A Distant Star

by Dr Atom Discharge

Chapter Nine: An Unexpected Guest

Last Time: His horn started to glow, getting brighter and brighter, more and more power building up. He felt himself hit the first level of resonance, and started to feed the energy back into himself until eventually he managed to hit the second resonance. A beam of pure energy shot out of his horn, destroying anything in its path, picking matter apart atom by atom. But something went wrong. A powerful wave of energy caused him to lose control. The beam started to waver and expand. He felt the energy of the universe flowing through him and had no way to control it. He tried to regain control but it burned at him, it burnt him up from the inside. Finally another wave of energy rocketed through his body and up his horn, he felt a line of fire race up his horn. There was a massive crash as energy exploded outwards in a searing light and intense sound. Everything went black.

Atom slowly woke up, his whole body burning with pain. He opened his eyes, the light searing at first, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open until they adjusted. He saw the ceiling of his room in the palace, he tried to remember how he had gotten there. The memories flooded back into his head, and his eyes filled with tears. He had let his desire for answers get the better of him, and it had evolved into a primal lust for power that had put not just himself in danger, but Canterlot itself.; there must have been some serious structural damage done under the city. But worst of all… he had put Celestia in danger… his mentor, the mare who had shown nothing but support and kindness towards him… the closest thing he still had to a mother.

It would have been easier to give in to the sadness and simply cry, but Atom had to see what was happening, to make sure that the princess was okay. He staggered towards the door. His horn glowed to open it, but instead of the door glowing a line of pain shot up his horn. A pain so intense it obliterated what energy he had left, causing him to fall to the floor and writhe in pain until he passed back into the darkness of unconsciousness. His last sensation was a warmth running down his forehead.

Atom woke to two guards looming over him.
“Atom Discharge, stand up. We are here to take you before the Princess.” The guard ordered him. Atom staggered too his hooves, his legs cramping as he did. The two guards then positioned themselves in front and behind him, and started marching towards the royal throne room. Atom’s heart sunk as the doors opened to the throne room; the princess had a hard serious look on her face. Atom looked out of one of the windows and saw the candidates for the school. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since the explosion.

He turned his head towards the Princess as he approached. She bore a serious demure, more serious than he had ever seen her.
“Atom, I am so disappointed… I have let things slide in the past… But this is too big… this cannot go without punishment. Not only have you specifically ignored royal orders, you have caused major structural damage to Canterlot. We are very lucky that the city is still stable after the huge amount of solid rock you disintegrated. But worse still… You have assaulted myself… I am lucky my magic was able to hold against that blast. Atom, that means you are going to be charged with treason… “

Atom took this news silently, knowing he had messed up… he was scared.
“Atom; I cannot ignore charges like those, not even for you, not without undermining the entire legal system.” Hundreds of thoughts were passing through his head as he heard this. What would happen to him? He had heard rumors about things like this… and about the sculpture garden… He couldn’t let that happen, he had to get out, but h-

There was a loud noise similar to that of thunder. Everypony in the room recoiled… everypony but Atom. He knew this was his last chance to get out. He spun around and bolted out the main door into the courtyard, and saw a huge shockwave bearing every color of the rainbow spreading across the sky. He stopped in the court yard and gazed at it for a moment before looking back to see the guards start to take chase. There was another crash, this one much closer. Atom's head swiveled up to see a purple and green dragon burst up through the roof, causing the guards to stall again. Atom barreled through the main gates and out of the palace.

Celestia watched him go and sighed. She stood up and headed towards the examination room as the guards ran about trying to find out what had happened. As she walked thoughts raced through her head. She had to make sure Atom was caught… she couldn’t let the covenant know about this… if they did… who knew what would happen. As she was walking down the corridor she saw the captain of the guard who was running around just as panicked as the rest, trying to get into the examination room.
“Leave it Captain Blade, I’ll handle this. I need you to lock down the city and capture Atom. Make sure he doesn’t get away!” She said authoritatively, and marched into the room.

Atom raced through the city towards the main gate. He had to get out before the city was locked down. He saw the main gate and pushed harder. Word must have reached the guards there; the gates were slowly swinging closed. He galloped faster and faster, trying to slip through just before they slid closed. He didn’t; he collided with the gates as they fell into place, rolling back several feet. He shook his head and looked back up at the gates, and then blinked a little in disbelief. In the gates there was a smaller one pony door. He went over and tested it, and it swung limply on its hinges. He went through almost laughing and kept galloping onwards.

One of the guards who had ran down watched, also in disbelief. He blinked a few times and then face-hoofed, but was almost knocked down as the Captain of the guard barreled past at full speed. The armored earth pony charged towards the escaping unicorn. Atom looked back to see The Captain and sped up, trying, in vain, to outrun him. Atom turned around to confront the captain as he realized he could not out run him.
“Atom! Come back with me now! If not she’ll send the rest of the Guards, and we both know they will not go easy on you!”

Atom looked at him with desperation in his eyes.
“Please Blade… we’ve known each other for years… we are friends. I need your help… please… for a friend.” Atom pleaded with the captain. Blade looked down. It was true, over the years they had been good friends. Atom was one of the few ponies in the castle Blade could really talk to without having to look up to or having to give orders to. He sighed heavily and looked back up at Atom.
“Alright, get out of here, I’ll make up an excuse. Go on! GET!” He shouted authoritatively. Atom nodded and galloped off.

Over the next few months he hid out in different towns around Equestria, and eventually learned from a trusted friend that he had been officially banished. And so it became too dangerous to stay. At first he tried hiding out in more inconspicuous places such as caves and forests but it was simply too difficult to keep himself hidden. And so he decided to move, and eventually found himself in Griffon country where he worked as a scientist at a university where he managed to gain his title as Dr.

Eventually, Atom was betrayed by someone he had trusted, someone who had heard about the bounty that had been put on his head, someone who preferred money over loyalty. And so Atom was forced to move on once again, deciding to return to Equestria. Hoping the Princess would be looking further afield, he had decided to enter via a most unregulated route; the Everfree forest. After a while he happened across the old abandoned observatory, which he managed to make functional, and the quaint town of Ponyville. It was perfect. He could quietly live on the border to Equestria without raising suspicions, so long as he kept out of the way of the village as much as possible.

Atom finished and continued gazing at the fire. They both sat in silence for a few contemplative minutes before Atom spoke up.
“What I did was wrong… and I am sorry for dragging you into it… if you wish to go and tell the guards where I am… I will understand…” He said in a slow sad tone. He continued to stare at the fire until he felt Twilight’s hoof on his shoulder. He turned to look at her and their lips met.

Although surprised at first, Atom sank into the kiss. They held on for a few minutes before Twilight pulled away and looked into his eyes. He looked back, captivated by the kindness that radiated from her beautiful purple eyes.
“Atom, I chose to come with you because I care about you, and I will stand with you until it is over." Atom smiled warmly.
“Thank you… I don’t think I could keep running without you… I L-“ Both froze as they heard the noise the un mistakable beating of wings, both felt their hearts sink with worry.

“Quickly cover the fire Twilight.” He ordered quietly. As Twilight did as she was told Atom used his magic to pack away the rest of the camp. They heard the noise again and saw a silhouette glide across the stars, coming down to land near the camp. It was followed by the noise of galloping hooves heading towards them. They looked at each other and nodded. They turned and galloped away at full speed, hoping to out run the pursuer.

As they powered through the forest it became increasingly obvious that the pursuer was not only failing to fall behind, but was actually catching up. Atom looked to Twilight and gestured to the left and they both quickly changed direction, hoping to lose whoever was following them. This was to no avail as they heard the pursuer skid and change direction.

By this point both Atom and Twilight were starting to slow but one tailing them was still going strong, with well trained endurance. There was no way they could outrun, outlast, or outthink this pony. Atom and Twilight knew they were left with little chance to escape.

Suddenly Twilight fell, her hoof having hit a protruding root and caused her to trip, skidding across the ground to stop in a jumbled heap on the forest floor. Atom stopped, skidding several feet and sending up a shower of dirt. He galloped back to her and helped her out her position.
“Twilight, are you okay!?” He said with quiet urgency.”

Twilight grimaced as she moved her hoof.
“I think it’s sprained…” She said desperately. The galloping was getting closer. Both Atom and Twilight knew it was over. They would be captured and put on trial, and then who knows what would happen. Atom looked to Twilight with love in his eyes and then leaned in to kiss her gently. Twilight lovingly kissed back.

They waited there for the pursuer to find them as the galloping slowly got louder. The pursuer slowed to a trot, approaching the clearing where Atom and Twilight laid together. A silhouette slowly formed along the treeline, and then the figure was illuminated as it stepped out into the light of Luna’s moon.
“Atom… I knew I could find you here.”