Void Trials 2: Horizon

by Obsi


Cultural Exchange

“Thanks for helping me out with this.” Magenta spoke around a screwdriver in her teeth. She emerged from the engine, the protective plastic wrapper that was shielding her mouth drenched in oil. “If you can pull the lever now…”

“It’s nothing,” Following the order, Shetland watched as the sandtank was lifted upwards. “I needed to kill some time, anyway.” She knew that if she had nothing to do, she would only start fretting over the dinner. And even she had little patience left for her own paranoia.

Though tapping her hoof impatiently, Magenta waited until the mechanism clicked into place before she crawled under the vehicle. “Well, thank you anyway, this would take hours without a helping hoof.”

“Something I can’t give ya.” Pipe chuckled weakly. “You don’t have to hold the lever anymore, Miss Sparkle.” He looked terribly tired and his voice slurred, a sign of the medication he was on. A sort of walking stick held up his left side, one end propped up right under his foreleg, the lower half ending in three tiny wheels. He shook the bandaged limp, which ended right where his first joint would have been. “No helpin’ hoof, get it?”

Magenta groaned. “It’s not funny, you should go back to the hospital and rest!”

“I’m not leaving ‘til this is done, young lady.” he huffed stubbornly, even as he grasped for a bottle of water and drank greedily. “Anyway…” he said, his voice more level. “I’m only here to tell you and yer friend how ta use this stuff, I ain’t gonna overexert myself.” he sighed.  “By the way, Shetland, could ya come here for a second?”

“Sure.” The earth pony shrugged.

“I’ve been trying to work this damn console.” Pipe muttered, poking his hoof against it. With a frustrated groan, he shook his head. “Every time I try to do somethin’ on it, I almost lose my balance with that damn thing. Who thought to put it on damn wheels? ” he wiggled his halved leg and sighed. “I miss lefty.”

“At least you have an excuse for not working out now.” Shetland joked weakly.

“Don’t seem to stop you.” he commented as he regarded her scarred hindleg. “You got lucky, didn’t you?”

Shetland’s eyes shifted from him to the console, dearly hoping he would get the hint so this conversation wouldn’t continue. Yet, after several seconds of silence filling the room, she muttered: “I, uh… didn’t consider myself so ‘til now.”

“Hey, Pipe.” Magenta slid out from below the sandtank. “What is that thing you wanted her to do?”

He blinked, seemingly snapping out of a stupor. “Oh, yes. I wanted to check whether it’s airtight or not. First we’ll create a vacuum and then-”

It took only those few words for Shetland to stop paying attention to the technical bafflegap. Fortunately, he took breaks to explain which buttons to push, and so she could simply wait for the specific instructions. Not that she could have focused on his gibberish even if she’d wanted to. Despite Twilight protecting her leg from the moisture, it had begun to feel sore, like it had been rubbed with sandpaper. But she’d told Magenta she was gonna help, so it’d have to wait until she could get home and smear on that relieving salve.

“Are you okay?” Shetland felt a hoof poke her side. Pipe looked at her questioningly. “You look… angry.”

“Not angry.” Shetland grumbled. “Just… irritated I guess.”

“Is there some way I can help?”

“No. I just gotta tough it out and then get a good night’s rest.” If I can, Shetland added inwardly. Maybe mom will let me have some of those anti-dreaming pills.

“Well, if you change your mind, you can always come to Maggie and me.” Pipe offered. “There’s gotta be a way we can pay ya back for savin’ our flanks.”

“You don’t-” Shetland shook her head. “I wasn’t doing anything special, really. I was just the first to come.”

“And I’m mighty grateful that you did, ‘cause a crushed leg hurts, let me tell ya.”

“Yeah… I can imagine.” Shetland muttered. “Is there anything else you need help with?”

Pipe exchanged a look with Magenta, who once again slid out from under the tank. Magenta shrugged. “No, I think I can go from here alone. Thanks for the help.”

Shetland shrugged as she turned to leave. “Then I should go, gotta fix myself up for the thing later.”

Her hoof had just touched the door when Magenta called out.  “Shetland?”

“Hmm?”

“He didn’t just mean the time with the tank. Thank you for saving us before that.”

“Don’t mention it.” Shetland said, shaking her head lightly.

“Don’t mention it?” Pipe asked incredulously. “But you-”

Shetland spun around. “I said don’t!” she growled. Then she blinked, and realized with surprise that her breathing had quickened. Slowly relaxing her features, she took a deep breath before meeting Magenta’s eyes. “If you want, you can come visit me sometime this week. ‘Cept today, of course.” Then she turned to leave. It might be growing into a bad habit, but the loud THWUMP of the door was just so satisfying. Her miniscule smile quickly disappeared as she looked back at the door, feeling like she had to apologize. But she could do that some other time, she decided as she left the building. Maybe she could convince Magenta to go to the gym with her, that’d be a nice place to hang out… and a fresh new experience for the scrawny pegasus. With a chuckle, Shetland began to wander the path between the various structures, towards the Central hub she could make in the distance, an hour away if she hurried. Yes, it’d be much better if Magenta would be the one to visit her, she decided. A flapper could probably make that distance in five or ten minutes.

Suddenly, from the general noise of ponies at work, Shetland heard her own name being whispered. Turning her head a little bit, she could see a robot from the corner of her eye, it’s leg extended and pointing at her.

“That’s her?” A batpony beside it whistled. “Phew, I thought you were joking when you told me how tall she was.” Then, to Shetland’s surprise, he called for her: “Hey, uh, you, earth pony.”

She turned around, watching as the robot smacked the pony’s shoulder, as if punishing him for calling her by her race. “Uhm…” she began, throwing a quick look around, as if there could be anypony else he could mean.

“Are you Shetland Sparkle, the daughter of Princess Twilight?”

“Mhmm.” Shetland said. She should have been used to it by now, but it still irked her to be defined by being her mother’s child like that. Still, she approached the odd pair.

“Damn, she’s like a rhino.” The bat pony whispered, receiving another poke from the robot.

“And I have ears like a bat.” Shetland said, unamused. The bat pony blushed and awkwardly rubbed his mane.

“Please forgive Nightingale, his mouth is faster than his brain.” The robot lowered it’s head a little. From this distance, Shetland could recognise the stockier characteristics of a male model.

“He… is forgiven.” Shetland said as she raised her eyebrows at the pair, then at the surrounding area, quickly noticing a few groups all around watching them, each containing at least one robot. Her head snapped back to the robot in front of her. “What is this?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. She forced her eyes to remain on him, despite the tingling of the others watching her. Is this some kind of elaborate joke?

“What this is?” The robot tilted his head.

“Why did you call me over?”  Shetland groaned, feeling her precious supplies of patience dwindle by the second. “And tell your friends to stop staring!” She shot glances at the other groups, noting with satisfaction that all of them rushed to hide their peeking.

“Uhm… excuse us.” The robot said ruefully. “We saw you earlier today and wished to speak with you, but you were in the company of our… guests.”

“Oh.” Of course. “And why did that prevent you from speaking to me?”

“We were not sure what to make of them, if I am honest. They claim to be on our side, and yet, they show disdain for our… for robots-” he stopped, seemingly unsure whether or not to continue. Not that he had to, Shetland knew what came next: And we had three disappearances shortly after their arrival.

And if you counted Toasty, Shetland thought as she grit her teeth, it would be four. Sweat formed on her back. She saw it in the robot’s body language, they were tense, and who wouldn’t be? The realization what a single wrong word could cause in this situation gripped her like the fist of a titan. She wrestled down a sudden urge to kick the stupid pair that pulled her into this predicament, and instead she took a long breath, feeling every single stare as the silence grew. The hyenas definitely had something to do with all this. Even if she had no proof, she knew. But she couldn’t tell these robots, she had to say…

“They’re on our side.” she finally said. Immediately she noticed the doubtful look Nightingale exchanged with his robot friend. Yeah, I would give the same look. Tartarus, why do I have deal with this… politics crap? “They… are not responsible for the disappearances.” At the very least, not directly. Twilight had told her they had an alibi during both storms. But there was a missing piece, something that linked them - she shook her head and swallowed. “But I think you should still give them space. It’s no secret they dislike you and… we can deal with a little less drama, right?” she ended. Sweat dropped down on her nose. Her legs were restless, her hindleg in particular felt like it was filled entirely with pins and needles. What time was it? “Anything else?” she asked gruffly.

“Well, yes!” Nightingale exclaimed. “Luna still refuses to give our robot friends equal rights to us normal ponies, completely unjust! Why should they pay for crimes done by something else nearly a century ago?”

Shetland groaned inwardly as she heard the argument, one that she herself had made so many times. Though, her mind wagered, what would be the consequences of publicly agreeing-

“All we want is to be treated fairly.” The robot said, his volume climbing nearly to a shout. “We are being targeted and Luna refuses to give us the means to defend ourselves!”

“I KNOW!” Shetland stomped her hoof. Fuck Politics. “I know and if I could, I’d change it right away!” she groaned. “There’s no good reason for it. I wish I could do more, but I can’t slap Luna to reason. Not literally.” If only… But she had to sadly shake her head. “Is this all now?”

Nightingale nodded, but his robot friend poked his shoulder. Their eyes met and the bat pony chuckled. “Sorry, one more thing if that’s okay…” he dug into his saddlebag, meanwhile smirking at his friend before he produced a slip of paper. “Could you sign this?”

It took Shetland a moment to realize what he had just asked of her. “What …” she muttered, too quiet for anyone to hear as she looked over the paper, like she was searching for the small print on a contract. But no, it was just an empty slip of paper. She looked to the robot, hoping for an explanation, but he carried the same hopeful look as his friend, who also held out a pen for her. Confused, Shetland reached down and scribbled out her name, wondering what the heck just happened as she spat out the pen and Nightingale presented the paper to his friend with a big grin. “I’m… going home now.” she said, awkwardly waving them goodbye as she rushed, only stopped from a full gallop by the light limp forced on her by her bad leg. A couple hundred questions rushed into her mind, and she felt no eagerness to answer any of them as she fled the scene.


As she stumbled towards the building that was her home, the only thing on her mind her itching side and aching hooves, she was greeted with an unexpected sight. It was like the cooking supplies of an obsessed camper had taken up shop, just that each item looked like it was from a past age. A bowl, suspended by stacks of wood, hung over a pile of hot, glowing rocks. On the ground next to it stood three tureens, each filled with a sauce of different color. And by a long wooden plank, a hyena sat, filling a line of dumplings with ingredients taken from an assortment of bags. As Shetland approached, she realized in a moment of pride that she could tell it was Gan, even without Khunbish there for comparison. Not that he was alone, as just that moment, Toasty came out of the building and threw a tiny bag in Gan’s direction. He cursed as he caught it. “No play with food, machine!”

But Toasty took no note of his words, as she had spotted Shetland. “You’re early.” She shouted over Gan’s nagging, causing him to whip his head around to Shetland.

The earth pony shrugged.  “My leg’s been aching.” she replied. “Wanted to take care of that in peace and take a shower, y’know?”

“You do that.” Toasty said jovially and watched with great interest as Gan used a pair of tongs to move a rock from within the fire and into one of the tureens “I will stay here in the meantime.”

Gan’s rough voice grumbled. “She here for last hour. Watching me.”

“Toasty!” Shetland hissed as she pulled the robot aside. She lowered herself to the robot’s ears and tried to whisper, even as she struggled to keep her voice calm. “You’ve been out there with him for a full hour? Was there anypony to watch you?”

Toasty pushed against her, but as Shetland wouldn’t let her go she stomped the ground. “Release me right now.” she hissed and as the earth pony did, created several hoofsteps of distance. “I can watch after myself.”

“No, you cannot!” Shetland said, her pretenses of quiet already forgotten. “Neither of the other robots could. You couldn’t!”

“But that was when we were alone, Shetland. Alone and out of sight. I am currently at the center of our main colony!”

“HE may not be of help when you are being attacked.” Shetland growled. “They are connected, remember?”

“You suspect that without proof.” Toasty poked her hard hoof into Shetland’s shoulder. “And again, we are in the middle of our main hub. He would be really stupid to try something here. Especially,” she created a sound akin to a snort echoing through a metal box. “Since Twilight Sparkle knows I am right outside. I can watch myself, Shetland,” she added earnestly. “This is not much different than it was in Canterlot. Do not go somewhere you cannot be seen. Always have somepony know where you are. These are the rules I was practically built with.” she sighed. “I had hoped I could leave them behind, but look what happened to me when I did.” A white hoof poked against her visor, behind which her green eyelights grew dimmer.

“It’s not so bad, I think you’re looking pretty snazzy, now.” Shetland said hurriedly as she took Toasty’s face in her hooves. “Look, your eyes are like mint drops!” She flashed a big, fake grin.

“Ha.” Was Toasty’s weak reaction.

Shetland sighed. “Yeah, you make sense. I just… worry, you know?”

“I know,” Toasty said as her eyes regained their brightness. “And it is very sweet, if unnecessary. Look, he is even unarmed.” Her hoof pointed to Gan, who indeed wore nothing but what appeared to be a sheet of paper stretched across his forelegs, letting only his claws poke through small holes. She quickly realized why that was, too, as it held back his coat while he was using his claws to drag the dough into the shape of dumplings.

“Machine think I am weak.” Gan scoffed. “I am warrior. I am dangerous, even if no weapon.”

Shetland took a sudden step towards him, stomping her hoof on the ground as hard and as loud as she could. <And you should hope that you never have to show it, hyena, or I’ll have to do the same!> She spoke in his language, sternly, every syllable rumbling in her throat before she threw it out.

She noted with a manner of glee that he jerked back, even swallowed worriedly. He stepped forward again, checking over the contents of each of his pots. Did he chuckle? Shetland blinked in confusion as he looked up, a delighted grin on his face as he leaned his head back in a hearty, utterly confusing laugh.

<You know,> he guffawed. <In the empire, you would be amongst the most coveted mares.>

That took a turn she did not expect. Now startled herself, she stared at him like he had lost his mind. Toasty looked from one to the other, confused and frustrated by her inability to understand their language.

<Strong, aggressive, commanding,> Gan continued to speak at her. <You’re not like the other ponies, you feel intensely, you act wild. Qualities like this would make you very attractive in my homeland.> he chuckled, which turned into a sigh. <I miss my homeland. Among ponies, we are chained like you.>

Shetland shook her head. <What the heck do you mean? Chained?>

<You chain yourself.> Gan said, giving her a look that was almost… pitying. <To land, to rules, to harmony.>

<Oh, don’t tell me you don’t have rules in the empire.> Shetland scoffed. <I’m pretty sure your Great Khan doesn’t stay in power with friendly suggestions.>

<Of course not.> Gan laughed. <He rules by respect, respect for his power and his rulings. We…> he stopped, shaking his head. <You would have to be there. In the empire, we live intensely. We feel intensely. We admire wildness. We create respect for ourselves and clash against that of others.> he chuckled. <This is life. You should consider visiting one day.>

<What makes you say that?> Shetland raised an eyebrow.

<Because,> he grinned pointedly. <You would be immeasurably attractive there.>

It took a moment for Shetland to regain her senses enough to feel her dropped jaw. She shook her head and tried to respond with… something, but at this point Toasty let out a loud coughing noise. “If I may ask, what the heck are you talking about?”

“Oh, sorry Toasty, forgot you couldn’t follow.” Shetland replied sheepishly and briefly outlined the conversation to her.

For some reason, Toasty’s eyes darkened. Her tail struck out, as if to swat a fly. “That is nice.” she said passively. “An interesting insight into hyena values. Although I am more interested in their cooking.” With that, she turned to the boiling stew. “It shows an ingenuity I have never considered.” Suddenly, she poked her hoof right into the fire. Shetland gasped, but it didn’t seem to hurt the robot, who retrieved a glowing rock from the pile. “Earlier, he mixed these rocks into this vessel with the rice and other ingredients for the dumplings, slowly cooking them from within.” Toasty pointed at what eerily reminded Shetland of a milk container. “And later, during the meal, the same rocks are passed around to warm one’s paws and give off good fortune.”

“Well, I’ll be.” Shetland muttered. She had the sudden suspicion that this was not the setup of a hobbyist camper.

Gan groaned. “Tell machine it may help if it not chatter.” he allowed Toasty to take his seat while he stirred the stew. He then looked up at Shetland. “You tell Sparkle Princess we finish in half hour. Please.” he added after a few seconds.

“You’re… gonna be okay, right?” Shetland whispered to Toasty, who seemed fully engrossed in her task of filling dumplings.

“Certainly, Shetland.” she replied, waving a hoof dismissively. “I will be fine. Though you smell like you should take a shower.”

Shetland snorted. “Yeah… be careful, alright?”

“Go!” Toasty groaned.


A strong yet alluring smell teased Shetland’s nostrils as Toasty and Gan filled an exotic carpet with dish after dish, way more than she’d been expecting. Soon, furniture had to be pushed into the kitchen and bathroom, just to allow everypony to comfortably sit. Gan and Khunbish sat across from the Sparkles, while Toasty kept herself distanced, merely watching from a few feet away. She threw a fleeting look to Shetland, softly shaking her head. She did not want to join. Too bad, Shetland shrugged. The aroma and sheer quantity of food was breathtaking. “That’s a lot of food.” she commented as she loaded her plate. There were… blocks of white something she curiously sniffed at. It's smell was dry, with a hint of sweetness, but she couldn’t place it.

“It is called Aaruul.” Khunbish explained. “It is made of sour milk by separating the chunks, pressing them into shape and letting them dry. Their taste ranges from sour to sweet and they never spoil.”

“Interesting,” Twilight mused as she levitated one to her face. “I’ve eaten your cuisine before, but never this. It must be a rural dish?”

“You could say so,” Khunbish said, showing a smirk towards Gan. “You ate this alot when traveling with your clan?”

Gan grumbled something unintelligible in Hyenidae. Then his eyes widened as Shetland had opened her mouth to take a bite out of the strange block. Gan shouted: “Do not-”

But it was too late. When Shetland’s teeth chomped down on the Aaruul, they hit what must have been clay. Her bite managed to imprint on the block, but then it was repelled, sending a merciless wave of pain into her gums. “AUGH!” Shetland shouted, holding her mouth as she waited for the pulsating pain to subside.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked worriedly, her wings ruffling until Shetland calmed her with a nod.

“Aaruul very hard.” Gan said apologetically.

“Apology… accepted.” Shetland grumbled, testing each of her teeth with her tongue, in case one had gotten loose. She breathed in and out, pointing her hoof away from her chest as she did. <We can speak in your language.> she then offered to him.

<Great idea!> Twilight instantly agreed. Somehow, her excited voice managed a high pitch even in the throaty, rough language of the hyenas. <It would suit the theme of the occasion too.>

Gan tried to hide his relief, but he simply couldn’t summon his stoic mask fast enough, causing both Shetland and Khunbish to chuckle.

<Still though,> Shetland said. <This is a lot of food. Especially for a-> she paused, hoping her assumption was right. <Nomadic lifestyle.>

Gan snorted. <Of course we don’t eat that much while we’re traveling. Do you know the tradition of three meals?>

Shetland blinked, suddenly wondering if she was supposed to know this. She felt an itch at the side of her head, was Twilight glaring at her right now for forgetting? She didn’t want to check as she shook her head.

<We pride ourselves in our ability to cross from any town to another on only two meals.> Gan explained. <Therefore, when traveling, we always pack exactly three meals.>

<But-> Shetland raised an eyebrow, but Khunbish interrupted her before she could even speak.

<One meal is carried for hospitality’s sake. The steppes are vast, and often empty. One may travel alone for weeks. For this reason, meeting another traveler usually results in a warm welcome, paired with a feast.>

<Aaand it’s quite useful to have some backup provisions.> Shetland added.

<Only on rare occasion.> Gan crossed his paws. <If… that doesn’t happen and you do not share it either, it is eaten upon arrival.>

<And… you carry all that around?> Shetland asked in astonishment as she eyed the vast amounts of foodstuff. It seemed impossible for a single hyena to carry this much, let alone three times.

<Spirits, no!> Gan laughed. <This is all three meals from both of us together.> he gently tapped Khunbish’s shoulder, then withdrew his paw quickly, like he expected her to try to bite it.

<And then we requested some supplies from your local kitchens.> Khunbish said evenly, her eyes fixated on Twilight. <I hope you find this acceptable.>

<Of course.> Twilight waved the concern off. Her eyes, sparkling with curiosity, could not be moved from Gan. <You said you come from a nomadic tribe? I’d like to know more!>

Aaaand here we go. Shetland rolled her eyes and hurriedly grabbed more food to fill her plate as her mother squeezed the poor hyena for information. Good luck, she thought. It’ll be like trying to fill a bottomless barrel.

She soon found a liking for a bun-shaped dish called a Boortsog, with a crunchy exterior hiding it's buttery insides. Noodles and rice were abundant, with several exotic sauces, while vegetables were mostly restricted to the stew. Instead, there were a lot of milk-based foods, like the Aaruul, which she discovered one had to suck like a popsicle to the get the sweet taste out of. Though she quickly placed her block down as she realized that it’d take hours to eat even one that way. On the other side, there was Ayrag, fermented milk with a sour tone and a mild amount of alcohol, which she guzzled down until her thoughts slowed considerably. Resting her head on her forelegs and with a pleasant calm sloshing in her brain, she listened in on the conversation.

Twilight had nearly tickled Gan’s entire life’s story out of him: he’d grown up in a nomadic clan travelling through the eastern Khanates, along the coast. They tended to a herd of goats while traveling to fishing villages, trading cheese and wool for fish and various other goods they’d sell at some other point. He had anecdotal stories about a time his clan had fought a small war against another over their herds, ending with his clan as the victor and proud owner of both herds. This became too much to handle for his diminished tribe, and they allegedly lost nearly a third of their “loot” before they could reach a city. While Shetland could only shake her head, Gan told the story with a pride-swelled chest, highlighting specific parts in the fights where he’d played a role.

<So you have combat experience.> Twilight raised an eyebrow. <Though I wonder why you were chosen as one of only two representatives to help us in this case. Those aren’t exactly the skills needed for an investigation.>

In an instant, Gan’s expression changed to one of seriousness and focus. <It played a role.> he said, glancing to Khunbish. <I was chosen to represent the strength of the empire, as well as my loyalty.> he leveled a stern look at Twilight. <I left my clan when I followed the general conscription, even if most do not.>

<Travelling clans are usually exempt from conscription.> Khunbish added. <The Great Khan bestows this, as well as other boons to those wildborn. It ensures that their loyalties are to him, no matter which Khanate they travel through. Of course, there are more reasons why he was chosen than just that. He is always on alert, his attention span is near-infinite and…> A grin formed on her face. <Maybe you should tell them.>

Gan groaned. <I fought a robot. A bad one. Not like yours> he grumbled, throwing a look to Toasty. She seemed surprised to be addressed and gave Shetland a glare. The earth pony nodded, she’d translate everything later.

<Though you can’t really call it a fight.> Gan muttered. <We found it on the beach, rusted old thing. We thought it was dead, that we could sell it whole or in parts. Turns out… wasn’t quite dead yet.> he clenched his teeth. <Suddenly struck out, its spinning saw cutting straight through my clan-brothers leg. I struck out and managed to push it back. Guess that was all it had left. Couldn’t move. Took a hammer and smashed it to bits to make sure.> he shook his head. <There was no honor in fight. I clobbered a hunk of metal.>

<And that gives you more experience than anyone else in the empire.> Khunbish said drily. <As for me, my life wasn’t as exciting. I was born in the southern realms, where I spent most of my life.>

Twilight sucked air through her teeth. <The south is… infamous for it’s constant small scale wars.> she said cautiously, not moving her eyes from the hyena.

Khunbish chuckled. <Skirmishes, rather. The Great Khan allows the Khans to compete with each other for bits of territory.> She placed a paw on her chest. <Competition, on a small scale, breeds wealth, power, prepares you for disaster.> She threw a look to Toasty. "In a way, we have to thank your kind. Without your invasion, the empire would have never existed like it does now." She grinned at the enraged look Gan gave her.  <It was only after you wreaked havoc on our lands that the Great Khan could unify us all and lead us to victory. Before, we were hundreds of small, peaceful Khanates. Without power, without rule.>

Shetland and Twilight exchanged an uncertain look. Then, nearly unnoticeable, Twilight’s horn sparked and a small magical aura zipped across her closed mouth.

<Khans freely combat another, it produces strong and experienced soldiers and prevents our people from growing soft… as long as it doesn’t get out of paw.> Khunbish added. <The Great Khan has made it a rule that if he is forced to intervene, he will de-throne both of the would-be conquerors. And who could defy him?>

<Did you ever fight in one of those skirmishes?> Shetland asked darkly. And just as she’d suspected, Khunbish shook her head.

<No, my fate was to move to Clawakorum so I could study.>

Shetland nodded, looking to the ground as her dislike of the hyena peaked. A stupid, little scrap-eater who spouts shit about strength and whatever. One who never had to give up anything herself. Never lost anything! She chomped down a plate of Boortsog, ignoring the complaints of her stretched stomach.

Soon after, the dinner came to an end. Twilight still attempted to chat with Khunbish, but as neither Shetland nor Gan made any attempt to join in, that too soon ceased. Khunbish was the first to stand up, bowing her head first to Twilight, then Shetland.

<Thank you for your hospitality.> she said formally.

<It is you we should thank.> Twilight smiled. Then, with a little frown, she gently kicked Shetland. <That means you too, Shetty, they made all the food you wolfed down like a starving bear today.>

Shetland grumbled as she got up on her hooves. If only she could conceivably call Twilight a liar, but she felt stuffed beyond belief, like her belly was swinging between her legs. Still, she lowered her head, ignoring the pressure in her throat. <Thank you.> she recited.

Twilight groaned. <My own daughter, the pinnacle of good manners.> she shook her head. <I think she would prefer to stay here instead of showing the courtesy of accompanying you back to your quarters?>

Shetland grunted, feeling decidedly too uncomfortable to suck up Twilight’s teasing.

The alicorn clearly disapproved as she rubbed her temple. “Well, seems I have to do it. Good night, Shetty.” With that, she turned away, finally leaving Shetland alone to fall back on her bed.

Tartarus, she was just about ready to burst. She’d definitely have to cut back tomorrow and resume her exercises, she thought, biting her lip as she rubbed her hoof over her stomach, groaning at the sight of her hoof sinking into the flesh. Was it doing that yesterday?

Shetland whipped back her hoof as a chuckle came from the kitchen, looking away as to hide her face, which rapidly attained a hue like a strawberry. And still, she could hear the robot grinning as she approached.

“You are not fat.” Toasty said.

“Who said anything about fat?” Shetland crossed her hooves, shooting a glare at the robot.

“I did. I said you were not. At least, not very.”

“Urgh!” Shetland groaned as she showed Toasty her back. “Don’t gimme sass.”

“I do not plan to. Anypony should be allowed to let loose and wolf down extraordinary amounts of nutrition if they want to. Though of course, I cannot judge that, as I cannot eat. In truth, it makes me quite jealous to see the joy you perceive when feasting like today.”

“Uhm…” Shetland stared at the ceiling, wishing she could force sensical statements to jump out of her mouth. “Sorry for that…”

“You do not have to be. I do enjoy watching the act of consumption. And when I open my restaurant, I will look forward to seeing you double in mass.”

That brought a snicker out of  the earth pony, followed by a massive belch.

“I think I felt the ground shake just now.” Toasty snickered.

“You did not!” Shetland rolled her eyes.

“Did too!”

“Did not.”

“Did too!”

“Did not!” Shetland shouted and grabbed Toasty, lifting her off her hooves. “And now you can’t feel the ground do anything!”

“Let me down, please.” Toasty said, her hooves emitting a clank upon landing. “How was the dinner?”

Shetland leaned back. “It was… okay. It wasn’t as much about… I dunno… mindgames as I thought? It seemed to be all friendly chatter, for the most part.”

“Not that I would know.” Toasty said drily. “I still expect you to translate everything later.”

“Do you have it all recorded?” Shetland raised an eyebrow.

“Certainly,” Toasty’s eyelights flickered as she knocked on her own head. “But Shetland, I was asking about the food, still. Also, are you gonna let all of this spoil?” She pointed her hoof at the carpet, where a about a quarter of the dishes remained uneaten, wasted.

“Oh, you obsessed little cookbot.” Shetland nickered before she rolled on her hooves. “Gonna help me store this stuff away for tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

“Also… try to get the recipe for Boortsog.”

Under the sound of continued chatter, they began to stuff everything they could into the fridge. It was at least enough for another hearty meal, a temptation Shetland hoped she’d be able to resist for at least a couple days. Toasty did most of the work, on account of Shetland fearing to upset her stomach if she moved too much. Instead, the earth pony was mostly preoccupied with translating all the conversations. It was amazing how much she’d forgotten or failed to realize the first time around. Did Gan seriously claim to fight using a head-mounted crossbow? What did Khunbish study? And why was Gan chosen to come to Horizon? in retrospect, the answers weren’t exactly satisfying. One would think the Great Khan would send someone with actual experience in crime investigation. Shetland sighed and looked out the window and into the dark of the night as she pondered these questions. While most glass surfaces were still dusty and covered with sand from the latest storm, hers was squeaky clean, certainly an effort on her mother’s part to make the room more presentable. She could really get lost in unnecessary preparations…

Shetland blinked. Somepony was running out there. No, not somepony, it was her mother, and if she recognized the dark shapes at her side, she was flanked by Voidmarines. Only a moment later, Twilight’s voice burst into the room.

“Shetland, are you here, are you okay?”

The voice was quickly followed by Twilight herself, who frantically looked around the room.

“W-What is going on?” Shetland asked, ready on her hooves. “Are we being attacked?”

Did someone disappear again?” Toasty chimed in.

“No…” Twilight breathed heavily, like she just ran over. “No, nopony is hurt… at least, we don’t know of anypony.” she took a deep breath. “Someone broke into the delegates’ room.”

“What?” Shetland asked, perplexed. “But… isn’t it protected? Wasn’t someone watching it?”

“Of course somepony was!” Twilight burst out, a wave of anger rising in her voice. “And yet, their room is nearly demolished…” she took another deep breath, sobering her tone. “I need to go now, Shetty, I have to ensure our guests’ safety myself.

“Sparktail,” she addressed the unicorn Voidmarine at her side. “You will stay here until the morning, make absolutely sure of my daughter’s safety.” As the unicorn saluted, Twilight turned to Shetland. “Be safe, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“O-okay.” Shetland muttered, her eyes widened by all the news that had suddenly been dumped on her. She met Toasty’s eyes. “Who would break into the hyenas’ place?” she whispered.

I don’t know.” Toasty said quietly, her voice lacking any of the brightness it usually sported. And with horror, Shetland realized that the robot was shaking. “But how?”

“T-Toasty!” Shetland swallowed as she reached protectively around her. “Nopony got hurt, remember?”

But they could have.” Toasty’s voice was nearly toneless. “Their room was not only in the midst of the colony, but it was also guarded. How could someone enter and exit without anypony taking notice? Do you not see?” She spoke louder as she met Shetland’s eyes, her own eyelights shrunk to tiny, bright green pinpricks. “I thought you or I would be safe as long as we were not alone and within the colony. But it turns out, we are not. There is no safe place, There… let go of me!” she shouted as Shetland pulled her into an embrace.

“You’re not in danger.” Shetland whispered, her voice husky.

Yes, I am!” Toasty protested. “Everypony is!

“Not you,” Shetland’s hooves shivered as she spoke.  She felt sweat creeping out of her mane, but she forced her voice to be calm and determined. “I won’t let anything get close enough to you again. I promise.” With that, she turned to the unicorn, who had awkwardly avoided looking at them. “Private, give me your secondary weapon.”

The mare turned to them, certainly with a bewildered expression, but Shetland gave her no chance to protest. “Now.” Shetland growled darkly, standing up to her full height, towering over the armored mare.  With an audible swallow, the unicorn removed her pistol from her side, levitating it over to Shetland.

“A-are you familiar with-”

“I’m sufficiently trained.” Shetland grumbled as she finished checking the magazine and flipped the safety on and off. Then she reached down and carried the smaller robot mare onto the bed, on which she appeared hilariously under-sized. Shetland herself sat down right in front of it, training her eyes at the door. “Rest yourself, Toasty.” she whispered. “If something happens, I’ll  take care of it.” She dearly hoped that her voice sounded reassuring and stable. Inwardly, she cursed herself for having drunken so much Ayrag.