//------------------------------// // 17 - Twilight - The New Player (Part 2) // Story: A Certain Scientific Twilight // by Babroniedad //------------------------------// Thursday, September 18, early a.m. Tokyo time. Sunset smiled at her BFFs tear-stained face, brushing back the stray strands of her purple hair. “So, Sparky,” she grinned. “Have you seen my darned wheelchair? I can’t recall for the life of me where I left it.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Way to kill a romantic moment, Rom-e-no.” She groaned. “Wait, what? This is romance? I thought this was friendship and magic?” smirked Sunset. “You, my dear, would not know romance if it bit your pretty flank,” snarked Twilight. “And you, my dear, would?” retorted Sunset. “Of course I would! I, unlike you, heathen, have read many books on the subject,” replied Twilight archly. “And I, my dear bookworm, have had actual relationships, ones that went beyond friendship. Maybe you would like to know about that, hum?” grinned Sunset back. “I certainly would. It would be very informative to know if my dear BFF was perhaps doing her relationships wrong. With my superior knowledge, I can critique your relationships and suggest ways you can improve,” grinned Twilight. “I’m gonna go with no. But, I would be happy to teach you what I know, and you are certainly welcome to critique that,” said Sunset, kissing Twilight on the cheek again. She blushed. “I think that will be acceptable. What kind of lessons will you be teaching me?” Twilight inquired. “All of them,” grinned Sunset. “And I am a firm believer in experience being the best teacher.” Twilight blushed and grinned, pulling Sunset in for a kiss. Sunset smiled. A moment later, Twilight flinched and blushed. The planet beneath them began to quickly pull away, stopping when it was just a small round ball in the sky. “Oh look! We’re here!” Twilight said as she pulled away blushing madly. She moved over to one of the consoles, taking measurements and confirming their orbit. “Too fast?” snarked Sunset, now sitting alone on the floor. “A bit, yeah,” blushed Twilight fiercely. “Gotta make sure everything is set for our guests. I’m sure Academy City would love to get back their station.” “Should we give it back?” asked Sunset. “Yes, we should,” nodded Twilight. “It will give them a legitimate presence in the inner system not chained to the bottom of a gravity well. I am sure they will make good use of it.” “They’d better,” sighed Sunset. “With all the horse apples going on lately, I don’t trust them any further than I can throw them.” “I think it will help cement relationships between them and the other space-faring countries if they don’t think we’ve left them on the back of their heels,” explained Twilight. “I also think that as Midnight basically did this, we should let her present the base to them and leave ourselves out of it. Give her some positive reinforcement,” Twilight continued. “If you say so,” agreed Sunset. She looked around. “Ugh! Where did I leave that darn wheelchair?” Midnight contacted Academy City informing them of the whereabouts of Endymion and their fifteen missing space planes and crews, as well as the thirty-six needing repatriation, now guests at the Olympus Mons base. Academy City was delighted to retake possession of the station and agreed to host a TACIT unit on the station. And they acknowledged that NASA had already contacted them regarding the station’s displaced. They were in the process of coordinating the gate schedules to allow the return of their guests. Watching everything, Twilight mentally congratulated Midnight on handling things so proficiently. Midnight grinned in acknowledgement. “The Academy director would like to meet with and thank you personally for making our station useful again, as well as apologize for the misunderstanding,” added the Academy officer. Twilight mentally high-fived Midnight. Off camera, Sunset low-fived Midnight on her backside. Midnight grinned, smacking her hand away. “I would love to make the Director’s acquaintance. I’m completely available at his discretion,” answered Midnight. “You meant his convenience,” whispered Sunset. “Too late to change it,” whispered Midnight back. “Actually, the director would like to see you now,” replied the officer. “I am yours then. Where should I meet you?” asked Midnight. Sunset low-fived her again. “I will be at the Academy City TACIT terminus in thirty minutes. I will meet you there,” answered the officer. “Very well, I will see you then,” smiled Midnight. Sunset low-fived her again. “Agreed. Until then,” the officer responded, hanging up. Sunset grabbed Midnight, pulling her into a hug. “Well done Midnight! You’ll get this friendship down yet!” Midnight pushed back, extricating herself from Sunset’s grasp. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?” she said, stepping back from her. “I understand friendship, at least, academically. I do see where it can be of value in certain cases. But your continued attempts to get me to blush or laugh or giggle are not going to work. I am not Twilight and am not fooled by such tomfoolery. And your attempts to influence my emotions physically will not work.” Sunset goosed her, causing her to flinch. “You mean like that?” she asked smugly. Midnight smacked her hand away, staring at her crossly. “I could burst you into flames for that,” she fumed. “But you won’t,” smiled Sunset back at her. “And why is that do you think?” growled Midnight. “Because you love me. Because you are my friend. Because as much as I annoy you, as frustrating as I am, as I can be, you still want me around, you still want me, and you would miss me,” replied Sunset. Sunset floated up to Midnight, holding her shoulders. “We are not so different. You are not so different. You don’t hold friendship in high regard. Been there. You don’t see much value in it. Been there too. But here I am. I now value both my friends and our friendships. And I value you too. Know why? You’re my friend. And know what else? I love you. Grok that, right? But from one ex-demon to another, and someone who has been where you are, I feel for and with you, and love you as you are and will be. I just love you.” Midnight stared mutely at Sunset, her glare gone. “When I saw what you were going through, when the magic of the elements and Equestira’s magics were first raging through you, I knew exactly how you were feeling. And I knew the loneliness behind it. I couldn’t let you destroy two worlds just to get what you wanted. But I also couldn’t let you destroy yourself. “I knew what you needed. Not what you wanted, but what you needed. You needed me. You needed a friend. Your friend. And that’s me. You’re my friend. “I would have happily died to save you. I didn’t have to, but I would have. I was not going to let you lose yourself to madness or eventual regret. And yes, you would have had regrets if you had succeeded. If you had lived. The threats to your life, if you had breached the realms, were very real. “I love Twilight. And I love you.” Midnight scowled. “You love Twilight. You only claim to love me because you love her.” Sunset raised her hand brushing back Midnight’s hair, cupping her cheek. “Who’s hand did I take when we closed all the tears between the realms? “Who cried when I reached out to her, and who took my hand? Who held me and wept as I held her close. Whose back did I rub? Whose shoulder did my own tears fall on? “Was that not you?” Midnight’s lip quivered. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to disappear like your demon did? Do you want me to just fade away?” Sunset’s continence changed. Her skin turned burnt red, her eyes wild and full, fangs hanging in her open smile. Her clawed hand gently stroked Midnight’s cheek. “Do I look faded away to you, my love? Do I seem banished?” She teased. “Then where have you been?” Challenged Midnight. “Locked away? Hidden from sight? Absorbed and digested like a sour fruit? Why do I only see you now? Why has no one seen you until now?” “You have. You see me all the time,” the demon replied, pulling back and returning to her angelic form. “I changed. “Friendship changed me. Sunset changed me. I still desire power. But I’ve learned it’s not the most important thing, any more than magic or knowledge. Both of which, by the way, I also desire. “The most important thing is my love for my family. My friends. The creation I live in. “I love them. I love it. And that love changed me into this. No longer a demon, but a creature of love. “You’re seeing me now.” Midnight grew angry. “So what? She absorbed you? You’re just another pretty face she can put on? A mask, and nothing more?! “Is that what you want for me? Do you want me to just become Twilight’s mask? The brave face she puts on when she gets scared! “I refuse! I will not be absorbed and forgotten, a mask to be worn then discarded as seen fit! I will not disappear! I refuse to give up my existence!” She stomped back, hands balled at her side, glaring angrily at Sunset. “What in the seven hells are you on about?” Sunset shot back. She continued. “What in the name of Tartarus made you think I am just a mask? I am me, always have been, always will be! “Just because you don’t see me doesn’t mean I am not there. When I say Sunset and I are one, I don’t mean we are two faces on a doll, spinning our head to go from happy to sad. I am always there, and I am always me. And she is always there, and always her. “We are not two souls. We are two minds, in accord and peace, in the being we share. “I do not possess her any more than she possesses me. And yet we flow around and through each other’s thoughts, our dialogue not interrupting but complementing our shared experience of life. “You won’t know which of us is dominant at any moment because we don’t need to change our countenance like a flag to establish dominance. We move back and forth, in a dance that has become both effortless and one of the better parts of our shared existence. “So no. I did not disappear. I am not stuck in limbo somewhere. “And I did not get absorbed like a sour fruit to be turned into putrid gas. I. Am. Here. All the time. “And I love you. We love you. We are of one mind on that. Always and forever we will love you. “Do you get that? Do you understand now? “No one wants you to disappear. We love you! “No one wants you to fade away, and only come out as a boogieman. We love you. “I want for you what I have myself. I want you to know the joy I have felt existing in this way. “I want you to know the true magic of friendship. One that doesn’t just change lives, it changes your entire existence. Midnight, I want you to be as happy as I am. “Join me! Join us! Come live in this domain. You’ll never regret it.” Hesitantly, Midnight held her hand out to Sunset. Sunset pulled Midnight into her embrace. A teal and magenta cloud of magic surrounded them, grew brighter, then in a flash dissipated. They appeared unchanged, still angelic Sunset and Midnight, smiling at each other. “Nope, sorry! I guess I just wasn’t ready,” grinned Midnight. Sunset laughed, pulling her closer. She nuzzled Midnight’s head against her shoulder, then whispered into her ear. “Sorry, but you can’t fool me. How does it feel?” “Like everything I’ve ever dreamed and more,” sighed Midnight. “It’s amazing.” “I know, right?” agreed Sunset happily. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything!” “I know what you mean,” agreed Midnight grinning. “So, ready to face the director?” smiled Sunset. “Yeah, I’ve got this,” grinned Midnight. “Want me to come and hold your hand?” teased Sunset. “Maybe later,” snarked Midnight. “Definitely,” agreed Sunset. Midnight moved off, once again checking the station's telemetry to confirm their orbit. Sunset drifted behind her, watching her work. “I still have no idea where my chair is,” she sighed. “Where did you last leave it?” asked Midnight, looking up. “The lair, I think. Wait…” mused Sunset. “I teleported out with it, going to see what was going on with Index and Toma. But I came out in a vacuum fully Angel’ed up, so… my teleport must have triggered my failsafe. That means my chair is… huh. I never set up a default for that. Ascend into danger, but I didn’t think of a default for where to send the chair. I would have assumed the lair, but it wasn’t there. Maybe the redoubt or our apartment perhaps? Heck, maybe even my bedroom back home. “Ugh. I need to just put a tracker on the darn thing. So going to do that when I get it back,” groaned Sunset. “Don’t worry. I’ll make you a fob for it,” smiled Midnight. “Thanks,” replied Sunset. “Okay, guess I’d better start looking. When are you leaving?” “She said half an hour. So I’ll leave in about twenty-five minutes. Don’t want to be too early,” responded Midnight. “Okay, back in a bit then,” agreed Sunset, kissing her cheek. Midnight blushed. Sunset disappeared in a teal flash. She popped into her bedroom startling her mom. “Sunset,” Celestia gasped, hand to her chest as she caught her breath. “Is that you?” “Hi, Mom! In the flesh! Have you seen my wheelchair? I lost it when I teleported into space and I’m not sure where it teleported back to. So I am looking all over for it,” Sunset answered. She flew over and enfolded her surprised mom in a hug. “No, haven’t seen it,” replied her still startled mom. “Ah, there is so much going on. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Got to run though, have to find that darn chair. Bye, Mom! Love you! Give Aunt Luna our love too, okay?” Sunset said. Backing away, she smiled and waved, then popped away in a teal flash. Celestia blinked. “Wow,” she said. “Well, that sure beats a letter.” She resumed straightening up the room. Sunset appeared in their apartment, on her guard, leary from the last time when she learned the covens had found ways around their magical wards. Scanning quickly and seeing no sign of intrusion, she looked all over for her chair. It wasn’t there and it didn’t look like anyone had been there after them, so she moved on. With a flash of teal, she disappeared. She appeared in their redoubt. Reaching out with her senses, she searched for any intruders. Finding none, she started her search of the readout. It was in shambles, still wrecked from the coven’s search before. She magicked up the broken and damaged items, placing them all into a trash sack then sweeping off the counters and tables then the floor, placing all the glass, dust and refuse into the bag as well. Looking at the cracked displays she just shook her head. “That was just petty. Seriously?” Leaving them, she went into each room, cleaning them in turn. Going into their bedroom last, she saw her query hiding in the corner of the room by her side of the bed. “There you are! You’ve given me quite a chase! Come to Mama!” she laughed, drifting over to it. Looking down, she amended. “Okay, mama will be back. Got a little cleaning to do first.” She magicked up all the broken glass and damaged items from the floor, filling another trash bag. The monitor in their room was also shattered. She just shook her head. Room cleaned, she settled down into her chair with a grin. “Ah, that’s better. Let’s go for a spin.” Folding her wings, she wheeled out into the main room. A thought came to her, and she wheeled into the Farm. Pulling open one of the hydroponics drawers, her suspicions were confirmed. All the plants were blighted, rotting away in the drawer. She checked the others, and all were blighted. Even the fish were rotting bones fouling the waters. Growling, Sunset magicked all the blight into a trash bag, trying not to breathe as she held the bag away from her. Tying the bag shut, she then magically sanitized the entire unit, blessing and removing any blight or curses as well. Satisfied, she placed the unit on standby. Checking the water and wastewater reservoirs she felt the blight placed on them as well. Frustrated, she magicked both reservoirs' contents into the space above their planet, the two liquid balls freezing quickly. She then magically sanitized and blessed both reservoirs. “I’ll need to come back later and do a thorough cleaning, and find any other gifts those hags may have left. But time to get back to my Sparky.” She teleported the bags of broken and cursed objects, trash and dust up to join the two now oversized ice balls, then teleported herself and her chair back to Endymion with a flash of teal. She found Midnight sipping a tea, sitting by the station telemetry monitors. Midnight smiled as she saw her. “So you found it! Where was it, after all that?” she asked. “It was by my side of the bed in our bunker,” Sunset grinned. “Though I had to straighten the bunker a bit. Our uninvited guests made a mess of it. And apparently hexed everything in sight. I cleaned up a bit, but we really need to scrub and bless the place completely before we can use it again. I have no idea what other surprises they may have left that I missed.” “At least you have your chair back,” agreed Midnight. “And we will make that fob for you. After I meet with the director.” She checked the time. “And I need to be off. Watch over our station for me, will you?” She rose, stretching out her arms and wings. Sunset nodded. “You got it. And if you need me, I can be there with a thought.” “I’ve got this, but thank you. It brings me comfort to know you have my back,” Midnight smiled. With a flash of magenta, she disappeared. “Go get ‘em, Midnight,” Sunset smiled. Midnight appeared by the Academy City TACIT transceiver. Seeing no one there to greet her, she looked around, then drifted over to where a crew was working. As she got closer she spied Director Dustice among them. “Director Dustice,” Midnight called out. He looked up and smiled on seeing her. “One moment Ms Sparkle! I’ll be right with you,” he waved. He returned to his discussion, getting a nod and a bow. He returned the bow, turning and walking over to Midnight. “Welcome back, Ms Sparkle. You look different. I like it,” he grinned, taking her hand. “How can I help you?” “I feel different,” grinned Midnight. “Thanks for noticing. “So, I’m supposed to meet with the director of Academy City and was supposed to meet my liaison by the TACIT transceiver. I may be a little bit early. Is there anywhere I can grab some tea while I wait?” “Sure! Follow me, I’ll take you to the break room. We have tea and snacks there. I’m sure we can accommodate you,” Director Dustice offered, leading her towards one of the larger banks of rooms in the warehouse. Midnight followed, her hand in his. Leading her into the breakroom he pointed out the tea and snack machines. Midnight quickly went to the tea machine, selected a green tea with honey and lemon, then waved her ID over the sensor. Director Dustice went to the coffee machine, selected his drink, then joined her at one of the break room tables. “So, Ms Sparkle, when is this liaison supposed to be joining us?” he enquired, sipping his coffee. “Any minute now, actually,” Midnight informed him, sipping her tea. “I’m supposed to meet them by the TACIT unit.” “We’ll head back out there when we finish our break. Don’t worry, they won’t leave without you,” the director laughed. “I guess that’s true,” agreed Midnight. They sipped their drinks. “So I’m guessing this has something to do with our missing Endymion station,” the director mused. “Yes, that’s what it’s about. You don’t know anything about the nuclear attack on the station, do you?” asked Midnight casually. “What! What nuclear attack was that?” the director asked, wiping off the coffee he spilt in his initial gasp. “So you didn’t hear anything about the nuclear attack?” pressed Midnight. “I authorized sending up a plane check on the station when we heard it was deviating from orbit. But nukes? Nope. Not a one,” answered the director. “Well, the deviation was me. I was moving the station to a new orbit where it wasn’t at risk of coming down on my and everyone else's heads,” informed Midnight. “But before I even hardly started, a fleet of your space planes were on a direct burn towards me at their top velocity. I found that odd, and was waiting for any communications, but did not receive a single call. When they were within thirty klicks they let loose with two missiles each travelling at twice their speed towards the station. “As there were over thirty souls still trapped on the station, I raised a shield over myself and them in case those were missiles meant to destroy us. And they were. Thirty nuclear explosions went off at close range and would have reduced the station to shrapnel and ended mine and thirty-six others' lives if I had not raised my shields. “They were either extremely brave or misled, setting off nukes in space with them so close. The radiation from the spherical explosions could have given them acute radiation sickness, likely fatal, and the EMP pulse did fry every one of their electronics. The planes were rendered inoperable by the resulting EMP pulses. I dropped all fifteen of them on the sands of Mars if you are looking for them. Their crews were rescued by the staff at NASA’s Olympus Mons base, and I believe were repatriated to you just recently.” “That is true. We had an emergency override on the TACIT system to connect up with the NASA Mars base. A large crew of people came through and were escorted quickly out of the building before the TACIT system could be returned to its normal settings. It was all very hush-hush, and only the highest levels were read in. Which in this particular case did not include me,” replied the director. “I thought as a director you were at the highest levels in Academy City,” mused Midnight. “You would think. But there are some things that even I am not allowed to know about. Like turning a reconnaissance mission into a seek and destroy,” fumed the director. “Anyway, let’s get you out to meet your liaison. Wouldn’t want to keep them waiting now, would we?” He smirked. Midnight laughed. “No, certainly not,” she agreed, sipping the last of her tea. “I would hate to keep them waiting after the concern they have shown. I guess I should probably head back out there.” “I guess so,” agreed the director, finishing his coffee. He took both their cups, then rising, disposed of them. “Shall we?” he invited, holding out his hand. “We shall indeed,” Midnight smiled, taking his hand. Together they left the break room and headed back out to the TACIT transceiver. A very irate young woman was waiting for her. “Are you Twilight Sparkle? The director does not like being made to wait. You were supposed to be here waiting for me!” she fumed. “I was here, and when you weren’t, I went to get some tea. I’m here again now, and here you are,” returned Midnight. “All good.” She turned to Director Dustice. “Thank you for the tea, director, and for the interesting conversation. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of me.” She bowed, then turned back to the irate young woman. “Okay, I’m ready. Shall we?” she said, bowing and holding out her hand. With a harumph, the woman took her hand. They disappeared with a pop. And appeared inside a windowless room, surrounded by machines and computers. “This way,” instructed the irate young woman, pulling her along. She came to a large set of double doors, opened them both and waved her in. “In there.” “Are you not coming in?” asked Midnight. The girl scowled. “Just get in there.” Midnight glared at her. “Please,” she added, clearly not meaning it. Midnight frowned at her but entered the room. The girl roughly shut the doors behind her. “Hello! Midnight Sparkle here, reporting as requested!” she called out. “Over here,” replied a sexless voice. Turning, Midnight saw a long-haired person suspended upside down in a tank, their flowing long white hair covering most of their body, white bare feet emerging from the flowing mass at their top. Midnight walked toward the person. “Director?” she asked. “Yes, you’re in the right place. Come in, take a seat if you wish. We can have a little chat,” the voice continued. Midnight walked in front of the tube. A chair had been placed there for her. The person in the tank stared at her, their gaze piercing. Bowing, Midnight took her seat facing the Director. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Director. I am Midnight Sparkle. I’m the more, ah.. Militant side of Twilight Sparkle,” Midnight greeted. “Pleased to meet you, Ms Sparkle. I am Alistair Crawley, Director of Academy City. So, how have you liked our Academy?” the Director’s voice welcomed. “I have quite enjoyed our scholarship at your institution. I have learned many things here that would have been hidden from me otherwise,” responded Midnight. “I intend to learn all I can in the course of my tenure here.” “I certainly hope so,” replied the Director. “We feel quite fortunate to have you at our Academy.” “I can assure you the feeling is quite mutual. My partner and I are quite happy to be here. It does seem however there are those who are less than pleased with our attendance.” “Yes, that is certainly true, as you have found. I regret you were pulled into this mess, as that wasn’t our intent. But I will say I am happy to have you here with us despite that,” the Director apologized. “We knew going in there would be those who opposed us. We came specifically to protect two of your students, though that list has become somewhat expanded of late,” Midnight chuckled. “In addition to a few of our fellow students, we seem to be on call protecting a few bases now, yours among them. It seems a guardian’s work is never done.” “That does seem true. And yet where would we be without your and your fellow guardian’s efforts? Who knew there was a Guardian of the Moon?” replied the Director. “No one was ever on the moon long enough to pique her interest. Casual interlopers, now returned to stay. And at that, now under her protection,” replied Midnight. “And who do you protect then?” asked the Director. “Our friends, of course,” replied Midnight. “And anyone in our combined realms that needs it, which by extension includes everyone off-world. Technically, Saturn, her moons, and all the outer planets and bodies are in my realm. Mars, and the inner planets, excluding Earth and its moon, are in my partner’s realm. The Moon of course is the realm of Chang’e. And the Earth is protected by the guardian unnamed.” “Unnamed guardian? Sounds ominous. And if you will pardon my saying so, he or she is doing a horrid job,” replied the Director. “If you met her, you would not think her ominous. And as for the job she is doing, it is assuredly the best course in the long run for all her children. She would not allow anything less. “So you say. Moving on to the point of our meeting… I would very much like to know what you intend with our Endymion, which you have taken, my dear student,” replied the Director. “Ah yes. That is the crux of the matter. I took your much-beleaguered station, and with the help of my partner moved it to a more secure location. One where we needn’t worry about it dropping on our heads eventually. It’s now in orbit around L5, intact despite your efforts otherwise,” answered Midnight. “I was less than thrilled to see a fleet of your planes racing up to destroy us and the station. Not even a call or a look to see what was going on. Just overwhelming destruction. There were thirty-six of your citizens still remaining there not counting myself, all stranded.” “We did not know they were there. We thought the evacuation was complete. Regardless, we deemed any price payable to keep our technology from falling into others' hands,” replied the Director. Midnight sighed. “That I can relate to, even if I cannot approve. I know the bitter cost of an enemy stealing your technology then using it against you. Still, why did you not reach out to confirm what was happening? And more to the point, why did you sacrifice the crews of fifteen of your planes? It was clear you did not have much care for their welfare or your planes, as the EMP slagged all their electronics, and if not for my shields the radiation from the blast would have left them ill for life, if not dead. Assuming they were rescued in time. You were going to rescue them, yes?” “That’s quite a lot of cheek, dear student, to be asking your Director such questions,” noted the Director tersely. “I am your student. And yes, I do have some cheek. But let’s not pretend I am not something else also, something otherwise. You invited me to come here to protect two students you find of value. I have happily agreed to this task, protecting them and others. And now, I have protected one of your most valuable assets, from you of all creatures, and am now handing it back to you, with its value substantially increased by my actions. “You now have a base in Lunar orbit, not stuck at the bottom of a gravity well, giving you all you had thought you had lost when Endymion was close to crashing to the ground below. “For the simple price of accepting one more of my TACIT units, you will become even more than what you hoped for. You will have a portal into space free from any gravity well. I am handing you a seat among the space-faring nations enviable by all. “So no, not just a student. I am your student and grateful for that, but I am certainly more,” replied Midnight. The person in the tube smiled. Laughter echoed from all around her. “You do not disappoint, Ms Sparkle. I must say, I am quite looking forward to our continued interactions. Indeed, you are certainly more than a student,” the Director agreed. “We will take your offer. Please coordinate with Director Dustice. He will happily provide you with everything you need. And thank you, Ms. Sparkle. I look forward to meeting you again,” said the Director. “I as well, Director Crawley. Until then,” replied Midnight. Bowing, she disappeared in a flash of magenta. The guide who had brought Midnight over stepped into the room, looking around. “Is it over? Do I take her back now? Where did she go?” she asked, looking around. “It appears she didn’t need your help to leave. She left moments ago,” replied the Director. “Huh, I thought this building was warded against that,” she mused. “As did I. It appears our wards are no match for Ms Sparkle. You’re free to leave, Ms Awaki,” said the Director. The girl nodded, teleporting out. The Director hung in his tube, smiling. Midnight appeared next to the Academy City TACIT unit again, looking around for Director Dustice. Spying him once again with a work crew supervising the loading of several shipping containers, she approached him. “Ms Sparkle! Welcome back! How did your meeting go?” he smiled, walking up to her. “Swimmingly, Director. Congratulations on your new Space Station, located in orbit around L5. Are you ready to take custody of it?” smiled Midnight back. “We certainly are. We are just preparing some initial supplies for the reclamation crew, and will be ready to be on our way,” the director answered. “Excellent, and where will we be putting your second TACIT transceiver? They come in pairs, as you know. Want it located here next to the other two? Or at some other location?” Midnight asked. “Here, at least for now. This is the most secure facility we have, so we will continue using it. Once the station becomes more of a hub, we may need to move the unit to a more accessible location,” Director Dustice replied. “For now, having it here, near all the stockpiled supplies we will need to refurbish the station will be more convenient.” “Excellent. I need to go put your TACIT units together, then will be back with them as soon as they are completed. I’m looking forward to working with you, director,” smiled Midnight. “As am I, Ms Sparkle. Though before you leave, would you terribly mind transporting our crew and some initial supplies to the base, so we can get started on refitting it for its new role? They are right over her, and almost ready to go,” requested the director. “No problem, director,” Midnight laughed. “I’ll just go grab another tea while I wait.” ‘I’ll join you,” he replied, taking her hand and once again leading her to the break room. Midnight laughed. “You know, director, you don’t need to lead me by the hand. I do recall where it is.” The director smiled. “I know. There’s just something innocent about you. Makes me just want to protect you, to hold your hand and help you. Call it a father’s instinct.” “I assure you, director, I am far from helpless. Do I look helpless to you?” she asked. “Not in the least. And from what I have heard, no one would think you helpless. But the dad in me sees a young woman in need of help, and darned if I don’t want to help. Sorry if I offended you,” he replied. “No offence taken. It’s kind of sweet. Thank you,” replied Midnight. They reached the machines. Midnight selected her tea, and the director selected his coffee. Together they sat at one of the tables. “Thank you again for saving our base. What you have done for us is quite appreciated, by me especially. You’ve given us quite a gem,” stated the director. “Take care of it,” smiled Midnight. “I honestly can’t wait to see what you make of it. Do know though, there are those intent on destroying you. A target that rich will not go unnoticed. I’d advise doing everything you can to ward and shield against attacks, magical, psychic, and real. “We have been offering emergency fobs to everyone stationed in our realms, to be used for their protection. I offer them to your crew as well, current and future. They protect the wearer from death in space. If any emergency is sensed, they will teleport you past your shields to one of our lairs for your protection. Our goal is your safety. They have already proven their worth on a number of occasions. “I don’t have them ready, but we will craft them and distribute them to your crew, then get started on the TACIT units, delivering the transceiver here as you directed. That will likely take us late into the day, then using the completed TACIT units you can do whatever you need with your station. We just need to know of any staff number changes as we want every member of your staff to be covered. We don’t want any deaths on our watch. “As you will technically be in a shared Lunar orbit, you will be under the protection of Chang’e. So if anything happens, it will be her lair you are teleported to. Though we will all take part in protecting you from any mishaps. We protect those who are ours,” Midnight finished. “And I for one am quite grateful for that. And thank you,” responded the director. A worker entered the room, catching the director's attention. He waved and nodded. The director nodded back, smiling. “And it looks like your team is ready. Let’s make some introductions,” suggested the director. He rose. Midnight sipped the last of her tea, rising with him. Together they dropped their cups in the trash on the way out of the breakroom. Following him, they crossed the warehouse to where the crew had been working loading the container. They were now finished, twelve of them standing before the shipping container wearing pressure suits. One of them, a young woman stepped forward. “Justine. I trust everything is ready,” the director commented. “Yes, director. We are all packed and ready to go. We are geared to service the external station signals array, which will be our first priority. Then we will focus on life support and provisioning, as well as sustainability. We have plenty to keep us busy before the TACIT unit arrives,” she assured. “Ms Sparkle, I present to you Justine Crantz. She is one of our sustainability scientists, and the supervisor for the work crew we are sending with you. If you can transport them and their equipment to the Endymion station, we would be extremely appreciative,” the director informed. “ No problem, director. I’ll start with the shipping container, then be back for the crew. One moment” replied Midnight. She stepped over to the shipping container behind them, placing her hand on the unit. With a flash of magenta, she and it disappeared. A moment later, she reappeared, walking over to take the hand of Ms Crantz. “You first, and another I think. Ready?” she asked, taking the gloved hand of Ms Crantz and one of her associates. They nodded, and with a flash of magenta, they disappeared. Returning, she had four of them gather around, placing a hand on hers. Together they flashed away. She repeated this three more times until they were all on the Endymion station. Standing in the central foyer of the station, where the space elevators used to debark their guests and loads, she turned to Ms Crantz. “Do you require anything further from me? If not, I leave the station to you, and will start crafting your protection fobs and TACIT units,” she asked. “No, we’re good. Thank you, Ms Sparkle,” replied the supervisor. With a satisfied bow, Midnight teleported away in a flash of magenta. And appeared back in their Martian Lair. A few moments later, Sunset teleported in beside her. “Saw you leave them the station, so figured they were fine for now. How can I help, SparkyPlus?” Sunset asked. “SparkyPlus? So what, should I start calling you SunnyPlus?” Midnight laughed. “I guess? If you want? I just didn’t want to call you Sparky and offend you, like you had been digested like a bad fruit,” teased Sunset. “Just call us Sparky. And I will call you Sunny. No need to make it weird” replied Midnight. “Okay. You can call us Daydream if you want,” Sunset smiled, waggling her eyebrows. Midnight lightly punched her arm. “Sunset it is. Daydream, you wish,” she laughed. “Okay, I will craft up the TACIT units, then if you can place our usual set of protection enchantments on the crystals and then deliver them to our friends, that would be great. After that, I will craft their protective fobs. And a fob for your chair; no, I didn’t forget,” she laughed. “Okay,” replied Sunset. She helped gather the necessary materials as Midnight crafted the units. “So,” asked Sunset. “Are you going to let Twilight drive? Or even out?” “Who says I haven’t? And who do you think is doing all this crafting?” replied Midnight, not looking up from her work. “Oh. But you still look like Midnight,” Sunset replied. “We like the look,” answered Midnight with a smirk. “Of course you do,” smirked Sunset back. “Well truth be told, I’m kinda fond of it too!” She goosed Midnight again, causing her to look up from her work. “Smite, Sunny. I will smite,” she laughed, returning to her work. “Way to steal my best lines,” laughed Sunset back, smacking her flank lightly. Midnight brushed her hand away, not looking up from her work. “Why don’t you go grab thirty fob sets, so I can get started on those? I’m almost finished here, despite your distractions.” Sunset grinned, smacking her flank one more time as she passed, getting a thack on the head as she passed in exchange. She gathered the fob pairs, placing them in a box and bringing them back to Midnight. Finished, Midnight took them from her, placing the necessary enchantments on them as Sunset teleported away with the Endymion station unit in a flash of teal. She appeared in the foyer with the unit, two still-suited technicians removing more equipment from the shipping container. “Hello!” Sunset called out. “I’m here with the TACIT unit. Where should I set it up?” she asked. One of the suited figures walked over. She bowed. “Hi, Ms Shimmer. I am Justine Crantz, operations supervisor. I’ll be happy to help you with those. Can we place them by the space elevators?” She introduced herself. “Sure. Do you have hookups? Usually, these units power the bases they are on with power sent from the base unit. Do you have hookups that can support that? Also, they need fiber tie-ins to your internal network for network and communications between the units, unless you prefer the second plus delay in your communications,” Sunset asked. “Sure, we can accommodate that. And likely we will use both, though the external array will mostly be a backup. Here, I will show you where the tie-ins for both are,” replied the supervisor, leading her over to the bank of elevators. Sunset rolled after her, the TACIT unit following surrounded in a teal glow. Pointing out the power and network connections, Sunset set the TACIT unit down, securing it to the floor. Rising up from her chair, she made the connections for the power and network. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you use the chair?” asked the supervisor as she watched her work. “I’m paralyzed from the chest down. And sure, I could levitate around all the time, but who wants to be a meat puppet all the time,” Sunset answered as she worked. That got a laugh from the young woman. “Fair point, and my apologies if that was insensitive,” she smiled. Finished, Sunset rose, heading over to the unit where she rechecked her connections. “No offence taken. I do get asked that fairly often,” she admitted. “Okay, unit secured, and ready for operation. Now I’ll go set up the other side, and you can all go back to the breakroom for lunch,” grinned Sunset. “Back in a bit.” She settled into her chair, then flashed away in a burst of teal magic. She appeared back beside Midnight, finishing up yet another tea. “You know, if you drink too many of those, you will blow out your kidneys,” Sunset teased. “That’s an old wives tale,” laughed Midnight. “So, heading down with the TACIT base?” “Yup,” smiled Sunset, giving her a kiss on the cheek in passing. “See you back here when I’m done.” “Sure thing, Sunny. I’ll drop off the protection fobs to get the operations crew covered, then see you back here,” agreed Midnight. Sunset rolled over to the TACIT base unit. Placing a hand on it, she and it disappeared in a flash of tea. Midnight rose, taking the box of fobs, the tethered portion of each paired fob already safely secured in the lair system racks. With a flash of magenta, she disappeared. Midnight found the operations supervisor, handing off the fobs to her with instructions. She called her crew together and they all donned the fob necklaces. Satisfied, Midnight teleported back to their lair. The supervisor turned back to her work, only to find a beautiful NASA scientist standing beside her. She started in surprise. “Oh! Hey! Uh… hi. When did you get here?” she asked in surprise. “Oh, I’ve only just arrived, I had to check in on my new neighbours,” she smiled. “Ah, forgive me, where are my manners? I am Dr Heng’e, a member of the Lunar Tranquility base. And who might you be?” She smiled, bowing. “I’m Justine Crantz, operations supervisor for Endymion station. Ah, if you don’t mind, how did you get here? Is the TACIT working already?” she introduced herself and asked. Dr Hang’e laughed. “No dear, not yet. Though if I know my fellow goddesses, it will be soon enough. I do not need a TACIT to visit anyone in my realm.” “Goddesses? Realm?” asked the supervisor in confusion. She started, her eyes going wide. “You’re the guardian, aren’t you? You’re the goddess Chang’e!” She bowed low, dropping to her knees. “I am so sorry! I did not recognize you!” She apologized. Scowling, Chang’e crouched down, holding her face in her hand and raising her gaze to meet hers. “My dear Ms Crantz. I am your guardian, not your tyrant. There will be none of that on my watch. Bow and scrape to your gods, but not me. And worship your maker. I’ll have none of that,” she gently scolded. Smiling, she took the woman’s hand, lifting her back to her feet. “Much better,” she smiled. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms Crantz. Shall we tour your station? Perhaps you can show me the sites.” Calling over one of her crew, she left her to finish unpacking as she showed the goddess the station. Sunset popped into the warehouse with a flash of teal magic, the TACIT base unit still in tow behind her surrounded by a teal glow. She rolled up to the director. “Director Dustice? I’m here with your new TACIT Endymion unit. Ready to get it set up?” she asked. “You bet! Let’s get you set up,” he replied, leading her over to a prepared connector block next to their existing TACIT units. “Right here, next to the Lunar and Pallas units.” Sunset set to work, lowering the unit onto the prepared block then quickly connecting the power and network connections. A technician secured the unit to the block while she worked. Finished, she moved back to her seat. “Shall we try it out?” Sunset asked, smiling at the director. “We shall!” he smiled back, taking her hand. Together they wheeled and walked into the unit, the director helping guide her chair into the chamber. With a flash of magenta, they disappeared, appearing in the Endymion unit. The director rolled them out, seeing only the technician unpacking the container. He called out to her. “Hey, have you seen Justine?” he asked. “She just left. Some goddess just showed up, so she was giving her a tour,” the technician answered, returning to her work. “Chang’e is here! Awesome! Let’s go find her,” said Sunset. Taking the director's hand, they disappeared in a flash of teal. Appearing beside Chang’e and Ms Crantz. “Hi, Chang’e!” Sunset called out, rolling over to her friend and giving her a huge hug. “Hi, Sunset! What are you doing here?” asked Chang’e, returning her hug happily. “I just finished setting up the TACIT base, so we tested it out. And when I heard you were here, I couldn’t pass up the chance to say hi!” Sunset answered, grinning. “So, care to join us on our tour?” asked Chang’e. “You bet!” agreed Sunset. The director smiled and nodded. Together they completed their tour of Endymion station. Sunset flashed in next to Twilight in their lair. “Twilight?” said Sunset, surprised. “Who were you expecting?” grinned Twilight. “Midnight,” replied Sunset. “She seemed to indicate it was your new look.” “Only when we are ascended. Otherwise, it’s just me. Not disappointed, are you?” asked Twilight, smirking. “Not in the least,” grinned Sunset back, pulling Twilight into her lap. “Had enough fun for the day?” she asked. "One second, don't want to forget this," Twilight said, getting back up. Squatting down, she secured a tracking fob to the frame of Sunset's chair. "There! Now that's done. Can't lose your chair again with a tracking fob." She smiled, sitting back down in BFF's lap. “I’m bushed. What say we head back to the apartment and get some sleep,” suggested Twilight, fighting a yawn. “Don’t do that! Ugh, now you... Uhh…” Sunset ended up yawning herself, causing Twilight to lose her own fight. Still yawning, they disappeared in a flash of teal. Appearing in their apartment. Sunset wheeled them into the bathroom where they proceeded to get ready for bed. Twilight ran quickly into their room, fetching Sunset’s bathroom bag as she transferred. “Thanks, Sparky! You’re a lifesaver,” replied Sunset. “Need any help?” asked Twilight. “Nope, I got this. Will meet you in bed,” Sunset answered. “Okay!” said Twilight. She stripped off her school uniform, panties and bra and jumped into the shower. “Ah… that feels good. Nothing like a relaxing shower at the end of a long day,” Twilight sighed. Finished with her tasks, Sunset transferred back over to her chair. Undressing, she rolled over to the shower. “You so talked me into it, Sparky. Room for one more?” she asked, smiling. “For you? Always!” Twilight laughed, opening the shower door. Stepping out, she lifted her friend into her arms, then stepped back into the shower and soaked under the water. “Uh, Sparky? You’re supposed to put me on the shower bench, silly,” reminded her friend, nuzzled up against her cheek. “Oh, silly me,” smiled Twilight. She sat on the seat, still holding her friend. Sunset snuggled into her friend. “You’re such a dork,” she laughed. “Takes one to know one,” Twilight laughed back, holding her friend close as they enjoyed the warm water washing over them. They closed their eyes, leaning into each other as they basked in the warmth. A while later, dressed and ready for bed, they snuggled up under the covers, watching the stars over the city through the picture window as they fell asleep.