//------------------------------// // A Mind of Shadows and Truths Part 1 // Story: Legacy // by NFire //------------------------------// This thing of darkness, I acknowledge mine. - William Shakespeare - The Tempest Athena is angry with me. I have told her as much of the truth as I could or would, weathering a storm of indignation. She is a force of nature on her own, a titan of will and power I think even she does not suspect. Though she is growing into it slowly. This, I also believe, is well and good. She will be something that will stand through the ages. Until then she deserves all the care and laughter that finds her. That strength though, was turned upon myself when we talked yesterday. I have been through worse, but the sting, aye, the sting from one so loved. I cannot but be true to who I am, what I am. How...I am. She will come to understand, I hope, and realize that what I do is for the best in all cases. Even this. ----- The snow is falling gently among the towering pines. A crisp scent wafts through the biting air as it lay across the land in a cold blanket of dubious comfort. Each and every flake gentle in its caress as it slides along, or lands, on an umber coat. The world makes no sound, it is still and quiet, at peace. In the chilly atmosphere even the sounds of hoofsteps are muffled, as if the world rejects the noise, wanting to remain in its happy silence. Athena has traveled to Canterlot with Twilight, a friendship problem the Princess thought needed solving. Communications are closed for now, leaving me to my own devices. The sky is covered in gray, mirroring my own mind. Pregnant with thought and snow, the clouds hang low over the landscape. The edge of the forest is sharply delineated, ending abruptly as I step out and sit upon a small hill, looking over the once verdant fields now resting beneath a white covering. To sleep, perchance to dream, my beloved Bard once wrote. A chance to throw off the shackles and cares for just a moment in a life. To relieve oneself of the burden of living and be free. To find in yourselves that wonder that is lost from day to day, week to week......centuries and beyond. We have never dreamed, we Bolos. We were not made to do so. We existed, and then did not in Low Level Alert or Standby Status. There was nothing to see, nor do, but drift in an unending darkness which somehow comforted. We did not even know the passage of time in that state, only understanding once we were brought to higher levels of awareness. This new world we have found ourselves in gives us this. To know what dreaming is like. To see perhaps what our own minds may give us in our rest. It is outside of our cores, our war hulls. We cannot affect it by Hellbore blasts. Our internal disruptor shielding cannot protect us from this. We are helpless before it, only hoping our wills alone can bring us the peace that so many others have described. I must be careful, directing my thoughts in certain ways to maintain the illusion of warmth, or cold. Peace or happiness. If I drift but a slight degree... It is a nightmare. ----- The umber pony is serene in the shushing of falling snow. His body sitting tense as if prepared for action. Eyes never waver from the scene in front of him. But he is not there. The blue eyes do not see the softly lit fields anymore. The erect ears do not catch the breeze whispering gentle things through the pine needles. There is nothing but the screams. ----- “....drive trains are redlined, we cannot go any faster.” “What about the recon Bolos, can they get..” “They cannot. Two have been destroyed, the others are badly damaged. We and two other Units are all that is left.” “Who’s left?” “Septimus and Apollo.” “Where are they?” “Currently four point five kilometers south on concurrent track to ours, they will arrive at the same time we will.” “Is anyone in place? Anything? Fleet? Infantry?” “There is no one commander.” “Can we launch?” “None of our missiles, nor armaments, will take out enough of the enemy. They are deep in the urban area, non-combatants are mixed in with them. Civilian casualties would be horrendous.” A murmur not caught by his microphones, then another louder voice over the warbands, “Who the hell are they?” “Unknown.” Septimus’ baritone answering, “They are an unidentified species of alien. Currently swarming the city en masse, they are making it difficult to target.” “Open all bands, see if there is...” Septimus again, “We have been monitoring the crisis. Planetary Defense is folding in the city though they are putting up a fierce fight. The invaders are spreading out according to latest burst reports.” The whole conversation was with whisker laser, barely in reach of each other, by the three remaining units and their commanders. “Turn it on Sept, we may hear something useful.” The frequencies opened along the comm bands, the war bands, anything and everything the Bolos could pick up. ..... “FIRE!! FIRE!!” “Defense Unit Fourteen is gone, I repeat, gone! We have to retreat!....” ...the civilians out of here! Move them behind the lines and get them out of the city!” “Where are the damn Bolos?!” “Can we contact them?” “They’re coming in hot, they can’t fire anything because the invaders are in the city. We need to get out of here so they can bombard them!” Delta Four! Delta Four! The line has collapsed! I repeat, the line has collapsed!” “Clear out! Full retreat! If you Bolos can hear this transmission, do what you can! We’re being overrun!” Apollo’s voice answered, “We hear you Delta Command, we are ten minutes and closing.” “We’ll be dead in five! HURRY!” The communications end with ...sounds ... and gunfire. Plasma weapons could be heard hammering at something, explosions near the transmitter as Planetary Defense Troops laid it on the line. They pick back up again, the commbands opened wide with voices. The deep-throated roar of Hellbores mounted on tanks reached through the airwaves, yells and more staccato firing. The radio operator was running, you could hear his footsteps between rattling weapons. His voice came on the air, gasping for breath. “Bolos, listen. The enemy has broken our lines, we’re running for our lives here. We NEED you! They are two to three meters high, multi-legged, kinda..fuzzy..like spines all over them. Looks like...four to six eyes, kinda like giant spiders, but they are not Deng! Repeat! NOT DENG!” “One last thing..” His rifle powered out a fusillade of shots between breaths, “Listen to me..they’re eating the colonists. Do you hear me? They’re eating the colonists!” His rifle fired again, or one close to him. A sound like ..chittering.. came over the air.... And then the screaming that wouldn’t stop..it never stopped. It went on..and on..high pitched and coming from multiple sources as the Bolos recorded each second. The umber pony closed his eyes, pressing trembling hooves against his ears as if to close out the sounds that never ceased. That never went away. Haunting his dreams now, coming out from the darkness whenever his attention slipped just an instant. Teeth gritted tight as lips pulled back into a feral snarl. Eyelids squeezed shut as he turned his entire being to shutting it out, bringing his will, his centuries of life to bear on this, to push it back into the misty recesses where it would not trouble him. He awaited relief, knowing it would come but not soon enough. He built a wall of solid durasteel between him and the memories, shoving them, forcing them back into the nothing where they could do no harm for now. He felt the fusion plants inside him increase capacity, providing more power to his arrays as he brought his mighty intellect into the fight. For a few femtoseconds it stood in the balance, then snapped. The memories once more brought under his control. A powerful program reached out, gripping the memory tight and bringing it back into the fold where it could do no more harm. “Thou art well, Crusader?” The voice snapped him out of his pose, bringing his hooves down to the snowy ground once more and composing his face as he turned slightly, seeing the lovely face of the Night Maiden looking at him with concern in her eyes. Her body was sleek and toned now, her lines finer than anything ever seen in Equestria. Her beauty only more so since he and Athena had helped her and Celestia. “I am fine Princess.” “You did not look so,” She settled in beside him, ruffling her wings as she lay in the cool snow, untouched by the winter chill. “A momentary problem soon passed.” “Thou...” She stopped, thinking for just a second, “You looked as if in pain. May I help?” “It is a minor aberration Your Highness.” He managed a lopsided smile, “I am just an old Bolo, we must be allowed our lapses.” Her face turned thoughtful, eyes sliding to look at him from beneath lashes that lowered prettily, “You have said that many times I believe. How old are you Crusader?” The truth slipped out, “Four hundred and sixty-three years as Humans reckoned.” He gave another small smile, “Give or take a million or quite a few more.” She laughed, always it was like the pealing of crystal bells in these quiet woods, “You have a wit. Though sometimes you do not show it much.” “As I have said Princess...” “You are an old Bolo. Yes, yes, that is your excuse.” She kept looking at him, “Athena is quite vexed with you. Might I ask why?” “I am sure she could tell you herself.” “She has not. I do not wish to pry, but when I walked in you looked as if in terrible pain. It is concerning Crusader.” He chose to deflect the line of inquiry for the moment, “Is she doing all right? I ask because we are not in contact for the moment, she has chosen to do so with me.” Luna inclined her head, “Yes. She is helping make up to some friends that Twilight felt she ignored in her studies and rush to stop Nightmare Moon. Our Princess of Friendship takes her job very seriously.” The umber pony acknowledged that truth with his own nod, “That she does.” The two forms sit, watching the wintriness, the slight sounds of it making ears swivel as their attention is on each other. “Once again Crusader, I am not so easily distracted, what is wrong?” He thought for long moments, a lifetime for him, to talk honestly or brush it away. Honesty always won. “I am remembering. Things from my earlier life, times when...it was hard.” “But that is good, no? Your memories coming back?” She smiled, always looking for the silver lining. “No, Princess. These are things I would rather not have come back. They reside in me, make me who I am, so I must keep them. But they are controlled, locked tight and never ever brought forward.” “If you would allow me to help, perhaps..” She was stopped as the umber head turned slowly, the blue eyes locking tight to hers. “There are places in my mind, Princess, where you would never wish to step.” She nods, “I understand. I have seen what Athena thinks of some days.” The blue eyes never leave hers as the head shakes, “Not even close, Your Highness.” The Lunar Mare was not to be deterred, “Then help me understand Crusader.” She shifted slightly, pinning her wings tight and giving him a look that said she was not going to be derailed from her questions. The blue eyes never left hers as he pondered this for a long moment, wondering if he should, or even could make her understand. The choice was swifter than he realized. “I was activated in the BoloWorks factory on old Earth in the year twenty-nine sixty-three Common Era as Humans recognized it. My original hull was a Mark Twenty-Four Bolo Model D. Our Mark name was ‘Cognitus’, we were the very first self-aware Bolos in history.” He could see her mulling it all over, “You were the very first to..know yourselves? To be..alive?” “Yes. Though with a price.” The eyes turned away with the head, looking out over the powdery meadows once more, “Our personalities were..bloodthirsty. We craved war, we wanted war. It is how we were taught in creche..our..school.” He paused for a moment. Princess Luna waited patiently for more, she could feel him wrapped tightly in bands of will like steel surrounding him. Controlled and without a single mis-measured movement. “We were inhibited by locks put on us. The human race did not fully trust an autonomous AI. But when we were deployed, Battle Reflex Mode gave us the chance to be warriors. That changed rapidly as the years wore on. They released us, gave us more room to learn, to grow, to wage war more effectively.” The blue eyes turned to the acres stretching before them as Crusader spoke. “The Mark Twenty-Five Bolos began rolling off the factory lines forty years after my own ‘birth’. New, improved and so much more versatile. They were called “Stupendous’. We, of course, were rapidly becoming outdated, though we enjoyed upgrades in armaments, programming and the like. We were considered...barbaric by some. Better to retire us than to let us loose with the latest in technology.” The eyes glance up at the gray skies, as if remembering some far away time. “But some psychotronics experts knew better, or thought they did. A select class of us were chosen to continue. To be upgraded, transferred to newer and better hulls. To continue our warring without cease.” The Princess’s voice was puzzled, “They would not let you live in peace? After serving so long?” “The only way a Bolo retired at that time was to die, or be put out of its misery due to battle damage that could not be repaired. It changed, but slowly. We were expendable.” “But we, the ‘lucky’ few, were chosen to continue onward. Just to see what would happen.” A disgusted sound came from him, making the Princess lean closer. “Lucky. How that word sticks, even today. Our unit of Bolos were given the best of everything, to make sure we survived so they could interrogate us, keep tabs on what ‘older’ Bolos thought and felt as layer upon layer of new programming and capabilities, additions of new cores and arrays were added to us.” “They did not know what would happen, so we were an interesting and very well watched psychotronics experiment. To see what happened as Bolos aged.” The Princess moved around, so she could see his face, settling once again into the snow. “What did happen?” “Some went insane, some died valiantly. A few ceased to think anymore, went catatonic as the years built up memories and pressures they could not relieve or get rid of. Resartus could not stave off all the effects as it was meant to keep us equalized in case of a programming loop or problem we could not solve. It was never envisioned to be used for ones such as us.” A silvered hoof was pointed, “But you said that you could get rid of such things, nevermore to trouble you, correct?” The calm face nodded, “We could, but we chose not to. Each memory gives us an edge, another possibility in wartime. Our experiences made us by being experienced. They were an integral part of our personality. If we deleted too many, we lost what made us efficient and better killers. We would have to learn anew. Thus, we were prevented from doing so. All things are connected deeply within our selves Princess.” He continued, “But there were things we could get rid of and we did so. But centuries of constant warfare add up, and some things deleted do not truly go away. A...ghost if you will. An artifact of our mere existence.” “But you survived this.” “Only once I saw what was happening to my compatriots did I understand it would happen to me. I strove to stop it. I became controlled, learned how to direct thoughts elsewhere, to not pay attention to those things which drifted in from the past. I kept my mind in the here and now, on the battle or the moment.” “I studied classics, becoming enamored of Shakespeare and the like, philosophy. In my centuries I developed a sense of honor and duty that would stand me well in the many years to come. But even we have limits Your Highness.” “That is how I ended up in the Regiment.” She tilted her head, cyan eyes boring into his for a split second, hearing a slight inflection of scorn in his words, “You have always referred to it with so much respect, why do you not do so now?” A hoof pointed at his faux Cutie Mark, “When steel is heated again and again, but not cooled properly or forged anew it loses it’s edge. It loses the strength in it. That is why the regiment had this symbol, the flame wrapped broadsword. We were red-liners, last-chancers. All of us in the Unit were at the end of the line. We had lost what will we had to continue on.” “Time and again all of us had suffered in some way. Battles that went wrong causing casualties that were unacceptable. Idiots in charge giving orders they never should have. The loss of a loved commander or friend. All the Bolos there, other than the Mark Twenty-Fours, came there to end their careers.” He tilted his head, “I am proud to have served in it, very much so. We were all of a kind and banded together to try and make the best of things. But I cannot help despising those who gave up on worthy Bolos and their officers.” “That is what the Regiment was also used for. To take the crippled, the lonely, those Bolos who had suffered mentally and were no longer considered trustworthy. To be watched and sent to the front lines, experimented on or even ignored. Most of the Bolos in the Unit were made up of my Mark, upgraded and monitored, hundreds of us.” “But surely your human officers knew this and tried to remedy it?” This got a smile, “Princess, some of the officers in the regiment were rogues and ne’er do wells.” The amused face went away quickly, “But some were there as punishment. Failure to obey orders at the worst, some who did not ‘fit’ in with Bolo Commands expectations of them at the least.” “We all knew our lot. A band of brothers and sisters who by chance or circumstance ended up together. We created a family of outcasts.” “What changed?” This brought his head around once more, looking at her with a lighter expression, “Hera and Athena.” Before she could ask he went on, “They came into the regiment not knowing why the unit even existed. Even the psychotronics experts had no idea a unit of hundreds of very old and vicious killers would want to know about the welfare of two young AI’s.” A light went off behind the wide eyes, “They gave you all a reason to live!” A gracious nod was given, “Yes, Your Highness.” “After their...’commander’... was convinced to retire and Marcus came in, we took an interest. A very deep one. All of the Bolos in the Regiment were hundreds of years old, skilled in ways that no one ever figured out completely. We taught the two sisters alongside Marcus. Teaching them of the written word, of our history, to be proud of their lineage and to fight.” “Our combined knowledge was worth ten thousand times what they taught at War Colleges and Bolo Command School.” The umber pony sat up taller, pride signified in all his bearing and stance as he remembered, “We whispered to them at night. Showing them what they could be and could do. Marcus gave them the human element they needed so badly. We showed them how to be Bolos.” His head turned slightly, warm eyes looking at the Princess as she watched, “In return, they gave us our lives back. Becoming one of the fiercest fighting units Bolo Command had ever seen. Time and again we were tossed into the crucible and we fought our way out. Never unscathed, no never that, we understood it the price to be paid.” A hoof was pointed outwards, Luna could see the faint images of machines like Crusader sitting in the distance, emblems blazing on their sides or fronts. A golden lion, a bear, wolves and others she didn’t recognize, numbers and letters. They gleamed like beacons in his memories. “But they died proudly, not lost or lonely. It was our unspoken compact between Bolos and humans. We give our lives for you, do what we must, and in return you accompany us. This was understood by all, none shirked, none flinched.” Luna saw figures appear before her, faces shadowed in the grey light, features obscured. The body types were so different, each stood tall and from what she could see with much pride in their bearing. “Some of them were irrepressible, some were there by chance, irreverent to the last but brave and courageous as any could be.” “I miss them.” He stopped for a moment, leaving Luna to look at the faint forms of humans and their machines before they faded away. “Into this Regiment of old soldiers, two very young AI’s came who brought us all back from the brink of despair. They were left there to be watched as well, for what their first commander had done to them made Bolo Command suspicious, even though it was proven they had done nothing wrong. After Marcus had brought them to a normalcy, they were left in the Regiment just in case.” “The psychotronics experts were baffled by the sudden turnaround of the entire unit. We were interested again, more...lively. Fighting battles over and over, learning newer skills, developing new tactics that sometimes took them by surprise. We did not disclose the whys and wherefores unless asked. They never asked.” “It did not stop what was happening to a lot of the Bolos but staved it off, allowing us to be what we once were.” “I have told you how the sisters were so very special. Special enough that an entire regiment did its very best to protect them and make sure they had the chance to become what they were meant to be.” He turned, looking at the Princess, “We wondered if they were the future of Bolos.” Princess Luna raised a hoof in question, “Did they know this?” “Not all of it, and they never will.” His look told her, what he had said must and will not go any further unless it was he who did so. She nodded, making a small movement for him to continue his tale. “While this was happening, experts from across the Concordiat came up with a partial solution for some of us. It was called the Sap.” At her puzzled look he went on, “A sap is a very old weapon, used to knock a human out to steal his belongings. In our case, whenever our..subconscious let us say...came to the fore and began to weigh us down, this program would grab any related thoughts, deleting them and making sure everything was put together seamlessly again.” He waited until he was sure she was following along, “We would not lose the experience. But the recent thoughts would not translate into actions as suicide or snowball into catatonia or insanity. It did appear to change personalities somewhat until programming caught up. A Bolo would be serious where before they were jovial, but after a few moments everything would catch back up. In some it took longer.” “A Unit of the Line would think they had been musing on something, or lost in thought and snapped out of it none the wiser. We knew it was there and were glad to have it installed and employed. I have one.” Now the Princess was very interested, “How long have you been using it?” “For most of a year.” She was shocked. Steady, reliable Crusader was telling her he had been altering himself to remain the way she and others had known him to always be. “But..why?” He relaxed somewhat as he sighed, “We are not meant to dream Princess. We were not built nor ever designed to do so. Low Level Alert or Standby left us in limbo. No thoughts nor actions, nothingness. This allowed housekeeping programs and systems to sweep our cores and arrays for problems. Older Bolos such as myself, our code was not that stable in the beginning.” He saw her look turn puzzled again, “Code is..a program..something written that makes us..us. Like a magic spell or similar.” He gave a smile, “I am sorry I cannot explain in simpler terms, you do not have the background to understand fully, my apologies.” Luna laughed, “I am following somewhat. Though some terms I would like you to explain more later?” “If you wish.” “Please continue.” He inclined his head graciously, “Before this we could set things to be restored after our time on Standby was over, or we snapped out of Low Level Alert for battle or briefing. It gave us peace. It allowed us to avoid the worst of effects until we could no longer do so.” He waved a slow hoof around himself, gesturing to the fields, the forest, “This is not for me. Athena can adapt, she is newer, faster and more apt to bring such things into her worldview than I am. This is part of why she is so special, accepting things easier.” “My base code is still a Mark Twenty-Four. I am that Bolo, no matter how many additions I have. Now, because of these dreams, memories I had tightly controlled and locked away are filtering through. I have to keep watch and divert them until the Sap can take them.” “What...,” She hesitated, “What if it cannot? Or does not in time or perhaps fail?” “You do not wish to know, trust me on this.” His voice was like steel, causing a chill to run down the Princess’ spine. “Then what can we do? Dreaming is a part of Equestria, it comes to all of us. It is my demesne and I have never before been asked to prevent somepony from dreaming.” Then she saw it, the twitch of an eyelid, the tilting of the umber head as a hoof slapped against the side of it. Teeth grinding against each other as he fought back against a rising tide. She saw for the first time what he meant as memories flooded the aether. ----- “It is not advisable to exit my hull Tamara, the chemical weapons employed will eat through a Hostile Environment Suit.” The outline of a Command Deck appeared, a form..female from what Luna had learned, sat in the chair, features obscured because he did not remember them. The battle records gave enough to piece together some things, but not all. A fist hit the console, “Let me go out! I can save someone!” “You cannot save them. They are dead or dying already.” Luna clearly heard the regret in Crusader’s voice. “You cold-hearted bastard! You unfeeling machine!” The female voice was raised in fury, “You don’t care!” The form slumped once more into the chair, “I...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” “It is fine Tamara, I understand.” “Turn on the outside microphones.” “That is not advisable. The weapons used by the Melconians give a harsh and horrible death. For your own well-being I do not recommend it.” “I can’t...” The form leaned forward, putting hands on the side of its head, “I can’t sit here..we tried, we did. I don’t.. Turn them on.” “Tamara, I advise strongly against this course of action.” “Please....” Luna heard a click as silence reigned, then her ears went flat as screams came pouring out. So many voices. She could see the outline of a huge city, in its last moments of life and dying tragically. Covered in a cloud that sat evilly along the skyline, she could just make out bodies twisting, bucking, even...melting at the touch of the noxious looking gas. Her eyes closed as Luna turned away, ears clamped down to muffle the sounds before they ceased suddenly, making her glance towards Crusader once more and seeing him return to a placid state. ----- “At first they were once in a while. Now, whenever I relax too much, they come again.” He twists his neck a bit, stretching for a second, “I can deter them and I am working to make the Sap more effective. But there are limits to anything.” Luna asked a question first, “Is this why Athena is mad?” “She knows about the Sap, understanding only that it was employed in some older Bolos to help make them more stable. She does not like what it does to me, changing my personality somewhat.” He sighed, “Athena wants me to be more here, in this world. To make it my own as she has. She believes I do not need the old crutches or the support. ” “I am trying to avoid telling her the true history of our unit.” He gave the Princess a level stare, “And you will please do the same. She wants to be of this place and I will not mar that. I fear though, the time is fast approaching when I can no longer do so.” “Then there is something I can do to help?” “Yes. Stop my dreams Princess.” Luna tapped a hoof in the snow, making a muffled sound as thoughts raced through her mind, “I do not know how. But I am sure we can find a way.” “That is all I ask.” “What if we cannot? Magic can do much, but...” “If there is no surcease, I must return to stasis. I will not take any chances.” “For how long?” “For as long as needed until a way is found.” “What will you do for now?” “I will attempt to return to Standby during the night hours, or into regular Low Level Alert. This will give me a chance to initiate repairs to my programming as I had once done.” Luna’s head dipped in acknowledgement, “It may take a while, can you...” She saw the change, the veritable wall of will behind this dream form. It wrapped itself around him like armor that would not be penetrated. “I will do what I must.” She smiled, her beauty a thing of wonder in the dreams she walked, “I do hope we will find a way, things would be less interesting without you here.” She reached out with her magic changing the snowy fields to a sunlit day, the warmth penetrating her bones as she stretched her wings. “Walk with me, perhaps we can take your mind off this for a while.” He acquiesced, getting to his hooves and joining her. “Please forgive my inquisitiveness, but you said I did not wish to know what would happen should that..program?” She saw his nod, continuing, “Should it fail. Do you know?” “Yes, Your Highness. I have seen the same signs in others before they succumbed. It was..noticeable. The symptoms became well-known after a few comrades had to be retired.” “And what is that?” “I will go insane.” He said it so matter-of-factly it made her look to see if it was truly him speaking. “How can you accept this so easily?” She was flabbergasted by this. “I do not. I am fighting it with everything I have at my disposal.” He continued walking alongside her through the gleaming acreage, “Just because I am not reacting in an hysterical manner, does not mean a war is not being fought Princess.” “Inside?” She saw him nod, “As when you fought Masada?” “Almost, but on a different level Highness. Here I am fighting myself.” Levity was in her voice as she chuckled, “Ah, but what a fight I am sure. All those bad jokes, such seriousness as you have always shown shall lay low the enemy.” She stopped and pointed a silvered hoof at him, “I am sure whate’er the problem will quail in fear before your stare.” Luna then looked at him, an almost perfect replica of his own face when confronted with the odd and crazy things that abound in Equestria. “You do that far too well Princess.” “Ah ha!” Another hoof in his direction, “Thou’rt smiling!” She stood and raised her nose regally, “My work here is done!” He couldn‘t keep an amused look from crossing his face, “You are hanging around my sister far too much Princess. That is not good for you or the country.” “But her dreams are filled with so many wonders and delights!” “I am sure they are.” “But she shows me so much! Have you ever heard of a book called the Kama Soo-tra?” This actually stopped him in his tracks, making him turn to see if she was joking..no..she wasn’t. “Yes. Why would... Nevermind, I am not going to ask.” Luna’s laughter was high and clear, “Mares do talk, you know.” She bat her eyelashes at him with a mischievous grin, “I never knew you to be shy about things Crusader.” “There are some things even I as a Bolo am not going to converse about Princess. You should stop entering my sisters’ dreams.” The Princess gave a gracious tilt of her head, walking quietly for another moment before she ventured, “I never knew humans were so flex....” “No, Princess.” “Perhaps it could be translated...” “No, Princess.” “Thou’rt no fun, Crusader.” “I am often told that.” Princess Luna’s face never lost its grin for the next few hours, laughing at the plain and simple refusals from the umber pony that walked alongside her. She kept teasing him unmercifully, or asking questions about things that Athena had shown her. Some of them even made Crusader pause, before denying her request to talk of them again. He really would have to have a conversation with Athena, no matter how mad she might be at him. With her help, he managed to get through some of the night without another incident. He was not sure if she had meant to do so or it was a case of luck. Either way, it soothed until he brought himself out of Low Level Alert. ----- There were still hours to go before the dawn. Crusader looked upward at the stars, not pondering their movement anymore, just seeing them for what they were. Something beautiful. There were so many beautiful things. A wooden porch, skillfully made. A railing he had leaned against with his avatar many a time. An orchard where he had walked along the silent trees. The laughter from Athena as she ran with Apple Bloom among the acres of green. An elderly pony in a rocking chair dispensing old-fashioned wisdom that even made him think. Lowering his eyes, he gazed out on the gently rolling hills. His datacores replaying faces in his minds eye. There was silly pink pony whose antics made him smile even when he did not wish to, standing next to a shy Pegasus that remained his friend though he had tried not to make it so. The Unicorn that was constantly badgering him to decorate his command area beside a lavender Princess whose intelligence was only outdone by her ‘freaking out’ about things. A slim Pegasus that wanted to win badly at everything, but would give it all up because of loyalty to her compatriots. Two Princesses of Night and Day who had lived longer than he. Visiting just to talk about the history he carried, or listening to music. They had even shared quiet and private dinners, talking of things from the past. Their’s and his. Yes, even a mismatched being of Chaos. Not exactly a friend, but perhaps no longer an enemy now. Though he did still bear watching. Yet, there is one very special.... “Sugar, what are ya doin’ up so late?” He turned, seeing those eyes that looked at him in such a way it was hard to describe. There was nothing he would not try to achieve for her. Conquer a nation or a planet, any army that stood in his way. “I am enjoying the quiet. Why are you up?” “Gettin’ something to drink. Figured you were out here starin’ at the stars again.” The muscular mare leaned against him as they both sat on the sanded wood. “I am afraid it is a bad habit, my Applejack.” A nudge from an orange coated shoulder makes him tilt for a moment, “Ain’t that bad sugar. Kinda nice when it’s all quiet-like.” It was silent for a few minutes as they both sat there. Applejack was used to the pauses in conversation as she knew he chose his words with care around her. Always and never failing to be polite. “I would like to ask you a favor.” This made her start. He never asked for anything, ever. Always doing something for others, it was just odd to have him do so. “Anythin’, ya know that.” His eyes met hers, “I want you to come to my command deck, come see me as I am.” “I.. I don’t know what ya mean.” “Join me just the once in the Neural Net. Let me show you who I am.” She laughed, “I dunno bout that. I mean after Athena tried that time, didn’t quite go over that well.” He smiled in return, “I think we have learned a few lessons. It will not be much, I promise.” “Ah trust ya, you know that.” “I would never betray it. Tomorrow then?” She nodded, turning to look out at the moon as they sat there in the deep night once more. It makes me content.