Warning, some very foul language towards the end. This will be one of the few times I do have my characters swear uncensored. I assure you, though, that I am doing this for a reason. I also apologize for the long absence, as I had to work on a visual novel as well as home issues.
Station Dreams
Twilight tried to remove the anti-inertia gel by shaking it off at first. Then she tried to remove it by magic and failed miserably. The smell was obnoxious. There was about half an hour until their transport pod would reach the Harmony, the space station run by Rear Admiral Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. She was not going to meet her brother and sister in law looking like some sort of goo monster. She saw Applejack quietly freaking out as the gel had gotten into her eyes and kept her from opening them. Rarity was in some sort frozen panic. She had been told that the gel would just slide off. Twilight had never been in the gel before, but kept her cool, and tried to comfort the two of them. Before anyone started really freaking out, the computer turned on the showers and Twilight led Applejack to the eye-wash station.
It took half an hour for Rarity to choose a hat that could work in the brief zero-gravity and the Harmony space station. In that time Twilight trained them how to transfer from the pod to the station, Fluttershy found that the computer was not mean at all and Pinkie Pie finished crying over all her squished confectioneries, who could not survive the pod's entry into the depths of space. Perhaps, Rainbow Dash soliloquized, they were not meant for this new era of awesomeness. Spike presided, and the treats were given a proper space burial.
Despite four accidents, one injury and two arguments, they made it onto the six hooped space station. The Harmony was the first great space station to orbit Equestria. It started as one hoop for the various specialists who ran the satellites. Then, several rich ponies got it into their heads that it would be cool and fashionable to go to space. The station expanded, and several smaller and more luxurious stations began orbiting elsewhere. When Shining Armor acquired enough clout in the human war council, the station was expanded and he was given a miniscule fleet to protect the 'Pony sector'. Princess Celestia did not allow military ships close to the planet for longer than necessary, so most of the ships under Shining Armor's command were kept on patrol, or as parts of pirate hunter fleets that surrounded the 'Pony Frontier'.
The pod lost gravity as it was forced to lose it's spin to dock with the stationary module on the outside of the top ring. Once they were aboard, the pod disconnected and the module matched the spin of the rings, providing gravity and allowing the seven to finally enter the Harmony.
“Twili! Everyone! It's so good to see you again!” Shining Armor, garbed in tradition Pony military uniform, was looking genuinely happy to see the sore, tired and somewhat cranky group of mares and one young dragon. He seemed oblivious to their murderous glares as his genuine cheerfulness began to force them to conform. He began escorting them. “I'm sorry that you have to leave so soon, I have so much to tell and show you!” Cadence, arrived in a blast of teleportation magic. Shining and Cadence nuzzled lovingly, causing Spike to flinch at this pony disease called love.
“Don't worry every pony, I can fix this!” She triumphantly declared. She let loose and soon everypony was relaxing in the aura of gentle love magicks. Everypony sighed in relief and began to smile. Pinkie Pie, however was suspicious. Was Cadence's power truly as controlled as they assumed it was? Was the love and friendship of Equestria natural? Or was it controlled by the unholy alliance of power hungry princesses spreading a devious matriarchy to keep pony kind down. This was why she started the revolution! Eventually, Pinkie Pie would cast down the regents from their mountain home and...
“Pinkie Pie are you okay?” Fluttershy had noticed that Pinkie Pie had spaced out with an ever widening grin on her face. Fluttershy feared that the smile would begin to hurt. Pinkie Pie waved a hoof at her.
“Oh, don't be silly! Any day to plot a revolution is an OKAY DAY!” She jumped up and down, causing Fluttershy to flitter nervously, before deciding to catch up with the main group.
Twilight and Shining were greatly enjoying their time talking to one another. While he was away for most of the year, he had begun, at Cadence's request to write to Twilight and update her on what he was doing, when he could tell her, that is. They passed through the stokes until they reached the bottom and oldest rung.
“Hey... Spare some faygo? Maybe a bit or dollar or coin? I'm down on my luck and stuck on this god-forsaken series of hoola-hoops.” A facepainted... clown? Stumbling down a side-corridor towards them was some sort of buffoon wearing purple, raggedy clothes and facepaint. His hair was wild and uncut and he assaulted Rarity's eyes such as to nearly cause her to faint.
Shining stamped in bad temper and trapped him in a purple sphere. “How did you get out of the cell?” The pierrot honked at him. He wasn't trying to swear, he was just honking. “Come on!”
“Miracles man. Ain't got no other explanation. Honk.” Shining's eyes glinted in fine bad temper. Cadence was nuzzling him.
Twilight was concerned, her brother never showed anger like that. “What is he?”
Cadence shut Shining down and answered. “Juggalos, they spread with the humans. We don't really know what they are but they're mostly harmless. It's some sort of human music too, we ponies usually find it far to violent. He arrived one day, fairly drunk and we've been trying to get rid of him since. He likes 'Faygo'.”
Pinkie Pie's eyes widened. She loved Faygo! Before she could say anything, Shining picked up the spherical prison telekinetically and began shifting it into an elevator. “Cadence, take them to the transport. I'm putting this guy into the cell myself.” Cadence waited until he was gone.
“I really don't know why the clown disturbs my Shining Armor so much. Come along, my little ponies, I'll see you off. Baron Tewkesbury took a more direct route to the Prince's Ship. He's a savage one, but unquestionably loyal to Pony-kind.” They marched, a little more subdued than before, toward the shuttle dock. This shuttle was circling the station much like a geostationary satellite, and thus they could board. Cadence hugged them all, then said. “We know what's beyond our system, but we do not understand it. When Shining came back to me, to marry, he was a little different. He brooded for a long time before he became happy again.” She looked out into space.
“This universe is chaos. It's like Discord is everywhere. Whatever you do, do not be consumed by it.” She nodded at them, once. She hoped they understood. Even Rainbow Dash was looking subdued, no! She rallied.
“Don't worry Princess! We'll be able to beat anything that comes our way and we'll come back with a new planet!” She pumped a hoof in the air and everyone cheered, but Cadence.
“Just remember, they aren't us.” Cadence smiled at them. “But we wouldn't send you if we didn't think you could do it!” She left the shuttle and closed the doors with the magic. The shuttle left. Cadence cried for them as their star got dimmer and dimmer as it headed for the dark side of the moon.
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Baron Tewkesbury.
Baron Tewkesbury, truth be told, was far too old to gallivant off to other worlds. His body was old. He was younger than Granny Smith but he was barely in better shape than she was. He had fought in wars, killed dragons and cockatrices... His body could be handled with exercise, good eating and drugs, but he could not stop the nightmares. He could not stop the gnawing at his spirit slowly trying to drive him mad. Several days in the year he did not sleep at all.
One nightmare concerned the death of his oldest son. He and his son had been hunting a violent cockatrice and killed it. The vengeful mother cockatrice froze him and his son, shattering his son before unfreezing the Baron and departing. Another nightmare was Apple Crisp's fall off of an airship during a fight with Sky Pirates. He had thought her dead, but she had been forced to journey through Everfree for years until she got out. Another Nightmare was the death of his second wife. She had died in child birth and the child that killed her coughed up a lung in his hooves as he cried.
The worst were the nightmares about his youth. His youth was not, as a whole, nightmarish, but there was a reason he was so angry all the time. He dreamed of the first dragon he killed coming back for revenge. He dreamed of his father, hulking and ashamed of his undersized son. He dreamed of the War of Humans and Ponies.
He screamed at his parents. They were keeping him back, he knew. His cutie mark was the apple over a saddle, it meant he would travel. He wanted to so badly it burned. He ran away in middle of the night. His father came after him and tackled him. Rain poured down but he could see his father's breath, towering over him like a colossus.
“OBEY ME OR I WILL BREAK YOU UNTIL YOU DO!”
Tewkesbury said nothing but charged. He tore his father down from his high perch and pummeled him into unconsciousness, his mother screaming out at them, too afraid to get into the middle of the melee. His father had gotten some very good blows on him, like always, but Tewkesbury didn't care. He collected his soggy things and trotted away. He would return, but only in triumph.
The Nightmare skipped ahead. This was the yank on the dog's chain, the kick when he was down.
Apple Crisp had been put in his platoon. They eventually recognized each other as sixth cousins. They trained together and went into battle together.
One night. This was the best part. The moon was high. There was not a cloud and the stars were beautiful. They sat on a stone and looked up, but then they looked at each other. They kissed. He said: Do you love me? Is this love I feel for you?
She smiled. Then, she kissed him fiercely. She replied: Yes. You do, you love me as much as I do. You've been so closed to everyone, but not to me. You must love me.
He paused to take a breath: That sounds right. I love you.
Then the nightmare skips forward quickly. The next day. The next few glorious battles. The humans were savage, but the ponies discovered... terrible things about themselves, what they could do. Unicorns provided the main ground force, tearing magical holes into the human ranks while pegasi took down air power and out-flanked them. It was the earth ponies who charged forward unflinching. They trampled and captured the humans in massive numbers. Eventually, Celestia said, it would be too expensive for the humans to keep fighting, and they'll offer a peace agreement.
The last great battle.
A great explosion threw the ponies around the battlefield. Tewkesbury lost sight of Apple Crisp and searched for the giant love of his life. He heard her screaming as a human stabbed her, trying to hit something vital. Tewkesbury beat him to death with his hooves.
“YOU DAMFUCKERS THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME!?!?” He cried as he charged into an entire squad, causing them to scatter. He killed again and again. “YOU THINK YOU'RE BIG FOR KICKING A WOUNDED MARE WHEN SHE'S DOWN?” One human had his throat ripped out by Tewkesbury's teeth. Another had her genitals crushed. One lined up a gun at him and fired, but Apple Crisp was there and took the shot. Faster than he could have believed, he broke the human's neck then galloped back to her.
“You dumb BITCH!” He screamed at her as he began to administer aid. He ripped her first aid pack off her back. “You are the FIRST pony to LOVE ME! I WON”T LET YOU GO!” He called for a medic as he plastered the wound and poured medicinal alcohol and anti-bacterial medicine into the wound as she struggled to breath. “DON”T LEAVE ME YOU SELFISH NAG! YOU SELFISH BITCH! YOU AREN'T LEAVING AFTER I TOLD YOU I LOVED YOU! YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME? THEN DON'T LEAVE ME! Don't leave me! You think you can leave whenever you want!? I WON'T LET YOU! YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH MY HEART LIKE THAT!” He began applying bandages. The blood flow began to lessen and he prayed to Celestia that she would be saved.
A shadow over him. A claw reached down. He stared into the eyes of pure, undiluted chaos.
“HA ha ha!” The draconequus laughed, the ground turned to purple bubblegum and the clouds to vinegar. The birds flew backwards and the humans found themselves in dreamscape.
“YOU! You're Discord!” Tewkesbury did not cease pressing on the bleeding wound. “Please! Save her!”
“Why should I?”
Tewkesbury was stumped. Love would not be reason enough. Force would be futile. He had one thing he could offer.
“I will give you my future!”
The draconequus stopped turning a mobile suit polka dotted in orange and blue and cast his gaze upon Tewkesbury. “Do you know what you are offering?” He said, amused.
“No... BUT WHATEVER IT IS TAKE IT IN RETURN FOR HER!” Tewkesbury could not think. He would have said anything, begged any god or demon for Apple Crisp.
“Alright. Alright, I like this! No one's done this before!” The Draconequus snapped his fingers and flowers grew out of the wound, closed it, then wilted.
“What now?”
“I mess with your future.” Discord forced Tewkesbury to look him in the eyes. “I like what I see. I just need to... tweak it!” He laughed as he jammed his claws into Tewkesbury's eyes. “COLT! Your future was already a hard one and I must admit, very cool. I cannot do much to make it more interesting but I found a way!”
“What do you mean?”
“You will have a ridiculous amount of kids, and each one will go to college. Each one will choose a different profession and each one will have a different personality!” Discord laughed. “I can't wait to see how your family turns out! I'll watch you with amusement. What fun you'll have at family reunions!” He disappeared, his mouth last, laughing.
In his nightmares, Apple Crisp stopped breathing and left him, and him giving his future to chaos was for nothing.
He suddenly awoke. Apple Crisp was standing over him. She saw his eyes and kissed him. She knew him so well. With one glance she knew she had woken him in the middle of a nightmare “I won't leave you. I'm a fairly stubborn 'honk'.” The Baron did not smile, but got up out of the gel and stood on his own four feet. Apple Crisp waited. Her proud husband was 'dominant'. Sometimes other mares mocked her for letting her husband have 'free reign'. They didn't understand. They would be offended if their mates did not show them an affection instantly. After all these years, there was plenty of time to wait.
Finally, when he gained strength back to his legs, he kissed her back. Then, he broke it. “Come on. The stupid children are probably fighting or something. I don't trust that honked griffon that Terra Firma married.” They staggered off together, still trying to find proper space legs. They entered the main room, where the family, this group over one hundred and fifty stallions, mares and youngsters waited for them.