//------------------------------// // 3: Extended Family Day // Story: The Chaotic Touch of Harmony: The Stars // by law abiding pony //------------------------------// First generation pony families tended to be quite large, be it overexcitement, unfamiliarity with equine hormones, or simply responding to the call for planet-wide repopulation. Whatever the case may be, it had a snowballing effect for one particular bloodline. Alexia Tune stood at a raised platform around the Trinity baseball stadium’s home plate while a hundred years’ worth of her descendants jammed out to a DJ playing Neo-Rock. Ponies blanketed the rented sport’s field, dancing, talking, or otherwise having fun. There were a scattered few humans in the mix as well, family friends, and those of Elizabeth Tune’s children and grandchildren. In addition, there were a noticeable number of anthropomorphs of pony/human hybrids, though most of them were artifical thanks to the modern fashion industry. However a good amount of them were natural hybrids due to being Aurora Sky’s descendants. Alexia silently admired it all when Violet Spark slid up beside her and snuck in a brief nuzzle. “You know, mother, with a family as large as ours, we could have our own city state.” “Ha! We’re not changelings, Violet.” Alexia chuckled as she started tuning her headset to the speakers across the field. “Although, I’m still a bit surprised only one of them has taken the plunge to immigrate to Earth, despite the prospect of an alien invasion hanging over our heads.” “Potentially imminent extermination is not exactly appealing to a long-visioned species, now is it?” Violet quipped back with a sly grin. “Not to mention migrating a small country all at once was a nightmare according to the stories I heard from my friends in immigration at the time. Then there’s the fact that SOL required them to abdicate their formal title as queen if they moved here.” “Yeah… We only declared a unified world last century. No one wants some uppity queen messing with that.” When her headset finally chimed it was connected to the various speakers, Alexia paused before speaking to the crowd and gazed upon her daughter with a weakening smile. The days to come would no doubt prove to be nerve racking to say the least. What will we find there? Were we actually forgotten? Would going to that space station remind the Koridost about us? Are we inviting our doom? She had no doubt questions similar to that ran through Violet’s mind when her daughter looked up at the sky. “No matter what comes, Violet,” Alexia stated reassuring, drawing her daughter’s gaze, “we’ll do our best for Earth.” “Don’t think I missed the lack of assurance that everything will be alright,” Violet snarked with a sidelong leer. “Pah, you’re old enough to know one false step, and we can kiss the Earth goodbye.” Dropping her dark humor for a moment, Alexia refocused on the crowd. “But we have to do something. Inaction is a risk I’m not willing to take.” Shoring up her public speaking voice with practiced ease, Alexia made the speakers give off an electronic squeal to get everyone’s attention. She waited a moment for the DJ to go quiet along with everyone else. “Thank you all for coming to our 50th biennial Family Day!” She cheered, prompting the crowd to do the same, some of them more drunkenly than others. “It always warms my heart to see our family grow every time we hold these events, and this year certainly doesn’t disappoint.” “Kinda hard not to, when most of us came from the Alicorn of Fertility!” one stallion yelled out from the crowd. Alexia joined the crowd in laughter while the stallion was lovingly pummeled by his father and sisters. “Perhaps,” she said at length to give the crowd a chance to die down. “As I’m sure you all know, I don’t burden these reunions with speeches. I save those for the press.” She smirked at the distinct lack of TV cameras or reporters, courtesy of her Intelligence contacts. “But I’m sure many of you know that Violet, Aurora, and myself will be on the task force delving into Koridost space very soon. Whether this action brings us salvation or doom, we should make this night special to us all. “For over a hundred years, our civilization has made baby steps into space. It has only been in the last forty that we’ve began colonizing the rest of the solar system. This task force, will be Terrankind’s first foray beyond the reach of our star.” Violet kept a neutral face to hide her musings. I guess the portal to Equis doesn’t count? “So let’s raise a glass,” Alexia announced while bringing a wine glass up to the side of her face. “To us Terrans finally leaving the proverbial cradle.” “Hear, hear!” everyone shouted before downing their drinks. With her short speech over, the festivities resumed in full as everyone partied to escape the anxiety of the future, and to actually celebrate. Alexia spied one of the floating refreshment tables for pegasi and flew over towards it with Violet in tow. “Do you think we’re ready for this whole thing, mother?” Alexia slowed her progress to giving her daughter a long contemplative look. “You mean going off into the unknown right into the heart of a species who probably wants us exterminated? About as much as we can be.” “You terrans are always so dreary,” a coy masculine voice called out from behind. “It’s a wonder you even know what a party is.” Both alicorns turned to find a grey unicorn stallion with two mismatched horns and a mad hatter grin. Violet’s smile lit up like a christmas tree and she gave him a crushing bear hug. “Uncle Discord!! I was worried you weren’t going to make it this time!” The disguised draconequus suffered Violet’s heavy nuzzling with unbecoming patience. “And miss my little nieces and nephews on Earth? Perish the thought.” Alexia moved over to embrace him with far more tact, but was no less happy to see the one who started it all. Glad he hasn’t pushed for the father title in years. “Good afternoon, Uncle.” She squeezed him before pulling back. “Are you able to stick around for a while this time?” “Long enough,” he stated with a knowing grin as he rubbed Violet and Alexia’s manes. Neither of them noticed just how tangled their hair was, complete with hairpin fishbones. “Now let’s see what kind of actual fun we can cause.” Off towards second base, Aurora was sporting one of the latest fashionable sleeveless blouses that shimmered different colors based on ambient mana. Her wings bore holographic flowery patterns that faded in and out in tandem to the blouse. She was sitting at a small table with Nova who was chowing down on a plate of meat sauce spaghetti with enough gusto to put a pig to shame. By contrast, Aurora was content to sip on some brandy. “So, you still want to join us on the expedition? It could be exceedingly dangerous.” Nova belched behind her hoof, and licked some of the splattered sauce from her lips. “I have no intention of going in with you guys guns blazing. But my ‘Loki Sense’ might be able to help the techs pull some info off the alien computers… Assuming we can even speak to them.” Aurora teased her by tapping her chin, indicating Nova had a splotch where in fact the unicorn had her whole mouth stained red. “You missed a spot.” “Hardy, har, har,” Nova snickered. “I will say this about getting some of my old self’s memories. After living the life of a herbivore that remembered the joys of meat, I can’t get enough of this stuff now.” Nova moaned out of sheer delight of her meal. “I suppose a lifetime’s worth of a herbivore’s diet will do that to some people anyway,” Aurora admitted with a head tilt. “But yeah, I still remember a lot of Loki’s computer smarts, and I got the weird little ticks she called Loki Sense, so maybe I’ll see something no one else would.” “Fair enough, I can sign you on as an attaché. Even with your ability to reincarnate, I’d rather keep you away from a fight.” Aurora noticed Aquaria nosing her way through the crowd after spotting them, and waved her over. “Fine by me,” Nova replied with a snort. “I don’t know about Loki, but I’d rather not fight super aliens, thank you very much.” Aurora twitched her left ear signaling Nova to watch what she said. The young unicorn turned around to find Aquaria seemingly practicing a greeting by mouthing it. “Hello, A-Aurora. Thank you for inviting me to this soirée, though I’m not entirely sure why I’m here.” Nova gave her a bewildered eyebrow lift. “Last I saw, you were there when everyone talked about that soul thing.” Aquaria flashed Nova a withering glare. While she highly respected the alicorns, Nova was another matter. “Yes, I was there. But finding out you’re…” She looked around at the passing ponies with trepidation. “Apparently everyone’s father is absolutely insane!” Aurora had quickly cast a privacy spell to keep eavesdroppers out of the loop, but it would still draw attention. “Be that as it may, Aquaria, you deserved to know the truth of the matter, one way or another. What you make of this, is entirely up to you.” The emotionally shaky mare nearly plopped onto the dirt, but she caught herself just in time to move over to a seat at the table. “But what exactly am I supposed to do about it?! I don’t know these people!” She waved at the crowd. “I get they’re your family and all, Aurora Sky, but I really don’t feel a thing for them.” Nova scowled and bonked Aquaria on the forehead. “So you really got no memories up there about being Conrad Tune?” “No, I don’t!” Aquaria growled as she slapped the hoof away. Her snarl started worsening before her high society upbringing thundered into the forefront of her mind, making her back down. Even so, she still fumed at Nova. “I don’t remember one iota of being a stallion, let alone a former human, and to be honest, I’d rather keep it that way.” “Now, girls, let’s not get things out of hand.” Aurora calmly placed her hands on the table, but Nova ignored her by shoving her face into Aquaria’s own. “Well, the little rich girl down on her luck gets a big meal ticket from the Lifer, only to find out they were banging each other barely thirty years ago.” Nova continued, oblivious to Aurora’s attempts at diplomacy. Father, wasn’t that active so late in his life, Aurora believed in slight confusion. “But at least you get a clean slate. I’m stuck with Loki’s memories, you rich cow!” She jabbed Aquaria in the chest with a hoof. “So don’t go whining about being a dude in the last life when you could have a mental patient in your head making you look like you’re having a seizure all the time!” Aquaria had some choice words to say, but her mother’s training refused to yield. So she opted to sit back down and sneered at Nova. “You know, there’s a name for people like you, but it isn’t used in high society… Outside of a kennel,” she added with a smirk. Nova blinked at her with a vacant face that quickly morphed to one of anger. “Did you just call me a bitch?” she demanded in a low growl. “Ha!” Aquaria derisively clapped her hooves. “So you have a brain after all. Or are you getting that intelligence from your past self?” Nova charged her horn for an attack, actually catching Aquaria off guard at the rapidity of the charge. Yet before Nova could unleash her spell, Aurora weaved a counterspell, throwing Nova’s built up mana away from her horn. “Alright, that’s enough!” She glared down both young mares, actually getting a look of mortification out of Nova. “You both have a lot to reconcile about who you are. I get it, you’re afraid, and angry, but that’s no reason to take it out on each other.” Both mares poignantly avoided staring any each other, and the sour anthropomorphic demi-goddess. “Sure. I’ll catch you later, AS,” the pink unicorn said. Nova quickly scampered off, leaving Aurora to turn towards Aquaria. “I – ah – If you no longer require my services as a water mage, I’ll understand.” “I sort of expected better from an honored duelist, Aquaria, but I’m not about to fire someone for needing to vent. Even if you’re doing it in the wrong way,” she added with a maternal frown. She almost missed the irony in that. Father used to vent his anger better when sparring. Maybe she’s the same way. Even with the relief that she was keeping her job, Aquaria sat there, unwilling to do anything to embarrass herself further in front of her demi-goddess. I’m better than this. I’ve snubbed or at least ignored irritating people before with tact, but this Nova brings out … such low brow behavior out me. Her eyes and ears wilted at losing face. “Aquaria, I feel like a lot of your issue with this whole previous life thing is that we haven’t been properly introduced.” The young duelist looked quizzically up at Aurora. “What do you mean? I thought we introduced ourselves that first day at the fast food restaurant rather… adequately. And I’m sure you’ve looked into my background and everything.” Aurora stood up and gestured for Aquaria to follow her towards the outer edge of left field. “A wise man once told me that you cannot truly know someone until you fight them.” Aquaria’s mind seemed reluctant to process that particular statement. It finally caught up. “You want to duel?! B-but you’re Aurora Sky! The living embodiment of martial prowess. I have no chance against you!” Aurora waved at various family members and briefly chatted with one of her aging daughters before addressing Aquaria with practiced grace. “It’s not about winning or losing, Aquaria, it’s about learning who we are. Now come along, I have many questions for you.”