February 21st, 2053
Six Days Before Rejection
There was something to be said about being up to watch the sun rise. He’d chosen the house accordingly, to have a clear view of the river at dawn. It wasn’t too big a home, though with only him living in it, it seemed empty.
“Well, here’s to another sunny day,” Tyler Foster muttered as the first line of gold broke the horizon. The sky was a mix of reds and yellows, rapidly turning to blue as the sun continued its climb. He ran a finger through some of the snow that coated the railing and winced as a patch stung his skin. “Figures. Doesn’t matter if human or pony, kids’ll still do what they can to bend the rules.”
Rubbing his hands together to ward off the cold, Tyler turned and walked back inside, heading for the bathroom first. Some topical anesthetic and a bandage later, he was in the kitchen pouring himself some coffee. He rolled his eyes as a slight breeze wafted through the kitchen. “You know, there’s a reason houses have front doors,” he remarked without turning around.
“Oh, but what would be the fun in that?” Princess Celestia replied with a laugh as she entered from the living room. The curtains were still settling from the displaced air of her teleport. “I still remember when that little trick could surprise you. Good morning, Tyler.”
“Good morning, Princess,” Tyler replied as he put the mug in the microwave. “And I got used to it after the second time. Really, the Service were the ones who hated it. Think you’ll go down in history as the only reason an agent requested to be transferred out of the Detail.” His grin faded as he watched the timer count down. “So, today’s the beginning of the week, huh?”
Celestia didn’t need to look at the calendar to know what week he was referring to. “I’m afraid so.” Her eyebrow lifted as she saw the bandage on his finger. “What’d you do to yourself this time?”
“Forgot to remember that the DC weather patrol keeps hiring kids to help regulate the wild weather. Snow on the railing had a bit of a sting to it this morning. Not really worth reporting.”
She nodded. “Are you still having the headaches?”
Tyler didn’t respond as he took his first sip of the coffee. He gestured toward the table, where a bottle of painkillers sat unopened. “They’ve never been the problem. What bothered me most was the dreams…”
“I had a talk with Luna about entering human dreamscapes,” Celestia said, her tone mildly defensive.
“It’s not Luna. Well, not anymore.” Tyler stared at the steam rising from his cup. “I don’t even remember what the dreams are about, except for little bits and feelings. The sun on your skin, the smell of fresh food, laughter…” He trailed off and took another sip.
Celestia sat down, adjusting her wings idly. “Tyler… why haven’t you Converted yet?”
He frowned. “Not this talk again, Celestia.”
“Yes, this talk again,” she replied sternly. “You’ve done far more than could be expected of anyone. The only humans left are the ones who are unwilling to convert, or those born through Thesan—”
“There’s still more I can do, more that—”
Celestia snorted. “I know what you’re really trying to atone for, Tyler, and it is not your fault.”
He glared at her. “I’m not in the mood for this talk again, Celestia.”
"No one could have expected anything more of you, Tyler. To be honest, I did not expect as much of you." Celestia seemed almost embarrassed as she glanced out the window. "But, time and again, you rose to prove why your species was worth saving, why-"
"Oh, cut the dramatic crap, Celestia," Tyler grumbled as the coffee began to taste sour. He poured the rest down the drain, watching as it swirled away. "We both know my contribution was minimal at best, except in getting to deal with the worst of it. History's only going to remember me for the St Louis Massacre, the East Coast serum bombings, the economic meltdowns..." he sighed, and started to pour himself another mug.
Celestia was silent, eyes distant as she stared out the window. “I don’t know what you studied of Equestrian history, but I’ve had my share of things I wish I could change or take back. Discord’s near-annihilation of the world, Luna’s fall into corruption…” she paused, sighing wistfully. “Sunset…”
“Who?” Tyler asked.
Celestia shook her head. “It’s not important. But, there is something I want to show you. Just give me a minute to put on something less… noticeable.”
Tyler blinked. “Wait, at least give me—” He was cut off as Celestia became encased in a soft white light. A second later it flashed brilliantly, filling the air with the stink of ozone as it disappeared.
“So, what do you think?” the orange and yellow unicorn standing in Celestia’s place asked cheerfully.
“I think you ought to at least warn me before you do that. You’re lucky I’m not blind,” Tyler grumbled as he rubbed his eyes irritably. “So, what do you want to show me?”
“Well, it’s a little ways down the street, as they say,” Celestia replied with a small smile. “Do you mind driving?”
Traffic was light as Tyler turned onto the highway. The engine growled as he pushed down on the gas, and he couldn’t help the smirk as the pony driver passing him twitched in surprise. “So, you going to tell me where we’re going now?”
“Nope,” Celestia replied with a grin. “Just keep going straight, I’ll tell you when we’re coming up on the exit.” She relaxed into the seat, looking out the window at the sun. “It’s going to feel strange taking control of it again. I actually got used to sleeping in every so often.”
“How’s that going to work, anyway?” Tyler asked.
“Twilight’s taking the lead on the spellcrafting, she says that the matrix will be ready in time. Luna’s assured me that the moon will not be a problem either, and I’ll take direct control of the Earth’s transition. We’re recruiting every unicorn we can find with enough magical power to contribute to the spell, so we should be ready.”
“Is that a note of uncertainty I hear?” Tyler asked jokingly, though as he glanced over at Celestia he saw the hint of a shadow cross her face. “This is going to work, right?”
“I have every confidence it will…” Celestia trailed off, staring out the windshield, “Just that nothing of this scale has ever been attempted before. So really, I suppose I can’t say for sure…” She sighed.
“Well, my old man had a saying: ‘Without faith, a man is nothing.’ And with as many ponies working on this as there are, it’ll work out,” Tyler reached over to clap Celestia on the shoulder. “Besides, you always told me friendship is magic. So don’t worry so much, you’ll get wrinkles.”
Celestia snorted and rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that formed. “Thank you, Tyler.” She tilted her head, idly scraping at the armrest with a hoof. “Think we can put the window down? Nothing quite beats feeling the wind in your mane.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Tyler replied as he lowered the window.
“Also, take the next exit,” Celestia said, beaming as she leaned out the window. Her eyes were closed, mane whipping back and forth.
“I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were channeling my old dog. Or one of the diamond dog converts,” Tyler remarked wryly as he turned the wheel.
Celestia winked as she relaxed back into the chair. “Woof woof.”
Tyler rolled his eyes as they rolled down the off-ramp. As he slowed down for the light, a sign jumped out of the clutter. “Wait, seriously? You’re taking us there, of all places?”
She rolled her eyes. “Can you really say that you’re surprised? I always liked visiting, and if you’ve not been recently, I think you’ll be happy to see how it’s changed.”
Tyler settled for a grunt as he turned to the left, following the signs until he drew to a stop in front of a large gate. An earth pony stallion trotted out of the guard station, lifting his head to peer in the window. “Good afternoon sir, welcome to the National Arboretum. Would you like to donate to help with the park?”
“Uhh, sure. One second.” Tyler pulled out his wallet and rummaged inside it. “Well, I don’t have a lot, just a five.” He handed the bill to the stallion, who tucked it into his saddlebag.
“That’s okay, every little bit helps!” he replied, smiling as he trotted back to the station. A second later the gate lifted and he leaned back outside. “Have a nice day!”
Tyler waved a hand as he drove through, and soon pulled into a parking space. “Alright, so we’re here. Now where to?”
“Oh no, not yet.” Celestia replied with a grin as she hopped to the pavement, shutting the door behind her. “Just follow me.”
Tyler sighed in resignation and walked after her, around the main building to where a large field spread out. He could see a group of children playing, their parents off to the side. Celestia led him to one of the benches at the edge, and sat down beside it. Taking a seat himself, Tyler watched the scene for a few minutes before glancing down at Celestia.
“Do you see the little filly there, Tyler? The one with the fuschia mane?” She asked, pointing with a hoof.
“Yeah. So, she’s why you brought me out here?”
“Well, yes and no,” she replied enigmatically. “You said earlier you feel like you need to do more, to make a bigger difference while you have time. But you’ve already impacted so many,” she turned to indicate the group of parents. “The mare over there with the turquoise coat is who I brought you here for. Her name is Roxanne Carmichael, and truth be told a more unremarkable pony you’d be hard pressed to find. Now, as you recall, the original plans for the Bureaus called for them to be sited in major cities. But you negotiated for more to be opened for the people who lived too far away. Roxanne was working in a diner as a waitress, barely making ends meet, and certainly unable to reach a major city.”
She smiled as Roxanne noticed her staring and waved, returning the gesture. “But, her town was chosen for one of the Bureau expansions, and two years after it opened, she decided to convert. During her time there, she met a boy, and I’m sure you can figure out how it went from there. They dated for the next two years, and then decided to have a foal.”
Tyler was silent, watching the children continue their game, until he felt a hoof touch his side.
“You want an example of the impact you’ve had? You’ve never met Roxanne, or even directly done anything for her. But because of something you did, she got the chance to meet the stallion she loves. And without their meeting, that foal would not exist today, Tyler. So don’t ever discount the effect one being has on the world.” She lowered her hoof and stood. “I do hope to see you again before week’s end.”
Tyler blinked, and found himself alone on the bench. Maybe Celestia had a point, that he’d done what he could. Maybe it was time for him to take that last step, instead of helping others to do so. But, he decided, there was time enough for that. It wasn’t often you got to sit and watch the sun rise on Earth’s last week. He leaned back, the sunlight banishing the February chill as he watched the kids play.