//------------------------------// // Beyond the Silver Sky: The Moon is a Harsh Waifu // Story: Awkward Conversations And Other Stories // by No one is home //------------------------------// James very carefully carried the smallest of the statues, the one with the tendrils, towards the rover, while Judith watched nervously, pawing the moon with her hooves. “Are you sure this is a good idea James?” Her voice was tinged with fear audible even over the static of the com link. “No, I’m not.” The orange biped pony laughed nervously as he walked, “But whatever that thing underground is, it’s possibly the only living thing on this rock besides us, and we need help. Taking the broken statue got it’s attention the first time, I'm hoping...” There wasn’t even a tremor to warn them. One second they were walking across the lunar plane, the next they were encoiled by serpents that silently erupted from the silt. “James!” Judith screamed as a third serpent erupted and menaced the biped pony, glaring into his face plate. “Leave him alone!” “You should not have come here!” The voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once. “You should not have taken the Nopony, but if you wish your doom that badly I was ready to permit it! But now you seek to steal all I have left of my family?!?!” The third serpent gently pulled the statue from james grasp, cradling it as it’s voice softened to a near whisper, “It’s alright, Zillia, dearest, daddy won’t let the nasty ponies take you away from Mommy and Auntie Diane.” The thing crawled from the lunar silt and strode amongst the statues with careful lumbering precision. The thing was easily three times or more the height of even the largest earth pony. It’s cyan fur glowed brightly with ever-changing patterns and symbols, while it’s deep blue mane glowed with an ultraviolet illumination that cast an unnatural aura on everything around it. While it had the general shape of a pony, huge scaly wings unfolded from its back and it’s bottom jaw split into a gaping mandible and a massive maw filled with jagged teeth that could easily bite a pony in half. It was this maw that the three serpents emerged and held the ponies dangling in the air as the beast carefully placed the little foal back in her place. “I should rip you apart!” The Beast pulled James into eye contact. “You have disturbed my daughter’s rest, why shouldn’t I kill you both?” “Please! We didn’t know!” Judith pleaded, tears forming behind her faceplate. “My daughters, my poor, simple Z, they didn’t know! None of them did!” The creature tossed both ponies to the ground roughly and withdrew his serpents. “None of them even knew of the crime they were being punished for! They were innocents, and your damned sun-princess did that to them!” It’s rage dimmed into an angry sulk. “I should rip you apart and stomp you into the silt, but my sweet Surprise wouldn’t want that. For her memory I will let you live, now leave this place.” “Wait!” Judith called out, “The pieces of the statue we took. Who was that?” “He… doesn’t have a name,” The creature sighed heavily. “My name is Train Wreck Pastel. The changelings here are my family and my closest friend.” “I am Murmur Judith Solitaire,” Judith implored, “Please we didn’t mean any disrespect. But we need your help, that statue… one of our crew-mates attempted to restore it, and it has taken over our lander and left us stranded here to die.” “You managed to restore the Nopony?” Train Wreck fought an internal war between anger, worry, and hope. “Do you have any idea what you have unleashed? I had hoped I had left him beyond recovery. But still, if you could restore him, perhaps there is hope for the others.” “I wouldn’t say restored exactly,” James rubbed the back of his head with one hand, “More like reanimated. But yeah, if it worked on the broken pieces of that… thing, then I’m pretty sure it would work on the others, especially since they’re intact.” “When I accepted this exile, I was given a means by which I could return, if I so chose,” the giant monster sighed, “Until now I saw no point if I could not restore my family. I will bring you with me, but if you have given me false hope to save your own lives, I promise you the moon would have offered you a kinder death.” The giant pulled the four central statues closely together and began to inscribe a large circle of clearly arcane design. -=-=-=-=- Tragic End To First Lunar Expedition The E.S.S. Demeter was recovered late last night by the Starsdale Orbital guard after the ship failed to respond to docking instructions. The ship had launched only a week earlier from the same station and carried the first expedition by mortal ponies to the moon. Upon boarding the vessel the guard were greeting by a gruesome welcome, finding the body of the ship’s pilot, Flitter Shade, drifting in the cockpit, which had been locked from the inside and had to be cut open. Investigator report that the pilot had apparently committed suicide shortly after plotting the course to Starsdale and engaging autopilot. The charred remains of Captain Moon Beam and Security Officer Shadow Snap were found inside the lander. Science Officers James Apple, and Murmur Solitaire are missing and presumed dead. The only survivor of the ill fated mission, Magic Analyst Sunrise Aurora was found guarding a broken relic of presumed lunar origin in the cargo hold. Miss Aurora has unfortunately succumbed to dementia from the entire ordeal and had to be restrained by her rescuers. She is currently being given the very best psychological treatment Equestria has to offer. Doctors say they are “hopeful, but not optimistic” about her odds of recovery. With all security feeds being erased by a mysterious power surge, and the only survivor a jibbering mad-mare, what befell the crew of the Demeter is a mystery that we may never solve. Authorities have confirmed that there are both photos and video of the expedition itself, and that they will be released as soon as investigators have determined if they give any clue to what caused this voyage to end so tragically. The artifact itself is being held at Starsdale and promises to be the most important find in the history of Equestria, possibly all of Equus, but let nopony suggest that it’s importance could ever outway it’s cost in pony life. The Sky King has expressed his personal condolences to the families of those brave souls lost to death or madness, while the Night Queen has withdrawn in her grief and made no personal appearances since receiving the tragic news.