//------------------------------// // Final: No Matter What // Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) // by Barrobroadcaster //------------------------------// Golden Oakes Library Over 1,000 Years Ago Unification Day Vice couldn't help but smile. "Do you need some help?" "No, no I've got... hold on," Rice said. "I've almost got it!" He waited patiently in the living room. He'd gotten used to this a long time ago, but it was always a mystery what would happen next. This must've been what every child of an inventor felt at some time or another, waiting for his father to unveil the latest thing he'd made. "Alright... alright, I've got it. Are you ready?" Vice rolled his eyes. "Yes, c'mon now! Let's see it!" The door to the 'inventing room' swung open. And Rice walked out. Walked, as in on two legs. "Ahh... ahhh... ah. There we- hang on, let me get the-" he closed the door. "There we go." "Woww, what are those? And why are you standing up like that?" Rice beamed, holding his forelegs out for all to see, all of his one-colt audience. "Do you like 'em? Check 'em out!" Vice grinned. "You've been working on these a while. What are they?" He nodded, admittedly. "Yep, yep, but now they're ready. I call it the Hoof-Attached Network of Digits System, or HANDS for short." "What are on your back legs?" Vice asked. "Ah, this is to help me keep balance like this. They're the uh, Floor-Equilibrium and Elevated Terrain Stabilizer." "HANDS and FEETS?" Vice asked. "Those sound a bit silly, dad." "Heh, you may be right. But I need them to help me with the project. Speaking of which," Rice smiled knowingly, that little way he did sometimes. "It's gonna be today." His son's eyes lit up. "Really? The locomotive is ready?" He nodded. "Just finished it last night. That's why I had to get the HANDS working. Some of the controls and things need finer manipulation than just hooves can afford." Vice nodded. "You're also using them to help maintain the engine assembly and work the throttle? That sounds pretty useful." Rice smiled. His son was a bright pony. Even smarter than he'd been at that age, as it should be. He'd really matured in the past year, on the road to becoming a stallion. He looked at his son, the colt with stunted front legs and knew his future was bright. He knelt down. "These are nice, you know, but I think you're still my favorite invention." They hugged, tightly. "I love you too, dad." There was not a combination of words in any language, written, spoken or otherwise that would ever sound sweeter to his ears or more warming to his heart. That was truly one of the things in this world that was impossible. "So have you packed your things? It's going to be a couple of days before I get back." The politics of the situation demanded it. Officially, Equestria's first steam-powered locomotive, the train Rice and his team had invented against the urging of the pegasi and unicorn triumvirs, was not scheduled to be unveiled for another few days. The railroads of Equestria were still not completely connected, and the official unveiling listed Appleloosa as the destination. This was all a ruse to obfuscate the true nature of the train. The rail lines between Mount Harmony and Mount Prosperity, through Hope Valley had been completed in the past week, as had the steam engine. Rice's first trip would be through Hope Valley today, completing a stretch of hundreds of miles. The whole trip would take him a couple of days, with scheduled stops along the way to examine both the land, take samples and check the train. He would be traveling a greater distance in a shorter amount of time than any earth pony before him without the aid of pegasi or unicorns. "I've been, um... thinking about that, dad." "Everything all right? You don't want to stay with the Cakes?" "I-it's not that," he looked down and away, then looked up and into his dad's eyes. "I want to go with you." Still kneeling, Rice was momentarily at a loss for words. "I... well, I don't know if it'll be completely safe." He couldn't ask anypony else to take the trip with him. He couldn't have been more certain that the train, tracks and that the journey in its entirety was perfectly safe. Even perfectly safe, however, was not safe enough for his son. "I know. But..." his son looked down, his eyes briefly glancing at his prosthetics as they often did, clicking lightly as he moved them. "I wanna be with you." "Something could... could happen..." Vice looked up. "Something could always happen. I'd rather us be together for whatever happens. No matter what." He felt his eyes well up with tears immediately, quickly and heavily, like a dam rapidly full to bursting. He hugged his son again. "We go together, then. No matter what." They both packed and set out together. Together. No matter what. No matter what. Pegasopolis At the same time "General, ma'am! The cloudpacitors have reached fully-charged!" "Good," General Typhoon said. She did not turn to address her subordinate, Commander Cyclone. "All teams are to hold the current formations." Pegasopolis was unusually cold today. All of the clouds composing it had become dark and gray. The General's overlook was often gray in color, but today they were especially dark. The friction and static was something pegasi were used to "A... aye, ma'am," Cyclone said. She did not leave immediately. Commander Cyclone and General Typhoon, Ty and Cy, were sisters. More so than other the other members of the Pegasus Army, they were actually blood sisters. As such, Cyclone was possibly the only one who could have spoken up to Typhoon without fear of harsh reprisal. She knew she needed to speak up now. Typhoon looked over her shoulder. "Speak." "General... Ty..." Typhoon spun around rapidly. "Remove your helmet if you're not going to speak to me as a soldier!" She did not. "I AM a soldier, Ty! This is... this is wrong! This is dangerous!" In that brief moment, the senior pegasus, the senior officer's seniority was pierced. "I... I know what I'm doing, Cy! You have your orders now-" She was about to say "you are dismissed." But never got the chance. "We're supposed to PROTECT The Earth Pony Tribe, Ty! How is this protecting them?" "We're protecting them from THEMSELVES! Puddinghead is a maverick and-" "He's your husband!!" Cy shouted. Typhoon stepped back, stunned. Her sister's mention of unpleasant truth was as striking to her psyche as an axe through her armor. She was taken aback. "He's the father of your son, Ty. My nephew. You can't do this. We can't do this. Please." "I..." Other pegasi swooped in. Any form of aggression wasn't tolerated in the General's overlook, made of clouds composed of vapor from the days of Hurricane herself. Typhoon stood on the spot that the Pegasus Army Flag was planted on. Cy's shouting had drawn the attention of her personal guards, her personal enclave. "The commander is relieved of duty, effective immediately. Take her to the brig!" "No! Ty!!" "Get her out of my sight!" "Stop this, stop! She's a traitor!! She's-" Her sister continued shouting as the guards removed her. General Typhoon turned her back to her sister. She would protect her kingdom... she would regain her honor. She WOULD ensure the continuity of the Pegasus Army, of the pony race. She would stop the foolhardy Rice and the earth ponies, planning on expanding into Appleloosa. She would stop a conflict with the Buffalo League, with the Zebras, with the Griffons and all the others before it started. She would fulfill her duty. And her sister knew, she would get what was coming to her. No matter what. No matter what.