//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Eclipsed // Story: Mane Effect // by Quillery //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Eclipsed “Secrets and Lies, Dreams and Doomsdays.” The subconscious mind is an interesting thing when you think about it. A source of untold power, limitless resources, and unthinkable capabilities available to sentient minds. There is almost nothing one cannot do with the power of their subconscious mind, which only ruins the reality that one can only use it to its fullest potential when sleeping. The power of imagination is a wondrous thing, and one of the main reasons I didn't simply die of boredom back on Earth. Most ponies in my situation back then would seek out sleep because they had to, while I sought it out to escape from the dull reality around me; rust, dirt, grime, poverty, metal, and more dirt. Who wouldn't want a dreamland paradise to call their own, if only just to stave off the encroaching insanity of tedium and repetition? I dreamt often when I knew I had found a safe haven for the night, and would fight off consciousness as long as possible, until hunger or impending danger would rouse me out of my slumber. I would, of course have the occasional nightmare, but that was par for the course with witnessing some of the choice atrocities available to city slums. My dreamstates almost became a second nature through the nights, and kept me company for the early years I spent alone. I could even tell when I was dreaming, and through sheer will bend the reality of them to my liking. It was that idle talent that made me realise what was happening to me now was no mere dream. As I became aware of where I was and what was around me, it was clear that something was off. My body felt strange, alien even. It was like I was wearing a body that did not belong to me. My senses were there, but they were strangely distant, as if they were as confused as I was. My head felt heavier than normal, not by much, but enough to be noticeable. I felt smaller, smaller than I actually was anyways. I always viewed myself as larger than an average mare, but smaller than an average stallion. My body now felt far off that scale. My mane was longer too. Much longer. I never kept my mane in any state of neatness, but I could feel the side of my head and neck matted with long straightened hair. I tried to get a look at it, when I realised that something else was wrong. The edges of my vision were blurry, and no matter how much I tried to shift my eyes, nothing happened. I stepped further into the room, or at least attempted to. My hooves remained still, ignoring my commands. I tried again and again, but my body did not respond. I felt that I was breathing and the natural motions of standing were there, but I could not move. It was not a feeling of paralysis, my body simply refused to listen to me. Another thing that worried me was that despite my rising panic, my breathing did not change whatsoever. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t even move my eyes. What was happening to me? If this wasn’t a dream, it was certainly becoming more of a nightmare. I felt disconnected from my own emotions, and even my own body ignored the urge to react in any discernible way. At times like this I would try to breath deeply to calm down, but that wasn’t an option. The only thing I could do was watch for anything that would release my body from its uncontrolled state. I was standing in what appeared to be a long narrow corridor. The walls were made of the purest white marble I had ever seen, and the floors were covered in immaculate tiles and rugs. Long towering frosted windows adorned the walls of the hall, letting in the daylight sun. The room appeared to rejoice and praise the very presence of light, and made the room all the more enjoyable to be in. At least I appeared to be somewhere safe, and began to calm down. Until my head swiveled on its own, looking around the room automatically. Had I changed something? I tried again to make a move of my own, but still nothing happened. I felt my head and neck turn about, looking casually around the room and eventually settling on the nearest window. Was I being shown something? The window was difficult to see through, but I was able to make a few minor observations, if anything to occupy my mind from panic. The sun outside was high in the sky, and there didn’t appear to be a cloud in sight. I did not focus on the weather for long, however, because the window allowed me to see my reflection. Or at least it should have been mine. The blurred style of the window made it impossible to determine shapes clearly, but I could clearly see that the pony in the window was colored a brightish purple with a darker colored mane, which was most definitely not my color scheme. My mind raced at what could possibly be happening. If this wasn’t a dream, then what was it, and why would I be in another pony’s body? Perhaps the reflection was false, or colors were poorly distinguished in this dreamworld. Whatever it was, it felt far too vivid to be a creation of imagination. I was not in control here, and I didn’t understand anything that was happening to me. I was just going to have to go along for the ride and see where it took me and hope for the best. There was a faint murmuring sound from down the hall, and my host turned towards it. The door at the far end was wide open, and a single Earth Pony stallion stood within its threshold. How old was this memory, if an Earth Pony was present? And what would an Earth Pony be doing in the memories of an Alicorn relic? None of this made sense, but at least I could try to focus on it while my host moved on its own. My body moved again towards the door, and halted just before the threshold and turned to the stallion. He was dressed in ancient looking armor that would have been new hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. It looked like it was fitted with brass, steel and other precious metals. His helmet was the most impressive, carved into the shape of an eagle’s head fashioned from gold and silver. He nodded his head to me, and stepped aside to allow my host into the great hall beyond. The chamber was vast, stretching on forever into the high vaulted ceilings above. Stained glass windows were on either side of the room, many of which appeared to be made of simple abstract colors. My head moved again on its own, taking in the sights as if it were trying to show me on purpose. One particular set of windows caught my host’s attention, gazing lengthily at them as we continued walking forward. These windows were far more elaborate in their design, and they looked to be telling a story with pictures rather than words. The first had the body of a mare framed in the center, shrouded in shadows and darkness. She did not look like a happy or even pleasant pony. From what I could tell of these ancient designs, she was downright nasty. Around her appeared to be six ponies of various colors and races. I counted two Earth Ponies, two Pegasi and two Unicorns, each connected to the shadowy mare by beams of prismatic light. The second window had a similar story to tell, with what appeared to be the same characters. The same six ponies, together, working against a creature of evil. The villain of this tale, however, was not something I recognised. It was a sinister creature with a wicked look in its mismatched eyes. It was a long and disheveled being and looked to be composed of many different creatures in one. Lion, pony, bat, snake, goat and even eagle were some of the few features I could recognise. I hoped the stories being told upon these windows were legend, because I did not wish to face such a horrid, misshapen creature in my lifetime. My body halted, and my host faced forward. I looked in awe at what I saw before me. A regal throne was built in the center of this fantastic room. It was guarded by two stallions that appeared to be dressed like the one who stood by the entrance, but one was a Pegasus and one was a Unicorn. My mind reeled in confusion. All three pony races, together? I thought the legends on the windows were just that, legends. Myths and stories of whatever Earth Pony culture that I thought this was, but here in front of me was evidence that even that assumption was wrong. If this was a vision of the past, then it showed me that once upon a time, Earth Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi all existed together on the same world. The question was where? Or more importantly, when? The two guards saluted stiffly at my hosts approach and bowed in a peculiar manner that pointed out the massive throne behind them. The dais was build out of elegantly carved bronze, and was adorned with fountains, draperies and flowers of every color. The steps were covered in a beautiful red rug that climbed the entire length of the staircase leading up to the throne. All of this, however, paled in comparison to the one all of this was made to honor before me. On the throne sat a creature that shattered any rational definition for beauty, regality and grace. Her opalescent coat radiated brilliantly in the beams of light that washed over her from the world outside. Her mane and tail were difficult to look at without becoming entranced as they rippled of their own accord, shimmering various shades of blues, violets, pinks and greens. Her eyes were a gentle pinkish shade, and together with a smile that could melt the heart of even the most maddened and psychotic criminal, her face was the picture of kindness, love and affection. But even in light of all her natural beauties other things steadily come into focus as I grew accustomed to being in the presence of this celestial being. She wore golden regalia, a crown atop her head, a jeweled torc around her neck, and pearl colored slippers covered her hooves. She was no doubt a being of not only respect, but of power, to which my body bowed appropriately. When my head rose again to the queen, or princess, or deity or whatever she was, I noticed she was significantly larger than a normal pony, even from where she sat on her throne. The most amazing feature of this angelic being, this ancestral royalty of ages past, was that she had both the wings of a Pegasus and the horn of a Unicorn, traits which she made look insignificant in comparison to her guards. Coupled with her large stature, which had to have been inherited from an Earth Pony, this being was a pony comprised of aspects that made us different. Was this being one of the mythical Alicorn of the past? Was I the first pony to look upon the life of our forebears, and learn of their past? The Alicorn bowed her head to my host, and her mouth moved as though she was speaking. I could hear words being spoken, but they were muffled, distant. Whatever was being said was only unintelligible noises to my ear. I could hear the emotions behind the words, understanding whether the words were of praise and joy when I noticed a laugh or a smile, or something of a more serious nature with a scowl or a lowered head. The only other thing that I could decipher was that my host had a gentle feminine voice, at least deducing that I was in the body of a mare. My host and the Alicorn spoke at great length, but I could not make out anything of importance. Despite what was happening around me, without the context of what was being said, I was actually starting to get bored of this vision, much to my dissapointment. The conversation went on for several minutes, resulting in many changes of tone and even local, as the Alicorn occasionally left the throne to pace beside my host as the walked around the room during their lengthy conversation. The Alicorn looked even more imposing as she trotted quietly beside me, but I felt my face form expressions of fondness and joy as my host spoke with her. I tried in vain to at least attempt to piece the distorted words together, but it only made my head hurt. I felt that something was missing, like a vital part was removed or damaged. If this really was a result of the Alicorn relic, then perhaps sitting in the ground for fifty thousand years had taken its toll on the ancient machine. Maybe I could fix it with the right parts and information? A sudden silence caught my attention, and I noticed that the conversation had stopped. The Alicorn paused abruptly in her sentence turning her head quickly to the right. She stared out the window with narrowed eyes. Then shock. Her eyes widened noticeably bearing a look of deep concern. My host ran forward up the steps clearly confused as to what was going on, as was I. The host stopped halfway up the stairs and turned to look out the window as well. The daylight that shone brightly through the windows was steadily fading away, the room becoming darker very quickly. Looking back to the Alicorn, I could see that she appeared to be in pain at the loss of the light. My host was yelling, her voice filled with concern and worry. The Alicorn looked up to the window again, staring intently towards the sun with sadness in her eyes. My host ran to the window until she was right in front of it, looking out over the land outside. This window was not as blurred as the others, and I was able to finally get a better look at my host in the reflection. It was definitely a mare, but she was a Unicorn mare. At least that explained the strange feeling I was noticing at the top of my skull. She had an aged look about her, one that showed the distinguishment, experience and knowledge of a long and well lived life. She was certainly far from decrepit, but her youth was clearly well behind her. Her coat was a beautiful shade of lavender, and her mane was a darkened purple, with a single pink and purple highlight that failed to cover up the grey of age. Her posture made it impossible for me to see her Cutie Mark, but I figured that was a moot concern compared to what was happening. Her eyes were darting, scanning the sky fervently at what was causing her mistress’ sudden distress. Her eyes eventually fell to the sun, which had become obscured by something. No, several somethings. It was not a cloud of white fluff, but a cloud of something else, something I could not describe. They were like locusts, descending from the sky and blotting out the very light of the sun. Hundreds, if not thousands of them filled the once empty open sky, and appeared to be approaching towards us. I could see the shock in the eyes of my host in the reflection, before she turned back to her mistress. She still looked to be visibly pained, but held herself high, her regality not diminishing in the slightest. My host trotted slowly towards the foot of the dais, her muffled voice pleading. The Alicorn glanced absently to the scene unfolding outside, and then to a separate window to her left. It was a stained glass window much like the others, but it was bare, no story on it to tell. Her eyes made it back to mine, and I noticed that her smile was gone. The blurring of my vision began to worsen, as the walls of this reality were slowly warping and stretching themselves into oblivion. The corners of my eyes began to darken, and I felt a slight tugging at the back of my mind. The Alicorn was the only thing retaining its clarity, as if it was the only thing my host dared focus on. The graceful monarch stepped from the throne and trotted slowly towards me. Her head bowed until it was eye to eye with my host. She spoke again, a single word leaving her mouth before I lost all sense of sight and sound. Despite the reality of this world collapsing around me, my last conscious thought was of that single word. I could not hear like any other words spoken in this memory, but I did not need to hear it to understand. The word was simple, and was easy to read from her lips. It was an appropriate word, given the circumstances, and one I hoped my host was wise enough to heed. Run. My thoughts twisted and turned rapidly in my mind, playing the same sequence of events over and over. The tugging sensation at the edge of my consciousness continued to pester me, as the visions swimming in my head slowly faded into darkness. What had I experienced? It did not feel like a true experience to me, but it was most definitely real for somepony, and that somepony was probably the one I had seen in the windows’ reflection. Maybe it wasn’t a vision. Maybe...it was a memory, and I viewed it through a host’s eyes, ears and body. If that were true, then where was I in the memory? Who was I? When was I? What did it all mean? Was there more to see, was that just one of many clues to the fate of the Alicorn? Or was it just a single piece to an unsolvable puzzle? If there were more pieces, where could I find them? Would it even be possible to find them? All these questions crashed through my mind, spurring them to a painful halt. I felt my senses returning, the bleary haze of my vision finally fading. Through the veil of black, I could see a tiny pinprick of light in the distance, coming closer towards me and growing rapidly. The encroaching radiance came to a stop just inches from me, basking me in its warmth. A faint buzzing filled my ears with a melodious humming sound. My senses finally calmed from their turmoil, and slowly the world around me became clear once more. First my eyes. The coalescing light that surrounded me began to fade in intensity, and I was able to discern its source; a lamp, hovering just above me giving off a gentle glow. My eyes focused on this for a long while, before my mind shocked to its senses and realised I had seen this lamp before. As well as the ceiling, the medical apparatus around me, and that same white curtain. I could see silhouettes of ponies behind it, who looked to be engrossed in hasty conversation. I shifted around, realising that I was on my back and covered tightly in a small blanket. It was soft and very warm, my body relishing its presence with a relaxing sigh. My ears twitched at several sounds that crept into my awareness, the gentle beeps of the machines, the monotone humming of the lighting, and the increasingly volatile conversation that was happening outside the cotton walls. I paid no attention to it, more interested in gauging my current well being. I shifted again, moving all of my parts to check and see if they were all still functional. My hooves stretched and quivered in that universally wonderful feeling of waking up after a long restful sleep. I breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that the alien feeling of being in somepony else's body was gone, and I was finally back in control of my own body. I tossed the blanket off and rolled onto the floor to see just exactly what condition I was in. The sound of my hooves clattering on the cold metal floor brought a sudden silence from beyond the curtain, and a sudden twisting feeling in my head. A light grey head poked in briefly and looked at me, before disappearing again. “You, stay here. Let me check on Shepard before you start your pestering,” I heard from the other side. The curtain flipped open again, and this time I was graced with the entirety of Dr. Chalkdust as she trotted through towards me. “If you are planning on making a habit of gracing my Med-Bay Shepard, I do hope you will have the courtesy of warning me before next time,” she said with a smile. “I’ll have the bed warmed for you.” She stepped beside me and waved her medical-tool around my head, taking several readings and muttering something under her breath at each one. I tried to catch a glimpse at what her omni-tool was saying, but my head was starting to spin, and my stomach was starting to rebel against me. Finally satisfied, she stepped away from me, stowing her tools. “How are you feeling, Shepard? You gave everypony quite the scare.” “Nnng,” I groaned. “Dizzy.” She seemed mildly concerned at my answer. “Oh, of course, time for a booster!” Chalkdust stepped from my vision as I stood very still, trying in vain to will my mind and body to cease. When she returned, she was brandishing a small glass with a familiar amber liquid. My entire body acted on its own, stepping away from the sinister drink out of reflex. Chalkdust looked cross at my avoidance, and moved towards me with a intense look in her eyes. “You know this will make you feel better, Shepard. There is no sense avoiding it.” She had a painfully accurate point. If I was going to serve on this ship, I needed to be at my best, even if it meant willingly ingesting a mental deterrent. I took the glass from Chalkdust, eyeing it hesitantly. I swirled the liquid in its vessel, before conceding ultimate defeat, and drank it as fast as I could. The experience, if I could still call it one, was not nearly as bad as the first. My body flushed and senses screamed in pain and joy at the same time, before suddenly dissipating as before. At least it was getting marginally easier each time. Chalkdust smiled, taking the empty glass and stowing it away. “How do you feel now, Shepard?” “Ugh,” I groaned again. “Better, I guess.” With the nausea gone, I noticed that my body still ached terribly. I moved and stretched, working out what felt like a months worth of cramps and sores. “How long was I out?” “Nearly a full day.” The doctor replied with an idle expression. “You certainly had us all worried there for a while Shepard.” A full day? I didn’t know exactly how to handle that answer. My mind was certainly well engaged, but how could a dream keep me occupied for such a long time? I guess the next question was obvious. “What happened?” “Ah can answer that,” a second voice responded from behind the curtain. The curtain fluttered again, allowing a familiar mahogany pony entrance into the secluded bed area. South was no longer wearing her heavy plated armoring, now dressed in casual S.T.A.B.L.E blue attire. Her white cowpony hat was still settled firmly on her head as it confined what little it could of her raggedy scarlet mane. She trotted over to me, ignoring the scowl that Chalkdust was giving her. “Miss Belle, I told you to wait outside!” she snapped. “A’n Ah suppose you can give Shepard a clear answer as to what happened back there on Equestria Prime?” South retorted. “What do you mean back there?” I asked. “Where are we now?” My question went unanswered as the staring match between the doctor and soldier continued, the deja vu of this particular situation becoming painfully clear. I cleared my throat in a vain attempt to diffuse the situation, and to my surprise it seemed to work. Chalkdust shook her head, feigning defeat with an exasperated sigh to which South took the opportunity to flash a triumphant grin. “We are on our way to the Corral, Shepard.” Chalkdust began. “The council is going to want to hear what happened first hoof from those who were on Equestria Prime.” I nodded my head in understanding, before realising that somepony was still missing. “Where’s Dexter?” “He is debriefing with the Captain, I don’t believe they will be much longer to check in on you.” I looked back to South, who was quietly awaiting her turn. “So what did happen? I remember the relic activating, then exploding, but not much else.” “Well,” South began sheepishly. “I musta’ activated some sort of defense mechanism when I got too close to it. You ran in and tossed me outta the way, only to get pulled in yourself. It picked you up, and it looked like it was trying to tear you apart before it exploded and sent you flyin.” She looked away, breaking eye contact. Her voice was filled with shame. “It’s all mah fault. If I didn’t get so close, I wouldn’t of set it off and nearly got you killed, or broken the artifact.” South looked genuinely upset at the fault she had caused, and was beating herself up over it on my account. I trotted over to her and placed my hoof on her shoulder. Her eyes met mine again, her eyes filled with regret. “Don’t worry about it.” I smiled. “ There was no way of knowing what would have happened. And everything turned out alright in the end.” She appeared to take some comfort in my words, but her morose expression remained. She backed away slowly, and remained silent. South seemed to be a deeply caring soul, but had a lot of issues in showing it. The only thing I felt I could do was to chalk it up to the Prairieland pride she was no doubt stewed in when growing up. I had a feeling that I was going to have to get to know her better if she was ever going to come out of her shell. “Well then,” Chalkdust began, breaking the silence. “If I may continue with my examination.” The grey mare shooed South, who stepped away despondently. The doctor reactivated her omni-tool, and sorted through the results, showing marginal interest in many of them, except the final one. Her eyes widened considerably, as she padded at the tool hastily. “That can’t be right,” she muttered. “What’s wrong?” I asked, becoming concerned at Chalkdust’s wide eyed state. “I’m not sure.” She checked the results of my vitals over and over, but she continued to get the same answer. “All of your vitals are normal, physical status is fine. But it’s these brain waves that don’t make any sense. This level of brain activity is common with intense dreaming, but the readings are off the charts.” “Actually, that does make sense to me.” “Oh?” Chalkdust’s look of concern shifted to intrigue. “What exactly did that relic to do you Shepard?” I wracked my brain, sorting through the jumble of thoughts that were mine and those that weren’t . My head was still aching slightly from the ordeal, but it was far from unbearable. I could remember the vision in perfect clarity of what was shown to me, as if it were burned into my mind forever. Every moment, every sight, every panicked word and emotion. If it weren’t for the strange sound of distance in the spoken voices, the vision may have given me truly useful knowledge. But now, it was merely an ominous retelling of what may have been the beginning of the end for the Alicorn empire. “There’s no way I can tell you what I saw and have it make any sense,” I began. “It was a vision, I think. More like a memory, retold through somepony else’s eyes.” “What did you see?” Chalkdust’s intrigue was noticeably growing, as was South’s. Both of them peered at me, interested in hearing more. “I was in a castle of some kind, not like anything we’ve ever had back on Earth. The entire building was fantastic, pristine, nearly a paradise in and of itself.” My hooves flourished in the air as I traced out the magnitude of what I was saying. “I was watching through a host; a Unicorn, and she appeared to be having a conversation with a monarch of some kind.” I paused briefly, realising what I was about to say. I wondered how they would react to the news. Nopony to to date knew much about the Alicorns. We had found some ruins of what appeared to be great colonies, some old texts, and most importantly; their technology. We never found any devices or archives that showed us what they looked like, it was all hunches and guesswork. I steeled myself, finding the words and giving them voice. “I believe this monarch was an Alicorn.” The reaction was immediate. Both South and Chalkdust stared in shock, eyes wide and mouths agape. I smirked slightly at their reactions, until a familiar voice made itself known from beyond the curtain. “An Alicorn you say?” The three of us turned to see Captain Quartermane standing in the doorway, even he was showing a look of surprise at what I had said. No one even bothered to salute his arrival, still shocked over what I had revealed from my vision. “What makes you say that Shepard?” He beckoned me to continue. I recovered my place in the story, clearing my throat and continuing. “This being that I saw, was much larger than a normal pony. She was tall and slender, easily standing twice an average pony’s height. But she wasn’t just bigger than a normal pony, she also had wings of a Pegasus and a horn of a Unicorn.” “And the relic showed you this?” Quartermane’s voice was steady, but failed to mask his interest. I nodded. “It felt like a dream at first, but it was more like a memory, imprinted in the relic to be shown to any who accessed it.” “Hmm,” he mumbled. “What else did you see?” I played through the rest of the vision again, going through the details as finely as I could. However, as I reached the end of it, I swallowed grimly as I slowly reminded myself of what I had seen. I looked solemly to the Captain, who noted my worry with confusion. “My host, the Unicorn. She was talking to the Alicorn about something. I couldn’t understand any of it though. The words were muffled, or distant as if something was missing from the relic.” Quartermane grunted. “Perhaps the relic was more damaged than we thought.” My eyes wandered to South, who was trying to hide a guilty look behind the Captain’s back. “Or perhaps Artemis tampered with it after he was finished with it.” “Maybe,” I agreed, noticing South sighing in relief. “But the lack of words wasn’t the worst part. Something happened, interrupting them. Something, several somethings were filling the sky like locusts. There were thousands of them, enough to block out the sun and the Alicorn looked like she was in pain because of it.” I waited for further reaction, but the Captain did not wait for long. “What happened next?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. That was where the vision ended. It played over and over in my head until I woke up, and I don’t think I will forget any of it anytime soon.” The Captain thought quietly a moment. The rest of us shifted nervously, casting quick glances as the Captain pondered the next move. He looked at me suddenly, then to Chalkdust and South. “I’d like a moment alone with Shepard.” South saluted with a quick, “Yes Sir!”, while Chalkdust bowed her head respectfully, before they departed together out of the curtained area and out into the halls of the Normanedy. Quartermane waited patiently for the door to shut behind them. I started before him, one subject nagging at the back of my mind begging to be answered. “Sir, if I may quickly ask, why is Sergeant Major South here? Wasn’t she stationed on Equestria Prime?” “Yes, she was.” He replied slowly. “Her platoon was a security detail that managed the major colony centers, and I’m not certain how many made it out alive. Our reserve security forces remained on the planet to assist in the clean up once back up arrived. Lieutenant Poindexter vouched for her, and I requested she be reassigned to the Normanedy. We could use the hooves-on experience with the Geld, now that they have shown themselves to be a credible threat. “She certainly did prove to be capable down there, Sir.” I agreed. “She’ll be a valuable asset to the crew.” “I’m certain she will, Shepard. Now, there are other things I need to speak to you about.” “Of course, Sir.” I felt that I was about to be disciplined for certain events that may or may not have been my fault. I tried my best to maintain a straight face, but I braced myself for the worst. “First of all, I want to apologise to you Shepard.” I was not expecting that. “For what, Sir?” “I may not have seen you for these past five years, Shepard, but I have been paying attention to your progress. I knew exactly what talents you were meant to bring to the table in military service, and direct battlefield engagement was not one of my intentions for you.” I had no response to think of, and remained silent. “I realize direct combat isn’t your specialty Shepard, but your skills were far greater than I, or really anypony expected in the military. It was not my decision to have you here aboard the Normanedy, not that I’m unhappy that you are here. S.T.A.B.L.E command has been pushing for a Sleipnir in their ranks for years, and once they managed to come to this compromise with the Corral Council, they jumped at the chance.” He had a distant look in his eyes, and his voice trembled with quiet anger and sorrow. “They were counting on this coalition with Nimbus to work, Shepard. But now that she’s dead, and the relic was destroyed, I’m not sure where we stand with the Council.” The captain seemed to be beating himself up over something he had no control over. It certainly didn’t feel right to allow him to punish himself over something nopony could have possibly prepared for. “Sir, there was no way we could have known what was down there. And we managed to maintain control despite the lack of intel.” He scoffed. “You may be right about that, Shepard, but the Council is going to look for any possible reason to blame this on us. Not to mention Artemis’s involvement.” Artemis, right, the pegasus that killed Nimbus. The way Captain Quartermane said his name led me to assume he had previous experience with him. “Do you know this Artemis, Sir?” “I’ve run into him a few times, yes. He’s a Council Sleipnir, one of the best as far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned. And if what the Lieutenant told me about what happened on Equestria Prime is correct, then we have every reason to believe he’s gone rogue. Not that it surprises me.” The captains final remark had a hint of venom to it, one I felt I had to call him on. “Why is that, sir?” “Artemis has a reputation for hating Earth Ponies, thinks we are growing too fast. And he isn’t one to show restraint in his prejudices either. I wouldn’t doubt that he’s been a strong supporter of keeping us out of the Sleipnir.” There seemed to be a lot more to the events of the past two days than was apparent, but I was prepared to pursue it further, at least to satisfy my own curiosity. I was not certain how I was going to deal with the Council, or much rather a possible rogue Sleipnir that probably hated my entire race more than mine hated his. I knew what my next question was, and I’m sure the Captain had his own thoughts as well. “What’s our next move then?” The Captain sighed, breaking eye contact and looking absently around the room as he began to pace away from me. “I’ll need to forward my report to the Earth Pony ambassador. We’ll have to talk to him and hope he can get us a hearing with the Council to deal with the aftermath of this attack. They aren’t going to enjoy us accusing their best agent without solid proof, but we have to at least do something.” “And the vision from the relic? What should we do about that, Sir?” He looked at me sternly. “It seems to me that there is much missing from that vision, Shepard. If there was more to it we might have more to work with, but unless we come across any other relics, it is probably best to not to dwell on them. It may please the archeology world to no end that we may have finally learned what the Alicorns looked like, but the discovery of their fate may be a bit too much.” He passed through the curtain, and I quickly followed him to the door. He paused at the open doorway, and looked at me. “Go to the bridge and tell Pipsqueak to get us to the Corral as soon as he can. I’ll be in my quarters dealing with the ambassador.” The way he spoke told me that he was not looking forward to the experience. I saluted his departure, and he trotted away down the hall, and out of sight. I stood there alone in the hallway a moment. The captain was probably going to be a while talking to the ambassador, which maybe gave me some time to talk to somepony else before I went to the bridge. I trotted down the hall, my destination clear, hearing the Med-Bay doors slide close behind me. The crew decks were sparsely filled, a few groups of soldiers scattered about the various tables and engaging in idle chatter. They seemed none the worse for wear, considering the battlefield they had just walked out of mere hours ago, and were enjoying loud conversation between themselves. I moved past them, searching through the faces for a particular one. It did not take me long to reach the furthest side of the room, and find reclined beside a opened locker, the pony I was searching for. “Dexter? Are you ok?” I asked quietly. Dexter was alert, but seemed to be staring at something that was not there, his eyes distant and unfocused. His eyes drifted to mine, but they did not seem to clearly acknowledge my presence, still retaining their unfocused appearance. “I’ll live, if that’s what you’re asking,” he chuckled. “The headache meds are just kicking in is all.” “Oh,” was all I managed to say. There were many times back on Equestria Prime when he looked ready to collapse, but I never imagined he was going through so much pain because of it. I learned from various places that the implants required to control a magitechs power sometimes came with nasty side effects, and none of them were good. I wondered what Dexter had to deal with for his gift. “Its good to see you are ok, Shepard. I wasn’t sure what to think after the relic exploded and sent you flying. South started freaking out, and I was about ready to pass out. It was one hell of a party down there.” “Yea,” I said reassuringly. “One hell of a party.” Dexter’s head wavered back and forth, slipping between focusing on me and random sections of wall. My look of concern was lost on him in the brief moments he did look in my direction, and I was having a hard time deciding whether I should be worried for his well being or not. I watched him for awhile, listening to his steady breathing, when I heard quiet hooves trotting behind me. “Lieutenant, it’s time for your...oh, Shepard, there you are.” I turned to see Dr. Chalkdust approaching us, with a small satchel dangling from her barding. She passed by me without a word, moving to Dexter’s side. She withdrew a small syringe from the satchel delicately in her teeth and proceeded to inject into Dexter’s foreleg without any warning from her or complaint from him. The delirious Lieutenant was completely oblivious to what Chalkdust had done, and was still staring deeply into distant space. He shut his eyes, and leaned against the wall of lockers, breathing deeply before drifting into what looked like a peaceful sleep. Chalkdust returned the medicine to the satchel, and backed away from the resting pony slowly, signaling me to follow. When we were sufficiently away from the sleeping officer, I spoke up. “Is he going to be alright, Dr. Chalkdust?” She gave me a gentle smile. “Oh yes, dear, he will be just fine. He’s just exerted himself more in the past day then he has in a long while. The medicine I gave him will give him some much needed rest, he’ll be awake in a few hours.” We meandered over to an empty table, and Chalkdust invited me to sit down a moment. I complied, and sat across from her. She engaged me in idle conversation, but I could not help but turn the conversation back to Dexter. “Is it alright to just leave him lying against the wall like that?” I asked, glancing in the direction of my slumbering friend. Chalkdust nodded. “While I agree that it is very strange, the Lieutenant seems to prefer the cold steel floors to the beds we provide in the crew chambers. I think its the way the metal vibrates with the ship that calms him.” “What about his implants? They seemed to be causing him a lot of pain.” She nodded again. “He is one of the lucky few who do not suffer some of the agonizing side effects of his generation. I’ve seen ponies go stark raving mad under the influence of defective implants, but the L2 variation certainly had the worst of it.” “L2 generation?” I inquired. “What’s that?” “The price of emergent science, that’s what it is,” she groused. “When the EX radiation leaks occurred, we were nowhere near ready to deal with the consequences. Once we realised what was happening to those affected, the science was quick to fill in the gaps. The first generation of implants were a complete disaster, killing nearly the entire population of test subjects, which to date nopony knows exactly how many.” Chalkdust shook her head in disgust. “The second generation fared better, the subjects actually surviving the first rounds of testing to make it to the side effects. They ranged from at worst, complete psychosis, to at best, intense migraines, like the Lieutenant. He survived all of the trials the testing companies threw at him, and became one of the first and greatest Magitech soldiers of the Earth Pony race.” “Haven’t there been any further improvements since then? It has been several years since first exposure hasn’t it?” The grey mare smiled. “That’s where the Lieutenant’s stubbornness comes in. Yes there have been much more improvements since then. As it stands now with the new collaborations with the Corral races, we are currently in the third generation of magitech , and I believe that there have been rumors of advancing into a fourth within the next few months. However, the Lieutenant claims that while the L3 and possibly the new L4 implants are considerably more stable, they don’t put out near the levels of raw power that the L2 can. He figures that if the worst he has to deal with is headaches, then he can tough it out.” Chalkdust’s face bore a look of fondness as she finished her tale. “I suppose he considers his implants as a badge of honor.” I found myself sharing her expression, a smile forming on my face in regards to our discussion. I had only known Dexter, or really anypony on this crew for no more than a day, and I felt I was learning a great deal about them without the chaos of a battlefield to distract me. It seemed that even aboard the Normanedy, there would be no lack of conversation, or learning of my crewmates further to be had. The crowd of ponies at the head table began to laugh loudly, apparently finding the perfect way to shake off the tension of the previous day’s battle. With time, I might get to know them all better and make new friends. It was certainly something to look forward to. I bade the doctor goodbye, remembering that I still had one pressing matter to attend to. I set off towards the elevators to the upper deck, looking back once to see Chalkdust remaining at the table, glancing towards the still form of the Lieutenant. Yes, definitely something to look forward to. Little had changed from my last visit to the Navigation room, if anything it was busier than ever. Ponies were feverishly typing into the computers, and many of them were also communicating through numerous radio channels. I caught certain words they spoke to countless listeners, which led me to believe that this was damage control of the catastrophe of the day before. Even Navigator Westward was busily using the galaxy map, searching for flight paths and points of interest the Geld may choose next, and hopefully warn them of impending invasion. I knew I would be of no use on this deck, and proceeded through the room towards the hallway on the far side. At the far end of the hall was a door labeled ‘Bridge’, one which I passed through quickly to drown out the loud chattering of the previous chamber. The bridge was a pleasingly simple room. A few simple screens with various diagnostic data of the Normanedy’s systems, flight trajectory data, and other useful data for the pilot to do his job properly. In the center was a large chair sitting before a set of controls. As I approached it, it swiveled around slowly, revealing the colt sized stallion I was looking for. He still had the same mirthful expression from our first meeting, and began to chuckle quietly. “You are certainly looking well Shepard.” he said with sarcastic concern. “Not everyday you get picked up by an Alicorn relic and tossed around like a ragdoll.” I wasn’t sure what kind of answer I could give him, so I just decided to ignore the statement and stick to my task at hoof. “The Captain wants us at the Corral as soon as you can manage.” Pipsqueak smirked. “Yea, yea. We’re coming up on the Whip Gate now.” He turned to point out the window that looked out into space. I stepped towards it for a better view, looking out over the inky void. I couldn’t fathom the thought of attempting to count all the stars I saw and probably would only count a fraction of them all in the entire galaxy during my lifetime. I looked forward, and saw our destination. I had seen Whip Gates in pictures and replications, but never a real one up close before. Its name was certainly appropriate, the entire construction being shaped like a giant leather crop. It pulsated with blue energy contained within a spherical set of rings at its core, whirling, spinning, containing the immense power that the ancient device emitted. Pipsqueak returned to his controls, and steered the ship alongside the massive structure. A single tendril of energy leapt from the core, enveloping the Normanedy in a fluorescent blue. I could hear the instruments of Pipsqueaks console hum loudly, as did the entire ship, charging with otherworldly power. The ship began to vibrate ever so slightly, as the vessel started lurching forward at an increasing pace. The surge of energy pouring into the ship coarsed louder and brighter, and I could see the horizon ahead of us warping and twisting. As we cleared past the Gate, the arcing tendril gave one final push before snapping resoundly, and the Normanedy launched into light speed. I wobbled slightly as the motion dampeners kicked in, preventing me from becoming a smear on the wall. Pipsqueak hoofed expertly at his controls, never missing a beat in keeping the vessel steady as we traveled faster than light itself. Outside the Normanedy, I could see us traveling in what appeared to be a tunnel of blue light. It was rather calming to watch the galaxy whisk past us, while we sped past it with reckless abandon towards our destination. “It sure is something, isn’t it?” Pipsqueak asked, still focused on his task. “Yeah,” I replied. “It really is.” “You never get bored of it, no matter how many times you watch it go by.” Pipsqueak spoke with a great reverence of space. I never had much time to care about space growing up, but now that I was here in the thick of it, I could appreciate the life I could have lost forever if things had been different. I don’t think I could ever match his fondess of space, but I probably would come pretty close if this trip continued along the same path. “Quite the adventure this trip has turned to huh?” “I guess so.” I said, shrugging. “First a Sleipnir shows up for me, then the colony we planned to visit just happens to get attacked the same day.” Pipsqueak spun in his chair idly, reclining to a posture of relaxation and ease. “Things just end up being bigger than they seem don’t they?” “I guess so. Now all that’s left to do is see where it takes us next.” “Well, you better be damned sure that I’ll be the one taking you there,” he declared with glee. “No more boring trawler runs for me. This is the good stuff, and I can’t think of any better bird to be taking along for the ride.” I nodded in agreement as his console began to beep. He swiveled back, regaining control of the vessel. I watched out the window as the tunnel of light began to wax and wane, and in an instant, snapped out of sight. I could feel the motion dampers strain against the momentum of the ship as we slowed from the spatial jump. Out the window, I could see that the Normanedy had emerged into a set of thick nebulous clouds, darkening the light of a nearby star. I watched as the thick puffs of space dust and gas passed us by in a blink, admiring the beauty of it all. Through the depths of the clouds, I could see a solid shape, struggling to be seen through the hazy fog. As the ship moved along its course, the silhouette became more clear as we approached it when at last, we broke through the final wall of fog. What I saw there was a sight that I could only imagine in my wildest dreams. It was a circular construction, shaped like an enormous ring that had to be hundreds if not thousands of kilometers in diameter. Suspended above the ring were sets of large metal shells that were shaped not unlike the petals of a flower, and were they to close, would lock together and seal the inner ring away. As we drifted nearer to this construction, I could see many ships surrounding the nearby area. Many of the vessels were unique, unlike anything I had ever seen of the fleets in the S.T.A.B.L.E armada. Hundreds of fighters raced across the sky in defensive formations, dancing acrobatically through the air. They darted past us, many of them moving with a grace that would be reserved for actual creatures of flight, not spacecraft. Moving even closer to the station, we flew past an enormous dreadnought cruiser, the only discernible markings I could read identified it as a vessel of Unicorn design. It was a sleek and nimble construction that did little to detract from its massive size, easily dwarfing most, if not all of Earth’s own battleships. It’s wings were translucent, made from a crystalline material I had never seen before, and shimmered with prismatic colors. The bow of of the ship was shaped like the head of a pony, in deep blue and violet shades. It was clear that the Unicorns valued beauty and grace, as well as raw power, and showed it very plainly in their ships. “Thats the Dawn Star.” the pilot remarked. “Supposedly the best vessel in the Council fleet, and the flagship of the Council itself.” We drifted past the Dawn Star as it hovered idly in place. Scores of smaller ships seemed to dance around it, before the ship was well behind us and out of sight. The Normanedy swerved again to the right, and I looked ahead at the next set of ships that encompassed the area. The Pegasi warships were far more practical in appearance. Their massive ships were shaped much like birds of prey, adorned with steely wings and impressive cannons. The color schemes were brighter, a mix of fiery reds and electric yellows and blues. Even the dreadnaughts bore resemblance to giant, terrifying winged creatures made of solid metal, with massive weapons attached on each wing. Where the Unicorn vessels showed power through simplicity, the Pegasi showed its dominance with raw strength of arms. We cruised past the perimeter fleets, towards the great circular space station that was our destination. It appeared even larger as we approached it, and I could make out many more details of its construction. The ring and its arms were strewn with bright lights and towering structures. Each arm appeared to hold enclosed cities, while the center ring had many separate sections quartered off individually. Each section had to have a population of no less than hundreds of thousands of living beings using the vast station as their home. This place, this sanctuary, could have no greater meaning in its name. A button on the main console began to flash, which Pipsqueak responded by pressing it, and speaking to his radio. “S.T.A.B.L.E control tower this is SSV Normanedy, requesting docking permission.” The radio was silent for a moment, before a voice replied. “Roger that Normanedy, you are cleared to dock. Please proceed to dock D twenty four.” Pipsqueak took the reins of his ship once more, veering hard to the right. We approached one of the closer arms, and I saw a magnificent city skyline fill my field of vision as we approached an empty dock near the base of the shell. The Normanedy slowed to a crawl as she coasted quietly into place, magnetic coils clamping onto the vessel, holding her steady. The hydraulic arms hissed as they locked the Normanedy into place, and the engines dulled to a quiet hum. I could hear groaning metal as the gangway slid across towards the ship, and sealed itself into the airlock. The voice from the radio spoke once more. “Welcome Normanedy, to the Corral.” Codex Entries Added Vessel: The Corral Fleet