Blinking a few times, Twilight wakes up and sits up yawning. She rubs her eyes and looks around. Shes in a guest room in Canterlot Castle. A few feet away Spike is asleep in his, ahem, dog bed. She gets up and sits at her mirror and begins to brush her mane. Just a few hours ago she had been celebrating with all her friends, the other three Alicorns princesses, her big brother, and many other scientist ponies. They were celebrating because she, her firends, and the three other princesses restarted the engine onboard a ancient, alien starship called the Yamato. For a few hours after that they had a small celebration. Although Pinkie Pie had wanted to through a huge party, Princess Celestia said no and to hold off until something bigger.
After brushing her mane she wakes up Spike. "Hey. Spike. Wake up. Its morning. Time to get up. We got a busy day ahead of us."
Spike wakes up and yawns sitting up. "Ok ok. Im up. Good morning Twilight."
"Yes. Good Morning Spike."
They head off to the royal dinning hall. After being served their breakfast they are told that everyone else is already wide awake. In a small panic Twilight hurridly eats her pancakes and then grabs Spike. She trots a bit fast to where she believes everyone is. Arriving at the same painting had showed her and her friends a day earlier she presses the bricks in the same sequence and hurries down the stone stairs, nearly slipping a few times. She reaches the lift just as it arrives with a scientist pony on it. He bows to her and holds the gate open for her as she steps in and heads down. Upon arriving in the cavern she notices it is much more lively than it was yesterday. She hurries down to the second cavern and onto the ship where she finds Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor and all her friends in the engine room.
"Haa. Haa. Haa. Sorry for oversleeping." Twilight said as she gasps for breath.
"It's quite alright." Celestia said with a warm smile. "We all had a overly exciting and tiring day yesterday so it's understandable." Celestia walks away and into the monitor room. The Wave-Motion Engine was still running and many ponies are studying it. Twilight looks around then looks at Cadence and Shining Armor.
"Where Flurry Heart?" She asks.
"Oh. We have some maids taking care of her. I dont think she'd like the noise down here." Answered Cadence.
"True. True. Good point." Nodded Twilight. Soon Celestia waves everypony over. All the ponies enter the Monitor room and closes the door, blocking most of the engines noise. "Yes Princess?"
"We've discovered something incredible." A scientist pony presses a button and a hologram of the ship appears in the middle of the room, projected by a projector above them. The Yamato looks like a ship but at the aft end, instead of a propeller and rudder like other ocean going vessels, it has a large cone thruster and two smaller thrusters below the main thruster. The ponies stare in amazement, even Luna, Cadence, and Shining armour.
"So.......this is what the ship ACTUALLY looks like?" Stated Rainbow Dash. "It looks more like a battleship, than a actual Starship. I was expecting something more angular and scientific like starships in the movies."
"I'm sure we all were Rainbow Dash." Celestia answered. "But this is what the ship actually looks like. The full name of the ship, in the creators tongue, is Uchuu Senkan Yamato which roughly translates into Equestrian as Space Battleship Yamato. "
"U-u-u-uuuuu-uchuu. S-s-s-s-sem-seeennn.........grrrrr...forget it. Thats quite a mouthful. I think ill just stick with Yamato." Rainbow Dash said. Many of the other agreed.
"Yes. Well. This is called a holorgram. A 3D visual representation of the ship. But thats not all." Celestia nodded to the scientist who presses another button and the ship seperates into different parts. The ponies watch in amazement.
"Woah. Now Ah have ta admit. Thats is mighty cool." Applejack said with a bit of excitement.
"Yeah. Cool. P-princess. What did you do?" Asked Twilight.
"Well, all these parts are different sections of the ship. The original users used this hologram to keep an eye on the status of each section it seems. For example." Celestia said and used her hoof to press the engine room section of the hologram. It glows red while the rest stay blue. A tag appears with a line drawn that connects a box to the engine room section. In the box it reads: Wave-Motion Engine room. Status: Active. "This is the engine room. Where we are currently located."
"Then what's this?" Rainbow Dash asked as she presses one of the gun turrets. It goes red and the engine room back to blue. A tag connected to the turret pops up showing its name and status. It says: First Shock Cannon Turret. 48 cm caliber positron cannon. Status: Inactive. "Wow. So it really is a cannon turret."
The ponies approach and begin to take turns looking at different sections that may intrest them. Finally Celestia has an idea.
"Alright everyone. How about we all choose a place we want to visit and then take a tour of the ship together. Our final destination will the the bridge." Celestia said.
The ponies agree and begin to choose where they want. Celestia then leads the group as they all visit the sections the ponies chose. They first started with Rainbow Dash and her choice of the fighter launch bay. Inside this section is a large rotating carousel with dozens of stange vehicles on it. The ponies look around in awe especially Rainbow Dash.
Next up is Twilight and the Science and Technology Lab. Then Pinkie Pie and the mess hall. Rarity and the Radio Station. Shining Armor and the port missile launchers. Cadence and the crew quarters. Applejack and the Port Observation Dome. Fluttershy and the Medical Bay. Luna and the Automatic Navigation Room. And finally Spike and the second Shock Cannon Turret. Everything amazed the ponies to no end. Everywhere they went it was incredible. They soon made it to the first Bridge of the ship. They entered by using 2 elevators. Its still dark as no pony had been inside the bridge yet. As they approach the consoles in the middle of the room Fluttershy gives out a shriek and hides behind Rainbow Dash.
"Woah. What wrong Fluttershy?" Asked Rainbow Dash as she looked at her friend. Flutter shy points to something behind them. They all turn and see a multiple pairs of eyes staring at them. Feeling a bit scared the ponies manage to turnnon the lights to see who it is. As the lights come on they all laugh except for fluttershy whos srill hiding. Finally Twilight comfort her.
"Its ok Fluttershy. Its just a painting. Take a look." Twilight said. Fluttershy poke her head put and looks at the painting. It has several stange creatures on it. The Yamato and a planet is in the background.
"Oh. Hee hee. Yes. A painting. Of course. Silly me." Fluttershy stood back up and smiles a bit. Twilight lookes at a plaque under the painting and reads it aloud.
"Pictured above are five of the original crew that made the One year trip to and from Planet Iscandar. From the left: Lieutenant Commander Shiro Sanada, Lieutenant Commander Hikozaemon Tokugawa, Vice-Admiral Juzo Okita, Lieutenant Susumu Kodai, and Lieutenant Yuki Mori. This painting is dedicated to all those who made the one year journey to and from Iscandar to save Mother Earth." Twilight read. The ponies look at the painting in amazement.
"So.....your saying......that these are the creatures that original built and piloted the Yamato?" Said Rainbow Dash. "They look so strange."
"Indeed. No horn or even a wing. No mane either. How did these creatures live?" Stated Rarity.
"I don't know. But its amazing isn't it. These are the original crew members. I wonder what it was like back then. To live on the Yamato back then." Twilight said with a large smile.
"By the way, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said smuggly. "How were you able to read the paintings plaque?"
"I studied the language from the translations thus far. I think i got most of it right." Twilight answered back.
"Egghead." Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash with annoyance. "Maybe you should study sometime. You could learn a thing or two about knowledge, musle brain." Twilight said.
This annoyed Rainbow dash as she got up in Twilights face. "Who are you calling a muscle brain, egghead!?" Yelled Rainbow dash. Before they can get into a fight Celestia cleared her throat and the two ponies reacted and looked at her.
"Come now you two. No need to fight. We are on the verge of a great discovery. Please make up. Both of you have talents of your own. Rainbow Dash, Twilight just likes to study. You know this. No need to call her an egghead. And Twilight, Rainbow may speak before thinking but you dont have to call her a muscle brain." Celestia said.
They sigh and nod and apologize to each other. "Im sorry for calling you an egghead." Said Rainbow Dash.
"And I'm sorry for calling you a muscle brain." Twilight answered back.
They rejoin the other ponies. "So now what your majesty?" Asked Twilight.
"Well, the Engine room said this was the First bridge. So i was hoping to find a master control over the ship or a record of the ships logs at the least." Celesstia said.
The ponies nod and begin to look around. They check all the monitors on the bridge but with little success. Finally Twilight finds something.
"Hey. I found something!" Twilight yelled out. The ponies come over to the captains helm where shes at. "It looks like it maybe the ships logs. But its protected. Hm............i wonder.....it needs a password."
"A password? Great. We might as well just be guess passwords." Said Rainbow Dash.
"Hmmm........or maybe not." Twilight stated with curiousity.
"Say what now." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well. There something here. A note from the captain. It says the password is something that we have but not always see. Something that can save but never guarantee. That when darkness falls and everything is lost, this one thing is the light that will shine and lead our way." Twiilight said.
"What is this a quiz now?" Rainbow Dash said.
"I believe thats an easy answer." Luna said and every pony looks at her. "Its simple. Hope."
After some thinking Twilight smiles. "Thats it. Hope. We dont always see it but during dark times we know we have it. And no matter what happens it will always light our way. That is brilliant Princess Luna. How did you know it was so easy?"
"Well......." Luna glances at Celestia. "I once was lost in darkness. My jelousy of my sister got the better of me. But. I stil clung onto the hope of one day reunitinfg with my sister."
The ponies look at Luna in amazement and then smile with Celestia shedding a tear. She walks over and huge Luna. "Oh sister. Thank goodness that hope shone through. Im glad to have my sister back." Celestia said.
They hug for a bit and then break and stand next to each other as Twilight types in the creatures native word for hope. It unlocks and they get everything. Operations manuals, Ships logs and records, and finally books about the former crew and their world. The only problem was that they were in the language of the original creators. With a heavy sigh the ponies look at the books that are unreadable to them.
"I guess. We'll have to wait. To translate all of these. Which could take a long time." Celestia said sadly. The other ponies feel down.
"Is there any way to speed it up?" Asked Applejack.
"I dont think so." Celestia sadly said. This got the ponies down even more.
"Maybe i can help." A voice said behind them. All the ponies turn and see both Sunburt and Starlight Glimmer standing next to the elevator.
"Sunburst?! Starlight?! What are you two doing here?" Twilight said completely shocked.
"Oh. Princess Celestia called for us yesterday." Starlight said as she and sunburst join the other ponies. "We arried early this morning and were amazed to see such a thing."
"I invited them as soon as we got the Wave-Motion Engine running. I thought that we may need their help. Im pleased to say that we do." Celsestia said getting her hopes back up.
"Leave it to us your majesties." Sunburst confidentiality said with a smile. "To translate all of this will be easy as a children picture book. I hope."
"Yeah. You didnt have to add that last bit you know." Said Rainbow Dash. Sunburst gives a slight nervous chuckle. Twilight moves out of their way and Sunburst begins to change all of the material infront of him while Starlight Glimmer helps him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A few hours later they finish up. "Alright. Done and done. Ive learned the entire alphebet of the previous creators and can help anypony with translating." Sunburst confidentiality stated.
"Thank you so much Sunburt and Starlight Glimmer." Celestia said as the ponies walk over. Twilight takes Sunburst place and looks at the ships record.
"This. This is incredible." Twilight said.
"What is sugercube?" Asked Applejack.
"Well. These records. Its more like a captains log of the ship. It has many of its moments written here. And if im reading this correctly, this is like a super warship." Twilight said.
The ponies look at each other in confusion. "What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It means that this ship was made to combat even the worst threats even if it has to do it by itself." Twilight said.
"So your saying that this ship can pretty much tackle any amount of tasks BY ITSELF?" Question Applejack.
"Pretty much, yes. But....darn some of the story is missing." Said Twilight.
"Not missing but lost. It appears that its been hundreds of thousands of years since anyone has touched this ship. I believe that some of the story was lost. Shame." Sunburst said.
"Well? What does it say now? Please read it to us." Luna said anxiously.
"Oo. Story time!? I love story time! Wait! Let me get some popcorn!" Pinkie said excitedly. She runs out of the room and returns within seconds with several buckets of popcorn and cups of soda. "Ok im back!"
Sunburst looks at her astonished. "How did you........so fast."
"It Pinkie Pie. Just roll with it." Said Rainbow Dash. The other mares nod.
"Alright then." Stammered Sunburst still completely astonished.
Twilight clear her throat. "So...from what im reading here it goes like this. In the year 2191, the race calling themselves humans, made contact with a extraterrestrial race called Garmillas. But war soon broke out and the humans began to lose rapidly. The Yamato was built by the human as an ark for surviving humans to flee their planet called Earth that had been turned into a uninhabitable planet due to bombardment from the Gamillas weapons. However another extraterrestrial race called the the Iscandarians made contact and said that they had technology to reverse the effects of the bombardment and return Earth to its former state. But Iscandar was too far away thus the leader and one of the last surviving Iscandarians, Queen Starsha, provided Wave-Motion technology to the humans. Thus the ship and its crew took a near one year long, round trip journey to reach the planet of Iscandar and retrieve the Cosmo Reverse System in 2199. They faced hardships along the way including.....wow......a mutiny of extremists. As well as large fleets of Gamillas ships and the Garmillas Leader himself. However in less than one year the ship returned and revived the earth back to original state."
"Wow. The ship and her crew acomplished all of that in less than one year? Fascinating." Clestia said.
"I must say that is quite a feat." Luna said enthusiasticly.
"That.....is.......so.....cool!" Cried out Rainbow Dash.
"Wait. Theres two more entries here. The rest are sadly lost." Said Twilight.
"Really! Awesome." Rainbow Dash ash said enthusiasticly.
"This next entry takes place about three year later. After the defeat of the Garmillas Empire, the Garmillas people reunified under a new flag, made peace with earth and even formed a alliance with the humans. Together they confronted the Gatlantis Empire. While they stopped the first wave it came at a heavy cost."
"So thats why the ship is here? It crashed?" Asked Rainbow Dash interrupting Twlight.
"No. Just listen. At the time, Yamato was replaced by another kind of starship called the Andromeda. It was supposed to be more powerful than Yamato. However the crew of the Yamato experienced a call from a far away planet to recieve a new power. While originally not allowed to go, the crew stole the Yamato and took the journey by themselves. This was smart as the Gatlantis Empire invades again and begins to destroy the Human-Garmillas fleets. But just as they reach Earth Yamato returns with the new power and destroys the Gatlantis Empire."
"Woooooooowwwwwwww.......that was...EPIC." Squealed Rainbow Dash. "I bet that was a huge flank kicking they did. Hee hee."
"In a way. Yes. They did lose some of thier crew though." Twilight sadly said.
"Oh........." Rainbow Dash calmed down and looked down. "I guess it wasn't all good."
"Yeah. Sorry to spoil your enthusiasm Rainbow Dash." Twilight softly said.
"Its ok. Whats the last entry." Rainbow Dash asked.
"Actually the last entry is about how the ship got here." Twilight answered.
The ponies stare deep in thought. "WHAT!?" They all said together and at once in huge surprise.
"Yes. Some of it was lost but here is what im getting at." Twilight said as she resumed. "After a unknowingly number of years the humans began to lose in another war. But they believed Yamato to be too old and unfit for duty so they placed it as a reserve ship. However this became their undoing as the new threat kept advancing faster and faster until they reached Earth and began to attack. Knowing full well that the human race was doomed they hid the Yamato. Burying it in hopes that another worthy race would come along and find her and use her to destroy the new threat."
Twilight looks up at all the shocked faces. After a moment of silence Rainbow Dash speaks first.
"So....what your saying is that the humans hid the ship on their home planet right? THIS ship. The one were in right now?" She said.
"Well......yes. This planet was once home to the human race." Answered Twilight. It takes a few minutes for everyone to comprehend what they just heard.
"Well......this just changed the entirety of all pony history. " Celestia said still in complete shock. "And your certain this is whats written?" She asked looking at Sunburst.
"As far as i know, yes. We translated it as best as we could." Sunburst answered.
"Theres a time stamp here. It reads that its been about one hundred fifty nine thousand, seven hundred sixty eight (159,768) years since they buried the ship." Stated Twilight as she looks at the time stamp at the end of the entry.
"So this ship has been buried here for over one hundred fifty thousand years? And it still works. Most incredible." Luna said completely flabbergasted.
"What i know of our history, written and documented evidence of pony kind began around ninety seven thousand years ago. In other words it was around sixty two thousand, seven hundred sixty eight years since the humans end that we began. Thats not possible as evolution takes a lot longer." Stated Celestia.
"Hmmmm.......if i may make a hypothesis here your majesties." Stated Sunburst. "I dont think we evolved ninety seven thousand years ago."
"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.
"Well, it just a theory on evolution. But i think that our earliest ancestors lived ALONG SIDE the humans. But they evolved first so we couldn't evolve until they were out of the picture." Sunburst stated. Everyone gasps.
"D-do you think its possible?" Asked Fluttershy.
"Its a possibility. I dont know for sure yet though but i wouldnt count it out." Answered Sunburst.
"This completely changes pony kind as we know it." Stated Twilight.
After a moment of silence Celestia speaks.
"Mention this to no one for now. This is another secret that can not be let out. We're done for the day. Ill take a copy of all these books and look through them my self. The morning after tomorrow, two days from now, everypony gather back in here and well talk more. Thank you all for your hard work." Celestia said. Although she acted like nothing had happened it was clear she was disturbed by what she had just heard.
As the ponies break up and go thier seperate ways Rainbow dash catches up to Applejack.
"So......what do you think AJ?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"Ah dont know what to think RD. Its.....hard to process what we just heard." Answered Applejack a bit solemn.
"Then.........what do you think about all of this?" Rainbow Dash asked akwardly.
Applejack look up with a serious face. ".......ah think.......we just opened a door. A door that maybe should have stayed shut for all eternity."