Fall 2412
Zoe sat alone in the Ponyville Town Hall atrium patiently waiting.
It had been a quiet few months since she resigned from the guard. While her mother understood, her father was disappointed in her. He told her that once you start something, you should finish it.
His reaction was understandable, especially since she hadn’t told him the real reasons why. She was pretty sure that he would swallow his words since he essentially left Starfleet shortly before she was born for almost the same reasons.
So here she was, starting something else, something she fully intended to finish.
Provided she passed the hyper-space physics portion of the exam. An exam that she had spent three months studying for.
“Why did I have to be so shit at math?” She muttered to herself. “And how long does it take to mark an exam?”
“As long as it takes,” A voice answered. Zoe turned around and let a smile cross her face.
“Aunt Twilight,” Zoe said. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“What exam is being marked?” Twilight asked as she took a seat next to Zoe.
“I… I can’t tell you…” Zoe said, scratching the back of her head.
“Really?” Twilight responded with a raised eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
Taken aback by the pressure Twilight was giving her, she finally caved. “Promise not to tell my parents? I want to tell them if I pass it.”
“Of course.”
“It’s the Starfleet Academy screening exam.”
“You’re thinking about going to the academy?” Twilight said sounding a little impressed at the idea. “Is that why you resigned from the guard?”
“It wasn’t at first,” Zoe told her, then explained what happened in detail on her first day in Manehatten. She told her about how during the months that followed that she didn’t get any satisfaction in it. That there was something missing. “Then on the way back to Canterlot, I sat with a group of Starfleet officers, I asked what it took to get into Starfleet, then I told them what I told you.” Zoe continued. “I explained that I still wanted to serve, that hadn’t changed. They told me that maybe Starfleet might be a good fit for me.”
“Well, you are your father’s daughter after all,” Twilight told her. “You’re more like him than you realise.”
“Except he’s better at math than I am,”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Twilight said with a laugh.
“Hey!” Zoe said in protest.
“Zoe, sweetie, you graduated High School with the bare minimum grade in math,” Twilight said, trying to console her by extending a wing over her shoulder and pulling her in. “Although you did get better at the Academy, though.”
“How do you know that?” Zoe asked, genuinely surprised.
“Your Dad asked me to keep an eye on you when you were at the Academy.” She answered sheepishly.
“I’m going to kill him,” Zoe said flatly but didn’t really mean it. But she wasn’t happy with him.
“I know you don’t mean that,” Twilight said almost immediately. She knows me too well. Zoe thought. “You have to understand your father only has your well-being in mind.” She continued. “You are his little girl after all.”
Zoe pursed her lips and scowled. “You know, I hate it when you’re right.”
“Now if only I was actually right most of the time,” Twilight admitted, getting both mares to laugh.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Lieutenant Manda said as he walked out of one of conference rooms Mayor Davenport had let them use to administer the exam. “Oh, Princess,”
“Hello,” Twilight said in greeting, then pulled her glasses out from under one of her wings with her magic and put them on. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced, Lieutenant, I try and meet any visitors to our world on official matters at least once.”
“Lieutenant Manda of Bolarus,” He said in introduction. “I’m part of the officer exchange program to the Equus station.”
“And proctoring exams?” Twilight asked.
“Not part of my regular duties, but I made an exception in this case,” Manda explained.
“So, how’d my former student do?” Twilight asked. Are you trying to embarrass me?! Zoe seethed inwardly, drilling her gaze into Twilight’s back.
“Is it OK if I share your results?” Manda asked, turning to me. “They are private,”
“No, go ahead,” Zoe said letting out a sigh.
“Your results for the Dynamic Relationships test are some of the highest I’ve ever heard an applicant achieving; your results for the Carlundrum IQ test are OK... you’ll need to work on that if you ever want to graduate from Starfleet Academy,” He explained, but then his expression changed. “Unfortunately, you didn’t pass the Hyperspace Physics portion.” He finished, handing a PADD to Zoe that contained her results, which she read over.
“That bad, huh?” Zoe asked.
“Work at it, and you can retake the test in three months,” Manda explained.
“Three months?!” Zoe asked.
“Only reason I proctored the exam was because I thought you showed promise, and you still do, also it was during the application window, which closes in eight days,” Manda explained. “The next window is in three months on your calendar.” He continued. “You only get one shot at the exam per window.”
“I was kinda expecting this,” Zoe said, dejectedly.
“Don’t feel too bad,” Manda told her. “I failed my first application.” He explained. “You’re going to be applying for the Security Services right?”
“That’s what I was planning on,” Zoe responded.
“Well, you only failed the physics portion by twelve points then,” Manda continued to explain. “That branch of the service doesn’t have high requirements in that area.”
“Zoe, maybe you should talk to your father about this,” Twilight counselled. “I know he’ll help.”
“I’ll talk with him,” Zoe promised.
“I won’t be here when the next application window opens, we’ll be rotated out by then,” Manda explained. “I’m not sure if there will be any Starfleet personnel to administer the exam, you may have to travel to the nearest Starfleet installation.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant Manda,” Zoe said, giving him a nod.
“If I don’t see you again, it was nice to meeting you, Zoe, and good luck,” He told her. “Princess,” He said with a nod, then left the Town Hall.
Zoe continued to look over her exam, studying where she went wrong. This went on for several minutes until she realised that Twilight was still sitting next to her looking off into space with a smile on her face.
“Uhh…” Zoe said, giving her aunt a quizzical look. “There a reason you’re still here?”
“What?” Twilight said sounding startled. “Oh, that’s right. I was walking past Kaboom on my way here and Button Mash asked that if I saw you, I was to remind you that ‘tonight is O&O night and you should bring your A-Game’.” Twilight told her, quoting Button Mash verbatim.
Hitting a few commands on the PADD she was holding, Zoe brought up the time.
“Oh, crap, I’m late!” Zoe exclaimed as she dashed out the door.
“Well, she was in a hurry,” Mayor Davenport remarked as he poked his head out of his office.
“I did forget for a moment that I was supposed to remind her,” Twilight said with a smile. “Now, mayor, about that new community centre…” She continued, getting up from her seat and walking towards the Mayor’s office.
“As you enter the next room, the smell of rotting flesh pervades your surroundings. The stench is all you can sense as the entire area is also shrouded in darkness,” Button Mash narrated from behind his Oubliettes & Ogres Dungeon Master screen. “Korrah, give me a fortitude save.” He said, referring to Zoe’s character Korrah, an eighth level Alicorn Paladin.
“Why am I the only one that has too?” Zoe asked, the annoyance in her voice coming through loud and clear.
“You were late to the start of the campaign,” Button Mash told her. “You missed the Guild Cleric’s blessing,” He continued with a smug look on his face.
Glaring at the brown earth pony, Zoe rolled her d20 die that represented her character’s ability to withstand harmful effects. It came up eighteen. “Twenty,” Zoe told him, having added her constitution modifier.
“The stench doesn’t make you throw up, but you look pale.” Button told her.
The other ponies gathered at the table located in the gaming area of Kaboom, Games and Sundry chuckled at Zoe’s misfortune.
“Come on, Button, give her a break, she was doing something important,” Snips told his boss from behind the shop counter just outside of the gaming area.
“Fine,” Button said, rolling his eyes.
“I cast light on the darkness,” Twist said, using one of Zora's, a ninth level Magus, cantrips.
“Roll percentile dice,” Button responded with a wicked grin.
“The darkness is magical?!” Twist said with surprise but she rolled the dice. “Nuts, thirty-five,”
“The party can see ten feet into the darkness,” Button narrated. “Everypony give me a perception roll,” He continued, which precipitated the sound of rolling dice.
“Thirteen,” Zoe reported.
“Eight,” Snails said. “Even with my plus four wisdom bonus!” He continued, referring to his character Vennor, an eighth level Druid.
“Fourteen,” Twist said with some enthusiasm, as it was higher than the rest of her party.
“None of your characters notice that the darkness is slowly devouring the light,” Button told them, trusting that the three players gathered would separate player and character knowledge.
“So what were you doing at the Town Hall?” Snails asked after taking a drink from his soda.
“I was writing an exam,” Zoe said. “I draw my sword, Preserver's Light,” Zoe told Button.
“Crap, I forgot you bought that,” Button snapped. “Roll a percentile dice.”
“What does that do again?” Twist asked Zoe.
“Eighty-seven,” Zoe said with a smile. “It’s a plus one longsword that emits light like a torch when drawn, any healing spells or abilities used on the wielder are increased by one point, and the wielder can use Preserver's Smite once per day,” Zoe explained, reading the description off of her character sheet. “Six thousand gold well spent.”
“So, that’s what you were saving for,” Twist said, pushing her glasses up.
“Korrah’s sword illuminates the room, revealing a black Draconequus surrounded by the bloody skeletons of the adventurers you were sent to find. It’s red eyes glow as it hisses, at Korrah specifically.” Button described. “Roll initiative,” Button continued, rolling a dice of his own behind his screen.
“Eighteen,” Zoe told him, with Snails and Twist rolling a sixteen and fifteen respectively. “So, when you said last week that you were working on a new campaign and that you hoped we’d enjoy,” Zoe said. “What you really meant, was that you were coming up with new and creative ways to kill us, but not before you broke our spirits.”
“Did I?” Button asked with a mischievous grin as he wrote down the order of initiative on a marker board then placed it in front of his DM screen, with the Draconequus at the top, giving it first move.
“What was the exam for?” Twist asked.
“Why is everypony suddenly interested in my life?” Zoe asked.
“Because we’re your friends,” Button said. “And until Lyra gets back from Baltimare so she can play her Priest, you’re the only healer in the group.” He continued, then smiled. “The Draconequus bull-rushes and swipes at you with his talon hand, does a twenty-three hit?”
Zoe didn’t react right away, a little surprised at what Button told her, but that only lasted a second as she glanced down at her armour value. “No, you’ll have to beat a twenty-four,” Zoe told him. “And thanks,”
“No problem,” Button said with a smile.
“Listen, if we beat this encounter, I’ll tell you,” Zoe told them. “It’s my turn now, isn’t it?” Zoe said with a smile. “I cast Smite Evil as a swift action on the Draconequus and swing with Preserver’s Light,” Zoe said. In her mind’s eye, a mighty Alicorn clad in plate mail, glowing sword held aloft in golden magic, charges at the black beast.
After a battle that took almost an hour, with Button holding true to his plan and the encounter testing the player’s to their limits, they emerged victorious, with only Snails’ druid falling in battle. Thankfully he had enough Guild Boons to resurrect his character.
Once Button finished handing out everypony’s reward sheets, he had Snips close and lock the door and bring some hard cider from the mini-fridge behind the shop counter for everypony.
Over the cold beverages, Zoe explained everything.
“Maybe I can help you study?” Snips offered, to which Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“If a starship’s antimatter tanks are depleted by nine-tenths, what’s the intermix ratio required to achieve warp factor eight?” Zoe asked.
“OK, maybe not,” Snips answered, finishing off his cider. “Alright, I’m out, see you tomorrow Button.” He told his boss, then waved to the rest of the group and headed for the door, leaving it unlocked so the others could leave when they were ready.
“What is the answer, though,” Twist asked.
“It’s actually a trick question,” Zoe explained. “A warp core works by colliding matter with antimatter, which annihilates both and releases massive amounts of energy.” She continued. “The ratio is always one to one.”
“What’ll happen when you get in?” Button asked.
“I’d attend Starfleet Academy for four years,” Zoe answered. “Once I graduate, I’ll probably be assigned to a Starship,”
“So you won’t be coming back,” Snails said.
“I would get leave,” Zoe said. “Anyway, it's too early to be talking about whether I’ll be coming back or not, I can’t take the exam again for another three months, and even then it’ll be a few more weeks before I go off for the actual entrance exam program, which takes another six weeks.”
That statement seemed to put everypony at ease. The other three descended into conversations of their own while Zoe looked out the window and up at the full moon that was just coming out from behind a cloud.
“I think I’m done too, I’m going to go home,” Zoe said after downing the rest of her cider. “Next week, Button?” She asked.
“You know it,” He responded.
Zoe waved goodbye and exited the store. Slowly walking down the street and through the center of town, she paused to look at the statue, letting a small smile cross her face, then continued on her way.
Enjoying the buzz she had from their post-campaign drinks, Zoe took her time as she walked home along the path she practically knew by memory. Coming to a fork in the path, she started to go left but stopped herself. Ahead of her was her parent’s cottage.
“Whoops,” Zoe said aloud and took the path to the right that led towards a sprawling meadow.
As she got closer, she could see her destination. In the middle of the meadow stood an unassuming cottage that her father had built when he crashed here over twenty-five years ago. It hadn’t changed much over the years, having had a number of tenants over the years, but it always remained in the family. Right now, it was where Zoe called home.
Next to the cottage was a small hill. To call it a hill was being generous, as all it amounted to was a small mound of dirt. It marked where Dad had crashed. During the spring, it was covered in wildflowers of every colour you could think of and it made for a good place to lay down in the warm sun.
But right now, after nightfall and with a slight brisk autumn wind, it would be a nice place to star gaze, provided you had somepony to sit next too.
The closer Zoe got, she noticed that somepony was sitting there, staring up at the moon. Picking up her pace, she planned to ask why someone was waiting outside her house, but decided against it with a smile when she saw a familiar white mane and blue coat. Instead, she walked up next to the pony and sat down next to them.
“When did you get to Ponyville?” Zoe asked as she snuggled up to her.
“About an hour ago, the train was late,” Sapphire answered. “You’re not going to ask why I’m here unannounced?”
“Nope,” Zoe answered, nuzzling Sapphire’s neck. “You’re here, that makes me happy, that’s all I need to know.”
“You really are simple, you know that,” Sapphire told her with a chuckle.
“Did you get your final exam results?” Zoe asked, changing the subject.
“I did,” She answered with a warm smile that Zoe could swear she felt. “I’m graduating with honours.”
“Really?” Zoe asked, pulling away from her so she could look at Sapphire directly. “That’s awesome!”
“Yeah, soon as I found out I got on the next train so I could tell you,” Sapphire continued. “How’d your exam go?”
“Bombed the physics section,” Zoe admitted.
“Well, you were never that good at math,” Sapphire stated.
“Hey, you’re the second pony to say that today!” Zoe huffed.
“Twilight only says it because she thinks you can do better,” Sapphire responded. “I say it because I know you can do better.”
“Yeah,” Zoe admitted, her cheeks flushing a little with embarrassment.
“Have you asked your father for help?” Sapphire asked.
“I was going to ask him in the morning,”
“Good, if you weren’t, I was going to ask him for you,” Sapphire told her with a sly grin.
“Et tu, Sapphire?” Zoe said with a laugh. Sapphire just smiled back.
“How was O&O?” Sapphire asked. “Did Button use the Draconequus encounter I devised?”
“That was your doing?!” Zoe exclaimed, then regained her composure. “Korrah, Champion of the Preserver’s Light was victorious again,” Zoe tutted.
“Enjoy it for now, once I start DMing again, that ego of yours will be put to the test.”
The two ponies laughed as they snuggled up to each other and looked up at the moon and the stars together, idly talking about things the other had missed when they were apart.
It didn’t matter how long they had been apart, when they got back together, it was as if they had only seen each other that morning.
“Where do you see us in the future?” Sapphire asked out of the blue.
“What do you mean?”
“Us,” Sapphire responded. “I love you, you know that, and I know you love me too,” Sapphire continued. “We’ve been together since you left for the academy a little over two years ago, but we’ve spent so much time apart.
“But when we’re together, its like no time has passed.” Sapphire continued. “So, I’ve decided, I don’t want to be apart from you again. Where you go, I’ll follow.”
Zoe looked into her marefriend’s eyes and her look of determination that told her so much with no words having to be spoken.
“Wait here, I’ll be right back,” Zoe told her, having decided what she wanted to do. Before Sapphire could say anything, Zoe blinked out of existence with a flash of fuchsia.
One of the windows on the cottage illuminated, then a shadow crossed from one side of the window to the other. Zoe was obviously looking for something.
Several minutes later, she exited the cottage with a small box held aloft in the air beside her.
“Listen, I was going to give this to you for hearths warming, but I think I have a better reason to give it to you,” Zoe explained. “Ponies don’t really exchange things in situations like this, but humans do, and at least part of me is human, right?” She asked rhetorically but waited for a response anyway, filling the air with awkwardness. “Hehe, look at me, getting all flustered,” Zoe said, scratching the back of her head and avoiding Sapphire’s eyes.
“What are you...” Sapphire started to ask, but her voice got caught in her throat.
Zoe opened the box, and inside was a necklace and pendant, both made of platinum. The pendant depicted three intertwined shields with a simple snowflake in front.
Our cutie-marks, Sapphire thought to herself as she covered her mouth with her fore hooves in a vain attempt to hide her flushed cheeks.
“Sapphire Star, will you marry me?”