up a bit by fixing some of the character ambiguity/level of detail. However, simply rearranging things into exact chronological order would make things rather bland in certain areas. In other words, it's a feature rather than a bug. But at least I can drop some more clues that the story is jumping around, rather than making the reader feel like they've walked into a random Battlestar Galactica episode, and have no fracking clue of what transpired previously.
At any rate, I'd hope to have this cleaned up to the point where the quality of the first few chapters matches up with the quality of the later ones. I'm sure nobody wants to recommend a fic with the caveat "it gets better after the first 20 thousand words".
All I can say is that I can't wait for the next update. This is one of my favorite fics.
I get lost now and then, but I seem to understand what's going on far better than some of those who are posting comments. I actually have a hard time understanding how anyone doesn't understand.
Oh well. Good stuff.
Wednesday. August 10th.
Whitetail Woods.
I am a coward. For this reason, I am alive.
My post was four miles inside Whitetail Woods. Three hours past midnight, I caught sight of something.
An eye. That was it. Staring at me from behind what seemed to be a thicket of branches.
I looked again, but it was gone. My post had been quiet for some time, and now was no exception, save for the sudden beating of my heart.
Fearing the worst, I made ready to sound the alarm, but I stopped to think about it. I'm sure whoever was watching me saw my reaction as well.
It was still completely quiet. Say what you will about the enemy, you can't bring an army through a forest without a bit of a stir. That left me to think. I was not alone, but it was not an army that I faced.
It was just one.
As I stared, looking for sight of that eye, I heard something through the silence. A slight rustling off to one side.
I stared ahead, fearing to move. The rustling was behind me now.
The rustling got closer.
Against all my better judgement, I stayed absolutely still.
It was nearly upon me. Quiet enough that I would have never considered such a noise before, no more than the buzzing of a fly or the fall of a leaf.
But in that, that softest of sounds, I was absolutely terrified.
I had many choices. I took the one that allowed me to live.
As carefully as I could, I cleared my throat, and announced to the world.. "All clear on the southern front!"
The rustling had stopped. It was the breath on the back of my neck that had my attention now.
I said it again.
"All clear on the southern front!"
While my lungs still held air, I said it one last time.
"All clear on the southern front!"
I do not know how long I stayed that way, eyes fixed ahead, not even daring to draw my next breath.
And I waited. I waited for what must have seemed like an eternity.
In the span of some twenty years, I had never known such terror as those three minutes.
But it worked. I lived.
I was relieved two hours later. Sodding lazy cunt of a guard asked me if I had a good nap while I was out here. His favorite part of this watch, apparently.
Poor bastard. I'm not sure if I’m going to miss him.
When I returned to the camp, there was nothing unusual or amiss.
It wasn't until the next morning that we discovered the Gryphon ambassador disemboweled from gullet to tailfeathers, and nailed around the central pole of his tent with the stakes pulled from outside. It was just before dawn when I caught sight of some sorry ass lieutenant bolting out of there with his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, and his dinner not far behind from escaping his gullet. Just my luck I couldn't sleep after I finished my watch. I had to see for myself.
I wish I hadn't.
Maxim did a remarkable job at keeping the camp quiet. Sealed up the tent, and made it look like there was a long important meeting going on inside. Presumably there was, but I fear that the late ambassador of our soon-to-be former ally couldn't attend.
I had to write this. But now, I cannot show this to anyone. Not for that I am mortally ashamed of my own cowardice - but for that I now know something which leaves me as a marked pony.
I saw her.
The Herald of Legions, the Bloodwashed Terror, the Downfall of Nations.
I saw the Patchwork Princess.
~Darling.
Ugh.. Been sick as a dog over the last weekend. Whole family is infected as well. Flashbacks to many failed Oregon Trail expeditions.
Still writing though.
Thanks for your comments.
Trent's interaction with Fluttershy was cute, and demonstrated the endless patience he has. I almost wonder if he was ever a father; one does not get that unique combination of biting cleverness and caring attentiveness from nowhere. I also liked the few chinks in his armor that we saw when he was forced to think about anything involving his past too much. I can bet/I hope we'll see a full emotional breakdown at some point; you can't be this happy all the time without hiding a lot of pain, and he can't keep holding it in forever.
Actually, I found Celestia and Twilight's scene to be a nice parallel. I don't think Twilight's ever had to think of the Princess as a person before, beyond just being a teacher, a leader, and a mother figure. She's supposed to be unbreakable; and she shows failures on that part twice both by showing her emotions openly, showing that she can be broken, and her slight cut on her head, which I'm almost certain was to parallel Trent's little battle damage. She's revealing more of herself as being a complex and vulnerable pony, but poor naive Twilight only catches a glimpse of it, and shrugs off the rest.
I'm interested to see more development on the Elements' re-purposing; contrary to Celestia's opinion, methinks it probably does have to do with our little human friend; probably not directly though. I feel that his influence is unwittingly changing the balance of the kingdom, simply through changing the way ponies look at the world. It feels like there are countless unseen ripples that happen whenever he causes a pony to question something they normally would just accept.
349743
This is pretty close to being spot-on.
Posting from dentist chair. I'll get some writing done today after this pesky root canal.
353120
Ach, the root canal. Never as painful as one says, but soooooo time consuming.
353944
DIdn't take nearly as long as the DMV visit afterwards.
Or the 2 hour stay in the hospital ER, because one of my kid's heads is unusually susceptible to gravitational forces.
349373 You have died of dysentery. Though in the dark places that Trent now is, maybe "You have been eaten by a grue" might be a better quote for you :P
Hope you and the family are doing well. Just popping in after sharing your description of Ditsy with some of the guys
Is it weird to say that I understood most of what Trent said? If so, then I guess I'm just weird. Liked the story though! Can't wait for the next chapter.
When is next chapter? I read it all in one day and I need moar.
About 6000 words on ch14 now. Some of it was really weird to write. And a bit freaky.
Would have more done by now, but I spent a good chunk of this weekend trying to beat drupal/confluence/jira into a three-way SSO reach-around. Bit of a side project.
Who all is for manned space exploitation, by chance?
ME! :D
me :D
cmon shalrath, have you forgotten about this fanfic?
EDIT: If you're still working on it, don't rush it.
Go shalrath, go shalrath *penguindance*
For the record, about 2500 words got written last night. Wrapping this chapter up, and splitting things off.
Prepare for headaches.
Also, thank you all for enjoying this story, and encouraging it's author to keep at it. I try not to procrastinate here, but it's been busy lately.
Examples:
Setting up a pair of blade centers to support Oracle databases, tomcat application clusters, and other various services.
Setting up Confluence / Jira.
Setting up an entirely different deployment of Confluence / Jira for a personal project, and writing php/shell scripts to integrate it with Drupal's "Organic Groups"
Tuning the crap out of ImageMagick.
Troubleshooting a particular Oracle 11gR2 RAC database.
Troubleshooting java web applications.
Staking my claim as the inter-office bitch.
Learning Weblogic / Oracle Identity Management.
Becoming the Liferay admin
Troubleshooting Oracle Identity Management. Repeatedly.
Inventing new characters for the story, and filling in more connections/plot/cool stuff.
As for the space stuff I mentioned earlier - what would you consider to be the potential implications of a "Sourceforge.net" like system for aerospace engineering projects. (other side project)
'Twas only a matter of time until someone made a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy crossover.