//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24 - Endings and Beginnings 
// Story: Flurry in Time 
// by DuvetofReason 
//------------------------------//

A satisfied smile crossed Flurry’s face as Nyx disengaged from the Dream’s flight couch. The neural link retracted into the ceiling while the black alicorn sat up, giving her body a stretch.

It had been an uneventful trip back to the station. Even the Alliance warships had given up and gone on with their business elsewhere. The only curiosity was that they had been escorted to hangar forty-seven, under special instruction, far from where Swan’s aerie normally launched from.

“You know, I could get used to this,” Flurry chuckled as Nyx sat down beside her at Tactical. “We should do it more often. The Dream handles your piloting well.”

“You say that as if I’ve never flown her before,” Nyx pointed out.

“Yeah… but it’s been a long time. It’s good to see she still likes your touch.”

Flurry was feeling good. The rescue was a success. The blackwings were freed. Even her Rynos job went off without a hitch. Only thing to do now was be there so Merry could see her face as he was loaded onto the Charon. She wanted him to remember her as she was now, free and happy.

After heading down to the ship’s cargo bay, the pair of alicorns stood waiting for the large door to descend into its ramp position. Midway through the process, Flurry’s eyes grew wide upon seeing an unexpected visitor waiting for them just past the reach of the ramp.

Luna.

Flurry’s stomach twisted into knots. She hadn’t seen her great-aunt in years—not since her recovery after the castle bombing.

Nyx took a step forward, offering a respectful bow to her old mentor. Luna’s gaze was difficult to read; she was a pony of deep emotion but equally profound self-control. She had been the only one of the Equus alicorn council which Flurry still felt any sort of kinship with—even her own mother.

A flood of memories threatened to overtake her. The bombing. The tribunal. Her decision to abandon everything. There had been times when Flurry wondered if Luna was somehow keeping an eye on her, spymaster that she was. But whether by choice or by circumstance, the midnight-blue alicorn had remained out of Flurry’s affairs. And now, for the first time in as long as she could remember, Flurry felt a jab of shame as she considered what Luna must have thought of her.

Flurry swallowed dryly as Luna turned her head to regard her. A tentative step forward, and Luna responded in kind. Soon, she found herself in an embrace, a tear running down her cheek.

“I have missed you, young one,” Luna said quietly.

Young one… It surprised Flurry to be referred to in this way, though it was not unexpected.

“Kynlady,” Flurry responded. She took a step back. “What brings you to Harmony?”

“Scandal,” Luna said simply before pausing to look both Nyx and Flurry in the eye. “I have come to uncover the truth behind what happened with the Orion. I have also learned that you were instrumental in the rescue effort.”

Flurry felt her cheeks flush. How much had Luna heard of the events of the past week? “Oh. Well, if you want that, I’m sure Captain Oakheart has a well-written report and—” she stammered.

“Do not think I have come for that which can be read, my dear. We must speak in private.”


<=======ooO Ooo=======>


“Where were you hiding that?” Nyx asked, her expression a mixture of surprise and faux indignation.

“Hey, I don’t normally drink tea,” Flurry replied as she levitated a steaming cup to both Luna and Nyx.

Luna had made herself comfortable on one of the large floor cushions in Flurry’s lounge. The exceptionally casual home environment clashed somewhat with the near-perpetual air of mystique that surrounded the venerable alicorn. Even after over nine centuries, a part of the Fleeting Dream would always feel like it still belonged to Luna.

As they sat together, ancient memories made their way to the surface of Flurry’s mind. The context had changed so much now, in Kynlady Luna’s presence, that she almost forgot what kind of life she had been leading since the war.

“Thank you for inviting me aboard,” Luna said as she took note of Flurry’s various décor. “It has been a very long time. I trust she has served you well in recent years?”

“Yes, thank you,” Flurry replied, grateful that these walls couldn’t talk.

“Let me begin by saying how sorry I am that this has happened to you both,” Luna continued after a pause. “I am aware you fought and killed a windigo. That would be a harrowing experience one would not soon forget.”

Flurry coughed. That was putting it mildly. 

“Having come quite close to being eaten alive, I recommend never doing that, if you can avoid it,” she stated. “Truthfully, Nyx and I were outclassed, even working together. We got lucky… we shouldn’t have made it out of there.”

Flurry could not recall many times when she had seen Luna at a loss for words. This was one such time.

Luna paused to regard both younger alicorns for a moment. “It is not often we are reminded of our potential mortality,” she said finally. “You both have my deep respect for overcoming this threat. I must ask, if you do not mind—what was it like?”

“Like being on the receiving end of the Nightmare, only worse,” Nyx said simply. After a beat of silence, she added, “It is anti-life. Palpable terror combined with nearly unstoppable strength and the ability to consume whatever thaumatic energy you throw at it.”

“And it drooled on me,” Flurry added.

“I see,” Luna said. “When I return to Equus, I will inform the Council. I am so very glad to see you both alive and well—that is, at least recovering.” She directed a subtle smile towards Flurry, noting her injuries were not yet fully healed. What nagged at Flurry, however, was what Luna might know about these things and what they wanted.

“Do you know why the Windigo were trying to destroy the Orion?” Flurry asked.

Luna was about to speak but then held herself. She glanced at Nyx, nodding subtly to her.

“The Orion was built to be able to withstand a Windigo attack,” Nyx stated. “You can imagine they don’t exactly want us having that kind of capability.”

“Well, no,” Flurry replied. “That’s why she has the weird armour, I take it?”

Nyx nodded. “The Alcora grew it for the project.”

At this, Flurry nearly sprayed the alcohol from her own teacup. “What? The Alcora don’t do anyone any favours,” Flurry countered. “Why would they agree to this?”


It was Luna who replied to that question. “We told them we were trying to develop the means to fight the Windigo, although they believe the Orion will only cause incidental damage. We have not revealed her true purpose.”

“And what purpose is that, exactly?”

Luna regarded Flurry for a moment, not answering but not evading the question either. Her silence confirmed there was still more going on than they were willing to tell her.

Great, more secrets, Flurry thought to herself.

“They think we’re wasting our time with all this but were willing to help only because we’re pointing the guns in the right direction,” Nyx interjected. “But that’s another topic entirely. The important thing here is that the Windigo knew we were en route to Harmony and knew exactly how to take us out. They would’ve needed a lot of inside intel to pull that off.”

“This is why I have come,” Luna said to Flurry. “My investigation has uncovered many parties conspiring together under the direction of the Windigo. We must exercise great caution, as they no doubt have spies among us. I have only recently pieced together the plot to sabotage the main weapon of the Orion.”

“Sabotage?” Nyx asked. “Our technicians said the upgrade failed. It’s why I blew out the Nexus cores firing the gun.”

“Indeed,” Luna said. “I tracked the fault down to the Unicorn Federation engineer who signed off on the upgrade. The original specifications could handle unicorn levels of power only. That… is precisely how it remained. The upgrade never happened.”

Nyx was visibly shaken. “That’s not possible. I spoke with him myself prior to launch. He assured me everything was ready to go. Luna, I know his family—he can be trusted. What did he say to you?”

“His body was discovered a few days ago,” Luna stated. “It had been shoved into a storage crate and was only found because of the stench. Nyx, he’s been dead for weeks.”

“Dead?” Nyx asked, her voice now soft, her face pained. “That can’t—”

“A changeling,” Flurry blurted out. She had seen this trick done centuries ago, but the Conformity had ways of keeping their people in check to prevent such things now. “He must have swapped places with the unicorn, working as a spy and saboteur.”

“Precisely,” Luna confirmed.

“The Syndicate?” Flurry suggested, knowing they’d gladly pull off a job like this if the money was good enough.

“Please… Do you honestly think petty faction pirates could infiltrate the Commonwealth shipyards? This was a professional. Regrettably, he has managed to evade me.”

Rogue changelings, Flurry considered. The Conformity’s system was pretty effective, but it wasn’t perfect. Comply with the system and there’s no need to live off the love of ponies for survival. Almost all changelings went along with it, especially in the colonies. After all, it wasn’t hard to find yourself starving out here. Flurry had known many who tried to get by that way, but it almost always wasn’t worth it.

A chime from the ship’s systems sounded, alerting Flurry that someone was snooping around outside the Dream. That, combined with all this thought of changeling spies, caused her to startle.

“Proximity alert. Defensive systems active,” the computer announced calmly, causing all eyes to fall onto the holographic display hovering over the table in the centre of the lounge. A single red dot appeared next to the ship’s outline, moving slowly along the starboard side towards the ship’s bow.

“Computer, external camera,” Flurry said. At this, the swivel monitor on the table showed an earth pony apparently admiring the ship’s form as he strolled along.

“Oakheart… What’s he doing here?”

“Could be business with the Orion,” Nyx said. “I’ve been off comms since we left for Rynos. I’ll go find out.”

At this, Nyx stood up from the couch and made her way down to the cargo hold, leaving Flurry alone with Luna.

Silence lingered in the air for a short while, with Flurry unsure what to say.

“Luna, I…” she began. “I’m sorry for not visiting for so long.”

Luna’s gaze turned, her eyes locking onto Flurry’s.

“Visiting?” she asked gently. “My dear, you may be candid with me. Speak your mind.”

There was something about Luna’s posture, no, her very presence which somehow cut straight through Flurry’s calloused exterior. It exposed something deep within her that she had long lost touch with. There, a glimmer of that rambunctious little alicorn filly shone through, innocent and pure, long before she went to the stars on that first colony ship so many centuries ago.

“I’ve really screwed up,” she admitted. “Made such a mess of my life.” She looked away, deeply ashamed.

“Is that so?” Luna asked simply, her voice soothing like a lullaby.

“Well look at me,” Flurry said with a sniffle. “I’m a space pirate. I consort with low-lifes and thieves. Done things an alicorn should never do. Ruined my personal life and any chance of being part of civil society again.”

A soft chuckle sounded from Luna. “Do not worry, young Flurry; I am well-acquainted with shame.”

Of course. The Nightmare, Flurry thought. “If I may ask, how did you bear it?”

“By dwelling on the bigger picture,” Luna replied. “There are much larger forces at work, much higher callings than wallowing in self-pity.”

“Self… I suppose you’re right.” Flurry sighed. “What happens next, is the question.”

“You are being prepared for something,” Luna stated with confidence. “Something that will require much character growth—much fortitude.”

Flurry blinked. “That doesn’t sound like me, Luna. How do you know this? If I’m being prepared, who is behind it?”

“That, I do not know. But someone is. At my age, one notices patterns in the universe. Hoofprints on things. As for you, I know because of what you have been through so far.”

A tear fell down Flurry’s cheek, and she wiped it away. “I’m broken, Luna. It doesn’t feel like any of what you’re saying is possible.”

“Time will heal this wound as well. I think you are off to a good start, do you not?” Luna asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You gave your life for a slave. I cannot think of a more profound act of love.”

Flurry’s cheeks flushed. “You heard about that?”

“I hear many things, Flurry… one of which is two sets of hoofsteps approaching.”

Flurry heard them too. It was the slow clip-clop of hooves on the decking down the hall.

As each hoof fall slowed, she found herself feeling dizzy. She shook her head, blinking several times as the steps grew deep and far apart, reverberating in her mind. The final impact of hoof on metal sounded like an orchestral drum beat, giving way to silence. 

Along Flurry’s peripheral vision, parts of the lounge appeared to shift and reorient themselves. Looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, though now other parts of the room shifted. It was like a child playing a prank just beyond where she could see, only nobody was there. Perhaps it was just fatigue, or maybe the alcohol.

“Luna, is—” she began, glancing back to her guest sitting silently in the corner, watching her.

“You carry a deep burden, dear one,” Luna said, her voice now impossibly gentle and soothing. What was she talking about?

At this, Luna’s gaze shifted, first up to the left then the right, noting the many photos which adorned the walls of the lounge and surrounding galley kitchen area.

Flurry stood and looked over her shoulder at a wood-framed photo, a frown crossing her brow. Instead of the reluctant smile of her old friend Longshot, a new face greeted her. His red-chestnut coat, blond mane, and caring green eyes were unmistakable.

Thunderstreak?

There he was, in his formal regalia, posing with a Republic ambassador at some diplomatic function. Flurry blinked, trying to make sense of the photo, only to notice, after looking around, that all the photos now depicted the young pegasus. Some were of various moments in his childhood or even as a bright-eyed foal. Where had these all come from?

As Flurry collapsed to her knees, her eyes wet with tears, Luna’s voice beckoned. “You hide your struggle, Flurry,” she said. “But you must find a way to let him go.”

Flurry looked directly at Luna, her piercing eyes impossible to avoid. “I- I can’t, Luna. If I did, he’d be lost forever.”

She looked back to the framed photo, lingering on the young stallion’s features. She had been so proud of him. If only she had been allowed to raise him herself.

A crashing sound like a collapsing building caused Flurry’s head to snap around. Her eyes locked onto the swivel monitor on the coffee table in the centre of the lounge. There, a recording was playing like some kind of an action-thriller movie.

On the monitor, a brave and heroic alicorn charged through a collapsing castle in a desperate attempt to save a small colt with a red-chestnut coat and blond mane. The all-too-familiar scene played out just how it had a hundred times before, only to arrive at the point where the child was lost—or on rare occasion, saved. Here, the image on the monitor paused, the hero reaching out with a look of desperate anguish chiseled onto her face.

“Ultra-Mare?” Luna asked with the slightest hint of humour on her face.

Flurry blushed, offering only a nervous chuckle in response.

The look on Luna’s face shifted, becoming sympathetic, her voice firm yet tender. “This whole scenario has become burned into your subconscious, Flurry. You have constructed it in order to reconcile the fact that you could not save him. Instead, you have become trapped here in this moment. It is time to let go, Flurry—time to start living again.”

Flurry’s lungs tightened up, her breathing becoming ragged as she broke down, sobbing quietly. The grief she had buried was now exposed where she had no choice but to confront it.

“He was my son, Luna. Nobody even knew,” she managed to say.

“Thunderstreak knew.”

“I… I guess that’s true.”

“It is what matters, is it not? He knew who you were, even from afar. My question to you is whether you believe he would approve of this way in which you keep him alive.”

Flurry quieted herself, coughing a bit to clear her throat. “I don’t know, Luna. Besides, does it even matter? I’m not the same person that he would even recognize any more.” She sniffled wetly, grabbing a tissue from across the room to blow her nose.

“In my experience, few avoid such changes for long. You must now ask yourself if you want to remain as you are.”

Flurry paused to reflect on Luna’s words. “I really don’t want to lose him, Luna. You know how alicorn memories are; if I lose this, he’ll be gone.”

“There are options, Flurry. I would like you to come to Equus. Visit the memorial. I believe this will help you heal without letting his memory die.”

Equus. Flurry hadn’t been there in years. What would everyone think if she just showed up one day?

“I… I don’t know, Luna. There’s quite a complicated mess waiting for me back there.”

“You may be surprised, dear one. Do not wait too long to decide, for this has eaten away at your soul too long as it is.”

A sigh escaped Flurry’s lips. “I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks, Luna.”

At this, another heavy hoofstep reverberated through Flurry’s mind, just as before, showing that time had only slowed within this dreamscape. Flurry’s eyes were on the doorway, listening as the steps grew more frequent and normal sounding until they came to a stop.

Just then, the door leading out of the lounge opened, revealing Nyx with Captain Oakheart in tow. The brown earth pony seemed captivated with the Dream’s interior, to the point of distraction.

Flurry blinked several times, still flustered by what Luna had said as the pair of ponies made their way in. She wasn’t sure what to think of Oakheart being here. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but Ambrosia had been right in that Flurry was not in the habit of entertaining guests. And now, she had several.

“You never cease to impress, Flurry,” Oakheart said as he greeted her.

Flurry nodded, acknowledging him while composing herself and restoring her usual countenance. “I have a good maid. She’s like family.”

“I didn’t expect you to dock in this hangar, or I would have come sooner,” he continued. “There’s actually a very peculiar unregistered ship right across from us. I’ve been trying to figure out…” 

His words trailed off into silence as his eyes locked onto the corner of the lounge, where Luna sat, silently watching him. The look on his face was a combination of surprise and possibly fear, surely from not being prepared to encounter yet another alicorn. Flurry amused herself as she imagined him internally scrambling for the appropriate diplomatic protocol.

Luna spoiled her fun by taking the initiative and rising to greet him.

“Captain Oakheart, I presume,” Luna spoke evenly, offering a subtle nod.

“Yes, um, I apologize—I was not informed of your arrival,” the stallion stammered.

“This is Kynlady Luna of the Equus Commonwealth Council of Alicorns,” Nyx said, introducing Luna properly. “She is here to assess the situation with the Orion.”

“Yes, of course. Welcome to Harmony Station. I’ll see to it your needs are attended to.”

“My needs are already attended to, Captain. But I thank you, all the same. Please, join us.”

Nyx and Oakheart both took a seat in Flurry’s lounge, which was now beginning to get a little crowded.

“So this is the infamous Fleeting Dream. Cozy,” Oak commented. “I’ll be honest in that I’ve never seen a design like this.”

“She’s one of a kind,” Flurry said with pride. “Used to be Luna’s ship, actually, when I was a lot younger.”

“A lot… I’m sorry, but this is quite alien to me,” Oak admitted. “I’m not very well versed in ancient his…”

At this, Oak actually blushed slightly, the stoic earth pony becoming flustered with his own words. Flurry was internally enjoying seeing him thrust into her world, a reverse of when they had first met.

A pause. “It is quite alright,” Luna said. “I sometimes have trouble relating to these youngsters myself.” She gestured to Nyx and Flurry, a subtle smirk playing at her lips.

“Youngsters,” Oakheart echoed. “I was under the impression they were far older than typical ponies.”

“That is correct,” Luna confirmed.

“If that’s the case, then that would make you…”

“Seventy-one.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were all a lot older.”

“Centuries.”

Unable to hold it in, Flurry let out a chuckle as Oakheart’s ears fell back in astonishment. For her part, Luna was playing it perfectly straight, though Flurry could tell she was also enjoying herself.

“I suddenly feel like I have effectively no life experience,” he admitted in a soft tone. “I’ve been so wrapped up in the fleeting dramas of the Alliance and the Pegasus Republic, I have been entirely unaware that civilizations and in fact individual ponies go back so far as to make our entire lives seem like recent events by comparison.”

“A pony with perspective,” Luna said with a grin. “I like that. It is far less common than you might think.”

“How can we help you, Captain?” Flurry asked. Surely this isn’t just a social visit.”

“Quite right, Flurry. I’ve come to let you know the Charon has arrived. Merry Weather has been made ready for transfer. You said you wanted to be there when it happens.”

“Oooooh, yeah you better believe I wanna be there for that,” Flurry sang, rubbing her hooves together.

“Count me in,” Nyx agreed. “His imprisonment is long overdue.”


<=======ooO Ooo=======>


Hangar forty-seven was about the same size as the one Swan’s aerie flew out of, but it felt much bigger without all the military hardware. Instead, this hangar was used as a cargo bay, adorned with various heavy-lift cranes and loaders. On the far end, a single courier ship sat docked, its crew busy unloading dozens of containers onto the deck. Flurry watched them idly while they waited.

The sound of opening double-wide sliding doors echoed through the bay, marking the arrival of Security Chief Flintlock, accompanied by four guards Flurry did not recognize. Flint strode forward, his gait professional and disciplined. Directly behind him, between the guards, a large hover chair silently made its way forward, matching his pace.

Something twisted in Flurry’s gut when she saw Merry Weather strapped securely to the chair, his bulk awkwardly contrasting with the way the device gently glided along. Was it from the knowledge of all the misery he had caused the pegasi of Swan’s aerie? Or perhaps it was how close she herself had come to being a permanent member of his lascivious collection. Either way, Flurry felt a degree of satisfaction at seeing his disposition—that of all four hooves bound securely, his face muzzled to prevent him from speaking.

Following behind Merry were two mares. On the left was one Flurry had seen but whose name she couldn’t recall. Judging from the tear streaks down her face and the look of contempt in her eyes as she glared in Merry’s direction, she had had quite a trying day. To her right was Swan Song. She and Flurry noticed one another at about the same time, Swan’s expression shifting quickly from bitterness to warmth as they approached.

“You made it!” Swan elated as she broke ranks and headed towards the alicorn. After a brief embrace, she looked up into Flurry’s eyes, breathing the sigh of a free mare. Only one final unpleasant duty was yet to come—one that would close that terrible chapter of her life.

It was then that her eyes wandered slightly to catch sight of someone standing behind Flurry. Her expression faltered a moment, uncertainty creeping onto her face. Flurry glanced to her side as Luna stepped forward.

“It is good to meet you, Lieutenant,” Luna greeted. “Today is a good day, is it not?”

Swan stared at Luna for a moment, her face showing a look of awe mixed with a little bit of fear at the new alicorn. Then, she relaxed, nodding subtly. “Yes. Yes, it is. I’m sorry, but have we met?”

“I am Luna of Equus,” Luna said, simply.

“Oh… oh of course. Apologies, Kynlady.” Swan then gave a courteous bow before returning her attention to Flurry.

“You’ve come a long way, kiddo,” Flurry stated.

Swan chuckled. “Just last week, I would have looked at all of you with disdain. The Republic was my whole world. I can hardly believe how much has changed.”

“I’m happy to have been your practice dummy through the process,” Flurry joked.

Swan let out a soft chuckle before taking a serious tone. “Won’t you stay with us? I would love to have you here. You’re still a member of the aerie, after all.”

Flurry tightened her lips, shaking her head slightly. “I can’t. I’ll be back though, don’t worry. You don’t really think I’d leave Oakheart to run this place unmolested forever, do you?” She offered a wink.

A snort of protest sounded from nearby, Flurry turning to see Oak standing off to her left with an indignant expression on his face. “As long as you don’t cause any further trouble, you are welcome back any time,” he said. “Now, shall we get on with the main event? I’m sure Merry is anxious to get aboard his new home.”

Everyone present expressed some form of affirmation. Well, nearly everyone.

At this, Chief Flintlock tapped his holo-brace, opening a comms channel. “Captain Reeds, we are go for your arrival. Please lock onto Harmony beacon forty-seven.”

Not ten seconds had passed before a very large jump point formed less than three hundred canters off the hangar entrance. Flurry watched as the swirling maelstrom of energy blotted out the stars, dominating the view through the air shield that protected the hangar from the vacuum of space.

Just as the jump point stabilized, what could only be described as a giant metal skyscraper on its side, over a kilocanter in length, thrust itself through the vortex into realspace. The Charon had arrived to retrieve her damned passenger.

After the Etherium boiled away, Flurry could see that this ship was the essence of Alliance style construction, comprised of thick armoured panels joined together at ninety and forty-five degree angles throughout. The forward eighty percent of the ship resembled a squarish shape extruded into a very long box, the sides of which were scored with hundreds of parallel indentations in a crosshatch pattern.

Glancing to the aft end of the ship, Flurry whistled in admiration at the bulk of the drive section. This part of the ship was wider and more nuanced than the main body, consisting still of flat armour panels, but at more creative angles than the rest. If Nyx’s information was right, the Charon actually had not one but two separate jump drives, allowing her to reenter mirrorspace almost immediately after a jump without the usual recharge.

“They built her out of an old Alliance Rokh battleship chassis,” Oak commented, the admiration evident in his voice. “You see those lines along her hull? Each outlines a detachable cell pod.”

Soon, Flurry knew what he meant. After the ship had come to a stop and the jump point collapsed, a small industrial tug no larger than a bomber detached from the top of the Charon and made its way along the hull before finally coming to a stop along her side, facing the station. Here, what looked like six legs unfolding beneath a large insect extended outward from the tug as if waiting to catch prey of some kind.

Everyone in the hangar waited, watching the scene unfold in space just beyond the air shield. A puff of air escaped from the ship’s side, crystallising as it froze and drifted away. Then, a tiny squared-off portion of the ship’s hull emerged, sliding out until it was caught up in the tug’s grasp.

“I will need the prisoner brought to Equus for interrogation,” Luna stated firmly to Oakheart as they watched the tug make its way towards the hanger, the prison cell clamped securely beneath it.

It was the first time Luna had made mention of Merry, and not even by name. She hadn’t even so much as glanced in his direction, as if he was merely a package rather than a person. It crossed her mind that Luna could, if she chose, plant a nightmare deep inside Merry’s mind that would have him waking up every night for the rest of his life, screaming. While Flurry would approve of such measures in Merry’s case, petty vengeance was not Luna’s style… usually.

Shaking the amusement off, Flurry glanced at the bound pegasus, noticing his reaction to Luna’s words. He did not seem to be taking the thought of being interrogated very well, squirming in his restraints, his eyes wide with fear.

As the tug approached the hangar entrance, Oakheart replied. “You’ll have to clear that with the Charon. Merry will be out of our custody momentarily.”

“I will arrange it. Thank you, Captain,” Luna replied. “I would escort the ship to Equus myself, but I must remain on Harmony for a number of days to clear the staff and crew as part of my investigation. Your people may experience odd dreams in the coming nights. It is nothing to be concerned about.” The alicorn then tapped away at her holo-brace for a moment.

A slight chill went down Flurry’s spine as she understood the gravity of what Luna was here for. All of the perpetrators must be found, and this was one of Luna’s many specialties. She thought for a moment about the Charon departing for Equus. It presented an opportunity, not the least of which was to visit the memorial as Luna had recommended. Maybe it was time to close a chapter in her life as well.

The tug slipped through the air shield wall of the hangar, causing the deep throbbing sound from its thaumatic levitators to suddenly echo throughout the chamber. The ship set Merry’s prison cell down on the deck with a heavy clang of metal, heralding the impending and permanent confinement of one Merry Weather.

A lift platform extended from the tug to descend down the side of the container, which sat beneath it, still in the grip of the tug’s metal legs. On the lift stood a gruff earth pony stallion wearing a pair of old-style aviator goggles on his forehead and dressed in engineering coveralls stained with oil.

“Pleased to meet ya,” the stallion said, speaking to the group as a whole as he appeared unsure who was in charge. He then noticed the bound stallion on the hover chair. “This here the pris’ner?”

Flintlock stepped forward, offering a hoofbump to the pilot. “I’m authorised to transfer custody. Do you accept?”

The pilot then raised his own holo-brace near Flint’s while they tapped over control of the hover chair. It was less formal than one might expect, but the paperwork would have already been filed between Harmony and the Charon anyway.

“Anyone got any last words they’d like to say?”

“I do,” the mare next to Swan said as she stepped forward. She approached Merry Weather, dried tear streaks still marking her cheeks. After a long pause, she spat right in his face before returning to where she had stood.

“Popular guy. Anyone else?”

No one said anything. Luna seemed positively uninterested in Merry as she tapped further on her holo-brace. Swan comforted the mare at her side, and Flurry stood next to her cousin, neither offering a word.

“That’s it then. Come along, cupcake,” the pilot said as he guided Merry’s chair into his prison cell, its thick armoured door now slid open.

“Wait,” Flurry said, causing him to pause and glance in her direction.

“I’d like to escort the Charon to Equus,” she continued. Everyone looked at her. “Well, Luna’s staying here, so I figure someone ought to.”

The tug pilot regarded Flurry for a moment, looking her up and down with that gaze so many stallions have when they see an alicorn for the first time. A slight smile played at his lips.

“Do we look like we need an escort, hun?” he asked, not in a snide way but more playfully.

“Well, no, but you could probably use the company,” Flurry replied, taking a step forward and hoping to appeal to his better nature. “Besides, I was thinking of heading to Equus anyway.”

Flurry stole a glance over her shoulder and caught Nyx rolling her eyes.

“I’ll let the captain know,” the pilot said, his voice becoming more agreeable by the moment. “If that’s everything, we’ll be on our way.”

With that, the stallion tapped his holo-brace, causing the cell door to slide shut. Flurry stood beside Nyx and Swan, her head held high and a relaxed smile on her face. Just before the door closed, she offered a farewell wave to Merry, who was glaring daggers at her from within the cell.

The prison cell door clanged shut with the hollow sound of fate being sealed.

“Well, that’s it then,” Flurry said to no one in particular as the tug powered up and lifted off the hangar deck, its cargo firmly secured by the insect-like gripper legs. She watched the small ship sail through the air shield and into open space, making its way towards the enormous Charon, looming in the background.

Beside her, Swan now had tears in her eyes. It was finally over. Flurry placed a wing over the mare’s shoulder and held her close. She knew it would take her a while to heal, but at least she could start fresh now, putting that nightmare behind her.

“Why did you really volunteer to escort them?” Nyx asked.

Flurry looked back to Nyx, seeing her eyebrow raised as was usual when she knew Flurry hadn’t been fully upfront about her intentions.

“I figure I might be able to flush out more guilty parties,” she replied. “I’m betting we’ll be trailed, and I want to catch whoever might be taking an interest in the transfer when we get to Equus.”

“I thought you had been avoiding Equus,” Nyx pointed out.

“Luna convinced me I should go,” Flurry replied, glancing briefly at the older alicorn.

To this, Luna nodded. “Flurry is correct. It would be wise to watch for anyone trying to interfere with the transfer.”

Nyx straightened. “In that case, I’m coming with you. Besides, I might be able to help with the interrogation. I’d very much like to find out what Merry knows and how he got involved.”

Flurry’s face brightened. “Really? I’d love that.”

Nyx nodded with a slight chuckle. “On one condition. You stop by the market and pick up some proper coffee.”


<=======ooO Ooo=======>


Once again, it was just Nyx and Flurry relaxing in the lounge of the Dream. Only this time, the coffee was much better.

They had been underway for six hours already before Captain Reeds opened up a secure comms channel to let them know they’d be picking up a prisoner from the Holcolm IV maximum-security detention centre. It was a standard-fare request of the Charon when returning to colonial space, she was told. Lots of bad guys waiting to get put away, out of someone’s mane. He mentioned there may be one or two more before they reached Equus.

The last half-hour was spent by Flurry trying to convince Nyx to rejuvenate her love life. She even suggested Nyx have a chat with this Reeds fellow to get to know him. Responsible type with a no-nonsense attitude. Just like Nyx. They had met briefly on a holo-vid call shortly after departing Harmony. He had a strong, square jaw with a rugged don’t-screw-with-me look about him. Nyx said she’d think about it, which Flurry counted as a success.

“So you still haven’t leveled with me, Nyx. What are you doing out here?” Flurry asked while she made some popcorn in the kitchen. The smell of freshly melted butter filled the lounge with the anticipation of snacking pleasures as she sat down across from her cousin, levitating over a large metal bowl of fluffy goodness.

“I already told you, I want to be there for the interrogation,” Nyx replied with a confused expression on her face.

“No no, I mean out here in Dragon’s Head. The Orion? The ‘honestly just an exploration mission’ you are ostensibly doing for potentially years to the outer rim?”

Nyx had a rare flustered look that showed she was hoping not to have to talk about it. Her left ear flicked and she scratched behind her neck with a hoof.

“I’m not sure what to say,” she offered.

“You could just be straight with me, Nyx. After everything with the rescue and the Windigo, aren’t you sure you can trust me yet? Why is the Orion decked out to pick a fight with those monsters? Why did you work with the Alcora to build her?”

“Just the armour,” Nyx clarified. “Even the weapons system was Unicorn Federation tech. The Alcora wouldn’t give us any, or we’d be far better off.”

Flurry just glared at her. How many layers of secrets were there?

“Oh, don’t be that way, Flurry,” Nyx said. “This is some very high-level shit. You have no idea how important it is.”

That actually struck a chord with Flurry; Nyx rarely swore, at least since they were much younger. Flurry knew she was serious.

“Okay,” Flurry said before taking a deep breath. “Just at least think about how this looks to me for a moment. You’re going out to the rim ‘exploring’ and the Alcora think you’re going to be picking fights with the Windigo. This is a horrible idea that could very well get you killed. Why are you risking your life to poke a dragon that isn’t really that big a problem? How many Windigo attacks have there been in the last five centuries? Twenty? Thirty? All in obscure places. Do you even know how widespread they are out there? What if you bring the full force of their attention down on us? Because that’s how it looks to me right now, Nyx. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.”

“Fine,” Nyx said. “The Windigo are a serious problem. You’re not going to like it.”

“I’m a big girl, Nyx.”

“So their goal seems to be to create chaos and keep the tribes fighting. They are probably behind most of the conflict between the factions.”

“What? Why do they care?” Flurry asked.

“We don’t know, but this would include the Alliance-Republic war. Our sources say they likely have their claws sunk deep in at least one, possibly multiple major governments.”

“Behind the war? No, Nyx. I was there for the start of that. I know all about what was behind it.”

“Yeah, I know. I told you you weren’t going to like it. You never found the bomber, did you?”

Flurry shook her head, trying to keep her emotions from boiling over. “I will, though. And when I do, I’m gonna tan his hide and hang it on my wall.” 

“Right,” Nyx said, eyeing her carefully. “I guess what I’m saying is that the Windigo were tracked making moves just prior to the castle bombing. They are connected somehow. Other government officials are compromised as well, we’re just not sure who. Luna is looking into it. The Orion plot has already shed light on some of them.”

“Oh great. So the bomber was also a Windigo agent? That doesn’t change what I’m gonna do when I find him. Only difference is the Windigo and I also have a personal grudge to settle.”

“Sorry, but don’t you already? One tried to eat you.”


Flurry shrugged. “Priorities. So you’re gonna go out there and set some of this right then, I take it? I still think it’s suicide and you need to reconsider. What we need to do is get everyone together and go kick their asses.”


Nyx shook her head. “We’re not going out to pick a fight with them, no. We just don’t know enough about them to assess their true threat. But evidence suggests ponykind is wholly unprepared for a full-on confrontation.

“Okay, so if you’re not out there to shoot Windigo… tell me the real reason why you’re going to the rim.”

Nyx was silent for a few beats before letting out a sigh. “Alright, Flurry. We’re going out to find Stargazer.”

Flurry’s jaw hung slack for a moment. “Wait, what? Are you serious?”

Nyx nodded as Flurry’s heart raced.

“Wow, really?! After all this time?”

“Yeah.” Nyx was smiling, like genuinely hopeful. Flurry hadn’t seen that spark in her for a long, long time.

“That’s amazing. I’m really happy for you, Nyx,” she elated. “Do you really think you can find him?”

“We have some good clues. A few races on the frontier have reported some very strange things that sound like they could be the wild alicorns. We’ll start our search there. I told him to always remember me. I’ve got to believe he’d keep his promise—that he would leave a trail of clues for me to one day find him.”

“So this isn’t at all about poking the Windigo?”

Nyx shook her head. “We have to go through known Windigo territory, though. No exploration ship sent in there has ever returned.”

“Wow.” Flurry’s mind spun as she tried to reorient her entire impression of what Nyx was up to. “I mean, I know how much you’ve missed him, and I’m really happy for you, especially if you do find him. But Nyx, this is such a risk. What if you run across the others?”

Nyx paused, poking at her popcorn for a moment before speaking.

“You’re really not going to like the rest of the plan,” she stated darkly.

“Oh no…” Flurry said, her gut tightening. Flurry was no stranger to crazy ideas, but Nyx’s crazy ideas were usually the stuff of nightmares.

Nyx chuckled uncomfortably at that. “You see, it’s not just Stargazer. We’re going to try and make contact with any wild alicorns we can find… and bring them back.”

At this, Flurry’s blood ran cold. She shook her head. “No… No, you can’t do that, Nyx. This is even more insane than starting a war with the Windigo! Like, a hundred, no a thousand times more insane. I just… you know that I’d do anything to help you bring your son home. But there’s just no way this is your actual plan.”

“It is, Flurry.”

“But why? Every wild alicorn arising on Equus has brought an end to pony civilization and dozens of centuries to rebuild. Have you gone mad? Don’t you remember the extreme measures Celestia and Luna took to make sure we didn’t finish our transformations? What could be so important that even remotely justifies that risk?”

“Calm down, Flurry. I know how this sounds.”


Flurry became aware that her wings were actually flared a bit. Her heart raced, and drops of sweat trickled down her back. She forced herself to settle. “I’m listening,” she said finally.

“First, you need to know that this is highly confidential. This must not get out. I am trusting you immensely. Can I count on you not to tell a soul? Billions of lives depend on it. Possibly our entire race.”

What the hell?

“Nyx, what’s going on?” was all Flurry could think to say.

“A war is coming, and we need to be ready for it,” Nyx stated.

“War…” Flurry echoed.

Nyx nodded. “The wild alicorns are our only hope to free ponykind from the Alcora.”

“The Al—” Flurry couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the absurdity. This had to be a prank or something. To her credit, Nyx had played it pretty straight.

“I’m serious,” Nyx said with a touch of annoyance. “You have no idea the grip the Alcora have on us. Particularly on Equus.”

“Nyx, the Alcora are nothing more than enigmatic self-absorbed freaks. They do what they want, but they’ve shown almost no interest in our culture or our race.”

“That’s because they’ve written off the colonies, Flurry. Not a shred of care whether you all live or die. Though they have agreed to hear us out and see if the tribes can get along off Equus. An experiment, if you will. They’ll be sending an emissary to neutral space.”

Flurry’s eyes went wide. “Harmony Station.”

Nyx nodded. “Twilight headed up the project in the hopes to foster an understanding with them. To show them that the colonial ponies have some… value.”

Flurry snorted. That struck a nerve. “Those shitbags!” she blurted out. “And now Twilight is working with them?”

“Look, if you’re going to be reactive, we can’t have this talk,” Nyx warned. “The whole reason you’ve been kept in the dark is because we can’t afford you doing… well, the things you usually do when your indignation rises. So it’s your choice.”

Flurry sighed. “Continue.”

“Alright. So, the Council has been working for centuries to piece together the clues of what’s been going on with the Alcora. Very hush-hush stuff. Everything from obscure texts in the Great Library to relics from ancient Equus dig sites. Alien cultures have given us some insight too.”

“Ancient Equus? Wait, they’ve visited Equus before our time?”

“Yeah. The Alcora’s history on Equus goes back further than anyone can pinpoint. The most ancient manuscripts on Equus suggest they predate the very first alicorn, between thirteen and fifteen hundred centuries ago. For some reason, they’ve never set up a permanent occupation—we figure because of the wild alicorns. They finally came back when they noticed we developed mirrorspace technology.”

“That’s when I heard they showed up, yeah. I always thought that was first contact. So, what’s the threat? What are they doing that’s so bad you need to risk the end of everything just to stop them?” Flurry asked.

“All our data points to them working on some kind of experiment with ponykind, dating back pretty much to the beginning. And from what we can tell, they’ve nearly finished.”

“Experimenting on ponies? If they finished, wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“Again, this is all extremely confidential. Nobody can know that we are aware of this. Equus is one giant project for them. And when that project is done, well… let’s just say the only reason our race even exists still is because they need us desperately.”

“Need us for what?”

“We’re not quite sure,” Nyx stated flatly.

Flurry scowled. She didn’t like the idea of giant floating jellyfish determining the fate of ponykind.


“And you’re confident you can talk to the wild alicorns? I mean, what if they just slag your ship on the spot?”

“I know my son,” Nyx stated gravely. “I believe he can bridge the gap between us.”

Flurry gave it some thought for a moment. “And the decision is set? You’re sure the wild alicorns are the only option?”

Nyx nodded. “The Orion was built specifically for this mission, Flurry. Believe me, a lot of thought has gone into it. Celestia made the final call nearly a decade ago.”

“Well, I suppose there’s a certain poetry to the fact that the Alcora sponsored and endorsed the very mission that will ultimately screw them over. Anything else I need to know?”

“Just this: Literally no head of state, no mortal pony, and no other races are aware of our true plans. Not even my crew or officers will know until we are underway. Only the Commonwealth alicorn council is aware. And now, with you, all the alicorns.”

Flurry grabbed some popcorn and leaned back on the sofa. “Fun times,” she said with sarcasm. Now she really needed an aspirin.

Hours passed as Flurry’s thoughts remained troubled. She and Nyx played games, watched movies, and had dinner together. But she couldn’t shake that nagging feeling that her life was never going back to the way it was.


<=======ooO Ooo=======>


The beeping was relentless.

Stop it, I’m trying to sleep, Flurry thought before finally rousing. She and Nyx had both fallen asleep in the lounge after sharing stories both funny and tragic. It was good that Nyx had decided to come with her on the run to Equus. So many valuable memories drifted back to the surface that Flurry had forgotten, she almost didn’t want to go back to her solitary life after this.

Opening her eyes, she pinpointed the source of the offending beeps. It was the comms console on the wall.

“Who is it?” she mumbled. Fortunately, the ship’s AI had enough experience with Flurry to recognize her way of accepting the transmission audio only.

“Hello? This is the Captain Reeds calling the Fleeting Dream. Hello?”

“Yes yes,” Flurry said, rubbing her eyes. “This is Flurry. What’s up?”

Sprawled out across the large beanbag chair, Nyx stirred as well.

“I’m just calling to let you know we’ve arrived at Holcolm IV and will be taking up a parking position as we await final orders. Estimate is fifteen minutes to jump in.”

“Copy that, Captain,” Flurry acknowledged. “We’ll be ready. Oh, while I’ve got you here, what’s the story with this new passenger?”

“Bio-terrorist,” Reeds said. “Charming fellow. Attempted genocide of a small colony.”

Flurry cringed. Was this typical? She thought it best not to ask. “Alright, well, we’ll be here if you need us.”

“And Flurry,” he added, “thanks for the navigation route. You saved us at least two hours.”

The comms went silent just as Nyx finished waking up. Flurry threw a kernel of popcorn at her from the nearly empty bowl sitting on the table.

“You just missed a call with Captain Hotstuff,” she scolded. “Honestly, Nyx, you’re going to have to be more proactive than this.”

Nyx rubbed her eyes. “What?”

“Nevermind. Anyways, we’ve arrived. Time to get down to business.”

Soon, Flurry stepped onto the bridge of the Dream with Nyx following behind her and taking a seat at Tactical. Flurry lay down in her usual position at the flight couch, spreading her wings and slotting her limbs into the various receptacles as the neural link lowered itself onto her neck and back.

“Disengage autopilot,” Flurry said as she took manual control of the ship. From her point of view, she could see the Charon parked ahead of her in Mirrorspace. An augmented indicator hovered just in front of the prison ship, showing the beacon they were supposed to lock onto.

She listened to the comms chatter between the Holcolm ponies and the Charon. It sounded like they were quite relieved to be rid of their prisoner. Pulling up the stats on the colony, Flurry could see the data scrolling by in her vision. It was relatively small and situated fairly deep in Alliance space, not far from the Commonwealth border. Thirty thousand ponies, mostly miners and their families. Not the kind of place really equipped to deal with a terrorist. At least they caught the bastard.

“We’re jumping now,” Flurry called out to Nyx before remembering that her cousin would also be listening to the comms channel.

The jump vortex opened up, prompting the Charon to sail through. Flurry manually piloted the Dream to follow directly behind the much larger ship and was soon caught in the blizzard of etherium that followed. She took the opportunity to distance herself as the exotic particles quickly annihilated, evaporating into nothing.

They had taken position in a low orbit above a greenish-brown world with many small seas. Her augmented vision highlighted the colony below, not far from an open pit mine that was at least as big as the settlement itself. Surface temperature was pleasant, though pressure and gravity were high. It would be comfortable for earth ponies, but pegasi and unicorns would not enjoy it here.

Flurry watched the tug detach from the top of the Charon just like it had when they picked up Merry. Part of her attention was on the full suite of sensors that provided a flood of information about her surroundings. It was something all pilots grew accustomed to when plugged into a flight couch. There was the background sensory data coming from the local sun, magnetic fields of nearby planets, the pull of gravity from everything, and the positions of distant stars in the background, confirming the ship’s exact location.

An important part of it was the comms channels. This included local broadcasts, both open and encrypted. At all times, there was the Mirrorcomm feed, relayed through the microscopic jump point that was always active within the comms receiver. Even if there wasn’t anything being transmitted, the Mirrorcomm carrier wave was always there, acknowledging the pilot’s connection with the rest of the interstellar community.

That is, until now when Flurry could no longer sense it.

Perhaps the receiver was on the fritz. It wouldn’t be the first time. She’d have to check after they got to Equus. Still, something nagged at her gut, telling her this wasn’t just a malfunction. A chill of pure instinct ran down her back.

A patch of stars had gone missing. Flurry glanced up, seeing some of the stars actually wobbling and refracting in the same way objects at the bottom of a swimming pool do when viewed from above. An ambient energy reading on the corner of her vision spiked to impossible levels.

No.

In that moment, an intense light shone from the centre of the patch of strangeness in the sky. Coming out from this point, a narrow beam of deep violet energy appeared, striking the bow of the Charon from above and drawing quickly down her midsection, cleaving the ship in two as a sword would if drawn through soft butter.

The flash of exploding Nexus cores blinded her vision for a moment as she instinctively dodged rapidly approaching debris. Alarms were blaring. Nyx was shouting something. Flurry fought to maintain focus in the surge of chaos.

From the corner of her eye, she saw that a huge object was pushing its way into Realspace, the wobbling starfield parting, almost tearing as it gave way to the newly arrived terror.

“Silent running engaged,” the Dream announced. Flurry hadn’t even given the order, but the ship had certain defensive protocols already in place for times when she was completely outmatched.

Limited to cold-gas thrusters, Flurry had to think fast. Must move. Must hide. A chunk of debris larger than the Dream itself was approaching at a reasonable vector. She tilted her wings subtly, shifting her course and rotation to match. Soon, the landing gear extended, magnetically joining her to what had, only seconds before, been part of the aft drive section of the Charon.

A metallic thunk reverberated throughout the ship as if marking the moment when Flurry could process thoughts normally. The first thing she became aware of was Nyx’s sharp voice relaying tactical suggestions.

“Good good,” Nyx said. “That should buy us some time. Roll fifteen left, pitch seven forward. Keep her steady and don’t expose our topside.”

Flurry realised she had caught nothing which Nyx had said up to this point. She executed the maneuvers effortlessly, halting the slow tumble of both her ship and the debris while leaving in a slight roll so as to be convincing in case anyone was watching for that.

It was only then that she could consider the broader picture. The Charon had been destroyed.

No, not entirely. Flurry saw the two halves of the prison ship still relatively close to one another with most of the superstructure still intact, apart from being bisected.

By now, the attacker had fully emerged. It was ugly, but more than that, it was terrifying. She couldn’t decide whether it more resembled a living thing or a vessel. The total size was about two-thirds that of the Charon. Its bow consisted of thorny protrusions jutting forward partly like mandibles of a giant insect and partly like claws made for grasping or impaling. Further back, the slender foresection gave way to a more bulky abdomen of sorts, covered in an array of rib-like ridges.

The hull, if it could be called that, consisted of a black rough-textured outer layer that was punctuated by dozens of slats and holes, exposing a glowing red layer beneath it. The parts that glowed did so in synchronization, pulsing from fore to aft and resembling a throbbing machine or the heartbeat of what lay unknown beneath its surface.

At each side of the vessel’s thicker abdomen section jutted four enormous jagged spikes, one atop the next, at about ten degrees separation from one another. These resembled bony fin-like protrusions, extending about half-again further than the ship body was wide.

Flurry was speechless. In her entire long life, she had never seen anything like this. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. She thought of the ponies on the Charon.

“Is… is anyone out there still alive?” Flurry asked, a lump forming in her throat. “Come in. Come in, anyone.”

She listened on all the comms channels, hoping for any signs of life.

“Anyone?”

“You just about gave me a heart attack,” Nyx said. “I thought you actually broadcast that.”

“I’m desperate, not stupid,” Flurry replied.

“Do you need me to fly?”

“No no, I got it. We just need to help them.” Flurry checked comms status. The entire area was jammed, so no one could have heard her anyway.

“Flurry…” Nyx said.

The attacking ship pivoted, gliding over the two halves of the Charon and parking directly above them.

“Surely, there are ponies still alive,” Flurry mumbled to herself only barely aloud. “The bulkheads would have sealed. Yes, they definitely would have—”

“Flurry!” Nyx repeated.

“What?” Flurry finally shot back.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Flurry admitted. What could she do?

Several minutes had passed, and to her horror, the hostile ship had begun dissecting the Charon with smaller cutting beams mounted on the forward-facing thorny parts. She could barely see the shimmer of tractor beams preventing the pieces of the prison ship from drifting away.

“Doesn’t look like they’ve seen us,” Nyx commented after a long silence.

“Yeah, seems that way. We’re still alive, after all,” Flurry replied.

“I guess we hold here till they leave? I can’t think of any other way. What do you think?”

Flurry estimated they were about two kilocanters from the enemy and holding relative position. Their roll was about two revolutions per minute with the Dream’s nose facing the wreck of the Charon. “We should be fine sitting here. I’d really like to leave though; this scene is making me sick to my stomach.”

“Then can I make a suggestion?”

Flurry’s gut tightened up. Whatever it was, she already knew she wasn’t going to like it.

“Come join me,” Nyx said, her voice now soft.

Flurry didn’t want to, of course. It would be like giving up. But what could she do? If they tried to help, they’d be cut down. If they tried to run, they’d be chased and killed. If they teleported or jumped away, they’d be followed and still killed. The only option left was to sit… and watch.


<=======ooO Ooo=======>


Windigo.

They were the stuff of rumours and legend—hushed whispers of things glimpsed in Mirrorspace, usually dismissed as drunken myths and delusions. Flurry had heard the occasional story among the denizens of the Dragon’s Head nebula, but no one ever had any hard facts or evidence.

Until now, that is.

Windigo attacks have always been said to be very rare but utterly devastating. They leave no survivors—no witnesses. Why? Who knows. Their motives were as obscure as those of the Alcora. About the only thing that Flurry was certain of was that these two races have been at war since time immemorial.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Flurry murmured. It had been ten minutes since she unplugged from the flight couch and joined Nyx, sitting in the bow-nook of the bridge. It was a small patch of floor at the frontmost position, directly behind the large curved omniglass window at the bow of the ship.

Flurry had installed a comfortable floor cushion right into the decking, as she often enjoyed sitting here, watching the stars with her own eyes. Today, she was just grateful to be here with family, for the view beyond the glass was heartbreaking.

“Me neither,” Nyx said as they sat together, side by side. “Everything I know about them is second-hand, mostly what the Council has been told by the Alcora. I never imagined seeing them would be like this.”

The pair of alicorns sat quietly as the Windigo ship continued to methodically cut apart pieces of the Charon. They were taking their time, which made the process all the more agonizing to sit through. Occasionally, there would be an explosive decompression as yet another chamber was breached, marking the deaths of more ponies, thankfully too far away to see without magnification.

Flurry leaned into her cousin, resting her head on the black alicorn’s shoulder. This feeling of helplessness, especially after things were looking up, was more than she could bear. Her eyes wandered, tracing through the starfield off to the side until she spotted something moving in the distance and at quite a pace from the looks of it. 

Someone new on the scene? She had to warn them.

“Computer, transfer HUD and command to my position,” she stated quickly. “Analyze latest arrival in the tactical theatre and prepare an FSO comms channel.”

The ship was rapidly closing on their position, which had Flurry all the more worried the newcomer would be attacked next. But when a magnified view of the ship was superimposed on the glass, that concern evaporated. It was a second Windigo ship.

Flurry sighed, cancelling the comms request as her shoulders slumped. Their troubles had just been doubled.

Less than half a minute had passed when the new Windigo ship was close enough to identify visually. Another few seconds later, as it closed within a kilocanter, something almost audible shook her very soul like the cry of a griffon on a chilly moonless night in the ancient Nevharan outskirts. If asked to give an account to someone, she would not have been able to articulate the experience; it was simply an impression of palpable terror.

Flurry’s gut tightened up as the vessel raced past them, thankfully without noticing, and headed towards the planet.

Towards the colony.

Flurry put a hoof to the glass in front of her as she leaned forward, watching the alien horror continue on its way, only to come to a stop and rotate itself in place. On the glass, she brought up two semi-translucent magnification windows, one showing the Windigo ship and the other, the colony below, while the real visual, as seen with her own eyes, remained unobstructed.

No. No no no… Flurry stood up, her breath quickening. Beside her, Nyx stood as well.

The long bony fins jutting out of the sides of the Windigo ship moved apart, fanning out until all eight tips formed a complete circle. Then, Flurry’s worst fears were realised. Bright orange beams of energy shot out from the tips, converging a short distance in front of the ship before making contact with the planet’s surface as a single much heavier beam.

“You AB-”

“SOLUTE”

“FUCKERS!!”

As Flurry cried out, she repeatedly struck her forehooves hard against the glass, which was in no danger of scratching, nevermind breaking.

Even without the magnified view, the devastation was clear. On the surface, enormous expanding flames were visible where the beam had struck, even from the Dream’s position in orbit. The beam slowly raked across the colony in a circular motion, tracing the outskirts first. Then, after completing a round, the continuous beam spiraled inwards, ensuring no one would escape as it gradually consumed the entire colony.

On the window showing the colony, everything was engulfed in fire and destruction. Buildings were toppled into heaps. After several minutes of constant onslaught, nothing remained but burning rubble.

Flurry’s knees buckled, forcing her back down as she wept. “Thirty thousand souls,” she lamented. Families.

Looking up to Nyx, her cousin’s face was hard, a resolute expression of barely contained rage. Nyx was ready to kill someone.

The Windigo had finally switched off their beam after all signs of the colony on the surface were erased. Flurry wiped her eyes as she watched the alien vessel return its fins to their original position. The  background starfield then appeared to wrap itself around the ship, engulfing it in wobbling stars until the only thing to be seen was a slight refraction and then stillness.

Meanwhile, the first Windigo vessel had been continuing its work dismantling what was left of the Charon as if absolutely nothing notable had just happened.

“You realise this will become yet another attack with no survivors to report it,” Nyx pointed out. “An unsolved mystery.”

“Not this time,” Flurry declared. “I’ve got a record of everything in explicit detail. Provided we make it out of here alive, everyone’s gonna know what these bastards have done. Just think what it would do for the colonies to have a common foe! We might even see some major peace treaties signed this year.”

“Flurry… No.”

“What do you mean ‘No’, Nyx? Don’t you think the colonies need to see what the Windigo have done?”

“And then what, Flurry? We all go to war? You saw what one ship did to one of the most well-defended capital ships we’ve got. Do you want to provoke a vicious retaliation? It’d be a slaughter.”

“I don’t know, Nyx, I think if they were ready to kick our asses, they’d already be doing it. Why all this cloak and dagger shit?”

“I don’t have the answers to that. But these things are quite alien. Their motives aren’t like ours. The only choice is to bring it before the Council.”

“I’m not ready to deal with them,” Flurry stated firmly, her wings bristling. “You can deal with Celestia and Twilight—count me out.”

Nyx sighed. “Fine. But promise me you won’t tell anyone until after I get the Council’s advice. We don’t want to jeopardize…”

Nyx’s voice trailed off as her gaze fixated on something outside. Now what?

Flurry looked where Nyx was staring.

“They’ve stopped,” Nyx said, her voice filled with curiosity.

“Computer, magnify hostile ship,” Flurry ordered.

An enlarged view of the Windigo ship took up the entire forward window. They had indeed stopped cutting apart the Charon. Now, a single chunk of the ship sat directly in front of the alien spacecraft.

“What a mess,” Flurry commented, noticing the thousands of pieces of jagged debris that drifted about near the Windigo ship. Unfortunately, they could also see the tiny frozen bodies of quite a lot of ponies speckling the debris field like motes of dust. “How much you wanna bet it’s Merry’s prison cell that’s got their attention?”

“Seems they’ve finally found what they’re here for,” Nyx said.

“If he gets away, I’m gonna be pissed.”

“What are you going to do about it, exactly?” Nyx asked. “We’re not really in an advantageous position here.”

Flurry fumed. This day just kept getting worse. And after such a good start too.

Fifteen long minutes ticked by as Flurry and Nyx watched the scene from their safe perch. Flurry was starting to get impatient. Then, the tractor beam stopped shimmering and the wreckage drifted away from the bow of the Windigo ship where it had been held for some time.

And with that, the enemy ship was swallowed up in a distorted patch of space, leaving behind only the carnage they had wrought.

“Now what?” Flurry asked. “Time to go?”

“We’re going to have to check out that wreck,” Nyx said.

“I was afraid you were going to say that. I’d rather not fly the Dream over there, if it’s all the same. If they show up again, we’re toast, so we’ll have to EVA.”

Nyx groaned. “Fine.”

They made their way down to the Dream’s airlock, where Flurry began rummaging through a cabinet drawer that was set into the wall.

“What are you looking for?” Nyx asked.

“Aha! These,” Flurry replied, pulling out a pair of air collars. “I knew I had a spare in here somewhere.”

Nyx stared at her collar, a dubious expression on her face. “You don’t have any EVA suits, do you?” she asked flatly.

“No time for that. Also… no, I don’t. Just consider it part of the thrill.”

“Freezing my nethers off in hard vac isn’t my idea of fun.”

“Sorry,” Flurry grinned sympathetically. “You get used to it.”

Flurry helped fit the collar onto Nyx’s head and pressed the activation button. Immediately, the nearly invisible shield bubble formed, providing a sphere of breathable atmosphere.

“I’m gonna bring a search and rescue kit,” Flurry added before pulling a large backpack off the wall and strapping it onto her back.

“You expecting they’ve left survivors?”

“This is the Windigo, Nyx. I don’t know what to expect.”

Now that they were ready, Flurry looked out the airlock window towards the wreckage. Two kilocanters… She had checked the exact distance before leaving the bridge, but this was going to be tricky.

“Ready to get chilly?” Flurry asked as she grasped onto Nyx and focused a fair bit of thaumatic energy through her horn.

There was a bright flash, followed by the familiar tingle of hard vacuum directly on her skin.

Beside her, Nyx was tumbling, flailing her legs and wings awkwardly with nothing to grasp onto as they hung in empty space.

“Hey hey, steady there,” Flurry said as she gave her cousin a telekinetic nudge.

“Sorry, I don’t normally EVA,” Nyx said. “You seem rather used to it.”

“I do this all the time. It… well, it comes with the job.”  Flurry grinned sheepishly.

“Uh. Huh.”

It was then that Flurry took in the scene, her jaw slack in awe.

They were right at the edge of the Charon’s debris field. It was huge, making her feel incredibly small compared to when she was flying the Dream. About a fifth of the ship had still not been completely dissected, its bulk drifting about six hundred canters away. But everything else was an unbelievable sight, the scale of devastation threatening to overwhelm her. Bits of shredded steel filled the area, glinting in the sunlight as far as she could see in any direction. And then there were the bodies, drifting gently in the icy tomb of space. Some were crew and some were prisoners. She felt pity for both.

“There’s the section we’re after,” Flurry said, pointing straight up above her head. “Come on.”

Flurry spread her wings and pushed, letting the thaumatic energy that made the pegasi distinct flow through and push her along. Looking over her shoulder, Nyx was struggling like a filly learning to use hoof skates.

“Wow, you really don’t EVA, do you? Take your time, you’ll get the hang of it. Remember, aerodynamics is out. It’s not all that different from piloting a ship.”

Nyx calmed herself and looked up towards where Flurry was floating. She stuck her tongue between her lips slightly, spread her wings wide, and gently pushed back, sailing forward in the process.

“Yeah, see? You’ve got it.”

The hull section was a lot bigger than it had looked from the bridge of the Dream. Most of it was jagged, twisted steel, but the side that had been the outer face of the ship was still intact. Flurry could see the indentations that were the divisions between individual prison cells. It was a grid of nearly twenty cells in a five-by-four arrangement with a couple corners missing.

What was strange were the holes in each cell. As she approached, she realized that the Windigo ship had punched holes in every prison cell with its energy beam, deliberately killing the prisoners within. That is, every cell except for one.

“I’m reading air inside,” Nyx said after checking her holo-brace. “It’s leaking out over here, see it?”

Flurry looked where Nyx was pointing. It was inside one of the empty cells. She tilted her wings slightly, gliding over to the opening.

The sheer power of the Windigo weapons hit her in that moment, as her hoof made contact with the face of the Charon. This was vardite alloy—not the best, but pretty close. It was at least as thick as her foreleg was long, and the Windigo beam had slagged a hole straight through it like it was nothing.

Flurry went in first. She folded her wings and used her legs to climb through into the ruined prison cell.

Nyx followed right behind her, lighting her horn after getting inside, as it was completely dark without power.

“No sign of the prisoner,” Nyx said. “Probably sucked out through the breach.”

“Or vaporized if he was standing in the wrong spot,” Flurry pointed out. There were bits of recently molten vardite splattered all through the cell.

“Found the leak.”

It was the far wall of the cell, where the cutting beam must have touched briefly but not fully penetrated. It looked to Flurry like the Windigo were actually using great precision to avoid breaching the internal hallways.

“If there’s air inside, we should try and keep it that way,” Nyx suggested.

“Agreed.” Flurry pulled out a device from her backpack and placed it near the gaping hole. She then tapped her holo-brace, activating the small shield projector that created an airtight seal near the breach. The survival tool then began releasing air, which soon filled the room. Both she and Nyx deactivated their collars.

“Now we just have to get in,” Nyx said as she placed a hoof on the thick metal door. Sparks flew out from beneath her hoof as she tried cutting her way through, but after a while, she saw that only scratches had appeared.

“This is tough stuff,” she said.

“We’re in a prison cell,” Flurry pointed out. “Try something a bit more than what a typical earth pony can do.”

Nyx snorted. “Stand back.”

Nyx backed up and held her hooves wide, her horn lowered in a combat stance. Indigo swirls raced around within her horn, which soon glowed too brightly to look at.

A pulse of thaumatic energy released, directed at the door, which was blown clear off its mounting and slammed into the wall on the other side of the hallway.

“Yeah, like that,” Flurry remarked before walking through.

That’s when the smell hit her. It wasn’t old and stagnant—not enough time for that. But she knew that smell anywhere.

Blood.

It was everywhere—walls, floor, and ceiling. Whatever crew that had been trapped in this section apparently tried to fight back, but it was in all vain. Flurry couldn’t help but wonder why the Windigo had bothered boarding in the first place. Hopefully the answers were in that solitary intact cell.

Nyx led the way through the corridor, floating along in zero-gravity, the light from her horn casting harsh shadows on the structure. It wasn’t long before they could see a prison door that had been left open up ahead. Flurry gripped a comms terminal with a hoof and gently shoved off, gliding towards the doorway until she could finally see inside. Nyx was right behind her.

Oh… Oh my.

Flurry had to make an effort not to throw up. It was definitely Merry’s prison cell, as his hover chair was still here, smashed and shoved into a corner. As for Merry himself, it was exactly like what had happened to Bravo team on the Orion—what had nearly happened to Flurry herself.

Merry Weather had been eaten by a Windigo.

Not all of him. Little bits were smeared on the walls, chunks of viscera and blood coating the room. Flurry saw a wing with half its feathers missing, ripped off his body and floating near the far end of the cell.

Why, though? Wasn’t he in league with them? She had thought for sure they were here for a prison break. 

Then she remembered… Merry had betrayed them by sending Flurry and the aerie on a hopeless mission to rescue the Orion, inadvertently foiling their entire plan.

All for the sake of some hot alicorn tail.


<=======ooO Ooo=======>


It had taken three teleport jumps to get back to the bridge of the Dream.

Flurry was spent. Nyx was busy uploading all the photos she had taken to the ship’s computer. She at least had the stomach to thoroughly document the scene. Flurry just wanted to get out of there.

Nyx had also collected a number of biological samples from Merry’s cell, using gauze from Flurry’s search and rescue kit to wrap them up for transport. One piece in particular was a patch of hide with fur matching Merry’s colour and a thick bundle of mane still attached. It was definitely him.

Flurry prepped the ship to jump. There was nothing left to see here.

“This is what I don’t get,” Flurry said. “The Windigo went through all this trouble, destroyed an extremely well-defended maximum security prison ship and all souls aboard. Then slaughtered thirty thousand ponies, an entire colony, just to get revenge on Merry Weather?”

“Seems rather extreme, doesn’t it?” Nyx replied. “I honestly don’t think ponies are ready for this threat. But there’s some solace in that things were not as bad as they could have gone for everyone who died today.”

“Not as bad?!” Flurry echoed with incredulity.

“Yeah. Their deaths were quick. Merry’s was not. If the Windigo had come to harvest, they would have brought a larder ship and everyone would share Merry’s fate.”

Flurry cringed. “No wonder the Alcora want to destroy them. You’d think they’d be nicer about working together. Enemy of my enemy and all that.”

Nyx looked at Flurry with an eyebrow raised. “You know better than that.”

Flurry sighed. “I know. I just hope things don’t get worse because of what we’ve done. Have we provoked them into moving earlier than they’d planned?”

“I think we still have time,” Nyx said. “But not much. Remember, it’s still important to them that they leave no witnesses. If that changes… then worry.”

Flurry turned her head to glance once more out the main viewport. Even from orbit, the raging flames were still visible, cremating the remains of the Holcolm IV colony.

“What have we awakened, Nyx?”

Nyx put a hoof on Flurry’s cheek, turning her head away from the viewport. She looked her cousin in the eye. “We’ll get through this,” she said. “If anything, it makes the Orion’s mission all the more important.”

Flurry offered a weak smile. “Don’t forget how good it will feel to see your son again.”

“That thought has never left my mind, cousin. And you’ve got some thinking to do as well. Do you still want to go to Equus?”

Flurry nodded. “I had a talk with Luna while you were out with Oakheart. I’m going to visit the memorial. It’s time.”

Nyx leaned forward, pulling Flurry into an embrace. “I’m happy for you. Don’t forget to visit old friends while you’re there.”

“We’ll see,” Flurry replied. We’ll see…