"For real?" Mezzo asked, not quite believing his ears. "Me? You're sure about this? I don't know anything about law."
"You don't have to," Growl answered. They were walking through the commissary, reasonably far from medical, and a certain psychic filly. "It's not like I would just hand you a weapon and uniform, and assign you a post. I'd have Micah show you the ropes. He can put together a training regimen that includes appropriate classes."
Mezzo was silent as he mulled it over. He wasn't sure what to think of this offer. He would love to help, but he wasn't sure he was the right fit for it.
"There is another component to this," Growl added, seeing his hesitation. "During Vizor's attack, you kept Ribbon stable enough to do her job. That alone helped countless ponies. So did wiping out those monsters in the cargo bay. It would be enough if you just stood around medical whenever there were problems, or tagged along whenever Ribbon responds to an emergency, but I'm guessing you would be happier providing active assistance."
He nodded slowly. "I would." He sighed. "Has Ribbon told you about Clak?"
"The Krikid? The one who agreed to train you and Ribbon in harnessing her powers?" Growl nodded. "She has, and Clak approached me as well, amazingly polite fellow. He ran his rough plan by me, and if you're fine with some of the details, you have my approval."
"Which details?"
"Well, his photo album had a lot of married couples."
"Oh," the colt chuckled nervously. "He showed you that? He's proud of that scrapbook, isn't he? Ribbon and I talked it over. Nothing's set in stone, but if things turn out... you know, then, we're ok with that possibility."
"That's a big decision to make at your age," Growl told him, watching him as he watched the crowd around them. "But, you've both had more than your share of hard times and tough decisions. Something like this must be very different."
"It is," Mezzo agreed, but he smiled, "Whatever the future brings, it's just good to know I had a say in it." He looked around the commissary, at everypony going about their day. Some he recognized, some he didn't. Happy, safe, and most of all, free. "Growl, did I ever thank you?"
"Thank me?"
"For this," Mezzo held his hoof up, "all of this. I don't think I ever realized what you risked, what you gave up, to help the Tankrit. And you still are, helping us, I mean. You put so much into this station, and I'm only now starting to see it."
"You're a good kid, Mezzo, and you're growing up right." Growl clasped her hoof down on his shoulder. "Needle Scratch would be so proud of you, and your mother."
"I wish he could have seen this," Mezzo said quietly, voice breaking. "I wish he could have known Minuette, and Ribbon, and heard mom's music again, or aunt Tavi's."
"He gave his life so you could do that for him. He knew going back would be the last thing he ever did, but he never even considered staying away. Nothing I give, no matter how long or hard I work, will ever come close to his sacrifice. That's why I'm here, why you're here, and why this station exists. Nothing happens with just one pony, but it only takes one to start it. For us, your grandfather was that pony. He gave us the push to fight back, to build this home, this family. He deserves the thanks, Mezzo, not me."
"But, you didn't have any reason to get involved, and you still came back for him. And you stayed for the rest of us. It can't have been easy throwing away everything for ponies you didn't even know."
Growl smiled. "Your grandfather told me once, 'The right choice is never the easiest to make, but always the hardest to regret.' I don't regret choosing to get involved. I only regret not getting involved sooner."
The colt nodded. He could understand, but he wouldn't share that regret. "Growl, sign me up."
Author's Note: As promised, here is a list of the chapter titles, and how I arrived at them.
1 - An Angel's choice - An Angel's Voice, like you might hear in the moments before death
2 - Doctor, My Eyes...Are the Only Thing Unhurt - Doctor My Eyes, the song by Jackson Browne
3 - Read Between the Minds - Read between the lines
4 - Sometimes the Twain Shall Meet - "Never the Twain Shall Meet." Rudyard Kipling
5 -Cut and Run, and Run, and Run - Cut and Run, to make off quickly by cutting the anchor free
6 - Hit the Hammer on the Head - Hit the nail on the head
7 - I Don't Think We're in Canterlot Anymore - Wizard of Oz "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in kansas anymore"
8 - Welcome to the Hotel Equestria - Hotel California, the Eagles Song
9 - She Got the Goldmine, I Got the Elevator Shaft - She got the goldmine, a song sung by Jerry Reed
10 - This elevator doesn't go to the top floor - A common idiom, but I remember it from Foghorn Leghorn
11 - As Angry as a Pony in Mud - Happy as a Pig in Mud
12 - Going off the rails on a crazy...Capsule? - Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads
13 - Old Hooves, Warm Heart - Old hands, young heart, common idiom
14 - Fight Fire on Fire - Fight fire with fire, A saying, a Kansas song, and a Metallica song
15 - A Few Ration Bars Short of a Picnic - A few ____ short of ______, a common idiom
16 - Out of Her Mind, and In Others - Out of your mind, common idiom for crazy or misguided decisions
17 - The Rainbow Child - this is an absolutely crazy thing that some people actually believe, on par with indigo children
18 - Like Giving Candy to a Pony - Like taking candy from a baby
19 - Meanwhile, Back at the Station, - Meanwhile, back at the ranch, from Bonanza - here, have a tvtropes page to eat some time
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeanwhileBackAtThe
20 - Shouldn't Grass be Greener on the Other Side? - Grass is always greener on the other side
21 - Bleary-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed - Bright eyed and bushy tailed.
22 - Singing to the Choir - Preaching to the choir
23 - Over the Gun - Under the gun
24 - Hajime No Ribbon - Hajime no Ippo, a long-running Boxing Manga and anime
25 - A Few Shakes Short of a Sockhop - the A few ____ short of ______ idiom again
26 - Stunned and Confused - Dazed and confused
27 - Subdivisions - No corruption here, it's just the song by Rush, because Rush is playing on the speakers in the department store
28 - Red Ring of Hate - Red Ring of Death, Xbox 360 failure phenomena
29 - Grey Sheep of the Family - Black Sheep of the family, but Astral is grey
30 - Lost, Alone, and Unforgotten - Lost, Alone, and Unafraid, a seemingly self-published paramilitary survival manual I found somewhere in college, like literally picked up on the ground because somebody dropped it, wasn't terrible
31 - I'll be Thinking of You'll be Thinking of Me - I'll be thinking of you, a Gospel Soul album by Andrae Crouch, my mom had the vinyl, and I think I still have it somewhere
32 - A Journey of a Thousand Words - A journey of a thousand li starts beneath one's feet, Chinese proverb
33 - Dawn Over an Old World - Dawn over a new world, a song by Dragonforce
34 - Time Marking - Marking time, marching in place in military cadence
35 - Back to the Raft - From Yobi's Magic Spelling Tricks, an early 90's educational game
36 - The Binds that Tie - The ties that bind, a common idiom, may have first appeared in modern usage in the alcoholics anonymous book
37 - Ring Solomon - Solomon's ring, or the seal of Solomon, but also, referencing the book King Solomon's Mines(This book deeply inspired Halifax Nova's Storyline)
38 - A crew divided... Temporarily - A nation divided cannot stand, also, A Crew Divided was an episode of American Chopper, the famous one with Senior and Junior having their big scripted falling out
39 - The Early Bird Annoys the Captain - The early bird gets the worm
40 - Wake Up, Little Pony, Wake Up. - Wake up, little Suzie, a song by the Everly Brothers
41 - The Dynamic Duet - The Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin
42 - Bleeding Sweat - Sweating blood, an idiom, but also an actual thing that can happen
43 - Cargo Room Rumble - The Rumble Room is a limestone Cavern in Tennessee
44 - Nothing Ever Changes, Even Names and Faces - nothing ever changes just the names and faces is a lyric from Punk Rock 101 by Bowling for Soup
45 - Unfriendly Conversation - Friendly conversation, part of a quote from the movie Sandlot
46 - Live by the Gun, Die by the Hoof - Live by the sword, die by the sword, paraphrasing of Matthew 26:52
47 - Fangs for the Memories - Thnks fr th mmrs, a song by fallout boy
48 - Baby, it's Cold Inside - Baby, it's cold outside, a controversial christmas song from the 1940's
49 - Time Takes Healing - Healing takes time
50 - Breaks Fast - Breakfast
51 - Greasy Hair, Dirty Coats, and Shaky Hearts - ...in his greasy hair. Their dirty coats doing little to warm their fragile, withering hearts. this is a line from a book, I don't remember which one, or if I even have it right. Maybe Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
52 - Where? Behind the Pony? It is the Pony! - Behind the Rabbit? The killer rabbit scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail
53 - I Made Her an Offer She Quickly Refused - corruption of the Godfather quote, I don't remember the exact line.
54 - Breakfast at Mezzo's - Breakfast at Tiffany's, Song by Deep Blue Something, referencing a 1960's movie
55 -Sunbows and Rainbeams - Rainbows and Sunbeams, things that are always nice and happy, also a bereavement support program
56 - The Calm Before the &#!@Storm - The calm before the storm
57 - Cargo Room Rumble - The Rumble Room is a limestone Cavern in Tennessee Also, yes, I used this twice. I also mention that in a later chapter title
58 - Need it Like a hole in the Roof - Need it like a hole in the head
59 - Late Morning Radio - Late Night Radio, a song by John Denver (My favorite singer, I have been told I sang or hummed along to Country Roads anytime it came on the radio since I was two. I also have this song on vinyl. I have most of John Denver's albums on Vinyl and cd.)
60 - Pie from a Pirate - The Pie and the Pirate is a book from 1910, I had a copy that was printed in 1913, might still have it. Pirate Pie is a type of meat pie
61 - Side Effects of the Dragon Ritual - This was originally going to be a long list of side effects like in a pharmaceutical commercial, but I decided against it at the last minute.
62 - Stormy and Radio Go Shopping - Also just a plain and basic title
63 - Fluttershy and Big Mac have Breakfast - Same, only I was planning on continuing this formula for all shipping chapters, Character and Character do thing
64 - All Expense Pained Vacation - All expense paid vacation, a common prize on the Wheel of Fortune
65 - A Station, Based in Space - A roundabout way of saying space station
66 - Cheers! - The bar where everybody knows your name, or the tv show about it. This was on at the same time as sesame st when I was younger. My parents would set me down in front of big bird, but I would flip over to Sam and the rest every time. Norm was my favorite character. Probably not the ideal show for the 4-7 age bracket, but I loved it for some reason.
67 - Atop the Silver Tower - My first business was called Silver Tower Graphics, and the logo was a skyscraper. This was to hide the fact that I was a 16 year old in a Texas suburb working on my dad's old laptop. As far as anyone knew, I was a hotshot designer atop some silver skyscraper somewhere. I actually have a couple logos I did floating around still in use, but most of my work was old-school fractal based cgi, Bryce and such, and that aesthetic went obsolete quickly.
68 - Closing Time - The song by Semisonic
69 - Ships, Space Stations, and Teleports - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a Movie, starring Steve Martin and John Candy
70 - In for a Bit, In for a Haircut - In for a penny, in for a pound
71 - Rosa Luna - Imagine a south american festival dancer, and this is probably the person you're thinking of, one of the best known and most influential, who had a pretty rough life.
72 - Excitement, Followed by Sleep, half-remembered quote from a TV show, possibly Stargate, which goes, "Pain, followed by death."
73 - Keep Your Friends Close, - Part one of a two chapter title, Keep your friends close
74 - And Your Wanted Fugitives Closer - Part two, And your enemies closer
75 - A History Lesson - This was a chapter title I faintly remember from a book, Possibly one of Jules Verne's novels
76 - Hallways and Always - Always and always, Benny Goodman
77 - Lock Down the Truth - "The truth is, walls guarantee no one's safety. The place where you lock yourself in and lock all else out -- that's not your home. Your home is sometimes a place you travel long and far to find." ~Geralt of Rivia
78 - And Karno was its Name... Oh... - Bingo a children's song, first put to paper in 1780! The same year the US adopted the Dollar as official currency. That's right, it's 240 years old!
79 - Pot Calling the Kettle Green and Red - Pot calling the Kettle Black
80 - That Nagging Feeling - You've lost that loving feeling, a song by the Righteous Brothers, a nag is a horse that is old, sick, or frail. Originally, this chapter was quite different, instead of the threats, they just sold her right away to the highest bidder, who happened to be Astral. The tone was more like a heist, and I had some great action, lore, and dialogue, but it didn't quite work with the world as I set it up, or with how I needed events to happen after. Astral had replaced the actual bidder, and he and twilight had to keep up the act for days under constant surveillance, as the weather station had cloaked to hide from the authorities right after he showed up to claim his purchase. He had to play the part of a narcissistic drug dealer, obsessed with beauty and perfection, at one point even beating the snot out of a goon in front of the boss nag in order to get her to pull out a medical kit, which he then took to treat a small cut Twilight had gotten from a knocked over vase. After a while, they find ditzy, and it turned out she had been spending her time in isolation maing shivs out of everything she could. She tries to stab astral, to save twilight, but he grabs her hoof, then she tries to stab him with another shiv, so he grabs that hoof. "How many of those do you have?" He gives her a rough shake, and dozens of them just fall out of her wings. Using one of the shivs, they manage to pry off Twilight's limiter and sabotage the station. Also, I went into a lot more detail about Tirassa's culture, which is very gambling-centric, casinos are common, and the primary currency is actually poker chips (that part stayed in).
81 - That had to HRT - That Had to hurt, combined with the Heavy Response Team acronym
82 - Singular Awakening - A singularity is a point for which it is impossible to decipher, or determine its properties, equations fail, predictive models breakdown
83 - Cloudy, with a Chance of War - Cloudy, with a chance of rain
84 - Tinker, meet Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and Bounty Hunter - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, a 1970's spy novel, whose author also wrote the spy that came in from the cold, which inspired an episode of Star Trek, Deep Space 9, Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
85 - Worst Date Ever - Not much to say about this one.
86 - Enter the Nemeton - Enter the Dragon, a movie starring Bruce Lee, a Nemeton is a term for any of a number of types of celtic sacred sites, especially stone temples, In the Eluveitie song, A Rose for Epona, the singer laments the stone walls of Epona's Nemeton going cold and silent, as Epona (Gaulish goddess of horseriders) herself turns deaf to her pleas(As her people fall in battle to the romans).
87 - Friends and family, enemies and anomalies - just a play on friends and family
88 - Cargo Bay Two -Or is it 3?- :Magic Boogaloo - Breakin 2:Electric Boogaloo a Breakdancing movie from the 1980's (when they made breakdancing movies without a hint of shame or irony). Also, referencing that Cargo room rumble has been used twice, and this would have been the third chapter with the same title.
89 - In Her Granpa's Hoofsteps, In His Mother's Wishes - Following in someone's footsteps, common idiom
90 - Out, But Not About, or Videophone Home - Out and about, common idiom, and Phone Home, the famous line from the move E.T.
91 - No Rest for the Wicked Means Even Less for Those Who Chase Them - No rest for the wicked is a phrase stemming from the book of Isaiah, and found in many works of literature and media
92 - The Windows to Your Room - Eyes are the window to the soul
93 - Overhangs Hanging Over the Hungover - Just playing with combinations of the root words of Hangover
94 - Old Friends, Book Ends, and a Bouquet of Flowers. - Old Friends/Bookends, the song by Simon and Garfunkel
95 - A Once, and a Future, Guard - The once, and future, king. King Arthur. Mezzo's grandfather was once a member of the Royal Guard in Equestria, and naturally had the guard's colors of White and Blue. Mezzo will soon be a station guard on Delta.
96 - I am a Bug, and I'm Digging a Hole. - Tomorrow's chapter, a play on the Lyrics of Diggy Diggy Hole, a song by Wind Rose about Tolkiennesque Dwarves digging holes. It's pretty good.
97 - A Ship Is Launched - Wednesday's chapter, if I finish it. Title in the style of Isaac Asimov's Chapter Titles in the novel The Naked Sun. All titles relating to this particular arc would follow the formula, (a) _____ is ______
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I thought that was a Yogscast song originally? Looked it up, yeah it was.
That was pretty neat, thank you for sharing.
There is either an extra "she" or a missing verb and then some in here.
10167484
fixed. Thank you.
10167326
I was not aware of this. Thank you.
I was thinking the Chapter 70 title was a reference to "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits".
10167969
It was definitely in mind.
I love me some Asimov. Your influences are interesting and diverse to read through. Still loving this story and its uniqueness, thanks for writing!