//------------------------------// // ...That All Men Are Created Equal... // Story: Together And Equal…? // by Wolfe and WindSilver //------------------------------// Mask The rhythmic clacking from the trains’ wheels did little to interrupt the the war I waged against Dad. Both of us had our eyes fixed forward, analyzing each other. He thought that he had size as an advantage, but I had range and speed on my side. Enough to irritate him after a few hit and runs. We were down to the final stage. No more room to run, not that I wanted to. I had to end this here and now. I steeled my nerves and lit my horn, readying myself to attack. “Check,” I said, smugly. Moving my rook forward, I forced his bishop from its place on the board. As I took his fallen piece he gritted his teeth and moved the king a space to the left. I took advantage of the sloppy retreat to attack his queen with my knight. He moved a pawn forward, but I hardly noticed. Focusing too intently on my imminent victory. I advanced my rook, placing it directly in front of his king, where it was backed by my knight. He had no option except retreat. He stared at the board intently. Foreseeing every possible scenario. After a few minutes of internal debate, Dad finally expressed his thoughts. “You wanna call this a tie?” he asked, leaning back in his seat. I looked at the board. No way! I thought. I’m a move away from… The thought trailed away as I looked at the board, slowly realizing that I’d walked directly into a trap. While I thought that I was stringing the king along, in reality his king was a decoy. Simply bait for me to snap at while he encircled me. And the pawn. The Celestia-forsaken pawn. It was a space away from the last square of my side of the board, and all of my pieces were barred from attacking it. And it was obvious what he wanted. I sighed and nodded, my hopes of winning dashed. The elation that I’d felt now giving way to defeat. And a small amount of indignation. “You could have won,” I pouted, feeling that he’d thrown the game in my favor. “Probably,” he admitted while he collected the pieces. I folded my forelegs and turned away, expressing my annoyance. “However,” he continued. “My plan would have relied on a single piece. If I’d lost my queen, the little strategy I had would have fallen apart.” He gestured to me. “Yours held room for versatility.If you hadn’t given up, it’s likely that you would have won.” “Great,” I muttered, half to myself. “So I spent days on that strategy for nothing.” “It was a good strategy, son,” he chuckled. “It’s the strategist that needs some work.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Thanks,” I said sarcastically. He grinned and chess bag over to my side of the booth, before adjusting himself so Mom could rest more comfortably against him. She’d fallen asleep about halfway through our game, and neither of us had the heart to move her. She’d worn herself out at the hospital again. A lot of the staff had quit, for obvious reasons, and it fell to the remaining workers to pick up the slack. My mom made it her mission to do any work she could without complaint. She told me that she owed it to her boss, especially when he didn’t fire her despite the reduction he was having in his work force. The unfortunate side effect was the fatigue and stress that now hung over her like a cloud. Luckily the empty train car made for the perfect place to sleep. That was one of the main reasons I was excited for the weekend. She could do with a chance to relax and de-stress, we all could. And a family reunion was the best way to do it. The town the adults had picked was supposedly famous for their tolerance and acceptance. Meaning that the weekend would be fun, and the only excitement would be from the younger drones and workers. The train whistle signaled that we were near our destination, Ponyville. “It really is great to see you again, Melody,” My aunt, Nurture, gushed. “And I can’t wait until you see how the boys have grown.” She turned towards me as we walked. “I think Strike is about your age, Mask,” she added. “And they’ve both been excited about meeting the family.” I nodded, hardly focusing on the conversation. Instead I was completely enthralled by the beauty of Ponyville. Especially the large crystal castle that rose near the center of it. Other large and creative designs stood throughout the small town, capturing my attention in turn. Ponyville also had a simplistic and natural beauty, so different from the city, where things were made to be beautiful. So much so that they lost meaning. The citizens of Ponyville, however, shaped the world around them. I could see it in the way they built. The homes were made of natural materials, and had basic designs. While that could go up in flames, it probably helped to have pegasi nearby, who could put it out in seconds. I just watched the ponies go about their business. Laughing, smiling, running, and talking. They looked so peaceful and… loving. I could see why they were more accepting of changelings over other cities and towns. They were bursting with love, care, and affection for each other. It made me happy. I was ripped from my peaceful state of mind, realizing that I’d begun to lag behind, when I heard Dad try to explain a recent situation. “You should have knocked!” I yelled in retort, running ahead to rejoin the group. “We’ll call you when the food’s ready,” Mom yelled from behind me. “Until then just get your things settled.” “Alright,” I called down in reply. I shut the door and chose one of the three beds, tossing my bag on top, and flopped onto it. My hooves ached from the walk from the train to Aunt Nurture’s home at the other end of town. At least they set up a few extra beds, I thought. I grabbed my bag and rummaged through it, pulling out my copy of Animorphs once it had been uncovered. It wasn’t anything special, a group of ponies who’d been gifted the power to turn into animals, entrusted to save the world from brain hijacking slugs, and a couple of weird aliens thrown in. While the book as a whole was a bit bland and hackneyed, the humor and idea behind it were enough to get me to continue to read. That and my compulsiveness to figure out when the characters would finally wise up and tell everypony about the Yeerks. I was in the middle of Wise Guy realizing that his mother was Visser One, when I heard Mom call from downstairs. I marked the page in my book and tossed it on the bed behind me as I made for the door. Unfortunately, someone had the same idea as me. The door opened just as I reached it,slamming into my forehead just at the base of my horn. The ‘Ling on the other side continued into the door, expecting it to be open, and bumped into it as well. “Ow,” The other voice groaned. “You alright over there?” “Yeah,” I replied. I stepped back and pulled the door open fully, revealing my accidental assailant.  He was a bit taller than me, and a bit more muscled. Okay, I was a twig compared to him. His mane was shorter than mine. It was kept in what I remember to be the hive’s regulation style. As was his tail. However, we might have been considered twins if not for his much blacker carapace as opposed to my lighter shade. He rubbed his nose, smiling guiltily at me. “Probably not the best way to meet a cousin of mine,” he chuckled. Sticking out a hoof, he introduced himself, “I’m Flame Strike, or just Strike.” I took a hoof away from my aching horn long enough to introduce myself. He winced when I put it back almost immediately. “Sorry, you sure you’re okay?” he asked worriedly. I waved it off. “I’m fine,” I insisted. “Really.” He didn’t look convinced, maybe the wincing between every word was too suspicious, but he didn’t question me further. “Well, if you’re going to be stubborn about it.” A simple smirk indicated that he was joking. I grinned back. “Aunt Melody sent me up to make sure you heard her.” He inclined his head towards the stairs. “They need some help putting the food outside.” I groaned, knowing, by the pain in my horn, that I wouldn’t be able to use magic to carry the food. Sorry boys, I thought giving my hooves a pained smile. No rest for the weary. Nearly an hour later, I found myself lying on the grass outside. My hooves made sure that their displeasure, at being overworked, was known. Meanwhile my horn mocked me by letting its pain subside. I decided to put it to work by rubbing at my hooves, hoping to soothe them a bit. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already?” Strike asked from behind me. He set a plate down in front of me; stacked with my favorites. I tucked into the watermelon first, talking only after I swallowed the first mouthful. “You’re not the one who had to carry 6 fruit cakes on his back.” He sat beside me with a sigh. “Look, I really am sor—” I interrupted him with a raised hoof. “I already told you not to worry. I just like giving you a hard time about it.” “Besides,” I went on, a grin beginning to cover my muzzle. I took a bite out of my oats.  “The less you apologize, the less guilty I’ll feel about kicking your plot in the races later.” “Dream on,” he retorted. “They don’t call me ‘Strike’ for nothing. I’m the fastest ‘Ling for miles.” I laughed through the coleslaw. “That’s because you haven’t raced me yet.” 3rd person/Soothing Melody Soothing Melody laughed with her sister as she watched the antics of their two children. As well as that of their respective husbands. “I’m telling you it’s impossible,” her husband, Brick Layer, argued. “There’s no possible way that you can even begin an operation like that unless you remove the coolant system first. that’s the only way to make the system shut down forcefully.” “You’re forgetting about the overcharge safety gate,” her sister’s mate, Gear, this time. “Do you even realize how dangerous that is. Increase the power output too quickly and you—” “Yeah but that didn’t happen,” Gear interrupted with a smirk. “But it could have.” Brick was becoming visibly exasperated as the argument continued. Melody turned to her sister, a mirthful smile still on her muzzle. “Do you think we should break them up?” “Nah, they’re having fun,” She laughed. “Besides, they’re setting a great example for the kids.” She pointed at their sons. “Yeah right,” Mask said, rolling his eyes. “Would I lie to you?” Strike asked. “Yes,” Mask answered immediately. Strike feigned a wounded look. “Well, why don’t you let me prove it with a little practice race?” “Where to?” Mask asked. “This way,” he yelled as he took off. Mask took a last bite of his hay fries before dashing off in pursuit. “There they go,” Melody said, shaking her head in amazement. “They’re not the only ones,” her sister quipped, pointing to the older drones. “Well then let’s see who is right,” Gear said. “I’m sure there’s a tech shop in town.” “Fine,” Brick responded throwing his hooves out in annoyance. “And when it blows up in your face, I’ll be sure to call an ambulance.” With that, the two began walking into town, still arguing loudly. Melody sighed. “I suppose that we should go after them.” “I’ll look after the drones who can cause damage,” Nurture said. “You go make sure the boys are alright.” Melody nodded. “Be careful,” she laughed. “Oh I’m sure they’ll be covered in ash by the time we get back,” her sister laughed. “You’d better get going, looks like they’re leaving you behind.” She was right, both boys were zipping across the fields. Melody began buzzing her wings, and lifted off in the direction of the young drones. Mask “Get some sleep boys. We’re planning a trip into town tomorrow.” We mumbled a chorus of replies as we flopped onto our respective beds. Strike won our race, but just barely. I insisted it was because I’d just ate, and he agreed. That didn’t stop him from boasting about it though. I managed to shut him up by beating him on the way back. The other members of my family were pretty cool. Another cousin of mine, Sky Fang, was an amazing flyer. He pulled off techniques that I’d seen very few pegasus do. And I had another aunt who was writing a book. She said it was to detail the lives of some changelings after being exiled from the hive, and had tons of interviews set up. Neither of us won the races. The victory went to my cousin Terra. She held the lead for nearly the entire race, and wasn't even sweating at the end. Flame was more upset than I was. Probably because of his loss to me just before. Strike had some pretty big plans for himself. He told me that he wanted to join the royal guards. I told him that he was crazy, because he’d probably have to fight the changelings who still followed Chrysalis. If only that had been all he had to worry about. “Hey, Mask,” he asked just as I got comfortable. “You still awake?” “No,” I whispered. “I’m completely unconscious.” “There’s this awesome place that Robin and I have to show you.” “You’re gonna love it,” Robin Sight added, chuckling. It was hard to believe that Strike’s younger brother was born female. Had I not been told in advance (so I wouldn’t ask any awkward questions that I was bound to have asked otherwise) I wouldn’t have assumed anything. He didn’t seem to mind my queries, but I made sure to not be a bother. He probably got enough of that from the town. “What type of place is it?” I asked. “That part is gonna stay a surprise,” Strike answered cryptically. “Just so you guys know…" I began, awkwardly. "I’m not legal yet.” The abrupt silence was soon filled with hysterical laughter. “It’s not that kind of place." I could imagine him wiping the tears from his eyes. Trust me. It’s foal friendly there.” “Then why can’t you just tell me?” A little annoyance crept into my voice. “What fun would that be?” Robin asked. Bot of them laughing all the more at my confusion. I sighed in defeat. “Fine, have your secrets. I’d just better not get a lecture like Dad and Uncle Gear got.” “It’ll be fine. We go there all the time. Just stick with us.” “Alright,” I said. “Can I go to bed now?” In an extremely disturbing voice that emanated from directly in front of me, he answered, “You can always got to bed, Mask.” He lit his horn, revealing his face, inches away from my own. “Always.” I glared at him. “Get off of me.” “Aw, you do like me.” “OFF!”