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"Jason, get down!" Dash yelled, pulling the stallion roughly into the freshly fallen snow. "God damn, you keep making these close calls..."
Jason wiped the snow from his face, rolling his eyes. "Like I don't know, this is only a-"
"Shh!" Dash whispered quickly, cutting the stallion off. "We have to get some sort of distraction, we're pinned here!"
"Dash, it's just-" He tried again.
"No, this is serious!" She yelled back, watching Jason take a small step backwards. Only a moment later his head jerked to one side and somepony cheered. Jason impacted into the snow a moment later, a rivulet of blood working its way through the fur on his temple.
"JASON!!!"
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"Scoots, just stay calm, I just need to-"
"Dash, I'm bleeding out, it's getting everywhere, how am I supposed to-" A hoof went over the filly's mouth, her face somewhat white.
"You're not bleeding out, Scoots, just don't pass out on me, alright?"
"She okay?" Jason asked, holding a bag of ice to his head as he peered into Dash's bathroom.
"Yeah, it's not deep." Dash replied. "Could've been a lot worse." She turned to Jason with a chuckle. "She's overreacting almost as much as you were."
Jason scoffed. "Look, I was playing a part. I don't know how a rock gets into a snowball by accident," He said, putting hoof quotes around the last two words, "but it's not like it hurt that much."
"Whatever, Jason." Dash said, smirking. "And back to you, Scoots." She began as the filly tried to slink back a little. Dash pulled her back by her injured hoof, anger flashing through her eyes. "Don't touch those knives, Squirt. You're not trained to use them, and they're way too big for you anyway. Do you know how bad this could have been?" Dash asked, her voice rising.
"Yeah, I mean I just-" She looked to Jason for help, but he only frowned and gestured back to his wife.
"Scoots, if it had been your neck, I wouldn't be talking to you! This isn't a lot of blood." The blue mare said, pointing to the gently red tinged bandage. "Think twenty of these, Scoots." She sighed. "Maybe I'm scaring you, and I don't find any joy in that, but you've got to think more. You're a smart filly, if you give things enough time."
"Sorry." The kid said, as Dash let her hoof drop.
"Just don't let it happen again, alright?"
"Yeah..." Scoots said, trailing off in embarrassment as her gaze fixated on a bump of cloud in the floor. "Are we still going to the picnic?"
Dash looked at Jason, who cleared his throat. "You feel alright? Not sick to your stomach or woozy or anything?"
"No."
"Then yeah, we'll go." He said, turning around to leave. "I'm going to get the food together, and then we'll be off." His footsteps faded away down the hallway and down the steps as Dash tied off the bandage and smiled at her work.
"How come Jason can't just heal me?" She asked, rubbing at the wound with her other hoof.
"You can't just heal everything, Scoots, you'll never get stronger without a little pain. And it's not like Jason'll always be around to fix you up."
"But it hurts..." The filly protested, taking a step and wincing.
"Oh, sorry, I thought you were tough." Dash said sadly, crossing her arms and looking away.
"I am, it's just-"
"What, Scoots? You're going to be beaten by some little cut?"
"No, I just-" She hung her head. "You're right. I can't exactly be like you if I can't get over this."
Dash's smug look turned to one of surprise. "Oh no, you're not going to be like me."
Now it was Scoots' turn to look shocked. "What?"
"I don't want my own filly going through the same stuff I have, I want better things for you. And you're too talented in other things to worry about combat anyway. I'll still teach you a thing or two, but it'll only be for those times you really need it." Dash let that sink in, before brightening up. "'Sides, your cutie mark doesn't involve being on the front lines."
Scoots' demeanor seemed to change a little at that, and Dash could tell that she wasn't quite as off-put by the idea anymore.
"Now, about that picnic…" She said, smiling and turning to walk out of the room. Scoots trotted from the room a few moments later, gliding though open air as she leaped from the landing. Jason had a pile of food set out on the island in the kitchen, but had moved into the map room.
Dash peeked inside, giggling a little at the blackboard that was covered in equations and diagrams, some of them smeared to make space for others. He still had the ice to his head, as he flipped a bit of chalk around in the air, spinning it this way and that in his magic. She didn't move to disturb him, and he picked up an eraser and wiped half of the theory away.
An equation went in it's place, which quickly transformed into a differential that Jason looked at and nodded. He moved over a few steps and drew a large circle with the floating chalk, several smaller parts of what Dash assumed was a cell coming together rather quickly.
"How does a cell concern magic?" She asked, making the stallion jump and draw a jagged line through his work.
Jason sighed, watching her try to hide a grin. "I don't know." He said. "It was kinda stupid, in retrospect, to say that I was going to figure out how magic worked scientifically."
"Yeah, well if you showed Twilight that and acted like you were right, I don't know how well she would be able to dispute you."
Jason chuckled. "You may be right, but it's not as if I can prove anything. I'm no scientist."
"Have you at least narrowed it down?"
Another laugh. "Look, is it alright if I just tell you when I have to inform Twilight that I'm not any closer?"
Dash hummed, as if she was thinking. "Fine." She murmured, feeling Scoots tug at the fur of her leg.
"Dash, can we get going before too long?" The filly asked. "You guys have to do that thing tonight, and I don't want to miss out on time…"
"Fine Scoots." Jason said, grabbing the chalk out of the air and tossing it down to the little ledge at the bottom of the blackboard. "I've got a bet to collect on anyway."
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"So, how is everyone?!" Dash yelled as the trio walked up to the rest of her friends. Jason unloaded the food he had brought, an old bottle of wine and a few bags of various snack foods. Human, of course, because Cheetos were way better than stupid vegetables for the millionth time.
"You figure that magic out yet, Jason?" Twilight asked, grinning ear to ear.
Jason put a hoof to his forehead. "I have a lead." He lied.
"Oh really?" She asked. "What is it?"
"Uh… an evolution to the change in ATP production during the Krebs cycle of cellular respiration." He said, making it up as he went along. Wait, that kinda made sense. Maybe.
"You- what?"
"I'm way farther than you, Sparkle." He said, raising an eyebrow. "Try making sense of that without finding a high school textbook."
She shook her head in annoyance. "I'm starting to become jealous of all the education you've gotten."
"Oh, because the personal student of the Princess has so much room to talk." He replied, sticking his tongue out jokingly.
"Calm down ya' little fillies!" Applejack hollered, stepping between the two. "Ya'll can't get like this every time because of some stupid bet."
"AJ, we're in a race to try to figure out the true source and movement of magical energy, there's hardly anything more important than that!"
"Besides electricity…" Jason murmured, as the purple mare glared over at him.
"Whatever Twi, Ah have a bigger issue to attend to." She paused, looking at Jason. "Ah won."
"And I don't believe you." Jason said, crossing his arms as he sat down. He reached over and grabbed one of the bags of chips, pulling the bag open and taking one of the crisps out.
"Oh yeah?" She asked, pulling out a picture. "Ya'll said that Ah couldn't tease a graft outa' that apple tree branch." She pointed to the picture, grinning. "In the middle a' winter, and it's perfectly happy on there."
"Damn." Jason said, peering at the graphic. He pulled a few bits from his saddlebag and passed them to the mare. "But don't think I'm not going to check for myself."
Applejack only smirked. "Big Mac wants ta' get another match in with ya in a few days. Braeburn's visitin', so that could be why. Probably wants ya ta go after the easy prey instead a' him. Or not, Braeburn was always pretty good at poker."
Jason grinned. "I'll keep it in mind." He turned away as a few more ponies walked up and the group congealed, sitting around in a rather wide circle.
"So, how's it feel?" Tank asked as Dash nuzzled into Jason's chin, his teammate's face spread with a rather calm expression that Jason could see right through. "Being married for a month, I mean."
Dash giggled, pulling back a step. "Nice." She paused. "Simple, actually."
"What's got you so worried, Tank?" Jason asked.
"Ugh, just- shut up about that. You'll see soon enough anyway." He mumbled, looking at the sunset as streaks of orange crawled across the sky.
"Fine. To answer your question though, it does seem to take a lot of stress away, I'm not really sure why." He paused. "Or it could be the fact that we haven't had to fight anything for a month. That's always an option. How come?"
"It's nothing. Well, it's not nothing, but-" Tank hesitated, before turning and walking away.
Jason shook his head, propping his saddlebag against his leg and pulling out a bottle opener.
"Ya know, Ah never thought Ah'd end up with griffin things that work better than some of the stuff we already had." Applejack exclaimed, setting down a saddlebag full of apples that Jason assumed was made from leather.
"That's leather." Jason said matter-of-factly, pointing at the bag. "Like, from cows."
"Ah know." The mare replied. "But hey, it's better than the stupid fabric that couldn't take a load. Ah even got a warranty from that griffin in town. Said that if it breaks in a month, he'll give me a new 'un. Ah think Ah just got a free bag, seein' as how short a lifespans those old things had."
"I dunno, animal skin's pretty tough."
"Watertight too, which is nice." She replied, lapsing into silence. Eventually she spoke up again. "Ah hope ya know how thankful everypony is for the things you two have done, whether they show it or not." The farmer spoke to the pair.
"You know," Dash began, "I don't know how much I would like the attention anyway. I kinda like how quiet things are, and that I'm not swarmed by ponies like some of those Canterlot celebrities. It's nice sometimes, but I guess I don't really need the reminder. Without sounding too vain, I know what I did, and it's all written down. I may not have achieved what I set out to do, but in Jason's words I've gotten as close to immortality as I can." Applejack raised a brow.
"I mean," She put a hoof to her brow, giggling slightly. "The things I've done won't be forgotten. knowledge is the one thing that has the potential to survive forever, and we all have that going for us." Dash finished, gesturing around. "Because let's be realistic, what's the point of life if you don't make your mark on the world?"
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"And that's when the fish exploded in that guy's flower box!" Dash exclaimed, watching the gathered group of ponies erupt in laughter. With a dull pop noise, Jason popped the cork off of the wine bottle, picking up a tower of plastic cups. Muffled hoof steps approached, as Rumple pushed his way into the circle.
"Sorry I'm late, did Scoots give up and leave?" He asked, his face covered in soot.
"No, she's over there." Jason said, pointing a little ways down the hill. "How come you're so… black?"
"I, uh…" He twisted a hoof into the ground uncomfortably. "I was just working with Ferris. I asked him earlier if I could when you left the snowball fight cuz that guy put a rock in his snowball," Jason stared at Dash. "and he said sure, so I did. I made this." The foal said, pulling a curved knife out of his saddlebag and handing it over. Jason gingerly held it, finding a distorted but visible reflection in the steel surface. He passed it to Dash, who examined it for a moment before she touched the blade to her fur just above her hoof. She pressed a little harder and pulled away, staring at the little cut that had appeared. So it was moderately sharp as well.
Dash looked up to slightly shocked gazes and put down her hoof, blushing slightly. "Well, it's kinda sharp…" She said. Jason mercifully took the attention off of her as he floated around some cups, watching the other ponies as they stared instead at the drink. Dash handed the knife back to Rumble, saying something to him under her breath before he put the thing back into a sheath and took off. Jason assumed that it was where Scoots had gone.
"So, this is wine." He began, "It's made from grapes, and even though there isn't a lot in your cups, it's got an alcohol content about twenty five times higher than that cider. This should be fine though, because it's so little. I doubt any of you will feel tipsy. Anyway, just figured that you'd enjoy something new for a change, assuming this wine is still good." He took a whiff. Didn't smell like vinegar, anyway.
Rarity was the first to take a sip, smiling as she let the cup back down. "For such a hard beverage, it sure seems to have quite the cultured air to it."
"Well, it was used for a lot of romantic stuff, and as a fancy sort of drink." Jason said, taking a sip of his own. It wasn't the best he'd ever had, but then again, the best wine he'd had was sort of a fluke in itself. He'd bought it from some college kid for a hundred bucks, and when he'd tried to open it, the cork pretty much fell apart. So he hadn't ben expecting too much. The thing tasted heavenly though.
"So what do you all think?" He asked after they'd all gotten their tastes.
"Ah'd rather have a beer." Applejack said. "Rarity was right about her fancy junk, ah'll just stick to cider and IPA."
"And I don't know how you drink that stuff, darling." Rarity countered. "It's simply dreadful!"
"It's an acquired taste." The orange mare shot back, catching Rarity off guard. "You just don't have the patience."
"I think it may be from the fact that I still have tastebuds, dear." She said, batting her eyelids.
"Well I don't have a problem with it." Thunderlane cut in, breaking the argument. "But this is coming from the guy that already fermented cider to have higher alcohol content."
"And now makes beer." Jason added.
"Yeah. And that." The black stallion responded, taking another sip. "At least that hasn't become much of a chore, only Applejack really seems to come by, besides you Jason." He continued. "And then there's the whole hops thing, now that they don't cost a million bits a pound." The rest of the group nodded and Jason assumed that Thunderlane was being figurative. "'Course, beer is nothing new to griffins, but it's kinda past the point of being beer anymore…"
"It's nice having the griffins added onto Equestria though." Jason said, grinning. "I mean, they have these totally different things, and you'd kinda expect that we wouldn't have anything in common. I don't know how it is over there, but it's nice having all of these new things come in, especially since I thought they didn't produce much of anything."
"To better stuff!" Dash exclaimed, raising her cup. A chuckle circulated as the rest of the ponies held up their cups as well, a small clinking noise sounding as they collided.
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"…and it is with great honor and joy that I hand the stage over to the two that I'm sure you know by now," the mayor said, taking a glance backwards. "I'm sure a lot of you have been wondering why we've been planting posts in the ground for the past two weeks and tying them together, but it's about to become clear." She smiled, stepping back and allowing Jason and Dash to step up to the podium.
"Maybe a few of you have seen how much brighter Canterlot's been up on the Canterhorn lately," Jason began, "and maybe some of you already know why. Before I give away too much, however, I'd like to give a little bit of congratulations to what we've accomplished in just a month."
Jason swallowed. It'd been a while since he'd made a speech. "The sheer amount of things that have been towed around and built, well, it's just insane. Miles of railroads, the blasting equipment to get there." Ferris grinned in the crowd. "And nobody even seems like they're ready to stop. This is only the gateway to a greater Equestria, one that would never have been built without the blood and sweat of everyone involved."
Dash grinned. "So, without further ado," she cut in, placing her hoof to a lever on a building that was almost sparkling new, "I give you the enlightened streets of Ponyville!"
She shoved the lever down, and for a moment nothing happened. Then, with a spark and the smell of ozone, streetlights started igniting. The courtyard that was previously dim in the late-dusk light was suddenly alight from several directions, and for a moment the ponies just stared.
It only took a moment for them to erupt in applause, spreading out quickly to bask in the yellow light. Jason grinned. He knew he wasn't the sole creator of the things that had happened, but he still felt proud. Equestria was beginning to turn into something that seemed modern, even if everything was a little mismatched.
And whether or not he was hardwired to think of the military immediately by now, he at least knew that Ferris had made a whole operation out of gun smithing. That meant that they were even beginning to turn into a superpower, at least compared to the rest of the known world. But hey, it was always better to have too many guns than too few. Eh, there was no such thing as too many guns anyway.
Jason yawned, looking over at Dash. It hadn't really been a stressful day, but it had definitely been a long one. Dash leaned against him after a moment, wordlessly conveying that she thought the same. It wasn't as if they didn't have things to do in the morning anyway.
The flight back was quiet, but that was how Jason liked his flights. He didn't mind the crazy flying with Dash, but there was something he loved about the silence of night. He'd taken to gliding around when he couldn't sleep, and just floating on the slight Ponyville updrafts. It wasn't to say that he was stressed, really. But he wasn't sure he liked the monotony that things had taken on.
Dash landed a few seconds before Jason did and they trotted inside quickly, sharing a few more yawns as the pair ascended the stairs. Jason peered into Scoots' room, watching the filly's chest slowly move as she slumbered. At least, what was visible through the huge clump of blankets she called her bedspread.
Jason let himself fall onto the bed, the thoughts from before still plaguing his mind. It wasn't to say he wasn't content- just- a little bored.
"Dash, do you ever miss a little of the tension?" He asked.
She stuck her head out of the bathroom, frowning in thought. "Not too much, no. How come?"
"No reason." Jason replied with a sigh. He looked back up to say something else, but Dash had already retreated.
"Well hopefully you won't mind staying up a little later…" She began, walking towards the bed in a Wonderbolts costume.
"I'm pretty sure Spitfire didn't give you that just so that you could use it in bed."
"Hey, when she needs me for another show, I'll use it then. Plus, it's such a waste to just let it hang in the closet."
"Fine, carry on." Jason replied with a grin and the twirl of a hoof.
She smirked before the look went away, replaced by a stern one. "I hope you know how badly you did on the entrance exam." A piece of paper floated into her hoof, and she looked up with a grin. "But, you know, I'm pretty sure that there could be some room for extra points…"
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"You know, for beings without fingers, they sure can build things." Jason said, staring off a steep hill at yet another completed construction.
"I have to agree with you there." Dash replied. "But hey, there it is, the Hexagon." She said, pointing to the roof of the huge building.
"Yeah." He paused. "I guess the griffins didn't exactly stand by and watch though."
"It's quite the building, hmm?" Another pony asked, before she landed beside Dash.
"Morning princess." Dash said, dipping her head slightly. Jason did the same, and the three turned their gaze back to the building.
"Did you think it would be this big when you proposed the idea?" Celestia asked.
Jason shrugged. "I just figured that I'd know the shape. But it sure is something."
"With what we had, the fact that we even got the thing up is a huge surprise." The princess replied, shaking her head.
"Really?" Dash asked.
"Without the griffins, we'd have been hard pressed to do anything. We just don't have the available labor to throw around, and you wouldn't believe what a griffin can do if you supply food. I was worried when we connected the rails and droves of those guys started coming over. But when it comes to building, those talons with wings are way better than a pegasus at placing things. Kept us from needing to take some ponies from the weather crew as well."
"But why the haste?" The blue mare questioned.
"If you must know," she began, a sparkle in her eye, "Eravel made a trip over a few days after your marriage and urged me to get everything done as long as Chrysalis was still away and there was relative peace. Not to say I wasn't going to anyway, but with Shining saying the same thing I figured I may as well push hard."
"Well it's quite the masterpiece." Jason said with a grin, watching ponies on scaffolds touch up the paint and fit windows.
"So what of Bob?" He asked, after the silence had stretched on for at least a few minutes.
"It's been a few days since I've had word from Luna, but I'm sure you know that she pulled in a few dozen soldiers a week ago."
"I've heard she's getting closer." Dash said nervously.
"But it only takes one surprise shot with one of your guns to take anypony down. They're quite the equalizer."
Jason looked down, watching a blade of grass wiggle in the wind. "I suppose they are."
"Look, you two. I know that you've been through a lot, and I'm sure that you'd rather just go back to Ponyville and live your life. I know you want a foal of your own, and it's not as if the Estrous cycle is too far away. But you're the best we have, and I'm sure you've given a little thought to the idea that you'd be the ones calling the shots."
"Princess, I-" Dash began.
"It's up to you, I don't want to make it seem like something I'm cornering you to do."
"Would we be able to recruit anyone?" Jason asked quietly, and Dash looked over in shock.
"Jason, you can't possibly be-" His wife began, before she was cut off.
"Yes." Celestia replied. "You'll know where to find me if you decide to take part." The alicorn turned and took flight, and the wedded couple stared at her for a moment before they glared at one another.
"How can you possibly be considering going?!" Dash yelled, taking a few steps so that she was right up in Jason's face. He didn't back up, and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Because if we have a chance at taking out Bob, then I want to take it. I- he's always in my head somewhere, and on some level you have to want to know why he treated me like a fucking experiment!"
"Look, I hate him as much as you do, but-"
"But what?! I don't want to let other ponies die because we aren't there!"
Dash felt a tear go down her cheek, and she shook her head in frustration. "Can't you see?! We've risked our lives numerous times for this place, I just don't want to- We're married, for fuck's sake."
"We're stronger."
"We've got a kid."
"A kid that we can bring!" Jason replied, raising his voice again. "We're calling the shots, remember? If we bring Scoots to wherever we set up command, she'll be guarded. We've got superior technology, wireless communication…"
"Jason-" Her voice cracked, and she lunged forwards. Jason jumped, figuring that she was going to punch him, but she only buried her head in his shoulder and cried. Jason put a hoof around her head, feeling a few of his own tears pool up.
"We'll be okay, Dash. Get a few answers in the process." Jason's voice cracked on the last word, feeling as if the words leaving his mouth weren't his own.
Dash let out a heavy sob, trying to find her voice. "I- I just want this foal, and every time we look like we're in the clear something else just pops up." Another choked sob, one that almost made Jason join in. "I know we should, but I feel like if we do make it out, it'll just be another six months 'till I go into heat again, and that's just another half-year for something to take that kid away from me." She took in a ragged breath. "Or lose you."
Jason pushed a hoof through her mane, trying to think of something reassuring. He came up blank. He didn't want to do this either, no matter how bored he sometimes was in Ponyville. A little excitement wasn't worth all the risk and the stress, and it wasn't as if anything ever went smoothly.
"You know that we have to, right?" He asked, gently pulling her down to the ground so that they were laying in the short grass, sticking through a somewhat thin layer of snow.
"I- why?" She choked out.
Jason felt his resolve begin to crumble, but he soldiered on. "We've got a shot at taking out someone that would stand against us later. They- they're not going to just go away, Dash. Even if we have to wait to have a foal to make sure that it's safe, I wouldn't care."
Dash snorted, calming slightly. She pulled back and looked at Jason's green eyes, studying him and turning the thought around in her head. It was nearly deathly silent, minus quiet noises of construction from below.
"Only if she asks." Dash murmured, pushing her head back into Jason's shoulder. "If Luna tells us to go, I'll go. Not otherwise."
Jason would have liked to argue, but it wasn't as if he was keen to go back to fighting either. Of course, he hadn't been the one at his own bedside all the time. And he knew that his loyalty to Equestria would never trump his loyalty to Dash. That would be ridiculous, of course.
"God, I hope she resolves this on her own." Jason mumbled, a tear sliding across the bridge of his muzzle and onto the ground. The pair laid in the snow for an untold amount of time, trying to come to grips with the idea that they might be thrust back into combat so soon. Whereas before it had been just another battle, the continuation of a war, it now felt like Jason was retreating into the environment that he hated so much.
Jason sat up, breaking the silence with the crunching of snow under his shifting weight. He offered Dash a hoof, which she took with a slight upturn of her frown. He allowed himself a small grin, teasing up her chin with a hoof so that she would look him in the eyes.
"You know, there's a little bit of an upside to this."
"Yeah?" Dash asked, genuinely confused.
"If we're going to need to get a team together just in case, then at least we'll get to try out those guns Ferris has been fixing up." His frown quickly returned as Dash's face refused to lighten.
"Can we just-" She sighed. "Can we just go back to the house and lie around?" Dash heaved, trying to keep herself from breaking down once again. "I just want to be somewhere quiet with you and Scoots, if we can find her. I know it's got to be done, but- I just need to come to terms."
Jason turned his eyes to the ground, nodding his head. He tried to say something, but no words would come out. He was usually the one that would always come up with something to say, but the more he thought about this, the more his words abandoned him. He felt hooves around his neck, and let tears run down his nose. Jason didn't feel sorry or scared for himself, as much as he was frustrated that they would end up in a similar situation as before.
Sure, things were arguably better, and this was a chance to sleep better at night in the long run, but it sure didn't feel like it. He felt the same way he'd felt when Celestia had called on them the first time, minus one major difference.
He didn't know the enemy, and by now a death on his side wouldn't be of some nameless soldier. He was insulated before, but now… calling the shots on an operation populated by his best friends…
Maybe that was what he feared the most.