Years passed, blurring from day to day into something hard to describe or determine as the days blurred together. Solitude grew, but not without it's fair share of problems. Ponies, griffons, zebras, and others, all living in the same city getting along as well as they could, all under Starlight's watchful eye. There were injuries, and sometimes deaths, but overall, life was good; much better than it was in some other places of the world.
Then eighty-nine years after The Event, and eighty-nine years after Starlight first awoke as a pegasus, she ascended to Alicornhood, battling a storm that threatened to destroy her home, and all those within it. She nearly gave her life to protect it from the storm that had threatened it, but that was what made her worthy.
But.... that was not the end of her story. It was only the beginning....
June 15, 90 AE
7:00 AM
I was laying down on my bed in my car on the Starlight Express, my personal train, looking out at the countryside just beyond the windows. It seemed like a lifetime ago I had woken up as I am now. And in that time I had done so much. I'd established a city, and an Empire of steam and iron.
I stood up, walking over to a mirror on the other side of the car to freshen up a bit. Today I was visiting Alexandria, one of the oldest and largest pony colonies on the continent. It helped to think that, while there were no real countries anymore, that we at least still had our continents.
And at least this colony's name was there to remind us what we once were, for it was a name that has always been associated with learning. I always wondered why they never called it New Alexandria. Probably because of Halo: Reach.
This would be my first visit to Alexandria in person, though, and a visit I had long been waiting for. Over the past couple decades, I'd always wanted to go meet these successful ponies, just to see how they were fairing. Most of Solitude had come with me, being a little over two hundred ponies strong now. It's one of things I'm proud of, having established such a proud city after the Event, even if it took as long as it did. It may not have been Blacklight, but it was good enough for now. Still, with every passing day, Blacklight was less fantasy, and more reality.
Finally reaching the mirror, I looked over myself. My black coat had been washed and cleaned ever so diligently, and my mane and tail sparkled like the stars I named myself after. I was wearing a dress, tailored specially for me on my visit to Equestria nearly a century ago, and looked over this all with aqua eyes. I sighed. In a million years, I would have never dreamed what it'd be like to be royalty, nor had I ever dreamed I'd have done the things I had done. Now I was a royal, or as close as it got.
I spread my wings, admiring myself.
"Is there no pony more pretty than I," I asked myself, only to receive and answer.
"I would expect so, Starlight," the reply came.
I turned, my horn nearly hitting one of the lights, to see who had spoken. It was Starless Night, one of the unicorns I'd found in Winnipeg not long after starting out. Then, as now, she was the 'proper pony,' one of the upper class. I'd always liked that she never was scared to get that pristine white coat of hers dirty. She was one of my best friends, or as close to that as I was ever going to get in this after world. Morning Star was just as good a friend as Starless, though.
"STARRY," I exclaimed, leaping across the room to give her a big hug. She tried to get out of the way.
It didn't work, and we both tumbled to the ground.
It took us a moment to get back up again, but when we did, Starless sighed. "And it was such a nice dress."
I looked where she was looking, and saw that there was a huge tear in the dress.
"Oh well," I said, using my magic to take off the dress, "White was never my color."
Starless deadpanned.
"Not you, though," I said quickly, trying to make up, "You're one of the best ponies-"
"Shh," Starless said, a smile coming to her face, "I know I'm your best friend, and I know what you meant."
I just glared at her. "You and your jokes...."
We both started laughing after that.
I turned to the entrance of the coach just as Morning Star entered. "Milady, the Guard is assembled."
"Very good," I answered with an affirmative nod, "Tell them I'll be out in a moment."
"It will be done, Princess," Morning Star said before ducking back out of the coach.
I turned to Starless. "This is a big day for me, isn't it? I mean, meeting the pony tasked by Princess Luna herself to ensure humanity is not forgotten."
"Indeed," Starless said, "Do you think she'll be an Alicorn, like you and this Sunset Shimmer you've seen in your visions?"
"Sunset Shimmer's an Equestrian," I commented, "So she doesn't really count, but as an Alicorn from Earth.... I KNOW she'll be an Alicorn."
"You've seen it, haven't you," asked Starless.
"I can't be sure," I admitted, "I can say that I have seen another Alicorn, and that she represents humanity, but as to whether or not she's Alex.... I won't know until I meet her."
"And why would that be?"
"Because I haven't met Alex in person yet," I answered simply, "I don't know what she looks like, so I've nothing to compare the other Alicorn from my visions to. All that I can say for certain is that there is a good chance that it's Alex."
"Well.... if you say so, I guess," Starless said with a shrug. "What about Sunset Shimmer? What do you figure about her?"
I sighed. "I've seen her in my visions, and Morning Star has talked about her, but that's about it. We'll just have to meet her some day to know for certain.... and we seriously need to stop talking about my visions. I know they're useful, but even I think they're still.... weird...."
"Say no more, Starlight," Starless said, putting on a more cheery face, "Consider the subject dropped, locked up, and tucked away somewhere nopony'll find it."
"Good," I said, putting on a smile, and going over myself, straightening my tiara and collar. "How do I look?"
"Like a Princess," Starless giggled, "Even without the dress."
"Shame," I sighed, "I'd been saving that dress. It's one of the ones I' brought back with me from Equestria."
"You had it all these years," Starless said, her eyes widening, "Now I feel even worse for tearing it."
"Oh, don't worry, silly filly," I said, "I'm sure it can be repaired."
"Right," Starless said, again putting on a smile, "Well, shouldn't we be off?"
"Yes, we should," I said, turning towards the door as I used an illusion spell to mask my horn and, as I began a canter towards it, Starless fell in step beside me.
As we exited the coach, Morning Star nodded to the waiting guards, all of whom stood at attention. Most had been in the Canadian Armed Forces before The Event, and still felt an obligation to serve their country, even if it was gone today. I was the closest thing they had to it, me and my little city.
"So," I said, turning to Morning Star, "How far is it from here to Alexandria?"
"Several kilometers," Morning Star said, "I flew ahead myself. I think it would be best if we flew."
"But....," I started, "What about Starless?"
"I can stay here and hold down the fort," Starless said, a smile on her aging face.
"You're sure," I asked, worried for my friend.
"Of course I am," Starless said, "Besides, there's guards on the train. I'll be fine. Okay?"
I saw that look in her eye; the look that told me she was sure of her choice, and wasn't going to budge from it, not matter what I did. "Oh, alright. Fine. I'll be sure to bring back a souvenir. Morning Star, thestral, pegasi, and griffon guards only, then."
"Right," Morning Star said, motioning said guards to step forward. Two were pegasi, three were thestrals, and one was a griffon.
"Well," I said, spreading my wings, "Let's be on our way."
8:00 AM
From far off, I had spotted the massive tower within the city and, as we’d drawn closer, had noted the buildings, looking almost like something out of an old western. As we’d closed it, it has looked more and more like just that; a city that resembled one at the turn of the 20th Century. Even from a distance the city was a buzz of activity, filly the sky with grindings and clanks and other industrial noises. A cloud of smoke rose in the distance, but thankfully for the residents the wind seemed to be carrying it away.
I groaned as we landed on the outskirts of Alexandria, my wings only slightly cramped from the flight. Despite the old-fashioned look of some of the construction, all the streets seemed to be paved with concrete, flat and straight. Even early in the morning on the outskirts, there was plenty of activity. Ponies pulled carts, or hawked breakfast from little roadside stands, or just hurried from one place to another. The general flow of traffic appeared to be towards the half-finished tower of glittering blue crystal, though it was hard to say for certain.
“So milady,” Morning Star said, standing beside me as I looked around, “What shall be our first order of business?”
“We must speak to whomever is in charge here,” I said, looking to Morning Star, who nodded. I then gestured to the tower, which stood out like a sore thumb. “Perhaps we should try looking there first.”
“Worth a shot,” Morning Star said as we started walking, gaining more than a few odd looks from the locals. I sighed. I had known we’d stick out when we got here but…. to actually be here now… it was a little unsettling. Almost everypony in town seemed to be wearing clothing of one sort or another, but their clothes seemed more a parody of human concepts of modesty than any submission to them. I, by contrast, was wearing Equestrian-based regalia, and my guards were wearing much the same.
After some walking, we were approached by what I assume was a police officer. His uniform only covered the front of his body, but the gun on his belt looked real enough. The lettering on his uniform, like most of the street signs, was written in the pony runic language instead of English. It was cut short enough to expose his cutie mark, a clear bag of chocolate chips.
At least he didn’t speak it. “Good morning.” His tone was respectful, though he also kept his distance. As a Unicorn, he probably expected a few feet would give him time to draw the gun, if he needed to. “I hope I’m not presuming by suggesting the two of you might be visitors.” He stared openly at the Tiara, apparently collecting his thoughts. “Most visitors at least pretend to come in using the marked entrances, instead of flying right over the walls.”
“Sorry…. we’re looking to speak with whoever is in charge here,” I said, doing my best to keep a regal pose.
“A complicated question,” the policeman answered, though he seemed to be growing less suspicious the longer the conversation went on. “Technically the city council is in charge. They only meet once a week, though, and today isn’t one of the days. Maybe you could find one of its individual members, depending on whatever your business is. Joseph Kimball is Headmaster of the University, though good luck getting him to talk to you if you haven’t brought some esoteric magical problem for him to solve.”
“Cody Haggard is council of industrial affairs, which covers farming too for some reason.” He rolled his eyes. “Paula Goodman handles security, though you should know she’s a changeling drone in disguise, and if you talk to her you’re really just talking to Queen Riley. Make sure you eat before you meet with her. And that just leaves Archive. Foreign and Human affairs. If you came here because you want to talk to the ‘mysterious’ HPI, or some foreign power sent you to make treaties or whatever, she’s the mare you want.”
“I’ll put my chits on the last one, given the accessories.” He levitated something off his belt, but it wasn’t the gun. A radio. Unlike the old-fashioned buildings or the western-style handgun he wore, the radio was a single flat piece of plastic, looking more modern than modern. Futuristic, even. “I can ask around if you like.”
I mulled over the names given to me, none of them being the name I’d been hoping to hear. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, I turned to the officer once more. “Would you inform them that Princess Starlight Waltz has arrived? I believe I am expected.”
The pony’s eyes widened a little, obviously recognizing the name. He seemed to look at the place a horn should’ve been, where it was concealed by illusion, before nodding. “Sure, sure. I can do that.” He levitated the radio closer to his face, and made a series of noises into it. Not words, more like insectoid clicking and chirping.
The response, barely audible from the other end, came in English. “Get them some breakfast or something at the Galleria, you know the place. I’ll get the Ambassador ready.”
He put the radio away. “Forgive me, princess, but I don’t think we were expecting you today. Most diplomats don’t just, uh… fly in. I’ve kicked the hive, but it will take a few minutes for anything coherent to fall out the other end. If you’re willing, I could show you to one of our finest early morning food establishments while you wait. The Council will find us there.”
“Milady enjoys making dramatic entrances,” Morning Star smirked.
“I do not,” I said, holding a strongly regal pose before giggling. “Okay, maybe a little. Lead on, officer.”
Once they started moving, they attracted comparatively little attention. The officer was soon joined by several others, quietly making a path through the crowds. They headed towards the tower, and soon the streets were packed with ponies, many of which wore different colored loose robes with more Equestrian runes on them.
The University was clearly the center of activity here, with hundreds of ponies flowing from all directions up into the sprawling buildings. Not the old-fashioned kind either, but the Pre-event variety, old churches and schools and public buildings all linked together with wooden wings. The officer led them to somewhere called ‘The Galleria,’ a posh-looking cafe on the second story of a building with a commanding view of the university and main thoroughfare below. Its tables each had metal cook-surfaces, though it was now empty.
Empty except for one table nearest the window, where a young mare with hairnet, apron, and cart of ingredients was pacing back and forth nervously. She looked up, and met the policeman’s eyes. “These are the ones, Chip?”
“So long as you aren’t talking about the awful series. Some things are better left dead before the Event.”
“Dramatic.” The pony gestured to the table, lowering her head respectfully. “Welcome to the Galleria. I understand you’ve come a long way. Take a seat, and we’ll see about getting you refreshed before the important ponies arrive.” She waved to the officer, who left without a word, stepping back out the door.
“We cook only Equestrian recipes here. But if you tell me what you like, I’ll figure something out.” She brushed a length of pastel mane back into her hairnet with one hoof, smiling politely.
“I see,” I say, taking a seat, my guards taking up positions by the entrances, though Morning Star remained at my side, “It’s been years since I last had something of Equestrian origin. I was in Equestria for…. a very brief time. Morning Star, would you like something?”
“We ate before we departed the train, milady,” Morning Star said, bowing, “Although…. It has been ages….”
“Then it’s settled,” I said, turning to the only other pony, “What’s on the menu today, miss…. oh dear… forgive me, but I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name.”
“You can just call me Chef. Though honestly, I’m still figuring everything out, and my boss would probably call me a chef in training.” the young mare was an earth pony, so she had to use her hooves to lift all the different ingredients off her cart. They all looked fresh, milk and eggs and fruit and grass in the same, dull white plastic containers with air holes on the sides. She had an Equestrian level of dexterity with her hooves, manipulating them easily despite lacking wings or magic.
She listed off several Equestrian dishes, her pronunciation perfect for each one, and started warming up the grill before taking their orders. Occasionally a little of her mane would get free, and she’d have to tuck it back under her hairnet again, but otherwise she moved with apparent experience. “Word is you ponies are from the great white north. An awful long way to fly. Got to be… at least a week on the wing. Adventurous for a princess.”
“We came by train,” I smile, “If we’d known the lines run here, we’d have came right into the city instead of flying from St. Louis.”
“Yeah, the Chicago line. Not much Chicago left up there anymore, but we’re still here.” Fresh ingredients, gigantic grill surface, and soon enough the old smells of Equestrian cooking filled the room. “I got these Recipes from the Bannered Mare in Canterlot, but I only ate there once. I’m not sure how accurate my imitations are.” She went quiet more than once, since she had to use her mouth to manipulate some of the cooking tools.
Of course after being quiet one minute, she’d be loud the next. “I’ve heard some very strange rumors from up north,” she said, and for the first time there were hints of suspicion in her grey eyes. “Rumors about an Alicorn ruling as a princess in a new city. I don’t know how these rumors can be true, but I hear them. Lots of rumors come through here.”
“Well,” I smile gently, “I can tell you that, without a doubt, the rumors of there being an Alicorn up north are true. If you stick around when the Council shows up, you’ll see. Oh…. and great reference. Skyrim was a great game, Chef.”
She smiled bashfully, shrugging one shoulder. “Only the name is made up. The recipes are authentic. As you’ll be able to judge for yourself. I just… I wanted to ask. The stories I hear from up there, well… obviously some of them are true. None of you are using human names.” she had to stop as she shuffled steaming hay-based omelets with mushroom sausage onto their plates, and poured a few glasses of fresh, pulpy orange juice. Her restaurant name might be a lie, but she did know Equestrian cuisine.
“I wonder if I could ask another question, Princess.” she hung up her tools, switched off the grill, and pulled off the hairnet. She struggled a bit with the tightly bound mane underneath, which was just a few shades darker green than her coat. “Do your ponies still remember what they were? Do they care?”
“They do,” I say, “I simply offer safety and security, in exchange for some small amount of loyalty. My ponies are free to do as they please, within the constraints of the laws, which, in all honestly, are pretty lax. Murder and theft are not tolerated, but most of other things are acceptable…. within reason, of course. We also frown on things like strip clubs and the like.”
“In short,” Morning Star elaborated, “We keep things much like they were here on this world before the Event, but add some Equestrian law into it. And yes, Chef. I’m an Equestrian.”
“You’re not with Sunset?” Morning Star’s statement made the chef stand a little more stiffly. “I didn’t think many ponies wanted to rough it on earth’s ‘wasteland.’” A little bitterness there, though not directed at her. “Well, you can tell me if I got it right. I haven’t been cooking for very long, so… I guess your judgement is best. Since Sunset can’t be bothered to fly north every now and then to say hello.”
“We’re not with Sunset Shimmer,” I said, smiling gently, “And Morning Star is here of her own accord. She volunteered to stay with me.”
“If you’re not with Sunset, maybe you can explain to me how an Alicorn is ruling an Earth city.” She shrugged off the apron, hanging it on her ingredient cart. The rest of her coat was an even light green, with an open book for her cutie mark. Unlike many of the local ponies, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath, except for a white plastic grieve over one of her back hooves, looking faintly electronic.
“And don’t lie.” The ‘chef’ sat back on her haunches, glaring. “I’ve seen beyond the iridescent veil and tasted Soma that the gods’ discovered. I don’t like pretenders.”
“The Alicorn is a former human,” I said, finding it odd to be speaking of myself in the third person, “She ascended by performing a great feat, one that nearly claimed her life. And what do you mean, ‘seen beyond the iridescent veil and tasted Soma that the gods’ discovered’? Only ascended Alicorns can seen what lies beyond the void, on their path to true ascension.”
Starlight furrowed her brow. How in Luna’s name could a regular pony know of these things…. unless…. “You’re Alex…. aren’t you?”
"Well, I'm no Alicorn," she muttered, sitting down beside the table. There was a strange confidence in her tone that her young body didn't match. "So your theory has one slight problem. But I am Alex. Or Archive, if you prefer the pony way of naming things," she shrugged one shoulder. "Riley's police told me you were here, so I suggested they bring you to my restaurant. Hopefully my cooking wasn't that bad."
“Well, Archive,” I say, dropping the illusion spell, and revealing my horn, “I am, not that I like to gloat about it. It was a long and difficult road to get to where I am, but…. I made it.”
"You did," she stared openly for a few seconds, and her eyes seemed to lose focus, staring past her as much as at her. "So what brought you to Alexandria? We've been wondering when you would visit. Most of the leaders of the other major cities have by now, to use the library. If you waited this long, I’m guessing you weren’t desperate for some critical knowledge or whatever."
“I’ve visited Equestria,” I say, recasting the illusion spell, hiding my horn once more, “So I had some base knowledge in a few notes Morning Star wrote for me. I…. wasn’t too dexterous with my hooves back then. That, and one other thing….”
Alex just listened, silent.
“The other thing is that I’ve seen you…. in my visions,” I say.
"Visions," she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... I think you might be talking about dreams. Dreams can seem real, they can seem convincing, but... magic that looks into the future is serious stuff. Spells that do it are even banned in Equestria. Against one of the laws, Sunset tells me."
“I never meant to,” I stammer out, “It just…. happens. They’re the reason I’ve strived for such things…. why I’m an Alicorn…. why I’m here…. heck, the day I first woke up like this, it was a dream of earlier today, back on the train. The dreams…. they’ve given me something to strive towards.”
“Well that much clearly worked out.” She stood, staring again. “You aren’t the only pony I’d heard was trying to discover the secret. I’ve been looking for it myself, but… with less success. And no, I won’t ask. I’ve walked far enough down the golden road I know it’s a different path for every person who takes it. I know you can’t help.” She looked down, staring at her hooves. “Sometimes I think that maybe I can’t ever do it. Celestia and Discord trapped me; ageless, immortal, unchanging. Maybe ponies like me can’t be Alicorns at all.”
“You’ll do it someday, Alex,” I said, smiling gently as I recall what I’ve seen, “Trust me.”
She shook her head. “Anyway, you’ve done it. You saw a vision, and now you’re here. If that was the goal you’ve been striving for all this time… what do you do now?”
“It’s one of many,” I say, “The other goal is…. well, it’s kinda silly.”
“I doubt it. ‘Silly’ and ‘Princess’ don’t often go together.”
“I’m not your average Princess,” I smile, “My visions have shown me a city…. With walls and a tower at its heart…. and me, standing upon a balcony, looking out at the city. The problem with this goal is…. I’ve had no idea how to reach it…. until now.”
“A challenging goal.” Alex returned to the table, gathering up the remnants of the meal as though she were a waitress, tossing dirty dishes into a plastic tray as she went. “Consider the world as it is. Since the event, there have been…” she closed her eyes briefly, apparently concentrating on something.
“Two million, one hundred twenty eight thousand, two hundred and six humans that have returned. I don’t know how many foals they’ve had, can’t see all of those… point is, that’s not very many. If we put every single pony in the whole world in one place, the city would be smaller than all the hundred largest human cities before the Event. Freakin’ Ekurhuleni had more people, and I bet you haven’t even heard of it! Or Hefei, or Peshawar…” she trailed off.
She finished clearing off the table. “I don’t mean to be discouraging. It’s still early, really. Not a single pony has died of old age since the Event, did you know that? Not a damn one. Even someone a century old when the magic hit would still be healthy today. Wild stuff.”
“But we have other problems. We’re hunted, princess. You, and me, and any other Immortal. The monsters humans only dreamt about are real now, and they hunt us first of all. Our cities may be doomed.”
“Monsters,” I asked, “What do you mean?”
Archive just sighed. “It’s… a long story. Lots of long stories, really. Long, depressing stories,” She shook her head, wiping away some moisture with the back of one leg. “The HPI, uh… the humans that are still left… they’re trying to fight them. Maybe they’ll succeed. The worst of it seems to be concentrated in the South China Sea, so… if you have to do any trading that far away, try to fly instead. That, and call Alexandria if you see anything horrible. We can usually figure out what it is.”
“I will be sure to do that,” I said, looking out at the University, “If you’ll indulge me, may I ask how you built such a massive construct? As you said, it is still ‘early’.”
“You mean the waste of chits that is the new university building? About a thousand unicorns working nonstop for god knows how many hours…” she glared up at it for a moment, grinding her teeth. “But Joseph says it’ll act as some kinda foci when it’s done, drawing in magic for hundreds of miles… whatever, maybe he’s right. The method is… complex, but we have a book that talks about it. Apparently Equestria had a whole city built that way. I can only imagine how long it took to build…”
“I believe it was called The Crystal Empire,” I said, which Morning Star gave an affirmative nod to as I looked at the tower, “Seeing this tower of yours has given me an idea…. a solution to the problem I’m faced with.”
Alex remained quiet, listening.
“I had thought I’d need hundreds of ponies to build my city, and to find a quarry for the proper stone,” I sigh, “If I could use this magic to build Blacklight instead of building it from stone, and asking for many, many volunteers…. it would be safer to build, would probably last longer, and could probably be built in only a fraction of the time. The only challenge would be making the gems black.”
Archive muttered an old curse under her breath, shaking her head. “I just told you it’s been a nightmare for the infrastructure, but that isn’t impossible I guess. I can have a copy of the appropriate books made for you while you’re here…” she trailed off, looking back out the window. “Are you sure you aren’t from Equestria? That would be so much easier to accept than another Human at the end of the road so quickly.”
“Alex,” I said, “I devoted the last ninety years to becoming an Alicorn, not knowing how or when it would happen. I only ascend last year…. today, in fact.”
“Everything seems to happen on your birthday,” Morning Star said, “That cannot be a mere coincidence.”
“It might be,” I said with a shrug, “Who knows.”
“Well, who am I to judge. I often wake up thinking Luna chose a poor ambassador. But… that’s my problem, not yours. I suppose I’ll be seeing you around. Or… maybe you’ll be seeing me. I don’t have a city of my own, really. Alexandria might be named after me, but I don’t rule it like you do your city. With as little diplomacy as there is, my position is ceremonial with everyone but the HPI. Once my friends…” she trailed off, scratching at the ground with a hoof. “Well, when my friends aren’t around anymore, I’ll probably try it somewhere else. I’m sure you’ll see me passing through eventually. I’ve got.. an awful lot of time to kill.”
I chuckle, “You and me both. I would like to offer you something.”
Using my magic, I produced a small SD card from my collar, “This SD Card contains every name on the Books of Remembrance that were once stored at the Peace Tower at the Canadian Parliament Building. I brought them to Solitude for safe keeping, but…. well, if you’ve been tasked by Luna to preserve all knowledge of humanity, I figured it’s something you should have a copy, should the originals ever be destroyed. And personally, I believe Luna chose a fine ambassador.”
“Sure.” She took the card, then lifted up one of her back legs and slid off the plastic thing she was wearing on it. The card went into a slot on the back, and she put the whole thing back onto one of her front hooves this time. “I’ll memorize them as soon as I get the chance. I never forget… well, anything, so they’ll be safe forever. So long as the memory of humanity lasts. Until the last Initiative rocket vanishes into the sky, and the feet that made our world walk its trees no more.”
“Or… something similarly poetic. I’d rather remember these than old South Park episodes.”
“Indeed,” I said, giggling a small amount, “I personally would rather remember every episode of Game of Thrones, or Pokémon XY and XYZ. Or, at least, the episodes that were aired before The Event.”
“The worst part is knowing it won’t ever be finished. Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well,” she laughed weakly. “I guess having it all in your head isn’t a prerequisite for being an Alicorn. Not that it helps me to know.”
“You never know,” I said, looking to Alex, “Perhaps you might find the knowledge that sets you on the path to becoming an Alicorn, just as my dreams set me on my path to becoming an Alicorn. The destinations are the same, but the reason, and the path, to reaching it, differs greatly.”
Alex nodded. “I dunno. I can’t see into the future, thank God. The past is hard enough, and the present sucks sometimes.” she turned away. “But it doesn’t have to right now. Why don’t you come with me? I usually give tours when somepony important. By now my car will be waiting… most visitors enjoy riding around in a working car, since it’s like something out of a museum. We’ll go to the university first— maybe if you get a good look at crystal construction in person, you’ll have second thoughts. If not, you can at least talk to the foreman. Learn what they’re up to.”
“Thank you,” I said, smiling gently, “I’d really like that, Alex. Shall we?”
Alex nodded, then made her way to the door. She was quite a bit shorter than either of them, but seemed to be trying to make up for it with longer strides. “It’ll be fun. We won’t even feed you to the local changeling hive, honest.”
“I hope not, otherwise my guards won’t be happy,” I chuckle as I follow, “And I must warn you, Alex. While it’d be nice to ride in a car again, I’m probably too big to fit.”
Morning Star just sighed, motioning for the guards to follow, “Gonna be a long day….”