Closure?
Jason mumbled slightly, awakening from his dreamless slumber and slowly looking around. He felt rested, without hardly any worry like there had been. Sure, he had stuff to worry about, but he was finally home, he had proposed to his mare friend, and his daughter was still fine. It definitely wasn't a bad day.
Tank, Eravel and Morning Rain were still out there though, and that worried him a little bit. Well, a lot, really. Dammit, he'd been so calm a minute ago. Okay, he had no proof any of them were dead. For all he knew, they could be alive, and he'd told them to get to town as soon as they could. That could be any time after he left, which made him feel guilty because they could've arrived without much of a hint on where to go. Four strange ponies and Sartos show up, assuming he was still tagging along... He doubted they'd get any real information.
That was ridiculous. They had seals from Celestia herself, they could get practically anything they wanted, intelligence or otherwise. So that meant they'd either never showed up, or by the time they had, tracking him down had taken too long. Lyra had said all she knew was that he'd been in Canterlot, although she hadn't specified how specifically she'd found the library. So they could have shown up any time after Lyra left, assuming they had at all.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Dash asked, looking at his stony expression with a grin before she yawned.
"Tank and the others." He responded, refusing to let himself think about them in anything more than a diffused sense, trying not to let his emotions bubble up again. God knows he'd had enough of that for his lifetime already.
"You know it wasn't your fault, right?" No response. "Jason?"
"Yeah, I know. But I still think I could've done more." He sighed. "I was also trying to figure out how many days it'd take for them to get back, assuming they actually got out of that building. I know that Steve and Hunter should be fine, and it's weird knowing that we could've lost so many of us. That for a while, we did." He finished, stroking her cheek gently.
She giggled. "It's so weird, thinking that I died."
"Yeah, well that's probably the reason Scoots and Evening got their memories like I did. Keeps me from thinking I'm crazy."
"Cuz you'd be the only one, huh?"
"Yeah." He replied, wrapping his arm more tightly around her back and brushing his muzzle against hers. "Hopefully you're not having second thoughts."
"Just one." She said, smiling. "You said that it wouldn't be romantic, but the day my colt friend changes the past to keep me alive is as romantic as it gets, in my book."
"I like your book." Jason replied, leaning towards her as their lips touched. Jason shot a glance towards Scoots, who was still asleep like a rock, before he closed his eyes again and sank into the kiss, pushing his forehead against hers as he broke it off.
"I love you." She said. "I know it's been hard, getting here. But I'm glad I'm yours. It's worth it that way." She snickered. "And I'll bet Rarity should be pretty jealous when she sees what Ferris did. First he redesigns the bombs, now this?"
"He's running through his rounds, I guess." Jason replied, stretching our his arms into the air behind her. "I want to go do something in town, maybe get some breakfast or something?"
"Why, do you have a list of things you want to do?" Dash asked with a smirk, brushing part of his red mane to the side.
"Not really, actually. I mean, I miss this place, but there's not a lot to do sometimes."
"Just you wait, some force of nature'll come by sooner or later..." She replied, tickling at his chest with a hoof. "You know us, things never go smoothly."
"Or we're lucky for getting through it all."
"Yeah, but- Hey, does this count as being AWOL?"
"I dunno." Jason shrugged, scratching his neck. "We kinda call the shots, if they need us back, we can go."
"You're sure you'd want to?"
"I- no, but- okay, I'm not saying I feel a sense of duty towards this silly little country, but that war's got a lot of my work in it, and if we're called back, I'm finishing it off."
"And if something else pops up?" Dash asked, playing with his mane.
"Depends. I'd assume they could send other ponies to handle it. We could also just go form a separate team, call our own shots. Like a business, kind of."
"As much as I don't want to go back, that does sound pretty cool. But hey, I like controlling things." She froze for a moment, before she jumped out of bed and galloping over to the window, looking around worriedly. A few more seconds passed before she let out a sigh and returned to the bedside, smiling as Scoots yawned.
"Worried that the weather team'd screw something up again?" He asked.
"Actually that they wouldn't remember we have winter starting in like a week after The Running of the Leaves. But things look manageable. Not perfect though." She looked at Scoots, rolling a question around in her head for a moment. "Was there any rain while I was gone?"
"Um... Just a drizzle one day." Scoots replied, getting to her hooves and stretching.
"Alright, good." Dash muttered, grinding her fore hooves together as she sat back down on the bed. "We like to keep a dry spell before all the rain, makes it easier to gather the clouds when there's more left up there." She explained. "Sorry to do this to you, Jason, but can we stop by and see how things are going?"
Jason chuckled and got up, tossing Scoots into the air with his magic as she squealed, hitting the fluff of the bed a moment later as he slowed her descent. "Where are we going afterward?" She asked once her breath returned.
"Breakfast...somewhere." He snorted in laughter. "I know nothing and I've been here for weeks."
"Oh, cool!" She paused only to refill her lungs. "So when are you getting married?"
Jason looked over at Dash, and she stared back before he answered. "I dunno Scoots, there's a lot of planning involved. And I'm no help if it's different from before, and to at least a small extent it is, besides the fact that we're ponies."
"Well let's see, friends and stuff come, then a guy reads part of a book and you kiss me. Sounds pretty simple."
"Unless someone accuses me of being an impostor and I'm forced to run crying from the altar."
"Oh yeah. I'll pay you twenty bits to do that."
"Somehow I think we shouldn't be taking bets on our own marriage."
"You wanna bet?" She asked, smirking as she grabbed her ring and handed it over while spreading her wing out. "By the way, would you mind?"
"No, you aren't allowed to wear the ring I gave you!" He said angrily before slipping it on. "How does that feel by the way? Ferris said in his response that he had experience, but you know..."
"It fits fine." She replied with a laugh. "I'll have to get used to the weight, but it's not like it'll come off in the air of anything." Dash leaned over and nuzzled him. "It's really pretty, I love it."
"I'm glad you do." He put a hoof around her head briefly, hugging her closer before he let go and made for the door. "Are we bringing Morning?" Jason asked, gesturing down the stairs.
"Might as well. I don't know how well things would go if we just let her run around town."
"Yeah, the whole flirting thing might not work so well when Ponyville's slanted towards the female side of the population."
"I guess you stallions are just too easy, huh?" She asked as they descended, poking him in the side as Scoots hopped onto his back.
"Or given the fact that she has no shame, can try unlimited times, and that most stallions are going to be attracted to a pretty mare. Which makes me think that I've made a lot of ponies jealous."
She snickered. "Makes me wonder how many are jealous of me, having a guy like you."
"Probably not that- hmm, well a few mares said that in Canterlot."
"Yeah right."
"Thanks. But seriously, I thought that was kinda strange too." He leaned over and pushed at Evening, watching her stir. "Come on, Evening. We're getting some breakfast."
The mare yawned and stretched, nearly falling off the couch in the process. "So how're you feeling?" She asked eventually.
"About what?"
"Being engaged. To the same pony forever."
"God, you're helpful." Jason responded, facehoofing.
"Well I'm just saying, I'd rather keep my options open, you know what I mean?"
"Polygamy's illegal Evening." Dash said, deadpan.
"Who said I had to marry any of them?"
"Ugh, listen, we have a kid here. Can't you at least act a little less... like getting love's the only reason you're here?" Dash asked, taking a glance at Scoots.
"What's polygamy, Dash?" The foal asked, slipping on Jason's back before she regained her footing.
"It's when a pony has more than one wife Scoots. Or husband, I guess." He responded.
"So what's wrong with that?"
"Well..." Jason started, taking a glance at Dash. "It's illegal for one thing, and it's a sign of low morals. I mean, I would never do that even if I didn't love Dash, because it turns mares into more of a commodity and a bragging piece. Dehumanizes them, or deponynizes or whatever. Clearly you can't really love a wife if you're willing to take another. And interestingly enough, the most backwards cultures are the only ones still using that system, in my world at least."
"Yeah, I feel pretty secure." Dash said, smiling lightly as Jason nudged her.
"Not like you seem to as soon as somepony hits on me."
"You should be happy that I get jealous easily, it just means I care more."
"Well in any case, let's get going at some point today." He said, pushing her slightly towards the door.
_______________________________________________________
"Identification please." A mare said in the weather team headquarters as Dash tried to pass to her office. She growled a little, trotting over and shoving her ID again the glass as the mare jumped backwards, her chair flipping over.
"I guess that's one way." Jason pointed out, chuckling as the mare pulled herself back up, looking rather confused. Scoots was pulling on his mane as she laughed, all the tugging making him feel like she was about to fall off. She didn't though, and quickly made her way back to the top of his head, resting her fore hooves there as she looked overtop his head.
"Yeah well fuck you lady." Dash continued, before trotting down the hallway.
"I'd like to know what happens to ponies as soon as they get behind a glass pane."
"Must be a boring cutie mark." She replied, giggling to herself.
"You really like it up there, eh Scoots?" Jason asked, trying to carefully look upwards.
"Well yeah, I get this high and I don't have to fly either. You're like the tallest pony in town."
"Why thank you, I've worked hard to be called something of that honor. Although I'm not really that tall right now, disguise and all." He heard Scoots giggle as Dash pushed open the door at the end of the hall, letting out an audible sigh as he approached. "She actually working this time around?"
"Yeah." Cloud Kicker answered, staring at Jason as he peered into the doorway. "Dash really got all over my flank for like a week last time, I'm not letting that turn into a month this time around. So who're you supposed to be anyway, I haven't seen you around."
"I'm Ponyville's resident changeling." Jason replied, shrugging. "Have been for a while now."
"Yeah, well it's not easy to know that." The lieutenant snapped, before her face softened. "So if you can become anypony, do you two ever..."
"This isn't about us!" Dash practically screamed, before she cooled off a little. "Sorry, I'm a little tired. Anyway, how're things going pre- winter?"
"Same as usual, not that much to note. Lost a bunch of ponies to your war effort or whatever, Thunderlane, some others."
"Guess we're good to go then, right?" Jason asked, not waiting for a response as he walked back outside. "God damn, guess we have the head bitch in there." He mumbled, remembering Scoots' presence only after she laughed. "Evening, you ready to go?" Jason asked as he entered the waiting room again, facehoofing as he noticed what she was doing. Apparently those stupid little bird things that dipped their beaks in and out of water still existed, and Evening was bobbing her head in tune, watching the bird as it drank just inside the window. The mare seemed pretty creeped out, but he doubted she would actually say anything.
"Just as soon as... this thing stops."
"It doesn't stop."
"No way, it has to stop eventually."
"It does something with the water." He said, watching Dash exit the office and walk towards him.
"But-"
"I see she found the thing." Dash said, giggling. "I knew she'd do this."
"Stop looking at me like I'm insane, it should stop!"
"I don't know what to tell you, Evening." She replied, before moving to leave and checking to make sure that the changeling followed. "But man, this is a big change to all that fighting. I mean, it's just- I can't pinpoint why I feel weird. Kinda like we should really have had some sort of fight in there. I keep looking all over the place for enemies, I guess getting used to how things were before's going to be a little harder than I thought."
"Yeah. Not that there weren't enemies in town last time anyway..."
"I meant in the first couple days." She replied, hopping over a cobblestone that stuck up slightly.
"Yeah, when things were only slightly crazy."
"Do ponies usually stare like this?" Evening asked, looking around nervously.
"Yeah, like all the time." Dash responded with a sigh, watching the crowd clear out in front of the four. "It'd be nice if I was just slightly noteworthy like I was before. I'm not saying I regret anything, but everypony just acts afraid..."
"I'm sorry Dash." Jason mumbled, drooping his head. "I'm sure it's mostly that they know I'm here."
"Yeah, but I'd rather you be here." She replied. "And that these stupid ponies would just accept you, after all this."
"They don't have proof that I've done anything, I'm just the same changeling that caused all that trouble a couple months ago."
"I'm sure they don't all see it that way, Jason." Scoots piped up.
"Yeah, or they see me as a guy that killed a ridiculous number of griffins." He sighed. "It doesn't matter that much, all we need is a way to keep me disguised where they won't notice and we're good."
"But I don't want to have to do that!" Dash yelled back. "We shouldn't have to do any of this shit, you help keep most of these ponies safe, and if they can't see that, then they're a bunch of goddamned idiots!"
Jason peered around, looking at the ponies as they stared back. "It's not untrue." He said, before he teleported them away, into the same square that held Sugarcube Corner. "You fine with going here?" Jason asked, gesturing to the shop.
"Yeah sure, whatever."
"What do they make?" Evening asked, looking around at the front of the shop.
"Sugar in various forms." Jason replied sarcastically. "I'm probably the only guy without a serous sweet tooth, although Dash's taste buds help."
"Why're we waiting out here, there's sugar right over there!" Evening exclaimed, before she sprinted inside, only to back out a few moments later. Jason brushed past her, finding the source of her fear the other elements gathered around a table inside. He swore a little under his breath, he figured he'd be able to avoid Twilight for longer. But leaving now would just look weird. Dammit, Pinkie was waving him over.
"Hey Jason!" She yelled, sliding a cupcake across the table towards him as he sat down, floating Scoots over to an adjacent chair. Dash sat down on his other side and Evening took the last spot, looking like she was about to scream. "So how's stuff going?"
"Like shit." Jason replied, smiling. "But I'm sure you know how it is."
"How come?" Pinkie asked, looking mortified as he assumed she came up with a way to try to cheer him up.
"Well, the populace either hates or is afraid of me, three of my friends are still MIA, and I'm starting to realize that because of what I am, things will never end up the way I want for either Dash or Scoots, no matter how optimistic I want to be." He said cooly, pointing to Scoots and Dash. "You know, the usual." The ponies across the table stared, and Fluttershy tried to say something that only came out as a squeak, and she moved backwards in her chair before trying again.
"If it means anything, I don't think you're evil."
"Well neither do I, but I put my fucking life on the line for these morons, and-" He sighed, anger washing over him as he felt Dash's hoof on his back. "It's not fair." He choked out, ashamed to let any emotions shine through in front of the others. Another silence ensued, finally ended as Twilight spoke up.
"Listen Jason, I know I've been kind of a jerk, and I'm sorry for making things harder. You deserve a little of your own secrecy, at least."
"I'll talk to you later, alright? Just don't push me." He replied, shrugging as Dash gave him a glance. "And hopefully you can look at Evening in a good light, she fought the hive mind for years and kinda saved my life back there. Probably a few of yours as well."
"She's basically just another pony." Dash said with a shrug. "I mean, she obviously knows a lot more about flirting and sex, but that's pretty much you in the nutshell, Rarity."
"Why I-"
"I'm just kidding, quiet down. Well, partially kidding..." A cupcake wrapper hit her in the face as she burst out into laughter, more about the loss of most of her previous stress than of the hilarity. The others joined in, and before long the entire table was in an uproar of guffaws, which eventually died out.
"Oh man, I needed that." Jason sighed, wiping an eye and catching a few more cupcakes and tarts as Pinkie slid them across the table. He distributed them around to Dash and Scoots before resting his head on a hoof tiredly.
"So about that party..." Pinkie said, a smile growing on her face. "And the wedding..."
Jason scratched his head. "Well assuming the war's over, then I still have peace terms to work out, and I'd like to find out what happened to my team, especially if they're alive."
"Want some closure, huh?" Applejack asked, tapping her hooves against the table and sending another glance at Evening.
"A little. They're not like Dash was, I knew for a fact that she was dead, but them... I'm not so sure."
"I guess we can hope for the best, hmm?"
"I suppose." The table went silent for what must've been at least a minute, as only the sound of eating sounded.
"So are you doing anything around town, or are you out of a job, Jason?"
"I still have a job, basically placing troops wherever. I'll have a lot to do with these new borders, though."
"What new borders?" Twilight asked. "How much are we taking?"
"All of it." Jason replied. "It'll make us stronger anyway. Which reminds me, there might be a fair number of griffins coming in, as refugees or otherwise. Hopefully that doesn't piss any of you off, but it's not like it'll help my reputation." He rolled his eyes. "Not that anything apparently will."
"Cheer up Jason, I'm sure they'll come around sooner or later." Fluttershy said, giving him a light smile.
"I hope so." Dash mumbled. "You ready to go? I kinda want to sleep again."
"I know how you feel." Jason replied, standing up.
"Oh wait, can I go meet the crusaders?!" Scoots hollered, jumping out of her seat with a bit of frosting stuck to her cheek. Jason rubbed it off and smiled, thinking about what to do with Evening.
"Sure, but Evening, you wanna go with them?"
"Like this?" She asked, gesturing to herself.
"No, like as a foal I guess. Don't do anything stupid, alright?"
"Yeah sure!" She yelled, becoming a ball of green fire before a smaller version of herself popped out, and Fluttershy gasped slightly. "I've never played with foals before!"
"It probably won't be a thing, I just need to figure out where I can fit you in around here."
"It's no big deal, I'm sure I can find something to do. Trying to get your cutie marks, right?"
"Yeah!" Scoots replied, hopping between her hooves excitedly.
"Oh, you can't tell them what they are, Evening. They're supposed to figure it out for themselves."
"I know, these silly traditions, right?" Rarity asked with a laugh.
"Yeah."
"So how did you know what you were good at if there's no cutie mark?"
"Uh..." Jason said, scratching at his chin. "Well I'm good at a lot of things, really. But I guess it's school, you just take the stuff you like, sports, classes, whatever. And that gives you a pretty good idea of what you want to do, I guess. I like it better that way, it seems like you ponies kinda focus around one general skill, there's no real jack of all trades scenario. But whether that's a result of the cutie mark system in the first place or that the mark magically makes you good at something. It wouldn't seem hard for Discord or someone to just screw with them if that were the case, like give Twilight Dash's mark or something."
"Uh." Applejack said, staring along with the others.
"God, everything I say turns into a stare fest, huh?" He asked.
"Ya just kinda question everything, it's hard to wrap mah head around the idea that ya don't have a system like this." The orange mare replied with a shrug.
"Apparently I'm also the only one to try to scientifically explain magic as well."
"It's just the transfer of energy to a specific spot."
"Yeah, but in order to move energy through air without moving or heating the air, well, there's no way to do that. It could be some sort of low intensity wave like radio, but then you'd have to explain why we could specify to release large amounts of waves with a body that broadcasts in infrared. You got an answer for that one?"
"Well when you say radio waves, what exactly do you mean?" She asked.
Jason looked over at Scoots as she shifted around, impatient to get going. "I'l tell you later, alright?" She nodded, taking a bite of a tart as her eyes lost focus in thought.
"Last question, I promise." Rarity said quickly.
Jason chuckled, taking a glance at Dash. "Go ahead."
"How did you learn all this?"
Jason didn't respond immediately, thinking up his response. "Well I guess that was all high school level stuff. Scoots has how many years of school?"
"Eight." Twilight said, tapping her hoof against the flat of the other.
"Okay, so I had eighteen or so years of school before I got a college level job." Twilight stopped her mental counting and stared.
"Eighteen?! Why?"
"Well, for things like that, mostly. I learned that in eight grade, or somewhere around there. And then calculus in eleventh, which was the math I showed you before, and so on."
"Oh, well alright then. You must know a lot more then, right?"
"I guess, but honestly the one thing we had to help us advance that you don't, well, any guesses?"
There were a few shrugs. "Well we're the same intelligence, right?" Twilight asked. "Similar...strength?"
"Yup."
"I have no idea then."
"Wait, I think I know." Dash said, smirking.
"Go ahead..."
"War." Jason nodded, looking around the table again.
"And the reason for that's competition and the need to advance beyond one's enemies, right?" Jason nodded again. "But anyway, I gotta get Scoots somewhere, so I'll see you later I guess." Dash said, throwing a wave across the table and watching as it was returned by her friends. It made her feel a little better, at least.
She got up and followed her daughter outside, watching the two foals frolic around. Her smile quickly became drawn, and she stopped Evening with a hoof. "Evening, how old are you?" She asked. With her being a foal at the moment, the question kinda seemed to beg itself.
"Uh, well let's see, I think next month's my s- hmm." She paused for a moment. "Sorry, it's hard to remember things when I was under the hive mind. But I think I'm about to turn seventeen."
"Ha, very funny Evening." Jason said with a chuckle, putting a wing over Dash's back as he caught up.
"Well maybe it's eighteen? Could be sixteen."
"You're a grown mare, how is that seventeen?!"
"Oh, ha. I see what your problem is." She giggled. "Maturity for ponies is around sixteen or seventeen, technically. I say technically because that's when they'd theoretically be able to bear foals, but that rarely happens anyway. Changelings are kinda faster than that. Around ten to twelve we're grown, and from then on it's just stupid servitude. Not that it wasn't before..."
"Well this is strange." Dash noted. "I feel old now."
"Shush, you're twenty two." Jason said, nudging her side as he watched Luna walk by. He scrunched up his face in confusion and pointed.
"I thought she left."
"Yeah, me too." Jason replied. "Hey Luna!" The princess looked over and caught sight of the group before she walked over. "How come you're still here?"
"I was going to leave yesterday, but mine sister wanted to meet us before I left. I figured you'd still be in the hospital, but I can see that you're hardier than that."
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Or stupid."
Luna giggled. "Either way, I suppose." She started walking again, leading them towards the edge of town. "You wouldn't happen to know where Twilight Sparkle is, would you? She wasn't in her designated tree building."
"Oh, I'll get her!" Scoots yelled, taking off with Evening in pursuit.
"That's the changeling again, correct?"
"Yup. I'm not sure how to put her in somewhere around here. No one knows she's a changeling, and I might as well keep it that way."
"Ah, you're getting the same reaction from the populace as I did?"
"Maybe to a worse extent." Dash mumbled.
"Well you're welcome to stop by the castle anytime after I'm through with this soul magic episode. I'd like to have someone to talk to besides min- my advisors and Tia. It gets a little monotonous."
"Yeah, I can imagine." Jason replied, as they got to the top of a small hill just outside of town. Scoots ran up a few minutes later, taking a few deep breaths.
"HA, I beat you Evening! Take that!" The other foal ran up.
"You just... won because you're used to these stub legs." Jason heard Twilight suppress a laugh as she trotted up, dipping her head to the princess."
"For the millionth time Twilight Sparkle, that's not necessary."
"Sorry Princess." Luna groaned loudly, eliciting a laugh from Jason and Dash.
"Either way, Celestia's here." Jason said, pointing at a few dots in the sky. "Hopefully we'll get a bit of closure."