//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Illusions of Magic and Technology // Story: Spero - The last Hope // by Ice4smaster //------------------------------// The world slowly return, foggy, unclear at first. Pain, sobering pain shot as tried to move, stand up, but failed to do so. Trixie looked around and it came back to her in an instant, she look up and see the strange construct she been able to observe before she slumber off. She knew it wasn't alive, yet almost acted like being alive, couldn't quite get her hoof on it, even after the initial shock, terror for her own life with her fresh aching injuries cloud her mind the other day, are mostly gone. She quickly turn around to observe her hind legs, it was visible they broken, wasn't a pretty view and she quite quickly regretted it, but she need to see how bad it is. It was clear she needs serious medical care, even though no life threatening injuries, was quite likely she would limp for rest of her life at best, if at all able to walk agen. Was in fact a devastating though that linger in he, steering her guts and grip her heart. She fought to subdue these though, with tears roll down her cheek. Hunger a bit latter got her, she tried to reach out for an apple on the ground, and the machine didn't seam to notice her, she wonder, was it asleep? She then concentrated, and levitated the apple close to her self. At least her magic began return, but was still weak. The magic however did woke up the machine. It began steer it self toward Trixie with it's head looking at her. Trixie chuckled on the though, an unlikely audience for a magic show? Well considering all, didn't seam a bad idea, if nothing else to kill time and entertain her self. As this strange creature was anything bot a conversationalist clearly. So though Trixie when something brilliant appear before her. A solid, sharp, illuminating, ghost image, she just stare at it with big eyes, didn't quite expect this, such she didn't expect the red light that spark fire last night, and like then, now as well no sign of magical energies. It repeat 4 symbols to appear, she figured it out quite quickly, and flash her horn 4 times. The response was immediate, short after she witnessed what Twilight have couple days ago, but this message didn't ended as have many times before, it continue on with a story of these Aliens who made this machine... It's shown a solar system, same that was shown earlier, but something strange happen, another planet appear on the far side, and lines shot from it, indicating it's path, intersect with the path with the 3rd world, which was the home for these biped creatures. It was an alarming sight. Planets on collision course? And this feeling remain as the screen extended and split in two sides, one remain show the solar system and as the worlds wonder around on there orbital routes, the other one shown images, flashes of evens transpire at this time, images of incredible fear, and desperation, sacrifices, reveal an large space ship. She could feel n her guts how the story ends, more or less, but see it, fully grasp it, was an entirely new level. Trixie saw how detailed the images show the total destruction of the two world collide, and even gone further, all the debris flew off in every direction and bombard the other worlds in the solar system. Then the screen changed, the side that show the solar system of the aliens have shrink and accelerated show how time passed on, while the other side show the journey to there own solar system. It was all clear now. They lost there world, and were desperate to survive, and reach Gaia as there only hope . And this machine, was an explorer as some shorter clips show it's designed duty. Trixie could only respect these beings, for all there achievements that she barely grasped yet but tell tail signs shown, and there resolve to split in the face of death it self when wanted to claim them all. She felt fear too, they surely would no settle an answer of 'No' for there need for land, place in there world, and she could feel in her guts, the wrath, fear, determination to fight for there future would bring unfathomable horrors upon all Gaia. But this very force could be beyond belief to there aid if they could come to terms, and coexist. All these thoughts sparkle in her eyes, reflected back to the machine, and maybe through it's eyes back to it's creators. Trixie lit up her horn and create her own illusion, put every last drop of her energy into it to make it as majestic and clear as possible, show her and the 3 more Alien biped creature, where she extended her hoof to the nearest of them, as clear sign, she would want to have contact, friendship, even surrender, and coexist, all these could delivered from this image, she just hope the beings would be on similar terms, intentions towards them, and that they did choose to save her was a sign they likely want that. The members of the Hermes watched silently, take in every bit of this interaction, and they felt a huge rock fall off from there heart. True, it may be one native, who in desperately in need of help, and grateful that her life been saved. But she perfectly understood the gravity of there message, and she shown sign of acceptance and friendship with her of illusion. The lieutenant noble, yet still rushed, and risky action have won a friend among the native to them. And they nod in agreement, she be one of the native who they try to build up connections with. The other one was the magenta hybrid, whom curiosity, obsession, to learn about them was amazing. Kim nod to Alex, that it's time to see how 'Purple Star' react to there new message, tale of there strives. Alex just hit the holographic console, and the command been sent out to the drone... Twilight just sat on her hunches, processing all the new images that was shown to her, and the other princesses must see as well. The aliens came forth, an bitter story, and an endeavourer of nothing else, but hope and unmeasurable sacrifice. An untold scale new story on the horizon, and they wanted it to be a bright one. The question wasn't any more would they stop or not, that when would do if so do so, it was a question of how they do, and how they live on. Her mind race fast and she asked the guards to bring in a large canvas, it was setup fairly quick, she requested ink as well and brushes. She quickly divided the canvas into sections, halved it at the middle, horizontally, and the top part she split up into 4 smaller section in a line. She also paint the cutie marks of all Princess on the top left corners, Celestia, Luna, Cadance and finally hers. She bite her lip when looked back to the strange audience of machines, following her moves as well checking the details of the makeshift painting of Twilight. She complete her own side with a scene somewhat akin to Trixies, of course fully unaware of each other at this time. The response she got soon appeared, the alien version of her design, instead of cutie marks, shown her face and much more simple image was displayed, a generic biped figure, and a pony have a hoof shake at her own section. Twilight just beamed and clop her hoves, the communication through simple images will work even though an language barrier tower between them. She walked up to the middle and loudly introduce her self, clear the creatures watching through the eyes of these machines. She pointed to her self “Twilight Sparkle” then gave a little bow and watched. The alien display flashed up at her portray when her voice was replayed shortly after. She just giggled. At this time Cadance appear, visibly tired, but she still radiate from compassion and she was a bit sudden when Twilight just jumped and hug her tight, and she found her self quickly doing there little fillyhood dance laughing. “Oh Twilight, hehe, we should grow out of this don't you think” Beamed Cadance “We should.” Laugh Twilight ”But this is EXCITING!” “Whoa, whoa my little Pony.” Chuckle the princess of love. “Slimmer down a lil. I'm curious what new learn that made you this exciting.” While she look up the canvas and it's equivalent created by one of the floating construction. “You must see this, this is what they shown me, there story!” Her expression was beaming, but also at a point look down with shown sadness, then hope agen. The young pink alicorn, a bit reserved seeing the range of emotions displayed in a few moments in her friend eyes, watched patently. Twilight with confidence stood closer to the drone, sat down and flashed her horn 4 times, and the reaction she expected happened. The message repeat it self from the start so Cadance could watch it as well. She sat down beside her and watched, the message continued on, and soon range of emotions flood her, intake all what was shown to her. All the history, all the struggle, pain. She was horrified when she saw how there world got obliterated, how the strange chart that show how many of them live have reduced to nothing in an instant. Twilight gave her a worried, but sympathetic look, she haven't though the images would touch Cadance so deeply, but she was indeed the goddess of love. By the time message finished she openly shed tears. “..They.. in need of a new home..” “Yes..”Answered Twilight. Cadance collected her composure before carry on. “I can't imagen how they could live... after hurl through so much, and not stop.. the will to live is can not be matched of these beings.” The younger alicorn just nod. “I offered my friendship to them already” She gestured to the large canvas behind her with the painting she made. Cadence wiped her tears that still decorate her eyes and smiled, pick up the brush with her magic and began paint her own too, copy Twilight in the process. She finished it and settle the brush down into the large pot of paint. “..They need our friendship, they deserve a better life after what they been through, a second chance.” Twilight just smile to Cadance words, completely agree with her. Soon the alien display flashed up, now show Cadance as well on it just like did Twilight before. Then it flashed it's the image of her young friend and replay her voice, saying her own name. Cadance follow suit, and loudly but with warm tone say her name. Soon after she hear it back, now her image flash up. This indeed was a start. “We making a good progress so far, in ways I couldn't hoped for..” State it Alex, relived from lot of stress that rested on his shoulder, as it was his creation, that won the heart and sympathy of two of the hybrid deity. The captain spoke up. “It is a start but we have to work, and work hard, and we must prove our selves, not just to them, but those who gave there life and hope to us to have this second chance.” The final words strike the heart of every one, it was indeed truth. An obligation they must live up to or be shamed and doomed if not. Kim turn to the lieutenant, who follow as things but was working on his terminal, live up to his own personal obligation he took on him self not that long ago. “How is 'Magic’s' holding up James?” James look to his commanding officer. “She's stable, and I’m soon to attempt carry her back to the Castle city, that is the closes place.. and I can't think of a better place where she could receive the so needed care.” Kim shook his head but smile. “Go ahead, but the price of the drone is deducted from you pay check!” James laugh, but nod and return his full attention to his console. Trixie lift her head up when the construct illusion appeared. She watched as a simple animation been played for her of what would happen, she would be carried back to the Canterlot by the machine. She was happy she would be safe soon, but she sank a lil when the animation shown Twilight as one of the ponies illustrated to wait for her. “I Guess my fate is simply entangled with her, I should just give up fighting it.. no matter what our roads keep crossing.” She gave a bitter sweet smile, she already come to terms with Twilight, and no longer hate her, but she couldn't shake off the bitterness of the events between her and the now Alicorn happened in the past before, and fate kept give her the shorter end. “Well at least I live, but really, I’d like to win once, to be the one right.” She was staring ahead blankly a lil, then look up into the eyes of the machine and nod. “Few minutes passed, then the drone picked her up. It wasn't a comfortable feeling dangle down from the two metal arms, but was bearable, and preferable then death or remains alone. She was thinking while they began clime higher as she looked at the drone. “Wish we could really talk, but I guess we can try an 'question answer' game with illusions.. what should I ask..” She wondered, then her stomach roared, Trixie had a slight blush and a giggle. “Great and Powerful hunger haha..” Whit this she formulated her illusion spell, show her self eat different plants and fruits while a human figure stay on the other side, it made her more hungry, and thus second toughs how wise to pounder on this with empty stomach. But she though, this be quite a fundamental after all. Not much later an answer was formulated, show a human figure eat different crops, fruits... and meat. “Uh-oh...hehehe..eh..” Trixie gave a nervous smile and bite her lips, another note to her self and the other ponies, better not anger them, especially if not wanna become some delicacy for these creatures to chew on beside some fruits. She force down a 'rock' and made another illusion, showing the human figure eat another pony figure. The response took about the same time. It's shown the human figure consume smaller creatures, but not the ponies, and continued on shown these animals be brewed, some what like farms grow crops. It was logical, but very disturbing for her swallow as was against ponies nature to eat meat, but was a tiny bit reassuring they not plan to consume them, well, not yet. The illustration went on though, show a circle, show the amount of plant and meat based food for the aliens, the image shown constant variation, but green was dominant most of the time. The show mare figured they could live off on plants alone but they would consume meat if available, quite a flexibility for survival there. She made an illusion agen, make her character stand near the human when eat some short of crops, but once it began eat some small poor animal, her figure run off and take cover behind a tree. The image in it's wake shown the human figure step back when eat meat, but also later stand closer and offer fruits to a pony, as obvious courtesy and reassuring of friendship. “At least you being honest and not leave it as a surprise... uh, I think I’m not hungry any more.“ She shiver at the thoughts, but nod a little after, as it is there nature and even though she was terrified by Gryphon’s, she knew they as intelligent and caring, just like ponies and knew many ponies who had great Gryphon’s friends, and they're carnivore. Certain time passed, she observed it closely, it show the biped creature wear cloths, always cloths, big ones if cold, or light ones if very hot, but never with out it, the whole illusion was some what similar to the food subject, an comparison to be made, but suddenly chuckled when a naked one was shown finally, it was in panic and tear leafs of a tree to cover of, that made Trixie laugh. “Buwhahaha, you strange space creatures sure shy of your body!” she though then formulated her own response. Wasn't long when she made her reply in a similar pattern. Shown that hey didn't need cloths, but that they do wear ones for occasions, and for the finish she kept the funny part, an kind of retribution she wanted flavour for her self, Twilight Sparkle, get her self tangled up in cloths and fall face first into dirt. Trixie was laughing. There must be humour otherwise life be bleak and pointless. “hmmm, I’d be so content see miss Sparkle end up this way haha... a couple dozen times actually!” Trixie replay this last part of the illusion as amusement... She was interrupted soon by a new image, show her self and Twilight, but what shock her more, an actual real image of the new princess, real life illusion of her. Then it show that Trixie and her figure shake hoves while the towering figure watch behind, later it shock hoves with her, then with Trixie. Was evident. “So you meet Sparkle and friends with her as well.” She gave a little nervous chuckle and hope they wouldn't 'root' her out before her and her not so noble wish, to see the princess in some harmless unfortunate situation. Bit later smile contently and form the next illusion. Show how she would prank her, but in dire need, how she help the alicorn, and how she do the same for her, end it with a hug, but still do some funny look at each other time to time. “Yeah.. we are rivals, haha, fighting love.. Now I can see how she panic if I just say that to her...” She just smirked. “You knew... even if you do show this to her.. it would worth it!” she had a hunch, far fetched it might be, that these being understood it perfectly, and might as well have an good time imagen how this would run down in real time, The Great and Powerful Trixie versus the Ascended Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, prank one another. Trixie eyes felt like lead, and soon doze off, she was quite tired, being still in a bad shape, and use lot of illusion magic have drained her, but she had a content smile in her dreams. Been saved, and cared for in given circumstances, and had some conversation, even though the most unusual like, and topped it with laugher, she need it so much.