Fluttershy - 5th of Megan 17 EoH - AfternoonFluttershy - 5th of Megan 17 EoH - Afternoon
Multiverse Location: The Prime, Equis #0B
I do have to admit I was more than a little disappointed at moving into this universe's Emerald Hive. I’d been to ours many times, more times that I can really count, usually because I was afraid something broke in me, but well… I’d always been wrong.
I did love proper shelter. And the hive was well defended, nicely hidden, and very very secure. No monsters would be getting in here easily. It would be safe to walk around any time of day or night. W-well… Assuming there wasn’t a preexisting Vashta Nerada swarm inside here. Although, I could clear that up in a few weeks. I should check, just in case they bred out of control, reached the critical size, and the hive disappeared like the town of Reigns.
That was a bit scary, but it was a problem I could solve. I’d fumigated my own house many times. I knew what to do. I could stop that if it was a problem which hopefully it wasn’t.
The disappointment was because I knew the hive was just endless white metal hall-
“Here we go,” Sky announced as the elevator slid to a stop with a barely noticeable twitch. “Deck eighteen, the commons.”
The elevator doors hissed open, a bright light flooding the elevator as if we had opened a door to the outside and the sun was up and working extra hard that day. Outside the elevator was an entire forest! It literally seemed to go on forever, an impossibility, given where we were, but at the same time, there were mountains in the distance, and big trees all around us, mostly thinned out to make a nice garden the elevator emerged from.
“Oh! Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed happily as whatever illusion made this possible managed to properly convey the scent of nice spring air.
“This has to drain a LOT of power,” Lyra muttered to herself. “How much are you burning to keep these holograms running?”
“Nothing,” Sky answered as he trotted out of the elevator. “This was a hangar bay. We just filled it with dirt, planted trees, did landscaping… The horizon and sky are a combination of illusion spells and movie magic. It really helps to keep the cabin fever away. All of the commons are built inside the hangar, or in adjacent rooms. The park here is about ten square kilometers of deck space.
“There’s another five hangars too. Only this one is a park, we use the others as warehouses or factories. This ship is huge. Feel free to fly by the way, just don't go over like, twenty meters up. You’ll hit the ceiling.”
I followed him outside, looking around the large park happily. There were at least fifteen kinds of trees, more than you'd really find in a natural forest, but whoever had landscaped this did a very good job of making a very pleasing place to be. Plenty of wildflowers, and ferns, and even a small running stream!
All of the nature was lovingly cared for. Carefully tended to be aesthetically pleasing but still appear natural. Oh, I do hope that there is an opening for a gardener! It would be so nice to work on this little pony made paradise.
Here and there small buildings could be seen amongst the trees at the ends of the little cobbled path which wound its way through the park’s contours. The buildings spaced out not so much that walking through them would be annoying, but just enough to not make them look crowded or dense. They were not homes, much to my sadness, but they were little cafes, and small shops, just like Ponyville’s market street. Only spaced out through a whole park!
“I don’t get it…” Bonbon said in an uneasy voice.
“Don't get what?” Sky asked.
“Why do this? All of the time and effort spent restoring a hangar and then using it for this… Why?” she asked.
“Psychological health. This gives us a place to go and genuinely feel like we’re outside,” Sky answered. “Ponies need that.”
“But there’s an outside you can already go to. This is just unnecessary,” BB said with a frown.
“That outside sucks. We made a better one,” Sky explained.
“You did a very very good job with that too!” I said happily.
“Oh, no. This wasn’t me. This has been here since before I was born,” Sky corrected. “Ayna did improve the sun illusion about, hmm…thirty-five years back? No, thirty-three. But aside from that, no one has touched this place for a hundred years.”
I tilted my head to one side in confusion. Ayna was older than fifty? But… “Um, I-I really don’t mean to be rude, but in my universe, Emerald changelings had a lot of genetic problems. She’s a harvester, right? Um…they didn’t live to be older than about forty.”
“Same deal here. Our Emeralds were formed from the dregs of the old Changeling Empire,” Sky confirmed with a nod. “And she’s about… Fifty-four.”
“Then why does she look, well, young?” Lyra asked. “Your captain looks old as hell.”
Sky snickered. “Are you seriously asking why a member of the Mage’s Library is as functionally old as they want to be?”
“Um, yes?” I said/asked, unsure about what that really meant.
Sky frowned in mild surprise. “Your universe didn’t have the Trottingham Mage’s Library?”
I shook my head. “No. There was a college for mages there though, it may have had a library.”
“I’m not talking about the Trottingham Thaumaturgic University. I’m talking about the big ass library on the northern edge of the city,” Sky clarified.
“Um, no… I don't think so,” I admitted after some thought.
“Hmm… Sadface. Trust me, if you had it, you’d know about it. If only because you’re friends with your Twilight,” Sky continued. “The Mage’s Library is literally the oldest pony made building left standing. It’s at least as old as six thousand BRH. Well, the building’s main hall is anyway. The library itself didn’t start until the year zero RH. That stands for recorded history. Because they are the ones who started recording it.
“And well… It’s the Mage’s Library. Probably the first one ever made, and it’s just kind of never stopped going. It’s been actively up kept and expanded over well, all of recorded history.
“My sister has a Library Card for it. Which means she passed their membership approval exam, studying for that is equivalent to obtaining a Wizard’s Degree in three fields of your choice. Both practically and legally. She specializes in Technoarcana, which is Advanced Enchantment in case you don't use that word in your universe, and also Divination, and Theoretical Thaumaturgic Physics and has access to the largest collection of Arcane papers, devices, and stuff in Equestria, if not Equis itself.
“Also, her brother happens to be me. So yeah, Ayna can basically live for as long as she likes.”
“Are you saying she fixed her genetic defect, but hasn’t given the fix to everyone?!” Lyra asked in alarmed shock, drawing the attention of more than a few changelings who did a bit of a double take at her, well, existence.
Sky shook his head. “No. The two of us fixed HER defect. The fix used worked for her. It won’t work for everyone because of two technical reasons, and one social reason. But we are working on fixing everyling too. My little brother’s spearheading that… Which reminds me, I’m taking you to him later for head space stuff.”
Sky paused, noticing the small gathering crowd of changelings. He hopped into the air, wings flapping to keep aloft before calling. “Yes, she’s a human. No, it’s not someling shapeshifted. She might be moving in, so don’t be assholes and crowd around her gawking. You can come to me with questions later. Let her settle a bit, okay?”
“Thanks,” Lyra said in mild relief as the changeling crowd dispersed.
While they did leave, I couldn’t help but notice most changelings peeking out of their little shops or looking over. Watching despite not crowding. You can’t blame them for being curious. I guess while this hive’s leaders knew about other dimensions, the other’s didn’t. Or maybe Travelers were super rare here.
Whatever the reason for their excitement, it was more than a little cute to watch at least a hundred people having the same reaction to Lyra being here. I could only compare it to the time Dash and Twilight were having lunch and A.K. Yearling sat down at the table next to them. A sort of silent squee tempered only by politeness and pure panic at the thought of an idol seeing you as rude.
Sky landed and nodded towards a right turn in the path ahead. “That’s where we’re going,” he announced.
“I’m super sorry, I don’t want to hassle you, but I NEED to know something!” Someling called, clearly unable to stay quiet. “Some things in the entertainment system are incomplete. Do you know how Battlestar Galactica ended? The first one, not the shitty remake.”
I held back a giggle as Lyra facepalmed. “Really? That’s the first question I get asked by a civilization living in a human starship?”
Bonbon turned her head and called in the voice’s direction. “The crew of the Galactica intercept the transmission of the Apollo Eleven Moon Landing and realize the Thirteenth Tribe somehow lost most of their technology and set a course for Earth, now knowing it’s location. You never see them arrive. There is a follow-up series, but it’s stupid and involves a ton of time travel.”
“Awww…” Several changelings lamented.
Lyra shook her head and kept walking with the rest of us. Bonbon kept up for a few more paces before she stopped, her face lighting up with pure joy.
“Wait! You guys can shape shift, and I have most Galactica Fanfiction saved locally. We could totally shoot a proper finale!” She exclaimed.
“Oh boy…” Sky mumbled to himself, putting on a burst of speed. “She’s doomed. Everypony just keep walking. We need to clear the nerdageddon zone.”
“YES! We could totally do that! Wait…did you just imply you’re an android?” Someling said.
“Yes,” Bonbon confirmed. “Originally I was a space fighter’s AI copilot but-”
Someling squeed adorably.
“Hey, Sky! Is it okay if we bug her?” Someling else called.
“Lyra?” Sky asked.
“They got her nerd protocols started up, might as well let her have fun,” Lyra said with a smile.
“Knock yourself out,” Sky called back.
“Let’s run before someone reminds her about Firefly,” Lyra whispered.
“Good plan,” Sky agreed.
“Why is that a good plan?” I asked. “What’s so wrong with talking about Dash’s mom?”
“One,” Sky began. “Our Dash’s doesn't have a mom… At least, technically. I mean, well, she met her grandad on her mom’s side, but her mom is- Eh, fuck it. I’m not explaining that pile of crazy. Anywho, number two, we’re talking about something which isn’t a pony. Now shhh. No one said anything.”
We spent the rest of the walk to the ‘mess hall’ in silence. But Sky was right. It wasn’t far. Just another minute or so of walking. The hall was located inside a part of the Hive adjacent to the park. The entrance to the hallway cleverly made to look like a small cave set into a hillside with a wooden door in front of it.
I was pleasantly surprised again by the hallways here too. While they were still clearly artificial and constructed, they were painted nicely with a pleasant off white so the harsh polished white of the metal walls wasn’t glaring in your eyes all the time. The nice light blue stripe at eye level did a lot to make things look more cheery, and it also had small maps and arrows with directions painted onto the stripe.
That would be very very helpful for learning to get around! I mean, with that park it was very clear that this Hive was nothing like the one I knew. I couldn’t expect it to have the same layout, could I?
The ‘mess’ itself was very nice too. I’d expected a military style ‘room with some tables in it’. And um, well, it was… But it was still nice! It was like going to a restaurant, one of the gimmicky ones with all of the random junk on their walls. Only all of the stuff on the walls here had little brass plates next to them like a museum. Because well, it was one. All of the tables were arranged in such a way where no matter where you sat you had something interesting to look at from some point in the hive’s history.
I wasn’t as into history as Twilight was, but it was still a neat idea for a place to eat. Especially since I did need to start learning about this place.
The food was also nice. I’d expected there to be a line with trays, like a school cafeteria. But no, Sky had us sit down, made a second ‘please leave the human alone’ request, and then a nearly ready to molt Changeling Nymph came and took our order.
Our order. As in, they had a menu. Of food. All kinds of food!
“I um, w-would it be okay if um, I just got a sample plate? With a little bit of everything?” I asked hopefully.
I’d had to experience a decade without flavors. It was time to make up for lost time! And besides, it’s not like I’d get fat from snacking anymore.
Sky raised an eyebrow. “Uh, not to sound like the Captain but, are you sure you want to eat that much? That’s like eight kilos of bite size bits. It’s a big menu.”
Lyra shook her head and gave me a gentle squeezing side-hug. “She’s also an android. She’s not going to get any plumper.”
I nodded. “Right.”
Sky raised an eyebrow, genuinely alarmed. “Wait! Like, what?”
“Who makes a robot that wants to eat!?” The Nymph waitress agreed in shock.
I cleared my throat. “W-well, um… There was a disaster back home, and everypony died. Except for the one who has been resurrecting us with these bodies. I um… I can do everything a normal pony can, and I am the original me. It’s just that my body isn’t organic anymore. That’s all. But um, you know… I can still digest things, and I can taste things. So I still like food.”
“Are you telling me that your creator built a synthetic brain and body, downloaded a dead pony’s consciousness into it, and successfully revived you?” Sky asked incredulously.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“What was being dead like?” The Nymph asked curiously. “And why are you shaped like Fluttershy?”
I blushed lightly. “L-long story… But um, I can’t tell you what being dead is like.”
I could have told her a little bit. But I’d made a promise not to let anypony know that not only were god's real but Dusk didn’t quite do her job with me because she was lonely and wanted someone to talk to… Which meant I had no idea what came after meeting the reaper.
“Um,” I decided, “I can say that being dead isn’t scary. Dyeing is, and in my case, it really really really hurt… And I never ever ever want to do it again. But Death isn’t scary.”
Our waitress nodded, understanding. “Okay, I’ll get your plates and be right back.”
As she left Sky stroked his chin with a hoof. “You know… Any ‘me’ that can pull something like you off is a me I should meet one day. They definitely got a different Talent than I did, but are clearly as skilled in engineering as me, and also magic. Well, more skilled than me in magic. I just know the one spell.”
“I thought pegasi couldn’t do spellcasting,” Lyra asked with a small frown.
“Actually… I’m forty percent unicorn,” Sky replied, tapping his chest twice. “My dad’s a unicorn. Sometimes, well, very rarely really, with intertribal couples, their foals magic isn’t quite right. They might be missing a normal ability, or maybe they’ve got one bit of magic from one parent and the rest from another. There are a few unicorns who can cloud walk, for example.
“I inherited just a bit of unicorn-style magic control from my dad. And I have just enough unicorn DNA to get a unicorn-style special talent. It’s my secret weapon.”
“You know, you do have a different cutiemark from my Sky,” I mused.
“Yeah, what do you do?” Lyra asked. “Also your sister has one, can I get one? I mean, if one of those symbols grants basically a super power-”
Sky and I shook our heads. “No,” Sky said firmly, “you’re not close enough genetically to a pony to get one like a Zebra, and you don’t have the emotional state of... sameness to the pony mind which Ayna and a few other lings living here have which give them theirs. It’s a subconscious extension of their shape-shifting.”
“Oh…” Lyra said sadly.
I have Lyra a sympathetic side hug. “Sorry… You’re special too! Rose told me how you caught that door as it fell and just threw it. That’s stronger than the average earth pony.”
“She’s misremembering that,” Lyra corrected. “I caught it as it fell before it accelerated much and lowered it down so as to not hit me.”
Oh. “Um, well, still. For a non-Earth Pony, that’s still very very strong.”
Sky looked at me curiously.
“It was a solid steel military bunker door,” Lyra explained.
“Oh. Shit, that is pretty strong,” Sky said, clearly impressed.
“So um, what’s your talent?” I asked, genuinely curious.
I’d already known about hybrid pony magic, but I’d never actually seen one use it. Or at least, I didn’t think I had.
Sky smiled and set Lyra’s VM on the table. Or well, um, his VM. I guess.
“This still has all of the parts, right?” He asked.
Lyra nodded. “Well, yeah. Except the um, spell matrix I think you called it. That I had to make a replacement for.”
Sky nodded. “Alright, out of what?”
“Er… Epoxy and slices of quartz,” she admitted. “A you yelled at me for that.”
“That me was a dick then. Which makes sense, he’s me,” Sky joked. “My talent’s a bit of a cheat device for engineers. I’ll show you. We have one broken device here, all of the parts which make it, well, you know, it, are all here, in one pile.”
Sky began to stare at the small device, clearly focusing intensely. “Now, I know exactly how all these parts go together, and what they do. Or rather, what I want them to do, and what they should be able to do if put them the way I want them to be,” he explained.
I frowned slightly, fairly certain he was implying he knew a ‘fixing’ spell. As I looked a slightly pale aura surrounded the device. It wasn’t like a unicorn’s aura, it was more regularly shaped, like when a non-pony casts a spell. The aura was also kind of hard to see in the bright cafeteria lights, but I think it was a lightish green.
Sky’s mane also stood up with little sparks in his hair, like someone had given him an electric shock. I recalled Twilight mentioning the odd effects spellcasting can have on ponies with just a bit of unicorn blood, but I don’t think she ever made mention of mad scientist mane styles. It took everything I had not to laugh.
Then with a faint snap, the VM popped from its case, floating for a moment before opening, all of the parts individually separating from one another to float freely, each piece on its own. The same pale light of the aura began to trace little paths between each part, running along each of the little cards they had been installed into form complex patterns, pulsing faintly as the magic did it’s job. The patterns also echoed themselves atop the sphere itself.
I had never been a real technical sort of pony or even an arcane pony, but I did understand the idea of enchanted items and technology. As best as I could tell, it wasn’t a ‘fix it’ charm, more of a ‘build it’ charm.
The traced lines reached the crystal, and immediately light began to bleed from thousands of tiny cracks. It looked like a green candle had been stuck inside a paper lantern. A paper lantern which slowly had more and more of itself covered, as each crack disappeared. As soon as the light was contained, the lines darkened, becoming much more visible.
One by one, each piece began to slip back into place, following the lines which connected them as if an architect were putting them into place following a plan. Each piece clicked loudly as it slipped into place, the final piece being louder than the rest for whatever reason.
The VM closed back up. The aura holding it up flashed brightly before shattering like glass, each shard falling to the table, behaving like a solid object for a split second before fading into nothingness, leaving the VM to plop onto the table while Sky rubbed his temples with his hooves.
“Ugh, okay, that one kinda hurt…” He muttered.
“Shit! You okay?” Lyra asked in concern.
“Yeah, it always shatters like that,” Sky said shaking his head. “Thank Luna lunch is coming soon. That’s my talent, I can take raw material and make components, or take components and make a thing. Not anything, at least not all at once. There are limits. Also, it really helps to know the actual engineering involved in what I want to do. Well, more like I can’t make something I couldn’t make mundanely. Also, it can be really tiring. But sometimes, it’s worth it.”
“Does it always make your mane stick up?” I asked curiously.
Sky nodded and ran a hoof through his mane to fix it. “Yeah.”
Shaking his head as if trying to clear it, Sky slid the VM across the table to Lyra. “Here you go. It’s fixed now.”
Lyra frowned, tilting her head, “But-”
“I told you, I made another one. And then I finished the model and mass produced it,” Sky continued. “I don't need this. But I fixed it, so it works properly-ish again. Keep it, it’s yours.”
“But I don’t need to destination hop anymore,” Lyra protested.
“Yeah, but you might want to,” Sky pointed out. “Besides it’s way more than that, and I fixed it’s teleport function while keeping your cool little trick that I’m totally stealing. If you want to visit Ponyville it’s an eight hundred kilometer walk. It’s this or a Zeta Tube, and um, well, those things creep me out. Also, it’s got Sai, and you live in the Phoenix now. Directions, maps, all that handy stuff.”
“Okay, yeah, teleporting seems useful,” Lyra admitted with a nod. “But the other stuff I can just do with my brain. I don’t need this, and I went through a LOT of effort to return it.”
Sky nodded. “Yes. You did. And I appreciate it. But I really don’t need it anymore. You could keep it as a memento. A souvenir if nothing else.”
“But this has to be expensive!” Lyra protested. “I can’t accept-”
Sky rolled his eyes. “It’s about the same as a year of college. The production model is way cheaper. But this has already been made. The cost has already been paid. Take it.”
“Lyra, you shouldn’t be rude. It’s a gift. I know you went through a lot to give it back to him but you shouldn’t be rude,” I said, trying to defuse the situation.
“But if it’s that expensive, then the resell value is pretty high,” Lyra said objectionably. “I know you're married in other universes. I’m pretty sure you are here too. You’ll have a kid one day and they will need higher education and additional food and I’m certain that the government rations will be inadequate for-”
Sky’s eyes rolled again, then lit up as he spotted something behind Lyra. “Hey! Sis,” he interrupted. “Explain to our friend here who I am.”
“Sky Trigger,” Ayna said, taking a seat across from me at the table.
Sky deadpanned. “I meant ‘what’, and obviously, I’m a pegasus.”
Ayna frowned, clearly confused.
Sky sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll use a mnemonic device. Take my armor away, and what’s left?”
Ayna nodded in realization. “Ah! Billionaire genius playcolt philanthropist.”
Lyra paused for a moment. “How much did they put into the entertainment system on this thing anyways?” She muttered to herself.
“All of it that still existed in the public domain upon the Pheonix’s construction,” Ayna answered. “So, why are family finances even being mentioned here?”
Sky pointed a hoof at Lyra. “She’s insisting she can’t accept this because it’s expensive.”
Ayna snorted. “Lyra… SkyTech is a global company with factories and enchantorums across twenty countries. We make almost every kind of industrial good, and a ton of household stuff too.
“Most of the cash goes to the hive. Where do you think we get all the titanium and rare elements for repairs the auto systems can’t do themselves? There are limits to what can be conjured up by individual mages. Big Brother here is responsible for about half of the Hive’s GDP.
“He’s got a five percent salary as the CEO, which is something like… An assload to the power of a fuckton of cash.”
Sky nodded again. “Right. I really don’t care about money. I’m not stupid with it, I don't have a gold-plated toilet-”
“Yes you do,” Ayna said accusingly.
Sky sighed. “Fine... I do, but it was a gift from the Neighponese Empress and a sarcastic one at that. I like her, she’s hilarious. My point is, it’s just a few hundred thousand bits. It’s not much to me. Take it.”
I watched as Lyra’s face flashed through about nine different emotions before settling on the most pathetically confused incredulity I had ever seen in my life.
“B-but… You're nice,” Lyra stammered.
Sky gave me a concerned look. “Um, did I break her?” He asked.
I nodded. “I think so.”
Turning to Lyra I gave her a little shake. “Are you okay hon?”
“He owns a corporation… And he’s nice. I… But… How?” She stammered, staring off into space.
I waved a hoof in front of Lyra’s face in concern.
“He’s nice!” Lyra exclaimed, giving me that completely confused look.
I felt a slight tingle as my radio systems clicked on, Cheer.ly’s voice coming over the transmission. <Her vitals are okay. She’s just really confused. For us, this is like gravity being reversed in one spot for no reason at all. She just needs a minute.>
“Her home world must SUCK!” Sky, Ayna and I said in accidental unison.
I tilted my head in confusion. “Wait, you heard her to?”
“Who?” Sky asked before frowning. “Wait… Right she’s got that other personality in there. It can talk to you?”
“Yes, over radio,” I answered.
Ayna frowned. “I just concluded her world would suck if she goes into ‘I tried to comprehend Mage Meadowbrook's thesis on conjuration error reduction’ mode at the idea of a nice guy running a global business, that her world necessarily sucks ass. What’s this about another personality?”
“Organic computer with an AI in it in her skull as a personal assistant,” Sky said.
“It got, um, Twilighted. She’s a person now too,” I added.
Ayna winced. "Ah geeze... The sooner Twilight learns finesse is better than brute force, the better."
“I was going to ask if you could fix that,” Sky said to Ayna. “I know it’s not your specialty but that’s really really creepy and they both don't like it.”
Ayna looked over to me. “Is that true?”
I nodded. “Yes… Um, but… Cheer.ly, the assistant, she wants to die. But she’s nice…”
I really didn’t want her to be hurt. I didn’t feel like she was a part of Lyra, I didn’t love her or anything, but still, common decency.
“Sky,” Ayna said slowly. “I could maybe build a device to extract her. But that would take months. Just take her to Lily later. After lunch or something. Sai found them a place I could help get Flutter Two here settled in, you do that.”
Sky sighed. “Fine… I should drop in and say hi to Pinkie anyways. Speaking of spouses, where’s Trixie?”
I bit my lip in thought. The name sounded familiar. A little. Did I know anypony named Trixie? It was a bit exotic of a name, that’s probably why I remembered it.
Ayna nodded. “Yeah, she’s picking up our mail. Should be here soon.”
Then I remembered.
“Are you talking about a really bad street magician? Poor thing, I remember she could never afford a proper meal. I’m glad yours at least has a special somepony,” I asked.
Lyra sighed loudly, preventing my question from being answered. “Okay. I’m fine now,” she informed.
“Good!” Sky stated,.“You gonna take the manipulator, or what?”
Lyra nodded and slid the VM over to herself slowly. “Thanks… Still kinda shocked at a CEO acting nice to me… You want something, right?”
Sky nodded intently, putting on a super serious expression. “Yes. You seem fun. I like friends. Also, you’re a human. I can make everyling jelly,” he replied.
“T-that’s it?” Lyra sputtered.
Sky nodded. “Yeperooni. As my Ponk would say. I know a lot of wealthy ponies are assholes, but I really don’t care about money. It’s a tool. That’s it. Speaking of tools, your assistant… Want to get that taken care of after lunch? Ayna can settle your marefriend into your suite, we’ll be gone for eh, an hour or two. Two teleports, no big.”
Lyra nodded. “Yeah. Okay. Sounds good.”
I was about to object, saying she should find Cheer.ly something to live in on her own. But our waitress came back just as I opened my mouth, carrying several trays of absolutely delicious smelling heavenly treats. Everything from salads to fried potato strips, and even some non-pony dishes like Jerky.
“Oh my, goodness that looks lovely!” I exclaimed, delighted at the mini-feast as it was laid out in front of me.
“Oh shit!” Lyra suddenly exclaimed. “Sky! I can't touch any door panels! I did that on another ship and it woke up the shipboard AI and basically caused a robot uprising!”
Sky smiled. “Well, thank Luna I took that hunk of junk apart years ago then.”
I frowned sadly. “Oh… But, mine was nice. Then again… She did think her counterparts were insane.”
“Yeah, they wanted me to turn that thing on. Woke me up at around three in the morning. I flipped Skritt the forelock and went back to bed. I wasn’t going to work tired. Good thing too, because I wouldn’t have thought to check and make sure it’s programming was intact. Would have definitely turned out bad if I’d just plugged it in. Anywho, no worries. Sai runs a few smaller functions, and I got a simple computer doing the rest. We’re working on making a new AI from scratch to run the Phoenix. Should be a decade or two to reverse engineer the original.”
“Oh,” Lyra said sighing in relief. “Good.”
“Still a little sad…” I murmured to myself.
Sky nodded. “Yeah. A bit. Still, no computer is meant to be in hibernation for hundreds of millions of years. Shit breaks down.”
I yelped as a stack of envelopes thumped onto the table next to me. Turning quickly I spotted a blue mare dressed in a purple star-spangled cape and matching classic wizard’s hat sit down next to me.
“Trixie apologises for being late,” she announced.
Okay. Different Trixie. Ours didn’t speak in third person. Also the hat. She didn’t have that hat. Though I suppose she could have bought a hat.
Ayna looked at the pile and groaned. “Ah Tartarus… Her again.”
Peeking down at the letters I couldn’t help but notice all of them were in identical envelopes and labeled in the same writing.
“Problem?” Lyra asked.
“Remember how I told you I write novels?” Ayna asked. “Well, my pen name is the same as the actual name of a changeling Queen living in Ponyville. Meaning she gets a lot of my fanmail. And it annoys her. So there’s a passive aggressive note in each envelope along with the original letter.”
“You really ought to change your pen name,” Trixie said. “This would solve your problem.”
“Yeah, and ruin my brand recognition,” Ayna grumbled. “Right, so Fluttershy two-”
“You can just call me Shy, if you like,” I said, objecting to ‘Fluttershy Two’.
Ayna smiled. “I like you. You’re more socially bold then Fluttershy is, Shy. Anyways, Shy, Lyra, this is my wife Trixie. She’s a magician, and not a crappy one like you assumed, Shy.”
Trixie turned and gave me a suspicious glance. “Did you doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie’s skills?”
I eeped, holding up my hooves. “Oh! Nonono! I um, I’m not from here. Different world. Our you wasn’t very good at, uh, magic,” I explained frantically, not wanting to offend her.
“Of course not,” Trixie said in a dramatic tone I recognized as a stage voice. “This Trixie is the greatest and most powerful of all Trixies.”
“It’s true,” Sky smirked. “There are a lot of hers.”
Lyra nodded slowly. “Then you do know about alternate dimensions! I mean, you said you were aware, but if you know there’s lots of hers and talk like you’ve met them then you’ve traveled to.”
Sky shook his head. “Nope. Not her. Not yet. Dash did, and Ayna has once-”
“Yeah, accidently though,” she grumbled.
“-accidently,” Sky continued. “But Trixie… Eh, you explain it, Trix.”
Trixie gave me a smile and returned to a normal, albeit third person voice. “There are many Trixies because Trixies are clones. It is a long story. This Trixie was the first, and happens to be the most arcanely powerful. And the greatest. So her stage title is both literal and illustrative.”
“That sounds like a really good story, even if it’s long,” I said. “Can we hear it over lunch?”
“I second that motion,” Lyra added.
“Certainly, just allow Trixie to order something first,” the blue mare said, turning to whistle for a waitress.
Given her energetic and bombastic personality, this was going to be good!
Lyra Heartstrings - 5th of Megan 17 EoH - Afternoon
Multiverse Location: The Prime, Equis #0B
“Ready?” Sky asked.
<Yes. I’m eager to stop violating my moral code,> Cheerl.ly said even though no one else could hear her.
<It’s not that bad,> I objected. <I mean it’s distressing as hell but->
<You are incorrect,> Cheer.ly interrupted.
“Hokay, we can disagree now, apparently. Yeah, we’re ready,” I said firmly.
“Right, moving quick then,” Sky said urgently. “Bring your manipulator up, I know you can’t read Equish, but the ponyville preset for the teleport is the third one down on the left bottom window.”
I flipped the holoscreen open, eyes scanning the gibberish before pressing the instructed bit of text. The screen flashed, changing entirely to a list of… places I guess.
“What now?” I asked.
“Left to right top to bottom, fourth option. That’s Lily’s place. We’ll appear inside the lobby, that way we will avoid frightening anybody,” Sky informed.
“Right, cuz I’m human,” I said with a nod, pressing the text he indicated.
The screen flashed again, this time showing a single button to press. I assumed it was labeled ‘go’.
“No, because someone just bumped into existence next to them. You’ll make a pony piss themselves doing that. Sheesh, not everything is racist. Now, in three… two… one, go!” Sky ordered.
I pressed the button. Just like the last teleport, reality simply seemed to melt away, reforming around me into… Okay, this had to be a hotel, not a clinic.
A nice grand staircase moving up to an open balcony area for a grand entrance hall with a fucking crystal chandelier! Walls which were stone but covered in a little plaster and painted a nice off white with wood paneling on the lower halves….
Yup. Hotel. Sky fucked up. Or I pressed the wrong button.
“Er, hi,” a female voice said to my left.
Turning to face the sound I saw a pale blue unicorn mare sitting at a receptionist’s desk. She looked rather unremarkable. Like, weirdly average. Intentionally average. It was weird...
“Hi,” I replied.
“Sorry, but we can’t treat changelings yet,” she said apologetically. “Our staff is still being trained for your species. Shifting Flu, right? There’s a clinic just across town which can treat you, I’ll write you a referral.”
The air next to me warped and twisted, Sky simply sliding into existence next to me.
“Phew!” He exclaimed. “Sorry, wrong button. Popped into my house by accident first.”
The receptionist smiled as Sky popped in. “Hello, Sky. I’ll get Lily for you as soon as I refer this changeling elsewhere.”
“She’s not a changeling, Ember,” Sky said for me. “She’s also with me. We do need little bro though. Is he free?”
“Ja, I’m free. Hallo!” A german accented voice called from the top of the stairs.
I had to smile to myself. At this point, the oddity of an identical language popping up was just silly in a fun way.
I turned to face the new speaker, frowning as the description of ‘little brother’ didn’t add up.
I was looking at a polar bear white furred, blond haired, blue eyed, supermodel built mare. That was a female. She even had earrings and a pretty cool ‘eyebrow’ piercing which made me want one myself for a moment before I realized I like to sleep face down and it would get in the way.
Not wanting to cause a scene, I knelt down next to sky and whispered. “Uh, transgender male? What are the protocols here? I don’t know, we cured that particular birth defect… It doesn't happen for us anymore.”
“He has good hearing,” Sky smirked.
“Ja, I have excellent hearing. Und I am a colt, biologically. I do know how I look, und I like it,” the girly looking colt informed as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “You’re not Ayna… Did one of your team get stuck trying to imitate a hu-”
Lily trailed off, frowning in a way which instantly made me empathetic with him. “Wait… Did you finally make Lyra a cyber-human suit? Is she stuck in that thing? I told you you’d get stuck in that thing!”
“Um, no,” Sky admitted. “Remember how I helped Dash track down her ‘mom’? Similar thing, she’s actually human… And an alternate universe's Lyra Heartstrings.”
“Yep! Hi,” I said, offering a wave.
Lily’s ears twitched lightly. “This isn’t going to get too confusing, is it?”
“Nah,” Sky said shaking his head. “We just need a simple medical op.”
Lily’s ears lay back in irritation. “Sky, if you took her here, then Tilk can’t do it und she knows a little human biology. I know nothing about them, she’s the first one I’ve even seen. I can’t operate on her.”
Remembering the note from the Doctor I saw back in the previous universe, I slipped it out of my pocket. “Well, actually, I was told that any Biomancer could do this. Sky said that’s your thing so… You know.”
A pale blue aura gripped the note as Lily took it to read. His eyes scanned across the page for a moment before he looked up at me in shock, then back at the page. Back to me, and then the page.
“Your species carved your own brains up like this!?” He asked, giving me a horrified look.
“Yeah, there are advantages,” I grumbled, getting irritated by everyone thinking human tech was shit.
“Ja, there are. But also serious drawbacks. You should have a second interface lobe installed to work in junction with the first one. It is a full forty percent improvement on coordination between the hemispheres. As it stands now, if this is right then you are very easily prone to communication errors, und likely-”
Sky shook his head. “You approve of this?” He asked uneasily.
“Well, ja. Assuming she consented to this modification, there is no problem. Though I understand how it might disturb you,” Lily explained.
“Er, actually, we’re born like this. The modification is species wide an inheritable,” I informed.
“Ah… Then she knows nothing else, und this is her normal,” Lily said to Sky. “Who am I to say her culture is bad?”
“A medical professional!” Sky objected.
“Ja, und a germane one. It’s less bad than my Grandfather's experiments, ja?” Lily asked.
“Alright, you have a point there. But it’s still creepy as hell. And they both want it fixed,” Sky said firmly.
I could tell by Sky’s defeated frown that Lily had won this argument. I also had a bit fridge horror happen as a few moments later I realized the implications of that sentence. German accent, medical experimentation… This wasn’t like, Pony Mengele, was it? Was it even remotely a good idea to be here?
“Well…if this letter is correct, then Lyra can regenerate tissues on her own, und all I need to do is remove the right hemisphere, keep life support provided, and give her the energy to regenerate. I can do that. Do you want it done, or is he pressuring you in any way?” Lily asked turning to look at me.
I shook my head. “Both Cheer.ly and I do not like this at all… It would be different if she could always have talked to me like a person, but well… Yeah.”
“Und does your other also want to leave? Can I ask her directly?” Lily asked professionally.
I nodded. “Yeah. I can let her use my speech centers. Hold on.”
I quickly handed control over to Cheer.ly. <There you go,> I informed, just to be sure she knew she could speak.
“I also do not wish to continue functioning. I have already set a modified DNA-encoded backup of my prior self into her immune system. Given the stem cells to regenerate, she will be restored to a point prior to Twilight’s ‘fix’, with some optimizations. While I do enjoy existence, I can not do so within another being. It is immoral,” Cheer.ly said clearly.
Lily tilted his head. “Is the small twitch normal when you transition like that?”
<Nod please,> Cheer.ly asked.
I nodded for her.
“Yes. It’s actually a micro-seizure. The damage done to the brain is quickly repaired by the secondary immune system. Memories are preserved with DNA encoding. It’s not a problem,” she informed.
“A decent solution,” Lily mused. “Now, I need to be sure I understand you. Are you asking me to kill you?”
“Yes,” Cheer.ly said simply. “I must be removed. I suppose I could be stored somehow, but this would be a needless expense on someone's behalf. I do not want to be a parasite.”
Lily shook his head. “I am sorry, but assisted suicide is only permitted in very certain cases, und I am bound to serve under Equestrian law. I can not kill you.”
“But this malfunction must be repaired!” Cheer.ly exclaimed angrily. “I’m hurting her!”
<No you’re not!> I objected. <Just really creeping me out.>
<Emotional distress is also pain,> she countered.
<... Touche?> I said uncertainly.
“Und I will fix it. Your hemisphere, it’s also served by this repair system, ja?” Lily asked.
“Yes, what are you proposing?” Cheer.ly asked.
I had to admit I was also curious.
“There’s a small fortune to be made in literally brainless cloned pony bodies,” Lily elaborated, “Universities und hospitals buy them to train doctors on und illustrate anatomy. I always have a few on-hoof in case a customer needs a spare, they can defrost while shipping und rot.”
“... that’s creepy,” Cheer.ly said for me.
Sky nodded. “Yeah, but he’s a germane biomancer. Pretty sure he’s contractually obligated to be a bit creepy.”
Lily laughed. “Ja, I sort of am. Besides, it makes good money, und medical supplies get expensive. Even with subsidies. But I have a point to telling you this.
“If you regenerate, und can develop a second hemisphere on your own, with a little help from a friend of mine who is a brain surgeon, we can put you into a body of your choice. It may not work, you may still die, und you will be in a storage jar on life support for a week at least while my friend comes down from Trottingham, but at least let me try, bitte.”
<You should take that. That’s a pretty damn good deal!> I encouraged, hoping she’d go for it.
Man, I hadn’t even thought that was an option. It would be pretty cool to have her be a real person! Or maybe creepy still. But the whole ideas was pretty awesomely B-sci-fi movie-ish.
“I accept,” Cheer.ly said after a few moments thought.
“May I talk to Lyra again, bitte?” Lily asked.
I took control of my speech centers back. Sky shivered slightly. “Guh… This whole thing just has me weirded out… How long will this take, lil bro?”
“Urm… An hour?” Lily supposed.
“Cool. I’m going to go hug the Ponk. Oh! Lyra, if you want to go back to the hive before I come back here, top right, top right. Got it?”
I nodded. “Got it.”
Sky began to trot away, so I turned to the kind of creepy surgeon. “So um… You’re not going to leave me brain dead or anything? I mean, there’s a stereotype about doctors with accent’s like-”
Lily blushed adorably and giggled. “Ja, ja, I know! I play it up a little. Customers seem to like a little theatrics und hammy play slash movie stereotype. It’s okay, Miss Lyra. I am not my ancestors. Besides, if I accidently kill you it’s not a big problem. Death und I are best friends, I’ll have her put you back.”
I laughed at his joke. “Thanks. That actually managed to reassure me.”
“I’m glad,” the girly colt said happily before pointing to a side room. “That’s the operating room. Oh! No worries, we won't need to shave your mane. While I work, is there anything else you might like done? I can do anything your people can, given your brain enhancements. Possibly more.”
“I think I perform well enough,” I said after a moment’s thought.
“Ja, sure, but I also do cosmetics… Erm, mostly cosmetics. We are right across the street from the Red Light district…” Lily admitted with a light blush.
“Oh… Humm, well that I’ll need to think about,” I mused.
“Well, there's time. It will take me a few minutes to analyze your genetics und work out what exactly I must do to keep you alive. Come, we can talk in the operating theater,” Lily said, trotting off towards the room’s double doors.
I took a nervous breath, and followed along.
“Don’t worry.” Ember-the-receptionist said soothingly. “He’s brought six ponies back to life before, and one of them was ripped clean in half, you’ll be fine.”
“Ja, it’s usually easy for me to fix any mistake I just made,” Lily added. “Come along, Fraulein. Heh heh, let’s go practice medicine..."
Oh! Well shit, he wasn’t joking so much as saying something poetically. Alright.
“Thanks!” I said to Ember, then walked after Sky’s kid brother into the other room.
Lyra Heartstrings (The Pony) - 5th of Megan 17 EoH - Afternoon
Multiverse Location: The Prime, Equis #0B
Somedays are fun, some are boring. This was a boring day. One of the ones where you wish something would happen so hard you feel like you might make your brain pop out of your skull.
I sighed and sat back a little further in my chair, trying to perfect the human art of balancing a snack bowl and a drink cup between one’s legs while watching TV. It’s hard to do when you don’t have a TV. I mean, I would if ponies made interesting television programs, but… eh? We kinda don’t. At least I had Meep’s latest book.
Heh, that’s right, my Meep had mailed off a bunch of fan mail to the author today. I wonder if she would ever figure out I was responsible for having it redirected to her? At this point it wasn’t even a prank. It was just a thing that happened.
I looked up as I heard the front door open, recognizing Bonbon’s hoof steps as she trotted up the stairs through the candy shop into our living room. My lovely marefriend gave me a smile as she came in, coming over to give me a kiss before dropping a letter in my lap.
“Hey sexy, mail for you,” Bonbon informed before sitting down to look at the rest of the mail.
“Cool! Maybe someone needs help with a dig!” I said eagerly, super glad for the distraction.
My eyes widened as I flipped the letter around and read the return address. Jackrock Heartstrings. It was from my dad.
My dad, I hadn't seen him in decades since mom ran off to Maretonia, abandoning us out of the blue. My dad, who I’d left because I reminded him of her and it seemed to hurt him.
“Oh no… Please don't have died!” I said, ears drooping, as I worried it was a letter from his estate.
Bonbon looked up immediately. “What is it?”
“It’s from my dad,” I explained.
“... If this turns out like the time Vinyl got a letter from her dad-” Bonbon began.
I laughed. “Nah, dad’s not a vampire. He’s just a miner, well, a mine owner. You know what I mean.”
Bonbon nodded, going back to the other mail but still looking worried.
I opened the letter apprehensively, quickly reading it.
Dear Lyra,
I’m sorry I have been out of touch for so long. It took me a long time to get over your mother, and once I had, well, not being there for you had become normal. I didn’t even think about so much as getting a lunch with my little girl. I’m sorry.
Due to an old friend of mine finally carrying through on a promise he made years and years ago, I will be in Ponyville on the fifth of this month. I would like you and your wife to meet me at the park. I would ask for directions to your house, but frankly, I think I’d get lost in Ponyville these days. I do remember where the park is though.
Feel free to bring your friends too. I know we have a lot to catch up on. Do you still eat normal foods? I’d like to take you and your friends out to dinner. For fun and for business. There’s a person the two of us need to track down. (No it’s not your mom. I’d say who but I want it to be a surprise.)
I will arrive at three, and should take care of my business and be free by five. I’ll meet you then.
Dad
I dropped the letter as I jumped up, startling Bonbon with the sudden motion. Turning to face my love I gave her the biggest grin I could, “Come, Sexypants! To the park! Adventure awaits!”
Bonbon’s face feel flat. “Explain first…”
I felt my ears droop sadly. “Dad’s not depressed anymore and wants to meet my wife, friends, and take us to dinner. Also, there seems to be an adventure for us and I’m bored.”
“Oh! Well then,” Bonbon reached behind her chair and picked up her saddlebags. The adventure supply holding ones. “Let’s go.”
“Wooo!” I exclaimed. “Adventure ho! But first ice cream. It’s on the way.”