//------------------------------// // Chapter 39: The Truth // Story: Through the Aurora // by Starscribe //------------------------------// Summer stayed beside Sharp until he started shivering, and kept beside him until he stopped again. They might be species from the same planet, but there was no denying how much cooler ponies were compared to hippogriffs, even when they weren’t freezing to death. Probably the same comparison to birds and other mammals. She found herself thinking back to that naturalistic comparison more than once, and all the things she might do under that blanket. The warmer Sharp got, the more his natural scent returned, and the more her mind and body confounded her. You know he wants to, Summer. It wouldn’t be hard, whispered one side of her mind, while the other reminded her. You’re a man, and you will be again. Do you really want to promise him a relationship you won’t be able to continue? Ultimately she didn’t have to decide at all, because Sharp’s fatigue won out. She resisted her own, though in her mind she’d done far more physical work than he had. She slipped out of the blanket, and hurried up the stairs out into the cold air.  It was like a cold shower to clear her mind, and drive off thoughts of the things she didn’t want to do. Honestly she didn’t. Besides, Emerald was back at the helm, her hooves settled up against it like she might start freezing soon too. Summer hurried over to join her, wrapping a protective wing around the filly. “Hey, sweetheart. Great job up here.” She whimpered, clinging to her and shivering. But she was still warm enough to shiver. Of course, she grew up in this cold. This is her world, she’s not a foreigner here. It wasn’t cold the child was feeling, but overwhelmed. Summer held still, letting her whimper and cry and muttering little words of encouragement. “You did great. Your master’s safe. We’re going to be fine.” “I don’t have a clue where we went,” she said, as soon as she’d recovered enough to speak again. “The wind has been going pretty good since we, uh… blew away. It might be hard to get back to that island.” Summer nodded. “It’s okay. I would’ve liked to get a good look, but… we learned a lot. The trip was worth it. It’s not fair a filly like you has to carry so much. You did fantastic.” She scooped her up onto her back, sparing a few moments to check the instruments. Altimeter was stable, and compass suggested they were drifting west. Towards Equestria, or the same continent as Equestria anyway. Ostensibly the correct direction, though they were so far north they’d be far away from any settlements. And hopefully any chance of Feather finding us. Sharp did something when they were sleeping for the night sometimes, a way to fix the helm into a heading using the compass and the complex mechanical device beside it. But Summer didn’t know how it worked, so she just switched the engines cold. Best save fuel if they didn’t know where they were going. “Let’s get inside. You can take a nice warm shower, and when you’re done we can do a movie before bed.” That made her light up. “Your tablet is charged again?” “Enough,” she answered. “With this much wind, it might be fully charged. But it will have the power we need for a few hours of watch time, anyway.” While the filly used what little hot water their tank could produce, she made dinner and hot chocolate, working as quietly as she could to not wake the resting Sharp. If he rose, he didn’t say anything, not until Emerald emerged wearing a towel, and looking far less strained. “I smell that chocolate stuff again!” she squealed, bouncing her way into the kitchen. “You made more?” Summer nodded. “I won’t do it that often. But I felt like doing something familiar after a hard day. Nothing’s better than hot chocolate after being out in the cold. Dinner’s not exciting otherwise, just more canned stuff and some apple preserve. But I’m starving, and I bet you are too.” Unfortunately there weren’t any canned fish—she probably should’ve thought of buying some before leaving Mt. Aris behind. Too late for that now. By the time they sat down to eat, Sharp joined them at the table, haggard but looking much better. She couldn’t see any signs of frostbite to his skin anyway. Glad we caught that in time. I bet Equestria isn’t very good at skin grafts and corrective surgery. “I made you some,” she said. “You should probably eat too. More the better.” They ate in relative silence, with the weight of exhaustion hanging heavy between them. Sharp glanced out the window once, then back to her. “We’re still moving. Bucking strong current we found ourselves in.” Emerald looked like she might correct his language, but then thought better of it and just turned away. “I’d say the fortress might’ve been cursed. Like… this is its defense or something.” “Not likely,” Sharp said absently. “We think it’s a human fortress, and they don’t have magic. Probably not a spell.” “What?” Emerald tilted her head to the side, looking confused. “Human, uh… oh! Isn’t that what you were called back home, Summer?”  She laughed weakly. “Not very often. It’s the name of my species. Like ‘pony’. But… I do think Athemis is a human structure. Or at least occupied by them later on. Hard to say for sure now that we’re drifting away at five knots.” Sharp sighed into his meal, sliding the plate between his hooves. “It’s a terrible shame to leave so soon, but we probably shouldn’t turn around. If we use more fuel fighting this air-current, we’ll need to stop for more in Equestria before we reach Sleighsburg, probably in the Crystal Empire. I believe we left the Empire with a bomb last time we landed, so I’m not keen on repeating the visit.” She nodded. “Well, we have the map. You found it before, and you could find it again if we ever went back.”  “We,” he repeated, raising an eyebrow. “We’re taking you back to your planet, aren’t we? Probably… won’t be making another trip after that.” “Yeah.” She looked away, ears flattening. “You’re probably right. But just in case! Even if it isn’t me… really, the ones who need to see that place are archeologists. Those are some of the best-preserved medieval specimens I’ve ever seen. Their armor, their possessions… I bet there are museums back home that would kill for that stuff.” “This doesn’t make sense!” Emerald declared, folding her hooves. “How do you know it was Summer’s creatures living there?” “There were… signs,” Sharp said, meeting her eyes meaningfully. The message there was obvious—‘don’t tell her.’  But those big eyes turned on her in an instant, and Summer knew she wouldn’t stand a chance. She didn’t even try. “There were a few left behind,” she said. “Bodies, I mean. I guess there wasn’t anywhere to bury them out on the island.” “Oh.” Emerald shivered, all curiosity vanishing. “That must’ve been hard.” Sharp glared across the table at her, but it was mostly a lie, so she hadn’t really done what he didn’t want, right?  “Yeah,” she said. “Really hard. I’d want to tell their families if they hadn’t been here for hundreds of years. So… probably not anybody left to tell at this point. But there’s one thing that’s been bothering me, Sharp. Maybe you have some idea.” “Maybe I do.” He waved a hoof noncommittally. “You can ask. I don’t think I’m half as clever as you are, though. Most of what I have is just… experience.” She ignored the jab. “They were still human,” she said, holding up a claw. “Notice anything different? Our time together would’ve been pretty different if I still looked like them.” “Oh!” He slapped himself in the forehead with a hoof, eyes wide. “It was so obvious, I… I almost missed it completely. The doorway changed you and left them.” “It must’ve been… something different with the way they traveled,” she said. “Maybe the thing they were guarding was another doorway, but we’re assuming there. It might just be a machine made by the same people. Whoever… those people were.”   There were still no answers forthcoming on that. The middle ages might’ve contained a wealth of mechanical innovation and battles that captivated the European imagination, but that didn’t translate to machines that not even modern science couldn’t replicate. Which probably relied on magic, which should disqualify any human creators outright. “We’re taking on a rather severe burden, solving all of this,” Sharp muttered. “The kind of thing normally reserved for princesses and their apprentices, not regular ponies.” “I thought you said you weren’t like regular ponies?” Emerald said slyly. “If I wanted to be your apprentice, I’d have to be different too. I’d have to know I’d never have one home and I’d spend my whole life traveling.” He grumbled, folding his forelegs on the table. “If you hadn’t saved my life today, I’d be upset with you. But since you did, you can keep sassing me until the end of the day. Tomorrow, though…” She grinned innocently, looking satisfied. “I wish I thought we’d have the time to learn more,” Summer said. “But we have to get back. Maybe the people on the other side will want to finance an expedition.” She glanced at the saddlebags hanging on the wall, with the camera still inside. “Those pictures are going to turn heads.” I’ve got to transfer those off before I give the camera back. Let’s not scar the kid for life. Though there was probably something to be said for dead creatures of another species not being quite as scary. She’d seen vegan propaganda videos of slaughterhouses that didn’t stick with her nearly as much as the battle would. “And if they do, maybe you’ll come back and lead them,” Sharp suggested casually. “You are more familiar with our world than almost anyone else. And the only other Traveler here… probably won’t be open to the idea.” She grinned in spite of herself, seizing on the opportunity like a lifeline. A way for her to selflessly sacrifice for Earth, while not giving up what she’d found here. She’d already been prepared for long missions away from home, after all. She’d still be at Barrow Observatory on winter shift if she hadn’t been sucked away to somewhere better. “That sounds… brilliant,” she said. “I could get a few more of my things—lots more movies… and we’ve already got this ship. Not sure how many people would volunteer to come here knowing they’ll look the way I do for the duration.” “Don’t tempt me,” Sharp said, his own grin turning mischievous. “If they all look exactly like you, I’m not sure how I’ll know which one is my marefriend.” She should’ve felt sick, embarrassed, maybe frightened. But that wasn’t what she felt. They’d gone through hell together, and emerged on the other end. She liked this adventuring thing. And if she had to have a few awkward conversations with her family about what she’d be doing for the enlightenment of mankind, then… she could do that. They didn’t have to know she’d gone native. I should still wait until I know for sure. We still don’t know if they’ll ever let me come back. If I step through… I’m taking that possibility into my hands. Assuming it even worked. Fate might still solve this problem for her. Sharp was staring at her—Emerald too. She could see his worry—he hadn’t known how she’d react, and she’d turned pensive and silent. She nodded, forcing a smile. “You know what I mean, Sharp. They’ll be hippogriffs. Maybe girl hippogriffs? That might explain the other portal all on its own. Those knights never would’ve come to the secret world through the portal if they had to be girl-birds when they got here.” Rather than explain what she meant by that to poor Emerald, Summer occupied herself getting the movie ready. It wasn’t like there was anything different about it, they only had a few. Probably not Lord of the Rings after all, considering what they’d found today.  But despite all that, Summer felt good. The food might’ve been powdered, but the cabin was warm, and the company was warm too. Not only that, but there was the promise of a way to visit home and not lose touch with Equestria. A remote possibility perhaps, but she could cling to it. Now we only have to survive the rest of the trip. The next morning dawned cold on the Horizon, with the little coal burning stove that warmed them having finally ran out during the night. Summer crawled out of bed to light it, and found the couch where Sharp slept already empty. Curious. She refilled the stove from the bunker on the bottom floor, then slid her scarf off the peg and hurried up the stairs to search for Sharp. He wasn’t hard to find, manning the helm with his various navigational tools all around him. They clearly weren’t going to be doing anything today, not with the sky so cloudy that the sun was only a vague blob. “Summer,” he said, wiping the thin haze of snow from his face as she approached. “That name feels almost comical up here. I don’t think Emerald had even seen the summer until she came down with us. Her idea of warmth was a soggy cold ground with permafrost only a little deeper.” Something’s bothering you. Summer approached cautiously, settling onto her haunches on the other side of the table. She glanced briefly down at the navigational chart, and wasn’t terribly surprised by what she saw there. Instead of the line of thread representing their path, there was a circle sketched, with question marks lining the rim. Below the Horizon was windswept tundra, with occasional copses of reedy evergreens. The same sort of landscape he’d flown over for hours on his trip into Barrow. “I guess there are some good things about coming with us, then,” she said. “I’ve been living up north for months now, and I don’t know if anybody really likes it. Maybe the natives do… but she’s not really a native either, she’s a pegasus. Ponyville would be much kinder to her.” “Yes.” Sharp stared out over the horizon, his expression still dark. “But I wonder… I wonder if I’ve involved her in something terrible. I’ve been thinking since last night, and I… I don’t like what I’ve figured out.” “Okay.” She gestured with one claw. “Tell me, Sharp. If it’s something I did, I deserve to know.” “Not something you did,” he said. “But something you are. I can’t study hippogriff history the way I have without knowing… They’ve been running, basically forever. They have this ancient enemy, one they won’t even name in most of their books. The Chevaliers. It never meant anything to me, but now it does.  “I think we saw them yesterday, fortified in Athemis. It looked like… like ancient hippogriffs had to fight them to keep Equus safe. They won, and sealed them away. If Travelers were the enemy that hunted them…” He looked sick, leaning on the edge of the helm for support. “Made clothes out of their skins… I thought that was all just a scary story, but now I’m not so sure. Using the doorway would be inviting them back into the world. I’ve seen what Kate is capable of… she sent ponies to kill us. What if the whole world was like that?” “It’s not,” Summer said. “Look, I have no idea what happened hundreds of years ago. Maybe humans really were the enemies that hippogriffs are so afraid of. But it’s been a long time since then. Earth has a lot of problems, but it’s getting better all the time. And we wouldn’t invade your planet.” She crossed the table, using a claw to force him to meet her eyes. “Sharp, you know me. Have I been lying to you? I didn’t hide my fucking sex changing when I got here, and that was probably the most horrifying thing that ever happened to me. I told you how I felt about you even though it makes me all kinds of confused. “I don’t know what my world was really like hundreds and hundreds of years ago. But the world I grew up in wouldn’t kill people to make clothes out of their skins. They’d want to visit and take pictures and cast you in our movies and go on wildlife tours. Some humans are terrible, but most are like me. We just want to… live. I told the hippogriff court that we wouldn’t invade, and I meant it. That’s just not the creatures we are. “And besides that—I think you’ve got things backwards about that battle. Maybe those were some evil humans hunting hippogriffs for sport, but it looked like they were the ones to close the portal and keep the hippogriffs from getting to our world. That doesn’t make them seem like invaders. Those humans were willing to die to stop that artifact from falling into hippogriff hands. Or… their claws. You know what I mean.” Sharp finally looked away. He almost seemed like he was in pain, glancing back towards the lower decks and Emerald, probably still asleep. “I’ve seen the hippogriffs,” he argued. “We went to Mt. Aris. We know they’re not evil.” “Not anymore.” She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t saying they were ever evil, Sharp. War is almost never as simple as a perfect evil vs a perfect good. But even if it was, it’s been centuries. Plenty of time for creatures to change. Can’t you trust me when I say it’s not going to be like that?” He hesitated for another moment, before wrapping one leg around her in a tight hug. “You’re right, Summer. I’m glad you were willing to talk to me about this. I’m still not sure where we are. But I’d rather not feel like I’m flying into the end of the world.” She giggled. “You’re not. But I wouldn’t mind flying into some fresher food. If I have to live on oatmeal and dried apples for another few weeks, I might throw myself into the ocean.” “What, to fish?” She laughed again, squeezing him once. “Never change, horse.”