//------------------------------// // Chapter Eleven: Known // Story: Unknown // by Divide //------------------------------// Unknown Chapter Eleven: Known I stood at the edge of the Hangar, looking off into the distance at nothing in particular. The sun was setting in a myriad of colours and provided a stunning backdrop no matter where I stared. I found myself returning to the same spot whenever I needed to gather my wits and appreciate the moment. My commander's words echoed in my thoughts frequently. I did my best to heed them, but there were some aspects of my character that still refused to change. Even being released from duty directly from One's mouth, I had to constantly fight the urge to grab all the weapons I could carry and march blindly into the forest until I found the remains of the Juggernauts, ran out of bullets, or died. There was plenty to do, however. There were a lot of bodies to burn. I wanted to perform the rite on the ship; burning them on alien soil felt wrong, but spreading their ashes inside of the ship felt more wrong. I left Nine in his cryo chamber. It was as good as a coffin for the time being. The decimated pieces of the crew inhabiting the Living Quarters were carried out in garbage bags from the cafeteria. The ponies kept their distance from my earlier outburst -- or the pieces of meat I had been arranging outside for the better part of the day. I only saw the occasional flyer. Catherine finally gave the all clear as the sun was beginning to set, meaning she couldn't find any more bodies for me to bag up and drag out. Like Rainbow Dash had said, the weather was beginning to turn and the sky was full of clouds, although rain had not come yet. There were a few barrels of cooking oil left intact and I poured them over the remains to ensure they would burn thoroughly. An emergency flare would provide the spark to start the pyre. We stood in silence for a few minutes. Tears were running down Catherine's cheek, though she wasn't crying. "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good," she whispered. "His love... endures forever.” She crossed herself and bowed her head. More silence. I ignited the flare and brought it to a small pooling of oil at the base of the funeral pyre. The pile caught quickly, and soon the remains were ablaze. When the flames reached twenty feet high, I briefly wondered if I used too much oil, but any worry was wiped away by cleansing aura of the fire. At some point, I realized that Catherine and I were no longer alone. The farmer Applejack, Lyra, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle were sitting a short distance away from us, also sharing in the fire's mesmerizing presence. I cleared my throat loud enough for only Catherine to hear me. Her eyes widened when she noticed the ponies. "Would you like to meet them?" ///// | ***** | ///// "Son... I love you. I love you more than anything else in the world. You are the world... and the world is yours if you want it. You can do anything you have the capacity to conceive. You have the means. You have her support, forever and always. I left you with her because she will always hold your best interests at heart. She will be the only mother you will ever know. It's better that way. "We are not from this world. This is not our world and we do not belong here, and should never have been brought. The atrocities our race has committed cannot be fully comprehended, even by us. Whatever marks we leave here will never become unmarked. We must remove our presence but this can only happen over time. Memories fade and trees will regrow. The ship will be reclaimed by the earth. The munitions were destroyed with chemicals and magic." He sighed. "I'm not asking you to make the same sacrifice that I have. I can't ask you to do that as my son. I'm asking you... to find another way. For their sake. We don't deserve them. "Do not follow the left path or the right path; make your own. "I love you son. Be well. Do the right thing." The recording clicked to a stop. His mother's voice called to him from down the hall. "Soloman, breakfast!" He came to the dining room adjacent the kitchen, recording device still in hand, and an uncertain expression on his face. "Mother?" She folded the newspaper that she had been reading. "Yes dear?" She glanced at the device, looked away, and then did a double take. The teal fur around her face changed to a deathly white. "Where did you get that?" "Our doorstep. It was in a wrapped box, like a gift." "That was no gift," she muttered under her breath. With a sigh, she looked Soloman in the eye. He had never seen such a fierce look. "How long have you been listening to it?" "Hours. All of it. I repeated some parts. But I still don't understand." "What don't you understand?" "How did this happen? Why... why am I here?" His mother looked at him with a sad smile. "It all started when I wished upon a star..."