Cryo-7

by Metal Pony Fan

Ring Solomon

Berry's face was glued to the main window as the Shuttle approached the Solomon's Ring. The small craft followed its autopilot into the docking bay like a fly wandering into a dragon’s mouth. Fluttershy watched as well, sitting quietly in the copilot's chair. By far the more reserved of the two, she sat silently, staring in awe, sharing little of the earth pony's excitement.

"That thing's huge!" Berry exclaimed, looking back at Astral. "I bet the entire settlement on Sevus would fit inside, and still have room for more."

Astral nodded slowly, thinking about the community he once visited often. "You're probably right, Berry, and they may have to. If they can't find out what caused the Glycodexrin contamination and put a stop to it, the entire planet might have to evacuate."

"As long as everypony's safe, I don't think they'll mind." She turned back to the display. "They might be sad, but Grandma told me about how her town had to leave their planet. Everything turned out alright, and it'll go even better for Sevus, because there's so many ponies around to help."

"Ha~ah..." Fluttershy looked down and cleared her throat, making about as much noise as a small mouse. She moved her mouth, trying to use muscles long atrophied to form shapes long forgotten. "Haa... Ho..." After getting over her initial excitement, more over meeting her friends' offspring than being rescued it seemed, she started to pay very careful attention when anypony talked. She watched everypony's mouth, the movements of their lips, the set of the jawline, and mimicked the motions in silence. Any time she had to try and say something, she was very careful to try and make the correct sounds. "Ha-ouw... How lah...ck...gk..." The sounds devolved into a snarl. She was still having issues controlling gutteral sounds, or making the closed-mouth sounds. She could hear it in her head, the sound she wanted, but she couldn't make the sound happen.

"It's ok," Astral told her. "It's going to take some time for you to get talking again. There's no rush. Are you asking how long?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Um," Astral scratched his mane, "Since you were stranded, since we started looking for you, or since Equestria-"

Fluttershy barked out an affirmative to accompany her nods, disrupting the unicorn's question.

Astral sighed. "Roughly five or six thousand years. There's a whole galaxy full of ponies out there now, hundreds of planets like Equestria, and a bunch of other species to share them with." The shuttle settled down on a landing platform, barely perceptible shake distracting Astral from his explanation. He looked out the window as he stood up, watching a large set of doors close between them and open space. "You'll get to meet some of them soon, but I need you to stay calm. You are safe now. There may be some different kinds of creatures outside, but they are not dangerous."

Fluttershy nodded her understanding, but Astral fervently hoped that Cathy wouldn't be on hand to greet them. He walked back and opened the cockpit door. Twilight and Radio were discussing something, hunched over the colt's scanner.

Radio looked up first. "Hey, I felt that. We landed, right? Is the landing bay pressurized yet?"

"You have the scanner," Astral replied.

"Oh, right." The colt looked down and fiddled with the machine. "Twenty-two percent, looks like it might take a moment."

"Well, what's another minute or two?" Astral looked over at Twilight, as she slowly lifted her head. "And what are you moping about?"

She scoffed at him. "Shut up."

"How about not?" Astral shook his head. With his help, she was able to locate three of her friends, or at least one and two of their descendants. Why was she still being so pissy? "Anypony want to get ready to disembark?"

"Get ready how?" Berry called from the front. "Hey, did you guys see the actuators on these doors? They look like sixty ton units, and there are three per door!"

"Yeah," Astral called back, not taking his eyes off Twilight, "it's impressive, that's for sure. But I was asking if anypony needed to clean up a little. Maybe get dressed?"

Twilight winced. "Oh, I forgot." She held out her hoof to Astral. "Jacket," she demanded.

Astral raised an eyebrow. "We're on an official Galactic Assembly ship, one full of doctors. Half those doctors probably attended Luna's Academy. This is probably the only time those robes you packed will ever be appropriate attire."

Twilight slunk off to the back without another word, and Radio looked up from his scanner. "Hey, the do-"

"Docking bay pressurized," Cathy's voice echoed through the shuttle, slightly muffled as it played through speakers outside. "It is now safe to exit your vehicle."

"Yeah, what she said," the colt sighed.

"You'll get to say it next time." Astral patted Radio on the shoulder as he walked past him. He headed to the back door, undoing the lock from the other side with his magic before slipping in.

Twilight groaned as he shut the door behind him. "This again? What's the point of telling me to lock the door?"

"Something's bothering you."

"Yeah." She pulled her bag off the top bunk and dumped it on a more accessible mattress. "You."

He walked over and put his hoof on the bag as she tried to open it, stopping her. "Look, I thought we were over this. We haven't tried to kill each other for a while, and we've been making progress on your mission. Why do you keep getting more and more upset the farther we go?"

"Astral," Twilight pulled her hoof away from her bag, "Try to imagine the sweetest, kindest pony you can." She spoke quietly, so quietly, Astral had to move closer to hear her. "One that's so timid, she's almost afraid to speak to you the first time you meet. Quiet, fragile, always clean, always courteous, never-" Her voice cracked, and she closed her eyes. "Never able to walk away from any living thing in need."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Fluttershy."

Astral pointed over his shoulder, towards the other compartment. "Not that Fluttershy," he stated simply.

Twilight sat down with a sigh. "She used to be a normal pegasus. A few years before we left Equestria, something happened. I messed up a magical spell and turned Fluttershy into something halfway between a thestral and a vampony. We turned her back to normal, but it must have left some sort of trace in her DNA. Radio was explaining that a retrovirus caused mutations by bringing out dormant genes, and that's why she looks like she does."

"Can it be reversed?" Astral asked. "You turned her back once, do it again."

Twilight shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. The retrovirus wasn't a magical change. And after so much time passing, anything I try could kill or cripple her." She stared at her hooves. "No, Fluttershy's stuck as a monster for good this time, and it's all my fault."

"You need to get out of this cycle of depression." Astral opened the bag and withdrew the instructor's robes. "Yes, it's your fault that she looks like she does." He tossed the cloak over her shoulders. "That means it's your fault that she survived. Look at what we went through in, what, ten hours on Picus? Would your Fluttershy have survived that, over and over again, for seven years? Her mind is intact, her body is stronger than it has any business being, and she's back among friends. Ask her if she blames you, but I bet I already know the answer."

Astral turned to leave, but Twilight grabbed him by the hoof, the sudden motion causing her robes to fall to the floor. "Even though she survived, even if she forgives me, what about everypony else?"

"Why don't you ask them when you find them? That's the important thing right now, isn't it? Finding them?" Astral picked her robes back up, and put them back on her, undoing the clasp and letting it fall properly around her. They locked eyes for a moment, and Astral gave a quiet sigh. "There's something else bothering you, isn't there? Please just tell me what's wrong."

Twilight shook her head. "I already told you."

"Fine." Astral busied himself with the clasp, buckling it securely. "But if you want to talk, I'm always close by."

"Yeah," she sighed, "too close."

"What? You-" He pointed his hoof at her with a frustrated grunt. "You know, I don't get you. And at this point, I don't think I ever will."

He turned to leave, rubbing the back of his neck as he activated the door controls with magic. Twilight winced as she caught sight of the wound under his collar. It was treated and bandaged by Radio shortly after they left orbit, but it might never have happened if she hadn't left him alone on Picus.

She turned away, as the door opened, and leaned against the nearest mattress after hearing it shut behind her. How could she have been so stupid? Chasing after some bird and leaving him alone in the jungle without even a communicator? She dropped her head to bed and groaned into the sheets. She could have gotten him killed.

The door opened again, and Twilight let out a loud groan. All she wanted was to be alone and wallow in uselessness with some semblance of peace and quiet. "Now what?" She growled.

She looked back, and Radio sheepishly held up his scanner, giving it a little shake as the door closed behind him. "Sorry," he said quietly, "I just wanted to put it away real quick."

"No," Twilight shook her head, "I'm sorry, I should have looked to see who it was before getting mad."

Radio stowed the scanner on the top bunk, stuffing it behind the pillow for easy access. "Are you mad at Astral for some reason?"

The alicorn sighed and straightened up her robes. "Not really, except for the fact he can't leave me alone while I'm changing." Twilight looked up to see the colt blush and break eye contact the moment it was made.

"Um..." Radio scratched his mane. "I guess I didn't realize. I mean, Berry and I were talking about it earlier, and, well, I guess we didn't think you two were quite that close."

"What?!" Twilight shuddered. "Ew! No! We were just arguing, that's all."

Radio shrugged. "My mom and dad argued too. And, well, I'm here, ain't I?"

Twilight's expression showed her disgust as she slowly nodded. "It's a bit different of a situation here, trust me." She gave one last shudder and and pushed the misunderstanding out of her head with a sigh. "Radio, we haven't gotten a chance to talk yet, have we?"

"What do you mean?" The colt sat down and leaned against the lower bunk. "We talked the entire ride from Furia to Sevus."

"I spent the whole time telling you stories," Twilight corrected. "Aside from bombarding me with questions, you didn't really say much."

"Oh." Radio shrugged with the shoulder not bearing his weight. "Well, you answered my questions, I don't mind answering a few. What do you want to know?"

She looked down, taking a steadying breath. "Rainbow, I mean, your mother, what... What was she like? I can remember the friend I left home with like it was yesterday, but I never knew the mare that settled down to raise a family. There's so much I must have missed."

Radio sunk deeper against the mattress. "You and me both." He looked at his hooves for a moment, then glanced up. "It's hard to remember her sometimes, but when I do, she's smiling. Always. Every time she looked at me or Ribbon, she had this smile on her face that..." He shook his head, staring off into the past. "I can't really describe it. It wasn't a big smile, or anything like that, but it was there. Whenever you see it, you just want to smile along, you know? When she taught me to fly, when she taught Ribbon gymnastics, she always smiled. Even when we broke something, even when I stole a tank and drove it through the motor yard fence, even when I sealed her in the stasis chamber, there was this smile there, hidden under everything else." The colt shook his head. "I'm sure it's just my memory playing tricks on me. Five year old me wanted happy memories instead of the ones I got, or something like that. But, that's honestly all I can remember."

"That's enough, isn't it?" Twilight put her hoof on the colt's shoulder. "You know, it makes me feel better to know that she was happy. She really must have loved you and your sister."

"Yeah, but," he looked up at Twilight, "I know she missed all of her old friends. A few years back, dad showed me the two journals my mom kept. I think Ribbon has them now, but one was titled, 'Things to tell my friends.' It was a list of things she wanted to tell all her old friends, with a few details, and her thoughts on who would like which stories, and why."

Twilight closed her eyes, pain showing on her face even though she tried to smile. "Remind me to ask Ribbon for it next time we're in Canterlot."

"Ok, but I won't have to. You'll remember." Radio straightened up a little. "The other journal mom wrote was, 'Things to tell the kids.' It was stories about equestria, and the friends she had. She wrote a lot about you. She wrote a whole lot about all of her friends, but a lot about you in particular." He paused for a moment, looking Twilight in the eyes. "Enough for me to know that something is wrong right now."

"Not you too," Twilight moaned, "did Astral say something?"

"No," Radio answered with some confusion. He stopped her with his wing when she started to turn away. "Should he have?" She pushed past his wing, and he got up and rushed in front of her. "Hey," he put himself between her and the door, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Twilight shook her head. She moved left, then right, to try and go around the pegasus, but he shuffled side to side to stay locked in her path. "Ugh!" She stomp a hoof. "Why can't anypony leave me alone?"

"Because we're worried about you?" The colt brought a hoof to his forehead. "Even though Berry and I don't really know you, you are pretty damn close to family to us. Call us crazy, but we care about you."

Twilight sighed again, looking off to the side. "No one asked you to." Her horn lit up, and Radio teleported a little to the left, enough for her to push past him to the door.

"Oh, no you don't!" Radio grabbed the hem of her robes with his teeth and yanked back as she reached for the door controls. Twilight fell on her rump with small yelp, and quickly checked the velvet fabric for damage once the colt spit it out. "Ugh, do you ever wash that thing?"

"What the hell was that for?" Twilight demanded.

"For teleporting me without asking." The colt sat down in front of the door, crossing his hooves in front of him. "That's a crime on Furia, you know."

"Well, it isn't on Canterlot." Twilight started adjusting her robes, especially the neckline where the bulk of the pull was felt. "And it's almost expected when you stand in a unicorn's way."

"Look," Radio said in a no-nonsense tone, pointing a hoof at her, "I wasn't level-headed enough to notice it earlier, but I'm starting to realize I wasn't worried enough."

Satisfied with the adjustments, Twilight stood up. "Radio, what are you talking about?"

Radio lowered his hoof, and glanced down. "You're self-harming."

The colt's words dropped her back down to her haunches as fast as his earlier pull. "Radio, what? No, how could you even think that?"

"Because it's true!" Radio brought his hooves to his head. "Isn't it? Look at your ear, when you grabbed the scalpel from me. And you've been covered in small injuries since I've met you, and you take risks without thinking of the consequences. It's like you don't care what happens to yourself." He pulled his ears down, closed his eyes, and started speaking faster. "I don't want to accuse you of anything, but I scanned you, and there's evidence of countless untreated injuries, and I wish I hadn't, but now I know, and I wish I didn't, and I just want to help, but I really don't know how I can, but I can't just let this go, and I am really really bad at serious conversations like this, so won't you please, please, please, just tell me what's wrong?"

The colt found himself pulled off balance, face first into velvet that smelled of storage, dust, and old books. The weight of hooves wrapped around him, and a chin pressed down on top of his head.

"No, no, Radio." Twilight shook her head as she hugged the colt. "It's not like that, I promise. I know I've been taking risks, and I didn't get all of my old injuries treated because I'm hiding my wings. But I'm not trying to hurt myself." She took a deep breath. "Radio, the cryogenic pods from ponyville are being opened. There's no denying that now. One or two could be written off as isolated incidents, maybe even three. But, now... Pinkie's dead, Rainbow's hurt, and Fluttershy is changed forever. Cryo-7 has been found, the cryogenic chambers figured out, and I have to find my friends. That's more important than me taking a few risks."

"No." Radio squirmed his way out of her grip and looked her in the eyes. "That makes it even more important that you stay safe and healthy. What are the rest of us supposed to do if you get hurt? We don't know what we're looking for, and we definitely don't know who we're looking for. We need you."

"Mac knows." Twilight shrugged. "Fluttershy knows, Celestia, Luna, Chrysalis, they all know. Anypony from ponyville we find will know as much as I do now. I'm out of leads, and even those were mostly Silver's work. I'm just tagging along and dragging things down."

Twilight let go of Radio and the colt stepped back, sitting quietly across from her. Things had calmed down, and she wasn't trying to dodge his questions now, so he was going to listen to everything she had to say.

"When we were escaping Picus, Astral used my fireballs against those centipedes that injured him, he didn't miss a single one. Then I jump in and almost immediately became monster chow because I missed with my own spell. I didn't even think fast enough to make another fireball! It would have taken less than a second, but no, I had to be saved from my own mistake. And before that, when we fought the golems, he defeated mine in one shot. After I hit it with a dozen gravity mines and even ice spears." She rubbed her hoof against her leg, and looked down at it. "I'm useless out here. A combat magic instructor who can't win a fight."

Radio waited for a moment for her to continue, but when she remained silent, he jumped in. "You are so wrong it isn't even funny." To his surprise, she didn't even open her mouth to protest. "You just had bad luck this time. The monsters you fought were just a bad match. You teach combat magic for dueling, right? Pony-to-pony fights? Thinking opponents who analyze and scheme? I remember how you broke up that fight on Furia. I don't know any unicorn that could cow the whole of squadron zero like that, not even Astral. He might be fast on his hooves and be a great shot, but that's something that a soldier can understand and stand up to. Giving them face to face time with a miniature star is going to cause at least a bit of doubt. Trust me, fighting monsters is a completely different skill than fighting an intelligent being."

"Even if you're right," Twilight started reluctantly, "how can I-"

"Of course I'm right," Radio protested. "And you better not ask me a question you already know the answer to. If you ask me how you can make yourself more useful, I will smack you in the head. You are indispensible, and you can't be anymore useful than that." Radio hit the door control, and it opened with a swish. "Isn't that right captain?"

Radio smiled as he waited for Astral to back him up. Twilight started smiling as she looked past the colt. She chuckled as she got up and strolled past the colt into the empty passenger cabin. "Geez, you're just as annoying as Rainbow was."

The colt's smile faded as he realized that the rest of the crew had already exited the shuttle. "Thanks," he muttered as he got up to follow her, "I try."

---

"Um, as I was saying..." Cathy inched back as Fluttershy sniffed at her, acting more like a curious puppy than a pony. This ragged looking pegasus was probably the largest example of the species she had ever seen, standing just about even with the top of her shell. She was probably the least talkative as well. "I'm sorry, is your friend all right? Why is she sniffing me?"

"I'm sorry," Twilight apologized before moving to pull Fluttershy back. "Cathy, was it? This is just the first time she's seen a um..."

"The closest you would be able to pronounce would be, 'Kikrid," the pastel beetle explained. "It means shelled ones."

"Shuh." Fluttershy barked. "Ka. Tee. Shuh."

"I think she's trying to introduce herself." Twilight let go of Fluttershy when the yellow pony stopped trying to walk towards the insectoid receptionist. "I must admit, it's my first time seeing one of your kind as well."

The facets in her eyes shifted, giving the appearance that she just blinked. "That is not surprising. Of my planet, the Krikid, the unshelled, are much more likely to roam the galaxy. I am unusual among my race."

A door slid open behind Cathy. "For which, we are ever grateful," Captain Nova stated as he walked into the small antechamber. "Forgive me, I was eavesdropping from the airlock." He walked over Astral and bowed slightly. "Forgive me, Captain, for all the help you've given it would have been proper to be here to greet you, but I was tied up dispersing the information you provided."

"Don't worry about it," Astral assured him, "we're just happy to be allowed aboard." Definitely not human. Astral had to crane his neck to see the other captain's face. He stood over two meters tall, relatively thin, and sported an extra opposable thumb on each hand, one on either side of his fingers. "This is my crew." Astral gestured to each pony in succession. "Twilight Sparkle is our COC representative, and acting vice-captain. Strawberry Pie, our engineer. Radio Dancer is our Medical officer. And this is Fluttershy, who we just picked up on Picus."

"A wrecker. It's been a while since I've seen one, but there's no mistaking it, even when nonhumanoid." Captain Nova kneeled down and offered Fluttershy a warm smile. "Welcome aboard. Have you gotten your voice back yet?"

She ducked behind Twilight, even though most of her body was still visible. To answer the question, she shook her head slowly.

"Well, we might be able to help with that." He nodded towards the beetle. "First mate K'tthia has an excellent language program put together specifically to help people and ponies learn to speak again."

"Cool," Radio looked over at her, "that would make you a language specialist?"

Her mandibles shifted, possibly into a smile. "That is how my medical career started, but is no longer my primary focus."

"She is being too modest again." Halifax Nova stood up, straightened out his blue uniform, and swept a speck of dust from the single white stripe running down the left side. "She speaks fourteen languages, understands, reads, and can translate a dozen more, handles most of our scheduling, personnel and communications issues, and is always the first to volunteer for hazardous duty assignments."

The colors of Cathy's shell became a little more vibrant. Did she just blush? "Only because radiation and microorganisms don't affect me. It can't be called hazardous if I'm in no danger."

Astral nudged Twilight in the shoulder with his magic, earning a glare.

Captain Nova cleared his throat and addressed the ponies again. "You'll find that every crew member has some sort of medical experience or specialty in addition to their regular assignments. It can be hell trying to keep up with it all." He looked at Astral. "As small and informal as your crew is, I am sure you have a much better time keeping track of of the abilities under your command."

"Like you said, we are pretty informal," Astral agreed, "but you might be surprised. Anyway, why are you telling us all this? It seems like an awful lot of personal information to share with ponies you just met."

"Ah, yes." The tall captain scratched a glowing nodule at the end of one earlobe as it rested on his shoulder. "In all honesty, smalltalk is not my strong suit. I am merely killing time for your contaminant scan to finish. We have been upgrading our sensor systems for the last two weeks, and were called out before we finished installing the hardware in our secondary systems. We have a crewman out there with a portable unit running the scan, so it may take a few moments more."

Radio shrugged. "Well, while we wait, what's your specialty?"

"For the last fifty years, it has been telling others what to do." Halifax chuckled . "Before that, I was a biomedical engineer... for a perfume company."

Radio raised an eyebrow. "Perfume?"

"Indeed." Captain Nova tapped his nose. "What smells one way to one species may smell differently to another. Hormones, pheromones, natural oils, artificial scents; commercial products must reach as broad of a customer base as possible if they are to be successful. I was able to help with that."

Radio glanced at the others in the group. "Ok, I'll bite. How?"

Nova pointed to Astral and Berry. "The two of you are related, though somewhat distantly." His gesture swept past Fluttershy. "She is carnivorous." He pointed at Radio next. "Your genetics have been artificially tampered with." Twilight was last. "And, her wings are itchy and warm in those robes. Did you know that pony feather oil, while sweetly aromatic to humans and dragons, and stimulating to ponies, will smell remarkably like compost to a Curraxan?"

Halifax smiled at his deductions, but a few seconds of watching the ponies glance at each other uncomfortably prompted him to look back at Cathy.

She answered his silent question with, "You did it again, sir."

He winced and looked back at the silent group of ponies. "I apologize. Sensors replaced my position in the perfume industry, so I still tend to go too far to show off my ability. Just goes to show how none of us are irreplaceable. Rest assured, your secrets will remain safe. Call it doctor-patient confidentiality."

After a few moments of silence, there was a knock at the airlock door. Through a small window, a technician gave Captain Nova a thumbs up and held up a small pad display.

"About damn time," he muttered, reading the short note. "I apologize again," he told the ponies, "K'tthia will show you to your room. I am sure you wish to rest and clean up. After that, you may wander the ship as you please. Restricted areas are clearly marked and properly secured, but the rest is open to the public." He signaled to the technician, and the door opened, allowing him to exit.

Berry was almost on his heels, poking her head into the corridor beyond to marvel at the wonders it held.

As the earth pony let herself out of the room, Cathy skittered over to the door, then turned around. "Please don't be too hard on Halifax. I've known him for thirty years, and his only fault is a lack of social understanding. He is honest and trustworthy, and if he says your secrets will remain such, you can trust that they will."

Astral spared one look back at Twilight and Fluttershy. "Thanks," he replied wearily. "Well, lead on."

Fluttershy had pulled away from Twilight, looking down in shame. Twilight did the same, feeling a shame of her own. She had suspected. In the burrow, Fluttershy barely had any stores of food, maybe a little dried grass, and a few odd-looking fruits, but hardly enough to sustain even a regular sized pony for more than a day. That, combined with the leather and bone used around the small home... Just one more thing she was responsible for.

"Twuh?" Fluttershy almost whined.

Twilight looked up quickly, putting on a brave face and smiling for her friend. She nodded to the door. "Let's go, Fluttershy. Once we get you cleaned up, I'll help you brush your mane. Would that be OK?"

Fluttershy nodded happily, batting at her tangled mane.

"Ok, done!" Berry shouted from the hallway. The lights in the room dimmed, and a green matrix of light appeared near the ceiling. In the space of about three seconds, it traveled to the floor, shimmering across the room's occupants. "Well, according to this screen, there is, 'No harmful contamination detected.' But the dust levels are off the charts!"

Astral groaned and followed Cathy out of the room. He dragged Berry out of the chair in front of the scanner station. An empty box and an instruction manual sealed in plastic sat next to the chair. "Strawberry! Don't mess with other ships' computers!"

"I was just fixing the empty panel," she whined, unsure what she did wrong.

Cathy's shell snapped open, revealing the wings beneath. They buzzed to life and she hovered behind the chair to latch on to the back. There were depressions in the side of the chair that looked like they were designed to make it easier for her to hold. With her two front legs, she tapped the controls. "Preliminary diagnostics show that the sensor controls are properly installed... and calibrated. Though I must agree with Captain Plane, it can be considered rude at best to modify a ship's system without the captain's approval."

Berry looked up at Astral with hope in her eyes.

"The Captain of the ship you're modifying," Astral sighed.

"Oh," Berry answered sadly.

---

"Oh, that's nice." Astral sank back into the soft mattress. A towel wrapped around his neck and shoulders caught the water that dripped from his damp mane, and another towel, spread underneath him, soaked up the water from his tail. His coat was mostly dry already.

"I know what you mean." Radio was stretched out on another bed. There were four beds in the room, a nightstand bearing a lamp near each one, and a closet and washroom off to one side of the room. For rental lodgings on a planet, the quarters would be considered cramped, but for guest quarters on a ship, they were downright luxurious. "It's amazing how easy you forget what warm water feels like."

A simple meal had been delivered to them, a large bowl of salad with a stack of bowls and utensils on the side. This was also accompanied by a fruit basket. After eating, the shower order was decided. Radio went first, because he was likely going to be called to brief Captain Nova on Sevus. Astral was allowed to go next. Then Berry, then Twilight, both of whom were currently helping Fluttershy.

They've been in there a while now. The amount of neglect to her coat, mane, and tail made brushing, and probably scrubbing as well, a slow, tedious process. Her feathered wing was well preened, no doubt to keep it in flying shape, but that seemed to be the extent of Fluttershy's cleaning habits. She was lucky that Picus didn't have an equivalent of fleas.

"Berry bomber!" Strawberry ran out of the washroom surprisingly dry and leapt for the nearest bed. She caught the edge of the bed hard enough to knock the wind out of her before falling. "That didn't go as planned," she wheezed.

"No kidding," Radio deadpanned.

"Well, sorry I don't have wings." She stuck her tongue out at him as she readied herself for another attempt.

"Wings have nothing to do with it." Radio got up and leapt to the other bed. Then, he jumped down in front of the nightstand. With his rear hoof, he pushed the bottom drawer of the nightstand until it clicked. When he moved his hoof, the drawer slid open, revealing a small platform. "Try this."

With a smile, Berry hopped up on the platform, then clambered up onto the bed. Once she was up, her smile quickly turned sour, and she looked down over the edge of the mattress. "Wait a minute! That's the kiddie-step, isn't it?"

"Sure is, kiddo!" Radio ducked the first pillow thrown at him, then flew up to dodge the second one. Hovering above the bed, he crossed his hooves. "You need to work on your aim. Are you even-"

Astral nailed him from behind with a pillow of his own, dropping him to the mattress. Before the colt could recover, Berry was on top of him, flailing about with her last remaining pillow.

"What's going on out here?"

Astral looked over as Twilight walked out of the washroom. She stood just outside the door, drying her ears with the end of the towel around her shoulders. She watched the pillow fight silently as she rubbed her hoof in each ear in short twisty motions. Her coat was still damp and shiny, and her wings slightly ruffled.

Come to think of it, as much as she's been flying, she hasn't had a chance to preen since they left Canterlot. It showed too, now that she didn't have her wings hidden under layers of cloth. Feathers stuck out at odd angles, or dangled loose, almost ready to pop free.

Odd, looking at her standing there, wings plainly visible, wasn't causing Astral a resurgence of bad memories. Maybe it was the water? Her mane, slicked back and slightly ruffled by the towel still dripped every few seconds. The celestials would never even be able to touch water, their broiling bodies would just turn it to steam.

Twilight looked over at the pilot. "What are you staring at? And, why are they fighting?"

"I wasn't staring." Astral adjusted his pillows to account for the missing one, and leaned back. "I was just wondering why you were still wet. Berry was pretty much dry when she came out."

"Yeah," Twilight sighed. "She managed to duck when Fluttershy decided to shake."

Astral bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Well, it's a good look for you. Did you finish getting Fluttershy cleaned up?"

"What?" she asked after a slow double-take.

"Fluttershy," Astral repeated, "did you get her cleaned up?"

"No, I heard that," she nodded back to the washroom, "she's finishing up. Wanted to preen on her own. What did you say before that?"

"What?" Astral crossed his hooves. "I said you looked good."

Twilight let out a small snort, then started laughing. She leaned on the edge of his bed to keep from falling over.

"Hey!" He rolled over and started poking her head. "Now what's the problem?"

"Nothing." She looked up at him, laughter slowing, quieting until it stopped completely. "Astral, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have blown up on you about that without telling you what was bothering me."

"Whatever." Astral let his hooves out from under him, flopping flat to the bed. "As long as you're over it. I've just accepted you and I fighting as part of the natural order of the universe."

"That's right, it's a fundamental rule of creation, us bickering is mandatory." She folded her hooves on the mattress. "You better watch out, you know. I'm not planning on staying useless forever." Face to face like they were, Astral saw her smiling. Not just a pleasant smile, polite and convenient, and not one of temporary satisfaction when things went her way. For the first time since meeting her, he was seeing her happy in a way that seemed like it might actually last.

"I still don't understand half the things you say or do." He rested his head on his hooves and found an excuse to look away when Fluttershy entered the room.

If she was a werewolf before, she was a vampire queen now. The knots and tangles were gone from her mane and tail, and they seemed to have gained a little length, flowing, trailing regally behind her as she walked. The grime and patchiness was missing from her coat, replaced by smooth yellow. The variations in fur length were still there, lending a small hint of wild. Her mouth still hung slightly open. The cause, her fangs, were visibly cleaner, shining like polished pearl.

Astral raised his eyebrows and looked back at Twilight. "You sure did a number on her."

The alicorn nodded. "It took long enough." She smiled. "But she looks a little more like she used to."

Fluttershy watched the pillow fight for a moment, then a small smile formed on her face. She picked up one of the fallen pillows nearby and carried it over to the wall. She settled down, laying her head on her pillow so she could watch comfortably.

"Oh, Fluttershy," Twilight moved over to her, "You don't have to sleep on the floor. You can have one of the beds."

"Beh?" Fluttershy picked her head up. It took her a moment to remember the word, but when she did, she nodded quickly, looking at the nearest mattress with a smile. "Beht," she confirmed.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but Fluttershy was faster. She launched herself over the alicorn and the squabbling colt and earth pony, landing on Radio's abandoned bed on the far side of the room.

"Or you could do that," Twilight mumbled as she turned around.

Fluttershy tested the mattress with her hoof, poking the soft surface with a look of wonder on her face. She walked to the edge of the bed and grabbed the comforter before rolling back to the middle of the mattress, wrapping herself in the puffy quilt.

"Beht!" She happily told Twilight as she walked over. "Laig beht!"

Twilight climbed up next to the rolled up pegasus, and Astral clapped his hooves to break up the raging pillow fight. "All right you two, cut it out. Time for bed."

Radio looked back, and Berry took that opportunity to grab the pillow from his hooves and give him one good whack in the face, toppling the colt off the bed. "I win," she gloated as he picked himself up.

"Yeah," Radio conceded before slinking off to the remaining bed, "this time."

Astral smiled as he flipped the lights off. "Goodnight, everyone."

A chorus of good nights, and one grunted approximation answered him.

---

A high pitched warble disrupted the sound of a piano-violin duet, breaking captain Nova from his relaxed contemplation. "I need to change that damn doorbell chime," he muttered as he stood up from his chair. Why were the default tones on electronics always the most disconcerting things? He smoothed out his clothes and headed towards the door. He had been expecting an unexpected visit, and had refrained from retiring for the night, opting to listen to music for a while instead.

He opened the door, and looked down at his visitor. "It seems I made the right choice in staying up, eh, K'tthia?"

Her wings buzzed in a short apology. "I do not wish to intrude, but I gather you know why I am here?"

"More or less." He waved the beetle in. The glow of her shell became readily apparent as she entered the darker quarters. "Though, I didn't expect you to be this agitated about it. I could probably read with amount of light you're putting out right now."

Cathy skittered to the middle of the room, and turned around to face the captain. "Halifax, is it wise to allow a Celestial on board?"

"Straight to the point," Nova chuckled, his own glow becoming slightly brighter with his amusement, "same as ever." He allowed the door to close, and sat cross-legged on the floor facing his first officer. "Allow me to be equally blunt. I know far better than you the sort of threat Celestials pose to living beings around them. I also know that the creature we met, Miss Sparkle, if I recall, is not a Celestial. She may be something similar," he gave his glowing earlobe a flick, "but I sense she is far more powerful. Or has the potential to be, I am not entirely certain."

Cathy's eyes shifted, and Nova was unsure what the expression meant. "That seems to me an even better reason to worry. Shouldn't we at least increase security?"

The captain shrugged "How would that help? We may be able to fight a Celestial or two while sustaining a few casualties. A being more powerful than a celestial could most likely tear through the entire ship with impunity, any crew we place in its path would become hollow sacrifices. Celestials can be fought, but there are beings in the galaxy that shouldn't be challenged. She may be one of them."

"Are you referring to the ancients? Do you believe her to be one?"

Nova shook his head. "I am sure she isn't."

Cathy's head tilted in a universal gesture of confusion. "Then what?"

"The reason she shuldn't be challenged, my dear, K'tthia," Nova leaned forward, and whispered, "is because she sits on the committee that determines our budget."

Cathy's eyes shifted again, even though she tried to stop it, and the captain straightened up with a laugh.

"I knew that would get you." He shook his head, heaving a sigh. "Jokes aside, she smells familiar, and I feel it is in everyone's best interest if we assist her however possible. Yours, mine, this ship and crew's... possibly even the galaxy's."

"That gut instinct of yours seems to be having delusions of grandeur." Her shell shifted slightly blue, a shrug. "Can't say its the first time."

Nova offered a shrug of his own. "Was I wrong about Rhyllia? How long did it take to scrub your shell clean after that?"

"We are not discussing that again, sir." She let out an audible sigh, one of the few expressive gestures that she naturally shared with her captain and the rest of the crew. "And what did you mean when you said she smelled familiar?"

"Ah, that." He pushed himself up and head for an alcove off to the side of his quarters. "It's quite the story, and a touch of a long one. Let me get you a drink, and I'll tell you about the time I met the Sun and the Moon."

Comments

[Batling]

Dang, this is pretty darn good - I kinda wish I had found this story sooner! Good Sci-fi stories are pretty rare around here, so this one is a rare treat. The plot is interesting, the characters are quirky, the emotions feel real and there are still mysteries to be solved - simply put your writing is very solid all around and I can't wait to read more

And man, Twilight can't catch a break, can she? Pinkie's gone for good, Rainbow's down for the count and Fluttershy is some sort of a mutant pony now. That's one of my expectations you have thoroughly dashed - that this would be a journey about Twi reuniting her friends, but so far it's not really going well for her. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you! Just bit darker than I expected initially - but no less fun for it and now there is real suspense and dread regarding what she is going to find next. And I like my suspense I am a little bit confused about why Ponyville's ship (Cryo-7, right?) got lost in the first place - how did that happen and for so long?

And ooh, that captain Nova's prediction, gut feeling or whatever it was he had - that assisting Twilight is paramount. They are going to need the Elements again before this is over, aren't they? Why do I have a feeling that evil alicorn army is going to make a return sooner or later?

I am pretty confused about the captain's babbling about how he senses Twilight is stronger than a Celestial, how she could destroy the ship and such ... I mean, what? She's all talk and no show so far who doesn't seem to know her left side from her right side in an actual and real fight who is at best decent at magical theory and putting on a flashy show, but absolutely shit at actually putting it in real action and getting results. A couple of security ponies with real and actually functional/practical weapons (Gravity mines that seem to be a do-nothing spell? Ice Lances that would crumple against any real armor because ice is brittle as heck? Don't make me laugh, "combat instructor" , sounds more like a fancy fencing recreational club for the rich with no real world practical applications, never mind a real battlefield - but then Radio was trying to comfort her, and I guess saying soothing things that they want to hear, even if untrue, is part of that) is all that's probably needed to restrain her, unless Astral and Radio is there to back her up, in which case Astral can probably carry the day with his OP gun

I mean, not that we have seen Radio fight yet, but I can't wait to see him in action as well - considering he counts as a planetary defense weapon on his own, I imagine he will kick some major ass once he finally does. That ought to be good and scary and awesome all at once once he cuts loose. Considering a proper weapon like Astral's gun was already stated to be able to punch holes in starship hull (wait, why the hell did anyone even develop energy weapons if that's the case? Or are they even more powerful? Or is Astral the only one smart enough to figure out good ol' bullets is where it's actually at?), I can't wait to see what qualifies as a superweapon in human (well, pony) form compared to that

Soooo .... more ?

[Foxfax]

Dangit, can't Like more than once!

[Vinx]

Okay, seriously, how does this not have more likes/views/whatever?

Ill be honest, i really hope that youll never loose faith in your story and finish it to your own satisfaction, because alone the dynamic between characters is on par or even better than many professional authors, and most errors i could find were just missing words that could even be written of as part of a characters speech pattern, or things pretty much any novel with its own new background universe suffers from.

So please, dont let yourself get discouraged by low numbers, keep going, id even go so far as hope that you may one day turn this into more than a hobby.

That being said, thank you very much for writing this great Story! It sweetened my break times at work, and evenings the last two weeks by a lot.