//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Start of a New Adventure // Story: Dead Space: Deep Space Terror // by Blackdrag-rose //------------------------------// Chrysalis yawned as she shifted in the bed that she was laying in and eventually pulled herself into a sitting position, where she stretched her arms for a moment and rubbed some of the dust from her eyes as the first rays of Celestia's sun shined through the window. When they returned to Equus, after her fight with Celestia, she had found herself bombarded with additional questions about her adventure, as were her friends for that matter, and that Pinkie insisted on throwing a party for her safe return from the galaxy she had been sent to. Of course she knew better to refuse a party from what many of her followers had called the 'Pink One', when the changelings had been her subjects anyway, and she had to admit that it was much better than what she was expecting it to be, especially since it had been years since she had any decent pastry treats, since the ones she had while she was on the colony on Earth's moon weren't the best. Chrysalis had enjoyed the party more than she was willing to admit, as it had been some time since she had some time to enjoy herself, and if Pinkie had been serving drinks she was sure that she would have been wasted by the end of the night... but, when she took into consideration what Pinkie served last night, Chrysalis found that she was just fine with what she had consumed. She looked around the room that she had been given for the night, as Twilight had let her, a former enemy turned hero of the people, have a room for a few nights until she and her friends were ready to leave Equus, to take their adventure to the stars with Ratchet and Clank. It wasn't as grand as the room that Twilight had, since it was her castle, but at the same time Chrysalis remembered seeing one room that was larger and more grand than Twilight's room, which had been the actual room that Twilight had taken when the castle was first made. She discovered that both Twilight and Sunset shared the castle together, meaning the Gods of Creation and Destruction lived together in the same castle, in the roommate sense anyway, but she simply let them do their thing and had gone to bed the moment she knew which room she was being given for the night, which was what her friends were given as well... and she could only imagine what a good nights sleep was going to do for all of them, since they hadn't slept since the Eudora and Ellie's ship had been blown apart by those mines. After a few minutes of staring at the room she was in, however, Chrysalis smiled as she pulled the sheets off of her and climbed out of the bed, where she made sure that her body was robed with a robe that Rarity had given her, before heading to the bathroom that the castle had... while at the same time ignoring the fact that a crystal castle, forged from the potent magic of Harmony, had a modern bathroom that she would expect to find in other buildings that had been built recently. When she emerged from the bathroom some time later, and found that someone else wanted to use it, she walked back to her bedroom and slipped into the suit that went under the armor she would be wearing in the future, before looking at the gi that she had been given. She had to admit that Celestia was right, if she had practiced with her true power more the outcome of the fight would have been much different, but since she stayed away from it she guessed that she deserved to lose the fight like she had, even though she gained so much information from the exchange afterwords. As she thought about the fight, and the outcome, she sighed as she glanced towards the mirror that was nearby, where she focused her mind for a moment and slipped into the form she had taken near the end of the fight, but this time, instead of seeing the monster that had wrecked her mother, she saw herself, in control without having to worry about succumbing to the power inside her. When she was satisfied with the situation she reverted back to her original state once more, before turning to the metallic suitcase that Ratchet had given her, in case there was anything that she might want to bring with her when she left Equus behind... and yet, despite everything that's happened to her, the only thing that she ended up putting inside it was the gi, because most of her belongings were back in the Hive and she wasn't about to bring up some painful memories when she was getting ready to put them behind her. Chrysalis sighed once more as she slipped the gi into the suitcase, while at the same time recalling that Starlight had put her new suit of armor back in the Hyperion for when she was ready to leave Equus behind, before she made sure she was ready... to which she headed down to the dining room area of the castle, where she found both Sunset and Celestia sitting at a table with Twilight, while at the same time Spike, the dragon that was growing up, was preparing something for everyone to enjoy for breakfast. "I'm surprised that you brought the suitcase down with you," Twilight commented, as she had seen Ratchet give it to Chrysalis the night before, as she was the only one with anything that she might want to bring, since Isaac and the others had lost most of their belongings when the galaxy was erased, "I would have thought that you would have taken your time deciding what you wanted to take and what you wanted to leave behind." "I... I cannot bare visiting the Hive and bringing my painful memories to the surface," Chrysalis admitted, though at the same time she set the suitcase down and took a seat at the table, which was large enough for ten people based on the number of chairs, before she looked at the gods that were sitting around her, "I know, the Hive is my home and that I should feel safe in such a location, but it's better if I don't go back there and leave those memories where they belong, and anything that I might want to take with me." "Well, you'll be able to make new memories with your friends," Sunset said, as she knew that traveling across the Solana, Bogon, and Polaris Galaxies would take her mind off of her past and, with the people that she called her friends standing by her side, she knew that the former queen would be able to forge a new destiny for herself, "Trust me, you might not have to deal with the madness that Starlight and I went through, when we were traveling with Ratchet and Clank, but whatever adventure comes your way will definitely be more exciting than what you had to go through." "That reminds me, I never properly thanked you for coming to our aid earlier," Chrysalis stated, as she knew that, in the excitement of discovering that she hadn't been forgotten, and that one of the other displaced ponies had an army that decimated the Unitologists while she obliterated a Brethren Moon, she had actually never thanked any of them for risking themselves to save her, her friends, and the people she was trying to save. "It's okay, it's what Ratchet, Clank, and I are used to," a new voice said, to which Starlight entered the room a took a seat near Chrysalis, though this time around the changeling smiled at her and got a smile back in return, "besides, all those people we saved were extremely happy when we saved them and told them that they were being taken to a new place where they could begin a new life, without fear of something like what those cultists pulled ever happening again." Chrysalis opened her mouth to say something to that, though before she could do so Isaac and Ellie walked into the room and took their seats as well, looking happy that they were able to actually spend some time together without having to worry about the Markers, before Carver and Santos followed after them. Santos, from what Chrysalis discovered, was still in shock over everything that she had seen the night before, during the party, as well as the fact that both Celestia and her sister Luna, who had come over to visit them once she heard the party was happening, controlled the sun and the moon that were near Equus. She was also still surprised about the population that lived in Equestria had been ponies until some time ago, when they all went through the ascension that Chrysalis had heard about, though while Chrysalis suspected that many of their neighbors wouldn't like that she found that one of the displaced ponies, Trixie Lulamoon as it turned out, as talking terms with the new Dragon Lord... though from what she could tell, and Spike's reaction to talking about the transformed pony in question, Trixie might actually be part dragon, but hadn't had the honor of interacting with her since she was still in the Dragon Lands at the moment. Once everyone was together, and Spike served a large meal for them all to enjoy, Chrysalis joined the others in the morning meal while listening to what Sunset and Celestia were going to do next, as it appeared that they were going to take Twilight out and study the stars, though why she didn't want to think about. Discord, having decided to stay in the library since their return, was likely still staring at the board he was working on while trying to figure out where the other ponies had been sent, so he could either pester them or convince them to return with him. Starlight was, of course, coming with Chrysalis and her friends when they decided to leave Equus, since she liked to journey across the three galaxies and create new weapons for her brother to use against their enemies, though at the same time Chrysalis recalled that some of the ponies had been sent to other worlds that weren't in the three known galaxies that she had been told about earlier. That told her that there had to be more galaxies out there than what Ratchet and the others had explored, meaning that the universe wasn't completely charted when she thought about it and that there any number of adventures they could have once she left Equus behind. While they ate Chrysalis listened to what Isaac, Ellie, Carver, and Santos wanted to do once more, as they were now explaining themselves to Sunset and the others, who nodded their heads in understanding, though she had no reason so speak because everyone knew what she was planning... and, when they considered the pain she had been in, they knew that there was no reason to try and stop her, as this would be good for both her and the people that she ended up saving along the way. The moment she was done eating, and everyone else was done as well, Chrysalis asked when Ratchet was going to arrive to take them away, as he had left shortly after they returned to Equus and had given her the suitcase, something about needing to talk with someone, to which Starlight said he should be back before noon. As such Chrysalis decided to walk around Ponyville and take in the sights once more, even though Isaac and the others wanted to see what the rest of the town looked like before they left, but even as the five of them headed outside she could make out Rainbow and Scootaloo moving some clouds around with the other transformed pegasi. Near them was Gale Wind, who was apparently Rainbow and Applejack's younger sister, as they had been sisters themselves in the universe they were sent to, as Sunset informed her that they had been sent to Universe 7 some time ago and had recently returned, though they were apparently the children of a God of Destruction, which hurt her head a little when she considered that their universe wasn't the only one out there... there were thirteen of them and they were in Universe 13, but she honestly hoped that she never had the opportunity to meet the other Gods of Destruction, as one universe was enough for her. At the same time, however, none of her friends had been told the news and Twilight had even asked her not to tell them unless she was forced to, how she had no idea, but Chrysalis had promised the Kaioshin that she'd keep it under wraps and they went their separate ways. Her thoughts were interrupted when she found that there were near Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac were already hard at work harvesting the apples and making sure that the trees were healthy so they could continue to produce the Apple Family's signature item. From there she found that all the other ponies that called the town home, and of course were transformed as well, were out and about, enjoying their day while some of them were off to the training area to practice their skills in a much safer environment than their houses, though while that happened she caught a glimpse of Rarity practicing with Sweetie Belle, who was channeling the power of fire at the moment. Chrysalis guessed that she must have been sent back in time a little, even though Discord said that the displacement spell had been broken, but at the same time, if that thought was true, it meant that she likely had the last bit of it used on her before she found herself in the Kellion. Just thinking about the mirror made her remember why she had used it in the first place, even when she knew how dangerous it would be to use it, and, at the same time, remembered the ponies that had caused her to use it... but this time around her earlier feelings towards them were gone, stripped away by her desire to save people and put the past behind her. Sure, she guessed that she could go to the Crystal Empire and apologize to the royal couple, but according to Twilight they were going to be busy for some time and wouldn't want to be interrupted, and since Thorax controlled the Hive, and usually stayed there, he was out of the question as well... to which she sighed and went about the rest of the morning to the best of her ability, as she was eager to leave and put these thoughts behind her. While the five of them were walking and taking in the sights, and walked by the training area, Rarity stopped what she was going and insisted that Chrysalis come by her shop, which was followed by her being dragged over them for a few minutes, before she walked out with a suitcase full of clothing to wear when she wasn't on an adventure. She honestly wasn't sure that she was going to wear most of it, since the fashion of the other galaxies was much different, but at the same time she thanked Rarity and returned to her friends, where they finished their tour of the town and returned to the castle to relax. The reason behind trying to relax was because she didn't see any reason for one of them to get too involved in anything since they'd be leaving soon enough, and sure enough, just an hour before noon, Starlight came to collect them. From what Chrysalis could gather she was using that earpiece of hers to keep taps on where her brother was and when they were in the same area, though once she knew that the time was upon them she grabbed the suitcase and, with her friends by her side, they followed Starlight outside, where the transport ship was resting in the nearby field. As they started to climb aboard the ship, however, Sunset, Celestia, Twilight, and Discord came outside and wished them all luck on whatever adventures they had, something that Chrysalis smiled about since the last time she started an adventure Discord had told her not to go through the mirror... and, not a few minutes later, the transport ship docked in the Hyperion's docking area and Starlight showed them to the rooms that they were going to be given, where Chrysalis noticed something strange on her door. "Is... is that Wildfire's Cutie Mark?" Chrysalis asked, as she was staring at the flaming lance mark that was on her door, which looked like what she had seen on Wildfire's flanks before her untimely death, though at the same time she noticed that the others had their names on their doors. "Yeah, we found it by looking at the day you first met her," Starlight said, reminding Chrysalis that they were friends with the God of Time for their universe and had likely figured it out so they could surprise her, though this was one surprise that she was perfectly fine with, "When Sunset and I were with Ratchet we had our Cutie Marks made into symbols on the doors, that way we could figure out which room was ours without screwing up... but, if you don't like it, we can always create something else and replace the door." "No... it's fine." Chrysalis replied, though she smiled at Starlight as she showed the others to their rooms, before she slipped inside and found that her suit of armor, and her weapons for that matter, were resting in a container that looked like a storage area for when she didn't need to wear them. Chrysalis chuckled as she slipped the suitcase into a different storage area and let the door close behind her, where she opened the container that was in front of her and pulled out the suit that she was going to be wearing for the foreseeable future. Without wasting time she carefully put the armor on until it felt what she had felt when Starlight had used her machine to make the armor and assemble it over her body earlier, though to be absolutely sure that it was perfect she kicked and punched the air a few times, before smiling as she slipped the helmet over her head while making sure that her ears were safe. The moment the armor was on she turned towards the container and pulled out the axe that had been her weapon on Tau Volantis, after she sacrificed her bone blades in the process, but she still smiled at it as she slipped it into a holder on her side, before picking up her modified Pulse Rifle. Thanks to the modifications Starlight had made she could actually store it inside a storage area that was attached to her armor, so she could store it and call it to her at a moment's notice thanks to the instructions in her helmet, though she put it away before she headed outside and walked towards the bridge. When she arrived at her destination she found Isaac and Carver, both wearing their new armor and weapons, and Starlight, outfitted in the same way, standing nearby, while at the same time Ellie and Santos were looking at the controls in the area below them... and Ratchet, the captain of the Hyperion, was standing on their level, patiently waiting for all of them to be on the bridge before he spoke. "Allow me to officially welcome you aboard the Starship Hyperion, our mobile command center and home when we're on an adventure to save a galaxy from whatever villain that's at large," Ratchet said, though at the same time Chrysalis had to wonder how many villains were trying to seize control of an entire galaxy, because it sounded like something that would be incredibly hard to do, "Over the next couple of hours Starlight, Clank, and I will tell you about the galaxies, the currency system, and a number of other things so that you won't be caught off gu..." "Ugh, Ratchet, is this a bad time?" a voice asked, to which Chrysalis found a large man, wearing a green suit with a strange symbol on his chest, talking from the screen that was behind Ratchet, who turned and looked at it for a moment to show that he was listening. "Well, I was just getting ready to explain things to Chrysalis and her friends," Ratchet replied, though at the same time he knew that something had to be up, as the only reason he'd be a call to action this soon was if a supervillain was actually attacking one of the galaxies, "but I can hold off for a few minutes. Qwark, what's wrong?" "Oh you know, just a few... thousand... heavily armed commandos attacking Meridian City," Qwark stated, though at the same time there was some explosions before him, where he turned and fired at the mechanical enemies that were coming towards him, blowing some of them up in the process, before he turned back to his communicator, "Angela seems to think they came from another galaxy, one that we didn't know about, and they're bent on trying to eliminate the Lombaxes, just like Tachyon was before you guys beat him." "We'll be there in a few minutes." Ratchet promised, to which the communication was cut off as Qwark went to battle the clearly robotic armor that was attacking the city he was in, before he turned towards Clank for a moment, "Clank, set a course for Planet Igliak and activate the Gravimetric Warp Drive, and let Angela know that we're on our way." "What's so special about Meridian City?" Isaac asked, though at the same time he was echoing the thoughts that were going through Chrysalis, Carver, Ellie, and Santos' minds at the same time, where they all looked at the captain as he sat in his seat and stared at the screen. "It's the seat of the Galactic President, who rules over the three known galaxies," Ratchet replied, knowing that none of them knew anything about the planet they were heading to, while at the same time thinking about the fact that it was being attacked by yet another foe, "as well as some other things that we'll have to tell you about later, when we're not busy dealing with our new enemies. I hope you guys are ready for a new adventure, because it appears that a new one is starting anyway." Chrysalis smiled as she stood near Ratchet, with Isaac and Carver standing beside her as well, as they slipped into the warp system and started the journey towards Meridian City, where a new foe was trying to conquer the city and take down the ruling government... and this time they might be heading into uncharted territory to deal with a villain from an entirely different galaxy, making her excited to see what the future held for her and her friends.