Millennia: Beginning

by Thunderblast

Epilogue

The alarm on the nightstand went off, jolting me from a deep slumber. My eyes, part bloodshot, gradually opened. Without a window in the room, I could be thankful to that and not be blinded like at my own apartment back in Canterlot. It gave me something easy to wake up to, especially after the long night.

Reaching my hoof out from under the bed sheets, I lightly tapped on the snooze button of the clock to silence it. I groaned softly and yawned as I sat up straight. I blinked slowly, then my hooves landing on the floor with a muffled clop on the carpet. With that, I moved into the bathroom to bathe. It was somewhere just before ten in the morning by the time I was out of the shower and drying myself off.

Today marked the first day of medical leave. As part of it, Doctor Haywalker and Captain Shadow both suggested I go home to Canterlot, allowing me to adjust away from Manehattan. The doctor determined that raised activity in my mind he detected had to do with every time I would look and see the recovering city, as well as other things on my mind when performing a type of spell that allowed unicorns to look into a pony's brain without attaching vast amounts of wires. It was pretty plausible.

I'd decided it would be best to leave my clothes apart from a couple of non-uniform pieces, but take a couple of books I purchased or had gifted to me back home to read during leave. Certainly I would find it to be quite peaceful, with the exception of boredom for sure. Reading was just one of the couple of pastimes of mine, even if I had to re-read some of the novels if no new ones caught my eye.

I packed up my backpack with said books and an extra hooded jacket while wearing a dark blue hoodie with the emblem of the Lunar Marine Corps printed over the left of my chest. It was quite comfortable, then again, I hadn't owned one hoodie previously that wasn't. With that, I slipped my hooves through the backpack handles and set it on my back comfortably, lastly, grabbing a matching beanie and fitting it over my ears before walking out of the barrack for the last time for two weeks.

Locking the door behind me as I walked out, I stepped up to the wooden railing along the edge of the building and out toward what I could see of the open part of the base. A week and a half later, all went along as if nothing had happened at all. This went with civilians, too.

Knowing the others were busy, we'd said our goodbyes the night before when we left the bar. It pained me to leave them behind, though on the contrary, I'd been away for longer. This was still different, however.

With a gentle sigh, I trotted down staircase to the cold concrete and onto the cobble path that led out to the main road running out of the base. The guard allowed me through a door to the side of the gate used for personnel only rather than having to open the entire gate for one pony. It was one of the numerous small renovations occurring around Naval Station Manehattan.

Out in front of the gate, I waited patiently as a larger stallion wearing a thick leather coat galloped up with a yellow carriage hitched to his waist. I climbed up, then set off for the train station.

The carriage pulled up out front of the massive art-deco building and I hopped off, handing over the bits to pay for the ride to the carriage puller. Turning around, I looked up at the building, staring with a worrisome look. I breathed in deeply, trotting up the steps and through the revolving glass doors and into the massive main hall.

Inside, repairs were still being made but it was noticeably close to being completed. Aside from that, some of the waiting areas were being changed up but were blocked by temporary walls with posters plastered on them.

I walked up to the rounded ticket counter, in hopes of purchasing a one-way ticket to Canterlot.

"Sorry, sir. Sold out currently." The ticket agent replied, smiling innocently.

My eyes widened a bit. "Sold out? What for?"

"Post-holiday rush? There is uh, leftover tickets to Ponyville, however. Or Whitetail Woods, if you prefer."

Sighing, I paused to make a decision. "Whitetail Woods, please. One way."

"That will be twenty-five bits, sir," the mare said, typing up on a machine and handing the ticket through a small hole below the window after printing the ticket, exchanging the ticket with the bits provided. "Thank you, sir. Enjoy your trip."

"Thank you, have a nice day." I said with a bit of heat in my tone, trotting off to the platforms to sit and wait.

Whitetail Woods was near Canterlot, about thirty or so miles south-southeast. The town from what I'd heard and seen of it was not nearly as big as Ponyville, which made it extremely small. It probably was not even a town and more like a village. Either way, I'd be stuck there until traffic on the trains lightened up and I could make it home. This wasn't a good start so far.

The train arrived a couple of minutes later than it should have and those on board disembarked quickly to make up for the time. I stood up from the waiting area on the platform and boarded along with a few others. It was a remarkably shorter train with less passenger cars than the one that I typically rode to Canterlot in. I suppose it was because Whitetail was such a small town, it didn't need a big train to carry too many ponies.

Sitting down by the window, I removed my backpack and set it down on the seat beside me. I relaxed back into the seat and glanced out the window, watching as another train came to a halt on the track opposite of the platform and loads of ponies stepping off. A light jolt signaled ours was departing, and gradually the speed picked up.

I rested my head on my hoof, staring out the window and watching as the high rises and skyscrapers passed by, followed by the Manehattan Bridge as the train crossed the river onto the mainland.

I knew I would return. Yet something in my mind told me that this was a forever goodbye.

***

The Equestrian countryside flew past the window in a few blinks of an eye, later replaced with endless forests of pine trees and just green altogether. It marked the far eastern edge of the Everfree Forest, with Whitetail Woods situated to the central-northeast, below Canterlot. Partially why it even was a stop from Manehattan was because the quickest and by far the safest way to get there is by train. Not many ponies dared venturing through the Everfree. Those who did were lucky enough to escape, or didn't at all.

A few hours passed, near four in the afternoon, the train slowed as it entered the small village, then finally screeching to a stop at the log cabin-architectured station. I picked up my backpack and slipped it back on before trotting out onto the platform. The air outside was just slightly warmer than in Manehattan, this time without the oceanic breeze blowing onshore. That was a huge relief.

I stopped inside the station to grab a coffee, knowing it would be quite a while until I could actually get to Canterlot by train, meaning I would have to spend the day in the little community. Walking out of the station, I gave a nice, long look around at the little square I had walked into. Many of the buildings consisted of log architecture, much alike the station itself. It was certainly a new sight to take in—a new, beautiful sight.

Beyond the town's small assortment of structures sat the rim of the Everfree Forest in which it surrounded Whitetail Woods in nearly all directions. One could assume the area was cleared out some one or two hundred years ago to make way for the village, by which they used the trunks of the trees to build with.

One other thing I remembered too as I started out into the town's square was that Ashfall was from here. By chance, I could probably accidentally bump into his father. Not many ponies could live here with how little the place was, so that was a huge possibility, even more so with the clothing I wore giving it away.

Sipping the cup with every little caution to avoid burning my mouth, I took in the heat of the beverage to help keep warm while I toured around, with still not a clue on my mind of what I could do around here. It seemed to be more of a logging town than anything else with only a couple of small inns here and there.

"Oh shoot!" Called a voice from just beside me, followed by a very sudden force that caused me to stumble and nearly fall over. The half-empty cup of coffee fell to the ground and spilled out across the dirt as I regained my posture, shaking my head and unsure of what just hit me.

Snapping to my side, I caught sight of a golden-coated pegasus, rubbing his forehead on the ground and sitting up, having just barely pushed himself to his forehooves. I reached towards him, offering my hoof to pull him up. He gave mine a quick look, then taking it. I pulled him up to all fours gently and he let out a relieved sigh.

"I am so terribly sorry, I was not watching where I was going. Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Ask yourself that question, you're the one who fell," I gave a soft grin at that.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. How did you not fall?" The pegasus' head tilted quizzically.

"Well, I had to catch my hoofing again for a minute, but aside from that, I'm not quite sure. I'm not that strong of a pony." I replied as a matter of fact.

"Right, of course," the pony smiled. "Hey, are you from around here?"

"Just visiting for the day, actually. Why do you ask?"

"Oh. So, I suppose you don't happen to know where the recording studio is, do you?" He asked sheepishly.

"Recording studio? With a town like this, I wouldn't expect to find one." I chuckled. "Are you sure you are in the right place?"

"This is Whitetail Woods, correct?"

"It is, but—"

"Oh, shoot," the pony said aloud, having taken out a letter and looking at the address with his ears pinned back. "It said Silvertail Summit. Damn it."

"Silvertail Summit, where is that?"

"I know about it just as much as you do. But, I am in the wrong place," he sighed. "Damn it, Ray." He murmured to himself.

"So, your name is Ray, huh?"

"Hmm?" He glanced up at me. "Oh, yes, silly me. Ray Blitz, to be more accurate. Pleasure to meet you... er..."

"Star Shooter," I extended my hoof.

Ray took my hoof and shook it firmly. "Star Shooter. Huh, for a moment I thought I was going to have to call you Marine colt."

"Marine colt?" It hit me suddenly. "Oh, my hoodie. Heheh, I get it now."

Ray chuckled. "So, you're a Lunar Marine, what are you doing here? Coming home or something?"

"Ah, actually, I just started my leave and, well, tickets to Canterlot from Manehattan were sold out, so... I'm stuck here for the time being." I rubbed my hoof up my knee.

"Oh dear. That sucks. That sucks a lot. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. This town seems rather nice. Small, with probably nothing to do, but it's peaceful and definitely a big change from the big city."

Ray laughed a bit. "Of course. While I like small towns, the big city is just home to me."

"Ah, where do you live? Canterlot? Los Pegasus?"

"Er..." Ray's cheeks heated. "Ponyville."

"Ponyville? I wouldn't call that a big city," I nudged him gently and grinned.

His face turned an even deeper shade of red. "It's not, I'm simply saying that... well, I enjoy the city. I don't get to go to them often, and it's only when I have assignments."

"I see. What is it you do?"

"I'm a voice actor. Basically that's why I'm running around searching for the recording studio," he smiled innocently. "It's a fun job, but it takes quite a bit of practice to be good."

"I'd imagine," I chuckled with a warm smile. "So, what do you plan on doing now?"

"I don't know. I'll have to hurry if I want to make it though. I have to be at the studio today. We'll have to meet up again sometime, maybe go to lunch or grab a coffee, since..." Ray smiled back, then looking over at the spilled cup. "But for now, I'd best be on my way."

I laughed and waved my hoof. "Very well. I'll let you get going. See you soon, Ray." I nodded once.

"Likewise." He nodded back, then gave a wink and trotted off quickly.

Perhaps we would meet again. Perhaps not at all. Either way it went, there was something strange I felt about this particular pony. Not exactly suspicion, nor was it something I could understand. Maybe I should put it off until the next time we meet. Maybe we will, maybe we won't.

Only time will tell.

Author's Note:

And that, my dear friends, marks the end of my longest story to date. Whew, what a relief to have finally reached the epilogue. It was a lengthy journey, and I sure do hope you all enjoyed.

Comments

[Thunderblast]

7089023 Like me. Well, an older version of me. xD

[Thunderblast]

Millennia now has a spinoff! You can check it out here.

[Paladin Redflare]

Yo dorg........................... this fic too long, man. How i'ma s'posed to read a too long fic?

[Thunderblast]

7530735 You coulda told me this on Facebook without commenting ya silly.

[Lazydrill]

I'm intrigued to read about the life of marines in this. Added to read later.

[Thunderblast]

7574337 Thank you! I hope you enjoy it.

[Thunderblast]

7798256 Who? Star doesn't have a marefriend.

[Starlight Nova]

How can they use guns without hands?

[Thunderblast]

8269090
Magic I guess. There's no logical way to put it without making up guns altogether to fit with the world.

[Thunderblast]

NOTE: I am making major edits or completely rewriting chapters of this story! I'm hoping these changes will make the story seem a bit more plausible and realistic in a military setting.

[Gizmo Gear]

9762223
No, the fact that he is afraid of heights.......seriously. If he falls, an injury won't be a problem.

[Thunderblast]

9762191
The revisions I was doing of this story had the gunny and Hardstaff going MUCH harder than the current version. Sadly I've lost all interest in writing these stories so the updated version of this story will never come.