//------------------------------// // Chapter 17-a: Here it comes again. // Story: Out of the Old, Into the New // by SentientHydra //------------------------------// For a Celestial princess, waking came with the sensation of a tiny muzzle pushing gently against her side and a soft mare's voice murmuring into her ear “Princess? Princess... You need to get up.” a hoof found purchase on her great white shoulder and gave it a hesitant shove. Celestia shifted slightly, muttering something unintelligible with an irritated edge and trying to curl up into her warm little spot, trapping her body heat under the billowing snowy canopy of her wings. The insistent pony alarm clock did not relent, her next shove being far less hesitant. In return for her efforts the dutiful mare got a wing to her face, slapping the smaller creature away with the strength of a god's granite muscle wrapped in softness like that of a giant feather pillow. New voices spoke up, the stallion's tenor muffled by the muggy fog of pre-dawn sleepiness, then came the mare's high in disbelief and laden with disgust, but again fuzzy beyond the range of comprehensibility. Snorting with irritation at the violation of her private sanctum the alicorn burrowed her head down until only her ears remained visible, long legs tucked neatly under a wing. Then came the gentle tip-tap of nervous hooves, the hot breath of the mare on the nape of her neck. Then the slimy sensation of a tongue, worming it's way deep into an exposed ear. “Euuugh!” The Diarchical god bolted upright as the irritated shout ripped itself from her throat, her wings throwing themselves wide as her face contorted into a snarl of revulsion. The servant threw herself prostrate with hooves and wings over her head, ears flat to stave off the force of Celestia's bellow, even as the white alicorn rubbed her saliva laden ear on a snow-white shoulder the terrified pegasus was letting a babbling stream of nervous apology flow from under her slate-grey feathers “SorryprincesssososorryIdidn'tmeantoputmytongueinsodeepsorry-” “Oh no...” Celestia said regretfully when she realised how she was posed, how she must have appeared. The greater alicorn shrinking almost visibly in her shame as she crossed the room to lay at her trembling servant's side, with a gentle wing she pulled the shivering maid under her pinions and nuzzled her with mellow care, shushing and licking at the smaller horse maternally until the tears stopped and the shaking slowed to nothing “Nothing to apologise for Feather-duster, nothing at all.” Feather-duster sniffed, her muzzle glowing red as she realised how the situation had developed“I'm sorry about it anyway P-princess, I only did it because the guards said that's how you usually get woken up.” The divine equine was careful to hide her glow from the maid when the two snickering guards, that had no doubt escorted the pegasus, let out small chuckles, her eyes letting out a glare that would put a cockatrice to shame. “Oh really? I suppose then that they won't mind getting woken up in the same manner every day for the next week or two?” her tone was light and bubbly, in stark contrast to the expression on her lips, which was grave enough to show the two nervous guards that they would be getting rude awakenings for the next seven days at the very least. The pegasi maid couldn't help but giggle as the bulky stallions in their plate armour gulped and stammered out apologies for misleading her. Both guards made a show of bowing to both mares before making their way from the room. As soon as the doors closed Celestia turned to her servant and raised an eyebrow “now then my dear, why am I awakened so early? It is an hour before the dawn s due, and there is no ceremony planned today, so I need not get ready just yet.” Feather duster shuffled a little uncomfortably under the wing, but didn't make to move away “Head maid Starch-white sent me up to wake you, apparently the aliens have sent a message through the device in the throne room floor. Words keep appearing in the air above it.” Celestia raised an eyebrow and stood slowly, flapping her wing and stretching it out before tucking it back to her barrel “what was the message?” The maid had stopped shaking now, but bit her lip before responding “I don't know Princess, Captain Armour closed off the throne room as soon as it started playing, he called it a security risk. With a single nod of her graceful head the alicorn trotted toward her window “Good, I would hope the message is still playing then.” she turned with one hoof on the railing “ooh and Feather Duster, I would be grateful if you would tidy up my room for me. Ordinarily only I clean my private sanctum, but I fear this will be a tiring day of preparation.” The pegasi looked about the room and nodded, but couldn't help but stammer out a protest “B-but I usually only clean the kitchens, Sudsy will get annoyed if she has to do it by herself.” she twiddled her wings nervously. Celestia laughed “Then I shall have to send a message down that you are excused from your duties by royal request, I'm sure that they can find someone to replace you for now, perhaps Clean-Slate from the floor below? Think of this as a day off my dear, a gift for twice now bringing me important news; simply finish my room and then spend the day in the clouds” Duster perked up a little, but didn't look entirely convinced, half-heartedly moving to began cleaning. The Diarch smiled faintly and raised her wings ready for take-off, with a *SNAP* of displayed air she powered into the skies with a passing remark “I'd hurry dear, the weather team have just put up a lovely sheet of Cirrostratus, those ice crystals won't be there forever...” even as her powerful wing-beats carried the deity up and up and away from the balcony, she could hear the sounds of rapidly increased activity, the little winged pony below spurred into action by the thought of all that frigidly refreshing cloud. Celestia flew with urgency and incredible swiftness toward her throne-room, the down-strokes of her wings blurred with speed, the upstrokes efficiently tight and militarily precise. With an arcing swoop she flew in through the main gate and headed through the corridors at breakneck pace. There was a small crowd of ponies outside the throne-room, each a member of the early waking day-staff or last of the night-cleaners. Between the irate staff and the doors of the throne stood a tight band of day and night guard-stallions. All the the crowd turned however as Celestia's voice boomed across the square “MAKE WAY” her voice was soft as always, but backed by diamond hardness that carried with it the steel strength of her unquestionable authority. Every pony in the square ducked instinctively when the ruler of their kind swept low over them, the wash of air from her outspread wings more than enough to blow off any unsecured hats before they snapped down and pushed the alicorn up into the sky once more, where she twirled to face the other way with all the grace of a dancer, landing between a pair of guards with surprising silence from her unshod hooves. “What seems to be the problem my little ponies?” she spoke softly once again, her smile gentle and genuine, one eyebrow half-raised while she gazed at the crowd. Several of the foremost ponies in the proto-mob shuffled their hooves and looked away, before a larger stallion forced his way to the front, his cleaner uniform crisp and unstained “Princess, these guards won't let us go in to clean. I and the masons was just getting started on repairing the floor. It's a mess in there.” Several other ponies grumbled their assent, a few even daring to shout out their own complaints. “There's stone-dust everywhere!” “I was in the middle of mopping up a spill! “I left my favourite broom in there!” “My lunch is in there!” Celestia cut off the rest of the complaints with a stomp of her hoof, the gun-shot loud report audible even over the noise of the clamouring crowd. With a serene blink and a careful smile she spoke “Shining Armour has my full support in his decisions, I will be swift in dealing with the situation, until then I simply ask you to be patient. If you wish to go home, you will be reimbursed for any time you have been forced to wait. Any hours you choose to stay and work are to be considered overtime, with an appropriate rise in pay.” There was a paused as the mob-mind digested this, then came a general nodding and collective shrug before the assembled herd moved to disperse, though some ponies sat outside, pulling out books to read or cards to play. Celestia nodded to herself, turning and walking to the doors with a small smile to the nearest guard “If you would allow me inside Sergeant Steadfast?” The Guard-stallion returned the smile with a salute before turning to the door and giving a series of knocks in a distinctive pattern. There was a long pause and the sound of armoured hooves on the stone floor before the great oak doors creaked open. Shining Armour poked his head through the door and took in the scene, then turning with horn aglow as the door swung open. Celestia gave the ponies outside a final glance before heading in. The captain fell into step beside the princess as they walked through the antechamber “I'm glad you're here princess, it's been crazy since the message came through.” His eye strayed up and down the princess “sorry to ask Princess, but where's your regalia?” his ear twitched at the clop-clop of her unshod hooves when they passed between rugs “Where are your shoes?” The solar Princess looked down as if just noticing now and chuckled “Oh hay, I forgot to put everything on before rushing over. One moment.” The alicorn halted just before the doors and flared her horn, encompassing her entire form in the glowing aura, in a moment's passing her crown and regalia appeared along with her shoes, materialising out of nothingness with the sound of bells. Shining Armour watched with a wide eye as the spell seemed to clean her coat to perfection, a glossy healthy shine to her fur and an unseen brush running through her mane and tail before seeming to move to her face, applying the faintest dusting of make-up to accentuate her features. Celestia let the glow die and caught the stallion's eye with a light laugh “Ordinarily I love to let my maids and servants take care of me, they do enjoy their work, but if I must then grooming myself is no trouble.” Shining nodded, his eyes lingering on his Diarch for a half-moment more before looking to the throne-room's inner doors, putting his hoof on them and pushing “In any case princess, the message was simple enough. It's been on repeat since two this morning, asking for everyone who's going up into the alien vessel to gather in the throne-room.” The doors swung open to show the Throne room in a state of frozen chaos, the detritus of the cleaning staff still visible, from the scaffolding of a crane with the alien device wrapped up in it's ropes to an abandoned broom and a battered green lunch-box. On the other side from the main doors stood the griffin, freshly woken with feathers ruffled, the zebra, his fur brushed and alert eyes glimmering in the pre-dawn murk. Just to the side was the dragon ambassador, looming large on hs hind legs, the sand of sleep still visible in his half-lidded eyes. Celestia got a few tired mumbles and muffled greetings from the ambassadors, each clearly still half asleep, then she saw the message. Glowing green letters spelled out a simple request in the air above the alien device, asking 'Assemble those who would go on our ship' over and over again, in every language Celestia knew to be spoken around the world, and a few more besides. The alicorn watched the letters and symbols dance for a few seconds before walking towards it and speaking clearly “We have fulfilled your request. What would you have of us?” There was a tiny buzzing noise from the device, then a brief click as the white disk that capped it stopped glowing, the green letters suddenly disappearing. Another moment passed before the device began to hum again, but instead of letters or symbols there now stood the alien Captain Morgan, prim and alert with hands tucked behind him, the well fitted uniform crisp as if freshly pressed and cleaned. The alien looked from face to face with a smile, from the intrigued griffin to the zebra, who wore a mask of careful polite curiosity over an inner surface of boiling rage. “Greetings Princess, a pleasure to talk again. I take it that these are the ones you would take aboard my vessel?” The smile lasted for as long as it took to get to the dragon ambassador, who looked back from near the ceiling with his old eyes filled with unreadable reptilian neutrality. The alien's smile faded, replaced with something halfway between concern, and intense curiosity “I would also take it for granted that you're the 'dragon ambassador' mentioned earlier?” The dragon turned fully, dropping to all fours and making slow languid stride towards the device “That much I am creature. Does my appearance surprise you?” the look on the gigantic lizard muzzle was approaching a sharp-toothed smile. “No” Morgan's smile was easy, despite the proximity of the giant dragon “You look pretty much exactly as I'd expect a dragon to look.” the conversation seemed about to close when the old man remembered something and tilted his head to query “out of curiosity, can you breath fire, or eat rocks?” The dragon laughed at the question, breathed in deeply and reared up, roaring a pillar of light gold flame towards the ceiling as if in answer. When a few drops of molten glass from a half-built skylight dripped down Shinescale caught them on his tongue and dropped down again, winking at the startled human before swallowing the still red-hot liquid as another creature might eat a few grains of rice. “Does that answer your question creature?” Morgan recovered with a cough, a strange smile on his face “Yes, rather dramatically” Morgan let out a sudden chuckle at some unseen joke and then turned his professional face back on. The griffin broke the silence next, his scratchy tones rife with annoyance “So mon ami, is zere any reason you 'ave called us all to meet you, or is zis just a pointless chit-chat?” Morgan turned to regard the half-bird half-mammal with his polite smile firmly in place “Of course there's a reason Mr... Griffin?” “Ambassador Guisarme S'il vous plait.” The griffin corrected, yawning into a clenched claw. “I need to get your measurements, I'm having Celestia's suit made as we speak, I'll need to have the CEO begin manufacture immediately on yours. Just stand still and the cameras will measure you automatically.” A look of confusion passed between the group save for the Zebra, who was glaring at the Captain with ice-cold hatred. Ignoring the baleful gaze of the striped horse Morgan felt prompted to explain “On any USC starship, safety always comes first. As such it is of utmost importance that everyone on board have access to at least one spacesuit. By observation my crew and I have determined that your society is not technologically advanced enough to make one for yourselves, in that instance I am obligated by section 89, article 16 of the 'USC regulations and protocols hand-book' to provide one.” The dragon stood again on his hind legs and crossed his craggy fore-arms, his rumbling landslide voice laden with a tone not unlike curiosity “If you will forgive some ignorance from an ancient dragon, why would a suit of any kind make your vessel more safe?” “Nothing to forgive Ambassador...” “Shinescale” “Shinescale, there is nothing to forgive.” Morgan smiled “Space is a dangerous place. There is no place more deadly to natural life, as my species has found through millions of accidental deaths. To protect ourselves from exposure too the vacuum we invented the space-suit, designed to keep us alive in the void.” Shining Armour felt compelled to say “M-millions of deaths?” his tone was half apologetic, half disbelieving “How can your species keep going after such a loss?” Morgan's tone dropped a few giggles into the realms of solemnity as he looked to the unicorn “With blood, sweat and tears. Human civilisation goes back ten thousand years, our species goes forty thousand further, millions die for the sake of billions. Death has never stopped us before.” As if noticing his hard expression, and the stunned and (in the case of Celestia) slightly tearful expressions on most of the group -save for the zebra, who maintained his death glare- The alien turned away for a moment to compose himself. The griffin finally broke through the awkward silence that had suddenly descended “SO... Are zere any more rules we must follow on your vessel?” Morgan spun back then, his hands back behind him and smile raised by 6 kilogiggles. “yes, we have plenty of rules. But there are three very important ones” his hand raised and he counted them off on his fingers “one, if one of my crew yells at you to do something. Do it, my ship is a very delicately balanced machine, things break and people die if they do not follow the right procedures. I do not want any of you getting hurt because of any hesitation.” He waited for nods before he continued “two, while you are on board my ship I expect a modicum of good behaviour, I don't mind if you feel the need to insult or disrespect something, frankly I'm an old man who has seen enough to let that sort of thing slide. But assault or endanger the lives of anyone on my crew, and I will see you blown out of the nearest airlock.” Without pausing Morgan moved on “Three, and this is the most important. Do Not Press anything” his giggle level had fallen into the bedrock “My ship is very complex machine, with dozens of components. If you for some reason feel the urge to press any one of the many millions of shiny buttons, don't. Not even if it's a big red one, Especially if it's a big red one.” Celestia smiled back at the glowering captain and spoke for everyone “I should think those terms are acceptable. Rest assured that I and My captain will be following them.” she looked questioningly at the assembled ambassadors. Shinescale chuckled “I shall attempt to restrain my curiosity and temper.” Gusiarme inspected his talons in feigned boredom “Oui Oui, I promise not to touch shiny buttons”. Hekima did not speak, instead crossing his hooves and hardening his glare. Morgan held the zebra's eye for few few moments, then nodded “So be it, until you agree to my rules Mr Zebra, I will be withholding permission for you to board my ship. As for the rest of you, I'll deliver your suits via air-drop one hour before pick-up.” With a single salute the alien vanished, flickering out of existence. There passed a full minute of silence, before Ambassador Hekima deigned to speak “I do not trust him” The zebra growled, glaring daggers at the alien device as it hung from it's ropes. Guisarme jumped in to respond, his hackles raised and tone aggressively sarcastic “Oh really!? I barely noticed, perhaps it was the way you were so completely rude, or the way you ignored all ze 'ospitality he was offering you?” Shinescale scratched his chin, lying down on his side with a thudding boom and rumbling “You were abysmally bad mannered Hekima. I would expect such prejudice from Guisarme, but I would hardly call you the type to be so horrid.” Hekima snorted and spoke hotly “I still do not trust him, and neither should any of you. I know his species well.” Celestia raised her eyebrow and asked “How so? Captain Morgan and his crew are intra-dimensional aliens, they only arrived in this universe a few days hence.” Hekima laughed at that “Hah. He has fooled your eyes and ears with his serpents tongue and magical tricks. That thing was no alien. His skin may be paler than I might expect, with less hair than any I have seen, but I can recognise a laughing ape, no matter his disguise.” Most looked confused a t the name Hekima spoke so hatefully, but Shinescale began to laugh, a deep crackling bellow of a belly-laugh that made dust fall from the ceiling and smoke billow from the drake's lungs “Laughing ape? You think that was a laughing ape? You have spent far too long in the company of old mares and witch-doctors if you believe those old ghost stories.” Celestia coughed and flapped her wings too clear the low hanging smoke before addressing the dragon “What in mother's name is a 'laughing ape' Shine-scale, and why-ever would something of that name cause Hekima to react so negatively?” Shinescale scraped a few boiling tears from the corner of his eye and chuckled his last before answering “The laughing apes are an old mare's tale told in some places on the Zebrican plains, usually in the more southerly regions near the jungle. They're phantasmal bogeymen that prey on those who stray too far into the darkness at night. It's a superstitious piece of nonsense used to scare small foals into staying close to the herd.” Hekima stamped his hooves “They are real creatures Softscale! Hairless apes that lurk in the dark forests, waiting for any who get lost in the shadows. They eat Zebra and Wildebeest , Antelope and Buffalo, even lions fear to tread where the laughing apes hunt. They chase you down, cut your legs so you cannot run, then your tongue so you cannot talk, then your throat. They laugh as you bleed out onto the forest floor. Shining Armour held up a hoof “Uh, not to poke holes in your ghost story ambassador Hekima, but which one of these 'laughing ape' stories tell you that they appear in the sky with silver ships and hyper-advanced technology. I think that smashing their way into the the princess's throne-room in broad daylight is quite a big leap for something that 'lurks in the dark forests' of lower Zebrica” there was a round of agreement and a couple of chuckles as the zebra grew more irate. “You are all fools, the laughing apes invite you into their lair and you willingly go, like lambs to the wolf's den.” He turned to Celestia “I would expect better from you, sun-god. They already have your sister, who no doubt screams as we speak for their amusement. I will enjoy hearing myself proved right, when you fail to return from their trap.” With a stamp of his hoof and flick of his tail, the Zebra thundered from the room, leaving the ambassadors in stunned and slightly amused silence. ------------------------------------------------------- Aboard the New Dawn Morgan leaned on the desk, gazing over the crewman's shoulders at the view-screen “Did you get all that?” The crewman nodded, tapping at the screen as the remaining group began to filter from the room, all save for Celestia, who mounted the throned to raise the dawn. “Yes sir. Saved to logs, and a hard-copy being printed for archiving.” The captain stood up then, turning away and cupping his chin “So.. Laughing Apes huh? A hominid analogy, if I guess right.” The crewman stretched back and whirled on his chair “Maybe this universe's 'Homo Sapiens' equivalent sir. With all these other species floating about, maybe they never got the chance to migrate out of Africa and reach the fertile crescent. Human Civilisation might never have taken off.” Morgan nodded “So they've become some sort of myth. One with a bad reputation it seems, perhaps if we're staying here a while, we might take a chance to set that right. Pay a visit to our extra-dimensional cousins.”